Author: Kevo Kalantarian

Members of the  Armenian community of Fresno will turn out this weekend to show their support for “The Promise,” the first major motion picture that looks at the Armenian Genocide as the production starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac opens Friday, April 21, the reports.

They are showing support because the movie depicts the events in the early part of the 20th century that resulted in the death of 2.5 million Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks. Past efforts to make a movie based on the tragic events have been stalled because of political pressure from the Turkish government that continues to deny the genocide happened.

Nayiri Saghdejian and her father Abraham Saghdejian have been a driving force behind the Armenian National Committee of America Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program. The organization, which assists young professionals and recent college graduates in public policy opportunities in Washington, DC., is sponsoring a private screening on Friday and one on Saturday of the film at the Manchester Stadium 16 that will be attended by local youth groups, members of the Armenian community and local officials.

Saghdejian has been looking forward to the release of the film because the Armenian Genocide “is the biggest wound for any Armenian in the world.” She added that the movie also has a special connection to Fresno because it is one of the last projects completed by Fresno’s Kirk Kerkorian, a businessman and philanthropist who died in 2015. The film was made through his Survival Pictures. All proceeds will be donated to charities.

“He is one of the greatest Armenians to ever live and gave back so much to the Armenian community. This film is a real tribute to him,” Saghdejian said.

Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Masoud Soltanifar says that they want to expand ties with Armenia, reports.

Soltanifar met with Armenian ambassador to Tehran Artashes Tumanyan in Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs’ headquarters on Monday.

“Armenia has a high economic potential and two countries have had good relations in the field of culture,” Soltanifar said.

“I suggest that the sport teams from the two countries meet each  other in the current year and we can take advantage of our capacities. Iran and Armenia football teams can play each other according to their respective federations’ schedule,” he added.

“Iran and Armenia can develop their ties in the various areas focusing on women’s football development, coaching, and youth sports,” Soltanifar said.

The Azerbaijani forces used mortars and automatic grenade launchers as they fired 68 shells at the Armenian positions located in the eastern (Akna) and northeastern (Martakert) directions of the line of contact, Artsakh Defense Ministry reports.

The front troops of Artsakh Defense Army undertook relevant measures to repel the Azeri aggression, the Ministry said.

 

Photo: Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy

 

The Syrian Army, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, has completed the operation to liberate the historic city of Palmyra from so-called Islamic State terrorists, according to the Kremlin spokesman citing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s report to President Vladimir Putin, reports.

According to a presidential decree signed on February 6, David Tonoyan has been appointed Minister of Emergency Situations.

President Serzh Sargsyan earlier signed a decree, relieving David Tonoyan from the duties of First Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia.

Photo: PA

 

A French soldier on guard at the Louvre in Paris has opened fire on a suspected attacker, media reports say, the BBC reports.

A man shouting “Allahu Akbar” is reported to have tried to attack the soldier with a knife and was seriously injured when the soldier responded.

The attacker is said to have been trying to enter the museum’s underground shop.

A big security operation is under way and the interior ministry has described the situation as “serious”.

The Louvre has been evacuated.

 

 

 

 

“Part of the armament to be supplied under the $200 mln loan agreement with Russia has already been shipped to Armenia and put into operation,” Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told a press conference today.

According to him, the shipment of the rest of the armament proceeds according to the schedule. “We’re committed to receiving the equipment as soon as possible, as it is directly related to the combat readiness of the army,” the Minister said.

“We search for opportunities both on the Russian market and those of other partner countries to replenish the Armed Forces with equipment necessary,” Minister Sargsyan said.

“Although we have an efficient army, we have to look into the future, and develop faster than events,” he said.

The trilingual atlas of Artsakh prepared by the Duty of Soul NGO and the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO was presented to public today.

The atlas offers an all-embracing picture of Artsakh with photos as well as maps of ethnic distribution, scriptoria, educational institutions and cultural monuments.

The electronic version of the atlas is available at .

The project has been implemented within a grant programme of the Youth Foundation of Armenia, a partner organization of the President’s Office of the Republic of Armenia

“The mission of this work is to introduce the public to the history and culture of Artsakh,” said Shoghine Hovhannisyan, President of the Duty of Soul NGO. It also serves to present the truth to politicians who address the Artsakh issue, and the international community, at large.

Samvel Karapetyan, President of the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO, noted that any historic or cultural research on Artsakh is important, as there is a huge material to study. He attached special importance to cartography, noting that it provides an opportunity to present a large amount of information on one page.

Lionel Messi has revealed that Argentina’s players will boycott media duties following accusations made against attacker Ezequiel Lavezzi, reports.

Lavezzi is taking legal action after a journalist suggested he was left out of the squad because he had been smoking cannabis.

Messi inspired Argentina to their 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Colombia on Tuesday with a stunning free kick and two assists.

Afterwards, the captain announced the players would no longer be speaking to the press.

“We have made the decision to not speak to the media anymore – obviously you know why,” Messi said.

“We’ve had a lot of accusations, a lack of respect and we haven’t said anything but I believe that this overtakes everything.

“The accusation against Pocho [Lavezzi] is very serious because if it is made and we don’t say anything, the people believe it.

“So, because a lot of the people believe everything that is said, we prefer to cut it off. We are very sorry that it has to be this way but there is no other option.”

The victory, which ended a four-match winless run, saw Argentina jump into fifth in Conmebol qualifying.

Today, at the Presidential Palace President Serzh Sargsyan and the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing held a private meeting. Prior to that there took place an award ceremony.

President Serzh Sargsyan awarded the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing with the Order of Glory for the strengthening and development of the interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, as well for his considerable contribution to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

For the significant contribution to the strengthening and development of the interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta Albrecht von Boeselager and the Grand Hospitaller Dominique Prince de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel were awarded the Orders of Honor, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the Republic of Armenia Jean-Michel Oughourlian was awarded the Order of Friendship.

By the decision of the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing and Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was awarded the highest order of the Order of Malta the Collar pro Merito Melitensi. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian received the second highest award of the Order of Malta Grand Cross pro Merito Melitensi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia at the Holy See Michael Minassian was awarded the Grand Officer Cross pro Merito Melitensi, the Chancellery of Holy Echmiadzin Archbishop Arshak Bishop Khatchatrian received a high award of the Order of Malta the Grand Cross pro Merito Melitensi.

After the award ceremony, President Serzh Sargsyan and the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing summarized the results of the negotiations in the statements made for the representatives of the mass media.

In honor of the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing, who is in Armenia on a state visit, President Serzh Sargsyan gave a state dinner.

Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan for the mass media on the results on the meeting with the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing

Your Most Eminent Highness,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is a momentous day for all of us: Today the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta is conducting his first visit to Armenia. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, which are developing in a friendly and constructive atmosphere, have a years-long history. However at this moment a unique, I would say, a historic bridge is being established between the world’s first Christian nation and the oldest Christian military order. It is also symbolic because back in the time of the crusades, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Order of Malta had close political and cultural ties, which today are getting a new life. The visit of Your Most Eminent Highness inspires us to give a new quality to our bilateral cooperation.

Moments ago, Fra Matthew Festing and I, in the atmosphere of sincerity and great mutual understanding discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation, as well as important regional and international issues.

We certainly expressed our profound thanks for the humanitarian assistance which the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta has been providing since the devastating earthquake of 1988; the assistance has been significant and certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

We have also discussed opportunities for expanding the cooperation in the areas of medical services, protection and organization of the civilian population in emergencies, joint historical research in which the Order of Malta and Armenia have accumulated impressive experience. On this I certainly believe a very useful work can be carried out: As a result of that useful work we may obtain additional information on the cooperation between the crusaders and the Kingdom of Cilicia.

We concurred that we possess the most important thing for the further development of our cooperation – the same system of values which translates into similar approaches for the resolution of problems. It is no secret that the history of the Armenian nation has been full of struggle – for the preservation of our Christian identity and values, for the Christian culture, for the promotion of humanism. One can say that after the adoption of Christianity, Armenians have been carrying out their historic mission in line with the motto of the Order of Malta – Tuition of Faith.

We have also spoken about the special relations existing between Armenia and the Holy See, a mass offered by the Holy Father on April 12, 2015 at the Saint Peter’s Cathedral and dedicated to the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide and certainly about the visit of the Pope to Armenia last June, which in these violent days was a brilliant example of the inter-church solidarity. Taking the opportunity, I thanked His Most Eminent Highness for being present at the mass and for remembering in his prayers the sons and daughters of the Armenian nation.

We have certainly spoken about the tragic situation in Syria which became a humanitarian catastrophe. We noted with pain that the Christians, and not only the Christians, there are being prosecuted and tortured. On behalf of Armenia, I expressed readiness to bring our contribution to the implementation of any initiative which will somehow stop the elimination of the Christians and Christian heritage at the Middle East.

Your Most Eminent Highness, once again – welcome to Armenia, welcome to the first Christian nation where we are always delighted to receive Armenia’s distinguished guests.

Thank you.