After the coming to power of Nikol Pashinyan in the country and the period of the stabilisation of the republic’s political system, his party “My Step” received a parliamentary majority. In the context of preserving the parliamentary form of government, all the main levers of governing the country have come under the control of the “people’s” government.

The consistent influence of non-governmental organisations and their activists, the majority of which are members of various state bodies and departments, the government, and parliament has increased manyfold.

A central place in the bloc of NGOs that are strengthening their position in the political field is occupied by Open Society — Armenia Institute, which is a part of the international network “Open Society Foundation” of George Soros. All of this generated the phenomenon of Soros adherents in the country’s government. This concept in the socio-political discourse is used to denote the forces orientated primarily towards the West and associated with the network of foundations of the American businessman.

The Foundation regularly faces attempts to demonise it and hold it responsible for a number of the new government’s foreign policy failures – first and foremost, the direction of building constructive dialogue with Moscow and Stepanakert.

Our investigation is devoted to whether or not these and many other allegations are solid, as well as how influential the Foundation is in the country.

For the Soros Foundation in Armenia the areas of work for 2019-2022 are defined as follows:

Strengthening the liberal model of society and also liberal discourse.

Opposing the concept of developing a “People’s Army” – the plan of the armed forces for increasing the level of combat readiness of the army with the help of the active civilian population, general militarisation, and an increase in state financing.

Opposing Russian “anti-liberal propaganda”.

Consolidating the youth and active civilian population around western values for the purpose of forming a loyal political force ready for active actions.

Expanding the presence of representatives of controlled NGOs and loyal politicians in government structures, control over anti-corruption policy, and influence on the course of electoral reforms and processes.

Fighting against the arising dominating ideology of saving the patriarchal way and the general militarisation of the population.

Creating optimum conditions for rapprochement between Armenia with the EU and a rupture in relations between Yerevan with Moscow.

In addition to the stated goals, which in brief can be reduced to dismantling the system of values that have dominated and been developed for centuries, and also the country’s defence capability systems, the personnel structure of Open Society — Armenia Foundation is of interest for a deeper understanding of what interests the organisation works in.

Davit Khachatryan is the chairman of the board of directors and has been a board member since 2016. He received a law doctorate in 2000 at the Yerevan State University. From 2006 to 2013 he worked in the US Embassy in Armenia and also the US Department of Justice. Within a year he was the vice rector of the Academy of Justice of Armenia. He now participates in different programs of the Council of Europe and the European Union concerning legal practice, rule of law, the judicial system, and human rights. A special focus in his professional and scientific projects is made on the independence of the judicial system, the freedom of information, and human rights, as well as bringing legal norms in compliance with European standards. Davit is the brother of the head of the Special Investigative Service of Armenia Sasun Khachatryan.

Larisa Minasyan is the executive director of the Soros Foundation in Armenia. Recently has been referred to as the “shadow prime minister”.

Artak Kyurumyan has been a board member since 2017.

He is an independent researcher and consultant with experience in the field of international development, state policy, and management. He worked in the Ministry of Finance of Armenia, as well as an independent consultant in the projects of the World Bank, the European Union, United States Agency for International Development in program budgeting, and the management of the national debt. He received a master’s degree at the American university of Armenia and a MBA degree at the Tulane university, New Orleans, in the US.

Ruben Babayan has been a board member since 2016.

He is the CEO of “Yerevan state puppet theater of G. Tumanyan”. Since 1995 he has been a teacher at the NGO “Yerevan state institute of theater and cinematography”. In 2006 he founded the “National theatre-construction organisation”, and in 2008 – the “Theatre X” festival. He is a professor and honoured artist of Armenia. He participated in many international festivals.

Zaruhi Hovhannisyan has been a board member since 2018.

She is a journalist, a member and founder of a number of NGOs, such as a prison monitoring group, she maintains the Let’s Stop Violence Against Women page. She is a graduate of the Yerevan conservatory, and passed training within the framework of the American International Visitor Leadership Program.

Marianna Grigoryan has been a board member since 2018.

She is the correspondent of a number of foreign outlets, such as the National Geographic, Washington Post, and The Guardian. She is a graduate of the faculty of journalism of the Yerevan State University.

Employees of the Foundation: Larisa Minasyan, Davit Amiryan, Kristina Danielyan, Shohik Avanzyan, Gayane Kikoyan, Valentina Gevorkyan, Tatevik Khachatryan, Karine Kazaryan, Ashot Grigoryan, Ike Abramyan, Hayrapi Papikyan, Gayane Mamikonyan, Lilit Nazaryan, Ani Kojoyan, Armina Arutyunyan, Maya Moyan, Gohar Davtyan, Ashot Manukyan.

Many of them in the past were also journalists and participants of the American educational programs implemented in Armenia.

Persons affiliated with the Foundation

The Foundation is broadening its spheres of the influence through the introduction of “independent” experts and consultants in government structures and supervisory boards. The whole group of activists connected to structures of the Soros Foundation were in the structure of the government, parliament, and other departments:

Sasun Khachatryan is the head of the Special Investigative Service. He is the brother of the head of Open Society Armenia Foundation Davit Khachatryan.

Ararat Mirzoyan is the speaker of the National Assembly.

Eduard Aghajanyan is the chief of staff of the Government.

Mher Grigoryan is the Deputy Prime Minister.

Armen Grigoryan is the Secretary of the National Security Council.

Mkhitar Hayrapetyan is the former Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

Lilit Makunts is the former Minister of Culture.

Arayik Harutyunyan is the Minister of Education.

Arsen Torosyan is the Minister of Healthcare.

Suren Papikyan is the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.

Artak Zeynalyan is the former Minister of Justice.

Ashot Hakobyan is the former Minister of Transport and Information Technologies.

Mane Tandilyan is the head of the budget commission of the National Assembly and former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

Sos Avetisyan is the deputy from the “My Step” bloc and permanent member of the Foundation’s staff.

Hovhannes Hovhannisyan is a deputy of the National Assembly.

Daniel Ioannisyan is the head of the Commission on Electoral Reforms.

Arevik Anapiosyan is the Deputy Minister of Education and Science. Heeaded the programs financed by the Foundation.

Gayane Abrahamyan is a deputy and the head of the “For the sake of Equal Rights” organisation financed by the Foundation.

Taguhi Ghazarian is a deputy of the National Assembly.

This list can be continued.

In addition, certain proteges of the Foundation from among the leaders of media space act as “independent” representatives of civil society in the different working groups and international delegations. Proceeding from the short analysis of biographies, trends are obvious with the naked eye, although the list of persons is far from being complete.

Armen Grigoryan is a master of political sciences of the American university of Armenia. He is a coordinator of the projects of the “Transparency International” center. He is also a columnist at “EVN Report”, “Civilnet”, and “Media Max”. He is the Secretary of Council of National Security.

Arevik Anapiosyan received a master’s degree in political sciences at the American university of Armenia. She did postgraduate study at the University of Tartu in Estonia in 2015. During her studies she was an invited research associate at the “Center for Human Rights” at the University of Essex, Great Britain (2012 – 2015). She passed scientific training at the University of Massachusetts in the US in studying political thought and policy of the US. She is the founder of the NGO “Institute of Public Policy” (an organisation controlled by the Foundation). She is a consultant of the Council of Europe, the EU representative to Armenia, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Germany. She is a teacher at the “Center for European Research” of the European Humanities University. After the revolution she was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Education.

Sos Avetisyan is a deputy of the National Assembly. He has a master’s from St Antony’s College at the University of Oxford, Great Britain. He received grants for research into post-communist transition processes, comparative democratisation, security, and ethnic conflicts. He was an invited lecturer of the “Center of European Research” of the European Humanities University. He is a coordinator of the Foundation.

Hamazasp Danielyan is Professor at the European Humanities University. He is an elections and electoral systems specialist, as well as a member of the International Association of Political Science. He participated in the work of the “Institute of Public Policy”, and in the past was a board member of “A political forum in Armenia”. He repeatedly cooperated with the Foundation. He is a Deputy of the National Assembley.

