Category: 2023

At least 29 people killed in Beijing hospital fire

Varazdat Torgomian

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 09:57,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. At least twenty-nine people were killed after a fire broke out in the east wing of the inpatient department of a hospital in China's capital Beijing.

Firefighters received a report of a fire at an inpatient department building of Beijing Changfeng Hospital at 12:57 p.m., according to Xinhua news agency.

The fire was extinguished at 1:33 p.m., with 71 patients evacuated.

By 6 p.m., 21 people had been confirmed dead.

A few hours later the death toll was said to be at least 29, the Guardian reported citing a Chinese government official.

CCTV state media reports that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

A local government spokesperson said that 26 of those who died were hospital patients.

Nagorno Karabakh President holds meeting with Anti-Crisis Council members

Hovik Karapetian

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 10:04,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan held a meeting with members of the Anti-Crisis Council led by the agency’s director Tigran Petrosyan.

A readout issued by President Harutyunyan’s office said “issues related to the military-political, socio-economic situation in Artsakh as a result of the war of 2020 and the blockade that has been ongoing since December 12, 2022 were on the discussion agenda.”

“President Harutyunyan underscored the importance of cooperation between the state government and public circles in order to overcome crisis situations, voicing his belief that the newly created council will become one of the important links of that process,” it added.

Armenian FM, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State discuss Strategic Dialogue and bilateral agenda

Aram Torosian

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 11:19,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting on April 18 with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson.

United States Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations and United States Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Louis Bono also participated in the meeting, the Armenian foreign ministry said in a press release.

The foreign ministry said in a readout that “issues around establishing stability in the region, normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, delimitation and border security, unblocking of all economic and transport connections in the region, and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict” were discussed.

FM Mirzoyan also “presented the Armenian side’s approaches in resolving the existing key issues, including around addressing the issue of rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh for achieving comprehensive and sustainable peace.”

The Foreign Minister reiterated Armenia’s commitment to the peace process, emphasizing the importance of Azerbaijan abandoning its maximalist aspirations, aggressive policy against the people of NK and Armenia’s territorial integrity and belligerent rhetoric.

“The humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh and the imperative of eliminating the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor in line with the terms of the 9 November 2020 statement” were also discussed.

Issues relating to the Armenia-United States bilateral agenda, including the Strategic Dialogue were also discussed.

Armenian Genocide Education Act to be re-introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

Emil Lazarian

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 10:42,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. United States congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Congressmen Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) are re-introducing the Armenian Genocide Education Act, a bipartisan measure – building upon official U.S. Congressional and Presidential recognition of this crime – to fund Library of Congress educational programs about the history, lessons, consequences, and ongoing costs of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported.

This landmark legislation – strongly supported by the ANCA – seeks to provide $10 million in funding over five years for the Library of Congress to educate Americans about Ottoman Turkey’s systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians, between 1915 and 1923.

“With Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, openly seeking to complete the Armenian Genocide, it’s more urgent than ever for American school children to learn the lessons of this still unpunished – still ongoing – crime against all humanity,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Chief among these lessons is that we – as Americans – must never, for reasons of political convenience or practical expediency, turn a blind eye to state-driven genocidal campaigns to eradicate indigenous populations or other at-risk groups, anywhere in the world.”

Building upon the 2019 passage of H.Res.296 and S.Res.150 – which specifically rejected any official U.S. association with Armenian Genocide denial – the Armenian Genocide Education Act seeks to counter-discourse and propaganda that claims that Ottoman Turkey’s systematic and deliberate state-sponsored mass murder, national dispossession, cultural erasure, and exile of millions of Christians between 1915 and 1923 did not take place. A similar measure was introduced in the last session of Congress.

Members of Congress can join as original cosponsors of the measure in the days leading up to its introduction, timed around April 24th, the international day of justice for the Armenian Genocide, ANCA reported.

Armenia and India embark on new phase of development of cooperation in defense sector

Mary Lazarian

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 12:07,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan held a meeting on April 19 with the newly appointed Ambassador of India Nilakshi Saha Sinha.

The Minister of Defense congratulated the Ambassador on assuming office and wished productive work.

The Minister and the Ambassador discussed “a number of issues relating to cooperation in the defense area,” the Ministry of Defense said in a readout.

