YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. MarcosPizzelli, footballer of the Armenian national team, presented his Aktobe FC jersey. Pizzelli was re-signed by the Kazakh club recently.
The Armenian footballer will wear the #10 shirt in the Kazakh championship.
Pizzelli played for Aktobe FC previously in the 2014/2015 seasons, making 55 appearances and scoring 13 goals.
English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
Wednesday,
Minister Sees No Leadership Change In Armenia
• Artak Hambardzumian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian, former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian and
other senior officials hold a congress of the ruling Republican Party in
Yerevan, 26Nov2016.
President Serzh Sarkisian will become Armenia’s prime minister just days after
his decade-long presidency ends on April 9, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian
said on Wednesday.
“I think that given the existing situation the president of the republic will
be nominated by the Republican Party (HHK) for prime minister and get elected
[by parliament,]” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Sarkisian hinted at his intention to become prime minister and thus extend his
rule in comments to an Armenian media outlet made last week. In that context,
he downplayed his assurances in 2014 that he will “not aspire” to the top
executive post under a parliamentary system of government.
Echoing statements by other senior members of the ruling HHK, Hakobian
dismissed opposition claims that the outgoing president is about to break his
pledge. “Life is not a dogma whereby if we say something today it must
necessarily occur,” she said. “Life changes and evolves.”
Some Armenian opposition groups have pledged to try to scuttle Sarkisian’s
perceived plans with street demonstrations that will be staged early next month.
Eduard Sharmazanov, the chief HHK spokesman, insisted on Wednesday that the
ruling party is undaunted by those protests. “Under the constitution, it is the
parliament deputies who will decide who will be our prime minister for the next
four years,” he said. “What are [the opposition forces] going to do? To scare
us?”
“The people voted [in the April 2017 parliamentary elections] to determine who
should be in government and who should in opposition,” added Sharmazanov. “The
people voted to give us the right to form the executive branch.”
Dashnaks Signal Support For Sarkisian’s Continued Rule
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian greets leaders of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation before concluding a new power-sharing agreement with
them in Yerevan, 11May2017.
A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) indicated on
Wednesday that his pro-government party does not object to President Serzh
Sarkisian’s apparent plans to stay in power after serving out his final term
next month.
Arsen Hambardzumian, the new nominal head of Dashnaktsutyun’s governing body in
Armenia, commented on claims by senior members of the ruling Republican Party
(HHK) that Sarkisian is “irreplaceable” for the country.
“There are clear challenges facing Armenia,” Hambardzumian told a news
conference. “It’s not a secret that we have the issue of Artsakh’s
(Nagorno-Karabakh’s) security … that there are critical developments in the
region with an element of unpredictability, that the government system in
Armenia is being changed.
“These are all risks and challenges. In these circumstances, the approaches
voices with regard to [Sarkisian’s] experience and being well-informed about
these processes are logical.”
“So if we all are guided by common sense, I’m sure you too will conclude that
those arguments are often appropriate,” he added.
Dashnaktsutyun leaders have said in recent months that it is up to the ruling
HHK to decide who should govern Armenia after Sarkisian’s final presidential
term ends on April 9. So far they have stopped short of explicitly endorsing
the outgoing president’s candidacy for the post of prime minister.
Armenia - Supporters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation attend an
election campaign rally in Yerevan, 30Mar2017.
Dashnaktsutyun, which is particularly influential in the worldwide Armenian
Diaspora, is represented in the government by three ministers in line with a
power-sharing agreement reached with Sarkisian two years ago. It won 7 seats in
the country’s 105-member parliament elected in April 2017.
In Hambardzumian’s words, the party leadership is satisfied with the work of
the three Dashnaktsutyun-affiliated ministers and sees “no need for their
replacement.” The next Armenian prime minister is due to form a new cabinet
after being elected by the parliament on April 17.
In a statement released in early February, Dashnaktsutyun said it remains
dissatisfied with the socioeconomic situation in Armenia despite
“unprecedented” GDP growth achieved last year. The government, it said, should
do more to reduce poverty, spur job creation, “ease income polarization,” and
take tougher anti-trust measures.
Armenian Official Lauds ‘Productive’ Military Cooperation With Russia
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Russia -- A Russian TOS-1A multiple rocket launcher fires during the opening of
the Army-2015 international military forum in Kubinka, outside Moscow, June 16,
2015
Armenia is continuing to acquire Russian-manufactured weapons and other
military equipment as part of its close defense links with Russia, Deputy
Defense Minister Davit Pakhchanian said on Wednesday.
In particular, Pakhchanian announced that the Armenian army has received such
weaponry purchased with a $200 million Russian loan disbursed to Yerevan in
2015.
“What was planned within the framework of the first [Russian] loan has already
been delivered, and there is an agreement to continue that work,” he told a
news conference. “That is a serious component of our arms acquisitions. Our
cooperation with Russia is now going quite well.”
The weapons covered by that loan are believed to include, among other things,
Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, thermobaric TOS-1A and anti-tank Kornet
rocket systems, and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.
The Armenian government announced in October 2017, that Moscow will provide it
with a further $100 million loan that will be spent on buying more Russian
weapons at internal Russian prices set well below international market-based
levels. Armenia is entitled to such price discounts due to its membership in
the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Despite these close military ties, Russia has sold Armenia’s arch-foe
Azerbaijan at least $4 billion worth of tanks, artillery systems, combat
helicopters and other weaponry in the last several years. Armenian leaders have
publicly criticized these arms deals, saying that they contributed to the April
2016 fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Visiting Yerevan earlier this month, a senior Russian pro-government lawmaker
indicated that Moscow will scale down its future arms dealings with Baku in
response to the Armenian criticism.
“We are obviously unhappy with Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan,” said
Pakhchanian. “The Russian side is now saying that the scale of those supplies
will be cut significantly.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. government reportedly warned that Yerevan will risk
U.S. sanctions in case of signing “substantial deals” with Russia’s state-owned
defense industry.
“Of course, sanctions are a problem but we need to ensure our security and our
actions on this issue will be first and foremost based on our interests,”
Pakhchanian said in this regard.
The official made clear that Armenia is also keen to step up
“military-technical cooperation” with other foreign nations, including China,
Serbia and NATO member Poland. Incidentally, defense companies from these and a
dozen other nations, including Germany and Italy, will take part in an arms
exhibition that will open in Yerevan on Thursday.
Pakhchanian further said that the Armenian military is increasingly reliant on
the domestic defense industry in its arms acquisitions and other procurements.
Armenian companies manufacture items such as unmanned aerial vehicles, radars
and electronic equipment using laser technology.
U.S. Again Condemns 2016 Attack On Yerevan Police Station
Armenia -- Ambassador Richard Mills speaks to journalists in Yerevan, 13Sept2017
The United States has reaffirmed its strong condemnation of the 2016 seizure by
opposition gunmen of a police station in Yerevan and any other attempts to
forcibly overthrow Armenia’s government.
Richard Mills, the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, was asked by Aysor.am to comment
on “rumors” that the West supports armed groups like Sasna Tsrer which stormed
the police compound in Yerevan’s Erebuni district.
“Those rumors couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Mills told the online
publication in comments published on Wednesday. “We do not support groups
seeking to illegally overthrow an elected government. And especially with
groups like Sansa Tsrer, who chose violence over dialogue, our condemnation is
firm.”
“We abhor the actions of Sasna Tsrer and others who use violence or who
threaten to harm others to serve their political agenda,” he said. “The actions
of the members of Sansa Tsrer last year led to a tragic loss of life and
unnecessarily terrorized the surrounding community.
“Violence as a tool to bring about political change goes against not only U.S.
values, but also global democratic values of peaceful dialogue and respect for
human life. Violence on all sides undermines democratic principles and can
never be tolerated. So no, we do not support such groups or activities.”
“That said, all those who stand accused deserve a fair trial,” added the
diplomat.
The three dozen gunmen mostly affiliated with Founding Parliament, a radical
opposition movement, seized the Erebuni base on July 17, 2016. They demanded
that President Serzh Sarkisian free Founding Parliament’s jailed leader,
Zhirayr Sefilian, and step down.
The Armenian authorities rejected those demands. The gunmen laid down their
weapons after a two-week standoff with security forces which left three police
officers dead. They are currently standing three separate trials.
The U.S. State Department was quick to condemn the armed attack, while urging
the authorities in Yerevan to exercise “restraint.” The U.S. Embassy in Armenia
reiterated that condemnation after three Armenian medics were taken hostage by
the gunmen a few days later. It called for their “immediate, safe, and
unconditional release.”
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” says Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn implied that
Armenia has yet to become a rule-of-law state when he visited Yerevan on
Tuesday. “It is hard to disagree with the European official,” comments the
paper. “After all, it is not a secret to anyone that human rights protection in
our country still leaves much to be desired. Successive rulings against Armenia
handed down by European Court of Human Rights testify to that.”
“Aravot” reacts to allegations by a 19-year-old Armenian woman, Asya
Khachatrian, that police in Nagorno-Karabakh harassed and ill-treated her
earlier this year because of her appearance unusual for Karabakh. “A person has
the right to decide how to dress and dye their hair, when to start having sex
and with whom,” writes the paper. It says that a lack of a civic consciousness
is the reason why many Armenians tolerate violations of this right by the
police or non-state actors.
“Hraparak” expresses its admiration with “audacious” women like Khachatrian who
differ from others with their “revolutionary views.” “They are the kind of
individuals who change the quality of the society, set the agenda and not
retreat in the face of masculine aggression,” writes the paper. “Each of them
tries to change something in their area of activity and improve our country and
our life. It is thanks to them that our country will renew and establishment
itself and move forward. A new mentality introduced by them and new generations
brought up by them will solve problems facing our country. Do not interfere
with them. Do not stand in their way.”
(Elen Chilingarian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
On March 15, in accordance with the agreement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, to the south-east from Kuropatkino settlement of the Martuni region, Artsakh’s foreign ministry reported.
From the positions of the Defense Army of Artsakh, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) Mihail Olaru (Moldova) and Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova), as well as staff member of the Office of the CiO Personal Representative Martin Schuster (Germany).
From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain).
The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. However, the Azerbaijani side did not lead the OSCE mission to its frontline positions.
From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of ministries of foreign affairs and defense.
The Netherlands has banned Fatma Şahin, mayor of Gaziantep, Turkey, from visiting the country. Sahin is a member of the Turkish ruling AK party and has previously served as minister for family and social policy affairs.
The Mayor of Gaziantep, a city in the western part of Turkey, wanted to visit the Dutch city of Deventer on March 11 to meet with a group of Turkish women. But local authorities said her visit is inappropriate at the moment.
Turkey’s reaction to the Dutch stance was cancelling the mayor’s visit. The foreign ministry of the Netherlands has confirmed the cancellation.
It is noteworthy that back in March of 2017 a diplomatic scandal happened between the Netherlands and Turkey regarding a visit of then minister of family and social policy affairs Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya. The then-minister had ignored a ban to enter the Netherlands and had crossed into the country on land to meet with the local Turkish community ahead of the Constitutional referendum.
The Netherlands didn’t allow the minister to have the meeting and expelled her, declaring Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya persona non grata.
PanARMENIAN.Net – Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker has hailed Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s attitude since joining the club, pronouncing the January signing “brilliant to work with”, The Evening Standard says.
Mkhitaryan joined Arsenal from Manchester United in a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go in the opposite direction and the Armenian playmaker has settled swiftly into life in north London.
The 29-year-old, long admired by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, provided three assists in his home debut, a 5-1 win over Everton, and was the star player in last week’s 3-0 win in Ostersund.
When Mkhitaryan arrived Mertesacker said that his signing had given the Arsenal squad a “lift” and it appears that his encouraging first impression was correct.
“I said when we signed Micki that I was delighted to have him with us, and the early signs have been impressive,” Mertesacker said.
“I’m told that he has already assisted five goals [sic], and I’m not too surprised at that because he has that vision, that creativity. He’s not only a good player but he’s a great character too. He’s interested in improving and is eager to learn, even though he’s 29.
“Honestly, it’s been brilliant to work with him. Micki wants to work hard, he wants to learn and he wants to take on our DNA, which fits so well to him personally.
“It was promising to see Micki combining the way he did with Mesut, who also impressed me. It’s good to see him getting into those positions and finishing the way he did.”
Mkhitaryan is ineligible for Sunday’s EFL Cup Final against Manchester City after playing 21 minutes earlier in the tournament with United.
Before the basketball game with Albania, head coach of our team Niksha Bavcevich told at a press conference that the meeting with Albania is very important for them, as they were defeated in the previous match with Denmark. “However, we face serious problems in this important meeting. First of all, our basketball players who perform in the US are absent. Besides, together with the leadership of the federation, they decided to give up the team’s lead player Ryan Boatright for his behavior and attitude. ”
The team’s newcomer Arkadi Abramyan was present at the press conference with a specialist. Niksha Bavcevich said that he could replace Ryan Boatright, but at the same time added: “He does not have experience of international games, besides, he does not play in any team at this time. However, he has high-quality skills and is dedicated to trainings. I am convinced that Arkadi is a good future for the Armenian national team,” the team coach said optimistically.
Niksha Bavcevich also informed that the number of Armenian Basketball League members will increase from the next season, up to 18 teams. Hrachya Rostomyan, chairman of the Armenian Basketball Federation, told him about this.
Let us remind you that the Armenia-Albania qualifying match of the European Championship will take place on February 25 at the SRC Sports Complex in Yerevan and will begin at 19:00. Entrance is free.
Baku, February 10, AZERTAC
“Grant Thornton is not registered to operate or operates in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the company said in its statement.
The statement reads: “Grant Thornton is not registered to operate or operates in Nagorno-Karabakh, does not have any license, permit or association, any office, legal or physical presence in Nagorno-Karabakh.
To provide further confirmation of our commitment and as reaffirmed in our letter to the Ministry of Industries along with various statements provided to the press, we once again reassure you that Grant Thornton respect the laws of Azerbaijan and therefore will continue to act with integrity, along with ensuring we conduct our professional responsibilities in accordance with the countries regulations both now and in the future, which include not working in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Is obliged to provide an annual declaration to Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) which confirms that no legal or physical presence or operations are conducted in Nagorno-Karabakh. This undertaking has been received and forwarded to the Ministry of Industry, GTIL therefore continues to monitor this stringently, in order to ensure such commitments are complied with, along with supporting the local legislation.
Grant Thornton Azerbaijan is an independent firm having no legal, financial or any other type of relationship with Grant Thornton Armenia.
Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) and each of its member firm; Azerbaijan, Armenia, and all the other 128 member firms, is a separate legal entity. GTIL does not own or manage any of its member firms and each member firm is responsible for the professional services that it delivers to its clients. GTIL, in its role as a coordinating entity sets the membership standards for the network, admits firms to the network and expels member firms from the network if they do not meet the membership standards.
Whilst Grant Thornton Armenia has no legal or physical presence, they have conducted a consolidated report from their offices in Armenia, without any physical presence in Nagorno-Karabakh for Arshahbank.
Likewise, in accordance with internal policies and procedures, there is a strict protocol which restricts legal, financial, physical or commercial presence in Nagorno-Karabakh. The adherence to such policies are carefully and regularly monitored by the senior management team of Grant Thornton in Azerbaijan.
Whilst the statement and ongoing commitment to abide by the regulations of Azerbaijan are clear, I personally want to reassure you that Grant Thornton Azerbaijan has and will continue to uphold its responsibility to the country.”
This year’s snow art festival, a.k.a Snowman 2018, will be held for the sixth time in the Armenian resort town of Jermuk, set to attract locals and foreigners, professionals and amateurs alike for a fun and effortless entertainment and a comfortable atmosphere. So it’s about time you reserve the weekend of February 17-18 to feel the community spirit in Armenia.
PanARMENIAN.Net – While winter has been kinder to Armenians so far than it was in the previous several years, some corners of the country do enjoy the privilege of snow-capped mountains and pleasant wintery weather.
Those visiting Armenia in cold season mainly flock to Tsaghkadzor, a resort town in the country’s Kotayk province which has a lot to offer from skiing to snowboarding to snowmobiling, tubing to sledding, culture, entertainment and more.
Jermuk, on the other hand, is known for the mineral water of the same name as well as the Jermuk waterfall, with medieval cave complexes lying just outside the town.
Located at an altitude of 2100 meters in a picturesque spot, the town boasts alpine meadows and mountain forests, rocky cliffs and waterfalls, as well as a host of mineral springs with different thermal temperatures from 20 to 65 degrees Celsius.
A popular destination for medical tourism in the Soviet Union, Jermuk is still emerging as a winter entertainment resort and will hopefully offer more diversity in the years to come.
Speaking of diversity, Jermuk’s snow art festival has been held almost every year since 2006, attracting a lot of tourists and Armenians who seek to expand their leisure options.
In a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net director of the Youth Center of Jermuk CNCO Syuzanna Avetisyan detailed the process of building the snow sculptures, revealing that professionals will work alongside amateurs who will learn on the fly the snow art techniques with help and instructions from volunteers.
All those wishing to participate will form groups of two and will be provided will all the necessary tools to create unique sculptures in full view of spectators.
The main event is slated for February 17, with several musical and sports events scheduled for the next day.
A slacklining event, in particular, is what usually draws a lot of attention. Syuzanna said it usually starts with performances from a professional slackliner after which those attending the festival are welcome to walk the slackline themselves.
Furthermore, the Amateur Cycling Federation is traditionally holding the provincial winter cup in Jermuk during those days.
To keep the guests maximally involved in the festival, the organizers are currently working to arrange non-traditional sports games. The details are still under wraps though for a surprise effect.
Snowman festival is organized by the Youth Center of Jermuk CNCO, the Jermuk Development Center, with the town’s community council serving as its general partner.
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia Thursday Iranian diplomat: Iran, Armenia and Georgia have a brilliant opportunity to implement a number of trilateral projects Yerevan 11.01.18 Marianna Mkrtchyan. Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Ruben Sadoyan during the meeting with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Javad Kavamshahid discussed the Armenian-Iranian economic relations. As the press service of the Armenian Embassy in Georgia told ArmInfo, the parties agreed at the beginning of the meeting that the relations between Armenia and Iran are at a sufficiently high level and are intertwined with many threads. Speaking about economic cooperation, Sadoyan touched upon the opportunities of Armenia as a transit country, and stressed that official Yerevan is the only member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAP), which has land communication with friendly Iran and can become a gateway for IRI in terms of access to the countries of the EAEC, CIS and the EU. In this context, the interlocutors stressed the importance of the North-South road corridor as the shortest transit route connecting the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea. The Iranian Ambassador to Georgia noted that Tehran, Yerevan and Tbilisi have a brilliant opportunity to implement a number of tripartite projects in such areas as transport, energy and business. According to him, there are no obstacles on this issue. The sides stated that the Iran-Armenia-Georgia corridor could become a new and important bridge linking Europe and Asia. In this regard, Sadoyan stressed the importance of the interaction of companies and management structures operating in the territory of the free economic zone (FEZ) "Meghri" and FEZ "Araz." The interlocutor also touched on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Sadoyan stated that the efforts of Armenia and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are constantly confronted with the opposition of Azerbaijan. According to him, a vivid example of this, the last incident in Artsakh, when an Armenian soldier died from the bullet of an Azerbaijani sniper. The Ambassador stressed that Armenia highly appreciates the balanced position of Iran on an exclusively peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict on the basis of the norms of international law. Sadoyan also inquired about the internal processes in Iran and stressed the importance that the friendly IRI has for Armenia.