Author: Kanayan Tamar

Exhibition: Photo exhibition celebrating Armenia and Belarus opens in Minsk

Kanayan Tamar
Belarus –

MINSK, 29 June (BelTA) – The photo exhibition "Armenia through the eyes of a Belarusian photographer and Belarus through the eyes of an Armenian photographer" has opened at the National Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus, BelTA has learned.

The exhibition has been organized on the initiative of the Embassy of Armenia in Belarus with the support of the news agencies BelTA and Armenpress, with the assistance of the Belarusian Embassy in Armenia. The event is timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Armenia.

The exhibition features 100 photographs depicting nature, culture and traditions of the Belarusian and Armenian peoples. The photos were taken by Belarusian photographer Leonid Shcheglov during a trip to Armenia and by Armenian photographer Mkhitar Khachatryan to Belarus. The photographs have captured the original images of Belarusians and Armenians, their daily life, architecture and unique landscapes of the two countries.

"Today is my day, because my long-standing idea of this exhibition has come true," Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Belarus Razmik Khumaryan said at an exhibition launch ceremony. He said that he came to Belarus eight years ago and worked for six years in the CIS Executive Committee. At that time, he actively traveled around the country, visited many memorable and iconic places and sights that delighted him, and was surprised that many did not know about them. It was then that he had the idea to make an exhibition of photographs about Belarus, but not by a local, but by an Armenian photographer who would look at the country with fresh eyes. The same applies to Armenia – to be shown by a Belarusian photographer.

He noted that the historical ties between Armenia and Belarus date back about five centuries and this year's scientific conference will be devoted to this. The history of their relations as two sovereign states goes back three decades. "I hope that future generations will celebrate the tercentenary of our relations as sovereign independent prosperous states," Ambassador Razmik Khumaryan added.

In his opinion, it is very important to develop interaction between the countries at the level of interpersonal contacts of people. "Friendship of peoples, cooperation, mutual recognition, mutual understanding, mutual respect – this is the basis on which cooperation between sovereign states rests," he said.

The ambassador stressed that the foundation of strong cooperation between the two countries is their common fight against the brown plague in the 20th century. As is known, many Armenians participated in the battles for Belarus and its liberation. About 10,000 Armenians died on Belarusian soil, and 15 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including Ivan Baghramyan. "This is the foundation that will remain forever, and we will build our relationship based on it in memory of those people who, shoulder to shoulder, created what we have now," the diplomat said.

For her part, BelTA Director General Irina Akulovich said: "The place of strength of each of us is home. We have Belarus in our hearts, you have Armenia in yours. Each of our countries has its own flavor, style, vibes and vibrations. Of course, it is interesting to see how first comers to our country see it, what they will remember. The most important thing is that both photographers wanted to return, one to Belarus, the other to Armenia."

These photographs, according to her, depict first of all people – hospitable Armenians, good-natured Belarusians. Looking at them, it is important to understand that not only politicians, but also ordinary people can do a lot to establish relations, to promote friendship. "I am sure that those who see these photos will love Belarus and Armenia," Irina Akulovich said.

This is the third joint project of BelTA and Armenpress, she noted. An exhibition to mark the 30th anniversary of the Spitak tragedy and an exposition of Belarusian photographers in the metro in Yerevan were held earlier. "I am sure that if we admire each other, know more about each other, then everything will be fine with us. In today's world this is very important," BelTA Director General stressed.

https://eng.belta.by/society/view/photo-exhibition-celebrating-armenia-and-belarus-opens-in-minsk-159938-2023/

The Prime Minister receives the delegation of the British-Dutch Shell company

Kanayan Tamar

 19:25,

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation led by Joanna Kuenssberg, deputy director for CIS and Middle East countries of the British-Dutch Shell company, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Offic eof the Prime Minister. 

The Prime Minister welcomed the entry of the prestigious company into the Armenian market, whose first gas station was opened in Yerevan on June 29. Nikol Pashinyan expressed confidence that the company will introduce new quality and business culture to the Armenian market with its activities. The Prime Minister wished success to the company and emphasized that the Government will continue consistent steps to improve the business environment.

Joanna Kuenssberg thanked the Government for supporting the launch of Shell in Armenia and provided details on further plans. Joanna Kuenssberg informed that within the next 5 years, the company plans to operate 25 gas stations in Yerevan and all regions, where various other services will also be provided.

Five Takeaways from the Congressional Commission Hearing on Artsakh Security

Kanayan Tamar
 Areni Hamparian ANCA News 0

A scene from the June 21 Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on Artsakh

On June 21, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) held a powerful hearing condemning Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression against Artsakh and urged US action to prevent a second Armenian Genocide in Artsakh. Titled “Safeguarding the People of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the hearing was hosted by Commission co-chairs, Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Congressman James McGovern (D-MA), who were joined by Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chairs Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ). Witnesses from the hearing were former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, former US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Michael Rubin, and Columbia University Director of the Peace-Building and Rights Program, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, David Phillips.

Following are the five key takeaways from the hearing and relevant US policy recommendations.

1) Enforcing Section 907

Background: Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, adopted in 1992, “bans any kind of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government,” citing Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression and blockade of Armenia and Artsakh. In 2001, the presidential waiver clause was adopted by Congress, and it has been waived by US presidents ever since, greenlighting Azerbaijani aggression towards Armenia and Artsakh with the support of US military weapons and American tax dollars.

Policy recommendations: All four witnesses called for the enforcement of Section 907, especially if Azerbaijan does not lift the Artsakh blockade. Notably, Rubin stated that the waiver does not enable diplomacy but rather invites aggression and harms American credibility.

Implications for the Armenian people: With Azerbaijan’s 200+ day blockade continuing with no end in sight, enforcement of Section 907 would send a firm message to the Azerbaijani dictatorship, underscoring that there are consequences for its aggressive and violent actions. It is likely that Azerbaijan and its brother state, Turkey, would rethink their behavior in Artsakh and consider easing their onslaught onto Armenian land through an “environmental protest.”

2) Condemning Azerbaijan’s Blockade of Artsakh’s 120,000 Christian Armenians

Background: Amb. Brownback, who had visited Armenia’s border city Jermuk the week prior to the hearing, described seeing Azerbaijani forces on nearby hills and, consequently, alluded to the pan-Turkic aspirations of the Azerbaijani leaders. Having served as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Brownback noted the religious component of the crisis in the homeland, stating that Armenia, a Christian community in the region, is being suffocated by surrounding Muslim countries attempting to drive Armenians out of their indigenous homes with the use of US weaponry.

Policy recommendations: While condemnation is an important first step in recognizing the genocidal actions of Azerbaijan and Turkey in Artsakh and Armenia, statements become meaningless unless followed by action. Amb. Brownback suggested a bipartisan “Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Act,” which outlines a standard to ensure human rights and security are respected by Azerbaijan. Secondly, he suggested sending a congressional delegation to visit Artsakh, noting that if Azerbaijan blocked such a delegation, it would send  a powerful message to the Biden Administration. Lastly, he urged the broader American faith community to stand for Artsakh to ensure the Christian community in the Caucasus continues to thrive in its ancestral lands. Amb. Evans, previous US Ambassador to Armenia, Congressman Bilirakis, and Rubin suggested halting F-16 sales to Turkey, noting, among other reasons, their use against Artsakh and Armenia in the 2020 war.

Implications for the Armenian people: A condemnation of the blockade alongside tangible punishments to quash Azerbaijan and Turkey’s pan-Turkic aspirations would limit the two nations’ assumed leverage in the region through United States appeasement. As Phillips soundly mentioned during the hearing, Turkey and Azerbaijan only act under duress, so the United States must maintain the pressure, including through sanctions, and veer away from rewarding unstable, authoritarian governments.

3) Preventing a Second Armenian Genocide

Background: Azerbaijan’s ultimate aim in Artsakh, Rubin noted, is to empty the land of its native Armenian population, making life unlivable through the use of physical and psychological attacks. He quoted President Aliyev clearly stating, “Now the great return program for Karabakh is being implemented. Inshallah, there will come a time when we develop a second great return program to greater Azerbaijan… we will drive them away like dogs.” Additionally, Pres. Aliyev’s wife, the vice president of Azerbaijan, has been recorded encouraging Aliyev to prevent the release of Armenian prisoners of war to maintain leverage, despite the November 9, 2020 trilateral agreement.

Policy recommendation: Phillips, Rep. Smith and Rep. Pallone called for national and individual sanctions against Azerbaijan, adding these actions play a critical role in bringing aggressive and expansionist behavior under control.

Implications for the Armenian people: Azerbaijan and Turkey must feel tangible consequences in order to rethink their genocidal policies towards Armenia and Artsakh, especially if they manifest in a shift in standing within the Western world.

4) Sanctioning Azerbaijan

Background: As of April 23, 2023, Azerbaijan added an illegal checkpoint to the Berdzor Corridor, and on June 23, placed concrete blocks along the road, preventing any form of humanitarian aid from being delivered to Artsakh. All Congressmen and witnesses from the hearing warned of the worsening, systematic humanitarian crisis. Since the start of the blockade, Turkey has supported Azerbaijan in this endeavor, and with its NATO membership, utilized its status as a free pass to continue pursuing anti-democratic measures, violating human rights standards and conducting actions against US. interests, noted Phillips.

Policy Recommendations: The Humanitarian Corridors Act, which prohibits funds in the form of foreign assistance from being offered to any country whose government prohibits or restricts the transport or delivery of US humanitarian assistance, has not been waived. Rubin said US assistance to Azerbaijan should stop immediately. Another suggestion was the enforcement of the Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the US government to sanction foreign government officials who commit human rights abuses by freezing their assets and banning them from entering the US.

Implications for the Armenian people: If the United States claims to be a defender of democracy, it must eliminate double standards that have arisen from abandoning laws in place, such as the Humanitarian Corridors Act, Section 907 and Magnitsky Sanctions. 

5) Protecting Armenian Cultural Heritage

Background: Armenian cultural heritage, both past and present, continues to be decimated by the Turkish and Azerbaijani governments, with examples present in Western Armenia, Nakhichevan and Artsakh. For example, in December of 2021, the International Court of Justice ordered all necessary measures to prevent and punish the desecration and acts of vandalism affecting Armenian cultural heritage. Azerbaijan, ignoring this order, desecrated the 18th century Saint Sargis Church in the fall of 2022 in Artsakh. Citing examples of destruction from the past, Phillips warned that further Azerbaijani occupation risks the elimination of Armenian artifacts and conversions of Armenian churches to mosques.

Policy recommendation: Rubin suggested a 24/7 video monitoring program put in place to ensure the Azerbaijani government is unable to covertly destroy pieces of Armenian cultural history.

Implications for the Armenian people: It is essential to hold Azerbaijan accountable to ensure the survival of Armenian cultural history. To do otherwise would condemn the physical evidence of our past to vanish at the hands of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

  •  Bio
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Areni Hamparian is a proud AYF “Nigol Touman” and ARF Shant Student Association member. She is a rising senior at the University of California, San Diego, majoring in political science and minoring in history. As of 2019, Areni has been involved with the AYF Seniors, serving on the AYF Internship in Artsakh, Hai Tahd and Haytoug Magazine central councils, and looks forward to future opportunities to strengthen the Hairenik with Armenians across the globe. In 2023, she participated in the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship Program.


Controversial land sale puts Jerusalem Armenians on edge

Kanayan Tamar
UK – June 20 2023
The Armenian community has had a presence in Jerusalem for centuries
By Yolande Knell
BBC News, Jerusalem

Wearing peaked black headdresses and long robes, a procession of Armenian priests is led along the stone streets of Jerusalem's Old City by two suited men in felt tarboosh hats with ceremonial walking sticks.

Quietly, apart from the tapping of the sticks, they file into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for prayers.

