Author: Khoyetsian Rose

Chess: Third round at Aeroflot Open 2019 victorious for Armenian players

Khoyetsian Rose
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 23 2019
15:22 23/02/2019

Round 3 of the Aeroflot Open chess tournament was held in Moscow with four Armenian players out of five competing in A tournament winning their games. Armenian players Hayk Martirosyan, Tigran Petrosyan, Manuel Petrosyan, Shant Sargsyan claimed victories against Chinese players, Aram Hakobyan played draw.

Krishnan Sasikiran and Maksim Chigaev won their third games in a row and now share the lead at the Aeroflot Open. Eight players are in close pursuit a half point behind, with Armenian grandmaster Hayk Martirosyan in the pack. Tigran Petrosyan and Manuel Petrosyan have scored 2 points, Shant Sargsyan 1.5 and

The Aeroflot Open in Moscow is one of the strongest open tournaments of the world. In the A-Group 101 players take part, and almost all of them are International Masters or Grandmasters. 76 participants have a rating of 2500+. 

Music: Mezzo TV airs film about Armenian conductor Sergey Smbatyan

Khoyetsian Rose
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 19 2019
Culture 13:28 19/02/2019 Armenia

Mezzo, a classical music TV channel, has aired a short documentary film about artistic director and principal conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, Sergey Smbatyan.

The 25-minute film directed by Benjamin Bleton, presents the portrait of the Armenian composer, tracking his career path from his first concert at the age of 18 to his work with the Armenian symphony orchestra and his performances with numerous famous orchestras worldwide.

The film tells about the incredible courage of an 18-year-old student of the Yerevan State Conservatory, who creates the orchestra he is heading today, the State Symphony Orchestra told Panorama.am.

“We wanted to do something special that would keep us together also after graduating the Conservatory,” Smbatyan is quoted as saying in the film.

Mezzo also introduces Armenian music art and the performance skills of Armenian musicians to viewers.

The film was shot in Germany in 2018, when Sergey Smbatyan was performing with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

The video has been recently broadcast on Mezzo TV, with next broadcasts scheduled for February 20, 25, March 6 and 18.    

Prosperous Armenia faction at parliament: Not numbers but people’s trust is important

Khoyetsian Rose
News.am, Armenia
Feb 14 2019
Prosperous Armenia faction at parliament: Not numbers but people’s trust is important Prosperous Armenia faction at parliament: Not numbers but people’s trust is important

16:01, 14.02.2019
                 

YEREVAN. – Not the numbers, but the people’s trust is important from the viewpoint of implementation of the government program for the next five years.

Arman Abovyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party faction at the National Assembly, on Thursday said the aforementioned during the parliamentary debates on the proposed five-year program of the government.

In his view, the issue is much deeper.

“The level of the citizens’ trust in the National Assembly is very high,” Abovyan noted, “and we have no right not to justify it.”

The MP stated, however, that the proposed government program is not specific, and therefore people are asking how these fine objectives will come true.

“When we note the financial sources, timeframes, [and] mechanisms, we put but one objective: strengthening the people’s trust,” the lawmaker concluded.

Armenian, Iranian FMs discuss bilateral cooperation issues, refer to Karabakh conflict settlement

Khoyetsian Rose
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 16 2019

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met in Munich with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The interlocutors referred to the wide-range of issues on Armenian-Iranian relations, outlining trade-economic, energy, transport and tourism sectors.

The parties stressed the readiness to undertake steps toward further development of bilateral relations.

The two ministers attached significance to the necessity of regular contacts and meetings, highlighting the upcoming visit of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Iran which they described as a good opportunity to refer to bilateral agenda and outline key cooperation sectors.

During the meeting the ministers referred to a number of regional and international issues.

Minister Mnatsakanyan briefed to his Iranian counterpart on the Armenia’s approaches over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Analyst: Turkish policy towards Armenia remains unchanged

Khoyetsian Rose
News.am, Armenia
Feb 16 2019
Analyst: Turkish policy towards Armenia remains unchanged Analyst: Turkish policy towards Armenia remains unchanged

14:46, 16.02.2019
                  

The Turkish side expressed no desire to establish relations with Armenia, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Ruben Safrastyan has told Armenian News- NEWS.am.

According to him, no political figure has so far shown a desire to settle relations with Armenia.

“As for the Armenian-Turkish protocols, this is a long-non-existent document. It is difficult to predict whether something will change or not by establishing Armenian-Turkish relations, given that Ankara puts pressure on Yerevan,” he said.

Ruben Safrastyan highlighted that Turkey still adheres to the approach based on setting preconditions and demanding concessions from Yerevan.

“Armenia, of course, will not make any concessions,” the expert said.

Iran ready to import 50,000 sheep from Armenia a month

Khoyetsian Rose
ARKA, Armenia
Feb 15 2019

YEREVAN, February 15. /ARKA/. Armenia has a huge potential for the export of sheep, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government meeting on Friday. According to him, the government has been discussing this issue with the private sector since last year.

“There is a huge demand for Armenian lamb and mutton outside the country, but our sheep breeders are unable to  meet it and have to import mutton from third countries in order to re-export it,” said Pashinyan.

According to Aram Gharibyan, an advisor to Prime Minister, Iran is ready to import 50,000 sheep a month from Armenia and pay 2,800-2,900 drams per kilogram of lamb meat.

He said there are about 700,000 sheep in Armenia, which implies 500 thousand potential lambs. ‘Considering the expansion of production by some farmers, I think it will be possible to ensure domestic production for several years,” said Gharibyan.

He said increased lending to sheep breeders at profitable terms will encourage farmers to breed more sheep.–0–

In the Singapore government program, there was only one number. Member of “My Step” faction (video)

Khoyetsian Rose
  • 14:35 | February 14,2019 | Politics
  • Armenian:

Member of the “My Step” faction, Hovhannes Igityan, is skeptical of the formulations that there are few numbers in the government’s program.

“All of you are talking in different ways about creating an anti-corruption body. The first part of the Singapore program sounded like this: Absolute freedom of action of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, unlimited powers. Secondly, excluding any unauthorized persons in the struggle against corruption. At that time, even cases were brought to Lee Kuan Yew’s wife and son, I do not even say against friends and classmates. Third, a new  system of public servants remuneration, in the amount of 2/3 of the remuneration of an adequate specialist in the private sector.

A person working in our state system must be a competitor of his salary with those specialists who work in the private sector. It is not only a guarantee of a dignified life, but also a guarantee that we will have highly paid professionals in the public sector. Fourth, a severe penalty for breach of law, for any violation, from public order to criminal offense. And the fifth is the creation of entrepreneurship and the simplicity of the tax system. There was only one number, if you noticed that it was 2/3, “Mr. Igityan underscores.

Araik Harutyunyan’s harsh reaction to Samvel Babayan

Khoyetsian Rose
  • 06.02.2019

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Former Prime Minister of Artsakh, potential candidate for Artsakh president in 2020 Araik Harutyunyan responded to Samvel Babayan’s statement yesterday, in which the latter not only announced his participation in the presidential elections, but also said that former RA President Serzh Sargsyan negotiated concessions with the Artsakh authorities.


“Samvel Babayan announced yesterday in an interview to Azatutyun radio station that in 2017, the third president of RA, Serzh Sargsyan, negotiated concessions with Artsakh authorities. I would like to inform Mr. Babayan and our public that President Sargsyan has always been open to the negotiation process with Artsakh authorities during his administration, and all issues were discussed in conditions of mutual respect and dialogue.


Next: the mentioned famous meeting or more precisely the meetings did not take place in 2017, but in April and July 2016, where we came to a common declaration, that is, there can be no step back from the current actual status of Artsakh in the negotiation agenda, and the safety of the people of Artsakh must be absolutely guaranteed in the final settlement of the conflict.


P.S. The land-giving authority does not initiate the construction of the Vardenis-Martakert highway, does not implement a repatriation program, does not engage in the policy of proportional territorial development at the expense of investments and state funds, and ultimately does not strengthen the front line and the army.


Therefore, I urge you to refrain from such speculations. Instead, each of us should take concrete steps in the direction of the long-term protection and development of the motherland to the extent of our capabilities,” wrote Harutyunyan.

Tehran: Armenian PM to visit Iran late February

Khoyetsian Rose
Tehran Times, Iran
Feb 1 2019
February 1, 2019

TEHRAN – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will pay an official visit to Iran in February, Armenpress has reported.

“On February 27 I am leaving for Iran on an official visit,” Pashinyan said at a meeting with the Armenian community in Cologne, Germany, on the sidelines of his official visit to the European country.

Iran and Armenia enjoy good relations. President Hassan Rouhani met the Armenian prime minister on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018.

MH/PA