Author: Christine Harutyunian

Russia’s Lavrov to discuss implementation process of NK trilateral statements in Baku

Christine Harutyunian

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 14:31,

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will depart for Azerbaijan on a working visit on June 23-24, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

She informed that FM Lavrov will meet with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku.

“The whole complex of issues relating to the further development of the bilateral relations in accordance with the provisions of the mutual allied partnership signed between the Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Moscow on February 22 are expected to be discussed”, Zakharova said.

Zakharova said that the Russian and Azerbaijani FMs will discuss the relevant regional and international issues, focusing mainly on the implementation process of the high-level trilateral agreements of 2020 November 9, 2021 January 11 and November 26.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 15-06-22

Christine Harutyunian

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 17:25,

YEREVAN, 15 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 15 June, USD exchange rate up by 4.79 drams to 424.42 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 6.82 drams to 444.75 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.10 drams to 7.49 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 5.79 drams to 513.04 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 110.70 drams to 24811.46 drams. Silver price down by 1.11 drams to 289.76 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Armenian PM sends condolence letter to President of Brazil over Pernambuco deadly rains

Christine Harutyunian

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 12:51, 8 June 2022

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a letter of condolences to President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro over the heavy rains in Pernambuco state that claimed human lives, the PM’s Office said.

The message reads:

“Your Excellency,

With a deep sorrow I learnt about the dozens of people killed and missing in heavy rains and landslides in Brazil’s in Pernambuco state.

Sharing your grief and the good people of Brazil, I wish speedy recovery to the injured, and tenacity to the relatives of the victims and the entire people of Brazil.

Please, Your Excellency, accept the assurances of my highest respect”.

Music: Eduard Wulfson: It’s an honor to serve music of Aram Khachaturian

Christine Harutyunian
Panorama
Armenia – June 6 2022

CULTURE 16:36 06/06/2022 ARMENIA

The 18th Khachaturian International Competition is scheduled to launch on Monday, June 6 marking the 119th birth anniversary of prominent Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian.

“It’s an amazing honor and pleasure to serve in the greatest possible way the music of Aram Khachaturian,” famous violinist Eduard Wulfson, who heads the jury of the competition, told a news conference ahead of its opening ceremony.

“Today is a great day for classical music not only in Armenia but over the world, because Aram Khachaturian belongs to the whole world,” he said.

“Our goal is to find the best possible next generation artist, that's what we are aiming," Wulfson said, stating it will help develop classical music.

"I am sure that the winners will be very well served," the musician noted, adding it will be a "great festivity".

The jury has picked 20 participants from around 16 countries for the Khachaturian International Competition which focuses on the cello this year.

“Thanks to this competition, today 5,000 musicians from around the world perform Khachaturian’s concertos," said Armen Smbatyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khachaturian International Competition.

UNICEF: Adolescents and teachers at the center of climate action

Christine Harutyunian
May 5 2022
By Ani Grigoryan
05 May 2022

Climate change has long been one of the great challenges facing humanity. While the negative effects and risks associated with climate change threaten everyone, how much does the public at large actually know about it or understand the extent of its impact on livelihoods? We talked to UNICEF’s Climate Change Officer Vigen Shirvanyan on this and other issues and how UNICEF works to improve climate education in Armenia.

UNICEF Armenia/20212/Ghazaryan

“Climate change is a global crisis and, children and adolescents suffer the most. In this regard, children and adolescents living in poverty are more susceptible and vulnerable to it. We also know that at the global level, the future of over one billion children is at risk due to climate change. So there is a pressing need to act, but on the other hand people are overburdened with other daily issues, as a result of which climate change tends to be considered as a distant problem. At the same time, it is an increasingly problematic phenomenon affecting people’s daily lives. There are many risks associated with climate change and human intervention, such as land degradation and drought, deforestation, access to clean water, to name a few. These issues need to be addressed appropriately by all segments of the society,”

says Shirvanyan.

In April, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, UNICEF published a study on adolescent participation, knowledge, attitudes, experiences, and behaviors regarding climate change. A first of its kind, the study was conducted across Armenia’s 52 consolidated communities, including among 1,517 school students in 6-12th grades at 483 schools.

“We wanted to understand the basic knowledge adolescents and adults have about environmental issues and examine their actions regarding the environment. We needed to find out what people think about climate change and environmental issues, whether they know what climate change is, how it affects their lives, their community, their actions, and whether they are taking or are willing to take action to mitigate and resist those changes,”

Shirvanyan explains.

The study showed that while more adolescents (96.2%) had heard about climate change and changing weather conditions, compared to adults (79.8%), they did not fully understand what causes those changes. Although most of the respondents are aware of the existence of climate change, they stated that they have lack of knowledge around the solutions and what they can do to mitigate it and protect themselves from its effects.

Adolescents also mentioned that teachers have addressed the causes and possible consequences of climate change at school, but only half of the respondents had heard from teachers what could be done to mitigate the effects of climate change, how they could protect their families from those changes, and so forth.

It is significant that 90% of adolescents are ready to learn more about climate change and that they prefer to learn about it from their teachers and school administrators. Moreover, almost 76% of adolescents are willing to take action to prevent or mitigate the effects of climate change in their communities, including by giving up or changing some of their habits.

“It’s clear that adolescents want to know and do more on climate change. It is our role as adults to support them in doing so. This study also shows the need and the opportunity to improve climate education at school to equip young people with more knowledge on what to do about it. UNICEF is hence working with the Ministry of Education to design a number of materials that can be used in schools for these purposes, as well as working to integrate this into the national action plan on education,”

said Shirvanyan.

UNICEF Armenia/2021/Margaryan

“We have already proposed that the term ‘climate change’ as a global challenge is included in the state education strategy to be featured along other key challenges. We are working with partners to support the Ministry in the development of the action plan to support the education strategy that will consolidate steps to continuously improve climate education. A number of state agencies and stakeholders understand the importance of this issue and support this process,” Shirvanyan says.

Additionally, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, UNICEF developed two handbooks for project-based learning on climate change that can be used in both formal and non-formal academic setting. “The first handbook explains the aspects of project-based learning and compiles a number of references for an in-depth look into it. The second handbook features 10 model lessons on how, for example, a math teacher can integrate climate change into learning activities or how a biology teacher can work with a math teacher to jointly implement interdisciplinary projects with students.”

After the adoption of the new standards of education in 2021, each 7-12th grader in Armenia is required to implement one project during the year, on the subject of their choice. So these handbooks come at the right time to support teachers and students to tackle climate change using project-based learning in the new academic year.

This summer, UNICEF plans to train teacher-trainers in 400 target communities together with the National Center for Educational Development and Innovation Foundation and other partner organizations on the use of these manuals and project-based learning on climate change at school. “When the new academic year starts, they will then work with other teachers and students to initiate and carry out projects, using the examples from the handbooks, while UNICEF will be closely following to offer guidance, as well as select projects that can be scaled up with seed funding,” noted Shirvanyan.

“All of this, as well as our work on disaster risk management in communities, stems from the key values of UNICEF: care for the nature around us, for the country, for each other; respect for each other, and valuing what you have and how you share the same worries and risks with each other; that you are not indifferent; and accountability—how accountable we are to our country, planet, environment, nature, as we pass them on to the next generation, who will be accountable for carrying on the responsibility to preserve it,”

concludes Shirvanyan.https://www.unicef.org/armenia/en/stories/adolescents-and-teachers-center-climate-action 

‘Contempt for international law’: Armenia slams Aliyev’s latest statements

Christine Harutyunian
Panorama
Armenia –

The Foreign Ministry of Armenia has responded the statements of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made on Friday. Below is the full statement released by the ministry on Saturday.

"The remarks of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev delivered on May 27 once again demonstrate the deconstructivism, the arbitrary, false interpretation of the agreements, and the continuation of aggressive and warmongering policy by the Azerbaijani side.

The aspirations towards the sovereign territory of the neighbouring country and standing from the position of use of force to achieve these goals are nothing but a contempt for the norms of international law, which seriously question the sincerity of Azerbaijan's intentions to achieve peace in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia considers it necessary to reiterate its principled position, namely that the negotiations on normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be held on the basis of proposals of both sides, which should address the whole agenda of the issues, including the final settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

With its speculations, the Azerbaijani side attempts to present the Nagorno-Karabakh issue as a territorial dispute while it is about the realization of the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh and the exclusion of the threat of ethnic cleansing.

In this regard, we remind that the international mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship received in 1995 to support the comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, does exist.

We call on the leadership of Azerbaijan not to disrupt the discussions conducted in the existing formats with warmongering, expansionist rhetoric.

At the same time, we draw the attention of the international community to the statements made by official Baku, and expect the unequivocal attitude of our international partners, which will make it possible to achieve stability and peace in the South Caucasus."

Sports: European Boxing Championship: Armenia’s Hovhannes Bachkov makes it to the semi-final

Christine Harutyunian
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –

Armenian boxer Hovhannes Bachkov made it to the semi-final of the European Boxing Championship under way in Yerevan.

The Armenian beat Petr Novak of Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the 63.5 kg event.

Bachkov has thus secured at least a bronze medal. In the semi-final he will face the winner of the Richard Kavac (Hungary)-Ahmad Shdivin (Israel) pair.

Edward Nalbandian published "Nagorno-Karabakh: X-Ray of the Conflict" collection of articles

Christine Harutyunian
ARMINFO
Armenia –
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. Armenia's former Foreign Minister (2008-2018) Edward Nalbandian published the " Nagorno-Karabakh: X-Ray of the Conflict " book.

As the Republican Eduard Sharmazanov said, the reader is offered a  collection of articles, speeches and interviews by Edward Nalbandian  on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, its origins, development, and  prospects for resolution.

The consistent and purposeful efforts of Armenia from April 2008 to  April 2018 aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict are  detailed.

The book particularly mentions the well-established, effective  interaction with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group as the only  format endowed by the international community with a mandate to  mediate the conflict settlement.

The proposed book is of indisputable interest to diplomats, political  scientists, international relations specialists, historians, as well  as to a wide range of readers. 

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/26/2022

Christine Harutyunian 
                                        Thursday, 


Pashinian Accused Of Understating Number Of Armenian POWs

        • Karlen Aslanian
        • Susan Badalian

Armenia - Lawyer Siranush Sahakian.


An Armenian human rights lawyer on Thursday accused Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian of grossly understating the number of Armenian prisoners of war and 
other captives still held by Azerbaijan.

Pashinian put the “confirmed” total number of captives at 39 when he spoke on 
Wednesday about the Armenian government’s efforts to secure their release.

Siranush Sahakian, a lawyer representing Armenian POWs in the European Court of 
Human Rights, said he is taking at face value the number of Armenian prisoners 
acknowledged by Baku.

“Data and evidence possessed by our organization show that apart from these 39 
prisoners the Azerbaijani armed forces also captured 80 other individuals who 
now have a status of the forcibly disappeared,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service.

Sahakian charged that the Armenian government is effectively washing its hands 
of the 80 detainees and reducing chances of their quick repatriation.

The evidence cited by the lawyer includes videos that were posted on social 
media by Azerbaijani servicemen during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. They 
showed Armenian POWs who are not on Baku’s current list of captives.

Many of those POWs have been recognized by their family members. Among them is 
Lyuba Mkrtchian, whose husband Yuri Poghosian went missing in Karabakh in 
October 2020.

“I’m sure that my husband is in an Azerbaijani prison … I hope he comes back,” 
Mkrtchian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Speaking in the parliament, Pashinian said that the fate of the 39 other 
prisoners was high on the agenda of his latest meeting with Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev held in Brussels on Sunday. He complained that Aliyev 
keeps setting “additional conditions” for their release.

“Humanitarian issues must not be linked to political issues,” said Pashinian.

Baku released only one Armenian POW, Eduard Martirosov, as a result of the 
Brussels summit. The 19-year-old conscript, who accidentally crossed the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border last month, was handed over to Russian peacekeepers 
in Karabakh on Thursday.

Most of the 38 other Armenian prisoners have received lengthy prison sentences 
in Azerbaijani trials condemned by Armenia as a travesty of justice. Yerevan 
maintains that they are held in breach of a Russian-brokered agreement that 
stopped the six-week war. Baku says the ceasefire agreement does not cover them 
because they were captured after it took effect in November 2020.



Opposition Wants Parliament Declaration On Karabakh

        • Astghik Bedevian

Armenia - Karabakh flags on empty seats of opposition lawmakers boycotting a 
session of the Armenian parliament, Yerevan, .


The two opposition blocs represented in Armenia’s parliament have demanded that 
it officially speak out against any peace accord that would restore Azerbaijan’s 
control over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Leaders of the Hayastan and Pativ Unem blocs announced late on Wednesday plans 
to push a relevant resolution through the National Assembly as they continued 
daily demonstrations in Yerevan demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s 
resignation.

Hayastan’s Artsvik Minasian said on Thursday that they will try to force an 
emergency session of the parliament for that purpose on June 3.

“The purpose of this statement is to clarify whether we are going to protect our 
interests or serve the interests of the Turkish-Azerbaijani duo,” said Armen 
Rustamian, another senior Hayastan parliamentarian. “If they [the parliament’s 
pro-government majority] don’t accept this resolution it will mean that they 
serve the interests of the Turkish-Azerbaijani duo.”

Lawmakers representing Pashinian’s Civil Contract party would not say whether 
the parliamentary majority will back the resolution or at least agree to discuss 
it on the parliament floor.

“Let them come [to the parliament] and we’ll figure out,” one of them, Artur 
Hovannisian, told reporters.

Opposition lawmakers have been boycotting regular sessions of the National 
Assembly since the start of the anti-government protests in Yerevan on May 1.

The protests began two weeks after Pashinian signaled his readiness to “lower 
the bar” on Karabakh’s status acceptable to Armenia. Critics claim that he 
pledged to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over the Armenian-populated 
territory in ongoing peace talks mediated by the European Union.

Pashinian’s political allies deny such claims. But they have not publicly 
clarified whether Yerevan will insist on the Karabakh Armenians’ right to 
self-determination in planned negotiations on a peace treaty with Baku.



First Armenian Satellite Launched Into Space

        • Sargis Harutyunyan

Armenia - A handout photo of Armenia's first satellite released by the Armenian 
government on .


A first-ever Armenian satellite has been launched into space, Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian announced on Thursday.

Pashinian said that the apparently small satellite was carried into space by a 
SpaceX rocket that blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida 
on Wednesday.

“Photographs to be taken by the satellite will be used in Armenia for border 
control, prevention and management of emergencies, environmental protection, 
including climate change monitoring, urban development, road construction, 
geology, and other purposes,” he told a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.

Pashinian said the satellite launch was the result of “cooperation” between the 
state-run Armenian company Geocosmos and Satlantis, a Spanish firm that 
specializes in the production of small satellites and cameras for them.

He did not reveal financial terms of the deal or technical parameters of the 
satellite, photographs of which were released by the Armenian government’s press 
office.

Armenia had first announced plans to launch its first commercial satellite after 
holding talks with Russia’s Federal Space Agency in 2012. A year later, a senior 
official from the country’s former government said Yerevan hopes to attract 
private investments in the project worth as much as $250 million. The project 
never materialized.

Pashinian did not explain why his administration opted for a different, more 
small-scale space project and contracted Western, rather than Russian, companies 
to implement it.

Armenia’s arch-foe Azerbaijan launched its first communication and observation 
satellite into space in 2013. The Azerbaijani army reportedly used satellite 
images for its offensive military operations carried out during the 2020 war in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Hamazkayin W.R.L.G. presents Poet Nune Levonyan May 26, 2022

Christine Harutyunian
Hello Everyone,

Hamazkayin Western Region Literary Group presents Rising star of Modern Armenian Literature Poet Nune Levonyan on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 8pm (PST), 11pm (EST), (Armenia Friday 7am) FREE on Zoom. Contact Anna Seferian for details (818) 631-7611.
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Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 864 7185 3213
Passcode: 406800
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* Armenian Krapar Language Class continues every Monday/Tuesday at 7pm (PST) for $40 monthly. Call/Text Vania for details and zoom link at 818-216-9935 or email us at [email protected]

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Hamazkayin Western Region Literary Group



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