STATEMENT RELEASED AFTER THE MEETING“We, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. H. Aliyev, Prime

Minister of the Republic of Armenia N. V. Pashinyan and President of theRussian Federation V. V. Putin declare the following:• In order to implement part of point 9 of the Statement of November9, 2020 regarding the unblocking of all economic and transportationroutes in the region, we support the proposal of thePresident of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin on theestablishment of a tripartite Working Group under thejoint chairmanship of the Vice-Prime Ministers of theRepublic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armeniaand Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.• The Working Group will hold the first meeting untilJanuary 30, 2021, based on the results of which it willform a list of the main areas of work arising from theimplementation of point 9 of the Statement, setting rail-way and road communications as priorities, and will alsodetermine other areas as agreed between the Republic ofAzerbaijan, the Republic Armenia and the RussianFederation, hereinafter referred to as the Parties.

see STATEMENT, page 2

INSIDE

NEWS IN BRIEF

NFL Cleats For Artsakh

Page 12

INDEXArmenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3Arts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5

Mirror- SpectatorMirror- SpectatorTHE ARMENIAN

Volume LXXXXI, NO. 26, Issue 4668

JANUARY 16 , 2 021

$ 2.00

The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932

Armenia QuarantineExtended Until July 11YEREVAN (Armenpess) — According to the

Government decision of January 11, the quarantineregime has been prolonged until July 11 aimed atdiminishing the risks of spreading COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health announced that the adop-tion of the decision is conditioned by the fact thatsituation of the COVID-19 pandemic remains tenseand the WHO warns of the 3rd wave of the rise ofpandemic (given the experience of a number ofcountries like the UK, Spain, Germany, France,Russia).

At the same time, considering the existing situa-tion over the pandemic in Armenia, some limita-tions have been lifted or mitigated, particularly,

Foreign citizens can enter Armenia also throughthe land border, if at the check point they presentdocument on negative COVID-19 test dating back72 hours or less.

Bodies of 10 Soldiers,Civilians Found

STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — The bodies of10 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 andHadrut, the official of the State Emergency Serviceof Artsakh Hunan Tadevosyan announced onJanuary 11.

“The bodies of the fallen troops were found fromthe sections of the military positions. The dead civil-ian is an elderly man. His body was found at home.He has been identified. Forensic examination hasbeen set to clarify the circumstances of his death.

So far, a total of 1222 bodies of servicemen andcivilians have been found.

Trilateral GroupDiscusses POWs’ Return

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — By the initiative of theRussian Prosecutor General, a trilateral meetingtook place between the Prosecutor Generals ofArmenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on January 12.

The goal was to establish further contacts in thefield of international law andto discuss conditionsfor that.

Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyanhighlighted the speedy implementation of the 8thpoint of the trilateral declaration signed ofNovember 9, 2020, regarding the returningArmenian POWs and other persons kept inAzerbaijan to Armenia.

He emphasized that the return of POWs and civil-ians kept in detention will become an importantguarantee for the implementation of the otheragreements provided by the trilateral agreementand strengthening peace in the region.

Armenia Fund SetNew FundraisingRecords DuringKarabakh WarReport of Allocations Delayed

By Aram Arkun

GLENDALE, Calif. – The Artsakhwar of 2020 may have had disastrousresults, but it also led to unprecedent-ed fundraising in the Armenian diaspo-ra. Armenia Fund, a nonprofit non-governmental pan-Armenian humani-tarian organization in the UnitedStates, set new records during the war.

see FUNDRAISING, page 9

MOSCOW (Combined Sources) —Following talks in the Kremlin onMonday, January 11, RussianPresident Vladimir Putin, ArmenianPrime Minister Nikol Pashinyan andAzerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevsigned a joint statement on thedevelopment of Karabakh.

According to the Russian leader, theplan for the implementation of theagreement will soon be presented bythe deputy prime ministers of the three

countries. They will lead a trilateralworking group that will deal with therestoration of economic, trade andtransport links, as well as the openingof borders in Nagorno-Karabakh. Inaddition, working expert subgroups willbe formed.

Putin, Aliyev and PashinyanSign Statement on Karabakh

From left, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin

Protestors in Moscow

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyanembraces President Vladimir Putin (topleft), as does his Azerbaijani counter-part, President Ilham Aliyev

A Toast to a Happy SeriesOf Accidents Leading toBetter CocktailsPage 6

The Armenia Fund purchases mobilityaids and supplies for disabled veteransin Armenia and Artsakh

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ARMENIA

Political Analyst BalyanAnnounces Creation ofNew Political Party

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Armenian politicalanalyst Vardan Balyan on Tuesday, January 12,announced the creation of a new political party toreplace the current Armenian authorities “unable totake decisive action” and to restore the image of thepeople and country.“The purpose is to unite all vital national forces in

building, with the efforts of every Armenian, an hon-est and fair state that will defend our language, cul-ture, faith, freedom, honor and homeland,” he wroteon Facebook.“The founding congress of the party is scheduled

for a symbolic day for us – on February 21 celebrat-ed as the International Mother Language Day,”Balyan added.The political analyst said that they will begin pub-

lishing documents on their programs and forming aninitiative group starting from Wednesday.

700 Private Houses toBe Provided to Displaced

People of ArtsakhSTEPANAKERT (Panorama.am) — Within the

framework of the program to repair uninhabited pri-vate houses in Askeran, Martuni and Martakertregions to be provided to displaced people ofArtsakh, the restoration of 71 private houses beganas of December 30, 2020. 34 of them have alreadybeen put into operation, while the rest are under ren-ovation.The Artsakh Ministry of Urban Development

reports that the renovation of the planned 700 pri-vate houses will start in the near future, immediate-ly after receiving the data on the number of unin-habited houses by the regional administrations.An agreement has been reached between 28 con-

struction companies and the Ministry of UrbanDevelopment of Artsakh to start the renovation ofthose private houses in parallel with the restorationworks.Rural private houses, in addition to interior and

exterior decoration, will have a kitchen and an inter-nal bathroom.Meanwhile, the regional administrations are nego-

tiating respective agreements with the owners ofuninhabited private houses. In addition, the programalso includes those houses in rural areas where vir-tually no one has lived for many years.The program will be funded by the Hayastan All-

Armenian Fund.

Russian Deminers CoverMore Ground in ArtsakhYEREVAN (Armenpress) — The specialists of the

International Mine Action Center of the Russiandefense ministry continue demining works in the ter-ritory of Nagorno Karabakh, the Russian defenseministry reported on January 9.The Russian de-miners have cleared 6.5 hectares

of land in one day.So far, the engineering units of the Russian peace-

keeping forces have already cleared nearly 446.4hectares of land, about 165 km long roads, 618buildings. 22,542 explosive devices were found andneutralized.

Komitas Coin WinsAward

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — A silver collector’scoin issued by the Central Bank of Armenia in 2019and dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birthof the world-renowned Armenian composer and musi-cologist Komitas took the 3rd place in the nomina-tion “Coin of the Year” in the 14th internationalcontest “Coin Constellation-2020” (RF), the CBAtold Armenpress.The designers of the “Komitas-150” coin are:

Vardan Vardanyan (obverse) and Eduard Kurghinyan(reverse).The coin is minted in the Lithuanian Mint.

News From Armenia

STATEMENT, from page 1• In order to implement the main direc-tions of activity, the co-chairs of theWorking Group will approve the com-position of the expert subgroups inthese areas made of officials of the com-petent authorities and organizations ofthe Parties. The expert subgroups, with-in a month after the meeting of theWorking Group, will present a list ofprojects with justification of the neces-sary resources and activities for theirimplementation and approval at thehighest level by the Parties.

• The Working Group, by March 1,2021, will submit for approval at thehighest level by the Parties a list and aschedule for the implementation ofmeasures involving the restoration andconstruction of new transport infra-structure facilities necessary for theorganization, implementation and secu-rity of international traffic carried outthrough the Republic of Azerbaijan andthe Republic of Armenia, as well astransportations carried out by theRepublic of Azerbaijan and theRepublic of Armenia, which requirecrossing the territories of the Republicof Azerbaijan and the Republic ofArmenia.

Speaking after Meeting“I am sure that the implementation of

these agreements will benefit both theArmenian and Azerbaijani people and,without any doubt, will benefit theregion as a whole, and therefore theinterests of the Russian Federation,”Putin stressed.

Pashinyan agreed that the agree-ments reached at the meeting inMoscow would lead to greater securityguarantees in Karabakh and helpchange the economic image of theregion.

Pashinyan thanked Russian PresidentVladimir Putin for the efforts he isinvesting in restoring stability and secu-rity in the region and in resolving theNagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Unfortunately, this conflict has notbeen resolved. Of course, we managedto secure the ceasefire, but there arestill many issues that must be resolved.One of these issues is the issue of thestatus of Nagorno-Karabakh, andArmenia is ready to continue negotia-tions within the framework of theOSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship,”Pashinyan said.

“Unfortunately, today we were unableto resolve the issue of prisoners of war,and this is the most sensitive andpainful issue, because it is a humanitar-

ian issue. We agreed that we will con-tinue to work in this direction,” he said.

Pashinyan noted that the 8th point ofthe joint statement of November 10,2020, is not fully implemented.

“I hope that we will be able to cometo a concrete decision in the shortestpossible time,” he added.

The 8th point of the statement of thePresident of Azerbaijan, the PrimeMinister of Armenia and the Presidentof Russia on November 10, 2020, callsfor the exchange of prisoners of war,hostages and other detained personsand the bodies of the dead.

According to the Armenian PrimeMinister, the statement signed onJanuary 11 may change the economicappearance of the region.

“The statement we signed today isreally very important, and I will not hidethe fact that the implementation of thisstatement can simply change the eco-nomic image and appearance of ourregion, and economic innovations canalso lead to more reliable security guar-antees,” Pashinyan said.

He declared his readiness to workconstructively in this direction, “but,unfortunately, it is impossible to resolveall issues during one meeting.”

“I hope that we will continue toadvance. I would like to emphasize onceagain that the most important issue forus at the moment is humanitarianissues, issues of exchange of prisonersof war, which are provided for in para-graph 8 of our joint statement ofNovember 10,” Pashinyan said.

“Unfortunately, we did not managetoday to solve the issue of prisoners ofwar,” Pashinyan said after the talks.

He said that Baku is still not fullycomplying with another provision of thetruce agreement that calls for theexchange of all prisoners of war andcivilians held by the conflicting sides. “Ihope that we will succeed in finding aconcrete solution very soon,” added theArmenian premier.

In addition, the issue concerningKarabakh’s status remains unresolved,Pashinyan stated.

“Unfortunately, this conflict remainsunresolved. Of course, we were able toreach a ceasefire regime, yet there aremany issues to be addressed. One ofthose issues is the status of Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Pashinyan, addingArmenia is ready to continue the talksunder the auspices of the OSCE MinskGroup.

Pashinyan also noted that the partiesto the talk were unable to find a solu-tion on the exchange of war prisoners.

“This is a sensitive topic, and we mustaddress it urgently,” said the PM.

Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev,meanwhile, assessed the meeting effi-cient and fruitful in the context of thefuture development of the region. Heexpressed hope that neighboring stateswill be actively engaged in developingtransport infrastructure in the SouthCaucasus.

Both Aliyev and Pashinyan receivedhugs as they were greeted by Putin,however, the two leaders didn't shakehands and gave only head nods.

It is noted that the leaders wore nomasks at the meeting. After the officialwelcome, Vladimir Putin made openingremarks followed by talks behind theclosed doors.

The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh iscalm, Putin said.

“The situation in the region is calm.We have been doing a great deal to pro-mote the safe return of internally dis-placed persons and refugees to theirhomes. Since November 14, 2020 morethan 48,000 people have returned toKarabakh,” Putin said, as quoted byTASS news agency.

“The center’s personnel are restoringelectric and thermal power supply. Morethan 800 tons of building materials and1.5 million tons of humanitarian cargohave been delivered to the conflict zone.Medical assistance is being provided forthe population. Mine clearance has beencarried out on an area of 479 hectares;182 kilometers of roads and 710 build-ings have been checked. More than22,000 explosive items have been foundand eliminated,” Putin added.

In the words of the president, Russiasought to follow the main principles ofthe OSCE Minsk Group in all its actionon Karabakh. “We continue to periodi-cally consult with our partners, the co-chairmen of the Minsk group,” saidPutin.

A protest against Pashinyan's trip toMoscow was held in Yerevan onMonday.

Early in the morning, police closed offall the roads, including Isakov Avenue,leading to the Zvartnots Airport, notallowing activists to hinder Pashinyan'svisit to Moscow. As a result, the pre-mier’s motorcade reached the airportwithout obstacles.

Afterwards, police officers reopenedIsakov Avenue and citizens continuedthe protest chanting “Nikol the traitor.”

(Ria Novosti, Arka, Panorama.amand Azatutyun contributed to this

report.)

Putin, Aliyev and PashinyanSign Statement on Karabakh

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The govern-ment on Monday, January 11, extendedby six months most of its restrictionsaimed at containing the spread of thecoronavirus in Armenia.

But it scrapped some rules in anapparent response to concerns voicedby Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyanand Armenian businesspeople.

The government has continued torequire people wear face masks in allpublic areas and kept in place social dis-tancing and hygiene rules set for busi-nesses even after lifting a coronavirus-related state of emergency and intro-ducing a nationwide “quarantine”regime in September.

The less stringent regime was due toexpire on Monday. The Ministry ofHealth asked the government late lastmonth to extend it until July 11, citingthe continuing large number of coron-

avirus cases in Armenia.Kerobyan criticized the request last

week, saying that the restrictionswould hurt the Armenian economy hithard by the coronavirus pandemic.Some business associations as well asdozens of private firms echoed hisconcerns.

The government sided with theMinistry of Health while making whatappear to be concessions to the crit-ics. In particular, it lifted restrictionson indoor and outdoor festive events.Those include a ban on restaurantparties attended by more than 60 peo-ple.

The government also allowed foreignnationals to enter Armenia through itsland border crossings and not just byair. But those travellers will have to pro-duce documents showing that they test-ed negative for the coronavirus up to

three days ago or to self-isolate and takesuch tests in Armenia.

The Armenian authorities largelystopped fining people and businesses toenforce the anti-epidemic rules follow-ing the September 27 outbreak of thewar in Nagorno-Karabakh. The dailynumber of new COVID-19 cases report-ed by them grew rapidly as a result. Butit has been steadily falling since mid-November.

According to the Ministry of Health,there were 8,782 active cases inArmenia as of Monday morning, sharplydown from 22,850 cases reported onDecember 1.

More than 162,000 coronavirus infec-tions and at least 2,931 deaths causedby them have been officially confirmedin the country of about 3 million todate. The real number of cases isbelieved to be much higher.

Armenian Government Extends Coronavirus Restrictions

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The visits ofArmenia’s Human Rights Defender(Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan and his staff toSyunik Province of Armenia continue. OnSunday, January 10, they visited Meghri andNrnadzor border communities. The ombuds-men presented details of the visit in a post onFacebook.

“During the discussions in Nrnadzor, itturned out that the residents could not usealmost 200 hectares of agricultural land inthe village due to a number of administrativeand judicial processes. The Human RightsDefender's Office will take the necessarymeasures in this regard. Moreover, accordingto both the mayor of Meghri and the resi-dents of Nrnadzor, this issue has becomevery urgent after the end of the wartime mil-itary hostilities.

“As a result of the Human Rights Defender'smeetings with the residents of Nrnadzor, dis-cussions with community bodies and fieldstudies, it was revealed that due to theapproaches used to determine the state bor-ders of the Republic of Armenia, there are

lands in the village after the war (for example,for private or economic purposes) which theresidents of the region have been deprived ofthe opportunity of their use, and which are offoremost necessity to provide for and to sus-tain their livelihood,” he said.

Investigations by the Human RightsDefender's Office have also revealed thatthreats to the right to life and safety of borderresidents, their physical and mental inviolabil-ity, and other vital rights guaranteed by theConstitution of Armenia have emerged orsome of the rights have already been violated.

“The Armenian authorities should make

these issues directly related to the determina-tion of the state borders of the Republic ofArmenia a priority issue in order to ensure theunimpeded implementation of the rights ofthe border settlements of our country, and inthis case, specifically as it relates to the resi-dents of Nrnadzor. It is unacceptable that atpresent there are no direct communicationsbetween the public administration bodies ofthe Republic of Armenia and the referencedissues of the villagers.

“For example, what should a person do if hehas a certificate of state registration of landownership, but because the Azerbaijani mili-

tary directly targets him, the use of the landwill endanger his life and his mental health, orthat of his family member, or that the use ofsuch land has become impossible?

“Moreover, these references are to suchlands, for which the certificates confirmingthe state registration of rights, including prop-erty rights, were issued either by SovietArmenia or by the competent bodies of differ-ent periods of the Independent Republic ofArmenia (Cadastre Committee, etc.),” Tatoyanwrote.

During Sunday's visit, discussions tookplace with the mayor of Meghri, as well as withthe personnel of the Armenian Armed Forceswho are carrying out their selfless heroic ser-vice, he noted.

“The Human Rights Defender's Office alsoobtained facts necessary for the protection ofhuman rights in specific situations, in connec-tion with which separate summaries will bemade and the necessary measures will betaken,” the ombudsman added.

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ARMENIA

MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Prime Minister NikolPashinyan expressed confidence that Armeniaand Russia will forge even closer ties after therecent war in Nagorno-Karabakh when he metwith Russian President Vladimir Putin inMoscow on Monday, January 11.

The two men held separate talks after Putinhosted a trilateral meeting with Pashinyan andAzerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that focusedon the implementation of a Russian-brokeredagreement that stopped the war on November10.

In his opening remarks at the talks,Pashinyan again praised Putin’s role in haltingthe six-week hostilities that left thousands ofsoldiers dead.

“Of course, your personal contribution to the[Karabakh] peace process has always beennoticeable, especially now, after the knownevents,” he said. “I am confident that againstthe backdrop of these events the relationsbetween Armenia and Russia will deepen.”

“Russia has been and remains our mainstrategic ally in the security sphere,” added theArmenian leader.

“Our relations certainly were, are and willremain allied in all respects,” Putin said for hispart. He noted that despite the coronaviruspandemic and the Karabakh war Russian-Armenian trade grew by almost 4 percent inJanuary-October 2020.

Pashinyan announced plans to further deep-

en the Russian-Armenian relationship in a tele-vised address to the nation aired on New Year’sEve. He said his country needs “new securityguarantees” now.

Armenia already has close political, eco-nomic and military ties with Russia. It hostsa Russian military base and has long receivedRussian weapons at knockdown prices andeven for free.

Moscow also deployed 2,000 peacekeepingtroops to Karabakh as part of the truce agree-ment brokered by Putin. In addition, it dis-patched Russian soldiers and border guards toArmenia’s Syunik region southwest ofKarabakh to help the Armenian military defendit against possible Azerbaijani attacks.

Armenia PlansLimited COVID-19 Vaccination

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The Armenianhealth 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 directorof the National Center for DiseaseControl and Prevention, also announcedthat Armenia will receive its first coron-avirus vaccine doses before the secondhalf of February.

“We are planning to acquire vaccinesfor 10 percent of the population to carryout at first vaccinations of only high riskgroups,” Sahakyan told a news confer-ence.

“We are now holding negotiations onconcrete time frames for their imports.We are confident that we will have thefirst imports by the end of January or thefirst half of February,” she said.

Sahakyan said the talks center on pos-sible supplies of the Russian vaccineSputnik V or three other certified vac-cines that have been developed by theWestern pharmaceutical companiesPfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. It isstill not clear which of them will be cho-sen by the Armenian government, addedthe official.

Sahakyan announced in earlyDecember that the government has com-missioned 600,000 doses of coronavirusvaccines from COVAX Facility, a globalpartnership backed by the World HealthOrganization. She said Armenian medicaland social workers, seniors and peoplesuffering from chronic diseases will be thefirst to get vaccine shots free of charge.

The official did not clarify on Tuesdaywhether the government’s supply con-tract with COVAX, worth $6 million,remains in force. Nor did she say if thehealth authorities could vaccinate a larg-er proportion of the population later thisyear.

Armenia has been hit hard by the pan-demic, with more than 162,000 coron-avirus cases and at least 2,941 deathscaused by them reported by the authori-ties so far. The real number of cases isbelieved to be much higher.

The daily number of new infections hasfallen significantly since the beginning ofNovember. The Armenian Ministry ofHealth reported on Tuesday morning that355 more people have tested positive forCOVID-19 in the past 24 hours, sharplydown from more than 2,000 cases a dayroutinely recorded in late October andearly November.

Sahakian acknowledged that the coro-navirus numbers will likely rise againafter the recent holidays and the reopen-ing of schools. But she did not predict aserious resurgence of cases.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan greets President Vladimir Putin.

Pashinyan Eyes Closer Russian-Armenian Ties

Arman Tatoyan at the Nrnadzor border

Human Rights Defender Visits Syunik to See Disputed Border Areas

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INTERNATIONAL

Azerbaijan SpreadsMore Hate against

Armenians with StampBAKU (PanARMENIAN.Net) — A new commemo-

rative stamp sheet released in Azerbaijan on January11 depicts a person in protective gear who appearsto be disinfecting, fumigating or chemically cleaningthe territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.The new stamps were released by Azermarka, the

Azerbaijani state company responsible for the pro-duction and sale of Azerbaijani postage stamps�On the new commemorative issue, the territory of

Karabakh, as well as the southern parts of Armeniaproper are colored in dark green, which, according tothe designers of the sheet, need to be cleansed.Hate speech and calls for violence against

Armenians surged to an unprecedented level inAzerbaijan, especially during Baku’s aggressionagainst Nagorno-Karabakh. People in Turkey and Azerbaijan filmed them-

selves attacking Armenians protesting the war thathad been started by Azerbaijan around the world.

Italian LawmakerNabbed in ‘Caviar

Diplomacy’ Is SentencedTo Four Years

ROME (Panorama.am) — The former Chairman ofthe Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs andHuman Rights of the Council of Europe, LucaVolonte, was sentenced to four years in jail onMonday, January 11, for taking a bribe from twoAzerbaijan politicians to get the Council of Europeto pull a critical report on political prisoners inAzerbaijan. He was found guilty of taking about twomillion euros from the Azeri politicians, who weregiven the same four-year sentence, ANSA newsagency reported. Luca Volonte has been involved in the internation-

al “Caviar Diplomacy” scandal, according to theinvestigation of the international NGO EuropeanStability Initiative. He was accused of receiving 2.3million euros from Azerbaijan, which was spent onbribing a number of PACE deputies to fail the reporton political prisoners in Azerbaijan. In early 2013, the Council of Europe discussed a

critical report concerning the treatment of politicalprisoners in Azerbaijan, presented by ChristophStraesser, a German Social Democrat member of theparliamentary assembly of the Council.According to investigators, Volonte had been

tasked by Azerbaijani officials to “direct votes with-in his parliamentary group” in favor of the country.He also sought the support of Spanish EPP memberPedro Agramunt to divide the socialist group andvote down the Straesser report. The report was even-tually rejected by 125 to 79.

Gorbachev: KarabakhSettlement Must Entail‘No Winners and Losers’MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) — Former USSR

President Mikhail Gorbachev hopes that Russia willbe able to help in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to him, however, themain role here remains for Armenia and Azerbaijanto find a solution in the interests of both sides,“without winners and losers.”Gorbachev, who led the Soviet Union during the

escalation of the conflict in the late 1980s, said thematter is a complex one, old and rooted in thepast, RIA Novosti reports.The former Soviet leader said now that hostilities

have ended, it is important to not stop or leave theproblem unresolved for decades more.“I hope Russia will be able to help, but the parties

to the conflict have the key role to play. Armenia andAzerbaijan have undertaken to hold negotiations ona settlement. The solution must be in the interests ofboth sides, without winners and losers,” Gorbachevsaid.

International NewsISTANBUL (Al-Jazeera) — Turkish

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hassaid he wants to improve relations withthe European Union, following a long-standing dispute with Greece and recentfeuds with his French counterpartEmmanuel Macron.

During a televised meeting with EUambassadors on Tuesday, January 12,Erdogan softened some of his toughestrhetoric and took a conciliatory tone.

“We are ready to put our relationsback on track,” Erdogan told the ambas-sadors, whom he addressed from hispresidential compound in Ankara. “Weexpect our European friends to showthe same goodwill.”

On Monday, in another sign of easingrelations, Turkey and Greece said theywere willing to resume exploratory talksregarding their disputes over contestedEast Mediterranean waters and otherissues.

“We believe that the exploratory talks… will be the harbinger of a new era,”Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Regarding France, a country whichErdogan has severely criticized in recentmonths over its foreign policy and frag-ile relationship with the Muslim world,he added: “We want to save our rela-tions with France from tensions.”

Last year, Erdogan said Macron need-

ed “mental checks” over his plan toreform Islam in France, while Turkey’sforeign policy in the EasternMediterranean, Libya and parts of theMiddle East irked several EU countries.

But as Ankara and Athens looked setto address their longstanding disputesat the exploratory talks in Istanbul onJanuary 25, hopes have risen for a moreharmonious 2021.

This month’s meeting will be the firstsince negotiations between the twouneasy NATO neighbors were suspend-ed in 2016 after 60 fruitless rounds oftalks stretching back 14 years.

Plans to restart of discussions lastyear foundered after disagreementabout the Turkish seismic explorationvessel, Oruc Reis, deployed to disputedwaters. The ship has since returned.

The two countries are at odds aboutthe limits of their continental shelves,energy rights, air space and the statusof some islands.

Their dispute threatened to spill intoopen conflict when Turkish and Greekwarships collided in August while shad-owing Oruc Reis as it surveyed for oiland gas in the waters in west of Cyprus.

Turkey rejects the maritime boundaryclaims of Greece and the Greek Cypriotadministration, saying Ankara is in favorof resolving all issues through interna-

tional law. The EU, in turn, has threat-ened Ankara with sanctions, includingones on arms exports, various timessince August.

Meanwhile, Ankara and EU officialsare about to launch a rare round of shut-tle diplomacy that could set their rela-tions on a more cooperative course.

Turkish Foreign Minister MevlutÇavusoglu will visit Brussels on January21 while European Commission chiefUrsula von der Leyen and EuropeanCouncil president Charles Michel areexpected in Turkey by the end of themonth.

Erdogan noted on Tuesday thatTurkey’s drive to join the EU – formallylaunched in 2005 but effectively sus-pended – could gain fresh impetus afterthe UK’s departure from the bloc.

“The uncertainty increased withBrexit could be overcome with Turkeytaking its deserved place in the EU fam-ily,” Erdogan said.

“We have never abandoned full mem-bership (goal) despite double standardsand injustice.”

Turkey’s accession talks have beensidelined by European concerns aboutErdogan’s human rights record.

“It is in our hand to make the year2021 a success in Turkey-EU relations,”he said on Tuesday.

PARIS (RFE/RL) — French PresidentEmmanuel Macron and ArmenianPrime Minister Nikol Pashinyan againdiscussed the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone following therecent Armenian-Azerbaijani warstopped by a Russian-brokered cease-fire, on January 7.

They spoke by phone late onWednesday one day after a transportplane chartered by the French govern-ment delivered more humanitarian aidto Armenian victims of the conflict. Theaid included medical supplies and cloth-ing collected by the French-ArmenianAznavour Foundation.

“The President of the Republicexpressed his determination to strive fora balanced political process in order tofind a lasting political solution after theceasefire agreement of November 9,”Macron’s office said in a statement onthe phone call issued on Thursday.

“In this context, the President of theRepublic pledged to support the ongo-ing efforts to allow the release of all pris-oners and to support the economicdevelopment of Armenia,” it added.

For his part, Pashinyan was reportedto have thanked Macron for the “atten-tion and support shown by him duringthis difficult time for the Armenian peo-ple.”

An Armenian government statementsaid the two leaders also discussedFrench-Armenian economic ties. It gaveno other details.

France co-chairs the Minsk Group ofthe Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe together withRussia and the United States. The threeworld powers tried hard to halt the warin and around Karabakh that broke outon September 27. The hostilitiesstopped only after Moscow brokered afresh Armenian-Azerbaijani truce agree-ment on November 9.

Macron and his foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, have repeatedly dis-cussed the agreement’s implementationwith their Russian counterparts,Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov.

The French president criticizedAzerbaijan and accused Turkey ofrecruiting jihadist fighters from Syriafor the Azerbaijani army shortly afterthe outbreak of the war. Le Drian reit-erated last month French calls for “the

departure of the Syrian mercenaries”from the conflict zone.

Turkey has denied sending membersof Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groupsto fight in Karabakh on Azerbaijan’sside. Azerbaijan also denies the pres-ence of such mercenaries in theAzerbaijani army ranks. Both Ankaraand Baku accuse Paris of pro-Armenianbias.

France is home to an influentialArmenian community. The latter wasinstrumental in the recent passage byboth houses of the French parliament ofresolutions calling on Macron’s govern-ment to recognize Karabakh as an inde-pendent republic. The government ruledout such recognition, saying that itwould be counterproductive for Franceand the Karabakh negotiating process.

Erdogan Promises to Put EU Ties ‘Back on Track’

French, Armenian Leaders Again Discuss Karabakh

Armenians in Kurdistan RegionMark Muted Christmas

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region (Rudaw.net) — Armenians in the KurdistanRegion marked Christmas on January 6 with celebrations more mutedthan in previous years, due in part to the coronavirus pandemic.

Unlike the majority of the Christian community, Armenian OrthodoxChristians celebrate Christmas on January 6. In the Armenian village ofHawreske in Duhok province’s Simele district, community members havehad to take a different approach to festivities.

“We’re knocking on doors one by one, wishing them a merryChristmas,” said young villager Marina Watanika. “Last year, [Christmas]was more exciting because there was no coronavirus.”

Almost two million people worldwide have died after contracting thecoronavirus – over 3,400 of them in the Kurdistan Region. The pandemichas brought life, including celebrations like Christmas, to a near standstill.

Over 2,000 Armenians currently live in the Kurdistan Region, YerwantNisan, an Armenian community leader and a former MP in the KurdistanRegional Parliament told Rudaw on Wednesday, January 6.

The vast majority, around 2,000, are in Duhok province, and 200 live inErbil. Another 800 live in Kirkuk, a province whose control is disputed byErbil and Baghdad, Nisan said. The Constitution of the KurdistanRegion recognizes Armenians as an ethnic component, provides the rightto mother-tongue education in the Armenian language, and reserves oneseat in parliament for Armenians. There are six Armenian churches in theKurdistan Region — four in Duhok province, and one each in Erbil andKirkuk.

Armenian churches in the Region house memorial statues placed tohonor those massacred during the Armenian Genocide – the systematickilling and deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early20th century, in which approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed.

“When the Armenians fled here [to the Kurdistan Region] 105 yearsago, the people of Kurdistan accepted Armenians and let us celebrate ourfeasts — especially in Zakho, because we entered [the Kurdistan Region]through Zakho,” Nisan told Rudaw.

“We have never considered ourselves foreigners here because we arefrom this country,” he said.

Elsewhere in the world, Armenians said in the run-up to Christmas thatthey would not be celebrating in solidarity with those affected by theNagorno-Karabakh war, in which over 2,500 Armenians, mostly soldiers,were killed in six weeks of conflict with Azerbaijan.

S A T U R D A Y J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 5T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

INTERNATIONAL

ISTANBUL (Stockholm Center for Freedom)— Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hasbranded Bogaziçi University students protest-ing a government-appointed rector and CananKaftancıoglu, head of the �stanbul branch of theRepublican People’s Party (CHP), as terrorists,Turkish media reported.

Answering reporters who asked if he wouldspeak with the students and listen to theirdemands, Erdogan claimed the protestors werenot students but actually terrorists, and that hewould not meet with them to hear theirdemands.

Although Erdogan said there were no stu-dents among the protestors, more than 20 stu-dents have been detained since the protestsbegan in the first week of January.

The students’ lawyer, Ezgi Önalan, said ina video posted on Twitter that the students

were subjected to unlawful strip-search andwere beaten in the detention center. She saidthe students had medical reports that con-firmed the beatings. Önalan added that thepolice had forcefully entered the students’homes, and images of broken doors and dam-aged property were shared on Twitter.

Erdogan also accused Kaftancıoglu, who sup-ported the protests, of being a militant from theRevolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front(DHKP-C), a militant Marxist group considereda terrorist organization by Turkey, the UnitedStates and the European Union.

Kaftancıoglu said on Twitter that Erdoganwas obliged to prove his accusations.“Throughout my life as a doctor, a woman anda human rights activist, I have supported therule of law,” she said. “I have never had any con-nection to terrorism or terrorist organizations,

and the accusations are completely political. I will continue my fight for democracy and a bet-ter Turkey.”

Kaftancıoğlu also said she would file a com-plaint against Erdogan for insult and would sue him for damages.

In the wake of Erdogan’s statement, John Lubbock, a columnist for the Ahval news web-site, said being a terrorist in Erdogan’s Turkey had become very common and that signing petitions, protesting and being a journalist or a Kurd could easily be a reason for a person to be called a terrorist.

He said that up until this day, Gezi Park pro-testors, the Kurdish YPG militia fighting against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), journalists critical of the government, the Academics for Peace, who signed a petition condemning state violence against Kurds, the

Turkish Medical Association and oppositionparties had all been declared terrorists by thegovernment at some point.

Lubbock added that Erdogan had even saidthat the deteriorating Turkish economy wasdue to “economic terrorists.”

Lubbock did not include the Gülen move-ment, which has become the most targetedmembers of society, in his list.

President Erdogan has been targeting follow-ers of the Gülen movement, a faith-based groupinspired by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen,since the corruption investigations ofDecember 17-25, 2013, which implicated then-Prime Minister Erdogan, his family membersand his inner circle.

Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenistcoup and conspiracy against his government,Erdogan designated the movement as a terror-ist organization and began to target its mem-bers. Erdogan intensified the crackdown on themovement following a coup attempt on July 15,2016 that he accused Gülen of masterminding.Fethullah Gülen and the movement stronglydeny involvement in the abortive putsch or anyterrorist activity.

TBILISI (RFE/RL) — The billionaire busi-nessman-politician who founded the rulingGeorgian Dream party back in 2012 says he hasdecided to leave politics for good.

Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishviliannounced on January 11 that he was steppingdown as the chairman of Georgian Dream andwill quit the party.

Proclaiming that he’d accomplished his “mis-sion,” Ivanishvili said, “I have decided to com-pletely withdraw from politics and let go of thereins of power.”

He said the fact he will turn 65 next monthalso was a factor in his decision.

But few in the Georgian capital are takingIvanishvili’s announcement at face value.

One reason is because it is not the first timeIvanishvili has announced his retirement frompolitics in the former Soviet republic.

In November 2013, when Ivanishvili volun-tarily stepped down as prime minister after just13 months in office, he also said that he wasquitting the political arena.

Then, in 2018, Ivanishvili announced his for-mal return. He was promptly elected to serveagain as chairman of Georgian Dream.

In the meantime, all four men who’ve servedas prime minister since Ivanishvili quit that posthave been party colleagues — including currentPrime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. And criticsaccuse Ivanishvili of having continued to gov-ern the country from behind the scenes.

They also accuse Ivanishvili of being close tothe Kremlin, something Ivanishvili denies.

According to the Bloomberg BillionairesIndex, Ivanishvili is the richest man in Georgiawith an estimated wealth of about $5.7 billion.

He made his fortune during the 1990s by

building up a collection of iron-ore producers,steel plants, banks, and real-estate properties inpost-Soviet Russia — selling off most of thoseassets from 2003 to 2006 and the remainder inthe run-up to his election as Georgian primeminister in October 2012.

He created the Georgian Dream party inApril 2012.

Sources familiar with the inner workings ofthe party tell RFE/RL it is virtually impossiblefor Ivanishvili to relinquish his political power —regardless of his formal position or membershipin the party.

Ghia Khukhashvili, a former adviser toIvanishvili, said the Georgian Dream’s govern-ing structure is designed so that “all roads leadto Ivanishvili.” Consequently, Khukhashvilisays, even if Ivanishvili sincerely wants to leavepolitics, it will be difficult for him to do so with-out the collapse of that party system.

Political tensions have been high in Georgiasince the official results of parliamentary elec-tions on October 31 showed Georgian Dreammaintaining its grip on power.

Ivanishvili wants to present himself as ademocrat who is not fundamentally opposed tothe opposition. But he does not want such anopposition.”

The opposition — led by the United NationalMovement (ENM) and European Georgia, plussix other parties that won parliamentary repre-sentation — claims the vote was rigged.Thousands of opposition demonstrators havetaken to the streets of Tbilisi to protest the offi-cial election results.

Georgian Dream has rejected its demand for newelections, insisting the vote was free and fair.

The OSCE’s international election-observa-

tion mission concluded that the vote was “com-petitive and, overall, fundamental freedomswere respected,” although it cited “pervasiveallegations of pressure on voters and blurringof the line between the ruling party and thestate.”

In his January 11 announcement, Ivanishvilisaid he was “heartbroken that a constructiveopposition has not been formed” in Georgia.

“I will not hide it and I will honestly say thatat the end of my political career, one of thethings that makes me grieve is that a state-minded and responsible opposition has notbeen formed yet” that would help Georgia“meet the standards of European parliamentarydemocracy.”

Ghia Nodia, a political analyst who heads theTbilisi-based Caucasus Institute for Peace,Democracy, and Development, told RFE/RLthat he doubts Ivanishvili’s sincerity.

“This is complete hypocrisy,” said Nodia, whoserved as Georgia’s minister of education andscience in 2008. “Ivanishvili wants his favoriteopposition, which has not appeared before. It isclear that he considers the United NationalMovement as an enemy. His attitude is similarto those parties that are also critical of theNational Movement.”

He will not go anywhere, of course, and hewill not leave either. Ivanishvili’s goal hasalways been to be able to do whatever he wantswithout hindrance.”

— David Zurabishvili, former leader of opposi-tion Democratic Front

Nodia accused Ivanishvili of failing to “recog-nize any opposition party as a legitimate play-er.”

“Ivanishvili wants to present himself as a

democrat who is not fundamentally opposed tothe opposition. But he does not want such anopposition,” Nodia said. “He wants to controlthe opposition as he had controlled GeorgianDream when he left the first time.”

David Zurabishvili, a former member of theGeorgian parliament who used to lead theopposition Democratic Front faction, said thethreat posed to Ivanishvili’s interests by the cur-rent opposition isn’t the only reason he will notbe able to fulfill his “dream of leaving” politics.

“He will not go anywhere, of course, and hewill not leave either,” Zurabishvili said.“Ivanishvili’s goal has always been to be able todo whatever he wants without hindrance. Thismeans his business, infrastructure projects, andall that require control of state institutions.

“He cannot leave politics,” Zurabishvili said.“The political leadership may decide otherwise.The legislation may be different [and unfavor-able to him]. But the man does not know wherehe wants to build or move. He has to run to getpermits every time. So he cannot relinquish fullcontrol and, in principle, remain as an informalruler as he was before. I am absolutely sure ofthat.”

Turkish President Erdogan Accuses LocalPolitician, University Students of Terrorism

Azeri Troops Filmed TopplingAnother Armenian Monument

HADRUT (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Another video featuring Azerbaijanitroops toppling another Armenian monument surfaced online onJanuary 12, according to publications on social media pages.

Footage shared by Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman AnnaNaghdalyan depicts Azeri soldiers knocking down a khachkar in the vil-lage of Arakel in Nagorno-Karabakh’s Hadrut province which has comeunder Azerbaijan’s control after the recent war.

During the hostilities, Azerbaijani forces launched two targetedattacks on the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. Aftertaking control of the city, they destroyed the domes of Saint John theBaptist Church. Azerbaijan earlier “restored” a church by replacing itsArmenian inscription with glass art.

Concerns about the preservation of cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh are made all the more urgent by the Azerbaijani government’shistory of systemically destroying indigenous Armenian heritage—acts of both warfare and historical revisionism. The Azerbaijani governmenthas secretly destroyed a striking number of cultural and religious artifacts in the late 20th century. Within Nakhichevan alone, a historicallyArmenian enclave in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani forces destroyed at least 89 medieval churches, 5,840 khachkars (Armenian cross stones) and22,000 historical tombstones between 1997 and 2006.

Ryanair RecommendsVisiting ‘Growing TouristHotspot’ Armenia in 2021

DUBLIN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Ryanair hasincluded Armenia in its list of the top destina-tions to visit in 2021, suitable for planning yournext adventure.

“Located on the border of Eastern Europeand Asia, Armenia is a growing tourist hotspotthat has something for everyone with its his-toric sites, exciting culture, extreme sports anddelicious Armenian cuisine,” the carrier said.

“Its capital Yerevan is nicknamed ‘The PinkCity’ because of the colorful volcanic stones onwhich it was built centuries ago. If you’re look-ing to broaden your travel horizons after aquiet 2020 this could be just the unique tripthat’s needed in 2021.”

Azores archipelago off the coast of Portugal,the Greek Islands, Santander in Spain, Tel Avivin Israel, Katowice and Gdansk in Poland, aswell as a handful of other destinations are rec-ommended for visiting in 2021.

Ivanishvili Says He’s Leaving Georgian Politics forGood. His Critics Have Heard That One Before

Soldiers destroying khatchkar in the village of Arakel

Bidzina Ivanishvili (agenda.ge photo)

6

Community NewsS A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

A Toast to a Happy SeriesOf Accidents Leading to

Better CocktailsLOS ANGELES — Melkon Khosrovian

never thought he would be interested in theworld of spirits — of the alcoholic variety.But here we are: Khosrovian, and his

wife, Litty Mathew, cofounded GreenbarDistillery in 2004, the first in Los Angeles since the end of Prohibition. Theyspecialize in gourmet, organic, small-batch spirits, cocktails and mixing bitters.The two, who married in 2002, became distillers quite by chance, and for love.As Khosrovian said in an interview in December, “literally everything hap-

pened by some kind of accident.” Khosrovian and Mathew met at the University of Southern California (USC)

where they were both enrolled in the journalism master’s program. One thingled to another and they soon became an item and got engaged.“When my wife and I got engaged, we went round to visit with our families.

We would make toasts and drink,” Khosrovian said. Unfortunately, there wasnothing that ticked off any of the boxes for Mathew and she said all the liquorwas too harsh.Mathew has a sophisticated palate. She attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking

school in Paris, honing her lifelong love of food and cooking. Mathew has worked as a freelance travel and food writer for major publica-

tions like Maxim and Saveur. In addition, she has also published a novel, TheMusician’s Secret, about the Armenian community in Glendale.And thus, Khosrovian began to experiment to see if there was a cocktail or

spirit his wife would prefer.“It started with me trying to make something my fiancée could drink,” he

recalled.Both Khosrovian and Mathew are researchers by training, and therefore the

idea of finding a solution was one they could not pass by.Every night, he said, he would experiment with flavors and combinations, try-

ing to hit on the magic formula.“It became every night,” after work, he recalled. And he remembers thinking,

“What exactly are we doing this for?”Before starting Greenbar Distillery, Khosrovian worked in crisis communica-

tions. In 1999, he launched an Internet startup, which he later sold. Being that they are both highly educated and curious, they decided to take

it to the next level.“We didn’t know anything about making complex infusions. I would take

some flowers, fruit and spices and put them in vodka. I had no idea what I wasdoing,” Khosrovian said.But they had an advantage: “We knew how to ask questions and to think,”

he said.In a way, he noted, their total lack of knowledge about alcoholic beverages

was an advantage as they didn’t think about the pitfalls and wanted to producebeverages that “tasted real, complex and interesting.”

see COCKTAILS, page 7

Biden Taps Middle EastExpert McGurk asRegional CoordinatorWASHINGTON (The National) — US president-

elect Joe Biden has named Brett McGurk as hisWhite House coordinator for the Middle East, a sea-soned hand who worked in the region under threeformer presidents and is known for his criticism ofTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The Biden transition team made the announce-

ment on Friday, granting McGurk a senior WhiteHouse position as “coordinator for the Middle Eastand North Africa.”The 47-year-old diplomat is known to be a worka-

holic and determined policy driver. One person whoworked with him in the past described him as a “bull-dozer.” He operates with a mission in mind and doeseverything to accomplish it.McGurk is no stranger to the Middle East, and he

is perhaps one of the very few Washington politicalfigures who have served in the Bush, Obama andTrump presidencies. Under George W Bush, McGurkwas the director for Iraq on the National SecurityCouncil (2005-2007) and then the special assistant tothe president and senior director for Near East affairson the National Security Council (2007-2009). UnderBarack 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 endof 2018, when he resigned. Since then, he has beenteaching at Stanford University, and became a trust-ed voice on the Biden campaign during the presi-dential race.A campaign insider told The National that McGurk

briefed Biden three times on Syria during the raceand then into the transition. His policy views con-

verge with those of Biden, having resigned from theTrump administration after the outgoing president’scall with Erdogan that authorized the partial with-drawal of US troops from Syria and allowed Turkeyinto the northern part of the country. The decisionwas criticized by Biden as one that gave ISIS "a newlease on life.”Randa Slim, a Middle East expert and director of

Track II dialogue at the Middle East Institute, labeledMcGurk as an “irritant” for Ankara.“His appointment is seen in Ankara as another irri-

tant in an already complicated and increasingly con-flictual US-Turkey relationship,” Slim told TheNational.McGurk makes no secret of his objections to

Ankara’s policies, from expansion in Syria to cozyingup to Russia and appeasing Hamas.One US source familiar with his thinking said he

sees Mr Erdogan as a policy hurdle. “Turkey got inthe way of his mission to kill ISIS quickly,” thesource said. “His first priority will be to get on thesame page with the allies in the region.”But this may prove difficult because of his region-

al detractors, explains Slim. “Many officials andexperts in the Middle East view McGurk’s record inthe US government through the lenses of USpolicies in Iraq and Syria which he advocated,policies which have not advanced the well-being of the peoples there.”Slim mentioned McGurk’s support during the

Bush administration and later under the Obamaadministration for former Iraqi prime minister

see COORDINATOR, page 8

Texas LonghornsName SteveSarkisian HeadFootball CoachAUSTIN, Texas (texassports.com) – The

University of Texas (UT) at Austin has namedSteve Sarkisian, currently offensive coordinatorfor the Alabama Crimson Tide, head coach of theLonghorn football team. He replaces TomHerman, who was released earlier today onJanuary 2.Sarkisian has a strong track record as both an

offensive coordinator and head coach in bothDivision I college football and the NFL [NationalFootball League]. He also brings to theLonghorn football program extensive experience

coaching in conference and national champi-onship games and developing top talent, includ-ing three Heisman Trophy finalists.“On January 4, 2006, I was the USC

[University of Souther California] quarterbackcoach when we played Texas in that famednational championship game. There has alwaysbeen something special about Longhorn football,its history and traditions – not just on that day –and I could never have imagined that 15 yearslater, I would join the Longhorns as their headcoach,” Sarkisian commented. “This is a uniqueand compelling opportunity to lead this storiedprogram to the next level, competing once againamongst the best in college football.”Sarkisian was just this week named the

Broyles Award winner, awarded to the top col-lege football assistant coach, as he has helpedlead the Crimson Tide to compete for the 2020national championship.“We are excited to have Steve Sarkisian join us

and lead the next chapter of our football pro-gram,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UTSystem Board of Regents. “University of Texasfootball has a long and proud history of compet-ing at the highest levels within our conferenceand nationally, and he brings with him the coach-ing caliber and championship experience neededto restore this kind of excellence to our pro-gram.”President Jay Hartzell said: “Hiring Steve

Sarkisian represents a critical investment in ourfootball program’s future, not just for our stu-dent-athletes, but for all of Longhorn Nation.Our entire community benefits from a healthyand successful athletics program, and namingSteve as our coach infuses our football programwith the necessary guidance and expertise todrive further success.”Prior to joining Alabama in 2019, Sarkisian

spent two years as offensive coordinator with theAtlanta Falcons, four years as an assistant andtwo as head coach at the University of SouthernCalifornia, and five years as head coach at theUniversity of Washington. His head coachingrecord is 46-35 overall and 2-2 in bowl games.“Steve Sarkisian is one of the top offensive

minds in the game of football, which he hasproved over and over during his time with USC,Atlanta, and most recently, Alabama,” said ChrisDel Conte, vice president and athletics directorof The University of Texas at Austin. “We are con-fident our players and coaches will thrive underhis leadership and in response to his energy andpassion for the game.”

Lit ty Mathew and Melkon Khosrovian

By Alin K. GregorianMirror-Spectator Staff

Brett McGurk (DW Photo)

Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisianat the Alabama A-Day spring football scrim-mage game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., April 13, 2019

7S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

COMMUNITY NEWS

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), andAmaro (Italian herbal liqueur), as well as ready-to-drink cocktailmixes in cans. The distillery also makes two kinds of non-alco-holic beverages, canned lavender and lemon bitters with soda, aswell 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 containorange, tea, jasmine, mandarin, burdock, gentian, neroli, petit-grain, clove, star anise, grapefruit, chamomile, California bay, gin-ger, allspice, cinnamon, rooibos, eucalyptus, Lapsang Souchongtea, 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

home, he said, is a Negroni (Campari, vermouthand gin served with orange peel.)In that drink, he said, the gin is overpowered

and basically eclipsed. And that is one reasonthey decided “to make a better gin.”“I decided to make a better, richer tasting

spirit. Gin is incredibly flavorful,” if done well,he said.That is where the immigrant background of

both himself and his wife comes into play, asdoes the diverse immigrant population of LosAngeles.Ingredients from Vietnamese, Middle Eastern

and Mexican foods are also a part of the flavorprofiles used by Greenbar.Their gin, he said, contains a “whole slew of

ingredients that we love in these cuisines. Wetook them and built them into the gin flavor.” They produce two gins — City Bright and City

Amber — and for the first, again, their list ofingredients is one that any chef would be thrilled to use: wheatspirits, juniper berries, ancho chiles, angelica, basil, Californiabay, cardamom, cassia, coriander, cubeb, black cumin, fennel,grapefruit, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon, kaffir lime, LapsangSouchong tea, lime, pink peppercorn, Sichuan peppercorn, pep-permint, spearmint, star anise and tarragon.The palate reflects a lot of Middle Eastern and Mexican

cuisines, as well as traditional Armenian herbs, especially tar-ragon.That gin, he said, makes the Negroni taste a lot better.

Selling to Restaurants, Stores

While the bottles of spirits sell briskly, the distillery is focus-ing on its line of canned drinks. This past year, 70 percent of totalsales were from cans, while next year it is expected to be 85 per-cent.Up to now, about 80 percent of Greenbar’s business has been

with restaurants. Then, Covid hit and so many restaurants shutdown. Now, Greenbar is shifting to retail, with bottles of spirits,as well as canned carbonated alcoholic beverages being sold tostores.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

and cola and whiskey and soda,” he said.Those currently are retailed at Whole Foods and Albertson’s

in the West Coast, and Whole Foods on the East Coast, as wellas independent retails. (If your local liquor store does not carryit, you can ask them to order it for you.)Taste and smoothness are the guiding lights for the Greenbar

team and it was in pursuit of those that they have chosen to useonly organic products.

Switch to Organic, Community-Centered

In the first four years of the distillery, they were doing well,Khosrovian recalled, using as good a bunch of ingredients asthey could get, with no particular interest in organic products.Then, they distilled a batch of spirits that were off. “We tracedthe source of the problem,” he said. “It dawned on us that organ-ic products have a lot more flavor,” he said. “In 2008 we switchedto all organic to make them more tasty.”That change in turn led to a greater focus by Greenbar

Distillery on its impact on the land and the community. Said Khosrovian, “Here is everything we want to do: [be] pleas-

ing to the palate but our bigger obligation is to make a differenceand inspire. We changed our packaging from virgin paper andheavy glass bottles to lightweight glass and recycled paper labelsthat are biodegradable.”Then, he said, they thought about what more they could do.“Grandparents [in Armenia] plant a tree for new babies. We

decided to plan trees for every timewe sell a bottle. We want to make away to give back and make the plantbetter for the future generations,” headded. They plant fruit trees in vari-ous locations, including inGuatemala.“We want to do well and do good

at the same time,” he noted.In addition, they help the local

organizations that feed the hungry.“We want to give back to the com-

munities that have supported us.”They partner with restaurants to give away a burrito every

time someone drinks a gin cocktail with a Greenbar gin. So far,he said, 30,000 burritos have been given away.“We are a little company and want to do whatever we can,”

Khosrovian added.Moving to LA

Khosrovian and his family moved to LA when he was a child,in May 1980, first to Providence, RI for 11 years.Melkon was born in Yerevan. His father was the head of a tex-

tile company, working alongside his mother, who studied lin-guistics. He grew up with his family, including his sister, cele-brating life with family dinners where they’d sip homemade fruitbrandies and grain vodkas along with their meal. His grandpar-ents made their own high-proof fruit brandies in Armenia fromexcess fruit in their orchard.Khosrovian said that now he has very few relatives in Armenia,

consisting of a number of cousins and one aunt. The family isdescended from survivors of the Armenian Genocide who repa-triated to Armenia in the 1930s and 1940s.Mathew, who was born in Ethiopia, hails from a family rooted

in Karalla, India. She also moved with her family to the US whenshe was little.Khosrovian noted that in the past his company has tried to do

small projects in Armenia, especially regarding walnut, cherryand apricot for use in their line of bitters.“These are fruits and trees that Armenia grows incredible

well,” Khosrovian said. “That’s great about Armenia, the vibrantfruits.”For more information about the company, visit their website at

www.greenbardistillery.com. The site sells the products and alsoincludes a list of outlets that sell them.Pre-Covid, Greenbar offered tours of the distillery. Once the

restrictions are lifted, the tours will start again.

A Toast to a Happy Series of Accidents Leading to Better Cocktails

Greenbar Distillery

MARC ROYCE PHOTO

Greenbar Distillery Founder MelkonKhosrovian

Reforestation in Honduras (Credit Sustainable Harvest)

Orange Margarita INGREDIENTS1.5 oz IXÁ Silver Tequila0.5 oz Fruitlab Orange Liqueur1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice1 oz Simple SyrupPREPARATIONCombine all ingredients with ice in a shaker tin. Shake until tin goes frosty. Straininto a margarita glass or mason jar. Garnish with an orange wedge.

Fountain of YouthINGREDIENTS1.25 oz TRU Lemon Vodka0.75 oz FRUITLAB Hibiscus Liqueur2 oz Pure Cranberry Juice0.5 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice2 dashes BAR KEEP Lavender Bitters

PREPARATIONCombine all ingredients except bitters with ice. Shake and strain into cocktail glass.Add two dashes of bitters and stir once. Garnish with a lemon curl.

A Couple of Tasty recipes from GreenBar

8 S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

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MEDFORD, Mass. — Middlesex SheriffPeter J. Koutoujian has officially completedhis tenure as President of the MassachusettsSheriffs’ Association (MSA) after leading theorganization for the past three years. Elected in October 2017, Koutoujian’s

tenure was originally slated to conclude at theend of 2019. MSA Presidents traditionally donot serve longer than a single two-year term,but Koutoujian was asked to serve an addi-tional year by his colleagues in order to syn-chronize the MSA presidential term with thelegislature’s session. “I want to thank my colleagues for the faith

they placed in me as President. I especiallythank outgoing Vice President Sheriff ChrisDonelan for his thoughtful partnership overthe past three years,” said Koutoujian. “Duringour tenure we worked closely with the legisla-ture and the Baker Administration on some ofthe most important legislation impacting thecriminal justice system in decades. Sheriffs dothis job because we want to help those we

serve; I am proud to have helped advance thatgoal over the last three years.”Koutoujian has been succeeded by Suffolk

County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins asPresident. Sheriff Donelan has been succeed-ed by Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi asVice President.

“As Sheriffs Tompkins and Cocchi begintheir tenure, I look forward to working withthem to build upon the foundation of collabo-ration and professionalism that have been thehallmark of MSA’s approach to enhancingpublic safety and improving outcomes forthose in our custody, their families and ourcommunities,” said Koutoujian.“Over his tenure as MSA President, Sheriff

Koutoujian helped us to shepherd through anumber of changes that impacted not only ourcollective organization as a whole, but ourindividual county operations as well,” saidTompkins. “We are all thankful for his serviceto the MSA and appreciative of his greatefforts to advance our mission. And, as I take

the baton, I look forward to expanding uponthose efforts alongside Sheriff Cocchi andMSA Executive Director Carrie Hill as we con-tinue to elevate the work of the MSA.”During his term as president, the MSA

worked with State Sen. William Brownsberger(D – Second Suffolk and Middlesex) and StateRep. Claire Cronin (D – 11th Plymouth) onthe historic 2018 criminal justice reform bill.The bill included changes to restrictive hous-ing within jails and prisons; created a specialcommission to study the prevention of suicideamong correction officers; expressly autho-rized the establishment of specialized housingunits for individuals ages 18 – 24 (which theMiddlesex Sheriff’s Office had previouslyopened); and created a mechanism for medicalparole, among other key provisions.Medical parole had been a top priority for

Koutoujian since 2013 when he began work-ing with State Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D –Second Middlesex) on passage.Under his leadership, the MSA also worked

with the Baker Administration, State SenatorCindy Friedman (D – Fourth Middlesex) andState Representative Denise Garlick (D – 13thNorfolk) on the passage and implementation oflegislation establishing a landmark medicationassisted treatment pilot program involvingseven sheriffs' offices. Under the law, thoseentering custody in one of those seven countieson an FDA-approved MAT regimen have theability to continue that regimen unless deter-mined otherwise by a qualified addiction spe-cialist. Sentenced inmates not on a verifiedMAT regimen at the time of their commitmentmay also be evaluated for participation 30 daysprior to their scheduled release.For the past year, Koutoujian served con-

currently as president of both MSA and theMajor County Sheriffs of America (MCSA). AsMCSA President, Sheriff Koutoujian leads anassociation comprised of sheriffs of over 100of the nation’s most populous counties. Hewill serve as MCSA President through the endof 2021.

LOS ANGELES — Basketball player andcoach Edward Noni Atamian passed away onJanuary 9 after a week-long battle with Covid-19. He was 88.

Atamian was born in Alexandria, Egypt in1932.Atamian started playing basketball at a young

age with the Gamk Armenian Club inAlexandria from 1939 to 1952. He then playedand coached for the Homenetmen Club’s men’sand women’s basketball teams from 1952 to1970.Atamian immigrated to California in 1971.

Shortly thereafter he began assembling the leg-endary Armenian General Benevolent Union(AGBU) Valley men’s basketball team. UnderAtamian, the team won 234 games with only 2losses from 1975 to 2001. For years the teamdominated the AGBU World Games and trav-eled throughout the world winning champi-onships in North and South America as well asEurope. The team defeated the Men’s ArmenianNational Basketball team in Toronto in 1992 ina historic matchup. Atamian’s team also defeat-ed the legendary UNLV Coach JerryTarkanian’s Armenian team in the WesternArmenian Athletic Association games inFresno.Atamian coached the AGBU women’s team to

several championships. Atamian coached theAGBU Valley men’s basketball team in the first

and second Pan Armenian Games in Yerevan,which became champions in 1999 and 2001.From left, David Lalazarian (Pepperdine

University), Edward Noni Atamian, TorosYetenekian (Idaho State), David Djolakian (UCSanta Barbara)He leaves behind his wife Myriam Atamian,

son Eddy Atamian, daughter Alice Atamian,and grandchildren Andre, Dylan and Gina. Theburial date has not yet been set due to covid-19restrictions.

Koutoujian Completes Term Leading Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association

Obituary

Jerry Tarkanian UNLV and San Antonio Spurs Coach, right, with Edward Noni Atamian

Edward Noni Atamian Basketball Player and Coach

COORDINATOR, from page 6Nouri Al Maliki. “Mr. Al Maliki’s sectarian poli-

cies in Iraq played a major role in laying the ground-work for the rise of ISIS in Iraq,” Slim argued.It was under Al Maliki that Iran-funded Iraqi mili-

tias were able to run amok in the country, and ISIStook over Mosul in 2014.McGurk’s relationship with Al Maliki, however,

had its ups and downs. According to The WallStreet Journal, the senior US official played a leadrole in the Obama administration’s 2010 efforts toback Al Maliki’s bid for a second term but then facil-itated his ouster in 2014. “The relationship souredand Mr. McGurk became one of the officials to drive[Mr Al] Maliki out as ISIS took over Mosul,” theJournal reported.In Syria, McGurk’s mission was focused on

defeating ISIS and backing the Syrian DemocraticForces (SDF). He also supported a transitional gov-ernment structure in the north-east, a move thatcomplicated the political roadmap for a final settle-ment in the area, said Slim. “While appreciated bySyrian Kurdish leaders, the transitional governancestructure has complicated rather than facilitated

the cause of conflict management in the country."But others such as Nick Heras, the director of

government relations at the Institute for the Studyof War, see McGurk’s decisions as part of executinga mission which was then to defeat ISIS. “He has aremarkable capability to stay on mission and pur-sue the goals set out by the White House, evenwhen confronted by multiple regional crises,”Heras told The National. He described him as some-one who has no tolerance for nonsense and “a dri-ven leader who his team loves to work for and hisopponents begrudgingly respect.”McGurk’s mission at the White House will be

weaving back a regional multilateral coalition,Heras said. “President-elect Biden likely turned tohim because of his intimate familiarity with build-ing multilateral co-operation to address securityissues emanating from the region.”The expert mentioned McGurk’s ability of “keep-

ing diverse regional actors on the same side toaddress mutual security challenges in a context ofregional rivalry and conflict.” On Turkey, this wouldinvolve efforts to bring Ankara back under the Natotent.

Biden Taps McGurk as Regional Coordinator

9S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

FUNDRAISING, fro page 1After the war, questions began to be raised

about the allocation of those funds. MariaMehranian, chair of the board of directors ofthe Armenian Fund, Inc. from 2016, and in2004-2008, provided information about thecurrent situation and its context.

Armenia Fund: Background

The Armenia Fund was created over a quar-ter of a century ago in 1994, in the aftermathof the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a resultof the Armenian Earthquake of 1988,Armenian independence, and the ensuing lib-eration war in Artsakh. It provides humanitar-ian aid and develops infrastructure forArmenia and Artsakh, including schools, hos-pitals, clean drinking and irrigation water sys-tems, and highways.Mehranian said, “Parallel organizations were

born in the diaspora through the efforts ofmany concerned individuals. Armenia FundInc. was created originally in the United Statesto bring immediate relief to Armenia andArtsakh. It is a 501c3 registered with the stateof California, and all its tax returns and finan-cial information are placed on the website ofthe Secretary of State of California.” Its head-quarters are in Glendale, California, and it orig-inally only worked in the West Coast. The EastCoast of the US had its own board and sepa-rate structure from 1993 to 2018, but after thedissolution of the latter, the East Coast alsocame under the jurisdiction of the ArmeniaFund. The Armenia Fund is run by a board of 13

individuals, of whom 10 who are representa-tives of various Armenian-American churchesor organizations. These include the ArmenianAssembly of America, Armenian CatholicEparchy of the US and Canada, ArmenianCultural Foundation, Armenian EvangelicalUnion of North America, Armenian GeneralBenevolent Union, Nor Or CharitableAssociation, Armenian Relief Society ofWestern USA, Nor Serount CulturalAssociation, Western Diocese of the ArmenianApostolic Church of America, Western Prelacyof the Armenian Apostolic Church of NorthAmerica. Mehranian said: “So our board mem-bers are the representatives of the stakehold-ers of our community. We have meetings quar-terly, or more when needed, and most deci-sions are taken at these meetings.”Mehranian, like the treasurer and secretary,

is not on the board as a representative of anyparticular community organization but saysshe feels she is there on behalf of the ArmeniaFund itself. She has always been involved inArmenian issues in her life, she said. Hermaternal grandfather was the famous YepremKhan (Davtian), an Armenian freedom fighterwho played an important role in the IranianConstitutional Revolution. After graduatingDamavand College in Tehran, she went to grad-uate school at the University of California, LosAngeles to study urban planning. She eventu-ally became the Managing Partner and ChiefFinancial Officer of Cordoba Corporation,which is a civil engineering, construction man-agement and program management firm spe-cializing in transportation, education and facil-ities, and water and energy. It is headquarteredin Los Angeles. Mehranian organized a trip for a delegation

of California State Assembly and State Senatemembers to Armenia in 2001. During the visit,a series of meetings were organized with somemembers of the international board of theHayastan All Armenian Fund to explore a blue-print for project development. Back inCalifornia, Mehranian began collaboratingwith the Armenia Fund for several years, andeventually was voted in as the chair of itsboard. After her election, during the 2004-2008 period, she reorganized the West Coastoffice, enhancing its operations through state-of-the-art software, data analysis, donor reten-tion, and other development strategies. Mehranian explained that because of her

professional background, “I understand infra-structure. Professionally, it is a joy for me tocontribute in thoughts, calibration, and theimplementation and completion of projects.”Though she had left the board after her

achievements to focus on other things, aroundeight years later, when the idea of merging the

East and West Coast Armenia Fund organiza-tions was entertained, the Armenia Fundboard in California thought her corporateexperience would be helpful for this process.She was invited back and Mehranian accepted.

Operations

There are only two full-time employees ofthe Armenia Fund in its Glendale offices. Theirexpenses are raised, Mehranian said, through astandalone event held once or twice annually,which usually produces around two to threehundred thousand dollars. While large and mid-scale donors contribute

throughout the year, and some smaller donorsalso give regularly, the main method offundraising is the annual Thanksgiving Daytelethon, which began in 1996. The telethonsusually focus on soliciting funds for a majorproject. Over the years, the cost of the telethonwas gradually reduced from $700,000 toaround $250,000, through lessons learned byexperience, Mehranian said. In the last fiveyears, expenses have fluctuated between$180,000 and $300,000, and they are takenfrom the total donations. Projects are initiated in three ways, she said.

Individual donors sometimes set up projectswhich they pay for, like a center against domes-tic violence, but want the Armenia Fund tosupervise. Other donors have ideas for projectsbut want the Armenia Fund to set up the pro-ject as well as to implement it. The largest pro-jects are requested by Hayastan All ArmenianFund, and Armenia Fund provides at least partof the money necessary to carry them out. The All Armenian Fund projects generally

are for things like roads or other expensiveinfrastructure. In the case of the Goris-Stepanakert road or the Vartenis-Martakertone, the cost was broken down so that eachmeter of road, at a cost of 200 or 250 dollars,could be sponsored.There are also mid-sized projects which the

West Coast office initiates. Twice a yearArmenia Fund representatives from the US goto Armenia, once for a meeting with theirimplementing partner organization, HayastanAll Armenian Fund, and once to visit projectsand participate in opening ceremonies. Duringthese trips, Mehranian said, they also conducttheir own need assessments. Among the ideasthey came up with were projects for drip irri-gation, solar panels and a maternity hospital inStepanakert. The drip irrigation project costhalf a million dollars, for example. The money that is raised in the US for the

large-scale projects, like roads, is sent in full toArmenia. The money raised for the smallerindividual donor projects usually is kept in theUS and sent as needed to Armenia andArtsakh, Mehranian said. The money for themid-sized projects, like the drip irrigation one,is sent in parts. First a down payment is given,and then after a visit to the project and variousreports about progress, further payments arereleased gradually. The money raised mean-while is kept in a general account in the US. All projects except those already set up by

donors, whether large or small, are donethrough the approximately 20 person staff ofthe Hayastan All Armenian Fund. Before com-mencing, there are always memorandums ofunderstanding for descriptions of projects,including budgets and timelines, sponsored bythe Armenia Fund in the US. Bids are put outthrough the staff for projects. Three bids fromthree different contractors are required foreach project, and the lowest bid is chosen,Mehranian explained. The staff there thensupervise and report back on projects.Deadlines are set in the US and monitored. Athird-party auditor is sent to Armenia to dofinancial and forensic reports. The Hayastan All Armenian Fund takes

seven percent of the total funds they receivefor their expenses, Mehranian said, includingoverhead, program managers, constructionpeople and labor. She pointed out two advantages to working

through the Armenian staff. First, there arestrict codes for certification concerning con-struction, and not all organizations are subjectto this level of scrutiny. Second, there is theadvantage of having people familiar with localofficials and conditions. Mehranian gave the example of a trip of

some doctors from a hospital in Glendale toNoyemberyan Hospital in Armenia. They wereto stay 10 days to do volunteer surgeries but,all of a sudden, the local governor came andlocked the hospital. The president of the hos-pital also refused to let the doctors come in,declaring that they would mess up the hospi-tal. Mehranian immediately called theHayastan All Armenian Fund which intervenedand quickly made arrangements to resolve theimpasse, allowing the doctors to do their work.

Corruption

The Velvet Revolution coincided with a scan-dal involving Ara Vardanyan, executive directorof the Hayastan All Armenian Fund. He wasarrested in July 2018 on accusations of embez-zlement and misuse of funds. He apparentlyused funds for gambling, though he replacedat least part of these funds. This situation ledto talk of closing down the organization orreplacing it with a new one but then a newdirector, Haykak Arshamyan, was appointed inOctober of that year and worked to regain theconfidence of the public, though in 2019 USdonations were historically fairly low to theArmenia Fund. Furthermore, the auditingcompany for All Armenia Fund was changed. Mehranian remarked that construction in

general is a very complicated process. Oftenthe project description and specificationschange from design to construction. Even inthe US, large companies often face perfor-mance problems and cost overruns. They pre-sent low bids and end up with numerouschanged orders. In the recent history of infra-structure development in California, there aremany examples of failure in large scale pro-jects. Often contractors cut corners in favor ofa shorter timeline and higher profit margin. Inother words, she concluded, irregularities canhappen anywhere. However, she noted that having an interna-

tional board of the All Armenian Fund withstakeholders from the global Armenian dias-pora has reduced the possibility of corruption.

Artsakh War

Everything suddenly changed when the warstarted. The message was spread by theArmenian government and many organiza-tions that all donations to support Armeniaand Artsakh should be via Armenia Fund inthe US. The Glendale office was only staffed bytwo people, but there were 170 people on aver-age walking into the office every day over twomonths to bring in their donations, Mehraniansaid, with lines extending down the street. Itwas unbelievable, she exclaimed. Between 2and 2.5 million dollars was collected each day. It was necessary to have 180 volunteers

help. There were over 200 fundraising events,some virtual and some in-person, held duringthis period. Some 175 Instagram fundraiserswere held, and 200 on Facebook. There werecar show rallies, festivals, bake sales, jewelrysales and clothing sales, a petting zoo andeven golf. In addition to the regular Thanksgiving

telethon done by the Armenia Fund, a specialArmenia Aid Telethon was organized by anindependent group of Armenians on October10 which the Armenia Fund staff helped, andthe $35