Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire Thursday 5:34 PM MSK Baku to blacklist publicist Eskin for visit to Karabakh - source BAKU. June 29 Russian-Israeli publicist and public activist Avigdor Eskin will be blacklisted by the Azeri Foreign Ministry for an unauthorized visit to the 'occupied territories,' as Baku calls the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. "Avigdor Eskin will not be an exception. He will be blacklisted by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry," a diplomatic source told Interfax. Every person who visits Nagorno-Karabakh without permission from official Baku, regardless of his post and status, becomes persona non grata in Azerbaijan, the source said. Eskin visited Nagorno-Karabakh on June 28. He said he was present there "for one and a half days." Eskin had several meetings during his illegal stay on the 'occupied territories.' av ng aa
Author: Lara Chatinian
Armenian diaspora turns world into global village
The Times of India
| Updated: Jun 18, 2017, 09.34 AM IST
YEREVAN: As the melancholic notes of duduk — a pipe instrument integral to Armenian music — caress the air in Vernissage, the country's biggest flea market, a woman in her late 60s waves an exquisite wall hanging made of jute and ceramic, exhorting customers: "Five hundred Armenian drams only!"
The French word vernissage means a private showing or preview of an art exhibition. The lines of desperation on the woman's face — 500 Armenian Drams for that converts to a measly amount of Rs 70 — hint at the ravages of history, of what went wrong with the country that's the cradle of a rich ancient civilisation. It produces the most exquisite brandy, wines and carpets and is believed to be the resting place of Noah's Ark.
The mountainous country in the south Caucasian region has seen fierce invasions by Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Turks and Russians, forcing local populations to flee with every wave of attack; Armenia's national symbol Mount Ararat, believed to be the resting place of Noah's Ark, became Turkey's territory in the 1920s; earthquakes in 1988 devastated the nation: 25,000 killed, thousands rendered homeless. Yet the most painful chapter remains the genocide by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 that killed 1.5 million Armenians. The violence tears up every Armenian, both resident and the diaspora.
Yet it's not the tragedies but the remarkable grit of Armenians to give back to their motherland and restore its ancient glory that is stunning. "We can never forget the genocide but we have to move on, snap out of the 'victim' mode. Showcase the beauties of Armenia, its rich civilisation and ancient history," says Armenuhi Magarditchian, a PhD scholar of classical archaeology at the University of Geneva. A Swiss national, Armenuhi is in her country of origin to study rock inscription in Greek in the ancient pagan temple of Garni, a symbol of Hellenistic culture built over two centuries before Armenia became the world's first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD.
Named after her country, like many others, Aremenuhi's family tree exemplifies the massive global village that Armenians have turned the world into. Born in Switzerland, her father is in Bulgaria, mother in Lebanon and maternal grandparents in Egypt where her maternal great grandparents had fled to escape the 1915 genocide. On her father's side, the family moved out of Armenian city Ani when it was attacked by the Seljuk Turks in circa 1064. Canada, Brazil, Romania and Cyprus are other places where her family moved out.
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When Armenians fled in 1915, made foreign countries their home, what they carried with them were the duduk's melancholic notes that to the day make even young Armenians cry. Yet the nation's biggest tragedy has also united unite the diaspora, estimated at three to four times Armenia's population of three million.
A sense of gratitude to their saviours bonds Armenians. The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, instituted in 2015 by the survivors of the genocide to thank their saviours, is an example of this sentiment. The award is given to those engaged in humanitarian service- from missionary doctors in war-torn Sudan to those teaching girls despite opposition by the Taliban and mullahs in Afghanistan.
"We cannot forget how the world's people helped our forefathers. 'Gratitude in action' is our motto," says Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of the Aurora humanitarian initiative. Ruben's grandfather's family was wiped out; his grandfather alone was saved by a man from Turkey taken in by an orphanage and grew up to become an eminent professor.
Today, youth are forced to leave — pushed out by the high unemployment rate and low salaries. "Education in Armenia is still steeped in the Soviet system that was theoretically excellent, but does not meet the requirements of modern times," says Zara Zeitountsian, head of Armenia's state tourism committee.
But it is no wonder that the diaspora has such nostalgia for Armenia with its picture-perfect landscapes and warm-hearted people — with flawlessly crafted features. The streets of capital Yerevan only reinforce the survey that adjudged Armenian ladies to be the world's most beautiful women. As the handsome 60-something gustily sells her colourful folk art, she leaves you with the thought that for all its tragedies, Armenia remains a land of hope and beauty.
