u/strimit

Across the two age groups, the height growth dynamics of boys in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia show markedly different trajectories over 1986–2019. At age 5, the series is characterized by a strong and sustained upward shift after the early 1990s, suggesting broad improvements in early-childhood growth conditions across all three countries. At age 19, by contrast, the pattern is distinctly U-shaped: growth rates rose into the early 1990s, declined through the late 1990s and early 2000s, and then recovered, with the strongest rebound occurring after the mid-2000s. This contrast indicates that improvements in physical growth appeared earlier and more consistently in early childhood than in late adolescence.

For 5-year-old boys, Armenia recorded the highest growth rates in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while Azerbaijan showed the weakest performance and even negative growth in several years before 1992. However, Azerbaijan experienced the sharpest acceleration after independence, overtaking Armenia by the mid-1990s and reaching the highest level in the entire age-5 dataset in 2005. Georgia followed a steadier upward path and, although it lagged behind Azerbaijan during the 2000s, it continued to improve and surpassed both countries after 2013. By 2019, Georgia had the highest growth rate at age 5, followed by Azerbaijan and then Armenia. This suggests that Georgia achieved the strongest long-run gains in early-childhood height growth, while Armenia, despite its early advantage, lost relative ground over time.

For 19-year-old boys, Armenia again started from the highest levels, maintaining a clear lead through the late 1980s and early 1990s. All three countries then entered a prolonged period of decline, but the downturn was especially severe in Azerbaijan and Georgia, both of which fell into negative growth territory in the early 2000s. Armenia remained positive throughout, indicating greater resilience during the contraction phase. After the mid-2000s, the series reversed direction in all three countries, but Azerbaijan’s recovery was substantially stronger than that of its neighbors. By the end of the period, Azerbaijan had moved well ahead of both Armenia and Georgia, while the latter two converged at very similar levels. Thus, unlike the age-5 pattern, where Georgia finished highest, the age-19 series ended with Azerbaijan in a clear leading position.

Taken together, these results point to an important age-specific divergence in growth outcomes. The ranking of countries at age 5 differs from the ranking at age 19, implying that the determinants of growth in early childhood and late adolescence were not identical. Georgia appears to have achieved the greatest relative gains in early-childhood growth, whereas Azerbaijan experienced the strongest improvement in late-adolescent growth. Armenia, despite its relatively favorable starting position in both age groups, exhibited slower long-term progress and ended the period below at least one of its regional peers in each series.

This year, Israel remembers 25,648 people who fell in its wars and 5,313 victims of terrorist attacks.

In his remarks, Ambassador Ronen Krausz emphasized that these are not just numbers, but whole worlds — lives cut short, unrealized dreams, and families and communities who carry this pain every day.

We also remembered our colleagues who lost their lives while serving the State of Israel with courage and dedication on the front lines of diplomacy.

The ceremony was held with the participation of members of the Jewish-Israeli community and bereaved families.

Together, we bowed our heads in remembrance, honored their memory with respect, and expressed our hope for quieter days, peace, and a better future.