Category: 2023

Los Angeles names intersection in front of Azerbaijan consulate to protest blockade of Artsakh

Raffi Khondkarian
Los Angeles – May 29 2023

by: Travis Schlepp

The Los Angeles City Council earlier this month unanimously approved a measure to rename an intersection in Brentwood where the consulate of Azerbaijan is located.

The intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue was designated “Republic of Artsakh Square,” named after the breakaway region of the dictatorship that has ethnic and historical ties to neighboring Armenia.

In December 2022, Azerbaijan instituted a blockade on the Republic of Artsakh, threatening the lives of thousands of people who call the region home.

The renaming of the intersection is a symbolic gesture from the City Council to protest the blockade and the Azerbaijan government, which city officials say has a “long and sordid history” of war crimes, threats of genocide and violating international law and breaching internationally recognized borders.

The proposal to rename the intersection was drafted by Council President Paul Krekorian, who was the first Armenian American elected to the city council in Los Angeles.

“Azerbaijan’s dictator has explicitly threatened genocide and called for the expulsion of all Armenians from territories he claims, once again threatening the annihilation of the Armenian people in their ancient homeland,” Krekorian said in a news release. “We have taken this action to affirm the solidarity of the people of Los Angeles with the indigenous people of Artsakh who struggle to maintain their tiny democracy in the face of oppression, violence and expansionist threats from Azerbaijan.”

Los Angeles is home to one of the largest populations of ethnic Armenians outside of Armenia, and the Republic of Artsakh is considered to be of extreme importance to the Armenian population located thousands of miles away.

Council member Traci Park co-authored the motion to designate the intersection as Republic of Artsakh Square. The intersection is located within Park’s council district, and she hopes the honor will “stand as a symbol of Artsakh’s self-determination and our unequivocal opposition to the Azerbaijani dictatorship’s unprovoked aggression to erase Armenian history and culture.”

The Republic of Artsakh was formerly known as the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. However, it’s recognized by the majority of the international community, including the United States, as part of Azerbaijan. California, however, has independently recognized the Republic of Artsakh since 2014.

A view of an Azerbaijani checkpoint recently set up at the entry of the Lachin corridor, the Armenian-populated breakaway Artsakh region’s only land link with Armenia, by a bridge across the Hakari river on May 2, 2023. (Getty Images)

Its autonomy has been the subject of global conflict for decades, with Artsakh receiving support from Armenia to the west, while its existence is ignored and disputed by Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the region, which resulted in thousands of deaths. In 2020, Moscow brokered a ceasefire and posted “peacekeepers” along the Lachin corridor.

The conflict has intensified in recent months due to the ongoing blockade. The Lachin corridor is a thin mountainous roadway which is the only artery between Armenia and Artsakh. Azerbaijan has set up checkpoints along the corridor with the backing of Russia.

As part of the dedication, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation was directed to erect permanent signage to identify the intersection as Republic of Artsakh Square.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/los-angeles-names-intersection-in-front-of-azerbaijan-consulate-to-protest-blockade-of-artsakh/

$1 billion of foreign investments in Armenia: PR ploy or real growth?

Emil Lazarian
May 30 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

“For the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investment amounted to about $1 billion, which is 5.13 percent of our GDP, ” Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said, commenting on last year’s figures.

He also talked about the need for multilateral and diversified economic relations with different countries. He said that in the near future Armenia will appoint trade representatives in China, Germany and the United States.

Economist Atom Margaryan regarded the minister’s announcement of direct investment as manipulation, which experts will not take seriously. Talking about the possible appointment of trade representatives, the expert recalled that in the embassies “there were and still are those holding similar positions, so there is nothing new in this.”

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Vahan Kerobyan stated:

“In terms of foreign direct investment-GDP, the government planned to reach 6 percent, and in terms of investment-GDP, 25 percent.”

According to interim data, the second figure is already 21.7%, and since the final data are usually “significantly higher than the intermediate”, the minister believes that the government managed to “get close enough to the target”.

Kerobyan says that if the investment-to-GDP ratio reaches 25 percent, it will mean that the transition from consumption-based economic growth to investment-based growth has been achieved.

According to Kerobyan, the goal of this undertaking is to increase trade with China, Germany and the United States. He said that now Armenia has trade representatives in Iran and the World Trade Organization. The Minister explained the importance of this step by the example of Iran — a trade representative was appointed two years ago, and trade has doubled during this time.

Talking about future plans, he stated that the Armenian government intends to diversify trade and economic areas, work more with the Arab, European and American markets.

Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan maintains any such activity was an isolated incident

Economist Atom Margaryan says the figures announced by the minister will surprise no one. In contrast, he recalled that the dollar has depreciated, the dram has strengthened, and inflation has recorded an “unprecedented jump”. Margaryan asks how many jobs have been added with a billion investments and in which industries:

“Yes, it is possible that the treasury received money from the mining industry, casinos, offshore companies and Russian capital, escaping in the pockets of deserters from the Russian Federation. But the question arises: which high-tech industries have strengthened, expanded and, most importantly, created added value and increased prosperity?”

According to Margaryan, the announcement is just a PR move.

“It seems to the government that the more the numbers are inflated, the easier it will be for people to forget what is happening at the borders, what is happening in Artsakh. Have them present, in order, what high-yielding jobs have been created and in what area, the entities receiving or making these investments, and what trajectory they have created.”

Margaryan warns that there are investments that could be dangerous for the country and gives the example of the mining industry and the environmental consequences of its activities. “Non-positive” investments also include investments in the gaming business. To solve current problems, he speaks of the need for investment in the military industry.

Margaryan notes that in the case of the declared volumes of investments, the country’s public debt is illogical:

“If so much money came from private sources, then why did our country’s public debt increase by 1 billion every year and today it is about 11 billion? It would be nice if high-ranking officials explained this paradox.”

Commenting on the intention to appoint trade representatives of Armenia in China, Germany and the United States, Margaryan says that the public administration system is already excessively inflated and it is not worth increasing jobs in this way:

“These are also budgetary expenses – several people with families, from young to old, will have a good time in these countries.“

https://jam-news.net/foreign-investments-in-armenia/

CSI launches social media campaign for Armenians threatened by genocide

Nyrie Kalashian
May 30 2023

As Azerbaijan tightens noose around Armenians, “The Cost of Silence” campaign seeks to mobilize support

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, May 30, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Human rights group Christian Solidarity International is launching a month-long social media campaign, entitled “The Cost of Silence,” on Tuesday, May 30, to highlight the growing threat of genocide faced by Armenian Christians in Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia.

The campaign grew out of a fact-finding mission to southern Armenia in late March this year. A CSI team traveled to several villages on the tense Armenia-Azerbaijan border, where they were able to meet with Armenian families displaced from Karabakh by Azerbaijan’s 2020 invasion and ethnic cleansing campaign, as well as survivors of Azerbaijan’s 2022 assault on the Republic of Armenia.

The night before the CSI team arrived in the region, Azerbaijani forces occupied 110 hectares of Armenian farmland nearby. Two weeks after their visit, on April 11 the same villages they visited were bombarded by the Azerbaijani military.

“The Cost of Silence” seeks to share the stories of these Armenians with a wide audience. People who interact with the campaign will have the opportunity to sign a pledge of solidarity with Armenian Christians under attack, calling on their governments to do everything in their power to break Azerbaijan’s siege. They will also be directed to a range of advocacy resources to take action on behalf of the Armenians.

The region of Nagorno Karabakh, where 120,000 Armenian Christians live, has been under siege by the dictatorship of Azerbaijan since December 12. Azerbaijan has blocked the only road connecting the region to the Republic of Armenia, and thus to the rest of the world. It has also cut gas and electricity lines into the region. A humanitarian disaster is in the making.

In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale war against Nagorno Karabakh, killing thousands, driving tens of thousands of Armenians out of their homes, and committing numerous war crimes against civilians and captured soldiers. In September 2022, Azerbaijan launched a two-day assault on the Republic of Armenia itself.

Azerbaijan’s dictator, Ilham Aliyev, has referred to Armenians as “dogs,” “rats,” and “humanoid creatures,” and pledged to “drive them out of our lands” – which according to Aliyev, includes not only Nagorno Karabakh, but nearly all of the Republic of Armenia itself.

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) and other human rights organizations have issued a Genocide Warning for Armenian Christians in Nagorno Karabakh.
CSI’s campaign webpage for “The Cost of Silence” can be visited at: www.csi-int.org/campaigns/karabakh/the-cost-of-silence/

Contact: Joel Veldkamp | [email protected]

CSI is an interconfessional Christian human rights organization, campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity.

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
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CSI's Joel Veldkamp discusses the looming threat of potential genocide in Armenia.

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/636409504/csi-launches-social-media-campaign-for-armenians-threatened-by-genocide

Armenpress: US ‘pleased to see’ that talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue

Kevo Kalantarian

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 09:37, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The United States said on Tuesday it was pleased to see that negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement ahead of the June 1 EU-mediated Armenia-Azerbaijan summit in Chisinau, expressing hope that the meeting will be productive.

“We are pleased to see that talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have continued. As Secretary Blinken said, peace is achievable in the South Caucasus.  We recently expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Pashinyan’s commitment to peace, and we welcome President Aliyev’s recent remarks on consideration of amnesty. Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders will meet later this week in Chisinau with our European partners, and we hope that will be a productive step to resolving these issues at the negotiating table and not through violence.  Aggressive rhetoric can only perpetuate the violence of the past; constructive dialogue—both public and private—can create peace, opportunity, and hope.  The United States stands ready to support the efforts of both parties to conclude a durable and dignified peace agreement,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

North Korea says satellite launch fails, plans to try again

Aram Torosian

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 10:14, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. A North Korean satellite launch on Wednesday ended in failure, sending the booster and payload plunging into the sea, North Korean state media said, and the South's military said it had recovered parts of the launch vehicle, Reuters reports.

The new "Chollima-1" satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, Reuters reported citing North Korean state news agency KCNA.

The flight was the North Korea's sixth satellite launch attempt, and the first since 2016. It was supposed to put North Korea's first spy satellite in orbit.

It prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan. The notices were withdrawn with no danger or damage reported.

The rocket plunged into the sea "after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine," KCNA reported.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said North Korea's rocket disappeared from radar above the Yellow Sea and did not make it into space, and added the government had no further information to share now.

"We strongly condemn North Korea's actions," he said. Tokyo lodged a complaint to Pyongyang through diplomatic channels in Beijing, he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the satellite launch, a spokesperson said.

He said any launch by Pyongyang using ballistic missile technology was contrary to U.N. Security Council resolutions.

KCNA reported that Pyongyang plans to carry out a second launch as soon as possible.

World Challenge Cups viewed as exploratory tournaments, says head coach

Kevo Kalantarian

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 10:41, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The head coach of the Armenian national gymnastics team says the World Challenge Cups serve as an “exploratory” tournament for Armenian athletes.

“It was important to participate in the World Challenge Cup to see how much Artur Davtyan will score in the all-around, because at the World Championships we are going to seek to qualify for the Olympic Games in the all-around. The World Challenge Cups are exploratory tournaments for the team,” Head Coach Hakob Serobyan told ARMENPRESS.

He praised the result of his team in the World Challenge Cup in Bulgaria, where Artur Davtyan won 1 gold, 2 bronze, while Artur Avetisyan won 1 gold.

Olympic bronze medalist, World and European Champion Artur Davtyan has most chances of winning a ticket to the Olympic Games with results of the World Championship, Serobyan added.

Democracy is Armenia’s main trademark, says Pashinyan

Vanyan Gary

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 11:02, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Democracy is Armenia’s main trademark, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Armenian Forum for Democracy.

Pashinyan noted that internet, press and elections are free in Armenia.

“When the non-violent velvet revolution took place in 2018, and we were saying that democracy is Armenia’s main trademark, many where doubting this, because they were saying that the government doesn’t need to limit freedoms in conditions of post-revolutionary euphoria. But the fact that the Armenian Forum for Democracy was held for the first time in 2022 and not in 2019 speaks volumes, because when we were emphasizing the free snap parliamentary elections held in 2018, this was being questioned as well, asking what kind of elections would’ve taken place if conditions were different,” Pashinyan said, adding that elections were held in different conditions as well – the 2021 snap election of parliament after the Second Nagorno Karabakh War – and the elections were again free and democratic.

The fact that democracy is Armenia’s main trademark is a conscious political course by the Armenian government and people, and not a result of coincidence.

Prime Minister Pashinyan underscored that many serious institutional reforms are still in process, and upon completion the reforms should bring higher levels of human rights protection, rule of law and anti-corruption policy.

Furthermore, the Armenian PM stated that the high economic growth registered in Armenia today is the result of economic freedoms, among others.

There are no internal threats to democracy in Armenia, Pashinyan added. He said that all possible threats are foreign threats, well-known and visible to everyone. Pashinyan said that it is important to prove that democracy is capable of ensuring security as well.

Democracy will continue to be Armenia’s main trademark. Pashinyan expressed hope that high economic growth and peace will be the country’s supporting brands. The unity of democracy, economic growth and peace must serve the goal. “We are talking about freedoms, but freedom isn’t the final goal in itself, freedom is the method of ensuring the welfare and happiness of people. This is the highest goal we’ve set before us, our objective is for people to be prosperous, protected, happy, able to do what they like to do and thus ensure their own prosperity and also the country’s prosperity. Certainly, democracy is a necessary albeit insufficient condition for this, and we must ensure the remaining institutional conditions as well, in order for this vision to become reality,” Pashinyan said.

Lack of democracy had been used to conceal truth about Nagorno Karabakh conflict, says Pashinyan

Emil Lazarian

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 11:37, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The lack of democracy in Armenia had been used as an instrument to cover up the truth about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

“The absence of democracy or the attitude towards democracy in Armenia had served as an instrument to prevent us from knowing the truth about the Karabakh issue. Of course I don’t want to spark a political debate, but the model that only a few people have expert-level knowledge on the Karabakh issue is the clearest evidence for that. This is the biggest problem that we have faced,” Pashinyan said at the Armenian Forum for Democracy.

Pashinyan added that now, in conditions of democracy, they are learning new information about the Nagorno Karabakh issue, decrypting new meanings and subtexts of well-known words.

Relatively stable on north-eastern border, says Commander of 3rd Army Corps

Kevo Kalantarian

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 11:57, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Commander of the 3rd Army Corps of the Armenian Armed Forces, Colonel Alexander Tsakanyan, has presented the tactical situation on the north-eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the level of combat readiness and morale of his troops.

“The adversary’s combat positions in the north-eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border are deployed at various distances, starting from 480 meters up to 1700 meters. In conditions of the ongoing situation the operational-tactical situation is assessed to be relatively stable. No ceasefire violations by the adversary have been recorded as such; the adversary is mostly engaged in daily on-duty combat shift. The population in the adversary’s border towns is engaged in everyday life. No tactical-significance work of terrain or territory is being implemented and as of this moment no signs of preparations for combat actions have been recorded,” Tsakanyan told reporters.

All military bases under the 3rd Army Corps are engaged in daily service.

“Combat shifts are under everyday supervision, training is conducted as planned, taking into account the existing challenges, we are carrying out individual training and integration of units on a daily basis, and we are also organizing respective military exercises, trainings for maintaining combat readiness,” Tsakanyan added.

He said that the troops, including himself, are looking forward and training for the upcoming certification process that has been introduced in the military. The Commander highlighted the certification process, stressing that a trained soldier and a professional commander are of primary role and significance for Armenia in the present days.

The overall morale is stable and the troops are ready to fulfill their objectives.

“Our main goal is to ensure the protection of our state and people, as well as military security, in our area of responsibility,” Tsakanyan said.

Karen Khachatryan