Mary Lazarian – Page 51 – Armenian Directory & News

Construction of a new vehicle customs in Gyumri will be entrusted to "MOSCOW AREA" OJSC. Who is the "promoter" of this company- SRC is not known

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 Mary Lazarian

Arminfo, Armenia

Aug 13 2019

Naira Badalian

ArmInfo.The construction of a new vehicle customs in Gyumri will be undertaken by the "MOSCOW AREA" OJSC. Deputy Chairman of the SRC of Armenia Edward Hovhannisyan stated this on August 13 at a meeting with reporters.

"To be honest, I'm not informed who is the "promoter" of this company," Hovhannisyan noted. According to him, traditionally, contractors of such projects, taking into account its urgency, are selected without a tender – by purchasing services from one person.

Earlier, ArmInfo reported that a program was launched in Armenia to open a new vehicles customs clearance center in Gyumri. The total cost of the program is 2.2 billion drams. The intentions to transfer the customs clearance point for imported cars from the customs department in Noragavit to Gyumri come from the order of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia in connection with an unprecedented increase in the import of motor vehicles from countries that are not members of the EAEU. It is planned to build a car customs in Gyumri on the territory of 21.5 hectares owned by the Ministry of Defense. 4.5 hectares from this territory will be allocated for the establishment of a customs and police service center. Cabinet has already allocated 966.4 million drams for the construction. During the meeting, head of SR$C David Ananyan stated that the "MOSCOW AREA" OJSC would design the construction of the station, and the monitoring of the work would be carried out by Shin Industry CJSC. David Ananyan assured that procurement of services from one person will not affect the quality and terms of the program.

Meanwhile, rumors are circulating in the media that the "MOSCOW AREA" OJSC belongs to the father of deputy of the Council of Elders of Gyumri Artak Adamyan from the "Balasanyan" faction (the faction is headed by mayor of the city Samvel Balasanyan). ArmInfo managed to find information on the presence of "MOSCOW AREA" OJSC on the website of the electronic register of legal entities, where only the date of its establishment is indicated – April 26,1995.

Mystery solved? Archaeologists unite for 7,500-year-old ‘Armenian Stonehenge’ puzzle

August 2, 2019August 2, 2019 Mary Lazarian

The Express, UK

Aug 2 2019

By LUKE CHILLINGSWORTH

The 223 stone structure of rocks placed in a circle, similar to Britain’s legendary tourist attraction, could 7,500-years-old, much older than its Wiltshire counterpart. But two rival groups have agreed to unite to hunt down the real truth of the Carahunge site, located near the town of Sisian.

The two factions have argued over the meaning of the site, with one even claiming the site was used for space research.

The Bnorran Historic-Cultural NGO has said that the site is an ancient astronomical site and would be the earliest known observatory.

“We think Carahunge, where more than 200 stones are located with 80 having holes in them, is an ancient astronomical observatory,” said board member Arevik Sargsyan.

But, the American Institute of Archaeology and ethnography have slammed the claims, saying that the rubble is an ancient settlement.

The rocks resemble Britain's famous Stonehenge (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

Some say holes in the rocks could prove the site was used for space observation (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

The group see the stones as remains of a now destroyed city wall, where the rocks supported rubble.

Team leader Dr Ashot Piliposyan adds that no astronomical tools have been unearthed from the site.

While the group says the holes located in the stones are at the base of the rocks and do not point up towards the stars.

Speaking to the Armen Press, Dr Piliposyan said: “It requires studies in all aspects.

“We discussed many issues during the signing of the agreement.

“We even considered that maybe in the future it will be possible to build a museum near the monument to display all materials regarding the ancient site.”

Both teams have suspended their excavations and work at the monument before they join forces as one unit.

It is still unknown what the site was formerly used for (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

Professor Paris Herouni studied the site in 1994 (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

The two will come together after a new research plan is put into place. This will be decided at a joint seminar between the two groups which will involve experts such as astronomers, archaeologists and ethnographers.

Carahunge was rediscovered in 1984 by Onik Khnikikyan who also believed the rocks were some kind of observatory.

Professor Paris Herouni backed up the astronomical claims after he conducted a deep analysis of the site in 1994.

Two rival groups will join forces to study the site (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

Professor Pavel Avetisyan, an archeologist at the National Academy of Sciences in Armedia told Smithsonian Magazine that he feels the site is caught between two branches of science and that both theories are credible.

He added: “Experts have a clear understanding of the area and believe it is a multi-layered monument which requires long-term excavation and study.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1160786/Carahunge-mystery-armenia-stonehenge

Sports: Armenian women’s basketball team start with victory at U18 European Championship

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 Mary Lazarian

Panorama, Armenia

Politics 17:54 31/07/2019 World

The Armenia U18 women’s basketball team has celebrated its first victory in the European Championship Division C, the National Olympic Committee reported.

At the U18 Women’s European Championship underway in Andorra the Armenia team defeated Gibraltar 63:33.

Kayla Keshmeshyan was named the most valuable player of the game with 12 points.

Armenian religious leaders urge authorities to refrain from ratifying Istanbul Convention

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019 Mary Lazarian

Armenian religious leaders urge authorities to refrain from ratifying Istanbul Convention

17:26, 26 July, 2019

YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS. The bishops and Diocese leaders of Armenia have issued a statement over Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the religious leaders note that the Church welcomes any measure, including a legal document, aimed at ruling our any domestic violence or violence in general. “Irrespective of the biological differences created by God, all people enjoy the same care of God”, reads the statement, adding that prevention of violence as well as any other evil should never lead to another sin or evil. “In this context, some of the ideas and concepts of the Convention raise concerns”, says the statement, clarifying that the formulations and explanations that define a 3^rd sex apart from female and male are incompatible with the moral understandings of the Church”, reads the statement, citing the relevant provisions of the Convention that allow an individual to choose his own gender.

“The Christian Orthodox understanding of human rights and freedoms rules out the distortion or modification of the Godly created identity of an individual”, emphasizes the statement.

The Church leaders also raised concerns over the fact that some provisions of the Convention are in contradiction with the Church's invariable doctrine about family. According to the Church doctrine a family can be formed only by the unification of man and woman, who become one body and one spirit by sacred marriage.

“Given the fact that there are extremely concerning points in the Convention from the perspective of our national-spiritual identity and security, we urge our authorities to refrain from ratifying the document”, reads the statement.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Karabakh President attends Vardavar celebration event

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 Mary Lazarian

News.am, Armenia

Karabakh President attends Vardavar celebration event Karabakh President attends Vardavar celebration event

19:00, 28.07.2019

STEPANAKERT. – President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), Bako Sahakyan, on Sunday attended—in the Gandzasar Monastic Complex—an event devoted to the Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, which is commonly known among Armenians as Vardavar.

Subsequently, the President was on hand at the launch of the newly reprinted The Book of Sadness by Gregory of Narek, Central Information Department of the Office of the Republic of Artsakh President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In his remarks at this event, Sahakyan noted the importance of works contributing to the preservation of national cultural values and patriotic upbringing of the younger generation.

National Assembly speaker Ashot Ghoulyan, and several other officials also attended these events.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/22/2019

July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 Mary Lazarian

                                        Monday, 

13 Charged Over Violent Unrest In Armenia

        • Marine Khachatrian

Armenia -- The building of the Investigative Committee in Yerevan.

An Armenian law-enforcement agency has pressed criminal charges against 13 men 
arrested after last week’s violent clashes between riot police and people 
protesting against a government ban on unauthorized logging in the northern 
Tavush province.

The clashes broke out in the provincial capital Ijevan late on July 17 as 
several hundred protesters defied police orders to unblock a major highway 
passing through the town. A dozen police officers and at least two civilians 
were hospitalized as a result.

The Investigative Committee announced on Monday that the arrested men have been 
formally charged with hooliganism and violent assault on law-enforcement 
officers. They will risk between four and seven years in prison if convicted.

A statement by the Investigative Committee said 10 of the suspects were 
remanded in pre-trial custody while the three others were set free pending 
investigation. It said investigators have also arrested another man as part of 
the ongoing inquiry.

A spokeswoman for the committee, Naira Harutiunian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
service (Azatutyun.am) that law-enforcement authorities are also continuing to 
hunt for 11 other individuals suspected of involvement in the unrest.

Relatives of at least some of the indicted men have said that the latter did 
not commit violent acts and are unjustly prosecuted.

The mother of Vahram Simonian, an arrested Ijevan resident, insisted on Monday 
that he did not participate in the demonstration. She claimed that Simonian and 
his father and brother found themselves at the site of protest only because 
they got stuck in a traffic jam in their car.

Simonian’s lawyer, Ara Gharagyozian, said, for his part, that the case against 
his client is based only on incriminating testimony given by another person.

The Armenian police deployed hundreds of officers in Ijevan during and after 
the unrest. The national police chief, Valeri Osipian, defended the use of 
force against the protesters when he visited the town on July 18.

The protests erupted after authorities moved to stop illegal logging in Tavush 
forests, which has been widespread for over two decades. The angry protesters 
accused the Armenian government of depriving them of their sole source of 
income.

Government officials counter that the country’s deforestation has reached 
dangerous levels. They also say that commercial logging has primarily benefited 
a small number of timber traders.




EU Envoy Praises ‘Excellent’ Ties With Armenia

        • Sargis Harutyunyan

Armenia -- Piotr Switalski, head of the European Delegation in Armenia, at a 
news conference in Yerevan, .

The outgoing head of the European Union Delegation in Yerevan, Piotr Switalski, 
described the EU’s relationship with Armenia as “excellent” on Monday.

“Cooperation between the European Union and Armenia is on the right track,” he 
told a farewell news conference.

Switalski pointed to their “very intensive and friendly political dialogue” 
involving mutual visits by Armenian and EU leaders and the EU’s “technical 
missions” to Yerevan focusing on wide-ranging reforms planned by the Armenian 
government.

European Council President Donald Tusk praised the government’s reform agenda 
during a visit to Armenia earlier this month.He specifically hailed “the focus 
on creating an independent, efficient and accountable judicial system” after 
holding talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Switalski reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to support judicial reforms planned by 
Pashinian’s government with “political, technical and financial” assistance. 
The financial aid should be made available already this autumn, he said.

Switalski also stressed the importance of 25 million euros ($28 million) in 
additional EU aid to Armenia that will be provided this year. He portrayed the 
sum as a reward for reforms already implemented in the country. The diplomat 
singled out the holding in December 2018 of parliamentary elections widely 
recognized as democratic.

The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, also acknowledged the 
“democratic reforms” last month when she announced the extra aid after 
chairing, together with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian, a 
session of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council.

The CEPA offers the South Caucasus state the prospect of a closer relationship 
with the EU in return for major political and economic reforms. The 350-page 
agreement is already being partly implemented despite not having been ratified 
yet by all EU member states.




Armenian Army Switching To Private Canteen Services

        • Naira Nalbandian

Armenia -- Soldiers at the privately managed canteen of a military base in 
Armavir, July 19. 2019.

Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan on Monday defended his decision to gradually 
outsource the Armenian military’s canteen services to private companies.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry has always purchased foodstuffs and delivered them 
to army bases where they have been cooked and served to soldiers by military 
personnel. Earlier this year the ministry contracted six private firms that 
will all army canteens within the next three years.

Four army units, all of them training centers for non-commissioned officers, 
already have their canteens managed by one of the private contractors. Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian visited the unit located 50 kilometers west of Yerevan 
and dined at its new canteen with soldiers late last week.

Tonoyan said the main purpose of the change is to improve the quality of 
soldiers’ food. He indicated that it is also meant to eradicate corruption in 
food supplies to the armed forces.


Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan 
(second from right) inspect the new canteen of a military base in Armavir, July 
19, 2019.

“Improving the quality of food within the framework of cooperation between the 
state and the private sector is the best variant,” he told reporters. “That 
will be obvious.”

“Time will tell whether [the new system] is more expensive or cheaper,” the 
minister said. “In any case, I don’t think that our soldiers must east cheaper 
food.”

Tonoyan acknowledged that an Armenian company that has become the first 
military canteen operator is owned by a friend of his. He denied any conflict 
of interest and expressed confidence that the company, which has until now 
specialized in imports of medical equipment, will be equal to the task.

“I don’t deny that the company chief is doing that at my request because I 
don’t have another credible option,” he said. “If he fails I will fail too.”

“As soon as the five other companies get down to business the process will move 
forward very fast,” added Tonoyan.




Senior Prosecutor Accused Of Bribery



Armenia -- Prosecutors attend an event marking the 101st anniversary of the 
creation of their agency, Yerevan, July 1, 2019.

A senior Armenia prosecutor has been charged with large-scale bribery and 
suspended as a result, it was announced on Monday.

Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General said the official, identified by his 
L. K. initials, demanded last month and subsequently received a “large bribe” 
for pledging to ensure that a man serving a 10-year prison sentence is released 
from jail on parole. The bribe was paid by a person close to the convict in 
several installments, it said in a statement.

