Author: Janet Ekmekjian

Sports: Arsenal prepares to leave player at home for Europa League final due to safety concerns

Janet Ekmekjian
Yahoo! News
 
 
Arsenal prepares to leave player at home for Europa League final due to safety concerns
 
Cassandra Negley
Yahoo Sports Contributor
Yahoo Sports
Arsenal may decide to leave its Armenian midfielder, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, at home for the Europa League final for safety reasons. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
 
Arsenal will potentially play in the Europa League final without its most-used midfielder. The team is prepared to leave Henrikh Mkhitaryan at home for the May 29 match in Baku, Azerbaijan, due to safety issues surrounding the Armenian midfielder, per The Guardian.
 
Azerbaijan is hosting its first major tournament final.
 
Azerbaijan, Armenia in conflict
 
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in conflict since 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. A war ensued and resulted in Armenia occupying 20 percent of the other country including the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
 
The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since a war ended in 1994. Neighboring areas are also under Armenia’s control and there is a line of contact between the two sides. Azernews reported Thursday that Armenian forces had violated a ceasefire 25 times in the past 24 hours, a continuation of broken ceasefires in previous weeks.
 
There are no diplomatic relations between the two.
 
Arsenal wants assurances on safety
 
Arsenal has shown concern there weren’t “acceptable guarantees” from UEFA that Mkhitaryan would be safe to travel to the country due to the conflict. Mkhitaryan sat out the first Europa League group game in Qarabag over the same safety issues, but sitting out a final is a different beast.
 
The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry gave the team and Mkhitaryan assurances last week. A ministry spokeswoman said, per The AP:
 
"Many major sports events have been hosted in Azerbaijan, and Armenian athletes have taken part in them. Sports and politics are separate."
 
UEFA said, per The AP, it received the assurances from the country’s soccer governing body but not the government.
 
“The safety and security of our players is of paramount importance,” an Arsenal spokesperson said, via The Guardian. “We are seeking guarantees from UEFA that it will be safe for Henrikh Mikhitaryan to travel to Baku for the Europa League final, which both Arsenal and Micki require for him to be included in our squad.”
 
Mikhitaryan played in 11 of the 14 games in the competition and has played the most minutes of any midfielder on the team. A final decision on his status is expected by next week.
 
Arsenal fans face travel conflicts
 
Arsenal and Chelsea fans were each given 6,000 tickets by UEFA in a stadium that holds 68,700, yet Arsenal representatives told The Associated Press it’s unlikely they’ll sell out due to “unacceptable” and “extreme” travel problems.
 
The Associated Press reported a lack of flights to Baku from Western Europe.
 
Arsenal said, per The AP:
 
“Moving forward we would urge UEFA to ensure that supporter logistics and requirements are a key part of any future decisions for final venues as what has happened this season is unacceptable, and cannot be repeated.”
 
Azerbaijan Sports Minister Azad Rahimov defended the city as a deserving host, per The AP, and said he believes people will enjoy being in Baku.
 
It’s Arsenal’s first European final in 13 years. It’s playing for its first continental trophy since 1994 when it won the Winners’ Cup.

Armenpress: ‘Citizen’s power is established in Armenia’ – Pashinyan participates in Citizen’s Day celebrations in Yerevan – LIVE

Janet Ekmekjian

‘Citizen’s power is established in Armenia’ – Pashinyan participates in Citizen’s Day celebrations in Yerevan – LIVE

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YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. The citizen of Armenia has again blocked the Mashtots Avenue: the Avenue belongs to the citizen, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said live on Facebook on the occasion of the Citizen’s Day, reports Armenpress.

“This is the greatest symbol of the fact that a citizen’s power is established in Armenia, and no any other power will exist anymore. The prime ministers, the governments, the parliaments will change, but the power will not change as it belongs to the citizen”, the PM said.

At the moment the PM is walking in the Mashtots Avenue of Yerevan and participating in the celebrations together with the citizens.

Photos by Tatev Duryan

Citizen’s Day is being celebrated in Armenia for the first time on the last Saturday of April.

A number of events are scheduled on this Day across the Republic.

On April 9 the Parliament adopted the bill on making amendment in the Law on Holidays and Remembrance Days. According to the bill, last Saturday of April would be celebrated as the Day of Citizen of the Republic of Armenia. In case when May 1 coincides with Saturday, the Citizen’s Day will be celebrated on the last Sunday of April.

