Thursday,
Sarkisian’s Party Seeks Election Alliance With Former Security Chief
• Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Former President Serzh Sarkisian holds a news conference in Yerevan,
August 19, 2020.
Former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) announced on Thursday
its decision to seek an electoral alliance with another opposition party led by
former National Security Service (NSS) Director Artur Vanetsian.
The HHK and Vanetsian’s Hayrenik (Fatherland) party have been affiliated with
the Homeland Salvation Front, a coalition of opposition forces that have tried
to toppled Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian over his handling of last year’s war
in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Unlike Hayrenik, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and
other members of the alliance, the HHK until recently signaled its desire to
boycott snap parliamentary elections expected in June, saying that they could be
rigged by Pashinian.
But the former ruling party eventually decided against an election boycott at a
meeting of its governing body headed by Sarkisian. In a statement, it cited the
“vital need” to oust Pashinian.
“Given the existing political realities, we believe that the Hayrenik party’s
possible political cooperation is the most effective way to dethrone the
capitulator [Pashinian,]” Armen Ashotian, the HHK’s deputy chairman, told a news
conference.
The HHK thus chose not to team up for now with Robert Kocharian, another former
president who is expected to join forces with Dashnaktsutyun. Kocharian again
said earlier this month that he will be Pashinian’s main challenger.
Hayrenik did not immediately react to the HHK announcement. Vanetsian founded
the party a year ago after being relieved of his duties in September 2019r.
Vanetsian, 42, was appointed as head of the NSS immediately the 2018 “Velvet
Revolution” that toppled Sarkisian and brought Pashinian to power. He quickly
became an influential member of Pashinian’s entourage, overseeing high-profile
corruption investigations into former government officials and Sarkisian’s
relatives.
Ashotian downplayed this fact and said the former security chief has cooperated
with various opposition forces since his resignation.
Iran’s Khamenei Notes ‘Common Interests’ With Armenia
Iran -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers a speech in Tehran, March
20, 2021.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reaffirmed support for closer
relations with Armenia sought by the Islamic Republic.
Khamenei wrote to President Armen Sarkissian on Wednesday in response to the
latter’s recent message congratulating him on Nowruz, the ancient Persian New
Year.
According to Sarkissian’s office, Khamenei said he hopes that the two
neighboring states will deepen their “long-standing” relationship for the sake
of stability in the region, “global justice” and other “common interests.”
Visiting Yerevan in late January, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif
likewise reaffirmed Tehran’s desire to continue seeking closer relations with
neighboring Yerevan after the autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Zarif expressed strong support for Armenia’s territorial integrity when he
discussed regional security and bilateral ties with his Armenian counterpart Ara
Ayvazian. The two countries are concerned about the “presence of terrorists and
foreign fighters” in the region, he said, seemingly alluding to the widely
documented participation of Middle Eastern mercenaries in the six-week war on
Azerbaijan’s side.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian met with Khamenei during an official
visit to Tehran in February 2019.
Khamenei reportedly urged Pashinian at the time to strengthen Armenian-Iranian
relations “contrary to what the United States desires.” “Iran and Armenia have
never had any problems with each other,” he said.
Minister Offers Rosy Outlook For Armenian Economy
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia -- Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian attends a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, January 14, 2021.
Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian said on Thursday that he will resign if the
Armenian economy does not grow at a double-digit rate this year.
Kerobian insisted that this is a realistic target despite the continuing
coronavirus pandemic that plunged Armenia into a recession last year.
“True, I’m not quite happy with month-on-month economic growth in March,” he
told reporters. “Instead of 7-7.5 percent projected by us, only 3.8 percent
[growth] was registered, according to preliminary data. But that will still be
enough to ensure our double-digit economic growth by the end of this year.”
The Armenian Finance Ministry expects the country’s GDP to increase by only 3.2
percent in real terms after shrinking by 7.6 percent last year. The Armenian
Central Bank has forecast an even lower 2021 grow rate: 1.4 percent.
Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have offered similar
outlooks. “The recovery will be slow; the economy is unlikely to return to
pre-COVID output levels until 2023,” the bank said in a report released late
last month.
“I will resign if Armenia does not have double-digit economic growth,” Kerobian
declared after a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
The 44-year-old businessman joined the government in November 2020 in a cabinet
reshuffle initiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. He was the chief
executive of Armenia’s largest food delivery company until then.
Kerobian spoke to journalists as he faced protests against his decision to lay
off about 70 employees of the Armenian Ministry of Economy for cost-cutting
purposes. The latter have worked at nationwide ministry divisions providing
counseling to farmers and monitoring the use of the government’s agricultural
subsidies.
Many of the affected officials gathered outside the government headquarters in
Yerevan to demand that Kerobian annul his decision.
“Imagine a wheat farming program subsidized by the state. Shouldn’t we verify
whether public funds have been used efficiently and whether the wheat was
actually planted?” said Artak Khachatrian, the acting head of one such division
based in northwestern Shirak province.
Kerobian said these monitoring functions must be outsourced to banks and
financial institutions working with the government. “We are trying to spend
taxpayers’ money as efficiently as possible,” he said.
Pashinian Decries Slow Pace Of COVID-19 Vaccination In Armenia
• Nane Sahakian
Armenia - Armenian Health Minister Anahit Avanesian is vaccinated against
COVID-19 in Yerevan,
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian complained on Thursday about a lack of progress
in the Armenian government’s vaccination campaign against COVID-19, telling his
ministers to get vaccine shots and thus set an example to skeptical citizens.
Pashinian said that only about 2, 700 people making up less than 0.1 percent of
Armenia’s population have been vaccinated since the campaign was launched on
April 13. “This is a shamefully low figure,” he told a weekly cabinet meeting in
Yerevan.
Pashinian said the vaccination is critical for not only minimizing coronavirus
infections and resulting deaths but also accelerating the country’s recovery
from a recession caused by the pandemic.
“If we don’t register a significant vaccination rate over the next month our
tourism industry may have very serious problems this year as well,” he warned.
Armenia received 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on March 28 and
43,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V jab in the following weeks. The government
plans to import more vaccines in the coming weeks.
The campaign was initially limited to medical workers, seniors and people
suffering from chronic diseases. With few of them apparently showing an interest
in the vaccines, Health Minister Anahit Avanesian allowed medical centers late
last week to administer AstraZeneca shots to all adults willing to take them.
Many Armenians remain wary of doing so because of recent reports linking the
Astra Zeneca vaccine to a rare blood clotting disorder. Both Pashinian and
Avanesian insisted on Thursday that the risk of serious side-effects is minimal.
Avanesian and Deputy Minister Tigran Avinian publicly took AstraZeneca shots on
Wednesday in an effort to allay the fears and encourage Armenians to follow
their example.
“I’m feeling very well and hope that this example will be contagious,” the
health minister told fellow cabinet members. She urged them to also get
vaccinated.
Pashinian said in this regard that all government members must receive vaccine
injections within a week.
Armenia has been hit hard by the pandemic, with a total 215,528 infections and
almost 5,090 coronavirus-related deaths officially confirmed to date. The
Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that 20 more people infected
with COVID-19 have died in the past day.
An ongoing third wave of infections in the country of about 3 million began in
late February. Critics blame the resurgence of COVID-19 on the authorities’
failure to enforce their physical distancing and sanitary restrictions.
EU Urges Release Of Armenian Prisoners Held In Azerbaijan
• Susan Badalian
Belgium - European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission
headquarters in Brussels, August 21, 2020.
The European Union has called on Azerbaijan to free all Armenian soldiers and
civilians held by it more than five months after a Russian-brokered ceasefire
stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a statement released late on Wednesday, the EU welcomed the “consolidation of
the ceasefire on the ground,” repatriation of the remains of people killed
during the fighting and humanitarian aid provided to civilians in the conflict
zone.
“The European Union reiterates, however, that renewed efforts are necessary to
build confidence between both countries and make progress towards sustainable
peace,” read the statement submitted to the Council of Europe.
“This includes refraining from hostile and offensive rhetoric, finalizing, as
soon as possible, the return of all remaining prisoners of war and detained
persons, regardless of the circumstances of their arrest, and cooperating also
on other important issues such as demining,” it said.
The truce agreement calls for the unconditional release of all prisoners held by
the conflicting sides. The Russian peacekeepers stationed in Karabakh arranged
several prisoner swaps in December and early this year. No Azerbaijani prisoners
are known to be held in Armenia or Karabakh at present.
A total of 69 Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians have been freed to
date. More than 100 others are believed to remain in Azerbaijani captivity.
Azerbaijan says that they are not covered by the truce accord because they were
captured after it took effect on November 10. Azerbaijani officials have branded
them as “terrorists” and said Baku does not intend to release them.
In recent months, Baku has also reportedly refused to provide the European Court
of Human Rights (ECHR) with information about the whereabouts of the remaining
Armenian prisoners.
The EU statement stressed that the Azerbaijani authorities are obliged to comply
with relevant “interim measures” issued by the ECHR in response to lawsuits
filed from Armenia. “We call on Azerbaijan to provide the outstanding
information requested by the Court,” it said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian hailed the “very important” EU statement
during a weekly session of his cabinet on Thursday. He said the growing
international pressure on Baku “increases our optimism about achieving concrete
results on this issue.”
“We need to be as united, patient and consistent as possible,” added Pashinian.
The U.S., Russian and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group also
called for the release of the Armenian POWs civilians earlier this month.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Talar Tumanian
America finally calls out Armenian genocide
The Indian Express
America finally calls out Armenian Genocide- The New Indian Express
Pashinyan steps down, but will continue fulfilling Armenian prime minister’s duties
TASS, Russia
Meanwhile, Pashinyan noted that despite the acting prime minister’s status he would fulfill his duties in full
YEREVAN, April 25. /TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tendered his resignation on Sunday in order to hold early parliamentary elections in the republic.
In his live address on Facebook page, the politician announced plans to continue fulfilling his duties as the prime minister until the polls.
"According to an agreement with the president and political forces, today I’m stepping down in order to hold early parliamentary polls on June 20. The parliament won’t choose the new prime minister twice, after which the legislature will be dissolved under the law and snap elections will be set," he said.
Meanwhile, Pashinyan noted that despite the acting prime minister’s status he would fulfill his duties in full. "Until holding early elections, I will fully comply with the prime minister’s duties according to the constitution and laws," he said.
After Pashinyan’s announcement the government also resigned in accordance with the technical procedure.
Pashinyan said he would run for the head of Armenia’s cabinet from the Civil Contract party in the early parliamentary elections.
"I want to stress that our party, Civil Contract, will take part in the early elections. I will be a candidate for the prime minister. If people decide that I should resign as the prime minister, I will do their will and if they want me to continue my job as the prime minister, I will also do people’s will," he said.
On March 18, after holding political consultations with President Armen Sarkisyan and the leaders of three parliamentary factions Pashinyan said that early parliamentary elections would take place on June 20. Political experts say that the Pashinyan-led bloc’s main rival will be Armenia’s second president, Robert Kocharyan, who is not affiliated with any political force, but will participate in the elections as the head of a bloc of parties.
Turkish press: Turkish diaspora rejects baseless Armenian claims on 1915 events
Bilal Dündar, Turkey-Azerbaijan Associations Federation Chair, shows pictures of victims killed by Armenian groups during World War I, in northwestern Turkey's Kocaeli province, . (AA Photo)
Turkish diaspora and civil society organizations denounced the Armenian genocide claims regarding the 1915 events, calling them baseless accusations for political goals and propaganda.
The Toronto-based Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations (KTDF) and the Canada Turkish Assembly released a joint statement late Thursday and noted that the genocide claims of the Armenian diaspora were approved by the Canadian Parliament for the sake of political goals.
Expressing their opinion that the Canadian government adopts a biased view against Turkey on the 1915 events, the statement said that hateful Armenian claims continue to threaten the Turkish diaspora.
Addressing the Armenian society, the statement said: "Canadian Turks are open for a dialogue to create friendship based on common history rather than a hostility."
The statement recalled the tragic events of World War I that caused pain for the Turkish people, Armenians and all citizens of the Ottoman Empire.
Expressing their concern about the politicization of the historical incident, the statement called on Canada to abolish the decision.
The Turkish diaspora in Canada also underlined that none of the international courts have made a decision to recognize the Armenian genocide claims so far.
The statement mentioned the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) previous decisions made in 2013 and 2015, which said that the Armenian claims are discussed among academics, and there is not a common truth accepted by everyone.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Thursday, responded to a question about a possible U.S. decision to recognize the so-called "Armenian genocide" and said that the U.N. does not share opinions about the events that happened before the foundation of the organization and such decisions must be made by relevant international judicial branches.
Accusing the Ottoman Empire of genocide against Armenians is a betrayal of history, Turkey-Azerbaijan Associations Federation Chair Bilal Dündar also said in another statement on Friday as he underlined that the empire provided liberty to those within it.
"There was no assimilation. Calling such a state 'genocider' is immoral, rude and a betrayal of history," he told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Dündar also said that Armenians use these unfounded, baseless and groundless claims based on lies as a propaganda tool.
Noting that Armenians committed mass murders in the eastern and southeastern areas of Anatolia during that period, Dündar said that many innocent people were killed by Armenian gangs.
He said Armenians lived together in peace in Ottoman society and maintained senior roles in state hierarchies. Dündar added: "External powers directed Armenians. They told them 'You have the right to build a state, we will support you.' They also supported them. Armenians started to kill people whom they worked and lived together with for years."
In such a situation, no state will wait without taking any action, Dündar said and added that the Ottoman Empire's forced migration provided all that was necessary to Armenians.
The deportation actually offered Armenians protection, Dündar said, adding: "Now, Armenians recognize April 24, 1915, as the date for the 'genocide,' but they never mentioned it until the 1960s. After the 1960s, these talks started to take place. … Turkey opened its archives to the world and said let's form a joint commission, but Armenians do not open their archives."
Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) co-Chair Günay Evinch also said that it is important for Turkish and Armenian communities to build a consensus on the tragic loss of human lives and suffering caused by the deportation following the Ottoman measures against the Armenian rebels during World War I.
This consensus must be built on justice and the rule of law, Evinch said and added: “If there is no consensus, the rage caused by politically motivated genocide claims will keep dominating.”
He also noted that the previous U.N. decisions made in 2000, 2007 and 2015 denied the recognition of the 1915 events as genocide.
Turkey will continue to defend the truth against those supporting slander, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday regarding the events of 1915.
Turkey objects to presenting the 1915 incidents as “genocide,” rather calling them a tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians suffered casualties in the heat of World War I. Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia under the supervision of international experts to examine the issue.
In a period when the allegations are being ignited by Armenian lobbies and some countries for political goals, it was reported this week that U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to recognize the events of 1915 as "genocide."
France also stands as another important country where the Armenian diaspora conducts anti-Turkey propaganda with the lobby activities of hundreds of organizations in the country.
Nearly 8 million Armenians live outside of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora is the most influential force behind the claims surrounding the 1915 events.
While almost 2 million Armenian people live in Russia, making it the country hosting the largest number of Armenians in diaspora, the countries where lobby activities take place are mostly the U.S. and France.
In France where Turkish and Muslim organizations have been banned due to the accusations of separatist activities, there are 575 associations run by Armenians.
Turkey's position on the 1915 events is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties, made worse by massacres conducted by militaries and militia groups from both sides. The mass arrests of prominent Ottoman Armenian politicians, intellectuals and other community members suspected of links with separatist groups, harboring nationalist sentiments and being hostile to the Ottoman rule were rounded up in then-capital Istanbul on April 24, 1915. The date is commemorated as the beginning of later atrocities.
APRIL 24: Armenians worldwide commemorate 106th anniversary of Armenian Genocide
00:01,
YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS. In 1915, the crime perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians was the first genocide of 20th century. The Armenians worldwide commemorate 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24.
Compared to 2020, this year there will no restriction for visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial. The Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Armenian State Academic Choir, conducted by Eduard Topchyan, performed Verdi’s Requiem at 23:00, April 23 at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan as part of the Trilogy of Remembrance events. Then, at midnight, the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra and the Hover State Chamber Choir will perform Mozart’s Requiem at the Komitas Chamber Music House. The concert will be conducted by Alexander Iradyan. At 19:15, April 24, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the Armenian State Chamber Choir and the Yerevan State Chamber Choir, conducted by Robert Melkeyan, will perform Tigran Mansurian’s Requiem at the K. Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex. The attendance of the diplomatic corps is planned for this event. The concert will take place under the patronage of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. More than 10 foreign delegations from various countries have arrived in Armenia for the participation in the Armenian Genocide commemoration events.
The extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I is called the Armenian Genocide. Those massacres were perpetrated by the government of Young Turks in various regions of the Ottoman Empire. The first international response to the violence resulted in a joint statement by France, Russia and the Great Britain in May 24 1915, where the Turkish atrocities against the Armenians were defined as “a crime against humanity and civilization”. According to them, Turkish government was responsible for the implementation of the crime.
When WWI erupted, the government of the Young Turks adopted the policy of Pan-Turkism, hoping to save the remains of the weakened Ottoman Empire. The plan was to create an enormous Ottoman Empire that would spread to China, include all the Turkish speaking nations of the Caucasus and Middle Asia, intending also to turkify all the ethnic minorities of the empire. The Armenian population became the main obstacle standing in the way of the realization of this policy. The Young Turks used WWI as a suitable opportunity for the implementation of the Armenian genocide, although it was planned in 1911-1912.
There were an estimated two million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire before the WWI. Approximately one and a half million Armenians were killed from 1915-1923. The remaining part was either islamized or exiled, or found shelters in different parts of the world.
A genocide is the organized extermination of a nation aiming to put an end to their collective existence. Thus, the implementation of the genocide requires oriented programming and an internal mechanism, which makes genocide a state crime, as only a state possesses all the resources that can be used to carry out this policy.
The first phase of the Armenian Genocide was the extermination of the Armenian population started on April 24, 1915 with the arrest of several hundred Armenian intellectuals and representatives of national elite (mainly in the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople) and their subsequent elimination. Hereinafter, Armenians worldwide started to commemorate the Armenian genocide on April 24.
The third phase of the genocide is characterized with the exile of the massacres of women, children, and elderly people to the desert of Syria. Hundreds of thousands of people were murdered by Turkish soldiers, police officers, Kurdish bandits during the deportation. The others died of epidemic diseases. Thousands of women and children were subjected to violence. Tens of thousands were forcibly islamized.
The last phase is the universal and absolute denial of the Turkish government of the mass deportations and genocide carried out against Armenians in their homeland. Despite the ongoing process of international condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey fights against recognition by all means, including distortion of history, means of propaganda, lobbying activities and other measures.
On December 9, 1948 the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, according to which, genocide is defined as an international crime and the signing states are obliged to prevent, as well as punish the perpetrators of the genocide.
Recognition
The fact of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman government has been documented, recognized, and affirmed in the form of media and eyewitness reports, laws, resolutions, and statements by many states and international organizations. The complete catalogue of all documents categorizing the 1915-23 widespread massacre of the Armenian population in Ottoman Empire as a premeditated and thoroughly executed act of Genocide, is extensive.
Below is a brief list of those states and organizations, provincial governments and city councils which have acknowledged the Armenian Genocide
Parliamentary Resolutions, Laws and Declarations
- Resolution by the People's Council of the Syrian Arab Republic on recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire – February 13, 2020
- Unanimous resolution of the U.S. Senate recognizing and condemning Armenian Genocide -December 12, 2019
- Resolution of the U.S. House of Representatives approving U.S. position on Armenian Genocide -October 30, 2019
- Position of the Assembly of the Republic (the Parliament of Portugal) on its position on the Armenian Genocide -April 26, 2019
- Initiative of the chamber of deputies of Italy encouraging the government of Italy to recognize Armenian Genocide – April 10,2019
- Decree of the President of France Emmanuel Macron recognizing April 24 as a National Memorial Day of Armenian Genocide -April 10, 2019
- Resolution of the Chamber of Deputies of the parliament of Czech Republic condemning and recognizing Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity -April 26, 2017
- The Senate of France confirmation of the bill criminalizing the negation of Armenian Genocide -October 14, 2016
- Resolution of the Knesset Committee on education, culture and sport of the State of Israel – August 1, 2016
- Resolution of the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany – June 2, 2016
- Resolution of the Senate of the Republic of Paraguay – October 29, 2015
- Resolution of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Belgium – July 24, 2015
- Resolution of the Federal Senate of the Federal Republic of Brazil – May 29, 2015
- Resolution of the Parliament of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – May 6, 2015
- Statement of State Duma of Russian Federation on the Armenian Genocide Centennial – April 24, 2015
- Statement by the President Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck – April 23, 2015
- Statement of the Austrian Parliament on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire – 22 April, 2015
- European Parliament Resolution dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide – 15 April, 2015
- Czech Republic, Resolution of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of Parliament on the occasion of the Armenian Genocide Centenary – April 14 2015
- Resolution of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile – April 14, 2015
- Statement by Holy Father Francis during the Mass at the Vatican – April 12, 2015
- Bolivia's Senate and the Chamber of Deputies Resolution – November 27, 2014
- Sweden Riksdag Resolution – March 11, 2010
- MERCOSUR, Joint Parliamentary Committee Resolution – Nov 19, 2007
- House Committee Resolution – October 10, 2007
- Chile, Senate Resolution – July 07, 2007
- Argentina, Law – January 15, 2007
- Argentina, Senate Special Statement – April 19, 2006
- Lithuania, Assembly Resolution – December 15, 2005
- European Parliament Resolution – September 28, 2005
- Venezuela, National Assembly Resolution – July 14, 2005
- Germany, Parliament Resolution – June 15, 2005
- Argentina, Senate Resolution – April 20, 2005
- Poland, Parliament Resolution – April 19, 2005
- Netherlands, Parliament Resolution – December 21, 2004
- Slovakia, National Assembly Resolution – November 30, 2004
- Canada, House of Commons Resolution – April 21, 2004
- Argentina, Senate Declaration – March 31, 2004
- Uruguay, Law – March 26, 2004
- Argentina, Draft Law – March 18, 2004
- Switzerland (Helvetic Confederation), National Council Resolution – December 16, 2003
- Argentina, Senate Resolution – August 20, 2003
- Canada, Senate Resolution – June 13, 2002
- European Parliament Resolution – February 28, 2002
- Common Declaration of His Holiness John Paul II and His Holiness Karekin II at Holy Etchmiadzin, Republic of Armenia – September 27, 2001
- Prayer of John Paul II, Memorial of Tsitsernakaberd – September 26, 2001
- France, Law – January 29, 2001
- Italy, Chamber of Deputies Resolution – November 16, 2000
- European Parliament Resolution – November 15, 2000
- France, Senate, Draft Law – November 7, 2000
- Lebanon, Parliament Resolution – May 11, 2000
- Sweden, Parliament Report – March 29, 2000
- France, National Assembly Draft Law – May 28, 1998
- Belgium, Senate Resolution – March 26, 1998
- Lebanon, Chamber of Deputies Resolution – April 3, 1997
- House of Representatives Resolution 3540 – June 11, 1996
- Greece (Hellenic Republic), Parliament Resolution – April 25, 1996
- Canada, House of Commons Resolution – April 23, 1996
- Russia, Duma Resolution – April 14, 1995
- Argentina, Senate Resolution – May 5, 1993
- European Parliament Resolution – June 18, 1987
- House of Representatives Joint Resolution 247 – September 12, 1984
- Cyprus, House of Representatives, Resolution – April 29, 1982
- House of Representatives Joint Resolution 148 – April 9, 1975
- Uruguay, Senate and House of Representatives, Resolution – April 20, 1965
- Senate Resolution 359 – May 11, 1920
- Congress Act to Incorporate Near East Relief – August 6, 1919
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 – February 9, 1916
- France, Great Britain, and Russia, Joint Declaration – May 24, 1915
International Organizations
- Parliament of Andean Community of Nations (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú)September 20, 2016.
- International Organization of La Francophonie, Statement of Secretary-General – April 24 2015
- The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity – April 9, 2007
- Human Rights Association of Turkey, Istanbul Branch – April 24, 2006
- International Center for Transitional Justice Report Prepared for TARC – February 10, 2003
- European Alliance of YMCAs – July 20, 2002
- Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly Declaration – April 24, 2001
- Human Rights League – May 16, 1998
- Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly Declaration – April 24, 1998
- The Association of Genocide Scholars – June 13, 1997
- Kurdistan Parliament in Exile – April 24, 1996
- Union of American Hebrew Congregations – November 7, 1989
- UN Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities – July 2, 1985
- Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, Verdict of the Tribunal – April 16, 1984
- World Council of Churches – August 10, 1983
- UN General Assembly Resolution – December 9, 1948
- UN War Crimes Commission Report – May 28, 1948
Provincial legislative bodies, governments, city councils
US states
- Alabama
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Texas
- Wyoming
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- South Dakota
Australia
- Province of New South Wales
Argentina
- Province of Cordoba
- Province of Buenos Aires
Canada
- British Columbia
- Ontario (including the City of Toronto)
- Quebec (including the City of Montreal)
- Alberta
Switzerland
- Geneva Canton
- Vaud Canton
Great Britain
- Wales
Italy
- Consiglio regionale della Toscana
- Consiglio regionale della Lazio
- Assemblea Regionale Siciliana
- Comune di Tolfa
- Comune di Bertiolol
- Comune di Udine
- Comune di Sesto San Giovanni
- Comune di Salgareda
- Comune di Belluno
- Comune di Roma
- Comune di Massa Lombarda
- Comune di Genova
- Comune di Thiene
- Comune di Castelsilano
- Comune di Firenze
- Comune di Ravenna
- Comune di Feltre
- Comune di Venezia
- Comune di Imola
- Comune di Faenza
- Comune di Parma
- Comune di Solarolo
- Comune di Villafranca Padovana
- Comune di Milano
- Comune di Ponte di Piave
- Comune di Conselice
- Comune di Lugo
- Comune di S. Stino Livenza
- Comune di Cotignola
- Comune di Asiago
- Comune di S. Agata Sul Santerno
- Comune di Monterforte D'Alpone
- Comune di Padova
- Comune di Montorso Vicentino
- Comune di Fusignano
- Comune di Bagnacavallo
- Comune di Russi
- Comune di Sanguinetto
- Comune di Camponogara
Spain
- Navarre
- Catalonia
- Basque Country
- Balearic Islands
- Burgos
- Alcorcon
- Valencia
- Cullera
- Villena
- Torrent
- Sabadell
- Malaga
- Benalmadena
- Soria
- Mislata
- Burjassot
- Betera
- Pinto
- Xirivella
- San Sebastián
- Santa Margarida i els Monjos
- Aldaia
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Authorities suspect faulty fuel tank in deadly car explosion
11:06,
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. Authorities say the deadly April 22 car explosion in Yerevan was presumably caused by the vehicle’s compressed natural gas storage tanks.
Ministry of Emergency Situations spokesperson Anna Baghdasaryan told ARMENPRESS that authorities are investigating to find out other details of the incident.
According to preliminary reports, the blast killed two people. Another person was injured.
The vehicle exploded on Arshakuntyats Avenue in Yerevan on April 22, 07:58.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Venice Commission sees no problems for holding election with new Electoral Code – Minister
18:40,
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the Electoral Code amendments of Armenia has been published, where no concerns have been recorded over holding the early parliamentary elections of Armenia with the application of the amendments, ARMENPRESS reports Justice Minister of Armenia Rustam Badasyan wrote on his Facebook page.
''The joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the draft Electoral Code amendments has been published. The opinion, examining the package of amendments adopted on April 1, 2021 by the parliament, which abolishes the territorial candidate lists, notes that given the fact that there was broad support for it by political forces and non-governmental organization, as well as considering that it does not alter the electoral system, but simplifies it, no concerns have been raised for holding the early elections with the application of the mentioned amendments'', the Minister wrote.
Armenian Genocide Was a Christian Genocide
Newsmax
Armenian genocide memorial monument with eternal flame and flowers, in Yerevan, Armenia. (Dreamstime)
Thursday, 01:19 PM
On April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, President Biden is expected to make a statement on the massacre of the Armenian people that took place in 1915-1916. This was the first of three genocides in the 20th century; the other two were Stalin's mass killing of the Ukrainians and Hitler's annihilation of the Jews.
We urge President Biden to call the massacre of the Armenians for what it is — genocide. To this day, Turkish leaders take umbrage at any mention of this subject, preferring to live in a state of denial. We should not appease them any longer. Regrettably, too many presidents and senators have failed to speak forthrightly about this issue.
The word "genocide" was coined in 1943 or 1944 (depending on the source) by Polish Jewish writer Raphael Lemkin. Mass killings, he said, amounted to "a crime without a name." He resolved this problem by splicing the Greek word "genos," meaning race or people, with the Latin term "caedo," meaning killing. Hence the word "genocide."
Biden needs to do more than simply invoke this word. He needs to use this opportunity as a teaching moment, one that informs the world about who did what to whom. That means mentioning those who committed this genocide, namely Muslims, and their victims, namely Christians.
This is not a call to brand all Muslims as supporters of genocide — that is morally indefensible. Indeed it is unconscionable. No, this is a plea to be honest.
Though the number who were killed is not a settled issue, the consensus is that 1.5 million Armenians were murdered, along with 300,000 Assyrians and 750,000 Greeks. All were Christian.
We typically hear that it was the rulers of the Ottoman Empire who carried out the massacre. This is true, but it is incomplete.
William B. Rubinstein is a distinguished historian and author of Genocide, one of the most authoritative books on this subject. He notes that "The rulers of the Ottoman Empire traditionally regarded themselves as the leaders of the Islamic world."
What they did was not a mistake. Most of the evidence, Rubinstein says, suggests "that the Turkish authorities actively masterminded the mass killing of the Armenians as a deliberate policy."
Why the Armenians? German historian Michael Hesemann does not mince words.
"In the end," he says, "Armenians weren't killed because they were Armenians, but because they were Christians." Further proof that the Muslim rulers were motivated by a hatred of Christians is offered by another specialist in this area. "If it [the Armenian Genocide] was a feud between Turks and Armenians, what explains the genocide carried out by Turkey against Christian Assyrians at the same time?"
According to Hudson Institute scholar Lela Glibert, "It is noteworthy that Adolf Hitler found inspiration in the Armenian massacre for his Holocaust of European Jews."
Indeed, Hitler knew exactly what the Muslims were doing. "Turkey is taking advantage of the war [World War I] in order to thoroughly liquidate its international foes, i.e, the indigenous Christians, without being thereby disturbed by foreign intervention."
President Biden often speaks glowingly of Pope Francis. He needs to emulate him in more concrete ways. In 2015, the Holy Father called the slaughter of the Armenians "the first genocide of the 20th century." Biden should then expand on this by acknowledging who did what to whom.
Dr. Bill Donohue is president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. A former Heritage Foundation Bradley Resident Scholar, he has authored several books on civil liberties, social issues and religion. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from New York University.
Turkish press: Azerbaijan hails Turkey’s support against Armenian black propaganda
A Russian peacekeeper guards an entry point of Dadivank, an Armenian Apostolic Church monastery dating to the 9th century, after the transfer of the Kalbajar region back to Azerbaijan as part of a peace deal that required Armenian forces to cede Azerbaijani territories they previously occupied outside Nagorno-Karabakh, near Kalbajar, Azerbaijan, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP File Photo)
Azerbaijani lawmakers thanked Turkey’s support against Armenian black propaganda during the 44-daylong Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, as they said it was crucial to change the global perspective about the conflict.
The New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) lawmaker Dr. Hikmet Babaoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the media sector has been vital.
“The creation of a Joint Media Platform between brotherly nations Turkey and Azerbaijan is a revolutionary incident in our media history,” Dr. Babaoğlu said, adding that media serves as a tool of soft power.
He continued by thanking the Presidential Communications Directorate and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun for their work in this regard.
He noted that Altun played a critical role in terms of fighting against the Armenian disinformation campaign and conveying the truth to the world.
Babaoğlu also said they now aim to establish a joint media center with the participation of Turkic Council member states, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Hungary, following a meeting held in Baku on April 9, as he highlighted Altun’s and Azerbaijani Vice President Hikmet Hajiyev’s roles in the initiative.
Another lawmaker, Sevil Mikayilova, also hailed Turkey’s “unmatched” role in the fight against Armenia's disinformation, saying that it was one of the means Azerbaijan was able to defeat Armenia.
“Turkey’s practical support was especially important as it facilitated the formation of an objective opinion regarding the conflict,” she said.
Yerevan first lied that Turkey transferred mercenaries from Syria to Nagorno-Karabakh to fight alongside Azerbaijan. By doing so, Armenia aimed to delegitimize Turkey’s open support for Azerbaijan and attempted to divert attention from the fact that it receives military and logistical backing from France, Russia and Iran.
Armenia also tried to hide that it put into action a plan to occupy Nagorno-Karabakh through Armenian-origin factions – the Nubar Ozanyan Brigade which operates in Syria and is a part of the PKK’s Syrian branch YPG – within the PKK and ASALA terrorist organizations.
Another piece of disinformation spread by Armenia claimed that a Turkish F-16 downed a Russian-made Su-25 fighter jet. Turkey without delay denied the claims.
Clashes between Baku and Yerevan erupted on Sept. 27, and the Armenian Army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating cease-fire agreements. During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.
The two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.
A joint Turkish-Russian center with peacekeepers from both countries has been established to monitor the truce. The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement.
Photo of Armenian soldier wins prize at World Press Photo contest
Public Radio of Armenia
April 16 2021
April 16 2021
Vaghinak Ghazaryan, World Press Photo via AP
Photo of an Armenian soldier resting on a plastic cover in a trench has won the third prize in the Contemporary Issues Singles category at the World Press Photo contest.
The photo titled Resting Soldier was taken by Vaghinak Ghazaryan (AP) in the northeastern part of Syunik, Nerkin Khndzoresk, Armenia, on 31 October 2020 during the second Artsakh War.
Vaghinak Ghazaryan (1974) is an Armenian freelance photographer based in Yerevan.
He graduated from the department of film and photography at the Academy of TV and Radio, Yerevan, Armenia in 2004 and the Art Criticism and Curatorial Studies School at AICA, Armenia in 2011.
From 2001 to 2003 Ghazaryan worked as a full-time photographer for the Armenpress News Agency.
Ghazaryan has received grants and awards from organizations including the Documentary Photography Production grant from the Open Society Foundations in 2013, the Tatevik- Grand Prix, Tvapatum in 2019 and Stories About Changes at the Media Initiatives Center, Armenia in 2019 among others.
He currently collaborates with Documentary Photography Center and visits documentary and photojournalism online courses organized by Docdocdoc School of Modern Photography.
https://en.armradio.am/2021/04/16/photo-of-armenian-soldiers-wins-third-prize-at-world-press-photo-contest/