Global News, Canada
Jan 19 2024
Watch the video at
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
Armenpress: Deputy Prime Minister meets EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia
21:24,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan received the EU special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar.
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos also attended the meeting.
The parties discussed regional developments during the meeting, Grigoryan’s Office said.
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan presented the “Crossroads of the World” project, which clearly outlines the prospects, structure, logic, and basic principles of unblocking transport and other infrastructure communications in the region. The parties also discussed issues related to the principles and legal foundations of the border delimitation process.
Asbarez: AEF’s 5th Annual Oratorical Contest to be Held at UCLA
2020 Oratorical contest participants
In adherence to its long-standing tradition of supporting educational programs for local Armenian students, the Armenian Educational Foundation is hosting its 5th Annual Oratorical Contest following four successful years. This year’s competition is in collaboration with UCLA’s Center for World Languages and will feature the inaugural competition for middle schools. The public speaking competition will take place at the UCLA’s Royce Hall Room 314, located at 10745 Dickson Ct., Los Angeles, on Saturday, January 27. The middle school round will take place at 10 a.m. and the high school round will take place at 2 p.m.
Students representing Southern California Armenian high schools and middle schools will participate in the Armenian and English language speaking contests. The schools participating in the competition this year include A.G.B.U Manoogian-Demirdjian School, Armenian Mesrobian School, Armenian Sisters’ Academy, C & E Merdinian Evangelical School, Chamlian Armenian School, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, and Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School.
AEF has a distinguished panel of judges, including Armine Amiryan, Head of News at US Armenia TV; Alex Bastian, Esq., President and CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco; Hagop Gulludjian, senior lecturer of Armenian Studies at the UCLA Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department; Tereza Hovhannisyan, lecturer of Eastern Armenian Language at the UCLA Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department; Araksya Karapetyan, news anchor for FOX 11 and Good Day LA; Dr. Lilit Keshishyan, PhD, project director, USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, lecturer, the USC Writing Program; Zaven Keuroghlian, co-founder and CEO of Zartonk Media; Ani Hovannisian Kevorkian, documentary filmmaker; Gegham Mughnetsyan, Chitjian Researcher Archivist, USC Institute of Armenian Studies; Sev Ohanian, screenwriter and film producer; Dr. Shant Shekherdemian, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Surgery, Interim Chief of Pediatric Surgery at UCLA, Associate Director for Healthcare Outreach / UCLA Promise Armenian Institute; and Vruir Tadevosian, TV host, journalist at Horizon Armenian TV.
“AEF has such a significant global impact, providing the opportunity for educational advancement for so many students both here and abroad. We are proud to be part of a program that promotes critical thinking and public speaking, and allows our students to refine a skillset that will be invaluable to their future success,” said Lara Petrossian and Kristina Kheshvadjian, AEF Oratorical Committee Co-Chairs.
AEF was established in 1950 to provide financial support to Armenian students and Armenian educational institutions and programs in Armenia, Artsakh and the diaspora. All AEF programs are planned and executed by volunteers with minimal overhead – assuring donors that their contribution is used directly towards the program they support.
For more information on the Armenian Educational Foundation or to donate online, please visit the website.
ANCA-WR Allocates $25,000 from Gala Proceeds to Support University Students and Freelance Journalists from Artsakh
LOS ANGELES – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region announced the allocation of $20,000 to the Armenian Educational Foundation to distribute university scholarships to forcibly displaced students from Artsakh who found refuge in Armenia following Azerbaijan’s illegal military assault on September 19.
An additional $5,000 was also earmarked for rental and utility subsidies to freelance journalists who documented the resilience and suffering of Artsakh Armenians during Azerbaijan’s 280-plus day long genocidal blockade, and who continue to shed light on the plight of Artsakh refugees in Armenia.
The funds allocated by ANCA Western Region were raised thanks to the generous contributions of ANCA WR supporters during the 2023 Annual Awards Gala which was held in Los Angeles on November 12.
“In the lead up to our annual awards banquet in November 2023, ANCA WR’s board unanimously decided to allocate a portion of its Gala proceeds to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide in Artsakh,” said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq.
“After a careful review of the needs of displaced Artsakh Armenians, we decided to direct a portion of the funds to the Armenian Educational Foundation to ensure the education of Artsakh’s new generation, and another portion to the ReArmenia online campaign launched by Scout Tufankjian and Simon Maghakyan in support of the heroic journalists who continue to report about the suffering of Armenians during and after Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade,” added Hovsepian.
Since its establishment in 1950, the Armenian Educational Foundation has been instrumental in fostering educational development in the diaspora and the homeland. With over 72 years of service, AEF has consistently provided financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions and students of Armenian descent. Since 2000, AEF has disbursed $5 million to renovate over 200 schools in the villages of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk, and $3 million in scholarships, including $1 million in full tuition scholarships to 1,000 students in Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk during the 2021 academic year. Their programs also include advancing IT education through Armath Labs, supporting schools in the diaspora, and supporting Artsakh war veterans with scholarships, laptops, and other essential educational resources.
In the coming months, with ANCA Western Region’s $20,000 contribution, AEF will increase the number of scholarships for Artsakh students from 105 to 138.
“We, at the Armenian Educational Foundation, believe that the best way to help Armenia is through education. We are glad and thankful to see that the ANCA WR shares our vision and are joining us in this mission. Thanks to their generous donation we will be able to give the gift of education to 33 displaced students from Artsakh,” said AEF President Serop Beylerian.
The initiative to “Support Displaced Artsakh Freelance Journalists,” spearheaded by Scout Tufankjian and Simon Maghakyan, addresses the urgent needs of freelance journalists who have been uprooted from their homes.
This campaign does not only aim to provide them with financial assistance, but it sustains the voice of Artsakh Armenians through the articles and investigative research work of freelance journalists, enabling them to continue their vital work under challenging circumstances. The journalists’ reporting plays an essential role in bringing to light the experiences and stories of the over 100,000 Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh, ensuring that their voices are heard and their experiences are not forgotten in the larger global discourse.
“The journalists of Artsakh were our eyes and our ears throughout the illegal Azerbaijani blockade, working tirelessly to provide a window through which the world could see the strength, resilience, humor, love, and humanity of the Artsakhtsi people. They did this while suffering from the effects of the blockade—filing stories while queuing for bread and water, charging camera batteries with scraps of electricity, conducting interviews while trying to make sure that their children in their lives could still laugh and play. And finally, horrifyingly, reporting on the One Day War, the Fuel Depot Explosion, and then their own forced exile,” said Scout Tufankjian, renowned documentary photographer and co-creator of the online fundraising campaign.
“These are hard-working professionals, but they have lost everything. We owe these journalists so much and we (and Artsakh) will continue to need their work in the future. I am so grateful that while the world may have turned its eyes to other stories, the ANCA-WR has not turned away and has stepped in to help support them in their time of great need. Thank you for supporting these amazing men and women,” Tufankjian added.
The “Support Displaced Artsakh Freelance Journalists” fundraiser is organized by U.S.-based writer and researcher Simon Maghakyan, best known for his pioneering investigative exposé of Azerbaijan’s covert erasure of Armenian heritage, and U.S.-based photographer Scout Tufankjian, best known for her photographs of President Barack Obama, the Armenian Diaspora, and Artsakh.
One hundred percent of the donations to the campaign will go directly to displaced freelance journalists from Artsakh (reArmenia doesn’t charge processing fees for fundraisers).
This online fundraising campaign has a target amount of $23,822. As of today, the organizers have been able to raise $11,801.78 (49% of the target amount). With ANCA Western Region’s $5,000 contribution, the organizers will reach 71% of their target amount with the online campaign active for another 37 days. Anyone interested in contributing to the online fundraiser can do so at the following ReArmenia campaign page: https://rearmenia.com/en/fundraisers/support-displaced-artsakh-freelance-journalists?tab=story.
“I am grateful to ANCA-WR for the generous contribution in support of displaced freelance Artsakh journalists. We have all read the work of these journalists, seen their photographs, and heard their voices during the 2023 siege, the invasion, and the exodus in every major media outlet. But now, the people who became the global voice for Artsakh are unhoused. Being a freelance journalist is a tremendous sacrifice, one that refugees cannot sustainably afford in expensive Yerevan,” said writer and researcher Simon Maghakyan.
“It is, therefore, encouraging that one of the largest Diaspora organizations is supporting displaced freelance Artsakh journalists so that they can continue their work. Helping displaced refugee journalists with housing expenses is not only a humanitarian act: it’s an investment in ensuring that the plight of Artsakh has credible spokespersons. I hope that community members and other organizations will be inspired by ANCA-WR’s generous contribution and likewise participate in this fundraising effort,” Maghakyan added.
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, ANCA WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
The Armenian Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1950. Their goal is to provide financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions and support students of Armenian descent. Currently, AEF is offering over 1500 scholarships in Armenia and the Diaspora. Moreover, they have successfully renovated more than 200 village schools in Armenia, contributing to the improvement of educational infrastructure. Their programs also encompass various initiatives catering to Diaspora students.
Following Azerbaijan’s Sep. 2023 ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, many freelance journalists became homeless refugees in Armenia. This fundraiser will help ease their hardships and continue their freelance work.
Researcher outlines factors generating new wave of construction boom in Armenia
09:51,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. 492 billion 933,5 million (over $1,2 billion) in construction was carried out in Armenia in January-November 2023, a significantly high figure said to be pushed by various factors.
Narek Karapetyan, a researcher at Amberd Research Center, told Armenpress that the construction boom is associated with several factors, such as the revenue tax-mortgage interest rate program (mortgage tax relief) and its gradual cancellation in Yerevan, the increase in demand in the real estate market and growth in revenue.
“This is a high figure. And it has been high all the time in the past few years,” Karapetyan said.
“The main moving force is the [mortgage tax relief] program and its gradual cancellation in Yerevan, this has contributed to faster construction,” he added.
Speaking about the growing demand in the real estate market, the expert said the increase is mostly due to foreign travelers, but not necessarily because they are buying homes, but actually because they have become the main actors in the rentals market, which subsequently increased the prices and made homeowners in Armenia buy new apartments and rent them out. This, in turn, leads to increase in demand, i.e., construction of new housing projects.
23% of the total construction of 2023 was carried out from the state budget. This mostly encompasses road construction, according to Karapetyan.
Most of the construction was carried out by private companies (256,6 billion drams), growing 22,5% compared to 2022’s same period. Foreign investors carried out over 3,9 billion drams in construction, which is a 63,9% YoY decrease.
Commercial banks issued a total of over 483,6 billion drams in loans to the construction sector in 2023 November, which is 143 billion more compared to 2022 November.
Although the construction volume of the past few years is still behind the figures of the construction boom of the 2000s, the actual number of buildings that are being built now contain characteristics of a boom. The present-day figures are behind those of 2007-2008, but now the model has changed, and there’s a boom in this new model which encompasses a broader circle of people.
According to Karapetyan, in the 2000s people were mostly buying real estate in downtown Yerevan, whereas now they prefer the suburbs. Apartment purchases are now attributed to the middle class, he said, adding that in the 2000s most of the buyers were either foreigners or people with significantly higher income.
Armenia to advance peace agenda despite obstacles, says lawmaker
11:35,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenian authorities will carry on with the peace agenda regardless of the obstacles, ruling Civil Contract party lawmaker Arthur Hovhannisyan has said.
“We share the prime minister’s opinion that this wasn’t an attempt to lead the peace agenda into a deadlock,” Hovhannisyan said when asked to comment on latest aggressive rhetoric from Azerbaijan, which the Armenian PM said he hoped was not an attempt to derail the talks.
“But even if it was an attempt by Azerbaijan to bring the peace agenda into deadlock, this won’t anyhow stop our policy or agenda,” he added, noting that they are now trying to advance the peace agenda with international partners.
“Armenia does not have an agenda of war. Armenia has an agenda of peace, and we are moving on that path,” he said.
Exchange Students from Armenia to Perform In Geneva
Finger Lakes Daily News
Jan 17 2024
Young musicians from Armenia will perform in Albright Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 18.
Hobart and William Smith will host the performance of ArmFolk, a folk ensemble of high school students from Armenia, who are visiting the U.S. as part of Rotary International Friendship Program. The show is free and open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 in Albright Auditorium. While in Geneva, the group will also perform at Geneva High School on Thursday morning.
The group of talented performers will offer a presentation of Armenian culture through music and dance. Traditional instruments such as the Spiritual Duduk (woodwind instrument), Dhol (double-headed drum) and Qanun (string instrument) will provide exotic and captivating sounds to accompany musical compositions incorporating lively dances, superb vocals and vibrant costumes.
A dinner and reception will be held prior to the performance at the home of President Mark D. Gearan and Mary Herlihy Gearan at 690 South Main St.
As part of Rotary International Friendship Program, Geneva Rotarians will host the exchange students in their homes.
Listen to the FLX Morning Podcast Interview
https://www.fingerlakesdailynews.com/local/ontario-seneca-wayne/exchange-students-from-armenia-to-perform-in-geneva
Opinion: Can BRICS be Armenia’s salvation?
Jan 17 2024
17 JANUARY 2024
When economist Jim O’Neill, then working at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., coined the term BRIC in 2001 to draw attention to solid growth rates in Brazil, Russia, India, and China, few may have anticipated that two decades later, this term will be the buzz word shaping the global geopolitics. In 2010, BRIC became BRICS after South Africa joined the club, but even then, many were sceptical that a grouping of such diverse countries can play a meaningful role in global politics.
However, as China transformed itself into a global economic heavyweight, and Russia – West relations hit their lowest point since the end of the Cold War as the result of the Russia – Ukraine war, scholars, experts, and politicians started to actively discuss the emergence of a new, multipolar world order, viewing BRICS as one of its pillars.
The next milestone in the development of the BRICS was the 2023 summit in South Africa, when Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were invited to become members of the group as from January 1, 2024. Subsequently, the newly elected President of Argentina, Javier Milei, withdrew the country from its planned entry into the BRICS, but other newcomers officially became members of the organization on January 1, 2024.
Iran's membership in BRICS brought the organization to Armenia's doorstep, making Yerevan a neighbour of BRICS. Currently, Armenia is in the painstaking process of re-assessing and re-evaluating its foreign policy after the defeat in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, the military takeover of the self-proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh Republic by Azerbaijan in September 2023, and the forced displacement of all Armenians from the region. Some in Armenia hoped that after finishing with Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan would sign a peace agreement with Armenia based on the recognition of mutual territorial integrity within the 1991 Soviet administrative borders, and on the restoration of communications accepting the sovereignty of states over the routes passing their territories. In December 2023, some high-level Armenian officials, including the Speaker of the National Assembly, stated “that the peace with Azerbaijan was never as close as now.”
However, this positive mood changed significantly after President Aliyev's January 10, 2024, interview with local media outlets. President Aliyev clearly stated that Azerbaijan would not withdraw from at least 200 square km of Armenian territory, which it controls as a result pf incursions into Armenia in May and November 2021, and September 2022, and demanded passport and customs-free passage to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan via Armenia, otherwise vowing to continue the blockade of Armenia. He rejected the possibility of establishing the institute of guarantors for the future Armenia – Azerbaijan agreement and Armenia's offer to accept the Soviet Union Armed Forces General Staff 1975 maps as a base for future delimitation and demarcation. He demanded that either maps of 1918-1920 or the early Soviet period (1930-1940s) should be used, adding that after the 1940s, several thousand square km of Azerbaijani lands were transferred to Soviet Armenia, and the fate of these territories should be discussed during the delimitation and demarcation process. On January 13, 2024, Prime Minister Pashinyan mentioned that Aliyev’s statements were a severe blow to the peace process.
What if the Armenia – Azerbaijan peace agreement is not be signed in the foreseeable future? In that case, Armenia needs quick actions to raise its capacities and capabilities to deter potential new Azerbaijani attacks. It is a challenging task, as the military takeover of Nagorno Karabakh has put the Southern part of Armenia (Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions) in an extremely vulnerable situation. They are sandwiched between Azerbaijan proper and Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic, while the narrowest part dividing the two is around 25 km, and the widest part is only 42 km. Deterring Azerbaijan, which has the full support of Turkey, cannot be based only on military power, and it should also include the development of cooperation with external powers who have an interest in keeping Armenia within its current borders. In this context, the membership of Iran into the BRICS, and the "arrival of BRICS" to Armenia's doorstep is another opportunity for Armenia.
Within Armenia's renewed efforts to diversify its foreign and economic policy, India, UAE, and Saudi Arabia are among the top destinations. They are now members of the BRICS; all have complicated relations with Turkey, and are not interested in seeing the additional expansion of Turkish influence into the South Caucasus. The same applies to Iran, a new BRICS member, which, in the last three years, has sent multiple signals to Azerbaijan and Turkey that it would not tolerate the establishment of an extraterritorial corridor via Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with Nachcivan and Turkey. Then we have Russia, which, due to the war in Ukraine, needs Azerbaijan and Turkey for diversification of logistics, circumventing Western sanctions, and other reasons, but simultaneously, is not interested in seeing more Turkish influence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. China is not an active player in the South Caucasus yet, but Beijing also has no interest in seeing more Turkish influence in Central Asia, including through the mechanisms of the Organization of Turkic states, and China and Russia are also BRICS members. Egypt has its problems with Turkey, stemming from Turkish support to the Muslim Brotherhood and longtime nonrecognition of President el-Sisi government. The restoration of diplomatic ties in the Summer of 2023 did not solve all problems, as was indicated by the postponement of the July 27, 2023 el-Sisi visit to Turkey. So, Russia, China, India, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, albeit for different reasons, are not interested in seeing Turkish dominance over the South Caucasus, and they are all BRICS members.
Armenia should carefully look into ways to expand its cooperation with BRICS member states, first of all in the economic area, inviting BRICS investments into the infrastructure and other projects in Armenia. Armenia is in active discussions with Iran, India, and UAE to bring their investments into Armenia, and there is potential to have Chinese involvement through the Belt and Road Initiative. The possibility of receiving funding from the BRICS New Development Bank for various projects, which can be implemented by BRICS member companies, should be studied, too. As the first step, the Armenian government should establish an interagency task force to develop and present in Autumn 2024 a concept for Armenia – BRICS cooperation. Another step should be organizing an international expert conference in Armenia (preferably in the Syunik region) on Armenia- BRICS cooperation in June or September 2024. Meanwhile, as a preparatory action, a webinar on this topic with the participation of think tanks from Iran, India, Russia, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt can be organized in April or May 2024. The participation of Georgian Think tanks in the webinar will add more value to the event.
After the loss of Nagorno Karabakh and continued policy of pressure and blackmail by Azerbaijan, Armenia faces tough years ahead. The establishment of multilateral cooperation with BRICS member countries and with the organization itself can be one of the effective ways to diversify Armenian foreign and economic policy, increase Armenian deterrence capacities and capabilities, and ensure stability and security in the South Caucasus.
ARARATBANK attracts $5 million from GGF to propel green financing in Armenia
17:21,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The Green for Growth Fund (GGF), an impact investment fund advised by Finance in Motion, is re-engaging with the leading Armenian SME bank ARARATBANK through the provision of a USD 5 million loan facility. In a significant move to drive sustainable development in Armenia, this strategic partnership with ARARATBANK aims to broaden the network of GGF partners on the ground and provide critical support for green lending initiatives directed at SMEs and retail clients.
The funding will help the Bank in meeting the growing demand for green capital expenditures in key sectors, such as agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, and construction. Additionally, it will support individual households in adopting energy efficient systems and eco-friendly practices, including the implementation of small renewable energy measures.
The Fund’s support extends beyond financing, incorporating a dedicated Technical Assistance (TA) package that is designed to augment ARARATBANK’s capacity for green lending by utilizing GGF’s vast experience and expertise in the field. This aligns with GGF's broader mission to promote sustainable finance practices and underscores a holistic approach to support ARARATBANK’s commitment to green initiatives.
Christopher Knowles, Chairperson of the GGF, expressed enthusiasm about the Fund’s re-engagement with ARARATBANK, stating: “We are very pleased to deepen our collaboration with ARARATBANK, a partner that shares our commitment to driving sustainable development. This loan investment showcases the potential for positive change through collective efforts and highlights our joint commitment to improving energy and resource efficiency to accelerate the country’s green transition.”
Mher Ananyan, Chairman of the Executive Board of ARARATBANK, commented: "We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with the Green for Growth Fund in providing 5 million USD to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their journey towards energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. This partnership reflects our unwavering commitment to UN Global Principle 8, which urges businesses to undertake initiatives that promote greater environmental responsibility. By empowering SMEs to adopt sustainable practices, we are not only fostering a greener future but also driving economic growth and resilience. Together, we can make a tangible impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable world for generations to come.”
French Senate adopts resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan
21:25,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The French Senate has adopted a resolution demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan with 336 votes in favor and one against, the Armenian Embassy in France said in a statement.
"Today, the French Senate discussed the inter-party resolution proposed on December 1, 2023, aimed at "condemning Azerbaijan's military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and preventing further attempts at aggression and violations of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia."
The resolution also calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan and demands the guarantee of the right of return for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.