Monday,
Government Voices Support For Cafe Dismantling Process
Armenia -- Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian speaks to journalists, Yerevan,
The political team running the current Armenian government has voiced its
‘unequivocal’ support for the process of dismantling illegally constructed
cafes around the Opera House in Yerevan that was designed to remain as a green
area, according to Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian.
The dismantling of first two cafes in the area began last week amid protests
from dozens of owners and employees of the commercial facilities.
A number of activists also came to nearby Liberty Square to show their support
for the decision of the Yerevan authorities and Mayor Hayk Marutian.
Marutian, who represents the ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian and whose team polled more than 80 percent of the vote in last
year’s municipal elections, stated last week that the green zone around the
Opera House, one of the landmark buildings in central Yerevan, should not be
overburdened with commercial property. He insisted that a vast majority of
Yerevan residents support the decision that was part of his team’s election
platform.
Avinian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday that the Yerevan authorities
enjoy the backing of the central government in this matter. “This is a common
decision of our political team. And I think that the public response is also
very adequate and I’m sure that such a policy should be continued by the
municipality because it concerns the very center of Yerevan, the capital of the
Republic of Armenia,” the vice-premier said.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service late last week Pashinian’s spokesperson
Vladimir Karapetian also said that the prime minister had voiced his “support
and solidarity” to Mayor Marutian in this matter.
Armenian Radical Party Seeks Karabakh’s ‘Incorporation’ Into Armenia
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - A press conference of 'Sasna Tsrer' party members,
An extra-parliamentary party espousing radical views has announced the start of
a process “to incorporate Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia as a province,” one of
its leader said on Monday.
Varuzhan Avetisian, a founding member of Sasna Tsrer, a party formed on the
basis of an armed group that carried out an attack on a police compound in
Yerevan in 2016, said at a press conference that this process starts now
“because there was a need to have a political and organizational unit in
Artsakh [ed: Nagorno-Karabakh] first.”
“Now there is such a unit in the form of the Sasna Tsrer of Artsakh party that
was recently registered in Artsakh and its main task is to ensure this
process,” said Avetisian.
To the question of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service as to whether people in
Nagorno-Karabakh that once voted for an independent status would want their
incorporation into Armenia as a province, Zhirayr Sefilian, a leading member of
the party, said: “We are convinced that an absolute majority shares this idea,
and I am convinced that this process that we start is to everyone’s liking.
There are numerous legal ways in the process. It can be through referendums, it
can also be done through the National Assembly’s ratification or through
national elections,” said Sefilian, citing ‘dangers of geopolitical
developments’ and possible Russian influence over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Avetisian was one of 31 members of an armed group that stormed a police
compound in Yerevan in July 2016, demanding that then President Serzh Sarkisian
free Sefilian, who was arrested a month before the deadly attack. The Sasna
Tsrer group also demanded Sarkisian’s resignation and a tougher stance in
negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
Together with other members of the group Avetisian surrendered after a 15-day
standoff with security forces and spent over two years in prison.
Most of the Sasna Tsrer members, including Avetisian, were released from prison
pending investigation after last year’s change of government.
Sasna Tsrer’s latest initiative comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity
around the Nagorno-Karabakh issue ahead of a possible first-ever formal meeting
between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev mediated through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe’s Minsk Group.
Since a 1994 ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh that put an end to large-scale
Armenian-Azerbaijani hostilities official Yerevan has publicly opposed the idea
of formal recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh or its incorporation into Armenia and
the status of the disputed territory has been a matter of internationally
mediated negotiations.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the talks if Armenia
either recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence or recognizes it as its part.
Last week, Pashinian co-chaired a joint session of the Security Councils of
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in Stepanakert during which he reiterated that
Armenia will seek Nagorno-Karabakh’s becoming a full party to the talks
currently conducted between Yerevan and Baku. Leaders in Azerbaijan have
rejected the idea of changing the format of negotiations.
Lawmaker: Government Awaits Audit Results For Decision On Mining Project
• Nane Sahakian
Armenia - Gold mining facilities constructed by Lydian International company at
Amulsar deposit, 18 May 2018
The Armenian government is awaiting the results of an independent international
environmental audit for its decision on the future of an effectively halted
mining project amid a warning from the United States-based company about a
possible litigation, a lawmaker representing the ruling alliance said on Monday.
