Alfred Abedi: When Nairit is closed, people complain, demanding to open it (video)

The plant in Yeghvard, which will manufacture lubricants and bitumen, will be safe for the environment and residents. This is noted today, at the meeting with journalists, by the director of the company “Armoil” Alfred Abedi and the representative of the “Multi Group” Arayik Kesoyan.

“We have repeatedly stated: we will have green production. The word oil refining is wrong, there will be the production of lubricating oils. We do not have any rubbish or emissions. And the available emissions burn at high temperatures,” Arayik Kesoyan said.

A few days ago, residents of the Yerevan’s Nati district of Yerevan blocked the Yerevan-Yeghvard highway, demanding that construction work cease as there are no guarantees of its safety. However, Alfred Abedi argues that very few of those who block the highway, know the reason why they why block it.

“I already do not understand anything. When Nairit is closed, people complain, demanding to open it. When it is open they demand to close it,” Alfred Abedi said .

Alfred Abedi is dissatisfied that there are no relevant specialists who will carry out expertise in the field of oil products processing.

Alfred Abedi added that if everything goes as planned, then within 40-45 days the plant will be launched.

Ethnic Armenian blogger alarms about danger threatening his life after Azerbaijan visit

Category
World

Belarussian blogger of Armenian origin Vladislav Mosesov, who visited Azerbaijan recently with a Belarussian passport, alarms that his life is under danger, the blogger said in a video message.

The blogger said that on July 13 Azerbaijan declared him wanted, however, he has already left Belarus.

“Yesterday Azerbaijan declared me wanted. I have already left my country, but I cannot say yet where I am going for security reasons. I ask all those countries which consider me as their associate to take actions in connection with my situation. All those followers, who cannot help with anything, please share this video. My life is now under danger. I am followed at any moment, believe me, I know what I am saying. If I do not get in touch after three days, it will mean that something bad happened to me”, the blogger said.

The blogger clarified his visit to Azerbaijan, noting that he visited the country with peace, for tourism.

He said the threats include allegations that a certain country has paid him to intentionally defame Azerbaijan, and that his video made in the country contains provocations.

“I visited Azerbaijan with peace, like I visit any other country. I mentioned in my video that the purpose was to show people like they are. I showed people who gave me shelter, food, helped me to navigate, however everyone somehow saw something negative in it,” he said.

At the same time, he emphasized that the aggression and hostility towards tourists which he saw in Azerbaijan he hadn’t seen anywhere else, and naturally he gave a response.

Film: 15th Golden Apricot Yerevan Intl. Filmfest. kicks off

Mehr News Agency, Iran

TEHRAN, Jul. 10 (MNA) – The 15th Golden Apricot International Film Festival kicked off on Sun., with two Iranian films to e screened, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

The 15th Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival kicked off on July 8, with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian delivering speech at the opening; the event will wrap up on July 15. Founded in 2004, the film festival is named after an indispensable part of Armenian culture: the apricot, called “prunus armeniaca” in Latin, meaning “the Armenian plum.” 

At the festival, films are presented in two international competition sections: features and documentaries. One Grand Prize Golden Apricot and one Special Mention (Silver Apricot) are awarded in each category. 

Two-time Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi chairs the Jury. The members include chairwoman of European Cinema Market Beki Probst (Germany), Russian director Boris Khlebnikov (Russia), French Armenian director Valerie Massadian (France), and renowned cinematographer Larry Smith (United Kingdom).

Farhadi initially won the Golden Apricot award for Best Picture 'A Separation' in 2011. His latest project, 'Everybody knows', will be screened in the festival in the out-of-competition category. '20th Circuit Suspects' by Hesam Eslami is the second Iranian film to be screened in the documentary category competing with ten other movies.

LR/IRN82965909

Les lois mémorielles ont leur place dans les programmes scolaires

Dalloz actualité, France
9 juillet 2018


Les lois mémorielles ont leur place dans les programmes scolaires

L’enseignement du « génocide des Arméniens » prescrit par les programmes scolaires ne porte pas atteinte aux libertés d’_expression_, de conscience et d’opinion des élèves et ne méconnaît pas la neutralité du service public de l’éducation.

par Jean-Marc Pastorle 9 juillet 2018

L’association pour la neutralité de l’enseignement de l’histoire turque dans les programmes scolaires avait demandé à la précédente ministre de l’Éducation nationale d’abroger deux arrêtés du 15 juillet 2008 et du 9 novembre 2015 fixant les programmes d’enseignement d’histoire au collège parce qu’ils évoquent le « génocide des Arméniens » dans les programmes scolaires de troisième. À la suite du refus implicite de la ministre de faire droit à cette demande, l’association a saisi le Conseil d’État. Elle avait déjà essuyé deux refus de renvoi de question prioritaire de constitutionnalité sur la très laconique loi du 29 janvier 2001 qui, en un seul article pour une seule phrase, dispose que « La France reconnaît le génocide arménien » (CE 19 oct. 2015, n° 392400, Association pour la neutralité de l’enseignement de l’histoire turque dans les programmes scolaires, Lebon ; Constitutions 2015. 588, chron. L. Domingo  ; 13 janv. 2017, n° 404850). Elle soutenait cette fois que l’arrêté attaqué porte atteinte aux libertés d’_expression_, de conscience et d’opinion des élèves, ainsi qu’à la neutralité du service public de l’éducation.

Ses arguments sont rejetés, le Conseil d’État considérant, d’abord, que le choix d’inscrire cette question au programme n’est pas entaché d’erreur manifeste d’appréciation. Il juge ensuite que, « d’une part, la seule utilisation de ces termes, dont il ressort des pièces du dossier qu’ils se bornent à reprendre une formulation courante, notamment de la part d’historiens, et d’ailleurs reprise par la loi n° 2001-70 du 29 janvier 2001 relative à la reconnaissance du génocide Arménien, n’est pas, par elle-même, de nature à porter atteinte à ces principes ; que, d’autre part, l’objet même du programme d’histoire, tel que le fixe l’arrêté litigieux, est de faire enseigner aux élèves l’état des savoirs tel qu’il résulte de la recherche historique, laquelle repose sur une démarche critique, fondée sur la liberté de soumettre à débat toute connaissance ; que, par suite, la prescription d’un tel enseignement par l’arrêté attaqué est, en elle-même, insusceptible de porter atteinte aux libertés d’_expression_, de conscience et d’opinion des élèves, ou de méconnaître la neutralité du service public de l’éducation ».

National Security Service detains director of Hayastan all-Armenian fund

ARKA, Armenia
July 4 2018

YEREVAN, July 3. /ARKA/. Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) detained July 2 the executive director of “Hayastan” All Armenian Fund on suspicion of embezzlement and misuse of funds. According to an NSS statement, under the pressure of facts, Vardanyan has confessed to misappropriating the charity’s funds, including using Armenia Fund money for online gambling.

According to the statement, Vardanyan used a Hayastan Fund credit card with a limit of 25 million drams (approximately $5,500) for online gambling. He then used donated funds to replenish the credit card account. According to his own testimony, Vardanyan then placed his own money into the charity’s accounts to compensate for the wasted money.

NSS said during the last week alone, Vardanyan used nearly 14 million drams ($29,000) from the Hayastan Fund credit card for online gambling. From 2016 to 2018 Vardanyan reportedly misappropriated approximately 130 million drams (around $270,000) for personal use.

The Hayastan pan-Armenian Fund is a tax-exempt, non-governmental, non-political corporation, established in 1994 in Los Angeles, California to carry out national projects in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. -0-

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/26/2018

                                        Tuesday, 

Karapetian Quitting Leadership Post In Former Ruling Party


Armenia - Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetian holds a cabinet meeting in 
Yerevan, 3 May 2018.

Former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian has decided to resign as first deputy 
chairman of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), it was 
announced on Tuesday.

The HHK spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov, said Karapetian feels that he must 
resign from the party leadership because he is no longer “actively involved in 
political processes.”

“I find that very normal,” Sharmazanov told reporters. “Karen Karapetian is a 
mature politician. It’s up to him to decide whether or not to be the first 
deputy chairman. I respect that decision by Karen Karapetian.”

Asked whether Karapetian will also end his membership in the HHK altogether, 
Sharmazanov said: “There is no such decision at this point. There has been no 
talk of leaving the party.”

Karapetian took up the number two position in the HHK hierarchy in November 
2016 two months after then President Serzh Sarkisian appointed him as Armenia’s 
prime minister. He ran the government until Sarkisian served out his final 
presidential term and controversially became prime minister on April 17.

Karapetian remained in government as first deputy prime minister serving under 
a new, parliamentary system of government. The former business executive took 
over as acting prime minister on April 23 immediately after Sarkisian resigned 
amid mass protests against his continued rule.

The HHK-controlled parliament reluctantly chose the protest leader, Nikol 
Pashinian, as the country’s new leader on May 8. Karapetian has made no public 
statements since then. Some Armenian media outlets have claimed that he is 
considering setting up his own party.

In Sharmazanov’s words, it is not yet known whom the party, still headed by 
Sarkisian, will pick as its new first deputy chairman.

Earlier this month, the HHK lost its majority in the parliament following a 
series of defections from its ranks.




More Cash Seized From Sarkisian’s Former Security Chief

        • Astghik Bedevian

Armenia - Vachagan Ghazarian empties his bag filled with cash after being 
arrested by the National Security Service in Yerevan, .

Law-enforcement authorities confiscated a further $1 million worth of cash from 
a man who has long been former President Serzh Sarkisian’s chief bodyguard when 
they arrested him on Monday.

Vachagan Ghazarian was detained by the National Security Service (NSS) five 
days after other law-enforcement bodies raided his apartment in Yerevan and 
found $1.1 million and 230,000 euros ($267,000) in cash there. The money was at 
least deposited with the Central Bank of Armenia pending investigation into its 
origin.

Investigators said on Friday that Ghazarian and his wife failed to disclose it 
in their income and asset declarations submitted to an anti-corruption state 
commission. Such declarations are mandatory for Armenia’s high-ranking state 
officials and their close relatives. Ghazarian was among them until Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian dismissed him last month as first deputy head of a 
security agency providing bodyguards to the country’s leaders.

An NSS video released late on Monday showed masked officers arresting the 
formerly powerful general outside a commercial bank in Yerevan. He was then 
shown emptying his bag, filled with stacks of banknotes, in an interrogation 
room.

An NSS statement said the bag contained $120,000 and 436 million drams 
($900,000) in cash he withdrew from one of his bank accounts. It said Ghazarian 
claimed that he was going to give the money to its “real owner” but refused to 
identify that person.

The NSS said Ghazarian was also planning to withdraw another 1.5 billion drams 
($3.1 million) kept by him and his wife at another Armenian bank. According to 
it, he claimed that he “forgot” to add these large sums to his official income 
declarations.

Despite being placed under arrest, Ghazarian was not formally charged with any 
crime as of Tuesday afternoon. Under Armenian law, he cannot be kept in custody 
without charge for more than three days.

Ghazarian is the first person in Armenia who could be prosecuted on charges of 
“illegal enrichment” and/or false asset disclosure carrying up to six years in 
prison. He headed Sarkisian’s security detail for more than two decades.

Armenia’s new government was instrumental in a series of high-profile 
corruption inquiries launched against former officials and other individuals 
linked to the former Armenian leader. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has 
repeatedly pledged to “root out” endemic corruption in the country since taking 
office on May 8.

Pashinian discussed his anti-graft drive on Tuesday with the heads of the NSS, 
the Armenian police and other law-enforcement bodies. He told them to make sure 
that “this process continues more effectively” while “strictly” complying with 
laws and respecting human rights. According to Pashinian’s press office, they 
briefed the premier on their respective agencies’ “ongoing and upcoming works 
towards combatting corruption.”


Aliyev Again Threatens Military Action Against Karabakh, Armenia


Azerbaijan - President Ilham Aliyev speaks at a military parade in Baku, 26 
June 2018.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev talked tough at a military parade in Baku on 
Tuesday, threatening military strikes against “strategic” Armenian targets and 
saying that Azerbaijan will "reinstate its control" over Nagorno-Karabakh.

"We are for the peaceful resolution of the [Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict but 
[Armenia] has to understand that there is no military or strategic object that 
the Azerbaijani Army is unable to destroy," Aliyev said.

"The war is not over. Only its first phase has ended," he said, calling 
Karabakh "primordially Azerbaijani territory."

Armenia was quick to condemn the threats. “War mongering and saber rattling are 
irrelevant, deplorable, if not preposterous,” Foreign Minister Zohrab 
Mnatsakanian wrote on his Twitter page. “Inconsistency of language for internal 
consumption and at negotiations doesn’t work. Need a more responsible and 
sensible negotiating party across the table.”

Aliyev spoke at a major military parade marking what his government considers 
the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan's armed forces. He stressed that Baku will 
continue to buy weapons abroad to strengthen its army.

Some 4,000 military personnel took part in the parade and 240 pieces of 
military equipment, including Belarusian-made Polonez and Israeli-made LORA 
missiles, were on display.

Senior military officials in Yerevan and Stepanakert say that the Azerbaijani 
military has deployed more troops along the “line of contact” around Karabakh 
since April. They have warned Baku against launching offensive operations 
there, saying that the Armenian side is prepared for any scenario.

There have been no high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations since the 
recent dramatic change of Armenia’ government. U.S., Russian and French 
mediators indicated their intention to organize a meeting of Armenia’s and 
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministers soon when they visited Yerevan two weeks ago.



Press Review



“Zhamanak” wonders why former President Serzh Sarkisian’s brother Aleksandr was 
freed on Monday several hours after being detained on suspicion of illegal arms 
possession. The paper suggests that law-enforcement bodies may content 
themselves with prosecuting only Sarkisian’s former chief bodyguard, Vachagan 
Ghazarian, for now. “It must be concluded that serious processes are underway 
in the country which on one hand provide answers to questions that have long 
preoccupied the public but on the other hand raise new ones,” it says. “One of 
those questions is as follows. The law-enforcement system is doing its job but 
what about the judiciary?”

“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that the cost of various procurements made by the 
Armenian Defense Ministry is going down amid the ongoing crackdown on 
corruption in the country. The paper says this is particularly true for food 
supplies to the army. “This is noteworthy because the supplies are carried out 
as part of contracts signed before,” it says. “In other words, a number of 
suppliers have started delivering the same products to the Defense Ministry at 
lower prices.” Those prices have fallen by around 8 percent, it says.

Stanislav Tarasov, a Russian political analyst, tells “168 Zham” that foreign 
powers must act fast to prevent a possible escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict. “The dangerous thing is that I see no efforts by any foreign player 
to get the parties to the negotiating table,” he says. “Waiting [and seeing 
what happens] could prove more dangerous.”

“Zhoghovurd” says Armenian politicians and pundits broadly agree that any 
improvement of Turkish-Armenian relations will remain unlikely after Turkey’s 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reelected in a weekend presidential ballot. 
The paper argues that Ankara continues to make normalization of its relations 
with Yerevan contingent on a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

(Tigran Avetisian)




Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org


Arrest warrant issued for remanded MP’s wife

Category
Society

The Special Investigative Service has issued an arrest warrant for Nazik Amiryan, the wife of Member of Parliament Manvel Grigoryan – the influential former general who is currently remanded in custody pending trial for grand theft and illegal possession of firearms.

Earlier on June 18, anti-corruption officers of police discovered two vargo vehicles loaded with military food supplies in a Yerevan parking lot. The drivers of the vehicles, members of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union – an NGO formerly chaired by the general – have claimed that they loaded the supplies – canned meat made for the military and not available for sale anywhere – at the instruction of Nazik Amiryan from the headquarters of Yerkrapah Volunteers Union on June 16. About 3000 cans were found in the cars.

An investigation is underway.

Adversary undertook sabotage infiltration attempt on June 17 – Artsakh Defense Army

Panorama, Armenia

Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime along the Line of Contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan for 150 times over the past week (June 17-23), firing over 1500 shots towards the Armenian frontier troops.

As the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh)Republic reports, apart from ceasefire violations, the adversary applied a shoulder fired anti-tank grenade launcher in the northern and eastern sections of the Line of Contact.

According to the release, on June 17 at around 21:45 the adversary undertook an attempt of sabotage and subversive intrusion toward one of the military positions located in the eastern direction of the Defense Army.

“The NK Army advanced detachments promptly halted the Azerbaijani subversive group’s attempt to advance and pushed back to their starting positions,” the source said.
It is reported that over the past week movement of the manpower and equipment of the Azerbaijani forces were recorded across the Line of Contact.

“Defense Army frontline units undertake necessary actions to thwart the offensive actions of the adversary and continue the reliable protection of their combat positions,” the statement concluded. 

Sports: Luis Figo sends a message ahead of visit to Armenia

Panorama, Armenia
Politics 16:39 23/06/2018 Armenia

Real Madrid icon Luis Figo is set to arrive in Armenia to participate in the Match of the Legends to be played on July 8 in Armenian capital.
“Hello, I am Luis Figo, on the 8th of July I’m looking for seeing all the fans of football in Armenia. See you soon,” the Portuguese player said in a recorded video posted on YouTube.

To note, the match will take place at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan. The event will feature world-class football legends such as Rivaldo, Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo, Dida, Cafu, Ivan Zamorano, Serginho, Juliano Belletti, Paolo Maldini, Youri Djorkaeff, Jari Litmanen, Hristo Stoichkov, Demetrio Albertini, Ludovic Giuly, Kakha Kaladze and Ryan Giggs.

Անթիլիաս – Հոգեւոր լսարան

Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
PO Box : 70 317 Antelias – LEBANON
Tel: (+961-4) 410 001 / 3
Fax: (+961-4) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]

«ՄԵՐ ՀԱՒԱՔԱԿԱՆ ՈՒ ԱՆՀԱՏԱԿԱՆ
ԿԵԱՆՔԻՆ ՄԷՋ
ՊԷՏՔ Է ՏԵՂ ՏԱՆՔ ՄԵՐ ՀՈԳԵՒՈՐ, ԲԱՐՈՅԱԿԱՆ ՈՒ ԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ԱՐԺԷՔՆԵՐՈՒՆ»

Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ.
ԱՐԱՄ Ա. ԿԱԹՈՂԻԿՈՍ

 

Երեքշաբթի, 19 Յունիս 2018-ին, Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. Արամ Ա. Վեհափառ Հայրապետը Անթիլիասի
Մայրավանքի Վեհարանի Դահլիճին մէջ ընդունեց Կանանց Հոգեւոր Լսարանի մասնակիցները, որոնք
ամէն Երեքշաբթի, Կաթողիկոսարանի Քրիստոնէական Դաստիարակութեան Բաժանմունքին նախաձեռնած
կրօնաբարոյական ու Աստուածաշունչի սերտողութեան լսարաններուն կը հետեւին։

 

Աւանդութիւն դարձած այս հանդիպումը ընթացք առաւ «Տէրունական Աղօթք»ով, որմէ ետք
լսարանի մասնակիցները միաբերան ընթերցեցին սաղմոս մը եւ Ս. Գրիգոր Նարեկացիէն բժշկութեան
աղօթք մը։

 

Բացման խօսքով հանդէս եկաւ բաժանմունքի վարիչ՝ Գերշ. Տ. Մեղրիկ Եպս. Բարիքեան,
որ հակիրճ կերպով ներկայացուց լսարանի աշխատանքները՝ նշելով, որ հակառակ իւրաքանչիւր
մասնակիցի բազմաթիւ դժուարութիւններուն եւ դիմագրաւած կեանքի մարտահրաւէրներուն, անոնք
ամէն Երեքշաբթի կանոնաւոր կերպով հաւաքուեցան Մայրավանք եւ աղօթեցին, որպէսզի աւելի
մօտենան Աստուծոյ։ Սրբազանը, այս առիթով, շնորհակալութիւն յայտնեց բոլոր միաբաններուն,
որոնք իրենց հեւքին մէջ ժամանակ տրամադրեցին այս ծրագիրին իրագործման։

 

Նախքան խօսքը Վեհափառ Հայրապետին փոխանցելը, սրբազանը Նորին Սրբութեան աբեղայական
ձեռնադրութեան յիսնամեակը շնորհաւորեց եւ լսարանի տիկիններէն մին, յանուն ամբողջ լսարանին,
ծաղկեպսակ մը նուիրեց Հայրապետին։

 

Ապա, խօսք առնելով Վեհափառ Հայրապետը՝ փառք տուաւ Աստուծոյ, որ լսարանի աշխատանքներն
ու Աստուածաշունչի սերտողութիւնները տեղի կ՚ունենան եւ գնահատեց Մեղրիկ Սրբազանն ու
միաբաններուն հետեւողական աշխատանքը։ «Քրիստոնէական դաստիարակութեան առնչուած որեւէ
աշխատանք մեր եկեղեցւոյ առաքելութեան կարեւոր բնագաւառներէն մէկն է։ Այս ծրագիրին նպատակն
է Աստուծոյ ներկայութիւնը մեր կեանքին մէջ աւելի անմիջական ու կենդանի դաձնել» ըսաւ
Հայրապետը։ Ապա, ան լուսարձակի տակ առաւ աղօթքին կարեւորութիւնը ու դիտել տուաւ, որ
աղօթքը միայն մեր նեղութեանց ժամանակ Աստուծոյ դիմել չէ, այլ լսել է Անոր թելադրութիւնները
ու Անոր հետ երկխօսութեան մէջ մտնել է։ Աղօթքը առիթ է ինքնասրբագրումի եւ զԱստուած
կեդրոնական ներկայութիւն դարձնելու մեր կեանքին մէջ, որպէսզի Անկէ ստանանք մեր կեանքին
ուղղութիւնը։

 

Արդարեւ, Վեհափառ Հայրապետը անդրադարձաւ երեք հիմնական կէտերու՝ ճանչնալ զԱստուած,
մասնակցիլ եկեղեցւոյ կեանքին ու ապրիլ Աստուծմով։ Այս երեքը անհրաժեշտ են մարդ անհատին
քրիստոնէական ամբողջական կեանք մը վարելու, որովհետեւ մենք զԱստուած կը ճանչնանք ո՛չ
միայն երբ մօտ ենք Անոր մեր աղօթքներով, այլ նաեւ մեր գործերով. քրիստոնէութիւնը կեանքի
որակ է ու այդպէս կրնանք ամբողջովին նուիրուիլ Աստուծոյ։ «Մեր հաւաքական ու անհատական
կեանքին մէջ
պէտք է տեղ
տանք մեր
հոգեւոր, բարոյական ու ազգային արժէքներուն, եւ այսպիսով մենք կը դառնանք եկեղեցի, որովհետեւ եկեղեցին քարեղէն կառոյցը չէ,
շէնքը չէ, այլ մենք՝ բոլորս ենք, եզրափակեց Նորին Սրբութիւնը։

 

Հանդիպումին վերջին բաժինով տեղի ունեցաւ կարճ զրոյց մը, որուն ընթացքին ներկաները
իրենց հարցումները ուղղեցին Հայրապետին։ Հանդիպումը իր աւարտին հասաւ աջահամբոյրով
եւ յիշատակի խմբանկարով։


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