Author: Aram Torosian

Armenia Ratifies Joining The International Criminal Court

Aram Torosian
Oct 14 2023
MIDDLE EAST
By David Sadler

On Thursday, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, began a visit to China with the aim of defending the bloc’s “risk reduction” strategy towards its first trading partner and laying the foundations for holding a summit this year.

Borrell’s visit, which was postponed twice this year, is scheduled to continue until Saturday, during which he will discuss a range of issues, including bilateral relations, international issues, and trade.

Borrell began his visit, on Thursday, with “interesting talks in Shanghai with European companies about economic and trade challenges,” he wrote on the “X” platform.

“We have to meet these challenges,” Borrell said. Because neither we nor China can ignore the other party’s market.”

On Friday, Borrell will hold talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

European Energy Commissioner Cadre Simson during a conference in Beijing on Thursday (EPA)

Borrell wrote on “X” that “this visit is important to discuss relations between the European Union and China and major regional and global challenges with government authorities, university professors and representatives of the business community.”

The European Union stated that this visit, which is part of a series of high-level dialogues with Beijing, “is supposed to lead to a European-Chinese summit during the year.”

No “disengagement”

Sino-European relations have witnessed tension since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Beijing, which calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, refrained from condemning Moscow’s attack.

Brussels is seeking to reconcile its determination to reduce its dependence on the Asian giant, especially on the economic level, and maintain strong ties with the world’s second economic power in areas such as trade, climate and human rights.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that the European Union wants to “reduce risks” with China, but not to “disengage,” which means reducing relations further.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced on Wednesday that “China is satisfied with the visit of High Representative Borrell,” which “will give new impetus to the two parties’ joint efforts to meet global challenges and maintain peace and stability in the world.”

The Chinese spokesman said, during a routine press conference: “In light of the instability of the international situation and the increasing global challenges, only solidarity and cooperation will allow the international community to confront them better… China and Europe, as two major global powers, two major markets, and two great civilizations, have broad common interests.” .

dispute

Von der Leyen, who made an official visit to China in April, announced last month the opening of a European investigation into the Beijing authorities’ support and assistance to national electric car companies.

She justified this measure by the need to defend European industry against cars sold at “artificially low prices,” as she said, in global markets.

China denounced the investigation, stressing that it would harm its trade relations with the European Union, and stressed: “This is just protectionism.”

China began using electric motors in cars a long time ago, and has surpassed Europe in this field, especially in technology related to batteries.

Its manufacturers are relying on the huge domestic market, the largest in the world, to conquer Europe.

In early October, the Union revealed a list of strategic areas that should be better defended against competing countries such as China, at the forefront of which is artificial intelligence.

During his visit, Borrell will also address the war in Ukraine, at a time when China confirms its neutral position, which is criticized by the European Union.

Origins of the Armenian Genocide trace back to the early 1900s

Aram Torosian
Oct 12 2023

By Gerry Chidiac | Oct 12, 2023

The deep-rooted history behind the Artsakh-Karabakh conflict and the Armenian Genocide

While there is no internationally agreed-upon definition of the term ethnic cleansing, a United Nations commission has described it as “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.”

It would be difficult to argue that Azerbaijan is not now engaged in ethnic cleansing in the enclave Armenians call Artsakh and Azerbaijanis call Karabakh.

After a nine-month-long Medieval-style siege of this small part of the Caucasus, the Azerbaijani military launched an attack. Once a tentative truce was achieved, roughly 100,000 people, almost the entire region’s population, gathered what they could carry and left. The world is now dealing with yet another refugee crisis as Armenia, a country with a population of less than three million, is dealing with an influx of traumatized ethnic Armenians.

The reasons for the tensions over Artsakh/Karabakh go back to the early 20th century, to the Ottoman and Russian empires, Josef Stalin, the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and regional and global tensions that have persisted since that time. Ultimately, however, we need to look at the Armenian Genocide and the two countries that virtually surround the current Republic of Armenia.

World-renowned genocide expert Gregory Stanton has stated that genocide denial is “among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres.” The Ottoman Empire, the remains of which formed the foundation of modern-day Turkey, systematically killed 1.5 million Armenians under the cover of the First World War.

Today, educators typically present what happened to the Armenians as a case study to illustrate the meaning of the word genocide. In both Turkey and Azerbaijan, one would be criminally prosecuted for doing so. Taner Akçam, who is Turkish and is also considered the foremost authority on the Armenian Genocide, is living in exile and has even had his life threatened.

In the meantime, Azerbaijani and Turkish citizens are fed a revisionist history that demonizes Armenians and justifies crimes against humanity.

Before the current round of ethnic cleansing, the most recent armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan occurred over 44 days in 2020. Russia was the chief negotiator in a settlement between the two countries and agreed to keep peacekeepers in the region.

Azerbaijan, however, has taken advantage of Russia’s weakened status resulting from its invasion of Ukraine. Beginning in December 2022, it cut off the enclave of Artsakh/Karabakh from Armenia and the rest of the world. This siege stopped the flow of medical, fuel, and food supplies, thus weakening the population and resulting in the ethnic cleansing we now witness.

