Armenpress News Agency , Armenia Saturday Vice Speaker Sharmazanov to voice about Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian policy at CSTO Parliamentary Assembly YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Alexander Lapshin recorded what has been stated by the Armenian side for years, that is Azerbaijan is an anti-democratic, racist state, Eduard Sharmazanov – Vice Speaker of Armenia’s Parliament, told Armenpress commenting on Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin’s first note posted in the social network after his release from the Azerbaijani prison. “Azerbaijan carries out not only an anti-Armenian policy, but also abnormal policy in general. What Lapshin has said should be considered as a certain message for the international community: plus also the facts that the foreign national has not only been arrested, but he also was beaten, suffered tortures and attempt was made to present all of these as a suicide attempt. This proves that Azerbaijan state is completely based on the ideology of lie and frauds”, Sharmazanov said. He compared Azerbaijan’s current policy with the policy of Young Turks, stating that the people of Artsakh should fight for their self-defense since nothing has changed in Azerbaijan’s calculations. “This shows that there is a state in the 21st century which is a member of the Council of Europe, however, its main ideology is racism and Armenophobia”, he said. Sharmazanov said like previously, now as well the Armenian delegations in various structures will voice about Azerbaijan’s such policy. “The same we are going to do during the upcoming CSTO Parliamentary Assembly on October 12-14”, he said.
Author: Maghakian Mike
Azerbaijani Press: Canadian think tank predicts change in status quo in Karabakh
Azernews, Azerbaijan
Sept 14 2017
16:00 (UTC+04:00)
By Rashid Shirinov
Today the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the only conflict in the region, which has a real risk of escalating into an all-out war.
The presence of unresolved conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan challenges the regional security, as in case of new war regional powers, Russia and NATO member Turkey in particular, could become directly involved.
For over two decades, the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace has failed to achieve any tangible result for the conflict resolution.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh has reached a dangerous stage where the existing status quo is difficult to preserve due to Azerbaijan’s military successes and the inherent problems of Armenia’s dependence on Russia, stated a Canadian think tank.
The Toronto-Based Geopolitical Monitor, in its recently published report, has predicted a change in the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Geopolitical Monitor suggested that “as Moscow has a big geopolitical stake in the conflict, it will continue to supply arms to both Baku and Yerevan to keep the military balance, preserve the status quo, and deny any other power such as Turkey or Iran possibilities to increase their own influence in the conflict resolution process.”
The analysis stresses that unlike other breakaway conflicts across the former Soviet Union, the one around Nagorno-Karabakh has not been frozen since its inception in the early 1990s.
“Daily ceasefire violations at times reached more than 100 instances, increasing the difficulty of reaching any peaceful resolution to the standoff between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” it reads.” As the nearly war-type situation between the two sides showed in April 2016, the conflict is not static and rather is subject to changing geopolitical circumstances.”
“Beyond the immediate situation on the contact line, any progress to the resolution of the conflict is complicated by the many actors which have geopolitical interests in the South Caucasus,” the document reads.
Armenia broke out this lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Today Armenia refuses to implement four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.
Although the ceasefire agreement was signed in 1994, Armenia does not comply with it. Not a day passes without ceasefire violations by Armenia’s armed forces in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border and the frontline in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, the Armenian militaries using heavy machine guns and mortars deliberately aim at Azerbaijan settlements near the frontline in order to hurt civilians living there.
Indeed, Azerbaijan has strongly developed its military capability over the years and the country is fully prepared to release its occupied lands from Armenian invaders. On the other hand, Azerbaijan prefers the conflict to be resolved peacefully and without further casualties.
Over 20 Armenian Families Displaced from Hurricane Harvey
GLENDALE – While the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, Regional Executive extends its gratitude to the community for immediately responding to its Call to Action regarding Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, the ARS has since learned that more than 20 Armenian families in the Houston area have been subjected to irrevocable damages, many of whom have lost their homes and are enduring severe difficulties following the aftermath of this natural disaster in Texas.
The ARS Houston “Shogher” Chapter has propelled into action, making every effort to offer assistance to these Armenian families, who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey and now find themselves in troubling circumstances upon being displaced from their homes as a result of the flooding.
The ARS Regional Executive’s fundraising campaign for relief efforts continues and ARS chapters throughout the western region have committed their support.
“Funds raised from this campaign will entirely be allocated to the Armenian families in Houston, who are now homeless as a result of Hurricane Harvey and are in immediate need of financial assistance. Once again, we appeal to our community to continue its support of this campaign and make a tax-deductible donation, in any amount, to the ARS for this purpose. Donations will have an impactful role in helping to restore the lives of these families,” explained Silva Poladian, ARS Regional Executive Chairperson.
Donations can be made online via www.arswestusa.org or by way of checks made payable to the ARS and mailed to the ARS Regional Headquarters, 517 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91202.
The ARS Regional Headquarters can be contacted at (818) 500-1343 or [email protected] for additional information.
The Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, established in 1984 and with a regional headquarters in Glendale, CA, has 26 chapters and more than 1,200 members in four western states. The ARS operates a Social Services Division and Child, Youth, and Family Guidance Center, and funds numerous youth programs, scholarships, and relief efforts. For further information, please visit www.arswestusa.org or contact (818) 500-1343.
Sports: Armenia vs Denmark : Match forecast
The Sherbrooke Times
Sept 3 2017
Armenia vs Denmark live streaming free
Match forecast for Armenia – Denmark
September 4, 2017 at 19:00 Moscow time, a qualifying match is scheduled for the World Championship in Yerevan at the stadium “im. Vazgen Sargsyan “, in which the national team of Armenia will play against the national team of Denmark.
Armenia vs Denmark preview
With full certainty, we can say that the national team of Armenia squandered their chances of reaching the final part of the World Cup. Losing in the last round of the national team of Romania with a score of 1: 0, for the Armenians this victory was the second consecutive and the fifth in the current selection. So far, Mkhitaryan and Co. have scored points in two matches, against the Kazakhstan national team 2: 0 and Montenegro 3: 2.
But as for the Danish national team, so in the last round they created a real sensation, beating the leaders of the group – the national team of Poland with a score of 4: 0. Moreover, but the chosen tactics of 4-3-3, the most successfully worked against the Poles, and scoring 2 goals in each half, the Danes blocked the air to the Poles, allowing to put on their goal only one blow.
The results of previous matches of Armenia and Denmark in face-to-face meetings remain in favor of Scandinavians. In the last match, played exactly one year ago, Denmark defeated 1: 0. Armenia is certainly stronger in its field than on the road, but the brilliant form of the Danish national team does not leave any chance for the Armenians. Bet: ф2 -1
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 08/29/2017
Tuesday, Israeli Drone Exports `Halted' Amid Azerbaijan Inquiry Israel -- Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv, 5Aug2007 Israel's Defense Ministry has reportedly halted exports of "suicide" drones manufactured by an Israeli company that was accused earlier this month of using them against an Armenian army position at the request of Azerbaijan. In a statement cited by the Newsru.co.il news service, the company, Aeronautics Defense Systems (ADS), said late on Monday that the ministry's export control agency has at least temporarily banned it from delivering a batch of Orbiter 1K drones to a key foreign client. The statement said ADS was due to supply $20 million worth of such unmanned aircraft, capable of carrying special explosive payload, to the client in 2017-2018. The ADS statement did not specify the buyer of the sophisticated weapon, saying only that Israel has close commercial ties with that country. It also attributed the ban to an ongoing inquiry conducted by the Israeli security agency. The Israeli newspaper "Maariv" reported on August 13 that the agency launched an investigation after receiving a formal complaint stemming from ADS's commercial dealings with the Azerbaijani government. It said ADS representatives traveled to Azerbaijan earlier this summer to finalize a contract for the sale of Orbiter drones to the Azerbaijani military. The paper claimed that two Israeli drone operators working for the defense company rebuffed Azerbaijani officials' demand to demonstrate the use of the deadly drone by hitting the Armenian position with it. But other, more senior ADS executives agreed on launch the deadly craft on the target, according to "Maariv." ADS denied the report, saying that "the operational action was carried out by the purchaser alone." Nagorno-Karabakh - An Israel-manufactured Azerbaijani "suicide" drone is shot down in the Martakert district, 4Apr2016 According to Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian-backed Defense Army, the Azerbaijani military most recently attacked its frontline positions with a suicide drone on July 7. The commander of an army unit stationed in northeastern Karabakh said in early August that two of his soldiers were lightly wounded in the incident. No Armenian military hardware was damaged in that drone attack, he said. The Azerbaijani army heavily used similar suicide drones manufactured