Author: Kanayan Tamar

COVID-19: Armenia records highest number of new cases – 374

 11:11,

YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in one day in Armenia – 374. The total cumulative number of confirmed cases has reached 6302.

62 people recovered in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2936.

3 patients – aged 74, 86 and 54 – died from COVID-19 complications, raising the death toll to 77. All of the latest fatalities had pre-existing health conditions, according to health authorities.

Another 4 people infected with the virus died – bringing the number of fatalities unrelated to the COVID-19 to 32. Health authorities say these 32 individuals who were infected with the coronavirus died because of other pre-existing conditions.

The number of active cases stands at 3257.

Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 22:58,

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. Today, on May 19, the Greeks honor the memory of the victims of the genocide against the Pontic Greeks by the Ottoman Empire and its successor the Republic of Turkey in the period of 1916-1922.

Simultaneous to the Armenian Genocide the Turkish government launched a campaign of eliminating other non-Muslim ethnicity living in the country. By the way, witnessing the massacres and mass deportations of the Armenian people, the Pontic Greeks started forming the first guerrilla groups for self-defense. Turkish anti-Christian campaign continued during the upcoming years as well. According to various estimates, 300-350 Greeks were killed in Pontus as a result of the Turkish policy, while a small number of survivors found shelter in Greece and other parts of the world.

Everybody has heard about the Smyrna Massacre, and the policy against the non-Muslims in 1940s. Relying on previous experience, the Turks formed labor battalions for eliminating the Greeks. They also launched the large-scale operation of assimilation. In 1953-55 the Turkish government carried out massacres of Greeks in Imbros, Tenedos and Istanbul.

Istanbul pogroms of Greeks in September 1955 were another demonstration of anti-Greek policy, after which the Greeks started to abandon ancient Byzantine capital. The Cyprus invasion of 1974 and the massacres following it once again showed that the Turks do not tolerate any kind of Greek presence.

At the same time it shoud be noted that these Turkish acts, like in the case of the Armenian Genocide, never recieved adequate international reaction. In 1994 the parliament of Greece declared May 19, the day when Kemal Atatürk landed in Samsounda city, the Greek-Pontic Genocide Remembrance Day.

Simultaneous to the debates on criminalization of the Armenian Genocide denial, the launch of the campaign for the international recognition of the massacres of Greeks was extremely unwanted for Turks. The activities of the Greek authorities in that direction have always been reacted nervously.

24 years ago, on April 25 1996, the issue of the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide entered the agenda of the Greek parliament  with the formulation of declaring April 24 the day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. It was mentioned during the debates that the Armenian Genocide ''was one of the 1st steps taken in the direction of pan-Turkism and pan-Turanianism. The genocide and elimination of the Hellenic element of Pontus was followed by the elimination of the Greek element in Constantinople, Imbros, Tendos, the criminal invasion of Cyprus and its barbaric conquest, and today the elimination of the Kurds, Turkey's threats against its neighbors and the usurpation of lands''.

I published an article in ''Yerkir'' weekly in 2006, saying ''Armenia should be one of the 1st to adopt a legal document adequately condemning the Greek massacres… In general, Armenia should be the initiator of recognitions and condemnations of genocides at international arenas, since crimes against humanity are issues touching each member of the international community and the indifference stemming from some political calculations, which Armenia has been facing in terms of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, should never become part of Armenia's official policy''.

On March 24, 2015 Armenia officially recognized the genocide of Pontic Greeks. The joint efforts against the Turkish denialism is important, and it's important first of all for the Turkish society, since only justice can set free from the chains of the past.

Years ago, during the debates on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide the late Prime Minister of Greece Stefanos Stefanopoulos said, ''The unfortunate Jewish people had the luck to see Willy Brandt on his kneels at one of the concentration camps, I think in Auschwitz, publicly apologizing from the international community and humanity. Is there anyone here or across the world that can believe that Demirel or any other Turkish president or prime minister can ever kneel down for the same reason on the banks of the Euphrates, in the gorges of Erzurum or Kharberd and apologise from the humanity for the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians, given the fact that Turkey pre-occupied with its nationalistic and chauvinistic delirium, distorting the history and mocking the victims of its own policy, raised a monument dedicated to the memory of Turks slaughtered by Armenians''.

And today this rhetoric question is still relevant not only for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, but also for the Pontic Genocide.

Postscriptum

During the debates on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide one of the Greek parliamentarians said, ''The 1st court against genocide took place in 405 B.C. It was the trial of Lampsacus one year before the end of the Peloponnesian War. At that time the Athenians had declared that if the Spartans and their allies are defeated, they will cut off the right hand of each of their enemies, and moreover, a week before they had drowned in Aegean Sea, the allies of the Spartans –  Corinthians and the population of Andros. But when following the defeat of the Athenian navy Athenian Admiral Philocles was arrested, Lysander asked him what punishment he thinks he deserve, Philocles answered, ''Deal out the exact same punishment you would have suffered had you been defeated''.

This was the 1st Nuremberg iin the history of humanity…

Written by ARMENPRESS Director Aram Ananyan, translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

 15:32,

STEPANAKERT, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. President-elect of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan has revealed some of his picks for his upcoming government.

Harutyunyan said his Chief of Staff will be Karen Danielyan. Lusine Gharakhanyan will be appointed Minister of Education, Science and Sport.

Aram Sargsyan will serve as Minister of Urban Development.

He said that his Free Fatherland Alliance has held a meeting and decided to select Artur Tovmasyan as candidate for Speaker of Parliament.

The bloc’s parliamentary faction will be led by Artur Harutyunyan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:59,

During this period, in case of non-fulfillment or partial fulfillment of the regular loan repayments, the loan will not be classified, will not be considered overdue, penalties, fines will not be applied, the credit history will not suffer.

Afterthe 1^st of June, the package support announced by the Bank on the 2^nd of April will be still operated. In particular։

• After the end of the credit vacation, new credit schedules will be made so that physical entity customers will receive a grace period for the principal amount for the following 3 months, this means they will make only interest payments.
• Those obligationsnot fulfilledstarting from March 17, will be distributed over the whole period following the loan repayment. In case of unsecured and non-guaranteed loans, the Bank will automatically extend the loan repayment period by 12 months.

For legal entities, the Bank takes an individual approach.

All the terms and conditions of the credit vacation provided by IDBank are available here.

At the same time, we encourage you to make payments remotely as far as it is possible, via IDBanking.am online platform, Idram application, as well as through IDBanking 24/7 zones, making use of more than 300 other services.

Make payments without endangering your health.

THE BANK IS CONTROLLED BY THE CBA

 10:54, 7 May, 2020

STEPANAKERT, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS. In connection with the Victory Holiday, the 28th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army and the Liberation of Shoushi, President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan signed a number of decrees, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

A group of Defense Army servicemen and veterans of the Artsakh Liberation Fight were awarded with high state awards for bravery and courage shown during the battles for the defense of the Homeland and substantial contribution to the defense of the Motherland.

For active and fruitful work, significant contribution to ensuring the development and security of the Artsakh Republic, a group of devotees of the state system and various spheres were awarded with high state awards and titles.

 12:14, 1 May, 2020

YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian addressed a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Labor Day, the President’s Office told Armenpress.

The message says:

“Dear compatriots,

Today is Labor Day.

This year it is being celebrated under the emergency situation, for some – medical personnel, taxi and ambulance drivers, policemen, rescuers, and their colleagues – in a non-stop working regime. First of all, I would like to congratulate, to express gratitude and send congratulations to the people working in the mentioned areas, especially to doctors and other medical workers for whom hospitals have become homes and families. They deserve the greatest commendation, also special attitude and praise from the state.

I also thank all those individuals who work these days on a tight schedule with no complains. They understand that their extra efforts can save a life, bring bread to our families, uphold the security of the country and our citizens.

Dear Compatriots,

Because of the coronavirus pandemic some of you have temporarily been out of job, some lost their jobs, the only means of their daily living. I understand the situation your families are going through and I share your concerns. I also understand what it means to be out of job in this situation. I know that many of you at this time are looking for a rescue buoy. There is a need for assistance, there is also a need to hold each other’s hand tight, because we cannot move forward without helping each other, especially in the emergency situation. All of you are hard workers, work loving people. And it doesn’t matter where you are because of this emergency situation – on a construction site, surgery room, working on your thesis, in a service, or waiting for a call from your employer.

Today serious social problems exist even in the most developed and wealthy countries. We are in a difficult situation too. On one hand, the pandemic and its consequences, on the other, financial and economic problems, and also social and human problems. In any case, we all and primarily the state, have things to do.

The solution of the problem is in the state-employer-employee triangle which should become a solid entity. But first and foremost the solution is in responsibility, discipline, vigilance, and care for the working people so that we are able to defeat the pandemic as soon as possible and return to our normal lives.

We are used to overcoming difficulties, and today too, we have to do it together. Overcoming is work too, which cannot be done unilaterally.

Be strong and be resolute.

Health, fortitude and tenacity to your mind, body, and soul.

All the best to you and your families”.