AW: Displaced students from Artsakh are adapting to life in Armenian universities

Arsine Chaltikian
 Anna Harutyunyan News, Special Reports 0

Anna Hayriyan, fourth from the left, with her new classmates

“When the lecturer introduced us to our new classmates, I realized that I would quickly get used to this new environment,” said 37-year-old Svetlana Abrahamyan, a student forcibly displaced from Artsakh attending university in Armenia.

Among the 100,000 Armenians displaced from Artsakh after Azerbaijan’s September 19 military operation, 4,600 are students. Many of them have enrolled in new universities in Armenia and are gradually adapting to their new life. Yet professors and students of Artsakh State University have not forgotten the university they were forced to abandon and are demanding its restoration.

According to official data from the Armenian government, of the 4,600 students from Artsakh who can continue their studies in Armenia, 2,100 are in higher education and 2,500 in secondary vocational education. 1,600 have enrolled in state universities in Armenia, according to Public Television of Armenia. 1,086 students from Artsakh are studying at Yerevan State University, 888 of them in the same departments as their universities in Artsakh.

There were two state and two private universities in Artsakh: Artsakh State University, Shushi Technological University, Mesrop Mashtots University and “Grigor Narekatsi” University.

The September 19 attack came in the wake of Azerbaijan’s recent military assaults aimed at regaining full control over Artsakh. The military operation was preceded by a nearly 10-month-long blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor, a vital route through which Armenians received essential supplies, including medicine and fuel. Consequently, Artsakh Armenians faced severe shortages of essential supplies such as food, medicine, water and electricity. Locals described Azerbaijan’s actions as a “slow-motion genocide,” using starvation as a tactic to compel them to leave the region once the road reopened.

When the attack started, Abrahamyan’s family of seven took shelter in basements until the shooting stopped. However, when the firing resumed, they had to flee their home. As they ran away, her three-year-old cousin screamed in her brother’s arms, “Help, save us.” They didn’t know how to silence the child, worried the cries would reveal their whereabouts to Azerbaijani forces. 

Abrahamyan and her family reached Armenia with great difficulty. They completed the journey from Stepanakert, Artsakh to Yerevan, Armenia, which usually takes half a day, in three days. Since they ran out of food and supplies during the siege, they only took water with them for the long journey.

Abrahamyan is the only student in her home. She studied sociology at Mesrop Mashtots University in Artsakh while working. In Armenia, her family has found a house in the Gegharkunik province, while she completes her master’s at Yerevan State University in the capital city.

Svetlana Abrahamyan

“It is difficult to get to the capital, Yerevan, every day. The new professors understand us well. I am not the only student from Nagorno-Karabakh in our course,” Abrahamyan said, adding that many of her classmates from Artsakh are staying in different provinces across Armenia. “Distance is a problem. That’s why there are classes that we do online,” she said.

This year, Anna Hayriyan will not graduate from Artsakh State University as she had planned, but from Yerevan State University. “After Artsakh State University, I chose Yerevan State University. Their names, roles and meanings are very similar to each other, so I made my choice easily,” Hayriyan said.

“At Artsakh State University, our course consisted of seven future journalists. At Yerevan State University, seven of us are together again,” she added.

21-year-old Hayriyan was in the fourth year of her journalism program when the attack started. She served as a news function for all her relatives, leaving the basement where she and her family were sheltering to find out the news on the Internet and report back. 

She drove to Armenia with relatives on September 25, followed by her mother and grandmother on September 26. “We suffered a lot to reach the Hakari bridge,” Hayriyan said, referring to the crossing point between Artsakh and Armenia. “In 18 hours, our car had traveled only 2 kilometers.” Her cousin, Andranik Hakobyan, died at the age of 25 in the disastrous explosion at a fuel warehouse on September 25. 

Anna Hayriyan and Andranik Hakobyan

Students note that there are many differences between the programs at their old and new universities, including the credits and the subjects taught. Yet the professors endeavor to make the learning process easy for students from Artsakh. For instance, Hayriyan said that students from Artsakh only had to answer a few questions on an exam, rather than the total eight. Lecturers also offer supplementary reading materials and provide useful links. 

Nobody in Hayriyan’s family has found a job in Armenia. Her mother is receiving a pension from the government for serving in the military in Artsakh, and her grandmother is receiving an old age pension. Hayriyan still hasn’t received a scholarship promised by the government to students from Artsakh.

Government support and scholarships

The Armenian government has established a scholarship to cover tuition fees for students from Artsakh. Under the arrangements, students will be awarded a stipend that will be transferred to their educational institution to cover tuition for the 2023-2024 school year. The scholarships range from 400-700 thousand AMD, or about $1,000-1,750 USD. 

“In memory of those boys, their bravery, and the hope of restoring Artsakh, we must not allow the university to be dissolved. We have to do everything to ensure justice, and the mother university should be reopened soon.”

“The maximum amount of the scholarship is such that we are sure that we will be able to compensate the students almost completely for their tuition fees. They may not need an additional increase, because realistic scholarship amounts have been chosen,” Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, said during a cabinet meeting on October 10.

Yura Margaryan is using his scholarship to study at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. The 22-year-old excelled in his studies in the Information Technologies department at Artsakh State University. 

“Although the Armenian government has covered our tuition fees, some of my friends studying in departments with higher fees are still awaiting compensation. Additionally, I received an honorary pension [while studying in Artsakh], a benefit that is unfortunately no longer available,” Margaryan said.

Margaryan was the student council vice president at Artsakh State University. He expressed his disapproval of the university’s dissolution. He highlighted the heroic service of Artsakh State University students in the four Artsakh wars, from the 1990s to today. “In memory of those boys, their bravery, and the hope of restoring Artsakh, we must not allow the university to be dissolved. We have to do everything to ensure justice, and the mother university should be reopened soon,” he said.

Yura Margaryan

“Artsakh State University is a symbol”

After the depopulation of Artsakh, students and professors have raised concerns about the restoration of state institutions, with a particular focus on Artsakh State University. Students and teaching staff have voiced a public demand to preserve the university.

During the November 8 session of the Standing Committee on Financial, Credit and Budgetary Issues of the Armenian National Assembly, the chairman of the committee, Gevorg Papoyan, announced that expenses for the maintenance of Artsakh’s state institutions were not included in the 2024 budget draft, meaning the institutions would be dissolved.

Lecturers and students from Artsakh, along with several businessmen from Armenia, have demanded the reopening of Artsakh State University in Armenia. Various public and political figures have also expressed their willingness to teach at the university for free upon its reopening.

“Artsakh State University should not be considered solely as an educational institution. It is a symbol. The intelligentsia forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, along with the students, should unite around it. The dissolution of the student body and a part of the teaching staff in Armenian universities erodes a national value that is the result of decades of consistent and hard work.”

“Artsakh State University should not be considered solely as an educational institution. It is a symbol. The intelligentsia forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, along with the students, should unite around it. The dissolution of the student body and a part of the teaching staff in Armenian universities erodes a national value that is the result of decades of consistent and hard work,” Khachatur Stepanyan, a doctor and professor of Historical Sciences at Khachatur Abovian State Pedagogical University, wrote on his Facebook page.

Suren Parsyan, lecturer at the Armenia State University of Economics, has organized lectures for his former students from Artsakh. Parsyan, a Candidate of Economics and Associate Professor, served as an invited lecturer at the Faculty of Economics of Artsakh State University, where he began his teaching tenure in 2022. 

Parsyan provided data indicating that 3,000 students from Artsakh have enrolled at the Armenian State University of Economics, with a teaching staff of 400. Some professors from Artsakh State University have joined its faculty.

Parsyan said that initially, the best option for students and professors was to integrate into universities in Armenia, in order to preserve the right to education and work. “In the future, Artsakh State University will be able to continue its activities as a private university by presenting a program for re-operation. I do not consider the chapter of Artsakh State University to be closed in history,” he said.

Students say that Artsakh State University is not inferior to any university in Armenia in terms of its activities and quality of education. They are confident that one day, Artsakh State University will continue to function in Armenia, and they will resume their education there.

Artsakh State University

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Anna Harutyunyan is a freelance journalist from Yerevan. She is currently studying at the Department of Journalism at the Armenian State Pedagogical University. Anna has successfully completed the one-year educational program at "Hetq Media Factory."


RFE/RL Armenian Service – 11/20/2023

Lara Antonian 
                                        Monday, 


EU Signals Readiness To Organize Armenia-Azerbaijan Talks ‘At Earliest Possible 
Opportunity’


Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus 
and the crisis in Georgia (file photo)


European Council President Charles Michel is “still ready and willing to 
organize a meeting of the leaders in Brussels at the earliest possible 
opportunity.”

This was said by Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s Special Representative for 
the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, in an interview with Armenia’s 
state-run Armenpress news agency published on Monday.

“For us the primary interest is to actually have an agreement between Armenia 
and Azerbaijan. And where that is ultimately signed is to us much less important 
than the fact that there is genuine normalization between Armenia and 
Azerbaijan,” he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the EU’s October 5 summit in Granada, 
Spain. Pashinian had hoped that they would sign there a document laying out the 
main parameters of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. However, Aliyev 
withdrew from the talks at the last minute.

The Azerbaijani leader also appears to have canceled another meeting which the 
EU’s Michel planned to host in Brussels later in October.

Most recently Azerbaijan refused to attend a meeting with Armenia at the level 
of foreign ministers in Washington after allegedly “biased” remarks by a senior 
U.S. official. That meeting was reportedly scheduled to be held on November 20.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said over the weekend that while the Washington 
platform was “no longer acceptable for Baku in negotiations with Yerevan”, it 
remained open to a possible continuation of talks in Brussels with the EU’s 
mediation.

Klaar said that Brussels was “disappointed” with Aliyev’s decision not to come 
to Granada as “we thought that it was an important possibility and quite 
important forum to send strong messages.”

“President Michel is still ready and willing to organize a meeting of the 
leaders in Brussels at the earliest possible opportunity… Dates certainly are 
important. But the most important thing is to actually move forward and that is 
what we are focused on, to try to encourage forward movement in a genuine 
normalization of relations,” the EU special envoy said.

In Armenia, meanwhile, a senior member of Pashinian’s parliamentary Civil 
Contract faction said on Monday that Yerevan did not consider the negotiation 
process deadlocked despite Azerbaijan’s skipping three meetings in two months.

“Yes, they did refuse to participate in negotiations, but that does not mean 
that the processes have stopped. Besides, they have separate relations with 
different centers in the world, too, and these relations also impact our 
relations. And their relations with these centers have not ceased,” Arman 
Yeghoyan, head of the Armenian parliament’s standing commission on European 
integration issues, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.




Yerevan, Brussels Sign Agreement On EU Mission Status in Armenia


Armenia/EU - Paruyr Hovannisian, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, and 
Vassilis Maragos, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, sign 
an agreement on the status of the EU mission in Armenia, Yerevan, November 20, 
2023.


The European Union and Armenia have signed an agreement on the status of the 
27-nation bloc’s mission in the South Caucasus country.

The official signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 
Armenia on Monday.

The agreement was signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovannisian and Head 
of the EU Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, the Armenian 
Foreign Ministry said.

Hovannisian said in early November that progress had been made in terms of 
fixing the status of the European Union mission (EUMA) in Armenia, and that an 
agreement on the immunity and privileges of EUMA observers would be signed soon.

“The strengthening and expansion of the EU mission is on Yerevan’s agenda,” the 
official said then.

In January the European Union approved the establishment of a civilian mission 
in Armenia. It said that monitors sent by different EU member states would 
strive to “contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build 
confidence and human security in conflict-affected areas, and ensure an 
environment conducive to the normalization efforts between Armenia and 
Azerbaijan.”

About 100 monitors arrived in Armenia in late February. The mission has a 
mandate for two years and its operational headquarters is in Armenia.

Canada recently decided to join the mission. Last week EU foreign ministers gave 
the green light to a proposal to beef up the border-monitoring mission in 
Armenia. When the measure is submitted to the European Commission it will need 
to come up with a proposal on how the EUMA can be expanded. The decision of the 
European Commission, in turn, must be ratified by the 27 EU member states.

The EUMA, which operates from six Forward Operating Bases in Armenia’s four 
provinces bordering on Azerbaijan, said recently that since its deployment it 
has carried out more than a thousand patrols along the border.




Armenia Holds ‘Very Special Place’ From OSCE’s Perspective, U.S. Envoy To 
Organization Says

        • Karlen Aslanian

Dr. Michael Carpenter (R), United States Ambassador to the OSCE, is interviewed 
by Azatutyun TV, Yerevan, November 17, 2023.


Armenia holds a “very special place” from the perspective of the Organization 
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a United States ambassador to 
this organization has told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

In an interview late last week Dr. Michael Carpenter said that Armenia has 
become “a model of how a country can reform itself and deepen its democratic 
institutions and take on rule-of-law issues in a very productive and 
constructive way.”

“So we see what’s happening here over the course of the last few years as a 
model that could be emulated elsewhere,” Carpenter said on the eve of the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly’s fall session held in Yerevan on November 18-20.

Carpenter stressed that the United States “continues to think it is extremely 
important for Armenia and Azerbaijan to normalize relations so that there is 
peace, stability in the region, and transport links are opened.”

“We think it is for the benefit of everybody and certainly for the United States 
to see peace and stability in this region. And so we are going to keep trying to 
facilitate that through the means that we have available. And we hope that the 
parties understand as well that this is in their interest, too,” the senior U.S. 
diplomat said.

In the context of Azerbaijan’s most recent refusal to engage in a meeting with 
Armenia in Washington citing “one-sided and biased remarks” by a senior U.S. 
official as a reason, Carpenter said that he “wouldn’t say that any window [of 
opportunity] is closed at the moment.”

“I wouldn’t put a fixed timeline to the negotiations process. And I wouldn’t 
have done that six months ago or a year ago. I think it is important that all 
parties redouble efforts to achieve durable peace and security in the region 
because again that and upholding human rights and democracy is critically 
important for us. So we are going to keep doing it,” he said.

Referring to the recent U.S. efforts to help Armenia and Azerbaijan make 
progress in the negotiations, Carpenter said that Washington will continue to 
offer “good offices” to the parties, adding that “ultimately it is up to the 
parties to decide which process is most conducive to their interests.”

At the same time, the U.S. ambassador to the OSCE said that “Russia is not a 
reliable party in negotiations.”

“Russia has proven over the course of the last 18 months plus that it is not 
reliable in any sphere, having violently and brutally assaulted its neighbor 
[Ukraine] and not just that, but having lied about various other international 
commitments and having broken those commitments repeatedly in recent years,” 
Carpenter said.

The U.S. diplomat would not be drawn into a discussion on what the OSCE’s Minsk 
Group has done in the past in the way of promoting a negotiated peace between 
Armenia and Azerbaijan in their conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. “But clearly 
until we have a sustainable, durable peace deal and agreement between Armenia 
and Azerbaijan, our work will not be finished,” he said.

Carpenter said he was not aware of any contacts in the Minsk Group format, but 
acknowledged that “the Minsk Group continues to exist until the parties decide 
otherwise.”

After the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh that resulted in Azerbaijan’s retaking 
all seven surrounding districts and establishing control over chunks of the 
Armenian-populated region proper, Baku claimed that the OSCE Minsk Group 
co-headed by Russia, the United States, and France had ceased to exist.

The apparent dysfunctionality of the group deepened after Russia’s invasion of 
Ukraine in February 2022 that was followed by Western condemnation of Moscow’s 
actions and support for Kyiv.

Prospects of renewed contacts between the West and Russia, which deployed a 
peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh under the terms of a 2020 Moscow-brokered 
ceasefire agreement, became even more vague after Azerbaijan established full 
control over the region in a lightning offensive in September this year that 
caused virtually the entire local Armenian population to flee to Armenia.

[SEE VIDEO]




Another Karabakh Armenian Charged With War Crimes In Baku



Rashid Beglarian (second from the right) is being interrogated by an Azerbaijani 
investigator at a Karabakh location where he is accused of having committed a 
crime during the 1990s war.


Authorities in Baku have brought charges of alleged war crimes against a 
61-year-old man from Nagorno-Karabakh who, according to the Armenian side, was 
kidnapped by Azerbaijan weeks before its forces established full control over 
the region in a one-day military operation in September.

According to Azerbaijani media, Rashid Beglarian, who, Armenians say, strayed 
into an Azerbaijani-controlled territory near Nagorno-Karabakh on August 1, has 
been charged on five counts of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, including 
“torturing Azerbaijani prisoners” and “participating in the activities of 
illegal armed groups.”

Citing the country’s State Security Service, Azerbaijan’s APA news agency also 
reported that Beglarian admitted that “ethnic Armenian forces, including 
himself, ambushed and gunned down 200 Azeri civilians, most of them women, 
children and elderly people” during February 1992 events near the Karabakh town 
of Khojaly (Khojalu) that Azerbaijan claims amounted to genocide.

The Armenian side has denied that Armenian forces targeted civilians during one 
of their early offensives in the 1992-1994 war, blaming the killings on the 
Azerbaijani forces allegedly seeking to prevent the evacuation of Khojaly’s 
ethnic Azeri residents.

Earlier this month, a court in Baku sentenced another Karabakh Armenian man 
Vagif Khachatrian to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of “genocide” 
and “forced deportation of civilians,” charges that Khachatrian denied 
vehemently throughout the trial.

Khachatrian, 68, was detained by Azerbaijan’s military in late July as he was 
trying to leave Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia. Armenia then also accused 
Azerbaijan of “kidnapping” a Karabakh resident.

Virtually the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh – more than 100,000 
people – fled to Armenia two months ago after Azerbaijan carried out a 24-hour 
offensive to take the entire region under its control.

Eight current and former ethnic Armenian leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including 
three former presidents, have been detained by Azerbaijani forces and 
transferred to Baku where they are imprisoned pending trial on grave criminal 
charges.

Baku has so far acknowledged only nine Karabakh detainees. Armenia insists that 
their number is at least 16. The figure does not include 30 Karabakh soldiers 
and 12 civilians who are said to have gone missing during the Azerbaijani 
assault and remain unaccounted for.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Paros Foundation Breaks Ground on New Housing, Vocational Training and Children’s Center Building in Gyumri

Vatche Chakhmakhchian 
  PRESS RELEASE

    The Paros Foundation

    2217 5th Street

Berkeley, CA  94710

Contact: Peter Abajian

    Tel: 310-400-9061

    E-mail: [email protected]

    Web: http://

Gyumri, Armenia—Government officials, staff, friends, and supporters all gathered for the official groundbreaking on October 30 th , 2023, of The Paros Foundation’s new housing,vocational training and children’s center building in Gyumri. Once completed, this new facility will have a significant impact on Gyumri’s housing problem with at least 22 new apartments for domik families. In addition, a second location of the Debi Arach Children’s Center will be located on the building’s first floor, which will provide services for more than 150 children daily.
Finally, the Assarian Vocational Training Program and social enterprise consisting of training in the garment making industry will train and employ an estimated 50 people a year. In all, it is
expected that the economic impact of this new facility will top $1 million its first year of operation.

“Today is an exciting day that we have been working towards for the past year,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “I would like to thank the Municipality of
Gyumri for its trust in us by suggesting this project, and to everyone that worked with such dedication in helping to transfer the property to us. Now our work will begin to develop this
exciting project.”

Following seismic upgrades and the construction of one more story, the facility will house three floors of residential apartments. In addition, space on the first floor will be allocated for a
sewing and vocational training center that will be The Paros Foundation’s second social enterprise in Gyumri. The project budget to complete construction on the entire building is
estimated to cost $800,000. $300,000 has already been raised towards this important effort. Construction is estimated to take between 15 and 18 months depending on weather conditions.

The Paros Foundation was launched in 2006 and has implemented more than $15 million worth of projects in Armenia through its unique model of philanthropy and community partnership. 
These projects are located throughout the country with focus on Gyumri and in communities along the border with Azerbaijan.  All administrative expenses are underwritten by The Foundation, allowing 100% of donor contributions to be allocated in their entirety to the projects. To learn more about The Paros Foundation, or to support this project, please visit
 or contact Peter Abajian, Executive Director at (310) 400-9061 or via
email, [email protected].

###

Photo 1: The new Paros building in its current condition as given to The Paros Foundation.


Photo 2: Pictured left to right: Gyumri Mayor Vardges Sansonyan, Peter Abajian Paros Executive Director, Paros supporters Dr. Gary and Mrs. Linda Assarian, Artur Papikyan Gyumri Deputy Mayor, and Paros Project Manager Armen Simonyan.


— 

Warmest regards,
Peter J. Abajian
Executive Director
The Paros Foundation
Telephone (310) 400-9061
In Armenia (093) 99-80-99 From US dial 011-374-93-99-80-99

Be sure to visit our website at  and listen to our new Podcast Pari Louys with Paros!

—

Warmest regards,
Peter J. Abajian
Executive Director
The Paros Foundation
Telephone (310) 400-9061
In Armenia (093) 99-80-99 From US dial 011-374-93-99-80-99

Be sure to visit our website at  and listen to our new Podcast Pari Louys with Paros!

The California Courier Online, November 23, 2023

Emil Lazarian

The California
Courier Online, November 23, 2023

 

1-         NYC Mayor
Attended 80 Events

            In 8 Years
Related to Turkey

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         COMMENTARY: The
Armenian Community In Jerusalem

            Faces An
Existential Threat

3-         Class Action
Lawsuit Filed Against Citibank

            for
Discriminating Against Armenians

4-         NYPL renames
Center for Research in the Humanities to honor Vartan Gregorian

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

1-         NYC Mayor
Attended 80 Events

            In 8 Years
Related to Turkey

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

 

Three weeks ago, when I first wrote about FBI’s
investigation of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign links to Turkey, I
did not realize that this will be the opening of Pandora’s box.

Last week, Adams created a
defense fund to raise money to pay the legal expenses for the expanding federal
probe into his 2021 election campaign. The law permits Adams
to receive donations up to $5,000. However, he must disclose the names and
addresses of all donors.

According to the New York Post, “Federal authorities are
investigating whether the Turkish government or Turkish citizens illegally
funneled donations to Adams’ campaign by using ‘straw donors’—a scheme where
contributors listed in official records aren’t the actual source of funding—and
whether Adams did quid-pro-quo favors.”

Multiple sources told the New York Post: “the Adams administration staffer who was found to have
allegedly ‘acted improperly’ amid the federal corruption probe into his campaign
fundraising worked in the city’s Office for International Affairs before
abruptly being placed on leave.” The Mayor’s office confirmed the information.

That person is Rana Abbasova who was the Mayor’s Director of
Protocol. Originally from Azerbaijan,
she performed advanced planning and logistics for mayoral events and traveled
with him. Her annual salary is $80,651. The Post was told that she lied to
federal investigators.

Abbasova previously served as community coordinator and
advisor to Adams when he was Brooklyn borough
President. Her biography states that: “She was responsible for international
relations and maintaining relationships between the Borough President and
stakeholders, including the Middle East and
Central Asian countries, Muslim and Russian-speaking communities, and
Non-profit organizations. She also worked with Embassies and Consulates to
build relationships between countries and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough
President to help overcome language barriers and cultural differences. She also
organized Turkic Heritage events and assisted with Sister Cities agreements.
Abbasova was also an administrative assistant for Adams’
One Brooklyn Fund, Inc. when he was still borough President.”

The City news website reported that in April 2017, Abbasova
arranged a meeting between borough President Adams and the Turken Foundation,
founded by Pres. Erdogan’s son, Bilal. Three of Turken’s board members
contributed a total of $6,000 to the Mayor’s campaign. His schedule shows that
he attended four Turken events. Turken is registered as a foreign agent with
the Department of Justice.

Abbasova arranged for Adams at least three “meetings and
events related to Turkey
when he was borough president, a review of his schedule shows. Among them was a
2015 grand opening celebration for a Turkish restaurant in Brooklyn,
which she marked as ‘important.’”

POLITICO reported that as Brooklyn borough President, Adams
“attended nearly 80 events over eight years celebrating Turkey—including
a flag-raising in 2015, a charity ball in 2018 and a Zoom meeting with the
Turkish consul in 2020.”

After reviewing thousands of Adams’ public schedules and
many social media posts, POLITICO revealed his “unusually strong relationship
with Turkey,
which has drawn scrutiny from federal investigators.” In 2019, as Adams “was
embarking on a run for New York City mayor, he joined Martha Stewart at a gala
celebrating Turkish Airlines — a company now caught up in an ongoing FBI probe
into Adams’ campaign finances. At the event, Adams
was photographed holding hands with two company officials over a sheet cake;
after winning the mayor’s race, he appointed one of those officials — Cenk
Ocal — to his transition team.” The CNN reported that on Nov. 2, the home of a
Turkish Airlines executive was among the locations raided by the FBI.

POLITICO’s analysis of Adams’
Brooklyn Borough schedules turned up three mentions of the Turkish airlines:
Two planned banquets celebrating the carrier in 2019 and 2020, and a cryptic
entry on Oct. 2, 2015 that simply read: “Reschedule 4 p.m. Turkish airline.
Rana [Abbasova] my gifts.”

Daniel Nigro, then New York City Fire Commissioner, was
pressured by Adams to permit, despite safety
concerns, the opening of a high-rise building that housed the Turkish
consulate, just in time for the arrival of Pres. Erdogan. Nigro received a
grand jury subpoena and spoke to FBI agents.

After becoming Mayor last year, Adams made virtual remarks
at a real estate conference in Istanbul,
which was attended by two top city officials. However, the Mayor’s
participation was left out of his daily public schedule and not reported.

In addition to the home of the fundraiser for the Mayor’s
campaign, the FBI raided or conducted interviews at a dozen locations as part
of its investigations of campaign contributions from Turkish sources, CNN
reported.

In 2022, “Adams took two trips to Turkey—one in August funded by
multiple entities including the Turkish consulate, according to a financial
disclosure obtained by POLITICO. Local news outlet THE CITY recently reported
Turkish Airlines also chipped in for that trip, but that was omitted from the
required annual disclosure. Four months later, the financial disclosure shows,
an organization called the Association of Young Tourism Leaders funded another
trip to Turkey for Adams. The junkets were among a half-dozen trips the
mayor has said he made to the country, including a 2017 sojourn with his son, Jordan,”
according to POLITICO.

While visiting Turkey
as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams said that he was interested in buying a
house in Istanbul,
according to the Turkish Sabah newspaper. Adams also said that he is so
satisfied with Turkish Airlines that he not only uses that carrier to fly to Turkey, but also to other parts of the world,
like India.

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************
2-         COMMENTARY: The Armenian
Community In Jerusalem

            Faces An
Existential Threat

 

By Mary Hoogasian and

Bedross Der Matossian

 

The situation gripping the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem is
more than distressing—it is an urgent call to safeguard cultural heritage and
defend the rights of the Armenian community within the Holy
Land. The ongoing destruction using bulldozers within the Cows Garden
in the Armenian Quarter not only wounds the local fabric, but also strikes at
the heart of global heritage.

The demolition of this property, steeped in centuries of
history and the use of force against those protecting it, sends shockwaves. The
Armenian Quarter falls under the UNESCO World Heritage Site status of the Old City,
thus demanding an immediate and thorough investigation into the motives behind
this grievous act—especially when the entire region is currently embroiled in a
major conflict. It is non-negotiable that the rights of the Armenian community
be not just acknowledged but fiercely defended.

The Armenian Quarter, representing 1/6 of the Old City,
has been inhabited by Armenians since the 4th century during the inception of
Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem,
adding to its historical and cultural richness. Preserving such heritage is not
just a matter of local importance; it holds global significance, contributing
to the collective history of humanity. The situation demands a thorough
investigation into the motivations behind this illegal destruction and a
respectful acknowledgment of the Armenians’ rightful connection to this
invaluable piece of history.

On November 4, 2023, Armenian residents peacefully protested
illegal construction within their Quarter. Things turned confrontational when
armed settlers arrived, prompting police intervention. The next day, Xana
Gardens Ltd, linked to the controversial deal, showed up with Danny Rothman
(aka Danny Rubenstein)—the Australian owner of Xana Gardens Ltd and allegedly
demanded the Armenians’ expulsion.

Reports suggest Rothman aimed to purchase 13% of the
Armenian Quarter for a luxury hotel, endangering many Armenian homes. However,
after intense scrutiny by the members of the Armenian community of Jerusalem, the clergy, and Armenian-American lawyers, and
Armenian lawyers from the United
States, the deal was found riddled with
discrepancies and declared invalid in Summer 2023.

The presence of armed settlers in the Armenian Quarter,
owned by the Armenian Patriarchate, intensifies tensions between local Armenian
community of Jerusalem
and Xana Gardens Ltd. Despite the Armenian Patriarchate nullifying the lease on
October 26, 2023 in writing, Xana Gardens Ltd is resorting to aggressive
tactics, including property destruction, hiring armed agents and other
provocations, leading to recent widespread destruction in the Quarter,
including demolishing a stone wall. Already five members from the Armenian
community have been arrested and put in house arrest.

In a November 13 communiqué, the Armenian Patriarchate of
Jerusalem said that it “is under possibly the greatest existential threat of
its 16-century history. This existential-territorial threat fully extends to
all the Christian communities of Jerusalem.”

The Patriarchate said that after cancelling the contract
“tainted with false representation, undue influence, and unlawful benefits” the
developers have “completely disregarded the legal posture of the Patriarchate
toward this issue, and instead have elected for provocation, aggression, and
other harassing, incendiary tactics including destruction of property, the
hiring of heavily armed provocateurs, and other instigation.”

“In recent days, the vast destruction and removal of asphalt
on the grounds of the Armenian Quarter has been done without the presentation
of permits from the municipality by neither the developer nor the police.

Despite this fact, the police have chosen in the last few
days to demand that all members of the Armenian Community vacate the premises.
We plead with the entirety of the Christian communities of Jerusalem
to stand with the Armenian Patriarchate in these unprecedented times as this is
another clear step taken toward the endangerment of the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land,”
said the Armenian Patriarchate statement.

We call upon the international community and the media to
shed light upon and intervene in this ongoing conflict that is endangering the
physical as well as the spiritual presence of the Armenian Patriarchate and the
Armenian Community of Jerusalem, one of the oldest communities in the Holy Land. Failure to take such actions will have severe
repercussions on the beleaguered Armenian community of Jerusalem who is standing on its last
breath. 

Mary Hoogasian, an author specializing in young adult
fantasy fiction, also contributes to health-related articles. Presently based
in Italy,
she is editing her third novel while hosting writing and health retreats. In
2008 she co-founded the nonprofit Save the ArQ™, which is committed to
preserving the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem.

Bedross Der Matossian, born and raised in the Old City of
Jerusalem, was also the co-founder of the non-profit organization Save the
ArQ™. He is professor of Modern Middle East history and the Hymen Rosenberg
Professor in Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************
3-         Class Action Lawsuit Filed
Against Citibank

            for
Discriminating Against Armenians

 

SAN MATEO,
Calif.—A class-action suit filed
filed last week in federal court accuses Citibank of routinely and illegally
denying credit for nearly a decade to Californians whose last names appeared to
indicate they were of Armenian descent.

Citibank instituted this “redlining” policy in 2015 with an
unfounded assumption that automatically considered people of Armenian heritage
as likely to commit fraud, said attorney Ara Jabagchourian the lead attorney
for the plaintiff.

The bank’s secret statewide policy resulted in the rejection
of credit card applications, rejection of requests for increased credit lines,
and outright cancellation of accounts in good standing solely on the basis of
perceived national origin, in violation of equal credit laws.

The lead plaintiff, Marine Grigorian, in the case is an
Armenian woman from Granada Hills,
California, who had held a
Costco-branded credit card underwritten by Citibank for several years in good
standing. When she applied for an increase in credit limits earlier this year,
the request was denied by Citibank.

Evidence was later uncovered, however, that Citibank had
enacted a policy where credit decisions for anyone with a last name that
appeared Armenian were routed to a special unit for manual review where their
applications were subjected to discriminatory scrutiny.

Employees in the unit would be reprimanded or punished by
Citibank managers if they refused to go along with the policy of routine
denials and cancellations. Applicants were given false, invented reasons for
being denied credit, with some individuals referred to the bank’s fraud
prevention units simply for having an Armenian surname. Agents were trained and
instructed not to discuss the policy in writing or on recorded phone lines.

“Redlining is a disgusting form of racial and ethnic
discrimination by banks that the law has prohibited for decades, yet we find it
is still being practiced by Citibank, one of the largest financial institutions
in America,” said attorney Jabagchourian. “Labelling credit applicants as ‘bad
guys’ on the basis of having Armenian last names is reprehensible, immoral and
illegal.”

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central
District of California seeks to cover all individuals who suffered
discrimination because of this policy. It seeks unspecified monetary damages
from Citibank as well as a prohibition of the redlining policy.

“This lawsuit will ensure that Citibank ends this practice
and is punished for its wanton disregard of the law,” Jabagchourian added.

 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

4-         NYPL renames
Center for Research in the Humanities to honor Vartan Gregorian

 

The trustees of The New York Public Library voted to rename
the Center for Research in the Humanities to the Vartan Gregorian
Center for Research in
the Humanities. The change recognizes the profound contribution of Vartan
Gregorian, NYPL president between 1981–89, who is credited with restoring and
revitalizing the Library—structurally, fiscally, and reputationally as an
essential civic and educational center.

Born in 1934 in Tabriz,
Iran to
Armenian parents, he learned the value of reading and libraries in his youth.
At age 11, he began working part-time as a page at the Armenian library. In his
memoir, The Road to Home: My Life and Times, he recounted that the library
“proved to be a great oasis of privacy, peace, and occasional solitude. I loved
to read, and I read everything…the library opened up a new world.”

In his 20s, he moved to the U.S. to attend Stanford, graduating
with a degree in history and humanities and then completing his Ph.D. in
history. After teaching stints at colleges in California
and Texas, he moved east to join the faculty
at the University
of Pennsylvania where he
would go on to become the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and
provost. Had the trustees chosen him to become the next president of UPenn as
he desired, the fate of NYPL may have been very different.

Passed over at UPenn, Dr. Gregorian instead took the top job
at The New York Public Library in 1981. Along with other public services, NYPL
had suffered wrenching budget cuts during the City’s fiscal crisis the preceding
decade. The institution he arrived at was financially deprived, operating at a
bare minimum, and with a dispirited staff and decaying facilities.

Dr. Gregorian set about learning the ins and outs of the
vast library ecosystem by talking to staff, visiting branches, and even putting
in shifts answering phones at the information desk which he described to the
New Yorker as “a terrifying experience.” With the trustees, he created a
wishlist—facilities improvements, staffing, computerization, and more—and
announced an ambitious $307 million capital fund campaign.

Over the next five years, Dr. Gregorian used his charm,
drive, and natural salesmanship to present a compelling case for the Library
and attract the private and public support to not just meet but exceed the
funding goal.

In doing so, he created a model for the future—a coalition
of politicians, business leaders, social figures, and scholars to act as allies
and champions of the Library’s essentialness to the people of New York and to
the city’s civic and intellectual life.

Under Gregorian’s leadership, branch and research library
hours were expanded, the flagship 42nd street location was restored, air
conditioning and humidity controls were added to the bookstacks, a large-scale
computerization project was begun, the collections were strengthened with a
focus on multilingual and multicultural materials, and education and literacy
offerings increased. Importantly, he turned the Library into more than a
depository of physical items, but into a premier host for cultural and literary
events.

Speaking at NYPL in 2006 with author and historian (and 2023
Library Lion inductee) David Nasaw about the transformative philanthropy of
Andrew Carneige toward public libraries in the early 1900s, Dr. Gregorian
remarked:

“People are craving for immortality one way or another and
there is no institution in my opinion on earth that can give
immortality—earthly immortality, that is—other than a library…All the buildings
change, the names change, it’s the library that keeps the memory,
accomplishments of everybody.”

“The New York Public Library’s renaming of the Center for
Research in the Humanities to the Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the
Humanities is one way we hold the memory and legacy of his contribution and
express our gratitude for not just rescuing and restoring our Library, but
championing the value and importance of libraries everywhere,” stated the
library’s leadership.

 

***********************************************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************************************************************************************

California Courier Online provides readers of the Armenian News News Service with a
few of the articles in this week's issue of The California Courier. Letters to
the editor are encouraged through our e-mail address, .
Letters are published with the author’s name and location; authors are required
to disclose their identity to the editorial staff (name, address, and/or
telephone numbers for verification purposes).
California Courier subscribers can change or modify mailing addresses by
emailing .

Use of Force by Azerbaijan Against Armenia is not Acceptable, says Subcommittee Chairman Kean (R-NJ)

Arpi Talalian
Armenian Assembly of America

(l-r) Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), Chairman of Europe Subcommittee on House Foreign Affairs, Ranking Member of Europe Subcommittee on House Foreign Affairs, Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), and Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) 


Washington, D.C. – During today’s hearing on “The Future of Nagorno-Karabakh,” House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Chairman Tom Kean (R-NJ) made clear that the use of force by Azerbaijan against Armenia is unacceptable,” reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

In his opening remarks, Chairman Kean stated that “we cannot afford to look away from the region” and made clear that the “use of force against sovereign Armenian territory, including in the Syunik province, will be completely and totally unacceptable.”

Ranking Member Bill Keating (D-MA) echoed the Chairman’s message, stating that “military action is unacceptable”, and also indicated his support for a “safe and dignified return” of the Armenians of Artsakh.

Testifying before the Subcommittee, Department of State Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Europe and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien repeatedly highlighted that the Biden Administration has no intention of waiving Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act for the foreseeable future and that such a decision does not negatively impact U.S. national security.

O’Brien highlighted that the Armenians of Artsakh should have complete access and that the Administration is insisting on the protection of their property and cultural assets as well as a “viable opportunity to return.” With respect to transport links (road and rail) in southern Armenia, O’Brien stated that it should not be created through force. When asked by Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) about the use of sanctions against Azerbaijan if “other methods don’t work,” O’Brien committed to the use of sanctions.

The Assembly has repeatedly called for sanctions to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its genocidal policies, and its testimony today stated that “Azerbaijan should not be rewarded for their continued assault against the Armenian people, but rather sanctioned” and highlighted that the “U.S. has many tools at its disposal to do so from the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and economic sanctions to trade restrictions and the enforcement of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act,” along with the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act.

Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) raised concerns about Turkey’s role in the region, including the use of Turkish F-16s in the 2020 war, while Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) highlighted the fallacy of the U.S. providing military assistance to Azerbaijan to counter Russian and Iranian influence while Azerbaijan has significant energy ties to Russia and Iran. Assistant Secretary O’Brien acknowledged that the Administration is aware of the situation which it found not in the U.S. interest.

In his remarks, Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) highlighted his position that “dictators with the rule of gun [should] not prevail over democracies with rule of law.”

Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) expressed concern about Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Artsakh and the humanitarian needs arising from it. “It was ethnic cleansing that happened with the removal of these Armenians from their historic homeland in Nagorno-Karabakh… These folks did not want to leave,” stated Rep Costa who also asked about the Administration’s supplemental request and hoped that part of the humanitarian request would include Armenia. Rep. Costa also encouraged congressional visits to Armenia and the assistance of the Administration, to which O’Brien agreed.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

###

Armenpress: Prime Minister Pashinyan to answer questions from the public during upcoming press conference

Adrine Hakobian

 10:15, 16 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will hold a live press conference on November 24 at 12:00 where he will answer questions from the public. 

The Prime Minister’s Office said that the public, including Armenians in the Diaspora, can send questions beforehand via a video-message on WhatsApp at +374 44 900 800 from November 17 to November 23. Members of the public are urged to mention their name, country of residence and occupation. The Prime Minister will answer questions that are “brief, appropriate and clear.”

The press conference will be broadcast live on Public TV, the Prime Minister’s Facebook account and the Government’s YouTube channel.

U.S. developing record of what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh, says State Department official

Toneyan Mark

 10:39, 16 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The United States is developing a record of what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh and is working on support for Armenia, James O’Brien, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, announced during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reported.

During the hearing on “The Future of Nagorno-Karabakh” held by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe, James O’Brien noted that the subject of investigation is not only what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh during September when the region’s virtually entire ethnic Armenian population fled their homes within a matter of days after a lightening military operation launched by Azerbaijan, but also during the months preceding it.

“We have commissioned independent investigators, we have our own investigators working in the field. There is information available from international non-governmental organizations and other investigators. And as we develop the record of what happened, we will be completely open about what we are finding. I can’t put a timeline on this investigation, but we will inform you as we go forward,” RFE/RL’s Armenian service quoted O’Brien as saying.

“The second thing we are working on is support for Armenia… I am very impressed by the Armenian government’s commitment to reforms and diversifying relationships that it has – economic, political, energy and security – particularly in the Trans-Atlantic community. And I think we owe it to the people of Armenia to help them through this difficult situation so that those choices they have made very bravely are able to help them to make them have a more secure, stable and prosperous future,” the U.S. diplomat added.

Speaking on behalf of the Department of State, O’Brien said that Washington insists that Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians have complete access to the territory, on the protection of the property and culture and that they receive adequate information “so that they can make real choice about their future.”

State Department signals pause in U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan

Adrine Hakobian

 11:17, 16 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador James O’Brien, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, told House Foreign Affairs Committee members on November 15  “we have not and don’t anticipate submitting a waiver on [Section ] 907,” referencing the 1992 U.S. law that restricts U.S. aid to Azerbaijan based on its ongoing aggression against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Amb. O’Brien flatly rejected arguments – often advanced by the Azerbaijani lobby — that enforcing Section 907 would undermine U.S. national security interests, the ANCA reports.

Amb. O’Brien’s statements came during the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Subcommittee on Europe hearing on “The Future of Nagorno-Karabakh”, where Committee members pressed the State Department and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Dr. Alexander Sokolowski about expanding U.S. aid to the over 100,000 Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian victims of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing and efforts to stop renewed Aliyev regime aggression against Armenia.

“Over 100,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh are now living as refugees in Armenia. We cannot afford to look away from the region or be distracted by other conflicts proliferating across the globe,” stated Subcommittee on Europe Chair Tom Kean (R-NJ). He went on to call on State Department and USAID representatives to outline plans for humanitarian assistance to NK refugees and asked them to clarify the Biden Administration’s message to Azerbaijani officials to prevent further attacks against Armenia. “I hope our witnesses today will explain how they are communicating to President Aliyev that the use of force against sovereign Armenian territory, including in the Syunik province, would be completely and totally unacceptable,” stated Chairman Kean.

Subcommittee Ranking Democrat Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) concurred, noting “I strongly believe we must provide humanitarian and economic assistance to displaced people in Armenia and ensure accountability for any potential crimes committed against those fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh or those who are choosing to remain there.”

Speaking of the 100,000 Armenian refugees “uprooted” from NK, Amb. O’Brien told Congress “we insist on the people having complete access to the territory, on the protection of the property, the protection of the culture, and that the people receive adequate information so that they can make a real choice about their future and know that they have the viable opportunity to return and live well in Nagorno-Karabakh if that’s what they choose.” Amb. O’Brien announced that the State Department has commissioned independent investigators, and is working with international partners to provide “a comprehensive, thorough, and transparent record of what happened, not just on those days, but for the months before.” No timeline was announced for the presentation of the report.

In an attempt to address Congressional concerns about a clear US response to Azerbaijan’s attack on NK that led to the forced exile of NK Armenians, Amb. O’Brien noted “We’ve canceled a number of high-level visits […] We don’t anticipate submitting a [Section 907] waiver until such time as we see a real improvement in the situation. All of this is to say we continue to urge peace.”

With regard to the U.S. humanitarian aid for NK’s forcibly displaced, Dr. Sokolowski reiterated USAID Administrator Power’s commitment of $11.5 million in U.S. assistance. He also announced that “USAID has focused nearly $6 million in funding from existing programming at USAID Armenia to respond to the humanitarian crisis.”

Members of Congress were skeptical about the State Department’s optimism about Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks and President Aliyev’s commitment to peace in the region.

“I don’t see the peace process as going nearly as well as some of the descriptions I’ve just heard. The meeting in Granada, Spain, the last two meetings, Azerbaijan refused to go. I don’t know how you describe that as being positive,” stated Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA). He went on to raise security concerns stemming from proposed economic corridors through Armenia. “Armenians are concerned and feel threatened by that corridor and what it might imply for another grabbing of land by Azerbaijan once it’s established.”

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) asked Assistant Secretary O’Brien to outline the specific resources the State Department is prepared to use to ensure Azerbaijan honors a peace deal. “What are you prepared to do, Ambassador [O’Brien], to create a carrot and stick to move this agenda? Are you willing to add sanctions for non-compliance?” Assistant Secretary O’Brien stated, “Yes, we are looking at all the tools we have. I’m not going to preview any sanctions decisions, but that’s certainly a tool in our toolkit.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) questioned Biden Administration’s military aid to Azerbaijan in the face of President Aliyev’s ties with Russia and Iran. “Sanctioned Russian and Iranian companies own significant shares in Azerbaijan’s gas fields exporting energy to Europe, and Azerbaijan has recently signed lucrative energy deals with both countries,” stated Rep. Lawler. Assistant Secretary O’Brien noted they were aware of Azerbaijan’s energy deals, and affirmed they are not in US national interests.

“Many of us here in Congress sent letter after letter after letter and supported resolution after resolution to exert pressure and relieve the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been exacerbated since the 2020 war. It looks like we failed,” stated Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) in powerful remarks questioning the State Department’s assessment of prospects for peace. “The tightening of the stranglehold around Nagorno-Karabakh over the years until the ethnic Armenian population was forced to leave, was not just about counterterrorism, and it was not just about geopolitics,” stated Rep. Schneider. He went on to relay the story of the brutal murder of Armenian serviceman Gurgen Margaryan, axed to death by Azerbaijani soldier Ramil Safarov during a NATO exercise in Hungary in 2004. Safarov was extradited back to Azerbaijan in 2012, where he was promoted and rewarded for his actions. “What should be our takeaway from what happened in 2004 through 2012? How should we think of the possibilities of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan in this context,” asked Rep. Schneider.

Calling the Margaryan’s murder a “reprehensible” set of events, Amb. O’Brien cited the need for “accountability for crimes,” and “setting a new path going forward,” but stopped short of outlining any clear U.S. actions to achieve the former or to ensure the latter – placing the onus on Armenia and Azerbaijan. “We are creating a path for them to take and incentives for them to go there.”

Noting Turkey’s history of genocide against the Armenian people, Rep. Dina Titus cited the close ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan and asked “what kind of damage are they causing now?” Rep. Titus called for end-use monitoring of US weapons sold to Turkey, expressing concern about Turkey’s illegal transfer of military parts and munitions to Azerbaijan

Rep. Madeleine Dean stressed the importance of the hearing. “What started as a blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh culminated in the Azerbaijani offensive on September 19 and 20 to regain control of the region. Within 10 days, approximately 100,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, about 80 percent of the population, fled to Armenia. Armenia, the U.S., E.U., and international organizations have stepped in to provide humanitarian assistance for the refugees, but many questions remain as to their future, as well as the future of Nagorno-Karabakh,” stated Rep. Dean.

Prime Minister Pashinyan says 2024 budget draft is ‘historic’

Meline Chalian

 11:30, 16 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The revenues in the 2024 budget will be doubled compared to 2018, increasing by 1 trillion 334 billion drams ($3 billion), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament during debates of his administration's 2024 budget request.

“We are discussing the 2024 state budget draft and I have to say that in my opinion this is a historic budget of historic times,” Pashinyan said.

“The revenue part of the budget, compared to 2018, is being more than doubled, increasing by 1 trillion 334 billion drams, or 3 billion dollars. The expenditures part is also doubled,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that healthcare spending will be doubled, which means that the accessibility to healthcare for citizens will be doubled as well.

AraratBank joins Himq Support Foundation

Emil Lazarian

 11:33, 16 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Earlier in September, AraratBank decided to join Himq Support Foundation to assist our countrymen forcibly displaced from Artsakh.

AraratBank’s staff did not stand aside and committed themselves to making monthly transfers from their salaries to the special account - Supporting Artsakh Armenians - opened with AraratBank. The funds donated by the employees are regularly allotted to Himq Support Foundation account to take care of the critical needs of Artsakh Armenians.

Now it is also possible to send money through AraratMobile app. You need to log in, click Transfer, choose Supporting Artsakh Armenians and transfer money to the Fund's accounts in local or foreign currency:

AMD: 1510019628458463

USD: 1510016530220294

EUR: 1510016936976991  

RUB: 1510012517287202

The management of AraratBank has decided to transfer the funds intended for Christmas corporate gifts for partners and customers to Himq Support Foundation, as well as to cancel the annual New Year event, donating these funds to the Foundation.

As of November 14, 2023, over 1,340 beneficiaries have been provided with food and basic necessities, over 330 beneficiaries have received partial compensation for rentals, and about 3,500 beneficiaries have been registered and are undergoing evaluation processes.

Himq Support Foundation was established in September 2023, basing itself on the principle of securing the well-being and dignity of countrymen forcibly displaced from Artsakh. The Fund aims not only to address priority needs of Artsakh Armenians, but also to help them get back on their feet to provide for themselves in the future.