Author: Khoyetsian Rose

Interview with Hovhannes Movsisyan, Director Gen. of Armenia Public TV

Khoyetsian Rose
EBU
March 21 2023

I was 28 when I was elected DG two years ago. I think my age brings advantages and disadvantages: while I aspire for innovation, my responsibility is to lead Armenian public TV, which is a 67-year institution with 800 employees of an average age between 30 and 40. It has its traditions and it’s vital to balance change with these traditions. This can be challenging. It’s very important for me that experience and impetus for change work hand in hand.

It’s challenging to finance innovation through an annual budget that doesn’t change and needs to prioritize content. But we are trying and have launched a number of initiatives. Not all innovation necessarily needs funding, and I count on my staff who are very motivated and creative. But of course, we try to increase funding and the last two years have shown that we can achieve this. 

There are many things. Our priority is to be more competitive and grow our audience and we have launched a few strong projects to do this. 

One of the key initiatives is to segment content. As part of this strategy, we launched a 24-hour news channel 18 months ago that is already delivering high ratings. This new channel complements our main channel, 1st Channel, and a satellite channel serving Armenia’s significant diaspora.

We’re also working on developing and getting funding for archive, youth, and sports channels. As a priority, we’re shaping the team that will produce the Youth channel that is really needed to reach young audiences. Our plan is to start this spring and brand the offer New Wave, targeting the 14-30 year age group. We want to produce topics and formats that reflect how young people behave on social media. This new approach and narrative might be challenging for older demographics who are used to a more conservative approach from public service media (PSM), but we are confident we can face this. 

Our main first channel is now second in the ratings and sometimes ranks first, compared to fifth when I joined Public TV. Our main competition is Armenian domestic drama which is very popular in Armenia, with a strong offer from commercial players. We produce one or two series each season. However, commercial TV has nearly ten, making it hard to compete.

The news channel is ranked between six and seven, which is satisfactory for a new channel in a competitive environment with about 25 TV channels, the majority of which are Armenian.

Human resources is a challenge and we’ve taken some bold initiatives to address this. We launched a Media Academy at Armenian TV two years ago as our main funnel for recruiting young staff. We already have more than 200 alumni, of whom 40 work at AMPTV. It’s good to see this younger cohort work in different places across public TV. They are highly motivated, want to work for public TV, and understand that the way in is through the Media Academy. 
 
I want to provide these young people with an environment where they can create the TV of the future. We ask them what they want to watch and how they see the TV of the future. We also keep them separate from the main TV staff because we want them to be different, and in an environment where they can freely create their own ideas and processes. 

It’s a problem here like everywhere, with online being the biggest challenge. 

Every company is trying different tactics, that can be aggressive or positive. We have chosen the positive way. Two years ago we started a TV programme on media literacy. In Armenia it’s not enough for a programme to talk about disinformation. People need to believe in a personality. So we selected a host, who is well-known and reputable in Armenia. The programme is only five minutes long and we schedule it when there is a window, which can be two or three times a day, and not only on our main TV channel. We also broadcast it on our news channel and on our satellite channel for our diaspora because they also read and watch Armenian news. 

When we started the programme there was a high level of disinformation in Armenia, and this programme became one of the most watched in just a month. We were surprised because it’s not easy for people to understand what media literacy is. We show how manipulation is done, how resources have been used or we just answer questions and explain how to trust a newsletter, news website and so on. And, it’s working well. 

It’s very hard to rely on surveys. We look at international ones such as the International Republican Institute that does socio-political research. They carry out polls in the streets and use phone calls. According to their research, Armenian public TV is recognized as the most trustworthy and reliable in Armenia, not only compared to other television stations, but also other media outlets. We are very proud of this and we have been working to maintain this trust already for two years.

We have many international correspondents abroad and we need them to ensure quality output. Sometimes we change reporters to have more qualified content from the regions. 

According to the law on PSM, our budget cannot be less than the previous year which is a guarantee of stability. When we have strong projects that need additional funding we start knocking on doors and making the case. Of ten projects we have pitched, we managed to get funding for nine such as Junior Eurovision which required a big budget! 

Now, we have been in the process of digitizing our first studio. We invested nearly EUR 3 million of which about EUR 700,000 was covered by the government.

I remember the day we won Junior Eurovision in Paris in 2021. One of my colleagues broke a glass out of joy! It was a great day for us and for all Armenia because this is a popular show in our country and people were experiencing hard times. From that day on, we started the preparations, confirming that we were ready to host the 2022 edition and would do our best to make it great. This was something new for us, also coming at a time when management was still new, just one year in office. 

We started to study and learn, not only from Junior Eurovision, but also from the Eurovision Song Contest. We sent people to understand how both events work and how others have organized them. While we wanted to know everything about previous events, we also knew we wanted to make an Armenian version of Eurovision, not imitate something from somewhere else. 

From the first day, we actively collaborated with the core Eurovision team and recruited local professionals and international specialists. This was an opportunity to show our professionalism and what we can do in Armenia. 

What we achieved set a new standard for live production by public TV in Armenia. People are still talking about the whole event and this is really important for us. The public was proud when they saw the scale of this international event in their country. There were no negative comments, not even on the budget. There were street polls asking people what they thought. Did Armenia need to spend so much money for Junior Eurovision? And people answered yes. It was about a big event in Yerevan, and an opportunity to have many guests from Europe. That’s why we needed to push the boat out. The public gathered for the opening ceremony to see the guests and lights on the traditional Christmas tree in Yerevan. It was a great day for us and I’m really proud of what we achieved. 

I have actually changed our structure four or five times!

The main problem, like everywhere else, is that we need people who take decisions and take responsibility for these decisions. It is very hard for some managers or for some employees to judge what is right and what is wrong. It is harder to take a decision and to take responsibility than asking a superior to do it. We are facing this challenge, but we are changing. 

I always say that I am just one, and we are around 800 people in this organization and everyone should work and everyone should be able to take decisions and take responsibility. I know this is hard, but we must do it. And that’s why I rely on our top management while they rely on their managers, the managers rely on their employees and so on. In every circle there are roles and responsibilities for everyone and everything should be in a flow. One can’t do anything good alone. I believe that this is the right way to manage such a big company.

I have 12, down from 15. And maybe more changes will be needed. You can write the best structure for your company in principle, but it may not always work in practice. That’s why I change. Maybe it’s me: I like change. I see how something works in practice and assess its effectiveness. I work out the problems and if they come from the structure, I change it. 

I was elected for five years and my strategic plan is for five years. The programmes mentioned above, the innovations, the segmented TV channels, the Academy are all part of this strategy. Two years and three months have elapsed since the strategy was mapped out. We continue to revisit it because it shouldn’t be a paper set in stone. We adapt it every time we need to keep things moving forward. 

I mentioned the segmented TV channels and the channel for younger audiences, but we have also another priority, to boost Armenia’s film industry. This is a priority not only for public TV, but for the whole country. 

We, as public TV, need to do some work here, because we have the biggest media budget in Armenia. 

Of course, we face many challenges. This year we are celebrating 100 years of Armenian film. Most of that is from Soviet times. When Armenia became independent we lacked budgets for this industry, like everywhere else in post-Soviet countries, Now, we are trying to develop it and promote Armenian production internationally

I think they are worth it and we are positive about the opportunity. For instance, we are discussing a co-production with the Georgian Public Broadcaster that will be a musical show. More generally, I believe we should look more into co-productions because everyone needs content, and we can learn from each other and help each other. 

We have to plan and prepare now what we will be in ten or even fifty years. Where we are in the future will also depend on how well we adapt to disruptive technological change such as AI, that will transform us into something new. We already see anchors who are holograms in some markets. Maybe one day we will have AI for a director. And maybe you and I won’t have anything to do! 

We have this great organization where we can meet one other and talk about critical topics in a trusted, non-commercial environment. There is no other organization where we, as PSM, can meet peers and talk about things of common interest. So, I value seeing what others are doing and want to continue to share and exchange. 

Armenpress: Defense ministers of Russia and Turkey discuss the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh, among other issues

Khoyetsian Rose

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 21:24,

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. On the initiative of the Turkish side, on March 22, a telephone conversation was held between the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergey Shoigu and the Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, ARMENPRESS reports, MoD Russia informed.

“During the negotiations, the parties discussed the results of the implementation of the Black Sea initiative, the Syrian and Nagorno Karabakh settlement issues, as well as other areas of cooperation of mutual interest,” the ministry noted.

The country is love. The land is life.

Khoyetsian Rose
 Vahagn Khachatrian News 0

Askeran, Artsakh (Photo: Vahagn Khachatrian)

The country is love; the land is life. Life? Better to say, it’s a holy world. In its arms are sleeping thousands of innocent Armenian sons. The motherland has been nourished by their blood and sweat for centuries. The Armenian holy land is the symbol of our duration. We exist as long as our land exists, because our roots are deep in this rocky land. This stony land is our home, our heaven, our essence and our homeland.

We are forced to quench the thirst of our land with blood, while it misses water, soil, sow and the caressing hands of its farmer.

The people of Artsakh have been living in Artsakh, flourishing and building it for centuries as the enemy attacks, destroys and demolishes the region at will. But every time, after all this, the people of Artsakh love their land even more and deepen their roots even more into their land.

Armenian land has been rocked by many wars, captured many times and now it’s screaming in a frenzy waiting for its Armenian farmer.

Artsakh continues to be in blockade. Spring has arrived, which means that growers who are in love with their Armenian land must transfer their warmth and love to their motherland. They have to mix their sweat with the earth in order to receive life from it.

The people of Artsakh find strength in their country. The country is strong with its sons.

Alyosha Gabrielian (Photo: Weekly contributor Vahagn Khachatrian)

Alyosha Gabrielian loves his homeland. Along with his long-term career, he has also had a shovel in his hand, besides a pen.

Gabrielian is a member of the Artsakh movement and the initiative group of Askeran. He studied at the faculty of Physical Culture of the Armenian State Pedagogical University named after Khachatur Abovian. He taught in many schools and served in the Soviet army. When he married Lyudmila Grigoryan, he moved to Askeran. During the Soviet years, when the Artsakh movement was starting, he was the head of the district department of education, but for the sake of the activity of the movement, he left his position to avoid submitting to pressure from the leadership.

Alyosha Gabrielian represented the ARF in Artsakh’s National Assembly (Photo: Facebook)

Gabrielian has been serving in the ranks of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation since 1989. He was a deputy of three convocations of the Artsakh National Assembly. Today, at the age of 75, his main occupation has turned to farming.

Gabrielian has been farming since he was a young boy. He learned from his father, who was a great tiller of the land.

“Since the Soviet times, I’ve been engaged in agriculture, mainly in greenhouses. I have a pomegranate and pineapple garden,’’ shared Gabrielian.

He mainly grows vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants. His income is obtained from working with the land in early spring and late autumn, gathering the harvest.

Inside Alyosha Gabrielian’s greenhouse

“After the war, the government had a program for the establishment of greenhouse farms, which I took part in. Today I have two, 730-square-meter greenhouses. In the absence of electricity and gas, I do not have a heating system, but I try to use solar energy. Under these conditions, I am able to bring the crop grown in the greenhouse to the market one to two months earlier than the harvest obtained in the main open field,” he explained.

At this time, the preparatory work has already started. Gabrielian’s garden is bustling; all his family members participate. Gabrielian has been preparing to grow seedlings since January.

Alyosha Gabrielian’s family working in the garden (Photo: Vahagn Khachatrian)

Seedlings are grown in special conditions so that they do not freeze. “These are seeds. They are hybrids, which I acquired and grew with difficulty in the conditions of the blockade. On March 20, I have to transfer the already grown seedlings to greenhouses.”

Seedlings ready to be transferred to Alyosha Gabrielian’s greenhouse

Gabrielian’s garden is also full of trees, which he says require special care. “The climate of Askeran is quite favorable for growing tropical fruits. I prefer using organic fertilizers. I have a good irrigation system, which is the basis of obtaining a bountiful harvest,” described Gabrielian.

Today, many gardens in Artsakh have become borderlands and targets of the enemy. The people of Artsakh cultivate their land in front of the enemy’s eyes. Gabrielian says the people should not live in fear and should continue to create in their own homeland. He says the will and persistence of the people on their rightful lands should be visible in plain sight.

“Their positions are very close. We are under the target of the enemy. Five hundred meters from Askeran, the gardens are already under the target. There hasn’t been shooting toward this area, yet there was shooting toward Khramort and Nakhijevanik recently. Farming is very important under any circumstances, because obviously they want to scare us knowing that tomorrow’s harvest is from today’s work; thus, they want to disrupt our work in any way,” says Gabrielian.

The blockade has forced people to understand that the lack of products is the result of not farming the lands. Gabrielian says the farmer can’t suffer from hunger. “I love my land and farm it. It keeps you. Similarly, you must keep and protect your land,” he says.

During the blockade, working with the land has been like salvation for Gabrielian, when many people are losing hope.

“It seems you are cut off from the world when you grow something with your hands. How can I leave this land and move out? I invested here. This is my property. My family’s roots are deep in this land. My children and grandchildren live here. Land has a pull feature. It asks me to farm it and keep my family here. It is inadmissible to lose these lands, these fragile lands,” he expressed.

This is Gabrielian’s second time living under blockade. “The blockade of the 1980s was severe, but at that time, the products and weapons were imported by helicopters. There were collective farms, which had animals and food products. At that time, the people of Stepanakert used to go to villages to find food, as villages were more alive. There was no electricity or gas. We used firewood. We were literally cut off from the world,” recalled Gabrielian of the first Artsakh war.

Gabrielian says today there are a lot of people who are guided by self-interests and fail to take into consideration the fact that this nation came through war and deprivation. We lost our best sons for this land. Many families mourned. Many children were orphaned. He quoted the words of Aram Manoukian that we must fight alone both on the external and internal fronts, because the Armenian is strongly tied to his homeland.

“There was unity and a common ideology. Armenia was united: Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora. Armenians from Armenia and Diaspora were fighting here, as a result of which we were able to win,” he recalled. “Now, it is a little different. There is still unity, but it is not pan-Armenian in nature. It can be said that the people of Artsakh are left alone in front of the enemy and are facing all difficulties alone. We have to face it. We have no other option. We cannot abandon our ancestral land that has been inherited to us for centuries. Our descendants will not forgive us. They will curse us if we go,” insisted Gabrielian.

He explained that because of the communist party’s propaganda, the people were ideologically immature during the Soviet times, yet they wished to live freely and rule their homeland and destiny on their own. The people believed that it is possible to implement this plan under the guise of reconstruction, because they upheld elements characteristic of democracy, such as human rights and freedom of speech. But they encountered a challenge.

“The USSR decided that the nationalities must live together and that the Nagorno Karabakh issue must be solved under the name of social-economic problems. They provided some money to solve these so-called problems, but as you can see, it was impossible. We understood that we had to take action and solve our problems by ourselves. At first, we went on strike with the idea to reunify with Armenia, but we got distracted. First, we had to be joined to Armenia with the decision of the Regional Council of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the authorities found that reunification should be achieved through independence, which brought us to today, when our right to self-determination is being questioned. The government of the Republic of Armenia does not talk about it at all; they see us as part of Azerbaijan,” said Gabrielian.

“Our demand is that our authorities do not play games, negotiate normally and do not cross red lines; otherwise they will be called betrayers and receive a deserved sentence,” concluded Gabrelian.

Artsakh is like an oasis, God’s grace.

The struggle continues for the people of Artsakh. “Our right of independence must be accepted, and for that we have to struggle. The issue of Artsakh has a history of centuries and can’t be solved in one day,” said Gabrielian.

“Why are the people of Artsakh suffering deprivation for the sake of this land? Because this land is fertile. Even if we don’t look after it, our woods will look after us. You won’t find such an area anywhere else. Artsakh is like an oasis, God’s grace. That’s why the fight for this land has intensified. We have cultivated this land for centuries and felt its sweetness while working. I can’t imagine that I can go anywhere and find another land close to my heart. This land feeds us, sustains us, gives us oxygen, inspires us with hope and asks us not to leave it alone,” he described of his beloved Artsakh.

Gabrielian ultimately expressed optimism and the belief that there are many patriots in the new generation who understand the value of this land and who are ready to fight for it like our sons who sacrificed their lives during our 35-year struggle.

