Author: Karakhanian Suren

French Armenian Astrid Panosyan named Knight of the National Order of Merit

Karakhanian Suren
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 8 2020


French Armenian politician and businesswoman Astrid Panosyan has been honored with a rank of the Knight of the National Order of Merit.

President Emmanuel Macron handed over the Order during a ceremony at the Elysee Palace.

Astrid Panosyan is the co-founder of La République en Marche (LREM) a centrist and liberal political party in France. The party was founded on 6 April 2016.

Mrs. Astrid Panosyan has been Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer at Societe de Tayninh SA since September 1, 2015. Mrs. Panosyan has been the Chief Resources Officer and Member of the Management Board at Unibail-Rodamco SE since September 1, 2015 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer in charge of Central Operations.

She served as an Advisor and Member of the Cabinet of French Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs, where she was in charge of economic attractiveness and international investments.

She served as the Secretary of the Board of Groupama S.A. until September 22, 2014 and General Secretary since 2011. She joined Groupama S.A. in 2002, where she held various senior positions in the international department, the department of strategy and the department of finance.

Previously, she joined AXA’s strategy department in 1998. She served as Head Officer of Strategy and Head Officer of Business Support & Development Asia-Pacific at AXA. She began her career at the AT Kearney. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Unibail-Rodamco Participations SAS and U&R Management BV.

She served as a Director of Cegid Group SA from December 20, 2011 to November 27, 2014. She was a member of the Board of Directors at CEDID Group S.A. Mrs. Panosyan graduated from HEC Paris, IEP Paris, Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Montreal and Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University.


Artsakh FM’s interview to Nationalia newspaper

Karakhanian Suren

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 18:08, 4 September, 2020

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian side sees the NK conflict resolution exclusively through peaceful path, while Azerbaijan is preparing its population to war instead of peace, Artsakh Foreign Minister Masis Mayilian said in an interview with the Nationalia newspaper for an article published by the Catalan media on the occasion of the Artsakh Independence Day.

Nationalia: Demonstrations in Baku brought thousands to the streets in July, asking the Azerbaijani government to start a full-scale war to retake Karabakh. Does your ministry believe an attack by Azerbaijani forces is likely at some point? If so, how is Karabakh ready to protect itself, given the fact that Azerbaijan has been for years strengthening its military capabilities?

Masis Mayilian: If one considers the pace and scope with which Azerbaijan builds up its military arsenal, it becomes clear that it doesn’t buy arms to store in a warehouse, but rather with an intention to use them one day. And it will use every opportunity to test the grounds, to check if it is the right time to start a new aggression. We have seen Azerbaijan doing so in April 2016, and quite recently, on July 12, on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in the Tavush region of Armenia. In both cases Аrtsakh and Armenian defence forces gave an appropriate response. There is no reason to believe that Azerbaijan will not give it another try when it feels itself strong enough to unleash another military adventure. And , of course, we know it and Artsakh Defence Army stands ready to rebuke any aggression as it has done before.

N: How is your ministry, and the larger Artsakh government, working in the international diplomatic arena in this context in order to strengthen the position of your republic, given the fact that it continues to be unrecognized?

M. M.: Our ministry, and Artsakh authorities, in general, do their utmost to present to the world the true picture of the events. The position of our Republic has been unchanged since the proclamation of its independence. We have always been in favour of the resolution of the conflict exclusively by peaceful means. This position has been voiced on numerous occasions both publicly and during the meetings with the OSCE Chairperson- in- Office and Minsk Group Co-chairs, and many statements of the foreign ministry circulated in the international organizations like OSCE, UN, CE etc. We make no secret of the fact , that we want peace, at the same time we realize what an ancient Latin philosopher had in mind noting “Si vis pacem, para bellum -If you want peace, be prepared for war”. And we have gone through it already.

Sometimes, a single glance at the region is enough to understand the underlying reality of the developments taking place in the conflict zone. As you have mentioned in your first question, thousands of demonstrators in Baku demanded from the Azerbaijani government to start a large-scale war. In fairness, however, it should be noted that the demonstrators that broke into the country’s parliament building also had an anti-government agenda. It just shows the role the conflict plays in the internal life of Azerbaijan and how prepared is the Azerbaijani society, and the government for peace or the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Peace can not be reached unilaterally, all sides to the conflict should strive for it. And no matter, how loudly we announce of our readiness to reach peace with our neighbors, they should be both receptive and perceptive of peace. Unfortunately, for years the anti-Armenian sentiments in Azerbaijan have been cultivated into a state-run policy and instead of preparing its population for peace, Azerbaijan has been preparing it for war. This is the reality we face today. And this is the reality the international community should deal with. Independent of the fact whether the country is recognized or unrecognized , it is the people that we should think of. And we do our part not only to ensure the security and safety of our people, but to play a constructive role in contributing to peace and stability in the region.

N: Nikol Pashinyan’s ascent to power in Armenia in 2018 had opened the door, according to some analysts, to new prospects of reaching bilateral deals with Azerbaijan that could eventually lead to some advances in peace talks. You are in close contact with the Armenian leadership. Why this has not been the case?

M. M.: As I have already mentioned peace can not be reached unilaterally. Azerbaijan should work towards peace as well, through contributing to the atmosphere of trust that will allow for the peace process to take off. Without excluding the possibility of the use of force and creating an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of peace talks, the situation will not get any better. And, most importantly, Azerbaijan should understand once and for all that without the resumption of the trilateral format of negotiations with the direct participation of the Republic of Artsakh in them, it is naive to expect any tangible progress in the peace process. Let me remind here, that the only significant achievement in the peace process to date has been the signing of the term-less cease-fire agreement in May 12, 1994, when Artsakh participated in the talks. And it is logical that if the Agreement to cease the hostilities and fire was signed by Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as one of the two main parties to the conflict, hence the peace deal should also be negotiated and signed by Artsakh . To ignore this fact, would mean to deliberately negate peace.

Azerbaijan and the relevant international agencies should work towards improving Azerbaijan’s human rights record, fostering democratic developments in the country and educating its society about the benefits of peace and not war.

N: Turkish minister of Defence Hulusi Akar said Turkey would give all support to Azerbaijan in the current context and recalled that, according to him, Turkey and Azerbaijan are “one single nation.” But at the same time, a Turkish intervention in a full-scale war might have the potential to further damage Ankara’s relations with Russia, not to say the destabilization of the entire region. How do you assess Turkey’s stance in this regard?

M. M.: Turkey has never been neutral in its stance over the conflict despite being a member of the OSCE Minsk Group that through its tripartite co-chairmanship mediates the peaceful settlement of the conflict. It is the only country in the region, that has not only publicly voiced its support for the brotherly Azerbaijan but also has backed the Azerbaijani blockade of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. It is not a secret that Turkey also helps Azerbaijan in army-building, considering that many Azerbaijani officers are trained in Turkey and Turkish military consultants advise the Azeri military leadership.

We consider the statement by the Turkish Government in support of the provocations and violations of the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan unacceptable. We emphasize once again that such a position of Turkey makes its membership in the OSCE Minsk Group senseless.

It should be clear that South Caucasus is a region with a very complex geopolitics and multiple players; both regional and outside the region; with varying levels of interests. And it is not by chance that the Co-chair countries of the Minsk Group dealing with the conflict are Russia, France and the US.

One thing is clear: if hostilities resume, it will be catastrophic not only for the region, but for the whole international community. The Republic of Artsakh stands ready to take its share of responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the region, its time for other stakeholders do the same.

