Author: Emma Jilavian

Prime Minister addresses gap between citizen and state, discusses possibility of new constitution

Emma Jilavian

 19:32, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. During an interview on the "Safe Environment" program of Public Radio Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan outlined the reasons for the need to have a new Constitution. The Prime Minister reminded that even after the 2018 Revolution and the 44-Day War in 2020, the topic of a new Constitution has remained a recurring theme. Pashinyan noted that discussions on constitutional reforms are currently widespread and expressed the necessity of adopting a new constitution.

The Prime Minister emphasized that recently he has also been talking a lot about the relationship between the concepts of the motherland and the state; he has been talking a lot about the need to strengthen state institutions. According to him, by and large, the popular, non-violent, Velvet Revolution of 2018 was also about citizen-state relations, citizen-state relations, about de jure and de facto social and labor relations.

"We have a gap between the citizen and the state. What is that gap? It is expressed in legitimacy because the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, adopted in 1995 and modified several times, was never adopted under conditions and an environment where the citizen of the Republic of Armenia could say to himself: 'I went, voted, and adopted the Constitution.' In other words: "I went and recorded my agreement with other citizens and the state, that we relate to each other this way and live this way.'

Today, there are many  notions that we use, and analysts and intellectuals very often talk about the fact that we are not a state people; we have not yet become a state nation, having been a nation without a state for a long time. This narrative exists, but I don't want to go into the details of it. However, I want us to understand something else- Which is the moment when we are transformed from a ‘non-state people’ into a ‘state people?’ That moment is the constitutional referendum, when a person, of his own free will, without coercion, without falsification, without manipulation, goes and fixes the agreement," said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the Constitution having an organic connection with the people.

"The organic connection with the people is not only expressed by the fact that we have to discuss, understand all the nuances, and remove all the formulations. The text of the constitution is mostly a matter of professional discussion and wording to serve the political guidelines, but the genetic link with the state, the genetic link with the people is formed from the moment when the people accept and confirm this condition, and record that they are 'a state people' and record that within the borders of this state, we will relate to each other according to these rules," said Pashinyan.

According to the Prime Minister's perspective, the necessity for a new Constitution is rooted in the genetic link aiming to bridge the gap between the people and the state. 

Pashinyan  gave a positive response to the question of whether it will legitimize the relations between the state and the people. He emphasized that legitimacy is  important in all relationships.

The Prime Minister also emphasized that the government cannot change the Constitution. The government can propose to the people, engage in discussions with the people, present its explanations to the people, and only the people can make that decision.

Referring to the opinions and speculations that the government will falsify the voting, Pashinyan reminded that dozens of elections have been held in Armenia after the 2018 Revolution.

"Let them show a single case of falsification that took place during the elections. Going that way would mean destroying our own political identity. It is impossible," added Pashinyan.




Armenia: Treason cases against soldiers start to fall apart

Emma Jilavian
eurasianet
Jan 31 2024
Arshaluis Mgdesyan Jan 31, 2024

In February-March 2022, Armenia's National Security Service declared with great fanfare that it had exposed and neutralized a network of foreign agents in both Armenia and then-Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh. 

It released several videos showing soldiers in uniform being arrested for treason. 

Charges were filed against several dozen soldiers (no precise number was given), many of whom, according to the security agency, "transmitted various types of military information from the battlefield at the instruction of a foreign intelligence service" during the Second Karabakh War against Azerbaijan in 2020.

Two years later, those cases are starting to fall apart for lack of evidence. 

Several of the soldiers, including officers, have been cleared of the charges at the preliminary investigation stage and set free.

Eurasianet spoke to two lawyers representing a total of five of the defendants. They say it's likely that the majority of the treason cases lack evidence and therefore lack legal merit. 

Lawyer Artur Harutyunyan, who represents two such defendants, said that some of the treason cases follow a similar pattern.

"People would come under suspicion of state treason solely because they established communication in social networks with members of the opposite sex in a neighboring country [Azerbaijan]. The fact of such communication proved sufficient for the investigative agencies to bring charges of state treason, though they did not go into the details of this communication," he said.

He added that, in the case of one of his clients, "It was just online correspondence of a personal nature between him and a woman." 

This client, who Arutyunyan refused to name, was arrested and charged with state treason in February 2022. After being held in custody for four months, he was released because of problems with the evidence against him. But the investigation continued. 

"Then the investigative body started saying that my client might have committed a crime not intentionally, but through negligence. But time has shown that he did no such thing. Months later, in summer 2023, the charge was dropped as the investigative body found itself at a dead end because of lack of evidence," Arutyunyan said.

