Author: Vardan Badalian

"The document on unblocking roads is almost completely agreed" – Overchuk

Vardan Badalian
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Restoration of transport between Armenia-Azerbaijan

“The draft document has been formed and almost completely agreed at our level.” This statement was made by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, talking about the unblocking of transport between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In an interview with TASS, he said that the trilateral working group has been working for almost 2.5 years. There is no clear schedule of meetings; the date of the next meeting is also not known. According to Overchuk, negotiations are slow due to a lack of trust.

The members of the working group are the vice-premiers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev are simultaneously representatives of their countries in the commission on state border delimitation and border security. Grigoryan invited his Azerbaijani counterpart to meet in the near future and discuss “actual problems that cause tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.” So far, there has been no response from Baku to this proposal.

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The last meeting of the working group took place in Russia on June 2. Both Yerevan and Moscow considered the meeting constructive. It was reported that “mutual understanding has been reached regarding the restoration of the railway along the Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz route.”

However, Armenia and Azerbaijan make conflicting statements regarding road control. Official Yerevan claims that if communications are unblocked, the border service on the territory of Armenia will be under the control of the Armenian side. Baku, referring to a tripartite statement dated November 9, 2020, announces that Russian border guards should control the road.

According to Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan, the November 9 statement and the subsequent decree signed by the Russian president speak “more about the monitoring function entrusted to the Russian FSB, rather than about specific control.” He claims that the details are still in the process of being discussed.

Frank answers from the Prime Minister of Armenia in the Prima News program about the geographical and geopolitical problems of the country, relations with neighbors and even personal questions

Overchuk, referring to the draft document discussed by the vice-premiers, said that the unblocking of transport in the region will begin with the restoration of the railway, which will run along the Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz route. He also presented the approaches of the parties regarding the procedure for crossing the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, based on “respect for the sovereignty of the parties”:

“None of the parties doubts that certain sections of this road will be under the jurisdiction of the country on whose territory they will be located. Thus, in relation to this road, Azerbaijani legislation will be applied in Azerbaijan, and Armenian legislation in Armenia. It would seem that these are obvious things, but taking into account the relations that have developed between the two states and peoples, all this must be stipulated.

According to Overchuk, the group has yet to work out the main issue: who will ensure the security of Armenians and Azerbaijanis using these routes. He announced that negotiators should answer this question in such a way as to be sure that “nothing bad will happen to these people on the territory of another country.”

“And of course, we are all influenced by what is happening now at the border. It would be much easier to find solutions if the shooting stopped,” he stressed.

According to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, no one intends “for the sake of the speed of signing the document to put in second place the safety of people and goods” that will move along the road.

“This is a very important point, which does not yet answer the question of when the unblocking will occur,” he stressed.

Overchuk also said that “any proposals and decisions are subject to a very thorough and verified analysis” via experts.

The aim of the group is to reach solutions that will make things work “as they should between countries entering, hopefully, a new peaceful phase of relations.”

Yerevan is discussing the visit of the Armenian Prime Minister to Moscow, in particular, the moment when the Armenian Prime Minister interrupted the Russian President to react to Aliyev’s speech

Overchuk noted that it is difficult to find examples in the world when the opposing sides almost immediately after the cessation of hostilities sat down at the negotiating table and started talking about restoring transport:

“In our case, everyone understands that there is no alternative to peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the best way to achieve peace is to open up the opportunity for people to interact peacefully, build a common road, along which people and goods will then go, normal life, trade will begin, and gradually the old resentment will fade into the background.”

https://jam-news.net/restoration-of-transport-between-armenia-azerbaijan/

Today is legendary commander Monte Melkonian’s memorial day

Vardan Badalian
Panorama
Armenia – June 12 2023

12 June marks the 30th death anniversary of legendary Armenian commander, philosopher and warrior Monte Melkonian.

Monte Melkonian was born in 1957 at Visalia Municipal Hospital in Visalia, California to Charles and Zabel Melkonian. He was the third of four children born to a self-employed cabinetmaker and an elementary-school teacher. By all accounts, Melkonian was described as an all-American child who joined the Boy Scouts and was a pitcher in Little League baseball. Melkonian's parents rarely talked about their Armenian heritage with their children, often referring to the place of their ancestors as the "Old Country."

In the spring of that year, the family also traveled across Turkey to visit the town of Merzifon, where Melkonian's maternal grandparents were from. Merzifon's population at the time was 23,475 but was almost completely devoid of its once 17,000-strong Armenian population that was wiped out during the Armenian Genocide in 1915. They did find one Armenian family of the three that was living in the town, however, Melkonian soon learned that the only reason this was so, was because the head of the family in 1915 had exchanged the safety of his family in return for identifying all the Armenians in the town to Turkish authorities during the genocide. Monte would later confide to his wife that "he was never the same after that visit….He saw the place that had been lost."

Upon his return to California Monte returned to his education. In high school, he was exceeding all standards and having a hard time finding new academic challenges. Instead of graduating high school early, as was suggested by his principal, Monte found an alternative thanks to his father: a study abroad program in East Asia. At the age of 15 Monte traveled to Japan for a new chapter in his young life. While there he began making money teaching English which helped finance his travels through several Southeast Asian countries. This introduced him to several new cultures, new philosophies, new languages, and in several cases, like his travels through Vietnam, new skills that would become immensely valuable in his later life as a soldier. Returning to the United States, he graduated from high school and entered the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in ancient Asian history and Archeology. In 1978 he helped to organize an exhibition of Armenian cultural artifacts at one of the university’s libraries. The section of the exhibit dealing with the 1915-23 genocide was removed by university authorities, at the request of the Turkish consul general in San Francisco. The display that was removed was eventually reinstalled following a campus protest movement. Monte eventually completed his undergrad work in under three years. Upon graduating, he was accepted into the archeology graduate program at the University of Oxford. However, Monte chose to forgo this opportunity, and instead chose to begin his lifelong struggle for the Armenian Cause.

On October 6, 1990, Monte arrived in what was then still Soviet Armenia. During the first 8 months in Armenia, Melkonian worked in the Armenian Academy of Sciences, where he prepared an archaeological research monograph on Urartian cave tombs, which was posthumously published. Seta and Monte were married at the monastery of Geghart in August 1991.

Finding himself on Armenian soil after many years, he wrote in a letter that he found a lot of confusion among his compatriots. Armenia faced enormous economic, political and environmental problems at every turn, problems that had festered for decades. New political forces bent on dismantling the Soviet Union were taking Armenia in a direction that Monte believed was bound to exacerbate the crisis and produce more problems.

Under these circumstances, it quickly became clear to Monte that, for better or for worse, the Soviet Union had no future and the coming years would be perilous ones for the Armenian people. He then focused his energy on Nagorno-Karabakh. “If we lose Karabakh,” the bulletin of the Karabakh Defense Forces quoted him as saying, "we turn the final page of the Armenian history." He believed that, if Azeri forces succeeded in deporting Armenians from Karabakh, they would advance on Zangezur and other regions of Armenia. Thus, he saw the fate of Karabakh as crucial for the long-term security of the entire Armenian nation.

On September 12 (or 14) 1991 Monte travelled to the Shahumian region (north of Nagorno-Karabakh), where he fought for three months in the fall of 1991. There he participated in the capture of Erkej, Manashid and Buzlukh villages.

On February 4, 1992 Melkonian arrived in Martuni as the regional commander. Upon his arrival the changes were immediately felt: civilians started feeling more secure and at peace as Azeri armies were pushed back and were finding it increasingly difficult to shell Martuni's residential areas with GRAD missiles.

In April 1993, Melkonian was one of the chief military strategists who planned and led the operation to fight Azeri fighters and capture the region of Kalbajar of Azerbaijan which lies between the Republic of Armenia and former NKAO. Armenian forces captured the region in four days of heavy fighting, sustaining far fewer fatalities than the enemy.

Monte was killed in the abandoned Azerbaijani village of Merzili in the early afternoon of June 12, 1993 during the Battle of Aghdam. According to Markar Melkonian, Monte's older brother and author of his biography, Monte died in the waning hours of the evening by enemy fire during an unexpected skirmish that broke out with several Azerbaijani soldiers who had gotten lost. Monte died in the arms of his closest and most trusted comrades.

He was buried with military honors at the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan on June 19.

Armenian exports, re-exports to Russia grow 187%

Vardan Badalian

 10:27,

YEREVAN, JUNE 12, ARMENPRESS. Exports from Armenia to Russia grew 187% in 2022, with most of the figure comprising re-exports, Finance Minister of Armenia Vahe Hovhannisyan said Monday.

“In 2022 we had a 187% growth in exports compared to 2021 towards Russia. Re-exports make up most of it. The exports of Armenian-made products contributed by 47 percentage points,” Hovhannisyan told lawmakers at the Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Committee during debates on approving the 2022 state budget report.

Tourism grew 90,2%.

A growth in financial transfers in 2022 also contributed to dram valuation, he added.

“As a result, a 12,6% economic growth was recorded, although we had predicted 11%, while the target in 2022 was 7% in line with the government program. As a result, the nominal GDP comprises around 8,5 trillion drams, which is 1,5 trillion more compared to the 2021 factual figure,” the minister said.

In Jerusalem’s Old City, Armenian community members fear eviction over land deal.

Vardan Badalian
The Times of Israel
June 7 2023
AP & TOI

A real estate deal in Jerusalem’s Old City, at the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has sent the historic Armenian community there into a panic as residents search for answers about the feared loss of their homes to a mysterious investor.

The 99-year lease of some 25% of the Old City’s Armenian Quarter has touched sensitive nerves in the Holy Land and sparked a controversy extending far beyond the Old City walls. The fallout has forced the highest authority of the Armenian Orthodox Church to cloister himself in a convent and prompted a disgraced priest who is allegedly behind the deal to flee to a Los Angeles suburb.

“If they sell this place, they sell my heart,” Garo Nalbandian, an 80-year-old photojournalist, said of the Ottoman-era barracks where he has lived for five decades among a dwindling community of Armenians. Their ancestors came to Jerusalem over 1,500 years ago and then after 1915, when Ottoman Turks killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in what’s widely regarded as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Alarm over the lease spread in April, following a surprise visit by Israeli land surveyors. Word got around that an Australian-Israeli investor, whose company sign appeared on the site, planned to transform the parking lot and limestone fortress of Armenian apartments and shops into an ultra-luxury hotel.

As anger, confusion and fears of possible evictions mounted, the Armenian patriarchate — the body managing the community’s civil and religious affairs — acknowledged that the church had signed away the patch of land. The Armenian patriarch, Nourhan Manougian, alleged that a now-defrocked priest bore full responsibility for the “fraudulent and deceitful” deal that the patriarch said took place without his full knowledge.

The admission inflamed passions in the Armenian Quarter, where activists decried the deal as a threat to the community’s longtime presence in Jerusalem. Jordan, with its historic ties to Jerusalem’s Christian sites, said it feared for the “future of the holy city.”

Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Nourhan Manougian, and clergy members, lead the ceremony of the Washing of the Feet at the Armenian Saint James Church in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, on Maundy Thursday, during Easter week, April 28, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Palestinian officials accused Manougian of helping Israel in a decades-long battle between Israel and the Palestinians over a city that both sides claim as their capital. For Palestinians, such struggles over real estate are the centerpiece of the decades-old conflict, emblematic of what they see as a wider Israeli effort to remove them from strategic areas in East Jerusalem.

“From a Palestinian point of view, this is treason. From a peace activist point of view, this undermines possible solutions to the conflict,” said Dimitri Diliani, president of the National Christian Coalition of the Holy Land.

In a dramatic move, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II suspended recognition of Manougian, the patriarch who has served for the past decade in what is normally a lifelong position. That renders him unable to sign contracts, make transactions and make decisions in the Palestinian territories and Jordan.

The priest who coordinated the deal, Baret Yeretsian, was deposed, assaulted by a mob of angry young Armenians and whisked away by Israeli police before seeking refuge in southern California. Manougian has barricaded himself in the Armenian convent, unwilling or unable to be seen publicly, according to residents.

“This quarter is everything to me. It’s the only place we have for Armenians to gather in the Holy Land,” said 22-year-old community leader Hagop Djernazian. “We have to fight for it.”

The quarter is home to some 2,000 Armenians with the same status as Palestinians in East Jerusalem — residents who can apply for citizenship though many choose not to. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, where the Old City is located, after seizing it from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War, in a move not recognized internationally.

For the past month — most recently last Friday — protesters have formed a human chain around the quarter and gathered under Manougian’s window, shouting “traitor” and demanding that he come clean about who has leased the land and how.

