Author: Zhanna Nahapetian

The Signature Series at Berklee on March 8 presents the ninth annual Berklee Middle Eastern Festival. This year’s edition features the music of Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan, the reports.

The event brings together guest artists, community musicians, Berklee students, visual artists and dancers from all over the world to celebrate the music of the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean.

The Berklee Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble, directed by festival founder Christiane Karam, associate professor of voice, will perform some of Hamasyan’s most celebrated works spanning his prolific and diverse career. The concert will also include excerpts from his choral album “Lyus i Luso,” arranged for choir, piano and strings, featuring the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, also led by Karam; and the Berklee World Strings, led by Grammy Award-winning Berklee professor Eugene Friesen.

Hamasyan will also present a solo set, performing selections from his upcoming album, “An Ancient Observer.”

Known for melding jazz, folk, progressive rock and classical forms, Tigran Hamasyan has established himself as one of the most innovative artists of his age. His career has included an impressive number of accolades, including top piano award at the 2013 Montreux Jazz Festival, and the grand prize at the 2006 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition. In 2015, Hamasyan garnered the Paul Acket Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival and in 2016, he earned the Echo Jazz Award (the German Grammy) for International Instrumentalist of the Year, Piano, for his album Mockroot. Tigran’s latest release is 2017’s An Ancient Observer, his second solo album for Nonesuch Records, and his eighth overall as a leader.

“Hamasyan has inspired millions of people around the world. His energy, unique approach to blending seemingly unrelated musical influences, and his incredible skills make him a force to be reckoned with,” said Karam. “On a personal note, having Armenian roots myself, I find that his reverence for Armenia and the traditions he comes from are conveyed very strongly in his musical voice and give it an undeniable soulfulness. It’s truly a privilege having him with us.”

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will visit Germany February 16-17 to participate in the Munich Security Conference.

Minister Nalbandian is expected to meet with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the sidelines of the Conference.

Edward Nalbandian will hold a number of bilateral meetings, as well.

Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation and the Armenian Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources signed a protocol on Tuesday on practical measures to meet commitments on prompt warning about a nuclear accident and the exchange of information on nuclear and radiation safety, TASS reports.

The procedures are envisaged in the inter-governmental agreement on the exchange of information on nuclear and radiation safety between the two countries inked on October 7, 2015.

The accord was signed with a focus on the implementation of recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It specifies conditions of mutual emergency warnings in matters of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Under the document, the countries permanently exchange information on nuclear and radiation safety at nuclear facilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, once it comes into effect, the parties will draw up practical measures for implementing the commitments they undertook, including deciding the order and the amount of information transferred on a regular basis about the present conditions regarding nuclear and radiation safety at nuclear facilities.

“1.5 mln +1” Armenian. Today  marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Dink was shot dead by a young Turkish ultranationalist outside the office of the Agos newspaper, where he was editor-in-chief.

Hrant Dink, who was respected inside and outside Turkey, was emphasizing the importance of Turkey’s democratization, freedom of speech in the country, protection of human and minority rights. He was a strong believer that the Armenian community would once be able to live in Turkey freely and without any pressure. Today the staff of the “Agos” newspaper he established strives to accomplish the work Dink left unfinished.

Looking back at the changes that have taken place in Turkey over the past 10 years, Agos editor-in-chief Yetvart Danzikyan says Turkey has maintained its policy with some quasi changes. The Armenian Cause remains a painful issue in Turkey. A vivid evidence is the suspension of MP Garo Paylan from Parliament for his “genocide” comments.

“Six or seven years after Dink’s assassination, the Turkish society was speaking more about the Armenian Cause. Today we keep trying to move along the path we have chosen, but the Turkish policy has changed, the word ‘genocide’ has started to trouble them,” Yetvart Danzikyan said in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia.

The editor ensures that despite the obstacles and difficulties, they’re trying to build upon Dink’slegacy and raise awareness about the Armenian Cause. “Agos” is committed to its path and is still considered the microphone of Istanbul Armenians. Unfortunately, Hrant paid with his life for this,” he said.

Yetvart Danzikyan does not see perspectives for any melting in the Armenian-Turkish relations, as “little brother Azerbaijan” plays a role here.

Although his assassin, just 17 at the time, was rapidly arrested and sentenced, the trial into the killing still grinds on with Dink’s supporters losing confidence on its ability to shed light on the plot.

“The disclosure of Hrant Dink’s murder will be a confession on the part of the Turkish authorities,” expert of regional studies Sargis Hatspanyan said.

“The trial is in process, but the past ten years have shown that Turkey has no desire to solve the crime,” he said.

It has been decided that the CSTO Secretary Generals will change according to a rotation principle. Naturally, if rotation comes into force, Armenia should naturally be the first to hold chairmanship of the organization (according to the Russian alphabet), Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters today.

“The rotation had to come into force from January 1^st, 2017, with Armenia’s representative appointed as Secretary General. There was lack of consensus during the previous summit, because Belarus was absent,” Shavarsh Kocharayn said.

“As a result, we have an acting Secretary General, because there had already been a decision, according to which Nikolay Bordyuzha could not retainoffice,” he said.

“The issue should be solved at the next summit of the CSTO. The position belongs to Armenia, and the Secretary General will be appointed as soon as a consensus decision is made,” the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

By Chad Pawson, – Ara Strak says he and his family are marking Orthodox Christmas with prayers of gratitude even while the memory of fleeing from his bombed-out apartment in Aleppo is still fresh in his minds.

He and a handful of other Syrian refugees sponsored by Richmond B.C.’s St. Gregory Armenian Church attended services there this weekend.

“We are here … safe, and that’s the biggest thing that we needed in our life,” said Strak.

The church has sponsored 35 families over the past year.

“A lot of adjustments that they have to do, culture is different, the language is different, education system is different, settling really nicely, a lot of them are relieved they are out of Syria,” said Eddie Papazian who works with the sponsorship committee for the church.

The church hopes to support more refugees and has plans to welcome another 20 people in the next few months.

“If you live in the war, you see that the important thing in your life is your safety and your family’s safety is the first,” said Strak in thanks to his new congregation.

He along with other refugees hope they can play a role in welcoming the next wave of refugees sponsored by the church.

“To help others and feel comfortable, like others, how they helped us,” said Rita Koujian.

Photo: Sputnik/ Alexei Danichev  

Russia’s planned reduction of its military presence in Syria has begun with a Northern Fleet carrier group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy carrier, the chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff said Friday, reports.

“In accordance with the decision of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin, the Defense Ministry is beginning to reduce the Armed Forces grouping in Syria,” Gen. Valery Gerasimov told reporters.

Gerasimov said the reduction begins with the Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov, the Pyotr Veliky battlecruiser and auxiliary ships.

He noted that the nationwide ceasefire in Syria took effect at midnight local time on December 30 (22:00 GMT on December 29).

The Russian Armed Forces’ carrier group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy carrier will embark from the Mediterranean to Northern Fleet’s base later in the day, Gerasimov said.

The decision to cut Russia’s military presence in the Arab republic was made by Putin at the recommendation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on December 29.

Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, has donated mobile labs to the Health Ministries of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as part of its support to the CIS countries in fighting infections, RIA Novosti reports.

Rospotrebnadzor provides material and technical support to CIS participating states, reinforcing the capacities of the healthcare services in revealing and preventing the outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases.

The mobile labs are equipped with self-contained life support systems, have a high level of biological safety and are used to indicate the infectious agents through accelerated and rapid diagnosis methods.

Jamaica’s Minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, says plans are under way to market brand Jamaica in Armenia, the  reports.

“We were able to establish a new partner in Armenia that now will be selling destination Jamaica with Qatar Airlines to bring new arrivals into the country,” he said.

Bartlett, who was speaking at a recent press conference held in New Kingston, said the partnership will provide new opportunities for a diversified local tourism market, while boosting arrivals to the country.

Initial discussions were held during the minister’s attendance at the 38th plenary session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) affiliate members in Armenia from October 1 to 4.

Further details on the partnership are to be announced later this year.