Author: Greg Madatian

Armenia received 411 readmission applications from EU countries in 2023

Greg Madatian

 11:10,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. Last year Armenia received a total of 411 readmission applications from EU countries, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan told lawmakers Wednesday.

She said that Armenia approved over 92% of the applications.

Sargsyan made the comments during parliamentary committee hearings on the bill on ratifying the protocol on the application of the Armenia-EU readmission agreement between Armenia and Austria.

The Deputy Minister said that statistically Armenia is in a very good situation, which gives EU partners trust to continue cooperation with Armenia within the framework of the readmission process.

“From January to December of 2023 we received 411 applications among EU countries, and 92,99% received positive response from our side. This doesn’t imply that Armenia refuses to receive the people who are residing irregularly in various EU countries. In many cases the persons in question could still be in unclarified circumstances who are not subject to readmission. And those who are not subject to readmission did not receive positive response,” she said.

Most of the applications are made from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Romania, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Greece, Italy and Norway.

Speaking about the bill on ratifying the protocol, Sargsyan said that so far similar protocols have been ratified with Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, France, Estonia and Poland.

“Practice shows that such agreements contribute to more constructive visa liberalization talks between Armenia and the EU. This also allows to underscore Armenia’s readiness to ensure readmission processes for persons residing irregularly in various EU countries,” the Deputy Minister added.

Government works to achieve release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan – says justice minister

Greg Madatian

 13:02, 8 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government is carrying out legal procedures and diplomatic work to achieve the release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan has said.

“The Foreign Ministry is carrying out the diplomatic work; our ambassadors have briefed international organizations on what has happened, who the prisoners are, their political past and naturally they contact their families through the ICRC. The Armenian government’s representative on international legal affairs is also carrying out intensive work in numerous international bodies, especially in courts, where it is trying to protect and restore the rights of the representatives of our nation through motions and lawsuits. I am sure that large-scale work is underway. We will soon be able to present our achievements through decisions confirmed by international bodies,” the minister said.

Armenia’s top law enforcement official earlier said that 55 Armenians are currently held captive in Azerbaijan but Baku has so far acknowledged only 23 of them.

Georgian Prime Minister Extends Orthodox Christmas and Epiphany Greetings to Armenians

Greg Madatian
Jan 6 2024

By: Momen Zellmi

In a show of solidarity and unity, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili extended his heartfelt greetings to both Georgian nationals of Armenian descent and the citizens of Armenia. The occasion? The traditional Orthodox Christmas and Epiphany celebrations, a time of joy, peace, and introspection for many.

Garibashvili’s message, conveyed by the Government Administration, was one of fraternity and goodwill. Referring to the Armenian people as ‘brotherly,’ the Prime Minister expressed his hope that the day would bring joy and happiness to all those who celebrate the holiday with fervor and sincerity. It was a message not just of celebration, but also of unity and shared joy, transcending national borders and ethnic differences.

(Read Also: Syrian Secretary General Visits Armenian Church Leader on Christmas: A Testament to Interfaith Solidarity)

This gesture by the Prime Minister is more than a mere formal greeting. It’s a beacon of the shared history, culture, and mutual respect that exists between the Georgian and Armenian people. This acknowledgment of the Orthodox Christmas and Epiphany celebrations by the head of the Georgian government signals a recognition of cultural diversity and mutual respect.

(Read Also: Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany: Armenian Church’s Unique Celebration)

Garibashvili’s greetings went beyond mere wishes for a joyful celebration. They included hopes for peace and prosperity for those observing the celebrations, indicating a deeper desire for harmony and well-being among the Armenian community, both within Georgia and beyond its borders. It’s a wish for a future where cultural celebrations are not just recognized but also celebrated with equal fervor by all, regardless of ethnicity or nationality.

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/armenia/georgian-prime-minister-extends-orthodox-christmas-and-epiphany-greetings-to-armenians/

[Lebanese PM] Mikati meets Aram I, day ahead of Armenian Christmas

Greg Madatian
Lebanon  -  Jan 5 2024

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met Friday with head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, in Antelias.

Mikati and Aram I discussed issues and challenges facing Lebanon, particularly the situation in the South of Lebanon, the presidential election, and the socio-economic crisis facing the country, the Armenian Church Catholicosate of Cilicia said.

The Armenian community is preparing to celebrate Christmas on January 6th.

Israeli police fails to stop new mob attack on Jerusalem Armenian Quarter amid ‘land grab’

Greg Madatian
The New Arab
Dec 29 2023
Israeli police fails to stop new mob attack on Jerusalem Armenian Quarter amid 'land grab'
Ibrahim Husseini
Jerusalem
The attack comes as The New Arab publishes a series of investigations into a murky deal to acquire land in Jerusalem that underpins violence against Armenians

Masked men numbering around 30 stormed the Armenian Quarter in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, assailing community members with the Israeli police late to intervene, according to eyewitnesses. 

A widely shared video from the scene shows masked men throwing rocks and other objects at members of the Armenian clergy. 

Police later arrived at the scene and cleared the area. It is unclear if arrests have been made. 

The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear, but Armenian activists in Jerusalem blamed the attack on George Warwar. Warwar is a Jaffa man thought to be involved in a controversial and now cancelled deal to acquire a plot of land in the Armenian neighbourhood ostensibly to build a luxury hotel by Jewish investors.

The New Arab has published a series of investigations into the deal and its links with the extremist Israeli settler movement. The controversy prompted companies signed up to the project to scale back their involvement, including Safdie Architects.

Christian Armenian activists accuse Jewish settler groups of trying to assert control over the disputed piece of land that has been in the possession of the Armenian Patriarchate for centuries. These settler groups are believed to be linked to Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right national security minister. 

Xana Capital, a company owned by Danny Rubenstein, also known as Danny Rothman, is claiming a large property in the Armenian Quarter after signing a questionable deal with the Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian several years ago. The Armenian Patriarchate has since withdrawn from the agreement, and the matter is now in the courts.

RELATED
Investigations
Anas Ambri

The details of the agreement between the Patriarch and Danny Rubenstein are not entirely transparent, but community members are determined to annul the deal and maintain hold of the land. 

The Armenian Patriarchate issued a strong message referring to the violent episode as an "existential threat", stating that "Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians and indigenous Armenians are fighting for their very lives". 

"We call upon the Israeli government and the Police to start an investigation against Danny Rothman and George Warwar for organising their criminal attacks on the Armenian Patriarchate and community, attacks which seem to have no end in sight", the statement added. 

Similar attacks against the Armenian community occurred recently.

Last month, on two separate occasions, private security guards and Israeli and Jewish settlers burst into the Armenian Quarter accompanied by two bulldozers.

To find out more, watch our video explainer of the dispute over the Armenian Quarter.

Jerusalem’s Armenian community fights to defend precious space in the Old City

Greg Madatian
The National, UAE
Dec 22 2023

Jerusalem's Armenian community fights to defend precious space

in the Old City

Residents of the dwindling Armenian Quarter are braving the winter this Christmas to stand guard against developers who want to take their property in shady circumstances

Thomas Helm

Christmas is rarely this quiet in Jerusalem’s Old City. The war in Gaza has kept visitors from abroad away. Local Christians, most of whom are Palestinian, are choosing not to celebrate publicly as Gazans continue to be killed only 50 miles away.

The south-western corner of the Old City is different. In the car park of the Armenian Quarter, 10 men play cards loudly, smoke and boil soup in a plywood structure festooned with Armenian flags.

They belong to a community that has shrunk in recent decades to about only 1,000 people.

On a cold evening in December, the atmosphere was convivial but the raincoats and protective goggles hanging by the entrance indicate a far more serious side to their presence.

“Those are in case of pepper spray,” says Hagop Djernazian, a leader of the Save the Armenian Quarter movement.

Mr Djernazian and his fellow community members are guarding a plot of land that is the subject of a contentious property dispute, involving a private developer’s plan to build a hotel on the site, which makes up 25 per cent of the entire quarter.

The land in question encompasses the community's car park and the seminary. Activists say both are vital for the community's survival.

The deal would also hand over to developers a private garden for the Patriarch and a number of homes.

Most significant of all, the transaction would mean that a vast space in the Old City – one of the flashpoints of the Israel-Palestine conflict – would no longer be in the hands of local Christians, a community whose numbers and influence have been dwindling in recent decades.

Many fear that losing this particular area puts the Armenian community one step closer to extinction.

The struggle has pitted a local community, most of them the descendants of genocide survivors, against a confusing web of property dealers, allegedly corrupt church officials who signed off on the agreement and, seemingly, Israeli settlers.

If the deal goes through, Mr Djernazian says the community's very presence in the Old City is under threat. It would be another blow to Holy Land Christians, who have been leaving in droves in recent decades.

“We’ve been sleeping here for more than a month to guard the area 24/7, somewhere between six and 10 of us, depending on the day,” Mr Djernazian says.

“I’ve only slept in my house twice during the past month and a half.”

He now sleeps on camping equipment on top of the car park’s cold tarmac, much of it recently chewed up in a recent standoff.

The tent was set up after bulldozers and guards, some of them armed, turned up to the site in late October and began knocking down walls. They came the same day the Armenian Patriarch bowed to pressure from the community and signed a letter cancelling the original property deal that would have signed over the land to developers who plan to build the luxury hotel.

Danny Rothman, a figure at the heart of the deal about whom very little is known, was also there in October. Mr Rothman declined to comment on the reason for his presence and the property deal at the time.

He was met with a large crowd of community members, many of whom sit in the tent today. They are lying back on sofas, mostly relaxing, but occasionally leaving the warmth to survey a makeshift fence of rubble and barbed wire that protects the section of the car park most under threat.

Just outside the tent, a scraggly Christmas tree is planted in a large mound of yet more rubble. At the very top is another Armenian flag.

Weeks after the confrontation, a picture emerged of Mr Rothman appearing to sit with senior figures from Ateret Cohanim, a high-profile settler organisation that is behind the takeover of a number of non-Jewish properties in the Old City.

At the time of the last confrontation, The National spoke to Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli anti-settlement activist and lawyer, who said “the whole thing stinks”.

“I’ve said to my friends in the international community, ignore the legalities for now,” he said.

Speaking about the dangers of the surge in hostility in October, Mr Seidemann added: “There are hundreds of members of a community confronting armed [Israeli guards] with dogs and weapons. It’s on the brink of an explosion.

"The last thing we need is an eruption of convulsive violence in Jerusalem. Sort out the legal issues later – make this go away.”

The involvement of settlers is only one side of the story, however. The most bitter issue for those standing guard in the tent was how church authorities allowed this catastrophe to happen to the institution they are supposed to shepherd.

“The patriarchate is still not co-operating with our local and international legal teams,” Mr Djernazian says.

“This case will ultimately go to court and when that happens we need full transparency from the institution that signed the papers. That’s not happening, which is our biggest concern right now.”

For now, there is a sense among the local community that they are the ones who must shoulder the burden of protecting their heritage in the Holy Land this Christmas.

If they can keep doing so with the same level of enthusiasm, Mr Djernazian is optimistic the community will win.

"We have the will. We believe in this just struggle. I’d be even more optimistic if the patriarchate agreed to sit around the same table with out lawyers. But we know our strategy and the things we need to do as a community.”

Russia to revamp Armenia’s nuclear power plant

Greg Madatian
eurasianet
Dec 21 2023
Lilit Shahverdyan 

On December 15, Armenia and Russia signed a contract on modernizing and extending the lifespan of Armenia's Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) until 2036. 

The renovations will be carried out by Rustatom Service JSC, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom, and will cost the Armenian government $65 million.

The deal is another reminder of the vast extent of Russia's influence over Armenia's infrastructure and economy amid Yerevan's efforts to politically distance itself from Moscow. 

Metsamor plays a significant role in Armenia's energy landscape, contributing an average of 31 percent of the country's yearly electricity output.

It is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus, located about 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It consists of two units, Metsamor-1 and Metsamor-2, activated in 1976 and 1980, respectively. In 1989, the plant was shut down due to safety concerns after the devastating earthquake in Spitak in December 1988. In 1995, Unit 2 was reactivated due to energy shortages in Armenia, and since then has been the only nuclear unit in operation.

In 2021, Rosatom repaired and upgraded the NPP to operate until 2026. The modernization was implemented under a loan agreement signed between Armenia and Russia in 2015. 

Under the new agreement, Rosatom will help to extend the lifespan of Unit-2 until 2036, after which it will be decommissioned. 

The upgrading operations will be financed in the form of a "budgetary loan" provided by the Armenian government to the state-owned plant's management, which will subsequently enter into a contract with Rosatom. In 2023-2026, Rosatom will modernize Metsamor NPP in close cooperation with Armenian specialists.

As the reactor will be decommissioned in 2036, the Armenian government intends to build a new nuclear unit at Metsamor. Different estimates assert that the construction of a new nuclear power plant or unit will take 6-10 years, which means that construction works must be started in the next couple years.

It appears those construction works will be implemented by Rosatom, judging by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk's remark on December 15 that negotiations were underway regarding new nuclear power units. 

Overwhelming energy dependence on Russia 

The new Metsamor deal comes at a complicated time in Armenian-Russian relations. Resentment against Russia is high in Armenia Azerbaijan's military takeover – apparently with Moscow's blessing – of Nagorno-Karabakh in September.

Despite persistent efforts to diversify its political alliances and build closer ties with the West, Armenia's economy remains overwhelmingly dependent on Russia. Russia is Armenia's largest trade partner, and Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). 

And then there's energy dependence.

Russia supplies 87.5 percent of Armenia's gas (the rest comes from Iran), and Gazprom Armenia, the local subsidiary of the Russian state gas company, owns all of the country's gas distribution infrastructure. 

Armenia says it generates 98 percent of the electricity it needs but that claim hides even more dependence. 

That electricity is generated by hydropower and thermal plants and by the Metsamor NPP. Metsamor is entirely fueled by uranium imported from Russia while thermal power plants depend on (largely Russian) natural gas. 

"Our self-sufficiency depends on the countries from which we import the gas and the uranium that operate our thermal and nuclear power plants. And when our government officials speak about our self-sufficiency, why do they forget to say how we maintain it?" energy expert Armen Manvelyan told the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), stressing that over 70 percent of Armenia's electricity depends on Russia.

And Armenia's energy demands keep growing. In 2022, Armenia's imports of Russian natural gas increased by 6.1 percent from the previous year, reaching 2.6 billion cubic meters. 

Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, recently mused about the possibility of tripling or quadrupling Tehran's gas exports to Armenia. But such a move would require Russia's consent and facilitation, as Gazprom controls the gas pipeline to Iran.

Armenia is exploring the possibility of obtaining small modular nuclear reactors from the United States, France, and South Korea as part of its efforts to diversify its energy sector. But so far concrete progress on this front remains elusive.

Lilit Shahverdyan is a journalist based in Stepanakert. 

Applications open for ANCA 2024 career services and youth empowerment programs in Washington, D.C.

Greg Madatian
 ANCA ANCA News 0

WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has opened applications for its broad-based Washington, D.C. career services and pro-Artsakh/Armenia student advocacy programs, as it gears up to welcome hundreds of youth to the nation’s capital in 2024.

“Empowering the next generation of Armenian American leaders is not just a goal; it’s our duty,” said ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian. “Each of our job placement and internship programs nurture talent, fostering growth and providing opportunities to strengthen the Armenian American voice in the nation’s capital, as well as campuses and hometowns across the U.S. To all students and recent graduates, we encourage you to apply today to explore new paths to personal development and strengthen the Armenian cause.”

Meet the Fall 2023 Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program fellows and interns—many starting their careers on Capitol Hill—all adding to the vibrant and growing Armenian American professional network in Washington, D.C.

ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program

Recent university graduates are invited to apply to the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program (CGP), which helps secure permanent employment and professional internships in Washington, D.C. for young Armenian American professionals and students interested in careers in policy, politics and media. The CGP offers three months of free housing and enrichment seminars, connects participants with mentors and much more.  

Spring 2024 career services session: April 8 – June 8; Application deadline February 16, 2024
Summer Internship session: June 17 – July 26; Application deadline April 15, 2024
Fall 2024 career services session: September 9 – December 9; Application deadline July 12, 2024
Learn more and apply at: https://anca.org/gateway

ANCA Semester-in-DC Internship Programs

In addition, the ANCA encourages students who attend universities that offer Semester-In-Washington programs (UCDC, USC, Pepperdine, AU, Holy Cross, etc.) to take advantage of these opportunities and consider interning at the ANCA. The ANCA is happy to work with participants to ensure their ANCA internship meets university requirements. Students can apply through the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program portal.

ANCA Rising Leaders with Congressional Armenian Staff Association members following an interactive briefing on careers on Capitol Hill, held during the Lucine Kouchakdjian Capitol Hill Day.

ANCA Rising Leaders

Offered in two sessions in March, the ANCA Rising Leaders is a three-day seminar in Washington, D.C., offering expert advice on careers in government, development and media. The program includes the Lucine Kouchakdjian Capitol Hill Day—a full day of Capitol Hill discussions with legislators and staff on strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties, demanding accountability for Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and securing justice for the genocides committed against Armenians. The program is organized by the ANCA, in conjunction with the Armenian Youth Federation Eastern and Western U.S. Washington, D.C.-area Armenian American high school seniors are also welcome to participate. ANCA group housing accommodations are available for youth 18 and over.

Rising Leaders Session 1: March 10 – 12, 2024
Rising Leaders Session 2: March 24 – 26, 2024
Application Deadline: January 26, 2024
Learn more and apply: https://anca.org/risingleaders/

ANCA 2023 Leo Sarkisian, Maral Melkonian Avetisyan and Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Summer interns prepare to head to Capitol Hill to advocate for Artsakh justice and Armenia security.

ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship

During the summer, the ANCA invites university students to participate in the Leo Sarkisian Internship, a six-week intensive program designed to give them the tools necessary to effectively advance issues of concern to the Armenian American community on the federal, state and local level. The Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship runs parallel to this program.  

The 2024 ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship Program Dates: June 17 – July 26, 2024
Application deadline: March 29, 2024
Learn more and apply at: http://anca.org/internship 

The ANCA’s Alex Galitsky and Tereza Yerimyan prepare 2023 Kasparian Summer Academy participants for a day of pro-Artsakh/Armenia Capitol Hill advocacy during this early morning session at the Aramian House.

ANCA Haroutioun and Elizabeth Kasparian Summer Academy

High school students ages 17 to 19 are invited to participate in the Haroutioun and Elizabeth Kasparian Summer Academy, a one-week, intensive program that brings a select group of high school students with proven community leadership experience to Washington, D.C. to learn more about the Armenian cause and how our policy priorities are advanced within the framework of America’s federal government. High schoolers have two sessions to choose from:

Kasparian Summer Academy – Session 1: August 5 – August 9, 2024
Kasparian Summer Academy – Session 2: August 12 – August 16, 2024
Application deadline: May 17, 2024
Learn more and apply at: https://anca.org/summer

The ANCA’s Tereza Yerimyan and Alex Galitsky speak with Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School eighth graders about the vital role Armenian students of all ages can play in advocating for Artsakh and Armenia.

Junior High School Class Visits to the ANCA Washington, D.C. Headquarters

The ANCA welcomes hundreds of students from Armenian American junior high schools during their annual trips to the nation’s capital for an interactive discussion on the important role they can play in advocating for pro-Artsakh/Armenia priorities in their hometowns, while offering an early introduction to Washington, D.C. career opportunities in policy, politics and media.

Schools or parents interested in scheduling a “Pizza and Politics” session with the ANCA Washington, D.C. team, email [email protected] or call (202) 775-1918.

For more information about these programs, visit anca.org/youth or email [email protected].

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


PM Pashinyan receives Director General of the International Labor Organization

Greg Madatian

 20:06,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the Director General of the International Labor Organization, Gilbert Houngbo.

The Prime Minister emphasized the cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the International Labor Organization, the provision of expert assistance by the organization, including for the purpose of revealing the problems in the field and implementing the necessary regulations and reforms, the Prime Minister's Office said in a readout.

According to the source, In that context, the interlocutors expressed hope that the effective discussions within the framework of the international conference entitled "Promoting Social Justice: The future of labor in the current period" will contribute to solving the problems in the field.

The Prime Minister referred to the government's steps towards solving the problems of forcibly displaced people from Nagorno Karabakh and emphasized the need for the support of the international community.

It is noted that during the meeting, the sides exchanged ideas on social justice, challenges of the developing labor market and opportunities and steps to overcome them.

Livre: Karabakh, couloir des oubliés

Greg Madatian
Dec 2023
On December 3, 1991, under the stars of Talish, a small village in Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh, three children were born. Atom, his twin sister Sona and little Samvel. Throughout History, they attempt to write their own. From drama to drama, from war to war, the three children navigate a chaotic path while preserving their complicity, their friendship, their love. Sometimes History is stronger than life, to the point of stifling the most beautiful feelings. From Talish in Karabakh, to Talin in Armenia, they avoid bombs, rockets, traps set by culture, religion, geopolitics… Until when? 1991-2023, thirty-two years, barely enough time for the flower of life to bloom, thirty-two years on the time scale, the moment of a sigh, that of Armenia in tears for centuries. Thirty-two years during which many regions, countries, cultures will have to endure the inconsistencies, the intolerances, the absurdities of a humanity constantly searching for its own.

https://actualitte.com/livres/1577433/karabakh-couloir-des-oublies-laurent-robert-9782375221624