THE ARMENIAN MIRRORc SPECTATOR Since 1932 Volume LXXXXI, NO. 43, Issue 4685 MAY 15, 2021 $2.00 Former President Kocharyan Looks And Acts Like New Candidate By Raffi Elliott Special to the Mirror-Spectator YEREVAN – Armenia’s second president, Robert Ko- charyan, took a further step towards formalizing his par- ticipation in upcoming snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, May 9. At a press briefing for his newly-established electoral alliance, dubbed the Armenia Bloc, the former president told reporters that he decided to return to politics to rectify what he believes are great threats to the country’s long- Russian peacekeepers arriving in Shushi last year (Sputnik photo) term security and stability allegedly caused by the cur- rent authorities. Kocharyan accuses Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of failing to provide security in Russia Vows No Letup in Karabakh Peace Efforts border regions, signing the November 9 cease-fire on un- YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Russia will keep doing its best forts to get Armenia and Azerbaijan to open their transport favourable terms, and mismanaging the economy. to ensure the full implementation of the Russian-brokered links after decades of conflict. He said a trilateral working agreement that stopped the Armenian-Azerbaijani war in group formed by the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said governments for that purpose is helping to further stabilize during a visit to Yerevan on Thursday, May 6. the situation in the Karabakh conflict zone. “We are not reducing our efforts at returning all detainees to their homes, demining, preserving cultural and religious heritage as well as launching the work of relevant interna- “We are not reducing our efforts tional organizations in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Lavrov said at returning all detainees to their homes, demining, preserving cultural and religious heritage... in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Former President Robert Kocharyan at his Yerevan rally –Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “Our goal is to establish a dignified peace,” Kocharyan said, adding that the current government is too tarnished “The success of this work will be decisive for normal- by the shame of defeat to accomplish this. izing the overall situation and laying the groundwork for This sentiment was shared by the leaders of the Arme- creative cooperation in the post-conflict period,” added nia Bloc’s two other parties. “This current government Lavrov. has done nothing but cause division in our society for He further stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan are now three years, culminating in thousands of deaths and see KOCHARYAN, page 3 Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan and Russian also engaged in a demarcation and delimitation of their Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov internationally recognized border. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other Armenian officials have repeatedly after talks with his Armenian counterpart Ara Ayvazyan. made statements to the contrary. Ümit Kurt Discusses Economic Gains In that context, he stressed the importance of Russian ef- see PEACEKEEPERS, page 2 Of Genocide for Ottoman Authorities By Harry Kezelian BELMONT, Mass. — On Mirror-Spectator Staff April 20, the Armenian Cen- ter at Columbia University, Lithuania (2005), Latvia the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) with the co-sponsorship of the (2021), and Estonia Research Institute on Turkey offered a fascinating The Baltic Recognition of the Armenian Genocide lecture by Dr. Ümit Kurt bringing to light some of the economic aspects of the Armenian Genocide. By Haykaram Nahapetyan Kurt discussed his recent book, The Armenians of Mirror-Spectator Video Correspondent Aintab: The Economics of Genocide in the Ottoman RIGA, Latvia — In 2005, the year of the 90th anniver- Empire. sary of the Armenian Genocide, five countries recognized From the beginning of the talk, Kurt, a native of the Armenian Genocide, with Lithuania being the last one. Gaziantep (Aintab), showed himself an engaging The parliament of this European state near the shores of the speaker who captures the attention of his audience Baltic Sea adopted a resolution shortly before the end of the with his energy and interest on the subject. His year. Forty-eight deputies of the Seimas (parliament) voted sympathies with the Armenian people are clear; see BALTICS, page 4 Latvia’s Conservative Party commemorates see LECTURE, page 13 the Armenian Genocide NEW YORK BERLIN CALIFORNIA Knights Cultural Roots Beverly Hills Film Commemorate of Armenian Festival Awards Genocide at Identity ““Bloodless”” Golden Times Square Palm Award Page 11 Page 5 Page 12 2 SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-SPECTATOR ARMENIA NEWS from ARMENIA Karabakh: Azerbaijan Parliament Votes to Dissolve Itself on May 10, Paving Using Gravestones to Build a Road to Shushi Way for Fresh Elections in Late June STEPANAKERT (PanARME- YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia’s constitution stipu- cessful 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan. Like virtually all Ar- NIAN.Net) — Azerbaijanis are lates that such elections can be held only if the prime minis- menian opposition leaders, the ex-presidents hold Pashinyan using gravestones for the construc- ter resigns and the parliament twice fails to elect a new head responsible for the outcome of the second war stopped by a tion of a road, Nagorno-Karabakh of the government within two weeks. Prime Minister Nikol Russian-mediated truce accord last November. (Artsakh) Foreign Minister David Pashinyan and his cabinet formally stepped down for that Another former president, Levon Ter-Petrosian, charged Babayan has said, Sputnik Armenia purpose on April 25. last week that Pashinyan and his political team have “failed reported on May 10. Deputies representing the parliament’s pro-government in all areas.” “They are building roads from majority did not reelect him or install another premier when Pashinyan scoffed at such claims. “We take many things Hadrut through [the village of] they first voted on May 3. They made sure that the second for granted,” he said. “After that catastrophe [of November Karin Tak to Shushi. They are vote yields the same result. 2020] not a single gunshot has been fired in Armenia. Do you building a large road with a width This means that the National Assembly will be automati- realize what this means? Could this have happened under a of 40 meters,” Babayan said. Ac- cally dissolved. It will formally retain its legislative powers government that has failed in all areas of governance?” cording to him, during construction pending the election of a new parliament next month. The prime minister also said that unlike their predecessors Azerbaijanis destroy gravestones The two opposition parties represented in the outgoing leg- he and other senior Armenian officials have not enriched and use them to build the road. He islature agreed to this scenario during talks with Pashinyan themselves by sharing in the profits of lucrative businesses. described the practice as vandal- held earlier this spring. Taguhi Tovmasyan, an independent lawmaker who left the ism. Pashinyan first expressed readiness to hold early elections ruling My Step bloc in November, countered that none of the Both during and after the war in in December amid angry anti-government protests triggered country’s former rulers has been convicted or even accused Nagorno-Karabakh in fall 2020, by Armenia’s defeat in a six-week war with Azerbaijan. The of such corrupt practices under the current authorities. Azerbaijanis repeatedly committed Armenian opposition blamed him for the defeat and demand- “Who and what has benefited from whose business?” acts of vandalism against Arme- ed that he hand over power to an interim government. Tovmasyan asked. “And how have they been punished in the nian cemeteries and cultural mon- Pashinyan and his My Step bloc stated on February 7 that post-revolution Armenia for the sake of restoring justice?” uments. they see no need for snap polls because of what they called Calls for Alliance of Former Leaders a lack of “public demand.” A coalition of opposition parties Ter-Petrosian defended on Friday his public calls for Ar- resumed street protests in Yerevan on February 20. menia’s two other former presidents to form an electoral al- Pashinyan: Turkey Is Five days later, the Armenian military’s top brass issued liance with him and jointly try to oust Prime Minister Nikol Our Enemy but Enmity a statement accusing Pashinyan’s government of misrule Pashinyan’s “criminal and nation-destroying regime.” Must Be Managed and incompetence and demanding its resignation. The prime Ter-Petrosian revealed on Wednesday, May 5, that he minister rejected the demand as a coup attempt. He went on floated the idea at a March 25 meeting with the two. He said YEREVAN (PanArmenian.net) to announce on March 18 that the snap polls will take place Kocharyan rejected it out of hand while Sargsyan “did not — Acting Prime Minister Nikol after all. express any opinion.” He said he is “publicly repeating my Pashinyan said in parliament on Pashinyan defended his track record on Monday, saying proposal” because he believes Pashinyan’s reelection would May 10, that “Turkey is our enemy that his administration has achieved the key aim of the “vel- spell further trouble for Armenia. but that enmity must be managed.” vet revolution” that brought him to power three years ago. Both ex-presidents swiftly turned down the proposal, say- “That’s a historical fact. Turkey “I regard what I just said as our biggest achievement: the ing that they are planning to enter other alliances ahead of the is both our enemy and our neigh- citizens of the Republic of Armenia feel that they are the snap parliamentary elections expected in June. bor,” Pashinyan said from the par- masters of our country. At the end of the day, this is what the Ter-Petrosian’s readiness to team up with the two other liament floor. “That enmity must nonviolent, Velvet Revolution of 2018 was done for and that ex-presidents is remarkable given the long history of mutu- be managed, because if it boils on, goal has been achieved,” he said, speaking in the parliament.