WEB DESK
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday announced that there will be a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on joint official statements adopted at the highest level. Armenia and Azerbaijan, both ex-Soviet states, have been engaged in two wars since their independence.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Ground Force commander visited border regions in the northwest near Armenia and Azerbaijan where tensions between the two Transcaucasian countries have spiked.
Brigadier-General Mohammad Pakpour visited an area under control of IRGC’s Ashura camp located around the common borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, where a resumption of military conflict is feared. The two countries fought a war in 2020 over disputed territories and Yerevan has accused Baku of recent border incursions.
Although the Islamic Republic says it is neutral in the conflict but it has warned it would not tolerate changes to international borders.
Iranian media have reported in recent weeks that Azerbaijan is preparing for a potential attack on Armenia, without elaborating on the details. Earlier in the week, Aftab News, a website believed to be close to former President Hassan Rouhani and the Moderation and Development Party, quoted Baku’s Ambassador to Iran Ali Alizada as criticizing “smuggling of military supplies into Khankendi by Armenian separatists.” The area is called Stepanakert in Armenia. “Time to act,” he urged.
Earlier in the month, Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan summoned the Iranian ambassador in Baku to protest the flight of an Iranian warplane on the border of the two countries. Ambassador Abbas Mousavi was told that the warplane continuously flew near the Azerbaijani border for more than 40 minutes at a distance of 3-5 kilometers on March 11.
After a gunman assaulted Azerbaijan’s embassy in capital Tehran, Baku says it is evacuating staff and family members from the country. The incident came amid increased tensions between the neighboring countries triggered by territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia and Yerevan as well as over Baku's decision this month to appoint its first ever ambassador to Israel.
Iran is dangerously implicated in regional tensions centered on Azerbaijan-Armenia that are exacerbated by fall-out from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202303243113
March is Women's History Month
BY SAREEN KASPARIAN
March welcomes spring with longer and warmer days, when trees sprout new leaves and colorful flowers bloom, but March is also designated as Women’s History Month in the United States, a month set aside to honor women’s contributions in history.
As I identify independent, successful, and educated women as role models, I learn from their experiences and proudly reflect on their accomplishments. In my own life, I admire my mom, who finds a way to balance it all– from a demanding career to family life to community service. As a student, I look up to Rita Kaprielian, a distinguished and passionate educator and leader who recently received a medal of honor from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos for 40 years of service.
In a wider view, I find inspiration in famed entrepreneur Carolyn Rafaelian, founder of Alex and Ani jewelry company, who uses her company and status to raise awareness for Armenia. I find inspiration in elected officials like Rep. Anna Eshoo and Rep. Jackie Speier, who represent and support the Armenian American community in the halls of Congress.
Of course, we can’t forget the Kardashian empire. Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé have a massive impact on popular culture, with a social media following that numbers in the millions. Through various channels, they raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh by sharing personal sentiments and posts from organizations like the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and community advocates like Eric Esrailian.
Although contributions by the rich, powerful, and famous are impactful and important, they don’t diminish the incredible accomplishments of two women whom I idolize even more today for their heroism in and for Artsakh.
Lara Setrakian’s career as a recognized and prominent journalist and news correspondent is noteworthy in and of itself. However, what truly sets her apart is her role as the voice of change. Determined to shine international light on one of the deadliest conflicts of modern time, Setrakian was one of the first journalists to cover the “bloody battle” of Artsakh, an unknown region to the world of media. As I watched her interview with Ali Velshi from MSNBC News, I was captivated by her poise, passion and purpose.
In another interview with Robert Nicholson, Setrakian shares parts of her personal life as a mother and journalist and why she and her family returned to Armenia amid mounting tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Setrakian’s impressive resume, which includes a Harvard degree, former role as a Middle East correspondent for Bloomberg TV and ABC, founder of News Deeply and her current position as President of the Applied Policy Research Institute in Yerevan, makes her a widely recognized and respected expert. Her commitment to reporting with honesty and integrity has earned her a reputation for excellence in the field. “When asked to tell human stories from the Lachin Corridor crisis, I naturally obliged. Covering underreported stories through the people on the ground has been my guiding principle as a journalist,” wrote Setrakian.
And then there’s Dr. Biayna Sukhudyan, a modern day Sose Mayrig. While her battle is different, she demonstrates the same selflessness and dedication, embodying qualities of strength, nurturance and love. Sukhudyan is the Chief of Neurology and Epilepsy Service at Arabkir Medical Center in Yerevan. In March 2021, Sukhudyan and her colleagues launched a medical program to serve patients in war-torn Artsakh. This included traveling to Artsakh for a week every two months as well as ongoing online support to doctors, medical staff, and patients. However, her most recent trip was out of the ordinary.
Leaving her family in Yerevan, Sukhudyan departed on December 11th and was not able to return home because of the blockade. In an interview with Billy Hallowell, Senior Writer of Faithwire.com, Sukhudyan shares her experience as a physician struggling to help her patients with severe medical conditions with limited resources– and often times deprived of food, gas and medications.
“During this period of blockade, some particularly difficult operations which would never have been carried out under normal conditions were nevertheless carried out” said Sukhudyan. It makes Sukhudyan very nervous when she thinks about the continuation of the blockade. “With no road or air access, medications and specialists, this situation is catastrophic. Something must be done. We cannot wait for the next genocide… because this is genocide.”
Although Sukhudyan was stranded in Artsakh for more than 30 days, she embraced her ties to the people of Artsakh. “We are separated from our families and patients in Yerevan, but on the other hand, it would be very difficult for us to leave here (Artsakh) and go.”
Sareen Kasparian is currently a junior at Crescenta Valley High School and a member of the Pasadena Nigol Touman chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation. Teachable Moments is a knowledge exchange, a column dedicated to sharing generational insight as we intertwine experience and reasoning with modern day problems and solutions.
09:20,
YEREVAN, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan plans to visit the Baltic states next week.
Grigoryan’s office announced on Thursday that he will travel to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia on March 27-31 to hold “working meetings”.
14:29, 13 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan said Monday that the fact that a criminal investigation into alleged abuse in the COVID-19 response has been launched shows that there are no privileged ones within the current administration.
Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Gevorg Simonyan, who was the Deputy Minister of Healthcare during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as 10 others are under criminal investigation for alleged misuse of funds.
“This is what the fight against corruption is all about, where there are no privileged ones, where there are no any guarantees for persons or officials of the political team. I am only happy that such discussions exist, with this kind of criminal proceedings the entire state apparatus and municipal staffers realize that there is an uncompromised fight against corruption taking place. If a person has committed a crime they will be held to account in our country,” Minasyan told reporters, emphasizing that the fight against corruption is the Pashinyan Administration’s hallmark.
The events of Smyrna, also known as the Smyrna Holocaust in the Greek community was the culmination of not only the Greco-Turkish War, but also what remained of the 3000 year old Hellenic community of the Ionian region of Asia Minor. The film explores the once thriving merchant city into its collapse, which still leaves scars in the Greek community and a level of distrust between both Athens and Ankara.
The movie opens up explaining how Smyrna was the cultural epicenter of the Ottoman Empire where Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Jews, and Levantines all lived in peace for hundreds of years. Despite the century’s long peace, there was a calm before the storm—hatred had brewed against the Greeks of the city as the Hellenic Kingdom had expanded its borders in the Balkan Wars and Anatolian Greeks had hoped they would eventually unite with their motherland.
Turkish citizens started to grow resentment towards the Smyrna Greeks, as they were the wealthiest in the city compared to the Muslims who didn’t have the opportunity to advance much in the empire aside from military conscription. The Young Turks and the Kemalists would later use the socioeconomic issues to their advantage, as Anatolian Greeks were increasingly seen as “fifth column” akin to the Armenians in 1915.
As Ionian Greeks in Smyrna were largely spared from the genocide until 1922, the movie highlighted other massacres that took place, such as the Phocaea Massacre of 1914 and Greek refugees from Bursa in Central Anatolia who came to the metropolis for safety. The Greek Genocide had started in Eastern Thrace in 1914 and would eventually make its way across Asia Minor where many Ionians would not know the horrors until it was too late.
Despite highlighting the Greek Genocide, the movie also showed the horror of war and the continuous cycle of violence. The Greco-Turkish War was filled with massacres from both sides as Hellenic troops razed Turkish villages during their Asia Minor Campaign in revenge for prior Greek massacres and in return, the Kemalists took their revenge on their counteroffensive all the way to the Smyrna, which the Armenian and Greek Quarters were set ablaze. This was emphasized in a dialogue during the movie between two of the main actors, one Greek and the other Turkish who the latter was heartbroken at the massacres but in the end died alongside protecting the Smyrna family he served.
What caught my eyes the most regarding the movie was that it explored power dynamics during the Greek constitutional crisis, dirty geopolitics, and how the Entente secured their own interests in Turkey at the expense of the indigenous Christians. As Greeks of Asia Minor supported a territorial annexation to their homeland of Greece, the Hellenic Kingdom had other ideas.
Behind the scenes, there was a power struggle between the Venizelos faction which was for the Megali Idea and pro Anglophile and the royalists, the latter which was more pro neutral and Germanophile that didn’t care much about the Anatolian Greeks. Towards the end you can see this by how the Soviets armed the Kemalists, while the British, French, Italians, and Americans did nothing to stop the sacking of Smyrna to keep their ‘interests’ in Turkey.
The tragedy of what happened to Smyrna would later be seen in the historic and multicultural city of Sarajevo. The heart of the Balkans, Sarajevo incorporated Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, Jews, and others and the city once thrived under Ottoman rule akin to Smyrna. Ethnic tensions would see most of the city destroyed, and even though rebuilt, you can still see scars of the massacres that took place in the Bosnian War.
Overall, Smyrna is a powerful yet tragic movie, based on the events at the final stage of the Greek Genocide and Greco-Turkish War. Today, descendants of the Greek community of Asia Minor commemorate the tragedy and the once unified presence of Greeks and Turks of Smyrna remains broken with grievances and an animosity that unfortunately will not go away any time soon.
The Greek Government, which has took precedence to recognize separate regions of the genocide in different days owes it to the victims of not just Smyrna, but Bithynia, Constantinople, Caesarea, Cilicia, Trebizond, Nicomedia, Adrianople, and other to recognize their own genocide as universal. One thing that has kept the world from recognizing the Greek Genocide is due to Athens not recognizing it themselves, and therefore telling their people and the world that they have not taken educating the world of their tragedy seriously.
[The Great Fire of Smyrna, via Wikimedia Commons]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Julian McBride is a forensic anthropologist and independent journalist born in New York. He is the founder and director of the Reflections of War Initiative (ROW), an anthropological NGO which aims to tell the stories of the victims of war through art therapy. As a former Marine, he uses this technique not only to help heal PTSD but also to share people’s stories through art, which conveys “the message of the brutality of war better than most news organizations.”
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Russia Criticizes ‘Bellicose Rhetoric’ On Karabakh
RUSSIA - Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova speaks during a
news briefing in Moscow, Jamiary 20, 2022.
Russia criticized “bellicose” statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on
Thursday two days after Azerbaijan threatened to take “resolute” actions against
Karabakh Armenian forces.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry threatened to “disarm and neutralize” them as
it accused Armenia of continuing to send military personnel and weapons to
Karabakh. It also alleged that Russian peacekeepers escorted on Tuesday a convoy
of Armenian and Karabakh military trucks along a dirt road close to a section of
the Lachin corridor blocked by Azerbaijani protesters since December.
The authorities in Yerevan and Stepanakert were quick to reject the allegations.
Moscow has still not reacted to them.
“Bellicose rhetoric from any side is counterproductive,” Maria Zakharova, the
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told a news briefing in Moscow. “It does
not help advance the peace agenda.”
“We proceed from the fact that Baku and Yerevan must strictly comply with all
the provisions of the tripartite [Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani] agreements at
the highest level, including on ensuring security in Nagorno-Karabakh and using
the Lachin corridor,” added Zakharova.
The 2020 ceasefire agreement brokered Moscow placed the corridor under the
control of Russian peacekeepers and committed Baku to guaranteeing free passage
through it.
The Armenian side regards the three-month Azerbaijani blockade of the sole road
connecting Karabakh to Armenia as a gross violation of that agreement. It
maintains that Baku’s desire to set up an Azerbaijani checkpoint there also runs
counter to the truce accord.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov similarly indicated Moscow’s opposition
to the checkpoint when he visited Baku last week.
Zakharova on Thursday also said: “We also believe that de-escalation of the
current situation would be facilitated by official Yerevan’s active
participation in the search for mutually acceptable solutions.”
She appeared to allude to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s reluctance
to hold a trilateral meeting with Lavrov and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun
Bayramov.
The three ministers were scheduled to meet in Moscow in late December. Mirzoyan
cancelled the talks at the last minute in protest against the Azerbaijani
blockade of the Lachin corridor.
Lavrov said in Baku that he still stands ready to host the talks. He noted that
Yerevan “has not yet given its final consent.”
Armenia Hit By Measles Outbreak
• Robert Zargarian
U.S. - A vial of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is pictured at
the International Community Health Services clinic in Seattle, March 20, 2019.
Health authorities are scrambling to contain the first major outbreak of measles
in Armenia in almost eight years.
The total number of measles cases recorded by them has doubled to 43 in the past
week. Most of the persons infected with the highly contagious virus are
children, according to the Ministry of Health. Seventeen patients have been
hospitalized so far.
“We have not yet gone beyond the bounds of a local outbreak,” Health Minister
Anahit Avanesian told reporters on Thursday. “But we will have a clearer picture
of the trend at the end of the week.”
Vaccination is the most effective way of preventing the spread of the acute
respiratory disease. Armenian children have long received two doses of a measles
vaccine: the first at 12 months of age and a second between 4 and 6 years old.
The South Caucasus country’s vaccination rate is estimated at 95 percent, which
should be enough to prevent a nationwide epidemic.
In recent days, the Ministry of Health has repeatedly urged unvaccinated
Armenians to get inoculated against measles.
In a joint report released last November, the World Health Organization (WHO)
and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned of “an imminent threat of
measles spreading to different regions around the world” because of a “steady
decline in vaccination coverage and weakened surveillance of the disease” caused
by the coronavirus pandemic.
The WHO already recorded last year an increase in large measles outbreaks around
the world.
Pashinian Backs Dialogue Between Baku, Stepanakert
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at a cabinet meeting in Yerevan,
January 12, 2023.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday called for more contacts between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh while accusing Baku of planning new attacks on
the Armenian-populated region.
Pashinian again described Sunday’s armed incident near Stepanakert, which left
three Karabakh Armenian police officers and two Azerbaijani soldiers dead, as an
Azerbaijani “terrorist act.” He said that that it was aimed at torpedoing
dialogue between Azerbaijani and Karabakh officials and preparing the ground for
a “new military provocation.”
Pashinian stressed that despite the deadly violence Karabakh’s leadership issued
on Wednesday an “extremely important” statement expressing readiness for further
talks with Baku.
“I think it is necessary to create reliable international mechanisms for
uninterrupted and institutional conversations between Baku and Stepanakert,” he
added during a weekly session of his cabinet.
He did not elaborate on those mechanisms sought by Yerevan.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry likewise charged on Wednesday that Azerbaijan is
gearing up for “new aggression” with false claims about shipments of Armenian
military personnel and weapons to Karabakh.
Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed that Russian
peacekeepers escorted a convoy of Armenian and Karabakh military trucks along a
dirt road running parallel to a section of the Lachin corridor blocked by
Azerbaijani protesters since December. The Armenian side dismissed the claim as
“disinformation.”
On Thursday, the Defense Ministry in Baku accused Armenian forces of firing
overnight at Azerbaijani troops deployed along Azerbaijan’s border with Armenia
and in Karabakh. Armenia’s Defense Ministry and the Karabakh Armenian army
strongly denied violating the ceasefire.
A senior European Union diplomat said later in the day that he is “greatly
concerned about the recent deadly clash and renewed reports of shootings.”
“No justification for violence; all issues need to be addressed through
negotiations only,” tweeted Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special representative to the
South Caucasus.
Klaar visited Yerevan and Baku late last month to discuss the possibility of
another meeting between Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev which
EU chief Charles Michel offered to host in Brussels.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian American university students have until February 22nd to apply for the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)’s “Rising Leaders: Career Development and Civic Education” Program, which will introduce young Armenians to Washington, DC’s advocacy, policy, politics and media opportunities through a unique three-day immersion program. The program is a collaboration between the ANCA and Armenian Youth Federation Eastern and Western United states.
Two participation options are available for university students – March 12th to 14th, 2023, and March 26th to 28th, 2023 – to coincide with the two major Spring Break timelines at most universities. The top 25 applicants, based on academic excellence and proven community youth leadership, will be chosen for each session. Students who are chosen for the program have two participation options – one that offers housing for the 3-day program ($100) and the other which includes program fees alone ($25). Students are responsible for travel to and from Washington, DC. Financial aid will be provided based on need and availability.
For more information, email [email protected] or simply apply today by visiting anca.org/risingleaders.
Alumni of the 2022 ANCA Rising Leaders sessions discussed the impact of the program – both in terms of career development and community activism.
Leana Hacopian of the AYF New Jersey Arsen Chapter explains, “The ANCA Rising Leaders Program was one of the most inspiring programs that I have been a part of. No matter the background of the student, the skills that we all learned are applicable to every aspect of daily life. Most importantly, the program inspired us to take action and become effective advocates for a better and safer Armenia and Artsakh.”
Aram Parnagian of the AYF Manhattan “Moush” chapter noted, “The ANCA rising leaders program provided me with experiences that taught me about the details of American democracy and how to advance the Armenian Cause through that system.”
Aram Apanian of the AYF Hollywood “Musa Ler” chapter noted, “The ANCA Rising Leaders program was a unique opportunity to learn about civic activism and how to promote Pro-Armenia and Artsakh issues within our nation’s capital. The high caliber of speakers I learned from gave me insight into key topics such as lobbying, professional development, and public speaking. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this program which reaffirmed my belief in the importance of the ANCA’s work.”
Nyrah Balabanian of the AYF New Jersey “Arsen” chapter stated, “The ANCA Rising Leaders program gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of Armenian-American policy priorities and practice using my rights as a citizen to learn how to answer the call to action. I definitely recommend this program to anyone who is interested in sharpening their skills and gaining valuable information about the ins and outs of Washington DC.”
Lar Tabakian of the AYF Pasadena “Nigol Touman” chapter concurred, noting, “The ANCA Rising Leaders program opened my eyes to the array of possibilities on Capitol Hill. It ignited the fire within me to utilize my position as a constituent to advance the Armenian Cause on American soil. After the program, I became truly inspired by the work of the ANCA and participated in its Leo Sarkisian Internship this past summer.”
The 2023 sessions will begin Sunday with a full day of interactive presentations by the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program Advisory Committee (CGPAC) focusing on career search fundamentals, from resume preparation and networking 101 to an overview of the Washington, DC internship and job market. Monday activities will include meetings with policy, political, and media professionals, including current and former federal agency and Congressional staff, to discuss careers in the nation’s capital. Those will be followed by an extended session with ANCA team members on advancing community priorities on the federal, state, and local levels. The seminar will be capped off with the Lucine Kouchakdjian Capitol Hill Day, a full day of Capitol Hill discussions with Members of Congress and staff on strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties, supporting Artsakh freedom, and securing justice for the Armenian Genocide.
Throughout the program, ample opportunities will be provided to explore Washington, DC, and make new friends.
The program is made possible, in large part, through a generous contribution by longtime ANCA supporter Dean Shahinian is again the major sponsor of this unique youth development program along with the family and friends of Lucine Kouchakdjian.
Dean Shahinian served in the federal government in various capacities for over 30 years, including 16 years at the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, where he worked with Committee Chairs on numerous bills and laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act. In the Armenian community, he has served on the boards of St. Nersess Seminary and the Armenian Students Association. He has also served multiple terms on the Diocesan Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
For dozens of years, living in the Washington, DC area – in addition to her cultural, education, and charitable work with a broad range of community organizations – Lucine Zadoian Kouchakdjian organized highly effective ANCA campaigns to foster a forward-leaning spirit of civic responsibility among Armenian Americans across the nation’s capital. The Rising Leaders Capitol Hill day was named in memory of her lifetime of service to the Armenian Cause following her passing earlier this year.
16:22,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is underway in Munich.
Later tonight, the Armenian Prime Minister will also participate in a panel discussion alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the Secretary General of the OSCE Helga Schmid at the Munich Security Conference.
In the latest episode of Insights with Eric Hacopian, Eric discusses the worsening humanitarian crisis in Artsakh and the European Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee’s latest Armenia report . Eric also gives his take on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s response to last week’s earthquake and the political fallout there.