JANUARY 16, 2021 MMirror-SpeirTHEror-SpeARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXXI, NO. 26, Issue 4668 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 IN BRIEF Armenia Quarantine Putin, Aliyev and Pashinyan Extended Until July 11 YEREVAN (Armenpess) — According to the Government decision of January 11, the quarantine regime has been prolonged until July 11 aimed at Sign Statement on Karabakh diminishing the risks of spreading COVID-19. The Ministry of Health announced that the adop- tion of the decision is conditioned by the fact that MOSCOW (Combined Sources) — situation of the COVID-19 pandemic remains tense Following talks in the Kremlin on and the WHO warns of the 3rd wave of the rise of Monday, January 11, Russian pandemic (given the experience of a number of President Vladimir Putin, Armenian countries like the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russia). Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev At the same time, considering the existing situa- signed a joint statement on the tion over the pandemic in Armenia, some limita- development of Karabakh. tions have been lifted or mitigated, particularly, According to the Russian leader, the Foreign citizens can enter Armenia also through plan for the implementation of the the land border, if at the check point they present agreement will soon be presented by document on negative COVID-19 test dating back the deputy prime ministers of the three 72 hours or less. Bodies of 10 Soldiers, Civilians Found STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — The bodies of From left, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin 10 servicemen and a civilian have been found dur- ing the search operations in the battle zones, in par- ticular in the directions of Sghnakh, Jabrayil and STATEMENT RELEASED AFTER THE MEETING Hadrut, the official of the State Emergency Service “We, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. H. Aliyev, Prime of Artsakh Hunan Tadevosyan announced on Minister of the Republic of Armenia N. V. Pashinyan and President of the January 11. Russian Federation V. V. Putin declare the following: “The bodies of the fallen troops were found from • In order to implement part of point 9 of the Statement of November the sections of the military positions. The dead civil- 9, 2020 regarding the unblocking of all economic and transportation ian is an elderly man. His body was found at home. routes in the region, we support the proposal of the He has been identified. Forensic examination has President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin on the been set to clarify the circumstances of his death. establishment of a tripartite Working Group under the So far, a total of 1222 bodies of servicemen and joint chairmanship of the Vice-Prime Ministers of the civilians have been found. Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia Protestors in Moscow and Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Trilateral Group • The Working Group will hold the first meeting until January 30, 2021, based on the results of which it will Discusses POWs’ Return countries. They will lead a trilateral form a list of the main areas of work arising from the working group that will deal with the implementation of point 9 of the Statement, setting rail- YEREVAN (Armenpress) — By the initiative of the Russian Prosecutor General, a trilateral meeting restoration of economic, trade and way and road communications as priorities, and will also Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan transport links, as well as the opening determine other areas as agreed between the Republic of took place between the Prosecutor Generals of embraces President Vladimir Putin (top Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on January 12. of borders in Nagorno-Karabakh. In Azerbaijan, the Republic Armenia and the Russian left), as does his Azerbaijani counter- The goal was to establish further contacts in the addition, working expert subgroups will Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Parties. part, President Ilham Aliyev be formed. see STATEMENT, page 2 field of international law andto discuss conditions for that. Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan highlighted the speedy implementation of the 8th Armenia Fund Set point of the trilateral declaration signed of November 9, 2020, regarding the returning New Fundraising Armenian POWs and other persons kept in A Toast to a Happy Series Azerbaijan to Armenia. Records During He emphasized that the return of POWs and civil- Of Accidents Leading to ians kept in detention will become an important Karabakh War guarantee for the implementation of the other agreements provided by the trilateral agreement Better Cocktails Report of Allocations Delayed and strengthening peace in the region.

Page 6 By Aram Arkun GLENDALE, Calif. – The Artsakh INSIDE war of 2020 may have had disastrous results, but it also led to unprecedent- ed fundraising in the Armenian diaspo- ra. Armenia Fund, a nonprofit non- NFL Cleats governmental pan-Armenian humani- tarian organization in the United States, set new records during the war. For Artsakh see FUNDRAISING, page 9 Page 12

INDEX Armenia ...... 2-3 Arts and Living ...... 12 Community News...... 6 Editorial ...... 15 International ...... 4,5 The Armenia Fund purchases mobility aids and supplies for disabled veterans in Armenia and Artsakh 2 S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Putin, Aliyev and Pashinyan Political Analyst Balyan Announces Creation of Sign Statement on Karabakh New Political Party ian issue. We agreed that we will con- “This is a sensitive topic, and we must STATEMENT, from page 1 tinue to work in this direction,” he said. address it urgently,” said the PM. YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Armenian political • In order to implement the main direc- Pashinyan noted that the 8th point of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, analyst Vardan Balyan on Tuesday, January 12, tions of activity, the co-chairs of the the joint statement of November 10, meanwhile, assessed the meeting effi- announced the creation of a new political party to Working Group will approve the com- 2020, is not fully implemented. cient and fruitful in the context of the replace the current Armenian authorities “unable to position of the expert subgroups in “I hope that we will be able to come future development of the region. He take decisive action” and to restore the image of the these areas made of officials of the com- to a concrete decision in the shortest expressed hope that neighboring states people and country. petent authorities and organizations of possible time,” he added. will be actively engaged in developing “The purpose is to unite all vital national forces in the Parties. The expert subgroups, with- The 8th point of the statement of the transport infrastructure in the South building, with the efforts of every Armenian, an hon- in a month after the meeting of the President of Azerbaijan, the Prime Caucasus. est and fair state that will defend our language, cul- Working Group, will present a list of Minister of Armenia and the President Both Aliyev and Pashinyan received ture, faith, freedom, honor and homeland,” he wrote projects with justification of the neces- of Russia on November 10, 2020, calls hugs as they were greeted by Putin, on Facebook. sary resources and activities for their for the exchange of prisoners of war, however, the two leaders didn't shake “The founding congress of the party is scheduled implementation and approval at the hostages and other detained persons hands and gave only head nods. for a symbolic day for us – on February 21 celebrat- highest level by the Parties. and the bodies of the dead. It is noted that the leaders wore no ed as the International Mother Language Day,” • The Working Group, by March 1, According to the Armenian Prime masks at the meeting. After the official Balyan added. 2021, will submit for approval at the Minister, the statement signed on welcome, Vladimir Putin made opening The political analyst said that they will begin pub- highest level by the Parties a list and a January 11 may change the economic remarks followed by talks behind the lishing documents on their programs and forming an schedule for the implementation of appearance of the region. closed doors. initiative group starting from Wednesday. measures involving the restoration and “The statement we signed today is The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is construction of new transport infra- really very important, and I will not hide calm, Putin said. 700 Private Houses to structure facilities necessary for the the fact that the implementation of this “The situation in the region is calm. organization, implementation and secu- statement can simply change the eco- We have been doing a great deal to pro- Be Provided to Displaced rity of international traffic carried out nomic image and appearance of our mote the safe return of internally dis- through the Republic of Azerbaijan and region, and economic innovations can placed persons and refugees to their People of Artsakh the Republic of Armenia, as well as also lead to more reliable security guar- homes. Since November 14, 2020 more STEPANAKERT (Panorama.am) — Within the transportations carried out by the antees,” Pashinyan said. than 48,000 people have returned to framework of the program to repair uninhabited pri- Republic of Azerbaijan and the He declared his readiness to work Karabakh,” Putin said, as quoted by vate houses in Askeran, Martuni and Martakert Republic of Armenia, which require constructively in this direction, “but, TASS news agency. regions to be provided to displaced people of crossing the territories of the Republic unfortunately, it is impossible to resolve “The center’s personnel are restoring Artsakh, the restoration of 71 private houses began of Azerbaijan and the Republic of all issues during one meeting.” electric and thermal power supply. More as of December 30, 2020. 34 of them have already Armenia. “I hope that we will continue to than 800 tons of building materials and been put into operation, while the rest are under ren- Speaking after Meeting advance. I would like to emphasize once 1.5 million tons of humanitarian cargo ovation. “I am sure that the implementation of again that the most important issue for have been delivered to the conflict zone. The Artsakh Ministry of Urban Development these agreements will benefit both the us at the moment is humanitarian Medical assistance is being provided for reports that the renovation of the planned 700 pri- Armenian and Azerbaijani people and, issues, issues of exchange of prisoners the population. Mine clearance has been vate houses will start in the near future, immediate- without any doubt, will benefit the of war, which are provided for in para- carried out on an area of 479 hectares; ly after receiving the data on the number of unin- region as a whole, and therefore the graph 8 of our joint statement of 182 kilometers of roads and 710 build- habited houses by the regional administrations. interests of the Russian Federation,” November 10,” Pashinyan said. ings have been checked. More than An agreement has been reached between 28 con- Putin stressed. “Unfortunately, we did not manage 22,000 explosive items have been found struction companies and the Ministry of Urban Pashinyan agreed that the agree- today to solve the issue of prisoners of and eliminated,” Putin added. Development of Artsakh to start the renovation of ments reached at the meeting in war,” Pashinyan said after the talks. In the words of the president, Russia those private houses in parallel with the restoration Moscow would lead to greater security He said that Baku is still not fully sought to follow the main principles of works. guarantees in Karabakh and help complying with another provision of the the OSCE Minsk Group in all its action Rural private houses, in addition to interior and change the economic image of the truce agreement that calls for the on Karabakh. “We continue to periodi- exterior decoration, will have a kitchen and an inter- region. exchange of all prisoners of war and cally consult with our partners, the co- nal bathroom. Pashinyan thanked Russian President civilians held by the conflicting sides. “I chairmen of the Minsk group,” said Meanwhile, the regional administrations are nego- Vladimir Putin for the efforts he is hope that we will succeed in finding a Putin. tiating respective agreements with the owners of investing in restoring stability and secu- concrete solution very soon,” added the A protest against Pashinyan's trip to uninhabited private houses. In addition, the program rity in the region and in resolving the Armenian premier. Moscow was held in Yerevan on also includes those houses in rural areas where vir- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In addition, the issue concerning Monday. tually no one has lived for many years. “Unfortunately, this conflict has not Karabakh’s status remains unresolved, Early in the morning, police closed off The program will be funded by the Hayastan All- been resolved. Of course, we managed Pashinyan stated. all the roads, including Isakov Avenue, Armenian Fund. to secure the ceasefire, but there are “Unfortunately, this conflict remains leading to the Zvartnots Airport, not still many issues that must be resolved. unresolved. Of course, we were able to allowing activists to hinder Pashinyan's One of these issues is the issue of the reach a ceasefire regime, yet there are visit to Moscow. As a result, the pre- Russian Deminers Cover status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and many issues to be addressed. One of mier’s motorcade reached the airport Armenia is ready to continue negotia- those issues is the status of Nagorno- without obstacles. More Ground in Artsakh tions within the framework of the Karabakh,” said Pashinyan, adding Afterwards, police officers reopened YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The specialists of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship,” Armenia is ready to continue the talks Isakov Avenue and citizens continued International Mine Action Center of the Russian Pashinyan said. under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk the protest chanting “Nikol the traitor.” defense ministry continue demining works in the ter- “Unfortunately, today we were unable Group. ritory of Nagorno Karabakh, the Russian defense to resolve the issue of prisoners of war, Pashinyan also noted that the parties (Ria Novosti, Arka, Panorama.am ministry reported on January 9. and this is the most sensitive and to the talk were unable to find a solu- and Azatutyun contributed to this The Russian de-miners have cleared 6.5 hectares painful issue, because it is a humanitar- tion on the exchange of war prisoners. report.) of land in one day. So far, the engineering units of the Russian peace- keeping forces have already cleared nearly 446.4 Armenian Government Extends Coronavirus Restrictions hectares of land, about 165 km long roads, 618 buildings. 22,542 explosive devices were found and YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The govern- avirus cases in Armenia. three days ago or to self-isolate and take neutralized. ment on Monday, January 11, extended Kerobyan criticized the request last such tests in Armenia. by six months most of its restrictions week, saying that the restrictions The Armenian authorities largely Komitas Coin Wins aimed at containing the spread of the would hurt the Armenian economy hit stopped fining people and businesses to coronavirus in Armenia. hard by the coronavirus pandemic. enforce the anti-epidemic rules follow- Award But it scrapped some rules in an Some business associations as well as ing the September 27 outbreak of the apparent response to concerns voiced dozens of private firms echoed his war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The daily YEREVAN (Armenpress) — A silver collector’s by Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan concerns. number of new COVID-19 cases report- coin issued by the Central Bank of Armenia in 2019 and Armenian businesspeople. The government sided with the ed by them grew rapidly as a result. But and dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth The government has continued to Ministry of Health while making what it has been steadily falling since mid- of the world-renowned Armenian composer and musi- require people wear face masks in all appear to be concessions to the crit- November. cologist Komitas took the 3rd place in the nomina- public areas and kept in place social dis- ics. In particular, it lifted restrictions According to the Ministry of Health, tion “Coin of the Year” in the 14th international tancing and hygiene rules set for busi- on indoor and outdoor festive events. there were 8,782 active cases in contest “Coin Constellation-2020” (RF), the CBA nesses even after lifting a coronavirus- Those include a ban on restaurant Armenia as of Monday morning, sharply told Armenpress. related state of emergency and intro- parties attended by more than 60 peo- down from 22,850 cases reported on The designers of the “Komitas-150” coin are: ducing a nationwide “quarantine” ple. December 1. Vardan Vardanyan (obverse) and Eduard Kurghinyan regime in September. The government also allowed foreign More than 162,000 coronavirus infec- (reverse). The less stringent regime was due to nationals to enter Armenia through its tions and at least 2,931 deaths caused The coin is minted in the Lithuanian Mint. expire on Monday. The Ministry of land border crossings and not just by by them have been officially confirmed Health asked the government late last air. But those travellers will have to pro- in the country of about 3 million to month to extend it until July 11, citing duce documents showing that they test- date. The real number of cases is the continuing large number of coron- ed negative for the coronavirus up to believed to be much higher. S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 3 ARMENIA Armenia Plans Limited COVID- 19 Vaccination

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The Armenian health authorities are planning to vacci- nate only 10 percent of the country’s pop- ulation against COVID-19, a senior gov- ernment official said on January 12. Gayane Sahakyan, the deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also announced that Armenia will receive its first coron- avirus vaccine doses before the second half of February. “We are planning to acquire vaccines for 10 percent of the population to carry out at first vaccinations of only high risk groups,” Sahakyan told a news confer- ence. “We are now holding negotiations on concrete time frames for their imports. We are confident that we will have the first imports by the end of January or the first half of February,” she said. Sahakyan said the talks center on pos- sible supplies of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V or three other certified vac- cines that have been developed by the Western pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. It is Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan greets President Vladimir Putin. still not clear which of them will be cho- sen by the Armenian government, added the official. Sahakyan announced in early Pashinyan Eyes Closer Russian-Armenian Ties December that the government has com- missioned 600,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines from COVAX Facility, a global MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Prime Minister Nikol “Of course, your personal contribution to the en the Russian-Armenian relationship in a tele- partnership backed by the World Health Pashinyan expressed confidence that Armenia [Karabakh] peace process has always been vised address to the nation aired on New Year’s Organization. She said Armenian medical and Russia will forge even closer ties after the noticeable, especially now, after the known Eve. He said his country needs “new security and social workers, seniors and people recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh when he met events,” he said. “I am confident that against guarantees” now. suffering from chronic diseases will be the with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the backdrop of these events the relations Armenia already has close political, eco- first to get vaccine shots free of charge. Moscow on Monday, January 11. between Armenia and Russia will deepen.” nomic and military ties with Russia. It hosts The official did not clarify on Tuesday The two men held separate talks after Putin “Russia has been and remains our main a Russian military base and has long received whether the government’s supply con- hosted a trilateral meeting with Pashinyan and strategic ally in the security sphere,” added the Russian weapons at knockdown prices and tract with COVAX, worth $6 million, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that focused Armenian leader. even for free. remains in force. Nor did she say if the on the implementation of a Russian-brokered “Our relations certainly were, are and will Moscow also deployed 2,000 peacekeeping health authorities could vaccinate a larg- agreement that stopped the war on November remain allied in all respects,” Putin said for his troops to Karabakh as part of the truce agree- er proportion of the population later this 10. part. He noted that despite the coronavirus ment brokered by Putin. In addition, it dis- year. In his opening remarks at the talks, pandemic and the Karabakh war Russian- patched Russian soldiers and border guards to Armenia has been hit hard by the pan- Pashinyan again praised Putin’s role in halting Armenian trade grew by almost 4 percent in Armenia’s Syunik region southwest of demic, with more than 162,000 coron- the six-week hostilities that left thousands of January-October 2020. Karabakh to help the Armenian military defend avirus cases and at least 2,941 deaths soldiers dead. Pashinyan announced plans to further deep- it against possible Azerbaijani attacks. caused by them reported by the authori- ties so far. The real number of cases is believed to be much higher. The daily number of new infections has fallen significantly since the beginning of Human Rights November. The Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday morning that 355 more people have tested positive for Defender Visits COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, sharply down from more than 2,000 cases a day Syunik to See routinely recorded in late October and early November. Sahakian acknowledged that the coro- Dispute Border navirus numbers will likely rise again d after the recent holidays and the reopen- Areas ing of schools. But she did not predict a serious resurgence of cases.

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The visits of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan and his staff to tary directly targets him, the use of the land Syunik Province of Armenia continue. On will endanger his life and his mental health, or Sunday, January 10, they visited Meghri and that of his family member, or that the use of Nrnadzor border communities. The ombuds- such land has become impossible? men presented details of the visit in a post on “Moreover, these references are to such Facebook. lands, for which the certificates confirming “During the discussions in Nrnadzor, it Arman Tatoyan at the Nrnadzor border the state registration of rights, including prop- turned out that the residents could not use erty rights, were issued either by Soviet almost 200 hectares of agricultural land in Armenia or by the competent bodies of differ- the village due to a number of administrative lands in the village after the war (for example, these issues directly related to the determina- ent periods of the Independent Republic of and judicial processes. The Human Rights for private or economic purposes) which the tion of the state borders of the Republic of Armenia (Cadastre Committee, etc.),” Tatoyan Defender's Office will take the necessary residents of the region have been deprived of Armenia a priority issue in order to ensure the wrote. measures in this regard. Moreover, according the opportunity of their use, and which are of unimpeded implementation of the rights of During Sunday's visit, discussions took to both the mayor of Meghri and the resi- foremost necessity to provide for and to sus- the border settlements of our country, and in place with the mayor of Meghri, as well as with dents of Nrnadzor, this issue has become tain their livelihood,” he said. this case, specifically as it relates to the resi- the personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces very urgent after the end of the wartime mil- Investigations by the Human Rights dents of Nrnadzor. It is unacceptable that at who are carrying out their selfless heroic ser- itary hostilities. Defender's Office have also revealed that present there are no direct communications vice, he noted. “As a result of the Human Rights Defender's threats to the right to life and safety of border between the public administration bodies of “The Human Rights Defender's Office also meetings with the residents of Nrnadzor, dis- residents, their physical and mental inviolabil- the Republic of Armenia and the referenced obtained facts necessary for the protection of cussions with community bodies and field ity, and other vital rights guaranteed by the issues of the villagers. human rights in specific situations, in connec- studies, it was revealed that due to the Constitution of Armenia have emerged or “For example, what should a person do if he tion with which separate summaries will be approaches used to determine the state bor- some of the rights have already been violated. has a certificate of state registration of land made and the necessary measures will be ders of the Republic of Armenia, there are “The Armenian authorities should make ownership, but because the Azerbaijani mili- taken,” the ombudsman added. 4 S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR INTERNATIONAL International News Erdogan Promises to Put EU Ties ‘Back on Track’

ISTANBUL (Al-Jazeera) — Turkish ed “mental checks” over his plan to tional law. The EU, in turn, has threat- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reform Islam in France, while Turkey’s ened Ankara with sanctions, including Azerbaijan Spreads said he wants to improve relations with foreign policy in the Eastern ones on arms exports, various times the European Union, following a long- Mediterranean, Libya and parts of the since August. More Hate against standing dispute with Greece and recent Middle East irked several EU countries. Meanwhile, Ankara and EU officials Armenians with Stamp feuds with his French counterpart But as Ankara and Athens looked set are about to launch a rare round of shut- Emmanuel Macron. to address their longstanding disputes tle diplomacy that could set their rela- BAKU (PanARMENIAN.Net) — A new commemo- During a televised meeting with EU at the exploratory talks in Istanbul on tions on a more cooperative course. rative stamp sheet released in Azerbaijan on January ambassadors on Tuesday, January 12, January 25, hopes have risen for a more Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut 11 depicts a person in protective gear who appears Erdogan softened some of his toughest harmonious 2021. Çavusoglu will visit Brussels on January to be disinfecting, fumigating or chemically cleaning rhetoric and took a conciliatory tone. This month’s meeting will be the first 21 while European Commission chief the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. “We are ready to put our relations since negotiations between the two Ursula von der Leyen and European The new stamps were released by Azermarka, the back on track,” Erdogan told the ambas- uneasy NATO neighbors were suspend- Council president Charles Michel are Azerbaijani state company responsible for the pro- sadors, whom he addressed from his ed in 2016 after 60 fruitless rounds of expected in Turkey by the end of the duction and sale of Azerbaijani postage stamps presidential compound in Ankara. “We talks stretching back 14 years. month. On the new commemorative issue, the territory of expect our European friends to show Plans to restart of discussions last Erdogan noted on Tuesday that Karabakh, as well as the southern parts of Armenia the same goodwill.” year foundered after disagreement Turkey’s drive to join the EU – formally proper are colored in dark green, which, according to On Monday, in another sign of easing about the Turkish seismic exploration launched in 2005 but effectively sus- the designers of the sheet, need to be cleansed. relations, Turkey and Greece said they vessel, Oruc Reis, deployed to disputed pended – could gain fresh impetus after Hate speech and calls for violence against were willing to resume exploratory talks waters. The ship has since returned. the UK’s departure from the bloc. Armenians surged to an unprecedented level in regarding their disputes over contested The two countries are at odds about “The uncertainty increased with Azerbaijan, especially during Baku’s aggression East Mediterranean waters and other the limits of their continental shelves, Brexit could be overcome with Turkey against Nagorno-Karabakh. issues. energy rights, air space and the status taking its deserved place in the EU fam- People in Turkey and Azerbaijan filmed them- “We believe that the exploratory talks of some islands. ily,” Erdogan said. selves attacking Armenians protesting the war that … will be the harbinger of a new era,” Their dispute threatened to spill into “We have never abandoned full mem- had been started by Azerbaijan around the world. Erdogan said on Tuesday. open conflict when Turkish and Greek bership (goal) despite double standards Regarding France, a country which warships collided in August while shad- and injustice.” Erdogan has severely criticized in recent owing Oruc Reis as it surveyed for oil Turkey’s accession talks have been Italian Lawmaker months over its foreign policy and frag- and gas in the waters in west of Cyprus. sidelined by European concerns about Nabbed in ‘Caviar ile relationship with the Muslim world, Turkey rejects the maritime boundary Erdogan’s human rights record. he added: “We want to save our rela- claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot “It is in our hand to make the year Diplomacy’ Is Sentenced tions with France from tensions.” administration, saying Ankara is in favor 2021 a success in Turkey-EU relations,” To Four Years Last year, Erdogan said Macron need- of resolving all issues through interna- he said on Tuesday. ROME (Panorama.am) — The former Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Luca Volonte, was sentenced to four years in jail on French, Armenian Leaders Again Discuss Karabakh Monday, January 11, for taking a bribe from two PARIS (RFE/RL) — French President departure of the Syrian mercenaries” France is home to an influential Azerbaijan politicians to get the Council of Europe Emmanuel Macron and Armenian from the conflict zone. Armenian community. The latter was to pull a critical report on political prisoners in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again Turkey has denied sending members instrumental in the recent passage by Azerbaijan. He was found guilty of taking about two discussed the situation in the Nagorno- of Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups both houses of the French parliament of million euros from the Azeri politicians, who were Karabakh conflict zone following the to fight in Karabakh on Azerbaijan’s resolutions calling on Macron’s govern- given the same four-year sentence, ANSA news recent Armenian-Azerbaijani war side. Azerbaijan also denies the pres- ment to recognize Karabakh as an inde- agency reported. stopped by a Russian-brokered cease- ence of such mercenaries in the pendent republic. The government ruled Luca Volonte has been involved in the internation- fire, on January 7. Azerbaijani army ranks. Both Ankara out such recognition, saying that it al “Caviar Diplomacy” scandal, according to the They spoke by phone late on and Baku accuse Paris of pro-Armenian would be counterproductive for France investigation of the international NGO European Wednesday one day after a transport bias. and the Karabakh negotiating process. Stability Initiative. He was accused of receiving 2.3 plane chartered by the French govern- million euros from Azerbaijan, which was spent on ment delivered more humanitarian aid bribing a number of PACE deputies to fail the report to Armenian victims of the conflict. The on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. aid included medical supplies and cloth- In early 2013, the Council of Europe discussed a ing collected by the French-Armenian Armenians in Kurdistan Region critical report concerning the treatment of political Aznavour Foundation. prisoners in Azerbaijan, presented by Christoph “The President of the Republic Mark Muted Christmas Straesser, a German Social Democrat member of the expressed his determination to strive for parliamentary assembly of the Council. a balanced political process in order to DUHOK, Kurdistan Region (Rudaw.net) — Armenians in the Kurdistan According to investigators, Volonte had been find a lasting political solution after the Region marked Christmas on January 6 with celebrations more muted tasked by Azerbaijani officials to “direct votes with- ceasefire agreement of November 9,” than in previous years, due in part to the coronavirus pandemic. in his parliamentary group” in favor of the country. Macron’s office said in a statement on Unlike the majority of the Christian community, Armenian Orthodox He also sought the support of Spanish EPP member the phone call issued on Thursday. Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6. In the Armenian village of Pedro Agramunt to divide the socialist group and “In this context, the President of the Hawreske in Duhok province’s Simele district, community members have vote down the Straesser report. The report was even- Republic pledged to support the ongo- had to take a different approach to festivities. tually rejected by 125 to 79. ing efforts to allow the release of all pris- “We’re knocking on doors one by one, wishing them a merry oners and to support the economic Christmas,” said young villager Marina Watanika. “Last year, [Christmas] Gorbachev: Karabakh development of Armenia,” it added. was more exciting because there was no coronavirus.” For his part, Pashinyan was reported Almost two million people worldwide have died after contracting the Settlement Must Entail to have thanked Macron for the “atten- coronavirus – over 3,400 of them in the Kurdistan Region. The pandemic tion and support shown by him during has brought life, including celebrations like Christmas, to a near standstill. ‘No Winners and Losers’ this difficult time for the Armenian peo- Over 2,000 Armenians currently live in the Kurdistan Region, Yerwant Nisan, an Armenian community leader and a former MP in the Kurdistan MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Former USSR ple.” Regional Parliament told Rudaw on Wednesday, January 6. President Mikhail Gorbachev hopes that Russia will An Armenian government statement The vast majority, around 2,000, are in Duhok province, and 200 live in be able to help in the settlement of the Nagorno- said the two leaders also discussed Erbil. Another 800 live in Kirkuk, a province whose control is disputed by Karabakh conflict. According to him, however, the French-Armenian economic ties. It gave Erbil and Baghdad, Nisan said. The Constitution of the Kurdistan main role here remains for Armenia and Azerbaijan no other details. Region recognizes Armenians as an ethnic component, provides the right to find a solution in the interests of both sides, France co-chairs the Minsk Group of to mother-tongue education in the Armenian language, and reserves one “without winners and losers.” the Organization for Security and seat in parliament for Armenians. There are six Armenian churches in the Gorbachev, who led the Soviet Union during the Cooperation in Europe together with Kurdistan Region — four in Duhok province, and one each in Erbil and escalation of the conflict in the late 1980s, said the Russia and the United States. The three Kirkuk. matter is a complex one, old and rooted in the world powers tried hard to halt the war Armenian churches in the Region house memorial statues placed to past, RIA Novosti reports. in and around Karabakh that broke out honor those massacred during the Armenian Genocide – the systematic The former Soviet leader said now that hostilities on September 27. The hostilities killing and deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early have ended, it is important to not stop or leave the stopped only after Moscow brokered a 20th century, in which approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed. problem unresolved for decades more. fresh Armenian-Azerbaijani truce agree- “When the Armenians fled here [to the Kurdistan Region] 105 years “I hope Russia will be able to help, but the parties ment on November 9. ago, the people of Kurdistan accepted Armenians and let us celebrate our to the conflict have the key role to play. Armenia and Macron and his foreign minister, Jean- feasts — especially in Zakho, because we entered [the Kurdistan Region] Azerbaijan have undertaken to hold negotiations on Yves Le Drian, have repeatedly dis- through Zakho,” Nisan told Rudaw. a settlement. The solution must be in the interests of cussed the agreement’s implementation “We have never considered ourselves foreigners here because we are both sides, without winners and losers,” Gorbachev with their Russian counterparts, from this country,” he said. said. Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov. The French president criticized Elsewhere in the world, Armenians said in the run-up to Christmas that Azerbaijan and accused Turkey of they would not be celebrating in solidarity with those affected by the recruiting jihadist fighters from Syria Nagorno-Karabakh war, in which over 2,500 Armenians, mostly soldiers, for the Azerbaijani army shortly after were killed in six weeks of conflict with Azerbaijan. the outbreak of the war. Le Drian reit- erated last month French calls for “the S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 5 INTERNATIONAL

Turkish Medical Association and opposition Turkish President Erdogan Accuses Local parties had all been declared terrorists by the government at some point. Lubbock added that Erdogan had even said Politician, University Students of Terrorism that the deteriorating Turkish economy was due to “economic terrorists.” Lubbock did not include the Gülen move- ment, which has become the most targeted ISTANBUL (Stockholm Center for Freedom) were subjected to unlawful strip-search and and the accusations are completely political. I — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has were beaten in the detention center. She said will continue my fight for democracy and a bet- members of society, in his list. branded Bogaziçi University students protest- the students had medical reports that con- ter Turkey.” President Erdogan has been targeting follow- ing a government-appointed rector and Canan firmed the beatings. Önalan added that the Kaftancıoğlu also said she would file a ers of the Gülen movement, a faith-based group Kaftancıoglu, head of the stanbul branch of the police had forcefully entered the students’ com-plaint against Erdogan for insult and inspired by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, Republican People’s Party (CHP), as terrorists, homes, and images of broken doors and dam- would sue him for damages. since the corruption investigations of Turkish media reported. aged property were shared on Twitter. In the wake of Erdogan’s statement, John December 17-25, 2013, which implicated then- Answering reporters who asked if he would Erdogan also accused Kaftancıoglu, who sup- Lubbock, a columnist for the Ahval news web- Prime Minister Erdogan, his family members speak with the students and listen to their ported the protests, of being a militant from the site, said being a terrorist in Erdogan’s Turkey and his inner circle. demands, Erdogan claimed the protestors were Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front had become very common and that signing Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist not students but actually terrorists, and that he (DHKP-C), a militant Marxist group considered petitions, protesting and being a journalist or a coup and conspiracy against his government, would not meet with them to hear their a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United Kurd could easily be a reason for a person to be Erdogan designated the movement as a terror- demands. States and the European Union. called a terrorist. ist organization and began to target its mem- Although Erdogan said there were no stu- Kaftancıoglu said on Twitter that Erdogan He said that up until this day, Gezi Park pro- bers. Erdogan intensified the crackdown on the dents among the protestors, more than 20 stu- was obliged to prove his accusations. testors, the Kurdish YPG militia fighting movement following a coup attempt on July 15, dents have been detained since the protests “Throughout my life as a doctor, a woman and against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant 2016 that he accused Gülen of masterminding. began in the first week of January. a human rights activist, I have supported the (ISIS), journalists critical of the government, Fethullah Gülen and the movement strongly The students’ lawyer, Ezgi Önalan, said in rule of law,” she said. “I have never had any con- the Academics for Peace, who signed a petition deny involvement in the abortive putsch or any a video posted on Twitter that the students nection to terrorism or terrorist organizations, condemning state violence against Kurds, the terrorist activity. Ivanishvili Says He’s Leaving Georgian Politics for Good. His Critics Have Heard That One Before

TBILISI (RFE/RL) — The billionaire busi- building up a collection of iron-ore producers, tion mission concluded that the vote was “com- nessman-politician who founded the ruling steel plants, banks, and real-estate properties in petitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms Georgian Dream party back in 2012 says he has post-Soviet Russia — selling off most of those were respected,” although it cited “pervasive decided to leave politics for good. assets from 2003 to 2006 and the remainder in allegations of pressure on voters and blurring Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili the run-up to his election as Georgian prime of the line between the ruling party and the announced on January 11 that he was stepping minister in October 2012. state.” down as the chairman of Georgian Dream and He created the Georgian Dream party in In his January 11 announcement, Ivanishvili will quit the party. April 2012. said he was “heartbroken that a constructive Proclaiming that he’d accomplished his “mis- Sources familiar with the inner workings of opposition has not been formed” in Georgia. sion,” Ivanishvili said, “I have decided to com- the party tell RFE/RL it is virtually impossible “I will not hide it and I will honestly say that Bidzina Ivanishvili (agenda.ge photo) pletely withdraw from politics and let go of the for Ivanishvili to relinquish his political power — at the end of my political career, one of the reins of power.” regardless of his formal position or membership things that makes me grieve is that a state- He said the fact he will turn 65 next month in the party. minded and responsible opposition has not democrat who is not fundamentally opposed to also was a factor in his decision. Ghia Khukhashvili, a former adviser to been formed yet” that would help Georgia the opposition. But he does not want such an But few in the Georgian capital are taking Ivanishvili, said the Georgian Dream’s govern- “meet the standards of European parliamentary opposition,” Nodia said. “He wants to control Ivanishvili’s announcement at face value. ing structure is designed so that “all roads lead democracy.” the opposition as he had controlled Georgian One reason is because it is not the first time to Ivanishvili.” Consequently, Khukhashvili Ghia Nodia, a political analyst who heads the Dream when he left the first time.” Ivanishvili has announced his retirement from says, even if Ivanishvili sincerely wants to leave Tbilisi-based Caucasus Institute for Peace, David Zurabishvili, a former member of the politics in the former Soviet republic. politics, it will be difficult for him to do so with- Democracy, and Development, told RFE/RL Georgian parliament who used to lead the In November 2013, when Ivanishvili volun- out the collapse of that party system. that he doubts Ivanishvili’s sincerity. opposition Democratic Front faction, said the tarily stepped down as prime minister after just Political tensions have been high in Georgia “This is complete hypocrisy,” said Nodia, who threat posed to Ivanishvili’s interests by the cur- 13 months in office, he also said that he was since the official results of parliamentary elec- served as Georgia’s minister of education and rent opposition isn’t the only reason he will not quitting the political arena. tions on October 31 showed Georgian Dream science in 2008. “Ivanishvili wants his favorite be able to fulfill his “dream of leaving” politics. Then, in 2018, Ivanishvili announced his for- maintaining its grip on power. opposition, which has not appeared before. It is “He will not go anywhere, of course, and he mal return. He was promptly elected to serve Ivanishvili wants to present himself as a clear that he considers the United National will not leave either,” Zurabishvili said. again as chairman of Georgian Dream. democrat who is not fundamentally opposed to Movement as an enemy. His attitude is similar “Ivanishvili’s goal has always been to be able to In the meantime, all four men who’ve served the opposition. But he does not want such an to those parties that are also critical of the do whatever he wants without hindrance. This as prime minister since Ivanishvili quit that post opposition.” National Movement.” means his business, infrastructure projects, and have been party colleagues — including current The opposition — led by the United National He will not go anywhere, of course, and he all that require control of state institutions. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. And critics Movement (ENM) and European Georgia, plus will not leave either. Ivanishvili’s goal has “He cannot leave politics,” Zurabishvili said. accuse Ivanishvili of having continued to gov- six other parties that won parliamentary repre- always been to be able to do whatever he wants “The political leadership may decide otherwise. ern the country from behind the scenes. sentation — claims the vote was rigged. without hindrance.” The legislation may be different [and unfavor- They also accuse Ivanishvili of being close to Thousands of opposition demonstrators have — David Zurabishvili, former leader of opposi- able to him]. But the man does not know where the Kremlin, something Ivanishvili denies. taken to the streets of Tbilisi to protest the offi- tion Democratic Front he wants to build or move. He has to run to get According to the Bloomberg Billionaires cial election results. Nodia accused Ivanishvili of failing to “recog- permits every time. So he cannot relinquish full Index, Ivanishvili is the richest man in Georgia Georgian Dream has rejected its demand for new nize any opposition party as a legitimate play- control and, in principle, remain as an informal with an estimated wealth of about $5.7 billion. elections, insisting the vote was free and fair. er.” ruler as he was before. I am absolutely sure of He made his fortune during the 1990s by The OSCE’s international election-observa- “Ivanishvili wants to present himself as a that.” Ryanair Recommends Visiting ‘Growing Tourist Azeri Troops Filmed Toppling Hotspot’ Armenia in 2021 Another Armenian Monument

DUBLIN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Ryanair has HADRUT (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Another video featuring Azerbaijani included Armenia in its list of the top destina- troops toppling another Armenian monument surfaced online on tions to visit in 2021, suitable for planning your January 12, according to publications on social media pages. next adventure. Footage shared by Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna “Located on the border of Eastern Europe Naghdalyan depicts Azeri soldiers knocking down a khachkar in the vil- and Asia, Armenia is a growing tourist hotspot lage of Arakel in Nagorno-Karabakh’s Hadrut province which has come that has something for everyone with its his- under Azerbaijan’s control after the recent war. toric sites, exciting culture, extreme sports and During the hostilities, Azerbaijani forces launched two targeted delicious Armenian cuisine,” the carrier said. attacks on the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. After “Its capital Yerevan is nicknamed ‘The Pink taking control of the city, they destroyed the domes of Saint John the City’ because of the colorful volcanic stones on Baptist Church. Azerbaijan earlier “restored” a church by replacing its which it was built centuries ago. If you’re look- Armenian inscription with glass art. Soldiers destroying khatchkar in the village of Arakel ing to broaden your travel horizons after a Concerns about the preservation of cultural sites in Nagorno- quiet 2020 this could be just the unique trip Karabakh are made all the more urgent by the Azerbaijani government’s that’s needed in 2021.” history of systemically destroying indigenous Armenian heritage—acts of both warfare and historical revisionism. The Azerbaijani government Azores archipelago off the coast of Portugal, has secretly destroyed a striking number of cultural and religious artifacts in the late 20th century. Within Nakhichevan alone, a historically the Greek Islands, Santander in Spain, Tel Aviv Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani forces destroyed at least 89 medieval churches, 5,840 khachkars (Armenian cross stones) and in Israel, Katowice and Gdansk in Poland, as 22,000 historical tombstones between 1997 and 2006. well as a handful of other destinations are rec- ommended for visiting in 2021. 6 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR Community News

Biden Taps Middle East Texas Longhorns Expert McGurk as Name Steve Regional Coordinator Sarkisian Head WASHINGTON (The National) — US president- elect Joe Biden has named Brett McGurk as his Football Coach White House coordinator for the Middle East, a sea- soned hand who worked in the region under three AUSTIN, Texas (texassports.com) – The former presidents and is known for his criticism of University of Texas (UT) at Austin has named Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Steve Sarkisian, currently offensive coordinator The Biden transition team made the announce- for the Alabama Crimson Tide, head coach of the ment on Friday, granting McGurk a senior White Longhorn football team. He replaces Tom House position as “coordinator for the Middle East Herman, who was released earlier today on and North Africa.” January 2. The 47-year-old diplomat is known to be a worka- Sarkisian has a strong track record as both an holic and determined policy driver. One person who offensive coordinator and head coach in both worked with him in the past described him as a “bull- Division I college football and the NFL [National dozer.” He operates with a mission in mind and does Football League]. He also brings to the everything to accomplish it. Longhorn football program extensive experience McGurk is no stranger to the Middle East, and he is perhaps one of the very few Washington political figures who have served in the Bush, Obama and Trump presidencies. Under George W Bush, McGurk was the director for Iraq on the National Security Council (2005-2007) and then the special assistant to the president and senior director for Near East affairs on the National Security Council (2007-2009). Under Barack Obama, he served as deputy assistant secre- tary for Near East Affairs at the State Department (2012-2015), where he worked directly with Biden, then the vice president. McGurk then became the special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in 2015, a position he maintained under Trump until the end Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian Litty Mathew and Melkon Khosrovian at the Alabama A-Day spring football scrim- of 2018, when he resigned. Since then, he has been mage game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., April 13, 2019 teaching at Stanford University, and became a trust- ed voice on the Biden campaign during the presi- dential race. coaching in conference and national champi- A campaign insider told The National that McGurk A Toast to a Happy Series onship games and developing top talent, includ- briefed Biden three times on Syria during the race ing three Heisman Trophy finalists. and then into the transition. His policy views con- Of Accidents Leading to “On January 4, 2006, I was the USC [University of Souther California] quarterback coach when we played Texas in that famed Better Cocktails national championship game. There has always been something special about Longhorn football, LOS ANGELES — Melkon Khosrovian its history and traditions – not just on that day – By Alin K. Gregorian never thought he would be interested in the and I could never have imagined that 15 years world of spirits — of the alcoholic variety. Mirror-Spectator Staff later, I would join the Longhorns as their head But here we are: Khosrovian, and his coach,” Sarkisian commented. “This is a unique wife, Litty Mathew, cofounded Greenbar and compelling opportunity to lead this storied Distillery in 2004, the first in Los Angeles since the end of Prohibition. They program to the next level, competing once again specialize in gourmet, organic, small-batch spirits, cocktails and mixing bitters. amongst the best in college football.” The two, who married in 2002, became distillers quite by chance, and for love. Sarkisian was just this week named the As Khosrovian said in an interview in December, “literally everything hap- Broyles Award winner, awarded to the top col- pened by some kind of accident.” lege football assistant coach, as he has helped Brett McGurk (DW Photo) Khosrovian and Mathew met at the University of Southern California (USC) lead the Crimson Tide to compete for the 2020 where they were both enrolled in the journalism master’s program. One thing national championship. led to another and they soon became an item and got engaged. “We are excited to have Steve Sarkisian join us verge with those of Biden, having resigned from the “When my wife and I got engaged, we went round to visit with our families. and lead the next chapter of our football pro- Trump administration after the outgoing president’s We would make toasts and drink,” Khosrovian said. Unfortunately, there was gram,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT call with Erdogan that authorized the partial with- nothing that ticked off any of the boxes for Mathew and she said all the liquor System Board of Regents. “University of Texas drawal of US troops from Syria and allowed Turkey was too harsh. football has a long and proud history of compet- into the northern part of the country. The decision Mathew has a sophisticated palate. She attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking ing at the highest levels within our conference was criticized by Biden as one that gave ISIS "a new school in Paris, honing her lifelong love of food and cooking. and nationally, and he brings with him the coach- lease on life.” Mathew has worked as a freelance travel and food writer for major publica- ing caliber and championship experience needed Randa Slim, a Middle East expert and director of tions like Maxim and Saveur. In addition, she has also published a novel, The to restore this kind of excellence to our pro- Track II dialogue at the Middle East Institute, labeled Musician’s Secret, about the Armenian community in Glendale. gram.” McGurk as an “irritant” for Ankara. And thus, Khosrovian began to experiment to see if there was a cocktail or President Jay Hartzell said: “Hiring Steve “His appointment is seen in Ankara as another irri- spirit his wife would prefer. Sarkisian represents a critical investment in our tant in an already complicated and increasingly con- “It started with me trying to make something my fiancée could drink,” he football program’s future, not just for our stu- flictual US-Turkey relationship,” Slim told The recalled. dent-athletes, but for all of Longhorn Nation. National. Both Khosrovian and Mathew are researchers by training, and therefore the Our entire community benefits from a healthy McGurk makes no secret of his objections to idea of finding a solution was one they could not pass by. and successful athletics program, and naming Ankara’s policies, from expansion in Syria to cozying Every night, he said, he would experiment with flavors and combinations, try- Steve as our coach infuses our football program up to Russia and appeasing Hamas. ing to hit on the magic formula. with the necessary guidance and expertise to One US source familiar with his thinking said he “It became every night,” after work, he recalled. And he remembers thinking, drive further success.” sees Mr Erdogan as a policy hurdle. “Turkey got in “What exactly are we doing this for?” Prior to joining Alabama in 2019, Sarkisian the way of his mission to kill ISIS quickly,” the Before starting Greenbar Distillery, Khosrovian worked in crisis communica- spent two years as offensive coordinator with the source said. “His first priority will be to get on the tions. In 1999, he launched an Internet startup, which he later sold. Atlanta Falcons, four years as an assistant and same page with the allies in the region.” Being that they are both highly educated and curious, they decided to take two as head coach at the University of Southern But this may prove difficult because of his region- it to the next level. California, and five years as head coach at the al detractors, explains Slim. “Many officials and “We didn’t know anything about making complex infusions. I would take University of Washington. His head coaching experts in the Middle East view McGurk’s record in some flowers, fruit and spices and put them in vodka. I had no idea what I was record is 46-35 overall and 2-2 in bowl games. the US government through the lenses of US doing,” Khosrovian said. “Steve Sarkisian is one of the top offensive policies in Iraq and Syria which he advocated, But they had an advantage: “We knew how to ask questions and to think,” minds in the game of football, which he has policies which have not advanced the well- he said. proved over and over during his time with USC, being of the peoples there.” In a way, he noted, their total lack of knowledge about alcoholic beverages Atlanta, and most recently, Alabama,” said Chris Slim mentioned McGurk’s support during the was an advantage as they didn’t think about the pitfalls and wanted to produce Del Conte, vice president and athletics director Bush administration and later under the Obama beverages that “tasted real, complex and interesting.” of The University of Texas at Austin. “We are con- administration for former Iraqi prime minister see COCKTAILS, page 7 fident our players and coaches will thrive under his leadership and in response to his energy and see COORDINATOR, page 8 passion for the game.” S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 7 COMMUNITY NEWS A Toast to a Happy Series of Accidents Leading to Better Cocktails

COCKTAILS, from page 6 “We didn’t want them to do things like burn or leave a weird aftertaste,” he noted. As a result of all the efforts, the couple decided to start their own distillery in the heart of the Los Angeles Art District, Greenbar Distillery, in 2004. According to Khosrovian, Greenbar Distillery makes around 30 different spirits, such as gins, whiskeys (including single malt), vodkas, liqueurs (ginger, hibiscus, orange and jasmine), and Amaro (Italian herbal liqueur), as well as ready-to-drink cocktail mixes in cans. The distillery also makes two kinds of non-alco- holic beverages, canned lavender and lemon bitters with soda, as well as bottled bitters. The list of ingredients for both of the sodas is like menu items in a top restaurant. For example, the orange bitters contain orange, tea, jasmine, mandarin, burdock, gentian, neroli, petit- grain, clove, star anise, grapefruit, chamomile, California bay, gin- ger, allspice, cinnamon, rooibos, eucalyptus, Lapsang Souchong tea, among other ingredients. The approach to making the flavors is surprisingly similar to the way they created mixes in their home. “We base it on things you can eat. We are going back to the beginning,” he said. Khosrovian added that ironically neither he nor Mathew is a great bartender. The most complex cocktail they make at MARC ROYCE PHOTO home, he said, is a Negroni (Campari, vermouth and gin served with orange peel.) In that drink, he said, the gin is overpowered and basically eclipsed. And that is one reason they decided “to make a better gin.” “I decided to make a better, richer tasting Greenbar Distillery spirit. Gin is incredibly flavorful,” if done well, he said. That is where the immigrant background of decided to plan trees for every time time someone drinks a gin cocktail with a Greenbar gin. So far, both himself and his wife comes into play, as we sell a bottle. We want to make a he said, 30,000 burritos have been given away. does the diverse immigrant population of Los way to give back and make the plant “We are a little company and want to do whatever we can,” Angeles. better for the future generations,” he Khosrovian added. Ingredients from Vietnamese, Middle Eastern added. They plant fruit trees in vari- Moving to LA and Mexican foods are also a part of the flavor ous locations, including in Khosrovian and his family moved to LA when he was a child, profiles used by Greenbar. Guatemala. in May 1980, first to Providence, RI for 11 years. Their gin, he said, contains a “whole slew of “We want to do well and do good Melkon was born in Yerevan. His father was the head of a tex- ingredients that we love in these cuisines. We Greenbar Distillery Founder Melkon at the same time,” he noted. tile company, working alongside his mother, who studied lin- took them and built them into the gin flavor.” Khosrovian In addition, they help the local guistics. He grew up with his family, including his sister, cele- They produce two gins — City Bright and City organizations that feed the hungry. brating life with family dinners where they’d sip homemade fruit Amber — and for the first, again, their list of “We want to give back to the com- brandies and grain vodkas along with their meal. His grandpar- ingredients is one that any chef would be thrilled to use: wheat munities that have supported us.” ents made their own high-proof fruit brandies in Armenia from spirits, juniper berries, ancho chiles, angelica, basil, California They partner with restaurants to give away a burrito every excess fruit in their orchard. bay, cardamom, cassia, coriander, cubeb, black cumin, fennel, Khosrovian said that now he has very few relatives in Armenia, grapefruit, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon, kaffir lime, Lapsang consisting of a number of cousins and one aunt. The family is Souchong tea, lime, pink peppercorn, Sichuan peppercorn, pep- descended from survivors of the Armenian Genocide who repa- permint, spearmint, star anise and tarragon. triated to Armenia in the 1930s and 1940s. The palate reflects a lot of Middle Eastern and Mexican Mathew, who was born in Ethiopia, hails from a family rooted cuisines, as well as traditional Armenian herbs, especially tar- in Karalla, India. She also moved with her family to the US when ragon. she was little. That gin, he said, makes the Negroni taste a lot better. Khosrovian noted that in the past his company has tried to do small projects in Armenia, especially regarding walnut, cherry Selling to Restaurants, Stores and apricot for use in their line of bitters. While the bottles of spirits sell briskly, the distillery is focus- “These are fruits and trees that Armenia grows incredible ing on its line of canned drinks. This past year, 70 percent of total well,” Khosrovian said. “That’s great about Armenia, the vibrant sales were from cans, while next year it is expected to be 85 per- fruits.” cent. For more information about the company, visit their website at Up to now, about 80 percent of Greenbar’s business has been www.greenbardistillery.com. The site sells the products and also with restaurants. Then, Covid hit and so many restaurants shut includes a list of outlets that sell them. down. Now, Greenbar is shifting to retail, with bottles of spirits, Reforestation in Honduras (Credit Sustainable Harvest) Pre-Covid, Greenbar offered tours of the distillery. Once the as well as canned carbonated alcoholic beverages being sold to restrictions are lifted, the tours will start again. stores. Those cans have proved to be quite popular. “The flavors are very big and bold with hibiscus, ginger and orange,” he said, cre- ated in the style of the Italian favorite, Aperol Spritz. As are two others. “The two most popular [flavors] are rum A Couple of Tasty recipes from GreenBar and cola and whiskey and soda,” he said. Those currently are retailed at Whole Foods and Albertson’s Orange Margarita in the West Coast, and Whole Foods on the East Coast, as well as independent retails. (If your local liquor store does not carry INGREDIENTS it, you can ask them to order it for you.) 1.5 oz IXÁ Silver Tequila Taste and smoothness are the guiding lights for the Greenbar 0.5 oz Fruitlab Orange Liqueur team and it was in pursuit of those that they have chosen to use 1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice only organic products. 1 oz Simple Syrup PREPARATION Switch to Organic, Community-Centered Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker tin. Shake until tin goes frosty. Strain In the first four years of the distillery, they were doing well, into a margarita glass or mason jar. Garnish with an orange wedge. Khosrovian recalled, using as good a bunch of ingredients as they could get, with no particular interest in organic products. Then, they distilled a batch of spirits that were off. “We traced Fountain of Youth the source of the problem,” he said. “It dawned on us that organ- INGREDIENTS ic products have a lot more flavor,” he said. “In 2008 we switched 1.25 oz TRU Lemon Vodka to all organic to make them more tasty.” 0.75 oz FRUITLAB Hibiscus Liqueur That change in turn led to a greater focus by Greenbar 2 oz Pure Cranberry Juice Distillery on its impact on the land and the community. 0.5 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice Said Khosrovian, “Here is everything we want to do: [be] pleas- 2 dashes BAR KEEP Lavender Bitters ing to the palate but our bigger obligation is to make a difference and inspire. We changed our packaging from virgin paper and PREPARATION heavy glass bottles to lightweight glass and recycled paper labels Combine all ingredients except bitters with ice. Shake and strain into cocktail glass. that are biodegradable.” Add two dashes of bitters and stir once. Garnish with a lemon curl. Then, he said, they thought about what more they could do. “Grandparents [in Armenia] plant a tree for new babies. We 8 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR

Koutoujian Completes Term Leading Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association

MEDFORD, Mass. — Middlesex Sheriff serve; I am proud to have helped advance that the baton, I look forward to expanding upon with the Baker Administration, State Senator Peter J. Koutoujian has officially completed goal over the last three years.” those efforts alongside Sheriff Cocchi and Cindy Friedman (D – Fourth Middlesex) and his tenure as President of the Massachusetts Koutoujian has been succeeded by Suffolk MSA Executive Director Carrie Hill as we con- State Representative Denise Garlick (D – 13th Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) after leading the County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins as tinue to elevate the work of the MSA.” Norfolk) on the passage and implementation of organization for the past three years. President. Sheriff Donelan has been succeed- During his term as president, the MSA legislation establishing a landmark medication Elected in October 2017, Koutoujian’s ed by Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi as worked with State Sen. William Brownsberger assisted treatment pilot program involving tenure was originally slated to conclude at the Vice President. (D – Second Suffolk and Middlesex) and State seven sheriffs' offices. Under the law, those end of 2019. MSA Presidents traditionally do “As Sheriffs Tompkins and Cocchi begin Rep. Claire Cronin (D – 11th Plymouth) on entering custody in one of those seven counties not serve longer than a single two-year term, their tenure, I look forward to working with the historic 2018 criminal justice reform bill. on an FDA-approved MAT regimen have the but Koutoujian was asked to serve an addi- them to build upon the foundation of collabo- The bill included changes to restrictive hous- ability to continue that regimen unless deter- tional year by his colleagues in order to syn- ration and professionalism that have been the ing within jails and prisons; created a special mined otherwise by a qualified addiction spe- chronize the MSA presidential term with the hallmark of MSA’s approach to enhancing commission to study the prevention of suicide cialist. Sentenced inmates not on a verified legislature’s session. public safety and improving outcomes for among correction officers; expressly autho- MAT regimen at the time of their commitment “I want to thank my colleagues for the faith those in our custody, their families and our rized the establishment of specialized housing may also be evaluated for participation 30 days they placed in me as President. I especially communities,” said Koutoujian. units for individuals ages 18 – 24 (which the prior to their scheduled release. thank outgoing Vice President Sheriff Chris “Over his tenure as MSA President, Sheriff Middlesex Sheriff’s Office had previously For the past year, Koutoujian served con- Donelan for his thoughtful partnership over Koutoujian helped us to shepherd through a opened); and created a mechanism for medical currently as president of both MSA and the the past three years,” said Koutoujian. “During number of changes that impacted not only our parole, among other key provisions. Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA). As our tenure we worked closely with the legisla- collective organization as a whole, but our Medical parole had been a top priority for MCSA President, Sheriff Koutoujian leads an ture and the Baker Administration on some of individual county operations as well,” said Koutoujian since 2013 when he began work- association comprised of sheriffs of over 100 the most important legislation impacting the Tompkins. “We are all thankful for his service ing with State Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D – of the nation’s most populous counties. He criminal justice system in decades. Sheriffs do to the MSA and appreciative of his great Second Middlesex) on passage. will serve as MCSA President through the end this job because we want to help those we efforts to advance our mission. And, as I take Under his leadership, the MSA also worked of 2021.

Biden Taps McGurk as Regional Coordinator COORDINATOR, from page 6 the cause of conflict management in the country." Nouri Al Maliki. “Mr. Al Maliki’s sectarian poli- But others such as Nick Heras, the director of Obituary cies in Iraq played a major role in laying the ground- government relations at the Institute for the Study work for the rise of ISIS in Iraq,” Slim argued. of War, see McGurk’s decisions as part of executing It was under Al Maliki that Iran-funded Iraqi mili- a mission which was then to defeat ISIS. “He has a Edward Noni Atamian tias were able to run amok in the country, and ISIS remarkable capability to stay on mission and pur- took over Mosul in 2014. sue the goals set out by the White House, even Basketball Player and Coach McGurk’s relationship with Al Maliki, however, when confronted by multiple regional crises,” had its ups and downs. According to The Wall Heras told The National. He described him as some- LOS ANGELES — Basketball player and Street Journal, the senior US official played a lead one who has no tolerance for nonsense and “a dri- coach Edward Noni Atamian passed away on role in the Obama administration’s 2010 efforts to ven leader who his team loves to work for and his January 9 after a week-long battle with Covid- back Al Maliki’s bid for a second term but then facil- opponents begrudgingly respect.” 19. He was 88. itated his ouster in 2014. “The relationship soured McGurk’s mission at the White House will be Atamian was born in Alexandria, Egypt in and Mr. McGurk became one of the officials to drive weaving back a regional multilateral coalition, 1932. [Mr Al] Maliki out as ISIS took over Mosul,” the Heras said. “President-elect Biden likely turned to Atamian started playing basketball at a young Journal reported. him because of his intimate familiarity with build- age with the Gamk Armenian Club in In Syria, McGurk’s mission was focused on ing multilateral co-operation to address security Alexandria from 1939 to 1952. He then played defeating ISIS and backing the Syrian Democratic issues emanating from the region.” and coached for the Homenetmen Club’s men’s Forces (SDF). He also supported a transitional gov- The expert mentioned McGurk’s ability of “keep- and women’s basketball teams from 1952 to ernment structure in the north-east, a move that ing diverse regional actors on the same side to 1970. complicated the political roadmap for a final settle- address mutual security challenges in a context of Atamian immigrated to California in 1971. ment in the area, said Slim. “While appreciated by regional rivalry and conflict.” On Turkey, this would Shortly thereafter he began assembling the leg- Syrian Kurdish leaders, the transitional governance involve efforts to bring Ankara back under the Nato endary Armenian General Benevolent Union structure has complicated rather than facilitated tent. (AGBU) Valley men’s basketball team. Under Atamian, the team won 234 games with only 2 losses from 1975 to 2001. For years the team dominated the AGBU World Games and trav- Nardolillo Funeral Home eled throughout the world winning champi- onships in North and South America as well as and second Pan Armenian Games in Yerevan, Est. 1906 Europe. The team defeated the Men’s Armenian which became champions in 1999 and 2001. National Basketball team in Toronto in 1992 in From left, David Lalazarian (Pepperdine John K. Najarian, Jr. a historic matchup. Atamian’s team also defeat- University), Edward Noni Atamian, Toros Rhode Island’s Only Licensed Armenian Funeral Director ed the legendary UNLV Coach Jerry Yetenekian (Idaho State), David Djolakian (UC Tarkanian’s Armenian team in the Western Santa Barbara) 1278 Park Ave. Cranston, RI 02910 (401) 942-1220 Armenian Athletic Association games in He leaves behind his wife Myriam Atamian, 1111 Boston Neck Rd. Narragansett, RI 02882 (401) 789-6300 Fresno. son Eddy Atamian, daughter Alice Atamian, www.nardolillo.com Atamian coached the AGBU women’s team to and grandchildren Andre, Dylan and Gina. The several championships. Atamian coached the burial date has not yet been set due to covid-19 AGBU Valley men’s basketball team in the first restrictions.

GiragosianF UNERAL H OME James “Jack” Giragosian, CPC Mark J. Giragosian Funeral Counselors 576 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472, TEL: 617-924—0606 www.giragosianfuneralhome.com

Telephone (617) 924-7400 Aram Bedrosian Funeral Home, Inc. Continuous Service By The Bedrosian Family Since 1945 MARION BEDROSIAN 558 MOUNT AUBURN STREET PAUL BEDROSIAN Jerry Tarkanian UNLV and San Antonio Spurs Coach, right, with Edward Noni Atamian WATERTOWN, MA 02472 LARRY BEDROSIAN S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 9 Armenia Fund Set New Fundraising Records During Karabakh War

FUNDRAISING, fro page 1 East and West Coast Armenia Fund organiza- some doctors from a hospital in Glendale to with Armenia and Artsakh facing an existen- After the war, questions began to be raised tions was entertained, the Armenia Fund Noyemberyan Hospital in Armenia. They were tial crisis. It led to the doubling of the size of about the allocation of those funds. Maria board in California thought her corporate to stay 10 days to do volunteer surgeries but, the Armenia Fund database over the course of Mehranian, chair of the board of directors of experience would be helpful for this process. all of a sudden, the local governor came and six weeks, Mehranian said. There were 175,000 the Armenian Fund, Inc. from 2016, and in She was invited back and Mehranian accepted. locked the hospital. The president of the hos- individual donors, and the number of dona- 2004-2008, provided information about the pital also refused to let the doctors come in, tions were higher, in the range of 250,000, current situation and its context. Operations declaring that they would mess up the hospi- because some people gave twice or thrice. There are only two full-time employees of tal. Mehranian immediately called the “The reason they gave was the war,” she said. Armenia Fund: Background the Armenia Fund in its Glendale offices. Their Hayastan All Armenian Fund which intervened She said that the fund did a statistical analy- The Armenia Fund was created over a quar- expenses are raised, Mehranian said, through a and quickly made arrangements to resolve the sis and found that many of these donors had ter of a century ago in 1994, in the aftermath standalone event held once or twice annually, impasse, allowing the doctors to do their work. not previously donated, and were largely of the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a result which usually produces around two to three Armenians originally from Armenia. She said, of the Armenian Earthquake of 1988, hundred thousand dollars. Corruption “So it is a whole new universe of donors. Armenian independence, and the ensuing lib- While large and mid-scale donors contribute The Velvet Revolution coincided with a scan- Historically we have had a small number of big eration war in Artsakh. It provides humanitar- throughout the year, and some smaller donors dal involving Ara Vardanyan, executive director donors who give 1-3 million dollars, and then ian aid and develops infrastructure for also give regularly, the main method of of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund. He was we raise another few million from large num- Armenia and Artsakh, including schools, hos- fundraising is the annual Thanksgiving Day arrested in July 2018 on accusations of embez- bers of smaller donors. The average donor at pitals, clean drinking and irrigation water sys- telethon, which began in 1996. The telethons zlement and misuse of funds. He apparently the day of the [annual Thanksgiving] telethon tems, and highways. usually focus on soliciting funds for a major used funds for gambling, though he replaced gives 100 dollars. She is a woman between 35 Mehranian said, “Parallel organizations were project. Over the years, the cost of the telethon at least part of these funds. This situation led and 55 years old. This is very different from born in the diaspora through the efforts of was gradually reduced from $700,000 to to talk of closing down the organization or what we have seen now.” The average amounts many concerned individuals. Armenia Fund around $250,000, through lessons learned by replacing it with a new one but then a new during the war were higher, but she speculat- Inc. was created originally in the United States experience, Mehranian said. In the last five director, Haykak Arshamyan, was appointed in ed that they might be single-cause donors. to bring immediate relief to Armenia and years, expenses have fluctuated between October of that year and worked to regain the Another unusual element was the millions of Artsakh. It is a 501c3 registered with the state $180,000 and $300,000, and they are taken confidence of the public, though in 2019 US dollars that came from matches from corpora- of California, and all its tax returns and finan- from the total donations. donations were historically fairly low to the tions. cial information are placed on the website of Projects are initiated in three ways, she said. Armenia Fund. Furthermore, the auditing Finally, there were so many donations that the Secretary of State of California.” Its head- Individual donors sometimes set up projects company for All Armenia Fund was changed. the receipts for tax purposes had to be out- quarters are in Glendale, California, and it orig- which they pay for, like a center against domes- Mehranian remarked that construction in sourced to a special mailing house, inally only worked in the West Coast. The East tic violence, but want the Armenia Fund to general is a very complicated process. Often Mehranian said, which still is continuing to Coast of the US had its own board and sepa- supervise. Other donors have ideas for projects the project description and specifications send them out. rate structure from 1993 to 2018, but after the but want the Armenia Fund to set up the pro- change from design to construction. Even in dissolution of the latter, the East Coast also ject as well as to implement it. The largest pro- the US, large companies often face perfor- After the War came under the jurisdiction of the Armenia jects are requested by Hayastan All Armenian mance problems and cost overruns. They pre- The defeat in the war created a lot of despair Fund. Fund, and Armenia Fund provides at least part sent low bids and end up with numerous and anger among Armenians who blamed the The Armenia Fund is run by a board of 13 of the money necessary to carry them out. changed orders. In the recent history of infra- current government of Armenia, amidst a very individuals, of whom 10 who are representa- The All Armenian Fund projects generally structure development in California, there are politically tense environment. One point of tives of various Armenian-American churches are for things like roads or other expensive many examples of failure in large scale pro- controversy was the decision of the board of or organizations. These include the Armenian infrastructure. In the case of the Goris- jects. Often contractors cut corners in favor of trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund Assembly of America, Armenian Catholic Stepanakert road or the Vartenis-Martakert a shorter timeline and higher profit margin. In through a series of votes during the war to Eparchy of the US and Canada, Armenian one, the cost was broken down so that each other words, she concluded, irregularities can transfer over 100 million dollars to the Cultural Foundation, Armenian Evangelical meter of road, at a cost of 200 or 250 dollars, happen anywhere. Armenian government for emergency use and Union of North America, Armenian General could be sponsored. However, she noted that having an interna- allocation. Arshamyan at a November 19 press Benevolent Union, Nor Or Charitable There are also mid-sized projects which the tional board of the All Armenian Fund with conference declared that this decision was nec- Association, Armenian Relief Society of West Coast office initiates. Twice a year stakeholders from the global Armenian dias- essary because of a “force majeure” situation, Western USA, Nor Serount Cultural Armenia Fund representatives from the US go pora has reduced the possibility of corruption. and that the government largely was using the Association, Western Diocese of the Armenian to Armenia, once for a meeting with their money to address the refugee problem plus Apostolic Church of America, Western Prelacy implementing partner organization, Hayastan Artsakh War healthcare. of the Armenian Apostolic Church of North All Armenian Fund, and once to visit projects Everything suddenly changed when the war However, meanwhile when social media America. Mehranian said: “So our board mem- and participate in opening ceremonies. During started. The message was spread by the spread reports that that some government offi- bers are the representatives of the stakehold- these trips, Mehranian said, they also conduct Armenian government and many organiza- cials received bonuses in this period, this led to ers of our community. We have meetings quar- their own need assessments. Among the ideas tions that all donations to support Armenia rumors of misuse of funds, while the govern- terly, or more when needed, and most deci- they came up with were projects for drip irri- and Artsakh should be via Armenia Fund in ment, seemingly in disarray because of the pre- sions are taken at these meetings.” gation, solar panels and a maternity hospital in the US. The Glendale office was only staffed by ceding events, has not yet been able to provide Mehranian, like the treasurer and secretary, Stepanakert. The drip irrigation project cost two people, but there were 170 people on aver- detailed reports of its use of the money. is not on the board as a representative of any half a million dollars, for example. age walking into the office every day over two Even President Armen Sarkissian of particular community organization but says The money that is raised in the US for the months to bring in their donations, Mehranian Armenia in a December 6 statement declared she feels she is there on behalf of the Armenia large-scale projects, like roads, is sent in full to said, with lines extending down the street. It that the government should consider eventual- Fund itself. She has always been involved in Armenia. The money raised for the smaller was unbelievable, she exclaimed. Between 2 ly reimbursing the Armenia Fund for the aid Armenian issues in her life, she said. Her individual donor projects usually is kept in the and 2.5 million dollars was collected each day. and urged the government to release a detailed maternal grandfather was the famous Yeprem US and sent as needed to Armenia and It was necessary to have 180 volunteers report on its use. Nonetheless, Sarkissian, Khan (Davtian), an Armenian freedom fighter Artsakh, Mehranian said. The money for the help. There were over 200 fundraising events, chairman of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund who played an important role in the Iranian mid-sized projects, like the drip irrigation one, some virtual and some in-person, held during board of trustees, had voted in favor of the Constitutional Revolution. After graduating is sent in parts. First a down payment is given, this period. Some 175 Instagram fundraisers transfer of funds during the war, according to Damavand College in Tehran, she went to grad- and then after a visit to the project and various were held, and 200 on Facebook. There were documents released by the All Armenian Fund. uate school at the University of California, Los reports about progress, further payments are car show rallies, festivals, bake sales, jewelry Arshamyan, the All Armenian Fund’s execu- Angeles to study urban planning. She eventu- released gradually. The money raised mean- sales and clothing sales, a petting zoo and tive director, on December 18 pointed to the ally became the Managing Partner and Chief while is kept in a general account in the US. even golf. board’s authorization, and stated, according to Financial Officer of Cordoba Corporation, All projects except those already set up by In addition to the regular Thanksgiving azatutyun.am, that he asked the Ministry of which is a civil engineering, construction man- donors, whether large or small, are done telethon done by the Armenia Fund, a special Finance to provide a written report about the agement and program management firm spe- through the approximately 20 person staff of Armenia Aid Telethon was organized by an use of the transferred money but at that time cializing in transportation, education and facil- the Hayastan All Armenian Fund. Before com- independent group of Armenians on October had not yet received an adequate response. ities, and water and energy. It is headquartered mencing, there are always memorandums of 10 which the Armenia Fund staff helped, and The All Armenian Fund, he further reported in in Los Angeles. understanding for descriptions of projects, the $35 million it raised was given to the a December 24 interview with Never Mehranian organized a trip for a delegation including budgets and timelines, sponsored by Armenia Fund. The Thanksgiving Telethon Mnatsakayan of 1in.am, continues its own of California State Assembly and State Senate the Armenia Fund in the US. Bids are put out was announced in the beginning of November efforts to support refugees in Armenia, wound- members to Armenia in 2001. During the visit, through the staff for projects. Three bids from and 22.9 million dollars were collected from ed soldiers, and families in Artsakh. a series of meetings were organized with some three different contractors are required for November 10 till the end of the month. Money Mehranian declared that as the board of members of the international board of the each project, and the lowest bid is chosen, is still coming in. Over 100 million dollars has Armenia Fund in the US has the usual prac- Hayastan All Armenian Fund to explore a blue- Mehranian explained. The staff there then been collected in the US so far, including this tice of visiting its project implementations print for project development. Back in supervise and report back on projects. sum. Outside the US, 110 million was collect- every year, it expects that after covid-19 relat- California, Mehranian began collaborating Deadlines are set in the US and monitored. A ed, according to All Armenian Fund figures. ed travel restrictions are lifted, a small group with the Armenia Fund for several years, and third-party auditor is sent to Armenia to do During the war, money was sent by Armenia of board members will visit Armenia to help eventually was voted in as the chair of its financial and forensic reports. Fund in increments of 10 million. Mehranian organize information concerning the details board. After her election, during the 2004- The Hayastan All Armenian Fund takes said, “Every time we sent money had a specif- of the expenditures of money raised in the 2008 period, she reorganized the West Coast seven percent of the total funds they receive ic memorandum of uses that we wanted, most- US. office, enhancing its operations through state- for their expenses, Mehranian said, including ly for transitional housing, temporary shelters, As far as future fundraising goes, the of-the-art software, data analysis, donor reten- overhead, program managers, construction food, generators and heating equipment. We lessons of not just the wartime campaigns tion, and other development strategies. people and labor. were very specific.” Aside from money, but of the past three or four years point to a Mehranian explained that because of her She pointed out two advantages to working Armenia Fund also sent certain types of med- shift in modality, Mehranian speculated. In professional background, “I understand infra- through the Armenian staff. First, there are ical equipment, especially wound related, such the past, development directors would focus structure. Professionally, it is a joy for me to strict codes for certification concerning con- as suction machines and portable MRIs. From on a few big donors but now more funds are contribute in thoughts, calibration, and the struction, and not all organizations are subject September 27 to December 18, 150 tons of raised through websites and events. This implementation and completion of projects.” to this level of scrutiny. Second, there is the goods were sent to Armenia in two major means, she said, it is more and more impor- Though she had left the board after her advantage of having people familiar with local cargo shipments, along with 20 pallets of tant to have a good staff to work the database achievements to focus on other things, around officials and conditions. goods a week. and expand outreach to large numbers of eight years later, when the idea of merging the Mehranian gave the example of a trip of The war created an extraordinary situation, people. 10 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR St. Vartan Cathedral Celebrates Christmas

NEW YORK — As a testament to its unwavering faith — despite the past year’s extraordi- Christmas in a Pandemic nary global suffering and tribulations — the Armenian Church celebrated the Feast of the With the safety of parishioners during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic remaining a para- Nativity and Theophany (Asdvadzahaydnoutiun), commemorating the birth and baptism of mount concern of the Diocese, there were limitations on the usual activities surrounding the Jesus Christ, at New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral on January 6. celebration and the public’s access to them. Although socially-distanced worshippers don- Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan, joined by members of the Diocesan clergy and ning surgical masks were present in the cathedral, the number of faithful allowed into the deacons, celebrated the Divine Liturgy sanctuary reached the permissible limit in strict compliance with local regulations regarding and performed the Blessing of the public gatherings. By Stephan S. Nigohosian Water (Churorhnek) ceremony. A However, to ensure that all of the faithful had an opportunity to experience the spiritual Christmas Eve badarak, celebrated by beauty of the Christmas service, a live broadcast on the Eastern Diocese’s YouTube and Cathedral Vicar Fr. Davit Karamyan, Facebook social media platforms enabled thousands of worshippers to participate from preceded the service the prior evening. The Feast of Theophany is an annual eight-day home. The use of a four-camera configuration to transmit the program, directed by Yervant (octave) celebration observed from January 6 to 13. Keshishian with live English commentary by Chris Zakian, enabled viewers to watch the “The glory of the Lord will appear, and everyone shall see God’s salvation, which will bring cathedral service in three-dimensional definition. comfort to humanity,” said Findikyan in his moving homily. He defined Christ as comfort, or mkhitaroutiun: consolation and relief from pain and sorrow incarnate. “Relief is coming; God’s salvation is within reach and hope fills the air. It is already here because Jesus Christ is here,” he continued. Bishop Daniel then spoke of the gravity of the realization of the birth and revelation of Jesus Christ into this world, which compelled mankind, particularly the Armenian people, to shift its entire view and perspective of “who we are, why we are here, and where we are going.” “It is this realization that we celebrate on this Feast day of Christmas and Theophany.” Reborn in the Christian Faith Throughout the service, the angelic spiritual hymns sung by the St. Vartan Choir created an atmosphere of hope and underscored the pres- ence of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout. Following the Divine Liturgy, the Blessing of the Water ceremony, a symbolic commemoration of the baptism of Christ, began with Bishop Daniel introducing Saro Hartounian as the Godfather of the Churorhnek. He described Hartounian’s coordination and funding of count- less philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors benefitting the global Armenian community. Most recently, Saro, along his wife, Hilda, three children and brother, have provided food, shelter and medical relief to the needy who were dis- placed and are suffering in Armenia and Artsakh as a result of the tragic conflict and injustice recently in that region. “Being selected as Godfather of this ceremony is a humbling honor for me, and today I am again reborn in the Christian faith that plays such an important role in our Armenian identity,” said The masked Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan Hartounian with humility, during an interview after the service. “I am one member of a very large group of selfless people in the Armenian diaspora whose collective efforts help our brethren in dire need. This recogni- tion belongs to all of them.” Hartounian spoke about his lifelong connection to the Armenian Church, which has been passed to him through generations. “My grandfather built an Armenian church in Haleb (Syria), and my father was very involved in the church. My involvement in the church is a continuation of their history, and now my children are carrying that legacy forward,” he said.

Saro Hartounian, the Godfather of the Churorhnek Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 11

Saro Hartounian, the Godfather of the Churorhnek

The faithful receive Holy Communion from Primate Bishop Daniel Findikyan.

Saro Hartounian, the Godfather of the Churorhnek and his family The service at St. Vartan Cathedral 12 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR Arts & Living

NE Patriots Staffer Najarian’s Cleats Set Gayane New NFL Auction Record, Garner Attention for Georgyan Armenia ‘To Work, Create, Create By Aram Arkun For the Sake of the Mirror-Spectator Staff Motherland’ BOSTON — As the Armenian Mirror- Spectator previously reported, the National By Artsvi Bakhchinyan Football League (NFL) every year conducts a My Cause My Cleats campaign, in which cus- Special to the Mirror-Spectator tom sneakers or cleats can be worn on the field before final auction for philanthropic pur- MOSCOW/YEREVAN — Lawyer, public fig- poses. Berj Najarian, director of football/head ure Gayane Georgyan, was born in Tbilisi and coach administration of the New England raised in Russia. She is the director of the Patriots, had a pair of Armenian-themed shoes branch for the CIS and EAEU countries of the which had the statement “Peace for Helsinki International Commercial Arbitration. Armenians” written on them. They were Since 2018, she has been managing the shown off on the field by quarterback Cam Victoria International Charitable Foundation, Newton, while a number of players made sup- founded by her. Over the past two years, the portive video statements, the latest of whom foundation has carried out a number of social was Super Bowl MVP and three-time champi- and cultural projects in the field of preserva- on Julian Edelman. This auction was an effort tion, promotion and restoration of cultural val- to call attention to the plight of Armenians in ues of world importance. Three books have the recent Artsakh War, as well as to raise been published - Dadivank: A Revived Miracle some aid for them through the Armenia Fund. (2018, in Armenian, English, Russian, there is Najarian’s bold step led to coverage in major Amidst dream scenes featuring Mother, World and Holy Breath performed by also unpublished French translation), American media, including various television dancers Lynn Needle, M.A. Taylor, Janette Dishuk. Photo by Hank Gans Armenian Frescoes (both are by a group of stations, the Washington Post and Sports authors, in Armenian) and The Restoration of Illustrated. The auction on his sneakers ended Wall Paintings in Several Armenian Churches on January 6 with 141 bids and a closing price of First Christian Ages (by Ara Zarian and of $40,300. This auction price had surpassed Christine Lamoureux, in Armenian and not only that of all others in the NFL campaign English, 2019). Gayane lives between Moscow so far, but all prior My Cause My Cleats auc- A New Sense and Yerevan, she has four daughters and is tions in the past. The prior record went to Tom actively involved in the cultural life of Armenia Brady, whose shoes were sold for $31,025 in and the Republic of Artsakh. 2017. The winning bid for Najarian’s footwear came from two Armenians who wish to remain anonymous at present. There were many non- Of Place Armenians who also participated in the auc- tion. When asked about its extraordinary success, Santomieri-Farhadian Sound Installation Najarian said, “I think it shows the connection that Armenians have for one another and how Enriches Public Space strongly Americans in general feel about help- ing people who are really struggling now. There BERKELEY, Calif. — Critics have compared the San Francisco-based were many people who were bidding, which is Santomieri-Farhadian Duo’s experimental musical compositions to everyone from indicative about how people feel. It shows that modernist Anton Webern to hard rock icon Frank Zappa. This exciting pair — everyone is trying to do their part on whatever Thea Farhadian on (electronic) violin and Dean Santomieri on guitar/ electron- level they can, whether they can give 10 or ics — have been collaborating for close 40,000 dollars, show up at a demonstration, or By Christopher Atamian to a decade now, creating some of the have conversations with people about Armenia. Mirror-Spectator Staff most compelling work on the music People are dropping a lot of other things they scene. Their latest work “A New Sense are doing and focusing on doing whatever is of Place,” a is a series of multichannel duets for violin and guitar (and electron- possible. This is only one illustration.” ics), forming a remarkable 50 minute- long nine-track sound installation at the Najarian has not just limited himself to his new BART Plaza in downtown Berkeley. cleats’ auction campaign. In December, he The two were among the 10 artists selected for a first round of programming assembled over 300 pieces of Patriots winter commissioned by the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission. Their new collaboration Dear Gayane, although you are a lawyer, clothing, he said, which was donated by various will play continuously from 7a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until February 15. In this par- you initiate Armenian cultural projects. Why staff at the Patriots, including coaches, as well ticular piece, their two instruments are spatially isolated on a busy street, in an is that? as the New England Patriots Charitable eight-channel overhead array on twenty-foot high state-of-the-art Meyer speakers The main mission of a lawyer is to protect the Foundation, to be sent to Armenia. The cloth- that are permanently installed for ongoing sound artist projects. weak, defend the rights of the disadvantaged ing was sent to New York to the Children of What can passers-by and BART riders expect? “Catchy rhythms, Colorful tex- and deprived people. Therefore, for me, Armenia Fund, which in turn is shipping the tures timbres, catchy rhythms, and iridescent micro tonalities,” according to the jurisprudence is directly related to the protec- clothing to Armenia to help the needy during duo. Their amazing sound is achieved through an almost entirely improvisational tion of culture, values of world importance, to this post-war winter period. process [which where Farhadian’s Fahradian’s violin answers Santomieri’s guitar which the rich cultural heritage of Armenia, “When you see the photos of people, includ- and vice-versa — what which Thea terms a “musical conversation,” in which the including Artsakh, belongs undoubtedly. I dis- ing young men who lost limbs, many of whom two respond to each other intuitively based upon the pitch, energy, and artistic covered the multifaceted Armenian culture were not originally soldiers but decided for the direction. of the music. upon my return to my historical homeland. And love of their country and parents and grand- “We play without chord charts or notated music,” she continues, “but we it was like a journey into a wonderland, where parents to serve, as well as others who did not devise structures that combine our individual styles in myriad ways.” all the beauties and pearls of our centuries-old, make it, and all those whose lives were changed The first piece of the installation begins with solo guitar altered with digital unique, unparalleled Armenian culture opened drastically by this war, you know that if you effects and the acoustic violin enters in a Middle Eastern mode, and the music for me door after door. have the opportunity to do anything to support transforms from there. “For instance, the first piece of the present installation Artsakh occupies an important place in them or their families, that takes priority over begins with a solo electric guitar which has been altered with digital effects. The your charitable pursuits... anything else. It is winter, it is cold in Armenia, violin enters in a Middle Eastern mode and Together we create our music on the When your life, thinking, knowledge are and living conditions are not good for many spot, in the moment.” This inherent playfulness has hints of Dada and free-form formed in a foreign land, when you grow up in people,” Najarian exclaimed. modernist experimentation. several cultures and when you consider your- He has helped various other philanthropic Installations in general form a particularly interesting genre, as they place self, first of all, a man of the world and a sym- Armenian campaigns recently which have three-dimensional objects or creations into spaces hitherto empty — creating alter- biosis of many cultures and traditions, then a reached out to him for assistance, including nate realities and aesthetics. This may be doubly interesting in the case of sound moment comes when all this accumulates in Hoops4Hayastan and PeaceforArmenians and installations like “A New Sense of Place” whose title alludes to the changes in per- you, and you realize that sooner or late you did a number of interviews on Instagram and ception that music can create in listeners. We are so used to daily sounds that must return your debt to your country and the other media platforms. His personal Instagram see SOUND, page 13 people. This is your duty, and when they say to site has served as a popular means of present- me: “Oh, thank you,” I say: “I must be thankful ing information on Armenian topics. see GEORGYAN, page 14 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 13 ARTS & LIVING Santomieri-Farhadian Sound Installation Enriches Public Space

SOUND, from page 12 three-dimensional sense.” They are able to fuse these difficult elements focuses on violin and interactive electronics, as come at us from personal devices, speakers, Public sound installations, Farhadian notes, into wonderfully organic and challenging pieces heard in her 2016 CD, “Tectonics Shifts.” outside sources, ambient sound that the con- in passing, are generally produced on a grander such as their 2015 debut collaboration Farhadian also incorporates her Armenian cept of a sound installation which purposefully scale and far more often in Europe but the “RedBlue.” roots and much of the present installation is tries to guide us through a curated listening BART installation is one of the few in the US Santomieri’s amazing guitar riffs and influenced by eastern music. She notes that experience is even richer than the standard art that meets even the most stringent of stan- Farhadian’s playful command of her violin com- “Some of the first music I heard as a child was installation that we are more used to. dards. And definitely is a welcome cultural bine to form a self-described “amalgam of mod- Armenian liturgical music at St. Vartan’s “Like an art installation, a sound installation venue for the Bay Area. ern avant-garde classical, rock, Middle Eastern, Church in Oakland where I grew up. To this day is three-dimensional and intended to work with The duo’s unique electronic sound contains a and Asian influences. As a duo, we contribute I adore this music and it is deeply meaningful the space at hand,” Farhadian explains. “The prototypically modernist combination of conso- equally to the music and decision-making.” for me. We also listened to Armenian folk music tracks here are spatialized, so the music moves nance, assonance and dissonance, found sounds A classically trained violinist and former in our home, as well as western classical music. around the eight speakers, sometimes in all and wonderful distortions that one might hear member of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, My draw to Arabic classical music was the eight, sometimes in groups of four and slowly in, say, a John Cage composition or at a Merce Farhadian has scored sound for video and per- taqsim/improvisation which has similarities to shifts to another group of four, producing a Cunningham dance performance. formed internationally. As a solo artist, she Armenian liturgical music. This can be heard particularly in tracks 1, 6, and 7. The long-sus- tained notes with ornamentation, non-metered phrases, ornamentation, spacious music with nuanced silences, and the integration of micro- tonality” speak to some of these stylistic over- laps that enter our music.” Apart from using incorporating Armenian Middle Eastern rhythms and influences in her actual music, Thea’s bio also includes co-found- Recipe ing the Armenian Film Festival in New York City with Anahid Kassabian (2002) and co- pro- ducing the San Francisco Armenian Film Festival in 2004 and 2006 with Kassabian and Hrayr Eulmessekian. She has also presented at Corner the Center for Contemporary Experimental Art in Yerevan, as well as other important interna- tional venues such as the Alternative Museum in New York City, Galleria Mazzoli in Berlin, by Christine Vartanian and the Center for New Music in SanFrancisco. Santomieri is equally polyvalent: apart from his work as a guitarist and a member off sever- al well-regarded groups, he performs regularly as a spoken word artist who finds inspiration in Armenian Vegan’s everything from music and dreams, to word games and misheard/misread items from radio Spinach Borag with and newspapers. In 2013 he premiered his composition Fillo (Spanakhov borag) “Facebook, the Opera” in San Francisco. Prior to their present commission the Armenian Vegan’s Spinach Borag with Fillo (Spanakhov borag) Santomieri-Farhadian Duo has performed togeth- “Borag (also spelled beorek, boreg or börek) is a popular sta- er throughout the Bay Area at venues such as the ple in many Armenian and Middle Eastern households. Every Meridian Gallery, the Garden of Memory Solstice Armenian family, bakery, and ladies church guild has its own Concert at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, recipe for these savory pastries that is often passed down for gen- and the Berkeley Arts Festival. erations. “This egg-free, dairy-free Vegan Spinach Borag with “A New Sense of Place” highlights many of Fillo is as pleasing as the traditional cheese version we all grew the duo’s musical strengths in a particularly up with, but with a healthy twist,” says Dikranouhi “Dee” fluid manner, for lack of a better term. It would Kirazian, author of the essential Armenian Vegan cookbook that be hard to describe the wealth of sounds and she published in 2013. “The number tonalities — and the corresponding emotions of people around the world cutting that the listener undergoes listening to the down on meat and dairy, or reducing piece’s nine tracks for the first time. These these foods from their diets entirely, include classical violin excerpts with plangent, has been rising over the last decade, PREPARATION: For the lamb: romantic strings juxtaposed with modernist and this recipe offers a delicious Note: If frozen, 2-3 hours before you begin, take your fillo dough atonalities, and guitar plucks; Middle Eastern option,” she adds. out of the freezer and let it defrost. You can also let it defrost and Armenian folk elements come through as Borag is thought to have originat- overnight in the refrigerator, if you prefer. well, but I also found myself thinking of experi- ed in Central Asia, and is found in Preparing the filling: Chop onions and mushrooms, put in a large mental modernists such as John Cage and Nam the cuisines of many countries, from frying pan, and sauté for several minutes until onions are softened. June Paik; and in some places even Franz Greece to parts of Eastern Europe Add 1/4 cup vegetable (or olive) oil, stir, and toss for a few minutes Schubert! The two composers got together and and Western Asia. It is considered until onions and mushrooms are fully cooked. improvised certain tracks, that they developed the Armenian version of the Greek Next, add the chopped spinach and sauté for several minutes their ideas together in rehearsal, and then tiropita and spanakopita, and is also part of Mizrahi and until spinach is limp. Add crumbled tofu, pine nuts, parsley, soy recorded in the studio, together or and individ- Sephardic Jewish traditions. Borag is made from thin, flaky sauce, and all spices, and stir frequently. ually — they kept certain tracks that they pre- dough known as fillo (phyllo) or yufka. It is often made in a large In another bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 2 table- ferred, and then integrated the selected record- pan and cut into portions after baking (like this version), but spoons of cold water. Add this to the pot mixture and stir for sev- ings into the final 9 pieces. many people and cultures make individual pastries, too. In eral minutes until the mixture becomes creamy and sticky. Shut off SoundMixing engineer David Kwan then Armenia, borag usually consists of dough folded into triangles heat and allow to cool. helped worked with the duo to spatialize the and stuffed with cheese, spinach or ground beef, and the filling Preparing the borag: Take a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, brush sound in his studio on speakers that mimicked is typically spiced. A popular combination is spinach, feta, pars- it with vegetable (or olive) oil, and set it aside. Open the fillo dough the 8 speakers that the duo eventually used. ley, cottage cheese (or pot cheese), and a splash of anise-flavored on a flat surface. Take half the package of fillo first, and cover the Introspective at times, explosive at others, there liquor (such as raki). other half because fillo dough dries very quickly. Placing 1 layer at is even a eulogy included in memory of com- a time in the tray, brush it all over with vegetable (or olive) oil, and poser Hardy Fox who co-founded the San INGREDIENTS: continue layering and brushing until the half package is finished, Francisco Music group, The Residents. The layered, and brushed. Take the cooled filling and spread it all 1 1lb. package fillo dough pastry (28 sheets in total) work’s different rhythms and genres should be around the top of the fillo dough, covering the entire surface. a pleasant musical adventure for passers-by, 1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil for brushing the fillo and the bak- Next, take the other half of fillo dough, open it up, and start plac- ing dish who have perhaps grown accustomed to the ing each sheet on top of the filling, brushing each sheet as it is sound of cars or metros rushing by when they 1/4 cup vegetable oil or olive oil for sautéing the vegetables placed on the filling. Continue until fillo dough is finished. Cut 1 cup tofu, crumbled cross the downtown BART Plaza. borag into 2 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch squares. And the duo are especially pleased to see 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms When finished, bake in a 350° pre-heated oven until golden 1 large onion, chopped (about a cup) their work exhibited during the COVID 19 pan- brown for about an hour. Remove from oven and cool for 15-20 demic: “It’s exciting to have this piece open dur- 1 lb. fresh spinach, washed, roughly chopped minutes before serving. 2-3 tablespoons pine nuts ing this time while museums and theaters else- Makes 15 squares. Serve hot and use as an appetizer or as a where are shuttered, the arts in Berkeley 2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley main dish. 1/2 teaspoon allspice remain active...it’s our hope that people moving 1/2 teaspoon oregano through the plaza will be pleasantly roused For this and other recipes, go to: from their thoughts, conversations, or devices, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder https://armenianvegan.com/recipes 2 tablespoons cornstarch by the unexpected gift of music.” 3 tablespoons soy sauce And a beautiful gift it is, indeed. Armenian Vegan is available at Abril Books at: Listen to an excerpt from “A New Sense of Black and red pepper or paprika http://www.abrilbooks.com/armenian-vegan.html Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for topping, if desired Place” on Soundcloud. Visit the Sound Installation at: Downtown Berkeley BART, 2160 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA 14 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARTS & LIVING Gayane Georgyan: ‘To Work, Create, Create for the Sake of the Motherland’

GEORGYAN, from page 12 me indifferent. I knew that sooner or later this All the funds are sitting in front of you, dear to God and my parents that I was born an mission would come true anyway. When I dis- friend (laughing). Funds, of course, are the Armenian.” And my belonging to my centuries- covered St. Nicholas, I had the feeling of a man most painful topic, there are no sponsors, we old culture could not leave me indifferent and walking through a dense forest or jungle and survive at the expense of our personal savings ignore the pain and those weak points that we, suddenly finding a beautiful temple unknown and the help of friends. I have no idea how Calendar unfortunately, have. I will frankly say that it to mankind. Dadivank for me was just such a long this will be continued. I do my job, launch was Artsakh and especially the Dadivank miracle, which was somewhere in the deep it into the universe, turn it into energy, and Monastery that caused me to have the idea of mountains, so calm, sort of forgotten at that then let everyone decide. I have always loved MASSACHUSETTS establishing a fund and two important projects moment. The fact of finding a common these words: the way I treat people is my JANUARY 27 – Wednesday at 10am - “Armenian Values in World Heritage” and the Christian saint in this monastery is still a mys- karma, and what they answer me - is theirs. Celebrating What Unites Us! A virtual unprecedented “Armenian Frescoes an tery that I want to solve. It was later that I But nevertheless, I hope you get generous cooking series, a collaboration of City of Integral Part of the World Heritage.” This all learned that this ancient monastery was found- sponsors for your projects. Boston Age-Friendly Boston, OLDWAYS and happened from the period when I set out to ed in the first century, according to legend, on I always say that I will not work for anyone Friends of Armenian Heritage Park to keep find images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker the site of the death of Dadi, a disciple of the and I do not like working with intrigues. But I us connected, coming together. To register, in Armenian churches. Why exactly was Saint Apostle Thaddeus. Dadivank Monastery was am always open for good people, for partners, email [email protected] Nicholas interested? This is a Christian saint one of the centers of Armenian literature and for people who are idealistically committed to Haley House Bakery Café Signature Dishes revered all over the world, but I noticed the book-copying. There was a school, four hun- this work, like me. That is, if someone looks for Chefs Brie Garner and Alima Mbabzi absence of his image in our churches. As the dred Armenian monks lived and there was the some kind of benefit for themselves, personal FEBRUARY 10 – Wednesday at 10am first Christian country in the world, I was sure first monastery in the world with a women’s ambitions in these projects, they will not find Celebrating What Unites Us! A virtual cook- that there must be an iconic portrait of this abbey. This fact is even more striking! Women it. If you are dealing with sacred things, with ing series, a collaboration of City of Boston Age- saint somewhere, and it would be something — disadvantaged, humiliated or widows in dif- holy concepts, you must serve them unrequit- Friendly Boston, OLDWAYS and Friends of unique. And so it happened. My long search ficult situations — found their shelter in this edly, free of charge. Armenian Heritage Park to keep us connected, led me to the Dadivank monastery, where monastery. I consider Dadivank in world his- Gayane, I cannot help but notice that seven coming together. To register, email Saint Nicholas the Miracleworker appeared in tory to be one of the first, which laid the foun- years ago, when we started to communicate, [email protected] French the form of an 800-year-old fresco. The first dation for feminism. Now everyone is talking our communication was only in Russian, and Cuisine Chef Tyler Stout Executive Chef, Troquet thing I said after the shock of what I saw was: about women’s rights, but in Artsakh, already now you speak fluent Armenian. on South “The world must learn about this!” I decided in those days, women’s rights were respected. This requires two important components. FEBRUARY 27 — UNDER THE SNOW that this would be a book. Thanks to your efforts in March 2019, First of all - to have a desire to master the lan- MOON A virtual program of Friends of And on your initiative, in 2018 the illus- children from Artsakh presented the repub- guage and ambition to overcome difficulties. Armenian Heritage Park to Meet & Greet, trated book Dadivank. Revived Miracle was lic for the first time at the international fes- The second is to surround yourself with the Virtually Walk the Labyrinth. Share Wishes published, a unique work that comprehen- tival. right literate people and absorb from them like for The Wishing Tree. Enjoy Musical sively represents this monument of When I got acquainted through the work on a sponge. All these years I was energized and Performances. at 4pm. TO REGISTER VIA Armenian architecture and the image of the my book with the wonderful country of studied, eagerly absorbing knowledge from the ZOOM, please email All-Christian Saint Nicholas the Artsakh and with the magnificent talented best artists, musicians, public figures. I have [email protected] with Miracleworker in Armenia. It is interesting Armenian people, my thoughts haunted, and I always said that one of the first people I met February 27 in Subject line that in the 13th century, Princess Arzu built jokingly said: “But what can I do with you, you in Yerevan, especially in the field of social and MARCH 3 — Labyrinth Walking: The the Dadivank cathedral church, and in the are all so talented!” Really a very noble, coura- cultural life, was you! Interesting people Power & Health Benefits. A virtual pro- 21st century, another Armenian woman geous people. At that time, I was working on opened up for me through you, I listened to gram of the Benson-Henry Institute for spares no effort to make it known all over the the idea of creating a children’s festival in everyone and eventually listened to them. Mind Body Medicine, Osher Center for world... Already at that time you were raising Artsakh. My good friend Tatyana Now, thank God, I express myself in my native Integrative Medicine at Brigham & Women’s the alarm about the endangered state of this Shchepatova, the founder of the FaSiLa language. You have to talk, read all the time, Hospital/Harvard Medical School and masterpiece of architecture. Moscow Festival, a singing competition in for- the main thing is not to be ashamed of express- Friends of Armenian Heritage Park in collab- You are right, this book is unique. It tells the eign languages, responded to my idea. And as ing yourself. If I don’t know a word, I’m not oration with Armenian-American Medical true story of the creation and prosperity of a result, a very interesting format was chosen ashamed to ask how it will be in Armenian. I Association, Boston Public Health one of the best monuments of Armenian archi- for Stepanakert – FaSiLa: World Children am never ashamed to ask about something Commission, City of Boston Age Friendly tecture, about finding Christian relics of world Against War, a singing competition in foreign that I do not know. and The Greenway Conservancy. at 5pm. significance and of course, about the unique languages. Why was it conceived in such an What is the last book you read in Welcome: Maura Koutoujian, PCC, CPHWC frescoes of the monastery with the image of international format (songs were sung in only Armenian? Senior Professional Coach, Mass General St. Nicholas the Miracleworker! But I could five foreign languages), was because it was My publications (laughing). I can hardly read Brigham/Brigham and Women’s Hospital; just go there as a simple tourist, light a candle, supposed to additionally attract the attention them, as well as the materials of the Fellow, Institute of Coaching, pray and leave, but ... the desire to do some- of the world public to Artsakh. The winner of Foundation, which are in Armenian. By the McLean/Harvard Medical School; In thing more is probably motivated by my hered- the festival was to perform at one of the best way, it really pulled me up. And so I always Conversation: Darshan Hemendra Mehta, ity. My childhood, the formation of personality and largest venues in Moscow. Not to mention knew how to read and write in Armenian. At MD, MPH, Medical Director and Director of and consciousness passed under the talk that in the thirty years of Republic of the age of 12, I took the alphabet of the Medical Education, Benson-Henry Institute; about the 1915 Genocide, about pain for the Artsakh’s existence, for the first time on the Armenian language for the first time and start- Associate Director, Osher Center for lost territories, about pain for the killed rela- Moscow stage, for the first time on the inter- ed just learning. At the age of 13 I already Integrative Medicine, Brigham & Women’s tives and loved ones. My family is patriotic, it national stage, it was at this festival that chil- knew by heart the poems of our poets, for Hospital/Harvard Medical School; Assistant went through all the stages of a hundred-year dren from Artsakh performed on behalf of example, “Little Lake” by Bedros Tourian ... Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical history - my great-grandfather was a warrior, their country - it was an important diplomatic After the last national calamity, how do School, with Armineh Mirzabegian, MD who fought with Andranik, a warrior was also move. The festival will be continued, we will do you imagine the continuation of your activi- Internist, Reliant Medical Group, part of my grandfather, who fought against fascism this in 2021 and nothing will stop us. I always ties? OptumCare; UMASS Medical School, To and had the title of Chevalier of the Order of say that all the projects of the Foundation People called me and asked me to share my register, email the Red Star. All my life my ancestors and par- related to Artsakh and the preservation of the optimism and energy with them. I am not [email protected] with ents, living in a foreign land, defended their Armenian world cultural Christian heritage going to give up, I always say that I am not March 3 in Subject line right to be Armenians. And this tradition of will continue. going to shed tears, suffer and grieve for the MARCH 24 – Wednesday at 10am being an Armenian, the tradition of preserving Everyone, of course, is interested in the sake of the Motherland. I even forbid people Celebrating What Unites Us! A virtual my culture and fighting for it, could not leave funding of your projects. from thinking that. One hundred years is too cooking series, a collaboration of City of much for suffering, and now I force everyone, Boston Age-Friendly Boston, OLDWAYS and even order them to work, create for the sake of Friends of Armenian Heritage Park to keep the Motherland, be optimistic, eventually learn us connected, coming together. To register, to respect each other, help each other freely, SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE email [email protected] learn to rejoice in each other’s successes. And Seafood! Executive Chef Kathy Sidell if you see that one person has a good idea, Owner, Sidell Hospitality, Saltie Girl, Met something useful for the Motherland, help Back Bay, Stephanie’s on Newbury Students of Armenian Descent him. Three years ago, I knocked on all doors: governments, international organizations, at Having Completed One Year of College by all levels, whether in Armenia or abroad. I raised the relevance of what is happening now. RHODE ISLAND June, 2021 The preface to the projects and mission of the The Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Foundation today sounds like a prediction. Church of Providence hosts the follow- And then no one even understood what I was ing Armenian Cultural Hour programs Applications and other information may be obtained from talking about. Now I find it funny that all and virtually every Friday at 7:30 pm. For infor- sundry, regardless of their quality or intelli- mation on how to watch or participate in ARMENIAN STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION gence, dedication or awareness of the impor- the programs, contact the church office or Scholarship Committee tance of this matter, for the sake of their own check the church’s Facebook Watch page. PR, raise the topic of preserving cultural her- 333 Atlantic Avenue • Warwick, RI itage. Where have you been before, gentlemen? January 22 – “My Songs for You”, concert presented by renowned composer Aram 02888 And how will surprise us in the near future? Satian, President of the Composers Union Tel. 401 461-6114 • Fax 401 461-6112 This is again a book, an unprecedented of Armenia encyclopedia for Armenology - Fortresses of January 29 –Levon Hovsepian & Armen Ghazharyan in Concert “From Classics to e-mail: [email protected] Artsakh by historian and researcher Slava Sargsyan. This is the result of thirty years of New Days” work, consists of about 1000 pages, which Deadline for returning completed Applications: show more than 100 fortresses of Artsakh that March 15, 2021 have survived to this day. So far – in Armenian... S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 15 COMMENTARY

EDITORIAL Mirror Pashinyan’s Mission Impossible Spectator To Moscow To put it in perspective, before the war, the number of By Edmond Y. Azadian Armenians living in Karabakh was at 150,000. And investments were being made by Russia to return life to normal in the amputated enclave, Putin added. EstablishedEstablishe d1932 1932 There is a tug-of-war between Moscow and Ankara, and The meeting agreed to work towards “unblocking all eco- Armenia is caught in-between the two. nomic and transportation routes in the region.” AnA nADL AD LPublication Publication The 44-day war was necessary for Russia to return its military Toward that end, the parties agreed to form a Working Group force back in Azerbaijan. It was also necessary for Turkey to comprising the vice prime ministers of the three countries. deliver a victory to Azerbaijan, in return, to buy its sovereignty. A timetable was set for the Working Group to hold its first For a long time, Turkey had been looking for just such an meeting on January 30, and to submit a plan for the “imple- EDITOR opportunity. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is more elated mentation and security of international traffic carried out by the Alin K. Gregorian with the victory than President Ilham Aliyev because a historic Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia” by March 1.

ASSISTANT EDITOR Turkish dream is coming true. That is why Mr. Erdogan evoked A protocol for the implementation of the program may have Aram Arkun Enver Pasha, who had tried to build a Turanic empire a centu- been signed in Moscow, but that in and of itself does not mean ry ago, during the victory parade. Now, one impediment on that much, since basic problems remain unresolved. ART DIRECTOR Before his Moscow trip, President Aliyev made some provoca- Marc Mgrditchian road map has been removed with the declaration signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Vladimir Putin and tive statements, on the occasion of the visit of Armenian’s Aliyev on November 9, 2020, the centerpiece of which was the Foreign Minister Ara Aivazyan to Karabakh. Aliyev has request- building of a road between mainland Azerbaijan and ed that all Karabakh visitors first seek Baku’s permission. He Nakhichevan through the southern tip of Armenia. has even threatened to kill any visiting politicians by drones. Russian peacekeepers, and for that matter, SENIOR EDITORIAL COLUMNIST: Edmond Y. Azadian Moscow, have kept silent. If the roads will be unblocked and supervised by CONTRIBUTORS: Russian peacekeepers, why the threat? Aliyev has Florence Avakian, Dr. Haroutiun announced that very soon, roads will be construct- Arzoumanian, Philippe Raffi Kalfayan, ed through Armenia to begin traffic between main- Philip Ketchian, Kevork Keushkerian, land Azerbaijan and the exclave of Nakhichevan. Harut Sassounian, Hagop Vartivarian, It has also been reported that Turkish aircraft Naomi Zeytoonian are now entering Armenian airspace to fly from CORRESPONDENTS: Turkey to Azerbaijan. If point 8 of the declaration has not been implemented yet, why is there this Armenia - Hagop Avedikian Boston - Nancy Kalajian unilateral rush to take advantage of its provisions? Los Angeles - Taleen Babayan Following the signing of this new document on Berlin - Muriel Mirak-Weissbach January 11, the three leaders have made contra- dictory declarations. Contributing Photographers: Jirair Hovsepian Putin has expressed his satisfaction that both sides have been honoring the terms of the decla- ration. Aliyev has announced that the problem is behind us and it is time to open up the roads and The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is published develop businesses in the region. Pashinyan has weekly, except two weeks in July and the first complained that the issue of prisoners of war has week of the year, by: not yet been resolved, making it impossible to Baikar Association, Inc. implement the other terms. 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472-1509 Indeed, those roads cannot be built over the Telephone: 617-924-4420 ashes of Armenian martyrs. FAX: 617-924-2887 As for the Armenian prisoners of war, Azerbaijan www.mirrorspectator.com is holding them as hostages and is hampering the E-Mail: [email protected] work of finding and identifying the dead soldiers to cause more pain for the Armenian public, with the For advertising: [email protected] full knowledge that not releasing the POWs will cause further destabilization in Armenia. He has also started to characterize the Armenian POWs as terrorists to find an excuse — or justification — for not releasing them, or worse. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: The speeches following the signing of the docu- The declaration has not yet been fully interpreted. The ment sounded like three deaf people had spoken to each other. Turkish and Azerbaijani sides claim the roadway should operate Russia believes that it has created facts on the ground and U.S.A. $80 a year under extra-territorial rights, supervised by Russian peacekeep- that is final. President Putin announced time and again that the ing forces, while Armenia insists on its normal use when all status of Karabakh will be determined at a future date. Canada $125 a year transportation routes are unblocked for all parties. Pashinyan reminded those present of the status issue but there Turkey controls Azerbaijan militarily and politically, which in was no response from the other parties. Other Countries $190 a year the long term will turn into economic control. Ankara has been If one of the principles of the Minsk Group of the quick to extend Azerbaijani oil and gas lines to the Balkan coun- Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) tries and the rest of Europe, gradually weaning those countries has been met, namely the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial © 2014 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator from dependency on Russian energy. integrity, then it is time to address the other issue, that of Periodical Class Postage Paid at Boston, MA Therefore, Moscow, in addition to its military adventure in Karabakh’s self-determination. The future is now. and additional mailing offices. Azerbaijan, has been trying to entice the latter to join the Putin has been offering some lip service to the Minsk Group, Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) bloc. Technically, Armenia can ISSN 0004-234X believing that the co-chairs will go along his actions. It does not veto Azerbaijan’s membership to that economic club, but under seem that it will happen. the current circumstances, when Armenia has become the President Emmanuel Macron of France has been pursuing the POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The underdog, Russia will not give a hoot for Yerevan’s opinion. issue on behalf of the other two co-chairs, as the US is caught Armenian Mirror-Spectator, 755 Mount Auburn That treatment was even manifested in the protocols accord- in its own domestic debacle. St., Watertown, MA 02472 ed to Aliyev and Pashinyan when they arrived in Moscow for the Before the Moscow meeting, Mr. Macron had taken the initia- Other than the editorial, views and opinions tripartite summit on January 11. expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily tive to call Putin and Pashinyan, stating that the political reflect the policies of the publisher. There was tremendous apprehension in Armenia about aspects of the Karabakh problem have to be addressed. Pashinyan’s trip to Moscow to meet with Putin and Aliyev, A public announcement from the Russian Foreign Ministry because a justified fear existed that Pashinyan might be forced states that Macron and Putin have discussed the humanitarian to sign another agreement without any consultation, leading aspects of the war, with no mention of the political aspects. Armenia to experience even deeper problems, in addition to the Talking to President Putin, Macron stated that in addition to ones already inflicted by the November 9 declaration. the humanitarian issues, the Minsk Group should also address Copying for other than personal use or But as it turned out, the meeting was for setting up a mech- the political solution of the problem and reminded him of the internal reference is prohibited without anism to implement the terms of the November 9 declaration. resolutions passed by both chambers of the French legislature express permission of the copyright Welcoming his two guests, President Putin expressed his sat- recognizing Karabakh’s independence. He also made clear that owner. Address requests for reprints or isfaction that the principles of the November 9 declaration were back issues to: under no condition would unilateral solutions be accepted by being implemented under the supervision of Russian peace- the other co-chairs of the Minsk group. keeping forces and that 48,000 displaced Armenian refugees Now that France has forcefully taken a pro-Armenian position, Baikar Association, Inc. from Karabakh had returned to their homes. see MISSION, page 17 755 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472-1509 16 S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR COMMENTARY

canons. Whatever he was short of, he would buy from foreign countries only too willing to sell quite profitably such equip- Armenia’s Defeat in Laser ment to a good paying customer. By now Turkey manufactures its Bayraktar TB2 infamous combat drones at the Baykar company, owned by Erdogan’s son-in-law. Such drones are equipped with precision laser War Is a Shocking Paradox, imaging and targeting systems bought from the Canadian L3 Harris Wescam company. Turkey’s anti-drone, armored car- mounted laser canons are produced by the Turkish military weapons manufacturing company Aselsan. And surely But It Can Be Reversed enough, it was all this equipment that was used by the Turkish-Azerbaijani coalition in the Artsakh war. It is important to note that as laser equipment manufac- By Dr. Arshavir Gundjian C.M. The laser is essentially a source of very pure, “highly orga- turing is not a capital-intensive industry, Turkey’s budget in nized” high frequency electromagnetic radiation, which we this area is only in the range of $450 million dollars. more simply call “light.” The difference between laser light However, Erdogan had rightfully noted that with such a HE YEAR 2020 ended, leaving the Armenian and ordinary light that comes from the sun or from any mun- small expenditure, the manufactured weapons are capable of world still recovering from the shock of an dane everyday environmental light sources consists in the causing, inexpensively, multiple billion dollars’ worth of dam- unprecedented humiliating defeat at the hands of fact that in the latter, the individual tiny elements that con- age to the enemy! the aggressive forces of a Turkish-Azerbaijani tribute to the total light vibrate in a totally random and asyn- Following the war, Armenians have now many lessons to coalition. The war started suddenly on chronous manner, whereas, on the contrary, within a laser learn in quite a hard way. However, the one superseding September 27; however, it was hardly unexpect- source, those vibrations are synchronous. They add perfectly issue is that of physical survival. This requires the complete ed, considering the highly publicized Azerbaijani- their intensity to each other to thus result in what is a blind- restructuring of its defense system. During the presumed lull T Turkish military joint manoeuvres preceding it at ingly bright, and when need be, a high power lethal and of five years provided by the notorious declaration of cease- the very borders of Armenia and Artsakh. Armenia should destructive beam of “coherent radiation.” fire, Armenia’s top priority must be to build a first-class army, not also have been surprised by the advanced modern This rather simple sounding special quality of laser light equipped with first-class, state-of-the-art war military hard- weapons technology that the aggressors successfully used, leads to an incredibly vast range of applications which ware. The present article points to an evident path to follow which was a primary reason for painful human and territori- belonged previously to fiction. By now the innumerable vari- in that respect. al losses. ety of different types of lasers can range in size from a small- On the one hand, speaking politically, it is now irresponsi- The purpose of this article is to focus on one very funda- est device of a fraction of a millimeter to the largest ones that ble and unpardonable to still continue to waste time in the mental strategic failure that has emerged from this tragic can have few kilometers length. In turn, the applications streets on fruitless and unjustified actions of political and war. The latter has multiple scientific, technical, economic, made possible range from the sharpest and finest high pre- civil unrest. Since the current government has lost all its and military implications. Armenia better recognize and con- cision eye surgery tools to the highest capacity information- credibility and effectiveness, a transitional government of front that issue squarely in order to make it a central com- carrying beams of laser light travelling within optical fibers, national reconciliation and unity must be set up, preferably ponent of its post-recovery strategic planning. Armenia must lying at the bottom of oceans. They also include the most with the cooperation of the current authorities. The first make the development of highly sophisticated modern mili- brutal multikilowatt power laser beams that are produced by order of business of the latter must be to prepare for antici- tary weaponry, based on advanced technologies, the center- laser canons, mounted on an armored vehicle which can eas- pated elections in order to elect within less than a year a new piece of its next five-year plan of industrial activity. ily chase and literally burn and pulverize flying drones as parliament and a new government that does not carry the The adoption of such a plan is perfectly realistic. Actually, well as standing still military targets in the battlefield. stigma of capitulation. On the other hand, and simultane- it would be based on a return to the decades-old unique The first practical lasers came to existence in the 1960s, ously with the above, at the very least, a separate national wealth of knowhow and training that Armenia acquired in almost simultaneously in the West and in the East. Theodore emergency special committee of economic and technical the highly sophisticated fields of physical sciences and their Maiman and Charles Townes in the West, and Mikhail experts must be formed to work out a five-year economic and industrial applications, while it was the tiniest republic of the Prokhorov and Nikolay Basov in the Soviet Union, are con- military reconstruction plan. The creation of a modern, Soviet Union. At that time, it had become one of the most sidered to be the fathers of the laser. sophisticated, state-of-the-art military-industrial complex active centers of Soviet scientific research and development. We can be proud as Armenians to note that Armenia’s sci- must be the centerpiece of its plan. It was said that Armenia provided up to half of the Soviet entists were among the first in the world to enter this new Armenia still has the necessary top-level intellectual Union’s high tech military needs…and that was only thirty and fascinating field, thanks to their being an integral part resources, knowhow, and infrastructure which is one valu- years back, just before independence in 1991. of the Soviet scientific world community. able and essential component to successfully implementing By adopting resolutely such a policy, Armenia could very Mikhail Ter-Mikaelian is credited to have developed the such a plan. As for the other vital component, which is that soon not only become the master of its own border security, first Soviet commercial laser way back in 1965. Actually, of financing, considering the specific type of the projected but also an internationally sought-after supplier of highly soon in 1967 he has established Armenia’s well-known products, the necessary budget would be in the accessible profitable sophisticated modern weaponry, which would con- Institute for Physical Research (IPR) in Ashtarak, 30 kms. range of few hundred million dollars, if this effort is centered tribute conveniently to its economic prosperity. from Yerevan. Over the years, IPR and other centers and specifically on and around the drone and laser industry. It is deplorable that after the 1991 independence, teams of researchers made Armenia a cradle of state-of-the- Products made in Armenia in this field promise to be com- Armenia’s successive regimes have all failed to recognize art laser developments that found applications not only in petitive and to comply with the highest international stan- how strategically precious was their inherited institutional- Armenia but also in the Soviet Union and in the world. dards of quality. They will surely attract rapidly the interest ized high-calibre system of education, research, training, and Both in the West and in the East, lasers became part of a of international investors. In any case, provided an honest knowhow in the field of physical sciences, applicable directly vast field of diverse activities, be it in research or in diverse and serious program is put together under a credible leader- to combat war weaponry. In fact, unfortunately, since 1991 medical and industrial applications. Inevitably, militaries ship such as one that can be provided by the current presi- and especially in the last twenty-five years, all arts and sci- focused their attention very quickly on the destructive dent, Armen Sarkissian, based on the latest Artsakh war ences have lost in Armenia their privileged status of top-level potential of laser gun applications, which so far had been experience, financing of this magnitude dedicating to launch importance which they had attained during the Soviet peri- merely the subject of the imagination of cartoonists and sci- a nation-saving effort, can realistically be obtained even just od. ence fiction writers. from the Armenian sources of the Russian and international Just imagine if Armenia’s national strategic planning of the Needless to say, while all this was happening in the world, diaspora. This can very well be on the basis of long-term last few decades had included the continued use of the full and until very recently, Turks and Azerbaijanis did not even investing principles. potential of that wealth. Then during this last September exist on the world map of laser research. We must realize that currently the very existence of war, it would have been Armenian high-power laser canons Sadly, in Armenia after the independence of 1991, the Armenia’s statehood is in serious danger. Once more, we deployed along the borders of Artsakh and Armenia that National Academy of Sciences, and many specialized insti- have to pull our forces together. Armenians in Armenia must would be literally pulverizing helpless Turkish or Azerbaijani tutes, were no longer on the list of the country’s favorites. sober up, and those in the diaspora must do their best to drones venturing into Armenian air space. Also, quite con- Since then, and to this date, they have had to struggle for help Armenia return to a path of survival and prosperity by trary to what happened, the Armenian army’s stealth drones, their survival by searching for grants from outside sources, creating the smartest, most efficient, and most lethal laser equipped with high-precision smart laser ranging and target- by developing contacts and connections with foreign compa- combat industrial complex – let’s baptize it as the Sassountsi ing devices, would have been the ones targeting the enemy nies and institutions. Thus, in the absence of a well-focused Davit complex. forces across our borders and then “kamikaze-ing” and national science strategy, while some good quality local sci- From that point on, any enemy, be it Turks, Azerbaijanis or smashing them in their own bases, thus raising havoc in the entific activity still exists in Armenia, it has hardly any strate- even any new ones, will think very hard before crossing our Turkish aggressor ranks, instead of all that panic which hap- gic focus. Many of Armenia’s top talents consequently grad- borders. Actually, they may even instead line up to try to buy pened within the ranks of our own heroic Armenian army. ually left Armenia to become highly regarded and sought for these Armenian-made state-of-the-art weapons! Such a scenery would not have been fiction. It could have human resources, mainly in Western academic and industri- been definitely real, had our successive regimes in Armenia al circles. Personally, and professionally, as I was a dedicated Dr Arshavir Gundjian is a prominent Canadian-Armenian sci- properly monitored their neighbours’ military appetite and disciple of the world of lasers and their applications, during entist and community leader. He has had a prolific career as a activities and consequently appreciated the seriousness of my post-1991 initially frequent visits to Armenia in the con- researcher and inventor, and now is a retired professor of the increasing existential threat they were facing during the text of issues related to the Armenian world, I witnessed with McGill University’s Department of Electrical Engineering. past several years. pain this situation. However, at that time, Armenia’s leaders Some of his publications are in the field of high-power laser Ironically, one lethal tool Turkey and Azerbaijan were were mostly concerned with dismantling the traces of the detection and damage to materials. He has been for many equipping themselves with during those years was based on Soviet regime. years the chairman of the Laser Equipment Canadian combat laser technologies. This was a component of the In the meantime, and especially since around 2010, ironi- Subcommittee of the International Electrotechnical trove of advanced technologies and expertise that Armenia cally right next door, Armenia’s archenemy neighbor Turkey, Commission. He also holds more than twenty patents in the was privy to by 1991, well ahead of these two neighboring was busy catching up. Indeed, Turkey’s belligerent president field of products and documents security. Simultaneously with states. The paradox is that it was instead Turkish war-grade Ragip Erdogan had decided to fill its war chest with military his active professional life, Dr. Gundjian has been an active laser equipment, including laser-equipped drones, that equipment of the most advanced technology. Erdogan had leader in the Armenian diaspora. He has been Ramgavar party brought our Armenian fighters to their knees. quickly realized the enormous tactical advantages provided Central Committee chairman for many years, especially during The advent of the laser (light amplification by stimulated in modern warfare by combat drones equipped with sophis- the period coinciding with the 1991 independence of Armenia. emission of radiation) is one of the two most fundamental ticated precision laser targeting equipment, as well as by opti- He is a founder and now vice president of the Tekeyan Cultural and sensational scientific developments of the twentieth cen- cally guided high power laser canons, mounted on straight- Association of the US and Canada. He is an AGBU Central tury, the other being the invention of atomic energy. They forward ground armored vehicles. Board emeritus member. He also is the honorary chairman of both rely on novel and fascinating basic phenomena of Of course, Erdogan would not bother to waste time with the Canadian Armenian Apostolic Church Diocesan Council. physics which were revealed by Albert Einstein, way back at any fascinating scientific research work. He simply focused The Governor General of Canada appointed Dr. Gundjian in the beginning of the last century, but the implementation of on buying the knowhow, and when need be the human December 2019, a Member of the Order of Canada, the high- which in a form usable by human society occurred only in resources, to build local weapons manufacturing facilities. He est civilian honor in Canada, recognizing the exceptional con- the middle of that century. focused on laser-equipped drones and high-power laser tributions of its citizens. S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 17 COMMENTARY Towards the ‘Fourth Republic’ – Armenian President Pens Commentary

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian national construction projects, based on the battlefield and on the external front, for which ing the basic laws of their countries. As a citi- penned a fresh article about the inevitability of successful examples of small countries and peo- the current government must be held account- zen of the Republic of Armenia, I have my opin- building a substantive state and the ways to ples, we mostly engaged ourselves with imitat- able. However, other challenges await us, both ion on the shortcomings of our Constitution, restore the country’s strength. ing activities. The basis of internal immunity, domestically and internationally. To preserve but as the President of the Republic, I am It is reproduced in full below: i.e. foundations of the effective system of public our statehood and to take it to a fundamentally obliged to follow the letter of the Law. We can The opportunity of restoring the Armenian administration based on the actual division of new level, we must put our emotions aside and give in to emotions, but all political demands statehood was the dream of our people for the responsibilities between the executive, legisla- start the difficult, and unpleasant, but essential must be carried out within the law. last few centuries. It stemmed not only from the tive, and judiciary branches, was not laid. It is work on ourselves, giving it first priority. The “Third Republic of Armenia” is a thing of need for having a national home to preserve this model that shapes any society and educates Today, we (and first and foremost, the gov- the past, we are facing a new reality that forces own culture, identity, and history, but also from its citizens, which is the core value of any gov- ernment that has taken responsibility for its us to be very sober, accountable and purpose- the desire to be able to master our own destiny. ernment. Such a citizen can appreciate the sig- own citizens and Armenians of the world) must ful. The national carelessness, disorganization, This had been the mission of our ancestors, nificance of being able to vote and being elect- acknowledge the existence of a deep political, disorder and inconsistency, the false agendas, who practically did the impossible: in the ed. And most importantly, such a citizen will be economic, social and psychological crisis. ideas and approaches that have accompanied us absence of statehood, subject to cruel and responsible for his or her own choice, the sur- Citizens have every moral right to demand con- in recent decades must be thrown into the bloody trials of history, they preserved the roundings, and the country. The absence of crete, timely and meaningful answers on the archives of history. ground, the sense of being Armenians - such a system is an unacceptable luxury for the ways-out of the crisis from the members of the Unfortunately, to date there is no complete Armenia- and further enriched the Armenian countries in difficult and geographically limited National Assembly elected by them, the gov- perception of the real scale of the dramatic civilization. conditions. ernment and prime minister. events in Armenia and the Armenian world, and Our ancestors left a great heritage and hoped For the past years, we have not conducted a The President of the Republic also has his its causes and consequences. We need to under- that we would be able to pass it to future gen- pan-Armenian inventory to understand what is, role and responsibility. stand that a new page of history begins for us erations in a completely different qualitative for example, the real resource base for elabo- The division of the society can lead to catas- with its challenges, and this time with an excep- form. rating long-term development models for the trophic consequences; thus, the country and tional imperative to make no mistakes, and to The history of international relations shows economy, high technology, military and indus- the people need treatment. The only logical and act competently and professionally. that small countries often fall victim to the trial complex, science, education, and health- civilized prescription is off-year elections in rea- No matter what we call that new page: “New interests of big powers, as it happened with care. That is why we did not have vitally impor- sonable terms with necessary amendments to Page”, “Restart”, “A New Beginning”, “The Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Those tant and efficient strategic concepts of defense the Electoral Code and Constitution, which will Fourth Republic” or otherwise, the reality is nations managed to build high-quality systemic policy and security of demography, information, allow to start the real process of state building that we are entering a new stage of history. states, were able to thoughtfully analyze the and food. After gaining independence, we did from scratch. Until then, a government of After the nationwide shock caused by the causes of their failures and sufferings, and work not fill it with specific content. national accord must be formed with the help war and the obligatory transition phase, we to correct their own mistakes, work out clear There is no need to go far for examples. In of the institute of the president, one of the legit- must undertake the construction of a new visions and development programs. Such states 1994, we liberated Artsakh, but up to imate, balanced and impartial branches of state, conventionally called the “Fourth have the capability to meet their citizens’ inter- September 27, 2020 we did not have a clear power. I see the main mission of that govern- Republic” in this article. nal needs and protect them from external vision of the political future of Artsakh. There ment in achieving three goals. The change of power in 2018 could have threats. They can also create conditions which were only tactics of preventing a new war Firstly, the elimination of immediate conse- been the beginning of a new phase in our his- allow to compete with regional and even big through diplomacy, doomed from the very quences of the war: return of all prisoners, tory, for which there were sufficient grounds for powers, merge their own interests with theirs or beginning. For twenty years, our adversary hostages and displaced persons, proper treat- people’s unification, enthusiasm and support, even become a true and valuable ally. asserted that it would not allow a second ment and care of the injured, repair of but it became the end of the previous phase, Such examples exist and they prove that Armenian state in the Caucasus, acquired mod- destroyed homes and apartments, provision of without offering a new ideology. through the right policy, diplomacy and gover- ern weapons, engaged in active international normal living conditions, and accommodation The defeat in the last war was the defeat of nance even the nations, which do not possess lobbying, and established networks of influence for the homeless. that system, not of the soldiers, the people and ample natural resources, can start as soldiers around the world for one purpose. For what? Secondly, creation and implementation of a the nation. but rise to kings. The question is rhetorical because the answer is roadmap to bring the country out of the politi- The “Fourth Republic” must become the new Today, we are experiencing yet another very clear. cal and economic crisis. ideological, conceptual and substantive basis of moment of all-national psychological depres- We lost at the moment we believed the mis- Thirdly, the reform of the normative and legal our people. The emphasis will be placed on the sion. Whether we will be able to overcome it sion to return Artsakh was over. We did not pay framework, providing the necessary conditions quality of the state, which requires a radical and establish new principles to build our future enough attention to the real guarantees of for the early elections in reasonable terms, i.e., overhaul of the system of interrelations with depend on us only. Artsakh’s development and strengthening: the reforms of the Electoral Code, the law on polit- our compatriots around the world. Geopolitical Current failures are nothing but the result of population growth (population of Artsakh ical parties and, of course, the Constitution. perceptions, politics, economy, security, mili- once unresolved, deep-rooted problems, which remained the same for the past three decades), Proceeding from this, the government should tary-industrial complex, medicine, science and were accumulating over the last three decades. and the improvement of the art of war, arma- be composed of professionals and experts who education are created by people, and today we We all, from top to bottom, apparently have no ment renewal and equipment. We got relaxed specialize in specific areas. are in dire need of the best specialists. desire to take a substantive responsibility for and continued to live as if there were no serious I would like to repeat, there is no need to There is no lack of prominent Armenians and our own destiny. And it is not about the lack of challenges or threats. Of course, the victory in look for “saviors of the nation” or exceptional never has been; we need to stop just being criticism, but rather its formal nature. Just like the Artsakh war became an integral part of our personalities. The country should be governed proud of their existence, and make them part of before, we are looking for special footholds and identity, and it is obvious that the most terrible by institutions, a system of checks and balances our state’s reality. For that, it is enough to “rescuers” - individuals or countries who will be consequence today is the crisis of self-percep- should operate between the branches of power. remove the artificially created Berlin Walls able to take us in the right direction which will tion. The Armenians woke up, lived, worked, All citizens, without exception, should respect (which are in the Constitution and in the laws) ultimately lead to prosperity and security. In and went to bed with the feeling that they were the law and follow it. Otherwise, we will find between Armenia and the Armenian communi- this frantic search, we completely forget that part of a victorious nation. Now, in a search of ourselves in permanent crises. ties. Having a lot of experience in communicat- this path is right in front of our eyes and is the answer, they ask, “Who am I now?” The Law in capital letters and following it are ing with our Diaspora, I can speak with confi- called the independent Republic of Armenia. We lost the information war, both externally the basis of any healthy society and strong dence about their huge potential. I shall repeat Our millennial dream came true: we have our and internally. For years, we indulged in wishful state, the guarantee of development and sur- that in order to discover and use that potential home, at last, our flag, our coat-of-arms, and our thinking. These lies had crept everywhere, vival. It is on this basis that our political culture effectively, we need a state systemic approach anthem. Finally, we are able to be Armenians in threatening the national security. In that imag- must be built. There is no other formula for and proper governance. the Armenian state recognized by the interna- inary world, we supposedly had an organized building a stable state. Hard work is expected, but I do not doubt the tional community. For the first time in the state, a modern economy and science, a strong Under a parliamentary system of government, final success. The main thing is that everyone course of centuries, Armenians did not lose army, a democratic society, and free press, but the institute of the President is symbolic or for- should believe in it and participate in the work their territories, but regained historical territo- in reality the picture was completely different. mal in appearance, but internally it can be a of bringing that day closer within their abilities ries in the 1990s during the war imposed by the We had only managed to deceive ourselves, and lifebuoy in any political crisis. As the head of and opportunities. adversary many times superior to us its thus had already signed the defeat statement. the state and follower of the Constitution, the We do not have time and chance to think resources. We managed to do that because To throw off all this, we need immense institute of the President can become the irre- long. The time has come for cold-hearted, quick dreams and dedication were our driving forces. efforts, willpower, and courage to look into the placeable platform where the constitutional and effective actions to create an efficient, dis- They were filled with the insane energy; every eyes of the bitter reality. ways-out and mechanisms for overcoming the ciplined and organized modern country based Armenian particle anywhere in the world was We are in a difficult situation, but we cannot crisis will be formed through a dialogue. The on new technologies and thinking, the maximally charged to achieve the national goal. allow Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora feel question is: is our Constitution ideal? The FUTURE ARMENIA, ready to meet the chal- Subsequent events showed how much we defeated. answer is one: no, like the constitution of any lenges of the 21st century. underestimated that gift of history in reality. There is a golden rule in politics for all times: country. Everywhere in the world, there are The ways to reach it will be discussed in the Instead of building a substantive state and never say never. Yes, we have lost today on the ongoing debates and discussions about chang- future.

Fourth Republic, hoping to form a transition cabinet of tech- native but he is also the victim of the government’s vilification Pashinyan’s Mission nocrats. machine. Resignation calls have been getting louder for Pashinyan and Armenian society is gravely polarized and social media net- Impossible to Moscow his team as they have demonstrated that solving Armenia’s cur- works are working overtime to further aggravate the situation. rent problems are beyond their capacity. They lack diplomatic Both the government and the opposition have their well-oiled MISSION, from page 15 skills but their arrogance matches their ignorance. Against all social media networks to throw mud at their opponents, at the who is the skillful diplomat who could reach out to France and the calls for resignation, they have stuck to their position that cost of the erosion of public trust. extend the country’s position to the entire Minsk Group? only snap elections can dislodge them from office, with the firm If all-powerful President Trump’s Twitter account can be After his meeting in Moscow, Pashinyan was planning to meet belief that they control the state apparatus and can win the elec- silenced to forestall an insurrection, why can’t Armenia do the with Armenian business leaders in Moscow. Instead, he faced a tions just as former leaders Serzh Sargsyan and Robert same to reduce tensions and create a more positive atmosphere hostile demonstration outside the Armenian Embassy in Kocharyan did. for public discourse? Moscow and returned to Armenia empty-handed to face more The 17 parties include the Republican Party and the Only after the toning down of this rhetoric can the public heal hostile groups. Armenian Revolutionary Federation, whose records are well doc- its wounds, pull together and think about Armenia’s perilous Thus, it is a mission impossible for Pashinyan. umented. Additionally, Pashinyan’s propaganda machine has future, before their own. In addition to the 17 parties, President Armen Sarkissian has demonized them enough to discredit them. Until then, Armenia faces its own mission impossible. announced that he is planning to lead Armenia toward the President Armen Sarkissian seems to be the only viable alter- 18 S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR

between the two nations never really went into Can We Build Our full effect and in 2016 the conflict erupted into Battlefields a four-day war, after which the status quo of the ceasefire resumed. The status quo was shattered for good this Future Together? September when Azerbaijan started bombing In Eurasia Artsakh’s capital city, Stepanakert, beginning a confrontation which brought with it an immea- surable loss of soldiers and cultural damage in By Marine Petrossian the region. By Ana Arzoumanian But the question is: Can we write/say some- In December, my essay “The Turkish Border Has Gotten Closer to Me” was published Special to the Mirror-Spectator thing while the war is happening? Are there in the Mirror-Spectator. When writing the piece, I mostly had in mind American readers words contemporary to action? Are they possi- whose ancestors had lived in Western Armenia/Turkey. All my ancestors are also from There was a war between Armenia and ble? Western Armenia, but I speak Eastern Armenian. I was born in Soviet Armenia, part of Azerbaijan in the Artsakh Republic, the The next question would be: Which words the superpower called the Soviet Union. Then, in the 1980s, Gorbachev started his Armenian name for the Nagorno Karabagh are possible to be said while the battlefield is Perestroika. Next, in February 1988, the Karabakh movement began —hundreds of thou- region. I won’t dwell on the political, econom- pierced by death? sands of people in the streets of Yerevan. These were years of my youth. The first publi- ic or military aspects of the war, but I will ana- Words, yes there are some. cation of my poems had just appeared in the Garun magazine. Having heard the chants lyze the spirit that is behind the war speech in Yes, poetic words. Stylized words where of “Ka-ra-bakh, Mi-a-tsum,” I looked down from our balcony in Arabkir district towards a zone in dispute, which is an enclave with his- honor, dignity, the past of a people, the great- downtown Yerevan and it was like a bee hive — all the streets were filled with people. torical Armenian population found within the ness of a nation, the trauma of a genocide, the With this chanting, people were demonstrating their support for the request issued by territory of Azerbaijan. following trauma of denial are represented by the Council of People's Deputies of Nagorno-Karabakh, then part of Soviet Azerbaijan, “There are things that are not said in two phrases, “sayings.” to transfer the region to Soviet Armenia. But Moscow answered No. What then? Would languages” – Abbas Beydoun The first saying that appears in a war is: “we people accept this No and go home? No, they didn’t. People stayed in the streets and In one of the translations of the Iliad, Book are going to win.” Yet nobody considers what it the Karabakh movement turned out to be also a movement for Armenian independence 1 begins with: “Goddess, sing me the anger, of means to win. Territory, dignity, historical repa- — for the right of the Armenian people to decide their own destiny. Some three years Achilles, Peleus’ son, that fatal anger that ration? Certainly the equation for winning later, the Soviet Union collapsed. And when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, trying to brought countless sorrows on the Greeks, and would be: we lose lives, but we win a national resolve the problem by force, we quickly created our own army and won the war. sent many valiant souls of warriors down to future. Now, when I write these words, our victory is gone. We badly lost the war. We lost Hades, leaving their bodies as spoil for dogs The prime minister of Armenia has called most of Artsakh and we lost our self-confidence. Now we all feel unsafe in Armenia. The and carrion birds.” upon all men in the diaspora to join as volun- post-Soviet era is gone; we are no longer in the post-Soviet world; we are in Middle The traditional title of these verses is teers in the army to save the motherland, the Eastern turmoil. Until yesterday, I did not realize that I was living in the Middle East. “Wrath” (Ménis). Homer narrates Achilles’ Armenian Nation. So I think about the fields During Soviet times, Europe was our neighbor in the west and Japan and the United wrath in the last year of the Trojan War. After where words are settled. What’s a nation? States were our neighbors in the east. The Soviet Union had disappeared long ago, but invoking the Muse, he tells that Agamemnon For Armenians, azk is nation and Hayots now I realize that up to yesterday I continued to see Europe as our neighbor. followed Zeus’ plan. Battles, duels, embassies, azk means the Armenian nation or the After the war, things have changed also in my mind. Now I know well that I live in offerings, assemblies, oaths, speeches, mono- Armenian people. To understand this term fur- the Middle East. Turkey is on our left. Huge and aggressive. Azerbaijan is on our right, logues. The epic hero persists, while the poem ther we would have to think of its not very small and even more aggressive. Our next two neighbors are Iran and Georgia. gives information about the political and social derivates: azkanún meaning last name; azk- Iran is more an ally than not. But we can’t count much on its support. Georgia is not an structures, geography, myths and traditions of agán: relative; and azkapán: genealogy. In a ally at all. that time. sense, the notion of a nation or community is Armenia is in danger. Once there were two Armenia’s: Western Armenia and Eastern The military tactics of the Hoplites, the intimately bonded to family, but even closer Armenia. All my ancestors once lived in Western Armenia. We badly lost it, and I was fights upon chariots, the strength of four hors- than that, to one’s own name. born in Eastern Armenia, in Yerevan. Now, when Yerevan is also in danger, I suddenly es, the advice to cremate the deceased and For a person in South America the last name realize that this concept of Western and Eastern Armenia’s does not work for me any- bring the bones back home to the children are (“apellido”) is a family name and to apellidar more. Now we have one Armenia and it is in danger, because now we have two Turkeys: all composed to be sung orally, but at the same somebody is to call them by saying their name, the first, the bigger one, is on our left side; and the second, the smaller one, is on our time it is an historical document. Achilles’ to appeal to them, to interpellate them. To call right side. We lost the war to both of them. wrath narrated by the Iliad is a symbol of the for arms is a distant meaning of the word My great-grandfather Kozmas Messiayan, a famous doctor in Sepastia, having survived whole war. And the war is between the Trojans which, however, puts the accent on the call and the Genocide, in 1926 took his family and came to live in Soviet Armenia. I have seen and the Achaeans. not on the national/communitarian aspect. neither him nor his eldest daughter Henaz Messiayan. Kozmas died in 1936, and my There are no clues given as to suggest in The discursive discordances also speak about grandmother, Henaz, died which season of the year the battles take place, the function that language has in the composi- in 1940, when my mother and the fights are stylized in a way that the rest tion of a social group. In a syntax of domina- was only five years old. But of the battlefield seems to vanish while the war- tion or from one of struggle, the construction I know a lot about my riors’ hand-to-hand combat takes place. There of the symbolic field gives shape not to a polit- grandpa — there are photos is a moral content in the behavior attributed to ical vocabulary but instead to the affections of left, there are stories told, the warriors, a spiritual elevation and humani- the members of that group. and there are some short ty in the hero and a desire typical of ancient The request to join volunteer groups to but fascinating articles Greek culture for bringing a rational explana- defend the nation until death leads us to think about him in the Armenian tion out of the strife. not only about what a nation is, but also about media of the day. The The poem begins when the war ends. what death is. Messiayans were a family of This fact reminds me of Theodor Adorno’s For a person in Argentina, or from South physicians well-known in question about how to write epic poetry after America, immersed in the Western culture, Sepastia from the 17th cen- the horrors of Auschwitz. He questioned him- death is the end of life. Death itself is so tury. Many of them per- self as if the very writing of epic poetry would ungraspable and unspeakable an idea that it ished during the Genocide. be barbarism. Of course we should stop at the leads to the failure of every logical attempt to My great-grandfather sur- “after” in Adorno’s phrase. This is because the grasp the idea of how an “I” that lives in the vived and brought his fami- trauma caused by a genocide, a Holocaust, first person only once and never again is ly to Soviet Armenia. Other doesn’t allow for the transition from a before to offered not an eternal survival in a mythical Messiayan survivors went to an after; the after never arrives. afterlife, but the realization of a current-life for America and France. This School of Frankfurt thinker considered the mere fact of living, of having lived, which Often, when searching for his question, arriving at the conclusion that concerns every life. In a way in which death information about my epic poetry should still be written, but with a seals the historical meaning of a lifetime and grandfather on the Internet, determined aesthetic that wouldn’t renew or helps shape some idea of the gratuity and the I find names of Messiayans gratuitously recount that experienced horror. strangeness of life. whom I don’t know. There is a war between Armenia and The concept of death in Armenia arrives Sometimes the name is Azerbaijan. through the legend of a battle which took written as Messian. Most There’s a war in Artsakh, the Armenian place in the year 451: the battle of Avarayr, the probably, all of them are name for Nagorno Karabagh. I won’t dwell on fight against the imposition of Zoroastrianism Dr. Kozmas Messiayan descendants of Doctor the political, economic, or military aspects of and General Vartan Mamikonian’s confronta- Messia, son of Bishop the war. Nagorno Karabagh is an enclave with tion with the Persians. The Armenian alphabet Yeghiazar — he lived in Sepastia in the 18th century and was the originator of the a historical Armenian population found within had already been created. Armenia was already Messiayan surname. I close my eyes and imagine a room where all Messiayans could the territory of Azerbaijan, based on the bor- a Christian nation, but the empire wanted to come together. How large must the room be to accommodate all of us? But then I ders determined by Stalin. In the USSR, many impose its religion. remember that my surname is not Messiayan So let’s put the question this way: how territories like Nagorno Karabakh were grant- Vartan Mamikonian was a prince, a soldier, a large must a room be to accommodate all the descendants of the Messiayan family? ed the status of an autonomous region, most of general of the Mamikonian family, who legend Then comes the next question: what will be the main goal of our gathering? Surely, which were plunged into war as the USSR dis- says descended from the Han dynasty of China, we will share our memories about Sepastia, about its happy days, about the big disaster integrated, such as Abkhazia, South Ossetia, or from other lands of the Chinese empire, or of 1915. And what about the future? Can we make a plan about the future that will Crimea, and Transnistria. The Nagorno from a region nearer to Afghanistan. What’s unite us? Is that possible? Karabakh war began as soon as the USSR fell known, however, is that a handful of men And what about all of Sepastia’s Armenians, not just the descendants of the and lasted until the year 1994, when a cease- under the command of this general fighting Messiayan family? How large must the room be to accommodate all of us? As far as I fire left Armenians in control of most of the ter- against the Persian forces were doomed to lose, know, in the 20th century there were rather large associations of Sepastia Armenians in ritory and established an independent govern- and indeed they did lose. But yet, not com- the diaspora, particularly in New York. One of them, the Reconstruction Union, built a ment. This territory included a corridor which pletely. town called New Sepastia near Yerevan. Later on, this became one of the districts of connected it to Armenia and with additional In the moment before being destroyed by the Yerevan. But these were Soviet times. Not very easy ones. And now? Now, in January territories surrounding Karabakh. Persian fire; before the confrontation that 2021, times are even more difficult. Can we find ways to construct our destiny with our Despite this independence, the Republic of would lead to their death, the princely general own hands in these difficult times? Artsakh received very little recognition from uttered his famous phrase, a phrase which was (Marine Petrossian is a columnist, poet and essayist based in Armenia.) the international community. The ceasefire continued on next page S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR 19 COMMENTARY

and blind followers to gather in Washington on January 6, be held legally responsible for his crimes in a court of law. 2020 and prevent Congress from certifying the votes of the Several members of Trump’s Cabinet have since resigned to Electoral College, confirming that Biden had won the elec- disassociate themselves from the violence in Congress. A tion. Trump even told his followers that he will personally join dozen other high-ranking Trump officials have also resigned. them in the street and march with them. Fortunately, this too The House of Representatives is now considering a new My Turn was a lie. He stayed in the White House and let his followers impeachment trial for President Trump and forward the deci- do his dirty bidding. sion to the U.S. Senate. In recent days, several Republican By Harut Sassounian Thousands of mindless Trumpsters descended on Members of Congress have called on President Trump to Washington, DC from all over the country, most of them not resign or face impeachment. This is the first time in U.S. his- wearing a mask. Some came armed with guns and Molotov tory that a President will be impeached twice. To make sure Trump Could be the First US cocktails. They fought with the police and pushed their way that the Republican majority in the Senate does not block President To Be Impeached Twice in the halls of Congress, the cradle of American democracy. Trump’s conviction like they did last year, the Senate will con- They killed a policeman guarding the Capitol, one protester sider his impeachment after January 20, 2021 when the new When planning to write this column, there were two key was shot and killed and three others died of health-related Senate takes over with a Democratic majority. Even though points I wanted to highlight. The first was that Trump had a problems. They disrupted the joint session of Congress, Trump will no longer be President by then, his successful couple of weeks left in his presidency which millions of peo- threatened the Speaker of the House of Representatives and impeachment will prevent him from holding federal office ple were anxiously looking forward to. My second point was the Vice President of the United States who were immediate- ever again, including running for President! Trump’s depar- that Trump was proven to be the biggest liar in history. Little ly whisked away fearing for their lives. The mob smashed the ture will be a stain on his presidential legacy, in addition to did I know that events in Washington would take a disastrous doors, windows, furniture and paintings, and stole the prop- all his other indiscretions during the past four years. turn that would shake the United States and the world. erty that belonged to the Congress. Not since the British During the last four years of his presidency, Trump has Army attacked the Capitol building in 1814, such a despica- Such a vicious attack is something that usually happens in made hundreds of irrational statements and decisions rarely ble invasion of the seat of power in Washington, D.C., has third world countries and the U.S. government traditionally based on facts or reason. This ignorant man arrogantly occurred. condemns the violence. No one expected that such an claimed that he knew more than the generals about war, It is surprising that the Capitol police, having prior notice undemocratic act would take place in the heart of more than the doctors about coronavirus, more than the of the impending attack, failed to take special measures to Washington which made the United States the laughing financial experts about the economy, etc. He became the defend the building and members of Congress. The chief of stock of the world. Several world leaders, including those of laughing stock of people around the world. the Capitol police has since resigned. Calls for the National Iraq and Iran, lectured the United States about democracy. What is amazing to me is that 74 million Americans blind- Guard went unheeded and were obstructed by the White Even Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the ly followed Trump and voted for him on November 3, 2020. House until later that evening, after the damage was done. vilest dictators in the world, who has repeatedly violated the If it weren’t for the other 81 million Americans who voted for The hoodlums or Trump’s terrorists will not be able to get most basic rights of his people, mocked the United States by Joe Biden, Trump may have remained in office another four away with their crimes. Dozens have been already arrested daring to give Americans a lesson in democracy. years, further destabilizing the United States. I blame and many more are expected to be captured in the next few Returning to Trump’s record of lies, the Washington Post Trump’s blind supporters more than Trump himself, because days. Trump, the chief instigator of these crimes, however, has documented that President Trump, as of Nov. 5, 2020, without them Trump would not have been elected four years remains at large. He is the one that incited the mob to com- has made 29,508 false or misleading claims in almost four ago and would not have caused such damage. mit this violence. The day after the mayhem in Washington, years. By the time he leaves office, the number of his lies will Trump was clever enough to sow the seeds of doubt long in a video speech, Trump proudly told the attackers “We love reach or exceed 30,000 — probably the most lies told by any- ago about the outcome of the presidential elections. you.” Facebook, Twitter and Instagram immediately blocked one in the world. Unfortunately, millions of Trump's followers According to the Washington Post, Trump made bogus elec- his messages so he does not instigate any more violence. His blindly swallowed these lies. tion claims 1,795 times from January to November 2020, thus followers have wrongly called these measures censorship. Regrettably, Trump’s supporters are now calling for a “mil- preparing the ground for refusing to accept the results of the Trump has been repeatedly warned for years that he is vio- lion MAGA [Make America Great Again] march,” in election. During one of his campaign rallies Trump said that lating the terms of service of the social media. He arrogantly Washington on January 20, 2020 to disrupt President Biden’s if he loses the election, he will leave the country, which is the persisted. The social media companies have the right to block inauguration. I hope this time the police and the National best thing he has said, but like all his other statements this him. They should have done so long ago. Furthermore, insti- Guard will be better prepared to keep the protesters under too was a lie! gation of violence and insurrection are crimes. The perpetra- control and immediately arrest those who behave violently. To make matters much worse, Trump called on his loyal tor, in this case Trump, who is the leader of the rioters, must

from previous page it was only after the dissolution of the Ottoman and Austro- Literatura, the first South American cultural digital newspaper embroidered in the armbands of the fighters of the first Hungarian empires that nations really took on their grandness. in Chile, and a couple of days later in Turkish in the Agos news- Nagorno Karabagh war: “Death not understood is death. Death In that time the Soviet Empire secured the idea of brotherhood paper in Turkey. understood is immortality.” of the homo sovieticus between republics and autonomous Just before the ceasefire, I wrote another article, published And they fought and they died and they were defeated. But regions. The Union fell in 1991, bringing the emblems of moder- in Diario Armenia in Buenos Aires, Argentina, about the mis- every February, Vartanants is celebrated. Because they were nity to this region at the gates of the year 2000, when the world understanding of the concept of democracy in the Middle East defeated, and yet remained Christian. Vasak Syuni, who advo- was opening up to the concept of total war. and the Caucasus. cated trading their Christianity for their lives, is still considered In which way and with which elements is a post-Soviet nation The word democracy arises from the French Revolution and a traitor to this day. built? With which epistemic diagrams? With the notion of des- the beginning of the Modern Era. Since bourgeoisie in the Unconscious death is death, conscious death is… What is a tiny and its epic tragic outcome. A fate that does not depend on Middle East and in the Caucasus didn’t get to strengthen, the conscious death? A thought-through death, a chosen death. the action of men but instead is linked to ancestral disputes word democracy doesn’t represent those political regimes. (Which in the West is called suicide?). A deliberate death, a tele- (hatreds, resentments). Therefore, even though in Armenia the last government started ology in death, a death as a mean to achieve an end: immortal- When the prime minister calls for voluntary enlistment he’s as the “Armenian Velvet Revolution,” it’s not possible to affirm ity. Martyrdom. Sacrifice. The reenactment of the Christian pas- calling them to be part of what in Latin America is called that it’s a strict democracy. sion, but without a body. paramilitary groups. Those groups, which in Latin America Let’s remember Christ dies a man and resurrects; his resur- have a mark of excess and outlaw, in the Caucasus are desig- Ana Arzoumanian rection is his immortality, becoming the body and blood in the nated under the repertoire of the defense of the blood. I was born in Buenos Aires in 1962. I am a lawyer, writer and communion given at each Mass: This is my body, he says, and Translating political and military vocabulary into other lan- translator. I have completed a postgraduate course on psycho- the worshippers in-corporate his grace. The sacrifice of guages stumbles upon an impossibility: to transplant semantic analysis at Escuela de Orientación Lacaniana. I am a professor Vartanants is an immortality without a body. fields. A language is produced on the battlefield within a cul- at Tres de Febrero University on Creative Writing, and editor-in- To obey an order, in South America in general, and in ture complete with its myths, its desires, its dreams. chief of the Canoa Literary Collection of Poliedro magazine at Argentina in particular, brings back the memory of the due obe- In an interview on North American TV, the interviewer tells San Isidro University. dience to military dictatorships. To obey an order has the coun- the Armenian foreign minister that the government must assure I have published poetry books: Labios, Debajo de la piedra, terweight of the law and its controls. To obey has for the polit- the right to safety of its population (indicating the risk that El ahogadero, Cuando todo acabe todo acabará, Káukasos, La ical vocabulary a bond with justice, what’s just for the judicial implies sending its population to the battlefront). However, safe- Jesenská; novels: La mujer de ellos, Mar Negro; stories: “La “dictum” which carries the forensic imperium of being applied. ty, in the terms of the South Caucasus, is linked to territory. granada,” “Mía,” “Juana I,” “Del vodka hecho con moras,” To comply with a precept has in Armenia a mythical root: it’s The contemporary Armenian novelist Vahram Martirosyan “Infieles”; and essays: “El depósito humano: una geografía de la said that when a king died, there was such a commotion that titled his novel Landslide, hinting not only at the seismic nature desaparición”; “Hacer violencia. El régimen insurrecto en el his friends threw themselves into the sepulcher, committing sui- of the zone (recall the major Spitak earthquake of 1988) but arte.” cide. The king’s son Artavadz begged his father: “you leave and also to the shifting of borders. I have shot a documentary film about Armenian genocide take the whole country with you. Am I supposed to reign over So the diaspora uses terms that it already comprehends, and Argentinian dictatorship in Argentina and Armenia direct- ruins?”. words that it finds in its own trauma, in its own loss: extermi- ed by Ignacio Dimattia in 2010, The dead father hears the pleas of his son and curses him. nation, genocide, negation. Words that assume absolute victim- When Artavadz goes hunting he falls down a cliff and there he ization, words that admit no negotiation, words that cry for an lives chained for eternity. In each celebration of Navazart, the international penal court or for vengeance. Armenian New Year, the blacksmiths open their workshops, The words in their associative constellation also conform to LETTER stoke the fire and beat the anvil repeatedly with their maces, the battlefield where the effects of a language over the body are strengthening the chains that keep Prince Artavadz prisoner. settled. Prison is the end for he who disobeys his destiny. The poem ends when the war ends. Azadian Analysis on Target And here we stumble upon the idea conceived in the For those who write, the only thing left is to feel. “Once again, thank you for a very insightful analysis of Enlightenment as the founding of political framework: respon- the current events in Transcaucasia and beyond. This arti- sibility. Modernity with the establishment of law and govern- Translated by: Diego Ardouin Trento cle provides much food for thought, what should Armenia ment of the people makes leaders have to answer to those they Editing: Paul Vartan Sookiasian do in this difficult geopolitical crisis... Part of a long term represent, both in their work but also through the elections strategic plan should be to seek a non traditional partner which determine who will lead. Together with the idea of POST- SCRIPTUM: like China.” democracy, it consolidated the concept of sovereignty in the This article was written during the Artsakh war. This is the –Houry Koushakdjian head of a Nation-State which extended as empires fell. first time it is being published in English. The peace of Westphalia created the category of Nation, but It was published in Spanish on October 27, 2020 by Cine y 20 S ATURDAY J ANUARY 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR Nagorno Karabakh Shuffles Top Officials, By Ani Mejlumyan

STEPANAKERT (eurasia.net) — Following campaign to free Kocharyan, the archenemy the defeat to Azerbaijan, the government in of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Nagorno Karabakh has reshuffled many of its who was in jail in Armenia for charges relat- top officials and is preparing for new elections. ed to the violent breakup of protests under On December 1, the head of the self-pro- the old regime. claimed republic, Arayik Harutyunyan, said that In a 2019 interview with Eurasianet, it would start forming a “government of nation- Balasanyan said that Pashinyan was a “Western al accord” to manage the territory “in this peri- project” and that his coming to power “wasn’t od which is so difficult for our motherland.” a revolution but a seizure of power by force.” Since then, several new cabinet officials includ- Since reassuming the position Balasanyan ing a new national security adviser and foreign has signaled a hard line, vowing to further mil- minister have been named, representing a wide itarize the territory. In a December 29 inter- swath of the territory’s political spectrum. view, he said he would be soon creating new “Overall, we can say that the appointments of military structures, including new border units. the new government are completed,” the “Everyone will be obliged to serve, they will be spokesman for president Arayik Harutyunyan, paid, they will get a high salary. This is a sacred Nagorno-Karabakh’s national security adviser Vitaliy Balasanyan, left, and the man he may soon Vahram Poghosyan, told RFE/RL on January duty for each of us,” he said. replace, President Arayik Harutyunyan. (photo: Facebook, Arayik Harutyunyan) 5. “We have to get on with work in order to try In the interview he also said he intended to to get the life back to normal in [Karabakh] as crack down on drinking, drug use, and “sects.” soon as possible.” “People who drink should do it at home,” he decision. “All presidential decrees and govern- The de facto government also has named a The most consequential appointment has said. “Every citizen of Karabakh needs to be ment decisions related to the defense and secu- new foreign minister: David Babayan, currently been that of Vitaliy Balasanyan as national disciplined.” In another interview, he said that rity of [Karabakh] will be adopted only with the an adviser to Harutyunyan, will take over from security adviser. Balasanyan is a veteran of all state workers — including the president — approval of the Security Council,” Harutyunyan Masis Mailyan. the first war with Azerbaijan, in the 1990s, would be banned from using social media while said in a December 16 statement. Several other new figures come from a wide and is a close ally of former Armenian presi- they are at work. Harutyunyan also has said there will be snap variety of political and ideological backgrounds. dents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan. Balasanyan’s position holds substantial elections “in a reasonable time frame,” though Newly appointed Minister of Social and Labor He was national security adviser from 2016- authority: All security forces in the territory he did not provide details. He said he will him- Affairs Mane Tandilyan held the same position 2019 and ran unsuccessfully for president in answer to him, and Harutyunyan has given him self not be running and will be leaving politics. in the Armenian government shortly after elections last year while also helping lead a effective veto power over any security-related Analysts have seen Balasanyan as the early Pashinyan came to power and was a member of frontrunner to take over. “From the recent the Bright Armenia party. [December 16] statement of the president, we Minister of Territorial Administration Hayk see that there has been an effective transition Khanumyan was for a time the only opposition of power to the Security Council and accord- member of Karabakh’s parliament, and also Donations ingly to Balasanyan,” political analyst Hakob unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020. The Badalyan told RFE/RL. The upcoming elec- new presidential chief of staff Artak Beglaryan Aranosian Family, Concord, NH $5000 tions “can be expected to be a confirmation of was formerly the territory’s human rights Sirop and Maro Bedrosian, Houston, TX $1000 that political power,” Badalyan said. ombudsman. Simon John Simonian, Pacific Palisades, CA $1000 Balasanyan’s rise has been closely noted in However, Balasanyan has suggested that he V.H.L. Developments Inc., Toronto, Ontario $1000 Azerbaijan, where he is seen as a hardliner and pro- also will hold veto power over all senior appoint- Paul T. Boghosian, Belmont, MA $1000 Russia figure. A recent report from the independent ments, even the newly named officials. The Vartkess and Rita Balian Family Foundation, Arlington, VA $500 Azerbaijani agency Turan identified him as a “par- “All the high-ranking positions will be dis- Leon S. Yengoyan, San Jose, CA $100 ticipant in the Khojaly genocide,” a massacre of cussed in the Security Council,” he said in a Berdj Kiladjian, Winchester, MA $100 Azerbaijani civilians in the first Karabakh war, as December 28 interview. “Even those who have Rosemond J. Shirinian, San Francisco, CA $100 well as “a speaker of pure Azerbaijani” and a “harsh already been appointed but are not competent public critic of Pashinyan.” will be replaced.”