The Art Newspaper Experts raise alarm over fate of Georgia's leading art museum amid political upheaval By Sophia Kishkovsky 10 November 2021 [Concerns persist that a government-backed renovation of the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi could endanger its collection of 139,000 ancient and modern works.] Uncertainty surrounds a controversial renovation plan for Georgia’s leading art museum as political upheaval grips the South Caucasus country. According to former and current staff members at the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, its 139,000-strong collection of ancient and modern works could be endangered by a relocation proposed by the culture minister, Tea Tsulukiani. Meanwhile, architectural preservationists have raised concerns about the rumoured demolition of the museum’s classical-style 1838 building, a former seminary at which Joseph Stalin once studied. The museum turmoil coincided with the cloak-and-dagger return to Georgia of the exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili ahead of municipal elections on 2 October. He was arrested and has been on hunger strike for more than a month—leading to his transfer this week to a prison hospital—while thousands have rallied in Tbilisi to demand his release and medical treatment in a civilian clinic. Mass demonstrations have followed the elections, when the ruling Georgian Dream party swept mayoral runoffs in Tbilisi and other major cities amid widespread allegations of vote-buying. Georgian Dream defeated Saakashvili’s United National Movement party in 2012 parliamentary elections. Tsulukiani is an ally of Georgian Dream’s founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, a Kremlin-connected billionaire who bought Picasso’s Dora Maar with Cat for $95.2m in 2006 and served as Georgia’s prime minister in 2012-13. She became culture minister in March, having served as minister of justice from 2012 to 2020. Soon after her appointment, Tsulukiani announced the renovation of the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum as “a major generational endeavor” that will require "very significant human and financial effort”. In July, she said urgent action would have to be taken since Unesco experts had determined that precious icons in the museum’s collection are seriously damaged and need to be moved. Meanwhile, opposition politicians and opposition-affiliated media outlets have linked Tsulukiani’s overhaul of the museum building to the real-estate interests of Ivanishvili, the lead investor behind the $500m urban development project Panorama Tbilisi, which includes a newly constructed hotel next door to the museum. Eka Kiknadze, the museum’s former manager, tells The Art Newspaper that she was abruptly demoted to laboratory assistant in a reshuffle after she requested details about Tsulukiani’s plans. The new director, Nika Akhalbedashvili, a former justice ministry official appointed by Tsulukiani, told staff in July that the collection would have to be moved within months. Museum employees and preservationists have protested that the plan is ill-considered, amid fears that the collection might never return to the building. According to Kiknadze, a long-term strategy to move the museum’s collection to climate-regulated temporary storage in adjacent buildings has gone ignored. The collection comprises “the main artefacts in Georgian culture, from medieval icons to modern Georgian art”, Kiknadze says, with the most valuable medieval works being known as the Treasury. These were “supposed to be temporarily [relocated] while the historic building was undergoing rehabilitation” under a “multi-stage” plan drawn up by specialists of Georgia’s National Museum, an umbrella organisation that oversees a dozen institutions including the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts. This would have provided a suitable 3,500 sq. m space “equipped according to all modern standards for storing museum collections in terms of climate and humidity, with the most up-to-date micro-climate, fire and physical safety systems”, Kiknadze says. The abandoned strategy, which is still visible on the National Museum’s website , was created after the organisation partnered with Germany’s Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in 2010-12 in a cultural “twinning” programme funded by the European Union. It referred to a design concept for the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum’s renovation by the French architect Jean-Francois Milou, who also proposed a masterplan for an “Avenue of the Arts” to unify various buildings of the Georgian National Museum. The current situation “is quite alarming and very offensive because many years of work have gone down the drain”, says George Partskhaladze, a member of the Georgian National Museum’s research council who worked on the twinning project and restoration strategy. Irina Koshoridze, the chief curator of Oriental collections, has confirmed to The Art Newspaper that “the transfer of collections has not started yet” at the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum but she warns that “no temperature and climate conditions” are in place if objects are relocated.In contrast, a decade ago the 5,000 works of the Oriental collection were carefully moved to the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia nearby, including 25 early Persian paintings that Koshoridze described as its “most important and world-renowned” works. Supporters of the museum recently raised the alarm over the fate of another prized artefact, the medieval Ancha Icon of the Saviour, which dates to the sixth or seventh century. In August, the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, asked the prime minister Irakli Garibashvili to hand over the icon to the Anchiskhati church after which it is named, for use in religious services. “The historic building of the Museum of Fine Arts to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the museum’s treasures to the Patriarchate—this is the goal for which Tsulukiani, who is capable of all, was appointed minister of culture,” commented Roman Gotsiridze, a United National Movement opposition MP, according to local news reports. Neither the Georgian culture ministry nor the National Museum responded to The Art Newspaper’s requests for comment. A ministry statement posted this summer on Facebook decried the poor condition of the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum, which it said “does not meet the elementary standards of seismic resistance”. The statement refuted claims that the building could be demolished, however, adding: “the ministry intends to save the unique exhibits preserved in the museum”. Tsulukiani has also claimed that works went missing under previous museum management. In late September, Akhalbedashvili, the museum’s new director, accused local media of spreading lies and said: “the art museum building will definitely be restored in the place where it is now”.
Author: Chmshkian Vicken
Prelate Hosts Celebration Dinner Honoring Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian
Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan presents a memento to Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
An evening honoring Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian’s 25 years of service as Prelate of the Western Prelacy was held on Friday, November 5 at the Glendale Hilton. Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan presided over the dinner celebration that was initiated by the Western Prelacy Executive and Religious Councils and organized by a special committee.
Leaders representing the other Armenian religious demonimantions included Western Diocese Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian; Fr. Armenag Bedrossian, representing the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of the U.S. and Canada; Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian Interim Minister to the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America.
Also attending were Armenia’s Consul General to Los Angeles, Ambassador Dr. Armen Baibourtian; Armenia’s Honorary Consul in Fresno and Executive Council member Berj Apkarian; Armenia’s Honorary Consul in Las Vegas Adroushan Armenian; as well as members of the Cilician Catholicosate’s Central Executive Council, Executive Council members, representatives of boards or trustees, principals and directors of Prelacy Schools, benefactors, friends and guests.
The evening’s Master of Ceremonies Rev. Karekin Bedourian, welcomed guests and highlighted Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian’s religious leadership positions both outside and within the Western Prelacy throughout the years.
Ambassador Baibourtian, Apkarian and Primate Derderian all praised Archbishop Mardirossian’s spiritual, human and leadership qualities that have distinguished his 25 years of tireless service in the Western Prelacy. Underscoring his national and community accomplishments, they detailed and shared personal accounts and heartfelt sentiments.
Archbishop Derderian presented a memento to the Archbishop Mardirossian that depicts the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, likening the actions of Archbishop Mardirossian’s parents, who led their son to the Church at a young age, to those of Jesus.
The head table at the celebration dinner
Very Rev. Dajad Ashekian then read an encyclical from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great See of Cilicia, which conveyed blessings and appreciation to Archbishop Moushegh Mardirosian, highlighting his merits and life of service to the Church.
Archbishop Mardirossian expressed gratitude to His Holiness Aram I for the commendation, thanked Prelate Donoyan, Religious and Executive Councils, and the organizing committee for arranging the evening of tribute, and speakers for their homage to his service. He recalled his now deceased parents, especially his mother who instilled traditional Armenian values in him, at an early age.
Talking about his religious service, he thanked former prelates, clergy, peers, benefactors, friends and circumstances that have played a crucial role in advancing activities and accomplishments during his spiritual service, spanning from 25 years as prelate to those before, as clergy.
Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan began the evening’s closing remarks by thanking those gathered and conveyed gratitude Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian.
“When we talk about Archbishop Mardirossian, we are inevitably talking about the national, spiritual, and cultural history of Armenians of the West Coast—about the organizations and individuals who have worked effectively, with the guidance of his paternal spirit,” said Prelate Donoyan.
Reflecting on the advancements in the past 25-years, the Prelate stressed that Archbishop Mardirossian’s presence is evident in them because, in his capacity as Prelate, he worked tirelessly to nurture institutions of the Western Prelacy.
“I am sure that many of you have personally accompanied—or been present in various corners of the West Coast, when the Archbishop has laid the foundation for a new church, school, or national institution with his prayer and presence. We pay tribute today to H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, a member of the brotherhood of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia, who dedicated his life to service and became—and remains—a singular example of initiative, diligence, dedication, persistence and perseverance,” said the Prelate.
He wished for Divine blessings and grace for the Archbishop, saying: “Wherever he turns, may blessings abound; wherever he looks, let there be goodness, let rivers flow, fields bloom, clouds disappear; let tears turn to laughter, fog lift and Godly rainbow appear, the sun shine again and the heavenly light reflect from Archbishop Mardirossian towards our individual and collective lives.”
Prelate Donoyan closed the evening by presenting Archbishop Mardirossian a memento symbolizing peace, then offered closing prayer.
Musical entertainment during the social hour and dinner was provided by The Hosharian Quartet featuring Greg Hosharian on piano, Angela Amirian on Violin, George Bilezikjian on drums, and Suzanne Susan Winsberg on flute.
https://asbarez.com/prelate-hosts-celebration-dinner-honoring-arch-moushegh-mardirossian/?fbclid=IwAR3N_ClQE_TNsNVsz-zw-P7RHSp-pY8-EPn2UIbeIAxvsaIBP3bIpVwdjgU
Armenian genocide recognition bill passes first reading in UK House of Commons
Nov 11 2021
- JAMnews
Yerevan
Cairo: President Sisi meets his Armenian counterpart
SIS: State Information Service, Egypt
Nov 2 2021
Monday، 01 November 2021 – 06:45 PM
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met on Monday with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on the sidelines of the UN COP 26, held in Glasgow, UK, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived on Sunday 31/10/2021 to Britain to participate in the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) for the heads of state and government that will be held on the 1st and 2nd of November in Glasgow.
President El-Sisi’s participation in the climate summit fulfils the invitation of British Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson, whose country is the president of the current summit. This is in light of the significant role that Egypt plays both regionally and internationally within the framework of climate change negotiations.
MENA
Azerbaijan Violated Armenian Captives’ Right to Life, Rules European Court
The European Court of Human Rights
In two judgments issued on Thursday the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Azerbaijan has violated the rights of two Armenian citizens to life and has obliged the country to pay 40,000 euros in each case.
The case of Petrosyan v. Azerbaijan concerns the death of the applicant’s son while in Azerbaijani captivity.
The applicant’s son Karen Petrosyan, was born in 1981 and was living with the applicant and other members of the family in Chinari, close to the border to Azerbaijan. On August 7, 2014 he crossed the border into Azerbaijan and was captured by the Azerbaijani armed forces.
On the same day two video recordings of Petrosyan were broadcast by Azerbaijani media. In the first one, he was seen being offered tea by a local resident of the village of Aghbulag and having a conversation with some of the other villagers. In the second recording, he was being interrogated, while standing on his knees with his hands cuffed and being restrained by soldiers. The interrogating army general accused him of being a soldier, having killed civilians, incited hatred and caused aggression.
Being shown photographs of him in military uniform, allegedly found on his mobile phone together with phone numbers of his military commanders, he stated that he was a military serviceman.
On August 8, 2014 the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced in a news report that Petrosyan had died unexpectedly, according to preliminary information due to “acute cardio-pulmonary and myocardial failure.”
Efforts were made by Armenia and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to have Petrosyan’s body returned. Representatives of the US State Department and the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs expressed their concern about the failure to return the body and give information on the circumstances surrounding the death.
On October 10, 2014, Petrosyan’s body was repatriated in a severely decomposed state.
The Court found that the respondent Government have not convincingly accounted for the circumstances of the death of Karen Petrosyan. On the basis of the information available to it, it is not possible for the Court to establish exactly what happened to Karen Petrosyan while in detention. In the light of the injuries that were identified and the lack of plausible explanations as to how they had been inflicted on him, the Court finds however that it has been sufficiently proved that he was victim of severe physical violence prior to his death, to a degree that amounted to a violation of Article 3 of the Convention in respect of him.
Article 3 of the Convention prohibits in absolute terms torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Court also held that there has been a violation of Article 2 (right to life).
The case of Khojoyan and Vardanyan v. Azerbaijan concerns the captivity and treatment of the applicants’ father in Azerbaijan.
On the morning of January 28, 2014 the applicants’ father, Mamikon Khojoyan, born in 1937 and a resident of the village of Verin Karmiraghbyur in the Tavush region of Armenia, close to the border to Azerbaijan, left his home. Later the same day, he appeared in a video online, surrounded by a group of people in civilian clothes and a person in Azerbaijani military uniform. On 30 January he was interviewed by Azerbaijani ANS TV. The Azerbaijani online news agency News.az reported the same day that Khojoyan was in detention and that the Ministry of National Security had stated that he was a guide of an Armenian sabotage group and had held a gun when he was apprehended.
On January 31, Khojoyan appeared in another Azerbaijani TV broadcast which was uploaded on Youtube. The Court has received the three videos and links to their appearance on Youtube from the applicants.5. On March 4, 2014, through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Khojoyan was handed over to the Armenian authorities.
On March 5, 2014 Azerbaijani TV relayed an official statement from Azerbaijani authorities that Khojoyan had been injured while captured as an armed guide of an Armenian subversive group and had been taken to Baku where he had received medical treatment, including the removal of a bullet from his arm.
No criminal investigation was undertaken by the Azerbaijani authorities, either in relation to the events surrounding Khojoyan’s crossing of the border and his alleged subversive motives or with regard to his treatment in detention.
The Court declared by majority that the complaint under Article 2 (right to life), Article 3 (prohibition of torture) and Article 5 (right to liberty and security) admissible.
In both cases the Court obliged Azerbaijan to pay 40,000 euros to the applicants.
Azerbaijan transfers 11 bodies of war victims to Artsakh
15:53, 2 November, 2021
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The bodies of 11 war victims who were considered missing-in-action in the 2020 Artsakh war were transferred to the Armenian side by Azerbaijani authorities on November 2.
The transfer took place at Karmir Shuka, Martuni. Russian peacekeepers oversaw the transfer.
The Artsakh ministry of interior said that a total of 1697 bodies of war victims, including civilians, were found during search operations or were transferred since November 2020.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Sports: World Boxing Championships: Hovhannes Bachkov is in quarter-final
News.am, Armenia
Nov 1 2021
Bronze medalist of Tokyo 2020, world’s two-time bronze medalist, two-time European champion Hovhannes Bachkov made it to the quarter-final of the World Boxing Championships taking place in Belgrade.
The captain of the Armenia national football team competed with Italy’s representative Gianluigi Malanga in the 1/8 final of the 63.5 kg category boxers and defeated Malanga 3-2.
The situation was rather tense in the first round. The opponent was regularly protecting himself from Bachkov’s strikes with his hands, but the referee wasn’t responding to this. During the tense competition, the referees gave the advantage to Armenia’s representative.
In the second round, Bachkov added pressure and didn’t give the opponent the chance to strike back. In the second round, the referees gave points to Hovhannes Bachkov.
In the third round, the Italian boxer was almost always protecting and was doing his best to avoid engaging in a close combat with Bachkov.
The 28-year-old Armenian boxer started from the 1/16 final during which he had scored an impressive victory over Azerbaijani Malik Hasanov.
Photos and video at the link below
The California Courier Online, October 28, 2021
1- Pres. Erdogan Withdraws Empty Threat
To Expel 10 Western Ambassadors
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Letter to the Editor
3- Mandatory testing and vaccination: new restrictions in Armenia
4- Dr. Armand Dorian named CEO of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
5- Armenia Continues Fight Against COVID-19
************************************************************************************************************************************************
1- Pres. Erdogan Withdraws Empty Threat
To Expel 10 Western Ambassadors
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Once again, Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan made empty threats. He
boastfully proclaimed that he would expel the ambassadors of 10
Western countries, including the United States, for issuing a
declaration urging the release of a Turkish human rights activist. He
has been wrongly jailed since 2017 without any conviction.
Here are the twists of Erdogan’s irate words. On October 20, he
harshly criticized and threatened to expel 10 foreign ambassadors who
made a joint declaration on Oct. 18, urging the Turkish government to
release philanthropist Osman Kavala immediately from jail. The 10
countries are: The US, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. On the fourth anniversary
of Kavala’a jailing, the ambassadors encouraged Turkey to find a “just
and speedy resolution to his case.” They warned that Kavala’s
continued detention “cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the
rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judicial system.”
After his initial arrest in 2017, Kavala was acquitted in 2020 of the
accusations against him, but was rearrested on new baseless charges.
Turkey ignored the 2019 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights
calling for the immediate release of Kavala. The European Council
warned Turkey that if it does not comply with the European Court’s
ruling by Nov. 30, 2021, it could suspend its voting rights or even
membership in the Council.
Erdogan lashed back at these ambassadors by saying: “Is it within your
boundary to teach such a lesson to Turkey? Who are you? I told our
foreign minister that we cannot have the luxury of hosting them in our
country.” Erdogan added: “They go to bed, they get up, Kavala,
Kavala…. Kavala is the Turkish branch of [George] Soros. Ten
ambassadors come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for him. What kind
of rudeness is this? What do you think this place is? This is Turkey,
Turkey. This place is not what you think — a tribal state. This is
glorious Turkey. You can’t just get up and come to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to give instructions. I gave the necessary
instructions to our Minister of Foreign Affairs. I told him what to
do. I said, ‘you will immediately deal with these 10 ambassadors
declaring them persona non grata [an unwelcome person] as soon as
possible.’ They will know Turkey. The day they do not know or
understand Turkey, they will leave this place.”
After their declaration, the 10 ambassadors were summoned to the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Afterwards, the Ministry said
that “the ambassadors were warned.”
The real question is: Who the hell Erdogan thinks he is to warn the
envoys of these countries? By making such a threat, Erdogan just added
another wrinkle to the existing problems with Pres. Joe Biden on the
eve of the G20 summit in Rome, where the two leaders are supposed to
meet. Contrary to Pres. Donald Trump who went to great lengths to
accommodate Erdogan’s wishes, Pres. Biden has taken a much tougher
line on Turkey. Not surprisingly, The New York Times reported that
“the Biden administration was the driving force behind the letter, in
keeping with the president’s policy of publicly calling out states
over human rights violations.”
Seven of the 10 countries that had signed the letter are members of
NATO, while six of them are European Union members. European
Parliament President David Sassoli issued a hard-hitting statement.
“The expulsion of ten ambassadors is a sign of the authoritarian drift
of the Turkish government. We will not be intimidated. Freedom for
Osman Kavala.”
By threatening to expel the 10 ambassadors, Erdogan is engaging in his
usual trick of demagogy as his political rating has plummeted risking
his reelection in 2023. He prefers to raise his own popularity while
damaging Turkey’s reputation around the world. He frequently creates
artificial external crises to deflect the public’s attention from the
dire internal conditions. Meanwhile, the Turkish economy has hit rock
bottom with massive unemployment and poverty. The Turkish Lira has
dropped to a record low of almost 10 Liras per dollar from 1.3 Lira
per dollar from when Erdogan became Prime Minister in 2003.
Even though Erdogan refuses to heed anyone’s advice, he finally came
to his senses, realizing that he cannot go forward with his threatened
expulsion. He was caught in the horns of a dilemma. If he reversed his
decision and allowed the ambassadors to stay, he would lose face in
front of the Turkish public. However, should he have proceeded with
his expulsion order, he may have caused irreversible damage to
Turkey’s economy and relations with the West.
Erdogan was quoted on Oct. 21 as saying that the 10 ambassadors would
not release “bandits, murderers and terrorists” in their own
countries. Thus, Erdogan was urging Western countries not to interfere
with Turkey’s judicial system. While Erdogan is making such a
provocative statement, he himself repeatedly pressured Pres. Trump to
quash the investigation of the Turkish Halkbank which is accused of
money laundering and conspiracy, helping Iran to evade U.S. sanctions.
Erdogan was trying to cover up his own ties to the Halkbank scheme.
Pres. Erdogan’s aides explained to him the catastrophic repercussions
of his threatened expulsion of the 10 ambassadors. Naturally, these 10
countries would have retaliated by expelling Turkey’s ambassadors.
There were dozens of irate articles in the United States and European
countries stating that they were fed up with Turkey’s hostile behavior
and illegal actions.
That same message was relayed to Turkey through private diplomatic
channels. Finally, a compromise was found to deescalate the crisis.
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara tweeted on Oct. 25: “in response to
questions regarding the Statement of October 18, the United States
notes that it maintains compliance with Article 41 of the Vienna
Convention on Diplomatic Relations.” Other embassies, including those
of Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, posted similar messages.
Germany and France retweeted the U.S. Embassy’s tweet. Article 41 of
the Vienna Convention bars ambassadors from interfering in the
domestic affairs of host countries.
The Turkish Anadolu news agency gleefully tweeted in response: “The
U.S. Embassy in Ankara has given in,” adding that Erdogan welcomed the
U.S. tweet. Erdogan announced after a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 25 that
the ambassadors had backtracked on their “defamation of our judiciary
and our country.”
Whichever U.S. official decided to send the second tweet which was
interpreted as “backing down” from condemning Turkey’s violations of
human rights, should be immediately fired. How can the U.S. government
send one message a few days earlier and then turn around and
contradict it? What happened to Pres. Biden’s policy of publicly
calling out states over human rights violations? A U.S. State
Department spokesman responded by saying that its second tweet was
meant to underscore that the U.S. envoy’s actions were in keeping with
the Vienna Convention.
Unless the U.S. government keeps its promise to come to the defense of
human rights around the world, Erdogan and others will keep on
violating with impunity the basic rights of their people. There should
be no backing down and no contradictory messages in this regard. It is
now up to the European Court of Human Rights to hold Erdogan’s feet to
the fire.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
2- Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Harut Sassounian’s recent column was certainly correct in urging the
community to take preemptive steps to prevent the despicable
historical revisionism campaigns by the Azeri dictator and his
consulates. One of the most important preemptive steps would be to
elect more Armenian-Americans to public office.
In 2009, a lobbyist for Azerbaijan tried to convince members of the
California State Legislature to sign a disgusting letter about Khojalu
that accused Armenians of “genocide.” The Azeri Consul General who was
orchestrating this embarrassing public relations stunt was humiliated
when only one out of 120 members of the Legislature signed on to the
letter. The only reason that happened was because I was a member of
the State Assembly at that time, and my colleagues in the Legislature
immediately called me to ask about it. I was able to notify every
member of the Assembly and the Senate directly about this propaganda
effort, and I could explain to them why it was an outrageous lie that
they should not support. If I had not been there as their elected
colleague, I’m sure many would have signed it without a second
thought. That incident really demonstrates why having a seat at the
table of power matters.
The petrodollar-funded Azeri propaganda machine is relentless and
mind-numbingly false. In Orwellian fashion, the Azeri dictator wants
to convince the world that the aggressor and war criminal is the
victim; that the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh are occupiers;
that ancient Armenian churches and cemeteries in Artsakh are not
Armenian; that the right of the courageous people of Artsakh to demand
self-determination and liberty may legitimately be crushed by brute
force; and that the corrupt Azeri kleptocracy is a model of openness
and democratic values. These are the kind of Big Lies that would make
Joseph Goebbels proud, and they are an extension of deliberate
cultural genocide. The Armenian community must stand against these
lies everywhere they arise, and everyone who cares about truth and
justice must join us.
Paul Krekorian
Los Angeles City Councilmember
************************************************************************************************************************************************
3- Mandatory testing and vaccination: new restrictions in Armenia
By Armine Avetisyan
Another wave of Covid is hitting Armenia. According to official
statistics, there are approximately 1,000 new cases per day against
nearly 3 million inhabitants. The number of deaths also rises with an
average of 30 deaths – a very high number compared to previous
figures, and despite the strict measures put in place to contain the
pandemic.
Armenia has been in quarantine for a year now, with mandatory face
masks indoors, thermometers in workplaces and in public places, and
hands disinfection. Public officers – including the police – carry out
numerous inspections in public places and public transport, 7 days a
week. Anyone who violates the restrictions is fined. A business, for
example, is fined between 100 and 300 thousand Armenian dram
(approximately between 180 and 545 Euros), and between 150 and 500
thousand dram (approximately between 270 and 905 Euros) in case of
repeated violations.
A new regulation entered into force on October 1. By order of the
Armenian Ministry of Health, workers who are not vaccinated without
having substantial contraindications must submit a certificate
confirming the negative result of the COVID-19 PCR test every 14 days.
In case of lack of vaccination certificate or certificate of
negativity, as in the case of violation of the obligation to keep the
relevant records, administrative penalties are applied by the
inspection body from October 14. Fines range from 10 to 20 thousand
dram (between 18 and 36 Euros) for workers and from 40 to 120 thousand
(between 72 and 218 Euros) for employers.
“I came to the polyclinic early in the morning and queued for the
vaccination: I do it for my safety and to have a vaccination
certificate within the deadline set by the government”, says Lilit,
40, who had not yet vaccinated because Moderna, the vaccine of her
choice, was not available in Armenia.
Lilit works in a private company with not many employees, and they
have different opinions: for some, vaccination is very important,
while others are still thinking about it. According to Lilit, apart
from that, everyone is following the anti-Covid regulations to the
letter, because they understand that through these simple rules they
can reduce the likelihood of being infected.
“I have never had any doubts about getting vaccinated”, adds Lilit,
who studied the information available on the Internet about vaccines
and waited for Moderna to arrive in Armenia. 50,000 doses of Moderna’s
Spikevax vaccine arrived in Armenia on October 4 as a gift from the
Lithuanian government. Prior to this, four types of anti-Covid
vaccines were administered in Armenia: Russian Sputnik V,
British-Swedish AstraZeneca, and Chinese CoronaVac and Sinopharm. From
the start of vaccinations in Armenia on October 10, 514,241
vaccinations have been carried out, including 344,029 first doses and
170,212 second doses, respectively equal to 11.6% and 5.7% of the
population.
The number of people who have chosen to be vaccinated has increased in
recent days, a fact also highlighted by the queues at the vaccination
centres, but the Armenian government denounces that they are still not
enough. During one of the last meetings of the Council of Ministers,
the Prime Minister requested that all the levers of the state be used
for this battle. The Armenian government has allocated more than 2.4
billion Armenian drams for the prevention, control, and treatment of
Covid-19.
While the average number of people vaccinated was 6,000 per day in
September, this month the number has doubled. In order to avoid long
queues, Armenian doctors also carry out outpatient vaccinations. In
addition, if desired, a group of specialists visits companies,
departments, and educational institutions and carries out vaccination
on the spot.
“The entire infrastructure is ready to carry out a large number of
vaccinations. I add that vaccination does not exclude the disease, but
reduces the risk of contagion”, Armenian Health Minister Anahit
Avanesyan reported during a recent press conference, adding that the
late entry into force of the restrictive measures was a shortcoming of
her department.
According to the minister, they are currently considering the option
of requesting certification of negativity from Covid or vaccination to
enter restaurants and attend concerts.
“We are working on it, gathering experiences on the functioning of
these regulatory mechanisms. The preliminary plan will be ready
shortly, within the next two weeks”.
Similar stringent measures are already in place in a large number of
countries around the world. The goal is the same: to overcome the
pandemic emergency and return to a normal life. According to the
picture provided by Reuters, the three best vaccination campaigns are
carried out by the United Arab Emirates (96% coverage), Portugal
(87.2%), and Cuba (84.4%). The specialists inform that for two weeks
after the second dose, even if the person is infected, the symptoms
are much milder and the illness is unlikely to worsen.
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4- Dr. Armand Dorian named CEO of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
LOS ANGELES — Armand Dorian, MD, MMM, has been named CEO of USC
Verdugo Hills Hospital (USC-VHH) located in Glendale, California and
part of Keck Medicine of USC.
He has served as interim CEO since March 2021 and will begin his new
role immediately.
AS CEO, Dorian will lead all aspects of the hospital in advancing the
hospital’s mission of providing personalized, high-quality health care
to the local community.
“Armand has nearly 20 years of medical experience as an emergency
board- certified physician and valued leader and administrator,” said
Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine. “He is an indefatigable and
inspirational leader, as he just proved by successfully leading the
hospital through many challenges during the pandemic. With him at the
helm, and with his commitment to patient care, staff wellness and
community engagement, there is no limit to what USC-VHH can offer our
patients, staff and community.”
