NOVEMBER 3, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 16, Issue 4560 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Russia Accuses US of Bolton Vows to ‘Squeeze Iran,’ Explore Driving Wedge in Weapons Sales to Armenia Relations with Armenia MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Russia has chided the United States, alleging Washington is trying to YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — US national- sile programs and its active conventional er met in Baku with Azerbaijan’s drive a wedge between Moscow and Armenia. security adviser John Bolton has vowed military operations in Syria and Iraq and President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on that President Donald Trump’s administra- elsewhere.” Minister Elmar Mammadyarov vowing October 29 that it took issue with US National tion will “squeeze Iran” with maximum Bolton said Washington doesn’t want to that Washington will continue to support Security Adviser John Bolton’s comments during economic pressure in response to Tehran’s “cause damage to our friends in the a peaceful resolution to the conflict a visit to Yerevan on October 25 that the Kremlin “malign” behavior in the Middle East and says were a thinly veiled call for Armenia to around the world. break with its traditional ally, Russia. Bolton made the remarks in an interview Bolton “demanded openly that Armenia with RFE/RL on October 25 after he met renounce historical patterns [sic] in its interna- in Yerevan with Armenian Prime Minister tional relations and hardly bothered to conceal Nikol Pashinyan. the fact that this implied Armenia’s traditional “As I explained to the prime minister, we friendship with Russia,” the ministry said in want to put maximum pressure on Iran a statement. because it has not given up the pursuit of “Naturally, he did not forget to advertise US nuclear weapons,” Bolton told RFE/RL’s weapons that Armenia should buy instead of Armenian Service. “It remains the world’s Russian weapons,” it added. central banker of international terrorism. Armenia has long had close ties with Russia, And we’re concerned about its ballistic-mis- but questions about relations between the two have risen since Nikol Pashinyan led a bloodless revolution to oust Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, seen as close to Moscow. ARF Archives Parliament Terror Open to the Public Anniversary Marked For First Time Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right) meets US national-security adviser YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Acting Prime John Bolton in Yerevan on October 25. Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan paid trib- ute to the memory of the victims of the October 27, 1999, terror attack in the Armenian parlia- By Aram Arkun process” of expanding sanctions against between Baku and Yerevan over ment. Mirror-Spectator Staff Iran, which shares a border with Armenia. Nagorno-Karabakh. Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan accompa- He said that’s why he “stressed” to Bolton said he and Pashinyan “talked a nied Pashinyan in the homage ceremony. Pashinyan, in advance, that the Trump lot, obviously, about Nagorno-Karabakh,” WATERTOWN — For the first time in Pashinyan, Babloyan, acting First Deputy administration is “going to enforce these and that he is aware of the economic diffi- Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, lawmakers, fam- their history, a substantial portion of the sanctions very vigorously” and that the culties Armenia faces as a result of the archives of the Armenian Revolutionary ily members of the victims and parliament staff Armenian-Iranian border is “going to be a “geographical situation and historical laid flowers at the memorial to the October 27 Federation (ARF) and the first Republic of significant issue.” antecedents” related to the conflict. Armenia, held in the Hairenik Building in shooting victims outside the National Assembly “We are going to squeeze Iran because Armenia’s borders with Azerbaijan (parliament) building. Watertown, have been opened to the pub- we think their behavior in the Middle East remain closed as a result of their ongoing lic. On the evening of October 25, leaders On that day in 1999, a group of gunmen assassi- and, really globally, is malign and needs to conflict. Turkey, in solidarity with nated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker of of Boston-area Armenian organizations be changed,” Bolton said. Azerbaijan, also has closed its border with were invited to the Papken Suni Armenian- Parliament Karen Demirchyan, two deputy speak- Bolton’s talks with Pashinyan came a Armenia. ers, a cabinet member and three lawmakers. American Social Club for a wine-and-cheese day after the US national-security advis- see BOLTON, page 2 reception and a first look at the archives next door. The event was intended as an Major Charity Concert educational part of the celebration of the centennial of the first Republic of Armenia. In Paris Planned in Joshua Tevekelian, chairman of the ARF Boston Sardarabad Committee, welcomed Honor of Aznavour the organizational representatives. He said PARIS — The Presidents of Armenia and France, that a group of members of the ARF and Armen Sarkissian and Emmanuel Macron, sister organizations already have been announced this week that they have agreed to orga- given this tour and that now the wider nize a charity concert in Paris in memory of community is being invited. Tevekelian Charles Aznavour in October 2019. declared that, “The archives do not belong While in Armenia for the 17th Francophonie just to our organization, but to the Summit, Macron and his wife attended the inaugu- see ARCHIVES, page 10 ration of the Aznavour Centre in Yerevan. INSIDE From left, Vartkes Kourouyan, Hagop Avedikian, Edmond Azadian, Diaspora Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Suren Sargysan, Armen Kashkashian Manuelian and Dr. Hratch Kouyoumdjian ADL Central Committee Members Bach at You Meet with Pashinyan Page 14 YEREVAN — Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received members of the Egyptian-Armenian Central Committee of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party on October 30. The meeting focused on the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora ties and issues related INDEX to political events in Armenia. Arts and Living . 12 Artist Chant Armenia . 2,3 Pashinyan expressed the hope that the process will have a positive effect on the Community News. 5 Avedissian Dies ADL’s activities in the country and will advance the party’s involvement in the Editorial . 18 development and enhancement of the political process. International . 4 See full story on Page 8. see ADL, page 2 2 S ATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Yerevan among Global Top 10 Tech Cities YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Enterprise Times, a British online platform covering business technology news, has included Yerevan among its 10 Best Cities for having a tech career. Yerevan is ranked 4th in the top 10 list, titled “Yerevan – Silicon Mountains.” “Research shows that by 2025, the need for pro- grammers in Armenia will have tripled to 30,000. This is largely due to the ever-increasing innovation in their tech sector. A sector that is growing at an annual rate of 20 percent and shows no signs of slow- ing down. If you haven’t considered a move to the country previously, it’s worth considering,” Enterprise Times noted in the recent article. The top 10 cities for a tech career, according to the publication are San Francisco, New York, Austin, Yerevan, Singapore, Melbourne, London, Stockholm, Bangalore and Toronto. From left, Armen Manuelian, Dr. Hratch Kouyoumdjian, Edmond Azadian, Hagop Vartivarian, SurenSargysan, and Man Armed with Vartkes Kourouyan Grenade Tries to Enter Government Offices ADL Central Committee Members Meet with Pashinyan YEREVAN (Armenpress) — A man armed with a hand grenade attempted to breach the government ADL, from page 1 headquarters in Republic Square on October 27, act- The members of the ADL Central Committee expressed their willingness use the party’s structures outside ing First Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan told Armenia to promote the realization of the potential of the Diaspora to help Armenia. The members said that they RFE/RL’s Armenian service Azatutyun. intend to organize a business conference soon in Yerevan with the participation of diasporan Armenian business- Avinyan was inside the building when the incident men, in which the latter will be familiarized with the existing investment environment in Armenia and outline new took place. programs. Police officers cordoned off the entrance to the Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the initiative and proposed that they cooperate with the relevant agencies of the gov- building after the incident. ernment on such work. According to preliminary information the man was detained by national security agents. No injuries were reported in the incident. History Museum to Bolton Vows to ‘Squeeze Iran,’ Explore Participate in British Weapons Sales to Armenia Museum Exhibition BOLTON, from page 1 “As I said to the prime minister, if democracy” are “really fundamental to YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The “I Am Thus, if Yerevan adheres to US sanc- it’s a question of buying Russian mili- Armenia exercising its full sovereignty Ashurbanipal, King Of The World, King Of Assyria” tions against Iran, Armenia would tary equipment versus buying US mil- and not being dependent on — or sub- exhibition will open at London’s British Museum have only Georgia as a neighboring itary equipment, we’d prefer the lat- ject to — excessive foreign influence.” November 8 and will run through February 24, trading partner — raising concerns in ter,” he said. “We think our equip- Bolton also noted that a large com- 2019. Yerevan about how Russian pressure ment is better than the Russians’ any- munity of Armenian-American citizens The Culture Ministry of Armenia announced that against Tbilisi would impact Armenia. way. So we want to look at that.