Author: Emil Karabekian

Armenian Genocide memorial lanterns inaugurated in Switzerland

Emil Karabekian
PanArmenian, Armenia

– 13:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A monument called "Lanterns of Memory" (Les Réverbères de la Mémoire), which is composed of nine tall bronze street light poles, was inaugurated in Switzerland to honor the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, 10 years after the project was first approved, Tribune de Genève reports.

Authored by French contemporary artist of Armenian origin Melik Ohanian, the project in Geneva’s Trembley Park pays tribute to the links between Geneva and the Armenian community.

More than 500 people had gathered in the park to follow the opening of the monument, when French Armenian crooner and Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland Charles Aznavour appeared to deliver short remarks.

Those delivering speeches, including artist Ohanian, recalled the obstacles the lamps met since 2008, when the Geneva City Council unanimously voted in favor of the realization of the project.

Back in 2014, a letter from Swiss Foreign Minister and serving Swiss President, Didier Burkhalter, addressed to the canton of Geneva, recommended turning down the construction of a memorial, “Les Réverbères de la Mémoire”.

The Geneva city authorities, however, remained determined to erect the eight-meter bronze memorial.

The Swiss House of Representatives recognized the systemic massacre and exile of Armenians from their homeland by Ottoman Turks as Genocide in 2003.

Yerevan is older than Rome full of ancient and modern culture – News The Essential Daily Briefing

Emil Karabekian
ArmenPress, Armenia
April 6 2018
Yerevan is older than Rome full of ancient and modern culture – News The Essential Daily Briefing



YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS. Columnist of British News The Essential Daily Briefing portal Dimitris Hall has published an article about Armenia, naming the 5 places where, according to him, any tourist should visit. “This former Soviet city is older than Rome and is full of ancient and modern culture interacting in interesting ways”, ARMENPRESS reports he wrote.

The author notes that Ararat is one of Armenia’s best-known brandy makers, but not the only one. “In fact, the Noy Wine Factory is built on the foundations of a 16th-century fortress, the walls of which are accessible from the cellar”.

Dimitris Hall also advises the tourists to visit the Lovers’ Park. “It’s right in the city centre, a quiet oasis close to all the important government buildings and sights, such as the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly, and is surrounded by fountains, plants, flowers and statues”, he wrote.

The author also advises to see the Public Radio located in the city center. “One of Yerevan’s most important claims to fame isthe jokes connected to Radio Yerevan and its public radio company from the days of the USSR. The popularity of these jokes across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War brought the East and West closer together, and they can still be heard in some countries to this day”, Dimitris Hall wrote, advising to also visit Yerevan Museum of Folk Art and get acquainted with the works of sculptor Eduard Ghazaryan.

“The man known as the “Armenian da Vinci” was the creator (and player) of the world’s smallest violin. Eduard Khazaryan passed away in 2012 and was a polymath sculptor that worked to extraordinarily microscopic levels, often creating works of art smaller than a grain of sugar or containing elements hundreds of times thinner than a human hair. His work was exhibited in the US, where it was dubbed an “8th wonder of the world”, he wrote, advising to finally visit the Yerevanian Lake where a trolleybus with 96 passengers onboard fell into. “Yerevanian Lake. an artificial reservoir in the outskirts of the city, hides secrets in its depths. In 1968, Paleolithic obsidian tools were discovered in a flooded cave on its shores, now belonging to the US Embassy in Armenia and currently out of bounds. Only 8 years later, in 1976, a trolleybus fell into the reservoir carrying 96 passengers, most of which did not survive. Amazingly, world record-breaking fin-swimming champion Shavarsh Karapetyan was jogging along the lake at the time and made history by heroically diving in and managing to save 20 of the trapped passengers from a depth of 10 metres. His sports career was ruined, and the tragedy, too negative for the USSR’s image at the time, was censored within the country, but that only made this lake’s reputation greater”.

English –translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan

Azerbaijani press: US-based Armenian lobby leader admits Khojaly Massacre was committed by Armenian troops

Emil Karabekian
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During the hearings dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Sumgayit events held at the California State Senate at the behest of the radical Armenian lobby in the US, a representative of the lobby disseminated biased and distorted information about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, APAreported citing AZERTAC.

 

At the end of the hearings, the public was invited to offer comments.

 

Young members of the Azerbaijani community in California, speaking in perfect English, drew the attention to solid facts and exposed the misinformation provided by the Armenian lobby. Some harsh questions were asked about why they did not mention the 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced people who had been expelled from their native lands as a result of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan; whereas both the senators and the representative of the Armenian lobby discussed the Sumgayit incidents, why the Khojaly Genocide committed in 1992 by Armenia against Azerbaijani civilians was not discussed; why the Azerbaijani community had not been invited to offer their perspective as well; and why the senators showed utter one-sidedness and bias. Following these questions, the members of the Armenian lobby tried their hardest to help Senator Portantino out of the difficult situation. But by exposing themselves, the lobby actually achieved quite the opposite.

 

Commenting on one of the comments, the U.S. Western Region Director of the Armenian Assembly of America, Mihran Toumajan, admitted that the Khojaly Massacre of 1992 against Azerbaijani civilians was committed by Armenian troops. Here is what Toumajan said verbatim: "Senator Portantiono, thank you very much for holding this hearing. My name is Mihran Toumajan, Western Region Director of the Armenian Assembly of America. I just want to respond actually to students here of Azerbaijani descent who falsely equate the tragedy in Khojaly to genocide. It is clearly not a genocide. It is a tragedy. But one thing is for certain. The prominent Azerbaijani journalist, who died in a very young age, Chingiz Mustafayev, documented the Khojaly tragedy. And his video documentation clearly shows that Armenian forces had forewarned Azerbaijani citizens, Azerbaijanis who were living in Khojaly, days in advance that there was going to be a lot of.. of.. of.. of.. fierce fighting in Khojaly. And they were warned. The corridor was also opened by the Armenian troops to allow for civilians to pass through, Azerbaijani civilians. Many civilians did pass through, but many did not. And Mustafayev and there are other journalists, Azeri journalists who attested to the fact that many Azerbaijanis were killed because they did not leave when that corridor was available to them."

 

Indeed, this human being, one of the leaders of the Armenian lobby in America, acknowledges the killing of the Azerbaijani civilians by Armenian armed forces in Khojaly, and uses a very ludicrous argument to justify and whitewash this crime in his own way. How can you justify the brutal murder of innocent people – women, children and the elderly?

 

In fact, one of the leaders of the Armenian lobby in the US admitted that the civilian population of Azerbaijan’s Khojaly town was killed by Armenian armed forces. 

http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan-politics/foreign-news/us-based-armenian-lobbyist-admits-khojaly-massacre-was-committed-by-armenian-troops.html

Azerbaijani Press: Armenian recipe of democracy: parliament votes for only presidential candidate

Emil Karabekian
Trend, Azerbaijan
March 2 2018
2 March 2018 15:44 (UTC+04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 2

By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:

Armenian Parliament elected Armen Sarkissian as the country's president with 90 votes for and 10 votes against, the Armenian media reported on March 2.

It is the first time that the MPs, not the people, elect the president, because the country has switched to the parliamentary government.

Reports said 101 MPs out of total 105 participated in the voting.

Thus, Armenia once again showcased the “triumph of democracy”: the parliament elected the sole candidate, who was, moreover, nominated by the former president, Serzh Sargsyan, with the overwhelming majority.

Participation of only one candidate in the presidential run is really a "remarkable" event and shows the total usurpation of power by current regime.

Sargsyan himself has been a leader of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia since 2007 and now intends to become a prime minister of the country. Considering the transition to parliamentary government, that means a de-facto reshuffle aimed at saving all reins of power.

Earlier, Armenian media intensively discussed the authorities’ decision to hold government meetings behind the closed doors, what obviously enables Sargsyan to fully establish unlimited personal rule over Armenia.

Sports: Mkhitaryan urges Arsenal players to fight for Wenger

Emil Karabekian
FourFourTwo, UK
March 1, 2018
Mkhitaryan urges Arsenal players to fight for Wenger
 
Arsene Wenger has faced renewed speculation over his Arsenal future, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan telling team-mates to fight for the manager.
 
 
 
Henrikh Mkhitaryan says Arsenal's players have to "fight" for Arsene Wenger, with the manager under increasing pressure after successive defeats.
 
A shock home loss to Ostersunds in the Europa League did not prevent the Gunners from progressing to the round of 16, but that result was followed by a 3-0 battering at the hands of Manchester City in Sunday's EFL Cup final.
 
The Gunners have an immediate chance to get revenge on City, who visit the Emirates Stadium for a Premier League game on Thursday, with Arsenal claiming the match will be played despite heavy snow in London this week.
 
And with speculation suggesting Leonardo Jardim of Monaco, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Germany coach Joachim Low are being considered by Arsenal's board as potential replacements for Wenger, Mkhitaryan issued a rallying call to his team-mates.
 
"It's not the easiest time for the club, but we are here to help, do our best, and put Arsenal on the level that it was before," Mkhitaryan told Sky Sports.
 
"I know it's not going to be easy, but we're trying, and doing our best.
 
"It's a pleasure to work with [Wenger]. He knows a lot about football, he can give you good advice, and I'm very happy to be here.
 
"Of course it's not very easy for him either, but we have to play for the club, play for him, because he is a big role model for this team, big person at this club, so we have to do our best to show we are ready to fight for him."
 
Winter Olympics are continuing in London … #YaGunnersYa #COYG @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/wxWT7gDEGb
 
" Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) February 28, 2018
 
The January arrivals of Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have added to Arsenal's attacking potency, but Wenger's men have conceded five goals in their last two matches.
 
"Every player has to defend," the Armenia international added. "It doesn't matter if you are a striker, winger, attacking midfield, you have to defend, you cannot just defend with four or five players, the whole team must defend.
 
"I'm doing my efforts to help the team to defend, sometimes it can work, sometimes it doesn't. But I always try to do my best for the team first of all, and then I'm thinking of myself. I'm not an ego player to think of myself first. Then when I get the ball I can create."
 
pic.twitter.com/c3iwmUsUur
 
" Aubameyang P-E (@Aubameyang7) February 28, 2018
 
Aubameyang, a club-record signing from Borussia Dortmund, scored on his debut in a crushing Premier League win over Everton, but the Gabon international has since drawn a blank in consecutive Gunners appearances.
 
But the 28-year-old still believes Arsenal was the right move at this stage of his career, the striker having been strongly linked with a switch to the Chinese Super League.
 
"It was the next step for me, it's a big club," Aubameyang told Sky Sports. "For me it's a bit bigger than Dortmund, and this was a good step for me and my career.
 
"I didn't want to go, for example, to China, because I want to do a lot of things here in Europe before I think about China or America. Arsenal were the only club who made an offer – a real offer – and I'm really happy, because it's a good club."

Sports: Armenian boxer wins silver in superheavyweight division at Strandzha Cup

Emil Karabekian 
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Monday


Armenian boxer wins silver in superheavyweight division at Strandzha Cup



YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s superheavyweight boxer
Gurgen Hovhannisyan has won the silver medal at the StrandzhaCup, an
international amateur boxing tournament held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Hovhannisyan defeated Bulgarian boxer Piotr Belberov in the
superheavyweight final.

Armenia was represented by seven athletes at the event.

Light flyweight Arthur Hovhannisyan, Flyweight Vahe Badalyan,
Bantamweight Zhirayr Sargsyan, Lightweight Hrayr Shahverdyan,
Welterweight Gurgen Madoyan, Middleweight Hambardzum Hakobyan and
superheavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan departed to Bulgaria under the
leadership of coach Vahan Adilkhanyan.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan

1208 Syrian Armenians applied for Armenian citizenship in 2017

Emil Karabekian
MediaMax, Armenia
Feb 24 2018
1208 Syrian Armenians applied for Armenian citizenship in 2017

Head of Passport and Visa Department of the Armenian Police, Mnatsakan Bichakhchyan has reported these numbers at the session of the Interdepartmental Commission Coordinating Syrian-Armenians’ Issues in the Armenian Ministry of Diaspora on February 23.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Papikyan has spoken about the situation in Syria and Iraq and the problems of Armenian communities there.

He has noted that the Armenian community in Iraq continues to suffer from the unstable, dangerous situation and difficult social conditions.

Expert with GIZ Karine Simonyan has reported about the programs for economic integration of Syrian Armenians, particularly the efforts aimed at establishment of their businesses in Armenia.

Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan has attached importance to the consistent implementation of the economic, healthcare, educational, and social programs aimed at integration of Syrian Armenians. She has thanked partner organizations and invited them to the fair of handmade products by Syrian Armenians on March 6.

Turkey Dismisses Dutch Armenian Genocide Vote

Emil Karabekian
Financial Tribune
Feb 24 2018
 
 
Turkey Dismisses Dutch Armenian Genocide Vote
 
Turkey has dismissed the Dutch Parliament’s vote to recognize the First World War killings of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as “genocide”.
 
In comments made to reporters in Ankara on Friday, Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said the move was “null and void” and that Turkey expected Dutch officials to be “more careful” about the issue, Al Jazeera reported.
 
His comments were coupled with a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement that described the 142 to three majority vote as “baseless”.
 
The Turkish response questioned the right of Dutch officials to define the events as genocide, pointing to the Netherland’s alleged role in allowing the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of Bosniak Muslims by Serbian paramilitaries.
 
In June 2017, a Dutch court confirmed a ruling that held the country’s UN peacekeepers “partially responsible” for the Srebrenica killings.
 
Turkey has long opposed international attempts to describe the killings of Armenians more than a century ago as genocide.
 
The country’s officials hold that killings took place on “both sides” and describe the events as a tragedy for both sides.
 
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also summoned the Dutch charge d’affaires on Friday, the Anadolu news agency reported.
 
The Netherland’s formally withdrew its ambassador to Ankara in February, but Turkey had denied entry to the diplomat since March the previous year.
 
Tensions between the two states deteriorated during campaigning for Turkey’s 2017 constitutional referendum in which a narrow majority gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greater executive powers in a role, which had until then been largely ceremonial.
 
Dutch police prevented senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, from addressing campaign rallies inside the Netherlands.
 
The country, along with several other EU states is home to large Turkish communities, the majority of whom hold Turkish nationality and the right to vote in Turkey.

Artsakh’s Talish reviving after 2016 devastation

Emil Karabekian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 7 2018
 
 
Artsakh’s Talish reviving after 2016 devastation
 
18:11, 07 Feb 2018
 
Artsakh’s Talish village is reviving after it was devastated as a result of Azerbaijan aggression in April 2016.
 
Seventeen houses are ready for exploitation, reconstruction of the main street is in process, the water supply system has been changed, head of the community Vilen Petrosyan told Public Radio of Armenia.
 
Today there are only men living in the village, but one family has already returned to its home.
 
Member of the Armenian National Assembly, singer Shushan Petrosyan has recently toured the village to disperse rumors that construction works have been halted.
 
Shushan says the traces of 2016 destruction have partly been eliminated, and “new breath can be felt in the village.”
 
The cultural center, where the singer has performed on many occasions in the past, has also been renovated. Before the hall is ready to host new cultural events, Shushan Petrosyan is organizing concerts in the military units of Martuni, Stepanakert and Karvachar.