Month: February 2019

Ain’t No Stoppin’ for L. Azroyan – the Doyen of ARMENPRESS publishes 11th book

13:25, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. ARMENPRESS veteran journalist, 81-year-old Levon Azroyanhas published his 11th book. Azroyan, a long-time journalist who has been with ARMENPRESS for more than 50 years, is nowhere near stopping his career.

The new book, Dardz I Shrjans Yur – roughly meaning Back Where It All Started – is a collection of more than 70 articles and interviews conducted by Azroyan from writers, artists, military officials, politicians, sportsmen and others.

The title of the book is a reference to the career of Azroyan, who for many years worked at the Armenian Telegraph Agency – the predecessor of ARMENPRESS – and then, after many years of work in other positions – he returned back where it all started.

Moreover, in a touching tribute Azroyan dedicated the book to the 100th anniversary of establishment of ARMENPRESS, and all reporters and journalists of the agency, past and present.

ARMENPRESS was founded in December of 1918.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia again 101st in FIFA World Ranking

14:01, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian football team is ranked 101^st in the new World Ranking of FIFA. Armenia was 101^st in the previous ranking also.

Belgium, France and Brazil are the top three.

The top ten include Croatia, England, Portugal, Uruguay, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Investigative Committee chief’s adviser steps down

14:02, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Sona Truzyan, the adviser to the Investigative Committee president, has resigned.

Spekaing to ARMENPRESS, Truzyan said she had tendered her resignation back in January.

“During this period I continued fulfilling my duties until the resignation was accepted. I intend to continue my future activities in the private sector,” she said.

Truzyan did not give further details.

Sona Truzyan was with the Investigative Committee from the Aghvan Hovsepyan era, the former president of the agency.

Hayk Grigoryan, the incumbent president of the Investigative Committee, was appointed to office in July 2018.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia interested in Dutch experience of water resource management

14:38, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Tigran Balayan held a meeting with European Union of Water Management Associations (EUWMA) Secretary-General Albert Vermuë, who also serves as Director General of the Dutch water management agency, to discuss opportunities for applying the Netherlands’ practice of water resource management in Armenia, the foreign ministry said.

EUWMA was established in 1996 with the primary aim to increase cooperation between European Water Management Associations, so as to provide relevant information, position papers and policy documents to national governments, the European Commission, the European Parliament and other relevant institutions. In addition, EUWMA promotes the exchange of knowledge and best practices between members. 

The European Union of Water Management Associations (EUWMA) represents public, local and regional water management organizations from nine EU member states: Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Scientific organizations to be funded based on performance: Science Committee introduces new mechanism

14:43, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will soon introduce a new mechanism for funding the scientific organizations based on their performance, Samvel Harutyunyan – chairman of the Science Committee at the ministry of education and science, told a press conference in Armenpress, adding that this is an accepted approach in the international practice.

He said the Science Committee proposed this idea of funding by performance back in 2012, but it was not approved for some reasons.

“Financing the scientific organizations based on performance is a very important tool. It will lead to serious competition between the scientific organizations. As a result, the scientific institutions will start working well for receiving high funding”, he said.

He informed that respective criterion will be set up based on which several factors will be taken into consideration. In particular, the effectiveness of the research of these institutions, the presence of personnel potential, the degree of material-technical equipment, the level of integration in the international scientific-educational space and other factors will be taken into account. Each criterion will have points, and their sum will determine the category of the scientific institute. The Committee plans to define 4 categories.

“The institutions in the 1st category will receive bonuses in addition to the main funding. The institutions of the 2nd category will also receive bonuses, but already with little amount. The structures of the 3rd category will only get base funding, and those in the 4th category, which have worked bad, either will merge or their best employees will move to other institutions”, he said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Refrain from transliteration, respect the Mother Tongue – Pashinyan’s call on Day of Online Armenian Typing

15:06, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has urged online users to type in Armenian letters and refrain from transliteration on the internet.

“Dear countrymen, since 2012 February 7 is marked as the Day of Armenian Typing Online at a civil initiative. In this context almost every day is a February 7 for me and I would like to urge you to type Armenian texts in Armenian letters online,” Pashinyan said on Facebook, referring to his active use of social media accounts where he almost exclusively types in Armenian letters.

“This is a more respectful approach not only to our national genius Mesrop Mashtots, but also all those online users who are reading your posts,” Pashinyan said.

Mesrob Mashtots was an early medieval Armenian linguist, theologian, statesman and hymnologist. He is best known for inventing the Armenian alphabet c. 405 AD.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

‘President is fulfilling his well-known pledge’ – French foreign ministry on declaring National Day of Armenian Genocide Commemoration

15:17, 7 February, 2019

PARIS, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The French foreign ministry has responded to the Turkish reaction on President Macron’s recent decision to declare April 24th the National Day for Armenian Genocide Commemoration.

The French foreign ministry was asked at a daily press briefing on February 6 “did Turkey respond to France after President Macron’s decision to establish a day to commemorate the Armenian genocide?”

“In establishing this day of commemoration, the President is fulfilling his well-known pledge to honor French citizens of Armenian descent.

We have had several opportunities to exchange views with the Turkish authorities on this issue. They have been informed of our positions just as we have been informed of theirs”, the French foreign ministry responded.

Shortly after President of France Emmanuel Macron announced the national day honoring the Armenian Genocide victims, Turkey unsurprisingly “strongly condemned” the move. 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Ministry of transport, communication and IT denies reports about minister’s resignation

15:28, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s ministry of transport, communication and information technologies denies the rumors according to which minister Hakob Arshakyan resigned, reports Armenpress.

“Dear journalists, the report about the resignation of minister Hakob Arshakyan has nothing to do with the reality”, minister’s spokeswoman Anahit Arakelyan said on Facebook.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Central Bank President to attend meeting of BSTDB Board of Directors in Greece

15:42, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. President of the Central Bank of Armenia Artur Javadyan has departed for Thessaloniki, Greece to participate in the 13th meeting of the Board of Governors of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB)from February 7 to 9, the CBA told Armenpress.

During the meeting issues relating to the Bank’s activity, funding of various programs being implemented in the region and member states will be discussed.

During the visit the CBA President will meet with the BSTDB President, the presidents of the central banks of the member states, as well as heads of other financial organizations.

The BSTDB has a long and successful experience of numerous programs in real sector and financial system of Armenia.  

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Catholicos Aram I thanks Macron for declaring April 24th National Day of Commemoration of Armenian Genocide

16:06, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia has thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for declaring April the 24th a National Day of Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, the press service of the Great House of Cilicia reported. 

“On Wednesday, February 6th, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia extended a letter of appreciation to the French President Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of declaring April 24th as a national day for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide”. 

President Emmanuel Macron has said France will make April 24 “a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide”.

Armenia and Armenians around the world mark April 24 annually as the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Speaking to the Armenian community at a dinner organized by the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organisations of France (CCAF) on February 5, Macron said: “France is, first and foremost, the country that knows how to look history in the face, which was among the first to denounce the killing of the Armenian people, which in 1915 named genocide for what it was, which in 2001 after a long struggle recognised it in law”, according to France24.

France “will in the next weeks make April 24 a national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide,” he added.

The French president’s remarks honoured a campaign promise from his election in 2017.

At the event Macron also paid tribute to French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour who died in October 2018.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan