13:37,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė has visited the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) Headquarters in Yeghegnadzor, EUMA said on X.
“Today, EUMA Head of Mission Markus Ritter welcomed the Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė to the Mission’s Headquarters in Yeghegnadzor. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Armenia’s Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan and Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan,” EUMA said.
13:19, 6 October 2023
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. At the Central Bank of Armenia Board meeting on September 5, the publication of the "National Sustainable Finance Roadmap of Armenia" was approved.
The Roadmap is an important milestone in the CBA's continued commitment to transition to sustainable financing, the Central Bank said in a press release.
The Sustainable Finance Roadmap consists of 4 key pillars, which are:
In collaboration with the relevant stakeholders the CBA will implement the completed action plan based on these pillars.
Armenian Americans joined with faith-based and human rights groups in demanding the Biden administration stop the Armenian Genocide of 2023 at a White House protest organized by the AYF D.C. Ani Chapter
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Armenian Youth Federation – Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF) Washington, D.C. “Ani” Chapter organized a protest outside the White House demanding that the Biden Administration directly intervene to stop Azerbaijan’s genocide against the 120,000 indigenous Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), sanction Azerbaijan for its war crimes and take immediate measures to ensure the safety and security of Artsakh residents.
The protest came just two days after Azerbaijan launched a brutal attack against Artsakh, killing over 200 and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. The genocidal onslaught followed nine months of Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor, the only road that connects Artsakh to the rest of the world, leaving the people of Artsakh without food, medical supplies and energy resources.
AYF D.C. Ani chapter member Matt Girardi implored protesters to “remember how futures are built…who we are…and [to] never stop fighting for a truly free, independent and united Armenia.”Matt Girardi, a member of the AYF Washington, D.C. “Ani” Chapter, opened the protest with a powerful indictment of Azerbaijan’s actions. “Let us be clear: this is genocide. It has been, and it continues to be. It is the echo of 1915 that should haunt the world.”
Girardi voiced the Armenian American community’s clear demands of the Biden administration. “Going forward, we need our government to act. We need it to protect the people of Artsakh’s sacred right to self-determination. We need a U.N. mandate for international administration to immediately protect the population of Artsakh. We need this administration to finally hold Aliyev and all his goons accountable for the war crimes and genocide they have promulgated. We need immediate deliverance of humanitarian, development and reconstruction assistance, and to secure the safe return of all those indigenous Armenians displaced by Azerbaijan’s campaign of aggression,” stated Girardi.
In the face of one of the darkest moments in Armenian history, Girardi called for Armenians everywhere to “remember how futures are built…who we are…and [to] never stop fighting for a truly free, independent and united Armenia.”
An audio and photo collage of Girardi’s speech is available here.
AYF D.C. Ani Chapter member Sune Hamparian stresses Armenian American solidarity with the people of Artsakh during powerful remarks at the White House protest
Following chants demanding concrete U.S. action to stop the Armenian Genocide of 2023, fellow AYF “Ani” Chapter member Sune Hamparian stressed that the work of Armenians and their allies in the interfaith and human rights communities must continue in the face of the lack of a global response to Artsakh’s plight. “Where is your morality? Where is your humanity, your sympathy? Where is your heart?” she asked.
Hamparian affirmed that the Armenian American community remains “in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Artsakh; in faith with the generations that came before us; in tribute to those who fell in this struggle; in service to those generations that will follow.”
“Artsakh’s fate is not yet written,” and “America’s role is not yet over,” she stressed, reminding protesters of the Armenian American community’s decades-long battle to end U.S. complicity in the denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. “We broke the longest-lasting foreign gag rule in American history. We must now do the same for Artsakh, putting America on the right side of self-determination, of genocide prevention, of human rights,” concluded Hamparian.
12:09,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. As of now, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh are being evacuated by thousands to Armenia, Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan said on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“As of now, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh are being evacuated by thousands to Armenia. Why are these people evacuated? Because on September 19, Azerbaijan carried out military aggression against the peaceful people of Nagorno Karabakh, as a result of which, not only hundreds were killed and wounded, but also thousands of civilians have lost their homes, villages and communities.
“In other words, the population has been starved for 9 months because of the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and following the aggression of September 19:
BY KATY SIMONIAN
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region will host its annual Awards Gala on Sunday, November 12 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year’s Awards Banquet/Gala will shine a spotlight on individuals who continue to contribute to the Armenian American community’s exceptional legacy of public service, from activism and human rights advocacy to journalism, diplomacy and education.
As the Armenian community witnesses the ongoing illegal blockade of Artsakh which has left 120,000 Armenians on the brink of genocide, along with growing threats against the Republic of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, it is fitting to honor those who have dedicated their lives to preventing crimes against humanity and raising awareness about the plight of the Armenian people.
The 2023 ANCA-WR Honorees include:
A highlight of the evening will be the announcement of a tribute named for a beloved ANCA-WR former Board member and one of our community’s most respected and fierce activists, Steve Artinian, who we tragically lost this year. The Steve Artinian Visionary Activist Award will annually honor an ANCA-WR local chapter and leader whose efforts have had the most impact with a spirit of grace, kindness and dedication in line with Steve Artinian’s selfless and generous service to the Armenian Cause. The program will feature a special presentation to celebrate this new prestigious award. The inaugural recipient of this award will be the ANCA-Nevada Chapter led by Lenna Hovanessian for significant accomplishments at the state level in Nevada to advance Armenian Genocide education and all aspects of the Armenian Cause.
The ANCA-WR’s Annual Awards Gala offers the Armenian community an opportunity to take inspiration from the work of these most admirable honorees, and raise our collective voices in support of the Armenian Cause and the ongoing work of the organization.
To purchase tickets for the 2023 ANCA-Western Region Awards Gala, please click here.
To sponsor the 2023 ANCA-Western Region Awards Gala, please click here.
To purchase ads for the 2023 ANCA-Western Region Awards Gala Tribute Book, please click here.
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.
Katy Simonian is a member of the 2023 ANCA-Western Region Awards Banquet/Gala Committee.
Armenia will host joint drills with U.S. forces next week, officials in Yerevan said Wednesday, the latest sign of the ex-Soviet republic’s drift from its traditional ally Russia.
The announcement came a day after Moscow dismissed criticism from Armenia that Russian peacekeepers were failing to maintain order over the only route linking Armenia to the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan.
The Armenian defense ministry said the Eagle Partner 2023 drills aim to “increase the level of interoperability” between Armenian and U.S. forces in international peacekeeping missions.
They will be held on Sept. 11-20 in Armenia’s Zar training center.
The Kremlin responded saying the announcement “raises concerns” and vowed to “thoroughly analyze” the exercises.
Russia and Armenia are at odds over a 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping contingent responsible for the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
They have been deployed there since 2020 when Russia brokered a ceasefire to end a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mountainous territory.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Moscow was either “unable or unwilling” to control the corridor.
His government says Azerbaijan has closed the road and blockaded Nagorno-Karabakh spurring a humanitarian crisis in Armenian-populated towns.
Marking a major foreign policy shift, Pashinyan also said that Yerevan’s longstanding reliance on Russia as its security guarantor was a “strategic mistake.”
His wife was on Wednesday in Kyiv to attend a meeting of first ladies and gentlemen and deliver humanitarian aid for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has a permanent military base in Armenia which is part of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization.
The Kremlin said this week that Russia was fulfilling its obligations to Armenia, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Russia “is not going anywhere.”
Tensions between Baku and Yerevan have escalated sharply in recent months, as both sides accuse the other of cross-border attacks.
The two sides have been unable to reach a lasting peace settlement despite mediation efforts by the European Union, United States and Russia.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/09/06/armenia-us-forces-to-hold-joint-drills-amid-moscow-tensions-a82377
13:08, 9 September 2023
STEPANAKERT, 9 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. Samvel Shahramanyan has been elected as President of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
passed a confirmation hearing in parliament with 22-1 votes on Saturday.
His inauguration ceremony will take place on September 10.
17:03, 7 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament Sargis Khandanyan representing the ruling Civil Contract party has said that parliament ought to ratify the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Khandanyan, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that the Rome Statute has been sent to parliament and it must pass through discussions in the faction and the relevant committee within defined timeframes. “As of this moment, there are no reservations in the version sent to parliament. I believe that,indeed, it must be ratified,” Khandanyan told reporters.
He dismissed Moscow’s concerns and request to clarify the move.
“I don’t know what kind of questions they’ve asked Armenia and I don’t know whether or not they’ve already received the answers. Nonetheless, I reiterate that joining such treaties is the sovereign right of Armenia and there’s no need to make clarifications. If you read the Statute, you’d see it addressing a number of war crimes, such as the ones taking place during the Azerbaijani aggressions in the territory of Armenia during the past two years. Besides, the Statute addresses genocide as a crime, and I think that Armenia, as a country of descendants of genocide, is morally bound to join this mechanism,” Khandanyan said.
The Armenian government on September 1 sent the Rome Statute to parliament for ratification.
In 2022, the Pashinyan Administration explained that it seeks to join the Rome Statute because it would allow to hold the government of Azerbaijan to account for its aggressions against Armenia.
On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, after an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine.
The ICC arrest warrant for Putin accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, a war crime.
This has been denied by the Russian government.
Countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute would have to enforce the arrest warrant once Putin travels into their territory.
17:07, 7 September 2023
YEREVAN, 7 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 7 September, USD exchange rate down by 0.15 drams to 385.68 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.43 drams to 412.95 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 3.92 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.70 drams to 480.44 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 59.50 drams to 23833.23 drams. Silver price down by 0.98 drams to 291.09 drams.