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Author: Bedik Zaminian

Holy Etchmiadzin: Requiem services to be held September 27 for fallen Armenian defenders

Bedik Zaminian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 25 2021
17:00, 25.09.2021

ECHMIADZIN. – Requiem services will be held on September 27 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the diocesan-seat churches—and for the peace of the souls of the Armenian defenders who have fallen in the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war last fall, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin informed.

The respective requiem service presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, will take place at the Saint Gayane Church in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin).

Aurora to honor the spirit of humanity in Venice

Bedik Zaminian

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 12:54,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has prepared a unique program for the 2021 Aurora Prize Ceremony and accompanying events that will take place in Venice, Italy, on October 8–10, IDeA Foundation said in a statement.

In accordance with the tradition established over the years, every Ceremony features carefully curated cultural impressions honoring the spirit of our shared humanity, and the events in Venice will include some outstanding performances to celebrate modern-day heroes.

On October 9, a “Prayer for Solidarity” will be held in the Church of the Armenian Catholic congregation of Mekhitarists on the San Lazzaro Island, with religious and state leaders and representatives of the international humanitarian community in attendance. The service will be accompanied by live performances.

The 2021 Aurora Prize Ceremony, titled “Reviving Together,” will be hosted by Dalia Atallah, Aurora’s Amal Clooney Scholarship Fellow and UWC Dilijan alumna from Lebanon, and David Ignatius, Associate Editor and Columnist for The Washington Post and long-time friend of Aurora. The title of the event was chosen to reflect the Initiative’s commitment to putting into action the gratitude to those who saved Armenians more than a hundred years ago and helped them revive, as well as to highlight the eternal values of empathy, unity and cooperation that allow us to address the world’s most pressing issues, including the fight against the global pandemic of COVID-19 and its consequences, together.

The Ceremony will feature performances by Aram Ipekdjian and Jivan Gasparyan Jr. playing duduk, a traditional Armenian instrument, as well as by the Hover State Chamber Choir, conducted by Sona Hovhannisyan and famous for its experimental choral performances and promoting the Armenian choral heritage throughout the world.

On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the 2021 Aurora Prize Laureate, whose name is to be announced during the Ceremony, will be honored with a US $1,000,000 award and a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by supporting the organizations that help people in need. The event will culminate in a performance by Maestro Andrea Bocelli, a world-famous Italian opera tenor and philanthropist.

After the Ceremony, according to tradition, the name of the 2021 Aurora Prize Laureate will be added to the Chronicles of Aurora, a unique modern hand-written tome that contains the depictions of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative’s activities. The first manuscript of its kind created using ancient Armenian techniques and materials, it was crafted in 2018 in the Matenadaran, the national repository of ancient manuscripts in Yerevan, Armenia.

In 2021, for the first time since its creation, the Chronicles of Aurora tome will leave the walls of the Matenadaran to be brought to the San Lazzaro Island, one of the world's most prominent centers of Armenian culture, where the first Armenian book was printed in 1512.

The program also includes two Aurora Dialogues events aimed at advancing insightful discussions about some of today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. The first discussion, titled “Conversation with the 2021 Aurora Humanitarians,” will take place on October 8 and give the humanitarians an opportunity to introduce their work and the causes that motivate them. The second one, “Humanitarian Dimensions of Health Security,” is scheduled for October 10 and dedicated to the lessons learned from COVID-19 and necessary to prevent the future pandemics.

In the meantime, nominations are still open for the 2022 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. Until October 31, 2021, any person can submit a nomination for the candidates they believe have overcome great personal challenges to help others.

 

* * *

About the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is a foundation that seeks to address on-the-ground humanitarian challenges around the world with the focus on helping the most destitute. Its mission is rooted in the Armenian history as the Initiative was founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors and strives to transform this experience into a global movement.

All Aurora’s activities are based on the universal concept of Gratitude in Action. It implies that countless people around the world who have received aid in time of crisis can best express their gratitude by offering similar assistance to someone else. By involving Aurora supporters around the world, this will become a global endeavor that will snowball to expand the circle of saviors and most importantly – the number of those saved.

Addressing urgent humanitarian challenges, the Initiative provides a second chance to those who need it the most. True to its vision – “We believe that even in the darkest times, a brighter future is in the hands of those who are committed to giving others help and hope” – Aurora welcomes all who embrace this philosophy.

This commitment aims to promote action-based philanthropy focused on tangible results. This is achieved through the Initiative’s various programs: Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, Aurora for Artsakh, #AraratChallenge movement, Aurora Dialogues, Aurora Grants, Aurora Community, Aurora Index, and the 100 LIVES Initiative.

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have been joined by thousands of supporters and partners. Aurora’s Chair, Dr. Tom Catena, draws on his experience as a surgeon, veteran, humanitarian and the 2017 Aurora Prize laureate to spread the message of Gratitude in Action to a global audience.

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three organizations – the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (New York, USA), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Charitable Foundation (Yerevan, Armenia).

About the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity

The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is a global humanitarian award. Its mission is to recognize and support those who risk their own lives, health or freedom to save the lives, health or freedom of others suffering as a result of violent conflict, atrocity crimes or other major human rights violations. The Aurora Prize Laureate is selected based on the nominee’s demonstration of courage, commitment and impact.

On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, an Aurora Prize Laureate is honored with a US $1,000,000 award, which gives the Laureate a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by supporting the organizations that help people in need.

The Aurora Prize Selection Committee is comprised of Nobel Laureates Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former president of Ireland Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo; Médecins Sans Frontières Co-founder and former foreign minister of France Bernard Kouchner; journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Dele Olojede, former CEO of Unilever and Co-founder and Chair of IMAGINE Paul Polman; human rights activist and Co-founder of The Sentry John Prendergast and President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan Gregorian. The Committee is chaired by the Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London Lord Ara Darzi.

World famous peace and human rights activist Benjamin Ferencz and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney are the Committee’s Honorary Co-Chairs, and its honorary members include two-time President of Costa Rica and Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias; Artistic and General Director of Mariinsky Theatre and Principal Conductor of the Munich Philharmoniker Valery Gergiev and former foreign minister of Australia and President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans.

We honor the memory of Elie Wiesel (1928-2016), inaugural Selection Committee Co-Chair, President of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity; Nobel Laureate.




Active duty reservist killed in fatal accident, says defense ministry

Bedik Zaminian

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 09:51, 14 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. An active duty reservist of the Armenian Armed Forces died after suffering “according to preliminary information a fatal gunshot wound as a result of violation of the rules of organizing combat service”, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.

It said the incident took place around 22:00, September 13 in a military outpost at the south-eastern direction.

The victim is Sergeant Mkrtich Hovakimyan (born 1978).

“An investigation is underway to fully determine the circumstances of the incident,” the Ministry of Defense said and conveyed condolences to the family and friends of the Sergeant.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Masked and armed Azerbaijani servicemen stop bus with Armenian children, check the phones – Ombudsman

Bedik Zaminian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 17 2021
, 22:50

 1 minute read

Masked Azerbaijani servicemen legally stopped a bus with Armenian children on Vorotan road, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan reports.

The Ombudsman has shared footage showing Azerbaijani servicemen, armed and masked, checking children’s phones under the pretext of finding some videos.

The teens aged 15-16 were football players from Artsakh traveling to Armenia.

“The children’s bus was kept for 10-15 minutes. During that time, the Artsakh flag was scraped off the bus with a knife. Azerbaijani sources are proudly sharing the video. But the issue here is the behavior of the Azerbaijani armed forces aimed at intimidating the children and openly terrifying them,” Tatoyan said.

According to him, the video widely shared on Azerbaijani social networks is accompanied by brazen insults to children, calls to kill Armenians, and deep hatred.

“All this is the result of years of Azerbaijan’s state-sponsored anti-Armenian policy. We have documented the evidence,” the Human Rights Defender said.

Watch the video at the link below

Renaud Muselier: In the face of ongoing barbarism Armenians turn to the international law to defend their right to live in peace

Bedik Zaminian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 17 2021

French politician Renaud Muselier, serving as President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has commented on the case filed by Armenia against Azerbaijan before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  

"I support Armenia's case against Azerbaijan filed at the International Court of Justice. Mass killings, torture, the use of chemical weapons and continuous border violations cannot go unpunished.

In the face of the ongoing barbarism, Armenians appeal to the international law, institutions, to defend their right to live in peace in Artsakh and Armenia. The Hague-based  International Court of Justice must now live up to this challenge, and face with dignity the Aliyev-Erdogan axis alongside the Armenians calling on it!" Muselier wrote on his Facebook. 

As reported earlier Armenia filed a case at the ICJ accusing Azerbaijan of violating the international treaty on racial discrimination. 

USAID Armenia Integrity Project launched

Bedik Zaminian

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 14:35,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The USAID Armenia Integrity Project was officially launched today.

The purpose of the USAID-funded 5-year Armenia Integrity Project (AIP) is to reduce opportunities for corruption and reinforce public demand for improved governance and accountability in Armenia. 

Corruption Prevention Commission president Haykuhi Harutyunyan said at the event that shaping a governance system free of corruption where everyone is equal before the law is of key importance for them.

Harutyunyan said that Armenia is moving to a new phase, a more practical arena in fighting corruption.

The US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy and other officials were also in attendance. 

“We are encouraged by the government’s efforts to root out corruption using what is commonly referred to as “the three Ps of anti-corruption”— Prevention, Promotion, and Prosecution.  The Armenia Integrity Project, USAID’s signature anti-corruption initiative, will support the Corruption Prevention Commission and the Ministry of Justice, among other stakeholders, in implementing measures to strengthen integrity in the public sector,” US Ambassador to Armenia Tracy said.

“AIP’s main objective is to support Armenia’s efforts to create a culture that rejects corruption as a social norm.  We are assisting key national level institutions such as the Corruption Prevention Commission and Ministry of Justice, as well as municipal administrations at the marz level, to develop and implement corruption prevention measures.  Additionally, we are supporting civil society organizations, media and youth groups in their efforts to advocate for and promote integrity issues in Armenia,” Lawrence Held, Director of AIP, stated.   

Over the next five years, AIP will focus on three key objectives: strengthening corruption prevention institutions and integrity systems; supporting the implementation of specific legal-regulatory measures for corruption prevention; and facilitation of the collective citizen action approach to hold national and local level government entities engaged in corruption prevention mutually accountable.

Construction of alternative roads in Syunik is planned to be completed in the spring of 2022

Bedik Zaminian

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 19:32,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. , Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan told the reporters in Gyumri.

‘’Before that, the construction of the Kapan-Tatev ground road will be completed. If necessary, the trucks that want to travel in the direction of Kapan-Tatev will be accompanied by the police, as repairs are underway there, and without police escort problems may arise’’, ARMENPRESS reports the Deputy PM said, adding that now many drivers avoid that road, because the trucks are fully loaded and can face undesired situations as a result of a small stone on the road.

Medium-sized cars mainly drive on the Kapan-Tatev road. According to Papikyan, after asphalting, the permeability of the road will increase. The only problem, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, may arise in the part of Tatev called "Devil's Bridge". But the Government will also build an alternative in this direction, in the direction of Tat-Ltsen.

New roads are planned to be built in Syunik from Tatev to Bardzravan, Shurnukh, Chakaten and Vorotan villages.

Azerbaijani press: Air route to Azerbaijan’s liberated Karabakh – Fuzuli International Airport [PHOTO]

Bedik Zaminian
6 September 2021 17:49 (UTC+04:00)
563

By Trend

Under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani army wrote the most glorious page in the history of Azerbaijan about a year ago – Karabakh was liberated following 30 years of occupation.

Large-scale work began in the liberated territories. One of the largest projects was the construction of a new airport in Fuzuli that meets international standards – an air gateway to Karabakh.

On January 14, 2021, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation for the Fuzuli Airport. The length of the runway is 3,000 meters, and the width is 60 meters.

The airport was built within the shortest possible period.

The test flight to Fuzuli international airport was carried out on September 5, and the first passengers of the largest passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) – ‘Karabakh’ were media representatives.

The pilot of the plane, Farid Panahov, also said that he felt a pleasant excitement.

"Indeed, the construction of this airport, fully complying with international standards, is a great success, a historic event," Panahov said.

Fuzuli International Airport will play an important role in the development of Azerbaijan's economy, domestic and foreign tourism.

The opening of the airport also means keeping people busy.

Vice-president of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Eldar Hajiyev said that operation of the airport at full capacity will become possible by the end of September.

Thus, reconstruction work in Karabakh continues at a rapid pace. After the construction of the airport, objects and houses ruined by Armenians will be restored.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz  

Despite positive rhetoric, Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks a distant prospect

Bedik Zaminian
EurasiaNet.org
Sept 2 2021
Joshua Kucera Sep 2, 2021
Russian peacekeepers in Lachin this summer (Russian Defense Ministry)

For months, Azerbaijani officials have been talking up the need to reach a comprehensive peace deal with Armenia to finally resolve their decades-long conflict. “If we do not have a peace agreement with Armenia, it means that there is no peace,” President Ilham Aliyev said in June. In recent weeks Armenia has begun to make similar proposals; Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said repeatedly that “the negotiating process should be resumed in full.”

But the prospect of the two leaders sitting at the negotiating table nevertheless remains a distant one.

As much as last year’s war dramatically shifted the dynamics of the conflict, the fundamental disagreement that has divided the two sides since the 1980s remains the same: the status of the Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

While the Armenian side has effectively given up its claim on the seven Azerbaijani territories it formerly occupied surrounding the Soviet-era Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, it continues to demand Armenian control over Nagorno-Karabakh itself, including the parts over which Azerbaijan regained control last year, such as Shusha and Hadrut. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, has said it will no longer entertain even any sort of autonomous status for Karabakh’s Armenians inside Azerbaijan, let alone any Armenian sovereignty over Karabakh.

Both sides have presented their positions on the future as red lines which they will not cross, making the prospect of real negotiations a faint one.

“That’s the challenge for any mediator here, you have what appear to be completely mutually exclusive positions and completely contrary narratives,” a senior diplomat familiar with the negotiations told Eurasianet on condition of anonymity. “And we need to find some way through that. That’s the reality right now. Neither side is going to be bullied into changing their position.”

Last year’s 44-day war ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire statement that stipulated the return of many territories to Azerbaijan, the unblocking of transportation routes between the two sides, and a Russian peacekeeping force to monitor the new order. To finally resolve the conflict, however, will require a comprehensive peace deal.

Before last year’s war, the negotiations aimed at reaching such a deal were mediated by the OSCE’s Minsk Group, led by France, Russia, and the United States. But that body has been sidelined as a result of the war, and Russia has assumed the dominant role in mediating.

Russian President Vladimir Putin co-signed last year’s ceasefire, and a tripartite commission consisting of the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia are working out the practical implementation of the agreement, in particular the reopening of transportation links around the region. (That commission had suspended its work in the spring amid rising tensions, but on August 17 resumed operations with a meeting in Moscow.)

The Minsk Group co-chairs have continued to offer their services for more substantial negotiations, and Armenian officials’ recent statements have emphasized the role they hope the group plays in potential talks. “If negotiations begin some time, a part of them will have to be on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, on the basis of the already determined principles of the OSCE Minsk Group,” said Ararat Mirzoyan, Armenia’s newly appointed foreign minister, during an August 31 visit to Moscow.

This is a shift for Armenia and for the Pashinyan government in particular; previously the Minsk Group’s operating framework – known generally as the Madrid Principles – was politically toxic in Armenia. But that was before the most unacceptable element of the principles, the return to Azerbaijan of the occupied territories surrounding Karabakh, was rendered moot by Azerbaijan’s military victory last year.

Azerbaijan, meanwhile, has in the post-war period been heaping scorn on the Minsk Group, complaining that international mediators failed to solve the conflict for nearly three decades and deeming the body irrelevant. But Baku has not been as explicit about who it sees as a potential replacement mediator, if any.

“For now, I think Russia” is Baku’s preferred broker, said Fariz Ismailzade, the vice rector of Baku’s ADA University. The sticking point is France, which has increasingly taken pro-Armenian positions in the conflict, Ismailzade said. “But if France softens up and focuses on the issue of integrating Armenians into Azerbaijan rather than the status issue, then the Minsk Group can come back again,” he told Eurasianet.

While Azerbaijan’s position is that the question of the status of Karabakh’s Armenians is already resolved – they are citizens of Azerbaijan just like any other and all that remains is to integrate them – that is belied by the situation the ground, where a 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping force is deployed in the territory that is still de facto administered by the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

“The reality on the ground is that Azerbaijan does not have control of that territory right now; it’s being controlled by Russian troops,” the diplomat said. “Until Azerbaijan physically has control over that territory and that population, there is still an issue that needs to be resolved.”

According to the ceasefire agreement, the Russian peacekeepers are to remain in Karabakh until 2025, with a possible extension that either side could veto. Azerbaijan would have an obvious interest in blocking the extension, as it would then have a relatively free hand to assert its full control over the region.

But the diplomat said it was unlikely the Russians would leave without being confident that the Karabakh Armenians’ security and identity were ensured. 

“What happens at the end of the five-year mandate is a very open question,” the diplomat said. “It’s hard to imagine a situation where the Russians decide to leave and leave the Armenian community of Karabakh exposed. If, between now and then, there can be a resolution of their situation so that there is no longer a need for protection, that would be the optimal outcome. But that requires a huge increase in the trust level, which just doesn’t exist right now.”

While the two sides still maintain incompatible positions on the question of Karabakh’s status, there can still be some room for would-be mediators to bring the sides together, in particular helping them delineate and demarcate their border. But here, too, the negotiations run up against another disagreement that parallels one of the fundamental disputes from before the war: whether to resolve issues in phases or all at once in a package deal.

“Some of the very delicate discussions going on now are, is it possible to engage in a way that addresses the issues like the border, that everyone agrees need to be addressed, and puts off the more difficult discussions until later,” the diplomat said. “Is there a way to do that that doesn’t take it off the table entirely? At what point does that issue get addressed?”

For now, despite the stated readiness to talk to each other, both sides are more talking past each other and making their respective cases to external audiences, the diplomat said.

“Both sides are still sensing how far they can go in getting what they want, getting support from the international community. I do think that both sides fundamentally want to have a peaceful path to the future for their people, and they realize they can’t get that without resolving the issues they now face,” the diplomat said. “But we’ve got to get through this very difficult impasse first. That’s where negotiators really can help, but it’s going to take some time before the sides are prepared to really come to the table seriously and engage.”

 

Joshua Kucera is the Turkey/Caucasus editor at Eurasianet, and author of .

https://eurasianet.org/despite-positive-rhetoric-armenia-azerbaijan-peace-talks-a-distant-prospect

California Assembly panel passes resolution on sister state relationship with Armenia’s Syunik

Bedik Zaminian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 3 2021


September 3, 2021, 10:16

 

Massis Post – Assemblymember Chris Holden’s resolution, ACR 105, that establishes a sister state relationship between California and the Armenian Province of Syunik – the southernmost province in Armenia, passed the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy on Thursday.

The resolution declares California’s solidarity with Syunik and will encourage and facilitate mutually beneficial educational, economic, and cultural exchanges. The resolution is joint authored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, and coauthored by Assemblymembers Lisa Calderon, Laura Friedman, Vince Fong, Jesse Gabriel, Christina Garcia, Mike Gipson, Tom Lackey, Kevin Mullin, Luz Rivas, and Senators Bob Archuleta, Andreas Borgeas, Maria Elena Durazo, Bob Hertzberg, and Anthony Portantino.

“For thousands of years, the state of Syunik has had profound historical and cultural significance for Armenia and the world,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “Strengthening our relationship with the Syunik comes at a critical time as regional powers like Azerbaijan and Turkey pose a threat to its existence.”

“I enthusiastically thank Assemblymember Chris Holden for initiating this resolution of paramount importance,” said Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles, Ambassador Armen Bairbourtian. “The establishment of a California-Syunik Sister State relationship will develop a multidimensional partnership between the U.S. State of California and the Armenian Province of Syunik. My gratitude also goes to all the state legislators supporting the resolution.”

State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) released a statement in support of the measure.

“Today’s resolution adopting the Province of Syunik as California’s sister state is an important declaration of friendship and I am proud to support this endeavor. Many of my neighbors and constituents have family and friends living in Syunik. ACR 105 serves as a connecting bridge to the Province of Syunik and I am confident the relationship will bring prosperity for both regions and facilitate mutually beneficial educational, economic, and cultural exchanges. In 2019, I introduced SB 302 to re-establish the California-Armenia Trade Office in hopes of building a vibrant business relationship between California and Armenia. Governor Newsom signed an agreement to establish the first California Trade and Services Desk in Armenia. The formal MOU between GO-Biz and Impact Hub Yerevan was signed earlier this year. The establishment of a sister state relationship is a continuation of our efforts to strengthen ties with Armenia and represents the strong bond between people of California and Armenia.”

Syunik is one of the original provinces of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia and is currently bordered by Artsakh or Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Syunik is home to the Armenian Stonehenge, Karahounj, that dates back to the bronze age; The Ughtasar Mountain petroglyphs that are 7,000 years old; the 9th Century Tatev Monastery that served as a center of scholastic and spiritual activity. The most populated town in the province is its capital, Kapan with 43,000 residents.

The full text of the resolution, which will be next be heard on the Assembly Floor, can be found here: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220ACR105