Author: Suren Karakhanian

Ministries of agriculture, diaspora and culture should be restored – Serzh Sargsyan

Suren Karakhanian
Panorama, Armenia
June 5 2021

The first task after the change of power in Armenia should be the change of the country's government structure," Armenia]s ex-president Serzh Sargsyan said at the meeting wit supporters of "The Salute of Honour and Respect" pre-election bloc. 

In Sargsyan's words, at least three ministries – the ministry of culture, agriculture and diaspora  – should be re-established as standalone entities. 

As to the security challenges Armenia faces, Sargsyan said: "First, we must replace the  people who are in charge of security issues – the defense minister, the Chief of the General Staff. From one hand we should bring back the people who are specialists and understand the role of the Army and then gradually implement reforms, form trust with our allies, since without the military-technical assistance from them we may not be able to restore and have a combat-ready army," Sargsyan said. 

Russian peacekeepers held a training session on the defence of an observation post in Nagorno-Karabakh

Suren Karakhanian
Panorama, Armenia
June 3 2021

The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent continue to perform tasks to monitor compliance with the ceasefire regime on the line of demarcation of the parties in their area of responsibility, as well as ensure the safety of motor transport, transportation of food and various goods along the Lachin corridor, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. 

Also, as planned, the military personnel of the Russian peacekeeping contingent carry out combat training activities, conducting training to repel an attack on an observation post and prevent violations against the civilian population. Upon receiving the signal, the peacekeepers are ready to take up defence in pre-equipped positions in the shortest possible time.

"The task of the observation post is to monitor compliance with the trilateral agreement, monitor compliance with the ceasefire, control the organization of the safety of transit vehicles and the civilian population, as well as the suppression of illegal actions against the civilian population," said the commander of the observation post Elbrus Kesaev.

According toi the source, over the past week, no ceasefire violations were recorded in the area of responsibility of the peacekeeping contingent, no provocative actions against Russian servicemen were noted.

All observation posts of the Russian peacekeeping contingent are equipped with Blockpost fortifications designed to protect military personnel from small arms and shrapnel, as well as to conduct circular surveillance of the nearby territory.

Armenia becomes quarantine hub for hundreds of Indians returning to the UAE

Suren Karakhanian
The National, UAE
June 2 2021

Once a popular weekend getaway, Armenia is now a top choice for a two-week quarantine before flying home to the Emirates

Ramola Talwar Badam

| The National

Armenia has turned into a sought-after quarantine centre

for hundreds of Indian travellers serving

Covid-19 regulations before they are cleared to enter the UAE.

Indians trying to get back to their jobs, businesses and family are taking long routes back to the Emirates.

They spend two weeks quarantine in countries from where travel to the UAE is considered safe

during movement

restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19 variants.

The UAE suspended incoming flights from India on April 25 and the ban is likely to be in place until the end of the month.

I was grieving for my father and I was also worried about how I would fly back to my family in the UAE

– Sujay Sarigommula

Travellers say Armenia –

one of the most affordable places within a three-hour flight of Dubai and Abu Dhabi – replaced the Maldives as a popular quarantine spot after the resort islands banned the entry of passengers from India last month.

People spend a little over Dh4,000 on flights, accommodation and food in Armenia.

They post information on Facebook and WhatsApp groups to help with information on the routes they took

.

The past few months were

an emotional upheaval for Sujay Sarigommula, 35. He is finally back in Dubai using the Armenia route after cremating his father in India.

The

engineer knows of at least 150 UAE residents completing quarantine requirements in Armenia.

Greyar Dsouza, 29, was among the last groups

of Indians allowed

into the Maldives before the nation of 1,192 islands shut its doors last month to travellers from India.

He was always nervous about not making it back to the UAE.

“The fear was always there in case of a rule change,” he said.

“What if I tested positive for Covid, I can’t go to India or the UAE? I would be stuck in a country where I didn’t know anyone.”

.

Mr Sarigommula’s father died of a cardiac arrest on April 24 and he left for the funeral a day before the UAE imposed travel restrictions on incoming flights from India.

“I was grieving for my father and I was also worried about how I would fly back to my family in the UAE,” he told The National.

The Dubai resident checked travel routes through Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Moscow before deciding on

Armenia because

of his budget and the ease of getting an e-visa or travel permit online.

The

cost from India via Armenia to Dubai including flights, accommodation and food was 85,000 rupees (Dh 4,300).

He drove 200km from his hometown in southern Warangal on May 12 to the nearest airport in Hyderabad and flew to

Qatar.

