Author: Edgar Tavakalian

UN chief follows with concern reports of Nagorno-Karabakh tensions – Spokesman

Edgar Tavakalian
Public Radio of Armenia
Aug 4 2022
August 4, 2022, 23:52

 Less than a minute

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with concern recent reports of tensions in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily briefing. .

“While we are not in a position to confirm or verify such reports, we urge the sides to exercise restraint and address all outstanding issues through dialogue,” said the spokesman.

Two Armenian servicemen were killed, 19 were wounded as Azerbaijan resorted to provocations starting from August 1. The attempts by the Azerbaijani units to cross the line of contact in Artsakh were prevented by the Defense Army.

European Union approves disbursement of 14.2 million euro in grants to Armenia

Edgar Tavakalian

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 15:51, 2 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. The European Union has approved disbursements of 14.2 million EUR in grants for two budget support programmes – Support to Justice Sector Reforms in Armenia and The Covid-19 Resilience Contract for Armenia, the EU Delegation to Armenia said in a press release.

This decision follows a positive assessment on progress in the selected sector reform areas, macroeconomic stability, public financial management and state budget transparency.

‘These disbursements are a result of successful collaboration between the European Union and the Government of Armenia, and reflect the Government’s commitment to a recovery from the pandemic, and to the implementation of the CEPA agreement.’ stated H.E. Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia.

‘The Government of Armenia highly appreciates the fruitful partnership with the European Union in improving the economic resilience of Armenia and implementing key reforms to strengthen democracy and rule of law in the country, as stipulated in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement,’ mentioned Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

The new disbursements of 14.2 million EUR will support Armenia in the implementation of the justice reform and the mitigation of the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the disbursements, the European Union will continue supporting Armenia’s commitment to the reforms in line with European Union-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).




Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 03-08-22

Edgar Tavakalian

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 17:36, 3 August 2022

YEREVAN, 3 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 3 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.55 drams to 406.42 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.07 drams to 414.10 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 6.74 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.36 drams to 495.14 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 64.70 drams to 23255.47 drams. Silver price down by 1.28 drams to 265.71 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Asbarez: Mirzoyan Condemns Baku as OSCE Calls on Both Sides to De-Escalate

Edgar Tavakalian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 August 3, 2022

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (right) meets with the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk in Yerevan on Aug. 3


Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan condemned Azerbaijan’s attempts to destabilize the situation after days of attack by Azerbaijani forces in Artsakh, as a result of which two soldiers were killed and 19 others were wounded on Wednesday.

Meeting with the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, Mirzoyan provided a briefing on the latest security situation in the region, also condemning what he called “arbitrary interpretation” of agreements between Yerevan, Baku and Moscow.

The foreign ministry reported that Mirzoyan also stressed “the importance of the targeted assessments of the situation by the international community and, particularly, by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries.”

Meanwhile, the OSCE chairmanship, which this year is being held by Poland, voiced extreme concern about the most recent “armed incidents and casualties in the South Caucasus.”

“We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to bring de-escalation and resume dialogue. We remain committed to support all efforts aimed at consolidating peace in the region,” the Polish presidency said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Official Yerevan has been largely silent as the new wave of Azerbaijani attacks began on Monday. Mirzoyan held a telephone conversation with this Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, while the vacationing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a similar discussion with President Vladimir Putin of Armenia.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire in its attempts to breach the line of contact in Karabakh.

Armenia’s Human Right Defender Kristine Grigoryan said in a statement on Wednesday that Azerbaijan’s military aggression “directly threatens and essentially nullifies any guarantee of the right to life of people living in Artsakh, which is the most vital component of peace.”

She called on Azerbaijan to “immediately cease its criminal actions.”

“On the 1st and 2nd of August, and today, the Azerbaijani side conducted aggressive military operations in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping mission in various directions in Artsakh, using weapons of various calibers, grenade launchers, and attack unmanned aerial vehicles,” Grigoryan.

“These acts grossly violate the principles of international law on the prohibition on the use of force and the threat of use of force, as well as the obligations of the Azerbaijani state under the trilateral agreement of November 9, 2020,” explained Grigoryan.

“I have called upon the ambassadors of the Minsk Group Co-Chairing Countries, and other international actors involved in the conflict resolution process to undertake maximum efforts in the direction of truly guaranteeing the right to life of the peaceful population of Artsakh,” said Grigoryan in her statement, which also that “this encroachment on the right to life and other fundamental rights of the civilian population must receive its true assessment.”

This story was updated to reflect that the number of injured has changed to 19.




Sports: Armenian judokas win 3 bronze medals at European Youth Olympic Festival

Edgar Tavakalian
Panorama
Armenia –

SPORT 15:00 29/07/2022 ARMENIA

Armenia has won three bronze medals at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.

In particular, judokas Vahe Aghasyan (55 kg), Artak Torosyan (73 kg) and Gor Karapetyan (81 kg) earned bronze for the Armenian team, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports reported on Friday.

The Armenian team includes three more young judokas. 

Armenia is represented by a total of 19 athletes competing at 7 sports at the European Youth Olympic Festival.

Senate Appropriations Committee 2023 bill reaffirms $2 million in demining assistance to Artsakh

Edgar Tavakalian

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 11:33,

YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS.  The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations released its Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Bill today, which reaffirms Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and recommend $2 million in demining assistance to Artsakh, along with humanitarian aid to help displaced Armenians, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

Specifically, the Committee Report stated that “up to $2,000,000 for humanitarian demining and unexploded ordnance [UXO] clearance activities in areas affected by fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, subject to prior consultation with the Committees on Appropriations” as well as “humanitarian assistance” for those displaced “by the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Last month, the House of Representatives passed its version of the Bill that called for $60 million in assistance to Armenia and $2 million for demining activities in Artsakh. The House Bill also included language on Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

“Having just returned from Armenia and Artsakh, continued U.S. assistance and engagement remains critically important,” stated Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan. “The Assembly will continue to work with the House and Senate to ensure the best outcome to help the Armenian people,” Khaloyan added.

​Sona Movsesian Leans on The Rock, Cher and Mister Rogers

Edgar Tavakalian
Sona Movsesian Leans on The Rock, Cher and Mister Rogers

The co-host of “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” talks about the best Girl Scout cookies and adulting at Disneyland.

Credit…via Plume Books


By Chris Kornelis

“The World’s Worst Assistant,” a new memoir by Sona Movsesian, recounts what happens when an ambitious young woman who excelled at both the Burger King drive-through and the NBC page program managed to turn things around when she landed a job as Conan O’Brien’s assistant — a deal she sealed by asking if she could lie down during the interview.

“The HR rep told me that Conan liked my couch joke,” she writes. “I got my job working for Conan because I made a joke about being lazy — foreshadowing at its best.”

Thirteen years later, Movsesian, who co-hosts the podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” has amassed plenty of skills and work experiences rarely boasted about on LinkedIn. Once, for example, she watched 58 episodes of “Friends” on the clock over a four-day period because she’d heard that Robert De Niro’s assistant had watched 55. Sleeping on the job? How to “abuse your corporate card without technically embezzling”? “Worst Assistant” has illustrated guides for that.


But Movsesian’s story is not about celebrating laziness or ineptitude. It’s about how two flawed people who were meant to be together found each other: a boss accepting an employee for who she is and how she does her job, and an employee accepting her boss for everything that he is.

“I give Sona the space to be Sona (see book),” O’Brien writes in the foreword, “and she in turn gives me the space to knock a delicious cupcake out of her hand just as she is about to take a bite.”

Here, the world’s worst assistant talks about the movie she’s watched the most, the TV she can watch with her kids and the Girl Scout cookies she buys in bulk. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

1. Cher: Cher is a very important person, and not just because of her contributions to culture and fashion. She’s part Armenian, and I’m Armenian. For us, we have very few famous people in the limelight, and no one is bigger than Cher. She’s an icon, and the fact that she’s half Armenian was a really big deal for all of us, especially growing up.

2. The Evil Eye: The Evil Eye is in a lot of cultures, including Armenian culture. It’s a round eye that’s usually blue, white and black. It keeps the evil eye away from you. If people are trying to curse you in some way or wish ill upon you, it pushes that away and protects you. It’s in my car. It’s in my house. It’s at work. It’s a big part of who I am as an Armenian and who I am as a human being.

3. “Galaxy Quest”: “Galaxy Quest” is the first movie I saw in the theaters four times. When I ran out of people to go with, I went and saw it in the theater by myself. I’d never done anything like that. I don’t know why, I just always felt like it was weird to go to the movies by yourself. “Galaxy Quest” broke that seal for me.

4. Fred Rogers: We have twin, 1-year-old boys. My husband and I were like, what could we watch with them that we won’t hate? And so we bought all the old seasons of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The episodes are timeless. There’s an episode where he meets Yo-Yo Ma. After, he’s like: Let’s reflect on how Yo-Yo Ma talked about how he would feel playing the cello. And there is just a minute of complete silence. No one would ever do that now. No one would ever not do anything for a minute.

5. “Cheers”: I started bingeing the entire series about six years ago. Then I met the man who would become my husband, and I found out he was also bingeing “Cheers.” We were at almost the same place. When he told me that, I was like: Oh, we have to get married and we have to finish “Cheers” together.

6. The Rock: Wrestling was a big part of high school for me. It was like a soap opera I didn’t realize I needed in my life. And The Rock was the most important character. When The Rock left wrestling, he took my wrestling love with him. But I’ll still watch anything he’s in. I don’t care if I’m interested in it, I will abandon my kids and go to the movies for a couple hours.

7. Cock Sparrer: When I met my husband, he was in a Cock Sparrer cover band — a British punk rock band. It’s a genre I’d never really gotten into, but when we heard that Cock Sparrer was playing in Santa Cruz, we went and saw them. It was really cool to connect with my husband in that way, to see something that he loved in a genre that he loved and then realize I also really liked it, too.

8. “Step Brothers”: Years ago, after I bought a condo, I cut a window in the wall between the kitchen and the living room specifically so I could watch “Step Brothers” while cooking. With Will Ferrell movies, the more you watch them, the more you catch the nuance in things. But I also love that I can put it on, do something else and then stare at the TV at any point and laugh at whatever is happening.

9. Disneyland: When I was a kid, I was filled with absolute wonder when I went to Disneyland. My mind would explode. Now I can go there and buy a Popsicle and then five minutes later I can buy popcorn and then two minutes later I can have chicken tenders. I can do Disneyland the way I wanted to do Disneyland as a kid, but I can do it as an adult because I’m paying for it.

10. Girl Scout Cookies: Girl Scouts is where I met my core group of friends when I was in elementary school. Today, it doesn’t matter if you’re a co-worker’s daughter or a stranger on the street. If you say “I’m a girl scout — will you buy some cookies?” I will say yes and I will buy an inordinate amount of cookies from you. Most of the time, it’s Samoas.

A version of this article appears in print on July 31, 2022, Section AR, Page 3 of the New York edition with the headline: Sona Movsesian Still Adores Disneyland

Asbarez: ANCA-WR to Honor Rep. Jackie Speier with Lifetime Achievement Award at September 25 Gala

Edgar Tavakalian
 by Contributor

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories
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BY KATY SIMONIAN

The Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region will honor Representative Jackie Speier with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of dedicated public service and devotion to her community. Speier will be honored at the 2022 ANCA-WR Awards Gala which will be held on Sunday, September 25 at The Beverly Hilton.

During her impressive tenure as a member of Congress, she has proudly stood as an ardent champion of the Armenian Cause, spearheading policies on genocide education, recognition and prevention, and building a strong diplomatic relationship between Armenia and the United States. 

As Co-Chair of the Armenian Caucus, and one of only two members of Congress of Armenian heritage, Speier remains a prominent voice for the Armenian people, honoring her heritage while fulfilling her oath to protect and serve the American people. Her commitment to justice and equality is an example of political courage for her Congressional colleagues, as she is faithful to the many people and causes she has served for decades. 

The issue of genocide recognition is one of deep significance for Speier, as her family’s survival and perseverance are a constant source of inspiration. Speier’s mother Nancy Kanchelian was born in Fresno, and lost most of her extended family during the Armenian Genocide. In a heartbreaking twist of fate, her paternal Grandfather, who was Jewish, spent one month in a German concentration camp during World War II. It is poignant to think that both sides of the Congresswoman’s family were touched by genocide, a fact that drives her fierce commitment to the Armenian Cause and to human rights in general.

Jackie Speier’s career in public service is the ultimate testament of her family’s strength, bravery and resilience – qualities she would ultimately need when she herself was touched by tragedy. Her life was forever changed in 1978, when she suffered five gunshot wounds during the Jonestown Massacre, while serving as an aide to her political mentor, Congressman Leo Ryan, who was assassinated during the shooting, marking one of the worst massacres in U.S. history. It would be easy to understand why Jackie Speier would choose to withdraw from public life after suffering such an unspeakable act of violence. Those who thought she would retreat, underestimated her fighting spirit, as her survival motivated her to continue her career in public service. She was first elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in 1980 as the youngest person ever elected to that Board, after which she ably served five terms in the California State Assembly and three terms in the California State Senate. Her political life came full circle in 2008 when she won the Congressional seat once held by the late Congressman Ryan, a victory that truly reflects her deep sense of empathy for those who have overcome obstacles in order to serve the greater good. 

During her years in Congress, Speier has been a leading voice on the Armenian Cause, both as Co-Chair of the Armenian Caucus and as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. She has supported legislation to promote education on the Armenian Genocide and was instrumental in advocating for America’s Recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Her work toward recognition and policies toward prevention was fulfilled, when President Biden publicly recognized the Armenian Genocide, marking a monumental shift in foreign policy that places the United States on the right side of history, aligning with America’s principles of truth, freedom and justice.

When asked about her devotion to the Armenian Cause following U.S. recognition, Speier praised the move as a necessary step forward for U.S. – Armenia relations. “President Biden’s milestone recognition of the genocide for what it was sends a clear message to those who would try to erase history: despite their best efforts, they will never be successful. Healing and reconciliation require a truthful acknowledgement of the past, however dark it may be. For far too long, the global Armenian community has been denied this healing,” she said. “The U.S. recognition comes at a pivotal moment and sends an important message to would-be perpetrators as history risks repeating itself with Azerbaijan’s destruction of Armenian cultural and religious sites in Artsakh,” she added, reflecting the need to preserve and enforce strong U.S. foreign policy in support of the Armenian Nation. 
While she recently announced that she will not seek another term, her continued support for the Armenian-American community is vital to carrying on the policies she supported during her years in office. She leads from her heart, which is full pride in her Armenian heritage, and the same courage and strength of her family, who survived the Armenian Genocide and believed in the Armenian Dream, instilling the values of hard work and humility in a woman who would go on to leave an indelible mark on Congress and the country she so humbly served. 

“Congresswoman Speier has been a champion of the Armenian community in the San Francisco Bay Area,” said Matt Senekeremian, Chair of ANCA-WR’s San Francisco chapter and a long-time constituent of Representative Speier’s district. “We have been fortunate to have her represent our community in the state legislature and Congress where she has been an inspiration and role model for future generations of Armenian-Americans pursuing a career in public service,” he added.

As a Congresswoman, as an American and as a proud Armenian, Jackie Speier has built a legacy of public service that will serve as a model for future generations in the pursuit of justice for the Armenian Cause. 

“Representative Jackie Speier is an inspiration to us all. Her commitment to the Armenian Cause has built a strong foundation for relations between Armenia and America to grow and thrive in the years to come,” said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “Her contributions to Congress as Co-Chair of the Armenian Caucus have brought forth historic change. We can all learn from her leadership, as we move forward to ensure her efforts will continue to make a positive impact on the Armenian community here in the United States and around the world,” she added.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

Purchase 2022 ANCA-WR Awards Gala tickets.

Katy Simonian is a member of the 2022 ANCA-WR Gala Committee.




Azerbaijani ruling family tightens control over central bank

Edgar Tavakalian
EurasiaNet.org
July 25 2022
Ulkar Natiqqizi Jul 25, 2022

With a recent series of personnel shakeups, Azerbaijan’s central bank has come under ever tighter control of the country’s ruling family.

A changing of the guard at the bank began in April, when President Ilham Aliyev appointed a family loyalist, Taleh Kazimov, as chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan.

Kazimov, 38, had since 2015 held senior executive positions at Pasha Bank, which is owned by Aliyev’s daughters Arzu and Leyla Aliyeva, together with their grandfather Arif Pashayev, Aliyev’s father-in-law. 

The move was unexpected: The previous chairman, Elman Rustamov, had held the position since 1995 and had been reappointed in April 2020 to a five-year term. But in April, Aliyev proposed to parliament that Rustamov be removed, without offering any justification, and the legislature quickly rubber-stamped the move and appointed Kazimov. Rustamov was then appointed as an adviser to Prime Minister Ali Asadov, but nothing has since been heard from him and he does not appear on the website of the cabinet of ministers.

The bank is by law politically independent, and many observers saw Kazimov’s appointment as a sign of Aliyev’s tightening control of the banking system.

“The banking sector had already been under the control of Pasha Holding. Now the Pashayevs have gained complete dominance,” economist and opposition politician Gubad Ibadoglu wrote on Facebook. 

That appointment turned out to be only the beginning.

In May, Kazimov named a new advisor, Farhad Valiyev, another senior Pasha Bank official. Before his time at Pasha, Valiyev worked at Premium Bank and Silk Way Holding, both of which also are connected to the ruling family. 

Then on June 1, another senior Pasha Bank official, Gular Pashayeva, also was appointed as an adviser to Kazimov. 

And on July 22, Kazimov promoted Pashayeva to the post of the general director of the central bank. The same day, the director of human resources at the central bank was replaced by Oksana Ismailova, who had held the same position at Bravo Supermarket, one of the largest companies under Pasha Holding, the holding company that brings together all the family’s firms.

“The central bank has officially become a branch of Pasha Bank. Long live Pasha Azerbaijan!” one Facebook user commented on the most recent appointments. Satire news site Hamam Times covered the story by speculating on what it might mean for the national currency, the manat. 

“In summary, from now on the fate of the national currency of Azerbaijan is in the hands of the former Pasha Bank employees, or ‘Pashayev’s people,’” Hamam Times wrote. “In your opinion, which would benefit Pashayev more – a strong manat, weak manat, a fixed rate or a floating manat?”

Ulkar Natiqqizi is an Azerbaijani journalist.

Armenian Vice Speaker of Parliament, French Ambassador discuss regional security

Edgar Tavakalian

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 15:33,

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan held a meeting today with Ambassador of France to Armenia Anne Louyot, the Parliament’s press service said.

At the request of the Ambassador, the Vice Speaker of Parliament presented the current situation in the process of normalizing the Armenia-Turkey relations, as well as touched upon the agreements that have been reached recently.

A number of issues relating to regional security were also discussed during the meeting.