Author: Badalian Vardan

On the last day of her trip to Armenia, Kim Kardashian West met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. On Tuesday evening, she was joined by her sister, Kourtney Kardashian at a meeting with President Armen Sarkissian.

President and first lady, Nouneh Sarkissian, welcomed the television stars to the presidential residence for a dinner. Also joining them at the meeting was producer of “The Promise,” Eric Esrailian.

“Kim and Kourtney said they’ve received very positive energy from their visit to Armenia,” President Sarkissian said in post on the official presidential Instagram page.

The London-based Daily News published exclusive photographs from the Kardashians’ dinner with President Sarkissian.

On Wednesday, Pashinyan welcomed Kardashian West and credited her and her visits to Armenia for the growing interest around the world in Armenia.

Kardashian West told the prime minister that she was very excited about her visit to Armenia and had observed a great deal of attention being paid in the country to empowering women.

Pashinyan told Kardashian West that that more than 50 percent of Armenia’s population are women, so it is very important to engage them in the economic and political development of the country, and encourage their social activism. He boasted that his government has the highest number of women in leadership roles.

Noted Armenian figures in entertainment and technology have joined forces to launch a new digital platform to connect Armenians around the world.

During a press conference on Tuesday in Yerevan on the margins of the WCIT, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian was joined by musician and activist Serj Tankian, producer of “The Promise” Eric Esrailian and president of Synopsis Armenia Yervant Zorian to announce this new platform that will be called “Highconnect.”

”We will create a pan-Armenian online platform ”High connect” that will give an opportunity to Armenians throughout the world with various preferences to be linked,” Tankian told reports who added that the venture was in its infant stages.

”For years we were thinking what to do to make Armenia attractive not only for Armenians, but also for others. We were thinking how to connect Armenians spread around the world. And after thinking and discussing for a long period we came to the conclusion that we will use our shared interests to create small communities,” explained Tankian.

Ohanian said that it was important to leverage the many opportunities that he and the others have been afforded to advance the Armenian reality.

”We must take lessons from our careers and use them for this platform, so as Armenians throughout the world, in the Diaspora can use it and prosper,” Ohanian said, emphasizing that the common idea that have brought them together.

He noted that there are networks where Armenians can keep in touch anyway, but they want to create a special zone where the people will know what they are looking for. Ohanian stressed that the project will not be a profit-generating venture.

Esrailian said that they have been discussing the idea for nearly one year, but they started thinking about it much earlier.

”It will be really a great thing to have such a platform for connection. Not only technology will develop in Armenia, but it will ensure the link between Armenia and Armenians abroad. We are very devoted to this idea and will invest all our experience,” explained Esrailian.

Tankian Launches his Coffee Brand in Armenia
Later on Tuesday, during a reception at Tufenkian Hotel, Tankian launched his Kavat brand coffee announcing that the product, which is being sold in the United States, will now be available to consumers in Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse, Anna Hakobyan also attended the reception.

”We started the sales of Gavat coffee in the U.S. last year. It’s my desire to present the coffee of my grandmother to the world. Coffee is part of our Armenian culture and we try to present our culture to none Armenians in a sensible way,” Tankian told those present at the unveiling reception.

Kavat coffee will be sold in supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. It will be possible to purchase it also on the online.

”I am proud to be in Armenia during this historical time when many positive changes have taken place. The Armenians I know throughout the world wish to return to Armenia and become part of the new Armenia and stay in the new Armenia,” said Tankian.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday held a phone conversation during which Pashinyan reportedly extended birthday greetings to the Russian leader and discussed implementation of agreements reached last week during the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Yerevan.

Pashinyan, who had already extended birthday wishes to Putin, publicized through his press office said he was happy to host Putin in Armenia, adding that, “The agreements reached during our meeting in Yerevan came to reaffirm the high level of mutual understanding and friendship inherent in the allied relations between our two countries and peoples.”

He also expressed gratitude for the invitation to pay an official visit to Russia.

“I am confident that through joint efforts, we will find new ways of further strengthening the strategic partnership between our countries in line with modern standards and in response to the changes taking place in the world,” added Pashinyan.

Pashinyan and Putin met last week on the margins of the EEU summit and then later that day at Zvartnots Airport as Putin was departing Armenia. Similarly, Pashinyan, who took to Facebook to announce the second—90-minute meeting—hailed the positive course of Moscow-Yerevan ties.

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

For quite some time now I’ve wanted to reflect on Armenian theatre. Aram Kouyoumdjian’s latest play, “Constantinople” (opening on Friday September 27 in North Hollywood) provides that opportunity, though in a more focused way than originally intended.

For full disclosure, I work with Aram, assisting with the fundraising.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the first full run-through rehearsal. I was repeatedly moved to tears. I think this is his best production so far (and I’ve had the opportunity to see his work since the early 1990s).

The play is set in immediate post-Genocide/WWI Bolis. This is a time and place about which I knew precious little. When Aram was inspired by Lerna Ekmejioghlu’s book, “Recovering Armenia” to write this play, I felt compelled to read it too. I strongly recommend everyone read that book. It was quite the eye-opener. But if you choose to be reading-wise lazy, then at least see the play.

The ardor, danger, disappointment, energy, feminism, fervor, great-power politics of that time and place, hope, intense activity, loss, nation-preservation, nationalism, political tension, rapid developments, and state-building are all on stage. Simply, all the key issues of the time are on display. Of course there’s a romance running through the play, too.

What’s also fascinating is that there are many parallels to the issues we confront today as a nation, in the homeland, the Diaspora, and the unique place that is Bolis. I miss no opportunity to remind people that before Turks took over the city, Byzantium was the capital of the millennium-long Byzantine Empire, ruled by Armenians for roughly one third of its existence. Also, remember how much of Western Armenian culture is rooted and evolved there. We have a huge stake in that place, and this play serves as a potent reminder of that importance. Those in our communities who hail most recently from Bolis will undoubtedly feel great pride upon seeing, nay, LIVING vicariously, what their parents and grandparents were doing a century ago.

The show will run through November 2 at the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Order tickets online. www.itsmyseat.com/Constantinople.

Do not miss this show. Especially given the intimate setting of a 60-seat theatre, you will feel like “you were there” as Walter Cronkite used to say in the historical TV series he hosted.