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Author: Emma Nadirian

‘We Are Gyumri’ Mina Shirvanian Scholarship Program Selects Recipients, Expands Award to 14 Students

Emma Nadirian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

We Are Gyumri

GLENDALE—The “We Are Gyumri” committee announced that the recipients of the 2021-2022 Mina Shirvanian scholarship program have been selected. This academic year the number of scholarship recipients has expanded from 12 to 14. The expansion of the scholarship program was made possible due to the generous donation in the amount of $50,000 by the The Shirvanian Family and Mr. & Mrs. Vahik and Alice Petrossian, 

The “We Are Gyumri” Mina Shirvanian scholarship fund is intended for residents of the Shirak Province to pursue their undergraduate education in their native region. With this scholarship, the campaign hopes to inspire local youth to follow their dreams and strengthen their careers. This year’s scholarship recipients are pursuing their educational degrees in a variety of fields including Language Arts, IT, Journalism, History, Psychology, Applied Arts, and Economics.

As noted in the scholarship guidelines, all scholarship recipients have committed to volunteering at the Shirvanian Youth Center in Gyumri, Armenia. The youth center, since its opening in 2016, has served as a hub for the youth of Gyumri, where they partake in various year-round activities including English language classes, Armenian national dance, computer classes, intellectual clubs and tutoring, art, piano, and guitar classes, as well as events and exhibitions.

‘We Are Gyumri’ Mina Shirvanian 2021-2022 Scholarship Recipients

Hasmik Sargsyan was born in 2001 in Gyumri. She is beginning her 3rd year at Shirak State University majoring in English/Russian Translation. In her free time she enjoys reading and watching films. She will be volunteering at SYC beginning September.

Alvard Gharibyan was born in 2000 in Gyumri. She is beginning her 3rd year at Shirak State University majoring in Russian Language and Literature. She enjoys dancing and reading and will be volunteering at SYC beginning September.

  • Naira Simonyan
  • Maty Zamkochian
  • Yelena Hovhannisyan
  • Armenuhi Nikoghosyan
  • Amalya Mkhitaryan
  • Syuzanna Karapetyan
  • Ashot Gevorgyan
  • Zori Movsisyan
  • Zhenya Mirimanyan
  • Parandzem Piloyan
  • Gohar Galoyan
  • Alvard Gharibyan
  • Hasmik Sargsyan

Gohar Galoyan was born in 2000 in Gyumri. She is beginning her 3rd year at Shirak State University majoring in English Language and Literature. In her free time she enjoys drawing and photography and will be volunteering at SYC beginning September.

Parandzem Piloyan was born in 2001 in Akhuryan village. She is beginning her 2nd year at Shirak State University majoring in Pedagogy. In her free time she enjoys drawing and helping her mother in the village. She will begin volunteering at SYC in September. 

Syuzanna Karapetyan was born in 2002 in Artik. She is beginning her 3rd year at Armenian State University of Economics majoring in Accountancy. She is a member of ARF AYF and also a counselor at ARF Juniors. She enjoys playing basketball. Syuzanna has officially become a member of Homenetmen scouts and leads the club in Gyumri, and will begin volunteering at SYC in September.  

Amalya Mkhitaryan was born in 2001 in Gyumri. She is beginning her 3rd year at the Gyumri Branch of Armenian State Economic University majoring in Management. In her free time she enjoys reading and is currently mastering her skills in web design. She will begin volunteering at SYC in September. 

Zori Movsisyan was born in 1999 in Gyumri. He is beginning his 4th year at the Gyumri Branch of National Polytechnic University of Armenia studying Information Technologies. He enjoys playing football and watching movies.He is a member of AYF takes part in organizing events at SYC. He is a counselor at ARF Juniors and also a member of AYF. From September he will be volunteering at SYC.

Armenuhi  Nikoghosyan was born in 2002 in Gyumri. She studies at Shirak State University majoring in English language and Literature. In September she will be in her 2nd year. In her free time she likes cooking and listening to music. From September she will be volunteering at SYC.

Mary Zhamakochyan was born in 2002 in Gyumri. She is beginning her 2nd year at Shirak State University studying English Language and Literature. In her free time Mary enjoys watching movies in foreign languages. She will be volunteering at SYC beginning September.

Yelena Hovhannisyan-was born in 2003 in Kamo village in Shirak region. She is beginning her 1st year at Shirak State University studying Journalism. Yelena enjoys writing poems and essays. Beginning September she will be volunteering at SYC.

Shushanik Avagyan – was born in 2002 in Akhuryan village in Shirak region. She is beginning her 2nd year at the Gyumri Branch of Armenian State Academy of Fine Arts majoring in Fashion Design. Shushanik enjoys drawing and knitting, and will begin volunteering at SYC beginning September. 

Ashot Gevorgyan – was born in 2000 in Gyumri. He is beginning his 1st year at the Gyumri Branch of European University Armenia studying Law. Ashot enjoys playing football, reading and attends cooking classes. He will begin volunteering at SYC in September. 

Zhenya Mirimanyan – was born in 2002 in Gyumri. She is beginning her 2nd year at the Gyumri Branch of Armenian State Economic University studying Accounting. Zhenya enjoys reading and movie watching. She will begin volunteering at SYC in September.  

Naira Simonyan – was born in 2001 in Gyumri. She will begin her 3rd year at the Gyumri Branch of European University Armenia studying Psychology. She has also been studying at Tumo center for 5 years. She enjoys reading and listening to music, and will begin volunteering at SYC in September. 

The mission of the “We Are Gyumri” committee is to create a positive and lasting impact on youth in Gyumri, Armenia. The campaign restructured and renovated the Shirvanian Youth Center in Gyumri that had been destroyed during the 1988 Spitak earthquake. A year-round functional program was created at the Center to teach youth in Gyumri everyday skills, to provide them with the essentials they need for a brighter future, and to serve as a bridge between youth in Gyumri and their peers in the Diaspora. As another component of the campaign, the “We Are Gyumri” Mina Shirvanian Scholarship Fund is intended for residents of the Shirak Province to pursue their undergraduate education in their native region. “We are Gyumri” is an ARF Western U.S. Central Committee initiative.

PACE committee calls on Azerbaijan to release all captives and return them to Armenia without further delay

Emma Nadirian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 15 2021
, 16:42

 2 minutes read

Following the tragic recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the PACE Migration Committee has set out a series of recommendations to both countries to address the humanitarian consequences in the short and long term, and move towards a process of peace and reconciliation.

Approving a resolution and recommendation on the basis of a report by Paul Gavan (Ireland, UEL), who visited both countries, the committee said it was “concerned about the many allegations of crimes, war crimes and other wrongful acts,” during the six-week war, listing the most serious. It called on both countries to “fully investigate the allegations and bring to justice anyone, including at command level, found to be responsible” and to co-operate fully with the European Court of Human Rights on the complaints lodged against them. “Unless there is accountability and some form of truth and reconciliation, these allegations will poison relations between the two countries for generations, and the consequences of the conflict will linger,” the committee pointed out.

While welcoming the recent release by Azerbaijan of 15 Armenians on 12 June 2021 and a further release of 15 persons on 3 July 2021, bringing the total of repatriated to above 100, the committee also called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release all remaining captives and return them to Armenia without further delay. It deplored that since the November cease-fire, 159 Azerbaijanis and 5 Armenians have been killed or injured by mines, and called on Armenia to “release, without delay, all mine maps in its possession”. In light of various border incidents since May 2021, the parliamentarians urged both sides to de-escalate, and to negotiate a border demarcation process.

Regarding displaced persons, the committee called on the international community to continue to support Armenia and Azerbaijan, and encouraged both countries to make good use of Council of Europe expertise. It also recommended that both countries take steps to tackle hate speech as well as hate crimes, including by introducing appropriate legislation with Council of Europe assistance. The long-running conflict has had a “catastrophic” impact on the cultural heritage and property of the region, the committee pointed out.

Two dissenting opinions were presented by members of the committee and are annexed to the report. It is due to be debated by the full Assembly on Monday 27th September, during its Autumn plenary session.

The status of Karabakh yet to be resolved – US Ambassador to Armenia

Emma Nadirian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 11 2021
, 16:09

 

The US is doing everything to bring the parties together under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy told reporters in Yerevan today.

She noted that the fundamental issues of peace and security require negotiation and diplomacy.

“Secretary Blinken has made our commitment to this process very clear on several occasions,” Amb. Tracy emphasized.

“It’s obviously a very tough environment, 30 years of war and tensions are not going to be resolved overnight, but we understand that there are some fundamental issues that have to be addressed, and one of them is that we do not consider the status of Karabakh resolved,” the Ambassador added.

She noted that the US will continue to keep that on the agenda of the Minsk Group.

Asked about the perspectives of dialogue, Amb. Tracy noted: ” I don’t want to speak for the parties. The Government of Armenia has made clear that the issue of prisoners held by Azerbaijan is to be resolved before it’s possible to talk about wider issues.”

“As you know, the United States has made efforts in this regard, our Russian colleagues have made efforts in this regard with some success. We hope to get to a place where we have all the prisoners returned, and it is certainly the call that we have been making,” she added.

She noted that there is no perfect platform, but the Minsk Group is a platform that has a mandate and legitimacy and can still play a role in the process.

Opposition MP: Attempt being made to gradually take Armenia out of Artsakh-related processes

Emma Nadirian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 6 2021
12:42, 06.09.2021

Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the president of Azerbaijan, stated that Azerbaijan and Russia are discussing additional legal mechanisms related to the mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). Tigran Abrahamyan, an MP from the opposition "With Honor" Faction in the National Assembly of Armenia, wrote this on Facebook.

"Let me remind that the issue of the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping mission is regulated by the well-known trilateral statement—in the Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan format—of November 9, 2020.

If in reality there is such a process between the RF [(Russian Federation)] and Azerbaijan, it means that an attempt will be made to gradually take Armenia out of the processes related to Artsakh.

Simply put, even the disgraceful document of November 9 had assumed that the issues related to Artsakh will be settled in a trilateral format; it is about the establishment of the ceasefire and the steps stemming from it.

However, Azerbaijan's goal is for Armenia to get out of the game on issues related to Artsakh, and to continue it in an RF-Azerbaijan bilateral format," the Armenian opposition MP added.

French national arrested in Yerevan on suspicion of cocaine smuggling

Emma Nadirian

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 10:14, 7 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. A French national has been arrested by Armenian law enforcement agencies on suspicion of cocaine smuggling and intent to distribute.

The National Security Service said the suspect smuggled over 221 grams of cocaine on board the Nice-Paris-Yerevan flight and intended to sell the narcotics in Armenia. Customs agents found the drugs in the suspect’s belongings at the Yerevan airport.

The suspect was remanded into custody.

The NSS said they are investigating to determine whether the suspect had accomplices.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Turkish-Azerbaijani drills in Lachin region disrupt de-escalation efforts – Armenian MFA Spokesman

Emma Nadirian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 7 2021


September 7, 2021, 17:51

 Less than a minute

The joint Azerbaijani-Turkish military exercises in the vicinity of Lachin corridor disrupt de-escalation efforts, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahan Hunanyan said in comments to Sputnik Armenia.

The remarks come as the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced joint drills with Turkey in the Lachin region.

“We consider the conduct of Turkish-Azerbaijani military drills on the borders of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as in the vicinity of Lachin corridor as actions disrupting the steps towards de-escalation,” the Spokesperson said, adding that it is “inconsistent with the spirit of the Statement of November 9, 2020, and undermines the efforts of establishing lasting peace, security and stability in the region.”

House in Artsakh’s Taghavard damaged in Azerbaijani shooting, ombudsman says

Emma Nadirian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 7 2021

Azerbaijani forces deployed near the Karmir Shuka and Taghavard settlements of the Martuni region of the Artsakh Republic opened fire at the Armenian positions and peaceful settlements on Monday, at around 7:30pm, Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The house of one of the residents of the Taghavard community was damaged in the Azerbaijani shooting. 3 bullets hit the wall of the house, while 1 bullet hit the window of one of the bedrooms.

