Author: Bedik Zaminian

Fake letter to NATO leadership on behalf of Pashinyan circulated on social media

Bedik Zaminian
Panorama, Armenia
July 3 2019

Information security expert Samvel Martirosyan informs about a dissemination of a fake letter written on behalf of Armenian Prime Minister and addressed to NATO leadership. Martirosyan posted on Facebook the screenshot of the letter, adding the document is widely circulated on social media. “Apart from reasoned suspicions there are no specifics and evidence about the author of the letter,” Martirosyan said in a post, adding one possible version about the author of the document could be it had been done out of Armenia’s territory.

Martirosyan also pointed to the content of the letter and the issues raised in it, dabbing them as absurd and incredible . To note, the letter, allegedly written by Pashinyan expresses Armenia’s readiness for a closer cooperation with NATO and discusses an implementation of a plan ‘to withdraw troops from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone.’

Panorama.am asked Spokesperson of PM Pashinyan Vladimir Karapetyan to comment on the letter, asking whether the press office of the Prime Minister plans to issue official clarification over the document and reject it.

“I do not consider it appropriate for now [to comment on] as it is evident for all the document is nothing but absurdity. Commenting on absurdity is not reasonable,” Karapetyan said.

Armenian President of National Assembly to pay official visit to Cyprus

Bedik Zaminian
Cyprus News Agency
July 2, 2019 Tuesday
Armenian President of National Assembly to pay official visit to Cyprus
 
 
President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, arrives in Cyprus on Wednesday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Cypriot counterpart Demetris Syllouris.
 
Heading a delegation, Mirzoyan will be received by Archbishop Chrysostomos II. He will also hold talks with Syllouris who will host an official lunch in Mirzoyan's honour.
 
The Armenian Speaker will address the plenary of the House of Representatives on Friday and will also hold a number of meetings at the House, including with the Armenia-Cyprus friendship group.
 
The delegation will also confer with Defence Minister Savvas Angelides and Nicosia Mayor Constantinos Georkatzis.
 
Mirzoyan and the delegation will also meet the Archbishop of Armenians in Cyprus and Armenian societies that operate in Cyprus.

Katharine McPhee, 35, Stuns In Strapless Ruffled Wedding Dress As She Marries David Foster, 69

Bedik Zaminian
Hollywoodlife
Katharine McPhee, 35, Stuns In Strapless Ruffled Wedding Dress As She Marries David Foster, 69
 
by Jade Boren
 
The first photos of Katharine McPhee's wedding dress are here, and you're going to need to sit down for this! The 'American Idol' star pulled up to a London church in an elegant ballgown straight out of a fairytale.
 
This was no modest column gown – Katharine McPhee, 35, brought out the volume and lace to her wedding with Canadian composer David Foster, 69, on June 28! It was only fitting that the American Idol runner-up's wedding dress match the elegance and pomp to the venue of her nuptials, the St. Yeghiche Armenian Apostolic Church in Kensington, London. The historic parish was built in 1867, and currently holds the title of Great Britain's largest Armenian Apostolic Church. The beautiful bride wowed in a ballgown-style dress that featured a skirt with layers upon layers of lace, and a strapless bodice. Mrs. Foster swept her hair into a low bun, affixed with a veil that matched her wedding dress. You can see photos of Katharine's wedding dress, here.
 
London's weather can be unpredictable, and so Katharine had to keep all that white fabric dry under an umbrella as she walked inside the church! The groom was also pictured, who maintained his silver fox image in a slim-fit black and white tuxedo, complete with bow tie and shades.
 
Katharine exchanged vows with David in front of an estimated 100 wedding guests, according to Us Weekly. The "My Destiny" singer also confirmed the wonderful news on Twitter, and even threw in a fun fact about her new husband: "Exactly 13 years ago today my very first single, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, was released right after Idol. Today… I'm marrying the man who produced it. Life is full of beautiful coincidences, isn't it? Thank you for taking me over the rainbow, David. ??."
 
Exactly 13 years ago today my very first single, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, was released right after Idol. Today… I'm marrying the man who produced it. Life is full of beautiful coincidences, isn't it? Thank you for taking me over the rainbow, David. ?? pic.twitter.com/gIo9Shcu0P
 
– Kat McPhee (@katharinemcphee) June 28, 2019
 
Before standing on the altar, Katharine treated herself to a facial and face mask on the morning of her big day. These are her bridal secrets, as she wrote on her Instagram Story, "The secret to a calm and collected bride. And maybe a little Xanax. But this girl makes me feel soooo good."
 
Katharine first met David on the set of her claim to fame: American Idol! It was 2006, and the former contestant sang "I Have Nothing" – Whitney Houston's classic, written by none other than her future husband. But the romance rumors didn't swirl until more than a decade had passed, when Katharine and David were spotted putting on PDA during a dinner at Malibu's Nobu in May 2017. By July 2018, they were engaged – and here we are now, ooh'ing and aww'ing at their wedding attire! This is Katharine's second marriage, after divorcing actor Nick Cokas in 2016, and David's fifth marriage, after divorcing Yolanda Hadid in 2017.

Baghdad opens to neighbors with new Iraq-Iran-Armenia bus route

Bedik Zaminian
Rudaw, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
June 9 2019


Baghdad opens to neighbors with new Iraq-Iran-Armenia bus route
   By Rudaw             

Photo: Iraq's Ministry of Transportation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Baghdad has launched a pilot bus route from Iraq to Armenia via Iran, marking another example of its opening up to its neighbors as security improves. 

Following the route’s debut on Saturday, the Ministry of Transportation announced it the line to allow Iraq to “develop international transportation and open up to neighboring and regional countries”.

 The pilot program was organized by Iraq’s public transportation company, a sub-branch of the Ministry of Transportation, and left from Baghdad early Saturday morning. 

 The ministry did not specify what stops the bus would makes after its departure from Baghdad.

With ongoing tensions between Turkey and Armenia and the border between the two remaining closed, the bus lines passes through Iran. 

 “Detailed plans have been put in place to make this line succeed and use it to serve Iraq in the different sectors of economy, trade, and tourism,” Abdullah al-Luaibi Bahis, head of the public transportation company, said in the statement. 

 A trilateral meeting between Iraq, Iran and Armenia is scheduled to take place at the end of June, to discuss and mitigate any issues that could obstruct the bus route from running smoothly.

 An official from the Iraq’s Transportation Ministry told Rudaw English that the pilot program might eventually “pave the road” for a permanent bus route. 

 Omed Mohammed Saleh, spokesperson for KRG's Ministry of Transportation and Communication, told Rudaw that they weren’t aware of the new travel line and hadn't been notified by Baghdad.

 This new development reflects Iraq’s attempt to reclaim a leadership role in the Middle East, after being embroiled in decades of conflict. 

 Amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, Iraq is attempting to maintain a balance with the two, given its strong ties with both countries. 

 Iraqi leaders have said that they do not want be affected by the tensions, urging the US and Iran to come an agreement. 

Naira Zohrabyan: No arms found among supporters of Abovyan mayor

Bedik Zaminian
News.am, Armenia
June 9 2019
 
 
Naira Zohrabyan: No arms found among supporters of Abovyan mayor
21:39, 09.06.2019
 
The supporters of Abovyan mayor Vahagn Gevorgyan, who were driven several hours ago, have no weapons, Prosperous Armenia Party MP Naira Zohrabyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am on Sunday.
 
“No illegal weapons and ammunition were found on those subjected to the drive,” the MP said.
 
As reported earlier, several supporters of Gevorgyan were brought under suspicion of illegal possession of weapons. Prosperous Armenia’s deputies arrived in Abovyan’s police to find out the reasons for their detention. The supporters were searched and released.
 
 

Pashinyan: Armenia is not going to engage in geopolitical games

Bedik Zaminian
Arminfo, Armenia
June 7 2019
Naira Badalian

ArmInfo. Armenia is not going to engage in geopolitical games.  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg  International Economic Forum, answering a question regarding the  foreign policy sympathies of the Republic of Armenia.

According to Pashinyan, the EU is interested in developing relations  with the Russian Federation. Evidence of this, as the prime minister  pointed out, was the participation in the Forum of the heads of two  European countries, Bulgaria and Slovakia. "The EU supports Armenia  in its striving to develop relations with the Russian Federation," he  said.

As the head of the Armenian government pointed out, Armenia is  transparent in its relations with the EU to its Russian partners.  Armenia is also transparent in relations with the Russian Federation  to the Europeans, except for some nuances related to security issues,  Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister, today many people in the world have  realized that geopolitical games do not benefit anyone, especially  those countries and peoples that are becoming the scene of this  confrontation. "Therefore, Armenia is not going to engage in  geopolitical games. We are going to develop normal relations with the  Russian Federation>, he declared.

The prime minister reminded that today Armenia is the chairing  country in the EEU. <We, as a member of the EAEU, will continue to  contribute to improving relations between members of the Union.  Perhaps, the tools available to Armenia are not so great, but we will  contribute to global security, stability and cooperation, "he said.

In addition, as Pashinyan stressed, the dynamics of the development  of relations with China are now being noted. "Both China, Russia and  the EU are interested in global stability," he said. As for relations  with the EU, then, according to Pashinyan, Armenia cooperates with  this structure in the direction of carrying out reforms in the  judicial-legal system. To the clarifying question, is it possible to  unequivocally say that Armenia has already made its choice in favor  of the EAEU, the Prime Minister noted that the RA is a member of the  structure. "This is the only economic integration process in which we  participate," he said, adding that Armenia could become a bridge  between China, Iran, the EU and the Russian Federation.  The head of  the Armenian Cabinet also shared the formula for resolving  misunderstandings. "When everyone is unhappy, everything must be done  so that everyone is happy," he said. Pashinyan pointed out the only  way to achieve this goal – a compromise. "Understanding each other's  interests, and respecting those interests," he concluded.

Council of Europe Group Says Baku Has Not Implemented Key Priorities

Bedik Zaminian
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8 hours ago

Council of Europe

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance on Thursday published conclusions on the implementation of two priority recommendations made to Azerbaijan in 2016.

Firstly, ECRI recommended that the authorities create conditions under which a diverse and independent civil society can develop. In this regard ECRI notes some positive developments, such as the adoption of a presidential decree on measures to simplify grant registration procedures for foreign donors and to ensure their transparency, the ongoing development of e-services to manage the electronic registration of grants, and the launch of a platform for dialogue between the Government and civil society.

While ECRI welcomes these developments, it notes that the continuing use of restrictive regulations by the authorities fails to offer favourable conditions for the proper and independent functioning of NGOs and leads, in some cases, to these organisations being unable to resume their work. In view of these considerations, ECRI concludes that its recommendation has not been implemented.

Secondly, ECRI recommended that the authorities fulfill the promise given when acceding to the Council of Europe to enact legislation on alternatives to military service as already foreseen in Article 76 of the Azerbaijani Constitution. The Committee notes that the Azerbaijani authorities have not taken any initiative to enact such legislation and concludes therefore this recommendation has not been implemented.

The conclusions are based on the response from the Government and information gathered from other sources. They concern only the priority recommendations and do not aim at providing a comprehensive analysis of all developments in the fight against racism and intolerance in Azerbaijan.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) is a human rights monitoring body which specialises in questions relating to the fight against racism, discrimination (on grounds of “race”, ethnic/national origin, colour, citizenship, religion, language, sexual orientation and gender identity), xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance.

European Union will provide 65 million euros to Armenia as financial assistance

Bedik Zaminian
ARKA, Armenia
June 6 2019

YEREVAN, June 6. /ARKA/. In 2019, the European Union will provide 40 million euro assistance to Armenia and has also earmarked 25 million euros as additional support, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said on Thursday.  He said the overall assistance is much larger than in 2018

Armenian Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan noted that in 2018 some 11.2 billion drams worth grants had been provided to Armenia, of which about 41% had European origin.

“As for expenses, European grants to the tune of 11.7 billion drams were used, which made 0.8% of our total spending. In other words, all these amounts and expenses cannot be considered too important for us,” the minister noted. ($1 – 479.79 drams). -0–

Syrian-Armenian community will continue enjoying state support – President Assad receives Catholicos Aram I

Bedik Zaminian

Syrian-Armenian community will continue enjoying state support – President Assad receives Catholicos Aram I

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19:33,

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Presidential Palace. The meeting lasted over an hour and issues referring to the current situation of Syria and the Armenian community in the country were discussed.

President Assad particularly urged the Syrian-Armenians who left the country due to harsh conditions, to return and restore their homes and factories, assuring that the Syrian-Armenian community will continue enjoying the state support, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press servicd eof the Great House of Cilicia.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan




PM Pashinyan emphasizes necessity of creating better conditions for bike riding

Bedik Zaminian

PM Pashinyan emphasizes necessity of creating better conditions for bike riding

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20:36,

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan hopes that better conditions will be created for biking in the city and the country as a whole, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in a live Facebook broadcast, biking from the Government to his house.

“Today we opened the biking season. Yerevan’s traffic is not so convenient for biking”, he said, hoping that they will be able to create better conditions for biking, underlining the importance of healthy lifestyle.

The PM asked all bicycle riders to wear helmets.

Pashinyan noted that going home from the Government by bike (4 km) is a great pleasure, but the job of the security officers becomes harder.

In the morning Pashinyan went to the Government on bike, from where he headed to Yerevan City Hall to participate in the opening of a garden dedicated to 2800th anniversary of Yerevan.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan