THE ARMENIAN MIRRORc SPECTATOR Since 1932 Volume LXXXXI, NO. 47, Issue 4689 JUNE 12, 2021 $2.00 Sununu Family Continues to Support Armenian Azerbaijan through Authorities Mining in Karabakh By Aram Arkun Accused of Mirror-Spectator Staff CONCORD, N.H. — As the Mir- Disrespecting ror-Spectator reported last November, the Anglo Asian Mining company, in which Republican politician John Henry Sununu, War Dead father of current New Hampshire gover- nor Chris Sununu, is the second largest YEREVCAN (RFE/RL) — The direc- shareholder, plans to resume mining gold tor and two other employees of a morgue in Zangelan province and possibly two were fired on Wednesday as the Armenian other areas that were previously under Ar- authorities faced accusations of showing menian control. disrespect to the bodies of Armenian sol- John Sununu, a former governor of New diers killed during last year’s war in Na- Hampshire and former chief of staff to gorno-Karabakh. President George H. W. Bush, owns a 9.38 At least 3,800 of them died during six percent stake in the company. After the weeks of heavy fighting with Azerbaija- end of the 2020 Artsakh War, the Sununu ni forces stopped by a Russian-brokered family increased its direct involvement in ceasefire in November. Hundreds of others A family receiving their hives and bee colonies, flanked by Anahit Kosakyan the company, when in December of last remain unaccounted for. (in red at left) and Gayané Muratyan, TCA representative in Armenia at right year, Anglo Asian Mining welcomed Mi- Their relatives have regularly staged protests in recent months to demand that the Armenian government do more to re- cover the bodies of their loved ones or Sustainable Assistance shed more light on their whereabouts. Many of them distrust official data on still Tekeyan Cultural Association Helps Berdzor unidentified bodies of dead soldiers kept at Armenian morgues. Refugees Earn Incomes and Live in Armenia On Monday, some angry relatives forced their way into the mortuaries to count the WATERTOWN — The Tekeyan Cul- Around it assembled an active commu- number of corpses and body parts stored tural Association of the USA and Can- nity of new settlers. The renovations in- there. They took pictures inside a morgue ada (TCA) supported the development cluded 17 classrooms, the reception hall, in Abovian, a town 15 kilometers north of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev of the strategic Kashatagh (Lachin) cor- the roof, drinking water connection, and, Yerevan. with former Governor John H. Sununu ridor and made significant investments most recently, new bathrooms on each of The photographs circulated on social pictured at a meeting in Washington, in the region. The TCA supported the the four floors. The Tekeyan school be- media showed plastic bags filled with hu- DC in March 2016 (Photo: trend.az) Berdzor Tekeyan school in the principal came the talk of the town and its enroll- man remains lying on the ground in its town of the corridor and during the past ment grew to be over 220 students. basement, which was not refrigerated to chael Sununu to its board as a non-execu- six years undertook the responsibility of The 44-day Artsakh war arrived at the prevent their decomposition. They caused tive director. Michael is the son of former considerable renovations, while the TCA end of last year. The unforeseen scenario uproar in the country, with many accusing governor John Sununu and is a founder Sponsor a Teacher program supported its of vacating the school became a reality. the authorities of dishonoring the Arme- and manager of Sununu Enterprises and teachers and staff financially. The town of Berdzor and its neighbor- nian soldiers killed in action. Sununu Holdings. Classroom after classroom, the ing regions (Kashatagh) fell into enemy The Armenian Ministry of Health ini- Anglo Asian Mining’s predecessor school’s dilapidated facilities were reno- hands. All of a sudden, its residents, tially denied that their remains are kept in company, controlled by the same CEO, vated and the school of 20 students grew students and teachers were forced to degrading conditions. But Health Minister see SUNUNU, page 7 to became the attraction of the region. see ASSISTANCE, page 10 see ACCUSATIONS, page 3 (Source: MOD) CSTO Announces War Games in Armenia as Border Standoff Continues By Raffi Elliott fourth week after several hundred Azerbaijani sol- Special to the Mirror-Spectator diers illegally entered Armenian territory on foot on May 12. YEREVAN — The Collective Security Treaty Armenia officially triggered Article 2 of the Organization, (CSTO), a post-Soviet defensive CSTO’s mutual security treaty just under two alliance of six member-states including Armenia, days after the incursion was recorded. However, has confirmed that it will hold large-scale military aside from statements of concern, the organiza- drills in Armenia this year. The war games, dubbed tion has until now refrained from openly back- “Thunder 2021,” were announced as a tense stand- ing its South Caucasian ally in the matter. In the off on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border enters its see STANDOFF, page 3 Armenian and CSTO soldiers drilling during War Games LATVIA GLENDALE NEW YORK Armenia Is an 45-Year-Old Massis Orbelian Named Inexhaustible Storehouse Kabob Outgrows Mall Music Director of New of Beauty and Wisdom Food Court York City Opera Page 12 Page 12 Page 17 2 Saturday, JUNE 12, 2021 ARMENIAN MIRROR-Spectator ARMENIA NEWS from ARMENIA Consumer Spending, Financial Literacy Facing Lebanese-Armenian POW Put on Trial in Baku Stress in Post-Covid, Post-War Armenia BAKU (PanARMENIAN.Net) — The preliminary court hearing By Cristopher Patvakanian However, despite the emphasis on reducing waived from late fees and penalties from in the case of Viken Euljekjian, Special to the Mirror-Spectator traffic towards in person banking services, the bank, while having their fines or credit a Lebanese citizen of Armenian there was still a 7.5% growth in the ac- classifications being considered on an indi- descent captured by the Azerbai- YEREVAN – The financial system and counts created in 2020, compared to 5.6% vidual basis. For those families in Artsakh, jani military after the end of the spending patterns of many Armenians were account growth in 2019. a policy was proposed by the Artsakh Re- war in Nagorno-Karabakh in fall not isolated from the shocks to Armenian public in February to allow individuals and 2020, is being held on June 8. He society following the pandemic and 2020 Impact of 2020 War legal entities that have mortgage, business, was charged with “mercenary ac- war. Quantifying the impact of war on finan- consumer loans and loans received before tivity, “terrorism, “illegal crossing Financial literacy – knowledge of one’s cial literacy and behavior is challenging, as September 27, 2020 to use state support of the state border,” Sputnik Azer- earnings, spending, savings, and financial many key statistics, indicators, and survey in the near future. Similarly, from October baijan reports. Euljekjian is now planning capacity, plays an important role results have not yet been released. Howev- 2020 to March 31, 2021, individual bor- under custody in Azerbaijan, in in consumer spending behavior. By some er, during periods of crisis and uncertainty, rowers were provided with a grace period gross violation of the international metrics, Armenia’s level of such knowl- if there is low trust in the government and for principal amounts of up to 30 million humanitarian law. He was earlier edge is among the lowest in the region. financial system, there are several measur- drams or equivalent foreign currency loan transferred to a hospital reportedly According to the S&P’s Global Financial able changes that can be observed, such as liabilities (except for mortgage and gold after suffering back pains. Literacy Survey, per its 2014 survey, only 18% of adults were overall financially lit- UN General Assembly erate in the country, compared to 36% in Azerbaijan and 30% in Georgia. That sur- Elects Margaryan vey asked 4 basic questions on numeracy, As Budgetary and interest compounding, inflation, and risk Administrative diversification, and the result showed only Committee Chair 18% of Armenians were able to answer at least 3 of those questions correctly. In NEW YORK (Panorama.am) — times of crisis, it is more important than During the Plenary of the United ever to have a good understanding of the Nations General Assembly on June financial system and a society with high fi- 7, the Permanent Representative nancial literacy. of Armenia to the United Nations Incidentally, the situation is not much Mher Margaryan was unanimously better in the United States, as only around elected as a Chair of the Adminis- 30% of Americans would be considered fi- trative and Budgetary Committee, nancially “literate” based on a similar sur- one of the six main committees vey. of the UN General Assembly, for A recent study on Armenia is the Finan- the 76th session of the UNGA, cial Capability Barometer, conducted by the Permanent Mission of Arme- the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) from nia to the UN reported. In his re- 2014-2019. The Barometer looked at more marks Margaryan expressed his thematic groups and categories beyond gratitude to the representatives of simple questions of financial knowledge, the UN member states for the ex- capturing also the skills, attitude, behavior A shopping mall in Armenia pression of confidence. He stressed metrics of financial literacy of Armenians his commitment to lead the works across the country. The study found that of the Committee in an objective the overall “behavior” of individuals – the dollarization and levels of savings kept in loans), and the loan repayment period was and inclusive manner aimed at the number of people taking concrete actions the bank.