Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) was interviewed on Saturday by Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian at the 2017 Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region Grassroots Conference, which took place at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan and it should be liberated from occupation, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said in Baku on September 28.
“Sooner or later these lands will be liberated," he said, Report informed.
Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
Baku has repeatedly expressed its consent to come to the negotiating table with Yerevan to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, but Armenia continues to play for time and avoids substantive negotiations in order to preserve the inadmissible status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Turkish minister further noted that Turkey’s military cooperation with Azerbaijan is at a high level. He added that the two countries act as one, and the strength of Azerbaijan is the power of Turkey and vice versa.
“We are facing problems in the purchase of weapons from abroad. Therefore, we need to make efforts in the field of military industry for production of our own weapons," Canikli said.
In Baku, Canikli will participate in the closing ceremony of the joint tactical and flight exercises "TurAz Eagle – 2017 of the Air Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey”
The minister will also hold meetings at Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry and other government bodies.
Azerbaijan and Turkey enjoy strategic relations in many fields, including the military sphere. Military cooperation between the brotherly countries dates back to 1992 when they signed an agreement on military education. Since then, the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments have been closely cooperating in both defense and security fields.
Armenia’s minister of transportation, communication and information technologies Vahan Martirosyan commented on the deadly car crash in Georgia which involved an Armenian passenger bus overnight.
“According to initial information, the crash wasn’t caused by the driver of the Armenian bus”, the minister told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. He added that the bus was carrying out charter transportation.
“Back in August this company was fined, but after this it continued to carry out charter passenger transportations. Experience shows that all recent accidents happen as result of charter transportations”, Martirosyan said.
The minister urged all citizens to use regular transportations only, legally.
“They must embark from bus stops, buy tickets from ticket offices, because the vehicles are checked there, regular transportation companies have 2-3 drivers, who substitute each other from time to time”, he said.
MARTAKERT, Artsakh—The highly-anticipated Vartenis-Mardakert highway was officially opened on Friday, during a ceremony attended by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as hundreds of local residents, Armenia Fund officials and other gathered on the Artsakh end of the road.
The roughly 71.5-mile stretch of road, which was completed months ago was officially inaugurated as part celebrations dedicated to the 26th anniversary of the Artsakh’s independence.
The $36 million project will become the second road connecting Armenia and Artsakh. Until now passenger and cargo traffic between the two republics was mainly through a highway connecting Goris to Berdzor (formerly Lachin) in what was the first ever project of the Armenia Fund.
Construction began on the Vardenis-Martakert highway in 2011 and was one of the key projects of the Armenia Fund, which through its 2013 and 2014 annual telethons raised the funds to accelerate the project. The governments of Armenia and Artsakh paid for 56 percent of the project costs.
Armenia Fund officials, including last year’s major donor, Antranig Baghdasarian, who donated $5 million to Armenia Fund headed the ribbon cutting ceremony, with presidents Serzh Sarkisian of Armenia and Bako Sahakian of Artsakh on hand for the official ceremony.
During the ceremony, Armenia Fund officials heralded the “strategic significance” of the Vardenis-Martakert highway, which runs through Karvajan (formerly Kelbajar) and significantly cuts travel between Armenia and Artsakh.
The highway runs from Martakert in northeast Artsakh to Vardenis, along the banks of Lake Sevan. Some of the key sites along the route include the first century architectural wonder, Dadivank in Artsakh and the Sarsang Reservoir.
“The construction of the highway is among the largest investment programs realized in Artsakh that was brought to life through the “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund’s efforts, with the active participation of the worldwide Diaspora Armenians,” Sahakian said during his remarks at the opening ceremony and expressed gratitude to all the organizations and individuals that actively participated in the highway’s construction.
Ahead of the highway inauguration ceremony and accompanied by the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, Parkev Martirosyan, Sarkisian and Sahakian toured the historic Dadivank Monastery and St. Mary’s Church, which are currently being reconstructed to its original glory.
The leaders lit candles at the church and then headed toward the inauguration ceremony.
Sarkisian arrived in Artsakh on Wednesday to take part in weekend-long celebrations of the 26th anniversary of Artsakh’s independence
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
Thursday
Adibekyan Family Foundation for Advancement will send 100 000 EUR for
the elimination of the consequences of a fire in the Khosrov Forest
Yerevan August 17
Marianna Mkrtchyan. The charitable organization Adibekyan Family
Foundation for Advancement of philanthropist Gagik Adibekyan will send
100,000 EUR to eliminate the consequences of the fire in the state
reserve "Khosrov Forest". The press service of the fund told ArmInfo.
