Category: News

Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian, Sergey Lavrov and Elmar Mammadyarov will hold a meeting in Moscow on April 28.

The discussions will focus on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a bipartisan resolution in the Senate to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide. The was cosponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.).

“Today, on Armenian Remembrance Day, 102 years after this tragedy took place under the Ottomans, we must call it for what it is:  genocide.  I believe our continued failure to do so leaves space for barbarism in our present world and I call on my Senate colleagues to correct this shameful oversight,” said Senator Menendez. “This resolution reaffirms in the strongest terms possible that we will always honor the memory of innocent Armenian men, women, and children who were killed or expelled from their homeland, and will always remember this tragedy as a lesson to always stand together against all crimes against humanity.” 

Over the course of eight years, the Ottoman Empire deported nearly 2,000,000 Armenians from their homeland, where they had existed for 2,500 years. Of that population, 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed. In 1915, England, France and Russia jointly condemned this “crime against humanity,” the first ever such charge against another government.

“We want to thank Senator Menendez and his Senate colleagues for introducing legislation calling for an end to U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denials,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).  “It’s evident, as the authors of this bipartisan resolution clearly articulate, that any meaningful improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations will require that the Turkish government first acknowledge the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide and then accept a just and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.”

“We deeply appreciate Senator Menendez’s commitment to affirming America’s proud chapter in helping to save the Armenian people during the first genocide of the twentieth century,” stated Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.  “As we remember the Armenian Genocide today, I am reminded that Christians and other minorities in the Middle East and elsewhere remain at risk.  Their plight obligates us to redouble our efforts to prevent further atrocities and restore respect for human rights everywhere.”

Thousands of Canadian Armenians marked the 102 anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey with public gatherings and marches in cities across the country, reports.

The largest event was held in Ottawa where several hundred people gathered at a ceremony on Parliament Hill and then walked down the streets of the national capital to the Turkish embassy to demand that Turkish authorities stop their campaign of denial of the genocide.

Simon Izmirian, an executive member of the Armenian National Committee of Canada and one of the organizers of the march in Ottawa, said as a great-grandchild of a genocide survivor he felt compelled to participate in the commemoration not only to pay tribute to his ancestors but also to demand justice.

“The reason why we are here today and the reason why it’s important for us to be here today is to stand collectively together to fight for a political cause,” Izmirian said in a phone interview from Ottawa.

“That cause is the cause of solidarity where we’re going to stand together to voice our desire for justice and for the perpetrators to be held accountable for what they’ve done in 1915.”

The assembly’s monitoring committee raised concerns over constitutional amendments that were approved this month in a national referendum amid a state of emergency.

Turkey rapporteur Marianne Mikko said on Tuesday the amendments, which significantly expand the powers of the presidency, “do not comply with our fundamental and common understanding of democracy.”

She stressed that the monitoring process is not “punishment” but a bid to strengthen dialogue with Turkey.

The committee was critical of the atmosphere ahead of the referendum and of emergency decrees after the failed coup attempt in July 2016.

The committee pointed to the detention of parliamentarians and journalists and the sweeping dismissals of civil servants allegedly linked to the coup.

The Turkish foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the “unjust decision” of a European rights body to put it on a monitoring watchlist, adding that Ankara was left with no choice but to reconsider its relations with the body.

“Deciding to re-open the monitoring procedure on Turkey… under the guidance of malicious circles at the PACE is a disgrace to this organ, which claims to be the cradle of democracy,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that xenophobia and Islamophobia were “spreading with violence” across Europe.

Armenian Weekly – The vow to “keep the promise” was in full effect on Sunday, April 23, as an impressive number gathered in Times Square to remember the 1.5 million martyrs and pay homage to their legacy, proving that the Armenian Genocide commemorations have only gained momentum since the Centennial.

The relevant and inspiring program, organized by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan since 1985, once again attracted thousands of supporters who waved the vibrant tricolor flags of Armenia and Artsakh in the heart of New York City, as the past was remembered and a renewed effort was made to strengthen the Armenian Diaspora and the homeland.

Steadfast supporters of the Armenian Genocide were once again in attendance to speak, particularly committed elected officials, including Congressman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), who acknowledged the accomplishments of the Armenian Diaspora in championing genocide recognition around the world.

“Recognition will happen if all of you continue to march, write letters and take action,” said Pallone, founder of the Congressional Caucus of Armenian Issues, who recently introduced a new resolution for the U.S. Congress to recognize the genocide.

Pallone remarked that conflict in Armenia and Artsakh is ongoing, recognizing the war there last year and warned that although the genocide was over 100 years ago, violence is still being used against the Armenian people.

“Continue your efforts,” urged Pallone. “You being here today helps with genocide recognition and we as a people must speak out against genocide wherever it occurs.”

A fellow member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian issues, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) promised to “confront a stubborn resistance.”

She said all nations have a responsibility to recognize the systemic extermination of the Armenians and that until the resolution is passed to recognize the Armenian Genocide in the U.S., “we will not stop.”

Appearing every year without fail, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is the current Senate Minority Leader, pledged to “stand with all of you in acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and nothing less.”

He praised the energy and collective spirit of Armenians a century after the massacres and hailed the production of the major motion picture, The Promise that “finally shines a light on this story and puts it in the mainstream for all to see.”

Honoring the memory of his late friend Sam Azadian, founder of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Times Square, Schumer said he attends the commemoration every year “because I believe it is our duty to speak out for the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Armenian Genocide was the first Holocaust of the 20^th century but not the last,” said Schumer. “These events are a stain on humanity and I stand with all of you today to remember the pain of the past.”

Scholar David Phillips, who worked towards reconciliation with Armenia and Turkey as former chair of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, said he always believed that “hard problems can be solved through hard dialogue.”

“But dialogue is impossible if one side wants to humiliate the other,” said Phillips, noting the efforts of Armenia’s President Serge Sargsyan towards reconciliation, while Turkey’s then Prime Minister Recep Erdogan reneged on their discussions.

“It takes two to talk,” said Phillips, who is currently the Director of the Peace-building and Rights Program at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. “But Erdogan is not reconciliatory.”

He called then for Washington to investigate Erdogan for war crimes “to lay the groundwork for accountability.”

“Your work and presence here today is so important,” said Phillips. “For the Armenians today in Nagorno Karabagh, for the Yazidis in Iraq, and for all who suffer from crimes against humanity.”

Urging the next generation to take genocide recognition into their own hands, celebrity attorney Mark Geragos told the thousands of young people at the commemoration to “go outside the political process to create a movement to never forget.”

“If you as the next generation don’t keep the promise, we are doomed to repeat it.”

Geragos remarked that Turkey spends millions of dollars to “cover up and perpetuate a lie” and the following generations need to do their part to continue the fight for justice and remembrance.

Knights of Vartan Grand Commander Steven Kradjian and Daughters of Vartan Grand Matron Sona Manuelian recognized and honored Olympic wrestler Migran Arutyunyan and MMA champion Albert Ghazaryan, along with their coach Hayk Ghukasyan with special Knights of Vartan medals for their accomplishments in sports.

Dr. Rachel Goshgarian, Professor of History at Lafayette College and Armen McOmber Esq., New Jersey attorney, ably served as MCs for the program.

Remarks by sponsoring organizations were made by Stephen Mesrobian, Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER); Talin Yacoubian, Armenian Assembly of America; Natalie Gabrielian, Armenian General Benevolent Union; Shahe Sanentz, ADL-Ramgavars; Souren Israelyan, Esq., Armenian Bar Association; Natalie Sarafian, Armenian Council of America; Shant Mardirossian, Near East Foundation; and Rev. Haig Kherlopian, Armenian Missionary Association of America and Armenian Evangelical Union of North America.

Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, gave the invocation and Very Rev. Fr. Vazken Karayan, pastor of Holy Cross Armenian Church, representing Archbishop Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), offered the benediction. Other clergy in attendance included Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.

The winners of this year’s Knights of Vartan Essay Contest were announced at the program: Raffi Salbashian, 1st place, Stephan Havatian, 2nd place, and Samantha Khorozian, 3rd place.

The Hovnanian Armenian Day School students sang the national anthems of the United States and Armenia, as well as “God Bless America.”

The Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey, led by director Vartan Abdo streamed the event live in video format worldwide, reaching more than 50,000 people, with the assistance of his dedicated volunteer staff.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received a governmental delegation headed by Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

Karen Karapetyan and Hamid Ansari first met in private, after which the talks continued in an extended format.

Welcoming Hamid Ansari’s delegation, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan expressed confidence that their visit would give a new impetus to the development of the Armenian-Indian economic cooperation.

“The relations between our two peoples boast a long history. The Armenian-Indian relations are characterized by high level of mutual understanding and trust. This year we are marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Armenia and India. Despite the high level of political dialogue between our countries, there is still much to be done in the field of economic cooperation, as there is a lot of potential,” Karen Karapetyan pointed out.

Prime Minister suggested enhancing efficiency in economic cooperation by targeting two areas: exchange of technologies and agriculture. At the same time, the Premier stressed the need for continued cooperation in all other prospective sectors. According to the Prime Minister, cooperation in the aforementioned two areas may cover information technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and engineering. The Prime Minister added that the two countries have been boasting successful and exemplary cooperation in the IT sector in the face of the Armenian-Indian Excellence Center in Information and Communication Technologies. As Karen Karapetyan said, it has great potential as a business project, and its subsequent operation and modernization should be approached from that perspective.

The head of the Armenian government highlighted the use of new technologies in the health sector and thanked the Indian side for the assistance provided for the creation of the telemedicine network.

“We are ready to provide the necessary conditions for Indian companies to do business in Armenia. In this context, I would like to mention the free economic zone on the border with Iran in Syunik, which will be operational this fall. Armenia’s joining the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union’s GSP + trade regime will allow unimpeded access to these markets. Also, we suggest considering the involvement of Indian companies in jewelry, watch-making and precious stones processing activities in Meridian free economic zone in Armenia,” Karen Karapetyan said, adding that agriculture is a sector with great potential and Armenia is interested in developing cooperation in this field.

In this regard, the Prime Minister stressed the need to provide conditions for the import agricultural equipment from India and establishment of agro-machinery centers in Armenia. Priority was given to the development of cooperation in the field of seed production.

Karen Karapetyan highlighted the North-South Road International Transport Corridor project, noting that India is one of its co-founders. The Prime Minister said that in this framework Armenia has initiated a project that will make of Armenia a transit point for implementing swift and cost-effective multimodal shipments of Indian products on the way to Russia and European countries.
Thanking for the warm welcome, Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari stressed the warm, friendly ties that bind both people and both countries.

Hamid Ansari highlighted the friendly relations between the two countries and nations as a key asset. “Our countries have always identified goals and ways for cooperation in every stage of relationship. This was the case in the past and will continue in the future. Today’s world is a world of technology and we have achieved progressive growth in terms of adapting to the technological world. India has the capacity and is ready to share them out with Armenia in engineering, mechanical engineering, information technology and healthcare, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture and other sectors,” the Vice President of India said.

According to Mr Ansari, Armenia has gained importance through its associate relationship with the North, West and East, and India attaches great importance to bilateral cooperation in different directions. Convinced that the proposal to attract the Indian capital in Armenia’s free economic zones was quite promising, the Vice President assured that he would convey the message to his country’s business circles.

“What matters most is that Indian businesses have the ability and willingness to invest outside of India. We will closely monitor to ensure that our two countries find out new opportunities for interaction,” Hamid Ansari noted, expressing willingness to closely cooperate in the field of agricultural supplies and other industries.

In Indian Vice President’s words, Armenian and India boast long-standing and promising ties of friendship, and India is willing to fully cooperate with Armenia.

The parties took the opportunity to discuss the possibility of establishing direct air communications, which is a good way to develop trade and economic cooperation, facilitate tourism and the visa regime. In this context, the interlocutors touched upon the need to hold an Armenian-Indian business forum, expand and deepen exchanges in education and culture.

Attended by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, the following cooperation instruments were signed between the two governments: a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of youth affairs between the Armenian Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India as signed by RA Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Hrachya Rustamyan and Indian State Minister for Small and Medium Enterprise Giriraj Singh; practical program of cultural cooperation in 2017-2020 between the Armenian and Indian Ministries of Culture as signed by RA Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan and Indian Ambassador Yogeshvar Sangvan; a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space between the governments of Armenia and India as signed RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan and Secretary for East of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Priti Saran.

Later today, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will host an official dinner in honor of Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan received today the delegation led by Ambassador Herbert Salber, EU’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia. Head of the EU Delegation in Armenia Piotr Switalski was present at the meeting.

The Armenian Defense Minister briefed the EU official on the recent developments at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the line of contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan.

Minister Sargsyan emphasized the importance of targeted statements by the international community, including the EU, as well as the implementation of investigation mechanisms as important guarantees of efficiency of negotiations.

Herbert Salber noted, in turn, that the EU accepts the leading role of the OSCE Minsk Group in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and is ready to contribute to the intensification of negotiations in that format.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has criticized US President Donald Trump for his statement in commemoration of the Armenian genocide, saying that his words are historically inaccurate and based on a one-sided approach to the event.

“We consider that the misinformation and false definitions contained in U.S. President Trump’s written statement of April 24, 2017 regarding the 1915 events are derived from the information pollution created over the years by some Armenian circles in the U.S. by means of propaganda methods,” the Ministry said in a statement.

“We expect from the new U.S. Administration not to accredit the one-sided historical narrative of these circles which are known for their tendency to violence and hate speech and to adopt an approach which will take into consideration the sufferings of all sides,” it added.

“We would like to remind the U.S. Administration that the Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives during the First World War, were commemorated again this year on April 24 at a ceremony held by the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, with the respect they deserve. The statement conveyed to this ceremony by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reflects the approach of Turkey on this issue,” the statement reads.

“Today, we remember and honor the memory of those who suffered during the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th Century,”  on Monday.

“Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. I join the Armenian community in America and around the world in mourning the loss of innocent lives and the suffering endured by so many,” he stated.

India’s Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today accompanied by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The Vice-President laid a wreath at the memorial to Armenian Genocide Memorial and paid tribute to the memory of victims with a minute of silence.

Mohammad Hamid Ansari visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI), watched the displays and left a note in the Guest Book.

AGMI Director Hayk Demoyan presented him the English edition of the “Armenian Genocide: Frontpage coverage in the world press” and an album of French Armenian artist Jean Jansem’s works.

India’s Vice-President later planted a fir tree in the memory Alley.

 – “Remembering the Armenian Genocide today helps us to never let this type of atrocities happen again in the history of humanity,” said Vice President of Argentina Gabriela Michetti during a mass in commemoration of the 102 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“When we speak of genocide we are talking about an attack on humanity,” remarked Michetti, who then read a poem by William Saroyan.

“The genocide was recognized by our country in 2007 by Law 26.199,” added the Vice President in the Cathedral San Gregorio the Illuminator, referring to the Day of action for tolerance and respect among peoples in commemoration of the genocide that was victim the Armenian people.

In one hour, the march and the event will start from the Faculty of Law of the UBA to the residence of the Ambassador of Turkey.