15:39,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has made it to the Top Ten Most Desirable Emerging Destinations at Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, the Tourism Committee of Armenia said in a statement.
“Exciting news as Armenia makes it to the Top Ten Most Desirable Emerging Destinations at the prestigious Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards! A rich tapestry of culture, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality make Armenia a must-visit destination,” the Tourism Committee said.
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has asserted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved by unilateral declarations. The statement comes amidst a climate of heightened tension in the South Caucasus region, following discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev focusing on stabilizing the situation.
The article discusses Belarusian President Lukashenka’s controversial claim that if Sargsyan had agreed to a $5 billion deal, war in Karabakh could have been averted. Lukashenka’s close relationship with Aliyev and his role as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group during the Karabakh settlement process have been subject to criticism, particularly from former Deputy Minister of Defence Artak Zakaryan.
(Read Also: Putin Reveals Lack of Communication from Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh Recognition)
Armenian media has extensively covered debates regarding the country’s potential withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), strained relations with Russia, and efforts to strengthen ties with the European Union. The media has been criticized for a lack of meaningful discussions, prevalence of propaganda, and a propensity for creating a false sense of security. The potential withdrawal from the CSTO is viewed with skepticism, with critics accusing the pro-government media of using the issue to address internal public matters.
(Read Also: Armenia, Azerbaijan Progress Towards Border Resolution Amid Rising Antisemitism)
Energy security expert Armen Manvelyan has declared that gas pricing in Armenia is a political issue, with the current regime favoring Russia. The fluctuating gas prices, which have risen with Armenia’s overtures towards the EU and fallen with its inclusion in the Eurasian Economic Union, lend credence to this assertion. The media’s role in shaping public opinion and its division into pro-Western and pro-Russian factions are seen as products of political campaigns for power, highlighting the need for more genuine, fact-based discussions on real issues.
19:24,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The only thing Iran and Israel share is that both do not believe in a two-state solution, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday via translation at an international forum in Doha, Al Arabiya reports.
According to the source, during the forum, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran’s proposal that a referendum be held to determine the fate of Palestine, with only descendants of those who lived there prior to 1948 being permitted to vote.
Human rights activists have raised alarm over the detention of a mobilized Russian soldier on charges of desertion in Armenia, saying the move amounts to a violation of the ex-Soviet republic’s sovereignty.
Russian military police in Armenia detained Dmitry Setrakov, who fled the country to avoid serving in the Russian military, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor said Sunday.
Setrakov, 39, is currently being held at a Russian military base in the northern Armenian city of Gyumri after being apprehended on Dec. 6-7, the organization said.
He faces five to 10 years in prison if convicted of leaving his military unit during Russia’s mobilization period.
Setrakov fled Russia on Nov. 30 with the help of Idite Lesom (“Get Lost”), a project that helps Russians avoid military service in Ukraine, after he refused to fight.
“He was mobilized and didn’t want to fight so we helped him leave the country,” Idite Lesom head Grigory Sverdlin told The Moscow Times by phone, adding that Setrakov had spent several months in hiding from the military before turning to the project.
“The kidnapping of a person on foreign territory is an extraordinary occurrence,” Sverdlin said.
The people who detained Setrakov had identified themselves to him as members of Armenia’s military police “but were obviously Russian soldiers and security services,” Sverdlin said.
According to Idite Lesom, Setrakov called his wife and told her that he was detained in Gyumri and was being held at the Russian military base No. 120.
The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor said it “condemns the abduction of and the illegal activities against a person under the Republic of Armenia’s legal protection by Russian military police in the Republic of Armenia’s territory.”
It argued that Russian authorities violated Armenia’s sovereign power to restrict a person’s liberty on its territory.
“This case is very alarming for the human rights community, because, essentially, this is a kidnapping of a person on the territory of another country,” said lawyer Anastasia Burakova, the head of Kovcheg, an international group supporting Russian emigres and anti-war activists.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Armenia and we are in direct contact with local human rights activists,” Burakova told The Moscow Times. “This incident is lawlessness. Neither the Russian military nor Russian law enforcement agencies have the jurisdiction to carry out search operations or detentions on the territory of other countries.”
Burakova said there is little possibility that activists could successfully lobby for his release.
“But unfortunately, the prospects aren’t very promising, given the fact that he is at the Russian military base and the possibilities of legal assistance are very limited,” she added.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/12/11/russian-military-detains-deserter-in-armenia-ngo-a83375
14:47, 6 December 2023
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. wants to make sure that it can help those in need around the world, including ethnic Armenians, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
“And then there are people in need around the world, throughout the world, whether it is ethnic Armenians, whether it’s Rohingya, whether it’s Sudanese – you name it, we want to make sure that America is there to help them,” Blinken said at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition 2023 Tribute Celebration.
He made the remarks in the context of ongoing debates in the U.S. Congress around additional funding for Ukraine and Israel, as well as various humanitarian goals.
14:23, 28 November 2023
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has been delaying peace talks with Armenia for unclear reasons, Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan has said.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Simonyan said that Azerbaijan has been avoiding a number of different formats of the talks.
“I don’t understand why Azerbaijan has been avoiding various formats. First, they accused France, then they accused Brussels, they rejected some format, and then they rejected the Washington format. I honestly don’t understand what this kind of delay would give Azerbaijan and the region, when they are speaking about peace on one hand, and on the other hand they are avoiding the peace treaty that is already very close to reality, if you will,” Simonyan said.
Speaker Simonyan emphasized that Armenia has already drawn its red lines, such as Armenia’s territory of 29,800 square kilometers.
“The red line is drawn, that not a single piece of Armenia’s sovereign territory will be given up. They often speak about, for example, the four villages, but we have thirty-one villages that are either partially or entirely under Azerbaijani occupation. Now we must talk about the thirty-one villages,” Simonyan said.
BY CATHERINE YESAYAN
Due to Azerbaijan’s relentless military aggression, as of September, 2023 more than 120,000 Armenians from Artsakh were forced to leave their homes. Yet again, Armenians communities across the globe are organizing fundraisers to send aid to our compatriots.
The evacuees crossed Artsakh’s border and settled mainly in the southern parts of Armenia. Among those individuals, some 30,000 are students who have been left without the necessary financial resources to meet their basic needs, including receiving an educational.
To collect funds and to raise awareness for the besieged victims, the students and staff of Glendale Community College partnered with the Armenian Educational Foundation to mobilize the community and raise the necessary funds for affected students now in Armenia.
Glendale Community College reflects a diverse and multifaceted cultural mix of students and staff, with approximately thirty percent of the students being of Armenian descent.
A group of active and concerned students, alongside some members of the Armenian Students Association — one of the most active student clubs on campus — partnered with the AEF and started their initial fundraising in mid-October, 2023. To further publicize this collaborative effort, and to ultimately raise public awareness about the Artsakh crisis, they organized a special concert/fundraiser event on Tuesday, November 21 in the GCC Auditorium. I was invited to this event.
Since 1950, the mission of the AEF has been to offer financial assistance to Armenian Educational institutions, as well as to Armenian students, to help them acquire a decent education in schools, colleges, and universities all around the world.
I arrived a bit early to the fundraising event. Outside the auditorium, the committee had arranged a light buffet and a table for donations.
As I entered the auditorium, my eyes caught a large 8’x4’ canvas painting with a group of students and staff working on it — adding their own personal touches.
The painting was the brainchild of Prof. Gagik Labadzhyan, a chemistry professor at GCC. At first glance, I noticed that the painting carried the picture of a pomegranate tree and the twin peaks of Mt. Ararat.
Later, I found out that it had a much deeper symbolism, representing Armenian culture. It was a dramatic interpretation on many levels.
The pomegranate tree, bearing dozens of bright red fruits, was placed in the center and enveloped the entire painting. In Armenian culture, the pomegranate represents fertility and eternity.
The top part of the tree-bark morphed into the mythical Phoenix, which symbolizes rebirth from the ashes of historic calamities. The wings of the phoenix masterfully blended with the twin peaks of Mt. Ararat. The picture on the canvas was completed with the help of the audience at the conclusion of the event. It matched perfectly with the main message of the event: Hope and resilience for the future.
The event was opened by emcees Ani Isaiants and Yervand Garagossian. They reported that, prior to the event, the organizing committee had managed to collect $6,500 in donations and had set a goal of reaching $30,000 by the end of this year.
The cultural, entertainment, and fundraising portions were smoothly and thoughtfully interwoven throughout the 90 minutes of this event. The entertainment acts included a traditional Armenian dance, “Shalakho,” by Lilia’s dance studio, two solo songs accompanied by piano, two poetry recitals, and one musical duduk piece, featuring a song by Komitas.
Senator Antony Portantino delivering remarks during the fundraising event
California State Senator Anthony Portantino, among several other dignitaries and guests, attended the event. Portantino shared a few invaluable points with the audience during the event, and declared his unconditional allegiance to the Armenian community and their causes.
Anna Miskarova, the executive director of the AEF, played a short video on the activities and the history of the organization. She then gave a detailed account on an emergency fund specifically earmarked to help the forcefully displaced Armenian students from Artsakh to meet their basic survival and educational needs.
A total of $3,000 was raised during the event, which was then matched by a generous anonymous donor.
The event was closed with the viewing of a documentary by Vic Gerami on the brutal treatment of Armenians in Artsakh. It was my absolute pleasure to be there and observe all that I did,
Catherine Yesayan is a regular contributor to Asbarez, with her columns appearing under the “Community Links” heading. She can be reached at [email protected].
15:28,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Some issues in the talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan require the presence of mediators, Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan has said.
“We’ve numerously said that there are issues where the presence of mediators is mandatory. There are issues where the presence of mediators has a very important role,” he said when asked whether Armenia is in favor of holding talks with Azerbaijan without mediators.
Such issues include the rights of the forcibly displaced population of Nagorno-Karabakh, Safaryan said, adding that Armenia attaches importance to the presence of international mechanisms in this issue. There are other issues that require guarantees, he said.
“At this moment the issue of the rights of the forcibly displaced population is being raised by Armenia,” Safaryan said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to hold a meeting on border delimitation on November 30.
MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s aircraft will deliver 40 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia for the people who had to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, the ministry said in a statement.
"The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s special flight headed to Yerevan has departed from Zhukovsky International Airport. The aircraft will deliver a total of 40 tons of humanitarian cargo, including food, blankets and a mobile power station," the statement reads.
The humanitarian mission is being carried out based on orders from the Russian president and instructions from the government.
On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it was launching what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures" and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region. Yerevan, in turn, described what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression." Russia called on the parties to end the bloodshed and return to efforts to resolve the issue diplomatically. On September 20, a ceasefire agreement was reached. President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on September 28 to dissolve the unrecognized state from January 1, 2024. Its people were urged to consider the terms of reintegration in Azerbaijan, which were offered by Baku, and stay put if they choose to do so.