Skip to main content

Author: Toneyan Mark

SERJ TANKIAN Tells JIMMY PAGE Man Who Signed LED ZEPPELIN Gave His Philanthropic Support To Denial Of Armenian Genocide

Toneyan Mark

Dec 11 2021


SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian has called out the members of LED ZEPPELIN for commemorating the 14th anniversary of their concert for a charity formed by Atlantic Records founder and CEO Ahmet Ertegun, a man Serj says gave his philanthropic support to Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide.

After ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page took to his Instagram on Friday (December 10) to share a few photos of the 2007 performance, Serj regrammed the post and added the following message: "Dear Mr. @jimmypage. Its very admirable that @ledzeppelin played a tribute show in 2007 for Ahmed Ertegun as the man who signed your band to Atlantic records. What you likely don't know is that man spent millions of dollars on think tanks and chairs at various US universities all with the goal of denying the #ArmenianGenocide. There is absolutely no honor in that I'm sure you'll agree."

Earlier this year, Tankian, an Armenian-American vocalist whose grandparents were survivors of the Armenian Genocide, spoke to RT's "Going Underground" about his meeting with Ertegun, who was the son of a Turkish ambassador. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had a band that we had signed to my imprint, to my label, and there were a number of record companies interested in doing a distribution deal. So we met up with Universal Records, Atlantic Records at the time, and a few others in New York with the band. And after the meeting, I remember the CEO of Atlantic saying, 'Hey, do you wanna meet the old man? He's still here. His office is right next door.' And I'm, like, 'Ertegun?' I'm, like, 'Yeah, I'd love to.' He signed Ray Charles and LED ZEPPELIN and all these bands. So I went in and sat down with him and had a nice 10-minute chat.

"I can't tell you anything else, but I got an inkling that he had some defensive aspect of me being Armenian," he continued. "When I said, 'Listen, just so you know, I'm Armenian. I grew up in Los Angeles,' and this and that, and he kind of got defensive. And it didn't really affect me much. So I got on Google and I typed 'Ahmet Ertegun' and I typed 'Genocide' after, and I realized that he had been responsible for funding foreign policy institutes and chairs at universities who hired authors and writers that denied the Genocide. And that was an awakening for me."

Tankian went on to say that he reconnected with Ertegun at a later date. "He called me, and he said, 'I think the Armenian Genocide should be recognized,'" Serj recalled. "And I said, 'Okay. Great. Why don't you write it on a letterhead and send it to me? And I won't publicize it unless my back is against the wall with my community.' And he said, 'I can't do that, because I have homes in Turkey. I don't know what would happen to that.' And I'm, like, 'Then don't do it. I wouldn't want any violence enacted upon you or your family or anyone else.' But it was very clear that that was an incendiary issue. And even though he was very close, he said, to the prime minister and the government officials there, he didn't wanna take that step."

Shortly after Ertegun's 2006 death, Armenian-American writer Harut Sassounian revealed that he had met with Ahmet a couple of years earlier to discuss Armenian-Turkish issues. He also said that Ertegun was considering the possibility of issuing a public statement on the Armenian Genocide prior to his passing.

In 2019, both the U.S. House and Senate passed a bill declaring that the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks was, in fact, a genocide.


Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 09-12-21

Toneyan Mark

Save

Share

 17:29, 9 December, 2021

YEREVAN, 9 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 9 December, USD exchange rate up by 1.43 drams to 495.24 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.34 drams to 560.56 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 6.72 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.11 drams to 653.96 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 120.91 drams to 28402.26 drams. Silver price up by 0.87 drams to 357.06 drams. Platinum price up by 59.41 drams to 15078.45 drams.

Azerbaijani press: President urges Armenia to give date for Zangazur corridor opening [UPDATE]

Toneyan Mark
7 December 2021 10:00 (UTC+04:00)
800

By Ayya Lmahamad

President Ilham Aliyev has said that Armenia has to give a date when the Zangazur corridor will be opened, and then there will be no problem in this case.

He made the remarks at his meeting with residents of Guba region's Gonagkand settlement on December 6.

Aliyev recalled his remarks made during last year's 44-day war and stressed that he had “said that they should give us a timetable of when they would vacate our lands, and we were ready to stop the war”.

“I say the same thing today. I tell them to give us a date of when the Zangazur corridor will be opened, and there will be no problem in this case. Therefore, I think that both the Armenian leadership and the Armenian public must understand this. We have achieved what we wanted, and we will do that again,” he said.

He underlined that it would be better if the issue is resolved constructively through negotiations and mutual understanding.

Noting that the construction is underway in both Karabakh and Zangazur, the president emphasized that the recent work shows that if there are any revanchist tendencies, "this issue will be resolved immediately on the spot".

“Because since the war ended, there have been several such attempts by Armenia, and they saw the bitter consequences of that. Therefore, it is not too late. I have repeatedly appealed to them, saying that they must accept our conditions and put an end to any insincere approach to roads and communications,” he said.

The head of state added that if this happens, then all the peoples of the South Caucasus will live in peace and tranquillity.

Speaking about the Karabakh war, Aliyev stressed that “it is a victory for all of us”.

“Every citizen of Azerbaijan brought that holy day closer with hard work. We kept Karabakh in our hearts during the entire period of occupation, and a generation of young people grew up who did not see Karabakh. They have liberated Karabakh at the cost of their lives. We have restored historical justice. We have restored the dignity of our people. A new era is beginning now,” he said.

Moreover, speaking about the visit to Gonagkand, he stated that this village has a great place in the history of Azerbaijan.

Stating that the main problem of the village was the problem of roads, he added that the construction of the Guba-Gonagkand highway can be considered a historic event.

“This is a beautiful tourist area. Since there was no road, tourists did not come here. I am sure that now beautiful recreation areas, hotels and public places will be created in these beautiful places. In other words, this part of Guba will revive, I have no doubts about that,” he said.

Film: Young Karabakh filmmaker’s movie wins at Cannes Film Festival

Toneyan Mark
News.am, Armenia
Dec 3 2021
Young Karabakh filmmaker’s movie wins at Cannes Film Festival
13:31, 03.12.2021

The movie entitled "The Desire to Live" by young Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) filmmaker Mariam Avetisyan has won the "Best Indigenous People's Film" category, and Avetisyan was named the winner of the “Best Director Documentary Feature” category at the Cannes Film Festival.

In an interview with Artsakhpress, Mariam noted that this film depicts the post-war life in Artsakh, and the consequences of this war last fall on the people living there.

"We have received positive feedback from the [Armenian] diaspora, we have many supporters, journalists, directors, celebrities—such as Serzh Tankian, for example—from various countries. The film was presented at various festivals—in Toronto, Austria, USA, Armenia, Russia—and was a success," Avetisyan added in particular.

According to her, this achievement at the Cannes Film Festival was unexpected, but very encouraging, and such accomplishments help and give faith to move forward and try to do more.

PRESS RELEASE: Sam & Sylva Simonian: Tech Pioneers Advancing Armenia & AUA

Toneyan Mark
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sam & Sylva Simonian: Tech Pioneers Advancing Armenia & AUA


Sam and Sylva Simonian are two of the most notable names trailblazing their distinctive path for advanced innovation in Armenia. In addition to their triumphant conception and creation of the TUMO Foundation’s Centers for Creative Technologies in Armenia, Artsakh, and several countries abroad, they have been very instrumental in establishing the Computer Science (CS) program at the American University of Armenia (AUA), generously funding its launch in 2002.

As an AUA Emeritus Trustee, Sam Simonian recalls, “In my student days, CS was not offered as a degree. I graduated in electrical engineering and had to learn programming on my own. It was clear then when the AUA CS program was first established that technology would become the essential discipline to produce entrepreneurs who can invent, start companies, employ people, create prosperity, and trade electronically without being hampered by the country’s locked borders.”

Today, the AUA Akian College of Science and Engineering boasts of an impressive roster of degree programs and state-of-the-art curriculum for its students, offering undergraduate degrees in computer science; data science; and engineering sciences, as well as graduate degrees in computer and information science; and industrial engineering and systems management. Situated within a setting of rapid technological leaps taking place in Armenia, the Simonians find it not only encouraging to witness the number of successful tech companies emerging in Armenia, but they also underscore the high growth rate at which the new companies are accelerating, albeit the prevalent shortage of experts that often hinders exponential growth. 

With the launch of the ‘Build a Better Future With AUA’ campaign, the University is spearheading transformation by dedicating efforts to advance experiential learning and intently remodeling the science and technology curriculum to directly impact the growth of Armenia. The Simonians recognize the strategic significance of this AUA undertaking and underscore the immensity of what needs to be done within the country to bridge the existing gaps and positioning Armenia as an equal player in the global field. “There has to be more exerted efforts to realize both expanded budgets and strategy to improve the entire educational system. At one time, there were many more students enrolled in liberal arts studies, but that model has to be flipped. We have to teach and encourage kids at an early age to engage in creativity and technology, and when they enter university, the institution should have the scale and the quality to refine and excel their knowledge instead of starting them with general “101” courses,” Mr. Simonian asserts.


As the sponsors of the annual AUA Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the Simonians view education as a critical component of their mission to aid and expand access to knowledge and skills-development for youth in Armenia. With encouragement and compelling advice to students entering STEM fields, they instill hope for almost guaranteed success in life, but also note that the biggest risk-takers who take the bold step to launch their own companies come along every so often. Their words of wisdom to those entrepreneurs would be to, “find partners in their journey who will complement their deficiencies as it can get very tiring and lonely working 24/7,” while counseling that it is very important not to forget their roots when they strike success and to be benevolent toward those who are less fortunate.

Sam and Sylva Simonian have been a commanding source of power and inspiration for many. But what they signify the most is that everyone can be a part of promoting education and advancing Armenia in their own way. In their words, “Life is more beautiful and fulfilling if you can not only improve yourself and your family, but also help solve the challenges of a country in desperate need.” 

As AUA looks back on 30 years of progress through education, we recognize that our institution would not have reached this level of accomplished prominence without the support of steadfast and resourceful benefactors like the Simonians who have been pioneers in results-driven philanthropy that continues to power progress in Armenia. The level of contribution AUA students and alumni will make to the country and the society they will build are sown through the seeds of education. Our challenge in that process is to direct our collective efforts onto shaping the next decade of dynamic technological progress and delivery of greater development impact.

“I would like to see a peaceful, happy, strong and technologically superior Armenia, and education is the only vehicle to take us there,” Mr. Simonian urges. 

We are grateful for the tremendous support by Sam and Sylva Simonian and look forward to building upon their influence by engaging more collaborators, believers, and partners in realizing our forward-looking vision of Armenia. 

To learn more, visit https://30th.. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.


Garegin Galustov | PR & Marketing Specialist

Գարեգին Գալուստով | Հանրային կապերի և մարկետինգի մասնագետ

+374 60 61 2528,  

ggalustov@

__________________________________________

American University of Armenia
40 Baghramyan Avenue, Yerevan 0019, Republic of Armenia
_____

Հայաստանի Ամերիկյան Համալսարան

Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն, 0019, Երևան, Մարշալ Բաղրամյան պող. 40


Sylva and Sam Simonian at AUA’s 25th anniversary gala.jpg
JPEG image


Sylva & Sam Simonian.jpeg
JPEG image

Sochi trilateral statement denies propaganda theses about “corridor” – Armenia Foreign Ministry

Toneyan Mark

Save

Share

 09:57,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. With the statement signed on November 26 in Sochi, Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan reaffirm their commitment to the consistent and unconditional implementation of all the provisions of the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in response to the questions of media outlets relating to the Sochi trilateral statement.

“This relates also to the commitments which have not been implemented by Azerbaijan till now, including point 8th of the November 9 statement relating to the return of prisoners of war, hostages and other persons held. The November 26th Sochi statement once again reaffirms the point of January 11 statement on unblocking all transportation routes and economic communications in the region and again denies the propaganda theses about the “corridor” or corridor logic”, the MFA spokesperson said.

He emphasized that according to the Sochi statement, the sides reached an agreement to take actions to raise the level of stability and security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and the priority and key step on this direction must be the implementation of actions aimed at reducing tension.

“We are also convinced that the complete implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statement will contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship”, Vahan Hunanyan said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Turkish press: Azerbaijan extradites 2 Armenian detainees ahead of tripartite talks

Toneyan Mark

 ISTANBUL NOV 26, 2021 – 12:17 PM GMT+3

Azerbaijani soldiers carry a large-scale national flag on the anniversary of the end of the 2020 war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan, 08 November 2021. (EPA Photo)

Ahead of the tripartite meeting with Armenia and Russia, Azerbaijan on Friday announced that two detainees of Armenian origin were extradited to their country.

In the statement made by Baku, it was stated that one of the extradited persons was one of the soldiers detained during the clashes on the border as a result of the provocations of Armenia on Nov. 16.

It was stated that the soldier was wounded and treated during this time.

The other person is a civilian who lost his way in the direction of Aghdam province and was caught while entering a region where Azerbaijani soldiers were located.

The move came just before Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, days after some of the worst fighting between the Caucasus foes since last year's war over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Kremlin said the talks are "timed to coincide" with the anniversary of a Russian-mediated cease-fire, signed in November last year, that ended six weeks of fighting over the long-disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The deal saw Armenia cede swathes of territory it had occupied for decades.

The Kremlin said the leaders will discuss "outlining further steps to strengthen stability and establish peace in the region."

Earlier this month, clashes broke out on the shared border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with both sides reporting casualties and blaming each other for the fighting.

Russia stepped in to mediate, with Moscow's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu negotiating a truce.

It was also announced this week that a hotline between the defense chiefs of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be launched after the two countries reached an agreement following deadly clashes.

Armenian army’s General Staff ex-deputy chief: War is very likely, but it is rare that there will be corridor

Toneyan Mark
News.am, Armenia
Nov 25 2021
Armenian army's General Staff ex-deputy chief: War is very likely, but it is rare that there will be corridor
18:03, 25.11.2021

Former First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatryan says Syunik Province of Armenia might have the same fate as Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) did, Armlur.am reports.

Asked if this is a possibility, Khachatryan said the following: “There is a high probability of war, if security is not ensured, the army is not strengthened, the necessary objectives aren’t met and the capacities aren’t reinforced.”

According to him, even though certain activities have been carried out in this direction over the past year, they are definitely not enough. “We need to show that we are strong and are capable of taking certain actions to give a counterattack,” the army general emphasized.

Asked if Azerbaijan will obtain the corridor that it wants, Khachatryan said he doesn’t think so.


Armenian parliament to hold closed session on PoWs

Toneyan Mark

Save

Share

 10:50, 16 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament will hold a closed session to discuss the issue of prisoners of war who are still held in Azerbaijan and those who are missing from the 2020 war. 

The motion requesting to convene the session was signed by at least 1/5 of the total number of lawmakers. Lawmakers from the majority voted in favor of convening the meeting. The two opposition factions Hayastan and Pativ Unem are not in attendance as they are boycotting today’s session in protest of the majority’s refusal to convene an emergency sitting to discuss the situation at the country’s borders earlier on November 15. 

The session’s agenda includes the 2022 government budget.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Lavrov confident a trilateral Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan meeting will take place

Toneyan Mark
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 19 2021
November 19, 2021, 17:51

 1 minute read

A trilateral meeting on Karabakh with the participation of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan and Armenia will take place, but it needs a consensus of the parties, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference on Friday, TASS reports.

“For a meeting to take place, a consensus is needed so that all those who are going to participate agree with this. I am sure that such a meeting will take place,” he said.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier contacts between the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the leader of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in trilateral format have not yet been planned. According to him, agreement and readiness of all parties is necessary for a trilateral meeting.