Arutyunyan has another client facing a treason charge. His case – which Arutyunyan says has a lot in common with the first one – has been handed over to the court.    

Another lawyer, Aleksandr Kochubayev, represents three servicemen charged with treason. He also spoke to Eurasianet about problems with evidence against his clients. One of those clients is Taron Karapetyan, a 32-year-old officer in the Armenian Army with over 15 years of service. He was arrested on March 3, 2022, on charges of state treason.

He was also arrested for corresponding online with a social media account whose profile picture was an image of a young woman. He acknowledged his correspondence with the account but said it was of an "exclusively personal nature."

The fate of his case was very similar to that of Arutyunyan's client. Investigative measures took nearly four months, during which Karapetyan was held in custody. In June 2022 the officer was cleared of the charges and released.

His family and army unit were both convinced of his innocence, but the criminal case against him and his time under arrest has cast a shadow on his reputation and career. The ordeal has caused him great emotional distress, according to his lawyer. 

Both lawyers note that the Armenian government has not paid any compensation to their wrongfully charged clients. Taron Karapetyan has continued to serve, but Artur Harutyunyan's client has left the army. 

"After this, it became extremely difficult for him to continue his military service," the lawyer said.

The situation has been further complicated by the tense political situation. At the time of the arrests in early 2022, the country was still reeling from the political crisis caused by Armenia's defeat in the Second Karabakh War in late 2020. 

Throughout 2021 the political discourse in Armenia centered around who was to blame for the defeat. The "traitor" epithet was traded liberally between opposition politicians and those in government. The incumbent authorities' re-election in snap parliamentary polls in June of that year only partially mitigated the tensions. 

It was in this sensitive atmosphere that the authorities needed alleged "spies" to deflect criticism and public discontent away from themselves, according to Kochubayev, the lawyer. 

"There was an attempt to create the impression that there were many cases of state treason in the armed forces," he said.

Last November, Factor.am reported that 10 of the 16 officers (out of the unknown total number of soldiers) charged with treason had been cleared and released. 

 Kochubayev believes the state must actively engage in rehabilitating the wrongly accused treason defendants. "How can it be just to place such a stigma on a person and then not even apologize publicly?" the lawyer wonders. 

Technically speaking, the investigative bodies have not revealed the identities of the treason suspects, referring to them only by their initials and blurring their faces in the arrest videos. But law-enforcement press releases give information about the nature of the soldiers' service, and in a small country like Armenia, it doesn't take much effort to find out who they are. 
This places both the soldiers and their families at risk of stigmatization and bullying. 

"Just imagine how people might treat them and their families after such a thing. This is just unacceptable. And it's happening despite the fact that there is a very clear rule that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty in court," said Arutyunyan, the lawyer. 

Arshaluis Mgdesyan is a journalist based in Yerevan.

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-treason-cases-against-soldiers-start-to-fall-apart

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 01/25/2024

Emma Jilavian 
                                        Thursday, 


Yerevan Confirms Azeri 'Discontent' With Armenian Constitution

        • Shoghik Galstian
        • Karlen Aslanian

Armenia - A copy of the 1990 Declaration of Independence.


Senior Armenian officials have acknowledged that Azerbaijan has objected to 
Armenia’s 1990 declaration of independence which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
seems intent on removing from the national constitution.

Pashinian declared late last week that Armenia must adopt a constitution 
reflecting the “new geopolitical environment” in the region. He emphasized that 
in that context the country’s “external security” and “internationally 
recognized sovereign territory”.

The preamble to the current Armenian constitution makes reference to the 
declaration adopted by the republic’s first post-Communist parliament. The 
declaration in turn cites a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative 
bodies of Soviet Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. It 
also calls for international recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians “in 
Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia.”

Analysts and opposition figures believe that eliminating these references is the 
main reason for the change of the constitution sought by Pashinian. The latter 
also said last week that Armenia is ready to formally pledge that it will not 
have any territorial claims to Azerbaijan in the future.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said late on Wednesday that during peace talks 
and exchanges of written proposals with Yerevan Baku described the declaration 
of independence a “problem” and “presented legal questions” to the Armenian side.

“For our part, we considered their legal provisions contentious,” Mirzoyan told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

“As part of the peace process, each side has noted problems in the other’s legal 
framework and informed it about that, and both sides have provided relevant 
clarifications,” he said. “There will definitely be such discussions.”

Mirzoyan insisted at the same time that none of the written proposals on an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty exchanged by the two sides calls for any 
constitutional changes.

Opposition leaders and other critics of Pashinian say that he wants to enact a 
new constitution at the behest of Azerbaijan. Five lawmakers representing the 
main opposition Hayastan alliance issued on January 19 a joint statement 
accusing the premier of planning to meet “another of the nonstop 
Turkish-Azerbaijani demands.”

Vahagn Aleksanian, a deputy chairman of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, denied 
the opposition claims on Thursday. Still, Aleksanian said that Baku has voiced 
“discontent” with the 1990 Armenian declaration and that it “could and should be 
taken into account.”

“By the same token, Baku should take into account what is stated by Armenia,” he 
told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

The Azerbaijani leadership has indicated no plans to address Armenian concerns. 
Mirzoyan spoke on January 10 of “some regression” in its position on the peace 
treaty. He said Baku is reluctant to explicitly recognize Armenia’s borders 
through that accord.

In televised remarks aired hours later, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
renewed his demands for Armenia to open an extraterritorial corridor to 
Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave. He also demanded Armenian withdrawal from 
“eight Azerbaijani villages” and again dismissed Yerevan’s insistence on using 
the most recent Soviet maps to delimit the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Pashinian countered that Aliyev’s demands amount to territorial claims and 
seriously complicate the signing of the treaty. He went to make his statements 
on the new Armenian constitution and additional “guarantees” to Azerbaijan.




Armenian Court Overturns Entry Bans For Diaspora Leaders

        • Artak Khulian

France - President Emmanuel Macron, Mourad Papazian (right) and other 
French-Armenian leaders visit the Armenian genocide memorial, Paris.


A court in Yerevan has overturned entry bans imposed by Armenia’s government on 
two Armenian Diaspora leaders from Europe highly critical of Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian.

The two men, Mourad Papazian and Massis Abrahamian, lead the pan-Armenian 
Dashnaktsutyun party’s chapters in France and the Netherlands respectively. They 
were deported from Armenia on their arrival at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport in 
July 2022.

The Armenian government said afterwards that Papazian was denied entry to the 
country because of organizing an angry demonstration against Pashinian’s June 
2021 visit to France. It said the protesters threw “various objects” at 
Pashinian’s motorcade when it drove through Paris. Papazian, who is also the 
co-chairman of an umbrella structure representing France’s influential Armenian 
community, denied any involvement in that protest.

The government never explained the entry bans for Abrahamian as well as at three 
other Dashnaktsutyun activists.

Dashnaktsutyun, which is a key member of Armenia’s main opposition alliance, 
strongly condemned the bans and accused Pashinian of seeking to silence his 
vocal critics in the worldwide Armenian Diaspora.

All five blacklisted activists have challenged the authorities’ refusal to let 
them visit Armenia in local courts. In separate rulings handed down in recent 
days, the Administrative Court ordered the country’s National Security Service 
(NSS) to remove Papazian and Abrahamian from its list of “undesirable” foreign 
nationals.

The NSS declined to clarify on Thursday whether it will appeal against the 
rulings. Ruben Melikian, a lawyer representing Papazian and Abrahamian, 
suggested that it will likely file such appeals.

“But I still harbor small hope that the NSS will try to find a solution to this 
matter after looking into it,” Melikian told a news conference.

During the court hearings, the security service did not present any grounds for 
the travel bans, he said, adding that this is the reason why the Administrative 
Court overturned them.




Azerbaijan Frozen Out Of PACE


France - Flags wave outside the Council of Europe building in Strasbourg, France 
March 14, 2022.


The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has effectively 
suspended Azerbaijan’s membership in the Strasbourg-based legislative body, 
citing, among other things, last September’s Azerbaijani military offensive in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.

The PACE refused to ratify the credentials of its Azerbaijani members in a 
resolution adopted late on Wednesday. It said Baku has failed to fulfill “major 
commitments” to the Council of Europe and still has a poor human rights record.

The PACE also pointed to its two earlier resolutions that condemned the 
Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor and the September 19-20 military 
offensive that restored Azerbaijani control over Karabakh and forced the 
region’s population to flee to Armenia. It said “allegations of ‘ethnic 
cleansing’ cannot be unaddressed by the Assembly.”

In anticipation of that decision, Azerbaijan said earlier on Wednesday that it 
will “cease its engagement with and presence at the PACE until further notice.” 
The Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation in Strasbourg accused the PACE of 
exhibiting “Azerbaijanophobia and Islamophobia” and creating an “unbearable 
atmosphere” in the organization.

The PACE decision came two days after the European Union expressed serious 
concern at what its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, described as 
territorial claims to Armenia made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. 
Borrell warned that any violation of Armenia’s territorial integrity would have 
“severe consequences for our relations with Azerbaijan.” The Azerbaijani Foreign 
Ministry rejected the warning, accusing the chief EU diplomat of “blatant 
misinterpretation of facts.”

Aliyev on January 10 rejected a proposal by Armenia to use Soviet-era maps drawn 
in the 1970s to delineate the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, claiming that 
Azerbaijani territories had been handed to Armenia by the Soviet authorities. 
Yerevan said this and other comments made by Aliyev undermined prospects for a 
peace treaty between the two South Caucasus nations.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2024 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Poland’s Tusk pledges quick end to friction as he visits Ukraine

Emma Jilavian

 13:41,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Poland's new Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in neighboring Ukraine on Monday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, aiming to strengthen relations after months of political friction between the two wartime allies, Reuters reports. 

Tusk's government is exploring how to make more ammunition and military equipment as part of a new aid package for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said last week.

Warsaw has emerged as a key ally for Kyiv as it defends itself against Russia and seeks more financial and military support from Western partners.

Poland has also taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees.

"There is no more important issue than supporting Ukraine in its war effort – that is number one," said Tusk, who assumed office last month, in comments carried on Polish television. 

Relations between the two had deteriorated in recent months amid blockades by Polish truckers at the border, which threatened to dent Ukraine's GDP.

They agreed last week to suspend their protests, which had been aimed at revoking Ukrainian truckers' permit-free access to the European Union, until March 1.

Tusk said his visit was also aimed at "solving problems as quickly as possible".

A video released by his office showed the newly installed leader arriving at Kyiv's main train station in his first trip to Ukraine as prime minister.

Tusk's visit, during which he will also meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, coincides with Ukraine's Unity Day holiday, which celebrates the unification of western and eastern Ukraine in 1919.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE

Emma Jilavian
Jerusalem Patriarchate [of the Greek Orthodox Church]
Jan 20 2024

On Saturday morning, January 20, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III led a delegation from the Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate to the Armenian Patriarchate, to exchange Christmas greetings. His Beatitude’s speech was as follow:

Your Beatitude, dear Archbishop Nourhan,
Your Eminences,
Your Graces,
Beloved Members of our Respective Brotherhoods,
Dear Fathers,

Christ is born!
Glorify him!

We greet you warmly, Your Beatitude, and the members of your Brotherhood, as you celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Divine Logos in the Church of the Nativity. This is a time of deep joy, and we recall the words of the hymnographer:

O Bethlehem, receive the Mother of God:
for she has come to you to give birth to the Light that never sets.
Let everything that has breath praise the Maker of all.
(From Mattins of the Forefeast of the Nativity)

As we keep the Christmas feast of joy, hope, and light in this time of darkness in our region and in our world, we must not refrain from appropriate rejoicing. For the Light that the darkness can never overcome has come into the world (cf. Jn 1:5), and this great feast renews our faith and trust in the God who comes to share our humanity in all its fullness.

Our spiritual mission that has been entrusted to us by Divine providence is to remain focussed always on this message of hope, especially when hope seems elusive. There is no doubt that at this present time in human history the human family is facing some of its greatest challenges, and our region is no exception. For we are under particular pressure here in the Holy Land, where so many innocent victims suffer and where so many are displaced from their homes and their lands. As we are fully aware, the Christian community is also confronted by the impact of the conflict, and there has never been a time when our shared commitment to our spiritual mission here has been more urgent.

Just as we are keeping the Christmas feast, which is the feast of God’s solidarity with us, we wish to take this opportunity to express our solidarity as well with you and your community in the face of the pressures you are bearing. The situation that you face is not simply an issue for the Armenian community alone; indeed it is an issue for the whole Christian community. We recall the words of Saint Paul, If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it (1 Cor. 12:26). We are committed to remain united in our resolve to defend the integrity of the Christian character of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

We assure you, Your Beatitude, of our firm support in your endeavours to protect the patrimony of the Armenian patriarchate. As Saint Paul encourages us, we are to bear one another’s burdens, and in this way…fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). We are deeply concerned at the ongoing harassment that the Armenian community is experiencing in the matter of the Cow’s Garden, and we pray for a swift resolution to these problems and the restoration of normal life for the Armenian community.

On this occasion we would like to offer our congratulations for your newly ordained bishops, and we also wish to express once again our condolences at the recent passing away of the late Archbishop Aris, who was a faithful servant of the Armenian Church and of the Christian community of the Holy Land. May his memory be eternal.

In this difficult season for the world and for our region, we must renew our resolve not to let anything distract us from our pastoral and spiritual mission to guard and protect the Holy Places and to serve and support the Christian presence here. Nothing is more important than this. We are to be vigilant for those who cause divisions among us and put obstacles in our way that are contrary to the Gospel (cf. Rom. 16:17). Let this be our special care so that we may always join our efforts and maintain our united front against those who wish to rend the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious fabric of our society.

In this blessed season of the Prince of Peace, we renew our appeal for peace and for a humanitarian ceasefire so that the innocent victims of the present conflict may receive the essential help and care that they so desperately need. And we encourage the authorities of our region and of the world to do all in their power to bring a swift end to this conflict, prevent any escalation, and engage in a process of dialogue that will lead to lasting and robust peace and security for all our peoples.

As we keep this holy season, Your Beatitude, we pray that the Light that shines from the Holy Grotto of Bethlehem will illumine the darkness of this present time, and enlighten the hearts and minds of all to seek peace and pursue it (Ps. 34:14).

Christ is born!
Glorify him!

Armenian Foreign Minister finds huge untapped potential in the economic sphere of Armenia-Croatia relations

Emma Jilavian

 18:44,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. We should stress that this year is special for our bilateral relations as we mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the past three decades, our states have made important efforts aimed at developing high-level political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan said the abovesaid on January 19, in Zagreb, during a joint press conference with the Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman.

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan expressed satisfaction, noting that the recent reciprocal visits and active interactions reflect the positive dynamics of the bilateral relations as well as the readiness to further enhance the agenda, deepen the cooperation in various fields and different platforms, and, of course, strengthen the ties between the two friendly nations.

“During our discussions today, we touched upon a number of issues of bilateral agenda and possibilities to develop cooperation in different sectors, including economy, culture, IT, tourism and education. Along with the development of the political dialogue, there is huge untapped potential in the economic sphere. While the business forum held in Yerevan during the Minister's visit last February was of particular importance, we are keen to promote and expand the trade and economic cooperation to achieve tangible outcomes,” said FM Mirzoyan.

Mirzoyan noted that they discussed the ongoing processes and steps undertaken to further enhance the Armenia-EU partnership.

“The aspirations of our citizens to see the further deepening of this relationship are based on the shared values upheld by Armenia, Croatia, and the European Union, particularly in the realms of democracy, protection of human rights and other fundamental principles.

At the same time, our commitment derives from the vision of a better and more secure environment for our citizens. Thus, with my Croatian counterpart we looked into the whole spectrum of the Armenia-EU relations covering our democratic reform agenda, people-to-people contacts, visa liberalization dialogue, economic cooperation as well as security matters. In this context, I would like to underline that the Armenia-EU partnership is being enhanced with new dimensions, namely the EU monitoring mission and security dialogue,’’ noted Armenian Foreign Minister.

“Today, we also had the chance to touch upon issues of cooperation in multilateral fora, within international organizations where Armenia and Croatia already have or will further benefit from closer cooperation,” added Mirzoyan.

Armenpress: Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs condemn dangerous rhetoric from Aliyev

Emma Jilavian

 21:16,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12), David G. Valadao (CA-21), and Adam B. Schiff (CA-30) released a statement on Thursday condemning dangerous statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his January 10 interview to local TV networks, laying claim to Armenian territory and refusing to withdraw his troops.

“President Aliyev’s most recent escalatory remarks, including his refusal to remove troops from Armenian territory, follow the same pattern he used in the build up to the ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Armenians in Artsakh last fall. He makes hostile statements, uses those claims to justify further mobilizing his military, and then takes aggressive action because he believes there will not be any consequences. The international community has sadly proven him right with its inaction over the last few years.

“It is past time we hold his regime accountable for the belligerent rhetoric and actions it has taken against Armenians in the South Caucasus. The United States and our regional partners should use every diplomatic tool, including sanctions, to help guarantee the territorial integrity of Armenia and push back against Aliyev’s blatant threats against it. We call on the State Department and our international partners to take immediate action to halt any further Azeri aggression and ensure Armenia’s safety and security,” reads the statement.

PM Barzani, Armenian president discuss bilateral relations in Davos

Emma Jilavian
Kurdistan 24
Jan 18 2024

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday discussed bilateral relations with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan in Davos. 

 Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday met with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan in Davos.

The PM Masrour Barzani in a post on X said he was glad to see the Armenian President at Davos.

"The Kurdistan Region and Armenia share a common goal: peace and stability for our peoples and the region," he wrote.

The latest developments in Iraq and the region and the development of relations between the Kurdistan Region and Armenia were discussed during the meeting.

Both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining security and stability in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq and eliminating tensions in the Middle East.

Read More: PM Barzani meets outgoing Armenian envoy in Kurdistan Region

Armenia officially inaugurated its official consulate general in the Kurdish capital of Erbil on Feb. 24, 2021.

According to Armenia's Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, around 7,000 to 8,000 Armenians live in Iraq, including 3,000 of them living in the Kurdistan Region.
The majority of Armenians in the Kurdistan Region, between 850 to 900, live in the independent Zakho administration.

Also in May 2019, the first Armenian Orthodox church in Erbil's Christian-majority Ankawa district in the Kurdistan Region.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33787-PM-Barzani,-Armenian-president-discuss-bilateral-relations-in-Davos

AW: Chiden Inch: The Enemy’s Oud

Emma Jilavian
January 9, 2024 Mark Gavoor Opinion 0

Mark Gavoor holding his carbon fiber oud

I have a good friend who is Palestinian. He is a very talented musician, plays several instruments very well and has a deep understanding of music of the Arab world and other cultures in the Middle East. We are in the same orchestra along with 40 other musicians, perform three concerts a year and practice eight times for each concert. 

I have a number of ouds. One that I favor most these days I purchased most recently during the pandemic. It is a carbon fiber, solid black oud made in Israel. Because of the color and material, many of my musician friends consider it unconventional. They also are not particularly fond of the sound. Me? I love the color and the durability of the carbon fiber. I also think the sound is deep and rich. This oud fits my style of play. 

With the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the even more brutal response in Gaza, my friend has been very despondent, and for good reason. The Armenians lost Artsakh on September 28, a mere nine days before the Hamas attack, after a horrible siege by Azerbaijan. Armenians, myself included, have been increasingly despondent since the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. 

At a rehearsal in November, I was tuning my oud before practice. My friend was walking by and said, “I see you brought the enemy’s oud.” I was not sure what to say. In that instant I understood his pain, but it amplified my pain of the total lack of interest in the three-year plight of Armenians leading to the fall of Artsakh.  All I could think to say was, “You know the maker of this oud was an Israeli aerospace engineer named Meir Yaakov Efergen. He stopped making weapons to make instruments.”  

In that instant I understood his pain, but it amplified my pain of the total lack of interest in the three-year plight of Armenians leading to the fall of Artsakh. 

I understand the feelings of my friend. He could not believe or accept what was happening to his people in Gaza. He felt helpless. All he could do was post on social media, protest and participate in concerts to raise money for aid. It is exactly how I have felt for three years regarding Artsakh. 

A few weeks later, I was still thinking about this exchange with my friend; the enemy’s oud indeed. As a result, I left the carbon fiber oud at home and used a very traditional, classic instrument made by arguably the most famous oud maker, Emaniolis, who was a Greek living in Istanbul at the turn of the 20th century.  At another rehearsal, I asked my friend, “Do you recall calling my carbon fiber oud ‘the enemy’s oud?’” He didn’t, and I understood, given the swirl of emotions the war on Gaza has caused for so many people. I went on to say, “You went to Istanbul and had an oud made to your exact specifications by the most talented living maker in Istanbul. I have never called your instrument ‘the enemy’s oud.’”

This all made me reflect on a quote from the great troubadour Aram Tigran (1934-2009) that was going through my head: “If I come to the world again, I will melt all of the tanks, rifles and weapons, and make sazes, cümbüşes and zurnas.” I would love to see that happen.

  •  Bio
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Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.


First time ever, list of Armenia’s biggest trade partners includes U.S.

Emma Jilavian

 17:01, 8 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. For the first time ever, the United States has become one of the biggest trade partners of Armenia, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan has said at a press conference summarizing 2023.

He said that Russia remained Armenia’s biggest trade partner in 2023. 

“Our biggest trade partner is still Russia, although its share in the total trade turnover has somewhat dropped. Next come the United Arab Emirates, China, Georgia and the United States, which is in this list for the first time,” Kerobyan said.

He said that Armenia continues to work towards a more diversified foreign trade turnover.