Author: Alex Jidarian

High-tech, agriculture: Netherlands expands cooperation with Armenia

Alex Jidarian

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 16:21,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The Netherlands attaches importance to the ongoing changes and anti-corruption fight in Armenia, Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said during a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in Yerevan.

“It’s an interesting period for visiting your country. I welcome the process of fighting corruption, as well as the ongoing reforms. We are inclined to deepen our bilateral relations with Armenia. The Embassy of the Netherlands will open in Yerevan. This is a key step in terms of further expanding our relations with Armenia”, the Dutch FM said, adding that now the two countries need to focus on the actions of the future.

He highlighted the economic cooperation in the bilateral relations, adding that he had meetings with a number of businessmen who also operate in Armenia. Stef Blok said he is impressed with Armenia’s progress in the field of high technologies. The minister said there is a great potential in terms of cooperation in the agriculture sector as the Netherlands has a serious progress in this sphere and can share its experience especially in the management of greenhouses.

Touching upon the visa liberalization process, the Dutch FM said this is a European process, the EU should approve and assess the progress made in Armenia.

The Dutch FM also highlighted the ongoing actions in the protection of human rights, again stating that the Netherlands is ready to share its experience in this regard.

In his turn the Armenian FM added that the agenda of human rights is one of the key directions for Armenia in all domains.

“I mean in the international relations, in international engagement. You know that currently we are a member of the Human Rights Council, moreover we are cooperating with various organizations where human rights are a priority, for instance the Council of Europe. We have a key agenda with the EU, in the UN in this sphere. I also want to add that during these years we have formed a good cooperation with the Netherlands. I would like to highlight the constant support of the Netherlands”, the Armenian foreign minister said.

Reported by Anna Gziryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenia Police Chief personally neutralizes Yerevan gunman, escorts to police station

Alex Jidarian

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 16:42,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The suspect who opened gunfire at the Erebuni Business Center in Yerevan has been apprehended and taken into custody, police said.

“At 14:00 police received a call that there is an active shooter in Erebuni Plaza. Top police officers and tactical units were immediately dispatched to the scene”, police said.

According to police, the suspect – a man whose identity hasn’t been disclosed yet – surrendered after Chief of Police Arman Sargsyan conducted negotiations with him.

Sargsyan personally escorted the suspect to the police station with his vehicle.

No one was injured in the incident.

The circumstances are being determined, police said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Government ready to postpone decision of mandatory slaughterhouse butchering until July 1

Alex Jidarian

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 18:02,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia plans to postpone its decision on mandatory slaughterhouse butchering until July 1, but the decision will remain in force for Yerevan’s supermarkets and public catering places, ARMENPRESS reports Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during Cabinet-parliament Q&A session.

PM Pashinyan explained that the decision is for making better regulations, particularly for solving the issue of availability of the slaughterhouses, but at the same time he emphasized that after July 1 the decision will fully enter into force. “Armenia must be guided by the highest modern standards”, he said.

Following the January 15 decision of the Government on mandatory slaughterhouse butchering, farmers started protesting, complaining that there are no sufficient conditions for that.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Law enforcement bodies are not working in Armenia: Galust Sahakyan

Alex Jidarian
Aravot, Armenia
Jan 20 2020

                                                       
January 20,2020 19:14 47

                                                        

Vice President of the Republican Party Galust Sahakyan had difficulty answering journalists’ questions about what could have caused the former director of the National Security Service, Georgi Kutoyan, to commit suicide. “Now is not the time to talk about whether it was a murder or suicide. When the investigation is finished, we will talk.”

When asked if he sees any connection between the deaths of former Police Chief Hayk Harutyunyan and Georgi Kutoyan, Sahakyan said, “People are saying different things. Some people are blaming the authorities. We are talking about what really happened. And I do not think that it’s the right time to wonder if their deaths are tied to one another.”

  • ‘This country doesn’t have a parliament or government, it’s only Nikol’: Galust Sahakyan
  • Galust Sahakyan sends congratulatory message to Guzh Manukyan

The funeral of former RA National Security Service Director Georgi Kutoyan took place in Yerevan, Armenia

When asked if he truly believes that law enforcement agencies will discover the circumstances of Kutoyan’s death, Sahakyan responded, “I don’t know what law enforcement agencies are being used, especially since law enforcement bodies are not working in Armenia.”

Galust Sahakyan gave a positive answer when he was asked if the law enforcement agencies were working when the RPA was in power. “Many small and large cases took place under our authority.”

During Georgi Kutoyan’s funeral service, Galust Sahakyan described him as being a very good-natured individual.

Third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was present at the funeral, but he did not wish to answer journalists’ questions. The President of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan, acting Director of the NSS Eduard Martirosyan, former Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan, and other former officials were also present.

 

The body of former NSS Director Georgi Kutoyan was discovered with a gunshot wound on January 17th in one of the apartments on Paruyr Sevak Street in Yerevan. His wife found his body. A criminal case was opened on the grounds of suicide.

The Investigative Committee announced that there were no bruises or other marks on Kutoyan’s body to indicate physical violence. In order for several circumstances to be disclosed for the investigation, several examinations took place.

Arpine Simonyan


https://www.aravot-en.am/2020/01/20/248746/




Sports: Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan wins 1st prize at French Grand Prix

Alex Jidarian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Jan 20 2020
– 11:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian wrestler, Olympic champion Artur Aleksanyan defeated all his opponents in the 97 kg event of the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane in the French town of Nice.

A Greco-Roman wrestler, Aleksanyan is an Olympic Champion (2016) and bronze medalist (2012), a three-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2017), and a four-time European Champion (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018). He is the second Olympic gold medalist of Armenia since regaining independence in 1991 and is the most decorated Olympian of independent Armenia as well. Aleksanyan has been nicknamed the "White Bear" and is one of the most renowned Armenian athletes of the 21st century.

In his final bout, Aleksanyan beat Azerbaijan's Orkhan Nuriyev 3-1 to become the champion.

Armenians Rudik Mkrtchyan (55 kg) and Karapet Chalyan (77kg), meanwhile, took the second spot in their respective categories, while Gevorg Gharibyan (60 kg), Slavik Galstyan (67 kg), Malkhas Amoyan (72 kg) and Ruben Gharibyan (82 kg) came in the third.

Yerevan awards Honorary Citizen title to Hermitage Museum Director Mikhail Piotrovsky

Alex Jidarian

Yerevan awards Honorary Citizen title to Hermitage Museum Director Mikhail Piotrovsky

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 11:50, 8 October, 2019

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The City of Yerevan has awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Yerevan to Mikhail Piotrovsky, the Director of the Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia).

The decision on awarding the title was approved today at a City Council session with 47 members voting in favor. Only 1 councilmember voted against and another one abstained.

Piotrovsky was awarded for “significant contribution in the development of Armenian culture, outstanding merit in preservation of global cultural values and many years of fruitful activities”.

The Yerevan City Council’s Committee of Culture, Education and Social Affairs had earlier also approved the decision.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Asbarez: Glendale AYF Angered about News-Press Editorial Cartoon

Alex Jidarian
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1 day ago

An editorial cartoon appears in the Glendale News-Press

The Armenian Youth Federation Glendale “Roupen” Chapter issued, in a statement issued on Friday, called an editorial cartoon published in the Glendale News-Press, “divisive,” as it evidently attempts to target Artsakh Street, the stretch of Maryland Avenue renamed last year following a Glendale City Council decision.

Below is the text of the AYF “Roupen” Chapter statement:

The AYF Glendale “Roupen” Chapter finds the editorial cartoon below divisive and fallacious. Armenians have been residing in the city of Glendale for several decades and have contributed a great deal to the city. Instead of implicitly attacking specific groups, we recommend highlighting them and noting the significant developments they have made for the betterment of the city.
Juxtaposing an Artsakh Street sign with the headline, “I miss the old Maryland Avenue,” implicitly targets Glendale’s ethnic Armenian community. Mentioning restaurants that have long since closed is a crude attempt at masking the xenophobic intent of the cartoon.

For those uninformed on what Artsakh is and its significance to both Armenian and American culture, it would serve them well to educate themselves first before drawing racist caricatures. Artsakh is an independent republic that has continually fought for not only its sovereignty, but its very existence. The name and history hold a significant place in the hearts of Armenian-Americans, and evoke our most cherished American values — freedom, self-determination, and independence.

As the city celebrates the one-year anniversary of the renaming of this street, and in light of the incident last week when the Armenian Council on Aging building was vandalized with messages stating “Death to Armenians” and “Leave now,” it is extremely distasteful and unacceptable that the Glendale News-Press could be this tonedeaf and contribute to the perpetuation of racism in the city. These racist undertones are already evident in some of the comments under the Facebook post of this political cartoon, as people have begun to allude that Glendale was lost to an “invasion” years ago.

Jokes and satire have their place, but every satirical piece carries a message. With this cartoon, the Glendale News-Press bolsters a message of returning Glendale to the days before the diverse population made its mark. The Newspress should be reminded that in those “long gone” days, Glendale played host to avowed white supremacists and racists, and that “in the past” is exactly where that history should stay. Such a cartoon is absolutely unacceptable for a newspaper with the stature of the Glendale News-Press (acquired by the Los Angeles Times) to publish, a newspaper that is supposed to also represent the tens of thousands of Armenian-American residents of the city.

While folks may be deprived of Tony Roma’s and Chuy’s — all to no fault of the renaming — they do not need to be deprived of culture, acceptance, and the understanding that our collective diversity is what makes us all, including the city of Glendale, great.

Kim Kardashian West to Produce SKIMS in Armenia

Alex Jidarian
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September 27, 2019

Kim Kardashian West

Kim Kardashian West disclosed information about her plan to produce her shapewear SKIMS in Armenia through a tweet on Thursday.

“I will be visiting Armenia in the next 2 weeks and hope to seek ways I can help increase trade and hopefully create jobs for Armenians which includes @skims production there in the future,” she tweeted.

Kardashian West will be visiting Yerevan in early October as a keynote speaker at the 2019 World Congress on Information Technology.

The reality TV star revealed the news after receiving a tweet from the Armenian National Committee of America, who reached out to Kardashian West in regard to her shapewear being produced in Turkey.

The ANCA tweeted: “Dear Kim Kardashian: Thank you for championing Armenian Genocide recognition & raising so much global awareness about Armenia. We saw that you are making some @skims products in Turkey. Please consider making them in Armenia which is known for great craftsmanship & service.”

Kim Kardashian West tweets about her upcoming trip to Armenia

“Thank you ANCA DC for your concerns & support. When I first began dreaming of owning my own shapewear company, I knew I wanted every piece to be made the best way possible; from the finest materials; starting from design stage through to creation, testing, innovation & fit,” Kardashian West responded through a tweet.

“We consulted with experts and searched globally for the best in class options, some which was found in Turkey. We believe strongly against discrimination of any kind; against anyone or any nation based on the past….As a brand, we believe in embracing all people and as an individual I have been working towards broader goals in hopes of bringing forward the recognition of the Armenian genocide which I remain very passionate about. I am a strong believer that in order for change to happen, you must be willing to work with all people, even when you have differences in political opinions”, she added.

Following her response, ANCA thanked Kardashian West for considering Armenia as a future site for SKIMS production: “We look forward to your upcoming trip to Armenia, value all you do to share our heritage, and love and respect your family’s passion for Armenian Genocide recognition.

Kardashian responded: “Thank you! I’ve been working extremely hard on this matter and hope my trip to Armenia will bring some amazing news because I have big plans!”

168: Catholicos awaits PM’s return for “elucidations” regarding church comments

Alex Jidarian
| 15:37 | September 26 2019
Category
Society

Catholicos Garegin II of the Armenian Apostolic Church told reporters today that after PM Nikol Pashinyan’s return to Armenia from the United States he will “most probably have elucidations” regarding the latter’s statement in Los Angeles.

“In this regard the church has already voiced an opinion. Most probably upon the prime minister’s return to Armenia we will have elucidations regarding this issue. We are periodically meeting with the prime minister and discussing problems and issues of concern for the church and the fatherland,” the Catholicos said.

Speaking about the political life he said there are issues facing the country which concern the people, and “these concerns, naturally, find their manifestation in our national life and the Diaspora’s life”.

“We are hopeful that all problems will be resolved, we pray for our country to live in peace and be stable,” the Catholicos added.

At a news conference in Los Angeles on September 23rd, a reporter from the Hay Kyank (Armenian Life) news website asked the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to comment on his earlier statement that the government should not interfere in church affairs.Pashinyan had responded by saying: “I’d like to understand, do we want the government to enter church affairs? If it turns out that the Armenian people want the government to enter church affairs, the government will discuss this demand of the Armenian people, will understand what practical possibilities exist”.

He continued: “When we are saying that we aren’t entering the internal life, some clergy conclude that we are not like the former government, that we are a weak government”. He added that those who are thinking about conspiring and sabotaging the government will receive “a very heavy counterblow and will be brought down to their knees both literally and figuratively”.

“I’d like to warn anyone against mistaking our smiles and respect as weakness. Those who perceive our methods as weakness perceive the people as a weak, opinionless entity,” the PM said.

Stepanakert, Australian Ryde city become twin cities

Alex Jidarian

Stepanakert, Australian Ryde city become twin cities

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 18:43,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Stepanakert City Council of Elderly adopted a decision to proclaim the Australian city of Ryde as a twin city. The Council expresses conviction that establishment and expansion of friendship between the two cities will contribute to building and strengthening friendly relations between their peoples, as well as facilitating partnership between the Republic of Artsakh and Australia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of MFA Artsakh.

he decision of the Stepanakert Council of Elderly followed a similar resolution unanimously adopted by the City Council of Ryde on July 23, 2019 on the eve of the working visit of the official delegation of the Republic of Artsakh to Australia headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Masis Mayilian.