Author: Emil Lazarian

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

Armenian Community in Georgia Worries Over Fate of Historic Church Amidst Construction Controversy

Emil Lazarian
Feb 2 2024

Tbilisi, Georgia – The once tallest church in Tbilisi, Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatsatsin (Karmir Avetaran), finds itself at the heart of a heated controversy, as the Armenian community in Georgia expresses grave concern over its deteriorating condition. The construction of a high-rise hotel just 5 meters from the church in 2016 has ignited widespread alarm among locals.

What was initially greeted with community protests has now become a source of distress, as the hotel’s construction inflicted significant damage upon the church’s foundation and compromised its remarkable architectural value. The proximity of the hotel has raised questions regarding the preservation of this iconic religious and historical landmark.

To make matters worse, recent developments including the installation of a security booth and a parking lot have further escalated concerns about the church’s integrity and the possibility of irreparable harm being done. The Armenian community fears that if immediate action is not taken, Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatsatsin could be left in ruins.

In a plea to the Georgian government, the Armenian community implores authorities to prioritize the preservation of historical and cultural treasures. The church is not merely a place of worship for the Armenian community but also a symbol of shared heritage and identity.

“Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatsatsin holds immense historical and cultural significance for our community. Its deterioration would represent a significant loss not only for us but also for the rich tapestry of Tbilisi’s architectural heritage,” expresses Aram Sarkisian, a prominent member of the Armenian community.

Efforts by the Armenian community to draw attention to the plight of the church have intensified. They have called for the Georgian government’s urgent intervention to prevent any further damage and to ensure the long-term preservation of this revered site.

The controversy surrounding the church has sparked conversations about the need for increased regulations and sensitivity towards protecting cultural and historical monuments in Georgia. The incident serves as a reminder to balance development and progress with the preservation of precious heritage.

As the discussions continue, all eyes are on the Georgian government to take immediate steps to safeguard this important piece of history from potential destruction. Time is of the essence, and the Armenian community passionately awaits a resolution that will protect Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatsatsin, allowing future generations to appreciate its beauty and significance for years to come.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2024/02/03/armenian-community-in-georgia-worries-over-fate-of-historic-church-amidst-construction-controversy/

Asbarez: Archbishop Derderian Pledges Continued Support on ABMDR’s 25th Anniversary

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 February 1, 2024

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian and Fr. Njdeh Keshishyan with the ABMDR delegation, at the Western Diocese. Photo courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry


Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian on January 31 received a delegation from the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

During the meeting, which was held at the Diocese in Burbank, California, Archbishop Derderian extended his warm congratulations to the delegation on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of ABMDR.

As members of the delegation thanked the Primate for his support, they informed him that ABMDR aims to recruit a minimum of 2,500 potential stem cell donors this year, not only in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary, but also in order to bolster donor ranks following the devastating loss of ABMDR donors who lived in Artsakh.

Arch. Derderian pledged his continued assistance to ABMDR, as a pan-Armenian organization dedicated to helping patients across the globe. Specifically, the Primate said, he will facilitate several donor recruitments in the course of 2024, both in the United States and Armenia.

Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian with ABMDR Board members Armond Mehdikhani and Dr. Frieda Jordan. Photo courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Archbishop Derderian also informed the delegation that on March 17, prayers will be offered at the Diocese’s Saint Leon Cathedral for ABMDR patients and families.

“We are deeply appreciative of Archbishop Derderian’s leadership in facilitating our outreach and recruitment efforts, and for helping raise public awareness of our life-saving mission,” said ABMDR president Dr. Frieda Jordan. “As we discussed with the Primate during our meeting, one of our major goals at present is to inspire Armenian communities throughout the world with renewed hope and solidarity, in the wake of last year’s horrific losses.”

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 33,500 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 41 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the website.

AW: Two translators and a writer receive International Armenian Literary Alliance grants

Emil Lazarian
February 1, 2024 International Armenian Literary Alliance Diaspora, Announcements 0

The International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) has awarded $2,500 grants to poet Alexa Luborsky for her work-in-progress, Deportation Route, and to translators Thomas Toghramadjian and Margarit Ordukhanyan for Yeghishe Charents’ Land of Nayiri (Երկիր Նաիրի) and Ruben Filyan’s Your Country’s Ambassador (Քո երկրի դեսպանը), respectively.

Alexa Luborsky is a writer of Western Armenian and Eastern European Jewish descent. She is an MFA candidate in poetry, an H. Kruger Kaprielian Scholar and a Rachel Winer Manin Jewish Studies Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow at the University of Virginia. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in AGNI, Bennington Review, Black Warrior Review, Guernica, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Indiana Review, LIT Magazine, Michigan Quarterly Review, Ninth Letter, the Offing, Pleiades, The Journal and West Branch, among others. She is the interviews editor for Poetry Northwest and reads for Meridian. Born in Toronto and raised in Rhode Island, she currently resides in Charlottesville, VA where she is working on her first collection of poetry about genocidal aftermaths and diaspora. You can find out more at www.lexaluborsky.com. 

Thomas Toghramadjian is a deacon of the Armenian Church, a teacher and a student of Armenian literature. Born and raised in the United States, he received his bachelor’s degree from Boston College in political science, English and Russian studies before repatriating to Armenia in 2019. Between 2019 and 2021 he completed a two-year fellowship with Teach For Armenia, living and teaching English in the village of Debed in Lori Province. Thomas is currently pursuing a master’s degree in modern Armenian literature at Yerevan State University, writing his thesis on Yeghishe Charents and the Symbolist movement. Read Toghramadjian’s recent translation piece here.

Margarit Ordukhanyan, Ph.D. is a New York-based scholar and translator of poetry and prose from her native Armenian and Russian into English. In addition to contributing translations to collections and anthologies both in the United States and abroad, she also studies literary bilingualism, translation theory and the role of translation pedagogy in language and humanities curricula. Among others, she focuses on the works of exophonic Armenian women writers, including Goar Markosyan-Kasper, whose Russian-language novel Пенелопа (Penelope) she is currently translating into English. Narine Abgaryan’s To Go On Living, co-translated by Ordukhanyan and Zara Torlone, is forthcoming from Plough Publishers. Ordukhanyan was the Fall 2022 Translator-in-Residence at the University of Iowa’s Translation Workshop and a 2023 National Endowment of the Arts Translation Fellow. She is currently a fellow at the Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities at the New York Public Library. 

The International Armenian Literary Alliance’s Creative Writing Grant awards $2,500 annually to one Armenian writer whose work-in-progress shows exceptional literary and creative ability. In 2023, the grant, judged by Gregory Djanikian and Raffi Wartanian, was awarded for a collection of poetry, and in the coming years, to works of creative nonfiction and fiction, as well as other mixed genre forms.

The Israelyan English Translation Grant from the International Armenian Literary Alliance was made possible by a generous donation from Souren A. Israelyan, whose funding will ensure more Armenian literature is translated into English. IALA’s 2023 Israelyan English Translation Grant, judged by Dr. Myrna Douzjian, Nairi Hakhverdi and Tatevik Ayvazyan, was open for any work of literature (in any form) written in Eastern Armenian and published any time after 1900.

In 2023, the International Armenian Literary Alliance also offered the Israelyan Armenian Translation Grant – made possible by a generous donation from Souren A. Israelyan as well. However, from the submissions received, judges Anna Davtyan, Armen Ohanyan and Zaven Boyajyan were unable to award a translation that met IALA’s requirements. Instead, the grant will be reserved for 2024.

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The International Armenian Literary Alliance is a nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that supports and celebrates writers by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language. A network of Armenian writers and their champions, IALA gives Armenian writers a voice in the literary world through creative, professional, and scholarly advocacy.


Russia hopes Armenia’s accession to ICC won’t negatively impact ties

Emil Lazarian

 14:55, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Russia doesn't want Armenia’s accession to the ICC to negatively impact the bilateral ties, the Kremlin has said.

“That’s overall Armenia’s sovereign right,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti after Armenia officially joined the ICC on February 1. “But on the other hand, for us it is important that such decisions don’t negatively impact, both de jure and de facto, our bilateral relations, which we value and hope to further develop.”

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially entered into force for Armenia on February 1.

The Armenian parliament ratified the Rome Statute in October 2023.

Armenia’s ratification of the Rome Statute caused concerns in Moscow.

On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, after an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine. The ICC arrest warrant for Putin accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, a war crime. This has been denied by the Russian government. Countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute would have to enforce the arrest warrant once Putin travels into their territory. Earlier the Russian Foreign Ministry described it as an ‘unfriendly step’ and asked for explanations.

Armenian government officials have numerously said that ratifying the Rome Statute has nothing to do with Russia and is aimed at holding Azerbaijan to account for its aggression against Armenia.

Armenpress: Previously, 95-97 percent of Armenia’s defense relations were with Russia, now cannot remain the same: PM

Emil Lazarian

 21:30, 1 February 2024

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Addressing the question regarding the lack of a concept of reforms in the Armed Forces of Armenia, considering that the new draft of the "Law on Defense" should have been ready in January 2022, the Prime Minister said: "In January 2022, that concept was ready. However, events in the winter of 2022 made it obvious that we could not move forward with that concept. Now, we need not only to have a concept but also to understand how realistic the realization of that concept is, including cooperation in the military-technical sphere. We need to understand with whom we can realistically have military-technical and defense relations."
Pashinyan added that  problem was not as challenging before because there was no such problem, and creating a concept posed no difficulty.

"Previously, 95-97 percent of our defense sector relations were with the Russian Federation. Now, it cannot be the same, for both objective and subjective reasons. We have to understand what kind of relations we have, for example, with India in this concept," he said.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of answering questions about what security relations Armenia will have with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Georgia, the United States, what security relations it will have with Georgia, or whether security relations with Russia will change or not. Will Armenia remain a member of the CSTO or not? What kind of relations are being built with France?

"The problem here is that this concept has been already declared as a declaration. We need to formulate a concept for the implementation of which we have at least some agreements. And I think that we should finalize this concept during this year," said the Prime Minister.

Pashinyan emphasized that the government has declared and is moving towards a professional army.



Aliyev names change of Armenia’s Constitution as a condition for peace

Emil Lazarian
Armenia – Feb 1 2024

“Armenia’s claims against Azerbaijan in international courts are based on such issues as non-recognition of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan. If Armenia puts an end to territorial claims towards Azerbaijan and makes changes to the Constitution and other normative-legal documents, peace can be achieved,” Aliyev said, receiving Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong in Baku.

 

He also noted that de facto peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia has already been established, and a peaceful situation has been prevailing on the border of the two countries for several months.

 

“But in order to bring this process to its logical conclusion, it is necessary to sign a peace treaty and put an end to Armenia’s territorial claims towards Azerbaijan,” the Azerbaijani president said.

 

Aliyev noted that Armenia’s Declaration of Independence “contains direct calls for the unification of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region with Armenia and the violation of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The references to this document are also reflected in the Constitution of Armenia.”

 

“In addition, Armenia’s other normative legal documents also contain territorial claims towards Azerbaijan, many conventions and other documents Armenia has joined have numerous reservations that do not recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Karabakh,” Aliyev said.

https://mediamax.am/en/news/politics/53798/

New Armenian Ambassador to China presents credentials to President Xi Jinping

Emil Lazarian

 15:36,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The new Armenian Ambassador to China Vahe Gevorgyan on January 30 presented his credentials to President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

In his speech, Ambassador Gevorgyan underscored his commitment to strengthen the relations between the ancient Armenian and Chinese peoples and reiterated Armenia’s readiness to enhance bilateral relations and multisectoral cooperation with China, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

President Xi Jinping welcomed the Armenian Ambassador and wished him success.

Armenian EyeCare Project honors Children’s Hospital L.A. and the late Luther Khachigian

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Nonprofit News, Diaspora 0

The Armenian EyeCare Project (AECP) had the distinct privilege of honoring both a very close corporate partner and a generous benefactor and friend who has sadly passed on during the nonprofit organization’s annual Gala fundraiser in Newport Beach, California. 

A Decades-Long Partnership with CHLA 

A close partner and collaborator for nearly 15 years, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) was honored as the AECP’s Corporate Honoree at the organization’s event. In attendance was president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Paul Viviano, CHLA Division Chief of Ophthalmology Dr. Thomas Lee and several other staff members from the notable hospital who work regularly with the AECP team in Armenia on various initiatives, including Dr. Eyal Ben-Issac, Dr. Armine Lulejian, Jenia Ghazarian and more.

Left to right: CHLA President and CEO Mr. Paul Viviano; CHLA Division Chief of Ophthalmology Dr. Thomas Lee; AECP Founder and President Dr. Roger Ohanesian and AECP Volunteer Physician and Master of Ceremonies Dr. John Hovanesian

“We are thrilled to be here tonight to celebrate our 14-year history with the Armenian EyeCare Project and the lives of all the children we have touched during that time,” Viviano said during the gala. “What started as a targeted program to train ophthalmologists on how to diagnose and treat a devastating form of childhood blindness has blossomed into a larger training mission to educate not just doctors but also nurses and hospital leaders on how to prepare for the future of Armenia.”

As a result of CHLA’s partnership with AECP, no child in Armenia has gone blind from retinopathy of prematurity, a debilitating eye disease found in infants, since 2018.

Since their involvement began in 2009, CHLA has been instrumental in the success of AECP’s pediatric program in Armenia, dedicated to advancing eye care for infants and children and eliminating preventable blindness caused by retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and other childhood eye diseases. Since this time, CHLA’s continued commitment to serve the people of Armenia has expanded through several additional joint programs with AECP through the years. This includes the opening of a Neonatal Simulation Center inside the AECP’s Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness in Yerevan; the implementation of a large-scale School Screening Program throughout Armenia for school-aged children; the provision of educational resources and training opportunities for medical staff in Armenia including neonatal nurses, mental health professionals and more; and participating as a consistent co-organizer of the AECP-CHLA Annual Conference held in Yerevan, Armenia every year. 

CHLA has helped the AECP leverage innovative solutions to touch the lives of thousands of children in Armenia. They have used telemedicine to train physicians in Armenia who have now performed more than 35,000 screenings for ROP and 950 surgeries. As a result of this partnership, no child in Armenia has gone blind from this debilitating eye disease since 2018.

“We are committed to the lives of all children whether they are in Los Angeles or halfway around the world,” Viviano said. “Our commitment to Armenia will continue, and we are so grateful to have the Armenian EyeCare Project as our steadfast partner in helping us in our mission.”

Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend

Luther J. Khachigian

Also honored at the gala was a great benefactor and dear friend of the AECP, the late Luther Khachigian, who passed away in June 2023. A longtime supporter of the AECP, Khachigian contributed greatly to the organization’s many sight-saving initiatives in Armenia over the years. These included the funding of several pieces of cutting-edge medical equipment used to diagnose and treat eye disease as well as the underwriting of an entire Regional Eye Center in the country. Named after his father, who Khachigian loved and respected very much, the John Ohannes Khachigian AECP Regional Eye Center was developed and opened in Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia, in 2017.

“Luther was not only a great supporter and a generous and committed benefactor, he was also a very dear friend,” AECP founder Dr. Roger Ohanesian shared. “He was instrumental in providing long-term support to various AECP initiatives and always stressed the importance of getting more Armenians involved.” 

Many of Khachigian’s family and friends were present at the AECP gala to watch him being honored posthumously. This included Khachigian’s son Luther Khachigian II, Khachigian’s younger brother Ken Khachigian, and others. During the event, Luther II shared that his father’s extraordinary generosity would continue through Khachigian’s bequest.

Khachigian’s son, Luther Khachigian II, with Dr. Roger Ohanesian and Dr. John Hovanesian

Presenting the AECP with a generous contribution from his father’s estate, Luther II said that it was an honor for his father to be remembered by AECP and pledged more support for the organization through Khachigian’s estate in the coming year.

As thousands of patients continue to be treated at Khachigian’s regional center in Gyumri and with news of his legacy funding, there is no doubt that Khachigian’s tremendous impact and contribution to eye care in Armenia will be felt for generations to come.




RFE/RL Armenian Service – 01/31/2024

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Wednesday, 


Baku, Yerevan Hold Fresh Talks On Border Delimitation

        • Artak Khulian

ARMENIA -- Azerbaijani (L) and Armenian army posts on the Armenian-Azerbaijani 
border, June 18, 2021.


Senior Armenian and Azerbaijani officials held on Wednesday another round of 
direct negotiations on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, a 
key hurdle to a comprehensive peace deal between the two nations.

The sixth joint session of Armenian and Azerbaijani government commissions on 
border demarcation and delimitation took place at a relatively peaceful section 
of the heavily militarized frontier. It was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister 
Mher Grigorian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Shahin Mustfayev.

The two sides issued very short and identical statements that shed no light on 
the agenda of the talks or give other details. Nor did they report any 
agreements.

Speaking in Yerevan earlier in the day, parliament speaker Alen Simonian said 
that the Armenian side hopes the fresh talks will bring more clarity to the 
delimitation issue. He indicated that Baku and Yerevan continue to disagree on a 
concrete mechanism for delineating the border.

“We can show, with a deviation of meters, where the border of Armenia and 
Azerbaijan passes,” Simonian told reporters. “Not just show some imaginary maps 
but maps with legal basis under them.”

Armenia insists on using the most recent Soviet military maps drawn in the 
1970s. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated Baku’s rejection of the 
idea in early January, saying that it favors the Armenian side.

Aliyev again accused Armenia of occupying “eight Azerbaijani villages” and said 
their return will top the agenda of the upcoming delimitation talks. Grigorian 
denied this, saying that the Armenian and Azerbaijani government commissions 
will compare each other’s maps and discuss procedural issues.

Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials also said that an Armenian-Azerbaijani 
peace treaty should be signed before the delimitation and demarcation of the 
border. Yerevan insists, however, that the treaty must spell out legally binding 
principles of the delimitation process. Armenian analysts and opposition figures 
believe that Aliyev wants to leave the door open to Azerbaijani territorial 
claims to Armenia.




Armenia ‘Getting Closer To NATO’


Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets NATO envoy Javier Colomina, 
January 19, 2024.


A senior NATO official has again praised Armenia for moving away from Russia and 
seeking closer ties with the U.S.-led alliance, prompting another Russian 
warning to Yerevan.

“We are very encouraged by the decisions that Armenia has decided to take in 
their foreign policy and defense policy, the shift they have decided to 
implement,” Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary general’s special representative 
for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, told the Armenpress news agency in an 
interview published on Wednesday.

“I know it is a decision that is difficult to implement and will probably take a 
long time, but, of course, we encourage our partners to get closer to us and 
that is what Armenia is doing,” Colomina said, adding that Armenian leaders 
assured him in Yerevan last week that they will continue to “increase the 
cooperation” with NATO.

The envoy revealed that the two sides are now close to working out a new 
“individually tailored partnership program” that will flesh out Armenia’s closer 
partnership with NATO. He gave no details of the action plan, saying only that 
it will set “quite ambitious goals.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry was unusually quick to comment on Colomina’s 
remarks that came amid Russia’s unprecedented tensions with Armenia. It warned 
that closer ties with NATO could only spell more trouble for the South Caucasus 
nation.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends the Saint 
Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16, 2022.

“We have already seen what proximity to NATO leads some countries to: 
involvement in conflicts, loss of sovereignty and independence, submission to 
foreign planning in all spheres and, most importantly, the absence of an 
opportunity to realize their own national interests,” Maria Zakharova, the 
ministry spokeswoman, told a news briefing in Moscow.

“Armenia should probably … open the map and look at the region, the countries 
between which it is situated … The West gives promises to everyone, and I just 
wonder which of them have been fulfilled and where,” she said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian declared in August that his government is trying 
to “diversify our security policy” because Armenia’s long-standing heavy 
reliance on Russia has proved a “strategic mistake.” He claimed that Moscow is 
“unwilling or unable” to defend its South Caucasus ally. Moscow has since 
repeatedly accused Pashinian of “destroying” Russian-Armenian relations at the 
behest of the West.

Turkey, one of Armenia’s neighbors mentioned by Zakharova, is a key NATO member 
state that provided decisive military assistance to Azerbaijan during the 2020 
war in Nagorno-Karabakh. NATO did not criticize the Turkish involvement in the 
six-week war.

Ankara is now fully backing Azerbaijani demands for an extraterritorial corridor 
to the Nakhichevan exclave and other Armenian concessions. There are lingering 
fears in Yerevan that Baku will resort to military to try to clinch those 
concessions.




Armenian Deputy Minister Sacked, Detained

        • Susan Badalian

Armenia - Deputy Economy Minister Ani Ispirian.


One day after being relieved of her duties, an Armenian deputy minister of 
economy was reportedly detained on Wednesday in a corruption investigation 
launched by law-enforcement authorities.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economy confirmed that the 32-year-old 
official, Ani Ispirian, was taken in for questioning from her office in the 
morning. She gave no other details.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee said, meanwhile, that its investigators as 
well as officers of the National Security Service (NSS) jointly searched 15 
locations, including the ministry building in Yerevan, as part of two criminal 
cases opened by them. Its spokesman, Gor Abrahamian, did not confirm that 
Ispirian is among seven individuals arrested as a result.

In a statement released later in the day, the committee said that unnamed 
Ministry of Economy officials illegally disqualified a private entity from a 
procurement tender to make sure that it is won by another bidder. The latter 
offered 392 million drams (about $1 million) for the service, or nearly three 
times more than its disqualified rival, the statement said, adding that six of 
the arrests are related to this case.

In the other case, it went on, a ministry official, also not identified by the 
law-enforcement body, abused his or her position to help other individuals 
receive 238 million drams in state agribusiness funding in violation of rules 
set by the ministry. Those individuals are linked to another person with whom 
the official was “on close terms,” said the statement. It said that the 
allocation amounted to the embezzlement of public funds.

Another source told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the arrested suspects also 
include the head of a Ministry of Economy division.

Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian claimed to be unaware of the reason why his 
ministry was raided by the law-enforcement officials.

“Investigative bodies usually raid government agencies in corruption cases,” 
Kerobian told reporters. “We attach great importance to fighting against 
corruption but also respect the presumption of people’s innocence.”

“And I must point out that there have been no guilty verdicts against Ministry 
of Economy employees in the last three years,” he added, referring to his time 
in office.

Kerobian insisted that Ispirian’s dismissal and apparent detention are a 
coincidence.

“She said one and a half months ago that her husband has found a job in the 
Netherlands and that they are going to move there,” the minister said. “She 
wrote a resignation letter a few days before the relocation.”

Ispirian lived and worked in Russia before joining the ministry in 2020 through 
a government program designed to encourage Diaspora Armenians to relocate to 
Armenia and work for its government bodies. She became a deputy minister a year 
later.

Less than a month ago, Ispirian was also appointed as head of the governing 
board of a state fund tasked with attracting foreign investment in Armenia.




Armenian Government Defends Refusal To Raise Pensions

        • Robert Zargarian

Armenia - Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisian speaks at a press conference in 
Yerevan, .


Finance Minister Vahe Hovannisian insisted on Wednesday that the Armenian 
government is right not to raise pensions this year despite planning a 23 
percent rise in its overall expenditures.

“The reason why the pensions will not rise in 2024 is our [different] spending 
priorities,” Hovannisian told reporters.

The government set the spending target tax late last year as the total amount of 
taxes collected by it increased by over 15 percent in 2023 amid continuing 
robust economic growth in Armenia. Most of the extra spending projected by the 
2024 state budget is to be channeled into infrastructure projects.

“If we raise pensions now as much as we all dream of and then suddenly one day 
we can't pay those pensions, it will be a very big disaster for our country,” 
said Hovannisian.

The government most recently raised the modest pensions paid to some 500,000 
Armenians in June last year. The average monthly pension in the country now 
stands at about 50,000 drams ($123). It is well below the per-capita minimum 
cost of living. The so-called “consumer basket” calculated by the Armenian 
Statistical Committee is worth just over 80,000 drams ($198).

Over the last several years, the pensions have increased by a total of just 
6,000 drams per month. These increases have been offset by inflation.



Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2024 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Armenpress: Turkey’s ambitions exceed its actual capabilities: Turkologist comments on Ankara’s foreign policy

Emil Lazarian

 08:55,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan, commenting on Turkey's foreign policy, believes that the country's ambitions exceed its actual capabilities. In an interview with "Armenpress," the turkologist noted that Ankara, however, is taking steps to align its ambitions with real opportunities.
According to him, while Turkey remains a middle power, it aspires to position itself as one of the most powerful states in the world. 
"By giving the green light to Sweden on NATO membership, Turkey essentially struck a deal with the US and was able to get what it had been pursuing for about three years. The approval of Sweden's membership served as a pretext in that deal, but it fundamentally concerned the ratification of the supply of forty American F-16 fighter jets.
The Turkish army already has about eighty such fighters, and the American side should also modify them. It is important for the US that Turkey continues to be its faithful ally in the Middle East because its geographical position and the presence of a combat-ready army are of great importance from the point of view of implementing NATO's plans in that region," said the expert. 
According to Safrastyan, Turkey has also achieved its goals with Sweden, as official Stockholm has started to impose stricter conditions and restrictions on public speeches by Kurdish exile figures in Sweden, thereby abandoning its policy of allowing people the opportunity to freely express themselves and carry out actions.
"Turkey's decision was not a surprise for Russia, which is in conflict with the North Atlantic Alliance. From the beginning, it was clear to everyone, including Moscow, that Ankara would sooner or later take that step, and, by and large, could not prevent new members from joining the alliance. Turkey was just trying to address its problems during that entire period. It is no coincidence that the official reaction of the Russian side was quite calm," said Safrastyan.
Referring to the question of whether the Turkish side's political maneuvers in the South Caucasus are not excluded, considering the frequent mention of the so-called "Zangezur Corridor," which is opposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the turkologist noted that although Ebrahim Raisi, during his visit to Turkey, spoke against the inadmissibility of red lines and border changes in the region, official Ankara will continue to pursue its policy. The goal is for Turkey and Azerbaijan, by violating the territorial integrity of Armenia, to establish a direct land connection between each other.
"Turkey's pressure on this matter will persist, and Iran is unlikely to engage in confrontation or a military clash with Turkey at this stage, as it seeks to avoid conflicts and potential attacks outside its territory. Rather, one can anticipate adventurous actions from Azerbaijan, given its alliance with Turkey and shared interests. The 'Zangezur Corridor' is primarily strategically vital for Turkey because it establishes a connection to the Turkish-speaking countries of Central Asia, significantly increasing its political influence all over the world.
The annual GDP of Turkish-speaking countries amounts to more than one trillion dollars, which is equally significant. On the other hand, Turkey strives to play a significant role in the London-Beijing logistics axis, connecting a substantial part of the world economy in the future," Safrastyan explained.
Nevertheless, according to him, there is a simple reality that should not be overlooked. As much as Turkey is trying to participate in the implementation of logistics mega-projects, it has not been able to complete the construction of the 200 km section of the railway that should connect Kars with Azerbaijan through Nakhichevan.
"They have been talking about it for years, but it is not being built. Turkey is now attempting to address the issue with the assistance of Azerbaijan, with which it signed an agreement for joint financing last year, actually involving the funds generated from the sale of oil and gas by Azerbaijan. According to Safrastyan, the winners of the tenders are already known, and preparations will commence soon.
Turkey sometimes harbors rather great ambitions,  but sometimes they do not have enough resources for their implementation; in other words, Turkey's ambitions exceed its actual capabilities," Ruben Safrastyan concluded.
Manvel Margaryan