  •  Bio
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Vahagn Khachatrian was born on October 2, 1999 in the Republic of Artsakh. He graduated with a degree in economics from Artsakh State University. Vahagn is a member of the ARF Artsakh Youth Organization Central Department and a leader in the ARF Artsakh Junior Organization. He is also a journalist for Aparaj newspaper.


Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 13-03-23

Khoyetsian Rose

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 17:08, 13 March 2023

YEREVAN, 13 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 13 March, USD exchange rate up by 0.26 drams to 388.44 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.47 drams to 414.47 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 5.17 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.77 drams to 468.65 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 388.09 drams to 23244.47 drams. Silver price down by 0.20 drams to 250.90 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Alen Simonyan receives Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia

Khoyetsian Rose

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 13:25,

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan received on March 18 Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Yuri Vorobyov, who is in Armenia to participate the 36th session of the inter-parliamentary commission on cooperation between the National Assembly of Armenia and the Russian Federal Assembly.

ARMENPRESS reports, it was recorded at the meeting that holding sessions of the inter-parliamentary commission in different regions and cities of Armenia and Russia has become a good tradition. it is a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the potential of the regions and to outline concrete steps.

The active cooperation between the legislative bodies of Armenia and Russia was particularly highlighted, the importance of holding sessions of inter-parliamentary and intergovernmental commissions was emphasized.

“I hope yesterday’s session was effective and its results will strengthen the strategic partnership and cooperation between Armenia and Russia,” said Alen Simonyan, referring to the meeting held yesterday and the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Tavush region of Armenia and the Krasnoyarsk region of the Russian Federation.

Regional security and other issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting.

Referring to the actions of official Baku, the President of the National Assembly noted. “In order to prevent the threat of a humanitarian disaster hanging over the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the context of the need for efforts to restore normal movement through the Lachin Corridor, I would like to specifically mention that we expect active steps and targeted statements from our international partners, and first of all, from the Russian Federation, whose peacekeeping troops are stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Armenpress: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with President Vahagn Khachaturyan

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 22:18,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with the President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

In his speech, the President of the country said: “First of all, thank you for the meeting. Actually, there are many questions that need to be discussed separately. What do I want to start the conversation with? I look at what is happening in the world, you are also following. There are different assessments, but there is one general assessment by all: the world has not been in such an extremely tense situation since World War II, and whether we want it or not, these problems will affect us too. In connection with that, I also wanted to say in your presence that I appreciate the work that the Government is doing, that you are doing personally, that our diplomats are doing. I understand how difficult it is today to withstand all the challenges we face. And these difficulties are mainly related to our security. You gave that opportunity to our society through journalists, during your press conference, during your speech at the Cabinet meeting.

I would like to draw attention to one important fact. It seems that the society is not ready for what you present to the society openly. What is the reason for this approach of perception, interpretations? I think we are still in the old stereotype of the Soviet Union, that how can a government or an authority be open with the public? At that time, everything was closed, we formed our opinions based on assumptions or just tried to understand what happened in the country.

Now this style, which is a result of democracy, gives everyone the opportunity to become a participant in the events taking place in the country. However, it is difficult to digest, because when you start thinking in that direction, you also fall under a certain responsibility, and the biggest problem for democracy in the world today is responsibility. Many even give up some of their rights and tell the state again: deal with it yourself. In other words, the state gave him the opportunity and he says: no, you do it, we can’t. I want to say that this is not unique to Armenia, but I think that this style, also this way of informing the public, is correct. I hope this will continue and by that we will also address some of the issues facing our country. Regarding the 2021-2026 Action Plan of the Government, I think that what has been done should be made public a little more. For example, when I look at the junction being built in the south, at Meghri, Agarak section, it is very impressive what is going to be done there, what kind of transport junction it will be as a result. There is a need for this, because in many cases we think that the important thing is doing something, but we also need to present all that to the people.”

In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan said. “Thank you, Mr. President, for the invitation and assessment.

In general, I think the topic you talked about is very important because it is very important for our government and for me personally to continue to be in communication with the public. I should also mention that at some point I noted that there are many processes the purpose of which is to abort that communication. In other words, to make the Government close inside its cabinets and not to communicate with the public, and there was a moment when I also wondered to what extent we should communicate with the public. Because our perception of governments is that we should give the public only good news or only look at things from a good perspective.

I want to say that that problem, that dilemma, it also haunted me down for a long time, until the war of 2020, because the reality that we had as of 2018 in the context of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, that content regarding the negotiation process and content of the Karabakh issue had nothing to do with public perceptions. Basically, yes, it’s a strategic decision that we have to communicate with the public. Regardless of everything, communication with the public is the most important because it has strategic importance, including from a security point of view.

Regarding the implementation of the Government’s Action Plan, I must emphasize that according to the Constitution, we submitted the report on the implementation of the plan to the National Assembly by March 1. I think we got a very substantial document, but also not everything we managed to include in the sense that we tried to make the document concise. I can emphasize 2 very important points from that document, of course we will discuss it in detail in the National Assembly.

The first indicator that is very important to me, is related to the health sector. Compared to 2017, according to the results of 2022, we have more than doubled the volume of state-ordered health services, that is, we have had a 125 percent increase compared to 2017. The number of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia benefiting from the state order increased by 125 percent in 2022 compared to 2017, that is, it increased more than twice. It is a matter of the health of our citizens. May God give health to everyone, but of course the Government should also help God in this matter so that the health issues are resolved.

The next statistic, which is again very important to me, is that during 2022, Armenian airlines carried more than 900,000 passengers. This is very important because it was also our political commitment that we should have Armenian airlines, and in fact, about 25 percent of the market is covered by Armenian airlines. This is also very important in the sense of repatriation, because during 2022, about 200 jobs were created in the field of aviation, and many high-class pilots, born and raised in Armenia, who found no job in Armenia and only came during vacations, are now working in Armenia and can also spend their vacation in Armenia.

There is more data. Thank you for following the activities of the Government, and if you follow, I assume you will also follow the discussions at the National Assembly.”

Responding, Vahagn Khachaturyan said: “Definitely. I’ll say one number. As a professional I have always looked at, it is the biggest achievement from my point of view. It is about the problem of unemployment. It has always been 25-30 percent for us for years. There is official statistics and research. Official statistics, according to the “Employment” law, was up to 10 percent, and real unemployment was 25-30 percent. And it was the most negative among all our international comparisons. Now it has become 11.5 percent. I consider this the greatest achievement in my professional evaluations. Ultimately, there are 2 important factors in US Federal Reserve policy: inflation and unemployment. We only have inflation, because in many cases inflation can be kept at the expense of unemployment, but both factors here are very important. In other words, the goal of economic policy is to provide jobs or have less unemployment and less inflation. I consider this circumstance very important in the activities of the government and, of course, I took the report again, I will follow it to the end, but I also appreciate the work that is being done.

I would like to mention one more fact: your personal participation in reports. I find it an important factor in raising the responsibility of our departments, when the Prime Minister is present in each department with a representative team. It is actually appreciable, because before there was an accepted option when the prime minister did not go, the deputy prime minister went or one minister went, that is, it was just a formality. This is also a good way to increase the effectiveness of management, and we only have to solve our most important problems, which you keep talking about. You know that I am also dedicated to the implementation of that idea, which has 2 important components: establishing full peace in the region, turning our region into a center of international cooperation, and secondly, of course, democracy. We do not step back from the principles we have chosen. The government is implementing it.”

In conclusion, Nikol Pashinyan noted: “Yes, obviously, security, ensuring external security and peace is an absolute priority, and that’s also why our joint work, in fact, a large part of our agenda is dedicated to that. But the important thing for me is that despite all that, not only we have not failed the reform agenda, but, on the contrary, the key point of the Government’s report itself is that our response to all of this should be asymmetric in some sense. I mean that we should not deviate for a second from the development agenda, the reform agenda, of course, continuing to focus more and more on the security agenda.”

Armenia measles outbreak reaches 50 cases

Khoyetsian Rose
by NEWS DESK

NewsDesk @bactiman63

Today, the Armenia Ministry of Health reported an update on the current measles outbreak in the country. As of  March 13, the number of laboratory-confirmed measles cases in the Republic of Armenia has reached 50.

Armenia/ CIA

Three patients required hospitalization. One case is considered as severe.

34 of the patients are children from 3 months to 16 years old, 16 are adults from 21 to 64 years old.

