Category: 2022

Women in Stepanakert held a protest on Thursday, in an attempt to bring global attention to Azerbaijan’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. The protest was instigated by Azerbaijan’s move to cut the region’s heating gas supply during freezing winter temperatures, causing a humanitarian crisis. A children’s hospital had to delay surgeries due to the lack of heating gas.

Azerbaijani authorities have cut the gas supply for a second time now this winter. The first time, residents remained without gas for 10 days whilst facing subzero temperatures at night. Three days after announcing that the gas supply was restored, Azerbaijan once again cut the supply of gas.

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 23. On March 22-23, Islamabad hosted the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the topic “Building a partnership for unity, justice and development”, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The session discussed a wide range of issues related to the Islamic world, including the activities of the OIC General Secretariat in the implementation of resolutions on Palestine and Jerusalem, as well as the security situation in the period after the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Niamey in 2020. Other political issues were also discussed at the session, in particular the events in Afghanistan and their humanitarian consequences for the Afghan people, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Azerbaijan was represented at the event by a delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov. Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Minister brought to the attention of the participants the position of Azerbaijan on a number of fundamental issues.

Within the framework of the 48th session of the Council, four resolutions were adopted “Liquidation of the consequences of the Armenian aggression against the Republic of Azerbaijan”, “Economic assistance to the Republic of Azerbaijan”, “Destruction and insult of Islamic historical and cultural shrines in the territory of Azerbaijan as a result of the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan” and ” Solidarity with the victims of the Khojaly massacre”, covering political, economic and cultural issues related to the consequences of the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.

These resolutions, traditionally adopted annually by the OIC, include new provisions, taking into account the latest situation in the region.

The resolution “Liquidation of the Consequences of the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan” welcomes the trilateral statement of 10 on the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and the cessation of hostilities. There was made a call for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of mutual recognition and respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international borders. Armenia’s continued refusal to provide comprehensive and accurate maps of all mined areas and other information on the location of mined areas also was condemned. Full solidarity and support for the efforts of the government and people of Azerbaijan to protect their country and overcome the grave consequences of decades of Armenian aggression and occupation were reaffirmed.

The resolution “Destruction and insult of Islamic historical and cultural shrines in the territory of Azerbaijan as a result of the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan” strongly condemns the destruction, looting, theft, illegal transfer or appropriation of Islamic historical and cultural monuments and shrines in the territories of Azerbaijan during the period of occupation, and also acts of vandalism against these objects, Armenia’s insult to mosques located in the newly liberated territories. The resolution confirms the right of Azerbaijan to demand compensation for the damage caused to it and the obligation of Armenia to pay this compensation.

The resolution “Economic Assistance to the Republic of Azerbaijan” states that the liberation of Azerbaijani territories will allow more than one million internally displaced persons in Azerbaijan to safely return to their native lands and, thus, eliminate serious humanitarian problems. In this regard, Member States, the Islamic Development Bank and other Islamic institutions are called upon to assist the government and people of Azerbaijan in the reconstruction and restoration of the liberated lands in order to ensure their return to these territories. There was also made an appeal to all international institutions to support the economic and social development of Azerbaijan.

Resolution “Solidarity with the victims of the Khojaly Massacre”, adopted at the 48th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, strongly condemns the mass atrocities committed by the armed forces of Armenia against the Azerbaijani civilian population and military personnel in February 1992 in Khojaly and other then occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Member States are called upon to make the necessary efforts to locally and internationally recognize the crimes committed during the conflict in Khojaly and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The resolution also praised the activities of the international campaign “Justice for Khojaly” and called on member states to support the campaign and actively participate in it.

Senator Portantino with Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten students and teachers

PASADENA—The students and staff at Levon & Hasmig Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten welcomed Senator Anthony J. Portantino to their campus on Friday, March 18. The Senator was received by Tavlian Preschool Director Garine Joukadarian, Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools Chairperson Sarkis Ourfalian, and school Board member Shant Baboujan.

“It was fun to visit Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten and receive such a warm welcome from the students upon entering the campus,” stated Senator Portantino. “Spending time at a preschool brought back memories of my two daughters and how fast time goes by.”

“It was great to meet the wonderful teachers who have created such a nurturing environment for the kids and who work tirelessly to ensure their success. I look forward to my next visit and watching this wonderful place continue to care for our children,” added Portantino.

Senator Portantino, who represents the 25^th Senate District, has been a close friend of the Armenian American community and a champion of the Armenian Cause since being elected to public office. He spearheaded the establishment of the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange and currently serves as its Chair.

In this capacity, the Senator visited Armenia and Artsakh on multiple occasions, and most recently led efforts to establish a California-Armenia Trade Desk in Yerevan. He has authored countless legislation and resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide and has been a strong proponent of including the Armenian Genocide as part of the state’s curriculum.

California has the largest population of Armenian Americans in the United States, with the 25th Senate District having the largest concentration of Armenians in the diaspora.

“It was a pleasure to welcome Senator Portantino at one of our Prelacy Armenian Schools and Preschools,” said the Board of Regents Chairperson Sarkis Ourfalian. “We are honored that the Senator was interested in visiting Tavlian Armenian Preschool and had the opportunity to personally interact with our beloved students, teachers, and staff.”

“On behalf of the Board of Regents and the entire Prelacy Armenian Schools family we thank Senator Portantino for being one of the devoted supporters of the Armenian American community and for the commitment he has shown towards our community,” concluded Ourfalian.

L. & H. Tavlian Preschool & Kindergarten was established in 1992 in Pasadena, California. The school held its first semester and class instructions with four students. Since its establishment 30 years ago, Tavlian has graduated nearly 2,000 students. The school is licensed by the State of California and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Tavlian Preschool and Kindergarten offers an all-day developmentally appropriate program for children ages two through five. Currently, the school serves 70 students with 16 faculty and staff.

An Artsakh soldier

Azerbaijani armed forces violated the line of contact near the village of Parukh in Artsakh’s Askeran region, authorities said on Thursday.

According to the government, representatives of the Artsakh Defense Army and the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh are attempting to prevent, through negotiations, the further advance of the Azerbaijani troops and return them to their original positions.

As a safety precaution, women and children in the village of Khramort in Artsakh’s Askeran region have been evacuated.

“We call on the population to remain calm, the situation is stable in all other parts of the line of contact,” the Artsakh authorities said.

For already a month, Azerbaijani forces have been shelling the Khramort and other neighboring villages a mere 500 meters away from homes. They have been using loudspeakers to terrorize the farmers, ordering them to evacuate or else they will use force, Artakh’s foreign minister, David Babayan, told Armenpress.

He said that Azerbaijan is attempting to terrorize the population.

Artsakh authorities accuse Azerbaijan of deliberately sabotaging the only pipeline that delivers gas to Artsakh

For 18 days the population of Artsakh has been deprived of natural gas as Azerbaijan continues to block the supply to Artsakh, leaving more than 120,000 people without heat in freezing temperatures.

Artsakh authorities, with the support of Russian peacekeepers, continue negotiations with Azerbaijanis to restore the flow of gas. Artsakh Foreign Minister David Babayan told Armenpress that there is still no news about potential timeframes for restoring the gas supply.

“The government of the Republic of Artsakh seeks to resolve this highly important humanitarian issue as soon as possible and we assure that we are taking all possible measures also in the diplomatic arena, which naturally aren’t subject to publicizing,” the government’s Information Center said on Thursday.

President Arayik Harutyunyan has authorized Secretary of the Security Council Vitaly Balasanyan to act as the negotiator on behalf of Artsakh, the press statement said.

In an interview with Armenpress Wednesday, Babayan said that in violation of humanitarian norms, Azerbaijan is advancing a politic of terrorizing the Armenian population of Artsakh.

Babayan reiterated that Azerbaijan intentionally cut off the gas supply, among others also for political reasons. He described Azerbaijan’s actions as terrorism against the Artsakh population in violation of humanitarian norms, or humanitarian terrorism.

“The situation is difficult, but it is what it is, we are withstanding and we will continue to withstand no matter what,” Babayan said.

At a protest in Stepanakert, women in Artsakh call on international organizations to act to avert a humanitarian crisis

On Thursday, women in Artsakh held a protest rally in Stepanakert to urge the international community to take action against Azerbaijan for causing the humanitarian crisis.

“All international organizations should take clear actions pursuant to humanitarian principles, instead of making calls,” said of the women, according to Armenpress.

The demonstrators said that right now there is a humanitarian disaster in Artsakh and the entire world knows that Azerbaijan is the perpetrator.

They warned that Azerbaijan could exploit the situation and aggravate it even more, adding that the residents of Artsakh are equally entitled to all the rights that citizens of other countries have.

“But the most painful thing is that there is no single organization, structure that is forcing the enemy to stop its atrocities,” one of the demonstrators told Armenpress, urging international organizations to deal with the issue of the security of Artsakh’s population.

“None of us wants to leave their home. Let Azerbaijan understand this, the people of Artsakh lived here and will continue living here,” she added.

The European Union expressed concern on Wednesday about the gas blockade

“The EU is concerned about renewed cuts in gas supply to Stepanakert. It is urgently needed to resume supplies to affected local population. The EU calls on authorities in control to enable it, especially in the current harsh weather,” Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for the external affairs of the EU, said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Freedom House condemned the disruption of gas supply to Artsakh by Azerbaijan. 

“Azerbaijan must prevent a humanitarian crisis by restoring unhindered gas supplies to the people of Nagorno Karabakh, who have endured weeks of freezing temps without heat or hot water,” Freedom House said on Twitter.