Author: Diana Dabaghian

Asbarez: ATP and AUA Provide Blueprint for Armenia’s Reforestation Efforts

Diana Dabaghian
July 30,  2020

Opening Remarks with AUA Acopian Center for the Environment Director Alen Amirkhanian & ATP Director Jeanmarie Papelian

Key discussions and recommendations outlined in White Paper from ‘Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia’

YEREVAN—The Armenia Tree Project and the American University of Armenia Acopian Center for the Environment have released a White Paper outlining the key discussions and recommendations from “Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia.”

The Acopian Center and ATP convened the inaugural Forest Summit on October 20-23, 2019. Though small in size, Armenia has shown renewed political commitment to protecting and expanding its forest cover. As part of its pledge to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Armenia has committed to double its forest cover by 2050. The Summit brought local and international experts and stakeholders together for the first time to discuss the challenges and opportunities around this ambitious commitment.

The Summit was opened by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who emphasized that forests and environmental issues are a high priority for his administration. “Environmental issues are not isolated problems. They nearly always have a global impact and call for concerted efforts to address them,” declared Prime Minister Pashinyan at the Summit. “Events that provide a platform for exchanging ideas, exploring international experience, and identifying potential partnerships are crucial. I am pleased to see that today’s conference brings together world-class professionals.”

This was followed by a keynote address by Anthony S. Davis, interim dean at the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. Other speakers included David Mathenge from the Green Belt Movement, an organization whose founder won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, Omri Bonneh, Chief Forester at KKL-Jewish National Fund, Glenn Bush, an environmental economist at Woods Hole Research Center, and Maya Nehme, Executive Director of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative.

“This first-ever Forest Summit included eight panels where local, regional, and international experts exchanged ideas as we point toward a roadmap on how to expand Armenia’s forest cover,” stated ATP Executive Director Jeanmarie Papelian. “The world has recognized that forests can play a key role in solving the climate crisis, and ATP is excited to be a part of it after laying the groundwork in Armenia for the past 25 years.”

“This White Paper provides an overview of the Summit proceedings, but more importantly it shares a number of policy recommendations on how to move forward,” explained Acopian Center Director Alen Amirkhanian. “We hope this document will help to advise our colleagues in the Ministry of Environment, as well as and other organizations in this sector, as we develop a long-term plan to expand and conserve Armenia’s forest cover over the next 30 years.”

Turkish press: Turkey not against diplomatic channels to resolve Armenia-Azerbaijan crisis, Kalın says

Diana Dabaghian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
JUL 28, 2020 11:50 AM GMT+3
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalın speaks to reporters during a news conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on July 22, 2019. (AA File Photo)

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalın reiterated Turkey's determination to support Azerbaijan in face of Armenian aggression near the border, but he noted that this does not mean Ankara has closed its doors on diplomatic communication channels.

"Turkey will continue to stand beside Azerbaijan at all costs, but this does not mean we are against diplomatic channels," Kalın told a live broadcast on CNN Türk on Tuesday.

Twelve Azerbaijani soldiers, including a major general and a colonel, were killed and four others were injured in the recent border clashes.

Azerbaijan has blamed Armenia for the "provocative" actions, with Turkey throwing its weight behind Baku and warning Yerevan that it would not hesitate to stand against any kind of attack on its eastern neighbor.

A week after the attack, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Minister Ramiz Tahirov and Kerem Mustafayev, army chief of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan bordering Armenia, Turkey and Iran, came together and discussed the recent situation.

Kalın also urged Greece to resolve bilateral problems through a bilateral approach rather than involving other countries in the matter.

"It will not be possible for Greece to reach results by using EU membership as a tool of pressure," Kalın said, in reference to Athens' and the Greek Cypriots' use of EU accession as a bargaining chip and a way to pressure Turkey.

Russia reports 5,871 new cases of COVID-19 in past day

Diana Dabaghian

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 12:58,

YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Coronavirus cases in Russia grew by 5,871 in the past twenty-four hours to 806,720, TASS reports citing the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

The daily growth in COVID-19 cases does not exceed 0.7%, the crisis center said.

Specifically, 648 new coronavirus cases were identified in Moscow, 251 in the Sverdlovsk Region, 193 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, 187 in the Krasnoyarsk Region and 184 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

Currently, 196,388 coronavirus patients continue their medical treatment in Russia, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported.

Coronavirus recoveries in Russia grew by 8,366 in the past twenty-four hours to 597,140, the crisis center said.

A total of 74% of all coronavirus patients have already recovered from the disease in Russia, the crisis center said.

Coronavirus fatalities in Russia grew by 146 in the past twenty-four hours compared to 154 a day earlier to 13,192, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported.

Coronavirus deaths account for 1.64% of all COVID-19 cases in Russia, the crisis center said.

Armenpress: Azerbaijan spreads fake news about losses of Armenian side – defense ministry issues statement

Diana Dabaghian

Azerbaijan spreads fake news about losses of Armenian side – defense ministry issues statement

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 09:47,

YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is spreading fake news about the losses of the Armenian side, Armenia’s defense ministry said in a statement.

“Dear users, since early morning the adversary is spreading another disinformation. The statement according to which the situation in the border is tense and the Armenian side has losses has nothing to do with the reality.

Dear citizens, the defense ministry has no connection with that statement, that is the adversary’s regular disinformation. Be careful, don’t give in to the provocations of the adversary”, the statement of the Armenian defense ministry says.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

OSCE MG Co-Chairs condemn ceasefire violations

Diana Dabaghian

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 19:36,

MOSCOW / PARIS / WASHINGTON D.C., JULY 13, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America have released a statement today condemning the ceasefire violations at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

The statement comes amid heightened tensions after Azerbaijan launched a military attack on a position in the Tavush province.

“According to reports from the Ministries of Defence of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as other sources, on 12-13 July there was a serious breach of the ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, resulting in casualties. Artillery of various calibers reportedly was used by both forces. The Co-Chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office (PRCIO) Andrzej Kasprzyk regret the loss of life and offer their condolences to the families of those who were killed and injured. The Co-Chairs and PRCiO have been in direct contact with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials since the beginning of the incident. The sides have accused each other of initiating the fighting. The Minsk Group Co‑Chairs condemn the recent ceasefire violations and call upon the sides to take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation, including by use of the existing direct communication channels between them. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs also call on the sides to resume substantive negotiations as soon as possible and emphasize the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow”, the Co-Chairs said in the statement.

Artsakh extends coronavirus-related state of emergency

Diana Dabaghian

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 15:06,

STEPANAKERT, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan signed a decree on July 11 on extending the state of emergency which has been declared in the Republic since April 12 and has been extended until July 11, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The coronavirus-related state of emergency is extended for 32 days, from July 11, 22:00, to August 12, 22:00.

According to the latest data, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Artsakh has reached 146.

The total number of recoveries is 19.

The number of active cases is 27.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Turkey Delays Decision on Converting Hagia Sophia into Mosque

Diana Dabaghian
July 2, 2020

The Hagia Sophia

Pompeo Urges Erdogan to drop plans to convert the 1,500-year-old church to a mosque

A Turkish court on Thursday decided to delay a decision on whether the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul should be converted into a mosque, the BBC reported. The Council of State – Turkey’s highest administrative body – said it would make a ruling within 15 days, after a hearing that lasted just 17 minutes.

The 1,500 year old UNESCO World Heritage site was originally a Greek Orthodox cathedral before becoming a mosque and then a museum in the 1930s.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the change during an election rally last year.

Islamists in Turkey have long called for it to be converted, but secular opposition members have opposed the move. The proposal has prompted international criticism, from religious and political leaders worldwide.

In fact, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday urged Erdogan not to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque and said Istanbul’s celebrated former cathedral should remain open to all.

“We urge the government of Turkey to continue to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a museum, as an exemplar of its commitment to respect the faith traditions and diverse history that contributed to the Republic of Turkey, and to ensure it remains accessible to all,” Pompeo said.
“The United States views a change in the status of the Hagia Sophia as diminishing the legacy of this remarkable building and its unsurpassed ability — so rare in the modern world — to serve humanity as a much-needed bridge between those of differing faith traditions and cultures,” he said in a statement.

Pompeo said that the United States hoped to maintain dialogue with Turkey over the preservation of religious and cultural sites.

The Istanbul Patriarch Bishop Sahak Mashalian has endorsed the idea of restoring Hagia Sophia’s status as a place of worship, but has urged to allocate space for Christians.

Last month, In Defense of Christians, the Armenian National Committee of America and the Hellenic American Leadership Council called on UNESCO to respond to Turkey’s continued threat to violate Hagia Sophia’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and convert the museum into a mosque. http://asbarez.com/194477/idc-anca-and-halc-statement-on-the-hagia-sophia/

“Holy sites of any and all faiths should be respected, preserved, and operated as places of worship within the faith tradition in which they were built and consecrated,” ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian told Asbarez Thursday.

“Thousands of Christian churches, cemeteries and other religious properties across the territory of present-day Turkey—stolen or seized through genocide—need to be immediately returned to their rightful owners and fully restored at state expense,” added Hamparian.

Armenpress: Armenia’s Kapan becoming interesting place for extreme lovers: town to have the longest zipline

Diana Dabaghian

Armenia’s Kapan becoming interesting place for extreme lovers: town to have the longest zipline

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 09:34, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. Numerous projects and initiatives in the field of tourism were postponed or cancelled in Armenia due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, despite the difficulties, some interesting initiatives are launching in Kapan town of Syunik province. In particular, actions are being taken to make the town an interesting place for extreme lovers. Very soon the works of one of the largest projects in Kapan will end. Thanks to the private investments Kapan is going to have the longest zipline. This zipline is longer that those in Yenokavan (750 meters) and Yerevan (nearly 870 meters).

Project engineer Gegham Miroyan told Armenpress that they will make the final testing in several days.

“From one point of this zipline to the other point is 1080 meters in a straight line. The highest point of the rope from the ground surpasses 160 meters. It passes through the town. In other words, the tourist will pass over buildings. Ziplines are mainly built in nature, but this one is in the town, passes over the city. And this makes it unprecedented”, he said.

The construction works of the zipline launched in late September last year. Thanks to the consistent works for over months it is already ready. The engineer said the project is at the final stage now.

“In terms of safety, I can state that there is no problem. The works have been carried out at the highest level. Works will also be done with the visitors. As for the price policy, it’s still being discussed”, he said.

Kapan community leader Gevorg Parsyan attached great importance to this project. This is the first major tourism project in Kapan this year.

“The works are almost reaching the end. It will be very attractive for tourists who are extreme lovers. This initiative will be very important for Kapan, our community will surely be presented to tourists from another perspective, there will be a new flow of visitors to the town. Unfortunately, the plans have changed due to the pandemic, but we are not disappointed and continue working together with the private sector”, he said.

He informed that there will also be another zipline in Kapan but it will be built in nature, in forest. The actions on this direction are also moving on.

“In terms of tourism development we have great hopes with the reopening of the airport. In addition, as you know, the road from Tatev to Kapan is being renovated”, he said, adding that this is also an important infrastructure and will boost tourism.

Gevorg Parsyan said they do everything to make the town more attractive for the guests. There are plans to renovate the parks in the town. Kapan is expecting the improvement of the coronavirus situation in Armenia in order to again start implementing the delayed projects.

 

Interview by Anna Gziryan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

President of Artsakh approves Government’s decisions

Diana Dabaghian

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 10:24, 3 July, 2020

STEPANAKERT, JULY 3, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan approved today a number of decisions of the Government, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Accordingly:

Tigran Tsatryan was appointed first deputy minister of Territorial Administration and Development of the Artsakh Republic.

Hamlet Apresyan was appointed deputy minister of Territorial Administration and Development of the Artsakh Republic.

Hasmik Minasyan was appointed deputy minister of Education, Science and Culture of the Artsakh Republic.

Dima Arstamyan was appointed deputy minister of Education, Science and Culture of the Artsakh Republic.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan