Author: Chatinian Lara

Artsakhi parliament to convene special session dedicated to presidential re-inauguration

Chatinian Lara

Artsakh’s Speaker of Parliament Ashot Ghulyan convened a consultation September 5 in participation of chairmen of committees and factions, the Parliament’s press service said.

The Speaker presented the upcoming parliamentary works to the lawmakers, and particularly touched upon the extraordinary session of the Parliament, which will be convened as required under the Constitution.

As required under rules of procedure, the Speaker issued a statement saying the special session dedicated to the inauguration of the country’s president will be convened September 7 at 12:00.

Earlier in July, incumbent President Bako Sahakyan was re-elected to the post.

Film: Win A Blu-Ray Copy Of The Promise Starring Christian Bale

Chatinian Lara
Filmoria , UK
Sept 3 2017


3rd September 2017 James Thompson      

Academy Award® Director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) brings us an epic story of courage and resistance with The Promise.
Starring award winning actors Christian…

Academy Award® Director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) brings us an epic story of courage and resistance with The Promise. Starring award winning actors Christian Bale (The Fighter, The Dark Knight) and Oscar Issac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), The Promise is based on actual events that took place during the Armenian Genocide during the onset of  the First World War. It arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on 4th September and on Digital Download from 29th August, courtesy of Entertainment One.

To celebrate its release, we are giving away 3 Blu-Ray copies of the film. All you have to do to enter is fill out the form below. Good luck!

The “Electricity Supply Reliability” loan program is ongoing

Chatinian Lara
  • 30.08.2017

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  • Armenia:

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The 230 km Noraduz-Lichk-Vardenis-Vyk-Orotan-1 220 kV line and the 50 km Lalvar and Noyemberyan lines from the Hrazdan TPP to the Shinuhair substation are being reconstructed with the support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 110 kV overhead lines.

The RA Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources informs that the project is being implemented within the framework of the agreement in the amount of 39 million USD signed between RA and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 

The goal of the project is to improve the reliability of the power grid, capacity and reduce power losses.

It is noted that the construction works of “Noraduz”, “Lichk” and “Orotan-1” air lines have been completed and put under voltage. The construction works of “Vardenis” and “Vyke” air lines continue, which are expected to be completed by the end of the year.


Currently, the design works for the reconstruction of “Lalvar” and “Noyemberyan” 110 kV overhead lines are in the final stage. Preparatory works for reconstruction are being carried out, construction works are planned to be completed in 2018.

Turkish press: Impediment to Germany’s Lebensraum

Chatinian Lara
MEHMET BARLAS
Published16 hours ago
Articles
  • COLUMNSDangers of being a US ally   
  • COLUMNSGermany risks losing Turkish people’s trust   
  • COLUMNSAssault on Qatar goes too far   

As the Sept. 24 federal elections in Germany approach, it seems that the candidates will increasingly slam not only Turkey, but the entire Middle East and the Islamic world. I wonder whether this is imbued by the fact that Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler respectively riveted their eyes on the Middle East as a potential “Lebensraum” (living space).

Dominating the Balkans and Greece with its economic force, does Germany regard Turkey as the sole impediment to its Lebensraum ambitions and expansionism? Meanwhile, it must be noted that German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has disgraced himself due to his obsession with Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He alleged that his wife Anke Gabriel, a dentist, was threatened following a strong interaction he had with Erdoğan. Gabriel said that Erdoğan “had apparently led some to feel motivated to try to threaten and harass my wife. Of course, this is a terrible outcome.”

However, it turned out the one threatening Gabriel’s wife was a German citizen tired of the country’s politics. It was revealed that the threatening person, whose name was not released, expressed his unrest and displeasure with the policies of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Not having issued an apology for his baseless claims, Gabriel persisted in his rhetoric against Erdoğan in an interview with the Bild newspaper on the deterioration of Turkish-German relations. Stating that Germany’s problem is with Erdoğan, Gabriel added that Turkey’s EU membership would be impossible under the current circumstances. However, we are so familiar with such news from Germany that even itemizing the news is not a big deal any longer.

According to a report issued by the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Directorate of Publicity and Media, relations first turned sour when former German President Joachim Gauck invited journalist Can Dündar to the Bellevue Palace after a warrant was issued for Dündar as part of the controversial National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks case.

Here are some other recent instances portraying Germany’s hostility to Turkey: German parliament recognized the so-called Armenian genocide last year. Also last year, following the atrocious July 15 coup attempt, a German court decision prevented Erdoğan from addressing a rally in Cologne via videoconference while the country protected the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) operatives who fled to Germany after the failed coup attempt.

