Author: Toneyan Mark

US recognition of Armenian killings as genocide revives an old debate

Toneyan Mark
EuroNews
April 28 2021

BRUSSELS BUREAU

By Bryan Carter 

The United States’ decision to recognise the deportation and killing of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as a “genocide” has revived a long-running debate in the European Union.

There are 16 EU countries — as well as the European Parliament — that recognise the atrocities along the same lines.

Thirteen other countries around the world also do, excluding the US.

The Armenian community of Belgium welcomes this recognition but says that education about the killings and the fight against alleged denialism are even more important.

“Not every historical event needs to be recognised by every parliament to be understood as fact. The Armenian genocide simply is fact,” Nicolas Tavitian, president of the Committee of Armenians in Belgium, told Euronews.

“It is no longer a question of a campaign for political recognition, especially now that the United States has recognised it.

“It is now a question about understanding the consequences of denial and pushing back against denial and against Turkey’s aggressive policies towards Armenia,” he added.

Between 1915 and 1917, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed or starved at the hands of Ottoman Turks. Despite widespread academic consensus that these atrocities amounted to genocide, the Turkish state has always rejected this term and the number of casualties, arguing that mass killings happened on both sides.

Some Turkish residents in Brussels say however that the recognition of the killings as genocide is a political weapon wielded by the West to weaken Turkey.

“This is a political decision,” said Mesut Turkoz, a local resident. “Turkey is progressing, becoming more powerful, especially in the arms sector, so there is a bit of jealousy.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the United States’ decision but has so far refrained from taking important steps against its NATO ally. A similar attitude was observed in the past when EU countries recognised the killings as genocide.

According to Seda Gürkan, lecturer on Turkish politics at the Free University of Brussels, Turkey’s reaction to this issue is mostly emotional, and Ankara cannot really afford to respond strongly.

“Turkey is becoming increasingly lonely in international relations. Its relations with countries in the region, like Russia, Israel but also with the European Union are very problematic and the economy is very fragile. So during a period when Turkey needs its partners, desperately needs its partners, we shouldn’t expect a very strong reaction from Turkey” Gürkan explained to Euronews.

Rather than a diplomatic backlash, she argues that Turkey could use the Armenian question to stoke up nationalism domestically.

Something that could ultimately worsen its relations with the West and with the neighbouring country of Armenia.

 

Pashinyan participates in EEU prime ministerial meeting

Toneyan Mark

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 17:22,

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the narrow-format meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union’s intergovernmental council in the Russian city of Kazan.

Several items on the agenda of the EEU Inter-Governmental Council session were discussed, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Lawmaker Tsovinar Vardanyan gets AstraZeneca shot

Toneyan Mark

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 10:18,

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. Lawmaker Tsovinar Vardanyan from the ruling My Step bloc says she has received the AstraZeneca shot against COVID-19, as health authorities have been urging citizens to get vaccinated to lower the coronavirus infections rate in the country.

Asked why she chose the AstraZeneca vaccine given the media reports regarding safety concerns, Vardanyan told ARMENPRESS she did so in order to answer to these “speculations”.

“I studied the local and international news reports, I can say that they really are just speculations. I’ve also consulted with doctors who assured me that there is no problem,” she said.

Vardanyan said her other colleagues in the Armenian parliament are also planning to get the shot.

Armenia received 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine on March 28.

Then, on April 8, 15,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine were imported. Another batch of the Russian vaccine for 14000 persons was imported on April 26.

Armenian authorities had earlier restricted the use of AstraZeneca to over 55s but the decision was then cancelled and now all adults are eligible to get the vaccine.

 

Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 04/27/2021

Toneyan Mark 
                                        Tuesday, 
Armenia Scraps Restrictions For AstraZeneca Vaccine
        • Narine Ghalechian
Germany - A vial of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is seen at the general 
practice of Doctor Claudia Schramm in Maintal, March 24, 2021.
The Armenian Ministry of Health has allowed all adults to take AstraZeneca’s 
COVID-19 shot amid a slow pace of vaccinations in the country hit hard by the 
pandemic.
The ministry launched its vaccination campaign on April 13, initially targeting 
only frontline workers, seniors and chronically ill people aged 55 and older. 
They are eligible for the AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
The campaign was extended a week later to younger people deemed most at risk 
from the coronavirus. For safety reasons they are offered only the Russian 
Sputnik V vaccine.
According to health authorities, only about 2,200 Armenians were vaccinated 
against COVID-19 as of Monday despite an ongoing third wave of coronavirus 
infections in the country of about 3 million.
Nearly 11,000 people eligible for the vaccines are registered with Yerevan’s 
state policlinic No. 17. Only 43 of them have taken AstraZeneca or Sputnik V 
shots so far, the policlinic director, Satenik Badalian, complained on Tuesday.
Badalian spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service as she herself was inoculated at the 
primary healthcare center. She urged more people to follow her example.
It emerged that Health Minister Anahit Avanesian decided at the weekend to 
expand eligibility for the AstraZeneca vaccine to all people aged 18 and older.
Avanesian said earlier that May 31 is the use-by date of the first 24,000 doses 
of the vaccine imported to Armenia on March 28. Gayane Sahakian, the deputy 
director of the ministry’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, insisted 
that this is not the reason why the minister eliminated the age restrictions and 
other requirements for Armenians willing to get the AstraZeneca jab.
“In recent days we have received many phone calls from people who want to be 
vaccinated but are not included in any high-risk group,” said Sahakian.
Sahakian also made clear that the authorities are maintaining their restrictions 
on the use of Sputnik V. It is still restricted to vulnerable people aged 
between 18 and 54, she said.
Armenian received 15,000 doses of the Russian vaccine on April 8 and another 
28,000 doses on Monday.
The Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday morning 595 new single-day 
coronavirus infections and 18 deaths directly caused by COVID-19. It said more 
than 1,200 people infected with the disease are in a serious or critical 
condition.
Recession Pushes Armenian Public Debt To New Record High
        • Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Armenian Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian speaks during a cabinet 
meeting in Yerevan, February 4, 2021.
Armenia’s public debt has soared by more than $1 billion, to $8.65 billion, 
since the start of the coronavirus pandemic that plunged its economy into a 
recession, according to government data.
The debt reached nearly $8 billion, or 63.5 percent of GDP, at the end of last 
year after the Armenian economy shrunk by 7.6 percent and the government 
resorted to additional external borrowing to make up for a major shortfall in 
its tax revenues. At almost 334 billion drams ($660 million), the government’s 
2020 budget deficit was more than twice the amount projected by it in late 2019.
In January this year, the government issued Armenia’s fourth Eurobond worth $750 
million to manage the increased debt and budget deficit. With more foreign loans 
expected in the coming months, the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to 
reach almost 70 percent by the end of 2021.
“We need to lower this indicator to 60 percent over the next five years,” 
Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian said during a cabinet meeting last week. 
“This is the debt ceiling which is considered around the world manageable in 
terms of risks.”
Janjughazian insisted afterwards that the authorities in Yerevan are committed 
to meeting this target. He stressed that their objective is to reduce the 
debt-to-GDP ratio, rather than cut the debt in absolute terms. To that end, the 
government will strive to stimulate economic growth with infrastructure 
projects, he said.
The government expects the domestic economy to expand by over 3 percent this 
year. The Armenian Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund have 
forecast much slower growth.
“The recovery is likely to be protracted,” a team of IMF officials said after 
visiting Yerevan earlier this month. “While there is uncertainty about the pace 
of the recovery, our conservative outlook expects growth of around 1 percent in 
2021 and 3.5 percent in 2022.”
In a statement, the IMF team also stressed the importance of easing the 
country’s debt burden.
Tadevos Avetisian, a Yerevan-based economist, was skeptical about the current 
government’s ability to bring the debt to below 60 percent of GDP by 2027. 
“Whether or not we will achieve that also depends on political developments,” he 
said.
Ter-Petrosian Warns Against ‘Unconstitutional’ Elections
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian casts a ballot in parliamentary 
elections, Yerevan, April 2, 2017
Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian has accused the Armenian authorities of 
planning to hold snap parliamentary elections in violation of the country’s 
constitution.
The constitution stipulates that such elections can be held only if Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian resigns and the Armenian parliament twice fails to 
elect another head of the government.
Pashinian resigned for that purpose on Sunday. He made clear that he will 
continue to perform his duties at least until election day.
Some opposition figures and lawyers critical of the government maintain that the 
constitution does not allow Pashinian to remain in office after his resignation. 
Ter-Petrosian effectively echoed their view in a statement released on Monday.
Ter-Petrosian cited a relevant article published by Edgar Ghazarian, the former 
chief of the Constitutional Court staff. He said Ghazarian’s arguments must be 
taken seriously by President Armen Sarkissian, the Constitutional Court judges 
and Armenian political forces. Or else, he said, they would be complicit in the 
conduct of “unconstitutional elections.”
The ex-president also hit out at the two parliamentary opposition parties that 
have pledged to help Pashinian ensure that the National Assembly does not elect 
another prime minister after his resignation. He claimed that the Prosperous 
Armenia (BHK) and Bright Armenia parties struck an unconstitutional deal with 
Pashinian.
Pashinian’s My Step bloc insisted on Tuesday that the constitution does not 
require the prime minister to leave office now.
“Some circles are now trying to cast a shadow over the elections,” Vahagn 
Hovakimian, a senior My Step lawmaker, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “The 
first president [of Armenia] is joining in that effort, which is a tragedy.”
The BHK’s Mikael Melkumian acknowledged that legal experts are divided over what 
Pashinian’s current status must be. Melkumian said only the Constitutional Court 
can decide which of them are right.
“If we asked the Constitutional Court to discuss this issue that would drag out 
the [pre-election political] process,” he said. “We all aim to make sure that 
the elections take place on June 20.”
Ter-Petrosian did not say whether his Armenian National Congress (HAK) party, 
which is not represented in the current parliament, will boycott the anticipated 
elections. An HAK spokesman said the party is scheduled to hold a congress on 
May 7.
Ter-Petrosian and his associates have been increasingly critical of Pashinian 
since a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh 
in November. Like other opposition figures, they blame him for Armenia’s defeat 
in the six-week war.
The ex-president, who had ruled Armenia from 1991-1998, said last month that 
Pashinian must step down and “at least temporarily” leave the country to end the 
post-war political crisis. The prime minister reacted scathingly to that 
statement.
Armenia Won’t Join U.S.-Led Military Drills
POLAND -- Polish and US troops take part in the Defender-Europe 20 joint 
military exercise at Drawsko Pomorskie training grounds, August 11, 2020
Armenia again said on Tuesday that its soldiers will not take part in ongoing 
U.S.-led military exercises held by NATO in Europe.
The annual Defender-Europe exercises led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa began in 
March and will continue through June across more than 30 training areas in a 
dozen countries. They are involving over 28,000 troops from 26 nations, 
including countries such as Georgia and Ukraine keen to join NATO.
Armenia was initially also included on a list of participating states released 
by the U.S. military.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said on March 18 that it has asked organizers to 
“revise” the list because it does not plan to join the exercises. It said 
Armenian troops participate only in those NATO drills that simulate 
international peacekeeping operations and train military personnel for them.
Citing continuing media inquiries, the ministry again ruled out Armenia’s 
participation in Defender-Europe 21 in a statement released on Tuesday.
Germany - Armenian soldiers participate in military exercises in Hohenfels, 
April 2016
The move came amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over a major 
Russian-military buildup near eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin 
President Vladimir Putin last week warned Western powers backing Ukraine not to 
cross Russia’s “red lines”, saying Moscow would respond swiftly and harshly to 
any provocations.
Armenia has close military ties with Russia cemented by bilateral defense 
treaties and its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty 
Organization. The Armenian government wants to deepen them after further after 
last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is understood to be seeking stronger 
Russian military presence in the South Caucasus country to counter perceived 
security threats from NATO member Turkey, Azerbaijan’s close ally.
The Armenian military most recently participated in a NATO-led exercise in 
Georgia in August 2018. It declined invitations to join similar war games that 
were held there in September 2018 and in March 2019. Yerevan also skipped 
similar drills hosted by Georgia in September 2020 shortly before the outbreak 
of the Karabakh war.
Still, more than 150 Armenian soldiers remain involved in NATO-led peacekeeping 
missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

The California Courier Online, April 29, 2021

Toneyan Mark

1 –        Finally, Pres. Biden Acknowledges

            The Genocide! What’s next?

            By Harut Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         President Joe Biden officially recognizes massacre

            of Armenians in World War I as genocide

3 –        Statement by President Joe Biden on Armenian Remembrance Day

4-         US Ambassador to UN, Presidential Advisor Set Charles Momjian Dies

5-         Armenia Faces 3rd Wave of COVID-19 Cases

6-         Webinar examines Diaspora support of Republic of Armenia

7-         LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8-         Newsom: April 24 ‘Day of Remembrance of Armenian Genocide’

9-         Turkey Defaults on Lawsuit by Armenian-Americans

10-       Should new Fresno Unified school be named after Tatarian or Farbers?

*****************************************

******************************************

1 –        Finally, Pres. Biden Acknowledges

            The Genocide! What’s next?

            By Harut Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

After the United States avoided the issue for forty years, ever since
Pres. Ronald Reagan mentioned the Armenian Genocide in a Presidential
Proclamation, Pres. Joe Biden used the term Armenian Genocide, despite
the gag-rule imposed on the United States government by the denialist
rulers of the Republic of Turkey! For good measure, Pres. Biden used
the word genocide not once, but twice, in his “Statement on Armenian
Remembrance Day.”

Last year, when Biden was a presidential candidate, he promised to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. But, since Armenian-Americans were
deceived so many times by previous presidents who had not kept their
campaign promises, they were cautiously optimistic about Biden’s
commitment.

Even though the United States had repeatedly recognized the Armenian
Genocide starting from 1951 when the U.S government submitted an
official document to the World Court; the House of Representatives
adopted three resolutions in 1975, 1984, and 2019; the U.S. Senate
adopted unanimously a resolution in 2019; and Pres. Reagan issued a
Presidential Proclamation on April 22, 1981, Pres. Biden’s
acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide in 2021 is a major step
forward with several positive consequences:

1)  As the mass murder of 1.5 million people is a very emotional
issue, the descendants of Armenian Genocide victims felt a deep sense
of satisfaction that the genocide suffered by their ancestors is
formally and correctly acknowledged by the President of the United
States.

2)  This most recent and authoritative acknowledgment by the American
President will enable U.S. Courts to go forward with lawsuits making
claims by Armenians on genocide era-demands from the government of
Turkey. In the past, such lawsuits were dismissed by Federal judges
who claimed (wrongly) that since the U.S. government had not
acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, individual states like California
could not pass laws allowing these lawsuits to proceed. Nevertheless,
if the courts decide that Pres. Biden’s statement on the Armenian
Genocide is not sufficient to allow the filing of such lawsuits, then
Armenian-Americans would be obliged to push for the adoption of a
proposed law, not a commemorative resolution, which needs to be
adopted by both Houses of Congress and signed by the President into
law. That should be the final word on fulfilling the legal
requirements for filing lawsuits against Turkey.

3)  As the United States is a superpower, pronouncements by the
President have a major effect on other countries — particularly Great
Britain, Australia and Israel. Therefore, it is expected that several
countries would follow suit in recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

4)  Pres. Biden’s acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide comes at a
particularly sensitive time for Armenians worldwide following the
disastrous defeat in last fall’s Artsakh War by the hands of
Azerbaijan, Turkey and Islamic Jihadist mercenaries. Pres. Biden’s
April 24 statement will boost the spirits of Armenians and could
create an atmosphere of goodwill by world powers towards the just
resolution of Artsakh’s status and the protection of its population.

5)  The struggle for genocide recognition is also a political battle
by the country that perpetrated that mass crime on one hand and the
descendants of the victims on the other. The Government of Turkey, as
in past years, did everything in its power to prevent the United
States from acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Turkey paid millions
of dollars to American lobbying organizations to deny the genocide,
pressured and threatened the United States with dire consequences
should it acknowledge the genocide. Nevertheless, Turkey suffered a
devastating political blow. Turkey’s arrogant President, thinking that
no country can go against his wishes, was sternly put in his place by
the President of the United States. I am sure Pres. Erdogan spent a
sleepless night after Pres. Biden called him on April 23, advising him
of his decision to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Hopefully, the
humiliated Erdogan understood that the world does not rotate around
Turkey.

Let us now see what the Turkish government may do in retaliation. Will
it temporarily recall its Ambassador from Washington, threaten to cut
off commercial ties, or block the U.S. Government from using the
Incirlik airbase in Turkey? I hope Erdogan will take all of these
steps and many more. With such actions, Turkey will exacerbate
U.S.-Turkish relations, provide worldwide publicity to the Armenian
Genocide, and drive its failing economy into bankruptcy. This could
lead to internal turmoil and the eventual removal of Erdogan from the
presidency during the next election, if not sooner. Interestingly, in
a lengthy televised speech to the Turkish nation late at night on
April 26, besides his usual lies on the Armenian Genocide, Erdogan
dared not announce any actions against the United States in
retaliation to Biden’s April 24 statement. Thus, Erdogan displayed his
utter humiliation and impotence.

As usual, not having been able to bully the United States to abandon
its plans to recognize the Genocide, Turkish leaders are now resorting
to their usual tricks by stating that the U.S. recognition does not
mean anything. If it meant nothing, why did Turkey spend millions of
dollars on lobbyists for several decades and pressure the U.S.
government, threatening dire consequences?

Rather than continuing the lies and denials for over a century, it
would be much better for Turkey to simply acknowledge the crimes of
its predecessors, ask for forgiveness, and make amends for the
horrendous damages caused to the Armenian people. Turkey would do well
to follow the example of Germany after the Holocaust. Germany
apologized for Hitler’s mass crimes, erected memorials for the
Holocaust victims and paid billions of dollars in reparations. This is
what a civilized nation does when its leaders commit a grave crime.

In the meantime, Armenians in the Diaspora and Armenia should pursue
their demands through legal channels by filing multiple lawsuits
against Turkey in various country courts and the European Court of
Human Rights, seeking restitution for the damages caused by the
Genocide. The Government of Armenia, on the other hand, should take
Turkey to the International Court of Justice (World Court), where only
governments have standing to file lawsuits.

Finally, this is the appropriate moment to remember and acknowledge a
great friend of Armenians, former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John
Marshall Evans, whose diplomatic career was cut short in 2006 after he
told the truth about the Armenian Genocide during a visit to
California. It would be only proper for the Biden Administration to
appoint John Evans as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. This is the
least the U.S. government could do, after the President issues an
official apology to him.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

2-         President Joe Biden officially recognizes massacre

            of Armenians in World War I as genocide

(Combined Sources)—President Joe Biden on Saturday, April 24 became
the first U.S. president to officially recognize the massacre of
Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as a genocide, risking a potential
fracture with Turkey but signaling a commitment to global human
rights.

In a statement (see box) marking the 106th anniversary of the
massacre’s start, Biden wrote, “Each year on this day, we remember the
lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and
recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again
occurring.”

In 1981, then-President Ronald Reagan referred to the genocide in a
speech about the Jewish Holocaust.

The move fulfills Biden’s campaign pledge to finally use the word
genocide to describe the systematic killing and deportation of
Armenians in what is now Turkey more than a century ago. Biden’s
predecessors in the White House had stopped short of using the word,
wary of damaging ties with a key regional ally.

Earlier this week, US officials had been sending signals to allies
outside the administration—who have been pushing for an official
declaration—that the President would recognize the genocide.
Addressing the potential move in an interview with a Turkish
broadcaster this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said,
“If the United States wants to worsen ties, the decision is theirs.”

Cavusoglu on Saturday said Ankara completely rejects Biden’s use of
the term. “We are not going to take lessons about our history from
anyone. Political opportunism is the biggest betrayal of peace and
justice. We completely reject this statement that is only based on
populism,” he said in a tweet.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday offered condolences
to “Ottoman Armenians, who lost their lives under the difficult
circumstances of World War I.” That message to Patriarch of Turkish
Armenians Sahak Mashalian echoed Erdoğan’s previous statements on
April 24 and came before Biden’s declaration.

Turkish Presidency communications director Fahrettin Altun later
Saturday said that “the Biden administration’s decision to misportray
history out with an eye on domestic political calculations is a true
misfortune for Turkey-U.S. relations.”

Turkey later summoned David M. Satterfield, the US ambassador to the
country, following the announcement, according to Turkish state media
Anadolu.

“Turkey’s strong reaction was conveyed to David Satterfield, who was
accepted by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, according to
diplomatic sources,” Anadolu reported. “Satterfield was told that
Turkey finds the statement unacceptable, totally rejects and strongly
condemns it.”

The government of Turkey often registers complaints when foreign
governments describe the event, which began in 1915, using the word
“genocide.” They maintain that it was wartime and there were losses on
both sides, and they put the number of dead Armenians at 300,000.

But Biden has determined that relations with Turkey and Erdoğan —
which have deteriorated over the past several years anyway — should
not prevent the use of a term that would validate the plight of
Armenians more than a century ago and signal a commitment to human
rights today.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed Biden’s statement as
such, tweeting that “the US has once again demonstrated its unwavering
commitment to protecting human rights and universal values.”

As vice president, Biden dealt frequently with Erdoğan and made four
trips to Turkey, including in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt.
But since then he’s offered a less-than-rosy view of the Turkish
leader.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with him. He is an autocrat,” he told the
New York Times editorial board in 2020. “He’s the President of Turkey
and a lot more. What I think we should be doing is taking a very
different approach to him now, making it clear that we support
opposition leadership.”

Biden spoke by telephone with Erdoğan on Friday, April 23, his first
conversation with the Turkish leader since taking office. The long
period without communication had been interpreted as a sign Biden is
placing less importance on the US relationship with Turkey going
forward.

The two men agreed to meet in person on the sidelines of a mid-June
NATO summit in Brussels. The White House said Biden conveyed “his
interest in a constructive bilateral relationship with expanded areas
of cooperation and effective management of disagreements,” but the
readout did not mention the Armenian genocide issue.

As a candidate, Biden said that if he were elected, “I pledge to
support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and will make
universal human rights a top priority for my administration.”

Similar pledges have gone unfulfilled before. When Obama was running
for president, he declared in a lengthy statement that he shared “with
Armenian Americans—so many of whom are descended from genocide
survivor—a principled commitment to commemorating and ending
genocide.”

But like presidents before him, the realities of diplomacy intervened
once he took office. In all eight years of his presidency, Obama
avoided using “genocide” when commemorating the April event. With
Turkey then positioned as a key partner in the fight against ISIS
terrorists, the issue appeared even less palatable.  Some officials
who served in Obama’s administration, including his deputy national
security adviser Ben Rhodes and then-US Ambassador to the United
Nations Samantha Power, later voiced regret at not having taken the
step.

Power is Biden’s nominee to lead the US Agency for International Development.

In 2019, the House and Senate passed a resolution recognizing the mass
killings of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as genocide. Prior to its
passage, the Trump administration had asked Republican senators to
block the unanimous consent request several times on the grounds that
it could undercut negotiations with Turkey.

Trump attempted to cultivate a friendship with Erdoğan, even as
relations between Washington and Ankara soured over Turkey’s purchase
of a Russian-made air defense system and alleged human rights abuses
by Turkish-backed forces in Syria.

A group of more than 100 Republican and Democratic lawmakers wrote a
letter to Biden this month calling on him to formally recognize the
Armenian genocide. The group was led by Rep. Adam Schiff, a California
Democrat. A large Armenian American community resides in and around
Schiff’s district in Los Angeles.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Saturday that “our
hearts are full of joy that President Biden has taken the historic
step of joining Congress with formal recognition on Armenian Genocide
Day.”

“President Biden’s principled stand on the Armenian Genocide today –
powerfully overriding Ankara’s foreign veto against honest American
remembrance of this crime – pivots America toward the justice deserved
and the security required for the future of the Armenian nation – a
landlocked, blockaded, genocide-survivor state,” said Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “The
ANCA looks forward to working with the Biden Administration to
translate this statement into a fundamental reset in U.S. policy
toward the region – one that prioritizes the survival of Artsakh, the
security of Armenia, and a fair and lasting regional peace based upon
a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Assembly, all Armenians and our friends around the world
profoundly thank President Biden for this Armenian Genocide
reaffirmation in honor of the victims, survivors, and the principle of
universal human rights around the world,” said Armenian Assembly of
America Co-Chairs Van Krikorian and Anthony Barsamian. “We have been
fortunate to have been helped by countless prominent and not so
prominent but heroic individuals in advocating for Genocide awareness,
education, and prevention. We are sad that they are not all with us
today but know they, like all people who are sincerely committed to
human rights, are smiling with pride on President Biden and today’s
historic statement.”

“The Armenian Council of America welcomes President Biden’s
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Since the founding of Jamestown,
Armenian Americans have played an integral role in the fabric of
American life. Armenia is a small nation today, but the contributions
of its descendants living in the United States have been prolific
throughout the centuries. This commitment to the United States
demonstrates shared values of liberty, freedom and democracy. These
same values, enshrined at the founding of this great nation, continue
to be upheld by the Biden administration. We encourage President Biden
and his administration to bolster efforts towards the growth and
development of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, and lead the OSCE
Minsk group’s efforts in establishing a lasting peaceful solution to
the Artsakh conflict based on the right to self-determination,” said
the Armenian Council of America in a statement. “We are optimistic
that President Biden’s affirmation of the Armenian Genocide is a step
towards the return of value driven and principled American foreign
policy with unwavering support for universal human rights. As such,
rogue regimes such as Turkey and Azerbaijan, who have systematically
violated international laws, committed war-crimes, supported domestic
extremism, and suppressed internal democracy, must face economic
sanctions. We thank President Biden for joining the Armenian American
community, Armenians around the world, and all people of good will in
properly honoring the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Pan Armenian Council of the Western United States expresses its
profound gratitude to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. for his
unequivocal recognition of the Armenian Genocide. With the near
unanimous congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2019,
including the call for public education on this issue and the pledge
to end U.S. complicity in Turkey’s campaign of denial, and now with
the President’s announcement, the United States has spoken forcefully
and unambiguously, finally putting an end to Turkey’s gag rule over
U.S. foreign policy,” said the Pan Armenian Council of the Western
United States in a statement. “The formal U.S. recognition of this
crime against humanity, and recent strides to join dozens of other
countries which have recognized the Armenian Genocide are significant
steps in the path to justice—steps which will undoubtedly include
accountability and consequences. President Biden’s decision to bring
the United States to the right side of the fight against the denial of
the Armenian Genocide is consequential and courageous, and for this we
are truly grateful and feel empowered. Lastly, we would like to use
this opportunity to salute and express our boundless gratitude to
those organizations, activists, and members of our Armenian-American
community who struggles and worked tirelessly for decades, in order to
secure the US recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA welcomes the statement by
President Biden recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the systematic
murder of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, which took
place between 1915 and 1923. Such acknowledgment by a U.S. president
is long overdue and is clearly consistent with the recognition of the
Genocide by both Houses of the U.S. Congress in 2019,” said the
Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in a statement. “It sends a clear
message to the world about America’s enduring values: an
acknowledgment of the organized attempt by a country to destroy its
indigenous population, an acknowledgment of the wounds that are left
festering even several generations after they took place and the
message that human rights and historical truth trump geopolitical
considerations. Moreover, this recognition sends a message to the
Turkish people, a substantial percentage of who know the truth about
the Genocide from their grandparents and other family members, and/or
from their own research, but are afraid to speak about it openly
because it is illegal to do so in the Republic of Turkey. It is not
clear if President Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide will
lessen the ongoing prejudice and human rights violations against
minorities, journalists, academics and others in present-day Turkey.
But what is clear now is that the United States has taken a stand for
the truth and a recognition of the historic crime of genocide,
signaling to any nation or group contemplating the commission of
ethnic cleansing that their actions will not be forgotten, even 100
years later, and that there will be an eventual reckoning, if not for
them during their lifetimes, for their descendants if they do not
acknowledge these crimes.”

“The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) hails President Joseph Biden
for recognizing the Armenian Genocide in his April 24 address. Despite
taking place far from the United States, the Armenian Genocide is part
of United States history. The U. S. archival record is testimony to
that fact, as many U.S. diplomats and missionaries who witnessed the
process of the Genocide have intensively reported the events and
raised their voice condemning the acts of atrocities,” said The
Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) in a statement. “President Biden’s
statement today comes to close a chapter in the recognition efforts of
the Armenian-Americans in the United States. However, this does not
mean that recognition is the end of the struggle. The Society for
Armenian Studies, as an academic organization, firmly believes that
the next step should be to teach one of the macabre crimes of the 20th
century in schools and universities across the country. Deniers of the
genocide will continue to deny but the task of genocide scholars and
educators might be easier now. It is through education that we will be
able to change the hearts and minds of people who have not heard about
the Genocide, with the ultimate goal being to prevent the occurrence
of such crimes. In the words of the Spanish philosopher George
Santayana ‘Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat
it.’”

************************************************************************************************************************************************

3 –        Statement by President Joe Biden on Armenian Remembrance Day

            APRIL 24, 2021

Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in
the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing
such an atrocity from ever again occurring. Beginning on April 24,
1915, with the arrest of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders
in Constantinople by Ottoman authorities, one and a half million
Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in a
campaign of extermination. We honor the victims of the Meds Yeghern so
that the horrors of what happened are never lost to history. And we
remember so that we remain ever-vigilant against the corrosive
influence of hate in all its forms.

Of those who survived, most were forced to find new homes and new
lives around the world, including in the United States. With strength
and resilience, the Armenian people survived and rebuilt their
community. Over the decades Armenian immigrants have enriched the
United States in countless ways, but they have never forgotten the
tragic history that brought so many of their ancestors to our shores.
We honor their story. We see that pain. We affirm the history. We do
this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never
repeated.

Today, as we mourn what was lost, let us also turn our eyes to the
future—toward the world that we wish to build for our children. A
world unstained by the daily evils of bigotry and intolerance, where
human rights are respected, and where all people are able to pursue
their lives in dignity and security. Let us renew our shared resolve
to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world. And
let us pursue healing and reconciliation for all the people of the
world.

The American people honor all those Armenians who perished in the
genocide that began 106 years ago today.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

4-         Pashinyan’s Resignation Sets Stage for Snap Elections

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan formally announced on Sunday, April 25
that he is resigning to pave the way for snap general elections aimed
at ending the post-war political crisis in Armenia.

“In order to implement the decision to hold pre-term parliamentary
elections on June 20, today I am resigning as prime minister of the
Republic of Armenia,” he said in a televised address to the nation.

Under the Armenian constitution, fresh elections can be held only if
the prime minister resigns and the parliament twice fails to elect
another head of the government. The current National Assembly is
controlled by Pashinyan’s political allies. Pashinyan’s resignation is
merely a formality to set this series of steps into motion.

“The parliamentary majority will not elect a prime minister, the
National Assembly will be deemed dissolved, and pre-term parliamentary
elections will be called,” said Pashinyan. “During this [pre-election]
period, I will continue to perform the prime minister’s duties on a
full scale envisaged by Armenia’s constitution and laws.”

The prime minister, who swept to power in a 2018 “velvet revolution,”
reaffirmed that he and his political team will seek reelection in the
upcoming polls.

“If the people decide that I must quit the post of prime minister I
will comply with that decision,” he said. “If the people decide that I
must continue to serve as prime minister I will comply with that
decision.”

Pashinyan first expressed readiness to hold early elections in
December amid angry anti-government protests triggered by Armenia’s
defeat in a six-week war with Azerbaijan stopped by a Russian-brokered
ceasefire on November 10. A coalition of opposition forces blamed him
for the defeat and demanded that he hand over power to an interim
government.

Pashinyan and his My Step bloc stated on February 7 that they see no
need for fresh elections because of what they called a lack of “public
demand.” The opposition alliance, called the Homeland Salvation
Movement, resumed its street protests on February 20.

Five days later, the Armenian military’s top brass issued a statement
accusing Pashinyan’s government of misrule and incompetence and
demanding its resignation. The prime minister rejected the demand as a
coup attempt.

Pashinyan went on to announce on March 18 that the snap polls will
take place after all. The move followed his talks held with the
leaders of the two opposition parties represented in the current
parliament. They are understood to have assured him that their parties
will not nominate prime-ministerial candidates in the event of his
tactical resignation.

Several other major opposition groups and figures, including former
President Robert Kocharian, have also expressed their intention to
enter the parliamentary race.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

5-         Armenia Faces 3rd Wave of COVID-19 Cases

Armenian health officials are sounding the alarm of a third wave of
COVID-19 cases just as the country commences the vaccination phase.
The most recent rise in coronavirus infections following a loosening
of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.

On April 14, it was announced that Armenia would purchase one million
doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.

There were 14,529 active cases in Armenia as of April 26. Armenia has
recorded 213,469 coronavirus cases and 4,040 deaths; 194,900 have
recovered.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

6-         Webinar examines Diaspora support of Republic of Armenia

On April 17 and 18, 2021, the Armenian American Mental Health
Association (AAMHA) hosted a two-day online global conference on
Armenian identity and mental health. Part of this was an unprecedented
two-hour panel that gathered the heads of six leading U.S. Armenian
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to discuss this timely question:
“How can Diaspora professional groups best support the Republic of
Armenia in these stressful times?”

Armenia now faces dark days with Covid-19, the Azeri invasion of
Artsakh, and civil unrest in Yerevan. Fortunately, the global Diaspora
of 7 million Armenians includes many talented individuals and groups
eager to support the 3 million Armenians in the homeland.

Raffi Jamgotchian is an international business executive,
cyber-security expert, and President of the Northeast Region of the
Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA).  The AESA was
formed in 1983, and its Northeastern Chapter in 2009—with the mission
to bring together STEM professionals and students in Armenia and the
USA.

Dr. Lawrence Najarian is an ophthalmologist and President of the
Armenian American Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO). Formed in
1994 in Greater New York, AAHPO is a 501(c)3 medical philanthropy that
brings together medical doctors and other health professionals and
students. AAHPO offers projects to promote the health of Armenian
communities in the US and Armenia—including telemedicine, mentoring,
continuing medical education (CME), annual missions to Armenia, and
support of health care in Armenia.

Dr. Harold Takooshian is a professor at Fordham University, and
Executive Officer of the Armenian Behavioral Science Association
(ABSA). Since ABSA was formed in 1987, it has grown into a network of
800 Hye behavioral scientists and students in the US and now Armenia.
Its diverse programs have included publication of 7 directories,
hosting timely regional and national symposia in 30 cities, and awards
to 32 outstanding Hye scientists. In 2020, with YSU, ABSA installed
the first chapter in the Trans-Caucasus region of Psi Chi, the
international honor society for psychology.

Dr. Ani Kalayjian is a professor at Columbia University, and founder
and President of Meaningful World (MW). Since 1988, after the
earthquake in Armenia, teams of MW volunteers have provided
humanitarian trauma relief to communities in Armenia, 48 other
nations, and 26 U.S. states. Experts also conduct and publish research
on trauma intervention. The MW website invites students and experts to
get involved in its diverse projects globally and at UN. The next MW
mission to Armenia is this April 28, 2021 for post-war recovery and
installment of the first Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Stella Petros is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and President of
the AAMHA. Since it was formed in California in 2006, AAMHA has
advanced mental health awareness and practices, and decreased stigma
around mental health in the Armenian community. AAMHA gathers mental
health professionals for projects to promote mental health in
California and Armenia. Since the attack on Artsakh in 2020, 203
psychotherapists have volunteered to connect with colleagues in
Armenia, including weekly consultation teams using zoom or Facebook.
AAMHA has also provided training on topics such a Trauma, The Impact
of War on Mental Health, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,
and Psychological First Aid.

Dr. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan is a professor of economics at St. John’s
University and a board member of the Armenian Economic Association
(AEA). Formed in 2006, the AEA is a global nonprofit association
promoting Armenian scholarship in economics, which hosts regional and
global conferences, has recently launched a Diaspora-for-Development
series, and publishes the Armenian Journal of Economics.

Harut Sassounian is a noted expert on Armenian affairs, columnist, and
Publisher of the California Courier. To strengthen Armenian identity
among Diaspora Armenians, he described a bold new plan described on
the web (www.HyeID.org) to issue Hye ID cards to Diaspora Hyes, for a
proposed Diaspora Armenian Parliament of democratically elected
representatives world-wide.

Dr. George Gharibian is a psychologist, professor at Alliant
International University, and Chair of this AAMHA conference. As the
discussant for this panel, he emphasized the importance to develop
ways to promote identity, mental health, and Diaspora support for the
Republic. He encouraged diverse groups to know of each other’s
efforts, and collaborate when feasible.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

7-         LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor:

I had to reach out to say ‘thank you’ for your decades-long effort to
bring justice in the recognition by our country of the horror and
tragedy of the Armenian Genocide. You have always lived a life of
service and fighting for justice for all.

God is good! And you are a witness to this goodness in your life of
service and dedication. I am so happy for you and the community—as
well as our country that needed this so desperately.

Angela M. Howell

South Pasadena, Calif.

Dear Editor:

At last. An American President, driven by the courage of his
conviction, calls a spade a spade.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Haig Vartanian

London, United Kingdom

Dear Editor:

After decades of lobbying by the Turkish government propaganda machine
of distorting the historic facts of the first Genocide of the
twentieth century perpetrated by The Ottoman Turks where 1.5 million
innocent Armenian civilians perished, finally, Joe Biden, President of
the United States of America, in a statement on April 24, 2021,
affirmed that it was a GENOCIDE.

While President Biden’s statement is not legally binding, nevertheless
it is a major step forward and a huge victory for all Armenians around
the globe, thanks to the efforts of all the Armenian National
Committees around the world.

Hopefully, now England, Australia, New Zeeland, Israel and other
countries will follow suit, and call it what it was GENOCIDE.

In 1991 while the celebrations of the Independence of the Republic of
Armenia were being held in Montreal, Quebec, seated beside me was one
of the invited guests of one of the Slavic countries: I will never
forget his comments. “You think the problems of your country are over
now? They are just starting.”

It all depends now on how the rest of the world will react, bring a
final solution and put pressure on today’s government of Turkey to
admit the crime of GENOCIDE perpetrated by their forefathers

Hrad Poladian

Toronto, Canada

Dear Editor:

I must congratulate you and the Armenian community for your victory in
getting the United States to confirm the slaughter of Armenians in
1915 as Genocide.

Your steadfastness, determination and moral certainty has prevailed on
behalf of Armenians world-wide. You have, at the same time, provided,
by example, hope and solidarity with victims of other as yet
unrecognized genocides. For that, on behalf of the Ukrainian
community, I thank you for your moral certainty and courage of
purpose.

My very best wishes to you and Armenians everywhere.

Peter Borisow

Los Angeles, CA

************************************************************************************************************************************************

8-         Newsom: April 24 ‘Day of Remembrance of Armenian Genocide’

The anguish of more than a century was mixed with relief in the
California Armenian community following Governor Gavin Newsom’s
announcement Saturday, April 24 that California formally recognizes
April 24 as a Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, which led
to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman
Empire. Newsom’s proclamation recognized the “systematic genocide”
that began in 1915 and the “strength and resilience” of the Armenian
people.

“Forced to build new lives in all corners of the globe, Armenians
bravely forged ahead in the face of unimaginable tragedy,” Newsom’s
proclamation read. “Thousands made their homes in California, and we
are greater for their contributions.”

“Today is a historic day,” said Roxanne Makaskjian, the executive
director of The Genocide Education Project. “We are very relieved and
proud in our government and president. It feels like a new day.”

The announcements and commemoration came at the same time that an
online campaign said it raised more than $90,000 to rebuild St.
Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco. The church was
damaged in a Sept. 17, 2020, arson that authorities investigated as a
hate crime and later linked to crimes against an Armenian school and
neighborhood.

The gubernatorial announcement was celebrated by a larger-than-usual
crowd that gathered at the Mount Davidson cross for the annual
commemoration.

“Hopefully this puts the U.S. back on track to restore our role as a
human rights champion,” Makaskjian said.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

9-         Turkey Defaults on Lawsuit by Armenian-Americans

LOS ANGELES—The United States District Court for the Central District
of California on April 19 entered default against the Republic of
Turkey for failure to respond to a lawsuit filed by California
residents alleging harassment and degradation by agents of Turkey in
the U.S.

Filed almost two years ago by Barkev Ghazarian, who turned 90 on
Tuesday, April 20 and his son Garo B. Ghazarian, the case, Ghazarian
et al. v. Republic of Turkey, alleges that Turkey’s agents in the
United States harassed, demeaned and degraded Barkev Ghazarian, an
elderly man from Glendale, California, because he sought to exercise
religious and cultural rights in Turkey as a native Armenian Christian
in 2017.

Attorneys representing Ghazarians in the case, Karnig Kerkonian,
Elizabeth Al-Dajani and Gayane Khechoomian of Kerkonian Dajani LLP,
declined to comment at this stage in the proceedings.

On October 13, 2020, plaintiffs’ attorneys successfully served Turkey
via diplomatic channels through the U.S. State Department. On November
20, 2020, Turkey returned the court documents to the State Department
with a diplomatic note stating that Turkey expects the U.S. District
Court to refrain from exercising jurisdiction over the matter and even
further directed the State Department to share this information with
the District Court “who should summarily dismiss these proceedings.”

Despite Turkey’s protests to the U.S. State Department, on March 16,
2021, the U.S. District Court agreed with Kerkonian Dajani LLP and
specifically found that “Defendant was properly served.”  The deadline
to respond by Turkey was December 12, 2020. On April 19, the court
held that Turkey failed to respond to the case as required and entered
default against Turkey.

The groundbreaking case alleges violations of international law as
well as statutory and common law claims against Turkey stemming from
conduct committed by Turkey’s agents in the United States. The
pleading further alleges that Turkey’s agents interfered with the
inheritance of Garo B. Ghazarian, Barkev’s son, by thwarting his
father’s efforts to identify his family’s sacred sites within the
borders of Turkey and pass to his son direct knowledge of the same

The acts committed by Turkey’s agents were undertaken pursuant to a
specific policy of Turkey targeting native Armenian Christians, as
described in detail in the pleading. Plaintiffs claim that, in
implementing this policy, Turkey intended and ensured that Barkev’s
direct knowledge of his family’s ancestral traditions and pilgrimage
sites would not pass to future generations of Ghazarians. The
complaint highlights the value of Armenian cultural and religious
heritage. It claims the acts committed by Turkey’s agents as part of
Turkey’s specific policy targeting native Armenian Christians.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

10-       Should new Fresno Unified school be named after Tatarian or Farbers?

As the Fresno Unified School District receives recommendations on what
to name its newest campus, two candidates have garnered support.
Fresno’s Armenian community is pushing for the campus to be named
after H. Roger Tatarian — a renowned journalist, professor, author and
Fresno native.

Michelle Asadoorian, who had Tatarian as a professor at Fresno State,
said he grew up in the area where the campus will sit — as did so many
other Armenians — because Armenians faced discrimination and could
only live in certain areas.

Some elected officials, including Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas who
represents the area where the campus will be built, support naming the
building after Francine and Murray Farber, a couple who moved from the
East Coast to Fresno in 2003 to be closer to family. During their time
in Fresno, they have given FUSD students more than $100,000 in college
scholarships. The Farbers also contributed to The Fresno Bee’s
Education Lab.

Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez, who is Jonasson Rosas’ husband,
is sponsoring a resolution supporting naming the campus after the
Farbers that went to a vote on Thursday, April 22. Councilmember Mike
Karbassi showed support for naming the campus after Tatarian in a
Facebook post on April 15.

Community members have until May 7 to submit a recommendation to the
Fresno Unified board.

Tatarian put Fresno on the map in many ways, said Asadoorian, who was
an FUSD board member for eight years and is currently Trustee Terry
Slatic’s community liaison.

After graduating from Fresno State in 1938 with a political science
degree, Tatarian began his journalism career at the United Press
International, a worldwide news organization and competitor of the
Associated Press. During Tatarian’s 34 years at UPI, he was in
leadership positions worldwide, including Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, London, Rome and Washington, D.C. He worked his way up to
being the editor and chief of UPI.

After retirement, he taught journalism at Fresno State for 15 years
and did some newspaper consulting for various papers, including The
Bee, where he also had a regular column.

Out of Fresno Unified’s 106 school campuses, Asadoorian said, none are
named after someone in the Armenian community. She said it’s time for
that to change.

“Armenians have been left off the list of being recognized, and it’s
been quite disturbing to us,” Asadoorian said.

Berj Apkarian, the honorary consulate of the Republic of Armenia,
describes Tatatrian as a “giant” and an “icon.” He said the influence
Tatarian has had locally and globally can resonate with many people,
not just the Armenian community.

“His contribution in the field of journalism and at Fresno State and
around the nation speaks loud by itself,” Apkarian said. “We’re not
floating a name just for having an Armenian name on campus.”

Tatarian passed in 1995 at the age of 78. A year later, a book of his
essays was published, “Day of Mourning, Day of Shame.”

Fresno State established The Roger Tatarian Journalism Grant and The
Roger Tatarian Endowed Chair in Journalism in his honor. Tatarian was
awarded the Elijah Parrish Lovejoy Award and was named a fellow of the
Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi. He was also among
the first people to be inducted into the New York Society’s Hall of
Fame.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California
Courier.  Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, . However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify
mailing addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail,
, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.

PACE Monitoring Committee calls on Azerbaijan to immediately return Armenian POWs

Toneyan Mark

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 11:14,

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a statement calling on Azerbaijan to immediately return the Armenian prisoners of war, Head of the Armenian Delegation to PACE Ruben Rubinyan said on Facebook.

“The PACE Monitoring Committee has just adopted a statement, calling on Azerbaijan to immediately return the Armenian POWs”, Rubinyan said.

The issue of the Armenian POWs, who are currently in the Azerbaijani captivity, has been discussed at the PACE political groups on the sidelines of the Committee’s spring session on April 19. The issue has also been discussed at the PACE plenary session on April 20.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

What Kim Kardashian Has Said About the Armenian Genocide

Toneyan Mark
Newsweek
 

By Darragh Roche On 4/22/21 at 7:26 AM EDT

resident Joe Biden is poised to recognize the killings of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a genocide, according to reports, in what will be a historically symbolic move.

Biden will make the announcement this Friday, 24 April—the day on which the victims of the genocide are commemorated around the world. He is expected to use the term “genocide” but that may change at the last minute due to considerations of the U.S. relationship with Turkey, according to Reuters.

One of the most vocal advocates of recognition is reality TV star Kim Kardashian. She’s of Armenian descent on her father’s side and has long highlighted the genocide through trips, social media posts and campaigns.

In March this year, Kardashian and other members of her family shared Instagram posts calling on Biden to recognize the genocide, garnering praise from the Armenian National Committee of America.

On April 24 last year, she commemorated the event on Twitter by sharing poems written by the grandchildren of survivors.

“Today is the 105th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and I’m so proud that America has recognized this,” she said, likely referring to a non-binding resolution passed unanimously by the Senate. The House passed also passed a similar measure in 2019.

The genocide began in 1915 during World War I but there is disagreement about when it ended, with various sources saying 1917, 1922 or 1923. It is estimated that around one million to 1.5 million people died.

Kardashian traveled to a museum dedicated to the genocide in October 2019 and shared her thoughts about the event on Twitter.

Visiting the Armenian Genocide Museum was extremely emotional. I can’t believe with all of the photos from the massacres and published literature during this time that people still try to deny this ever happened. We will never forget that 1.5 million Armenians were murdered. 🇦🇲 pic.twitter.com/DqRFuCTL6A

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 14, 2019

“Visiting the Armenian Genocide Museum was extremely emotional. I can’t believe with all of the photos from the massacres and published literature during this time that people still try to deny this ever happened. We will never forget that 1.5 million Armenians were murdered,” she said.

Kardashian’s commitment to commemorating the genocide is long-standing. She pushed unsuccessfully for former President Barack Obama to use the term “genocide” to describe the killings in a 2015 op-ed for Time magazine for the 100th anniversary of the event.

“I would like President Obama to use the word genocide. It’s very disappointing he hasn’t used it as President. We thought it was going to happen this year. I feel like we’re close—but we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” she wrote.

“It’s time for Turkey to recognize it. It’s not the fault of the people who live there now,” she added. The Turkish government acknowledges that many Armenians were killed by Ottoman forces at the time but disputes the figures and denies that the killings were carried out systematically.

In 2016, she wrote a letter in response to a Wall Street Journal ad taken out by a group denying the genocide, Fact Check Armenia. It was later reprinted as a full-page ad in The New York Times by the Armenian Educational Foundation.

The Wall Street Journal had defended its decision, saying the paper published a wide variety of ads, some with “provocative viewpoints.”

“Advocating the denial of a genocide by the country responsible for it—that’s not publishing a ‘provocative viewpoint,’ that’s spreading lies,” she wrote. “It’s totally morally irresponsible, and, most of all, it’s dangerous. If this had been an ad denying the Holocaust, or pushing some 9/11 conspiracy theory, would it have made it to print?”

Kardashian had not weighed in on reports about Biden’s decision at the time of writing. Newsweek has asked Kim Kardashian and the White House for comment on this article.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 21-04-21

Toneyan Mark

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 17:37,

YEREVAN, 21 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 21 April, USD exchange rate up by 0.34 drams to 522.23 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.35 drams to 626.94 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.06 drams to 6.79 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.24 drams to 727.62 drams.

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

Gold price up by 75.65 drams to 29850.25 drams. Silver price down by 3.49 drams to 434.53 drams. Platinum price down by 607.87 drams to 19896.25 drams.

Employees of Sotk gold mine block the road and railway leading to the mine – Taguhi Tovmasyan

Toneyan Mark
Panorama, Armenia

Independent lawmaker Taguhi Tovmasyan reports that dozens of employees of Sotk gold mine have blocked the roadway and the railway leading to the mine, demanding the payment of their full salaries. 

“I received complaints from the mine employees that they have not received their full salaries in the past few months and had been told that their salaries had been cut due to the drop of mine production volumes. The employees learn about the actual size of their salaries only in the end of the month and it appears to be 4-5 times less to compare with their previous salaries. Yesterday, they have been received by the Executive Director of the mine operator ‘GeoProMining Gold” LLC Anatoly Gogotin, however, their demands have not been solved,” Tovmasyan added. 

According to the lawmaker, the employees may no longer cover daily expenses and also face difficulties in paying back the bank loans. Considering the post-war difficulties,  the lawmaker expects the attention of all relevant state bodies and circles with leverage to address the matter and support the people who have incurred in a difficult situation. 

The lawmaker also reminded that around 300 employees of the gold mine were dismissed in the past months after significant parts of the mine were ceded to Azerbaijan when the Armenian troops handed over Karvachar district as part of the trilateral ceasefire statement signed on November 10 last year.

Armenian President visits Parliament of Georgia

Toneyan Mark

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 13:42,

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited today the Parliament of Georgia on the sidelines of his official visit where he met with Speaker Archil Talakvadze, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The Georgian Speaker of Parliament welcomed the Armenian President’s official visit to Georgia, noting that the two countries are facing very dynamic and interesting times, and now it’s key moment for the future of our democracies. “I am sure that Armenia and its people will use this cooperation and opportunity for development, creation of new prospects and for further strengthening democracy and economy”, he said.

Archil Talakvadze expressed support to Armenia’s progress and development, stating that they are in favor of peace and solving all the problems through dialogue.

The Georgian Parliament Speaker said the region is also facing other challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic and thanked for the effective partnership with Armenia during the pandemic.

In his turn the Armenian President thanked for the welcome and stated that the strength of small countries is connected with their actions. “In this context countries like Armenia and Georgia should be actively engaged in international relations and the relations with friendly or neighboring countries, be they big, small or superpowers”, the President said. “We need to have special relations especially with our friends. Georgia is such for us. It’s not a coincidence that I accepted the Georgian President’s invitation to come and talk, exchange information about the situation, as well as to talk about the future”.

Sarkissian noted that the economic situation is difficult, the economies of both countries have greatly suffered from coronavirus. “We must encourage the implementation of joint programs and contribute to that because the joint regional programs can be much more attractive for the international investors”, Armen Sarkissian said, adding that now it’s the time for both countries to think about taking actions for regional stability and security.

In the context of regional security and stability-related issues, the Armenian President said it’s impermissible that after the recent war against Artsakh, Azerbaijan is still holding Armenian servicemen and civilians in captivity, by violating all norms of the international humanitarian law.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan