Author: Zhanna Nahapetian

Congressman Adam Schiff introduces new resolution seeking suspension of U.S. aid to Azerbaijan

Zhanna Nahapetian Leave a comment

 16:02,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Adam Schiff on September 28 said he’s introducing a new resolution that seeks suspension of U.S. aid to Azerbaijan amid its ‘horrific aggression’ against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

“Amid Azerbaijan's horrific aggression against Artsakh [NK] & Armenia, and the ethnic cleansing taking place, I'm introducing another resolution that I hope will lead to the suspension of U.S. aid to Baku. No matter what our diplomats say, if the money to the regime continues, so will its violence,” Schiff said on X.

United States activates Disaster Assistance Response Team to respond to humanitarian needs in the South Caucasus

Zhanna Nahapetian Leave a comment

 19:34,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in the South Caucasus region to coordinate the U.S. humanitarian response, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said in a statement after traveling to Armenia.

“This week, I traveled to Armenia to hear directly from the people fleeing their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh in the wake of Azerbaijan’s September 19-20 attacks. The United States is deeply concerned about the safety of vulnerable populations in Nagorno-Karabakh and the more than 50,000 people who have fled to Armenia. We are grateful to the Government of Armenia for welcoming new arrivals and helping them find shelter and to humanitarian organizations working to address acute needs. 

“Today, I am announcing that the U.S. Agency for International Development has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in the South Caucasus region to coordinate the U.S. humanitarian response. The DART will assess the situation, identify priority needs to scale up assistance, and work with partners to provide urgently needed aid.

“Last week’s unacceptable military operation has made an already dire humanitarian situation even worse. For nine months, Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor – shutting down a vital lifeline that connects the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh with food, medicine, fuel, and commercial supplies which is creating dire shortages. 

“The Lachin Corridor must remain fully and permanently open so that civilians can leave and return freely, communities can access food, medicine, and other essential supplies, and humanitarian organizations can see and meet needs on the ground. Azerbaijan must protect civilians, uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all individuals in its country, and ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law. 

“Given the scale of the needs, the United States announced $11.5 million in humanitarian assistance earlier this week to support communities across the South Caucasus who are affected by the ongoing crisis. This is in addition to the more than $23 million the United States has provided in humanitarian assistance since 2020 in response to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. These funds will be used to provide everything from food to psychosocial support to help address trauma caused by the violence and mass displacement,” Power said in the statement.

Russian peacekeeping mission did not ensure peaceful existence of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh – Edmon Marukyan

Zhanna Nahapetian

 12:09,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. As of now, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh are being evacuated by thousands to Armenia, Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan said on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“As of now, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh are being evacuated by thousands to Armenia. Why are these people evacuated? Because on September 19, Azerbaijan carried out military aggression against the peaceful people of Nagorno Karabakh, as a result of which, not only hundreds were killed and wounded, but also thousands of civilians have lost their homes, villages and communities.

“In other words, the population has been starved for 9 months because of the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and following the aggression of September 19:

  1. They are forcefully displaced from their homes and after 6 days of sleeping in the cellars hungry and thirsty, were not given the opportunity to return to their homes but to be evacuated from their ancestral land.
  2. We acknowledge that the Russian peacekeeping mission did not ensure their peaceful existence in Nagorno Karabakh on the basis of November 9, 2020, trilateral statement.
  3. We acknowledge that the EU, the USA and all other international actors failed to ensure the rights and security guarantees of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh. Notwithstanding with the fact that these actors have been repeatedly stating during their mediation efforts, that the rights and securities of the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians must be guaranteed under the international mechanisms in order to allow them to live safely in their ancestral lands,” Marukyan said.

Asbarez: Russia Summons Armenia’s Ambassador Over ‘Unfriendly Steps’

Zhanna Nahapetian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 September 8, 2023

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Vagharshak Harutyunyan is Armenia's Ambassador to Russia


Armenia’s Ambassador to Russia, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, which reprimanded Yerevan for what it called recent “unfriendly steps” by Yerevan.

The ambassador was also given a “protest notes” outlining grievances from Moscow, including a remarks by Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, who told reporters that it was beneath him to “respond to some female secretary,” referring to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Moscow was also angry the Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Ukraine this week and presented “humanitarian assistance to the Nazi Kyiv regime.”

“We noted the appearance of certain doubts in the official circles and political elite of the Republic of Armenia regarding the expediency of allied relations within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and with Russia on a bilateral basis, as well as regarding the feasibility of the complex of tripartite agreements between Moscow, Yerevan and Baku reached in 2020-2022 about ways of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement regarding the ambassadorial summons.

Russia also cited a recent Armenian government decision to ask parliament to ratify the International Criminal Court treaty, as well as the announcement this week that Armenia will host joint military exercises with the United States.

“At the same time, Moscow firmly believes that Russia and Armenia remain allies, and all agreements on the development and strengthening of partnership relations will be fully implemented for the benefit of the peoples of our two countries. This, among other things, concerns the organization of exercises within the CSTO and in the future sending to the Republic of Armenian an observation mission of the Organization in order to facilitate the settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Russian side will continue to apply all necessary efforts for these purposes,” the Russian foreign ministry added in its statement.

Armenia to move embassy in London to larger, 5-storey building in St James’s Square

Zhanna Nahapetian

 12:01, 7 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government on Thursday approved the acquisition of a 5-storey building in London to relocate its embassy there.

Since 1992, the Armenian embassy in London has been located in a building provided by Armenian House (Hye Doon), where it occupies only two rooms, which “has constantly significantly limited the working capacity of the embassy.” Furthermore, the Armenian House has notified the embassy that it needs to vacate the building in 2024.

The new building, which is located at 31 A St James's Square, will provide “proper representation and increase of political ranking,” according to the bill on buying the real estate.