The Armenian government has provided 124 million drams from the reserve fund for the holding of events on the occasion of the Day of the Citizen.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Anche l’Italia riconosce il Genocidio Armeno: passa alla Camera la mozione bipartisan, solo FI si astiene

Janet Ekmekjian
Il Messaggero, Italia
10 aprile 2019


Vaticano

Mercoledì 10 Aprile 2019 di Franca Giansoldati

Roma  –  L’Italia è tra le 29 nazioni che hanno formalmente riconosciuto il genocidio degli armeni, lo sterminio di un milione e mezzo di persone che venne pianificato tra il 1915 e 1917 sotto l’Impero Ottomano ai danni della minoranza cristiana. La Camera dei Deputati ha approvato con 382 voti a favore, 43 astensioni e nessun contrario, la mozione bipartisan che impegna il governo a «riconoscere ufficialmente il genocidio armeno e a darne risonanza internazionale», sulla quale l'esecutivo, rappresentato in aula dal vice ministro degli Esteri, Emanuela Del Re, si è rimesso al voto di Montecitorio.

 La mozione è stata sottoscritta, tra gli altri da esponenti della Lega, M5S, Fdi, Pd, Leu, Misto-Usei ma non da Fi. Il dibattito che ha preceduto il voto è stato piuttosto acceso, soprattutto per l’intervento di Forza Italia che ha annunciato la sua astensione, mettendo in evidenza di come sia un errore portare avanti una mozione senza tenere conto delle buone relazioni con la Turchia, partner «strategico per l’Italia» ha detto il parlamentare Andrea Orsini. A nome del Pd, la parlamentare Flavia Piccoli Nardelli, ha anunciato l'impegno del suo partito a riconoscere una pagina di storia indiscutibile, incoraggiando anche il dialogo politico tra Armenia e Turchia che «è un grande paese e per questo potrà fare i conto con il suo passato», facendo distinzione tra l’allora impero ottomano e la Turchia moderna di oggi. Ad ascoltare il dibattito parlamentare, nel settore dedicato agli ospiti, erano presenti da una parte l’ambasciatrice armena e l’ambasciatore turco dall’altra. Un lungo applauso ha salutato l’approvazione tra l’emozione dei presenti.

Il testo della mozione fino all'ultimo è stato oggetto di intense trattative, soprattutto per il pressing del ministro degli Esteri, Moavero che aveva suggerito alcuni cambiamenti sostanziali che non prevedevano l'utilizzo del termine genocidio per non irritare la Turchia. Ankara, come si sa, mantiere un atteggiamento negazionista sulla pagina nera della sua storia. Parlare di genocidio armeno in Turchia è un reato punito con l'arresto, previsto dall'articolo 301 del codice penale. 



Protest action in support of Konstantin Orbelian is held outside the government building in Yerevan: Pashinyan listened to culture persons

Janet Ekmekjian
Arminfo, Armenia
April 1 2019
Naira Badalian

ArmInfo.Employees of the Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia. In the morning, Spendiaryan began a protest action outside the government building of the  republic. They demand that the order be canceled. Minister of Culture  of Armenia Nazeni Garibyan on the dismissal of the director of the  theater Konstantin Orbelian. Culture workers were received by Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

At the beginning of the protest, the protesters announced that they wanted to send a letter of appeal to the Prime Minister stating that the order to the Acting President.  Minister of Defense to relieve Konstantin Orbelian from the post of  Director of the Opera and Ballet Theater and the plan to "optimize"  the theaters filled the cup of patience of the theater world.

 The letter noted that the Ministry of Culture only hindered the  activities of theaters, as well as the law on GNCO. According to  theatrical figures, a person who believes that "opera is not a  theater," and artistic director's position is not creative, and so  on, cannot be headed by the Ministry of Culture. As a result, they  demand the resignation of Nazeni Gharibyan and adequate cultural  policies. The protesters point to the disrespectful attitude of  Garibyan towards culture and its leaders, which contradict the laws,  orders and orders signed by it. As one of the employees of the  theater said, they are not protesting against a particular person,  but only care about the prosperity of the theater, which in the past  year and a half has developed rapidly. "As for the explanations of  the Ministry of Culture that Orbelyan does not speak Armenian (which  is a violation of the law), I must say that it is even a shame to  talk about this, the music does not know the language," he said.After  the meeting with the prime minister, the theater staff said that a  temporary decision was made. Namely, the obligations of the director  of the theater will be temporarily assigned to the deputy director,  and Konstantin Orbelian will perform the functions of artistic  director. During this period, artists will have to submit their  counter-arguments to the cabinet. 

According to opera singer Liparit Avetisyan, they are fighting  against the system, and not just a person.  "The question is that we  are fighting not against the face, but against the system according  to which all the controls are in the hands of the director. In the  theater, this interferes with creative life",- he said.A spokesman  for the Prime Minister, Vladimir Karapetyan, in turn, said that the  demands of the staff of the Opera and Ballet Theater would be heard  and relevant decisions made on the spot. Recall that the Acting  Minister of Culture of Armenia, Nazeni Gharibyan, by decree of March  28 of this year. relieved Konstantin Orbelian of the post of Director  of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after A.   Spendiaryan. As the basis of K. Orbelyan's release from office, the  Ministry of Culture cites article 15 of the Law of the Republic of  Armenia <On state non-profit organizations>, which states: <A person  appointed to the position of director of SNCO may not occupy another  position or perform other paid work than scientific , pedagogical and  creative work. Konstantin Orbelian, besides the director of the  National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Alexander  Spendiaryan, also held the position of artistic director.As Orbelyan  himself stated in an interview with journalists, the team of the  Opera and Ballet Theater will appeal the decision about the  resignation of the theater director Konstantin Orbelian in court.  At  the same time, he noticed that. RA Minister of Culture Nazeli  Gharibyan did not inform him in advance about his decision. "We  received this decision today in writing," Orbelian said. According to  the ex- director, Garibyan has been trying to wipe him off his post  for 9 months now. 

"She offered me to quit myself, but I refused. My contract as  director of the Theater expires after 1.5 years, that is, very  weighty justifications are needed for my dismissal. I consider the  decision of Garibyan illegal and it will be appealed in court,"  Orbelian. On the same day, March 29, Garibyan announced that the name  of the new director of the Opera Theater will be known on April 1.  Orbelian himself stated that in this case he would leave the theater  altogether.Orbelyan, along with a brilliant pianist career, has also  developed a wide range of activities in the opera field as a  conductor and artistic director. In particular, in 1991-2009 he was  artistic director and chief conductor of the State Academic Chamber  Orchestra of Russia. In 2003, Orbelyan, the first foreigner who does  not have Russian citizenship, was awarded the honorary title of  Honored Artist of Russia. In 2012, he was awarded the Order of  Friendship for his great contribution to the popularization of  Russian culture outside Russia. 

A1+: Levon Zakaryan: We will have to rename a children’s park into a park that has been seized by adults (video)

Janet Ekmekjian
  • 13:30 | March 22,2019 | Social
  • Հայ
  • Рус

There are no carousels in Kirov’s children’s park, and instead of them there are unfinished buildings. And the construction has been stopped because the residents have appealed to the court.
Today, Levon Zakaryan, a member of the “My Step” council, addressed the mayor and chief architect Arthur Meschian at an extraordinary session of the council.

According to the council member, if this continues, the park will need to be renamed. “We will have to rename a children’s park into a park that has been seized by adults.”

Եվրոպայի հրապարակ՝ Երևանի կենտրոնում

Janet Ekmekjian
  • 19.03.2019

    •  

  • Հայաստան

    •  

  • arm

    •  

  • rus

1
 41

Երևանի փոքր կենտրոնում՝ Հյուսիսային պողոտայի հատվածներից մեկը կանվանակոչվի Եվրոպայի հրապարակ: Համապատասխան որոշումն ընդունվել է Երևանի ավագանու այսօրվա նիստում:


Ավագանու անդամները միաձայն կողմ են քվեարկել ՀՀ արտաքին գործերի նախարարության և Եվրոպայի խորհրդում Հայաստանի մշտական ներկայացուցիչ, դեսպան Պարույր Հովհաննիսյանի առաջարկությանը:


Հրապարակի բացման արարողությունը տեղի կունենա մարտի 26-28-ն ընկած ժամանակահատվածում, երբ Հայաստան կժամանի Եվրոպայի խորհրդի խորհրդարանական վեհաժողովի (ԵԽԽՎ) նախագահի


Նշենք, որ 2019 թ. նշվում է Եվրոպայի խորհրդի հիմնադրման 70-ամյակը: Անցած տարի հունիսին ԵԽ նախարարների կոմիտեի նիստում առաջարկվել է ԵԽ անդամ պետություններում կազմակերպության հոբելյանի կապակցությամբ Եվրոպայի խորհրդի անունով անվանակոչել որևէ փողոց, հրապարակ, այգի կամ պուրակ:

Armenian National Assembly to hold hearings on Karabakh conflict settlement soon

Janet Ekmekjian
ARKA, Armenia
Feb 26 2019

YEREVAN, February 26. /ARKA/. The Armenian National Assembly’s defense and security committee will hold hearings on Karabakh conflict settlement soon, Zhoghovurd reports. 

According to the newspaper, ways to involve Artsakh into the talks will be discussed. 

Andranik Kocharyan, an MP from My Step faction, refrained from commenting on the matter. He only told the newspaper correspondent that the matter is being discussed “in our country’s interest and for enhancing and strengthening its defense ability – everything is being done for that”. 

Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.

On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan. 
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions adjacent to it.

Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million people fled their homes.  
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.

Тalks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA, Russia and France. -0–

Music: Catholicos Aram I awards “Knight of Cilicia” medal to Tigran Mansurian

Janet Ekmekjian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 18 2019

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, bestowed the “Knight of Cilicia” medal to world famous Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian on Sunday, after a Divine Liturgy, the Catholicosate's official website reported.

Before the conferring of the medal, Catholicos Aram I highlighted national values as the guarantee of people's survival, with each person contributing to the spread of those values in various ways.

Addressing Mansurian, His Holiness stressed the composer has dedicated his whole life to music, with his compositions having hit the stage both in Armenia and abroad.

“Your compositions conveyed the Armenian spirit, strong faith, deep sorrow and miraculous revival to our nation’s sons and foreigners,” His Holiness said.

Mansurian expressed his gratitude to Catholicos Aram I, adding the medal will encourage him to push ahead with his creative activity.

Armenia’s steps raise some hopes among Azerbaijani president: political analyst

Janet Ekmekjian
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 14 2019

During the recent months Azerbaijan has gained a serious privilege and its positions in the negotiation process are better than previously, political analyst Aghasi Yenokyan said, speaking to Aysor.am, referring to the statement of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev that Azerbaijan has privileges at the table of negotiations and in battle field.

He said Azerbaijan’s privilege is seen both from their rhetoric and toughening of their formulations.

“With all this, I may say that Ilham Aliyev’s remark is right. As to Azerbaijan’s status in the battle field, according to the open sources and the available information on how many weapons the country has acquired during the recent years, then yes, we may register that Aliyev is right,” Yenokyan said.

As to the recent thought voiced by Aliyev in an interview with Real TV that Artsakh conflict must be regulated only in the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, the analyst said that it is the Azerbaijan’s dream and Armenia’s recent steps at the negotiation process aroused some hopes among the Azerbaijani president.

“But I think both Armenia and the OSCE mediators will not allow unbalanced solutions. In any case Aliyev’s statement’s are addressed both to the domestic and foreign audience and such rhetoric of the country’s president is agreed with the Azerbaijani progress in the process, or more right to say Armenia’s regress,” he said.

As to Aliyev’s statement that “force factor becomes dominating in the world today” and “force gives birth to right,” Yenokyan said that Azerbaijani president allows himself such phrases because OSCE Minsk Group mediators do not forward the pre-condition of exclusion of force.

“Of course, force is not the only thing that determines everything. Issues in the world are being solved in combination of different factors,” the political analyst said.

Turkey’s Erdoğan calls Macron “political novice” over Armenia issue

Janet Ekmekjian
AHVAL News
Feb 16 2019
Turkey’s Erdoğan calls Macron “political novice” over Armenia issue

2019-02-16

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday called his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron a “political novice” over the announcement earlier this month that France would hold a national day to commemorate “the Armenian genocide.’’

“I say to Macron — you are still a political novice, first learn the history of your country,” Erdoğan said during an interview with pro-government A-Haber TV. “There is no genocide in our history. Be careful in your use of the term ‘Armenian genocide.’ Firstly, learn of the history of this issue. While not being subjected to a genocide in our country, there are currently around 100,000 Armenians who are citizens and non-citizens in our country.’’ 

Macron announced on Feb.9  that France, home to a sizable Armenian community, would hold a national day in commemoration of the Armenian genocide on April 24, marking the 1915 rounding up of thousands of Armenian intellectuals suspected of harbouring nationalist sentiment and being hostile to Ottoman rule. 

France was one of the first major European nations to recognise the mass killings as “genocide” with more than 20 other countries following suit.

Turkey has never officially acknowledged that events leading to the death of hundreds of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915 constitute a genocide, though many other countries do. 

Ankara accepts that many Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War One, but contests the figures and denies the killings were systematically orchestrated and constitute a genocide.