Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Eurovision: Viewers Mistake Armenian Eurovision Entry for Ariana Grande

Eduard Nalbandian
NNN, Nigeria
On , Eurovision Song Contest’s grand final took place at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena where 26 acts and bands from across the world participated. Tens of millions of viewers across the globe tuned in to watch the biggest music competition and to see which act would be crowned the champion of Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

The competition was held in Liverpool this year on behalf of Ukraine, as they were unable to host due to the Russian invasion. The event started with a skit that featured last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra, followed by a performance from 26 musicians who performed their hearts out to win the coveted trophy.

However, a minor confusion occurred when singer Brunette, who was representing Armenia in this year’s contest, appeared on the stage. The viewers were distracted as they mistook her for American singer Ariana Grande. They took to their Twitter accounts to express their opinion, with some saying that Ariana Grande had invaded the show.

One of the Twitter users who posted about the confusion said “For a second I thought Ariana was at #Eurovision Armenia’s entry looked good tho.” Another user posted, “ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! #Eurovision.”

Despite the confusion, Brunette was able to deliver a smashing performance of her song Future Lover. Her performance managed to win many hearts, even though the viewers first thought it was Ariana Grande performing for Armenia.

A Celebration of Church Builders at the 2023 Diocesan Assembly Awards Banquet

Eduard Nalbandian
PRESS OFFICE 

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) 

630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016 

Contact: Chris Zakian 

Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558 

E-mail: [email protected] 

Website: www.armenianchurch.us 


May 11, 2023

__________________ 


ATTENTION EDITOR: Two photos attached with captions below. Additional photos can be downloaded here:

https://easterndiocese.smugmug.com/EasternDiocese/Diocesan-Assembly-Gala-Banquet-Dallas-TX-May-5-2023/


HEADLINE:

 

The 2023 Diocesan Assembly Awards Banquet, like the other events throughout the weekend, combined a warm “family reunion” feel with a forward-looking optimism for the future.

 

Gathering in the magnificent “Hall of Lights” of St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX, the banquet provided an elegant stage on which to honor church leaders for their contributions to the life of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

 

Following a prayer service in the church sanctuary, and a social hour on its expansive outdoor pavilion, guests took their places in the beautifully appointed hall, whose West-facing glass wall framed a beautiful Texas sunset.

 

Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian delivered the invocation. Warm words of welcome and encouragement were offered by master of ceremonies Jeff Andonian, parish council chair Arlen Haruthunian, and host parish executive committee co-chairs Sylva Dayian and Daron Bolat.

 

Among the artists performing for the evening were vocalists Sona Tashjian, Sarkis Altunian, and Lucy Grimes; pianists Hasmik Virabyan and Satenik Muradyan Raphael; and saxophonist Holy Lee.

 

Diocesan Council chair Fr. Krikor Sabounjian introduced the evening’s honorees, before Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan presented each award and invited the award winners to offer remarks.

 

“One has very few opportunities to work on a project like this,” said architect David Hotson as he received the “Friend of the Armenians” award. As the designer of Dallas’ St. Sarkis Church, he said that “the building has a deep respect for the remarkable history of the Armenian people—which is something Americans need to know about.”

 

In the year since the consecration, he said, “The church does seem to be raising awareness and recognition of Armenia, its story, and its tenacious people. Also, it is raising awareness of Armenia’s imperiled history, that is still going on.” He expressed sorrow that the church’s façade, which dramatically commemorates the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide, “was being installed at the exact moment that the Genocide was being resumed in Artsakh.”

 

“If this building could contribute to bringing greater world attention to these things, I would be immensely gratified,” he concluded.

 

Elie Akilian, speaking on behalf of his wife Ela as the couple received the “Armenian Church Members of the Year” award, spoke passionately about the origins of the new Dallas edifice. “When we embarked on the project,” he recalled, “we wanted to create a place where people could come to pray, and children could come to play. A place where people could come together.”

 

“This church with its extensive campus of facilities embodies these goals,” he said.

 

Mr. Akilian credited the parish community for showing the will to move forward by undertaking the initial fundraising for the project. “It showed their commitment to building the new church,” he said, as he acknowledged a number of individuals who had supported the effort throughout the process.

 

With the new St. Sarkis Church now a vital and visible part of the Diocese and its surrounding city of Dallas, Elie Akilian said, “We want this place to be a model for the future—a model for what can be, for Armenian churches throughout the world.”

 

Parish pastor Fr. Ghevond Ajamian affirmed that the church had become a model in other ways, as well. “Since winning the World-Architects Best Building Award, St. Sarkis has become a place of pilgrimage for architects from around the world,” he said. “They visit to study the structure; but they leave studying the Armenian story.”

 

Fr. Ajamian applauded the honorees whose “collaboration has made this Armenian story known to greater numbers of people: people of influence in the larger world.”

 

Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, presiding over the Assembly Banquet for the first time as Primate, concluded the program with reflections of his own. 

 

He thanked Dallas pastor Fr. Ghevond and Yeretzgin Hasmik Ajamian; the host parish co-chairs Sylva Dayian and Daron Bolat, and the committee they led; parish council chair Arlen Haruthunian, and the people of the Dallas community. “The hospitality and warmth, the commitment and dedication all of you have shown this weekend, has been remarkable,” he said.

 

He also thanked the chairmen and officers of the Clergy Conference, the Diocesan Assembly, and the Women’s Guild Assembly, before addressing the evening’s honored guests.

 

“Armenians hold architecture very close to our hearts,” he said with reference to honoree David Hotson. “It’s an important part of our identity. Of course, for many of the architects of our monuments, their names are lost to history. But those that we do know are precious to us, and inspire pride in our hearts. And now David is part of that tradition. He has joined that very elite company…. And I want him to know that not just this Armenian Church, but everyArmenian church, is now his home.”

 

Directing his thoughts to the Akilians, the Primate said: “Elie and Ela are not merely dreamers of a vision: they are practical, detail-oriented, hands-on workers—who know the effort it takes to realize a vision in the community. Their generosity to our church has been very impressive: St. Sarkis is a magnificent _expression_ of that. But their philanthropy has extended in many directions, embracing our Diocese, our homeland, and individual children in Armenia.”

 

He added: “Above all, their efforts always speak to the heart of the church: with confidence, imagination, and sense of unified purpose…. And in these troubling days, when the elder monuments of our history are in danger, are threatened with destruction, building a new church—and cherishing our existing ones—is one of the most powerful statements we can make, as a people.”

 

Click here to view photos of the Diocesan Assembly Award Banquet.

 

 

* Meet the 2023 Diocesan Award Winners

 

Every year the Eastern Diocese bestows its “Friend of the Armenians” and “Armenian Church Member of the Year” awards to express gratitude to people who have profoundly benefitted the church; to deepen existing relationships with important figures in the community; and to strengthen the honorees in their continuing efforts.

 

The 2023 honorees are people of extraordinary creative vision and determination, motivated by a belief in something greater, and a responsibility to share the fruits of their accomplishment with others.

 

“Friend of the Armenians” David Hotson is a celebrated architect, whose work has been featured in every major publication and forum in the field, and has received international honor and recognition.

 

Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Colorado and Ontario, after receiving a Masters Degree in Architecture from Yale University, David established his own architectural firm in 1991, based in New York. His office has produced many award-winning projects, including one that received a “Design of the Decade” award from Interior Design Magazine.

 

David is also the architect of St. Sarkis Armenian Church of Dallas—also an award winner, thanks in part to the enthusiastic voting of Armenians around the world. In a field of 40 nominated structures, St. Sarkis received an amazing 64 percent of the votes cast, to become named as the “2022 U.S. Building of the Year” by the prestigious World-Architects forum.

 

But David Hotson’s involvement with Armenia goes back nearly 20 years, when he was tapped by the late philanthropist Gerald Cafesjian, of Minnesota, to work in Yerevan on the renovation of Tamanyan Park and the unforgettable Cascade, culminating in the opening of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

 

Armenia is a land of architectural wonders; and its spirit clearly entered into David when he was engaged to work on the design of St. Sarkis Church and Community Center, working with patron Elie Akilian and fellow architect Stepan Terzyan. One can recognize in its design the harmonious lines of Armenia’s great St. Hripsime cathedral—a “family resemblance” that St. Sarkis shares with the Diocesan cathedral of St. Vartan.

 

Also like St. Vartan Cathedral, the Dallas church stands as a memorial to the Genocide, with 1.5 million unique engravings etched into the façade of St. Sarkis: a remarkable testimony to the Armenian martyrs who perished more than a century ago. The Dallas Morning News called the effect “the most emotionally moving work of architecture produced in North Texas in a generation.”

 

Creating an emotional impact was part of David Hotson’s intention in designing the church. And he has brought the same sense of moral responsibility to his advocacy for Genocide recognition and, more recently, for the plight of Armenia and Artsakh.

 

In naming David Hotson as the 2023 “Friend of the Armenians” the Eastern Diocese honors a man of great artistic vision and deep moral conviction.

 

* * *

 

“Armenian Church Members of the Year” Mr. and Mrs. Elie and Ela Akilian are a married couple beloved at St. Sarkis Church, and admired throughout the Diocese.

 

Their story is an international one. It began in Beirut, where Elie Akilian was born and raised. In 1975, while still a teenager, he moved to the United States, to study electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. After graduating he started his career in Dallas, working in the defense industry. But he had dreams of striking out on his own, and building his own business ventures.

 

On a trip to Poland, Elie met the person who would become his partner and inspiration in every undertaking of life: his wife, Ela. Eventually they were married in Warsaw, and the Akilians returned to Texas to start a family. The local Armenian church was in its earliest phase at the time, with Elie and Ela an active part of its life from the very beginning. Their children Natalie and Michael—now adults—grew up in the community, and Michael has the distinction of receiving the first baptism in the old sanctuary.

 

Elie’s career took a vital turn in 1989, when he became co-founder of Inet Technologies. As the computer age took off, the company attracted customers from around the globe, and after a decade Elie took the Inet public. He sold it in 2005, and started a new company producing video games, including the successful Wizard-101. Having sold that company in 2020, Elie now leads his third start-up, this time in the emerging field of virtual reality gaming.

 

Even as the Akilians’ success grew, they remained deeply committee to the Armenian community that had been their home, a source of strength, and the stage for many loving friendships. Elie and Ela had joined the parish when it was small, and they had seen it grow, and contributed to that growth. They dreamed of giving something to the community that would match its vitality, and inspire further expansion.

 

Their dream started to become a reality when Elie and Ela decided to become the main benefactors for a new church. They envisioned a distinctively Armenian structure, supported by a complete complex to serve the community’s needs. They sought out a brilliant architect who could give shape to this vision. They rallied the community, alongside pastor Fr. Ghevond Ajamian and other bold parish leaders. They made their personal generosity an example for others to emulate, and to give confidence to the Armenian community—not just in Dallas, but across the Diocese.

 

Elie has spent the last seven years intimately involved with the construction project—and not even a worldwide pandemic could divert him from seeing it to completion. The church was consecrated on April 24, 2022, in the name of St. Sarkis the Brave by the hands of two former Primates—Bishop Daniel Findikyan and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian—as well as Archbishop Vicken Aykazian and Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian: all great friends of the Dallas community, with deep connections to its people.

 

As the Eastern Diocese’s 2023 “Armenian Church Members of the Year,” Elie and Ela Akilian embody not only the high aspirations of the Armenian-American community, but also its tender values of faith and family.

 

—5/11/23

 

* * *

 

PHOTO CAPTION 1:

Diocesan Primate Fr Mesrop Parsamyan with Mr. and Mrs. Elie and Ela Akilian, of Dallas, TX, honored as the “Armenian Church Members of the Year” for 2023, at the Diocese Assembly Gala Banquet on May 5, at St. Sarkis Church in Dallas.

 

PHOTO CAPTION 2:

This year’s “Friend of the Armenians” honoree, award-winning architect David Hotson, with (left) Diocesan Council chair Fr. Krikor Sabounjian, and (right) Diocesan Primate Fr Mesrop Parsamyan, during the Diocese Assembly Gala Banquet on May 5, at St. Sarkis Church in Dallas, TX.

 

# # #

Western Primate Derderian Re-Elected to 8-Year Term

Eduard Nalbandian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 May 8, 2023

 

in Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian was re-elected to an eight-year term on May 5


The Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church convened its National Representative Assembly on Friday and overwhelmingly re-elected Archbishop Hovnan Derderian to serve as the Primate for another eight years, the Diocese reported.

The Friday meeting was preceded by a convention of the Diocesan Women’s Auxiliary Guild and Religious Council, which adopted a resolution in support of Archbishop Derderian.

At the start of the National Representative Assembly, the participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the late former Western Primate Archbishop Vache Hovsepian, who passed away earlier this year and played a critical role in the advancement of the Western Diocese.

A pontifical message form His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was read.

During the discussions at the National Representative Assembly, the participants, who represented all the parishes of the Western Dioceses commended Archbishop Derderian’s service to the community and the church. They emphasized the Primate’s undeniable impact on the Western Diocese during his 20-years at Primate.

“It is important to stress that the planned and conceived achievements under the leadership of the Archbishop Hovnan Derderian have provided new impetus and have elevated the spiritual life within the Western Diocese, which has had its benevolent impact within the church’s spiritual arena, beginning with the various parishes in the Diaspora all the way to the homeland and the currently wounded Artsakh,” said a statement by the Diocese.

US Hosts Peace Talks with Armenia, Azerbaijan

Eduard Nalbandian
Voice of America
May 1 2023
May 01, 2023 10:39 AM
  • Nike Ching
STATE DEPARTMENT — 

The United States is pledging support for peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia and renewing its calls for an immediate reopening of the Lachin corridor to commercial and private vehicles.

Early Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds separate meetings with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Arlington, Virginia.

Blinken then meets with both Mirzoyan and Bayramov for bilateral peace negotiations at the diplomatic facility near the State Department.

In recent months, tensions between the two neighboring, former Soviet republics have increased over Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor, which is the only land route giving Armenia direct access to the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The State Department had voiced “deep concern” that Azerbaijan’s establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor undermines efforts for peace talks.

Monday’s meetings come after Blinken’s call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday, when the top U.S. diplomat reiterated Washington’s call to reopen the land route.

A spokesperson from Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mirzoyan’s working visit to the United States is to discuss “the agreement on normalization of relations” with Azerbaijan.

The two countries have had a decades-long conflict involving the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is inside Azerbaijan but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians.

The Lachin Corridor allows supplies from Armenia to reach the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in the mountainous enclave and has been policed by Russian peacekeepers since December of 2020.

The situation has left those ethnic Armenian residents in Nagorno-Karabakh without access to essential goods and services, including life-saving medication and health care, according to Amnesty International. The rights group said Azerbaijan’s government has failed its human rights obligations by taking no action to lift the blockade.

Azerbaijan maintains the land route is open for humanitarian delivery, emergency services, and peacekeepers.

Some material in this report came from Reuters.


https://www.voanews.com/a/us-hosts-peace-talks-with-armenia-azerbaijan-/7073539.html

Why Türkiye closes airspace to Armenia

Eduard Nalbandian
May 3 2023

What is the Nemesis Monument or statue that caused the crisis between the two countries? It was a matter of curiosity why Turkey closed its airspace to Armenia.

Why did Türkiye close its airspace to Armenia? The questions of what was the last issue that reopened the relations between Turkey and Armenia are asked with curiosity.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced that Turkey closed its airspace to Armenia.

After the announcement, many people began to wonder why.

The event that caused Turkey to close its airspace to Armenia took place in Yerevan.

The Armenian government has erected a monument to commemorate the terrorists who carried out bloody assassinations and murders against the Ottoman and Turkish Republics since the early 1900s.

There was an immediate reaction from Turkey to the provocative structure that was given the Nemesis Monument.

Türkiye strongly condemned the opening of the Nemesis Monument in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

In the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the following was noted: "We strongly condemn the opening of the 'Nemesis Monument' in Yerevan, which is dedicated to the perpetrators of the assassinations against Ottoman political and military leaders, as well as Azerbaijani officials of the period and even some Ottoman citizens of Armenian origin. The opening of this shameful monument glorifies a bloody act of terror that led to heinous terrorist attacks in which 31 of our diplomats and their family members were murdered. Such provocative steps, which are incompatible with the spirit of the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, will in no way contribute to the efforts to establish lasting and sustainable peace and stability in the region, on the contrary, they will negatively affect the normalization process.

After Türkiye's condemnation statement, it decided to impose sanctions on Armenia.

Reacting to the monument provocation in Armenia, Çavuşoğlu said, "It is not possible for me to accept this." "We have added Armenia's flights to 3rd countries," he said. said.

Consequences of the ongoing blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh

Eduard Nalbandian
May 4 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Ongoing blockade in NK

The humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh has worsened after the installation of an Azerbaijani checkpoint on the Hakari bridge, with movement along the Lachin corridor becoming more difficult even for Russian peacekeepers.

On the 138th day of the blockade, Azerbaijanis who declare themselves environmental activists stopped their protest in the Lachin corridor. According to reports from the unrecognized republic, they were replaced by “Azerbaijani police forces”. Baku continues to insist that the road is not closed, although free movement has been stopped since December 12, 2022. It is reported that 190 times fewer people moved along the highway connecting the Armenian city of Goris with NK. All trips along the road took place with the mediation of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers.

The Armenian authorities have repeatedly announced that they do not intend to conduct “negotiations” with Azerbaijan on new regulations for the regime of the Lachin corridor, saying this was already done, and the result of those negotiations are enshrined in a tripartite statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan in 2020.

  • Armenian-Azerbaijani talks in Washington, but what comes next?
  • Azerbaijan installs checkpoint at entrance to Lachin road. Information and comments from Baku and Yerevan
  • “We will live in our Motherland”: reaction to Aliyev’s speech

On April 23, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint near the Khakari bridge. The former commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent Andrei Volkov personally participated in the negotiations to unblock the bridge. However, they did not give results. The negotiations, which Alexander Lentsov, who replaced him, have been conducting since his appointment to the post, have also proved fruitless. On May 2 Azerbaijani media reported that an American-made Smiths Detection X-ray scanner was installed at the checkpoint.

On May 3 group of NK residents set up tents on the road and announced an indefinite protest — “No to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh”. They demand the removal of the checkpoint. Prior to this, local young people were collecting signatures for the petition “No to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.”

Opposition member of the Armenian parliament Taguhi Tovmasyan supported this initiative and started collecting signatures in Armenia. She has been holding a rally with the same slogan in the center of Yerevan since May 3.

From the unrecognized republic it is reported that as a result of the blockade, 3,900 people, including 570 children, have not yet been able to return home.

The message once again emphasizes that, according to the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, the unhindered movement of people, goods and vehicles along the Lachin corridor is stipulated. Meanwhile, only cars of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers are moving along the road:

“In general, the movement of cars on the motorway has decreased by 53 times than it could have been if there had been no blockade.”

Change of route in NK. For a week now, Armenia has been actively discussing the situation that has developed on the Armenian border due to a change in the route of the road

Planned operations have not been carried out here since December 12 last year. According to the latest information from the information headquarters of the NK, during this period, about 1,175 citizens lost the opportunity to be operated on.

For surgical intervention, patients are forced to move to Armenia with the mediation and accompaniment of the International Committee of the Red Cross. To date, about 400 people have received this opportunity.

“In addition, the transportation of patients lying down is impossible, since the Azerbaijani side prevents the movement of resuscitation vehicles of the local emergency service along the road, and the Red Cross does not have such vehicles. In this regard, the transportation of all patients is carried out by ordinary vehicles in a sitting position, ”the information headquarters reports.

To make medical services more accessible, the We Are Our Mountains agency decided to create mobile teams. Residents of rural areas will have the opportunity to be examined thanks to the mobile ambulance service.

“We are talking about therapeutic examination, general screening studies, detection and control of infectious and non-communicable diseases, as well as laboratory studies,” the agency said.

From December to the present, about 13 times less essential goods have been imported into NK, during the blockade it was not possible to smuggle 57 thousand tons.

The situation has become more complicated since the end of April, with the establishment of the checkpoint. On April 28, Azerbaijani border guards held the cars of the Russian peacekeeping contingent with humanitarian cargo from Armenia for almost 14 hours. The trucks were carrying food and basic necessities. They were let through only after negotiations with the military command of the RCC.

A new procedure for leaving NK for Armenia stipulates “only in case of an emergency” after dozens of Armenians were denied entry on April 4

The damage to the economy is about $270 million. About 30 percent of the projected annual GDP ($903 million) will not be generated.

Due to the inability to work under the blockade, 860 businesses (20.1% of the total) have suspended their activities. The rest work partially or with state support.

“According to preliminary estimates, about 10,300 people have lost their jobs and sources of income since the beginning of the blockade.”

Azerbaijan is periodically completely or partially stopping gas supply to NK. Electricity has not been supplied from Armenia for 115 days. According to Artsakhenergo, Azerbaijan is not allowing repairs on a high-voltage line by which electricity is supplied from Armenia. The accident occurred on the territory under the control of Azerbaijan. Local resources are not enough to supply electricity to the population around the clock:

“This has resulted in daily rolling blackouts and additional emergency shutdowns, as well as the closure or reduction of activities of many institutions.”

https://jam-news.net/ongoing-blockade-in-nk/

Budget is the ability to hold land – PM Pashinyan

Eduard Nalbandian

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 19:22, 5 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is a democratic country and the government is formed through elections. smart, strong people can participate, win and rule the country, ARMENPRESS reports, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the meeting with the representatives of the Armenian community in the Czech Republic, referring to the observation that if the management is not successful, then they can leave and give others a chance.

"Smart and strong people can participate in elections, win and rule. Since 2018, I have done everything to make the Defense Army ready for war. You are talking about surrendering lands, you know that surrendering lands was a key issue during the entire negotiation process. It is a published fact. I signed the declaration of November 9, understanding that 30,000 soldiers will be captured, Armenians will not live in Karabakh," said Nikol Pashinyan.

The Armenian PM mentioned that the homeland, the land is kept by the population. He noted that after the victory of the war in the 90s, the population of Armenia decreased and that of Azerbaijan increased.

"How many people lived on that land and what added value was created? How much money in tax was generated so that our soldier could get more salary? Compared to 2017, we increased the budget by 2 billion USD. The budget is the ability to keep land," said the Prime Minister, adding that it is necessary to live in the homeland, create value, which will contribute to the strengthening of the state.

How to learn new skills in Armenia

Eduard Nalbandian
May 5 2023

Young European Ambassadors

The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative is a non-political, voluntary, vibrant communication network connecting young people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the EU Member States and the United Kingdom. The aim of the network is to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Eastern partner countries, showcase the tangible results of this cooperation, and contribute to policy dialogue on various topics.

Through participation in the network, YEAs learn important new skills, improving their competences in the fields of teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and communication – essential soft skills for future careers! There are currently more than 900 active YEAs representing over 34 different nationalities, including 130 in Armenia (click here to meet them). The network is open to young people aged between 16 and 26, interested in public diplomacy and outreach activities. Applications take place every year, usually in the autumn.

Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges

In recent years, thousands of young people and youth workers from Armenia have participated in joint Erasmus+ Youth projects (exchanges, trainings, policy debate, volunteering). Youth exchanges allow groups of young people from different countries to meet, live together and work on shared projects for short periods. On a youth exchange, you can expect to participate in activities such as workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, outdoor activities and more.

Erasmus+ youth exchanges are open to anyone between the ages of 13 and 30, and last between 5 and 21 days. These exchanges take place through youth organisations and you cannot apply directly as an individual. To find out more, contact the Erasmus+ Youth Info Centre in Armenia by visiting their website or their Facebook page, calling +374 94 525254, or email [email protected].

European Solidarity Corps

One way to gain experience abroad is by volunteering through the European Solidarity Corps. This is a unique way to experience different cultures and make new friends, while also helping others and learning new skills. You need to be between 17 and 30 and be willing to spend between two weeks and 12 months abroad. Volunteer projects could be anywhere in the EU or its partner countries, and in fields as varied as culture, youth, sports, children, cultural heritage, arts, animal welfare or the environment. Find out how to apply and check out hundreds of opportunities on the European Solidarity Corps portal.

Civil Society Fellowships

The EU supports young civil society leaders and activists in Armenia and across the Eastern Partnership through its EaP Civil Society Fellowships programme. Every year, the programme helps 20 civil society activists in their efforts to achieve positive social change in their communities, offering tailored training, grants of €5,000 and access to networking opportunities. Details about the Fellows selected since the programme began 2017 and their areas of interest can be found here. Applications usually take place every year. Check here for updates.

EaP Civil Society Facility – e-learning

The EU’s EaP Civil Society Facility offers civil society representatives targeted online courses and materials adapted to their needs and the situations they face in their daily work. On the project’s e-Learning Hub, you will find a number of online courses, webinars and video-lectures that will provide you with the tools and skills in areas as diverse as policy analysis and monitoring, project management, digital competences and web-design for CSOs. The project also offers a number of blended courses that combined online elements with face-to-face trainings to have an enhanced impact. Find out more.

Eastern Partnership European School

The Eastern Partnership European School in Tbilisi offers a two-year International Baccalaureate programme for pupils from all six Eastern Partnership countries, including Armenia, with full scholarships paid by the European Union, including fees, boarding and travel home for holidays. But the number of places is limited – only 35 per year – so you have to meet certain conditions and pass through competitive process in order to apply. Since the launch of the programme in 2018, 145 students have received scholarships for the school, graduating with the IB diploma and going on to study at top universities across the world. The next cohort of students will be recruited to join for the 2024-2026 IB programme.

Armenia and Azerbaijan discuss agreement on normalizing relations in Washington

Eduard Nalbandian
May 3, 2023 Lillian Avedian News 0

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov meet in Washington on May 1, 2023 (Photo: Twitter/@SecBlinken)

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are in Washington this week to discuss normalizing relations between the two countries.

On May 3, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. They discussed “regional security and stability” and the “process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” according to a statement from Armenia’s Foreign Ministry. The foreign ministers previously met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday. Several days of negotiations are scheduled to end on May 4. 

The high-level delegations are hammering out a document titled “Agreement on normalization of relations,” according to anonymous US officials cited by Voice of America. The officials also said they are discussing the “rights and security of ethnic minorities.” 

“The question of the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh is central to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” another anonymous spokesperson from the US State Department said in written comments to RFE/RL on May 2. 

“Ultimately ensuring that this population can feel secure in their homes and have their rights protected is the only way to guarantee a lasting settlement to a conflict that has lasted too long and cost too many lives,” the spokesperson continued. 

The spokesperson said that the scope and nature of the final agreement on normalizing relations will be determined by Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

Addressing the Armenian parliament on May 3, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations are negotiating over a specific document. He said the document does not contain any new information that he has not already shared publicly. 

These are the first face-to-face meetings between high-level officials from Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the blockade of Artsakh in December 2022. In a brief statement on Monday, Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the “humanitarian situation resulting from the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan was touched upon” during the day’s meetings. 

“We have not parsed our words about the need for the free flow of traffic and people and commerce through the Lachin corridor,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on May 1 while announcing this week’s meetings. “That continues to be the case, and it’s something that we will continue to raise directly with our Armenian counterparts.”

Blinken held phone calls with both Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev prior to this week’s negotiations. During his call with Aliyev, Blinken “expressed the United States’ deep concern that Azerbaijan’s establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process, and emphasized the importance of reopening the Lachin corridor to commercial and private vehicles as soon as possible,” according to a readout from the US State Department. 

The United States and the European Union have increased their diplomatic engagement in the South Caucasus since the 2020 Artsakh War. During the latest meeting hosted by the EU in Prague on October 6, attended by Pashinyan and Aliyev, Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. 

Pashinyan reiterated his commitment to recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity during his comments to the Armenian parliament on April 18. 

“A peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will become real if the two countries clearly, without ambiguities and pitfalls, recognize each other’s territorial integrity and agree on never having territorial disputes in the future,” Pashinyan said.

Russia has been critical of Western diplomacy in the Artsakh conflict, accusing the West of attempting to displace its role as the primary mediator in the conflict. Commenting on the ongoing meetings in Washington, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that there are “no alternatives” to trilateral documents signed together with Russia. He welcomed “any assistance that could help the settlement on this basis.” Yet he also suggested that Western mediation could “dilute the basis for the settlement, which may not work at all in the long run.”

In the past, Russian officials have accused the West of pushing for a settlement that would recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Artsakh. They have suggested that the Russian negotiation track would maintain the status quo in Artsakh. Western officials have denied this claim. 

“We remain committed to promoting a peaceful future for the South Caucasus region. We believe that direct dialogue is key to reaching a lasting peace, and we believe that peace is possible between these two countries,” Patel said on May 3rd.

The US-mediated meetings come a week after Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint at the entrance to the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor from Armenia. 

Azerbaijani protesters claiming to be environmental activists closed the Berdzor Corridor for over four months starting on December 12, 2022, placing Artsakh under blockade and cutting the region off from imports of food and medicine. The Berdzor Corridor is the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the rest of the world. 

On April 28, following the installation of the military checkpoint five days earlier, the activists announced that they were suspending their protest. In an identical article published across Azerbaijani pro-government media, the protesters announced that the establishment of the checkpoint “caused us a sense of pride and joy.” 

“The creation of a border control mechanism is aimed at preventing any provocations by ensuring traffic transparency on the road, the rule of law and road safety,” the protesters said in a joint statement. 

The statement continues that the protesters “reserve the right to renew the action” if the Russian peacekeepers do not “stop the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits” in Artsakh. 

The installation of a military checkpoint violates the trilateral ceasefire agreement signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia ending the 2020 Artsakh War. Under the terms of the agreement, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the Berdzor Corridor to ensure the connection between Armenia and Artsakh. The agreement states that “Azerbaijan guarantees traffic safety along the Lachin Corridor of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions.” 

Artsakh authorities have said that, while protests along the Berdzor Corridor have ended, Artsakh is still under blockade due to the checkpoint. 

On April 30, an Azerbaijani public broadcast service shared a video of Armenian vehicles crossing the checkpoint. Azerbaijani border guards are seen searching the vehicles and inspecting travelers’ documents.

“As can be seen from the presented footage, people’s border crossing is organized in a neat and polite manner,” the broadcast service said. “Thus, the claims of the Armenian officials regarding the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of the Karabakh Armenians and the ‘blockade’ of the Lachin road are nothing more than another false propaganda.”

Yet Artsakh authorities said that the travelers had been forced to participate in filming the video. They had been assured by Russian peacekeepers that Azerbaijani guards would not intervene in their journey, according to Artsakh officials.

The four Armenian residents of Artsakh had been stuck in Goris, a city in Armenia’s southernmost province Syunik, due to the blockade. They had appealed to the Russian peacekeepers for assistance returning home, who agreed to transport them in private cars without inspection. Yet they were unexpectedly stopped by Azerbaijani officers at the checkpoint. 

The group was returning to their homes in Mets Shen, Hin Shen, Lisagor and Yeghtsahogh, villages in the Shushi region of Artsakh. The villages, located along the Berdzor Corridor, were cut off from the rest of Artsakh by the closure of the corridor by Azerbaijani activists. They have been cut off from Armenia by the checkpoint, placing them under a double blockade.

Artsakh State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan said that the humanitarian situation in these villages is deteriorating. 

“An attempt was made to supply food and medicine to these communities through the Artsakh office of the Red Cross, but these efforts were unsuccessful,” Nersisyan said. 

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Lillian Avedian is a staff writer for the Armenian Weekly. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Hetq and the Daily Californian. She is pursuing master’s degrees in journalism and Near Eastern Studies at New York University. A human rights journalist and feminist poet, Lillian's first poetry collection Journey to Tatev was released with Girls on Key Press in spring of 2021.


Zelenskyy holds phone call with Macron

Eduard Nalbandian

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 12:00, 1 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on April 30.

Zelenskyy said on Telegram that he discussed the ongoing situation on the frontline and prospects of its development in May-June.

He also told the French leader the priority needs of the Ukrainian military.