Subsidiaries of the Lydian International company, which has exclusive rights to
develop the Amulsar gold deposit in southeastern Armenia, last week threatened
to sue the Armenian government over ongoing blockades of road access to the
mining site, while still hoping for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute.
The company has been unable to proceed with its work since June 23 as a group
of residents of nearby communities protesting against gold mining operations
blocked all roads leading to the site.
More than 1,400 people working for the project, many of them also local
residents, have therefore been unable to go to work, while the company has said
it has suffered millions of dollars in losses.
Lydian announced on its official website on March 11 that its subsidiaries –
Lydian U.K. Corporation Limited and Lydian Canada Ventures Corporation – have
formally notified the Armenian government of “the existence of disputes” with
it under relevant agreements on the promotion and protection of investments
that Armenian authorities signed with the governments of the UK and Canada back
in the 1990s.
According to the announcement, in accordance with the agreements Lydian UK may
submit the dispute to international arbitration three months after such formal
notification and Lydian Canada can do so after six months.
“In the meantime, the Government of Armenia has an opportunity to continue
amicable discussions with Lydian with a view to the prompt settlement of the
disputes,” the company said.
“Whether or not Lydian UK or Lydian Canada will initiate arbitration
proceedings will depend on the conduct of the Government of Armenia, and there
can be no assurance that Lydian UK or Lydian Canada will initiate any
arbitration claim or application to any international arbitration court or of
the outcome of any such claim or application. The Company does not intend to
make any further public comments relating to these matters unless required by
law.”
Still last summer the Armenian government revealed plans for an international
audit of Lydian’s Amulsar project to assess its environmental impact and
determine whether it poses any risks to the nearby resort town of Jermuk and
Armenia’s water resources in general.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed then that the government’s decisions on
Amulsar must be based on “facts rather than emotions.” At the same time, he
unsuccessfully tried to persuade local residents and environmental activists to
stop blockading the mining site.
Hayk Gevorkian, a member of the pro-Pashinian My Step faction in parliament and
member of the parliamentary committee on economic affairs, said that work
related to an independent audit began recently. He repeated that the
government’s further steps will depend on the outcome of this environmental
examination.
According to the lawmaker, the audit that costs Armenia more than $390,000 is
being conducted by an “internationally certified, reliable company” and the
government will not do anything until it gets the results of the audit.
“Before this audit there were two diametrically different examinations.
According to one of them, the operation of Amulsar is absolutely safe, and
according to the other, it poses danger. That’s why in order to get the final
answer to that question the government has agreed to take a rather costly step
to have a totally independent examination,” Gevorkian said, adding that the
first results of the hydrological examination will become available as early as
the beginning of June.
The lawmaker said that if the examination establishes that the operation of the
mine damages the environment, the government will ensure conditions for the
construction to be resumed. “If the litigation goes the way that Armenia will
have to pay to the investor, it will be several hundred million dollars, which
will prove quite a heavy burden for Armenia. But if the audit concludes that it
is dangerous, then the matter will concern public health, which is more
important, so everything will depend on the results of the audit,” Gevorkian
said.
Still in July, the United States government expressed hope that the Amulsar
deposit’s environmental audit will be conducted objectively and “in strict
accordance with the law.”
Richard Mills, the then U.S. ambassador to Armenia, said that potential
American investors have been closely monitoring, among other things, the
Armenian government’s treatment of the U.S.-based mining company.
Lydian, which claims to have already invested more than $300 million in
Amulsar, has not ruled out the possibility of international legal action
against the Armenian state that had granted it exclusive rights to the gold
deposit.
Environment protection groups in Armenia have insisted that, if implemented,
the Amulsar project will contaminate air, water and soil in the area where the
country’s most popular spa resort is located.
Lydian has maintained that it is using advanced technology to prevent any
damage to the local ecosystem.
The company is registered in a British tax haven but headquartered in the U.S.
state of Colorado. Its shareholders include U.S., Canadian and European
investment funds as well as the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development.
Armenian Newspaper Claims Pressure From Investigators
• Naira Bulghadarian
Knar Manukian, editor-in-chief of the Zhoghovurd daily.
The chief editor of an Armenian daily newspaper claims the Special
Investigation Service (SIS) is putting pressure on the media outlet after
criminal proceedings have been launched over its publication of some data that
the law-enforcement body says is confidential.
The newspaper, Zhoghovurd, on March 16 published on its front page excerpts
from the testimony of former president Serzh Sarkisian regarding the 2008
deadly post-election crackdown.Earlier, the newspaper published excerpts from
interrogations of Constitutional Court member Felix Tokhian and former deputy
defense minister Gagik Melkonian on the same case.
After that, the SIS warned the newspaper that disclosure of data containing
secrets of the preliminary investigation could lead to criminal liability.
“This is obvious pressure on media. This warning is a threat aimed at forcing
you to refrain from further activities,” said Zhoghovurd’s chief editor Knar
Manukian.
She insisted that the newspaper got hold of the materials still before the end
of the preliminary investigations in regards to the cases against ex-president
Robert Kocharian, ex-defense minister Seyran Ohanian, ex-deputy defense
minister Yuri Khachaturov and ex-deputy prime minister and secretary of the
Security Council Armen Gevorkian, but withheld their publication until the
completion of the probe.
Manukian said that Zhoghovurd will continue to publish pieces of testimony in
connection with the “March 1, 2008” case, and even a court’s decision to
disclose the source will not deter them. “They will not achieve any result. I
assure you that no matter what the court’s decision is, I will go till the end.
The SIS today seeks to identify the source by putting pressure on the media,
but they will not achieve the result,” said Manukian, adding that, if
necessary, her paper will publish also other pieces of testimony that it
currently has.
The SIS, meanwhile, says that the stage of preliminary investigation is not
over yet as it ends with the indictment and until that the parties to the
investigation are not allowed to publish confidential information related to
the case, including by passing it to the media, which entails criminal
liability.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” suggests that while the decision on dismantling cafes in the area
around the Opera House in Yerevan was taken by the city’s authorities, “the
entire government is responsible for it, since such steps are made based on
political decisions.” “It is not a coincidence that protests against the
dismantling of cafes resulted in some clashes and offensive language was used
against the government,” the paper writes, acknowledging that the current
government and mayor Hayk Marutian today enjoy “absolute legitimacy” as “all
parties, even the ones that lost, recognized the results of the elections.”
“Therefore, the government has a corresponding mandate to carry out reforms in
a bold manner and even must do so with such a great vote of confidence.”
“Hraparak” argues that while some poor people may welcome the dismantling of
cafes owned by wealthy businessman or others may consider it right just to
please the new government, it is yet insufficient to speak about justice: “One
can speak about freeing the city [green areas from commercial property] when
the hotel and mansions in the park at Monument, all structures built in
Circular Park, ugly extensions of buildings in the city center, the cafes of
[businessman] Samvel Aleksanian and other structures are dismantled.”
On the same subject “Haykakan Zhamanak” writes: “Nevertheless, it is important
to understand what positive and negative consequences these actions may have
and why the authorities decided to take that step despite realizing what
emotions and speculations it will cause. First, the negative is that like in
the case with other protests there will always be some groups guided by the
former government that will try to provoke clashes with police, chant “Nikol
[Pashinian] go away” or “Robert [Kocharian] is president”, thus giving a
political coloring to a purely legal process. Secondly, this process may have a
negative effect in the short term in terms of falling tax revenues, etc. But
still there will clearly be many more positive effects and the increase in the
green area is not the most important of them. The most important positive
effect will be that it will no longer occur to anyone that they can do business
in Armenia in an illegal manner by using their links with the powers that be.”
“168 Zham” criticizes the government for its economic policies. “The impression
is that [Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinian’s government has no one who would
think about the economy and everyone is busy trying to bring money to the
budget, increasing the tax burden for that without thinking about possible
consequences. And there is no doubt that these consequences will be painful.
The changes in the tax code proposed by the government do not meet the
interests of many economic agents. Consumers will also suffer the consequences
as the tax burden will increase for them. And it is still a question what the
government will get from all this,” the paper writes.
(Artur Papian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Author: Andranik Taslakhchian
Armenpress: Armenia bans Boeing B-737-MAX 8, MAX 9 aircraft from its airspace amid growing safety concerns
Armenia bans Boeing B-737-MAX 8, MAX 9 aircraft from its airspace amid growing safety concerns
10:04,
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenian aviation authorities have banned Boeing B-737-MAX 8 and Boeing B-737-MAX 9 aircraft from its entering its airspace.
“Taking into account the safety notice issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, as well as the NOTAM’s banning the Boeing B-737-MAX 8 and Boeing B-737-MAX 9 aircraft from Turkish and Georgian airspace, the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee, upon studying the situation, and considering flight safety a priority, has decided to ban the operations of B-737-MAX 8 and Boeing B-737-MAX 9 aircraft in Armenian airspace from March 13th to April 13th,” the committee said in a news release.
Many countries have banned the aircraft from entering its airspace until further notice as safety concerns continue to mount following two deadly crashes.
The move comes after the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Azerbaijani Press: Ilham Aliyev: Controversial official statements by Armenia unacceptable, undermine negotiations
Azer News, Azerbaijan
March 7 2019
6 March 2019 14:14 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar.
Toivo Klaar expressed the EU’s keenness to positively contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
President Ilham Aliyev hailed the European Commission leadership and some of its commissioners’ public statements regarding the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of international law, unsustainability of the current status-quo, continuation of the negotiations in the existing format, and the unacceptability of putting forward conditions in negotiations. The president said Azerbaijan supports this.
The head of state noted that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be settled on the basis of the principles and norms of international law within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, adding that the format of negotiations cannot be changed.
Describing Azerbaijan as the most interested party in the soonest fair settlement of the conflict, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the liberation of the occupied lands has always been the crucial component of the negotiation process.
The head of state underlined that the controversial official statements made by the Armenian side are unacceptable and undermine the negotiation process. He said it is necessary that the international community take this into serious consideration and convey targeted statements to Armenia.
The sides also exchanged views on the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in various fields, and Azerbaijan’s involvement in Eastern Partnership program.
Azerbaijani press: FM: Armenia continues policy aimed at solidifying results of its aggression against Azerbaijan
1 March 2019 22:41 (UTC+04:00)
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 1
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Azerbaijan calls upon all Members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to practically support the activities of the group to operationalize the OIC decisions and resolutions on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and facilitate appropriate actions to compel Armenia to comply with the relevant OIC documents, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
He made the remarks during the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC in Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“Over five decades since its establishment, the OIC as the unique multilateral body of the Muslim world, has become a strategic dialogue partner to the international community in the maintenance of global peace and security. Yet today our organization is facing the unprecedented challenges both internal and external – which constitute existential threats to the Members’ unity, integrity and sovereignty.
The continuous armed conflicts and terrorist attacks in our geography notably in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, as well as rising trend of intolerance, racism and xenophobia in various parts of the world demonstrate the deficiency of current international mechanisms aimed to guaranty international peace and security. Therefore our joint actions aimed at peaceful and brotherly resolutions of conflicts within our geography and firm stand in fighting terrorism, preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all Members, countering Islamophobia are of utmost priority. In this regard Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the reform process in the OIC aimed at increasing the overall efficiency of the Organization, in particular strengthening its mediation capacity to address the conflicts.
The Republic of Azerbaijan being adherent to the collective approach and joint strategy of the Organization will continue to work with the Member States towards peaceful resolution of the conflicts, including through various OIC Contact Groups to which Azerbaijan is a member, notably on Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Somali and Muslim minorities in Europe. In this regard we call upon all Member States to spare no efforts in implementing the principles of collective approach and Islamic solidarity.
The Palestinian issue being at the heart of the OIC raison d’etre is the one which requires such collective approach. Azerbaijan reaffirms full solidarity and persistent support for the just and lasting solution to the issue and stands for the two-state solution of the Palestinian conflict with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.
Being committed to this objective Azerbaijan congratulates Palestinian government for official assumption of the “Group of G77 and China” presidency, which would consolidate the political and legal status of Palestine in the international arena, and its well-deserved right to acquire full UN membership. Last year Azerbaijan hosted NAM Ministerial Committee on Palestine within 18th Mid-term Ministerial Meeting of the Non Alignment Movement (NAM). The Final Baku Declaration reiterated urgent call for serious, collective efforts to bring a complete end to the violence in Palestine. In November of 2018, Azerbaijan hosted the Annual Meeting of Ambassadors of the State of Palestine accredited in Asia thus contributing to capacity building of Palestinian government. On humanitarian part of support for Palestinian people Azerbaijan allocated last October 200 000 dollars to UNRWA .
Let me assure this Organization that during our chairmanship in the NAM in the period of 2019-2022 Azerbaijan will spare no efforts to further contribute to the peace in Palestine as well as towards peace, security and development of the Islamic countries at large.
While doing its utmost to contribute to international peace and security Azerbaijan is still facing continuous military aggression by Armenia, which resulted in occupation of 20 percent of internationally recognized territory of my country, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions; in ethnic cleansing of almost 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs; in destruction and desecration of numerous historical, cultural and religious monuments in the territories of Azerbaijan still occupied by Armenia.
The mediation efforts by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe unfortunately have still not yielded results which should be liberation of the occupied lands and restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This definitive result for negotiations is vested in the UN SC relevant resolutions as well as resolutions of the OIC, relevant documents of OSCE, European Union and almost any international organization ever dealt with the conflict.
Despite all of these calls, despite all our efforts to resolve the conflict by peaceful means Armenia continues its policy of predatory looting of the natural resources and destroying historic and Islamic legacy of the occupied territories aimed at solidifying the results of its aggression; violating the ceasefire, killing and wounding Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians almost on a daily basis. I appreciate just position of the OIC member-states with regard to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reflected in the OIC Ministerial resolutions. I also call for reflection of the position of justice and solidarity expressed within this august body while dealing with the aggressor state on bilateral basis as well as at international fora. The attempts by Armenia to abuse international cultural, language-based or humanitarian fora with a view of promoting its policy of occupation and of breaching solidarity of this very organization should be met with our unified stance. Armenian attempts to engage some of the Member States into economic and cultural cooperation, organize touristic promotion of occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan or of so called preserved Islamic heritage in its own territory while destroying this very heritage is nothing else but cynical policy of legalizing the occupation and strengthening the occupier from which we strongly call upon the Member States to refrain from.
While commending the annual meetings of the OIC Contact Group on the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan held since 2016 in New-York and expressing in this regard our appreciation to its members and the OIC Secretary General we call upon all Members to practically support the activities of the group to operationalize the OIC decisions and resolutions on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and facilitate appropriate actions to compel Armenia to comply with the relevant OIC documents.
Azerbaijan commends the work of the OIC institutions aimed at strengthening our solidarity and raising our collective voice in international arena. In this regard I would like to highlight ISESCO statement condemning construction by Armenia of a new canal from the Sarsang Reservoir in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories being in flagrant violation of the international law and aimed at creating environmental disaster for the adjacent regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
We appreciate the members solidarity demonstrated within the “Justice for Khojaly” international campaign carried out by the Islamic Conference Youth Forum and within implementation of the resolution on “The solidarity with the victims of the Khojaly massacre” aimed at raising global awareness on genocide of civilian Azerbaijanis by the Armenian forces in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly in February 1992.
I would like also to underline importance of our solidarity in times of hardships and natural disasters such as OIC humanitarian support in the aftermath of Indonesian 2018 earthquake to which Azerbaijan was privileged to contribute.
Our solidarity needs to be demonstrated also in strengthening the much needed global inter-cultural dialogue and countering dangers of xenophobia, racism, hate speech and Islamophobia. In this regard I call upon Member states to actively participate in the 5th edition of the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue to be held in May 2019 in Baku, which constitutes a central part of the “Baku Process” initiated by the President of Azerbaijan H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev in 2008. The process supported by influential international partners such as OIC, UNESCO, UN Alliance of Civilizations, World Tourism Organization, Council of Europe and ISESCO is aimed at strengthening inter-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding as foundation for sustainable peace and inclusive development.
In 2018, Nakhchivan, an ancient Azerbaijan city, named capital of Islamic culture hosted various cultural programs further contributing to enriching our cultural ties. We are looking forward to host the first ever OIC Cultural Week this year in Azerbaijan and the Eighth International Contest of young performers of classical music from our countries which will support the young talents and creativity.
Azerbaijan supports the activities of the ICYF and its Eurasian Regional Centre hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan in Baku and during our tenure of chairmanship in the Ministerial Council on Youth and Sports we will continue practical contribution to youth and sports development. The 2nd Executive Model OIC games, Islamic countries young entrepreneurs’ network to be hosted within this tenure by Azerbaijan among various youth oriented programs are aimed at strengthening friendship between Islamic countries through youth and sports activities.
We also invite members to finalize the ratification process of the OIC specialized organ namely, The OIC Labour Center, initiated by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H.E Mr. Ilham Aliyev with the aim to support the productive force and economic growth of our countries, an important goal of the “OIC-2025 Programme of Action”.
I would like to conclude by reiterating my sincere congratulations to the OIC Members on the occasion of the 50th Jubilee once again and wish the next 50 years to be marked with our greater strength and solidarity to fruit with sustainable peace, stability and development for our Ummah,” said the foreign minister.
Helsinki Commission Hastings Commemorates Anniversary of Sumgait Pogrom
Targeted News Service
Thursday 8:20 AM EST
Helsinki Commission Hastings Commemorates Anniversary of Sumgait Pogrom
WASHINGTON
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe issued the following statement by Helsinki Commission Chairman Alcee L. Hastings:
"Today we commemorate the victims of the Sumgait pogrom, part of the tragic human toll of inter-ethnic conflict that culminated in the Nagorno-Karabakh war and the stark division of Armenian and Azeri societies.
"On this day in 1988, an ethnically driven and violent campaign drove thousands of innocent Armenians out of Azerbaijan.
"I hope ongoing talks between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will contribute to the effort to bind these wounds and serve the ultimate cause of peace and reconciliation."
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains one of the world's most intractable and long-standing territorial and ethnic disputes. Its fragile no-peace, no-war situation poses a serious threat to stability in the South Caucasus region and beyond.
Switalski: If transitional justice works in Balkans, it doesn’t mean it will work in Armenia
News.am, Armenia
Feb 26 2019
Switalski: If transitional justice works in Balkans, it doesn’t mean it will work in Armenia Switalski: If transitional justice works in Balkans, it doesn’t mean it will work in Armenia
13:45, 26.02.2019
The development of the justice system is of great importance for Armenia, the EU ambassador to Armenia Piotr Switalski told reporters on Tuesday.
The EU is in constant contact with the Justice Ministry, Switalski said adding that this is a priority for the Armenian government and some positive changes have already taken place.
According to him, new Armenia began with a low level of trust.
EU believe that Armenia is part of the European family, and any citizen can appeal the decision to the ECHR, he added.
There are several important decisions taken by the ECHR concerning political rights and freedoms, the envoy said adding that we must trust the judicial system of Armenia, and the courts must follow both domestic and European standards.
Meanwhile, the envoy noted that if transitional justice works in Balkans, it doesn’t mean it will work in Armenia.
Opening Armenian trading house in Turkmenistan under consideration
Opening Armenian trading house in Turkmenistan under consideration
09:35,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Turkmenistan are preparing for the 9th session of intergovernmental economic commission due in mid-2019 in Ashgabat.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan Garnik Badalyan held a meeting on February 21 with the country’s finance and economy minister Batyr Bazarow to discuss related issues, the foreign ministry said in a read-out of the meeting.
The sides discussed the circle of issues that will be included in the financial-economic part of the session. They also discussed the possibility of opening an Armenian trading house in Turkmenistan, prospects of involving Armenian capital companies in the Turkmen market and other issues concerning bilateral economic relations.
The Armenian ambassador and the Turkmen minister attached importance to increasing trade turnover volumes and boosting economic ties. They agreed to continue sectoral cooperation.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
A1+: Edmon Marukyan: The government should pass from the super prime minister system to parliamentary government (video)
The head of the “Bright Armenia” faction Edmon Marukyan, speaking to reporters yesterday, commented on the statement issued by the Armenian National Congress that Armenia should return to the semi-presidential system, and said that he respects the ANC, but does not support that idea.
“Aurora“ will help Matenadaran present Armenian cultural centers across the world
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 14 2019
Alexandr Avanesov
ArmInfo.Aurora Humanitarian Initiative continues to support the Matenadaran, Armenia's national repository of ancient manuscripts, with a new grant of $20,000. With these funds, the Matenadaran will commission the preparation and design of an interactive table-map of Armenian Scriptoria, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative's press service told ArmInfo.
Scriptoria, or Monastic Writing Centers, have a special significance in the cultural life of the Armenian nation. They were the unique art and cultural spaces where Armenian scribes and miniaturists created and copied illuminated manuscripts. The interactive table-map will bring together these writing centers, creating comprehensive image of Armenian manuscript culture. Having these centers in one place will deepen the understanding of the geography, history, and development of Armenian manuscript heritage in Armenia and in Armenian communities worldwide.
"Our collaboration with the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is invaluable," said Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan, director of the Matenadaran. "This new project of the interactive table-map will be a very helpful visual aid that presents the scriptoria for the spiritual and cultural centers. These advanced technological solutions are the most impactful ways of introducing this rich heritage, and its significance to global culture," he continued.
Simply by touching the interactive map every visitor of the Matenadaran will be able to travel deep into the history of the development of the dozens of scriptoria. Individual multi-touch windows will present detailed information and images of the writing centers, as well as their brief history, geographical location, and architectural characteristics of the complexes in which they existed. Additional windows will provide information about manuscripts, such as their titles, numbers and locations, scribes and miniature artists, statistical data, and other.
"We are delighted to continue the cooperation with the Matenadaran, the immense depository of Armenian manuscripts. These manuscripts are windows into the intellectual history of Armenia and the Western world. Aurora believes in the value of presenting the Armenian past and present within the context of global developments. This project does just that, going beyond preservation to easy and multi-layered access," stated Vartan Gregorian, Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.
This is Aurora's fourth grant to the Matenadaran within Aurora's Armenian Memory Act program, aimed at enhancing the preservation and use of archives and documentation of the Armenian experience. In 2015, funds from Aurora enabled the Matenadaran to purchase a special scanner to digitize manuscripts, making them more accessible for researchers and the wider public. Over 4560 manuscripts and archival documents have been digitized to date.
The 2016 grant funded the training of ten Matenadaran guides in Germany. By visiting various museums and cultural centers they learned new approaches to museum management and further developed professional skills needed for guides working in foreign languages. The 2017 grant helped Matenadaran organize more than 50 lectures on general topics in the humanities, as well as specific subjects related to the Matenadaran collection, including Medieval Studies, Manuscript Studies, historical primary sources, bibliography formation, restoration and preservation of manuscripts, and archival documents. A new brochure is currently being prepared for guides and researchers working in the Matenadaran.
Samvel Martirosyan: We are entering an era where everything is connected to the Internet (video)
Referring to the dangers and challenges in cybernetics, security and media expert Samvel Martirosyan expressed an opinion that we are entering an era where everything is connected to the Internet, starting from iron to TVs and so on.
According to the expert, education and literacy are important in the fight against cybercrime, as hackers use the unawareness of people. And the lack of protection and the use of adequate mechanisms leads to losses of personal data and finance.
“If we talk about hybrid wars, cybercrime and information crime are already mixed up,” the media expert notes. The latter, for example, mentioned that the Azeris broke the Armenian news website and put there misinformation for propaganda purposes.
About the recent news that the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia did not announce that Armenian soldier Edgar Grigoryan had died on the New Year’s eve as a result of gunshot wounds, Martirosyan said that the Defense Ministry did not hide it such incidents and have reported them during the last 3-4 years, and there has been confidence among the public.