Author: Janet Ekmekjian

Fresno City Council should revitalize Historic Armenian Town in honor of Genocide | Opinion

Janet Ekmekjian
Aol
MARSHALL D. MOUSHIGIAN
Updated , 2:51 PM

On April 24, 2006, the Armenian flag became the first foreign nation flag to fly at Fresno’s City Hall on an annual basis. A proud day, indeed, to commemorate and reflect on the Armenian Genocide.

As we begin the process to again commemorate the Genocide, it is worth noting that supporters of Genocide justice are, these days, not so much commemorating the past, but are instead on guard as the Armenian Genocide continues to this day. To be sure, the Genocide never actually ended — no proclamation, no restitution, no reconciliation, no nothing, except patience by Turkey, waiting for the Soviet Union’s constituent states, Armenia in particular, to break away and fend for themselves.

Turkey waited patiently for 70 years for the Soviet Union to collapse, and over the past 30 years it has groomed its oil-rich puppet state Azerbaijan to do its bidding. Azerbaijan has blockaded the 120,000 Christian Armenians in Artsakh for nearly three months, and Azeri guns are trained on Armenia proper, including its older-than-Rome capital of Yerevan. Turkish strongman Erdogan and his Azeri flunky, the notoriously corrupt and oppressive Ilham Aliyev, have made it clear that eliminating Armenia and her inhabitants is on the top of their joint priority list.

Here in Fresno, we have a notoriously inept and radical City Council, determined to eliminate any trace of Armenians from downtown Fresno. This past fall, in an illegal and underhanded decision, the City Council transferred the remaining three Armenian houses in Historic Armenian Town to a developer to convert into low-income housing — just like that, with three old Armenian houses, each no more than 1,000 square feet, being stripped of their identity and re-purposed, the homeless crisis is apparently solved. Erdogan and Aliyev, I am sure, were impressed.

Gov. Newsom has designated April 24 as Genocide Remembrance Day. He did right, and this city, through its oft-misguided City Council, must complete the loop and designate the area around Holy Trinity Armenian Church and Valley Lahvosh Bakery an historic area. This area would touch the Saroyan Theater and the statue of David of Sassoon, the Armenian folk hero.

Mayor Dyer and his Historic Preservation Commission, along with business, entertainment, tourism and preservation groups, support this. Not only would this designation preserve the three remaining houses for Fresno’s posterity, and include Fresno’s oldest residence, the Vartanian House, but it would also honor an ethnic group that despite being maligned, remained proud and productive citizens. These houses can help break the cycle of failed downtown revitalization ventures. Fresno was founded, in large part, by Armenians, so it only makes sense that this old and revered section of downtown be designated both “historic” and “Armenian”.

April 24, 2023 can and should be different from April 24s of the past. Of course the Armenian flag should be flown high and proud above City Hall; it should be flown throughout downtown. Part of this year’s recognition process must incorporate Newsom’s decision that the Genocide of the Armenians be known by all Californians. That knowledge necessarily includes the press accurately reporting on what is happening today in Armenia and Artsakh; not sugar-coating it through soft euphemisms, but by honestly reporting that the Armenian Genocide continues, as you enjoy your morning coffee with this article.

The final aspect of this year’s commemoration must return the three Armenian houses, and the Vartanian House, to the community to further the goal of Historic Armenian Town revitalization and, by extension, downtown revitalization. The City Council did wrong, and it knows it. It needs to do right, not just for the Armenians, but for all of Fresno.

Marshall D. Moushigian is a Fresno attorney and financial adviser.

https://www.aol.com/news/fresno-city-council-revitalize-historic-123000545.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNhLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMdz1LhX4lDwBBJkvB1SLsOw9iMvoSCaOZ4nrRravUAQsFH9YQ-NdPfIOz0mWBpMVcwUvPFGA_ynuZeDh_QHXR0vRqHYlkubKuU28rCyszZ9S93kAQ–O5cj6dhmGfSBiIc-3gq1Gr4k6avL6ExcD5t1LcVVhSbHUh7B-1Hq8uSC

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 17-03-23

Janet Ekmekjian

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 17:58,

YEREVAN, 17 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 17 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.35 drams to 388.28 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.37 drams to 412.90 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.07 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.08 drams to 471.18 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 29.76 drams to 24002.63 drams. Silver price down by 1.31 drams to 274.76 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Armenia emphasizes involvement of the Office of UNHCR Commissioner in ensuring the return of displaced Armenians of NK

Janet Ekmekjian

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 19:57,

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 17, Kavita Belani, the newly-appointed Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia, handed over the letter of accreditation to Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan, ARMENPRESS was informed

Vahe Gevorgyan congratulated Ms. Belani on her appointment and expressed confidence that cooperation with the Representation will be further strengthened under her leadership.

The interlocutors touched upon the recent developments in the region, as well as the priorities of the Republic of Armenia on the issues concerning refugees, internally displaced persons, migration, as well as other related issues.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia highlighted the involvement of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in ensuring the return of displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement.

Azerbaijan threatens military action days after deadly ambush

Janet Ekmekjian
March 8, 2023 Lillian Avedian News 5

Azerbaijani armed forces have killed 21 Armenian residents of Artsakh since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, according to Artsakh officials.

In a report released on March 8, the office of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh said that six civilians and 15 military officials have been killed since the signature of the ceasefire agreement on November 9, 2020. The report details the most recent deadly shooting of three Artsakh police officers by Azerbaijani soldiers on March 5. 

“The ongoing blockade of Azerbaijan, as well as the regular and consistent armed attacks, aim at subjecting Artsakh to ethnic cleansing through physical and psychological intimidation, creating unbearable conditions and destroying the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh,” the report reads. 

Vehicle shot by Azerbaijani soldiers (Artsakh Ombudsman, March 5)

Officials say Lieutenant Colonel Armen Babayan, Major Davit Danielyan and Lieutenant Ararat Gasparyan were traveling in a vehicle belonging to the Passport and Visa Department of the Police of the Republic of Artsakh on Sunday morning when they were attacked and killed by a dozen Azerbaijani armed forces. Lieutenant Davit Hovsepyan was wounded and is in intensive care after surgery. 

In its daily bulletin on March 6, the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh confirmed that the Azerbaijani soldiers had instigated the shooting. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said that the Russian peacekeepers had “spread untruthful information.” Azerbaijani authorities say that their soldiers had opened fire in response to shooting from the Artsakh police officers. 

Vehicle damaged by gunfire (Artsakh Ombudsman, March 5)

Two days after the shooting, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry threatened to “take resolute, necessary measures to suppress the actions” of Armenia and Artsakh. It accused Armenian military officials of traveling along an unpaved route between Stepanakert and the Lisagor village accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry responded that Azerbaijan was spreading “disinformation and escalation” to “create a false information basis to launch a new aggression” against Artsakh and Armenia. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan had accused the Artsakh police officers targeted in this week’s shooting of using the route to transport weapons, ammunition, military personnel and landmines from Armenia to Artsakh. Azerbaijani armed forces had been sent to the route to inspect the vehicle.   

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that the vehicle was traveling from Stepanakert to the Hin Shen and Mets Shen villages of Artsakh. Armenian officials say there were no weapons or ammunition in the vehicle except for a service pistol. The Foreign Ministry called for an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin Corridor. 

Azerbaijani authorities have repeatedly accused Armenia of illegally transporting mines along the Lachin Corridor, the road connecting Armenia and Artsakh. On February 22, the International Court of Justice rejected a request from Azerbaijan for provisional measures ordering Armenia to stop using the Lachin Corridor for this purpose, citing insufficient evidence. 

After this week’s shooting, Azerbaijani authorities said that using a road besides the Lachin Corridor to travel between Armenia and Artsakh violates the terms of the ceasefire. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called for the “establishment of a border checkpoint regime” along the Lachin Corridor and the “immediate withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces” from Artsakh. 

There are currently no units of the Armenian military stationed in Artsakh. Armenian authorities consider this a demand from Azerbaijan to disband the Artsakh Defense Army. 

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry later warned that if these demands are not fulfilled, “the Azerbaijani side will have to take decisive and necessary measures to disarm and neutralize illegal gunmen.” 

Political scientist Tigran Grigoryan says that the unpaved road where the shooting took place has been used since the start of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh for “some irregular transits of individuals.” Grigoryan says the road cannot be used as an alternative to the Lachin Corridor because of its difficult terrain. Government sponsored Azerbaijani activists have closed the Lachin Corridor since December 12, placing Artsakh under blockade and creating a humanitarian crisis. 

“The aim of this attack was to deter individuals from using this passage and force Nagorno-Karabakh into accepting such Azerbaijani demands as the installation of checkpoints on the Lachin corridor,” Grigoryan tweeted. 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has proposed the establishment of checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ruled out such checkpoints while speaking with the press on February 28. He said that the corridor must operate in compliance with the ceasefire agreement, “which means the need to ensure free movement for exclusively civilian and humanitarian cargo and civilians.” 

However, Lavrov added that it may be “possible to use technical means to remove the existing suspicions that the corridor is really used for its intended purpose,” in reference to Azerbaijan’s accusations that the corridor is used to transport mines and weapons. 

European External Action Service (EEAS) said that the EU “deplores the outbreak of violence yesterday on the Karabakh Line of Contact. “We urge all stakeholders to show restraint in order to prevent any further actions which could further undermine regional stability and threaten the peace process,” the EEAS said in a statement. 

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry noted that the attack took place days after a March 1 meeting between representatives from Artsakh and Azerbaijan since the start of the blockade. 

“Through its actions, Baku openly demonstrates its rejection of negotiations as a means of finding solutions to any issues,” the Artsakh Foreign Ministry said. 

Lusine Avanesyan, spokesperson for the Artsakh president, said that the representatives discussed “humanitarian and infrastructural issues,” specifically the restoration of movement along the Lachin Corridor, during meetings on February 25 and March 1. The Azerbaijani side said that the representatives discussed the “reintegration of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region into the Republic of Azerbaijan,” which Artsakh authorities denied.  

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said during a Security Council meeting on March 6 that the meetings “did not give results.” Harutyunyan said that, after the meetings, Azerbaijani officials conveyed through private channels that Artsakh must “accept the integration policy” or face “tougher and more drastic steps.”

“We did not accept and do not accept, and today I want to state again that it is not only a decision of the Security Council, but the overwhelming majority of our people accept that we will not deviate from our right to independence and self-determination,” Harutyunyan said.

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


Armenian Foreign Minister meets with Russian counterpart in New Delhi

Janet Ekmekjian

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 11:09, 3 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on Friday in New Delhi, India, the Russian TASS news agency reported. 

The foreign ministry did not immediately release a read-out. 

FM Mirzoyan is in New Delhi to participate in Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics. The foreign ministry had said that during the trip FM Mirzoyan will have meetings with colleagues.

Armenian NGO calls for end to Azerbaijan’s blockade of Lachin Corridor

Janet Ekmekjian
MEDYA News
March 3 2023
1:33 pm 03/03/2023

The Armenian NGO Nor Zartonk issued a statement on 26 February demanding the immediate opening of the Lachin Corridor, the only transport route connecting Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, which has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.

According to the group, the blockade has caused severe shortages of basic necessities such as food, medicine, gas, and electricity for the 120,000 civilians living in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. Nor Zartonk alleges that the blockade is a deliberate attempt by the Azerbaijani authorities to force the Armenian population out of the area.

The Azerbaijani authorities claim that the blockade is a result of ecological concerns, but Nor Zartonk argues that this is a pretext and that the real motivation is political. The group accuses the Azerbaijani President Aliyev of suppressing libertarian movements and using the blockade to further his agenda of removing Armenians from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.

Nor Zartonk has called on the international community to intervene and end the blockade, citing the urgent need for humanitarian aid in the region.


Number Of Confirmed Measles Cases In Armenia Rises To 12 – Health Ministry

Janet Ekmekjian
March 4 2023

 Faizan Hashmi  Published | 06:30 PM

A number of confirmed measles cases in Armenia has risen to 12, with all patients hospitalized and being in moderately severe condition, the Armenian Health Ministry said on Saturday

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 04th March, 2023) A number of confirmed measles cases in Armenia has risen to 12, with all patients hospitalized and being in moderately severe condition, the Armenian Health Ministry said on Saturday.

On Friday, the health ministry reported 11 identified cases.

"As of 11:00 local time (07:00 GMT), the number of laboratory-confirmed measles cases in Armenia has reached 12," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement called for the immunization of those children who have not received scheduled vaccinations against measles, as well as of individuals who have been in contact with the ill patients without having at least two administered vaccine doses.

Measles is an acute viral respiratory disease. Its symptoms usually develop within 10-12 days after exposure to an infected person and last from seven to 10 days. Initial symptoms include high temperature, often greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes.

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/number-of-confirmed-measles-cases-in-armenia-1653462.html


CivilNet: Aliyev loses in the World Court

Janet Ekmekjian
CIVILNET.AM

02 Mar, 2023 08:03

In the latest episode of Insights with Eric Hacopian, Eric discusses the International Court of Justice’s ruling last week to order Azerbaijan to lift its blockade of Artsakh (Karabakh), now past its 80th day. Eric also talks about Ruben Vardanyan’s dismissal as Karabakh’s state minister and the humanitarian impact of the ongoing blockade on Artsakh’s people.


Human Rights Watch: Hardship in Nagorno-Karabakh as Lifeline Road Remains Blocked

Janet Ekmekjian
Feb 21 2023

Authorities Should Restore Free Movement of People and Essential Goods

Giorgi Gogia
Associate Director, Europe and Central Asia Division

Hardships have accumulated for residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian breakaway enclave in Azerbaijan, since the Lachin corridor, the lifeline road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia to the outside world, was closed to regular traffic on December 12, 2022.

Armine, 40, who lives in Nagorno-Karabakh with her family, told Human Rights Watch she is the sole breadwinner after her husband lost his job driving a taxi because fuel is unavailable. Her 12- and 14-year-old children recently returned to their school after it installed wood-burning stoves, but some other schools remain closed due to lack of heating. Food is increasingly scarce, rationed, or unaffordable as prices have spiked. Armine recalled standing for two hours in below freezing temperatures to buy eggs.

Armine now plans her days around multiple daily power cuts. In the few hours when there is electricity, she must tend to all meals and household chores, heat her kids’ room, and help with their homework.

Armine’s story is not an exception. The Lachin corridor’s closure has disrupted access to essential goods and services for thousands of ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh and prevented them from leaving the region and returning home. On one occasion, several dozen students, including Armine’s daughter, were stranded in Armenia for nearly two months after a school trip there. 

Since December 2022, several dozen Azerbaijanis have been demonstrating on Lachin road, demanding access to mining sites in areas controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh’s de facto authorities. Russian peacekeeping forces have guarded the road since the end of the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. After the protests began, they barricaded the road to prevent further escalation. Azerbaijani authorities deny responsibility for the road’s closure but have backed the protests.

While Russian peacekeeping and International Committee of the Red Cross trucks can travel the road to deliver essential goods and transport critically ill patients to Armenia, disruption of the Lachin corridor is causing a humanitarian crisis as many needs remain unmet. Armine’s father has cancer and requires regular trips to Stepanakert from his village, but has missed recent medical appointments because of lack of fuel and transportation.

Azerbaijani authorities and the Russian peacekeeping force should ensure the protests do not deny Armine and other Nagorno-Karabakh residents their rights, including the right of access to health, essential services and goods, and to freedom of movement.

Asbarez: Putin, Aliyev Discuss ‘Caucasus Situation,’ No Mention of Lachin Blockade

Janet Ekmekjian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

The Lachin Corridor remains blockaded since Dec. 12


The presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan held a telephone conversation and discussed the current situation in the South Caucasus, the Kremlin reported on Tuesday.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan reportedly touched agreements they have reached with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarding the settlement of the conflict in the region.

“The current situation in the South Caucasus region was considered. The importance of consistent steps to ensure stability and security on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border was noted. In this context, the mood for the unconditional implementation of the entire set of relevant agreements of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia at the highest level was confirmed,” the Kremlin said.

The press statement did not specify whether the two leaders discussed the current Azerbaijani blockade of Artsakh, which has been in effect since December 12 when a group of Azerbaijanis posing as environmental activists have shut down the Lachin Corridor, which is the only road that connects Artsakh to the rest of the world.

The Kremlin added that further development of trade and economic cooperation, including the implementation of joint projects in the fields of energy and transport, were discussed in detail. It was agreed to continue contacts in various formats.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, Jeyhum Bayramov, met with Russia’s OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Igor Khovaev in Baku on Tuesday.

“During the meeting, the sides discussed the current situation in the process of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, negotiations on a peace agreement, as well as various aspects of the protests on the Lachin road,” a statement following the meeting said.

Bayramov also brought to the attention that the Lachin road is not being used for the purposes stipulated by the Trilateral Declaration.

“The Minister stressed that the legitimate demands of the protesters have not been fulfilled so far, the Armenian side is using the situation for its political purposes and diverting the issue into a false direction,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported.

The meeting also discussed regional security and other issues of mutual interest,” the report reads.

Bayramov called steps and approaches by Azerbaijan as “constructive.” He said that Baku’s proposals for the peace process after the 44-day war have been submitted, and complained that Armenia was continuously “slowing down” the process.

“The minister recalled that Armenia boycotted the next round of peace agreement talks scheduled for last December.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry also unleashed another round of accusations against Armenia, demanding that the United Nations hold Armenia accountable for “war crimes.”