Author: Vardan Badalian

Eurovision 2021 winner: Armenia’s Malena with “Qami Qami”

Vardan Badalian
wiwibloggs

EUROVISION NEWS WITH ATTITUDE



  • POSTED ONDECEMBER 19, 2021
  • BYOLIVER ADAMS

The Junior Eurovision 2021 winner has been crowned. A total of 19 countries competed in the JESC grand final at La Seine Musicale in Paris. Kazakhstan delivered killer vocals, Portugal served authentic fado and The Netherlands brought us a piece of Japanese culture. But in the end it was Armenia’s Malena who charmed the juries and audience with “Qami Qami” to win the day.

Armenia came third with the professional juries behind France and Poland, but managed to finish first overall by topping the online vote. The public ranked Poland and Portugal second and third. 

“Qami Qami” is a space-pop number composed by Maléna herself, as well as David Tserunyan, the Head of the Armenian delegation at Eurovision; Tokionine, head of the record label TKN and former national final representative in 2020; and Vahram Petrosyan, composer of “Boomerang”, the Armenian entry for Junior Eurovision in 2017.

The song’s pulsating, other-wordly beats are complemented by their lyrics, talking about going to far away places to be who she truly is and how the winds can take her to this ideal state of being. When you reach that peace of mind, don’t let it go for anything in the world. Anyone can reach this ideal, anyone can strive to go to that place and be free of mind and spirit.

Ahead of JESC, Malena topped both the Wiwi Jury and our readers’ poll.

Wiwiblogger Natalie wrote: “This is probably the most professional song we’ve ever had in Junior Eurovision. The juicy space-pop beats carry the stunning message of self-discovery and trauma recovery so beautifully. Maléna is such a talented singer who I’m sure we’ll see killing it on the adult stage as well. It’s scintillating and powerful without being remotely male-gazey. This is an empowered fourteen-year-old girl singing a superbly mature song. I love it so much.”

A student from Sayat Nova Music School, Armenia, Maléna loves playing the cello, singing covers, and cites mostly R’n’B artists as her main influences, such as Jaden Smith, girl in red, Eazy-E, and more. She has been collaborating with the Armenian label TKN since 2020, who have also produced her intended entry for Junior Eurovision 2020, “Why”. Last year, she performed under the name Maléna Fox.

https://wiwibloggs.com/2021/12/19/junior-eurovision-2021-winner-armenia-with-qami-qami/267945/

Armenian health authorities consider not covering medical bills of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients

Vardan Badalian

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 12:14,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Healthcare is considering stopping covering the medical bills of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

Ministry of Healthcare spokesperson Hripsime Khachatryan said the reason for this move is the unsatisfactory vaccination rate and the new variants of the coronavirus.

The decision will only pertain to hospitalized unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

Khachatryan reminded that the vaccines are available for free.

A preliminary possible date for introducing the new regulation is set for February 1, 2022, but the timeframes may be changed.

“I won’t miss this occasion and I will once again call on our citizens to get vaccinated,” she said, adding that Armenia is one of the exclusively few countries which offers a wide selection of vaccines to citizens.

Turkey and Armenia start normalizing relations?

Vardan Badalian
Vestnik Kavkaza
Dec 14 2021
 13 Dec in 22:00

Turkey and Armenia will mutually appoint special envoys to discuss steps to normalize ties, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced Monday.

The two countries will also restart charter flights between Istanbul and Yerevan, Çavuşoğlu said at his ministry's budget discussions in the Parliament, according to TRT Haber.

Çavuşoğlu said Turkey would coordinate steps to normalize ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On December 10, the first meeting of the "3+3" Consultative Regional Platform was held in Moscow under the co-chairmanship of Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, Azerbaijan's Khalaf Khalafov, Armenia's Vahe Gevorkian, Turkey's Sedat Onal, as well as Director General of the Eurasia Department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Alireza Haghighian.

Armenia extends VAT privileges for electric cars by another two years

Vardan Badalian

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 11:01, 9 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is extending the timeframes of the VAT priviledges for electric cars until 2024.

The Deputy Minister of Environment Gayane Gabrielyan told lawmakers that the bill on amending the tax code will extend the timeframes of the current privileges granted for the import or alienation of electric vehicles.

The opposition Hayastan faction MP Hripsime Stambulyan reminded that the law was developed by the former government and expressed satisfaction that the incumbent authorities are also approving it.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Mission to Armenia focuses on the execution of ECHR judgments

Vardan Badalian
Council of Europe
Dec 10 2021

From 5 to 7 December, the Execution Department carried out a mission to Armenia and held discussions with authorities focusing on the need to co-ordinate and strengthen all competent authorities' capacity to respond efficiently to the ECHR judgments revealing notably systemic and structural problems. The importance of close co-operation between the authorities and the Council of Europe was reiterated. The authorities highlighted the important support provided by the Council of Europe in their reform efforts and expressed hope that cooperation will remain continuous. Meetings were held with the Office of the Government Agent, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation and the Ombdusperson’s institution.

The department also participated in the “Round table on the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers decision on the group of cases Saghatelyan v. Armenia and on one’s right to examine the witnesses of the opposite side in the new Code of Criminal Procedure” which was organised in the framework of the Council of Europe project “Support for the execution by Armenia of judgments in respect of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights”. It also took part in the “Workshop on selected issues of new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia” organized in the framework of the project “Supporting the criminal justice reform and harmonising the application of European standards in Armenia”. These seminars tackled issues concerning the ongoing judicial reform and the positive developments related to the entry into force of the new Code of Criminal Procedure and the Criminal Code.

Among the major pending cases discussed during the mission were the following: Ashot Harutyuan group (inadequate medical care in detention); Mushegh Saghatelyan group (disproportionate and unnecessary dispersal of demonstration); Gabrileyan group (unreasonable restriction of the right to examine witnesses whose testimony played a decisive role in securing conviction); Poghosyan group (unlawful detention due to various shortcomings of the domestic law and the judicial practice); Yegnukian (excessive length of criminal proceedings); Avakemyan group (delayed enforcement of a judgment in favour of the applicant and absence of effective domestic remedy); and Nikolyan (unfair proceedings concerning the applicant’s legal incapacitation and violation of his private life).

CSTO foreign ministers adopt joint statement on fight against terrorism

Vardan Badalian

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 16:52, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The CSTO member states are deeply concerned about the terror attacks in the CSTO space and outside its borders, as well as about the growing use of internet, live broadcasts for that purpose, the CSTO foreign ministers’ statement adopted on the sidelines of the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council in Sweden says.

The foreign ministers of the CSTO member states – Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have emphasized that terrorism with all its types and manifestations is one of the biggest threats for the globe and the international security, calling any terrorist act a crime and adding that it has no justification regardless of its motives.

“We reaffirm our commitment to keep the unity in the international fight against terrorism, by recognizing the UN’s central and coordinating role on the matter. We once again announce that countries have a vital role to play in preventing and fighting terrorism, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations organization. We reiterate our commitment to the full implementation of the UN Global Anti-Terrorism Strategy, respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms and rule of law”, the statement says.

They also expressed their concerns over the growing spread of hate speech and ideas through internet. They emphasized the necessity to make efforts to develop information literacy especially among the youth.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

COVID-19: Armenia reports 240 new cases, 27 deaths in one day

Vardan Badalian

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 11:15, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. 240 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 341,058, the ministry of healthcare reports.

6006 COVID-19 tests were conducted on December 6.

522 patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 322,406.

The death toll has risen to 7718 (27 death cases have been registered in the past one day).

The number of active cases is 9477.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Seyran Ohanyan calls on authorities not to take actions during demarcation talks that could harm Artsakh

Vardan Badalian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 7 2021

The issues of delimitation and demarcation are sensitive topics which should be addressed in a transparent way, however the authorities avoid making it public and continue deals behind the back of the people, the leader of 'Armenia' opposition bloc Seyran Ohanyan stated on Tuesday during a session at National Assembly. Ohanyan reminded that people learn about agreements that have been already reached. 

"The Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression, the occupation of Artsakh territories, the Azerbaijani incursion into the sovereign territory of Armenia, the agenda of delimitation and demarcation talks with Azerbaijan pose an immediate and serious danger to Armenia's sovereignty and the right of self-determination of the Artsakh people to live in their historical lands. The authorities did utmost to organize a discussion on this very sensitive and important topic of delimitation and demarcation in a closed format," said Ohanyan. 

The opposition MP reminded about the draft statement authored by opposition lawmakers that asked for full assessment of the actions of the Azerbaijani aggression and demanded the authorities to implement all agreements in line with the acting procedures of the RA legislation. 

Moreover, the statement, which was voted down by members of the ruling faction, also called on authorities not to take actions during demarcation issues that could harm Artsakh.  

HRD: Azeris monitor alternative road linking Armenian communities

Vardan Badalian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Dec 1 2021
December 1, 2021 – 15:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani servicemen manage to monitor the alternative road connecting the communities of Chakaten, Shikahogh, Srashen, Nerkin Hand, Tsav, Shishkert to the provincial capital of Kapan in Armenia's Syunik province, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said in a statement on Tuesday, November 30.

According to Tatoyan, the only way to restore the safety and rights of border residents is the removal of the Azerbaijani troops from the immediate vicinity of the villages.

Given the terrain especially in the winter months, the road will become impassable is many parts, Tatoyan said, citing the villagers' experience back from the 1990s.

"No one has the right to ignore human rights and humanitarian issues in the border demarcation process," the statement reads.