Armenian News... A Topalian... - 14 editorials

BBC World SErvice

Sat 9 Feb 2019

at 19:06 UK time 

World Questions

Armenian politicians and a live audience discuss the country's recent "velvet" revolution and the challenges that lie ahead.

World Questions visits Armenia at a crucial time in the country’s history. Following a popular and peaceful uprising last year, the country’s new Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, won over 70 per cent of the vote at recent elections. He says his political bloc will now lead an economic revolution that will help pull many of its people out of poverty. How will the new government deliver this transformation? Will it balance growth and investment with environmental concerns? And what will drive Armenia’s foreign policy goals?

The BBC’s Jonny Dymond will be joined by a panel of leading Armenian politicians and thinkers in a debate, in English, led by questions from a public audience at the American University in Yerevan.

The panel:

Arevik Anapiosyan: Deputy Minister of Education and Sciences

Mane Tandilyan: Deputy at the National Assembly, Bright Armenia Party 

Maria Titizian: Editor of EVN Report

Ara Tadevosyan: Director of Mediamax

Producer: Helen Towner

This programme will be available shortly after broadcast

Yerevan

World Questions

Armenian politicians and a live audience discuss the country's recent "velvet" revolution and the challenges that lie ahead.

Armenpress.am

2 February, 2019

Artsakh reports 200 ceasefire breaches by Azerbaijan in one week

Artsakh’s Defense Ministry says Azerbaijan has breached the ceasefire at the Line of Contact over 200 times in the period from January 27 until February 2.

Azerbaijani armed forces fired a total of more than 1300 rounds at Artsakh’s positions during the ceasefire violations, according to the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh.

The Artsakh’s military said they are in full control of the “tactical-strategic situation and continue taking necessary steps for the reliable protection of combat positions.”

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress.am

31 January, 2019

Armenian Prime Minister’s Office to have Ambassador-at-large for relations with Diaspora

Armenian Prime Minister’s Office will have Ambassador-at-large for relations with Diaspora, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in a meeting with the Armenian community in Cologne, answering the questions of the representatives of the Armenian community, reports the correspondent of ARMENPRESS from Germany.

The PM noted that the functions of the Ministry of Diaspora should be redistributed.

“For example, the Ministry of Diaspora sent textbooks for the Armenian schools in Diaspora, but the Ministry of Education and Science carried out the training of the teachers. And we often had the situation when the teachers are trained in the sidelines of the program of one ministry, but receive the textbooks from another ministry”, Pashinyan said, adding that this makes the works of the ministries not so effective.

“Our goal for the optimization of the Government is the following – one body should be engaged in one function”, Nikol Pashinyan said, noting that the functions of the Ministry of Diaspora should be redistributed.

“Our vision is the following – the Ambassador-at-large will have nothing else to do but to sum up issues related to the Diaspora, presenting proposals for solutions and implement those solutions with the support of the Prime Minister”, Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Asbarez.com

5 February 2019

Diaspora Survey Provides a Snapshot of Armenians In 21st Century

LONDON—More than 1,000 Armenians in four cities in the Diaspora took part in a first ever survey led by a team of academics, researchers and experts. This pilot phase of an ongoing larger project aims to provide a snapshot of the contemporary Diaspora.

The Armenian Diaspora Survey (ADS) is a new initiative launched and funded by the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and carried out under the auspices of the Armenian Institute in London.

“We have initiated this study to fill a critical gap in our knowledge of the Diaspora, to have evidence-based understanding of the multilayered and diverse aspects of diasporic life in our times,” said Dr. Razmik Panossian, Director of Gulbenkian Foundation’s Armenian Communities Department.

In May and June 2018 four teams conducted the survey and interviews in Boston, Cairo, Marseille and Pasadena. These cities were chosen to provide variety for the initial phase, as well as for their community history and characteristics. A set of other cities are in the process of selection for survey this year.

“We asked people about their thoughts on identity and related issues of belonging as Armenians and as citizens of different states,” explained Dr. Susan Pattie, who led the pilot project. An international advisory committee, a dedicated team and 12 field work researchers were involved in the project, which took about 18 months to develop the methodology, research tools, fieldwork preparations, survey administration and data processing.

ADS aims to provide a snapshot of the contemporary Diaspora

For institutional and community leaders in the Diaspora, as well as policy-makers in Armenia, ADS provides valuable research-based information as to what the issues and thinking in the Armenian communities are today and how to serve their needs.

The data and the knowledge gained from the survey will be available to scholars as a resource for further research.

Some initial findings stand out in the first stage of the research. These are only preliminary results from the pilot phase of the survey in four cities.

The overwhelming majority of the respondents consider the continuation of the Armenian diaspora as important and meaningful space—94 percent marked as “fairly” to “very” important. Along these lines, 84 percent of respondents thought it was important to help diaspora communities in the Middle East. This is significant as traditionally the Genocide and the Republic of Armenia have been the focus of funding, study or discourse in the Diaspora. The respondents showed interest in all of these, but considered the diaspora equally important. Armenia is “fairly” and “very” important to 90% of respondents and 75 percent have visited the country at least once, while 93 percent intend to visit.

Respondents said that Armenian language, history and religion were important to themselves and to Armenian identity generally—but variations appeared between the cities and further questions revealed broad variations in practice.

Even as ADS respondents in the four cities seem to be more active than perhaps a broader population of Armenians, 73 percent claimed no active affiliation with any Armenian political organization. However a majority said they were active in other Armenian organizations such as the AGBU, Hamazkayin and others.

Predictably, Christianity is considered an important part of Armenian identity—for Apostolic, Evangelical and Catholic respondents across the four communities. While only 14-16% attended church weekly or monthly, 70 percent felt it is important to be married in an Armenian church. Some 43 percent of respondents felt that women should be ordained in Armenian churches, while 30% had no opinion on the matter.

“Armenians in each community expressed the need to be listened to. They welcomed the opportunity to discuss their experiences, expectations and hopes as individuals and as Armenians,” explained Dr. Pattie. Many ways of being Armenian were reflected in the responses and for those who took part. “Expressing this diversity within a common bond was most important,” Dr. Pattie added.

The survey will continue in 2019 with a new set of selected cities. In the meantime, the results of the pilot survey are being studies and analyzed, which will be shared with the public and will be made easily accessible in the coming months

Panorama, Armenia

Feb 5 2019

Armenia’s resident population dwindles to 2,965,100 people

Armenia’s resident population dwindled by 7,600 people to 2, 965,100  people as of January 1, 2019 as opposed to January 1, 2018, according to the latest numbers, released by the National Statistical Committee (NSC).

The NSC attributed the drop in resident population to the excess of the negative migration balance, which was 18,500 people, over the natural population growth, which was 10,900 people.

According to the NSC, the negative migration balance for the year decreased from 13,400 to 7,600 people, while the natural increase grew from 10,600 to 10,900 people.

In 2018, the number of children born in the country decreased by 3.1% to 36,502. At the same time, the number of deaths decreased by 5.5% to 25,645.

The number of urban population as of January 1, 2019 stood at 1,894,500 (a decline of 1,300). In Yerevan it was 1,080,100 people and in rural areas, the population decreased by 6,300 to 1,070,600 people. -0-

ARKA, Armenia

Feb 5 2019

Armenia, Karabakh left among free countries in Freedom House’s 2019 report

Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world, has included Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh in the group of partly free countries. 

In its report Freedom in the World – 2019, the organization assesses things related to fundamental freedoms and ordinary citizens’ rights in 195 independent countries and 15 disputable territories. The worst result is 0 and the best result is 100 points. 

Armenia scored 51 points, and Nagorno Karabakh, which is among disputable territories, 31 points. 

There is also assessment the level of political rights and civil liberties in the report, which are rated 1 to 7 points, where 1 is the indicator of the maximum freedom and 7 is that of the minimum freedom.  Armenia received 4 points here, and Nagorno Karabakh 5. 

Of the former Soviet republics, Georgia (63 points), Kyrgyzstan (38), Ukraine (60) and Moldova (58) are in the row of partly free countries, along with Armenia. 

Kazakhstan (22), Russia (20), Belarus (19), Azerbaijan (1), Tajikistan (9), Uzbekistan (9) and Turkmenistan (2) are qualified as not free countries. Iran (18) and Turkey (31) are in the category of not free countries as well. 

Finland, Norway and Sweden, with their 100 each, as well as Canada, with 99, Uruguay, with 98, and Denmark, with 97, are topping the Freedom House’s ranking, while Tibet (1 point), South Sudan (2) and North Korea (3) are in the tale of the ranking. 

Syria scored 0 points. 

JAM News

Feb 1 2019

Armenia buys four of Russia’s newest fighter jets

Russia sold the aircraft at domestic prices, not export prices. The exact price was not announced

Yerevan and Moscow have signed a contract for the purchase of four Su-30SM multi-role fighters – the Armenian Armed Forces will receive the aircraft in 2020.

Details of the deal 

The Armenian Armed Forces will receive new aircraft rather than second-hand aircraft for the first time in many years.

Russia sold the fighters on the cheap: in addition to the fact that Russia recently gave Armenia a loan of $100 million, Armenia received the airplanes at domestic Russian prices, rather than at export prices.

The concessions to Armenia were made given it is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), acting under the auspices of Russia:

“Despite the fact that the contract is commercial and the purchase is carried out at the expense of credit funds issued by [Russia], the cost of each [aircraft] for the Armenian air force will be as much as they cost for the armed forces of the Russian Federation. To Russia, such conditions look like a real gift.

“In fact, this is the first contract concluded with the Armenian Defense Ministry under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It was important for us to confirm the strength of our position with our ally in the CSTO,” Kommersant reported, citing a top figure of the Russian aviation industry.

The Armenian Ministry of Defence has not specified the cost of the deal.

Back in 2012, Moscow and Yerevan signed a contract, according to which Armenia was to receive at least 12 fighters. However, that agreement never entered into force due to financial problems in Armenia.

Why does Armenia need Su-30s? 

Military observer Leonid Nersisyan notes that this will be the first appearance of military aircraft in Armenia.

“Warplanes become more and more outdated every year. In this light, it would be very convenient and logical to replace the existing machines with these Su-30SMs … The shock capabilities of the Su-30SM, including the use of Kh-58E anti-radar missiles, make it possible to effectively fight against the air defense of Azerbaijan, especially since the Armenian arsenal also has the Iskander missile system, which can also be used for these tasks.

“On the whole, the appearance of the Su-30SM fighters in service with the Armenian armed forces will markedly increase the offensive capabilities … as well as jeopardize Azerbaijan’s strategic oil and gas infrastructure.”

JAM News

Feb 5 2019

Armenia takes yet another look at changing its national anthem

The latest proposal is for the country to revert to its Soviet-time anthem

The vice-speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, has proposed adopting a different national anthem.

This is not the first time the issue has been discussed in the country, nor has the current proposal evaded simultaneous public support and displeasure.

 

Why should the anthem be changed? 

Simonyan claims that most people in the country do not like the current anthem.

“If not today, then in the future it should be changed,” he says.

The current national anthem of Armenia

The current national anthem of Armenia – Our Homeland – was adopted in 1991. It is based on Mikael Nalbandyan’s poem The Song of an Italian Girl, and was written by Barsegh Kanachyan.

Competition for a new anthem after constitutional changes

The issue of changing the anthem was officially discussed in 2005, after which a referendum on constitutional amendments was held. According to the constitution, after amendments to the basic law of the country enter into force, the National Assembly should establish a law regarding the anthem of the Republic of Armenia within one year. In this regard, a competition was held, for which 85 applications were submitted.

Five anthems were chosen during the second qualifying round: Tigran Mansuryan to the verses of Yeghishe Charents, Robert Amirkhanyan to the text of Ludwig Duryan, Yervand Yerznkyan to the text of the poet, speaking under the pseudonym Ararat B., Edgar Hovhannisyan to the poems of Vahagn Davtyan. The idea of reverting back to Armenia’s Soviet-time anthem, with music by Aram Khachaturian and words by Armen Soghomonyan, was also considered.

The ‘Our Homeland’ anthem of the Second Republic won and was adopted after independence was proclaimed in 1991.

Anthem by Charles Aznavour

In 2017, the issue of changing the anthem arose again. The world-famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour proposed his song ‘For You, Armenia’ as a viable option.

Aznavour wrote the words for the song while the score was written by Georges Karvarents. The song was created in 1988, a few days after the devastating earthquake that occurred in Armenia on 7 December, in order to help victims. The song was performed for the first time on 20 December 1988 by 87 famous French singers singing all together live on French television.

The proposal of a chanson, despite a great love for Aznavour, caused a negative reaction in Armenia and was not accepted.

Hymn of Aram Khachaturian

In 2018, the anthem issue was revisited. The anthem of Soviet Armenia was again proposed, this time by the House-Museum of Aram Khachaturian. However, the petition to change the anthem to Khachaturian’s version was not supported at the time by the people of Armenia.

Thus, the likelihood that people will support the vice speaker’s proposal is low.

Response on social networks

Simonyan’s proposal resulted in heated discussions on social networks. Many have expressed their opinion that the anthem is far from the most pressing problem for Armenia.

Here are some entries from Facebook users:

“There are more successful ways to assert themselves. Do business, and do not change the anthem. First you need to win the right to this.”

“This is not a matter for discussion. Do not distract people from pressing problems.”

“Let’s do a survey and find out the mood of people. The anthem is not so easy to change.”

Arminfo, Armenia

Feb 4 2019

Alina Hovhannisyan

Bako Sahakyan: Artsakh`s economy has achieved double-digit growth in  2018

ArmInfo. In 2018, the GDP of the Republic of Artsakh was 303 billion drams, providing double-digit growth of the economy. This was stated by Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan at the first government meeting this year. According to him,  the basis of growth was the increase in value added in such areas as  the mining industry, energy, trade and services. In particular, he  stressed that energy is the most dynamically developing sector of the  Artsakh economy. 

The number of small hydropower plants, according to Saakyan,  increased by 5 in 2018, making a total of 21 stations, which led to  an increase in electricity production by 19%. "This exceeded the  level of consumption by 5%, which provided an opportunity to export  electricity, the volume of which amounted to 17.2 million kW / h.",  He said. In this vein, the head of the republic stressed the  importance of ensuring an increase in electricity production in the  near future, paying particular attention to protecting the  environment. At the same time, Sahakyan informed that work is also  being carried out on the implementation of alternative energy sources  systems.The GDP per capita in the Republic of Artsakh in 2018  increased by $ 415, reaching $ 4,260. The amount of tax revenues and  fines for the reporting period reached 53 billion drams, which is  34.6% more than a year ago.Referring to the preliminary data, the  president noted that the growth of industrial production will be  registered at the level of 30%. At the same time, he stressed that  positive results were also recorded in the field of agriculture. In  this regard, Sahakyan noted that the Government of the Republic of  Artsakh took a number of measures aimed at the integrated development  of crop production, to the development of which the state sent 1  billion drams. This is the introduction of drip irrigation systems,  the total area of which amounted to 622.5 hectares, of which 500  hectares fell on gardens and 122.5 hectares on tobacco fields and  vegetables.

This all contributed to the development of gardening. In particular,  the area for planting pomegranate trees increased by 11% to 1360  hectares. The yield of pomegranates was 2,600 tons, which is 80% more  than a year ago. As the president said, this program will be  implemented in 2019. 

ARKA, Armenia

Feb 4 2019

Rosatom delivers second turbo-generator for Armenian nuclear power plant

Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom has delivered the second turbo-generator for the Armenian nuclear power plant as part of a project to modernize and extend the service life of the facility. 

"This new-generation equipment will improve the plant’s efficiency and increase power generation," the corporation said in a press release. The first turbo -generator was delivered in 2017 to replace the unit that had worked since the end of the 1970s.

 “After upgrading the equipment of the facility that also involves the replacement of turbines, transformers, power transmission equipment, capacitors, restoration of cooling towers, we will generate 40 MW more energy than now spending the same amount of fuel. The increased efficiency will reduce the cost per unit of electricity generated, which is extremely important for stabilizing selling prices,”said Movses Vardanyan, the CEO of the plant.

The second turbo-generator will be installed in 2019 along with improvement of the safety of the main systems.

The turbo-generator was first delivered to Antwerp and from there by sea to Georgian port of Poti and from Poti to Armenia by railway.

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. 

In March 2014, Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life up to 2026 because of delay in building a new unit. The service life extension has become possible thanks to Russia’s financial resources. The country provided $270 million to Armenia as a loan and $30 million as a grant. 

PanArmenian, Armenia

Feb 2 2019

Paris bids farewell to the legendary Michel Legrand 

The legendary French-Armenian film composer Michel Legrand was laid to rest Friday, February 1 after a final standing ovation in a Paris theatre decorated to look like one of his favourite movies, AFP reports.

