Month: February 2020

Sports: European Championships: Armenian wrestlers continue to clinch victories

Aram Torosian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 15 2020
Sport 17:50 15/02/2020 Armenia

Armenian freestyle wrestler Gevorg Mkheyan (70 kg) has captured a bronze medal at the 2020 European Championships underway in Rome, Italy.

The Armenian athlete took a 7-3 win over Oleksey Borutan of Ukraine in the fight for the third place, the National Olympic Committee reported.

Meanwhile, wrestler Arsen Harutyunyan (61 kg) beat Macedonia’s Vladimir Egorov 6-0 in the qualifying round to make it to the quarter finals, where he is set to face Ivan Bileychuk of Ukraine.

Freestyle wrestler Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (86 kg) celebrated a victory in the 1/8 finals. The Armenian athlete defeated Ukraine’s Ilya Archaya 7-5. 

Eurovision: Armenia: Athena Manoukian wins Depi Evratesil 2020 and will fly to Rotterdam!

Emil Lazarian
ESC United
Feb 15 2020
By Sean Tarbuck

Armenia’s Depi Evratesil has concluded this evening and we have a winner – Athena Manoukian has been chosen to represent the country at Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam!

Twelve acts performed in tonight’s national selection as Depi Evratesil returned from a year break, after the internal selection of Srbuk in 2019. Following the combination of international jury votes, Armenian jury votes and those of the Armenian public in tonight’s show, it was chosen that “Chains on You” would be the entry for Armenia this year.

How did the show unfold? Report

The show began with a montage of Armenia’s previous performances in Eurovision before showcasing the twelve acts taking part in Depi Evratesil this year.

First up was Agop who gave us a colourful, fun performance of “Butterflies” to kick off the show, before Karina EVN mirrored herself multiple times on screen during her performance of “Why?”.

Hayk Music performed third with a passionate performance of “What It Is To Be In Love”, before ERNA and Eva Rida gave strong solo performances with “Life Faces” and “No Love”, respectfully.

Athena Manoukian, one of the favourites in this contest, performed sixth with a strong choreography and a stage show featuring diamond backdrops and a throne for “Chains on You”, before a break in proceedings to interview ERNA and Eva Rida in the green room.

A neon-bright performance from Gabriel Jeeg and his two dancers with “It’s Your Turn” got us going again in the second half, before two fiery, fierce performances from Sergey & Nikolay Harutyunov’s “Ha, Take a Step” and Miriam Baghdassarian’s “Run Away”, both well received in the studio.

Next up was the return of Vladimir Arzumanyan, Armenia’s sole Junior Eurovision winner now eligible for Eurovision at the age of 21. His performance of “What’s Going On Mama” featured a living room setup on stage as he interacted with a visual of a woman on the backdrop. Arthur Aleq followed with “Heaven”, accompanied by a flashy backdrop and a solid vocal performance.

Last up to perform was TOKIONINE with “Save Me”, another favourite going into the competition. Part of Srbuk’s team for Tel Aviv, TOKIONINE stepped into the limelight himself this year, and closed the show with a choreographed space-age routine with four female dancers.

After all of the performances, there was an interval act from Karina Ignatyan, who represented Armenia in Junior Eurovision 2019 with “Colours of Your Dream”, and a green room interview with Iveta Mukuchyan who represented Armenia in Eurovision 2016, followed by Mukuchyan performing. All 12 participants then performed a cover of Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade”.

What next?

Athena will go to Rotterdam for Armenia, and will be hoping to bring Armenia to the Eurovision final for the first time since 2017, when Artsvik performed “Fly With Me” in Kyiv.

Eurovision: Athena Manukyan is going to Rotterdam for Armenia

Anna Tamamian
ESC Daily
Feb 15 2020
Brandon McCann (Northern Ireland)

Athena Manukyan has won Depi Evratesil, the Armenian national final to select their entrant for Eurovision 2020. Athena won the final with the pop-RnB song ‘Chains on You’

Twelve songs competed in Yerevan, the Armenian capital for the honour of representing Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam.

Athena Manoukian is a Greek singer/songwriter of Armenian descent. She previously attempted to represent Greece at Junior Eurovision Song Contest back in 2008 but placed seventh in the national selection that year. Athena has written a Platinum-selling song for ESC 2005 winner, Helena Paparizou entitled “Palia Mou Agapi”. Athena has previously been on X Factor UK back in 2018.

The two big favourites prior to the show were Athena Manukyan and Tokionine who closed the first and second half of the entries respectively.

Results of Depi Evratesil 2020:

  1. Athena Manukyan – Chains On You (168 points)
  2. Erna Tamazyan – Life Faces (120 points)
  3. Vladimir Arzumanyan – What’s Going On Mama? (118 points)
  4. Miriam Baghdsaryan – Run Away (108 points)
  5. Gabriel Jegg –It’s Your Turn (99 points)
  6. Tokionine – Save Me (96 points)
  7. Sergey and Nikolay Harutyunov – Ha, Take a Step (96 points)
  8. Eva Rida – No Love (84 points)
  9. Karina EVN – Why? (84 points)
  10. Agop – Butterflies (75 points)
  11. Arthur Aleq – Heaven (65 points)
  12. Hayk Music – What It Is To Be In Love (57 points)

Armenia’s representative for JESC 2019, Karina Ignatyan performed during the interval. Her entry “Colors Of Your Dream” placed ninth in the contest. Iveta Mukuchyan also performed a medley of her hits including LoveWave which she sang for Armenia in Eurovision 2016 placing seventh.



Eurovision: Armenia: Athena Manoukian wins Depi Evratesil 2020 with “Chains On You”

Chalian Meline
WiwiBloggs
Feb 15 2020
  • Posted on
  • by Antranig Shokayan

Twelve acts took to the stage tonight in Armenia for the grand final of Depi Evratesil — Armenia’s Eurovision 2020 selection. There was only one ticket to Rotterdam up for grabs and the battle was fierce. In the end, Athena Manoukian emerged victorious with “Chains On You”. She took the Depi Evratesil 2020 crown and will represent Armenia at Eurovision 2020.

2020

  1. Athena Manoukian – 168 points
  2. ERNA – 120 points
  3. Vladimir Arzumanyan – 118 points
  4. Miriam Baghdassarian – 108 points
  5. Gabriel Jeeg – 99 points
  6. TOKIONINE – 96 points
  7. Sergey & Nikolay – 96 points
  8. EVA Rida – 84 points
  9. Karina EVN – 84 points
  10. Agop – 75 points
  11. Arthur Aleq – 65 points
  12. Hayk Music – 57 points

This year, the result of Depi Evratesil was once again determined by both jury and televote. However, this year, the jury was comprised of both a panel of international jurors as well as an Armenian panel.

Athena Manoukian was the resounding favourite of both juries. The international jury awarded her 60 points while the Armenian jury gave her 58 points. Athena only placed third with the televote, receiving a further 50 points. Vladimir Arzumanyan and ERNA were preferred by the public, who received 60 and 55 points respectively. However, it wasn’t enough to dethrone the Greek-Armenian goddess.

Armenian Eurovision royalty was also on the scene. Iveta Mukuchyan was on hand to provide some advice for the contestants and the winner ahead of their Eurovision journey. She also performed a medley of her music, including “Rich Bitch” and “LoveWave”. Junior Eurovision contestant Karina Ignatyan was also featured in the show. The contestants all combined for a collaborative performance of the reigning Eurovision winning song, “Arcade”.

Athena Manoukian will perform in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam on May 14, looking to secure a spot for Armenia in the grand final for the first time since 2017.

What do you think of the results? Did the right song win tonight? How will Armenia go at Eurovision in May? Let us know in the comments below.


Turkish Press: Upper Karabakh conflict can be ‘resolved in phases’

Markos Nalchajian
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Feb 15 2020
 
 
Upper Karabakh conflict can be ‘resolved in phases’
 
Conflict cannot be resolved in one day, says Azerbaijan’s president
 
Büşra Nur Bilgiç Çakmak   | 15.02.2020
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (L) and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (R) attend the 56th Munich Security Conference at Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany on . ( Abdulhamid Hoşbaş – Anadolu Agency )
 
ANKARA
 
Azerbaijan’s president on Saturday said the Upper Karabakh issue cannot be resolved in a day and there is a need to resolve the conflict in phases.
 
“It’s clear that we need to resolve this conflict in phases. We cannot resolve it in one […] day,” Ilham Aliyev said at a session — titled An Update on Nagorno-Karabakh — along with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during the 56th Munich Security Conference
 
“The first phase should be, as Russian proposal [suggested], liberation of part of the occupied territories, return of Azerbaijani IDPs to those territories, resettlement […] and in the meantime, the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said, adding the status of Upper Karabakh can be discussed later.
 
For his part, Pashinyan said that there cannot be a military solution to the conflict in the region.
 
Upper Karabakh is the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan illegally occupied by Armenia through military aggression since 1991.
 
