Author: Greg Madatian

Armenpress: We are ready to make all efforts to take the next step of development. PM Pashinyan awards men’s chess team members

Greg Madatian

We are ready to make all efforts to take the next step of development. PM Pashinyan awards men’s chess team members

Save

Share

 20:49,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the representatives of the Armenian men’s team who won silver medals at the 44th World Chess Olympiad: head coach Arman Pashikyan, team captain Hrachik Tavadyan, chess players Robert Hovhannisyan, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan and Manuel Petrosyan. Chess players Hrant Melkumyan and Gabriel Sargsyan were not present at the meeting because of their absence from the country, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Congratulating the team members on the occasion of winning silver medals at the World Chess Olympiad, the Prime Minister said,

“Dear Mr. Pashikyan,

Dear members of the chess team of the Republic of Armenia,

First of all, I want to congratulate all of us and you on the occasion of another great success of the Armenian chess team.

Of course, the Armenian chess team is perhaps the most title-winning team in the history of our country: it has won the gold medal of the Chess Olympiad three times, once the silver medal, and three times the bronze medal, it has been the champion of the World Team Chess Championship, that is, the titles can be listed for a very long time.

I want to personally thank you for the work you have done and emphasize the fact that in the transformation strategy of Armenia until 2050, we have set as a goal that the representative of the Republic of Armenia should win the title of individual world chess champion. We formulated this as a strategic goal for Armenia, and I want you to know that we are also ready to take the necessary measures to achieve it with your support and advice or request.

I think this is really a strategic goal for Armenia, and a lot of work needs to be done to bring it to life. What we have today enables us to take the next step for development, and for that, of course, the Government, I personally, we are all ready to make all efforts. I want to congratulate again. If you noticed, I’m congratulating firt of all us, and not you, but I’m also congratulating you. I want to thank you for the truly magnificent job.”

Nikol Pashinyan exchanged thoughts with the representatives of the Armenian chess team about the course of the 44th World Chess Olympiad, their impressions from the tournament, as well as the prospects for the development of this intellectual sport in our country. State support programs, improvement of chess schools in the capital and regions and formation of new infrastructures, encouraging chess players and coaches and other issues were discussed. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the readiness of the Government to promote the development of the sector with its tools and gave instructions to the responsible persons.

Afterwards, the solemn awarding ceremony took place.

For the significant contribution to the field of chess, the head coach of the Armenian men’s chess team Arman Pashikyan was awarded with the Commemorative Medal of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the captain of the team Hrachik Tavadyan, chess players Robert Hovhannisyan, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, Manuel Petrosyan, Gabriel Sargsyan and Hrant Melkumyan were awarded with Letters of Gratitude of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and commemorative coins dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia.

Prime Minister Pashinyan handed over the high awards to the representatives of the men’s chess team of Armenia and once again praised them for keeping Armenia’s reputation high in international tournaments with their chess success.

With Russia distracted, its ally Armenia could suffer another defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh

Greg Madatian
Aug 10 2022
 By Nikola Mikovic

Russia continues to demonstrate its impotence in the global arena. Recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh have clearly shown that the Kremlin will hardly be able to continue playing the role of a regional arbiter in the South Caucasus.

On August 3, clashes between Armenian forces and the Azerbaijani Army broke out near the strategically important Lachin Corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh. That tiny strip of land connects Nagorno-Karabakh – internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, although it has been under Armenian control for almost 30 years – to Armenia through Azerbaijani-held territory. The Lachin Corridor, as well as other Armenian-controlled areas, has been under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers since 2020. They have been deployed there following the 44-day war that resulted in Azerbaijan’s victory. During the conflict, Baku managed to restore its sovereignty over significant portions of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as surrounding areas. Some territories, however, including Lachin and Stepanakert, also known as as Khankendi – the de facto capital and the largest city of the self-proclaimed Armenia-backed Republic of Artsakh – remain under Armenian control to this day.

Although Yerevan recently announced that it will withdraw all remaining military units from Nagorno-Karabakh by September, Baku seems to be attempting to speed up the process and establish full control over the mountainous region as soon as possible. Russia, Armenia’s nominal ally in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has accused Azerbaijan of violating the 2020 ceasefire deal, which is something that Baku strongly denies. According to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the reason for the recent tension is “the presence of illegal Armenian armed troops in the territories of Azerbaijan and provocations instigated by them”.

Despite the presence of the Russian troops, Azerbaijani Armed Forces have launched a counter operation and seized a number of important heights near the Lachin Corridor. Such an action has demonstrated that the Russian peacekeepers cannot prevent a potential large-scale conflict. Indeed, if another war in Nagorno-Karabakh eventually breaks out, some 2,000 Russian troops in the region will play the role of sitting ducks. Azerbaijani actions have shown that Baku, strongly backed by Turkey, Israel and Pakistan, does not seem to hesitate from a potential conflict with Russia. The Azeri leaders are quite aware that Moscow, preoccupied with its military fiasco in Ukraine, cannot fight two wars at the same time, and that the Kremlin will seek to avoid an escalation in the region by all means.

That is why Baku is expected to continue pressuring Yerevan to withdraw its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh. Sporadic local clashes could be a method of pressure, and it is entirely possible that Azerbaijani forces will soon seize more strategically important heights and villages. Armenia, on the other hand, cannot count on Moscow’s concrete support. If the situation in the region escalates, the Kremlin will almost certainly keep accusing Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire deal and call on both sides to “keep restraint”. But Russian peacekeepers will be unlikely to take any practical steps to protect the local Armenians.

A new round of full-fledged hostilities will undoubtedly mark the end of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh

Thus, a new round of full-fledged hostilities will undoubtedly mark the end of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. Under the current geopolitical circumstances Armenia may be able to delay, but not to prevent the return of Nagorno-Karabakh under Baku’s jurisdiction. As Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently stressed, questions arise in Armenian society over the Russian peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. In other words, Yerevan understands that Russia is not in a position to help Armenia, which is why Pashinyan said on August 4 that it is necessary to “endow the peacekeeping mission with a wider international mandate”. But since Azerbaijan has the upper hand over Armenia, it is extremely unlikely that Baku, unless seriously pressured by the West, will agree to internationalize the Karabakh conflict.

Pashinyan will, therefore, likely try to find a way to de facto give up Armenia’s aspirations over Nagorno-Karabakh, but at the same time to save face. Yerevan may also attempt to distance itself from the Kremlin and develop close ties with the West, hoping that such a flip-flop will help Armenia to preserve control over Artsakh (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh). However, given that energy-rich Azerbaijan recently signed a very important gas deal with the European Union, it is not very probable that the West will support Armenian ambitions in the region.

Accordingly, the Armenia-backed unrecognized Republic of Artsakh could prove to be a “collateral damage” of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin, for its part, continues to struggle to preserve the South Caucasus in its geopolitical orbit, although developments on the ground indicate that neither Baku nor Yerevan see Moscow as the primary mediator in their disputes.

No violations recorded in the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeeping troops. Russian MoD

Greg Madatian

Save

Share

 20:17, 9 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. The Russian peacekeeping contingent continues to fulfill its tasks in Nagorno-Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation informed.

Round-the-clock monitoring of the situation at twenty-seven observation posts and control of the maintenance of the cease-fire regime is carried out by the Russian peacekeepers.

It is noted that no violations were recorded in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops.

“In order to ensure the safety of the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation and to prevent possible incidents, the continuous interaction with the General Staffs of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia is maintained,” reads the message.

Russia’s FSB says situation on Armenian-Iranian border is tense

Greg Madatian

Aug 8 2022
According to the FSB’s Border Guard Directorate, there have been violations of the state border by members of extremist and terrorist organizations

YEREVAN, August 8. /TASS/. The situation on the Armenian-Iranian border has been tense lately and additional outposts for border guard patrols have been deployed in this area, the Russian FSB’s Border Guard Directorate in Armenia told Russia’s TV Channel One about publications in the local mass media concerning the border checkpoints on the Megri-Agarak section of the border in the south of the country.

“Recently, a tense operational situation has developed on the Armenian-Iranian section of the state border. There have been increased attempts to illegally transport narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (hashish, methamphetamine and heroin) from Iran to Armenia. Also, there have been violations of the state border by members of extremist and terrorist organizations,” the FSB’s Border Guard Directorate said.

In 2021 alone, Russian border guards in the Megri area detained two trespassers from Iran. The militants were carrying weapons, grenades and a large amount of ammunition.

“In order to ensure the security of the Republic of Armenia, in accordance with Armenia’s law On the State Border and in coordination with the government, the National Security Service and other Armenian authorities concerned a number of equipped posts for border guard patrols have been established since the beginning of this year for random checks (and in the case of the search for and chases after intruders – comprehensive checks),” the message says.

As the FSB Border Guard Directorate said, individuals and vehicles are checked with the aim to expose, prevent and suppress smuggling, illegal migration and other offenses.

The Russian border guards are present in Armenia in accordance with the agreement between Russia and Armenia of September 30, 1992.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 08/06/2022

Greg Madatian 
                                        Saturday, August 6, 2022
Blinken Again Talks To Armenian, Azeri Leaders
USA - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Kosovo President Vjosa 
Osman and Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the State Department in Washington, July 
26, 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for continued dialogue between 
Armenia and Azerbaijan late on Friday when he phoned the leaders of the two 
states to discuss the latest upsurge in violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“I urged continued restraint and direct dialogue with Azerbaijan to resolve 
these issues,” Blinken tweeted after his phone call with Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian.
In a separate tweet, he said he assured Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that 
the United States is ready to facilitate such dialogue.
According to the U.S. State Department spokesman, Ned Price, Blinken also 
“called for de-escalation” during his conversation with Aliyev. He told 
Pashinian that Washington is “watching the situation in and around 
Nagorno-Karabakh closely,” said Price.
Pashinian was cited by his office as accusing Azerbaijan of “deviating” from key 
terms of the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the 2020 war in Karabakh.
“Secretary of State Blinken expressed concern about the tension and willingness 
to assist in stabilizing the situation,” added the office.
The State Department urged “immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further 
escalation” on Wednesday hours after two Karabakh Armenian soldiers were killed 
and 19 others wounded in fighting with Azerbaijani forces.
“The recent increase in tensions underscores the need for a negotiated, 
comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or 
resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” said Price.
Blinken already held phone calls with Pashinian and Aliyev on July 25. He said 
afterwards that he sees a “historic opportunity to achieve peace in the region.”
European Council President Charles Michel also spoke with the Armenian and 
Azerbaijani leaders by phone. Michel indicated on Friday night that he is poised 
to host fresh negotiations between them in Brussels.
“Ahead of our next leaders meeting in Brussels, pursuing dialogue and achieving 
concrete progress on all items on the agenda is key,” he wrote on Twitter.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

US congresswoman urges to use any diplomatic tool to prevent attacks against Artsakh

Greg Madatian

Save

Share

 13:01, 6 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, ARMENPRESS. US Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence strongly condemned Azerbaijan’s use of military pressure against Artsakh along the Lachin Corridor, ARMENPRESS reports the congresswoman wrote on her “Twitter” page.

“I urge the Department of State to use any diplomatic tool at our disposal to prevent such an attack,” she wrote.

Azerbaijan says takes control of strategic Karabakh points: official

Greg Madatian
Insider Paper
Aug 4 2022
AFP
August 3, 2022 12:02 pm
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Azerbaijan announced Wednesday it had taken control of several strategic heights in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a new escalation that killed three soldiers.

The Azerbaijani army said it conducted the operation dubbed “Revenge” in response to the “terrorist actions of illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan” which claimed the life of an Azeri soldier.

Arch enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two wars — in 2020 and in the 1990s — over Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Six weeks of fighting in the autumn of 2020 claimed more than 6,500 lives and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades, and Russia deployed some 2,000 peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce, but tensions persist despite a ceasefire agreement.

On Wednesday, the Azerbaijani defence ministry said Karabakh troops targeted Azerbaijani army positions in the district of Lachin, which is under the supervision of the Russian peacekeeping force, killing an Azerbaijani conscript.

No alternative to street protests, says Armenian opposition leader

Greg Madatian
Panorama
Armenia –

The Armenian opposition will not end its street protests aimed at ousting PM Nikol Pashinyan and his government, Hayastan alliance MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan, one of the opposition leaders, has reaffirmed.

“if the fight drags on, we should not be disheartened, but rather fix the problems and move forward,” he said, addressing a rally in Yerevan’s France Square on Friday evening.

“If the battle drags on during the war, we suffer losses and some even flee the battlefield, it does not mean that we should lay down our arms and surrender. On the contrary, we need to regroup, mobilize our forces, prepare for a prolonged struggle and pursue victory,” Saghatelyan said.

He reiterated that the opposition would go back to the Armenian parliament only with its own agenda.

“I must once again repeat what I’ve been saying for the past three months: if the opposition returns to the parliament, it will do so only with its own agenda set by the people,” Saghatelyan said.

“The agenda is crystal clear: Nikol’s removal, efforts to counter threats facing Armenia and Artsakh and initiatives to solve pressing issues.”

He dismissed as “blackmail” the threats of the ruling Civil Contract faction MPs to strip opposition deputies of their seats, saying the ruling team “cannot draw us into its anti-national conspiracies through blackmail.”

“To put it simply, the Armenian people, unfortunately, have no platform for expressing their common will other than this square. There is no alternative to our struggle in the streets at this point,” Saghatelyan stated.

AW: FSU grad Nyrie Iskandarian publishes children’s book, Maya’s Shot

Greg Madatian
 Leeza Arakelian Community News, Literary Corner 0

Nyrie Iskandarian

Nyrie Iskandarian has been speaking fluent sports since she was a little girl. 

“Growing up, I was watching ESPN instead of the Disney Channel,” said the aspiring broadcast journalist from South Florida. “Sports became a part of my life. I grew up around it.”

At 21 years old, Iskandarian is a new graduate from Florida State University (FSU), where she majored in English, writing and media. She is now charting her professional career in the sports broadcast industry while celebrating the release of her first ever children’s book titled Maya’s Shot.

A page from Maya’s Shot by Nyrie Iskandarian

The motivational, 24-page story is about a young girl who discovers her passion and talents in the game of basketball through her introduction to the legacy of Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant.

This project has been three years in the making. Iskandarian said she was inspired by the NBA All-Star after his tragic death in January of 2020. “Kobe was one of the biggest inspirations in my life,” said Iskandarian, who recalled jotting down the Hall of Famer’s post-game statistics in a small notebook when she was around eight years old. “My dad was a big fan of his, so I became a big fan of his.”

The youngest daughter of the late Steve Iskandarian, Nyrie fondly remembers weeknights on the couch with her father watching the Miami Heat and rooting for the Dolphins during Sunday Night Football. “Moments like that I cherish forever,” she recalled. “I always think of those times. They are very special memories I keep close to my heart.” Iskandarian dedicated Maya’s Shot in memory of her father who shared in her love of sports. 

Iskandarian is an active member of her local Armenian community in Boca Raton, where she supports the events and activities of St. David Armenian Church. Like her father, she is also a proud member of Homenetmen. 

This past weekend, Iskandarian hosted a book launch party at her home for friends and family, who were surprised to see copies of Maya’s Shot on display as she had kept this project under wraps for almost three years. Sales of her book have already exceeded her expectations. “The response has been amazing. I still can’t believe it,” said the young author. “It warms my heart. I love it.”

Iskandarian has been making a name for herself since the fall of 2019 when she debuted her blog and sports media company Speak Sports. She spoke with the Weekly from her home studio, where she hosts and produces her own podcast under the same name. Behind her was a wall of sports memorabilia with trading cards, a signed football, a copy of The Mamba Mentality: How I Play and a growing collection of media passes. She said she will make room to proudly display a print copy of this article in the Weekly. 

Iskandarian, who has reported from the sidelines for ACC Network and FSU Athletics, has been dreaming of becoming a sports reporter since she was 14 years old. A confident and talented budding professional, Iskandarian has garnered a sizable audience on social media that appreciates her well-rounded knowledge and commentary on nearly every type of sport from baseball to boxing. On her podcast, she has chatted with former NFL players like Pittsburgh Steeler Bryant McFadden and Shawn Wooden (Miami Dolphins) and blogged about her predictions in the NFL and NBA playoffs. 

Unfortunately, Iskandarian has already run into some of the challenges involved with working in a male-dominated industry. She says she has received disrespectful and belittling comments from sexist social media users, but she remains undaunted. “I just use that as motivation,” explained Iskandarian. “I feel like I have the ability to open the door for the generation under me like those women in the generation above me, so I’m going to keep striving to do that.”

Iskandarian says she is committed to working hard to achieve her on-air dreams. In addition to promoting her new children’s book and producing consistent content for Speak Sports, Iskandarian is busy on the job hunt, writing cover letters and perfecting her reel. “No one should stop you from doing what you love,” she concluded. “You just gotta do it no matter what anybody says.”

  •  Bio
  •  Twitter
  •  Latest Posts
Assistant Editor
Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly. She is a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.


Violations of right to receive and disseminate information decrease in Armenia – report

Greg Madatian

Save

Share

 15:03,

YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS. Violations of the right to receive and disseminate information have significantly decreased in Armenia in the second quarter of 2022 according to the report of the Committee to Protect Freedom of _expression_ (CPFE).

Presenting the report at a press conference in Armenpress, CPFE Chairman Ashot Melikyan said that 45 such cases were registered in the first quarter of 2022, but in the second quarter this figure lowered to 24.

“There is a period when media outlets more deal with political developments. As you know, the political developments in the period of April-June were mainly in the streets, there were external political processes, and the media outlets were focused on these developments. I think at that period the volume of inquiries sent to the state structures has not been so much, has declined”, he said.

Ashot Melikyan noted that getting information from state bodies is still difficult as many media outlets complain over this. Research shows that the explanations of not providing information are problematic, as quite often the state agencies avoid providing an adequate, proper response.

“In this sense the adoption by the Parliament of the amendments to the Law on Information Freedom was important, according to which those responsible, who reject without any ground and do not provide information subject to publication, will face tougher responsibility. In other words, the administrative fine has increased”, he said.

He said that after being denied the media outlets mostly do not apply to the court as they avoid these procedures. Only one media outlet out of these 24 cases has applied to the court.

In the second quarter of 2022, compared to the first quarter, the pressures on media outlets and their staffers almost remained at the same level. 12 such cases were registered in the first quarter, and 11 cases in the second quarter. However, the figures in terms of use of physical force against reporters are concerning because in the second quarter 11 such cases were registered, with 12 people injured.

“We record that when the public, political situation is becoming tense in the country, the number of attacks on journalists is increasing. We remember that the past months were quite tense, the opposition was holding disobedience acts. 10 out of the 11 cases, that we registered, happened during these campaigns. Both journalists and operators have suffered”, Ashot Melikyan said.

As for the statistics of judicial cases filed against media outlets and reporters, Ashot Melikyan said that 8 judicial cases on the basis of insult and defamation were registered in the second quarter of 2022, whereas in the first quarter this figure was 7.