Author: Emma Nadirian

 Sputnik/ Grigory Sysoyev

 

President Vladimir Putin says that Russian military operation in Syria will continue until a political process starts. Putin said at a televised news conference that once the Syrians decide it’s time to stop fighting and launch talks, “we aren’t going to be more Syrian than the Syrians themselves,” and Moscow will wrap up its military action, the Associated Press reports.

He says that he was unsure whether Russia needs a permanent military base in Syria. He said new Russian weapons, such as sea- and air-launched cruise missiles, give Moscow enough punch to strike an enemy and there may be no need for a permanent base in Syria.

President Vladimir Putin says the Syrian people themselves must determine who rules the country.

Putin, who met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this week, said at a news conference Thursday that Moscow supports a U.S. draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria. He says a new constitution for Syria must be drafted, and a new election prepared in which the Syrians themselves will determine its leadership.

He adds that Russia believes that a political settlement is the only way to end the Syrian crisis.

Putin says Russia and the U.S. agree on the need to ensure work on a new constitution and create mechanisms of control over future elections.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs met with French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Désir in Belgrade.

“Pleased to meet with France’s State Secretary Harlem Desir in Belgrade to discuss Nagorno Karabakh peace process,” US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs James Warlicksaid in a Twitter post.

“We will work together,” Warlick added.

Belgrade hosts the 22th meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is expected to meet with Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Photos by: Hrafn Jökulsson

 

The Armenian men’s team claimed the second place in the European Team Chess Championship held in Iceland.

Russia won the tournament with 15 points. Hungary and France came third and fourth respectively. Defending champion Azerbaijan finished seventh.

Armenia had last become Vice-Champion of Europe in 2007.

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

Last week I spoke at the first conference on the Armenian Genocide in Israel, gave a lecture at the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem, and attended a meeting with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin.

Pres. Rivlin was a staunch supporter of Armenian Genocide recognition while he was Chairman of the Knesset (parliament). As President, he is now more circumspect, not wishing to contradict his government’s reprehensible silence regarding the Armenian Genocide. However, during his meeting with the scholars attending the genocide conference last week, Pres. Rivlin left no doubt that his position on the Armenian Genocide has not changed. He even used the term “Armenian Genocide” during the meeting. He also recalled his speech at the UN General Assembly earlier this year in which he specifically referenced the Armenian Genocide.

I reminded Pres. Rivlin that over two dozen countries have already recognized the Armenian Genocide and that Israel should also acknowledge it simply because it is the right thing to do! I expressed the hope that with his continued support Israel would complete ‘the missing page’ of my book which lists the countries that have recognized the Armenian Genocide!

I then handed Pres. Rivlin my book, “The Armenian Genocide, The World Speaks Out: 1915-2015, Documents & Declarations,” a copy of the speech I delivered at the conference, and my newspaper, The California Courier.

The Armenian Genocide conference was organized By Prof. Yair Auron and the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication at The Open University of Israel. Among the distinguished speakers were: Jacob Metzer, President of The Open University of Israel; Prof. Yair Auron; Prof. Israel Charny; Prof. Elihu Richter; Prof. Dina Porat, Chief Historian of Yad Vashem; Dr. Stefan Ihrig, author of “Ataturk in the Nazi Imagination”; Ragip Zarakolu, a prominent human rights activist from Turkey; Prof. Ayhan Aktar from Istanbul Bilgi University; Ya’akov Ahimeir, Journalist and Editor of Israel Broadcasting Authority’s weekly international news survey on Channel 1; Benny Ziffer, Editor of the literary and cultural section of Haaretz newspaper; and George Hintlian from Jerusalem’s Armenian community.

In my conference presentation, I expressed regret that The State of Israel has yet to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. Here are excerpts from my remarks:

“I must first draw an important distinction between the position of the Israeli government and the people of Israel and Jews around the world who have been some of the leading voices calling attention to the Armenian Genocide and its recognition:

— Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, during the Genocide;

— Franz Werfel, the Austrian Jewish novelist, who wrote in 1933 the international bestselling novel, “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh.” His book was translated into Hebrew in 1934 and was widely read by Jews everywhere, particularly in the Warsaw ghetto, as a source of inspiration for survival and resistance to the Nazis during the Shoah;

— Raphael Lemkin, the Polish Jewish lawyer, who coined the term genocide. He disclosed during a 1949 interview on the CBS-TV Program Face the Nation: “I became interested in genocide because it happened to the Armenians”;

— I would add to these historical figures the name of Yossi Beilin, who spoke out on the Armenian Genocide as Israel’s Minister of Justice on April 24, 2000, and as Deputy Foreign Minister in 1994, despite heavy pressures and criticisms from the Israeli government;

— We also fondly remember Minister of Education Yossi Sarid who was the keynote speaker in Jerusalem on April 24, 2000, the 85th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. He declared: “I am here, with you, as a human being, as a Jew, as an Israeli, and as Education Minister of the State of Israel…. Whoever stands indifferent in front of it [genocide], or ignores it, whoever makes calculations, whoever is silent always helps the perpetrator of the crime and not the murdered.”

— I must include in this list of Righteous Jews, Professors Israel Charny, Yair Auron, Yehuda Bauer, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, and a large number of Jewish scholars who were the trailblazers in writing articles and books on the Armenian Genocide, even before Armenian scholars.

— I must also commend Knesset members and former Knesset Chairman Reuven Rivlin — the current President of Israel — who staunchly supported Armenian Genocide recognition despite his government’s vehement opposition.

As it is well known, the Armenian Genocide was the ‘prototype’ of the Shoah in view of German complicity in the extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. In the process of that criminal cooperation, the German military learned from its Turkish ally practical evil lessons on how to organize and implement the elimination of an entire race! Hitler was emboldened by the silence of the world while Armenians were getting wiped out, to confidently declare on the eve of his invasion of Poland in 1939, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”

Consequently, The State of Israel should have been the first country, and hopefully not the last, to recognize the Armenian Genocide! Who should empathize more with the victims of a genocide than those who have suffered a similar fate?

Those who give Realpolitik reasons to justify Israel’s reluctance to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, should answer the following question: Would they accept the denial of the Shoah by another country, simply because it is in that country’s strategic interest to do so?

Equally illogical is the claim that now is not the right time to recognize the Armenian Genocide! When is a good time to recognize a genocide? Isn’t 100 years of waiting long enough?

Moreover, for years, we were told that acknowledging the Armenian Genocide would ruin Israel’s good relations with Turkey. Now, we are being told that Israel cannot acknowledge it in order not to make its bad relations with Turkey worse!

It would be immoral to exploit the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a bargaining chip between Turkey and Israel. No political, economic or military interest should override the recognition of any genocide!

Israel should recognize the Armenian Genocide for one reason only: It is the right thing to do!”

Photo by Thore Siebrands/Flickr

 

Famed Hollywood star Robert De Niro revealed he may consider applying for Russian citizenship at the opening of a restaurant he co-owns at a Moscow mall, the shopping center’s press service announced Monday, reports.

Co-owner of the famous Nobu chain of restaurants, De Niro opened the first Moscow location back in 2009. This year he teamed up with Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa once again to launch another restaurant of the same brand in the Russian capital.

The actor told reporters he was fond of Russian cuisine, and also called for cooperation between Moscow and Washington to “put an end to all disagreements.”

When asked whether he would follow the example of boxer Roy Jones and apply for Russian citizenship, the star noted that he would probably consider it, as you never know what the future brings, but it was too early to make such predictions.

Matsuhisa and de Niro started their chain of original cuisine in 1994 in New York. The Nobu Empire comprises 33 restaurants in 28 cities around the world, including London, Las Vegas, Melbourne, Tokyo, Beijing and Miami.

The new Nobu spot at Moscow’s Crocus City Mall consists of a main hall for 70 guests on the first floor, a hall for 120 guests with a panoramic view on the second floor, a bar, a lounge and a sushi bar. The restaurant’s international staff includes French chef Damien Duviau, Japanese sushi chef Sohta Fujimori and pastry chef Stewart Bell, who have already worked in other restaurants within the Nobu empire.

Armenia is among the top performers in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) – as it ranks 35 out of 189 economies compared to 38 in the previous year in the 2016 Doing Business Report released by the World Bank.

Armenia’s neighbors in the region are ranked as follows: Georgia – 24^th, Turkey – 55^th, Azerbaijan – 63^rd, Iran – 118^th.

Armenia’s partners in the Eurasian Economic Union Russia and Belarus are placed 51^st and 44^th respectively, Kazakhstan is 41^st, Kyrgyzstan is 67^th.

Armenia’s improvement in the ranking is largely attributable to the three reforms it implemented in the areas of Dealing with Construction Permits (DwCP), Trading across Borders and Enforcing Contracts

Armenia is among the 26 economies at the global level that implemented 3 or more reforms. That’s only 14% of economies worldwide

Armenia made a jump of nearly two points in its DTF score from DB15 to DB16. To put things in perspective, the average improvement in DTF score in ECA economies was less than 1.

Armenia made dealing with construction permits easier by exempting lower risk projects from requirements for approval of the architectural drawings by an independent expert and for technical supervision of the construction.

Armenia reduced the time and cost for documentary and border compliance for trade with the Russian Federation by joining the Eurasian Economic Union.

As a result, the time for import border compliance was reduced from approximately 50 hours to 3 hours. The ranking for Armenia on the indicator has also improved from 58 to 29.

Armenia made enforcing contracts easier through a new law requiring that cases be assigned to judges randomly, and through a fully automated system, in courts throughout the country.

Armenia sets some of best practices worldwide in Starting a Business (rank of 5 out of 189 economies), and registering property (14).

On Starting a Business, it takes only 3 days for an entrepreneur in Yerevan to incorporate – the same time as in Denmark.

On Registering Property, it takes only 7 days to register a property transfer compared to 48 days on average at the global level

There are areas for improvement in Armenia, notably in the areas of Getting Electricity (rank of 99) and Resolving Insolvency (rank of 71).

On Getting Electricity, for instance, it takes 180 days to obtain a new connection. In contrast, it takes an average of 119 days in ECA economies.

This year’s Doing Business report completes a two-year effort to expand benchmarks that measure the quality of regulation, as well as efficiency of the business regulatory framework, in order to better capture realities on the ground. For example, in addition to the steps, time and cost to build a warehouse, the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator, through its Building Quality Control index, assesses whether safety mechanisms are in place. In this area, Armenia underperforms compared to the region when it comes to good practices in construction regulation, quality controls and safety mechanisms.

Armenia’s Ambassador to the US, ex-Prime minister Tigran Sargsyan will chair the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union. He will succeed Victor Khristenko and will assume the post from February 1, 2016.

The issue was discussed at the sitting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council today. The leaders of EEU member countries met in Astana to discuss the urgent issues on EEU agenda and the development perspectives.

A number of artists, colleagues, and officials came together at the Imam Ali (AS) Religious Arts Museum on Sunday evening to celebrate the 78th birthday of Armenian composer and conductor Loris Tjeknavorian, reports.

Addressing participants, Art and Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality Director Mahmud Salahi praised Tjeknavorian for his lifetime achievements.

“As far as I know, the indefatigable maestro still feels like a 30-year-old for broadening his experiences in music,” Salahi added.

Photographer Fakhreddin Fakhreddini, famous for his black-and-white portrait photos of Iranian celebrities, also spoke at the celebration.

“Tjeknavorian’s compositions can be considered as a fusion of music and paintings, since he is a notable painter as well,” he said.

Tjeknavorian also spoke briefly, saying that he has always been interested in genuine Iranian and Islamic culture, traditions and arts.

The musician who is of Armenian origin expressed pleasure over his Iranian nationality as he hoped for further peace and friendship for his countrymen.

Tjeknavorian said that he draws inspiration from people and added, “I have always been delighted to be living among the Iranian people.”

The celebration came to an end with the presentation to Tjeknavorian of a painting by Morteza Asadi and other awards.

Tjeknavorian was born in 1937 in Borujerd in the southwestern Iranian province of Lorestan and was educated in Tehran.

After he studied violin and piano at the Tehran Conservatory of Music, he studied composition at the Vienna Music Academy, where he graduated with honors in 1961.

Tjeknavorian has performed throughout the world, having conducted international orchestras in Austria, Britain, the United States, Canada, Hungary, Iran, Finland, the former Soviet Union, Armenia, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Africa and Denmark.

His own compositions have been performed by major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra in New York and the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.

Rockers System Of A Down are to receive a special award for raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide, reports. 

The Armenian-American musicians are the recipients of the 2015 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award, a prize named after groundbreaking filmmakers Sergei Parajanov and Mikhail Vartanov, who fought persecution for their work in the Soviet Union.

Serj Tankian’s band launched the Wake Up The Souls Tour earlier this year  to mark 100 years since the Armenian Genocide, in which up to 1.5 million citizens were systematically murdered by the nation’s government.

The tour culminated with the group’s first ever show in the country on the anniversary of the start of the atrocity on 24 April.

“(The) 2015 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award will honor the Grammy-winning rock band System Of A Down for their virtuous commitment to justice exemplified by their historic 2015 Wake Up the Souls tour,” a statement from the Parajanov-Vartanov Institute reads.

The prize will be handed to the band at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 21 October.

Previous recipients of the award include Hollywood director Martin Scorsese, who accepted the honour in 2014 for his work with The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project on the restoration of Parajanov’s 1969 film The Color of Pomegranates.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs may hold talks this fall, RIA Novosti quoted the OSCE Secretary General as saying.

Addressing the CSTO Council meeting in Moscow, Secretary General Lamberto Zannier did not exclude the possibility of a meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Zannier said he discussed the Nagorno Karabakh issue with CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha.

“We are concerned over increased violence at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” the OSCE Secretary General said, adding that work with the political leadership is necessary.

“We had meetings with the Foreign Ministers and the Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. There may be another meeting this fall. We hope for a meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Lamberto Zannier said.