Tuesday, June 14, 2022 Armenian Opposition Scales Back Protests June 14, 2022 Armenia - Opposition supporters demonstrate in Yerevan, June 14, 2022. More than six weeks after the start of their “resistance movement,” Armenia’s main opposition groups announced late on Tuesday their decision to scale back virtually daily demonstrations aimed at toppling Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. In what they called a change of tactics, they said they will dismantle tents pitched in the center of Yerevan, switch to weekly rallies and try to attract a larger following. Ishkhan Saghatelian, one of the opposition leaders, admitted that many Armenians unhappy with Pashinian’s government have avoided participating in the protests. “We have not yet managed to get all those people to the streets and to bring them to this square. There are still people who think this is s fight for power, for the return of former rulers to power,” Saghatelian told thousands of supporters rallying in Yerevan’s France Square, the site of the opposition tent camp. Armenia - Opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelian speaks at a rally in Yerevan, June 14, 2022. The two opposition alliances represented in the Armenian parliament launched their campaign there on May 1 two weeks after Pashinian signaled his readiness to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and “lower the bar” on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh acceptable to the Armenian side. They accused Pashinian of helping Baku regain full control of Karabakh. Opposition supporters have since regularly marched through the city center, closed roads and blocked the entrances to government buildings, repeatedly clashing with riot police. The most serious of those clashes, which broke out on June 3, left dozens of protesters and police officers seriously injured. Pashinian and his political allies have dismissed the opposition demands for his resignation. They say that the opposition has failed to attract popular support for regime change. Armenia - Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian (center) participates in an opposition rally in Yerevan, June 14, 2022. Saghatelian, who has been the main speaker at the protests, put a brave face on the failure to unseat the prime minister. He claimed that the opposition has managed to “awaken the society” and scuttle a “new capitulation agreement” with Azerbaijan. The protests have showed that Pashinian lacks a popular “mandate to lead Armenia to vital concessions” to Baku, he said. “We will definitely oust Nikol but we will do that bloodlessly,” Saghatelian told the crowd. The opposition forces, he went on, have to “change the structure and tactic of our resistance movement in a way that will allow us to give it new impetus.” They will now hold major rallies on a weekly basis and set up, in the meantime, new structures in and outside Yerevan, he said. Saghatelian said they will also keep fighting for the release of over three dozen opposition activists and supporters arrested during the protest movement. The vast majority of them were charged with assaulting police officers or government loyalists. Opposition leaders reject the accusations as politically motivated. Russia Set For Key Role In Azeri Transit Through Armenia June 14, 2022 • Sargis Harutyunyan Armenia - Russian border guards stationed in Syunik province are inspected by Russian Ambassador Sergei Kopyrkin, May 24, 2022. Russian border guards are expected to carry out border checks on Azerbaijani travellers and goods that will transit Armenia’s territory as part of Armenian-Azerbaijani transport links facilitated by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan are to reopen their border to commercial and passenger traffic under the terms of a Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped their six-week war for Nagorno-Karabakh in November 2020. The agreement specifically commits Yerevan to opening rail and road rinks that will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said last week that the Armenian side has agreed to simplify border crossing procedures for those who will use the planned transit routes. He did not elaborate. The Armenian government has still not commented on the arrangement announced by Lavrov. Sources familiar with the arrangement divulged some of its details to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. According to them, Azerbaijani cargos and travellers will be checked by Russian border guards and then Armenian customs officers when crossing the Armenian border. Armenian security personnel will then escort them to the nearest Azerbaijani border checkpoint. A Russian officer will be embedded with each armed escort, the sources said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in December that passage through that “corridor” must be exempt from Armenian border controls. Yerevan rejected his demands. In an interview with the Al Jazeera TV channel aired on Tuesday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian insisted that the Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements call for only conventional transport links between two countries. “We have only one corridor in our region,” Pashinian said. “It’s the Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.” Areg Kochinian, a