Four UN Security Council and two General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many other international organizations, refer to this fact and demand withdrawal of the occupational Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.
 
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk group — co-chaired by France, Russia and the U.S. — was formed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but has not reached any results yet.

PM Pashinyan highlights EU’s role for judicial and anti-corruption reforms in Armenia

Yeghisabet Arthur

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 19:40,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashinyan met with European Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn in the sidelines of Munich Security Conference.

The correspondent of ARMENPRESS reports from Munich, PM Pashinyan said during the meeting that the EU has become Armenia’s key partner for the implementation of the reform agenda. “We are in the stage of the implementation of the anti-corruption strategy. We assess this package o reforms as the last part of the 1st part of the reforms, after which we have to work to make everything better and better. The cooperation with the EU is very important on our path. I want to emphasize that all types of assistance, be it consultative, financial or political, are very important for us. I am thankful for today’s opportunity to discuss the future cooperation plans”, PM Pashinyan said.

Johannes Hahn noted that during his visit to Armenia they discussed the issue of Armenia-EU Investment forum, which will take place in Luxembourg.

“That forum is a good opportunity for you to present your country. We have much experience in organizing such investment forums and I think this time again we will have good audience. As you mentioned, reforms are underway in Armenia, and in some sense this can be guarantee for your potential partners that your country can be an excellent partner for them”, he said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Armenia’s economic dynamism remains strong – WB

Chmshkian Vicken

 

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 18:15,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. According to the World Bank, Armenia’s economic dynamism remains strong, with growth driven by services and recovery of mining, ARMENPRESS was informed from the WB monthly economic update of Armenia.

The WB notes that the growth of economic activity index reached 10.7% in December 2019, compared to the same period of 2018.

The Bank also notes that in December 2019 Armenia preserved low inflation rate (0.7% against 2018 December), while it slowed even down in January 2020. The inflation of December was driven by 4.6% rise of cigarette prices and 2.3% rise of transpiration expenses.  The average annual inflation of 2019 was 1.4% (in 2018 it was 2.5%). The latest data shows that in January there was almost no change of prices and the inflation in January was 0.2% against the same period of 2019.

The monthly update of the WB notes that Armenia recorded 52% growth of imports in Deember 2019 against 13% growth of exports, but at the same time Armenia received by 14.7% more tourists in 2019 against 2017, reaching the number of tourists to 1.9 million.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Soldier killed in Artsakh

Emil Lazarian

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 22:09,

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Soldier of the Defense Army of Artsakh Hayk Asryan, born in 1997, received a fatal gunshot wound in one of the military positions located in the eastern direction on February 14, at around 19:00, the defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress. The circumstances of the incident are yet to be determined.

Investigation is underway to clarify the details of the incident.

The Artsakh defense ministry extends condolences to the family and fellow servicemen of the soldier.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenian FM meets Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in Munich

Talar Tumanian

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 11:18,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. On February 14, on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met with Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, the MFA told Armenpress.

Minister Mnatsakanyan congratulated Grlić Radman on the occasion of assuming the presidency of European Council, reiterating Armenia’s support to the priorities of Croatian presidency. 

The sides exchanged views on a wide range of issues of the Armenian-Croatian agenda, particularly emphasizing joint efforts towards enhancement of meetings, mutual visits on different levels and political consultations. 

The full use of the potential of cooperation on multilateral platforms was especially emphasized. Touching upon the EU-Armenia partnership, the sides stressed the role of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in promotion and legal regulation of relations between Armenia and the EU, as well as its member states. The interlocutors exchanged views on the preparation for the upcoming EaP summit. 

In the context of promoting people-to-people contacts, Foreign Minister of Armenia highlighted the importance of launching the dialogue on visa liberalization with the EU countries.

Armenian FM, OSCE Secretary General discuss NK conflict’s peaceful settlement process

Emil Karabekian

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 11:30,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met on February 14 with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.

The Foreign Minister said Armenia attaches great importance to the strengthening and expansion of the current productive partnership with the OSCE executive bodies through the promotion of new targeted programs and initiatives. In this context the officials discussed the cooperation within the OSCE partnership program with Armenia and the ways to make it more effective.

The Armenian FM and the OSCE Secretary General also discussed the peaceful settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the recent meetings held on the matter.

Minister Mnatsakanyan highlighted the importance of direct engagement of the Artsakh authorities to the peace process, especially on matters relating to the security and status of Artsakh.

Both officials emphasized the importance of actions aimed at strengthening the environment for peace and preparing populations to peace, as well as the role of the OSCE in this framework.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan