AUGUST 18, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 5, Issue 4549 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Russian, Kazakh Eastern Diocesan Council Chair Kalustian Presents Leaders Discuss CSTO Further Information on Cathedral Property Proposals Leadership AKTAU, Kazakhstan (RFE/RL) – The presidents By Aram Arkun of Russia and Kazakhstan spoke on August 12 about who should run the Collective Security Mirror-Spectator Staff Treaty Organization (CSTO) following criminal charges brought by Armenian authorities against the Russian-led bloc’s current secretary general, WATERTOWN – James Kalustian, chair Yuri Khachaturov. of the Diocesan Council of the Eastern Khachaturov, Armenia’s former top army gener- Diocese of the Armenian Church of al, faces coup charges stemming from the 2008 America, on August 6 gave an interview post-election Yerevan unrest. Russia has strongly concerning the efforts of the Council to criticized an Armenian law-enforcement agency’s pursue what Kalustian several months ago decision late July to prosecute him. Following the called “monetizing the air rights of the criticism he was allowed to return to Moscow to cathedral complex” of the Eastern Diocese perform his CSTO duties for the time being. of the Armenian Church of America in New Moscow has said that Yerevan must formally York City. “recall” Khachaturov before asking the other CSTO Over the past few months an states to pick his replacement. unusual public discussion has been Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tele- waged on social media and even in phoned Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan the press on the proposal present- Nazarbayev on August 7 to discuss the issue and ed by Kalustian and several others had a phone conversation with Belarusian on May 3 to this year’s Diocesan President Aleksandr Lukashenko on July 28. Assembly. Although the proposal Nazarbayev singled out “the issue of the CSTO had not been made public, a num- secretary general” in his opening remarks at a ber of community leaders and even One proposed rendering of a plan for development of the St. Vartan Cathedral Plaza (from “Facts on the Diocesan Development Plan meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in organizations like the Knights of Proposal: Architectural Renderings and Elevations,” Diocese of the Aktau. He said it “has become a problem.” Putin Vartan had expressed opposition to James Kalustian Armenian Church of America (Eastern)) noted they will discuss “issues of problematic char- what they considered to be the acter,” including the selection of the next CSTO essence of the proposal. secretary general. Neither leader made public state- This culminated in the submission on place prior to September 22, 2018, and nary assembly session. The Diocese did not ments to that effect after the talks. July 22 of a written petition requesting a prior to the execution of any agreements or provide any public information on the situ- special session of the assembly of the commitments, and to review any proposed ation until August 11 (see “Statement” in Eastern Diocese, together with enough sale or conveyance of interests of the this issue). Russian, Armenian Diocesan delegates’ signatures to meet the Diocesan complex in New York City. This is In his August 6 interview, Kalustian requirement of the Diocesan bylaws. The apparently the first time in the history of referred to the forthcoming “Statement” Defense Chiefs Meet in request was for the special session to take the Diocese that a request for an extraordi- see CATHEDRAL, page 10 Moscow MOSCOW (RFE/RL) – Armenia’s Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan has met with his Russian Armenian and American counterpart Sergey Shoygu in Moscow to discuss Ambassadors Discuss Russian-Armenian military ties and the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. According to the Armenian Cultural Diplomacy Defense Ministry, Tonoyan and Shoygu “attached importance to consistent implementation of agree- ments based on mutual trust and joint strategic By Aram Arkun interests,” adding in an apparent reference to Russian arms supplies to Armenia, “Speaking Mirror-Spectator Staff about military-technical cooperation, the Armenian and Russian defense ministers stressed the impor- WASHINGTON – The results of cultural tance of timely realization of ongoing programs in diplomacy and American efforts in Armenia this area.” are often encountered, but it is rare to hear Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service in diplomats publicly define and discuss this oft Moscow on August 10, Tonoyan expressed confi- ambiguous tool of governments. The dence that all Russian-Armenian defense agree- Smithsonian Folklife Festival, this year dedi- ments will be “mutually realized.” “At least, we are Serj Tankian with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a rally in Armenia cated to the cultures of Armenia and getting no indications to the contrary,” he said. In Catalonia, gave the public a glimpse of the its press release on Shoygu’s talks with Tonoyan, thinking of two ambassadors on this topic. Russia’s Defense Ministry only cited the Armenian Musical Luminary Serj Tankian Armenia’s ambassador to the United States minister’s comments on the International Army Grigor Hovhannisian, and America’s ambas- Games organized by the Russian military. Gives His Take on Armenian Issues sador to Armenia, Richard M. Mills, Jr., par- ticipated on June 28 at a special program of LOS ANGELES — Serj Tankian, a revolutionary musician, founding member the festival, “Cultural Diplomacy with Two Ambassadors,” held and lead singer of one of the most iconic bands of modern rock, System of a ARAM ARKUN PHOTOS INSIDE Down, has started to transition to full-time Armenian philanthropy and activism. at the Hyurasenyak Tankian, an Armenian born in pavilion at the Lebanon and raised in Los Angeles, Washington Mall. By Michael Melkonian California, has been a staple of the Jay Ramen, director Cold War Special to the Mirror-Spectator Armenian community for quite of the Cultural some time. System of a Down was Programs Division one of the most known bands in of the Bureau of the world in the early 2000s, having sold over 40 million records while garner- Educational and Plane Crash ing MTV nominations and wins along with multiple Grammy nominations and a Cultural Affairs at Grammy win for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006. the US Department Page 3 This type of success made him a role model with a cult following around the of State, served as world, including within the Armenian community, but Tankian’s influence did- moderator. n’t stop there. Most famously, Tankian was involved in the recent Armenian Hovhannisian, Amb. Richard M. INDEX Velvet Revolution, which encouraged acts of peaceful civil disobedience by born in 1971 in Mills, Jr. Armenia’s people to overthrow the ruling party. Tankian over the years publicly Yerevan, Armenia, Arts and Living . 12 spoke about the injustices in Armenia and the need to address them peacefully. studied Arab and Armenia . 2,3 He wrote open letters to President Serzh Sargsyan and was unabashedly critical Oriental Studies at Yerevan State Community News. .. 6 Editorial . 17 of his leadership. University, and did graduate work at International . 4,5 see TANKIAN, page 20 Haigazian University in Beirut before earn- ing a master’s degree in 2001 from the see DIPLOMACY, page 9 2 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 1 8 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia PicsArt Hires COO to Lead Growth ARF Free to Join or Leave of Editing Platform Government YEREVAN (PanArmenian.net) – fans who use the app to personalize directing this growth through the right YEREVAN (RFE/RL) – The Armenian Revolutionary PicsArt, the leading creative platform and remix photos and other media with market development, community Federation (ARF) said in late July that coup charges lev- created by a group of creative thousands of special effects, limitless engagement and revenue channels,” elled against former Armenian president Robert Armenians for social media editing, stickers and one of the largest databas- said Hovhannes Avoyan, CEO and Kocharyan “can be interpreted as political persecution.” announced on July 25 that former Viki es of community-generated, free-to-edit founder of PicsArt. “In addition to her Accordingly, 3 of its parliament deputies joined last week Inc. CEO Tammy H. Nam has joined content in the world. Brands and proven operational experience in both more than 40 other lawmakers in signing a joint petition the company as its first Chief consumer advertising-and subscription- calling for his release. The move was endorsed by the Operating Officer. Nam was instrumen- based businesses, Tammy adds deep party’s leadership. tal in driving Viki’s targeted interna- bench strength in market, brand and Commenting on the ARF criticism, Pashinyan said: “I tional growth and subsequent acquisi- community development — areas that want to make clear that there is no [governing] coalition tion by Japanese e-commerce giant will be critical for us moving forward.” in Armenia. That’s a misunderstanding.” “We tried to Rakuten in late 2013. Nam, who was an executive and mar- form a government of national accord,” he told reporters PicsArt, which ranks among brands keting leader at other large, innovative during a weekend trip to the northern Tavush province. like Instagram and Snapchat as a lead- consumer tech companies such as “Whoever feels that they are outside that government … ing platform in the social media space, Scribd and Slide, will report to Avoyan we are not holding anyone captive.” has over 300 employees and offices in and oversee all areas of the business The ARF was allied with Kocharyan during his 1998- the US, Armenia and China; the com- outside product and engineering. 2008 rule and with his successor Serzh Sargsyan. It has pany also recently announced that it is PicsArt is the world’s largest creative so far given no indications that it would like to give up its profitable only a few months after platform for social media editing with two ministerial posts in Pashinyan’s government.