09:57, 23 November 2023
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Garik Karapetyan has won gold in the men’s 102kg category at the IWF World Junior Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Karapetyan lifted 175kg in snatch and 203kg in clean and jerk, earning him a small gold and small silver respectively. He was named champion with a total result of 378kg.
The Armenian team's Gor Sahakyan and Alexandra Grigoryan also won gold earlier in the championship.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spent more on photographers for Samantha Power’s, the agency’s administrator, October visit to Armenia than it did on humanitarian programs within Artsakh over the past three years, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said on Tuesday.
“No aid. No airlift. Outright abandonment. An epic USAID failure on every level,” the Committee added.
ANCA’s remarks were in response to Power’s Tuesday statement regarding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh two months after the aggression of Azerbaijan forced over 100,000 Armenians to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring Armenia.
In her statement, Power announced an additional $4 million in aid to assist the displaced individuals, bringing the total US humanitarian assistance for the Nagorno-Karabakh response to $28 million since 2020.
Power also expressed gratitude for the Armenian government’s generous reception of the displaced population and said that the US support in ensuring that those affected receive the necessary assistance would continue.
“On my recent visit to Armenia, I got to hear directly from many of the displaced people from NK [Nagorno-Karabakh] about the tremendous hardship, and heartbreak, of having to flee their homes,” said Power.
During the recent conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh to Armenians), which resulted in the displacement of most of the Armenian population, USAID had faced criticism that the amount of humanitarian aid it provided to civilians in the region was too low.
According to the ANCA, the US government had also sent military aid to Azerbaijan and refused to impose sanctions on the country despite calls from the Armenian community, while also failing to allocate aid to the region since the 2020 war.
The lightning offensive against the self-declared Republic of Artsakh was launched by neighbouring Azerbaijan on 20 September and eventually resulted in Azeri forces taking control of the region, forcing an estimated 70,500 Armenians to flee the region in the following days.
Ethnic Armenians in the enclave had been defending the self-declared republic for three decades. Despite its geographical location within Azerbaijan’s territory, the region had functioned autonomously for decades and maintained its de facto government.
https://medyanews.net/armenian-national-committee-of-america-accuses-usaid-of-epic-failure-during-nagorno-karabakh-humanitarian-crisis/
By Loretta Martikian
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are supporting Armenian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by boosting access to finance via Ardshinbank.
The leading Armenian bank will receive a financial package of US$ 20 million, comprising two equal loans, from the EBRD for on-lending to the private sector. Half of this amount will be on-lent to Armenian firms to foster their growth and development, and the other US$10 million will support investments in environmentally friendly equipment and production upgrades that meet EU standards.
This financing will enable borrowers to enhance their competitiveness both domestically and internationally to help diversify their export markets. It will also support the implementation of health and safety measures, as well as the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and resource efficiency. At least 70 per cent of the loan will be allocated to funding green technologies.
Borrowers will benefit from free support from international consultants and will receive cash-back incentives upon completion of their investment projects. Both are funded by the EU under its EU4Business initiative and contribute to the aims of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) Economic and Investment Plan, which include supporting 30,000 SMEs in Armenia.
The financing is part of a joint programme, the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, for which the EBRD provides finance to MSMEs through partner financial institutions, while the EU complements the offer with incentive grants and technical assistance. This programme is also available in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director for Financial Institutions, said: “I am delighted to announce that with today’s signing, Ardshinbank has joined our flagship programme designed to make local firms greener and more competitive, at home and abroad. This cooperation with our financial partner, along with the support of our longstanding donor, the European Union, allows us to step up support for Armenian firms. We look forward to seeing more Armenian products and Armenian brands going global.”
Lawrence Meredith, Director for Neighbourhood East and Institution building at the European Commission, said: “Supporting companies in Armenia to transition to a more sustainable and efficient production model is an investment in the future of both businesses and the environment. The European Union is proud to support this new concessional credit line the EBRD and Ardshinbank are concluding today. This is yet another demonstration that our Economic and Investment Plan for Armenia is delivering on the ground.”
Ardshinbank’s Chairman of the Management Board, Artak Ananyan noted: "Ardshinbank is committed to enhancing the resilience of enterprises and firms through the implementation of more efficient and energy-saving practices. With our extensive regional network, a substantial portion of these funds will be strategically directed to fortify SMEs across multiple regions. This streamlined approach undeniably fosters an environment conducive to the prosperity of SMEs, cultivating competitiveness both domestically and internationally. Moreover, this plays a pivotal role in driving the ongoing economic development of our country."
The EBRD has invested over €2 billion in 207 projects in Armenia since the start of its operations there in 1992.
https://www.ebrd.com/news/2023/ebrd-and-ardshinbank-provide-fresh-funds-for-armenian-firms-partially-supported-by-the-eu.html
Paris has linked Azerbaijani figures to a disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing France's reputation as host of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Diplomatic tensions have simmered between France and Azerbaijan of late, with the ex-Soviet country accusing Paris of supporting its arch enemy Armenia and pursuing a policy of "militarisation" in the South Caucasus.
France is pulling out all the stops to host the 2024 Olympic Games, which will take place from 26 July to 11 August.
According to a report from state digital watchdog Viginum, seen by media outlets this week, an investigation was launched in late July after "several visuals calling for a boycott of the 2024 Olympics" were widely shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Viginum – France's service for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference – alleges the campaign featured images of riots, the city of Paris and also the logo of the Olympic Games, and involved three official X accounts of the games and two hashtags #PARIS2024 and #BOYCOTTPARIS2024.
On 26 and 27 July, more than 1,600 posts accompanied by these visuals or hashtags appeared on X.
Around 90 accounts appear to be behind these posts "suggesting artificial amplification", the report states.
Viginum added that 40 of them were created in July 2023 and only published content calling for a boycott of the Paris Games.
The probe also revealed that of these 90 accounts, "a significant proportion had at least one link to Azerbaijan" such as a photo featuring the Azerbaijani flag, Azerbaijani locations, or excerpts from speeches of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Misspelled place names – Bordo instead of Bordeaux or Monpelye instead of Montpellier – were another "marker of inauthenticity", the report said.
The watchdog has also identified an account at the origin of the online content targeting the Games.
The account @MuxtarYev published 15 visuals calling for a boycott, which were then amplified by inauthentic accounts and picked up by X accounts linked to Azerbaijan – a pattern that "reinforces the hypothesis of a coordinated manoeuvre", Viginum said.
Created in June 2023, the @MuxtarYev account claims to be located in Azerbaijan.
The name Muxtar Nagiyev and the account's profile photo coincide with the identity of the chairman of the Sabail district organisation of the New Azerbaijan party, the ex-Soviet country's ruling party.
According to the report, Azerbaijani national Orkhan Rzayev, who runs two companies including Mediamark Digital, could also be linked to the smear campaign.
At the time of the smear campaign, France had repeatedly criticized Azeri authorities over the blocking of the Lachin corridor, the key road that links Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
People in Need, a Czech non-governmental organisation, has announced a European Union-funded grant competition for civil society organisations operating in Syunik, Armenia.
The call aims to support local CSOs in providing time-sensitive community-based social services needed by local communities and forcibly displaced individuals from Nagorno-Karabakh. The applicant CSOs should have at least 1 year of experience in providing social services.
CSOs can propose the establishment of a neighbourhood centre; the provision of local social services to prevent trafficking, labour exploitation and drug use; the launching of a Social Taxi service; the introduction of home care specialists for the long-term care of elderly people living alone or people with mental health problems, etc.
Applicants can come up with several proposals/ideas, but it may be that only one receives an award.
People in Need intends to award five grants (up to €45,000 each, in AMD equivalent).
The deadline for applications is 10 December.
For additional questions or clarifications, an online information meeting will be held on 27 November at 12:00.
Find out more
Press release
Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was outraged by Armenia's decision not to participate in the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Minsk, Belarusian news agency BelTA reported on Nov. 23.
"We also discussed the situation in the Caucasus and some dissatisfaction of one of the members of the Collective Security Council," Lukashenko said, referring to Armenia skipping the summit.
Read also: Armenia joins over 65 nations in Malta to chart course for ending war in Ukraine
The Belarusian dictator added that "there have always been and will be problematic issues," but they should be "resolved at the negotiating table, not by making demarches for no reason."
Read also: Armenia officially delivers humanitarian aid to Ukraine
The CSTO summit began on Nov. 23, in Minsk, Belarus.
On Nov. 14, Lukashenko invited Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan to the CSTO meeting, but the latter refused the invitation.
Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan stated that Armenia's presence in the CSTO, which is essentially led by Russia, creates "certain problems" for Armenia, while it is important for Yerevan to cooperate with Western partners on security issues.
Read also: Armenian PM claims his country not Russia’s ally in war against Ukraine, Kremlin reacts
On Nov. 15, Pashinyan assured that his country is not preparing to withdraw from the CSTO, despite the fact that it will not participate in the next meeting of the CSTO Security Council.
The CSTO is a military alliance that includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Armenia is not considering leaving the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safarian said on Nov. 23, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.
The statement comes shortly after Yerevan's decision not to attend today's summit of the Russia-led military coalition in Minsk, attracting criticism from Belarusian and Russian leaders.
The CSTO is an international military alliance consisting of Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.
The summit, chaired by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and attended by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, will reportedly focus on "issues of international and regional security" and Kazakhstan's upcoming presidency.
Despite the snub, Armenia also does not currently plan to discuss the withdrawal of Russian military bases on Armenian territory that host thousands of Russian troops, Safarian said.
"At the moment, there are no such topics on our agenda," the Armenian official told journalists.
Tensions between Yerevan and Moscow have been mounting as Russia failed to halt Azerbaijan's offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh despite deploying peacekeepers in the region since the last war in 2020.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan implied that Russia failed to live up to its commitments as an ally, adding that he sees no further use in the continued presence of Russian military bases in the country.
The rift between the two formal allies has been further manifested in Armenia's refusal to participate in CSTO maneuvers in Kyrgyzstan or the coalition's ministerial meetings.
As worries grow that Baku may expand its aggression even to Armenian soil, the South Caucasian country has been looking further west for new allies, securing military aid from France.
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Yerevan has become the center of many boxing events recently. The capital of Armenia hosted the EUBC European Championships in 2022, the 2023 EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships and several IBA congresses. And now the 2023 IBA World Junior Championships are held in Mika sport complex in Yerevan.
A great opening ceremony on November 23 set the high bar for the tournament. Athletes from 51 participating nations were greeted by IBA president Umar Kremlev. “It is crucial that our grassroots boxers have the conditions to compete. Children are our future, and none of them should be left alone. I congratulate everybody on this great celebration of junior boxing! Dear athletes, I wish the strongest would win, and we will be guarantors of the fair fights. Good luck to everybody”, said Kremlev in his speech.
And today the stage was already full of exciting bouts as the preliminary rounds of 48, 52, 57 and 63 kg weight categories had begun.
The first bout of the day brought a big joy to the home crowd. 48 kg boxer from Armenia Vagharshak Keyan knocked down his rival Lee Seunghun three times in the second round and claimed the victory by technical knockout. Armenian boxers were dominant on the first day of the competition. Not only Keyan but 52 kg boxer Aren Kharatyan, 57 kg boxer Tigran Makichyan and 63 kg boxer Alik Ktshoyan won their bouts by technical knockouts. They promoted four from four to the next round of the competitions.
It was a perfect day also for Russian boxers who had two representatives in the first day of the competitions. 52 kg Maksim Chaplygin and 57 kg boxer Platon Kozlov won their preliminary bouts with great confidence.
Another strong performance was shown by the Irish team. Three boxers from the Republic of Ireland were in action on the first day and all of them – Christian Doyle (52 kg), Patrick Kelly (57 kg) and John Maher (63 kg) won their bouts with unanimous decisions.
Javier Martinez Derlys from Ecuador and Dzmitry Sarokin from Belarus produced one of the closest bouts of the day in the 63 kg weight category. At the end of the bout 3 judges gave the victory to the Ecuadorian and the latter won with split decision, though Sarokin didn’t agree with the judges.
Tomorrow boxers from 4 more weight categories will step to the ring and have their bouts in the preliminary round.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1142657/iba-world-junior
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The second competitive day of the 2023 IBA World Junior Championships in Yerevan has ended, and for the host country Armenia, it went almost as well as yesterday.
But the joy for the home crowd was spoiled at the end of the day, when 80 kg boxer Hayk Ghahramanyan lost his third place fight to South Korea’s Park Damhyeon with split decision. The other three boxers from Armenia advanced to the next round. Arno Darchinyan (46 kg) and Andranik Martirosyan (60 kg) won their bouts with great confidence, and Vahagn Galstyan (54 kg) defeated Belorussian Aliaksi Kazuseu with split decision.
Though the defeat of Kazuseu, it was not a bad day at all for the Belarussian boxers. Four others of their representatives claimed their spot in the next round. Siarhei Zayats (46 kg) was stronger than Mohamed Al Mandouchi from Germany, Uladzislau Kaurau (60 kg) defeated Ashkan Hashemi from Iran, Ivan Siniak (66 kg) stopped Indian boxer Prashant and Andrei Rumiantsau (80 kg) outboxed Alexander Popal from Germany.
Russia had three boxers in the second competitive day, and all of them advanced to the next round. Islam Magomedov (46 kg), Roman Bogdanov (60 kg) and Bairakhman Ashurov (80 kg) won their bouts with unanimous decisions.
Uzbekistan also had 4 boxers on the second day, and only Muhammadrizo Siddikov lost his bout to Russia’s Ashurov. The other three athletes Abdurakhmon Makhmudjonov (46 kg), Furizjon Sadullaev (60 kg) and Akbar Ahmadov (66 kg) won their first bouts in the tournament.
On the other hand, it was a day full of bitterness for another Asian country – Kazakhstan. All of their four representatives lost their bouts. Aidos Ussenov (46 kg) lost to Dzhakhingir Kamilov from Tajikistan, Bekaris Nurmukhan (66 kg) was outboxed by Ahmadov from Uzbekistan. Zhassulan Berdaly (70 kg) exited from yhe tournament after being defeated by Pawel Urbanski from Poland, and Bakytzhan Aiytmukhanov lost to Taipei's Guan-Hao Pan in a narrow battle.
On the third day the stage will be prepared for the women’s tournament. The 1/8 finals of women’s 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 57 and 60 kg weight categories will take place at the Mika sport complex in Yerevan on November 26.