The statement added that investigators have asked to remand the prosecutor in 
custody on charges carrying between four and ten years’ imprisonment.It did not 
say whether he will plead guilty to the accusations.

The statement also said that the alleged bribery was exposed by the National 
Security Service (NSS). It was not clear whether the suspect was caught 
red-handed.

Corruption among Armenian law-enforcement officials and prosecutors in 
particular has long been a serious problem. According to the statement, 
Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian has repeatedly warned his subordinates against 
engaging in corrupt practices, saying that they would receive tougher 
punishment than other citizens accused of such crimes.

The NSS has been behind most of the high-profile corruption investigations 
conducted in Armenia after last year’s “Velvet Revolution.” The former Armenian 
branch of the Soviet KGB said on Monday that since May 2018 it has recovered 
22.6 billion drams ($47 million) worth of financial “damage” inflicted on the 
state as a result corruption and other crimes.

 
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Sports: ENPPI sign Haiti forward, Armenian PL top scorer Jonel Désiré

July 21, 2019July 21, 2019 Mary Lazarian

KingFut

by Seif Soliman

Asbarez: Sustainability and the Flat Tax

June 30, 2019June 30, 2019 Mary Lazarian

Armenia

Latest

Top Stories

2 days ago

Garen Yegparian

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

The idea for an article about sustainability in the Republic of Armenia has been brewing in my head for some time now. It was to take the form of recommending that a Ministry of Sustainability be created. The adoption of a flat tax by RoA’s parliament brought the need for such a piece to the fore.

It would not surprise me if you are wondering what a flat tax and sustainability have to do with one another, and thinking that such a ministry would be redundant with that of Nature Protection which already exists.

Two clarifications are in order: what sustainability is and what a flat tax does.

I’ve noticed that many people perceive “sustainability” to be just another way of saying “environmentalism” or “conservation” – just a new name for an old thing. That is not the case. Sustainability is founded on the concept of a triad that assures the best possible conditions for human society. That triad is known as “The Three Es” – ecology, economy, equity (listed in alphabetical, not priority, order, since they are co-equal from a sustainability perspective). What is done in these three areas should be perpetually doable without causing damage that would eventually make the same activity impossible to continue. (examples- if you cut trees too fast and do not replant, eventually there are no trees left to harvest; if you don’t invest in factories and newer technologies, eventually, there are no jobs to be had; if you overwork and underpay people, they will eventually leave, get sick or die, and no labor will be available).

The idea is that without a properly functioning environment, an economy which provides opportunity, and fairness for people in their work and other aspects of life, no society can long survive, let alone grow and develop. So you see, the environment is only part of the sustainability picture.

The idea of a flat tax, i.e. everyone in a jurisdiction (country, province, city, etc.) paying the same rate is superficially appealing and seems very fair. Every citizen is treated the same, right? Wrong! The problem lies in its IMPACT on people. Let’s say that a 10% flat tax is enacted for the citizens of a country called Yergeer. Now, let’s look at the impact of that flat tax on three citizens named Low Tsadzian, Middle Meechagian, and High Partsrian. Let’s say Low makes 100 money units (MUs), Middle 500 MUs, and High 1000 MUs. Let’s also say that each of them is part of a family of five people. Naturally, people eat more or less the same amount, which means the cost of food is roughly the same for each of our three citizens. Similarly, the cost of housing is roughly the same for them. The same applies to transportation, recreation, etc. But we all know that as people make more money, they tend to buy more expensive versions of the same things, so we’ll say that Middle spends 10% more, and High 20% more, than Low on each category of life expenses. What do we get? Take a look at this table.

Sustainability and the flat tax

You can see that the Tsadzian family has very little left for emergencies or recreation, even savings, after paying for the necessities and the flat tax. So the IMPACT of the 10% flat tax on the budget of the family is much greater than on the Meechagian and Partsrian families. A fairer tax system might be one that is progressive. In our example, perhaps the Tsadzians should pay 5% (or even zero), Meechagians 15%, and Partsrians 25%. This would leave the families with 25MUs, 348 MUs, and 741 MUs, respectively. Obviously, the latter two families would still be comfortable with this arrangement, while the Tsadzians would be significantly less negatively IMPACTED, i.e. those extra % MUs would be a big boon for them.

Yet, despite the obvious fairness of a progressive tax system, the parliament of the RoA just adopted a flat tax system, throwing out the previously existing progressive one. This was done despite advocacy by the ARF (probably others too, of which I am unaware), and even demonstrations by the AYF, against the flat tax.

This is very ironic. Parliament is currently composed of members coming from the people who led last year’s uprising against the corrupt system and leadership that was smothering the RoA. Citizens were expatriating in droves. The uprising threw out the corrupt oligarchs and inspired hope for a better life. Yet now, we have the flat tax which benefits the same class of people who enriched themselves on the backs of the population at large while hurting those who are in the weakest economic condition. It’s insufficient to fight corruption and tax evasion by the rich, which this government has made a priority and is achieving some success in accomplishing. An equitable system must be put in place.

That’s why a RoA Ministry of Sustainability is needed, along with a corresponding committee/commission in parliament. It would be the purview of this ministry to review all proposed policies for how sustainable they are. It would be the barrier to adoption of policies such as the flat tax that flouts the notion of sustainability in both the economy and equity aspects.

Let’s let the RoA government know how bad of a decision they have made- write and tell it through Armenian embassies worldwide.

Armenian Assembly Kicks Off 2019 Summer Internship Program

June 28, 2019June 28, 2019 Mary Lazarian

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of
America's (Assembly) Terjenian-Thomas Internship Program in Washington, D.C.
kicked off this past month. Educational workshops, lectures, meetings, and
activities are planned for the participants throughout the summer. This year's
internship class hails from across the United States, representing Arizona,
California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, and Utah.

Founded in 1977, the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program
is the first internship program offered by an Armenian organization in our
nation's capital, and has over 1,000 intern alumni. For eight weeks each
summer, the Assembly gives college students of Armenian descent an opportunity
to learn about the policy-making process by interacting with government
officials, policymakers, and local leaders.

The Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program class of 2019
includes 17 college students:

Lillian Avedian from
Woodland Hills, CA attends the University of California, Berkeley and is
interning with the United States Agency for Global Media's Voice of
America (VOA) Armenian Service. Last year, she participated in the Armenian Assembly's summer internship program in Armenia where
she interned with Hetq news agency as an investigative
journalist.
Gayane Baghdasaryan
from Yerevan, Armenia and recent graduate of Texas A&M University's
Bush School of Government Graduate School is interning with the Eurasia
Foundation. She earned her Master's Degree through the United States
Fulbright Student Scholarship, and is part of the U.S. Department of
State's Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program.
Lucine Beylerian from
Upper Saddle River, NJ attends the University of Southern California and
is interning with Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chair
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).
Dikran Damar from
Istanbul, Turkey attends Istanbul University and is interning with the
Armenian National Institute (ANI).
Serena Hajjar from
Lexington, MA attends the University of Pennsylvania and is interning with
the Armenian National Institute (ANI).
Isabelle Kapoian from
Bedford, NH attends the University of New Hampshire and is interning with
Lowenstein Sandler LLP law firm.
Armen Kaprelian from
Scottsdale, AZ attends George Mason University's Graduate School and is
interning with the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Permanent
Mission to the United States and Canada.
Samuel Karabashian
from Ventnor, NJ is a recent graduate of Biola University in La Mirada, CA
and is interning with the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the United
States.
Brooke Kersten from
Oxford, MI attends Michigan State University and is interning with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Victoria Khederian
from Bloomfield Township, MI attends the University of Michigan (Ann
Arbor) and is interning with the Republican National Committee (RNC).
Mihran Markarian from
Fountain Valley, CA is transferring from Irvine Valley College to the
University of California, Santa Barbara. He is interning with the Center
for Immigration Studies (CIS) think tank.
Ani Matevosyan from
Van Nuys, CA is transferring from the California State University,
Northridge to the University of Southern California. She is interning with
the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the United States.
Michael Melkonian from
Glendale, CA attends Glendale Community College and is interning with the
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
Alec Muradliyan from
Newport Beach, CA attends Chapman University and is interning with House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Alexander Nargizian
from Franklin Lakes, NJ attends Fairfield University and is interning with
the Armenian National Institute (ANI).
Aram Sahakyan from
Rockville, MD attends Colorado State University and is interning with In
Defense of Christians (IDC), the nation's leading advocacy organization
for Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East.
Olivia Zorayan from
Irvine, CA is a recent graduate of the University of California, Irvine.
She is interning with Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chair
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA).

Following the success of the past two years' week-long high school
internship pilot program, Tioné Hoeckner from Salt Lake City, UT and Elena
Martinez from Boynton Beach, FL will be interning in the Armenian Assembly of
America's office and joining the university-age summer interns at
Assembly-organized meetings and events.

"Since I participated in the Armenian Assembly's summer
internship program last year, I know how educational and valuable the summer
will be for this internship class. I am impressed by how enthusiastic
and intellectually curious the 2019 interns are, and look forward to
a very productive program," stated this summer's internship coordinator,
Arianna Cruickshank. Arianna participated in last summer's Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program,
where she interned with Congressman Pallone. Originally from Edgewater, NJ, she
is a senior at Ramapo College in Mawah, NJ.

Through the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program,
participants are offered extensive educational opportunities via the Capital
Ideas program, which provides interns a forum to ask questions to elected
officials about current topics, national and international in scope.

Since the start of this year's Program, the internship group has
already met with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), the office of Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI),
U.S. Homeland Security Program Manager Noris Balabanian, and Armenian Church of
America (Eastern) Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian who participated
in the signing ceremony at the White House regarding the Iraq and Syria
Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act, with many more meetings
planned throughout the summer.

The program participants attended a lecture on Administrative
Law at The George Washington University Law School taught by Visiting Associate
Professor of Law Aram Gavoor, Armenian Assembly of America Board Member and
Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program alumnus. Professor Gavoor’s
administrative law scholarship was cited by the Supreme Court this week in
Department of Commerce v. New York. The program participants also enjoyed a
picnic on the National Mall organized by the Congressional Armenian Staff
Association (CASA).

Interns also participated in a presentation by Armenian American
author Michael Bobelian on his latest book, Battle for the Marble
Palace: Abe Fortas, Earl Warren, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and the Forging
of the Modern Supreme Court. Bobelian is the author of Children of
Armenia: A Forgotten Genocide and the Century-Long Struggle for Justice in
which he discusses the Armenian Assembly of America and its work with former
Senator Robert Dole (R-KS) on the Armenian Genocide resolution.

The Armenian Assembly of America Summer Internship Program has
been celebrated and strongly supported by the Armenian community with major
gifts from the Richard Tufenkian Memorial Fund, the John Hanessian Scholarship
Fund, the Armen Astarjian Scholarship Fund, the Ohanian Memorial Fund, Ann
Hintlian, Ann Nahigian, James and Connie Melikian, the Knights of Vartan, the
Estate of Haig J. Boyadjian, and the Estate of George Judge Karabedian (George
Kay), as well as generous contributions in memory of former Assembly Board
Members Dr. Lionel Galstaun, Peter Kezirian, and John O'Connor. In 2003, the
Armenian Assembly's Summer Internship Program was renamed in honor of Aram and
Florence Terjenian and Annie Thomas after the announcement of their
pace-setting $1 million donation to the program.

To find out more about the 2019 summer interns' journey in
Washington, D.C., follow the Assembly's Intern Blog, Facebook, Instagram, and
Twitter. Stay tuned for updates on the Armenian Assembly's Summer Internship Program
in Armenia.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the
largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR#: 2019-023

Photo Caption 1: Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny and Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan with the 2019
internship class after a presentation on advocacy

Photo Caption 2: 2019 Terjenian-Thomas Assembly interns at the
Congressional Armenian Staffers Association picnic on the National Mall

Photo Caption 3: 2019 Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program
participants attended a lecture at The George Washington University Law School
taught by Visiting Associate Professor of Law Aram Gavoor

Photo Caption 4: 2019 Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship Program
participants with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Congressman
Adam Schiff (D-CA)

Available online: https://armenian-assembly.org/2019/06/27/armenian-assembly-kicks-off-2019-summer-internship-program/

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Schiff.jpg
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Gavoor.jpg
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Armenian President pays working visit to France

June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 Mary Lazarian

Armenian President pays working visit to France

17:47,

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen sarkissian has paid a working visit to France, where he will attend the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President's Office, it's the largest exibition of aerospace industry that gasthers the largest players of the firled under one roof one in two years.

In the sidelines of the Internatonal Paris Air Show President Sarkissian will visit the pavillions of the major companies, particularly the Italian ''Leonardo'' and ''Elettronica Group'', French ''Dassault Group'' and ''THALES Group'', and will meet with their leaderships.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan