Author: Hagop Kamalian

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday
Henrikh Mkhitaryan wins Manchester United goal of the season award
YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenian international Henrikh
Mkhitaryan’s amazing ‘scorpion’ kick against Sunderland has been voted
Manchester United’s Goal of the Season for 2016/17 by a big margin,
Manchester United reported on its official website.
The Armenian’s effort in the3-1 Boxing Day winat Old Trafford, an
instinctive backheeled volley from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s cross, picked
up 57 per cent of the votes in the official poll on ManUtd.com.
Wayne Rooney’s record-breaking250th goal for United, a spectacular
last-gasp free-kick in January’s draw at Stoke City, was the runner-up
with 13 per cent, andPaul Pogba’s long-range drive at Swansea Cityon
nine per cent completed the top three.
Collecting the accolade at Thursday’s end-of-season awards ceremony at
Old Trafford, Mkhitaryan said: "To be honest, I was impressed as well.
I just realised when I went home and watched it again." Crediting the
player who provided the assist for his award-winning goal, Zlatan
Ibrahimovic, the Armenian quipped: "I couldn't miss this great
opportunity because I received a great ball from the god!"

 

 

 

Armenia and Russia continue discussing legal solutions to ensure the execution of Valery Permyakov’s sentence in Russia, Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Justice Vigen Kocharyan has said.

Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, who was sentenced to life for murdering a family of seven in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri, will serve the sentence in Russia, RIA Novosti reported today.

“In a situation, where there are two verdicts by the Armenian and Russian courts, we’re holding discussions with the Russian side to find necessary legal solutions to ensure the execution of Permyakov’s sentence,” Vigen Kocharyan said.

Yervand Varosyan, the lawyer who represents the legal successors of the Avetisyan family, says the news should come as no surprise. He reminded that Permyakov had been under Russian jurisdiction from the day of his detention, as he was detained by Russian law-enforcers.

The legal successors are preparing to file an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights connected with Russia’s responsibility, the lawyer said.

Valery Permyakov from Russia’s military base was sentenced to life for killing a family of 7 in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri.

The family, including a six-month-old baby, was killed as a result of an armed assault on January 12, 2015.

Permyakov was arrested and later charged with the murder of two or more persons under the Armenian Criminal Code.

On August 12, Permyakov was found guilty of desertion, theft of weapons and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The murder case was singled out for considering it in a separate procedure and passed to the Armenian authorities.

On October 13, Permyakov was found sane. According to experts, he was not in the heat of passion while committing the crime. He also could recognize the consequences of his actions.

On October 16, Permyakov was additionally charged with armed assault, home-invasion robbery and attempted border crossing.

 

 

 

Armenia-Turkey Investor Day was held in Yerevan today. The participants learnt about the best practices of creating investment networks, the mechanics of angel investing, as well as about favorable legal conditions in Europe and the U.S.

The meeting was initiated by the Public Journalism Club (PJC) and the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), in cooperation with Angel Labs, the world’s first investor accelerator based in Silicon Valley, conducted the first-ever Armenia-Turkey Investor Day.

The initiative is unique in a sense that it will promote the concept of institutionalization of Angel Investors network in Armenia, support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, connect entrepreneurs with Angel Investors, and encourage the establishment of lasting and profitable relationships between investors and entrepreneurs.

Director of the Angel Labs Tugce Ergul is a Turkish citizen, but lives in San Francisco. On her first visit to Armenia, Ergul said: “My grandmother was Armenian and the participation in this meeting is very pleasant and important to me. I’m not surprised by this warmth, as I have grown up next to Armenians. We’ve initiated an exceptional event and we hope to promote the Armenian-Turkish cooperation,” she told reporters.

She’s confident that such meetings are the only way to shape relations between Armenia and Turkey.  According to her, the sector that has been chosen for possible cooperation – information technologies and startups – is extremely flexible and able to change the world.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier described the meeting as “exceptional.” He said his country welcomes any initiative aimed at establishment of Armenian-Turkish economic ties.

Charpentier said “this is a unique opportunity aimed at supporting the creation of entrepreneurial systems, establish links between Armenian and Turkish investors focusing on trade-economic relations,” the Ambassador said.

Founding Director of the Regional Studies Center Richard Giragosian also believes economic cooperation can help political relations.

“It is the dynamic development of the Armenian IT sector that attracts interest from not only Germany and the United States, but also Turkey. This is a new opportunity, where we are in a stronger position that many countries in terms of attracting new investments  and venture capital to the IT sector,” he said.

“The IT sector of Armenia is a sector of economic growth and potential that crosses closed borders, that doesn’t need roads, rail or transport. The IT is able to surmount closed borders,” Giragosian said.

The Armenian Assembly of America has reacted to President Trump’s Statement:

Today, as the Armenian Genocide is commemorated around the world, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) stands in solidarity with Armenians and non-Armenians alike in remembering the victims of the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan stated that “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it – and like too many other such persecutions of too many other peoples – the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.” Reagan’s statement reflects America’s values and is a powerful reminder that words have meaning.

“We appreciate President Trump for recognizing Armenians who lost their lives and using the Armenian term for the Armenian Genocide, yet his statement today demonstrates the need for the FBI and the Congressional Intelligence Committees to do thorough investigations of all the evidence on surreptitious Turkish influence on the U.S. government,” stated Armenian Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian.

“At a time when Christians and minority communities continue to be in imminent danger and under constant attack, the President’s statement fails to stand up for human rights and is inconsistent with American values, and represents the same kind of capitulation to Turkish authoritarianism which will cost more lives,” the Co-Chairs added.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has avoided uttering the term “genocide” to define mass killing of ethnic Armenians at the hands of Ottomans in 1915, emulating his predecessor in describing the killings as “Meds Yeghern” — the Great Tragedy.

“Today, we remember and honor the memory of those who suffered during the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.

“Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. I join the Armenian community in America and around the world in mourning the loss of innocent lives and the suffering endured by so many,” the statement released on Monday said.

Calling the 1915 killings as the “dark chapter of human history,” Mr. Trump said “we also recognize the resilience of the Armenian people,” as many of them built new lives in the United States.

“We must remember atrocities to prevent them from occurring again. We welcome the efforts of Turks and Armenians to acknowledge and reckon with the painful history, which is a critical step toward building a foundation for a more just and tolerant future,” the president concluded.

The Azerbaijani side used firearms of different calibers as it violated the ceasefire about 55 times at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night, Artsakh Defense Army reports.

The rival fired over 760 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions. The Azeri forces used a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher in the northern direction of the line of contact and sniper rifles all along the line of contact.

The front divisions of the Artsakh Defense Army keep the situation under control and confidently continue with their military duty.

A​n historic event took place at the Rhode Island State House on April 13​,​ as the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust were recognized together in a resolution introduced by ​​State Representative Katherine Kazarian. ​State Representative J. Aaron Regunberg collaborated​with Rep. Kazarian to ​​introduce the joint resolution, the reports.

Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello​ ​read the names of the representatives ​in support of the resolution and ​concluded with the following words, “​T​he resolution passes unanimously.​” This is the first time a resolution commemorating both devastating crimes against humanity has been introduced and passed in the R.I. State Legislature, and it coincides with the fact that both the Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust are being remembered on the same date this year, April 24.

​Rev. Fr. Shnork Souin of St​s​. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian ​Apostolic ​Church opened the session with a prayer, thanking the State of Rhode Island for always doing the right thing ​in recognizing the horrific crime of genocide​. He was joined by ​Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian of Sts. Vartanantz Armenian ​Apostolic ​Church​,​ as well as a large ​number​ of Armenians​,​ including Armenian National Committee of R.I. (ANC-R.I.) Chair​,​ Ani Haroian​,​ and the Honorable Aram Garabedian. ​Many members of the newly formed Holocaust and Genocide Education Committee were also in attendance.​

The Providence Homenetmen Scouts served as flag bearers.

It was noted by the Speaker that both the Armenian and Jewish communities have contributed to the betterment of ​the State of Rhode Island in spite of such tragic histories.

The ​S​tate recently passed a ​law requiring that the schools in R.I. teach about the Holocaust and Genocide, includ​ing​ the Armenian Genocide.

A plane with 44 passengers on board has crashed and burst into flames in South Sudan,  reports.

According to the soiurce, survivors were pulled from the burning wreckage after the passenger plane belonging to South Supreme Airlines crashed at Wau Airport on Monday afternoon.

Photos taken by people at the airport showed the scorched wreckage of the plane in pieces as it was surrounded by emergency services, airport personnel and UN peacekeepers.

Smoke filled the air as firefighters arrived at the scene of the air disaster and poured water on the plane’s smouldering remains.

South Supreme Airlines began operating in September 2013, with a handful of flights every week between South Sudan and neighbouring Uganda.