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Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Azerbaijani press: Road construction underway in liberated lands [PHOTO]

Emil Lazarian
1 December 2021 18:09 (UTC+04:00)
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By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan is speedily reconstructing roads on its territories liberated from Armenia’s occupation in 2020, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads reported on December 1.

The construction of the Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway, which is one of the road infrastructure projects implemented in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions, is underway, the report added.

The 39.7-km-long Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway starts from the part of the Hajigabul-Minjivan-Zangazur corridor passing through Shukurbayli village of Jabrayil region and extends to Hadrut settlement of Khojavand region.

The four-lane (14m wide) highway is being constructed in line with the first technical category under the Karabakh region’s development plan.

The state agency noted that local companies, which are specialized in road construction, have been involved in the project to complete the work in a short time.

It was added that earthworks and construction of other facilities have already been completed on the first 11-km part of the highway. Moreover, in the first 3-km part of the way, a new roadbed was built, the road was profiled and a smooth asphalt-concrete pavement was laid. Currently, the bottom layer of the asphalt-concrete cover is being laid.

In the 3rd and 5th km section, the road was widened, the bottom and top layers of the foundation were built, and other construction work is being carried out in line with the technological order.

To ensure the transfer of water along the road, 38 circular pipes and seven rectangular water crossings, as well as 11 underpasses are being built to reduce the negative impact of the road on the environment, including fauna. The construction of 12 circular pipes and five underpasses was completed.

In general, the road is being widened and profiled and the construction of a 21.5m-wide roadbed is being carried out in line with the first technical level.

The construction of six road bridges is underway on the 1, 18, 19, 26, 30 and 38 km sections of the Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway. One of the bridges is designed at the intersection of the Hajigabul-Minjivan-Zangazur corridor with the highway. This will facilitate access between the highways.

Rocks are being cut and a roadbed is being built by blasting the mountains in certain parts to obtain the project width of the road passing through the difficult terrain.

The construction is being carried out under the direct supervision of the Azerbaijan State Agency of Automobile Roads under the Construction Norms and Rules.

The Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut highway passes through liberated Khojavand, Fuzuli and Jabrayil regions. The highway will cover about 20 settlements in the region, including Hadrut settlement and Jabrayil city.

In all, Azerbaijan allocated AZN 2.2bn ($1.3bn) for the reconstruction of the liberated territories in 2021. In particular, these funds will be used to restore the infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, etc), as well as cultural and historical monuments.

Azerbaijan liberated 300 city centers, settlements, villages, and the historic Shusha city in the war that lasted from September 27 to November 10. The Russian-brokered peace deal also stipulated the return of Kalbajar, Lachin and Aghdam regions occupied by the Armenian forces in the war in the early 1990s.

Turkish press: Nakhchivan corridor to boost Turkey’s trade with Azerbaijan, Caucasus

Emil Lazarian
 ISTANBUL DEC 01, 2021 – 1:31 PM GMT+3

The Dilucu border gate between Nakhchivan and Turkey, in Iğdır, Turkey, May 21, 2017. (Shutterstock)

When the Nakhchivan corridor opens, Turkey’s transportation to both Azerbaijan and other markets in the Caucasus, as well as the Turkic republics, will be facilitated through the Caspian country, allowing Ankara to trade much more comfortably with Baku, according to Turkish businesspeople.

Mehmet Hilmi Kağnıcı, head of the Konya province branch of the Independent Industrialists and Businesspersons Association (MÜSIAD), one of the top business associations in Turkey, made the statements while speaking on Turkey’s trade with Azerbaijan.

Kağnıcı reiterated that MÜSIAD organized the 25th International Business Forum (IBF) in Baku this year with a delegation of 33 people and over 500 businesspeople from the country.

Stating that they had the opportunity to meet with businesspeople from MÜSIAD and the business world from other Islamic countries at the forum, Kağnıcı said that he had paid a visit to Azerbaijan three years ago, and this time had the opportunity to make a better comparison.

The interest in doing business with Turkey had grown further and that the trade volume between the two countries could increase exponentially, he said.

“Azerbaijan is a country with very serious potential for us. The main reason why our trade or exports with Azerbaijan are at low levels at the moment is the lack of a direct road line between us. If the Nakhchivan corridor is opened, we can reach both Azerbaijan and other markets in the Caucasus via Azerbaijan and our access to the Turkic republics will be easier. This corridor will enable us to do much more comfortable and advantageous trade,” Kağnıcı said.

