Author: Adrine Hakobian

                                        Friday, 

Trump Hails ‘New Era’ In Armenia

        • Emil Danielyan

U.S. -- President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Florida State 
Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa, July 31, 2018.

U.S. President Donald Trump has praised mass protests that led to regime change 
in Armenia in May and said his administration stands ready to help the new 
Armenian government implement sweeping reforms promised by it.

“Armenia has much to celebrate this year,” Trump wrote to Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian in a congratulatory message on the 27th anniversary of the South 
Caucasus country’s independence marked on Friday.

“A peaceful, popular movement ushered in a new era in Armenia, and we look 
forward to working with you to help you execute the will of your people to 
combat corruption and to establish representative, accountable governance, rule 
of law buttressed by an independent judiciary, and political and economic 
competition,” read the message publicized by Pashinian’s office.

“I look forward to further strengthening the partnership that began between our 
countries one hundred years ago,” it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly saluted “remarkable changes” in 
Armenia. “The peaceful popular movement that transformed the government has 
ushered in an exciting new chapter of Armenian history,” he said in a written 
statement on the country’s Independence Day.

The U.S. State Department closely monitored the Pashinian-led protests that 
brought down in late April Armenia’s previous government headed by Serzh 
Sarkisian. During the political crisis it repeatedly urged Armenia political 
factions to embark on dialogue.

Trump expressed Washington’s readiness to work with the new authorities in 
Yerevan on “the many areas of mutual interest” when he congratulated Pashinian 
on becoming prime minister in May. Pashinian said afterwards that he would like 
to “strengthen and expand” U.S.-Armenian relations.

The two leaders chatted briefly at a NATO summit in Brussels in July. Pashinian 
hoped to hold his first talks with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General 
Assembly in New York which he will address next week. Armenian Foreign Minister 
Zohrab Mnatsakanian said on Thursday that such a meeting is extremely unlikely.

Pashinian campaigned for Armenia’s withdrawal from a Russia-led alliance of 
ex-Soviet states and closer ties with the European Union when he was in 
opposition to the Sarkisian government. However, he ruled any change in 
Armenia’s traditional foreign policy orientation immediately after coming to 
power.

Both Trump and Pompeo also stressed the importance of a peaceful settlement of 
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “The coming months bring opportunities to 
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which would create even more 
possibilities for U.S. –Armenian cooperation,” said the U.S. president.

For his part, Pompeo urged the conflicting parties to “resume intensive 
negotiations as soon as possible.”

The U.S. as well as Russia and France have long been spearheading international 
efforts to broker a compromise solution to the Karabakh dispute.




Pashinian Seeks Fresh Mandate In Yerevan Polls


Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at an election campaign rally 
in Yerevan, .

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has urged Yerevan residents to vote 
overwhelmingly for his political team in Sunday’s municipal elections, saying 
that its landslide victory is critical for forcing snap parliamentary elections 
in Armenia.

The My Step alliance dominated by Pashinian’s Civil Contract party is widely 
expected to win a majority in the new city council that will fill the vacant 
post of Yerevan mayor. The margin of its victory remains an open question, 
though.

“I want to stress that by voting for the My Step alliance in these elections 
you will also vote for the dissolution of Armenia’s current National Assembly 
and the holding of pre-term parliamentary elections,” Pashinian told a campaign 
rally held in the city’s Arabkir district late on Thursday.

“I want to get your mandate to negotiate with the parliament, the parliamentary 
forces on the date and the venue of the pre-term parliamentary elections,” he 
said. “It is very important that you give me a strong mandate in the Yerevan 
council elections so that I go and solve that issue.”

Pashinian controls only a handful of seats in the current 105-member parliament 
that appointed him as prime minister in May after weeks of street protests that 
toppled Armenia’s previous government. Snap elections are therefore seen as 
crucial for his political future.

Under the Armenian constitution, they can be called only if the prime minister 
steps down and the parliament fails to choose his replacement.

Pashinian indicated that in his push for the parliament’s dissolution he will 
resort to the kind of popular pressure which he put on lawmakers when they 
first refused to elect him prime minister on May 2.The parliament majority 
reluctantly accepted his candidacy six days later, after renewed protests and 
road blockades paralyzed much of the country.

The Pashinian government’s policy program approved by the parliament in June 
says the general elections should be held by June 2019. Pashinian on Thursday 
again did not give possible election dates.

Some senior lawmakers from former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party 
of Armenia (HHK), which has the largest parliamentary faction, have spoken out 
against the idea of fresh polls.

Leaders of other parliamentary forces, which are represented in the government, 
implicitly threatened this week to reconsider their support for such a vote 
after being harshly criticized by Pashinian during the Yerevan mayoral race. 
The premier on Wednesday warned them not to go “against the people.”




CSTO Head Concerned Over Truce Violations On Armenian-Azeri Border


KYRGYZSTAN -- Yuri Khachaturov, appointed CSTO Secretary General, at an 
informal meeting of the heads of state of the Collective Security Treaty 
Organisation (CSTO) member countries, in Bishkek, April 14, 2017

Yuri Khachaturov, the secretary general of the Russian-led Collective Security 
Organization (CSTO), on Friday effectively blamed Azerbaijan for the latest 
upsurge in ceasefire violations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Over the past week the Armenian government and military accused Azerbaijani 
forces of opening fire at several villages in Armenia’s northern Tavush 
province close to the border. An Armenian soldier serving there was shot dead 
earlier this week.

Khachaturov expressed “serious concern” over the escalation, calling for an 
immediate end to fighting in the “zone of the CSTO’s responsibility.” In a 
written statement, he warned against any “increase in threats to the security 
of the Republic of Armenia, a CSTO member state.”

In a clear reference to Baku, Khachaturov also denounced “bellicose rhetoric” 
which he said is undermining international efforts to resolve the 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Azerbaijani government did not immediately react to the statement.

Khachaturov, 65 is a retired general who was the chief of the Armenian army’s 
General Staff from 2008-2016. Russia, Armenia and four other ex-Soviet states 
making up the CSTO appointed him as secretary general of the Russian-led 
defense pact in April 2017.

The new Armenian government moved to replace Khachaturov as CSTO secretary 
general after he was charged and nearly arrested in late July in connection 
with the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan.

Russia strongly criticized the Armenian authorities’ decision to prosecute him. 
A Kremlin official called it a “colossal blow to the image” of the CSTO.

Following the criticism Khachaturov was allowed to return to Moscow and 
continue to perform his CSTO duties for the time being. It remains unclear 
whether Russia, Belarus or Kazakhstan will agree to the appointment of another 
Armenian secretary general.




Press Review



“Zhoghovurd” says that 27th years ago to the day Armenians voted for secession 
from the Soviet Union in a referendum what was followed by the declaration of 
Armenia’s independence. The paper notes that that popular euphoria subsequently 
gave way to disillusionment as the newly independent nation faced grave 
economic and security challenges. “We managed to emerge victorious from all 
that thanks to the resilience, national unity and stubborn struggle of our 
people.” The paper sees similarities between the popular moods now and in 
September 1991, saying that after a long break Armenians again feel that they 
are the masters of their country.

“If 27 years on we still need to explain to us and our children what 
independence is all about and why we need it, then we have done nothing except 
talking during these 27 years,” “Zhamanak.” The paper admits that the 
independence period has also seen “enormous achievements.” “Despite this, one 
thing is obvious: independence is still not ours seeing as every September 21 
we try to make ourselves believe that we are independent,” it says.

“Aravot” believes that the Armenian state must be based on “liberal values” 
such as tolerance, love and mutual respect. “These principles must be 
complement by a meticulous compliance with laws and widespread intolerance 
towards those who flout them,” editorializes the paper.

“Hraparak” says that Sunday’s municipal elections in Yerevan are a unique 
opportunity to end the culture of electoral fraud in Armenia. “We have all the 
grounds to expect that there will be fair and honest elections this time around 
and those who receive most votes will win,” editorializes the paper. It also 
says that Yerevan citizens should think carefully before deciding whom to vote 
for.

(Tigran Avetisian)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, 

A SERIES OF DAZZLING CONCERTS AND LECTURES BRINGS ARMENIAN MUSIC TO ASIA, 
BRIDGING CENTURIES OF FOLK TRADITIONS

Music truly acts as the ultimate universal language, making geographical 
distances nonexistent and bringing cultures closer. This summer, Armenian and 
Asian folk traditions merged with effortless synchrony through a series of 
concerts and captivating lectures in China and Japan.
 
Organized by the AGBU Performing Arts Department, these events expanded the 
reach of Armenian culture to the Far East and promoted artistic collaborations. 
"This tour was yet another demonstration of our mission to bring Armenian 
heritage closer to global audiences and support aspiring talents," said pianist 
and AGBU PAD Director Hayk Arsenyan.
 
The series commenced with a sold-out concert hosted by AGBU and the Cadillac 
Shanghai Concert Hall in Shanghai, China, on May 28. Its title, "Sounds of the 
Silk Road: From Armenia to China," spoke of the essence of the Chinese-Armenian 
connections dating back to the Medieval Times when the Silk Road boosted trade 
between the two nations. "After living in Shanghai for years, I have realized 
that Armenia and China have a lot of similarities: Both countries have 
centuries-old history, great cultural heritage and wonderful traditional 
music," said Astghik Poghosyan, the concert's artistic director who also serves 
as an assistant to the president of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. "It is 
important that we continue to promote and share our culture in other countries 
because Armenian culture has so much to offer and we should do our best to 
share it with as many people as possible. I hope we will get more chances to do 
that in Asia."
 
