Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has praised the Armenian genocide-themed film “The Promise.”

“This extraordinary film is opening April 21… It is a subject that I have been fascinated with for decades and it has taken many years for it to finally have the guts to make it and finally bring it to the screen all to see,” Sylvester Stallone said in a Facebook post.

“It is true and incredibly important historical drama that has all the extraordinary ingredients that can make a movie Oscar quality. Its amazing lead actors Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac play their parts to perfection! And a special shout out to it’s a legendary producer, Mike Medavoy, who finally brought this epic story to the screen. Also, I owe Mike Medavoy A great deal because he’s the one who gave Rocky the greenlight, and that’s why am here today. This film has it all…!!! I’m jealous,” the actor said.

Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, “The Promise” is an epic human drama about a love triangle between Michael Boghosian, a brilliant medical student played by Golden Globe winning actor Oscar Isaac, the beautiful and sophisticated Armenian artist Ana played by Charlotte le Bon, and Chris Myers, a renowned American photo-journalist covering the war played by Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale.

The film is also supported by an impressive cast of international actors. Their relationships unfold amidst the start of the Armenian Genocide, causing major upheaval of their lives and a struggle just to survive.

The Promise hits theaters April 21.

A German state minister on Tuesday accused Turkey of “unacceptable” spying on alleged followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames for a failed coup attempt last year, AFP reports.

“It is notable with what intensity and ruthlessness the people living abroad are being investigated,” said Boris Pistorius, interior minister of the northern German state of Lower Saxony.

“It’s intolerable and unacceptable,” he said at a press conference.

Ankara had asked Berlin to help spy on about 300 alleged Gulen supporters, Pistorius said, adding that the list was handed to Germany’s spy service, which turned it over to state governments.

But Pistorius’s state decided instead to inform the more than 10 targets, including a school and at least two companies, fearing people could suffer “retaliation” if they travelled to Turkey while unaware they were on a watch list.

Turkish authorities were acting with “something close to paranoia,” he said, adding that “all Gulen supporters are assumed to be terrorists and enemies of the state even though there is not the tiniest scrap of evidence.”

“Until today, we have no evidence whatsoever that Gulen supporters have violated any rules in any way.”

Russia’s relations with Armenia are at a high level, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Armenian Regional Post – Caucasus magazine. The text of the interview is posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.

“We have a long record of friendship and mutual support and are bonded by cultural and spiritual affinity. Russia and Armenia are reliable allies in international affairs and security. Together, we are forging the forward-looking Eurasian Economic Union. We have a shared perspective on today’s most pressing challenges,” Lavrov said.

“Russia is Armenia’s leading economic partner, whose share in the Republic’s foreign trade amounts to 24.3 per cent. The bilateral trade between the two countries reached USD 1.24 billion in 2015 and USD 745.3 million in the period from January to August 2016.A considerable increase in Armenian exports of agricultural products to the Russian market has been registered lately. Accumulated Russian investments in the Armenian economy amount to USD 4.3 billion, making up 40 per cent of its overall foreign investments. The total number of enterprises with Russian participation is about 1,300. They operate in a wide range of sectors, such as energy, transportation, banking, telecommunications, mining and smelting,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

“This normalization between Russia and Turkey should not be regarded as a process that may harm other States. Russia has no hidden agenda,” Lavrov assured.

“We build no political and no economic alliances directed against third countries or adversely affecting any interests. In general, we are open for constructive and mutually respectful cooperation with all who express same readiness,” he said.

“We are convinced that getting the Russian-Turkish ties out of months-long crisis will enhance trust and mutual understanding in the region. We expect the gradual restoration of bilateral cooperation with Ankara to benefit peace, security and stability in the South Caucasus,” Lavrov said.

The Russian Foreign Minister said they would “most certainly welcome the opening of the Armenian-Turkish segment of the EAEU’s external border for free movement of people, goods and services.” “This will obviously benefit the entire region,” he added.

The Foreign Minister reminded that Russia played an important role in attempting to restore the relations between Armenia and Turkey during the active phase of this process in 2007 2009. “The collective efforts, first and foremost those of Yerevan and Ankara, led to the signing in Zurich on October 10, 2009 of the Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations between the two countries in the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, France and Switzerland, the U.S. Secretary of State and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.”

“Sadly, the normalization process subsequently stalled and by now has come to a complete halt. It is of principled importance, though, that the sides have demonstrated the ability to reach agreement and take serious and responsible decisions. I am convinced that Armenia and Turkey are able to resolve the current problems. That said, quite a lot depends on themselves. After all, the quality of the politicians is measured not only by the depth of their realistic analysis of the objective difficulties, but also by their ability to be optimistic in order to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of their citizens. When Yerevan and Ankara sit at the negotiating table, Russia will be ready to provide them with most vigorous assistance,” he added.

Alexander Lapshin’s extradition was a gross violation of the international humanitarian law, international norms, and even contains criminal elements, Spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan said in an interview with .

“Despite Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s statements that Lapshin was wanted by Interpol, that’s not true, and Interpol has publicly rejected the claims,” the Spokesman said.

David Babayan sees a dangerous trend here. “Actually, the Holocaust continues. There is no difference between sending Lapshin to Azerbaijan or sending thousands to gas chambers. The blogger is being handed over to a fascist state, where he will be persecuted, and this being done by the leader of a country, whose people has passed through the hardest times of fascism.”

“This step is a message to both the international community and the Armenians. First, we see that the international community’s actions have led to this situation. The international community was silent when the Azerbaijani authorities bribed Hungary and had axe murderer Ramil Safarov.

“Now we see the case of Lapshin, where no one is speaking, no one is condemning. This means that the international organizations are either unable to take steps or are indifferent towards such development. Meanwhile, the developments are very dangerous,” David Babayan said.

“This is also a message of soberness to us- Armenians. We must rely upon ourselves and not expect any international organization to protect our interests,” he added.

“Azerbaijan’s primary aim is to prevent visits to Artsakh,” David Babayan said. He’s confident, however, that the picture will be the opposite.

‘This is definitely a trade deal, but it’s unclear whether it’s a deal between Azerbaijan and Belarus or between Aliyev and Lukashenko. I believe it’s the second one. “Belarus may get certain benefits in the short-term perspective, but will find itself in an awkward position in the long-term perspective, especially considering the country’s low ranking in the eyes of the international community. The deal has no future,” David Babayan stated.

In an example of the State Department’s expanding digital diplomacy and diasporan engagement, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills took part in an online Facebook exchange last week with the Armenian National Committee of America regarding the growth of the U.S.-Armenia economic partnership, a shared priority for both the Department of State and Americans of Armenian heritage.

“We welcome this transparent exchange of views with our diplomatic corps on pressing bilateral economic priorities, and look forward to similarly open, honest discussions about U.S. policy on Artsakh, the Armenian Genocide, and other issues as well,” said ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian. “We commend Ambassador Mills and our mission in Yerevan for leaning forward on social media, constructively using Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to engage Americans in the vital work of U.S. diplomacy.”

ANCA National Board member Aida Dimejian recently highlighted the importance of a Double Tax Treaty in a video message, noting that it would “reinforce the friendship of the American and Armenian peoples, anchoring Armenia to the West and providing Yerevan with greater strategic options and independence in dealing with regional powers.”

The Facebook exchange, echoed on Twitter, stemmed from an ANCA comment on an Embassy post about the Ambassador’s recent speech at the American Chamber of Commerce on U.S.-Armenia relations. In this comment, Executive Director Aram Hamparian had asked for updates regarding three ANCA priorities: An MCC STEM education grant for Armenia, a Double Tax Treaty, and direct U.S. to Armenia flights.

Below is the Facebook exchange between Mills and Hamparian:

Ambassador Mills to ANCA:
Aram and our friends at ANCA:
– First step to a MCC for Armenia is to meet‎ the MCC criteria – why we are focused on fighting corruption and building rule of law so Armenia might again qualify; big test is how free and fair April elections are conducted. Even if these steps don’t lead to a new MCC, Armenia will be far better for it. Welcome ANCA’s engagement on these issues.

— ‎Without a welcoming business environment in Armenia a double tax treaty is for now an unnecessary diversion – why Embassy focuses on issues like rule of law, customs reforms, and ensuring an equal playing field for foreign investors. So far, little evidence the lack of a new tax treaty has kept out U.S. investment. If such cases exist, we’d like to hear them.

— The U.S. Embassy and Gov’t of Armenia jointly achieved the open skies reforms that now allow Western air carriers to consider the Armenian market. Thanks to this, passenger traffic at Zvartnots is up by 12% and ticket prices are lower across the board. Now up to Armenian Gov’t to make the business case for scheduling air services to Armenia. Embassy is supporting with a new focus on tourism projects that build economic justification, but private U.S. firms make their own business decisions.

ANCA’S Response To Ambassador Mills
Dear Ambassador Mills,
Thank you for your thoughtful responses, and – more broadly – for all you and our team at U.S. Embassy Yerevan and USAID Armenia are doing to grow the American Armenian relationship, including through increased bilateral trade and investment. You may have seen our yesterday on this point.

We welcome – in the very best of our American democratic tradition – an ongoing, open and transparent discourse on these issues of shared concern.

On your first and third points, dealing with MCC and direct U.S.-Armenia flights, you point to external dependencies: In the case of MCC, ratings by outside organizations regarding Armenia’s progress; on direct flights, the commercial interest of airlines. The actions taken by these other stakeholders, however, should not prevent any of us from voicing support for initiatives we consider worthwhile. For our part, we will continue to work for progress on both of these initiatives. We invite you to publicly express our government’s general support for both a potential new MCC grant and the launch of direct U.S. to Armenia flights.

Your second point, regarding a Tax Treaty, deserves a more detailed response.

Here is what you wrote: “‎Without a welcoming business environment in Armenia a double tax treaty is for now an unnecessary diversion – why Embassy focuses on issues like rule of law, customs reforms, and ensuring an equal playing field for foreign investors. So far, little evidence the lack of a new tax treaty has kept out U.S. investment. If such cases exist, we’d like to hear them.”

As you know, a double tax treaty is not a special privilege extended by one party or the other, but rather a baseline bilateral accord, a basic amenity of global commerce and a hallmark of good, transparent government.

Due to the absence of such a treaty between the U.S. and Armenia, there is today no clear legal framework for investors and individuals that have business activities in both jurisdictions. This creates legal uncertainty that deters potential U.S. investors, diverts investment flows, and disadvantages American businesses.

Think of it this way: A shop owner with an outdated storefront proclaims that no one has ever complained to him/her about his/her business’s appearance. The reason, of course, is that potential customers who consider his/her place unattractive just walk past the shop. In much the same way, the absence of a working tax treaty – a key element of the storefront appeal of U.S.-Armenia commercial partnerships – deters potential investors from ever seriously considering Armenia. A new treaty would eliminate this artificial and unnecessary barrier, allowing Armenia to compete for investment on its own merits.

The “chicken and egg” aspect of this matter has been explored by Congressman Brad Sherman, during Congressional hearings.

In Armenia, as in much of the developing world, businesses typically do not complain to foreign governments about their tax problems. The absence of reporting is not the same as an absence of problems. One could not, for example, credibly argue that the lack of criminal complaints about domestic violence is evidence of the absence of such crimes. Under-reporting needs to be taken into account in any serious analysis.

Consider also:

— Our government has Double Tax Treaties with many countries, including smaller ones, such as Estonia, Jamaica, Lativa, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovenia.

— Our government has Double Tax Treaties with many countries rated by Transparency International in the bottom half of its Corruption Perceptions Index, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia,

— Armenia has Double Tax Treaties with many advanced countries, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and the United Kingdom. (As you know, Armenia does not recognize the legal applicability of the 1973 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Tax Treaty.)

— U.S. firms have gone on record to our U.S. government regarding a Tax Treaty, among them Microsoft, FedEx, NASDAQ, Marriott, Grant Thornton. More recently Triada Studio and other IT firms operating in both Armenia and the U.S. have also publicly called for such an accord.

Please know how much we value the service of U.S. diplomats and all those working in our missions abroad.

Photo: TASS

 

The agreements on the implementation of the mechanism of investiagyion of border incidents and the expansion of the OSCE monitoring mission in the Karabakh conflict zone have not been called to life because of the lack of consensus within the OSCE, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference today, TASS reports.

The Foreign Minister reminded that “considering the mutual accusations of Armenia and Azerbaijan after the aggravation of the conflict in April it was decided to create an investigation mechanism and increase the number of the OSCE monitors immediately along the line of contact.

He voiced regret over the lack of consensus on the implementation of the decision and said that for the reasons behind its absence, “one should ask representatives of the OSCE.”

“There is a whole set of solutions on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” Lavrov said. He reminded about the OSCE Security Council resolutions demanding to cease fire and said that the requirement to return the territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh remain in place, but “never by force and only in case of determination of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh.”

The Russian Foreign Minister said “all this is enshrined in numerous decisions of the OSCE Minsk Group, also as statements and decisions signed by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Lavrov said that “the bloody events of April 2016 cause serious concern” and reminded that “Russia played a key role in stopping the bloodshed at the time.”

AFP – Ten years after campaigning Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot dead in Istanbul, Armenians and Turks have still not achieved the reconciliation of which he dreamt.

The murder of Dink by a teenage gunman on January 19, 2007, near the offices of the Agos newspaper which he founded, sent shockwaves through Turkey. Thousands of Turks flooded onto the streets after Dink’s death declaring “We are all Armenians” in an unprecedented show of solidarity.

“Hrant made two great endeavours. To encourage dialogue between Turkey and Armenia. And to tell Turkish society about the Armenian issue in Turkey,” said Yetvart Danzikyan, who holds Dink’s former job of Agos editor-in-chief. But the dark ages of history cast a long shadow.

 

Born in the Anatolian city of Malatya – which once had a large Armenian population but now almost none – Dink moved to Istanbul and in 1996 sprung to prominence by founding Agos. Agos was not the first or only Armenian newspaper in Turkey but it was the first to be published in Turkish as well as Armenian, allowing a debate of issues that had long remained taboo.

“Hrant Dink gave the chance of telling Turkish society of the major problems of Armenians stemming from 1915,” said Agos’ Armenian language chief editor Pakrat Estukyan who knew Dink. “He made huge contribution and, unfortunately, paid for it with his life.”

Dink’s death became a symbol of the peril of such moves. The photograph of his corpse covered by a sheet, with just the soles of his shoes complete with a hole showing, underlined the tragedy. And although his assassin, just 17 at the time, was rapidly arrested and sentenced, the trial into the killing still grinds on with Dink’s supporters losing confidence on its ability to shed light on the plot.

In subsequent years, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought to build bridges with Armenia, a reconciliation process encouraged by the United States. But that process hit the buffers due to the simmering row over 1915, although analysts have long called for the historical dispute to be decoupled from more practical issues like border opening and trade.

The atmosphere became all the more poisonous during the 2015 100th anniversary, with Turkey cranking up the nationalist rhetoric in an election year and making clear it would never acknowledge genocide. “With his murder, he (Dink) also came to represent the peril of the process of normalisation,” Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center (RSC) independent think tank in Yerevan, told AFP.

Underlining the acute sensitivity, an Armenian lawmaker for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Garo Paylan, was suspended from the Turkish parliament last week for declaring in a debate the events of 1915 were “genocide”.

Dink’s assassin, Ogun Samast, is still behind bars but the trial into dozens of police accused of covering up the plot rumbles on.
The police on trial have been linked to Erdogan’s arch enemy, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Anger was caused by a video that emerged showing Samast bantering with police officers after his arrest and even holding up a Turkish flag.

“After 10 years, this court has still not shed light on the murder. We don’t have expectations from this process,” said Estukyan. Yet the taboos that Dink smashed remain broken. A few years before it would have been inconceivable to even have an Armenian in the Turkish parliament, let alone even utter the word “genocide”. Analysts hope that reconciliation is still possible.

“The man may be gone, but his mission continues and his spirit lives on, inspiring a new generation to look forward,” said Giragosian.

Photo: Reuters

 

President Barack Obama has called on Americans to defend their democracy in his farewell speech in Chicago, the BBC reports.

“By almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place” than it was eight years ago when he took office, he told thousands of supporters.

But he warned “democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted”.

He implored Americans of all backgrounds to consider things from each other’s point of view, saying “we have to pay attention and listen”.

The country’s first black president, now 55, was first elected in 2008 on a message of hope and change.

His successor, Donald Trump, has vowed to undo some of Mr Obama’s signature policies. He will be sworn into office on 20 January.

Raucous chants of “four more years” from the crowd were brushed aside by the president. “I can’t do that,” he said with a smile. US presidents are limited to two terms by the constitution.

“No, no, no, no no,” he said, when the crowd booed the prospect of Mr Trump replacing him.

Striking an upbeat tone, Mr Obama said that the peaceful transfer of power between presidents was a “hallmark” of American democracy.

But, he outlined three threats to American democracy – economic inequality, racial divisions and the retreat of different segments of society into “bubbles”, where opinions are not based on “some common baseline of facts”.

Photo: Getty Images

 

Australian police say they have foiled a terror attack planned for Melbourne on Christmas Day, the BBC reports.

Five men are in custody after early-morning raids on Friday, Victoria Police chief Graham Ashton said.

Mr Ashton said the threat involved “use of explosives” and other weapons including “knives or a firearm”.

The threat was to prominent city locations including Flinders St Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral, he said.

Mr Ashton said there was no longer a threat to the public.

“We don’t have any threat over and above that threat that we’ve currently neutralised,” he said at a press conference.