Category: 2022

A short visit to Armenia becomes an indefinite stay

Hambardsumian Paul
 Annie Nazari Non-Profit 0

Erfan Falahi

A four-month stay in Armenia and experience life like the locals: this was the initial intention of Erfan Falahi when he came to Armenia. Similarities between Armenian and Iranian cultures, the war in Artsakh, kind-hearted locals and new ventures are some of the reasons that turned the four-month stay into an indefinite one.

Born to Persian parents in Iran, Falahi grew up in Isfahan where the juxtaposition of Persian and Armenian culture created a rich historical narrative. He made many Armenian friends growing up and became acquainted with Armenian culture. He studied graphic design in high school in his hometown and then industrial design at the University of Berlin, Germany. 

When the borders shut down with the outbreak of the global pandemic in 2020, Falahi’s friends compelled him to consider visiting Armenia. Armenia was one of the destinations that had open borders with Iran at that time. Falahi was amazed by the similarities between Armenians and Iranians at once. Their genuine hospitality, liveliness and love for life, which were so resonant in Armenia before the 44-day war in 2020, left a deep impression on him. “It was friendlier than what I had thought. There is an affectionate heart hidden behind their seriousness and cold appearance. Armenia feels like home yet without all the restrictions that we face in Iran,” he said.

The war broke out 10 days after his arrival—an incident that came as no surprise to him as he had always been aware of the geopolitical changes in the region. He joined his Armenian friends and helped in any way he could throughout the war. He followed the news, posted information on social media and wrote articles to raise awareness. Trained in first aid, he tried, and unfortunately failed, to obtain permission to treat the wounded. That setback did not stop him from collecting humanitarian aid. He donated blood for the very first time and built strong bonds with many families impacted by the war.

“One might be aware of the atrocities happening in different parts of the world and send humanitarian aid, but witnessing what war did was the reason that made me stay in Armenia,” he said.

Challenging at the start, he learned the language quickly and now he has satisfactory verbal and written skills in Armenian. The industrial designer has had different jobs since his first day in the country. He regrets that there is little demand for industrial designers in Armenia. However, he appreciates the opportunities to learn new skills. After working as a tour guide, a foreign language teacher and a dispatcher, he decided to join Armenian Volunteers Corps to focus more on charity work. Founded in 2000, Armenian Volunteer Corps offers volunteering and internship opportunities in a variety of sectors in Armenia. Moreover, it provides homestays and logistical support so that participants of different nationalities can have seamless integration into Armenian society. Since the start of his volunteering program, Falahi has designed logos for the Embassy of Artsakh, taught English at Armath and photographed for Birthright Armenia and the Armenian Volunteer Corps. He cherishes the time he has had to connect more with the Armenian culture as much as the chance to meet volunteers who join the program from different countries.  

During an excursion with Birthright Armenia while capturing random moments, his attention was drawn to an elderly local. The tatik was enjoying the presence of the visitors in her village when Falahi took a picture of her. Never missing a chance to have conversations with locals, he approached her. After a few minutes of small talk, the tatik’s son appeared with a wooden box for Falahi. He was overwhelmed with emotion when he noticed the original carvings by the young man. “It’s all about the people I meet. Locals are the strings that will forever attach me to Armenia,” he said. 

Falahi plans to stay in Armenia indefinitely. “I believe Armenia can be a potential country where you can build your future despite all the economic and geopolitical issues. I do not know where my life will take me in the future and where I will eventually settle someday. But I definitely know I want to do more in this country.” Surprised by how little Armenians and Iranians know about each other, he wishes to build a strong bridge between Iran and Armenia in the future. The locals’ image of Iran surprises him. “I would really like to… show them how beautiful my country is. They can experience the unexpected there: history, culture, modernity and more.”

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Annie Nazari was born and raised in an Armenian family in Tehran, Iran. She graduated from the University of Tehran with a degree in classical music, performance. Passionate about foreign languages, she started a career in teaching English as a foreign language in 2017. She joined Birthright Armenia in 2021 and repatriated upon becoming an alumna after eight months of volunteering. She wrote articles and taught English during her time with Birthright Armenia. Lately, her interest in creative writing has persuaded her to enter the world of content writers. She enjoys transforming the stories of those with compelling narratives into written words.


AW: Armenian communities in Lachin to be ceded to Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian
 Lillian Avedian News 1

Sign along the Lachin corridor welcoming travelers to Aghavno (Photo: Flickr/Gert-Jan Peddemors)

The town of Lachin and several nearby villages inhabited by Armenians will be ceded to Azerbaijan following the construction of a new route connecting Armenia and Artsakh, according to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. 

Pashinyan confirmed during a three-and-a-half hour online press briefing on June 27 that several villages and towns in the Lachin district “will pass to Azerbaijan’s control.”

The Lachin district was ceded to Azerbaijan after the 2020 Artsakh War, except for the Lachin corridor, which was protected by the November 9 ceasefire agreement as the sole route connecting Armenia and Artsakh. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to construct an alternate route to the Lachin corridor within the following three years, to which Russian peacekeepers would be redeployed. 

The new route will bypass the Armenian communities that currently lie along the Lachin corridor, which will be ceded to Azerbaijan. The communities include the villages Aghavno, Nerkin Sus and Sus, as well as the town of Lachin. 

Pashinyan said that the change in route would “ensure a more reliable and quality connection for Armenia.” Problems arising from the handover of villages “will be solved with the help of the Artsakh government.” 

The new route will start in the Armenian village Kornidzor in Syunik, pass through the villages Hin Shen and Mets Shen in the Shushi district and reach Stepanakert. Construction of the portion of the road passing through Azerbaijani-controlled territory has been underway. The head of Azerbaijan’s state road agency said earlier this year that he expects the route to be ready by July. In contrast, construction on the part of the road that runs through Armenia has not commenced. 

Aghavno came under Armenian control during the first Artsakh War. The village was rebuilt largely through funding from humanitarian organizations in the diaspora. 

After Azerbaijan took control of Lachin in December 2020, the residents of communities like Aghavno were ordered to leave, yet many chose to stay. Of the 270 people who lived in Aghavno before the war, 185 have returned, according to Eurasianet. 

The mayor of Aghavno Andranik Chavushyan told Eurasianet that living in the village raises “constant obstacles.”

“We never had gas, so we use gas cylinders. We had power outages, so we brought generators. Water shortages? Fortunately, we have a river in the village. We believed in ourselves, not in the government, and refused to leave the village. We are living here today because we relied on ourselves,” Chavushyan said. 

“We are responsible for our future generation. We defended ourselves in the 90s, we did it in 2020, and we are ready to fight again. We only need will and faith in ourselves,” the mayor continued. 

During the question-and-answer session on Monday, Pashinyan also said that Azerbaijan is “trying to build up legitimacy for a new war against Armenia and Artsakh” by creating the impression that Armenia impedes progress on negotiations on border demarcation and a peace treaty. 

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan answers questions from the press (RA Prime Minister’s Office, June 27)

“Whether they plan the new war in three months, three years or 30 years is a different issue,” Pashinyan said. 

On the contrary, he said that Azerbaijan obstructs negotiations and hopes to continue the decades-long blockade of Armenia. 

He accused Azerbaijan of canceling a meeting scheduled for Monday in Brussels between Armenian Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan and foreign policy advisor to Azerbaijan’s president Hikmet Hajiyev. He also accused Azerbaijan of turning down a proposal to organize a face-to-face meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers.

Nonetheless, Pashinyan was insistent that Armenia must remain committed to a peace agenda.

“There is no alternative to the peace agenda, but it cannot be one-sided. Rather, there must be two-sided, constructive movement. We have done everything and do everything in our power to open an era of peaceful development in our region. The alternative to that is a new war,” Pashinyan said. 

Pashinyan also commented on ongoing negotiations to normalize relations with Turkey, stating that Armenia sees the opportunity to “move forward in small steps” toward this goal. 

“Turkey’s references to the ‘Zangezur corridor’ create a negative tone and are not helpful for the process, but that does not mean that we will halt dialogue,” he said. 

Most local media outlets boycotted the press conference in protest of its online format.

Pashinyan’s last three press conferences since November 2021 have been hosted online, with media outlets given the opportunity to submit questions in advance. The prime minister’s office has defended the ongoing use of the format, citing coronavirus precautions.

A group of 27 editors of primarily pro-opposition or opposition-leaning media outlets released a statement announcing their decision to boycott the press briefing. The outlets, including ARF-owned Yerkir Media, NEWS.am, Panorama.am and Aravot Daily, called on Pashinyan to return to an in-person format.

“The previous experience has proved that such ‘online contacts’ take place in a pre-planned scenario. Only the questions by the pro-government media, Telegram channels and bloggers are publicized during these events, who, apparently, agree in advance with the organizers of the event, and in the case of the questions by other media—they are either ignored, or edited, or distorted,” the statement reads. 

In a separate statement, eight media outlets, including Civilnet, RFE/RL, the Fact Investigation Platform and Aravot Daily, urged the prime minister to return to an in-person format, since virtually all other coronavirus-related restrictions have been lifted by the administration. 

“During these press conferences, the questions sent by the media are grouped and edited by the prime minister’s office, as a result of which often the content of the question is distorted or nuances of the question are lost. Sometimes some questions are not asked at all,” the statement reads. “Consequently the access of the public to proper information is effectively restricted.”

“We deem this form of interaction with the media by the country’s leader to be discriminatory, ineffective and in contradiction with the core principles of democracy, transparency and accountability,” the statement continues.

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Lillian Avedian is a staff writer for the Armenian Weekly. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Hetq and the Daily Californian. She is pursuing master’s degrees in Journalism and Near Eastern Studies at New York University. A human rights journalist and feminist poet, Lillian’s first poetry collection Journey to Tatev was released with Girls on Key Press in spring of 2021.


RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/29/2022

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Wednesday, 
Armenian Deputy Speaker Unfazed By Impending Ouster
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - Ishkhan Saghatelian (second from right) and other opposition lawmakers 
lead an anti-government rally in Yerevan, May 18, 2022.
Ishkhan Saghatelian, a deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament, on Wednesday 
shrugged off the ruling Civil Contract party’s decision to strip him and another 
opposition leader of their parliamentary posts.
Saghatelian also made clear that the main opposition Hayastan alliance, of which 
he is a senior member, have no plans yet to end a more than two-month boycott of 
sessions of the National Assembly and its standing committees.
“We will go back to the parliament only with our agenda,” he told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian Service.
Hayastan and the second parliamentary opposition force, Pativ Unem, began the 
boycott in April in advance of their daily demonstrations demanding Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation. They decided to scale back the protests 
earlier this month after failing to topple Pashinian.
Armenia - Opposition supporters demonstrate in France Square, Yerevan, May 3, 
2022.
Leaders of the parliament’s pro-government majority have threatened to strip 
lawmakers representing Hayastan and Pativ Unem of their parliament seats for 
absenteeism. They announced no decisions to that effect after a meeting of Civil 
Contract’s parliamentary group held on Tuesday.
The group said instead that it will oust Saghatelian and Hayastan’s Vahe 
Hakobian as deputy speaker and chairman of the parliament committee on economic 
issues respectively.
Artur Hovannisian, a senior Civil Contract parliamentarian, told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian Service on Wednesday that the two oppositionists will be formally 
relieved of their duties by September. He said they themselves stopped 
performing those duties.
“We have seen either an empty chair or a silent Ishkhan Saghatelian sitting on 
it,” said Hovannisian. “Such a deputy speaker hampers our work with his 
inactivity.”
Armenia - Former President Robert Kocharian (center), Ishkhan Saghatelian 
(right) and Vahe Hakobian at an election campaign rally in Yerevan, June 18, 
2021.
“They work against the Republic of Armenia,” Saghatelian shot back. “If I have 
managed to impede their work, then that’s wonderful. They must expect more 
severe blows soon.”
“Civil Contract must not talk about things like professional skills, experience 
or knowledge,” he went on. “They are so far from these things. Since their 
lifetime aim was to grab state posts they think that they can hurt me or my 
colleagues in this way. They don’t understand that it’s so secondary to us right 
now.”
The opposition forces accuse Pashinian of planning to make sweeping concessions 
to Azerbaijan that would place Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijani control and 
jeopardize the very existence of Armenia. They are scheduled to hold another 
antigovernment rally in Yerevan on Friday.
Pashinian Aide Elected Armenia’s Chief Prosecutor
        • Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia - Anna Vardapetian addresses parliament before being elected as 
Armenia's next prosecutor-general, Yerevan, .
The National Assembly voted on Wednesday to appoint an aide to Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian as Armenia’s next chief prosecutor.
The current prosecutor-general, Artur Davtian, will complete his six-year term 
in office on September 15. He was appointed in 2016 by the country’s former 
parliament dominated by then President Serzh Sarkisian’s loyalists.
Pashinian and his political allies, who control the current parliament, decided 
not to appoint Davtian for a second term.
Their pick for the post, Anna Vardapetian, served as a deputy minister of 
justice in 2019 and became Pashinian’s assistant on legal affairs in March 2020. 
She was elected by 70 members of the 107-seat parliament. They all represent 
Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
Speaking on the parliament floor before the vote, Vardapetian, pledged to ensure 
proper oversight of law-enforcement agencies combatting and investigating 
crimes. She said she will tackle favoritism within those agencies as well as 
what she called excessive delays in criminal investigations and a broader “lack 
of justice” in the country.
“If the prosecutor is consistent about a criminal case, the citizen will not 
come to the gates of the government or the National Assembly to demand a [fair] 
investigation of their case,” she said.
Armenia -- Businessman Ruben Hayrapetian speaks to journalists after being 
released by police, Yerevan, February 4, 2020.
Vartanian, 36, herself was accused of breaking the law last year after an 
Armenian media outlet published purported evidence of her interference in a 
criminal investigation into a fugitive businessman critical of Pashinian’s 
government.
The online publication, 168.am, posted what it described as screenshots of an 
e-mail sent by Vardapetian to a senior law-enforcement officer leading the 
investigation. The letter contained instructions regarding businessman Ruben 
Hayrapetian’s indictment.
Hayrapetian’s lawyers seized upon the report, saying that Vardapetian committed 
a crime and must be prosecuted. The Office of the Prosecutor-General cleared 
Pashinian’s aide of any wrongdoing, however, saying that she advised, rather 
than pressured, the investigator.
Vardapetian, who has never worked as a prosecutor before, did not comment on the 
scandal when she addressed the National Assembly on Wednesday. And she again 
declined to talk to reporters.
Nor did any of the pro-government lawmakers ask Vardapetian to comment on the 
scandal. Their opposition colleagues did not participate in the election of the 
new prosecutor-general because of a continuing opposition boycott of the 
parliament’s sessions.
Armenian Official Sees Progress In Talks On Transport Links With Azerbaijan
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian at a news conference in Yerevan, 
March 30, 2020.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have narrowed their differences on planned transport 
links between the two countries during ongoing negotiations mediated by Russia, 
according to Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian.
A Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani commission dealing with the matter met twice in 
Russia earlier this month after a six-month hiatus.
Grigorian, who co-chairs the commission along with his Azerbaijani and Russian 
counterparts, described its activities as “constructive” in an interview with 
Russia’s TASS news agency published late on Tuesday.
“It’s certainly difficult work but I must note that the parties manage to bring 
closer their positions on many issues of border and customs control as well as 
safe passage of citizens, vehicles and cargo through roads and railways in the 
territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.
Grigorian added that “expert subgroups” formed by the three governments are 
continuing to work on practical modalities of the transport links envisaged by 
the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. He 
did not say when Baku and Yerevan could reach a final agreement.
Grigorian’s remarks contrasted with what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said 
during a virtual news conference on Monday. He claimed that Baku has rejected a 
draft agreement on the construction of a railway that will connect Azerbaijan to 
its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia.
“The draft document was presented by the Russian co-chair of the trilateral 
commission, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk,” he said. “The Armenian side 
expressed readiness to sign the document while the Azerbaijani side refused that 
agreement.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly demanded an exterritorial 
“corridor” for Nakhichevan that would exempt travellers and cargo from Armenian 
border controls. On June 16, Aliyev implicitly threatened to resort to military 
action if the Armenian side continues to oppose such an overland link.
Armenian leaders maintain that Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements brokered by 
Russia and the European Union call for only conventional transport links between 
the two South Caucasus states.
Visiting Yerevan on June 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that 
Armenia will control the planned road and railway that will connect Nakhichevan 
to the rest of Azerbaijan. Lavrov said the Armenian side will only simplify 
border crossing procedures. Baku, Moscow and Yerevan are now finalizing a deal 
on such a border control regime, he said.
The most recent meeting of the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani commission took 
place in Saint Petersburg on June 20.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Armenia to go cash-free

Emil Lazarian
Ani Mejlumyan Jun 27, 2022

Most major transactions in Armenia – buying a car or even a house – typically are conducted in cash, with buyers handing over a thick stack of bills, usually dollars.

But no more: Under a new law all big purchases will have to be made electronically, either through a mobile payment app or via a wire transfer at a bank.

And for now, at least, that will come with a steep fee: Banks charge between 1.5 and 3 percent for the transactions.

The new law, passed by parliament on June 9, affects business transactions of more than 300,000 drams (about $720) and transactions between individuals of more than 500,000 drams ($1,200). That limit for individuals will be reduced to 300,000 drams in July 2023.

The law also prohibits local and central government bodies from making or taking any payments in cash. Some institutions like hospitals, universities, and notaries will go completely cashless. Pensions and salaries will have to be paid via banks – even pawnshop loans, as well. And transactions made illicitly in cash can be annulled.

“Let no one think that we want to complicate people’s lives, on the contrary, we want to simplify people’s lives,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a June 2 cabinet meeting where the bill was discussed. “There are also fiscal and anti-corruption effects here.”

Under Pashinyan, the government began a campaign to reduce the off-the-books shadow economy starting in 2019. It now requires small businesses to issue receipts and to officially register all employees, and starting in 2024 all Armenians will have to declare their income to the government.

“The restrictions on cash transactions can help reduce the level of the shadow economy, since transfers can’t be made in foreign currencies, which is a common practice,” Vilen Khachatryan, head of the Department of Management at the Armenian Academy of Public Administration told local news website Panorama.am.

But many anticipate logistical challenges, as there are questions about whether the banking system can handle what will be a large increase in electronic transactions, whether trust can be maintained without cash, or how people will try to circumvent the rules.

One man who buys and sells used cars for a living, Tigran Hovannisyan, told RFE/RL: “We are going to have disputes with buyers. A buyer is going to say, ‘I won’t transfer the money until you register the car in my name,’ and I’m going to answer: ‘I won’t register it in your name until you transfer the money.’”

People may come up with creative ways to evade the regulation, the director of the real estate agency Kentron, Vahe Danielyan, told RFE/RL. “Buyers and sellers may formalize their deals as ‘donations’ and do them in cash to avoid taxes,” he said.

“The banking system, because of the increased number of transactions, needs to be able to provide fast service and improve in quality,” Khachatryan said.

Bank fees on these transactions currently amount to between 1.5 and 3 percent, representing a significant cost for consumers and a windfall for banks. But the Central Bank of Armenia was “negotiating” with banks to reduce the fees, Hovhannes Khachatryan, the bank’s deputy chair, told reporters on June 16. 

Khachatryan also promised to make sure that businesses that don’t currently have payment terminals can get them, saying the central bank is working with private banks to ensure access. 

Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-to-go-cash-free 




Greece, Cyprus and Armenia to cooperate on international recognition of genocides

Tambiyan Samvel
The Greek Herald
Australia –

AUTHOR

Andriana Simos

Greece, Cyprus and Armenian signed a memorandum on trilateral cooperation on diaspora issues in Athens on June 24.

The memorandum was signed by RA High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan, Greek Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andreas Katsaniotis, and the Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues and Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou.

The memorandum is comprised of nine separate articles, which describe the joint actions that the three countries will take to exchange information and know-how in the field of diaspora, but also to promote their national positions.

In a statement after the signing, Mr Katsaniotis also confirmed that Greece, Cyprus and Armenia are “working together for international recognition of the Pontian Genocide, the Armenian Genocide and the international condemnation of the Turkish occupation of the northern part of Cyprus.”

“Greece, Cyprus, Armenia have common values, a common course. But we also have common experiences, common traumas,” Mr Katsaniotis stressed as a reason why the memorandum is important.

Mr Sinanyan highlighted the importance of historical friendship and common values of the three countries.

“It is our commitment to encourage [the diaspora] to more actively collaborate and exchange best practices and know-how and finally to take actions toward promoting common values and interests to the greatest extent possible,” Mr Sinanyan said.

https://greekherald.com.au/news/greece-cyprus-and-armenia-to-cooperate-on-international-recognition-of-genocides/

Greek PM Mitsotakis to Meet with Armenian FM Mirzoyan

Khoyetsian Rose
THE NATIONAL HERALD
Greece –
By Athens News Agency

ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet with the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, at 12:00 on Monday, at the Maximos Mansion.

At 13:00, the prime minister will have a meeting with the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, also at the Maximos Mansion.

Iran building schools, hospitals in Karabakh region

Christine Harutyunian
TEHRAN TIMES
Iran –
  1. Economy
– 15:53

TEHRAN – Ali Alizadeh, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Iran, has invited Iranian companies to participate in reconstruction projects in the Karabakh region, saying Iranian contractors are currently constructing schools and hospitals in the region.

Speaking in a meeting with Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, the ambassador said: “There are many opportunities for Iranian companies [in the Karabakh region]. We have good opportunities for cooperation in the fields of energy, transportation, and trade, and we are determined to pursue this cooperation.”

“Azerbaijan and Iran are two close, brotherly and friendly countries that have a great relationship, and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Iran and emphasizes strengthening these relations,” Alizadeh said.

As reported by the ICCIMA portal, he noted that economic and trade ties play a pivotal role in strengthening political relations between the two countries, and since the ICCIMA is one of the most important economic players in Iran, the embassy likes to pursue the strengthening of economic and trade relations between the two countries through ICCIMA as well.

“There are lots of common areas for cooperation between the two countries in various fields including energy and transportation. Last year, the Republic of Azerbaijan was able to increase its trade balance by about 30 percent, and at the beginning of this year the trade balance has increased by about 20 percent,” the official stated.

Shafeie for his part mentioned close relations between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying: “Iran and Azerbaijan have special and exceptional relations. If you travel from Azerbaijan to Iran and from Iran to Azerbaijan, you will not see much cultural difference between the two countries, and cultural and linguistic commonalities are effective in comprehensive relations.”

the ICCIMA head noted that there are great opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, adding: “The development of transportation between the two countries will play an important role in regional trade.”

“Yesterday I had a meeting with the chairman of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce who visited the UAE, Pakistan and India, his whole plan was to seek ways to increase transportation between Russia and Southeast Asia; We emphasized the cooperation of Iran and Azerbaijan in this project,” Shafeie said.

EF/

Photo: ICCIMA Head Gholam-Hossein Shafeie (R) and Azeri Ambassador to Tehran Ali Alizadeh

Tehran: Evidence of Armenian Genocide from German Foreign Office archives published in Persian

Emma Jilavian
TEHRAN TIMES
Iran –
  1. Culture
– 18:58

TEHRAN – “The Armenian Genocide: Evidence from the German Foreign Office Archives, 1915-1916” compiled and edited by German journalist Wolfgang Gust has been published in Persian.

Parvin Daneshvar is the translator of the book published by Afkar.

In 1915, the Armenians were exiled from their land, and in the process of deportation 1.5 million of them were killed. 

The 1915-1916 annihilation of the Armenians was the archetype of modern genocide, in which a state adopts a specific scheme geared to the destruction of an identifiable group of its own citizens. 

Official German diplomatic documents are of great importance in understanding the genocide, as only Germany had the right to report day-by-day in secret code about the ongoing genocide. 

The motives, methods and after-effects of the Armenian Genocide echoed strongly in subsequent cases of state-sponsored genocide. 

Studying the factors that went into the Armenian Genocide not only gives us an understanding of historical genocide, but also provides us with crucial information for the anticipation and possible prevention of future genocides.

Wolfgang Gust is an independent scholar based in Germany. For many years he was a foreign news editor and correspondent with the highly respected German news magazine Der Spiegel. 

He is the author of two previous books about the Armenian Genocide and the Ottoman Empire, as well as several articles related to the subject.

Photo: Front cover of the Persian edition of Wolfgang Gust’s book “The Armenian Genocide: Evidence from the German Foreign Office Archives, 1915-1916”.

MMS/YAW

Armenian media outlets: Pashinyan’s insistence on virtual press conferences ‘non-democratic’

Kanayan Tamar
 

ByAni Avetisyan
Pashinyan holding an online press conference on 24 January, 2022. Photo via primeminister.am.

In two separate statements, over five dozen media organisations in Armenia condemned Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s continued holding of press conferences online, calling the format ‘non-democratic’. 

On Friday evening, the Armenian Times newspaper, which is majority-owned by Pashinyan’s mother-in-law, citing ‘their sources’ in the government, reported that Pashinyan was about to announce an press conference — with questions to the Prime Minister read by a presenter employed by Armenia’s Public Broadcaster. 

On Saturday, that information was confirmed by the Prime Minister’s staff. The press conference is to be held at 20:00 on 27 June.

Shortly after the Armenian Times published its news about the press conference, a group of news editors, primarily employed by pro-opposition or opposition-leaning media outlets, issued a statement declaring a boycott of the press conference and refusing to send questions.

‘The previous experience has proved that such “online contacts” take place in a prepared scenario; only the questions by the pro-government media, telegram channels, and bloggers are publicised during these events, who, apparently, agree in advance with the organisers of the event, and in the case of the questions by other media — they are either ignored, edited or distorted’, the statement reads.

As of publication, over three dozen editors have added their names to the joint statement declaring the boycott. 

In another statement, a small number of larger non-partisan media outlets, including Azatutyun, the Armenian service of RFE/RL, and Civilnet condemned the format of the press conference and reoccurring cases of questions that were submitted being edited or distorted. 

‘We deem this form of interaction with the media by the country’s ruler discriminatory, ineffective, and in contradiction with the core principles of democracy, transparency, and accountability’, the statement reads.

Hakob Karapetyan, the editor-in-chief of Armenian fact-checking platform Fact Investigation Platform and one of the initiators of the statement, told OC Media one of the reasons for initiating the statement was the ‘leak’ of the information by the Armenian Times and a concern that the questions sent to the Prime Minister would risk being edited and distorted again. 

‘So we, at the office, decided not to send questions at all and to even issue a statement expressing our attitude towards the press conferences in that format’. Later, a group of media organizations appeared to be willing to join the statement. 

‘The Prime Minister considers the democratization of the country and the transparency of his government as one of the main achievements’, Karapetyan told OC Media. ‘We wanted to send a warning or a signal to them that such actions do not support the democratisation of the country’. 

Karapetyan also warned that with ‘such regressive steps’ Armenia was returning to the days when ‘leaders of the country would not have press conferences for years’ or would only invite representatives from media outlets ‘dear’ to them. 

Pashinyan has been holding online press conferences since 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemics as a reason for the new format instead of pre-covid and pre-war more often and open communication with the local media outlets. 

However, media organisations have repeatedly complained that the questions they sent to the Prime Minister’s staff were either edited and distorted or not given to Pashinyan.

Prior to the conference, several pro-Pashinyan politicians criticised the media outlets that signed the two statements. Taron Chakhoyan, the deputy head of Prime Minister’s staff accused the pro-opposition and opposition-leaning media outlets of not being professional and serving the interest of those ‘seeking revanchism’. 


Sports: Ball Hockey: Bermuda Defeat Armenia 6-1

Emil Lazarian
Bermuda –
June 26, 2022 

Bermuda claimed a resounding 6-1 victory over Armenia today [June 26] in the 2022 ISBHF International Street & Ball Hockey World Championships in Quebec.

This marks their fifth win of the tournament, as they have already defeated the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, France and Pakistan, with their sole loss thus far a 4-3 defeat by Lebanon.

Bermuda got two goals from Jean-Michael Tremblay and Jonathan Talbot, while Jeremy Estey and Andrew Bonner both scored a goal each as the team racked up six goals while only conceding one.

This result means that Bermuda advances to the Pool B Gold Medal Game in the tournament and will be back in action tomorrow.