Yerevan-based political analyst, suggested that the “simplified” border control regime would compromise Armenia’s full control over the transit road and railway leading to Nakhichevan. “If Russian border guards, escorts are deployed there and the whole thing has a special status, it will function as a corridor,” Kochinian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Especially if no such arrangement is put in place for our passenger and cargo traffic through Azerbaijani territory.” A Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani commission discussing practical modalities of the transport links met in Moscow earlier this month. A Russian government statement said its Armenian and Azerbaijani members “brought closer their positions on issues of border, customs and other types of control.” Armenian Central Bank Ups 2022 Growth Forecast June 14, 2022 Armenia - Martin Galtsian, the chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, speaks at a news conference in Yerevan, June 3, 2021. The Central Bank significantly upgraded its 2022 growth forecast for Armenia on Tuesday, saying that Russia’s economy is doing better than expected after crippling sanctions imposed by the West. It also made clear that it will not intervene to reverse or stop a sharp appreciation of the national currency, the dram, which began a few weeks after Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. The bank predicted in mid-March that economic growth in Armenia will slow down to 1.6 percent this year due to anticipated fallout from the conflict. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank forecast even lower growth rates, pointing to the South Caucasus state’s close economic ties with Russia. The Central Bank governor, Martin Galstian, said the Armenian economy is now on course to expand by 4.9 percent in 2022. “This has mainly to with the presence of foreign visitors in Armenia and the Russian economy’s short-term performance which is not as bad as we expected earlier,” Galstian told a news conference. Armenia - Russian nationals are seen in downtown Yerevan, March 7, 2022. The visitors mentioned by him presumably include thousands of Russians who moved to Armenia and/or opened bank accounts there following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. About 27,000 foreigners, most of them Russian citizens, opened Armenian bank accounts from February 24 through the end of March. This seems to explain why hard currency inflows to Armenia doubled, according to the Central Bank, in April. Armenian government data shows that GDP growth accelerated to 8.6 percent in the first quarter of this year and continued unabated in April on the back of sharp gains in the services and construction sectors. “A considerable influx of foreign visitors and rising internal private spending are helping to boost the services sector and overall consumer demand,” said Galstian. He also cautioned: “The Central Bank Board reckons that macroeconomic prospects remain highly uncertain due to geopolitical developments.” RUSSIA - An oil pumpjack is seen near the village of Yamashi in the Republic of Tatarstan, April 5, 2020: Armenia is also very dependent on multimillion-dollar remittances from hundreds of thousands of its citizens working in Russia. The Russian ruble is now stronger than it was before the war, having more than regained its value lost in late February and early March. The Armenian dram has similarly strengthened against the U.S. dollar by almost 24 percent since the middle of March. Its continuing appreciation is prompting growing concerns from Armenian export-oriented firms and fuelling calls for Central Bank intervention. Galstian said that the bank will not cut interest rates or intervene in the domestic currency market to cut the dram’s value. He argued that the stronger dram is somewhat easing external inflationary pressures aggravated by the Ukraine war. “By artificially weakening the dram we would create an even worse inflationary situation which would hit all citizens, including exporters,” said Galstian. Earlier in the day, the Central Bank board decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 9.25 percent. According to the bank, consumer price inflation in Armenia continued to rise in May, reaching an annual rate of 9 percent. Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Chmshkian Vicken
Record holder Yuri Sakunts pulls two fire-rescue vehicles with teeth seeking to set a new Guinness record
12:38, 16 June 2022
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS. Yuri Sakunts, two-time world champion in power triathlon, Europe champion, a lecturer at Crisis Management State Academy of the Armenian Ministry of Emergency situations, pulled two fire-rescue vehicles with a total of weight of 37.5 tons with his teeth.
“I got permission from the Guinness Commission to set this record. We are going to send the videos to London, to the Guinness Records Commission for the approval. We also send them to different world records associations. I would like to note that the book “Sakunts” of world records has already been published in Armenia, where different world record holders are registered”, Sakunts said.
He said that three years ago he pulled a 25-ton car with his teeth.
“I will pull a helicopter with the little finger in a month”, Sakunts said.
