Bedik Zaminian – Page 64 – Armenian Directory & News

Armenia’s next president to be elected on March 2

January 16, 2018March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

ARKA, Armenia

Jan 15 2018

YEREVAN, January 15, /ARKA/. Armenia’s next president (the fourth since it gained independence from former Soviet Union in 1991) will most likely be elected on March 2 by the parliament of the country, the head of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Vahram Baghdasaryan told journalists on Monday.

Baghdasaryan said the faction has not yet decided who to propose as a possible candidate for the presidency, adding that the party will begin discussions on this issue this week. “This week we are planning to discuss possible candidates, and if they are approved, we will present them to the public,” Baghdasaryan said.

He recalled that, according to the Constitution, the presidential candidate should be non-partisan. This means that in case of nomination of a candidate from the governing party, he/she will have to renounce party membership. Baghdasaryan said also that the party did not yet discuss any possible candidacy as a prime minister.

According to the new Constitution, the president of Armenia is elected by the National Assembly not earlier than forty, and not later than thirty days before the end of the powers of the incumbent head of state.

In fact, the candidates for the presidency should be nominated during the last ten days of February 2018. At least one quarter of the total number of deputies has the right to nominate a presidential candidate. The nomination is expected to start on February 19.

Under a package of constitutional reforms, endorsed in a national referendum in 2015, Armenia will change the governance system of the country from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic in 2018 April after president Sargsyan steps down.

The president of Armenia, whose powers will be significantly curtailed, will be elected for a term of seven years (instead of the current five) by the parliament, not in a national vote. Presidents will be limited to one term of office.

To be elected in the first round the candidate must be backed by three-fourths of votes. If this cannot be done, the candidate must be elected by three-fifths of votes. According to the new constitution, the president of Armenia will be head of state, embodying national unity and ensuring the observance of the Constitution. The president cannot be a member of a political party.

Under the approved changes the president is to appoint a candidate for prime minister from the party or party bloc that wins parliamentary elections. If parliamentary forces are unable to agree on the candidacy of the head of government, parliament is to be dissolved. A vote of no-confidence in the prime minister can be passed no sooner than a year after their appointment.

The armed forces are subordinated to the government, and the prime minister is the supreme commander of the armed forces in times of war.-0—0–

Russian FM: Karabakh conflict cannot be solved in one document

January 16, 2018March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

News.am, Armenia

Jan 15 2018

Russian FM: Karabakh conflict cannot be solved in one document Russian FM: Karabakh conflict cannot be solved in one document

14:17, 15.01.2018

Moscow considers it important to calm down the situation at the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Monday.

This problem cannot be solved in one document, said the minister, adding that this issue needs a step-by-step approach that will determine ways to work on the matters that require additional discussion to achieve a final settlement, including the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, TASS reported.

According to the minister, Russia cannot have precise plans to resolve this conflict, because only the parties themselves can solve the conflict. According to the minister, Russia, together with other participants in the process, creates conditions for such a settlement, comparing the positions of the parties to seek coinciding approaches.

“We are waiting for a positive impetus to come from both countries,” he added.

Karen Karapetyan will participate in the Davos Economic Forum

January 13, 2018March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

12.01.2018

Armenia:

176

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will participate in the 48th annual World Economic Forum held in the Swiss city of Davos, which will take place in 2018. January 23-26, writes tert.am.

This was reported by the RA Prime Minister’s press secretary Aram Araratyandetailing: “We have received an invitation, the prime minister will leave. Karen Karapetyan will probably speak at the forum.”

It should be noted that delegations from more than 100 countries will participate in the forum at a high level.

Armenia last participated in the Davos Forum in 2009. The participants of the discussions in Davos will address urgent economic and political issues.

VERELQ was awarded a Letter of Appreciation for its unbiased coverage of Eurasian integration

December 26, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

25.12.2017

Armenia:

238

The VERELQ news-analytical center was awarded by the Eurasian Expert Club with a letter of thanks for objective, impartial and high-quality coverage of the Eurasian economic integration process, as well as for its friendly attitude towards the activities of the Eurasian Expert Club.

Acknowledgment was awarded to VERELQ journalist Lia Khojoyanwithin the framework of the annual session of the Eurasian Expert Club.

Iconic Armenian church survives war but not plunder in Turkey

December 25, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

Al-Monitor

Dec 212017

The direction: Meghri. the prime minister instructed to complete the formation of the FTA as soon as possible

December 22, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

21.12.2017

Armenia:

268

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan started the session of the RA government on December 21 with already traditional instructions, the first of which was related to the formation of the Meghri Free Economic Zone (FEZ).

The Prime Minister reminded that on December 15, the first stage of the Meghri Free Economic Zone was completed and the operation of the Free Economic Zone was started. At the same time, according to him, it is necessary to take coordinated measures to complete the second phase of relevant works as soon as possible.

Accordingly, he instructed. “To the Ministers of Territorial Management and Development, Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, the Presidents of the State Revenue Committee, the State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre and the State Committee of Water Management, to take joint measures with the Minister of Economic Development and Investments within two months to ensure the technical conditions of the necessary infrastructures for the second stage of the formation of the Meghri FTA,” said the Prime Minister.

It should be noted that according to official information, in the second phase it is planned to expand the activities, infrastructures and territory of the FTA by an additional 70 hectares, creating preconditions for developing a profitable business. About 50 hectares of the above-mentioned areas will be allocated for operators’ activities, 10 hectares for logistics-storage areas, and the remaining areas for office and other services.

Karepatyan also instructed the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance to continue the work through RA diplomatic representations in order to ensure the widest possible awareness of the advantages, commercial and logistic opportunities of Meghri Free Trade Area, as well as favorable economic regimes.

On the other hand, he also instructed the Minister of Economic Development and Investments to regularly submit reports to the government staff regarding the works being performed.

As a result of the activity of the free economic zone, it is planned to attract 50-70 operating companies in the coming years, which will make investments of about 100-130 million dollars, create about 1500 new jobs and export goods and services worth 250 million dollars.

The free economic zone created in the area bordering Iran, taking into account the geographical position, trade and logistics opportunities, multi-vector trade preferential regimes of Armenia, can become a bridge between Iran, EAEU and EU countries. In addition, the Meghri Free Economic Zone will contribute not only to the solution of socio-economic problems of the region, but also to the inflow of foreign capital to Armenia, the strengthening of economic ties with the Republic of Iran, the EAEU membership, the existing relations with the EU, and the more effective use of the potential.

F18News: Azerbaijan – Four state agencies raid religious communities

December 19, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief
=================================================
Monday 
AZERBAIJAN: FOUR STATE AGENCIES RAID RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
Alongside police, secret police and State Committee for Work with Religious
Organisations, a growing role in raids on religious communities and
prosecutions seems to be played by Religious Affairs Commissions attached
to local administrations. Fines of three months' average wages often follow
raids.
AZERBAIJAN: FOUR STATE AGENCIES RAID RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
By Felix Corley, Forum 18
In 2017, officials of at least four state agencies have continued to raid
and help punish individuals for exercising freedom of religion or belief.
Alongside the police, State Security Service (SSS) secret police and State
Committee for Work with Religious Organisations, a growing role in raids
and prosecutions seems to be played by Religious Affairs Commissions
attached to city or district administrations.
Joint raids by officials of the State Committee, the SSS secret police and
the Religious Affairs Commission attached to the administration of Baku's
Binaqadi District saw leaders of two mosques fined in November for
violating the country's strict controls on who is allowed to conduct
religious activities and where (see below).
Many Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses have been fined in 2017 for meeting
for worship or religious study, or for offering religious literature
without specific state permission. Court bailiffs are also insisting that a
Baptist fined in December 2016, but never given a written court decision,
pay his fine by the end of 2017. Another Baptist fined with him is still
trying to overturn his punishment, with his case now at the Supreme Court
(see F18News 15 December 2017
<
Fines are typically 1,500 Manats (7,350 Norwegian Kroner, 750 Euros or 890
US Dollars). This represents nearly three months' average wages for those
with a formal job. However, for those in rural areas, those without a
formal job, or pensioners, such fines represent a far heavier financial
burden.
The State Committee still appears to be examining religious literature
confiscated during joint police and SSS secret police raids on two homes in
a village in the northern Qabala District. Two men might face punishment
(see below).
The State Committee's Baku representative has arranged the liquidation of
seven religious communities in the capital in 2017 for alleged violations
of the law (see below).
The authorities continue to warn people not to exercise freedom of religion
or belief on the streets. A Baku deputy police chief warned that
commemorations and processions outside mosques on the Shia Muslim
commemoration of Ashura (which this year fell on 1 October) would not be
tolerated (see below).
Meanwhile, an Imam who led worship in a mosque after having gained his
religious education abroad has failed to overturn a three-year prison term.
He is the first Muslim known to have been punished for leading Muslim
worship while having foreign religious education since this "crime" (which
targets only Muslims) was introduced into the Criminal Code in 2015 (see
below).
Religious Affairs Commissions join raids
The tasks assigned to Religious Affairs Commissions - introduced in local
administrations in recent years - include: studying the local religious
situation, detecting unregistered but active religious communities, and
working "to eliminate radical, extremist tendencies among believers".
Such Religious Affairs Commissions are supposedly advisory bodies and act
closely with local State Committee officials. Typically, such Commissions
have about 15 members. They are led by a deputy head of a city or district
administration and include police officers and Muslim clerics from the
state-backed Caucasian Muslim Board.
The presence of clerics from the Muslim Board on these commissions means
that officials of one religious community have a role in cracking down on
members of different religious communities, whether non-Muslim or Muslims
who are not affiliated with the state-backed Muslim Board.
Binaqadi: Two Muslims fined
On 17 October, officials of the State Committee, the SSS secret police and
the administration of Baku's Binaqadi District inspected local places of
worship. Officials found violations of the law at two religious
communities, the Binaqadi Muslim community and the Irfan Muslim community,
the State Committee said the following day on its website. The State
Committee claimed "illegal religious rituals" (which it did not identify)
were taking place in the two mosques.
State Committee officials prepared records of an "offence" against two
local Muslims, Jalal Ahadov and Ramin Hasanzade. The cases were then handed
to Binaqadi District Court. Both were accused of violating Administrative
Code Article 515.0.2 and Article 515.0.3.
Article 515.0.2 punishes "Violating legislation on holding religious
meetings, marches, and other religious ceremonies". The fine for
individuals for this "offence" is between 1,500 and 2,000 Manats
Article 515.0.3 punishes "clergy and members of religious associations
holding special meetings for children and young people, as well as the
organising or holding by religious bodies of organised labour, literary, or
other clubs and groups unassociated with holding religious ceremonies" with
fines for individuals of between 1,500 and 2,000 Manats.
On 3 November, Binaqadi District Court found Ahadov guilty and fined him
1,500 Manats, court officials told Forum 18 on 15 December. He lodged an
appeal to Baku Appeal Court. However, on 24 November, Judge Namiq Mammadov
rejected his appeal, according to court records.
On 7 November, Binaqadi District Court similarly fined Hasanzade 1,500
Manats, court officials added. He lodged an appeal to Baku Appeal Court,
which is due to be heard by Judge Mirpasha Huseynov on the morning of 20
December, according to court records.
Aygun Aliyeva is the deputy chair of Binaqadi District Administration
overseeing the District's Religious Affairs Commission. Forum 18 was unable
to reach her between 13 and 18 December. Her assistant said on 14 December
that she was in a meeting. All other calls went unanswered.
The man who answered the phone of Anar Kazimov, the Baku city
representative of the State Committee, refused to discuss the raids on the
two Binaqadi Muslim communities and the fines on two of their members. "You
must talk to the State Committee's press service," the official told Forum
18 on 13 December. He then put the phone down.
The woman who answered the phone at the press office of the State Committee
in Baku on 15 December did not respond when Forum 18 asked if it was the
press office. She eventually put the phone down. Called back, the line had
been switched to a fax machine.
Qabala: Raids, literature seizures
On 12 September, Qabala District Police and the SSS secret police raided
two homes in the village of Vandam in northern Azerbaijan as part of an
operation, the Interior Ministry noted on its website the same day.
Officers seized 77 religious books "whose distribution has been banned", 14
CDs, 11 video and audio cassettes and one "handmade dagger" from the homes
of Bahruz Qasimov and Elman Tahirov. The Ministry described the two men as
being suspected of "propaganda of religious radicalism".
Officers took Qasimov and Tahirov to the District Police station. They sent
the seized items to the State Committee in Baku for an "expert
examination".
The telephone of Lieutenant Nijat Humbataliyev, the head of the Police in
Vandam, went unanswered each time Forum 18 called on 18 December.
Qabala District Court told Forum 18 on 18 December that no administrative
cases against Qasimov and Tahirov have reached the court. Forum 18 has been
unable to find out if any cases are being prepared.
Gunduz Pashayev, the representative of the State Committee for the region
including Qabala, said that his office had no role in the raids in Vandam.
"Other agencies were involved," he told Forum 18 from Sheki on 13 December.
"This is the business of the police and the State Security Service. They
don't inform us."
Pashayev said that when the police or SSS secret police seize religious
literature, they send one copy of each publication directly to the State
Committee in Baku with an accompanying letter. He insisted his office has
"no right" to seize religious literature or to give an "expert opinion" on
it.
All religious literature produced in, published in (including on the
internet) or imported into Azerbaijan is subject to prior compulsory
censorship. When the State Committee does give permission to publish or
import a work it also specifies how many copies can be produced or
imported. All religious materials sold must have a sticker noting that they
have State Committee approval. State officials have repeatedly denied that
this represents censorship (see F18News 1 October 2015
<
Pashayev said he did not know how many religious books have been banned.
"The State Committee doesn't send us a list of banned books," told Forum
18. "We don't have such a list." Asked how people (including himself) can
know if a religious book has been banned, he responded: "The State
Committee can tell us if we encounter such a book."
Baku: Seven religious communities liquidated
Seven religious communities in Baku were liquidated in 2017 for failing to
comply with the requirements of the law, the city's State Committee
representative Kazimov told a 15 December meeting of national and regional
State Committee officials, according to a report on its website the same
day. This makes any continuing exercise of the right to freedom of religion
or belief by these communities illegal and punishable.
The State Committee report did not identify the communities, nor what they
might have done to fail to comply with the law. If the communities had
legal status, the State Committee would have been required to bring a suit
to court to liquidate them. Forum 18 has been unable to identify which
communities have been liquidated or why.
The State Committee website lists 25 religious communities which managed to
gain state registration in 2017. All are Muslim. In addition, ten Muslim
colleges gained state registration in 2017. The last non-Muslim religious
community allowed to gain state registration was the Jewish community in
the northern town of Oguz, registered in December 2016.
All religious communities must have state registration before they can
legally function. However, many communities (like the Baptist church in the
northern town of Aliabad) are arbitrarily denied such registration. Muslim
communities outside the framework of the state-backed Muslim Board are
banned, although this is not enshrined in any law (see Forum 18's
Azerbaijan religious freedom survey
<
Baku: Ban on worship outside religious buildings reaffirmed
The authorities have repeated their ban on exercising freedom of religion
or belief on the streets. The latest such warning came in Baku on 30
September, the day before the Shia Muslim community commemorated the
martyrdom of the Muslim prophet Muhammad's son-in-law Imam Ali on the
festival of Ashura.
"The conducting of ceremonies and street processions outside areas
specially-designated for this will not be allowed," a deputy head of Baku
Police, Major-General Sahlab Bagirov, was quoted by APA news agency as
declaring.
The government has long sought to ban praying around mosques when no more
room is available inside, sharing one's beliefs or religious literature on
the streets, religious-inspired processions and demonstrations, and banners
on the streets (see Forum 18's Azerbaijan religious freedom survey
<
Masalli: Imam fails to overturn prison term
Shia Imam Sardar Akif oglu Babayev (born 12 March 1974) has failed to
overturn the three-year prison term handed down by a court in the southern
town of Masalli. He was punished for leading worship in a Muslim community
after having gained his religious education outside Azerbaijan. He was
sentenced under Criminal Code Article 168-1.3.1.
Criminal Code Article 168-1 punishes "violation of the procedure for
religious propaganda and religious ceremonies", including by conducting of
Islamic rites by a citizen who has received their education abroad. Article
168-1.3.1 punishes those who commit such violations "repeatedly", with a
prison term of between two and five years.
Article 168-1 was added to the Criminal Code in December 2015 as part of a
hastily-prepared package of amendments to a variety of laws. Officials did
not explain why those who conduct Islamic rituals are singled out for
especially harsh punishment (see F18News 16 December 2015
<
Imam Babayev, who is married with three children, was the first known
individual to have been punished for this "crime".
Police arrested Imam Babayev on 22 February. Masalli District Court handed
down the three-year prison sentence on 3 July (see F18News 10 July 2017
<
On 25 September Judge Rafik Jafarov of Shirvan Appeal Court rejected Imam
Babayev's appeal, according to the decision seen by Forum 18.
Babayev's lawyers argued that no law should have retroactive force. They
pointed out that the Imam had gained his religious education in Iran before
the law banned those with such foreign religious education from leading
Muslim worship. They also pointed out that leading officials of the
state-backed Muslim Board had similarly gained religious education outside
Azerbaijan.
Imam Babayev's lawyers also noted that in May 2017, parliament amended the
Religion Law to allow the Muslim Board to gain exemptions to these
restrictions provided the state gives specific agreement for any individual
(see F18News 10 July 2017
<
One of Imam Babayev's lawyers, Javad Javadov, notes that Criminal Code
Article 168-1 violates Article 9 of the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), which
guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Javadov also complained to Caucasian Knot news service on 25 September of
the police blockade of the court in an apparent attempt to stop Muslims who
support Imam Babayev from attending the appeal hearings. (END)
For background information see Forum 18's Azerbaijan religious freedom
survey at 
<
More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan is
at 
<
A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
<
For a personal commentary, by an Azeri Protestant, on how the international
community can help establish religious freedom in Azerbaijan, see
<
A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
<
Twitter @Forum_18
Follow us on Facebook @Forum18NewsService
All Forum 18 News Service material may be referred to, quoted from, or
republished in full, if Forum 18  is credited as the
source.
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WPI Professor Diran Apelian Named Fellow of National Academy of Inventors

December 14, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

Targeted News Service

Tuesday 6:50 AM EST

WPI Professor Diran Apelian Named Fellow of National Academy of Inventors

WORCESTER, Massachusetts

Diran Apelian, Alcoa-Howmet Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the organization announced today. Apelian, founding director of WPI’s Metal Processing Institute (MPI), is an internationally recognized pioneer in metals research.

Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional accolade bestowed solely to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.

“I am truly humbled by this honor from the NAI, and I am delighted that the award recognizes the importance of innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship,” Apelian said. “This award should not be about me as it truly recognizes the extraordinary team at MPI and overall ecosystem at WPI. I proudly share this award with my students, research staff, colleagues, and co-founders of our startups.”

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Apelian founded Metal Processing Institute, a leading industry-university alliance dedicated to advancing the field of materials science through research conducted across four focused centers at WPI. He currently direct the activities of one of those centers, the Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC).

Apelian is widely known for his leadership as a researcher and educator. His work in molten metal processing, new aluminum alloys, and innovative casting techniques has resulted in more than 600 publications and 11 books, which he co-edited, and helped lay the foundations for significant industrial developments. With his colleagues and students, he has founded five companies: Materials Strategies LLC; Battery Resourcers Inc.; Melt Cognition LLC; Solvus Global LLC; and Kinetic Batteries LLC.

With the election of the 2017 class there are now 912 NAI Fellows, representing more than 250 research universities and governmental and non profit research institutes. The 2017 Fellows are named inventors on nearly 6,000 issued U.S. patents, bringing the collective patents held by all NAI Fellows to more than 32,000.

Included among all NAI Fellows are more than 100 presidents and senior leaders of research universities and non profit research institutes; 439 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; 36 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame; 52 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science; 29 Nobel Laureates; 261 AAAS Fellows; 168 IEEE Fellows; and 142 fellows of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, among other awards and distinctions.

On April 5, 2018, the 2017 NAI Fellows will be inducted as part of the Seventh Annual NAI Conference of the National Academy of Inventors at the Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection in Washington, D.C. Andrew H. Hirshfeld, U.S. Commissioner for Patents, will provide the keynote address for the induction ceremony.

In addition to being named an NAI Fellow, Apelian has received numerous honors for his contributions to research and education in materials science and engineering. He is a fellow of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, ASM International, and APMI International. Additionally, he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, European Academy of Sciences, and the Armenian Academy of Sciences.

In 2015 he received the John Campbell Medal from the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers in the United Kingdom. Also in 2015 he received the Audubon Society’s Joan Hodges Queneau Palladium Medal, an award administered by the American Association of Engineering Societies, “for articulating an inspiring vision of sustainable stewardship of our earth’s resources.” In 2016, he received the ASM Gold Medal.

After earning an undergraduate degree in metallurgical engineering at Drexel University and an Sc.D. in materials science at MIT, Apelian worked at Bethlehem Steel’s Homer Research Laboratories and then joined Drexel, where he ultimately was named vice provost. At WPI, he served as university provost from 1990 to 1996. Since then, he has focused on teaching and research in materials processing. WPI has twice honored him: in 2006 with its Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Scholarship, and in 2009 with its Chairman’s Exemplary Faculty Prize.

Those elected to the rank of NAI Fellow are named inventors on U.S. patents and were nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.

The 2017 class of NAI Fellows was evaluated by the 2017 Selection Committee, which included 18 members comprising NAI Fellows, U.S. National Medals recipients, National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and senior officials from the USPTO, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Association of American Universities, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Association of University Technology Managers, and National Inventors Hall of Fame, among other organizations.

Film: The Promise (DVD) Review – A powerful, harrowing look at the Armenian genocide

December 14, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

Critical Hit

Dec 3 2017

By Craig Risi

Posted on

War movies are a regular staple of the movie world, which we see released every year. Sadly, even movies about genocide are becoming more commonplace. Most are decent, but it becomes increasingly difficult for war movies to stand out as a result.

The Promise is one of those movies that looks to stand out from the crowd, though perhaps not because of its style or angle, but more purely because of its subject matter. Whereas most war movies focus on the events of World War 1 and 2, The Promise instead takes us to 1910s Turkey to focus on the Armenian Genocide instead.

The Armenian Genocide is one of those tragic events in history that is little publicized and recognized despite the incredible depravity of the events rivalling the holocaust of World War 2. The Promise looks to change all that by bringing the plight of the Armenian genocide to the big screen. Sadly, the film didn’t quite achieve its purpose as it mostly tanked at the box office, but hopefully it can gain some life through its DVD release and be seen by more people.

As a war film that harrowingly displays the genocide of a race of people, The Promise can easily live up there with many of the best films of its type. It’s perhaps a little light on raw combat, but is heavy in its portrayal of brutality and draws you in to the despair of its characters remarkably well. The film achieves this by not trying to get too caught up in the greater war effort or vast battle scenes, but instead focusing on a small group of people as they fight for their survival. To perhaps clarify further, it will more than likely move you emotionally about the genocide and the lives lost than it will envelop your senses as a war film.

Director Terry George (who co-writes alongside Robin Swicord) has created some tight emotional drama around the production’s beautifully scenic backdrops that keep the film pretty to look at, without distracting you too much from the emotional heart of the story. The story focuses on its small set of main characters and how they each experience the genocide in different ways.

Read Christian Bale and Wes Studi are men changed by war in the Western drama Hostiles

There is Mikael (Oscar Isaac), an apothecary who moves to Constantinople to study medicine, but not before he vows to return and marry the daughter of a wealthy neighbour who will be funding his studies. However, once in Constantinople, he befriends Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), an Armenian woman from Paris and her American suitor (Christian Bale) who is in the country to report on the Ottoman empire.

Needless to say, the Ottoman Empire’s plans for genocide interfere with their intentions and they all end up trying to fight their plight in many ways. There is a lot more going on in the story, but the script focuses on the leads as much as possible, creating high emotion through their experiences rather than trying to desensitize the viewer from other details of the war.

However, as much as The Promise is a war movie, it is also trying to be a love story and this is where some of its cracks start to show. Much like how Titanic was a remarkable technical achievement showing the horror of the ship’s tragic sinking, but forced you to watch the frequently iffy romance to get through it, The Promise unfortunately does the same thing.

It is perhaps a little more realistic and covers a wider period of time to make its relationships feel more believable, but the film’s characters lack a lot of chemistry and the love story has an almost forced pacing as a result of it trying to be shoehorned into the bigger story. Indeed, the very reason the film is called The Promise relates to a romantic promise made in the early part of the film. It feels a little pointless as it actually gets fulfilled rather early on before the film focuses more extensively on their escape efforts. It’s not a terrible story, but one that probably didn’t need to be there.

Read November DVDs – Superheroes, adventurers and dads dominate

There is more than enough motivation and story for the film to drive its purpose forward without the need for characters trying to be involved in a love triangle. Given the grimness of the events, it also feels a little insensitive to the cause.

This lack of chemistry though is through no fault of its actors who are simply superb. Oscar Isaac in particular as the Armenian medical student caught in the middle of both war and love does a superb job with not only the accent, but in conveying the full emotional despair of his character. Similarly, both Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale, while perhaps not having as good material to work with, continue to provide the film with a lot of heart. The dialogue in the film is perhaps not its strong point and there are several times when the actors end up having to deliver beyond it to pull you into this story.

You shouldn’t be watching The Promise for its love story though and while it does feel tacked on, it doesn’t detract from the grimness of the war and the strong message the film is trying to convey about the Armenian genocide. Hopefully it can start a trend for many other films to follow in showing this piece of at-times disputed history and bring it to more general acceptance.

The Promise is a grandiose and powerful war film that deserves to be seen if just for its unique subject matter. The love story that the script is built upon is not strong, but watchable enough to not exactly make you regret the investment you make in the movie. It’s a gritty film that’s not going to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, but its grim tale is powerful enough to win you over to its cause.

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Georgia: New Europe-Asia Rail Route Slow to Produce Economic Benefits – Locals

December 5, 2017March 12, 2026 Bedik Zaminian

EurasiaNet.org

Dec 4 2017

December 4, 2017 – 2:29pm, by Bradley Jardine

Akhalkalki’s new railway station officially opened in November 2017 as an important node in the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project. Today the building stands empty and the railway is far from complete.

(Photo by Bradley Jardine)

On the outskirts of the sleepy Georgian town of Akhalkalki, set against a barren backdrop, sits a gleaming, bone-white structure. Designed by celebrity architect Jürgen Mayer, this railway station on the Georgia-Turkey border is expected to serve as an important node in China’s global, $1-trillion infrastructure development project – dubbed the Belt and Road.

