Category: 2023

Armenia Ranks Fourth in Semiconductor Exports for Defense Industry

Yeghisabet Arthur
Fagen Wasanni Technologies
Poland –
 Chelsea Johnson

Armenia has emerged as the world’s fourth largest exporter of semiconductors for the defense industry, according to Azernews. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Armenia saw a significant increase in semiconductor exports to Russia, making it a key player in this market segment.

The volume of semiconductor exports from Armenia to Russia has steadily grown since the beginning of the war. The growth in exports highlights Armenia’s ability to meet the demand for semiconductors in the defense industry.

It is worth noting that the majority of Armenia’s semiconductor exports to Russia are re-exports. Armenia relies on imports for the production of semiconductors and complex equipment, as the country does not have the capability to manufacture them domestically.

Despite its involvement in providing substantial assistance to Russia during the war in Ukraine, Armenia has not faced any significant sanctions from the international community. This underscores the double standards of the West in dealing with such situations.

Armenia’s rise as a major player in the semiconductor exports for the defense industry demonstrates the country’s potential in this sector. The growth in exports also indicates Armenia’s ability to meet the needs of its partners in the defense industry.

Azerbaijan arrests Nagorno-Karabakh resident for ‘war crimes’

Zhanna Nahapetian
 

ByAni Avetisyan
Vagif Khachatrian being arrested at the Lachin checkpoint. Image via ITV.

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

Vagif Khachatrian, a resident of the village of Patara, was among 16 patients being evacuated by the Red Cross to Armenian hospitals for urgent treatment when he was arrested at the Lachin checkpoint on Saturday. 

The authorities in Stepanakert accused Baku of ‘kidnapping’ Khachatrian and taking him in an ‘unknown direction’. Yerevan and Stepanakert accused Baku of ‘gross violation of international law’. 

Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor’s Office released a statement on Saturday accusing Khachatrian of genocide and ethnic cleasnsing, claiming that he took part in a massacre of Azerbaijani civilians in the village of Meshali during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Vagif Khachatrian at the Lachin checkpoint. Image via ITV.

They said Khachatrian would be placed in a medical facility in Baku and that the Red Cross would be provided access to him.

Following the arrest, the Red Cross announced they had halted the transfer of critically ill patients from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, as well as the return of recovered patients.

On Sunday, the organisation said they had visited Khachatrian and that he was in contact with his family.

The Red Cross is the only organisation currently able to access Nagorno-Karabakh, solely for the transfer of ill patients to Armenian hospitals. 

In the past month, the organisation has been banned from entry at least twice, with Azerbaijan also attempting to impose medical examinations by Azerbaijani doctors at the Lachin checkpoint.

According to the statement from the Azerbaijani Prosecutor’s Office, Khachatryan took part in a massacre of Azerbaijani civilians in the village of Meshali on 22 December 1991. 

‘Using various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, they raided the village and killed 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality, injured 14 people, and contrary to national and international law norms expelled 358 Azerbaijanis from their domicile’, the statement said.

It added that Khachaturyan then ‘continued his criminal actions together with his accomplices’, causing property damage of ₼5.5 million ($3.2 million).

A 1992 report by the Russian human rights group, Memorial, cited ‘severe violence against the civilian population’ in Meshali by ethnic Armenian forces in 1991. Meshali is located in a part of Nagorno-Karabakh that remains under the control of the authorities in Stepanakert.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutors’ statement said that an international arrest warrant was issued against Khachaturyan in November 2013.

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender dismissed the Azerbaijani claims, stating that no ‘international prosecution’ was registered in any international databases against Khachatryan. 

Artak Beglaryan, an adviser to Nagorno-Karabakhs’ State minister denied that Khachatryan took part in war crimes, saying he was a driver who ‘defended his homeland’ during the First Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Khachatrian’s daughter, Tsovinar Khachatrian, who was accompanying him to Yerevan, also denied that her father was a war criminal, telling RFE/RL that ‘he was neither a commander nor a deputy commander. He was a driver’. 

Khachatryan was arrested as he was crossing the Azerbaijani checkpoint at the start of the Lachin Corridor, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world.

In a statement on Saturday Armenia’s Foreign Ministry linked Khachatryan’s detention to the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor, calling it a ‘war crime’.

‘We consider the criminal act committed by Azerbaijan today and the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor unacceptable and reprehensible’, they said in a statement.

‘We expect united and clear-cut steps by the international community, including using existing tools aimed at restoring unimpeded movement through the Lachin Corridor, ensuring the activities of international humanitarian organisations in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh’, the statement said. 

According to the November 2020 ceasefire agreement that brought an end to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Lachin Corridor was meant to be controlled by the Russian peacekeeping mission.

However, since Azerbaijani government-backed ‘eco-activists’ first blocked the route in December 2022, supplies and traffic in and out of the region have been limited. Since Azerbaijani border guards set up a checkpoint on the corridor in April, they have several times halted the remaining humanitarian aid supplies going into the region as well as red cross access.

The Azerbaijani government has repeatedly insisted that the region is not under blockade and that civilian traffic through the checkpoint was possible, despite little evidence of civilian traffic being allowed to pass.

[Read on OC Media: Nagorno-Karabakh aid convoy held at Lachin Corridor]

Many in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have warned that the use of the Lachin Corridor by the population of Nagorno-Karabakh would be impossible while the Azerbaijani checkpoint remained in place, with some calling it an attempt to force the Armenian population out. Some have cited the fact that a large proportion of the male population of the region has taken part in hostilities against Azerbaijan since the 1990s, meaning they could be subject to arrest.

In their statement on Saturday, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor’s Office said that ‘operative and investigative measures are being conducted to bring the other accused persons to justice.’


Azerbaijan prosecutor detains man wanted for war crimes during first Nagorno-Karabakh War

Emil Lazarian

James Joseph | Keele School of Law, GB
JULY 30, 2023 01:46:35 PM

Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s office confirmed in an Instagram post on Saturday that they had detained Vagif Khachatryan, a 68-year-old who was traveling from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for medical care. Khachatryan will be charged with committing massacres and forced deportations during the first Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1991. Local leaders in Azerbaijan reported stopping the transfer of a critically-ill patient from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, after a man trying to seek treatment by the Red Cross was arrested by Azeri forces on the charge of war crimes some 30 years prior.

In the statement that said it had detained a man “relevant articles of the Penal Code on massacre and deportation of persons of Azerbaijani nationality, destruction and harm of public and private properties resulting large-scale damage caused by members of illegal Armenian armed groups on 22nd December 1991 in Meshali village of Khojaly district,” the Prosecutor General’s office detailed the alleged crimes and said that the investigation was ongoing. Prosecutors say that Khachatryan used firearms and other weapons to raid the Meshali village, killing 25 Azerbaijan nationals, injuring 14 people and expelling 358 others.

Gurgen Nersisyan, the state minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh’s unrecognized government announced on Saturday that Vagif Khachatryan was “taken from the checkpoint” installed by Baku on the border with Armenia and that his whereabouts are unknown. This comes as the Red Cross in Armenia called for all sides must reach “humanitarian consensus” to ease suffering.

One of Nersisyan’s advisers, Artak Beglaryan, confirmed that all medical evacuations from Nagorno-Karabakh have been stopped indefinitely. Beglaryan said that “arresting someone under [International Humanitarian Law] & [International Committee of the Red Cross] protection is a war crime.” He further called on the US State Department and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to demand the release of Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijan.

In a further statement which was shared with Azerbijan’s state media, Azerbaijan’s prosecutor’s office confirmed the detaining of Khachatryan and asserted that his crimes amount to genocide.

The EU, US, UK, and other countries have called for the reopening of the Lachin Corridor between Nagorn0-Karabakh and Armenia to civilian traffic. They emphasizea ruling from the International Court of Justice saying Baku must “ensure movement” along the highway.  Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has accused foreign nations of bias and “blatant misinterpretation” of the court’s decision, insisting it is open to supplying Nagorno-Karabakh internally, within the country’s territory, something local Armenian leaders have ruled out.

The first Nagorno-Karabakh War, also known as the Artsakh Liberation War, started in 1988 and began as a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is a predominantly Armenian-populated enclave within Azerbaijan. The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the Soviet era, when Joseph Stalin transferred Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan in 1923, disregarding its ethnic composition. As the Soviet Union started to collapse in the late 1980s, tensions between the Armenian and Azerbaijani populations in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated. In 1988, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, an administrative unit within Azerbaijan, declared its intention to secede and join Armenia. This move was met with resistance from Azerbaijan, resulting in violent clashes between the two communities. As the situation worsened, both sides resorted to ethnic violence and various military actions.

