Month: June 2022

A house sold to save the lives of two family members, a sad reality of living in a metal wagon, efforts towards building a house that proved futile, and a son who came back from the 44-day war with injuries to the head and spine. The life of the Nersisyan family was not an easy one; however, everything is now in the past. The wish of completing the house construction that started years ago has become a reality owing to the joint housing project implemented by Viva-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, Viva-MTS said in a press release on Tuesday.

Last time, the heads of the partner organizations met the Nersisyans months ago, at the construction site. Despite the large volume of work, the family who has been engaged actively in the house construction from scratch was struggling to get rid of the container rather sooner than later. The major part of the house was built by the family father, craftsman Vahan. Now, when his house construction is completed, he works to finish the construction of his compatriots' houses. Now there will be a garden in the place where the metal wagon once lent from the son’s friend once stood.

“We have gone through a large number of hardships and have solved problems that seemed insurmountable then; however, yet, every hardship that we have gone through has made us stronger. It was an ultimate goal and dream to see my children and grandchildren living under their own roof. I still can't believe that this is a reality,” said Vahan.

The heads of partner organizations visited the town of Ashtarak in Aragatsotn; the purpose of the visit this time was to share the joy of the result together with the homeowners rather than to monitor the construction process.

“This program shapes a fundamental system of values in those who implement it, and those of our compatriots who become homeowners, and that refers happens regardless one’s profession or social position. Those who lend a supportive hand and those reach for it, get a clearer picture of how development happens and start appreciating those achievements. At the core of the system of values is the unity, the understanding that problems have to be solved jointly, and the readiness to be useful with no reward in mind. All these throwing deep roots in one’s conscience the steps taken later get more efficient. And that’s how a country strives,” Viva-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.

''After having gone through many hardships, this family can eventually enjoy the jubilance of living in their own decent home. We are glad that children in the family will not have to live with the burden of homelessness and will enjoy carefree childhood and will have a perspective for a happy future,'' said the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia President, Ashot Yeghiazaryan.

In the near future, the partners of ten years, Viva-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, will resume the volunteering which was interrupted due to the pandemic restrictions. It's important not only in terms of helping the families but also in terms of spreading the idea of solving problems hand in hand.

A protest was held outside the Armenian government building housing the Foreign Ministry and several other ministries in downtown Yerevan on Tuesday as part of the opposition campaign to topple Nikol Pashinyan.

Opposition leader and deputy parliament speaker Ishkhan Saghatelyan urged protesters to refrain from clashes with the police.

Opposition lawmakers wanted to enter the government building and to talk to the ministers about the issues raised by the opposition, including Artsakh’s status and Armenian-Turkish relations.

They negotiated with police officers guarding the building for an hour to be let in. Eventually, no meeting took place between the minsters and the MPs.

“The ministers avoid meetings with parliament deputies. They are simply afraid and are hiding behind police cordons,” Saghatelyan said before they marched through the city.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

"The implementation of the agreements of the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 was discussed, with a focus on solving issues related to establishing peace in the region, improving stability and unblocking economic ties and transport communications,” the statement says.

Aliyev briefed Putin on his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels on 22 May.

They also discussed key issues of bilateral cooperation in the trade and economic sphere.

Rector of the Yerevan State University (YSU) Hovhannes Hovhannisyan on Tuesday locked his office door from the inside, avoiding a meeting with the opposition lawmakers who entered the university building during daily anti-government protests in Yerevan.

The MPs wanted to talk to the YSU chief about the issues raised by them, including Artsakh’s status and Armenian-Turkish relations.

Hovhannisyan's spokesperson told the lawmakers that the rector was not in the building.

“We went up to the rector's office and the male rector, seeing that the deputies were going up, locked the door from the inside,” Hayastan bloc MP Anna Grigoryan said after coming out of the building.

"Mr. Hovhannisyan, you can now open the door and windows for some fresh air. We have come down,” she said.

The MPs wanted to meet with ministers earlier in the day, but the latter also avoided a meeting.

Artsakh plays a key role in maintaining the geopolitical balance, Artsakh’s Foreign Minister David Babayan said on Tuesday.

“Artsakh, its very existence, is among the most important factors in maintaining the regional and even global geopolitical balance. If there was no Artsakh, the geopolitical landscape of Transcaucasia would radically change, and after that the same would take place also in the adjacent regions,” he wrote on Facebook.

“This would lead to the situation where maintaining the geopolitical balance by traditional means (a system of geostrategic checks and balances, etc.) will be practically impossible. This will lead to an open, tough and direct confrontation between the centers of power. And what can happen when it is impossible to maintain the geopolitical balance by traditional means and when the great global and regional powers will openly clash with each other? I think the answer is very clear. The world may even be on the brink of nuclear war,” the minister said.

Judge Armen Danielyan of the Yerevan Court of Criminal Appeals on Tuesday refused to release opposition activist Avetik Chalabyan from prison, upholding a lower court ruling.

“Naturally, such a decision by Armen Danielyan could be expected,” his lawyer Varazdat Harutyunyan said.

Chalabyan was arrested on May 12 for allegedly trying to pay students of the Armenian National Agrarian University to participate in ongoing anti-government protests in Yerevan. He has denied the charges as politically motivated.

Chalabyan is a co-founder of Arar Foundation, a charity supporting the Armenian army as well as border villages in Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

The Artsakh president, parliament speaker, MPs and religious leader have called for his release.