Azerbaijan leader: ‘France would be responsible’ for any new conflict with Armenia

POLITICO
Oct 8 2023

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said France would be to blame for any new conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, following Paris’ promise to deliver military equipment to Armenia last week.

“The provision of weapons by France to Armenia was an approach that was not serving peace, but one intended to inflate a new conflict, and if any new conflict occurs in the region, France would be responsible for causing it,” according to the Azerbaijani readout of a call between Aliyev and European Council President Charles Michel.

Aliyev also blamed France for his absence at a summit of the European Political Community last week in Granada, Spain, intended to address the conflict with Armenia.

In late September, Azerbaijan declared victory after a lightning military offensive in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing around 100,000 ethnic Armenians living in the breakaway region into exile. Last week, Baku officially dissolved Nagorno-Karabakh. 

France and Armenia have long had strong diplomatic ties, with France hosting a large Armenian diaspora. In 2001, Paris was among the first Western capitals to recognize the Armenian genocide, two decades before the United States did. 

Michel said he “expressed [the] EU’s commitment to [Armenia-Azerbaijan] normalization process,” in a short readout of the same call published on X.

The call was aimed to prepare for an Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting scheduled to take place later this month in Brussels, according to Michel.

The French ministry of foreign affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Crisis in Artsakh: History Repeating Itself

Children are among the displaced Artsakh residents that left for Armenia


BY MADELEINE MEZAGOPIAN

The world remained silent while the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) endured a blockade imposed by Azerbaijan, and continued to remain silent as Azerbaijan indiscriminately used military aggression against Artsakh’s population—killing children and elderly alike. This silence paved the way for the eventual reoccupation of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, displacing those who remained and forcing them to seek refuge in Armenia. These atrocities are, in part, a result of the ugly fact that the United Nations—for the last 30 years—has refused to recognize Artsakh as an independent republic.*

After months of starvation, and only after Azerbaijan reoccupied Artsakh, the international community finally started to pay attention and cover the developments in the region. However, they did so without condemning the atrocities and human rights violations committed by the Azeri government; while ignoring the fact that, for centuries, Artsakh has been inhabited by Armenians—which is evidenced by the centuries-old Armenian cultural heritage sites in Artsakh, which are currently being destroyed by the Azerbaijani government.

All relevant advocates of human rights, cultural heritage sites, and international law have remained silent and indifferent, thus becoming culprits in the ongoing sufferings of the displaced people of Artsakh.

We, the Armenian diaspora, are watching in agony as our cultural heritage sites in Artsakh, and other Armenian territories occupied by Azerbaijan, are being destroyed by the occupiers. All of this is taking place without a single effort by “concerned” international organizations, the most significant silence coming from the supposedly international guardian of cultural heritage sites worldwide, UNESCO, who could potentially put a stop to these terrible crimes.

Today, the Armenian nation bleeds without a single voice of condolence for our martyrs in Artsakh, and amid blatant indifference and hypocrisy by so-called advocates of truth and justice.

The silence offered by the international community during the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Artsakh is proof that advocates of justice and truth are merely a phantom.

As the world remains indifferent during this 21st century genocide, we remember the first genocide of the 20th century, in 1915. History is repeating itself.

Thousands of Armenians, who belong to a nation that was the first to embrace Christianity, with its culture of peace, tolerance and forgiveness, are victims of a genocide perpetrated by the same criminals responsible for the genocide in 1915, amid complete silence by all those who pretend to be advocates of truth and justice. Armenians are again victims of genocide and losing more of their centuries-old territories, which throughout history have been an integral part of Armenia.

Artsakh is a victim of the ongoing conflict between the United States and Russia, including the allies of each side. Their conflict provided the right milieu for Azerbaijan to reoccupy Artsakh, when geopolitical interests of the key actors gained priority over the well-being of the people of the region. 

Dear nations worldwide: We mourn over your silence as a dictator—Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—who is destabilizing Arab countries (Syria, Iraq, Libya) and spreading terror worldwide, is justifying and supporting, if not guiding, Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Artsakh.

We, Armenians, loyal citizens of the countries we inhabit, indeed feel sad and disappointed with both communities and leaders globally for refusing to speak up for the victims of the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, and for not having the courage to condemn the Azerbaijani government, the perpetrator of these atrocities.

