Author: Garnik Zakarian

Prime Minister Karen Karapetan received today the delegation of the Chinese AVIC International Corporation headed by its Executive Vice President Liu Jun.

The Prime Minister welcomed the delegation’s visit to Armenia and noted that the Armenian Government is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Liu Jun said “the AVIC International is interested in the implementation of investment projects in Armenia” and presented the directions of the corporation’s activity.

The interlocutors discussed prospects of cooperation and the possibilities of implementing joint projects in transport, energy, aviation and agriculture.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan welcomed AVIC International’s commitment to make investments in Armenia’s economy and expressed his government’s readiness to facilitate the cooperation.

The Prime Minister instructed the relevant departments to discuss in more detail the proposed investment programs in possible areas of cooperation.

Dasaran was recognized as one of the best 5 innovative enterprises in the final round of Accelerate 2030 – joint international initiative by the UNDP and Impact Hub.

For the first edition of Accelerate2030, applications were submitted by 177 ventures from across 4 continents, out of which the international expert jury selected five ventures clearly contributing towards the Sustainable development goals, and Dasaran is among the top 5.

Being among the best innovative enterprises, Dasaran was invited to represent Armenia at the inaugural Social Good Summit to take place in Geneva, Switzerland on the 6th of October, 2016.

“With our activities we aim to increase Armenia’s image abroad and promote it as a modern education-exporting country,” commented Suren Aloyan, Founding President of Dasaran Educational Program.

Asbarez – Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich will officially unveil a permanent Armenian Genocide monument at Grand Park’s Olive Court on September 17 at 5:00. Last year, Supervisor Antonovich sponsored the highly popular and well-received iWitness public rt installation at Grand Park and the Music Center. Moved by the great response, LA County has teamed-up with the iwitness project to install a permanent memorial to the Genocide. The unveiling will include musical performances and speakers.

The iWitness project is a collective made up of artists Ara Oshagan, Levon Parian, architect Vahagn Thomasian and other activists and artists.

The permanent monument is made of black volcanic tuff rock imported directly from the Ararat Valley of Armenia. Tuff is indigenous to the Armenian highlands and deep-rooted in that millennial history. It has been the material of choice for centuries and used to build hundreds of churches, historical buildings and artworks. The monument is a silent witness to that history as well as a witness to the Genocide itself. The sculpted angular shape of the iwitness monument is an echo and extension of the iwitness installation.

Sculpted by Vahagn Thomasian, the monument is both organic and conceptual. It is sourced from the earth itself and blends in with the natural flora and fauna of Grand Park. The monument is split in two, symbolizing the spiritual and physical rupture of the Armenian Genocide: a disruption of history and community not only for the Armenian nation but also for all of humanity.

“The idea that a rock can be a witness is perhaps unusual but very significant”, says artist Ara Oshagan. “It was there and that history is imbedded in it. A witness need not speak to be a witness. Just like the trees around Auschwitz are witnesses to the Holocaust.”

The juxtaposition of smooth and rough surfaces on either half of the iwitness monument further symbolizes the past and the present and re-emphasizes the disruption between the two realities.

Wrapped around the foot of the iwitness memorial are words by the Pulitzer Prize winning Armenian- American playwright and author, William Saroyan—urging a celebration of life and hope for the future. “This is a memorial to a horrible event,” says artist Levon Parian, “but Saroyan’s words elevate and remind us of the mysteries and joys of being alive. We remember the past, but live in the today- reaching for the future.”

President Serzh Sargsyan participated today in the events dedicated to the 25th anniversary of proclamation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Presidents of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Serzh Sargsyan and Bako Sahakyan, other officials and guests marched from the Renaissance Square to the Stepanakert Memorial, laid flowers and paid tribute to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the independence of Artsakh.

The festive events in Artsakh continue.

Photo: EPA

So-called Islamic State has said it was behind an attack on a protest march in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that killed at least 61 people and wounded 200, the BBC reports.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency said two fighters “detonated explosive belts at a gathering of Shia” in Kabul.

The attack in Deh Mazang square targeted thousands from the Shia Hazara minority who were protesting over a new power line, saying its route bypasses provinces where many of them live.

The Taliban have condemned the attack.

Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujaheed sent an e-mail to the media saying they were not behind it.

German Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Armenia June 29-30, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The German Foreign Minister will have meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries will be followed by a joint press conference.

President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan, Ofelya Hambardzymyan’s family and friends and a number of her admirers bid last farewell to the beloved singer.

Renowned Armenian singer, RA People’s Artist Ofelya Hambardzumyan passed away on June 13 aged 91.

She had been the soloist of the Aram Merangulyan Folk Instruments Ensemble of Public Radio of Armenia since 1944.

Her repertoire includes classical Armenian music and folk songs. She is especially recognized for her interpretations of Sayat-Nova’s songs. She has also performed the music of Fahrad, Jivani, Sheram.

In 1959 Ofelya Hambardzumyan was awarded the People’s Artist of the USSR. In 2011 she was awarded the Mesrop Mashtots Medal.

 

 

 

Germany attaches importance to the implementation of an investigation mechanism along the Karabakh line of contact, German Ambassador to Armenia Matthias Kiesler said in Yerevan today.

“Germany, as an OSCE presiding country, hopes that the member states will approve the necessary financing for the implementation of the investigation mechanism and expansion of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

“When Germany assumed the chairmanship of the OSCE this year, it streessed the importance of establishment of an atmosphere of trust at the line of contact. For that we need to expand the authority of Andrzej Kasprzyk’s Office,” the Ambassador said.

“After the agreement reached between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the German presidency is making efforts and taking measures towards creation of those mechanisms,” Matthias Kiesler said.

He voiced hope that the budget would be approved by all OSCE Minsk Group member states.

The RA Presidential Awards Ceremony for Year 2015 took place Presidential Palace today. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the representative of the Robert Pogossian and Sons Foundation, the benefactor from Diaspora Albert Pogossian presented the awards to the winners for their significant contribution in a number of areas. The awards comprise Certificates and monetary bonuses. President Sargsyan congratulated the awardees and wished them recurrent success in their future activities.

 

Remarks by President Serzh at the Award Ceremony

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Awardees,

I am glad to welcome you to the Presidential Palace where you will participate at this important award ceremony.

With the assistance of the Pogossian family, we continue every year to publicly encourage fundamental works, singling out all that is bright, lasting, and valuable. We are confident that every significant work should be acknowledged and appreciated. This Award program was created and is being carried out based on that very logic.

The mission of identifying and acknowledging those worthy is one of the important tasks of the state, while you, dear Awardees, I am sure will not tire and will not be complacent with your works and accomplishments. I want this Award to be only the beginning for the recognition of your achievements. I hope that new creative inspirations will follow and will receive international acclaim.

In the category related to the works aimed at the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, this time we have recognized the outstanding contribution of the authors of the Egyptian “Who Killed Armenians?” documentary and the Armenian-American author Peter Balakian. The Armenian nation is grateful to you for this enormous undertaking. Mr. Nasir, Mrs. Zaki, you have proved clearly that the Armenian Genocide is not an Armenian issue exclusively but a great pain for the people of good will all over the world, regardless of their nationality or religion, while Peter Balakian with his duel identity – Armenian and American, has revealed in English the power of the artistic manifestation of that pain.

In conclusion, I would be remiss not to mention the significant contribution of the Pogossian family in the implementation of this project. This is a momentous journey which we have started together and will continue standing shoulder to shoulder.

Dear Awardees,

I congratulate you once again and wish you new artistic zeal and achievements.

Thank you.

By the Presidential decrees, the RA Presidential Award for Year 2015 for the significant contribution to the process of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was awarded to Peter Balakian (USA) for presenting through artistic expression and relaying to the world the Armenian Genocide as a all-human issue, Mohamed Hanafi Nasri and Miriam Zaki (Egypt) for the documentary “Who Killed Armenians?”

By other decrees of the President of Armenia, the RA Presidential Award for Year 2015 was awarded to:

In the area of natural sciences the Award was bestowed on Poghos Vardevanian, Valeri Arakelian, and Armen Karapetian for the series of scientific articles “A bond between the nucleic acids and biologically active compounds: Theory and Practice”, to Grigor Karagulian for the series of scientific articles “Some issues of the convergence of the orthogonal series”,

In the area of technical sciences and information technologies the Award was bestowed on Sevan Davtian and Anahit Tonoyan for the monograph (in Russian) “Theory and Practice of Adiabatic and Frontal Polymerization”,

In the area of medical science the Award was bestowed on Armen Minassian, Hrant Kalenterian, Igor Nalchajian, Shahane Gevorkian and Marine Hovakimian for the work on the “Reanimation of the Newborns and Development of Intensive Therapy in the Republic of Armenia”,

In the area of physics the Award was bestowed on Arthur Ishkhanian, Tigran Shahverdian and Tigran Ishkhanian for the series of scientific articles on “Analytical Models of the Duplex Quantum Task”,

In the area of Literature the Award was bestowed on Susanna Harutyunian for the book “Ravens before Noah”,

In the area of humanitarian sciences the Award was bestowed on Albert Kharatian for the work “Western Armenian periodicals at the closing of their history (1900-1922)

The RA Presidential Award for Year 2015 was not awarded in the area of arts.

The RA Presidential Youth Award for Year 2015 was bestowed on Narek Barseghian for the series of “Identity” paintings, Gay Ghazanchian for the series of “Beyond the Walls” paintings, Simon Petrossian for the series of the “Mythological Stories” sculptures.

In the area of literature the Award was bestowed on Grig (Grigor Shashikian” for the stories “The Cat of Jesus”,

In the area of classical music the RA Presidential Youth Award for Year 2015 was bestowed in the category of Vocal Art to Christine Safarian and Tigran Ohanian for the outstanding performance, in the category Instrumental Performance the Award was bestowed on Ani Parsadanian (violin), Instrumental Trio – Anahit Dilbarian (piano), Vigen Harutyunian (basson), Avetik Ghazarian (clarinet).

Since its establishment in 2001, the RA Presidential Award has been bestowed on 335 individuals and organizations.

Jamala from Ukraine became the winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with 534 points.

In the second place was the favourite of the juries Australia with 511 points, and Russia came third with 491 points. Armenia came 7th with 249 points.

The final outcome was decided by a 50:50 split between professional juries and televoting from all 42 participants. The jury votes were decided during the Jury Final last night and the televotes decided during tonight’s show.

The 26 finalists were made up of 20 qualifiers from the first and second Semi-Finals held on the 10th and 12th of May and six automatic qualifiers including the Big 5 countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), and host country Sweden.