Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Senators Markey and Cassidy introduce resolution asserting Congressional oversight over U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan

Hambardsumian Paul
February 1, 2024 ANCA ANCA News 0

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have introduced a bipartisan resolution requesting a report on Azerbaijan’s human rights practices pursuant to Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act. The resolution requests information from the State Department on Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses both within the country, as well as during its sustained military assault against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) that last year resulted in the ethnic cleansing of its entire indigenous Armenian population. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Peter Welch (D-VT) have joined as original cosponsors.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has launched a nationwide action campaign urging senators to cosponsor and work toward passage of the Markey-Cassidy 502B legislation. Take action here.

“The need to hold Azerbaijan’s government accountable and forge a peaceful path forward is long overdue,” said Senator Markey. “Military action has never been the solution to peace and stability in Nagorno-Karabakh. This resolution puts pressure on Azerbaijan’s government to uphold human rights and stop committing crimes against ethnic Armenians in the region. We must protect the will, the rights and the bedrock freedoms of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“Azerbaijan has already been bulldozing holy sites and starving Armenian communities. This is the type of country the Biden administration wants supplying LNG to Europe instead of Louisiana natural gas?” said Dr. Cassidy.

A House version of the 502B(c) request on Azerbaijan – H.Res.735 – was introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) during Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh last year.

“The administration’s continuing support for the Aliyev regime, which regularly commits atrocities and human rights violations, simply isn’t in line with our values as Americans. Given Azerbaijan’s egregious military action against Artsakh on September 19, it is imperative that President Biden and Secretary Blinken reconsider our aid policies,” said Representative Schiff. “This resolution aims to gather information on human rights abuses and war crimes being committed by Azerbaijan and to halt future aid. As a country that champions human rights, we must ensure our foreign aid reflects our commitment to core values and does not contribute to further violence against the Armenian people in Artsakh. This resolution is a step towards aligning our international aid with the ethical standards and interests of the United States.”

ANCA National Board members Ani Tchaghlasian and Dzovinar Hamakordzian, ANCA Programs Director Alex Galitsky and ANC Artsakh’s Gev Iskajyan thank Sen. Markey for leading 502(B) legislation which calls for a report of Azerbaijan’s gross human rights violations, which can trigger a block of all U.S. security aid to the Aliyev regime.

“Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s entire indigenous Armenian population last year was a modern-day genocide the U.S. had every opportunity to prevent – but instead enabled through the reckless provision of effectively unconditioned military assistance to Baku’s authoritarian regime,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The ANCA joins with coalition partners in welcoming the leadership of Senators Markey and Cassidy in restoring much-needed congressional oversight of U.S. military assistance through the enforcement of Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act – an underutilized statute that can help reassert human rights to its rightful place at the center of U.S. foreign policy.”

The Markey-Cassidy resolution will require the Department of State to provide a detailed description of widely documented human rights abuses perpetrated by Azerbaijan, including unlawful or arbitrary killings, torture of detainees, the displacement of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, and the destruction of religious and cultural sites – in addition to violations of internationally recognized human rights including freedom of speech, assembly, political participation, and religious freedom.

The introduction of the Markey-Cassidy resolution comes just months after Azerbaijan launched a military assault on Artsakh that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the region’s entire Armenian population of 150,000 people. This mass displacement of civilians followed a 10-month humanitarian blockade imposed by Azerbaijan along the Lachin Corridor – the only humanitarian lifeline connecting Artsakh’s Armenian-majority population with the Republic of Armenia – that deprived the region of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian access, and had devastating implications on water and energy security.

The Markey-Cassidy 502B(c) resolution on Azerbaijan will build on ongoing efforts to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its human rights violations, including the recent unanimous passage of S.3000, led by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), which would prohibit the executive branch from exercising its waiver authority over existing restrictions on military assistance to Azerbaijan pursuant to Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act is a longstanding yet underutilized statute that prohibits U.S. security assistance to “any country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violation of internationally recognized human rights.”  If the Markey-Cassidy resolution passes, it will mark the first time that Congress has requested a report under Section 502B(c) since 1976.

Section 502B(c) is a potent tool to reassert long-overdue congressional oversight and human rights standards on U.S. military assistance. As a privileged measure, senators have the ability to discharge a 502B(c) report and force a vote on the Senate floor. Upon passage of the resolution, the State Department must provide a report within 30 days detailing a country’s human rights practices and the steps taken by the United States to prevent these abuses – or security assistance will automatically be suspended until such a statement is transmitted. Following the provision of the requested report by the State Department, Congress may then vote to terminate or restrict security assistance through a joint resolution of disapproval.

A coalition of over 25 civil society organizations are calling for passage of the Markey-Cassidy 502B(c) resolution on Azerbaijan.

Over 25 civil society organizations have welcomed Senator Markey and Cassidy’s introduction of a 502B(c) request in Azerbaijan’s human rights practices, including: Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, Human Rights Foundation (HRF), the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), National Council of Churches (NCC), the Arms Control Association (ACA), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for International Policy (CIP), Peace Action, Common Defense, Action Corps, Foreign Policy for America (FP4A), Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency, Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding & Policy, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), In Defense of Christians (IDC), American Friends of Kurdistan (AFK) and the Anglican Office for Government & International Affairs.

“The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) supports the U.S. Senate resolution requesting the U.S. Secretary of State to produce a comprehensive report scrutinizing the dictatorial regime of Azerbaijan’s dismal human rights record… For three decades, the Aliyev dynastic dictatorship, which current tyrant Ilham Aliyev effectively inherited 20 years ago from his late father and former soviet Azerbaijani KGB head Heydar Aliyev, has systematically rigged elections and committed gross human rights violations, including the persecution and wrongful imprisonment of opposition figures and journalists, as well as the torture and extrajudicial killing of Armenian POWs and civilian detainees in the context of the armed conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It’s long overdue that the United States reassess its military assistance to the Aliyev regime, as this is likely to aid it in the commission of gross human rights violations.” – Javier El-Hage, Chief Legal and Policy Officer, Human Rights Foundation

“Amnesty International USA welcomes Senator Markey’s introduction of a resolution requesting information on Azerbaijan’s human rights practices pursuant to Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act. Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act is one of the most powerful tools Congress has to exercise human rights oversight on the executive, including through mandating annual country reports on human rights practices. We appreciate the Senator is calling for information from the State Department on Azerbaijan’s human rights record that would allow elected representatives in Congress to have access to the best information available to consider whether U.S. taxpayers are funding violations of international law. We hope more senators join as co-sponsors and vote yes when it moves to the floor.” – Amanda Klasing, National Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Amnesty International USA

“This resolution marks an important step toward Congress reclaiming its long-neglected civilian protection oversight responsibilities when it comes to U.S. arms transfers and military aid. In too many conflicts around the world, U.S. arms transfers have both contributed to and facilitated devastating civilian harm. In Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor and subsequent armed attacks brought about a humanitarian crisis for tens of thousands of civilians as well as mass displacement. Congress is right to invoke Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act to ask serious questions about Azerbaijan’s human rights and civilian protection record and the impact of U.S. arms transfers.” — Annie Shiel, U.S. Advocacy Director, Center for Civilians in Conflict

“CIP applauds Senator Markey and his colleagues for seeking accountability for U.S. arms sales to Azerbaijan, whose government has an abysmal record of human right violations, including a military campaign resulting in the forced displacement of civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The U.S. government must take the enforcement of its own arms laws and our security partners’ obligations under international humanitarian law seriously in order to achieve President Biden’s own stated goal of upholding human rights and a rules-based order in our foreign policy.” – Nancy Okail, President and CEO, Center for International Policy

“This resolution is an important effort to uphold U.S. laws requiring an end to military aid to abusive governments like Azerbaijan. It’s imperative that our government consistently and comprehensively enforce its own laws to all recipients of U.S. military aid.” — Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director, Democracy for the Arab World Now

“Women for Weapons Trade Transparency urges Congress to invoke section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act in light of Azerbaijan’s dismal record of human rights violations and war crimes. Congress must utilize its oversight powers to prevent U.S. assistance from being used in such violations and to ensure that U.S. weapons and funding are not hindering freedom of _expression_, threatening the operations of independent media, or aiding in arbitrary arrests and politically motivated prosecution.” – Lillian Mauldin, Board Member, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency.

* The signatories have various mandates that may not cover the full scope of the resolution’s provisions.

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


Mirzoyan Confirms Baku’s Concerns About Armenia’s Declaration of Independence

Hambardsumian Paul
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

Armenia's Declaration of Independence was adopted on August 23, 1990


On the heels of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calling for a new constitution in Armenia, to be aligned with the region’s geopolitical realities, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan confirmed on Wednesday that Azerbaijan has expressed concerns regarding Armenia’s Declaration of Independence.

In an interview with Azatutyun.am’s Armenian Service, Mirzoyan said that there have been concerns voiced by Baku about Armenia’s Declaration of Independence and thus Armenia’s Constitution, which makes reference to the independence document that clearly calls for the reunification of Armenia and Artsakh.

“Yes, they [Azerbaijan] have loudly raised an issue. They consider [the independence declaration] problematic and have presented legal attributes. Accordingly, we considered their wording to be problematic in the same way,” Mirzoyan said.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Mirzoyan spoke about outstanding legal issues with the constitutions of both countries. In his interview with Azatuyun.am on Wednesday he emphasized that there are no mentions of constitutional changes in the peace treaty drafts that have thus far been exchanged between Yerevan and Baku.

“Within the general peace discussions, there have been concerns voiced about legal matters by both sides and both sides have provided clarifications on the issues accordingly,” Mirzoyan added, emphasizing that discussions about constitutional reforms or drafting a new constitution in Armenia started years ago.

The foreign minister said that while the constitution codifies principles of domestic interrelations for the Republic of Armenia, it can have an impact on regional issues.

“I do not deny that influence and that relationship, but I want to say that there is no such demand or text, project, nothing in the peace agreement,” Mirzoyan said.

Yet Pashinyan did not shy away from criticizing Armenia’s Declaration of Independence on the anniversary of its adoption last August, saying that the wording contained in the document sowed conflict with regional neighbors, characterizing it as a vestige of the Soviet Union.

His announcement last week, that Armenia needed a new constitution that would make Armenia more compatible with new geopolitical realities in the region, has raised concerns among many, including opposition forces, who have accused Pashinyan of kowtowing to Aliyev in advancing the notion of a new constitution.

Pashinyan’s critics were quick to assert that he wants to get rid of a preamble to the current Armenian constitution enacted in 1995. The preamble makes an indirect reference to a 1989 declaration on Armenia’s unification with Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide.

Five lawmakers representing the main opposition Hayastan alliance last week issued a joint statement accusing Pashinyan of “preparing the ground for meeting another of the nonstop Turkish-Azerbaijani demands.”

One of those lawmakers, Gegham Manukyan, insisted on Tuesday that the main purpose of the planned constitutional change is to remove the preamble in question. Pashinyan’s initiative would thus “tear down the pillars of modern Armenian statehood,” Manukyan told Azatutyun’s Armenian Service.

Tatevik Hayrapetyan, an expert on Azerbaijan and a former parliamentarian critical of the Armenian government, echoed those claims on Wednesday. Hayrapetian pointed out that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev openly demanded constitutional changes from Yerevan in 2021. Baku, she said, now wants to make sure that “in the future Armenia will refrain from claiming its rights to Nagorno-Karabakh under any government.”

Armenia hopes Azerbaijan returns to constructive path

Hambardsumian Paul

 17:03,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is committed to the peace agenda and hopes that Azerbaijan will soon return to the constructive path despite the setbacks, FM Ararat Mirzoyan said at a press briefing.

Mirzoyan told Armenpress at a press briefing that the positive dynamics observed in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations stopped and there was a setback from previous agreements.

However, there is a communication line between the offices of the Armenian prime minister and Azeri president, as well as between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies, he said.

“The exchange of amendment proposals regarding the peace treaty, substantive discussions about the treaty are being conducted by the Foreign Ministries. But there are also unofficial contacts through other channels,” said Mirzoyan.

As to the agreement for the release of POWs that took place on December 7, 2023, the minister said the swap was a beneficial agreement for both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Unfortunately, the positive dynamics did not continue, at least until this moment, [we see] just the contrary both in the context of the text of the peace treaty and in the context of the resumption of high-level meetings. Besides, judging by the interview of the Azeri president, already in the context of the official positions we see the just opposite process: a setback, particularly a setback from the agreements already reached,” said Mirzoyan.

According to the Armenian foreign minister, setbacks have been observed in different tangible and key directions, namely the demarcation. The President of Azerbaijan has insisted that new borders should be drawn, otherwise some pre-Soviet borders should be used as a basis.

Furthermore, FM Ararat Mirzoyan pointed out Aliyev’s statements regarding the territorial integrity of Armenia, and the claim that the Azerbaijani forces would not withdraw from the occupied territories of Armenia, predetermining the work of the demarcation commissions, as well as the unblocking of communication lines.

“However, summarizing, we see that the positive dynamics did not continue. However, the Republic of Armenia remains committed to its peace agenda and the stated principles, most of which have already been agreed upon. We hope that Azerbaijan will soon return to the constructive path and we will manage to complete this peace process that has started long ago,” said the foreign minister.

The Armenian FM said he has an impression that Azerbaijan doesn’t have political will for normalization, and is on the contrary seeking to escalate the problems and create obstacles.

“But the Republic of Armenia remains committed to the peace process, and by and large the peace process has a mission and goal to resolve these issues,” he added.

The battle for Jerusalem plays out in the Armenian Quarter

Hambardsumian Paul
Jan 21 2024
A questionable real estate transaction between Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian and Australian-Israeli settler Dany Rubenstein is testing the resolve of the local Armenian community, which opposes the encroachment of settlers on their land.

BY IBRAHIM HUSSEINI

Local Jerusalemite Armenians are under mounting pressure from Israeli settlers to relinquish control of a big chunk of property held for centuries by their forefathers in the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City. In the battle for Jerusalem, many in the Armenian community are adamant about defending and keeping the property out of the settlers’ grip.

A questionable real estate transaction in one of Jerusalem’s most sensitive areas between Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian and Australian-Israeli settler Dany Rubenstein is testing the resolve of the local Armenian community, which opposes the deal. In an occupied city where Jewish settlers are constantly seeking to upset a delicate status quo in their favor for political and ideological reasons, demographics and real-estate ownership are intensely political issues. As such, the sale of such property to the hands of settlers is causing an embarrassment to one of Jerusalem’s oldest Christian communities and stokes tensions with Palestinians. 

For months, Hagop Dejernazian and fellow Jerusalemite-Armenians have been rallying their community in the Armenian Quarter in occupied East Jerusalem to stand firm in the face of Israeli settlers and their agents. At stake are 11.5 dunams (2.8 Acres) of precious land on the Western edge of Jerusalem’s Old City that have been in the possession of the community for centuries. Above the uncertainty the deal brought to their lives, they have endured at least three violent attacks from thugs hired by an investment company with settler ties, with the objective of intimidating them into relinquishing control of the property. 

“It was a brutal attack against the Armenian community that endangered our presence here,” Dejernazian remarked on the latest raid on December 28, 2023, by some 30 men bursting into the property armed with batons, assailing members of the community, including priests, seeking to eject them. 

In October of last year, amid the uproar, the Patriarchate canceled the deal it had signed with Dany Rubenstein, and the matter was referred to the courts.  

The real-estate transaction estranged the local Jerusalemite Armenian community from the Patriarchate, which is mainly run by clergy of Armenian descent from abroad and largely indifferent to the political considerations or implications accompanying such a deal. 

Now, Dejernazian and his fellow local Armenians are in a situation where they have to defend the character of the community under threat from messianic settlers, all while without the clear backing of a Patriarchate that has lost respect. 

The rift between the locals and the Patriarchate grew more evident when the latter challenged the deal with Rubenstein without considering the community’s views. 

“They excluded the community,” Dejernazian stated.

“I think they’re still not ready to accept that the community is stronger than them. The community will decide its future and not a priest who comes from abroad who doesn’t know anything about the situation or politics in Jerusalem, or about the Middle East,” he added. 

The worry, local Armenians say, is that the Patriarchate will eventually compromise with the settlers and agree to lease part of the property. This would be disastrous to the local Armenian community.

In 2020, the Patriarchate leased part of the property to the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality to be used as a parking lot purportedly “for Jews and Armenians.” The Municipality was granted a 10-year lease. 

The Patriarchate first agreed to a long-term 99-year lease to Rubenstein (representing Xana Gardens) in July 2021, with the partial consent or knowledge of the synod, reportedly to develop a luxury hotel on the property. The deal signed between the Patriarchate and Dany Rubinstein purportedly encompasses a vast tract of land currently used as a parking lot, a seminary, and five residential homes. 

The contract, according to an article published in The Armenian Mirror Spectator in September 2021, was approved by Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Grand Sacristan Sevan Gharibian, and Fr. Yeretzian.

Sometime after, new information came to light. Dany Rubenstein has a partner named Geroge Warwar, an Arab Christian man thought to be from Jaffa. 

In October 2023, following growing discontent from the local Armenian community and members of the diaspora opposing the deal with Dany Rubinstein, the Patriarchate announced that it had pulled back from the agreement signed with Xana Gardens.  

On November 5 of last year, armed settlers stormed the parking lot known as the Cow’s Garden in the Armenian Quarter, knocked down parts of a stone wall and partially destroyed asphalt ground. The stone wall is roughly in the middle of the land, separating the part leased to the Municipality for a parking lot and the Armenian Patriarchate’s private parking lot, which is said to be outside the deal. Local Armenians quickly organized, repelling the assailants. Dany Rubenstein and partner George Warwar’s thugs returned in mid-November and then again in late December. On both occasions, they were repulsed. 

An investigation by The New Arab revealed that among the armed assailants was an American Jewish settler with links to Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security. 

Another U.S. citizen, Sam Goodman, aka Tzvi Goodman, was also identified in the investigation. Goodman is linked to current Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Aryeh King, who is infamous for his pro-settler agenda. They both have a history of involvement in the eviction of Palestinians from East Jerusalem to achieve a Jewish majority there. 

An unsourced photo that surfaced late last year showed Dany Rubenstein and George Warwar meeting with Matityahu Dan and Australian-born Daniel Luria, both from Ateret Cohanim, the same settler organization that purchased key properties, The Imperial Hotel and The Petra Hotel, in Jaffa Gate two decades ago from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. The hotels are only a minute’s walk from the Armenian Quarter and the land in question. 

Locals are now planning to file their own lawsuit against the transaction that transpired between the Patriarchate and Xana Gardens. 

The outcry over the deal led them to contemplate taking matters of the community, including the property administered by the Patriarchate, into their own hands. They reason that an institution that enters a deal with political consequences and endangers the status and standing of the community warrants a new modus operandi. 

“I don’t trust them; I don’t trust an institution that brought us to this day, that brought us to this catastrophe,” Dejernazian said. 

Armenian presence in Jerusalem dates back over a millennium and a half ago. Historical records tell that Armenia became the first nation to formally adopt Christianity in 301 AD—more than a decade before Rome. Subsequently, Armenian pilgrims began journeying to Jerusalem, with some remaining to establish a permanent community.

“Jerusalem is my country, more than Armenia,” George Hintilian told Mondoweiss us as he sat in the spacious tent the community erected in the parking lot to keep a steady day-and-night watch against potential settler attacks. 

“In many ways, we are Palestinian,” he added. 

Hintilian, an expert historian of Armenian affairs and a central figure in the Armenian community in Old Jerusalem, reaffirms that the Armenian presence in Jerusalem is 16 centuries old. 

His ancestors arrived in Palestine from Konya and Cappadocia in Ottoman Turkey during the First World War, seeking refuge from persecution by the authorities. 

For the septuagenarian chronicler, Jerusalem is a mosaic of cultures and religions, of which he speaks fondly, and this deal stands to make it homogenous and exclusive to one group. 

Summing up the turn of events, he remarked that a “careless” Patriarch “signed away” a piece of “precious heritage” in an “unnecessary” deal. 

“I’m very angry and sad,” Hintilian said. “We are fighting for our future.”

Israel has long sought to acquire Church property, specifically in Jerusalem. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which is said to be the second-largest owner of real estate in the city but claims inadequate cash flow to pay salaries and for the upkeep of its monasteries, has long been mired by allegations of leaking valuable property into the hands of the government and settler organizations. It, too, has earned the distrust and dismay of many Palestinian Christians who accuse it of corruption. 

The Knesset, for instance, is one of many state buildings constructed on land leased from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 

https://mondoweiss.net/2024/01/the-battle-for-jerusalem-plays-out-in-the-armenian-quarter/

President Khachaturyan meets with IMF Managing Director in Davos

Hambardsumian Paul

 13:46,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. President Vahagn Khachaturyan has met with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The President highly appreciated the productive cooperation between the IMF and Armenia and expressed certainty that the partnership will continue.

Georgieva highlighted the impressive financial figures in Armenia of the recent period and emphasized that establishment of sustainable, final peace in the region will open broader possibilities and directions for economic growth.

The President of Armenia and the IMF Managing Director also discussed the present-day challenges and their impact on global economic development and progress.

