Category: 2023

Jerusalem’s Armenians vow to keep up fight against ‘settler’ project

Emil Lazarian
France 24
Dec 29 2023

Jerusalem (AFP) – Residents of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem's historic Armenian quarter rapidly mobilised when bulldozers rolled in to start work on a luxury hotel, a project they fear threatens the ancient but dwindling community.

The real estate deal which gives an Australian-Israeli investor roughly 25 percent of the Old City's Armenian quarter has sparked anger and concern among its residents.

"The youth arrived in large numbers and positioned themselves in front of the bulldozers," recalled resident Kegham Balian of the escalation last month.

"The settlers underestimated our community," said the Armenian merchant.

"We are waging a peaceful struggle, and we are not afraid."

Ever since the construction began, Armenians have set up camp, bringing tents, stoves, mattresses and even a TV to a weeks-long sit-in to guard the contested land.

Inside a tent, wooden planks patch up the holes left by construction equipment.

On Thursday, "over 30 armed provocateurs" attacked members of the Armenian community including clergymen, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.

It accused the real estate developer, Danny Rothman, of being responsible for the "massive and coordinated physical attack" shortly after the patriarchate had taken to the court to annul the controversial land sale.

East Jerusalem and the Old City — divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian quarters — was seized by Israel in 1967 and annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

Land rights are a key point of tension in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, where Israel has built and expanded settlements, considered illegal under international law.

Only around 2,000 Armenians remain in the Old City quarter after waves of immigration primarily to the United States and Europe since the 1960s.

Like Palestinians in the rest of east Jerusalem, most Armenians do not hold Israeli citizenship but only residency.

Panic first erupted among the minority community in April, after it was revealed that the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Father Baret Yeretzian, in charge of real estate affairs, struck a deal in 2021 with a Tel Aviv-based company.

The firm, which won a 99-year lease on the land, is Rothman's Xana Gardens Ltd, according to Israeli lawyer and Jerusalem specialist Daniel Seidemann.

"The agreement was reached by the patriarchate without the knowledge and without the consent of the residents of the Armenian quarter or their institutions," Seidemann told AFP, an assertion echoed by community members.

The contract included "11,500 square metres (2.8 acres) of land, including a parking lot, five residences, and the patriarchate's seminar hall," said Setrag Balian, co-founder of Save the ArQ, a movement by Armenian quarter residents.

Despite the Armenian Patriarchate saying it had subsequently "withdrawn from negotiations" after discovering "problems behind this transaction", many community members still feel betrayed.

Yeretzian, the priest behind the contract has been defrocked.

The latest escalation came after Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, on October 27 sent a letter to Xana Gardens formally notifying the firm of the "cancellation of the agreement".

Then, "bulldozers, armed settlers accompanied by dogs, and residents of the Jewish quarter" arrived to the area, said the activist Balian, 27.

The takeover attempt "took advantage of the chaos of October 7," he said, referring to the bloody attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that triggered all-out war.

"They managed to demolish part of the wall surrounding the parking lot."

Rothman's lawyer, Avi Savitzki, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

– 'We are ready'-

Campaigners say they are trying to preserve the land of the Armenian community, whose presence in Jerusalem dates as far back as 1,500 years.

Save the ArQ is also supported by Armenian diaspora communities with legal assistance and media coverage.

"Every day, families come to see us and bring us food," said Kegham Balian of the sit-in, where young and old take turns sleeping at the site.

They hope the land does not befall the same fate of some Greek Orthodox Church property in Jerusalem.

Israeli settler group Ateret Cohanim, using front companies, in 2004 acquired leasing rights on three building belonging to the church.

After years legal battles, Israel's top court eventually allowed Ateret Cohanim to take hold of the property.

This judicial setback "endangers the Christian presence and the integrity of the Christian quarter," said activist Hagop Djernazian.

To Balian, "we know the political stakes" in the divided holy city, a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"It will not be an easy battle, especially since we are not just fighting against a private company but also against settlers," he said.

But "we are ready."

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231229-jerusalem-s-armenians-vow-to-keep-up-fight-against-settler-project

Historic Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem Facing Demolition in Luxury Hotel Dispute CHUCK HOLTON

Hambik Zargarian
Dec 29 2023
CHUCK HOLTON

JERUSALEM – Here in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter, an ancient Christian community is fighting to protect its historic land. They're resisting an attempt to put a hotel on property they've owned for centuries, and they believe the issue raises broader concerns for the Christian presence in the city. 

The Armenian Quarter, with its ancient heritage, is facing a land dispute that has implications beyond these ancient walls. A land deal with a Jewish businessman leased a large portion of the Armenian quarter of the old city, and the investor plans a luxury hotel that would demolish homes where Armenians have lived for centuries.

Armenian Resident Garo Nalbandian told CBN News, "My family comes in 1920s after the Turkish massacres. My father come along with the sister without their families."

"I was living, 1948, inside the convent. Afterwards, when we start to work, we make the money… But when we get married… I took from the Patriarchate, this house. (Since) 1969, when I married, until now, I am living there," he said.

Another Armenian resident, Hagop Djernazian, told us, "Two years ago, an illegal deal was signed to lease this land for a hotel. We were shocked to learn that the deal included not only the community parking lot but also houses, the patriarch's garden, and the seminary school."

The Armenian community in Jerusalem is deeply rooted in the city's history, and now finds itself at the forefront of a struggle for preserving its identity and heritage.

Djernazian explained, "Since the fourth century, the Armenians, continue to live here in the Old City on the highest point in the Old City, which is Mt. Zion. And, we have our own quarter. It is important to mention that the Armenian presence in Jerusalem is an uninterrupted presence."

While the deal is tied up in court battles, the developer is attempting to begin demolition.  Armenians took a stand to keep that from happening, facing violence from representatives of the corporation. Now, they're camping out here to avert any further demolition.

"We stopped the bulldozers, we stood in front of them, and we are staying here, we are guarding all day…" Djernazian said. "They will take the land in order to prevent from armed settlers and security guards from the company to attack or take over the land."

Armenians have been the caretakers of this piece of Jerusalem in the old city since the fourth century, and it might not seem like such a big deal that somebody wants to lease this property and build a hotel on it. But if you come from a people group that has faced genocide and ethnic cleansing as recently as just a couple of months ago in Armenia, when Azerbaijan pushed out 120,000 Armenians off their ancestral lands and made them refugees in their own country, you can start to understand why this is a much bigger deal.

Nalbandian said if Armenians are ousted from their quarter in Jerusalem, he says it will result in "the end of the Christians in Jerusalem."

"Not going to leave…whatever is happening, I going to stay. If they shut my house, I going to put (up a) tent. I'm not looking for the money. I love this place. This is kind of Armenian home and this land. It doesn't belong to the Armenian Jerusalem. Its belong to all Armenians around the world," Nalbandian said.

The land dispute in the Armenian Quarter might be lost in the news coming out of Gaza, but for these people, it's a life-or-death issue. And it's not just Armenians who are concerned; the wider Christian community in Jerusalem also sees this as a pivotal moment for religious and cultural preservation. 

https://www2.cbn.com/news/israel/historic-armenian-quarter-jerusalem-facing-demolition-luxury-hotel-dispute

Turkish Press: Armenians in Jerusalem vow to oppose Israeli occupation project

Markos Nalchajian
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Dec 29 2023

Occupied East Jerusalem's Armenian community mobilized against Israel's project to build a luxury hotel in their quarter in the city, as their existence, like other communities, is threatened by Israel's unlawful settler projects.

The real estate deal, which gives an Australian-Israeli investor roughly 25% of the Old City's Armenian quarter, has sparked anger and concern among its residents.

"The youth arrived in large numbers and positioned themselves in front of the bulldozers," recalled resident Kegham Balian of the escalation last month.

"The settlers underestimated our community," said the Armenian merchant.

"We are waging a peaceful struggle and are not afraid."

Ever since the construction began, Armenians have set up camp, bringing tents, stoves, mattresses and even a TV to a weeks-long sit-in to guard the contested land.

Inside a tent, wooden planks patch up the holes left by construction equipment.

On Thursday, "over 30 armed provocateurs" attacked members of the Armenian community, including clergymen, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.

It accused the real estate developer, Danny Rothman, of being responsible for the "massive and coordinated physical attack" shortly after the patriarchate had taken to court to annul the controversial land sale.

East Jerusalem and the Old City – divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian quarters – was seized by Israel in 1967 and annexed in a move not recognized by the international community.

Land rights are a key point of tension in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, where Israel has built and expanded settlements, considered illegal under international law.

Only around 2,000 Armenians remain in the Old City quarter after waves of immigration primarily to the United States and Europe since the 1960s.

Like Palestinians in the rest of east Jerusalem, most Armenians do not hold Israeli citizenship but only residency.

Panic erupted among the minority community in April after it was revealed that the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Father Baret Yeretzian, in charge of real estate affairs, struck a deal in 2021 with a Tel Aviv-based company.

The firm that won a 99-year lease on the land is Rothman's Xana Gardens Ltd, according to Israeli lawyer and Jerusalem specialist Daniel Seidemann.

"The patriarchate reached the agreement without the knowledge and the consent of the residents of the Armenian quarter or their institutions," Seidemann told Agence France-Presse – (AFP), an assertion echoed by community members.

The contract included "11,500 square meters (2.8 acres) of land, including a parking lot, five residences, and the patriarchate's seminar hall," said Setrag Balian, co-founder of Save the ArQ, a movement by Armenian quarter residents.

Despite the Armenian Patriarchate saying it had subsequently "withdrawn from negotiations" after discovering "problems behind this transaction," many community members still feel betrayed.

Yeretzian, the priest behind the contract, has been defrocked.

The latest escalation came after Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, on Oct. 27 sent a letter to Xana Gardens formally notifying the firm of the "cancellation of the agreement."

Then, "bulldozers, armed settlers accompanied by dogs, and residents of the Jewish quarter" arrived in the area, said the activist Balian, 27.

The takeover attempt "took advantage of the chaos of Oct. 7," he said.

"They managed to demolish part of the wall surrounding the parking lot."

Rothman's lawyer, Avi Savitzki, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Campaigners say they are trying to preserve the land of the Armenian community, whose presence in Jerusalem dates as far back as 1,500 years.

Save the ArQ is also supported by Armenian diaspora communities with legal assistance and media coverage.

"Every day, families come to see us and bring us food," said Kegham Balian of the sit-in, where young and old take turns sleeping at the site.

They hope the land does not befall the same fate as some Greek Orthodox Church property in Jerusalem.

Israeli settler group Ateret Cohanim, using front companies, in 2004 acquired leasing rights on three buildings belonging to the church.

After years of legal battles, Israel's top court eventually allowed Ateret Cohanim to take hold of the property.

This judicial setback "endangers the Christian presence and the integrity of the Christian quarter," said activist Hagop Djernazian.

To Balian, "we know the political stakes" in the divided holy city, a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"It will not be an easy battle, especially since we are not just fighting against a private company but also against settlers," he said.

But "we are ready."

RFE/RL Armenian Servie – 12/29/2023

Varazdat Torgomian 
                                        Friday, 


Armenian Envoy Sacked After Collapse Of Father’s Deal With Pashinian

        • Satenik Kaghzvantsian

Armenia - Ambassador to Iraq Misak Balasanian.


Armenia’s ambassador to Iraq was sacked on Friday three weeks after the ruling 
Civil Contract party pulled out of a power-sharing agreement in Gyumri with a 
local political group unofficially led by his father.

Misak Balasanian was recalled through a presidential decree initiated by Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian. It came less than four months after Balasanian, who 
had no prior diplomatic experience, was appointed as ambassador.

The appointment was widely linked with the agreement reached following the 
October 2021 municipal elections in Gyumri. Armenia’s second largest city was 
run until then by Balasanian’s father Samvel, a local wealthy businessman.

Although Samvel Balasanian decided not to seek another term in office, a newly 
created bloc bearing his name participated in the elections and garnered most 
votes. But it fell short of a majority in the local council electing the mayor.

The Balasanian Bloc teamed up with Civil Contract, to install a relative of 
Balasanian, Vardges Samsonian, as new mayor of Gyumri. In return, two Civil 
Contract figures became deputy mayors. Three dozen other members of Pashinian’s 
party were also given posts in the municipal administration.

All those officials stepped down after Civil Contract unexpectedly announced on 
December 6 the end of the power-sharing arrangement. It said it does not want to 
be part of “shady governance,” implying that Balasanian Sr. is continuing to 
pull the strings in Gyumri.

Armenia -- Gyumri Mayor Samvel Balasanian speaks to journalists, April 24, 2018.

Commentators suggested that the ruling party will try to gain control of the 
municipality despite holding only 11 seats in the 33-member city council. The 
Balasanian Bloc indicated that it will not give up the post of mayor.

In another sign of mounting tensions between the two political forces, council 
members representing Civil Contract blocked on Friday the passage of the city’s 
2024 budget drafted by Mayor Samsonian. The latter rebuked them as well as 
councilors from two opposition groups who also voted against the budget.

Samsonian secured the insufficient backing of the third opposition force 
represented in the Gyumri legislature, the former ruling Republican Party (HHK) 
to which Balasanian was allied before Pashinian’s rise to power. Knarik 
Harutiunian, who leads the Civil Contract group in the council, scoffed at this 
fact.

Incidentally, Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid travelled to Gyumri on 
November 23 during an official visit to Armenia. Misak Balasanian, who 
accompanied him on that trip, was sacked less than two months after handing his 
credentials to Rashid.




Armenian Church Facing ‘Existential Threat’ In Jerusalem

        • Artak Khulian

A view of the Cows' Garden property of the Armenian Apostolic Church in 
Jerusalem. (Photo by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.)


The Jerusalem Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church claimed to be facing 
an “existential threat” following a violent incident on Thursday which it 
attributed to an Israeli-Australian businessman’s efforts to take over one of 
its largest properties in the city.

A group of Armenian clerics and laymen were reportedly attacked by a violent mob 
as they held a vigil at Jerusalem’s Cows’ Garden property currently used as a 
parking lot.

The Patriarchate controversially agreed in 2021 to lease the former garden 
occupying one-quarter of the Old City’s Armenian Quarter to Jewish real estate 
developer Danny Rothman and his Christian Arab partner George Warwar for 99 
years. Their Xana Gardens company wants to build a luxury hotel there.

The lease agreement signed by the two sides enraged the local Armenian community 
and also drew strong condemnation from the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. 
Patriarch Nourhan Manougian subsequently blamed the “fraudulent and deceitful” 
deal on a now-defrocked priest, saying that he was misled by the latter.

Manougian’s office announced about two months ago that it has decided to scrap 
the lease and asked an Israeli court to validate the decision. Armenian 
clergymen and community activists began the daily vigil at the Cows’ Garden 
after Xana tried to start the construction.

An Armenian flag on the building of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 
August 30, 2021.

A mobile phone video filmed by one of the priests showed the Armenians clashing 
with dozens of masked men apparently trying to drive them out of the property on 
Thursday. Several of them were reportedly injured as a result.

“Fortunately, our youths present at the scene managed to resist and repel the 
attackers,” Hagop Djernazian, a community activist, told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service on Friday. He claimed that the attackers were “sent” by the real estate 
developers.

“This is how the Australian-Israeli businessman Danny Rothman (Rubenstein) and 
George Warwar (Hadad) react to legal procedures,” the Armenian Patriarchate said 
in a statement issued the previous night.

“The Armenian Patriarchate’s existential threat is now a physical reality,” it 
said, urging the international community to “help us save the Armenian Quarter 
from a violent demise.”

“It is obvious that the provocateurs are once again trying to seize the ‘Cow’s 
Garden’ estate through terror, threats and violent actions, violating the 
procedures established by the law,” read a separate statement released by the 
Armenian Apostolic Church’s Mother See in Echmiadzin, Armenia. It urged Israeli 
authorities to stop the “criminal acts against the Patriarchate and the Armenian 
community.”

An Armenian religious procession in the Old City of Jerusalem, June 24, 2021.

Jerusalem’s Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum described Thursday’s incident as a 
brawl between “some Arab Muslim men and some men from the Armenian community.” 
She did not link it to the dispute over the Cows’ Garden.

“The city of Jerusalem will not tolerate any criminal activity, whether 
religiously motivated or otherwise, and the police will prosecute those 
responsible,” The Jerusalem Post newspaper quoted Hassan-Nahoum as saying.

Rothman and his company did not comment on the clash. The businessman did not 
answer questions e-mailed by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Armenia’s government also did not react to the violence as of Friday evening,

The Foreign Ministry in Yerevan expressed “deep concern” but refrained from 
demanding any action by Israeli authorities after a series of fresh attacks on 
Jerusalem Armenians reported a year ago and blamed on Jewish extremists.

In one of those attacks, an angry mob wreaked havoc on a restaurant located in 
the Armenian Quarter. According to the restaurant owner, they shouted “Death to 
Christians!” and “Death to Arabs!”

The Armenian Church has for years accused radical Jews of regularly cursing and 
spitting at its clergymen in the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City. Two Israeli 
soldiers were briefly detained by police in November 2022 for doing so during a 
religious procession led by an Armenian archbishop.




Armenia Maintains Flight Service To Border Town Despite Security Risk


Armenia - An L-410 plane carrying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian lands at Kapan 
airport, August 17, 2023.


Regular commercial flights between Yerevan and Kapan have continued even after 
Azerbaijani troops repeatedly fired at the Armenian border town’s airport four 
months ago, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel 
Sanosian said on Friday.

According to Armenia’s state border guard service, the small airport first came 
under cross-border fire on August 18 less than 24 hours after a plane carrying 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian landed there. It said gunshots fired from 
Azerbaijani army positions overlooking the facility damaged the airports roof 
and one of the windows.

Another shooting incident was reported on August 19 just minutes after a plane 
carrying other Armenian officials touched down on the runway. Local officials 
accused Azerbaijan of trying to disrupt the first post-Soviet flight service 
between Yerevan and Kapan launched by the NovAir airline on August 21.

Later in August, the Armenian government notified the International Civil 
Aviation Organization (ICAO) about the shootings and asked the 193-nation body 
to help prevent a repeat of such incidents. The local airport was reportedly 
again hit and damaged by gunfire on September 1. But no further shooting 
incidents were reported in the following months.

Sanosian told reporters that the twice-weekly service has continued since then 
and will be maintained next year. He said the government has purchased more 
sophisticated navigation and meteorological equipment for the Kapan airport that 
will minimize flight disruptions caused by bad weather.

Armenia - Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel 
Sanosian holds a news conerence in Yerevan, .

NovAir uses small L-410 aircraft capable of carrying up to 17 passengers. 
According to Sanosian, the private airline has carried out 22 flights since 
August, transporting a total of just 189 passengers to and from Kapan. The 
minister acknowledged that the lingering security risk discourages many people 
from taking the 50-minute flights.

“Most of the time, the flights are not sold out,” he said. “We understand the 
reason for that but will not stop the flights.”

Kapan is the administrative center of Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province 
sandwiched between Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave. Baku has for years 
demanded an extraterritorial corridor to Nakhichevan passing through Syunik, 
which is also the sole Armenian province bordering Iran. Yerevan rejects those 
demands.

Azerbaijan’s recent recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh raised more fears in Yerevan 
that it could also invade Syunik to try to open the so-called “Zangezur 
corridor.” Iran as well as Western powers have warned Baku against doing that.

Tehran opened a consulate in Kapan in 2022. Russia and France are expected to 
follow suit in 2024.



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

Jerusalem’s Armenians Vow to Continue Battle Against Controversial Development Project

Samvel Nahapetian
Dec 29 2023

The real estate deal, which grants an Australian-Israeli investor Danny Rothman (Rubinstein) and his Christian Arab partner George Warwar (Hadad) for 98 years to the company Xana Gardens which includes around 25% of the Armenian quarter in the Old City, has sparked anger and concern among its residents.

Armenians have set up camp, establishing tents, stoves, mattresses, and even a TV for their weeks-long sit-in to protect the disputed land.

Recently, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement claiming that more than 30 armed individuals had assaulted members of the Armenian community, including clergymen. The attack was allegedly organized after the patriarchate took legal action to contest the controversial land sale. East Jerusalem and the Old City, consisting of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters, were seized by Israel in 1967 and annexed, a move not recognized internationally.

Land rights remain a significant point of contention in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, where Israel’s construction and expansion of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, have elicited controversy. Today, only approximately 2,000 Armenians remain in the Old City quarter after waves of emigration to the United States and Europe since the 1960s. Like most Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the majority of Armenians possess residency rather than Israeli citizenship.

Tensions originally flared within the Armenian minority in April, when it was revealed that the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, along with Father Baret Yeretzian, who oversees real estate affairs, had struck a deal in 2021 with a Tel Aviv-based company.

Many community members feel betrayed as the agreement was allegedly reached without their knowledge or consent. Although the Armenian Patriarchate claimed to have subsequently withdrawn from negotiations upon discovering “problems behind this transaction,” the sense of betrayal among residents remains. Yeretzian, the priest involved in the contract, has been defrocked.

The latest surge in tensions occurred after Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, sent a letter on October 27 to Xana Gardens officially canceling the agreement. Shortly after, “bulldozers, armed settlers accompanied by dogs, and residents of the Jewish quarter” arrived, revealed Setrag Balian, a 27-year-old activist. They managed to partially demolish the wall surrounding the parking lot during the takeover attempt.

The lawyer representing Rothman, Avi Savitzki, declined to comment on the matter. Supporters of the Save the ArQ movement, backed by Armenian diaspora communities, are working to protect the land belonging to the Armenian community, whose presence in Jerusalem dates back 1,500 years. Assistance from legal professionals and media coverage bolster their cause.

Amid the sit-in, where individuals of all ages take turns sleeping at the site, Kegham Balian expressed awareness of the political implications in the divided holy city, which remains a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He acknowledged that the battle ahead would not be easy, as they are not only up against a private company but also settlers. However, he asserted, “we are ready.”

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/12/30/jerusalems-armenians-vow-to-continue-battle-against-controversial-development-project/

Ethnic cleansing an ‘existential threat’ to Jerusalem’s Armenians, patriarchate warns after violent attack

Samvel Nahapetian
Morning Star, UK
Dec 29 2023

THE Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem said ethnic cleansing poses an “existential threat” to the city’s ancient Armenian community, following an attack blamed on Israeli settlers.

Masked men stormed the Armenian Quarter in occupied East Jerusalem, attacking residents and throwing rocks at Orthodox clergy. Police later cleared the area, but patriarchal authorities say they are not punishing those responsible. Settler attacks on Palestinians have multiplied in East Jerusalem and the West Bank since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.

“Bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and indigenous Armenians are fighting for their very lives,” a statement from the Patriarchate said.

“We call upon the Israeli government and the police to start an investigation against Danny Rothman and George Warwar for organising their criminal attacks on the Armenian Patriarchate and community.”

The named pair are accused of involvement in commercial deals of disputed validity which would acquire land in the Armenian Quarter, and residents blamed Mr Warwar for organising Thursday’s assault.

Holy See condemns violence against the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Emil Lazarian
Armenia – Dec 29 2023

“It is obvious that the provocateurs are once again trying to seize the “Cows’ Garden” area through terror, threats and force, violating the procedures defined by the law.

 

We strictly condemn what happened and hope that the Israeli authorities will legally respond to the criminal actions against the Patriarchate and the Armenian community and the culprits will be brought to justice and the repetition of similar cases will be excluded,” the Holy See said in a news release.

 

On December 28, more than three dozen armed persons entered the territory of “Cows’ Garden”, used force as a result of which clergymen of the Patriarchate and members of the local Armenian community received physical injuries of various degrees.

https://mediamax.am/en/news/society/53527/

Armenpress: Deposit portfolio in Armenian banking system has reached record high – PM says at Central Bank

Talar Tumanian

 08:45,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has visited the Central Bank to participate in a New Year and Christmas reception.

The event was attended by President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Deputy Prime Ministers Mher Grigoryan and Tigran Khachatryan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office Arayik Harutyunyan, Governor of the Central Bank Martin Galstyan, Cabinet members, MPs, Central Bank staffers and bankers.

Below is the transcript of PM Pashinyan’s speech published by his office:

"Dear representatives of our banking system,

I greet everyone and I am happy to see you. I must record that the Central Bank, and the banking system in general, is obviously one of the most important institutions of our state. Since 2018, the government's policy has been as follows: we must provide proper conditions to ensure the institutional independence of the Central Bank. And we have consistently pursued this policy, which did not mean a break at all, because, in fact, representatives of the Central Bank participate in all our strategy discussions, all conceptual discussions, but at the same time, we made a decision, an obvious decision, which had been the subject of discussion in Armenia for a long time, that the institutional separation of functions should be fully ensured.

I am sure that this is also the reason why we, having gone through very severe shocks, have been able to ensure macroeconomic stability, because the Armenian government, of course, has and expresses its positions and approaches on all issues, but the government has never crossed institutional lines and relies on the institutional capacity and responsibility of the Central Bank. I think this decision has justified itself.

And, indeed, in our financial market, there were complications related to the general macroeconomic environment, but it is also due to this approach that we were able to make a precise division of labor, everyone did his job, as a result of which macroeconomic stability was ensured in the most critical period, after which we have been successfully providing high economic activity and growth for several years. And, as a matter of fact, according to the calculations of the Central Bank, more than 28 percent economic growth has been ensured in Armenia since 2018.

I want to emphasize that in general the banking system operates in an environment without political pressure. And this is also something that I think is good, it should be just like that, but on the other hand, I think it should also be recorded, because these nuances that are not noticed, are not recorded, they provide a background for the stability of macroeconomic, financial markets. And when we combine all this with the environment of high economic growth, we see that our banking system also has impressive indicators, in particular, as of November 2023, the total deposit portfolio of the banking system of Armenia registered a record-high indicator of 5 trillion 619 billion 277 million AMD. It is very important that the growth is sustainable and continuous. This indicator exceeds the October indicator of this year by almost 84 billion AMD, 1.51 percent, and exceeds the indicator of the same period of 2022 by 13.46 percent, and compared to 2018, the deposit portfolio has almost doubled, the growth is over 95 percent.

The total credit portfolio of our banking system has also registered a record-high indicator: as of November, 5 trillion 365 billion 604 million AMD, which is again 2.2 percent higher than the October index, 21.3 percent higher than the November index of last year, and compared to November 2018, more than 57 percent. I think it is important to record that the total deposit portfolio exceeds the total credit portfolio by 253 billion AMD, which is a very important guarantee of the stability of the banking system.

I would like to raise one or two more facts. As of November 30 of this year, the number of customers of the banking system was 4 million 442 thousand 950 people, which increased by 19.3 percent compared to 2022, and 65.7 percent compared to 2018. As of September 30, the total number of customer accounts of the banking system was 8 million 995 thousand 422, which in is 22 percent more than 2022, and 78 percent more than 2018.

These indicators are impressive and along with the decisions on capital increase that the Central Bank President mentioned, the opportunities for stability of our banking system has increased to a certain extent, which is a very important circumstance for increasing the potential of economic growth. The fact that the deposit portfolio is much larger than the loan portfolio also gives hope that the banking system still has some potential to contribute to at least 7 percent economic growth next year. Here, our business sector, the real sector, should focus on the quality of the programs to also generate interest in the banking system.

I want to congratulate all of us on the occasion of these indicators and also thank the people who have made an effort to get us into the zone of green indicators. And, of course, this is not the peak of our capabilities, our first task is to ensure stability and the second task is to realize the potential that exists in the economy and banking system. The government tends to promote that policy.

I also want to emphasize that we have been implementing certain social programs in recent years with the hope that the our partners from the banking system will support and actively participate. I would like to thank all the banks that responded to the social programs of the government during this period and expressed practical and moral support. This is an important partnership.

I also think that on the other hand, we see new manifestations in our economy, which we also need to promote, which are related and not related to the banking system. We see that there are certain trends of activation in the stock market. I remember that in 2018-2019 we were discussing how important branch it is in the macroeconomics, and I am glad that there is some movement here as well. Of course, banks and the banking system are still the main actors here, both in the role of issuer and buyer, but I think it is what it should be like. We have no other expectations for reviving the market, to give it a start, it is important for us that this mechanism starts working. When the work of that mechanism also becomes sufficiently reliable, I think we will see new players there.

Dear attendees,
Dear representatives of the banking system,

I thank all of you for the work done in 2023, and of course, I am sure that we are all motivated to ensure high economic growth in the Republic of Armenia in 2024 like in the pervious years. For this, of course, the effective work of all branches of government is necessary, but also the Central Bank and the banking system obviously have a very significant role on the way of solving this political task.

I thank you for this readiness and motivation, so that next year, when we gather here, the indicators of not only the banking system, but also the macroeconomic indicators of Armenia, in general, will be in the green zone and we will all feel satisfied with our work. I wish you and all your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

Armenian Ambassador to U.S. attends holiday reception hosted by Secretary Blinken

Rose Khoyetsian

 11:39,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to the United States Lilit Makunts has attended a holiday reception hosted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“It was wonderful to attend the warm holiday reception for Chiefs of Mission hosted by Secretary Blinken and Ms. Ryan,” Ambassador Makunts said on X. “Looking forward to a more robust Armenia-U.S. partnership in 2024!”

Warmest December in 100 years recorded in Armenia

Samvel Nahapetian

 12:49,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. December of 2023 has been the warmest in 100 years, with the average temperature being 5-6 degrees higher, meteorologists have said.

“If we look at the statistical analysis of the past 100 years, we see that December of this year has been the warmest both in terms of the average monthly temperature and the daily daytime maximum temperatures,” said Gagik Surenyan, the Deputy Director of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center of the Ministry of Environment.

The weather is warm because of warm tropical air currents, which will remain for the next five days.

Temperature reached 17,5 degrees Celsius in the Ararat Plain in the second half of December.