Category Archives: News
Florida Armenians Adds New Contributors in Boca Raton, Tampa, Orlando
BOCA RATON, FL – Florida Armenians is pleased to announce the addition of three new contributors: Mireille Samra in Boca Raton, Suren Oganessian in Tampa, and Elina Azaryan in Orlando. “The addition of Mireille, Suren, and Elina is a testament to the growing readership of FLARMENIANS.COM,” stated Editor-in-Chief Taniel S. Koushakjian. “These talented individuals are a great addition to our team and I know the entire Florida Armenians family is looking forward to reading their columns, as I am, in the weeks and months ahead,” Koushakjian said.
Mireille Samra
FLArmenians Boca Raton Reporter
Mireille Samra is a native of Boca Raton, FL and has been active in the Armenian American community since a young age. A life-time member of St. David Armenian Church in Boca Raton, Samra is the former Chair of the St. David Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYOA). She is a graduate of Spanish River High School and is currently a sophomore at Lynn University where she majors in Criminal Justice. Since 2017, she has worked as a student ambassador for Lynn University. Samra just returned from Washington, DC as a participant in the Armenian Assembly of America’s Terjenian-Thomas 2018 Summer Internship Program where she worked on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
Suren Oganessian
FLArmenians Tampa/St. Petersburg Reporter
Suren Oganessian was born in Concord, California, and developed a passion for writing at an early age. By the time he graduated High School he already had several unpublished short stories and comics under his belt, and he would continue writing throughout his college years. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Human Communications from California State University Monterey Bay in 2011, he went on to receive a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Fresno State University in 2014. While there, he honed his skills writing for the local Armenian community newspaper Hye Sharzhoom, and began writing and work-shopping what would become his Master’s thesis and debut novel, ‘Odinochka: Armenian Tales from the Gulag.’ Upon completing his Master’s degree he volunteered in Armenia via Birthright Armenia, teaching Creative Writing at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan and teaching English at the NGO Center and American Corners in Vanadzor. Upon his return to the United States he chose to focus on his lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he may be sighted roaming about downtown wearing fancy hats and suits and looking totally overdressed for Florida.
Elina Azaryan
FLArmenians Orlando Reporter
Elina Azaryan has close to twenty years of experience in international business and finance. She has a passion for writing and is an avid traveler. Elina spent her childhood years in Europe. She moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL in 2000, and since 2009 she has called Central Florida home. She received an MBA from Florida Metropolitan University with a concentration in accounting, and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Florida. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, reading and writing, and staying current in world affairs.
Armenian Relief Society Eastern USA Holds 98th Convention in South Florida
BOCA RATON, FL – Over 50 members and guests of the Armenian Relief Society, Eastern USA (ARS-EUSA) gathered in Boca Raton, Florida from Thursday, August 9th to Sunday, August 12th to participate in the organization’s 98th Convention.
The Florida “Sosseh” Chapter, hosts of this Convention, were loudly lauded and applauded for their warm hospitality and outstanding planning. On Thursday night, the opening ceremonies took place at the local hall used by the South Florida Armenian community for their events. Welcoming remarks were extended by the Chairperson of the Convention Committee, Ungh. Mary Andonian. She introduced Talin Daghlian, Chair of the Board of Directors of the ARS-EUSA, to address the gathering.
ARS Florida Sosseh Chapter members
Congratulatory remarks and words of encouragement were extended by representatives of the sister organizations. Ung. Jano Avedissian, representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern Region Central Committee touched upon the scope of the work of the ARS and its continued dedication to serving the Armenian people worldwide.
The delegates were moved by the message of Kaliana Maronian, the Armenian Youth Federation representative who described her experience as a staff member at Camp Javakh, located in the Armenian enclave in the Republic of Georgia. Closing remarks and prayer were offered by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. At the conclusion of his address, the Serpazan led the attendees in a moving rendition of Giligia.
The meeting officially began on Thursday with the election of the Convention Chairpersons: Unghs. Seda Aghamianz (Cambridge Shushi) and Mayda Melkonian (Watertown Leola Sassouni). Elected to the position of Secretary were Ungs. Knar Kiledjian (N.J. “Shakeh”) and Floria Kasparian (N.J. Agnouni) (Armenian-language secretaries) and Ungs. Nevair Oranjian (NY Erebouni) and Ani Zargarian (Cambridge Shushi) .
Khatchig Mouradian
Representing the Central Executive of the Armenian Relief Society was Ungh. Silva Takvorian Kouyoumdjian. Ungh. Annie Ohanian, Chairperson of ARS of Canada was also in attendance representing her Region. Board guests to the Convention were Ungh. Heather Krafian and Unger Khatchig Mouradian.
Unger Mouradian was honored this year as the Agnouni Award recipient. The award is presented to an individual who has shown exceptional commitment to advancing the mission of the ARS.
Guests invited by the Convention were: Ungh. Nevart Kouyoumdjian from the Watertown Leola Sassouni Chapter and Unghs. Mary Andonian, Sose Tokatlian Maltez, and Annette Amiraian Maggio, all from the Florida Sosseh Chapter.
The following were selected to serve on the various Convention Committees:
Nominating: Unghs. Sevan Kolejian, Maral Kaprielian, Yeran Manjikian, Linda Tarzian and Nayda Voskerijian. Resolution: Unghs. Jill Dolik, Helen Bardakjian and Edna Galo. Auditing and Budgeting: Unghs. Maral Nakashian, Sarah Dudek and Margie Babikian Medina. Correspondence: Unghs. Arlene Jessourian, Pauline Dostoumian and Ani Keshishian.
Unhg. Angele Manoogian was appointed the Parliamentarian and Ungh. Sona Garabettian was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms.
The major areas of discussion and review were domestic programs; finance/investments; projects in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk; strengthening organizational internal processes; and membership development.
Included in the domestic programs are support of Camp Haiastan, Norian Youth Connect, Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarships, Essay Contest for Armenian School Students, and Armenian National Educational Council (ANEC).
Projects in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk include Syrian Armenian Families in Armenia; Syrian Armenian Students Studying in Armenia; Amanor Program; Sponsor a Child Program, Orphan Educational Fund; Sponsor a Bed – Save a Life; Meds Tagher Soseh Kindergarten; Stepanagerd Soseh Kindergarten; Mother and Child Clinic and Birthing Center and Javkah Camp.
The Financial Report was well received. It reflected the robust nature of the financial controls which are allowing the organization to support so many programs and yet protect the investment portfolio.
The inclusion of youth at this year’s convention was highly regarded.
The Convention delegates once again expressed their appreciation for all of the benefactors who have throughout the years been major supporters of the organization. The funds received along with the monies that come from the local chapters allows the ARS EUSA to continue its mission of serving the humanitarian needs of the Armenian people, here in the United States as well as in the homeland.
After reviewing the past year’s work, the delegates focused on short term and long term initiatives. Many plans were initiated some focused on internal issues and others on expanding programs.
On an organizational level, it was decided to expand the social media presence of the organization not only on a regional level but also on a chapter one. Also discussed were integrating new meet-up methods and updating the types of activities.
The importance of the establishment of Chapter historians who can gather archives and chronicle the chapters’ history was stressed.
The status of our elderly who are living alone was another focus of the Convention discussion. After an exchange of experiences and events, the delegates reaffirmed their commitment to assist the elderly in our communities in a number of ways, including visits, providing transportation and escorting them to special events and meetings.
In relation to efforts in Armenia, the Convention expressed its desire to explore ways and means to develop and underwrite a health and wellness education to be disseminated through the Mother and Child Clinic in Akhourian. The programs will focus on women and children issues, psychological/ emotional support, medical intervention and family education.
A recommendation was made to begin investigating the feasibility of fundraising to sponsor athletic activities and a field for the Nigol Aghpalian School in Akhourian which was built by the ARS-EUSA after the 1988 Earthquake.
A lengthy debate took place regarding the state of Armenian schools, both one-day and day ones. It was agreed that it has become a challenge in today’s busy world to have children and parent commit to spending a few hours a week learning the Armenian language. Various suggestions were made to improve curriculums as well as teaching methods.
In addition to the business sessions, the delegates were hosted to a number of social activities organized by the Florida Chapter. These activities not only gave delegates a pause from the meetings but also an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
The Convention expressed its deepest appreciation to the FY 2018 Board and the ARS-EUSA Executive Director, Ungh. Vartouhie Chiloyan, and applauded their work and dedication to advancing the mission of the ARS.
The meeting concluded with the elections. Ungh.Talin Daghlian, outgoing Chairperson, and Ungh. Sonia Bezdikian, outgoing Advisor, were widely applauded for their efforts during the past 4 years for their service on the ARS Regional Board. In particular, Ungh. Daghlian for her leadership and Ungh. Sonia for her outstanding fundraising ability on behalf of the organization.
Ungh. Sandra Vartanian (New York Erebouni) and Ungh. Johanna Chilingirian (Cambridge Shushi) were reelected for another 2 –year term. Newly elected to serve a 2-year term were Ungh. Heather Krafian (Cambridge Shushi) and Ungh. Maral Nakashian (Washington Satenig). They will join Ungh. Ani Attar (Detroit), MaryAnne Bonjuklian (NJ Bergen County), Silva Sagherian (Detroit Tsolig) who are still serving their term. Elected as Alternates were Ungh. Helena Bardakjian (Detroit Zabel) and Ungh. Mary Andonian (Florida Sosseh).
The Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA is grateful to all who inspire us with their warm generosity, thoughts and actions, without whom we could not help people globally, as well as in our local communities, through our many programs and projects.
Congress Must Investigate U.S. Loans To Azerbaijan’s Secretive Silk Way Airline
Silk Way Airlines
By Harut Sassounian
Last year, I wrote an article reporting that the Silk Way Airlines of Azerbaijan made 350 secret flights to transport hundreds of tons of weapons from Bulgaria to ISIS terrorists in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries between 2014 and 2017. We now have a new surprising revelation that Silk Way received $419.5 million of loans from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) to buy three 747-8 cargo planes from Boeing to continue its sinister operations.
The disclosure was made by a reporter for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) by filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. government in 2016. It is noteworthy that Silk Way, “owned by a company with past ties to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev family, won some lucrative contracts from the U.S. military,” according to FOIA documents. In fact, “Silk Way was given contracts worth more than $400 million with the U.S. Defense Department’s Transportation Command for more than decade,” according to Devansh Mehta of OCCRP. Silk Way transported “ammunition and other non-lethal materials” to Afghanistan as of 2005. “In addition to its relationship with the U.S. government, Silk Way Airlines has also worked as a subcontractor for the Canadian Department of National Defense, the German armed forces, and the French army,” Mehta revealed.
In April 2017, Silk Way increased its purchases from Boeing, signing a $1 billion deal for 10 new 737 MAX passenger planes, according to reporter Mehta. However, it is not known how the new acquisition was financed. Last October, Silk Way announced plans to buy two more 747-8 cargo planes.
Mehta disclosed that “the airline is owned by Silk Way Group, which, at least at one point, was closely associated with Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev family (which has used its planes for private trips) and has benefited from benevolent state deals. Information obtained through FOIA shows that Silk Way Airlines took steps to conceal its owners’ identity, perhaps to improve its chances of winning the valuable U.S. loan guarantees and military contracts.”
Mehta added that “Azerbaijan ranks 122nd out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s corruption perception index, while President Ilham Aliyev’s family owns luxury properties around the world worth over $140 million. The Panama Papers and other leaks have implicated the country’s first family as being involved in nearly all sectors of the Azerbaijani economy, from luxury hotels to mining to banking.”
According to the terms of the Export-Import Bank’s $419.5 million loan to Silk Way, in case of default the loss would be repaid by the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA). The problem is that IBA has been “implicated in the Azerbaijani Laundromat, a massive scheme that pumped nearly $3 billion out of the country through various shell companies,” Mehta wrote. Furthermore, IBA is not in a position to guarantee the Silk Way loan, as the IBA itself declared bankruptcy in 2015, unable to pay its $3.3 billion debt!
Nate Schenkkan, project director of the Nations in Transit report at Freedom House, a US-based nonprofit that monitors democracy and human rights around the world, questioned the wisdom of EXIM Bank’s loan to Silk Way: “In Azerbaijan, where one family dominates economically and politically, and is then using state institutions to back its economic projects, there’s an obvious conflict of interest.”
Arzu Aliyeva, Pres. Aliyev’s 21-year-old daughter in 2010, was one of the three owners of Silk Way Bank, the financial arm of Silk Way Holding. Since 2017, her name is no longer mentioned as an owner. “Silk Way Holding, also referred to as Silk Way Group (SW Group) on its website, is a conglomerate that has currently listed 11 companies in its portfolio, including the airline,” according to Mehta. Silk Way Holding dominated Azerbaijan’s aviation sector after the state carrier AZAL airlines was privatized in a highly secretive manner without any bids and tenders. Mehta wrote that “a similar privatization of the telecom sector ended up with the [Aliyev] family earning about $1 billion in bribes in cash and share value, according to an earlier OCCRP story. The investigation also found that the money was funneled to the first family through various secret offshore companies. These companies have enabled the Aliyevs to control stakes in gold mines, telecommunications and construction businesses in Azerbaijan.”
According to a filing in 2006, Silk Way Airlines was owned by IHC (International Handling Company), an offshore entity based in the British Virgin Islands. In a 2017 filing, Silk Way Airlines stated that 40% of the company was owned by IHC, while 60% was owned by SW Holding, “effectively controlled” by Zaur Akhundov, an Azerbaijani citizen. Mehta stated that “IHC is linked to the Aliyev family through its director Jaouad Dbila who reportedly served as a proxy for the first family’s business interests in the past.”
In 2011, a Russian-born manager, Grigory Yurkov, was given power of attorney for both Silk Way Holding and IHC, according to Luxembourg’s official gazette. This appointment was used as a means to conceal the true owners of IHC.
Meanwhile, Zaur Akhundov had mysteriously become the 100% owner of the entire Silk Way Group in 2014. By that time, the firm and its many holdings were already worth billions of dollars, Mehta declared, based on the company’s loan guarantee application. Akhundov, 50, had held several official positions in Azerbaijan. “It is unclear how Akhundov became the owner of a billion-dollar conglomerate with more than 10 aircrafts, an insurance company, a construction company and an aircraft maintenance company, to name a few of the enterprises in the Silk Way Group,” Mehta wondered.
According Schenkkan of Freedom House, “Azerbaijan can be described as a centralized, vertical pyramid where the benefits go to one family that collects rents throughout the economy. This includes all sorts of transactions, not only official state transactions that might involve taxes and public funds, but also things that involve what we normally consider the private sector: import-export, consumer goods, transport—any area of the economy, the family has a stake in it and receives a cut on what takes place.”
The U.S. Congress should hold a hearing to investigate the appropriateness of EXIM Bank’s $419.5 million loan guarantee to Silk Way Airlines, its arms shipments to terrorist groups in the Middle East, and its hidden ownership by the ruling Aliyev family. After all, why should Azerbaijan, a country with billions of petrodollars, be given a U.S. loan?
Florida Armenians 