Day: July 9, 2024

As the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan arrive in Washington for this week’s NATO Summit, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-chairs – Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and David Valadao (R-Calif.) – called for the Biden Administration to support Armenia’s sovereignty and withhold military aid to Azerbaijan.

“As Washington hosts the NATO Summit this week, the U.S. must ensure Azerbaijan faces consequences for its actions and is not rewarded for war crimes, human rights abuses, and the ethnic cleansing of over 120,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh,” the members said

“America must support Armenia’s sovereignty and reject Azerbaijan’s aggressive demands. This means stopping military aid to Azerbaijan and sanctioning officials responsible for abuses,” the co-chairs continued.

“As leaders gather at the NATO Summit, the Biden Administration must ensure Azerbaijan follows international laws, including returning Armenian prisoners of war, protecting cultural heritage sites, upholding the right of Armenians to return to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh under international guarantees. Accountability is crucial for lasting peace in the South Caucasus,” they concluded. 

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Iran’s newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed their country’s commitments during a telephone conversation on Tuesday.

The two leaders also agreed to meet in the near future, Pashinyan’s press secretary Nazeli Baghdasarayan said in a social media post announcing the call, during which, she said, Pashinyan again congratulated Pezeshkian on his victory.

Pezeshkian was elected Iran’s president on Friday in a runoff vote prompted by the death of the country’s former president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May along with Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Upon Pezeshkian’s election, Pashinyan issued a congratulatory message, calling for continued deepening of Armenia-Iran relations.

“Relations with the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which have been steadily developing since the declaration of Armenia’s independence, are of special importance for the government and people of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan said in the congratulatory message publicized by his office.

“Continuous deepening of warm relations between Armenia and Iran is of special importance in the context of both bilateral cooperation and regional stability and prosperity,” the Armenian leader added, expressing confidence that their two governments will implement Armenian-Iranian agreements and “launch a number of new programs.”

Pashinyan was among world leaders who attended Raisi’s funeral, on the margins of which he met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

During that meeting, Khamenei noted that the late Iranian president was “very sensitive to the border issues related to Armenia” and that “these sensitivities and cares should still be taken into consideration,” alluding to Tehran’s opposition to Azerbaijan’s scheme of establishing a land “corridor” through Armenia that would compromise Iran’s border with Armenia.

Saying Tehran and Yerevan “must be able to secure our interests on our own,” Khamenei reiterated Tehran’s concerns over Yerevan’s recent attempts to reorient Armenia toward the West.

In a related matter, Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met with the Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, on Tuesday.

Iran’s newly-appointed defense attache to Armenia, Colonel Mohammad Najafi, also attended the meeting, according to a ministry statement.

The discussion between Papikyan and the Iranian officials also touched on Armenia-Iran defense cooperation and regional security issues.

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The newly-elected Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western U.S. Central Committee, headed by its chair, Garo Madenlian, met with Western Prelate Archbishop Kegham Khacherian at the Prelacy on Monday.

The Prelate expressed his warm regards and wished the new Central Committee success in its endeavors, while the ARF leaders also congratulated the Archbishop on his recent election as Prelate of the Western U.S.

Prelacy Executive Council President Vahe Hovaguimian also welcome the newly-elected Central Committee.

During the meeting, the current challenges facing Armenians in the homeland and the Diaspora were discussed, specifically the imperative to leverage the multifaceted capabilities of the Western U.S. Armenian community in advancing the national, educational and spiritual aspirations of Armenians.

The Prelate praised the steps taken to harmonize the largest Diaspora community and emphasized the need for unity and cooperation.

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