Author: Boshkezenian Garik

Transformational $20 million gift from Edward & Pamela Avedisian to further expand AUA

Boshkezenian Garik
 Guest Contributor Diaspora 0

GLENDALE, Calif. — The Avedisian legacy of contributing to the constant growth and advancement of the American University of Armenia (AUA) was recently expanded by Pamela Wood Avedisian with a $20 million gift in honor of her late husband, Edward Avedisian. The history of AUA is testament to his belief in the mission of the university and his steadfast support for more than 20 years as a trustee, philanthropist and visionary. This capital gift will be allotted to the construction of the new Humanities & Social Sciences and the Arts buildings.

“As a longtime board member, Edward Avedisian had a thorough understanding of the university and the vision shared by its leadership. He was truly excited to see it grow and evolve over the past three decades and wanted us to contribute towards that growth. We both understood the need for expansion to further broaden the university’s offerings and fields of excellence,” Pamela said. His expressed objective was to see AUA grow its campus congruent with new course offerings in the science, technology and engineering curriculum, as well as in the arts, humanities and social sciences. 

The expanded campus will comprise the AUA Science and Engineering Building, currently in development; the Edward and Pamela Avedisian Building for programs in the humanities and social sciences; the Paruyr Sevak Building that will house the arts programs; and the AUA Founders Building to serve as an atrium that connects all three new facilities. 

Dr. Armen & Nelly Der Kiureghian, Edward & Pamela Avedisian, June 2016 (left to right)

In 2022, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the university, AUA launched the Build a Better Future With AUA capital campaign designated for the construction of the new AUA Science & Engineering Building. While the implementation of that project is in progress, the university has now embraced this second capital project, thanks to the magnanimous recent contribution by the Avedisian family earmarked for this endeavor. These two innovative projects create new ground for strengthened collaboration among the various fields of study offered by the university, duly enhancing AUA’s liberal arts approach to education.

Edward Avedisian was born in the United States in 1937. A seasoned musician and instructor, through shrewd business decisions, he found success as a private investor. In 1999, he joined the AUA Board of Trustees, lending his efforts to advance education in his homeland. 

At AUA, the Avedisians are preeminently recognized as major sponsors of the Paul Avedisian Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD), as well as the Zvart Avedisian Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development (CHSR). In addition, they were the primary benefactors for the construction of AUA’s Paramaz Avedisian Building (PAB). All three donations were made in honor of Edward’s siblings, and a more recent contribution established two endowed professorships in recognition of fellow AUA trustees, Dr. Judson King and Dr. William Frazer.

Paramaz, Edward, and Zvart, 1938

His contributions to AUA are among the numerous philanthropic works he has accomplished in both Armenia and the United States. In the recent past, he made headlines in the U.S. for his generous donation to his alma mater Boston University, in honor of his long-time friend Aram Chobanian, who would only accept the honor if Avedisian’s name was displayed alongside his. 

When asked what moved him to carry out these philanthropic endeavors throughout his lifetime in honor of those whom he loved and cherished, his wife Pamela responded, “Edward recognized that the success he had achieved in life was in large part due to his parents, the great sacrifices they made for their children, and the loving, nurturing environment that was their home. He and his siblings were very close to and supportive of one another in all their endeavors. It was only natural for him to honor the special bond they shared and herald their achievements. He also wanted to champion the success of his friends. He was immensely proud of their accomplishments and felt it was fitting to name buildings after them to laud their excellence in their respective fields and honor their legacies through naming.” 

She added, “Edward was very humble. He didn’t feel the need to put his name on buildings. Rather, he was content seeing his name listed in the program booklets of the orchestras with which he performed, alongside his fellow musicians.” At last, though posthumously, Edward and his wife’s names will be displayed on the walls of the new AUA building, duly immortalizing their longstanding legacy at the university.

Edward Avedisian playing the clarinet at Boston University

The arts played a significant role throughout Ed’s life, as he was a clarinetist for over 60 years. These new expansion projects are fittingly earmarked for these disciplines. His mother loved music and enjoyed singing and reciting poetry. His father would chant the Divine Liturgy in Armenian at home every Sunday. “After he retired from music, we enjoyed attending concerts, ballets, operas,” recalled Pamela. “Our shared love of the arts is what brought us together. I accompanied the chorus that Ed was directing at Endicott College (Massachusetts). Every vacation we took involved attending various artistic performances and visiting museums. We would make an annual trip to New York to see several operas over a long weekend. The arts and humanities have brought great joy to both our lives. I don’t think either of us could imagine life without them!” 

Construction efforts for the new buildings are currently underway. The AUA Building Committee appointed for these projects is in the process of interviewing the shortlisted architectural firms for making the final selection. Ronald Altoon, FAIA, LEED AP, the president and CEO of Altoon Strategic consulting firm and former president of the American Institute of Architects, is leading this effort. Groundbreaking is expected in 2024. The university is also arduously involved in updating its curriculum and preparing to introduce new degree programs. The student population of AUA is projected to double in the next six years.   

The new buildings will include classrooms, offices, science and engineering laboratories, conference rooms, auditoriums, art studios, music rooms and other functional spaces. There will be underground parking underneath all three buildings. Entrance to the buildings will be through the Atrium, which will also be used for various cultural, academic and other collaborative events. 

The Paruyr Sevak building will be the first in Avedisian’s philanthropic portfolio not to be dedicated to a friend or family. Instead, it will be named after one of the greatest Armenian poets of the 20th century. Avedisian greatly admired Sevak’s works and felt that the building should bear his name to honor his legacy and serve as inspiration to all those who study within its walls. 

Paruyr Sevak (1924-1971)

Pamela fondly remarked, “Sevak’s life and legacy will underscore the expectation of excellence that AUA strives to impart to every student. Edward firmly believed that AUA is creating the next generation of Paruyr Sevaks. There are a couple of pertinent lines from Sevak’s famous poem entitled To My Son that reflect his vision — 

I would not want, 

that your life become like that, 

a flat gravel way. 

Don’t pass over the paved road, 

you must prefer to build a road!

That’s what Edward wanted for the sons and daughters of Armenia — for them to be the next leaders and builders!”

AUA is immensely grateful for the support of the Avedisian family in this grand undertaking. Donor funds continue to be raised to meet the construction cost of all three buildings. Naming opportunities for facilities within these buildings are available. For more information, please visit https://engineerthefuture.aua.am.




Armenpress: Information gathered by Armenian Human Rights Defender debunk Azeri false accusations against Vagif Khachatryan

Boshkezenian Garik

 10:01,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS. The Office of the Human Rights Defender continues the collection of information with regards to the unlawful interference with Mr. Vagif Khachatryan’s fundamental human rights by Azerbaijan.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender continuous the collection of information with regards to the unlawful interference with Mr. Vagif Khachatryan’s fundamental human rights by Azerbaijan, the Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a press release.

In this context, it is noteworthy that Mr. Khachatryan joined the military service on September 1, 1992, only after which he participated in combat operations. Before that Mr. Khachatryan worked as an ordinary driver in Stepanakert.

Therefore, the statement of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan that Mr. Khachatryan allegedly “committed a crime in Meshali village as part of a group of Armenian armed formations” on December 22, 1991, does not correspond to reality. This information is substantiated by archival documents, orders issued by commanders, references documenting his military service, and the testimonies of the members of his family.

Moreover, the information obtained and analyzed by the Human Rights Defender’s Office confirmed the fact that there is no data in international wanted lists regarding Mr. Khachatryan, who was being transferred to Armenia for medical treatment and abducted by Azerbaijan.

The Human Rights Defender reiterates that Mr. Vagif Khachatryan was being transported to Armenia under the auspices of the ICRC to receive the appropriate and necessary medical assistance, and was a protected person under international humanitarian law. Hence, the deprivation of the liberty of the latter is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

Immediately after the abduction of Vagif Khachatryan, calls for violence against Armenians, propaganda of hatred and enmity, also directed against Vagif Khachatryan and his relatives, gained momentum in the Azerbaijani media.

This phenomenon is yet another manifestation of the policy of Armenophobia and ethnic hatred propagated by Azerbaijani authorities. Moreover, the Azerbaijani society, including public figures, state officials, as well as mass and social media outlets labeled Mr. Khachatryan as a criminal.

The Human Rights Defender underlines that, when ethnic hatred is being propagated, and the presumption of innocence is violated, the fundamental human rights of Mr. Khachatryan cannot be guaranteed, and the proper examination of the case in correspondence with the requirements of the fair trial, by an impartial and fair court cannot be ensured.

The abovementioned gives reasons to conclude that unlawful interference with the fundamental human rights of Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijan has been/is being carried out in a gross violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, considering that universally recognized international legal guarantees and standards are not ensured.

The full information obtained and analyzed by the Defender’s Office was sent to the competent authorities and international partners.

Man dies of starvation in unrecognized NKR, blockade continues

Boshkezenian Garik
JAM News
Aug 17 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Starvation in Nagorno-Karabakh

“A case of death from starvation has been recorded in Artsakh,” NK Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan announced yesterday. A 40-year-old man died “due to chronic malnutrition and protein-energy malnutrition.” Statements that there is a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic come from Yerevan as well. The Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia analyzed the state of affairs in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been blocked for 247 days.

“There was also a case of the death of an unborn child due to the impossibility of an ambulance arriving – there was no fuel,” the Armenian human rights defender said in a report.

A group of local residents held a protest in front of the military base of Russian peacekeepers stationed in NK. They stated that “all deaths will remain on Putin’s conscience.”

The Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world, has been blocked since December 12, 2022. Since mid-June, Azerbaijan has banned all types of humanitarian supplies, including medicines. On July 26, the Armenian government sent humanitarian aid, which is still awaiting permission to pass through the border. In return, Baku offers supplies through the territory of Azerbaijan, which the NK Armenians consider unacceptable.

Only the International Committee of the Red Cross has limited access to the unrecognized republic, which periodically transports patients in need of treatment to Armenia. This process is also accompanied by incidents. On July 29, Azerbaijan detained 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan, who was being transported by ICRC staff to Yerevan for urgent heart surgery. Baku accuses him of killing civilians in 1991. Khachatryan’s daughters claim that their father then worked as a driver and could not be “the organizer of the genocide.” Armenia declared that “detaining a person under the protection of the ICRC is a war crime.”

  • “Respect, not recognize territorial integrity”: a proposal to Pashinyan
  • “It is impossible to abandon the idea of opening the Lachin corridor by force.” Opinions from Yerevan
  • “Is there an unspoken agreement to leave us alone with Baku?” – President of the unrecognized NKR

Armenian Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan made a statement on the situation in NK. She stressed that the blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan led to gross violations of the fundamental rights of the Armenian population. In particular, we are talking about a violation of the right to life, dignity, protection of physical and mental health, freedom of movement, personal and family life, housing, education, food, an adequate standard of living:

“The humanitarian crisis has a particularly negative impact on the rights of vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, women, people with disabilities, etc. In particular, 30,000 children, 9,000 disabled people, 20,000 old people and 60,000 women are under blockade” .

According to the human rights activist, the humanitarian catastrophe manifests itself in all spheres of people’s lives:

  • “Grocery stores are completely lacking food, essentials and hygiene items, or there are extremely few of them, you can buy them only by standing in huge lines.
  • There have been cases of shortages of medicines, and in some cases their complete absence.
  • Due to malnutrition and a daily deterioration in the well-being of people, more and more cases of fainting are being recorded.
  • Due to the lack of sufficient food, the number of preterm births has increased.
  • Public transport has been completely stopped since July 25 due to an acute shortage of fuel.
  • Problems with the provision of drinking water due to power outages have been recorded.”

Manasyan focused on the problems of the residents of the villages of Yeghtsaoh, Khin Shen, Mets Shen and Lisagor in the Shusha region. Since April 2023, after the establishment of a checkpoint on the Khakari bridge by Azerbaijan, these settlements have been cut off from the rest of the territory of NK and have been under complete blockade.

“The current humanitarian catastrophe is a direct manifestation of the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide, fueled by hatred towards Armenians on the part of the Azerbaijani authorities. The ultimate goal of this policy is the expulsion of its indigenous Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh,” she said.

The human rights defender announced the need to stop the irreversible processes of the deepening humanitarian catastrophe as soon as possible.

The body of a man who starved to death. Photo from the NK Ombudsman’s Facebook page

Since the middle of June, Azerbaijan has banned the delivery of not only food, but also humanitarian goods from Armenia. How people survive and what do they think about their future?

On the night of August 15, a group of local residents began a peaceful action, blocking the entrance to the base of Russian peacekeepers in NK. They demanded to unblock the Lachin corridor.

The protesters believe that the lack of food could result in mass loss of life. In this regard, they called on the peacekeepers to tell their commander-in-chief, Russian President Putin, that “all deaths will remain on his conscience.” They also reminded the Russian military that the Russian president had promised the locals a decent life, but had not kept his promise.

“If you do not notice the genocidal policy of Ilham Aliyev, then Russia becomes a participant in the genocide. You must comply with the provisions of the statement signed by your president on November 9 [2020] regarding the provision of unimpeded movement along the Lachin corridor]. Otherwise, Russia and Vladimir Putin become participants in the crime prepared by Aliyev,” Artur Osipyan, a member of the initiative group, said addressing the peacekeepers.

In the morning, the RCC servicemen managed to forcefully remove the car with which the protesters blocked the entrance to the military base.

It is not yet known when the meeting of the Security Council will take place.

Speaking about Baku’s proposal to deliver humanitarian supplies to the Armenians under blockade through the territory of Azerbaijan, NK Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan stated:

“We see the danger and threat that the Lachin corridor will be closed forever if the route through Agdam is activated. Thus, we will lose contact with mother Armenia. In addition, it is necessary to understand that any cargo delivered from Azerbaijan is unacceptable for the people, this is not a whim of the NK authorities. Citizens emphasized during the meetings that the supply of Azerbaijani goods would be an infringement on their dignity for them. Only after the complete unblocking of the Lachin corridor will it be possible to talk about alternative roads.”

Statements from Yerevan and Baku, comments by Armenian cartographers and analysts on the road proposed by Azerbaijan

On the eve of the Armenian Defense Ministry, it was reported that units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on EU observers patrolling the border in the direction of the settlement of Verin Shorzha and their car. The mission initially announced that this information was not true. But after the publication of a video in the Armenian Telegram channels, where one of the observers talks about the shots in their direction, the information about the shelling was confirmed, and the refutation was deleted.

Political scientist Hovsep Khurshudyan believes that the shelling of European observers was Azerbaijan’s response to the refutation by the EU mission of misinformation, which was previously spread from Baku. Civilian observers monitoring the Armenian-Azerbaijani border denied the report that there is an accumulation of military equipment and troops from the Armenian side:

“We do not see any unusual military movements or concentrations, especially near the Lachin corridor.”

An Armenian political scientist said that the shelling that followed this denial was “a small punishment for Europeans from Aliyev.”

Baku announced the accumulation of Armenian troops on the border on August 14. Armenia immediately denied this information:

“One of the purposes of the disinformation organized by Azerbaijan is to divert the attention of the international community from the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and its steps to carry out ethnic cleansing through a humanitarian catastrophe.”



Acting head of Ukrainian embassy in Armenia dies

Boshkezenian Garik
Aug 14 2023
Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news desk

The temporary head of Ukraine’s diplomatic mission in Armenia, Oleksandr Senchenko, drowned on the evening of Aug. 13 in Lake Sevan, the largest lake in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine confirmed the reports about the charge d’affaires and expressed condolences to his relatives and friends. The ministry said it was “deeply saddened” by the death of the “experienced and highly qualified diplomat.”

Senchenko worked for the ministry since 2003 and had been posted to Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Russia and Azerbaijan.

Local media reported that though rescuers were able to retrieve the diplomat from the area of water where he disappeared while swimming, paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Ukraine established its embassy in Armenia in 1996.

Former ICC prosecutor accuses Azerbaijan of ‘genocide’ in Nagorno-Karabakh

Boshkezenian Garik
Aug 10 2023
 10 August 2023

ByAni Avetisyan
Luis Moreno Ocampo. Image via Infobae

The former chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, has accused the Azerbaijani government of genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh, as the humanitarian situation in the region continues to worsen. 

‘Starvation is the invisible Genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks’, Ocampo wrote in a 28-page report on the Lachin corridor blockade published on 7 August.

‘Starvation as a method to destroy people was neglected by the entire international community when it was used against Armenians in 1915, Jews and Poles in 1939, Russians in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1941, and Cambodians in 1975/1976’, wrote Ocampo. ‘Starvation was also neglected when used in Srebrenica in the winter of 1993/1994’. 

Ocampo suggested that Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, should be investigated by the ICC, explaining that that could only take place were the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution regarding the blockade of the Lachin corridor and refer it to the court. 

In the report, he stated that there was ‘reasonable basis’ to believe that President Aliyev had genocidal intentions, having blocked the delivery of essential goods to Nagorno-Karabakh, disobeyed the orders of the International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor, and having ignored calls regarding the ‘real and imminent risk’ to the region’s Armenian population created by the blockade. 

‘President Aliyev’s public statements affirming that the blockade was the consequence of people smuggling minerals and iPhones through the Lachin Corridor is a diversion. Smuggling activities should be properly investigated but they are not an excuse to disobey a binding order of the International Court of Justice or a justification to commit a Genocide’, wrote Ocampo. 

He added that obtaining a UN Security Council resolution to provide ICC jurisdiction was ‘feasible’. 

‘Under the Genocide Convention, state parties have an obligation to prevent and punish Genocide, and 14 of the current 15 members of the UN Security Council are also parties of that Convention, providing an overwhelming majority’, he added. 

The statement also calls for cooperation between Russia, which oversees peacekeeping in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the United States and EU Member States. All are parties to the Genocide Convention, with Ocampo stating that they are in the ‘privileged position’ to prevent the genocide. 

‘Their intense confrontation due to the Ukrainian conflict should not transform the Armenians into collateral victims’, wrote Ocampo. 

Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev, called the report ‘biased’ and ‘anti-Azerbaijani’. 

Despite the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh continuing to deepen, with neither peacekeepers nor Red Cross able to transport basic goods and humanitarian aid into the region, Azerbaijan’s government in Baku has maintained its denial that any blockade is taking place. 

In response to a call on Monday by UN Human Rights Experts to lift the blockade and open the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the accusations that it had blockaded the corridor, accusing the UN experts of ‘political manipulations’. 

The statement added that ‘the usage […] of expressions such as ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ in clear disrespect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, the interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, as well as the double standards against it […] are unacceptable’. 

In recent days, authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have released reports describing the worsening humanitarian situation in the region, noting that mortality rates were significantly higher than average.  

The region’s Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday that mortality due to cardiovascular disease had more than doubled, with rates in July 2.6 times higher than the same month of the previous year. 

‘This includes a 66% increase in mortality from acute and chronic heart failure, a 20.8% increase in mortality from acute myocardial infarction, and an 8.8% increase in mortality from brain paralysis’, it wrote.  

Provision of medical supplies to the region has been suspended since mid-June, when Azerbaijan blocked the transport of humanitarian aid into the region. Transport of patients to Armenian hospitals is also taking place at minimal rates, with Red Cross transport of severely ill patients resuming after Azerbaijan blocked the organisation’s access to the region. 

On 29 July, Azerbaijani border guards arrested a 68-year-old resident of the region as he was being evacuated to Armenia by the Red Cross for heart surgery, accusing him of genocide. 

[Read more: Azerbaijan arrests Nagorno-Karabakh resident for ‘war crimes’]

Shortages of food and other essential supplies have worsened in the months since the Azerbaijan blocked deliveries of humanitarian aid.

Lorries loaded with humanitarian supplies en route to Nagorno-Karabakh. Photo: RFE/RL.

An Armenian government shipment of aid to the region has remained at the entrance of the Lachin corridor, having not been permitted to enter on 26 July. 

[Read more: Nagorno-Karabakh aid convoy held at Lachin Corridor]

On Tuesday, the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, called on the UN Security Council to invite an urgent session to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and adopt a resolution obliging Azerbaijan to open the corridor, which has been closed since last December. 

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.


The Power of One Dram directed to COAF in July, SOS Children’s Villages Foundation named August beneficiary

Boshkezenian Garik

 18:02,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. Idram and IDBank summed up the results of the next program of The Power of One Dram initiative. The companies report that 3.480.466 AMD was donated to the Children of Armenia Charitable Foundation for payments made through their platforms during July.

The companies also announced the name of next month’s beneficiary. During August, 1 AMD will be transferred to SOS Children’s Villages Armenian charitable foundation for each client’s payment through the Idram&IDBank application, IDBanking.am platform and Idram.am website.

The SOS Children’s Villages Foundation is a child-oriented organization whose mission is to help children in difficult life situations. The Foundation operates in two areas: alternative care services, as well as family strengthening services for families with minor children in a difficult social situation. The programs implemented by the Foundation are aimed at improving the child protection system in the Republic of Armenia, ensuring the right of the child to live in a family.

Spartak Sargsyan, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Armenian Charitable Foundation, notes that their cooperation with Idram and IDBank is extremely important for the foundation’s mission. “Together we support children, youth and their families who are in a difficult life situation, contributing to the development of communities,” says Spartak Sargsyan.

According to Tatevik Vardevanyan, Head of Communications unit at IDBank, companies appreciate the support to the charitable foundation, as it is one of the key areas of corporate social responsibility.

You can also become a goodwill ambassador by simply making all your payments through Idram&IDBank app, IDBanking.am and Idram.am website without spending any extra AMD.

After all, it all starts with one dram …

COMPANIES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE CBA



Viktor Loshak: “The key word for both Armenia and Russia is the future”

Boshkezenian Garik

Armenia – July 31 2023

Mediamax’s interview with Viktor Loshak, journalist and director of strategy at Kommersant Publishing House. Previously, Viktor Loshak was the editor-in-chief of the Moskovskie Novosti weekly and Ogonyok magazine.

– Before I turned on the recorder, we were talking about Andrei Bitov and his “Lessons of Armenia” written in 1967 but still relevant today. Is there a possibility of emergence of new “Lessons of Armenia” nowadays?

– I’m pretty sure that it is going to happen. There are many people who arrived in Armenia from Russia, including people who write. The interpenetration of cultures, which we are doomed to due to such a human flow, of course, includes a literary understanding. Another question is who will deal with it and how. Probably, as it usually happens, it will start in small forms, but sooner or later, I think, we will witness a larger-scale comprehension.

– People who were born in Russia after the collapse of the USSR, for the most part, probably have a very rough idea of Armenia. What can Armenia do to become more interesting and understandable for Russians?

– First, I would not write off Russia’s interest in Armenia and Armenians. When you have Armenian friends, you are involuntarily interested in Armenia. Of course, it is not so for everyone like it is for me. I served in the border troops in the Akhuryan region, and I know a completely different Armenia – complicated, mountainous, where every spikelet, every tree is got with great difficulty. I was in Armenia after the 1988 Spitak earthquake. The most painful impressions of my life are connected with this business trip. I was in different parts of the world, covered wars, revolutions, but nothing was more tragic in my life than it. I think that Armenia and Georgia are two countries Russia is and will be interested in. A lot, of course, will depend on the economic interests of the countries, the development of tourism, and the extent to which the people currently living in Armenia will settle there.

– I think that many of those who will return to Russia or move somewhere else can become “ambassadors” of Armenia.

– Of course. Everyone knows with what kindness Armenia received these people. And normal people will never forget it, they will tell their friends and children about it. The depth of human relations is not always immediately visible. But this depth will be filled with friendship, good and kind relations.

– During and after the 2020 war, many people in Armenia had the impression that we had been forgotten, betrayed. People often drew parallels with the support Armenia received from the Russian intellectuals in the late 80s and early 90s of the past century and hoped it would be the same this time as well.

– If we talk about the political class, it has been told many times that relations could have been different if the regions around Karabakh had been handed over. Once I appeared in a situation when the newly elected President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian asked me what would I do if I were elected president of Armenia. I answered that I would hand over these 5 regions.

If we talk about the mass, “people’s” feelings, by “choosing” between Armenia and Azerbaijan people choose peace. At the same time, many people in Russia have experienced the drama taking place in Armenia – they gambled their whole life on Nagorno-Karabakh and everything suddenly crumpled and squashed. Maybe some part of people realized the truth, which was on the opposite side as well.

– As a result of the war, not 5, but 7 regions have been handed over. Moreover, part of Karabakh has been lost. The Lachin corridor has been blocked since December 2022. And in this case we are not talking about political, but humanitarian issues, the fate of children and the elderly. And although Russia is not making visible efforts to unblock the Lachin corridor, people do have expectations, perhaps unjustified.

– No, they are justified. It is simply because Russia is so involved in the Ukrainian events that it can act only by diplomatic means and cannot get involved in any kind of military actions.

– In the conditions of absence of any security guarantees, many people emigrate from Armenia or think of doing so.

– In this case, it’s easy for us to understand each other, since many people have left Russia in the past 1.5 years. They have their own logic, which can be understood. But there are people who have not left and will not leave, because they have dedicated their lives to making things different in Russia.

The key word or idea in this case for both Armenia and Russia is the future. Who and how is ready to work for this future. Many people from abroad advise us too how we should live and behave. But the truth is only on the side of those who stayed in Armenia, in Russia. The truth is on the side of those who, despite all the difficulties and disappointments, are ready to pass their ideals on to their children.

 

Ara Tadevosyan spoke with Viktor Loshak

 

This interview has been prepared as part of a joint project with the Tufenkian Foundation.

Armenpress: Authorities report higher tax revenues

Boshkezenian Garik

 10:01, 3 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. 1 trillion 265 billion drams in tax revenues and state duties was collected by the State Revenue Committee in January-July 2023 –  178,4 billion drams or 16,4% more compared to the same period of 2022.

In a statement released Thursday, the State Revenue Committee said that 210,2 billion drams was returned to corporate taxpayers and natural persons in the reporting period, which is 63% more compared to the previous year’s same period.

Armenpress: Germany supports World Court ruling ordering Azerbaijan to open Lachin Corridor

Boshkezenian Garik

 10:11, 1 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. The German government supports the EU’s efforts aimed at establishing lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the German foreign ministry told the Germany-based Haypress media outlet.

The German federal government maintains constant contact with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the ministry added.

Haypress asked the German foreign ministry whether Germany was represented during the visit by the diplomatic corps to Kornidzor to inspect the blocked humanitarian convoy, and what actions has Germany taken in this direction.

“The federal government supports EU’s efforts aimed at establishing lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The federal government maintains permanent contact with representatives of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The German embassy in Yerevan maintains continuous contact with the government and civil society of Armenia, as well as the EU mission in Armenia. Regarding the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the embassy is regularly cooperating with the International Committee of the Red Cross, with Germany having the largest share in involving humanitarian assistance envisaged for Nagorno-Karabakh. Germany supports the decision of the International Court of Justice on the free movement of persons and goods along Lachin Corridor, through which the vital needs of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh should be guaranteed.”

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations. 

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

Armenian Airlines linked to Russia’s Pegas Turistik – report

Boshkezenian Garik
Aug 1 2023

Armenian investigative website Hetq claims it has evidence Armenian Airlines (JI, Yerevan) has ties to Russian tour operator Pegas Turistik, which also controls Nordwind Airlines, Ikar (Russian Federation), and Southwind Airlines.

The Armenian start-up was founded by Ararat Sargsyan, who, until January 2023, was also the company’s sole shareholder. Sargsyan also owns Alliance Air (Armenia), a company founded in 2014 which never began operations as an airline but remains the GSA of Nordwind Airlines in Armenia.

Sargsyan is said to have sold off a total 90% stake to Mikhail Asriyan (19%), the founder of Pegas Turistik’s Armenian affiliate Arion Tour, Bulgarian citizen Rosen Boyanov (24%), who owns the Ukrainian travel agency PGS Travel and who used to be the marketing director of Pegas Turistik, and Swiss citizen Oz Yakupkhanogullarindan, a member of the Board of Directors of Pegas Turistik, with a 25% stake.

Hermine Hovhannisyan, an Armenian citizen without direct links to Pegas Turistik, owns the remaining 22% stake. Thus, Armenian Airlines remains 51%-owned by citizens of Armenia, meeting the requisite control and ownership threshold.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that Armenian Airlines currently operates two A321-200s. One of them, EK-AAB (msn 3106) on lease from Thunderbolt Aircraft Lease, was transferred from Nordwind Airlines.

Armenian Airlines did not respond to ch-aviation’s request for comment.

Pegas Turistik was recently sanctioned by the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) for violating a US embargo on Nordwind Airlines, although it was then taken off the sanctions list for procedural reasons.