Armenian weightlifter Garnik Cholakyan crowned world champion

Panorama
Armenia – May 3 2022

SPORT 16:18 03/05/2022 ARMENIA

20-year-old Armenian weightlifter Garnik Cholakyan made six from six to win gold at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Junior World Championships that began in Heraklion, Crete, on May 2.

A European youth and junior champion, Cholakyan lifted a total of 240kg (108-132) in the men’s 55kg category to become world champion.

Jose Manuel Poox of Mexico was second on 234kg and the bronze went to Mustafa Erdogan of Turkey on 228kg.

Turkish press: Restored 16th-century Armenian church reopens in Diyarbakır

A restored painting in the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, Turkey, May 7, 2022. (AA Photo)

A16th-century Armenian church in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakır province heavily damaged by PKK terrorists in 2015 officially reopened on Saturday after extensive government-funded restoration.

Pointing out that everyone “shares the excitement” of the renovated Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said at the opening ceremony that services will start on Sunday, May 8 “and that this structure, which has been the target of terrorism, will be reopened for worship.”

The historic church in Diyarbakır’s Sur district was damaged by PKK terrorist attacks in 2015 and restored with funds provided by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry under the coordination of Turkey’s General Directorate of Foundations.

Officials conduct a service during a ceremony for the reopening of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, Turkey, May 7, 2022. (AA Photo)

Various cultures and faiths live together in peace and worship freely in Diyarbakır, which is home to many priceless structures, said Ersoy, including the Surp Giragos Armenian and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches.

“Unfortunately, these two structures, which are among the important treasures of our cultural heritage, were targeted and destroyed by terrorist groups who wanted to cast a shadow over the peace and tranquility of the city in recent years,” he explained.

“We believe that the places of worship all over Anatolia are signs of respect and fellowship among us.”

Officials conduct a service during a ceremony for the reopening of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, Turkey, May 7, 2022. (AA Photo)

The church, the largest Armenian Gregorian church in the Middle East, is known not only by citizens of the city but also worldwide, Ersoy said, adding that restoration of the Surp Giragos Armenian and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches cost approximately TL 32 million ($2.14 million)

Sahak Mashalian, the patriarch of Turkish Armenians, called the opening of the church a lifeline for Diyarbakır’s Christian population, which has been on the decline.

“It contains an important and meaningful message of friendship for the Armenian world in terms of the development of Turkish-Armenian relations,” he said.

“There are so many bright and positive events and experiences to be emphasized in the thousand-year-old Turkish-Armenian relations that we believe should be highlighted with the bridges of friendship that must be established in the future.”

Officials conduct a service during a ceremony for the reopening of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, Turkey, May 7, 2022. (AA Photo)

“We have to see this church, which was opened for worship, as a monument of good neighborly relations between Armenians, Turks and Kurds, Christians and Muslims,” he added.

Turkey has a sizeable Armenian minority population, and normalization talks started earlier this year between Turkey and neighboring Armenia.

Ergun Ayik, head of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation, said the group worked for the renovation of this church under the leadership of the Diyarbakır Governorship and with the support of the General Directorate of Foundations.

A woman lights a candle during the reopening of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, Turkey, May 7, 2022. (AA Photo)

Stating that the restoration was completed with sensitive and meticulous work, Ayik added: “We hope to preserve this church forever with the support of our community, state and regional actors.”

After a seven-year hiatus at the church, the bell was rung, a blessing rite was performed, candles were lit and prayers were performed.

Several hundred women come out to Yerevan streets

Caucasian Knot
May 8 2022
Several hundred women come out to Yerevan streets

A women’s march demanding resignation of the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, was held in central Yerevan.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Armenia is hosting protests demanding Pashinyan’s resignation. On May 6, law enforcers violently dispersed an action held near Victory Bridge in Yerevan; the police reported 48 detainees. It also became known about the arrest of four people in connection with the incidents that broke out during protests. Today, the opposition staged a motor rally from Yerevan to Vanadzor, where a rally is planned demanding Pashinyan’s resignation.

The march of several hundred women began from France Square in Yerevan; the protesters intend to visit the Saint Sarkis Church and pray for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the “News-Armenia” Agency reports.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 7, 2022 at 01:32 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Armenian IC announces arrest of four oppositionists, In Yerevan, a protester dies of cardiac arrest, National Security Service of Armenia warns opposition against storming parliament.

Source: Caucasian Knot

Eight Nobel laureates to arrive in Armenia for Starmus festival

PanArmenian
Armenia – May 6 2022

PanARMENIAN.Net – Eight Nobel laureates, including renowned biochemist and molecular physiologist Tim Hunt, will arrive in Armenia to take part in the Starmus Festival to be held in Armenia on September 5-10, co-founder of Starmus, astrophysicist Garik Israelyan has said, Aravot reports.

Israelyan has revealed that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, whose lectures are attended by 10,000-15,000 people will also participate in the festival.

In 2013, while rotating around the Earth, Hadfield recorded a cover of David Bowie’s early career hit, “Space Oddity”. Four years later, the music video they created and released has been viewed more than 51 million times․

The astrophysicist revealed that famous rock stars will also travel to Armenia, adding that System of Down frontman Serj Tankian and jazz pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan too will join the event. According to him, SpaceX founder Elon Musk, the original lead singer of Genesis Peter Gabriel are interested in the festival as well.

The festival will be open to universities, and people behind the initiative have programs in Gyumri and other towns, because they want the festival to go beyond Yerevan.

Israelian came with the ide of establishing Starmus in 2005, when he compiled a unique library of acoustic sound waves produced within the bodies of stars. The scientists then joined forces with Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and legendary guitarist of the band Queen, to create the festival that would bring the stars together with music.

Tonoyan confirms ex-army chief of staff’s report on ending Karabakh war

PanArmenian
Armenia – May 6 2022

PanARMENIAN.Net – Former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, who has been in custody since September 2021, has said that ex-Chief of the Army General Staff Onik Gasparyan had indeed reported during the Second Karabakh war that hostilities must be stopped within 2-3 days.

In an interview with NEWS.am, the former official was asked: after the 44-day war, former Chief of Staff Onik Gasparyan declared that he had reported to the Security Council on the fourth day of the war that it was necessary to stop the war within 2-3 days. [Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan denies Gasparyan’s statement. Did you, as the Minister of Defense attending that meeting, hear Gasparyan’s report?

“I have mentioned it before, and now I reaffirm that the above-mentioned statement was indeed made. Moreover, it was made not only in the meetings of the Security Council, it was also agreed with me,” Tonoyan said.

“Nevertheless, the Armed Forces were ready to fight and take no step back, regardless of the diplomatic efforts to end hostilities.”

The Second Karabakh war lasted 44 days and ended when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev signed a ceasefire statement on November 9, 2020. Under the deal, the Armenian side returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.

Armenia to host world-renowned scientists, musicians within frames of STARMUS VI festival

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 15:36, 6 May, 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. STARMUS VI Festival is coming to Armenia to remind the people about the importance of science. Within the framework of the festival, students and school-children will have an opportunity to meet and talk to Nobel Prize winners, top singers and renowned representatives of tech field, Co-founder of the Festival, astrophysicist Garik Israelian said at a press conference today.

A series of congresses, seminars, cultural events, scientific camps are expected during the “STARMUS VI: 50 Year On Mars” festival in Armenia.

Israelian today announced the countdown to the launch of the Festival, which will take place on September 5-10, 2022, assuring that hosting such an international festival in Armenia is an unprecedented event not only for Armenia but also the entire region.

“The STARMUS format is unique in a sense that it publicizes and brings science closer to the youth, summing it with art and music. Armenia will host world-renowned Sons of Apollo band, Rick Wakeman, Serj Tankian, Tigran Hamasian, Andrey Makarevich who will visit Armenia specially for the participation to the Festival. The lectures on the sidelines of the festival will launch afternoon, enabling the participants to do their works and enjoy the modern topics to be presented by the representatives of the global advanced mind and the performances of artists”, he said.

Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan said with its uniqueness the event will allow to promote also the science and art development in Armenia and create a strong scientific community, combining the tech-oriented industry, educational centers and research institutions.

“The organization of the festival will also create new cooperation opportunities in science and art spheres. It will serve as a platform for capacity development of youth, will promote their engagement into scientific life”, the minister said.

Minister of High Technological Industry of Armenia Robert Khachatryan said that the STARMUS VI festival in Armenia comes to prove once again that Armenia has played an important role in science, technology, music and art spheres. “Today I can surely state that our youth with its potential will bring a new word and say to science and technologies. Holding the STARMUS VI festival in Armenia is really a great event, and we should be able to register maximum results from this opportunity”, Khachatryan said.

Over 50 renowned scientists, engineers, astronauts, Nobel Prize winners and many others are going to attend the festival in Armenia.

“The festival is a good opportunity to raise Armenia’s attractiveness for thousands of tourists and position Armenia on the world map as a country of science. We should do everything possible to achieve this goal”, Garik Israelian said.

STARMUS is a global festival of science communication and art that brings together the most brilliant minds on the planet. Its aim is to inspire and educate the next generation of explorers and regenerate the spirit of discovery. STARMUS combines art, music and science to enhance the science communication.




‘Nicole has turned into a dictator’։ Hampig Sassounian reveals details of his detention

Panorama
Armenia – May 5 2022

SOCIETY 16:00 05/05/2022 ARMENIA

ASALA fighter Hampig Sassounian, who was detained during anti-government protests in Yerevan on Thursday morning, has been set free.

He denounced police brutality against opposition protesters as he spoke to reporters after coming out of the police station.

In Sassounian’s words, he was walking down a street when police officers started detaining young opposition activists and simply asked them why the young people were being detained. In response, two policemen grabbed him and pushed him into a van.

“They acted violently. I even hit my head. I am upset by the conduct of police officers. They probably acted on Nikol Pashinyan’s orders. Shame on you, Nikol! You came to power through the same methods and now you have turned into a dictator. You are no different from the Turks,” he said.

Turkey, Armenia Special Envoys on Normalization Meet in Vienna

The Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Istanbul Patriarch Says Artsakh part of the Ankara-Yerevan Normalization Package

Special envoys for normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey, Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kılıç held their third meeting in Vienna on Tuesday.

Following the meeting the two foreign ministries issued identical announcement expressing their countries’ commitment to the process.

“The Special Representatives reaffirmed the declared goal of achieving full normalization between their respective countries through this process. In this sense, they had sincere and productive exchange of concrete views and discussed possible steps that can be undertaken for tangible progress in this direction,” said the statement. “They reiterated their agreement to continue the process without preconditions.”

Since the last meeting in Vienna in February, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan traveled to Turkey and attended a diplomatic conference in Antalya.

Following the first meeting in Moscow in January, the sides committed to advancing relation “without preconditions.”

Official Yerevan has signaled that it wants to open the borders with Turkey and establish diplomatic relations.

While Ankara has echoed similar sentiments, its leaders have stepped up their calls urging Armenia to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity—including Artsakh. On April 23, Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu flashed the hand gesture used by the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves to a group of Armenian protesters in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he was on an official visit.

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop Sahag Mashalian said that Turkey wants a resolution from Armenia, suggesting that such a package also includes the settlement of the Artsakh conflict.

He said that although the Turkey-Armenia talks are proceeding between representatives from the two countries, however, in reality there are four countries, including Azerbaijan and Turkey.

“This is not just about Armenia-Turkey relation,” Mashalian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

[see video]

Karabakh president to Armenia PM: We do not see any direction to deviate from our right to self-determination

NEWS.am
Armenia – April 29 2022

YEREVAN. – A huge part of our joint work is related to the socio-economic sphere. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in his opening remarks during Friday’s consultation at the Government of Armenia—and chaired by him and President Arayik Harutyunyan of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), informed the press service of the PM’s office.

“And this is a key issue, because it is essential that we do everything to make conditions for the people to live in Artsakh, to feel safe, to see their future living in Artsakh. Of course, this also goes for the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, about the Republic of Armenia, I am convinced that we are moving in the right direction. This is very important. I am convinced that we are moving in the right direction, I am happy, when the Artsakh authorities share that conviction. I once again welcome you, Mr. President, dear colleagues, wishing a fruitful discussion today,” Pashinyan added.

In response, Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said: “Fortunately, today there is a general political atmosphere in Artsakh, the Armenians of Artsakh first of all, of course, welcome and accept the agenda of peace, because there might be no one who knows the price of peace better than the people of Artsakh. But, on the other hand, I want to note that we do not see any direction to deviate from our right to self-determination, which we started from the first day of the movement. Therefore, I want to thank you for the opinion that any topic, any document will be discussed with the Artsakh government, and naturally, will stem from the mood of the people. Of course, it should be noted that no other way is possible, that is, it is not possible to have a document that will be rejected by the people of Artsakh. We all understand that, and in that sense we have a long political struggle.

The second is the security component, which is the most important today. Fortunately, recently it seems to have stabilized with the direct mediation of Russian peacekeepers, and today provides an opportunity to discuss socio-economic programs.

And the most important is the socio-economic at this stage. If there is no population in Artsakh, then it becomes meaningless to talk about the political struggle and security. That is why the demographics, the socio-economic programs are becoming important again today, the programs that started after the war are continuing. And we think that they should not only continue, but awe should also complete the ambitious programs we have started. And our main goal, the main issues at this stage are the political, security, demographic and socio-economic issues. We never faced any problems over those. But there are some questions on which we expect to receive answers during today’s discussion, which will determine our further steps in terms of continuing those programs.”

Tigran Avinyan`s candidacy to be nominated in next elections of Mayor of Yerevan

ARMINFO
Armenia –
Alina Hovhannisyan

ArmInfo. In the next elections, Tigran Avinyan will be nominated for the post of Mayor of  Yerevan. This was announced on April 28 during a briefing with  journalists by current head of the metropolitan municipality Hrachya  Sargsyan.

In particular, he said that he would be in this post for a year and a  half, after which the candidacy of the former deputy prime minister  of Armenia would be nominated, then the election process would  follow. In this regard, Sargsyan stated that he wants to complete the  programs he has begun, and only after that leave the post of mayor.

The current head of the Yerevan Municipality did not express any  disagreement with such a development of the situation. He noted that  he served as first deputy mayor for 5 years, after which he began to  head the metropolitan Municipality. “The experience that I have  accumulated here for so long, I will apply for good elsewhere,” he  stressed.

It should be reminded that at the end of December last year, Hayk  Marutyan was dismissed from the post of Mayor of Yerevan. The Council  of Elders voted for the candidacy of Hrachya Sargsyan with 44 votes  in favor and 10 votes against by secret ballot.