CivilNet: An Ecovillage Lost in Armenia’s EasternMountains

Karakhanian Suren
CIVILNET.AM

28 August, 2020 21:47

Hidden in the mountains of the Gegharkunik region of  Armenia, sits a village named Kalavan. It is like no other village in the country. Since the beginning of its development, Kalavan has been an ecovillage –  attracting tourists and scientists from around the world, who have come to discover its unique nature and archeological caves.

Expert calls on int’l organizations to react to Azerbaijani mistreatment of Armenian POW

Karakhanian Suren

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 15:51, 27 August, 2020

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. International law and human rights expert Siranush Sahakyan is calling on authorities to contact international humanitarian law organizations over Azerbaijan’s treatment of the captive officer Gurgen Alaverdyan, particularly over the video where he is seen forcibly reading a pre-written text on camera in Azerbaijani captivity.

“It’s obvious from the video that our officer is reading the text,” she said. “Basically they forced him through violence and threats to do so. Of course, the Azerbaijani’s claim the false version that a raid had taken place, which is false,” Sahakyan told ARMENPRESS.

Sahakyan says she has an impression from the video that an interest is being artificially created around the person, which is inadmissible.

“This all is taking place under terror and threats, which means that the life and health of the prisoner of war are in danger. The violation of these rules contradicts the Geneva Conventions and in case of consistency it is possible to advance the issue of holding the Azerbaijani commanding personnel to account,” she said.

Sahakyan says the OSCE must draw attention to the incident. “I believe that human rights organizations must react to such incidents, at least through political statements,” Siranush Sahakyan said.

Armenian military officer Gurgen Alaverdyan was taken prisoner by Azerbaijani troops on August 24 after getting lost in severe fog at an outpost.

The Azerbaijani media then released a video where Alaverdyan is seen reading a text for the camera. The Armenian Defense Minister contacted Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk and noted that the videos made by Azerbaijan constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

RANGE ROVER: The Armenian viper caper: Part III

Karakhanian Suren
The Pique
Aug 29 2020
 By: Leslie Anthony
The strange and amazing predatory bush cricket, Sago peda, is on its last legs in Central Asia due to overgrazing. Photo by Leslie Anthony

As our motley convoy—Bob, Kolya, Alek, the two Arams, Levon, Jingo, the human-sized bulldog, and myself—aimed south for a forest reserve on Armenia’s Iranian frontier, time unwound down every valley: animals roamed untended, beekeepers slept in meadows with their swarms, and haymakers from a Brueghel painting wandered the road with hand-hewn tools.

In a canyon hemmed by crenulated rock towers, we debarked for a reconnaissance hike to a ridge where Alek had seen endangered Armenian vipers in the spring—an almost senseless act given the 42˚C midday heat. Casually dressed to this point, Alek now donned Rambo-esque camo accessorized with a headscarf, wristbands, army boots, and a tool belt festooned with snake tongs, knife, and compass. Aping paterfamilias Aram No. 1, Levon’s preparation consisted of lighting another cigarette. 

The footing was near-impossible on the steep talus of ankle-battering, dinner-plate slabs we scrambled up; even side-hilling to lessen the angle was like walking diagonally across a sloping roof whose tiles occasionally shot from underfoot. After several hours we gained a rocky ridge with dizzying views across the valley to where, like a tilted wedding cake, cliff-layers angled into the icing of afternoon thermals.

Having found nothing to this point, Alek called a halt. Grateful for respite, Levon and I dove behind the largest boulders, him sparking another smoke while I greedily downed water. Sipping contemplatively from his own canteen, Alek mopped his brow, put his back to a rock, and pulled binoculars to his face. Though he looked to be scanning for enemy combatants, he was actually searching for… well, anything alive. Scrutinizing the landscape with Google Earth precision, Alek confirmed that the only animals foolish enough to be out in this heat were humans, eliciting evident disappointment. Resignedly, we’d begun descending through a walnut-shaded gully when Alek suddenly leaned over to pluck something up. He quickly turned to reveal thumb and forefinger pinching the thorax of a gangly, hand-sized arthropod. I fully expected a tarantula, but instead of eight beady little eyes embedded in a hairy head were two multifaceted orbs and the frantic, akimbo antennae of a smooth-faced… what? 

Where there should have been nasty, fanglike chelicerae I saw only sharp, chitinous mandibles hanging open like wire cutters. “Saga pedo,” smiled Rambo triumphantly, presciently answering my next question, “Like grasshopper… but eet lizard.” 

The predatory bush cricket—as it was more regularly known—represented a carnivorous branch of grasshopperdom that looked like a large ground spider and hunted like one, too. There was little doubt that if held improperly, it would inflict a painful bite. Sadly, the serendipity of seeing this unique creature was tempered by news that it was on its last spine-addled legs; unchecked grazing—the same responsible for steep declines in Armenia’s vipers—had also placed Saga pedo on the red-list across its Central Asian range. 

Early that evening, we’d finally arrived in Shikahogh State Forest Reserve, debarking into some unused barracks. The fact that the room soon smelled of fresh blood might have come from the pork the Arams were chopping on the concrete floor, but more likely the exsanguinations of a dogfight that Jackson Pollocked crimson arcs across the walls.

The Arams had been prepping a banquet for their friend, the park director, when, for reasons unknown, No. 1 unleashed Jingo from his heavy chain. When the director strolled in with arms outstretched in welcome, the tall, scrappy mutt by his side had immediately seen the back end of Jingo, an obvious intruder, and lunged for him with lips curled. Though I’d yet to see Jingo do anything more aggressive than lick his oddly conspicuous balls, the slugabed bulldog spun, ninja-like, vacuuming the attacking dog’s neck into his jaws and snapping them shut to a gut-wrenching cry. The room transformed instantly into a red chaos of dog, human, gear, meat and produce. Jingo held tight, shaking the larger beast like a cheerleader’s pom-pom. Even with teams pulling the bleeding canids apart while beating them with heavy sticks, the mess took five snarling minutes to disentangle. But the tussle was quickly forgotten as we got down to the business of banqueting.

Although this would be the largest yet, the several feasts we’d already survived unfolded similarly: Bob funnelled money through his bagman, Kolya, to Aram No. 1, who’d disappear on a long, looping mission through the countryside to purchase food and booze; womenfolk gathered to prepare breads, sour cheeses, dried meat, and pickles while the men huffed cigarettes around a fire pit and roasted eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and any available flesh on heavy skewers called khorovatz; the table was then loaded with overlapping plates stacked atop each other, any empty spaces filled with bottles of vodka, beer, and wine; the women withdrew with their food to a safe distance while the men ate more slowly, liberally sprinkling the proceedings with eye-crossing toasts; as things wound down and blindness overcame the lurching, singing males, a bottle of homemade hooch invariably appeared and total annihilation was achieved.

On this occasion, Aram No. 1, smoking and peeling a bag of Sevan crayfish (where did they come from?) between toasts, fired off three salutes in a row, each a mini-opera followed by a shot. The subjects, as far as I could tell, were snakes for being snakes, Bob for being Bob (fair symmetry), and Aram’s 30-year friendship with Kolya.

Then everything went black.

For Parts 1 and 2 of the Armenian viper caper, see piquenewsmagazine.com, Aug. 2 and Aug. 15. Pick up the Sept. 10 edition for the final instalment. 

Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. 

Turkish Press: Turkey always stands by Azerbaijan: Turkish spokesman

Karakhanian Suren
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Aug 15 2020
Turkey always stands by Azerbaijan: Turkish spokesman

Ruslan Rehimov   | 15.08.2020

BAKU

Turkey will always continue to support Azerbaijan as it has in the past, Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said late Friday.

Kalin appeared on a television program on Azerbaijan state television via the internet to evaluate Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.

“Our alliance against all kinds of enemies, our common steps against all kinds of friends will continue,” he said.