Asbarez: AUA Benefactor Sonia Akian Passes Away

Hambardsumian Paul
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Sonia Akian


GLENDALE—The American University of Armenia announced the passing of Sonia Akian, a benefactor and AUA Pillar who supported the University for decades. A passionate and generous woman, Akian was held in high regard and will forever be remembered by all who knew her and especially by the countless students whose lives she impacted as an educator. 

Sonia (née Der Avedisian) Akian was born in Philadelphia in 1945 to Kerope and Amalia Der Avedisian. Her father was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, during which his parents, sister, and brother were murdered. Thereafter, he served as captain of the cavalry of Armenian freedom fighters under General Sebouh and was also a French legionnaire. Later in life, he settled in Philadelphia, where he was active in the Armenian community and served various organizations. Kerope and Amalia raised three daughters — Armena, Malena, and Sonia — instilling in them a strong sense of heritage and a high regard for education. Influenced by her family environment, Sonia pursued higher education graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in English and, throughout her adult life, she was a strong advocate of universal access to education. 

Sonia Akian as a flower girl at a wedding, 1948 Zaven and Sonia Akian on their wedding day, May 1970

In 1970, Sonia married Zaven P. Akian, and together, their family grew to include their three children: Lori, Lena, and Haig. Perhaps the most significant of the numerous successful endeavors throughout their lives, and one that has left an indelible impression upon thousands of people in both Armenia and the United States, is the philanthropic work they were both involved in and which the Akian family continues to uphold. 

As an AUA Pillar, Sonia, alongside Zaven, was a supporter of the University for many years. Together, their contributions to AUA comprise several namings, including the new AUA Science & Engineering Building to be named the Akian Family Building, and the earlier Zaven P. & Sonia Akian College of Science & Engineering, the Akian BioScience Laboratory, and the Akian Art Gallery. Above all, the student scholarships awarded through the “Zaven P. & Sonia Akian Scholarship” endowment at AUA have enabled over 600 students to date the opportunity to access quality higher education in Armenia. Hundreds more will benefit from this Akian endowment for decades to come.

Sonia and Zaven P. Akian with recipients of the Zaven P. & Sonia Akian Scholarship at AUA, 2016

All scholarship recipients, together with AUA faculty, students, alumni, and the University administration, are forever grateful for her support and the impact she has made on so many lives. The AUA expressed its heartfelt gratitude to Sonia Akian, whose name will live forever at the University.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, November 25, 2023.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values. AUA’s Office of Development stewards the University’s philanthropic efforts exclusively for educational purposes.

U.S. continues to believe durable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible – State Department

Hambardsumian Paul

 10:39,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. continues to believe that a durable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel has said.

“We continue to believe that a durable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible.  It’s something that the department will continue to work towards.  Obviously, Coordinator Bono, the Secretary, and others continue to be deeply engaged on this.  I just don’t have any updates for you right now at this time,” Patel said at a press briefing when asked to give updates on U.S. Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono’s recent trip to the region.

GTB Steel to continue plant construction in Ararat village instead of Yeraskh

Hambardsumian Paul

 14:45,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government will provide funds to GTB Steel for its project to build a steelworks in the village of Ararat which was originally supposed to be built in Yeraskh but was moved due to safety precautions after multiple cross-border shooting attacks by Azeri forces.

The US-affiliated company had spent nearly 2 billion drams during its construction work in Yeraskh.

The government of Armenia adopted a decision on January 11 to provide 3,500,000,000 drams in budgetary loan to the Pan-Armenian Fund investment fund, which is managed by the Armenian Development and Investment Corporation universal crediting organization, with the purpose of financing the GTB Steel project in Ararat.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 11-01-24

Hambardsumian Paul

 17:35,

YEREVAN, 11 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 11 January, USD exchange rate down by 0.47 drams to 405.01 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.25 drams to 444.21 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 4.56 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.26 drams to 516.27 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 136.22 drams to 26391.72 drams. Silver price down by 2.43 drams to 299.04 drams.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 09-01-24

Hambardsumian Paul

 18:18, 9 January 2024

YEREVAN, 9 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 January, USD exchange rate up by 0.38 drams to 405.61 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 443.49 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 4.51 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.09 drams to 515.98 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 382.39 drams to 26408.65 drams. Silver price down by 1.48 drams to 297.91 drams.