Author: Antonian Lara

Sports: Third torch for the 7th Pan-Armenian Games will be lit in Artsakh

Antonian Lara
Panorama, Armenia


The third torch lighting ceremony for the 7th Pan-Armenian Games will be lit Tigranakert, Artsakh Republic. As the press service at the Organizing Committee of the Games reports, on August 6 the ceremony of unification of the three torches will take place to symbolize the unity of Armenia, Diaspora and Artsakh.

Traditionally, three torches are lit ahead of the Games. The first flame was lit at the Holy Mother of God Armenian Church in Vakif, a village on the foothills of Musa Ler in Turkey while the second torch lighting ceremony took place at Khor Virap monastery in Armenia.

To note, The 7th Pan-Armenian games will take place from August 6 to 17 with representatives from over 35 cities to compete in 17 sport competitions. This year, the opening ceremony of the Games will take place in Artsakh capital Stepanakert. The guests will arrive in the Republic of Artsakh on August 5 and the opening ceremony will be held on August 6. The second stage of games will kick off in Yerevan on August 8 and the closing ceremony of the 7the Pan-Armenian games will be held on August 17.

45 Vying for Sinanyan’s Council Position

Antonian Lara
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8 hours ago

45 people are vying for the vacant seat on Glendale City Council

GLENDALE—On June 11, after bidding farewell to City Councilman Zareh Sinanyan, who resigned his seat to take a position in the Armenian government, the Glendale City Council decided to fill the vacancy through an appointment and not call a special election, which reportedly could cost taxpayers upward of a million dollars.

According to MyGlendale.com, the city council opened an application process, emphasizing that the only qualification for the vacant position was being a registered voter and a resident of the City of Glendale.

The Council did state that they did not wish to give a potential candidate for the 2020 March election the leg up, however they stopped short of completely disqualifying those considering a run for the March elections. As of 5 p.m. on June 17, which was the application deadline, 45 individuals had applied to fill the vacant post.

The Glendale City Council will appoint a replacement for Sinanyan’s vacant seat during a special council meeting at 10 a.m. Friday.

Below is the list of the 45 applicants, whose complete applications are available online. st1yle=”margin:0px 0px 10px”>1. Alvarez, Adrian
2. Amirian, Zareh
3. Armenian, Zanku
4. Avedian, Nejdeh
5. Brooks, Beth
6. Brotman, Dan
7. Castillo, Nelson A.
8. Christopher-Jilizian, Julie 9
. Coshland, Robert
1O.Culver, Burt
11.Dadian, Rostom
12.De La Cruz, Juan
13.Fiaga, Linda
14.GaIlo, Frank
15. Gevorkyan, Nelson
16.Gharibian, Ronnie
17. Harris, Victor
18.Hatamian, Ara
19. Hays, Bonnie
20. Johnson, Danielle D. (Donut Socialite)
21.Kaplan, Kenneth
22. Karaoghlanian, Armen
23. Kassakhian, Ardashes
24. Keurogelian, Chahe
25. Krikorian, Raffy
26.Kwak, Karen (Jae Eun)
27. Lamb, Christy
28. Legino, Steve (Lily La Rocco)
29. Lizagub, Taron
30. Magpapian, Manuel
31. Manoukian, Leonard
32. Marlis, Beth
33. Michals, Grant
34.Ordubegian, Andre
35.Quinonez Gabrielian, Anita
36. Quintero, Frank
37. Reed, Annie
38.Sadd, Louie
39. Samuel, John
40. Sanchez, Joseph
41.Solis, Lenore
42. Van Gorder, Mike
43.Zarokian, Adrineh “Audry”
44. Hovhannisyan, Samvel LV ‘BIT 2
45. Renn, Charles C.

Opposition Prosperous Armenia MP steps down

Antonian Lara
Panorama, Armenia

Tigran Urikhanyan, a lawmaker representing the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction of the parliament, has laid down his mandate.

In a Facebook post announcing his resignation, the MP said he will unveil the reasons of his decision later.

