Author: Ophelia Vardapetian

Holding talks with Georgia and Armenia is among top priorities of Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) to increase exports of the country’s oil products, an official in the company told Shana news agency on Monday, eports.

Amir Vakilzadeh, the manager of exports and imports department of NIOPDC, noted that Georgia, which stands among the customers of Iranian oil, can be Iran’s gateway to European market. He added that negotiations with Armenia to enter the Georgian market are underway.

Vakilzadeh said that NIOPDC seeks new markets for its products, while preserving the market of its neighboring countries.

Export of gasoil, as Iran’s strategic oil product, to neighboring countries and the Middle East region is on the agenda.

 

THE WELCOMING REMARKS OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II,
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS TO THE
PONTIFF, POPE FRANCIS OF ROME,
DURING THE HRASHAPAR (GLORIOUS GOD) WELCOMING SERVICE IN THE CATHEDRAL OF THE MOTHER SEE
(June 24, 2016, Holy Etchmiadzin)

Your Holiness, beloved brother in Christ,

We give glory and thanks to God, as we welcome you, and the delegation accompanying you today, with brotherly love and prayer in this holy cathedral, where the Only-Begotten Son descended. We are deeply touched that per Our invitation You have visited Armenia, to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. This ancient cathedral is the testimony of the covenant set between our people and God.  It is on this sacred site that Jesus Christ descended and with His venerable Holy Right Hand established Holy Etchmiadzin which is the Holy of Holies of the entire Armenian nation.

By divine providence, through the vision and zealous efforts of the second Enlightener of the Armenians, Catholicos Gregory; the lanterns of faith that were lit in the hearts of our people through the preaching of St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, were renewed.

Since that day the light that is emanating from Holy Etchmiadzin binds our people with their history, sacred treasures and homeland – spread around Ark-bearing Mount Ararat.

We are immensely delighted that today in this holy cathedral of Etchmiadzin the prayers of the two pontiffs of the Sees of  St. Peter and Sts. Thaddeus and Bartholomew, are united in the glory of God, pleading peace for our faithful and for all the world, calling for a strong spirit of love and brotherhood and fruitful cooperation.

At this moment it is with warm feelings, that we remember the visit of St. John Paul II to Armenia in 2001, on the occasion of the 1700^th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the State religion in Armenia.

That was the first visit of a Pontiff of the See of St. Peter to our land, which became a new incentive for cooperation in the brotherly relationship between our Churches.

You also have made notable impact in strengthening the brotherly relationships between our Churches, by showing particular kindness towards the Armenian Church and our people on various occasions throughout your ministry.

The visit of Your Holiness is a renewed testament to the brotherly relationships and collaboration of our Churches and is mutually empowering for the faithful of both the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic churches. Your visit also fills us with optimism that our testimonies of faith, reinforced with Christian love, will be felt more strongly in our lives.

Our people remember with gratitude your solemn Mass celebrated in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide in the Basilica of St. Peter, with your historic sermon condemning the genocide.

We give thanks to God that today together with Your Holiness, the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church, with our faithful Armenians, including those who have come to Armenia on the occasion of Your visit, can pray and beseech the intercession of the canonized martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, whose bloodshed is a testimonial of victory not only for the Armenians but also for the Christian faith as a whole. As the apostle says, abundance of grace is multiplied through the Glory of God by the thankfulness of many, (2 Corinthians 4:15).

After the destruction caused by the Armenian Genocide and the Godless years of the Soviet era, our church is living a new spiritual awakening by freely realizing the Christ-bestowed mission in the lives of our people in conditions of independent statehood in our Homeland. Our church is also engaging in a greater participation in the life of pan-Christian relations, strongly believing that at a time when the world is filled with deepening spiritual, political, economic, and humanitarian crisis, it is important more than ever for the Sister Churches to jointly pray and cooperate for the fruitfulness of the mission of Christ’s holy Church, for keeping and cherishing Christian ethical values in the world, for strengthening love towards mankind, through which true results of security and prosperity can be actualized.

We extend our prayer for the stability and prosperity of the Holy Church of Christ, for the spread of the spirit of love and favor of our Lord, and for increasing peace and life in solidarity in the world.

We call on the Lord to support Your Holiness, and wish you a long and healthy reign, for the sake of prosperity of the Roman Catholic Church and for consolation of the faithful.

Welcome to the Biblical land of Armenia and to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Let the mercy, grace and blessings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ remain with us all, evermore. Amen.

 

 

 

The international organizations, the civilized humanity and the superpowers should take necessary steps to free more than 350 thousand Yazidis in Mosul, Northern Iraq and prevent the annihilation of Yazidis, Aziz Tamoyan, Chairman of the Union of Yazidis of Armenia and the World, told reporters today.

He called on Yazidis of the world and the civilized mankind to be united in the fight against the Islamic State and to take relevant steps to ensure the security of the Yazidi population of Iraq

“The IS militants are an evil to the world, and our goals is to reach the condemnation of their actions,” he said.

Journalist and human rights advocate Hasan Tamoyan reminded that the Armenian President was the first to raise the issue of the threat of annihilation of Yazidis on the international arena.

The Armenian legislative initiative of labeling the atrocities against Yazidis as genocide is an important step that will lead to other recognitions, Hasan Tamoyan said.

“The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union and other international organizations have already recognized the events as genocide, which comes to prove that the civilized world is not indifferent towards the pain of Yazidis,” Hasan Tamoyan said. He stressed the need for more intensified and effective efforts in fighting the Islamic State.

The human rights advocate is concerned by the fact that “Iraqi Yazidis have become victims of political games” and blames those claiming leadership of the Yazidi community of Iraq for the situation. He called on Yazidis to unite and thus contribute to international efforts of fighting the Islamic State.

On 1 June Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan issued a congratulatory address in connection with the International Children’s Day, NKR President’s Press Office reports. The message reads:

“Beloved children,

Dear parents,

I convey sincere congratulations on my own behalf and on behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities on the International Children’s Day.

Children are our wealth, joy and future. Our entire life changes with their birth, acquiring new meaning and significance. And from this very moment on we bear responsibility for their healthcare, education and upbringing.

Artsakh authorities do their best to secure peaceful and prosperous life for our children, to make them healthy, happy and carefree. Diverse programs annually implemented in our republic pursue this very aim.

Unfortunately, the Four Day April war has left an indelible mark in the memory of Artsakh’s little residents. Thus, each of us ought to do everything possible to see laughter and smile, songs and joy on our children’s lips, for their life to be filled with the brightest colors and hues.

Dear children,

I once again congratulate everybody on this wonderful holiday and wish clear blue sky, green-lit and smooth way as well as great success in your entire life”.

The Iranian Cultural Center in Armenia plans to hold a number of Quranic programs during the holy month of Ramadan at the Blue Mosque of Yerevan, reports.

Majid Meshki, Iranian cultural attaché in Armenia, told IQNA that like previous years, the center will organize Quranic courses for children and teenagers.

The Grand Mosque will also host an educational Quranic course for women every evening during the holy month.

Among other programs of the center are Quran reading sessions at the mosque in which one Juz (part) of the Quran will be read an hour before the evening prayers every day.

Also, there will be Tawasheeh (religious songs) performances by a Tawasheeh group from Iran.

The Blue Mosque is an 18th-century Shia mosque in Yerevan, Armenia. During the Soviet era, the mosque stopped its services and housed the History Museum of Yerevan.

Following Armenia’s independence, the mosque was renovated with support from the Iranian government and again started serving worshipers. It is currently the only active mosque in Armenia.

The work on expanding the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office (PR CiO) is well advanced, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, told APA.

The ambassador noted that at the summit of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna on 16 May, the presidents agreed to finalize an OSCE investigative mechanism, to expand the Office of the PR CiO, to continue the exchange of data on missing persons and to hold the next round of talks with an aim to resuming negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.

“To this end, I was asked by the Chairperson-in-Office to prepare a concept for the expansion of my Office, with the support of the OSCE Secretariat,” Kasprzyk said. “The work is well advanced and I hope to present the final outcome in the coming days for approval by the participating states of the OSCE in Vienna, including an updated budget.”

The ambassador stressed that the expansion will not change his existing mandate, but will increase the number of field assistants. “Thus my Office will be able to increase the number of monitoring exercises, as well as have more regular contact with the authorities,” he said.

The ambassador added that this will allow the OSCE Chairmanship and the co-chairs to receive more comprehensive information about the ongoing situation and provide a more rapid and flexible response to requests for support under his current mandate, reducing the risk of escalation.

 

 

 

The elimination of consequences of the April war unleashed by Azerbaijan and the support to the affected families in Nagorno Karabakh will be the main strategy of this year’s fundraiser of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund, the Fund’s Executive Director Ara Vardanyan told reporters today.

He said the funds raised during this year’s telethon will be provided for that purpose if no other suggestions are made, he noted.

“The NKR government has started calculating the damages. I can’t mention the amount needed, but the assistance should be multilayered and benefit different spheres –from supply of medicines to reconstruction of houses and assistance to families of the fallen soldiers,” Ara Vardanyan said.

The Executive Director noted that the plans will be clarified within a month or two.

The 25^th sitting of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Board of Trustees was held in Yerevan today.

The meeting was chaired by President Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Board of Trustees. Participating in the sitting were Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly Galust Sahakyan, NKR President Bako Sahakyan, other high-ranking officials.

Addressing the meeting, NKR President Sahakyan Bako Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the entire Armenian nation, Mother Armenia and the Diaspora  for rendering support to the Artsakh Republic during the harsh days of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan.

Bako Sahakyan emphasized that the Armenian nation has a unique ability to consolidate at fatal hours and solve national issues of paramount significance.

The President proposed to include the reconstruction of the settlements affected by the April war into the program of the “Telethon-2016.”

In order to continue the negotiations with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, it’s necessary to reinforce the ceasefire regime, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said in an interview with the Austrian Die Presse.

He reminded that despite the periodic violations, the ceasefire agreement signed in 1994 by Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan is still in place. “Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire on April 2, unleashing military actions. The ceasefire was restored under a verbal agreements reached on April 5. Azerbaijan is trying to foil the Minsk process. Now it’s important to reinforce the ceasefire regime, because soldiers were killed even after April 5.”

Asked why the escalation happened now, Shavarsh Kocharyan said “the issue should be addressed to Baku.” “Azerbaijan pursues the policy of solving this conflict through force. Obviously, they cherished the illusion of solving the issue through a Blitzkrieg, but failed.  There is a great discontent in the country connected with the corrupt regime, and war is a means to divert the public attention,” he added.

“War is a threat to all of us, both Armenians and Azerbaijanis,” the Deputy FM noted.

Speaking about the ways out of the situation, Kocharyan said “international mediators should condemn Baku’s attacks.”

“Baku constantly demands return of “occupied territories,” but keeps silent about the occupied regions of Nagorno Karabakh, which remain under Azeri control. The Madrid Principles speak about Karabakh self-determination and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. There is an opportunity for mutual concessions,” he added.

“Unilateral concessions are excluded. One should realize that there are questions outside Armenia’s competence. Yerevan cannot declare about return of territories, because it’s up to Nagorno Karabakh to decide. Yerevan is not authorized to make a decision on the status of Nagorno Karabakh. It’s also up to NKR. We refrain from recognizing Nagorno Karabakh in order to maintain the negotiation process,” Kocharyan said.

“If Azerbaijan unleashes large-scale aggression, it will lead to the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic by Armenia,” the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed.

Speaking about Russia, Shavarsh Kocharyan said “Moscow is our ally, but has close economic ties with Baku; therefore, it will be inclined to keep the balance in the South Caucasus.”

As for the sale of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan, the Deputy FM said Armenia has raised the issue on the highest level. “I stand for complete embargo on weapons for all conflicting parties. The Minsk Group co-chairing countries can reach that at the UN Security Council.”

The Armenian Genocide was commemorated today at Istanbul’s Hayderpasha train station, the reports.

Participants held banners and photographs of the intellectuals arrested and killed in 1915, and posters demanding recognition and reparations for the Armenian Genocide.

In 1915, members of the Istanbul Armenian community, including intellectual and cultural leaders, were arrested in their homes, detained at the city’s central prison (now the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Sultanahmet Square), and then sent off to the Haydarpasha train station from where they were sent to the interior to their deaths.

The following statement by the Human Rights Association of Turkey Istanbul branch was read in Turkish, Armenian, and English at today’s commemoration.

***

The Genocide that Lasts

When a crime goes unpunished, it continues to be committed. Denial perpetuates genocide.

The Armenian Genocide is a crime against humanity that continues to be committed because it is denied and its perpetrators have gone unpunished.

One-hundred-and-one years ago today, people from all walks of life from the Armenian community, but especially leading intellectuals, poets, writers, and journalists, were shipped here to Haydarpasha from Sarayburnu before they were sent to their deaths in Anatolia. Very few survived; most were killed.

These arrests represent the beginning of the genocidal process realized by way of clear orders by the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), the central government of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the effective organization of the provinces for the execution of these orders and the participation of the local inhabitants.

Before 1915, according to the census of the Istanbul Patriarchate, the Armenian population of the Empire was 2 million, and Armenians lived in 2,925 settlements comprising cities, districts, and villages. These communities had 1,996 schools, 173,000 male and female students, and 2,538 churches and monasteries. The Armenian social existence, which had been strikingly vibrant, was destroyed not only by outright massacres and exile, but also through the demolition of social infrastructure such as schools, libraries, churches, etc., as well as material dispossession. Their institutions, culture, history, and civilization, even the vestiges of their existence were subject to destruction.

The genocide of 1915 was also “SEYFO,” the mass massacre and exile of the Assyrian people. It was also the genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor and Pontus.

If we have declared that genocide denial perpetuates genocide, it is because denial becomes institutionalized, and in fact socialized and internalized by generations of perpetrators. Denial continually reproduces hatred against the identity of the victims.

By going unpunished, this crime against humanity was perpetuated in Turkey through coups, the bloody suppression of the Kurdish insurrection, the Dersim genocide, the incineration and evisceration of villages in the 90’s, and the reduction of millions of people to refugees in their own country. The 1915 genocide and its denial—the assumption that the state can act outside the law and commit crimes whenever it wants—became entrenched in the system and in minds; it was naturalized, and normalized. It is by and large for this reason that coups, torture, forced disappearances, murders by unknown assailants came to be seen not as crimes but as necessary and mandatory executions of the state. Those who were responsible were protected by the mantle of impunity.

Today, this internalized state mentality has resulted in the war that the state has been waging  since August 2015 against the Kurds with its army, with tanks and cannons; it is also at the root of the absence of strong mass resistance from the Turkish people to this war.

As we have said, genocide denial perpetuates genocide. Denial is the exculpation of the perpetrator and the criminalization of the victim. From course books to special publications, from newspapers to television programs, Armenians have been represented as those who deserve genocide. Since the foundation of the Republic, the Armenians of Turkey have been living to this day in a society that remains hostile to them and in close quarters with the grandchildren of perpetrators who think exactly the way their predecessors did.

Whenever the state feels threatened, the usual hostility against Armenians spikes up to horrific levels. Armenians are all the more threatened today under the circumstances of a thoroughly racist war perpetrated by the state against its own citizens, the Kurds, against the grain of all universal laws of war.

Genocide denial leads to the indoctrination of anti-Armenian nationalist generations, to a never-ending offense against the memory of the victims, and to the laceration of their descendants’ wounds. As descendants of perpetrators, we too are responsible for denial; we live with this profound shame.

There has been no end to blood, tears, and laments in Turkey since the genocide and its denial. This is because the crime has gone unpunished and in fact continued with new crimes whose perpetrators too have gone unpunished—because justice has not been established. The graveless dead of the genocide continue to suffer their torment.

We have always said and hereby repeat:

– As long as the genocide remains unrecognized,

– As long as an apology is not offered to the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks who have dispersed all over the world,

– As long as the confiscated cash and property remains uncompensated,

– As long as the war against the Kurds continues and the Kurds’ right to self-determination remains unrecognized,

– As long as an order in keeping with democracy, the rule of law, and human rights is not established,

justice will not be established. The curse of the genocide will not be lifted, and these regions will never see the light of day. This is not a prediction, but a statement of fact.

RECOGNIZE THE GENOCIDE WITH ALL ITS LEGAL IMPLICATIONS! ESTABLISH JUSTICE!