Day: December 21, 2023

The Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Imangali Tasmagambetov, arrived in Armenia on Thursday amid growing tensions between Armenia—a member state—and the Russia-led security bloc.

Tasmagambetov met with Foreign Minister Arart Mirzoyan and briefed Armenia’s top diplomat about the latest decisions taken at the CSTO’s recent summit held last month in Minsk. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mirzoyan, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan did not attend the summit, adding to the rift.

Pashinyan and his government blame the CSTO for not responding to Yerevan’s appeal after Azerbaijan breached Armenia’s sovereign territory in May 2021 and later in September of last year. Armenian authorities have said that the CSTO failed to properly condemn Baku during its annual summit held last year in Yerevan and reneged on the bloc’s mandate to assist member-states during military conflict.

The CSTO contends that it is ready to send a mission to the Armenia border.

According to the source, during the meeting, Mirzoyan and Tasmagambetov exchanged views on the situation in the region, as well as projects aimed at the development of transport and economic interconnectivity, including the “Crossroads of Peace” concept being advanced by the Armenian government.

washington — The U.S. Department of Commerce said Thursday that it would launch a survey of the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and national defense industrial base to address national security concerns from Chinese-sourced chips. 

The survey aims to identify how U.S. companies are sourcing so-called legacy chips — current-generation and mature-node semiconductors — as the department moves to award nearly $40 billion in subsidies for semiconductor chip manufacturing. 

The department said the survey, which will begin in January, aims to “reduce national security risks posed by” China and will focus on the use and sourcing of Chinese-manufactured legacy chips in the supply chains of critical U.S. industries. 

A report released by the department on Thursday said China had provided the Chinese semiconductor industry with an estimated $150 billion in subsidies in the last decade, creating “an unlevel global playing field for U.S. and other foreign competitors.” 

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said, “Over the last few years, we’ve seen potential signs of concerning practices from [China] to expand their firms’ legacy chip production and make it harder for U.S. companies to compete.” 

China’s embassy in Washington said Thursday that the United States “has been stretching the concept of national security, abusing export control measures, engaging in discriminatory and unfair treatment against enterprises of other countries, and politicizing and weaponizing economic and sci-tech issues.” 

Raimondo said last week that she expected her department to make about a dozen semiconductor chip funding awards within the next year, including multibillion-dollar announcements that could drastically reshape U.S. chip production. Her department made the first award from the program on December 11. 

The Commerce Department said the survey would also help promote a level playing field for legacy chip production. 

“Addressing non-market actions by foreign governments that threaten the U.S. legacy chip supply chain is a matter of national security,” Raimondo added. 

U.S.-headquartered companies account for about half of the global semiconductor revenue but face intense competition supported by foreign subsidies, the department said. 

Its report said the cost of manufacturing semiconductors in the United States may be “30-45% higher than the rest of the world,” and it called for long-term support for domestic fabrication construction. 

It added that the U.S. should enact “permanent provisions that incentivize steady construction and modernization of semiconductor fabrication facilities, such as the investment tax credit scheduled to end in 2027.” 

How Azerbaijan Is Creating Its Niche in Winter Travel  Skift Travel News

Azerbaijan says border issues shouldn’t get in way of peace deal with Armenia  ThePrint

International Feature Oscar Shortlist: Armenia Marks A First, Bhutan Is Back, ‘Godland’ Surprises  Deadline

Menendez seeks delay of his corruption trial  New Jersey Globe | New Jersey Politics

Menendez Wants 2-Month Delay Of Bribery Trial  Law360

NPR News: 12-21-2023 5PM EST

The presidential decree signed in September ordering the dissolution of the Artsakh government should nullified, said Artsakh’s former State Minister and Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan in an interview published on Thursday.

“Everything is very clear, there is even no need for discussion; the [presidential] decree on dissolving the Republic of Artsakh just needs to be cancelled. Beglaryan told NEWS.am in an interview.

After Azerbaijan’s large-scale attack on Artsakh on September 19, Artsakh President Samuel Shahramanyan on September 28 signed a decree calling for the dissolution of Artsakh’s government insinuations by January 1. The decree prompted the forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh, essentially leaving the area empty.

The September 28 decree does not have any legal ramification because it is unconstitutional,” declared Beglaryan. “The [Artsakh] president has no authority to dissolve the republic. Secondly, it was signed under the threat of violence [by Azerbaijan], which was confirmed by both the president and the National Assembly.”

Beglayan said that the nullification is possible through another “presidential decree” or a decision of the Artsakh’s Supreme Count. He said this matter should be done without delay and without “dependence on other actors.”

“It is preferable that it happens before January 1 [when the decree comes into force],” Beglaryan said, adding that the decree has not legal significance and is merely. “It’s political,” he said.

“It is necessary to show political will and give that clear message that we [Artsakh] will continue to function after January 1. Even if it [the decree] is not nullified, it doesn’t change anything; the state bodies of Artsakh continue to function,” explained Beglaryan.

BY CATHERINE YESAYAN

From Vietnam to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine, to the war in Artsakh and, now, in Gaza. It seems the world is on fire and wars have become a regular part of our lives. Indeed, the events unfolding in today’s world are very disheartening.

When I was a kid growing up in Tehran, there was no notion of a war. However, after watching war movies, in my childish daydreams, I used to imagine that maybe, one day, there would be a war where I lived and the “enemy” would invade.

My parent’s bedroom had a short bedside chest that I had planned to hide in, in case there was a war and the bad guys were to enter our home. 

Now, because of all the disturbing things happening in today’s world, who knows what fears kids may have nowadays? 

George Eliot, an English novelist, once said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”

One “small thing,” that may help in times of war, to some degree, are peace vigils—typically organized by small action groups. One such example, here in Southern California, is the Montrose Peace Vigil.

First, let me tell you about the enclave of Montrose, a historic old town neighborhood in North Glendale. The area is known as the La Crescenta Valley. The business district of Montrose centers around its main street, Honolulu Avenue.

The “Peace Vigil” in Montrose was launched in 2006. The main aim of the initiative was to protest the war in Iraq, which had started three years earlier. Following the end of the Iraq War, the organization continued its effort and staged vigils to oppose various wars happening in the world.

Every Friday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., members of the Montrose Peace Vigil gather, with their placards, at the northwest corner of Honolulu and Ocean View Blvd. to protest the ongoing wars.

Although the peace vigil is very close to my heart, over these many years, I’ve had the chance to participate in the weekly vigil on only a few occasions.

The Montrose Peace Vigil is the brainchild of Roberta Medford, who, when asked how the idea came about, said she was inspired by a similar vigil that had begun a few years earlier in Glendale.

The reason I started this piece by spotlighting the peace vigil is because they took part in the Montrose Christmas Parade, which I attended.

The Montrose Christmas Parade was created 45 years ago in an effort to bring the Christmas spirit to the local community.

Roberta is a woman brimming with enthusiasm and joy. She said that being included in the Montrose Christmas Parade took some negotiations and work, but finally, in 2008, the group was invited to participate in the parade. 

Some of the very creative members of the peace vigil got together and, using large pieces of cardboard, built a little two-caboose train with a motor and music streaming— they called it the “Peace Train.”

The Christmas Parade is held on the first Saturday in December, typically a very cold night. This year marked the 12th year that the Montrose Peace Vigil participated in the parade.

Every year, in early November, I receive a save-the-date email from Roberta in regard to the Montrose Christmas Parade. I try to participate as often as I can. I love being in the parade as well as being a spectator.  

Roberta lives within walking distance of the parade route. Each year, she invites the peace vigil participants to her home and offers hearty refreshments prior to joining the parade, which starts at 6:10 p.m. The group typically leaves for the parade around 5 p.m.

This year, around 150 groups took part in the parade, which focuses heavily on family. The groups included several schools from surrounding cities with drill teams, bands, and cheerleading groups. Also, many service and dance groups, as well as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts participated in the parade. Thousands of spectators gathered along the parade route.

The parade marks the start of the Christmas season in our neck of the woods, and a highlight of the event is when Santa Clause visits by helicopter.

There were several groups that I found fascinating, such as the folkloric Mexican dance groups and the school marching bands. But I was especially delighted when I saw two Armenian groups participating in the parade.

The first group I noticed was the Armenian General Athletic Union, or Homenetmen, “Shant” Chapter from the La Crescenta Valley. Members of the organization’s scouting and athletics youth programs were in attendance. The group consisted of 50 scouts, a few athletes, and about 30 parents.

The Homenetmen “Shant” chapter of La Crescenta was established in 1993. The chapter has over 600 members, including athletes, scouts, and volunteers from many age groups.

In the Western Region of the United States, there are 18 Homenetment chapters. Most of those chapters are located in Southern California.

The other Armenian group that participated in this year’s parade was the “Dance with Ani Studio.” The parade committee had invited the dance group to participate with 30 female performers, from seven to 13 years old. They were all very delighted to be there and to dance in the parade.

This concludes my report on the Montrose Christmas Parade. 

Catherine Yesayan is a regular contributor to Asbarez, with her columns appearing under the “Community Links” heading. She can be reached at cyesayan@gmail.com.