Lukashenko on Armenia’s supposed withdrawal from CSTO: no need to hurry

Hagop Kamalian
SB.BY, Belarus
Feb 25 2024

In particular, the Head of State commented on the statements of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his country's withdrawal from the CSTO. The President said that such decisions are made not by the Prime Minister, but by Parliament. At the same time, no official notifications have been received from Yerevan in this regard so far, and the Belarusian leader said, “I think sensible people prevail in Parliament. There should be no grudges against us, against the CSTO, and this has been voiced more than once. It is necessary to understand that Azerbaijan is not a stranger for us, for all CSTO members.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko commented on the talks related to this issue, “We react absolutely calmly, and we discussed this problem indirectly with the presidents in Kazan. That was an absolutely calm conversation, nobody was going crazy. If Armenia needs to be part of the CSTO, then [it needs to know] that we have not expelled anyone, we have always supported Armenia and we will support it as our ally. If it does not want to stay in the CSTO, then the organisation will not collapse.”

At the same time, the former Armenian authorities did not want to resolve problematic issues with Azerbaijan peacefully for a long time, although the Azerbaijani authorities put a lot of effort into that process. The Head of State repeatedly called for a solution to the conflict, but it caused a nervous reaction on the part of Armenia.

At the same time, the Belarusian leader believes the current solution to the conflict has become the most acceptable for everyone, “Did Armenia want us to get involved in the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan? That war would still be going on and thousands would have died. I think that Azerbaijan and Armenia have eventually came to the right solution – though, unfortunately doing that by means of the war. What was our position supposed to be? Armenians are our close, dear people, but is Azerbaijan a stranger?”

Aleksandr Lukashenko also stated that there had been no reasons for the CSTO’s joining the conflict. “There was absolutely no reason for us. There is no need to be resentful. Hurt people are seldom at ease,” he added.

Speculating on why official Yerevan is making statements about its withdrawal from the CSTO, the Belarusian leader shared his observations. Actually, the Armenian authorities spend a lot of time in France, which has allegedly promised to provide support in the economy and military field. “In short, Yerevan will pick up the burden and carry it… No one will carry anyone! You can see what is happening in France, so the politicians in Yerevan need to wake up. They should not lose what they have,” he noted.

The Head of State mentioned Georgia as an example. This country ‘made an attempt to live with ease in the West’, but it is now establishing normal relations with Russia and Belarus. At the same time, Georgia has already been forgotten in the United States. “It is necessary to draw appropriate conclusions. No one in the West needs them. There are thousands of problems there,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

The Belarusian leader advised the Armenian side not to rush and not to make sudden movements, “No need to lose what you already hold in your hands. It is easy to withdraw, but it will be difficult to join later. No need to go out, no need to freeze something. Don’t hurry! Is there any need in these abrupt movements? Time changes a lot, and the situation in the world will change – so such compact states as Armenia, Belarus and others do not need to make sudden movements. There is no need for Armenians to hurry. It seems to me that Nikol Vovaevich [Pashinyan] was in a hurry and made an emotional statement.”

Lukashenko unfazed by Armenia’s stance on CSTO

Antonian Lara
BELTA, Belarus
Feb 25 2024
MINSK, 25 February (BelTA) – Belarus has taken Armenia’s statements on CSTO membership in stride, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told the media after he cast his ballot in the parliamentary and local elections on 25 February, BelTA has learned.
“We are absolutely calm about it. We discussed this problem with the presidents in Kazan. We are absolutely unfazed by it. It did not send anyone over the edge. If Armenia needs to be part of the CSTO, let it be, we have always supported and will support it as our ally. If they don’t want to be in the CSTO, the organization won’t collapse, it won’t be gone,” said the head of state.
At the same time, there have been no official notifications from Yerevan regarding its plans for the CSTO, the Belarusian leader remarked.
He noted that in line with Armenian laws, the issue of CSTO membership must be decided in parliament: “Pashinyan cannot make a decision whether to join or withdraw. The parliament is entitled to make such decisions. I think the majority of the Armenian MPs are sensible people. They don’t have any reason to harbour hard feelings against us, or the CSTO.”
According to the head of state, this topic has been discussed more than once, and it must be understood that Azerbaijan is not a stranger to any of CSTO member states. “There are many Muslim countries in the CSTO. You understand this too. This partly explains such a position. And, thirdly, did Armenia really want us to get involved in this war with Azerbaijan? In this case, this war would have been going on to this very day and thousands would have died,” said the Belarusian leader. “I believe that Azerbaijan and Armenia eventually arrived at the right solution to the issue, though through the war, unfortunately. Armenia (and they admitted it) occupied five or six regions of Azerbaijan,” the head of state said.
The president recalled that once he acted as a mediator between Baku and Yerevan in an attempt to peacefully resolve the territorial dispute, and for a number of years Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev not only called for a peaceful resolution, but also offered financial support to the Armenian side: “I occurred to be a mediator – I shuttled between Baku and Yerevan and conveyed these signals. The proposal envisaged billions of dollars of investment in the Armenian economy. Azerbaijan is a rich country. There were a lot of proposals to resolve this issue peacefully,” the head of state said.
However, in previous years, the Armenian leadership did not agree to a peaceful settlement and problems were snowballing. “It all accumulated and fell on Nikol Vovayevich Pashinyan [Prime Minister of Armenia], on his government. He is hardly to blame for what happened. Yet, this problem had to be solved. Moreover, the Armenia-occupied regions of Azerbaijan were desolate, although this is a very beautiful place where people could have lived with comfort. More than a million Azerbaijani refugees were a huge burden on Azerbaijan; there were many other problems,” the head of state noted.
“Well, the war is over. What position were we supposed to take? The Armenians are our kin, people we care about. And is Azerbaijan a stranger? We were put in a bind. And there was no reason for the CSTO to get involved in this conflict. There was absolutely no slightest reason for us to do it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.
He also drew attention to Armenia's contacts with France. “They communicated with Emmanuel Macron of France all the time. France pledged to help with air defense systems, with defense matters and economy. In general, they promised to take care of Yerevan’s needs. But they are not doing it. You see what is happening in France. Therefore, politicians in Yerevan need to wake up to reality and, to put it simply, try not to lose what they have,” the president of Belarus advised.
He cited Georgia as an example: “Thank God, they are mending relations with Russia, first of all, with us; their economy is recovering. They tried to get a free ride in the West. The Americans have already forgotten about Georgia. As soon as the Georgians started asserting that they were an independent country, the West began to put pressure on them, including and primarily the United States. You need to draw conclusions from it. No one in the West cares about them. They have thousands of problems of their own.”
“For example, today Biden supports Ukraine, Armenia, and so on. Tomorrow the government will change and Trump will say: “Listen, I don’t know you. My friends, this is the first time I’ve seen you!” the head of state remarked.
He once again urged to hold on to what one has: “It’s easy to leave, but it will be difficult to return. Again, Georgia is an example. It left the CIS and all structures. Is it better off without them? No. It is a good idea to return. But it's always more difficult to come back. It is not a good look and so on.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko advised the Armenian side not to rush to leave and not to make hasty decisions. “Take your time. Do not withdraw or freeze something. Well, if you don’t like something, just don’t come,” he said. “Time brings many changes. And the situation will change around Armenia, Azerbaijan. The global situation will change. Therefore, such compact, relatively small states as Armenia, Belarus and others do not need to make dramatic moves. We might fall through thin ice and no one will extend a helping hand, quite the opposite, they will push us further down so that we will drown there. Armenians should not rush. I believe that Nikol Vovayevich just got ahead of himself and made an emotional statement,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

My kids went to school in Bolivia and Armenia. It was coming back to the US that was hardest for them to adjust.

Baghdasarian Karlen
Business Insider
Feb 25 2024
Essay by Lia Miller 
  • We lived in Bolivia when my kids were in elementary school.
  • By the time they were in middle and upper school we were living in Armenia. 
  • School shootings in the US impacted their mental health. 

My children have had the unique and wonderful opportunity to grow up overseas and attend school in Bolivia and Armenia.

We lived in Bolivia when they were in lower elementary school and Armenia when they were in middle and upper elementary school, respectively.

However, when it came time to move back home to the US, from the outside, what we had been observing was distressing. From extreme political polarization to fears of an economic recession, to most concerning for a family with school-aged children — the rise of school shootings, the idea of returning to the United States and enrolling my now middle and high school-aged children was terrifying.

This fear for my children's safety and relative powerlessness to protect them was further exacerbated by my inability to have good answers to the difficult questions my children were asking me. I knew that to help my children feel safe and more positively embrace the idea of returning to public school in the United States, I had to once again don the hat from my academic roots as a clinically trained social worker and set my mothering hat aside.

It was essential for me to approach these interactions with my children in this way, to be sufficiently mindful of my concerns and fears, which then put me in a better position to listen to my children and distinguish between my reactions and theirs.

The first and best lesson of social work is to listen. I had to listen to the thoughts and fears my children expressed to understand the impact that school shootings were having on them.

Their questions ranged from "Will I be safe?" and "Why are school shootings happening in the United States so often and not as much overseas?" As a parent, they were hard to answer, but after listening and now with greater awareness of my children's specific concerns and feelings, I was prepared and more equipped to engage in deeper discussions.

As a family, we took part in a series of discussions that ran the gamut from bullying and mental health, which centered on the reasons that lead individuals to choose gun violence, to finding ways to use empathy and kindness toward others to identify and potentially intervene in instances of bullying, to understanding the national debate around gun control and school safety, among other topics.

I told them it's normal to be scared

These conversations allowed us a space to put school shootings into greater context for our children and helped them understand how to articulate what they need to feel safe.

Listening to our children through these discussions taught us to accept the sad reality of school shootings in the United States, to embrace that we don't and won't have all the answers and that it is completely reasonable to feel scared and concerned about the possibility of a school shooting happening.

Putting my parenting hat back on to help turn the corner on their valid concerns about returning to the United States, we reassured them that while a familiar occurrence in the United States, school shootings remain rare.

We showed them that most schools, including the ones they are currently enrolled in, have implemented safety and security plans to help reassure them that significant efforts are being made on an ongoing basis to ensure their safety.

Most importantly, by carving out time for these intentional discussions, we created a safe space to share what they are thinking and feeling, and to demonstrate that they are not alone.

Ancient Documents May Void Sale of the Last Open Land in Jerusalem’s Old City

Jane Topchian

Ha'aretz, Israel
Feb 24 2024

Ancient Documents May Void Sale of the Last Open Land in Jerusalem's Old City

Jerusalem residents are protesting a real estate deal for the last large open space in the Old City, which Ottoman-era documents show was intended to benefit the Armenian community

Nir Hasson

In 1574, Andreas Ben Ibrahim, an Armenian bishop in Jerusalem, went to the city's sharia court requesting to register "a land parcel that includes grape, fig, olive, and pomegranate trees in addition to five cisterns for the collection of rainwater" in the name of a "legal, permanent and eternal" endowment in favor of his brother.

Minutes from the court hearing state that following the brother's death, the endowment will be inherited by the brother's sons, and following their death, "to the benefit of their children and then the children of their children and the children of the children of their children and any person who will be born to them."

If no heir remained, the land would be endowed to the Armenian Christian community of Jerusalem. This week, these minutes became the key document in a dispute that has outraged residents of the Old City's Armenian Quarter.

Two years ago, the Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, Nourhan Manougian, sold land that comprises about a quarter of the entire area to real estate developers. The land sold is also the last large open space in the Old City, except for the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa compound – 11.5 dunams (2.975 acres) spread between the Armenian Monastery and the Old City walls.

Two months later, members of the Armenian community learned the full details of the deal, and embarked on a determined struggle to cancel it. The precious site was purchased by a company called Xana Gardens for a suspiciously low sum of $2 million. Under the agreement, the company undertook a plan to build a hotel on the site and transfer a fixed percentage of the revenue to the Patriarchate.

Xana Gardens was founded on the day the sale agreement was signed by Israeli-Australian businessman Danny Rothman (also known as Danny Rubinstein). Shortly after the deal was signed, Rothman sold half of the company shares to a Jaffa businessman named George Warwar.

Several young activists from the small Armenian community, which is estimated at just 1,000 people, are leading the struggle to cancel the deal. When Warwar's associates tried to access the site, they were blocked by the activists and violent confrontations broke out.

The activists warn that executing the deal would truncate the Armenian Quarter and wipe out Jerusalem's ancient Armenian presence. In view of the criticism of the Armenian community, Patriarch Manougian revoked the deal and the Patriarchate sued to cancel it.

The Patriarchate also accused the financier who handled the deal on its behalf, Father Baret Yeretsian, of corruption. Yeretsian was dismissed and left Israel as a result of the outcry. In December, he denied the charges in a response to Haaretz.

It now seems that the struggle against the deal has been invigorated, as historical documents found by lawyer Sami Arshid, co-counsel for the community with attorneys Eitan Peleg and Daniel Seidemann.

The claim that the three filled this week with the Jerusalem District Court on behalf of 380 members of the Armenian community states that the land sold by the patriarch was not his, but rather belonged to the endowment established by Andreas Ben Ibrahim 450 years ago.

The endowment deed states that the patriarch is only the endowment trustee and is prohibited from selling the land. He may only use it for the good of the Armenian community. The plaintiffs argue that the deal should thus be voided.

The Armenian community also argues that were the land wholly owned by the patriarch, he was not authorized to sell it without authorization of the general council of the Saint James Monastery, the primary religious entity in the Armenian Quarter, and that no such authorization had been given.

The authorization requirement is established in an amendment to the law on churches enacted in 2015 following lessons learned from the scandal of the sale of two large hotels owned by the Greek Patriarchate to the pro-settler Ateret Cohanim non-profit organization. That scandal has been reverberating throughout the Greek Orthodox Church for 20 years.

Sixteenth-century maps that label the land the Armenian Gardens have been attached to the suit, in contrast to other areas marked as owned by the monastery or Patriarchate. The plaintiffs argue that this is further evidence that the lot is owned by the Armenian community and not the Patriarchate or the church.

The lawsuit also criticizes the business logic behind the sale, specifically the lack thereof. "This is a large area of land without equal in the world, leased at a rent that is less than the rent paid for a single apartment in [Jerusalem's] Mamilla area or in the Talbieh neighborhood or in the Jewish Quarter," it says.

"What we are claiming against is the dispossessing of the Armenian community of the most valuable property in the city and perhaps one of the most expensive properties in the world at a ludicrous price, indicating the depths of the illegality and corruption adhering to this agreement."

"The claim is a milestone in the protection of assets of the Armenian community in Jerusalem," said Arshid. "The documents filed are intended to prove that the Armenian Gardens is the property of all members of the community. The land is an endowment property of the community, and the deal signed for it between the Patriarchate and Xana Gardens is therefore null and void."

Arshid emphasizes that the claim is also intended to "symbolize the unity of the community's members and their powerful wish to prevent construction of a megalomaniac project in the Armenian Quarter. Moreover, the Patriarchate itself admits that the project was made in a corrupt deal."

The Armenian Patriarchate declined to respond to the claim at this time. No response has been received on behalf of Xana Gardens.

Armenia values development of friendly relations with Estonia – President Khachaturyan to Karis

Parkev Tvankchian

 14:50,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has congratulated his Estonian counterpart Alar Karis on the country’s Independence Day.

“Armenia values the development of friendly relations with Estonia and is ready to take necessary steps for the expansion and strengthening of productive cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” Khachaturyan said in a letter addressed to President Karis. “I hope that our personal warm relationship will also contribute to the fulfillment of the agreements reached during my visit to Estonia last year, to the benefit of our peoples.”

Civil Contract Party approves candidacy of MP Gevorg Papoyan as Minister of Economy

Tatoyan Vazgen

 15:45,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Civil Contract Party’s Board has approved the candidacy of Member of Parliament Gevorg Papoyan for the position of Minister of Economy, which has been vacant since the dismissal of Vahan Kerobyan on February 14. 

Papoyan is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs.

The confirmation of Papoyan’s candidacy for the post was made during a board meeting of the party chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Chairman of the Board, the party said in a press release.

“The Board discussed and approved the candidacy of Gevorg Papoyan for the position of Minister of Economy,” the party said, adding that a number of other party matters were discussed.

Kerobian has been under house arrest since February 16, one day after he was indicted in an ongoing corruption investigation. The ex-minister denies the accusations of abuse of power allegedly committed in a procurement tender last year.

Armenpress: Azerbaijani forces open fire at Armenian military positions in Gegharkunik Province, coordinates released

Yeghisabet Arthur

 17:35,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani military opened gunfire on February 24 at Armenian Armed Forces posts in the area of Verin Shorzha, Gegharkunik Province, the Ministry of Defense has said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense presented the coordinates of the Azerbaijani position from where the shooting occurred.

The Defense Ministry also warned that Azeri authorities are again spreading disinformation.

“The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia refutes the statement by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, which claimed that on February 24th, around 12:45 p.m., Armenian Armed Forces units had allegedly fired toward Azerbaijani positions in the eastern part of the border. This claim does not align with reality. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia informs that on February 24th, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Azerbaijani armed forces units discharged fire against Armenian military positions near Verin Shorzha in the Gegharkunik region. The fire was directed towards the Armenian positions from the Azerbaijani position located at the following coordinates: 40 °05'31.68" N, 45 °52'51.44" E.,” the Ministry of Defense said.

California Courier-on-line, Feb. 22, 2024

Boshkezenian Garik

The California Courier Online, February 22, 2024

1-     
Despite His Denials, Aliyev is Upset
By International Criticism of Azerbaijan
By Harut
Sassounian
Publisher,
The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2- Andrew Goldberg’s “Armenia, My Home”
Documentary to Air on PBS

3- A day of love, Armenian style

4- Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan Crowned European Wrestling
Champion for 7th Time

************************************************************************************

1- Despite His Denials, Aliyev is Upset
By International Criticism of Azerbaijan
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Pres. Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan repeatedly states that he
ignores all international criticisms regarding his violations of the human
rights of his own citizens, war crimes by his soldiers, and ethnic cleansing of
Artsakh Armenians. Aliyev tries to cover up these violations and crimes through
‘Caviar diplomacy,’ by providing billions of dollars in bribes to various
European officials.

Anytime Azerbaijan has a problem with a foreign country,
Europeans institutions or international courts, he puts on a brave face and
acts like nothing has happened. He repeatedly says, “I don’t care who says
what, I will do what I want.”

I would like to cite a recent example of Aliyev being so
bothered by such issues that, rather than ignoring them, has gone to unusual
lengths to resolve them.

This example has to do with France. In recent months, Aliyev
has been quite outspoken with his harsh criticism of French President Emmanuel
Macron for supporting Armenia. Aliyev has refused to meet with Pres. Macron and
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the Artsakh conflict. Aliyev also
complained about France selling a number of armored personnel carriers to
Armenia. While spending billions of dollars to arm Azerbaijan with the latest
Israeli and Turkish drones and missiles, Aliyev dares to complain about Armenia
procuring a limited number of arms to defend itself.

Late last year, the Azerbaijan-France confrontation got more
heated when Azerbaijan expelled two French embassy officials from Baku and in
return France expelled two Azeri embassy officials from Paris.

The Intelligence Online website reported that, according to
its confidential sources, Azerbaijan’s intelligence services asked Mossad,
Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, to intervene with
France to resolve their outstanding conflicts.

According to confidential Mossad sources, Azerbaijan’s
Foreign Intelligence Service (XKX), led by General Orkhan Sultanov, asked his
counterpart in Israel to intervene with the General Directorate of External
Security (DGSE) of France to deescalate the tension between Baku and Paris.
Azerbaijan indicated that it would not want to worsen the existing dispute.

However, the Azeri effort failed, as Mossad did not transmit
the Azeri request to France, according to Intelligence Online sources. This was
a delicate issue for Israel as it wanted on one hand to preserve its good
relations with Azerbaijan, while on the other hand Israel’s intelligence agency
did not want to attempt such mediation at a time when it was preoccupied with
the conflict in Gaza and other Middle Eastern hot spots.

Intelligence Online reported that Mossad enjoys a high
degree of influence over Baku, since Israel uses the Azeri territory for its
operations in Iran. When Mossad stole Iran’s nuclear documents from Tehran in
2018, Israel’s agents used Azerbaijan’s border to flee from Iran. In return,
Mossad greatly facilitated Azerbaijan’s acquisition of sophisticated weapons
from Israel, which aided Baku, the second largest buyer of Israeli arms, to score
victories in 2020 and 2023 in Artsakh. Just before the attack on Artsakh in
September 2023, Azerbaijan’s security services informed the experts of Mossad
and Unit 8200 (Aman) of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate of their
plans and sought their advice.

