AUGUST 1, 2020 MMirror-SpeirTHEror-SpeARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXXI, NO. 3, Issue 4645 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 IN BRIEF Mkhitarian Gifts Armenia, Armenia Team Jerseys Azerbaijan To Soldiers YEREVAN (Armenpress) — On July 27, Armenian national football team captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan Urged to gifted Armenian national team jerseys to the sol- diers, wounded during the military operations in the north-eastern part of Armenian-Azerbaijani Restart state border in July, the Football Federation of Armenia reported. Mkhitaryan promised to meet the soldiers and Peace Talks sign the jerseys when he returns to Armenia. “I thank you for standing firmly and defending YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — US, Russian the borders of our homeland,” Mkhitaryan wrote in and French mediators have urged his letter to the soldiers. Armenia and Azerbaijan to gear up for “serious substantive negotiations” on Armenians at the Federal Building protest in Boston July 22 (photo Vrej Ashjian) resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh con- US House Approves flict after recent deadly clashes on their More Funding For Mine border. In a weekend statement, the three co- Azerbaijanis Attempt to Counter Clearance In Karabakh chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group also welcomed the current “relative stabili- WASHINGTON — The US House of ty” along a section of the border where Two Boston Demonstrations Representatives approved on Thursday, July 23, heavy fighting broke out on July 12 and $1.4 million in fresh US funding for humanitarian left at least 17 soldiers from both sides By Aram Arkun demining operations in Nagorno-Karabakh carried dead. Mirror-Spectator Staff out by a British charity. The hostilities largely stopped on July The HALO Trust has cleared tens of thousands of BOSTON – Two successive Armenian 16. The conflicting parties have since anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines, mostly left public events to raise awareness of the reported sporadic ceasefire violations over from the 1991-1994 Armenian-Azerbaijani war, recent attacks on the Armenian border by mainly involving small arms. since it began its work in Karabakh in 2001. The US Azerbaijan were disrupted in the Boston An Armenian army soldier, Ashot Congress has financed the effort as part of its direct area by Azerbaijanis or their supporters Mikaelyan, was shot dead at the volatile humanitarian assistance to the Armenian-populated last week. border section early on Monday in what territory allocated over strong Azerbaijani objec- On July 22, the Armenian Youth the Defense Ministry in Yerevan tives. Federation (AYF) Greater Boston Nejdeh described as Azerbaijani sniper fire. The current US administration has sought to end Chapter organized a “die-in” protest at the “The Co-Chairs appeal to the sides to that assistance. An amendment to a House bill on Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Federal Building in take advantage of the current reduction US foreign aid in the fiscal year 2021 requires it Boston. According to Meghri Dervartanian, in active hostilities to prepare for seri- continue funding the demining program in a member of the chapter, it took place from ous substantive negotiations to find a Karabakh. 4:30 to 7 p.m. She said, “Most of us lay on comprehensive solution to the conflict,” The amendment was drafted by three members of the ground or sidewalk with signs stating read the statement. “The Co-Chairs the House, one of whom, Jackie Speier, argued that ‘Stop Azeri aggression,’ ‘Armenia pro-peace, stress once more that refraining from Karabakh has one of the highest per capita mine Azerbaijan wants war,’ and ‘Armenia wants provocative statements and actions, accident rates in the world. More than 400 of its res- peace.’ It is not something you see every day, including threats or perceived threats idents have been killed there by landmines since so that got a lot of attention.” Armenians to civilians or to critical infrastructure, 1994. standing around would explain to passersby is essential during this delicate period.” Azerbaijani at Harvard Square Armenian The measure was also co-sponsored by more than what was going on in more detail. “The Co-Chairs note that recent pub- dance flash mob (photo Vrej Ashjian) 30 other lawmakers. Armenian-American advocacy see BOSTON, page 10 lic statements criticizing the joint groups lobbied hard for its passage. efforts of the co-chairing countries, “Today’s vote represents a powerful rebuke to the and/or seeking unilaterally to establish Azerbaijani government-driven, State Department- new “conditions” or changes to the set- Azerbaijanis Vandalize supported effort to end Artsakh’s demining pro- tlement process format are not con- KZV Armenian School gram despite its remarkable record of having ducive to resuming a constructive dia- removed tens of thousands of landmines and saving countless lives,” said the Armenian National logue,” it said. By Alin K. Gregorian Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev Committee of America (ANCA). Mirror-Spectator Staff lambasted the mediators and threat- “For a relatively small investment, the United ened to withdraw from further peace States can make a significant difference for the peo- talks just days before the flare-up on the SAN FRANCISCO — Some Azerbaijanis ple of Nagorno-Karabakh, especially for the chil- border between Armenia’s northern around the world are targeting Armenians, dren,” it said in a statement. Tavush province and Azerbaijan’s possibly responding to jingoistic messages The aid allocation also needs to be backed by the Tovuz district. Aliyev specifically blast- issued by the country’s government, in the US Senate. ed their regular assertions that the wake of that country’s sudden act of aggres- Karabakh conflict cannot be solved mil- sion against Armenia. itarily. In the wake of the defeat, the govern- For his part, Armenian Prime ments of both Azerbaijan and Turkey have INSIDE Minister Nikol Pashinyan said last issued incendiary messages aimed at their Thursday that Karabakh must become a own diasporas, as well as Armenians both in “full-fledged party to negotiations” Armenia and abroad. mediated by the Minsk Group co-chairs. see KZV SCHOOL, page 11 Modern Folk see TALKS, page 3 Tar Music First Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Coronavirus Vaccine in US Begins Page 12 Savannah, Georgia. By Elizabeth Cohen, John Bonifield and Jamie Gumbrecht The trial is expected to enroll about 30,000 adult volunteers and evaluates INDEX the safety of the Moderna/NIH vaccine Armenia . 2-3 SAVANNAH, Ga. (CNN) — The first Moderna and the National Institute of and whether it can prevent symptomatic Arts and Living . 12 Phase 3 clinical trial of a coronavirus vac- Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of Covid-19 after two doses, among other Community News. 7 cine in the United States began Monday, the National Institutes of Health. The outcomes. Volunteers will receive either Editorial . 18 July 27. trial is to be conducted at nearly 100 US two 100 microgram injections of the vac- International . 4-6 The investigational vaccine was devel- research sites, according to Moderna. The cine or a placebo about 28 days apart. oped by the biotechnology company first patient was dosed at a site in see MODERNA, page 20 2 S ATURDAY A UGUST 1 , 2 0 2 0 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Pashinyan Explains Why Azerbaijan Armenia Reports 239 Attacked Armenia and not Karabakh New Coronavirus Cases YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net, made Azerbaijan choose Armenia for just intend to allocate funds very quick- Panorama.am) — In a recent interview the attack and revealed that there are ly so that work could begin for further YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Armenia confirmed with RBC, Armenian Prime Minister many Azerbaijani settlements near the larger-scale efforts. I would like to 239 new coronavirus infections in a 24-hour period, Nikol Pashinyan has weighed in on the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh, and inform our society that during the pre- bringing the national tally to 37,629 as of 11 a.m. recent escalation on the Armenian- it is now quite difficult for Azerbaijan to vious meeting we discussed this issue Tuesday, July 28, the Ministry of Health reports. Azerbaijani border, and explained why launch an attack in that direction. behind closed doors. Without going into A total of 692 more patients have recovered from Azerbaijan attacked the territory of “They attacked in a spot where not so the details of the content of that dis- COVID-19 with the total number of recoveries now Armenia, and not Nagorno-Karabakh. many video surveillance systems have cussion, I will simply note that we have standing at 27,357. According to Pashinyan, the bellicose been installed. There is only one come to the conclusion that conceptual The coronavirus death toll has increased by 8 to rhetoric of Azerbaijani President Ilham Azerbaijani village in this direction, and policy changes need to be made with 719. Aliyev has been growing in recent a lot of Armenian ones,” he added. regard to border villages. In general, The latest victims were 89 (female), 54 (female), months, and literally a week before the In addition, at a cab- 63 (male), 85 (male), 64 (male), 74 (male), 62 (male) escalation, Aliyev threatened to with- inet meeting on July and 89 (male) years old. All had underlying chronic draw from negotiations on a peaceful 23, the Government health conditions. settlement. decided to allocate 25 In addition, according to the ministry, 2 cases of “There is a nuance as to why they million drams to the death were recorded in the past 24 hours when the attacked not in the direction of regional administra- patients tested positive for COVID-19, but the cause Nagorno-Karabakh, but in the direction tion in Tavush. At least of death was another disease.