Category: 2023

Pashinyan slams Baku’s statements about arms transfer to Karabakh ‘propaganda lie’

Garnik Tadevosian
 TASS 
Russia –
When commenting on the Azerbaijani side's statement that units of that country's armed forces have taken control of a number of heights and territories in the Lachin region on the border with Armenia, the Armenian PM said that there was a change in the route from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, March 30. /TASS/. Azerbaijan's statement that Armenia is transferring arms to Nagorno-Karabakh is a propaganda lie to prepare for escalation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government meeting on Thursday.

"Information about military shipments from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh is a propaganda lie, the purpose of which is to set up grounds for another aggression," he said.

When commenting on the Azerbaijani side's statement that units of that country's armed forces have taken control of a number of heights and territories in the Lachin region on the border with Armenia, Pashinyan said that there was a change in the route from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.

"In August 2022, the authorities of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to change the route of the Lachin corridor by opening a new road. However, since the road connecting the Lachin corridor with Armenia was not fully ready, a temporary route was launched. According to the agreement, this route should operate until April 1 of this year. Yesterday we informed the Azerbaijani side that the Armenian side opened the new road and our border guards would protect it. As a result of all this, there have been no changes in the Armenian positions," he explained.

Book Review | We Are All Armenian

Parkev Tvankchian
 Arev Dinkjian Literary Corner, Reviews 0

We Are All Armenian
Edited by Aram Mrjoian
University of Texas Press, 2023
224 pp.
$35

When I was first asked to read and review Aram Mrjoian’s We Are All Armenian: Voices from the Diaspora, I admit I was a little hesitant. I love to read, but in selecting a book, I look for something quite particular–an escape. I want to leave my life behind and travel to some unknown world. I want to check the fabricated map at the beginning of the book to remind me where I’ve been. I want to hear words spoken that haven’t been said before and feel like I, too, have something to say. I want to imagine characters with eyes a shade so blue they don’t exist here in our natural world. I want to live inside my mind even if just for a chapter or two. So when I was encouraged to read a book about the diasporan experience, I thought to myself I am the diasporan experience. I feared there was nowhere for me to go, nothing for me to learn. How incredibly different could other Armenians’ experiences be from my own? How beautifully naïve of me. 

Here’s what I discovered: 

  • Halva makes for the most perfect subject of a descriptive writing piece. From the crumbly texture to the intensity of the sesame flavor, how expressive this sweet can be. 
  • Perhaps there are ways we, Armenians, Turks and others are connected that we’ve yet to uncover. That God has chosen to withhold, for we’re not quite yet ready to understand how and why and what could possibly be next. 
  • Enemy and ally are two sides of the same coin, and much too often we find ourselves in need of a new toss. As an Armenian surrounded by other Armenians, on which side will I reside? 
  • Our struggle need not isolate us. 
  • Language is made to connect. Let us not sever our own from conversation for difference of tongue. 
  • Give grace to those who try to speak your name as your ancestors intended, and be patient with those who don’t see why they must.
  • The reality of Armenia’s beauty may never be depicted entirely by writing. The stories just never do it justice.
  • Tolerance of individuals isn’t enough. Until the leaders of our organizations acknowledge, accept and embrace our queer ungerner, we’ve failed them and each other. 
  • The roots of our existence touch down so deep that they’ll never be plowed. Feed them water and sunlight and watch them grow stronger still or wait until the season is right for you. Either way, they’ll remain. 
  • Heaven looks different for everyone but one thing’s for certain–our grandparents are there waiting for us. 
  • The pain of generational genocide feels much like carrying a bucket of water with a hole at the bottom. Sure, you’ll never fill your cup, but the water that spills out along the way feeds the seeds of tomorrow. 
  • The richness of our culture deserves to be savored slowly. 
  • There is still so much of our story left to be written. Might I suggest The Armenian Weekly?
  • The blood in our veins is shared, and though our hearts may not beat exactly in time, we are all Armenian.
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Arev Dinkjian grew up in an Armenian household in Fort Lee, NJ. She was always surrounded by art, sourced by her musical father and grandfather, Ara and Onnik, or her creative mother Margo. Arev graduated from Providence College with a degree in elementary and special education. She enjoys teaching language arts to her students and takes great pride in instilling an appreciation for literature in her classroom. She is a former member of the New Jersey AYF “Arsen" Chapter and a member of both the Bergen County ARS and the Sts. Vartanantz Ladies’ Guild. She also dedicated many summers to AYF Camp Haiastan, which she says remains her favorite topic to write about.


ARF of Boston, Armenian Assembly to host conversation with US diplomat Edward P. Djerejian

Lena Karagyozian
 Guest Contributor Announcements 0

WATERTOWN, Mass. – The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) of Boston and the Armenian Assembly of America invite you to a hybrid event in commemoration of the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This free and open event will be held at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (395 Concord Ave, Belmont) and on Zoom on Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 p.m.

This conversation, hosted by Dr. Ara Nazarian, will feature The Honorable Edward P. Djerejian who served in eight administrations from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton. He was the US Ambassador to Syria and Israel, Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan and Deputy Press Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. After retiring from the Foreign Service, he was the founding director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is on the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

Entitled “The Armenian Genocide Continuum: Deir ez-Zor Yesterday, Artsakh Today,” the conversation will include reflections on Ambassador Djerejian’s career as an American diplomat of Armenian origin and examine the treatment of Armenians on their ancestral lands from Western Armenia to Artsakh during the last century, the compassion and complicity of the international community, and the role of the United States government from establishing the Near East Fund to a decades-long policy of denial and final recognition of the Armenian Genocide.




California Assembly Judiciary Committee passes ANCA-backed resolution condemning Artsakh blockade

Varazdat Torgomian
 ANCA ANCA News 0

Following successful passage by the California Assembly Judiciary Committee, AJR 1 is headed to a full Assembly vote as early as March 30th.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.– The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-backed anti-blockade resolution AJR 1, which condemns Azerbaijan’s 100-day blockade of Artsakh, has been passed by the California Assembly Committee on Judiciary with overwhelming bipartisan support.

ANCA local leaders were present during the committee hearing and testified in support of the expeditious passage of the resolution, which reaffirms California’s recognition of Artsakh’s right to self-determination, urges the Biden administration to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the Armenians of Artsakh, and calls on the Biden administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its aggression by enforcing Section 907 restrictions on military aid to Baku.

“This is a courageous step in condemning Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh, and the reaffirmation of California’s commitment to Artsakh’s right to self-determination speaks to the essence of our values as Americans, and as Californians,” stated ANCA San Francisco representative Khatchig Tazian in remarks before the committee. “With this resolution, let us make sure the US government and our tax dollars are not enabling Azerbaijan’s aggression against the Armenian people – as the Aliyev regime perpetrates this genocide right under the nose of the international community.”

Longtime ANCA Burbank activist Antranik Jarchafjian spoke to the deep connections between the Armenian-American community and the people in Artsakh impacted by the blockade. “Among the 120,000 people of Artsakh is my son, who was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Armenia to help rural communities. Shortly after he arrived in Armenia, Azerbaijan launched its assault on Artsakh, and my son stayed to help displaced refugees. Prior to the blockade, he was living in Artsakh doing humanitarian work and raising funds for communities impacted by the war. Now he, along with his wife and our 16-month-old granddaughter, have been blockaded for over 100 days.”

Khatchig Tazian (ANCA-SF) and Antranik Jarchafjian (ANCA-Burbank) with principal co-author of AJR 1, Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena)

Assemblymember Chris Holden was joined by Assemblymembers Laura Friedman, Wendy Carillo, Lisa Calderon, Megan Dahle, Mike Gipson, Mike Fong, Tom Lackey, Cottie Petrie-Norris, Eloise Gomez Reyes, Luz Rivas and Blanca Rubio as co-authors on AJR 1. The resolution is also being introduced jointly in the California State Senate by Senator Anthony Portantino, with Senators Bob Archuleta and Scott Wilk as co-authors.

“Today, AJR 1 passed the Assembly Committee on Judiciary with overwhelming bipartisan support. I stand with the Armenian Diaspora community and my colleagues as we request immediate humanitarian assistance for Armenians in Artsakh and hold Azerbaijan accountable,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden.

“Assemblymember Holden has been a longtime friend of the Armenian community. He once again has shown his unwavering support during these trying times, when Armenians in Artsakh are facing extermination by the Azerbaijani government. The Armenian American community is thankful for Mr. Holden presenting a joint resolution calling on the Azeri government to end its illegal blockade and to hold the Azerbaijani government accountable for its relentless aggression,” said ANCA National Board member Aida Dimejian.

The resolution comes amidst mounting pressure in the US Congress on President Biden to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its brazen aggression against the Armenian people. Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ), along with Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chairs Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and David Valadao (R-CA) and over 80 Congressional colleagues are leading a bipartisan House Resolution (H.Res.108) condemning the blockade and urging immediate action be taken to guarantee vital humanitarian assistance to Artsakh’s 120,000 Armenians, who have been denied access to food, fuel, medical supplies, and other vital humanitarian goods for over 100 days in freezing conditions.

Representative Pallone, founding co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, also recently led a Congressional letter to Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations chairman Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL) and Ranking Member Barbara Lee (D-CA) calling for an end to US military assistance to Azerbaijan and urging the provision of $50 million in emergency assistance to Artsakh to meet the humanitarian and recovery needs of the region’s 120,000 Armenians, and $100 million in security, economic, governance and rule of law assistance to Armenia.

AJR 1 will be up for consideration on the California Assembly floor on Thursday.

Since the first day of the blockade, the ANCA and its local chapters have been working with the White House, State Department and Congressional leaders – urging them to stop US military assistance to Azerbaijan and to send emergency humanitarian assistance to Artsakh. Thousands have already used the ANCA online portal to call, tweet and write the White House and Congressional leaders to immediately address this enfolding Artsakh humanitarian crisis.

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


In Memory of Edmond Y. Azadian

Maral Chavushian
 Weekly Staff Obituaries 1

Edmond Y. Azadian

Following a brief illness, Edmond Y. Azadian passed away on March 25, 2023. 

Born in Beirut in 1935, Azadian was a leader in the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party. 

Azadian authored dozens of volumes and served as senior editorial columnist for the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, an association of more than four decades. He also was a member of the Union of Writers of Armenia and the Republic of Armenia’s Academy of Sciences, as well as an advisor to the Alex and Marie Manoogian Museum in Detroit, Michigan.

The Armenian Weekly Editorial Board and staff express sincere condolences to Mr. Azadian’s family and friends, as well as his colleagues at the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.




Northern California Community Hosts Armenian American Museum Meet & Greet

Emil Lazarian

Press
Contact:

Shant
Sahakian, Executive Director

Armenian
American Museum and Cultural Center of California

(818)
644-2214

[email protected]

 

FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY HOSTS ARMENIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM MEET
& GREET

 

Glendale, CA () – The San Francisco Bay Area
community welcomed the leadership of the Armenian American Museum and Cultural
Center of California for a Meet & Greet reception on Saturday, March 25,
2023. The event was generously organized and co-hosted by Vartan and Kim Demirjian
and Beth Rustigian Broussalian at the Demirjian’s residence in Oakland,
California.

 

“We are so honored to host the Armenian American Museum leadership
and bring together our Bay Area community to learn about such a historic
project that is going to be the pride of our entire community throughout the
United States and around the world,” stated Northern California Meet &
Greet Co-Host Kim Demirjian.

 

The Armenian American Museum was represented by Board of Trustees,
Board of Governors, Executive Team, Committee, and Staff members as well as the
Architect of the museum. Bay Area community members joined the event to learn
about the museum and learn how to get involved to support the cultural and
educational center.

 

“We support the Armenian American Museum because it is going to be
an important cultural and educational destination for all Armenian Americans as
well as children, families, and community members of diverse backgrounds,” stated
Northern California Meet & Greet Co-Host Beth Rustigian Broussalian.

 

Board of Trustees Co-Treasurer Talin Yacoubian representing the
AGBU Western Region delivered formal remarks on behalf of the museum. Formal
remarks were followed by a Q&A session with Executive Chairman Berdj
Karapetian, Executive Director Shant Sahakian, and Architect Aram Alajajian.

 

The Northern California Meet & Greet served as the kick-off
event of the museum’s new Global Outreach Committee. The goal of the committee
is to raise awareness for the landmark center throughout the country and around
the world. The committee is currently organizing similar gatherings in
additional communities to be held in the coming weeks and months.

