Author: Hambik Zargarian

‘Democracy implies peace’, President Khachaturyan’s speech at Armenian Forum for Democracy

Hambik Zargarian

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 14:39,

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan attended the opening of the 2nd annual Armenian Forum for Democracy on May 31. 

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, other government officials and foreign ambassadors were also in attendance.

Below is the transcript of President Khachaturyan’s speech at the forum.

“I am delighted to welcome the participants and guests of the Armenian Forum for Democracy. This comprehensive event, which is already becoming a tradition, is another proof and testimony that Armenia has irrevocably and firmly set foot on the path of establishing democracy and democratic institutions, and it is irreversible.

“Since the day of its establishment, our Republic has declared its commitment to democratic and universal values and principles. Throughout more than three decades of independence, the victory of democracy was being created amid numerous and various obstacles in our country: vicious phenomena in the state administration apparatus, semi-war situation, and grave security challenges.

“But to the credit of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, we can confidently state that democracy is already an established fact in our country.

“Of course, the war of 2020, the subsequent external and domestic political turmoil and challenges were a serious ordeal for democratic values and ideas in Armenia. But most importantly, in this situation the Armenian authorities, not pulling back from the essence and principles of democracy, pursued the most democratic and acceptable way of resolving the issues. I mean the extraordinary parliamentary elections held in 2021 which became the most effective and transparent way of expressing the will of our citizens.

“Dear attendees,

“The title of the Democracy Forum is already binding for the statesmen, representatives of executive and legislative powers, and our citizens who follow the course of the forum as democracy is not only a set of freedoms but also responsibility. A free citizen, a free state and public figure, a representative of civil society, bears much greater responsibility in a free and democratic state than in any other system.

“This is an undeniable truth, since in the end the citizen said yes to the existence of the independent Republic of Armenia in the Independence referendum, the issue of the leadership of the country is again determined by the citizen with their vote in the parliamentary or other elections. That vote is responsibility which I believe is one of the most important pillars of democracy, and in the 2021 parliamentary elections, our citizens, with their free _expression_ of will, fully undertook that responsibility with their vote.

“Dear participants and guests of the Forum for Democracy,

“I also wish to address a reality that gives rise to various interpretations. It is no secret that in the face of external challenges of our country, the Karabakh conflict, democracy has been subordinated to security issues for years.

“The establishment of democratic institutions was neglected at the highest level and an attempt was made to present it as a threat. I wish to emphasize that such an opposition is not only baseless, but on the contrary, democracy is one of the primary tokens of the strength and power of the state. After all, Armenia's independence referendum, Armenia's first presidential and parliamentary elections were held amid a war imposed on us, so our statehood is in a sense also the birth of democracy.

“The same holds true for today also where the wounds of the 2020 war are still fresh, the country is still coming to its senses after severe losses, it seems that democratic institutions have been pushed into the background, but as I already mentioned, the Armenian government found the solution through democracy itself. I believe that democracy is the weapon with which we can and should present ourselves to the world.

“To sum up my speech, I would also like to emphasize an important fact. Democracy implies peace as without it, it is impossible or very difficult to have well-established democratic institutions. And in this regard, Armenia is steadily moving towards democracy and peace.”

Chidem Inch: May 28th

Hambik Zargarian
 Mark Gavoor Opinion 0

The bell-tower of the Sardarabad Memorial Complex at the site of one of the heroic battles of the First Republic of Armenia (Photo: Rupen Janbazian/The Armenian Weekly)

This week, we marked May 28—the 105th anniversary of the establishment of the first Armenian Republic. It was the first Armenian ruled nation in 600 years. Given the devastation of the 1915 Genocide, it is remarkable that this country was even born. For once in our recent history of tragic luck, the alignment of the planets and stars was with us. The Russians were occupied with the Bolshevik revolution some seven months earlier. Turkey was in the last days of what was left of the Ottoman Empire and the end of World War I.

The Armenians faced the Turks for a battle for the future of the nation. Would the Turks deliver the final blow or would the Armenians be able to persevere? It came down to three battles from May 22-29, 1918. The battles were in Bash Abaran, Karakilise and Sardarabad. The ultimate battle, not to diminish the value of the other two, was Sardarabad. It was indeed the battle for survival. Armenian forces and citizens (armed with whatever they had) formed a fierce band and fought hard for the survival of the nation.

In his 1990 book Armenia: Survival of a Nation, historian Christopher Walker noted that if the Armenians lost the Battle of Sardarabad, “it is perfectly possible that the word Armenia would have henceforth denoted only an antique geographical term.”

The First Republic was improbable in both inception and being successful. After the horrors and tragedies of 1915, it was amazing that we even had a Republic. Those intrepid souls who established the Republic were burdened with a destitute land and people. It lasted two years until the Soviets and Armenian Bolsheviks made the Republic part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. There were plusses and minuses to being an SSR. The minuses were the loss of Nakhichevan and Artsakh to Azerbaijan. The major plus was that Armenia survived and thrived until 1991 when the current Republic of Armenia was established with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Without those three battles and the efforts of the brave Armenians who fought them, there would be no Armenia today. It was a pure existential time for the Armenians. We need to acknowledge, honor and celebrate those times, those victories and that first Republic.

We have to also acknowledge that our plight is still existential. This has been brought to the forefront by the 2022 war in Artsakh and the negotiations/threats by Turkey and Azerbaijan since then. It seems a Sardarabad-like victory with the rallying of all citizens armed with guns will not work against the well-armed Azeri/Turkish forces we faced in 2022. We, all Armenians, need to look to the future of the nation, where we are now and what we can do moving forward.

In the Diaspora, we also have to come to terms with our role in this. We are Armenians, but we are not citizens of the Republic of Armenia. We can support, advocate, influence, certainly provide funds, and even be strategists and thought leaders. But our roles are, de facto, secondary no matter how we view ourselves and the resolve with which we state we disagree or are upset by this or that. We have no seat at the negotiation table.

Of course, being a Diasporan Armenian, I think we should. But the world is not structured or wired that way unless we can somehow garner the needed influence. How might that be accomplished? Well, that is the big question. Money and power are the typical answers. Someone close to me reacted to one of my articles by saying, “But, you offered no solutions.”  That is absolutely true. I am stymied by the current Armenian predicament. It is a source of great angst and frustration. Yet, I see no one offering any solutions for the guaranteed safety and security of Armenia and Armenians in Artsakh. We have hope. We have righteousness. The only solutions that might work seem to require compromises that are so unacceptable to us, that no one but Pashinyan has uttered one.

We have to reach back and acknowledge the importance of those three victories in May of 1918. We need that unifying spirit inside each and every one of us. We also need a chance to keep our Republic and build it into an economic force that is capable of defending itself. That is my May 28th wish and vision. It is a grand vision and a huge challenge.

Getseh Hayastan yev Hayeruh.

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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.


​Armenia PM Dissatisfied with Results of Talks with Russia on Lachin Corridor

Hambik Zargarian
TASNIM News Agency, Iran

Armenia PM Dissatisfied with Results of Talks with Russia on Lachin Corridor

May, 29, 2023 

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is not satisfied with the results of the May 25 talks with his Russian counterparts in Moscow on unblocking the Lachin corridor.

"I note that one of the topics of discussion was related to the current humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor. We’ve discussed this issue with our Russian colleagues," he said on Monday, speaking in parliament.

"I can't say that the results of this discussion are satisfactory. It is very sad that the closure of the Lachin corridor took place in the presence of Russian peacekeepers," he added, TASS reported.

"We will continue to negotiate with our Russian partners in order to resolve this situation," he stated.

Blockade of Lachin Corridor: Stranded residents still live in Goris hotels

Hambik Zargarian

 11:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS. The residents of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh who are unable to return home due to the closure of the Lachin Corridor are still accommodated in hotels in Goris, the Governor of Syunik Robert Ghukasyan told reporters on May 29.

He said that Goris hotels are accomodating forcibly displaced persons from Aghavno village and Berdzor and those who were stranded and are unable to return home due to the blockade.

Ghukasyan said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is supporting them.

The locals are supporting the Artsakhians in every possible way.

“The forcibly displaced persons from Aghavno village and Berdzor, and the residents of Artsakh who are unable to return home due to the blockade of Lachin Corridor live in Syunik Province. Our compatriots of Artsakh have been accommodated in hotels in Goris, they have food and accommodation. The International Committee of the Red Cross is also by their side constantly,” he said.

Lachin Corridor – the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world – has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on 22 February 2023 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.

Azerbaijan has so far ignored the order.

The Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will meet next week. Lavrov

Hambik Zargarian

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 18:07, 19 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev will take place next week, ARMENPRESS reports, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, said after the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov.

"The meeting of the tripartite group led by the deputy prime ministers on the issues of unblocking transportation communication will take place next week. We hope that there will be a positive result. The parties are already close to the final agreement. In the near future, they agreed to hold a session of the bilateral commission on border delimitation and demarcation issues, with the advisory participation of the Russian Federation," Lavrov said.

MFA Armenia assesses Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks in Moscow constructive

Hambik Zargarian

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 19:13, 19 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. On May 19, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov held negotiations in Moscow at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov presented their positions on the implementation of the trilateral statements of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

The sides continued the work on the draft agreement "On Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations". A constructive exchange of views took place on topics where the sides still have disagreements.

The Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Russian side for hosting the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The sides agreed to continue the discussions.

The two Ministers also had separate meetings with Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov.

Armenia’s Possible Withdrawal From CSTO Not On Agenda – Foreign Ministry

Hambik Zargarian
May 16 2023

 Faizan Hashmi  Published May 16, 2023 | 07:34 PM

The possibility of Armenia withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not currently on the agenda, but it appears to have been after the escalation at the border with Azerbaijan last fall, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan said on Tuesday

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 16th May, 2023) The possibility of Armenia withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is not currently on the agenda, but it appears to have been after the escalation at the border with Azerbaijan last fall, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan said on Tuesday.

On Monday, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said that the Armenian government mulled leaving the CSTO, adding that the organization's mechanism did not work properly and the member states failed to fulfill their commitments.

"There is not such an issue on the agenda at the moment," Safaryan told reporters, when asked whether the country was considering withdrawal from the CSTO.

Commenting on Grigoryan's remarks, Safaryan admitted that such a possibility could have been discussed during the session of the Armenian Security Council after the escalation at the border with Azerbaijan in September 2022.

"I cannot give you the exact date (when the discussions took place), because apparently it was discussed during the session of the Security Council.

I think it was at the time of the September events. Please check (with the Security Council)," the Armenian senior diplomat told reporters.

Safaryan stressed that a decision had finally been made not to withdraw, but to continue the work within the organization, with Yerevan hoping for certain results.

The developments come after in March, Armenia refused to send a representative to serve as Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly said that Yerevan had witnessed the organization's inaction in 2021-2022.

In September 2022, an outbreak of hostilities between Yerevan and Baku was reported in an area unrelated to the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region (also known as the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh) � the most serious escalation since the 2020 events. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of shelling and reported losses in their ranks.

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/armenias-possible-withdrawal-from-csto-not-o-1692629.html

Armenian court delivers verdict after Azeri serviceman pleads guilty to border crossing, arms smuggling

Hambik Zargarian

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 16:57, 8 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. One of the two Azerbaijani servicemen who crossed into Armenia last month and was subsequently arrested and charged with illegal border crossing and arms smuggling was found guilty on all charges by the Syunik Court of General Jurisdiction on May 4.

The Azerbaijani serviceman, Aghshin Babirov, had plead guilty, the prosecution announced Monday. 

Babirov was sentenced to 11 years, 6 months and 15 days imprisonment.

The second serviceman, Hussein Akhundov, is also charged with killing the guard of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine in Syunik. The criminal investigation into Akhundov’s case continues.

Russia urges Armenia not to distance itself from the situation around the Lachin corridor

Hambik Zargarian

Zakharova said this at a briefing on April 27, commenting on the statements of the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan that “the Lachin corridor belongs to Russia,” and that Russia is responsible for the developments taking place there.

 

“Currently, both through the Russian peacekeeping contingent and at the political level, the necessary efforts are being made to resolve the situation around the Lachin corridor and return it to the track of the trilateral agreements of November 9, 2020. We consider it fundamentally important for the official Yerevan to contribute to the search for mutually acceptable solutions,” Zakharova said.


https://mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/51122/







Sports: Turkey praises Armenia for "perfect" European Weightlifting Championships

Hambik Zargarian

 

  • By Brian Oliver at the Karen Demirchyan Complex in Yerevan, Armenia

    •  

  •  Saturday,

The President of the Turkish Weightlifting Federation has spoken glowingly about the efforts of Armenia in hosting the European Weightlifting Championships – a week after speculation that the team would withdraw.

The speculation followed an incident at the Opening Ceremony on April 14 that made global news, when an Armenian ran from the crowd, grabbed the Azerbaijan flag from the young woman holding it during the parade of nations and set it alight.

Azerbaijan’s Government ordered its team to withdraw and fly home, citing security fears after the "barbaric act".

Turkey, like Azerbaijan, has no diplomatic relations with Armenia after conflicts and killings that date back more than 100 years.

"The Azerbaijan team went but we stayed," said Talat Unlu, whose team has so far won more medals than any nation except the hosts.

"For a weightlifting championship this is the best I have seen, the best competition hall, training area, warm-up.

"We can’t deny because of one miserable thing the good organisation that the Armenian Federation did.

"Here the security are taking very good care of us and until now we have had no problems.

"Of course there will be some protesters, that is normal, it’s something that’s in human nature.

"From the first day till now there is only one disgusting thing that happened, and that is the burning of the Azerbaijan flag.

"Everything has been perfect since the Opening Ceremony."

In February Turkey will host the 2024 European Championships, which like this event are an important Olympic qualifier, and later next year Armenia is hoping to host the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Yerevan.

The IWF Board will select a host from bidders – Peru, Venezuela, Albania, Bahrain and Armenia – in June.

"Armenia have not had problems before (in Turkey) and will not in Antalya," said Unlu.

"Of course there will be security to take care of them.

"They can walk around Antalya with their uniform, with their flag, and they won’t face any problem."

Asked if Turkey would be happy to return to Armenia for the IWF World Championships, if it is chosen as host, Unlu said: "This is a decision for IWF.

"If they make such a decision we will respect that, of course we will come here, no problem.

"I have one condition though: we don’t want an escort, we just want to be like the other teams. Let them treat us like all the other teams."

Karen Giloyan, Armenia’s deputy minister of education, science, culture and sport, said: "We are very pleased to hear that Turkey has been impressed with the competition, and has felt safe here.

"We look forward to competing in Antalya, and we hope to see Turkey here again next year."

Many athletes, coaches and federation officials have joined Unlu in making favourable comments about Armenia’s efforts in hosting the European Championships for the first time – although there was a complaint from Cyrille Tchatchet, the British member of the IWF Athletes Commission.

After lifting in front of a big, noisy crowd in the men’s 96 kilograms yesterday, Tchatchet said the overall organisation of the event had been very good but the crowd’s behaviour was unacceptable.

Tchatchet said the fans have cheered failures by other athletes that improve the Armenians’ medal chances – they have done so several times, most notably for Turkish and Italian contenders – and make too much noise when athletes are preparing to lift.

"This is not weightlifting," he said.

"It should be like tennis, we need silence when we are preparing."

The France coach Arnaud Ferrari said: "We are very happy to be here, because in Armenia weightlifting is the sport number one.

"The welcome is very warm and organisation is very beautiful, Olympic-standard."

Danish coach Anders Bendix said the organisation was "the best I have ever seen" and told an Armenian interviewer: "I hope you get World Championships next year, I’d really enjoy to come back."

The top two officials at the European Weightlifting Federation, President Antonio Conflitti and general secretary Milan Mihajlovic, both praised the level of organisation in Armenia, as did IWF vice-president Attila Adamfi from Hungary and Board member Florian Sperl from Germany – although they were all unimpressed by the flag incident.

"I don’t remember such a level of organisation in other tournaments… I think this is the best Championship I have ever seen," said Conflitti.

"Although the event started with challenges, the conclusion of all participants is that the European Championship is excellent," added Mihajlovic.

"I sincerely appreciate Armenia for all their efforts and for hosting such a wonderful event. We hope for more events in Yerevan."

Read more on the flag-burning controversy and its fallout in today's blog from Brian here. 

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1136211/turkey-praise-armenia-euro-weightlifting