Musicians from Armenia, China, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United 
States offered a unique program, a fusion of Armenian and Chinese folk 
melodies, played either as separate pieces or mixes on western classical and 
traditional Chinese instruments. "It was the first time I used a traditional 
Chinese instrument to play another country's folk music," Liu Yu Xian, a 
guzheng player, said. "I feel very happy and honored to get this chance and 
learn about this culture."
 
This concert also marked the continuation of the fruitful collaboration between 
the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and AGBU which began in 2015 when the 
conservatory's students arranged a traditional Armenian song for the 8th AGBU 
Performing Artists in Concert at Carnegie Hall (NYSEC).
 
The tour continued with a concert titled "East and West Music" at the Tsunohazu 
Kumin Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on June 1. Organized by AGBU and Arev Arts Ensemble 
and Foundation, the concert was part of the Week of Armenian Culture in Tokyo, 
regularly hosted by the Embassy of Armenia in Japan. This cultural event 
offered a glimpse of Armenian heritage to audiences in Japan-a country where 
Armenians historically did not have a strong presence, and a tiny community was 
formed recently. "For the past several years, the Embassy of Armenia in Japan 
has been organizing the Week of Armenian Culture in Tokyo. Artists, musicians 
and craftsmen from Armenia and the diaspora, as well as friends of Armenia from 
Japan showcase their art and perform bridging cultures, celebrating the 
friendly ties between the two countries. This year, we were happy to have the 
AGBU Performing Arts Department as our valuable partner," noted Armenia's 
Ambassador to Japan Grant Pogosyan. He went on saying that thanks to 
outstanding performances and lectures, locals had an opportunity to better 
understand Armenian culture.

The evening featured well-known musicians from Armenia, Japan, Spain and the 
United States who played on the piano, violin and koto (Japanese harp). "I hope 
our cooperation with the AGBU Performing Arts Department will continue and give 
us more opportunities to present Armenian culture in Japan," said Karen 
Israelyan, director and founder of Arev Arts Ensemble and Foundation.
 
Concerts were followed by lectures-delivered by Arsenyan-first at Hong Kong 
University and then at Tokyo's Waseda University, the second largest university 
in Japan. His talks focused on Armenian history, culture, music, and various 
AGBU programs, including the AGBU Musical Armenia Program. Yas Tarumi, a duduk 
player from Japan, joined Arsenyan to play traditional and classical Armenian 
music at Waseda University. "This was a great occasion to introduce our music 
and culture to the people in Asia through unique interpretations of our folk 
melodies," concluded Arsenyan. 
 
Established in 1906, AGBU is the world's largest non-profit Armenian 
organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the 
Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian 
programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians around the 
world. For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit 
www.agbu.org.

Agence France Presse
September 8, 2018 Saturday 5:47 PM GMT


'Missing' Armenian children found after Dutch deportation drama

The Hague, Sept 8 2018

Two Armenian children who disappeared to avoid deportation have been
found, police in the Netherlands said Saturday, shortly after the
justice ministry announced they would be allowed to stay, the latest
twist in a drama that has gripped the country.

Howick, 13 and his sister Lili, 12, who had gone into hiding several
times before to avoid the authorities, were due to be deported to join
their mother in Armenia, after a last-ditch legal bid failed to stop
their expulsion.

They were found "in good health", police in the southeastern city of
Wijchen said in a statement, a day after they were last seen at their
grandparents' home there.

News that they had been found came shortly after the justice ministry
said in a statement to AFP that Migration Minister Mark Harbers "after
careful consideration decided that the children can remain in the
country".

The saga has been headline news in the Netherlands, with Prime
Minister Mark Rutte and Dutch royal Princess Laurentien weighing in,
while the youngsters have appeared on national television to plead
their case.

Howick and Lili last went missing a week ago, after the Hague-based
Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, ruled
there was no reason why the two teens should not be sent back to
Armenia.

The children have been living with foster parents since their mother,
Armina Hambartsjumian, was sent back to Yerevan last year after her
asylum request was finally denied.

Just before leaving the country the 37-year-old briefly hid the
children, refusing to tell immigration officials where they were.

Hambartsjumian was deported without them and has since told Dutch
supporters she is unable to look after her children in Armenia. By the
time Howick and Lili eventually emerged that time, their case was
before the courts.

On Friday, the children's lawyer had launched a last bid at the
Amsterdam court to halt their expulsion, arguing that their mother was
not able to look after them.

But the judge ruled that there was no viable reason to stop the deportation.