Author: Manouk Vasilian

Union of Armenians of Russia supports initiative to establish “Hay Park” in Tsitsernakaberd Memorial

 13:53,

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan reacted to the idea and initiative of Armenian President Armen Sarkissian to establish a “Hay Park”, an all-Armenian park of solidarity and memory in the territory of the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial, the Armenian President’s Office told Armenpress.

In his letter sent to the Armenian President, the Chairman of the Union of Armenians of Russia stated that the implementation of this initiative has an important idea and best responds to the historical and state-public agenda of the Armenian people.

“Dear Mr. President,

Both I and the members of the largest national union in Russia – the Union of Armenians of Russia, are ready to support your initiative and will be glad to invest our capacities, knowledge and efforts for implementing it. Undoubtedly, the united work and joint efforts will serve for the further unity of our nation”, Ara Abrahamyan said in the letter.

President Armen Sarkissian recently spoke of his idea to establish a “Hay Park” on the territory of Tsitsernakaberd.

The President said that parks and gardens of Yerevan are its “lungs” and to be able to provide a healthy lifestyle for the public, Armenia needs to have parks, “healthy public lungs.” In this context, President Sarkissian presented his idea of creating a “Hay Park” all-Armenian park. It will begin on the territory of Tsitsernakaberd and stretch for approximately 103 hectares.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 18:04,

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS.  President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian issued a message on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President's Office, the message runs as follows,

''Dear Compatriots in Armenia, Artsakh and Spyurk,

This year, the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is commemorated in accordance with a protocol forced on us by the pandemic. However, our tribute to the memory of our holy martyrs has never been measured by the visits to the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan or other memorials dedicated to the Armenian Genocide.

We remember our victims all the time and everywhere, no matter where in the world we are. We pray for them in our souls and minds, name by name. Remembrance and the pain of loss, intertwined with our resolve to win and achieve justice by being alive, has been with us for the last 105 years.

The Armenian Genocide took place more than one hundred years ago; the Armenian people were deprived of their possessions and of their fatherland. But the entire Armenian nation is waiting for the re-establishment of justice and truth.

Many historians and analysts, state and political figures of the day, considered one of the greatest injustices of the world created after the WW I the total neglect for the rights of the Armenian people.

The loss of 1.5 million lives had a substantial impact on the reproductive abilities of our nation: today our numbers should have been not 10-12 million but at least its double.

The issue of recognition of the Genocide, which the Armenians raise before the international community and Turkey, has a number of components: duty of remembrance, prevention of the repetition and condemnation of such crimes, elimination of the consequences of the Genocide.

It is unacceptable to view the recognition of the Armenian Genocide from the standpoint of momentarily economic or political interests related to Ankara.

Such an approach will stop the world in its advancement.

We cannot on one hand declare that we are going to fight together against xenophobia, discrimination, intolerance, anti-Semitism, denial and other all-human vices, and on the other hand “play diplomacy” with Turkey on the Armenian Genocide.

Many of the states, which have huge interests in Turkey, have overcome that barrier, and we are grateful to them.

We are also grateful to the countries which after the Genocide opened their doors and gave refuge to those who had survived that catastrophe.

We are grateful to the missionaries, military doctors and nurses, diplomats and to the nations and individuals who in those desperate days often put their own life and safety in harm’s way and lent a helping hand and saved many Armenians.

The stance of the successive Turkish governments, which have been carrying out the denial policy on the state level to escape the recognition of the Genocide is unacceptable.

Statute of limitation does not apply to the crime of genocide. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey and elimination of its consequences is a matter of security for Armenia, the Armenian nation, and the region.

We will not forget the Armenian Genocide; we will not submit to its consequences.

Dear Compatriots,

Today, along with painful memories, we ought to speak also about tenacity and heroism of our people.

The Genocide was also a story of daily survival and struggle of the Armenian nation, a story of strong spirit and unbending will. It was a struggle for life. Struggle for the preservation of the national identity, a struggle for the right to preserve national memory and pass it to the next generations.

The Genocide was also a story of a daily heroism when life and survival became a struggle. We strived, struggled, and triumphed.

We were able to triumph over death; we survived and reemerged. Today’s independent Armenia, the free Artsakh, as well as the well-organized and successful Diaspora testify to that and give us new opportunities.

Opportunities to unite as a nation and people, to combine our efforts and abilities to achieve our national aspirations.

I am sure of that.

I remember and demand.

God bless the Armenian people''.

Governor General of Canada addresses letter to Armenian President over COVID-19 pandemic

 16:55,

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Governor General of Canada Julie Payette addressed a letter to President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

On behalf of the Canadian people Mrs. Julie Payette asked President Sarkissian to convey her words of support to the people of Armenia for resisting numerous challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. She said Canada as well makes efforts to prevent this global pandemic and find its treatment. “This is a difficult and unprecedented situation, but I am sure that science will find the solution, and we will jointly overcome this invisible enemy.

We cannot choose when the difficulties arrive, but we can choose on how to respond during their crisis”, the letter said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:39, 17 April, 2020

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan commented on Azerbaijan’s reaction to the recent elections held in Artsakh, the MFA told Armenpress.

Armenpress presents the MFA spokeswoman’s full comment:

Question: The election process in Artsakh, which lasted from March 31 to April 14 and was concluded with the election of a new president and parliament, as expected,  received a negative reaction from Azerbaijan. How would you comment on that reaction?

Answer: Through several statements the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has already expressed its position on the elections held in Artsakh.

In this regard, I would like to only emphasize two circumstances. First, in the context of the Artsakh elections, the highest authorities of Azerbaijan have made very critical comments towards the European human rights institutions. Indeed, this was not accidental. It should be recalled that the European human rights institutions made an important assessment on the parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan this February by which the low level of legitimacy of those elections was revealed.

It is obvious that in a country where the power has never been transferred through democratic process, the formation of new authorities in Artsakh through competitive and democratic elections should have triggered a nervous reaction.

Second, Azerbaijan tries to involve the international community in its campaign against human rights in Artsakh. To that end, Azerbaijan doesn’t refrain from strictly selective and distorted presentation of international reactions to these elections.

Azerbaijan attempts to ignore the key messages of the same reactions, which refer to the role of the people of Artsakh in determining their future, and the importance of elections from the perspective of organizing public life in Artsakh. Meanwhile, these messages are crucial for creating an environment conducive to advancement of the peace process.

In our region, the formation of authorities who received the vote of the people, who express the will of people and who are accountable before those people, is extremely important in terms of the transformation of conflict and the reconciliation of peoples. The people of Artsakh took another important step in this direction on March 31 and April 14”.