Author: Khondkarian Raffi

Azerbaijani Press: Bolton, three in a boat, and Russia

Khondkarian Raffi
Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijani Opposition Press
Friday
Bolton, three in a boat, and Russia

by Turan analytical service


The geography of the visit to countries closely adjacent to the south with Iran may indicate that the US wants to eliminate any excesses for these states in the process of tightening the blockade of Iran – imposing an embargo on the sale of Iranian oil, disconnecting Iran from the SWIFT payment system, etc. That is, the United States may insist on maximizing the level of contacts with Iran in exchange for preferences and security guarantees for countries that are part of the Bolton visit route.

Moscow

Bolton”s visit to Moscow showed that the United States does not intend to confront Russia in the near future. This became known from his statements on the completion of meetings with the top leadership of the Russian Federation. Advisor to Trump informed journalists that the United States does not intend to adopt new sanctions against Russia, positively assess the role of Russia in resolving the Syrian crisis. As a sweet pill, Bolton presented information about the upcoming informal meeting of Tram-Putin in Paris on November 11 and the holding of the US-Russian Business Council in the first quarter of 2019. Formally, the initiative of such a meeting was put forward by Putin, accepting Bolton, but the latter”s prompt response indicated that the parties had already agreed on this issue in advance. As expected, the Russian side was informed about the US position on Iran, which the US considers a threat in the field of nuclear security and the fight against terrorism. According to the adviser to the American president, it also became known that withdrawal from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (SPRM) is related to the fact that it does not meet the requirements of today’s realities and is outdated in terms of the formation of new owners and developers of medium-range missiles and more the face of China, Korea and so on. Thus, he made it clear further actions of the United States in the missile area after leaving the agreement will be directed against China.

So, as can be seen from the above information, the United States and Russia have mutual understanding and coincidence of interests in the matter of restructuring the system of relations in the Middle East, particularly in Iran, regarding limiting the growing missile power of China and other countries, as well as the development of the pro-Western vector of the CIS, including Russia.

Baku

The information for journalists from Bolton following a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, also confirms that the Iranian problem was fundamental on the agenda. The topics of the talks were: regional problems, the Karabakh conflict, US efforts to prevent Iran”s support for terrorism and the development of nuclear weapons. Economic projects were also affected, in particular, the Southern Gas Corridor, Bolton said.

He noted that Washington is counting on active cooperation on these and other issues, including participation in counter-terrorist measures and the fight against drug trafficking, trafficking and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The recognition of Bolton that he did not come with any proposals on Karabakh and did not raise the issue of resuming the activities of Radio Freedom in Baku demonstrated the correctness of the experts’ conclusions that the Iranian issue would be the main issue in Bourton”s portfolio.

The Iranian theme for Baku included two components:

1. How to reduce the negative impact of sanctions against Iran on Azerbaijan in economic terms,

2. How to protect Azerbaijan from the expected cataclysm in Iran.

We have discussed these issues with President Aliyev and the foreign minister. Our goal is to ensure maximum application of sanctions against Iran, and at the same time, not to cause unnecessary harm to our friends, and Azerbaijan is in this row, Bolton said in an interview with Turan. In this sense, the United States could offer a wide and deep dialogue with Azerbaijan, which has not yet been achieved, despite repeated attempts.

Bolton discussed with Aliyev issues of violations of human rights and democracy: “These issues are important for the United States and there was a very productive dialogue with President Aliyev and I think there are many areas where Azerbaijan and the United States can cooperate and learn from each other.”

Until now, Baku feared the realization of American proposals in the field of human rights, civil society and democratic governance. It seems that, as before, Aliyev did not refuse such a dialogue, but this does not mean that another initiative will not remain just an agreement of intent.

Yerevan

In the capital of Armenia, Bolton was also welcomed as high American representatives after the Rose Revolution in Georgia. Armenia, inspired by the democratic changes of the past few months, is now more confident in looking at the West. The US-Armenian dialogue showed that the parties are preparing for a more open rapprochement and for a change of the Russian vector to the American one. Bolton”s public offer at a meeting with the leader of the Armenian revolution Nikol Pashinyan to buy American weapons instead of Russian ones cannot be called accidental. This is too strong a move that speaks of the determination and guarantees of the United States to support the democratic process in Armenia, which is expected to become irreversible after the parliamentary elections in December of this year.

The parties also exchanged views on Iranian topics. From the revelation of Bolton it is clear that the security of Armenia in the sphere of increasing sanctions against Iran is on the agenda. He stressed that the border with Iran “will become an important issue, because, as I explained to the Prime Minister, we want to put maximum pressure on Iran, because he has not yet abandoned the goal of creating nuclear weapons.”

Tbilisi

The final Bolton route closes in Tbilisi. In fact, he is on duty, as a week ago Bolton received Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze in Washington. The latter said at the end of the meeting that both the challenges facing Georgia and the role of the United States with a view to overcoming them jointly were discussed. According to the press service of the Prime Minister of Georgia, attention was focused on cooperation in the field of defense and security.

The situation in the region, economic issues were also considered. He added that the Georgian government “has a definite plan in the economic direction” with which Bolton was acquainted. Following the meeting, Bolton wrote in his microblog on Twitter that, at a meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia, he confirmed solidarity between Georgia and the United States.

“A prosperous and democratic Georgia is a strong example in the region,” said John Bolton. To this we can add – and lighthouse for the advancement of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the direction of the civilized democratic world.

Sports: Football fans are suspicious after seeing highlights of Armenia 4-0 Macedonia

Khondkarian Raffi
GiveMeSport
Oct 17 2018


The UEFA Nations League is really starting to get exciting.

We’ve seen England beat Spain on their own turf, Germany are staring relegation in the face and Gibraltar have won twice in the space of four days.

Incredible.

After beating Armenia 1-0 on Saturday, ‘The Rock’ followed that up with a 2-1 win against Liechtenstein on Tuesday.

It leaves them with a chance of being promoted from League D, Group 4.

But football fans were talking about League D, Group 4 for another reason on Tuesday rather than just Gilbralter’s win against Liechtenstein.

In the other fixture on Tuesday night, Armenia beat Macedonia 4-0.

Prior to that match, Macedonia had won all three of their matches, while Armenia entered the match on the back of two defeat (Macedonia 0-2 and Gibraltar 0-1).

So when Armenia ran out 4-0 winners, there were a few raised eyebrows.

However, those eyebrows turned into suspicions after seeing all four goals during the match – while, there was also a last-minute sending off for Macedonia.

Macedonia goalkeeper, Stole Dimitrievski, was probably at fault for three of the four goals – while the other was given away by a defender – and it’s led to a Reddit thread discussing the possibility of match-fixing.

It must be mentioned that the goalkeeper in question actually plays for Real Vallecano in La Liga, so it’s not a case of just being rubbish.

Take a look at the goals here:

Yeah, Dimitrievski had a bit of a nightmare.

And now check out the reaction on Reddit:

It certainly makes you suspicious.

Of course, there’s no evidence that there was any match-fixing going on during Armenia and Macedonia, but there’s plenty of football fans that believe there was.


RFE/RL Armenian Report – 10/16/2018

Khondkarian Raffi 
                                                Tuesday, 
Armenian Police General Named Provincial Governor
        • Marine Khachatrian
        • Sisak Gabrielian
Armenia - Hunan Poghosian, the newly appointed governor of Syunik province, 
speaks to reporters in Yerevan, .
In a surprise move, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government on Tuesday 
appointed a retired general, who was Armenia’s second most powerful police 
official during former President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule, as a provincial 
governor.
Lieutenant-General Hunan Poghosian was named to run the southeastern Syunik 
province five months after resigning as first deputy chief of the Armenian 
police following Pashinian-led mass protests that toppled Sarkisian’s 
government. He had held that position since 2010.
Poghosian tendered his resignation immediately after Pashinian appointed one of 
his subordinates, Colonel Valeri Osipian, as new head of the national police 
service on May 10. He gave no clear reasons for his exit.
Armenia - Opposition protesters clash with riot police in Yerevan, 16 April 
2018.
The new government’s decision to give the vacant post of Syunik governor to 
Poghosian therefore took many by surprise. Some Pashinian supporters criticized 
it, saying that the police general was closely linked to the former ruling 
regime accused of corruption and human rights abuses.
Pashinian acknowledged that the appointment may seem “strange” seeing as 
Poghosian was “on the other side of the barricades” during his nationwide 
campaign of anti-government protests. He said it is part of his efforts to 
“consolidate” the nation after last spring’s dramatic upheavals.
“I find it very important to ensure that as a result of the revolution nobody 
feels that their [professional] life in Armenia is finished,” Pashinian told a 
cabinet meeting in Yerevan. “Accordingly, we must not allow the emergence of a 
phenomenon which can tentatively be called political racism.”
“There are times for building barricades and dismantling them, and I hope that 
we are getting close to the latter point,” he said.
Armenia - General Hunan Poghosian, the first deputy chief of the Armenian 
police, speaks to reporters near a police building in Yerevan seized by 
anti-government gunmen, 18Jul2016.
Poghosian, meanwhile, dismissed critics’ claims that he was a loyal “servant” 
of the former ruling regime. “Only slavish people can probably think so,” he 
told reporters. “I have always served the law and the people.”
“I’m a supporter of New Armenia and I will do everything to help ensure that 
everything is alright in New Armenia,” added the 54-year-old.
Poghosian’s latest appointment was made possible by Pashinian’s decision 
earlier this month to sack all government ministers and provincial governors 
affiliated with the Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun parties. The premier 
accused his coalition partners parties of assisting Sarkisian’s Republicans in 
their efforts to scuttle his plans to force snap parliamentary elections in 
December.
U.S. Plans ‘Strategic’ Talks With Armenia
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
        • Emil Danielyan
Armenia - U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian 
Affairs George Kent speaks at a press conference in Yerevan, .
The United States plans to hold early next year “strategic discussions” with 
Armenia on ways of strengthening bilateral relations, a senior U.S. State 
Department official said at the end of a visit to Yerevan on Tuesday.
George Kent, the U.S deputy assistant secretary of state for the European and 
Eurasian affairs, met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian as well as Armenian 
parliamentarians, businesspeople and civil society members during the two-day 
trip. He reaffirmed Washington’s readiness to help the new Armenian government 
implement sweeping political and economic reforms promised by it.
“The U.S. remains ready to be a supportive partner as Armenia moves forward in 
improving its quality of institutions,” Kent told a news conference.
“I believe after the [Armenian parliamentary] elections we will hold the next 
round of U.S.-Armenia Task Force strategic discussions,” he said. “I expect 
those will take place in Washington in the new year, perhaps in February. And I 
think that will be an excellent moment or us to talk about how we can deepen 
our relationship.”
Kent pointed out that the U.S. already provided Armenia with $14 million in 
additional aid following last spring’s “velvet revolution” that brought 
Pashinian to power. He said it can specifically support the Pashinian 
government’s anti-corruption efforts and “programs on ways of diversifying the 
Armenian economy.”
“U.S. companies will be prepared to invest in Armenia if the investment climate 
is supportive of large-scale investment,” Kent went on. “So it was interesting 
for me to hear the experience of U.S. companies [doing business in Armenia,] 
whether they are in hydroelectric power or other areas.”
“I think there is a lot of discussion now about a large mining investment that 
is under review, and as I told Armenian political leaders yesterday, it’s 
critical that contracts are upheld in order that Armenia can continue to 
attract investment that will create good jobs and allow Armenians to work with 
dignity here in Armenia, rather than going overseas,” he stressed.
Armenia - Gold mining facilities constructed by Lydian International company at 
Amulsar deposit, 18 May 2018.
The U.S. official clearly referred to the continuing disruption of operations 
at the Amulsar gold deposit in southeastern Armenia which was developed by the 
Anglo-American company Lydian International.
All roads leading to Amulsar have been blocked since June 23 by dozens of 
people protesting against gold mining operations there which they say are 
fraught with serious risks to the environment.
Lydian has dismissed these concerns, saying that it will use modern and safe 
technology. The company, which claims to have invested more than $300 million 
in Amulsar, has condemned the disruption of its operations as illegal.
The Armenian government, meanwhile, remains reluctant to forcibly unblock the 
Amulsar roads. Pashinian said late last month that the government is now 
seeking more evidence that open-pit mining would not contaminate water in the 
area.
The Amulsar project is strongly supported by the U.S. and British governments. 
The U.S. ambassador to Armenia, Richard Mills, has repeatedly warned that its 
possible scrapping would discourage further U.S. investments in the Armenian 
economy.
“As a friend of Armenia, I fear that if this issue is not resolved soon it 
could put a large cloud over the attractiveness of Armenia as a place to do 
business,” Mills warned last week. He noted “the absence of evidence of 
significant violations of Armenian environmental laws” by Lydian.
Belgium - U.S. President Donald Trump and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian talk during a NATO summit in Brussels, 11 July 2018.
Pashinian briefed Kent on his government’s reform agenda when they met on 
Monday. He had earlier expressed readiness to “strengthen and expand” 
U.S.-Armenian relations.
The Armenian premier briefly chatted with U.S. President Donald Trump at a NATO 
summit in Brussels in July. He hoped to hold his first talks with Trump on the 
sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September. The talks 
did not take place, however.
“I’m sure there will be a [Trump-Pashinian] meeting but I can’t tell you 
exactly where and when,” said Kent. He suggested that Trump’s national security 
adviser, John Bolton, will discuss the matter with Pashinian when he visits 
Yerevan later this month.
Kent said that Armenia’s relations with neighboring Iran and renewed U.S. 
economic sanctions against Tehran will also be on the agenda of Bolton’s talks.
Trump re-imposed the sanctions earlier this year after pulling out of a 2015 
international agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. The move was criticized by 
the other world powers that signed it: France, Germany, Britain, Russia and 
China.
Armenia too continues to support the 2015 deal and has made clear that it will 
press ahead with joint economic projects with Iran. The Islamic Republic is one 
of the landlocked country’s two commercial conduits to the outside world.
“While we understand the challenges for Armenia in terms of regional trade, we 
remain very concerned about the behavior of elements of the Iranian military 
and state in regional instability, not regional stability,” Kent said in this 
regard. “So there are questions of legitimate trade but there are also 
questions of how the [Iranian] Revolutionary Guards and Quds force sponsor 
terrorism.”
“So I think you can expect a frank and active exchange of perspectives during 
Ambassador Bolton’s visit about positive opportunities in the bilateral 
relationship and challenges to regional stability,” added the U.S. official.
Security Chief Blames ‘Well-Known Armenian’ For Leaked Phone Calls
        • Sisak Gabrielian
Armenia - Artur Vanetsian (L), director of the National Security Service (NSS), 
and Special Investigative Service chief Sasun Khachatrian at a cabinet meeting 
in Yerevan, 20 September 2018.
Artur Vanetsian, the National Security Service (NSS) director, claimed on 
Tuesday that a “well-known” individual from Armenia commissioned the secret 
recording of his sensitive phone conversations with the head of another 
law-enforcement body.
Vanetsian refused to name that person, saying that investigators lack the 
evidence to prosecute the latter.
“It is very, very difficult to document and substantiate the involvement of 
that single orderer,” he told reporters. “Unfortunately, that cannot happen at 
this stage.”
Vanetsian and Sasun Khachatrian, head of the Special Investigative Service 
(SIS), spoke by phone in July shortly before former President Robert Kocharian 
was arrested over his role in the 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. Their 
phone conversations were wiretapped and posted on the Internet by unknown 
individuals in September.
In that audio, Vanetsian can be heard telling Khachatrian that he ordered a 
judge to sanction Kocharian’s controversial arrest. Vanetsian also urged the 
SIS not to arrest Yuri Khachaturov, the Armenian secretary general of the 
Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), warning of a 
negative reaction from Russia. He noted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
wants investigators to “lock up” Khachaturov.
Pashinian condemned the wiretapping and denied putting pressure on 
investigators. For his part, Kocharian, who was released from pre-trial custody 
in August, portrayed the audio as further proof that the criminal case against 
him is politically motivated.
Vanetsian said on Tuesday that the audio was doctored to leave the impression 
that he put pressure on the judge. He insisted that in fact he never spoke to 
the judge and referred a senior SIS investigator instead.
The NSS chief also said that it was possible to wiretap his phone calls with 
Khachatrian only because he made them from a foreign country.“Any mid-level 
specialist could have secretly recorded them,” he said.
Vanetsian further claimed that the prominent Armenian commissioned the 
wiretapping with the aim of forcing him to resign. He said the same person has 
been paying some media outlets to discredit him. He refused to name them, 
saying only that “they charge 3 million or 4 million drams ($6,200-$8,300) per 
article.”
Last month, law-enforcement officers searched the offices of an Armenian news 
website, Yerevan.Today, and confiscated some of its computer hard disks as part 
of a criminal investigation into the leaked phone calls.
The website editor, Sevak Hakobian, strongly denied any involvement in the 
wiretapping. He also dismissed claims that Yerevan.Today is controlled or 
financed by Kocharian.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Azerbaijani Press: Baku says "nonsense" to Armenia’s attempt to show Karabakh conflict as conflict over protection of human rights

Khondkarian Raffi
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 13 2018
11:28 (UTC+04:00)
539

By Trend

Armenian leadership’s attempts to demonstrate the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a conflict over the protection of human rights and assert that Azerbaijan demands territories without the Armenian population are completely unfounded and nonsense, deputy head of the foreign relations department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend on Oct. 12.

Hajiyev stressed that Armenia, contrary to the UN Charter, by using force, occupied the territories of Azerbaijan – Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts and created a separatist regime on those territories.

“Armenia has committed numerous war crimes against Azerbaijan, crimes against humanity, by grossly violating the international humanitarian law,” he said.

“Having carried out bloody ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia and the residents of the surrounding areas, the country openly demonstrates that it aims at the illegal annexation of these territories without the local Azerbaijani population,” Hajiyev added.

He also said that Armenia’s talks on human rights when it grossly violates the most fundamental rights of more than a million Azerbaijani internally displaced people and refugees, and goes beyond all political, legal and moral frameworks.

“Armenia is trying to deny the existence of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Hajiyev said. “Armenia in no way allows building a dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.”

“Fundamental human rights and freedoms are universal and must be applied on an equal basis without discrimination,” he said. “As fixed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (1993), all human rights are universal, inseparable, interdependent and interrelated.”

“Armenia’s such claims are nothing more than hiding the aggressive policy, creating an untrue impression of the real affairs and attempts to divert international community’s attention from the fact of Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan and the military occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, which is the basis of the conflict,” he said.

“Armenia must understand that military aggression and the situation, accompanied by bloody ethnic cleansing and gross violation of human rights, will never be considered legitimate,” Hajiyev said.

“Therefore, the international community unanimously accepts and supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within internationally recognized borders,” he said. “Armenia’s claims on the creation of a democratic and civil society, without stopping an aggressive policy and fulfilling international legal obligations, are nothing more than words.”

“As opposed to the mono-ethnic Armenian state, Azerbaijan is a multicultural country with an inclusive society,” Hajiyev said.

“Various ethnic and religious communities live together peacefully in Azerbaijan for many centuries,” he said. “Today, thanks to the state policy, these traditions are further strengthened.”

“According to the requirements of the corresponding resolutions of the UN Security Council, the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the return of displaced people to their homeland, there may be a possibility for the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh to live together within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Finally, permanent peace, stability and security will be ensured in the region.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

A tear from Brigitte at farewell to Aznavour, master of melancholy

Khondkarian Raffi
The Times (London)
October 6, 2018 Saturday
A tear from Brigitte at farewell to Aznavour, master of melancholy
 
by Charles Bremner
 
 
President Macron gave a lyrical tribute to Charles Aznavour yesterday, leading a state ceremony of homage to one of France’s greatest balladeers and describing the singer as part of the nation’s heritage (Charles Bremner writes).
 
Under blue skies in the courtyard of Les Invalides, the military museum and tomb of Napoleon, Mr Macron addressed Aznavour’s family, former presidents, the leaders of Armenia and an array of cultural stars in a salute to the composer and actor, who died aged 94 on Monday.
 
“For almost a century, he made us live,” Mr Macron said by Aznavour’s coffin, which was draped in a French flag. “He held out a mirror to make our lives more gentle, our tears less bitter. His songs were a balm, a remedy, a comfort. His presence, that voice became part of our lives … Charles Aznavour became, unanimously, a face of France.”
 
In language that French leaders usually reserve for national heroes rather than popular singers, Mr Macron, 40, said that Aznavour, a child of Armenian immigrants, had “woven an unbreakable thread that bound together the generations” with his melancholy songs. He projected the glory of the French language around the world. “His refrains have entered the national heritage.”
 
The president, a devotee of postwar singersongwriters, said that the whole country knew the lines of Aznavour’s hits: “I could already see myself … Yesterday when I was young … How sad is Venice.”
 
Aznavour, who wrote or co-wrote 1,000 songs, including hits such as La BohÈme and She, was “the master of French song”, Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, said.
 
Aznavour’s death has stirred national emotion because he was the last of the line of singers of chanson Française, the bittersweet style of love songs and social commentary whose stars included Édith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg and Jacques Brel. Piaf was Aznavour’s mentor in the late 1940s.
 
Aznavour’s 91 albums included duets with Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan. He was to have performed in Japan this month.
 
Mr Macron compared Aznavour to the poet Guillaume Apollinaire. “The French language is not only the cement of a nation, it’s also the catalyst for freedom and hope,” he said.
 
Soldiers of the Republican Guard carried Aznavour’s coffin out of the courtyard to Emmenez Mois Au Bout de la Terre (Take Me to the End of the World), sung by a military choir as the former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande listened alongside Aznavour’s wife, Ulla, 74, and their children.
 
He will be buried in a private ceremony at Montfort-l’Amaury, on the outskirts of western Paris, today.

Board of Trustees of SSU changes rector’s election regulations (video)

Khondkarian Raffi
  • 21:16 | August 30,2018 | Regions
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

3 written and multiple oral suggestions. As a result of the voting, the Board of Trustees of Shirak State University decided that the rector may be a citizen who has a scientific degree, at least 7 years of experience in public administration or at least 5 years of experience in administrative work in the higher education system during the last 15 years.

Armenian Museum in Watertown to open new gallery om November

Khondkarian Raffi
Public Radio of Armenia
Aug 30 2018
11:21, 30 Aug 2018

The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown is updating its space under the leadership of new Executive Director Jennifer Liston Munson. The museum will open its new gallery to public in November, Wicked Local reports.

Munson has an extensive art background and worked as a senior member of the Exhibitions and Designs department at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Before becoming executive director, she had collaborated on many projects and exhibitions with the Armenian Museum.

Munson wants the museum to be a place of discovery. A place where Armenian-Americans can connect to their heritage, and also a place where people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds can learn how integrated the Armenian experience is with American culture and identity.

“We are creating a space to welcome people, to educate, and to enlighten,” she said.

Munson is also introducing new exhibition concepts. She wants to create a space that is dynamic rather than stagnant. To do this, she is organizing cultural events. Some might feature Armenian music, of Armenian cooking, but the idea is to bring art alive.

Munson is also creating an introduction gallery. The gallery will be at the front of the museum entrance and will highlight different Armenian artifacts every month. The artifacts will be accompanied by descriptions narrating their different histories, and how each came to the museum.

The museum has permanent collections that highlight Armenia’s ancient history and the genocide. Munson is also working to integrate more about the Armenia diaspora which is not a well-known tale.

Munson is a non-Armenian trying to tell the Armenian story. However, she believes that sometimes it takes somebody from the outside to help tell the story in a way that will connect with everyone. Her museum background and expertise, she believes will allow her to do this successfully.


Arrest of former Armenian president jars Russia

Khondkarian Raffi
Emerging Europe
Aug 6 2018


August 6, 2018
Tamara Karelidze

Robert Kocharyan, the president of Armenia from 1998 to 2008 has been arrested on charges of “overthrowing the constitutional order” during the presidential election of 2008. The investigators accuse Mr Kocharyan of rigging the poll in favour of his successor, Serzh Sarksyan, and violently putting down subsequent protests.

Mr Kocharyan (pictured above) has denied the charges, claiming that they are politically motivated, instrumented by Armenia’s new prime minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“These charges are fiction, fabricated, unjustified and have a political implication,” he said. “I am prepared to go to prison.”

Following the 2008 vote the opposition held protest rallies, contesting the results of the election and claiming that their candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosyan had won. The protests were violently dispersed by security forces, and 10 people were killed in clashes with police. Armenia’s Constitutional Court upheld the election results.

Mr Kocharyan has repeatedly defended the post-election crackdown in 2008, saying that it prevented a violent of seizure of power by the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition. Earlier this year, he blamed Pashinyan for the bloodshed.

The arrest of the former president has caused a great deal of controversy, not confined to within Armenia’s borders.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is “concerned” that Armenia’s new leadership is making what he called politically motivated moves against former leaders who have been targeted in an anti-corruption campaign.

“The events of the last few days…contradict the recent declarations of the new Armenian leadership that it was not planning to pursue its predecessors on political grounds,” said Mr Lavrov.

Mr Pashinyan was swept into office on earlier this year following weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism.

Asbarez: Armenian Youth Camp to Launch August 5

Khondkarian Raffi
  • Community

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2 days ago

Armenian Youth Camp Site

BY SEVANA PANOSIAN

Redwoods, Friends, Kebab, Shoorj Bar, Campfire Stories and Armenian Songs…

Preparations are underway for the inauguration of Armenian Youth Camp (AYC), a sleep away summer camp in Northern California for the Armenian youth.

The Armenian Diaspora is alive and well.

While the demand for our future generations to enroll in fun, educational and interactive camps is at an all-time high, space is limited and kids are missing out on the special summer camp experience aimed for Armenians in the Diaspora.

In the spirit that Armenians will move mountains to preserve our culture and nurture our youth, the San Francisco ARF Krisdapor Chapter in conjunction with the AYF Rosdom Chapter have teamed to create more space and expand footprint with the launch of AYC- the North to AYF’s South.

This week-long camp, for children 8 – 17 years of age, kicks off on Sunday, August 5 at Camp Sylvester in Pinecrest, CA.

AYC will be led by the legendary and beloved AYF Camp Director, Moushig Andonian.

To prepare for opening day, Moushig quickly formed an executive committee. Rallying with enthusiasm, more than thirty all-star and experienced AYF Camp counselors joined the team (most of which became CPR certified and AYC trained). Two licensed Emergency Medical Technicians came on board, as did gourmet cooks that are well versed on Armenian and American cuisine.
A “fun fact” is that half of these experienced cooks wanted to kick off AYC’s kitchen crew to honor the memory of the late Deegeen Araxi Soghomonian, one of the volunteers that spent decades preparing meals at AYF Camp and Camp Kessab.

When the website went live, enrollment exceeded expectations. The need for such a camp became obvious when registration boomed to nearly 140 registered campers within weeks.

While the committee prepares for August 5’ths opening day, campers can expect to be grouped into three teams (Red, Blue, and Orange). They will play games like wacky Olympics, obstacle course and quiz bowl. They will participate in fun activities including creative art, festive song and dance, athletics and traditional camp activities like steal the bacon. Most importantly, children will have the opportunity to create lifelong friendships and bond with fellow Armenians.

Our children may not know each other (yet), but “When two Armenians meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia”. – William Saroyan

To share the community efforts of launching this new camp for future generations, please consider sponsoring a cabin, funding a camper’s tuition or pitching in with other supplies. More info can be found by visiting: www.ArmenianYouthCamp.org and by following Armenian Youth Camp on Instagram and Facebook.

Happy Camping!

Yerevan reminded Baku of half a million Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan

Khondkarian Raffi
Arminfo, Armenia
Yerevan reminded Baku of half a million Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan

Yerevan July 20

Marianna Mkrtchyan. The representative of Azerbaijan visually demonstrated the degree of hatred towards Armenia and the Armenian society, which the Azerbaijani government sows in its own society.

This was stated during the meeting of the 15th OSCE conference for the South Caucasus media “Quality journalism for reliable and reliable information” in Tbilisi, Head of the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Helen Harutyunyan, reacting to the anti-Armenian statement of the representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khimket Hajiyev.

Since I was deprived of the right to reply to some accusations made against Armenia yesterday by the representative of Azerbaijan, I take this opportunity to respond and to set the record straight. And indeed, since the session is about countering the have speech, it seems to be the right setting to respond to the hate speech directed against my country. But before coming to the subject of the matter I would like to express my concern at the continuous abuse of this platform to disseminate anti Armenian propaganda, hatred and false information under the inaction of the moderator. I would like to strongly request the moderators of the sessions to be attentive and to exercise their authority and prevent panelists from using this format for conducting what should be called hostile information directed against another country. I hope that the organizers will draw necessary conclusions and we will not have the same situation next year.

On the other hand, the representative of Azerbaijan vividly showed the extent of hostility towards Armenia and the Armenians that the Azerbaijani government is cultivating in the country. And with each passing year this narrative is being enriched with new nuances. Mr Hajiyev went as far as to accuse Armenia of committing a holocaust, uttering an allegation which relates to an extremely sensitive subject for the people who survived the Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire. It seems, that you do not know the value of the word, but we do. And firmly reject all your groundless accusations. And when it comes to refugees, then we should speak about the almost half a million Armenians that barely escaped with their lives from the rampage of marauding gangs in the Armenian districts of the cities in Azerbaijan, including the capital, escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. But the Armenian government did not keep them hostage of foreign policy games, since the rights of these people were the ultimate value.

It has become a good old tradition for the Azerbaijani authorities, that whenever someone is speaking about the pitiful state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Azerbaijan, they dodge all the questions by diverting the attention towards Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. And by the way, the conflict is about the right of the people of Artsakh to live in a free and democratic country, which Azerbaijan is obviously not. And sooner Azerbaijan comes to terms with it, the sooner we will be able to find a sustainable peace.

Nagorno Karabakh, or I should say Republic of Artsakh is an independent state with fully functioning democratic institutions, where freedom of the media and pluralism of opinions is ensured and respected, and well recognized by the international relevant organisations. They do not put journalists in prison on bogus charges, they do not shut down media outlets and they do not restrict access of journalists and they do not put them in black lists. The authorities of Artsakh believe in the right to information and the freedom of media and ensure it both in law and in practice.

And the final observation. Mr Hajiyev has been complaining about the revelations about the widespread corruption scheme targeting European politicians, known as Azerbaijani Laundromat, which were made by the Organised Crime and Corruption reporting project. He called it unfair ”cold-war type propaganda” against Azerbaijan without any hard evidence. But it seems, the evidence provided was enough for Italian prosecutors, for Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly and others to take necessary legal actions. Instead of spending millions trying to bribe European politicians to prevent their criticism of the situation with democracy, human rights and rule of law in Azerbaijan, I would strongly recommend to try and build a genuine democratic modern state, believe me, it will be much more economically efficient and much more beneficial for the Azerbaijani people.