Category: 2022

Armenian Genocide Education Act introduced in US House of Representatives

Kanayan Tamar
NEWS.am
Armenia –
22:56, 21.04.2022

Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) were joined by close to 50 US House of Representatives members in introducing the Armenian Genocide Education Act, a bipartisan measure that would fund Library of Congress educational programs about the history, lessons, consequences, and ongoing costs of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“As the saying goes, if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it,” said Congresswoman Maloney. “That is why I am proud to introduce the Armenian Genocide Education Act to teach the horrors and lessons of the Armenian Genocide accurately and effectively. Both chambers of Congress voted with overwhelming bipartisan majorities to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, and last year President Biden made it clear that it is the official position of the United States that these systematic killings were genocide. It is imperative that we now ensure Americans have access to the resources they need to learn and teach about this atrocity.”

Rep. Bilirakis concurred, noting, “our darkest moments as a human race have come during times when those who knew better stood silently, making excuses for passivity and allowing injustice and persecution to reign. We must acknowledge the atrocities of the past so that we might hopefully prevent them in the future. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is through education and awareness, which is why I am proud to co-introduce the Armenian Genocide Education Act with Carolyn Maloney.”

This landmark legislation, introduced on the eve of the international commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on April 24th, seeks to provide $10 million in funding over five years for the Library of Congress to educate Americans about Ottoman Turkey’s systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians, between 1915 and 1923.

Sports: Gor Ayvazyan beats Azeri rival to make it to European Boxing Championships final

Frangulian Shushan
Panorama
Armenia –

SPORT 11:56 21/04/2022 REGION

Georgia’s ethnic Armenian boxer Gor Ayvazyan on Wednesday defeated his Azerbaijani rival to advance to the final of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships being held in Sofia, Bulgaria, from April 11 to 22.

The 17-year-old athlete is set to face an Albanian boxer in the final bout set for Thursday, Jnews reports.

A boxer from the Akhalkalaki Sports Complex, Ayvazyan has won medals in various international competitions.

Protests in downtown Yerevan enter fifth day

Liana Toganian
Panorama
Armenia –

The anti-government protests being staged in Yerevan’s Liberty Square entered their fifth day on Thursday.

MP Artur Vanetsyan, who leads the opposition With Honor (Pativ Unem) faction and the Homeland Party, along with several other opposition activists began an open-ended sit-in in the square in downtown Yerevan on Sunday evening, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his cabinet.

Later on Monday, 2020 Artsakh war participants Nver Kirakosyan and Artur Avagyan joined them, announcing an indefinite hunger strike in support of Artsakh.

The protest campaign now uses the hashtags #ComeToSquare and #IAmHereComeJoinMe.

The Panorama.am photographer took new protest pictures early on Thursday morning.

Opposition MP slams Armenian authorities for loudly trumpeting financial aid to Artsakh

Hagop Kamalian
Panorama
Armenia –

MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the opposition With Honor faction on Thursday denounced the current Armenian authorities for loudly trumpeting their “unprecedented” financial support to the Artsakh people after the 2020 war.

In a public post on Facebook, the lawmaker stressed the Armenian leadership “is trying to convince the people that they have not abandoned Artsakh.”

“Thus, the authorities are attempting to present as a favor the relief provided [to the Artsakh people] in the wake of the war and their defeat in it, which led to an unprecedented situation in Artsakh and Armenia,” he wrote.

“If they had not brought the state to a fiasco, there would not have been so many social problems and the available funds would have been channeled to security and development,” the MP added.

He also condemned the authorities for the statements that “Artsakh has a future as a part of Azerbaijan.”

Vanetsyan: Iran’s stance towards Armenia is very friendly

Emil Lazarian
Panorama
Armenia –

Armenia MP Artur Vanetsyan, leader of the opposition With Honor (Pativ Unem) faction and the Homeland Party, who has been holding a sit-in in Yerevan’s Liberia Square for five days now, does not object to any talks within the 3+3 format (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia – Russia, Turkey, Iran), however he says not all issues can be discussed by it.

“I think any format of communication is important, especially for the regional countries, however it is necessary to clarify what issues are discussed within this format and whether the issues discussed earlier in other formats will be discussed too,” Vanetsyan told reporters.

“It’s about the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) issue, which cannot go beyond the format of the OSCE Minsk Group and be discussed in other formats. In general, I welcome the contacts and consider them normal,” the opposition leader said.

Referring to Iran’s stance on the recent developments, Vanetsyan underscored that the country had set clear red lines in the region.

“Iran has repeatedly spoken of its red lines. The country has made it clear what it will not tolerate at its borders. I believe that Iran is on the right track to ensure long-term peace in the region,” he said.

“I think Iran has a very friendly stance towards Armenia,” Vanetsyan noted.

Families of fallen soldiers to hold protest in Yerevan

Jirair Kafian
Panorama
Armenia –

Parents and other relatives of Armenian soldiers killed in the 2020 war in Artsakh have announced their intention to hold a protest in Yerevan’s Charles Aznavour Square on April 26, urging all to join them.

In particular, Ms. Naira, the mother of fallen soldier Gevork Javakhyan, shared a photo with her son on Facebook, writing: “You have repeatedly asked what you can do for us. Now I am asking you to stand by us.”

The hero soldier’s mother pointed to Nikol Pashinyan’s latest statement that the war “could have been prevented, as a result of which we would have had the same situation, of course without the casualties.”

“We can’t remain silent any longer. By staying silent, we become indirect accomplices of this bloody crime. The souls of our sons are restless; they demand vengeance and accountability from us. They want us to be determined,” she said, addressing relatives of fallen soldiers.

“We are gathering at Charles Aznavour Square (Moscow Cinema) on April 26, at 2pm, to determine our further steps.

“Please bring photos of our heroes with you or wear T-shirts with their images. Our demand is just and comes from heaven, our goal is noble,” the woman said.

Similar posts were also made by fallen soldier Abgar Nazaryan’s mother, Mrs. Naira, Anahit Manasyan, a relative of artilleryman Hayk Melikyan, and others.

Artsakh top of agenda of Putin-Pashinyan talks – Alexander Iskandaryan

Nahapetian Samvel
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.Artsakh was top of the agenda of the Putin-Pashinyan talks in Novo-Ogaryevo, Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, said in an interview  with ArmInfo.    

Armenia’s Premier Nikol Pashinyan was on an official visit to Russia,  April 19 and 20, accompanied by First Vice-Premier Mher Grigoryan,  Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, Foreign Minister  Ararat Mirzoyan and other officials. The Armenian and Russian leaders  approved a 30-point joint statement on various aspects of the  bilateral agenda.  

“We understand that Yerevan’s cooperation with Moscow is developing  in the current situation, and it is not at all the situation in the  conflict zone alone that account for that. I think that at their  meeting in Novo- Ogaryovo the Armenian and Russian leaders discussed  a wide range of issues of diplomatic development and the latest  signals concerning the global situation, security and so on,” Mr  Iskandaryan said. 

In this context, the Russian president’s meeting with the Armenian  premier is an attempted step to stabilize the situation in Artsakh,  which seems quite logical in the context of the rather complicated  situation in Artsakh. It is of special importance amid the regular  skirmishes, which have been more frequent in the last few months. 

Mr Iskandaryan is sure the situation in Artsakh will not be  normalized soon as the conflict over Artsakh is a most complex and  protracted one. And the Artsakh problem is not Artsakh alone, but it  involves the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations – and even more. In any  case, with the pressure on Yerevan, Baku, Ankara – and on other  actors as well – Armenia’s leadership is trying to rectify the  situation with Russia’s help. 

“We are all witnessing some panic in Armenia over Atrsakh, and the  reason of Azerbaijan’s demands for a peace agreement addressed to  Armenia, which implies Armenia recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial  integrity and, consequently, Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan,” Mr  Ikandaryan said. 

He also points out much Yerevan’s lesser opportunities for political  and diplomatic maneuvers as a result of the 44-day war – and these  opportunities are lessening due to the Ukraine developments, which,  in turn, was one of causes of incapability of the OSCE Minsk Group.  And if the 1994 status quo fails to be restored, conditions for a  future peace treaty with Azerbaijan that would be more or less  acceptable to Armenia and Artsakh could well be ensured. And the  Armenian premier is trying to do so, including during his visit to  Moscow, Mr Iskandaryan said. 

Artsakh solution: from rights toward status, but not vice versa – Edmon Marukyan

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The current global political situation is making us review the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. In this context, a proposal has been made to move from the  fundamental human rights toward the status, but not vice versa, Edmon  Marukyan, Chairman of the Bright Armenia party, said in an interview  with ArmInfo. 

“What is the international community telling us? We are being told  that all out expectations for many years are unrealistic. We are  being reminded of our hardships for the last decades. And now are  faced with a dilemma: either insisting on achieving our goals ‘in  lonely pride’ – as the world is not yet understanding them – or  bringing them in line with the present geopolitical reality,” Mr  Marukyan said. 

Armenia’s refusing to “speak the international community’s language”  and bring its position on Artsakh in line with the real international  relations is pregnant with even graver problems. It is impossible to  go on entertaining illusions in the current situation, especially  after the illusions were destroyed in the 44-day war. 

Since “politics is the art of the possible,” Mr Marukyan stresses  that if this “possible” makes Artsakh’s independence possible, it  will be done. As ambassador-at-large, he is ready to do his best to  get an international mandate to honor his commitments to lead Armenia  and Artsakh out of the current crisis. 

“We are not opponents of normalization of relations with Turkey or of  a peace agenda with Azerbaijan.  And, of course, we are welcoming  reforms in our country in a number of fields. But we should realize  that the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, is of importance  for the international community. It is being and will be implemented  regardless of whether we want it or not,” Mr Marukyan said.