Dorian is also the president of the USC-VHH’s governing board, the
former chair and a current member of the hospital’s Caduceus Society,
which is composed of philanthropic medical staff, a hospital
foundation board member and a community advisory board member.
Additionally, he is a clinical professor of emergency medicine at the
Keck School of Medicine of USC. He also serves the city of Glendale
and the greater community by providing local groups and public
officials with timely and accurate medical expertise.
USC-VHH is a 158-bed community hospital that has been serving the
Foothill communities of Southern California for almost 50 years. It
includes a 24-hour emergency room, a primary stroke center, and OB/GYN
and infant services, among other services.
Dorian joined the USC-VHH executive team in July 2018 as the chief
medical officer to help lead the physician medical staff. Previously,
he served as the hospital’s director and vice-chair of the emergency
department.
He received his medical degree from the John A. Burns School of
Medicine at the University of Hawaii and completed his emergency
medicine residency at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. He received a
Master of Medical Management at the USC Marshall School of Business.
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5- Armenia Continues Fight Against COVID-19
Armenia is continuing the fight against COVID-19, as the country
continues promoting the vaccination phase.
The U.S. State Department on July 26 warned American citizens to
reconsider travel to Armenia due to the increase in cases of the
Covid-19.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a
Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Armenia due to COVID-19, indicating a
high level of COVID-19 in the country,” said the State Department.
The State Department also urged U.S. citizens not to travel to the
Nagorno-Karabakh region due to armed conflict.
“The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S.
citizens in Nagorno-Karabakh as U.S. government employees are
restricted from traveling there,” the State Department added.
WHO, with funding from the European Union, in September supplied X-ray
equipment to 7 COVID-19 frontline hospitals – 1 in the capital Yerevan
and in 6 other cities in Armenia.
A new law came into effect on October 1, which mandates that all
employees in Armenia have a COVID-19 vaccine. But the mandate has been
met with widespread criticism
As of early October, only 5 percent of the country’s population had
been vaccinated.
There were 30,276 active cases in Armenia as of October 27. Armenia
has recorded 300,143 coronavirus cases and 6,151 deaths; 263,716 have
recovered.
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President Sarkissian, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discuss development of Armenian- Saudi ties
10:39, 27 October, 2021
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman discussed the necessity of developing the relations between Armenia and Saudi Arabia, the Armenian presidency said in a news release.
President Sarkissian was present with the Saudi Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman at the opening ceremony of the 5th Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh.
“President Sarkissian made the first visit in the history of the newly independent Armenia to one of the most important countries of the Arab and Muslim world – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, the presidency said in a news release. “The president of Armenia and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia talked about the necessity of developing, and the future of, the relations between the two countries. It was mentioned that the rich historical interactions between the two peoples are a good foundation for building future-oriented interstate relations.”
Sarkissian’s office characterized his visit to Saudi Arabia as a trip of “exclusive significance in the history of the Armenian-Arab and particularly the Republic of Armenia-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations.”
The5th Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh gathered many world leaders, executives of major transnational corporations and businessmen.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Armenia mandates masks outdoors
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 30 2021
Oct 30 2021
Armenia will mandate wearing of masks outdoors from November 1 o reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus disease. A relevant decision has been signed by Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan.
Masks will not be mandatory for children under 5 and people with chronic respiratory diseases: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or bronchitis, severe respiratory failure, chronic heart failure (stages C and D) provided that the mentioned persons have a document proving the relevant medical condition.
Direct participants and speakers at events hosted by the President of the Republic of Armenia, the Catholicos of All Armenians, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the President of the Constitutional Court and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council will also be exempt from wearing masks. The rule does not apply to journalists and service staff.
Wearing of masks will not be mandatory during exercising or cycling, as well as in specially designated areas for outdoor recreation and beaches, mountains, forests, but not in city parks, botanical gardens and zoos, historical and cultural sites.
TV hosts can also choose not to wear masks, given they are alone in the studio. People with hearing and speaking disorders, mental and behavioral disorders, cognitive disorders are also exempt from wearing masks.