Category: 2020

The California Courier Online, July 16, 2020

Emma Nadirian

1 –        Turkish Scholars Acknowledge

            The Armenian Genocide on TV Program

            By Harut Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         Pashinyan Warns of Another Coronavirus Lockdown

3 –        HyeID: Plans Underway to Launch Diaspora Armenian Parliament

4-         Armenia’s Armed Forces Repel Azerbaijani Attempts to Breach Border

5-         Anouch Toranian Elected Deputy Mayor of Paris

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1 –        Turkish Scholars Acknowledge

            The Armenian Genocide on TV Program

            By Harut Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

I just found a video in which two Turkish scholars are advocating the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Republic of Turkey. The
discussion took place in 2015 on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The conversation between Erdogan Aydin and Aydin Chubukchu
is in Turkish with English subtitles on the video. The name of the one
hour and 37 minute-long program is Tower of Babel. The title of the
program is “Facing the Genocide.”

The unnamed Turkish moderator started the program with the following
questions: “What really happened in 1915; what people lived through?
was it a genocide? was it a deportation?”

Here are excerpts from that discussion:

Erdogan Aydin: “Let’s remember that the deportation in 1915, when one
focuses on the details, means the same thing as the genocide of 1948….
If the deportation is not carried out by the consent of the people who
are exiled for their own security — by the way, deportations are not
carried out for this [reason]. It is done to enlarge sovereignty of
states, punish society, settle others if the land is productive. So,
if it is done against the will of the people, if all of them,
including women, children, and the elderly are sent away, then this is
a Crime Against Humanity.”

Moderator: “Davutoglu (former Prime Minister of Turkey) says so. He
says, he repeats everywhere that deportation is a Crime Against
Humanity. He accepts it as such.”

Aydin Chubukchu: “…But when we examine the articles of the 1948
Genocide Convention, we see that they in fact define this practice….”

Erdogan Aydin: “The documents that historians examine are not so
important. What is important is the way of interpretation of those
documents and how a final report would be penned and to serve which
policy. The historian is not someone like a physician in a laboratory.
History is not definite or closed to interpretation. It cannot be
explained by strict cause and effect relations. All those who have
studied the documents and made claims until today are already
historians. Ultimately, those who will settle the question under the
light of facts that historians present are the politicians. Of course,
it is political. When it comes to politics, what historians say is not
so important. Documents, statistics, laws showing the state practice
on the abandoned properties have already showed that the Armenian
people have reached the zero point as they had consisted of a large
population in this country. Where did this people go? Where did this
pedigree go to? The question is so simple. If they were not massacred
then what happened to them? They did not vaporize, did they? As very
well-known facts show, war and the Russian invasion in the region of
Van, Bitlis, etc., until Erzincan were a pretext to exile Armenians
from those lands. How? By being deported. Yes, villages were emptied.
People, including children on foot, bare and hungry, were forced to
walk to Syria. They were deported from Erzurum, Kars, Erzincan and Van
to Syria under the transportation conditions of the time. They could
not reach [Syria] because, according to the plan, unarmed miserable,
naked, hungry civilians, women with their babies, as we see in the
photos behind us, were also attacked by gangs along the way. They were
robbed on the way, held as captives, massacred. Eventually, only one
fourth of the Armenians who were deported from Turkey reached Syria.
Three fourths died on the way. Ottoman documents also accept these
deaths due to epidemics or assaults, [but] they say they had nothing
to do with it. Historical documents are clear. The critical point is
how the state politically will handle and what it will infer from
them. Historians have already done what they should do. Telegram sent
from someone to someone – thousands of documents like this. Thousands
of documents are exposed. No secret document remains. If there is any
secret document, it is a part of the documents transferred from the
Ottoman Empire to Turkey. The documents that prove the genocide by
saying ‘massacre them on the roads while deporting’ are being hidden
of course. We can never see them. As [Turkish journalist] Veysi
Sansozen said yesterday, we demand the evidence of the murder from the
murderer. Does he give? No, he does not. It will never show up.
Documents that Armenians have are rather based on testimonies and
reports prepared by clergy, foreign diplomats, and journalists. Most
of them obviously reflect the entire tragedy. There are photos and
films shot at that time despite very limited opportunities. The
annihilation of the Armenian people is doubtless. They were
annihilated. This is the point.”

Aydin Chubukchu: “Let me add this. This was not done by historians,
but by politicians. Cleaning it is also their job. Secondly, as my
brother Aydin mentioned, the perpetrators of these kinds of jobs
usually delete the documents, use expressions that are not possible to
decipher. So, when a felon oppresses, he tries to fabricate a cover
for it. In fact, the most important document is the actual and
physical eradication of a people from their historical land.”

Erdogan Aydin: “After 100 years have passed from the event, the 100th
anniversary of the genocide should be a turning point. This is how
world public opinion looks at it. Why couldn’t this question be solved
for 100 years? This is a problem. On the other hand, considering
Turkey’s foreign policy and its relations with the West and the US, we
can talk about cornering Turkey. Undoubtedly, this issue is now a
political card. It also has that aspect. But this does not change the
fact that Armenians were annihilated. When one says that the French,
Germans, the Pope want this [recognition], our domestic public opinion
perceives it as if all Christians of the world, all ‘giavours’
[infidels] have united and attacked us. It is obvious that as long as
this crime sticks on them, all Turkish governments and the state will
have trouble. That part interests the state, but the same thing is
also a shame for us and a shame for the Turkish people. We want to get
rid of this. Whoever wants this. But we want it. We are all today
guilty and responsible for the ignominious murder against the Armenian
people. We should feel this. So we want to get rid of this.
Undoubtedly, there is another aspect. Facing the genocide is an
important chapter of our struggle for democracy. If we defend the
ideals of fraternity of peoples and peaceful cohabitation, we should
perform our duties retrospectively too. Additionally, the Armenian
Question is a topic that continuously nurtures fascism and bigotry.
Animosity against Armenians is an essential part of fascist
propaganda. Therefore, in the struggle for democracy, this question
should be settled; genocide should be recognized to break and bury the
arms of fascism, bigotry and chauvinism.”

(Part II, to be continued in the next issue.)

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2-         Pashinyan Warns of Another Coronavirus Lockdown

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)— Armenia said on Monday, July 13 that it had
extended the state of emergency until Aug. 12.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned on Monday, July 6 that his
government will have to impose another nationwide lockdown if Armenian
hospitals are no longer able to cope with the continuing spread of the
coronavirus in the country.

“As soon as we see that our healthcare system is no longer able … to
cater for [infected] citizens we will have no choice but to revert to
the restrictions regime to overcome this situation while realizing
that this is a severe blow to our economy,” Pashinyan told a daily
news briefing.

“I hope that we will after all realize the gravity of the situation
and a change in our behavior will be the instrument with which we will
overcome this epidemic,” he said.

As of Monday, June 29, Armenia has recorded a total of 32,151 cases. A
total of 19,865 of these patients have since recovered while 11,530
cases remain active. The death toll as a direct result of
complications from COVID-19 stands at 573 people.

Speaking at the briefing, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan sought to put
a brave face on this statistics. He said that the daily number of new
cases, which has averaged between 500 and 700 in recent weeks, have
been “relatively stable.”

“Usually epidemics spread explosively, but we are not in such a
situation,” Torosyan said, adding that Armenians have slowed the
spread of the virus by practicing social distancing and wearing face
masks in larger numbers.

Torosyan noted at the same time that there are now very few vacant
beds at the intensive care units of Armenian hospitals treating
COVID-19 patients.

“The situation is now more or less relatively stable, but nobody can
guarantee that it will not be reversed tomorrow,” Pashinyan said in
this regard. “Every day we wait anxiously for the midnight to see how
many new cases have been registered. Unfortunately, there is no
guarantee that at a certain point we won’t have 800, 900 or 1,000
cases a day.”

Arman Badalyan, an epidemiology lecturer at Yerevan State Medical
University, suggested that the health authorities would have already
registered this many new cases had they conducted more coronavirus
tests. The daily number of tests has averaged more than 2,000 for the
past month. About 30 percent of them have come back negative.

“The percentage of positive tests is quite high,” Badalyan said. “It
means that there are many cases and we don’t hunt down all of them, so
to speak.”

Badalyan also insisted that social distancing and masks alone will not
contain the epidemic. The authorities, he said, should also resort to
mass testing and more effective contact tracing. The Armenian
government already issued stay-at-home orders and shut down most
nonessential businesses in late March. But it began easing those
restrictions in mid-April and lifted the lockdown altogether by May
10. The number of new coronavirus cases soared in the following weeks.

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3 –        HyeID: Plans Underway to Launch Diaspora Armenian Parliament

GLENDALE—Several years ago, a group of Armenians worldwide began
planning the establishment of a democratically elected Diaspora
Armenian Parliament (DAP). “The launch of this groundbreaking
initiative shall serve to integrate all Diaspora Armenians in a
unified structure. Once this goal is accomplished, the leadership of
the Diaspora Armenian Parliament, and the Republics of Armenia and
Artsakh, elected by their respective constituencies, can claim for the
first time that they represent all Armenians worldwide and make
collective decisions on behalf of the entire nation,” said the HyeID
board members in a statement. “This has been the elusive dream of all
Armenians for several decades, if not centuries. Yet, given the
dispersed nature of the Diaspora, it has been difficult to bring this
cherished dream to reality.”

The initiating group has planned a two-step process for the
establishment of the Diaspora Armenian Parliament.