We mourn our martyrs—children, elderly, and soldiers—massacred by the Azeri government. We also mourn the silence received from the international community as we cried for help, especially from those countries that the Armenian diaspora has created thriving communities in. The countries that provided a safe haven to our ancestors after the Armenian genocide, where we continue to be peaceful citizens.

The Armenian nation is once again alone in its sufferings, without a single voice of support or any assurances that truth and justice will prevail.

The voices of the tortured martyrs defending their usurped lands still echo. The sacrifices of the past and current martyrs defending Artsakh will never be forgotten.

The souls of the Armenian martyrs, of the innocent children and elderly from Artsakh, will haunt the perpetrators of both the Armenian genocide and the current genocide taking place in Artsakh, as well as all those who remained silent as Turkey and Azerbaijan worked in unison.

Today, Armenians kneel and ask our martyrs, and those displaced from their homes, for forgiveness for our naivety in believing that truth and justice can prevail. That we believed human rights advocates would guard and protect the rights of the indigenous people of Artsakh.

Now, we must prioritize lobbying worldwide to prevent Azerbaijan from destroying cultural sites in Artsakh. We have learned, from experience, that Azerbaijan aims to uproot any link between Artsakh and its centuries old Armenian identity.

Armenians may forgive, but we will never forget how we were abandoned during our darkest days. We have to accept the painful fact that we, the victims of ongoing genocide, remain completely on our own in our struggle to survive.

*On September 21 of each year, Armenians with great agony remember the assassination of the First Republic of Armenia during September to November of 1920, when the Red Soviet Army invaded the First Republic of Armenia and Sovietized it. On October 13, 1921, the peace treaty of Kars was signed between Turkey and the three Transcaucasia Republics including Soviet Armenia, which reaffirmed the treaty of Moscow between Turkey and Soviet Russia. Ani and Mount Ararat, among other Armenian territories, were ceded to Turkey. This was followed by Stalin gifting Nakhchivan and Artsakh to Azerbaijan on July 7, 1923.

Madeleine Mezagopian is a scholar and an academician based in Amman, Jordan.




UK Gov’t: Concern regarding situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia: UK statement to the OSCE

GOV.UK
The Government of the United Kingdom
Oct 5 2023
Speech

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown says the UK remains seriously concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and significant refugee flows into Armenia.

The UK continues to have serious concerns about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the significant refugee flows from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia.

It is vital that international humanitarian organisations have independent access into Nagorno-Karabakh, so they can assess humanitarian need and respond appropriately. We therefore welcome Azerbaijan’s decision last week to allow UN agencies into Nagorno-Karabakh, to complement ongoing efforts by the ICRC.

On 29 September, the UK government announced that it is giving £1 million to the ICRC to support those efforts. Alongside contributions from others, this will help fund life-saving medication, healthcare, and other essential support to those affected by the recent conflict.

We are also mindful of the significant pressures the movement of over 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia will place on support services provided by the Armenian government and international aid organisations. We continue to liaise with the UN, ICRC and others to assess humanitarian need in both Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia to determine what further assistance may be required.

We continue to urge both Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue negotiations and to do all they can to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation, including through Azerbaijan making clear its respect for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the rights and security of the remaining ethnic Armenian community in Nagorno-Karabakh. On 28 September the UK’s Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty, had calls with both Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov and made these points.

We will continue to monitor the situation, in close cooperation with our international partners, and hope to see positive steps soon to continue the substantive negotiations that are the only way to secure a lasting peace, and stability and security for the region.

Published 5 October 2023
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/concern-regarding-situation-in-nagorno-karabakh-and-armenia-uk-statement-to-the-osce

Nagorno-Karabakh: MEPs set to condemn Azerbaijan’s latest unjustified attack

 22:13,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On October 3, the European Parliament will debate the dire situation in Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s recent aggression which has resulted in a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from their homes, the European Parliament’s press service reported.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has also warned of ethnic cleansing in the area, the EP press release stated.

Following the plenary debate with representatives of the Spanish Presidency of the Council and the European Commission, a resolution will be put to a vote on Thursday.

Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra to perform at Carnegie Hall

 Guest Contributor Diaspora, Announcements 0

NEW YORK—The Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on November 15 as part of its 2023 international tour.

