Author: Adrine Hakobian

Film: Indian director Shekhar Kapur to helm Armenian Genocide tale ‘Three Apples Fell From Heaven’

Adrine Hakobian
Public Radio of Armenia
18:10,
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Indian film director Shekhar Kapur will direct Three Apples Fell From Heaven, a film based on the Micheline Aharonian Marcom novel adapted by Motorcycle Diaries writer José Rivera, Deadline reports.

The film is set in 1915-1917 as Turks slaughtered Armenians, and revolves around a young female refugee taken in by Turkish neighbors after the death of her parents. Her childhood shattered, she now views the remains of her world through a Muslim veil, as several tragic characters circle around her.

While the Armenian genocide is a century old, there is an eerie parallel to the refugee crisis, beyond Kapur’s memory of his own family forced to flee Delhi as refugees during the partition of India. The filmmakers made available a clip of the young women Kapur has auditioned to play the lead role; they are refugees from Aleppo whose descendants fled there to escape the Armenian genocide and who’ve come back to escape the violence that has devastated Syria.

The clip is a sad reminder of how little the world has really reformed for refugees. This becomes the first film from a new social justice storytelling production company, Disruptive Narrative, which will launch at Cannes as part of Sunday’s Refugee Voices In Film day, presented by IEFTA, the UNHCR and Marché du Film. The company is founded by leading human rights lawyer, Jen Robinson, of Doughty St Chambers , and Syrian-Armenian actress/writer/producer, Sona Tatoyan.

Supreme Religious Council to convene sitting in Moscow

Adrine Hakobian

The Supreme Religious Council will convene its regular meeting in Moscow at the invitation of Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan, Primate of New Nakhijevan and Russia Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The meeting will be held May 16-18 and will be dedicated to the 300th anniversary of establishment of the Diocese.

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has left for Moscow to participate in the meeting.

Bomb kills 25 as it hits convoy of the Pakistan Senate deputy

Adrine Hakobian 
Photo: Reuters/Mian Khurshee

 

A bomb exploded next to a convoy of the deputy chairman of the Pakistan Senate on Friday in the violence-plagued province of Baluchistan, killing at least 25 people, officials said, Reuters reports.

At least 35 people were wounded in the blast near the town of Mastung, 50 km (30 miles) from the provincial capital of Quetta. Television footage showed a vehicle mangled by the blast.

Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the deputy chairman of the upper house of parliament, told Reuters minutes after the explosion he believed he was the target and he had sustained minor injuries.

“There are many casualties as there were many people in the convoy,” he said by telephone.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack from the many militant groups operating in Baluchistan.

Haideri is a member of Jamiat e Ulema Islam, a right-wing Sunni Islamist political party that is part of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s coalition government.

District health official Sher Ahmed Satakzai said the death toll had risen to 25 and 10 were in critical condition in hospital.

Eurovision 2017 Semi-Final tonight: Armenia performs 16th

Adrine Hakobian

First semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will be held today at the International Exhibition Center (IEC) in Kyiv, Ukraine. Acts from 18 countries will give the performance of a lifetime to impress millions of viewers, hoping to earn one of the 10 slots in Saturday’s Grand Final.

Viewers from the 18 countries participating in the first Semi-Final, as well as from Italy, United Kingdom and Spain, can vote.

Artsvik represents Armenia with the song Fly With Me.

Running order:

01. Sweden: Robin Bengtsson – I Can’t Go On;
02. Georgia: Tako Gachechiladze – Keep the Faith;
03. Australia: Isaiah Firebrace – Don’t Come Easy;
04. Albania: Lindita Halimi – World;
05. Belgium: Blanche – City Lights;
06. Montenegro: Slavko Kalezić – Space;
07. Finland: Norma John – Blackbird;
08. Azerbaijan: Diana Hacıyeva – Skeletons;
09. Portugal: Salvador – Amar Pelos Dois;
10. Greece: Demy – This Is Love;
11. Poland: Kasia Moś – Flashlight;
12. Moldova: SunStroke Project – Hey Mamma;
13. Iceland: Svala Björgvinsdóttir – Paper;
14. Czech Republic: Martina Bárta – My Turn;
15. Cyprus: Hovig – Gravity;
16. Armenia: Artsvik – Fly With Me;
17. Slovenia: Omar Naber – On My Way;
18. Latvia: Triana Park – Line.

Azerbaijan arressts soldiers on suspicion of espionage to Armenia

Adrine Hakobian

Authorities in Azerbaijan say they have arrested a number of soldiers and civilians who allegedly provided military secrets to rival Armenia, the Associated Press reports.

A joint statement from Azerbaijan’s security service and its defense and interior ministries said Sunday that the suspects were identified as part of an investigation into provocations allegedly planned by Armenian forces in Azerbaijan’s Terter region adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The statement did not say how many people had been arrested.

President Sargsyan congratulates Emmanuel Macron on victory

Adrine Hakobian

President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a congratulatory message to President-elect of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron:

“Distinguished Mr. President,

I cordially congratulate you on your decisive victory at the French presidential elections and your election to the highest position of the leader of the country.

I am confident that during your tenure in office, exceptional relations between our two countries, based on the centuries-long Armenian-French friendship, high-level vigorous political dialogue, multifaceted economic cooperation, and dynamic cultural ties will continue to develop and deepen.

Armenia highly values important and continuous efforts of France made together with other Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – United States and Russia, aimed at a peaceful resolution of the NK conflict and establishment of a lasting peace in our region.

I also attach great importance to the French support aimed at Armenia’s convergence with the European family as well as the close cooperation of our countries on the international arena, including in the framework of the International Organization of Francophonie.