 

The event in the Bay Area comes on the heels of the sold out Armenian
American Museum Elevate Gala held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles
on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

 

The Armenian American Museum is a world class educational and
cultural institution that is currently under construction in the museum campus
at Glendale Central Park. The museum will offer a wide range of public
programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions,
Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.

 

Contribute to the Elevate Campaign at https://ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org/Elevate.

 

###

Top Row (Left to Right)
Executive Director Shant Sahakian
Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian
Northern California Meet & Greet Co-Host Vartan Demirjian
Northern California Meet & Greet Co-Host Kim Demirjian
Architect Aram Alajajian
Construction Committee Member Varuj Babikian

Bottom Row (Left to Right)
Global Outreach Committee Member Annette Galstian
Northern California Meet & Greet Co-Host Beth Rustigian Broussalian
Board of Trustees Co-Treasurer & Global Outreach Committee Member Talin Yacoubian
Board of Governors Member & Global Outreach Committee Member Michelle Kezirian
Board of Governors Member & Global Outreach Committee Member Margaret Mgrublian

Kindly,

Arsine Sina Torosyan
Communications Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
116 North Artsakh Avenue, Suite 205, Glendale, CA 91206
Office: (818) 351-3554, Ext. 706
Direct: (818) 644-2215
www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org
Confidentiality Notice: This communication and any documents, files, or previous e-mail messages attached to it constitute an electronic communication within the scope of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 ISCA 2510. This communication may contain non-public, confidential, or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the designated recipient(s). The unlawful interception, use, or disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited under 18 USCA 2511 and any applicable laws.




Northern California Meet & Greet Co-Hosts with Armenian American Museum Leadership.jpg
JPEG image

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 03/29/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Wednesday, 


Moscow Seeks End To Armenia’s Spat With CSTO


RUSSIA - The Russian Foreign Ministry building is seen behind a social 
advertisement billboard showing Z letters and reading "For the World without 
Nazism," Moscow. October 13, 2022.


Russia hopes to end Armenia’s growing estrangement from the Collective Security 
Treaty Organization (CSTO), according to a senior Russian diplomat.

The Armenian government has cancelled a CSTO military exercise planned in 
Armenia and refused to appoint a deputy secretary-general of the Russian-led 
military alliance over what it sees as a lack of support in the conflict with 
Azerbaijan. Citing the same reason, it has also rejected other CSTO member 
states’ offer to deploy a monitoring mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The unprecedented tensions have called into question Armenia’s continued 
membership in the organization. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian claimed on March 
16 that it is the CSTO that could “leave Armenia.” A Russian Foreign Ministry 
spokeswoman laughed off that remark, saying that she has trouble understanding 
its meaning.

“We expect that harmful discussions on the topic of ‘who leaves what’ will end 
and that all issues of interaction with Yerevan within the CSTO framework, 
including the deployment of the organization’s monitoring mission in Armenia, 
will be solved in a constructive and mutually beneficial manner,” Russia’s 
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told RTVI, a Russian-language 
broadcaster.

“For our part, we reaffirm our readiness to implement plans to deploy a CSTO 
mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the interests of ensuring 
Armenia’s security as well as other assistance measures,” said Galuzin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also reaffirmed that offer when he met 
with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow on March 20. Lavrov 
decried “undisguised attempts by Western countries to estrange Armenia from 
Russia.”

Tensions between Moscow and Yerevan have deepened further since then. Last 
Friday, Armenia’s Constitutional Court gave the green light for parliamentary 
ratification of the International Criminal Court’s founding treaty. The ruling 
came one week after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President 
Vladimir Putin over war crimes allegedly committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Moscow warned on Monday that Yerevan’s recognition of The Hague tribunal’s 
jurisdiction would have “extremely negative” consequences for Russian-Armenian 
relations. The Armenian government has still not publicly reacted to the stern 
warning.




Baku Slams Head Of EU Monitoring Mission In Armenia

        • Astghik Bedevian

Armenia - European Union monitors patrol Armenia's border with Azerbaijan, 
February 20, 2023.


Baku on Wednesday lambasted the head of European Union monitors deployed to 
Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan for essentially not ruling out the possibility 
of a fresh Azerbaijani military offensive there.

“Many Armenians believe there will be a spring offensive by Azerbaijan. If this 
doesn't happen, our mission is already a success,” Markus Ritter, the German 
head of the monitoring mission, told Germany’s Deutsche Welle broadcaster this 
week.

“We cannot interfere, we only have binoculars and cameras at our disposal,” he 
said.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Ritter’s remarks, saying 
that they are based on “false and slanderous statements made by the Armenian 
side.”

The Armenian government did not immediately comment. It has repeatedly claimed 
in recent weeks that Baku is planning a “new military aggression” against 
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The conflicting sides have reported this month more frequent ceasefire 
violations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the Karabakh “line of 
contact.” An Armenian soldier was shot and killed by Azerbaijani troops on March 
22.

The deployment in February of the 100 or so EU monitors was meant to reduce the 
risk of a serious escalation in the conflict zone. Foreign Minister Ararat 
Mirzoyan said last week that the Armenian government has no access to their 
confidential reports sent to Brussels.

Azerbaijan as well as Russia have criticized the two-year EU mission requested 
by Yerevan. Moscow said on February 21 that it is part of the West’s efforts to 
squeeze it out of the South Caucasus.




Pashinian Again Invited To U.S. ‘Summit For Democracy’


Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian participates in the second Summit for 
Democracy, .


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian is among 120 global leaders participating in the 
second Summit for Democracy organized by U.S. President Joe Biden and denounced 
by Russia.

The two-day virtual summit which began on Wednesday is designed to promote 
democratic governance around the world in the face of rising authoritarianism. 
Biden was due to pledge $690 million in U.S. government funding for democracy 
programs around the world.

“Worldwide, we see autocrats violating human rights and suppressing fundamental 
freedoms; corrupting -- and with corruption eating away at young people's faith 
in their future; citizens questioning whether democracy can still deliver on the 
issues that matter most to their lives,” The Associated Press quoted U.S. 
Secretary of State Antony Blinken as saying at a pre-summit virtual event on 
Tuesday.

Russia scoffed at the summit on Wednesday, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov 
saying it "can hardly be classified as some kind of serious event." Washington 
is still “aspiring to the role of global teacher of so-called democracy,” he 
told reporters.

“As regards those who chose to take part in this lesson, it’s their sovereign 
business,” Peskov said when asked about Armenia’s participation in the event.

Addressing the summit, Pashinian insisted that his government “continues to 
implement a democratic reform agenda.”

“As a result of that, our country has improved its positions in various global 
rankings,” he said.

Pashinian went on to mention the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and, in particular, 
Azerbaijan’s offensive military operations launched along the Armenian border 
last September.

ARMENIA - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accepts a bouquet of flowers from 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in Yerevan, September 18, 2022,

“It was back in September that we felt the union of democracies and the clear 
condemnation of aggression against Armenia,” he said, referring to Western 
powers. “I want to take this opportunity and extend our gratitude to the United 
States and other partners that helped us stop the further incursion through 
diplomatic engagement.”

Pashinian and other senior Armenian officials have repeatedly complained about 
what they see as a lack of such support from Russia, Armenia’s main ally. 
Relations between Moscow and Yerevan have significantly deteriorated in recent 
months.

Pashinian also took part in the first Summit for Democracy held in December 
2021. The U.S. invitations extended to him highlight Washington’s largely 
positive assessments of his government’s human rights and democracy records.

Armenian opposition leaders have accused the U.S. as well as the European Union 
of turning a blind eye to the Pashinian administration’s pressure on the 
judiciary, the existence of “political prisoners” and other human rights abuses 
in the South Caucasus country. In May last year, they lambasted the then U.S. 
ambassador in Yerevan, Lynne Tracy, for seemingly touting the outcome of 
Armenia’s 2021 general elections won by Pashinian’s party.

In an annual report released on Monday, Amnesty International accused the 
Armenian authorities of using “excessive force” against opposition protesters 
and “unduly” restricting the freedom of expression.

“Criminal prosecutions over the legitimate expression of criticism of the 
authorities had a chilling effect on free speech,” said the global watchdog.




Azerbaijan Thanks Israel For Support During Karabakh War


Israel -- Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Azerbaijani counterpart 
Jeyhun Bayramov a joint press conference, .


Visiting Israel on Wednesday, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov 
thanked the Jewish state for supporting Azerbaijan during the 2020 war with 
Armenia.

“We are grateful to Israel for supporting the position of Azerbaijan,” 
Azerbaijani news agencies quoted Bayramov as saying after talks with his Israeli 
counterpart Eli Cohen. He said that Jews were among Azerbaijani soldiers killed 
during the six-week war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Bayramov was due to inaugurate the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tel Aviv during his 
visit.

Israel has long been one of Azerbaijan’s main suppliers of weapons and other 
military hardware. Those supplies continued even after Azerbaijan launched a 
full-scale offensive in and around Karabakh on September 27, 2020.

Armenia recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest on October 1, 2020. 
According to the Armenian military, Azerbaijani forces heavily used Israeli-made 
attack drones and multiple-launch rocket systems throughout the hostilities 
stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire in November 2020.

Azerbaijani-Israeli military cooperation appears to have continued unabated 
since then. Nevertheless, Armenia sent a new ambassador to Israel in April 2022.

Last month, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with then Israeli Defense 
Minister Yoav Gallant on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. 
Israel’s Minister of Intelligence Gila Gamliel also underscored close security 
ties between the two countries when she visited Baku earlier this month.

Gamliel’s visit came amid heightened tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran. 
Iranian leaders have repeatedly warned Baku against advancing Israel’s 
geopolitical interests in the region and trying to strip the Islamic Republic of 
its border with Armenia.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Baklava and ‘cheesy bread.’ This new Fresno restaurant has Armenian food and more

Emil Lazarian


By Bethany Clough

Updated 12:21 PM
[SEE VIDEO]
Baklava House opens in Fresno giving visitors fresh-made baklava as well as European foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. BY CRAIG KOHLRUSS

Look closely and there are little bits of beauty to be found in one of northwest Fresno’s newest restaurants.

The name of the restaurant, Baklava House, is written in pink neon on a wall of faux greenery in what used to be a Subway sandwich shop.

Order a house tea, and a glass teapot of what looks like molten rubies studded with fresh strawberries and warmed by a candle arrives at the table.

And of course there’s the case of baked goods.

Several kinds of baklava are on display, with walnuts or almonds, oranges or chocolate and drizzled in a honey sauce that makes them shine.

Judy Statler of Fresno and her friends clustered around the counter to ooh and aah at the sweets on a recent afternoon.

“I have to see these beautiful pastries — and they’re gorgeous!” she said.

House tea, with a blend of fruit and herbs, is poured at Baklava House. now open on Bullard Avenue near West Avenue in Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected]

But before we delve too much into food, the basics: Baklava House is a newly opened little restaurant at the northwest corner of Bullard and West avenues. It’s in the same shopping center as Save Mart.

It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Owner Arut Mkhitaryan described it as European-American food, though it’s got a heavy Armenian influence.

It’s not high-end. It’s not the type of place you have to dress up for (though it does have a certain charm you won’t find in most restaurants the size of a sandwich shop).

It’s unrecognizable as a former Subway, redone in shades of white. Baklava House also took over the former Oka Japanese spot next door, with Mkhitaryan buying the business and turning it into the dining room.

Georgian cheese bread, which has a egg lightly cooked in the center with basturma cured beef pieces and a three-cheese mix, is one of the more popular breakfast meals at Baklava House in Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected]

There is a lot happening on Baklava House’s menu: Italian spaghetti, French chicken, rack of lamb, sandwiches, soups and dolma, made with ground beef wrapped in grape leaves.

Breakfast is served all day and includes pancakes and waffles, steak and eggs, and shakshuka — eggs nestled in a pan of tomatoes and bell peppers.

The cabbage rolls are vegan.

But what does the owner, Mkhitaryan, recommend? The Georgian cheese bread (or cheesy bread, as he calls it). It’s also known as ajarakan, khachapuri, perhaps an egg boat.

It’s football-shaped bread, filled with a gooey mixture of three cheeses and an egg that’s still runny.

General manager and Mkhitaryan’s sister, Karine Sahakyan, provided this Bee reporter and photographer with a little tutorial about how to eat it in the kitchen.

Using a “rip and dip” method, she tears off a corner of the bread, busts it into the yellow egg yolk and twirls it around in the cheese.

“You have to do like tornado inside,” she said. “Make it all mixed. Now you try.”

When we got a little wild wrapping 8-inch long stretches of gooey cheese around hunks of bread, she exclaimed, “That’s what I’m talking about!”

You can get all kinds of toppings baked into the cheese, including eggplant, chicken, pepperoni and basturma, a sort of cured bacon made from beef that’s popular in the Middle East. Fresh stalks of green tarragon are a popular topping that’s not on the menu, but if you ask for it, they’ll likely have it.

What toppings does Mkhitaryan prefer? “I like all the toppings,” he said with a big grin.

A sweet syrup drizzle is added to almond baklava at Baklava House now open on Bullard Avenue near West in Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected]

The traditional baklava is a made with walnuts, honey and layers of phyllo dough.

“All the baklavas, they are one taste only, with the nuts,” he said. “Our baklava is different because they have a different taste — raspberry, blueberry tastes, lemon, chocolate.”

The flavors rotate and are baked fresh daily. 

You can make large orders ahead of time. Baklava House also sells gift boxes of a dozen or so baklavas with stickers that say “Best mother ever” or “thank you” for $22.

There are a few other kinds of pastries at Baklava House, though not many. Mkhitaryan said he could do more, but chooses not to.

“I don’t want to do another pastry,” he said. “I want to do only baklava.”

For Mkhitaryan, baklava goes back to when he was a child in Armenia, when his grandmother made it and other treats for the family, served with tea.

He got into the food business as a teen in Armenia — including running a baklava bakery at one point — and never looked back. He came to the U.S. 30 years ago and kept opening businesses.

He opened Noah’s Ark Restaurant & Bakery in Fresno years ago before selling it, along with so many other businesses sometimes he can’t remember their names.

More and different restaurants are in the works, too. He’s behind the Front Yard Burger that’s gearing up to open on Blackstone Avenue. And he’s planning a place called Cheesy Bread House serving that Georgian cheese bread in the Flippin’ Daves Burgers and Fries spot on West Shaw Avenue.

That’s the way he does things.

“My goal is to do something new all the time,” he said.

Details: Baklava House is at 2040 W. Bullard Ave. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. 559-840-1238.

Susanna Karapatyn prepares an order of Georgian cheese bread at at Baklava House now open on Bullard Avenue near West Avenue in Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected]

Karine Sahakyan, right, assists customers with choices of baklava at Baklava House, now open on Bullard Avenue near West Avenue in Fresno. The new restaurant also offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected]

This story was originally published , 11:17 AM.





Armenpress: Armenia joins Summit for Democracy Declaration with reservation

Sonya Jalatian

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 09:15,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has endorsed the Declaration of the 2023 Summit for Democracy with reservation.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated on March 29 in the plenary session of the Summit for Democracy, a forum held online at the initiative of United States President Joe Biden.

Armenia expressed reservation regarding preambular Paragraph 3 of the Declaration of the 2023 Summit for Democracy “because this paragraph does not comprehensively reflect all conflicts and crises and does not address the fact of the Azerbaijani aggression against, and occupation of parts of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.”

The Preambular Paragraph 3 of the Declaration says : “We reiterate our firm resolve to support countries and people around the world that adhere to the values of freedom and democracy, against direct or indirect attempts or threats to undermine them.  We recognize the fundamental principles of the UN Charter that all states shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state and shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means.  We recognize the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense of States consistent with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We underscore the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter. We deplore the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the continuous attacks against critical infrastructure across Ukraine with devastating consequences for civilians, and express our grave concern at the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, the number of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian assistance, and violations and abuses committed against children. We are deeply concerned by the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment. We demand that Russia immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and call for a cessation of hostilities.  We also call for the parties to the armed conflict to adhere to their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.  We call also for the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred and deported, including children. We strongly support accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through appropriate, fair and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes.”

Israeli missile attack on Syria’s Damascus area wounds 2 soldiers – state media

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 10:31,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Israel has conducted air strikes on targets in the Damascus area in the early hours of Thursday morning, the Syrian ministry of defense and state media reported.

The Syrian SANA state news agency, citing a military source, said two soldiers were wounded in what it described as an “aerial act of aggression” by Israel. Some material damages were also reported.

Israel rarely acknowledges its attacks on sites in Syria, which it claims are aimed at bases of Iran-allied armed groups.