11:21,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Vice-President of Romania’s ruling National Liberal Party, vice-chair of the foreign affairs committee of the Chamber of Deputies Ben Oni Ardelean made a post on social media on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement relating to the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh.
“The war with direct and indirect involvement of some regional and external actors has left thousands dead soldiers and civilians, tens of thousands displaced people, dozens of prisoners of war and civilian detainees. As a result of the war many historical and religious monuments in Nagorno Karabakh including those that are considered as significant Christian heritage sites have been destroyed, damaged or still remain in danger.
Being convinced that a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no alternative, all sides should resume political dialogue under auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries, the only internationally agreed mediation format. Thus, I encourage the efforts of the Romanian side supported by ten European Union member states to induce Brussels to play a more active role in the South Caucasus, especially oriented on the immediate resolution of the humanitarian consequences of the last year hostilities”, the MP said.
When the couple moved to the D.C. area in 2012, they were surprised by the lack of Armenian food. Talking to fellow ex-pats, it was clear there was a desire within their community for a restaurant specializing in the cuisine of their homeland. “It’s just that someone had to do it,” says Avedisian. “We decided to be the ones.”
It was a bold decision: Neither has a background in the restaurant industry. He’s a federal employee, she works for Voice of America. “My experience with business ownership prior to this was zero,” Avedisian admits. “And my experience with the hospitality industry was practically zero. I was a busboy when I was a teenager, that’s all my experience.”
The couple don’t have any culinary background either, so they began looking for someone to provide the food. They turned to the local Armenian community for help. “People know people,” Avedisian says. “If you start asking around, you’ll eventually get a name or two.”
They quickly found a caterer, though they are still looking to add another to supplement their current offerings. The couple worked with the chef to design dishes evoking what they would eat back home. “If you get a khachapuri, – originally a Georgian dish, but we have it, too – you wouldn’t find it shaped like a boat with an egg on top like the Georgians do,” Avedisian says. “Ours is shaped like a triangle and stuffed with feta cheese like they do in Yerevan.”
Fans of Armenian cuisine will recognize lahmajun (“We call it ‘Armenian pizza,’” says Avedisian; flatbreads stuffed with herbs and greens called Zhingyalov hats; and kufta, meatballs shrouded in bulgar. There are quite a few vegetarian options, including rice-stuffed grape leaves (sarma), grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with cottage cheese, and spas, a yogurt-barley soup.
“When most people think of Armenian food, they normally think of kebab or khorovats, grilled meats on skewers,” says Avedisian. “Now, we don’t do that here – because we don’t have enough of a kitchen to be able to do that – but you’d be surprised how many vegetarian options there are in Armenian cuisine.”
Armenian coffee is the focus of the beverage program. Brewed in a small copper pot known as jazva, the sweetened to order coffee is served with a small piece of dried fruit, such as an apricot or peach. “You’ll notice the coffee cups are smaller because our coffee is strong,” Avedisian notes. “I hope you weren’t planning on sleeping anytime soon.”
To pair with the coffee, there’s a case full of pastries that rely less on sugar to make their point. Standouts include honey cake – which has also been a hit up the street at Sharbat Bakery & Café – as well as walnut-rich baklava and chocolate mikado cake.
The market shelves contain an array of Armenian imports: teas, juices, honey, and grains, including spelt and buckwheat. There’s a nice selection of preserves – buckthorn, apricot, and sour cherry – which are traditionally slathered on lavash bread, which is also for sale. In the cold case, browsers will find spicy and fermented sujuk sausage, basturma (thinly sliced, spiced dried beef) and chechil cheese, a string cheese made from cow’s milk.
Throughout the space, there are pieces of handmade Armenian pottery and photographs of street scenes and historic sites. In the backroom, there’s a small gift shop stocked with Armenian accessories, toys, and trinkets.
As soon as they get their liquor license, Yerevan will serve a selection of Armenian alcohol: wine, the cognac-style brandy Ararat, and Kotayk and Kilikia beers. Not that Avedisian and his wife are rushing anything, since they are balancing their day jobs, a 3-year-old daughter, and an arduous commute from Northern Virginia (though they hope to move into D.C. soon). “It’s tough,” says Avedisian. “It’s been difficult doing it all.”
To mark the 10th anniversary of the ANCA Grassroots Conference initiative, the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region in collaboration with the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute, and the CSUN Armenian Studies Department will be hosting a panel discussion featuring Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Dr. Arman Tatoyan.
The panel titled “Justice and Accountability After the Artsakh War” will examine the efforts to hold Turkey and Azerbaijan accountable under international law for their perpetration of grave human rights abuses and war crimes during the invasion of Artsakh last year. The discussion will examine the ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Azerbaijan over its violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), as well as other opportunities for accountability under international law, including Turkey and Azerbaijan’s liability for the deployment of Syrian mercenaries.
Dr. Tatoyan will be joined by leading experts in the field of international law: Kate Mackintosh, Executive Director of the UCLA Promise Institute for Human Rights; Rajika Shah, Director of the Loyola Law School Genocide Justice Clinic; and Karnig Kerkonian, international lawyer and counsel for Armenia in its proceedings against Azerbaijan at the ICJ.
“For the 10th anniversary of the ANCA Grassroots Conference initiative, we’re proud to be hosting such an esteemed panel to address the most pressing international legal questions in the wake of the Artsakh war,” remarked chair of the ANCA-WR Board Nora Hovsepian, Esq.
Dr. Tatoyan, who will be honored by the ANCA-WR with the “Human Rights Champion” award at a luncheon on Sunday, November 21st, obtained his LLM and Ph.D. from Yerevan State University’s Department of Criminal Procedure. He also holds his Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In 2016, Tatoyan was elected as the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia. He also serves as an Ad Hoc Judge in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Permanent International Advisor at the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law and a lecturer at Yerevan State University, American University of Armenia and the Academy of Justice of Armenia. He previously held positions in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia (2013-2016) and as Deputy Representative of the Government of Armenia before the ECHR (2013-2016).
During and since Azerbaijan’s invasion of Artsakh last year, Dr. Tatoyan has undertaken extensive work not only in upholding citizens’ rights within Armenia but also in diligently documenting and presenting the breadth of the egregious human rights violations perpetrated by the Azerbaijani government against the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh that has been used extensively in Armenia’s case against Azerbaijan at the ICJ.
Dr. Tatoyan will be joined in conversation by legal experts with extensive experience both practicing and educating in the fields of public international law, international criminal justice, and human rights.
Kate Mackintosh has worked in the field of human rights, international criminal justice, and protection of civilians for over two decades and is currently executive director of UCLA Law School’s Promise Institute for Human Rights. Mackintosh has held multiple roles at international criminal tribunals – including the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) – and has been part of post conflict human rights field operations in Bosnia and Rwanda, working to rebuild the justice system after the genocide. For eight years, Mackintosh also worked with Doctors without Borders, providing legal and policy advice to operations in over 30 countries around the world, and leading advocacy in support of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Rajika L. Shah is the Deputy Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at Loyola Law School, where she also runs the Loyola Genocide Justice Clinic. Prior to joining Loyola, Shah litigated international human rights and property restitution cases on behalf of Armenian and Sudanese genocide victims, indigenous groups, and religious and ethnic minorities. She has represented plaintiffs in numerous complex and high-stakes disputes against foreign sovereigns and commercial entities, at both the trial and appellate levels. She also represented Libyan terrorist hijacking victims before the U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.
Karnig Kerkonian is a seasoned international law expert and experienced litigator. He holds an A.B. magna cum laude in Government from Harvard University and two law degrees—a J.D. from the University of Chicago where he served on the Law Review as well as a post-doctoral Diploma in Public International Law from Cambridge University, England where he studied under James R. Crawford, later a Judge of the International Court of Justice. Kerkonian presents regularly on matters of public international law, the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and the application of international law in U.S. courts. He is an adjunct professor of public international law at Artsakh State University.
The “Justice and Accountability After the Artsakh War” panel will be held at the Grand Salon at California State University Northridge on Monday November 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.
For the safety of our guests, COVID-19 precautionary measures will be strictly enforced. All guests must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours prior to the event. Due to the limited capacity as a result of COVID-19 precautions, attendees are encouraged to pre-register to secure their seat by visiting ancawr.org/conference.
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.
15:42, 9 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to Paris on November 10-12 to take part in the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference, the ministry reports.
An event marking the 75th anniversary of UNESCO will also be held on the sidelines of the 41st session.
FM Mirzoyan will also attend the opening of the 4th Paris Peace Conference.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Russian government approves signing interregional cooperation plan with Armenia
09:20, 4 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The government of Russia approved the 2022-2027 interregional cooperation plan with the government of Armenia, TASS reports.
The government approved the Russian economic development ministry’s proposal which has been discussed with the ministry of foreign affairs and other concerned agencies of the executive power.
The ministry of economic development has been tasked to sign that cooperation plan with Armenia on behalf of the Russian government.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
The Government of the Russian Federation has approved the signing of a 2022-2027 program of interregional cooperation with the Government of Armenia, TASS reports.
According to the document, the Government accepts the recommendation of the Ministry of Economic Development agreed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned federal executive bodies on signing a program of interregional cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Armenia for 2022-2027.
The Ministry of Economic Development has been instructed to sign a cooperation program on behalf of the Russian government.
17:50, 3 November, 2021
YEREVAN, 3 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 3 November, USD exchange rate down by 0.36 drams to 476.85 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.80 drams to 552.62 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 6.64 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.25 drams to 649.66 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 72.12 drams to 27449.54 drams. Silver price down by 0.27 drams to 365.88 drams. Platinum price down by 196.26 drams to 16082.3 drams.
13:30,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic House of Cilicia Raphael Bedros Minassian, the Parliament’s press service said.
Congratulating the Patriarch on election, Speaker Simonyan wished success to his mission.
Alen Simonyan and Raphael Bedros Minassian discussed issues relating to the Diaspora-Armenians and the Armenian Catholic communities, as well as the ways of further intensifying the connection with the homeland.
They also exchanged ideas about Armenia’s actions for solving the issues of the Lebanese-Armenian community.
Raphael Bedros Minassian thanked for the reception and wished productive work to the Speaker and the Parliament.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan