Author: Garnik Zakarian
Technical Failure In Armenia Impacts Iranian Internet, Causes VPN Disruption
The global Internet watchdog NetBlocks on Thursday said Internet disruption in Iran on Wednesday was caused by a technical failure in neighboring Armenia which had a knock-on impact on Iran’s connectivity and indirectly caused disruptions similar to filtering traffic.
Iranian users on Wednesday reported serious disruption in Wi-Fi as well as Rightel and Irancell mobile Internet in various parts of the country and said VPN services were seriously affected.
According to NetBlocks, data corroborate the explanation supplied by Iran’s Telecommunication Infrastructure Company (TIC), indicating that there has been no intentional internet blackout but rather a power-cut and internet outage in Armenia resulted in a knock-on loss of international connectivity in Iran. Iranian networks depend on peering arrangements with neighbors for international routing.
“Wednesday’s reported failures and network timings indicate that the outages impacted gateway networks that serve parts of Iran’s state filter or “filternet” causing DNS queries to fail as well as resulting in modest impact to overall connectivity levels and manifesting in latency spikes on several ISPs for over five hours,” NetBlocks said about the impact of the Internet disruptions on the functioning of VPNs.
In a tweet on Wednesday following reports of disruptions, Sadjad Bonabi, Deputy Director of the Board of Directors of TCI, said that extensive outage outside Iranian borders in Turkey and Armenia had caused the disruptions. In a sequel to his tweet he reported that the paths had been redirected to the south and the network had been stabilized. Bonabi also said that some service providers had reported DNS disruptions which were being investigated.
Internet access in Iran is usually subject to disruptions and limitations which are due to extensive filtering by various security and communications bodies. At least one major VPN provider, VPN Makers, has in recent days informed its subscribers that it will cease providing VPN services from Friday due to “major recent problems and restrictions”.
The Islamic Republic has for years tried to implement a plan to separate the national network from the global Internet by creating an alternative (interanet0 called Iran National Information Network (ININ). With the ININ, Tehran hopes to cut the country’s dependency on international cyberspace.
CivilNet: New Poll Highlights Public Uncertainty in Armenia and Georgia About Region’s Place in the World
By Mark Dovich
Recently released data from the Caucasus Barometer, an annual household survey and the largest coordinated data collection effort in the South Caucasus, highlight widespread public uncertainty in Armenia and Georgia about the region’s geopolitical path. The surveys, organized by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers think tank network, were conducted in Armenia from February 21 to March 15, 2020 and in Georgia from October 9 to November 4, 2019.
Dissolution of the USSR
When asked if the Soviet Union’s dissolution “had been a good or bad thing” for their respective countries, respondents in both Armenia and Georgia were nearly evenly split. In Armenia, 45 percent of respondents said it had been “a good thing,” 40 percent said it had been “a bad thing,” and 15 percent either answered “do not know” or refused to answer altogether. Meanwhile, among Georgians, 41 percent said it had been “a good thing,” 42 percent said it had been “a bad thing,” and 17 percent either answered “do not know” or refused to answer.
Interestingly, Armenian and Georgian respondents were much more decisive when asked to justify their decision to call the Soviet Union’s dissolution “good” or “bad”—and gave overwhelmingly similar answers. Of those respondents who viewed the Soviet Union’s collapse positively, upwards of 80 percent in both countries said that the “dissolution of the USSR was a good thing because” Armenia and Georgia “became independent,” with no other answer mentioned by more than 10 percent of respondents. Likewise, of those respondents who viewed the Soviet Union’s collapse negatively, 80 percent in Armenia and 64 percent in Georgia said that the “dissolution of the USSR was a bad thing because people’s economic situation has worsened.”
Main Friends and Enemies
Respondents in Armenia and Georgia were asked to name their respective countries’ “main friend” and “main enemy” on the international stage. In the “main friend” question, respondents expressed fairly uncertain views. In fact, the answer “no one” was among the top responses for both groups. In Armenia, the top two answers were Russia, at 57 percent, and “no one,” at 17 percent. In Georgia, the top three answers were “no one,” at 26 percent, “do not know” or “refuse to answer,” at 21 percent, and the US, also at 21 percent.
Although the majority of respondents naming Russia as Armenia’s “main friend” may appear rather decisive, it represents a massive decline from 2013, when 83 percent of respondents identified Russia as Armenia’s “main friend.”
