Tuesday,
Armenia Marks 100th Anniversary Of Its First Republic
Armenia - Armenian soldiers march at the Sardarapat war memorial in a military
parade dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the first Armenian republic, 28
May 2018.
Armenia marked on Monday the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the
country’s first independent republic that followed centuries of foreign rule.
The short-lived republic was officially set up on March 28, 1918 as Armenian
army and militia units prevented Ottoman forces from occupying Yerevan and the
rest of modern-day Armenia.
The decisive battle was fought from May 22-29, 1918 around Sardarapat, a
village about 50 kilometers west of Yerevan. Turkish forces were defeated there
and pushed back from the capital of what was the first sovereign Armenian state
in more than four centuries.
A war memorial built near Sardarapat in the late 1960s was therefore the scene
of the main official ceremonies to mark the independence centenary. Hundreds of
soldiers, some of them clad in First World War-era uniforms, as well as
gray-haired veterans of the 1991-19914 war with Azerbaijan marched there in a
military parade watched by President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian.
The parade also featured tributes to hundreds of thousands of Armenians who
fought, mostly as Soviet Red Army soldiers, against Nazi Germany in the Second
World War. Troops from the Russian military base in Armenia also participated
in it.
“For the first time in their history, the Armenian people were citizens, rather
than subjects, masters, rather than servants, and that was a fateful
turnaround,” Pashinian said in a speech that preceded the parade.
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at the Sardarapat war memorial,
.
Pashinian noted that the military victory at Sardarapat was achieved only three
years after the beginning of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey which put
the Armenian nation “on the verge of extinction.”
“From the standpoint of pragmatism and rational calculation, the Armenian
people stood no chance to win,” he said. “But we won because we realized that
our essence is not to be herded to deserts and massacred … The Armenian people
won because for the first time in 400 years they pinned their hopes on
themselves, rather than others.”
The first Republic of Armenian was governed by leading members of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) throughout its two-and-a-half-year
existence. Its last government was forced to hand over power to representatives
of Bolshevik Russia in December 1920 nearly three months after another Turkish
invasion of Armenia.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern-day Turkey, was supported by
Soviet Russia at the time. By contrast, the first Armenian republic was allied
to Britain and other Triple Entente powers.
“Only thanks to the existence of the First Republic was Armenia incorporated
into the Soviet Union as a full-fledged union republic,” said Pashinian. “And
only thanks to this status did Armenia manage to secede from the Soviet Union
without upheavals and to gain the status of an internationally recognized
independent country.”
First Arrests Made In Armenian Anti-Corruption Sweep
• Naira Bulghadarian
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Cash purportedly found in the home of the chief executive of a
customs brokerage firm arrested by the National Security Service.
Three senior executives of a customs brokerage firm reportedly linked to the
former head of Armenia’s tax and customs services have been arrested as part of
a crackdown on corruption announced by the National Security Service (NSS).
The NSS accused the private firm, Norfolk Consulting, of failing to pay
millions of dollars in taxes and customs duties after raiding its offices,
searching other premises, and announcing the arrests late last week. It claimed
to have confiscated $500,000 in cash from the home of the company director,
Armen Unanian.
An NSS statement said that Norfolk Consulting was set up in June last year and
quickly gained de facto exclusive rights to process commercial cargo shipments
from China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. It said nine other customs
brokerage firms handling those imports until then were effectively driven out
of business because of a “special privileged status” enjoyed by Norfolk with
the help of senior officials from the State Revenue Committee (SRC).
The NSS charged that Norfolk may have since earned $7 million in “illegal
revenue” by helping importers evade or underpay taxes. The precise “damage
inflicted on the state” will be ascertained as a result of an ongoing
examination of the company’s books, it said.
Unanian as well as the company’s chief accountants, Tigran Zohrabian and Simon
Arakelian, were formally charged and remanded in pre-trial custody on Monday.
Marine Mkrtchian, a Norfolk cashier also detained on Friday, was released from
custody pending in investigation.
It was not immediately clear whether Unanian, 51, will plead guilty to the
fraud accusations levelled against him. The lawyer for the two other arrested
suspects said that they both deny helping importers evade taxes.
“We believe that the accusations are completely unfounded,” the lawyer, Armen
Andrikian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Armenia - Vartan Harutiunian, head of the State Revenue Committee, addresses an
Armenian parliament committee in Yerevan, 27Jun2017.
According to the NSS statement, two former deputy heads of the SRC have been
questioned as “witnesses” in the investigation. It said nothing about Vartan
Harutiunian, who ran the tax collection agency until last week.
A figure close to former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian, Harutiunian managed
the Gazprom-Armenia national gas distribution network before being appointed as
head of the SRC in October 2016. Unanian, the arrested Norfolk director, is
Gazprom-Armenia’s former chief accountant.
The Armenian customs service has long been regarded as one of the country’s
most corrupt government agencies. Harutiunian pledged to reform it after taking
office. The SRC reported last year a sharp rise in customs duties and other
import taxes collected by it.
The high-profile arrests came a week after the new head of the NSS, Artur
Vanetsian, said that many individuals who have long “enriched themselves
through large-scale corruption schemes” will be held accountable soon. The NSS
will strive to ensure that they compensate the state for public funds embezzled
by them, he said.
Vanetsian on Monday promised more corruption “revelations” in the coming days.
“All corrupt officials will be punished,” he told reporters.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, who named Vanetsian to run the powerful
security agency, has repeatedly pledged to “root out” government corruption in
Armenia since he swept to power on May 8 after weeks of massive anti-government
protests led by him.
U.S. Offers To Help New Armenian Government
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with U.S. Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State Bridget Brink in Yerevan, .
The United States stands ready to help Armenia’s new government combat
corruption and attract more U.S. investments in the Armenian economy, a senior
U.S. State Department official said during a visit to Yerevan on Monday.
Bridget Brink, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs,
met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for the first time since he swept to
power in a democratic revolution earlier this month. She also held separate
talks with President Armen Sarkissian and Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian.
“She welcomed the Prime Minister’s stated commitment to fight corruption and
offered continued U.S. support for anti-corruption efforts,” the U.S. Embassy
in Yerevan said in a statement.
According to the statement, Brink told Mnatsakanian that Washington is
committed to “working with the new government to strengthen bilateral ties and
attract additional U.S. investment.” “She pointed to the U.S.-Armenia Task
Force (USATF) as an opportunity to make real progress in advancing mutual
goals,” added the statement.
Pashinian was reported to tell the visiting U.S. official that his government
would like to deepen Armenia’s ties with the U.S. “in all areas, including the
political and economic ones, democracy building and human rights protection.”He
reiterated that the fight against corruption is one of its top priorities.
The unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was also on the agenda of Brink’s
talks in Yerevan. The U.S. Embassy cited her as saying that Washington will
“remain actively engaged with the sides in seeking a peaceful solution” to the
dispute.
Pashinian’s press office said the Armenian premier stressed in that regard the
importance of “creating and strengthening an atmosphere aimed at peace.” It
gave no details.
The U.S. diplomat also met with a group of local youth activists. “I am
heartened by the spirit of the Armenian people, and especially encouraged by
you – the young leaders of Armenia – who have shown such passion and dedication
to building a bright future for your country,” she said, apparently alluding to
their active participation in recent mass protests in the country.
Washington closely monitored the dramatic events that led to the resignation of
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. The State Department repeatedly urged Armenia
political factions to embark on dialogue. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Wess Mitchell had phone conversations with Pashinian and then Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian on April 30.
French FM Visits Armenia, Urges Closer Ties
• Hovannes Movsisian
Armenia - Armenian Foreign Miniser Zohrab Mnatsakanian (R) and his French
counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian shake hands after talks in Yerevan, .
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for the expansion of France’s
cordial relationship with Armenia on Monday during a visit to Yerevan timed to
coincide with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first Armenian
republic.
Le Drian emphasized the fact that he is the first high-level foreign official
to visit the South Caucasus state since the recent dramatic change of its
government.
“Armenia is at a turning point in its history,” he said after talks with his
new Armenian counterpart, Zohrab Mnatsakanian. “We welcome the responsibility
shown by political forces and the Armenia people [during the political crisis,]
which allowed the election of a new prime minister [on May 8.]”
“I am very proud of being the first high-ranking foreign official to visit new
Armenia and meet its new leaders,” he told a joint news briefing with
Mnatsakanian. “France will continue to stand with Armenia and help it to build
democracy.”
Le Drian, who met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian later in the day, also
reaffirmed France’s strong support for Armenia’s efforts to forge closer links
with the European Union. He stressed the significance of a wide-ranging
agreement which the previous Armenian government signed with the EU last
November.
Mnatsakanian also emphasized the “privileged” character of French-Armenian
relations. He said he and Le Drian held a “productive discussion” on bilateral
ties and regional security.
Those ties stem in large measure from the existence of an influential Armenian
community in France. Yerevan will underline them when it hosts in October a
summit of Francophonie, a grouping of over 70 mainly French-speaking nations.
Preparations for the summit were also high on the agenda of Le Drian’s talks in
Yerevan. The minister reaffirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans
to travel to Armenia in October on a state visit that will be followed by his
participation in the Francophonie summit.
With France co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group together with Russia and the United
States, the two ministers also discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Le
Drian called for renewed efforts at a negotiated solution to the conflict,
saying that “both the status quo and the use of force are not acceptable.”
“We reaffirm Armenia’s commitment to a solely peaceful resolution of the
Karabakh problem,” Mnatsakanian said for his part. “My colleague and I agreed
that an atmosphere conducive to peace is important for the success of the
process.”
French FM Visits Armenia, Urges Closer Ties
• Hovannes Movsisian
Armenia - Armenian Foreign Miniser Zohrab Mnatsakanian (R) and his French
counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian shake hands after talks in Yerevan, .
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for the expansion of France’s
cordial relationship with Armenia on Monday during a visit to Yerevan timed to
coincide with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first Armenian
republic.
Le Drian emphasized the fact that he is the first high-level foreign official
to visit the South Caucasus state since the recent dramatic change of its
government.
“Armenia is at a turning point in its history,” he said after talks with his
new Armenian counterpart, Zohrab Mnatsakanian. “We welcome the responsibility
shown by political forces and the Armenia people [during the political crisis,]
which allowed the election of a new prime minister [on May 8.]”
“I am very proud of being the first high-ranking foreign official to visit new
Armenia and meet its new leaders,” he told a joint news briefing with
Mnatsakanian. “France will continue to stand with Armenia and help it to build
democracy.”
Le Drian, who met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian later in the day, also
reaffirmed France’s strong support for Armenia’s efforts to forge closer links
with the European Union. He stressed the significance of a wide-ranging
agreement which the previous Armenian government signed with the EU last
November.
Mnatsakanian also emphasized the “privileged” character of French-Armenian
relations. He said he and Le Drian held a “productive discussion” on bilateral
ties and regional security.
Those ties stem in large measure from the existence of an influential Armenian
community in France. Yerevan will underline them when it hosts in October a
summit of Francophonie, a grouping of over 70 mainly French-speaking nations.
Preparations for the summit were also high on the agenda of Le Drian’s talks in
Yerevan. The minister reaffirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans
to travel to Armenia in October on a state visit that will be followed by his
participation in the Francophonie summit.
With France co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group together with Russia and the United
States, the two ministers also discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Le
Drian called for renewed efforts at a negotiated solution to the conflict,
saying that “both the status quo and the use of force are not acceptable.”
“We reaffirm Armenia’s commitment to a solely peaceful resolution of the
Karabakh problem,” Mnatsakanian said for his part. “My colleague and I agreed
that an atmosphere conducive to peace is important for the success of the
process.”
Armenia Marks 100th Anniversary Of Its First Republic
Armenia - Armenian soldiers march at the Sardarapat war memorial in a military
parade dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the first Armenian republic, 28
May 2018.
Armenia marked on Monday the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the
country’s first independent republic that followed centuries of foreign rule.
The short-lived republic was officially set up on March 28, 1918 as Armenian
army and militia units prevented Ottoman forces from occupying Yerevan and the
rest of modern-day Armenia.
The decisive battle was fought from May 22-29, 1918 around Sardarapat, a
village about 50 kilometers west of Yerevan. Turkish forces were defeated there
and pushed back from the capital of what was the first sovereign Armenian state
in more than four centuries.
A war memorial built near Sardarapat in the late 1960s was therefore the scene
of the main official ceremonies to mark the independence centenary. Hundreds of
soldiers, some of them clad in First World War-era uniforms, as well as
gray-haired veterans of the 1991-19914 war with Azerbaijan marched there in a
military parade watched by President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian.
The parade also featured tributes to hundreds of thousands of Armenians who
fought, mostly as Soviet Red Army soldiers, against Nazi Germany in the Second
World War. Troops from the Russian military base in Armenia also participated
in it.
“For the first time in their history, the Armenian people were citizens, rather
than subjects, masters, rather than servants, and that was a fateful
turnaround,” Pashinian said in a speech that preceded the parade.
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at the Sardarapat war memorial,
.
Pashinian noted that the military victory at Sardarapat was achieved only three
years after the beginning of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey which put
the Armenian nation “on the verge of extinction.”
“From the standpoint of pragmatism and rational calculation, the Armenian
people stood no chance to win,” he said. “But we won because we realized that
our essence is not to be herded to deserts and massacred … The Armenian people
won because for the first time in 400 years they pinned their hopes on
themselves, rather than others.”
The first Republic of Armenian was governed by leading members of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) throughout its two-and-a-half-year
existence. Its last government was forced to hand over power to representatives
of Bolshevik Russia in December 1920 nearly three months after another Turkish
invasion of Armenia.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern-day Turkey, was supported by
Soviet Russia at the time. By contrast, the first Armenian republic was allied
to Britain and other Triple Entente powers.
“Only thanks to the existence of the First Republic was Armenia incorporated
into the Soviet Union as a full-fledged union republic,” said Pashinian. “And
only thanks to this status did Armenia manage to secede from the Soviet Union
without upheavals and to gain the status of an internationally recognized
independent country.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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