In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved, and both Armenia and Azerbaijan declared independence. However, the conflict did not end and instead intensified. The war primarily involved the armed forces of Azerbaijan, supported by paramilitary groups, against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s forces, which were supported by Armenia. The armed conflict resulted in a significant loss of life, large-scale displacement of civilians, and the destruction of infrastructure. The war concluded in 1994 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia. The ceasefire left Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is not internationally recognized. Since then, the conflict has remained unresolved, with occasional outbreaks of violence and sporadic negotiations for a permanent settlement.

https://www.jurist.org/news/2023/07/azerbaijan-prosecutor-confirms-detention-of-man-wanted-for-war-crimes-during-first-nagorno-karabakh-war/

Fifty Shades of Aliyev’s Assistant, Hikmet Hajiyev

Emil Lazarian

Since the day of Azerbaijan's creation, lies and forgery have been the foundation of this fictitious statehood, endowed with the psychology of a thief and a criminal, the political and public figures of that "No-country" have oppressed their own people for years, waged expansionist wars with neighbouring states, and misled the international community.

One of the new but noteworthy propagandists of this phenomenon is a demented and insane Himket Hajiyev, the assistant to the president of Azerbaijan. Hajiyev stands out among his fellow criminals due to his cosmic stupidity. From his publications and public speeches, it is evident that we are dealing with a pathetic copy of a demented personality, which occasionally exhibits human reflexes.

Hajiyev was appointed to his position in 2019. Though a relatively short period, it was enough for Himket Hajiyev to reveal his lack of qualities.

Now let's not dwell on the trivial details, like his speeches during the COVID epidemic, which were peppered with cheap and misleading statements, and false information about his personal life. By the way, Azerbaijan is one of the few countries that have not yet lifted restrictions related to the epidemic, such as closed borders. Some experts interpret this not as a caring attitude towards their own public, but as another lever to ensure the manageability of the new expansionist war.

Hajiyev's first significant lie appeared during the 44-day war in 2020. At that time, he published a picture from near the Mingechauri reservoir, claiming that Armenian artillery had tried to hit the reservoir. But the picture showed a projectile embedded in the ground, and even without special technical means, it was visible that the projectile was literally nailed into a pre-dug hole.

The obvious forgery received a great response in both the Armenian and international press. The forgery was quickly exposed.

During the same period, Hajiyev also accused the Greeks because of participation in the war by Armenians. During his briefing on October 2, 2022 Hajiyev announced that there were Greek mercenaries in the territory of Armenia. This statement was also patently false and unsubstantiated. This brazen forgery found a great response in Greece, and public circles strongly criticized Himket Hajiev, labeling him a liar.

After these shameful incidents, the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan went underground for some time, trying to escape the negative attention surrounding his person. Even then, he did not stop taking an active part in political processes, promoting obviously false and misleading theses, which were, however, aligned with Azerbaijan's state politics and not Hajiyev's personal views.

Hajiyev's next fiasco occurred in early December 2022, during the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

At the beginning of the blockade, Hajiyev accused Russian peacekeepers of blocking the corridor. At this stage, the pearls of the flight of Hajiyev's thoughts were presented to us with this emphasis. Additionally, Hajiyev claimed that Azerbaijani environmentalists were carrying out a peaceful protest action. It was clear from the beginning, and later confirmed, that the goal of that peaceful protest was to completely blockade the Lachin Corridor.

Months later, in an interview with another media, Hajiyev claimed that the Corridor was not blocked at all, as stated by the Armenian side, on the contrary, he argued that the Lachin Corridor remained open for the transportation of humanitarian goods and people, supporting his claim with unsubstantiated statistical data.

Perhaps the listed examples are enough to form an opinion of Himket Hajiyev, nevertheless, as you know, perfection knows no bounds, even if it is about perfection with a negative sign.

Another controversy arose on July 26 when the Government of the Republic of Armenia sent trucks loaded with humanitarian cargo to alleviate the basic needs of our compatriots who had been blockaded in Nagorno Karabakh for 8 months. However, the vehicles did not reach Stepanakert, as the Azerbaijani authorities prohibited the transportation of humanitarian goods through the Lachin corridor.

By the way, the trucks are still located in the area adjacent to the village of Kornidzor in the Republic of Armenia, near the criminal Azerbaijani so-called Lachin check point.

On the same evening of July 26, when RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Twitter page that we cannot turn a blind eye to the situation in which the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh found themselves, and the 360 tons of cargo were sent to Nagorno-Karabakh exclusively for humanitarian purposes, at that time Himket Hajiyev wrote a shameful comment on the same Twitter, attaching Nikol Pashinyan's statement. Hajiyev claimed that during the tripartite meeting of Charles Michel, Nikol Pashinyan, and Ilham Aliyev in Brussels, an agreement was reached that the Aghdam-Stepanakert road should be used as an alternative to the Lachin Corridor.

This completely false, vile, and misleading claim was immediately rejected by European officials. Hours later, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, issued a statement stating that the Aghdam-Stepanakert road cannot be an alternative to the Lachin Corridor and that the corridor must be unblocked immediately.

In fact, Hajiyev's next lie has already affected Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and entered the international arena. He has been accused of spreading blatantly false information to discredit European politicians in an attempt to involve them in his manipulative actions.

By Editor-in-Chief “Respublica Armenia” newspaper Ararat Petrosyan.


Blinken’s Chance in the South Caucasus

Eduard Nalbandian

By Timothy Jemal on July 28, 2023

On June 27, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken resumed peace talks in Washington between an increasingly western-oriented, democratic Armenia and an autocratic Azerbaijan. A lasting, durable peace brokered by the U.S. in the South Caucasus could pave the way for the entire region to commit to democracy, religious and cultural freedom, and the protection of human rights.  

At the center of grievances is the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. It has its own government, educational system and defense forces. Thousands of cultural and religious monuments dot the region. The legal case for Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence is strong. Freedom House rates its government as more democratic than Azerbaijan’s.

The negotiations offer Secretary Blinken an opportunity to reconsider the U.S. approach to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Successive U.S. Administrations have embraced Azerbaijan’s dictatorship, banking on the stability he ostensibly ensures. 

In 2019, during the Trump Administration, U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan increased to $100 million. Despite raising eyebrows on Capitol Hill, that military assistance helped fuel the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War where Azerbaijan, with major support from Turkey and foreign mercenaries, captured a large swath of Nagorno-Karabakh.

With the military balance shifted in Azerbaijan’s favor, Aliyev is now pursuing a maximalist position in peace negotiations demanding Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh submit to all of its conditions.   

The Lessons of Yalta

The 1945 Yalta Summit can provide Blinken with guidance in brokering peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and avoiding the dangerous mistakes that plunged the South Caucus region into decades of repression, authoritarian rule and irreversible destruction of cultural and religious sites. 

At the Summit, President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin met at the Yalta resort in then-Soviet Crimea to finalize a post-war peace agreement. Roosevelt got Stalin to support a Declaration of a Liberated Europe which included an agreement on the rights of the people of central and eastern Europe “to choose the form of government under which they will live – the restoration of sovereign rights and self-government to those peoples who have been forcibly deprived to them by the aggressor nations.” 

The Soviets never honored the agreement, which proved disastrous for central and eastern Europe and Baltic states: a betrayal of U.S. values and the brutal imposition of Soviet rule for forty-five years.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Poland Dan Fried, who worked for the Clinton, Bush, and Obama Administrations, warned that peace brokers need “to take care when negotiating documents based on general language of principles, like Yalta’s Declaration of Liberated Europe, with a leader who shares neither your values nor your underlying purposes.”

Blinken should stop accepting weak and vague assurances on the “rights and securities” of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians from an autocratic ruler like Aliyev who publicly boasts about ethnic cleansing and more military attacks on Armenia. Aliyev sent that message by launching an attack that killed four Armenian servicemen as peace talks occurred in Washington. An agreement where Azerbaijan makes no concessions and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are left at the mercy of a kakistocracy would be a humanitarian and cultural disaster. 

Recent stumbles include Blinken’s bizarre endorsement of Aliyev’s “amnesty” offer to the elected leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh which is akin to Putin making a similar offer to Ukrainians in Donetsk.   

A snap peace after decades of conflict and Aliyev’s ongoing campaign of hate is not possible. A better approach is to pursue confidence-building measures including immediate lifting the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to Armenia.  Additional confidence-building measures include the return of all Armenian POWs and captured civilians and withdrawal of all Azerbaijani military personnel and installations from Armenia proper.  

During a June 21st hearing before the congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback warned Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are “another historic Christian population that’s going to get driven out if we don’t take some policy moves . . . you can see that’s what’s taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh, that Azerbaijan’s going to squeeze the place – just force the people to leave.” 

Selective sticks must be used with Azerbaijan. Section 907 sanctions should be applied to Azerbaijan for their blockades and offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Magnitsky designations must be considered against Azerbaijani officials for egregious human rights violations including the Lachin Corridor blockade. 

Carrots are plentiful which include bolstering economic and security ties and fostering greater American investment in sectors beyond oil and gas. The opportunity to bring the South Caucasus region closer to the U.S. and EU based on common values as Russia self-destructs would be one of the most significant foreign policy accomplishments in decades. 

Blinken has the tools to avoid the mistakes of Yalta and achieve real peace. It’s time to use them.  

The ARS of Eastern USA awards $67,750 in scholarships

Hovik Karapetian
July 26, 2023 Armenian Relief Society Eastern U.S. Nonprofit News, Diaspora 0

WATERTOWN, Mass. — The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA is thrilled to announce that it has awarded $67,750 in scholarships to 40 students. The committee and regional executive board selected the students based on their academic achievements and involvement in the Armenian community.

“We are immensely proud of the remarkable achievements, dedication and commitment to both academic excellence and community involvement and congratulate all the students who have been awarded scholarships,” said Caroline Chamavonian, ARS of Eastern USA chairperson. “We wholeheartedly encourage each student to pursue their dreams and aspirations, and we have every confidence that each of them will make significant contributions to our beloved homeland, our diaspora community and this world,” she continued.

Following is a list of the recipients based on each scholarship category. The scholarships provided by the ARS of Eastern USA are made possible through the generous endowments and memorial funds established by individuals and families over the last couple of decades who wholeheartedly believe in the power of education and its transformative impact.

The recipients of the ARS undergraduate scholarships are:

Asadurian, Shant – Accounting – Business – Rutgers University
Avakyan, Lusine – Nursing – Pace University
Ayazian, Andre – Mechanical Engineering – Stevens Institute of Technology
Blonkvist, Christie – Biomedical Engineering – University of Virginia
Blonkvist, Pete – Business Administration – University of North Carolina
Dishoyan, Karnie – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Drew University
Donoian, David – Science in Business Administration – Northeastern University
Emirzian, Haig – Cyber Security – Stevens Institute of Technology
Farah, Alexa – Music – Rider University
Hardy, Aren – Mechanical Engineering – University of Illinois
Kiwanian, Narod – Political Science – Wayne State University
Matevosian, Vana – Psychology – University of California, Los Angeles
Mkrtchyan, Ani – Marketing – University of Maryland
Orangian, Nataleen – Biology – University of Virginia
Ovasepian, Susanna – Biology – Northeastern University
Sargsyan, Zaruhi – Voice Performance – Berklee College
Sarrafian, Raffi – Chemical Engineering – University of Illinois
Soulakian, Aleen – Marketing – Illinois State University
Zobian, Maral – Interior Design – Suffolk University

The recipients of the ARS Lazarian graduate scholarships are:

Arslanyan, Aren – Chemical Engineering – Villanova University
Asadurian, Sevan – Reproductive Clinical Studies – Eastern Virginia Medical School
Bairamian, Nora – Armenian Studies – University of California, Los Angeles
Berberian, Khatchig – Physician Assistant – Charles Drew University
Kalbakian, Armine – Public Health – Columbia University
Kasparian, Alexandra – Physician Assistant – George Washington University
Kiledjian, Kevork – Physical Therapy – Touro College
Magardichian, Marco – Medicine – California Health Science University
Mardanyan, Hayk – Public Policy – University of Minnesota
Mesrobian, Kalina – Law – St. John’s University
Ohanian, Alec – Medicine – University of California, San Francisco
Pogosyan, David – Medicine – University of Arizona
Topouzian, Knar – Law – University of Detroit

The Karnig Alajajian Family Scholarship is given to students of Armenian descent from the Middle East pursuing their higher education in the United States. This year’s recipients are:

Mikaelian, Sarkis – Astronautical Engineering – University of Southern California
Tarakjian, Mher – Design Studies: Ecologies – Harvard University
Taslakjian, Boghos – Engineering – University of Chicago

The Hagop & Pearl Mooradian Scholarship is given to students from the United States who are pursuing their education in Armenia. This year’s recipient is:

Dzhragatspanyan, Arman – Political Science and International Affairs – American University of Armenia

The ARS Regional Executive Board also awarded scholarships to the following deserving students as part of their commitment to supporting educational pursuits:

Boyajian, Vahan – Public Health – Drexel University
Martirosyan, Armen – Music – University of Miami
Sinanyan, Ani – Music – Cleveland Institute of Music
Tovmasyan, Lilit – Learning Design, Innovation & Technologies – Harvard University

The ARS of Eastern USA has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships over the last several decades. The next application cycle will begin in January 2024. Interested applicants can learn more on the website.

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The ARS Eastern USA has 35 chapters located throughout the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States.


House of Lavash brings an Armenian staple to Belmont

Arbi Tashjian
July 26, 2023 Alexandra O'Neil Community News, Food, Diaspora 0

Lavash, Armenia’s national bread, is a kitchen staple for the Armenian community. For years, there was no local source for fresh lavash—until Arman Manoukian came along.

House of Lavash, located at 7 Cushing Ave, Belmont, Massachusetts, promises its patrons light and delicious bread. Since the store’s opening in 2022, owner Manoukian has sparked a newfound appreciation for fresh lavash that has strengthened the local Armenian community. His bakery pursues one mission: “to make sure our community has access to freshly baked lavash flatbread.”

House of Lavash’s homemade lavash, baked daily with a locally sourced recipe

House of Lavash offers homemade goods baked daily, and Manoukian sees the benefits firsthand. “The production equipment is brought from Armenia, and the recipe is locally developed,” Manoukian told the Weekly during a recent visit. Imported lavash is frozen with yeast and preservatives to prolong shelf life, so it falls apart. Manoukian’s lavash is elastic and long-lasting, with no artificial ingredients. It can be frozen for up to eight months and refrigerated for up to ten days. 

“We started with our own recipe, with no yeast and no preservatives, and it’s been a hit from the get-go. Everyone likes it. Some people say that even in Armenia there is no such lavash,” Manoukian said. 

In addition to lavash, the bakery offers gata, an Armenian sweetbread pastry, and a variety of products “grown in Armenia, dried in Armenia, shipped from Armenia directly.” From this selection, Manoukian featured dried apricot slices, chewy and perfectly sweet. 

Despite its reputation for delicious baked and imported goods, House of Lavash transcends the role of a bakery. “It’s a meeting place at this point. People come and talk,” Manoukian said. 

House of Lavash offers fresh bread, desserts, and imported goods from Armenia.

These community ties are further woven into the store’s operations. The bakery is family-run, which “makes it a pleasure to be in the store,” Manoukian said. “With love and care, when it goes into production, it shows in the product.” 

Surrounded by family and the local Armenian community, Manoukian has found significant support for his mission. He expressed, “It’s not only the family here, but the community that comes and talks to you about the importance of having fresh lavash.” 

At House of Lavash, non-Armenians also have a new way to experience Armenian culture. The store website features information on lavash’s preparation, origin and cultural importance. It details the legend of Armenian king Aram, who hid lavash in his shield to stay strong during an archery competition with his Assyrian counterpart, as well as highlighting lavash’s place on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014. However, according to Manoukian, the real impact occurs in the store. “Initially, it took a while to introduce what lavash is. Now it has become their go-to bread. Those who have tried it are now regulars,” Manoukian said. 

House of Lavash is a gateway to meeting fellow Armenians or being introduced to Armenian food and culture. However, first and foremost, it’s a place where you can find “the two best things” – quality bread and desserts.

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Alexandra O’Neil is a rising junior at Boston College majoring in Communications with minors in Journalism, English and Theatre. She is an arts contributor for Boston College's newspaper The Heights, and she has written for ECHO Magazine, an online music publication based in Boston and Los Angeles. Her work focuses on performing arts coverage as well as film, music and literary reviews, and she is passionate about telling stories bringing attention to people making a difference in their communities.


Engineer Armenia: Sustainable solutions for the homeland

Meline Chalian
July 26, 2023 Talar Keoseyan Non-Profit 1

Family home built in Jrashen, 2019

“When I think of how this organization started, I reflect on myself at 16 years old,” Karina Khadarian, founder and CEO of Engineer Armenia, said, “when I went to Armenia and Artsakh for two and a half weeks with my school. I loved every minute of it, but I left feeling like I was merely a tourist in my own homeland. I still felt a sense of disconnect.” In 2015, Khadarian spent her summer in Armenia and Artsakh as an AYF Youth Corps volunteer. This was the first time she truly formed a connection with the land and its residents on more than just a surface level. She immersed herself in the communities of Armenia, and that connection was liberating for her.

She was just two years into college as a chemical engineering undergraduate when she decided that she had to do something to impact change in the homeland. While staying with host families, she gained insight into the challenges they faced on a daily basis. She knew that infrastructure, water and waste management in Armenia were in need of serious improvement. She believed she could tie these issues together through education. In July of 2015, she founded Engineer Armenia. “To engineer is to use innovation, creativity, knowledge and resources to find a sustainable solution to a problem. We are to engineer our homeland,” Khadarian told the Weekly.

“You have to actively be Armenian. It’s not enough to preserve our culture and learn and share about our history. It’s not only about the genealogy. Patriotism is not just loving your country blindly,” Khadarian said. “You have to see the homeland for all its beauty, but also its flaws, and work proactively to get it to the level that it deserves.”

She was 20 years old, and she knew that her homeland needed her. She went back to foster relationships with her former host families and students. She investigated potential projects and grew the Engineer Armenia network with local municipalities, authorities and residents. Were the residents ready to invest in themselves and their own communities? Could they donate their time, skills, equipment or money? These were areas to discuss and seriously consider.

Engineer Armenia volunteers at work

She developed a team at the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) starting with 19 volunteers, most of whom were not of Armenian descent and had no relationship with Armenia. As a student volunteer in other engineering organizations on campus, she began by networking with and recruiting UCI students. As someone who had volunteered her time and skills for projects in Madagascar and Honduras, countries she did not have a personal connections with, she knew she could engage both her Armenian and non-Armenian peers by presenting it as the hands-on experience all engineering students needed to become desirable candidates for future employment opportunities. 

“We have to be strategic in how we get both our own community members and our non-Armenian friends, colleagues and even strangers involved in such development projects. Sell it as a hands-on experience, or a networking opportunity, or a way to grow your list of references,” Khadarian urged. “Do what you can to engage more people and secure more resources, whether it be for intellect and skills, or for financing and connections. Be strategic, be smart, and above all, always think of ways to help our beloved homeland.”

Since its inception and early years, Engineer Armenia’s membership, network and projects have grown. Engineer Armenia has projects in Gyumri, Tavush and Meghrashen in Shirak; Vanadzor, Jrashen and Hartagyugh in Lori; Hatsik and Karakert in Armavir; Goris in Syunik; and Nngi in Artsakh. Projects address water, waste management, infrastructure, engineering, education or consulting. They include design-heavy initiatives to renovate or retrofit civil or commercial infrastructure, treat and improve drinking or irrigation water quality, and install proper waste management processes. 

Engineering camp, Hartagyugh, 2022

Engineer Armenia also has education programs such as their annual summer engineering camp. During the camp, students are immersed into different engineering fields through interactive activities and competitions to demonstrate their new skills. At the end of camp, students present their original projects addressing how they can use engineering to develop the homeland. The projects involve at least one field of engineering and include detailed project scope, estimated costs, labor, materials and project timeline. This final project not only highlights the topics and skills students learn at the camp but also fosters a collaborative environment, improves their public speaking and presentation skills, and inspires them to take ownership of their work. This is a wonderful way of working on a growth mindset to encourage innovation and engage the next generation of Armenian engineers in homeland development, self-reliance and sustainability projects.

Engineer Armenia has also collaborated with start-up companies for prosthetics and 3D printing. “There are a lot of brilliant minds in Armenia with great ideas, but sometimes there is a gap between the conception of the project or business idea and the actual implementation and scale-up,” Khadarian said. To help bridge that gap, Engineer Armenia has helped with business proposals and grant writing. One of the groups secured a $10,000 grant to use for a startup.

Engineer Armenia is committed to helping our homeland with its dedicated volunteer staff throughout the Diaspora, Armenia and Artsakh. 

“The concept of being actively Armenian is on all of us. We all have something we can bring to the table to help our homeland. In fact, it is our civic duty to do so,” Khadarian said.

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Talar Keoseyan is a mother, educator and writer. Talar’s book called Mom and Dad, Why Do I Need to Know My Armenian Heritage? is available on Amazon. Tigran’s Song is available at Abril Bookstore. She has been an educator for 25 years and resides in Los Angeles, CA. She can be reached at


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Dr. Bruce Boghosian appointed AUA President

Emil Lazarian
July 26, 2023 Guest Contributor News 0

Dr. Bruce Boghosian

YEREVAN, Armenia — After a meticulous and intensive search process, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bruce Boghosian as the next university president, effective September 1, 2023. 

Dr. Boghosian was selected by the Board of Trustees from a deep, diverse and excellent pool. Currently a professor in the department of mathematics at Tufts University with secondary appointments in the departments of computer science and physics, he previously served as president of AUA from 2010 to 2014, leading the university through rapid expansion, including the creation of undergraduate programs. He received the “Order of the Republic of Armenia,” awarded by the Prime Minister, for his service as president and continued to be involved in the AUA community following his departure, including attending graduation ceremonies and collaborating with faculty on different projects and initiatives. 

An award-winning teacher, Dr. Boghosian has been a professor at Tufts University since 2000. He has served in a variety of leadership roles there, including chair of the department of mathematics and co-director of the master of arts program in data analytics. He was elected to Fellowship in the American Physical Society in 2000 and named a Distinguished Scholar of Tufts University in 2010, a Fellow of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life in 2018 and a Fellow of Tufts’ Data Intensive Studies Center in 2019.

Dr. Boghosian earned his degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Davis, including a bachelor of science in physics, a master of science in nuclear engineering, and a doctorate in applied science and engineering. His research spans the areas of applied dynamical systems, applied probability theory, kinetic theory, mathematical models of the economy and complex systems science, among others.

Chair of the AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Lawrence Pitts is delighted to welcome Dr. Boghosian back to AUA. “The University is expanding its facilities and student body to help Armenia meet its needs for growth and prosperity,” he said. “The AUA Board believes that Dr. Boghosian is ideally suited to help us achieve AUA’s expansion and to guide and enhance AUA’s excellent education of its students. There is much to do, and Dr. Boghosian’s love for and commitment to Armenia and his extensive background in higher education make him the right person for this position.”

Since December, the leadership has been occupied by interim president Dr. Der Kiureghian, who graciously accepted the temporary role following the resignation of Dr. Karin Markides. His prior experience as AUA president from 2014 to 2019 allowed him to deftly steward the university through a critical period of transition, allowing the Board of Trustees the time and latitude necessary to successfully search for a new president. 

“The AUA Board of Trustees, and indeed the entire AUA community, are endlessly grateful to Dr. Der Kiureghian for stepping in again as the University’s president on short notice,” said Dr. Pitts. “His experience and dedication has allowed AUA to continue to grow and function exceedingly well while we appointed Dr. Boghosian. Thank you, Armen, for your dedicated service to AUA.”




Teach for Armenia secures generous gift for teacher preparation

Anna Tamamian
July 26, 2023 Guest Contributor News 0

The ninth cohort at Teacher Leadership Academy. Dilijan, Tavush Region, July 2023.

YEREVAN, Armenia—Teach For Armenia, a non-profit dedicated to enabling educational equity for all students in Armenia and Artsakh, is excited to share that a generous donation of $300,000 was made on behalf of Elie and Ela Akilian. Over the next three years, this contribution will specifically support Teach For Armenia’s annual Teacher Leadership Academy, a summer training program for newly-recruited Teacher-Leaders who will embark on a two-year journey teaching in public schools across our nation’s rural communities.

Teach For Armenia is also excited to share that we have secured an additional anonymous gift of $900,000 for the next three years to support our educational programs for youth across Armenia and Artsakh. We are grateful to our supporters for their trust and contribution to our collective work.

Founded by Larisa Hovannisian in 2013, Teach For Armenia is a Teacher Leadership Program based in Yerevan, Armenia. We recruit and train recent university graduates and professionals to teach in rural communities for a period of two years. Participants in our program are called Teacher-Leaders and work to cultivate leadership at every level of their school communities. After their time in the classroom, Teacher-Leaders become Alumni-Ambassadors who continue to advocate for education across sectors and at every level of leadership. Currently, Teach For Armenia places 175 Teacher-Leaders in every region of Armenia, as well as Artsakh. We reach over 30,000 students and have a network of 240 Alumni-Ambassadors.