In contrast, the “main enemy” question prompted slightly more decisive opinions, particularly among Armenian respondents. When asked to name Armenia’s “main enemy,” respondents overwhelmingly answered Azerbaijan, at 75 percent, and Turkey, at 22 percent. Meanwhile, Georgian respondents answered Russia, at 49 percent, and “do not know” or “refuse to answer,” at 31 percent.
Key International Organizations
Finally, respondents were questioned on their perceptions of two key international organizations, the EU and NATO. While neither Armenia nor Georgia are member states of either organization, the Georgian government has openly pressed for EU and NATO membership for quite some time, while Armenia maintains a close security and economic relationship with Russia through its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Armenian and Georgian respondents alike expressed ambivalent views toward these organizations—despite their governments’ diverging positions on the matter. In fact, roughly one in four respondents in both countries reported ambivalent views on Euro-Atlantic integration, although the Georgian respondents exhibited more positive attitudes than their Armenian counterparts, who, in turn, more frequently answered “do not know” or refused to answer altogether.
When asked if they would support their country joining the EU, 11 percent of Armenian respondents said they would not support it, 24 percent said they would “partially support, partially not support” it, 40 percent said they would support it, and 24 percent either answered “do not know” or refused to answer. At the same time, 9 percent of Georgian respondents said they would not support their country joining the EU, 25 percent said they would “partially support, partially not support” it, 52 percent said they would support it, and 13 percent either answered “do not know” or refused to answer.
Meanwhile, 18 percent of respondents in Armenia said they would not support their country joining NATO, 24 percent said they would “partially support, partially not support” it, 25 percent said they would support it, and 33 percent either answered “do not know” or refused to answer. On the other hand, 14 percent of respondents in Georgia said they would not support their country joining NATO, 23 percent said they would “partially support, partially not support” it, 50 percent said they would support it, and 13 percent either answered “do not know” or refused to answer.
Navigating International Relations in a Complicated Region
The survey results detailed above show deep ambivalence among the Armenian and Georgian general publics about the Soviet Union’s legacy in the region, the best geopolitical path forward for the region, and the state of the region’s relations with key external players—a reflection of the difficult geopolitical position of the South Caucasus, which has been a crossroads of cultures and civilizations for centuries.
Today, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia face the unenviable reality of navigating complex geopolitics both within the region and in their relations with the three much larger and more powerful countries that surround them—Iran to the south, Russia to the north, and Turkey to the west. Add the ongoing conflicts in Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia, high levels of engagement by the US and EU, and increasing interest from China, and it becomes even clearer that the region’s geopolitical position will remain complicated for some time.
Armenia lines up for future coronavirus vaccine
- JAMnews, Yerevan
AGBU Unites Diaspora and Homeland with First Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament and All-Star Closing Ceremonies
AGBU Press Office 55 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022-1112 Website: PRESS RELEASE Tuesday, AGBU Unites Diaspora and Homeland with First Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament and All-Star Closing Ceremonies The Republic of Armenia has long been distinguished as a nexus for chess supremacy, with its national preoccupation with the game, large share of world champions, including Olympic winners and over 70 grandmasters (GMs), and, recently, the integration of Chess into its core public school curriculum. This June, it took that passion a step further with the launch of the first Pan Armenian Chess Tournament (PACT), hosted by the AGBU-sponsored Armenian Virtual College (AVC) in association with the Chess Academy of Armenia. The virtual journey took place between June 8 and 26, 2020, despite, and, to a large extent, on account of the global pandemic. As millions of Armenian students and chess players found themselves in lockdown mode and looking for ways to connect with fellow Armenians with likeminded interests, AVC was in an ideal position to step up and organize both the tournament and the all-star virtual closing ceremonies featuring 23 celebrated grandmasters from around the world. During the ceremonies, GM Tigran L. Petrosian, a two-time Chess Olympic champion made inspirational congratulatory remarks, saying: "It was a brilliant idea to unite all Armenian chess enthusiasts from around the globe. I think the organizers have performed an important service with this virtual tournament. It gave me the opportunity to meet my colleagues and friends, whom I have been missing so much. I wish these young players all the best and hope that they will achieve new goals, titles, and we will have new winners." GM Lilit Mkrtchian, European Women's Team Champion extended her congratulations from Germany, remarking that she hoped that even when the pandemic was over there will be another online tournament organized. GM Smbat Lputian, Founder and President of the Chess Academy of Armenia, also expressed his great satisfaction to all the stakeholders involved. "We were happy to create such a warm and collegial environment, which united Armenians from communities geographically distant from each other. I am thankful to all those who contributed into its realization. Honestly, I am so glad to be with all of you here, I am pleased that we are one family and that we hearten each other today." Soon after the announcement of PACT, 520 interested players signed up, representing 36 countries and five regions-from the Americas, Armenia and Artsakh to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia and Oceania. The tournament was structured in two stages: five regional semi-finals; and three rounds of final games leading to the PACT champion titles. Between games, players were given access to renowned Armenian chess champions via the AVC multi-media interactive chess courses. Dr. Yervant Zorian, the founding president of AVC, a member of the AGBU Central Board, and mastermind behind this multi-regional virtual undertaking, explained the vision: "The idea of creating this innovative tournament was not only to discover new talent from across the Armenian world, but, more important, to create a dynamic online global community of chess loving students. AVC will continue to leverage its virtual platform and experienced community coordinators to offer them skill-building and interpersonal bonding activities. Among the diverse competitors, Armenia's players met their match among formidable peers ranging in all ages, with 428 players under the age of 20. Notably, winners were no older than 16. The youngest, a semi-finalist, was age nine. Among the finalists, Third Prize was taken by 16-year old Tigran Arzumanyan of Goris in Armenia's Syunik province, Second Prize went to 14-year old Kirk Ghazarian of Coto de Caza, California, USA, and First Prize was awarded to Sargis Sargsyan of Vanadzor in Armenia's Lori province. An official certificate was conferred upon each winner, signed by GM Smbat Lputian, the president of the Chess Academy of Armenia and Dr. Zorian, as president and founder of AVC. In addition, winners received valuable monetary rewards in the form of virtual gift cards. The semi-finalists from the Americas included (1st) Kirk Ghazarian, age 14 (USA); (2nd) Suren Ghazaryan, age 15 (Canada); (3rd) Ethan Boldi, age 13 (USA). From Europe: (1st) Daniel Karapetyan-Hakopyan, age 13 (Spain); (2nd) Dimitrios Levon Zakarian, age 12 (UK); and Henrik Serobyan. Middle East and Africa: (1st) Kevork Yeghian, age 16 (Syria), (2nd) Edward Iskanderian, age 14 (Lebanon); (3rd) Arsen Kenyan, age 9 (Syria). Armenia: (1st) Sargis Sargsyan, age 16; (2nd) Tigran Arzumanyan, age 16); (3rd) Menua Hakobyan, age 12. Asia and Oceania: Shahan Abu Sayeed, age 9 (India). A semi-finalist from Aleppo Kevork Yeghian, an AGBU-AYA scout representing the Middle East/Africa region, echoed the sentiments of many of the young participants, saying, "I am really happy for the chance to participate in the competition and get acquainted with other chess lovers from different places." The closing ceremonies were capped with a surprise live "blitz" match between European Women Team Champion Elina Danielyan versus Russian Women's Rapid Champion Karina Ambartsumova. Other commentators included U.S. Women's Vice-Champion Tatev Abrahamyan and U.S. Vice-Champion Varuzhan Akobian. In his congratulatory remarks, AGBU Armenia President Vasken Yacoubian summed up the broader implications of the successful tournament. "Chess helps develop the individual on many dimensions, but it has also become sort of our national trademark. Every nation has its features and virtues, and over the decades, chess has become the trademark of both the Armenian Nation and Armenia. And this has a big meaning. It's clear that we, as Armenians, have the great possibility of producing champions, who become our national heroes and bring pride to the people. This pride helps unite people, and in unity is strength-which is the AGBU motto. That is why AGBU is so keen on supporting the game in all its forms. Since 2007, we have been involved in the Chess Olympiad in Armenia's schools, and we will continue to do so along with new initiatives such as the Pan-Armenian Chess Tournament." For more information and to view the closing ceremonies, go to . To explore AVC online chess courses, visit The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit .
Russian Embassy in Armenia commented on the situation around the draft law "On Audiovisual Media"
ArmInfo. The press service of the Russian Embassy in Armenia made a statement on the requests of a number of media outlets to comment on the situation in the information space of Armenia around the draft law “On Audiovisual Media” adopted in the first reading.
