21:03,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. On October 23, the Council of Foreign Relations of the European Union will discuss the issue of the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the press service of the EU Council reports.
The Foreign Affairs Council will be chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. During the session, there will be an exchange of opinions regarding developments around Armenia and Azerbaijan.
On September 19th, 120,000 Armenian Christians were attacked by Azerbaijan after almost a year of starvation at the hands of a suffocating blockade. After fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh, their lives are in complete chaos. Tom sits down with Armenian Christian Simone Rizkallah to hear more about the Christian persecution happening right under our noses.
BY KATY SIMONIAN
The Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region will salute L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian with the prestigious “Advocate for Justice” Award for his decades of outstanding leadership for the City of Los Angeles and for his bold efforts to stand in solidarity with the people of Artsakh in the name of genocide prevention and justice.
The Armenian-American community will have the opportunity to honor Krekorian and his history making achievements at the 2023 Awards Banquet which will take place on Sunday, November 12.
Following nearly ten months of Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of Artsakh and its military onslaught which resulted in the forced depopulation of Artsakh, the ANCA-WR Board seriously considered canceling this year’s Awards Gala. However, remembering the inspiring words of Artsakh Foreign Minister and last year’s Freedom Award honoree David Babayan, who is currently unlawfully imprisoned in Baku, the ANCA-WR Board decided that it must not cower in the face of Azeri aggression and that it must forge ahead in a show of unity and resilience against the injustices inflicted on our people, pledging to donate a portion of the proceeds toward humanitarian assistance for Artsakh genocide survivors.
On August 23, Krekorian and his colleague Councilmember Traci Park unveiled the “Republic of Artsakh Square,” on the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue, in front of the building that houses Azerbaijan’s Consulate to Los Angeles.
A poetic act of defiance, full of substance and clarity, Council President Krekorian’s move serves as a reminder to Azerbaijan and to all people that Artsakh is the center of Armenia’s ancestral lands and that Los Angeles stands in solidarity with the Armenians of Artsakh and with this fundamental truth.
His leadership in calling for the United States to recognize and protect the people of Artsakh from genocide is another act of political courage, adding to the decades of excellence with which Paul Krekorian has served his community.
“The ANCA-WR is proud to stand alongside L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian as he continues to advocate for the local Armenian-American community as well as the people of Armenia and Artsakh,” says ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq.
“He has made history as the first Armenian to hold elected office in the City of Los Angeles and we are confident that because of his transformative leadership, many others will follow in his footsteps. He is a formidable ally who has created an unshakeable space of support for Armenia, as his presence continues to prove impactful across the local, national and global political sphere in the fight for justice,” added Hovsepian.
While the crisis is critical, as threats against Armenia continue, Krekorian’s commitment is strong, clear and unwavering.
“I am deeply moved to receive this honor from the ANCA Western Region,” said Council President Krekorian. “The opportunity to serve the people is an honor in itself, but I am grateful for this recognition of my service, which I consider my duty to the people I represent.”
As the first Armenian-American to hold elected office in the City of Los Angeles and the first to serve as Council President, Krekorian continues to make history as a leading voice for justice for the Armenian Genocide as he maintains his support for relief measures to aid the besieged Armenians of Artsakh.
Krekorian has represented the second district on the Los Angeles City Council since 2010. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly, representing the 43rd Assembly district, serving the largest Armenian-American constituency in the Assembly.
A first-generation college graduate, he received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Southern California and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Before entering politics, he enjoyed a successful 20-year career as an attorney in the private sector. Born in the San Fernando Valley, Krekorian was raised with an appreciation of public service from his mother JoAnn and father Erwin, a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Corps. As a man of immense integrity, heralded for the respect he commands from all political parties, Krekorian continues to inspire young generations of Armenians and people of all walks of life to embrace the rich diversity of Los Angeles and the opportunity to give back in service to others.
As Chair of the City Council’s powerful Budget and Finance Committee for the past ten years, Krekorian led the city to recovery from two fiscal calamities – the Great Recession and the economic collapse caused by the strain of 2020’s COVID-pandemic, completing 11 balanced budgets and building the strongest reserves in the City’s history.
In 2022, Krekorian was unanimously elected by his fellow Councilmembers to serve as the 26th President of the Los Angeles City Council, demonstrating leadership across the political aisle to unite the city in a time of great crisis and strife. In an era of deep political disillusion, which causes people to lose faith in their elected officials and the political process, Paul Krekorian has stood as an example of exceptional leadership.
For his years of service to the City of Los Angeles and the Armenian community, he received the Gratitude Medal of Armenia in recognition of his work to stand in solidarity with Armenia and Artsakh to build a peaceful future. As his wife Tamar and children Andrew and Lori proudly watched as he received the medal from Armenia’s Consul General Armen Baibourtian, Krekorian felt the presence of the many generations of his family who came before him.
In 2023, he was awarded the St. Nerses Shnorhali Medal, by order of His Holiness Karekin II, in recognition of his advocacy for the Armenian people in the Diaspora and in Armenia and Artsakh. As the people of Artsakh have been forced to leave their homes to escape impending genocide, Krekorian continues to unite officials across Southern California, most notably L.A. Mayor Karen Bass to raise their collective efforts calling upon the Biden Administration to act to prevent further crimes against humanity through recognition and crucial humanitarian assistance.
In 2013, Krekorian joined an official delegation of the ANCA-WR on a legislative trip to Armenia and Artsakh. Throughout his tenure, he has hosted many leaders of Armenia and Artsakh in Council chambers, welcoming and solidifying the relationship between the city and the Armenian homeland and the Sister City relationship between Los Angeles and Yerevan.
He has also spearheaded the USC Policy Fellows Program with the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, hosting scholars from Armenia who receive training in local government from the City of Los Angeles.
In 2015, along with then-Mayor Eric Garcetti, Krekorian ensured that city resources were generously allocated to the Armenian community’s March for Justice in commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide which turned out 166,000 peaceful protesters who marched six miles within the city toward the Turkish consulate.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” His words offer a call to action for those who would remain silent while witnessing the suffering of their fellow man.
Council President Paul Krekorian’s career in public service has answered that call, amplifying the voices of the Armenian American community, showcasing that injustices committed against Armenia and the Armenians of Artsakh are in fact a threat to justice prevailing in the United States of America and around the world. He has dedicated himself to magnifying the most sacred connection between our local Armenian community and the people of Armenia and Artsakh, as the way forward depends on shared policies of action, for the sake of justice and peace.
For more information about L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian’s many contributions to the Armenian-American community as well as the people of Southern California and Armenia, and to purchase tickets for the 2023 ANCA-Western Region Awards Banquet, please click here.
A portion of the proceeds from this year’s gala will be donated to support Artsakh Genocide survivors.
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.
Azerbaijan’s recovery of control over the unrecognized statelet in Karabakh by military means unsurprisingly has been seen by some in other countries as a precedent for action against breakaway republics elsewhere (see EDM, September 20). This is true for Moldova, where several nationalist politicians and commentators are calling for Chisinau to follow Baku’s lead and use force to retake Transnistria. So far, there is little evidence that their appeals are winning support among Moldovan leaders. They are having an impact in Moscow, however, where several commentators are urging the Kremlin to expand its support for Transnistria lest Moldova, backed by Romania and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), move militarily against the pro-Russian breakaway republic.
Whenever a major development occurs in one area of the post-Soviet space, many officials and analysts in Moscow and other capitals often ask whether it will be repeated in another. The Kremlin seems to have a bit more propensity for this approach due to continuing assumptions and hopes that the various countries still see fundamental commonalities with the entire region. Yet, this attitude is not absent elsewhere as the peoples in other countries are watching to see which actions fail and which ones succeed elsewhere. They also keep a sharp eye on the reactions to such developments coming from Moscow and the rest of the world. The danger is that peoples throughout the post-Soviet space will take actions that overstate regional commonalities and understate the differences between situations that seem similar on the surface. This, in turn, can exacerbate issues and lead to moves with explosive results (see EDM, November 17, 2020).
Baku’s recent operation in Karabakh is no exception. Some Russian commentators are now suggesting that Georgia and Moldova—both with breakaway republics of their own—will be inspired by the events in Azerbaijan and that Moscow must take action to counter their moves (Newdaynews.ru, October 2). There has been little evidence of such thinking in Georgia, perhaps due to the stronger positions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia compared to that of Transnistria. In the Moldovan case, discussions have proliferated in both Chisinau and Moscow about what may happen with Moldova’s breakaway republic. The situation could seriously devolve if either side miscalculates. As such, the views of those Moldovans who see Karabakh as an analogue to Transnistria and those in Moscow who believe Russia must act on the assumption that such ideas will guide Moldovan policies deserve the closest possible attention.
The most prominent Moldovan to draw this analogy is Anatol Șalaru, former Moldovan defense minister and current secretary-general of the National Unity Party. He argues that Chisinau should follow Baku, stop relying on international negotiations to solve the problem of Transnistria, and instead use force as Azerbaijan did. According to Șalaru, “Azerbaijan has shown everyone that problems can be resolved not only during coffee breaks and unending conferences” but also by the use of force (Fondsk.ru, September 29). He argues that this is an urgent task because Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, must not be allowed to slow Moldova’s integration with Romania, the European Union, and NATO. This is precisely the kind of statement that sets off alarm bells in Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, where Șalaru’s remarks have received prominent coverage (Nezavisimaya gazeta, October 1).
Other Russian commentators have expressed skepticism that Șalaru speaks for the Moldovan leadership, reasonably pointing out that other Chisinau politicians have not gone as far. Yet, even they suggest that some variant of Șalaru’s thinking is infecting others in Moldova and that Moscow must be ready to respond. Among these voices is Andrey Safonov, a Russian political scientist with close ties to the Putin siloviki. In an article for the most recent issue of NG-Dipkuryer, he says that Moldovan elites are drawing “lessons” from what Azerbaijan has done in Karabakh for Transnistria and that Moscow cannot afford to ignore them (Nezavisimaya gazeta, October 1).
Moscow’s inaction in Karabakh has galvanized some in Moldova to support the use of force in Transnistria, no longer fearing Russian retribution. According to Safonov, “As soon as the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh was declared, a systematic plan for the demoralization of Transnistria was put in place. The plan is simple: since ‘Russia didn’t act in support of Karabakh,’” it will not act in support of Transnistria (Nezavisimaya gazeta, October 1). This gives Chisinau an opening to solve the long-running conflict with Tiraspol militarily rather than through negotiations. It needs to be determined, the Russian political scientist continues, whether this is simply Internet talk or the beginnings of a real attack on Russia’s ally. Safonov believes it is the latter given that Chisinau has been breaking its ties with Moscow and falling into line with the West in the hopes of gaining support from NATO, the European Union, and the United States. Moldova has already acquired drones from Germany and others in the West and is using them over Transnistria, the first stage of what Safonov says is likely to be Moldovan military action unless Moscow steps in.
The Transnistria issue is very much tied to the question of Moldova’s access to the European Union and its integration with Romania. These two issues are at the heart of lively discussions in Chisinau and the root of growing concerns in Moscow. On the one hand, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and others believe that Moldova can join the European Union even without Transnistria. The idea is that, once Moldova is an official member, the breakaway republic will want to follow suit. On the other hand, Șalaru and other former officials follow the Romanian line of thinking that Moldova must recover Transnistria before it can integrate with the West. Sandu’s position has now become dominant in Chisinau, Safonov acknowledges. Yet, after Karabakh, who is to say that “circumstances have not changed?” The Russian commentator asserts that Moscow needs to make clear that it is not about to allow that to happen and that it remains committed to “preserving its positions” in Moldova (Nezavisimaya gazeta, October 1).
While there is still room for both sides to back away from the use of force, that space is narrowing. A renewed assessment of realities on the ground may be needed. The specter of violence will continue to hang over the region so long as both Moscow and Chisinau view Transnistria through a Karabakh lens.
https://jamestown.org/program/bakus-karabakh-victory-prompts-moldova-to-mull-using-force-in-transnistria/
17:47, 4 October 2023
YEREVAN, 4 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 4 October, USD exchange rate up by 15.69 drams to 429.14 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 17.64 drams to 450.73 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.14 drams to 4.31 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 21.75 drams to 520.29 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price up by 778.42 drams to 25144.65 drams. Silver price up by 3.11 drams to 290.50 drams.
16:42,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. A demonstration was held September 23 outside the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, demanding the German government and EU leaders to intervene and stop Azerbaijan’s genocidal actions against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The demonstration was organized by the Armenian community. A group of German politicians, students and representatives of various organizations joined the demonstration.
Lilit Kocharyan, the organizer of the protest, said, “Your participation is highly important to show that we are demanding justice for the people of Artsakh who are now suffering. People in Artsakh are trapped, there’s no contact with them, we don’t know what’s happening with the people, whether they are still alive.”
Presenting the dire situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, where there is no food, medication or other essential supplies, Kocharyan said that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) are being subjected to genocide.
The demonstrators said they expect EU leaders to take effective and urgent measures to stop the Armenian genocide.
“No action has been taken, only statements addressed to Azerbaijan are being made, we need urgent steps,” she said.
The protesters were holding posters saying “Save Artsakh”, “Stop Aliyev Regime”, “Stop the Azeri aggression”, “ Stop the Ethnic Cleansing Against Armenians of Artsakh,” and others.
15:50,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) increased its patrols along the border with Azerbaijan after the information about the Azerbaijani military buildup and reported its observations to Brussels, EUMA head Markus Ritter told ARMENPRESS after the opening of the EUMA operating base in Ijevan.
“When there were these rumors and information about the buildup of Azerbaijani forces, we increased our patrols alongside the border in these areas and we regularly reported to Brussels what we were seeing. We also made some tweets to calm down the situation to decrease the tensions, and it looks that so far it worked,” Ritter said.
He added that the EUMA Ijevan operating base will enhance the mission’s capabilities.
“Today we opened a forward operating base in Ijevan to cover the Tavush province with our patrols. Until today we covered this province from Martuni, so it was always a long way to go and also it was only possible to make a few patrols. Now, having here a permanently staffed base, we can at day at night go and patrol alongside the borders to Azerbaijan. At the end of this week, we will open our huge headquarters in Yeghegnadzor, because so far we have split our headquarters, one part was in Yerevan, one in Yeghegnadzor. From Friday we will have a unique headquarters there and later we will open in Yeghegnadzor also a forward operating base that will cover the Ararat region to the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhijevan,” Ritter added.
On September 7, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned that Azerbaijan continues amassing troops and military equipment along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
On the same day, the EUMA announced that it increased its patrolling activity on the border with Azerbaijan in the Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces to observe any military developments.
10:25, 6 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spouse Anna Hakobyan will participate in the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen: Mental Health: Resilience and Vulnerability of the Future in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Anna Hakobyan is among the scheduled to participate in the event founded by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
The First Ladies and Gentlemen’s Summit is an international platform that brings together the world’s first ladies and gentlemen to promote dialogue and find effective solutions to global humanitarian challenges through soft power, partnerships, public diplomacy, exchange of experience and implementation of joint initiatives.
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, the UK Prime Minister’s spouse Akshata Murty, First Lady of Albania Armanda Begaj, the First Lady of Austria Doris Schmidauer, First Lady of Cyprus Philippa Karsera, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the Queen of Sweden Her Majesty Silvia Renate and others are among the .
A session of the Artsakh parliament (Artsakh Republic National Assembly, August 7)
The latest bloodshed in Armenia comes amidst a major political and military shake-up in Artsakh.
Following weeks of swirling speculation about his political future, Arayik Harutyunyan handed in his resignation on September 1, stating that the ongoing blockade suggests there must be a change in Artsakh’s political approach. “In order to achieve that, we must change the main actors in Artsakh, starting with me,” said Harutyunyan.
Prior to his resignation, Harutyunyan endorsed the resignations of State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan and Advisor to the State Minister Artak Beglaryan. Following Nersisyan’s resignation, Samvel Shahramanyan, the Secretary of the Security Council, was appointed as the new State Minister of Artsakh.
Opposition factions ARF, “Ardarutyun” and NDP of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh nominated newly appointed State Minister Samvel Shahramanyan for the position of president. The National Assembly will carry out the election of the president on September 9.
These political changes in Artsakh come amid military escalations along Armenia’s border.
On the morning of September 1, the Azerbaijan armed forces opened fire from different caliber small arms against Armenian combat positions in the vicinity of the Armenian village of Sotk in the Gegharkunik province. The Ministry of Defense of Armenia said that the Azerbaijani armed forces also used mortars in the same direction. Armenian authorities say that Azerbaijan disseminates misinformation that Armenia has launched provocations to lay the foundation for an escalation.
“The Azerbaijani propaganda is disseminating disinformation that the Armenian Armed Forces are concentrating a large number of weapons, military equipment and personnel in Sotk.
By disseminating such false information, the Azerbaijani side creates an informational basis to continue yet another provocation that began this morning in the direction of Sotk,” the Armenian MoD said.
Armenia’s biggest gold mine is located in Sotk, where all operations have been suspended indefinitely due to shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Seven hundred people who work at the mine have been placed on unpaid leave.
Around noon the same day, the Azerbaijani armed forces also fired towards the Armenian outposts near Norabak, also in Gegharkunik.
As a result of the Azerbaijani provocation, the Armenian side had three deaths – soldiers Andranik Arshak Antonyan, Arsen Aleksandr Mkrtichyan and Vachagan Saro Vardanyan – and two injuries.
On the night of September 2, the Azerbaijani side opened fire on the Kapan airport in the Syunik province. Three shots were fired, two of which hit the outer walls of the airport’s arrivals hall and control room and damaged furniture. There were no casualties as a result of the shooting. The Syunik Regional Investigation Department has opened a criminal case on the grounds of attempted murder.
Firing on the Syunik airport began on August 18, a day after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took the first flight from Yerevan to Kapan and announced the commencement of regular flights to and from Kapan. In the early hours of the day of the PM’s arrival, an unidentified Azerbaijani vehicle approached the airport and fired three shots, causing damage to an airport window and the roof structure.
On September 3, at around 1:40 a.m., Azerbaijani armed forces units fired from firearms towards the Armenian combat outposts near Kutakan in Gegharkunik.
On the eve of September 5, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on Armenian positions located in Kut, Gegharkunik.
As provocations continue on the border and on social media with the spread of misinformation, Armenians in over 20 countries commemorated the 32nd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, reaffirming their commitment to a free and independent Artsakh.
32 years ago, the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh exercised their right to national autonomy, enshrined in the “Regulation Governing Questions Concerning the Secession of a Union Republic from the USSR,” to decide their legal status independently in the case of a Soviet Republic’s secession from the USSR.
On December 10, 1991, a few days prior to the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held where an overwhelming majority of the population (99.98-percent) of Artsakh voted in favor of full independence from Soviet Azerbaijan.
32 years later, the anniversary of Artsakh’s independence became the foundation for pan-Armenian mobilization. In more than two dozen countries – Armenia, Artsakh and across the Diaspora – Armenians gathered in large numbers, protested and presented their demands: to end Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh and closure of the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor.
On the brink of possible continued escalations, Armenians across the globe turned the celebration of Artsakh’s Independence Day into an occasion for protest, rejected the dissolution procedure of the Artsakh issue and conveyed the assurance of their solidarity to the people of Artsakh.