Author: Kanayan Tamar

Yerevan and Moscow assured that there can be no question of any corridor logic of unblocking regional communications voiced by Azerbaijan

Kanayan Tamar
ARMINFO
Armenia – June 9 2022
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo.The Foreign Ministers of Russia and Armenia, Sergei Lavrov and Ararat Mirzoyan assured there can be no question of any corridor logic of unblocking regional  communications voiced by Azerbaijan.

So, on June 9, at a press conference in Yerevan, answering a question  about the slow work of the commission to unblock communications,  Lavrov did not agree with such an assessment, saying that the work  was proceeding quite rhythmically.

“First of all, I see positive trends here, based on the results of  the meetings at the level of three vice- premiers on June 3. I do not  think the break is too long, they are working rhythmically. We have  reached the preparations for the issues to be resolved,” said the  head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In this vein, Lavrov noted that the issue of  railway route has  already been agreed upon, and now the agreement on the road links and  the regime that will be established is being completed. “It will be  simplified, but it will absolutely be based on the recognition of the  sovereignty of the Armenian territory.  There can be no ambiguity  here. These are things related to practical actions on the ground,  which are associated with the creation of infrastructure for many  years, as they say. Therefore, we should carefully consider all this.  And we have a complete feeling that both Azerbaijani and Armenian  partners proceed from this,” the Russian Foreign Minister said. In  turn, the Armenian Foreign Minister also expressed his conviction  that the work was not delayed, and discussions continue at a working  pace. He once again stressed that there is a common understanding on  many issues.

According to him, this primarily concerns the fact that all the roads  that open will operate within the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the  countries through which they pass. “Naturally, there can be no  question any corridor logic, which I want to emphasize. This is a  common understanding,” Mirzoyan said.

At the same time, he acknowledged the presence of details on which  the parties have equal approaches, but work continues and the  minister hopes that a mutually acceptable solution will be found. 

It should be noted that on January 11, talks between the leaders of  Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol  Pashinyan were held in Moscow. After the talks, the Russian leader  announced the formation of a working group, which will be headed by  the vice-premiers of the three countries. The group deals with issues  of unblocking economic, trade and transport links in the region,  opening borders.

On June 3, the 10th meeting of the trilateral working group was held  under the joint chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia  – Mher Grigoryan, Russia – Alexei Overchuk and Azerbaijan – Shahin  Mustafayev.

“Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan have brought their positions closer  on border and other types of control, as well as on the safe passage  of citizens, vehicles and goods on roads and railways through the  territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The vice-premiers discussed  possible routes for the passage of the highway, which provides  transport links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and  Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia. The parties will  continue to work on the implementation of the agreements between the  leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the unblocking of  transport links in the region,” it was said following the meeting. 

Sports: SADA named marquee sponsor of the Armenia National Basketball Team

Kanayan Tamar
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –

The Basketball Federation of Armenia and SADA signed a cooperation agreement to work together towards the promotion of the National Basketball Team and the development of Basketball as a growing sport in Armenia. 

SADA, a leading Google Cloud partner and a global provider of business and technology services has become the marquee sponsor of the Armenia national basketball team and national youth teams U16, U18 men and U16, U20 women. 

This cooperation creates opportunities for the Armenia national basketball team to participate in the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries from June 28 to July 3 in Ta’ Qali, Malta. In addition, the Armenian youth team programs and training will allow the next generation of Basketball players to be better prepared to compete in the 2022-2023 European tournaments. Moreover, the first ever SADA Cup tournament will be launched in Yerevan featuring teams from 4 countries. The event will take place in Karen Demirchyan’s Sports and Concerts Complex on June 23 – 26. 

“We welcome SADA as the marquee sponsor of the Armenia national basketball and youth teams. This important cooperation will ensure financial stability contributing to the development of basketball in Armenia. The sponsorship covers the 2022 tournaments and youth training programs. We hope this is the beginning of a great collaboration that will turn into a long-lasting relationship,” said Hrachya Rostomyan, President of the BFA. “We are grateful to the leadership of SADA for the great support and we look forward to a successful cooperation.”

“SADA is connected to Armenia with its roots, and by opening an office in Yerevan a year ago,
we reaffirm our love for our homeland and express our conviction that Armenia is competitive
in the global tech industry. In cooperation with the Basketball Federation of Armenia, we
want to contribute to Armenia’s success in sports globally, provide the next generation
opportunities for careers in sports, and promote a healthy lifestyle among young people. I am
confident that the Armenian national basketball teams will make their fans proud and deliver
strong competition under a new head coach Rex Kamalian with coaching experience in the
NBA,” said Tony Safoian, CEO of SADA.

SADA, the marquee sponsor of the Armenian national basketball and youth teams, has been named Google Cloud Partner of the Year for 4-years running, as well as ranking on the Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies for 15 straight years, and the 2022 Inc. list of America’s Top 50 Workplaces.

Official launch of Digital Julfa Network to be announced during Orion Summit 2022

Kanayan Tamar

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 13:43,

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS. The official launch of the Digital Julfa Network – an initiative bringing together the pan-Armenian intellectual, technological, commercial and cultural potential, will be announced during the Orion Summit 2022.

Mark Chenian, member of the Board of the Armenian Society of Fellows, leading specialist in investment banks and financial consulting, is the keynote speaker of the Summit, who will deliver speech also at the Summit’s final panel discussion titled “Standing up Digital Julfa Network of the 21st Century”.

With over 50 years of experience in the field of investment banks, Mark Chenian specializes in management of assets.

The panel discussion will be attended by Orion Worldwide Innovations founding director, BAJ Accelerator co-founding partner Emma Arakelyan, Director of Matenadaran Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan, BAJ Accelerator co-founding partner, Dr. Armen Kherlopian, and founder of Souren A. Israelyan Law Office Souren A. Israelyan.

Orion Summit 2022 will take place on June 22 in Yerevan’s Matenadaran.

Around 4 billion 875 million AMD grants provided by EU last year – Armenian Finance Minister

Kanayan Tamar

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 16:20, 6 June 2022

YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. The European Union provided grants worth 4 billion 875.4 million drams last year, Armenian Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said at the joint session of parliamentary standing committees dedicated to the debate of the 2021 state budget performance report.

“The grants received from the European Union in 2021 comprised 4 billion 875.4 million drams, which comprised 39.4% in the total official grants received during the year. The total sum of official grants comprised 12 billion 380 billion drams”, the minister said.

The state budget deficit of 2021 amounted to 320 billion drams, of which 88 billion 227 million drams were the loans and borrowings, which were attached to the expenditure directions defined by the state budget, in other words, the targeted loans. “19 billion 403 million drams or 22% among these targeted loans were received from the EU”, the minister said.

A total of 17 billion 684.8 million drams were spent at the expense of loans and grants provided by the EU.

Putin holds phone conversation with Armenia’s Pashinyan

Kanayan Tamar
CGTN, China
June 1 2022
Putin holds phone conversation with Armenia’s Pashinyan
CGTN

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday, discussing trilateral agreements on Karabakh, the Kremlin press service said.

Putin and Pashinyan also spoke of the close cooperation between Russia and Armenia in accordance with the principles of strategic partnership and alliance.

Air temperature to rise in Armenia by 2-4 degrees

Kanayan Tamar

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 14:05, 4 June 2022

YEREVAN, JUNE 4, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations reports that on June 4-9 after the daytime rain with thunderstorm is expected across Armenia.

Air temperature will gradually rise by 2-4 degrees on June 4-5.

No precipitation is expected on June 5-8.

Brussels statement confirms no ‘corridor’ discussions were held, says Armenian security chief

Kanayan Tamar
Panorama
Armenia – June 2 2022

The latest statement issued by the spokesman of European Council President Charles Michel confirms that no discussions on providing a “corridor” to Azerbaijan were held at the Brussels meeting between the Armenian and Azeri leaders on May 22, Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan said on Thursday.

“There was a clarification from Brussels that no issue within the logic of a corridor was discussed,” he told a press briefing in the parliament, accusing the Azerbaijani authorities of making statements that are inconsistent with the content of the negotiations.

Speaking about Artsakh, the security chief highlighted that the rights and security of Artsakh Armenians should determine its status.

“We continues to attach importance to the rights and security of Armenians living in Artsakh. We are confident that it is rights and security that will determine the status. We will continue to work on it and will definitely achieve results,” Grigoryan said.

Tolerance is a nice word

Kanayan Tamar
June 2, 2022 Harut Akopyan Opinion 0

(Photo: Alek Surenian)

There is a presupposed idea that tolerance, or at the very least, a laissez-faire “live and let live” mantra lives in tandem with American culture. Although culture can be used as a multifaceted term, I’m generally speaking about a dominant culture in juxtaposition with a “minority culture.” Some may accuse me of being contentious, but this is merely an observation from an Armenian American who has lived most of his life in a huge urban hub where many different people coexist. 

As an immigrant growing up in the US, you become hyper aware of the differences between American culture and the one from your small community and home, be it racial, ethnic or otherwise. As a child trying to blend in, you work on taming the little idiosyncrasies of your “other” culture for fear of not fitting in or offending anyone. You think that overt displays of ethnic pride are cheap acts of panhandling a need to be seen. The consequence of this realization is that you either assimilate completely and all but denounce ethnic pride or quietly celebrate it so as to not be seen “too much.” There are also some who choose the complete opposite and refuse to adopt anything from the dominant culture as a “Hail Mary” approach at not losing something deemed sacred to so many.

American culture, and by extension, most American people, tend to look down on ethnic pride (I’m aware this is a generalization and may be a controversial statement to some). We know from this country’s history that a culmination of a collective “melting pot” of immigrants, including their customs and beliefs, has morphed into an assimilated and repackaged version of what is modern American culture today. However, the United States is a very large and diverse place. While it may bring some universal things to mind when we talk of “American culture,” it may mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. 

To be clear, I am not making some moral distinction between cultures. It is and has been a natural process that a dominant culture eventually soaks in or alters the less dominant one into its whole. But the word “tolerance,” as I see it being used today, implies an almost libertarian-like “hands off” approach. It suggests a hashing out of differences that isn’t confrontational (in a good way, I suppose). The problem, as I see it, is that it purports to value equality of differences without having to do the work to weed out, or appreciate at best, what those differences really are. It is an antithesis of friendship and brotherhood in the truest sense. I don’t mean blind allegiance. Rather, an equal give and take and more importantly, an honest mutual interest of each other’s cultures. I am fully aware that this goes both ways, and in that regard, I’m speaking to both cultures (dominant and let’s call it recessive, ethnic or immigrant, if you will). Personally, I’d rather see a modicum of interest rather than the overly-politicized and emphasized word which lacks depth and is actually a cover for any serious discussion.

Ethnic pride is something I’ve only recently appreciated in its fullest sense; specifically when it is the only thing keeping a people united, sane, and literally alive while an existential threat looms over their brethren back home. 

A reinforcement of the need to be seen and our friends to hear our story versus the indifference of the dominant force which negates this need is experienced by many Armenian-Americans today. It is something you learn to live with and repress; sort of like being in a relationship when one partner loves the other much more and cohabitation has already settled in. until solidarity is called for. When war broke out in Artsakh, many of us were expecting or at the very least hoping for solidarity from our friends. We were simultaneously shocked and disillusioned at the complete lack of a simple, “Hey what’s going on?” That being said, those few and far between who were watching and listening did not go unnoticed because their eyes and ears felt more than all the tolerance in the world.

It’s ironic that ethnic pride may seem tribal or backwards to the very same people who preach tolerance. They would say that ethnic pride suffers from bad optics and could potentially be exclusive of others. And that’s fine. I know culture has never been a static thing, and I actually agree with them in many ways. I’m just saying I much prefer an honest friendship over the faux tolerance that resembles (in spirit at least) the modern-day corporate advertisement that is at the forefront of every social progress movement.  

I rest my frustrations surrounding this topic here, but I suspect there are many quietly experiencing what I’ve described. I know this may seem a bit harsh but I don’t think I’m asking for too much if I’m calling for an honest approach in solidarity. If we are really honest, we may have to confront the fact that if those within the dominant culture who deem themselves tolerant were to come upon this writing in happenstance; it would surprise us if we were to learn they read past the words “ethnic pride.”

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Harut Akopyan was born in Yerevan and now lives in Los Angeles, California. In college, he studied filmmaking and screenwriting. Having played the game from a young age, Akopyan is also an accomplished chess player.


EU ambassador visits Syunik Province

Kanayan Tamar

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 14:20, 25 May 2022

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. As part of Europe Day, the EU Head of Delegation in Armenia Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin visited the Goris Medical Center in Syunik on May 25.

Ambassador Wiktorin donated a modern x-ray machine to the hospital as part of a larger EU assistance to Armenia’s COVID-19 response.

As part of the EU’s Solidarity for Health Initiative, the Goris Medical Center was equipped with 1 ECG device and 3 oxygen concentrators, which helped hundreds of patients recover from COVID-19 related diseases.

Ambassadors of EU-member states joined the event. The ambassadors also visited a vaccination site in Goris where they met senior citizens who received medical consultation and were vaccinated as part of the EU-funded Vaccination is Care campaign.

DeGroot Goes After Selen’s Turkish Donors

Kanayan Tamar
New Jersey – May 26 2022
By Fred Snowflack

Tayfun Selen likes talking about coming to America from Turkey, getting a job pumping gas, going to college and now – running for Congress. He talked about being the only Turkish-born mayor in the United States when he held office in Chatham Township.

Now the history of his native land is being drawn into the CD-11 GOP primary in probably the most emotional way possible

Paul DeGroot, one of his opponents, has sent out two fliers that say Selen’s campaign is partly funded by groups that deny the Armenian Genocide. A recent mailer from DeGroot references a PAC associated with the Turkish Coalition of America, which donated $2,500 to Selen’s campaign last September.

At issue is the deportation and killing of Armenians living in what was then the Ottoman Empire during World War I. President Joe Biden officially recognized the genocide as such last year.

Nonetheless, on its website, the Turkish Coalition of America says the following:

“The Armenian Diaspora claim of genocide is a one-sided assessment of the inter-communal war between Ottoman Armenians and Ottoman Muslims in 1915, and it prejudices Turkish and Armenian rapprochement.”

Getting back to CD-11, Selen called DeGroot’s mailers a “distraction” from the issues important to the residents of the 11th District, which includes parts of Morris, Passaic and Essex counties.

He said he doesn’t want to focus on the past, adding, “I am focused on the future of America.”

As for the troubled relationship between Turkey and the Armenian people, Selen said things are different in the United States.

He spoke of having friends and supporters who are Armenians.

“We’re all Americans in America,” he said.

Selen, who now serves as director of the Morris County Board of Commissioners, would appear to be the favorite to win the primary and take on Democrat Mikie Sherrill. He has the endorsement of both the Morris and Essex county Republican organizations. DeGroot has the Passaic endorsement.

Another candidate, Toby Anderson, is campaigning throughout the districts. Anderson, who just missed making the runoff for the Morris nod, is visiting diners to meet voters.

DeGroot said today that the issue is not only the deportation and killing of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire, but the Turkish government.

He noted that Turkey has had strong ties with Russia and Syria; interests often adverse to those of the United States. DeGroot added that Turkey has misgivings about admitting Sweden and Finland into NATO. The U.S supports their entry.

DeGroot’s larger point here is that any entanglement with a foreign country is not good for a would-be member of Congress to have.

Selen insists that the charge is without merit, adding that this is the type of stuff that inevitably helps Democrats.

Just for good measure – if that’s the right term – DeGroot’s mailer portrays Selen as some sort of 1950’s-era hoodlum – complete with fedora and pin-striped suit.