by another Israeli company, Israel Aerospace Industries, during the April 2016 hostilities in Karabakh. Baku had received them as part of multimillion-dollar defense contracts signed with Israeli arms manufacturers. The Israeli weapons sold to Azerbaijan have included not only various types of unmanned aircraft but also air-defense systems and anti-tank rockets. Armenia has long expressed concern at the Israeli-Azerbaijani arms deals, saying that they undermine international efforts to end the Karabakh conflict. Still, its reaction to the "Maariv" report was rather cautious. Yerevan Fire Mostly Extinguished . Astghik Bedevian Armenia - Firefighters battle a fire in the Nairit chemical plant in Yerevan, 28Aug2017. Firefighters largely extinguished on Tuesday a massive fire in a chemical plant in Yerevan that raised health concerns among people in nearby residential areas. The blaze quickly engulfed on Monday storage containers filled with chemical waste from the Nairit plant located on the city's southern outskirts.More than a hundred firefighters were sent to the scene to contain it. The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) said that they put out the flames in three of the four burning tanks by Tuesday burning. "A small source of fire remains active only in one container," it said in a statement. Black smoke was still billowing from it in the afternoon. "Cooling efforts are still being made to prevent further outbreaks of fire," the head of the ministry's National Center for Crisis Management, Hovannes Khangeldian, told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). Some officials suggested that the fire was caused by an explosion. "It is too early to speak of theories," cautioned Khangeldian. "I think that relevant bodies will examine all theories and establish the causes." In another statement issued later in the day, the MES said it will conduct forensic tests for that purpose. Some "materials regarding the fire" have already been submitted to an Armenian law-enforcement body, it added. The Armenian ministries of environment and health said, meanwhile, that they took air samples from parts of Yerevan's Shengavit district adjacent to Nairit. They insisted that toxic emissions from the fire pose no major health risks to local residents. Still, the Health Ministry released a written statement on Monday urging them to stay indoors and shut their windows. Some Shengavit residents complained that government officials did not visit their neighborhoods and communicate with them in person. "They could have told us what to do through megaphones," said one woman. "They work much harder during elections." Armenian Government Coy About Troop Deployment To Syria Syria -- A Russian Mil Mi-24 "Hind" attack helicopter flies above the damaged site of the ancient city of Palmyra, March 4, 2017 Armenia's leadership on Tuesday declined to confirm or deny a senior Russian military official's claim that that it is prepared to send a demining team to Syria. Major General Alexander Novikov of the Russian army's General Staff said late last week that Armenia and Serbia have expressed readiness to join an "international coalition" which Russia hopes would help its troops clear landmines in the war-torn country. Moscow called for the creation of such a coalition through its permanent representative to the United Nations in April. Asked by News.am whether Yerevan has indeed decided to join the Russian-led effort in Syria, President Serzh Sarkisian's press secretary, Vladimir Hakobian, said: "When a decision is made and all issues are clarified, the public will be notified in an appropriate manner." Hakobian did not comment further. A spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry similarly told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Monday that the matter requires "further examination." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed possible Armenian involvement in demining operations in the historic Syrian city of Palmyra when he met with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan in April 2016. "I hope that our joint initiative can be implemented," Lavrov said after the talks. It is not clear whether Sarkisian and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about Syria when they met in the Russian city of Sochi on August 23. The Armenian presidential press service said they discussed "topical international and regional issues." Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance of six ex-Soviet states. Press Review "Haykakan Zhamanak" says the latest fire in Armenia's troubled Nairit chemical plant is the third major accident to occur there in the last 11 years. "If Nairit worked, provided jobs to thousands of people, was constantly modernized in the process, paid taxes to the state budget and exported its products, one could weigh up benefits and dangers created by it," writes the paper. "One could discuss whether or not we need Nairit. But with Nairit periodically exploding, burning and putting people's lives at risk and at the same time standing idle, there is probably nothing to weigh up. The Nairit problem requires a radical solution. It must either operate at full capacity or become a thing of the past and cede several hundred hectares of land occupied by it to other businesses or be turned into a big and nice park." "Haykakan Zhamanak" believes that the sorry state of Nairit is "the result of populism." "Nairit's operations were not discontinued on the grounds that thousands of people work there," it says. "That seemed very convincing. However, if there was a political decision to liquidate Nairit under legal and transparent procedures, proceeds from the sale of its expensive equipment would be enough to properly compensate its thousands of employees." "Zhoghovurd" notes that the Nairit fire erupted just weeks after a group of European investors made renewed efforts to take over the plant and restart its production operations. They met with Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielian on August 8 to present their $100 million investment plan. They also made clear that they need to conduct a thorough audit before finally deciding whether to invest in the Soviet-era giant. The paper also notes that the fire broke out in a Nairit unit whose chief manager and two dozen other employees were fired in July. They were tasked with preventing accidents. "Time will tell whether these events are connected with yesterday's fire or whether this is just coincide," the paper says. "Hraparak" hits back at President Serzh Sarkisian's strong denial of suggestions that his 2013 decision to make Armenia part of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) at the expense of a major deal with the European Union was a last-minute U-turn. The paper argues that just days before the announcement of that decision senior Armenian officials were insisting that Armenia has no intention to join the EEU. (Tigran Avetisian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
20th Arpa Film Festival To Honor Hollywood Icons at Anniversary Gala
Arpa festival 20th anniversary gala
HOLLYWOOD—Plans are currently underway for a spectacular weekend (November 3 to 5) marking the 20th anniversary of Arpa International Film Festival.
The three-day festival will once again feature a dynamic set of films from around the world at the historic Egyptian Theatre located in the heart of Hollywood. The weekend will culminate with a special Awards Gala Banquet being held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel on Sunday, November 5. Highlights of the Awards Gala Banquet will include a red carpet and cocktail reception, featuring an exclusive silent auction prior to the evening’s dinner and awards ceremony.
This year’s honorees include Oscar-winning Irish screenwriter and director Terry George, music icon Chris Cornell (in memoriam), acclaimed actor Carl Weathers, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris. Awards will also be presented to winning filmmakers for their films in the best feature, best documentary, and best short categories.
Director Terry George
Arpa’s coveted Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award, presented each year to a filmmaker whose work contributes toward the struggle for social consciousness and human rights, will be awarded to Terry George (In the name of the Father, Some Mother’s Son, Hotel Rwanda, The Shore, The Promise) in recognition of his extensive body of films that have shed light on the situation in his native Northern Ireland, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Armenian Genocide.
The Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award is named after the German soldier/medic who was stationed in the Ottoman Empire during World War I, where he witnessed the onslaught of the Armenian Genocide. The photographs he took documenting the plight of the Armenians, today comprises the core of witness images of the Genocide. In the years following the end of World War I, Wegner also voiced his opposition against the anti-Semitic policies of the Nazis, who later persecuted him.
Chris Cornell
Arpa International Film Festival is honored to be presenting this year’s Lifetime Legacy Award to music icon Chris Cornell, whose life came to a tragic end in May this year. Chris Cornell, best known as the lead vocalist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, as well as the founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog, was also a human rights activist committed to the world refugee crisis and the despair of vulnerable children. The Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter’s last solo release was the charity single “The Promise” written for the motion picture of the same name. The Cornell Family, along with special friends, will be present to accept the Award.
Carl Weathers, the beloved actor best known for his portrayal of Apollo Creed in the Rocky series, will be the recipient of Arpa’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Hollywood veteran has also starred in hit films such as Predator, Action Jackson, Hurricane Smith, Happy Gilmore and Little Nicky.
Carl Weathers
The former professional football player’s most recent project was directing John Patrick Stanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris, best known for his original screenplay for the 2014 film Birdman, will receive Arpa’s Career Achievement Award. His body of work includes numerous theatrical pieces and musicals, including The Bodyguard (2012) featuring the music of Whitney Houston, and the critically-acclaimed On Your Feet! Broadway musical about the life and career of Gloria Estefan. Alexander Dinelaris’ earlier works include the powerful play “Red Dog Howls” in which he touches upon the Armenian Genocide. The piece was influenced by his Armenian grandmother, who played an important role in his younger years.
The star-studded evening will also feature special performances by theremin virtuoso Armen Ra and renowned vocalist Mister X. Armen Ra’s music fuses Armenian folk influences with modern instrumentation, along with melodic lounge standards and classical arias. The self-taught musician’s concerts are known for their combination of both visual arts and live music. A documentary on his life, When My Sorrow Died, premiered at Arpa International Film Festival a few years ago. Mister X, a renowned multilingual vocalist, has held concerts and taken part in music festivals around the globe. The classically trained singer has had a solo career spanning 17 years.
Alexander Dinelaris
The festival’s opening night on Friday, November 3, will feature the French film Dalida based on the true story of the acclaimed music icon born in Egypt to Italian parents. The famous singer gained celebrity in the 50s, singing in French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, German, Italian. She tragically committed suicide in 1987 in Paris, after selling more than 130 million records worldwide. The film is directed by Lisa Azuelos and co-produced by Vivien Aslanian.
Two of the films slated for the festival’s centerpiece program on Saturday, November 4 will be Intent To Destroy released by Survival Pictures and the joint French-Lebanese production The Traveller. A final lineup of the festival’s film screenings will be announced soon. In Intent To Destroy, Academy Award nominated director Joe Berlinger embeds himself on the epic film set of The Promise, to take an unwavering look at the Armenian Genocide.
Historians, scholars, and high-profile filmmakers come together in Berlinger’s cinematic exploration of the tangled web of responsibility that has driven a century of denial by the Turkish government and its strategic allies.
In Hadi Ghandour’s The Traveller, Adnan, a travel agent in a small Lebanese village, has always dreamed of traveling the world, but never had the chance to leave his country. Married with a child, he lives with this fantasy until the day his boss sends him to Paris for business where his imagination begins to flourish with new romantic possibilities, to the point of forgetting his values, identity and family.
Over the course of 20 years, Arpa International Film Festival has continuously provided a platform dedicated to cultivating cultural understanding and global empathy for international cinema. Recognized as one of the oldest independent film festivals for international cinema in Los Angeles, Arpa has bridged cultural divides by fostering dialogue among people of diverse backgrounds. By showcasing local, international and Armenian films that explore critical issues such as war, genocide, dual identities, exile and multi-culturalism, Arpa has solidified its role in safeguarding films that continue to make a social impact.
One of the overarching goals of Arpa Foundation for Film, Music & Art (AFFMA) in launching its signature Arpa International Film Festival two decades ago, was to create an arena that offers Armenian filmmakers, Armenian films and Armenian-themed films wider exposure in Hollywood. In light of its landmark anniversary, AFFMA has decided to create internship opportunities for students of Armenian heritage who are pursuing careers in cinema and entertainment. This will augment previous forms of support given to filmmakers over the past 20 years, and allow the organization to deliver an increased number of film screenings and other events promoting Armenian artists year round.
For Gala/Festival tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and ad or congratulatory message placement in our Commemorative Booklet, please visit www.arpafilmfestival.com or wwww.itsmyseat.com or e-mail [email protected]. Your support for Arpa International Film Festival, especially on its 20th year, is vital to ensuring our continued future success in providing filmmakers worldwide with an essential platform they so well deserve.
Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art (AFFMA) is a non-profit 501 (3) (c) organization. To date, AFFMA has awarded over 150 individuals with grants in support of their creative endeavors. Through its Arpa International Film Festival, AFFMA has recognized industry legends, with Lifetime Achievement, Career Achievement, Humanitarian and Breakthrough Artist Awards. Arpa International Film Festival takes great pride in working toward recognizing the diverse tapestry of international talent and presenting it to an appreciative audience. We place a strong emphasis on filmmakers’ unique artistic vision, cultural diversity and social understanding.
Israeli Defense Company Accused of Attacking Armenian Outpost with Drone
Sputnik International, Russia
Aug 14 2017
© Sputnik/ Vladimir Vyatkin
Middle East
An Israeli drone manufacturer has been accused of attempting to test one of their weapons systems on an Armenian military position on behalf of Israel’s defense partner, Azerbaijan.
The complaint was levied against Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd (ADS), an Israeli defense contractor that specializes in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and reconnaissance systems. So the complaint goes, ADS were demonstrating their Aeronautics Defense Orbiter 1K drone to Azerbaijani military leaders in Baku. The Azerbaijanis then asked the Israeli contractors to fly their drone, which was equipped as a “suicide” drone to deliver an 2-pound explosive payload, at a nearby Armenian military position.
The two ADS operators sent to demonstrate the drone refused to follow the request despite threats from their superiors, according to the complaint. Two higher-ranking members of the delegation then attempted to fulfill the Azerbaijani wish, but as they were not experienced drone operators they missed their target. No injuries or damage were reported.
ADS denied that the incident described ever took place. They have “never carried out a demonstration against live targets, including in this case,” according to a statement. “Operational actions are carried out by the purchaser alone and on its responsibility.”
The Israeli Defense Ministry issued a statement of their own, claiming that they are investigating the issue and therefore would not discuss the case. “As a rule, the Defense Ministry does not comment on issues concerning defense exports. The allegation is being investigated by relevant figures in the ministry,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.
If the test occurred as the complaint states, then ADS is in violation of Israeli law. In order to conduct a demonstration against human targets, Israeli contractors must secure permits from the Defense Ministry. As Armenia is not an enemy state of Israel, it is highly unlikely that Jerusalem would grant such a permit to ADS.
Azerbaijan has bought drones from ADS in the past, and ADS has set up an Azerbaijani subsidiary called Azad Systems to manufacture the Orbiter-3 stealth and reconnaissance drone within Azerbaijan. ADS claim to sell drones and systems to 50 nations in total.
When Azerbaijan became an independent nation in 1991, Israel was one of the first powers to recognize its statehood. In the last year or so, the two nations have strengthened their alliance, making Azerbaijan one of the few Muslim-majority nations to have a positive and strategic bilateral relationship with the Jewish state. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed that his country purchased $5 billion worth of military equipment from Israel in 2016.
Azerbaijan’s defense needs have increased in recent years as it clashes with its neighbor and rival Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a 95-percent Armenian province of Azerbaijan that has de facto seceded into its own independent republic. The two nations warred over control of Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 90s, and sporadic violence has broken out since then.
A 2016 clash between Azerbaijan and Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh left 350 dead according to the US State Department and the Azerbaijanis, and between 650 and 1,650 killed according to the Armenians. Since then, skirmishes have frequently broken out between the two nations, often with fatal consequences. Azerbaijan reported on Monday that Armenia spent the weekend attacking their positions along the border with heavy machine guns, although no casualties were reported.
Joan Thiele: dal 25 agosto in radio il nuovo singolo “Armenia”
Radio Web Italia
9 ago 2017
Torna il 25 agosto Joan Thiele con un nuovo singolo, “ARMENIA”, scritto e composto in inglese da Joan stessa e prodotto dagli Etna, la band di musicisti siciliani che l’ha sempre accompagnata sin dagli esordi. “ARMENIA” è stato registrato nel nuovo Red Bull studio mobile.
“ARMENIA” è un brano dal ritmo esotico e travolgente, accompagnato da un video girato tra distese di acqua, vegetazione mediterranea e montagna, una commistione perfetta tra musica e natura. Il video è on line su Vevo
Joan, 26 anni, di origini metà italiane e metà svizzero- colombiane, è cresciuta tra Cartagena e l’Italia. Fin dall’infanzia ha trascorso una vita nomade che le ha regalato un gusto musicale internazionale. Finito il liceo, si trasferisce in Inghilterra per fare musica. Joan sviluppa una grande personalità artistica, a partire dalla scelta di cantare in inglese e grazie ad un percorso artistico iniziato sin da piccola coi Led Zeppelin, proseguito con Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, ma arricchitosi da un certo momento in poi di suggestioni elettroniche contemporanee. Nel 2016 è uscito il suo primo ep, “Joan Thiele”, anticipato dai singoli “Save Me” e “Taxi Driver”: sei brani inediti scritti da Joan (“Save me”, “Cup of coffee”, “Heartbeat”, “Rainbow”, “Taxi Driver”, “You & I”) e una cover di Lauryn Hills “Lost Ones” in una nuova interpretazione. A seguire Joan ha iniziato il tour dal vivo insieme alla sua band ,Gli Etna, nei principali festival italiani: il RockinRoma, l’IDays di Monza, il Goa Boa di Genova, il Siren Festival di Vasto, l’Home Fest di Treviso, il Locus Fest a Locorotondo. E’ stata nominata nella categoria Best New Artist degli MTV Awards 2016. A febbraio 2017 è stata scelta da Radio Rai Due come rappresentante dell’Italia a Groningen in occasione del Festival EBBA Eurosonic Norderslag 2017, dove si è esibita dal vivo in concerto. Ad agosto 2017 esce il suo nuovo singolo “Armenia” che anticipa il nuovo album prossimamente.
http://www.radiowebitalia.it/116845/dischi-novita/joan-thiele-nuovo-singolo-armenia.html
‘Until Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting Azerbaijan has received strict warning via Putin’: Sergey Shakaryants
Aravot, Armenia
Aug 12 2017
“Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Iran was not official, but by business, however, in any case, a new quality is predicted in Armenian-Iranian relations. It is conditioned by Aliyev’s absence within the list of the presidents visited Tehran”, political scientist Sergey Shakaryants expressed his viewpoint on Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting.
He noticed – the official statement of the meeting encompassed a special space for a question relative to Artsakh conflict: “It is told that Iran sees the strengthening of stability and peace in territories nearby its Northern borders as a primary interest and it refers to the zone of Artsakh conflict.”
As stated by Shakaryants, from the aforementioned one may infer that Iranian side has given a task to Aliyev before Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting with regard to this via Putin. The political scientist indicates Putin-Aliyev meeting taken place lately in Sochi: “At that time Azerbaijan has been strictly warned not to make an attempt to violate the security and peace in territories nearby Northern Iran’s border… They convince us that war is unavoidable, but Iran is against it.”
Addressing theoretical component of Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting, Sergey Shakaryants highlighted – it seems Rouhani has confirmed that Iran needs Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor and it should pass through the territory of the Republic of Armenia: “For it to be realized, Iran needs additional guarantees. Iran will never provide a corridor to a country if it is not sure that anti-Iranian elements will not be in place in that country. Iran should control Armenia-Georgia territory, for that reason, it actively negotiates with the authorities of Georgia. How they will end, let us not predict. In the mentioned context Iran will also not let troops on its border, for example – peacekeepers, and it refers to Armenia alike. Iran’s aim is not to allow non-regional troops on the Iranian border.”
The political scientist also informed that before Rouhani-Sargsyan meeting Iran had made an agreement with Russia on making a joint production of unmanned aircraft vehicles and according to Shakaryants’ conviction, the Republic of Armenia should engage in the suchlike program too.
Luiza SUKIASYAN
Armenian government approves agreement to build 76-MW Shnokh hydropower plant
HydroWorld
Aug 11 2017
YEREVAN, Armenia
08/11/2017
The government of Armenia has approved an agreement related to construction of the 76-MW Shnokh hydropower plant on the Debed River in the province of Lori, news agencies are reporting.
According to a report from Arka, the project cost is estimated at $150 million and construction of the hydroelectric facility is “part of a strategy to ensure energy security of the nation.”
The Shnokh project will be developed and owned by Debed-Hydro LLC and will involve the construction of 22 km of tunnels.
The facility is to be built with public and private funding. The Armenian Investors Club is involved with the project. This club is a non-public contractual investment fund founded in January 2017.
According to the Investors Club of Armenia’s website, the project will have a construction period of three years and a payback period of 13 years with an internal rate of return of 7.26%. Shnokh will have a depreciation period of 50 years, with a tariff (VAT included) of US$0.078 per kilowatt-hour and annual electricity supply of 300 million kWh. The total investment amount (VAT included) is $150 million, of which the club will provide $22.5 million.
This plant has been under investigation for some time. In 2008, HydroWorld reported that Armenia was inviting expressions of interest from consultants to perform a feasibility study of a project called Shnogh, then with an anticipated capacity of 70 MW.
The Armenian Weekly says hydroelectric plants produced nearly one-third of Armenia’s electricity in 2016, compared with 20% a decade ago.