Author: Kanayan Tamar

Diaspora Ministry Introduces ‘Neruzh’ Program

Kanayan Tamar
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10 hours ago

The Neruzh program provides opportunities for startups in Armenia

A program that was often mentioned during Armenia’s Diaspora Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan’s visit to Los Angeles was officially introduced by the ministry on Tuesday.

Below is the official announcement:

“Neruzh” is initiated and organized by the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia in close cooperation with the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) and with the support of the Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) foundation, the United World Colleges (UWC) Dilijan, the Impact Hub Yerevan, and the Russian-Armenian University.

What is “Neruzh”?

It is a Diaspora Youth Startup Program for young entrepreneurs of Armenian descent who wish to bring their startup ideas and projects to Armenia.

To apply:

  • You should be an Armenian living abroad or an Armenian from the Diaspora residing in Armenia for a period of 6 months maximum before submitting your application.
  • At least one (co)founder should be of Armenian descent.
  • You should be 18-35 years old.
  • You should be ready to reside and build your startup in Armenia or Artsakh.
  • Your startup field should fit into one or more of the following target sectors and their subsectors:
  • Agriculture
  • Tourism
  • Innovative Technologies

What happens next?

  • The screening committee will choose up to 100 best applications according to the eligibility requirements and selection criteria listed on the programme website.
  • The participants will be introduced to Armenia and its business environment.
  • 2 members from each selected startup/team will be invited to participate in the startup programme which will take place from 16th to the 21st of December 2018 at the UWC, Dilijan.
  • At the end of the startup program a pitching event will be held, where up to 10 best teams will receive Innovation Grants and Ecosystem Awards once they settle in Armenia or Artsakh.

 

Innovation Grants and Ecosystem Awards include the following:

  • Each winning team will receive a grant of up to 15 million drams after settling in Armenia or Artsakh.
  • At the same time Innovation Grants winners will receive the Ecosystem Awards that cover:
  • Free legal and taxation consulting.
  • Membership in FAST Startup Studio for 4 months with full coaching program and co-working space.
  • 8 month Fellowship program at Impact Hub Yerevan including incubation, mentorship and access to a professional workspace.
  • Mentorship and coaching by field experts.
  • Support of partner organizations.

Why Armenia?

  • Opportunity to come live in the homeland
  • Unique opportunities for Diaspora Armenians to do business in Armenia
  • Possibility to receive strong support from the Government of Armenia
  • Assistance in relocation and settlement in Armenia
  • Capacity to create employment opportunities in Armenia
  • Support Armenia to enhance its startup ecosystem

If you have a startup and are a Diaspora Armenian, do nоt to miss this opportunity, apply to the “Neruzh” prorgam before September 13, 2018.

Book: Biography sheds light on Talaat Pasha, the father of modern Turkey

Kanayan Tamar
Arab News
August 7, 2018 Tuesday
Biography sheds light on Talaat Pasha, the father of modern Turkey
 
by Lisa Kaaki
 
BEIRUT: Hans-Lukas Kieser’s interest in Turkey began in the 1980s when he studied history in Zurich. On Sept. 12, 1980, Turkey experienced its third coup, but “nobody could explain to me the whole background,” Kieser said. At the end of the 1980s, he finally decided to specialize in the history of the Near East. Sensing a lack of intellectual material, Kieser started to write the books he had always wanted to read.
 
 
Despite his preference for what he refers to as the periphery, ie regional minorities such as the Kurds, Alevis and Armenians, he believed he had a duty to explore the center.
 
He has published many books, including “World War I and the End of the Ottomans: From the Balkan Wars to the American Genocide.” However, this brilliant portrait of Talaat Pasha is in a league of its own.
 
For a start, it is the first biography available in English about this Ottoman politician largely unheard of outside Turkey.
 
Also known as the Turkish Bismarck, Talaat Pasha (1874-1921) was the last powerful leader of the Ottoman Empire. As the eminence grise behind the Armenian genocide, he viewed the Armenians who pursued their dream of freedom as “a perpetual element of subversion for the Sublime State,” and thus they lost their right to exist.
 
This detailed, well-researched account of his life re-establishes Talaat Pasha as a key figure during the first decades of the 20th century. A self-made man who came from a lower middle-class family in Edirne, Talaat Pasha not only became the first figure of the Ottoman Empire but is also the father of modern Turkey.
 
In this groundbreaking biography, Kieser acknowledges that “Kemal Ataturk largely endorsed Talaat as his predecessor” and reiterates that “the Republic of Turkey was largely founded on Talaat’s groundwork and Gokalp’s ideas.”
 
Writing from the perspective of Istanbul, the author has taken a novel approach to the last Ottoman decade, thus placing this historic period and its actors “more firmly in the center, instead of the periphery, of a history of larger Europe.”

116 employees of Nairit receive their unpaid salaries

Kanayan Tamar
  • 14:30 | August 7,2018 | Official
  • Armenian:

Armenian First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan wrote on his Facebook page:
“I am glad to inform you that the salaries of 116 employees of Nairit plant, that were not paid since  January 1, 2018, are being paid.

At the moment, 5 months’ salary – about 55 million drams has been already paid. At the same time, the interest payable shall also be calculated.

I thank these employees for raising this problem, as well as the Ministers of Emergency and Finance for their efforts to solve the problem.

Armenia’s way of treating Russia may prove ‘fatal’

Kanayan Tamar
Regnum news agency, Russia
July 28 2018
 
Armenia’s way of treating Russia may prove ‘fatal’
 
Fighting reconnaissance in Armenian-Russian relations. The tactic of Fighting reconnaissance is used in cases, when other opportunities of assessing a situation are limited
[Armenian News note: the below is translated from Russian]
 
The story of a charge lodged against the secretary general of the [Russian-led] CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organisation], Yury Khachaturov, is worth considering within the chain of events initiated by new Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his search for red lines within the frames of Armenian-Russian relations.
 
From all appearances, the charge under a criminal case and a pre-trial restriction in the shape of a bail for the head of the international military and political block, the CSTO, and the proposal made through the media (!) to “replace the CSTO head” without at least informal preliminary coordination of the issue with partners in the block are beyond the boundaries of official, formal, partnership, allied, block, and other relations between Armenia and Russia.
 
In addition to a couple of phrases from a press release regarding a telephone conversation between the heads of the two countries’ foreign ministries, Moscow responded indirectly too, also through the media, dubbing such an approach to things as “non-professional”. At the same time, there was a report on an appropriate procedure for the “termination of powers” of Khachaturov, not his “replacement”.
 
It is also noteworthy that in this connection, Pashinyan decided to call [Belarusian President] Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the head of a partner country in the block, which Yerevan is assailing with letters concerning the sales of multiple launch rocket systems to Azerbaijan. It is possible that the press services of the heads of the two countries did not become preoccupied with a telephone conversation with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and they did talk. However, given the tonality of the indirect response from the Russian Foreign Ministry, it is more likely that there was no such conversation.
 
In general, a firm opinion is taking shape that in foreign relations, Nikol Pashinyan is guided by the straightforwardness of the well-known [Russian film] character, Zhiglov: “A thief must be in prison”. You can by no means find fault with this position. However, sending a thief to prison in the modern situation in international relations and cooperation, it is necessary to take into account also a whole complex of conditions and objectives resulting from the spirit and interests of these relations.
 
Pashinyan’s methods of struggling against corruption and the former regime and for environmental protection, human rights, and other things are identical in their rudeness with his actions in the international arena. And it is not only the CSTO and the EEU [Eurasian Economic Union] that are at issue. He demonstrated his simplified approaches to relations with the EU on the sidelines of the recent Nato summit. However, if there is no one to put him in his place within his country even in his closest entourage in the government, it is possible to find such people in the international arena.
 
In his live appearances in social networks, interviews, and speeches, Pashinyan has stressed on a lot of occasions the need to build equal partnership relations within the frames of the CSTO and in cooperation with Russia, which, as he says, is a centuries-old brother of Armenia. This is quite understandable and acceptable. Enjoying formal and real legitimacy among citizens, Pashinyan can indeed raise the benchmark (as compared to the previous government) to a higher and more efficient level as regards the protection of the interests of a small republic when building relations within the frames of the EEU and in cooperation with the EU, the United States, and Iran.
 
Raising this benchmark within the frames of the EEU and with Moscow in particular, he chose the tactic of fighting reconnaissance. This includes the prime minister’s tough reaction to the incident involving the drills of the 102nd Russian base despite all the apologies on the part of Russia as well as his statement on the role of a military arbiter for Moscow in the Karabakh conflict and the concealment of information on Yerevan’s possible participation in the Nato drills in Georgia together with Baku and Ankara.
 
The story involving Khachaturov or, to be more exact, the way things were done, should also be considered in this context. However, in all appearances, the Armenian government has already reached the line, where it would be good to slow the pace down and start considering external relations from the position of more elaborate complex methods for international relations. The tactic of fighting reconnaissance is used when there are no other opportunities of assessing the situation or when they are considerably limited. It can often prove to be fatal too.

168: Soldier killed by co-servicemen in Azerbaijan

Kanayan Tamar
| 14:27 | July 28 2018
Category
Region

Soldier of the Azerbaijani army Arif Mamedov, born in 1999, has been killed by co-servicemen on July 26, meydan.tv reports.

He was killed on the Azerbaijani border as a result of a skirmish in the frontline.

The Azerbaijani defense ministry said the soldier was killed in non-combat conditions.

LIVE. Arsenal – Atletico, Henrikh Mkhitaryan to not play in game

Kanayan Tamar
  • 16:01 | July 26,2018 | Sports
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

London’s Arsenal club, where Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan plays, will play its first match today at the Singapore international tournament with Madrid’s Athletico club.

Unfortunately, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has not been included in the top 11 Arsenal players for this game.

Arsenal – Atletico match will start at 15:30, Yerevan time. Football fans can watch the game on our website, too.

Time Magazine Names Pashinyan ‘Crusader’ for Democracy

Kanayan Tamar
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Nikol Pashinyan addresses protesters during Armenia’s Velvet Revolution this spring

Time Magazine on Thursday listed Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as one of its four “Crusaders Who Are Keeping the Dream of Democracy Alive.”

“Around the world today, one in three people lives under an authoritarian regime, while many others are experiencing a decline in their democratic freedoms. But the slide towards autocracy has pushed millions to stand up and demand a say in how their lives are governed,” said Time in its introduction.

The magazine spoke to Pashinyan, as well as Togo opposition leader, blogger Farida Nabourema; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ouided Bouchamaoui; and leader of Nicaragua’s protest movement, Enrieth Martínez, who round out the list.

Read the Time profile of the “4 Crusaders Who Are Keeping the Dream of Democracy Alive.”

We hope the sides will have chance to discuss wide range of issues on NK conflict settlement – Russian MFA spox

Kanayan Tamar
| 09:09 | July 13 2018
Categories
Artsakh
Region
World

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the issue of expanding the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and its impact on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

Maria Zakharova said as a result of the summits directed for the settlement of the NK conflict, in particular, the Vienna and St. Petersburg 2016 summits, the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents discussed issues aimed at stabilization of the situation in the line of contact and creation of an atmosphere contributing to the peace process.

“For that purpose they agreed, in particular, to increase the number of international observers in the line of contact. This topic has been discussed during the next meetings of the sides, including at the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Krakow in early 2018, as a result of which they have reached a principled imagination on the number, deployment of additional observers and other issues relating to it”, she said.

However, Zakharova stated that there is no final decision yet on this matter.

“The first meetings of the ministers will take place soon, thereafter, we hope that meetings will be held during which the sides will be able to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the NK conflict settlement, including the topic of observers”, Maria Zakharova said.

Sports: EuroBasket: Austria, Armenia Await Great Britain

Kanayan Tamar
MVP
July 5 2018
  • By MVP Staff   
  • Updated: July 3, 2018

Great Britain’s men will need to get past Austria and Armenia to reach the qualifiers for EuroBasket 2021.

Exiting the World Cup in the first qualifying phase means GB drop into Group D the pre-qualifying phase for the Euros.

The teams have been divided into four groups of three teams, and will face every other team in their group in both home and away fixtures. The games will take place in the same windows as the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, in September 2018, November 2018 and February 2019.

GB schedule:
16 September 2018 v Armenia (A)
29 November 2018 v Austria (H)
21 Februrary 2019 v Armenia (H)
24 February 2019 v Austria (A)

The winning team of each of the four groups will then move directly into the FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Qualifiers which start in autumn 2019. The losing teams meanwhile, will enter the Third Round of the Pre-Qualifiers in August 2019, where they will be joined by the five teams that were knocked out in the First Round of the Pre-Qualifiers, as they seek a second chance to make the Qualifiers.

Meanwhile Alan Keane and James Vear will remain as head coaches of the Great Britain Under-18 and Under-16 men’s teams.

Keane returns after leading the side into Europe’s Division A last summer. This year’s European Championships in Latvia from July 28-August 5 with drawn against Lithuania, Montenegro and Serbia in the opening round.

Vear was in charge with GB’s Under-16s came fourth in Division B’s European Championships in 2017. This year’s event, to be held in Sarajevo from August 9-18, puts his side in a group with Sweden, Portugal, Luxembourg, Romania and Ireland.