Alex Jidarian – Page 45 – Armenian Directory & News

Asbarez: 2nd Annual OC Educational Series Focuses on Artsakh

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 Alex Jidarian

Participants of the 2nd annual OC Educational Series

BY TALINE JERMAKIAN

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation “Armen Karo” Gomideh, in cooperation with Orange County’s Armenian Youth Federation “Ashod Yergat” Chapter, ran a full day seminar about Artsakh. The seminar, which was held on Saturday, March 7, was open to the community with a focus on reaching out to the youth.

The discussion surrounding Artsakh was broken up into two parts. The first session, led by Professor Dr. Garabet Moumdjian, focused on the history and geopolitics of Armenia and Artsakh. The second session, led by Armenian National Committee of America Chair Raffi Hamparian, concentrated on Hye Tad’s goals while outlining the activist approach for the region.

The day began at 10:30 am with registration and breakfast. Karine Codilian of AYF “Ashod Yergat” introduced Dr. Moumdjian who led a discussion with visuals regarding the history and geopolitics of the Armenian territory. With a history that spans centuries, the information put into light the significance of the area to the Armenian people. Dr. Moumdjian asked questions along the way that encouraged critical thinking and sparked a conversation about how history of Armenian territory should be a staple subject taught to our youth. This in turn better prepares them for the activist role down the road.

After a light lunch, ARF “Armen Karo” Gomideh member Taline Jermakian addressed attendees. “A quote we are all familiar with by the great leader and advocate of all Armenians Karekin Njteh states, ‘If you want to see the future of a nation, look to its youth,’” she said. “An educated youth, is an empowered youth. An empowered youth brings forth activism. Activism brings forth progress and change. With progress and change; all things are possible. And right now, Artsakh – the topic of today’s educationals – need us to be empowered, active, protective, and the voice of progress.”

“The Armen Karo Gomideh thanks our guest speakers today, Garo Moumdjian and Raffi Hamparian. We thank all our attendees for being here on their Saturday. We thank the OC AYF who worked side by side with the Gomideh facilitating this event and we hope to continue these events together in the future,” concluded Jermakian.

Up next, Raffi Hamparian took the stage to discuss the work of the ANCA relating to the Armenian Cause and specifically relating to Artsakh. Between political alliances, PR methods, internship programs, the Halo Trust, and other intuitive means, the ANCA – along with ANC organizations around the world – collectively work on the ground level to protect our country. The work requires due diligence and thick skin. It requires the Armenian youth to be actively engaged with the needs of their communities but also with the needs of their homeland. The ANCA provides many avenues of assistance to the Armenian youth to prepare them for this role in order to continue to support and one day attain a Free, Independent, and UNITED Armenia. Hamparian ended the session with a Q&A session which thoroughly explained the thought processes behind many of the works of the ANCA.

The educational event ended with a dinner gathering where conversations continued and community bonds flourished. The ARF Armen Karo Gomideh and AYF Ashod Yergat Chapter look forward to continuing the educational series for years to come.

A letter in support of increased aid to Armenia and Artsakh in fiscal year 2021 was signed by 75 congressmen from 23 US states

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 Alex Jidarian

Arminfo, Armenia

ArmInfo.A letter in support of increased aid to Armenia and Artsakh in fiscal year 2021 was signed by 75 congressmen from 23 US states. ArmInfo was informed about this in the press service of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hambaryan thanked Congressmen Pallone, Speyer and Schiff, and all other legislators who signed this letter, aimed at promoting a targeted, future-oriented assistance package for Artsakh and Armenia, which is an investment in peace and democracy.

The ANCA also informed that the letter circulated for signing in Congress includes the following budget requests: allocate $ 1.5 million for mine clearance in Artsakh and reliable financing of regional rehabilitation services for landmine victims and people with physical and cognitive impairments. In addition, provide $ 100 million for assistance in the field of economy, management, rule of law and security of Armenia through the Department of State and USAID. "As well as the removal by the State Department and USAID of any official or unofficial restrictions on travel to the United States, communication or contacts with representatives of the Artsakh government. And most importantly, the suspension of US military assistance to Azerbaijan until it is confirmed that Baku has stopped everything aggressive actions towards Armenia and Artsakh, "ANCA informed.

88 Armenian: Once a lodging house for Armenian traders the building is Penang’s top luxury boutique hotel

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 Alex Jidarian

Public Radio of Armenia

The 88 Armenian hotel on UNESCO World heritage site of Armenian Street in Penang is a top luxury boutique hotel and of the best places to stay in the city, according to Unreserved Travel.

The early Straits-Eclectic style building was originally a lodging house that hosted the enterprising Armenian traders, before being taken over by the Chinese migrant community who occupied the streets with successful copper and brass businesses.

However, the building was burnt down many years ago and abandoned, prior to being turned into an art gallery. The restored and refurbished establishment now offers a welcomed respite from the hustle and bustle of Penang’s busy streets for anyone looking to indulge in some down time, author Sandeep Dhanoa writes.

According to the article, 88 Armenian stylishly combines its history with sleek design, evident in its copper-clad complements and accents, weaved into an elegant interior, perfect for anyone looking to capture the moment with the help of Instagram.

Originally, Armenian Street was called Malay Lane, after a Malay settlement that used to exist around the area. By 1808, the street was renamed as Armenian Street due to the influx of Armenian traders who resided along the road.

The Armenians went on to establish St. Gregory’s Church within George Town in 1822, while the Sarkies Brothers founded the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in the 1880s. The Armenian presence was short-lived, however, as most of the Armenians had already left by the time the church was demolished in 1937.

The Chinese gradually took over most of Armenian Street around the mid 19th century.

Opinion: Ilham Aliyev’s ‘cartographic’ fears

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 Alex Jidarian

Panorama, Armenia

Author Anna Mkrtchyan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s failure to find his “historical homeland” on the map at a local museum in the city of Tovuz a few days ago must have affected him deeply.

In his opening remarks at the first session of the Azerbaijani parliament’s (Milli Majlis) 6th convocation on March 10, Pres. Aliyev spoke, among other things, of Armenia’s "historical falsification" and maps.

“Just look at the maps published in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century to make sure that the overwhelming majority of the names of present-day territory of Armenia are of Azeri origin," Aliyev said, arguing that "historical justice" in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is on the Azerbaijani side, while Armenians have no serious arguments and are engaged in falsification and bribing some politicians.

Once again he referred to the Kurekchay Treaty signed by Ibrahim Khalil Khan and the Russian General Tsitsianov in 1805, stressing that it makes no mention of Armenians. There is no mention of Azerbaijan either in the document. Moreover, no historical document makes any reference to the present-day Azerbaijan until the beginning of the 20th century, in which Aliyev was personally convinced at the Tovuz Museum. That is also why he refers to the maps of the 20th century.

In general, Ilham Aliyev's obsession with manipulating the historical aspects of the Karabakh conflict would have been incomprehensible and absurd, if it had not been for the very pronounced tendency of "presenting the desired instead of the reality" in Azerbaijani propaganda and in Aliyev's public messages. It’s not clear at what extent Ilham Aliyev believes in his own words, but that mentality is striking in his March 10 speech.

He speaks of the establishment of democracy in Azerbaijan, successful and free parliamentary elections and the _expression_ of people’s will, whereas the reality is quite different, as stated by all serious international structures and reports. Aliyev speaks of sweeping reforms and increased role of the newly elected parliament, but his speech largely contained direct instructions on the deputies' future work. He complains that local executive officials are still referred to as khans, but he forgets about the cult of personality surrounding himself and his father Aliyev. The vivid evidence of this is also the remarks of the chief of staff of the Milli Mejlis addressed to Ilham Aliyev at the opening of the same session: "We express our deep gratitude to you for the creative continuity of the development strategy set up by the founder of the independent Azerbaijani state, great leader Heydar Aliyev ….”

Aliyev talks about interfaith dialogue, taking pride in the fact that the Pope praises Azerbaijan's achievements in this area, but in another part of the same speech, he urges lawmakers to play the Muslim solidarity card in the fight against Armenians.

In a nutshell, lies and hypocrisy are everywhere in the Azerbaijani authorities' couloirs. In all spheres, Ilham Aliyev resorts to a distortion of facts and realities that is typical of totalitarian regimes. While the current developments in Azerbaijan pursue only one goal – to keep public unrest under control through limited reforms.

No matter how much Ilham Aliyev tries to portray himself as an "enlightened monarch" or a "popular tsar", he remains an ordinary tyrant who has serious problems with the old maps.

Artsakh’s Deputy FM meets with representatives of Armenian Diaspora organizations in Cyprus

March 10, 2020March 10, 2020 Alex Jidarian

18:45, 9 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh Armine Aleksanyan, who is on a working visit in the Republic of Cyprus, met with representatives of the Armenian Diaspora organizations in Cyprus. The meeting was organized at the initiative of state representative of the Armenian community in the Parliament of Cyprus, Member of the Parliament Vardges Mahtesyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Artsakh.

During the meeting, the Deputy Foreign Minister presented the priorities of the foreign policy of Artsakh, in particular, touched upon the processes of international recognition of Artsakh and expansion of international cooperation, as well as the current stage of the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.

At the request of the participants of the meeting, Armine Aleksanyan also briefed on the current realities in Artsakh, stressing the importance of the March 31 national elections in the Republic in terms of continued strengthening of the democratic statehood.

Armine Aleksanyan also touched upon the Artsakh-Diaspora relations, stressing the role of the Armenian community structures in preserving the Armenian identity in the Diaspora and implementing different programs in the homeland, in particular, in Artsakh, aimed at the development of strategically significant spheres. The sides noted the importance of holding such meetings periodically, aimed at exchanging views on new directions of cooperation and outlining further steps.

‘We should overcome complexity of being representative of small country’ – Armenian PM

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Alex Jidarian

14:57, 2 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says one of the greatest tasks of Armennia in the field of foreign policy should be to overcome the certain complexity of being a representative of a small country.

“In our newly-independent history our diplomacy has had glorious achievements, there have also been some problems, failures, we should pass this process. This is typical to any country’s diplomacy. Our greatest task should be to overcome the certain complexity of being a representative of a small country. No matter how natural it is, this complexity hinders us in many places. But the diplomatic system cannot solely overcome this complexity, it should be overcome at each citizen’s level, at the level of each structure of the entire state institute”, the PM said at an event dedicated to the Diplomat’s Day.

Pashinyan congratulated and thanked all representatives of the diplomatic service and assured that he truly believes that today the diplomatic service has the potential to change the world attitude towards Armenia.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian businessmen unable to export Iranian fruits, vegetables to Russia amid coronavirus fears in Georgia

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Alex Jidarian

Panorama, Armenia

March 3 2020

Dozens of cargo trucks transporting fruits and vegetables to Russia from Iran have been stuck on the Georgian border for several days amid coronavirus fears.

Speaking to Panorama.am, businessman Vahram Mirakyan said the Georgian authorities justify the move with the spread of the disease in Iran.

“But I consider this justification absurd and unreliable for a number of reasons, including for scientific ones. The WHO says the virus can survive on hard surfaces for 48 hours. Before arriving in Yerevan, the Iranian cargoes are loaded onto Armenian trucks in Ararat Province and the driver is replaced by an Armenian one. That is, only the product in the vehicles is Iranian, nothing else,” he said.

In addition, the businessman stressed, all the goods carried by the trucks are shipped to Russia, none of them is intended for consumption in the Georgian market.

Mirakyan last managed to deliver Iranian vegetables, namely cauliflower, to Russia last week. The kiwi-loaded truck has remained in Yerevan, he said.

Due to the Georgian authorities’ move, according to the businessman, the Armenian economy may suffer greatly in the near future. If the goods imported from Iran are returned and the businessmen have to sell them in Armenia, the Armenian market will explode, since such a great volume of consumption cannot be secured in the country, he said.

As a result, there will be a sharp drop in prices for fruits and vegetables. The situation will also affect businesses, as well as local residents who sell apples or vegetables.

Besides, the customs clearance of Iranian goods is carried out in Armenia. If they are not exported to Russia, the budget will lose revenues.

Under the current situation, the businessman offers a possible solution to the problem: “The process can be suspended for three to four days to deal with the accumulated goods. We will not make any new orders, but at least the accumulated products are consumed.”

The Ministry of Economy told Panorama.am that they are aware of the problem. The ministry promised to unveil the measures they plan to take later.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan left for Georgia on an official visit on Tuesday. It would be good if this issue was raised and resolved at the meeting with his Georgian counterparts.

By the way, according to information obtained by the businessman, the Georgian side intends to ban the entry and exit of any trucks coming to or leaving Armenia.

Georgian, Armenian PMs Emphasize Friendly Relations between two Countries

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Alex Jidarian

Georgia Today

March 3 2020

A face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan was held at the government administration.

At the meeting, the Head of Government thanked his Armenian counterpart for accepting the invitation and for his official visit and emphasized the friendly relations between the two countries.

“I'm glad to host you in Georgia. We work daily to deepen friendly and neighborly relations between Georgia and Armenia. We have always agreed that high-level meetings are the basis for governments to work effectively. My visit to Yerevan was very productive and impressive and today we will talk about its results in the working regime. I am sure that your visit today will bring more results for the friendly and effective cooperation between our people.

"We live in a difficult region and our governments are well aware that peace and stability are the basis for the development of our countries. First, we must look for peace and then for the economic, cultural development, education, and all the areas we are discussing today. By the unwavering determination of the Georgian people, Euro-Atlantic integration is its guarantee for peace, stability, and security and we are progressing in this direction.

"I am convinced that close and effective cooperation within the Eastern Partnership is important for both countries. Ultimately, our goal is to further deepen neighborly relations between our nations in all areas that concern our population. I am sure we will take another successful step in implementing this plan today,” the Georgian Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia also stressed the good neighborly relations between Georgia and Armenia.

“Thank you very much for the invitation and the warm welcome. Our countries have deep cultural, economic and historical ties. The continuation of our relations with Georgia is strategically important. We have opportunities and areas for wider relationship development.

"We consider the path of democratic development of our countries to be an even more important factor in the development of our peoples' relations. This, along with many other factors, is another cornerstone of our development. Relations with Georgia have moved to a qualitatively different level over the past year and a half, and we believe that this meeting will further strengthen it. We comply with all points of our agreements. I am very pleased to visit Georgia. Our meetings are the basis for bringing our nations closer together,” Pashinyan said.

After the face-to-face conversation, an extended format of talks was also held, with members of the two countries' governments participating in it.

In the course of the conversation, the parties discussed all the major areas of cooperation and reaffirmed their readiness for intensive bilateral political dialogue.

They also focused on the prospects of development of trade-economic relations between the two countries and active cooperation in the fields of transport, energy, tourism, culture, education, innovation and more.

By Ana Dumbadze

Armenian army under more stringent supervision in attempt to avoid military deaths during peacetime

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Alex Jidarian

JAM News

March 4 2020

Armenia COVID19 patient’s wife continues testing negative, indicating possible low contagiousness

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Alex Jidarian

12:05, 5 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 5, ARMENPRESS. The first and by far only coronavirus patient’s wife who is quarantined for already 4 days continues testing negative for the virus, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

He said that so far no new cases of the virus were recorded in the country and that all preventive measures continue being carried out.

“We have the one confirmed case, who is hospitalized at the Nork Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yerevan, and 31 citizens who are quarantined in special isolation conditions in Tsakhkadzor. All of them are feeling well, no one has any symptoms, including the confirmed patient. Yesterday we tested his wife, who tested negative for the disease. That is, this virus – being a contagious disease - we see on our own practice that it isn’t highly contagious,” Torosyan said.

The patient is a 29-year-old man who traveled to Iran with his wife. His wife had tested negative once again during the first day of quarantine.

Torosyan said 161 suspected cases have been tested so far, and all results came back negative. He said the country can carry on with its normal life as the situation is under control.

PM Nikol Pashinyan asked about the quarantined citizens who are kept at the Golden Palace previously defunct hotel in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor. Pashinyan asked whether the citizens are provided with everything they need. Torosyan said the quarantined citizens have everything they need, including internet access and books to read. They will be kept in quarantine until March 14.

Torosyan said that the COVID19 infections and death rate in China is dropping. “However the situation is worsening in other countries, in South Korea, Iran, Italy, and a few hundred more cases have been confirmed in France and Germany. In Georgia and Russia the situation is better and it is expected that if European countries are able to carry out accurate measures we will see decrease in these countries two or three weeks after the peak,” he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan