Author: Chalian Meline

Syrian PM visits Armenian pavilion at Damascus int’l fair

Chalian Meline
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 10 2018
Economy 12:36 10/09/2018 Armenia

At the opening of the 60th Damascus International Fair, Prime Minister of Syria Imad Khamis visited the Armenian pavilion to be welcomed by Armenian Ambassador to Syria Arshak Poladian, Business Armenia said in a press release.   

Presented in a single pavilion Armenia participates in the 60th International Fair in Damascus held on September 6-15. Samples and catalogues of 33 companies represent the machine building, construction materials, pharmaceutical, and food industries of Armenia.

The Syrian PM welcomed the participation of the fellow state Armenia, expressing hope that the fair will boost the Armenian-Syrian trade and economic cooperation. Ambassador Poladian noted that Armenia’s producers are ready to make maximum efforts for the mutually beneficial cooperation.   

Armenia was awarded for the participation, with the award granted to Ambassador Arshak Poladian by Syrian Minister of Economy Mohammad Samer al-Khalil.

The Armenian pavilion is in the center of attention of the distributors and major buyers-visitors who are mainly interested in the offerings of the Armenian companies producing food, construction materials and renewable energy. Considering the great interest in the solar energy systems, on 12 September the CEO of Stigen, Hayk Shekyan will present the production, capacity, competitiveness and export potential of the company.     

The Domascus international fair has brought together over 1700 companies from 48 countries.  

The RA Armed Forces are also planning to acquire multifunctional aviation. Tonoyan

Chalian Meline
  • 28.08.2018

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Until now, the Armenian armed forces have had a clearly expressed image of a ground force, relying only on air defense and land-based missile means in the struggle for air supremacy. Times, however, have changed. The dynamic image to be conveyed to the armed forces also requires the presence of fighter-bomber aviation, as no missile system can replace this capability in terms of flexibility of use and resilience.


Ahead of the Shant-2018 strategic command and staff military exercise, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia will give a lecture on August 28 as part of the preparatory trainings held in the administrative complex of the Ministry of Defense.

Davit Tonoyan presented his vision to the officials regarding the development priorities of the defense sector and the main issues arising from them.


Referring to the prerequisites for the development of the armed forces, the head of the RA Defense Department emphasized the reality of constant learning, reform and making the army more mobile and maneuverable. “Horizontal communication, without bureaucratic hassles, should become the norm, not the exception. We will eliminate the artificial barriers that inhibit or seriously complicate cooperation, excluding, so to speak, the “tunnel” style of work, when individual circles advance their agendas without knowing the common idea that unites them,” said the RA Defense Minister.


Emphasizing the steps aimed at strengthening the armament of the army, modernization of the management system and the combat capability of the personnel, Minister Tonoyan assured that at the moment the works of updating the armament programs are in progress, within the framework of which it is planned to acquire multi-functional aviation as well. “Until now, the Armenian armed forces have had a clearly expressed image of a ground force, relying only on air defense and land-based missile means in the struggle for air supremacy. Times, however, have changed. The dynamic image to be conveyed to the armed forces also requires the presence of fighter-bomber aviation, as no a missile system will not replace this capability in terms of flexibility of use and resistance,” stressed Davit Tonoyan.


At the core of the lecture were the issues of equipping the front line with modern technical means and increasing the effectiveness of combat tasks. In this regard, the Minister of Defense emphasized that in 2016 in the second half and 2017 thanks to the works carried out during the war, the front-line armament was greatly improved with video surveillance and certification equipment, which allowed to significantly reduce the enemy’s chances of carrying out surprise sabotage. Measures are being taken to create an integrated system for detecting the enemy on the front line, making decisions, hitting the enemy with fire and engineering means and assessing the damage caused.


Minister Tonoyan singled out the priority of improving the ways of carrying out combat duty among the priority tasks before the Armed Forces, stressing that the time has come to make radical changes in the ways of carrying out daily combat tasks. “Our goal is to significantly reduce the duration of the personnel being under enemy fire, to increase the degree of protection and resistance, as well as to increase the probability of ambushing and destroying the enemy’s subversive groups,” said the Minister of Defense.

Referring to the other strategic approaches adopted in the defense system, Davit Tonoyan pointed out the priorities of morale-psychological training of the military personnel, material and medical provision and increasing the level of social protection, improvement of the military education system, as well as the expansion of international relations.

List of Rule of Law party to be headed by Mher Shahgeldyan

Chalian Meline
  • 12:25 | August 24,2018 | Official
  • Armenian:

On August 23, the Rule of Law party issued a statement on participation in the upcoming Yerevan City Council elections.

The party’s list will be headed by vice chairman Mher Shahgeldyan.

The Yerevan City Council elections will be held on September 23.

Also, a press conference will take place on August 27, at 12:00, at the Rule of Law office. We invite all mass media representatives.

Armenian President: Germany is Armenia’s important partner

Chalian Meline 
Arminfo, Armenia
Aug 24 2018
Armenian President: Germany is Armenia's important partner
Yerevan August 24
Alexander Avanesov. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in Armenia on an official
visit, the press service of the Armenian President's Office informs.
President Armen Sarkissian greeting the delegation headed by
Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed confidence that this historical
visit will open new horizons for the development of Armenian-German
relations.
This is the first official visit of Chancellor Angela Merkel to
Armenia, but in the past she has been in Armenia.
"I want to note with satisfaction that the Armenian-German relations
are based on deep trust and mutual understanding. Germany is a very
important partner for Armenia, but our cooperation gives opportunity
for its expansion in various fields. And of course, I want to express
my satisfaction for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Your
country and for the political support in our cooperation with the EU,
since the Armenian-EU relations are very important for us", President
Sarkissian said.
Chancellor Angela Merkel in turn expressed deep gratitude for a warm
reception. "Dear Mr. Sarkissian, I am glad to be a guest in your
country and I am glad for our meeting. Last year our countries marked
the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and
today we can say that our relations are positive. I agree with you
that we have non-used potential in our relations, which should be used
both in political-economic, and in scientific-research fields. We wish
to support Armenia in implementation of the declared reforms and we
closely follow the changes and developments that are to take place in
spring. We are ready to cooperate in this difficult but important
path", she said.
During the meeting the sides referred to the Armenian-EU cooperation,
as well as to the opportunities of deepening bilateral relations in
different fields, including culture, education and science.
To note, Germany's trade relations with Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan in the first half of 2018 developed dynamically. The volume
of trade with the three Transcaucasian republics grew by 17.1% to 1.2
billion euros, the Eastern Committee of the German economy reported.
The trade turnover with Armenia increased most - by 4% 1 or up to 171
million euro. "Political changes that occurred in Yerevan in the
spring of 2018 seem to contribute to the dynamic development of the
economy," the Eastern Committee believes.

Germany’s Merkel: Atrocities against Armenians must not be forgotten

Chalian Meline
Reuters
Aug 24 2018
 
 
Germany’s Merkel: Atrocities against Armenians must not be forgotten
 
Reuters Staff
 
 
YEREVAN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday addressed the massacre of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 after meeting with the country’s prime minister, saying the atrocities committed against Armenians should not and would not be forgotten.
 
Merkel avoided using the term “genocide” in her remarks, sidestepping a possible repeat of tensions that flared with Turkish President Tayyap Erdogan after the German parliament in 2016 branded the massacre a genocide.
 
Merkel called the 2016 remembrance ceremony by the Bundestag an “important step in the culture of remembrance” but stressed that the language used was a political – not legal – classification. “We understand what atrocities were committed against countless Armenians. This suffering should not and will not be forgotten,” she said.
 

Azerbaijani press: German MP Weiler on "undesirable persons" list since 2014 – Azerbaijan’s MFA

Chalian Meline
15:42 (UTC+04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 21

By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:

The Member of German Parliament Albert Weiler made illegal visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in 2014 and 2016, and therefore his name has been included in the list of “undesirable persons” since that period, the Spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend Aug. 21.

He was commenting on the reports in the “Bild” newspaper about the ban on the entry of the German MP into the territory of Azerbaijan.

“It has been noted in some foreign media that as if his name were included in this list as late as now. This is incorrect information, as Albert Weiler has been in the list of “undesirable persons” since 2014. This man has made illegal visits to the territory of Azerbaijan, occupied by the armed forces of Armenia,” Hajiyev said.

The spokesman stressed that it is necessary to respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty, laws of other countries, and in this context, the illegal visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan are unacceptable.

Hajiyev added that at the same time Azerbaijan takes a constructive position on this issue, and if the persons who do not conduct activities directly against Azerbaijan, send letters of apology and express respect for the territorial integrity and laws of Azerbaijan, the exclusion of their names from the list of “undesirable persons” may be considered.

“If this person will address us, we can consider this case, but such addresses from him haven’t been received so far. Therefore, a ban has been applied on his entry into the territory of Azerbaijan,” the spokesman of the foreign ministry said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

PM Pashinyan highlights Constitutional changes prior to parliamentary elections

Chalian Meline
| 09:07 | August 18 2018
Category
Politics

Constitutional changes should take place before the parliamentary elections, PM Pashinyan announced about this during the rally dedicated to the first 100 days of his tenure at the Republican Square.

He announced that he is ready to withstand his political opponents who think that PM’s resignation is necessary for organizing early parliamentary elections, but it’s possible that they will elect another PM after his resignation.

“They say let’s allow him to resign after which we will quickly elect another Prime Minister. Since they do not understand what’s going on, we will initiate Constitutional changes, which will allow early parliamentary elections not only when the PM resigns but also the parliament will have the opportunity to dissolve itself”, Pashinyan said, adding that the consent of the people is necessary for it.

Turkish Press: Wall unearthed in northeast Turkey archaeological site

Chalian Meline
Anadolu Agency (AA), Turkey
Monday
Wall unearthed in northeast Turkey archaeological site
  
Ani used to be capital of medieval Armenian kingdom of Bagratides in 10th century
 
By Cuneyt Celik
 
KARS, Turkey
 
A large section of a wall has been excavated at the archaeological site Ani also known “world city” and “cradle of civilization” in northeast Turkey.
 
According to the UNESCO website, Ani, which is next to the closed border with Armenia, was the capital of medieval Armenian kingdom of the Bagratides in the 10th century.
 
“This medieval city embodies residential, religious and military structures, characteristic of a medieval urbanism built over the centuries by Christian and then Muslim dynasties,” it said.
 
“The site presents a comprehensive overview of the evolution of medieval architecture through examples of almost all the different architectural innovations of the region between the 7th and 13th centuries,” it said.
 
The ancient city was mentioned in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016.
 
“The number of tourists increased by 300 percent after Ani was added to the UNESCO list,” Kars Province Culture and Tourism Director Hakan Doganay told Anadolu Agency.
 
Pamukkale University Archaeological Department Professor Fahriye Bayram said: “We have been doing excavation work since 2012 in Ani. A large part of the walls were unearthed recently.
 
“The mound of dirt usually goes down to 5-6 meters. Therefore, the excavation work is going a little slow. We clean both the bastions and the walls,” Bayram added.
 

U.S. Armenians to honor Terry George, Eric Esrailian

Chalian Meline
PanArmenian, Armenia
Aug 10 2018
– 11:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Community leaders and grassroots advocates from throughout the Eastern U.S. will gather to mark a year of progress and share plans for future successes at the 12th Annual Armenian National Committee of America-Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) Gala, to be held October 13 at the prestigious Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

Armenian Genocide-era epic “The Promise” Director and Executive Producer Terry George and Eric Esrailian will be ANCA Eastern Region Freedom Award recipients this year, while tireless community advocate and educator Ken Sarajian will be honored with the Vahan Cardashian Award.

“We look forward to hosting the gala in New York City and coming together to honor and recognize Terry George, Eric Esrailian, and Ken Sarajian, who have worked tirelessly not only to advance the Armenian Cause but to raise awareness about genocide and atrocities for all humanity,” said ANCA-ER Chairman Steve Mesrobian. “The gala committee is working hard to organize an incredibly memorable event.”

This year’s gala will feature an elegant cocktail hour and silent auction followed by dinner and program. Individuals interested in purchasing tickets or to obtain individual or corporate sponsorship information, please visit or call 201-788-5425.

The ANCA-ER Freedom Award honors individuals who have succeeded in bringing the history of the Armenian people and the truth about the Armenian Genocide to the mainstream public consciousness. Terry George, recognized internationally for his groundbreaking film, “Hotel Rwanda” in 2004, and Eric Esrailian helped to fulfill the vision of the late Kirk Kerkorian, educating the public about the perseverance of the Armenian nation through the international blockbuster, “The Promise.” Though several obstacles were unleashed during production, the film went on to screen in the Vatican, the United States Capitol, various venues worldwide, and most recently, at the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

“I am truly honored to be the latest recipient of the ANCA – ER Freedom Award,” explained George. “The fight for worldwide recognition of the Armenian Genocide is a central battle in the never-ending struggle for truth, justice and reconciliation. I am proud to be a small part of that struggle and excited to renew my commitment to the continuing struggle of the Armenian diaspora. Thank you to the ANCA-ER for their great work.”

Previous ANCA-ER Freedom Award recipients include: U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans; Pulitzer Prize winner author and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power; U.S. Senator Robert Menendez; the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy; U.S. Senators Robert Dole and Elizabeth Dole; Baroness Caroline Cox; best-selling author Chris Bohjalian; renowned lawyer Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family; Former House Majority Whip David Bonior; lawyer, writer, and human rights activist Fethiye Çetin; President of the Republic of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan; U.S. Senator Mark Kirk; U.S. Senator Christopher Van Hollen, Jr.; and U.S. Senator Ed Markey and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas.

The Vahan Cardashian Award is given annually to an ANCA Eastern Region activist or supporter who demonstrates longstanding accomplishments on behalf of the Armenian Cause. The 2018 Cardashian Award recipient Ken Sarajian continues to work diligently within the Armenian community and in his chosen field of public education to promote civic activism and awareness. Along with building strong key Congressional relationships throughout the years, he, more recently, joined Shant Mardirossian at the New Jersey Council of Social Studies, educating teachers on the life-saving efforts of Near East Relief during the Armenian Genocide.

Past recipients of the ANCA-ER Cardashian Award include Vahe Amirian of New Jersey; Martha Aramian of Rhode Island; Bedros Bandazian of Virginia; Melanie Kerneklian of Virginia; Tatul Sonentz-Papazian of Massachusetts; Ruth Thomasian of Massachusetts; Stephen Dulgarian of Massachusetts; Professor Richard Hovannisian of California; Zohrab Tazian of Indiana; Alice Movsesian of New Jersey; Armen Topouzian of Michigan; John Jerikian of Washington, DC; Levon Palian of Washington; DC, Tom Vartabedian (in memoriam) of Massachusetts; and Carolann Najarian of Boston, MA.

The ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization that supports the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region in outreach to Armenian American communities. All contributions to the ANCA ER Endowment Fund are tax-deductible to the full extent allowable by law.

Body of citizen missing in Lori forest found

Chalian Meline
  • 17:13 | August 8,2018 | Official
  • Armenian:

On August 7, at 20:19 ,the 911 hotline received an alarm that a resident of Yerevan left the Odzun resort, went to the nearby forest and did not return. He did not answer to phone calls, too.

At 13:45, police found the body of a citizen.

Additional information will be given.