“Suren Papikyan praised the current level of cooperation between Armenia and India, noting that the bilateral cooperation has embarked on a new phase of development. The Ambassador expressed the Indian side’s readiness for developing cooperation. A number of issues relating to regional security were also discussed.”

Congressman Adam Schiff leads U.S. House drive to block rifle sale to Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian

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 11:31,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. Rep. Adam Schiff is calling on his U.S. Congressional colleagues to join him in demanding that the Commerce Department explain why it is considering licensing the sale of high powered U.S. rifles to Azerbaijan, in the face of Azerbaijan’s 125+ day blockade of Artsakh and ongoing attacks on Armenia, which left four Armenians dead and six injured just last week, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“The same Biden Administration that continues shipping military aid to oil-rich Azerbaijan and has yet to investigate the discovery of U.S. parts in the Turkish drones deployed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh is now considering the direct sale of U.S. rifles to Azerbaijan, a dictatorship whose military openly executes unarmed Armenian POWs with rifles, then posts, trophy, videos of these killings on social media.”

“We join with Congressman Schiff, Senator Menendez, and all those – Democrats and Republicans – in the House and Senate who stand against this reckless arms sale.”

In a “Dear Colleague” letter to U.S. House members, Rep. Schiff is urging his colleagues to co-sign a letter to Secretary Raimondo seeking “additional information from the Commerce Department about the status of any requests for export licenses to send lethal weapons to Azerbaijan and safeguards to prevent U.S. weapons from being used in the commission of human rights violations.”

Rep. Schiff stated, “approving the export of more lethal weapons to be pointed at Armenia would only fuel conflict, especially in the hands of security forces with a history of human rights violations. The State Department’s 2022 Human Rights Report documents ‘credible reports of unlawful killings involving summary executions of Armenian soldiers in Azerbaijani custody,’ torture, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment with high levels of impunity.”

Members of Congress have until Friday, April 21st to co-sign the letter to Secretary Raimondo. The ANCA is working with regional and local affiliates to encourage broad bi-partisan support for the letter.

News of a possible sale of U.S. rifles – including assault-style and semi-automatic sniper models – to Azerbaijan broke on February 1st when Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announced his “deep concern and strong opposition” to the proposed sale.

“The export of weapons to an authoritarian country that wages war against a neighbor, blockades a vulnerable population, and commits rampant human rights violations at home is not consistent with the Administration’s commitment to democracy and human rights,” Sen. Menendez stated in a letter to Secretary Raimondo. “Further, the consideration of this export license further compounds my dismay that the Administration continues to allow the export of assault-style and sniper rifles abroad – even while supporting an assault-style rifle ban domestically – and deepens my reservations about the Department of Commerce having jurisdiction over such exports,” concluded Senator Menendez.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian and the local ANC chair from Secretary Raimondo’s home state of Rhode Island, Steve Elmasian, expressed similar concerns in a February 13th letter to Secretary Raimondo. “As you know, from your long friendship with Americans of Armenian heritage in Rhode Island and across the United States, our community is deeply troubled by the U.S. military aid program to Baku, and even more shocked by the possibility that American offensive weaponry may be deployed against Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia. The victims of Azerbaijan’s attacks are, very often, the relatives and friends of Armenian American citizens,” stated Hamparian and Elmasian.

AraratBank has been awarded the title of Valued Partner of EBRD

Garik Boshkezenian

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 12:32,

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS. by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for lasting and effective cooperation between EBRD and AraratBank.
 
As informed by the bank, the effective and long-term cooperation between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and AraratBank started as early as 2007.

Around two years under this cooperation were invested in implementing the Institutional Building Program, which involved provision of appropriate training for almost all divisions of AraratBank, reorganization and adaptation of processes to international standards, introduction of corporate management culture and undertaking of reform measures in risk management and assessment processes.
 
“The first major achievement of the bank was the signing of two contracts with the EBRD to promote international trade and to finance the SME sector in Armenia. The cooperation enabled the bank to take its place among the leading banks of Armenia and provide its customers with services that meet the standards of the European banking sector,” said Zaruhi Melkonyan, Head of International Operations Department at AraratBank.]

“The EU4Business – EBRD credit line program is a joint EU-EBRD initiative, which helps Armenian SMEs finance investments in equipment and facility upgrades,” the bank’s press release reads.

The prize was awarded on April 14 at the event on EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line in Armenia – Impact to date and Way Ahead, held at DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, Yerevan.

Meet the Oligarch Who Wants to Build the World’s Tallest Jesus Statue

Vardan Badalian

Opinion

Armenia’s Trump-like business tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan is determined to surpass Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer.
Simon Maghakyan




Statues of Jesus are not a thing in the country that prides itself as the first to adopt Christianity as its national religion. But Armenia’s glitziest business tycoon, whose personal style a US Ambassador once described as one that “would make Donald Trump look like an ascetic,” is about to change that. 

When Gagik Tsarukyan announced in 2022 that he would build the world’s tallest statue of Jesus, the Armenian Church that counts him as a megadonor expressed polite dissent: The 1,700-year-old Armenian ecclesiastical tradition rejects three-dimensional Christ figures as idols.  

A resourceful man, Tsarukyan quickly rebranded his pious pet project as a tourism development plan. Before anyone knew it, he conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on July 9, attended by Armenia’s Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan and a UN official, on the mountaintop of historical Hatis. 

And groundbreaking it was. Mount Hatis, which Tsarukyan has managed to acquire piece by piece, is a state-protected national monument. In addition to its fauna and flora and its status as a CNN-recognized top world hiking destination located on the Silk Road, Mount Hatis boasts about 20 historical sites. The ceremony partly destroyed a pre-Christian fortress that once adorned the mountaintop, while others may have been damaged during road construction and infrastructure development for the new project.

Tsarukyan’s giant Jesus statue doesn’t only ignore Orthodox Christianity, but also embraces Eurocentric constructions: Mount Hatis is a rare evoker of Armenia’s pagan past. The ancient toponym is thought to derive from the resurrection deity Attis, a god of Asia Minor, a variant of whom is known in Armenian mythology as King Ara the Beautiful and referenced as Er the Son of Armenios in Plato’s Republic. In the Armenian account, Ara is accidentally killed when the Assyrian queen Semiramis (Shamiram) invades Armenia in a desperate attempt to forcefully win his love. Incidentally, Mount Hatis has also been called Mount Shamiram, and the mountaintop archaeological site that Tsarukyan recently damaged is still known locally as Shamiram’s fortress.

On paper, Mount Hatis is protected by Armenian laws. But the project has the backing of Armenia’s once popular Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, under whose leadership Armenians suffered a devastating defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, and who is now courting his long-time foe, Tsarukyan, to prevent his return to politics. 

More than post-war Armenia’s weakness and an oligarch’s oversized influence, it is the restrained opposition by one of the world’s oldest institutions — the Armenian Church — that is most surprising. Opposing idols is not just a matter of preference. The founding of the Armenian Church in 301 ushered in the erasure of every perceived idol, eliminating numerous pagan objects. The practice has continued over the centuries. In 1874, while renovating the Mets Astvatsatsin monastery in Agulis (later flattened during post-Soviet Azerbaijan’s complete erasure of the region’s Armenian past), unearthed ancient pagan statues were swiftly destroyed as idols by zealot construction workers. Today, repeat acts of vandalism against a small statue of Jesus (Armenia’s only three-dimensional Jesus figurine), placed in the town of Metsamor in 2005, suggest that zealot opposition to idols remains strong. 

However, Tsarukyan’s supporters argue that the Armenian Church itself has recently embraced holy statues. Over the past two decades, statues of several saints or historical leaders of the Armenian Church have been constructed at churches throughout the country; although to be fair, those are not objects of worship. The tycoon isn’t challenging the church, not knowingly so: In fact, he plans to build 1,700 steps leading to the Jesus statue — to honor the age of the Armenian Church. 

Many ordinary Armenians will likely embrace the giant Jesus statue as an object of worship. A small-scale precedent exists in the famous Yot Verk church in Armenia’s second-largest city of Gyumri, which houses a large Roman Catholic crucifix that — along with the local Catholic parish — was given refuge during Stalinist repressions. The crucifixion statue has since become a major sacred object for many residents of Gyumri, often generating hours of lines during special occasions. In fact, the icon is probably even more popular than the famous “Seven Wounds of Christ” statue itself (the Armenian Church accepts images and relief carvings) kept at the namesake church. 

