Author: Eduard Nalbandian

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Kristian Vigenin, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus.

President Sargsyan said Armenia appreciates the OSCE role as an important pan-European security organization and as a significant platform for equal dialogue between participating states. According to the President, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly provides broad perspectives for contacts and cooperation between parliamentarians.

Kristian Vigenin first congratulated the Armenian President for the important step toward the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue taken in Vienna.

The OSCE PA Special Representative noted, however, that great efforts are still needed for achieving lasting peace.  He added that “the OSCE PA sees its role in supporting the efforts towards establishment of peace.”

“I reiterate that for the OSCE PA there is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict, and the Parliamentary Assembly fully supports the actions of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,” Kristian Vigenin said.

Twice-postponed Armenian Genocide draft will be brought to Bundestag’s agenda on June 2. Green Party member and Vice President of the Bundestag Claudia Roth spoke to . Reminding that Ambassador of Turkey to Germany Hüseyin Avni Karslıoğlu warned Bundestag about the draft, Roth said, “We don’t accept it. I hope the groups in the parliament won’t obey Turkey once again and the draft will be accepted as planned.”

With “Erdowie, Erdowo, Erdogan” video clip and Erdoğan’s lawsuit against comedian Böhmermann, freedom of expression and oppression on press in Turkey came to the fore in German public agenda. Though EU countries, especially Chancellor Merkel, seemingly evaded the responsibility by signing the Readmission Agreement with Turkey, the German public opinion is divided over this issue. While the ruling coalition followers and right-wing support the agreement, liberals and and left-wing criticize it because it is done at the cost of the lives of the refugees and EU connives at the violation of rights in Turkey. In the midst of these discussions, Berlin-based national newspaper Die Tageszeitung issued a special supplement focusing on freedom of press in Turkey on May 3 World Press Freedom Day. In order to prepare this issue, which includes articles from Turkish journalists and published in Turkish-German for the first time in German press history, 2 editors from Turkey, including me, was invited. This 16-paged supplement was published with “Uncensored” title and on the day it was published, a panel discussion on freedom of press in Turkey was held. Die Welt Turkey representative Deniz Yücel and the Vice President of the Bundestag Claudia Roth gave speeches at the session.

It is no coincidence that Green Party member and Vice President of the Bundestag Claudia Roth attended this session. Working for Turkey’s EU membership since 1989, Roth was one of the Bundestag members who brought the grave human rights violations in Turkey during ’90s to the parliamentary agenda. In 2013, during Gezi Park protests, she was subjected to police brutality. During the recent years, she became the leading critics of Turkey’s governmental policies.

We spoke to Claudia Roth about Armenian Genocide draft, Germany’s responsibility in the genocide and the meaning of the Readmission Agreement in terms of German-Turkish relations.

It is announced that the draft concerning the Armenian Genocide will be brought to the parliamentary agenda on June 2. Do you think that it will be accepted this time?

It’s about time. The draft hasn’t been brought to the agenda sooner because of Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU); it is not our fault. We wanted it to be accepted last year, on the centennial of the genocide. On the anniversary of the genocide, President Joachim Gauck and the President of Bundestag Norbert Lammert used the word “genocide”. We said that we will prepare a draft that all parliamentary groups would accept. However, the other groups didn’t do this, they tried to postpone it. And now, CDU leader promised that a common draft will be brought to the agenda on June 2. On the other hand, we saw on the newspapers that Turkey Ambassador to Germany warned our parliament about this draft. He said, “Calling it genocide is not under the authority of a foreign parliament.” I hope the groups in the parliament won’t obey Turkey once again and the draft will be accepted as planned.

What do you think about this warning?

This attitude is incomprehensible for me. An ambassador warns Bundestag openly. We don’t accept it. No embassy and no government can threaten us. What we discuss or how we resolve an issue is at our disposal. I hope CDU and SPD will keep their promise, vote for the draft and define what happened in 1915. And this definition can be nothing but genocide. We are already late; we should have accepted it last year. However, SPD thought that it might constitute an obstacle to the Readmission Agreement. It is impossible to postpone it further.

What will Bundestag’s recognition of the genocide mean?

Recognition will pave the way for discussing our responsibility, because Germany is also responsible for what happened. German Monarchy was an ally of Turkey; they didn’t do anything for preventing the genocide, though they knew everything about it. We have to confront our past.

Germany’s role in the genocide has came to be discussed more and more both in Turkey and Germany. Is this also a topic of public discussions?

Especially on the centennial, this issue was intensely discussed. However, it started long before the centennial. I remember that Hrant Dink came to Germany and attended some panel discussions about 10 years ago. I personally discussed this issue with him. We were talking about whether it is necessary to insist on defining the events as genocide. He said that opening the issue up for discussion is more important. However, 10 years passed and Hrant Dink was murdered. Today, I think that calling it genocide is also our responsibility to Hrant Dink. So, we will discuss this issue and say that what happened is genocide. And there is another reason that makes it so important: the Armenian Genocide is accepted as the first genocide in 20^th century, but Germany is responsible for another genocide, which was committed 11 years before the Armenian Genocide. The country that is known as Namibia today was a colony called German South-West Africa. And in1904-1907, Germany carried out a genocide against indigenous Herero and Nama people. We think that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide will enable the discussion of Herero genocide and Germany will also accept its responsibility for it too. As a result of our efforts, German Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognized the Herero Genocide. However, this is not enough, because nothing has been done for reconciliation yet.

Especially in the recent period, human rights violations in Turkey is begun to be discussed in Germany. On the other hand, there are criticisms against EU countries on the ground that they connive at what is happening in Turkey because of the refugee agreement. As a politician, do you think that German Parliament should criticize itself?

Yes, a self-criticism is necessary. When Erdoğan came to power at first, left-wing and liberals in Turkey was supporting him. There was a peace process and we thought that a new period is about to start in Turkey. However, on this point, the self-criticism should be about the EU membership process of Turkey. We, as EU and Germany, haven’t made enough effort for Turkey’s full membership. Such an effort would have led to democratic reforms. We didn’t insist on this process and find the membership convincing and this was a huge mistake in terms of the relations with Turkey. Offering “privileged partnership” instead of full membership doesn’t mean anything. At the end of this process, Turkey became more alienated from the idea of EU membership. Preventing Turkey’s full membership but signing an agreement with it for protecting the “Europe castle” is nothing but hypocrisy. What was our contribution to the escalation of autocracy in Turkey? Did we sell out the democrats, journalists and opponents in Turkey by signing this agreement? Did we sell out democracy? Did we connive at what happened? We should discuss these issues.  

“We feel much more secure, it was great this time. I just need to fix the in-ears, that’s the only thing. Everyone is taking good care of me here”, Iveta commented on her second rehearsal in the press conference of the Armenian delegation.

Iveta Mukuchyan’s musical repertoire includes songs in several languages. “I also sing in Armenian language, and we have more plans to mix it with those groove sounds. As to German, I think it’s more difficult even though sometimes I wanna sing in German, when I want to express my emotions. We have a couple of songs in German but I haven’t released them yet.”

“The German show business is different. Buying CDs is over, live gigs are more important”, Iveta explains the music scene of her home country Germany. “The feedback of Germans and Europeans in general has been amazing, I never imagined that before.”

“We had Swedish composers in our national selection but in the end of the day, somehow the whole team just decided to take LoveWave, which was written by Armenian authors. The only reason was that it was tailored to me”, Iveta states on her choice of song.

The history of Armenia is closely connected with Byzantium and Greece, through common course and tragic events. The Athens-based Byzantine and Christian Museum, hosts the exhibition “Armenia: The spirit of Ararat, from the Bronze Age to the 20th century,” organized in collaboration with the History Museum of Armenia and the Embassy of Armenia in Greece.

Director of the Byzantine and Christian Museum Mrs. Katerina Delaporta told that “the exhibition includes 104 items, starting from prehistoric times, findings that emerged from excavations of the Hellenistic and Roman period to digital material from the modern history of Armenia, presenting the destruction of monuments and the Armenian Genocide.”

It is the first time that archaeological treasures of Armenia are on display in Greece. Visitors will certainly find the historic link between the two countries.

Armenians made their presence felt both in Europe and the Middle and Far East and India and China. This geographic expansion of their commercial networks, particularly to the east, influenced their cultural preferences, which are visible on objects in the collection.

The exhibition will remain open until May 31.

The military actions of the past days showed that Azerbaijan is unable to solve the Karabakh conflict in  military way, President of the Public Council of Armenia, first Prime Minister Vazgen Manukyan told a press conference in Stepanakert today.

He denounced the “symmetric” statement of the international community, their calls to both sides. “The Western countries are well aware who’s the aggressor. the United States and Russia can see from through satellites who’s shooting,” he said.

Vazgen Manukyan presented three ways out of the situation. First, he said, the parties should return to their initial positions.

Second, the OSCE should conduct monotony of the line of contact, including through satellites and stop pretending it’s unaware of who’s shooting.

Third, the international community must recognize the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, with future talks continuing on territories and refugees.

Why did Azerbaijan decided to incite clashes at this point? Vazgen Manukyan says it’s connected with the drop in oil prices, the problems inside the country, and this was an option for Aliyev to divert the attention of the public from domestic issues.

Is there a mechanism to neutralize the Turkish factor in the Nagorno Karabakh issue? Vazgen Manukyan said he sees no way to do that. “Even Europe has become a captive of Turkey. Ankara thinks it has been given a “carte blanche” because of the issue of migrants and is allowed to do anything in the region and beyond.”

Manukyan said the issue is not only about Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh. “It’s a regional problem, where NATO’s interests collide with that of its rivals. Escalation will be an evil for the whole world. Let’s not forget that countries such Iraq, Syria and Afganistan are not far away,” he said.

High Representative of the ‪‎European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica‪ Mogherini will visit Armenia on March 1 at the invitation of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Federica‪ Mogherini is expected to have meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Forward Yura Movsisyan tallied the day’s only goal in Real Salt Lake’s 1-0 win over their South Korean opponents, who finished fifth in the most recent K-League season, according to MLS soccer.

Movsisyan, a recently signed Designated Player, converted a slip pass from Juan Manuel Martinez after a clever dummy from Joao Plata.

RSL, who played in a 4-3-3, are now 2-2-0 in their four preseason matches. Each game has ended 1-0.

For the 47th consecutive Lenten season, Saints Vartanantz Armenian Church at 180 Old Westford Road, Chelmsford will sponsor a series of six fellowship evenings designed to promote spiritual renewal through prayer and discussion,  reports.

Each Friday evening of Lent, beginning Feb. 12, parishioners will gather at 6:30 p.m. to participate in the Peace and Rest Services, which feature penitential prayers and hymns. Participants will eat a meal prepared according to the church’s Lenten dietary guidelines.

With this year marking the 100th anniversary of the Saints Vartanantz Parish, the focus of the Lenten program will be on the faith and legacy of those who established and expanded the parish over the past 100 years. The brave men and women who escaped the Armenian genocide and immigrated to the U.S. left a legacy of sacrifice and dedication, which has inspired growth of orthodox faith and spirituality for some five generations in the Greater Lowell community. The Lenten fellowship program is dedicated to the memory of a former pastor of Saints Vartanantz, the Rev. Ghevont Samoorian, who initiated this opportunity for the parish to worship, share a Lenten meal and encourage spiritual examination and renewal.

Guided by the August 22, 2002 Presidential decree NH-1164-N on the Establishment and Bestowal of State Awards of the Republic of Armenia, and taking into consideration suggestions of the Award Commission, President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree to confer state awards of the Republic of Armenia for year 2015 in a number of areas. Today, at the Presidential Palace there took place the Award ceremony.

State awards of the Republic of Armenia for year 2015 have been awarded in the areas of arts and literature, architecture and urban development, hard and natural sciences.

In different spheres of arts and literature such as literature and political journalism, music and cinematography state awards were conferred on Hakop Hakopian (Hakop Movses) for the book of poems The Seventh Chase (in the area of literature and political journalism), on Vartan Adjemian for the Theater of the Sound piece written for the string orchestra, timpani and piano (in the area of music), Vahe Kevorkov (director), Samvel (cameraman), Hayk Badalian (cameraman), Anna Derdzakian (scriptwriter) and Arthur Parsian (editing) for Armenia: From Sea to Sea documentary (in the area of cinematography). In the area of architecture and urban development state awards have been handed to Narek Sarkissian (architect), Paul Chatalbashian (designer) and Stepan Akhoyan (Director of Small White House Ltd.) for the government’s administrative compound on Vazgen Sarkissian Street in Yerevan. In the area of hard and natural sciences state awards were conferred on Ashot Saghian, Anna Mkrtchian and Hayarpi Simonian for the research on the Technology for the Efficient Small-Scale Production of the New Generation of Protein Amino Acids. The chairpersons of the sub-commissions presented the nominated works and conclusions reached by the sub-commissions as a result of their deliberations as well as the works which received awards and their authors.

This year, awards have not been conferred in the areas of visual arts, theater, social and humanitarian sciences. The chairpersons of the corresponding sub-commissions informed that after the secret ballot, the nominations in the mentioned areas for 2015 did not receive the necessary number of the votes.

After the ceremony of handing the state awards, the President of Armenia in his speech congratulated all the winners.

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Congratulatory Remarks by President Serzh Sargsyan at the ceremony of bestowing state awards

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Today, we bestow state awards of the Republic of Armenia on artists and scientists. I am confident that a new scientific achievement or a new artistic work is duly appreciated later, after it passes the test of time. It doesn’t mean that we have to wait a hundred or two hundred years to appreciate, to evaluate who did what. I am also confident that the contemporaries are responsible for those who create and those who invent. We have the responsibility to state out loud what we accept as a value and what we do not. This is an essential method for the reassertion of the society’s and the state’s system of values.
I see the very meaning of the Republic of Armenia’s state awards first and foremost in that reassertion. We point out, highlight and present to the public things which deserve recognition here and today.

Dear Attendees,

This year we have nomination areas with regard to which I certainly have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am sad that we don’t have awardees in the areas of, for instance, theater, arts, humanitarian and social sciences; on the other hand, I am glad that the relevant sub-commissions have demonstrated strict approach because if we lower the ban, we will simply devaluate our state awards. Hence, I encourage and urge the members and chairpersons of the sub-commissions which didn’t give as nominations this year, to carry on in the same spirit. I am hopeful that in coming years in these areas we will be having really outstanding nominations.

Dear Awardees,

I thank you for your important work and once again I congratulate you on receiving these prestigious awards. I wish you new scientific and artistic achievements for the benefit of our country, our science and culture.
Thank you.

Amendments to the Armenian constitution have been adopted, the country’s Central Election Commission said on Sunday.

The Commission turned down the application of the Armenian National Congress to declare the elections invalid.

According to official final results, a total of 2,566,998 people or 50.74% of eligible voters participated in the referendum.

63.37% of those participating in the polls case their vote in favor of constitutional changes, while 32.36% said “no.”