Category: 2020

Asbarez: Ararat-Eskijian Museum to Host Talk on Politics of Early Armenian Migration to America

Emil Lazarian
February 25,  2020

Dr. David Gutman’s “The Politics of Armenian Migration in the Late Ottoman Empire: Sojourners, Smugglers, and Dubious Citizens”

Dr. David E. Gutman, Associate Professor of History at Manhattanville College, will present his recently published book “The Politics of Armenian Migration to North America, 1885-1915” (Edinburgh Univ. Press) at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum. The presentation will be held on Sunday, March 8 at 4:00 p.m. at the Museum’s Sheen Chapel, located at 15105 Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA 91345. The program is co-sponsored by the Ararat-Eskijian Museum and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research.

“The Politics of Armenian Migration to North America, 1885-1915” tells the story of Arme-nian migration to North America in the late Ottoman period, and Istanbul’s efforts to prevent it. It shows how, just as in the present, migrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were forced to travel through clandestine smuggling networks, frustrating the enforcement of the ban on migration. Further, migrants who attempted to return home from sojourns in North America risked debarment at the border and deportation, while the retur

How an Armenian Scientist Created an International Company Using a Toy

Emil Lazarian

In 1999, Dr. George Ambartsoumian founded GA International, a company that provides exceptional identification solutions for industries including biopharma, biotechnology, medical, biobanking, healthcare, construction, fashion retail, and more.

A scientist, Dr. Ambartsoumian graduated from Kazan State Academy of Veterinary Medicine in Russia, where he earned his Ph.D. He later earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Armenia’s Yerevan Veterinary Institute, and performed post-doctoral research at Montreal’s Concordia University, Notre-Dame Hospital, and the Shriner’s Hospital. While working in a lab at Shriner’s, Dr. Ambartsoumian realized that the labels used to mark the tubes in the lab were constantly falling off – even becoming wet – especially when stored in sub-zero temperatures.

Years later, Ambartsoumian decided to become an entrepreneur. At the time, an acquaintance of his was selling a small label-making toy called STIKA. Seeing this toy reminded Ambartsoumian of the barely adhesive labels at the Shriner’s lab. After learning all he could about plastic film, adhesives, and paper materials, Ambartsoumian went on to create a label that stuck to tubes even in sub-zero temperatures. He presented his idea to an organization in Laval, Quebec, and began promoting his labels to a number of labs.

In 2004, GA International comprised of George, his wife Armine, and one helper – all of whom worked out of a small office space. After years of dedication and hard work, the company steadily grew. Today, GA International has become the leading manufacturer and supplier of cryogenic and solvent-resistant labels worldwide. With more than65 employees, the company sells over 6,000 individual products.

Dr. Ambartsoumian started the company using only a small toy to make labels in his basement. He would eventually build his company into one of the world’s leading identification solutions companies, selling specialized labels and other products internationally to large companies and healthcare institutions. Ambartsoumian grew his company from a one-person enterprise to one of the worldwide leaders in laboratory identification solutions.

In 2019, exactly 20 years later, GA International won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Award in the Quebec region and two MercadOr 2019 Awards in the “Innovative Exporter of Goods” and “Foreign Expansion” categories.

GA International is celebrating 20 years as a leading manufacturer of specialty labels, supplying laboratory identification solutions to biomedical research labs, hospitals, and other healthcare institutions. Since its inception, GA International has become a worldwide leader in cryogenic and chemical-resistant labels, with a strong dedication to R&D and customer service.

CIVILNET. Two of Armenia’s Former Presidents Face Criminal Charges, as Trial Against Serzh Sargsyan Begins

Bedik Zaminian

CIVILNET.AM

17:12

By Mark Dovich

February 25 marked the first day of the trial against Armenia’s former President Serzh Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 to 2018. Prior to the beginning of his trial, Sargsyan addressed a crowd of supporters who had gathered outside the courthouse, urging them to “defend justice” and “never forget about the security of Armenia” and claiming that “Nagorno-Karabakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan”.

Sargsyan stands accused of embezzling nearly one million U.S. dollars of state funds during the awarding of a public tender in 2013 that provided subsidized diesel fuel to low-income farmers in Armenia’s rural areas. If convicted, Sargsyan faces up to eight years in prison.

Armenia’s Special Investigative Service (SIS) claims that Sargsyan interfered in the awarding of the tender so as to ensure that a company with which he had personal ties would win. The SIS has stated that the government could have purchased the fuel from another supplier at a significantly lower cost. 

Several senior members of the Ministry of Agriculture under Sargsyan’s administration, namely Sergo Karapetyan, Samvel Galstyan, and Gevorg Harutyunyan, as well as the owner of the company that was awarded the tender, Barsegh Beglaryan, face embezzlement charges in the case as well. Beglaryan is also the owner of one of Armenia’s largest petroleum importing companies.

At present, there are ongoing criminal cases against two former presidents in Armenia. Aside from the case against Sargsyan, charges have also been leveled against former President Robert Kocharyan, who served as president from 1998 to 2008. Kocharyan stands accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order during the events of March 1, 2008. He is currently in detention.

On that day, following a disputed presidential election, police violently dispersed protesters in Yerevan, resulting in the deaths of nearly a dozen people. Kocharyan then declared a state of emergency, imposed a citywide curfew, and brought army units into the capital. Current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was himself one of the organizers of the protests and was briefly jailed afterward as a result.

In a separate development today, the judiciary announced that a decision on Kocharyan’s pending legal appeal will be made public on March 3. Kocharyan’s lawyers previously appealed to terminate his case on the grounds that the article of the Criminal Code under which he is being charged was adopted in 2009 and therefore does not apply retroactively to events prior to its adoption.

Pashinyan came to power following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, a series of mass protests that sprung up in response to Sargsyan’s attempt to retain power beyond his second consecutive term as president. Pashinyan also made numerous pledges to root out Armenia’s endemic corruption during the protests. Indeed, aside from Presidents Sargsyan and Kocharyan, legal action has been initiated against several other prominent figures from the prerevolutionary administrations, including Constitutional Court President Hrayr Tovmasyan, former National Assembly Speaker Ara Babloyan, and former Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatryan.

https://www.civilnet.am/news/2020/02/25/Two-of-Armenia%E2%80%99s-Former-Presidents-Face-Criminal-Charges-as-Trial-Against-Serzh-Sargsyan-Begins/377071

—

Lilit Abovyan


Researcher
The Civilitas Foundation
One Northern Avenue, Suite 30
+37410.500119; +37494.800754

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/25/2020

Vanyan Gary 
                                        Tuesday, 

Armenia To Evacuate Nationals From Coronavirus-Hit Iran


Iran -- Emergency first responders wearing protective masks stand along a street 
in Tehran, 

Armenia said on Tuesday that it will evacuate at least 65 of its citizens from 
neighboring Iran hit by the new coronavirus.

The announcement followed the Armenian government’s decision to close the 
Armenian-Iranian border for individual travel and essentially suspend flights 
between the two countries for two weeks.

The border will remain for open cargo shipments to and from Iran. Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian indicated on Monday that the drivers of Iranian trucks entering 
Armenia will be monitored by Armenian health authorities.

Pashinian also stressed that Armenian nationals living in Iran will be able to 
return to their home country by land or air. Iranians based in Armenia will 
likewise remain free to go back to the Islamic Republic, he said.

According to a senior official from the Foreign Ministry in Yerevan, Arsen 
Avagian, 65 Armenians in Iran have responded to an evacuation offer made by the 
Armenian Embassy in Tehran late last week. They are due to be flown to Yerevan 
on Wednesday, Avagian said in written comments to Aysor.am.

The official noted that some of these individuals are dual citizens of both 
Armenia and Iran.


IRAN -- IRAN -- A man disinfects the shrine of Saint Masoumeh against 
coronavirus in the city of Qom, 

A much larger number of Armenians lived and worked in China until the outbreak 
of coronavirus there last month. Around 200 of them returned to Armenia by the 
beginning of this month, according to government estimates. Many others had 
trouble doing the same due to the widespread cancellation of flights to and from 
China.

In an update posted on its website on Tuesday, the Armenian Ministry of Health 
said it has registered no “confirmed cases” of coronavirus in Armenia so far. It 
said it is continuing to take precautionary measures against the possible spread 
of the deadly virus.

“The ministry has acquired a new batch of test kits and has no problems now in 
terms of diagnosing [coronavirus,]” the statement said, adding that it is also 
trying to import more medical masks and disinfectants to the country.

In Iran, meanwhile, two more people infected with coronavirus died on Tuesday, 
raising to 14 the total number of coronavirus deaths reported by the Iranian 
authorities. Citing the authorities, the Reuters news agency reported that 61 
people were infected and around 900 other cases were suspected in Iran as of 
Monday.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the Iranian government has ordered the 
nationwide cancellation of concerts, soccer matches, closures of schools and 
universities in many provinces as a precaution.




Russian, Armenian FMs Discuss Karabakh


Switzerland -- Foreign Ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanian (R) of Armenia and Sergey 
Lavrov of Russia meet in Geneva, .

The foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia discussed international efforts to 
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict when they met in Geneva on Tuesday.

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov and Zohrab 
Mnatsakanian touched upon a “broad range of issues” during the talks held on the 
sidelines of a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Those 
included the “Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” the ministry said in a statement.

A separate statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry said the two men 
discussed “topical issues on the bilateral and regional agenda” and “exchanged 
views” on the unresolved conflict.

The official press releases gave no details of the meeting held less than a 
month after fresh high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

Mnatsakanian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov concluded in 
Geneva on January 30 two days of what they called “intensive discussions” 
mediated by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. In a 
joint statement with the mediators, they said they focused on “possible next 
steps to prepare the populations for peace; principles and elements forming the 
basis of a future settlement; and timing and agenda for advancing the settlement 
process.”

Two weeks later, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s 
President Ilham Aliyev held a brief meeting before participating in a panel 
discussion on Karabakh held as part of an annual security conference in Munich. 
The two leaders publicly traded accusations during the discussion.

Mnatsakanian accused Baku on February 18 of hampering progress towards a 
Karabakh settlement with “maximalist” demands. Still, the chief Armenian 
diplomat said on Monday that the fact that Pashinian and Aliyev publicly debated 
the long-running conflict was “very positive” in itself.




Serzh Sarkisian’s Trial Starts

        • Anush Mkrtchian
        • Artak Khulian

Armenia -- Former President Serzh Sarkisian arrives at a courtroom in Yerevan, 
.

Nearly two years after resigning amid mass protests against his continued rule, 
Armenia’s former President Serzh Sarkisian went on trial on Tuesday on 
corruption charges which he rejects as politically motivated.

Sarkisian stands accused of giving privileged treatment in 2013 to his longtime 
friend and businessman Barsegh Barseghian which cost the state 489 million drams 
(just over $1 million) in losses. According to law-enforcement authorities, he 
made sure that a government tender for supplies of subsidized diesel fuel to 
farmers is won by Barseghian’s Flash company, rather than another fuel importer 
that offered a lower price.

Sarkisian is standing trial together with Barseghian, former Agriculture 
Minister Sergo Karapetian and two other former Agriculture Ministry officials 
also indicted as part of the criminal case. All five suspects deny any 
wrongdoing.

Sarkisian’s lawyers again dismissed the embezzlement charges leveled against him 
when they spoke during the first session of the high-profile trial at a district 
court in Yerevan. One of them insisted that they are based on “contradictory, 
incredible and illogical” testimony given by a single person.


Armenia -- Former President Serzh Sarkisian and four other defendants stand 
trial in Yerevan, .

The trial prosecutor, Arsen Martirosian, denied that, saying that investigators 
collected enough evidence to press the charges against the man who ruled Armenia 
from 2008-2018.

The incriminating pre-trial testimony was reportedly given by Karapetian. The 
former minister was jeered by the ex-president’s supporters when he entered the 
courtroom moments before the start of the trial. He refused to talk to reporters 
afterwards.

The defense lawyers also alleged numerous procedural violations committed by 
investigators. They accused Martirosian of being biased against their client and 
demanded his replacement by another prosecutor. The presiding judge, Vahe 
Misakian, adjourned the court hearing to consider the demand.

Sarkisian, 65, was greeted by more than 100 supporters rallying outside the 
district court building when he arrived for the hearing. Addressing the small 
crowd, he seemed to link the case against him to his position on the 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“From the highest podiums of the world I have periodically stated and will 
repeat now that Nagorno-Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan. This has been 
the supreme goal of my life and it will accompany me to the end,” the 
Karabakh-born ex-president said in a short speech greeted with applause and 
“President!” chants.


Armenia -- Supporters of former President Serzh Sarkisian rally outside a court 
building in Yerevan, .

The crowd included senior members of the former ruling Republican Party of 
Armenia (HHK) still headed by Sarkisian. In a statement issued earlier in the 
day, the HHK leadership similarly alleged a connection between the trial and the 
current state of the Karabakh negotiating process.

“With such steps the authorities aim to deflect the Armenian people’s attention 
from numerous internal and external problems that are becoming more acute by the 
day,” said the statement.

HHK representatives claimed earlier that their leader was indicted in early 
December in retaliation for his public criticism of Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian. Law-enforcement officials and Pashinian’s political allies brushed 
aside those statements.

Sarkisian accused Pashinian’s government of jeopardizing democracy and stifling 
dissent in a November 20 speech at a congress of the European People’s Party 
held in Croatia. He had kept a low profile since resigning in April 2018.

Pashinian repeatedly implicated Sarkisian, his family and political entourage in 
corruption both before and after coming to power in the “Velvet Revolution” led 
by him.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Rustam Badasyan found it difficult to answer who will consider the issue of the legality of the results of the upcoming referendum

Vicken Chmshkian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 25 2020

ArmInfo. Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan found it difficult to answer the question of the deputy from the Enlightened Armenia faction Sergey Bagratyan, who  would consider the legality of the results of the upcoming referendum  on constitutional amendments.

He stated that this was a rather tricky question. "If there are  statements, then we will certainly discuss them," Badasyan assured.  However, such an answer did not completely satisfy Bagratyan, who  stated that the minister appeared in parliament precisely to clarify  all tricky issues.

"The only ground on which parliamentary factions can appeal to the  Constitutional Court are violations that can affect the course or  results of the referendum. There are no other grounds for appeal to  the Constitutional Court," the minister emphasized.

Note that the referendum on constitutional amendments will be held on  April 5. The campaign began on February 17 and will last until April  3. The draft amendments to the Constitution provides for the  termination of powers of the Chairman of the Constitutional Court  Hrayr Tovmasyan and members of the court appointed before the reform  of the Constitution in 2015. 

American-Armenian athlete Allison Halverson gains Armenian citizenship

Varazdat Torgomian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 25 2020
Sport 15:09 25/02/2020World

American-Armenian athlete Allison Halverson has gained Armenian citizenship and will most likely represent Armenia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I am officially an Armenian Citizen! This is one of my proudest accomplishments!” the athlete said on Instagram, captioning a photo of her with an Armenian passport.

“Just over 100 years ago my ancestors faced some of the hardest times ever seen on this earth… many of them lost their lives in unspeakable ways, but my grandfather was able to narrowly escape the Armenian Genocide by dressing up as a young girl and taking a boat to Ellis Island. Without my ancestors’ sacrifices and courage, I wouldn’t be here today. I have fallen in love with this amazing, beautiful, welcoming, and strong country and am excited to see what the future holds for myself and Armenia,” she wrote. 

‘Azerbaijan is using fake photos that have nothing to do with what happened in Khojaly’: Anzhela Elibegova

Rose Khoyetsian
Aravot, Armenia
Feb 25 2020


February 25,2020 21:50 25

On the eve of the 28th anniversary of the events in Khojaly, Azeri affairs expert Anzhela Elibegova emphasized at the Zarkerak press club was one of the towns used to bombard Stepanakert. It was clear to Azerbaijan that the town needed to be neutralized, but they deliberately did not warn the citizens so that it could continue to play the role of the protector and continue firing upon Armenians. It is notable that, during this time, people who had nothing to do with Azerbaijan began to live in Khojaly, which is why the number of residents had greatly increased.

According to Elibegova, the Azeri side is using this as propaganda to try and prove that the Armenian side carried this out. They are trying to convince people that Armenia committed genocide, but the Armenian side is working on revealing the fallacies contained in Azeri propaganda films and websites. “Lots of people were saved when the city was turned over to the Armenians. Around 700 civil residents of Khojaly were able to safely move to Azerbaijan thanks to the Armenians. Due to the blockade in Stepanakert, there was a food shortage, and there was no way for these people to live there,” the expert said.

Elibegova also said that it was not only one group that was saved by the Armenians. “It’s interesting that the other part went to Aghdam via the evacuation corridor opened by the Armenians. Aghdam was under Azeri control. The civilians did not reach Aghdam because the Azeris made an announcement that caused them to panic. This is when the gunfire began, and that’s when those people were killed.”

Regarding the distortion of facts, Elibegova noted that the Azeri journalist photographed the dead bodies on the 28th and in the days following. It became clear from those photos that the people had been tortured and their bodies were defiled in order to blame the Armenians. “Azerbaijan has falsified lists of dead people many times by writing the same names multiple times or by including the names of people who have nothing to do with Azeris. They did this in the hope that Armenians would not check these lists. Azerbaijan is using fake photos that have nothing to do with what happened in Khojaly.”

Nona Ghazaryan

To find out more about what happened in Khojaly, check out this brochure. [ ]

https://www.aravot-en.am/2020/02/25/250895/

Turkish Press: Karabakh as much our issue as Azerbaijan’s: Turkey

Tatoyan Vazgen
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Feb 25 2020
Karabakh as much our issue as Azerbaijan's: Turkey

Burak Bir and Jeyhun Aliyev   | 25.02.2020

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday the Upper Karabakh is as much Turkey’s issue as it is Azerbaijan's.

"It is our greatest desire to resolve the problem of Upper Karabakh on the basis of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

He said the railway connecting Turkey to Azerbaijan’s autonomous region of Nakhchivan, which is surrounded on the east and north with rival Armenia, holds great strategic importance.

Praising the brotherly ties between the two countries, Erdogan said: "We will boost the trade volume [with Azerbaijan] to $15 billion in 2023, this is our aim.”

Last year, the trade volume of the two countries was $2 billion.

Turkey’s main exports to Azerbaijan include machinery, mechanical appliances, and components for nuclear reactors.

The Turkish president’s remarks came after the eighth edition of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting — which was established in 2010 to enhance ties at the presidential level.

Erdogan thanked the people and government of Azerbaijan for their support to Turkey after a powerful earthquake hit the country’s east in January.

Aliyev said the high-level meeting was proof that Azerbaijan and Turkey are on the same page on critical issues.

Referring to the Upper Karabakh conflict, Aliyev thanked his Turkish counterpart for "always supporting the righteous stance" of Azerbaijan at the international front.

"Unfortunately, the non-constructive and negative stance of Armenia is the main obstacle in solving the dispute," he said.

Upper Karabakh is the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan illegally occupied by Armenia through military aggression since 1991.

Four UN Security Council and two General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many other international organizations, refer to this fact and demand withdrawal of the occupational Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk group — co-chaired by France, Russia and the U.S. — was formed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but has not reached any results yet.

Maestro Tigran Mansurian visits AMAA’s Avedisian School in Yerevan

Zhanna Nahapetian
Aravot, Armenia
Feb 25 2020

                                                       
February 25,2020 12:02 21

ԵՌԱԳՈՅՆ. Years will pass by and today’s Avedisian School students will grow, yet many of them who were in the School’s Auditorium on February 21, 2020 will say, “I have seen and heard the greatest Armenian composer of our time, Tigran Mansurian.” Or, “I personally asked the Maestro a question, and he answered me.” Or, “I held my breath listening to the Maestro,” “I’ll never forget …” and they will recount many other unforgettable memories of the day.

Hosting the great Maestro under the roof of the Avedisian School was truly a memorable event, as the beloved composer, at the zenith of his respectable life, taught a small but invaluable lesson to the students.

What was Maestro Mansurian talking about with the Avedisian students? He advised the students to see only the good and be forgiving; on the path of real victory to know also to be conquered. He Also talked about the freedom of the creative soul; about the character of an intellectual or artist, and many other subjects that touched the soul of the students.

The living legend Maestro Mansurian was engaging. There were more students who wished to ask a question, than those who did. Then he approached the piano, sat down slowly and his fingers touched the keyboard. And the sounds of his famous music from the film “A Little Sky” first spread then began to soar to great heights. Even the air became noble… and the hall held its breath…

At the conclusion of this exciting event, School Principal Melanya Geghamyan presented the Maestro with a book about Komitas “The Magnificent Song of All Armenians” and a book about the Avedisian School. And the students promised to continue their newly formed friendship with the Maestro by sending letters.

The meeting was not yet over as the dear guest, who left the room, continued answering questions, signing autographs and taking pictures with the students outside the Auditorium.

Established in 1988, AMAA’s Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School is an educational institution that provides outstanding K-12 holistic, tuition-free education in a modern, environmentally friendly building, using state-of-the-art facilities in the low-income Southwest District of Malatia-Sebastia in Yerevan, Armenia.

ACNIS reView from Yerevan #6, 2020_Weekly Update_15-22 February

Samvel Nahapetian
Weekly Update  

21 FEBRUARY 2020  

 

  • Continued Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) demining and rehabilitation assistance and support for the implementation of the Royce-Engel proposal to deploy gunfire locators along the line-of-contact were key components of the Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA) testimony, submitted earlier today to the U.S. House panel drafting the Fiscal Year 2021 foreign aid bill, said News.am. The request for Artsakh aid was part of a broader $100 million targeted assistance package which would bolster U.S-Armenia economic and military partnerships and support for Armenia. ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan shared with appropriators how the ANCA’s proposals advance U.S. interests and suggested concise, draft legislative language for their consideration. She reaffirmed the ANCA’s commitment to Armenia’s aid-to-trade transition, asking Members of the Subcommittee to encourage the Trump Administration to make full use of the U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and Economic Task Force, and, most urgently, to move forward with the long-overdue negotiation of a modern U.S. Armenia Double Tax Treaty.

  

  • RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) reported, a newly formed government commission tasked with drafting wide-ranging amendments to the Armenian constitution met for the first time on Friday amid uncertainty about the outcome of its work. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced plans to set up the commission in December. It was decided then that the ad hoc body will comprise 15 members, including Armenia’s justice minister, human rights ombudsman, a representative of the country’s judges, members of the three political forces represented in the parliament and legal scholars chosen by the Justice Ministry. The commission’s members were appointed late last month just days before Pashinian’s political team unexpectedly drafted its own constitutional amendments and put them on a referendum slated for April 5.They call for replacing seven of the nine members of Armenia’s Constitutional Court locked in a dispute with the government.

  

  • President of the Republic of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan addressed a congratulatory message on the Artsakh Revival Day, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The message says: “Dear compatriots, On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and myself personally I extend my most heartfelt congratulations on the Artsakh Revival Day. On the 20th of February 1988 an extraordinary session of the Regional Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was held in Stepanakert and lent legitimacy to our people’s perennial aspirations and announced the start of realizing their cherished dreams and goals…This day became the symbol of our people’s courage, determination and love for freedom, our nation-wide solidarity.”
  • The real agenda in Armenia continues to be the need to adopt a new Constitution as the basis of the state building process. Such an opinion was expressed to ArmInfo by political analyst Saro Saroyan. “Unfortunately, the current administration directed the post-revolutionary processes in the wrong direction.  As a result, they did not lead to a coordinated, fundamental resolution of the key issues facing the country.  In the conditions of abandonment of the evolutionary path of development, extinguishing the “fires” periodically arising here and there with palliatives is impossible,” he said. According to the analyst, it was the new Constitution that would allow the people to conclude a social contract on the basis of a dialogue that promotes the formation of public consensus. In turn, a social contract would open up the possibility of implementing institutional changes in Armenia and the establishment of state institutions, “he emphasized.

  

  • The Presidential Office informed, President Armen Sarkissian received today the Ambassador of the United States to Armenia Lynne Tracy. The parties exchanged views on the issues related to cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the United States in different areas. In particular, among prospective areas were mentioned modern technologies, especially implementation of joint programs in the area of artificial intelligence. In this context, possible cooperation in the framework of the ATOM Presidential initiative aimed at the development of science and technology in Armenia was mentioned. The program is directed at making Armenia a leading center in the area of artificial intelligence and mathematical modeling. The parties discussed also opportunities of cooperation on a number of Presidential initiatives which are aimed at the enhancement of Armenia’s international standing and the boost of interest towards our country. The interlocutors exchanged also views on the referendum on the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia to be held on April 5.
  • Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar. Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Victorin was in attendance, the Prime Minister Office Pleased with the current status of EU-Armenia relations, the Prime Minister noted that the ongoing cooperation is of intensive nature. The Premier advised that our country is in the process of holding a referendum on constitutional amendments and presented its rationale and objectives. The interlocutors discussed issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nikol Pashinyan assured of Armenia’s commitment to achieving a peaceful settlement in the OSCE Minsk Group format. He reflected on his vision of the negotiated settlement. The Prime Minister highlighted the involvement of Artsakh’s civil society in confidence building measures, which will help shape a constructive atmosphere in the negotiation process.

  

  • The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders’ recent talks, on the sidelines of the 2020 Munich Security Conference, were a useless format in terms of pushing ahead with serious processes in the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict settlement talks, according to an expert in international affairs. “Such a format did not exist at all on the level of the former leaders. To the best of my understanding, the Armenian authorities previously made proposals of the kind, which were later rejected. “I don’t think the format is useful given that the parties, by and large, voiced theses which have been raised for decades. And they practically did not say anything new at this meeting either; they did not discuss new ideas, approaches and thoughts, and hence the meeting itself cannot possibly have any effectiveness,” President and Founer of the Armenian Center for American Studies Suren Sargsyan told Tert.am.

  

  • Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are holding a discussion on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The session was presided by a conversation between Pashinyan and Aliyev, News.am informed.

 

Sources: https://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/, https://www.president.am, https://www.azatutyun.am/en, https://armenpress.am, https://news.am/eng/, https://tert.am,  https://arminfo.info/.