To their credit, Armenians living in the global diaspora have persistently lobbied the governments of the territories where they now find themselves to get them to recognize the vulnerability of the ethnic Armenians who remain in the Caucuses. As a result, countries like France and the United States have become more actively involved in the peace negotiation process and have worked to ensure that international aid is given to the newest refugees in the region.

For the time being, it will be necessary for UN peacekeepers to stabilize the region and prevent further aggression, as they have done successfully in Cyprus for the last 50 years.

For a long-term solution, we need to look at countries that are healing and moving forward peacefully after ethnic cleansing and genocide. For example, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand have been transparent about the crimes they have committed, and all are now healthy democracies where the rights of minorities are protected.

Nothing will be more effective in bringing about long-lasting peace in the Caucasus than unearthing and teaching the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Therefore, this needs to be a central focus point in all international interactions with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The safety of millions of people depends on it.

Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages, genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He is the recipient of an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.

For interview requests, click here.

The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.

© Troy Media

https://troymedia.com/lifestyle/origins-of-the-armenian-genocide-trace-back-to-the-early-1900s/

EIB Global provides €70 million to support SMEs under the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan

Aram Torosian

 10:47, 4 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The European Investment Bank (EIB), the lending arm of the European Union, will provide a loan of €70 million to the Central Bank of Armenia to increase access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps in Armenia, the Central Bank said in a press release. 
This initiative is part of the EIB’s Armenian Economic Resilience Programme, with backing from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). The programme is designed to facilitate access to financing for businesses in Armenia, contributing to economic growth and resilience. 
The funds, channelled through the Central Bank of Armenia, will be directed to eligible companies via commercial banks and universal credit organisations, ensuring a streamlined approach to financing. Like its predecessors, the Programme, will be implemented by the German-Armenian Fund, and will support an estimated 1 200 enterprises and sustain 1 500 jobs. Eight partner financial institutions are already confirmed to take part in the Programme. 
This strategic partnership underscores the European Union's commitment to promoting economic growth, resilience and sustainable development in Armenia, fostering a brighter future for its SMEs and mid-caps. It also emphasises the support for a sustainable, innovative and competitive economy, as one of the five main pillars for Armenia under the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership. 
The loan is complemented by technical assistance financed by the Eastern Partnership Technical Assistance Trust Fund (EPTATF). The EIB’s advisory services will help businesses implement green projects, further social inclusion and pursue digitalisation.
Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Vasillis Maragos added, “This loan reaffirms the EU's commitment to Armenia's resilient economic growth. It is an initiative that decisively contributes to the EU's Economic and Investment Plan target of mobilising €500 million in investments for Armenia's private sector and supporting 30 000 SMEs. Let us remember, though, that this initiative is much more than mere numbers. It is about real impact. We are prioritising balanced regional growth, empowering women entrepreneurs and promoting green projects, all in line with EU values and a steadfast commitment to supporting Armenia as it builds a sustainable, innovative and competitive economy – and most importantly, we stand with Armenia in difficult times.”
The Deputy Prime-Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, said: “The development of small and medium-sized enterprises has a critical role for inclusive and sustainable economic development, boosting innovation, improving economic resilience as well as structure of the economy.  Taking into account the current complicated developments in the region, it is especially critical today to do the utmost to provide with all necessary prerequisites for sustainable and continuous development of the private sector. The Program designed with joint efforts serves the goal to support the Armenian small and medium-sized enterprises to have easy access to local currency financing.”
EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, responsible for operations in Armenia, remarked, “Today, amid a challenging period for the country, with the support from the European Union, we are extending further financing to the Central Bank of Armenia, a well-established partner of the EIB. This fourth EIB loan will boost economic resilience through the smooth flow of funds to small businesses, with a particular focus on women entrepreneurs and green projects in line with the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership for Armenia. Supporting underserved SMEs, it will contribute to an inclusive and sustainable Armenian economy.” 
Martin Galstyan, Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, explained, “Financial cooperation between the EIB and CBA started in 2014, and has been very successful. It has greatly enhanced the development of Armenia’s private sector through financial institutions and, due to the programme requirements, has dramatically improved SMEs and brought international best standards to financial institutions and the private sector as a whole. Within the scope of the cooperation many important and impactful projects have been financed. With the new loan facility of €70 million, ambitious targets have been set to support SMEs and mid-caps as they invest in green projects, empower women and promote digitalisation.”
With this loan, the EIB and CBA are continuing their cooperation, building on three previous successfully intermediated loans totalling €150 million. This model has allowed many smaller financial institutions to participate in the programme and channel EIB funding to SMEs, improving these companies’ access to long-term finance in local currency on favourable terms. The previous EIB loans provided to the Central Bank of Armenia supported more than 1 300 enterprises, and created 2 000 jobs in the third phase alone, particularly in the agri-processing and tourism sectors.
Background information
About the Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership
In 2021, the European Union launched the Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership countries — aimed at supporting, among others, the development of resilient, sustainable and integrated economies in the region.
The plan contains a set of flagship initiatives for each of the partner countries. These are concrete priority projects with tangible results, identified jointly with the partner countries and taking into account their priorities, needs and ambitions.
The Armenian Economic Resilience Programme supports a sustainable, innovative and competitive economy as one of the five flagship initiatives for Armenia under the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership.