The world tour includes the most acclaimed classical music stages of North America: Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, ON; La Maison Symphonique in Montreal, QC and Boston Symphony Hall in Boston, MA. The concert at Carnegie Hall will take place on November 15 at 8 p.m. at the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. 

The 2023 tour is a true celebration of the unique cultural moment and is dedicated to the anniversaries of two outstanding composers, whose names went down in the history of world musical art: the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff and the 120th anniversary of Aram Khachaturian.

The upcoming performance promises to be a remarkable showcase of the beauty and eternal value of classical music. Tickets are on sale.




Azerbaijan continues ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenians

Fuel storage facility near Stepanakert explodes (NKR InfoCenter, September 25)

YEREVAN—Amidst the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh and Azerbaijan’s national policy of the ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population, forcing thousands to flee their homeland, a powerful explosion ripped through a fuel storage facility near Stepanakert on Monday.

Hundreds of people were lining up at the fuel facility where the blast occurred, because they had been promised fuel –  a scarcity during the over nine-month long blockade – for their cars in order to move to Armenia. 

As a result of the explosion, 290 patients were admitted to different hospitals with various degrees of burns. According to the Ministry of Health of Artsakh, at least seven patients have died in the hospital. Dozens are still in critical condition. 13 unrecognized bodies were transferred to the Bureau of Forensic Examination. Many people are considered missing, because they were burned as a result of the explosion. 

Former State Minister and Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan reported that on Tuesday, 168 patients wounded in the fuel depot explosion were evacuated to Yerevan – 96 by Armenian and Russian helicopters and 72 by Armenian ambulances with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross. There are 68 confirmed deaths. Meanwhile, the bodies of 125 soldiers who gave their lives protecting Artsakh were transferred to Armenia on Wednesday. According to consolidated data from requests to information centers in Artsakh, the fate of 105 Armenians as a result of the explosion is unknown. 

Weekly contributor Siranush Sargsyan said that the situation in Artsakh’s hospitals following the explosion is “catastrophic.” “Shortages of medical staff, panic, people trying to find their loved ones from the blast,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The explosion took place hours after the second round of talks between Azerbaijani officials and Artsakh representatives was held Monday in the town of Ivanyan, just north of Stepanakert. The first round was held last week in Yevlakh, where an agreement was reached on the withdrawal of the remaining units and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia from Artsakh, the disbandment and complete disarmament of the Artsakh Defense Army, and the removal of heavy equipment and weapons from the territory of Artsakh.

The agreement was reached 24 hours after Azerbaijan launched an assault on Artsakh on September 19, heavily shelling civilian settlements and infrastructure. Azerbaijan’s military offensive and bombardment of civilians claimed many lives, enabled mass displacement and triggered turmoil across the region. 

Another major humanitarian crisis is looming on the horizon. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 50,000 Armenians have been forced to flee their homes in Artsakh in the fear of living under Azerbaijani rule, among a population of 120,000. Although Azerbaijan has made numerous statements about the “peaceful integration” of ethnic Armenians into Azerbaijani society, decades of conflict and atrocities and recent events have proven otherwise. 

Multiple videos circulating on Telegram channels show inhumane acts carried out by Azerbaijani soldiers against ethnic Armenian civilians, soldiers and establishments. Two Azerbaijani soldiers fired at a 13th-century monastery in the village of Charektar in the Shahumyan region of Artsakh, Caucasus Heritage Watch reported on X on Wednesday. “Such attacks are a direct violation of the International Court of Justice’s provisional measure on Armenian cultural heritage and must be investigated and brought to justice,” the organization said in a statement.

Artsakh search and rescue operation searches for people’s remains (NKR InfoCenter, September 26)

While the ethnic cleansing policy of Azerbaijan continues to threaten the lives of the ethnic Armenians remaining in the region, thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes, only taking items of importance – leaving their family homes and their livelihood behind. In order to honor his memory and prevent its desecration by Azerbaijan, citizens have reportedly removed the monument of the national hero Monte Melkonyan in the Martuni region of Artsakh and plan to take it with them to Armenia.

The mass exodus of Armenians from Artsakh is only the start of another serious humanitarian crisis. As families flee to save their and their children’s lives from another genocide, traffic jams on the road to Kornidzor have already caused the death of an elderly man. 

Following long hours of travel, Armenians from Artsakh must go through the checkpoint illegally placed by Azerbaijan on the Hakari Bridge at the entrance to the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor to reach the registration and first aid centers that have been set up by the Red Cross and local organizations.

The small village of Kornidzor in Armenia’s southernmost Syunik region has become the first stop on the way of the forced migration of Armenians from Artsakh. Due to the shortage of fuel and buses, thousands of people arrive in Armenia sitting in the back of trucks. 

The first point of registration for the people of Artsakh was in the town of Goris until Tuesday night, when humanitarian organizations announced that due to the high volume of individuals coming from Artsakh, the resources in Goris have reached capacity, and the new point of registration will now be in Vayk

Volunteers on the ground in Syunik advise all Armenians to register their problems in detail at the registration points including medical, psychological and domestic. They also advise that all individuals request a medical examination and that those who are collecting aid send warm clothes that can be distributed to the people during registration ahead of the cold winter months. 

As this humanitarian crisis unfolds, the Armenian Weekly will continue to follow developments and provide firsthand reporting on families displaced from Artsakh.

House destroyed by Azerbaijani shelling in Berqadzor of Askeran region (Artsakh Ombudsman, September 24)

Hoory Minoyan was an active member of the Armenian community in Los Angeles until she moved to Armenia prior to the 44-day war. She graduated with a master's in International Affairs from Boston University, where she was also the recipient of the William R. Keylor Travel Grant. The research and interviews she conducted while in Armenia later became the foundation of her Master’s thesis, “Shaping Identity Through Conflict: The Armenian Experience.” Hoory continues to follow her passion for research and writing by contributing to the Armenian Weekly.


Putin says ‘no problems’ in Russia’s ties with Armenia

New Indian Express
Sept 12 2023

Frustration has been mounting in Armenia recently over what officials say is Russia's failure to act as a security guarantor amid mounting tensions with its historic rival Azerbaijan.

By AFP

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday dismissed that Russia's ties with Armenia were strained, days after Moscow summoned its ambassador following Armenia's decision to host US forces for peacekeeping drills.

Frustration has been mounting in Armenia recently over what officials say is Russia's failure to act as a security guarantor amid mounting tensions with its historic rival Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Armenia's historic security reliance on Russia was a "strategic mistake" and his country is currently holding peacekeeping drills with US forces.

"We have no problems with Armenia or Prime Minister Pashinyan," Putin said at an economic forum in Vladivostok.

He added that Armenia and Azerbaijan could reach a lasting peace agreement now that Armenian authorities had recognised Azerbaijan's sovereignty over the separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous territory and in 2020 Putin brokered a ceasefire that saw Armenia relinquish swathes of territory it had controlled for decades.

Moscow deployed some 2,000 peacekeepers to police the Lachin corridor, the sole road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

Pashinyan however recently said Moscow was either "unable or unwilling" to control the route.

The peacekeepers' "mandate is still in force, but humanitarian issues, and the prevention of some ethnic cleansing there, of course, have not gone anywhere, and I fully agree with this," Putin said.

Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of spurring a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh by closing the Lachin corridor.

On Tuesday, Russia delivered humanitarian aid to the region via Azerbaijani-controlled territory, which experienced shortages of food and medicine.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2023/sep/12/putin-says-no-problems-in-russias-ties-with-armenia-2614157.html

‘Living in Peril’: Australian-Armenians protest over humantarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh

SBS, Australia
Sept 6 2023



TRANSCRIPT

In the Western region of Azerbaijan lies the mountainous enclave of Nagorno Karabakh, known by its Armenian population as Artsakh.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars and suffered thousands of casualties as each side stakes a historical claim to the land.

Since December of 2022, Azerbaijani forces have formed a blockade along a road known as the Lachin corridor.

It's the only road linking the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in the region, to Armenia and the outside world.
They call the corridor, "the road of life".

On the first of September, the Armenian Australian community gathered in Sydney, calling on the Australian government to take action against what many fear could end in a genocide.

"End the blockade! End the blockade! Unblock Artsakh! Unblock Artsakh!"

A few hundred from the community of over 50,000 Armenians living in Australia gathered at Town Hall Square .

For many here, this protest is far from their first.
John Jack Kajakajian of the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia, says he has been marching for the recognition of Armenian history since he was five years old.

