Author: Kanayan Tamar

 10:30, 29 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. The plastic bag ban failed to give the desired results, businesses and government officials concurred.

Several major retailing shops told ARMENPRESS that they haven’t recorded any drastic decrease in the demand for plastic bags, despite charging the customers for them. However, some customers began using alternatives such as paper or cloth bags. There are even some who use plastic bags several times. However, all supermarket chains surveyed said that the number of customers preferring the alternative to plastic bags is small.

The ban on plastic bags (up to 50 microns) entered force January 1 in Armenia, a move initiated by the government to reduce harming the environment. The ban does not cover the plastic food packing bags used for weighing.

Eco Waste environmental organization Director Hripsime Mkrtchyan said it is too early for studies. She noted that the plastic food packing bags used for weighing are still in circulation and are used in very large quantities. Mkrtchyan says the picture is worse in the provinces, where businesses haven’t abandoned the plastic bags claiming they were unaware.

“I can confidently say that the right steps weren’t taken before adopting the law. No work was done with respective structures, they say they’ve notified, but this isn’t enough. At this moment I can say that the process is somewhat taking shape but this doesn’t mean that plastic waste will be reduced. Not at all, it will grow, because people are simply again buying the thicker plastic bags which are allowed,” Mkrtchyan said.

The Ministry of Environment, however, says that there is a drop of industrial volumes, in additional to some small producers of plastic bags that have shut down operations.

“But, of course, I agree that we didn’t get the result which we were expecting. There is a little lack of supervision here, but I have to note that we regularly work with the supervising bodies. If we ramp up the supervision I think the meaning of the law will be justified,” the Ministry of Environment Head of the Department of Strategic Policy Lusine Avetisyan said.

Asked to explain the reason of banning plastic bags thinner than 50 microns but allowing the use of 50 microns or more for which customers must pay in supermarkets, Avetisyan said the thick plastic bags are easier to be collected in waste disposal sites and then submitted for reprocessing.

Avetisyan said they will conduct inspections and surveys after the first quarter of 2022.

Gayane Gaboyan

 15:51,

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Zbigniew Rau in Baku.

“This is a good opportunity to discuss the important issues on our agenda. Of course, as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, you and I will discuss the post-conflict situation in the region. At the same time, the bilateral agenda between Poland and Azerbaijan is very extensive. As you may know, we recently had a telephone conversation with President Andrzej Duda. I have very good memories of my meetings with the President in Warsaw, Baku and Davos. You are aware that we are in regular contact and the relations between our countries are a good demonstration of a strong partnership between us.

We are also grateful to Poland for its continuous support in matters of cooperation with the European Union. This process is now in full swing, and the European Union has already announced that a new meeting between the Armenian prime minister and myself will be organized by President Charles Michel. I do hope that this meeting will be productive, because there have already been several meetings and we must move towards peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia and sign a peace agreement as soon as possible. In our view, Azerbaijan has laid out the main principles of this agreement,” the Azerbaijani AZERTAC State News Agency quoted President Aliyev as saying at the meeting.

President Aliyev again falsely claimed that “the conflict has already been resolved.”

“….and now is the time to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We are receiving certain messages from Armenian officials. As I was recently informed that one of these messages is that they consider our proposal acceptable. This is very good news, and I hope that this issue will be clarified at the meeting in Brussels.

The five principles we have initiated reflect the norms of international law and good international conduct. We are not inventing a bicycle here, so to speak. All these principles are the fundamental principles of interstate relations between any countries. Reciprocal recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of international borders, and then the delimitation of borders – I think that peace will come to the Caucasus on this basis. We want it. We are seeing the potential for active cooperation amongst the three countries of the South Caucasus, and I think that this will be important not only for these countries but also for the wider region. Of course, all these issues need to be addressed very carefully and in a timely manner,” Aliyev added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier said that there is nothing unacceptable for Armenia in the 5-point proposals for peace talks handed over by Azerbaijan, and that Yerevan has responded to Baku.

 The OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau is expected to arrive to Armenia on March 31.

 19:00,

YEREVAN, 31 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Giulio Centemero referred to the issue of depriving the population of Nagorno-Karabakh of gas, violation of the trilateral statement, called to restart peaceful negotiations of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, ARMENPRESS reports, the Embassy of Armenia in Italy informs.

Centemero informed that cases of violation of the ceasefire of November 9, 2020 took place, which resulted in victims and wounded.

“Currently we face a very serious humanitarian crisis, from which the population of Nagorno-Karabakh suffers because of the damage of the only pipeline transferring gas, who remained without gas for nearly a month. It is necessary to constructively restart peaceful negotiations and refuse the violent way”, member of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy emphasized.

He also called on to stop the violence, restart peaceful negotiations on his Twitter page.

The authorities of Artsakh said that the main pipeline supplying gas from Armenia to Artsakh was damaged on March 7 and the supply stopped. The Artsakh authorities had said the area where the damage occurred was in Azerbaijani-controlled territory. It was reported that the Azerbaijani military deliberately damaged the pipeline. The Azerbaijani authorities obstructed repair works for days. Only on March 16 the authorities in Artsakh announced that the Azerbaijani side itself began the repair work. However, days later, the gas supply was cut again. Authorities said they have reasons to believe that during the repairs the Azeri authorities installed a valve on the pipeline in order to shut it down whenever they want. On March 28 it was again restored.

 11:45, 24 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. “RASAMANJARI”, which means Spring Blossom- a Gala Live In Concert will take place on March 31, at 19:00 in the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall. The concert bearing the symbol of colourful spring will become a reality at the initiative of the Indian Embassy in Armenia, Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO and Indian Cultural Centre Armenia.

The featured artist of the evening is the internationally acclaimed Australian-Armenian musician Peter Davidian, whose roots are from Kolkata, India, but he lives in Australia. Peter's family moved to India from Iran, and so he was inspired to learn the Sitar, which he has mastered in the course of time. 

Here is a small interview with Peter about his career and future plans:

1. How did you start your musical career ? Tell us about your journey as a musician.

I have studied music from the early age of 8, in formal lessons for melody and rhythm. I am proficient for Sitar, Guitar, Harmonium, Drumkit(Jazz etc), Darabuka and Tabla. First semi professional performance was at 12 years old and has continued for more than 50 years. I had intensive studies with Indian music professor Ustad Ghulam Qadir Khan of the Jaipur Gharana(school) throughout the 1980s for Sitar and Indian music theory.

I have been involved in numerous musical projects and events over the years. From Sitar recitals, world music projects, film soundtracks, studio recordings and education. I am also a composer with over 10 albums of recordings featuring Sitar, Indian, Armenian and western musical genres. Most recent albums are ‘Instrumentalism’, ‘Artsakh’ and ‘The Armenia Suite’.

2. What do you like most in Armenia?

Armenia is my motherland and as a result of diaspora I am the first to return in 3 generations, from Australia.  My family’s ancestors were from Julfa, Nachijevan until early 17th century. Then to New Julfa, Isfahan, Iran, where my grandparents were born. They, like many from New Julfa, went to India. Subsequently moving to Indonesia and then to Australia after 2nd World War in 1946.

I like so many things in Armenia. The very welcoming people, the food, the beautiful mountain landscapes, the ancient churches and monasteries, the music and dance. The art, the culture. From the first time I arrived in January 2019 I felt that I had returned home at last.

3. Has Armenian music impacted you as a musician?

Yes, definitely. The melodic structures, the rhythmic cycles, the scales used. The instruments that touch my heart immediately upon hearing. The works of Komitas, Sayat Nova, Khatchaturian and all the current superb instrumentalists and composers. 

4. Tell us about your future plans.

To continue to strive to master the Sitar and further develop my understanding of Armenian and Indian music systems. As my great grand uncle was an Ashugh musician travelling from Isfahan/New Julfa I feel the music is deep in our family’s roots. There are many musicians in the younger generation of our large family in Australia.

I hope to return to Armenia on a yearly basis to continue the musical collaborations, that have now been established.  It would be wonderful to take these musical collaborations to the rest of the world, if possible.

5. Who do you look up to in music?

For Sitar the 3 masters of 20th Century, Vilayat Khan, Nikhil Banerjee and of course Ravi Shankar.

Current living sitar master Shahid Parvez Khan is also a great inspiration.  I also admire the great musicians and composers of the Jazz and Classical genres.

6. What is unique about sitar?

Sitar is a medieval period instrument that was designed by Amir Khusroo. He took the Persian Setar, Caucasian Tar and the Indian Veena and blended them into a new design with resonating strings under the main playing strings. With raised curved fretboard the player can perform many different embellishment techniques to emulate the human voice. It’s resonant vibrating tone is quite hypnotic to both player and listener and is equally suited to slow meditative playing up to very fast Melodic structured improvisation.

Sitar has established itself as a preeminent instrument of North Indian, Hindustani, classical music.

7. Tell us about the upcoming concert.

The upcoming concert is part of the Indo Armenian Friendship NGO activities in Yerevan and Armenia. It will be a major event of Armenian and Indian music, song and dance. To be held on 31 March, from 7pm, at the Arno Babajayan Concert Hall on Abovyan St. Yerevan. I will be performing solo Sitar recital, duets with Indian Classical vocals, another duet with Armenian Bhul flute, and an ensemble, performing my ‘Armenia Suite’ compositions for Sitar, wind and traditional percussion.

 15:43, 24 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS.  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is set to extend his term as head of the alliance by another year due to the war in Ukraine, Norwegian broadcaster TV2 reported citing unnamed sources.

Any extension needs to be agreed by all 30 NATO members at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.

 12:35,

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. On March 24, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, grossly violating the ceasefire regime, crossed the Line of Contact with the Republic of Artsakh and invaded the village of Parukh in the Askeran region of Artsakh. The adversary has undertaken provocations also in the direction of the settlement of Khramort of the same region, the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh said in a statement released today.

“Moreover, on the night of March 25, Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on the units of the Artsakh Defense Army, using both firearms of different calibers and attacking drones (UCAV).

The above actions are the logical continuation of the recent terrorist campaign initiated by the Azerbaijani authorities, which manifests itself in the exertion of psychological pressure on the civilian population, periodic violations of the ceasefire regime, disruption of the operation of the only gas pipeline feeding Artsakh, resulting in a dire humanitarian situation in the Republic of Artsakh.

All these actions carried out by Azerbaijan are nothing but a state-orchestrated policy of ethnic cleansing aimed at the complete eviction of Armenians from Artsakh.

Azerbaijan's geopolitical goals are obvious: to intimidate the people of Artsakh, to strike at the Russian peacekeeping mission, to make the Transcaucasus a platform of pan-Turkism and extremism for the implementation of far-fetching programs in the future.

The international community and specialized international organizations should assess Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy in the strictest terms. Indifference and inaction will have the most severe consequences for the entire civilized world.

The people of Artsakh continue to stand firmly on their land. They will never give up their homeland and will never retreat to the vileness and insidious tricks of the enemy”, the statement says.

 15:16,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov on March 21.

Mirzoyan and Lavrov discussed issues related to the Armenian-Russian cooperation, mutual-visits on the high and highest levels and the events dedicated to the 30^th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Russia, the foreign ministry said in a readout of the call.

The FMs addressed the course of implementation of the agreements reached under the trilateral statements of 2020 November 9, 2021 January 11 and 2021 November 26.

The Armenian FM presented the situation created as a result of Azerbaijani provocations and ceasefire violations in the Armenia-Azerbaijan borderzone and in Nagorno Karabakh.

FM Mirzoyan also presented to FM Lavrov Armenia’s stance regarding launching the negotiations around a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan and in this context attached importance to the role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The normalization process of the Armenia-Turkey relations was also discussed.

Mirzoyan and Lavrov also exchanged views on issues related to regional and international security.

CIVILNET.AM