Baku Angry Over Pashinyan’s ‘Artsakh is Armenia’ Comment

Himet Hajiye, the head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Azerbaijani President

Baku is angry at Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s comment that “Artsakh is Armenia” with the head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Azerbaijani President strongly condemning the statement, which was made on Monday during a rally in Stepanakert.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan. It is our historic and inseparable land,” said Hikmet Hajiyev, according to the Azerbaijani news agency Turan.

Hajiyev called Pashinyan’s comments “provocative,” adding that with such rhetoric Armenia’s leadership brings the region to the brink of a “serious crisis.”

“Let no one doubt that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity. Responsibility for the consequences lies with the Armenian side,” said Hajiyev.

Pashinyan spoke at a rally in Stepanakert’s Revival Square Monday ahead of the opening ceremonies of the 7th Pan-Armenian Games, which took place Tuesday in the Artsakh capital attended by thousands of Armenians from around the world.

During his remarks on Monday, Pashinyan also said “only Armenians can determine their own fate,” alluding to the potential of the Armenian nation in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.

During his remarks, Pashinyan also referred to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, saying that the goal of the talks was to “defend the achievements of the liberation struggle waged for the sovereignty and security of the people of Artsakh.”

“Any solution reached as a result of negotiations that will be considered acceptable for the governments of Armenia and Artsakh can only go into effect if the people of Armenia and Artsakh endorse it,” said Pashinyan.

Referring to Hajiyev’s comments, Artsakh Presidential spokesperson Davit Babayan told news.am that Baku is distorting Pashinyan’s statement in order to further its dishonest goals.

“When the Prime Minister of Armenia was talking about the idea of unification, he was referring to the ideals of the nation and that which all Armenians of the world are aspiring to achieve,” said Babayan.

“This doesn’t imply dismantling Artsakh’s statehood. We, Armenians, want reunification, and we are not hiding it. However, we also need to take into consideration global, regional and geopolitical factors. From that perspective, the two Armenian states are strengthening their positions, and this allows us to resist many challenges effectively,” explained Babayan.

AGBU Marks the Loss of a Towering Figure in Genocide Studies: Vahakn Dadrian

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org
  
PRESS RELEASE
  
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
  
AGBU MARKS THE LOSS OF A TOWERING FIGURE IN GENOCIDE STUDIES: VAHAKN DADRIAN
          
A brilliant intellectual and prolific scholar, researcher, and author, Vahakn 
Dadrian is among those rare historians who himself will go down in Armenian 
history as a seminal figure in Genocide Studies. His passing on August 3, 2019 
gives multiple generations pause to reflect on a remarkable life and career 
that raised the bar on public discourse on genocide in general and the Armenian 
Genocide in particular. 

"Vahakn Dadrian is a name synonymous with credibility," remarked AGBU President 
Berge Setrakian, "He commanded the respect of academicians, politicians, and 
students alike, and was considered a pre-eminent authority on Armenian history. 
His powers of analysis and clarity of thought helped bring the Armenian 
Genocide out of the shadows and legitimized its claim as the first genocide of 
the 20th century. His teachings, publications, appearances at global symposia 
have laid a solid foundation for new generations pursuing genocide studies. 
That old adage, 'the pen is mightier than the sword' rings never truer than in 
describing the impact of Vahakn Dadrian's work in advancing the cause of the 
Armenian people."

Dadrian was born in Constantinople in 1926 and studied in Europe and the United 
States. Though a mathematician and sociologist by way of education, it was his 
passion for Armenian history that led him on a journey in pursuit of truth that 
has been credited with numerous awards, among them: the Movses Khorenatisi 
Medal (1998), the John Marshall Law School 100th Anniversary Lifetime 
Achievement medal (2000) the Veritas Gold Medal of Harvard University (2001), 
the International Association of Genocide Scholars Lifetime Achievement Award 
(2005), the U.S. Congress Medal of Esteem for Scholarship (2005); the St. Sahag 
and St. Mesrob Medal and Encyclical from His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of 
All Armenians (2005),  and the President of the Republic Prize Gold Medal of 
Armenia (2009).
  
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit 
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, 
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a 
difference in the lives   of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the 
Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: 
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit 
www.agbu.org.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 08/06/2019

                                        Tuesday, 

Baku Raps Armenian PM Over Stepanakert Speech

        • Hrach Melkumian

A government building in Baku, Azerbaijan (file photo)

Official Baku has strongly condemned Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s 
statement made at an August 5 rally in Stepanakert that “Artsakh 
[Nagorno-Karabakh] is Armenia.”

“Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan. It is our historic and inseparable land,” said 
Hikmet Haciyev, head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Azerbaijani 
President’s Administration.

The Azerbaijani official described Pashinian’s statement as provocative, saying 
that by such rhetoric Armenia’s leadership is bringing the region to the brink 
of a “serious crisis”.

“Let no one doubt that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity. 
Responsibility for the consequences lies with the Armenian side,” said Haciyev, 
as quoted by Azerbaijani media.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are locked in a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, an 
Armenian-populated region that has been de-facto independent from Baku after a 
three-year war in the early 1990s, in which an estimated 30,000 people were 
killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced.

Despite a 1994 ceasefire, loss of life has continued in the conflict zone in 
recurrent border skirmishes and sporadic fighting.

An internationally mediated peace process spearheaded by the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group has so far failed to produce a 
lasting settlement of the conflict.

Pashinian addressed a crowd of several thousand people at Stepanakert’s central 
Renaissance Square on the eve of the ceremonial opening of the seventh 
Pan-Armenian Games.

The quadrennial Games held in Yerevan bring together ethnic Armenian athletes 
from around the world and are designed to foster closer relationships between 
Armenia and its far-flung Diaspora. This year the Nagorno-Karabakh capital 
hosts the Games opening ceremony.

In his speech, Pashinian also called for the consolidation of the “pan-Armenian 
potential” in realizing the nation’s strategic goals.

In the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, the head of the Armenian 
government said that the goal of negotiations with Azerbaijan should be “the 
defense of the achievements of the liberation struggle waged for the 
sovereignty and security of the Karabakh people.”

“Any solution reached as a result of negotiations that will be considered 
acceptable for the governments of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh can be regarded 
as such only if it is popularly endorsed by people in Armenia and 
Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pashinian concluded.


Outlined ‘Strategic Goals’ Call For Higher Growth Rates, Says Economist

        • Artak Khulian

Economist Bagrat Asatrian

Economist Bagrat Asatrian describes the long-term strategic goals outlined by 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on August 6 as ‘fantastic’, stressing 
that much higher growth rates are needed to fulfill them.

Addressing a rally in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital of Stepanakert last night, 
Pashinian unveiled a list of strategic goals that he said Armenian governments 
should achieve by 2050. In particular, he said that in the next three decades 
Armenia’s population should grow from the current 3 million to at least 5 
million people and the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) should be 
increased 15 times.

Anticipating skeptical assessments by economists and analysts, Pashinian 
stressed in his speech that after achieving “the impossible” during the 2018 
“velvet revolution”, Armenians are no longer interested in “what is possible.”

“What is possible to implement is no longer interesting for us. We are 
interested in what everyone considers to be impossible to realize. Because the 
Armenian people have already realized what is impossible!” he said.

Asatrian, who served as governor of Armenia’s Central Bank in 1994-1998, told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) on Tuesday that Armenia needs to 
dramatically accelerate its rate of development to get on track for the goals 
outlined by the prime minister. Otherwise, he said, it will be impossible to 
achieve them by 2050.

Asatrian assessed the current rate of growth as positive, but still 
insufficient. “We have semi-annual results of [economic activity] at 6.5 
percent, which can be said to be a good rate, especially given the qualitative 
shifts. But at this rate of growth we will at best quadruple our GDP in 30 
years. In other words, we need to grow three to four times faster to achieve 
that result,” said Asatrian.

United Nations Population Fund Assistant Representative Tsovinar Harutiunian 
attached importance to the population growth benchmark set by Pashinian, but 
said significant changes in a number of areas are needed to achieve that.

“We can evaluate it only if we see much more specific programs, including 
calculations, resources, a timetable and expected outcomes,” Harutiunian said.

The UN Population Fund currently estimates that Armenia’s population will be 
reduced by 150,000 by 2050.

Armenia’s former President Serzh Sarkisian declared in 2017 a strategic goal of 
increasing the country’s population to 4 million by 2040.


Karabakh Capital Hosts Opening Ceremony For Pan-Armenian Games


The ceremonial opening of the 7th Summer Pan-Armenian Games in Stepanakert, 
Nagorno-Karabakh, August 6, 2019

The Seventh Summer Pan-Armenian Games opened in Stepanakert in a ceremony held 
at the Nagorno-Karabakh capital’s stadium on August 6.

The quadrennial Games bringing together hundreds of ethnic Armenian athletes 
from around the world are designed to foster closer relationships between 
Armenia and its far-flung Diaspora.

This year Stepanakert has been chosen to co-host the Games. Most of the 
competitions, however, will still be held the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

Armenia is an ethnically homogenous country that has a population of about 3 
million. But twice as many ethnic Armenians are believed to live abroad. Most 
of them are descendants of survivors of the 1915 massacres in Ottoman Turkey 
that more than two dozen governments of the world as well as many historians 
recognize as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Summer Pan-Armenian games have been held in Armenia since 1999. In 2014, the 
first winter Pan-Armenian Games took place in the Armenian ski resort town of 
Tsaghkadzor.

Nearly 5,300 athletes and sports delegation members coming from more than three 
dozen countries are attending the current Games that feature sports like 
soccer, basketball, volleyball, golf, swimming, badminton, tennis, track and 
field athletics, cycling and others. The Games will close in Yerevan on August 
17.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also attended the opening ceremony at 
Stepanakert’s Stepan Shahumian Republican Stadium.

Meeting with organizers of the Games earlier on Tuesday, Pashinian called it 
“symbolic” that this year the opening of the pan-Armenian sporting event takes 
place in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital. He said that the Games can become “a 
good platform for our pan-national conversation.”

“I think that it will be very useful if we really manage to expand the idea of 
pan-Armenianism. In this sense, of course, the Pan-Armenian Games have a very 
important and exceptional significance,” the head of the Armenian government 
underscored.

Addressing a rally in Stepanakert the day before, Pashinian also called for a 
pan-Armenian consolidation. Outlining a number of strategic goals that he said 
Armenians should achieve by 2050, Pashinian said that “Artsakh 
[Nagorno-Karabakh] is Armenia, period.”

The remark was strongly condemned by Azerbaijan that does not recognize 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s sovereignty and considers it to be its territory.

Azerbaijani media quoted presidential aide Hikmet Haciyev as describing 
Pashinian’s statement as provocative and stressing that by such rhetoric 
Armenia’s leadership is bringing the region to the verge of a “serious crisis.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan are locked in a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, an 
Armenian-populated region that has been de-facto independent from Baku after a 
three-year war in the early 1990s, in which an estimated 30,000 people were 
killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced.

Despite a 1994 ceasefire, loss of life has continued in the conflict zone in 
recurrent border skirmishes and sporadic fighting.

An internationally mediated peace process spearheaded by the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group has so far failed to produce a 
lasting settlement of the conflict.



Press Review


“Zhoghovurd” says that apart from being an occasion for strengthening ties 
among Armenians from around the world, pan-Armenian Games also provide a good 
opportunity for local businesses. The paper reminds its readers that this year 
the opening of the Games is due to take place in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital 
of Stepanakert on August 6. “It is several days now that hotels and inns in and 
around Stepanakert have had no vacant rooms and local restaurants and cafes 
have stayed very busy. Even people who have never rented out their apartments 
before have now done so,” the paper reports.

Lragir.am suggests that by deploring in his speech at a rally in Stepanakert on 
August 5 “any attempt to bring in foreign forces in settling domestic Armenian 
affairs” Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian hinted at a possible external 
factor in Nagorno-Karabakh’s presidential elections slated for 2020. The online 
paper claims that plausible candidates in the upcoming elections may be linked 
to certain Russian circles.

“Aravot” regards Prime Minister Pashinian’s references to a ‘secret report’ 
that was drawn up still under the previous government and describing Armenia as 
an ‘institutionally paralyzed and failed state” as an attempt to justify the 
current situation with the “heavy legacy of the past.” At the same time, the 
daily’s editor writes: “The old system did have some major shortcomings and was 
largely inefficient, but it did solve some problems in some ways. The old 
system was based on corrupt money and those responsible for specific spheres 
managed to provide quick fixes using that corrupt money when things got worse. 
It could not last for long. The system was doomed to collapse sooner or later. 
Creating a clean system that will work like it does in civilized countries is 
very difficult but doable.”

(Lilit Harutiunian)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org



Newspaper: Births decrease but deaths increase in Armenia

News.am, Armenia
Aug 6 2019
Newspaper: Births decrease but deaths increase in Armenia Newspaper: Births decrease but deaths increase in Armenia

11:25, 06.08.2019
                  

YEREVAN. – The permanent population in the Republic of Armenia (RA) has decreased by 3,700 over the course of six months, Zhoghovurd (People) newspaper wrote.

“According to the data released by the RA statistical committee, as of July 1 of this year, the number of the permanent population of Armenia made 2 million 961 thousand 600 people; this figure has dropped by 8,200, as compared to the same period last year. The number of permanent population [in the] has primarily declined in provincial towns and in villages.

“The number of births has also decreased. If the number of births in Armenia made 16 thousand 111 in the first half of this year, in the same period of last year—16 thousand 261.

“Also, the number of deaths has increased [in Armenia]. As of July 1 of this year, the number of deaths has increased by 572, as compared to the same period last year,” Zhoghovurd wrote.

Ex-serviceman on third hunger strike in front of Armenia government building

News.am, Armenia
Aug 6 2019
Ex-serviceman on third hunger strike in front of Armenia government building Ex-serviceman on third hunger strike in front of Armenia government building

15:19, 06.08.2019
                  

Armenia’s Ex-serviceman Tsolak Khachatryan, who had been on a hunger strike in front of the government building since July 8, restarted a hunger strike today. He told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the reason why he is on another hunger strike in front of the government building is because the Ministry of Defense hasn’t fulfilled his requirements within the time limits that it had promised to fulfill them.

“The Ministry of Defense is so impudent that it violated my rights by providing my personal data and other information to a media outlet. Instead of doing that, let the ministry fulfill its obligations. I have already filed a report on the crime to the police,” he said.

Ex-serviceman Tsolak Khachatryan had stopped his second hunger strike in front of the government building on July 25. He was demanding that the government pay him the amounts for his leave and demobilization.

WRI: Armenia ranks 17th in the list of countries with high water shortages

Arminfo, Armenia
Aug 6 2019
Asya Balayan

ArmInfo.Armenia was on the 34th place in the list of 164 countries of the world where there is a shortage of water. This is stated in the report of the World  Resources Institute (WRI), published on Tuesday, August 6.

According to the study, Armenia is on the list of 27 countries that  are experiencing high water shortages.  Among them are Belgium,  Uzbekistan, Spain, Turkey, Italy and other states, thus, being on the  17th line of the rating.

The study evaluated water shortages, as well as the risks of drought  and river floods. The list of countries with extreme water shortages  includes Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi  Arabia, Eritrea, the United Arab Emirates, San Marino, Bahrain,  India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman and Botswana. In these states,  according to the study, agriculture, industry and municipalities  consume an average of 80% of the available surface and groundwater  annually.

It is clarified that 12 of the 17 countries exposed to extreme water  scarcity are in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The region  is hot and dry, so the water resources were not rich at first, and  growing demand exacerbated the situation.

Due to climate change, the Middle East and North Africa will suffer  even greater economic losses from water shortages in the future. The  World Resources Institute notes that in a number of MENA countries  there are unrealized opportunities to improve water security: about  82% of wastewater in this region is not reused. The introduction of  their cleaning technologies will create a new source of clean water.   A positive example is shown by Oman, which occupies the 16th place in  the list of countries with extreme water shortages: this state on the  Arabian Peninsula treats 100% of the collected wastewater and reuses  78%.

Among other methods that will help solve the problem of acute  shortage of water, the researchers called improving the efficiency of  agriculture, as well as investing in gray and green infrastructure.

At the same time, as the WRI report showed, even in countries with  sufficient water resources there can be hot spots. While the overall  water deficit level in the United States is labeled "medium-low," the  US state of New Mexico is facing water shortages on a par with the  UAE.

Armenian Assembly of America and Armenian National Institute Pay Tribute to Vahakn Dadrian (1926-2019)

ARMENIAN
ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 6, 2019

Contact:
Danielle Saroyan

Telephone:
(202) 393-3434

Web: www.aaainc.org

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA AND
ARMENIAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE PAY TRIBUTE TO VAHAKN DADRIAN (1926-2019)

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America
(Assembly) and the Armenian National Institute (ANI) join in paying tribute to
Dr. Vahakn Dadrian, the internationally renowned scholar of the Armenian
Genocide who passed away on August 2 at the age of 93.

The author
of a set of critically important books and articles on the Armenian Genocide,
Dr. Vahakn Dadrian was a central figure in the emergence of the field of
genocide studies in general.

He wrote
several groundbreaking works which forcefully demonstrated the state-wide
mechanisms the Young Turk regime implemented in the course of World War One in
order to eradicate the Armenian population of Armenia and Anatolia.  The
History of the Armenian Genocide: Ethnic Conflict from the Balkans to Anatolia
to the Caucasus
 (1995); German Responsibility in the Armenian
Genocide: A Review of the Historical Evidence of German Complicity
 (1996);
and Warrant for Genocide: The Key Elements of the Turko-Armenian
Conflict
 (1998), among other works, constitute the landmark studies
that transformed the discipline of genocide studies by introducing a compelling
body of evidence hitherto unexamined by scholarship. 

With his
formidable grasp of sources in multiple languages he erected a mountain of
evidence extracted from archival repositories, and augmented by a wide reading
of documentary and testimonial evidence, including the commissioners of the
crimes themselves. In a number of articles in academic journals and in the
series edited by Dr. Israel Charny titled Genocide: A Critical
Bibliographic Review
, Dadrian laid out the evidence from German and
Austrian sources, which he regarded central to proving the conspiratorial
nature of the Young Turk regime since Germany and Austria-Hungary were joined
with the Ottoman Empire as allies during WWI and thereby had greater access and
insight into the plans of the Turkish government.

By
methodically constructing this body of evidence and demonstrating numerous
parallels with the genocidal policies of the Nazi regime in conceiving and
implementing the Holocaust as a crime specifically intended to destroy the
Jewish populations under their rule, Dadrian single-handedly began to forge the
comparative study of the problem of genocide. In the face of early skepticism
about his theories, over the course of the years he successfully argued his
case in multiple academic venues until such time as by the year 2000, 126 Holocaust specialists joined him in a public petition affirming
"the incontestable fact of the Armenian Genocide" and urging
"Western Democracies to officially recognize it."

Firmly
persuasive in his scholarship, Dadrian also fearlessly challenged deniers by using
official Turkish documents to make the point. By the same skill and patience
with which he built his evidence, he demolished the false arguments and exposed
the distortion of facts and evidence that formed the basis of a persistent
denial of the Armenian Genocide by Turkish authorities and their academic
cohorts. He summarized his finding in The Key Elements in the Turkish
Denial of the Armenian Genocide: A Case Study of Distortion and Falsification
,
published in 1999 by the Zoryan Institute, where he served for many years as
Director of Genocide Research.

Dadrian's
authoritative investigations were published in a number of legal journals,
including the Yale Journal of International Law. His 1989
book-length article, Genocide as a Problem of National and
International Law: The World War I Armenian Case and its Contemporary Legal
Ramifications
 proved a watershed event in historical and legal
disciplines, securing his reputation as an internationally-recognized
authority.

Speaking on
behalf of the Assembly, its Board of Trustees Co-Chairman Van Z.
Krikorian
, reflecting upon the Yale Journal article said
as follows: "This seminal publication also played a remarkable political
role in altering United States policy and distancing it from echoing the
Turkish government's views. I remember Congressman Charles Pashayan of
California handing President George H.W. Bush a copy of Dadrian's publication
and I am convinced of its contributive role in bringing about an improvement in
U.S. policy by destroying the credibility of those in the U.S. government
denying the Armenian Genocide which reduced their position to no longer denying
the historical facts. The brilliance of this work was an exposition of Turkey's
own trial records in unprecedented detail demonstrating the guilty finding of
the indictments of the intentional annihilation of the Armenian people by the
Young Turk leadership. Every person frustrated by the denial of the Armenian
Genocide owes Professor Dadrian a debt of gratitude for countering this
insidious practice."

Admired by
colleagues, sought out by researchers from around the world, and a public
lecturer who was given the podium at universities and the halls of parliaments,
Dadrian was honored with many awards in his lifetime. Upon hearing of Dadrian's
passing, Dr. Israel Charny recalled his friendship by writing:
"I hail his greatness – the audacity of his researches, the steadfastness
of his contributions, and his deep devotion to his people and to justice."
Upon hearing the news of Dadrian's passing, Dr. Michael Gelb,
Associate Editor of Academic Publications and Assistant Editor of Holocaust
and Genocide Studies 
at the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum, stated: "it is indeed no mere formality to say that his influence
on the field was inestimable." 

Dr. Bedross Der Matossian, President
of the Society for Armenian Studies, described Dadrian as "the preeminent
scholar of the Armenian Genocide" as well as "the founder of the
field of Armenian Genocide Studies and one of the founders of the field of
Comparative Genocide Studies." President of Armenia, Dr. Armen
Sarkissian
, recalling the honorary doctorate bestowed upon him by the
Armenian Academy of Sciences, described him as the "acclaimed researcher
of the Armenian Genocide."

Dadrian's
publications were translated into several languages including Turkish,
effectively making them some of the first works to introduce the subject in
Turkey where an unofficial silence was maintained over the decades. Garo
Paylan
, a current Member of Parliament in Turkey, himself of Armenian
background, noted: "His books published in Turkey played an important role
in the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide."

"It is
customary for younger generations to honor the memory of an authority of the
stature of Vahakn Dadrian by speaking on how they stand upon the shoulder of
giants," remarked ANI Director Dr. Rouben Adalian.
"Vahakn Dadrian, however, was a giant of such immense stature and stands
so tall that no one can even think of climbing upon his shoulders."

In May 1976,
along with other prominent scholars such as Richard Hovannisian, Avedis
Sanjian, Shavarsh Toriguian, and Dennis Papazian, Vahakn Dadrian testified
before Congress on the Armenian Genocide. He spoke eloquently and prophetically
of the continuing threat of genocide in front of the then Subcommittee on
Future Foreign Policy Research and Development of the Committee on
International Relations of the House of Representatives.

Clearly, we are moving in a direction where
parallel to the shrinkage of financial, technical and administrative
prerequisites to fashion a genocidal apparatus of destruction, the global
vulnerability of vast masses of people to such destruction is increasing. This
inverse relationship between reduced resources and amplified risks, symbolizing
the explosive marriage of modern industrialism with nationalism, is perhaps the
greatest challenge presenting itself to our present system of international
relations.

Dr. Vahakn Dadrian, 1976

Founded in
1997, the Armenian National Institute (ANI) is a 501(c)(3) educational charity
based in Washington, D.C., and is dedicated to the study, research, and
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

Established
in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###

NR#: 2019-032

 

Photo Caption
1: Dr. Vahakn Dadrian speaking at the Library of Congress during the 2000
conference organized by the Armenian National Institute jointly with the
Library of Congress and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

 

Photo
Caption 2: Rouben Adalian, Vahakn Dadrian, Peter Balakian, and Aram Kaloosdian
at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in September 2000

 

Photo
Caption 3: Dr. Vahakn Dadrian testifying in front of the Subcommittee on Future
Foreign Policy Research and Development of the Committee on International
Relations of the House of Representatives in May 1976.  Front row at the desk are Dennis Papazian,
Vahakn Dadrian, Dicran Simsarian, and Leo Sarkisian; Second row from left to
right, Avedis Sanjian, Richard Hovannisian, Shavarsh Toriguian, Haik Kafafian,
Hratch Abrahamian, and Aram Kaloosdian

 

Available
online: 
http://bit.ly/2TcZOPc



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Delegation of Competent Authority of Armenia to Complete Familiarization with Russian System of Veterinary Control and Inspection of Exporting Establishments

Russian Government News
August 5, 2019 Monday 11:09 AM EST
Delegation of Competent Authority of Republic of Armenia to Complete Familiarization with Russian System of Veterinary Control and Inspection of Exporting Establishments
 
 
On July 23 a meeting between representatives of the Rosselkhoznadzor and the Food Safety Inspectorate under the Government of the Republic of Armenia was held in Moscow, that concluded the working visit of the Armenian delegation to Russia.
 
Starting on July 14 the representatives of the Armenian competent authority visited the Moscow, Leningrad, Vladimir and Belgorod Oblasts where they familiarized themselves with the work of the veterinary laboratory, the border inspection point and the Rosselkhoznadzor subordinate Federal Center for Animal Health (FGBI "ARRIAH"), as well as inspected several livestock establishments interested in supplying products to the Armenian market.
 
The Armenian delegation thanked the Rosselkhoznadzor for the high level of organization of the visit and the eventfulness of the program. The representatives of the competent authority highly assessed the FGBI "ARRIAH" research activity and laboratory equipment and were impressed by the system for product traceability "from the field to the counter" based on the Rosselkhoznadzor information programs.
 
In conclusion the Rosselkhoznadzor representatives thanked the Armenian delegation for their work and stressed that the visit would allow developing constructive Russian-Armenian relations.
 
* * * * *

Armenia to continue imports of military hardware

TASS: Russia's Defense Technologies Newswire
August 5, 2019 Monday 3:20 PM GMT
Armenia to continue imports of military hardware
 
YEREVAN August 5
 
 In 2019 through 2020 the Armenian Defense Ministry will continue to import military hardware, especially anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems. This statement was made by Artak Davtyan, head of the General Staff of the country's armed forces. "I wish to emphasize that imports of military hardware will continue based on the agreements we have reached. This applies in the first place to the newest anti-air and anti-missile systems. Such systems will reinforce the fire power of our reconnaissance," the Armenian Armed Forces General Staff head said, without specifying which weapon systems are at issue.
  
YEREVAN, August 5. /TASS/. In 2019 through 2020 the Armenian Defense Ministry will continue to import military hardware, especially anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems. This statement was made by Artak Davtyan, head of the General Staff of the country's armed forces. "I wish to emphasize that imports of military hardware will continue based on the agreements we have reached. This applies in the first place to the newest anti-air and anti-missile systems. Such systems will reinforce the fire power of our reconnaissance," the Armenian Armed Forces General Staff head said, without specifying which weapon systems are at issue.
 
Armenia acquires arms primarily from Russia. Previously, the Republic's Defense Minister David Tonoyan revealed that Armenia had acquired from Russia four Su-30SM aerial fighters, which will be delivered to the country before the end of 2019. .

Music: Istanbul-Armenian singer says it’s hard to preserve Armenian culture in a foreign country

Panorama, Armenia
Aug 6 2019
Culture 18:30 06/08/2019 Armenia

Istanbul-Armenian singer Maral Ayvaz, who released her first album “Maral Gibi” and her first music video, “Kuşagi Yerki” (The Song of the Fortune Teller) in June, is set to arrive in Armenia in the near future to present the album to her Armenian fans.

In an interview to Panorama.am, the singer said several meetings are planned in Armenia, but she is most excited about the meeting with poet Suren Muradyan, who has written the lyrics of ‘The Song of the Fortune Teller’.

“I will be giving concerts and other performances in the homeland. My biggest dream is to be in my homeland soon and to communicate with people,” Maral said.

The singer’s first album features eight traditional and modern Armenian songs with new arrangements. The album also stands out with its harmonious alignment of the modern and traditional Armenian musical instruments.

Maral says the music director of the album is Istanbul-Armenian musician Ari Hergel, who arranged seven songs of the album. One of the most noteworthy songs of “Maral Gibi” is “Anverç Khavar” (Eternal Darkness). The singer has written Armenian lyrics to the song “Picture/Ağladıkça” by renowned musician Ara Dinkjian.

Asked whether she performs Armenian songs in Istanbul frequently and whether she faces any difficulties while performing those songs, Maral replied: “We have numerous colleges, churches, unions and choirs in Istanbul. We have many performances throughout the year, including concerts of Armenian music.”

The singer says she has started her music career at a very young age by attending the Lusavorich Choir, an Armenian church choir, which has performed numerous concerts in Yerevan. “So, yes, I sing Armenian songs very often. I am planning to perform various solo performances to present my album,” Maral says.

Meanwhile, the singer confesses it’s not easy to perform Armenian music in Turkey, but it is also the case with other countries with unique local languages.

“It’s quite difficult to preserve the Armenian culture and traditions and speak and create in Armenian in a foreign country. I and people like me have chosen this difficult path, striving to always hold fast to our national values and to present them to people as much as we can,” she stressed.

Speaking about the upcoming projects, Maral said in winter months she is due to take part in various community development concerts, as well as in a private concert of the Lusavorich Choir marking the 90th anniversary of the choir. Subsequently, she is going to hold two concerts in Istanbul.

The singer also unveiled her plans to make another music video based on one of the songs included in the album and a dream to shoot the music video of one of her songs in Armenia. “As I already said, I am dreaming of performing in my homeland. With the help of God, I shall do that,” she said.

Commenting on her Armenian roots, Maral said her ancestors were from Constantinople and Sebastia, adding her paternal grandfather was the founder of Istanbul-based Kulis theater magazine, theater worker Hagop Ayvaz.

“It’s a great honor to have patriotic parents who love culture. We would speak Armenian, would listen to and sing Armenian songs in my childhood home. So, I first heard and learned our wonderful language in my family. Now I continue preserving those traditions in my own little family,” she said.