Author: Hambardsumian Paul

CHESS: Grandmaster Aronian says he is leaving Armenia, will play chess for U.S.

Hambardsumian Paul
Union Leader
Feb 26 2021
  • By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber Reuters
  • Feb 26, 2021

MOSCOW – Chess grandmaster Levon Aronian said on Friday he was leaving Armenia and would represent the United States, citing what he said was Armenian officials’ indifference to chess as one of the reasons.

The 38-year-old, who is ranked sixth in the world, announced his decision on his Facebook page.

“The past year has been very difficult for all of us with a pandemic, a war and in my case there was personal adversity and the state’s absolute indifference towards Armenian chess,” he wrote, referring to six weeks of fighting between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces over the Nagorno-Karabkah enclave.

“I was faced with a choice: quit my job or move to where I am valued,” he wrote.

Smbat Lputian, deputy head of the Armenian Chess Federation, said he regretted Aronian’s decision.

“This is a big loss for Armenian chess,” he told Reuters.

Mike Hoffpauir, president of the U.S. Chess Federation, said it welcomed Aronian’s decision to relocate to the United States.

The Saint Louis Chess Club said Aronian was moving to the U.S. city to continue his career and would represent the United States at future competitions.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) told Reuters it could not comment on Aronian’s intentions and plans.

“A player can represent the country/federations where he resides,” FIDE said. “That doesn’t necessarily imply that he changes his nationality.”

Aronian’s move follows political unrest in Armenia, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan condemned what he said was an attempted coup on Thursday after the army demanded he quit. (Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Nvard Hovhannisyan; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Kirsten Donovan)

Opposition MP urges Armenia’s president not to sign Pashinyan’s decree to dismiss army chief –

Hambardsumian Paul
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 25 2021

MP Edmon Marukyan from the opposition Bright Armenia Party on Thursday called on President Armen Sarkissian not to sign Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s decree to dismiss Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan.

The Armenian premier sacked Gasparyan shortly after the army’s top brass demanded his and his government’s resignation in a statement earlier on Thursday. The statement came after the PM’s decision to dismiss Gasparyan’s first deputy, Tiran Khacharyan.

“The recent moves of the prime minister were aimed at decapitating the already worn out army by dismissing the generals of the General Staff, which is absolutely unacceptable in post-war Armenia,” Marukyan wrote on Facebook.

“I urge President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian not to sign Nikol Pashinyan’s decree, to preserve the Armenian Armed Forces together with its generals, who now need the support of all of us in restoring the army,” the lawmaker said. 

Asbarez: …And Ankara is ‘Concerned’ about Democracy!

Hambardsumian Paul

February 25,  2021



Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during a press conference in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 25

Official Ankara on Thursday was quick to respond to the demand for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation voiced by Armenia’s military top brass, with Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemning “the coup attempt in Armenia.”

Speaking in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, where he is on an official visit, Cavusoglu said Turkey “opposes any types of coup, not matter what. Turkey condemn the coup attempt in Armenia,” reported al Monitor.

“We are against coups and coup attempts wherever in the world,” added Cavusoglu, saying that the Caucasus has gained a chance for stability and peace that must not be missed.

Turkish President’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said Turkey was “deeply concerned” over the developments in Armenia.

“We view the unfolding situation as a coup attempt and unequivocally condemn it. Turkey always sides with democracy and the free will of citizens – wherever in the world they may come under attack,” Altun wrote on Twitter.

Art: Armenians mark remembrance day for prominent artist Minas Avetisyan

Hambardsumian Paul
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 23 2021

Today, February 23, marks the remembrance day of Minas Avetisyan, a renowned Armenian painter of the 20th century. In an interview with Panorama.am, the sone of the artist Narek Avetisyan once said: “February 23 used to be celebrated as the Army day in Soviet Union. The authorities used to exercise cencorship, and we had to formally mark the remembrance day on February 24.”

To note, Minas died in a car accident in 1975. 

Born in 1928 in Armenia’s Jajur village, Minas Avetisyan, known simply as Minas, was a painter and set designer. From 1952 to 1954, he studied at the Institute of Theater and Art in Yerevan, and from 1954 to 1960, at the Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

He benefited from the advice of famous Armenian painter Martiros Saryan, but developed a style of his own, with an intense use of color similar to that of Fauvism. The influence of Armenian medieval art is strongly apparent in his landscapes, self-portraits and scenes of peasant life. His work combines an uncommon and expressive richness of color with a dramatic monumentality of composition. In 1962, he had a one-man show in Yerevan, and another in Moscow in 1969. In 1972, a fire in his studio destroyed a large portion of his work.

Minas was one of those Armenian artists who put the color back into painting. “Put the color back into painting” – such an _expression_ might seem strange, but if you go into the Matenadaran and look through the yellowed pages of the ancient manuscripts there, you will understand what is meant: there on the parchment, in all their splendor, shine the bright, sonorous colors – blue, yellow, green, red… Color plays an enormous role in the work of Avetisian. Some of his pictures are unequaled in contemporary Armenian painting in the intensity of their colors.

South Australia’s Legislative Council Recognizes Artsakh

Hambardsumian Paul

February 17,  2021



South Australia’s Legislative Council recognizes Artsakh

ADELAIDE, Australia—South Australia’s Legislative Council has joined the House of Assembly in recognizing the Republic of Artsakh’s rights to self-determination in a historic motion passed on Wednesday, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

The motion by the Australian state’s Upper House follows one passed by the Lower House two weeks ago and similarly “calls on the Federal Government to also recognize the Republic of Artsakh as the only permanent solution to the conflict to avoid further attempts of such military aggression.”

The motion was introduced by Legislative Council member Irene Pnevmatikos, with fellow lawmaker Tammy Franks also speaking in favor. Jing Lee also spoke on the motion, which was carried without dissent in a vote that ensured both parliamentary chambers in South Australia follow both chambers of the New South Wales Parliament in recognizing the Republic of Artsakh.

ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian thanked the Armenian Cultural Association of South Australia (ACASA) for their grassroots advocacy, which has led to this historic outcome that seeks justice and peace for the indigenous Armenians currently away from their ancestral homes following the attacks and subsequent occupation by the Azerbaijani petro-dictatorship of Ilham Aliyev.

“It is with the hard work and dedication of the Armenian-Australian community of South Australia that this historic motion was able to be moved today,” said Kayserian.
“With the Legislative Council joining their colleagues in the House of Assembly, the state of South Australia is unequivocally supporting the right to self-determination of the peoples of the Republic of Artsakh.”

The President of ACASA, Elena Gasparyan echoed those sentiments.

“We are forever grateful to the South Australian Government for allowing this motion to be debated on, and to both the Hon Irene Pnevmatikos MLC in the Legislative Council and the Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP in the House of Assembly for adopting and championing these motions recognizing the rights to self-determination of the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh,” Gasparyan said. “We are also grateful to the Hon Jing Lee MLC (Assistant Minister to the Premier for Multicultural Affairs), Ms Jayne Stinson MP (Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs), Ms Andrea Michaels MP (Member for Enfield) and Ms Tammy Franks MLC for their moving speeches in favor of this motion.”

“We also would like to thank the Pontian Brotherhood of South Australia Inc., the Pontian Federation of Australia, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia Inc. and the Cyprus Community of South Australia for their support and the long-standing friendship that our communities share,” Gasparyan added. “I also would like to thank and congratulate our local Artsakh team. Firstly, to our team leader Mr. Emil Davityan for his hard work and devotion towards the recognition of Artsakh and to all our supportive community members.”

The Motion in full reads as follows:

That this House:
(1) Notes the actions and belligerence of Azerbaijan towards the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh in commencing military action on 27 September 2020.
(2) Notes the serious concerns that have been raised from Armenian-Australians regarding the existential threat to the indigenous Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh by this military action, and in any attempts by Azerbaijan to prevent the peaceful resettlement of the indigenous Armenian population following agreement to a provisional ceasefire on 9 November 2020.
(3) Notes the serious concerns raised by Armenian-Australians and independent international organizations regarding the risk of Azerbaijan destroying sites of global cultural and historical significance.
(4) Condemns the actions of President Erdogan of Turkey and President Aliyev of Azerbaijan in their pursuit of a policy of Pan-Turkish nationalism, which has previously led to genocide and which now threatens the Armenian population of Artsakh with ethnic cleansing.
(5) Calls on the Federal Government to condemn these attacks and advocate its support for the safety and security of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.
(6) Recognize the right to self-determination of all peoples including those of the Republic of Artsakh and calls on the Federal Government to also recognize the Republic of Artsakh as the only permanent solution to the conflict to avoid further attempts of such military aggression.

Three months after Moscow-brokered Armenia & Azerbaijan truce, Nagorno-Karabakh proposes making Russian an official language

Hambardsumian Paul
RT – Russia Today
Feb 17 2021
17 Feb, 2021 13:21
The president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has submitted a bill to elevate Russian to the status of an official language. Moscow has grown closer to the region since the Armenia-Azerbaijan war in 2020.

If passed, the legislation proposed by President Arayik Harutyunyan will enable government work to be conducted in Russian and will encourage all printed materials to be published in both languages.

According to the proposed bill, the move is based on the “cultural, military, economic relations” between the two nations, and the fact that many locals already use the tongue as their second language.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed territory, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. However, many of the local residents are ethnic Armenians. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the region has been under Yerevan’s control, and Baku considers the enclave to be illegally occupied.
In November 2020, six weeks after the two nations started fighting over ownership of Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia stepped in to oversee a ceasefire between the warring parties.

In January, Russia along with Turkey opened a monitoring center in Azerbaijan, aimed at ensuring the observance of ceasefire in the region.As part of the agreement, Moscow sent troops to the contact line, and they are now permanently stationed in the region.
Earlier this year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came to Moscow to discuss the treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting ended with all parties agreeing that the truce was being kept to, with all involved – including Russian peacekeepers – fulfilling their obligations.

Armenpress: Construction of ”Engineering city” to kick off soon – Deputy PM presents details

Hambardsumian Paul

Construction of ”Engineering city” to kick off soon – Deputy PM presents details

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 19:46, 12 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The layout of the ‘’Engineering city’’ has already been confirmed and soon a tender for the construction will be announced and the construction will kick off, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

The project of the ”Engineering city” has entered an active pahse. It’s carried out in collaboration with the World Bank.

Tigran Avinyan added that the ”Engineering city” will be comprised of the buildings of 22 engineering companies, laboratory, parking, garden and engineering infrastructures.

Armenia-EU Agreement to enter into force on March 1, ratification completed

Hambardsumian Paul
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 10 2021

On February 10, 2021, the European Union notified the Republic of Armenia about the completion of the ratification process by the EU and its Member States of the Armenia-European Union Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The Agreement will fully enter info force on March 1, 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs.

The agreement, which was signed in the framework of the Eastern Partnership Summit held in Brussels on 24 November 2017, takes the bilateral relations between Armenia and the European Union to a new, partnership level and regulates the dialogue in the political and economic spheres, as well as sectoral cooperation and trade relations.

The CEPA is an inclusive document, which creates a solid legal basis for the Armenia-EU partnership, outlining cooperation in various spheres, spanning from justice, security, economy, agriculture and infrastructures to environment and climate, education and science, culture, health, etc.

“The effective implementation of the Agreement will bring tangible results to our citizens by promoting democracy, political, economic and social stability through extensive reforms, thus improving quality of life of our citizens,” the Foreign Ministry says.

The CEPA addresses the issue of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reaffirming the EU’s stated commitment to support the efforts and approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, particularly on the basis of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

The Government of Armenia has constantly reaffirmed its commitment to the effective implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which is fully in line with Armenia’s broad reform agenda.

5 ventilators made in Armenia ready for clinical trials

Hambardsumian Paul

 ventilators made in Armenia ready for clinical trials

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 12:28, 9 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. 5 ventilators made in Armenia are already ready, clinical trials will soon be conducted, Minister of High technological industry Hakob Arshakyan said at a press conference, commenting on the ventilator funding project.

“5 such devices have already been prepared. They have almost passed the trial stage, and there is a need for clinical trials. No such complex devices have been made in Armenia as far as I know. They are complex systems, and acknowledge of such knowledge can have a very serious effect in Armenia”, the minister said.

He informed that the company which won the tender has participated in the programming licensing competition developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 28 out of the 330 companies representing 42 countries have won the competition, and one of them has been that company. The minister said that thanks to this it was possible to make this device in Armenia.

Arshakyan added that the first five samples will soon be introduced in a separate event.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan