21:19,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The number of forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh who’ve crossed into Armenia reached 76,407 as of 20:00, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan said at a press conference Thursday.
The armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh have begun to hand over weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles, Russian state-controlled media reported on Sept. 22, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“In pursuance of the agreements reached, the armed formations of Karabakh have begun the surrender of weapons under the control of Russian peacekeepers,” the Defense Ministry said.
The Ministry claims that more than 800 units of small arms and anti-tank weapons, six units of armored vehicles, and about 5,000 rounds of ammunition were retrieved. Additionally, Russian peacekeepers were reported to have delivered 50 tons of humanitarian supplies for the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, including through the Lachin corridor.
Earlier today, Hikmet Hajiyev, a foreign policy advisor to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, suggested in an interview with Reuters that ethnic Armenian fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh would receive amnesty in exchange for laying down their arms.
Hajiyev also stated that some individual groups and units of the Armenian defense forces have pledged to continue fighting, although he did not consider them to be a "big security challenge."
Following the 24-hour offensive launched by the Azerbaijani military on Sept. 19 in Nagorno-Karabakh, a ceasefire was brokered with the condition that the Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Forces be disbanded and disarmed.
12:59,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ) has introduced bipartisan legislation with Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) to protect Armenians and provide humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in response to the brutal and unjust actions taken by the Government of Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
The Bill, "Supporting Armenians Against Azerbaijani Aggression Act of 2023," covers a spectrum of pertinent and swift actions that can be taken by the Administration in the aftermath of Azerbaijan's illegal and unprovoked attacks on the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh, from calling on Azerbaijan to open the Lachin Corridor to providing humanitarian assistance to imposing sanctions to ceasing waivers of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, as well as appropriating funding for future partnerships between the U.S. and Armenia. "President Aliyev's genocidal campaign against the Armenian people of Artsakh has gone on too long, and it is past time the United States takes meaningful action to halt it. This legislation takes a major first step in addressing the atrocities committed by his regime and holding him and his cronies accountable for the death and destruction they have wrought. It would also provide the Armenian people impacted by the conflict with the assistance and security they need to live safely in their ancient homelands without fear of reprisal from the Azerbaijani government," stated Congressman Pallone.
The Assembly's Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan stated: "Since he has taken a page out of Putin's playbook in Ukraine, Aliyev too must be held accountable for his ongoing targeting of civilians in Artsakh. We urge the Administration to sanction Azerbaijan for its genocidal actions." The Bill further calls for $30 million to "provide humanitarian assistance to groups in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh impacted by the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan’s September 2022 attack on Armenia, and Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor."
The Bill also contains language to provide $10 million in Foreign Military Financing assistance to Armenia to "support Armenia's independence, joint training and exercises with the U.S., and train Armenian forces for future international peacekeeping operations." Imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan regarding the Aliyev regime's clear attempts at ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh is also specified, as well as the government's "operations that instigated the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War; attacks on Armenia in September 2022; the blockade of the Lachin Corridor beginning in December 2022; attacks on Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023." Finally, the Bill highlights the importance of protecting the rights of the Armenian people in Nagorno-Karabakh and requests that the Secretary of State "shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed strategy to ensure the durable security for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh" that incorporates the "rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh" as well as the "establishment of accountability measures to ensure the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh in the event that the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a peace agreement" as well as "support for the protection of Armenian cultural heritage sites in Nagorno-Karabakh."
PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch.us
__________________
ATTENTION EDITOR: Photo attached, wth caption below.
HEADLINE:
Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan's Words of Solidarity with Artsakh
St. Vartan Cathedral in New York was the site of a community gathering “In Solidarity with Artsakh,” in the early evening of Thursday, September 21.
The event went forward under the auspices of Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan and Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian. It included short remarks and prayers for God’s protection over the brave Armenians of Artsakh.
What follows are the remarks delivered by Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan on the occasion.
* * *
Dear Friends,
On behalf of my Brother in Christ, His Eminence Anoushavan Srpazan, and all our faithful clergy, I want to thank you for answering our call, and joining us this evening, here at St. Vartan Cathedral. At times like this, I truly feel that this sanctuary achieves the dream of its founders: to be a Home to all Armenians of America. So I want to welcome all of you to your home.
The idea of Home is why we are here: “Home” in the sense of Homeland. We Armenians have cultivated our homeland for thousands of years: built it up, adorned it with monuments to God, and defended it in times of crisis. In ages past, we nourished the dream of one day having an independent homeland to call our own. And 32 years ago today that long-held dream became a glorious reality for us: a miracle that came about by our people’s will and vote.
Of course, another part of our homeland was born in struggle, forged by heroes, secured and defended at significant cost for three decades. Our homeland of Armenia and Artsakh is small—but it is ours, and every square mile of its territory, every monument to its history, is precious to us, as Armenians.
My friends, I don’t have to tell you this is a dire time for our precious homeland. The war three years ago was a catastrophe for us. The aggression against Artsakh since then, and the blockade that it has endured for the better part of a year now, have threatened to make life itself impossible. And now the attack of this week raises the definite possibility of ethnic cleansing: another genocide of our people.
We cannot predict what the outcome will be from any of this. We cannot—we must not— fall into despair. But at the same time, we must be honest about the truth. The days to come will be difficult and demoralizing for our sisters and brothers in Artsakh. And for all Armenians, as well.
But one thing stands as clear as day to me. And that is: That in the days and weeks to come, the people of Artsakh will need our support more than ever before. And equally clear to me is that we must stand united as Armenians, ready to help in any way we can. In any way we are called to do.
My friends, we must be honest that we should not expect any outside forces to do this work for us. Indeed, we can continue to appeal to our governments, call our congressmen, and continue to make our voices heard however we can. Perhaps some help will come from such efforts.
But we must look to God and to ourselves, first and foremost. If our brothers and sisters in Artsakh are to survive, it will be because, with God’s help, we were united in our conviction to help them, and united in our actions. In the days to come, as the situation on the ground becomes more apparent, we will begin to know what form that help must take. And when we do, we must be ready to respond—together.
My friends, it is going to take great spiritual reserves to undertake this task. We must ensure that we nourish and maintain the health of the Armenian communities here in America, even as we re-dedicate ourselves to the well-being of the Armenians of Artsakh. But our Lord Jesus Christ has given the Armenian people such strength in the past. And He will do so again. It is to Him, above all, that we must open our hearts and ask for his help and blessing.
That is why Anoushavan Srpazan and I felt it was so important to hold this gathering in a sacred place, beneath the watchful eyes of God, as a united family of faithful. May our merciful Lord attend to the prayers being said tonight by His children—in Artsakh, in Armenia, and at this cathedral now—and in so doing, may He reveal His will for us, and for the continuing life of our precious homeland. Amen.
—9/22/23
***
PHOTO CAPTION:
At St. Vartan Cathedral in New York, Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan addresses a community gathering in solidarity with Artsakh. The gathering went forward under the auspices of Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian of the Eastern Prelacy and Fr. Parsamyan of the Eastern Diocese.
# # #
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday September 3rd, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the following statements:
Armenia’s security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including when it came to the procurement of arms and ammunition. But today we see that Russia itself is in need of weapons, arms and ammunition (for the war in Ukraine) and in this situation it’s understandable that even if it wishes so, the Russian Federation cannot meet Armenia’s security needs. This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake.
In view of the fact that Russia has a mutual defense contract with Armenia, a Russian military post inside the Republic of Armenia and a Russian peacekeeping force stationed at the border between Azerbaijan and the landlocked, contested breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh to Armenians who’ve lived there since ancient times), Putin has ignored the fact that Azerbaijan’s blockade is causing Armenians in Artsakh to starve to death, ignoring the worsening, blatant humanitarian crisis with families down to rationing a piece of bread all day.
Letting thousands of Armenians starve is hardly honoring Moscow’s defense pact with Armenia. It’s a clear, sobering reality that Russia has elected to abandon its security commitment with the Republic of Armenia, allowing the 3-mile Lachin corridor separating Artsakh from Armenia as its only pathway connection to the outside world remain closed now approaching a year since December12, 2022. 90% of Artsakh’s food supply arrived from Armenia through the crucial corridor. Pashinyan stated that with Russia waging war in Ukraine for more than a year and a half, he concludes that Moscow is unable to fulfill its obligations to Armenia or deems Armenia not pro-Russian enough, and that the Kremlin no longer views its involvement in the South Caucasus as a high enough priority. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insists:
Russia is an absolutely integral part of this region. Russia plays a consistent, very important role in stabilising the situation in this region … and we will continue to play this role Russia is an integral part of this region.
On Tuesday September 5th, the always saucy Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was far more bluntly critical of Pashinyan, claiming his comments were “public rhetoric verging on rudeness,” adding that rather than blaming others, Yerevan should take responsibility for its own actions.
In the face of continued Azerbaijani aggression in recent years, the Yerevan government as a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) also urgently requested support from fellow CSTO members Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, but that too fell on deaf ears. So running out of options, Prime Minister Pashinyan decided to increase Armenia’s ties with the West, and as a result, from September 11 to the 20th, Armenia will participate in joint military exercises with the United States. Though this may be understandable, it’s very likely yet another decisive error in judgment since relying on Washington for much of anything these days, much less for national security, invites deep trouble. Just look at what’s happening to Ukraine’s national security ever since 2014 when the US illegally overthrew its democratically elected leader and installed a neo-Nazi government in Kiev.
In a statement on Wednesday September 6th, Armenian Defense Ministry announced the joint military drills with the US, dubbed “Eagle Partner 2023,” to be conducted “in the framework of preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions,” opening the door to a potential pandora’s box with another Ukraine scenario for Armenia. Reuters reports that a US military spokesman specified that only 75 US soldiers and 185 Armenian soldiers will take part in this rather small scale 9-day operation. It’s likely more symbolic, sending the obvious message to Putin that he needs to intervene in Artsakh before conditions grow worse. Dmitry Peskov’s response to the announced military drill between Armenia and the US:
Of course, such news causes concern, especially in the current situation. Therefore, we will deeply analyse this news and monitor the situation.
And of course, the now US deputy Secretary of State, neocon Kiev regime changer herself Victoria Nuland, has been salivating over creating the divisive wedge between Armenia and Russia for a full decade as yet one more pro-Western neighbor on Russia’s doorstep falling into the pocket of the anti-Russian West. This all could’ve and should’ve been avoided had President Vladimir Putin simply given the ethically responsive order for his “peacekeepers” to merely do their assigned job to ensure peace prevails by forcing the Lachin reopening. But allowing Baku to commit more genocide against more Armenians is definitely not keeping the peace, nor, for that matter, in anyone’s best interest living in this treacherous world. If it wasn’t such high stakes flirting with World War III, Armenia courting favor with Russia’s chief rival is like a jealous schoolgirl flirting with another boy to make her boyfriend jealous.
Getting back to today’s dire stakes, by wilfully refusing to permit food, fuel and vital medical supplies be brought into Artsakh from Armenia, Azerbaijan is violating the Moscow brokered truce after the Azeri-Armenian 44-day war in late 2020. But even more significant is that Baku is premeditatedly starving 120,000 Armenians and resuming the genocide where Turkey left off a century ago, this time perpetrated by Azerbaijan’s Turkic brethren. The International Red Cross has a fleet of trucks sitting idly by at the border for weeks now loaded with vital emergency supplies but unable to enter Artsakh, while Russian soldiers passively look on, allowing this international crime spectacle to go on unimpeded and unpunished, essentially rendering Russia an accomplice to the international crime of genocide.
Even former prosecutor to the Hague’s International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, released an August 7th report entitled “Genocide against Armenians in 2023,” accusing Azerbaijan outright of legally meeting the definition of genocide, and recommending the case be brought before the ICC. But all it prompted was an emergency UN Security Council meeting held two weeks later on August 21st urgently calling for Azeri President Ilham Aliyev to lift the Lachin corridor blockade and allow supplies through. It changed nothing as dictator Aliyev correctly calculated that with the world in multiple energy crises now and needing oil from his Caspian reserves more than ever, the rest of the world would meekly squawk, then look the other way. He was right as without any negative consequence backing up the feeble UN pleas, why would the Aliyev dictatorship even anticipate any unwanted consequence.
If UN Security Council member Russia’s peacekeeping force is looking the other way, refusing to intercede despite clear violation of the 2020 truce signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan, then Aliyev remains smugly confident that starving a few Armenians in a territory Josef Stalin gave to Azerbaijan a century ago despite 96% of the residents at the time being Armenian living in their homeland for millennia, that the world wrongly still agrees technically and legally it still belongs to Azeris. Yet this morally reprehensible 1923 decision by Stalin as perhaps the world’s biggest genocidal murderer in history, is still allowed to stand in a world that doesn’t care about 120,000 people whose lives are increasingly in grave danger now.
A CNN article on Wednesday September 6th revealed the plight of one Artsakh resident, Ani Kirakosyani, from the village of Haturk, who became pregnant a month after the blockade began. With food unavailable, she’s been living off of tomatoes and beans from her garden. Public transportation in Artsakh was suspended on July 25th due to fuel shortages brought on by the corridor closure, resulting in Ani not able to receive medical care. Six months into her pregnancy, experiencing severe abdominal pain, landed her in the hospital. But the ambulance driver had to pick up six other patients along the way due to fuel rationing. Ani was told that her complications necessitated her giving birth three months premature. With her husband working with the military 100 miles away, again from lack of fuel, he could not be there with his wife when doctors told her she had a stillbirth resulting from malnutrition. By phone Ani Kirakosyani told CNN:
If not for the blockade, I would be playing with my child today.
The number of miscarriages in Artsakh have soared to four times the rate from this time last year. Azeri military refuse to allow international media to enter the enclave since the blockade went into effect nearly nine months ago. My August 17th article on this growing humanitarian crisis reported that two days earlier on the 15th of last month, 40-year old K. Hovhannisyan became the first starvation casualty dying from chronic malnutrition caused by what appears to be a second Armenian genocide 2.0.
Olesya Vartanyan, a senior South Caucasus analyst at the non-profit conflict prevention organization Crisis Group, told Reuters that in recent days, social media footage indicates increasing Azeri military movement along the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline, warning:
It doesn’t look good at all.
So, the world is watching genocide repeat itself and Putin’s Russia shamefully refuses to come to Armenians’ aid in Artsakh and honor its security commitment. One can easily understand why Republic of Armenia’s Prime Minister Pashinyan is stating it was Armenia’s regretful, strategic mistake to depend solely on Russia for its security. At the same time, it’s a disgrace the world of nations just sits back passively allowing Armenians to starve to death once again a century after a million and a half perished from the last Armenian genocide. But that’s the world we’re living in today, where the value of human life seemingly grows cheaper by the day. Elites are actively committing genocide, exterminating the entire human race, with few among us aware or even care, much less dare to fight back for our species survival. With the devil’s dominion earthly affairs, in 2023 perhaps more than ever, Satin still rules over our planet.
Joachim Hagopian is a West Point graduate, former Army officer and author of “Don’t Let the Bastards Getcha Down,” exposing a faulty US military leadership system based on ticket punching up the seniority ladder, invariably weeding out the best and brightest, leaving mediocrity and order followers rising to the top as politician-bureaucrat generals designated to lose every modern US war by elite design. After the military, Joachim earned a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and worked as a licensed therapist in the mental health field with abused youth and adolescents for more than a quarter century. In Los Angeles he found himself battling the largest county child protective services in the nation within America’s thoroughly broken and corrupt child welfare system.
The experience in both the military and child welfare system prepared him well as a researcher and independent journalist, exposing the evils of Big Pharma and how the Rockefeller controlled medical and psychiatric system inflict more harm than good, case in point the current diabolical pandemic hoax and genocide. As an independent journalist for the last decade, Joachim has written hundreds of articles for many news sites, like Global Research, lewrockwell.com and currently https://jameshfetzer.org. As a published bestselling author on Amazon of a 5-book volume series entitled Pedophilia & Empire: Satan, Sodomy & the Deep State, his A-Z sourcebook series exposes the global pedophilia scourge is available free at https://pedoempire.org/contents/. Joachim also hosts the Revolution Radio weekly broadcast “Cabal Empire Exposed,” every Friday morning at 6AM EST (ID: revradio, password: rocks!).
10:16, 7 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – these two words capture a deep philosophy. It means ‘the world is one family’. This is an all-embracing outlook that encourages us to progress as one universal family, transcending borders, languages, and ideologies. During India’s G20 Presidency, this has translated into a call for human-centric progress. As One Earth, we are coming together to nurture our planet. As One Family, we support each other in the pursuit of growth. And we move together towards a shared future – One Future – which is an undeniable truth in these interconnected times.
The post-pandemic world order is very different from the world before it. There are three important changes, among others.
First, there is a growing realisation that a shift away from a GDP-centric view of the world to a human-centric view is needed.
Second, the world is recognizing the importance of resilience and reliability in global supply chains.
Third, there is a collective call for boosting multilateralism through the reform of global institutions.
Our G20 Presidency has played the role of a catalyst in these shifts.
In December 2022, when we took over the Presidency from Indonesia, I had written that a mindset shift must be catalysed by the G20. This was especially needed in the context of mainstreaming the marginalized aspirations of developing countries, the Global South and Africa.
The Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our Presidency. It was an important exercise to gather inputs and ideas from the Global South. Further, our Presidency has not only seen the largest-ever participation from African countries but has also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.
An interconnected world means our challenges across domains are interlinked. This is the midway year of the 2030 Agenda and many are noting with great concern that the progress on SDGs is off-track. The G20 2023 Action Plan on Accelerating Progress on SDGs will spearhead the future direction of the G20 towards implementing SDGs.
In India, living in harmony with nature has been a norm since ancient times and we have been contributing our share towards climate action even in modern times.
Many countries of the Global South are at various stages of development and climate action must be a complementary pursuit. Ambitions for climate action must be matched with actions on climate finance and transfer of technology.
We believe there is a need to move away from a purely restrictive attitude of what should not be done, to a more constructive attitude focusing on what can be done to fight climate change.
The Chennai High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue Economy focus on keeping our oceans healthy.
A global ecosystem for clean and green hydrogen will emerge from our presidency, along with a Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre.
In 2015, we launched the International Solar Alliance. Now, through the Global Biofuels Alliance, we will support the world to enable energy transitions in tune with the benefits of a circular economy.
Democratising climate action is the best way to impart momentum to the movement. Just as individuals make daily decisions based on their long-term health, they can make lifestyle decisions based on the impact on the planet’s long-term health. Just like Yoga became a global mass movement for wellness, we have also nudged the world with Lifestyles for Sustainable Environment (LiFE).
Due to the impact of climate change, ensuring food and nutritional security will be crucial. Millets, or Shree Anna, can help with this while also boosting climate-smart agriculture. In the International Year of Millets, we have taken millets to global palates. The Deccan High Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition is also helpful in this direction.
Technology is transformative but it also needs to be made inclusive. In the past, the benefits of technological advancements have not benefited all sections of society equally. India, over the last few years, has shown how technology can be leveraged to narrow inequalities, rather than widen them.
For instance, the billions across the world that remain unbanked, or lack digital identities, can be financially included through digital public infrastructure (DPI). The solutions we have built using our DPI have now been recognised globally. Now, through the G20, we will help developing countries adapt, build, and scale DPI to unlock the power of inclusive growth.
That India is the fastest-growing large economy is no accident. Our simple, scalable and sustainable solutions have empowered the vulnerable and the marginalised to lead our development story. From space to sports, economy to entrepreneurship, Indian women have taken the lead in various sectors. They have shifted the narrative from the development of women to women-led development. Our G20 Presidency is working on bridging the gender digital divide, reducing labour force participation gaps and enabling a larger role for women in leadership and decision-making.
For India, the G20 Presidency is not merely a high-level diplomatic endeavour. As the Mother of Democracy and a model of diversity, we opened the doors of this experience to the world.
Today, accomplishing things at scale is a quality that is associated with India. The G20 Presidency is no exception. It has become a people-driven movement. Over 200 meetings will have been organised in 60 Indian cities across the length and breadth of our nation, hosting nearly 100,000 delegates from 125 countries by the end of our term. No Presidency has ever encompassed such a vast and diverse geographical expanse.
It is one thing to hear about India’s demography, democracy, diversity and development from someone else. It is totally different to experience them first-hand. I am sure our G20 delegates would vouch for this.
Our G20 Presidency strives to bridge divides, dismantle barriers, and sow seeds of collaboration that nourish a world where unity prevails over discord, where shared destiny eclipses isolation. As the G20 President, we had pledged to make the global table larger, ensuring that every voice is heard and every country contributes. I am positive that we have matched our pledge with actions and outcomes.
Article by the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi regarding the G-20 Presidency
16:45, 6 September 2023
YEREVAN — The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) announce the upcoming COAF Fest: Arts, Crafts, and Music, which will take place on September 16 at the COAF SMART Center in Debet village, Lori region. The festival will bring together Armenian musical talents, skilled craftsmen, and local producers from the Lori region, with the aim of fostering economic growth in the area and further enhancing its attractiveness as a premier tourism destination. The COAF Fest is an integral component of the larger "Lori, Your Next Destination" project, a collaborative endeavor between COAF and GIZ, supported by the EU4Business ITTD project.
COAF’s Managing Director, Liana Ghaltaghchyan, emphasizes, "Our partnership with GIZ under the 'Lori, Your Next Destination' initiative has been instrumental in promoting the untapped tourism potential of the Lori region, all while bolstering sustainable development. Beyond our commitment to providing non-formal education, our initiatives in Lori now encompass cultivating a thriving ecosystem centered around the SMART Center. In this context, our festival presents an excellent opportunity to bring the entire community together at our SMART Campus, allowing them to enjoy a remarkable blend of arts, crafts, music, and the rich flavors of traditional Armenian cuisine."
In addition to the festival, COAF will mark the grand opening of Concept by COAF on the same day—the largest social enterprise in Armenia. This establishment features a boutique hotel, an expansive conference center, and a modern restaurant. Concept by COAF is set to become a coveted destination for leisure, professional gatherings, and formal occasions, contributing significantly to the continuous expansion of COAF's educational and social initiatives. The inauguration of Concept by COAF commemorates COAF's two-decade journey and heralds a new era of transformative change, underscored by the launch of four new SMART Centers across the regions of Syunik, Shirak, and Armavir, as well as the steady progress of programs in Artsakh.
COAF Fest will serve as a platform for local businesses, enabling them to promote their products and expand their visibility. The festival will showcase more than 30 booths from various companies, offering a diverse array of products, including tea, agricultural goods, clothing and fabrics, skincare and cosmetics, handmade items, bags, and souvenirs. Furthermore, the festival will unveil Ardēan's captivating art installations adorning the COAF SMART Campus in Lori. These 12 exquisite art pieces draw inspiration from the region's ancient monasteries and cultural heritage. The festival will also feature live performances by renowned artists such as "Hayat Project," "Lav Eli," "Miqayel Voskanyan & Friends," "Vahagn Hayrapetyan Trio," "Bambir," and DJ Alen Hertz.
To encourage active participation in bringing about positive, lasting change, donation boxes featuring QR codes will be placed throughout the SMART Campus during the festival.
The "Lori, Your Next Destination" initiative, launched in 2021, has already achieved success through a series of impactful initiatives. These include the "STARMUS Day at SMART" Festival hosted in 2022, the development of an extensive network of hiking and biking trails, professional training programs aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of local tourism service providers, and the establishment of the Visitor Center, complete with a roadside café, designed to serve as a welcoming gateway for visitors to the region, promoting tourism.
About COAF
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) aims at improving the quality of life in rural Armenia, with a particular focus on the projects and needs of children and youth. COAF’s target development areas are education, healthcare, as well as social and economic development. COAF launched its programs in 2004, starting in one village and expanding to more than 82 communities in Armenia and Artsakh with an investment of more than $70 million, impacting well over 100,000 people across rural Armenia.
About the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project
The EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project is ongoing in Armenia. It is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by German Development Cooperation (GIZ). It has an overall objective to ensure shared and balanced inclusive growth in tourism and innovative industries.
This will be achieved through innovative tourism ventures in the Northern regions of Armenia, support to high-tech and innovative entrepreneurs, international knowledge exchange for high-tech researchers as well as networks to enable entrepreneurship culture for students and the general population.
Within the framework of the project, more than 100 ventures have already been supported, assistance has been provided in sustaining and/or creating 400 jobs, and more than 800 people have undergone various trainings.
13:17, 5 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. President Vahagn Khachaturyan has appointed Misak Balasanyan as Armenia’s new ambassador to Iraq, the presidency reported Tuesday.
The President signed the order at the advice of the Prime Minister.
With another decree, Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium Anna Aghajanyan was relieved of duties and appointed Ambassador to Sweden.
Meanwhile, Armenia’s Ambassador to Sweden Alexander Arzumanyan was relieved of duties and appointed Ambassador to Poland.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Poland Samvel Mkrtchyan was relieved of duties.
Thursday,
Armenian PM Makes First Trip To Syunik By Plane
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian is being greeted by local officials in
Kapan, Syunik, after arriving by plane. .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday made his first visit to the
country’s southern Syunik province by plane.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Pashinian traveled to Kapan on board a small
passenger plane ahead of the start of regular flights between Yerevan and this
Syunik town next week.
It said that on the trip Pashinian was accompanied by Minister of Territorial
Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosian.
Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasian, Kapan Mayor Gevorg Parsian and other officials
reportedly welcomed the prime minister at Kapan’s recently renovated airport.
A video posted by the Prime Minister’s Office showed Pashinian touring the
airport to inspect its conditions.
According to the report, a demonstration Yerevan-Kapan flight will take place on
August 19 on the occasion of Kapan’s day, after which regular flights will be
scheduled beginning next week.
The first test passenger flight from Yerevan to Kapan was operated in late April
to become the first such flight since the 1990s, barring one private flight made
in 2017.
The Civil Aviation Committee said then an Armenia-registered L-410 passenger
plane (made in the Czech Republic) designed for 19 passengers successfully
landed at Kapan’s Syunik Airport after a 48-minute flight from Yerevan’s
International Zvartnots Airport. It described that flight as a “truly historic”
event.
Kapan is situated some 190 kilometers to the southeast of capital Yerevan not
far from the border with Azerbaijan. The runway of its airport stretches along
the border and at one point is situated less than a hundred meters from it.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for
decades. Tensions along their restive border have persisted despite a
Russia-brokered ceasefire that stopped a deadly six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani
war in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020.
Picket In Yerevan Demands Action To ‘Ensure Safety’ Of Karabakh Armenians
• Anush Mkrtchian
A protest in front of the UN office in Yerevan. .
A group of several activists in Yerevan demanded on Thursday that the Armenian
government take steps to ensure the safety of people in Nagorno-Karabakh who
experience shortages of food, medicines, fuel and other basic products due to an
ongoing blockade effectively imposed by Azerbaijan.
The activists who picketed the Government building simultaneously with the
weekly cabinet session did not elaborate as to how the authorities should
achieve these goals, but stressed that Armenia must not recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan or make other “unilateral concessions” at
negotiations with Baku.
At the cabinet session Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian spoke about the August 16
discussions at the UN Security Council of the deepening humanitarian crisis in
Nagorno-Karabakh brought on by Azerbaijan’s de facto blockade of the Lachin
corridor, the only road connecting Armenia with the region. He said that they
highlighted the fact of the closure of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan.
Pashinian again urged Azerbaijan to end “the illegal closure” of the Lachin
corridor and allow the passage of two dozen Armenian trucks with humanitarian
aid currently stranded near the entrance to the corridor on the Armenian side.
“Azerbaijan, on the one hand, has closed access to Nagorno-Karabakh for 100 tons
of flour sent by the Armenian government, on the other hand, it does not allow
the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to harvest the sown wheat [by shooting at
farmers]. This is yet another fact that substantiates the thesis put forward by
international experts that Azerbaijan is carrying out a genocide through hunger
and, therefore, the opening of the Lachin corridor should be considered as a
step to prevent genocide,” the Armenian prime minister said.
Pashinian reiterated that as the best way of ending the situation Yerevan sees a
dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku, reaffirming Armenia’s commitment to peace.
Government critics see the kind of position coupled with Pashinian’s repeated
public statements that Armenia is ready to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity as a blow to the right of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to
self-determination. They also claim that Pashinian and his political team
thereby renege on their election pledge.
Lilit Kocharian, one of the activists who initiated today’s picket, told
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that one of their goals was to remind the prime
minister about his 2021 election pledge of seeking “remedial secession” for
Nagorno-Karabakh.
“It is under this slogan that he went to the elections, and now he stands up and
says that he has a mandate and can do whatever he wants. But it is not so. We
just want to make it clear that he does not have a mandate to hand over Artsakh
[Nagorno-Karabakh – ed.], he does not have a mandate from Armenia to make
unilateral concessions at the expense of Armenia and Artsakh, something that has
been happening for the last three years,” Kocharian said.
She said that before demanding anything from international bodies, they need to
raise problems in front of local politicians and statesmen, insisting that
Armenia should be the guarantor of the security of Karabakh Armenians instead of
handing over the responsibility to Russian peacekeepers.
“These people [Karabakh Armenians] bear passports of citizens of the Republic of
Armenia, and it is written there who the guarantor of the holders of those
passports is. It is the Republic of Armenia,” Kocharian said.
Another civil initiative called “Batsum” (Opening) has been collecting dry food
near the United Nations office in Yerevan for a month, demanding that the
international organization deliver it to the “besieged Artsakh people facing the
threat of hunger.”
According to Narek Ayvazian, a member of the initiative group, they monitor the
stock 24 hours a day, believing that it will eventually reach its destination.
“In any case, we hope that what we have done by raising our voice in support of
our compatriots in front of international institutions is having some effect,
including on decision-makers,” Ayvazian said.
The Batsum initiative announced a simultaneous rally in Yerevan, Stepanakert,
Los Angeles and New York later this week demanding the opening of the vital
corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinian Says Fact Of Lachin Corridor Closure ‘Highlighted’ At UN Security
Council
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan
(file photo)
The fact of the closure of the Lachin Corridor was highlighted at the highest
international instance, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on
Thursday, summarizing the discussion on the humanitarian situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh held at the UN Security Council in New York the previous day.
Speaking at a weekly cabinet session, Pashinian said: “Of course, it may seem
strange to the Armenian public that I am stating this as a result of the
discussion at the UN Security Council, but we must not forget that Azerbaijan
constantly and continuously insists that the Lachin Corridor is not closed.”
The Armenian premier said that the discussion at the UN Security Council also
confirmed the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and “the
fact that the lives and safety of 120,000 people of Nagorno-Karabakh are in
question.”
“Thirdly, it was emphasized that the decision of the International Court of
Justice on ensuring uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and cargo through
the Lachin Corridor in both directions has not been implemented by Azerbaijan,”
Pashinian said.
“Now we can state that the truth about the illegal blocking of the Lachin
Corridor and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh has been
spoken about at the highest international instance. Also, the international
community has made a collective appeal to Azerbaijan to eliminate the illegal
blocking of the Lachin Corridor,” the Armenian leader concluded.
While most members of the UN Security Council seem to agree that the Lachin
Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, should be
reopened, it is not clear yet whether the body will adopt a resolution or a
statement on the matter after two-hour long discussions on August 16.
In his remarks at the meeting held at Yerevan’s request Armenian Foreign
Minister Ararat Mirzoyan formulated Armenia’s expectations from the UN Security
Council.
“We expect this Council to condemn the use of starvation of civilians as a
method of warfare, to call for the immediate restoration of freedom and security
of movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, in line with the previously reached
agreements, through the Lachin corridor; to dispatch an independent inter-agency
needs assessment mission in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide humanitarian assistance
to the affected population,” Mirzoyan said, in particular.
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the UN Yashar Aliyev said Armenia’s “allegations
about famine and genocide are false and fictitious.”
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who presided over the
meeting, urged the government of Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the
Lachin Corridor “so that commercial, humanitarian, and private vehicles can
reach the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“We also note the possibility of compromise on additional routes for
humanitarian supplies,” she said.
Baku offers alternative ways of supplies to Karabakh Armenians, notably through
a road via Agdam, an Azerbaijani-controlled town east of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s de facto ethnic Armenian government rejects the offer,
considering it as a prelude to the region’s absorption into Azerbaijan.
Most UN Security Council Members Back Lachin Corridor Opening During Discussions
• Heghine Buniatian
The UN Security Council discusses the humanitarian situation in Nagorno
Karabakh, New York, .
While most members of the United Nations Security Council seem to agree that the
Lachin corridor linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia should be opened, it is
not clear yet whether the body will adopt a resolution or a statement on the
matter after two-hour long discussions on August 16.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in his speech clearly emphasized the
expectations of the Armenian side from the UN Security Council that gathered for
an urgent meeting in New York at Yerevan’s request.
“We expect this Council to condemn the use of starvation of civilians as a
method of warfare, to call for the immediate restoration of freedom and security
of movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, in line with the previously reached
agreements, through the Lachin corridor; to dispatch an independent inter-agency
needs assessment mission in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide humanitarian assistance
to the affected population,” Mirzoyan said, in particular.
The overwhelming majority of representatives of the Security Council’s 15 member
states agreed that humanitarian issues cannot be used as a truncheon to suppress
the rights of 120,000 people living in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Most of the diplomats clearly emphasized that the Lachine Corridor must be
opened, while others considered it possible to open other routes as well.
“We urge the government of Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the
corridor – so commercial, humanitarian, and private vehicles can reach the
population of Nagorno-Karabakh. We also note the possibility of compromise on
additional routes for humanitarian supplies,” said U.S. Ambassador to the UN
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who presided over the meeting.
The representative of Russia insisted that Moscow presented such a proposal to
the parties several weeks ago: “On July 25, at the meeting with the foreign
ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Russian side proposed realistic,
compromise-based solutions to ease the tension. We are talking about
simultaneously opening the Agdam and Lachin corridors for the transportation of
civilians and non-military goods.”
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is harming the
peace process, the European Union ambassador said, stating that the EU border
monitoring mission in Armenia has recorded a number of ceasefire violations
along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in recent months.
Meanwhile, Baku’s official representative categorically denied the accusations.
“Allegations about famine and genocide are false and fictitious,” Yashar Aliyev
said.
“Azerbaijan pursues a policy of reintegrating the ethnic Armenians of the
Karabakh region, considering them as equal citizens, and guarantees for them all
the rights and freedoms provided by the Constitution of Azerbaijan. We are
determined to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the
Azerbaijani diplomat said.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that after hearing
the arguments of the parties, as well as the positions of the members of the
Security Council the text of the resolution or statement may be put into
circulation in the next 24 hours.
Armenia Says Preventing Genocide ‘Core Duty’ Of UN, Its Security Council
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addresses a UN Security Council
meeting on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, New York, August 16,
2023.
Armenia urged the United Nations Security Council to prevent a “genocide” by
demanding that Azerbaijan immediately restore free transit of people, vehicles
and goods to Nagorno-Karabakh as the body held an emergency meeting on Wednesday
at Yerevan’s request.
During the meeting in New York over what Yerevan says is an ongoing blockade of
the Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan Armenian Foreign
Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that Armenia expected the UN Security Council to
condemn “the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, prohibited
by international law” and “the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and
depriving the civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh of objects indispensable
to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access for
responses to conflict‑induced food insecurity.”
“[We expect the Council] to demand full compliance with obligations under the
international humanitarian law, including those related to the protection of
civilians, in particular women and children, and critical civilian
infrastructure; to call for the immediate restoration of freedom and security of
movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, in line with the previously reached
agreements, through the Lachin corridor; to ensure full cooperation of the
parties in good faith with the International Committee of the Red Cross and safe
and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance; to dispatch an independent
inter-agency needs assessment mission in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide
humanitarian assistance to the affected population,” Mirzoyan said.
The Armenian minister emphasized that “these humanitarian issues clearly need to
be resolved with the international community’s strong intervention before the
negative consequences result in ethnic cleansing of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“According to the elected representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, ‘this is a
deliberately engineered crime, driven by evident genocidal intent. The
Azerbaijani authorities purposefully instigated the blockade of the Lachin
corridor, with the knowledge that it would subject the entire population of
Nagorno-Karabakh to a gradual demise, yet chose to persist with this course of
action’,” Mirzoyan explained.
Presenting facts and figures, the chronology and consequences of the eight-month
blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with
Armenia and the outside world, Mirzoyan noted: “The report of former
International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo reflects that it is
already a genocide that is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Mr.
Ocampo, “The blockade of the Lachin corridor by the Azerbaijani security forces
impeding access to any food, medical supplies, and other essentials should be
considered a Genocide under Article II, (c) of the Genocide Convention:
‘Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring
about its physical destruction. Starvation is the invisible Genocide weapon.
Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in
a few weeks’.”
The Armenian foreign minister stressed that “the prevention of such a
catastrophe is a core duty of the United Nations and this Council.”
“I do believe that this distinguished body, despite of geopolitical differences,
has capacity to act as genocide prevention body and not as genocide
commemoration, when it might be too late,” he added.
“During the previous months, many of you tried to address the issue of opening
the Lachin corridor. However, despite all the calls, the commitments undertaken
by the Trilateral statement from November 9, 2020, the legally binding orders of
the International Court of Justice the situation did not improve on the ground.
Quite contrary, Azerbaijan incrementally but consistently severed the blockade
to the degree of a complete siege of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia raised its
concerns on the deepening of the humanitarian crisis as a result of a closure of
the Lachin corridor in all negotiations with Azerbaijan, which were separately
facilitated and mediated by the United States, the European Union and Russia.
And yet to no avail.
“Throughout this time, Azerbaijan’s engagement has been anything but in good
faith. Back to the first discussion on this issue in the Security Council,
Azerbaijan denied any responsibility on the actions thereon and even claimed
that it was not controlling the Lachin corridor. Throughout the past eight
months, Azerbaijan brought a number of pretexts aimed at justifying its actions.
First, it was so-called eco-activists with environmental concerns, then baseless
allegations of transporting arms through the Lachin corridor, furthermore
military provocations and so on,” Mirozyan said.
“The Lachin corridor has been agreed as a link between Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh and has no alternative. The Lachin corridor should be opened,
and when it comes to other possible communications, this should be addressed
within an international mechanism of Baku-Stepanakert dialogue.
“Today I am here to seek the support of this august body in maintaining the
prospect of reaching just and comprehensive peace and stability in our region,
which is seriously undermined by Azerbaijan with the humanitarian calamity on
the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh.
During the last two years, Armenia, with the help of the international
community, spared no efforts to establish peace and stability in our region. And
I believe today we still have the opportunity to reach this aim. But the current
humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has the full potential to deteriorate
the prospects for peace in the whole region of South Caucasus and even beyond,”
the Armenian foreign minister said.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
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2018 Journey through Armenia trip leaders Charlene Asdourian and Jeanette Boras with students for the Vanadzor Music School
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Journey through Armenia participants visiting Geghart in 2018
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