Asbarez: AIWA to Hold Ecumenical Prayer Service for Armenians Held Captive by Azerbaijan

Vanyan Gary
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Latest, News, Top Stories
AIWA’s “One Cause, Many Faiths – Uniting Voices for Armenians in Captivity” special liturgical observance and ecumenical prayer service graphic


LOS ANGELES—The Armenian International Women’s Association is coordinating “One Cause, Many Faiths – Uniting Voices for Armenians in Captivity,” a special liturgical observance and ecumenical prayer service dedicated to the Armenians in captivity in Azerbaijan. This event will take place on Wednesday, January 17 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles, located at 555 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90112.

In the spirit of unity and solidarity, AIWA invites the community of both Armenian and Non-Armenian religious groups to come together for an evening of prayer, reflection, and support for those affected by the ongoing challenges faced by Armenians in captivity in Azerbaijan. The event aims to bridge faiths, cultures, and communities, highlighting the shared humanity that unites us all. 

The liturgical observance will feature speakers by esteemed local politicians and other community leaders who will share their thoughts on the importance of solidarity and collective action; musical interludes with a selection of Armenian Liturgical pieces, enriching the spiritual atmosphere of the event; presentation from the Center for Truth and Justice to provide valuable insights and information regarding the situation of Armenians in captivity in Azerbaijan; and an Armenian ensemble will lend its voices to the occasion, filling the cathedral with the moving and powerful sounds of traditional hymns. 

AIWA encourages all members of the community, regardless of faith or background, to join in this meaningful liturgical observation. Together, we can raise our voices in prayer and support for the Armenians facing challenges in captivity in Azerbaijan. 

The Armenian International Women’s Association is a global organization dedicated to empowering and uniting women of Armenian descent. Through various initiatives, including cultural preservation, education, and advocacy, AIWA strives to make a positive impact on the lives of Armenian women and their communities. 

For more information, please visit the website or follow the AIWA on Instagram, or Facebook.

Europe’s Rights Commissioner Says Displaced Artsakh Residents Should be Allowed to Return ‘With Dignity’

Emma Nadirian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Armenia's Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan with CoE Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatović in Kotayk on Oct. 18


Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities should ensure focus on human rights protection in their peace talks and establish strong human rights safeguards for all persons affected by the conflict, said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic in her published observations following her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region, from October 16 to 23.

It was the first time in decades that a human rights mission of this kind was able to visit the Karabakh region, Mijatovic said.

“The visit was prompted by the mass displacement of over 100,000 Karabakh Armenians who fled to Armenia in the space of only a few days at the end of September. It followed Azerbaijan’s military action on 19 and 20 September, its subsequent full control over the region and the prolonged disruption in the movement of people and access to essential goods, services and energy supplies experienced by Karabakh Armenians as a result of a nine-month blocking of the road along the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. In Armenia, the Commissioner spoke with Karabakh Armenians who had left and were staying in shelters provided by the authorities,” the rights commissioner said.

She explained that following the forced exodus of the Artsakh population, the Commissioner witnessed empty streets, abandoned premises and almost no sign of the presence of civilians in Stepanakert. On the basis of what she could hear and see, the Commissioner concluded that at the end of September 2023, Karabakh Armenians “found themselves abandoned without any reliable security or protection guarantees by any party, and that, for them, leaving home was the only reasonable option available.”

While welcoming the efforts made by the Armenian authorities to provide all those in need who arrived from the Karabakh region with the first basic assistance, the Commissioner stressed that Karabakh Armenians who fled to Armenia, and in particular those belonging to vulnerable groups, should be guaranteed access to all necessary support in the immediate, medium and long term.

“Council of Europe member states should maintain a focus on providing financial support to ensure that the humanitarian needs of displaced persons and their host populations can be fully met”, added the Commissioner.

The Commissioner stressed that recently-displaced Karabakh Armenians in Armenia should be given the possibility of returning in safety and dignity – even if it seems hypothetical for most at the moment – including by finding flexible solutions, in particular as concerns their citizenship and legal status.

“Pending a possible return, ways should be promptly found, including by establishing security guarantees, for Karabakh Armenians to temporarily access their homes or places of habitual residence, and visit graveyards where loved ones are buried. It is incumbent on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that property left behind by Karabakh Armenians is protected from looting, theft or being taken over. The few ethnic Armenians who have stayed in the Karabakh region should also benefit from all human rights protection, including by having their freedom of movement secured,” Mijatovic added.

