Author: Jhanna Virabian

Armenia rejects Russia’s claims to participate in meeting on Ukrainian Peace Formula

Jhanna Virabian
y! news
Nov 4 2023
Ukrainska Pravda

Paruyr Hovhannisian, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister, commented on Russia's dissatisfaction with Yerevan's participation in the Ukrainian Peace Formula summit in Malta.

Source: European Pravda with reference to News.am

Details: Hovhannisian said the Russian Federation incorrectly qualified the meeting in Malta between Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, and Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President's Office.

Quote: "This platform is a platform for secretaries of security councils. I wouldn’t say that it was devoted to the issue of Ukraine, there was a broader agenda. I think that this description does not correspond to reality."

Background:

  • Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said that Moscow considers Armenia's participation in the summit on the Ukrainian Peace Formula in Malta to be a "demonstrative anti-Russian gesture".

  • The third meeting on the Ukrainian Peace Formula in Malta, which occurred on 28-29 October, focused on questions of nuclear, food and energy security, as well as the release of prisoners and deportees and the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

  • The meeting was attended personally or remotely by representatives of 66 countries – over 20 more than in the previous meeting in Saudi Arabia. Armenia took part in the meeting for the first time. However, China did not participate.

  • In September of this year, Armenia handed over humanitarian aid to Ukraine for the first time – it was brought during the visit of Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenia Prime Minister's wife.

  • Subsequently, Pashinyan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met for the first time on the sidelines of the European political community summit in Granada in early October.



Why does Israel still dominate the news and not Nagorno-Karabakh?

Jhanna Virabian
Nov 1 2023

01-11-2023

Opinion

Evert van Vlastuin, CNE.news

The Israeli representative at the UN in New York put on a yellow star last Monday. His photo was used all over the world, confirming the observation that the conflict between Israel and Hamas still dominates all the news. Why is that?

Early October, just before the terrorist attack on Israel, we shifted our focus to Nagorno-Karabakh. Something historic was going on there: the “ethnic cleansing” of Armenians from the region.

The conflict there has a spiritual element as well. You can view these events as Christians (Armenians) against Muslims (Azerbaijan). But why does it not come back as a central topic in the news? Why is it still Israel and Gaza?

These questions are not easy to answer.

Of course, the Armenians are of no less value than Israelis or Palestinians. And it is still difficult to understand that such events that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh recently can take place in our days.

Still, there is a difference between Nagorno-Karabakh and Israel. Israel is not a country like all others; it is unique. And therefore, it is called the Holy Land. What does that mean? You can give three perspectives on that:

The Middle East has been a challenging region, at least since the end of the Second World War. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, there has been unrest continuously. Of course, this has to do with the territorial issue: not only the Jews but also the Arabs want their state to be on the same soil.

Together with this, the West has many interests there. The UN’s partition plan from 1947 was one of the significant decisions of this new international body. The United Nations still feel committed to the Israel-Palestine problem (although the relationship between Israel and the UN has never been so bad as it is now).

Many leaders in Israel have strong relations with the Western world. Prime Minister Netanyahu, for instance, even lived in the USA. And the same applies to thousands of other Israelis. Western journalists always have somebody to talk to. The country is quite easily accessible to the media compared with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Another aspect of this horizontal perspective is this short word: oil. The Middle East is a region that is essential for the economic development of the rest of the world because of energy. From this standpoint, it is understandable that the media focus on the region’s stability. Take only the nuclear ambitions of Iran.

There is more between Israel and Palestine than the issue of land. It is religion. Most Arabs are Muslim, and many Jews are Judaistic. They have different visions, even colliding values. In most Muslim countries, anti-Semitism is extreme. It seems that Islam and Judaism cannot live along each other easily.

Especially in Jerusalem, this is a problem. The Jews are proud that they are back in the Old City, in which even King David lived. But for the Muslim nations in and around Israel, this is an offence. A Muslim is not allowed to give up land that was occupied by Islam once. It doesn’t surprise that they use power and even violence to get this land back again.

The West has been trained in a secular outlook. Especially Protestantism has taught there is no difference between the sacred and the profane; God creates both, and they are equally holy. This sometimes resulted in an indifference towards the Israel-Palestine issue. If all land is sacred –even the Sahara desert– why would I be concerned about the Temple Mountain? Of course, this has not helped to solve the problem.

For many, Israel is not only called the Holy Land but is Holy Land. And within the country, Jerusalem is the very location where heaven meets earth.

As an outsider, I have witnessed how European Jews visited the Western Wall. The nearer they came to the Wall, the more they were captured by emotions. For them, this place is very, very special.

Also, for Muslims, Jerusalem is a holy city. This is where the prophet Mohammed prayed and was taken to heaven. For them, it is difficult to share the holy place with the Jews.

But also, for Christians, Israel is a beloved country. For centuries and centuries, God only revealed Himself to the twelve Israelite tribes. Only after the resurrection of Christ and Pentecost (around the year AD 35) the Gospel went abroad “till the end of the earth”. But still, no land was as blessed with God’s interference as this soil. It is self-evident that people with an interest in the Bible also have an interest in the land of the Bible. This is the place where it all happened. Many places in the world are historic, but this place is central in salvation history!

But after 1948, many Protestants –especially Evangelicals– have taken on a position that sometimes is similar to the Jewish and Muslim one, in that sense that Jerusalem has a vertical dimension that London, Paris and Moscow do not have.

In the past, Roman Catholics had this idea about the Vatican. We read that Martin Luther had strong expectations when he went to Rome in 1510; he would see a holiness that he had never seen before – and he returned very disappointed.

The same vertical dimension we see in Mecca, where the Muslims think the Black Stone from the Kaaba has fallen out of heaven. This stone gives a material connection between the earth and the spiritual world.

Does Jerusalem indeed have that vertical element? Well, as a staunch Calvinist, it would be difficult for me to say that. I don’t believe the Bible teaches that there is less sin in Jerusalem than in my hometown. Neither is there more holiness.

On the other hand, I believe that God still has a plan with the Jews, the chosen people. Few ancient nations have survived the centuries until the present day, but the Jews did. Why? I think that God has a unique goal with that, to glorify Himself and to bring the Israelites to Christ (see Romans 11,26).

Some have said recently that anti-Semitism is not just hatred against men but hatred against God. I believe this is true. Satan does not want this spiritual change among the Israelites.

Of course, this has nothing to do with politics and the Middle East. But it might be so that God brought (half of) His people back to their old house for a particular purpose.

I use the word “house” deliberately. The State of Israel is an earthly house for a special people. It is not helpful to put this state on a unique level, different from other states. But for the Jewish nation, yes, I think the Bible teaches that we can expect something of God for them.

Back to the first question: why so much publicity for Israel? I have given some considerations that could help.

It seems wise to me first to consider horizontal aspects. I believe that God works in horizontal things as well. If we don’t think of Him, He thinks about us. And there are plenty of reasons why the Middle East gets more continuous attention from the media than other regions.

And at the end, there remains a riddle. Or a secret. Only God knows that.

In my church tradition, they sometimes make the comparison with an embroidery: we only see the back of the stitching, a bit rough and full of loose ends. But God guides the history according to His plan – don’t be afraid.

https://cne.news/article/3822-everts-comment-why-does-israel-still-dominate-the-news-and-not-nagorno-karabakh

Racine, New Jersey and Greater Boston host 2023 ACE Weekend and AYF Junior Conferences

Jhanna Virabian
November 1, 2023 AYF-YOARF Community News, Youth 0

Mid-Atlantic ACE weekend participants

From October 20-22, Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Junior members took part in their respective regions’ Armenian Cultural Educational (ACE) weekend and Junior conferences. The weekend was hosted in the Midwest by the Racine “Armen Garo” Chapter, in the Mid-Atlantic region by the New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter, and in the New England region by the Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter. 

ACE is an annual weekend where Junior members have the opportunity to participate in a variety of Armenian educationals and activities to form a strong connection with their Armenian culture. Educationals and activities range between dancing, language, cooking and other valuable aspects of Armenian heritage and tradition.

The weekend started with lectures discussing Armenian traditions throughout Armenia and the region. Arev Kaligian, Vartenie Kachichian and Holly Khaligian led a baking activity, during which Juniors learned how to prepare choreg, a well-known Armenian sweet bread, and kekhke, delicious pastry.

While waiting for the bread to rise and bake, Juniors spent time learning about the Armenian language. They learned the meaning of a revolutionary song and how to sing it. Juniors in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions learned “Lerner Hayreni” from lecturers Shant Keshishian and Ani Khachatourian, while Juniors in the Midwest region learned “Arunod Trosh” from lecturer Nora Fronjian. 

The ungers then played games of Telestrations, but in Armenian, which was put together by the AYF Eastern Region’s Central Language Council. 

Following the language activities, the Juniors were treated to the choreg they had made earlier in the day along with lunch. For the final portion of ACE weekend, juniors spent time embracing Armenian music and art. The afternoon kicked off with an educational about Armenian art and how it can be used as a form of activism. The participants also spent time learning about different instruments. As the final activity of ACE weekend, the Juniors learned traditional dances from Armenia and Artsakh. 

To end the day, Juniors hosted region-wide conferences, where participants from each chapter in attendance briefed their fellow members about how their chapter’s year had gone. They also learned how AYF convention works at the Senior level and had the opportunity to come up with improvements that can be made locally and region-wide for the upcoming year.

AYF Juniors offered the following reflections about ACE weekend:

“It was a great time, and I had a lot of fun with my friends.” – Christian Kindt, Chicago “Ararat” Chapter

“I thought ACE was very fun and such a great way to learn about our Armenian culture and connect doing activities related to what we learned.” – Ani Haroutunian, New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter

“It was really fun, and we had a lot of fun activities to do, and it was entertaining.” – Tsoline Papazian, Chicago “Ararat” Chapter

“I felt that the lectures and accompanying activities were so very appropriate and relevant for the current place we as a nation and people are at. It’s with this new information and drive that we can accomplish our various goals as an organization.” – Krikor Iskenderian, Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter

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Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.


Biden meets with top Chinese diplomat at White House

Jhanna Virabian

 12:22,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. President Biden met Friday with China’s top diplomat at the White House ahead of a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Hill reports.

''Biden met with Wang Yi, the foreign minister and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and the president “emphasized that both the United States and China need to manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication,” the White House said in a readout of the meeting. 

He underscored that the United States and China must work together to address global challenges,” the White House said.

Wang also met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and with national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

"France to help protect Armenia’s skies". Signing of documents in Paris

Jhanna Virabian
Oct 23 2023


  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Agreement on arms transfers from France

The Armenian Defense Minister is on a working visit to Paris. The French military ministry’s X account published a report according to which Prime Ministers Suren Papikyan and Sebastien Lecornu met to “formalize the acquisition of weapons that will allow Armenia to protect civilians and secure its borders”.

The details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed. The volume and type of weapons, when and by what route they will reach Armenia, are unknown. The French Armed Forces Minister said in an interview with Le Parisien that an “agreement will be signed that will allow Armenia to ensure the defense of its skies.”

In early October, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also stated in Yerevan that she was ready to sign a document with Yerevan on the supply of French military equipment.

Political observer Hakob Badalyan believes that the conclusion of the agreement is undoubtedly important from the point of view of replenishing and modernizing Armenia’s armaments and increasing the country’s defense capacity. At the same time, he emphasizes that it is important to understand where the Armenian authorities are going: “whether they are looking for a new guardian or an important political partner in the person of France”.

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Despite the heightened interest of Armenian residents in the issue of acquiring French weapons, the Defense Ministry published only one sentence before Suren Papikyan’s visit to France. It was reported that the Armenian Minister left for Paris on a working visit at the invitation of his French counterpart.

Journalists tried to find out some details from the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Defense and Security Affairs Andranik Kocharyan. He replied that during the meeting with Lecornu, “many issues will be discussed, including some elements of military cooperation”.

Kocharyan stressed that the 2020 Karabakh war revealed the necessity not only to have friends, but also to build relations that will make the country’s security “more inclusive” and give an opportunity to ensure stable defense.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the countries will sign a corresponding agreement for French arms supplies

Political observer Hakob Badalyan believes that the agreement on military-technical cooperation between Armenia and France essentially means a new level of political relations. He wonders “what kind of complement Armenian-French interstate relations will receive at this new level” in terms of political content:

“This is the main question that will also determine the international value, the “currency rate” of the new level of Armenian-French political relations, the degree of Armenia’s subjectivity in them. Thus, the starting points for the attention and interest of other players to the new level of these relations will be formed.”

According to Badalyan, France seeks to increase cooperation with Armenia based on its strategic views and interests. And this means that “Armenia should form a counter position in terms of its content.”

Badalyan puts forward two key issues:

  • Armenia through France is looking for a new patron or an important political partner,
  • Is Armenia’s current political elite capable of being a partner rather than a consumer of French interests?

He believes that if Yerevan gives its relations with Paris a serious political content, it will become “a prerequisite for new opportunities in other areas of partnership.”

https://jam-news.net/agreement-on-arms-transfers-from-france-to-armenia/

Armenian delegation presses humanitarian issues with local leaders in Cambridge Story

Jhanna Virabian
The Boston Globe
Oct 22 2023

Adelegation of five female leaders from Armenia came to Cambridge last week to press their concerns with local leaders on the refugee crisis and border security issues facing Armenians.

The delegation was sent by the Congressional Office for International Leadership and hosted by the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association. Cambridge and Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, have been sister cities for more than 35 years.

More than 100,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian region in Azerbaijan, said Lilit Hajatyan, one of the delegates and member of the Community Council of the Artik Consolidated Community.

The refugee crisis and Armenia’s border security were among the main topics of discussion throughout the week.

“The biggest challenge Armenia is facing now is the issue of security,” Hajatyan said through an interpreter.

Hajatyan said the delegation raised it in every meeting with local and state representatives. Officials listened to their issues, but Hajatyan said what’s needed is a clear plan of action.

“I would like to see the US government step up and actually do some steps beyond just expressing concerns,” she said.

The country has already received some humanitarian aid from the United States and other countries. “But I don’t think that this is enough to resolve this issue once and for all,” Hajatyan said. “We are going to need more assistance.”

Related video: Azerbaijan eyes southern Armenian border province of Syunik (France 24)

The delegation discussed best practices for governance with local leaders in Cambridge, Lancaster, and Fitchburg: state legislators, educators, and nonprofit leaders.

Hajatyan said they were able to learn about the challenges of women involved at different levels of government, as well as different tools and strategies to tackle issues such as domestic violence and the integration of refugees into Armenian society.

Hajatyan said she will take what she learned back to their homes and use it in her everyday life and work.

“I have a list of things that we can do in Armenia when I get back,” she said.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/21/metro/armenian-delegation-presses-humanitarian-issues-with-local-leaders-cambridge/



The International Community

Jhanna Virabian
 David Garyan Poetry 0

Vanadzor Fountains (Photo: Arthur Ovanesian, 2021)

Author’s note: I’m deeply grateful to Arthur Ovanesian and Perla Kantarjian for their invaluable suggestions.

Yet again history
has decided
to visit the present.
Like always,
it has come
unannounced,
empty-handed.
Once more, we said:
“Please give us bread.”
They said here’s pain—
and we did receive it.
We suggested:
“If not food,
you may bring any gift.”
We got only poison.
We said, day by day:
“Our bodies are growing slim.”
They answered:
“Ah, you’re getting smart now.”
Perhaps we spoke too often
about our tormenter’s sin—
that’s why some understood
it as being without,
and others thought
it was their own.
We raised our voices:
“Our people are living in hell.”
The response:
“Your situation looks bright.”
We begged:
“Please protect our plot of land.”
They wondered:
“Why are you requesting fences?”
We informed them:
“Our home
isn’t safe.”
They advised:
“Then go ahead and keep 
the doors open.”
With time, we told them:
“It’s still getting too hot.”
Finally, a few understood,
but still they did nothing.
We warned: “The last
of our people are leaving.”
Oh, what a burden
this was to hear!
We suggested:
“Let’s make a list of demands.”
They thought:
“Perhaps we’re getting too cunning.”
We pronounced:
“Our enemies could be pétulant.”
I guess, in our ignorance,
we didn’t pronounce
it the right way,
sounding playful, exuberant.
We asked: “Are we not
being sensible enough?”
They said: “Yes, but still
you’re being too sensitive.”
We cautioned:
“They mean war.”
They calmed us down:
“That’s all in the past.”
We said: “It could happen today.”
They heard what they wanted to hear:
“We’re too much of an eyesore.”
Now that everyone has left,
there’s no enemy left.
All the “occupiers” have fled.
All the “separatists” are gone.
There are no more people
to call “traitors” and “dogs.”

Glossary of terms:

Pain: Bread (French)
Gift: Poison (German)
Slim: Smart, intelligent (Dutch)
Sin: (Without in Spanish) (a reflexive pronoun in Swedish)
Hell: Bright, luminescent (German)
Plot: Fence (Slovak)
Home: Mold (Finnish)
Hot: Threat (Swedish)
Last: Burden (German)
List: Cunning (German)
Pétulant: Exuberant, Playful (French)
Sensible: Sensitive (French)
War: Was (German)
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David Garyan holds an MA and MFA in Creative Writing from Cal State Long Beach. In addition, he received an MA in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage from the University of Bologna. He has published four collections of poetry with Main Street Rag. He serves as General European Editor for Interlitq, an international online literary magazine where he has interviewed and published the work of some of the most notable writers and academics of our time, including Sari Nusseibeh, Elena Poniatowska, Susan Stewart, Harry Northup and Clifford Ando, among others. His poem, “Open Letter to the Students of Brandeis University with Bibliography,” published in Volume 11 of The American Journal of Poetry, was praised by Joyce Carol Oates and promoted on her official Twitter page. He lives in Trento.


Impact Hub Yerevan announces the winners of SIA Award Armenia 2023

Jhanna Virabian

 18:01,

On October 17, Impact Hub Yerevan hosted a pitching day event as well as a humble award ceremony for the participants of this year’s Social Impact Award Armenia.

The Social Impact Award, a prestigious platform supporting young social entrepreneurs, took place for another year of honoring innovative business solutions aimed at addressing pressing social challenges. Under the umbrella of the Collaborate for Impact program, funded by the European Union in Armenia and executed by the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) in partnership with Impact Hub Yerevan, this year's awards have seen a significant contribution from Ararat Bank.

The mission of the Social Impact Awards is to guide and empower early-stage social entrepreneurs on their journey to create meaningful and sustainable change. Since its inception in 2009, the program has inspired and supported young visionaries across more than 25 countries.

The spotlight this year fell on ten exceptional participants of the Incubation Program, featuring enterprises such as Gyugh.org, ContestsLAB, Refill App, reuZe, Science Cube, Adapteon, Young Doctor, Dilijanian Strawberry Greenhouse, Bio Cycle, and EcoTught. On Tuesday, October 17, from 11 AM to 1 PM, these promising ventures gave business pitches for their ideas to a distinguished jury including Gevorg Poghosyan (Impact Hub Yerevan), Arman Khachatryan (Codeex), Diana Chobanyan (EcoHub Foundation), Silva Mesropyan (Institute of Management Consulting of Armenia), Korioun Khatchadourian (H. Hovnanian Family Foundation), Shoushan Keshishian (HUB Artsakh) and Suren Babajanyan (Head of Marketing and Banking Services Sales Department).

“SIA is a unique program that motivates creative and innovative youngsters to build a business model for the social challenges they think the society is facing and I think this is the right path for how we can build a better and much kinder world,” said Gevorg Poghosyan, Executive Director of Impact Hub Yerevan.

Three winners were selected for the coveted Jury Award, receiving an award of 1500 EUR in seed funding and an exclusive invitation to participate in this year's Social Impact Award Annual Summit, scheduled for November 27- December 1  in Serbia. A fourth winner was selected based on the results of online Community Voting on their video pitch.

Thus, the winners of this year’s Social Impact Award Armenia are:
Jury Award Winner – Adapteon
Jury Award Winner – Contests Lab

Jury Award Winner – Gyugh.org

Community Vote Award Winner – Refill

This year, the Social Impact Award money of 1,500 EUR per winner, a total of  6,000 EUR, has been financed by Ararat Bank.

“The Social Impact Award reminds us of the importance of collective well-being, and we are only happy to be part of this one-of-a-kind initiative. Together, we can create an environment where social entrepreneurship will thrive, where innovative solutions to social challenges will be supported at a larger scale, and where the power of business will work for the welfare of the society,” commented Anna Allahverdyan, the Advisor on Public Relations to the Executive Director of AraratBank.

Participating in the official award ceremony were the Advisor on Public Relations to the Executive Director of AraratBank Anna Allahverdyan, Head of the Marketing and Banking Services Sales Department of AraratBank Suren Babajanyan, EVPA Representative in Armenia Nazareth Seferian, and the Executive Director of Impact Hub Yerevan Gevorg Poghosyan.

“Initiatives like SIA are very important because they encourage innovation and help build a future pipeline for new social enterprises in Armenia. Several past SIA participants have grown into social businesses that have a real positive impact on the ground. So SIA is not just about receiving an award,” said Nazareth Seferian, Armenian Representative of EVPA.

— — — — — — — — — — — — —

** Impact Hub Yerevan, founded in 2016, is a representative of a network of 110+ Impact Hubs operating around the world. It provides its member entrepreneurs and innovators with a wide range of community innovation resources, educational programs, and events, all in a very stimulating and empowering workspace. Impact Hub is also a social innovation incubator and has many years of experience in designing and implementing incubation and acceleration programs. Since its establishment, Impact Hub Yerevan has designed and implemented 40+ programs, more than 500 educational courses, and events, and now hosts more than 350 members implementing over 100 projects representing almost all sectors operating in Armenia.

** The "Collaborate For Impact: Development of social entrepreneurship and social investments towards economic and social cohesion in the Eastern Partnership" is implemented by the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) with the financial support of the European Union. The Armenian component of the project was developed jointly with the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia and is implemented by Impact Hub Yerevan.

*** Social Impact Award supports young, early-stage social entrepreneurs in developing and implementing innovative business solutions tackling societal challenges.




Key to having smart citizen in the field of education: Arayik Harutyunyan took part in "Smart Citizen" panel discussion

Jhanna Virabian

 19:31,

YEREVAN, 17 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. Any artificial intelligence tool can make a person both smart and crazy.
Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan expressed such a point of view during the panel discussion under the title "Smart Citizen" organized within the framework of the "Silicon Mountains" conference.
“Artificial intelligence is another tool for solving various situations. Any such tool can make a person both smart and crazy. If previously a large amount of information was transmitted as a source, now we must teach how to use information sources correctly,” Harutyunyan said.
During the discussion of the topic “Smart Citizen,” Harutyunyan noted that a “digital” citizen and a “smart” citizen are different things. According to him, the secret of a “smart” citizen is in the development of the education sector.
Now the tools that enable a “smart” citizen to progress and develop the society have become digital. All the secrets of a “smart” citizen are in the education system,” Harutyunyan noted.
He recalled the introduction of new standards in the field of general education, which will finally be implemented for all grades from 2026.
 
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan told Armenpress that the IT and HT sector are priority directions for the country. The minister noted that specific steps are being taken to develop this field in the educational system.
Since September of the current year, we have started the artificial intelligence course in schools. Work is being done to create laboratories in all schools," said the minister.

She reminded of the new state standard of general education, the introduction of which has begun in September on a phased basis.

According to Zhanna Andreasyan, the main part of the new standard is the improvement of technological education.

Armenian president approves parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court

Jhanna Virabian
Associated Press
Oct 14 2023

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan approved the parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court in a move that has further strained the country’s ties with its old ally Russia.

Last week, Armenia’s parliament voted to join the ICC by ratifying the Rome Statute that created the tribunal.

Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute are bound to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was indicted for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, if he sets foot on their soil.

Moscow last month called Yerevan’s decision an “unfriendly step,” and the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s ambassador. Armenia later sought to assure Russia that Putin would not be arrested if he entered the country.

Armenian officials have argued the move has nothing to do with Russia and was prompted by what they call Azerbaijan’s aggression against the country.

Lawmakers voted to ratify the Rome Statute by a vote of 60-22. The decision comes into force 60 days after the ratification, according to Armenian lawmakers.

Armenia had started the process of joining the tribunal more than 20 years ago, but in 2004 the Constitutional Court ruled that the Rome Statute contradicted the country’s constitution at the time, putting the process on pause. The constitution has been amended twice since then. In March, the Constitutional Court ruled that the obligations for signatories outlined by the Rome Statute are in line with the existing constitution.

Armenia’s envoy on international legal matters, Yegishe Kirakosyan, said Yerevan decided to resume the process of joining the ICC because of Azerbaijan’s alleged moves against Armenia. Last month, Azerbaijan routed the ethnic Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and recaptured the enclave.

https://apnews.com/article/armenia-icc-russia-putin-26612df6d4687d0fd7137144aff3ef9c