Author: Hagop Kamalian

There are 41,000 Georgians living in Armenia today, according to a study published by

“Georgia was one of the richest republics in the Soviet Union, and so, in 1990, very few Georgians – even among those with Armenian background – had reasons to emigrate to Armenia. Less than 2,000 Georgians resided in their southern neighbor country. The subsequent failure of Shevardnadze is nicely illustrated by the migration development in the years that followed: by 1995, almost 28,000 Georgians had moved to Armenia, and in the year 2000, this number stood at 47,000,” the study says.

“When the reformers took over in Georgia, many of these people decided to return to their home country. By 2005, there were only 31,000 Georgians left in Armenia, and by 2010, this number had gone down to 26,000. Now we are back to 41,000, giving support to the perception of many people that in the last years, Georgia’s economic fortunes worsened,” the Financial said.

According to the study, in 2015, there were 1,980 Armenian nationals residing in Georgia, while there were almost 41,000 Georgians in Armenia.

In search for the reasons of the difference, The Financial refers to the figures presented by the Armenian statistical office Armstat, which claims that wages are slightly higher in Armenia. “In 2014 the average wage was 788.5 lari in Georgia and 818 lari in Armenia (converted by the official rate of the Central Bank of Armenia). These numbers do not conflict with the fact that most sources state a slightly higher nominal per capita GDP for Georgia.”

“Unlike in Tbilisi, walking around in Central Yerevan evokes the impression that one is in a rather wealthy and very well-developed country. However, the suburbs of Yerevan do not look much different than the suburbs of Tbilisi, and the countryside of Armenia is in many places very dilapidated,” the Financial writes.

“A more plausible explanation might be that many of the Georgians in Armenia are in fact ethnic Armenians who moved to Armenia in the 1990’s for good, integrated in the Armenian society and just did not return their Georgian citizenships. They would still be counted as Georgian migrants living in Armenia, while in fact they are Armenians living in Armenia who are essentially culturally and economically indistinguishable from their compatriots.”

PHOTO: THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

 

A manuscript handwritten by Armenian monks in 1351 containing the Gospels of Luke and John is the oldest book in the Rare Book Room of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, according to .

“It is not a complete Bible. Little holes in its leather cover probably once held stones or jewels,” says Edward Hill, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library special collections librarian.

On the third floor of the main Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is one of the building’s coziest rooms and one of its best-kept secrets.

Yet, the most important thing about The Blade Rare Book Room isn’t its decor but what’s inside.

And there are some beauties, not just because they’re old or valuable.

“Some of these books go beyond books and are works of art,” Edward Hill, says.

The oldest item in the collection isn’t a book; it is a Babylon clay tablet believed to be 4,000 years old. It has a cuneiform inscription, one with wedge-shaped characters used in ancient writing systems.

The NKR Defense Army has dismissed the claims that an Azeri serviceman had been killed in a shooting from the Armenian side.

The NKR Defense Ministry reports that that the Azerbaijani side kept violating the ceasefire regime all along the line of contact, using firearms of different calibers, also as 60 and 82 mm mortars.

More intensive firing was reported in the eastern and northeastern sections of the frontline.

The NKR forces resorted to response actions to pressure the activeness of the rival at some sections. “Azerbaijan will be responsible for the consequences of further aggravation of tension. Karabakh pledges stricter actions should the rival maintain the behavior.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received a delegation led by Coca-Cola Hellenic Regional Director Keith Sanders. Stressing the importance of Coca-Cola Hellenic’s activity in Armenia, the Prime Minister expressed willingness to discuss their future plans, questions and problems of interest to the Company.

Keith Sanders said to be aware of the Armenian government’s special attitude toward the business community and added that his company attaches great importance to Coca-Cola Hellenic’s Armenia activities.

Mr. Sanders revealed plans to implement new investment projects in Armenia, saying “there are significant opportunities for it, especially as the business community has a reliable partner in the face of the Government.”

Noting that they are ready to present Armenia as a desirable destination for foreign investors, the Regional Director of Coca-Cola Hellenic said his company’s social and educational programs would be continued ahead.

Prime Minister Karapetyan welcomed Coca-Cola Hellenic’s initiative to expand activities and noted that his government is ready to support their implementation. The interlocutors took the opportunity to touch upon the legislative initiatives aimed at improving the business environment and discuss issues relating to antitrust policy.

On January 12, 2017, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the direction of the NKR Martuni region, north-east of Ashaghy Veysali settlement.

From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by staff member of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden) and head of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) Colonel Hans Lampalzer (Austria). 

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain), Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria), and representative of the OSCE HLPG Major Cavit Elyas (Turkey).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No violation of the cease-fire regime was registered.

From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.

On December 8, 2016, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the direction of the NKR Askeran region, north-east of Kengerli settlement.

From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova) and Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria).

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain), Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic), and staff member of the Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No violation of the cease-fire regime was registered. However, the Azerbaijani side did not lead the OSCE mission to its front-lines.

From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho should start Henrikh Mkhitaryan against West Ham in the EFL Cup, according to Quinton Fortune.

United face West Ham for the second time in four days at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

And Fortune has urged Mourinho to pick Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial from the start.

He told : “For me, Mkhitaryan’s got to start. He needs games and brings that extra imagination in there.

“I’ve gone for Marcus Rashford on the right and Anthony Martial coming in on the left, being positive with their pace that will hopefully cause West Ham problems.

“Michael Carrick’s got to come in but instead of two sitters, I would just have one.”

On the sidelines of the Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation of la Francophonie being held in the capital of Madagascar, on November 23, Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, met with Michaëlle Jean, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of la Francophonie (OIF).

During the meeting, the sides touched upon the outcomes of the OIF Ministerial Conference held in Yerevan last year. Within this context Michaëlle Jean mentioned that she recalls with warmth her visit to Armenia and the high level of organization of the Conference.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the OIF Secretary-General discussed steps being taken towards strengthening of the Organization and enhancing its reputation.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the preparatory works of the Ministerial Conference and the upcoming OIF summit.

Photo: Getty Images

 

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of several US cities to protest against the election of Donald Trump, the reports.

Many shouted the slogan “Not my president”. Others burned orange-haired effigies of the businessman.

Mr Trump will become the 45th US president after securing a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton.

He is due to meet current White House incumbent Barack Obama for talks aimed at ensuring a smooth transition.

Mr Obama – who had branded Mr Trump “unfit” for office and campaigned against him – urged all Americans to accept the result of Tuesday’s election.

“We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country,” he said.

Defeated Mrs Clinton also told supporters Mr Trump had to be given a “chance to lead”.

Despite their calls, protesters gathered in several cities across the country.

• In New York, thousands marched on Trump Tower, attacking Mr Trump’s policies on immigration, gay rights and reproductive rights. Fifteen people were arrested, the New York Times reported.
• Protests were largely peaceful but in Oakland, California, some demonstrators smashed shop windows and threw missiles at riot police, who reportedly responded with tear gas
• A mass anti-Trump rally shut down a key freeway in Los Angeles
• In Chicago, crowds blocked the entrance to Trump Tower, chanting: “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascists USA”
• In Portland, Oregon, demonstrators temporarily closed an interstate highway

Demonstrations also took place in Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco, among other cities.

Azerbaijan not only continues to aggravate the situation at the line of contact by periodically violating the ceasefire regime and undertaking subversive attempts, but also resorts to provocations on the information field, the NKR Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry dismissed the claimes of the Azerbaijani side on the use of 60-mm mine throwers, grenades and large-caliber machine guns by Karabakh forces, describing it as “yet another provocative trick” of the rival.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army strictly observe the ceasefire regime and never start the attack.

“By spreading such misinformation, the Azeri side prepares ground for future provocations,” the NKR Defense Ministry said.