Category: 2023

GLENDALE— More than $600,000 was raised during the ARS Gala 2023 held on March 12 at Taglyan Compex in Los Angeles, marking the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA. In a show of support for the many local and international needs that the ARS is spearheading throughout Artsakh, Armenia, Javakhk, Lebanon, and earthquake-ravaged Syria, 550 guests were in attendance, including elected officials, community leaders, representatives of sister and local organizations, ARS members, and generous supporters.

The program began with Mistress of Ceremonies Tatevik Ekezian and Vruir Tadevosian inviting tenor Raffi Kerbabian to sing the America, Armenian and ARS anthems, which was followed by the invocation by Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan. The Prelate blessed the ARS leadership and chapters, as well as the benefactors, for upholding the unique character and mission of the ARS with unparalleled local and international service delivery to Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk and the Diaspora.

ARS Regional Executive with Sen. Anthony Portantino ARS Chair Vicky Marashlian with Assemblymember Laura Friedman

The program continued with the observance of a moment of silence for the fallen heroes who defended the homeland and the victims of the earthquake in Syria.

Other guests included, Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan (former Prelate of Artsakh), Very Rev. Armenag Bedrossian representing Bishop Mikael Mouradian of the Armenian Catholic Church; ARS Central Executive Board Chairperson Dr. Nyree Derderian and board members Maral Matossian and Arousyak Melkonian; Central Executive Council member of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia Rostom Aintablian; Western Prelacy Executive Council member Dzovig Zetlian.

Elected officials, who attended the gala, included California State Senator Anthony Portantino; California State Assemblymember Laura Friedman; Anna Mouradian, Chief Deputy of the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger; City of Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian and Councilmember Elen Asatryan; City of Burbank Councilmember Zizette Mullins; and Mary Hovaguimian, representative of the Office of Congressman Adam Schiff.

ARS of Western USA Regional Executive Chairperson, Vicky Marashlian, delivered the board’s message, thanking supporters and dedicated volunteers for enabling the ARS to meet the challenges of individuals and communities in need in Armenia, Artsakh, and Diasporan communities worldwide, including Lebanon and Syria — a sad reminder to the similar circumstances that the ARS encountered when it was founded over a century ago.

She extended appreciation to Mr. & Mrs. Jack and Zarig Youredjian, who have become the Banquet Sponsors for two consecutive years. She also thanked the Yemenidjian and Koujakian families, as well as the ARS Las Vegas Shoushi Chapter Verjine Koujakian Saturday School, for their grand contribution in memory of their beloved mother and school’s founder Ungh. Verjine Koujakian. Marashlian stated that “your mother’s legacy remains in our hearts and will make a monumental impact on the lives of so many in our young and future generation. The support we collectively provide inspires hope for a better tomorrow for generations to come. We will continue to advance our mission in serving the educational, humanitarian, cultural, health and welfare needs for the betterment of our society while standing true to our motto: With the People, for the People.”

Marashlian acknowledge the efforts of the event organizing committee, headed by Annie Kechichian, as well as the assistance from the ARS regional office General Manager, Jasik Jarahian, and Director of Operations of the ARS Social Services, Talar Aintablian.

The candle lighting ceremony was a chance to remember those who came before and to reaffirm our commitment to continue their legacy. A video presentation about the history and present programs of the ARS of Western USA, as well as one dedicated to the memory of Ungerouhi Verjine Koujakian were shown.

Gala banquet sponsors Mr. & Mrs. Jack and Zarig Youredjian were honored with a plaque presented by Vicky Marashlian for their continued support. This year, the couple donated $50,000 to the ARS. Mr. Youredjian, whose wife is a member of the “Gars” chapter, upon receiving the plaque, thanked all the ARS chapters for the amazing work that they do for the community.

Gala benefactors, the Yemenidjian and Koujakian families, donated $250,000 in memory of Verjine Koujakian, who was an ARS member and a steadfast supporter of Armenian education. During the event, a surprise announcement was made that Alex and Arda Yemenidjian’s son, Mr. & Mrs. Armen and Anoush Yemenidjian, made a $25,000 donation in their grandmother’s memory.

Marashlian handed a plaque in memory of Ungerouhi Verjine Koujakian to Arda Yemenidjian, who passed it on to the ARS Las Vegas “Shoushi” Chapter Executive Chairperson Siroun Bedirian. Bedirian expressed her appreciation to the Regional Executive and the Koujakian family, her fellow-members’ delight that the seeds of education that Ungh. Verjine Koujakian planted 30 years ago in the desert of Las Vegas continues to yield new generations, who ensure that the Armenian language and culture prosper.

On behalf of the Koujakian and Yemenidjian families, Arda Yemenidjian expressed her gratitude to the ARS for the beautiful tribute honoring their mother’s legacy. She recalled that her mother “was ahead of her time, always educating herself, and always making sure we prepare and educate the next generation. ARS was very close to her heart. With her devotion to the ARS cause, our mother stood on the shoulders of thousands of ARS volunteers around the world…Those volunteers are our real heroes of this humanitarian triumph that is the ARS and we are very proud of our mother for having played a small role in the selfless charitable mission of the ARS.”

Marashlian then made an announcement that a second anonymous donation of $25,000 was made, raising the total amount of donations to $600,000.

The entertainment program continued with performers such as 9-year-old Darren Chilingirian, Andre and Ani Ohanyan, Sofi Mkheyan, Aida Sargsyan, and Gevorg Sirekanyan.

As the program ended, guests who had participated in the silent auction with many donated items picked up their winnings.

The Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, split from the ARS of North America to become a separate region in 1984 and with regional headquarters in Glendale, Calif., has 23 chapters with 1,100 members in four western states. The ARS operates a Social Services Division and Child, Youth, and Family Guidance Center, 15 one-day schools, a day-care, and funds numerous youth programs, scholarships, and relief efforts.

Artsakh has been under a blockade since Dec. 12, 2022

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan of plotting to ethnically cleanse the Armenians of Artsakh and undermining the security of the region.

During a speech at the summit of the Organization Turkic States in Ankara, Aliyev accused Yerevan of not fulfilling its obligations under the November 9, 2020 agreement, saying that the opening of the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” was being delayed deliberately. The November 9, 2020 agreement does not stipulate the creation of such a “corridor.”

“Although Armenia has recognized the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan in Prague and Sochi in 2022, it has not yet completely withdrawn its troops from the territories [i.e., Nagorno-Karabakh] of Azerbaijan. Armenian illegal units and criminal elements remain in Karabakh. Thus, Armenia grossly violates the statement signed on November 10, 2020, and must bear accountability for it,” Aliyev said, referring to Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan.”

“According to the concept of repatriation developed by the community of Western Azerbaijan, a legally binding international agreement with an appropriate mechanism of guarantee and ratification should be reached in order to return the forcibly displaced Azerbaijanis from the territory of current Armenia to their native land. Just as we, the Azerbaijani state, will ensure the individual rights and security of Armenians living in Karabakh, Armenia should also ensure the rights and security of Western Azerbaijanis based on the principle of reciprocity,” Aliyev added.

Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, speaking at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Turkish capital Ankara, has made a cynical proposal to Armenia.

Armenia’s foreign ministry said that “Aliyev is trying to lay a slow-acting ‘minefield’ for future military aggression by Azerbaijan.”

“By Presenting the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia under the fictitious name ‘Western Azerbaijan,’ the President of Azerbaijan is grossly violating the UN Charter, the UN GA Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter, the Alma-Ata Declaration, but also his own commitments undertaken by the Prague and Sochi statements to which he is referring in this exact speech,” explained the foreign ministry.

“Azerbaijan continues to obstruct the issue of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions, while at the same time it announced that it is going to resettle the territories that came under its control as a result of the deportation of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh,” argued Yerevan.

“Having violated basically all the points of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and with the narrative about the ‘corridors,’ which he himself admits as fictitious, the President of Azerbaijan is obstructing the process of opening of regional communications,” the foreign ministry said.

“The Azerbaijani leaders’ bellicose rhetoric aims to completely disrupt the efforts to establish stability in the South Caucasus and resort to the use of large-scale force against both the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Furthermore, the insulting language used against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is accompanied by actions aimed at creating a humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, demonstrates Azerbaijan’s unconcealed policy of ethnic cleansing at the highest level,” said Armenia’s foreign ministry.

“Voicing such provocative theses in Ankara aims not only to undermine the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also to hinder the positive dynamics in the process of normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations,” added the foreign ministry.

The statement called on Armenia’s allies and other stakeholders that are vested in the region’s stability “to assess the Azerbaijani President’s policy and take active steps to eliminate the violations of international law by Azerbaijan and exclude the manifestations of the use of force.”

CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov (center) visits Jermuk on Mar. 16

The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Imangali Tasmagambetov arrived in Armenia on Thursday for a two-day visit.

He visited Jermuk on Thursday to assess the impact of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia in September, the city’s Mayor Vahagn Arsenyan said.

The CSTO Secretary general was briefed on the damage caused to the city’s and the region’s economy, as well as the many social and psychological problems caused by the aggression.

It was noted that at the time of the military operations, there were many tourists in the spas of Jermuk, and that not only military positions, but also civil infrastructures were targeted by the Azerbaijani aggression.

In a Facebook post, Arsenyan expressed gratitude to the CSTO leader “for keeping the military operations against the peaceful city and their consequences in the spotlight, as well as for his compassionate attitude.”

Tasmagambetov also met with Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan. A discussion about a number of international and regional security issues, including the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the military-political situation around Armenia was held, according to Armenia’s defense ministry.

Speaking about the border situation, Papikyan presented the long-standing problems regarding the implementation of CSTO collective defense mechanisms and the Defense Ministry’s expectations.

Relations between Armenia and the Russia-led security bloc have been tense, since Yerevan believes that it was snubbed by the organization when it was asked for assistance during Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia in September.

Compounding the tensions was the refusal by CSTO member-states to properly condemn Azerbaijan and hold it accountable for violating Armenia’s sovereignty.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in response to a reporter’s question that on September 13 and October 28, 2022, extraordinary sessions of the CSTO Collective Security Council were held, following which the Secretary General of the organization at the time, Stanislav Zas, and a mission led by Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov visited Armenia.

Zakharova said that a plan to deploy a CSTO observation mission in Armenia was prepared, and 
“the development of the relevant decision was practically completed at the meeting of the organization’s statutory bodies held in Yerevan.”

“At the same time, due to certain demands by our Armenian partners, which were problematic for other CSTO members, it was not possible to take this decision,” said Zakharova.