Author: Ani Tigranian

Selling Jerusalem: How secret land deals threaten the Armenian Quarter

Ani Tigranian
May 31 2023

Alessandra Bajec
31 May, 2023

In-depth: Residents have voiced anger at the Armenian Patriarch for alleged land sales to Israeli investors in East Jerusalem, which they say could dramatically impact the historic character of the Armenian Quarter.

The reported involvement of Jerusalem’s Armenian Orthodox Church Patriarch, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, in real estate deals in the Armenian Quarter has provoked outrage in the community and concerns about the erasure of its historic presence.

The deals, reportedly signed by the patriarch, involve the lease of a substantial number of Armenian properties to a Jewish Australian investor.

The land includes the Hadiqat Al-Baqar (The Cows’ Garden) and its surrounding properties, including the Qishla building in Bab al-Khalil (Jaffa Gate), located in the Armenian Quarter.

Reports first emerged of the deal in 2021, when a priest, Baret Yeretsian, the then director of the patriarchate’s real estate department, told Armenian media that land had reportedly been leased to businessman Danny Rubenstein for 99 years.

"It's a huge tract of land. By conceding it, they are erasing the Armenian presence historically, demographically, and culturally"

The priest said that the developer intended to build a luxury hotel in the sensitive area, located between the Armenian and Jewish Quarters, and that the land would then be returned to the Armenian patriarchate after the lease period ends.

In October of that year, 12 Armenian priests alleged that the deal was done illegally without ratification by the Synod and the General Assembly.

A year earlier, in 2020, reports that the Armenian patriarchate had struck an agreement with the Israeli Jerusalem municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority to turn unused land into a parking lot, mainly for Jewish residents visiting the Western Wall, had raised suspicions about the scope of the deal.

Last month, these fears were heightened when the parking lot in the Armenian Quarter was taken over by a private company called Xana Capital. The land is thought to be part of the location for the purported hotel development.

The land deals have drawn strong criticism from the Armenian community. Three Armenian clubs in Jerusalem issued a statement last week demanding that the patriarch reveal the details of the contentious lease, revoke the disputed contract, and withdraw from all other promised deals regarding Armenian properties. Manougian has not yet issued a statement about how the sale will affect residents.

“It’s a huge tract of land. By conceding it, they are erasing the Armenian presence historically, demographically, and culturally,” Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to Denmark, told The New Arab. As a Palestinian-Armenian diplomat, he has been acting as a consultant on the issue of leasing The Cows’ Garden estate.

The mishandling of the real estate fiasco prompted both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Jordan to suspend Manougian from his role as the Patriarch of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem on 11 May. In a joint statement, they said that the patriarch ignored demands from Armenian institutions to stop any actions that could affect the historical and legal status quo of these historical sites.

The PA and Jordan asserted that, through his dealings, Manougian, who is responsible for Christian properties in the occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan, violated international covenants protecting the status quo of occupied East Jerusalem and preserving the Armenian Quarter, as well as the religious character of the city.

The site is an integral part of the Old City of Jerusalem, part of the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, and to which a number of UN resolutions apply. The Old City is also recognised as part of the endangered World Heritage list, based on several resolutions issued by UNESCO.

Christians, who represent a slender two percent of the Israeli population, face heightened uncertainty due to land deals of this nature, which could result in a significant loss of property and therefore threaten the Christian presence in Jerusalem.

The controversial move is feared to alter the nature of the Armenian Quarter, which holds cultural and historical significance, and further diminish the Christian presence in the Holy City. The disputed land makes up roughly 25% of the current Armenian Quarter, which itself is about 14% of the Old City.

When members of the community learned about the long-term lease two years ago, they began to mobilise locally to publicly denounce what the Armenian patriarch and his real estate manager had done. Solidarity groups abroad have also supported the Armenian struggle in Jerusalem.

"We're very angry, we feel that we've been fooled. The only way to stop this deal is to reverse the contract in order to protect the Armenian Quarter"

Based on recently leaked information from sources, the plot of land in the deal currently hosts the parking lot, a seminary, five private homes, several shops, and a restaurant named ‘Bourghoulji’.

In the last three weeks, Armenians in Jerusalem have escalated their actions to try to repeal the agreement after they found out that it includes more land than originally thought.

Since the announcement by the PA and Jordan to freeze recognition of the patriarch, every Friday some 200 to 250 residents are holding protests in the square of the Armenian convent compound to decry the patriarch’s involvement in property agreements with Israeli investors, urging a withdrawal of the signatures to lease the lands of The Cows’ Garden.

“We’re very angry, we feel that we’ve been fooled,” Hagop Djernazian, a young Armenian activist in Jerusalem, told TNA, speaking out against the patriarchate. “The only way to stop this deal is to reverse the contract in order to protect the Armenian Quarter.”

The activist warned that the loss of Armenian land would potentially push locals to move out of their homes and force the school and community centres to close or relocate.

“We are fighting for our existence,” Djernazian said, speaking on behalf of Jerusalem’s Armenians.

Earlier in May, Archbishop Manougian defrocked the Armenian church’s former real estate director amid growing discontent in the community at the role that Yeretsian allegedly played in organising long-term leases of church property to Israeli developers.

The defrocking of Yeretsian was ordered shortly before the Jordanian-Palestinian decision to suspend their recognition of Patriarch Manougian. In response, the dismissed priest addressed a letter to the patriarch reiterating that the sale agreement was signed by the archbishop himself who refused to present it to the Holy Synod meeting for approval.

“It’s going to be very difficult for the patriarch to continue to ignore this pressure,” Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian journalist and media activist, told TNA. “The problem is how much the Armenian population will be affected”.

Efforts to obtain details of the leases and revoke the contracts are also being made at a state level.

After writing letters to the Armenian Patriarchate in vain, a Palestinian committee led by Ramzi Khoury, the Palestinian Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, along with a Jordanian delegation, made an official visit to Yerevan in December 2021, where they met the Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians and raised the case.

As a result, a trilateral committee representing the Armenian, Palestinian, and Jordanian governments was formed to work on the file. Last week, the committee held a meeting in Amman to discuss options in seeking access to the land lease contract and the penalty for its cancellation.

Giving up the land has the potential not only to damage the diverse character of East Jerusalem but also to facilitate the expansion of the Jewish Israeli presence in the Old City, as the Armenian district is adjacent to the Jewish Quarter. Israel has long attempted to take over property in the Old City to weigh the demographics of the area in favour of Jewish Israelis.

This is why the PA and Jordan intervened in the matter, since the transfer of any land or properties in Jerusalem could grant Israel the prerogative to claim their ownership, which could, in turn, would modify the Old City’s demographic landscape.

"There is a constant effort by radical Jewish groups to obtain land and property in the Old City. This falls within the Judaisation (of Jerusalem) that's been going on for decades"

Hassassian, who was in charge of the Jerusalem file during the 2000 negotiations in Camp David, argued that any concession of Armenian church land would also “jeopardise” negotiations on a final status agreement regarding the city. Former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat refused to concede the Armenian Quarter to Israel in the Camp David negotiations.

Real estate transactions in the Armenian Quarter are part of Israel’s relentless expansionist occupation of the ancient city. If the Armenian district were to lose a quarter of its land, as is implied from the land sale deal, the Jewish makeup of the Old City would expand in a contiguous fashion from its own quarter to, and including, Bab al-Khalil (Jaffa Gate).

“There is a constant effort by radical Jewish groups to obtain land and property in the Old City. This falls within the Judaisation (of Jerusalem) that’s been going on for decades,” Kuttab said, noting that settler organisations are a driving force behind the many sale deals initiated by Israeli investors, which results in Jews taking over Palestinian properties.

Palestinian-Armenians in Jerusalem number between 2,000-3,000 in the Armenian Quarter. They are regularly harassed by far-right Israeli extremists in different ways, whether it is spitting, cursing, or pushing over Armenian clergy in the alleys of the Old City.

“We are increasing pressure, trying to corner the patriarch to rescind the lease contract and salvage the land so as to return it to the Armenian community,” reiterated Hassassian, who’s a member of the Armenian-Palestinian-Jordanian committee. “We are willing to cover the costs of the contractual penalty”.

The Palestinian negotiator anticipated that a committee of US lawyers is set to travel to Amman and then to Jerusalem next week to meet the trilateral committee as well as the Armenian patriarch.

Alessandra Bajec is a freelance journalist currently based in Tunis.

Armenia economic activity index grows 12,2% in January-April

Ani Tigranian

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 12:35,

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. The economic activity index grew 12,2% in January-April of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, according to official data released by the Statistical Committee.

Industrial production index grew 2,4%.

Construction grew 16,8%.

Trade turnover and services grew 23,2% and 22,2% respectively.

The consumer price index grew 6,2%.

The industrial producer price index dropped 1,1%. Electrical energy production dropped 3,3%.

Foreign trade grew 99,4%. Exports grew more than twice while imports grew 93,6%.

AW: “Giving Voice to Music” empowers musicians amid crises in Lebanon

Ani Tigranian
 Guest Contributor Music 0

Lynn Zovighian welcomes the Fayha National Choir at the inaugural concert of “Giving Voice to Music”

BEIRUT, Lebanon—As musicians continue to face the consequences of the many socioeconomic and political crises in Lebanon, the American University of Beirut (AUB) Neighborhood Initiative with The Zovighian Partnership Public Office has launched the “Giving Voice to Music” initiative to create safe and public spaces for music to be amplified and celebrated. On Saturday, May 13, award-winning and virtuoso musicians took the stage at the AUB Assembly Hall to give a collaborative and intimate performance to an audience of patrons of the arts, diplomats, educators, doctors and society-at-large.

Assembly Hall overflowed with a full-house audience of over 600 people who gathered to celebrate the musical talents.

Curated and commissioned by business leader and social investor Lynn Zovighian, the concert featured award-winning international opera soprano Maria Mattar, pianist and conductor Armen Ketchek, violinist Rita Asdikian, violist Rania Kallab, cellist Angela Hounanian and the Fayha National Choir led by choirmaster Maestro Barkev Taslakian with Zovighian, who returned to the stage as a opera soprano after a 16-year hiatus. The concert was also supported by the Saadallah and Loubna Khalil Foundation.

The Fayha National Choir performed folkloric and iconic Arabic and Armenian music at the inaugural concert of “Giving Voice to Music” led by Maestro Barkev Taslakian

The night featured an immersive repertoire of instrumental overtures, opera and choral music by William Gomez, Barsegh Kanachian, Zaki Nassif, Jacques Offenbach, Giacomo Puccini, Antonio Vivaldi and more. The concert proved to be delightful, as the audience demonstrated its enjoyment of the performances with applause and chants for an encore.

“The AUB Neighborhood Initiative has been organizing cultural events to re-enliven Ras Beirut and bring joy to people in these difficult times. We are proud of our collaboration with The Zovighian Partnership, hoping that this is one of many to come,” said director of the AUB Neighborhood Initiative Mona Hallak in her opening remarks. “‘Giving Voice to Music’ is a true partnership, bringing together the immense talent of musicians in celebration of national musical treasures in Lebanon,” she added.

The cultural economy in Lebanon, like so many other sectors, has significantly contracted, leaving musicians largely alone to fend for themselves.

“As a family and business, we are deeply committed to bringing out the voices of communities. This time, we are honored to join such incredibly talented Lebanese musicians who are persevering every day against the many crises in Lebanon,” said Michel Zovighian, co-founder and chairperson of The Zovighian Partnership.

“Music is a toolkit that teaches us how to maintain high standards of excellence, relentlessly deliver and work as a team,” shared Lynn Zovighian, “These are the values our country needs to rebuild and move forward.”

Lynn Zovighian thanked all musicians for their incredible team effort to inaugurate “Giving Voice to Music” with bouquets of local Lebanese roses

Many musicians have struggled to build successful careers in Lebanon. Today, they face economic displacement with the loss of livelihood; cultural displacement because their raison d’être cannot compete with other humanitarian priorities; and identity displacement as more join the permanent tidal waves of brain drain.

“Our goal is to show talented Lebanese youth that music in Lebanon has a future. Our students, for whom we have taught music for many years, should not be disappointed. They can find in such concerts their motivation to grow professionally and continue their musical careers in Lebanon,” explained Ketchek, who is also a professor at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music and a consultant at the Ministry of Culture.

Taslakian, who has led the Fayha National Choir to perform in many concerts around the world, said, “Working with citizens and musicians allows us to strengthen and celebrate our national musicianship. The members of the Fayha National Choir are a support system for each other and our audience. It is in these times that we need to care for each other more than ever.”

Mattar, who is also an opera judge in l’Opera Europe and an orchestra conductor, added, “The joy and enthusiasm of our audience is a heartwarming reminder that beautiful music has been missed in Lebanon, and we were very delighted to bring to AUB Assembly Hall an uplifting performance from the heart.”

Soprano singer Maria Mattar performs “Ahwak” by Zaki Nassif with the Fayha National Choir at the “Giving Voice to Music” concert, May 13

Zovighian invited all musicians and audience members to sing “Koullouna lil-ouṭaan lil ou’la lil a’lam” in a closing tribute at the launch of the “Giving Voice to Music” initiative, singing the Lebanese National Anthem together with the audience.

“We must not leave our musicians behind,” said Zovighian. “It is my hope that this concert will encourage patrons of the arts to join us and support the quests of our musicians to establish sustainable livelihoods and maintain the highest standards of excellence and national team spirit.”

The Zovighian Partnership (ZP) is a family-owned social investment platform, established by father and daughter in 2013. Deeply invested in R&D, ZP is committed to delivering ethical, inclusive and innovative research, design and prototypes to incubate and accelerate impact.

Established in 2015, the ZP Public Office is committed to delivering critical resources, grounded methodology, trusted governance and rigorous strategic advocacy to communities and cities in crisis in Iraq, Lebanon and Armenia.




U.S. Embassy visa fee increases effective May 30

Ani Tigranian

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 16:30,

YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. Department of State has increased certain nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees globally.  These fee increases are effective as of May 30, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said in a press release.

The application fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s) and other non-petition based NIVs, such as student and exchange visitor visas, has increased from $160 to $185.  The application fee for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) has increased from $190 to $205.  The application fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicant in a specialty occupation (E category) has increased from $205 to $315.

ICRC ‘hopes’ to restore patient transfers from Nagorno Karabakh – spox

Ani Tigranian

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 16:22, 10 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not facilitated transfer of patients from Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia since April 29 and is now discussing details pertaining to the format of its work with decision-makers from the parties involved, the ICRC told ARMENPRESS on May 10.

“In regards to developments, the International Committee of the Red Cross is discussing with all decision-makers from the parties the details pertaining to the format of our work,” ICRC Armenia Communications and Prevention Manager Zara Amatuni said when asked to comment on Nagorno Karabakh ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan’s tweet that Azerbaijan has been obstructing the ICRC’s work ever since it illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor.

Amatuni explained that the process is confidential since it is proceeding in a format of a dialogue. She did not elaborate further on the discussions.

“It’s about the continuity of our humanitarian work. We hope it will be restored. However, there’s some need for clarification, and now this process is taking place. During this period we are factually not implementing transfers because we must have clarity regarding several details with all parties involved,” Amatuni said.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/15/2023

Ani Tigranian 
                                        Monday, 


Karabakh Leaders Slam EU


Nagorno-Karabakh - Karabakh Armenians rally in Stepanakert against the 
Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor, May 9, 2023.


Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership accused the European Union late on Monday of 
turning a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor when it 
reacted to European Council President Charles Michel’s remarks made after the 
latest Armenian-Azerbaijani summit in Brussels.

Michel, who hosted the talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, made no mention of the five-month blockade 
that has caused serious shortages of food and medicine as well as an energy 
crisis in Karabakh.

Instead, he urged Baku to embark on a dialogue with “Armenians living in the 
former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast” for the purpose of “guaranteeing the 
rights and security of this population.”

“This fact shows that the president of the European Council not only does not 
hinder but actually encourages Azerbaijan to use the sufferings of the people of 
Artsakh as a political tool,” the Karabakh foreign ministry charged in a 
statement.

It said Michel’s remarks also demonstrate that “the EU leadership continues to 
ignore the legal rights and interests of the people of Artsakh and is guided 
only by its own geopolitical and short-term interests in the region to the 
detriment of the values of democracy and human rights proclaimed by the EU.”

The statement added that only international recognition of the Karabakh 
Armenians’ right to self-determination can be “the basis for a sustainable 
settlement of the conflict.”

The Armenian government stopped championing that right a year ago. Pashinian 
subsequently declared that it recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Michel implied after Sunday’s summit that Yerevan is now also ready to recognize 
Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. The Armenian opposition expressed serious 
concern over this declaration, renewing its allegations that Pashinian is 
forcing the Karabakh Armenians to live under Azerbaijani rule.

By contrast, the strongly-worded Karabakh statement contained no criticism of 
Pashinian.




Pashinian Under Opposition Fire After Fresh Talks With Aliyev

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Beglium - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets European Council 
President Charles Michel ahead of talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, 
Brussels, May 13, 2023.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian took another step towards restoring Azerbaijan’s 
control over Nagorno-Karabakh during his weekend talks with Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev, the Armenian opposition claimed on Monday.

The four-hour talks hosted by European Union head Charles Michel in Brussels 
focused on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty sought by Baku.

“The leaders confirmed their unequivocal commitment to the 1991 Almaty 
Declaration and respective territorial integrity of Armenia (29,800 square 
kilometers) and Azerbaijan (89,600 square kilometers),” Michel said after the 
meeting.

Azerbaijan’s total Soviet-era area cited by Michel includes Karabakh. This is a 
further indication that Pashinian’s administration is ready to recognize 
Azerbaijani sovereignty over the Armenian-populated territory.

Not surprisingly Baku seemed satisfied with the outcome of the latest 
Armenian-Azerbaijani summit. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry emphasized 
“Armenia’s acceptance of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territorial 
integrity.”

Tigran Abrahamian, a senior Armenian lawmaker representing the opposition Pativ 
Unem alliance, said this is consistent with Pashinian’s statements on the 
Karabakh conflict made over the past year.

Pashinian stopped invoking the Karabakh Armenians’ right to self-determination a 
year ago. Since then, he has spoken instead of the need to protect their “rights 
and security.”

Abrahamian described his rhetoric as a smokescreen for “surrendering Artsakh to 
Azerbaijan as smoothly as possible.” The Brussels meeting only highlighted this 
policy, he said.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), a key member of the main 
opposition Hayastan bloc, expressed serious concern over Michel’s statement. In 
a statement, the party’s leadership accused Pashinian of helping Baku regain 
full control over Karabakh and force its residents to flee their homeland.

The statement argued that Armenia had signed the 1991 declaration cited by the 
EU chief with reservations relating to Karabakh. It also pointed to a 1992 
parliamentary act that bans Armenia’s governments from signing any document that 
would recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh.

Any Armenian-Azerbaijani agreement running counter to that decision would 
therefore be “null and void,” warned Dashnaktsutyun.

“It is obvious that we are entering the final phase of surrendering Artsakh,” 
claimed Vartan Oskanian, who served as Armenia’s foreign minister from 1998-2008.

“If Pashinian's hand is to be grabbed so that he does not sign such a document, 
then now is the time to do that. Otherwise it will be too late,” he wrote.

Andranik Kocharian, the pro-government chairman of the Armenian parliament 
committee on defense and security, downplayed Michel’s remarks on the 
Aliyev-Pashinian meeting.

“Armenia always recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity … but Artsakh has 
its own territory and status,” Kocharian told reporters.

“Today Artsakh is probably the most independent state in the world; [it will 
remain so] for the next three or four years,” he claimed. “We’ll see what 
happens after that.”

In recent months Pashinian has publicly encouraged Karabakh’s leaders to 
negotiate with Azerbaijan while accusing Baku of planning to commit “genocide” 
in the region. The authorities in Stepanakert have repeatedly denounced his 
public pronouncements on the conflict.




Kremlin Upbeat On Russian-Armenian Ties


Armenia - People carry giant Armenian and Russian flags as they mark the 78th 
anniversary of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, May 9, 2023.


Russia’s relationship with Armenia has a “bright future” despite current 
friction between the two allies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted over 
the weekend.

Peskov described bilateral ties as “advanced partnership” and a “special 
relationship that has deep historical roots.”

“We are convinced that they also have a bright future,” he told Russian state 
television.

“Of course, there are certain sensitive points,” he added without elaborating.

Russian-Armenian relations deteriorated in the last several months mainly 
because of what Yerevan sees as lack of Russian support in the conflict with 
Azerbaijan.

In an interview with the Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta published on 
Sunday, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, accused 
Russia of not honoring security obligations to Armenia enshrined in bilateral 
and multilateral treaties.

Moscow is also not supplying Yerevan with weapons despite several defense 
contracts signed by the two sides, he said without going into details. The 
Armenian military has to look for alternative sources of arms supplies because 
“we are not receiving what we ordered from Russia and what we paid for,” added 
Grigorian.

The rift between the two nations deepened further in March after Armenia’s 
Constitutional Court gave the green light for parliamentary ratification of the 
International Criminal Court’s founding treaty. The ruling followed an arrest 
warrant issued by the ICC for Russian President Vladimir Putin over war crimes 
allegedly committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Moscow warned that recognition of The Hague tribunal’s jurisdiction would have 
“extremely negative” consequences for Russian-Armenian relations. Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian’s government appears to have refrained from sending the treaty 
to the Armenian parliament for ratification.

Pashinian was among the leaders of several ex-Soviet states who joined Putin in 
attending the May 9 military parade in Moscow that marked the 78th anniversary 
of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Peskov said afterwards that Putin and 
Pashinian held a separate meeting during the celebrations.




EU Envoy Hopes For Armenian, Azeri Troop Withdrawals

        • Anush Mkrtchian
        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Armenia - Andrea Wiktorin, head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, speaks during a 
news conference in Yerevab, .


Not only Azerbaijan but also Armenia should withdraw troops from contested areas 
along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, a senior EU diplomat said on Monday.

Azerbaijani troops seized chunks of what Armenia regards as its internationally 
recognized territory during border clashes in 2021 and 2022. Speaking shortly 
after the deadliest of those clashes that broke out in September, the EU’s 
foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, acknowledged that they “occupied part of 
Armenia’s territory” and demanded their withdrawal from those border areas.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovannisian said on Monday that Yerevan 
expects to get back a total of 139 square kilometers of land as a result of 
mutual recognition by the two South Caucasus of each other’s territorial 
integrity reaffirmed by their leaders during weekend talks in Brussels.

European Council President Charles Michel, who hosted the talks, said Armenian 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, agreed, 
among other things, to revive joint efforts to demarcate the heavily militarized 
border.

Andrea Wiktorin, the head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, essentially equated 
Armenia with Azerbaijan when she commented on the matter during a joint news 
conference with Hovannisian.

“It is really important to come to an agreement,” she said. “Actually it is our 
hope that both sides will withdraw their troops and embark on the work of the 
delimitation and demarcation.”

Asked to elaborate on her comment, Wiktorin said: “It was clearly stated [at 
Brussels] that there are one or two spots where also Armenian forces are, let’s 
say, in border areas and there needs to be a very clear delimitation and 
demarcation.”

Armenia - Yerevan-based foreign military attaches visit an area in Armenia's 
Syunik province where Armenian and Azerbaijani troops are locked in a border 
standoff, May 20, 2021.

The diplomat did not specify those “spots,” saying that she is not aware of 
further details of Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks.

Hovannisian seemed bemused by Wiktorin’s remarks. “I also find it hard to tell 
what this is about,” he said.

Andranik Kocharian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on defense 
and security, countered, for his part, that it is Baku that occupied Armenian 
territory after the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“What I know is that Armenian troops are where they must be at the moment,” he 
said. “What I know is that Azerbaijani troops violated Armenia’s sovereign 
territory. Again, what is ours is ours.”

In further comments to the press made after his news conference with Wiktorin, 
Hovannisian suggested that the EU envoy referred to several small enclaves 
inside Armenia which were controlled by Azerbaijan in Soviet times and occupied 
by the Armenian army in the early 1990s. Baku wants to regain control over them 
but has yet to clarify whether it is ready to give up a bigger Armenian enclave 
occupied by Azerbaijani forces in 1992.

“It is clear to everyone that at this stage we are talking about [Azerbaijani] 
troop withdrawal from Armenian territory,” stressed Hovannisian.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Eurovision 2023 viewers say ‘nobody told me’ as they’re left stunned by Armenia singer’s lookalike

Ani Tigranian
Manchester Evening News, UK

Viewers thought a pop star had 'invaded' the Eurovision Song Contest

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Jessica SansomeTV and showbiz writer

Those tuning in to watch the Eurovision Song Contest were left doing a double take as they thought a famous pop star invaded the show. After months of build-up the grand final of the biggest music competition in the world finally kicked off on Saturday night (May 13).

Tens of millions across the world tuned in to watch 26 acts and bands take to the stage at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena as they performed their hearts out in a bid to be crowned the Eurovision 2023 winner and walk away with the coveted trophy.

The city is hosting on behalf of war-torn Ukraine, who won last year’s contest but are unable to host due to the Russian invasion. And the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest kicked off with a skit featuring last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra performing their hit Stefania with runner-up Sam Ryder playing guitar on the top of the Liver Building and Andrew Lloyd Webber on piano.

There was also a cameo from the Princess of Wales who made an appearance after she was recorded playing the piano earlier this month at Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace said. Viewers saw Kate playing a short instrumental piece lasting around 10 seconds.

The official Twitter account for the Prince and Princess of Wales tweeted: "A #Eurovision surprise A pleasure to join Kalush Orchestra in a special performance of last year’s winning @eurovision entry. Enjoy the show, Liverpool"

But as the show well and truly got underway, following an appearance from Graham Norton who welcomed viewers to the final alongside co-hosts Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, all eyes were on the acts battling out for the title.

Among those performing was singer Brunette. She was representing Armenia in this year's contest and was seen performing her song Future Lover. However, viewers were distracted as they couldn't help byt notice she looked like American singer Ariana Grande.

Participation of Germany, France in Chisinau meeting to have positive contribution, says Armenian Deputy FM

Ani Tigranian

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 13:07,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. The participation of influential EU members France and Germany in the June 1 meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moldova could definitely be a positive contribution,  Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan said at a press conference on May 12.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are due to meet  together with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, in the margins of the upcoming European Political Community summit in Moldova’s capital Chisinau on 1 June 2023.

The format of the five-sided meeting in Chisinau will be the same as in Prague, when President of the European Council Charles Michel hosted the quadrilateral talks, but this year the German Chancellor will also participate.

Azerbaijan announced this week that they don’t have a final decision about their participation in the Chisinau meeting, but gave consent to an “informal meeting”, as long as it doesn’t replace the Brussels format.

In this regard Hovhannisyan said that there are no changes in the format. “We have a number of different formats. It’s about advancing the process, there hasn’t been any talk about creating any new format,” he said.

Asked whether or not Azerbaijan’s condition for participating in the talks is due to the German and French leaders’ participation, Hovhannisyan said: “The participation of Germany and France can definitively have positive contribution. They are the more influential countries of the EU.”

Armenia has confirmed readiness to participate in the Chisinau meeting.

Pashinyan and Aliyev are scheduled to meet on May 14 in Brussels. Then, foreign ministerial talks are scheduled for May 19 in Moscow. The Chisinau meeting is expected on June 1.

Australian State of Tasmania Recognizes the Armenian Genocide

Ani Tigranian
Syndicated News
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Australia's State of Tasmania has recognized the Armenian Genocide, reports the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

The Tasmanian House of Assembly today adopted a historic motion to recognize the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.

Tasmania thus becomes the third Australian state after South Australia and New South Wales to recognize the genocide.

The House joins the members of the Tasmanian Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Communities in honoring the memory of the approximately 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children and over 1 million Assyrians and Greeks who fell victims to the first genocide of the 20th century.

It condemns the Genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks and all other acts of genocide committed during the 20th century, as the ultimate act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance.

The lawmakers recognize the importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in human history, to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated.

They condemn and oppose all attempts to use the passage of time to deny or distort the historical truth of the Genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks and other acts of genocide committed in the 20th century.

With the resolution the House also acknowledges the 34 UN member states (including US, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland) that have recognized the Genocide.

http://www.aina.org/news/20230511104742.htm

Azerbaijani "activists" end blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh

Ani Tigranian
May 1 2023
May 1, 2023

Azerbaijani self-proclaimed environmental activists have ended their 4.5-month demonstration on the Lachin-Stepanakert road, thus lifting the blockade of the road which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. 

The blockade became redundant after Azerbaijan installed a border checkpoint at the opposite end of the road on April 23. 

Azerbaijani media reported on April 28 that the activists decided to temporarily suspend their demonstration following a meeting with Aydin Karimov, the Azerbaijani president's special representative in Shusha. Karimov reportedly asked them to disperse since "a new situation has emerged" following the checkpoint's installation. 

The blockade began on December 12, 2022, when the self-proclaimed environmental activists began staging a sit-in protest on the road near the town of Shusha, in the Azerbaijan-controlled part of Nagorno-Karabakh. The activists, whose composition changed regularly over the course of the blockade, said they were protesting against the exploitation of natural resources in Nagorno-Karabakh by the de facto Armenian authorities and their transportation to Armenia. 

Though the Azerbaijani government claimed it had no links to the protesters, the blockade was clearly part of a broader strategy to make life difficult for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. It prevented most Armenians from being able to travel in or out of the territory and greatly reduced the flow of goods there, driving up prices. 

Neither the blockade nor the establishment of the checkpoint were impeded by the Russian peacekeepers, who are supposed to be the sole providers of security on the road under the peace deal that ended the 2020 Second Karabakh War. 

A few hours after announcing their decision, the eco-activists released a statement praising the checkpoint. "This decisive step aimed at preventing illegality in the territories of Azerbaijan means that the participants of the demonstration have partially achieved their goals." 

It went on: "We declare that our demands that the command of the peacekeeping contingent stop the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the territories of Azerbaijan where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily located and ensure the monitoring of environmental and other consequences remain in effect, and that if these demands are not met, we reserve the right to resume the demonstration!" 

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani media published footage from the newly established checkpoint at the border, which purports to show Armenian citizens going through passport control and having their vehicles examined.

https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijani-activists-end-blockade-of-nagorno-karabakh