The musician who scored such French screen classics as "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and "The Young Ladies of Rochefort" -- both starring Catherine Deneuve and directed by Jacques Demy -- died on Saturday aged 86.

Legrand won three Oscars for his work in Hollywood, most famously for writing "The Windmills of Your Mind" for "The Thomas Crown Affair" in 1969, as well as the music for Barbra Streisand's "Yentl" (1984) and the "Summer of '42" (1972).

A magic forest reminiscent of another Demy film, "Donkey Skin" -- which also starred Deneuve -- was created inside the Marigny theatre in Paris where his coffin was taken after a funeral service at the Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox cathedral.

Clearly on the verge of tears, Demy's widow, the legendary French director Agnes Vardy, led the moving tributes to Legrand at the theatre.

After the audience had risen to give him one last standing ovation, she said, "Having to talk next to Michel's coffin is a little difficult. The last time we saw each other we held each other's hands and I felt transported back to our years together with Jacques Demy."

The cream of the French music and showbiz worlds had earlier crowded into the church, with Deneuve recalling the genius and energy of the man, who was planning a concert tour for April when he died suddenly.

"We could feel the emotion that was coming straight from the music when we were recording 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'," she told French television on Thursday.

"I can still remember entire passages of the lyrics" from the hugely influential musical, in which every line was sung.

Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, was among the mourners, with Legrand taken from the theatre for burial at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in the east of the city.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had a giant screen set up outside the city's town hall to show the highlights of Legrand's seven-decade career.

A musical prodigy, Legrand worked with the greats of jazz and popular music on both sides of the Atlantic from Miles Davis, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra to Charles Trenet and Edith Piaf.

Born into a musical family near Paris, he started out by playing songs on the piano he had heard on the radio.

His father Raymond Legrand was a composer, and although he left the family home when his son was only three, he later helped him launch his career.

His mother, of Armenian origin, enrolled him at the Paris Conservatory at the age of 10. He was to spend seven years there, before graduating with top honours in 1949.

News.am, Armenia

Feb 2 2019

Armenian Church leader visits Australia and New Zealand 

                  

Catholicos Karekin II, the leader of the Armenian Church, visited the Armenian Diocese of Australia and New Zealand on February 1, the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin reported.

On February 2, the Catholicos presided over a mass at the Armenian Apostolich Church of Holy Resurrection in Sydney.

More than 400 people came to the event to greet Catholicos Karekin II  at the church.

“Just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, 7rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith”, the Catholicos told the faithful.

After the mass, a meeting with the people took place at the church hall.

Armenpress.am

4 February, 2019

Businessman to import crocodile eggs to Armenia to start their breeding

An Armenian businessman is going to import crocodile eggs from Tanzania, Kenya and other African countries. Firstly, the crocodiles will live in a resort to be constructed in Dashtavan community, then a big crocodile farm will be established, Founder of ARMON Co.Ltd, Geologist Khachatur Sargsyan told reporters, reports Armenpress.

“We will import crocodile eggs. The cost of one egg is 400 USD. We will bring them from breeding farms, we are working with 3-4 different farms in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. The goal is to create a tourism place in Dashtavan village. In addition to the crocodiles, there will also be chickens, geese, ducks. The park will consist of 31 infrastructures, and the crocodile farm is one of those infrastructures. There will be infrastructures for children in the park and etc.”, he said.

Asked why they have chosen crocodiles, he said he thinks that they will be attractive for tourists. “We mainly focus on tourists. Two of every 10 tourists will visit here for relax. There is no such place in the whole region”, the company founder said.

The company has applied to Armenia’s ministry of economic development and investments with the request to import crocodiles during the previous leadership. “A land in Tavush province was offered to us, but we were not interested in it. Then we sent letters to Armavir and Ararat provinces. The governor of Ararat province immediately responded to us and we met. They offered us several territories, and we selected the one in Dashtavan community, held a discussion with the community representatives”, he said.

Khachatur Sargsyan said they have no problems with the State Revenue Committee. “The only problem is linked with the code. As this is the first such case on importing crocodiles to Armenia, the SRC doesn’t have the respective code for that. But we have already clarified with the SRC with which code we must import the crocodiles”, he said.

The program will most likely launch on March 1. It is expected to be completed within 5 years. The initiative representatives also plan to use the crocodile leather in the future, but this will require 7-10 years. Leather processing plant will be established in Gyumri. Sargsyan noted that they plan to create 300-500 jobs as a result of the program implementation.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

An interview with Mr. Russell Pollard 

31/01/2019 

Dr. H. Kouyoumjian

Derby/London

Russel Pollard is a photojournalist with close ties to the British Armenian community since the commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. He is member of HMD and has been instrumental together with the other Derby City Council members in recognising and remembering the Armenian Genocide. Herewith exerpts of an interview with him on 28 January, 2019 in Derby City Hall...

1. Mr. Pollard thank you for being here for this interview on this day full of emotions. Can you tell us when and why you got involved with the remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

When I first went to the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan about 10 years ago I noticed that there was no plaque for the UK government and I subsequently found out that we don't formally recognise it. In my subsequent visits to Armenian and Artsakh my connection with people there evolved through my writing and photography and that gave me an opportunity to communicate through to the non-Armenian community about Artsakh, and the Armenian Genocide. It was clear to me that whilst it was important to recognise the Genocide as part of a healing process, it had serious, present day consequences, with the conflict with Azerbaijan and it is because of that that I wanted to speak about the Armenian Genocide and to become involved in opportunities to further the cause of recognition...and to avoid any further escalation of the Genocide.

2. Derby City is now the torch bearer in England in recognising the Armenian genocide; can you tell us how this came about? I point out that there are only a handful of Armenians in Derby?

I joined the Holocaust Memorial Day in 2015. This is an independent group of volunteers who decided 20 years ago to properly remember the Holocaust and other Genocides. Through that work the group gained a lot of respect and credibility within Derby. In parallel, and quite separately, I developed my own network of political contacts within Derby through my journalism work. There was a change of political leadership in the Council in May 2018 and it felt that the time was right to approach them on the recognition issue of 2 Genocides - the Armenian, and the Holodomor in Ukraine. Largely due to personal contacts and the history of individuals' work in the City this was met with no resistance. A motion was drafted by myself, and a colleague which was put forward at the next available Full Council meeting. I spoke to a number of political contacts to ensure that there was support and it was pleasing to find that they were all very supportive. This meant that, on the night, it was passed unanimously.

3. Was there any outside pressure to block this resolution the way it happened in Edinburgh in 2005-2006.?

There was no pressure from anywhere to block this resolution despite the fact that we had been approached by the Turkish Embassy in 2015 to avoid the use of the term Genocide in Holocaust memorial Day events. As we did not feel the need to publicise that this motion was about to happen there was no reason that any outside party would have been aware of it.

4. I understand you have visited Armenia and Nagorno Karapagh or we Armenians call it Artsakh, over 10 times; can you tell us more about this and aren't you worried about Azeri blacklists?

I've visited Artsakh about 15 times, and I usually spend about 3 weeks there at a time. Given the perception of the UK Foreign Office - they tell travellers to

avoid going to Artsakh and, as such, it is impossible to get travel insurance. I was pleased to have been given the "honour" of being black-listed by Azerbaijan. It doesn't present me with any concerns, in fact it is a help in giving me credibility within Artsakh - there are people who are unsure about my motives as I travel alone. Fortunately I have some good friendships there so, for me, when I visit, it is like visiting my second family, and I have the privilege of being welcomed into people's houses, attending events and being part of the community. 5 years ago, I was awarded a medal by the Prime Minister of Artsakh for my work there. We regularly visit the border areas to support work in the more impoverished villages.

5. Thank you Mr. Pollard for being the catalyst to this recognition. Any advice to the British Armenian Community?

That's a hard question for me to answer. My observation is that the Armenian community in the UK is a very "broad church" and for many people they seem to have very little in common other than, possibly, a shared perspective on the Genocide. I have met Armenians in the UK whose ancestry is firmly routed in the customs and traditions of Western Armenia, and their subsequent homelands following the Genocide. Others, in Armenia or Artsakh, whose history has always been in the South Caucasus and have been influenced by the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, or even Azerbaijan. This does make any form of inclusive cohesion in the UK very difficult. I am not sure whether the British Armenian Community would wish to have a shared objective to communicate about themselves and their history - perhaps there is more of an opportunity to be active in the UK outside of the main centres, like London?

Thank you Mr. Pollard for the interview; if Derby is the torch bearer among the English cities for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, you certainly are the engine and the catalyst behind all this.

Thank you once again for all your efforts.