Author: Ani Tigranian

Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Marija Pejcinovic Buric on being elected CoE Secretary General

Ani Tigranian

Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Marija Pejcinovic Buric on being elected CoE Secretary General

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20:55, 28 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the message runs as follows,

”Honorable Mrs. Marija Pejcinovic Buric,

I heartily congratulate you on being elected the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and express the support of the Government of the Republic of Armenia for successfully carrying out your high mission.

I am confident that you will use your great professional capacities and rich experience for the future improvement of the organization and overcoming the challenges, ensuring that our common value system will live everlasting.

We highly praise the role of the Council of Europe in the comprehensive reforms aimed at the continuous strengthening of the democratic institutions in Armenia.

Recently Armenia-Council of Europe Action Plan for 2019-2022 was launched in Yerevan. The Action Plan is one of the successful examples of our close cooperation, in the sidelines of which large-scale reforms in the judicial system of Armenia are planned by the consultative support of the CoE.

I reaffirm our resoluteness to continue the productive cooperation with the Council of Europe and expect to host you in Armenia in the near future”.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan




Religion: Armenian church commemorates St. Gevorg the Captain, Adoktos and Romanos the Singer

Ani Tigranian
Panorama, Armenia
Society 18:11 29/06/2019 Armenia

The Armenian Apostolic Church marks today the commemoration of St. Gevorg the Captain (St. George the Warrior). As qahan.am reports, he was born in a pious Christian family. Becoming a soldier of the Roman Army in a short period he deserves the honor of becoming Captain thanks to his courage and devotion. During the council convened by the Roman Emperor Dioklethianos he opposes to his plans on Christians’ execution, and thus the fact that he is Christian, is revealed. The King, becoming surprised and astonished, orders to imprison the Captain and subjects him to severe torments. Many people, among them the Queen Alexandria, become Christians thanks to the preaching of St. George. A magician is ordered to prepare two kinds of remedies for trying the saint and changing his faith. By the first cup the saint should change his mind, and drinking the second cup, he should die. St. Gevorg drinks both cups, but thanks to the power of his faith towards God he remains alive. He also raises a man from the dead.

After the King’s repeated requests St. Gevorg finally agrees to offer sacrifice to the idols. However, reaching the heathen church he breaks all idols one by one. For this act the King orders to behead St. Gevorg and he is martyred in about 303 A. D.

St. Adoktos (Adauctus) has been martyred in 320 A. D., in the Armenian Melitene, during the reign of Maximianos. He has been a state servant in Ephesus. Not willing to marry her daughter – Kalistene, with the Heathen King, he takes her away to the East. For being Christian upon the King’s order he is deprived of his title and property and is exiled to Melitene. The local governor also fails to convert Adoktos to the heathen religion. Remaining steadfast and unshaken in his faith, the saint is beheaded. His wife and the other daughter – Pelopia, bury him. Costantsa – sister of the Emperor Kostandianos, defends and protects Kalistene, he transfers the relics of his father to Ephesus, where a chapel is built over the saint’s tomb of in the future.

St. Romanos the Singer (the Melodist) is considered to be the author and creator of the church hymns’ canons. He has served as a deacon in the Church of St. Sophia, of Constantinople. Many people have mocked at him for his being unable to sing and read well. Once St. Mary appears to him in his dream and giving him a paper roll, orders to eat it. After the dream Romanos is granted the virtue to create and sing church hymns and songs. St. Romanos passes away in 556 A. D.

Azeri pundits urge Baku to start war for Karabakh

Ani Tigranian
BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus Unit
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
Friday
Azeri pundits urge Baku to start war for Karabakh
 
 
By BBC Monitoring
 
Two Azerbaijani pundits have called on the government in Baku to start war to reclaim the Armenian-controlled breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven districts around it.
 
Reserve army Col Sair Ramaldanov was commenting on recent reports that Armenians tried to shoot down Azerbaijani military aircraft by missiles. Ramaldanov told Report news agency that Armenia seeks to aggravate the situation at the front line to affect the Karabakh peace process and that it might continue “to resort to these kinds of provocations”. He said “tension continues to increase in Nagorno-Karabakh” and that “whenever domestic tension runs high in Armenia or another round of [peace] talks is coming up, the enemy stages more provocations at the front line and the cease-fire is violated more frequently”. He said that Armenians had never fired on Azerbaijani pilots before and that “it is the first time in recent years that the enemy has used its air defence system and tried, unsuccessfully, to hit Azerbaijani aircraft by missiles”. Ramaldanov concluded that that Azerbaijan needs to start war to reclaim the land if Armenia does not “see reason”.
 
The other commentator, military expert Abuzar Abilov, told Minval.az news website that “war is inevitable in the very near future”. He suggested the latest tension at the front line showed that “there is something happening in Armenia, and voters who voted for [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan are now not happy that he is there”. He said Pashinyan had always had “unsuccessful” talks with the Karabakh separatists, and the latter therefore “have provoked the aggravation at the front line” just to “spite” the Armenian prime minister. Abilov added that he believes that Baku should no longer pin any hopes on peace talks and needs to start war to reclaim the land.
 
Abilov also said that three Armenians soldiers were killed on 11 June but the Defence Ministry and media in that country kept silent about it. Meanwhile, Yerevan-based News.am has reported the defence ministry in Nagorno-Karabakh as saying that Azerbaijani troops had killed an Armenian soldier in the breakaway region on 13 June.
 
In the meantime, news sources have reported that the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet in the United States on 20 June to discuss the Karabakh settlement.

Catholicos of All Armenians receives Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Pavel

Ani Tigranian

Catholicos of All Armenians receives Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Pavel

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17:30, 8 June, 2019

YEREVAN, JUNE 8 ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslav, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Pavel at Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, ARMENPRESS reports head of public relations department of the Mother See Fr. Vahram Melikyan wrote on his Facebook page.

His Holiness Pavel has arrived in Armenia at the invitation of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Ambassador of Armenia to Belarus Armen Ghevondyan was also present at the meeting.

The Armenian Catholicos underlined with satisfaction, that the visit of the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Pavel not only reaffirmed the personal friendly and warm relations, but also is aimed at fostering fraternal relations between Churches and further strengthening of partnership. Catholicos Karekin II recalled the years of their postgraduate studies at the Moscow Theological Academy 

His Holiness Karekin II highlighted such visits, citing also his regular meetings with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, during which they discuss the problems and challenges facing the Churches and the ways to overcome them.

 Thanking for the warm reception, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Pavel said that it was a long time he wanted to pay a visit to Armenia. He noted that he is well aware of the heroic historical path of the Armenian people and the Armenian Church and in different places of his service he regularly interacted with the bodies of the Armenian Church and the representatives of the Armenian community.

The two spiritual leaders exchanged views on the activities of their Churches.

At the end of the meeting the Armenian Catholicos wished his spiritual brother health and long years of productive activities.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan




Sports: Armenia to play against Argentina, Iran and Russia

Ani Tigranian
News.am, Armenia
June 1 2019

Armenian U-18s will travel to Russia next week to take part in the Granatkin Memorial International Football Tournament.

The team will be headed by Arthur Voskanyan, the head coach of the Armenian U-19s squad. Some of the players will participate in the European Championships in the summer, FFA press service reported.

Armenia is in the Group C, where it will compete with Argentina, Iran and Russia.

Verelq: I demand to study Jivan Abrahamyan’s threats to Bako Sahakyan. call

Ani Tigranian
  • 26.05.2019

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Hero of Artsakh, Lieutenant-General Arshavir Gharamyan on his Facebook page appealed to NKR Prosecutor General Arthur Mosiyan, demanding to study the speech of Jivan Abrahamyan, one of the organizers of the rally held on May 25 in Azatutyun Square, which contains threats to NKR President Bako Sahakyan.


“I am applying to the NKR Prosecutor General Arthur Mosiyan and I demand to study the organizers of the rally held on May 25 of this year in the Freedom Square of Yerevan, the capital of RA. Jivan Abrahamyan the threats of violence against NKR President Bako Sahakyan made in the speech.


I urge you to prepare materials and, in the presence of the relevant article or articles provided for by the NKR Criminal Code, initiate a criminal case and give an appropriate legal assessment of the latter’s act. Attached to this post, I publish J. The video recording of the above-mentioned episode of Abrahamyan’s speech,” the announcement reads.

168: Russian financial corporation re-nominates Robert Kocharyan as Independent Director

Ani Tigranian
| 16:05 | May 24 2019
Category
Politics

The Russian SISTEMA financial corporation, a major private investor, has re-nominated Armenian ex-President Robert Kocharyan to serve on its Board of Directors as Independent Director.

Kocharyan is an Independent Director and Chairman of the Nomination, Remuneration and Governance Committee of SISTEMA since 2009.

According to a news release by Kocharyan’s Facebook page, the composition of the Board of Directors will be approved on June 29 during an annual meeting of stakeholders.

Kocharyan, who was President of Armenia from 1998 to 2008, is currently under criminal prosecution in Armenia regarding the deadly 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan. The case is currently suspended pending further proceedings from the Constitutional Court.

Pursue judicial reforms in accordance with the Constitution. US Ambassador

Ani Tigranian
  • 20.05.2019

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The USA encourages the RA government to pursue judicial reforms in a way consistent with the country’s Constitution. This is reported by the US Embassy in Armenia.


“Pastinfo” turned to the US Embassy with a request to find out the position of the US regarding the events that took place around the judiciary, the Prime Minister’s announcement to hold a vetting of judges.


“The United States is committed to supporting the strengthening of an independent judiciary in Armenia, which includes anti-corruption efforts and building rule of law institutions. This requires determination, vigilance and a long-term strategy for building transparent and accountable governance institutions. The people of Armenia have clearly indicated that they support these changes, and we encourage the government to pursue judicial reforms in a way consistent with the country’s constitution,” the embassy said.


To remind, yesterday evening RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page that starting from 08:30 in the morning, we block the exits and entrances of all courts of the republic, without exception, so that no one enters. Early in the morning, the entrances to Yerevan and regional courts were already blocked. 


Later, at At 12:00, Nikol Pashinyan announced that all judges operating in Armenia should undergo, so to speak, vetting. “In other words, the public should have complete information about the judge’s political connections and genealogy, property status, activities carried out as a judge and in the previous period, personal and professional characteristics,” he said.

Dr. Karin Markides appointed President of American University of Armenia

Ani Tigranian

Dr. Karin Markides appointed President of American University of Armenia

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13:30,

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. Dr. Karin Markides has been appointed new President of the American University of Armenia (AUA) and will assume office on July 1, 2019, the AUA told Armenpress.

With an impressive resume that includes lecturing at Stanford University as a guest professor, Dr. Markides completed her doctorate at Stockholm University in 1984, after which she started her research career at Brigham Young University in Utah as a postdoctoral fellow, then as a research assistant and associate director. In May 1990, she returned to Sweden as a Chair Professor and Dean of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Uppsala University. Fourteen years later, in May 2004, she became Vice Director General of Vinnova, the Swedish innovation agency. Subsequently, Dr. Markides was selected as President of Chalmers University of Technology and, since 2015, she serves as the Chair of the Scientific Council for Sustainable Development under the Swedish government.

Dr. Markides’s fascination with Armenia grew deeper as she talked about its unique geopolitical location.

“Armenia’s position – the intersection where East meets West – can be an asset if the bright brains from neighboring countries become increasingly attracted to Armenia as a nexus where cultures and minds meet. I think these meeting places can attract many people, whether from Europe, Russia, China, and elsewhere for planned and unplanned interactions and true impact”, she said.

As far as her vision for AUA and its role in Armenia, Dr. Markides remarked that she would like to see AUA play an even larger role in the transformation of the country, inviting higher education, private and public sectors to enable transformative impact in areas of high potential and emerging challenges. In these sectors, AUA would develop people’s skills for transformative co-creation and connect the urban and rural areas of the country, also attracting greater attention from the international community. Her experience working with innovation and technologies is something she plans to bring to AUA.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.




Asbarez: Joseph Kanimian, Esq. Re-Elected as Board Chairman of Ararat Home

Ani Tigranian
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Joseph Kanimian, Esq. re-elected to Ararat Home’s Board of Trustees

MISSION HILLS—During the regularly scheduled Ararat Home Board of Trustees meeting, Joseph Kanimian, Esq. was re-elected as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Kanimian had previously served as Board Chairman from 2013 to 2016.

“I am truly honored to serve Ararat Home once again in my capacity as Chairman of the Board,” stated Mr. Kanimian and expressed his gratitude to the Board for their confidence in his leadership. “I would like to express my thanks to my predecessor, Michael Surmeian, who served as Chairman for the last three years.”

“I am delighted to see Joseph returning as Chairman of the Board of Trustees,” said Mr. Surmeian. “His experience and extensive involvement in the Armenian community are perfectly suited for the needs of the Home and the Board. Over the last three years, I have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the Home’s Chief Operating Officer Derik Ghookasian, the facility leaders Varsenik Keshisyan, Rita Noravian, Margarita Kechichian as well as Ani Dikranian.”

“We can all be proud of the progress we have made over the last several years. Besides the acquisition of the property adjacent to the Mission Hills campus and the opening of the Assisted Living Facility’s new wing, the Board and its committees planned picnics, casino nights, employee celebrations, cultural events spearheaded by Ararat-Eskijian Museum, and several highly successful fundraisers. Additionally, all three facilities were reviewed annually by State agencies with very favorable results. Thanks to all these hard-working individuals, their employees, and our volunteers, Ararat Home is poised for continued success,” he continued.

During Mr. Kanimian’s past chairmanship, Ararat Home expanded its services to our elders by opening the Avakian Wing of the Nursing Facility. “We have a dedicated administration and staff at our facilities, who devote their time and skills for the benefit of our precious elders,” he stated. “Ararat Home creates a unique setting for our mothers and fathers by providing them excellent care in an Armenian environment.”

This year, Ararat Home celebrates 70 Years of service to the community. A special banquet is planned for Saturday, May 11, to celebrate this milestone. Mr. Kanimian thanked the many volunteers, the Ladies Auxiliary and supporting Guilds, and the community for their moral and financial support of the Home. “Our collective efforts make our facilities a five-star organization,” he concluded.

The current Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees is comprised of Ron Nazeley as 1st Vice Chair, Richard Jebejian as 2nd Vice Chair, Debbie Avedian as Secretary, Arthur Zabounian as Assistant Secretary, Michael Surmeian as Treasurer, and Vahe Vartanian as Assistant Treasurer. The remaining members of the Board of Trustees are: Raffi Balian, M.D., Vatche Bardakjian, M.D., Shahe Boyadjian, Peter Darakjian, Armen Hampar, Nora Hampar, Gary Kaloostian, Maggie Mangassarian-Goschin, Rafi Mardirosian, Roy Martinian, D.D.S., Harout Mesrobian, M.D., Joseph Ouzounian, M.D., Kohar Mardirossian Pelter, Berj Shahbazian, Sinan Sinanian, and Nadya Verabian.