"Today, when the fate of the unique nature reserve "Khosrov Forest"
and the ecology of the whole region is under threat, we can not stay
away. Restoration of forests after a fire requires a long time, a lot
of work and considerable funds. I believe that only by acting
together, we can shorten the period of restoration of this unique
nature reserve," said the founder of the Adybekyan foundation.
On August 12 at 12:30 in the Rescue Service of the Ministry of
Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia there was a signal
that a meadow burned in the state reserve "Khosrov Forest" in 20 km
from the village of Urtsadzor (Ararat region). The area of the fire
was about 200 to 250 hectares. Armenian forces of the Ministry of
Emergency Situations failed to extinguish the fire by their own
efforts and turned to their Russian counterparts for help. On August
14, the Russian side sent an IL-76 special plane to help Armenia. On
August 15, at 08.50, the IL-76 plane of the Ministry of Emergencies of
Russia carried out its first flight into the fire zone. The night
before it was possible to extinguish the main fires in the reserve.
According to the preliminary data of the Ministry of Emergency
Situations of Armenia, on the territory of the state reserve "Khosrov
Forest" as a whole, vegetation perimeter was 16 km thick, of which 360
hectares of forest. The forest fire destroyed grass coverings with a
perimeter of about 15 km, 320 hectares of which - forest.
The charitable organization Adibekyan Family Foundation for
Advancement was founded in Luxembourg by a businessman and
philanthropist Gagik Adibekyan. The Foundation initiates charitable
projects in Armenia, Russia, Luxembourg and other countries aimed at
developing and strengthening cultural and business ties between people
and countries and supporting projects in social, sports and
educational spheres, preserving the cultural and historical heritage
and developing small towns and territories Armenia.
Jazz will be heard on Saturday night on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
A concert will take place as a part of the traditional “Jazz on the Border” project in Berd, Tavush region. The music performed by the State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia will be heard also in the territory of Azerbaijan.
“We deliberately use very powerful equipment so that our music may be heard not only by our soldiers but only on the other side of the border”, Hayk Chobanyan, Head of the “Spiritual Renaissance of Tavush” foundation said.
The Honey and Berries Festival will take place the next day.
WndrCo, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s mobile-entertainment holding company, has made one of its first investments: It’s taken a stake in TYT Network, one of the top online-video political news networks.
TYT Network, whose flagship show is The Young Turks, closed $20 million in funding led by growth equity firm 3L Capital with participation from Greycroft, e.ventures and WndrCo.
The company said it will use the investment to hire additional management execs and creative talent, as well as enhance its subscription-video offering and expand marketing initiatives. TYT also said it expects to tap into the relationships of its new investors — 3L, Greycroft, e.ventures and WndrCo — for new growth opportunities.
TYT, with more than 200 million views a month on YouTube, was founded by CEO Cenk Uygur (pictured above) as an online radio show in 2002. The Young Turks, the left-leaning news and commentary show co-hosted by Uygur, is now the longest-running daily live-streamed show online.
“TYT has done a tremendous job developing a deeply engaged millennial community, as evidenced by the size of its paid subscription membership and total watch time,” 3L managing partner Shawn Colo said in a statement. “This financing will allow the company to accelerate its reach and further its leadership in the massive and evolving market of online news and entertainment.”
With the investment, Colo is joining the TYT board.
L.A.-based TYT Network operates 30 owned-and-operated channels and shows including The Young Turks, What the Flick?!, ThinkTank, TYT Sports, TYT Interviews, TYT Politics, Pop Trigger, and Nerd Alert.
Last month, TYT recruited Rotten Tomatoes editor-in-chief Matt Atchity as head of programming, among other editorial hires.
Issy : Expo-photo – Un monde englouti – Les Arméniens dans l’Empire ottoman avant le génocide de 1915
Info Collectif VAN – www.collectifvan.org – Comme chaque année, à la rentrée de septembre, le Collectif VAN tiendra un stand d’information dans le cadre du Forum des associations de la Ville d’Issy-les-Moulineaux. Mais de manière exceptionnelle, l’édition 2017 du Forum de rentrée d’Issy accueillera aussi le vendredi 8 septembre 2017 de 13h à 20h et le samedi 9 septembre de 10h à 18h l’exposition-photo que le Collectif VAN avait créée en 2015 pour l’ESG, “Un monde englouti – Les Arméniens dans l’Empire ottoman (Turquie) avant le génocide de 1915“.
Cette exposition, montée par le Collectif VAN avec l’aimable autorisation de Vahé Tachjian [Directeur de Houshamadyan] et le soutien de Frédéric Encel, avait en 2015 ouvert l’année du Centenaire du génocide arménien, au cours des Assises contre le négationnisme de l’ESG (ex-Ecole Supérieure de Gestion, actuelle PSB Paris School of Business).
Les Isséens pourront bientôt découvrir ces 20 grandes photos d’époque qui font revivre le quotidien des Arméniens de Turquie avant le génocide perpétré par le gouvernement Jeune-Turc. Le choix du Collectif VAN s’est porté principalement sur des photos de classe, de jeunes élèves ou d’étudiants, sérieux ou joyeux, ignorant tout du cataclysme qui va s’abattre sur eux.
En marge de son exposition qui sera visible sur la mezzanine (buffet-bar), le Collectif VAN attendra ses visiteurs au rez-de-chaussée, sur son stand du Secteur “O“, Pôle Démocratie locale/Vie sociale, pour répondre à toutes les questions sur le négationnisme d’État de la Turquie et de l’Azerbaïdjan.
Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance Arménienne contre le Négationnisme] mène depuis 2004 des actions de sensibilisation aux génocides et à leur négation. Il lutte contre le négationnisme, le racisme et l’antisémitisme, avec le soutien de nombreuses associations des droits de l’homme.
Lors du Forum de Rentrée, 200 associations isséennes se tiendront à votre disposition pour vous présenter leurs actions. Le maire, André Santini, et l’équipe municipale visiteront les stands samedi 9 septembre 2017 à partir de 10h45.
Forum de Rentrée 2017 d’Issy-les-Moulineaux
Vendredi 8 septembre 2017 de 13h à 20h et samedi 9 septembre de 10h à 18h
Palais des Sports Robert Charpentier 4/6, boulevard des Frères Voisin Issy-les-Moulineaux Métro Mairie d’Issy
Stand du Collectif VAN : Secteur “O“ Pôle Démocratie locale/Vie sociale Exposition du Collectif VAN à l’étage, sur la Mezzanine (Buffet-Bar)
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Sarkisian Touts Armenia's `Special' Ties With Iran
. Emil Danielyan
Iran - The front page of the reformist "Shargh" daily carrying an
interview with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian, 31Jul2017.
President Serzh Sarkisian has reaffirmed his desire to deepen
Armenia's relations with neighboring Iran "in all areas" of mutual
interest.
"Many prerequisites are in place for further development of the
special relationship between our countries and peoples," Sarkisian
told the Iranian daily "Shargh" in an interview published on Monday.
"Our countries are the inheritors of ancient and rich civilizations of
the region firmly linked to each other by millennia-old neighborhood,"
he said, according to the Armenpress news agency.
Armenian-Iranian relations, Sarkisian went on, are also based on a
"dialogue between Christianity and Islam," "cultural similarities" as
well as common geopolitical interests.Both nations are "builders" of
regional security, he declared.
Sarkisian will underline those relations when he flies to Tehran later
this week to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's recently
reelected President Hassan Rouhani. The Armenian leader was also
present at Rouhani's first inauguration in August 2013.
"Our countries belong to the same culture and civilization," Rouhani
said during an official visit to Yerevan in December. He also said
that Iran will increase exports of natural gas to Armenia and deepen
broader economic ties with its Christian neighbor.
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (R) greets his Iranian counterpart
Hassan Rouhani at Yerevan airport, 21Dec2016.
Speaking to "Shargh," Sarkisian stressed the importance of boosting
bilateral commerce. He pointed to the ongoing construction of a new
power transmission line, which should significantly increase Armenian
electricity exports to the Islamic Republic, and the upcoming launch
of a "free economic zone" on the Armenian-Iranian border.
Sarkisian further noted that ongoing negotiations on a free trade deal
between Iran and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) were
initiated by his administration. Iranian investors could also take
advantage of Armenia's preferential trade regime with the European
Union, he said.
Earlier this year, officials from Armenia's Transport Ministry and
national rail network encouraged Iranian businesspeople to use
Armenian territory for shipping commercial freight to and from
Europe. At a meeting in Yerevan, they presented financial and
logistical details of the proposed transport corridor that would also
pass through Georgia and the Black Sea.
In June 2016, Rouhani attended the signing in Tehran of an
Armenian-Iranian agreement on visa-free travel between citizens of the
two states. In Sarkisian's words, the number of Iranian tourists
visiting Armenia has significantly risen since then.
There have also been signs of growing military cooperation between
Yerevan and Tehran. Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian held
talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Dehqan during an official
visit to Iran in January. Sargsian referred to defense industry as a
potential area of bilateral cooperation.
Four Killed In Shooting Spree In Armenia
. Anush Muradian
Armenia - A building in the village of Shamiram where four men were
shot dead and seven others wounded on 1Aug2017.
Armenian law-enforcement authorities were hunting on Tuesday for a man
who killed four people and wounded seven others in a village about 50
kilometers west of Yerevan.
The gunman went on a shooting spree after bursting into a building in
the Yazidi-populated village of Shamiram where hundreds of men
gathered in the morning for a Yazidi religious feast. He fled the
scene but left his empty car on the village outskirts.
