Author: Torgomian Varazdat

Armenia to work diligently to raise awareness of past genocides and new challenges

Torgomian Varazdat
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 9 2021
December 9, 2021, 14:49

 2 minutes read

The Republic of Armenia will continue to work diligently to raise awareness of past genocides, the dangers of their impunity and the new challenges, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide.

On December 9, 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the first human rights treaty – the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

“The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide clearly stipulates that “genocides have caused enormous harm to humanity at all stages of history,” thus reaffirming that the crimes of genocide appeared before the adoption of the Convention. The Armenian Genocide served as an important precedent for the adoption of the Genocide Convention, which was publicly mentioned by the author of the Convention, Raphael Lemkin,” the Ministry said.

It noted that “despite the enormous work that has been carried out, the international community still needs to make further efforts for adequate and timely response, including for condemnation of gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as for holding accountable the states guilty of genocide. 

“Today, there are different methods and toolkit for committing the crime of genocide, as modern weapons of mass destruction are being used. However, those who justify genocide have not changed their aspiration to achieve geopolitical goals through mass atrocities,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

In 2015, due to Armenia’s efforts, December 9th was included in the list of UN International Days as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime.

A resolution on the prevention of genocide, initiated by Armenia and adopted with consensus by the UN Human Rights Council in 2020, clearly states that “the justification of genocide, bias assessment and denial of past crimes increases the risk of a recurrence of violence.”

Armenia emphasizes that historical memory, education and the dissemination of accurate information concerning previous genocides are essential to prevent a recurrence of mass atrocities.

“The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage should also be condemned as it is a vital element for the preservation of national identity. Manifestations of domination over national, ethnic, religious or racial groups or justifications for the use of force against the latter are unacceptable,” the Foreign Ministry said.

It noted that the Republic of Armenia will continue to work diligently to raise awareness of past genocides, the dangers of their impunity and the new challenges.

National Assembly intentionally delays the sound of parliament live-streamed sessions during speeches of opposition MPs

Torgomian Varazdat
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 10 2021

It is the second time, when the live streaming of the Armenian National Assembly plenaries start without sound, when opposition lawmakers open the sessions with statements. 

On December 10, the public was unable to listen to the statement made by opposition ‘Armenia’ bloc lawmaker Arman Vardevanyan, and by a strange coincidence, the sound was switched on only after his remarks.  

This was the case during the December 6 session when the parliament session started with delayed audio at a time when another opposition MP was delivering a speech. 

These actions of the ruling force in charge of the National Assembly leadership come to prove the assessment of the “Freedom of Information Center” NGO, labeling the National Assembly as a state body threatening the freedom of information and restricting the rights of reporters. 

Asbarez: Editorial: Artsakh’s Independence Must Not be Compromised and Must be Recognized

Torgomian Varazdat
by Editor

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Editorial, Featured Main, Latest, Op-Ed, Top Stories

On December 10, 1991 a referendum cemented Artsakh’s independence

December 10 marks the 30th anniversary of the referendum on Artsakh’s independence. In 1991, some three months after Artsakh declared independence from the Soviet Union, 99.89 percent of the population voted to make Artsakh an independent republic.

After seven decades under Soviet rule, this became one of the first expressions of the people’s will, defying Communist tenets and exercising their inalienable right to self-determination.

The concept of self-determination has been at the core of mediation efforts for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and the latest push for the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to become engaged in addressing Artsakh’s status hinges on this.

After last year’s aggressive attack on Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Turkey have been advancing the notion that Artsakh, as an independent republic, does not exist. The two countries are pouring millions of dollars on infrastructure improvements, building roads, tunnels, airports, while at the same time erasing Artsakh’s Armenian heritage and identity.

So, it was beyond egregious for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to tell parliament on Wednesday that Artsakh’s final status may not include independence.

“The final status of Nagorno-Karabakh does not definitely imply its independence,” Pashinyan told lawmakers, saying that a referendum on Artsakh’s status was not discussed during post-war negotiations.

This is a dangerous statement coming from Armenia’s leader who is the one tasked with defending the interests of not only Armenia but also Artsakh in negotiations. Pashinyan can continue to point fingers in his ridiculous effort to shrug off blame for the humiliating defeat, but what he can’t—and must not be allowed to—do trample upon the will of the people so definitively expressed on December 10, 1991.

If Pashinyan and his government have given up on Artsakh’s independence, the people of Artsakh and the entire Armenian Nation must collectively fight to protect, at all costs, the will of the people of Artsakh.

The fact of the matter is that a referendum was already held on December 10, 1991 and the overwhelming majority of the people chose independence. This vote cannot be stolen from the people, especially since our sisters and brother spilled blood to defend it.

The November 9, 2020 agreement that ended the military actions in Artsakh and stipulated the surrender of territories to Azerbaijan cannot be viewed as an effort to override Artsakh’s independence. Hence, engaging in negotiations, such as the “3+3” scheme proposed by Ankara and hailed by Baku, pose direct threats to Artsakh’s independence.

The United States and Europe have signaled that the status of Karabakh remains unresolved, thus signaling the conflict has not ended, directly opposing the position taken by Baku and Ankara. Moscow, on the other hand, is tacitly pushing for the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen’s engagement in the process and, on many occasions, and has flip-flopped on the issue of status.

If the U.S. and Europe allow the status talks to veer from the concept of cementing people’s right to self-determination and independence, then they would be betraying their own commitments to upholding democracy and democratic norms and principles. This message should be sent loudly to lawmakers in the U.S. and across Europe and become a rallying call for all Armenians to demand international recognition of Artsakh.

Furthermore, based on Artsakh’s _expression_ for independence 30 years ago, any discussions on its status must ensure that Artsakh does not fall under Azerbaijani rule.

The independence of the Republic of Artsakh cannot be compromised. Any effort to that end will set a dangerous precedent that the will of the people can be trampled upon the whims of political actors seeking to expand their personal and other interests and agendas.

The way that Armenians rallied together last year during the war showed the Armenian Nation’s ability to stand together in defense of the homeland. Preserving and strengthening Artsakh’s independence and statehood must become a priority for all Armenians.

​How a Highlands community helped survivors of Armenian earthquake

Torgomian Varazdat
B B C News

Dec 7 2021

How a Highlands community helped survivors of Armenian earthquake


By Andrew Thomson
BBC Scotland


IMAGE SOURCE,LARINA BICHAKHCHYAN
Image caption,
Larina Bichakhchyan was 14 when the earthquake hit in 1988

Larina Bichakhchyan’s life changed forever when she survived an earthquake disaster in the then Soviet Union in 1988.

And 33 years later she has been recalling how support she received from a small community in the Highlands of Scotland helped her recover and inspired her future career path.

About 25,000 people were killed in the Spitak Earthquake on 7 December 1988.

Larina was 14 and at school when the 6.8 magnitude tremor struck tearing the building apart and destroying her home.

She was later to benefit from a fundraising and exchange programme set up by pupils and teachers at Dingwall Academy in the Highlands.

‘There was nothing left, only ruins’

Larina was in her maths classroom in the Armenian city of Gyumri when the earthquake hit.

She said: “We were all shocked and paralysed as we didn’t know what was going on until we saw the desk legs from the classroom above hanging through the ceiling.”

Larina and her classmates fled through crowded corridors as the building collapsed around them.

Many children were killed by falling rumble but Larina managed to get outside to safety.


IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
About 25,000 people were killed in the Spitak Earthquake on 7 December 1988

She made her way home through streets that were now almost unrecognisable due to the scale of destruction.

She said: “There was nothing left, only ruins. It was like Hell. I couldn’t even imagine this scene in the worst horror movie.

“Along the streets there were corpses lying and you heard people crying from under the ruins.”

“When I finally reached my home there was no-one there from my family.

“But then I saw my father running to me. It was like a miracle. Together we climbed on the ruins and started calling out for my mum.”

Larina and her family lived on the fifth floor of an apartment block. Like all the other buildings on the street it had been completely destroyed.

Larina and her father feared the worst because they knew her mother had been at home when the earthquake hit, but they heard her crying out from under the rubble. She had been badly injured and was trapped.

Larina said: “We started with our own hands to dig into the ruins. Some other men rushed to help us and together we were able to at last get her out.”

Larina’s mother was the only survivor from the building. Later that day they were reunited with Larina’s sister and injured brother.

They had to travel to Georgia to get medical help because local hospitals were overwhelmed.

“We were all really happy to find each other and so it didn’t matter that we had lost everything in the earthquake,” she recalled.

Fundraising efforts



IMAGE SOURCE,MARIANNE DRANSFIELD
Image caption,
Marianne’s family hosted Larina to Scotland

The images coming out of the disaster zone shocked the world.

International fundraising began to help with the rescue mission and provide support to the estimated 500,000 people left homeless in the middle of winter.

Dingwall Academy played a major role in collecting donations in Scotland with staff, including head teacher Alexander Glass and chemistry teacher Dr Kerr Yule, helping coordinate the efforts of pupils.

Ewen Ellen who was the head boy at the school at the time said: “We wrote a letter to every single secondary school in Scotland asking them to try to raise some funds for the Armenian Earthquake.”

In Dingwall there was charity carol singing and a concert. Local businesses and organisations made contributions and children put in their own pocket money.

Ewen said: “We raised over £22,000. I remember an official from the Soviet Embassy coming up to collect the cheque. I guess it was a lot of money back then. I’d like to think it made a difference.”

The Soviet authorities invited a group from Dingwall Academy, including Ewen, to visit Armenia to see the ongoing disaster relief work.

During the trip in August 1989 they went to the village of Nalband, which had been near the epicentre of the earthquake, and laid flowers on the graves of people who had died.

Exchange visit to Scotland

It was a difficult time for Larina and her family.

Left homeless they had gone to live with her uncle in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

The Soviet Union was beginning to disintegrate, power cuts were the norm and many shelves in shops were empty.

Larina, who had started learning English at school, was among a group of Armenian pupils selected to make a return visit to Scotland in September 1990.

She said: “It was a period when I was really down psychologically and it was kind of a boost. I felt so proud and so lucky.

“The most vivid memory I have, and the happiest one, is the greeting by the students and staff at Dingwall Academy when we arrived. We felt so special and I remember there was Scottish music with bagpipes.”


IMAGE SOURCE,BILL IRWIN
Image caption,
The unveiling of a friendship stone near Dingwall

The Armenians were put up in the homes of locals with Larina going to stay with the Ramsay family, near Strathpeffer.

Larina says the whole experience was like a “fairy tale”.

Marianne Ramsay was about the same age as Larina and the pair became friends.

They recently got back in contact for the first time in more than 30 years.

Marianne said Larina was accepted as just another teenager in the house: “I remember she had very few personal belongings with her. I wanted her to have some nice things to wear so my Mum took us shopping and bought her jeans and some nice jumpers.

“I remember feeling really pleased and she was absolutely thrilled.”

‘This warmth has stayed with me’

The Armenian youngsters took part in lessons and were taken on day trips across Scotland.

But the highlight was an outing just a few miles up the road to Knockfarrell where a friendship stone brought from Armenia was erected at a spot known as the Cat’s Back.

Larina said she has incredible memories of this event.


IMAGE SOURCE,LARINA BICHAKHCHYAN
Image caption,
Larina says visiting Scotland marked a turning point in her life

“We were taught how to do a dance to Auld Lang Syne,” she added.

“Next to the stone we were singing and holding each other’s hands. This warmth has stayed with me. I can feel it now.”

In 2001 teachers from Dingwall Academy also took a friendship stone they had made out to Armenia.

Looking back on the trip Larina described it as a turning point in her life.

It inspired her to keep studying English and she now works as an English teacher in Yerevan.

She says: “I really dream about bringing my family to Scotland.

“I am so grateful for what the people there did for us, their kindness and hospitality. They showed us children that we were not alone in this world.”

FM Mirzoyan raises Armenian POW issue at meeting with Swedish Parliament Speaker

Torgomian Varazdat

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 09:46, 2 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met on December 1 with Speaker of the Riksdag (Parliament) of Sweden Andreas Norlén on the sidelines of his working visit in Stockholm, the Armenian foreign ministry reports.

The sides remembered with warmth the official visit of the Swedish Parliament Speaker to Armenia in 2019.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Andreas Norlén touched upon the prospects of further developing the friendly relations between Armenia and Sweden, expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation in bilateral and multilateral platforms. FM Mirzoyan highly appreciated Sweden’s support to the ongoing democratic reforms in Armenia, the fight against corruption, as well as the support at the parliamentary level.

In the context of further deepening the Armenia-EU partnership, FM Mirzoyan and Speaker Norlén exchanged ideas about the effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

Minister Mirzoyan presented the current situation caused by the recent incursion of Azerbaijani armed forces into Armenia’s sovereign territory and the 2020 war in Artsakh unleashed by Azerbaijan. He emphasized the importance of a proper and addressed response by the international community in the context of de-escalation and stabilization of the situation in the region.

