11:08,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will meet with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the Munich Security Conference on February 18, according to the US Secretary of State’s
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21:53,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan again suspended the operation of the only gas pipeline from Armenia to Artsakh, ARMENPRESS reports the information headquarters of Artsakh informs.
"In the near future, the gas stations will be provided with a very limited volume of gas, after which their work will also stop. With this kind of behavior, Azerbaijan, by turning on and immediately off the gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh in the cold weather and at night, aims to create problems and emergencies. Please be vigilant and follow safety rules," the statement said.
Grampie in front of his home
My Grampie used to do this thing. Every time we’d leave his house, he would follow us outside. He’d watch as we’d load ourselves into the car along with whatever goodies Grammie was sending home with us. We’d pull out of his driveway, and he’d just stand there waving goodbye. It didn’t matter the weather or if it was terribly late at night. He’d stand out there waving. We’d drive away, and I’d watch out the window as his figure would shrink so small until we were far enough that he was no longer in view. All the while he’d be standing there waving. When I was little, I’d imagine he stayed outside until the moment we stepped into our own home. I’d imagine he knew exactly when we made it, and only then would he go back inside. Only then would he stop saying goodbye.
But that didn’t last forever. I got older, and so did my Grampie. Little by little, he stopped doing his thing. The cold got to his joints, so he wouldn’t stay out as long. He’d disappear back into his house before I could turn to look out the window. Then his shoulder started to bother him, and he couldn’t lift his arm up to wave even from the big bay window at the front of his house. Then he’d fall asleep by the time we were leaving. We’d tiptoe down into his den. The TV was blaring, but he’d be sound asleep on the couch. We’d kiss his cheek and slip out the front door without him stirring. Without him waving at all. Eventually, the house became too much for him to care for. He moved in with us, and I thought he’d no longer ever need to say goodbye.
Grampie’s big bay window
But that’s not true. I lost my Grampie on Thursday, September 15, 2022.
Perhaps all this time, he’s been preparing us for this. He’s shown us that the inevitable can be prolonged. That while our time here seems to have come to an end, we continue seeing each other in our goodbyes.
I see him in the green shed that sits in our backyard. He built it for us when I was little and let me climb up onto its slanted roof with him. He taught me what a carpenter’s pencil was up there. I don’t know why that memory persists.
I see him in my mother’s kitchen. He remodeled the entire room. Broke down walls, built up cabinets, left love in every plank.
Grampie’s office
I see him in a yellow rain slicker. His infamous one still hangs in his closet. Bright and lively. Impossible to miss.
I see him in the keyring hanging near my door. He pieced together the gadget for me. A tiny flashlight fastened onto an even tinier compass. He loved them both, and I like to think he loved me too.
I see him in my nephew. Energetic and curious. Always on the move.
I see him in his moccasin slippers. Tan and comfortable and perfect.
I see him in the pantry of our basement. Cases and cases of Pepsi Cola. His favorite. They must serve it in heaven, right?
I see him in a hammer, a screwdriver, a wrench. There’s nothing he couldn’t fix.
I see him in the gold class ring that sits in my jewelry box. It’s been sliced open from the time he broke his finger while playing wall ball. His finger swelled so much he had to have the ring cut off. An ugly ring, a good story, no?
I see him in a dollop of whipped cream. He loved the stuff, but it had to be homemade, not from the can.
I see him in a lime tub of O’Keefe’s cream. When you spend your whole life using your hands, it’s the only stuff that works.
I see him in a Kia Soul. It’s silly, but he always loved those funny looking cars.
I see him in a crackling fire. He would build the best ones in his fireplace. We’d roast marshmallows and chestnuts every Christmas Eve. I can remember the smell.
I see him in my friends. It felt like he was everyone’s Grampie. Like everyone loved him and like he had enough love to give it all back.
A flower from Grampie’s garden
I see him in a hydrangea bush. He always kept the most beautiful garden full of color and life.
I see him in my sweet cousins. I like to imagine he and his brother reunited someplace anew. Retelling stories and teasing just like they always would.
Grampie with his late brother Marty Sarkisian. The pair hold their great-grandsons Lucas, Alessio and Alexan (left to right)
I see him in a Swiss Army knife. Shiny and compact, he’d pull it out of his pocket and flip open the blade. Open boxes of Frosted Flakes and packages in the mail.
I see him in a pair of blue eyes. His always sparkled with wonder and sincerity and just the right amount of mischief.
I see him in the American flag that hangs in my classroom. He loved his country.
I see him in little white Keds sneakers. He wore them ‘til the very end.
I see him when I close my eyes standing there waving goodbye. And that’s where he’ll stay until he knows I’ve made it home alright. That’s just Grampie’s thing.
You cannot solve problems during geopolitical clashes and rumblings, because everyone's interests are different, and you become a geopolitical "night butterfly," a bargaining chip. Nikol Pashinyan does just that. There are upheavals all over the world. How do you want to build a house of peace in the conditions of such upheavals? How is peace possible in one region, if there are bloody geopolitical wars in other regions of the world? Armen Ashotyan, vice chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia, told NEWS.am.
He noted that there is no talk of peace in any region of the world, the situation has aggravated even in Bosnia, Serbia, Uzbekistan and other places.
"What kind of person should be immoral, so that in the conditions of an earthquake and rumbling, not to run away from the place of disaster, but to build a house on this place?" added the politician.
He reminded that first the announcement of the meeting was about Moscow, then it was changed to Brussels. Yesterday Zakharova stated that the mediating role of the EU is determined by its geopolitical ambitions.
Ashotyan stated that the fact of such meetings becomes a part of the geopolitical collision agenda which cannot be in Armenia's interest since the geopolitical collision in the region is to the detriment of Armenia.
The oppositionist reminded that when the Republican Party was in power, it managed to keep Armenia and the Artsakh issue away from confrontations. The relations between the West and Russia were tense even then, though not to the same extent as now.
"But you can remember the Russian-Georgian war, the tension after the Crimean events, and so on," he concluded.
A powerful explosion has rocked a shopping centre and caused a fire in Armenia's capital, Yerevan.
At least three people died and over 60 were injured in the blast at the Surmalu market, local media reported.
Video shows people running as a massive plume of smoke spreads quickly following the blast.
Watch the video at the link below
It is with deep pain that we follow the tragic consequences of the explosion at Surmalu shopping center, said His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
“We pray from the bottom of our hearts for the peace of the souls of the victims, we ask for comfort and consolation of the Holy Spirit for their families and relatives. We also pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured, wishing them God’s care and support,” the Catholicos said.
“May the Almighty God help and protect our country and people,” he added.
Three people were killed and over 60 were injured as a powerful explosion hit Surmalu market in Yerevan. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 19 people are missing.
The residents of Aghavno and Berdzor settlements of Artsakh, who were given time by the Artsakh authorities to leave their homes by August 25, are packing their belongings these days, but so far no family has left the settlements.
Many have not yet decided where they will move, whether they will move to Artsakh or settle in Armenia. A total of 204 residents will be evacuated from Aghavno; 174 remain in Berdzor, where 2,000 residents lived before the war. Sus village will also come under Azerbaijani control, but there are no residents there now. The residents of Berdzor and Aghavno cannot reconcile themselves to the idea of leaving their homes built by their own hands to the enemy.
"The intention to move to Armenia or to move to Artsakh is mixed, at the moment people do not know what to do, any decision can be changed. The situation is unresolved like everyone else, I haven't thought about it yet, I don't have time, I will make a decision in a calmer state," Berdzor Mayor Narek Aleksanyan told NEWS.am.
A few days ago, Artsakh's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Hayk Khanumyan informed residents that they must liberate Aghavno and Berdzor by August 25. According to the minister, residents will be resettled in housing before they can buy an apartment in Artsakh and Armenia.
"If they are resettled, they will receive a certificate to buy a house, and before receiving the certificate, they will receive rent reimbursement," the minister said.
According to the Berdzor mayor, the Armenian government allocates up to 8 million drams to buy an apartment in Yerevan, 10 million drams in the marzes and 12 million drams in Artsakh.
The opening concert of the Symphonic Yerevan International Music Festival will take place in the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall on August 12. The music lovers will enjoy the performances of Nikolay Poghosyan (bassoon) and Anahit Dilbaryan (piano). The concert program features the works for bassoon and piano by Alexandre Tansman, Paul Hindemith, Henri Dutilleux, Antonio Torriani, and piano preludes of Claude Debussy.
Nikolay Poghosyan says that participating in the Symphonic Yerevan Festival is a prominent event, and the honor of the opening is even more obliging, and they are trying their best to have a pleasant evening.
The musician notes that many works were written for bassoon and piano in different periods. During the evening they will present the works of French, Polish, German and Italian authors of the 20th century. Nikolay Poghosyan says that some of the works have been performed in Armenia by him before, but Antonio Torriani’s Divertimento on themes from Donizetti's "Lucie di Lammermoor" for bassoon and piano will be performed in our country for the first time.
The Symphonic Yerevan International Music Festival is organized by Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC, President Konstantin Ishkhanov).
The festival is being conducted with the support of Yerevan Municipality. The Symphonic Yerevan will present to classical music lovers with 14 concerts. During 14 days an abundant music program will be performed by outstanding musicians. Alexey Shor is the Composer-In-Residence for the festival.
During the government sitting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the situation in and around Nagorno Karabakh, the implementation of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the mandate of the peacekeeping force of the Russian Federation, the new route of the Lachin Corridor and regional peace.
The Prime Minister noted that the presence of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is a key factor in ensuring the security of Artsakh Armenians and “we highly appreciate Russia’s efforts in ensuring security and stability in our region.”
He added, however, that a number of incidents have taken place in the zone of their responsibility since November 2020 and added that “we expect any attempt to cross the line of contact be prevented by the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation.”
PM Pashinyan said “no matter how strong the criticism of the trilateral statement of November 2020, institutions most important for the security of Nagorno Karabakh are enshrined in it.”
“First, it affirms the existence of the entity of Nagorno Karabakh, which Azerbaijan has been trying to deny, stating that Nagorno Karabakh doesn’t exist,” PM Pashinyan said, adding that such statements are a gross violation of the trilateral statement.
Second, the Prime Minister said, it has been recorded that there is a Line of Contact. And third, there is the Lachin corridor that ensures the link between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia.
“In fact, today’s struggle of Azerbaijan is against these three institutions, and we expect, as it is envisaged by the trilateral statement, that the Russian peacekeeping contingent will not enable Azerbaijan to distort these fundamental institutions as recorded by the trilateral statement,” PM Pashinyan said.