"Nineteen fifteen never again. They were the words I used to scream at the age of five. Passed down from generation to generation. Me, a five year old child, bearing the wound of intergenerational trauma, marched through our CBD, participated in protest, screaming nineteen fifteen never again. All with the hopes that my ancestors history will never be repeated"

The protests organiser and the executive director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, Michael Kolokossian, says the people living in Artsakh have been cut off from essential supplies.

"People are malnourished, and there's been reports of one in every three deaths being as a result of starvation and malnutrition. The people don't have basic supplies, that would allow them to live a happy and fruitful life, because of this, this genocidal blockade that Azerbaijan has placed on Artsakh since the 12th of December 2022"

Clutching home-made signs beneath their arms, the Armenian flag draped across their backs, hundreds – many of them children – piled out out of buses into Sydney's Town Hall square in the city's CBD.

"Our community is active, they've never given up, and they won't give up. They won't give because they understand the trauma that their parents and their grandparents faced in not being able to speak about these issues, and today the youth of our community are the ones on the forefront leading this cause."

Whilst the Australian government has not made a public statement regarding the blockade, international organisations and human rights groups have called for the immediate opening of the Lachin corridor.

In April, following orders from the International court of Justice to re-open the corridor, Azerbaijan instead installed a military checkpoint, a move their president, Ilham Aliyev ((ah-LEE-yuff)) says was in response to Armenia and the Red Cross allegedly misusing the corridor.

Access through the corridor is now completely shut off, cutting off humanitarian aid including food, fuel and medical supplies from reaching the 120,000 Armenians living there.

Mr Kolokossian says many of them are particularly vulnerable.

"Amnesty International is reporting that these people are living in peril, thre's Armenian children waiting in line for bread, for hours, in the early hours of the morning. There's women who don't have access to baby formula. So we want Australia to participate in an airlift into Artsakh to prove the 30,000 children, the 20,000 elderly and the 9000 living with disabilities, the most basic supplies that they're entitled to."

According to Azerbaijan, humanitarian access is available through the alternative route of Aghdam, a road referred to by local Armenians, as the road of death.

A spokesperson from Artsakh describes the proposed alternative as a ploy, intended to deflect international attention from the crisis.

These concerns were echoed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, who, in July, released a statement noting that attempts at delivering aid to the region has been blocked at all entrances, including Aghdam.

But, at an emergency UN meeting called upon by Armenia's government, Azerbaijan's United Nations representative, Yashar Aliyev ((ah-LEE-yuff)), says Azerbaijan categorically rejects the claims a crisis is occurring.

"Armenia's actions are nothing but the embodiment of designed political hypocrisy, and it's appeal to the security council is part of the campaign that it has been pursuing over the months to manipulate and mislead the international community."

In August, prominent former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, released a 28-page document calling for the blockade to be considered a genocide against the Armenians, adding that President Aliyev cannot use these tactics to force a negotiation.

"And they have not seen food for the last month, so they will die in a few weeks. So we need to open the corridor not because a negotiation because it's a genocide, and US, European Union cannot be confused about President Aliyev and President Aliyev have to understand he cannot be authorized to commit a genocide, to force a negotiation"

Over the last few weeks, Armenian officials and residents of Nagorno Karabakh have reported kidnappings at the checkpoint and as military tensions build, both Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have accused each other of provocation.

An agreement between the two countries is yet to be reached and the future of the region, as well as the people living there, remains unclear.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/living-in-peril-australian-armenians-protest-over-humantarian-crisis-in-nagorno-karabakh/rlbwepb7n

Azerbaijan continues military buildup along border with Armenia and line of contact in NK, warns Pashinyan

 11:20, 7 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The military-political situation in South Caucasus escalated significantly last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned Thursday.

“The reason for that is Azerbaijan’s ongoing military buildup along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting on September 7. 

“The anti-Armenian hate rhetoric has further escalated in the Azerbaijani press and propaganda platforms. The policy of encroachments against the sovereign territory of Armenia continues,” he stated, adding that the September 1 Azeri provocation against the sovereign territory of Armenia resulted in the deaths of three Armenian servicemen near the village of Sotk, Gegharkunik Province.

“This provocation was preceded by the dissemination of fake news by Azerbaijan falsely accusing the Armed Forces of Armenia of violating the ceasefire on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border,” Pashinyan said.

