Author: Emma Jilavian

Villager’s 40 tonnes of watermelons spoiled because of injection (video)

Emma Jilavian
  • 15:31 | August 7,2018 | Social
  • Armenian:

Resident of Novakert village in Ararat province Armen Poghosyan’s watermelon field has been burnt four days after regular prophylactic injection.

“I applied to the pharmacist to give me a medicine, we brought it with tractor and sprayed, and four days later it turned out that the drug had burnt the field.”

No healthy watermelon has been left in one hectare of land. The village administration came to assess the damage.

“At least 40 tonnes of crops have been spoiled, which is 6 million drams according to today’s prices,” says Armen Poghosyan.

Armen Poghosyan initiated the cultivation of watermelon with his friend Vardan Dumanyan, and they invested 1.5 million drams for this.

The watermelons were taken for examination. According to the Republican Center for Veterinary Sanitary and Phytosanitary Laboratory Services, watermelons that are not injected have no problems, and those which are injected will not be fit for use.

Representatives of the Ararat Region Department of the Veterinary Sanitary and Phytosanitary Service came and examined the field and advised to continue the plant cultivation.

Armen Poghosyan assures that in the near future he will appeal to the court. The names of drug seller and the implementer are not yet publishing, taking into account the presumption of innocence.

We should stop treating Sevan as a water container. find new irrigation solutions. prime minister

Emma Jilavian
  • 06.08.2018

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  • Armenia:

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  • arm

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  • rus

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A consultation was held under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which the problems requiring an urgent solution in the irrigation sector were discussed.


This was reported by the Information and Public Relations Department of the RA Government.


The Prime Minister first referred to the existing needs related to irrigation, the forecasts presented earlier and emphasized. “In general, the current situation of Lake Sevan forces us to record that we should stop treating Sevan as a toy or a water container. It is absolutely unacceptable, and the practice of treating Sevan as a water container, unfortunately, has turned into a state policy in Armenia for a long time and we are seeing its consequences today. I hope that the attendees came to today’s discussion with this mood and attitude.


We have to finally break this closed and unwanted chain.”


Then the responsible persons presented the necessary information regarding the filling level of the reservoirs, the amount of water needed to fully close the irrigation season, the possible measures to fill the breach, the necessary information related to the Mkhchyan and Ranchpar pumping stations, on which an interesting exchange of ideas took place, various recommendations were presented in the direction of solving the irrigation problems. Then the reduction of water losses from irrigation systems, the control of hydroelectric power plants and emerging environmental issues were addressed.


As a result of the discussion, the Prime Minister appointed a Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan and with the involvement of the representatives of the concerned departments, form a working group that will discuss the problem of providing the necessary irrigation water to the farms in the shortest possible time and will present relevant recommendations.


“It is necessary to study the situation and find solutions to the problem without releasing water from Lake Sevan. The problem should be solved maximally effectively and in a short time,” he stressed Nikol Pashinyan, while emphasizing the need to develop the drip irrigation system in the republic.

Maria Zakharova: Russia historically proved to be responsible intermediary in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement

Emma Jilavian
Arminfo, Armenia
Aug 1 2018
Maria Zakharova: Russia historically proved to be responsible intermediary in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement

Yerevan July 31

Naira Badalian. Russia in every possible way welcomes contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, contributing to the development of a mutually respectful dialogue between the two countries, Official Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated in an interview to Sputnik Azerbaijan.

“Moscow welcomes contacts between Baku and Yerevan, and we are sincerely glad that these contacts continue on the agreement of the two sides, and we have always welcomed and always contributed to the development of a mutually respectful dialogue between the two countries. We have always considered that through dialogue, through stimulation of this communication between the two capitals and the achievement of positive results, it is possible to move forward and resolve the existing problematic issues. Russia, being a mediator in the settlement of the Karabakh problem, as well as friend of both Armenia and Azerbaijan is interested in the settlement”, Zakharova said. At the same time, as she pointed out, historically, Russia has proved to be a responsible intermediary, who repeatedly demonstrated in practice its constructive intermediary role. “This will continue in the future,” she added in response to a request to comment on the recent statement of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that “Russia has all the levers, all the possibilities to prevent the war in Karabakh.”

Moscow clearly states its official position related to the Karabakh settlement. This position is consistent, Zakharova believes. The representative of the foreign ministry also touched upon the recent visit to Azerbaijan of a group of Russian experts and deputies who visited positions on the contact line with Karabakh and voiced a number of statements in support of the “territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.” According to Zakharova, in any country with a democratic society, there are many experts and politicians who express their point of view. This is not a state opinion, but they have the right to express it. “But every time questions arise about Moscow’s official stance, you can be sure that our position on the Karabakh issue is clear, it has never been ambiguous, has never been aimed at flirting, all efforts have been focused on an intermediary role, the ultimate goal of which is the achievement of mutually acceptable agreements, “Zakharova added.

As of today, consist¥ncy of stances of the large states and major players in international affairs is one of the most important factors of world stability. And Russia is among these states, she added. According to her, both Baku and Yerevan know that Moscow is a reliable partner in this sense. The parties have confidence in Moscow and its role.

Armenian maze turns into a tourist draw

Emma Jilavian
The Hindu, India


Armenian maze turns into a tourist draw

 Agence France Presse

Levon spent 23 years digging the network of caves and tunnels, initially planned as a storage space for potatoes

When Tosya Gharibyan asked her husband to dig a basement under their house to store potatoes, she had little idea the underground labyrinth he would eventually produce would prove to be one of Armenia’s major tourist draws.

Their one-storey house in the village of Arinj outside the capital Yerevan may not look like much but today it brings in visitors from all over the globe after a 23-year labour of love by Ms. Gharibyan’s late husband, Levon Arakelyan.

They come to see a twisting network of subterranean caves and tunnels known as “Levon’s divine underground.”

In the cold and quiet, Ms. Gharibyan leads tourists through corridors that connect seven chambers adorned with Romanesque columns and ornaments like those on the facades of mediaeval Armenian churches.

Unstoppable

“Once he started digging, it was impossible to stop him,” she said of the project that began in 1995. “I wrangled with him a lot, but he became obsessed with his plan.”

A builder by training, Levon would toil for 18 hours a day — only pausing to take a quick nap and then rush back to the cave, confident that he was being guided “by heaven”. “He never drew up plans and used to tell us that he sees in his dreams what to do next,” his widow said.

Over more than two decades, he hammered out the 3,000 square-foot space, 21 metres deep into strata of volcanic rocks — only using hand tools.

“My primary childhood recollection is the loud knock of my father’s hammer heard at night from the cave,” said his 44-year-old daughter Araksya.

At the start he had to break through a surface layer of black basalt, but at the depth of a few metres Levon reached much softer tufa stone and the work progressed. He pulled out 600 truckloads of rocks and earth, using only hand-held buckets. Levon died in 2008 at the age of 67, after destroying the last wall that separated two tunnels.

‘Amazing place’

A decade on from the project’s completion, Ms. Gharibyan also runs a small museum commemorating her husband’s work in the village of some 6,000 people. The underground complex has several analogues in the world.

An eccentric man named William Henry “Burro” Schmidt spent more than three decades digging a half-a-mile tunnel to transport gold through a granite mountain in California, beginning his work in the early 1900s during the state’s gold rush.

In Ethiopia, a man named Aba Defar began carving churches on a mountainside after claiming divine inspiration.

Today, the Armenian cave features prominently in travel brochures, regularly drawing visitors. Milad, a 29-year-old Iranian tourist, calls it an “amazing place”.

92 dogs under one roof (video)

Emma Jilavian
  • 16:17 | July 26,2018 | Social
  • Armenian:

The issue of stray dogs in Armenia remains relevant, while Armenia has no animal protection laws.

Dingo Team Animal Health NGO helps sick, street-injured homeless animals, deals with their adoption. The organization takes care of 92 dogs now. According to Ovsanna Hovsepyan, the founder of the Dingo Team Animal Health NGO, the lack of animal protection legislation in Armenia is causing many problems.

A criminal case has been filed against Unigraph-X, a monopolist in the field of sterilization for about 10 years. Violation of 185 million drams have been revealed in the company.

“This company has turned the issue of stray dogs into a good way of money laundering.

They were dealing exclusively with the slaughter of dogs, they did not decrease the number of dogs, but increased, as the species was aggressive and began to grow faster,” said the animal advocate.

A non-governmental organization offers a solution to the problem of stray animals.

“Two types of work should be done: controlled home-based breeding and mass sterility,” Hovsepyan said.

The Dingo team presented the solution to the Armenian government and it waits for a response.

“We suggest the government to bring a more experienced organization from outside, the World Association of Animal Physicians was ready to come to Armenia in the spring with the aim of stabilizing 3000 lives at their own expense, but the City Hall hindered, as the question was what Unigraph-X had to do if they solved the problem of stray dogs,”  – explained Hovsepyan.

Public awareness and the right attitude towards animals are also important for the solution of the issue.

To remind, the symbol of the Velvet Revolution Chalo-Qailo, now lives in the house of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The animalists are convinced that this step of the country’s first face will serve as a good example for changing the attitude towards animals in Armenia.

Asbarez: Reflections of a Memorable Visit to Our Homeland

Emma Jilavian
  • Armenia

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  • Latest

2 days ago

Pilibos students at Sardarabad

BY ANTHONY ANTONYAN

Special to Asbarez

Every year, Rose & Alex Pilibos gives the opportunity for the junior class to visit Armenia to reestablish their connections with their culture, heritage, and homeland. For some, it is a chance to reunite with their motherland; however, for others, like myself, it is an amazing opportunity for students to witness the beauty of their country for the first time.

I really did not know what to expect in Armenia. Even though I learned about our country and its beautiful geography and culture, nothing could have fully prepared me. I was blown away to see Sardarabad and Khor Virab’s beautiful view of Ararat and the bustling cities of Yerevan and Stepanagerd and the simple yet culturally rich villages like Byurakan that exhibited the immense spirit and life the Armenian people had.  

I expected Yerevan to be a major developed city, with people walking boisterously throughout the Central Square, and I was correct to believe that. The European inspired cty was absolutely beautiful and surpassed all of my expectations. We were fortunate enough to visit Armenia on the 100th anniversary of our Independence. In the Central Square, a huge concert was set up to commemorate the momentous occasion. Singers like Sirusho and dancers of all ages all came together to celebrate. The entire Yerevan population was out cheering along to the dances and song; the concert, overall, was a major success.

But what pleasantly surprised me was the state Stepanagerd was in. Knowing the recent conflicts Artsakh has had with Azerbaijan, I did not know what the state of the nation would be.

Pilibos students at Ghazanchetsots, a church in Shushi, Artsakh

Before arriving at Stepanakert, we stopped at Shoushi, where we visited the beautiful church Ghazanchetsots. Being an integral part in the battle between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, we were extremely lucky to personally take in the magnificence of the church. There, we met Inna Gasparyan. She is the sister of Sargis Gasparyan, a fallen soldier from the Four-Day War Artsakh had with Azerbaijan. We heard Sarkis’s story from Inna and her mother. We understood and felt the troubles and heart aches they went through and the significance this war had on the lives of the innocent. Visiting the homes of the fallen soldiers took a heavy toll on everyone. We finally faced the reality of what the families have been facing, of what Artsakh has been facing.

Inna traveled to Stepanakert with us for the night. We spent the night with her laughing and getting to know one another. She played a major role in creating this Armenia experience.

The following day at Artsakh, we were fortunate enough to visit a military base and witness the soldiers of our nation train for combat. Pilibos students trained alongside the soldiers, climbing ropes, jumping over trenches, and maneuvering through narrow platforms. Thanking them immensely for what they are contributing to our country, we were able to talk and give gifts to each of the soldiers. At the end of the day, Pilibos played a soccer match against the soldiers in a friendly, fun match.

Pilibos vs. Artsakh soldiers in a friendly soccer match

Visiting the military base and befriending other Armenians was a new experience for all the students. This Armenia trip happened to be Nayiri Artounians’s second chance to visit her homeland. Visiting the homes of the fallen soldiers and creating friendships with others left her a long-lasting impression. Nayiri said, “When I visited Armenia in the eighth grade, I saw the sights for the first time, but I was merely a tourist. This time around, I felt truly immersed and involved. In our classroom across the globe, we only hear about the sacrifices the soldiers undergo to defend our soil. But now, we were able to talk and laugh with them.”