Given the Armenian Church’s tradition of embracing some popular beliefs, one day the Church may have to, post facto, embrace the giant Jesus statue. After all, Armenia’s unique brand of Christianity has harmonized fundamental principles of Christianity with popular pagan practices, such as the Vardavar water festival, the August grape blessing, and the winter Trndez fire jumping festival. But why tolerate an oligarch’s challenge of Armenian Church traditions? Money and power have historically been factors in Christianity, explains the University of Hamline Visiting Professor Artyom Tonoyan, a scholar of the sociology of religion. “Power and money may not shape official doctrine and theology, to the degree they used to anyway, but they do inspire certain popular practices that are to their core doctrinally suspect and heterodox,” he told Hyperallergic. 

Even if the Armenian Church was to embrace the giant Jesus statue, environmentalists, preservationists, and tour agencies would be up in arms. Monument Watch, an initiative launched in 2020 to monitor the fate of Armenian sites under Azerbaijan’s newfound control, was among the first to speak up, announcing that “It is impossible to look at the destruction of Mount Hatis without shuddering, which is being carried out with acceptance and permission of the Armenian authorities,” also calling it “a gross violation of the Armenian legislation on the protection of cultural heritage.” 

After public backlash, relevant Armenian government bodies announced that they had not approved the project on Mount Hatis. In separate statements, the ministries of nature and culture condemned the destruction of Hatis, saying they disagreed with the location without opposing the prime minister’s green light for the idea in general. But there is not much local outrage, possibly because the project would create jobs for the local villagers, although they would also lose grazing grounds for cattle. 

The project has been officially halted, but Tsarukyan’s contracted sculptors are reportedly building the statue at the art studio. The oligarch is moving ahead with it, determined to surpass Rio de Janeiro’s famed Christ the Redeemer. Currently, the world’s tallest Jesus statue is in western Poland, measuring a combined 172 feet, counting the pedestal. The plan for the Mount Hatis monument calls for a 253-foot-tall statue. 

But Tsarukyan may be in for an unpleasant surprise: His team seems to have failed to find out that a statue of that same height is reportedly being built in Mexico. 

Even if it fails to become the world’s tallest Jesus statue, there is still considerable profit potential attached. Despite its presentation as a philanthropic effort, it can yield significant revenue and not just through the complex’s planned restaurants and exhibits. A digital model of the project shows several dozen planned luxury structures that look like houses or lodge rentals, a nearly guaranteed high return in Armenia’s booming real estate.

While it is difficult to ascertain the true motivations behind the statue, it’s hardly for profit. Like with most grandiose projects, it’s probably a monument to Tsarukyan’s favorite person: himself, of whom he speaks in the third person. The availability of extra plots behind the statue may suggest a desire for future personal use, perhaps a necropolis for the tycoon and his family. Did I mention that the giant Jesus statue will glow at night?

https://hyperallergic.com/815782/meet-the-oligarch-who-wants-to-build-the-worlds-tallest-jesus-statue/







Armenia "condemns" burning of Azerbaijan flag at European Weightlifting Championships

Bedik Zaminian


  • By Brian Oliver at the Karen Demirchyan Complex in Yerevan, Armenia

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  •  Monday,

After two days of heated comments from the authorities and media in Azerbaijan, Armenia has condemned the burning of Azerbaijan’s flag at the Opening Ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championships in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.

Aram Nikolyan, a fashion designer who worked on the Opening Ceremony, grabbed the flag from a young woman during the parade of nations on Friday (April 14) and set it alight before being caught and detained by police.

He was released without charge early on Saturday (April 15) but the incident – described as "barbaric" by the Azerbaijan Government – is now being investigated by police, an Armenian Government official told insidethegames today.

Azerbaijan’s team received a heroes’ welcome at Baku airport on their return after withdrawing from the Championships before the first lift was made.

Its Government said it would be unsafe to stay, despite guarantees of enhanced security from Armenian authorities.

"The incident at the Opening Ceremony was hideous, and the Republic of Armenia Government condemns that act," said Karen Giloyan, deputy minister at the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.