According to Intelligence Online, Mossad has in recent years
brought its cooperation with the French External Security Directorate to a
higher operational level, notably on Iran. The French Agency has also been
mobilized over the situation in Gaza.

The new director of French Intelligence Agency, Nicolas
Lerner, met with David Barnea, the director of Mossad when the latter came to
Paris in the last week of January. Attending the closed-door meeting on the
Israeli-Palestinian issue were Abbas Kamel, head of the Egyptian General
Intelligence Directorate (Mukhabarat el-amma); Ronen Bar, head of Shin Bet,
Israel’s Internal Security Agency; William Barnes, head of the CIA; and Qatari
officials.

Intelligence Online importantly reported that the CIA let
Baku know that it was not pleased with Azerbaijan’s conflict with French
Intelligence, while France is trying to hinder Moscow in the Caucasus and needs
Azerbaijan’s platform.

Having exposed Aliyev’s deception about ignoring
international pressure on Azerbaijan, my advice to the international community
is to continue pressuring Aliyev to stop his unacceptable behavior. Otherwise,
he will go on with his multitude of ever-increasing violations and crimes,
causing great harm to Azeris and Armenians alike.

Next week, I will expose another one of Aliyev’s efforts to
counter international pressures on Azerbaijan, despite his denials of not
paying any attention to them.

 ************************************************************************************

2-     
Andrew Goldberg’s “Armenia, My Home”
Documentary to Air on PBS

Directed by So Much Film’s Andrew Goldberg and narrated by
Andrea Martin (Only Murders in the Building), the upcoming documentary Armenia,
My Home explores the storied country’s past and present. Through interviews
with familiar faces from the diaspora, archival photographs and rich footage of
the nation known for fusing the East and West, the doc delves into the
modern-day Republic of Armenia’s unique cultural tapestry, which spans
thousands of years.

TV Real Weekly spoke to Goldberg about what prompted the
film, sifting through mountains of history for what shines through, the
partnership between So Much Film and PBS and more. Armenia, My Home is set to
bow on PBS stations on February 23.

************************************************************************************

3- A day of love, Armenian style

Gyumri, ARMENIA – Newlyweds in Gyumri, Armenia got all fired
up about their traditional spring event, Trndez.

The whole town has been preparing for a few days now for the
big firelit night held February 13th in celebration of prosperity, love, spring
and renewal.

Trndez is an Armenian apostolic holiday, where newlywed
couples traditionally jump above a bonfire for a long and prosperous marriage.

A few hundred people gathered on Vartanants Square, the
central square of Gyumri, at 5 p.m. and formed a circle around a big pile of
hay. As more people joined, old women, parents and their children threw flower
crowns and other plants on top of the hay.

“It’s meant for happiness in the family and health for the
following year,” said Tamara Hovannissian, an Armenian language teacher in Gyumri,
who attended the event.

Hovannissian said the flowers and plants might be a reminder
of the olive branches that were brought with Jesus to the temple of Jerusalem
40 days after his birth, according to Armenian apostolic belief.

She also said that normally, families get those flowers
during Easter of the previous year. They keep them in their house all year and
burn them on Trndez to keep sicknesses away.

At 5:40 p.m. the crowd was split in half to make way for the
priests coming from the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, on Vartanants
Square.

A compact horde of eager old women quickly followed them to
get closer to the center of the circle. A few unfriendly looks and irritated
Armenian comments later, everyone was ready for the ceremony.

Children were placed on the inner circle, holding each other
by the pinkie.

The priests sang and read the prayers to the sound of the
cathedral bells. Separated into two groups with different attire, they spun
around the hay as they recited prayers.

“It does not symbolize anything” about the meaning of the
mysterious choreography, said Hovannissian, who is an Armenian and French
language teacher in Gyumri.

Women, men and children all made the sign of the cross in
unison all throughout the ceremony.

One of the priests then took a long torch, lit it with a
candle and then ignited the hay all over. As it caught fire, the crowd seemed
to reorganize itself.

All decked out in green t-shirts made for the occasion,
members of Hrayrk, a traditional dance group based in Gyumri, came to the front
with loud enthusiastic shouts. Music seemed to start blurting out from the
ground. The front-liners of the circle started dancing around a blaze that
reached about two meters higher than them.