“All allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law and serious human rights violations reported in relation to the conflict need to be effectively and promptly investigated, the perpetrators brought to justice and if found guilty after a fair, independent and impartial trial, sentenced and punished. This includes allegations relating to the circumstances of the blocking of the Lachin corridor, the mass displacement of Karabakh Armenians and the military operation of September 19 and 20,” said the Commissioner.

She added that this must be done through a victim-centered approach that treats the victims and their families with sensitivity and compassion. A comprehensive approach to dealing with the past and addressing the serious human rights violations committed in the context of the conflict over the Karabakh region should also be put in place.

Other human rights issues addressed in the Commissioner’s observations include the need to protect people from mines and explosive remnants of war; the situation of persons detained in connection with the conflict, including the conditions of their detention and level of contact with their families; and the importance of clarifying the fate of missing persons throughout the region and to provide answers to their families.

Lastly, the Commissioner called on the authorities in both countries to combat hate speech and promote mutual understanding and trust, including by involving civil society in establishing human rights-compliant memorialization and reconciliation processes.

Asbarez: Prelate’s New Year And Christmas Dinner a Great Success

Ani Basmajian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan leads the procession of clergy in prayer


“The Church Is Considered the Greatest Armenian Miracle,” Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan

The Prelate’s Traditional New Year and Christmas dinner at the Holy Cross Armenian Cathedral’s Baghramian Hall in Montebello on January 6 was a great success with hundreds of community leaders, organizational representatives and parishioners in attendance.

Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan, who hosted the event, told those gathered that while individuals may come and go, but the church, “the most remarkable Armenian miracle,” is and will remain unwavering.

He attributed his successes, blessings, and achievements throughout his four-year tenure as the Prelate of the Western Prelacy, to the church, while acknowledging that any human faults and shortcomings solely belong to him. The Traditional dinner was organized by the Western Prelacy Ladies Auxiliary and more than 450 guests attended the dinner.

This year’s Prelate’s Traditional New Year and Christmas dinner was hosted by benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Mike and Evelina Sarian. Master of Ceremonies was Reverand Father Karekin Bedourian who greeted the guests and invited all to start the program.

On behalf of the Western Prelacy Ladies Auxilary Sosse Eshgian, welcomed the guests and wished an enjoyable evening for all. Prelacy Executive Council Secretary George Chorbajian, delivered a message on behalf of the body.

The Prelate led the procession of the clergy, who entered the hall chanting Christmas hymns, uplifting the guests, who were holding candles.

The traditional wine and consecrated bread ceremony took place. Prelate Donoyan bestowed his blessings upon the tables and conveyed his well wishes for New Year and Christmas.

A video message by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, was shown. The pontiff conveyed his New Year and Christmas well wishes to the Prelate, the guests and the community at the start of a new year.

Greg Hosharian and his band offered a delightful musical performace during the traditional dinner. The entertainment continued throughout the dinner featuring performances by an extraordinary artistic performance from Ms. Armine Vartanyan, Mr. Hovhannes Balyan, Mr. Arman Beglarian, and Mr. Berj Karazian, with the accompaniment of Ms. Armenuhi Terterian on the piano.

The focus of Prelate Donoyan’s message was to provide an annual assessment and accounting of the activities of the Western Prelacy. The attendees were briefed on the achievements recorded by the Western Prelacy during the previous year, which included the accomplishment of delivering $2,750,000 in humanitarian assistance and various other initiatives. H.G. Bishop Donoyan expressed his reflections and words of thanks and gratitude to the Western Prelacy clergy, the Religious and Executive Councils, national delegates, parishes, the Ladies Auxiliary, staff, friends, and guests and benefactors, donors and the evening’s sponsors for their valuable support.

In his message, the Prelate also expressed his appreciation and gratitude commanding the contributions made towards the construction of Hacob and Hilda Baghdassarian Preschool and Holy Archangels Church in Crescenta Valley. He first acknowledged the generous contribution from Hilda Baghdassarian and her children, Gevik, Peter, and their families, in memory of their late husband and father, Hacop Baghdassarian, and in honor of their mother, Hilda Baghdassarian. He then recognized the contributions made by Mr. and Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian, in memory of their father, Melkon Melkonian, and in honor of their mother, Angel Melkonian. Prelate Donoyan also expressed his appreciation and presented a special memento as a token of gratitude to the Sarians for their generosity in hosting this year’s New Year and Christmas dinner. He commended Mike and Evelina Sarian for their unwavering support to the Prelacy, the Holy See of Cilicia and the Church and their commitment to support various Western Prelacy humanitarian programs.

The traditional New Year and Christmas dinner dedicated to the Prelate, which is the only fundraising event organized by the Western Prelacy, came to an end as he led the atendees in signing of the “Protector,” “Cilicia,” and “Pontifical Anthem.”

Finding God’s “True Peace”: Armenian Christmas at St. Vartan Cathedral

Chmshkian Vicken

PRESS OFFICE

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Contact: Chris Zakian

Tel: (212) 686-0710

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.armenianchurch.us

 

___________________

 

ATTENTION
EDITOR: Three photos attached, with captions below. Please credit Diran
Jebejian, Jebejian Images. Find additional photos at the following link:

https://easterndiocese.smugmug.com/St-Vartan-Armenian-Cathedral/Christmas-at-St-Vartan-Cathedral-Jan-6-2024

 

 

HEADLINE:

Finding
God’s “True Peace”: Armenian Christmas at St. Vartan Cathedral

 

By
Stephan S. Nigohosian

 

The
Armenian Christmas Divine Liturgy on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at New York’s
St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral once again brought the Armenian Christian family
together to mark the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. Consistent with the early traditions of Christianity, the mystery
of the baptism of Jesus Christ is also commemorated on this day, with a special
“Blessing of Water” (Churorhnek) ceremony following the Divine Liturgy.

 

As the
congregation rejoiced together in this celebration of the revelation of God to
mankind through Christ’s nativity, it was abundantly clear that faith united
them as one body as the Kingdom of God became present and active within the
cathedral.

 

Marking
his first Christmas since his consecration as a bishop of the church, Diocesan
Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan celebrated the Divine Liturgy
before the faithful in the cathedral sanctuary, as well as to a global audience
via a livestreamed Internet broadcast.

 

This
year’s observance also provided an inspiring testament to the healing power of
Our Lord, as Bishop Mesrop robustly stood and walked throughout the entire
service despite having been gravely injured in a car accident less than two
years ago. It was, without a doubt, a time to give thanks for the blessings the
Lord has bestowed upon our bishop and the Armenian people, carrying them
through catastrophic events during the past year, particularly in Armenia and
Artsakh.

 

As
candlelight bathed the bright red poinsettias adorning the holy altar, wisps of
incense billowed from the censers, enveloping the sanctum as it lifted the
prayers of the Badarak toward the heavens. Bishop Mesrop, clad
in violet and gold-colored liturgical vestments, led the congregation in prayer
and blessed parishioners as he walked in procession.

 

Noticeably
present among the lay people were Bishop Mesrop’s parents, Mihran and Manya
Parsamyan, who traveled from Armenia to share in the blessed joy of the
Christmas service with their son.

 

 

* A
Child’s Trust

 

Bishop
Mesrop’s homily thoughtfully examined the meaning of the true peace that God
offers us, by juxtaposing a child’s simple, playful activities with that of an
adult’s life clouded with trepidation and burden.

 

“A
child has the security and trust that his parents are watching over him to
ensure his safety, allowing him to completely immerse himself in the joy of the
moment without concern for the past or anxiety about the future,” he
said.  “We, too, have the assurance of placing our trust in a loving,
trustworthy parent—our Heavenly Father—who watches over us at all times.”

 

He
reiterated that our faith calls us to place our trust in God, enabling us to
live in the moment, liberated from the weight of our past regrets and future
anxieties. “We then can fully engage in the peace that God offers us,” he said,
“one that surpasses all understanding and guides our hearts and our minds in
Christ to guide our steps and embolden our spirits.”

 

Bishop
Mesrop concluded his message by encouraging the faithful to trust in our
Heavenly Father and live in the present moment, so we can share that peace in
our hearts with others.

 

The
Godfather of the Cross (gunkahayr) for the Christmas Blessing of Water
ceremony was Kirk Hachigian, a member of St. Kevork Church in
Houston, TX, whose selfless involvement, guidance, and support of countless
initiatives have benefitted the Diocese and the larger Armenian community.

 

The
Christmas Day Divine Liturgy was also made possible with the participation
of Fr. Davit Karamyan, Vicar of St. Vartan Cathedral, as well as a large
contingent of deacons and altar servers. Maestro Khoren Mekanejian directed the
angelic voices of the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir, accompanied by organist
Florence Avakian.

 

Following
the service, a Christmas reception took place in Haik and Alice Kavookjian
Auditorium of the Diocesan complex. The online broadcast was directed by
Yervant Keshishian, with Chris Zakian providing the narration. Dn. Diran
Jebejian photographed the service inside the sanctuary.

 

St.
Vartan Cathedral’s Christmas celebration began on the evening of January 5,
with the solemn Jrakalouyts (“Lamp-lighting”) service followed
by scripture readings traditionally celebrated on Christmas Eve. The
Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Fr. Karamyan, immediately followed. In accordance
with Armenian Church tradition, the Feast of Theophany will be formally
observed through January 13, completing the “octave” of Theophany.

 

Click
the following links to:

 

·        
VIEW photos of
Christmas at St. Vartan Cathedral.

·        
WATCH the full
recording of the Christmas liturgy.

·        
WATCH Bishop
Mesrop’s sermon in English and Armenian.

 

—1/11/24

 

* * *

 

PHOTO
CAPTION (1):
Armenian Christmas at New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, on Saturday, January
6, 2024. Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan (at center) celebrated the Christmas
liturgy and led the Blessing of QWater Ceremony, shown here. Standing at right
is Mr. Kirk Hachigian, this year’s Godfather of the Cross, who hails from the
Diocese’s St. Kevork parish in Houston, TX.

 

PHOTO
CAPTION (2):
Holy Communion on Armenian Christmas at St. Vartan Cathedral, NYC. Pictured are Cathedral Vicar Fr. Davit Karamyan, Deacon Adam Bullock, and Deacon Manouel Rakoubian.

 

PHOTO
CAPTION (3):

Diocesan
Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan and Godfather of the Cross Kirk Hachigian,
during the Armenian Christmas service at NYC’s St. Vartan Cathedral.

* * *

 

LINKS:

 

Photo Gallery
(credit Diran Jebejian, Jebejian Images):

https://easterndiocese.smugmug.com/St-Vartan-Armenian-Cathedral/Christmas-at-St-Vartan-Cathedral-Jan-6-2024

 

Full
Service Recording:

https://www.youtube.com/live/0YLSeysRZj4?si=1-lxyl4Kk_RU5tye

 

Bishop
Mesrop’s Sermon:

https://www.youtube.com/live/0YLSeysRZj4?si=FreM5X_sWCXOkB0_&t=7260

 

# # #



JPEG image


SVC Xmas Liturgy 01.jpg
JPEG image


SVC Xmas Liturgy 02.jpg
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RFE/RL Armenian Service – 01/12/2024

Torgomian Varazdat 
                                        Friday, 


Armenia Signals Continuing Opposition To ‘Corridor’ For Azerbaijan

        • Shoghik Galstian

Armenia - The main government building in Yerevan, March 6, 2021.


Armenia signaled on Friday its continuing rejection of Azerbaijan’s demands for 
an extraterritorial corridor to the Nakhichevan exclave that would pass through 
a strategic Armenian region bordering Iran.

Baku renewed those demands this month after Armenian leaders expressed hope that 
the two South Caucasus states will sign a peace treaty soon. Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev insisted on Wednesday that people and cargo transported 
to and from Nakhichevan through Armenia’s Syunik province must be exempt from 
Armenian border checks.

Aliyev’s top foreign policy aide, Hikmet Hajiyev, claimed last week that this 
would not compromise Armenian sovereignty over Syunik. Hajiyev argued that the 
European Union has a similar arrangement for Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave 
sandwiched between EU members Poland and Lithuania. He said Baku is seeking the 
same solution for Nakhichevan.

In written comments to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service sent on Friday, the Armenian 
Foreign Ministry declined to clarify whether Yerevan has discussed it with Baku. 
It said that the Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” project unveiled by 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian last November should serve as a blueprint for 
opening the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to travel and commerce.

The project says that Armenia and Azerbaijan should have full control of 
transport infrastructure inside each other’s territory. Hajiyev criticized it in 
a newspaper interview published on January 4.

By contrast, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian praised the 
project when he visited Yerevan late last month. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi 
reportedly told a visiting Azerbaijani official in October that the “Zangezur 
corridor” sought by Baku is “resolutely opposed” by his country.

Yerevan has not yet officially reacted to Aliyev’s latest comments on the 
corridor. An Armenian pro-government lawmaker, Hovik Aghazarian, rejected them 
on Friday.

“Just because we are in a difficult situation doesn’t mean Aliyev should make 
such a statement … If he thinks that after achieving some military successes he 
can dictate terms, he is badly mistaken,” said Aghazarian.




Yerevan Election Kingmaker Ditched By Party

        • Astghik Bedevian

A screenshot of YouTube video posted by Vartan Ghukasian, May 25, 2023.


A fugitive video blogger who helped Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian install a new 
mayor of Yerevan in October has accused the Armenian government of breaking up 
his own party that did unexpectedly well in municipal elections.

Vartan Ghukasian, who is wanted by Armenian law-enforcement authorities, is a 
former police officer who emigrated to the United States about a decade ago. He 
has since attracted large audiences with his hard-hitting and opinionated 
comments on political developments in Armenia. He has been notorious for using 
profanities in his videos posted on YouTube.

About a year ago, law-enforcement authorities issued an international arrest 
warrant for Ghukasian and arrested his associates in Armenia on charges of 
blackmail, extortion and fraud strongly denied by them. The detainees include 
Artak Galstian, the nominal head of a small party called Public Voice.

The blogger nicknamed Dog has been widely regarded as the party’s de facto 
leader until now. His popularity was instrumental in the 10 percent of the vote 
won by Public Voice in the September 2023 elections.

That performance put Public Voice in a position to effectively determine the 
choice of the Yerevan mayor by the newly elected city council. Armenia’s ruling 
Civil Contract party and another group allied to Pashinian fell short of a 
majority in the council.

Public Voice and the two other election contenders in opposition to Pashinian 
won a combined majority of council seats. However, Ghukasian’s party refused 
back potential opposition candidates for the post of mayor. It also blocked an 
opposition attempt to force a repeat election.

Ghukasian subsequently fell out most senior members of Public Voice loyal to 
Galstian. In a statement issued earlier this week, the party said that it has 
terminated the blogger’s membership because he holds Russian citizenship.

Ghukasian rejected the decision as illegal and scheduled a “real” congress of 
the party for the end of this month. He argued that Galstian, who remains in 
detention, also held a Russian passport when he registered the party a few years 
ago.

Ghukasian went on to allege that Pashinian’s government ordered Galstian to 
“blow up” Public Voice and neutralize him ahead of snap general elections which 
he said will be held in Armenia soon.




Armenia To Phase In National Health Insurance

        • Anush Mkrtchian

Armenia - A man undergoes surgery at the Nairi Medical Center in Yerevan, 
January 24, 2023.


Health Minister Anahit Avanesian reaffirmed on Friday government plans to start 
gradually introducing in July this year a system of mandatory health insurance 
in Armenia.

Avanesian said that the system will initially cover medical costs for underage 
and disabled citizens and several other vulnerable groups of people who are 
already eligible for many free services. It will be extended to pensioners next 
year and the entire population in 2027, she told a news conference.

The insurance plan calls for a special tax that will cover the cost of surgeries 
and other essential medical services. The precise tax rate remains unclear, with 
Avanesian saying only that a working citizen and/or their employer will pay up 
to 200,000 drams ($495) annually for such coverage.

Minors, pensioners and persons with disabilities will be exempt from the tax, 
she said, adding that Armenians earning less than the country’s average wage 
will enjoy significant tax discounts. The official monthly wage currently stands 
at 274,000 drams ($675).

Armenia - Health Minister Anahit Avanesian, January 19, 2023.

Another unanswered question is the diseases, surgeries, other medical procedures 
and drugs that will be covered by the mandatory insurance. Avanesian did not 
release their list. She only assured reporters that it will be detailed enough 
to prevent “misunderstandings” among patients, hospitals and health authorities.

Other officials from the Armenian Ministry of Health said earlier that the new 
system will pay for heart and cancer surgeries. They said it also envisages free 
or subsidized medication for people suffering from chronic diseases.

Armenia’s former governments too had promised health insurance for all citizens. 
But they eventually backed away in the face of financial difficulties. Some 
medical experts have questioned the current government’s plan, saying that it is 
short of specifics.