After visiting Artsakh, we resumed to travel to the other provinces of Armenia. We visited Sevan and the beautiful monasteries it had to offer. We visited Kotayk and the Temple of Garni, the only stable pagan temple left in Armenia.

Pilibos students at Byurakan

In Aragatsotn, we stopped by the village of Byurakan to see what Armenian village life is like. At Byurakan, the villagers explained and presented how they spend any typical day. Starting their day off with some bread and wine, to pass time, the men would play dhols as the women beautifully sung and danced along to the beat. Women and men both played essential roles in cooking; the men would cook khorovatz through the tonir while the women prepared lavash, salads, and other tasty foods. The villagers allowed the students to help prepare our lunch. The boys took turns placing vegetables and meat on skewers, and the girls sung traditional Armenian songs as they grounded flour. As we ate the lunch we prepared ourselves, we all talked about the wonderful time we had here at this village, where we were able to catch a glimpse of the lives of Armenians outside of the major, developed cities like Yerevan.

During the final days of our trip, we were allowed to roam the streets freely to grasp a better sense of the city. We walked the streets of Yerevan, found delicious restaurants to dine at, and spent quality time amongst friends.

Pilibos Students meet current President of Armenia: Armen Sarkissian

It was during these final days, where the entire junior class was given a once in a lifetime opportunity: to meet the current president of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian. He devoted a lot of time from his busy schedule to answer all the questions we had about the current and future state of Armenia, the goals of the current administration, and the things we could do ourselves to help strengthen our homeland. He answered the questions happily. The best we could do at our current age to help is to join and take part of organizations that focus on bettering Armenia, such as Armenia Fund.

“I left Armenia with a new awareness about myself and my connection to my people,” Nayiri said. The juniors of Rose & Alex Pilibos came back to Armenia as stronger Armenians, while becoming fully embedded into our motherland.

 

Anthony Antonyan will be a senior at Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School. He is currently an intern at Asbarez.



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Russian military base in Armenia begins large-scale exercises

Emma Jilavian
| 13:49 | July 23 2018
Category
Politics

Large-scale tactical military exercises have kicked off at the Russian military base stationed in Armenia. The drills involve 3,000 troops, TASS reported.

According to TASS, the Southern Military District of Russia, which encompasses the base in Armenia, issued a statement saying that the exercises will run until July 28.

In addition to the 3,000 troops, the exercises involve 500 units of equipment, including air defense, military and unmanned aviation systems.

Nikol Pashinyan did not give up the idea to reduce the powers of the prime minister

Emma Jilavian
Arminfo, Armenia
Nikol Pashinyan did not give up the idea to reduce the powers of the prime minister

Yerevan July 20

Naira Badalyan. The head of the Armenian government plans in the future to review his own powers, enshrined in the new Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this on July 20, commenting on the journalist’s question about “how convenient it is for him to dress as a super-prime minister.”

According to Pashinyan, he did not abandon the idea at the legislative level to reduce the powers of the prime minister. Today, as well as when he was an oppositionist, Nikol Pashinyan believes that there should not be a super-premier institute in Armenia.

As the prime minister pointed out, it is necessary to do this in a way that does not violate the stability of the entire state system. In the future, according to Pashinyan, establishing new powers, Armenia should balance not between the president and the prime minister, but between the government and the parliament, as is done, say, in Germany.

When exactly there will be legislative changes that will lead to the eradication of the institution of super- premiership, established by the “legislative efforts” of the authors of the new Constitution, today the head of the Armenian government refrained from calling.


Georgia considers Armenia’s position on return of refugees as negative (video)

Emma Jilavian
  • 21:35 | July 18,2018 | Politics
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

Georgian political scientist Vasso Kapanadze does not consider it a surprise that Armenia again voted against the resolution on refugees’ return to Abkhazia and South Ossetia last month at the UN General Assembly.

“All of us know very well that Armenia is Russia’s strategic partner, and this is the reason for Armenia’s position on this issue,” says Vasso Kapanadze.

In 1992-93, more than 250,000 residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia became refugees because of the Russian-Georgian conflict. 26 thousand Georgians received the same fate as a result of the five-day Russian-Georgian war in 2008.

Georgia considers Armenia’s position on the return of refugees as negative , but the political scientist does not rule out that in the near future this issue will become a subject of joint discussion between the two countries’ leaders. According to Vasso Kapanadze, geopolitics is constantly changing and it is impossible to say what kind of developments are expected in Russian-Georgian relations, therefore it is impossible to predict Armenia’s policy on this issue as well.

“A lot will depend on how Mr. Pashinyan and his government will perceive the situation in our region,” he says.

Georgian government tries to give citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia an opportunity to travel EU countries without visa.

The political scientist also does not exclude that if Georgia does not become a member of NATO in the coming years, the foreign policy of the state may be seriously changed.

Asbarez: Diasporan Youth Continue Building Bridges with the Homeland

Emma Jilavian
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15 hours ago

Diasporan youth participating in the AYF’s summer programs in Armenia and Artsakh.

Glendale—The Armenian Youth Federation-Western United States (AYF-WUS) has announced that this year’s participants for Youth Corps and Artsakh Internship summer programs have arrived in Armenia. AYF-WUS’s flagship AYF Youth Corps program and the newly launched Artsakh Internship will take place in various regions of Armenia and Artsakh, connecting young diasporan Armenians with the homeland.

The Youth Corps program has served as one of the most prominent programs of the AYF-WUS. Originally sending groups of diasporan Armenians to help rebuild Artsakh houses and structures in 1994, for over a decade the program has transitioned into running day camps in various regions. For 6 weeks, participants are able to continue Youth Corps’ long-standing tradition of giving Armenian youth an opportunity to impact the Republic of Armenia with a hands-on approach.

Through the camp experience, local children learn basic English, patriotic songs, arts and crafts, as well as about the diversity of the diaspora and tolerance for its differences. These skills are critical in helping them grow to become members of a healthy civil society. The camps accept hundreds of children every summer and provide a safe and fun environment for them to build new friendships and acquire new skills.

AYF Youth Corps Committee Co-Chair Alique Cherchian said, “The experiences of counselors in the program are memorable. Seeing Armenia and interacting with locals firsthand is an experience second to none. The success of this program, drawing in dozens of young Armenians from all over the diaspora, lies in the fact that Youth Corps reflects the true ideals of the AYF and serves its ultimate goal of a free, independent and united Armenia.”

This year’s camps will be taking place in Gyumri, Proshyan, Artik, Medz Mantaj, and Stepanakert. Furthermore, 17 participants will also be able to visit Javakhk, historical sites, and meet compatriots in Armenia and Artsakh.

AYF summer program participants as they travel to the homeland.

The success of Youth Corps has motivated the launch of a new program to further develop ties between the homeland and diasporan youth. With the goal of professional development, the AYF Internship in Artsakh matches young Armenians with prospective internships and volunteer opportunities in fields that they choose for themselves. Sectors of work include the government, non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGO), health and medicine, education, information technologies, agriculture and multimedia development.

This summer will be the inaugural launch of the six-week internship program. Committee Chair Emilia Der Sarkissian said, “We are very excited for the pilot program of the AYF internship in Artsakh. The program is the first of its kind. It invites diasporans to live and work in Artsakh for a summer. This summer, there will be three adventurous interns; one will work at the Ombudsman’s (Human Rights Defenders) office, one will learn about mining and the third will work in the field of sustainable development.”

Interns will be living together, and outside their internship will be provided educationals, excursions in Armenia and Artsakh, participate in forums and more. The ability for Armenian youth to simultaneously see and experience Artsakh, while also contribute to its and their own professional development is one of the many reasons the AYF-WUS has created this opportunity.

The Armenian Youth Federation’s Youth Corps program and Artsakh Internship are a testament to the fact that the youth of today are not only able but also very willing to engage with their homeland in a meaningful and substantive way. The AYF-WUS is humbled to be an integral part of nation-building for Armenian youth.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and the most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States, working to advance social, political, educational and cultural awareness among Armenian-American youth.