Category: 2024

Estonia allocates more than $15 million in additional annual development aid for Ukraine

Mike Maghakian

 20:12,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS.  Estonia has allocated an additional 14 million euros ($15.2 million) in development aid for Ukraine to be disbursed annually, the Estonian media outlet ERR reported on Jan. 19, citing Mariin Ratnik, Estonia's Undersecretary for Development Aid.

Ratnik said that the bulk of the additional aid announced on Jan. 19 would be used for development through the Estonian Center for International Development (ESTDEV), while one million euros ($1.09 million) would be set aside for humanitarian aid.

Armenpress: Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs condemn dangerous rhetoric from Aliyev

Emma Jilavian

 21:16,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12), David G. Valadao (CA-21), and Adam B. Schiff (CA-30) released a statement on Thursday condemning dangerous statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his January 10 interview to local TV networks, laying claim to Armenian territory and refusing to withdraw his troops.

“President Aliyev’s most recent escalatory remarks, including his refusal to remove troops from Armenian territory, follow the same pattern he used in the build up to the ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Armenians in Artsakh last fall. He makes hostile statements, uses those claims to justify further mobilizing his military, and then takes aggressive action because he believes there will not be any consequences. The international community has sadly proven him right with its inaction over the last few years.

“It is past time we hold his regime accountable for the belligerent rhetoric and actions it has taken against Armenians in the South Caucasus. The United States and our regional partners should use every diplomatic tool, including sanctions, to help guarantee the territorial integrity of Armenia and push back against Aliyev’s blatant threats against it. We call on the State Department and our international partners to take immediate action to halt any further Azeri aggression and ensure Armenia’s safety and security,” reads the statement.

New office of the Honorary Consulate of Italy opens in Gyumri

Emil Lazarian

 20:36,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The new office of the Honorary Consulate of Italy has been opened in Gyumri.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to the Republic of Armenia Alfonso Di Rizzo, Deputy Governor of the region of Shirak Anna Martikyan, officials of the governor's office, Italy's Honorary Consul in Gyumri Massimiliano Floriani, the Honorary Consul of Germany in Gyumri Alexan Ter-Minasyan, intellectuals and guests, the Office of the Governor of Shirak said.

On behalf of the governor of Shirak Mushegh Muradyan, the deputy governor Anna Martikyan welcomed the attendees and wished the consulate effective work, emphasizing the need to deepen decentralized cooperation between the two friendly countries. Subsequently, the deputy governor and staff officials attended the 'Gran Duo Italiano' concert organized by the embassy.



Asbarez: AEF Welcomes ANCA-WR Donation for Displaced Artsakh Student Scholarships

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Community, Latest, News, Top Stories


The Armenian Education Foundation welcomed the news of a significant $20,000 contribution from the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region.

This generous donation will sponsor an additional 33 displaced Artsakh students. ANCA-WR, recognized as the largest and widely recognized Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States, actively collaborates with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters. Together, they address a broad range of concerns within the Armenian American community, including the Armenian Cause.

The funds generously provided by ANCA-WR are earmarked to contribute to AEF’s mission of empowering and supporting the educational aspirations of Armenian youth. Specifically, these funds will be utilized to provide scholarships to displaced students from Artsakh, reflecting AEF’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by those directly affected by the displacement crisis.

To date, AEF has taken significant actions in response to the displacement crisis in Artsakh. In a dedicated effort to alleviate the financial burdens on 133 students impacted by the displacement, AEF has pledged to grant scholarships, motivating these individuals to pursue their academic aspirations despite the obstacles they’ve encountered.

In addition to supporting displaced students, AEF has allocated a portion of its funds to award 50 scholarships for an IT certification program. Recognizing the increasing importance of technology in today’s world, these scholarships aim to equip individuals with valuable skills, creating new avenues for personal and professional growth.The objective is to provide educational tools that empower these students to seamlessly integrate into the workforce, thereby contributing to the Armenian economy.

Beyond scholarships, AEF extends its assistance by providing humanitarian aid to over 400 alumni, current scholarship recipients, and their families directly affected by the displacement.

This additional assistance underscores AEF’s commitment, not only to fostering educational development but also to addressing the immediate needs and challenges faced by these displaced families.

“We wish to express our deep appreciation to ANCA-WR for their unwavering support and significant contributions, specifically in advancing our shared objectives and initiatives,” said Serop Beylerian, AEF Board President.

This collaborative effort between AEF and ANCA-WR exemplifies the power of community solidarity in addressing the urgent needs arising from the displacement crisis. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on the lives of displaced students, providing hope and opportunities for a brighter future.

“As we reflect on our commitment to support the Armenian community and secure the future of the Armenian Nation, the ANCA Western Region commends the Armenian Educational Foundation for their exceptional work both in the diaspora and the homeland,” stated Nora Hovsepian, Esq., Chair of ANCA-WR.

“Their dedication to education and development in Armenian communities has been consistently demonstrated over their 74 years of service, now more crucial than ever as thousands of students from Artsakh, who, after being forced to leave their universities and find safety in Armenia, now face the unique challenge of completely re-envisioning their educational pathways. With the gravity of their plight in mind, we decided to donate a portion of our 2023 Gala proceeds to the AEF, joining hands with them in our shared endeavor to guarantee a brighter future for Armenian youth,” added Hovsepian.

The Armenian Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1950. Our goal is to provide financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions and support students of Armenian descent. Currently, AEF is offering over 1500 scholarships in Armenia and the Diaspora. Moreover, we have successfully renovated more than 200 village schools in Armenia, contributing to the improvement of the Armenian educational infrastructure. Our programs also encompass various initiatives catering to Diaspora students.

Asbarez: Yerevan Accuses Baku of ‘Challenging Armenia’s Sovereignty’

Toneyan Mark
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Foreign ministers of Armenia and Croatia, Ararat Mirzoyan and Gordan Grlić Radman, hold a joint press conference in Zagreb, Croatia on Jan. 19


Recent statements and rhetoric from Azerbaijan’s leaders continue to challenge Armenia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and the effort to achieve lasting peace in the region, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Friday while speaking to reporters in Zagreb, Croatia.

“Unfortunately, we see rhetoric and statements of the high-level Azerbaijani officials that continue to challenge the rule-based order, territorial integrity, sovereignty of Armenia and, hence, the prospects of lasting peace in the region,” Mirzoyan said during a joint press conference with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlić Radman.

In response to reporter’s question, Mirzoyan accused Azerbaijan of refusing resume the negotiations in the current existing framework.

”As I said, Armenia is engaged in negotiations with Azerbaijan in good faith and we are more than interested in establishing lasting peace in our region. We believe that this will be beneficial not only for the people of Armenia, but for the countries in the region,” Mirzoyan said.

“However,” he said, “we are seeing that our constructiveness sometimes does not meet the same constructive approach in the behavior of our neighbors.”

After highlighting Baku’s refusal to take part in the current format of negotiations, which are being facilitated by the European Union and others, Mirzoyan explained that Yerevan continues to remain interested in talks.

‘We attach importance not so much to the issue of who facilitates the negotiations, but to the principles, according to which the negotiations should continue,” the Armenian foreign minister said, explaining that for Armenia the principles include, territorial integrity, recognition of legitimate borders, inviolability of borders, respect for each other’s sovereignty.

“These are the principles, according to which, I believe, peace should be achieved. When it comes to participation of Croatia or the European Union in general, I would like to express our appreciation that the EU and Croatia has shown in ensuring security in our region along the borders,” said Mirzoyan, referring to the EU monitoring mission currently deployed in Armenia.

“We believe our partners interested in stability in the South Caucasus share the same approach, that peace requires unwavering commitment and genuine interest in lasting solutions. Armenia’s position has been very clear on possible solutions based on well-known principles and agreements. Countries should recognize each other’s territorial integrity without any ambiguity,” said Mirzoyan.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 01/19/2024

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Friday, 


Pashinian Wants New Constitution

        • Nane Sahakian

Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian chairs a meeting at the Justice 
Ministry, 


Armenia must adopt a new constitution reflecting the “new geopolitical 
environment” in the region, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said in remarks 
publicized on Friday.

“The Republic of Armenia needs a new constitution, not constitutional changes,” 
Pashinian told senior officials from the Armenian Ministry of Justice.

“We must have a constitution that will make Armenia more competitive and viable 
in the new geopolitical and regional environment,” he said.

Pashinian did not elaborate on the content of the new constitution sought by 
him, saying only that it should not change Armenia’s parliamentary system of 
government. But he emphasized the country’s “external security” and 
“internationally recognized sovereign territory” in that context.

Some Armenian analysts were quick to suggest that Pashinian is simply keen to 
fulfill more demands voiced by Azerbaijan. One of them, Tigran Grigorian, 
singled out safeguards against Armenian “revanchism” demanded by Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev in December.

A preamble to the current Armenian constitution enacted in 1995 and repeatedly 
amended afterwards makes reference to a 1990 declaration of independence adopted 
by the republic’s first post-Communist parliament. The declaration in turn 
refers to a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet 
Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. It also called for 
international recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians “in Ottoman Turkey 
and Western Armenia.”

Armenia - A copy of the 1990 Declaration of Independence.

Pashinian criticized the declaration last August, saying that it fomented the 
conflicts with Azerbaijan and Turkey and is now at odds with his “peace agenda.” 
The Armenian opposition denounced that statement as pro-Turkish and 
pro-Azerbaijani.

Pashinian said that the idea of enacting a new constitution is also supported by 
“a number of our partners.” He did not name them.

Pashinian has repeatedly called for major changes to the Armenian constitution 
during his nearly six-year rule. He has made conflicting statements about which 
articles of the constitution he believes should be amended.

Two years ago, he set up a new body tasked with coordinating the constitutional 
reform process. The body now headed by Justice Minister Grigor Minasian has 
still not drafted any constitutional amendments. Minasian said on January 8 that 
it will come up with a “concept” for constitutional reform in the next few 
months.

Pashinian’s meeting with Minasian and other Ministry of Justice officials held 
on Thursday was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian. The 
latter represents Yerevan in periodical talks with Baku on the delimitation of 
the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.




Karabakh Factions Vow To Fight For ‘Collective Repatriation’

        • Shoghik Galstian

Ethnic Armenian flee Karabakh for Armenia sitting in a truck at the Lachin 
checkpoint controlled by Russian peackeepers and Azeri border guards, September 
26, 2023.


Vartan Oskanian, a former Armenian foreign minister, has announced that he will 
lead a political committee set by Nagorno-Karabakh’s main political factions 
exiled in Armenia to campaign for the “collective repatriation” of the region’s 
displaced population.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, Oskanian said the committee will 
reveal its composition and details of its activities “in the coming days.”

“The primary mission of the Committee is to advocate for and pursue the right of 
the collective repatriation of the Artsakh people with international guarantees, 
ensuring their safe, secure and dignified resettlement in their homeland,” he 
said.

“Achieving enduring peace in the region remains unattainable when a segment of 
the Armenian people is forcefully uprooted from its homeland, and a coerced 
notion of ‘peace’ is imposed upon Armenia, with the looming threat of further 
losses,” added Oskanian, who has increasingly criticized Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian’s policy on the Karabakh conflict in recent years.

According to Davit Galstian, a leader of Karabakh’s Justice party, the committee 
was set up by the exiled Karabakh parliament in early December.

“Since no Armenian officials raise our cause in the international arena, this is 
an opportunity to prevent the Artsakh issue from being completely forgotten,” 
Galstian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Friday.

Armenia - Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian speaks at a conference of his 
ORO opposition alliance in Yerevan, 25Feb2017.

Galstian said the committee led by Oskanian should engage international actors 
that have called for the Karabakh Armenians’ safe return to their depopulated 
homeland recaptured by Azerbaijan as a result of its September military 
offensive. He did not say whether it will be ready to negotiate with the 
Azerbaijani government.

Baku has denied targeting Karabakh civilians during the two-day military 
operation or forcing them to flee the region in the following days. It has 
pledged to protect the rights of local residents willing to live under 
Azerbaijani rule. Karabakh’s leaders and ordinary residents ruled out such an 
option even before their exodus.

Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party indicated on Friday its disapproval of the 
initiative made public by Oskanian.

“I don’t believe that the repatriation is possible without a peace treaty 
[between Armenia and Azerbaijan,]” said Gevorg Papoyan, the party’s deputy 
chairman. “These are just going to be political speculations, attempts to draw 
political dividends.”

“I also won’t rule out provocations against Armenia by the fifth column,” 
Papoyan added without elaborating.

Pashinian has repeatedly indicated that the Karabakh issue is closed for his 
administration. His political allies lashed out at Samvel Shahramanian, the 
Karabakh president, late last month after he declared null and void his 
September 28 decree liquidating the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. 
Shahramanian said that he had to sign the decree in order to stop the 
Azerbaijani assault and enable the Karabakh Armenians to safely flee to Armenia.




EU Envoy Also Avoids Trip To Baku

        • Siranuysh Gevorgian

Armenia - Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian (right) meets Toivo Klaar, EU 
special representative to the South Caucasus, .


Just like a U.S. envoy, the European Union’s special representative to the South 
Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, did not proceed to Baku after holding talks with senior 
Armenian officials in Yerevan on Thursday.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process was the main focus of the talks. Klaar’s 
office told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Friday that he will not visit the 
Azerbaijani capital this time around because of the ongoing presidential 
election campaign in Azerbaijan. It downplayed this fact, saying that the 
European diplomat remains “in close touch” with Azerbaijani officials.

The U.S. envoy, Louis Bono, visited Yerevan last week to discuss continuing U.S. 
attempts to reschedule a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign 
ministers which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to host in 
Washington on November 20. Baku cancelled the meeting in protest against what it 
called pro-Armenian statements made by James O’Brien, the U.S. assistant 
secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia.

According to some Azerbaijani media outlets, Azerbaijani officials refused to 
receive Bono. The U.S. embassies in both South Caucasus nations did not deny the 
snub.

Also, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev twice withdrew from EU-mediated talks 
with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian slated for October. Aliyev’s top foreign 
policy aide said afterwards that Baku and Yerevan do not need third-party 
mediation in order to negotiate a bilateral peace treaty.

Last week, Aliyev again demanded the opening an extraterritorial corridor to 
Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia’s Syunik province and Armenian 
withdrawal from “eight Azerbaijani villages.” And he continued to dismiss 
Yerevan’s insistence on using the most recent Soviet maps to delimit the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Pashinian rejected Aliyev’s demands, saying that 
they amount to territorial claims to Armenia and undermine prospects for the 
kind of peace treaty that is backed by the EU and the U.S.

Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanian complained about Aliyev’s 
“unconstructive” remarks when he met with Klaar on Thursday. According to the 
Armenian Foreign Ministry, Kostanian also accused Baku of hampering transport 
links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2024 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Russia ready to contribute to establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Ambassador

Ani Basmajian

 11:39,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Russia is ready to maximally contribute to the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, Kopyrkin said Russia continues to “actively, decisively and consistently” work in that direction.

“I want to say that Russia is determined to maximally contribute to the process of establishing truly sustainable and fair peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the Russian Ambassador said, adding that Moscow is also willing to assist the two countries in demarcation and delimitation of the border, as well as to develop trust.

U.S. hopes Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign peace treaty recognizing each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

Zhanna Nahapetian

 11:20,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The United States hopes Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign a durable peace treaty that recognizes each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said.

“We welcome the work towards peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Miller said at a press briefing. “We support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries. We hope they will sign a durable peace treaty that recognizes such sovereignty and territorial integrity, the sooner the better. The parties have made significant progress over the past year, and we encourage them to maintain momentum building on past negotiations and conclude an agreement.”

Miller declined to give details about U.S. Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono’s meetings in Armenia last week.

Armenia and EU committed to strengthening partnership: 13th Human Rights Dialogue held in Yerevan

Jane Topchian

 12:58,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. On 18 January, the European Union and Armenia held their 13th Human Rights Dialogue in Yerevan.

“Armenia and the EU are committed to strengthening their partnership, advancing the human rights agenda, delivering tangible benefits to their citizens and building more inclusive societies,” the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia said in a press release.

This year’s dialogue focused on a wide range of topics, including gender equality and non-discrimination, freedom of assembly, freedom of _expression_ and information, electoral and constitutional reform, the rights of refugees, as well as strengthening labour rights. 

“The EU congratulated Armenia on positive developments related to human rights since the last Human Rights Dialogue in November 2022, despite the complex humanitarian challenges and the difficult security context. An important milestone was the adoption of the National Human Rights Action Plan (HRAP) 2023-2025. The participants exchanged views on the ongoing work on a new draft Armenian Gender Strategy and the draft equality law. The EU welcomed the efforts made to strengthen the rights of the child and the labour inspection system. Armenia also updated the EU on its constitutional review process and the next steps, and on further plans to improve the electoral system. 

“Commending Armenia for positive developments, the EU noted that the human rights situation in the country should further be improved, for instance regarding detention conditions, discrimination against persons with disabilities, violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, domestic violence and hate speech. Participants also discussed human rights in the law enforcement bodies and armed forces.

“The EU and Armenia discussed cooperation on issues related to human rights and fundamental freedoms in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations, the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and committed to strengthening this collaboration. The EU welcomed i.a. the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the ratification of Protocol N. 13 to the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances. The EU pledged to support capacity building on ICC rules and procedures within relevant government agencies of Armenia.

“Armenia informed the EU about the humanitarian and human rights impact of Azerbaijan’s large scale military offensive in Nagorno Karabakh in September 2023 and the subsequent forced displacement. In this regard the Parties reiterated their previously stated positions. Armenia stressed the importance of prompt implementation of the legally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice to this end. Participants discussed the efforts to address the immediate needs of over 100.000 refugees and facilitate their socio-economic inclusion, which in mid-term perspective requires significant assistance. The EU recalled the EUR 12.2 million humanitarian assistance and EUR 15 million budget support it provided, and committed to continue supporting Armenia’s long-term socio-economic resilience, including through financial and technical assistance on key areas of human rights.

“The Armenian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan. The EU delegation was headed by Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga, Head of Division in the European External Action Service.  The Human Rights Defender of Armenia Anahit Manasyan also participated in the dialogue,” reads the press release.




NATO envoy concerned over Aliyev’s latest statements about Armenia

Jhanna Virabian

 13:53,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has received Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia.

PM Pashinyan and Special Representative Colomina discussed Armenia-NATO cooperation, as well as regional and international security issues.

“The Prime Minister spoke about the security situation in the South Caucasus, the latest developments in the process of the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization of relations and the peace process in accordance with the pre-agreed, well-known principles,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

The Prime Minister and Colomina “expressed concern on the latest statements made by the President of Azerbaijan, which contradict the entire logic of the negotiations and aggravate the tension in the region.”

“In this context, the Prime Minister attached importance to the international community’s targeted reaction and need for action aimed at stability and peace in the South Caucasus,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.