Author: Ophelia Vardapetian

Junior Eurovision: Poland wins Junior Eurovision 2018, Armenia comes 9th

Ophelia Vardapetian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 25 2018
Poland wins Junior Eurovision 2018, Armenia comes 9th

2018-11-25 21:33:54

Roksana Węgiel from Poland became the winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with her song Anyone I Want To Be. France and Australia finished in second and third places respectively. 

The results of the 2018 Junior Eurovision Song Contest were determined by an online audience vote and by national juries that consisted of 3 music industry professionals and 2 children. The public vote counted for 50% of the final result, the other 50% came from the national juries.

Vice Speaker Melkumyan expects serious presence for Prosperous Armenia party in new Parliament

Ophelia Vardapetian

Vice Speaker Melkumyan expects serious presence for Prosperous Armenia party in new Parliament

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12:26,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The pre-election list of the Prosperous Armenia party will consist of the people adhered to the party mission, program provisions, having knowledge and share. Vice Speaker of the Parliament, member of the Tsarukyan faction Mikayel Melkumyan says he expects serious presence for their party in the Parliament after the upcoming snap parliamentary elections.

Melkumyan gave an interview to ARMENPRESS, talking about the upcoming elections and their pre-election list.

-During the debate of the Electoral Code you stated that many MPs elected by ranked voting system are not delivering remarks, not asking questions. However, that electoral system was maintained, and whether you see the same risks and what are you going to do to keep away your faction from such lawmakers?

-Yes, it has been so. 74 out of 131 MPs have not delivered speeches in the previous Parliament. I have been the most active lawmaker of both the previous and this Parliament. I think it’s not mandatory for this norm to work by 100%. But as today the institute of those who bring votes by the ranked voting system no longer exists, I mean election bribes, administrative resource and etc, these terms have been eliminated. In other words, those, who must have been elected to the Parliament by this scheme, will not be elected, in any case its probability will decrease a lot. But I consider a great mistake the fact that the Electoral Code was not adopted, since the proportional system would enable the political system to develop, in other words, the parties would make a decision inside. But now, in fact, there will be an internal fight between different members of the same party by the ranked voting system.

-Do you think that such lawmakers have not been in your faction in this Parliament?

-For our part the political component has greatly increased in the Parliament of the last convocation. There are many young people among us, women had the highest share, and we had a major political activeness. There are people who have great reputation in their territories and there is no need to approve that publicly. But we can record that the vector is being upgraded.  

-Can you be confident that there will be no distribution of bribes during the upcoming elections?

-The systematic phenomenon has been eliminated and it’s a fact. No one can give guarantee for another. There may be people who can always make a mistake, but this cannot be a systematic phenomenon.

-Following the non-adoption of the Electoral Code by the Parliament, you stated that this option perhaps is more beneficial for you, do you mean that the Prosperous Armenia party has more opportunities by this electoral system?

-Both are perceivable and viable for us. But there should have been an upgraded Electoral Code for the development of the political system. But both are perceivable since we have party structures, party members having ties with the people, and I put an emphasis based on this because we have many people who have a reputation in their places.

Full version of the interview is available in Armenian.

Interview by Anna Grigoryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Expert: Armenian banks need to focus on digital banking and electronic channels when servicing SMEs

Ophelia Vardapetian
Arminfo, Armenia
Nov 10 2018
Expert: Armenian banks need to focus on digital banking and electronic channels when servicing SMEs

Yerevan 10.11.18

Alina Oganesyan. In Armenia, there is a significant increase in lending to SMEs in comparison with other countries in the region. In an interview with ArmInfo, such an opinion was expressed by the founder, CEO of the SME Banking Club Andrei Gidulyan on the margins of a seminar initiated in Armenia on the initiative of Converse Bank.

"In Armenia, the level of financing for small and medium businesses is quite high. In particular, in comparison with Ukraine, where the bank's coverage of SME segment clients is about 10%, in Russia it is 20-25%, and in Armenia this figure reaches 60%" he remarked.

According to A. Gidulyan, the corporate sector is less widely represented in Armenia, as banks focus mainly on SMEs. "In Armenia, all 17 banks provide loans to small and medium businesses, whereas in Ukraine, out of 80 banks, only 20 lend to SME," – he said.

