Author: Kanayan Tamar

Photo: AFP

 

Magnus Carlsen of Norway has won the World Chess Championship for the third consecutive time after defeating challenger Sergey Karjakin of Russia, the BBC reports.

Carlsen sealed victory following three weeks of play and a series of tiebreakers in New York.

Karjakin tied against Carlsen in 12 regular rounds but was beaten in the final phase of four quickfire games.

Organisers said the event was followed by about six million chess fans around the world.

Hundreds of spectators paid between $100 and $500 to watch the games at a former fish market in Manhattan, separated from the two grandmasters by soundproof glass.

After his victory, Carlsen’s supporters greeted him by cheering and singing “Happy Birthday”, to mark his 26th birthday.

The prize of $1.1m is divided between the two players with the winner taking 60%.

The Armenian side is ready to meet with Azeri counterparts, but will be waiting for development until December, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni in Yerevan.

The Foreign Minister said he will meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council session in Hamburg December 8-9, but did not confirm the meeting with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

“Of course, we are ready to participate in meetings, but everything will depend on the developments before Hamburg, because, as a rule, Azerbaijan aggravates the situation in the conflict zone before meetings, and has now declared about large-scale military actions that will involve the whole potential of the Armed Forces – 60 thousand troops, tanks, missiles, aviation, etc. This is an obvious violation of the Vienna document,” Minister Nalbandian said.

The Foreign Minister described it as a “provocative step” ahead of the Ministerial Council session in Hamburg.  Besides, he said, the intensity of the ceasefire violations by the Azerbaijani side has also increased.

Edward Nalbandian reminded about the numerous statements of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs that the conflict should be solved on the basis of the three principles of international law – non-use of force or the threat of force, the right of peoples to self-determination and territorial integrity. “Any attempt to separate the principles will make the settlement of the conflict impossible. Baku should decide whether it really wants to continue the negotiations in this format. On one hand, they say ready to participate in meetings, on the other hand, they speak against the Co-Chairs’ proposals, which form the basis of settlement,” Minister Nalbandian stated.

Otherwise, he said, the simple participation in becoming an imitation on the part of Azerbaijan. “Vivid examples of this are the meetings in Vienna and St. Petersburg. They participated in the summits, but it gave nothing.”

“Baku has been refusing to call the agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits to life. Moreover, it has been doing the utmost to prevent their implementation. Those who had doubts that Azerbaijan can resort to an abrupt aggravation of the situation, got clear proofs in early April, when Azerbaijan unleashed large-scale military actions,” Minister Nalabndian said.

Enhancing economic connectivity perspectives and the development of Euro-Asian inland transport links were the focus of a two-day expert meeting held by the OSCE Office in Yerevan within the UNECE’s Euro-Asian Transport Links (EATL) project, which ended today in Yerevan.

The event brought together representatives from state institutions, private sector, specialized transport organizations and experts from Armenia, Greece, Iran, Poland, Russia, Singapore, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

They discussed recent developments in infrastructure projects and transit initiatives along Euro-Asian routes, in particular the Silk Road Programme, and the North-South Road Corridor Investment Program. Participants discussed the draft of the UNECE EATL Phase 3 Report which shall serve as a basis for policy co-ordination and action to make the overland Euro-Asian trade transport links operational and commercially attractive. The participants agreed that public-private partnerships and political support are required to boost regional economic growth, stability and security through improving existing legal agreements, simplifying procedures and eliminating redundant and restrictive rules.

“The OSCE recognizes the significance of the Euro-Asian Transport Links project for the economic connectivity and social stability of the region,” noted David Gullette, Acting Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Miroslav Jovanovic from the UNECE’s Sustainable Transport Division said that “The UNECE intends to contribute to the economic development in Europe and Asia by easing transport and trade links and making them more commercially viable.”

Zukhra Bektepova, Economic Affairs Officer at the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) stressed that enhancing harmonization and predictability of transport and customs procedures and regulations requires not only technical know-how but also political will and co-operation.

Artak Zakaryan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of Armenia emphasized the significance of regional economic integration where “improvement and development of effective Euro-Asian transport and efficient logistics chains are vitally important.”

The expert meeting was supported by the OCEEA and the UNECE.

The OSCE has been providing political and practical help to the UNECE’s Euro-Asian Transport Links since 2006.

Today, at the Meridian exhibition center in Yerevan President Serzh Sargsyan was present at the Conference of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), which along with over 80 participants – representatives of the jewellery making and precious metal processing area from 25 countries of the world was also attended by the President of CIBJO Gaetano Cavalieri. The President of Armenia addressed the participants of the Conference.

Remarks by President Serzh Sargsyan at the Conference of the World Jewellery Confederation

Distinguished Mr. Cavalieri,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to greet you warmly and welcome to the Republic of Armenia. We are delighted to host a conference of the unique world parliament which regulates your area – the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO). We attach great importance to the convening of the Conference in our country.

Armenia and Armenians spread all over the world have made a great contribution to the development of jewellery and stone processing and have obtained their constant place in the chronology of the industry. Successful works of the Armenian jewellers, their activities in different countries of the world gave a boost to the entire industry; they established jewellery production and jewellery stores in New York and Paris, Moscow and London, Constantinople and Beirut, Cairo and many other places. They have created brilliant jewellery pieces, thrones and crowns decorated with precious stones, lavishly adorned decorations and goblets.

Today in Armenia we are conducting consistent works aimed at the development of jewellery making and stone processing industry. We have proclaimed that area one of the priorities, a strategic area of our economy. It is also symbolic that for years now, in Armenia we celebrate the National Day of Jewellers; there is also a street in Yerevan named Jewellers’ Street which brings you here, to the Meridian jewellery economic zone. This was initiated by the one of the most enthusiastic individuals in your area, my advisor and the President of the World Association of the Armenian Jewellers Gagik Gevorkian.

Besides being a production complex, Meridian is a huge exhibition center which is hosting the Yerevan Show international jewellery exhibition for the sixth time. The last one was conducted under the auspices of the President of Armenia. It stressed the importance the state is attaching to the development of the jewellery industry, development and expansion of international cooperation in that area, of the mutually beneficial exchange of experience, new ideas, and establishment of professional and trade relations. The state will continue to encourage the activities in this zone.

We are glad that the Armenian Jewellers Association (AJA) has its active involvement and its worthy place in the multinational family of the jewellers.

Now, I would like to address the President of CIBJO.

Mr. Cavalieri,

We highly value your contribution to the organization, regulation, and development of the Industry. Your and the CIBJO’s efforts aimed at the dissemination and propagation of the traditions and outstanding achievements of the Armenian jewellers are commendable.

With this in mind, I have signed a decree on awarding you and now will execute that pleasant duty. I am hopeful that the activities of your organization in general and cooperation with the Armenian jewellers in particular will register new achievements in the visible future.

Dear Friends,

I wish efficient work to the Conference, great success to its participants, and new accomplishments to the CIBJO.

And now allow me to proceed with the award ceremony.

At the conclusion of his remarks, President Serzh Sargsyan awarded the President of the CIBJO Gaetano Cavalieri with the Medal of Gratitude for the activities of the World Jewellery Confederation in the Republic of Armenia, as well as for the proper presentation to the world of the Armenian jewellery and stone processing traditions.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov. The Prime Minister first referred to the road accident involving a passenger bus en route from Moscow to Yerevan that left 5 killed and many injured.

Expressing his deep concern over the accident, the Prime Minister said he had already instructed the heads of relevant bodies to assess the situation on the ground and take necessary measures. He expressed gratitude to the Russian party for rapid response and for the immediate assistance.

On behalf of the Russian Government, Maxim Sokolov expressed condolences to the families of the victims and presented the details of the situation and the ongoing work. He assured that the Russian party was doing the utmost to provide necessary medical and psychological assistance to those injured. He said the Deputy Transport Minister of Russia was at the site of the crash to reveal the circumstances of the accident.

The interlocutors then discussed the Armenian-Russian relations and the perspectives of their development. The parties attached importance to the expansion of cooperation and implementation of programs in the fields of agriculture, tourism, energy, IT, transport infrastructures.  In this respect they emphasized the activity of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, which is expected to hold its next sitting in Yerevan in 2017.

Karen Karapetyan and Maxim Sokolov discussed issues related to infrastructure programs of regional importance, which will contribute to the restoration and development of transit communication routes.

 Horizon Weekly – On Monday, September 19 2016, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) hosted a Reception on Parliament Hill, where over 50 Ministers, Members of Parliament, Senators and staff gathered to celebrate this milestone.

 During the event, following opening remarks delivered by the ANCC, MP Harold Albrecht (Former Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group), MP Arnold Chan (Current Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group), MP Alexandre Boulerice (Vice Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group) and His Excellency Armen Yeganian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Canada offered their congratulatory messages.

Ambassador Yeganian’s speech is provided below:

Honorable members of Parliament,
Distinguished guests,

I am delighted to stand before you, within the grand walls of Parliament. First, I would like to thank Members of Parliament, especially those who are or have been the members of the Canadian-Armenian Parliamentary Friendship Group, for many years of mutual cooperation. Armenia pays great importance to the development and deepening of friendly relations with Canada. Together, we are strengthening relations between our two countries.

The cooperation of our respective parliaments within the framework of international organizations is ongoing and increasing. We work together closely within the International Organization of La Francophonie. I have to say that over the course of last 5 years we have had an unprecedented number of mutual visits on the level of parliamentary delegations. Jim Karygiannis and Stephane Dion visited Armenia and Artsakh, two parliamentary secretaries Deepak Obhrai and Chungsen Leung led the delegation that participated at our President’s inauguration, Jason Kenney in his capacity as Multiculturalism Minister visited Armenia in 2014 and last year we had Chris Alexander heading delegation for Centennial events and Christian Paradis participating at Francophone Ministers’ summit in Yerevan. Similarly we had number of Armenian MPs and Ministers paying visits to Canada.

The sincere attitude of Canada towards the Armenian people was displayed through the number of resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide, an approach, which was reaffirmed in 2015. In doing so, Canada emphasized its commitment to stand against injustice and crimes against humanity, and demonstrated its commitment to ensure such crimes perpetrated against mankind, will always be condemned and prevented.

We understand and respect Canadian government’s balanced position on the issue of conflict resolution in Artsakh, Nagorno-Karabakh.

Dear guests,

Armenia marked the 98th Anniversary of the establishment of its First Republic in May of this year, and I congratulate all of us on that occasion.

For us, this is the day to reflect on what our people were able to save and protect. In establishing the First Republic, we saved the last piece of our birthplace and the last remnants of our nation. It was a difficult matter to accept, but it was the reality. The bleeding Armenian nation, on the verge of annihilation, just three years after 1915 was able to stand up to the enemy, to prevail, and throw the enemy back. Many consider the heroic battles of May and their victorious outcome a miracle. We prevailed, we survived, and we finally liberated ourselves after 600 years of torture. Our independence and our statehood were not a gift to us. We paid the highest price possible. We did it alone; moreover, we did it against all odds.

At the same time, we mark the 25th Anniversary of Armenia’s Independence exactly in two days. The Armenian people’s thousand year long march has filled each page of our history books with countless memories, has filled it with tears of joy, pain of loss; it has filled it with resolve to rise in the face of adversary and struggle against injustice; it has filled it with the prayers of hopeless nights and promising victories that come with the first rays of sunlight as dawn breaks. Our people perfectly recollect every single page of our history, a history of their struggle. They remember those who have fallen as we advance on our age-old path and celebrate each day of our victorious unity. 25 years ago a new page was written in gold; inscribed in our history book. On September 21, 1991, an entire nation stood and unanimously announced to the world that they assume anew the burden, responsibility, and honor of mastering their own destiny. And every year, as we look ahead we vow that we are the guarantors of calm mornings for our children and peaceful sunsets for our parents, it is us, the united Armenian People.

The tongue we speak is Armenian, in which we prayed at the dawn of civilization and which can be heard today at the different corners of the world. It can be heard thanks to the absolute unity demonstrated by our people 25 years ago. That unity has not only granted us independence, but has also given us the power to fight and the spirit to create over the course of two and a half decades. The State, the Army, the market economy and civil society have been the institutions that we established as our unambiguous response to the chance given to us by time and challenges imposed upon us.

Dear friends,

September 21st marks revival of our people that survived the first genocide of the 20th century – one of the gratest crimes against humanity.

Yes, our history book is also filled with lines fraught with our people’s blood. We remember those lines very well. We will continue to remember it as long as the blood of our ancestors martyred by the Ottoman Empire’s sword in Van, Mush, Trabzon, Yerznka, Marash, Sebastia, Erzurum and Kharberd has not frozen in our veins. We distinguish ourselves by doing everything possible so that never again shall our people face the danger of annihilation. We hold dearly in our hearts the belief that in a world full of contradictions and dangers, the only true guarantor of the Armenian people is a sovereign and independent Armenian state. We know, beyond doubt, that people are the only source of power. We have confidence that unity will prevail when we arrive at decisive turns and monumental challenges as we march forward in time, writing our history book.

September 21 is the symbol of our faith, our convictions and our confidence. Once again congratulations on Independence Day!

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

By Harut Sassounian
The California Courier

A recently published book “Remembering for the Future: Armenia, Auschwitz, and Beyond,” edited by Michael Berenbaum, Richard Libowitz, and Marcia Sachs Littell, is a collection of scholarly papers delivered at a conference held at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, March 8-11, 2014.

In his paper, “The Armenian Genocide as Jihad,” Prof. Richard Rubenstein attributes the Armenian mass killings to Islamic fanaticism against Christians. This is an often misunderstood topic even by Armenians who proudly proclaim that they were the first nation to adopt Christianity as state religion in 301 A.D. There is a whole folklore based on the misconception that Armenians were martyred because of their faith and refusal to convert to Islam. Given the current anti-Islamic fervor in the United States and elsewhere, some people are misled by these false claims.

Prof. Rubenstein starts his paper on the wrong footing when he describes a gruesome scene from “Ravished Armenia,” a 1919 Hollywood silent film which showed several naked Armenian women nailed to wooden crosses. Believing that “the Turks” intended to send a particular anti-Armenian and anti-Christian message with such horrifying images, Prof. Rubenstein mistakenly claims that the movie “could not have been filmed without the involvement and consent of Turkish authorities.”

Prof. Rubenstein bases his assumptions of the religious motive behind the Armenian Genocide on the fact that “the Ottoman Empire was governed as a theocratic state at the apex of which stood the Sultan, both the supreme head of state and, for Sunni Muslims, the Caliph and, as such, the successor to the Prophet and supreme protector of Islam.”

The Professor insists on stipulating a religious causal factor for the Armenian Genocide, even after quoting from the eminent scholar Dr. Vahakn Dadrian, who contradicts him. According to Dadrian, the members of the Committee of Union and Progress or Ittihad who gained power in 1908 and masterminded the Armenian Genocide, were not “followers of the tenets of Islam…. While the Ittihad continued to run the State largely as a theocracy, its leaders were personally atheists and agnostics.” It is difficult to believe that a devout Muslim would murder a single human being, let alone millions!

Dr. Rubenstein emphasizes the central role of Islam in the Turkish mass killings of Armenians, even though he acknowledges that “[Ronald] Suny and other scholars have argued that the predominant motive for the murderous homogenization project was nationalism and there is no doubt that radical nationalism played a part.” Rubenstein dismisses the issue of Pan-Turkish nationalism, arguing that “the most important motivation for the monumental ‘ethnic cleansing’ projects was religious and specifically a consequence of the unchanging nature of certain aspects of Islam.”

To demonstrate that religion was a major determinant in the Turkish leaders’ designs, Prof. Rubenstein states: “on November 2, 1914, the Ottoman Empire declared war on the Entente powers, Britain, France, Russia, and their allies. OnNovember 13, the Ottoman Sultan, in his capacity as Caliph, issued an appeal for jihad. The next day, Mustafa Hayri Bey, the Sheikh-ul-Islam, and as such the chief Sunni religious authority in the Ottoman world, issued a formal (and inflammatory) declaration of jihad ‘against infidels and enemies of Islam.’ Jihad pamphlets in Arabic were also distributed in mosques throughout the Muslim world that offered a detailed plan of operations for the assassination and extermination of all ‘unbelievers’ except those of German nationality, the Empire’s wartime ally. Killing squads and their leaders were ‘motivated by both the ideology of jihad and Pan-Turkism influenced by European nationalism.’ While the practical influence of the jihad on the masses was limited, ‘it later facilitated the government’s program of genocide against the Armenians.’”

Prof. Rubenstein misses the point that religious fervor, rather than being the cause of the Armenian Genocide, was exploited to inflame the passions of the fanatical Turkish mobs in order to provoke them against the Armenians.

Instead of religion, the primary motivation for the destruction of Armenians was their removal as an impediment to Turkification and an obstacle to the Turkish leaders’ grand scheme of establishing a Pan-Turanist empire reaching Central Asia. Even though they were Muslims, a large number of Kurds were also killed, simply because they were not Turks!

Christian Armenians had no conflict with devout Muslims and their faith. In fact, large numbers of survivors of the Armenian Genocide were sheltered by Muslims in, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. Armenians remember well The Sharif of Mecca, Al-Husayn ibn Ali, who issued an edict in 1917 ordering Muslims to defend Armenian survivors of the Genocide, as they would defend their own families.

The Young Turks’ plan to eliminate Armenians from Ottoman Turkey was motivated by Pan-Turkish fanatical nationalism rather than Pan-Islamic fervor!

During the first sitting week of the 45^th Parliament, Tim Wilson, the new Member for Goldstein and former Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) acknowledged his Armenian heritage when he delivered his maiden speech in the House of Representatives, the Armenian National Committee of Australia reports.

Wilson rose to political fame in Australia as an outspoken believer of true liberalism and has advocated for maximum “freedoms” as a think tank director and as Human Rights Commissioner in the past, and he pledged to do the same in Federal Parliament.

Wilson’s wide-ranging maiden speech touched on his upbringing and family tree, as these speeches often tend to do. He referred to the bloodied past of his mother’s father, who had to endure and survive the Armenian Genocide, which was a source of inspiration for Wilson.

He said: “My maternal Grandpa left behind the genocide of his people. I never met him. He died before I was born. But I still see him everyday when I look into the mirror and into his dark and recessed Armenian eyes.”

Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) Executive Administrator, Arin Markarian said: “We congratulate Mr. Wilson on his fantastic maiden speech as he enters public office. It is also encouraging to see Mr. Wilson seek inspiration from his family’s history, mentioning his grandfather who survived the Armenian Genocide.”

Mr. Wilson was elected to his seat, taking over from former Minister for Trade and Investment, the Hon. Andrew Robb.

President Serzh Sargsyan attended today the opening ceremony of the totally renovated P. Tchaikovsky Secondary Musical School. The President of Armenia accompanied by the Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghossian, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margarian, representatives of the Hayastan Fund and the School toured the premise, familiarized with the conditions, conversed with the teaching staff and schoolchildren after which at the newly renovated hall was present at the performance of the talented children – laureates of the Armenian and international competitions.

After the conclusion of the large-scale works carried out through the funding of the Hayastan Fund’s US East Coast local bodies, on the occasion of the opening statements were made by the Headmaster of the School Martun Kostandian, Executive Director of the Hayastan Fund Ara Vardanian and the Chairman of the Fund’s East Coast chapter Khoren Bandazian who noted with satisfaction that the renovation has elevated the School’s status to a new level and now there exists the opportunity to organize schooling of the gifted and talented children from the distant regions of Armenia, Artsakh, and abroad, to improve the learning process and achieve new results. Currently, there are over 600 children studying at the School who along with the high-level musical education acquire here also general education.

 

 

 

The issue of implementation of common currency is not on the agenda of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Eurasian Economic Commission Timur Suleymanov told reporters in Yerevan today.

“Implementation of the common currency is not being considered on any EEC platform, because neither the Agreement on EEU, nor other documents make mention to the issue,” Suleymanov said on the sidelines of the sitting of the Consultative Committee for Entrepreneurship.

He added that the banks should harmonize their monetary policy. He also stressed the need to exclude any restrictions in mutual trade, and ensure access to a common market.