The station was opened in November as a key node in the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project, which boosters say will place the Caucasus at the center of trade between Europe and Asia.

But it has gotten off to a rough start. Its first cargo shipment from Kazakhstan was expected on November 1, but faced delays since the station has no lighting and the trains were unable to approach. Today, the building is deserted, and the accompanying railway is far from complete.

“It was officially opened, but it won’t be ready until at least 2018,” said Rima Garabyan, director of the local media outlet JNews. “At the moment, it’s just for show.”

The Akhalkalaki station contains a mechanism central to the entire project – a gauge switch, allowing Turkey’s narrower European tracks to connect with the wider Soviet-era gauge still used by Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Georgia’s authorities hope the BTK will provide jobs and security for isolated Akhalkalaki, in a region with a large ethnic Armenian population that Tbilisi’s authorities have long suspected of harboring separatist ambitions.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has stressed the railroad’s potential to achieve greater economic and sustainable development.

“I believe that this forum will open up new opportunities for strengthening and deepening regional ties which will enhance economic growth and ensure security,” he said, speaking at the Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi on November 28.

But Akhalkalaki locals complain they have seen little benefit so far from the station’s opening. The Turkish and Azerbaijani companies overseeing the project brought their own laborers to see it through. The lingua-franca of the construction site is Turkish, with Turkish and Azerbaijani flags adorning the workers’ cabins.

“The mood in town is that the project is not for us,” Garabyan said. “Over 1,000 could potentially work there, but in reality, none of us are.”

The involvement of outsiders has infused the discontent over the construction with an ethnic flavor. Over 95 percent of the residents of the town, which borders on Armenia, are Armenian.

“Look at the poor quality!” said Armen, a local taxi driver who has worked as a building contractor in Russia’s Khabarovsk region, zooming in with his Samsung camera to scrutinize the station’s mortar joints. “There is plenty of local talent here, but they [Turks and Azeris] are not interested in us [Armenians] – they don’t trust us.”

Locals also complain that there appears to be no long-term planning to involve the community in the station’s operations, with no local training programs or courses set up in the town to create a specialized workforce to operate the station in future. “One small college for railway engineering was supposedly opened in September,” Garabyan said. “But it’s unclear whether this is actually true. When we asked whether they would inform locals about courses there they flatly told us no.”

“I only know of two men in Tbilisi doing studies related to the project, and both of them are Georgians from Akhalkalki” she added.

Driving through the town’s empty streets, it’s immediately apparent how little economic life there is. Market stalls sell fake clothing brands, but only in the shadow of boarded-up buildings. It’s a far cry from neighboring Akhaltsikhe, which is bustling with tourist traffic heading for the newly renovated Rabati castle complex.

The post-communist period has been particularly rough for Akhalkalaki. The first major setback came in 2007, after a Russian military base closed down. At its peak, the facility employed over 15 percent of the town’s residents. It also paid relatively well – employees reportedly earned $200-$300 per month, considerably more than the wages offered by other local employers.

Many former base workers have been unemployed since its demise, and many locals head to Russia in search of seasonal employment, with remittances playing a central role in the town’s economic life.

“Living in Russia is good, but staying here in Akhalkalaki is difficult” said Armen, the taxi driver and construction worker. “There are no jobs here and we can’t even afford basic medicine most of the time.”

The situation puts stress on local families.

“Men go to Russia for eight or nine months each year,” Garabyan said. “They come back for three months to celebrate the holidays with their families, and then they are gone again.”

About half of all families in the town have a family member working abroad. But with Russia’s economic troubles in recent years – induced by a combination of sanctions and falling oil prices – the value of remittances has seen a severe drop, leaving many families vulnerable.

“Women are balancing too much work here with family and farming – it’s damaging our health,” said Kristina Marabyan, a former reporter for JNews. “But sitting hungry is worse, so what can we do?”