Author: Babken Chilingarian

Sports: Five Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers to take part in the U-23 World Championships

Babken Chilingarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 17 2017
20:22 17/11/2017

Armenia Greco-Roman wrestling team is set to take part in U-23 World Championships to be held from November 21-26 in Poland. As the National Olympic Committee (ANOC) reported, the Armenian team is represented by five athletes – Taron Dumoyan (59kg), Karen Aslanyan (66kg), Armen Hakobyan (71kg), Sargis Kocharyan (80kg), and Gegham Torgomyan (85kg). Our national team is led by head coach Eduard Sahakyan.

As the source informs, the wrestlers will head for Poland on November 19.

Cyprus Football Association representatives pay tribute to Armenian Genocide victims in Yerevan

Babken Chilingarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 13 2017

Ahead of today’s friendly match against Armenia, a group of representatives of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Armenian capital city Yerevan and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.

The group featured the association’s vice president, financial director and director of the international affairs, the CFA said in a Facebook post.

To note, the Armenia-Cyprus friendly is scheduled for Monday, at 6pm Armenia time, at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/11/13/Cyprus-Football-Association-representative-tribute-Armenian-Genocide-victims/1864603
 

Sports: Scotland U19s draw with Armenia but Euro qualification still on

Babken Chilingarian
Daily Record, UK
Nov 11 2017

Donald Park's side were held by Armenia and face a difficult game with Czech Republic in their final group match.

Scotland U19s were dealt a blow in their bid to qualify for the elite stages of the European Championship.

The young Scots drew 3-3 with Armenia in a high-scoring game in Luxembourg and are still likely to qualify.

Scotland's youngsters had went a goal down after just 11 minutes when Vahan Bichakhchyan opened the scoring.

Celtic kid Mikey Johnston equalised on 47 before Bichakhchyan put Armenia back in front eight minutes later.

But Scotland were back on level terms on 64 when Jack Aitchison scored from the penalty spot.

Another spot kick was awarded five minutes later and this time it was Johnston who stepped up to score.

But Scotland couldn't hold on and Karen Melokonyan scored to make it 3-3.

The result leaves Scotland on four points from two matches, after their 3-1 win over Luxembourg earlier this week.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/scotland-u19s-draw-armenia-euro-11506533


    • Film Review: "intent to Destroy" shows that the Armenian past is not over

    Babken Chilingarian
    The New York Times
    Nov 9 2017
    • Directed by Joe Berlinger
    • Documentary
    • 1h 55m

    By KEN JAWOROWSKINOV. 9, 2017

       
    An Ottoman train used to deport Armenians, shown in Joe Berlinger’s documentary “Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial & Depiction.” Credit Armenian Genocide Museum Institute/Survival Pictures

    A level-headed documentary lies behind the hot-blooded title of “Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial & Depiction.” While there may be no completely dispassionate way to discuss its topic — the Armenian genocide — the film’s balance of emotion and composure helps make its stories even stronger.

    Some 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in the early part of the 20th century. What should be an accepted fact remains a provocative topic, as the Turkish government continues to ignore or deny the events and, as it has for a century, coerce businesses and push other governments to do the same.

    Photo

    A scene from the film in which archaeologists excavate the mass graves of Armenian victims of the genocide. Credit Armenian Genocide Museum Institute/Survival Pictures

    Joe Berlinger, the director, uses old footage of survivors and insights from historians to provide an overview of the crimes. He also embeds himself with the cast and crew of “The Promise,” a recent fictional film set around 1915 that explores the fighting and mass killings. Mr. Berlinger’s plan is smart as well as symbolic — evidence shows that the Turkish government has often pressured studios into shelving movies about the genocide.

    Discussions on the film set are intertwined with historical analysis, and there are explorations of crowd psychology, revisionism and German cooperation with the Ottoman Turks; it’s no stretch to see how the massacre of Armenians helped lay groundwork for the Holocaust.

    At its core, “Intent to Destroy” is a call to remember the victims, both for their sake and for our own. “If you want to understand Yugoslavia, if you want to understand Rwanda, if you want to understand any other mass atrocity [that] is happening today, you should really look into the Armenian genocide,” one scholar says near the end of the documentary. “History is not in the past.”

    Find Tickets

    • Director Joe Berlinger

    • Writers Joe Berlinger, Cy Christiansen

    • Stars Shohreh Aghdashloo, Taner Akçam, Hagop Asadourian, Peter Balakian, Christian Bale

    • Running Time 1h 55m

    • Genre Documentary 

    •                           

    Serzh Sargsyan hopes Russia to provide a loan (video)

    Babken Chilingarian
    • 17:07 | November 1,2017 | Politics
    • Հայ
    • Рус

    In an interview with Rossia 24 TV channel, Serzh Sargsyan said that Armenia had requested a new loan from Russia to modernize the armaments, and he hoped it would be permanent. “Our Armed Forces have a serious modern weapon at their disposal. But it does not mean that our Armed Forces should not develop. In order to modernize, we have asked Russia to provide a loan. This is not the first one, this is already the second, and we hope it will be permanent.”

    To remind, Armenia and Russia have already signed a $ 100 million loan agreement after a 200-million-dollar loan.

    US sanctions to damage Iran and Armenia (video)

    Babken Chilingarian
    • 20:32 | October 9,2017 | Politics
    • Հայ

    The government delegation headed by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan is on a two-day visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This visit in Armenia gives hope that economic relations will eventually move from the dead point.

     “We are very interested in Iranian business and Iranian capital demand coming to Armenia. We are ready to provide openly the privileged regimes that Armenia has to our Iranian partners,” Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan said at a joint news conference with Iranian First Deputy Chairman Es’haq Jahangiri.

    Iranian expert Vardan Voskanyan ties great hopes of developing relations. “Economic relations are the most vulnerable part of Armenia-Iran relations, because in our political sense our two countries have no obstacles and maintain very high level of relations.”

    In the framework of the Prime Minister’s visit memorandums, veterinary, fiction, cultural and scientific-technical fields were signed. The steps of the more extensive economic programs are also being taken. Free economic zones are being created on the Armenia-Iran border. That’s something that can direct the flow of Iranian investments to Armenia. “It can also be a platform for the European and the Russian sides to settle here and to cooperate with Iran in more favorable conditions.”

    According to Vardan Voskanyan, investors were found to build Armenia-Iran railroad. Additionally, Armenia builds the third high-voltage power line to Iran, after which Iran’s gas exports to Armenia will increase 3-5 times. Next project to be implemented is export of Iranian gas to Europe via Armenia. “Obviously, Iran is going to implement a program for exporting its gas Europe, and it would be great if it were done through Armenia, with the participation of the Russian side,” said the Iranian expert.

    On the one hand, Armenia and Iran are taking steps to warm economic relations, on the other hand, the US President Donald Trump threatens to restore sanctions against Armenia’s southern neighbor. “The Iranian administration supports terrorism and Middle East exports of violence, bloodshed and chaos.Therefore, we must end Iran’s ongoing aggression and nuclear invasion,” said Donald Trump.

    If the US President does not exacerbate the position and sanctions on Iran be restored, will Iran-Armenia economic ties be again in a deadlock? Iranian expert Vardan Voskanyan said “Armenia-Iran relations have vital and security significance for us. Armenia should have relations with Iran exclusively through its own system, and there will be pressures from different sides, but it is obvious that our relations with Iran have a vital importance both for us and for Iran. We solve the problem of our existence.”

    Under these conditions, the Armenian government’s right work is required, which should make the United States be aware of Iran’s supremacy for the country. Armenia is not safe without powerful Iran, and Iran is not strong without developed Armenia.

    Armenian Assembly Delegation Holds Productive Meeting with Rep. Knight

    Babken Chilingarian

    ARMENIAN AGENDA

    MEDIA ADVISORY

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Date:

    Contact: Danielle Saroyan

    Telephone: (202) 393-3434

    Web: www.aaainc.org

     

    Armenian
    Assembly Delegation Holds Productive Meeting with Rep. Knight

     

    GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
    and the leadership of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church of Santa Clarita,
    California recently held a productive meeting with Congressman Steve Knight
    (R-CA) in his district office.

     

    “The Armenian
    Assembly and members of the Armenian American community who were part of this
    meeting are pleased with the discussion we had with Rep. Knight, where he affirmed
    his support for robust U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Artsakh relations,” Assembly
    Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan said.

     

    Currently in
    his second term in the United States House of Representatives, Congressman
    Knight represents thousands of Armenian American constituents residing in
    California's 25th Congressional District. The geographically large district
    covers a sizable part of northern Los Angeles County, and includes the Santa
    Clarita Valley, Simi Valley, the Antelope Valley, and the northern section of
    the San Fernando Valley.

     

    Rep. Knight is
    a co-signer of the bipartisan Royce-Engel Letter, which proposes common sense
    measures to curtail ongoing Azerbaijani military-initiated attacks against
    citizens of Artsakh and Armenia, and calls upon the OSCE Minsk Group to
    “publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line of contact.” In
    addition, Rep. Knight is a backer of House Resolution 354, which condemns the
    May 2017 violence inflicted by Turkish president Erdogan's security guards upon
    peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C., and calls for the perpetrators of the attacks
    to be brought to justice.

     

    The
    Assembly-led delegation expressed its gratitude to Congressman Knight for his
    support of Armenian issues in Congress, and also acknowledged his efforts
    assisting Armenian American constituents during his tenure in the California
    State Assembly (2008-2012) and the California State Senate (2012-2014).

     

    First elected
    to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2014, Congressman Knight succeeded
    the former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Howard
    "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), a long-time friend of Armenian Americans in
    southern California.  Rep. Knight
    currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Science Space and
    Technology Committee, and the Small Business Committee.  For the latter committee, he serves as
    Chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce.

     

    Established
    in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
    nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
    Armenian issues.  The Assembly is a
    non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

     

    ###

     

    Photo
    Caption:  Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA) with
    constituents and leaders of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church of Santa
    Clarita, California, and representatives of the Armenian Assembly of America’s
    Western Region Office and Southern California Regional Council.

     

    Available
    online:

    Վլադիմիր Պուտինը ՀՀ Անկախության տոնի առթիվ շնորհավորական հեռագիր է հղել Սերժ Սարգսյանին

    Babken Chilingarian
    • 21.09.2017

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    • Հայաստան

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    • arm

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    • rus

    1
     80

    Ռուսաստանի նախագահ Վլադիմիր Պուտինը Հայաստանի Անկախության տոնի առթիվ շնորհավորական հեռագիր է հղել ՀՀ նախագահ Սերժ Սարգսյանին:


    Ինչպես հայտնում է Կրեմլի մամուլի ծառայությունը, Պուտինի շնորհավորական հեռագրում նշվում է, որ այս տարի ՌԴ-ն ու ՀՀ-ն տոնում են դիվանագիտական հարաբերությունների հաստատման 25-ամյակը եւ «Բարեկամության, համագործակցության ու փոխադարձ օգնության պայմանագրի» կնքման 20-ամյակը:


    Պուտինը բարձր է գնահատել երկկողմ հարաբերությունների ողջ սեպկտրում գրացած հաջողությունները, ինչպես նաեւ հայ-ռուսական արդյունավետ համագործակցությունը Եվրասիական տնտեսական միության, ՀԱԿՊ-ի ու ԱՊՀ-ի շրջանակներում:


    ՌԴ նախագահը նաեւ վստահություն է հայտնել, որ ապագայում եւս Հայաստանի ու Ռուսաստանի միջեւ երկկողմ դաշնակցային հարաբերությունները զարգանալու են երկու եղբայրական ժողովուրդների շահերին համահունչ՝ Անդրկովկասում անվտանգության ու կայունության պահպանման հունով:

    ‘There Can be No Return to Past Borders,’ Says Stepanakert

    Babken Chilingarian
    • Armenia

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    7 hours ago

    Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian addressing the Armenia-Diaspora conference on Monday

    Artsakh President’s spokesperson responds to comments by Foreign Minister Nalbandian about territorial concessions.
    YEREVAN—Artsakh presidential spokesperson David Babayan did not equivocate on Tuesday when he told Azatutyun .am that there absolutely cannot be a scenario where Artsakh returns to its past borders—as delineated in the Soviet times—adding that all territories of Artsakh were important in ensuring the country’s and its residents’ security.

    This announcement was in response to questions that were raised following a statement made by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian during his presentation at the Armenia-Diaspora conference currently underway in Yerevan.

    Following his remarks at the conference, which were a reiteration of Armenia’s position vis-à-vis the Karabakh conflict resolution process and included harsh criticism of Azerbaijan’s military attacks on Artsakh, in response to a question from a participant regarding the concept of “return of territories,” Nalbandian’s explanation has caused confusion among conference participants and others.

    “We are talking about those territories whose return will not endanger the resolution of the conflict and the security [of Artsakk] and will not threaten the outcome of the process,” Nalbandian said in response to a conference participant’s question.

    “All the territories around Artsakh are important in terms of ensuring its security, there can be no return to the past in terms of borders and status,” said Babayan when asked to comment about Nalbandian’s remarks, adding that any compromise must be weighed proportionally.

    “If we are talking about territories, we must remember that Azerbaijan is occupying many Armenian regions. Getashen, Martunashen, Artsvashen, Shahumyant must all be returned,” said Babayan. “There will be no unilateral concessions. Any one-sided concession will lead to disaster.”

    Speaking to Azatutyun.am, Armen Rustamyan the head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation faction of the Armenian Parliament pointed out that there can be no unilateral concessions. He said compromises may be considered only when Artsakh’s independence is fully recognized.

    Sports: Soccer: Henrikh Mkhitaryan produces scintillating creative display against Swansea City

    Babken Chilingarian
    The People's Person
    Aug 20 2017

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan produces scintillating creative display against Swansea City

    Posted by
    Date:

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan produced a truly sensational display at No.10 during Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Swansea City in the Premier League.

    The Armenian, who claimed two assists against West Ham last weekend, struggled to find space early on as Swansea packed the midfield.

    He was nonetheless tidy on the ball and, with Swansea starting to tire, supplied Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba with inch-perfect assists during the last ten minutes.

    His numbers from the game shed light on what was an effervescent display in south Wales.

    Mkhitaryan's game by numbers vs. Swansea:

    2 assists
    4 chances created
    4 dribbles
    90% pass accuracy
    100% tackles won

    Playmaker. #MUFC

    10:11 AM – Aug 19, 2017

    Mkhitaryan only managed one assist in the Premier League last season. This time around, however, he has four after just two games – another potent indicator of the dynamics shifting for United on a domestic front this time around. They have already scored 15 per cent of the goals they managed in the league last term.

    Whisper it, but there is genuine change happening amidst Mourinho’s men this season, and at the heart of it lies the Armenian. He struggled to find space against Paul Clement’s side but was wonderfully nimble and aware in possession, always there to turn and spring forward, picking out teammates at will.

    And United’s procession during the latter stages couldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the 28-year-old’s superb vision and execution. Mourinho ought to give him a run of games in that role – something he didn’t really do last year.

    The sudden impact brought by the diminutive magician will be crucial, you sense, when it comes to unlocking lesser sides hellbent on packing the midfield this season.