Also, Urikhanyan said he will no longer anchor the Moment of Truth program aired on Kentorn TV.

168: “Armenians should be much more successful in Armenia which now offers unlimited opportunities” – PM meets with Armenian community representatives in Saint Petersburg (video)(photos)

Antonian Lara
| 23:21 | June 6 2019
Category
Society

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended an official reception in St. Petersburg, hosted on behalf of the Armenian Embassy in the Russian Federation, which brought together numerous well-known representatives of the Armenian community – cultural and public figures, business people.

Greeting those present, the Prime Minister noted that has been a tradition for him to meet with our compatriots during his overseas visits.

“Meetings like this are important because we hope that the New Armenia can become a center of gravitation for the entire Armenian nation. The changes taking place in the Republic of Armenia should make every Armenian living in the world proud of Armenia, proud of its content, economic and political status. Naturally, that feeling of pride should encourage them to contribute to the country’s development. Investing is usually perceived as financial investment, but I do believe that moral support is as much important. I am pleased to note that this positive contribution has been formed among the Armenians,” Nikol Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister said Armenia witnessed a series of fundamental transformations last year.

“Our confidence has been growing ever since. We have finally reached the point where we can solve the problems we face, and most importantly, make Armenia a competitive state in economic, political and security terms. Our goal is to make Armenia an influential, authoritative country on both regional and international levels, and we will go the same way,” the Prime Minister said.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that tangible progress has been recorded in our country in the first quarter of this year. “The Republic of Armenia was the fastest growing economy in the EAEU according to last year’s data. We continued to maintain our leading positions as of the first quarter of this year. Armenia boasts the highest economic growth rate in the EAEU, which is 7.1%. In April, economic activity was 9.2%. This does not mean at all that everything is excellent, but it means that development groundwork has started working,” the Premier said, noting that a free economic field should be formed in Armenia.

“Any Armenian willing to invest in Homeland’s development should be given the opportunity to do so, and that opportunity is already available,” Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that the Armenian government is no longer interested in easy-to-solve problems, simple economic schemes. According to him, we have to set fat more serious problems, including the making of Armenia an innovative and technological country. The Prime Minister noted that in March last year 95 percent of the citizens considered that political changes were impossible in Armenia, but the change came as early as in April.

“It was not easy to solve political issues, the process lasted a long time. I hope and I am convinced that economic development will not take so long. Why am I confident: just because I believe in our people’s talent. Many keep asking how come Armenians go to Russia, to the United States and achieve great success, but in the meantime, they cannot succeed in their home country. The time has come for Armenians to achieve much greater success in the Republic of Armenia, because the skills they have acquired in different countries of the world should be invested in Armenia where they are offered unlimited opportunities. I am convinced that this will happen. I want to say that I love you all, I am proud of the success that you have in the Russian Federation.

I am convinced that your talent will contribute to the further strengthening of your homeland, you can do that, there will be no artificial barriers before you because Armenia is your homeland, the country where I hope you and your children will live. You are allowed to get richer and enrich the country,” the Head of Government said.

Taking the opportunity, Nikol Pashinyan talked to those Armenians in attendance of the reception. They showed great interest in the positive changes taking place in Armenia and shared with the Prime Minister their ideas and initiatives to implement different projects in the homeland.

European Union will provide 65 million euros to Armenia as financial assistance

Antonian Lara
ARKA, Armenia
June 6 2019

YEREVAN, June 6. /ARKA/. In 2019, the European Union will provide 40 million euro assistance to Armenia and has also earmarked 25 million euros as additional support, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said on Thursday.  He said the overall assistance is much larger than in 2018

Armenian Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan noted that in 2018 some 11.2 billion drams worth grants had been provided to Armenia, of which about 41% had European origin.

“As for expenses, European grants to the tune of 11.7 billion drams were used, which made 0.8% of our total spending. In other words, all these amounts and expenses cannot be considered too important for us,” the minister noted. ($1 – 479.79 drams). -0–

Sports: Karen Avagyan wins bronze for snatch in Junior World Weightlifting C’ship

Antonian Lara
MediaMax, Armenia
June 4 2019
Karen Avagyan wins bronze for snatch in Junior World Weightlifting C’ship

The athlete, who competed in the 89kg weight class, lifted 155kg.

Avagyan used only one attempt for clean and jerk too and lifted 186kg. With the total result of 341kg, Avagyan finished 4th.

Other members of the Armenian team Varazdat Lalayan (+109kg) and Arpine Dalalyan (+87kg, women’s team) are yet to enter the competition.

Sports: How do fans get to Baku? UEFA don’t know, or care

Antonian Lara
Evening Times (Glasgow)
Friday
How do fans get to Baku? UEFA don’t know, or care
 
 Graeme McGarry
 
 
“HOW do we get there? I don’t know. How do we get there? I don’t care.” Perhaps mercifully for Rangers fans, their early season chant about making it to Baku proved a little optimistic.
 
“F*** off UEFA, is this what you want?” was the rather more pessimistic slant that Chelsea supporters put on the experience as their side triumphed over Arsenal in the Europa League final. At least, I think it was, but with only 2500 of them there, it was difficult to make them out.
 
Getting to a major final should be the pinnacle for fans. It’s what makes all the heartache, the long journeys and the eye-popping expense worthwhile. But, by plumping for Baku in Azerbaijan to host this year’s Europa League Final, UEFA finally stretched the logic-defying loyalty of the football fan to breaking point.
 
With scores of empty seats and all the atmosphere of a Betfred Cup group stage game at the Hope CBD Stadium, the Europa League Final was a monument to the “supporters last” thinking that seemingly pollutes the game’s authorities.
 
Having two clubs from the same city some 3000-odd miles away from Baku’s Olympic Stadium make the final didn’t help, and neither did the fact the stands seemed a similar distance away from the pitch.Come back Hampden, all is forgiven.
 
No matter what teams made it there, though – and, given the way that the majority of revenue has essentially been carved up among the five major leagues, there weren’t too many candidates – accessibility and affordability was always going to be an issue for fans wanting to see the game in the flesh.
 
Ironically, UEFA will probably now feel justified – and frighteningly enough, emboldened when it comes to future ticketing decisions – by their routine selling out to corporate interests in offering just 12,000 briefs to Arsenal and Chelsea fans, given it outstripped demand by about 50 per cent. If the match had been held in almost any other major capital on the continent, there would have been uproar about demand outstripping supply.
 
For the vast majority of fans who were forced to watch from home, it wasn’t only the remoteness of the location that lent a sense of detachment to the whole soulless experience, but also that the cameras beaming the action around the world seemed to be perched on the outside of the International Space Station. Even up there, there would have been more of an atmosphere.
 
If you had tuned in unaware of the significance of the event, you could have been forgiven for thinking you had stumbled upon one of those pre-season tournaments that English clubs play to hawk their gawdy product around Asia, as indifferent Chinese fans shrug their way through West Ham against Wolves or some such.
 
“There are people who live there who love football,” said Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, as he defended Baku as a choice of venue.
 
“The human rights situation is a problem, but it is also a problem in other European states. Does that mean the fans in Baku do not deserve live football?”
 
Well, frankly, yes it does if their wants are being prioritised over those of the genuine fans of either club who were unable to meet the ridiculous lengths it took to get there. And the shrugging off of the human rights “situation” as a mere piffling “problem” is rather underselling the fact that an actual Arsenal player couldn’t travel to the country for fear of his own safety.
 
“If football allows itself to be stopped by such tensions, then we will not be able to organise anything in the future,” said Ceferin. Well, again, yes Alex, not in countries where such problems exist. That is rather the point.
 
As soon as it was clear that Henrik Mkhitaryan wouldn’t be able to play in the game due to the simple fact he was Armenian, the plug should have been pulled.
 
But, just like FIFA with their awarding of the World Cup to Qatar, UEFA have their fingers in their ears when it comes to advice from the likes of Amnesty International, who warned that “Azerbaijan is in the grip of a sinister human rights crackdown, with journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders being ruthlessly targeted. Unfair trials and smear campaigns remain commonplace. LGBTI people have been arrested, and even people fleeing the country have been harassed and pressured to return”.
 
How did we get here? I don’t know. And UEFA, simply, don’t care.

“We stand with you in commemoration, we stand with you for Armenia’s future” – Macron tells Sarkissian in heartfelt letter

Antonian Lara

“We stand with you in commemoration, we stand with you for Armenia’s future” – Macron tells Sarkissian in heartfelt letter

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15:16,

YEREVAN, MAY 10, ARMENPRESS. President of France Emmanuel Macron has sent a letter to President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian to reaffirm that starting from this year, France is annually, officially marking April the 24th as the National Commemoration Day of the Armenian Genocide.

In the letter, Macron said that France will continue struggling for justice and truth together with Armenia.

“This is our duty before Armenia and the Armenian people, as well as the survivors and refugees whom France accepted with open arms and whose descendants shaped our country’s history. In order to be able to shape a joint fate it is necessary to be able to clearly look at the past, by bowing before the memory of the dead and respecting the memory of those who live. This is my conviction, and I know that Armenia shares it. We stand with you at time of remembrance, we stand with you also for Armenia’s future now when the new chapter of its history is being shaped, which must be a chapter of peace and prosperity,” Macron told Sarkissian according to the Armenian President’s Office. 

Macron added that France and Armenia are shoulder to shoulder proud with their friendship and confident in the future.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Armenian FM considers IT sector a foreign policy priority

Antonian Lara

Armenian FM considers IT sector a foreign policy priority

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15:25, 3 May, 2019

YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s minister of foreign affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and minister of transport, communication and information technologies Hakob Arshakyan met with the representatives of nearly 60 high technological companies of Armenian origin.

The meeting participants discussed topics relating to the export of high technology production to international markets, development of effective cooperation tools at the international platform, clarification of goals and sectors and the legal procedures for entering an nternational market.

FM Mnatsakanyan said the field of high technologies, the smart development system are one of the most important foreign policy priorities for them. “We have many opportunities to form platforms where our private sector can operate and use them to develop their capacities”, he said.

Minister Hakob Arshakyan stated that the construction of the engineering city will launch in 2019.

“The engineering city will enable to collect whole energy and abilities in one place and use all these. The companies will have an opportunity for close cooperation with each other and will be able to use the opportunities provided by the government”, Hakob Arshakyan said, adding that various countries are already solving large-scale problems with one another as a result of technological cooperation.

The minister noted that works must be done for attracting foreign markets because competitiveness is higher there.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Asbarez: Tens of Thousands March for Justice at the Turkish Consulate

Antonian Lara
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Tens of thousands turned out to March for Justice at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles

Tens of thousands of community members were joined on Wednesday by leading elected officials and more than 50 coalition partners at the annual March for Justice in front of the Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles to demand justice and righteously condemn Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Raising their voices on stage in solidarity with the Armenian Cause were representatives Adam Schiff and Brad Sherman, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz in whose district the demonstration was taking place.

The March for Justice, organized by the Armenian Genocide Committee—a coalition of the major community organizations and religious denominations—featured a short program that was guided by Masters of Ceremonies Armen K. Hovannisian, Esq. and Tenny Khachatourian, each of whom drew on their personal experiences as descendants of Genocide survivors to advance the call for justice and recognition of the Genocide. The program began with invocation offered by clergy headed by the leaders of all Armenian denominations.

Watch the entire March for Justice covered live by Asbarez on Facebook.

The Armenian rapper and activist R-Mean rallied the crowd during a march through a performance of his signature song “Open Wounds,” while children holding the tai-color flooded on stage. The American and Armenian National Anthems were performed by students from area Armenian schools. The program also featured a moving performance by the Element Band.

Speaking on behalf of the youth was Raffi Jivalagian whose impassioned speech highlighting the role of the new generation in advancing the Armenian Cause, closed the program.

Asbarez will have complete coverage of the March for Justice in upcoming editions.