Author: Arpi Talalian

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has chided, through his spokesperson, former President Serzh Sarkisian over his remarks made at a press conference on Wednesday regarding the July clashes at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Sarkisian, who held his first press conference since Pashinian-led street protests forced him to resign in April 2018, spoke at length about 2016 April clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

He, in particular, said that four years ago battles in Nagorno-Karabakh were waged along a 200-kilometer frontline with Azerbaijan and by their scale could not be compared to the July 2020 fighting in Tavush that proceeded at a front of several hundred meters.

Following the clashes in Tavush Pashinian asked the president of Armenia to award 16 servicemen who participated in the battles with the Order of the Battle Cross of the 1st degree and 55 others with the Order of the Battle Cross of the 2nd degree. He also nominated Captain Ruben Sanamian for the title of National Hero and the Order of the Homeland.

During his press conference Sarkisian said that as a member of the public he would like to know for what particular actions the servicemen who took part in the July battles at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border had been nominated for such high awards.

“After the signing of the ceasefire agreement in 1994, when the first President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian, was summing up the results of the hostilities of the past four years, only about two dozen people received the Order of the Battle Cross and among them were active participants of the operation on the liberation of Shushi and other major operations,” the ex-president said.

Mane Gevorkian, the press secretary of Prime Minister Pashinian, said that in order to avoid speculations the actions of all servicemen nominated for awards will be presented to the public in detail in the near future. “I sincerely regret that instead of praising the victorious actions of Armenian soldiers, Serzh Sarkisian is engaged in a futile business of discussing this important decision. The prime minister had every reason to turn to the president with such a request,” Gevorkian said.

Sarkisian also briefly commented on the current stage of the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations, claiming that the talks have reached a deadlock, which increases the risk of renewed hostilities.

Tatevik Hayrapetian, a member of the pro-government My Step faction in parliament, reacted to this statement by saying that as a man who had been engaged in talks with Azerbaijan for many years Sarkisian should have known that it is Azerbaijan that is driving the process into an impasse with its maximalist statements.

The lawmaker argued that the actions of the Armenian side during the past two years “have made it possible to keep Azerbaijan within the context of the peace process as long as it is possible in conditions of its maximalist position.”

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.12

By Asif Mehman – Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov’s visit to Turkey continues, Trend reports on August 12.

Bayramov gave an interview to CNN Turk TV channel, in which he touched upon Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, the latest hostilities on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and other issues.

The minister, reminding about recent provocation of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border since July 12, stressed that this provocation had very clear political and military goals.

According to him, by creating a new hotbed of tension on the border between the two countries in the region outside Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian state tried to involve the political organizations of which it’s a member, as well as other member states of these organizations, in the issue.

“At the same time, by creating a new source of conflict, the Armenian leadership attempted to distract its population from the socio-economic tension as a result of the [COVID-19] pandemic’s impact on the country,” Bayramov said.

On the other hand, Armenia intended to create this escalation exactly in the direction where major regional projects are located, he added.

The minister noted that as a result of the decisive rebuff by the Azerbaijani army, the Armenian military units were repelled back, and the provocation was prevented.

“Unfortunately, as a result of the Armenian provocation, Azerbaijani servicemen were killed. I express once again my condolences to their families, relatives and the people of Azerbaijan,” he said.

“During this provocation, the Armenian side once again revealed its terrorist essence. The Armenian army shelled the settlements, killing a 76-year-old villager. However, this is not the first such case. These are actions that, as a rule, are resorted to by Armenian military units. This once again testifies to the terrorist nature of the Armenian state,” stressed the minister.

“This is the same Armenia that has committed many terrorist acts around the world, supporting ASALA and other terrorist organizations. Brotherly Turkey has also become a victim of these terrorist attacks. Armenia widely used terrorism during the occupation of Nagorno Karabakh and adjacent territories,” added Bayramov.

As earlier reported, the minister’s official visit to Turkey began on Aug. 11. He held meetings with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

ArmInfo. The Commission for the  Prevention of Corruption initiated proceedings against Healthcare  Minister Arsen Torosyan on the basis of a clear conflict of interest.

The proceedings are based on data.hetq.am, according to which the  Ministry of Health signed agreements on the provision of services  with the MIBS company, the director of which is Arsen Torosyan’s  wife, Vardanush Tevanyan. According to the source, after the  appointment of Torosyan as Minister in May 2018, the Ministry of  Health signed 5 agreements with MIBS for a total of 124 million  drams. Meanwhile, prior to his appointment to this position, two  agreements on the provision of services were concluded between the  Ministry and MIBS.

“MIBS” (Medical Institute named after Sergei Berezin, former Medical  Diagnostic Center of the International Institute of Biological  Systems – MDC MIBS), was established in 2003 with the attraction of  only private investment. The main activity is the creation of a  network of diagnostic centers in the Russian Federation and  neighboring countries to provide the population with high-tech  methods of diagnosis and treatment. Earlier, the Yerevan branch of  MIBS was headed by Arsen Torosyan.

Albeit now a Christian tradition, celebrating the transfiguration of Jesus Christ (the Feast of the Transfiguration), Vardavar’s history goes back to pagan times.

The antiquated festival is traditionally connected with the goddess Astghik, who was the goddess of water, beauty, love, and fertility. Roses meant the goddess Astghik. The festivities related to this religious observance of Astghik were named “Vartavar” because Armenians offered her roses as a festival (vart signifies “rose” in Armenian and var signify “rise”), this is the reason it was praised in the harvest time.

Afterward, with the adoption of Christianity, the water festival was coordinated to the day of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, and the antiquated tradition of pouring water started to represent the purification from sins and healing.

Vardavar water festival is praised on the 14th Sunday after Easter, generally speaking, it falls in July, that is, on the hottest days of summer. In 2020, the water festival will be held on July 19th. Vardavar is celebrated wherever in Armenia, in enormous urban areas, in regions, and even in small villages and towns.

The biggest festivals happen in the capital of the nation, Yerevan. Here many individuals accumulate in the “epicenter” of universal fun – Swan Lake, situated in the heart of the city, and in any event, watering machines and firefighting trucks partake in the “water procedures”.

During the day of Vardavar, individuals from a wide array of ages are permitted to splash strangers with water. It isn’t unexpected to see individuals pouring buckets of water from galleries on clueless individuals strolling beneath them. The celebration is well known among kids as it is one day where they can pull off pulling tricks. It is additionally a method for reward on the normally hot and dry summer days of July or late June.

Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia (FYCA) every year organizes the “Vardavar International Festival” which is an educational, cognitive, cultural celebration. Every year it happens in the medieval cloister of Geghard and old pagan temple of Garni. The festival plans to introduce Armenian national and traditional culture.

Notwithstanding the festivals, the traditional ceremony of sprinkling water on one another, and the blessings of the youth, the Armenian folk songs are likewise included and performed by the Nairyan Vocal Ensamble. The Vardavar holiday theme structures describe the traditions and handmade works of various regions of Armenia.

The main traditions of Vardavar are very comparative and celebrated in various areas of Armenia. The ceremony devoted to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is held in churches all through Yerevan and the nation toward the beginning of the day, likewise, the consecration of water and the blessing of fruits are held on this day (apple is one of the symbols of the holiday).

There is a custom to release pigeons in certain regions, which represents another feature of the “holiday of water” – the association with the finish of the worldwide flood, which additionally looks like a general splashing. Special theater performances, representing national games, songs, dances, as well as the rich cultural legacy of pre-Christian Armenia, are organized on Vardavar day in Yerevan and in certain areas.