Author: Emma Jilavian

Armenian opposition leader discusses key issues with political scientists, experts

Emma Jilavian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 29 2021

Vazgen Manukyan, the joint candidate of the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement for interim prime minister, discussed a number of key issues, including the domestic political situation, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) issue and regional geopolitical developments, at a meeting with a group of political scientists and experts in Yerevan on Thursday, the coalition said in a statement.

“The meeting addressed the post-war political crisis in Armenia. The experts expressed different views on how to handle it. According to some views, the strategy and moves of the political field should be based on a serious sociological research and analysis of the Armenian society. In this context, they touched upon the issue that social media are often used to create an unreliable picture of reality,” the movement said.

“They exchanged views on the change of government in Armenia in 2018, the root causes of the subsequent events, the problems of the government, state system, opposition, political parties, as well as the need to develop those systems. The necessity to form a national agenda in Armenia, to make the issues of national identity a priority and to unite the people around them was highlighted.

“Referring to the Artsakh issue, the participants emphasized the need to clarify and enhance Armenia’s position on the matter and the country’s efforts, expressing concern over the recent attempts to push the issue into the background,” the statement said.

The attendees of the meeting also called for development of a clear strategy in the light of Turley’s active efforts in the region. They discussed the issue of forming a clear agenda of relations with the United States and the prospects of cooperation with Russia and Armenia’s other allies.

"They attached importance to the issue of pursuing a foreign policy in line with geopolitical developments and being in a favorable position in case of possible regional realignments, which is of vital importance for Armenia and can be resolved only if the crisis and problems within the country are handled,” the statement said.

Yerevan flooded with "Eliminate the traitor" leaflets

Emma Jilavian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 28 2021
(PHOTOS)
14:42, 28.01.2021

Leaflets that read "Eliminate the traitor" on one side can be seen all over the central streets, bus stops, and subway stations in virtually all administrative districts of Yerevan since early Thursday morning.

In all likelihood, “traitor” alludes to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

According to the Telegram channel Mediaport, on the other side of these leaflets it is written "Blow," which, according to the Telegram channel, is presumably the name of the group that carried out this act of protest.

    

US Secretary of State nominee Blinken voices support for Armenia and Artsakh

Emma Jilavian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 22 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken – in written responses submitted following his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – expressed support for U.S. funding to meet the security needs of Armenia and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in and around Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We welcome Secretary-designate Blinken’s commitment to renewed U.S. leadership that supports the security needs of Armenia and the protection of Artsakh” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “In the wake of months of reckless U.S. indifference to Azerbaijan’s relentless aggression, we look forward to constructive, responsible engagement by the Biden-Harris Administration on the full range of issues of special concern to Americans of Armenian heritage and our many coalition partners.”

In four detailed responses to Questions for the Record submitted by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Blinken voiced support for “the provision to Armenia of security assistance and aid to strengthen democratic governance and promote economic growth, both of which will help to strengthen Armenia’s security and resilience.” He added that: “In light of the recent outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, our administration will review our security assistance to Azerbaijan”, noting that, “if the circumstances warrant, the Biden-Harris administration will be prepared to suspend waivers of requirements under section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.” In three of his responses, he underscored his commitment to “working with Congress and the Secretary of Defense to determine the appropriate level of assistance to meet the security needs of Armenia and the region.”

In response to a question by Chairman Menendez regarding U.S. reengagement in the OSCE Minsk Group process in a way that advances “a sustainable peace that reflects the interests of Armenians, not just Aliyev, Erdogan, and Putin,” Blinken stated that he will “reinvigorate U.S. engagement to find a permanent settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that protects the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out. This includes stepping up our engagement via the Minsk Group, of which the United States is a co-chair, and additional diplomatic work to prevent any further interference by third parties.”

The full text of Secretary-designate Blinken’s responses are provided below.

Armenia and Azerbaijan

Sen. Menendez: If confirmed, will you commit to funding humanitarian assistance programs to help the ethnic Armenians in the south Caucasus affected by Azerbaijan’s attack last fall? Will you commit to restoring funding for demining in Nagorno-Karabakh?

Blinken: I am deeply concerned by the renewed hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan last fall and the ongoing humanitarian needs in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. I strongly support U.S. funding for demining efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh. If confirmed, I will also work with Congress, as well as USAID, international organizations such as the UN, and our allies and partners to meet humanitarian needs in the region.

Sen. Menendez: How can the U.S. help Armenia, and ethnic Armenians in their efforts to defend themselves throughout the South Caucasus, from Azerbaijan and Turkey’s aggression?

Blinken: I support the provision to Armenia of security assistance and aid to strengthen democratic governance and promote economic growth, both of which will help to strengthen Armenia’s security and resilience. In light of the recent outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, our administration will review our security assistance to Azerbaijan. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Congress and the Secretary of Defense to determine the appropriate level of assistance to meet the security needs of Armenia and the region.

Sen. Menendez: As an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, how do you plan to reengage in the peace process and work towards a sustainable peace that reflects the interests of Armenians, not just Aliyev, Erdogan, and Putin?

Blinken: The President has said the United States should be leading a diplomatic effort to find a lasting resolution to the conflict, working together with our European partners, and should push for international humanitarian assistance to end the suffering. If confirmed, I will reinvigorate U.S. engagement to find a permanent settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that protects the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out. This includes stepping up our engagement via the Minsk Group, of which the United States is a co-chair, and additional diplomatic work to prevent any further interference by third parties.

Sen. Menendez: Considering Azerbaijan’s aggression in last fall’s conflict, do you plan to waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and provide assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan? What is your view of providing security assistance to Azerbaijan?

Blinken: In light of the recent outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Biden-Harris administration will review our security assistance to Azerbaijan. If the circumstances warrant, the Biden-Harris administration will be prepared to suspend waivers of requirements under section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Congress and the Secretary of Defense to determine the appropriate level of assistance to meet the security needs of Armenia and the region.

17 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Artsakh in one day

Emma Jilavian

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 12:10,

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. 17 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours.

138 tests were conducted on January 18, the ministry of healthcare told Armenpress.

A total of 2257 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh.

The death toll stands at 31.

The number of active cases is 40.

The ministry of healthcare has again urged the citizens to follow all the rules to avoid new outbreaks and overcome the disease.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Meet Lolly, The New Gen-Z Dating App Combining TikTok And Tinder

Emma Jilavian
Forbes Mag
Jan 17 2021

Rachel SandlerForbes Staff

If there are two ways people are spending time in the pandemic, TikTok and online dating top the list. TikTok, the short-form social video app, was among the most downloaded apps of 2020. And dating apps have seen a spike in users as virtual interactions become the norm. So it feels almost inevitable that an entrepreneur would attempt to combine the two. 

Lolly, a new dating app that launched last month, is looking to do just that. A cross between TikTok and Tinder, Lolly asks users to upload short videos to their profiles for potential matches to scroll through in a vertical feed that feels strongly reminiscent of TikTok. The idea: Short videos allow users to show off their humor and creativity more than regular dating profiles. Because users see videos based on their interests, they’re more likely to make connections based on more than looks, founders Marc Baghadjian and Sacha Schermerhorn tell Forbes.

“We saw this disconnect where people couldn’t tell their story on Tinder. Gen-Z felt like we weren’t heard,” Baghadjian says. “The world has changed since 2012, and the platforms to support us have not. Pictures are so old—it’s an old, outdated mindset.”

Baghadjian, 21, and Schermerhorn, 24, are relatively inexperienced founders, but they’ve managed to land early investments from big-name backers. Former Ticketmaster CEO John Pleasants, who oversaw the ticketing firm when it was briefly the parent company of Match.com, is a preseed investor and active advisor. Former Apple CEO John Sculley is also an early shareholder. And on Friday, the company closed a $1.1 million seed round from the likes of SV Angel, So-Fi cofounder Daniel Macklin, Wired Ventures cofounder Jane Metcalfe, former SV Angel General Partner Kevin Carter, Correlation Ventures and Next Coast Ventures.

A $1.1 million war chest, of course, looks like peanuts compared to the lofty valuations and budgets of Tinder and Bumble. But Lolly’s investors are betting that TikTok dating will be a smash hit with Gen-Z, and they say they are particularly impressed with Baghadjian and Schermerhorn.

COURTESY OF LOLLY

“They think about this space deeply and use their own experiences and pain point as users themselves to scrutinize every element of the product experience,” Topher Conway, co-managing partner at SV Angel, said in a statement.

The biggest difference between Lolly and other dating apps: the absence of a swipe left function. Users can scroll past videos they don't like, or they can “clap” a video up to 50 times, which is the app’s equivalent of a “like.” Clapping a video feeds Lolly’s recommendation algorithm, all but guaranteeing that users will see videos from that person again. “On any other platform, you basically have one chance to say yes or no to another person before getting to know them,” Schermerhorn says.

Baghadjian started what would eventually become Lolly from his dorm room at Babson College in 2018. He was FaceTiming a girl he had a crush on when he was struck by an idea: Video is the future of dating. Soon after, Baghadjian hatched plans for a video dating app called Skippit.

Baghadjian credits his entrepreneurial mindset to a difficult upbringing in what he describes as a “tenement” in New Jersey. His family immigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon when he was 4; Baghadjian says his mother worked three jobs to support them. Baghadjian started his first business in high school after he patented a new design for airsoft ammunition cartridges. Before he graduated, he sold the company, and says that with the proceeds, he bought his mom a car.

Skippit never really took off. It couldn’t compete with apps like Tinder and Hinge, which started introducing their own video chatting features during the pandemic. Abandoning his original idea, Baghadjian began thinking about what dating would look like years from now. That’s how he landed on TikTok. 

“TikTok was just starting to get a lot of hype. And I saw that people on TikTok were dating. I said, ‘Wow, people are already using this platform to date.’ We saw that innovation alluding to the future,” Baghadjian says.

Baghadjian brought on Schermerhorn, who had just decided against pursuing his Ph.D. in neuroscience to become an entrepreneur. With a new direction in mind, the pair embarked on a mad dash to get in contact with past mentors and connections to ask for advice. Schermerhorn reached out to longtime family friend Jane Metcalfe, the cofounder of Wired Ventures, who eventually decided to invest, and former Sequoia chief marketing officer Blair Shane, who serves as an advisor.

“I think the North Star for Lolly is to foster relationships that wouldn’t otherwise be seen in the traditional dating space. That was also compelling to me, that it was based on content and community first, not just how you look or where you went to school,” Shane says.

Next Baghadjian went to John Pleasants, the former CEO of Ticketmaster, and former Apple CEO John Sculley. Baghadjian met Pleasants two years prior during a Golden State Warriors watch party at the longtime tech executive’s house. Baghadjian wasn’t technically invited, but he tagged along with a friend of a friend who was. Once inside, Baghadjian pitched Pleasants on Skippit, and they’ve kept in touch ever since.

It’s a similar story with Sculley. Baghadjian approached him at a Babson College recruitment event. “I was intrigued by Marc because he had the chutzpah to come up and introduce himself and tell me his story,” Sculley tells Forbes. While Sculley isn’t actively involved with Lolly beyond his small investment, he says he considers Baghadjian a friend. “He’s riding the wave of short-form video and focusing on Gen-Z. But timing is everything. And I think his timing is good here,” Sculley says.

Even with star backers, Baghadjian and Schermerhorn will face some of the same challenges dogging other social media companies. Lolly’s videos don’t have comments, which they hope will cut down on trolling and harassment. There’s also the risk that other dating apps or social networks, even TikTok, could eventually copy their idea. When it comes to content moderation, the duo says Lolly will have similar community guidelines to TikTok regarding nudity and hate speech. When videos are flagged, a human will review them, even if Baghadjian and Schermerhorn have to sit down and do it themselves. But they’re still figuring out how to scale those efforts.

“We’re hopeful that in the early days, this will be enough as a defense mechanism, but it’ll be a never-ending battle,” Schermerhorn says.

   

Armenia to acquire coronavirus vaccine by mid-February, health authorities say

Emma Jilavian

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 12:35, 12 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian health authorities say they plan to acquire the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines either in the end of January or by mid-February.

The National Center for Disease Control’s Deputy Director-General Gayane Sahakyan said at a news conference that they are holding negotiations for acquiring the vaccines which have passed necessary trials and studies, such as the Sputnik V, the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines.

“We plan to acquire vaccines for the 10% of the population to initially conduct vaccinations for at-risk people. We are holding negotiations over the timeframes of importing the vaccine. The first batch of the vaccine will be supplied by end of January or mid-February and the vaccination of at-risk groups will start. As to which vaccine we will have in the beginning is unclear now, we are working simultaneously in the direction of acquiring all four abovementioned vaccines,” Gayane Sahakyan, who is also in charge of the National Immunization Program, said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia’s Aronian comes second at Airthings Masters, pledges to win next time

Emma Jilavian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 3 2021

Armenia’sn GM Levon Aronian came second in the Airthings Masters online chess tournament after losing to Teimour Radjabov in the final.

Aronian took home $40,000 from a $200,000 prize pot.

Aronian started the day in desperate need of an early win to put pressure on Radjabov who was ahead after winning Saturday’s first set. The Armenian had to win today’s four-game set to take the match to tiebreaks,

“I have some mixed feelings because I am upset with the way I played in the final but generally I played well in the tournament,” the Armenian said.

He added: “I knew I had to take risks, but probably I was making some strange decisions.”

In the third-place play-off match, Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Russia’s Daniil Dubov 2.5-1.5 to secure the match after the pair played out a fiery 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Levon Aronian took to social media after the final to thank everyone for support and pledge to win next time.

Tigran Abrahamyan: Armenian army, defense chiefs not in control of situation

Emma Jilavian
Panorama,  Armenia

Dec 29 2020

The Armenian military failed to react to the unverified reports of closing arms and ammunition depots and not providing them to volunteer units in the recent Artsakh war, Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the Henaket Analytical Center and the Artsakh president’s former security advisor, said on Tuesday.

“Does the army command realize that especially in the recent period the course of the official policy of holding them fully responsible for the defeat in the war and the collapse of the system has intensified?

Does the chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces know that those who have access to different government offices here and there claim that the General Staff, commanders, officers are responsible for our defeat?

Does the army’s top brass believe that it has the opportunity to make the armed forces effective again, carry out reforms and deal with serious problems under the current government? Most certainly no!

And if the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense think so, I will say right away: you are ignorant people, who are not in control of the situation. Moreover, your presence is an additional threat to our country and people,” he wrote on Facebook. 

Why there are so many problems with the Armenia-Azerbaijan ‘new-old border’

Emma Jilavian
JAM News
Jan 1 2021
 
 
 
Shahin Rzayev, Baku
 
 
 
The trilateral agreement signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia stopped the war in Karabakh on November 10, 2020 and drew the general outlines of a future peace treaty.
 
However, both sides immediately began to interpret the text of the statement in their own way.
 
The main dispute has erupted around the question: where is the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia? The solution to another important problem depends on the answer to this question: to which borders should Armenia now withdraw its troops?
 
The problem of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia has turned out to be quite complicated due to several problems, primarily related to history.
 
Let’s analyse each one.
 
History of the Karabakh conflict
 
After the first Karabakh war (1989-1994), seven regions of Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of Armenian forces. For the next 30 years, the border between Armenia and the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was conditional, and checkpoints were established quite arbitrarily.
 
Borders between republics in the Soviet Union were drawn based on the borders of the Russian Empire
 
Within the Soviet Union, administrative boundaries were never constant. The boundaries of the subjects of the USSR, that is, the union republics, were mainly drawn on the basis of the boundaries of the provinces and counties of the Russian Empire. And how they were drawn, perhaps only God and the Russian Tsar knew.
 
After the split of the empire, several states were formed on its ruins that declared their independence, including Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
 
1980s map.
 
From the very first day, all three countries began presenting territorial claims against one another, because the old borders of the imperial districts of the 19th century did not take into account the ethnic composition of the population.
 
In particular, Azerbaijan and Armenia argued over three regions: Nakhichevan, Zangezur and Karabakh.
 
After the intervention of the Red Army in 1920-21, all the countries of the South Caucasus returned to Russia again, but under a new ‘brand’ – the USSR. And the territorial disputes were quickly and in their own way resolved by the Bolsheviks.
 
Nakhichevan and Karabakh went to Azerbaijan as autonomous republics.
 
The Zangezur district of the former Elizavetpol (Ganja) province was divided between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The eastern part became part of Azerbaijan. And Western Zangezur, with a predominantly Armenian population, after a tough armed struggle, became part of Armenia.
 
But the problems didn’t end there.
 
Formal and non-permanent administrative boundaries in the USSR
 
Administrative boundaries between the subjects of the Soviet Union were largely formal. Often, Moscow, in its own way, acting with political or economic considerations in mind, created new union republics or abolished old ones, changed the borders between them, raised or lowered the status of autonomous areas.
 
This happened with Abkhazia, which initially received the status of a union republic, and then was changed to the status of an autonomous republic within the Georgian union republic.
 
And Crimea was transferred from the Russian Union Republic to the Ukrainian one.
 
The exchange of territories between neighboring Union republics was carried out simply, since in Moscow they thought: “What’s the difference if the country is one and the same?”
 
Such a correction of the administrative boundary between Azerbaijan and Armenia was carried out three times: in 1929, 1935 and 1984.
 
This was justified by the desire to “optimize” agricultural management.
 
After the creation of collective farms in the USSR, it sometimes turned out that the village was on the territory of Armenia, and the lands cultivated by the peasants were on the territory of Azerbaijan. And vice versa.
 
This is how the enclaves of Artsvashen / Bashkend, Voskepar / Askipara, Kyarki / Tigranashen appeared.
 
The territories of the Gazakh region were transferred to Armenia, the territories of the Goris region – to Azerbaijan.
 
How do Azerbaijan and Armenia propose to get out of this multilevel problem?
 
Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers in their new posts after the second Karabakh war. There are several tens of meters between them.
 
Baku – return to maps of the Soviet period
 
Now, after Azerbaijan has regained control over these areas according to the military results of the war and a tripartite statement, Baku insists that Armenian troops should withdraw to the borders of 1988 – that is, return to the administrative border between the Armenian and Azerbaijani republics within the Soviet Union.
 
Yerevan – take into account new realities and investments made in the development of districts
 
Armenia claims that over the past years, villages have expanded, new roads have been built, and the development of minerals has begun. Yerevan proposes these new realities be taken into account.
 
Russia has not offered solutions yet
 
So far, it seems that the third party, Russia, turned out to be somewhat unprepared for this turn of events. The November 10 statement said nothing about the state border.
 
Both sides, together with Russian peacekeepers, are trying, using old Soviet topographic maps and GPS devices, to mark on the ground the “old” border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which should become the “new” one in the future and be officially recognised by the two independent states.
 
But this process requires clarifications and changes, and is accompanied by many excesses. In particular, one of the Armenian villages will actually be divided in half.
 
Similar situations with the Azerbaijani-Russian and Azerbaijani-Georgian borders
 
Several years ago there were similar problems on the Azerbaijani-Russian border.
 
Two villages were administratively on the Azerbaijani side of the border, but were subordinate to the Dagestan state farm.
 
In 2010, Azerbaijan and Russia completed the process of border delimitation and both villages remained in Azerbaijan.
 
But with Georgia, Azerbaijan is still unable to complete the delimitation process. The main controversy surrounding the monastery complex David Gareji / Keshikchidag.
 
 

No single millimeter of Armenia’s territory will be ceded, PM Pashinyan reiterates

Emma Jilavian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 21 2020

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterates that no single millimeter of Armenia’s territory has been ceded.

Speaking live on Facebook on his way to Syunik province, PM Pasinyan said he is visiting Syunik region to answer questions, not to inflame passions.

“I’m coming to look you into the eyes, answer your questions and give necessary explanations,” Pashinyan said.

“I’m aware of the kind of questions you might ask. I have a certain conviction that I will be able to answer them and dispel your doubts. I would not have made such a decision, if I didn’t have such a conviction,” said the Prime Minister.

PM Pashinyan called on everyone to refrain from inflaming passions “in this already tense situation.”

“I hope our conversation will take place, because we can overcome this situation together. I want to assure you again that not a single millimeter will be conceded from Syunik region, contrary to the rumors, from the territories of Armenia in general. I hope we will talk about this openly so that the information is complete,” said the Prime Minister.