On the Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) issue, Kalin said if Azerbaijan suffered any attacks, Turkey would continue to support Azerbaijan in its power.

On international efforts to resolve the crisis in the region, he said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US, has not produced desired results and does not contribute to the liberation of Karabakh from Armenian occupation.

Asked why efforts are inadequate, Kalin said there are countries that want to take advantage of the crisis and occupation by sustaining the problem.

“Is there a problem of neutrality or a strategic perspective? Everyone knows that Nagorno-Karabakh is under Armenian occupation. The solution is obvious. Why not take this road, why not enough pressure on Armenia,” he said.

He said Turkey supports peaceful solutions in the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

The occupation of Armenia must end for the establishment of peace and stability in the Caucasus, he added.

Asked about the approach of Turkey to Armenia, Kalin said if the crisis between Azerbaijan and Armenia is resolved, normalization with Armenia may be pursued.

Until then, Turkey will not accept plans or agreements that Azerbaijan would not accept, he stressed.

He also said strong ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan, including, economic, cultural, security and energy would continue to develop.

In July, attacks by the Armenian martyred a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers. However, they have since withdrawn after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.

Since 1991, the Armenian military has illegally occupied the Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) region, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by international organizations, refer to the illegal occupation and demand the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut

Pasadenans Mourn Victims of Beirut Explosion, Mount Efforts to Send Relief to Survivors

Karakhanian Suren
Pasadena Now
Aug 12 2020
By BRIAN DAY and DAVID CROSS

Although it occurred more than 7,400 miles away, the effects of a massive blast blamed on an ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut is being felt hard in Pasadena.

Pasadena’s Lebanese and Armenian communities are rallying to help in any way they can, as the Aug. 4 explosion was believed to have left at least 160 people dead, 6,000 people injured and an estimated 300,000 people homeless, according to the Associated Press.

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek said many local residents are in mourning.

“While it may seem really remote from Pasadena, it’s having a very significant impact on people in our community,” he said. “I really want to convey my condolences and my prayers to the members of the Pasadena Lebanese and Armenian communities who have suffered losses as a result of this terrible event.”

“They have got brothers and sisters and cousins and relatives that have been killed and have been made homeless. And whose homes have been destroyed and businesses have been destroyed. This is a terrible catastrophic event,” Tornek said. “I’m getting stories about people who have been impacted. It’s shocking.”

Tamar Orichian, who serves as chair of the Armenian Relief Society – Sosse Chapter in Pasadena, as well as treasurer for the  ARS of Western USA, said many local families are affected, and the organization was doing all it could to help.

“All of us have friends and family in Lebanon,” she said.

The 110-year-old international humanitarian organization has a footprint in 27 countries, including Lebanon, Orichian said.

The ARS immediately opened the doors to its medical center and clinic to care for the injured. “They have helped almost 500 wounded patients,” Orichian said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made fundraising more challenging than usual, but the effort to raise money to help with the devastation in Beirut continues in earnest at local, regional, national and global levels.

“Each chapter, on their own, is collecting donations and doing different things,” Orichian said. “We’re making and selling food. With that profit, so far we have contributed $3,000.”

A new menu featuring traditional Armenian dishes is posted each week on the ARS – Sosse Chapter’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ARSSosse, she explained. Guests may then place their orders via text message, pay via the Venmo app and pick their orders up between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays at the Pasadena Armenian Center, 2242 E. Foothill Blvd. More information is available on the organization’s Facebook page.

A car wash fundraiser was also planned at the Pasadena Armenian Center at 11 a.m. Sunday, where food will also be available for purchase, according to the ARS.

The ARS of Western USA has raised more than $50,000 from its 24 member chapters, and is working on raising another %50,000, according to Orichian. The national branch, known as ARS Central, has collected more than $245,000 for Beirut relief.

In addition to those dealing with injuries or the deaths of loved ones, ARS is working to provide food to the hundreds of thousands of newly homeless Beirut residents.

“In the last three days, they have fed almost 3,000 people,” Orichian said. “And they still continue doing that.”

All services are provided free of charge, and the funds are sent directly to those in need, Orichian said. “Our motto is: For the people, with the people.”

But more help is badly needed, she said.

“We are hoping we can reach out not only to the Armenian community in Pasadena, but everyone in Pasadena, to come together,” she said. At the same time, the relief effort was targeted at “everybody in Lebanon,” and not only Armenian communities.”

Orichian said she urged everyone to help “as much as they can.”

Even before the explosion the country was already experiencing difficulties, ranging from economic strife to internal divisions, he said. “This, on top of it all, is really unbelievable.”

Losses due to the explosion in Lebanon’s capital city have been estimated at between $10 billion and $15 billion, the AP reported.

Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet announced their resignations on Monday, according to the AP.

Donations for disaster relief in Beirut via ARS can be made through the organization’s website at arswestusa.org, or via the ARS – Sosse Chapter’s Venmo account: @ARD-Sosse.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the ARS-Sosse Chapter and incorrectly described the position of Tamar Orichian within the organization.

Azerbaijani violence against Armenians in Canada

Karakhanian Suren
Public Radio of Armenia
Aug 3 2020

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On August 1, 2020, around 10:30pm in Toronto, an incident occurred between Azerbaijanis and Armenians, the Armenian Embassy in Canada informs.

The Embassy strongly condemned the policy adopted by Azerbaijanis to incite incidents and called on compatriots to be vigilant and not to give in to any provocation.

The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) issued a statement, strongly condemning “these abhorrent acts of violence and aggression by the foreign-sponsored members of the Azerbaijani community” and urged law enforcement agencies in the GTA and across Canada to remain vigilant, investigate and prosecute the provocative actions of the Azerbaijanis and ensure the safety and security of our community.

At the same time, it urged the community members to refrain from responding to any provocations by the Azerbaijani community.

“The dictatorial regime of Azerbaijan, supported and emboldened by Turkey are exporting their government’s aggression and state-sponsored hate towards Armenians, to Canada. This is highly unacceptable and condemnable in the strongest terms possible,” ANNC said.

“Since Azerbaijan’s latest aggression towards Armenia on July 12, 2020, Azerbaijanis in various parts of the world – supported by their Turkish compatriots – have tried assaulting Armenians and disrupting law and order outside of Azerbaijan. It is highly disturbing that these toxic and foreign-sponsored actions are now being witnessed in Canada,” the statement reads.

“What adds insult to injury is the fact that the Azerbaijani community, following last night’s incident, actively and immediately began spreading misinformation by trying to frame Armenian-Canadians as aggressors. This provides further evidence that this was not an isolated incident and it was carefully planned and organized to defame the Armenian-Canadian community and provoke an intercommunal strife,” ANCC concluded.

The court rejected the motion to arrest the former deputy mayor of Yerevan

Karakhanian Suren
Arminfo, Armenia
Aug 3 2020

ArmInfo. The court rejected the investigator’s petition to arrest the former deputy mayor of Yerevan Vahe Nikoyan and the former head of one of the companies subordinated to the mayor’s office Gevorg Hakobyan.

According to the Special Investigation Service, Nikoyan and Hakobyan  were charged under part 2 of article 308 (abuse of office) and part 1  of article 314 (official forgery) of the RA Criminal Code. Other  details of the criminal case were not disclosed.

Vahe Nikoyan was appointed Deputy Mayor in January 2012. In 2018, the  mayor of the capital, Hayk Marutyan, offered him to take the post of  adviser, but Nikoyan refused.

Russia direct investment in Armenia has been declining since 2014, says Transparency International

Karakhanian Suren
News.am, Armenia
July 31 2020

15:02, 31.07.2020