The first step is HyeID—a non-profit organization, already formed in
California, will expand to Armenian communities throughout the world,
including Armenians living in the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.
The HyeID organization has three objectives. First is to offer an
identification HyeID card to all Armenians around the globe, including
Armenia and Artsakh, so they could benefit from discounts provided to
them through their purchases of products and services, such as
airlines, hotels, restaurants, shops and many more. The discount
benefits three parties: the HyeID cardholder, the HyeID non-profit
organization (to finance the Diaspora Armenian Parliament and its Pan
Armenian humanitarian projects), and the cardholder’s affiliated or
preferred organization.

Second is that the information about the cardholders will form a
worldwide Armenian database which shall enable unprecedented
collaboration among those involved in science, technology, business,
culture and national security.

Third is that Diaspora HyeID cardholders are considered registered
voters for the eventual formation of the Diaspora Armenian Parliament.
HyeID cardholders will vote for their local representatives to form a
democratically-elected Diaspora Armenian Parliament which will
represent all Armenians living outside of Armenia and Artsakh.

The second step is the formation of the Diaspora Armenian Parliament
(DAP). The DAP is formed through local elections held in each
geographic region. The regions are created by having an equal number
of Diaspora HyeID cardholders eligible for voting, based on the
democratic principle of one person one vote. All HyeID cardholders, in
the Diaspora, who are 18 or older can elect or be elected to DAP.

The benefits of DAP would be: to awaken the Diaspora’s silent
majority; create a synergy with all existing Armenian organizations;
provide the Diaspora with a representative and collective voice and
the ability to participate in Pan Armenian issues; resolve local
Armenian community needs; form an effective political clout; preserve
and advance Armenian national identity; coordinate and advance the
national objectives of the Diaspora, Armenia and Artsakh; and organize
repatriation to the homeland.

“The Diaspora Armenian Parliament will not compete with any of the
existing Armenian organizations, but will complement their efforts,
giving Armenians a greater strength to resolve their litany of
challenges,” said the HyeID board members.

The HyeID board members are: Harut Sassounian of Glendale, Calif.
(Chairman); Hagop Nazarian of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. (Vice
Chairman); Levon Thorose of Westchester, Calif. (Vice Chairmen);
Razmig D. Garakhanian of Glendale, Calif. (Secretary); Thomas
Alexanian of Glendale, Calif. (Treasurer); Hovel Chenorhokian of
Paris, France (Board Member); Tigran Harutunyan of Yerevan, Armenia
(Board Member); John E. Shirajian of Glendale, Calif. (Board Member);
Aram Ter-Martirosyan of Glendale, Calif. (Board Member); Mike Baronian
of Tofen, Switzerland (Board Member); and Levon Beklaryan of Moscow,
Russia (Board Member).

The HyeID Board of Directors “call on all Armenians worldwide to
become part of this ground breaking initiative and fulfill the much
awaited realization of a dream of Diaspora Armenians to have a
democratically-elected unified and self-sufficient structure.”

For more information, visit

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4-         Armenia’s Armed Forces Repel Azerbaijani Attempts to Breach Border

The situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border remained tense on
Monday, July 13 after a day of fighting that was sparked by
Azerbaijani forces attempting to infiltrate and capture a military
border post in Armenia. According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the
Armenian Armed Forces repelled the incursion efforts, but shelling of
Armenian civilian targets continued throughout Sunday and into Monday.

At around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Azerbaijani troops began shelling a
military outpost in the Tavush Province of Armenia with Azerbaijani
soldiers driving a military combat vehicle toward the border.
According to the Defense Ministry, Armenian soldiers issued warnings,
after which the Azerbaijani soldiers abandoned the vehicle and
retreated. Shortly after, the Azerbaijani troops launched an attack
and attempted to capture the Armenian military position by using
artillery fire. Azerbaijani troops suffered losses and were repelled.
The same Armenian position once again came under artillery and tank
fire from Azerbaijani hours later.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said there
were no fatalities on the Armenian side. Azerbaijan’s defense ministry
reported that four of its soldiers died during the failed operation.

On Monday, the Azerbaijani military fired mortar rockets on the
Armenian village of Chinari in the Tavush Province hitting a
residence. No casualties were reported.

Armenian Armed Forces on Monday shot down several Azerbaijani drones
that were deployed as fighting escalated on the border in Tavush
Province.

Images of one of the downed drones show the remnants of what appears
to be either a Thunder-B recon drone, or a Skystriker combat
drone—both manufactured in Israel.

Azerbaijan had deployed the Thunder-B drones during the April 2016
War. The Skystriker drones are relatively new, and were unveiled by
Azerbaijan during a military parade in January 2019.

During an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan warned Azerbaijan that its military-political leadership
will bear the entire responsibility for the consequences of efforts to
destabilize the region.

Last week, in an interview broadcast by local television outlets,
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan challenged the principle of
resolving the Karabakh conflict through peaceful means and asserted
that his country had a right to defend itself, calling the effort of
international mediators who expressly said that there would be no
military solution to the conflict, “meaningless.” Less than a week
after Aliyev’s statements, Azerbaijan forces launched the attack on
Armenia’s borders.

Pashinyan accused official Baku of having no regard for human life,
including those of Azerbaijani soldiers. He cited Azerbaijan’s refusal
to join the United Nations Secretary General’s call for a global
ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prime minister also took
aim at Turkey, whose foreign ministry issued a statement decrying what
it called “yet another manifestation of Armenia’s aggressive
nationalism.”

“Turkey will continue, with all its capacity, to stand by Azerbaijan
in its struggle to protect its territorial integrity,” said the
Turkish foreign ministry statement.

“Turkey’s actions on provoking regional instability is also
concerning,” said Pashinyan. “It is best reflected in the official
statement of the Turkish foreign ministry where the latter is
expressing unconditional support to Azerbaijan’s actions with an
obvious and already traditional anti-Armenian logic.”

“This provocative attitude by Turkey and its groundless accusations
against Armenia attest to the fact that this country has been acting
not as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group but as a party involved in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” read a ministry statement. “This fact
makes it even more impossible for Turkey to play any role in issues
related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within international and
particularly the OSCE framework.”

“Azerbaijan’s attack-and-blame game is only possible because Aliyev’s
been allowed to block the investigative mechanisms – gunfire locators
and observers – that would hold it accountable for its cross-border
aggression,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “If Baku
wants the world to believe its anti-Armenian finger-pointing, it
should be championing – not obstructing – the Royce-Engel peace
proposal.”

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5-         Anouch Toranian Elected Deputy Mayor of Paris

PARIS — French-Armenian Anouch Toranian has been elected Deputy Mayor
of Paris, becoming the first elected representative of Armenian
descent to a post of this level of responsibility in the French
capital. She will be in charge of community life, citizen
participation and public debate.

Born in Paris in 1991, Anouch Toranian holds Master’s degree in Public
Law and International Relations from the Panthéon-Assas University and
a Master’s in Public Administration from the Paris Institute of
Political Studies. She began her professional career in various public
administrations and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2018 she was appointed director of the French branch of the
Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).

The election comes in the wake of the campaign for the recent
municipal election, where she was head of Anne Hildago’s list in the
15th arrondissement.

Anne Hidalgo won reelection in the French capital on June 28.

Hidalgo, Mayor since 2014, beat conservative candidate Rachida Dati in
France’s municipal elections, winning 50.2 percent of the ballot
compared to Dati’s 32 percent. Agnes Buzyn trailed in with just 16
percent. She was backed by the Europe Ecology – The Greens party
(EELV), which gained strong influence nationwide in Sunday’s voting.

French Armenian Jeanne Barseghian was elected Mayor of Strasbourg.

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RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/13/2020

Albert Nalbandian 
                                        Monday, 
Armenia, Azerbaijan Urged To De-Escalate Tensions
Switzerland -- Foreign Ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanian of Armenia and Elmar 
Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan and international mediators meet in Geneva, January 
30, 2020.
International mediators on Monday urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid further 
ceasefire violations and resume peace talks “as soon as possible” following 
deadly skirmishes on the border between the two warring nations.
In a joint statement, the U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-heading the OSCE 
Minsk Group condemned the “serious breach of the ceasefire” but did not 
explicitly put the blame on Yerevan or Baku.
They said they and the head of an OSCE mission monitoring the ceasefire regime 
in the Karabakh conflict zone have been “in direct contact with Armenian and 
Azerbaijani officials” since the outbreak of fierce fighting at a western 
section of the border on Sunday.
“The Minsk Group Co‑Chairs condemn the recent ceasefire violations and call upon 
the sides to take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation, 
including by use of the existing direct communication channels between them,” 
read the statement.
“The Minsk Group Co-Chairs also call on the sides to resume substantive 
negotiations as soon as possible and emphasize the importance of returning OSCE 
monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow,” it said.
The European Union’s foreign policy spokesman, Peter Stano, issued a similar 
statement on the escalation.
“The EU calls on the sides to strictly respect the ceasefire, devote energy and 
resources to fighting the coronavirus pandemic, meaningfully re-engage in 
substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs 
and prepare their populations for peace,” he said.
The co-chairs already urged the conflicting parties to strengthen the ceasefire 
regime during a June 30 video conference with the Armenian and Azerbaijani 
foreign ministers. They insisted that “there is no military solution to the 
conflict.”
The mediators also said after those talks that the ministers agreed to hold 
another video conference in July and meet in person “as soon as possible.”
German Medics Arrive In Coronavirus-Hit Armenia
Armenia -- A German medical team arrives at Zvartnots airport, Yerevan, July 13, 
2020.
A team of German healthcare workers arrived in Armenia on Monday to help their 
Armenian colleagues deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
They were flown to Yerevan by a German Air Force plane that also delivered 
medical supplies to the country hit hard by the pandemic.
The 16 medics were greeted at Zvartnots international airport by Armenia’s 
deputy ministers of health and foreign affairs as well as the German and 
European Union ambassadors in Yerevan.
“The German experts will be working alongside their Armenian colleagues for two 
weeks,” tweeted the German Embassy. “We stand at Armenia’s side!”
According to an Armenian government statement, Germany’s government has 
organized the mission in collaboration with two European charities and the World 
Health Organization. The mission is part of a broader EU scheme designed to help 
partner countries contain the spread of the virus.
Similar medical teams have also been sent to Armenia by France, Russia, 
Lithuania and Italy over the past month. They were deployed to local hospitals 
treating COVID-19 patients.
The EU Delegation in Yerevan announced that the German government will also 
provide coronavirus-related financial aid to Armenia. “Germany will be 
allocating 2.75 million euros ($3.1 million) for a project addressing COVID-19 
in Armenia through research cooperation in order to establish medium to 
long-term systemic, integrated risk management,” the delegation said in a 
statement.
The Armenian government has recorded 32,151 coronavirus cases and 573 deaths 
caused by them so far. The continuing spread of the virus led the government on 
Monday to extend a state of emergency in the country by another month, until 
August 12.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian spoke of a “slight positive dynamic” in the 
coronavirus crisis, saying that in recent days there have been fewer infected 
people awaiting hospitalization at home. But he cautioned that virtually 
intensive care hospital beds remain occupied by COVID-19 patients.
Armenia Rounds On Turkey Over Azeri Border Clash
Azerbaijan -- Azeri President Ilham Aliyev receives prayer beads from his 
Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in Baku, February 25, 2020.
Armenia accused Turkey of trying to heighten tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict zone on Monday after Ankara blamed Yerevan for the latest deadly 
skirmishes on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry decried “yet another manifestation of Armenia's 
aggressive nationalism” in a statement issued late on Sunday hours after the 
outbreak of heavy fighting there. It accused Armenia of continuing to occupy 
Azerbaijani territory and hampering the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict.
“Turkey will continue, with all its capacity, to stand by Azerbaijan in its 
struggle to protect its territorial integrity,” added the statement added.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry dismissed these “utterly false and misleading” 
claims and charged that the Turkish government is trying to “instigate 
instability in our region.”
“This provocative attitude by Turkey and its groundless accusations against 
Armenia attest to the fact that this country has been acting not as a member of 
the OSCE Minsk Group but as a party involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” 
read a ministry statement. “This fact makes it even more impossible for Turkey 
to play any role in issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within 
international and particularly the OSCE framework.”
Successive Turkish governments have lent Azerbaijan full and unconditional 
support throughout the Karabakh conflict. They have made the establishment of 
diplomatic relations with Armenia conditional on a Karabakh settlement 
acceptable to Baku.
Armenia has always rejected this precondition. It has forged close military ties 
with Russia to counter what many Armenians see as a serious security threat from 
Turkey. From Yerevan’s perspective, the presence of thousands of Russian troops 
in Armenia precludes Turkey’s direct military intervention on Azerbaijan’s side.
Incidentally, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep 
Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone on Monday. Their press offices did not list the 
Karabakh dispute among the issues discussed by the two leaders.
Russia ‘Seriously Concerned’ About Armenian-Azeri Fighting
        • Aza Babayan
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
Russia -- The Russian Foreign Ministry buiding, Moscow.
Russia called for an immediate end to heavy fighting which continued on the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border for the second consecutive day on Monday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov phoned his Armenian and Azerbaijani 
counterparts to discuss the tense situation there.
“We find inadmissible a further escalation threatening the security of the 
region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We are calling on 
the conflicting sides to show restraint and strictly adhere to the ceasefire 
regime.”
“For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to provide necessary 
support for stabilizing the situation,” added the statement.
Three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and several others wounded shortly after 
the fighting broke out at a western section of the long border in disputed 
circumstances on Sunday afternoon. It continued overnight, leaving another 
Azerbaijani serviceman dead. The Armenian army reported no combat deaths within 
its ranks.
Both sides reported on Monday morning continuing skirmishes involving mortar 
fire. The Defense Ministry in Yerevan claimed that Azerbaijani forces also used 
an attack drone and shelled an Armenian border village.
Each side again accused the other of provoking the escalation with attempts to 
seize enemy positions in the mountainous area between Armenia’s northern Tavush 
province and the Tovuz district in western Azerbaijan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian condemned Baku’s “provocative actions” during a 
cabinet meeting in Yerevan. “I can assure you that their provocative actions do 
not remain unanswered,” he said, appealing to the nation.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held an emergency session of his 
national security council to discuss the deadly truce violations. “We thwarted 
the [Armenian] attack and gave an adequate response, avenging the death of our 
soldiers,” he said, according to the Trend news agency.
Russia -- (L-E) Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian, Russian Foreign 
Minister Sergei Lavrov and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov meet 
in Moscow, April 15, 2019
Foreign Ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanian of Armenia and Elmar Mammadyarov of 
Azerbaijan stood by their countries’ official versions of events during their 
separate phone conversations with Lavrov. Mammadyarov also said that the 
fighting is contributing to “third countries’ involvement in the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.”
It was not clear if Mammadyarov referred to Russia or Turkey, his country’s 
closest ally. Ankara was quick to blame Yerevan for the latest escalation and 
reaffirm its unconditional support for Baku.
Earlier in the day, the secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty 
Organization (CSTO), Stanislav Zas, called an emergency meeting of the Permanent 
Council of the Russian-led defense alliance, of which Armenia is a member, to 
discuss the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier.
The meeting was postponed indefinitely a couple of hours later, however. A 
spokesman for Zas refused to say who initiated the delay. He only told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian service that the CSTO Secretariat and member states need to ascertain 
the “format” of the discussion beforehand.
Zas and Mnatsakanian also spoke by phone on Monday. “Constant contact with the 
CSTO Secretary General is maintained, and efforts within the CSTO framework are 
continuing,” said the official Armenian readout of the phone call.
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.

Human rights activist: Pashinyan ‘breaking records’ of all former politicians

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has broken or is breaking the records set by all former politicians, human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan said on Facebook on Sunday.

“I believe it is a common fact that politicians and statesmen from around the world haven’t been, to put it mildly, truthful and sincere throughout history. They have either lied all the time, or the more decent kept silent so as not to tell lies,” he wrote.

“It is no coincidence that politics is also considered the art of the possible.

“Recently, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has made another ‘shocking’ statement that lying politicians have no place in Armenia anymore. Let me refrain from touching upon Nikol Pashinyan’s contradictory statements, promises or the times of the opposition-authorities and authorities-authorities. It will simply hold a huge volume. He has perhaps broken or is breaking the records of all former politicians.

“By the way, unlike politics, public activity is described as the art of the impossible.

“That is why I address my question to Armenian public figures rather than politicians, as well as to those who consider themselves citizens.

“Dear all, do you think that the constitutional referendum held on July 5, 1995 and the parallel parliamentary elections were falsified and illegitimate or not? If not, should their authors at least bear moral responsibility or not?” reads the post.

The human rights activist urged them to answer the question on their Facebook pages, without directly referring to him.

New multi-apartment district in Stepanakert will be composed of 300 apartments

Vanyan Gary
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020

Artsakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan convened a working consultation on house construction programs being implemented in Stepanakert.

Responsible officials of the “Dominic System” LLC presented to the President the process of the construction activities of the multi-apartment district being carried out by the company in the capital, the president office reported. Arayik Harutyunyan mentioned that the district should be complied with the requirements of the draft master plan of Stepanakert, and before being purchased by the Artsakh Investment Fund, the apartments must receive a relevant professional conclusion of the representatives of the Ministry of Urban Development. According to the President, in conformity with the logic of the announced policy, the purchase price of the apartments will be offered by the government, though the project owner will be free to make a decision in case of having a better offer.

Representatives of the “Dominic system” company expressed their appreciation to the President for the cooperation, and assured that, in accordance with the plan, 120 apartments will be commissioned in 2022, and 180 apartments will be put into operation over the next 3 years, the source said.

Domestic tourism in Armenia ‘on the brink of collapse’, says travel agency head

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has especially affected Armenia’s tourism industry, since outbound tours have been banned since March, while inbound tours have been allowed only since May 18 when the Armenian government decided to lift restrictions on different sectors of the economy.

Although domestic tourism has reopened, widespread calls to stay home and limit all forms of contacts continue to be an obstruction for travel agencies.

Speaking to Panorama.am, Ruben Baghdishyan, the head of Arshavner Akumb travel company, says it is very hard to work under such conditions.

“Even if we manage to work under such conditions, in many cases police forces are stationed near a monument and bar us from approaching it. For example, we offer tours to Saint Hovhannes church in Hartagyugh, but we have learned internally that there are police forces there banning the entry into the building, but there is no official statement that the church is closed,” he said “Yes, the government urges people not to take a tour … but not encouraging or making an appeal is not banning yet. We called the Commandant’s Office to ask if the church was closed, they told us to contact the police. When we called the police, they said there were no closed roads in Armenia, telling us to contact the Commandant’s Office. Naturally, it is very difficult to work under these conditions; on the one hand we are told that we are allowed to work, and on the other hand the people are advised against travelling, in that case what is the point of allowing us to work?” he said.

The director states those travel agencies engaged in outbound tourism were bought into domestic tourism without any oversight over the sector, which may paralyze the work of domestic tour operators.

“If the government had provided right recommendations in time, domestic tourism would have survived. As a result of a wrong approach, domestic tourism is now on the brink of collapse. It is now operating under ‘the law of the jungle’ – every man for himself,” he said.

Also, Ruben Baghdishyan deplored the government’s coronavirus relief measures, adding the over 20 programs were short-term and failed to help handle the crisis.

“They had to take strategic steps, whereas in this case it was just a matter of distributing money, with the wrong targeting. In terms of tourism in particular, these measures had shortcomings and needed professional development. And the government failed at that very phase, when it elaborated hasty support measures, which were incomplete. However, I can’t say that the government didn’t provide any support at all,” he stated.

Referring to the steps that the authorities should take to save domestic tourism, Baghdishyan called for the State Tourism Committee to be dissolved and recomposed, decrying the inaction of the structure over the past few months.

“They may be doing something, but it is not tangible and visible. The key problems are not solved. The second step should be to change the charter of the State Tourism Committee. A framework of functions and responsibilities should be outlined, after which a new committee should be set up with a new staff,” he added.

He also highlighted the fact of recruiting volunteers, explaining the committee is understaffed.

In Ruben Baghdishyan’s words, if the government wants tourism to develop, it should pay attention to the Tourism Committee, as well as the professional skills of those involved in the sector.

 

Police: 2,806 cases of breach of health and safety regulations records over the past day

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020

Armenian law enforcement officers have lodged 71,111 administrative offenses proceedings to date for violating state of emergency rules imposed to contain the coronavirus, according to figures from the Police of Armenia. According to the source, the external service units of the Police continue monitoring the situation throughout the republic to ensure the implementation of the safety rules and anti-epidemic measures set by the Commandant in charge of the state of emergency.

Only on July 5, 2,806  cases of breach of health and safety regulations were recorded and respective protocols were filed. The most common violations were failures to follow social distancing and wearing face masks at public spaces. 

Bomb threat to Megamall Armenia shopping center prove to be hoax

Kanayan Tamar
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020

Bomb threats to Megamall Armenia, a big shopping center in Yerevan, have proved to be hoax, with no explosive devices found after a check, the ministry of emergency situations reported.

As reported earlier, Armenian police evacuated the shopping center, after a bomb threat received by the law enforcement. Police officers urged all shoppers and employees to leave the area and drive their cars out of the mall yard.

According to the source, the rescuers blocked off the scene and carried out an evacuation of more than 350 citizens.

The rescuers alongside with the police and local security officers carried out an inspection: no bomb was found, the source said. 

Sports: Mkhitaryan: ‘Roma must improve mentally’

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia
July 6 2020

Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan felt Roma suffered ‘an undeserved defeat’ against Napoli on Sunday and revealed the Giallorossi ‘must improve mentally’.

Mkhitaryan bagged his seventh in Serie A this term, before the Partenopei captain Lorenzo Insigne scored the match-winning goal to make it 2-1 at the San Paolo.

But the Arsenal loanee didn’t think Roma deserved to come empty handed from Naples, Football Italia reported.

“I think we played better than in previous games, it was an undeserved defeat,” Mkhitaryan told Roma TV. “We tried to give everything.

“After 1-1, we had the chance but weren’t concentrated when Insigne scored. However, we are working hard to finish the season in the best possible way.

The Armenian forward claims Roma’s problems are more mental than physical but claims the Giallorossi have the capacity to bounce back.

“I think it’s more in our heads, we must be calm and not go crazy, thinking we have lost everything,” he added. “There are many games remaining and fate is in our hands.

“We have a great team and can recover if we win the next game. We have to help each other. Everything will be fine because we have a good group.

“In these moments of difficulty, the team are important, and we are a real team, we help each other. We can win the next match if we are strong mentally.”

Mkhitaryan claims the mentality can help them feel better physically too.

“If we feel good mentally, we improve physically too. Without having the right frame of mind, you won’t do anything on the pitch. We must be mentally stronger, then the body is just a matter of training.

“If things are going well, you can give more physically. We have a big squad, and everyone can help out.”

The 31-year-old said he feels better, after having struggled with injuries during the first half of the campaign.

“I feel good, I have played continuously since the resumption. You don’t only need experienced players, but a mix of young and old.

“We need intelligent players, physically strong and the coach knows how to pick his men. Us experienced players can help the younger ones.”

Art: Ara Guler’s photos to be auctioned

Jhanna Virabian
Public Radio of Armenia
July 6 2020


<img width=”645″ height=”425″ src=””https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/xAra-Guler.jpg.pagespeed.ic.M5VXXrJtVQ.jpg” class=”attachment-full size-full wp-post-image” alt=”” srcset=”https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/xAra-Guler.jpg.pagespeed.ic.M5VXXrJtVQ.jpg 645w, 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px”/>

A selection from the late photographer Ara Guler’s photography collection will be auctioned online on July 12 by Istanbul Müzayede.

The auction will offer 46 photographs including the portraits of famous figures along with photos taken in various Turkish cities.

The Turkish Armenian photographer has taken iconic photos of international luminaries such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Brigitte Bardot, and Sophia Loren.

Ara Guler was born in Istanbul in 1928. He worked as a Near East photojournalist for Time Life magazine in 1956, for Paris Match in 1958, and also for German magazine Stern.

His images on art and art history were published by Time Life, Horizon, Newsweek, and Skira Publishing.

In 2002, he was awarded the Legion of Honor Order of Arts and Letters by the French government, and in 2009 he received La Médaille de la Ville de Paris from the Paris Municipality.

on Oct. 17, 2018, at age 90.

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan’s Inclusive Diplomacy Amidst COVID-19: OPINION

Tatoyan Vazgen
  • 06 Jul 2020 09:57

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Modern Diplomacy has published an article entitled “Azerbaijan’s Inclusive Diplomacy Amidst COVID-19.” 

News.Az presents the article by Naghi Ahmadov, a senior fellow at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented disruption to the global supply chain, as production and consumption are on a downward trend across the world. While the outbreak weakened considerably the global value chain by disrupting the balance between supply and demand, the economic repercussions are having a profound adverse impact on every sphere of life. Against this backdrop, some countries tried to turn the coronavirus pandemic into a propaganda tool, whilst the others were suffering from the outbreak.TheCovid-19 pandemic has subsequently become a test for the international community and also an ideal momentum for certain great powers to extend their influence globally.

While the world is in the throes of the COVID-19, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has taken important initiatives to strengthen international solidarity and cooperation in the fight against coronavirus at the regional and global levels. The holding of an extraordinary Summit of the Turkic Council and an online Summit-level Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Contact Group in response to the COVID-19 initiated by Ilham Aliyev, the current Chairman of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States and the NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijanis an example of this. The heads of state participating in the summits, as well as the heads of the UN and the World Health Organization praised the initiatives of the President of Azerbaijan to curb the pandemic. At these summits, extensive discussions were held on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and various ideas and proposals were put forward. Azerbaijan has proposed convening a special session of the United Nations General Assembly (UN GA) to strengthen the global efforts to combat the new coronavirus (COVID-19). The proposal has been already supported by more than 130 UN Member States which demonstrates confidence and trust in Azerbaijan. When the world is facing a global disaster and all countries need international solidarity and cooperation, though it may seem improbable Armenia is the only country protested against the initiative which is in the interests of the international community.

While the COVID-19 wrecking the world, unfortunately, the international community has demonstrated limited solidarity. However, as mentioned by António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations that we are in an unprecedented situation and the normal rules no longer apply and this is, above all, a human crisis that calls for solidarity. In this sense, hopefully, Azerbaijan’s above-mentioned initiative will invigorate global ambition to find a solution to the global disaster by breaking the silence of the UN and it will once again become a platform for global discussions and this special session will lay the potential groundwork for greater engagement in response to this humanitarian crisis.

Azerbaijan always attaches great importance to mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries. This principle is clearly reflected in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy during the pandemic, as well. Assistance to a number of countries suffering from the pandemic is a clear example of Azerbaijan’s inclusive aid-oriented foreign policy.Azerbaijan, amidst the pandemic, once again repeatedly supports international solidarity and provides assistance to most needy countries. So far, Azerbaijan has extended a helping hand to many countries suffering from the pandemic. Azerbaijan has sent medical aid to about 30 countries, including the People’s Republic of China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It included financial assistance and support in the form of medical equipments and supplies to strengthen the health, social and economic resilience of the most pandemic-hit countries. At the same time, it has provided $ 10 million in assistance to the World Health Organization, which will help countries in the world that are suffering from the pandemic and financially struggling to fight the pandemic. The donation has been distributed to the most vulnerable Non-Aligned Movement member countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Additionally, in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, Azerbaijan even donated $5 million of financial aid to the Islamic Republic of Iran devastated under the US sanctions which made it impossible for the country to swiftly take the necessary medical, economic and social measures to protect its citizens from the coronavirus. The main criteria here are the countries in need the most. All this, of course, is a clear example of the humanity and generosity of the people of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan never turns away those who ask for help. Therefore, the sympathy and respect for Azerbaijan, who pursues the right and dignified policy both domestically and internationally, is growing day by day. That once again attests Azerbaijan is always at the forefront of the fight against the global challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost a public health crisis for the whole of humanity. Understanding the significance of the problem, therefore Azerbaijan shoulders a tremendous responsibility as a middle power to uphold the vision of strengthening the solidarity and the promotion of multilateral diplomacy. Azerbaijan conducts diplomacy focused on the practical measures to deal with a global disaster of this dimension, at multiple levels, in coordination with each other and the international community. Some experts consider the recent developments in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy as “the rise of Azerbaijan’s diplomacy”.

To conclude, at a time when the global crisis and uncertainty are deepening, Azerbaijan is taking responsibility and making a real contribution to multilateralism. As a responsible and reliable member of the world community, Azerbaijan has supported calls for global solidarity from the earliest days of the coronavirus threat. Azerbaijan’s foreign policy stance on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that the international community can only tackle the current crisis through a multilateral rules-based order and there is no way to protectionism and isolationism. More specifically, Azerbaijan prefers inclusive diplomacy as a possible framework for addressing the current critical situation.