However, in terms of financing and servicing SMEs, in his opinion, Armenian banks should focus on the development of digital banking and electronic channels.

"Now we see that the business need to use mobile technologies has already been formed. Clients are ready to use messengers, chat bots, make payments, use mobile applications of banks. We are now trying to stir up banks and give a small impetus, showing the best practices so that they too to launch similar solutions that are already used in other countries, "he said, stressing that about 90% of the clients of the Baltic countries are already using online banking.

It should be noted that the SME Banking Club seminar is held in Armenia in order to provide participants with comprehensive information on trends SME development, provides for the exchange of information and experience on the conditions of lending to SMEs of global, regional, local banks and financial companies. Since 2010, SME Banking Club constantly organizes regional and international banking events in Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Kazakhstan, and Egypt.

Recall that, according to EBRD, the share of Armenian SMEs in the structure of GDP in 2017 was 34.4%, with a turnover of 1,920.3 billion drams, which is more than a year ago by 14.2%. In the structure of active taxpayers, the share of SMEs is 77% or 82,209 companies. At the same time, in the general list of taxpayers, the share of active reached 59.2% or 106,596 companies, which, in numerical terms, is 5,593 more than a year ago.

According to the latest data of the National Center for SME Development (SME DNC) for several years, the share of SMEs in the structure of Armenia's GDP remains unchanged, at about 28%. As of the beginning of July of this year, according to the criteria of the National Center, out of 75 thousand 60% of SME business entities operating in Armenia are private entrepreneurs and only 40% are organizations.

Armenian parliament passes bill amnestying gunmen who seized Yerevan police building in 2016

Ophelia Vardapetian 
Interfax - Russia & CIS Military Newswire
November 1, 2018 Thursday 10:54 AM MSK


Armenian parliament passes bill amnestying gunmen who seized Yerevan
police building in 2016

YEREVAN. Nov 1

The Armenian parliament passed in the second and final reading on
Thursday the government bill declaring an amnesty on the occasion of
the centenary of the first Republic of Armenia and the 2,800th
anniversary of Yerevan, an Interfax correspondent reported.

On Wednesday, the government of Armenia submitted to the country's
parliament the bill on an amnesty for members of the militant group
Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) who took over a police station in
Yerevan in the summer of 2016 and for people convicted of preparing
mass protests in April 2015.

"The amnesty will apply to members of the group Sasna Tsrer and their
accomplices. The amnesty will also apply to people convicted of
preparing mass protests on April 24, 2015, on Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day. They can be amnestied if the aggrieved parties or
their legal successors are not opposed. The amnesty will not apply to
people whose actions have caused people's deaths," Artak Zeinalyan,
acting justice minister, said while presenting the amnesty bill in the
parliament.

In all, some 660 convicts would be amnestied, he said.

"There are currently 2,888 convicts in Armenia. There are 5,546 beds
in penitentiary establishments. The reason for the amnesty is not that
the penitentiary establishments are packed. It is a humanitarian act,
it is aimed at reconciliation and solidarity," Zeinalyan said.

On April 24, 2015, the National Security Service and the Armenian
Investigative Committee prevented riots. According to the latter, a
group of people called on the participants in public events marking
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide not to obey the
authorities and to use violence is needed.

Members of the Founding Parliament were also arrested on the charges
of preparing riots.

On July 17, 2016, a group of armed men seized a police station in
Yerevan and demanded the release of Jirair Sefilyan, the coordinator
of the opposition Founding Parliament, who was under arrest for
illegally acquiring and storing weapons. The group also demanded the
resignation of the president and government and the formation of a
government of national confidence. They surrendered on the evening of
July 31.

After the change of administration in Armenia, most members of Sasna
Tsrer and the Founding Parliament were released on bail under a court
ruling.

Te kf

Bolton: After the elections, Pashinyan will have a serious mandate to implement a number of decisive steps

Ophelia Vardapetian
Arminfo, Armenia
Oct 25 2018

ArmInfo. During the meetings  in Yerevan, the upcoming parliamentary elections in December of this  year were discussed, as well as the fact that a number of issues  would be delayed in this connection. This was stated by the adviser  to the US president on national security, John Bolton on October 25  in Yerevan, commenting on the processes in Armenia.