Sujay Sarigommula with his wife Anupama and daughter Amayra. Courtesy: Sujay Sarigommula

He reached Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, the next day after a 15-hour layover in Doha.

Mr Sarigommula worked from his hotel room in Yerevan

and stayed in touch with groups of travellers online for posts on new travel advisories.

He flew to Dubai after the two-week quarantine

.

“I was so excited to see my baby daughter. I was just crying holding her because I was so tense about not reaching [Dubai]. This is our second home, if I’m not accepted back here, where would I go?” Mr Sarigommula said.

“My mother is now alone and I feel the pain of leaving her.

“But I could not take more leave. I’m the only earning member so I researched all options to get back. We hope the ban ends soon so I can get my mother here to finally see her grandchild.”

Sharjah resident Greyar Dsouza needed to return to manage the family automobile workshops and a trading business in the emirate.

He was in Mangalore in southern India to plan his sister’s wedding on April 24, the day before the UAE suspended incoming flights from India.

He chose the Maldives

when the UAE suspended flights from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

After much research, he travelled from Mangalore to Mumbai on May 11, stayed in the city for a day and took a flight to Male on May 12.

The day after he and a cousin landed in the capital of the Maldives, the country stopped flights from India.

Greyar Dsouza (right) with his cousin Emmanuel Dsouza in Male, Maldives where they spent two-weeks in quarantine after a flight from India before flying out to Dubai. Incoming flights from India to the UAE have been suspended to control a fast-spreading deadly Covid-19 variant. Courtesy: Greyar Dsouza

"Ours was the last flight in,” he said.

He met travellers headed to Saudi Arabia and the US using the Maldives to

quarantine

.

There were also dozens of UAE residents who flew back last week and he left on May 27 for Dubai.

“

We tried to relax as much as possible, but because nothing was certain, there was always a lot of anxiety.”

He spent

Dh8,000 ($2,178) on the flights, accommodation and food for travel from India via the Maldives to Dubai.

Groups of travellers looking for routes to return from India are constantly messaging each other in chat rooms for information on safe journeys back to the UAE.

Sushant Dalai, an engineer from Abu Dhabi, knows what it means to be stranded and is assisting about 700 residents on WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook groups.

When India and the UAE shut international borders in March last year to stem the spread of Covid-19, Mr Dalai had just got married and was separated from his wife for five months.

“There are families and women travellers so we try to provide

support, from checking information about flights or asking people who have returned about hotels and meal services," he said.

Commercial flights from India to the UAE are suspended until the end of June at least, as the country battles to control a deadly variant that has overwhelmed health services in cities and villages.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/transport/armenia-becomes-quarantine-hub-for-hundreds-of-indians-returning-to-the-uae-1.1234028

FM’s resignation suggests developments on the external front entered an unpredictable and uncontrollable phase – Tigran Abrahamyan

Suren Karakhanian
Panorama, Armenia
June 1 2021

The Head of "Henaket" analytical centre, member of the "Salute of Honour and Respect" pre-election bloc who had met Armenia's retired FM Ara Aivazian days ago, writes on Facebook: "Days ago when we met with former FM Ara Aivazian he indirectly said he had no plans to stay on his post. I thought he was going to quit after the June 20 elections, as I understood from his speech. This resignation suggests the situation is developing in a worse scenario that we could predict, and the foreign minister didn't wait even for 20 days," wrote Abrahamyan. 

In the words of the expert, one of the reasons for the minister's decision could be Pashinyan's actions to bypass the foreign ministry and engage in secret talks with Azerbaijan through other channels. "In general, the meeting with the diplomat was held in a sincere atmosphere although all formulations by Aivazian were quite diplomatic, yet internal contradictions in terms of approaches and principles between the prime minister and the foreign minister were evident."

To put in one sentence, FM's resignation suggests developments on the external front have entered an unpredictable and uncontrollable phase," concluded Abrahamyan. 

Armenian Priest Injured in Attack in Jerusalem

Suren Karakhanian



The route to the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem

An Armenian priest suffered injuries on Tuesday when he was attacked by a group of Jewish youth in Jerusalem.

According to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Reverend Arbak Sarukhanian was attacked by a group of young Jews when he was walking toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Rev. Koryun Baghdasarian, Chancellor at Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said that Sarukhanian was injured in the attack. He was rushed to hospital and was discharged after receiving the necessary treatment.

The Patriarchate has filed a formal complaint with the police, after which three of the attackers were arrested.

The Patriarchate demands that the police conduct a fair investigation and punish the perpetrators in compliance with the law, in order to avoid a recurrence of such incidents in the future.

“We demand that law enforcement conducts a fair investigation and that the perpetrators are punished in accordance with the law in order to avoid a recurrence of such incidents in the future,’’ Rev. Baghdasarian said in a statement.

Military movements near Armenian-Azerbaijani border ‘irresponsible and provocative’ – NSC Adviser Jake Sullivan

Suren Karakhanian
Public Radio of Armenia
   

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke separately today with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne sad in a statement.

Mr. Sullivan conveyed the commitment of the United States to peace, security, and prosperity in the South Caucasus. He expressed concern over recent tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and emphasized that military movements near un-demarcated borders are irresponsible and provocative.

He welcomed the ongoing communication between the two sides and both leaders’ commitment to resolving this issue peacefully.

In addition, he underscored the need for the two countries to conduct formal discussions to demarcate their international border. Finally, he conveyed the commitment of the United States to achieving regional reconciliation through bilateral engagement and as a Minsk Group Co-Chair.

If Azerbaijan fails to pull back troops, Armenia has legitimate right to use force – opposition LHK

Suren Karakhanian

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 14:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Opposition Bright Armenia (LHK) leader Edmon Marukyan says the Armenian government’s actions over the border incident are correct at this moment, at the same time if the negotiations fail Armenia has the legitimate right to use force to defend itself.

“Clearly this is a crisis situation, by breaching the Armenian state border the Azerbaijani side violated our state’s legislation and territorial integrity and is now located somewhere it shouldn’t be located,” Marukyan said at a press briefing.

Marukyan says there could’ve been two directions of actions for the Armenian authorities. “First would've been to attempt to prevent and deliver a strike during the breach. However, the situation is such that the Azeri troops breached the border, positioned themselves and then only got detected.” Negotiations began after the Azeri incursion was detected.

“I think the Armenian side has the legitimate right to use all levers it has, including force if Azerbaijan doesn’t pull back as a result of talks. However, the negotiations and actions which are now underway are correct, all measures must be exhausted to resort to the use of force. However, there is hope that the Azerbaijani side will pull back as a result of negotiations,” Marukyan said.

Marukyan says the government’s decision to apply to the CSTO was correct because a new escalation is maturing at the Armenian border.

He warned all political forces not to use the crisis for political goals. “If the enemy is infringing on our borders, that border isn’t the border of the [ruling party], it’s not Pashinyan’s border, it is the border of the Republic of Armenia, our border, and all of us must stand united and protect this border, if it’s a matter of negotiations, negotiate, if it’s a matter of fighting, fight,” he said.

On May 12, Azeri military units breached the Armenian state border in an attempt to seize the area of the Sev Lake in Syunik Province. Azeri military formations advanced into the Gegharkunik Province as well. A total of 250 Azeri troops are illegally deployed inside Armenian territory.

PM Pashinyan called the Azeri actions a pre-planned provocation and infringement on Armenian sovereignty. Armenia officially applied to the CSTO to initiate the mutual-defense mechanisms. 

 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

UN would like to have unhindered access to Nagorno‑Karabakh

Suren Karakhanian 
Public Radio of Armenia








The UN would like to have unhindered humanitarian access in
Nagorno‑Karabakh, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary
General, told a daily briefing.

“To date, this has not been possible because we’ve not received the
necessary authorization from the Azerbaijani authorities.  However, we
are hopeful that we’ll see progress on this soon,”   Dujarric said.

Russian, Chinese, UAE companies interested in Armenian renewable energy market

Suren Karakhanian

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 15:55, 7 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Government has outlined an action plan until 2040 under its strategy for developing the energy sector.

The program highlights the construction of high-capacity solar power stations.

“Armenia has big potential in this sector, and it is envisaged that in the next years we will have up to 1000MW photovoltaic stations,” Karen Asatryan, the Director of the Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures said at a news conference. He said the total output of these stations will be up to 15% of the entire electric-energy production.

“It’s planned that concrete work will be done in the direction of wind energy as well. It’s planned that by 2040 we’ll have up to 500MW wind power plants of systemic significance. These stations will be based on the public-private partnership.”

The next important component of the strategy is the liberalization of the energy market, as a result of which Armenia will have a new level energy system. Anyone producing electric-energy will be enabled to sell it directly to consumers.

Asatryan says another direction is energy saving. “We can have up to 40% energy saving,” he said. “Each saved kilowatt costs cheaper than producing it. We are making efforts so that energy saving becomes a part of our everyday lives. Active work in this direction is done in public buildings, and soon apartment buildings will also be involved.”

Speaking about the ongoing construction of Masrik-1, a 55MW solar power plant  in Gegharkunik province, he said it will be completed in 2024. “The investor is a Spanish company.” he said.

“Now, works are underway in the direction of developing a construction project of 120MW solar power plants. We hope to have new tenders next year. Now, tender processes are underway regarding other solar power plants, like the construction of the Ayg-1 and Ayg-2, each 200MW capacity. The winners will be known in the next months. Those interested include Russian, Chinese and UAE companies.”

Asatryan noted that over the time the legislative framework has been improved and it allows regular citizens or companies to install solar power systems for their own use. 4600 stand-alone power systems were installed as a result. In one year, a 59% growth in solar power production was recorded, he said. Asatryan says they expect up to 600,000,000 dollar investments in the solar power sector by 2030, and up to 500,000,000 dollar investments in the wind power sector.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Journal Times editorial: Finally, a U.S. president acknowledges the Armenian genocide

Suren Karakhanian
Journal Times, Wisconsin
May 5 2021

  • The Journal Times Editorial Board

This newspaper told Vartenie Dadian’s story in 2000. She was 94 at the time. Rob Golub, later managing editor of The Journal Times, told her story.

When she was a preteen, Mrs. Dadian said, soldiers took the Armenian men away from the village of Tomarza, Turkey, including Mrs. Dadian’s father. She never saw him again.

Perhaps days or weeks later, she said, “somebody came in the morning and said ‘This house has to be empty in an hour or two.’ “ Her mother gathered up bread, and they joined the walk.

“Turks, they take everything and they let us walk,” Dadian said. “We left everything … I lost my family. I lost my mother.” Dadian’s mother died on the walk, after mother and daughter somehow became separated.

The Armenian refugees walked from Turkey to the Syrian desert. Dadian was placed in a British orphanage. She was brought to the United States by the man who became her husband.

In Golub’s telling of Dadian’s story, he quoted her eldest daughter, Akgulian, regarding being awed by her mother’s story. Akgulian said: “I think all of us feel very special, that we are existing because of her.”

Golub’s report was published on April 24, 2000; that night, people of Armenian ancestry around the world held their annual remembrance of the Armenian genocide, when 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the soldiers and government of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

Five years and four days after we told Vartenie Dadian’s story, we published a letter to the editor from Zohrab Khaligian, a Racinian and a member of the Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin.

“It was deeply insulting to read the article ‘Some Turks confront World War I massacre of Armenians’ on April 17th because it continues The Journal Times’ policy of publishing articles that deny the Armenian genocide,” he wrote, adding that in a 2004 Associated Press report we published, “the Armenian genocide is referred to as an Armenian allegation with statements like ‘Armenians say.’ “

Citing a bill adopted by both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature and a proclamation by then-Gov. James Doyle in 2005 that designated April 24 as “Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923,” he wrote: “Isn’t it enough … for The Journal Times to also characterize the Armenian genocide as genocide?”

Mr. Khaligian was right, and we knew it. So we published his letter with an editor’s note: “It is not Journal Times policy to deny historical fact, as the Armenian genocide clearly is. Stories in The Journal Times will reflect this policy.”

From that point forward, whenever The Journal Times published an Associated Press report regarding the matter, we inserted the following sentence: “The Journal Times recognizes the Armenian genocide as historical fact.”

Why did we do this?

For our neighbors.

Racine doesn’t make the City-Data.com list of the 101 U.S. cities with the largest number of people born in Armenia. But all the proof you need of the sizable Armenian-American community in Racine is the presence of two Armenian Apostolic churches — St. Hagop, 4100 Newman Road, and St. Mesrob, 4605 Erie St.

In a city where so many survivors of the genocide had settled and raised families, we could no longer refuse to stand with our Armenian-American neighbors.

“Too many people get the wrong idea, why we remember,” the Rev. Yeprem Kelegian of St. Mesrob, himself the son of survivors of the genocide, said in 2000. Forgetting he said, “becomes mental and moral sloth.” Kelegian said a tendency toward hate and genocide always exists, and without memory, “you allow those tendencies to creep back in.”

But four presidents, two Republicans and two Democrats, failed to acknowledge historical reality in the 21 years after we told Mrs. Dadian’s story. Finally, on April 24, President Joe Biden acknowledged it.

“The American people honor all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago today,” Biden said in a statement. “We affirm the history. We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated.”

We’re thankful that President Biden took a stand and formally recognized the Armenian genocide.

We wish, for the sake of our neighbors, that it hadn’t taken from Woodrow Wilson onward for an American head of state to do so.