Author: Badalian Vardan

One nation, one army of Detq (video)

Badalian Vardan
  • 19:46 | January 25,2018 | Culture
  • Armenian:

Early in the morning, Mikayel and Vahan surprise their friend, who works on the next release of his video blog; the boys were recently discharged.

A musical group, Detq, connects them. Mikayel and Vahan are singing, and David is the group administrator.

On January 26, the premiere of the video clip entitled “One nation, one army” will be screened, which will be the seventh video clip of the 3-year-old band.

Detq is a rock band which was created in 2015. The debut was the song “Mama.”

The guys do not talk to the camera until the other member of the group, Arman, is not discharged.

Administrator David Arakelyan only reminds that the guys are in the role of observers, adhering to their group name. “Our boys, in turn, are observers, who see what’s going on and try to present that word through a song,” says David.

By the way, “Detq” is a military term. This is the name of the small detachment, or a member of the detachment, which is sent before the troop for defense and reconnaissance.

President Sargsyan says Azerbaijan’s maximalist expectations hinder NK conflict settlement

Badalian Vardan
| 19:17 | January 24 2018
Categories
Artsakh
Politics
Region

Azerbaijan’s maximalist and unrealistic expectations from the outcome of the negotiations is an obstacle to the negotiations over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at PACE, in response to the question of one of the MPs.

“If the international community can help Azerbaijan to get rid of illusions and come to a realistic field, I think we will achieve great success in a short period of time”, the President said.

He added that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict hinders the development of the peoples of the conflicting sides, takes human lives, great material resources. “Really there is a need for this conflict to be solved. The fact that the agreements reached are not being implemented also hinders the negotiation process. In 2016 Azerbaijan launched large-scale military operations. After that we had meetings in Vienna, St. Petersburg and then in Geneva. During these meetings we reached an agreement that the best way to continue the negotiations is to create some trust elements. In this regard we made a decision to create an international investigative mechanism for ceasefire violations, expand the powers and set of tools of the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and reduce tension”, the Armenian President said.

He stated that this didn’t happen since immediately after these meetings the Azerbaijan high-ranking officials announced that this is not their statement, these are the statements of the Co-Chairs, and that the Nagorno Karabakh issue is Azerbaijan’s internal affair. “In such circumstances, of course, it’s unrealistic to expect a quick settlement or intensive progress of negotiations”, President Serzh Sargsyan said.

ACNIS reView

Badalian Vardan

Pass of the week with commentary

January 13-20

 

​


A:down
on the weekend
Q:president of the province, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
commander Serzh Sargsyanled byP:Ministry of Healthhasheld Armed
the discussion of the project of the seven-year plan for the modernization of the forces. It was emphasized that, account
taking into account the existing challenges, in 2018-2024 were predicted when developing the program
the possible options for the development of the situation, the ways of countering them,
necessary conditions have been created to manage available resources to the maximum
to implement effectively.K:doand:thatw:the substantive discussion of the presented project was held,
thataccording to Serzh Sargsyan,will enable
having a modern Armed Forces to keep the borders of the state intact.

 

… First
The question that arises when reading this information is the following. what is it anyway?
dictated the need for a seven-year plan to modernize the Armed Forces.
Let the question not sound strange, it is not that we are against this or that
system upgrade. On the contrary, we consider it welcome in that sense
the sincere concern and efforts of the authorities, if directed
to the implementation of visible reforms, rather than simple eye contact or
are cheap shows. If we are not mistaken, we have a national one
security concept, we also have a defense strategy and
other software related to system reforms. But what is the benefit? That
concepts are not properly applied in life, even their public ones
discussions were overlooked. For years, the army has not been released to the public
many exciting issues, related to, for example, the circumstances of the death of servicemen,
murders and suicides, corruption phenomena
with findings. Now, in a few months, the president will step down
Serzh Sargsyan, instead of strictly demanding the solution of the accumulated issues,
introduces a new program. And that too, “leap-like development” and, most importantly, seven years
in the form of a remote document. The president announced that last year
on October 24, during a meeting with the system officials. He, in particular,
said: “We must have one of the most modernized armies in the world.
In other words, we must have a continuously improving state, thanks to which also
the army is being modernized. It is possible andwe
together with you, together with our whole society, we will make it a reality
purpose”he said. That’s how we reached the “goal”, the current president, it turns out
has the intention to make reality “together with the society” for another 7 years
make… well, the rest is irrelevant. Opinions are not random
the fact that the motley faces of the RPA have tirelessly yoked themselves to Serzh Sargsyan, scheduled for April
on the occasion of the end of his tenure, to strengthen him in a new position in the government
imperative.

 

Q:January
On the 15th, the third session of the 6th convocation parliament started in the National Assembly
the first four-day session. The agenda included 26 issues, including RA criminal issues
on amendments and additions to the Code, of the Constitutional Court
about, additions to the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Police” and
projects about making changes. Chairman of the National Assembly at the beginning of the session
Ara Babloyan announced that parliamentary hearings will be held on January 23
will carry out the agenda of mitigating price increases and their consequences.

 

… In fact, the problem of price increases remains
one of the key topics of the past week. As is already known, Harkay
As a result of the changes in the code, prices have increased by about 40 drams since the beginning of the year
gasoline and gas for cars, and widely in agriculture
the price of used diesel fuel increased from 390 to 440 drams. In addition, 150
those earning a salary of more than a thousand drams, about 2 percent less than this month
will be paid due to the increase in income tax rates. On the subject of inflation
in the meeting of January 10, to which the Government’s economic representatives were invited
representatives of the bloc, President Serzh Sargsyan announced. “If indeed some
price increases of products have objective reasons, then we should think about
how to mitigate those consequences.” The President instructed the Government to propose
options for mitigating the effects of inflation for those socially important goods,
which have increased in price as a result of tax or other legislative changes.
On January 15, the first protest action against price increases was undertaken in Yerevan
Drivers of several route lines of Malatia-Sebastia administrative district, announcing
that they will not stop the strike until the gas filling problem is solved
not be given. According to drivers, price increases are illegal due to monopoly
due to the existence of the economy. It was aimed at mitigating the effects of inflation
“Tsarukyan” alliance, parliament, on changing income tax rates
presented the project, which, however, the January 15 plenary session of the National Assembly
the proposal to include in the agenda was rejected by the vote of the RPA faction. And?
“Yelk”, the other parliamentary opposition force, called for a protest on January 20
march against price hikes. “If tens of thousands of RA citizens are our demand
protect, I can guarantee that changes in the Tax Code
will take place”, he announced during the press conference held on the eve of the march
Nikol Pashinyan, head of the “Yelk” faction. They are skeptical on social networks
evaluating the “Exit” action, reminding that Pashinyan once called the marches meaningless
walk in Yerevan. According to the latter, he never “defeats” people
take it.” Time will tell what is what. In any case, it is obvious that
the “dough” of price increases will still draw a lot of water.

 

Q:After the ceremony of awarding the Order of the Fatherland to Hovhannes Chekijian, who was awarded the title of national hero of Estonia, on January 16, Serzh Sargsyan met with a group of intellectuals who participated in the ceremony at a tea table at the President’s residence. During the conversation, which was related to the security and future of Armenia, the role and mission of intellectuals in the life of the country, as well as the issues of education and culture, the President of Armenia presented his ideas about the 4th President at the request of the participants of the meeting. In the face of the next president, Serzh Sargsyan sees “an individual who has a long history and great recognition and the country inside and outside, can adequately represent Armenia abroad.” According to him, the future president “must know foreign languages, have wide connections in the Diaspora and Armenia, enjoy a good reputation and, most importantly, be an impartial person who has never been involved in politics and has never been a member of a party.”

 

… Who was the current president referring to in the future?
in the position of president, it became known two days later. A meeting of intellectuals
following the long-thin description of the president, the listed criteria,
it seems that Eduard Nalbandyan’s “ears” could be seen. Of course, the future president
in the list of candidates, another name – Mets – was circulating in parallel
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Britain Armen
Sargsyan. It was possible that the current president was referring to him. And he tooof the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
was nominated by that party at the January 18 meeting of the executive body.It is clear which of the two diplomats Serge preferred
Sargsyan, the average citizen of Armenia would hardly be better off than that
life. Since the first of them is considered “the man of Russia” and
accordingly, he would serve his interests, and Armen Sarkissian would serve the interests of the West.
therefore, we, the ordinary Armenians, had to rely on them in any case
To the mercy of God. On the other hand, it was logical that the unresolved problem of Artsakh
the number one symbol of the state having such that after the impending April
will be the president of RA, be someone seasoned and experienced in diplomacy. That
from the point of view of Armen Sargsyan, who does not lack such experience, it seems suitable
is a candidate for the presidential throne. But the concern here is another issue. The constitution has been changed and the government system is, in fact, more democratic
made by Serzh Sargsyan behind the smokescreen of “toothless” intellectuals, in fact
single-handedly “appointed” the future president. No matter how much they try to prove otherwise
in the republican camp, all the same, the people remained “out of the game”.
It was Serzh Sargsyan personally, who no longer hides his ambitions for the position of prime minister
the appointer, and now he can easily see himself both in the position of prime minister and
in the role of president. As they say, two in one.

 

Gevorg Lalayan commented



Historic Ordination of a Deaconess in the Tehran Prelacy

Badalian Vardan
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Ani-Kristi Manvelian was ordained a deaconess by the Tehran Prelate

BY HRATCH TCHILINGIRIAN

The Prelate of Tehran ordained a young woman as a deaconess in Tehran’s St. Sarkis Mother Church on September 25, 2017. Even as the office of deaconess had existed in Armenian Church convents for centuries, this was a historic first. It is the first time that a lay woman, not a nun, was ordained a “parish deacon.”

Twenty-four year old Ani-Kristi Manvelian, an anesthesiologist by profession, was ordained — along with Mayis Mateosian — by Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, the Primate of the Diocese of Tehran.

“What I have done is in conformity with the Tradition of the Church and nothing else,” said Archbishop Sarkissian. This was his personal initiative as a diocesan primate in order, as he explained, “to revitalize the participation of women also in our church’s liturgical life,” adding, “do not be surprised, a woman could also become a servant of the Holy Altar.”

Ani-Kristi Manvelian on the altar at St. Sarkis Church in Tehran

Deaconess Ani-Kristi has been involved in the life of the church in Tehran since she was very young. She used to perform the duties of an acolyte (դպիր) during church services, such as reading the psalms and carrying the ceremonial candle.

In explaining the purpose of the ordination, Archbishop Sarkissian said: “Today, our Church is confronting the imperative of self-examination and self-critique. It is imperative to rejuvenate the participation of the people in the social, educational and service spheres of the Church. It is our deep conviction that the active participation of women in the life of our Church would allow Armenian women to be involved more enthusiastically and vigorously, and would allow them to be connected and engaged. They would provide dedicated and loving service [to the people]. The deaconess, no doubt, would also be a spiritual and church-dedicated mother, educator, and why not, a model woman through her example. It is with this deep conviction that we are performing this ordination, with the hope that we are neither the first nor the last to do it.”

According to the Prelate, parish priests in Tehran are watchful and keen to recruit more women who fit the profile of prospective deaconesses.

What is special and novel about Deaconess Ani-Kristi Manvelian’s ordination is that she is a “parish” deacon — that is, she is not a member of a convent or a religious order, like the Kalfayan Sisters in Istanbul or Gayanyants Sisters at Birds Nest in Jibel, Lebanon, who have a few sisters among their ranks and are not ordained deaconesses.

Like her male counterparts in the Armenian Church, if and when Deaconess Ani-Kristi marries, she will continue to serve as a deaconess.

Deaconesses have been part of the Christian tradition from the early years of the faith. There are numerous references in the Epistles and early Church writings.

In the Armenian Church tradition, the development of the office of female diaconate is divided into four historical periods according to Fr. Abel Oghlukian, the author of a study on the subject: (a) 4th-8th centuries in Greater Armenia; (b) 9th-11th centuries in Eastern and Cilician Armenia, where the term “deaconess” is included in the book of ordination (Մաշտոց); (c) 12th century and on, where there are “literary references and rites for the ordination of deaconesses in liturgical texts in Cilicia and eastern Armenia; and (d) 17th century renewal of female diaconate.

The last ordained monastic deaconess in the Armenian Church was Sister Hripsime Sasounian in Istanbul. The late Patriarch Shnork Kalustian of Constantinople ordained Sister Hripsime of Kalfayan Sisters (established in 1866) as a deaconess in 1982, using the canon of ordination used for male deacons (Ձեռնադրութեան Մաշտոց). Damascus-born Deaconess Hripsime was 54 years old at the time. She passed away in 2007.

In North America, Seta Simonian Atamian was the first adult women ordained as an acolyte (դպիր), a lower rank, by Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian of the Western Diocese in 1984 at St. Andrew Armenian Church, in Cupertino, California. However, when in 1986 she moved to the East Coast of the United States, she was not allowed by the local diocese to serve on the altar in the Armenian Church.

Even as this is a most welcome step by Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian and the Prelacy of Tehran (under the jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia), the Armenian Apostolic Church has yet to formally restore the office of female diaconate.

Today the question is how to revive the female diaconate for the pastoral life of local parishes rather than in monastic settings or convents, which are virtually non-existent as viable institutions.

Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian is a scholar at University of Oxford (www.hratch.info).





Member of EEU Armenia has no advantage over its neighbors

Badalian Vardan
  • 15:07 | January 9,2018 | Politics
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

Karen Chilingaryan, Head of Consumer Advice Center, considers that the rise in prices in 2017 has begun in the middle of the year.
“At first, the price of butter has increased, then the price of meat. The price of beef has risen by 15-20 percent, and the authorities have mentioned that this was due to the drought and the rise of prices of forage. However, there were also exports from June to September. 2000 large and medium-sized cattle were exported to Arabian countries. Export is a good thing, but it should be organized so that it does not have a negative impact on your citizen. So, the inflation of prices has continues. “Chingaryan says.

According to the Head of Consumer Advice Center, becoming a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) has not brought any advantage to Armenia, but, on the contrary, the prices continue to rise in 2018. Karen Chilingaryan notes that Azerbaijan and Georgia are not members of EEU, but they use the EEU market, so Armenia has no advantage over its neighbors.

Music: Rotting Christ metal band coming to Armenia with a concert in 2018

Badalian Vardan
Pan Armenian, Armenia
Dec 27 2017
– 16:10 AMT
Rotting Christ metal band coming to Armenia with a concert in 2018

Famous Greek metal band Rotting Christ is coming to Armenia with a concert in 2018, a Facebook event reveals.

The Greek metal artists will be performing in Yerevan on April 13, 2018 at the Hovhannes Tumanyan Puppet Theater.

The concert is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Zhesht Events, which organizes rock concerts in Armenia.

Rotting Christ are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within their region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene. They are also responsible for creating the signature Greek black metal sound prevalent in the early 1990s.

Ara Asoyan: The flu usually comes from Russia

Badalian Vardan
  • 14:14 | December 22,2017 | Social
  • Armenian:

Ara Asoyan, chief epidemiologist of the Republic of Armenia, says that this year the number of acute respiratory diseases is decreasing.

“No doctor can give exact numbers, as not all patients are registered. The real and registered number of patients are very different. We can only present the average comparison of those numbers. If compared with previous years, the picture of the illness is 2-3 times less this year, ” says Ara Asoyan.

This image the epidemiologist connects with a relatively warm winter. He also notes that the flu usually comes from Russia.

“After we hear that there is a flu, then in two or three weeks there is the same picture in Armenia. Acute respiratory illnesses in the regions are less common, as these diseases usually occur in densely populated cities, ” says the epidemiologist.

“Acute respiratory diseases are the most common in schools and since vacations are already coming, there will be no acute outbreaks in the next 2-3 weeks,” says Ara Asoyan.

Ara Asoyan adds that the Ministry of Health has brought a significant amount of vaccine against the flu and all the health care workers are vaccinated. Other Armenian citizens may also voluntarily be vaccinated against the flu.

Travel: Video presenting Armenia tourism attractions is made public

Badalian Vardan
News.am, Armenia
Dec 7 2017
Video presenting Armenia tourism attractions is made public Video presenting Armenia tourism attractions is made public

17:53, 07.12.2017
                  

A video presenting the tourist attractions of Armenia’s has been publicized.

“The video reveals Armenia with all its beauty,” the respective statement reads, in particular. “The video presents, through the eyes of a tourist touring our homeland, an ancient country with a rich culture and history.”

The video was made with the support by the State Tourism Committee of Armenia, and the Tourism Development Fund of Armenia.

View the video at
         

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

Badalian Vardan
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.

Head of the State Food Security Service of Armenia considers it inappropriate to implement GMO products on the territory of the Republic

Badalian Vardan 
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
November 9, 2017 Thursday
Head of the State Food Security Service of Armenia considers it
inappropriate to implement GMO products on the territory of the
Republic
November 09
Yerevan
Naira Badalyan. The head of the State Food Security Service of the
Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia, Ishkhan Karapetyan, considers it
unreasonable to sell GMO products on the territory of the republic.
"I, as a citizen, do not want to eat food that contains GMOs," he told
journalists on November 9 after a government meeting.
The head of the department recalled that around the genetically
modified organisms in science have long been various discussions. At
the same time, within the framework of its powers, the State Service
is currently carrying out appropriate actions and studying the process
of import and turnover of these products. "Now the volume of seeds
imported by Monsanto does not exceed 1% of total imports, I do not
think that this, at the moment, contains big risks," Karapetyan said.
Next year, the food safety state service planned large-scale
monitoring programs to detect the presence of pesticides, nitrates and
GMOs in plant products. "After summing up the monitoring results, we
will get the full picture, which will allow us to assess the part of
the control," he said. At the same time, according to the official,
according to the imperative of the Armenian legislation, there must be
a marking on the products indicating the presence of GMOs. The same
principle is followed by the technical regulations of the Customs
Union, where the permissible threshold of GMO content in food is set
at 0.9%. In turn, as the Minister of Agriculture of Armenia Ignaty
Arakelyan noted, at present the agency is studying the activities of
the company Monsanto, which has been registered and functioning in the
country for 20 years. "Today we are studying possible risks from the
company's activities, also in terms of environmental protection," the
minister said. It is noteworthy that, as Arakelyan pointed out in
response to the question of ArmInfo, as early as 2013, the Ministry of
Nature Protection acted with the legislative initiative on GMO
products in Armenia, but for some unknown reasons the process was
suspended. "We plan to return to the legislative initiative and
understand how relevant it is today, and whether there is a need for
it," he said.
At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture sees the
danger that the use of GMO seeds will spoil the soil and will
jeopardize the development of organic farming in Armenia. "The danger
exists always, we need to understand how true this is, what is being
said today, what are the risks," concluded the head of the Ministry of
Agriculture of Armenia.
Note that on November 1, the efforts of the US Embassy in Armenia in
Yerevan hosted a presentation of the activities of Valmont and
Monsanto. Both companies are well known in the world market: the
former is engaged in the sale and maintenance of mechanized irrigation
equipment, and there are no complaints about it. The same can not be
said about the transnational corporation Monsanto - this company is
engaged in the production of transgenic seeds and poisons for their
processing. And then the charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in
Armenia Rafik Mansur marked the entry into the Armenian market of a
whole presentation. In an interview with reporters, Alexander
Zvyagintsev, Sales Manager for Monsanto in the CIS, assured that the
company will not offer Armenian partners to work with genetically
modified products, since they "do not do this in countries where it is
prohibited." But for about 20 years now, the company has been selling
seeds in Armenia and advising farmers. In turn, the US Embassy in
Armenia reported that Monsanto has been selling its products on the
Armenian market since 2006. Speaking about the objectives of the
presentation of the Monsanto and Valmont companies (the sale of
irrigation equipment) in Armenia, the US Embassy explained that the
event was held in the context of US policy to stimulate US investments
in the Armenian economy. The topic of a possible entry into the
Armenian market of the American GMO giant was not left indifferent by
the soloist of the rock band System of a Down, Serge Tankian, who, in
his Facebook page, called on Armenia to "stay away" from the American
company Monsanto. In particular, he wrote: "Because of its policy,
Monsanto has earned a reputation in the United States and Europe for
a" corporation of evil. "Unlike in the United States, in Armenia, I
have the opportunity to enjoy the taste of organic, crunchy apples - a
product of long-term agricultural work. then it will be like this.
"Thanks to Monsanto, I can not find such apples in the US," Tankian
writes. In the end of September, The Guardian published an unmasking
article that Monsanto officially spent about 300,000 - 400 on lobbying
for its interests in the European Parliament 000 euros per year, and
internal correspondence was also made public where the company's
employees discuss ways to better prevent the normal study of the
glyphosate pesticide and its recognition as dangerous, and correspond
with some US officials and scientists about it. that the European
organization EFSA, responsible for product safety, copied its 2015
report on glyphosate from the Monsanto 2012 authorship report.