The Armenian government will spend £17,4 million to buy the building.

Situation on border with Azerbaijan relatively stable, says Armenian defense ministry

Zhanna Nahapetian

 13:36, 2 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The situation on the border is relatively stable, the Armenian ministry of defense said Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry of defense said the reports alleging that Azerbaijan on Saturday has again targeted Armenian outposts near Sotk with mortar fire is false.

Three Armenian servicemen were killed and two others were wounded on Friday when Azerbaijani forces opened heavy gunfire at Armenian border outposts near Sotk and Norabak in Gegharkunik province.




AW: Call for AYF Olympics Special Issue Page Sponsors

Zhanna Nahapetian
 Weekly Staff AYF Olympics, Announcements 0

WATERTOWN, Mass.—The Washington, D.C. “Ani” AYF Chapter and Olympics Steering Committee will welcome athletes and supporters to the nation’s capital this Labor Day weekend. Along with the athletic games and entertainment, attendees will have the opportunity to visit the offices of the Armenian National Committee of America and to participate in the “SOS Artsakh!” rally at the White House to stand in solidarity with the Armenians of Artsakh and demand an end to Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade. 

In honor of this beloved and highly-anticipated annual event, the Armenian Weekly team will publish its annual AYF Olympics Special Issue in the coming weeks.

The special issue, which is scheduled for publication on September 30, will feature in-depth articles by dedicated and longtime Weekly contributors Mark Gavoor, Harry Derderian and Bob Tutunjian and photography by Knar Bedian, Sona Gevorkian and Arev Kaligian, among others.

As part of this special tradition, the Armenian Weekly is once again asking generous community members and loyal readers to support the publication of this commemorative, pull-out issue by becoming a page sponsor for $100.

Checks can be made payable to “The Armenian Weekly” and mailed to 80 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, Mass., 02472. If you choose this option, please email [email protected] with the subject line “AYF SPECIAL ISSUE SPONSOR.” Be sure to note the names of the page sponsor(s) as they will appear in the AYF Olympics Special Issue.

The Armenian Weekly is also inviting athletes and spectators alike, especially AYF members, to write about their experiences and memories at this year’s Olympics. Articles and accompanying photographs can be emailed to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is September 15.




We Live to Keep Others Alive…AMAA Artsakh holds Camp for Youth

Zhanna Nahapetian
 Armenian Missionary Association of America Nonprofit News 0

AMAA Artsakh Camp

By Viktor Karapetyan, AMAA Representative in Artsakh

They are trying to eliminate us, but we live and keep others alive…

Life in Artsakh is different. To live here you must be a source of support for those around you. You must transmit life to others. You must fight and not give up.

Uncertainty, chaos, despair…Sometimes it seems like spring will never come to the homeland. It is difficult to work with and convey hope to members of the young generation who live in this chaos. It is even more difficult to show them how they can participate in the mission. 

From August 14-18, the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) Artsakh branch organized a camp to give hope and encouragement to the youth and teach them that each person has their part in building the homeland. The camp, filled with entertainment as well as educational and patriotic sessions, separated the children from their everyday worries and the blockade.

We must learn to be healthy in mind, heart and soul so that we can pass on the same spirit to others. We can each help and uplift each other to overcome these challenges.

“It is the heroic resistance that will save the motherland and not pitiful foreign mercy,” said Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO. “We firmly stand by your side, with unbreakable will, but we humble ourselves against your heroic struggle. We appreciate, love, join your struggle and bow before you.”

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The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) was founded in 1918, in Worcester, MA, and incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization in 1920 in the State of New York. We are a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Our purpose is to serve the physical and spiritual needs of people everywhere, both at home and overseas. To fulfill this worldwide mission, we maintain a range of educational, evangelistic, relief, social service, church and child care ministries in 24 countries around the world.


Armenian coins and their link to Byzantium

Zhanna Nahapetian
Aug 22 2023
by LIANNA AGASYAN
000

The oldest Armenian coins found in Armenia date back to the 6th-5th centuries BC. As this was a century of cultural renaissance for Armenia, the earliest coins issued by Armenian rulers were struck for Kings of Sophene the 3th century BCE. The ruler's name and titles were inscribed in Greek letters. The coins of Armenia, both ancient and medieval, were fascinating and very diverse.

Armenian Kings usually inscribed the sign of the cross in various forms on their coins. Originally, references to Divine authority were found on most coins.

The unique status of ancient Armenia was recognised on Ancient Rome coins.

Ancient Armenia also played a notable role in Roman politics as a semi-independent buffer state between Ancient Rome and Parthian Empire.

Several Byzantine emperors minted coins that mentioned or depicted Armenia.

-The first picture shows a coin of the Kingdom of Sophene, King Arsames, third quarter of the 3rd century BC, a copper coin.

-The second picture shows a coin of the Armenian Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget and a Gold coin of King Yervand I (Orontes I Sakavakyats) of the Yervanduni dynasty (Кing of the Orontid Dynasty), 357–352 BC. These coins are similar to Byzantine copper coins but engraved with the name of the King. These are some of the first coins with Armenian inscriptions.

– The third picture shows: The first inscriptions in the Armenian language were found on this coin. It was the only medieval coin with an Armenian inscription minted in Greater Armenia. This type is directly based on the anonymous Byzantine Folles of John Tzimisces and Basil II, commonly circulated in Armenia at the time.

– The fourth picture shows the gold coin of King Levon I of the Kingdom of Armenia and Cilicia, enthroned facing, holding a cross in right hand and branch in left / Patriarchal cross flanked by two lions, heads reverted.

King Levon I of the Kingdom of Cilicia in Armenia was so ambitious that he struck twelve types of coins with Latin and Armenian inscriptions and a large copper coin known as a tank.