I convey to you once again my most sincere congratulations and wish you success and accomplishments in your high mission for the advancement and prosperity of the friendly France.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

Artsakh reports 340 shots from Azeri side overnight

Adrine Hakobian

The Azerbaijani side used firearms of different calibers as it violated the ceasefire regime 40 times at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night.

The rival fired over 340 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions, Artsakh Defense Ministry reports.

The front divisions of the Artsakh Defense Army keep the situation under control and confidently continue with the protection of the military positions.

EBRD and Central Bank of Armenia strengthen local currency and local capital markets

Adrine Hakobian

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) are hosting a conference in Yerevan today to discuss strengthening the local capital market and increasing local currency lending.

The event builds on the successful cooperation between the EBRD and CBA following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2016 about reform of the local derivatives market.

CBA Deputy Governor Nerses Yeritsyan will open the seminar with a presentation about “Money Markets and Derivatives – The International and Armenian Perspectives”. Over 100 participants, including regulators and market participants as well as representatives of international financial institutions, banks and other financial institutions, are expected to attend the event.

The conference will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss recent developments in Armenia’s capital markets and consider further steps towards developing a stronger, more resilient financial infrastructure in the country.

Another important topic of the seminar will be the development of the derivatives markets and the related legal and regulatory framework.

In October 2016 the Armenian parliament passed a milestone by approving a package of laws regulating the local financial markets and also approving amendments to the law on the securities market.

The new laws were developed in close cooperation with the EBRD. Experts, funded by the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund, worked with the Central Bank of Armenia on the legal reform. The project was also coordinated with, and supported by, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA).

Mark Davis, EBRD Head of Office in Yerevan, said: “We welcome and support the authorities’ determination to implement the jointly drafted programme. We share the goal of improving the functioning of the local capital markets, increasing liquidity and streamlining regulatory processes to stimulate issuance, trading and hedging activities.”

Jacek Kubas, representing the EBRD Local Currency and Capital Markets Development team and in charge of the programme, added: “Following the successful reforms introduced by the authorities last year, the EBRD is keen to further develop the Armenian capital market, working with the central bank and other stakeholders, including to increase capacity-building among market participants about hedging tools such as foreign currency and interest-rate risk management.

The EBRD launched its Local Currency and Capital Markets Development Initiative in May 2010 to help reduce the reliance in parts of the EBRD region on foreign capital and excessive use of foreign-currency borrowing, which had emerged as key vulnerabilities during the global financial crisis.

A number of EBRD teams, including Treasury, Banking and the Office of the General Counsel, are working together with the Local Currency and Capital Markets Development team on the Initiative.

Aude Pacatte, Director, Head of Portfolio Management, EMEA, in the EBRD Treasury team, commented: “Armenia is a very important market for the EBRD. We strongly promote the development of the money market in the country and since 2014 we have been an active issuer of bonds denominated in Armenian dram.”

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Armenia with investments of over €1.13 billion in 157 projects in the country’s financial, infrastructure, energy and corporate sectors. Of these projects, 88 per cent are in the private sector.

Artsakh Ombudsman visits Massachusetts

Adrine Hakobian
Ombudsman (Human Rights Defender) of Artsakh Republic Ruben Melikyan was on a visit to the United States. His regional tour – organized by ANCA Eastern Region – included various communities throughout the east coast where Mr. Melikyan talked about the general human rights situation in the country as well as presented his recent report on the atrocities committed by Azerbaijan during the 2016 April War.
“I have been cooperating with the ANCA and other Diaspora institutions from the first day of assuming office as the Ombudsman of Artsakh Republic,” said Mr. Melikyan. “It is encouraging to see national unity globally on the issue of Artsakh and we need to be creative to overcome all the challenges facing us today. I am open to cooperating with anyone who wishes to see a more democratic Artsakh where human rights and freedoms are upheld and protected on the highest level.”
The first stop on the itinerary was Boston, which kicked off with a meeting with the editors of Hairenik and The Armenian Weekly, where Mr. Melikyan shared his duties and responsibilities as Ombudsman of Artsakh. He explained the history of the office and the European model of the Ombudsman’s institute as well as how the National Assembly of Artsakh nominated and confirmed him in May 2016.
The Ombudsman also traveled to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University to participate in a meeting with senior scholars, professors, and current Tavitian Fellows. Mr. Melikyan, an alumnus of 2008 Fletcher Tavitian Program, talked about his experience as the Human Rights Defender of an unrecognized state, as well as his strategy aimed at increasing the level of human rights protection in the country.
Mr. Melikyan held meetings with the Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian as well as the staff of Massachusetts Attorney General.
The day concluded with a panel discussion entitled “Spotlight on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh): The Four-Day War and Its Aftermath” at Massachusetts Institute of Technology co-organized by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lecture Series on Contemporary Armenian Issues, and the MIT Armenian Society. Dr. Antranig Kasbarian of the Tufenkian Foundation moderated the panel discussion which included Mr. Melikyan and Ambassador Rouben Shougarian of Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

German Court bans Party founded by Turks

Adrine Hakobian

The Court in Cologne has banned the Allianz Deutscher Demokraten (Alliance of German Democrats) Party, TRT reports.

The Court has justified the decision with the similarity of the party logo with the logo of the right-wing AfD party, which could lead to confusion in the vote.

The Alliance of German Democrats was founded 7 months ago by entrepreneur Remzi Aru, lawyer Ramazan Akbas and Halil Ertem to prevent the adoption of the Armenian Genocide reolution adopted by the German Bundestag.