Category: 2022

Asbarez: Dr. Dennis Papazian’s Memoir Published by The Press at Fresno State

Emma Nadirian
 by Contributor

 

 

 

in Arts & Culture, Books, Latest, News, Top Stories
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“From My Life and Thought: Reflections on an Armenian-American Journey” book cover

The Armenian Series of The Press at California State University, Fresno announced the publication of its fifteenth volume, entitled “From My Life and Thought: Reflections on an Armenian-American Journey,”—a memoir by Dennis R. Papazian, a well-known community leader, Professor Emeritus of History, and founding Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. 

Writer Michael Bobelian, who provides the foreword to the volume, describes the post-genocide, twentieth century Armenian-American experience as one that witnessed the transformation of the community from one of “widows and orphans” with “little economic or political clout” to a community able to come together in pursuit of more ambitious goals of genocide recognition, political advocacy, academic excellence, and success in business and other professions. 

“Born in 1931,” Bobelian writes, “Dennis’s life spanned this epoch, a crucial time in Armenian-American history that has long been overlooked by Armenians who have otherwise dedicated immense resources to preserving their culture. In fact, other than the late Vartan Gregorian, none of Dennis’s peers have produced an account of this time period.” 

According to Bobelian, “this memoir provides readers with a much-needed front-row seat of this transformative era. Dennis’s account of the changes endured by the Armenian-American community offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the leading institutions and individuals of his generation: Alex Manoogian, William Saroyan, and the Catholicos all make appearances in these pages. What makes Dennis so atypical is the different hats he wore. As a scholar, community leader, and spokesperson, Dennis served the Armenian-American community in myriad ways: participating in academic organizations, speaking to the press, lobbying politicians, delivering speeches, doling out grants, and so much more.”

In “From My Life and Thought: Reflections on an Armenian-American Journey,” Papazian shares his reflections on a quintessentially twentieth-century American life shaped by the challenges of the immigrant experience, his family’s struggle to create a life in a new land, and his determined efforts to secure an education that would ensure a life of security and the promise of the American dream. 

From left: Marie Papazian, Dr. Mary Papazian, Ani Papazian, Dr. Dennis Papazian

Born 90 years ago in the pre-World War II, pre-civil rights American South of Armenian immigrant parents from Istanbul, Turkey, Papazian pursued a Ph.D. in Russian history, becoming one of the first American students to study in the then Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Not only did this experience open the world to him, it also placed him in the center of major geo-political events, teaching him nuance and perspective that would lead him to become a highly sought analyst as the Soviet Union broke apart decades later.

Upon his return to Michigan, Papazian went on to live a life of contribution and service as he engaged in a decades-long career in higher education as an educator, scholar, and administrator. During this period, he also became a key leader in the emergence of an Armenian-American community just finding its footing fifty years after the 1915 Armenian Genocide, where he made significant contributions to multiple Armenian community, religious, academic, and political institutions. 

“Alongside Dennis’s exploration of Armenian-American life,” Bobelian writes, “there is plenty of adventure within these pages. His time as a graduate student in Moscow at the height of the Cold War reads—at times—like a lighthearted John le Carré novel. Papazian barely survived a plane crash and had face-to-face interactions with Eleanor Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower along the way.” And while Dennis’s life placed him in the center of the rebirth of the Armenian community in America, it also is a classic American immigrant tale, one in which, according to Bobelian, “he regularly navigated life as a hyphenated American, shuffling—as many Armenians do—between various cultures and multiple identities.” 

In “From My Life and Thought,” Papazian shares his resilience, keen sense of perception, and vision, as well as the memorable characters he meets along the way, as he reflects on his consequential, eventful, and at times surprising life. Through it all, he writes with humor and wit, as he tells a story that will inspire readers of all generations and backgrounds and give hope to all who join him on his journey. 

The Armenian Series at California State University, Fresno was established through the generous support of the M. Victoria Karagozian Kazan and Henry S. Khanzadian Kazan Endowment. Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian is the general editor of the series.

“From My Life and Thought: Reflections on an Armenian-American Journey” is available at Abril Bookstore or the NAASR bookstore.

Asbarez: As Border Talks Begin, Baku and Yerevan Spar Over ‘Zangezur Corridor’

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

The Armenia-Azerbaijan border


The deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev met on Tuesday on the border of the two countries to kick off the process of delimitation and demarcation of borders as agreed to during talks in Brussels a day before.

However, the so-called progress that was hailed by President of Council of Europe Charles Michel—who hosted the meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan—seemed short-lived because Aliyev announced that they had reached an agreement on the opening of the so-called “Zangezur Corridor,” a scheme he has hatched to connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan through Armenia.

Yerevan has continuously denied such an agreement and has called it an infringement on Armenia’s territorial integrity.

Aliyev reportedly telephoned his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to update him about his meeting with Pashinyan. Aliyev’s press service reported on Tuesday that he told Erdogan that “the parties reached an agreement on the opening of the Zangezur corridor, including the issue of laying both the railroad and the highway.”

Yerevan was quick to deny Aliyev’s statements with Armenia’s National Security Chief Armen Grigoryan telling Armenpress on Tuesday that no road to transport route can operate as a corridor in the territory of Armenia.

“There have been no changes in the positions of the Republic of Armenia. No road or transport route in can operate as a corridor in the territory of Armenia. All agreements reached in Brussels relate to the opening of regional communication,” said Grigoryan. “All agreements reached in Brussels fit in the framework of the public statements made previously by representatives of Armenia.”

Grigoryan explained that a statement released by Michel on Monday delineating the result of the Pashinyan-Aliyev talks specified the opening of regional transport routes and in that context discussed border and custom controls, road tolls and international transit prerequisites.

“These are important issues for realizing the Armenian Crossroads project, and the Government of Armenia will consistently move in this direction,” Grigoryan emphasized.

Reportedly, Aliyev told Erdogan that the meeting with Pashinyan was “positive” and added that the two discussed “the preparation of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, especially the five principles proposed by Baku, the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, opening of transport corridors, delimitation of borders.”

As announced by the Michel, Mher Grigoryan and Mustafatyev, the deputy prime ministers, voiced their readiness to embark on the border delimitation process and other relevant issues, including border security matters.

Pashinyan and Aliyev on Monday announced the formation of respective commissions, which will be headed by the deputy prime ministers.

In addition to holding meetings at the interstate border, Mher Grigoryan and Mustafatyev agreed on the expediency of different platforms for further meetings of the commissions. Specifically, an agreement was reached to hold the second meeting in Moscow and the third one in Brussels.

AW: The Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting is not only about the final status of Artsakh, but the disintegration of Armenia

Baghdasarian Karlen
 Guest Contributor Opinion 0

Lilit Galstian, National Assembly of Armenia MP

The following article by Lilit Galstian first appeared in Yerevan Today on May 22, 2022 and has been translated for publication in the Armenian Weekly. Galstian represents the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) as a parliamentary member of the National Assembly of Armenia.

This translation offers the English-speaking world the opportunity to evaluate the extent of the damage inflicted upon Armenia and Artsakh by the current administration. It reflects the fundamental collapse of statecraft and the oath to protect the nation by this collaborative government. Similar to Vichy France, the current administration pursues the policies of the enemies of Armenia and Artsakh as its own and curiously shares the same “detractors” inside and outside Armenia, as do our enemies. 

The statement made by the President of the Council of Europe Charles Michel following the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting is not only about placing the final nail in Artsakh’s coffin, but it also initiates the disintegration of Armenia and the final capitulation of her statehood. 

At this meeting:

  1. There was not a single word about the ongoing Azeri aggressions during the last year, multiple violations of the territorial integrity of Armenia and the presence of Azerbaijani military units on Armenian soil.
  2. Nothing was mentioned of the return of the POWs and captives.
  3. There was no mention of the right and status of Artsakh’s self-determination, a complete abdication of responsibility on the issue. The settlement of the Artsakh conflict has been reduced to the level of “issues” related to the security and rights of the Armenian population of Karabakh (assuming there is an Armenian left there).
  4. A prompt demarcation procedure is outlined, which is aimed at ceding territories from Armenia to Azerbaijan, leaving Artsakh to Azerbaijan, and recognizing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
  5. Under the point of communications, it is clear that Armenia will suffer new losses of territorial integrity and sovereignty. Azerbaijan and Turkey will subject Armenia to transport regulations, which means that free movement through Armenia will be limited and hampered. This is an unthinkable threat to depopulate Armenia.
  6. The peace agreement, which has already been finalized, will announce the final capitulation of Armenia, courtesy of the Anglo-Saxon “democracy” project that brought this administration and its catastrophic plans to Armenia in 2018.
  7. In parallel with all this, the Rubinyan-Kilic talks are ongoing, which in turn contribute to the political downfall of Armenia.
  8. The EU’s promises of socio-economic development are roughly equivalent to the US-backed democracy in Afghanistan and the Arab world. Your Counsel is paid by the price of Armenia’s destruction.

And while an expertly placed insidious traitor is selling our statehood and the country piece by piece, some people still choose to sit in their living rooms, sip their coffee and discuss Ishkhan’s voice, Vanetsyan’s hair, Ashotyan’s shirt color, Galstyan’s sneakers, the sound of patriotic songs from the square or the rising smoke from the bonfires. We are living the proverbial Nero playing the violin while Rome was burning. Will we wake up in time to extinguish the fire, or must we look for what remains of us in the ashes, if any?

There is judgment, and there is a judgment day.

The trilateral meeting of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Brussels, May 22, 2022

The Lost Art of Manuel Azadigian

Antonian Lara
 Paul Vartan Sookiasian Art, Culture 0

Manuel Azadigian

The life of artist Manuel Azadigian, who was once referred to by a retrospective in Ararat Magazine as the “Forgotten Genius,” is like a scene out of a Hollywood drama. A son of Armenian immigrants, Azadigian’s artistic talents and determination earned him the chance to study in Jazz Age Paris and Rome. His story, however, reached a sudden and tragic climax in 1924 at the Gatsbyan estate of a silent film star, where he collapsed and soon died of a rare cancer at just 22 years old. In another cruel twist of fate, his complete life’s work of paintings disappeared, further consigning this lost talent to obscurity. Almost a century after his untimely death, a rare piece from Azadigian’s body of work has been discovered and will be going under the hammer next month. This unexpected opportunity is one that art-loving Armenian-Americans must seize, both to secure this piece of cultural heritage and to ensure the “Forgotten Genius” is forgotten no longer.

Born in Malatya in 1901, Azadigian and his family emigrated to the US in 1912 in the lead-up to the Genocide. Immigrant life in Philadelphia was difficult. Azadigian had to drop out of high school at age 15 and worked in a factory to help support his family, but he never gave up on his dedication to art. His perseverance ultimately earned him admittance to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), the nation’s oldest art school. He was later sponsored by philanthropist Arshag Karagheusian to continue his studies in Europe, a requirement at the time for any American aspiring to be a serious artist. He received acclaim from his exhibitions and profiles in French publications and Teotig’s Armenian almanac. 

Shortly after his return to the US, he opened a New York studio in April 1924. Then came his big break—a commission to paint the portrait of Hazel Dawn, one of the day’s leading actresses. It was while painting Dawn at her estate on the shore of Long Island’s Oyster Bay that he collapsed from what proved to be terminal cancer; he died a month later. The paintings in his studio were packed and shipped back to Philadelphia but mysteriously disappeared in transit. A few surviving paintings remained in his family’s possession, which the artist’s sister later donated to his alma mater. Yet, PAFA has no record of this donation and is unaware of what happened to these last examples of his work. 

A recreation of Manuel Azadigian painting Hazel Dawn taken after his death to illustrate her 1924 article for the Daily Graphic. Manuel’s cousin Leo sat in as the late artist. (Public Domain)

Those who remembered Azadigian never gave up on their dedication to his legacy. Dawn, for example, used her star power to publish a feature story about his talent in the New York Graphic just months after his death. She reflected:

“It is one of the ironies of fate that fame does not come to many men until they die. This is especially so of the old masters. And I believe with all my heart and soul that someday, the name of Manuel Azadigian will be passed reverently from mouth to mouth, and that in the not far distant future, the connoisseurs of the art world will vie with one another to obtain possession of Manuel’s paintings.”

That dream was rendered impossible through the loss of Azadigian’s works. But admirers and relatives, like Margaret Kalalian, have been working hard to preserve his legacy and solve the mystery of the missing paintings. Indeed, their efforts seem to have led to the resurfacing of this painting from an unknown private collection. The untitled work has been listed by the auction house under the name Spring in the Valley, though it could line up with a work from his catalog entitled The Early Spring. Painted in 1923 during his time in Paris, it depicts a bucolic village scene. The work is meaningful to Kalalian because it embodies her uncle’s talent, as well as their family history. “The death of my mother’s brother Manuel was traumatic for her, especially coming so shortly after their father passed away as well. It forced her to have to leave school as a young teenager to work in a factory to support her mother and younger brother,” she told the Weekly. “It’s important to continue discovering the existence of whatever paintings might still remain, as it validates his work and potential as a recognized artist of his time.” 

“Spring in the Valley,” Manuel Azadigian, oil on canvas, 1923

Acquiring this work is also of great importance toward preserving Armenian-American cultural heritage. Here is a little known but compelling Armenian life story which intersects with important American institutions, artists and even a silent film star. According to social art historian at Oxford University Vazken Khatchig Davidian, Azadigian is one of many Diasporan Armenian artists whose stories deserve more attention and appreciation: “Ottoman Armenian artists and those in the early post-Genocide diasporas are either ignored or underrepresented in Armenian art history, as the 20th century Armenian gaze mainly from the Republic privileged Soviet Armenian artists. In the rare cases where their art production is discussed, any Ottoman context is shed as to not challenge the dominant canonical nationalist Armenian narrative that views anything to do with Turkey through the narrow prism of the 1915 Genocide.” Azadigian left Turkey prior to the Genocide, but his formative years in Malatya were spent unlocking his artistic talents, shaped by the same environment as eminent painter and Malatya native Sarkis Katchadourian a generation prior. 

Davidian encourages Armenians to rediscover their art historical heritage by broadening their scope to include objects beyond traditional ethnographic items such as rugs, textiles and ceramics: “Acquiring pieces by Armenian artists, such as this Azadigian painting, and considering donating them to an Armenian museum or cultural institution, would recover fragments which can help reconstruct lesser-known aspects of our 20th century cultural experience as a people.”  

The biannual Collect: American Art auction will take place Tuesday, June 7 at the storied Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction house. “Azadigian’s work appealed to us as we are particularly delighted to present works by artists with ties to our hometown of Philadelphia,” said Olivia Zvara, the collection’s head of sale. “Furthermore, Azadigian was a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under instructors Daniel Garber and Robert Vonnoh, both of whom are regularly featured in our American Art auctions. Drawing attention to artists like Azadigian and other PAFA alumni not only appeals to our local audience, but also solidifies Philadelphia’s place as the nucleus of American art history.” He will be featured alongside renowned artists like Thomas Hart Benton, Andrew Wyeth and Garber, who had once written to his former pupil that his outstanding artistic talents would lead to a successful career. While that was not to be, perhaps this can be the opening of a new chapter in the life and legacy of Manuel Azadigian.

Those interested in organizing an effort to save this painting for the Armenian-American community may contact the author at [email protected]

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Paul Vartan Sookiasian is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has worked in Armenia as the English language editor at CivilNet and as a project associate for USAID programs. More recently he served as one of the organizers of the World Congress on Information Technology 2019 Yerevan. He is also a historian who researches and brings to light the long and rich history of Philadelphia’s Armenian community.


AYF Camp Haiastan unveils new logo

Ekmekjian Janet
 Camp Haiastan Announcements 0

FRANKLIN, Mass. — Ahead of the highly-anticipated 2022 summer season, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Camp Haiastan Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the official launch of Camp Haiastan’s new logo. This strategic initiative represents a refreshed commitment to empowering the dedicated community while also broadening Camp’s awareness to future generations of campers.

The new logo upholds Camp Haiastan’s long-standing identity, featuring prominent visuals of the beloved Mount Ararat and AYF logo, alongside modern font enhancements for a new look and feel. 

“Equally as significant to on-site and operational updates, ensuring Camp’s widely-circulated visuals effectively represent its robust legacy and appeal to prospective families across the globe remains critical to long-term success,” said Taline Badrikian, board member and chair of Camp Haiastan’s marketing team. 

Adding momentum to this exciting progress, the emblematic “tornig” icon will also undergo updates in the near term and will remain a key part of Camp’s branding.

This positive step forward is another fulfillment of the Camp promise to “make it better than it was” and is a strong way to begin another fantastic few months at 722 Summer Street. 

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Founded in 1951, AYF Camp Haiastan is the oldest Armenian residential camp in the United States. Camp Haiastan is located in Franklin, Massachusetts.


AW: GALAS Queernissage to celebrate the creativity and artistry of LGBTQ+ Armenians and allies

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Announcements 0

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society (GALAS) will host its second annual Queernissage: an open air market featuring LGBTQ+ creatives from South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA). The market will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Studio City Pop-Up: 4354 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604.

Queernissage is an homage to “Vernissage,” the open air market in Armenia that has been a gathering place for artists and merchants for decades. Through Queernissage, GALAS aims to create a space for their community members to express and share their creativity with each other and with the public. With an eclectic array of vendors, attendees can expect to find artwork, baked goods, interactive booths, jewelry and much more.

The first ever Queernissage took place in July 2021. Over 30 LGBTQ+ Armenian artists and allies were featured and hosted over 400 people during the day.

Queernissage is only one of many programs GALAS has planned for this year. In its 24th year, GALAS is committed to expanding and further developing robust outreach and community programming to bring visibility to LGBTQ+ Armenian voices and create resources and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ Armenians, their families and allies. Some of GALAS’ programs include therapeutic support groups, Soorj Sessions for families and allies of LGBTQ+ Armenians, as well as a scholarship fund for college students of Armenian descent who have demonstrated LGBTQ+ activism. 

GALAS encourages all community members to attend Queernissage to support and enjoy the creative work of LGBTQ+ Armenians and allies. For additional information, email [email protected].




RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/24/2022

Khondkarian Raffi 
                                        Tuesday, 
Pashinian Briefs Blinken On Armenian-Azeri Summit
U.S. - Secretary of State Antony Blinken gathers papers after a Senate Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on April 26, 2022.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony 
Blinken the results of his latest talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
in a phone call on Tuesday.
According to the Armenian government’s readout of the call, Pashinian “shared 
his impressions” of the five-hour talks hosted and mediated by the European 
Union’s top official, Charles Michel, in Brussels on Sunday.
He described them as “generally positive” while complaining about “comments” 
that “had nothing to do with the content of the discussions” held in Brussels.
Pashinian apparently alluded to Aliyev’s claim that Armenia will open a 
permanent land corridor that will connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan 
exclave. A senior Armenian official denied the claim earlier on Tuesday.
“The Secretary of State reaffirmed the U.S. readiness to continue supporting 
Armenia's democratic reforms, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, 
the demarcation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the opening of regional 
communications, and the establishment of regional stability,” read the Armenian 
government statement.
The statement also said Blinken praised Yerevan’s “efforts to establish peace 
and stability in the region.”
Blinken commended Pashinian on May 2 for the “courage and flexibility” 
demonstrated by him in the talks with Baku.
Addressing the Armenian parliament on April 13, the prime minister said the 
international community is pressing Armenia to scale back its demands on the 
status of Karabakh and recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He signaled 
Yerevan’s intention to make such concessions to Baku.
The country’s leading opposition groups responded by accusing Pashinian of 
planning to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. They launched on 
May 1 daily demonstrations in Yerevan aimed at forcing him to resign.
Commenting on the peaceful protests on May 9, the U.S. State Department urged 
the Armenian opposition to refrain from violence and “respect the rule of law 
and Armenia’s democracy.”
Armenia, Azerbaijan Start Talks On Border Demarcation
ARMENIA -- Azerbaijani (L) and Armenian checkpoints at the Sotk gold mine on the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Gegharkunik province, June 18, 2021
Deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met on Tuesday for the first 
round of negotiations on demarcating the long and heavily militarized border 
between the two states.
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Shahin 
Mustafayev held the talks at an undisclosed section of the border one day after 
being appointed as chairmen of separate Armenian and Azerbaijani government 
commissions on the border demarcation.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said they discussed “procedural and organizational 
issues relating to joint activities of the commissions.” Grigorian and 
Mustafayev decided to hold their next meetings in Moscow and Brussels, the 
ministry said without giving dates.
The two men have also co-headed, together with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister 
Alexei Overchuk, a Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani working group dealing with 
practical modalities of opening transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 
The group has not met since December.
Grigorian’s meeting with Mustafayev came two days after the latest 
Armenian-Azerbaijani summit hosted by European Council President Charles Michel 
in Brussels. Michel said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev agreed to launch the demarcation process “in the coming 
days.”
The process is meant to end long-running border disputes and skirmishes between 
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that have broken out regularly throughout the 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It was supposed to get underway shortly after 
Aliyev’s and Pashinian’s trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir 
Putin held in Sochi last November.
The Armenian government insisted until this spring that the delimitation and 
demarcation of the border should begin after a set of confidence-building 
measures, notably the withdrawal of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops from their 
border posts. Baku rejected that demand.
Yerevan Denies Agreeing To ‘Corridor’ For Azerbaijan
        • Astghik Bedevian
Azerbaijan - President Ilham Aliyev inspects a newly built road in Nakhichevan, 
May 10, 2021.
Armenia denied on Tuesday Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s claim that it has 
agreed to open a permanent land corridor that will connect Azerbaijan to its 
Nakhichevan exclave.
A senior Armenian official insisted that during their weekend meeting in 
Brussels Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian reached understandings only 
on conventional transport links between their countries.
European Council President Charles Michel, who hosted the meeting, said early on 
Monday that the two leaders agreed on “principles of border administration, 
security, land fees but also customs in the context of international transport.” 
He did not elaborate.
Speaking with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan later in the day, 
Aliyev said the two sides agreed to open a “Zangezur corridor” that will consist 
of a road and railway connecting Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan.
Aliyev has repeatedly demanded such a corridor. He said late last year that 
people and cargo using it must be exempt from Armenian border controls. Armenian 
leaders rejected his demands.
“Armenia’s position has not undergone any changes,” the secretary of the 
country’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, told the Armenpress news agency, 
commenting on Aliyev’s statement. “In the territory of Armenia, no road or 
transport link can function by the logic of a corridor.”
“All understandings reached in Brussels fit into the frames of public statements 
previously made by Armenian officials,” said Grigorian.
In written comments to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service sent on April 18, Pashinian’s 
office said the prime minister believes that the so-called “Zangezur corridor” 
demanded by Baku would jeopardize Armenia’s territorial integrity. His domestic 
political opponents are unconvinced by such assurances.
Aliyev and Pashinian reportedly agreed on the practical modalities of 
Armenian-Azerbaijani rail links during their first trilateral meeting with 
Michel held in December. But they failed to patch up their differences on the 
status of the highway for Nakhichevan.
Armenian Foreign Ministry Blocked By Opposition Protesters
        • Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - Riot police clash with opposition supporters blocking the Foreign 
Ministry building in Yerevan, .
Opposition leaders and their supporters blocked the Armenian Foreign Ministry 
building in Yerevan on Tuesday during a fourth week of daily protests aimed at 
forcing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to resign.
The protesters broke through a police cordon and surrounded the building early 
in the morning, preventing ministry officials from entering or leaving it for 
nearly three hours.
“With this blockade we are demonstrating that every working hour inside this 
building is against our national interests,” said Ishkhan Saghatelian, one of 
the protest leaders. “We are expressing our outrage by disrupting the work of 
state agencies.”
Riot police jostled with the crowd at one point. They made one arrest but did 
not manage to unblock the building’s entrances.
Several opposition parliamentarians entered the ministry’s premises two hours 
after the start of the blockade. Mobile phone footage circulated by some of them 
suggested that the building was largely empty.
Armenia - Opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelian argues with a senior police 
officer outside the Armenian Foreign Ministry, .
Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safarian was one of the few diplomats 
encountered by the oppositionists. Safarian pointedly declined to fulfill their 
demand to publicly declare that Azerbaijan will not regain full control over 
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia’s main opposition groups accused Pashinian of planning to formally 
recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh before launching the “civil 
disobedience” campaign on May 1. They doubled down on their accusations 
following Pashinian’s fresh talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted 
by European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels on Sunday.
Michel said after the talks that the two leaders agreed to “advance discussions” 
on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty sought by Baku. He said he told them 
that it is “necessary that the rights and security of the ethnic Armenian 
population in Karabakh be addressed.”
Armenia - Opposition protesters block the entrances to the Foreign Ministry 
building in Yerevan, .
In a statement issued on Monday, the opposition portrayed Michel’s comments as 
further proof that Yerevan has stopped defending the Karabakh Armenians’ right 
to self-determination that had long been accepted by the United States, Russia 
and France.
“Nikol Pashinian is not legitimate and does not have a mandate of Armenia’s 
citizens’ and the Armenian people to lead our country to new concessions and 
cater for the Turkish-Azerbaijani agenda,” the statement charged. “Agreements 
reached with him do not reflect the view of the Armenian people and are null and 
void.”
Opposition leaders have said that the protests will continue until Pashinian is 
removed from office. Their next major rally was scheduled for Tuesday evening.
Pashinian and his political allies reject the opposition demands for his 
resignation. They also accuse the opposition of misrepresenting the prime 
minister’s policy on the Karabakh conflict.
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.

Azerbaijani president sets up state commission on demarcation with Armenia

George Mamian

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 19:51,

YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. By the decision of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, a state commission on demarcation with Armenia has been established, ARMENPRESS reports, TASS agency informs that the relevant order of the President of Azerbaijan is published on his official website.

The chairman of the Commission is deputy PM of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev.

Armenpress: Security Council Secretary of Armenia refers to problems of opening communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Babken Chilingarian

Security Council Secretary of Armenia refers to problems of opening communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan

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 19:55,

YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan referred to the problems of opening the communication channels between Armenia and Azerbaijan, answering the questions of ARMENPRESS.

Question – The President of the European Council stated in the statement issued after the meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan that the parties reached an agreement on the management of communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan through Armenia and different parts of Armenia through Azerbaijan. Can you clarify what does it mean “communication between different parts of Armenia through Azerbaijan”.

Answer – For example, it will be possible for Armenian citizens and cargo to reach Meghri from Yeraskh through the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and vice versa, within the same principles as Azerbaijani citizens and cargo can reach Nakhichevan from Horadiz through Armenia.

Question – Why should the territory of Nakhichevan be used for going from one part of Armenia to another?

Answer – This may be due to the fact that the railway connecting the north of Armenia to the south passes through Nakhichevan. Besides, the topic under discussion is about the opening of all communications in the region, and the issue of the principles of opening and operating of all existing communications must be resolved. Discussions follow this logic. Let me remind you that in the same context, the issue of transport connection from the Republic of Armenia through the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic to the Islamic Republic of Iran and through the eastern parts of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation and vice versa is also being discussed.

Asbarez: Artsakh Demands Recognition of its Independence, Self-Determination

Frangulian Shushan
 by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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Artsakh presidential spokesperson Lusine Avanesyan

As negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan intensify, through mediation efforts by either Europe or Russia, Artsakh authorities reiterated their unequivocal position on the fate of Artsakh, demanding that its independence and the right to self-determination be recognized and declared unacceptable any status within Azerbaijan.

Speaking to Armenpress on Monday, Artsakh’s presidential spokesperson Lusine Avanesyan said that the government’s position remained unchanged as expressed by President Arayik Harutyunyan and several announcements made by Artsakh National Assembly.

“The full recognition of the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to self-determination cannot become bargaining chips or conceded. The people of Artsakh are the sole proprietor of that issue,” Avanesyan said.

“The international recognition of the independence of the Artsakh Republic remains the guideline of the authorities. Any status within Azerbaijan is unacceptable,” added Avanesyan.

Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan at the demography forum Working groups discussed pertinent issues at demography forum

“Returning to the past, not only in terms of status, but also in terms of demographics, is unacceptable. The Artsakh Republic has a task to restore its territorial integrity,” explained the president’s spokesperson, adding that the government of Artsakh “develops and implements its policies in accordance with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, in cooperation with all partners.”

During a demographic forum held in Stepanakert over the weekends, Artsakh State Minister Artak Beglaryan said the “Future Armenians” forum was an inclusive environment for many professional Armenians to present their observations and proposals for the solution of the demographic problems facing Artsakh.

“Artsakh has and continues to be of exceptional importance for the Armenians in the past, present and future. Demography is one of the important facet for guaranteeing the future of Artsakh. Therefore, this forum is welcome, and will seriously support the state efforts to develop and implement a demographic strategy,” said Beglaryan.