M-S: Frankfurt Demonstration Supports Artsakh

Aram Torosian
Protestors in Frankfurt

OCTOBER 5, 2023

by

 Muriel Mirak-Weissbach

FRANKFURT — Three days after Azerbaijan’s military aggression, which led to the expulsion of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, demonstrations took place not only in Berlin and Frankfurt. Organized by the Armenian Cultural Association in Hessen (AKV), it brought together representatives of diaspora groups who addressed several facets of the unfolding drama, political, juridical, cultural, and personal.

Shushan Tumanyan, a leader of the AKV, addressed the ongoing threat to Armenian cultural heritage. Citing the UN Security Council resolution of March 10, 2022 on the destruction of Armenian cultural monuments, she quoted the view that the removal of traces of Armenian culture resulted not only from damage and destruction but also historical falsification, in the attempt to present it as “Caucasian Albanian.” Then Minister of Culture Anar Karimov announced his establishment of a team in February 2022, tasked with “removing fictitious Armenian inscription for Albanian religious temples.” The UNSC denounced this policy of elimination and denial as part of Baku’s anti-Armenian policy, historical revisionism, and hatred, as dehumanizing, revanchist, and threatening the Republic of Armenia itself, and thus the stability in the Caucasus. Stressing the role of culture in national identity and history, it called on member states to protect this heritage.

Tumanyan called on the German government to denounce Azerbaijan’s aggression, and to seek, together with Artsakh Armenians, a political solution. Referring to the United Nations Security Council meeting held days earlier, she thanked German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s for her denunciation of Azerbaijan, but added, “we hope however that her words will be translated into deeds.” At the same session, no state demanded Azerbaijan troop withdrawals, no state proposed political or economic sanctions, Turkey threatened with talk of the Zangezur corridor, and no one criticized Russian peacekeepers. All which leads to the question: can one expect anything from the international community?

Ani Kanayan and Mariam Taranyan-Buschler from the German-Armenian Jurists’ Union (DEARJV) spoke next. While the former addressed the theme of political aspects, the latter focused on international law. For Taranyan-Buschler, not only was Azerbaijan’s military attack in violation of international law, but so was the 9-month blockade leading up to it, both showing genocidal intent. She deplored the failure of the international community, the states who signed the genocide convention, to intervene; this “makes them complicit in renewed genocide against the Armenian people,” she said.

Student Sevan with his painting of Artsakh symbol

She stated that not only was the population threatened, but so is their cultural heritage, recalling the bombardment of the Cathedral of Ghazanchetsots in Shushi, the religious symbol of Artsakh Armenians, and its transformation into a mosque. The mass exodus constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity, she continued, urging  Germany and the European Union to call in the UN Security Council for “remedial secession,” referencing the self-determination process of Kosovo, whose separation was recognized as a solution to save lives.

Offering a glimpse into the personal dimension, Armenian journalist Susanna Margaryan read a brief entry on Facebook by 27-year-old Elina Antonyan from Stepanakert. A medical student in Yerevan, she was sending an SOS to the world, a description of the situation in Artsakh: Armenians bury family members, not knowing whether they will be able to visit the graves; or they cannot bury them, because they have to flee for their lives, and the dead lie in overcrowded morgues. Before abandoning their homeland, they remove photos of their loved ones killed, to protect them from vandalism. Some wait in vain for news from their missing children, children who may be sleeping somewhere on the ground, not knowing where to go. A village elder from Sarnaghbyur managed to evacuate the village children, but lost his own.

Areg Safaryan (AKV) described how meaningless it is to talk about “reintegration” of Artsakh Armenians in Azerbaijan. What kind of reintegration could occur, if Armenians in the Russian language Azerbaijan press are demonized as parasites and beasts, “as dirty, useless gypsies from India”? How can they become co-citizens and co-exist in Azerbaijan, that, regarding the 1915 genocide is more denialist than Turkey? — whose social media carry messages expressing regret that the “Turkish brothers hadn’t finished the job”? If Baku refuses to recognize any village as Armenian, and embraces notion that the Republic of Armenia is “western Azerbaijan”?



https://mirrorspectator.com/2023/10/05/frankfurt-demonstration-supports-artsakh/?fbclid=IwAR3CLDo5IJvRWWb8oJRTmqLynBLvofn6qykXEahTB6ND4VwN-LNT7WAs-Aw

Shocked refugee children in Armenia miss the things they left behind: UNICEF

Aram Torosian
UN News
Oct 6 2023


6 October 2023Humanitarian Aid

Following the mass exodus from Karabakh, UN agencies in Armenia have been mobilizing resources to support the refugees and the national authorities. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of boys and girls, who account for about one third of the roughly 100,000 refugees.

UNICEF’s Representative in Armenia, Christine Weigand, said prepositioning of supplies, including medicines and food, allowed the agency to swiftly respond to the crisis.

Arrangements made in establishing relations with the authorities, civil society and academia after the tensions of 2020 were very instrumental, she explained. 

Ms. Weigand spoke to UN News about her team’s work to help the young refugees overcome the immediate shock of displacement, ensuring that they have access to food, winter clothes, toys, and safe spaces to play. 

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.  

Tweet URL

Christine Weigand: In less than a week, about 100,000 people arrived in Armenia, and among them, around 30,000 children. They've all come through this little town that I've visited twice now in the South of Armenia, Goris, which is a little town of only 20,000 people in normal circumstances, that had to deal with this huge inflow.  

By now, many families have moved on to different parts of the country, either because they have relatives or friends there or because the Government also has allocated different shelters in different regions of the country to be able to host all those people.  

UN News: You said that you went to Goris. Did you have a chance to talk to the children to understand what they have gone through and what are their needs?  

Christine Weigand: In the initial days of families arriving in Armenia, I visited the registration centres that the Armenian Government had set up. Those registration centres had “health points” where nurses and doctors were working, and I was speaking to them asking them in what physical state and mental state are children arriving. And they all said the same thing: the children arrive hungry, showing signs of malnutrition, they arrive very tired, a lot of them have a fever or other kinds of disease. The psychologists that were working in these centres also were saying that children arrived in a state of shock and trauma and were struggling also to comprehend what had been happening to them.   

From the very early days we set up a children's corner in Goris, which is basically a safe space where children can go, can access services, can get psychological support, but also medical support.  I spent a bit of time there on the two occasions that I went down to Goris to talk to the children. I have to say many children were not very much willing to engage. That's a sign of what they've been through.  

There was one group of boys – three brothers and their mom – who were telling us that they had very little time to just grab the most essential things. Each boy was able to take one little backpack in which he could choose what to put in: basically, fundamentals like underwear and so on, and one or two little toys that they could fit in. They had that sense of longing for the things that they had left behind. And they were excited when they were in the children's corner to see that there were a lot of toys that they could play with. They were jumping around, running around, playing with balls. It was a joy to see them reclaim some moments of the joy of childhood.  

In the long term, of course, education remains the big question, because that many children to be accommodated in the education system also is a major effort to undertake, a major challenge. We have seen that some of the teachers have been trying to find their students again and trying to organize that they can meet each other again just to create some sense of normalcy. But this is obviously a very, very difficult proposition. And this happens after many months already where they've been living through a difficult situation.  

The Ministry of Education from the very early days already said that they would integrate these children into the school system. I think there are more than 6,000 children that have been integrated and registered, but clearly those are very big numbers for a small country like Armenia.  

UN News: What does UNICEF offer in this situation? What kind of support do you provide to the people in the first instance and to the Government?  

Christine Weigand: We're looking at the different types of support. We had already prepositioned some supplies for the last few months already. We had been working on preparing, given our humanitarian mandate to make sure that we are ready for the kind of crisis that we now unfortunately see unfolding.  

We have immediately also handed over to the Ministry of Health medicines and medical supplies, specifically for children. We've also been procuring additional medicines and also therapeutic food for the children that show signs of malnutrition. We've been setting up the children's corners. We now have two in Goris. We're setting up more across the country, given that now children are all over the country in different communities. 

We're working closely with the Ministry of Education to look into setting up temporary learning spaces, additional capacities to accommodate children and also to train teachers on how to best work with these children and to integrate them into existing classes and in the school system.   

Obviously, the big question is also livelihood, how families are going to be able to make ends meet. The Government has already announced cash transfer schemes, one of which will cover the first six months, that is an equivalents of a rental subsidy. And we're working with the Ministry of Labour now to see what else will be needed specifically for families with children, for example, vouchers to purchase clothes for the winter. And also to estimate what other expenses will need to be covered, for example, for education, when they go into the schools.  

UN News: What message would you like to leave with our audience?

Christine Weigand: The scale and speed of this displacement of population, leaving everything behind and coming into Armenia, is certainly a very unique and a very big challenge for all of us as a humanitarian community. But also, beyond that, we really want to see how we can support the Government, the civil society, to really ensure that children especially are getting everything that they need to grow up safe and healthy in this completely changed environment, so that they don't take with them from these experiences a very long-standing trauma. I think this needs to be our common aim.  

 


Armenia presses EU for help as Nagorno-Karabakh refugees flood in

Aram Torosian
The Telegraph, UK
Sept 30 2023

Pleas for medical supplies and temporary shelters in wake of Azerbaijan’s military takeover of disputed region

ByHarriet Barber

Armenia has asked the European Union for help with more than 100,000 refugees who have fled Nagorno-Karabakh since Azerbaijan’s military takeover last week.

Armenia has asked the EU for temporary shelters and medical supplies, the Italian prime minister’s office said on Saturday.

The population of the region was estimated at 120,000, meaning almost everyone living there has now fled, according to reports from the United Nations and Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is populated mainly by Armenian Christians who set up the self-styled Republic of Artsakh three decades ago after a bloody ethnic conflict as the Soviet Union collapsed.

Azerbaijan launched a lightning operation to take over the breakaway enclave on Sept 19, leaving at least 200 ethnic Armenians and dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers dead.

Artak Beglaryan, an Armenian former separatist official said: “At most a few hundred persons remain, most of whom are officials, emergency services employees, volunteers, some persons with special needs,” said.

He said the “last groups” of Nagorno-Karabakh residents were on their way to Armenia.

Thousands of cars and buses crammed with belongings have snaked down the mountain road out of Azerbaijan over the past week, and the refugees are said to be “hungry, exhausted and need immediate assistance”.

“We took what we could and left. We don’t know where we’re going. We have nowhere to go,” Petya Grigoryan, a 69-year-old driver, said after reaching the Armenian border.

The UN is sending a mission to the defeated breakaway enclave this weekend to assess the humanitarian situation.

Edmon Marukyan, Armenia’s ambassador-at-large, told the BBC that it was important that UN officials saw for themselves what ethnic Armenians had been subjected to.

“It’s good they will be there and they will become witnesses that these people were ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland, from their homes where their parents, where their ancestors were living and these people were totally cleansed from this territory,” he said.

The Azerbaijani victory changes the balance of power in the South Caucasus region, a patchwork of ethnicities crisscrossed with oil and gas pipelines where Russia, the US, Turkey and Iran are jostling for influence.

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Armenia had relied on a security partnership with Russia, while Azerbaijan grew close to Turkey, with which it shares linguistic and cultural ties.

Armenia has lately sought closer ties with the West and blames Russia, which had peacekeepers in Karabakh but is now preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, for failing to protect the region. Russia denies it is to blame.

World leaders urged to prevent possible extrajudicial execution of Ruben Vardanyan in Azeri custody, demand release

Aram Torosian

 16:31,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has warned that Ruben Vardanyan’s detention by Azerbaijani authorities poses a very high risk of torture and extrajudicial execution or a show trial.

The detention, killing, and disappearance of elites is a common act of genocide, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention said in a statement on X.

It called on Russia, the US and other world leaders to demand Vardanyan’s safe passage out of Azerbaijan.

“The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the breaking news of the arrest and detention of former Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] State Minister Ruben Vardanyan by Azerbaijan’s State Border Service. Vardanyan, an outspoken advocate for Artsakh’s right to self-determination, is particularly hated by Azerbaijan. His detention poses a very high risk of torture and extrajudicial execution or a show trial. He and other current and former members of the Artsakh government and self-defense army have been branded as “separatists” and “terrorists,” categories that states use to justify illegal detention and murder. Concern for the life and safety of Vardanyan is especially warranted given the treatment that Armenian POWs have received in Azerbaijani captivity since 2020. They have been tortured, humiliated, murdered, disappeared, and subjected to show trials. This is well documented. Russia and the United States as well as all other world leaders must demand Vardanyan’s safe passage out of Azerbaijan and must ensure that other members of the Artsakh government, as well as members of the Artsakh Defense Army, are also allowed to leave. We remind the world that the detention, killing, and disappearance of elites is a common act of genocide,” the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention said in the statement.

ANCA Eastern Region Summer Interns to be Honored at 17th Annual Awards Program

Aram Torosian
 ANCA-Eastern Region Diaspora, ANCA News 0

BOSTON, Mass.—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern Region will recognize the accomplishments of its 2023 ANCA Leo Sarkisian summer interns – Olivia Abajian (NY), Vahagn Boudakian (NY), Tsoline Gevorkian (MA), Emma Lopez (CT), Ruby Topalian (MD) and Nver Saghatelyan (MD) –  at this year’s 17th Annual ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund Awards Program, United for Artsakh, at the Royal Sonesta Boston Hotel on Saturday, October 7, 2023. 

Founded in 1986, the ANCA LSI program is named in memory of the late ANCA Eastern Region community leader Leo Sarkisian. LSI provides students from both the eastern and western U.S. and Canada with an opportunity to participate in a six-week intensive program in Washington, D.C., designed to give them the tools to advance issues of concern to the Armenian-American community on the federal, state and local level. Now in its 36th year, the program has hundreds of alumni worldwide.

During their six-week stay in the nation’s capital, interns participated in various activities carefully planned by the ANCA office in Washington, D.C. In fact, in three days, interns visited 535 offices encouraging members to cosign a letter led by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) to cease all military aid to Azerbaijan – their efforts acquired 54 cosponsors for the letter, setting the course for what the rest of their internship would entail. The remaining weeks would encompass multiple lectures by several key members of Washington’s Armenian-American political elite, who offered the interns their experiences in a variety of fields, encompassing state government, journalism, lobbying, consulting and ambassadorship. 

Interns for the LSI program are selected through a competitive application process, with their acceptance being based on several criteria, including academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and community involvement. Interns are provided with room and board in the ANCA Aramian House, donated by generous sister donors Martha and Sue Aramian and Margo Aramian Regan.

The Eastern Region interns from this year’s internship all shared a collective focus on advancing the Armenian Cause in the political, economic and social realms of society as they brought a wealth of experience from their professional and educational backgrounds. The interns shared a range of passion, encompassing the collective fields of government and politics, international relations, psychology, sociology, political science, international studies, economics, and Middle Eastern and European languages and cultures, all of which form a strong foundation for the next generation of activists and the future of the Armenian-American community. 

“The many talents and accomplishments of our youth, as well as their drive and motivation, make me confident in the future of the ANCA and Hai Tahd. I have the pleasure of recognizing the interns at this year’s awards dinner and hope my words will continue to empower them and encourage our youth to join the tireless fight for justice for Artsakh, Armenia and the Armenian nation,” said Steve Mesrobian, ANCA Eastern Region Board member.

The future of the region – this year’s ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship interns – will be honored at the 17th Annual Awards Program, United for Artsakh at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Saturday, October 7.

The 2023 ANCA Leo Sarkisian Eastern Region interns recognized at the Awards Program are Olivia Abajian, Vahagn Boudakian, Tsoline Gevorkian, Emma Lopez, Ruby Topalian and Nver Saghatelyan.

Olivia Abajian is a current freshman at the University of Maryland, majoring in government and politics with a concentration in international relations. Abajian is the editor-in-chief of the Terrapin Yearbook and a member of Phi Sigma Sigma. Bringing her Armenian background onto campus, she is also a member of UMD’s Armenian Students Association and an active member of the AYF-YOARF “Hyortik” Chapter at home.

Vahagn Boudakian, who is pursuing a major in political science with a minor in psychology at Brooklyn College CUNY, actively contributed to refugee relief efforts following the 2020 war and contributed to the war efforts. He is hopeful to employ the new skills acquired from the internship to “further the cause of Armenia’s progress.”

Tsoline Gevorkian, a lifelong member of the AYF, currently serves as the treasurer of the Middlesex County West AYF Chapter. At the University of Vermont, she studies psychology and sociology as a rising junior. Gevorkian credits the internship for allowing her to gain more knowledge about American politics and giving her more confidence toward one day hosting her own AYF educational lecture. It was more important – and a source of pride – that she could spend her summer “fighting for our brothers and sisters in Artsakh and for an Azad Angakh Miatsyal Haiastan.”

Emma Lopez, who recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in political science, wore many hats at her local Armenian Students Association, where she served as vice president, secretary and social media manager. At her home parish, St. George Armenian Church, she is an active member of the local ACYOA, where she also regularly volunteers in community events. She looks forward to using her new skills and experiences to enrich her home community. 

Nver Saghatelyan, a student at John Hopkins University, is majoring in international studies and economics. He saw the internship as an opportunity to familiarize himself with the dynamics of American politics and to bring his new lessons back home to Armenia and Artsakh, where he hopes to use these experiences to “challenge the status quo and contribute to peaceful resolutions in contrast to the ongoing tensions and violence.”
Lastly, Ruby Topalian, a rising sophomore at Trinity College Dublin, is pursuing a dual bachelor’s program through Columbia University. At Trinity College Dublin, she studies Middle Eastern and European languages and cultures, especially focusing on Arabic and Italian. At Columbia, she studies political science. According to her, the internship reconnected her to her Armenian heritage, and as an editor on multiple campus publications, she looks forward to leveraging her position to encourage her peers to become educated about Armenian-American issues, hoping that her efforts will create more activists for the Armenian Cause.

Hosted by the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts, the evening will feature a cocktail reception and silent auction beginning at 6 p.m. and a seated dinner and an awards program at 7 p.m. During the dinner presentation, the region will present deserving honorees with awards, including the inaugural ANCA Eastern Region Excellence in Education Award to Houry Boyamian; the inaugural ANCA Eastern Region Advocacy Award to Dr. Michael Rubin; the ANCA Eastern Region Vahan Cardashian Award to lifelong activists Joseph Dagdigian of the ANC of Merrimack Valley and Barkev Kaligian of the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts; and the ANCA Eastern Region Freedom Award, which will be presented to Congresswoman Katherine Clark. 

“While the evening will be appropriately somber given the current situation in Artsakh, we are depending on our community to fully support the ANCA Eastern Region’s fundraiser, which will be dedicated to the people of Artsakh and the work we must do together for the continued existence of Artsakh and Armenia,” said Ara Nazarian, ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund Awards Program committee chair. 

For more information about this year’s Awards Program and to purchase tickets, please visit https://givergy.us/ancaer or email [email protected].

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The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region is part of the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization, the ANCA. Working in coordination with the ANCA in Washington, DC, and a network of chapters and supporters throughout the Eastern United States, the ANCA-ER actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


Ethnic Cleansing in Artsakh is Baku’s Way to Engage Armenia in Military Conflict, Warns Yerevan

Aram Torosian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addresses the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23


Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Saturday said at the United Nations General Assembly that Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh is part of larger plan by Baku to engage Armenia in military conflict.

“The ethnic cleansing policy against Nagorno-Karabakh is just a part of a bigger picture. In this regard we clearly see an intention to involve the Republic of Armenia in military actions thus widening the geography of hostilities into our sovereign territories,” Mirzoyan told the UN General Assembly.

He also blasted Azerbaijan for undermining every effort to achieve peace in the region through provocations and military aggression.

“We [Armenia] do not have a partner for peace but a country that openly declares that “Might has Right” and constantly uses force to disrupt the peace process,” Mirzoyan said, adding that Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh this was deliberately timed to coincide with the UN General Assembly, accusing Baku of scoffing at the international community.

He said the attack on Artsakh happened this week “and the timing was not accidental. It shows open disregard and defiance of Azerbaijan against the international community who gathered here in New York.”

Mirzoyan said that Baku’s message is clear: “you can talk about peace and we can go to war and you will not be able to change anything.”

Armenia’s Foreign Minister also chided the UN for continuously announcing that it cannot verify reports from the region, because its teams are not on the ground, a claim made twice in one month by UN representatives addressing Security Council sessions discussing the Artsakh crisis.

“The claims that the United Nations is not present on the ground, so has no capacity to verify the situation cannot be an excuse for inaction. The United Nations is a universal body, which should stand with the victims of mass atrocity crimes all over the world regardless of the status of territory instead of delivering dismissive statements,” said Mirzoyan.

Below is the complete text of Mirzoyan’s address to the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

[SEE VIDEO]

Honorable Mr. President, 
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, let me congratulate Mr. Dennis Francis on assuming the Presidency of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

I will not be the first and definitely not the last speaker in this august body who will identify global threats for democracies, challenges for security, violations of the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including non-use of force and peaceful resolution of conflicts, as a main source of instability and tension in the world.

The devastating developments of the past years, which disrupted the security architecture in the world and especially in Europe, have significantly damaged multilateralism. If a couple of years ago we were contemplating the decline of multilateralism, today we see erosion of that very tenet and its foundation such as international law, human rights and cooperative security.

This is not just a theoretical inference but a reality with which the Armenian people in the South Caucasus are coping for the last three years. The repetitive aggression of Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and military attacks against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh significantly disrupts peace and stability in our region, massively violates human rights and humanitarian law representing existential threat for Armenians.

My government, having a sincere belief and aspiration to establish peace and stability in our region, has made significant and duly recorded efforts to this end. Alas, we do not have a partner for peace but a country that openly declares that “Might has Right” and constantly uses force to disrupt the peace process. Literally a year ago, from this very stage the Prime Minister of Armenia presented the fact of aggression and occupation of the Republic of Armenia’s sovereign territories by neighboring Azerbaijan. Since then, the situation has deteriorated even more and today I have to present yet another very recent act of large-scale offensive, this time against the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh, in blatant violation of the international law and Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020. 

It happened this week and the timing was not accidental. It shows open disregard and defiance of Azerbaijan against the international community who gathered here in New York. The message is clear: “you can talk about peace and we can go to war and you will not be able to change anything.” The 120,000 people, whose sole aspiration is to live and create in peace and dignity in their ancestral homeland and who have already been suffering under the more than 9-month blockade and siege by Azerbaijan, were subjected to military attack by tens of thousands of troops. In the course of this inhumane attack, the whole territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Stepanakert and other towns and settlements came under intense and indiscriminate shelling with heavy weaponry such as rockets, artillery, combat UAVs, aviation, including prohibited cluster munition. 

This atrocious large-scale offensive which claimed hundreds of lives, including of women and children, was cynically defined as a local counter terrorist operation. According to the recent information there are confirmed cases of more than 200 killed and 400 wounded, including among civilian population, women and children, also accepted by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fate of hundreds of people is uncertain.

As I speak today, 30 percent of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh is displaced. The entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh remains without any means of subsistence, as just limited humanitarian assistance has been able to enter into Nagorno-Karabakh. There is no food, no medicine, no shelter, no place to go, separated from their families, terrorized and scared for their lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The policy and actions of Azerbaijan for the last 10 months, evidently demonstrate the pre-planned and well-orchestrated nature of this mass atrocity. On December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan blockaded the Lachin corridor – the only road, the lifeline connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the outer world, in blatant violation of its obligations under the international humanitarian law and the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. The blockade was further consolidated by the installation of illegal check-point since April 23, as well as with the complete cessation of any movement, even for humanitarian aid through the Corridor since June 15.

More than nine months-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh caused a severe shortage of food, medical supplies, fuel and other essential goods, almost depleting the resources necessary for the survival of the population. The blockade was accompanied by deliberate disruption of electricity and natural gas supplies, further exacerbating the situation into a full-fledged humanitarian crisis.
I would like to emphasize that on 22 February, 2023 the International Court of Justice indicated a provisional measure, according to which “Azerbaijan shall take all measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions.” This order was later reconfirmed by the Court’s order of 6 July. 

A number of partner states, international organizations, including UN Special Rapporteurs, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, Transparency International had been continuously sounding an alarm about the deteriorating situation on the ground. Moreover, on August 16, during the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council conveyed by the request of Armenia, the majority of UNSC member states expressed clear position regarding the need to unblock the Lachin corridor and halt the suffering of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and ensure their fundamental human rights. Whereas, in response to these clear-cut calls, Azerbaijan has worsened its inhumane actions by launching this military attack against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

On September 21, 2023, the United Nations Security Council gathered once again to discuss the devastating situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the UNSC members expressed their position regarding the imperative of cessation of hostilities by Azerbaijan, opening of the Lachin corridor, ensuring international humanitarian access and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 
The chronology of truly devastating developments in our region come to prove that the issues cannot be addressed merely with statements and generic calls. Armenia has repeatedly warned the international community about the need for concrete and practical action, including the dispatching of a UN inter-agency needs assessment and fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh. But the international community, the United Nations failed to come to the rescue of people for the last 9 months, 285 days.

The use of starvation as a method of warfare, depriving people of their means of subsistence, obstruction and denial of humanitarian access of UN agencies, hindering the ICRC humanitarian activities, constitute early warning signs of an atrocity crime. A number of international human rights organizations, lawyers, genocide scholars, reputable independent experts, including the former ICC Prosecutor and the former Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide have already characterized the situation on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh as a risk of genocide. Just yesterday, the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu stressed and I quote: “Military action can only contribute to escalate what is already a tense situation and to put the civilian population in the area at risk of violence, including risk of genocide and related atrocity crimes. All efforts need to be made to prevent violence and sustain peace,” end of quote. Let me draw your attention to the fact that after failure of preventing Genocide in Rwanda, the United Nations managed to create mechanisms for prevention, thus making the “never again” a meaningful pledge. But today we are at the brink of another failure.