AW: Sunday at the AYF Olympics

When the AYF Olympics started in 1934, it was a track and field event on a humble grass field.  Since then, it has grown from a one-day event to a four-day sport and entertainment phenomenon. Track is still at the core of the Olympics, as it is where the bulk of the points for athletic events are won and where the chapter winner is decided.

Fans taking shade under the tents

This year, track and field took place at the beautiful Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, MD.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but we were in for a very Washington kind of mid-90s temperature and humidity. The Washington Steering Committee had dozens of tents for the athletes and fans. There was plenty of water and sports drinks to keep everyone hydrated. Yet nothing could stop the athletes from participating in the individual events and earning points for their chapters. 

Opening Ceremonies at the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, MD AYF Central Executive chair Nareg Mkrtschjan delivering his remarks as the other dignitaries look on The Olympic Torch

The opening ceremonies reflected on the history and value of the AYF and the Olympics, as well as the plight of our people in Artsakh under siege by Azerbaijan. The athletes marched wearing t-shirts in honor of Artsakh, clearly stating “End the Blockade,” and carrying Artsakh flags. They sang the American, Armenian and Artsakh national anthems. His Eminence, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Artsakh Permanent Representative to the U.S. Robert Avetisyan, ARF Eastern US Central Committee chair Ani Tchaghlasian, ANCA chair Raffi Hamparian, AYF Central Executive chair Nareg Mkrtschjan and other speakers all offered messages of our need to be strong in the diaspora to support Armenia and Artsakh.

Expert and entertaining announcements and commentary were provided by Kyle Dinkjian and Avi Keshgegian. At the start of track and field, Boston had a good lead with Detroit trailing. When the total points were announced in the afternoon, Detroit had taken a slight lead. Detroit proceeded to win all the relays, at which point most in the know (the coaches) knew the results.

The rest of us had to wait until the awards ceremony at the Olympic Ball at around 11 p.m. for the results. Mkrtschjan read the point totals, and Detroit had indeed won. Here are the top five chapters and their point totals:

  1. Detroit – 200
  2. Great Boston – 156.5
  3. Philadelphia – 72.5
  4. Providence – 64
  5. New Jersey – 49
  6. New York – 30 The winning Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter

The most improved chapter trophy went to Chicago. Anto Keshgegian was awarded the Nahigian Spirit Trophy.  

There were six high scorers (three gold medals in individual events):

  1. Natalia Oganesion Providence
  2. Nareg Minassian Greater Boston
  3. Knar Topouzian Detroit
  4. Melanie Sarafian Detroit
  5. Alexander Vardarian Philadelphia
  6. Avo Sarkissian New York  High scorers at the Olympic Ball

The women’s and men’s pentathlon winners were:

  1. Anoush Krafian Greater Boston
  2. Sasoun Tcholakian Detroit

Two records were broken this weekend:

  1. Anoush Krafian Women’s Pentathlon
  2. Natalia Oganesian 50 Butterfly

There was music and dancing at the Olympic Ball before the awards ceremony, and it kicked into high gear after the awards as Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit celebrated with their chapter dances. Everyone was celebrating and hoisting their trophies. It was beautiful and captured the essence of the AYF Olympics.

The Olympic All-Star Band with Hooshere Bezdikian and Michael Gostanian on vocals

Musicians John Berberian, Mal Barsamian, Steve Vosbikian, Ara Dinkjian, Jim Kizirian and Alek Surenian were superb and kept things hopping. They were tight, well-balanced and played all the favorites expertly. Hooshere Bezdikian and Michael Gostanian did a wonderful job on vocals. This is the first time we have had a female singer join the All-Star Band at the Olympic Ball and two singers performing duets. Chalk up another innovation to the Washington Steering Committee.

The 89th AYF Olympics were superbly organized and well run. Kudos to the Washington community and the Steering Committee for creating another memorable Olympics weekend. It takes a small well-organized army to pull off a weekend like the one we just experienced.

Congratulations to all the athletes, to those who scored points and those who participated for the love of the Olympics. Congratulations to the AYF and the Armenian spirit.

Be sure to look for more in-depth coverage of the entire AYF Olympics in D.C. in the Armenian Weekly Olympics Special Issue. If you’d like to support the publication of this special insert, we invite you to become a page sponsor.

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.