We have never provided a confirmed, finalized and official unveiling date for the Diana Apcar statue due to various administrative and technical processes beyond our control․ The Diana Apcar Charitable Foundation

We have never provided a confirmed, finalized and official unveiling date for the Diana Apcar statue due to various administrative and technical processes beyond our control․ This is stated in a release from the "Diana Abcar" Charitable Foundation. Through this statement, the Foundation addresses a publication concerning its activities. The Foundation’s clarifications are provided below.

"The Diana Apcar Charitable Foundation provides detailed information regarding its activities and the progress of a project of fundamental importance to Yerevan: the creation and installation of a monument to Diana Apcar, for which we have a mandate based on our charter. Few, if any, monument projects in Armenia have been documented with such transparency and thoroughness, reflecting our commitment to keeping the public informed and being open about all aspects of the initiative. If any changes occur during the project’s development - as often happens - we communicate these updates to relevant engaged people and adjust the information on our website and other resources to the public.

“On what basis the Municipality’s approval was announced”

It is important to note that the monument project received a warm welcome from the Yerevan Municipality. In October 2022, we obtained formal support from them to begin organizing a competition for the monument’s design and the subsequent creation of a sculpture. The Foundation has been diligently working on this throughout the entire period, developing criteria and documentation for the competition. Following an open, anonymous competition held in collaboration with the State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia, we selected the most suitable design in May 2024 from among the submissions. The chosen design, created by a graduate and lecturer at the State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia as well as a lecturer, offered the best solution based on our established criteria. After, we initiated a discussion with the sculptor to clarify all terms, as well as the operational and technical processes involved.

Contrary to the claims made by the anonymous author, our initial submission to City Hall was made on September 1, 2025 - well before April 2, 2026, application they reference. In response to that initial submission, we were asked to refine the documentation and architectural aspects of the project; our focus was on these revisions leading up to the 2026 application. This further demonstrates that the conclusions presented by the anonymous author are erroneous and based on incomplete information. After coordinating with City Hall representatives and preparing all necessary documents, we submitted our new application on April 2, 2026. Consequently, we had adjusted the previously targeted (not unofficial) completion date for the project to October 17. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control - including the ongoing process of securing design approval from the city’s Aesthetics Committee as well as the international COP-17 conference taking place in Armenia and the resulting surge in activity - this targeted date was also postponed. Currently, City Hall is engaged in discussions and technical work with us, as the project organizers, and the sculptor to refine the design and finalize the full-size clay model.

“On what basis the opening dates of March 8, April 7 and October 17 were successively announced while installation permission had not yet been granted”

As for the opening dates of March 8, April 7, and October 17 mentioned in your anonymous post, these were simply our preferred, anticipated, and symbolic target dates for completing the project.

In 2025, we filmed and released a special video that details the progress of the project at that time. We believe the video explains everything thoroughly, which is precisely why we created i. In the video, we clearly stated that we only *hoped* it could be finished by March 8th or April 7th. We have never provided a confirmed, finalized and official unveiling date for the Diana Apcar statue due to various administrative and technical processes beyond our control. Full details and updates can be found on our website․

“Why donors were not informed of the postponements and their reasons”

It is crucial to point out that all information and updates have been posted well in advance on our special dedicated monument website, www.dianaapcar.am, where everyone involved in the project can be informed about any changes. This further emphasizes that the information provided by the anonymous author is fragmented and distorted.

“Whether the failure to keep the October 17 date had been agreed in advance and, if not, what new timeline is envisaged”

The approval process for the proposed design - selected through an open, anonymous competition - is still ongoing. The City Hall’s Aesthetics Committee is currently reviewing the design, with technical work being carried out both within the committee and in collaboration with the sculptor. This is a crucial and sensitive process, ensuring that the final design meets high artistic standards and criteria to avoid future criticism, including from the anonymous author you mentioned. We are very hopeful for a positive outcome and are committed to doing everything necessary to ensure the final product meets expectations.