Of course, its adoption will lead to a fairly serious transformation of the entire industry of the media space. Under the new conditions, foreign broadcasters, and today it is mainly a question of Russian television channels, will be able to broadcast in a public multiplex only on the basis of an interstate agreement. That is, it is necessary to agree on new
One important aspect of the discussion is the so-called “language” security. As far as we understand, it stipulates the requirement contained in the draft law on the mandatory “accompaniment” of a foreign- language media product with dubbing or subtitles in Armenian. Again, in fact, we are talking mainly about Russian-language programs. It is no secret that even from the early stage of the establishment of an independent Armenian state, the Russian language from a formal point of view has lost any special status. New requirements essentially continue this process. But de facto, the Russian language continues to play a greater role in Armenia today than just a foreign language. We know that a significant part of Armenian citizens is directly connected with Russia – someone works there, someone lives with relatives, whom they often visit, etc. Our countries are united by membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. For example, let’s take a look at the sensational situation with the recognition of Armenian driver’s licenses in Russia. For this, it was necessary that the Russian language in Armenia have an official status. However, despite its absence, understanding the importance of resolving this issue for many Armenian citizens, the Russian side shows a constructive spirit and expresses readiness by joint efforts within the EAEU to find an acceptable solution to this complex issue, taking into account the special ties between our countries. These are just some examples that testify to the special role of the Russian language in Armenia, which is a direct reflection of the realities of our relations.
The same realities determined the interest of the Armenian society in Russian TV channels. By the way, according to the report on the activities of the National Commission on Television and Radio of RA broadcast on “Channel One”, “RTR Planet” and “Russia”. Culture> have a fairly solid and well-established audience.
Given the new legislative requirements, involuntarily the question arises of the availability of cable packages. If a person considers that the set of channels of the public multiplex does not satisfy his information needs, he will be forced to make a choice in favor of cable television. However, you must admit that in Armenia today not everyone can afford it.
Often it is heard various kinds of reproaches regarding the content of programs shown on Russian television channels. This seems to be largely a matter of preference. In general, any media, including television channels, represent one or more points of view with which the viewer has the right to agree or disagree. You can even challenge them, because, as you know, truth is born in a dispute.
All this is a reflection that in no way claims to interfere in the legislative process. Armenian parliamentarians will vote based on their own understanding of the interests of their state and people. Russia, of course, will respect any decisions in this regard. At the same time, we hope that the above considerations will complement the overall picture of the ongoing discussions. Moreover, the new law will definitely have a significant impact on the information policy, which is an important part of the overall complex of relations between our countries and peoples>, the comment reads.
Medical worker dies of coronavirus in Armenia
20:05,
YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. Healthcare Minister of Armenia Arsen Torosyan informed that a medica worker has died of coronavirus, ARMENPRESS reports Torosyan said during a press conference on June 23.
”We already have a victim from medical staff and this is one also a reason why we emphasize that the protection of the medical staff is of key importance”, Torosyan said.
21,006 cases have been reported in Armenia by June 23. 10,144 have recovered. 10.364 are active cases. Death toll is 372. A total of 98,117 tests have been done. Another 126 patients with coronavirus have died of other reasons.
State of emergency has been prolonged until July 13.
Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan, Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
Armenpress: Pashiyan says all goals pursued by elections in Artsakh have been best implemented
Pashiyan says all goals pursued by elections in Artsakh have been best implemented
15:59, 19 June, 2020
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS. As a result of competitive and democratic elections Artsakh has a leadership who expresses its people’s aspirations to political reforms, economic and infrastructure development, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in his remarks at the joint session of the Security Councils of Armenia and Artsakh in Yerevan.
“During our joint session on December 23, 2019 I specifically highlighted the importance of the general elections in Artsakh. The elections held in Artsakh were pursuing three key goals. Firstly – to give an opportunity to the people of Artsakh to elect through the exercise of human rights those authorities who will organize the country’s political and public life. Secondly – to give an opportunity to the people of Artsakh to elect those authorities who must ensure their security. Armenia, of course, will continue supporting the Artsakh authorities in their commitment to protect the people of Artsakh, continuing to be the security guarantor of Artsakh. Thirdly – as a result of the presidential and parliamentary elections the people of Artsakh must have given a mandate to their authorities to represent Artsakh also in the negotiation table”, the PM said.
He added that now, when the elections are over, and the leadership has been formed, they should note that these three goals have been best implemented. “As a result of competitive and democratic elections Artsakh has a leadership who expresses its people’s aspirations to political reforms, economic and infrastructure development. As a result of elections and formation of the leadership a key process of solidarity and unity of political forces took place in Artsakh, which, I am sure, further strengthened the security of Artsakh”, the PM noted.
The Armenian PM stated that the elections highlighted the role of the Artsakh people and the leadership elected by them in the peaceful settlement process. “It’s obvious that without complete engagement of the Artsakh authorities there cannot be a major progress in the negotiation process as each progress needs capacity of reaching and implementing key agreements, and it’s here that the democratic mandate received by the Artsakh authorities is irreplaceable”, he said.