Temperature rose as fast as spirits as children and young
people started to dance and shout.

But as people kept spinning, they grew dangerously close to
the fire and a group of men urged the crowd to keep away.

And then the fire started turning into ashes. The dances
stopped and the women rushed to the fire to light candles from the flames and
to collect the ashes.

“The light is illumination,” said Varduhi Harutyunyan, a
local holding a candle to her heart.

Harutyunyan, who was born and raised in Gyumri, explained
that Trndez is celebrated “40 days after the birth of Jesus Christ” when he
was, according to Armenian apostolic belief, taken to the temple of Jerusalem
and purified.

“We also do it on Christmas Eve,” she said, which in Armenia
is celebrated on January 5th.

“The ashes are for under the trees and flowers,” said
Harutyunyan, “for blessing the plants and for a good harvest.” They are meant
for “unity, no war, and peace in the world.”

Candles like hers – held inside a Coca-Cola plastic bottle
cut in half – were sold around the square by local residents.

The crowd, which had scattered across the square, came back
together to start the jumping part of the ceremony. Children, couples,
grandparents and toddlers started jumping in pairs and creating a human tunnel
with their arms for following jumpers.

New couples and newly married people are most likely to jump
over the fire, said Arsen Sahakyan, who works at a marketing and creative lab
in Gyumri.

Locals believe that the couples who got married that year
should jump over the fire to be happy, healthy, blessed and purified.

“During the wedding, it makes it so it brings happiness,”
said Hovannissian. She added that “it’s mandatory” for the fire to touch the
couple’s legs while they are jumping, for it to bring happiness.

Matthew Elyan, an Armenian American who was present at the
ceremony, said he once celebrated Trndez in Los Angeles, where he is from. He
remembered jumping over a fire in what was “similar to a marshmallow stove.

“Actually jumping over the fire is not really common,” Elyan
said, of celebrating Trndez in Los Angeles. “We have to change that. We’ll buy
some more stoves.”

Trndez wasn’t always celebrated as it is today though, said
Sahakyan.

When Armenia became Christian, the church reclaimed this
tradition to mark a clear break with pre-fourth century polytheistic customs.

“They had a mission to kill other religion stuff,” Sahakyan
said. “They started to jump over the fire to say that ‘we are over that other
god.’”

Instead, Trndez used to be a pagan celebration for the god
of fire in ancient polytheist Armenia.

Back then, Sahakyan said, there was “no jumping, just
celebrating.”

**********************************************************************************

4- Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan Crowned European Wrestling
Champion for 7th Time

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Aleksanyan beat Russia’s
Magomed Murtazaliyev in the finals of the European Wresting Championships in
Bucharest, Romania, becoming the champion for the seventh time.

Aleksanyan made it to the finals, defeating Belarusian
Abubakar Khaslakhanav in the semi-finals with a score of 5 to 1. He started the
competition, beating Beitula Kaisdagin of Turkey 9 to 1, and in the
quarterfinals he won а 8 to 3 victory over Dutch Tyrone Stenkerburg.

Earlier, member of the Armenian national team Malkhas Amoyan
was crowned European champion for the third time in his career, achieving a 7
to 0 advantage in the finals over the world bronze medalist, two-time European
vice-champion, Turkish Yunus Basar.

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California Courier Online provides readers of the Armenian News News Service with a few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California Courier. Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail address, . Letters are published with the author’s name and location; authors are required to disclose their identity to the editorial staff (name, address, and/or telephone numbers for verification purposes).           

Assembly Hosts Special Event in West Palm Beach, Florida

Emil Lazarian
Washington, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) hosted a special weekend event for regional advocates, Members, and supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, February 3, which included a community advocacy update and evening gala featuring renowned performer Kev Orkian.

Performer Kev Orkian


The community briefing provided updates from Assembly Co-Chair Anthony Barsamian, who recently returned from holding a round of meetings in Jerusalem, and Co-Chair Van Krikorian, who recently returned from Armenia. Members and regional advocates also heard from Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, who updated guests about current program objectives.  


Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan spoke of the upcoming Advocacy Summit on April 16 and 17, as well as recent developments on Capitol Hill and efforts by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, while Assembly Western Region Director David Ojakian gave an update on West Coast advocacy.


The community briefing also included discussion about the Assembly's program expansion, including the purchase and renovation of a new National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The new space will undergo renovation beginning this Spring with completion slated for the Fall. The Assembly looks forward to inviting the community to the nation's capital to celebrate the grand opening.

His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan


During the evening's gala at the Hilton West Palm Beach, where Executive Director Bryan Ardouny served as the Master of Ceremonies, Board Member Lu Ann Ohanian extended the Assembly's gratitude to the weekend's sponsors and donors, the West Palm Beach Committee Members, as well as Armenian Assembly intern alumni and families who were in attendance.


His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, delivered the invocation. He also remembered Assembly founders Dr. Richard Hovanissian and Dr. Dennis Papazian, Assembly Trustee Members Ardis Bogosian, Nevart Talanian, and Peter Onanian (also former Board Member), and the Assembly's Regional Director in Armenia Arpi Vartanian, who passed in 2023.


In addition to Bishop Mesrop's remembrance, a special tribute was played by Kev Orkian for Vartanian, whose work for the Assembly and the Armenian people spanned decades. 


Assembly Co-Chair Anthony Barsamian discussed activities and initiatives of the Assembly, and welcomed London-based Executive Producer of the Armenia Uncovered documentary and Board Member of the Tufenkian Foundation, Raffi Tanielian, who spoke about his involvement with the Assembly and its noteworthy accomplishments over the years, and introduced Kev Orkian.



Orkian, a classically trained pianist, composer, and host of the Armenia Uncovered documentary, performed for guests, and in between his sets, wove in insightful discussion about Artsakh refugees and played a tribute piece he composed during the 2020 war.

The program concluded with remarks from Assembly President Carolyn Mugar and Assembly Co-Chair Van Krikorian.


"The Assembly's events in West Palm Beach, Florida, served as a wonderful opportunity to brief the community on our advocacy efforts, and gather with the important goal of expanding our reach for the betterment of the Armenian people," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.


"The Assembly sincerely thanks the West Palm Beach Committee Co-Chairs and Members, as well as all our generous sponsors for making this special weekend possible and to all of our attendees for joining us," Ardouny added.

The Assembly thanks the West Palm Beach Committee Members, sponsors, and supporters:


Committee Co-Chairs: 

 

Lu Ann Ohanian 

Deanna Stepanian 

D. Robert Stepanian 

 

Committee: 

 

Michael Aram 

Lucine Kaprielian 

Gail Talanian O'Reilly 

Oscar Tatosian 

Peter and Irene Vosbikian 

Presenting Sponsors:

Carolyn Mugar

M.Bruce and Lu Ann Ohanian

Peter and Irene Vosbikian


Platinum Sponsors:


Edward and Susan Atamian

The Dersahaghian Family Foundation

Michel Bezjian and Richard Bezjian

Karnig and Karen Durgarian

Raffi and Nina Festekjian

David and Margaret Mgrublian

Elaine Mosesian

David and Myrna Onanian

Richard and Gail Talanian O'Reilly

Oscar Tatosian

Pontish Yeramyan

Gold Sponsors:

Michael Aram and Aret Tikiryan

Anthony and Nancy Barsamian

Walter and June Hatfield

Peter and Marilyn Sarkesian, The Ajemian Foundation

Deanna Stepanian and D. Robert Stepanian


Additional Gifts in Support of the Assembly:


Jirair & Aline Christianian

Edward and Nancy Eskandarian

Anaide Markarian-Govaert

Sam and Lucine Kapreilian

Raffi and Alice Tanielian

Dr. Thomas Varbedian


Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.


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NR# 2024-04



Sports: Karen Khachanov reaches Qatar Open final

Karapet Navasardian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 24 2024

Russian-Armenian Karen Khachanov, the second seed, reached the final of the Qatar Open by winning against Australian Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (12), 6-2 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha on Friday evening, Tennis Majors reported.

Khachanov, ranked No 17, will play the winner of the match between Jakub Mensik and French wildcard Gael Monfils next.

The tennis star beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (6-4, 7-5) and Finn Emil Ruusuvuori (3-0 ret.) earlier in the tournament.