However, a fixed date cannot be established until the design is not finalized and officially approved. Once we receive formal authorization from the City Council, we plan to select a date of symbolic significance for the unveiling, such as March 8th, April 7th, or October 17th.

“How the funds received during the fundraising campaign have been recorded, including those received through the personal account, and what will happen to those funds if permission is not granted”

It is important to note that at least 80% of the projected costs for creating and installing the sculpture will be covered by the relatives and family members of Diana Apcar, along with personal contributions from the Foundation’s founders. If there is a shortfall in raising the remaining funds, the founders themselves will cover the difference. We also encourage voluntary donations via our website and through bank transfers for those who wish to support the project. This practice is standard internationally; even well-endowed foundations and organizations use such methods to engage the public and potential partners in socially significant projects. Some contributions thus far have been primarily made by friends, acquaintances, and individuals connected to Diana Apcar's legacy. Currently, the total amount received through online donations stands at approximately $160, all from friends abroad with not a single contribution residents of Armenia. This amount is symbolic and does not significantly impact on the project’s budget, which is estimated to be around $85,000. Again, the majority of funding will come from Diana Apcar’s extended family living in the United States. Only one donation was received from a friend and the member of the Armenian community in Japan.

It is deeply concerning that the anonymous author gained access to a document that was not intended for the public - especially since the anonymous author claims that all the information was drawn from open sources. This raises questions about a potential deliberate effort to undermine the project, as well as the author's personal interests. The letter we sent was specifically drafted to provide detailed information to a select group of individuals.

We have also received some funds from friends and acquaintances abroad, which have been deposited into the Foundation’s bank account. A detailed financial report will be published on our website alongside our annual financial statements. It is worth noting that no residents of Armenia yet have made donations to the Foundation. Furthermore, if any donor from the Armenian community in Japan - or elsewhere – for some reason wish to have their contributions returned, they can contact us through any available channel, and their funds will be reimbursed. The terms and conditions regarding donations have always been clearly stated on our website at www.dianaapcar.foundation/terms.

“Where the Foundation actually operates”

1 King Pap Street, Yerevan, Armenia

“On what basis the support of the Embassy of Japan and of the other organizations whose official emblems appeared in the announcements was cited”

Regarding the allegations concerning our relationship with the Embassy of Japan, we want to emphasize that we have held several official meetings with the Embassy and the Ambassador of Japan to Armenia for two main purposes. First, we aimed to keep the Embassy informed and initiate collaboration on the design of the monument, ensuring that the Japanese symbolism incorporated is appropriate and acceptable to the Japanese side. Second, we discussed the details of the monument’s future unveiling ceremony, contingent upon the final approval of the design and the formal scheduling of a date aligned with significant, symbolic dates we have identified. We did not expect, request, or receive any financial assistance from the Embassy of Japan at any point.

We previously displayed the Embassy’s logo as a project partner after receiving permission from the former Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Masanori Fukushima to do so. However, following our most recent meeting with the Embassy in July 2026, we were requested to remove the logo because there is a formal procedure for the official registration and submission of an application to use the logo, and it may only be displayed once this process is complete. We intend to follow the required procedure in light of this update from the Embassy․

Our operations are entirely transparent; indeed, the very information in question was published on our own websites and other channels specifically to keep all parties involved and the public informed about the project’s progress. Otherwise, we would not have published any information at all. The anonymous author simply took our information and presented it in a distorted light, misleading people and creating a negative impression of the Diana Apcar monument project. We recognize that not everyone in Armenia acts with the well-being of the country and its citizens in mind; some pursue narrow, self-serving interests.

We sincerely believe that the final approval process for the design of the Diana Apcar monument will be hopefully completed next year, allowing us to successfully bring this project to fruition in Yerevan despite the challenges we have encountered along the way. We state that all final decisions regarding approval timelines rest with the city authorities, and we fully respect these procedures. We are confident that this monument will enrich our city of Yerevan and inspire both our citizens and the new generation of young Armenians through the example set by Diana Apcar's dignity, generosity, true patriotism, selflessness, and faith”․