Author: Lena Karagyozian

In Montreal, Hagop Manjikian reclaimed his Armenian name and grew an incredible garden

Lena Karagyozian
Canada –
SEVAK MANJIKIAN
CONTRIBUTED TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Hagop Manjikian: Engineer. Gardener. Athlete. Armenian. Born Nov. 8, 1937, in Kessab, Syria; died Oct. 8, 2022, in Montreal; after a heart attack; aged 84.

Hagop ManjikianCOURTESY OF FAMILY

Hagop Manjikian was the quintessential immigrant; always on the move and seeking out opportunities for himself and his family, all the while searching for a slice of Armenia.

He grew up in a small town populated predominantly by Armenians in northwestern Syria. His early life was spent on his father’s farm but his academic abilities landed him at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and then Loughborough University in England, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering.

When he returned to Beirut, Hagop met Diroug Menakian while volunteering at an Armenian cultural association. They fell in love and when Hagop was offered a job in Saudi Arabia, he asked her to marry him. Diroug’s father was not keen and wore pajamas for a week as an act of protest. But love won out and in 1966 the couple married and set off to start their lives and raise a family.

Living on a U.S. oil compound in Saudi Arabia was like living in a quirky version of Texas. The couple picked up square dancing, played bridge, joined a yacht club that had no yachts and moved up the tennis ladder. Along the way, they had three kids, Naraig, Sevak and Lalai, who grew up speaking a mixture of Armenian, English and Arabic at home. Hagop was a man of few words in a family of firecrackers. His quiet style of parenting was effective as he provided nuggets of wisdom that shaped his children’s choices, while his love of classical music and reading were gently transferred to his family.

His career took him to offshore oil platforms and refineries across the globe. This meant being away from home for long periods of time. In 1977, the refinery where he worked in Saudi Arabia exploded leaving Diroug frantically watching the flames from their house while appearing calm in front of their children. Though difficult, Hagop enjoyed his work.

Life in Saudi Arabia was idyllic despite the harsh heat, but the family’s time there was limited since Naraig and Sevak would have to report for compulsory military service in the Syrian Army. In 1987, he decided that it was time to leave the Middle East.

Family always came first for Hagop, even if that meant moving halfway around the world to Quebec. And in Canada, Hagop (who used to go by “Jake” at work) reclaimed his Armenian name and immersed himself in Montreal’s Armenian community. Here he devoted himself to the Armenian school, church and cultural association.

Mr. Manjikian grew tomatoes in the Arabian desert and in Montreal he tended a garden that bore flowers, fruits, and vegetables for over 30 years.COURTESY OF FAMILY

One of Hagop’s proudest professional achievements was his work on the Hibernia oil platform in Newfoundland. His contribution was his way of thanking Canada for giving his family sanctuary. He never collected knick-knacks but kept a small model of the Hibernia platform in the family’s living room.

Outside of work, Hagop remained true to his farming background. His ability to grow tomatoes in the Arabian desert was a testament to his stubbornness. In Montreal, he tended a garden that bore flowers, fruits and vegetables for more than 30 years.


No crisis in Armenia’s relations with Russia, despite certain problems — Armenian PM

Lena Karagyozian
 TASS 
Russia – March 14 2023
"There are some objective matters," Nikol Pashinyan said

YEREVAN, March 14. /TASS/. Armenia and Russia have certain problems in their interstate relations but there is no crisis in them, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday.

"There are certain problems in our relations but these are objective problems that cannot impact cooperation between the two countries. I don’t see any crisis in our relations. There are some objective matters," he told a news conference answering a TASS question.

4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Turkey

Lena Karagyozian

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 20:06,

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Bolu province in the north-west of Turkey, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Turkish "Anadolu" agency.

According to a source, the Turkish government's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported that the tremors were recorded at 13:55 local time.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Bolu, the epicenter was at a depth of 8.13 km.

AW: ANC of NJ and AYF “Arsen” Chapter to host annual Armenian flag raising ceremony

Lena Karagyozian
 AYF New Jersey "Arsen" Chapter Youth, Announcements 0


FORT LEE and MONTVALE, NJ — On Saturday, April 15 at 2:00 pm, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New Jersey and the Armenian Youth Federation-Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter will host their annual Armenian flag raising ceremony at Fort Lee Borough Hall.

Fort Lee Mayor Mark J. Sokolich will present a proclamation.

The annual Armenian flag raising ceremony is held in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and in remembrance of the martyrs who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turks 108 years ago on April 24, 1915. The commemoration will also acknowledge that the Armenian people face a continual threat of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and honor those whose live were taken as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression and in 2020. 

There is, today, an immediate danger of genocide threatening the women, children, elderly and disabled Armenian population in Artsakh. Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has illegally blockaded the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, which is the only lifeline connecting Artsakh to the outside world. For over 90 days, the 120,000 indigenous Armenians of Artsakh have been held hostage with no access to food, medicine and other vital necessities. Azerbaijan cut off Artsakh’s access to gas and electricity for several days at a time, in sub-zero temperatures. These actions culminate to further the goal of unrepentant genocide perpetrators.

The event will include participation from the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA “Agnouni,” Bergen County “Armenouhi” and “Shakeh” Chapters, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of NJ, Homenetmen of New Jersey and Nareg Armenian School. 

The following week, on Saturday, April 22 at 4:00 pm, the ANC of NJ will host its annual Armenian Genocide commemoration event at the Genocide Memorial at Huff Pond in Montvale, New Jersey.

 

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Founded in 1934, the AYF-YOARF New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter continues to work to unite Armenian youth and organize activities in the New Jersey area. The New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter has Senior and Junior groups. The chapter sets out to achieve its goals and objectives throughout the year, through events such as the annual flag raising ceremony at Fort Lee commemorating the Armenian Genocide, fundraisers for Artsakh and Camp Javakhk, a Junior Seminar send off dance and an annual Junior Christmas social. The AYF-YOARF's five pillars (athletic, cultural, educational, political, social) guide this chapter and help keep its membership active and at the forefront of the Armenian cause at all times.


Artsakh Criticizes EU Envoy for ‘Ignoring’ Events in Karabakh

Lena Karagyozian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special representative to the South Caucasus


Artsakh’s foreign ministry criticized the European Union’s special representative to the Caucasus, Toivo Klaar for “ignoring the general context of the events taking place” in Nagorno-Karabakh, referring to his tone deaf remarks after the ambush by Azerbaijani forces on an Artsakh police vehicle, as a result of which three officers were killed on March 5.

During a visit to Baku and immediately after, Klaar made statements both on social media and during an interview with an Azerbaijani raising concerns about the EU’s stated neutrality in the current situation.

In the interview, Klaar seemed to give legitimacy to Baku’s official positions not only on the Lachin Corridor blockade, but also the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” scheme being advance as a way to carve out a connection through Armenia to Nakhichevan. The EU envoy voiced support to Baku’s insistence of having checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor and interpreted the November 9, 2020 agreement in a way that legitimizes Azerbaijan’s claims the road through Armenia.

“In speaking about the alleged legitimacy of Azerbaijan’s approaches to the Lachin Corridor, the EU Special Representative clearly ignores the general context of the events taking place. And the context is that Azerbaijan has been illegally blocking the Lachin Corridor for almost three months, in violation of not only their obligations under the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, but also the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

“Under the pretext of the need for control over the Lachin Corridor, on March 5, the Azerbaijani armed forces resorted to a terrorist attack, killing three Artsakh police officers and seriously wounding another,” the Artsakh foreign ministry pointed out.

“It should be emphasized that all of Azerbaijan’s arguments regarding the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, including the claim that the corridor was allegedly used for military purposes, after a thorough consideration have been rejected by the UN International Court of Justice, which ordered Azerbaijan to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. We recall that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are legally binding, which was also confirmed by senior representatives of the EU,” explained the Artsakh foreign ministry.

“Such statements supporting the illegal claims of Azerbaijan are perceived by the authorities of this country as an indulgence of their [Baku’s] criminal policy of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, which is based on the denial of the Artsakh people’s inalienable rights to life, self-determination, freedom and peaceful development. Azerbaijan is seeking to create conditions where nothing would prevent Baku from establishing control over the entire territory of Artsakh by force and completing their criminal plans to ethnically cleanse Artsakh,” said the Artsakh foreign ministry.

“If the EU Special Representative is indeed concerned about actions that escalate tensions in the region, then we strongly recommend that he pay attention to Azerbaijan’s continued military provocations, aggressive and belligerent rhetoric, as well as deployment of new military bases and other military infrastructure in the occupied territories of Artsakh,” emphasized the statement.

Congressman Brad Sherman calls for United States humanitarian aid to Artsakh

Lena Karagyozian

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 11:22, 9 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Brad Sherman urged the House Appropriations Committee to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), who are now blockaded by Azerbaijan.

[see video]
“The people of Artsakh are an Armenian community that have lived in that region for really thousands of years. Joseph Stalin, in his evil wisdom, made that region part of Azerbaijan rather than Armenia. The result has been terrible conflict, including what is now a three-month blockade of the Armenians living in that region. They desperately need humanitarian assistance and I hope you are generous in providing humanitarian assistance for the people of Artsakh,” Congressman Sherman said during the Appropriations Committee hearings for fiscal year 2024.

Congressman Frank Pallone in turn earlier called for $100 million in aid to Armenia and $50 million in aid to Artsakh.

Deputy foreign ministers of Armenia and Oman discuss bilateral agenda

Lena Karagyozian

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 11:55, 9 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. On March 8, in Cairo, within the framework of the Ministerial Session of the Council of the League of Arab States, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan  had a meeting with Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Alharthy, Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan and Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Alharthy touched upon the issues of bilateral agenda between Armenia and Oman, stressing the importance of enhancing political dialogue and conducting regular consultations, the foreign ministry said in a read-out.

They exchanged views on the opportunities of further developing cooperation in trade, economy, tourism and other spheres.

Regional and international security issues were also discussed.

Touching upon the security situation in the South Caucasus, the Deputy Foreign Minister presented the efforts of the Armenian side towards the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and emphasised that the Azerbaijani side, in contrary, challenges the normalisation process, peace and stability in the region with its continuous provocations and maximalist aspirations. Vahan Kostanyan briefed his counterpart on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade of the Lachin corridor and highlighted the urgency of unblocking the corridor in accordance with the provisions of the 2020 November 9 Statement.

Issues of possible cooperation between Armenia and Oman on other international platforms were also discussed. In this context, the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the inadmissibility of manipulating the religious factor by Azerbaijan, underlining that it does not correspond to the logic of traditionally warm relations between Armenia and the Armenian people and the Arab world.

We express serious concern regarding the increase in tension in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. Zakharova

Lena Karagyozian

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 18:15, 6 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, commented on the attack of the Azerbaijani subversive group on the police vehicle of Artsakh.

ARMENPRESS reports, the comment published on the official page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation states: "We express serious concern regarding the increase in tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. Over the past few days, multiple violations of the ceasefire have been reported. On March 5, an armed incident took place, as a result of which both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides suffered casualties."

Zakharova called on the parties to show restraint and take steps to ease the tension. "We reaffirm the need to strictly observe the provisions of the November 9, 2020 statement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on the complete cessation of fire and all military operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone," the message states.

The spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized in the statement that any security-related issue in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops should be resolved peacefully, through communication between the parties, under the auspices of the peacekeeping troops.

"The incident once again confirms the imperative for Baku and Yerevan to immediately return to the negotiations base don the implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 9, 2020, January 11, and November 26, 2021, as well as October 31, 2022, as well as the unblocking of regional communications, delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and elaboration of the peace treaty”, reads the statement.

Three Nagorno Karabakh police officers were killed as a result of an ambush by a sabotage team of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on March 5. The officers of the Passport and Visa Department of the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh were attacked around 10:00 in the area called Khaypalu. They were in their service vehicle at the time of the ambush.




The US insists that peace depends solely on Azerbaijanis and Armenians

Lena Karagyozian
March 6 2023

Baku, April 6 The strength of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia depends only on both countries, and not on other actors, the senior adviser of the United States of America to the South Caucasus, Louis Bono, said Monday in Baku.

“For a solid peace process, this must be requested by the parties, this must come from the parties themselves, and not from the United States of America or anyone else,” the US diplomat added to the press conference.

He added that the role of the mediator is to encourage the parties to talk to each other, propose proposals and exchange ideas.

Bono indicated that two weeks before the Secretary of State Antony Blinken accompanied the US to the German city of Munich, where he met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliev, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinián.

“The meeting was constructive, the assessment was shared by all participants. Then the Secretary of State asked me to come to the country as soon as possible to continue the peace process. From there I am here,” he added.

The US mission is to “put an end to the suffering of Azerbaijanis and Armenians so that they can live together in peace,” according to Bono.

The diplomat reiterated Washington’s position against the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which connects Armenia with the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh, populated by Armenians, on the territory of Azerbaijan.

“We admit that it is a matter of security, but for the necessary goods and civil loads necessary for the transition so that the people of Karabakh have access to them,” he said.

On December 1, groups of Azerbaijanis called “environmentalists” blocked the corridor, which is guarded by Russian peacekeepers, a situation that continues to this day.

“The Azerbaijani side (…) has done and is doing everything to avoid negative humanitarian consequences in Karabakh” due to the siege of the Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Jeyhun Bayramov said last Tuesday.

At the same time, the minister stated that “the legitimate demands of the Azerbaijani civil society should be heard”, referring to the requests of these groups to access the mining operations in the territory of Karabakh in order to inspect them.

The US ambassador, who was received by the Azerbaijani president on a visit to Baku, announced that he will meet the Armenian prime minister in Yerevan on Tuesday.

https://nationworldnews.com/the-us-insists-that-peace-depends-solely-on-azerbaijanis-and-armenians/


Armenian American Museum Announces Elevate Gala Chair Diana Timuryan

Lena Karagyozian
Press Contact:
Shant Sahakian, Executive Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
(818) 644-2214
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARMENIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ELEVATE GALA CHAIR DIANA TIMURYAN

Glendale, CA () – The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California has announced that Diana Timuryan will be serving as the Chair of the Elevate Gala to be held on Sunday, March 19, 2023 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

“It is truly an honor and a privilege to work alongside the dedicated individuals in our community to ensure the ongoing success of the Armenian American Museum,” stated Elevate Gala Chair Diana Timuryan. “I have no doubt that with our continued efforts, we will ensure that the Elevate Gala will be an evening to remember, and the landmark project will be a pillar for our community and future generations to come.”

Diana Timuryan was born in Yerevan, Armenia and immigrated to the United States with her parents and siblings at a young age. She and her family were able to set the foundation of a promising future in Los Angeles, California. Grounded in her cultural upbringing and a deep connection to her roots, she was able to excel in the banking industry and cultivate an extensive relationship with the Armenian American community as well as diverse non-profit organizations and communities. She has dedicated herself to teaching financial literacy to young people and giving back to the community. She currently serves as the Vice President Relationship Manager of Pacific Western Bank and serves as a member of the Armenian American Museum Board of Governors.

The Elevate Gala Committee includes Mayda Altounian, Alvard Barseghian, Angela Bedoyan, Ani Bekarian, Araxie Boyamian, Garine Depoyan, Hilda Fidanian, Aida Gharakhani, Marie-Jean Harmandayan, Natalie Hariri, Christine Hovnanian, Tanya Kalaydjian, Maro Kasparian, Dr. Alexia Kevonian, Erika Toriz-Kurkjian, Carmen Libaridian, Margaret Mgrublian, Narine Mouradian, Aleen Orucakciel, Dzovig Zetlian, and Elizabeth Zoryan.

The Elevate Gala will celebrate the completion of the first phase of construction featuring the museum parking garage and building foundation and mark the next exciting chapter for the Armenian American Museum as the landmark center is elevated to the horizon as a destination for education, enrichment, and inspiration for generations to come.

The Armenian American Museum is a world-class educational and cultural institution that is currently under construction on the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The museum will offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.

Learn more about the Elevate Gala at https://ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org/Gala.

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Kindly,

Arsine Sina Torosyan
Communications Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
116 North Artsakh Avenue, Suite 205, Glendale, CA 91206
Office: (818) 351-3554, Ext. 706
Direct: (818) 644-2215
www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org
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Armenian American Museum Elevate Gala Chair Diana Timuryan.jpg
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