Author: Manouk Vasilian

Police Chief testifies in court at 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis hearing

Manouk Vasilian

Police Chief testifies in court at 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis hearing

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11:58, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. A court hearing is underway at the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on the 2016 Yerevan police station ambush case, which became known as the 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis.

Incumbent national Police Chief Colonel Valeriy Osipyan is testifying in the hearing as a victim.

In 2016, Osipyan served as Deputy Chief of the Yerevan Police Department. He himself was taken hostage during the ambush.

During today’s court hearing Osipyan presented all details from the events.

Two of the 10 assailants are currently under arrest. The remaining seven were released on bail.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Ankara calls Macron ‘arrogant,’ ‘uninformed’

Manouk Vasilian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 8 2019

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement calling President Emmanuel Macron of France “arrogant” and “uninformed,” in response to the French leader’s announcement on Tuesday that April 24 will be designated as a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in France, Asbarez reports.

“There are no lessons to be learned by us from arrogant French politicians, devoid of basic knowledge of history, representing a country known to us by its atrocities,” said the Turkish foreign ministry announcement targeting Macron.

“We have explained to French officials, on several occasions at every level and notably to the French President, that the events of 1915 constitute a legitimate subject of legal, historical and academic debate,” added the announcement.

“Nevertheless, it is understood that the French President Macron seeks to fulfill his election promise in the hope of receiving the votes of French electorate of Armenian origin,” continued the announcement.

“It is regrettable that a politician, uninformed in Ottoman history, ignores the French and European jurisprudence and takes a one-sided position with regard to a historical issue of highly sensitive nature for Turks for the sake of his personal political gains,” asserted Turkey’s foreign ministry, which, once again, called for the formation of a historical commission to “shed light” on history.

In response to a question about whether Ankara reacted to Macron’s announcement, France’s foreign ministry said that official Paris has “had several opportunities to exchange views with the Turkish authorities on this issue. They have been informed of our positions just as we have been informed of theirs.”

“In establishing this day of commemoration, the President is fulfilling his well-known pledge to honor French citizens of Armenian descent,” explained the French foreign ministry.

Macron made the announcement on Tuesday evening during a gala banquet organized by the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF), adding that plans were underway to declare April 24 a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

He also clarified that prior to making the announcement he had contacted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to inform of him of his intentions.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin “strongly condemned” Macron’s statement about the Armenian Genocide, reported the Anadolu news agency.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to Twitter to express his gratitude to Macron. His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia also thanked Macron for the designation.

“I salute the statement of Emmanuel Macron. Powerful manifestation and act of solidarity, determination to protect human rights and prevent mass atrocities,” Pashinyan wrote on Twitter.

Armenia, United States cooperate in nuclear forensics

Manouk Vasilian

Armenia, United States cooperate in nuclear forensics

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16:25, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Science Committee of Armenia is cooperating with the United States in nuclear forensics, according to committee chair Samvel Harutyunyan.

Harutyunyan says the Science Committee (under Ministry of Education and Science) is carrying out active projects with a number of international partners.

“We have created a nuclear forensics center with the U.S., which will solve regional tasks. It will have a very important function. I am proud that Armenia has been selected for having this kind of a center. Significant work has been done in this direction. A laboratory with the nuclear power station and the Armenian National Polytechnic University has already been established. Soon our colleagues will arrive to Armenia. We will also have post-graduate programs in this direction,” he told a news conference.

He said that the Science Committee will continue cooperation with scientific organizations of Russia, Belarus, Germany, China and other countries. Active work will continue for ensuring participation of scientific organizations in the EU’s Horizon 2020 program.

Armenian-Italian and Armenian-Bulgarian scientific cooperation projects are planned to be realized.

In 2017, the U.S. State Department organized a session in Yerevan on developing nuclear forensics in Armenia.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Levon Aronian to have rest in Gibraltar tournament

Manouk Vasilian
  • 18:50 | January 28,2019 | Sports
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The 7th round of Gibraltar tournament will take place today.

Levon Aronian will use his opportunity of being in group of leaders to have a rest in this round. So, he will miss this round, and will lose half a point.

Our other chess players, Grandmaster Hrant Melkumyan and Elina Danielyan will meet today with Radoslaw Barsky and Yuri Goryachkina respectively.

Turkish Parliament Rejects Paylan’s Demand to Investigate Dink’s Murder

Manouk Vasilian
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Garo Paylan

ISTANBUL—Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) urged the Turkish parliament to take up the case of the Armenian editor Hrant Dink, who on January 19, 2007 was gunned down in front of the offices of the Agos newspaper, which he founded.

“After being murdered, Hrant Dink became a symbol of equality, pluralism, democracy and justice in Turkey. Twelve years have passed since his murder, but this case is still not resolved,” Paylan said in remarks in Parliament.

Presenting the details of Dink’s murder, the lawmaker said the state has also its share of guilt.

“Hrank Dink has been targeted by nationalists after publishing an article in 2004 about Ataturk’s daughter and first female fighter pilot Sabiha Gokcen, which revealed that Gokcen had an Armenian origin. At that time the Turkish General Staff issued a statement on this article, Dink also received warning from the Istanbul Governor’s Office,” Paylan explained.

He also emphasized that Turkish officials and media also contributed to the intensification of nationalist moods against Dink.

The Turkish parliament, however, rejected Paylan’s demand and proposal to investigate and contribute to disclosing the case.

Sports: Armenian skiers triumph in Lebanon

Manouk Vasilian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 12 2019
18:33 12/01/2019

Two leading skiers from Armenia Katya Galstyan and Tadevos Poghosyan have triumphed at the international competition for developing ski nations held in Lebanon.

Tadevos Poghosyan took the first place in the 10km classic style race, scoring 85.14 rating points, while Katya Galstyan was out of competition in the 5km freestyle of the women’s competition. Galstyan scored 110,5 points, setting the best result in her professional career. 

Armenpress: Eric Chewning appointed new Pentagon Chief of Staff

Manouk Vasilian

Eric Chewning appointed new Pentagon Chief of Staff

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10:03, 9 January, 2019

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Eric Chewning has been appointed as the new Chief of Staff of the US Secretary of Defense, replacing Kevin Sweeney, Pentagon said in a press release, TASS reports.

“Mr. Eric D. Chewning has accepted the position of chief of staff to the secretary of defense. Since October 2017, Mr. Chewning served the administration as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy,” according to the press release.

Pentagon Chief of Staff Kevin Sweeney resigned on January 5. At the end of December, Pentagon press secretary Dana White left her post following the resignation of head of the department James Mattis. The duties of the head of the Pentagon are currently performed by his first deputy, Patrick Shanahan. Mattis, in his resignation petition, announced that he had decided to leave the position due to disagreements with President Donald Trump.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Le Noël des arméniens-orthodoxes

Manouk Vasilian
L'Orient-Le Jour, Liban
4 janv 2019


Dr Vartkés ARZOUMANIAN
OLJ
04/01/2019

Le 6 janvier. Le Noël des arméniens-orthodoxes. C’est le jour de l’an où partout au monde les Arméniens se rendent à l’église pour célébrer Noël. Que c’est beau ce jour, que c’est émouvant de voir toutes les familles sans distinction d’âge se rendre à l’église pour célébrer Noël, glorifier et sanctifier la naissance de Jésus-Christ.

Pour les Arméniens, la chrétienté n’est pas juste une religion monothéiste que l’on pratique parce que simplement nous en sommes marqués par la naissance. Non, pas du tout… Pour les Arméniens, cette religion représente une autre dimension spirituelle. L’histoire le confirme : c’est leur source d’inspiration, de joie, de force qui leur permet de vivre et de survivre. En d’autres termes, pour eux, la chrétienté est l’air qui comble leurs poumons. L’Arménie historique en est la preuve avec plus de 3 000 églises et monastères…

La chrétienté a été introduite en Arménie au premier siècle grâce aux apôtres Thaddée, Simon et Barthélemy. C’est au début du quatrième siècle en l’an 301 que Grégoire l’Illuminateur a converti le roi Tiridate au christianisme. Ainsi, l’Arménie a été le premier État au monde à avoir adopté officiellement le christianisme comme religion d’État.

Avec toute la gloire et la bénédiction divines que la nouvelle religion a octroyée au peuple arménien, elle a hélas été l’une des sources de misère et de désolation au pays de l’arche de Noé à cause de la visée des envahisseurs étrangers qui cherchaient en vain à imposer leur religion. En se penchant sur les cahiers de l’histoire, on peut se souvenir des invasions sassanides, arabes, byzantines, seldjoukides, mongoles, mamelouks, perses, et pour finir les Ottomans, pour ne citer que quelques-uns.

Au commencement, jusqu’au quatrième siècle, toutes les églises chrétiennes fêtaient à la fois Noël et le baptême de Jésus-Christ le 6 janvier. Plus tard, la date du 25 décembre fut décidée par l’Église catholique avec le pape Libère pour célébrer Noël à la place d’une fête païenne dédiée au soleil (la fête du Sol Invictus) dans l’Empire romain. L’Église arménienne absente du concile de Chalcédoine (451) demeura fidèle à la tradition du christianisme et n’accepta pas de changer la date de Noël.

Mais, en effet, c’est quoi la différence entre le 24 décembre et le 6 ou bien le 7 pour d’autres ? Ce ne sont que des dates qui diffèrent. L’important et le primordial est la foi et la doctrine chrétiennes et non pas les dates. L’important, c’est la tolérance, le respect, l’amour en forme allégorique envers l’autrui et surtout le message de paix que cette religion divine nous apprend.

Aujourd’hui, plus que jamais, nous avons besoin encore une fois de plus d’introniser, d’implanter dans nos vies ces valeurs presque perdues, dans un monde qui se démunit du moral et qui s’éloigne à outrance des dogmes que la chrétienté nous a appris…

24 décembre ou 6 janvier nous sommes tous des frères chrétiens. Joyeux Noël.

Abou Dhabi

Armenpress: Yerevan deploys entire fleet of snow removing equipment

Manouk Vasilian

Yerevan deploys entire fleet of snow removing equipment

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12:52,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Sanitek, the waste management operator for the city of Yerevan, has deployed its entire fleet of snow clearing equipment, the mayor’s spokesperson said.

“In any case, we ask you to refuse from driving if there is no urgent necessity in order to make the traffic lighter and safer,” Hakob Karapetyan, the spokesperson of Mayor Hayk Marutyan, said on Facebook.

He said that parked and double parked vehicles along pavements are in particularly disturbing the snow removal works.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




It’s Putin’s Turn: It’s Impossible to Bypass the Problem

Manouk Vasilian
Lragir, Armenia
Dec 26 2018

19:48 26.12.2018                               

Tomorrow Nikol Pashinyan will visit Moscow and meet with Vladimir Putin. The visit was announced by Putin during his big press conference a few days ago. He said there is no collapse in the Armenian-Russian relations and it is necessary to further develop what was created by the leaders of the previous government, considering the new global and regional reality and he is going to talk to the Armenian prime minister about this.

Putin also said that Armenia is Russia’s closest ally and friend in the world and the region. It is hard to tell what these words mean to Putin because Russia has a unique understanding allies. For example, the anti-Armenian propaganda would not stop in Russia, including on state-run TV channels. On the other hand, they do not bargain the price of gas or CSTO secretary general’s issue with closest allies. They discuss more important issues.

Armenia is currently trying to push Russia into the field of partnership, changing the quality and nature of relations which has placed the Russian government in a state of uncertainty. It is heard in Putin’s words. On the one hand, he is speaking about building up what had been achieved by the former government which was a unilateral vassal relationship by handing Armenia’s main assets to Russia. On the other hand, Putin is speaking about the need to take into account global and regional realities.

Meanwhile, these relations are serious and are related to the vital interests of Russia and Armenia. In addition, it is obvious in some directions that it will be difficult for Russia without Armenia. Hence, the topic of conversation between the heads of state of Russia and Armenia must not be the issue of raising price of gas but direct defense and financial assistance to Armenia.

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There is a fundamental issue which is impossible to bypass in the context of new global and regional setting, the issue of revision of the 1921 Russian-Turkish agreement. Does Russia intend to revise the agreement and its consequences which is the basis of problems in the Armenian-Russian relations? At the end of the day, despite official silence, Armenia has not forgot not only about the consequences of this agreement but also about the atrocities committed in Armenia by the Russian authorities and army in 1920-1923 together with the Turkish units.

Here is the issue of the “closest ally” and the Armenian-Russian relations.