Public access to healthcare in the country declined following the collapse of 
the Soviet Union as cash-strapped Armenian hospitals were allowed to charge 
their patients. Most of those hospitals were privatized in the 1990s.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2024 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s abandoned capital transforms under Azerbaijani rule

Emil Lazarian
eurasianet
Jan 11 2024

It's a ghost town that looms large in the minds of both Armenians, who know it as Stepanakert, and Azerbaijanis, who know it as Khankendi. 

It served for three decades as the de facto capital of the self-proclaimed, now-defunct Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

It was home to the majority of the republic's 100,000-some population, nearly all of them Armenians, who fled to Armenia after Azerbaijan's lightning offensive to seize the whole of the NKR on September 19-20. As they fled they endured a gas explosion that killed over 200, a days-long traffic jam during which 64 people reportedly died, and faced an uncertain status once they reached their destination.

Azerbaijan never accepted the existence of the NKR, nor even the term "Nagorno-Karabakh," let alone the idea that it had a capital. But the town of Khankendi is of enormous symbolic importance for it, too, as its seizure represents the total nature of Baku's victory in Karabakh.

It was Khankendi where President Ilham Aliyev delivered his most triumphant victory speech, raised the Azerbaijani flag and mocked the detained former NKR leaders. 

And it was Khankendi where the victory in the 2020 war against Armenia over Karabakh was celebrated with a military parade attended by Aliyev and his family in November. 

“During these 20 years [of my presidency], I never doubted that this day would come and a military parade under the Azerbaijani flag would be held in the city of Khankendi,” he told the parade. “I once said [during the 2020 war] that without Shusha, our work would be incomplete. However, even then, I knew that without Khankendi and Khojaly, our work would be incomplete.” 

Footage posted on social media from Khankendi by a handful of Azerbaijanis with access to the town shows virtually no signs of life. According to the Armenian government, more than 100,000 people had left Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia within the 10 days following the NKR's surrender after Azerbaijan's lightning offensive. 

In December, Azerbaijani media reported, citing the country's commission for Internally Displaced Persons affairs, that 50 Azerbaijani families, originally from Khankendi, would soon be resettled in the town. While the town served as the seat of the government of Soviet Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (1923-91), its population was overwhelmingly Armenian with an Azerbaijani minority. Its population was 11 percent Azerbaijani according to the latest Soviet census conducted there in 1979. 

The Azerbaijani government created a "reintegration portal" for Armenians deciding to remain in their homes and accept Baku's rule. It claimed in October to have received 98 applications, but the International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that only about 20 have stayed behind. 

While Armenia says that the local Armenians' flight in the face of Azerbaijani military advance amounted to ethnic cleansing, Azerbaijani officials insist that they left by their own will, as Aliyev reiterated in an interview with Euronews in December. 

“Our public communications with Karabakh Armenians, and what we did after, demonstrated that we wanted them to stay. We openly announced that and I, during my appeal to the Azerbaijani people after the end of the anti-terror operation [the September offensive], said that they could stay,” he said. “We opened the electronic portal of registration. All of those who want to come back have this right. Their property is duly protected. All the historical and religious sites are duly protected.”

In the reports of meetings of Azerbaijani officials with Armenian residents in Karabakh for the purpose of registration, we see mainly elderly people who were likely too weak to join the exodus. 

Azerbaijan disclosed its reintegration plan for Karabakh Armenians publicly only in October, after the vast majority of the population had fled the region. Vague as it is overall, it makes one thing clear: as expected, there will be no special treatment for Armenians; they are to have the exact same legal status as Azerbaijanis or other ethnic minorities. 

“The word reintegration, which I use many times, unfortunately, was met with a kind of irony, both from the Armenian government and also from the separatists. The same separatists who now wait for the verdict in the detention center,” Aliyev said in a forum in early December. 

“We even delivered the message to them that we will have a municipal election at the end of 2024, so they will participate. They will select their representatives, who will be the leaders of the municipalities. So, what else should we have provided or offered? It was the maximum and it was totally transparent.”

He also spoke to the forum about how Azerbaijani social workers were taking care of the Armenians who stayed behind. “[Y]ou have to eat, you have to have heating, you have to have other means of living. Not many of them, I would say, remained. But those who remain, they have been taken care of and those who want to come back, they can use this mechanism,” he said. 

A few Karabakhis have mused on social media about possibly going back to their homes given the difficulties they face in settling in Armenia. 

But it's not clear how widespread or serious the intention is, especially given the social pressures against accepting Azerbaijani rule. 

When it comes to the physical landscape, as soon as it restored its sovereignty, the Azerbaijani government rid Khankendi of all flags and other attributes of the former NKR. A presidential decree established "Karabakh University" in place of what had been known as "Artsakh University" under Armenian rule. And the seats at the local stadium had been arranged in such colors as to form the NKR flag but are now arranged to spell out "Karabakh is Azerbaijan." 

 

Turkish Press: Azerbaijan approaches completion in Zangezur Corridor construction

Ani Kharatian
TRT World, Turkey
Jan 11 2024

The construction of roads and railways passing through the corridor, set to function as a route from China to Türkiye, is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Azerbaijan is continuing the construction of roads and railways passing through the Zangezur Corridor, a route to connect its western regions with its exclave of Nakhchivan and serve as a route for the middle corridor extending from China to Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and finally Türkiye.

Following the Second Karabakh War, on November 10, 2020, a declaration was signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia agreeing to open land roads and railways between Azerbaijan and the eastern Nakhchivan region, a non-contiguous part of Azerbaijan, with a section of Armenia lying in between the two.

After the war, Azerbaijan began construction of roads and railways extending from its own territories to the Armenian border.

While construction of the railway and road in the Azerbaijani part of the Zangezur Corridor is progressing rapidly, Armenia has not taken any steps on the project. In the absence of an agreement with Armenia, Azerbaijan is also working on alternative routes.

Azerbaijan has reached an agreement with the Iranian government for the construction of roads and railways connecting the country to Nakhchivan through Iran, as Iran’s territory lies nearby, south of the already proposed corridor.

According to agreements signed between the two countries, bridges for both roads and railways will be built over the Aras River – a river that flows through all four countries – providing transportation to Nakhchivan via Iran.

If an agreement is reached with Armenia, Azerbaijan will have two transportation alternatives to Nakhchivan, through either Armenia or Iran.

Turkish companies are actively involved in the construction of the line.

Due to mines laid during a nearly 30-year Armenian occupation that recently ended and challenging terrain conditions, completion of the line is expected by the end of 2024.

Over 80% is complete

The construction, coordinated by the Azerbaijan Highways State Agency, is being done by Turkish companies.

The road, with some sections having four lanes and others having six, includes 58 underpasses, 27 bridges, and three tunnels.

According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency, more than 80% of the road construction is already complete.

Türkiye and Azerbaijan also have a railway project to connect the Turkish city of Kars to Nakhchivan. The project, whose tender has been awarded, will start within the year.

Upon the completion of these projects, a new transportation connection will be established between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. At the same time, uninterrupted road and railway communication between Türkiye and Russia through Azerbaijan will be ensured.

https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/azerbaijan-approaches-completion-in-zangezur-corridor-construction-16597004 

Turkish Press: Azerbaijan’s president says delimitation concerning Gazakh-Tovuz region to be discussed with Armenia

Garo Vardanian
Yeni Şafak
Jan 11 2024
Azerbaijan's president says delimitation concerning Gazakh-Tovuz region to be discussed with Armenia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Wednesday that the process of delimitation concerning the country's Gazakh-Tovuz Economic Region will be discussed with Armenia at an upcoming meeting of commissions responsible for the matter.

“The next meeting of the commissions is scheduled for this month, and this issue is on the agenda: the delimitation issue of that region, the Gazakh-Tovuz region,” Aliyev said during an interview with local television channels.

He said the issue of eight villages still under Armenian occupation is always on the agenda in talks between the two countries.

“This issue was discussed during my contacts with the prime minister of Armenia (Nikol Pashinyan), including the last conversation in St. Petersburg. I raised this issue, and this issue is also on the agenda of commissions dealing with delimitation.”

Aliyev said that Azerbaijan must fully restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty, adding they must solve this issue “once and for all” and there should not be “a single nest of separatism” anywhere in the country.

He later denied the need for guarantors, which he said is being sought by Armenia, expressing that the peace treaty needs to be signed at the bilateral level but that they don't mind if a third country expresses the desire to help.

“However, this help should not be mandatory,” he added.

