Category: 2022

Armenian Food Festival returns to Richmond for 62nd year

Kevo Kalantarian
Aug 23 2022
RICHMOND

by: Tannock Blair

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The 62nd Annual Armenian Food Festival returns to Richmond for a family-friendly weekend of Armenian delicacies and culture.

The event is reportedly Richmond’s oldest and longest-running food festival and features fare prepared by members of the St. James Armenian Church. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste shish kabobs, cheese beoreg, Armenian meat pies, stuffed grape leaves and the famous original Hye Burger.

The festival will also include traditional music and dancing, as well as Armenian beer and wine. The event is free to attend. Food and drink can be bought on site.

The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on both Friday, Sept. 9, and Saturday, Sept. 10, at the St. James Armenian Church, located at the corner of Pepper and Patterson Avenues.

For more information, visit the Armenian Food Festival website here.

Belarus, Armenia discuss cooperation prospects

Varazdat Torgomian
Belarus – Aug 23 2022

MINSK, 23 August (BelTA) – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Armenia Aleksandr Konyuk met with Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan on 22 August, BelTA learned from the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Yerevan.

The parties discussed issues related to the development of the Belarusian-Armenian relations in education, science, culture and sport, emphasizing great potential for the expansion of bilateral relations.

“The parties stressed the importance of intensifying interaction, exchange of best practices between the relevant ministries and organizing mutual visits,” the Belarusian embassy said.

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Armenia were established on 11 June 1993. The Belarusian embassy opened in Yerevan in September 2001. Armenia opened its embassy in Minsk in 1993. The level of cooperation between Belarus and Armenia significantly improved with the establishment of diplomatic relations.

French diplomatic offices congratulate Georgian, Armenian PMs on Friendship Bridge inauguration

Suren Karakhanian
AGENDA.GE
Georgia – Aug 23 2022

The French embassies in Armenia and Georgia on Tuesday “warmly congratulated” the prime ministers of the two countries on the occasion of the inauguration of the Friendship Bridge, a joint project built over the border of the states.

In a statement over the matter, the diplomatic offices noted the bridge would serve the development of the two countries.

This bridge, made possible among other things by the support of the European Union, will serve the development of these two countries that are friends of France by facilitating their integration into international trade”, the statement said.

At the launch ceremony on Friday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said the Bridge of Friendship "symbolises the success of our cooperation and friendship".

  • PM hails successful “cooperation and friendship” with Armenia in opening “bridge of friendship”

The head of the Government highlighted the joint infrastructure project would contribute to the further strengthening of trade and economic relations between Armenia and Georgia.

Moving to London finally helped me celebrate my Armenian heritage

Emil Lazarian
Metro, UK
Aug 23 2022

By Almara Abgarian, News and Lifestyle Editor at Jam Press

Tuesday 23 Aug 2022 10:30 am

‘Does your dad beat you?’

It’s funny how memory works. I don’t remember who asked me this but I remember why – it wasn’t a question at all, but a loaded remark meant to hurt me.

The person who said it was implying that because my dad – a tall man with broad shoulders and a big moustache – is an immigrant from a culture with ties to the Middle East, he would somehow be violent. 

I was furious, not only on behalf of my own family but for the ethnic group that this type of xenophobic statement targets.

And to be perfectly clear: my father is a kind man who has never – and would never – lay a hand on me.

The incident happened some 20 years ago. At the time, I was one of very few people in my school with immigrant parents, growing up on Gotland, a tiny island in Sweden, where I was born.

Unfortunately, it would become the first of many similar racially-motivated experiences; from being called ‘blackhead’ and ‘blatte’ (a local phrase roughly translated as m*ngrel) to being targeted for my heritage, name and even my hair colour. 

I am Swedish-Armenian – and after 12 years in the UK, consider myself an honourary Brit – but I have battled these two sides of myself for decades.

My parents are Armenian and were brought up in Iran, but fled 38 years ago to escape a war. As refugees, they had nothing.

I will be eternally grateful for how my family were treated when they first arrived in Sweden in the late 80s; they were given housing, education, clothes and food. They were not turned away at the border or forced to travel by dinghy.

My parents worked hard to integrate themselves into society – and excelled, both socially and financially.

With two older siblings and many cousins – all of whom live in Sweden – I had a happy childhood at home.

However, I was frequently lonely at school, which was overwhelmingly filled with blonde, white children in a community that had never really experienced immigration.

I was often teased or outright bullied because I was ‘too loud’ and ‘looked different’ (it probably didn’t help that I had a unibrow and was a pretty chubby kid). One vivid memory is from when I was six years old and a classmate cut up the name tag on my locker.

Another features several people loudly protesting when I put myself forward to be St Lucia in the annual Christmas festival (it’s a pretty big deal in Sweden).

‘Lucia has to be blonde,’ they said, to which the teacher angrily informed them that the religious figure was apparently believed to have had dark hair. I didn’t really care which was accurate – the intention behind their objection was clear. 

Here’s the thing: Armenian culture is loud (both figuratively and literally). When my family has a heated but friendly debate, people often assume we’re fighting because we get so animated. We host huge BBQs and parties where we serve food until you burst – cooking and socialising in this way is a huge part of our culture. 

In contrast, although I don’t like to generalise, Swedish culture – while I love it – is more reserved. For me, this meant that I often had clashing experiences, like when I brought friends home and they were bemused by the ‘unusual dishes’ we served or by how outgoing my parents were.

Sometimes – I’m ashamed to admit it –  I felt embarrassed by our traditions and made myself ‘smaller’ to fit into other people’s expectations of how I should act. 

Although this feeling of otherness improved in my teenage years – mostly because we moved to Gothenburg, which is a much bigger city – I carried a form of internalised phobia against my own background. As the only one in my extended family to have been born in Sweden, I didn’t even know which ethnic group to identify as on passport forms. 

For many years, I put ‘white’, while in my 20s I put ‘mixed/other’, but it felt like neither group really wanted me to be part of their box.

There is actually an interesting parallel here. As a country, Armenia has a complicated history, having been considered European in the past but is now in the Caucasus region, both Asian and Middle Eastern, depending on who you ask.

No wonder I was confused, right?

Later, as a young adult fed up with people not being able to pronounce Almara (or not bothering to try) when I travelled to Australia, I decided to go by Al. In 2010, when I moved to the UK in search of a bigger adventure, I became aware of career opportunities that others in my family had lost out on in Sweden and introduced myself as Allie. 

Just one example includes a family member who was asked ‘can you write?’ in a job interview – despite graduating top of his class, with a degree in engineering. This same family member later changed his surname to something more ‘white-sounding’ to prevent future issues.

This prejudice isn’t just an assumption on my part; statistics show that ethnic-sounding names can impact job prospects negatively. My British accent is flawless and it’s not by accident.

When people in the UK asked where I was from (a question my sister and I both hate) I gave short answers. My subconscious feelings about my mixed background affected my social circle, work, dating life and identity.

In a way, I was trying to protect my family and myself.

When I was in my late 20s, something began to shift. I realised how much I missed my Armenian culture and it bothered me that I didn’t know that much about my family’s past.

A huge part of this realisation is due to London. It sounds like a cliché but the capital really is a melting pot of cultures and seeing other people who were unapologetically themselves pushed me towards change. I have also experienced far less racism in the UK (though I accept that this is partially because I am ‘white-passing’).

I am making a conscious decision to open up and to answer questions.

My mum and I are having conversations about her childhood and what it was like to live through a war. I’m also going to learn how to make my grandfather’s secret kebab recipe – which my dad has since perfected – and compile our family recipes for my nieces and nephews to enjoy.

On top of that, I have started researching Armenian history (did you know that the country supposedly had the world’s first winery?) and plan to visit sometime in the next few years.  

When will Christians stand up for the Armenians?

Kajoyan Gevork
THE CHRISTIAN POST
Aug 23 2022
By Uzay Bulut| Tuesday, August 23, 2022

A man prays in Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan after it was partly destroyed by shelling in October 2020. | Christian Solidarity International

The Armenian nation is at the risk of yet another genocide at the hands of Muslim Turks and Azeris.

On August 17, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention issued a "Red Flag Alert" warning of a possible genocide by the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey against the Armenian population. The statement came after Azerbaijan ordered the evacuation of the Armenian people of the towns of Berdzor and Aghavno by August 25.  

“We call on all international and state bodies to monitor Turkey and Azerbaijan for genocidal ideology and practices, to place pressure on Turkey and Azerbaijan to cease their genocidal threats against the Armenian people, and to reinforce the security of Armenians and the Armenian identity in the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh, and in Diaspora communities worldwide.”

Among the developments that urged the Institute to issue its statement was a recent Telegram video circulating through Azerbaijani social media. The video shows an Azerbaijani soldier tying what is allegedly an Armenian skull dug up from a nearby Armenian cemetery to the back of a military truck while fellow soldiers cheer.

The Institute's warning must be taken seriously. During the past two years, Azerbaijan, and its ally, Turkey, murdered, tortured, and forcibly displaced Christian Armenians in the Armenian Republic of Artsakh.

Artsakh is one of the provinces of historical Armenia and has retained an ethnic Armenian majority for centuries. It has mostly remained a semi-independent entity and was never part of independent Azerbaijan. 

The violent crimes of Azerbaijan against Artsakh, however, are underreported. The indigenous Armenians of Artsakh were exposed to an ethnic cleansing campaign at the hands of Azerbaijan and Turkey in 2020.

Turkey provided weapon supplies and diplomatic support, allowing Azerbaijan to have the upper hand in the war. Throughout their indiscriminate shelling of Artsakh, the aggressors — Azerbaijan, and Turkey, accompanied by Syrian jihadist forces — murdered civilians, burned churches, and tortured and beheaded Armenians.

Despite the trilateral ceasefire agreement, Azerbaijan has not put an end to its aggression. Large-scale escalations are currently taking place along Lachin corridor as the government of Azerbaijan is violating the agreement without informing or negotiating with Armenia.

Azerbaijan has demanded the forceful evacuation of the Armenian people of Berdzor and Aghavno along the Lachin corridor, giving a deadline of August 25. This is yet another attempt at ethnic cleansing.  

According to a recent report by the British-Armenian humanitarian group:

“Azerbaijan continues to hold over 100 Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, while the fate of hundreds of missing persons remains unresolved. According to the latest official data, almost two years after the 44-day war, 203 people are still considered missing. Almost two years have passed since the war, yet the relatives of soldiers who went missing in the 44-day war have not heard from them.”

Vahram Shemmassian, head of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Northridge, said in 2021 that he sees parallels between what happened 100 years ago during the 1915 Armenian genocide and what happened during the 44-day war in 2020.

“Turkey has been providing Azerbaijan with arms and terrorists from Syria to help dispose of Armenians and, more specifically, to ethnically cleanse the country in order to obtain land. The same resistance against tyranny and extermination that happened in the past is occurring again now, as an attempt to fully dispose of Armenian culture and the people apart of it.

“We are all angry about what’s happening with Armenia and Azerbaijan because they are finishing what Turkey started during World War I. Many war crimes were committed against Armenia last year [in 2020], almost identical to the genocide that was happening a century ago.”

Turkish aggression against Armenians, as well as other Christians, has a long history. Armenians are one of the first Christian nations and the indigenous population of the Armenian Highlands. They were subjected to many massacres since the 11th century by invading Turkic tribes originally from Central Asia. Many of the remaining Armenians were forcibly assimilated through conversion to Islam. Hence, today, almost all historic Armenia within the borders of modern Turkey is demographically Muslim.

It is no coincidence that almost two years after the 2020 war, Azeri aggressions against not only Artsakh but also against the borders of the Republic of Armenia are ongoing, as well as the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage by Azerbaijan, which violates international laws.

As Azerbaijan forcefully evicts Armenians from their homes, illegally holds Armenian prisoners of war, and kills Armenian soldiers, major Western powers continue to tacitly condone Azerbaijan and Turkey by their silence.

What will Christians across the world do in response? Will they choose to ignore such atrocities, or will they stand up for their persecuted Armenian brethren who are facing genocide?

Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara. Her writings have appeared in The Washington Times, The American Conservative, The Christian Post, The Jerusalem Post, and Al-Ahram Weekly. Her work focuses mainly on human rights, Turkish politics and history, religious minorities in the Middle East, and antisemitism.

Rights defenders argue about aim of bringing Azeri fire-fighters into villages near Lachin Corridor

Emil Lazarian
The Caucasian Knot
Aug 23 2022
As stated by Rasul Djafarov, a Baku-based human rights defender, the area of the Lachin Corridor was occupied not by militaries, but civil defence members, who perform protection functions. In his turn, Arthur Sakunts, an Armenian human rights defender, is sure that the deployment of Azerbaijani fire-fighters in Berdzor is an instrument of pressure.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 20, all the residents left the community of Nerkin Sus, while a few families still stay in the town of Berdzor (the Azerbaijani name is Lachin) and the village Akhavno (Zabukh). These territories will be handed over to Azerbaijan on August 25. Local residents have complained that they were given very little time to find new housing and evacuate.

The entry of Azerbaijani fire-fighters into the part of the Lachin District, which is still under responsibility of Russian peacemakers, is quite legitimate, Rasul Djafarov, the head of the Baku Human Rights Club (BHRC), asserts. According to his story, the deployment of fire-fighters in the territory could not cause any new confrontation.

"Fire-fighters are not army units, but civil defence forces; they don't perform any punitive functions," Mr Djafarov has noted.

In his turn, Arthur Sakunts, the head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, has noted that Baku and Russian peacemakers are no security guarantee of the Armenian population. Moreover, the tripartite agreement doesn't demand people to leave their own houses, Mr Sakunts has added.

The public part of the agreements fails to fix specific deadlines, in particular, the eviction of Armenians from Lachin, Mikhail Alexandrov, a political analyst, has remarked.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 22, 2022 at 10:32 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
Armenian activists demand not to transfer villages in Lachin Corridor to Azerbaijan, After Armenians set their houses on fire, Azeri fire-fighters arrived in Lachin, Karabakh: all Akhavno villagers decide to leave their houses.

Author: Faik Medjid, Tigran Petrosyan, Nakhim Shelomanov Source: СK correspondents
Источник:
© Кавказский Узел

Armenian activists demand not to transfer villages in Lachin Corridor to Azerbaijan

Lara Chatinian
The Caucasian Knot
Aug 23 2022
Today, a group of activists have held a rally in Yerevan demanding not to transfer three settlements in the Lachin Corridor to Azerbaijan. The transfer of land planned for August 25 can be cancelled if the Armenians manage to achieve “the consolidation of the nation” in this matter, the protesters believe.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on August 20, Azerbaijani firefighters accompanied by Russian peacekeepers arrived in the town of Lachin (Armenian name is Berdzor, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) after two residents of a village in the Lachin Corridor burned their houses before evacuation.

The territories in the Lachin Corridor will be handed over to Azerbaijan on August 25, the head of the Kashatag District of Nagorno-Karabakh reports. Local residents complain that they are given very little time to find new housing and evacuate.

After the 2020 war, more than 200 people lived in the community of Akhavno (Azerbaijani name is Zabukh, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) and up to 200 people lived in Berdzor (Azerbaijani name is Lachin, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”). On August 5, residents of those communities were told that they were to leave their houses by August 25, as the Lachin Corridor would be handed over to Azerbaijan. Later, the end date for the evacuation was announced by the authorities as August 20.

The President of Azerbaijan has stated that people “illegally settled” in Lachin and the villages of Zabukh and Sous should leave, and Azerbaijani citizens who left those places in the 1990s will settle there. The President of Azerbaijan has also emphasized that the specific date of the evacuation of the residents of the mentioned communities is not important to him.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 22, 2022 at 04:58 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:
After Armenians set their houses on fire, Azeri fire-fighters arrived in Lachin, Karabakh: all Akhavno villagers decide to leave their houses, Realtors assess chances of forced migrants from Berdzor to acquire housing in Armenia.
Источник: https://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/61098/

© Кавказский Узел

​Listening to the Silence, Visiting Abandoned Factories: 10 Experiences from Inside Armenia

Eduard Nalbandian

Aug 23 2022
Listening to the Silence, Visiting Abandoned Factories: 10 Experiences from Inside Armenia

If you have ever dreamt of going to the forest just for listening to the silence, having dinner at reservoir shore, tasting the "wild" food of this or that region in the mountains and  gorges, or sharing the daily life of mountain people, then next year you will have these opportunities in Tavush, Lori and Shirak.

At the beginning of 2022, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between ONEArmenia and the EU " Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia” project.  Within the framework of the latter, it was planned to develop through joint efforts experiential tourism in three northern provinces of Armenia.  As a result of cooperation "Inside Armenia. Developing Tourism Experiences” program kicked off, within the scope of which 10 experiences have been selected.Experiential tourism, unlike traditional tourism, involves all senses of the visitor, and in addition to classical tourist products, conveys the most important thing, i.e., the emotions.

 

Mediamax has talked about the project progress, expected experiences and experiential tourism with Narine Abgaryan, the coordinator of Inside Armenia program.

 

 What is Inside Armenia?

 

Inside Armenia is a tourism experiences enhancement program. Its long-term objective is the development of experiential tourism in Armenia, since the country has great potential in this context. As we claim in ONEArmenia we want to make Armenia number one experiential tourism destination in Caucasus in the upcoming years.

 

We carry out Inside Armenia in cooperation with the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia” Project implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

 

The aim of the project is to identify and promote exciting touristic experiences in three northern provinces of Armenia, namely in Lori, Tavush and Shirak. When we started accepting applications, we received many interesting projects that were still at conceptualization stage, so it was necessary to work on them from scratch. As a result, we decided to give these projects a chance and to undertake the responsibility, supporting them from the ground up and developing jointly the conceptual approach.

 

What Is Experiential Tourism

 

Experiential tourism is the most candid way of offering tourist products. It is one of the branches of experience economy. Both concepts are relatively new. Experiential tourism implies visitors’ engagement, i.e., the tourist, the visitor is not in the role of a passive observer or consumer, but is fully engaged in the environment that is created within the frame of the experience.

One of the most important features that distinguishes experiential tourism from traditional one is the authenticity. In case of experiential tourism, any falsity, staging, playacting is rejected: the environment, the host, everything should be exactly as it actually is in the given region. Today, working with ten selected experiences, we are still developing the skills of hosts, creating the narrative behind the experiences, but we never change its background. We just seek to give some tips on how to introduce properly what we have into the tourist market.

 

If in case of traditional tourism, more attention is paid to visitor's comfort as well as to functionality, then in case of experiences the main focus is on visitor's emotions, creation of impressions and memories. There are languages into which the term "experience" has not yet been translated and the concept of "tourism of impressions, memories" is used instead. Experiential tourism works with all senses of а visitor, giving an opportunity to penetrate, touch, see and experience the authentic environment and become part of it.

 

Listening to Pine-Cones Popping Open, Enjoying the Wildlife

 

When we made an advertisement about the launch of the project, we received about 200 different ideas from three regions. The selection phase was very demanding. Now I can say that we have really made the right choice, because the authors of ideas are highly professional and open to cooperate. This encourages us a lot, suggesting that the end result will exceed our expectations.

We have selected 10 experiences from three provinces, 5 of which are gastronomic experiences. I must say that all five are extremely different from one another and are mostly implemented in the open air, combining the natural and cultural landscapes. Food culture is also very different in the provinces. As I have already mentioned, preservation of authenticity is one of our fundamental ideas, and in this context, we have started to cooperate with the National Institute of Ethnography and Archaeology. We will be working with ethnographers, to have everything scientifically confirmed.  Traditions of the region shall be studied, and only then it will be decided what dishes to introduce and in what form.

 

We have developed a new concept in ONEARMENIA- the “wild food adventures”, offering to taste local natural food in the open air with the help of mobile canteens.  

In Shirak, for example, we have chosen two gastro-experiences: one will introduce rural, traditional lifestyle, the other one will be more innovative and will give an opportunity to taste signature dishes on the banks of Akhuryan Reservoir. We have a gastronomic experience in Odzun, which will introduce the flora and fauna of Lori.

 

We have an exciting experience in Berd region, Tavush province, where the visitor will learn about the lifestyle of local mountain people. Of course, it will be combined with comfort and organized in compliance with all international standards. There will be a thin line between comfort and real life.

 

We have several experiences in "wellness" tourism. This field of tourism is just starting to develop in Armenia, even though we have great potential here. There will be "cold therapy" with a combination of a warm sauna and cold river water in the forest adjacent to Vanadzor. We have another wellness experience- all about honey and beekeeping. In this case, the visitor will take part in the creation of a new product in Armenia – honey wine (mead).

We have another completely new wellness experience: "silent tourism". A natural site away from civilization will be chosen, where visitors will be offered comfortable armchairs, wine, plates with local snacks and an opportunity just to sit and "listen to the silence". We have already tested it ourselves and it is amazing that in silence and peace it is possible to hear even the sound of pine-cones popping open. It is an experience cleansing completely the mind and soul.

 

We will introduce another interesting experience in Tavush province, in cooperation with "Darman" tea. There will be meditation in local mountains, accompanied by an Armenian tea ceremony developed in cooperation with specialists.

We have still another experience which is new in Armenia: "urban exploration". This includes tours to abandoned factories, mines or other urban infrastructure. This approach allows to tap the "dormant" tourism potential of Armenia in full.

 

I think that the above-mentioned experiences will be available to visitors as early as next tourist season. We intend to use the autumn of 2022 as a pilot period and appear on the market next year.

 

Development of the Area Through Tourism

 

One of the cornerstones of experiential tourism is the background behind the experience. The visitor should realize what was special about this or that plant he tasted, why that particular place was chosen for the experience, how this or that tradition was shaped. So, along with the development of experiences, the most important task of ours is the storytelling, formation of a narrative. The story, indeed is built on reality, we just advise the host on what to make an emphasis on and how to present it properly.

 

Creating a story about each experience requires lot of research, which can be carried out through review of literature and study of other sources, as well as interviews with experts and locals.

Of high importance also is the ethics of presenting the cultural heritage. Before introducing the experience into the market, all our partners will undergo this training and we are very happy that the authors of the selected experiences espouse our ideas. They understand that they are not just starting a business, but they are responsible for representing the local history and traditions. They will be the bridge through which Armenian culture will connect with the world.

 

In general, the term cultural heritage is today most commonly used with reference to culture connotating the past. With our experiences, we rather seek to highlight the living, existing culture and also to create a new one: to enjoy nature leaving no footprints, to experience the culture handed down from the past applying new approaches.

 

We do not intend to promote tourism, but rather to use it for the development of particular area, culture. This is the approach that nowadays leads to success.

 

Traditional Tourism is Running Its Course

 

As much as theory is concerned, the experiential tourism is based on two main resources:  experiences that the given country seeks to preserve and to show to the world.

 

For example, Canada develops experiences showing the life of indigenous people, Kenya and Australia focus on showing their wildlife.

This is important for Armenia as well, because experiential tourism will allow to preserve intangible cultural heritage and at the same time to show it to the world. We have lot of potential here; we just need to put it on the right track.

 

Traditional tourism is fading ever more over the years, since people's demands are changing. The visitor no longer seeks for conspicuous consumption, he needs to get emotional satisfaction. Tourist offers should be formed based on demand, and today people need impressions. Nowadays, people want to take emotions with them from their journeys.

 

Yana Shakhramanyan
See photos at 

Armenia adopted the Declaration of Independence 32 years ago today

Paul Hambardsumian
Public Radio of Armenia
Aug 23 2022
August 23, 2022, 11:04

 

On August 23, 1990 the Supreme Council of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia adopted Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, ending decades of Soviet rule and beginning a new chapter in history.

The adoption of the Declaration marked the start of the process of establishment of independent statehood positioning the question of the creation of a democratic society based on the rule of law.

The country was renamed the Republic of Armenia and a year later, on September 21, 1991 Armenia became an independent state.

То guarantee the security of the country and the inviolability of its borders, the Republic of Armenia created its own armed forces, internal troops, state bodies and public security under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council.

Under the Declaration, the Republic of Armenia guaranteed the use of Armenian as the state language in all spheres of the Republic’s life, created its own system of education and of scientific and cultural development.

This declaration served as the basis for the development of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

NSS of Armenia refutes media reports regarding procedure for passage of Azerbaijani cars through country`s territory

Garnik Tadevosian
ARMINFO
Aug 23 2022
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. Information circulating in the media and social networks that in the event of a  possible transit passage by vehicles through the territory of the  Republic of Armenia from the Republic of Azerbaijan to the  Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and in the opposite direction, local  and international roads of the Republic of Armenia will be closed  during transit, which will impede the free movement of residents of  Armenia, does not correspond to reality.

This is stated in the statement of the National Security Service of the Republic of  Armenia.

<We inform you that the draft government decree <On making additions  to the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated May  12, 2011 No. 703>, put into circulation by the National Security  Service of the Republic of Armenia, provides for the opening of 3 new  checkpoints that will provide an opportunity for transit from the  Republic of Azerbaijan by road for travel to the Nakhichevan  Autonomous Republic.

Currently, possible routes and procedures for transit are being  developed, in which it is not planned to close local and / or  international (interstate) roads and / or other restrictions on the  movement of the population of Armenia, as well as foreigners and  their vehicles>, the department said in a statement.  It should be  noted that earlier the relevant information was disseminated in the  Armenian media.