1-         Armenia Ranks Better Than Azerbaijan

            And Turkey in the
Prosperity Index

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         4 Armenian
Soldiers Killed, 6 Injured After Azerbaijan Attacks Syunik

3-         Glendale Attorney Arsen
Danielian Awarded

            Order of
Knight Commander by Pope Francis

4-         L.A. Council
President Krekorian honored by His Holiness Karekin II

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1-         Armenia Ranks Better Than Azerbaijan

            And Turkey in the
Prosperity Index

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

The UK-based Legatum Institute published its comprehensive
2023 Prosperity Index for 167 countries, including Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey. The
index covers 12 separate spheres or ‘pillars’ which are composed of 67 sub-sections.

The Institute defined prosperity as people having “the
opportunity to thrive by fulfilling their unique potential and playing their
part in strengthening their communities and nations. Ultimately, prosperity is
not just about what we have; it is also about who we become. Prosperity is
underpinned by an inclusive society, with a strong social contract that
protects the fundamental liberties and security of every individual.”

Overall, Armenia
is ranked in the Prosperity Index much higher than Azerbaijan
and Turkey.
Armenia
is 61st place in 2023, slightly down from 59th in 2022, but considerably up
from 76th in 2013. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan
is ranked much lower at 92nd in 2023, the same as in 2012—somewhat higher than
104th in 2013. Turkey
is ranked even lower at 95th in 2023, the same as in 2012—substantially down
from 68th in 2013.

The Legatum Institute described Azerbaijan as “the least prosperous
country in the region,” despite its vast income from billions of petrodollars.”
This means that the country’s wealth is not trickling down to the population.

Here is how Legatum Institute described Turkey’s dismal
Prosperity Index. “Turkey
has seen its governance deteriorate significantly over the last 10 years,
falling 60 places to 128th, with political accountability deteriorating at the
greatest rate globally. Constitutional reforms in 2017 concentrated more power
in the hands of the executive, removing key checks and balances. Personal
Freedom has also deteriorated at the second greatest rate globally, with the
government consistently suppressing dissent…. The current government has ruled Turkey since
2002. As noted by Freedom House, after initially passing some liberalizing
reforms, the government has pursued a wide-ranging crackdown on critics and
opponents since 2016. For example, Amnesty International points out that
hundreds of people, including journalists, social media users and protesters,
have been detained in Turkey
in 2019 due to their criticism of Turkey’s
military offensive in Syria.”

Here are the rankings of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Turkey on each
of the 12 pillars of the Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index:

1) “The Safety and Security pillar (War & Civil
Conflict, Terrorism, Politically Related Terror & Violence, Violent Crime,
and Property Crime) measures the degree to which war, conflict, and crime have
destabilized the security of individuals, both immediately and through
longer-lasting effects”: Armenia (75th), Azerbaijan (111th), and Turkey
(147th).

2) “The Personal Freedom pillar (Agency, Freedom of Assembly
& Association, Freedom of Speech & Access to Information, and Absence
of Legal Discrimination) measures progress towards basic legal rights, and
individual liberties”: Armenia
(70th), Azerbaijan (144th),
and Turkey
(152nd).

3) “The Governance pillar (Executive Constraints, Political
Accountability, Rule of Law, Government Integrity, Government Effectiveness,
Regulatory Quality, and Institutional Trust) measures the extent to which there
are checks and restraints on power and whether governments operate effectively
and without corruption”: Armenia
(64th), Azerbaijan (113th),
and Turkey
(128th).

4) “The Social Capital pillar (Personal & Family
Relationships, Social Networks, Interpersonal Trust, Social Tolerance, and
Civic & Social Participation) measures the strength of personal and social
relationships, social norms, civic participation in a country, and social
tolerance”: Armenia (125th),
Azerbaijan (132nd), and Turkey (137th).

5) “The Investment Environment pillar (Property Rights,
Investor Protection, Contract Enforcement, Financing Ecosystem, and
Restrictions on International Investment) measures the extent to which
investments are adequately protected and are readily accessible”: Armenia (75th), Azerbaijan
(54th), and Turkey
(68th).

6) “The Enterprise Conditions pillar (Domestic Market
Contestability, Environment for Business Creation, Burden of Regulation, Labor
Market Flexibility, and Price Distortions) measures the degree to which
regulations enable businesses to start, compete, and expand”: Armenia (44th), Azerbaijan
(47th), and Turkey
(65th).

7) “The Infrastructure and Market Access pillar
(Communication, Energy, Water, Transport, Border Administration, Open Market
Scale, Import Tariff Barriers, and Market Distortions) measures the quality of
the infrastructure that enables trade and distortions in the market for goods
and services”: Armenia
(71st), Azerbaijan (72nd),
and Turkey
(50th).

8) “The Economic Quality pillar (Fiscal Sustainability,
Macroeconomic Stability, Productivity & Competitiveness, Dynamism, and
Labor Force Engagement) measures how well an economy is equipped to generate
wealth sustainably and with the full engagement of the workforce”: Armenia (83rd), Azerbaijan
(65th), and Turkey
(71st).

9) “The Living Conditions pillar (Material Resources,
Nutrition, Basic Services, Shelter, Connectedness, and Protection from Harm)
measures the degree to which a reasonable quality of life is experienced by
all, including material resources, shelter, basic services, and connectivity”: Armenia (76th), Azerbaijan
(65th), and Turkey
(59th).

10) “The Health pillar (Behavioral Risk Factors,
Preventative Interventions, Care Systems, Mental Health, Physical Health, and
Longevity) measures the extent to which people are healthy and have access to the
necessary services to maintain good health, including health outcomes, health
systems, illness and risk factors, and mortality rates”: Armenia (68th),
Azerbaijan (85th), and Turkey (63rd).

11) “The Education pillar (Adult Skills, Tertiary Education,
Secondary Education, Primary Education, and Pre-primary Education) measures
enrolment, outcomes, and quality across four stages of education as well as the
skills in the adult population”: Armenia
(59th), Azerbaijan (79th),
and Turkey
(74th).

12) “The Natural Environment pillar (Preservation Efforts,
Oceans, Freshwater, Forest, Land and Soil, Exposure to Air Pollution, and
Emissions) measures the aspects of the physical environment that have a direct
effect on people in their daily lives and changes that might impact the
prosperity of future generations”: Armenia (99th), Azerbaijan (149th), and
Turkey (86th).

In addition to Armenia’s
better ranking than Azerbaijan
and Turkey in the overall
Prosperity Index, Armenia
exceeds its two neighboring countries in six categories. It is worse than both
of them only in three categories, but better than Azerbaijan
and worse than Turkey
in three other categories.

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2-         4 Armenian Soldiers Killed, 6
Injured After Azerbaijan
Attacks Syunik

Azerbaijani forces opened fire on April 11 at Armenian
positions near the Sotk village in Armenia’s Syunik Province killing four
Armenian soldiers—Arthur Sahakyan, Henrik Kocharyan, Mkrtich Harutyunyan, Narek
Sargsyan—and injuring six others. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported
three Azerbaijani soldiers died.

Armenia’s
Defense Ministry reported that around 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Azerbaijani
forces opened fire at Armenian soldiers who were on a routine engineering duty.
After Armenian soldiers retaliated a more aggressive attack followed at 5:30
p.m. local time.

Tuesday’s attack also impacted the Sotk Gold mine, where
workers were evacuated and all operations there were halted, according to
Ruzanna Grigoryan, a mine representative who spoke to Armenpress.

Shortly after the attack, Azerbaijani media reports blamed
Armenian forces for the incident and claimed that Iranian weapons were being used.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry
denied those reports, which also aimed at rattling Tehran,
whose relations with Baku
are currently tense.

Yerevan was quick to condemn
this latest Azerbaijani aggression, with Armenia’s
Foreign Ministry calling it an “encroachment” on Armenia’s territorial integrity.

“These aggressive actions by the Azerbaijani side were
carried out despite willingness by the Armenian side to resolve the problems on
the ground through constructive negotiations,” said the foreign ministry.

“The provocation is another encroachment by Azerbaijan against the territorial integrity of
the Republic of Armenia. Such a policy by Azerbaijan is not new, it is the continuation of
the attacks carried out in May and November 2021, as well as September 2022, as
a result of which Azerbaijan
occupied the sovereign territories of Armenia,” emphasized the foreign
ministry.

“It should be documented that the use and threat of force
are an integral part of Azerbaijan’s policy and are aimed at significantly
destabilizing the situation in the region and undermine the efforts of
mediation partners to continue the peace process,” said the foreign ministry.

“We call on the international community and all partners
interested in peace and stability in the region to condemn Azerbaijan’s
aggressive actions through targeted statements and clear steps and prevent the
latter from further escalating the situation,” the foreign ministry concluded.

Armenia’s
Defense Minister Suren Papikyan cut short his trip to Brussels,
where he also toured NATO’s European headquarters, and returned to Armenia
following Tuesday’s attacks.

The latest attacks against Armenian forces came a day after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said that
his government continued to be committed to the peace process with Armenia.

“We are determined to normalize these relations, and after
the second Karabakh war it was Azerbaijan
that proposed to start working on a peace treaty. This work has practically
started, but it is not going as smoothly as we would like it to. But there is
no alternative to it,” Aliyev was quoted as saying while visiting Kazakhstan
on Monday.

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3-         Glendale Attorney Arsen Danielian Awarded

            Order of
Knight Commander by Pope Francis

GLENDALE — Glendale attorney Arsen Danielian was recognized
by Pope Francis with one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the Supreme
Pontiff of the Catholic Church – The Papal Order of Knight Commander of Saint
Sylvester.

Danielian, a founder and senior partner in the law firm of
Danielian, LeCroy & Kolanjian, was awarded the Medal on April 10 at St.
Gregory Armenian Catholic Cathedral in Glendale.
The medal was presented by Eparchial Bishop, His Excellency the Most Rev.
Mikael Mouradian.

The award symbolizes Danielian’s “achievement and commitment
to making a positive impact in the world.” The knighthood honors laypersons
recognized for their service to the Church and society.

“I am deeply honored and ­humbled by the significance of
this award, which is rooted in the history of the Catholic Church,” Danielian
said. “I wish to express my gratitude to Pope Francis for bestowing this honor
upon me.”

Born in Tehran, Iran, to an Armenian family, Danielian
immigrated to the United
States in 1979. He graduated with a J.D.
degree from the University of La Verne in 1984 and practiced law in the Los Angeles area before
becoming one of the founders of the firm Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian
in 1991. He currently serves on the Governing Board of Adventist Health
Glendale and is past chair of the hospital’s Healthcare Foundation.

Danielian and his wife, Hasmik, retired superintendent of
the Norwalk-La Mirada
Unified School
District, reside in Glendale.

They have two grown children, Alfred Danielian, M.D.,
cardiologist and director of Sports Cardiology and Echocardiography at Las
Vegas Heart Associates, and Nyree Kolanjian, Esq., a partner in the law firm of
Danielian, LeCroy & Kolanjian. They have six grandchildren.

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4-         L.A. Council President
Krekorian honored by His Holiness Karekin II

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles City Council President Paul
Krekorian has been awarded the prestigious St. Nerses Shnorhali Medal by order
of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

On Thursday evening, April 13, His Eminence Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of
North America, presented the medal to City Council President Krekorian.

At a reception at the St. Leon Cathedral, Archbishop
Derderian also read to the group of church and community leaders the Pontifical
Encyclical of the Catholicos. His Holiness recognized Krekorian for his
faithful service to and advocacy for the Armenian people in the Diaspora and in
Armenia
and Artsakh.

“I am deeply moved to receive this honor,” said Council
President Krekorian. “I am humbly grateful to His Holiness Karekin II, and to
His Eminence Archbishop Derderian for this recognition of my service, which I
consider my duty to the people I represent.”

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