"A guy approached one of our men and fired the first gunshots," an
eyewitness told reporters. "The moment we heard the gunfire we all
ducked under the tables."
Police officers and forensic experts cordoned off the crime scene in
the following hours. In a statement, the Armenian police said the
gunman opened fire with a hunting rifle. "Measures are being taken to
track down the suspect," said the statement.
Another police statement released later in the day, identified the
suspect as Telman Kalashian, a 50-year-old resident of another
village. The man's photograph was attached to the statement.
Another law-enforcement body, the Investigative Committee, said that
"large-scale investigative and search operations" are underway. It
said the mass shooting resulted from the gunman's "unfriendly personal
relations" with the victims but did not elaborate.
Some Shamiram residents suggested that a financial dispute was behind
the killings that shocked the country. One man who was present at the
ill-fated dinner said the shooter shouted "give me my money back"
before firing the first gunshots.
Other villagers confirmed that the gunman is not a Shamiram
resident.They said that two of the victims lived in Shamiram while the
two others were visitors from Russia.
Armenian Exports Up In 2017
Armenia - A copper ore-processing plant in Kajaran, 6Feb2016.
Armenia's exports continued to grow rapidly in the first half of this
year, helped by higher international prices of copper.
According to the National Statistical Service (NSS), they were up by
21 percent year on year, at $994 million.
Copper, molybdenum and other base metals and their ore concentrates
remained the country's number one export category with a 43 percent
share in the total. First-half export revenue from them soared by 30
percent on the back of last autumn's sharp rise in the copper prices.
This appears to explain why Armenian exports to the European Union,
the main buyer of Armenian mining output, rose just as rapidly and
totaled almost $302 million in January-June 2017.
By comparison, Armenia exported nearly $220 million worth of goods --
mostly prepared foodstuffs, alcoholic beverages and fresh fruits and
vegetables -- to Russia, the NSS data shows. Those exports were up by
27 percent in the same period.
Armenia - Workers at a commercial greenhouse in Ararat province,
19Apr2017.
The government agency also recorded a nearly 26 percent rise in
Armenia's first-half imports that exceeded $1.8 billion. With domestic
consumer demand remaining sluggish this year, this growth may stem, in
part, from a government crackdown on widespread corruption within the
national customs service.
Earlier this year Prime Minister Karen Karapetian's government
effectively pledged to ensure a steady increase in exports that would
eliminate Armenia's huge trade deficit within the next five
years. Senior officials from the Ministry for Economic Development
forecast that exports will approach the $2 billion mark this year and
rise by another $450 million in 2018.They said Russia and other
members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will absorb
most of the extra exports anticipated by them.
In its policy program approved by the Armenian parliament in June, the
government committed itself to achieving an annual economic growth
rate of around 5 percent in 2017-2022. The program describes rising
exports as "the key engine" of that growth, saying that the government
will strive to facilitate Armenian manufacturers' access to Russia,
the EU and other foreign markets.
Press Review
"Aravot" laments a lack of reaction from Armenian parties to possible
negative consequences for Armenia of new U.S. sanctions imposed on
Russia. "The Russians will not leave us alone and that is clear,"
writes the paper. "They will greatly step up pressure within their
country and seek to reinforce what they consider a buffer zone which
they have built around Russia under [President Vladimir] Putin and
which comprises Armenia. One should not exclude that Moscow will
demand that Yerevan rein in the [pro-Western] media and civil society
and escalate the situation long the [Karabakh] line of contact or
activate pseudo-radical groups in Armenia."
"These tensions in U.S.-Russian relations have caused serious concern
in Armenia as well," writes "Zhoghovurd." "It is evident that this
could have a direct negative impact on our country and its economy in
particular. After all, Armenia and Russia are in the same economic
area and the Armenian economy is deeply connected with the Russian
economy." The paper claims that the Armenian government has done
little to ease this economic dependence and diversify Armenia's
commercial partners. "On the contrary, Armenia's economy has grown
more dependent on Russia during Serzh Sarkisian's tenure," it says.
In an interview with "Hayots Ashkhar," Gagik Makarian, the chairman of
an Armenian business association, dismisses some opposition leaders'
calls for Armenia's exit from the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU). Makarian says that Armenia has benefited to a certain extent
from its membership in the trade bloc. "There are goods that are now
imported [from Russia] without customs duties and cumbersome
procedures and at low prices," he says. "But we are not quite affected
by EEU regulations and mostly feel the impact of Russian laws. Russia
tells us directly or indirectly that its national laws take precedence
over EEU ones and thus creates artificial obstacles. We don't operate
on an equal footing. We seem to be looked down on."
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
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