Hovhannes Hovhannisyan is a teacher at the American university of Armenia. In 2018-2019 he was the Deputy Minister of Education of Armenia. He is a deputy of the National Assembly from the “My Step” bloc.

Kristina Antoyan is a graduate student of the European Humanities University and an associate professor of economics. She is an expert in the field of anti-corruption programs in higher education system. She received a grant from the Foundation within the framework of “Initiative Scholarship Policy”.

Olya Azatyan is a coordinator of the “Heinrich Böll Foundation”. She supervised projects on human rights and conflict resolution at the Embassy of Great Britain. She is a graduate of the “Chevening” British educational program for training young leaders. She studied in Great Britain and France in the field of policy and management. In 2015 she graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of Great Britain.

Viktoriya Burnazyan is the editor-in-chief of the NGO “EcoLur”. As a journalist and ecologist, she was repeatedly recruited in the programs implemented by the Foundation in the field of the environment.

Inesa Chilingaryan is a coordinator of the network of laboratories in the National Center of Combatting Tuberculosis of the Ministry of Healthcare. She actively cooperates with the Foundation. By its request, she carried out the “Studying of Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes in Penal Institutions of Ministry of Justice” project.

Valentina Gevorgyan is a researcher of socio-political issues in Armenia. In the past she was an instructor and senior research associate of the American university of Armenia. She worked within the framework of projects implemented by the European network “Je suis Caucasus”. She worked as a national expert for the European Commission. Now she is a coordinator of the Foundation and a doctor of political sciences from the University of Freiburg (Switzerland).

Arevik Galumyan has a master’s from the “Center of European Research” at the European Humanities University. He is a participant of the Foundation’s programs.

Asmik Grigoryan is a doctor of philosophy from Dublin University. She is a post-Soviet space specialist. She heads the globalisation and regional cooperation program of the NGO Yerevan Analytical Center.

Lilit Grigoryan has a master’s from the University of Southern California in the US. Currently she is a specialist of monitoring and assessment at the National Institute of Health of the Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia.

Lucina Grigoryan is a manager of projects of the media and initiative centers of the international NGO “IREX Media Literacy”. She is an expert of the Foundation within the framework of the “Application of ICT in Armenian schools” project.

Lucina Karamyan received a master’s degree in the field of social management and social work at Manchester University (Great Britain). She repeatedly cooperated with the Foundation. She is a professor of the sociological faculty of the European Humanities University. She is a member of the team of the “Institute of Public Policy”.

Vilen Khachatryan is a doctor of jurisprudence from the law faculty of the University of San Francisco (US). He has a Bachelor of arts and political science from the University of California (US). Since 2009 he has been the policy director of the NGO “Association of Young Armenians”.

Artak Kyurumyan is a former employee of the Ministry of Finance of Armenia. As an independent expert he worked in the projects of the World Bank, USAID, and the Department for International Development of the UK government. He has a master’s in business administration from Tulane university (US).

Nvard Manasyan is a UNICEF employee concerning gender equality. She is a researcher of educational policy and labour market gender analytics.

Sona Manusyan is a researcher of psychology methodology, issues with identity, border work, and national subjectivity. She was an invited research associate of the Fulbright program of the university of New York (US).

Avetik Mejlumyan is the cofounder and research coordinator of the “Institute of Public Policy”. He is the author of research into the field of corruption and a professor of the European Humanities University.

Araks Melkonyan has a master’s from the University of Essex (Great Britain) and also Turin university (Italy). He is a researcher of international law and criminal justice. He is also a lawyer of the NGO “Protection of rights without borders”.

Armine Mkhitaryan has a master’s in international relations from the American university of Armenia. She is an independent researcher of decentralisation mechanisms.

Anna Ohanjanyan is a senior research associate of the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts “Matenadaran”. She is a doctor of historical sciences of the “NASA Institute of Ethnography and Archeology” (US). She is a post-doctoral candidate of the “Center of East Mediterranean Research” of the Central European university, Budapest, Hungary (a part of the structure of the organisations of G. Soros).

Alina Pogosyan is a research associate of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the “National Academy of Sciences of Armenia”. She worked as a graduate student of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, US. Researcher of questions of migration and cultural changes.

Agasi Tadevosyan is a doctor of social anthropology. He is a senior research associate of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences. He was an invited scientist at the Fulbright Program in the University of California of the US.

Vigen Shirvanyan is a graduate of University College London. He is the leader of an educational team of the “Center of Strategic Initiatives”. He is a developer of education reforms.

The Western education or training of the mentioned public opinion leaders who are partners of Foundation is evident. At the same time, many of them are consolidated around the “Institute of European Research” of the European Humanities University, “Institute of Public Policy”, and the American University of Armenia.

There is a close connection between the persons cooperating with Foundation and the European structures. This fact is not a coincidence. The Foundation is closely connected with European Commission representatives.

The European Union conducts the strategy of expanding its political-economic influence in the countries of the Eastern Partnership. At the same time, the actual use by Europeans of NGOs for the purpose of solving their tasks has been documented. These are: discrediting the Eurasian Union, the involvement of the countries of the region in own geopolitical orbit, and weakening the influence of Russia.

One of key tasks of the Foundation in Armenia is controlling the implementation of the Agreement on the comprehensive and expanded partnership of Armenia with the EU signed on November 24th 2017. The document assumes carrying out reforms in the field of justice, energy, economy, and politics. For the achievement of its goals, the Foundation organised the coordination of activity and cooperation with the western NGO, non-governmental groups.

In fact, the Foundation possesses a monopoly on the work of non-governmental structures in the country. The main financial flows there pass through its office. The reception of grants by civil activists without the approval of the director of the Foundation Larisa Minasyan is almost impossible.

EU leaders carry out organisational work and the financing/ support of the activity of pro-West NGOs through the “European Endowment for Democracy”. The latter is, in turn, connected to a number of more low-level European NGOs and also coordinates its work with the US “National Endowment for Democracy” (NED) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The College of Europe – a structure financed directly by the European Commission – is also involved. The participation of the citizens of the countries of the “Eastern Partnership” in the College’s foreign training programs is often used as a cover for training agents of influence. Thus, the Open Society — Armenia Foundation sent its proteges for training at courses of EU political science and the international relations and diplomacy.

A key role in the work of EU foreign structures is assigned to the coordinators of regional delegations of the European Commission and Council of Europe. They carry out communication with the EU leaders, supervise the work of local NGOs and use diplomatic channels to support the activity of pro-West activists. Coordination of the work with the Armenian office of the Foundation is carried out by the head of the department of interaction of the EU delegation in Armenia Tatsiana Snegova.

Below is a short list of the organisations receiving financing through the Foundation in 2017-2018 (all of them were the advanced front of arrival of N. Pashinyan to power) and documents that formed the basis of our investigation, being indisputable evidence that the structure foreign and anti-Armenian in its essence turned into the main actor of political processes in the country today.

• Anti-corruption center “Transparency International” – $231,000;

• Online television “Factor.tv” – $186,000;

• NGO “Union of Informed Citizens” – $228,000;

• Journalistic club “Asparez”, Gyumri – $120,000;

• NGO “International Umbrella Network of Journalists”, “Medialab” – $157,000;

• “Club of public journalism” – $150,000;

• Social organisation “For Equal Rights”, club “Article 3” – $183,000;

• “Institute of Public Policy” – $155,000;

• Social organisation “Investigative Journalists” – $210,000;

• “The Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly” – $139,000;

• “Helsinki Committee of Armenia” – $104,000;

• “Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation” – $58,000;

• “Boon TV” – $109,000;

• Social organisation “Mandate” – $143,000;

• Social organisation “Khoran Ard” – $40,000;

• “Armavir Development Center” – $40,000;

• “Martuni’s Women Community Council” – $40,000 dollars;

• Social Organisation “Goris Press Club” – $40,000;

• Research center “Region” – $19,000;

• “National Center of Public Policy Research” – $99,000;

• NGO “Public Agenda”, “Analyticon” – $37,000;

• Social Organisation “Real World, Real People” – $70,000;

• Social Organisation “Center for Human Development” – $88,000;

• NGO “Advanced Group for Social Studies” – $20,000;

• NGO “Right Side” – $5,000;

• “Women’s Resource Center” – $55,000;

• “Center of Applied Psychology of YSU” – $22,000;

• NGO “Armenian Progressive Youth” – $20,000;

• Social Organisation “Protection of Rights Without Borders” – $26,000;

• “Center for Development of Legislation and Legal Studies” – $33,000;

• “Non-Discrimination and Equality Coalition” – $87,000;

• NGO “Youth for Change” – $8,000;

• Lragir.am – $4,000;

• Center of civil society development “Progress” in Gyumri – $10,000;

• NGO “Citizen’s Youth Center” – $10,000;

• NGO “Spitak Helsinki Group” – $9,000.

The general budget of the Foundation for 2019 totals $2,731,000.

According to the documentation of Open Society Armenia Foundation, it sets for itself the following tasks for 2019:

Ensuring the controlled participation of the public in governance, and achieving a dominant position for pro-West ideas in the information space by means of creating new distribution channels (a budget of $140,000); supporting activists ($60,000); defending the liberal discourse and countering conservative propaganda ($75,000). Financial support will be allocated from the budget of “Independent Journalism Support Program” from the parents “Open Society Foundation”.

Controlling the organisation of the educational process in educational institutions; taking into account gender factors via the creation of textbooks; strengthening the position of the “Institute of Public Policy (40,000). Developing uniform requirements for educational programs ($28,000). Strengthening the principles of equality and inclusion ($11,000). Advising politicians in the spheres of education and science via experts affiliated with the Foundation ($30,000). Additional resources from the head office of the Foundation total $110,000.

Strengthening its own position as a regulator of activity of public organisations and the center of coordination of human rights activity, as well as the controller of the state’s implementation of social obligations ($190,000). Reforming the activity of law enforcement bodies ($100,000). Additional resources through the “Eurasian Program” of the parent foundation will total $45,000, and through the “Human Rights Initiative” – $155,000 dollars.

Preserving democratic standards and practices in toughening conditions. Ensuring the participation of NGOs and activists in the Armenia-EU Agreement on comprehensive and expanded partnership. In the implementation of this program, the active participation of functionaries placed in power under the protection of the Foundation is supposed. The following measures are envisaged: the implementation of provisions of the Agreement with an emphasis on strengthening the role of civil society and citizen activists and controlling the work of the government ($160,000). Developing expert recommendations concerning reforming the law-enforcement system ($40,000). Developing a legal base for ensuring the protection of the rights of members of vulnerable and marginalised groups (LGBT, sectarians) and their access to justice ($185,000). At the same time, the goal is to increase the political weight of the Foundation’s proteges.

A reserve in the amount of $128,000 is allocated for special needs and unplanned expenditure.

The Open Society Armenia foundation was set up in 1997. Its declared goals are to support state institutes and the carrying out of, and provision of support for, reforms.

Since 1997 the Foundation has spent in Armenia more than $53 million for its activities.

More than 60 organisations financed by the Foundation are united by the initiative “Partnership for an open society”.

The result of our investigation: ascertaining the fact that today the representative office of the Soros Foundation in Armenia has evolved into a structure that is beyond the control of the government; an octopus that penetrates the civil, media, educational, environmental, and, the most dangerous, the political sector.

In fact, today the Foundation, whose goals directly contradict centuries-old traditions and the country’s security interests, hiding behind theses about general welfare, has already seized power in the country, having thus secured in place the system of external governance of the Republic. They write governmental programs, news releases are filmed, road maps of reforms are drawn up, ministers are appointed and work, emissaries of the Foundation are represented in all branches of power and produce around themselves a system that undermines the basic groundwork of Armenia’s sovereignty.

True Armenia

Share this:

Tweet



Telegram

WhatsApp





Email

Print



Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.