Members of the Armenian community protest a contentious deal to hand over a large section of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem for a hotel project, May 19, 2023. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

While the Armenian church has refused to disclose details about the sale, Yeretsian identified the investor as Australian-Israeli businessman Danny Rothman. As the church’s real estate manager, Yeretsian said he was acting at the request of the patriarch.

There is very little information available about Rothman, who also has used the last name Rubinstein, according to a 2016 Cyprus regulatory decision fining him for falsifying his academic background.

His LinkedIn page describes him as chairman of a hotel company called Xana Capital. Records show the firm — formed in the United Arab Emirates — was registered in Israel in July 2021. Weeks later, a dozen Armenian priests raised the first alarm about a property deal being struck without their consent.

A sign recently popped up marking the Armenian parking lot as the property of Xana Capital.

Rothman, who is based in London, declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press. “I never get interviewed by the press. I’m a private person,” he said before hanging up.

The self-exiled priest, Yeretsian, said that Rothman plans to develop a high-end resort in the Armenian Quarter. The project, he added, would be managed by the One&Only hotel company based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020. The deal appears to be one of the most high-profile — and controversial — to come out of the business ties that were forged under the US-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment, citing the political sensitivity.

Kerzner International, owner of One&Only Resorts, also declined to comment. The Dubai-based company said only that it is “always exploring opportunities to grow its portfolio of ultra-luxury resorts.”

Renowned Israeli architect Moshe Safdie told the AP that Rothman would fund the project and that he would design it. Construction, he said, would start following excavations at the parking lot. It is unclear whether residents will be evicted, but the patriarchate has promised to assist any residents who are displaced.

The saga reflects the struggle over politics and real estate that has bedeviled the Holy Land for centuries.

Jewish investors in Israel and abroad long have sought to buy East Jerusalem properties. The Armenian Quarter is desirable because it abuts the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

Their goal is to expand the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem, cementing Israeli control of the part of the city claimed by Palestinians as their capital. For Jews, Jerusalem, its Old City and the Temple Mount it contains have been a centerpiece of national identity for 3,000 years and Israel sees the united city as its capital.

Scandals involving land sales to Jewish groups have previously embroiled the Greek Orthodox Church, the custodian of many Christian sites in the region.

Two decades ago, the Greek Church sold two Palestinian-run hotels in the Old City to foreign companies acting as fronts for a Jewish group. The secretive deals led to the downfall of the Greek patriarch and prompted international uproar.

Yeretsian, in California, dismissed fears of an Israeli takeover of the Armenian Quarter as “propaganda” based solely on Rothman’s Jewish identity.

“The intention was never to Judaize the place,” he said, claiming that Rothman has no political agenda. He insisted that the Armenian patriarch was fully engaged in the long-running negotiations and personally signed off on the contract.

The saga reflects the struggle over politics and real estate that has bedeviled the Holy Land for centuries.

Jewish investors in Israel and abroad long have sought to buy East Jerusalem properties. The Armenian Quarter is desirable because it abuts the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

Their goal is to expand the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem, cementing Israeli control of the part of the city claimed by Palestinians as their capital. For Jews, Jerusalem, its Old City and the Temple Mount it contains have been a centerpiece of national identity for 3,000 years and Israel sees the united city as its capital.

Scandals involving land sales to Jewish groups have previously embroiled the Greek Orthodox Church, the custodian of many Christian sites in the region.

Two decades ago, the Greek Church sold two Palestinian-run hotels in the Old City to foreign companies acting as fronts for a Jewish group. The secretive deals led to the downfall of the Greek patriarch and prompted international uproar.

Yeretsian, in California, dismissed fears of an Israeli takeover of the Armenian Quarter as “propaganda” based solely on Rothman’s Jewish identity.

“The intention was never to Judaize the place,” he said, claiming that Rothman has no political agenda. He insisted that the Armenian patriarch was fully engaged in the long-running negotiations and personally signed off on the contract.

“I did my job faithfully in the best interest of the patriarchate,” he said, declining to offer further details about the lease that he said expires after a century. The patriarchate declined to say what it would do with the money from the deal.

Community leader Hagop Djernazian poses for a portrait on the edge of a parking lot that is part of a contentious lease deal in the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, May 30, 2023. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

Meanwhile, Jerusalem’s Armenians — long ruled by foreign powers, displaced by wars and squeezed between Israelis and Palestinians — are filled with nagging dread.

“Our lands were acquired inch by inch with blood and sweat,” said 26-year-old resident Satrig Balian. “With one signature, they were given away.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-jerusalems-old-city-armenian-community-members-fear-eviction-over-land-deal/

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Pence announces U.S. presidential run: ‘Different times call for different leadership’

Vardan Badalian

 15:50, 7 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Former United States Vice President Mike Pence announced he’s running for president on Wednesday, setting up a battle for the Republican nomination with his former boss, Donald Trump, CNN reported.

In a launch video released ahead of his campaign kickoff later in the day in Iowa, Pence casts himself as a Reagan Republican seeking to return America to conservative principles.

“It would be easy to stay on the sidelines. But that’s not how I was raised,” he says in the video. “That’s why today, before God and my family, I’m announcing I’m running for president of the United States.”

After filing with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, Pence is officially launching his campaign in the early voting state of Iowa, which his team views as vital to him securing the nomination for the 2024 election. 

U.S. President Joe Biden earlier announced he will seek a second term in office.

International Community Should Pressure Baku to Stop Genocidal Threats Against Armenia, Artsakh

Vardan Badalian
by Contributor

 

 June 5, 2023

 

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

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention


The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention issued a statement calling on the international community to apply strong pressure on Baku to stop its genocidal threats against Armenia and Artsakh.

The group also voiced concern regarding what it called the international negotiators’ “blind spots” as they mediate the Armenia-Azerbaijan talks, sounding the alarm that by ignoring the right to self-determination of Artsakh, they are essentially “giving the fox the entire henhouse in reward for his predatory behavior.”

Below is the text of the statement issued on May 30.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention registers its deep concern over the glaring blind spots of international negotiators involved in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations. We implore international actors, particularly US President Biden, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to recognize the threat of genocide faced by Armenians in the South Caucasus. We further implore them to fully consider the implications of ignoring existing early warning systems and genocide prevention protocols by rewarding Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his threats against Armenia. Rewarding a dictator who has publicly threatened genocide will have long-term catastrophic implications not only for Armenians, but also for international peace and security.

This spring we have seen an internationally-brokered intensification of efforts to finalize a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The details of these negotiations have been unclear, though they do clearly include enormous concessions by Armenia to Azerbaijan – such as giving up the historically Armenian territory of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) – with little offered to Armenia in exchange, other than paper guarantees of Armenia’s already-existing legal rights: Azerbaijan’s respect for Armenia’s sovereignty, the return of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) from the 2020 conflict who are still illegally being held by Azerbaijan, and the sharing of information about the whereabouts of the disappeared. The Lemkin Institute is concerned that the major powers are cynically using threats to Armenia’s continued existence as a stick to force it to agree to very lopsided agreements. We fear that Armenia is being told that either it signs this agreement or it will face Azeri and Turkish aggression alone. The apparent international assumption that Azeri and Turkish threats will end once Armenia gives up all claims to Artsakh are baffling. Just last week President Aliyev demanded that the Armenians of Artsakh give up their representative institutions and that the leaders of Artsakh “turn themselves in” to the Azerbaijani authorities, warning them that “ [e]veryone knows that we have the necessary capabilities to launch any type of operation in this region.”

Of particular concern to the Lemkin Institute is the very real threat of genocide that is going unaddressed: Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly threatened the sovereign Republic of Armenia (even suggesting that its capital, Yerevan, is historic Azeri land) and pushing — with its ally Türkiye — for an illegal so-called “Zangezur Corridor” through Armenia’s Syunik province, which would effectively constitute an occupation of Armenian land and would cut Armenia off from direct land access to its important southern trade partner, Iran. Because of these threats — which have been coupled with the Baku regime’s endorsement of horrific and genocidal atrocities against Armenian soldiers, POWs, and civilians during the 2016 and 2020 wars — there is no reason to believe that Azerbaijan will abide by any treaty or that its expansionist ambitions will stop with Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s disrespect for international norms is blatant and consistent, as shown by its repeated breach of the 2020 Tripartite Ceasefire Agreement that ended the 2020 war.

It is imperative that the great powers negotiating this peace view their work within the context of an on-going genocidal threat to Armenian life that has existed in the region since the 19th century and particularly since the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Due to Türkiye’s active and well-funded denial of the genocide, as well as its powerful geostrategic position and the coordinated pressure that it has placed on governments, research institutions, the United Nations, NATO and NGOs, this genocidal threat has never been accounted for and the transitional justice mechanisms that could transform the current genocidal power dynamics in the region have not been implemented. Given that Türkiye actively supports Azerbaijan militarily, diplomatically, politically, and economically, and that Azerbaijan has pursued similar techniques of denial, including notorious bribery schemes as part of its “caviar diplomacy,” these peace negotiations are setting the stage for disaster.

Nevertheless, the very real existential threats being faced by Armenians are being completely ignored by peace negotiators and the press. Charles Michel, President of the European Council who hosted talks between Aliyev and Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan on May 14, affirmed afterwards that the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh will be recognized as part of Azerbaijan. He further “encouraged Azerbaijan to engage in developing a positive agenda with the aim of guaranteeing the rights and security of this population, in close cooperation with the international community” and added that he views a “need for a transparent and constructive dialogue between Baku and this population [Armenians in Artsakh].” The Lemkin Institute wonders how it is possible for the elected government of Artsakh, much less the 120,000 people who have been illegally blockaded in the territory for over five months by the Baku regime, to negotiate with a man and a government who have made anti-Armenianism and genocidal hate speech a core policy of their dictatorship.

We remind these powerful actors that their support for Baku’s claims to historic Armenian land can amount to complicity in genocide, as they are effectively acting as accomplices to the current regime in Baku, which has overseen genocidal atrocities against Armenian POWs and civilians, routinely flouts the 2020 ceasefire agreement that ended the 44-day war, still holds hostage Armenian POWs in violation of international law, has illegally blockaded the population of Artsakh for five months now, and regularly launches incursions into the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Ignoring the genocidal threats from the Aliyev regime, and its ally Türkiye, is a dangerous move and a betrayal of humanity. It will most likely set the stage for a second Armenian Genocide and spell the end of post-1945 genocide prevention efforts, which the United States in particular has made an important part of its foreign policy. Geostretegic interests must be understood within a genocide prevention framework if the world is ever to have a chance for peace and security.

The Lemkin Institute believes that, given the circumstances, the self-determination of the people of Artsakh is a form of genocide prevention in addition to a right recognized by the Charter of the United Nations and several human rights treaties and declarations, which has become part of international jus cogens. Self-determination is further a recognized right of all peoples under oppressive colonial regimes. International law implies the responsibility of third party states to promote the realization of and respect for this right. Beyond this, the people of Artsakh have a strong case for self-determination. The land and the people of Artsakh – an historic Armenian territory granted to Azerbaijan by the Soviet Union – has never before been under the governance of the state of Azerbaijan. Under the Soviets it had the status of an autonomous oblast; in the 1980s it sought separation from Azerbaijan according to the constitution of the Soviet Union; and in the 1990s it fought a painful war for its independence after an Azerbaijani invasion. From 1994 to 2020 Artsakh was governed as a semi-independent and democratic nation within a buffer zone of formerly Azerbaijani territory occupied by Artsakh Armenian forces. After the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijani forces gained control of the territories in this buffer zone as well as parts of Artsakh itself. Since December 12, 2022 Azerbaijan has been illegally blockading the people of Artsakh, who are over 99 percent Armenian.

The international community, rather than exploiting Armenia’s weakness (itself a long-term consequence of the 1915-1923 genocide), should be placing strong pressure on the Baku regime to cease its genocidal threats to Armenia and Armenians. Such pressure must include a recognition that placing Artsakh Armenians under the control of genocidal dictator Ilham Aliyev is akin to giving the fox the entire henhouse in reward for his predatory behavior. Instead of offering Aliyev a green light for genocide, international actors should be issuing targeted sanctions and using other mechanisms to contain Azerbaijan’s aggression and guarantee Armenians security in the region. Self-determination for Artsakh should be adjudicated immediately through proper international mechanisms. In the long run an independent investigatory commission into Armenian and Azeri grievances and a transitional justice process will be necessary to craft an enduring peace in the South Caucasus. But the immediate priority must be the prevention of genocide against Armenians.

PM Pashinyan meets with Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister

Vardan Badalian

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 13:42,

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén in Yerevan.

PM Pashinyan welcomed Semjén’s visit to Armenia and was pleased to note the restoration of diplomatic relations after a long suspension.

According to a readout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope that Armenia and Hungary will be able to swiftly catch up what has been missed.

Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén thanked for the warm reception and conveyed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s greetings. Semjén also attached importance to the restoration of bilateral diplomatic relations and emphasized the Hungarian government’s eagerness to develop and enhance partnership with Armenia. In this regard, he emphasized the role of the Armenian community of Hungary. 

PM Pashinyan thanked the Hungarian government for the preservation and caring attitude for the Armenian cultural heritage in Hungary.

PM Pashinyan and the Hungarian Deputy PM underscored the need to promote cooperation in the economic, tourism, culture and education sectors. Steps in direction of restoring direct flights between Yerevan and Budapest were highlighted. Deputy PM Zsolt Semjén said that the government of Hungary has initiated a scholarship program for Armenian students.

Various issues of regional and international importance were also discussed.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and stressed that the Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh are now going through a humanitarian crisis. PM Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan has cut off gas and power supply from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh, while food is supplied only through the peacekeepers. Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan’s actions are aimed at committing ethnic cleansing and genocide in Nagorno Karabakh. The Armenian Prime Minister attached importance to an adequate reaction by the international community.

Hungary’s Ambassador to Armenia Anna Mária Sikó (stationed in Georgia) presented her credentials to Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan on May 15.




PM Pashinyan, PACE’s Paul Gavan discuss Lachin Corridor

Vardan Badalian

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 14:55,

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Paul Gavan, the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Gavan is visiting Armenia as part of preparing a report on ensuring safe passage along Lachin Corridor.

Issues related to the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan were discussed, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

The Armenian Prime Minister stated that Azerbaijan has cut off gas and electricity supply from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh and food supplies are carried out only through peacekeepers. PM Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan seeks to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide in Nagorno Karabakh and called for an appropriate reaction by the international community.

International community acknowledges Armenia’s democratic achievements and government’s commitment – Pashinyan

Vardan Badalian

 12:28,

YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has presented details on the meetings he had during the 4th Council of Europe Summit.

“I can say the following, the international community acknowledges Armenia’s democratic achievements and underscores conviction towards the Armenian government’s commitment and democratic reforms. This is highly important, highly important in the logic of our foreign policy and international relations,” Pashinyan told lawmakers at a joint committee session for preliminary debates of the 2022 government budget report.

He added that transforming this factor into a higher level of welfare and security of Armenian citizens, and into a tool for ensuring security, prosperity and happiness in Armenia is a practical objective.

ANC-AU Welcomes Promotions of Armenian-Australian Supporters in New South Wales Parliament

Vardan Badalian
SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has welcomed the appointment of several parliamentary friends, who have been promoted to new positions in both the Government and Opposition following the New South Wales State Elections.

The ANC-AU has written to the following members of the NSW Parliament to congratulate their appointments by their respective parties, including:

  • Stephen Kamper, Member for Rockdale, who was appointed as the Minister for Small Business, Lands and Property, Multiculturalism and Sport;

  • Hugh McDermott, Member for Prospect, who was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General of New South Wales;

  • Mark Speakman, Member for Cronulla, who was elected as Leader of the Opposition;

  • Natalie Ward, Member for the Legislative Council, who was elected as Deputy Leader of the Opposition;

  • Damien Tudehope, Member for the Legislative Council, who was appointed as Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations;

  • Mark Coure, Member for Oatley, who was appointed as Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology and for South-Western Sydney;

  • Tim James, Member for Willoughby, who was appointed as Shadow Minister for Fair Trading, Work Health and Safety and Building;

  • Jordan Lane, newly elected Member for Ryde, who was appointed as Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Multiculturalism;

  • James Griffin, Member for Manly, who was appointed Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, and Shadow Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government.














From this list, Kamper, McDermott, Ward, Tudehope, Coure, James, Lane and Griffin are also members of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, supporting the rights to self-determination of the people of Artsakh and are advocates for Federal Australian recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian said: “The Armenian National Committee of Australia congratulates some our closest friends on their well-deserved promotions in the Government and Opposition.”

“We look forward to continuing our work with all our friends in the NSW Parliament and their colleagues who continue to promote issues of concern to Armenian-Australians,” added Kolokossian.

Following the finalisation of the NSW Election results, the ANC-AU also congratulated Premier-elect the Hon. Chris Minns on his party’s success at the polls (read more here).