Category: 2023

Director of EU's mission in Armenia, Markus Ritter, speaks to reporters in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia on Nov. 1

The possible expansion of the European Union’s mission to Armenia will be discussed in Brussels by the end of the year, the head of the mission Markus Ritter told reporters on Wednesday after inaugurating a new headquarters in Yeghnadzor.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by the EU’s Delegation Head to Armenia Vassilis Maragos, Ritter spoke to reporters about the mission’s activities and its possible expansion, which were hinted by the EU leaders in recent weeks.

Ritter said the possibility on including representatives from all 27 EU countries was being explored, adding that there is a “lot of political attention” toward the EUMA, as the mission is known, given the recent developments in the region, Armenpress reported.

“The enlargement is something that also will be discussed in Brussels by the end of the year. We have to wait for the results. But, as it has been said before, at the moment because of the events here in autumn this mission has a lot of political attention,” Ritter said.

The EU Mission in Armenia inaugurated a new center in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia on Nov. 1

Last week, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly visited Armenia and announced that Canada will join EUMA, becoming the first non-EU country to do so.

Ritter said that if other non-EU countries also express desire to join EUMA, then the issue will be discussed in Brussels.

Building sustainable peace in the South Caucasus is one of the EU’s key objectives, Maragos, the EU Head of Delegation told reporters.

In his speech during the opening of the EUMA headquarters in Yeghegnadzor, Maragos recalled that, during the European Political Community summit in Granada, the EU reiterated its condemnation of Azerbaijan’s military operation against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and stressed the need for respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We remain committed to these efforts,” Maragos said.

The humanitarian needs of more than 100,000 residents of Artsakh, who have found shelter in Armenia, are in the EU’s focus, he said.

Maragos added that Armenia and the EU are determined to strengthen their relations by working in the direction of fully utilizing the potential of the comprehensive agreements between the EU and Armenia, as well as the EU Economic and Investments Plan.

“Building sustainable peace in South Caucasus is one of the EU’s key objectives,” Ambassador Maragos said.

LOS ANGELES–The Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region and its local chapters participated in a roundtable discussion on October 19 with Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who serves as Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and is a distinguished member of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus.

Assemblymember Gabriel represents District 46, which encompasses the vibrant West San Fernando Valley, including areas like Van Nuys, Encino, Tarzana, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, and Calabasas—a region home to a substantial Armenian-American population.

The roundtable discussion offered a platform to delve into pressing issues confronting the local Armenian-American community within District 46 and beyond, including the humanitarian crisis faced by Artsakh refugees in Armenia as a result of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 people in late September 2023, the propagation of Armenophobia and anti-Armenian misinformation campaigns in online spaces, and the pivotal strengthening of the partnership between Armenia (especially Syunik province) and California.

Assemblymember Gabriel expressed his unwavering support and solidarity with the Armenian-American community and reaffirmed his commitment to champion their cause. On the local side, Gabriel also spoke with Armenian community representatives about pressing issues, including homelessness, the rise in property crimes, and public safety issues.

A staunch advocate for the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program, Assemblymember Gabriel’s efforts have provided Armenian-American institutions such as schools, churches, and community service organizations with crucial funding to bolster their security measures.

In addition to this initiative, Gabriel addressed the concerning proliferation of hate and misinformation in online spaces, a challenge the Armenian community has grappled with since the onset of Azerbaijan’s illegal invasion of Artsakh in 2020. Addressing this concern, he authored AB 587, a pioneering bill that seeks to shield internet users from hate speech and misinformation by mandating social media platforms to publicly disclose their community guidelines and standards— a vital step toward creating safer online spaces.

The community led by ANCA WR local chapter leader Garo Kamarian expressed gratitude to Assemblymember Gabriel for his leadership on matters crucial to the Armenian-American community. The roundtable discussion concluded with an engaging question and answer session, during which Assemblymember Gabriel addressed a variety of questions from the audience.

Participating organizations included representatives from the ANCA-WR, ANCA – San Fernando Valley West, ANCA North Valley, ANCA Pasadena, Armenian Youth Federation Sardarabad, Homenetmen Massis Chapter, ARF Rostom Chapter, ARF Arshavir Chapter, Hamazkayin Cultural Association Barouyr Sevag, Holy Martyrs Armenian Church, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian School, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Relief Society Anahid Chapter, GALAS, Association of Istanbul Armenians, Armenian Missionary Association of America, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, AGBU Western Region, Armenian Assembly of America, and the Southern California Armenian Democrats.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.

BY ALEEN ARSLANIAN

Catherine Yesayan, who has been writing Asbarez’s “Community Links” column for the past 12 years, celebrated the release of her first memoir, titled “A Woman, A Revolution, A Journey.” More than 50 friends, family and community members attended launch party on Sunday held at her residence in Glendale.

Yesayan opened the event by welcoming attendees and offering a brief description of “A Woman, A Revolution, A Journey,” which details key events throughout the author’s life in three parts. Part one, “Leaving Tehran and Arriving in California”; part two, “Growing Up in Tehran”; and part three, the “Third Act.” Yesayan then read a few excerpts from her memoir.

“The first part is about the revolution, how it happened, and a short history of Iran. The second part is about my upbringing in Iran. And the third part is the ‘third act’ of my life, when my kids moved out of the house and I had empty nest syndrome. It’s about my emotions,” Yesayan told Asbarez at the event.

Attendees at Catherine Yesayan’s book launch event held on Oct. 29

Guest speakers at the book launch party included Sylvia Carrie, a friend and colleague of Yesayan’s who participated in the editing process of the memoir, Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian, as well as award-winning Los Angeles-based journalist Saida Pagan.

“She [Yesayan] is not only a reasonable person—so easy to get along with—but she has great ideas. I think her book is wonderful. I became a big fan,” said Carrie during her remarks.

According to Yesayan, she felt inspired to write her memoir after her uncle, Henry A. Sarkissian, published his own in 1981, titled “Tales of 1,001 Iranian Days.”

Yesayan began working on her memoir around the same time she began writing her column in the Asbarez newspaper in 2011. The column, “Community Links,” is a space where Yesayan documents her extensive travels to Armenian communities around the world. Describing writing as her “passion,” the author said that she is elated to have finally published her first memoir.

“I began writing my memoir many, many years ago and put it aside,” Yesayan told Asbarez at the book launch event. “But when Mahsa [Amini, a Kurdish Iranian teenager] was killed for not wearing a hijab, it gave me a new impetus—I said, ‘I should finish writing it.'”

In December of 1978, Catherine Yesayan, her husband, and her young daughter flew from Tehran to London for the Christmas holiday. They woke up in their hotel room the next morning to hear a radio announcement of the eruption of the Islamic Revolution and realized they could never return home.

“A Woman, A Revolution, A Journey,” an independently published book, is available for purchase on Amazon.