(The writer was in Yerevan at the invitation of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative)
Film: International Women’s film festival open for women filmmakers
Associated Press of Pakistan
June 3, 2017 Saturday
ISLAMABAD, Jun 3 (APP): The International Women’s Film
Festival “KIN” (“woman” in Armenian), organized with support of the
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, will take place
November 14 to 18 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Women filmmakers from around the world can submit documentary,
short and animated films to this festival, said a press release.
The festival is looking for films that address issues related
to women’s rights and gender problems.
There are two award categories: best film and special prize.
Competitive films must have been produced after Jan. 1, 2015 and
include English subtitles.The deadline is July 1.
Sports: Henrikh: I’m ready for the biggest game of my life…
Manchester Evening News Tuesday Henrikh: I'm ready for the biggest game of my life... by ANTHONY JEPSON UNITED midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is in determined mood ahead of one of the 'most important games of his life'. The Armenian, 28, says defeat is not an option when the Reds take on Ajax in Sweden. "I can say that of course there is only one choice and that is to win, we are not going to the final to lose," he said. "We want to win and have to win, for us it is very important to win this trophy, and also the opportunity to play in the Champions League because Manchester United are not the team who has to play three years in a row in the Europa League. "It's going to be one of the most important games in my life. I don't want to lose this opportunity. "I am only thinking of winning that game, I know we are able to win, and I know it will be a big pleasure to win it. "If we are going to win the Europa League final it will be an amazing season for us, because have already won two trophies, and this one would be the third one." Mkhitaryan (left) says he has no fear ahead of the clash with the Dutch side. "I will not be nervous because I'm not a kid anymore," he said. "I know how to handle the pressure, how to get ready for that game, just play my game and be myself. "I watched some Ajax games, they are a young team, have very good football players and are very aggressive."
Yerkir Tsirani Party reacted on CEC decision
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia Monday Yerkir Tsirani Party reacted on CEC decision Yerevan May 22 Mariana Mkrtchyan. Yerkir tsirani Party reacted on Central Electoral Commission decision, which on May 21 rejected the complaint of the Party to recognize the Elders to Yerevan Council elections invalid. "It is not a secret to anyone that the Armenian Nation make ends meet on its historical fatherland because of the dictatorship of the Head of the Republican Party Serzh Sargsyan. The years of this dictatorship are a catastrophe for the people. The catastrophe is the mass corruption in all the layers of the society and the high treason. The two electoral processes held in 2017, the parliamentarian elections and the Yerevan Council elections demonstrated that from now on the electoral processes in Armenia are to be coordinated by the RPA by the systemized corruption. Nowadays, the problems and the threats created by the corruption destruct the yet not formed democratic institutions in Armenia, moral values and the justice. The most cynic evidence of the corruption is the trade of the own land of Artsakh by RPA and Serzh Sargsyan and the system of state security of Armenia", Yerkir Tsirani leader Zaruhi Postanjyan's statement reads. At the same time, it is emphasized in the statement that the law enforcement bodies of Armenia and CEC are the coverers of the electoral corruption. "The property of the Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan from RPA is the evidence of that corruption mechanism. During the elections to the Yerevan Council of Elders, staff members of Taron Margaryan's headquarters, together with police officers, organized mass electoral fraud. A quarter of a century the results of all elections were republicwide and referendums were falsified. In Armenia, legitimate power was not formed. Today, political apathy has formed in the Armenian society, and the dictatorial regime in the person of the RPA and Sargsyan show exceptional cynicism. Continuation of this situation can lead to civil unrest and riot. During the past week, we twice witnessed the manifestation of cynicism on the part of the RPA and Serzh Sargsyan, when an attempt was made to conceal massive falsifications during the elections to the Yerevan Council of Elders, and during Sargsyan's address to parties and blocs from the rostrum of the country's parliament, in which he announced forthcoming programs of the dictatorial regime". At the same time, "Yerkir Tsirani" emphasizes that during the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan, many violations and falsifications were recorded, in addition, police officers used violence against the party leader Zaruhi Postanjyan and her daughter Lilit Drumpyan, as a result of which they were hospitalized. The party notes that the law enforcement bodies of Armenia, instead of properly investigating the incident, distributed a statement in which they emphasized the legitimacy of the actions of the police. To note, on May 21, the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia rejected the application- complaint of the Yerkir Tsirani party to declare invalid the results of the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan. It is noteworthy that the authorized representative of the party Armen Gabrielyan did not attend the discussions. As the leader of the Party Zaruhi Postanjyan stated, Gabrielyan was not informed properly about the meeting because of that he could not attend, as he was at that time in Gyumri. In his turn, the CEC Chairman Tigran Mukuchyan assured that all were informed about the meeting properly. Mukuchyan said that the Yerkir party did not submit the complaint application, and therefore it will be rejected. According to the CEC, the application has no legal justifications. To recall, on May 14 elections were held in the capital's Council of Elders. According to the results of the elections, the Republican Party of Armenia received 71, 25% of the votes, the "Yelq" bloc - 21%, the "Yerkir Tsirani" party - 7.75%. The Republican Party of Armenia will receive 46 mandates, the bloc "Yelq" - 14, the party "Yerkir Tsirani" - 5.
Will Trump enter religious tug-of-war in trip to Holy Sepulchre?
Jerusalem Post
Will Trump enter religious tug-of-war in trip to Holy Sepulchre?
BySeth J. Frantzman
02:35
Christian worshippers in Israel surround the Edicule as they take part in a Sunday Easter mass procession in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalems Old City. (photo credit:REUTERS)
According to an insider in one of the churches planning the visit of US President Donald Trump to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Monday, potential religious complications were smoothed over at the last minute. Representatives of the Catholic, Armenian and Greek-Orthodox church will meet the president but questions remain about the route he will take and the inclusion of a scout troop and choirs. It may take on more importance and meaning after questions emerged over whether Trump will visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Trump is expected to visit the Sepulchre in the early afternoon after meeting with President Reuven Rivlin. It is not usual for sitting US presidents to visit the Holy Sepulchre. Bill Clinton did it in 2005 after he was out of office, but a source in one of the churches couldn’t recall any other visits in recent memory. It is more usual for them to visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Because Jerusalem is so fraught with political and religious tensions, they are warned off the visit by their local diplomats. “Normally if a president wants to go to the Sepulchre, they [diplomats] will tell him it is a bad idea,” said the church insider. Because of the uncertainty of protocol surrounding the visit the Greek Orthodox, according to the source, asked that scouts accompany the president sometime after he enters Jaffa gate. This may cause tensions with the Armenians who see any representation by the Greeks as an infringement of their rights. Because Trump is visiting the Vatican after Israel, the Catholics may be less concerned about needing face-time with the president. Security will be very tight for the visit, with parts of the Old City being closed down from the early morning Monday.
The visit has faced a struggle in planning due to its uncertainty and details were being worked out to the last minute. Often the churches have months, even the better part of a year, to plan a high profile visit, such as the one by Pope John Paul II. If all goes according to plan, according to the source, Trump will be accompanied by the Orthodox Arab scouts to the courtyard of the church will he will meet representatives of the church, likely to include Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian, Custos of the Holy Land Fr. Francesco Patton, and Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III. The church will be empty of worshipers and there are questions as to whether a carpet will be placed between the entrance and the Stone of Unction where worshipers traditionally kneel. Trump was quoted in Politico in 2011 as saying he was a Presbyterian. He will receive a tour of the Holy Sepulchre, which has recently had restorations at the tomb of Jesus. According to the church source three choirs, one from the Catholics, Orthodox and Armenians, will be present.
The US president has to navigate a religious minefield in his visit. In 2011 Armenian and Greek-Orthodox priests came to blows in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem over accusation one group was encroaching on the other. Trump may just want a tour of the holiest church in the Christian world, but these groups take seriously every step and handshake and who is represented so that each church’s rights and privileges are maintained and they are properly represented. Although Israel provides some security for the visit, there are issues of coordination involved because the US does not officially recognize Israel’s sovereignty in the Old City or the West Bank. Here the Jordanians likely come into play and Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad’s close relationship with the churches and Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate. This is important for coordination and ensuring it runs smoothly in what is a sensitive site.
Texas recognizes the Armenian Genocide
The Texas House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 191, titled âRecognizing the Armenian Genocide,â on May 19, thus making The Lone Star State the 46th state in the U.S. to officially classify and commemorate the 1915-1923 annihilation of Ottoman Turkeyâs indigenous Armenian community as genocide.
âWe are grateful to the Texas House of Representatives for standing on the right side of history by making their dynamic state the latest member of our Union to unequivocally and vociferously honor the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide despite overwhelming Turkish opposition,â remarked Armenian National Committee of America â Western Region (ANCA-WR) Chair Nora Hovsepian.
âThis incredible victory, which achieves universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Western Regionâs 19 states, was possible because of the outstanding unity and activism demonstrated by the diverse Armenian community of Texas, the unflinching leadership of State Representative Scott Sanford and his fellow lawmakers, as well as the dedication and persistent work of our grassrootsâANCA-Houston and ANCA-Dallasâand staff. While many Texan-Armenians and community groups were instrumental in the passage of and building ground for HR191, I would like to specifically recognize the former ANCA-Dallas founding chair Lucia Nazarian for initiating Texasâ recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as Focused Advocacy President Brandon Todd Aghamalian and University of Texas Austin Professor and Armenian Church of Austin representative Mihran Aroian for their leadership in bringing the Armenian community together to make this important recognition a reality,â continued Hovsepian.
, which had more than 50 original bipartisan cosponsors and passed unanimously, declares, in part, that âDuring World War I, the crumbling Ottoman Empire began a systematic campaign to eradicate its Armenian population, which then numbered more than two million; and⊠as many as 1.5 million Armenians perished and today, only 3 million live in Armenia, a country that covers no more than 10 percent of the ancient Armenian homeland, while the Armenian diaspora numbers 8 to 10 million in countries around the world, including the United States,â concluding with the resolved clause âThat the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby recognize the Armenian Genocide.â
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Texas follows renewed activism in The Lone Star State, including the 2015 defeat of anti-Armenian resolutions as well as adoption of HR 1541, which recognized Texansâ contributions to the Near East Relief that saved 132,000 orphans of the Armenian Genocide. The latter humanitarian effort was recognized by ANCA-Dallas during its April 2, 2016 âTexas We Thank Youâ Gala, at which Rep. Sanford received the ANCA-Dallas Advocate of Justice award for his long-time support for Armenian Genocide awareness.
HR 191 was introduced by Rep. Sanford on jan. 26, followed by a public hearing in the International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs committee on April 24, during which ANCA-WR Chief Legislative Consultant Haig Baghdassarian joined a large group of Armenian Americans as well as representatives from the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission and Houstonâs Holocaust Museum in testifying in support of HR 191. Following the testimony, ANCA-WR called its online activists in Texas to action, as a result of which hundreds of letters were emailed to state legislators. Many more phone calls were made through joint efforts of the Armenian community in a strong demonstration of unity and grassroots activism.
Texasâ passage of HR 191 follows the Wyoming Governorâs recognition of the Armenian Genocide in April, thus completing universal recognition in the ANCA-WR, which consists of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
North Korea tests ânew type of ballistic rocketâ
Photo:Â KCNA
North Korea has claimed that the missile it tested on Sunday was a new type of rocket capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead, the BBC reports.
The missile, launched at a steep angle, reached an altitude of 2,000km and travelled about 700km, landing in the sea west of Japan.
North Korea said on Monday it was a test of the abilities of a “newly developed ballistic rocket”.
South Korea’s military said it could not yet verify the North’s claims.
But it said the North’s missiles did appear to be able to leave and re-enter the atmosphere, which is crucial to developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the Yonhap news agency reported.
Repeated missile tests by the North this year – not all of them successful but all a breach of UN sanctions – have sparked international alarm and raised tensions with the US.
The US and Japan have called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
Car accident claims lives of three Artsakh soldiers
Three soldiers of the Artsakh Defense Army drowned in Sarsang Reservoir following a car accident in the morning of May 8 in the northern direction of the Defense Army.
The Ministry identified the soldiers as Ruben Barseghyan (born in 1998), Rafael Bisharyan (born in 1997) and Ruben Mnatsakanyan (born in 1998).
Bodies of the two have been recovered, the search for the third body continues.
Probe into the details of the incident is under way.
The Artsakh Defense Ministry shares the sorrow of the heavy loss and expresses its support to the families and friends of the servicemen.
French election: Macron wins in final debate
Photo: AFP
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron was more impressive than rival Marine Le Pen in Wednesday evening’s final TV debate, a viewers’ poll says, the BBC reports.
The candidates traded insults for more than two hours, arguing over terrorism, the economy, and Europe.
The French broadcaster BFMTV found voters had a more favourable view of Mr Macron than Ms Le Pen in most categories.
He was the “most convincing” of the pair in the opinion of 63% of viewers.
Ms Le Pen lambasted her rival for his finance and government background, accusing him of being “the candidate of savage globalisation” and said his version of France “is a trading room, where it will be everyone fighting for themselves”.
In turn, Mr Macron said the National Front leader had openly lied, proposed nothing, and exaggerated the concerns of the public.
“The high priestess of fear is sitting before me,” he said.
Marine Le Pen, who lags badly in the opinion polls, had clearly decided that the best tactic was to launch a full-frontal attack on Emmanuel Macron.
Constantly throughout the debate she threw insults and allegations at him, accusing him of being part of the discredited existing order.