Author: Greg Madatian

Army Games 2017: Armenian crew claims 3rd spot at Tank Biathlon event

Greg Madatian
Panorama, Armenia

Aug 4 2017

In the first stage of the Tank Biathlon event held in "Alabino" military training ground near Moscow,as part of the International Army Games 2017, the tank crew of the Armenian Armed Forces took the third place, clocking 32 minutes and 12 seconds.

The Armenian tank crew commander is Junior Sergeant Harutyun Davtyan, the aiming operator is Artur Grigoryan and the mechanic-driver is Hayk Grigoryan. 

India’s thank crew took the first place, registering a 21 minuses and 43 seconds results, with Venezuelan tankers claiming the second spot.

To remind, the International Army Games-2017 are set to be held in Russia from 27 July to 12 August, with the participation of the units of the Armenian Armed Forces.

The tank, scout and engineering crews of the Armenian Armed Forces are due to take part in the Tank Biathlon, Army Scout Masters and Safe Route competitions scheduled for Moscow, Novosibirsk and Tyumen. 11 Armenian snipers will take part in the Sniper Frontier contest to be held in Almaty city of Kazakhstan.

5 Armenian servicemen will represent the country at the Warrior of the Commonwealth contest scheduled for Minsk, Belarus.

Azerbaijan trying to force its provocative behavior in multilateral and bilateral formats –Ambassador Mkrtchyan

Greg Madatian
Aravot, Armenia

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Lithuania Tigran Mkrtchyan met on Thursday with the head of Latvian delegation to OSCE Edvin Snor and deputy head of the Latvian delegation to PACE Andris Berzins during the visit to Riga.

As Armenia’s foreign ministry reported, Ambassador Mkrtchyan presented the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy, discussed steps aimed at advancing parliamentary diplomacy between the two states and reflected on the cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats.

Speaking of the current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Ambassador Mkrtchyan presented Baku’s unacceptable behavior and non-constructive statements amid the appeals by the mediators about the ceasefire violations.
The Ambassador noted that Azerbaijan tries to force its provocative behavior in multilateral and bilateral formats contrary to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ efforts.

The interlocutors exchanged thoughts on urgent issues of international and regional, the release said.

Sports: Armenian freestyle wrestlers win 5 medals in Francophone Games

Greg Madatian
MediaMax, Armenia

Khachatur Papikyan (70kg) became gold medalist, Mkhitar Grigoryan (57kg) and Varuzhan Kajoyan (74kg) won silver, while Ashot Velitsyan (61kg) and Vaghinak Matevosyan (65kg) took the bronze.

The Armenian Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs informed that another Armenian sportsman Marzapet Galstyan (86kg) will enter into competition today.

Apart from the wrestlers, Armenia will also be represented in the games by 4 athletes, 2 cyclists, and 3 judokas.

http://sport.mediamax.am/en/news/wrestling/24425/?utm_source=mediamax.am&utm_medium=widget_300x300&utm_campaign=partnership

 

9,000 truce violations by Azerbaijan registered in first half of 2017

Greg Madatian
PanArmenian, Armenia

– 12:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Around 9,000 ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan were registered on the contact line with Nagorno Karabakh in the first half of 2017.

Azeri troops, in particular, fired more than 121,000 shots in the reporting period.

Besides firearms, the Azerbaijani armed forces also employed SPIKE missiles, TR-107 rocket launchers, D-30 and D-44 cannons, 60-, 82- and 120-mm mortars, as well as various caliber grenade launchers.

Also, special troops of Azerbaijan's army initiated several subversive attacks in the first six months of 2017, which were all timely thwarted by the frontline positions of the Karabakh armed forces.

During one such episode on February 25, five of Azerbaijani soldiers died and their bodies were left in an area near the frontline as those who survived retreated back to their positions.

Throughout January-June, Karabakh armed forces had the upper hand on the contact line and continued protecting their positions.

Cinema: “Golden Apricot” has grown into an ambassador uniting nations with variety of cultures to share universal human values – VivaCell-MTS General Manager

Greg Madatian
Panorama, Armenia

The 14th “Golden Apricot” will be remembered for the variety of included events, renowned cinema personalities and guests, as well as diversity of genres of the screened films, VivaCell-MTS reports, adding, the festival, which enlivened the cultural Armenia, included both screenings, as well as rich program of master classes, hosting renowned cinema personalities Boris Khlebnikov (director, Russia), Ildiko Enyedi (director, Hungary), Rui Nogueira (film historian, France), Ciro Guerra (director, Columbia), Tom McSorley (film critic, Canada) and others.

“A program, before it gets the right to live, goes through a certain path. The ‘Golden Apricot’, which has a complicated and important mission, has passed through ‘adolescence’ and has entered its ‘adulthood’. The festival with fourteen years of history has grown into a window open before the world and an ambassador uniting nations with variety of cultures to share universal human values. This festival is also a platform bridging creative minds, emotions, and perceptions; it is a forum of artistic thinking, and an authentic passport for Armenia. I wish the organizers of the “Golden Apricot”, who have been working for it since its inception, strength and stamina for their future endeavors,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

The special award “Let There Be Light”, founded by the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II within the film festival, was handed over to composer Tigran Mansuryan for major contribution in the Armenian cinema at the Gevorgyan Seminary in Etchmiadzin.

The festival was marked also by a workshop on the further development of Armenian-Turkish platform projects.

The “Golden Apricot” paid tribute to Armenian film director, Merited Worker of Arts of Armenia, People’s Artist of Armenia, late Ruben Gevorgyants. One of his films, the “Kind Trace”, was screened in “Moscow” cinema.

The 14th “Golden Apricot” also included “French Cinema Day”, “German Cinema Day”, “Polish Cinema Day” programs, which were organized in cooperation with the foreign embassies represented in Armenia. The “Yerevan Premieres” included films winners of the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice film festivals, the source said.

President Sargsyan visits French Embassy on National Day of France

Greg Madatian
Public Radio of Armenia

July 14 2017
14:08, 14 Jul 2017
Siranush Ghazanchyan

    On the eve of the French Republic’s National Day, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Embassy of France in Armenia. The President offered his congratulations and best wishes to Ambassador Jean-Francois Charpenter, the embassy staff and the friendly people of France.

    Taking the opportunity to reaffirm that France is seen as a friendly country for the Armenian people, as well as a reliable and good partner for Armenia, the President assured that our country will continue to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen the friendship between the Armenian and French peoples. President Sargsyan asked Ambassador Charpenter to convey his warm greetings to President Emmanuel Macron of France.

    As they looked at ways of expanding and deepening bilateral relations in different fields of activity, the President of Armenia and the French Ambassador highlighted the need for close cooperation ahead of the Francophonie Summit to be held in Armenia. Ambassador Jean-Francois Charpentier thanked President Sargsyan for the visit to the Embassy, as well as for his congratulatory remarks and good wishes. On the occasion of the National Day of France, President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron.

    Iskander missiles impossible to be down by any Azerbaijani weapon – defense ministry spox

    Greg Madatian
    Aravot, Armenia

    Iskander missiles are impossible to be shot down by any Azerbaijani weapon, Armenian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in an interview with Panorama.am, commenting on the recent statement by Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, claiming that the Azerbaijani armed forces possess anti-missile weapons capable of shooting down Armenia’s Iskander missile systems.

    “Zakir Hasanov stands out with his low level of knowledge, which is at lower level than the one of a platoon commander. He has shown it in multiple occasions. To put it mildly, it is impossible to shoot down Iskander missiles by any system of Azerbaijan. That country’s arsenal features Israeli Barak 8 missile system, which they have put on display. The claims also referred to the purchase of a weaker Iron Dome Weapon System. None of these systems is capable of downing the Iskander Missile,” the spokesman noted, adding that the U.S. Army officers having the most powerful missile defense systems like Standard, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot, do not confidently claim about downing Iskander missiles even after those weapons undergo multiple modifications.

    “They (the U.S. military) openly point out the great danger and invulnerability of this weapon, however Zakir Hasanov has already overcome that weapon. On the other hand, there is nothing surprising when this is stated by a person with a very low level of professional knowledge and known for his empty talks,” Mr. Hovhannisyan added.

    Armenian President welcomes world-famous violinist Maxim Vengerov

    Greg Madatian
    Panorama, Armenia

    President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia received today world-famous violinist, laureate of many prestigious awards Maxim Vengerov who is in Armenia to join the gala concert of “Armenia” first international contest-festival due on July 4-12 in Yerevan, hosted by the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia and the European Cultural Support Foundation.

    Press department at the President’s Office reports, that welcoming the famous cultural figure in Armenia, President Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that the festival will provide the opportunity to enjoy the art of virtuoso violinist, conductor Maxim Vengerov, admire his talent and feel the maestro’s affection for the Armenian people.

    The President believes that the multitude of classical music festivals and concerts regularly held in Armenia are meant to advocate and promote musical education among the rising generation, which evidence the Armenian people’s adherence to the everlasting true values of high art.

    Appreciating the valuable contribution made by Maxim Vengerov and the other notorious musicians who have come to Armenia to promote musical education, Serzh Sargsyan thanked Armenian young performers for the provision of inspirational master classes.

    “We are undoubtedly grateful to you for your participation in the 2015 concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Brussels, which reaffirmed your commitment to universal values,” the President of Armenia emphasized.

    “Honorable Mr President, as a musician, I am pleased to hear from you about those values that are important to me. Any nation keen on universal cultural values and music in particular, is entitled to a great future in every area. Thank you very much for your support and dedication to culture and specifically music. In anticipation of my Yerevan concert, I hope to get a warm welcome on the part of the Armenian audience,” world-renowned musician Maxim Vengerov said.

    AAAS’s EurekAlert science magazine publishes article proving maternal lineage continuation of Armenians

    Greg Madatian 
    Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday


AAAS's EurekAlert science magazine publishes article proving maternal
lineage continuation of Armenians



YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. EurekAlert – the science magazine
operated by American Association for the Advancement of Science,
published an article proving the maternal lineage continuation of
Armenians.

Pavel Avetisyan, director of the Archaeology and Ethnography Institute
of the National Academy of Sciences told a press conference that
anthropogenic materials discovered from monuments of the modern
territories of Armenia and Artsakh were used for the studies.

“It [studies] showed that the people living here since the 7th
millennia BC are within a lineal continuation. These are valuable data
for Armenian history and genealogy issues”, he said.

Avetisyan said soon similar research will be carried out regarding the
paternal lineage.

    Travel: Hidden treasure: Lake Sevan listed as affordable tourist destination in Europe

    Greg Madatian
    Tert, Armenia
     
     
    Hidden treasure: Lake Sevan listed as affordable tourist destination in Europe
     
    13:18 • 24.06.17
     
     
     
    The international payment system Mastercard has rated Lake Sevan an undiscovered holiday destinations in Europe, offering affordable prices in an incredible landscape.
     
     
    In the ranking published by Business Insider, foreign tourists are highly recommended  to visit the Sevanavank monastery situated on the north-western peninsula.
     
     
    The list of hidden treasures, including also Brest Belarus, Gjirokaster, Albania and other interesting destination, was compiled based on records by bloggers and tourists who visited different sites, as well as the Master data.
     
     
    The full list, with the relevant information, is available here: http://uk.businessinsider.com/cheapest-undiscovered-holiday-destinations-in-europe-2017-6/#15-balaton-uplands-hungary-5