Concerning vaccination status, 44 of the patients were not vaccinated against measles, 4 were partially vaccinated with 1 dose and 2 were fully vaccinated with 2 doses.

Health officials remind the public that according to the national calendar of vaccinations, vaccinations against measles are intended for children aged 1 and 4-6 years.

“We urge parents of children who have not received scheduled vaccinations against measles to contact the registration polyclinic and vaccinate their children.”

Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee of Connecticut announces annual program

Khoyetsian Rose
March 9, 2023 Guest Contributor Announcements 0

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee of Connecticut will hold its annual program in honor of the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. The event will take place at the historic Connecticut House Chamber at the State Capitol (210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford).

The program will include the Martyrs’ Service, which was created in 2015 on the occasion of the centennial of the Genocide and the canonization of the Martyrs. Clergy from Armenian churches in Connecticut will participate in the service. 

The keynote speaker will be Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). His talk is entitled: “Current Crisis in Artsakh-The Genocide Continues.”

A reception will follow the commemoration.




Students Around the World Protest Human Rights Abuses in Nagorno Karabakh

Khoyetsian Rose
The Wesleyan Argus
March 7 2023


On Friday, February 3rd, Monday, February 6th, and Thursday, February 9th, students across the world protested the ongoing human rights violations committed by Azerbaijan towards ethnic Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Student representatives from Columbia, Cornell, GWU, Harvard, Princeton, Villanova, University of Buenos Aires, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, King’s College, and University College London participated in the events and publicly condemned the recent blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

Unfortunately, the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh is rarely reported on by mainstream media or included in school curricula. Most Americans remain completely unaware of the current political situation.

On December 12th, 2022, Azerbaijanis posing as eco-activists imposed a blockade, accusing Armenians of transporting military hardware to Nagorno Karabakh and illegally mining for resources in the contested region. State officials in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh dispute these claims and Azerbaijan has yet to provide substantial evidence. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty investigated the protestors and concluded that a majority of them have not historically identified as environmentalists. In reality, many of the participants are Aliyev supporters, military personnel, members of the Turkish nationalist group Grey Wolves, and more. Further, RFE/RL found that the Azerbaijani government provided the tents that the protestors sleep in. 

c/o Annie McGovern, Northwestern

The Lachin Corridor comprises the main passageway linking Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh and is used to deliver hundreds of tons of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential goods to the residents of Nagorno Karabakh. The blockade has placed over 120,000 ethnic Armenians under siege for close to two months. Without their daily imports from Armenian proper, the residents of Nagorno Karabakh are suffering major food and medicine shortages. Businesses have closed, leaving thousands of Armenians unemployed, and markets remain empty. In addition, residents are experiencing sporadic disruptions to their power and energy lines, which lie in Azerbaijani territory. The government has started providing firewood and wood burning stoves so that residents can have a reliable source of heat and have shut down schools that lack energy supplies. These dire situations have exacerbated pre-existing health conditions, and without working hospitals and proper medical supplies, many patients’ health remains in danger. Patients in grave condition that require transfer to the larger hospital in Yerevan have been prevented from accessing life-saving treatment by the blockade. This has resulted in at least one death.

c/o Annie McGovern, Princeton

When the blockade was first instituted, Armenians were still recovering from the military operations that Azerbaijan launched on September 13th. The two-day attacks resulted in 207 Armenian soldiers dead, 293 Armenian soldiers wounded, 20 new prisoners of war, 7600 civilians displaced, and 3 civilians dead.

In addition to threatening Armenians physically, Azerbaijan has continuously engaged in hateful rhetoric, calling for the destruction of all Armenians and referring to them as parasites, dogs, savages, and terrorists. President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has publicly expressed his hatred of Armenians on countless occasions. In November 2020, he proudly declared: 

“We did, we brought [the Armenians] to their knees, and they are on their knees now! There is hardly anyone [Pashinyan] didn’t call over the past 40 days, begging for help and humiliating himself. We have disgraced him, and we were absolutely right in doing so. When he danced drunk on Jidir Duzu in the sacred city of Shusha, he should have thought that this day would come. He would receive his punishment. Now he hides like a mouse as he takes this document and signs it in tears. We showed him his place. We taught him a lesson. We chased them out of our lands like dogs. I said that we would chase them, that we would chase them like dogs, and we chased them, we chased them like dogs. He is now signing this document out of fear, knowing that we will come to Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin. No-one can stop us. Everyone sees our strength; everyone understands what our iron fist is like.”

c/o Annie McGovern, Buenos Aires

The language Aliyev uses to describe and address the Armenian people has influenced colleagues, major media corporations, and everyday civilians. Other examples include:

Hajibala Abutalybov, former Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan: “Our goal is the complete elimination of Armenians. You Nazis eliminated the Jews in the 1930s and 40s, right? You should be able to understand us.” 

Habil Aliyev, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Gundelik Baku Local Newspaper: “I consider the Armenians my eternal enemies. Wherever I see Armenians, I will cut their tongues off and will call them perverts. Even if I am torn into pieces, I will always hate them…If I go to war again, I will not pity even the Armenian children.” 

Azerbaijani citizen, Facebook post: “We must drink the blood of these bastard Armenians, regardless of age and sex.”

American media and politics has neglected this crisis for far too long. The ethnic Armenian students and leaders from Armenian Student Associations (ASAs) on these 11 campuses therefore took it upon themselves to spread awareness within their respective communities. Columbia, GWU, Northwestern, University of Buenos Aires, and the London cohort held signs in public spaces on campus that advertised the devastating impacts of Azerbaijan’s actions. Villanova hosted a discussion on Azerbaijan’s recent violations of the trilateral peace agreement. Harvard Law and Cornell students stationed themselves at tables and engaged in dialogue with passersby. Princeton engaged in a week-long poster initiative to continue drawing attention to the issue. The participating schools all asked their attendees to sign a joint petition condemning Azerbaijan’s actions. They also shared organizations to donate to and ways to contact Congresspeople to urge them to take action. 

c/o Annie McGovern, Cornell

The skirmishes in September and the current blockade both occurred in direct violation of the 2020 Trilateral Statement. Our protest strove to shed light on all the human rights abuses that Azerbaijan has committed against Armenians over the past two years, in addition to the  innumerable violations they have perpetrated for decades. The events of the last few months have placed Armenians in danger. If not held accountable, Azerbaijan will continue engaging in such illegal and inhuman behavior.

This protest demonstrates that students across the world, the future leaders of America, are invested in this issue and watching to see how our current leaders react. International political figures, lawyers, and activists must act in accordance with their official duties and protect all Armenians from further atrocities. We ask our officials to join us in condemning the actions of Azerbaijan.  

To sign our petition and learn more about the conflict and places to donate, visit https://linktr.ee/studentsforarmenia.

 

Annie McGovern graduated from Wesleyan University in 2022 with a degree in Psychology and Government. In the fall of her senior year, she was selected to participate in the undergraduate human rights advocacy training program led by the University Network of Human Rights. She was then assigned to a project investigating human rights abuses committed by Azerbaijan against Armenians living in Nagorno Karabakh. During spring break, she traveled to Armenia and assisted her supervisors in conducting interviews and gathering facts about the ongoing violations. Her team is currently writing a report on their findings and engaging in advocacy work. She can be reached at [email protected].

By blocking Lachin Corridor Azerbaijan inflicted greater harm on itself than on Armenia and Artsakh, says Speaker

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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan says that by blockading the Lachin Corridor Azerbaijan actually inflicted greater harm on itself politically than on Armenia and Artsakh and now Baku is in a deadlock.

Commenting on the world court ruling, the Speaker said that Armenia will maximally make use of this decision in all international organizations.

“We are achieving rather big success internationally and we will continue to work in this direction. I think that the closure of the Lachin corridor inflicted greater harm on Azerbaijan than on Armenia and Artsakh politically. Yes, we suffered, indeed, we are taking it hard, yes, our compatriots are blocked, we have problems. But by my evaluation, politically Azerbaijan has appeared in a deadlock,” Speaker Simonyan said when asked by ARMENPRESS to comment.

Asked whether or not lifting the blockade, fulfilling the world court’s order, could be a precondition in the negotiations, the Speaker reiterated that Armenia does not negotiate over Lachin corridor because a negotiated and signed agreement on the Lachin corridor already exists, i.e., the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.

The Lachin Corridor is blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.