Author: Arbi Tashjian

‘Architecture Week’ Festival to Take Place in Yerevan for the First Time

Arbi Tashjian
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YEREVAN (Panorama.am) – Yerevan will be hosting “Architecture Week” festival for the first time in October.

“Architecture Week” is an annual international festival of architecture and urban planning that has been taking place in Prague throughout 10 years. It deals with the most extraordinary projects in architecture, urban planning, landscape and other related spheres. The festival includes lectures, a professional conference, urban walking, film screening and other activities. The festival is aimed at establishing contact between architects and the public as well as at studying architecture as an element uniting different cultures.

Armenia has participated in the Festival since 2013. It has been represented by “Urbanlab Yerevan,” “Storaket,” “Arkhkop,” “Arvest,” “Urban Unit,” “Tim Flynn,” and “A and L” architectural workshops.

This year for the first time the festival will take place in Yerevan from October 2-8th. The topic of this year’s festival is “Creating History.”

Tatevik Zakaryan, Head of the Festival, told Panorama.am that a number of projects and models from various countries will be exhibited as well as the film series “Living Architectures” by Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine. According to Zakaryan, the festival in Prague consists of several parts, which take place in different countries.

“The conceptual section has always been held in Prague, but this year it will take place in Armenia for the first time. Of course, it cannot have the same scale as in Prague, but we are working towards that,” she noted.

She said that the Prague festival this year only focuses on the Baroque style.

“The Armenian organization of Architecture Week this year concluded a contract with the festival organizers to hold its conceptual part in Armenia, since our country could not take part in the Prague exhibition due to the lack of architectural models of the Baroque era. Therefore, it was decided to hold the international part in Armenia,” she added.

Government to return exporter VAT faster

Arbi Tashjian

Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan tasked relevant authorities regarding the time periods for VAT returns for viticulture and winemaking exporters.

During today’s Cabinet meeting, the PM said that according to the current regulations VAT return for exported production is carried out within a 90-day period and the government is strictly supervising the rules.

“During a meeting with brandy and wine producing companies in the government, the issue of the time period for VAT returns of their exports was raised, in some cases financial difficulties might be caused for them”, the PM said.

The PM tasked the State Revenue Commission to study and submit proposals within 2 days regarding cutting the time period short.

The Agriculture ministry was tasked with cooperating with the State Revenue Commission on the matter.

Zartonk Daily 24.08.2017

Arbi Tashjian

Dear A reader,

 

Attached you can to find «Let’s wake up»in: today to the number the connection:

 

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Սիրով՝

 

«Let’s wake up»in: Editing




24.08.2017.pdf

Spain grants conditional release to German-Turkish writer: Lawyer

Arbi Tashjian
Middle East Eye

Aug 20 2017


#TurkeyPolitics

Dogan Akhanli was arrested on Saturday after an Interpol red notice was issued at Ankara’s request

German writer of Turkish origin Dogan Akhanli, in a January 2011 picture taken in Cologne, western Germany (AFP)

A Spanish court Sunday granted conditional release from custody to German-Turkish writer Dogan Akhanli a day after police arrested him at Ankara’s request, his lawyer Ilias Uyar wrote on Facebook.

“The battle was worth it,” wrote Uyar, adding that Akhanli “is being released from detention on condition he stays in Madrid”.

Akhanli, a German intellectual of Turkish origin who writes on Turkey’s record on human rights, was arrested on a so-called Interpol red notice in Spain on Saturday at Ankara’s request, the foreign ministry said in Berlin, adding that it opposed any extradition of the writer.

The arrest was initially announced by German Green MP Volker Beck, who described it as a politically motivated move by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A foreign ministry official later confirmed the arrest. The ministry has asked Madrid not to extradite Akhanli to Turkey and that its embassy be allowed to provide consular assistance “as quickly as possible,” the official said.

The Spanish interior ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.

Akhanli’s local newspaper, the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger in western Germany, said the Turkish-born writer was arrested in the southern Spanish town of Grenada on Saturday morning. The accusations against him were unknown. 

Spanish police had a red notice – an alert circulated by Interpol that is roughly equivalent to an international arrest warrant.

Akhanli’s website says he was born in northeastern Turkey in 1957, moved to Istanbul at the age of 12 and was held as a political prisoner from 1985 to 1987, when he was tortured.

He moved to Cologne in the 1990s, was stripped of his Turkish citizenship and became a German citizen in 2001, it says.

The arrest shows that Erdogan is seeking to “extend his power beyond his country’s borders, to intimidate critics and to pursue them around the world,” Beck said.

Akhanli has written about the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered in 2007, and about the killing of Armenians under the Ottoman Turkish empire.

Between half a million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1917, a bloodletting that Armenia and Western historians describe as genocide.

Turkey vehemently objects to the term. It argues that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up and sided with invading Russian troops.

Akhanli was arrested in 2010 on his arrival in Istanbul airport for alleged implication in an armed robbery in 1989. He was released four months later and was then declared innocent before a court of appeal ordered new proceedings against him.

German Green MPs took up his cause, saying he had been a victim of political persecution.

Relations between Germany and Turkey have been at a nadir since a failed putsch against Erdogan in July 2016.

Turkish accusations include the charge that Germany has given refuge to wanted Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and suspected coup plotters.

Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel, the Istanbul correspondent of newspaper Die Welt, has been held in jail in Turkey since February ahead of trial on terror charges.

Israeli drone company tried to bomb Armenian army for Azerbaijan — report

Arbi Tashjian
The Times of Israel

Aug 13 2017
, 7:15 pm

n Israeli drone manufacturer attempted to bomb the Armenian military on behalf of Azerbaijan during a demonstration of one of its “suicide” unmanned aerial vehicles last month, according to a complaint filed with the Defense Ministry.

A copy of the complaint filed against Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd. with the ministry’s Defense Export Controls Agency was leaked to the Maariv newspaper, which published the details today. The Defense Ministry confirms that it is investigating the issue, but would not discuss the case further.

“As a rule, the Defense Ministry does not comment on issues concerning defense exports. The allegation is being investigated by relevant figures in the ministry,” a spokesperson says in a statement.

According to the report, the company sent a team to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, in order to demonstrate its Orbiter 1K unmanned aerial vehicle, which can be outfitted with a small explosive payload, 2.2 to 4.4 pounds (one to two kilograms), and flown into an enemy target on a “suicide” mission.

— Judah Ari Gross

http://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-drone-company-tried-to-bomb-armenian-army-for-azerbaijan-report/

Cultural: Sasuntsi Davit in Shushi

Arbi Tashjian
A1 Plus, Armenia

  • 13:57 | July 29,2017 | Culture

The world premiere of Haro Stepanyan’s “Sasuntsi Davit” heroic opera will take place in the open-air area of Shushi’s Realakan College on September 1 at 20:30 under the auspices of First Lady Rita Sargsyan and with the support of the NKR Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs and the RA Ministry of Culture. The performance is dedicated to Artsakh Independence Day, 25th anniversary of liberation of Shushi and 120th anniversary of Haro Stepanyan.

Sasuntsi Davit Opera was written by Haro Stepanyan in 1936.

Sports: Armenian sportsmen win bronze in deaf wrestling championship

Arbi Tashjian
Tert, Armenia

11:37 • 23.07.17

Two Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers won bronze medals in the 23rd Deaf Summer Wrestling Championship being held in Samsun, Turkey.

After successful competitions, Zhora Grigoryan (71 kg) and Narek Nikoghosyan (81kg) deserved the honor to greet fans from the winners’ podium, the National Olympic Committee’s website reports.

Earlier, Robert Gevorgyan (60kg) won silver in a judo match.

The Armenian team comprises ten wrestlers and two judo athletes.

The competitions, organized annually for sportsmen with hearing impairments, has this year brought together participants from 90 countries.


http://www.tert.am/en/news/2017/07/23/deaf-championship/2438995

Armenian Eagles Foundation from USA supports bordering villages with business financing

Arbi Tashjian 
Armenpress News Agency, Armenia
July 20, 2017 Thursday
Armenian Eagles Foundation from USA supports bordering villages with
business financing
YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. A group of American-Armenian youth have
financed business programs in Armenia’s bordering regions.
After the 4-day War of April in 2016, the Armenian Eagles Foundation
came up with the idea to somehow support Armenia.
They discussed possible options of assistance and concluded that they
must provide families of the bordering communities with such
assistance which will enable them to work afterwards, take care of
themselves and make a living.
Andranik Baloyan, the Glendale-based founder of Armenian Eagles, told
ARMENPRESS they wanted to create an opportunity to work for the locals
of Armenia’s bordering villages.
“This will contribute for the villagers to stand firmly on their land,
to continue living on the border and support the soldiers. After all,
it is at the border where Armenia starts. In order to bring this idea
to life, we decided to cooperate with the Border NGO. Prior to this I
was aware to some extent about their activities. We contacted the
organization and began to work. We raised money in Glendale, and
financed the business ideas of the families of the bordering Baghanis
village”, Andranik Baloyan said.
Baloyan and Vahram Shalvardzyan, another member of the Armenian
Eagles, arrived in Armenia and visited the bordering villages of the
country to review the work on spot.
Anahit Nazaryan from the Border NGO said they are engaged in various
programs in Tavush’s bordering villages, ranging from agriculture to
culture and education. The main directions are villages on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
“We mostly work with families, we began the works by establishing
greenhouse businesses, implementing beekeeping programs, and now the
model of small family business support is in use. Small businesses are
being financed, which will provide the families with income”, Nazaryan
said.
The organization began works in the Berkaber community.
In Baghanis community, five business programs are being implemented
with the Armenian Eagles Foundation.
Currently a sewing workshop has been established, with the idea of a
young girl. Her business is operating successfully, she already has
orders. Service businesses have also been financed. Nazaryan said the
service businesses relate to land cultivation, since the bordering
villages have a problem in cultivation, since they are under fire.
“That’s why it is important for them to cultivate their lands. Lands
which are on slopes are difficult to be cultivated by the usual
mechanism. That’s why they have been provided with relevant
equipment”, she said.
Nazaryan said all business ideas are being assisted with equipment
only, they do not provide money. If the given person works properly,
then the equipment is donated to him.
Andranik Baloyan said they’ve just returned from Baghanis. “We are
very impressed, from talking to the villagers it became clear that
they have hope for tomorrow, that they can work and have their job.
Their excitement inspired us. We understand that if many such programs
exist the situation will change. Opportunity must be created for
working people”, he said.
Baloyan said they are planning to continue cooperation with Border NGO.
Upon returning to Glendale, they are planning to present the results there.

Moscow preparing meeting of Azerbaijani, Armenian presidents – media

Arbi Tashjian
Vestnik Kavkaza

July 20 2017
19 Jul in 13:55

Russia is trying to organize a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan by the end of this year.

Moscow is the main mediator in this matter, as the attempts of the other OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs failed, Russian newspaper Izvestia cited a source in the Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

“The maintenance of dialogue is of fundamental importance. Due to this, a full-scale war did not break out in the region. However, the goals and visions of the sides are still different,” the source in the Russia’s Foreign Ministry noted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts on the sidelines of the OSCE Informal Ministerial Meeting, where a proposal to organize a meeting of the President was made.

On July 22 night, Azeri armed forces shelled Barekamavan village of Tavush region of Armenia

Arbi Tashjian
ArmInfo, Armenia

ArmInfo.On the night of July 22, the village of Barekamavan of the Tavush region of Armenia was shelled by Azerbaijan.

As the former village elder Hovik Karakeshishyan told ArmInfo,  several bullets hit the roof of his own house. “The slate of the roof  fell from the ceiling right into the room,” he said. According to  Karakeshishyan, several houses were hit by the shelling. The shelling  lasted for an hour. –