"We also talked about public opinion and polls, which show that in  the upcoming elections Pashinyan will receive a serious public  mandate. I asked the Acting Prime Minister what the secret of his  success was, but he did not reveal it. Maybe after the elections he  will tell "- said Bolton.  According to him, the point is that if the  predictions come true, then after the election, the Acting Prime  Minister will have a serious mandate to take a number of decisive  steps. According to him, today in Yerevan he also held meetings with  political scientists, analysts and came to the conclusion that the  settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains among the  priorities of the political agenda of Armenia.

Armenian delegation to PACE managed to prevent Azerbaijan-proposed amendments

Ophelia Vardapetian
News.am, Armenia
Oct 15 2018
Armenian delegation to PACE managed to prevent Azerbaijan-proposed amendments Armenian delegation to PACE managed to prevent Azerbaijan-proposed amendments

12:27, 15.10.2018
                  

 YEREVAN. – The Armenian delegation to PACE managed to prevent Azerbaijan-proposed amendments to one of the resolutions, head of Armenian delegation Arpine Hovhannisyan wrote on Facebook.

“During the autumn session PACE adopted a resolution on “Nuclear safety and security in Europe”. The goal was to establish measures which have to be taken by the member states to increase nuclear safety in Europe and to reduce risks in the event of incidents or terrorist attacks. The Azerbaijani delegation tried to add a wording related to the activities of the Metsamor nuclear power plant. However, we managed to prevent the move,” wrote Hovhannisyan who is also deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament.  

Asbarez: In Memoriam: Hacob Shivanian

Ophelia Vardapetian
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Hacob Shirvanian and his wife, Mina, who passed away in December

Long-time community activist, leader and benefactor Hacob Shirvanian passed away on August 23 at home surrounded by family and friends. A Requiem service on the 40th day of his passing was held in Armenia. During a funeral service on August 29 at Liberty Hall at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills. Shirvanian’s family and friends paid tribute to him, which we present below.

A young Hacob Shirvanian

Hacob Shirvanian’s biography was presented in English during his funeral service by his daughter-in-law Melody Petrossian

Hacob “Jake” Shirvanian was born in Tabriz, Iran in 1923 to Vagharshag Shirvanian, an Armenian war hero for the defense of Van, and Verjeen Shirvanian. Both of his parents were Genocide survivors. He had three sisters, Anelka, Savey and Angel and a younger brother, Kosti. Hacob’s father passed away when he was 13 years old, and as the eldest son, he had to drop out of school to support his family.

During the Second World War, Hacob served with the British Persian Gulf Command and the U.S. Armed Forces. His unique mastery of languages, including English, Farsi, Turkish, and Armenian, positioned him as an interpreter.

Hacob married the love of his life, Mina Hovanessian, in 1946 and was happily married for over 71 years, until her passing last December. They were blessed with 2 children, Alice and Armen. His dream was to come to the U.S to create a better life for his family. In 1956, the Shirvanians entered New York Harbor onboard the Queen Mary and soon after reunited with Kosti and Savey in California, making Los Angeles their home. Hacob’s quest for the immigrant dream became a reality after he joined Kosti and Savey at Western Waste Industries. Forty years later, Western Waste would become the 5th largest waste services company in the U.S.

Hacob felt very fortunate when Alice married Vahik Petrossian, not only because he loved Vahik like a son, but also because he loved Vahik’s family as his own. Hacob was later blessed with 2 grandsons, Chris and Shant, a granddaughter in-law Melody, and three great-grandchildren, Christopher Jake, Sebastian Monte and Katherine Mina. He was very fortunate to celebrate his 95th birthday on August 17th with his loving family by his side.

Hacob’s service, talents and expertise were recognized by Governor Ronald Reagan, who appointed him to the California Waste Management Board in 1973. Thereafter, Hacob was appointed by Governors Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis to the State Small Business Board and then the State Contractors Board. Hacob holds the distinction of serving 33 consecutive years as a State Board member, serving five consecutive Governors in a truly bipartisan fashion.

Together, Hacob and Mina supported many Armenian organizations, including the Armenian Educational Foundation, Armenian Youth Federation, Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian National Committee, Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian Society of Los Angeles, Ferrahian Armenian School and the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Hacob was not only a supporter, but often an active board member to many of these organizations.

Hacob was also an active and dedicated member of the Glendale Adventist Church and Adventist Health of Glendale, where for years he has served on the Hospital Foundation Board and Civic Advisory Council.

Throughout the years, numerous Armenian and Artsakh Presidents, Catholicoses, Governors, and dozens of other state and local officials would honor and fondly call him Jake or Baron Hacob. Hacob and Mina were also celebrated by Armenian and American organizations for their commitment and support of our communities, including such tributes as Man of Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards. Both Catholicos Karekin II and Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia honored Hacob with the church’s highest honor for his hard work, dedication and commitment to the Armenian community.

Hacob and Mina’s greatest love was to support the Armenian youth. They renovated schools in the most impoverished areas of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk and provided scholarships to deserving students. Their most recent mission was the construction of the Armenian Cultural Foundation’s Shirvanian Youth Center in Gyumri. After multiple visits to Armenia over the past 40 years, Hacob and Mina made their final visit to the homeland for the opening of the youth center in the summer of 2016.

Hacob Shirvanian has been described as a pillar of the community. He was a mentor to many and a champion for the Armenian cause. He made a pronounced impact on the lives of all who knew and loved him. His legacy will live on in all of us.

Hacob Shirvanian with Ronald Reagan

To honor the memory of their father, Hacob Shirvanian, his son, Armen and daughter, Alice Petrossian wrote heartfelt and personal letters to their dad. The letter were read during the funeral service by Shiravanian’s grandson, Shant Petrossian

Dear dad,

How do I express the multiple feelings of love, gratitude, pride in this time of pain and loss?

We loved you so much, your way of love was strong and strict yet if we looked into your beautiful eyes we knew that it was because you LOVED us.  I remember the day I said I want to go away to college and live in a dorm/apartment, you replied “not as long as you are my daughter.” I knew you loved me no matter what.

The day I married Vahik, a man you and mom adored, I saw you cry secretly because I was leaving home, and yet you stayed strong for me. Your love was evident with every visit to Oakland.

When the boys were born, you showed love by holding, feeding and even a few times changing them.  Mom repeatedly said you never did that for your own kids.  I wont forget the joy and excitement you showed when the grandchildren were born. But I know you prayed for a little girl and asked to live long enough and God granted you Katherine, who loved you to the last minute kissing you over and over again.

But your love was so grand it extended to your family, worrying about your siblings and their families, by the way you worried too much!  Your love for Armenia and all things Armenian was beyond any measure, you brought that love into our lives.  Your love for travel, history, nature and your zest for life was always impressive.

“Gratitude” a grand word that embodies you.  We are all so very grateful to you…the family, the community, and many political leaders … have expressed their gratitude in ways I could never imagine.  I wish you could read and hear the messages, the comments and the memories being shared with us.

Apo Bohigian said that even in your passing you manage to do good things, and I believe you will continue to make the world a better place.  Your generosity is above and beyond any measure, you gave and gave to causes that had your heart…

Please know that we will do our best to continue your gift of giving and stay faithful to your wishes.

At age 13 you lost your father, and became the man of the house.  Taking care and worrying about Anelka, Savey, Angel and Kosti, oh wait and 2 grandmothers Vergine and Vasganoush.  How you cared for and supported your mother in law was a model for all of us.  Proud that you worked hard to make a living in Iran and continued that same work ethic to the United States.  Your life early on was difficult, but you were strong.

What continually made me proud was when you and mom would shine from stages and Podiums. What a talent you had for saying the right words and giving the right prayers and so the praise followed.

With the passing of each friend and family member you hurt deeply.

The greatest loss you suffered was that of mom, the love of your life for 72 years, she kept her 5 plus years of cancer pain from you so you would not hurt, and you kept your pain from her so she would believe that all was well.  You suffered for 15 years with Parkinson’s and never, never, never complained.  Your suffering the last month and a half was truly difficult, but never once did you let your family feel your pain.

After the loss of your precious Mina, you were never the same again.  You asked for her regularly, you looked at her pictures with great sorrow.  I only pray that you are together now, holding hands and smiling down on us.

You said near the end that you had asked God to live until 90 and anything more would be bonus years.  We thank GOD we got 5 more …bonus years.

Dad your faith in GOD saw you through much, and now our faith in God and YOU, will see US through.

Be at peace, and know you will never be forgotten.

Alice

***

My beloved father,

You will be so missed but never forgotten.

I want to thank you dad for all you taught me and the life lessons learned. You taught me the love of the Lord you taught me the meaning of morality and How to live with integrity. You showed me with your beautiful wife what it means to love cherish and respect a woman. You taught me the love of people and nation. You showed what it meant to have a father and mother who would stand by their children no matter what life brings.

Most of all dad you and mom taught me how to love and what it means to love. God bestowed on me the greatest blessing of all a mother and father that were incomparable that loved without question that sacrificed without hesitation that truly gave all they had and lived an amazing life for themselves their children their children’s children their loved ones and friend

Proverbs 1:8 says: “MY SON, HEAR THE INSTRUCTION OF THY FATHER, AND FORSAKE NOT THE LAW OF THY MOTHER”
You will be missed but never forgotten. I love you dad. May God bless you and mom. May god bless us all.

Armen

Hacob and Mina Shirvanian with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of theGreat House of Cilicia

Hacob Shirvanian’s grandson, Chris Petrossian, presented an ode to his grandfather during his funeral service.

As you just heard, Hacob Shirvanian was a community leader, a successful businessman, a savvy politician, and a loving family man, but his most important accomplishment was being the best grandfather anyone could ask for. Ever since I can remember, Shant and I would proudly say that Hacob Shirvanian is our grandfather.

Shant and I were so fortunate to have the grandparents we had, for as long as we did.  9 months ago, many of you heard about our bond with Mamik Mina.  Well, our relationship with babik was just as strong, as he was involved with every aspect of our life. We lived together, we worked together, we traveled together, we played together, we laughed together, and, more recently, we cried together.

He was our friend, our teacher, our role model, our hero and our babik.

As our friend, we enjoyed spending as much time with him as possible. He had a great sense of humor and was a lot of fun. The best part of working at Western Waste was seeing him every day and the conversations we had on the long drives from Glendale to Torrance and back. If we needed anything, like a good friend, he would be there in a heartbeat with no questions asked. Whether it was going with me to look for apartments at UCLA or driving across the country to move me to Chicago.

As our teacher, he taught us about life and the world. Even at a young age, he would treat us like adults and set high standards for us to meet. He used to love to lecture us on any topic and Shant and I could not wait to get out of class. The only way out of that class was the class bell and that was Mamik saying, “Hacob, end it”. He used to say, the best education he gave us was the “passport to life” through all the travels, trips, political and other events he took us to. He wanted to make sure we learned from each of them. Well Babik, those experiences made us the men we are today.

Hacob Shirvanian with a long-time friend, the late Hacop Baghdassarian

As our role model, we looked up to him and marveled at what he had accomplished as an immigrant with only an 8th grade education.  He was our motivation and cheerleader to succeed in academics, athletics, careers and in our personal lives. He wanted to make sure we had the opportunities he did not. As a good role model, he taught us how to give back to our community. Two years ago, we all went to Armenia for the opening of their Youth Center.  They were so happy to not only visit the motherland one last time, but to know that they left a lasting legacy that we will do our best to continue.

Mina and Hacob Shirvanian with Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, Karekin II, who later became Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians

As our hero, he taught us to stand for what we believe in and to never give up. When grandma passed away, he lost not only the love of his life, but also his best friend of over 70 years.  Broken-hearted and not feeling well, he said he just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. However, he persevered to stay alive to celebrate his 95th birthday with us. The doctors said his body gave up, but he did not. He was a fighter who refused to quit… the story of his life.

As our babik, he loved us unconditionally and treated us like we were the center of his universe. Grandpa was a notoriously slow driver. Grandma said the only time he drove over the speed limit was when he was coming to see Shant, me or my kids. We wanted to honor the great man he was, so when Melody and I had our first son, we made Jake his middle name, with the hopes that he will grow up to be a great man like his great-grandfather.

Over the past week, it has been nice hearing how grandpa impacted many of your lives, too. He appreciated how you treated him when he was alive. On behalf of the family, I want to thank you all for how you honored my grandfather in the past and how you continue to honor him with your presence today.

Knowing him, he would want to stand in front of you all today, to thank you for coming and tell you not to mourn him, but rather celebrate the wonderful, blessed life he lived.  He was an accomplished speaker who knew how speak from the heart and command a room.   And whenever he went a bit too long, which was often, it would be grandma by his side saying “Hacob, end it.”  I am sure she is up there now saying, “Chris, end it.”

The last time I spoke with Grandpa, he kissed me on my cheek and said “God, be with you”.  Well babik, you are now with God and our beautiful Mamik.  Please give her a big kiss from us.  We will miss you both dearly and will never forget the mark you left on our lives, but you are where you belong… with each other and with God.  I love you babik…

Hacob Shirvanian with Gov. George Deukmejian

A long-time family friend, Charly Ghailian, paid a moving tribute to Hacob Shirvanian, whom he called “dad” during the funeral service

To some he was known as Jake, or how I knew and called him—Dad!

I would like to share a song from the 60’s, its lyrics portray a young man’s gratitude toward a father figure:

“One who would lead by example
Whose love was unconditional
Whose kind deeds heartfelt”

…And the repeating lyrics in the song are: “I call this man FATHER/I call this man LOVE”

Hacob Was Love
He loved his Mina… loved his Alice, Vahik and Armen; adored his grandchildren Chris and Shant; cherished his Melody and the blessings for Christopher, Sebastian and Katherine.

He embraced his siblings and treasured their family gatherings.

He was always grateful and respectful for this great country, enamored with his Hairenik and heartfelt with Artsakh.

He loved his parties…the Republican and Dashnak parties that is! At times, he struggled with their decisions… but was always committed and dedicated to both.

This GENTLE man of love was an activist, a revolutionary of his time, a servant of his nation, a mentor to many, a kind and generous soul… whose principles were Faith, Family and Nation!

Hacob supported just about anything that started with an “A” and a couple of “H’s” and “U’s”… ACF, AEF, ANC, ARS, Armenian Apostolic Church, Adventist’s/Adventist Health, AUA, Holy Martyrs School, Homenetmen, UCLA and USC.

The one thing Hacob wasn’t good at, was delivering the punch line of a joke. He would burst into laughter at that most critical moment, making everyone laugh hysterically as well…. However, no one ever knew the outcome of the joke.

Hacob played a big role in my life!!

He once said at my grandmother’s funeral service… “You’re not only laying to rest your grandmother, you’re laying to rest a part of our identity and history.”

I share the same with all of you, “We celebrate Hacob’s life and lay to rest a part of our identity and history.” … and assure you all… he is with his Mina planning their next trip to a heavenly destination!

We are all blessed to have had Hacob in our lives and forever in our hearts.

With all my love…

Francophonie events in Yerevan to kick off on October 7 with the session of the Permanent Council

Ophelia Vardapetian
ArmenPress, Armenia
Oct 6 2018
Francophonie events in Yerevan to kick off on October 7 with the session of the Permanent Council


YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Francophonie events in Armenia will kick off on October 7 with the session of the Permanent Council. ARMENPRESS reports the works will be launched by the Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), the Chairwoman of the Permanent Council of the Francophonie.

The 35th OIF Ministerial Conference will take place on October 8-9. The official opening of FrancophonieVillageat the Freedom Square is scheduled on October 9, where the participant countries and partners of the OIF will have the opportunity to display the cultural and language diversity of their countries.

The 47th session of the International Francophone Press Union will take place on October 9-12 in Tsakhkadzor. The topic of this session will be “Press and migration”.

In the sidelines of the 17th summit of the Francophonie an economic forum will be organized for the first time on October 10 at Tumo center for creative technologies.

A gala concert will be held at the Republican Square on October 11 at 19:30 the final part of which will be dedicated to world famous chansonnier Charles Aznavour.

The 17th summit of the Francophonie will be held on October 11-12. The election of Secretary General of the organization is on the agenda. The Summit will be held under the theme of "Living Together" "Living together, respecting solidarity, humanistic values and diversity as the basis for peace and prosperity in the francophone area." Pomegranate has been chosen as the logo of the summit, symbolizing peace and prosperity in the entire Francophonie area.

Yerevan is hosting the XVII International Organisation of La Francophonie summit October 7-12. Armenia is a member of the organization since 2008. The International Organisation of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its members share more than just a common language. They also share the humanist values promoted by the French language. The French language and its humanist values represent the two cornerstones on which the International Organisation of La Francophonie is based. The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 84 member states and governments (58 members and 26 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 900 million people, including 274 million French speakers.

OIF organizes political activities and actions of multilateral cooperation that benefit French-speaking populations. Its actions respect cultural and linguistic diversity and serve to promote the French language, peace and sustainable development. IOF has concluded 33 cooperation agreements with international and regional organisations and has established permanent dialogue between the major international linguistic zones (the English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arab-speaking zones).

The IOF has its head office in Paris as well as four permanent representations in Addis Ababa (at the African Union and at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), in Brussels (at the European Union), in New York and in Geneva (at the UN). It has three regional offices (West Africa ; Central Africa and Indian Ocean ; Asia-Pacific) located respectively in Lomé (Togo), Libreville (Gabon) and Hanoi (Vietnam) and two regional antennas in Bucharest (Romania) and in Port-au-Prince (Haiti). Alongside the IOF, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and the four direct operators are responsible for implementing the programs decided at the Summits.

The four direct operators are : the Academic Agency of La Francophonie, TV5Monde, the International Association of Francophone Mayors and The Senghor University of Alexandria. 58 Member States and Governments : Albania, Principality of Andorra, Armenia, Kingdom of Belgium, French Community of Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canada-New-Brunswick, Canada-Quebec, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, , Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, New-Caledonia, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Säo Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam. 26 Observers : Argentina, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada-Ontario, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, Mozambique, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

France bids adieu to Aznavour, pays tribute to Armenian roots

Ophelia Vardapetian
Investing.com
Oct 5 2018
Sports 

 

     

© Reuters. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian gives a speech during a national tribute ceremony for late singer Charles Aznavour in Paris

By Brian Love

PARIS (Reuters) – France bid farewell to Charles Aznavour on Friday in a tribute that reflected the late singer's status as a national icon at home as well as the country of his roots, Armenia.

Pallbearers carried Aznavour's coffin into the courtyard at Les Invalides military museum in Paris, where Napoleon is buried, to the sound of haunting music played from a duduk, an oboe-like wind instrument native to Armenia.

The singer-songwriter passed away this week at 94.

"In France, poets never die," French President Emmanuel Macron said, standing before the coffin draped in France's blue-white-and-red flag. Alongside the casket lay a wreath in the colors of Armenia.

Macron is expected to travel to Armenia next week on an official visit that Aznavour had hoped to take part in.

"Armenians of all countries today, I am thinking of you," Macron said. "He was supposed to be one of us next week in Yerevan, his absence will leave a giant void."

Celebrities including the now-frail actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and Macron's two predecessors attended the ceremony under clear blue skies.

Aznavour, whose global reach was enhanced by his ability to sing in more than half a dozen languages, died at his villa in Mouries, a village in the southern French Alpilles region, in the night of last Sunday to Monday.

Among his best-known songs – he sold upwards of 100 million records – were “"Hier Encore" (Yesterday When I Was Young), “"Apres l'Amour" (After Love) and “"La Boheme". Others of anthem-status included "She" and "Formidable".

Aznavour was born in Paris on May 22, 1924, to Armenian parents. His birth name was Shahnour Aznavourian.

He grew up on the Left Bank of Paris and began performing at the age of nine. His first public performances were at Armenian gatherings where his father and older sister Aida sang while he danced.

He broke from the shadows penning songs for Edith Piaf in the years after World War Two, and later brought rapt audiences to their feet at venues as far away as New York's Carnegie Hall.

Macron embraced and exchanged words with Aznavour's widow Ulla and relatives before standing side-by-side with Armenian leaders for a ceremony that began with an army band rendition of Armenia's national anthem, then France's.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pachinyan paid tribute to the artist too, saying: "Charles Aznavour is the man who pitched the flag of Armenia on the roof of the world."