Author: Rose Khoyetsian

Write something

Rose Khoyetsian
 Arev Dinkjian Opinion 1

AYF memories through the years (Photo provided by Arev Dinkjian)

There’s this feeling unlike any other. This immense sense of pride and accomplishment. This swelling feeling of goodness that is just itching to burst out of you. This fiendish need to get on Facebook and post and repost. There’s nothing like the feeling of having a piece of writing published, and for years now my one outlet has been the Armenian Weekly. 

The process is pretty simple. You write something, you e-mail it in, they read it, perhaps suggest some edits, and then within days–sometimes even hours–there it is posted on their website–your work, published. The title you decided on, the photos you chose to accompany your writing, your name a hyperlink to all the other fabulous things you’ll write, the comment section mostly made up of your mom and her friends. And if you wait just a few more days, your nene will receive a print copy in the mail that she’ll inevitably pin up on her fridge. At church, people will stop you to say they read your article, and you’ll smile and nod and thank them like some small town celebrity. The fan mail will start to roll in…okay maybe not…but I did once receive an adorable AYF lettermans patch from an even more adorable old lady in the mail after she had read one of my articles. You’ll find yourself browsing the Weekly website reading your own article over and over again itching for that newly published feeling. And then, you’ll write some more. 

The question though is how? How do you come up with something to write about? My father, a writer of music himself, often describes this sensation of finding music as opposed to writing it, as if the material is already inside of you. As if your writing is just an untapped stream that flows from you all at once if you just loosen the spout. That kind of writing is the best of all, but it’s hard to come by. You’ve got to be patient and kind to yourself when your well runs dry. 

I write things that make me feel proud to have written them at all.

The other great piece of writing advice I’ve been given and that I can now instill unto you is simple: write something you would want to read. That’s what I do. I write things that resonate with me and by some grace of God at times with others. I write things that feel so incredibly unique to my own life but that I soon learn are part of a universal human experience. I write things that make me feel proud to have written them at all.

So, if you’re looking for a little inspo, here are some articles I’d like to read…and perhaps write, if you don’t:

  • Write about a recipe–not the ingredients and the measurements and the temperature to preheat the oven to, no. Tell me about the hands you remember folding butter into itself. About the smells that filled your house and your memories long after the last bite was taken. About the very eyes themselves that spooned spices into a bowl achki chapov.
  • Write about your church–the deep red velvet carpet and the smokey altar air. The candles you’ve lit and planted in the sand. The mas tucked away in waxy envelopes and the coffee served in styrofoam cups. 
  • Write an ode to somebody–a sibling, a parent, a friend, a camp counselor, a ladies guild member, the cranky jamgotch at your agoump, the old lady in church who doesn’t stand up when the Der Hayr says stand up because…well she’s old, and you know how it is. 
  • Write about an event. One that you’ve attended and had the absolute best time. One that you missed and really wish you hadn’t. One that you planned but completely fell apart. One that you are proud to have been a part of at all. 
  • Write about your little Armenia. What does it look like? Who’s there with you? When did you know for sure our beloved homeland was reborn in whatever suburb you reside?
  • Write a letter to yourself so that one day when you’re inevitably scrolling through the Weekly website, you’ll remember that feeling of having your work published, and you’ll pick up your pen and write again. And this time it’ll be something you want to read…something we all want to read. 
  •  Bio
  •  Twitter
  •  Latest Posts
Arev Dinkjian grew up in an Armenian household in Fort Lee, NJ. She was always surrounded by art, sourced by her musical father and grandfather, Ara and Onnik, or her creative mother Margo. Arev graduated from Providence College with a degree in elementary and special education. She enjoys teaching language arts to her students and takes great pride in instilling an appreciation for literature in her classroom. She is a former member of the New Jersey AYF “Arsen" Chapter and a member of both the Bergen County ARS and the Sts. Vartanantz Ladies’ Guild. She also dedicated many summers to AYF Camp Haiastan, which she says remains her favorite topic to write about.


Asbarez: Pashinyan Confirms He Agreed to Azerbaijani Control of Artsakh

Rose Khoyetsian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Pashinyan holds a press conference in Yerevan on May 22


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday all but confirmed that by agreeing to recognize Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square-kilometer territory, he was signaling his readiness for Azerbaijani control of Artsakh.

Armenia is ready to recognize Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers territorial integrity which includes Nagorno Karabakh, but the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh must be discussed through Baku-Stepanakert dialogue, Pashinyan said during a press conference on Monday.

He said it is important to create international guarantees for the direct talks between Stepanakert and Baku over the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh.

“We mean, for example, that the issue of the rights and security of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh could get forgotten and Azerbaijan could continue its policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide against Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh through force,” Pashinyan added, stressing the need for international guarantees.

The renewed focus on Armenia and Azerbaijan recognizing each other’s territorial integrity sharpened when European Council President Charles Michel announced that during the May 14 talks he hosted in Brussels, Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan had affirmed their commitments to the mutual recognition and spelled out the square kilometers at the center of a peace treaty being discussed between the two countries.

The talks last week in Brussels followed four days of negotiations between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, mediated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Mirzoyan and Bayramov were hosted by their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday in Moscow.

Peace Agreement
Pashinyan sounded an optimistic note about the Washington talks saying that a new tenor of “understanding” emerged that allowed the sides to communicate more clearly and comprehend each other’s apprehensions and approaches.

“We hope [the Azerbaijani response] will reflect the discussions, agreements and the progress of understanding during the Washington talks. If Azerbaijan would convey its response this week and one week were to be enough for studying it, if we were to see that we find these proposals and approaches to be acceptable in terms of compromise logic, then why not? But so far we haven’t received their response,” Pashinyan explained.

Foreign Minister Mirzoyan presented a more tempered response to the so-called peace treaty, saying that while there were agreements on some elements, longer and more sincere discussion is needed on others, since divergent approaches on many issues still remain.

“I can say that during these conversations [talks with Azerbaijan], the parties understand each other’s concerns, intentions and ideas very well,” Mirzoyan told reporters on Monday. “I think there is a possibility of agreement regarding the other articles as well. This is not only my assessment, I was assured by other parties as well.”

“Of course, there are articles and topics where the positions of the parties are quite far from each other. These are the articles that deal with the most difficult issues. But there was also quite an effective discussion in this direction,” added Mirzoyan, who said that while Yerevan is commitment to peace, Armenia “cannot take constructive alone.”

Border Delimitation
During talks in Moscow on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that no peace agreement can be effective without the complete opening of transport links and delimitation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Mirzoyan emphasized on Monday that it was critical for Armenia to have certainty in the border delimitation and demarcation processes.

During his press conference Pashinyan said maps draws by the Soviet military’s general staff in 1975 should serve as the basis for delimitation talks with Azerbaijan.

He also said that reciprocal withdrawal of forces from the border using the said map would desire stability.

“I will emphasize that ensuring border security is an important part of the negotiations process. It is no secret that Azerbaijan continues to engage in a policy of military pressure in an attempt to gain more beneficial conditions in the talks through such military ultimatums,” Pashinyan said, adding that Baku’s continue military aggression is a violation of international obligations assumed by the sides, specifically during the October 31, 2022 meeting in Sochi, where the sides clearly agreed to not use force.

Pashinyan and Aliyev are scheduled to meet in Moscow on Thursday.

Scientist’s invention gets Armenia inducted into IFIA

Rose Khoyetsian

Save

Share

 14:05,

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has become a member of IFIA – the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations – thanks to an invention by a scientist at the National University of Architecture and Construction.

The invention, officially called “Fasteners for Steel Reinforcements”, was awarded the silver medal and a certificate at the 13th International Expo-Competition of Middle East Inventions in Kuwait held in February this year.

The author of the invention is Professor Vardges Grigoryan, Head of the Department of Construction Industry Technology and Organization at the National University of Architecture and Construction. The application to IFIA was submitted by the National University of Architecture and Construction.




PM Pashinyan hopes that the EU will speed up the process of providing support of 2.6 billion euros

Rose Khoyetsian

Save

Share

 17:38,

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS. The reputation of the European Union has significantly improved after the Union decided to send an observation mission to Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with the Czech "Respekt" magazine, answering the question whether Armenia's perception of the EU has changed over the past year.

"It has changed significantly, but it has nothing to do with the events taking place in Ukraine. The reputation of the EU significantly improved after it decided to send an observation mission to Armenia. It made the people understand that the Union cares about the security of Armenia. In an emotional and political sense, it improved the reputation of the EU, although it was never perceived negatively," Pashinyan noted.

According to the Prime Minister, the EU is Armenia's main partner in implementing democratic reforms.

According to the Prime Minister, the EU is Armenia's main partner in implementing democratic reforms.

"If you were to ask citizens what are the biggest visible changes in Armenia, they would probably mention the creation of the patrol police. We are doing this in cooperation with the EU, and this year we are expecting the arrival of a new batch of "Skoda" cars in Armenia, so we have a very broad agenda in relations with the EU.

After the 2021 elections, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, visited Armenia and promised 2.6 billion euros of support within the framework of the Eastern Partnership. We would like that process to go a little faster," said the Prime Minister.

G7 leaders to target Russian energy, trade in new sanctions steps – Reuters

Rose Khoyetsian

Save

Share

 12:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS. Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, with steps aimed at energy and exports aiding Moscow's war effort, Reuters reported citing officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.

New measures announced by the leaders during the May 19-21 meetings will target sanctions evasion involving third countries, and seek to undermine Russia's future energy production and curb trade that supports Russia's military, according to the report.

Separately, U.S. officials also expect G7 members will agree to adjust their approach to sanctions so that, at least for certain categories of goods, all exports are automatically banned unless they are on a list of approved items.

The G7 comprises the United States, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Turkish Press: New border clashes erupt between Armenian, Azerbaijani troops

Rose Khoyetsian
DAILY SABAH
Turkey –

New border clashes took place between Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers on the border on Friday, amid faltering EU-led attempts for peace talks between the two neighbors.

The Caucasus neighbors are locked in a decadeslong territorial dispute of Azerbaijan's Karabakh, over which they have fought two wars.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said, "Armenian armed forces opened fire from trench mortars on Azerbaijani positions" at the border.

On Friday morning, "Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the cease-fire in the direction of Sotk (eastern part of the state border) using UAVs (drones)," claimed a defense ministry statement from Yerevan, which appears to be in retaliation to Armenia opening fire and killing an Azerbaijani soldier the day before.

Two of its soldiers had been wounded and one was in critical condition, Armenia added.

Reports indicate clashes continued later on Friday.

The previous day, an Azerbaijani soldier was killed and four Armenian troops were wounded when Armenia opened fire.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian are scheduled to meet Sunday in Brussels for talks led by European Council President Charles Michel.

According to the European Union, the rival leaders have also agreed to jointly meet the leaders of France and Germany on the sidelines of a European summit in Moldova on June 1.

On Thursday, Pashinian accused Azerbaijan of seeking to undermine the talks in Brussels. He warned there was "very little" chance of signing a peace deal with Azerbaijan at the meeting.

A draft agreement "is still at a very preliminary stage and it is too early to speak of an eventual signature," Pashinian said.

The EU-led diplomacy comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers to Washington for talks in early May.

The West has stepped up mediation as the influence of Russia, historically the major powerbroker between the former Soviet republics has waned since its invasion of Ukraine.

Armenia, which has traditionally relied on Russia as its security guarantor, has grown increasingly frustrated with Moscow.

It has accused Russia of having failed to fulfill its peacekeeping role when Azerbaijani environmental activists blocked Karabakh's only land link to Armenia last December over illegal mining.

The two countries went to war in 2020 and in the 1990s over Karabakh. In 2020, Azerbaijan liberated Karabakh and several adjacent regions from three decades of illegal Armenian occupation in a war triggred by incessant Armenian cease-fire violations.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the two wars over the region.

Armenian MPs raise the issue of the threat of genocide by Azerbaijan in Artsakh in Turkey

Rose Khoyetsian

Save

Share

 12:30, 6 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. At the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the members of the Armenian delegation raised the issue of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, emphasized the danger of the genocide of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the parliament of Armenia.

The MPs presented what work they carried out within the framework of the session of the PA.

The focus of the agenda was the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the dynamics of global change. Reports on different topics were made by different countries.

The focus of the agenda was the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the dynamics of global transformations. Reports on different topics were made by different countries.

"First, I reflected on the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the recent events, the installation of a checkpoint and I called on Azerbaijan to respect the statement signed by them on November 9, to which, of course, they reacted furiously," said Babken Tunyan, the head of the Armenian delegation.

During the session, Gevorg Papoyan stressed that Azerbaijan has illegally blockaded Artsakh and Artsakh Armenians.

"I emphasized that these people are now facing many social problems, there is a shortage of medicine and food. And there, in fact, there is a danger of genocide. And, of course, Azerbaijan is the first to blame and responsible for this," said Papoyan.

"I emphasized that these people are now facing many social problems, there is a shortage of medicine and food. And there, in fact, there is a danger of genocide. And, of course, Azerbaijan is the first to blame and responsible for this," said Papoyan.

The members of the parliamentary delegation of Armenia also sent an admonition to the Secretary General, Azerbaijani citizen Asaf Hajiyev, who, being an international civil servant, violated the principle of political neutrality.

Babken Tunyan informed that recently, using the organization's social network platforms, he made one-sided statements. Speaking as an official in an interview with the Turkish media, he made inadmissible remarks against Armenia and several other countries, threatening to use force.

"We gave the last warning. We called on him not only to remove these publications, but also to never try to make such expressions in the future," Tunyan said.

Suspect arrested after second mass shooting in Serbia

Rose Khoyetsian

Save

Share

 12:16, 5 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Serbian law enforcement agencies have arrested the suspected gunman in the second mass shooting this week when eight people were killed and at least 14 were injured.

The gunman fired an automatic weapon from a moving vehicle near a village 60km (37 miles) south of Belgrade.

The BBC quoted a statement by the interior ministry as saying that the suspect was arrested after "an extensive search".

Police announced the latest arrest around 08:40 local time (07:40 BST) on Friday. The suspect – who has only been identified by his initials UB – was detained near the city of Kragujevac, the BBC reported citing the Serbian interior ministry.

Reports on local media say the suspect – who the interior ministry said was born in 2002 – started firing at people with an automatic weapon after having an argument with a police officer in a park in Dubona on Thursday evening.

On Wednesday, a thirteen-year-old boy shot dead eight fellow pupils at his school in Belgrade, as well as a security guard. It prompted the Serbian government to propose tighter restrictions of gun ownership.

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan disagree in Washington, but US Secretary of State optimistic

Rose Khoyetsian
May 5 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Baku-Yerevan

Armenia-Azerbaijan talks in Washington

From May 1-4 talks were held in Washington between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, mediated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. This was the longest round of negotiations between Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov. No joint statement was signed, however, with the parties limiting themselves to a joint press release:

“Ministers and their teams have made progress in mutual understanding on some articles of the draft bilateral agreement “On peace and the establishment of interstate relations”, while positions on some key issues still diverge.”

But Blinken was optimistic in his assessment:

“I hope that both ministers, like me, believe that a peace agreement is not far off, and it will provide a lasting peace for the peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan. This peace will have a great impact not only on the life of the two peoples, but a regional and more global impact. It’s tough, but the desire to move forward is real, and as I mentioned we have made significant progress over the past few days. It seems that a final agreement is not far off, and we are determined to reach this agreement.”

Later, in an official press release from the State Department, the following addendum appeared:

“Both Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed in principle with certain conditions and better understand each other’s positions on unresolved issues. We invited ministers to return to their capitals to share with their governments the view that, with additional goodwill, flexibility and compromise, an agreement is within reach. They will continue to enjoy the full support and involvement of the United States in their efforts to secure a lasting peace.”

  • Armenian-Azerbaijani talks in Washington, but what comes next?
  • “The language of threats and terror does not work with Azerbaijan” – Ilham Aliyev
  • Consequences of the ongoing blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Washington Marathon is over, I think with less than the expected results for the mediators. I am convinced that there was an expectation that at least a joint statement would be signed, but, as expected, progress on the most important issues could not be achieved:

on the Baku-Stepanakert direct talks mechanism and various views of the parties regarding it,
lack of agreement on maps and
lack of agreement on guarantees or mechanisms for the peace agreement.
Despite Secretary Blinken’s optimistic comments, I have no idea how the parties can reach agreement on these three key issues. Especially with regard to direct negotiations.”

“Aliyev is trying to cancel the negotiation process mediated by America,” Azerbaijani expert Tatevik Hayrapetyan said of a recent interview given by the President of Azerbaijan.

“As expected, the Washington round of Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks turned out to be ineffectual. I think that the negotiations in Washington were doomed to such an outcome for at least two reasons:

1) the Armenian-Azerbaijani institution of direct dialogue cannot work effectively, if only because there is a power imbalance between Yerevan and Baku, where Azerbaijan is trying to impose its entire agenda on Yerevan;

2) we may like or dislike Russia’s policy, but it is obvious that without the participation of Moscow it is impossible to achieve a resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Russia is not only the main moderator in the South Caucasus, a key mediator in this conflict, but also, in fact, a party and participant in this conflict, which also follows from the logic of the November 9 [2020] tripartite statement on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh.

Of course, it does not follow from what has been said that the Moscow round of talks will be crowned with success. In general, it is difficult to imagine the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations without consolidated international efforts in this direction. And those cannot be in the conditions of a global conflict between Russia and the West, international chaos.

This situation, of course, creates new risks for the security of Armenia, such as the expulsion of Armenians from Artsakh.”

The Prime Minister of Armenia talked about the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

“A statement of the persistence of differences on key issues means that Aliyev is still firmly resisting, hoping that the Kremlin, after the meeting in Washington, will arrange another “St. Petersburg”, as it was after Vienna in 2016, put pressure on Yerevan, help Baku in once again slipping out from under American pressure, after which he will give another go-ahead to lawlessness in the interests of Moscow and Baku.

And this means that Yerevan MUST prevent this.

And this means leaving Moscow alone with its beloved Baku, thereby contributing to the consolidation of pressure on Baku, bringing its positions closer to Washington and Brussels.

But we are told from Prague that “a visit to Moscow is planned” [during an official visit to the Czech Republic, Pashinyan himself announced this].

Why a visit to Moscow?

I want to warn you: your incomprehensibly beloved Moscow, where you are going to go, went over your agent Serzhik [former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan] and did not spare him. Don’t think that it will spare you.

In short, you should not crawl back into this hole. Theres nothing for us there.

Meanwhile, what is called the peace agenda is a stubborn struggle for peace against the enemies of the world, and above all, against the aspirations of Moscow, which is the main enemy of the world.”

Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov explained the lack of a documented agreement after the talks in America with Russian pressure on Yerevan:

“At the talks in Washington, Armenia balked at its demands and frustrated the initialing of the agreement with Azerbaijan. The continuation of negotiations in Moscow was announced. From there, the encouragement followed. The repair of the main gas pipeline in the Stavropol Territory has been completed and gas supplies to Armenia interrupted on May 1 have been restored.”

The MP also expects “an encouraging gesture from the Kremlin in the form of the beginning of the passage of Armenian trucks with agricultural products through the Lars crossing, which was stopped during the ministerial meetings in Washington.”

In Aliyev’s interview with state television, the Azerbaijani President talked about issues related to resolving the conflict between his country and Armenia

The mountain gave birth to a mouse. This is how Azerbaijani political scientist Farhad Mammadov summed up the talks in Washington.

“Progress… finish line… exhausted Blinken… And that’s it?! And all from the inconsistency of the position of the Americans themselves! At one time, they did not point to the occupier, did not apply sanctions against Armenia, but, on the contrary, supported it financially and politically.

There are topics on which there is no common understanding. Then Baku will take more steps to finalize it before the next meeting. The diplomatic battle will continue in Russia, it will be interesting…

The Americans need Azerbaijan to give up the enclaves… as I understand it from Pashinyan’s statement made in Prague – that’s exactly what… to help Pashinyan retain power…

And the Karabakh Armenians will remain in limbo…” he added.

Azerbaijani expert on conditions for peace – and why expectations of concluding an agreement are unjustified

Former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugarov noted that the negotiations were difficult.

“At best, they could sign some text. Because, logically, after the meeting of foreign ministers in Washington, the heads of state should meet to sign the prepared document. After such a long meeting, a meeting of the leaders of the countries is expected. It is sensed that the United States intends to put a political end to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, because the Americans put on the negotiating table the question of a fundamental solution to the problems of the post-conflict period.”