Author: Samvel Nahapetian

Artur Vanetsyan visits Amaras Monastery in Artsakh

Samvel Nahapetian
Panorama, Armenia
June 5 2021

The head of "Homeland" party, the candidate for the PM's post from "The Salute of Honour and Respect" pre-election bloc  Artur Vanetsyan has visited Amaras Monastery complex in Artsakh. 

"Amaras Monastery complex is being reconstructed with efforts of Luys Foundation, led by Armenia's third President Serzh Sargsyan," Armen Ashotyan, Deputy Chairman of RPA wrote on Facebook, sharing photos from the scene. 

To note, Amaras is one of the Christian monasteries of the early Middle Ages – a famous religious and cultural center of medieval Armenia, located on the territory of the Martuni region.

State Revenue Committee collects 618.4 billion AMD tax revenues in five months

Samvel Nahapetian

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 14:58, 1 June, 2021

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. 618.4 billion drams gross tax revenues have been collected by the State Revenue Committee in January-May 2021, the SRC told Armenpress.

The figure in January-May 2020 comprised 583.6 billion drams, whereas in 2019 – 571.2 billion drams. Thus, compared to the same period of the previous year, the growth of the budget’s combining revenues comprised 34.7 billion drams or 5.9%.

In the first five months of 2021 nearly 68.6 billion drams (growth 29.9%) have been returned to the tax-payers at the expense of factual collected revenues. Meanwhile, in the same period of 2020, 52.8 billion (growth 58.1%) drams have been returned to the tax-payers.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia’s acting foreign minister resigns

Samvel Nahapetian
Reuters | Moscow

The acting head of Armenia's foreign ministry, Ara Ayvazyan, has applied for resignation, Interfax news agency reported, citing the ministry's spokeswoman Anna Nagdalyan. The resignation takes place amid a new wave of Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan.

Armenia earlier this month accused Azerbaijan of sending troops across the border, highlighting the fragility of a Russian-brokered ceasefire that halted six weeks of fighting between ethnic Armenian forces and the Azeri army last year.

Armenia fires warning shots at Azeri border – RIA

Samvel Nahapetian
Reuters
May 20 2021

Reuters

Armenia's defence ministry said on Thursday it had fired warnings shots at the border with Azerbaijan due to an alleged Azeri incursion, the RIA news agency reported.

Armenia accused Azerbaijan of sending troops across the border last week, highlighting the fragility of a Russian-brokered ceasefire that halted six weeks of fighting between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces last year. Azerbaijan has previously denied crossing the frontier.

 

Armenian translations of four autobiographic books by Charles Aznavour now available at the National Library

Samvel Nahapetian
Public Radio of Armenia
– Public Radio of Armenia

Translations of four autobiographic books by Charles Aznavour have been added to the collection of the National Library of Armenia.

Under a project launched in 2019, Newmag Publishing House intends to publish nine autobiographic books until 2024 – the 100th birth anniversary of the legendary singer. The 10th book will be an extensive collection of Aznavour’s songs.

Within the framework of the initiative, Newmag has so far translated and published four autobiographical books, which are already available in the reading rooms of the National Library.

The first book titled Retiens la vie was translated from French by Artak Herikyan and Jacqueline Minasyan. Foreword by Rosie Armen.

In the book D’une porte l’autre the great chansonnier talks about the most sensational issues of his time. Translated from French by Hamlet Gasparyan.

In the book À voix basse Charles Aznavour speaks honestly about his family’s past and the difficulties of starting his career. Translated from French by Samvel Gasparyan.

Charles Aznavour wrote the book Tant que battra mon coeur, when he was 89. He tells about events and people he has never mentioned in any book. The book was translated from French by Hamlet Gasparyan.

Razminfo: Azeris took control of a peak 6 kilometers away from borderline Kut village

Samvel Nahapetian
Panorama, Armenia

Razminfo specialized military website has studied a video circulated by Azeri users on social media and concluded it had been filmed in the near-border area of Armenia's Gegharkunik province, bordering with Karvachar region which is currently under the control of Azerbaijani forces.

The portal has identified the exact location with a satellite view, indicating the clip has been made on a peak of a mountAIN 6 kilometers away from north-east of borderline Kut village. The geographic coordinates of the location is 40.18924486527808, 45.96873917393403. 

The military experts assert the Azerbaijani forces have occupied the peak and secured their presence in a favorable position. "If the Armenian side had taken steps earlier, it would have saved control over the hill," the portal said. 

BHK reveals electoral list’s top 3

Samvel Nahapetian

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 11:09,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) has revealed the top three of its electoral list in the upcoming June 20 snap election.

BHK leader Gagik Tsarukyan will top the list, followed by lawmakers Mikayel Melkumyan and Iveta Tonoyan, BHK MP Arman Abovyan said in a statement.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Russia ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan in delimitation and demarcation – Lavrov

Samvel Nahapetian

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 16:20,

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS. Russia is ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan in the delimitation and demarcation issue, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference, according to TASS.

“Regarding the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, after this incident the Azerbaijani side was making statements explaining the occurrence with a misunderstanding, and most importantly, the absence of a border, which should’ve been delimitated and demarcated. No one has ever dealt with this there. We’ve recommended the parties to deal with it. We are ready to support them in both providing cartographic materials and rendering consultative services,” TASS quoted Lavrov as saying.

On May 12, Azeri troops breached the Armenian state border and advanced into the Syunik province, trying to seize the Sev Lake. A similar breach took place in the Gegharkunik province. Negotiations are ongoing.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Why we should never forget the Pontian Genocide of 1919

Samvel Nahapetian
Neos Kosmos

Photos: Kostas Deves & Mary Sinanidis

1:57pm

More than 100 years from the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, yet the memory of lost homelands and the pain burn still in the hearts of the Pontian’s around the world.

Every year, the Greek community of Australia remembers the persecuted Christian populations of Pontus, Asia Minor and Eastern Thrace, paying tribute with a series of commemorative events organised by the coordinating committee of the Pontian Society of Melbourne.

Honouring the dark anniversary of 19 May, the day Mustafa Kemal Ataturk landed in Samsun back in 1919, a Commemorative Service took place at St Eustathios (221 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne) at 11am, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at 12.15pm at the Domain, between Birdwood Avenue and Government Drive.

“The month of May, personally for me, is a time when feelings are more vivid and memories are more intense as I recall stories told by my grandfather about the loss of his father and forced exile of his family from Pontus to Russia to be saved from slaughter,” Roma Siachos, Secretary of Pontian Community of Melbourne and Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Pontian Associations of Melbourne, told Neos Kosmos.

“Whether we were born in Pontus, or as descendants of the Pontian Greeks that came from the depths of Pontus whose history covers millennia of the civilisations residing across the Black Sea, we aspire not to create a climate of hatred but to never forget the Genocide of the Peoples so that similar events can never happen again in the future.”

Meanwhile, the General Consul of Greece Mr Emmanuel Kakavelakis stressed that this is not a day of celebration but a day of mourning.

Commemorative events:

  • Sunday, 16 May (today) 
    Kostas Pataridis will present a talk, titled “Renaissance of the Greek Nation and the forgotten ones”, at 4pm at the Municipality of Moreland (90 Bell Street, Coburg)
  • Monday, 17 May
    Service for lives lost during the Genocide at Axion Esti Monastery (7 Harlington Street Northcote) at 7pm.
  • Wednesday, 19 May
    Professor Thomas Savvidis will give a lecture, titled “Memory of Pontian Greek Genocide 1913-1922” at the Greek Centre (168 Lonsdale Street).
  • Sunday, 30 May
    A walk to remember the Genocide at Kokoda Memorial Archway, with a gathering next to the Carpark at Dandenong Ranges national Park, Melbourne.

*Dedicated commemorative events will be held through to October.

Armenian FM emphasizes inadmissibility of encroachments on Armenian territory talking with Lavrov

Samvel Nahapetian

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 00:09,

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. On May 13, in the first half of the day, caretaker Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian had a phone conversation with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov. ARMENPRESS reports, citing the press service of the MFA Armenia, the interlocutors continued the discussions over the situation on the Armenian state border resulted by the Azerbaijani actions and the measures aimed at de-escalating the situation.

Ara Ayvazian emphasized the inadmissibility of the Azerbaijani provocations and any encroachment on the sovereign territory of Armenia.

The Armenian and Russian FMs exchanged views on the preservation of the regional stability and security.