The people of Nagorno-Karabakh, trapped in this inhumane blockade and hostilities inflicted by Azerbaijan and under the threat of their very existence, still hope that prevention will not remain a feature of language, but will become a line of actions.

The claims that the United Nations is not present on the ground, so has no capacity to verify the situation cannot be an excuse for inaction. The United Nations is a universal body, which should stand with the victims of mass atrocity crimes all over the world regardless of the status of territory instead of delivering dismissive statements.

We are hopeful that the international community, namely the UN will demonstrate a strong political will to condemn the resumption of hostilities and targeting of civilian settlements and infrastructure and 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․

The international community should undertake all the efforts for an immediate deployment of an interagency mission by the UN to Nagorno-Karabakh with the aim to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground. The unimpeded access of the UN agencies and other international organizations to Nagorno-Karabakh in line with the humanitarian principles is an imperative. In this regard we also stress the need to ensure full cooperation of the parties in good faith with the International Committee of the Red Cross to address the consequences of the military attack, including the removal and identification of the bodies, search and rescue of missing personnel and civilians, release of POWs, safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance, in strict compliance with the international humanitarian law.

Azerbaijan must finally adhere to its legally binding obligations and ensure freedom of movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, along the Lachin corridor, in line with the ICJ orders. 
We firmly believe that relevant mechanisms must be introduced to ensure the return of persons displaced in the course of the recent military attack, as well as persons and refugees displaced as a result of 2020 war, to their homes in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions under the monitoring and control of the UN relevant agencies, as it was foreseen in the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020.

A sustainable and viable international mechanism for preventing the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh and for ensuring dialogue between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and official Baku to address the issues related to rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is an imperative. Furthermore, excluding punitive actions against Nagorno-Karabakh’s political and military representatives and personnel should be guaranteed. 

We also believe that the international community must demand the exit of any Azerbaijani military and law-enforcement bodies from all civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh to exclude panic, provocations and escalation, endangering civilian population and create a possibility for a United Nations-mandated Peacekeeping Force to keep stability and security in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ethnic cleansing policy against Nagorno-Karabakh is just a part of a bigger picture. In this regard we clearly see an intention to involve the Republic of Armenia in military actions thus widening the geography of hostilities into our sovereign territories. 

The unwillingness of Azerbaijan to genuinely and constructively engage in the peace process with Armenia, including to recognize the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, withdraw its Armed forces from the occupied territories of Armenia, delimitate the Armenian-Azerbaijani interstate borders based on the latest available maps from 1975 corresponding with Almaty 1991 declaration, create a demilitarized zone along the interstate border, clearly illustrates the mentioned intentions.

Likewise, Azerbaijan has a hidden agenda when it comes to unblocking regional transport and economic communications. As a landlocked country, Armenia is vitally interested in implementation of the agreement on the unblocking of all the regional communications on the basis of sovereignty, national jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity. Armenia is a long-standing advocate of the inclusive and equitable transport connectivity with the view to promote trade, cooperation and people-to-people contacts, whereas our neighbors continue to impose the three decades-long blockade of Armenia, as part of its well-established policy of economic coercion of my country. The so-called “corridor” logic promoted by Baku and their hidden and open sponsors is aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and justifying its territorial claims. The narrative generated by them along with the use of force by Azerbaijan both against the Republic of Armenia and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh shows that forcefully imposing on Armenia an extraterritorial corridor, a corridor that will pass through the territory of Armenia but will be out of our control can be the next target. This is unacceptable for us and should be unacceptable for the international community. 

Mr. President,
Despite all the challenges Armenia continues to engage in the negotiations to achieve normalization of relations and establishment of lasting peace in the region and supports the efforts of the international partners to this end. Respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders, addressing the underlying causes of the conflict, namely the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are the foundation of a lasting peace. 

In the end, let me state that the people of Armenia will firmly stand for our sovereignty, independence and democracy and will overcome the hybrid-war unleashed against us.

I thank you.

US "Deeply Concerned" For Ethnic Armenian Population In Nagorno-Karabakh

Aram Torosian
NDTV, India
Sept 24 2023

AFP - Washington: 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenia on Saturday that the United States had "deep concern" and sought protection for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan solidified control of the territory.

In a telephone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mr Blinken "expressed the United States' deep concern for the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

"He underscored the United States is calling on Azerbaijan to protect civilians and uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and to ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law," Mr Miller said.

Mr Blinken held three rounds of peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan to reduce tensions on Nagorno-Karabakh, which is dominated by ethnic Armenians who formed a breakaway self-styled state in the 1990s.

Azerbaijan on Tuesday sent in troops and swiftly reconquered the mountainous territory. Christian Armenia has accused mostly Muslim Azerbaijan of planning ethnic cleansing, but Azerbaijan assured the United Nations on Saturday that it would protect ethnic Armenians.

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