Category: News

Armenia’s Defense Minister accused Ankara of pursuing “extremely destructive” policies in the South Caucasus region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accepted Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s invitation to visit Yerevan.

“The Foreign Minister of Armenia invited me to visit Yerevan, and I accepted the invitation,” Lavrov told reporters at the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the 25^th anniversary of establishment of the Armenian-Russian relations, TASS.

“The date of the visit will be discussed separately,” Lavrov added,

“The Armenian-Russian relations are an exemplary model of bilateral cooperation, probably the most effective and successful one on post-Soviet space,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

Armenia’s defense minister told Sputnik that Yerevan’s cooperation with NATO does not threaten its relations with Russia.

A group of Armenians from Turkey wrote a letter addressed to Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, before the meeting that will be held in Etchmiadzin on February 23 to discuss the patriarchal election.

In the letter, Armenians of Turkey demanded that Karekin II advises the resignation of General Vicar of the Patriarch Aram Ateşyan.

The text of the letter is below : 

“His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II,

The seat of the patriarch of Armenians of Turkey has been vacant since 8 years.

The church and some leaders of our society postponed the election on the excuse of the state.

We informed you about this matter with a letter signed by over 5.000 people.

Unfortunately, we haven’t received any response from Mayr Ator.

In these 8 years, there has been many adverse situations. His Eminence Aram Ateşyan, who was assigned by the state against our traditions, has been using the authority that he doesn’t deserve. Unfortunately, His Eminence Aram Ateşyan, deprived of qualities of leadership, ignored what we lost in 1915 and gashed the souls of those who carry this pain in their hearts and express this truth whenever possible. Our sole consolation is the fact that April 24 commemoration ceremonies are still held in many cities of Turkey despite this submissive attitude.

The patriarchate became the very source of problems, though it is the seat that is supposed to solve the problems. Clerics couldn’t have stood up against the pressure and some of them became accomplices to sins. In the end, Armenian society’s ties with the church got weaker. People ran out of patience and came to protest in front of the patriarchate.

His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,

After several crises, now we got the chance to elect our patriarch.

We know that some people will try to prevent the election, but we are determined to hold this election more than ever.

We should remember that the elected patriarch will not only be the head of the church, but also he will represent Armenians of Turkey before the state.

We are pleased to see that you step in, even though we expected you to do it earlier.

We, Armenians of Turkey, are determined to solve our problems on our own.

What we are asking from you is this: please advise His Eminence Aram Ateşyan to get rid of his personal ambitions and resign from vicarship, and to advise our clerics to chose an impartial değabah (trustee).

Let us remind once again, we will elect a cleric who will protect the members of the church, but equally importantly, he will also be a “leader” who will represent the entire Armenian society before the state and law both in and outside of the country.

His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,

The fact that you are concerned with us and trying to solve our problems keeps us going.

This letter is written with the purpose of expressing the feelings of the majority of Armenians of Turkey.”

Armenia’s Ambassador to Iran Artashes Toumanian and the Head of Trade, Industries, and Mines Chamber of Tehran Khansari met on Tuesday to exchange views on the best results from upcoming visit of Armenian PM to Tehran, reports. 

Survival Pictures’ The Promise, the drama starring Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale about the Armenian Genocide, will donate all proceeds from the film to various non-profit organizations including Sir Elton John’s AIDS Foundation and other humanitarian and human rights groups. The film will be released wide via Open Road on April 21, reports.

At the legendary singer’s Academy Award viewing party on Sunday, both Elton John and EJAF chairman David Furnish will introduce the Terry George-directed film to their guests and producer Eric Esrailian of Survival Pictures will commit to match pledges guests make to EJAF via text and live auctions during the party. The goal is to make the night a record-setter for Elton John.

“Such giving has never happened with a film of this scale, we wanted the world to know about it, and we are incredibly grateful,” said Furnish. “We are honored to announce this generosity, thanks to the late philanthropist and humanitarian Kirk Kerkorian.” Survival Pictures began before Kerkorian’s death when the casino, automotive and entertainment mogul entrusted UCLA Doctor Esrailian to produce content about the Armenian culture. Mike Medavoy and William Horberg also began helping to produce the first film and Robin Swicord came aboard for the script.

The result is an over two-hour love story that just flies by with twists and turns and set against the horrific genocide of the Armenian people at the hands of the Turks in 1914, at the outset of World War I. Open Road picked it up for release on April 28; four days earlier marks the commemoration of the Armenian genocide.

“Through our friendships with the Manoukian family and producer Dr. Eric Esrailian … David and I became more personally aware of the Armenian Genocide and its timely relevance to social issues today. The film’s theme #KeepThePromise can be interpreted as keeping the promise to remember and learn from the atrocities of the past, as well as keeping the promise to end AIDS,” said Sir Elton in making the announcement this morning. “At EJAF, we are committed to #KeepThePromise and raise awareness about this powerful film that uses classic storytelling to inspire people to take action today.  We are honored to share the important timing of our Oscar-night event to introduce people to The Promise.”

The film will also help fund non-profits geared to helping spread Armenian culture and education as well. “It was Kirk’s wish to be philanthropic. It all starts and stops with his generosity,” said Survival Pictures’ Esrailian, one of the producers on The Promise. “The thinking was not only to make film but make sure we are helping people at the same time. Kirk said, you know, we can do both. By making films that have this kind of social impact and then making sure the proceeds are donated to help others makes a second impact.”

Survival Pictures has also developed a social impact campaign for its film to help educate the global public about the genocides and mass atrocities of the 20th and 21st centuries, the discussion about the legal definition of genocide, and historical denialism.

Sir Elton John created EJAF almost 25 years ago, first in the United States in 1992 and then in the United Kingdom in 1993. Since Kerkorian’s death in 2015, Survival Pictures is now co-managed by Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic.

“The term “frozen conflict”, often used to describe conflicts in Europe, is misleading,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said at a Security Council open debate on Europe’s protracted conflicts.

He pointed out that “until peace agreements are signed and implemented, the risk of renewed violence remains, as seen last April in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“The United Nations supports the OSCE’s Minsk Group and urges parties to conflict to fully implement agreed conflict-prevention measures, show greater political will and renew a sustainable and comprehensive negotiation process,” the UN Secretary General said.

António Guterres said the Council was seized of many conflict situations in Europe, noting that the Organization was working with such regional mechanisms as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union in tackling them.

The Festal Works of St. Gregory of Narek, Annotated Translation of the Odes, Litanies, and Encomia,  a book presentation by Dr. Abraham Terian will take place on Monday, February 27, 2017, at the Armenian Museum of Fresno Exhibition Hall.

Monday, is also the first day of Great Lent in the Apostolic / Orthodox Churches, and for the Armenian Evangelical Churches. The Roman Catholic Church commemorates on this date Saint Gregory of Narek, who is most known for his prayerbook titled, Book of Lamentations.

This book, which has been translated to numerous languages, is an “edifice of faith for the ages, unique in Christian literature for its rich imagery, its subtle theology, its Biblical erudition, and the sincere immediacy of its communication with God.”

When proclaiming Saint Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Universal Church, Pope Francis had this to say:

“Saint Gregory of Narek, a monk of the tenth century, knew how to express the sentiments of your people more than anyone. He gave voice to the cry, which became a prayer of a sinful and sorrowful humanity, oppressed by the anguish of its powerlessness, but illuminated by the splendor of God’s love and open to the hope of his salvific intervention, which is capable of transforming all things.” -Pope Francis, April 12, 2015

Terian’s is the first translation in any language of the surviving corpus of the festal works of St. Gregory of Narek, a tenth-century Armenian mystic theologian and poet par excellence (d. 1003). Composed as liturgical works for the various Dominical and related feasts, these poetic writings are literary masterpieces in both lyrical verse and narrative. Unlike Gregory’s better-known penitential prayers, these show a jubilant author in a celebratory mood. In this volume Abraham Terian, an eminent scholar of medieval Armenian literature, provides the nonspecialist reader with an illuminating translation of St. Gregory of Narek’s festal works. Introducing each composition with an explanatory note, Terian places the works under consideration in their author’s thought-world and in their tenth-century landscape. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 2016.

Diaspora Armenians will observe the parliamentary elections on April 2, thus ensuring a more active participation in the political life of the Motherland. More than 200 Diaspora Armenians have already applied for carrying out an observation mission, most observers are expected to arrive from Georgia.

After having actively reacted to the April and June events, Diaspora Armenians believe it’s high time to change the level of relationship with Armenia.

Those, who do not hold Armenian citizenship and are not eligible to vote in the elections, will participate in the electoral processes as observers.

Canadian Armenian actress Arsine Khanjyan, film director Atom Egoyan, frontman of the System Of A Down Serj Tankian have joined the initiative.

To correctly understand and interpret the processes taking place on April 2, the observers will take special training courses a few days before election day to get better understanding of the legislative and judicial fields.