Stressing that it is impossible to talk to them in “a language of threats or arrogance,” Aliyev said efforts to arm Armenia are aimed at keeping Azerbaijan “under constant pressure” and that France is at the forefront of such efforts.

“France is the country that arms Armenia, gives them support, trains their soldiers and prepares them for another war. When I said that France's policy is causing tensions in the Caucasus, this is exactly what I meant,” he said.

Aliyev further touched on the movement of cargo and citizens within Azerbaijan, indicating that it should take “place freely without undergoing any inspection.”

“Otherwise, Armenia will remain in an eternal deadlock, and if the (Zangezur) route I mentioned is not opened, we are not going to open our border with Armenia anywhere else. So they will do themselves more harm than good,” he said.

Aliyev went on to say that infrastructure projects in the Karabakh region give them the opportunity to return internally displaced peoples (IDPs) to their ancestral lands, adding that they plan on the return of Azerbaijani IDPs to the cities of Shusha, Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Khankendi and Khojaly in 2024.

“Former IDPs are expected to return to the cities of Aghdam, Zangilan and Gubadli in 2025,” he added.

https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/azerbaijans-president-says-delimitation-concerning-gazakh-tovuz-region-to-be-discussed-with-armenia-3675865

Employment programs in Armenia for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

Dabaghian Diana
Jan 11 2024
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Employment of NK refugees

The Armenian government approved another support program for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. Now they will be able to receive additional professional training and get jobs in Armenia. About 1,000 people are expected to benefit.

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The government draft stipulates employers providing vacancies to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. It is specified that these should be people with certain professional knowledge and skills.

The government has also decided to help Karabakh Armenians get additional vocational training to “become more competitive in the labor market” and get stable jobs.

According to Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan, the program has already been tested. Beneficiaries of similar projects were servicemen who participated in the April 2016 war and the 44-day war in 2020.

“We have been monitoring the situation for more than a year [after the beneficiaries’ participation in the programs] and made sure that more than 70 percent of the participants who received education and training under similar programs continue to remain on the labor market.”

The country is trying to create conditions for the full integration of Karabakh Armenians. All the details about what is being done, people’s stories and the proposal of a human rights activist

According to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the program includes 3 areas:

  1. vocational training
  2. gaining work experience
  3. employment.

Vocational training will last 6 months. During this period the beneficiary will be paid a monthly stipend of 50,000 drams ($125) and the same amount as compensation for the tuition.

Upon completion of the training, an employment agreement between the employer and the beneficiary for at least 3 months would be concluded. The employer will be provided with an amount of 50,000 drams per month for three months as compensation for taxes and compulsory payments.

In the second stage, which entails gaining work experience, an employment contract will be concluded between the beneficiary and the employer for at least 6 months. The first 3 months will be a paid internship. Under this component of the program, the employer will be compensated for paying the beneficiary’s salary for 3 months. The monthly salary will be 165,000 drams ($412.5).

The third stage entails organization of a 6-month training, during which the beneficiary will receive compensation for training and a stipend. At the end of this stage, an employment contract will be signed with him for a minimum of 6 months, of which 3 months will be a paid internship. In this case also the employer will be provided with 3 months compensation for the beneficiary’s salary of 165,000 drams.

https://jam-news.net/employment-of-nk-refugees-in-armenia/

Azerbaijan Rejects France’s Role in Normalizing Relations with Armenia

Tambiyan Samvel
WE News, Pakistan
Jan 11 2024

BAKU: Azerbaijan has rejected France’s involvement in the normalization process of its relations with Armenia, said Zaur Mammadov, Adviser to the Academy of Public Administration under the President and Chairman of the Baku Political Scientists Club.

In a recent interview with a local TV channel, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev addressed various issues, including France’s alleged unfair policies and the exposure of a French spy network in Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev, in his recent address, criticized France for what he deemed as unfair policies and the exposure of a French spy network in Azerbaijan.

He called on the French government to recognize Azerbaijan’s adherence to international law, urging them not to interfere in internal affairs or involve themselves in the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute.

Aliyev also discussed the Zangezur corridor matter and said that Armenia must guarantee unhindered passage between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the main part of Azerbaijan.

He warned of alternative measures less favorable to Armenia if this requirement is not met.

Moreover, Mammadov noted that direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, without external mediation, could have a more significant impact.

https://en.wenews.pk/azerbaijan-rejects-frances-role-in-normalizing-relations-with-armenia/