Author: Garnik Zakarian

Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan says losing the Europa League final against Ajax is not an option.

United go to Stockholm next week after their final Premier League game of the campaign against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday, following a guaranteed sixth-place finish in the top flight.

A win on Wednesday night would see them claim their third trophy of the season after the EFL Cup and Community Shield, and would also hand them a spot in the Champions League group stage for next season.

Jose Mourinho has described the game as the biggest in United’s history, and Mkhitaryan also claimed it is one of the most important of his own career.

Mkhitaryan Sky Sports: “I can say that of course there is only one choice and that is to win, we are not going to the final to lose.

“We want to win and have to win, for us it is very important to win this trophy, and also the opportunity to play in the Champions League because Manchester United are not the team who has to play three years in a row in the Europa League.

“It’s going to be one of the most important games in my life. I don’t want to lose this opportunity. I am only thinking of winning that game, I know we are able to win, and I know it will be a big pleasure to win it.

“If we are going to win the Europa League final it will be an amazing season for us, because have already won two trophies, and this one would be the third one.

“I will not be nervous because I’m not a kid anymore. I know how to handle the pressure, how to get ready for that game, just play my game and be myself.

“I watched some Ajax games, they are a young team, have very good football players individually, and I can say they are very aggressive, they are trying to play the football they are used to playing.”

Reflecting on his own season, his first at United since moving from Borussia Dortmund last summer, the Armenian forward says though it started off as a struggle, he would class the campaign as “not bad”.

Mkhitaryan burst into form around winter following a slow start under Mourinho, but insists there is more to come next year, and he has enjoyed the challenge.

He said: “My first year was not very easy because at the very beginning I had a little bit of struggle, but that’s part of football, I just kept trying to work hard and wait for my second chance, which I took very well.

“I used it, and then I started to have good times. It wasn’t a bad year, a normal year, maybe I am able to do more, but for this year it’s not bad, and I will try to do more next year.

“Of course I am always positive, and I know I’m capable of doing more. I’m sure I will do more, so I’ll keep working hard with a positive mind, and will wait for next season to score more and assist more.

“Manchester United have big ambitions and are always trying to do the best and the maximum, I like that challenge to do something new and challenge myself also.”

Nikol Pashinyan will head Yelk bloc’s parliamentary faction, the bloc said in a statement today.

Gevorg Gorgisyan will be the secretary of the faction.

The National Assembly of 6^th convocation is expected to convene its first session on May 18.

Four political forces will be represented in the Parliament –Republican Party of Armenia, Tsarukyan alliance, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun and Yelk bloc.

Asbarez – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) on Thursday said he is very pleased with one significant aspect of Governor Brown’s May revision of the California State Budget, the restoration of funding for the Pasadena Playhouse and the Armenian American Museum in Glendale.

“While others were declaring defeat, I got to work and advocated in favor of the budget allocations for these two laudable projects.  I’m very pleased and grateful that the Governor responded to these requests and restored the funding for two outstanding projects in the 25th State Senate District,” commented Portantino.

The Pasadena Playhouse is the State Theatre of California. It is a showcase for world class theatrical productions and educational programs targeted to California’s diverse population.  The Armenian American Museum, proposed to be built in Glendale, is a new facility slated to bring Genocide awareness and educational programming to our region. Both facilities were set to receive $1 million dollars from last year’s budget but had that funding initially suspended by the Governor in his January budget proposal.

Upon seeing the budget draft, Senator Portantino impressed upon the Governor’s office, the Department of Finance and the Senate Budget staff on the importance of these projects. The Governor agreed by restoring the funding for both.

 

 

 

Whoever wins the presidential election in Iran, there won’t be serious changes in the relations with Armenia, expert of Iranian studies says.

“Iran’s foreign policy towards Armenia is not conditioned by persons. The political line will not undergo serious changes whoever is elected,” expert of Iranian studies Vardan Voskanyan told a press conference today. Therefore, he said, it’s hard to judge which of the candidates is preferable from the Armenian viewpoint.

As for the Armenian community’s stance, Vardan Voskanyan said there is a huge difference when compared to those in the United States or France.

“The Armenian community of Iran does not back any single candidate, Armenians are free to express their will and vote for the candidate they prefer,” the expert said. He noted, however, that most Armenians back reforms, but it does not mean conservatives have no supporters among Armenians.

According to Voskanyan, being an Armenia in Iran is a privilege in a certain sense. He emphasized the special attitude towards the Armenian community and said “elections will not change it.”

Speaking to , Member of Iranian Majlis Karen Khanlaryan said “Armenians have different affiliations.”

He said the community issues will be presented to all candidates and voiced hope the newly elected President would take steps to ease the difficulties Armenians face.

He said the main demands include recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, material support and some legal issues.

Unlike Vardan Voskanyan, the lawmaker considers that the approaches of the elected President will lead to changes in Armenian-Iranian relations.

“The strategic and tactical guidelines will change,” Karen Khanlaryan said.

Iran will hold presidential elections on May 19. The candidates include incumbent  President Hassan Rouhani, Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, Astan Quds Razavi chairman Ebrahim Raisi, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mostafa Mir-Salim and Mostafa Hashemitaba. The main competition is expected between reformist Hassan Rouhani and conservative Ebrahim Raisi.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan Edward Nalbandian, Sergey Lavrov and Elmar Mammadyarov held a meeting in Moscow today.

The parties continued discussions on furthering the negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh issue. They stressed the importance of implementing the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg in 2016.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed gratitude to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the continuous efforts towards the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The Ministers agreed to maintain discussions regarding all issues considered at the meeting.

After the trilateral meeting the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan were joined by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

President Serzh Sargsyan has congratulated the Yezidi community of Armenia on Meleke Taus – New Year. The message reads:

Dear representatives of the Yezidi community of Armenia,

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of Meleke Taus – New Year Holiday.

The history of friendship of the Armenian and Yezidi people is centuries old. Living side by side, we have accumulated rich experience of cooperation, brotherhood and struggling should to shoulder. The present generations are obligated to pass that treasure with care to next generations.

Our pain and our joy are common, and today we join in your celebration with great eagerness. Let this New Year bring the Yezidi people of Armenia peace, happiness, and prosperity.

I wish you new achievements and all the best.

Happy Meleke Taus!

Photo: PAP/Jakub Kamiński

 

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda praised the contribution of Armenians to Polish society and culture during a meeting on Wednesday marking 650 years since an Armenian community arrived in this country, reports.

Duda noted that Armenians began arriving after special privileges were granted by Polish king Casimir the Great in 1367, establishing the first Armenian diocese in Poland.

During a meeting with the Armenian community at the presidential palace in Warsaw, a parchment from that year was displayed. The document testifies to privileges accorded by the Polish king to Armenian Bishop Gregory.

Duda said the contribution made by Armenians to Poland “is invaluable and penetrates practically all of social life, because they were both excellent farmers and created [sections] of the Polish intelligentsia, they were wonderful craftsmen, merchants.”

Cher has tweeted the poster of the Armenian Genocide film “The Promise.

Debut of the poster ~ See on April 21 and watch the trailer

— Cher (@cher)

“This film broke my heart,” Cher said.

Empires fall, love survives. When Michael (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant medical student, meets Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between Michael and Ana’s boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), a famous American photojournalist dedicated to exposing political truth.

As the Ottoman Empire crumbles into war-torn chaos, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to get their people to safety and survive themselves. The Promise is directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Terry George.

The Promise hits theaters April 21.

Photo: PA

 

The Queen has given Royal Assent to the Brexit bill, clearing the way for Theresa May to start talks to leave the European Union, the BBC reports.

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was passed by MPs and peers on Monday.

It allows the prime minister to notify Brussels that the UK is leaving the EU, with a two year process of exit negotiations to follow.

Mrs May says she will trigger the process by the end of the month.

It is unlikely to happen next week to avoid a clash with an informal summit of EU countries.

The meeting will mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, and in turn became the European Union.

Asbarez– Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Wednesday released a statement commemorating the Sumgait Pogrom.

Rep. Schiff’s full statement is below:

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. 29 years ago Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed their Armenian neighbors. When the violence finally subsided, hundreds of Armenian civilians had been brutally murdered and injured, women and young girls were raped, and victims were tortured and burned alive. Those that survived the carnage fled their homes and businesses, leaving behind everything they had in their desperation.

The pogroms were the culmination of years of vicious anti-Armenian propaganda, spread by the Azerbaijani authorities. The Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait to this day, as well as denying the role of senior government officials in instigating the violence. Unsurprisingly, it was not the end of the violence, and was followed by additional attacks, including the 1990 pogrom in Baku.

The Sumgait massacre and the subsequent attacks on ethnic Armenians, resulted in the virtual disappearance of a once thriving population of 450,000 Armenians living in Azerbaijan, and culminating in the war launched against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. That war resulted in thousands dead on both sides and created over one million refugees in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Time has not healed the wounds of those murdered in the pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. To the contrary, hatred of Armenians is celebrated in in Azerbaijan, a situation most vividly exemplified by the case of Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army captain who savagely murdered an Armenian army lieutenant, Gurgen Margaryan with an axe while he slept. The two were participating in a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise at the time in Hungary. In 2012, Safarov was sent home to Azerbaijan, purportedly to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Instead, he was pardoned, promoted, and paraded through the streets of Baku as a returning hero.

The assault on ethnic Armenian civilians in Sumgait helped touch off what would become a direct conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. And today, Azerbaijan’s dangerous behavior on the Line of Contact threatens peace and stability in the region. Artillery and sniper fire across the Line of Contact has become a fact of daily life for civilians in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, causing numerous casualties. In April of last year, Azerbaijan launched its most aggressive attack in many years, resulting in the loss of many lives over the course of three days of intense fighting.

Along with other Members of Congress, I have consistently called for a direct international response to Azerbaijan’s aggressive behavior through deployment of international monitors and technology to monitor ceasefire violations. Azerbaijan’s continued rejection of these simple steps speaks volumes, but I believe they should not prevent the installation of these technologies within Nagorno-Karabakh. The anniversary of Sumgait is a reminder of the consequences when aggression and hatred is allowed to grow unchecked.

Mr. Speaker, this April we will mark the 102nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, an event the Turkish government, Azerbaijan’s closest ally, goes to great lengths to deny. We must not let such crimes against humanity go unrecognized, whether they occurred yesterday or 29 years ago or 100 years ago. Today, let us pause to remember the victims of the atrocities of the Sumgait pogroms. Mr. Speaker, it is our moral obligation to condemn crimes of hatred and to remember the victims, in hope that history will not be repeated.”