Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan took the 9th place in the World Junior Gymnastics Championships in Doha.
As the press service of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia states, it is the best result in the history of the gymnasium of independent Armenia. Artur Davtyan scored 83,140 points in the final.
By the way, our compatriot Artur Dalaloyan representing Russia was declared the world champion, showing 87,598 results.
Daniel Ioannisyan posted the following on his Facebook page: “Not only the Republican Party of Armenia and the Prosperous Armenia Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun, which committed a “slight” sabotage, but also the government are to blame for the rejection of the Electoral Code.
In particular, Nikol Pashinyan’s unexpected decision to move the elections to December significantly increased the chances of sabotage.
One of the major promises that Nikol Pashinyan had made was to make amendments to the Electoral Code prior to the elections, and we should not have begun the electoral process without an amended Electoral Code. In this case, if such sabotage was committed, the public would have had the opportunity to exert pressure on the National Assembly.”
Washington D.C./12.10.18/Turan: "On October 20th I'll be traveling to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia to meet with my counterparts and other senior officials to advance American interests on a range of security issues," John Bolton, assistant to U.S. President for national security affairs, tweeted last night.
"Please raise #Azerbaijan human rights — HR violations weaken our partnership," Richard Kauzlarich, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan, tweeted back hours later.
A top U.S. official, who is knowledgeable about the current state of U.S.-Azerbaijani relations, told Turan that Bolton's visit to Azerbaijan will be "yet another step forward in deepening the two countries" strategic partnership," citing the recent trip of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent to the region.
During his meetings with Azerbaijani officials, Mr. Kent "did raise the cases of unjustly imprisoned political activists and journalists," a source claimed.
Ambassador Bolton's trip, he added, confirms that the security issues of the South Caucasus region as a whole takes an important place in the agenda of the US administration.
Human rights experts worry that the way Azerbaijani government treats its citizens is getting sidelined in the effort to secure security cooperation. "Avoiding the rights issue would send the "wrong message," a source told Turan. "Consider this [upcoming trip] as a continuation of an ongoing negotiations between the high level officials."
Another diplomat, who is also involved in U.S.-Azerbaijani dialogs, told Turan that Washington "wants to work with Azerbaijan economically and militarily," but added Bolton "would also raise sensitive issues of human rights with President Aliyev in this contexts."
Relations between the two countries have been badly strained in recent years as Azerbaijan, according media watchdog groups, ranks among the top countries for jailing members of the media.
Aliyev government has also blocked independent and western news websites, including the U.S.-backed RFERL and other broadcasting services.-0-
The leader of Orinats Yerkir Party Mher Shahgeldyan wrote on his Facebook page:
“Dear Compatriots, I congratulate My Step Alliance on the tangible victory in Yerevan City Council elections. I hope that Hayk Maratyan will bring to life the pre-electoral programs and will justify the trust of the citizens of Yerevan.”
ՀՀ վարչապետ Նիկոլ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանն առաջիկայում մեկնելու է Մոսկվա և հանդիպելու է ՌԴ նախագահ Վլադիմիր Պուտինի հետ: Այս մասին ֆեյսբուքյան ուղիղ եթերում հայտարարեց անձամբ Փաշինյանը:
Նրա խոսքով, դա կլինի իր երրորդ այցը, որի ժամանակ բազմաթիվ հարցեր կքննարկվեն.
«Չեմ ասում, որ բոլոր հարցերը լուծված են, բայց մեր համագործակցությունը շարունակվում է եւ համոզված եմ, որ բնականոն կերպով կշարունակվի»,- ասաց Փաշինյանը
ՃԷԶԻՐԷԷՆ ՆԵՐՍ ՍՏԵՂԾՈՒԱԾ ԶԳԱՅՈՒՆ ԿԱՑՈՒԹԵԱՆ ԳԾՈՎ ԽՈՐՀՐԴԱԿՑՈՒԹԻՒՆ Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. ԱՐԱՄ Ա., Ն.Ս. ԱՖՐԱՄ Բ. ԵՒ Ն.Ս. ԵՈՒՆԱՆ Գ. ՀՈԳԵՒՈՐ ՊԵՏԵՐՈՒ ՄԻՋԵՒ
Երէկ առաւօտ՝ Չորեքշաբթի, 29 Օգոստոս 2018-ին, Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. Արամ Ա. Կաթողիկոսին, Ն.Ս. Աֆրամ Բ. եւ Ն.Ս. Իգնատիոս Եուսէֆ Գ. Եունան պատրիարքներուն միջեւ խորհրդակցութիւն մը տեղի ունեցաւ Սուրիոյ Ճէզիրէ շրջանէն ներս, յատկապէս համայնքային դպրոցներու գծով ստեղծուած դժուարութիւններու շուրջ։
Յայտնենք, որ վերջին շաբաթներուն յիշեալ շրջանէն ներս տիրական ներկայութիւն դարձած քիւրտերու իշխանութիւնը կարգ մը քայլերու դիմած է համայնքային դպրոցներէն ներս շարք մը կարգադրութիւններ իր հայեցողութեամբ կատարելու որոշումով։
Առաջարկուեցաւ, որ թէ՛ Դամասկոսի իշխանութեան ճամբով եւ թէ քրտական իշխանութեան հետ բանակցելով բարւոք լուծում որոնեն ստեղծուած դժուար կացութեան։ Նոյն օրն իսկ ասորի ուղղափառ եկեղեցւոյ պատրիարքը մեկնեցաւ Դամասկոս, իսկ ասորի կաթոլիկ պատրիարքը՝ Հալէպ։
Կապ
—
IRNA , Iran Aug 29 2018 Iran, Armenia sign agricultural MoU Tehran Iran’s cultural attache in Armenia said that the country’s Fund for Developing Business and an Iranian company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly produce agricultural machinery. According to Iran Trade Development Organization’s website, Mohsen Rahimi added that the deal was signed in a ceremony in Armenia attended by the deputies of the country’s agriculture and economy ministers. Based on the agreement, Iranian company will export all types of agricultural machinery parts to Armenia and will assembly them in the country. Armenian Fund for Developing Business will cooperate with the Iranian company in the field of easing administrative procedures, participation in exhibitions and commercial events, technical assistance and information dissemination. At the first stage, Iran will export CKD parts worth one million dollars to Armenia to put them together there, Rahimi said. Iranian company also plans to export parts to the other Eurasian member states in addition to Armenia. Armenia, a country of three million people, gained independence in 1991 following collapse of the Soviet Union.
Wednesday,
Armenia’s Former Top Judge Wounded In Gun Attack
• Narine Ghalechian
Armenia - Arman Mkrtumian, chairman of the Court of Cassation, at a news
conference in Yerevan, 3 April 2009.
Arman Mkrtumian, the former powerful head of Armenia’s highest criminal court,
was shot and lightly wounded late on Tuesday in a reported armed attack on his
house carried out by gunmen.
Police said Mkrtumian’s 30-year-old son fired a gas pistol at the three masked
attackers armed with assault rifles when they burst into the villa located in
Dzoraghbyur, a village just outside Yerevan. One of the gunmen was wounded and
caught by the Mkrtumians while the two others fled the scene, firing random
gunshots in the process, according to a police statement.
The police also released a short video showing the alleged attacker who was
identified as Hovannes Ryzhenko, a 45-year-old resident of Gyumri. The man had
blood on his face and a bandage wrapped around his head.
“The neutralized person was detained,” Sona Truzian, a spokeswoman for
Armenia’s Investigative Committee, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service on Wednesday.
She said law-enforcement authorities are taking “all necessary measures” to
track down the other attackers.
The authorities did not immediately suggest any motives behind the gun attack.
The Investigative Committee opened a criminal inquiry under an article of the
Armenian Criminal Code dealing with “banditry.”
Mkrtumian received medical treatment at Yerevan’s Erebuni hospital shortly
after incident. A hospital official said he refused hospitalization despite
sustaining a gunshot wound. The retired judge made no public statements on the
attack.
Mkrtumian, 57, headed Armenia’s Court of Cassation for ten years. He resigned
in early June more than one month after mass protests brought down the
country’s previous government headed by Serzh Sarkisian.
Throughout his tenure Mkrtumian was accused by lawyers of severely limiting the
independence of lower courts. In June 2013, for example, about 200 lawyers went
on a two-day strike to protest against what they called arbitrary decisions
routinely made by the Court of Cassation.
Yerevan Hopes For Lower Russian Gas Price
• Tatev Danielian
Armenia - Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller speaks at a ceremony in Yerevan,
16Apr2015.
The Armenian government will ask Russia’s Gazprom giant to cut the price of its
natural gas supplied to Armenia during upcoming negotiations, Energy Minister
Artur Grigorian said on Wednesday.
Armenia currently pays $150 per thousand cubic meters of Russian gas imported
via Georgia. By comparison, the Russian gas price for Europe stands at around
$230 per thousand cubic meters.
The Armenian side and Gazprom were expected to review the tariff late last
year. But visiting Yerevan in October 2017, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev said the “special price” will remain unchanged until the end of 2018.
Alexei Miller, the Gazprom chairman, accompanied Medvedev on the trip.
Grigorian said that Armenian officials and Gazprom executives will start
negotiations on a new gas deal in November. “We will do everything to get a gas
price that’s lower than the existing one,” he told a news conference.
The minister did not specify the extent of the price reduction that will be
sought by Yerevan.
Armenia’s Gazprom-owned gas distribution network cut its retail fees for
households and corporate consumers in November 2016, more than two months after
Karen Karapetian was appointed as the country’s prime minister. Karapetian
managed the network from 2001-2010 and held senior executive positions in
Gazprom subsidiaries in Russia from 2011-2016.
He was replaced as prime minister by Serzh Sarkisian in April this year just a
few weeks before mass protests brought down Armenia’s former government. The
protest leader, Nikol Pashinian, took over as prime minister in early May.
So far the Russian government and Gazprom have given no indications that they
are ready sell gas to Armenia at a deeper discount. Some analysts have
suggested that with Karapetian no longer in government the Russians could
actually raise the existing price.
Gazprom accounts for over 80 percent of Armenia’s annual gas imports. The South
Caucasus country also buys gas from neighboring Iran. Officials in Yerevan have
for years insisted that Russian gas is cheaper than Iranian gas.
Grigorian revealed that Yerevan is now discussing with Tehran the possibility
of a lower Iranian gas price for Armenia. “I think that very soon we will have
the final gas price declared by the Iranian side, which will certainly be
compared with the price of Russian gas,” he said.
Press Review
“Robert Kocharian says that he is returning to active politics in order to
defend his honor and dignity,” “Zhamanak” writes in a commentary on the former
Armenian president’s interview with a Russian TV channel aired on Tuesday. The
paper says Kocharian essentially blamed Serzh Sarkisian for the recent
revolution in Armenia, saying that his successor should not have tried to cling
to power.
“Hayots Ashkhar” says Kocharian’s political comeback has been one of the most
important political developments of this summer. “This is only the beginning,”
the paper says in reference of the former president’s recent moves and
statements.
“Zhoghovurd” notes the readiness of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) to cooperate with Kocharian. The paper finds it natural, saying that
Kocharian’s and Sarkisian’s interests “again converge now.” “They are now
united by the criminal investigation into the March 1 [2008 violence,]” it
says. “Driven by their self-defense instincts, they now have to join forces and
fight together.” The paper says that the HHK and its spokesman Eduard
Sharmazanov in particular criticized Kocharian in the not so distant past.
“During Serzh Sarkisian’s presidency Kocharian voiced criticism of the
authorities from time to time and Sharmazanov was the first to counter it,
often using crude language.”
“Even under the former authorities there were people who warned that enslaving
the judicial system is a dangerous path that lays the foundation of a vicious
tradition of courts serving some people today and others tomorrow,”
editorializes “Hraparak.” The paper says Kocharian and Sarkisian are now paying
the consequences of their tight grip on the judiciary. “[Kocharian] hopes now
that the judicial system is not that devastated and crushed and will dare to go
against the will of the new authorities and rule in his favor,” it says.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Homenetmen Western U.S.A. announced a partnership with Glendale Library, Arts & Culture to host an exhibit celebrating its centennial
LOS ANGELES—Homenetmen Western U.S.A. announced a partnership with Glendale Library, Arts & Culture to host an exhibit celebrating its centennial at the Downtown Central Library’s ReflectSpace and PassageWay galleries, entitled Elevate: Homenetmen Centennial Exhibition.
The multi-disciplinary exhibition, co-sponsored by the City of Glendale Arts & Culture, will run from September 16 through September 30. It will feature contemporary art, as well as an array of photographs and unique artifacts from the last 100 years that showcase the riveting past and present contributions of the organization to the community, and in particular the youth, through athletics, scouting, and leadership training. The “Elevate” exhibition committee is comprised of Ara and Anahid Oshagan, Mher Tavidian, Vahagn Thomasian, and Harry Vorperian.
Homenetmen is a pan-Armenian diaspora organization devoted to leadership, sports and scouting, with the motto “Elevate Yourself and Elevate Others with You”.
“Over the years, Homenetmen Western Region has invested so much in our youth and our overall community members across the world, instilling in them qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, respect, and a willingness to help others. We have ingrained in them the principle that it is important to elevate others, along with one’s own self, and the importance of valuing and preserving their Armenian heritage,” said Manuel Marselian, Chair of Homenetmen Western USA. “We would like to thank Glendale Library, Arts & Culture for providing us with the space to celebrate our youth, our accomplishments, and our continued service,” he added.
Based on a theme of elevating the community, the committee has commissioned several local artists to create work exclusively for Homenetmen’s centennial anniversary. Created by Thomasian, one of the featured items includes a high-tech, holographic projection of Homenetmen’s global presence. Photographer Levon Parian will provide a new portrait series of Homenetmen members, while Vorperian and Thomasian collaborated on a sculpture.
“Its message incorporates the idea of ‘elevate’ in multiple ways: emotional, physical and psychological, and not just for the individual, but also the nation as a whole,” Vorperian said. “My work is part art and part gratitude for this amazing organization.”
Thomasian said he is excited to share the organization’s work over the past century through the beautiful art at the exhibition.
“It is critical for us to demonstrate what dedication and service to our youth can accomplish,” he said.
Complementing the art in ReflectSpace, a number of historical artifacts will be on display throughout the library, including a rare, complete Homenetmen scouting uniform from 1929, loaned by Serop Beylerian. In the PassageWay, historical posters developed by Hayk Demoyan, chair of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, will highlight Homenetmen’s origins and its critical role in reviving both the Armenian nation and identity after the Genocide.
The public opening of the exhibition on September 16 coincides with an all-day street festival at 1 p.m. Beginning at noon, a marching band comprised of Homenetmen scouts and athletes, will kickstart the festival from the front of the Glendale Downtown Library down Brand Blvd. to Colorado St., and lead the community into a day full of song and dance with booths and food trucks, all the way up to 7 p.m. at Glendale Central Park, which sits next to the library.
The exhibition and festival are a part of a series of events organized by the Homenetmen Western Region to celebrate its centennial anniversary. A Youth Forum, featuring community activists, leaders, and the Republic of Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, was held on June 21 to kickstart activities. It was closely followed by a Victory Ball on July 1 and the Navasartian Games and Festival from July 3-7. Along with the exhibition and street festival, centennial activities will conclude with the official Centennial Celebration Programs scheduled for October 5 in Northern California and October 28 in Southern California at Glendale High School.
Further information about each Homenetmen centennial event as well as sponsorship opportunities can be found on www.weare100.info. For updates and additional details, follow Homenetmen on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HomenetmenUSAWR and Instagram at @Homenetmen_Western_USA.
The Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, referred to as Homenetmen, is a 501 (C)3 non-profit organization founded in 1918, which has to date served over 800,000 youth in five continents. Homenetmen Western Region currently has 19 chapters. It is the largest Armenian athletic and scouting organization in the United States.
ReflectSpace is an inclusive exhibition gallery designed to explore and reflect on major human atrocities, genocides and civil rights violations. Immersive in conception, ReflectSpace is a hybrid space that is both experiential and informative, employing art, technology and interactive media to reflect on the past and present of Glendale’s communal fabric and interrogate current-day global human rights issues.
Glendale’s Library, Arts & Culture Department began in 1907 and includes six neighborhood libraries, as well as the Brand Library & Art Center, housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Downtown Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for studying, learning and gathering. For more information call Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2030 or see the website www.GlendaleLAC.org.
Mikael Manukyan
YEREVAN—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia announced that its slate of candidates for the upcoming September 23 special Yerevan municipal elections will be led by Mikael Manukyan, thus becoming the party’s candidate for mayor.
Manukyan, who heads the Armenian National Forest Service, has served as a member of parliament in the ARF bloc and has been a past president of the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia.
The ARF announced on Friday that it will take part in the Yerevan municipal elections under the banner of “Together in the name of Yerevan.”
In his youth, Manukyan took part in the Artsakh Liberation struggle. He was arrested during the government’s crackdown on the ARF in 1994, decreed by then president Levon Ter-Petrossian.