6 civilians, including a minor, live in the house damaged as a result of the shooting, the ombudsman said.

After midnight, the Azerbaijani side continued shooting, but no casualties and material damage were reported.

Russian peacekeepers and the Artsakh law enforcement agencies were notified of the incident.

“The Azerbaijani positions deployed in the vicinity of peaceful settlements pose an immediate and real threat to the life, health and other vital rights of the Artsakh people and disrupt the normal life and activities of the people living in these settlements,” Stepanyan said, underlining that the failure to hold the perpetrators accountable leads to recurrence of such incidents.

“A comprehensive investigation of all ceasefire violation cases, including with the involvement of Russian peacekeepers, is extremely urgent,” he said.

MFA: Azerbaijan working to ensure IDPs’ return to Karabakh

Emma Nadirian
6 September 2021 15:10 (UTC+04:00)
643

By Vafa Ismayilova

Baku has said that the Azerbaijani government continues to work to ensure the return of IDPs to their native lands liberated from Armenia's occupation in the last year's war.

"The government of Azerbaijan continues its work to ensure the safe and dignified return of IDPs to liberated territories," the Foreign Ministry said on its official Twitter account on September 6.

The ministry tweeted that 300 days have passed since the trilateral statement signed between Azerbaijan, Armenian and Russia on November 10, 2020.

The ministry also posted on its Twitter account a factsheet describing the major developments over the past 300 days. 

“More than 46,486 mines and unexploded ordnance [were] cleared from over 15,510 ha on the liberated territories. 160 Azerbaijani citizens have been killed or injured by mines laid by Armenia during the conflict. This includes two journalists and a government official who were killed in a fatal mine explosion whilst carrying out their duties,” the factsheet noted.

It underlined that the first international airport in liberated Fuzuli region has begun test flights and that two international airports are also under construction in Zangilan and Lachin regions.

The document stressed that Azerbaijan Airlines was among the first organizations to open job vacancies on the liberated territories, providing displaced communities returning to their homes in Karabakh with significant career opportunities.

The factsheet said that a master plan for the city of Aghdam was approved abs many iconic cultural buildings and historical monuments were restored in the city of Shusha. 

It noted that that the "smart village" project in Zangilan region's Aghai village had been launched and its finalization is planned for early 2022.

The document added that the restoration of agriculture in the liberated territories has been continuing successfully. Ameliorative measures and cultivation of crops (including perennial crops) were carried out. Measures have also been taken to develop livestock, as primary herds and bee families have been relocated to these areas.

The Azerbaijani government secured a perspective energy deal with British oil producer, BP, with plans to establish a solar energy production facility in the liberated lands. The deal is part of Azerbaijan's drive to implementing sustainable energy projects in the region.

A strategic roadmap encompassing railway infrastructure, roads and highways to increase the economic integration of the region's countries, as part of the trilateral statement's provision to unblock all economic and transport links in the region was prepared.

The Culture Ministry completed the inventory of 1,376 historical and cultural monuments (864 cultural institutions and 512 monuments and facilities of historical and archeological importance) in the liberated lands, including libraries, museums, music schools, cinemas, theatres, galleries. Almost all monuments and objects of historical, architectural, and archeological significance, cultural institutions have been completely demolished or vandalized.

Relevant agencies conducted a thorough assessment of the pollution caused by Armenian partnerships with international metals companies to the Okhchuchay river, which has led to the conditions dangerous to human health in Azerbaijan and other neighboring countries in the Caspian Sea, the factsheet said.

Turkish press: Tel Aviv prepares to attack Gaza and Iran: Israeli official

Emma Nadirian
 ISTANBUL MID-EAST 
AUG 26, 2021 2:15 PM GMT+3

Israeli soldiers fire artillery shells toward the Gaza Strip from their position along the border with the Palestinian enclave, May 19, 2021. (AFP Photo)

Israel is stepping up plans for a possible military operation in Gaza and a strike against Iran, Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said Wednesday.

"Perhaps we are preparing for a new operation in Gaza in the near future, and we do not and will not accept the violation of Israeli sovereignty, no matter who is behind it," Kochavi told reporters, according to Anadolu Agency (AA).

He was alluding to recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and the launching of incendiary balloons from the enclave. Kochavi also said that Israel was accelerating plans for a possible strike on Iran in case Tehran does not halt its nuclear program.

According to the Walla news site, a portion of funds from the recently passed defense budget will be diverted to beefing up the attack option. Regarding his plans against Iran's naval activities in the region, Kochavi said the Israeli army is working systematically and in various ways to reduce Iran's influence in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Israel's Defence Minister Benny Gantz accused Iran of launching a deadly drone strike on an oil tanker last month from its territory and reiterated that Israel would act alone if needed to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as reported by The Associated Press (AP).

Gantz spoke as Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was visiting Washington to discuss Iran with Biden administration officials during his first state visit in Washington. The Mercer Street, an oil tanker that was sailing in the Arabian Sea off Oman, was struck by a drone aircraft July 29. The attack killed two, a British national and a Romanian. The tanker is managed by a firm owned by an Israeli billionaire.

The United States, Britain and Israel have all blamed Iran for the drone strike on the Mercer Street, but no country has yet offered evidence or intelligence to support their claims. Iran has denied any wrongdoing.

"Our assessment is that the UAV employed in the Mercer Street attack was launched from Iranian territory and approved by Iranian leadership,” Gantz told foreign diplomats in a briefing. His remarks were released by his office.

Gantz, a former Israeli army chief, has previously warned that Israel is prepared to take military action against Iran and called for international action to halt Iranian aggression. The two countries have been locked in a shadow war for years, which in recent months has taken a higher profile after a long string of attacks on merchant vessels.

The attacks began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

President Joe Biden has said he is willing to rejoin the accord, but talks over salvaging the deal have stalled in Vienna. Israel contends its regional archrival Iran seeks nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Gantz doubled down on those threats Wednesday, saying that Israel "has the means to act and will not hesitate to do so – I do not rule out the possibility that Israel will have to take action in the future in order to prevent a nuclear Iran.”

Name of Armenia’s new national airline announced

Emma Nadirian

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 12:11, 1 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) and Air Arabia Group, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator, today announced that the new national airline to be launched by their joint venture company will be named ‘Fly Arna.’

The name was chosen by the Board of Directors of the joint venture company from over 500 suggestions received in response to the ‘Name the Airline’ competition announced in July 2021. Following a comprehensive review, the name of the airline was chosen as ‘Fly Arna’ – with the word ‘Arna’ being derived from the name “Armenian National Airlines” by combining the first two letters of the words "ARmenian" with the first letter of "National" and the first letter of "Airline". The competition aimed to engage the citizens of Armenia to participate in naming their new national airline reflecting the commitment of ANIF and Air Arabia Group to promote stakeholder participation.

“I thank everyone for the active participation in the contest. It is both inspiring and a sign of a shared vision of a successful endeavour we all aspire for the project,” said David Papazian, CEO of ANIF. “Despite the current challenges of the pandemic, we are confident of the new opportunity that exists for “Fly Arna” to deliver a winning proposition that will benefit the nation and our people.”

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “The new name represents the aspirations of the people of Armenia and is the result of a national competition, underlining how the joint venture company prioritizes the interests of the community. “Fly Arna” will mark the beginning of a new era for Armenia’s aviation sector, and also create significant value to the economy by boosting the tourism, hospitality and business sectors.”

More than 800 participants suggested the 500 names via email and on ANIF’s social media pages. The name was chosen to be most inclusive and reflecting the spirit of the joint venture company to transform the aviation sector of the country.

“Fly Arna” will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) as its base. The company will apply for the Airline Operation Certificate in the coming weeks. More details about the launch date, fleet, and destination network will be announced in due course.

ANIF and Air Arabia Group had announced the agreement to launch Armenia’s new national airline in July 2021.