Armenpress: The WHO will hold a consultation to assess the risk of monkeypox virus
The WHO will hold a consultation to assess the risk of monkeypox virus
20:50,
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS. The World Health Organization (WHO) will hold an emergency meeting to discuss whether the monkeypox virus poses a threat to public health, ARMENPRESS reports “Interfax” informs.
The meeting is scheduled for June 23.
Since the beginning of the year, 1.6 thousand cases of infection with monkeypox virus have been registered, 1.5 thousand people are under suspicion. 72 of the infected died. In total, the virus has been detected in 39 countries.
The virus was first found in monkeys in 1958 and in humans in 1970.
Monkey pox is a rare infectious disease that is most common in remote areas of Central and West Africa. Symptoms include nausea, fever, rash, itching, and muscle aches.
Blankspot: New documents give unique insight into how talks went after Karabakh war
NEWS.am
Armenia – June 7 2022
20:48, 07.06.2022
The Swedish portal Blankspot was provided with documents that give a unique insight into how the negotiations took place in the aftermath of the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh during the time of Ann Linde as chairman of the OSCE. Among other things, they show that the allocation of additional resources to reach a peace agreement was not a priority.
Earlier, the portal wrote about the cooperation of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs with ISDP, a research institute receiving money from Azerbaijan. This cooperation took place when Foreign Minister Ann Linde served as OSCE Chairperson in 2021 and was responsible for initiating peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Blankspot has reviewed publicly available documents reflecting the initial peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Approximately 75-80% of the documents are classified, and the rest of them were edited after checking the secrecy in the Foreign Ministry. Despite this, documents show intense negotiations and the presence of Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde at the initial peace talks between the warring parties.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave money to the research institute ISDP, which has far-reaching ties with Azerbaijan.
In a dossier sent to the MFA registrar, Blankspot requested all correspondence with accompanying attachments between MFA officials for the OSCE chairmanship and Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as correspondence with the Minsk Group chair countries (Russia, France and the United States).
In response, Blankspot received 6 documents:
1. E-mail correspondence with the American delegation of the Minsk Group on November 2, 2020, a week before the signing of the ceasefire statement.
2. Briefing for Ann Linde from the Minsk Group on November 12, 2020, three days after the ceasefire.
3. Briefing by the Ambassador of Sweden to Azerbaijan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 25, 2020. This was before the Swedish chairmanship of the OSCE.
4. Summary of Ann Linde’s visit to Azerbaijan on March 14-15, 2021, when the OSCE was supposed to initiate peace talks.
5. Summary of Ann Linde’s visit to Armenia on March 16, 2021 for the same purpose.
6. Summary of Ann Linde’s talks with the ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the continuation of peace talks, 13 May 2021.
In short, the documents reveal trust issues between the warring parties and the OSCE, as well as differing views on such important issues as the status of Armenian prisoners of war. The data also shows that the OSCE considers Russia’s presence in Nagorno-Karabakh to be consistent with the previous 2009 peace talks (Madrid Principles).
In addition, the documents serve as a timeline of how the initial peace talks developed within the OSCE.
The first document relating to the final stages of the war (November 2, 2020) states that Sweden has started negotiations with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group (France, Russia and the United States) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman Andrzej Karspzyk. The latter acted as the closest adviser to Ann Linde during the OSCE chairmanship.
It appears from the correspondence that the American co-chair Andrew Schofer wanted to make sure that Ann Linde during the Swedish chairmanship would stick to the same line as the Minsk Group had up to this point.
Among other things, the issue of a Scandinavian peacekeeping force instead of a Russian one was raised. The American co-chair of the Minsk Group stressed that Russia plans to deploy its own peacekeeping contingents. The United States preferred to find alternatives, or at least be able to offer them in the long run.
It also appears that the United States was disappointed that three previous ceasefire attempts during the war were quickly thwarted. The US delegate states that they believe Armenia wants an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian operations, while the Azerbaijani side does not want a ceasefire until a package agreement on “substantial negotiations” is concluded.
The US delegate also called it “ridiculous” to continue negotiations on a ceasefire when the warring parties did not follow what they had already agreed to.
In addition, it appears that both warring parties wanted to increase the budget for the OSCE’s efforts in the peace talks to ensure that more confidence-building measures are taken. The representative of Sweden rejected the request.
Finally, Karspzyk criticizes both sides for not being afraid of the fact that the war threatens the “existence of the OSCE”.
On November 12, three days after the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Russian help, Ann Linde requested a briefing from the Minsk Group.
The American co-chair said at a briefing that it is useless to start peace talks between the parties until they are “genuinely” ready to take this step. Surprisingly, it is also noted that the parties have several points in common, although these points are confidential.
The document notes that the deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces is in line with the 2009 Madrid Principles agreed within the framework of the OSCE. One of the points was that Nagorno-Karabakh would be guarded by international troops until a referendum on the status of the region was held.
The document says that the idea of a Scandinavian peacekeeping force was abandoned. This is mainly due to the fact that, as Ann Linde notes, “Sweden is not neutral, it is non-aligned”. In addition, she adds “we would need to carefully consider any future inquiries – a process that requires time.”
It is noted that the role of Ann Linde as OSCE Chairperson is to coordinate the implementation of the field presence with the participating States and initiate peace negotiations.
The November 25 email correspondence, in which Swedish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Christian Camille describes his preparatory meetings, is almost entirely confidential. The only thing that is clear is that he met with assistant Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also the wife of President Ilham Aliyev, and vice president. This indicates that Azerbaijan is curious about what Sweden’s position will be during its forthcoming OSCE chairmanship.
The statements of Azerbaijan on March 14-15 and those of Armenia on March 16 are more complete. Previous documents indicated that the OSCE was not going to meet with the parties unless they were sincerely interested in negotiations, and Ann Linde’s visits to countries led to the first such high-level talks since the war.
Ann Linde met with the top leadership and foreign ministers of both countries.
The meeting with Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan was held in “good spirits,” writes Ambassador Christian Camille. Much of the text is confidential, but Ann Linde emphasizes that the Minsk Group format is suitable for “facilitating” peace efforts.
In addition, Ann Linde touched upon the issue of the treatment of prisoners of war, which was one of the most acute problems of the post-war period.
Shortly after the war, Armenia handed over all the prisoners of war to Azerbaijan, and up to 200 Armenians remained in Azerbaijani captivity. Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have accused Azerbaijan of failing to comply with the rules regarding prisoners of war. At a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, Ann Linde emphasizes the importance of their return in accordance with international law.
The documents also state that in a subsequent press conference the next day with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Ann Linde raised the issue again, but Bayramov took the floor and stated that the Armenians were captured after November 10, so they are not considered prisoners of war. .
The way Ilham Aliyev discussed this issue in a conversation with Ann Linde is confidential. However, from the video recording of the conversation between the Aliyevs and the Erdogans, it became known that the prisoners of war were considered a good trump card against Armenia.
Since then, there have been several exchanges of prisoners of war in exchange for Armenia providing Azerbaijan with a map of minefields.
Since then, Ann Linde, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, has referred to prisoners of war as “prisoners”. However, the Red Cross has indicated that the status of the prisoners must be resolved between Azerbaijan and Armenia and is ready to ensure a safe transfer. The difference between the status of “prisoner” and “prisoner of war” is whether the detainee is subject to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions.
From the documents of the March 16 meetings in Armenia, it appears that Ann Linde, in addition to meetings with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and then Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan, also held a brief informal and undocumented meeting with representatives of Stepanakert.
In a conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the importance of adding additional resources to the peace negotiations was emphasized, which was also announced on November 2, 2020 and then rejected by the Swedish delegation. Ayvazyan also stressed the fear of the resumption of a full-scale war, which could lead to a new Armenian genocide.
During the conversation with Pashinyan, he again raised the issue of prisoners of war, and also expressed the hope that the Swedish chairmanship in the OSCE would contribute to the final settlement of the conflict, taking into account the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ayvazyan also expressed concern that the Armenian cultural heritage is under threat from Azerbaijan in the large territories seized by Baku.
As Blankspot reports, those fears came true in February 2022. And this despite the fact that the issue was raised at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Finally, Ann Linde emphasized that a final peace agreement was not Sweden’s priority during the OSCE chairmanship, but rather stated that the ceasefire was respected.
Here is what is written in the documentation: “Sweden’s priorities within the presidency were mentioned. The ceasefire agreement was only such, not a final peace agreement. Here, the OSCE could contribute with further conflict resolution efforts.”
The latest document dated May 13, 2021 states that Linde called for relevant meetings with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The reason is reports of Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of invading the Armenian region of Syunik on May 12.
While the Armenian foreign minister highlighted the importance of the world community distancing itself from Azerbaijan’s actions, the Azerbaijani foreign minister argues that the borders are not clear after the 2020 war.
Blankspot asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about priorities during the presidency of the OSCE. An email to press secretary Ann Linde mentions reports that the budget has not changed despite the war and that Linde, during her visit to Armenia, announced that a ceasefire is taking precedence over a peace deal.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded as follows: “Sweden and the EU welcomed the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan as it put an end to the fighting. However, the ceasefire was only a first step towards a peace agreement. During the Swedish Presidency, the work for the parties to take further steps towards a peace agreement was a high priority. It was hard work shortly after an armed conflict with many dead and with great human suffering. The Minsk Group and the Presidency’s personal representative have made efforts to move the process forward.”
https://news.am/eng/news/706128.html
Armenian News note
The Document in Swedish can be found at the following link:
Armenian authorities committed to the process of democratic reforms, Deputy Speaker of Parliament tells Venice Commission chief
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia – June 8 2022
At a meeting with Venice Commission chief Claire Bazy-Malaurie, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Head of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE Ruben Rubinyan hailed the effective cooperation with the structure.
Member of the National Assembly delegation to the PACE Arusyak Julhakyan and Secretary General of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe Simona Granata-Menghini were present at the meeting.
According to Ruben Rubinyan, the Armenian authorities remain committed to the process of democratic reforms that began after the Velvet Revolution. In this regard, the Vice Speaker stressed the need for the support of the commission.
Reference was made to the work of the newly established Constitutional Reform Council.
The Chair of the Venice Commission highlighted the fruitful cooperation with Armenia.
https://en.armradio.am/2022/06/08/armenian-authorities-committed-to-the-process-of-democratic-reforms-deputy-speaker-of-parliament-tells-venice-commission-chief/
AW: Alzheimer’s Care Armenia awarded grant to launch innovative early detection program for Alzheimer’s
YEREVAN – Alzheimer’s Care Armenia has launched the Brain Health Armenia Project. The grant comes from the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), the organization leading an unprecedented global response to Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Care Armenia will join a global network of 12 grant projects, all part of the DAC Healthcare System Preparedness project, which aims to advance how healthcare systems worldwide detect, diagnose, treat and care for people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s. The early detection grants total $4.5 million from eight countries.
Alzheimer’s Care Armenia is honored to be selected as one of 12 select recipients of the Inaugural Global Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Grant Program for Healthcare System Preparedness. In 2021, Dr. Jane Mahakian, gerontologist and founder of Alzheimer’s Care Armenia, developed a US-based healthcare committee consisting of experts in elder care to help develop this specialized program. The committee includes: Dr. Armen Moughamian, MD, PhD neurologist; Sona Hovsepian, LCSW; Nancy Barsamian BSN, RN; Dr. Herag Hamoboyan, MD, geriatrician and Lara Markarian, BS.
The Brain Health Armenia Project is a country-wide mobile memory screening and Alzheimer’s disease training program in Armenia. The project will collaborate with the Armenian EyeCare Project to provide memory screening throughout Armenia and is endorsed by the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Health. The Brain Health Armenia Project’s multidisciplinary team of specially trained experts includes primary care physicians, nurses, psychologists and social workers and will also provide didactic and hands-on training to healthcare professionals and family caregivers to improve the care of the person with dementia in Armenia. The Project experts include Dr. Samson Khachatryan, MD, chairman of neurology at the National Institute of Health, Armenia and Dr. Gevorg Pashikyan, MD, geriatric psychiatrist. This project will make a sustainable impact by training and educating healthcare professionals and increase visibility and awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to develop this groundbreaking and sustainable project that will improve the care of people with dementia with the intent of incorporating cognitive screenings as a standard of medical care throughout Armenia,” said Dr. Mahakian. Alzheimer’s disease is on the rise in Armenia and Alzheimer’s Care Armenia is leading the way to make systemic changes that will improve the care of the person with dementia and support for their families. The key is early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias along with a standard of care for all people.
About Alzheimer’s Care Armenia
Alzheimer’s Care Armenia (ACA) was founded in 2017 by gerontologist Dr. Jane Mahakian with the purpose of raising awareness and developing sustainable programs and services for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families in Armenia. ACA is located in San Clemente, California. It is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in the State of California and is an NGO in Armenia. Dr. Mahakian is a pioneer in bringing elder care programs and increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in Armenia. She is author of “I hear you” a practical guide for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease that promotes purposeful living and preserves independence.
Extraordinary session kicks off in Parliament
11:00, 9 June 2022
YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. Extraordinary session kicked off in the Parliament of Armenia.
The session has been convened at the initiative of the government.
Several items are on agenda – the package of bills on making amendments to the Law on Administrative and Territorial Division of Armenia, the Law on Social Assistance, etc.
[See video]
Sports: How Armenia reacted to Scotland defeat – ‘better in every aspect’
June 8 2022
Caparros was left relieved his team did not lose by a bigger margin than the 2-0 scoreline which saw the Scots make a winning start to their UEFA Nations League Group B1 campaign.
Armenia, who had beaten Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Yerevan last Saturday in their opening fixture, seldom threatened to cause any problems for Scotland who eased to victory with first half goals from Anthony Ralston and Scott McKenna.
“It is very easy to sum up the game,” said former Sevilla coach Caparros. “Scotland were much stronger than our team. We had a lack of confidence and were not good on the ball.
“But this was a good learning experience for my players, to get stronger for the future.
“Scotland are very well prepared physically, very strong one-on-one and good at both defensive and attacking set pieces. That’s why they were better than us in every aspect of the game. They clearly deserved to win.”
Scotland now travel to face Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday before taking on the Armenians again in the heat of Yerevan next Tuesday. Caparros, whose team are next in action against Ukraine in Lodz on Saturday, does not believe there is much to choose between the Scots and the Irish.
“Scotland and Ireland have similar attributes,” said the 66-year-old. “They are both very well prepared physically, which is typical of all the British teams.”
AW: Armenia’s scientific ecosystem needs a revival for the country’s future well-being and security
Gituzh calls on the Diaspora to combine forces to advance the development of scientific research and R&D capacities that serve Armenia’s needs.
In the social welfare and economic modernization of a country, science and technology play a vital role. In Armenia’s case, scientific advancement is not just one aspect of growth, but a critical factor in addressing the major external threats and internal challenges we face. The scientific ecosystem in Armenia that was left unaddressed for decades has degraded, public perceptions regarding science and scientists, disproportionately affected. The scientific community is aware of the problems and the vital contributions science and technology can make to address our precarious security, economy and overall development. There is a connected moral responsibility to participate in discussions about the role of science in the above-mentioned and to critically evaluate and adopt processes through which the beneficial potential of science will be promoted.
To this end, almost 200 founders, entrepreneurs and businessmen from the high-tech industry and beyond, as well as 18 major associations and foundations came together to form the Gituzh initiative to prioritize the development and modernization of Armenia’s scientific ecosystem to promote the rapid development of the country and serve its security. The demand formulated by the Gituzh community has the support of representatives of over 700 companies.
In a conversation with the Weekly, Aram Pakhchanian, a member of the Gituzh initiative, and chairman of the Board at Ayb Foundation, stressed the absence of scientific growth in Armenia following independence, with science being more of a social issue, rather than one to secure the future. Such an approach has brought about a recession with all its vices: decrease in the number of scientists, increase in the average age, insufficient staff, petty funding and so on.
Tigran Shahverdyan, a member of the Gituzh initiative and a co-founder and CTO of Robomart, stresses that there is no clear cut state order for scientific research and R&D and “no awareness of its vital role.” One of the tasks of Gituzh is also the formation of such a state order and the public demand for it.
The short-term focus of the initiative is to ensure increased funding for science, a promise that at least four-percent of the budget or one-percent of GDP should be spent on R&D. “This is our demand, which should be reflected in the law,” Pakhchanian said, so that people who decide to get involved in science realize that it is not a situational decision, but one that guarantees long-term stability. The long-term goal is to work with the public and make them reconsider their approach to science, “to stop looking at science as a strange occupation, but rather as their only guarantee of development and security. We have to achieve that, and the way to do that is to explain, to clarify, to share, to persuade.”
When it comes to security, Shahverdyan notes with dismay that in 2021 less than half of the budget allocated for defense R&D was spent for that purpose, the other half was disseminated for other unknown purposes. “There is no strategy for defense R&D. This is the problem that should be number one for any state leadership.”
The essence of how science contributes to society is the creation of new knowledge and its utilization to improve human lives and solve various issues facing them. But societal progress through science requires sufficient accumulation of scientific knowledge. This is not something that can be acquired in a single day but instead requires a steady, continuous build-up.
Armenia has the human resources that can invigorate the physical and economic infrastructures to help overthrow the 1990s sense of values, build robust R&D capabilities and drive the country into the modern age. The objective of Gituzh is the continuous development of science in Armenia for the country’s security, prosperity and economic development.
“Our belief is that there can’t be a state in a country that will develop and at the same time will not have powerful scientific potential,” Pakhchanian added. “We are in a very early stage of development, which has a good side. The faster you act, the faster the development will be because in the initial stages everything goes faster.”
To boost the scientific potential of Armenia, the Science Committee has announced new programs for both young and experienced researchers abroad who will relocate to Armenia or work remotely, win grants and form teams. “Entrepreneurs can also make their contribution by donating funds and equipment to the development of science in Armenia,” Shahverdyan said.
The Diaspora has a significant role to play in the development of science in Armenia. However, according to Pakhchanian, the government and policymakers in Armenia also have to understand what needs to be done in order to engage the Diaspora’s scientific potential.
Armenia can take that giant leap of faith and action to put the country on the global scientific map with all its inherent privileges. Scientists and entrepreneurs from the motherland and Diaspora can also make a difference and collaborate to help develop science that serves the nation. “Fast and hard work is required here, and the goal of the Gituzh is to direct, support and promote those efforts.”
Shahverdyan calls on the Diaspora not to wait for special conditions or a completely adapted environment to contribute and invest. The opportunities are there, from the minimum to the most ambitious. “It all starts with a desire.”
“We have in Armenia bright minds, who, despite all the difficulties, persevere in scientific research. But the consistent, rapid growth of science potential in Armenia is impossible without the involvement of scientists, entrepreneurs living in the Diaspora, why not also non-Armenian,” Pakhchanian added.
Both members of the Gituzh initiative agree that Armenia’s true chance for development lies in involving the Diaspora. In Gituzh, they have profound faith in the potential and dream to make Armenia a scientific center whose successes have magnetism. “I call on the Armenian scientists, be they in Diaspora or Armenia, not to break that faith. This is a unique chance to unite around a goal with a vital value for us,” Pakhchanian stresses. “We will either do that and become what we dream to become, or we can’t and there will be no dream.”
Sports: Save Armenian football – Enigma opponent emerges from the shadow of former president
The Irish Times
June 4 2022
Soccer
Sat Jun 4 2022 – 06:00
In the Armenian capital Yerevan, the graffiti gets straight to the point. On a busy road near the summit of the city’s Cascade, a Soviet-era concrete stairway built into Yerevan’s natural contours that rises nearly 400 feet above the city, a simple message is stencilled on a grey wall blackened from fumes: “Save Armenian football”.
The message dates to before Armenia’s Velvet Revolution of 2018, when the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) was ruled by its former president, the businessman and parliamentary deputy Ruben Hayrapetyan, a ruthless and unpopular figure who, critics say, held the federation in an iron grip and was personally responsible for the corruption that has been endemic to football since the country gained its independence in 1991.
Hayrapetyan was swept away with the rest of the Nomenklatura booted from power when the country’s former president, Serzh Sargsyan, was removed following massive street demonstrations four years ago. The result has been an overdue “democratisation” of football governance, and a transparency in the way the FFA does business that has brought change both to the domestic championship and to the national team.
Armenia – population less than three million – does not pretend to be a powerful football country. But there has always been potential here. Led by their first global superstar, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the team made a brave stab at qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, thrashing Denmark 4-0 in Copenhagen.
The team is an enigma. During Euro 2020 qualifying, they were in pole position to reach the finals with three games to go before a spectacular implosion that culminated in a 9-1 defeat to Italy in Palermo. They have since conceded nine again in a friendly against Norway, yet just 12 months earlier they had beaten Iceland and Romania to lead their World Cup qualifying group just before the halfway stage.
On the eve of those qualifiers, Armenia’s vocal football supporters were granted a wish they had long called for, the appointment of an overseas coach. In came the 66-year-old Spaniard Joaquin Caparros, the archetypal journeyman boasting 22 previous appointments including at Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla. Armenia’s most successful period had been masterminded by a foreigner, the late Ian Porterfield, former Chelsea manager, whose memory is cherished here. Supporters were hopeful of a repeat.
“One of our demands has always been that the FFA appoint a proper, talented coach,” says Arsen Zaqaryan, a member of the First Armenian Front (FAF), a supporter activist group that formed to be the principal point of opposition to Hayrapetyan’s influence. In a climate of fear and suspicion, they were the only voices that spoke out publicly against the former president. “Our native coaches aren’t qualified for the job, but Hayrapetyan would not listen. We have wanted a foreign coach for a long, long time, but we could not be heard.
“This guy [Caparros] is a proper coach. He had a really good start, in the World Cup and in the Nations League. Then something went wrong and I don’t think he quite knew why.
“People are ready to trust him, he’s well liked, he’s very positive. Nobody is calling for him to be removed. People want him to be given another chance, because we’ve had some really good games under him. I think that could change if we have a poor Nations League and a poor European Championship campaign.”
Either way Armenian football is, for the first time in the country’s short history, deemed to be in safe hands, to the relief of the FAF and other stakeholders who had grown tired of Hayrapetyan’s interference.
It wasn’t just supporters who had run out of patience. In December 2019, police raided the former president’s mansion as part of an investigation into suspected embezzlement, falsification of documents, and misuse of powers in a commercial organisation, all in relation to his tenure as FFA chief.
They are far from the most serious charges to have been brought against him. In 2012, he was forced to give up his seat in parliament, where he represented the party of his close ally, the deposed former president Sargsyan, after security men in his employ murdered a military doctor at a restaurant owned by Hayrapetyan in Yerevan. In 2015, he avoided prosecution despite admitting to carrying out a physical attack that left a business rival in hospital.
“Hayrapetyan is a criminal,” says Zaqaryan. “He’s from the 90s, he had his methods. Maybe there were some things that were better [in football] in his time, but in general this is a big improvement.
“He would have his favourite players, so talented players who deserved it never got called up. He would always decide. That favouritism, the interference from the president, is gone now.
“The new president, Armen Melikbekyan, is a former journalist. He’s more democratic, more educated, he has good knowledge of football. He also has good relations with the First Armenian Front, which is the most important thing. We’ve had a number of meetings between him and the FAF. We have good relations now with the FFA, which is very new. That never happened under Hayrapetyan.”