The opening of the long-shut Nakhchivan corridor between Azerbaijan and its southwestern autonomous exclave bordering Turkey came after 44 days of clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region that ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire in November 2020.

Following the war in the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region that resulted in Azerbaijan’s victory, Baku and Yerevan signed an agreement on Nov. 10 that allows Azerbaijan to create the corridor.

The transit route that will connect Azerbaijan and the enclave, located around 450 kilometers (279.62 miles) west of Baku and surrounded by Turkey, Iran and Armenia, was described by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev as a “historic achievement.”

The Turkish businessperson, saying that there is very strong political infrastructure for economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey, noted that “both the Azerbaijani government officials and the people of Azerbaijan are very eager to increase the trade volume with Turkey.”

Defense industry ties and political relations are already strong, Kağnıcı said, and now businesspeople need to participate in the region.

“In terms of industrial development, we are more advanced than them. We must contribute to the development of our brotherly nation by contributing the know-how we have,” he said.

Stating that many businesspeople from Konya operating in different sectors such as metal, shoemaking, durable household goods, textiles, agricultural machinery, agricultural products and the construction sector participated in the forum at the beginning of the November, Kağnıcı said that they will also soon host a delegation coming from Azerbaijan.

The IBF was held this year under the motto “Azerbaijan, the pearl of Asia,” and was organized by MÜSIAD with the cooperation of a local partner, the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan (KOBIA), and with the support of trade ministries and institutions from both countries. The 25th edition of the event focused on Azerbaijan’s potential in several sectors, including tourism, agriculture, energy and health. In addition to some 550 Turkish businesses and members of industry, it brought together distinguished entrepreneurs from Canada, Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Russia and North Africa.

NAASR Hires Silva Sedrakian as New Executive Director

Emil Lazarian
 by Contributor

 

 December 1, 2021

 

in Latest, News, Top Stories
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Silva Sedrakian

BELMONT, MA—The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research announced that Silva Sedrakian will serve as its next Executive Director, starting on December 1. NAASR is one of the leading nonprofit Armenian Studies organizations in the world, founded in 1955.

Sedrakian is an accomplished non-profit manager, having worked for nearly 15 years at Oxfam America, an international organization addressing urgent humanitarian needs and striving to end poverty and injustice. As NAASR’s new Executive Director, she will manage the day-to-day operations. Sarah Ignatius, who is retiring as Executive Director, will serve as Executive Advisor during the transition and into 2022.

“Silva is an outstanding choice. We are eager to welcome her as Executive Director,” said Yervant Chekijian, Chairman, NAASR Board of Directors. “She has an excellent combination of skills and experience well-suited to NAASR’s next phase of expansion, collaboration, and growth, speaking several languages including Eastern Armenian, working for many years in various areas, including academia, nonprofit, and corporate, and having an international background and receiving her undergraduate degree in Armenian Studies in France, and earning an MBA from Northeastern University. During our five-month search, we were impressed by the caliber of the candidates and are delighted Silva will be joining NAASR as the new Executive Director.”

“NAASR will benefit immensely from Silva’s expertise in nonprofit management, her experience in building international partnerships, and her fluency in multiple languages to help NAASR serve its global mission,” said Judith Saryan, First Vice Chair, NAASR Board of Directors. “We were also impressed with her strong commitment and enthusiasm for NAASR’s mission, her dedication to Armenian Studies, as well as her leadership style rooted in respect, humility, hard work, integrity, and humor. She has a rare combination of skills that will serve the organization extremely well, and we look forward to working with her.”

“I am honored and thrilled that the Board has put their trust in me,” said Sedrakian. “I am impressed by the talented and dedicated Board and staff and am eager to work with them and the many NAASR members and supporters around the world,” she added.

At Oxfam America, Sedrakian specialized in program planning, monitoring and evaluation, led strategic planning processes, developed grant proposals, defined new partnership strategies with local and global organizations, and improved organizational practices and metrics aligned with Board strategy. She is also an adjunct faculty at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT, teaching monitoring, evaluation, and learning concepts and practices for sustainable development programs.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Civilization, Classical Arabic, Armenian & Japanese Studies at the National Institute of Oriental Languages in France. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University.

She also has a certificate in Impact Investing from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a Certificate in Community Management from the World Bank.

She speaks English, French, Armenian, and Farsi and has some knowledge of Arabic and Japanese. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Armenian Heritage Park and is a member of the Armenian Relief Society.

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was established in 1955 to advance Armenian Studies through a broad range of educational activities, and serves as a global center for Armenian Studies, offering excellent public educational programming, assistance to scholars, conservation of rare books in its Mardigian Library, and an online bookstore.

Local elections: Civil Contract loses in Abovyan, Masis and Aparan, wins overwhelmingly in Ashtarak, Jermuk and Artashat

Emil Lazarian

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 10:40, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Central Electoral Commission released the preliminary results of the December 5 local elections in 36 towns and cities.

With 5776 votes, the Civil Contract party won in Vagharshapat (aka Etchmiatsin), while the “Ejmiatsin” bloc got 3872 votes.

In Aragatsotn’s Ashtarak, the Civil Contract won with 14732 votes, while the ARF and Hayrenik parties garnered 2730 and 1176 votes respectively.

In Talin, the Civil Contract party garnered 5037 votes, Zartonk received 2882 votes, Hayk – 1624 and Mer Hamaynk – 1258.

In Artashat, the Civil Contract party received 19794 votes, while the Orenk yev Ardarutyun (Law and Fairness) party received 9072 votes.

In Ararat the Civil Contract party again won, garnering 4988 votes. The Im Hzor Hamaynk party came in second with 4153 votes.

In Masis, the Civil Contract lost with 13461 votes to Davit Hambardzumyan Alliance, who received 14943.

In Vanadzor, the Mamikon Aslanyan Alliance won with 12810 votes, while the Civil Contract party got 8295. The Workers Socialist Party of Armenia received 4809 votes.

In Abovyan, Prosperous Armenia (BHK) won with 10403 votes, while Civil Contract garnered 8261.

The Karen Yeghiazaryan Alliance won in Aparan with 7421 votes. Civil Contract received 3705.

In Hzor Hamaynk party garnered 8666 votes in Vedi, while Civil Contract and Hanrapetutyun received 7960 and 3299 votes respectively.

The Civil Contract won in Jermuk with 2544 votes, and the Mer Hamaynk alliance and Aprelu Yerkir party received 236 and 118 votes respectively.

Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian Ombudsman to meet with a number of top officials during France visit

Emil Lazarian

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 13:36, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan will hold meetings and consultations with a number of top officials in France this week, his Office said in a statement.

Ombudsman Tatoyan has been invited to France by the Armenian National Committee.

He will meet with the Members of the European Parliament, as well as the Armenian community, the Armenian organizations of the Diaspora.

Discussions in the Council of Europe are also planned during the visit.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

COVID-19: Armenia to roll out homegrown Sputnik Light vaccine

Emil Lazarian

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 14:27, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The locally produced Russian Sputnik Light vaccine will soon be rolled out in Armenia and it will be used as a booster shot against COVID-19, the Armenian authorities announced after touring the Liqvor Pharmaceuticals.

“I am very happy that pharmaceutical production is making one more big step forward, and is utilizing its potential,” Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said.

Just like in case of other vaccines, the government will buy this vaccine also and citizens will receive it for free. Very soon, in the nearest timeframes the government will carry out the procurement processes and it will be distributed to polyclinics. “And our citizens will be able to apply and receive Sputnik Light as a booster shot.”

The Sputnik Light is compatible with other COVID-19 vaccines and is a universal single-shot booster. 

Liqvor CEO Sergey Matevosyan said he is very happy for realizing the vaccine production in cooperation with the ministries and the Russian Direct Investment Fund. “We are cooperating with the Russian side. In accordance to our contract a transfer of technologies took place with the Russian side, that is the transfer of production technologies, and our company reproduced the vaccine, our company made the investments. This is an important success both for our company and the country,” he said.

Liqvor is processing the substrate received from the Russian production, which then passes a technological process, followed by the primary and secondary packaging and refrigerated storage.

The Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said they’ve considered also export opportunities. There are no export contracts yet but discussions are taking place with a number of countries. “Negotiations are proceeding with several countries of the Middle East, and the option of exporting to several African countries is also under discussion. We are sure that this all will be realized soon through joint work with our Russian colleagues,” Kerobyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Arman Chilingaryan’s Light Drops takes Golden Winner prize at Tokyo Film Awards

Emil Lazarian

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 16:17, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian director Arman Chilingaryan’s Light Drops won the Golden Winner prize at the Tokyo Film Awards, the Armenian Embassy in Japan said.

Light Drops is a drama set in the 1990s in Armenia.

Tokyo Film Awards is a unique film competition organized by working professionals from film and TV industry. It is mainly focused on short films as its main mission is to promote young talent and their vision.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan

Aliyev demands Armenia name dates for opening "Zangezur corridor"

Emil Lazarian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Dec 7 2021
December 7, 2021 – 10:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has demanded that Armenia name the dates for the opening of what he called the “Zangezur Corridor”, threatening with “problems” otherwise.

The Azerbaijani side has on multiple occasions spoken about a so-called “corridor” through the southern Armenian province of Syunik that would connect Nakhijevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. The Armenian side, however, has repeatedly denied being involved in negotiations for the provision of a corridor to Azerbaijan, stressing that they have only agreed to unblock transport communications in the region.

“Armenia and the whole world saw that no one could stop us. During the war, there were those who wanted to stop us, and these were quite powerful circles, but they could not stop us,” Aliyev said on Monday, December 6.

“I told them to tell us the date when our lands will be liberated and we are ready to stop. I say the same words today. Announce the date when the Zangezur corridor will be opened, and there will be no problems․”

According to him, “it is not too late, they [Armenia] must accept our conditions and put an end to the insincere approach to roads and communications.”

  In a spring interview with AzTV, Aliyev had said said: “The creation of the Zangezur corridor fully meets our national, historical and future interests. We are implementing the Zangezur Corridor, whether Armenia wants it or not. If Armenia wants it, then the issue will be resolved easier, if it does not want it, we will decide it by force. Just as before and during the war, I said that they must leave our lands, or we will expel them by force. And so it happened. The same will be the fate of the Zangezur corridor  

Armenian parliament speaker tries to justify himself after scandalous video recording emerges online

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 7 2021

There are numerous hero soldiers in the Armenian army, but unfortunately, there are soldiers, including officers, who failed to fulfill their duties and were taken prisoner, Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters in the parliament on Tuesday, commenting on the scandalous video recording of him talking about prisoners of war (POWs).

In the video, which emerged online earlier on Tuesday, he says: “I consider those POWs as non-existent”. According to Simonyan, the servicemen in question laid down their arms, fled and got lost, as a result of which they ended up in Azerbaijani captivity.

The parliament speaker noted that those who did not fulfill their military duties and were taken prisoner must be held to account.

As for the statement that “those POWs are non-existent” for him, Simonyan claimed that the video was edited. He explained that the part of the conversation was about the position of the state in various situations and negotiations. He regretted that some people introduced themselves as supporters, addressed questions to him and secretly recorded the conversation.

“During the conversation I noticed a young woman pointing her phone at me. I asked her not to film as I didn’t want our conversation to be made public. She assured me that she was not recording,” Simonyan said.

AW: Innovating Armenian Enterprise: Victor Zarougian and Judy Saryan integrate art and agriculture in the homeland

Emil Lazarian
December 7, 2021 Lisa Kradjian News 0

After successful careers in real estate and finance, Victor Zarougian and Judy Saryan of Boston have championed Armenian philanthropy in many ways. Their latest effort combines their passion for sustainable agriculture, with the International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education Foundation (ICARE) — and for art, with the Armenian Artists Project (AAP). In doing so, they are raising awareness for both organizations and creating new opportunities to sustain Armenian enterprise.

Philanthropists to the Core

Philanthropists Victor Zarougian and Judy Saryan

Zarougian was born in Cairo, Egypt and immigrated to the US in 1962. After attaining his BA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, he pursued a career in urban real estate management and development. He has a strong interest in geography and developmental economics which he has put to excellent use in his philanthropic efforts, particularly in Armenia, with organizations such as the Tufenkian Foundation, COAF, ICARE, TUMO and others.

Saryan was born in Delaware and graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts with a major in economics. She spent her career in the financial industry, most recently at Eaton Vance Management, where she was vice president and portfolio manager. After retirement, Saryan decided to pursue her passion for literature and history, and in partnership with AIWA, published translations of Zabel Yessayan and others. She also has worked on philanthropic projects with AIWA, NAASR, COAF, CINF, AGBU, TUMO, and ICARE. 

Zarougian’s and Saryan’s passion for supporting Armenia took a new turn in recent years, as they decided to pursue two major goals concurrently: to support sustainable agriculture in Armenia, and to support Armenian artists — both areas that have long been part of Armenia’s history and accomplishments.

ICARE’s EcoFarm and the Armenian Artists Project

In 2005, Texas A&M University, Armenian National Agrarian University and the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service founded ICARE—a non-governmental and non-commercial organization in Yerevan. It provides degrees in agribusiness education to achieve sustainable entrepreneurial activities in the food and agriculture sectors in Armenia. ICARE is an umbrella institution for the Agribusiness Teaching Center (ATC), the Agribusiness Research Center (ARC) and the EVN Wine Academy. It also prepares agribusiness specialists at undergraduate and graduate levels, armed with broad economic, marketing and managerial skills, up-to-date communication abilities and excellent knowledge of English. These skills make ATC graduates competitive in the growing regional agribusiness sector. 

Because they saw the immense benefits of renewable energy in Armenia, Zarougian and Saryan first partnered with ICARE in 2014 on their solar panel project, the largest solar project in Armenia at the time. They continued their involvement with a donation for the development of the EVN Wine Academy. Zarougian and Saryan appreciated the practical and high-quality education that ICARE offers. They are working with ICARE to establish its EcoFarm, an incubation center promoting environmentally conscious agriculture, agribusiness research and startups, and responding to the challenges of climate change. This work is in response to the socio-economic condition of Armenia and to the opportunity to develop a leading-edge institution. 

Around the same time, through colleagues, Zarougian and Saryan came in contact with AAP, which supports Armenian artists and economy by selling their works online around the world, with proceeds going to the artist and to charitable efforts in Armenia. AAP has already sold more than $150,000 worth of artwork by 35 Armenian artists and contributed approximately $65,000 to Armenia’s economy and charities supporting Armenia. 

Sculptor Nune Tumanyan working on “Intrepid Zabel”

Zarougian and Saryan saw an opportunity for a truly distinctive synergy between ICARE and AAP. They made a donation to AAP artist and sculptor Nune Tumanyan to create a sculpture of Zabel Yessayan, a courageous Armenian woman (1878-1943) who was a renowned writer, political activist, editor and teacher, to be installed in front of the ICARE EcoFarm. They felt it was important to highlight the impact of Yessayan on Armenian literature, history and education and to also support a female Armenian artist. In doing so, they have raised awareness of both organizations in their efforts to support and sustain the homeland.

“Intrepid Zabel” – Sculpture of Zabel Yessayan by Nune Tumanyan

Titled Անվհեր Զապէլ, or Intrepid Zabel, the greater-than-life-size sculpture reflects her courage and devotion as a leader and advocate for human rights. In many ways it reflects the spirit captured in a famous quote by the author: “You must raise your gaze higher; you must sharpen your mind in order to undertake useful and wide-reaching work.”

The work also reflects the passion of its sculptor for her homeland and its women. Born in Yerevan, Tumanyan has held positions as a professor of the Academy of Fine Arts in Armenia, the head of the Department of Sculpture and Artists’ Union of Armenia. She is also author and curator of the project “Urban Sculpture,” aimed at improving the artistic look of Yerevan through the creative works of the sculptors of Armenia. She has won numerous awards at the Ravenna Biennale in Italy and has had work exhibited at the National Art Gallery of Armenia and around the world.  

The sculpture is scheduled to be installed at a formal ceremony at ICARE next fall. 

A view of “Intrepid Zabel” which will be housed at ICARE’s Ecofarm

A New Armenia

Although the pandemic resulted in some delays for these concurrent projects, Zarougian and Saryan and their partners are moving forward. “As Armenians from the Diaspora, we recognize the debt we have to our history and culture,” they said. “By supporting the creative efforts of Armenian educators and artists, we help to continue our cultural tradition and to work towards the future growth and innovation of strong institutions in the homeland.”

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