Touching upon the humanitarian problems which require urgent solutions, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the necessity of the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and other persons held by Azerbaijan, as well as the solution of the post-war humanitarian problems in Artsakh.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Ministers of Defense of Armenia and Lithuania sign strategic cooperation programmes of 2022

Torgomian Varazdat

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 20:30, 2 December, 2021

YEREVAN, 2 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. Consultations of planning the Armenian-Lithuanian bilateral cooperation were held on December 2 at the administrative complex of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia with the participation of Head of the General Department of Defense Policy and International cooperation of Armenia Levon Ayvazyan and Head of the International Relations and Operations Department of the Ministry of National Defense Andrius Purvaneckas.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, during the consultations the regional security and international developments, as well as issues of cooperation of Ministries of Defense of Armenia and Lithuania were discussed. Levon Ayvazyan presented the situation at Armenia’s borders and approaches of Armenia for the direction of reduction of tensions.

The participants of the meeting summed up the work implemented during the previous years in the framework of bilateral cooperation. Based on the agreements reached during the consultation, the bilateral defense cooperation programme of Armenia and Lithuania of 2022 were signed, which provides implementation of 71 events in Armenia and Lithuania. The events are related to the exchange of experience of mutual interest, preparedness of staff, military medicine and military-political consultations.

‘Bus of Shame’ – Azeri propaganda effort on occupied Shushi smashed by Thessaloniki authorities

Torgomian Varazdat

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 17:32,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. An Azeri propaganda effort to falsely depict the Armenian town of Shushi as Azerbaijani was swiftly removed by Greek authorities after a public bus in Thessaloniki was seen with an advertisement promoting the Azeri occupation of the Armenian city.

The Greek City Times newspaper described it as “The Bus Of Shame.”

The newspaper reports that the Armenian community asked the Thessaloniki city authorities to remove the advertisement, “which was done without hesitation.”

“Although the advertisement has been removed, it does bring into question why it was ever allowed to be displayed,” the newspaper added.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia’s Liberation Movement holding march after rally, calling on citizens to join

Torgomian Varazdat
News.am, Armenia
Nov 24 2021
Armenia’s Liberation Movement holding march after rally, calling on citizens to join
20:33, 24.11.2021

The rally organized by the “Liberation Movement” initiating group kicked off today at 6:30 p.m. at Republic Square in Yerevan.

The members of the movement have presented three demands, including the following:

1. To prevent the anti-Armenian plan for delimitation and demarcation, and to disclose the documents submitted for signing;

2. To disallow the provision of a corridor to the enemy;

3. To demand that the Armenian authorities fully arm the frontline and protect the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia.

Co-founder of the movement, leader of the “5165 National-Conservative Movement” political party Karin Tonoyan declared that they will fight for victory within the country and beyond its borders and said she is certain that they will definitely achieve victory.

“We are asked why we don’t go to the military posts, and I say I am personally ready to go to the military posts and kill at least one Turk, this will be my revenge for my son’s death,” Tonoyan said and called on Armenian historians, writers, artists and the parents of soldiers to join the movement and their struggle.

“We have a lot to say, but we don’t want to make people tired. Different people need to join the movement and give speeches,” Tonoyan stated.

Under the leadership of the initiating group, the participants of the rally are currently marching through the major streets of Yerevan, calling on citizens to join the movement and stressing that the movement is apolitical and stands above political parties.

Future of Karabakh: USC Institute of Armenian Studies’ Call For Research

Torgomian Varazdat
 by Contributor

 

 November 18, 2021

 

in Artsakh, Community, Latest, News, Top Stories
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Future of Karabakh: Call For Research flyer

The 2020 Karabakh (Artsakh) War created new challenges and exacerbated unanswered questions about the future of regional relations and the status of Karabakh / Artsakh.

Following the Russia-brokered ceasefire of November 2020 that ended the second Karabakh War, and despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers on the ground, continuing military clashes on Karabakh’s borders and on Armenia’s borders, together with mass displacement and economic and physical insecurity, remain the dominant drivers of future scenarios.

As Armenians and Azerbaijanis reinforce their positions along newly created frontlines, explosions of violence have become commonplace. In the long-term, Armenia and Armenians will continue to find themselves affected by changes to the regional geopolitical environment: a victorious but still fiercely aggressive Azerbaijan, a Georgia that strives for neutrality but remains deeply entwined with, and economically dependent on Azerbaijan and Turkey, and Iran and Turkey each embroiled in massive domestic challenges.

The University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies’ grants will support original academic and policy research on the key issues that impact the future of the political entity that is Karabakh and its people, as well as the future of Armenia.

The Institute invites scholars (Ph.D. candidate and above) to apply for research grants that will address any aspect of the themes above or topics below. Grants will cover new and ongoing research such as dissertation research or postdoctoral research, and will be awarded in amounts of $2,000 to $6,000. Grantees conducting research in the region may be able to apply for a residency at the USC Tacori Center in Armenia.

Priority will be given to proposals on the following topics. Proposals to pursue other topics are also welcome.

Economic, Political, Social Development in Karabakh:

  • Legitimacy and viability of governmental institutions in de facto states
  • Displacement and humanitarian crisis during and after the war
  • Scenarios for economic revival
  • Assessment of Armenia’s financial support to Karabakh
  • Human security: Water, food, energy
  • View from Karabakh and Armenia: Political and Military Security

Karabakh’s view of its own short and long-term security: Armenia’s role, Russia’s role:

  • Understanding post-war security and policy: Options for Armenia & Karabakh
  • Assessment of Armenia’s regional diplomatic strategy: Georgia and Iran
  • Approaches to Armenian military reform
  • Post-war uncertainties: Issues of independence, autonomy, sovereignty for Armenia and Karabakh
  • Understanding Armenia’s diplomatic agenda
  • The role of legacy diaspora lobbying organizations in light of new realities
  • The economic involvement of the Armenian diaspora in state-building

View from Russia:

  • Russian foreign policy with de facto states
  • Prospects and questions regarding formal Russian integration of Karabakh
  • Russian objectives in Karabakh, and the impact on Karabakh of changing political, economic, social scenarios inside Russia
  • Russia-Azerbaijan relations, tensions, and cooperation
  • Karabakh’s place in the Russia-US agenda, and the Russia-Turkey agenda

View from Azerbaijan:

  • Azerbaijan’s soft power and economic power in Georgia and Russia
  • Internal political dynamics, governance, and decision-making processes in the context of Azerbaijani’s consolidated authoritarianism
  • Extent and impact of Turkey’s integration in Azerbaijan’s institutions, especially the military and the media
  • View From the Region

Armenia between Russian and Turkish global and regional interests:

  • Impact of Iran-Israel tensions on the region, post-war
  • NATO-Turkey’s membership, Georgia’s aspirations, and consequences for the region
  • Impact of demographic trends in the region
  • Prospects of diplomacy and peacebuilding: Negotiation, compromise, region and neighborhood
  • Dealing with climate change in a fractured region
  • Psychological, conceptual consequences of the post-war trauma in Armenia, Karabakh, and Azerbaijan
  • The role of media and education in developing national ideologies
  • Human rights abuses and accountability

In addition, researchers are encouraged to address question from the list provided.

Applications (in English) should consist of ONE MS Word or PDF document. They should include:

  • A proposal of no more than 500-1000 words which outlines the rationale and plan of research, presents a clear research question, reviews previous research and theory that form the basis of the study, describes the research methodology, and summarizes what the research aims to uncover.
  • A one-page detailed budget indicating the items for which the applicant is seeking funding. Grants are available for research expenses, such as the cost of hiring a research assistant or transcriber, computer software packages not typically provided by a college or university, and transportation, including travel to the region.
  • A CV of no more than three pages.

Complete applications, in one document, should be sent to [email protected] by December 29, 2021.

Awards will be announced by January 14, 2022.

Grant recipients are expected to submit a 1,000 word progress report by June 30, 2022. The report should include:

  • Description of data / material collection process and outline of research methods
  • Timeline for completion of the project
  • Challenges and difficulties

Grant recipients are expected to complete and submit a 1,000 word FINAL report by November 30, 2022. The report should include:

  • Research-related challenges and difficulties
  • Conference / publication prospects
  • Submission of an article into a peer-reviewed journal
  • An article submitted to a newspaper or news site or to the USC Institute of Armenian Studies

Established in 2005, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies supports multidisciplinary scholarship to re-define, explore and study the complex issues that make up the contemporary Armenian experience—from post-genocide to the developing Republic of Armenia to the evolving diaspora. The institute encourages research, publications and public service, and promotes links among the global academic and Armenian communities.

For inquiries, write to [email protected] or call 213.821.3943


Armenia elected member of UNESCO Executive Board

Torgomian Varazdat

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 10:20, 18 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. For the first time Armenia was elected as member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the period of 2021-2025, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The elections were held during the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris.

Four countries were nominated for the three positions allocated in the elections: Armenia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

Armenia captured the first place with 146 votes as a result of the closed voting and was elected member of the Board.

This is the first time Armenia is elected member of the UNESCO Executive Board since its membership to the organization in 1992.

The Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of UNESCO (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat) and it is elected by the General Conference.

Acting under the authority of the General Conference the Board examines the programme of work for the Organization and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the Director-General.

It consists of 58 Member States each with a four-year term of office.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan