22:37,
YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that although the events unfolding in Russia are Russia's internal affairs, he would like to receive information about the situation established in the friendly country.
The President of the Russian Federation informed the Prime Minister about the latest developments.
18:56, 21 June 2023
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. Russia calls on Yerevan not to withdraw from work in the trilateral format, and on Baku to take steps in the direction of unblocking the Lachin Corridor, ARMENPRESS reports, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said during the press conference.
"The interruption of Yerevan's activities has a negative impact on the situation in the region and leads to the aggravation of the situation on the ground. And we call on Baku to take steps in the direction of unblocking the Lachin Corridor and not to make the population of Karabakh a hostage of political differences with Yerevan," said Zakharova.
She also stated that Moscow continues to work through Russian peacekeepers for the complete unblocking of the Lachin Corridor and expects that the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides will fulfill all the obligations assumed by the tripartite agreement.
"It is as relevant as it was before," added Zakharova.
19:47, 21 June 2023
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. As part of the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Armenia-Kansas partnership, the delegation led by the adjutant general of the state of Kansas, the commander of the national guard, brigadier general Michael Venerdi, who visited the "Yerablur" military pantheon in Yerevan on June 21, and paid tribute to the memory of the fallen Armenians who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Defense, on the same day, the members of the delegation visited the Armavir training center. The guests were presented with details about the history, structure and activities of the center. Issues related to the process of training professional sergeants were also discussed with the members of the delegation, which is also one of the priorities of the training center.
The delegation headed by adjutant General Michael Venerdi toured the territory of the military unit, got acquainted with the social and living conditions of servicemen, the educational base and daily routine.
The Governor of Kansas, Laura Kelly, is also visiting Armenia on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of cooperation between Armenia and Kansas.
19:22, 21 June 2023
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. Russia understands that the possible opening of the Turkish consulate in Shushi is a sensitive issue for Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated during a press conference, commenting on the statement of Turkish President Recep Erdogan that Ankara is ready to open a consulate general in Shushi at any moment.
"The issue of opening consulates anywhere, particularly in Shushi, remains a topic of bilateral relations. In this case, between Baku and Ankara.
At the same time, we understand the sensitivity of the issue for Yerevan. In our contacts, we emphasize the need to consider each other's interests and the importance of the process of normalization of both Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish relations," said Zakharova.
20:05, 21 June 2023
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. Blocking the Lachin Corridor is illegal and must be stopped, ARMENPRESS reports, chair of the Security and Defense Subcommittee of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau announced, reaffirming the European Parliament's position on the issue of blocking the Lachin Corridor.
Nathalie Loiseau noted that they came to Armenia to express their support for the democratic processes and reforms they have witnessed over the years, as well as for all the peace-oriented efforts aimed at the idea of establishing peace with neighboring Azerbaijan.
"We wanted to make sure and assess the situation ourselves and also see how the European Union’s civilian mission, which has been operating along the border for four months, is working. Yesterday we had a meeting with officials in Yerevan, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other high-ranking officials. Today we were in Goris, where we met with the governor of Syunik, the head of the community of Goris, residents of Nagorno-Karabakh located in Armenia and talked with them about the 44-day war and the blocking of the Lachin corridor.
We also approached the entrance to Lachin Corridor and saw with our own eyes the complete and illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan. We heard about the increasing number of armed incidents and the invasion of the sovereign territory of Armenia. We learned about the incident in Yeraskh, where civilians were targeted. We also learned about the incident at the entrance to Lachin Corridor, where Azerbaijanis tried to raise a flag. I would like to send a strong message: as much as Armenia is devoted to peace, Azerbaijan is obliged to present evidence that it is also devoted to peace. The European Union is making efforts to facilitate the contacts between the leaderships of Armenia and Azerbaijan," Loiseau said.
According to her, the European Union is making efforts to reduce tension and the presence of the EU mission in Armenia should contribute to reducing those tension.
"As you know, it once country decides to start a war, but to stop it, the goodwill of both countries is needed. The time has come for a lasting peace to be established. I want to reaffirm the position of the European Parliament: the blocking of the Lachin corridor is illegal and must be stopped. The rights and well-being of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh must be protected and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia must be respected. I will take this message with me to Brussels, I will testify about what we saw and heard while in Armenia.
Since the blocking of the Lachin Corridor is illegal, I also send a message to the European ambassadors accredited in Baku, if Azerbaijan invites them to an illegally located checkpoint, they should refrain from accepting the invitation, remaining faithful to the terms of the ruling of the International Court of Justice," Loiseau concluded.
20:53, 21 June 2023
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament fully supports the idea of sending an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin Corridor. ARMENPRESS reports, the chairperson of the Security and Defense Subcommittee of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau said during a press conference, answering the question whether the issue of sending a fact-finding team to the Lachin Corridor was discussed with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as part of her visit to Armenia, and whether she currently sees such an opportunity?
"First, there is a decision of the International Court of Justice regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor, which must be properly implemented. Second, the European Parliament fully supports the idea of sending a fact-finding mission.
The European Parliament also welcomes the idea of an international presence in general to fully protect the rights and interests of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
We are also completely in favor of a UN Security Council resolution being adopted. And the sooner, the better it will be if the members of the UN Security Council prepare a draft of such a resolution," said Loiseau.
20:17, 21 June 2023
YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. 54 US Congressmen, led by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, sent a letter to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demanding the US President Joe Biden's administration to stop military aid to Azerbaijan and support Artsakh, ARMENPRESS reports, the Armenian Committee of America said in a message.
"54 US Congressmen, led by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demanding that Joe Biden's administration stop military aid to Azerbaijan, support Artsakh and oppose Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh and anti-Armenian aggression," the message states.
Glendale Schools Superintendent Dr. Vivian Ekchian
GLENDALE – During the Glendale Unified Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Dr. Vivian Ekchian announced she will be retiring from her role as superintendent of GUSD, effective June 30, bringing to a close her 38-year career in public education.
Dr. Ekchian’s career began in LAUSD and spanned the full range of leadership roles in both LAUSD and GUSD, from instructional aide to teacher, all the way to her current role as superintendent. In each of her roles, she has been commended for her vision and leadership. Here in GUSD, Dr. Ekchian has left a legacy serving as the first female and first Armenian-American Superintendent for the district. Much of her success stems from her life experiences, including a multicultural upbringing and journey to Southern California as an immigrant.
During her tenure, Dr. Ekchian has led the district in implementing the Board of Education’s priorities to maximize achievement for all students, foster a positive culture of learning on every campus, and protect the health and safety of students and employees. She is well known for her integrity, exceptional work values, and resourcefulness. She has been instrumental in elevating student voice, building partnerships with outside organizations to close the digital divide, providing dual college enrollment and internship opportunities for students, opening health and wellness centers at every high school, and expanding the district’s before and after school childcare program. In 2022, Dr. Ekchian was named Los Angeles County Superintendent of the year.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the students, families, and employees of Glendale Unified School District for the past four years. Together, we successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, improved health and wellness for students and employees, and expanded dynamic learning opportunities for every child,” said Dr. Ekchian. “I know that our Board of Education, school and district leadership, educators, and staff will continue the transformative work being done throughout the district and maintain a steadfast focus on preparing all students for success in college, career, and life.”
“Dr. Ekchian will be greatly missed in Glendale Unified. Her focus on equity and student success has significantly impacted how we meet student needs. She has served as a powerful role model for our students and adults alike. On behalf of the board, we wish her the best in retirement and look forward to her continued presence in the community,” said Board of Education President Nayiri Nahabedian.
Dr. Darneika Watson, Chief Human Resources and Operations Officer, will serve as Interim Superintendent while the Board of Education determines next steps.
In an interview with Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian earlier this month, Dr. Ekchian delineated the myriad programs the school system offers to ensure the wellness and safety of students. She also emphasized that GUSD is a safe and inclusive environment, where students – regardless of their backgrounds – are afforded the same level attention and access for every child to learn and thrive.
Perhaps I should have been more cautious when I chose the front row table for my girlfriend and me in clear view of a room full of Armenians listening to folk music. MVF Band was visiting New York City from Yerevan, and I can never resist my urge to introduce my girlfriend, who is Korean, to the beloved aspects of my culture. So we bought tickets and traveled downtown to Drom. I felt the familiar ping of alarm bells when I overheard guests entering the music venue chatting in Armenian. She was one of the few people in the room who was not Armenian, and we were certainly the only visible lesbians. She told me later that she noticed people staring at us—not with hostility, but curiosity. Yet I did not notice. By the time of the concert, fear had given way to unconscious joy.
MVF Band adopts Armenian folk melodies along with the contemporary rhythms and improvisation of jazz. I was thrilled by the innovation, and swayed and hummed from my seat. The audience was equally ecstatic. They whistled, clapped mid-performance, and shouted Armenian expressions of approval like “jan” and “apres” to the performers. Their behavior and mannerisms evoked cultural cues from my childhood, from many concerts and dance parties, or “parahandesner.” One man drumming a nearby table with his palms and fingers could have been my father. I rarely spend time with groups of Armenians anymore, but whenever I do, I am surprised by the recognition that exhilarates my subconscious memory, the rush of belonging.
My girlfriend was equally effusive. Several times she hugged me from behind and swayed with me mid-song. I do not know if her musically inclined ear was also inspired by the innovative music, or whether it was her response to witnessing my joy. Yet I could feel her delight in the way she rubbed my fingers or squeezed my shoulders randomly throughout the concert.
I felt pure happiness that night. My queerness and Armenianness perfectly coalesced. It was not only because I got to introduce my girlfriend to Armenian music and enjoy it together. I felt all facets of my core experiences present—my childhood, cultural markers etched into my memory, Armenian music, my partner and my queer identity. I was also struck by how embodied customary Armenian behaviors and expressions are. Audience members were so passionate and expressed how moved they felt by the music, loudly and without shame. To be Armenian is to feel deeply and to show it. How queer is that?
From a young age I have felt the tension between being queer and Armenian. In order to be welcomed into Armenian spaces, I had to conceal my identity and be cautious about what preferences, fashion choices, political views and personal details I could share. I have frequently had diatribes flung in my direction about how LGBTQ+ people are traitors to the Armenian community. Ironically, I am heavily involved with Armenian organizations and causes, not the least in my almost three years as a staff writer for this historic newspaper. I love my community even when it does not love me back. Yet if I am being honest, I still feel uneasiness when I enter a room full of Armenians, triggered by my survival instincts. I am still learning to socialize with Armenians, like during my cathartic night at Drom.
The conflict between Armenian and queer identity is a common one among LGBTQ+ Armenians. For some, these identities are posed as a choice—embracing one identity and community requires rejecting the other. For most, however, this choice is an impossible one. By necessity, we find creative ways to reconcile queerness and Armenianness, in order to inhabit both simultaneously. I have reframed my understanding of what it means to be an Armenian in order to make room for my queerness to flourish alongside it.
I have found that my queer and Armenian identities share a kinship. I come from two communities that have survived persecution and oppression and have built collective tools to resist and heal together. Armenians and queer people fiercely love their communities and cultures, in response to vitriol and attempted erasure. We take care of each other. We are loud and unapologetic in celebrating our identities and demanding justice. Evenings like the jazz concert fortify my belief that queer and Armenian culture have so much in common.
Lillian Avedian in a traditional Armenian headdress (photojene)
This belief was shaken by the recent protests in Los Angeles. Within the first week of June, two protests against LGBTQ+ inclusion in school curricula in North Hollywood and Glendale, neighborhoods with large Armenian populations, turned violent. I have obsessively watched videos of Armenian protesters stoking violence against peaceful LGBTQ+ activists and spreading harmful, hateful lies about my community. Events like these trigger my dormant fear that I am not safe in this community. This fear feels like an inner vibration I cannot shut off, poking my skin, making me restless.
Yet there is another side to the story. In response to these hateful, ignorant protests, LGBTQ+ Armenian activists and allies organized. They held rallies and spoke fervently on behalf of LGBTQ+ rights. At the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board meeting, they gave public comments in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion in school curricula.
“Many, including the media, have painted Armenians with broad strokes and continue to bury the most important story: Armenian LGBTQ+ people and Armenian immigrants had a strong, inspiring presence at the GUSD Board meeting, spoke in favor of inclusive education and addressed pressing civil rights needs in our city,” a joint statement from the GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society, the Armenian-American Action Network and the Southern California Armenian Democrats reads.
I have been inspired by the resolute response to the protests by so many members of the Armenian community. Yet beyond this, I have been struck by another realization, forming another brick in the foundation of my belief system: perhaps LGBTQ+ Armenians inherited these protest tactics from the Armenian diaspora. Armenians are raised to be young activists. Many of us have participated in protests demanding recognition of the Armenian Genocide for years, from childhood into adulthood. Every year on April 24 without fail, my classmates and I boarded buses from our Armenian day school to downtown Los Angeles to march to the Turkish consulate. We learned how to make posters, to chant, and to educate our peers about the enduring injustice of denial. We learned how to organize.
For so many queer and Armenian people, the future is an uncertain and frightening prospect. Threats to our survival are ever-present and ongoing. Yet both communities have learned how to carve out joy from pain. We feel keenly that we are alive, because we know how lucky we are to have survived, and that our security cannot be taken for granted. We cannot help but be loud and unapologetic, to create art, and to interrupt concerts with irrepressible claps and shouts. Life bubbles up within then pours out of our bodies. Our lives are testaments to our resilience against all odds.
My queerness and Armenianness are not at odds with each other. My Armenianness is queer. I am a devoted community member, fierce defender of all of my identities, an artist and a writer because I am Armenian. My Armenian upbringing instilled these values in me, and they fuel my loud, stubborn pride in my lesbian identity.
Kapidani is cataloguing any documents that he can find about his ancestors. “We’ve collected documents and testimonies from the elders, aiming to reconstruct their trip by land and sea,” Kapidani told BIRN.
Back in the 1870s, Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the most culturally diverse parts of the Balkans, was mired in a multisided conflict.
As the Ottoman Empire began to disintegrate, both the Russian and Austrian Empires competed to replace it in the Balkans, along with Serbia, Greece and other local actors.
After the Ottomans were defeated by the Russian Empire in the 1877-78 war, the Great Powers intervened to decide what would be done with several parts of the Balkans.
Legend has it that a group of Bosnian Muslims from the Mostar area in Bosnia decided to emigrate to other parts of the Ottoman Empire, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire took over control of Bosnia.
Kapidani says many took ship for what today is European Turkey, an area where millions of Muslims of various ethnicities settled after emigrating from various former Ottoman lands in the Balkans.
But their ship suffered an engine failure and was obliged to land in Durres instead.
Kapidani says an army officer from Bosnia stationed in Durres urged the immigrants to settle there, instead of going further south in a hazardous journey on the Ionian and Aegean seas.
They settled in a hilly area around the town of Shijak and saw it as very similar to their previous home. For them, the nearby Erzen river substituted for the river Neretva flowing through Mostar in Bosnia.
Locals referred to the arrivals as “muhaxhire”, a Turkish word for “emigrants”. However, relations were good and no conflicts arose. The Albanian state granted them the status of minority in 2017.
Kapidani says the community paid for the lands they settled while learning to communicate in Albanian. “But at home we continued to speak our mother tongue, nashke language,” Kapidani said.
About 80 per cent of the Bosniak community in Albania lives in just two villages, Boraka and Koxhasi. A welcoming placard in Boraka hails visitors in Albanian, English and their own ancestral language: Dobro Dosli! it reads, or, “Welcome!”
Kapidani says the community built a watermill while the tomatoes they planted were later known as “Koxhasi”. They also danced in the old way, in order to preserve their heritage. “They opened the first restaurant in Shijak,” Kapidani notes.
Their entrepreneurial spirit, however, was stifled during Albania’s harsh 45-year-long Communist dictatorship, when private economic activity was more or less banned.
They restarted these activities after the Communist regime fell in 1992. One restaurant along the highway connecting Tirana with Durres is named “Sarajevo”, after the Bosnian capital. Another one is simply called “Bosna”.
Since 1995, they have also formed an association, named “Zambak” – or “Nymphaea”, after a much-loved aquatic plant that grows on the Neretva river mouth back in Bosnia.
Kapidani says the community integrated well with the local population, and marriages with locals were common. However, his parents had another story.
“My father, Ali, went back to Počitelj [a village] near Mostar to seek his future wife from a well-known family in the area. The new couple came back here and raised us with all the difficulties of that era.”
As the Second World War closed, Albania and Yugoslavia, of which Bosnia was now part, became friends for a short period, but then, bitter enemies. The border was closed.
“I still curse the dictatorship each time I remember how my mother passed away without having the chance to met any of her brothers or relatives that remained back in Bosnia,” Kapidani said.
Bosnian families weren’t the only group of foreigners to settle in Durres during the dying days of the Ottoman Empire.
Today, near the Municipality of Durres’ central offices, a series of steps on the hillside, built more than a hundred years ago, are still known to locals as “The stairs of the Armenian”.
“The reason for this is simple,” explains Agop Bodikian, a descendant of one of the several families of Armenian origin who settled in Durres.
“My grandfather and his children started a business nearby, so the locals referred to the steps in that way,” he told BIRN.
Millions of Armenians were scattered all over the vast Ottoman Empire, with the largest communities in eastern Anatolia. Some came to Albania while serving in the Ottoman Army. Others came after the notorious genocide perpetrated against them by the Ottoman authorities during World War One [which Turkey denies].
“My forefathers went to Bulgaria hoping to rescue their family members but didn’t manage to find them,” Agop told BIRN, recounting a story passed on by his parents.
Armenian families settled in Durres, Tirana, Elbasan, Korca, Shkodra and Berat.
“Our ancestors, families such as Bodikian, Ballxhian and Zacharian, felt good in Durres,” says Agop, who bears his grandfather’s name and manages the properties built up by his family in 1930s, which included one of the cinemas of that time, which is now closed.
“Our grandfathers started with small stalls at the port entrance but managed to grow the business and later opened shops on the main street,” he added.
The Armenians fared well in Albanian society as tradesmen. However, they are perhaps best known for their contribution to the country’s arts and literature.
In the 1980s, Anisa Markarian, captured the nation’s imagination as a teen actress in a state-produced movie. Her success in the arts was preceded by that of Haig Zacharian, a composer who wrote the music for dozens of movies, songs and symphonic orchestras.
Haig told BIRN that his parents, Lusi and Agop, tried to preserve their traditions and Christian religion and passed them on to their children even under Communism, when a ban on all religion effectively undermined their culture.
“They read a lot and knew several languages and that is how I remember them,” says Haig, who named his son Kyd, which means “wise one” in the Armenian language.
Meanwhile, Anisa Markarian became a doctor after her stint as an actor and now lives in France.
Last year, she became a bestselling author in Albania through her book in which memories of the Armenian Genocide and the life of their community in Albania come alive.
She recounts how her family feared they would lose their heritage when Albania’s Communist authorities started a campaign against “religious names”, which included a list of banned names for children as well as pressure on adults to change names deemed to be the result of “foreign influence”.
Agop Bodikian says that they continue to maintain their Armenian traditions by passing them on to their children the names of their forefathers.
It doesn’t matter to them how good or strange they sound. “We are proud of our heritage,” he declared.