Author: Hambik Zargarian

Turkey’s newly appointed envoy to to the European Union (EU) said Tuesday that genocide was committed against Armenians in Turkey during the First World War, reports.

Ali Haydar Konca, a parliamentarian with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was recently appointed as Minister of European Union Affairs by the Turkish interim cabinet. His comments contradict the long-held position of the Turkish government.

“The fact that genocide happened is explicit and clear and everybody accepts that. Right now, the issue is what it should be called. We will make a decision in our party about that,” Konca told the press.

This is the first time that a Turkish authority has admitted Turkey committed genocide against Armenians.

Real Salt Lake has ended their interest in Yura Movsisyan during this transfer window, but that doesn’t leave the club without options to improve the team in the short-term, according to rslsoapbox.com.

In an interview on ESPN 700, RSL technical director Craig Waibel said that Movsisyan, at Spartak Moscow, will be staying in Russia after his club underwent a coaching change.

“Yura will not be joining us in this window,” Waibel said. “I had a great conversation with him, he’s in a good situation with Spartak.”

That ends Real Salt Lake’s interest in Movsisyan during this transfer window, Waibel said.

“Unfortunately for me, that’s an easy conversation,” he said. “I’m happy for Yura that he’s got a nice home and a place that wants to play him, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the answer that I wanted.”

The agreement on the sale of the Vorotan Hydro Cascade was signed today between the Armenian Government, the Vorotan Hydropower Complex, the ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade, the ContourGlobal Terra Holdings and CG Solutions Global Holding Company.

Before the document would be signed Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received CG Solutions Global Holding Company CEO Joseph Brandt. The Prime Minister welcomed the signing of the deal as an important step towards reinforcement of bilateral economic relations.

In the context of expansion of economic ties Hovik Abrahamyan also attached importance to the US-Armenia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which creates favorable conditions for attracting investments, boosting the commodity turnover and trade.

Joseph Brandt said, in turn, the Vorotan Cascade deal was unprecedented and stressed their interest to make large investments for the modernization and full commissioning of Hydro Power Plant.

The parties stressed their commitment to continue the constructive and transparent partnership.

 

 

 

The first “Guide to Armenian Winemaking and Armenian Wines” has been published with the support of the “Antares” publishing house and the Armenian Association of Winemakers.

The author of the book Anik Petrosyan says it will provide thorough information about Armenian wines to tourists.

The publication consists of two parts. The first one presents the history of Armenian winemaking, the second is dedicated to Armenian wines.

Head of the “Antares” Media Holding Armen Martirosyan says the guide is a considerable achievement for presenting Armenia to tourists.

Five hundred copies of the guide have been published. They will be available in bookstores and will cost 6-7 AMD.

In April, Iranian Armenian Andranik Teymourian, who has played for Bolton Wanderers and Fulham, became the first Christian to lead Iran’s football team as its permanent captain, according to

“I’m happy that as a Christian I play in a Muslim team,” he said in a recent interview. “I have Armenian roots but I hold the Iranian passport and I’m proud of that, I hold my flag high. I hope I can enhance the good reputation of Armenian people in Iran.”

According to The Guardian, ethnic Armenians make up the majority of Iran’s estimated 300,000 Christians. Armenians are fully integrated in Iranian society, from the musician Loris Tjeknavorian to Sombat Hacoupian, who founded one of the country’s most famous men’s clothing brands and is now a household name.

Although Islam is Iran’s official religion, it recognizes Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians as accepted religious minorities. They are permitted their house of worship and usual religious services, and have reserved seats in the Iranian parliament. In a country where alcohol and pigmeat are forbidden, Christians are allowed to distil booze and eat pork.

There are at least 600 churches in Iran, including the sixth-century St Mary Church of Tabriz, mentioned by Marco Polo in his travel book and the ancient St Thaddeus Monastery, a Unesco world heritage site.

In April, as Iran’s northern neighbour, Armenia, commemorated the centenary of the 1915 genocide, the Iranian government, which is usually nervous about public gatherings, took a rare decision to allow Iranian Armenians to stage a protest in front of the Turkish embassy in Tehran.

World-known French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour has released his 51st album called “Encores,” according to . The CD comes four years after Aznavour released his previous album “Toujours” in 2011.

The new album includes twelve brand new songs. Some of the songs are dedicated to the memories of the past, the childhood, as well as the struggle against fascism.

Charles Aznavour will celebrate his 91^st birthday on May 22.

Aznavour will continue to deploy his inexhaustible energy on stage, as well. He will be in Madrid on May 7 and will visit Beirut in August. He has six concerts scheduled for September in Paris.

Aznavour, who has sung in 94 countries of the world, also plans to visit San Sebastian and Amsterdam in the fall.

He has also composed the music for a new show on the Battle of Normandy expected for 2016.