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Author: Parkev Tvankchian

Protesters block streets in Armenian capital to call for PM’s resignation

Parkev Tvankchian
May 4 2022
By Syndicated ContentMay 4, 2022 | 3:36 AM

TBILISI (Reuters) – Protesters calling for the resignation of Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan blocked major roads in the capital Yerevan on Wednesday and called for citizens to commit acts of civil disobedience.

Footage from local television showed protesters blocking Yerevan’s Kievian Bridge over the Hrazdan River, chanting “Armenia without Nikol!”

Traffic on the bridge has since resumed, according to a Reuters witness.

Pashinyan has faced heavy criticism since he agreed in November 2020 to a Russian-brokered ceasefire to end six weeks of war between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The deal that ended the heaviest fighting in the region since the 1990s secured significant territorial gains for Azerbaijan in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan said he had been compelled to accept the deal, which prompted a wave of protests, to avoid greater human and territorial losses.

(Reporting by Reuters)

https://wtvbam.com/2022/05/04/protesters-block-streets-in-armenian-capital-to-call-for-pms-resignation/
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https://www.todayonline.com/world/protesters-demand-resignation-armenian-pm-opposition-walks-out-1889951
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2022/05/04/protesters-block-streets-in-armenian-capital-to-call-for-pms-resignation/2057080
https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/6/189798/Protesters-block-streets-in-Armenian-capital-to-call-for-PM%27s-resignation%C2%A0
https://whtc.com/2022/05/04/protesters-block-streets-in-armenian-capital-to-call-for-pms-resignation/
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/protesters-block-streets-in-armenian-capital-to-call-for-pm-s-resignation/47565864
https://wincountry.com/2022/05/04/protesters-block-streets-in-armenian-capital-to-call-for-pms-resignation/
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Toivo Klaar hosts Armenian, Azerbaijani officials in Brussels

Parkev Tvankchian
Public Radio of Armenia
May 2 2022
May 2, 2022, 20:50

EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar had a meeting with Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Gevorgyan and Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev.

“Happy to have been able to host Hikmet Hajiyev and Armen Grigoryan in Brussels for a second meeting in this format,” Toivo Klaar said in Twitter post.

Azerbaijani press: Representatives of Azerbaijan’s Albanian-Udi Christian Religious Community visit Hadrut [PHOTO]

Parkev Tvankchian
27 April 2022 18:10 (UTC+04:00)
587

By Trend

Representatives of Albanian-Udi Christian religious community of Azerbaijan visited village of Hadrut in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh in connection with Easter holiday, Trend’s Karabakh bureau reports.

The trip was organized by Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations.

The representatives of the community restored gravestones destroyed by the Armenians during the occupation in front of temple in the village of Hadrut.

They also read prayers and lit candles in the temple.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz  




France welcomes latest direct phone talk between Armenian, Azerbaijani FMs

Parkev Tvankchian

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 16:28,

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. France welcomes the recent direct phone call between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and their decision on convening a bilateral commission on border issues and launching talks on a peace treaty, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It added that France will continue to fully support this process.

“The French envoy for the EU Eastern Partnership affairs Brice Roquefeuil will travel to Baku next week to continue monitoring the talks after his April 11-14 Yerevan visit,” the French foreign ministry added.

Armenian Genocide Education Act introduced in U.S. House

Parkev Tvankchian

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 12:57,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. US Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) were joined by close to 50 U.S. Representatives in introducing the Armenian Genocide Education Act, an ANCA-backed bipartisan measure that would fund Library of Congress educational programs about the history, lessons, consequences, and ongoing costs of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America reports. 

The ANCA-backed measure, led by Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Gus Bilirakis, seeks $10 Million in funding for Armenian Genocide education.

“As the saying goes, if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it,” said Congresswoman Maloney. “That is why I am proud to introduce the Armenian Genocide Education Act to teach the horrors and lessons of the Armenian Genocide accurately and effectively. Both chambers of Congress voted with overwhelming bipartisan majorities to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, and last year President Biden made it clear that it is the official position of the United States that these systematic killings were genocide. It is imperative that we now ensure Americans have access to the resources they need to learn and teach about this atrocity.”

Rep. Bilirakis concurred, noting, “our darkest moments as a human race have come during times when those who knew better stood silently, making excuses for passivity and allowing injustice and persecution to reign. We must acknowledge the atrocities of the past so that we might hopefully prevent them in the future. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is through education and awareness, which is why I am proud to co-introduce the Armenian Genocide Education Act with Carolyn Maloney.”

This landmark legislation, introduced on the eve of the international commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on April 24th, seeks to provide $10 million in funding over five years for the Library of Congress to educate Americans about Ottoman Turkey’s systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians, between 1915 and 1923.

“The ANCA welcomes this landmark launch of the Armenian Genocide Education Act,” remarked ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian.

“With White House and Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide secured – we must now ensure that America’s school children are taught about the historical lessons and present-day consequences of this crime against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians,” the ANCA Chairman added.

“The ANCA looks forward to working with Congresswoman Maloney, Congressman Bilirakis, and their growing bipartisan list of Congressional cosponsors to advance this timely measure. We are committed to challenging genocide denial at every turn, with the clear goal of securing a just resolution for all the victims of Turkey’s crimes – past and present,” concluded Hamparian.

Joining Armenian Genocide Education Act lead authors Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Rep. Gus Bilirakis as original cosponsors of the measure, are Representatives: Joining Armenian Genocide Education Act lead authors Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Rep. Gus Bilirakis as original cosponsors of the measure, are Representatives: Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Josh Harder (D-CA), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Scott Peters (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Valadao (R-CA), and Juan Vargas (D-CA). Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) has added his name to the cosponsor list and congressional support is expected to grow in the upcoming days.

In addition to the ANCA, the Armenian Genocide Education Act already has the support of a diverse and growing coalition of ethnic, faith-based, and educational organizations including the American Friends of Kurdistan, Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, Armenian National Institute, Assyrian Policy Institute, The Genocide Education Project, Hellenic American Leadership Council, Hindu American Foundation, In Defense of Christians, International Association of Genocide Scholars, Middle East Forum, and UCLA’s Promise Institute for Human Rights.

Building upon the 2019 passage of H.Res.296 and S.Res.150 – which specifically rejected any official U.S. association with Armenian Genocide denial – and President Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2021, the Armenian Genocide Education Act seeks to counter discourse and propaganda that claims that Ottoman Turkey’s systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Christians between 1915 and 1923 did not take place.

“Remember the Armenian Genocide and all genocides. Remember with caring and protest. We cannot bring back our victims, but we can honor them by pledging to human history that we will oppose any and all genocidal murders of peoples and cultures. Preventing genocide – including to our enemies – is our true memorial,” stated genocide studies pioneer Dr. Israel Charny, upon introduction of the Armenian Genocide Education Act.

Armenian museum to be established in Tabriz, Iran

Parkev Tvankchian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 14:00

 1 minute read

An Armenian museum will be launched in the city of Tabriz, Iran’s northwestern province of East Atrpatakan, said the head of the provincial chapter of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department on Wednesday, IRNA reports.

Ahmad Hamzaehzadeh made the remarks during a meeting with the Head of the Armenian Diocese of Atrpatakan Grigor Chiftchian, highlighting that preservation of historical Armenian monuments is among the department’s most significant responsibilities.

“Due to the existence of numerous Armenian monuments in the province, special measures have been taken by the General Directorate for restoration, protection and maintenance, and following these measures, the re-establishment of the Armenian Museum in Tabriz is on the agenda,” Hamzaehzadeh said.

He added that the province hosts invaluable Armenian monuments such as Saint Stepanos Monastery, which is one of the landmarks on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Square in Nimes, France renamed in honor of Armenian Genocide victims

Parkev Tvankchian

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 15:00,

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. A square and cross-stone in honor of the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims were inaugurated in the central part of the city of Nimes, France.

Nimes Mayor Jean-Paul Fournier, the Armenian Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajyan and the President of Amicale Franco-Armenienne de Nimes et du Gard (the Armenian Association of Nimes) Armen Martirosyan delivered remarks at the inauguration ceremony.

French lawmaker Françoise Dumas, the Chairperson of the Defense and Armed Forces Committee of the French Parliament, and Consul of Armenia in Marseille Samvel Lalayan were also in attendance.

Ambassador Tolmajyan underscored the important role of France in taking in the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The significance of France’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2001, as well as officially declaring April 24th as the day of commemorating the Armenian Genocide in France was underscored in the context of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and genocide prevention.

Ambassador Tolmajyan thanked the Nimes Mayor and the City Hall for approving the naming of the square in honor of the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims and installing the cross-stone. She also thanked Amicale Franco-Armenienne de Nimes et du Gard for the initiative.

Later on the same day the Armenian Ambassador held a meeting with the local Armenian community of Nimes. The Ambassador thanked the community for their donations to the Hayastan All Armenian Fund made during the 2020 war in Artsakh.

Primate’s Easter Message

Parkev Tvankchian
 by Contributor

 

 

 

in Community, Featured Story, Latest
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Primate of the Western Diocese Archbishop Hovnan Derderian

“Glory to Your Miraculous Resurrection, Lord.”

The Mystery of Christ’s Resurrection is beyond the limits of human comprehension and logic. Christ’s Resurrection can only be felt and lived solely through faith. Faith is the key to immerse in the transparency of the Resurrection and comprehend its influence in the life of humanity, especially throughout various historical periods of our nation.

The Resurrection is the purest _expression_ of Christ’s limitless and unconditional love, the assurance His true promise, with which light overcame darkness, hope prevailed over uncertainty, life defeated death, and good prevailed over evil.

The Resurrection of Christ is the greatest testament to our faith, the framework of the validity of our creed, the undeniable truth of Christ’s divinity for the non-believers and skeptics, and lastly the anchor of our spiritual identity.

In these times, when the chaos of the world is overwhelming, some have resorted to unknowingly pose the following question: “Where is the Resurrected Lord?” Why didn’t God save us from the merciless coronavirus pandemic, why didn’t He send signs of the 44-day Artsakh War, why didn’t He resolve the differences between Russia and the Ukraine, a war between brother countries that may well turn into a global conflict and result in World War III?

The righteous Job also resorted to asking such questions, when he lost everything despite being pious and God-loving. Like others, Job also experienced feelings of hopelessness. However, when listening to Job’s complaints, God answered him “Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?” (JOB 40:8). Hearing this Job regretted his actions and repented by saying “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You” (JOB 42:5).

Let us not be naive like those who attempted to console Job through empty and wearisome explanations, being the cause of his temptation. The answers to the “Whys” rest in the Cross and the Crucified, the precious blood that He shed in sacrificing Himself for the salvation of humanity. The All Benevolent God does not wish death upon the sinful. The evil and the devastation that occurs in of the world are not His will nor does He command them. They are the result of our free will. St. James the Apostle says it rightfully “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (JAMES 1:13).

Therefore, such doubts and questions which may arise from our human condition ought to be answered in our partaking in Christ’s sufferings, as God demonstrated His salvific power, which ultimately culminated with His Glorious and Victorious Resurrection. It is for this reason that during Holy Week, when we sing “To Your Cross, Christ” (Khachi ko Krisdos), we praise and signify Christ’s betrayal, passion, burial, and resurrection.

As did our ancestors, we too must live our lives embracing the sunrise of Christ’s Resurrection, realizing that the temptations of life are impermanent and temporary. The mystery of Christ’s Victorious Resurrection ought to reside in the hearts of our people in Armenia and the Diaspora if we wish to heal our pain and diminish our sufferings. Comfort and consolation is derived from God. At times of doubt, sorrow and great pain, like Job, we bow before His Might. We regret and furthermore, we repent. It is only then that we will become worthy of seeing the Resurrected Lord.

Today, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church exhorts her faithful to renew their spiritual lives with the mystery of the Resurrection. Our Church commands us to relinquish slanderous discourse, destructive criticism, unsuitable complaints, the relay of self-responsibility on others. Our Church instructs us to express our God-loving nature by demonstrating keenness, care, and love for another, just as God loves us all. We rest assured that our spiritual reawakening and national strength is conditioned upon the realization of these aforementioned exhortations.

The Feast of the Resurrection becomes meaningful when our people embrace a spirit of forgiveness, welcome humility, rely on wholehearted faith signified epitomized by the Christian spirit. How can we become God-loving, if we cannot uphold these virtues? How shall we stand before the power and the glory of the Resurrected Lord, if we are unable to value our God-given gifts of our Homeland, our Holy Etchmiadzin, our language and our culture?

For us, the year 2022 is of great significance as we celebrate the 95th anniversary of the establishment of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America. We have dedicated this year as the year of “The Armenian Christian Family.” These occasions oblige us to celebrate the milestone anniversary with feelings of gratitude, emphasizing that the strength of our Diocese is conditioned upon the vivacity of the Armenian Christian family.

When we reflect on these two occasions, the light shines upon the path to an everlasting life.

Therefore, may our souls gaze upon that light wherein our salvation and the salvation of our nation is derived. Let us welcome and embrace Christ’s Resurrection proclaiming “Christ is risen from the dead. Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ.”

ARCHBISHOP HOVNAN DERDERIAN
APRIL 17, 2022


Azerbaijani troops agree to return to initial positions as a result of negotiatio

Parkev Tvankchian
NEWS.am
Armenia –
ns
23:26, 15.04.2022

Azerbaijani armed forces violated the neutral zone of the line of contact near the Seysulan settlement of the Martakert on Friday, Artsakh Informational Headquarters reported.

As a result of negotiations conducted by the Russian peacekeeping forces in Artsakh, the Azerbaijani troops agreed to return to their initial positions.

Earlier the Russian Defense Ministry reported about the violation of the established contact line by Azerbaijan near Yarymja village of Martakert district.

The command of the Russian peacekeeping forces in cooperation with representatives of Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh is trying to solve the incident.

Azerbaijanis violated the line of contact in the area of Yarymja settlement (Martakert). The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in cooperation with representatives of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh is taking measures to resolve the incident.

Political strategist: Pashinyan admitted that he was being forced to come to terms with the loss of Artsakh

Parkev Tvankchian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.In his speech at the National Assembly yesterday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan admitted that he was being forced to come to terms with the loss of Artsakh behind the doors of his Brussels offices. Political  strategist Vigen Hakobyan expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.

“Pashinyan admitted that the Armenian agenda on Artsakh is now devoid  of any assistance and support in the international arena. The latter  means the need for new concessions from Yerevan on the Artsakh issue.   This, in fact, was announced by the prime minister from the rostrum  of the parliament, announcing the need to lower the Armenian bar on  the demands over the status of Artsakh, otherwise the existence of  not only Artsakh, but also Armenia may be threatened, Pashinyan is  preparing the ground for pragmatic concessions on the issue of the  status of Artsakh,” he believes.

According to Hakobyan, refusal to determine the status of Artsakh on  the basis of the right of its population to self-determination, means  consent to autonomy or cultural autonomy within Azerbaijan. And this  is at best. Noting that the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group on the  settlement of the conflict – the Madrid principles are far from the  supreme dream of Yerevan and Stepanakert, the political strategist  recalled that these proposals at least assumed the protection of  Armenian interests. At a minimum, in the form of fixing the right of  self-determination of the people of Artsakh through a referendum.

This is what the political strategist determines the post-war  position of Yerevan, which considers it possible to resume  negotiations in the Minsk format even after the defeat in the 44-day  war. And the fact that the format of a single co-chairmanship of the  OSCE Minsk Group actually no longer exists, according to his  estimates, means the destruction of the principles of settlement  formed within its framework, including the right of  self-determination of the people of Artsakh. And all this against the  background of the absence of any other format that would deal with  the final settlement of the conflict and determine the status of  Artsakh.  

“And here we are again returning to the situation around  Ukraine, the current stage of the tough confrontation between the  West and Russia, which, as we see, has already been projected on  Artsakh. As a result, Russia from a country cooperating with the West  within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group has become into a  country conflicting with the West. Accordingly, the statements of the  co-chairs from the United States and France on the preservation of  the format of the OSCE Minsk Group mean that it is maintained, but  without Russia. And the goal of the collective West is to oust the  Russian Federation from all possible international cooperation  formats. Under such conditions, Armenia needs huge professional,  intellectual, analytical, diplomatic, geopolitical resources to  confront all these disappointing international realities. It is  necessary to understand the situation in order to get out of all this  with at least minimal losses.  Resources, the existence of which I  strongly doubt,” summed up the political strategist.