Nowadays, Jerusalem is at the core of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. But Armenians have been here since the 4th Century, when their country was the first to adopt Christianity as a national religion.

They have a share in the Old City's holiest Christian sites and their own quarter tucked away in its south-western corner, home to some 2,000 Armenians.

But now the community here feels under threat because of a murky real estate deal by its own Church leaders. Amid angry protests, the Armenian patriarch has hidden himself away and a disgraced priest, who denies any wrongdoing, has fled to California.

"It's like a puzzle. I mean, we are trying to know what happened, when it happened, and how," explains community activist Hagop Djernazian.

What has emerged is that some 25% of the Armenian Quarter has been sold on a 99-year lease to a mysterious Jewish Australian businessman for a luxury development.

The land includes a large car parking area – one of the few areas of open land inside the Old City walls – which his company has already taken over. Many Armenians had hoped the site could be used to build affordable housing for young couples from their tiny, shrinking community.

According to plans seen unofficially by Hagop and others, an Ottoman-era building housing five Armenian households, a restaurant, shops and the seminary are all part of the sell-off. Many fear this could affect the viability of living in the quarter in the long-term.

But the controversy extends far more widely.

"It is historical land that we have had for 700 years. Losing it with one signature will affect our cultural daily life, but it will also change the picture of Jerusalem," Hagop says. "It will change the status quo, the entire mosaic of Jerusalem."

As the Orthodox Easter celebrations took place in April, panic was spreading among Armenians. The Armenian Patriarch, Nourhan Manougian, admitted that he had signed away the land but said he had been deceived by a local priest who worked for him.

That priest was defrocked and later there were heated scenes as he was banished from the Armenian Quarter, escorted away under Israeli police protection as residents yelled out "traitor".

Recently, many Armenians have been joining weekly protests, linking arms and singing nationalistic songs below the window of the patriarch who now stays cloistered in his rooms at the convent. They demand that he revokes the land deal.

Amid a recent rise in attacks by extremist Jews targeting Christians in Jerusalem, some Armenians see the sale as an act of self-inflicted harm on the Christian presence here.

"The look of the city, its character is changing very much," says Arda, who lives in the Old City and complains that religious nationalists already feel emboldened by the drift of Israeli politics.

"Priests walking in the streets find settlers spitting at them, people say they don't want to see Christmas trees in the city, and restaurants are being attacked for no reason. It's all going in a certain direction."

Israel captured East Jerusalem – including the Old City – from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War and went on to occupy and annex it in a move that is not recognised internationally. In the decades since, it has been at the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, claimed by both sides as their capital. Plots of land here are fiercely fought over.

There is a reminder of that near to the Armenian Quarter, at Jaffa Gate – the iconic entrance to the Christian Quarter.

Here, two landmark hotels, run by Palestinians, were secretly sold to foreign firms acting as fronts for a radical Jewish settler group. The Greek Orthodox Church lost a two-decade-long battle to cancel the deal in the Israeli courts and last year settlers moved into part of one of the hotels.

Armenian elders say that in the past, there have been frequent approaches by settlers wanting to buy land in their quarter and increase the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem. The Armenian Quarter is located next to the Jewish one, which makes it especially desirable.

However, a spokesman for the settler group which bought the Jaffa Gate properties told the BBC he had no knowledge of the Armenian land sale.

Meanwhile, in interviews in the US, the cast-out priest, Baret Yeretsian, has dismissed the idea that the buyer of the land lease – named as Danny Rothman but also Daniel Rubinstein in some documents – is driven by ideology.

Nevertheless, Palestinian Christian leaders say the sale has political implications.

"It undermines any future political solution to Jerusalem," says Dimitri Diliani, president of the National Christian Coalition of the Holy Land. "According to international law, it's on occupied land that is subject to negotiations and this kind of reinforces the illegal settler presence in Palestinian East Jerusalem."

He believes that "the diversity" of Jerusalem will also be badly affected.

Highlighting the significance of the Armenian Church's actions, both the Palestinian President and Jordan's King Abdullah II – custodian of Jerusalem's Christian holy sites – have suspended their recognition of the patriarch. This affects his ability to attend ceremonies and sign off on official church business.

Israel's foreign ministry has said it is aware of the Armenian patriarch's deal but due to the political sensitivity it refrains from commenting on it.

Meanwhile, in the walled courtyards of St James Convent – which has been home to many Armenian families since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and has its own clubs, school, library and even a football pitch – the talk nowadays is about little else.

Relations have been strained between the residents and clergy members, who act here as the religious and civil authority. On Friday, dozens of Armenian Jerusalemites gathered to hear from a group of international Armenian lawyers who have been visiting and have agreed to draw up recommendations on how to handle the case.

Nearby, in his ceramics shop, Garo Sandrouni paints glaze onto an ornately decorated bowl wondering what the future will bring.

He is from one of the families that brought the colourful tradition of Armenian pottery to Jerusalem a century ago, when they fled from what is widely seen as a genocide by the Turks.

He says that Armenians historically donated money to buy land in this holy city – their spiritual homeland – and that the Church has no right to sell it.

"This is what makes us angry. These lands belong to the Armenian nation. They don't belong to the Armenian patriarchate of Jerusalem," he tells me.

"The Armenian patriarchate of Jerusalem has to take care of these lands to keep them to preserve them, to protect them."

A group of international lawyers say they will make recommendations on what could be done about the case

 

The President of Turkey expresses full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership

Kanayan Tamar

 17:02,

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a telephone conversation. The President of the Russian Federation informed about the situation in the country, ARMENPRESS reports, citing "RIA Novosti", the Kremlin informed.

"The President of Turkey expressed full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership," the message said.

Nagorno Karabakh welcomes PACE resolution, says any mechanism aimed at peace is acceptable

Kanayan Tamar

 17:01,

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Artur Tovmasyan has welcomed the adoption of the ‘Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor’ resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

“We welcome the adoption of the resolution by PACE calling on Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin Corridor, immediately fulfill the ECHR and ICJ rulings, restore power and gas supply into Nagorno Karabakh, ensure the movement of persons and vehicles along the Lachin Corridor in both directions,” Speaker Tovmasyan said.

He highlighted the fact that Azerbaijan is being called out to abandon its belligerent and threatening rhetoric against Armenians and resolve the issue of rights and security of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh through dialogue with Stepanakert, and neutral international involvement.

“Any mechanism aimed at peace is acceptable for us, we welcome international monitoring and fact-finding missions that would shed light on the existing situation and suppress Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy.”

The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. 

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 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 been ignoring the order ever since.

Lachin Corridor is the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world.

We can flee from Genocide, but not Mother Nature

Kanayan Tamar
 Alek Kilicyan Community News 0

As a young Armenian boy indigenous to Anatolia, I visited Vakıflı, Hatay, the last Armenian village in Turkey, with my grandfather. He encouraged me to physically connect with the architecture, language and art of my cultural heritage in a setting free of the hustle and bustle of Istanbul. Even as a child in the city, I felt strange and lacked the sense of belonging humans crave, all because I was an ethnic minority. In Vakıflı, the door was open to me not as a guest, but as family. However, even in the warmth of village life, a cool breeze hit my skin as the sun set and reminded me that our population is dwindling like an endangered species.

The sign welcoming visitors to Vakıflı village

On February 6, 2023, I felt that cool breeze again when Turkey was hit by multiple high-impact earthquakes that claimed the souls of 50,000 people and unhoused millions. My childhood memories immediately flooded me with grief, knowing that Vakıflı was in the hardest hit area. Yet this was only third-page news.

In April 2023, I visited Vakıflı again, but not for fun this time. The earthquake, which impacted southeast Turkey, also caused severe damage to Vakıflı. Even though there weren’t any lives lost, Armenians lost a lot. As generational trauma survivors whose culture is continually under threat, we must preserve it as it helps us connect with our past and roots that struggle to bear fruit. As I walked through the destroyed Vakıflı, my ancestors summoned my soul to educate fellow Armenians and the world about our ancient history, monuments and artifacts that provide valuable insight into the past. As Armenians, it is our duty to relay their stories and spread information on our vibrant heritage, allowing us to honor not only genocide victims but now earthquake victims.

The gated entrance to Surp Asdvadzadzin Church

A sign saying “Welcome to Vakıflı Village” in Armenian greeted my father and me as we entered the village. My heart warmed, and I felt like I belonged. We stopped at a nearby cafe to ask for directions to the church. The cafe owner explained where the church was with a friendly smile. When I shared my grandfather’s name, the owner immediately recognized who I was. Thankfully, this elder remembered my family and our previous visit, and made me feel as if I had never left. 

Before going to the church, we learned that there had been a meeting discussing solutions to the damage caused by the earthquake. Architects from Istanbul had come to Vakıflı to listen to the residents, assess their needs and propose an action plan for the near future. As each resident shared their story, I became profoundly affected and felt the injuries and pangs of the unhoused in Vakıflı whose population of sixty to seventy inhabitants is struggling to survive. Carrying this symbolic weight, I thought it was only proper to make my prayers at the Surp Asdvadzadzin (Holy Virgin Church).

From 1915 to 2023, we have not had a moment to catch our breath.

The space atop the Surp Asdvadzadzin Church from which the steeple toppled

Upon entering the church, just as I opened the gate, I saw the steeple of the church on the ground, broken into pieces. I turned the doorknob and went inside. The floor was a blanket of concrete, glass and dust. I could see through gaps in the walls to the outside. I didn’t know what to do. It left me speechless. Unable to comprehend the damage, I stepped outside, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, tried to articulate the injury the church and my culture sustained and realized that from 1915 to 2023, we have not had a moment to catch our breath.

Oddly enough, the following day was the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the 24th of April. Seeing the destruction in one of our ancestral villages reminded me that now more than ever the international Armenian community must rethink what it means to be Armenian.

The destroyed steeple of Surp Asdvadzadzin Church

After leaving Vakıflı in a mournful yet hopeful state, I am taking steps to help the community rebuild and educate others about its plight. Most importantly, I want to remind the global Armenian community that Mother Nature does not discriminate and strikes all races, ethnicities, races, religious groups and political affiliations. Collectively, we must prepare for worst-case scenarios and save our indigenous populations in areas that face natural and man-made threats. Our survival depends on it. 

 

 

 

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Alek Adis Kılıçyan was born in Istanbul in 2005. He graduated from Private Taş Primary and Middle School and is currently studying at 12th grade in Robert College. He is an electric guitar player at the rock band Bagas which performs songs in Armenian, Turkish and English.


Asbarez: Philos Project Leads Delegation to Armenia Amid Crisis

Kanayan Tamar
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Latest, News, Top Stories

WASHINGTON—The Philos Project on Friday concluded a three-day trip that introduced American Christian and Jewish thought leaders to Armenia’s rich history and the existential threats that face this Christian country from its neighbors. The trip, which comes nearly six months after Azerbaijan initiated a blockade of Armenian Christians in the adjacent Nagorno-Karabakh region was led by Philos Project President Robert Nicholson and former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback.

Participants included leaders of Christian advocacy groups, like David Curry, President and CEO of Global Christian Relief; Carlos Duran, Founder and President of the National Association of Hispanic Pastors of America; Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs at Family Research Council; and Denise Bubeck, Deputy Director of the Church Ambassador Network at “The Family Leader,” among others. They were joined by Jewish leaders and experts from several think tanks, including Michael Ruben, Greg Schaller, and Gregg Roman, as well as journalists from both secular and religious publications.

Participants of the Philos Project’s Armenia trip touring a historic church

Since December 12, Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor has cut the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, largely Armenian Christians, off from the outside world. The siege has created a humanitarian disaster that may soon become untenable for the 120,000 residents, precipitating what some have warned may be a Second Armenian Genocide. Constant, aggressive rhetoric from Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev, a self-proclaimed ally of the United States, seems to lend credence to such warnings. 

That same month Nicholson began examining the challenges Armenians face in an in-depth series on his podcast, The Deep Map. In January he stepped up his advocacy, sending a letter to President Biden urging his administration to help lift the blockade, provide humanitarian aid, and work toward a lasting and just resolution of the long-standing dispute. In May, he appealed to the House Committee for Foreign Affairs, yet the blockade remains.

Nicholson and Brownback co-led this trip to help American thought leaders better understand the crisis in the region and consider how Christian and Jewish communities might contribute to potential solutions. Participants visited medieval monasteries, conversed with local residents affected by Azerbaijani aggression in the city of Jermuk, and met with Armenia’s President, Vahagn Khachaturyan. In a video statement, Ambassador Brownback expressed his gratitude to the president for spending “a huge amount of time” with the delegation discussing the “breadth of the issues,” confiding that “central to all of this is the building of the relationship” between Armenia and American Christians that so far “hasn’t been fully actualized.”

“We cannot allow the crisis in Armenia to be dismissed as a simple territorial dispute,” said Philos Project Founder Robert Nicholson. “This is a dispute about values.” 

“Advocates for human rights, Christians concerned about preserving their historic roots, and Jews who know all too well the struggle against genocidal forces, all have a stake in advocating for Armenia’s Christians,” Nicholson added.


Congressman Pallone calls on State Department to halt Azerbaijan’s ‘senseless’ acts of aggression against Armenia

Kanayan Tamar

 12:56,

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Frank Pallone has called on the U.S. State Department to halt Azerbaijan’s “senseless” acts of aggression against Armenia which jeopardize ongoing peace negotiations and risk further destabilization in the Caucasus.

“Azerbaijan is jeopardizing ongoing peace negotiations and risking further destabilization in the Caucasus through their attacks in Armenian territory.  State Department must try to halt these senseless acts of aggression & push for the recognition & respect of Armenia's borders,” Pallone tweeted.

On June 14, two workers at the construction site of a steel plant in the Armenian village of Yeraskh were shot and wounded by Azerbaijani forces. The victims are nationals of India.

Armenia opposition MP: We need to bring people out to fight

Kanayan Tamar
News.am
Armenia –
14:50, 13.06.2023

We must see to it that this document is not signed; for this, we must bring the people out to fight. Opposition MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan, a representative of the Supreme Body of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun Party of Armenia, told this to a press conference Tuesday, referring to the prospects for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"If the [incumbent Armenian] authorities realize that there is no resistance, it will sign and digest, it will sign the peace treaty. It is obvious that there is an arrangement between [Armenian PM] Pashinyan and [Azerbaijani president] Aliyev to sign the document this year.

“We have our ideas of moves. But since this is not a matter of one political force, we will discuss the matter with all healthy forces and go out to fight. I can't say a specific time, day, place, but we will fully engage in the fight. Every Armenian must stand up for his homeland. If we can fully explain the risks to people, we will push people to fight; moreover, the citizens who are indifferent. What Nikol Pashinyan announced is not a peace treaty; it is a new capitulation, the signing of which will have disastrous consequences for the Armenian people. The only way to prevent this is popular resistance. One person cannot decide the fate of our 5000-year-old nation," Saghatelyan said.

According to him, the Armenian political forces should present three very accessible things to the Armenian public: a plan to get Armenia out of the current situation, an implementing team, and a roadmap for change of power in the country.

"Instead of ensuring the territorial integrity of our country, the preservation of Artsakh's [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] right to self-determination, the security of the Armenian people, the [incumbent Armenian] authorities say to surrender for the sake of salvation; that is the road self-destruction. The Armenian people have that resource to fight for their homeland," Saghatelyan said.

"We are not ready to give new territories to the enemy; there is no alternative. Their proposed road has absolutely nothing to do with peace.(…). The main thing is to prevent the signing of the document. And to completely neutralize the danger, it is necessary to remove the [incumbent Armenian] authorities [from power] because we are condemned by these authorities," the opposition MP said.