Speaking at the Karen Demirchyan Complex where the Opening Ceremony was held the night before the Championships began, Giloyan said: "It occurred not in sports but rather at the Opening Ceremony.

"No one was physically injured, and no one's safety was threatened.

"Now, an investigation is underway (into the flag-burning incident).

"Naturally, all circumstances must be taken into account.

"Armenia is a democratic country, and all the decisions are based on law.

"The progress in the investigation will give answers to all the questions."

In an earlier statement released by the Ministry, Giloyan said: "We regret the decision of the Azerbaijani team to leave the championship… the Government of the Republic of Armenia initially provided and continues to provide all security standards for delegations participating in the Championship.

"We will spare no efforts so that the leaving participants wish to return to Armenia again."

Armenia and Azerbaijan are neighbours without diplomatic relations, having fought two wars over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia also has no diplomatic relations with Turkey, another neighbour which has close ties with Azerbaijan.

Among complaints raised in the Azerbaijan media was one that the flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey had been torn and were left hanging in the arena while damaged.

This "provocation" did not happen – no flags are damaged at this venue, and Azerbaijan’s was removed along with those of Kosovo and San Marino because they entered but withdrew.

The poor-quality photos used as evidence of damage actually showed shadows or overhanging lights.

Azerbaijan's President and first lady have thanked Turkish weightlifters for dedicating their medals to the country over the weekend.

Cansu Bektas, Gamze Altun and Muammer Sahin were on the podium in Yerevan and said they dedicated their medals to their "friends and brothers" in Azerbaijan.

In an official statement, President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva congratulated the Turkish lifters and said the waving of their flag on the global stage while the Turkish anthem was played made "all the people of Azerbaijan happy".

He said the medal dedications “proved once again that where Azerbaijan is not, Turkey always represents us… This is another manifestation of the unbreakable Azerbaijan-Turkey brotherhood”.

A large crowd cheered loudly when Turkish lifters failed to make lifts tonight in the men’s 67kg category.

They cheered even louder when Gor Sahakyan gave Armenia its first win of the Championships.

"As you can see, the competitions are taking place in vivid colours, and the safety of all the participants is ensured," Giloyan had said earlier.

He highlighted the fact that a Turkish winner had been applauded and the Turkish anthem played without incident on Saturday in the "Olympic level" Karen Demirchyan arena.

"No issues would have arisen with the Azerbaijani team either," Giloyan added.

"If we didn't want them to participate, we would not have agreed to meet and would not have ensured the strict security conditions they set.

"You can ask the participants, including those from Turkey, to share their opinion and you will see that everyone is pleased.

"We have done everything and will do everything for this Championship to be considered the best one in the history of European weightlifting."

When asked if there would be a formal apology over the flag incident Giloyan did not give a yes-no answer but mentioned incidents in Azerbaijan when Armenian delegations were attacked or disrespected.

When an Armenian won gold at the 2007 Wrestling World Championships in Baku the host broadcasters showed the flags of the silver and bronze medallists but blocked out Armenia’s flag, Giloyan said.

"How is it better than this incident?" he asked.

"And at the 2011 World Boxing Championship in Baku, Azerbaijani fans attacked the Armenian athletes with stones.

"Was this how they ensured security?

"We have clarified that the (flag) incident has nothing to do with the sporting event.

"And we are currently discussing with the International Weightlifting Federation the issue of holding the 2024 World Championship in Yerevan."

Armenia is one of five nations bidding to host next year’s World Championships – the others are Peru, Venezuela, Albania and Bahrain.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1136035/armenia-condemns-flag-burning

Pashinyan hopes for the soon opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.

Arbi Tashjian
EDWARD SWENSSON

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope for the soon opening of the Armenian-Turkish border.

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“I hope that the Armenian-Turkish border will open soon and there will be a basis for neighborly, natural relations,” Pashinyan said, speaking in parliament.

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According to him, for this it is important to implement the agreement on opening the land border for citizens of third countries and holders of diplomatic passports over the coming months.

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There are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia, the border between the two countries has been closed since 1993 at the initiative of Ankara. Difficult relations between the countries are caused by a number of circumstances related, in particular, to Turkey’s sharp reaction to the process of international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.