Author: Greg Madatian

A delegation representing leading Armenian American organizations met with senior State Department officials this week to seek workable solutions to gaps in the delivery of U.S. and international aid to vulnerable Armenians, in Syria, Armenia and Lebanon.

In a high level meeting held on Monday with officials of three key State Department bureaus – Population, Refugees and Migration; Near Eastern Affairs, and; European and Eurasian Affairs – the Armenian delegation underscored the urgent humanitarian needs faced by at-risk Armenians who remain – due to ongoing gaps in existing aid-delivery models – in great measure without the benefit of international assistance.

The Armenian American delegation included Chairman of the ANCA, Ken Hachikian; Chairman of the ARF Eastern United States, Dr. Hayg Oshagan; Chairman of the ARF Western United States, Dr. Viken Hovsepian; Talin Daghlian, Chairperson of the Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA, representing the ARS; ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, and; ANCA Governmental Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian. Speaking on behalf of Armenian Americans, and reflecting the sense of urgency among Armenians worldwide, they stressed the need for U.S. policymakers to ensure the delivery of aid to at-risk Armenians in Aleppo and elsewhere throughout Syria, to provide humanitarian and housing support for Armenian refugees in Lebanon, and to leverage bilateral and international assistance to help those in Armenia transition toward self-sufficient citizenship in their homeland.

For their part, State Department officials, during the course of an hour-long meeting, offered their assurances regarding the commitment of the United States to the protection of the Armenian community in Syria, and expressed an eagerness to engage with the Armenian American community in addressing any gaps in the delivery of aid to Syrian Armenians – in Syria, Armenia, and Lebanon . On behalf the Department, they voiced their appreciation for the opportunity to meet with Armenian American leaders, welcomed the exploration of constructive means of addressing the community’s concerns, and encouraged Armenian American organizations to submit grant proposals to implement government-funded programs to assist Syrians refugees and internally displaced persons.

The ANCA is working with Congress to expand U.S. assistance for Syrian Armenians as part of the FY 2016 foreign aid bill, and has consistently encouraged the Obama Administration to prioritize such assistance. In March of this year, twenty-five U.S. Representatives formally called on the leadership of the House Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Armenian, Assyrian and other at-risk minorities in Syria, as well as targeted aid to help Armenia support thousands fleeing from Syria.

The Armenian Museum of Fresno has released The Cry of the Tormented, a book comprising more than 300 letters written by Armenians during 1915-1918 who were facing atrocities, starvation, deportation, murder, and annihilation, reports.

These letters were written to relatives and friends across the world, including those who settled in Fresno and across the United States. First published in Armenian in 1922, it is now available on-line in English and Russian. The project is ongoing and German, Turkish, and French editions are forthcoming with even more translations to follow.

On Thursday, May 21 the book was officially presented at a special event held at the University of California Center in Fresno. Armenians and non-Armenians alike—were in attendance for the release and the panel discussion that followed. Bill McEwen Editorial Pages Editor of the Fresno Bee served as the Master of Ceremonies. Opening remarks were made by Varoujan Der Simonian, President of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Museum of Fresno; the panelists were Garo Khachigian, MD, Mary Ellen Hewsen, and Margit Hazarabedian, Ph.D.

The Cry of the Tormented is a large volume collected by Bedros Donabedian, a humanitarian worker for Armenian refugees. Although a century has passed since that dark period of Armenian—and, indeed, human—history, many voices of the victims of the Genocide remain unheard. Hundreds of those voices are contained in this book. Thus, the Armenian Museum of Fresno –upon the encouragement of Abraham Terian, Ph.D., who presented the Museum with a copy of the book—undertook a project to translate The Cry of the Tormented into as many languages as possible, to amplify these voices of truth against the suffocating silence of death and denial. In Dr. Terian’s words, “This is yet another centennial memorial by the Fresno Armenians for the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.”

The letters that make up The Cry of the Tormented are preserved verbatim and edited only for formatting and accessibility to English readers. The rough, peasant vernacular of the original text is present with all of its linguistic and grammatical idiosyncrasies present to the best of the translators’ abilities. As with the original publication, the new translations of The Cry of the Tormented maintain all the experiential and emotional power of its contents by retaining its unedited, extemporaneous form.

 The Cry of the Tormented brings the unimaginable horrors of the Armenian Genocide to life in a way that, in the words of the book’s German translator, Margit Hazarabedian, Ph.D., “became personal, became visceral. I was reading, but I saw with my own eyes.” That is the power of these letters. Their contents are so real that they take the discourse on and understanding of the Genocide from the lofty perch of analysis and intellect to an emotionally comprehensible level. Indeed, it is a necessary and important thing to be able to comprehend the incomprehensible in such a way that no one can shut it out, and, moreover, makes it accessible to as many of the world’s people as possible. As English editor, Mary Ellen Hewsen, remarked, “I always understood something of the Armenian Genocide intellectually, analytically, I studied it in school, but it took these letters to teach me emotionally what I missed intellectually.”

The veracity of the letters that make up this book is confirmed and enhanced by the book’s preface. It is “Neither Violets Nor Petals of a Rose”, the last column written for The Fresno Bee by the late Roger Tatarian, Former Vice President and Editor-In-Chief of United Press International and Professor of Journalism at CSU Fresno. Written three days before his passing, the piece reflects upon the letters sent to his father from Bitlis –in what is now Eastern Turkey—by his uncle Simon between 1912 and 1914, and how the contents of the letters described events in the region that foreshadowed the coming massacres and deportation of the Armenian people. Interspersed in those accounts are many messages of hope, wisdom, and faith for the Armenians of Bitlis and Van and for Roger Tatarian’s family struggling to survive in their new home in Fresno. The firsthand presentation of history and hope-against-hope is akin to those in The Cry of the Tormented and further validates them.

What The Cry of the Tormented shows is that the Armenian Genocide is more than just a tragedy; it is a crime against humanity. Through reading this collection of letters, one can see great inhumanity and not divorce oneself from it, and, instead, be engaged in demanding justice for all human beings and making this a world where atrocities against entire nations can no longer take place.

The Armenian Museum of Fresno would like to thank everyone who contributed to this extraordinary project. The first thanks goes to Dr. Abraham Terian who provided the Armenian Museum with original 1922 text and initiated the translation project. “Without him, this book would not have happened,” said Varoujan Der Simonian, Director of the Armenian Museum of Fresno. Next, the Museum acknowledges the time and dedication of the team of scholars who have and continue to put months of emotionally and intellectually taxing work into this project. These incredible volunteers from three generations include Dr. Garo Khachigian, Mary Ellen Hewsen –English edition; Alex McKinsey and Professor Irina Merzakhanian –Russian edition—and Margit Hazarabedian, Ph.D. into German.

In his opening remarks, Der Simonian extended special thanks to Dr. Khachigian and Mary Ellen Hewsen, who are, respectively, the translator and editor of the English edition of The Cry of the Tormented. “Dr. Khachigian is familiar with the complex dialects of Armenian that these letters are written in as it is akin to the language of his grandfather, thus he had the monumental challenge of literally translating the Armenian text that was often mixed with Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic.  Besides being a difficult task, it was also emotionally very demanding,” said Der Simonian.   The Cry of the Tormented is more than just a memorial for the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, “our goal is that after 100 years we want their voices to be heard by as many people as possible – it is a call to our collective responsibility to make this world a better place for all human beings to live and let live,” Der Simonian said.

Dr. Terian emphasized the significance of these letters by saying that they are written during the genocide – while the atrocities were actually taking place.  He further commented that these letters are not recollections of memories that someone may argue of their validity, but they are the voices of the eyewitnesses, themselves, who are no longer with us.

Dr. Khachigian describes his integral role in this project in his own words, “I am not a translator, but my heart and brain worked as one to the task, with passion.  I realized the importance of this task that Varoujan Der Simonian had initiated, and took the challenge to translate into English” Mary Ellen Hewsen, a scholar of political science, especially as it pertains to the study of the Middle East observed in the editing process that “Trying to remain clinical while working was the hardest part,” because of the great trauma depicted in the letters. However, in reflection on her role in the project, she says that “I am humbled, as an odar, to be among so many Armenians.”

The Armenian Museum extends additional thanks to The Fresno Bee. In particular, Executive Editor, Jim Boren and Editorial Pages Editor, Bill McEwen. They were responsible for providing and permitting the use of Roger Tatarian’s “Neither Violets Nor Petals from a Rose” collection of letters that Mr. Tatarian’s father had received from his uncle prior to WWI that were published two weeks before his death in his last column in the Fresno Bee.  Mr. McE
wen read some of these letters to the audience.

All profits from the sale of The Cry of the Tormented will go to a fund to have hard copies of the translation printed and distributed to schools, libraries, churches, and cultural centers around the United States, with Fresno County as the priority.

The US is committed to working with Russia and France in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakah conflict.

“In meetings in Washington the Co-Chairs heard from the US that we are committed to working with Russia and France on Nagorno Karabakh settlement,” US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said in a Twitter post.

The Co-Chairs were in Washington on June 6 to hold meetings at the US Department of State the Department of Defense and the National Security Council.

Russian businessman, billionaire German Sterligov has moved to Nagorno Karabakh, Russian media report.

The Russian News Service claims the businessmen is selling his property. His assistant Polina Sirota has said Sterligov left for Karabakh on July 4.

“He has left for Nagorno Karabakh, and it’s not known when he’s going to return. Serious circumstances have made him leave Russia. But it’s not bandits, it’s on a higher level,” she said.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has already announced it will investigate the fact of ‘illegal stay’ of the Russian businessman German Sterligov and his family members in Nagorno Karabakh.

Dear prosecuting officers,

Dear employees of the Prosecutor’s Office,

I congratulate you on Prosecutor’s Office Employee Day and the 97th Anniversary of Prosecution Service in Armenia.

Today the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia faces many difficult problems among which the strengthening of the rule of law and the fight against corruption are of special importance.

The first article of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia stipulates that our country is a democratic and law-governed state. It is the cornerstone of your activities, and, hence, your institution has a crucial mission to protect human rights and consolidate democratic values.

You must demonstrate an uncompromising attitude towards manifestations of corruption weakening our society, and it is impossible to implement the necessary systemic solutions without your tireless and consistent efforts. You must be guided by adherence to principles and professional self-esteem. I am confident that you will be able to successfully fulfill your tasks through adopting new approaches to work organization.

I am glad that our prosecution system continues to fill with young, skillful and competent lawyers. I believe that there is great potential of qualified experts in this field which can exercise the prosecution powers enshrined in the Constitution.

I once again congratulate you on your professional holiday and wish you further achievements in your responsible activities, and I wish you and your families good health and success.

Tens of thousands of Greeks rallied on Monday to back their leftwing government’s rejection of a tough international bailout after a clash with foreign lenders pushed Greece close to financial chaos and forced a shutdown of its banking system, Reuters reports.

With a popular referendum on the bailout planned for Sunday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras put his own position on the line, saying he would respect the result of the vote but would not lead a government to administer “austerity in perpetuity.”

“If the Greek people want to have a humiliated prime minister, there are a lot of them out there. It won’t be me,” he said in an interview on Greek state television as one of the biggest rallies seen in Athens in years was taking place.

The show of defiance came at the end of a day that started with stunned Greeks waking up to face shuttered banks, long supermarket lines and overwhelming uncertainty over Greece’s future in the euro zone.

 

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian participated in the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Dialogue. Minister Nalbandian made the following statement:

Dear Minister Makei,
Commissioner Hahn,
Dear Colleagues,

I want to thank my Belorussian (friend and) colleague for hosting this informal ministerial dialogue. It is a good opportunity to have discussions on our bilateral agenda with the European Union as well as to reflect on the prospects of the Eastern Partnership following the Riga Summit.

As this is the first occasion that we have gathered after Riga I want to mention that from our perspective the Summit was productive and a step forward in outlining practical cooperation directions in such fields as institutional capacity building and good governance, mobility, market opportunities and interconnections.

Armenia enjoys a comprehensive partnership with the European Union, and we have important objectives to accomplish through enhancing our political dialogue and deepening trade and economic cooperation.

We are now working with the Commission to intensify effective sectoral cooperation in a large number of areas – education, science, research and innovation, promoting people-to-people contacts and creating favourable conditions for the facilitation of trade. We look forward to concluding agreements for participation in EU programmes, such as the “Horizon 2020”, and the Programme for Competitiveness of Enterprise and Small and Medium Enterprises (COSME).

In the area of transport, the Government of Armenia has expressed its readiness to conclude a Common Aviation Area Agreement with the European Union, following the liberalization of the aviation market through the Open Skies Policy.

Dear Colleagues,

In order to define our future contractual relations we have been engaged with our EU partners to shape the scope of a legal framework, which will reflect the contents of our past negotiations while taking into account our obligations in other integration formats. In mid March, the Armenian and EU teams concluded the consultations on the scope of future legal basis and it is our understanding that based on that the EU Member States will endorse the mandate soon so we can smoothly launch the negotiations.

In parallel to the regular meetings of the EU-Armenia institutional setup, Armenia continues its active participation in platforms and more than a dozen working groups of the multilateral dimension of the Eastern Partnership. We view this as an important and useful framework for sharing best practices and promoting enhanced cooperation, and we welcome all initiatives that strengthen inclusive cooperation and aim at building genuine partnerships between different actors through engagement of multiple stakeholders.

Dear friends,

Visa liberalization is a mutually shared objective and it should be duly reflected in the renewed European Neighbourhood Policy. We have a solid basis for launching the next phase in our cooperation towards the promotion of mobility and people to people contacts.

The Mobility Partnership is in place since 2011 and there are several projects being implemented under its umbrella. The EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements entered into force in January 2014 providing for the facilitated issuance of visas and orderly readmission procedures for the Armenian citizens. Since January, 2013 the Government of Armenia abolished the visa requirement for the EU citizens. This April the Armenia-EU Joint Committees on the Visa Facilitation and Readmission agreements successfully were held in Brussels.

We expect that dialogue for visa liberalization is launched as soon as possible which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on stimulating national reforms in many related areas. Therefore, we hope that the Commission and the Member States will unequivocally support the launching of the Visa Dialogue with Armenia.

Dear colleagues,

Armenia well recognizes the importance of inclusive cooperation in different formats. We hold the view that it is possible to make best use of various integration frameworks employing more visionary approach. Since our joining the Eurasian Economic Union, and even before, we have been advocating for a pragmatic rationale that builds on opportunities provided by different integration formats while avoiding undue creation of new dividing lines in the larger neighbourhood. We want to make best use of our participation in the Eurasian Economic Union and at the same time generate greater synergy with the European Union.

Dear friends,

The European Neighbourhood Policy has played a substantial role in promoting and deepening the cooperation between Armenia and the EU. We highly appreciate the EU’s continued support and assistance provided within the ENP to our country over the years, which has been instrumental for the effective implementation and sustainability of the reform process and institutional capacity building in Armenia. We are taking continuous steps towards strengthening democracy, fundamental freedoms and protection of human rights.

In this context, I would like to reflect on the remarks made by the representative of the Civil Society Forum in relation to the demonstrations in Yerevan. As I stated recently, the Armenian authorities regard the statements of genuine concern as an evidence of our partners’ interest in strengthening of democracy in our country. Inquiry is being held by competent authorities, necessary steps are being taken to address the identified drawbacks.

We once again confirm our commitment to the democracy, fundamental freedoms and protection of human rights in Armenia.

In conclusion, regarding ENP review, I would like to note that despite its holistic nature, it should outline the importance of adherence to common values (of democracy, rule of law and good governance). We are also of the view that within the new policy framework the principles of a merit-based differentiation and “more-for-more” should be reinforced and continued to be applied accordingly to reflect the pace of implementation of reforms by the partner countries, without prejudice to their different aspirations or contractual relations.

In her newly published memoir of her 2010-2013 term as American Ambassador to Hungary, Eleni Kounalakis discusses the U.S. State Department’s loss of faith in the administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to a June 19 review by the

In what the Post describes as a “far more forthcoming book — personally and analytically — than one would expect from a diplomat”, Kounalakis details her disappointment at what she saw as the Hungarian governmentʼs backsliding toward a more totalitarian government, similar to the one Hungary had under communism. Instead of the “New Deal” that they had anticipated, Kounalakis writes, Hungarians were getting “the Old Deal, with government having too much control over the people of Hungary all over again.”

According to the Post review: “It took the release of an ax murderer to raise alarms in Washington. In late August 2012, Orban suddenly repatriated Ramil Safarov, an Azeri serving a life term in Hungary for hacking an Armenian soldier to death during a NATO-sponsored training program. To nobody’s surprise, Safarov received a hero’s welcome in Azerbaijan and was immediately pardoned, promoted and given a new apartment. Armenia cut off diplomatic ties with Hungary, and tensions escalated in Nagorno-Karabakh, over which Armenia and Azerbaijan had fought a war in the early 1990s.”

“Don’t they realize that their little trick could cause a war?” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Marie Yovanovitch asked Kounalakis on the telephone.

“Who will clean it up — Hungarians? No, Hungarians won’t clean up the mess. We will! We will be the ones left to fix it!”

Kounalakis reveals that this diplomatic fracas was ultimately what “ended Hungary’s two-decade status as a reliable strategic partner of the United States,” according to the Post.

That little trick, Kounalakis says, ended Hungary’s two-decade status as a reliable strategic partner of the United States.”

The deal on the sale of Vorotan Hydro Cascade will be finalized in the coming days, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Ara Simonyan said at the National Assembly during the discussion of the 2014 budget execution.

“The signing of the final deal is expected in the coming 2-3 days,” he said.

According to Simonyan, the Vorotan Cascade badly needs investments, and the government has not received any better proposals.

ContourGlobal and the Government of Armenia announced on January 29, 2014 that they had signed an agreement for ContourGlobal to purchase and modernize the Vorotan Hydro Cascade, a series of three hydroelectric power plants totaling 405 MW on the Vorotan River in southern Armenia, for a purchase price of $180 million USD. The cascade is one of the largest and most flexible power generating facilities in Armenia and the Caucuses.

Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic has a new parliament. Thirty-three deputies will be represented at the National Assembly, of which 22 have been elected through party lists, the other 11 – through majoritarian system.

The turnout at the Sunday elections made 70%. According to preliminary data, Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan’s “Azat Hayrenik” (Free Motherland) Party is leading the vote.

Observers at the elections yesterday expressed their satisfaction with the voting process. Speaking of the position of the European Union and other international organizations, MEP Marc Engel said: “The fact that I’m here today at least shows that I recognize the elections. I consider that the people of Nagorno Karabakh prefer democracy without recognition to recognition without democracy.”

Director of the European Friends of Armenia Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa said “democracy is developing in the whole world, and the elections in Karabakh are a vivid example of it.”

The elections were followed by more than 100 observers from 25 countries.