Germany also did not allow the rallies and meetings of Turkish ministers scheduled in Germany throughout the April 16 referendum campaign, although opposition campaign events run by the outlawed PKK were permitted. In the context of the referendum, Germany ran an official opposition campaign through state television by releasing content in Turkish.

German-Turkish writer held in Spain on Turkey’s order

Chatinian Lara 
Agence France Presse
 Saturday 8:26 PM GMT
German-Turkish writer held in Spain on Turkey's order
 Berlin, Aug 19 2017
Dogan Akhanli, a German intellectual of Turkish origin who writes on
Turkey's record on human rights, was arrested in Spain on Saturday at
Ankara's request, the foreign ministry said in Berlin, adding that it
opposed any extradition of the writer.
The arrest was initially announced by German Green MP Volker Beck, who
described it as a politically-motivated move by Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A foreign ministry official later confirmed the arrest. The ministry
has asked Madrid not to extradite Akhanli to Turkey, and that its
embassy be allowed to provide consular assistance "as quickly as
possible," the official said.
The Spanish interior ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
Akhanli's local newspaper, the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger in western
Germany, said the Turkish-born writer was arrested in the southern
Spanish town of Grenada on Saturday morning. The accusations against
him were unknown.
Spanish police had a so-called red notice -- an alert circulated by
Interpol that is roughly equivalent to an international arrest
warrant.
Akhanli's website says he was born in northeastern Turkey in 1957,
moved to Istanbul at the age of 12 and was held as a political
prisoner from 1985 to 1987, when he was tortured.
He moved to Cologne in the 1990s, was stripped of his Turkish
citizenship and became a German citizen in 2001, it says.
The arrest shows that Erdogan is seeking to "extend his power beyond
his country's borders, to intimidate critics and to pursue them around
the world," Beck charged.
Akhanli has written about the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink, who was murdered in 2007, and about the killing of
Armenians under the Ottoman Turkish empire.
Between half a million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed between
1915 and 1917 -- a bloodletting that Armenia and Western historians
describe as genocide.
Turkey vehemently objects to the term. It argues that 300,000 to
500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died in civil strife when
Armenians rose up and sided with invading Russian troops.
Akhanli was arrested in 2010 on his arrival in Istanbul airport for
alleged implication in an armed robbery in 1989. He was released four
months later and then declared innocent, before a court of appeal
ordered new proceedings against him.
German Green MPs took up his cause, saying he had been a victim of
political persecution.
Relations between Germany and Turkey have been at a nadir since a
failed putsch against Erdogan in July 2016.
Turkish accusations include the charge that Germany has given refuge
to wanted Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants and suspected coup
plotters.
Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel, the Istanbul correspondent of
newspaper Die Welt, has been held in jail in Turkey since February
ahead of trial on terror charges.

Chess: Kasparov shows flashes of past glory but comeback no dazzler

Chatinian Lara 
Agence France Presse
 Saturday 2:56 AM GMT
Kasparov shows flashes of past glory but comeback no dazzler
 Washington, Aug 19 2017
Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov concluded his keenly awaited
comeback Friday, ending a week of games in which he showed flashes of
his legendary prowess but ended up eighth out of 10 players.
The 15-time world champ temporarily came out of 12 years of retirement
to take on a much younger generation of masters at the Rapid and Blitz
tournament in St. Louis, Missouri.
In this format featuring faster-paced chess than in traditional games,
Kasparov played inconsistently.
He won just a few games against the other nine players, who included
four of the world's top 10. The winner of the tournament was Levon
Aronian, of Armenia.
After retiring from chess in 2005, Kasparov turned to politics and
joined the opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his peak he was known as "the Beast of Baku" -- a reference to the
capital of his native Azerbaijan -- because of his very aggressive
playing style focusing on wins over settling for a draw.
Kasparov was not expected to win this tournament.
Experts predicted the Russian would face stiff competition from the
younger stars, especially after more than a decade away from the pro
chess circuit.
"I expected a better performance from Kasparov," French grandmaster
Sylvain Ravot told AFP.
Ravot said Kasparov actually dominated a number of games but played
too slowly through much of the tournament.
"The explanation for that is his lack of confidence," said Ravot.

Film: ‘Armenia uncovered’ documentary to discover contemporary Armenia for foreigners

Chatinian Lara 
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday
'Armenia uncovered' documentary to discover contemporary Armenia for foreigners
YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS. ‘Armenia uncovered’ documentary will
present Armenia to foreigners, reports Armenpress.
Armenian cultural figures from different parts of the world are
involved in the film-making process.
‘The beautified project’ group founder Andre Simonyan told reporters
the film will be probably screened by any international TV channel.
“The purpose of the film is to introduce Armenia, Armenians to
foreigners. For many people Armenia is a post-Soviet country that
tries to reach Europe. They want to present contemporary Armenia. In
the film Armenia will be presented as a very interesting multicultural
country with its nature, cuisine aimed at attracting tourists”, Andre
Simonyan said, adding that the title of the film ‘Armenia uncovered’
already hints that Armenia is a secret that they want to discover for
foreigners.
He informed that the authors shoot different sectors of the country’s
culture - cuisine, theatrical art, music, fashion…
The film-making crew was also interested in the International Barbecue
festival and they decided to include it in the film.
“The film-making team consists of nationals from different countries.
The team consists of Austrian, American, as well as Yerevan residents.
Every day they try to visit 3-4 places to shoot different things”,
Simonyan said.

The Netherlands deports mother as children, 11 and 12, go into hiding

Chatinian Lara
Dutch News, The Netherlands

Aug 14 2017


Society   
Children protesting about the deportations on Friday. Photo: Phil Nijhuis via HH

Two children who have lived in the Netherlands for nine years but face deportation to Armenia have gone into hiding while their mother is deported, broadcaster NOS said on Monday.

Armina Hambartsjumian, the mother of Lily (11) and Howick (12), was picked up at her home at a refugee centre in Amersfoort last week and was put on a flight to Paris on Monday, Defence for Children said. She will then be put on another plane to the Armenian capital Jerevan.

‘We have never before come across a case in which a mother is deported while the children remain in the Netherlands,’ Defence for Children said. The children were born in Russia and have never been to Armenia. Nor do they speak the language.

The children were not at home when their mother was picked up and their whereabouts are unknown. She has also refused to say where they are, NOS said.

Last Friday, judges in The Hague ruled that the family can be deported because the children do not qualify for the child amnesty introduced by the outgoing government in 2012. In order to qualify, children must have become rooted in the Netherlands and their families must have cooperated with attempts to deport them.

In addition, the fact that the mother has been separated from her children is her own fault, the court said.

Appeal

On Friday, friends of the children made a last-ditch appeal to junior justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff for clemency. Supporters of the family say they should be allowed to stay while the coalition negotiations are ongoing. A chance in the amnesty rules are thought to be one of the topics up for discussion.

ChristenUnie and D66 are both part of the coalition talks and the two parties were involved with efforts to relax the rules earlier. ‘I am aware of the situation, but giving a reaction would not be in the children’s interests, ChristenUnie MP Joel Voordewind told Trouw.

Only 4% of the 3,000 application under the child amnesty rules have been successful.

The children’s ombudsman Margrite Kalverboar has described the deportation as a scandal and says the amnesty rules need to be changed.

The mother, Armina Hambartsjumian, told NOS last week she does not know how she will manage in Armenia. Despite having Armenian nationality, she was born in Azerbaijan and came to the Netherlands via Russia.

Frank Pallone intends to visit Armenia and Artsakh

Chatinian Lara 
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Friday
Frank Pallone intends to visit Armenia and Artsakh
Yerevan August 11
Tatevik Shahunyan. Armenia-USA friendship group co chair, congressman
Frank Pallone intends to visit Armenia and Artsakh.
"In September, I plan to visit Armenia and Artsakh in connection with
the Independence Day of Armenia (September 21, ed.). For members of
the House of Representatives of the Congress, this will be a good
opportunity to achieve the set goals for rapprochement between the US
and Armenia, "Frank Pallon said at a meeting with the Patriarch of the
Jerusalem Diocese of AAC Nurkhan Manukyan, Israeli media reported.
He also said that the friendship group with Armenia in the Congress
continues efforts to bring the United States and Armenia closer and to
support the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Sports: Armenian Greco-Roman team to depart for World Championship on August 19

Chatinian Lara
MediaMax, Armenia

Aug 10 2017

Photo: Mediamax

The head coach of the team Levon Julfalakyan told Mediamax Sport that he was content with the trainings, noting that the young men were in good shape.

“All the trainings were successful, everything was satisfying. The penultimate camp was held together with national teams of Belarus, Lithuania, Kazakhstan and Finland. Good athletes took part, so I am hopeful to see great results,” Julfalakyan said.
 
The coach noted that the team would depart for Paris on August 19.

The Armenian team will involve Vazgen Khachatryan (59 kg), Karen Aslanyan (66 kg),  Varsham Boranyan (71 kg),  Karapet Chalyan (75 kg), Maksim Manukyan (80 kg), Artur Shahinyan (85 kg) and Artur Aleksanyan (98 kg).

 “Armenia will only miss the competition in heavyweight category, as we still have an issue here. Of course, Edgar Khachatryan is a promising athlete, but it not the time for him to participate in the World Championship,” Julfalakyan concluded.