Author: Manouk Vasilian

Artsakh military stops recon-penetration attempt in line of contact, inflicts losses to Azeri special forces

Manouk Vasilian
| 10:52 | January 25 2018
Categories
Artsakh
Official
Region

The Armed Forces of Artsakh detected a reconnaissance penetration attempt by Azerbaijani forces overnight January 25 in the defense section of a military unit in the south-eastern (Kurapatkino) direction of the line of contact.

The defense ministry of Artsakh reported that as result of preventive countermeasures the Azerbaijani special forces were pushed back.

According to preliminary information, the Azerbaijani forces suffered losses. Details are being clarified.

Russia risking its ties with Armenia amid new military supplies to Azerbaijan – Styopa Safaryan

Manouk Vasilian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 20 2018

Russia’s attitude to Armenia is just unacceptable as it continues supplying weapons to Azerbaijan in what is seen to further damage the bilateral relations. Kremlin should acknowledge the criticism over its policy will grow in Armenia over the time, Styopa Safaryan, founder of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs (AIISA) told Panorama.am in an interview, commenting on a new batch of Russian military equipment delivered to Azerbaijan. 

“It was especially right after the April war, when not only relations between Russia and Armenia were strained but the Russian military-technical cooperation with Azerbaijan was put on hold. It was no coincidence, Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin visited Baku weeks ago. The resumption of the military supplies was undoubtedly in the agenda of bilateral talks. I consider this extremely dangerous,” Safaryan said.

“Russia seems seeking a goal to lose all possible friends, at least it has chosen the route to that end. Armenia is one of the few countries that has always maintained solidarity with Russia in the foreign affairs – often to the detriment of own interest,” Safaryan added. 

The political analyst recalled Armenia’s acknowledgment of Crimea as part of Russia, that endangered relations with Ukraine, saying: “We made that decision considering Russia’s role in our foreign policy and allied relations. In contrast, Russia’s actions appear unthankful.”

Decline in butter price forecast in Armenia in next 1-2 months

Manouk Vasilian
| 12:07 | January 16 2018
Category
Society

Decline in the price of butter is predicted in the Armenian market in the upcoming months, Artak Shaboyan – chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of the Economic Competition (SCPEC), told reporters.

“The prices of butter started to decrease in the international market, and in Armenia as well there is a tendency of decline in price of this product. We think the butter price will decrease in the next one-two months. Although currently there is a decline in butter price in our market, but, we think that the main affect will be demonstrated one-two months later”, he said.

He also touched upon the butter importing companies, stating that certain structural changes were made in the market. In particular, if previously, 80% imports of butter belonged to the Alex Holding, now it is 55%. In line with this, there are also 28 economic entities that also import butter and comprise 40% of the market. They mainly import from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The prices of butter increased in Armenia in September 2016 which was conditioned by the increase in import prices, in other words the increase of butter price in the international market affected also the prices in Armenia.

Iranian company chosen to build bridge on Armenian – Georgian border

Manouk Vasilian
ARKA, Armenia
Jan 15 2018

YEREVAN, January 15. /ARKA/. An Iranian company will build a bridge over the Armenian river of Debed in the northern province of Lori. The bridge is part of the Sadakhlo-Bagratasehn checkpoint on the border between Armenia and Georgia.

The Iranian company Ariana Tunnel Dam Co. is the winner of an international tender announced earlier by Armenian ministry of transport, communications and information technology. The construction will be financed from a loan that Armenia will be provided with by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The agreement to that end was signed back in 2012.

The Armenian government’s budget for 2018 has also earmarked 1.4 billion drams for the construction of the bridge. The agreement with the Iranian company was signed today in Yerevan. 

The project is part of the EBRD – financed Northern Corridor Modernization Program.  The agreement was ratified today by the Armenian minister Vahan Martirosyan, and the chairman of the Iranian company Ali Mousavi. The Iranian company was chosen from seven bidding companies.

The Northern Corridor Modernization Project includes the reconstruction of existing infrastructure to meet international standards, as well as the construction of new buildings at the three border control facilities. 

The improved border crossing points, equipped for vehicles and pedestrians, is expected to  have a more efficient and increased processing capacity, as well as provide a multi-directional road crossing for international cargo and passenger traffic.  

Located 200 km from Yerevan, Bagratashen is the main land transport corridor connecting Armenia through Georgia with the rest of the world. –0–


10 days on, Armenian home gears for its very own Christmas

Manouk Vasilian
The Indian Express
Jan 6 2018


New Delhi |
Published: January 6, 2018 2:05 am

<img class=”wp-image-5013418 size-full” src=””http://images.indianexpress.com/2018/01/armenian-family-delhi-ie.jpg” alt=”10 days on, Armenian home gears for its very own Christmas” />

Mane Mkrtchyan, her family at their Lajpat Nagar home.

By Anchita Ghosh

Christmas and New Year festivities are over for most, but not in a few houses in the capital. A Lajpat Nagar address — home to the only “pure Armenian” family in the capital — is gearing up to celebrate Christmas on January 6, when Jesus Christ was baptised.

The occupant of the house, Mane Mkrtchyan (27), who made India her home around 10 years ago, says Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity in the year 301.

“We have always celebrated Christmas on January 6. December 25 became popular under Roman influence in the 4th century,” said Mane, who lives in Delhi with her mother, twin sister and a nephew. Her father Senekerim Mkrtchyan, a retired engineer, joins them for six months during winters. This year, her other sister, who lives in Moscow with her family, has also joined them with her two children for Christmas.

Though Mane’s is the only pure Armenian family in the city, there are around 50 Indo-Armenian families in the NCR. Among them is Dr Gayane Movsisyan Sayeed, MD, Cardiologist and president of Armenian Cultural Centre in Delhi.

Dr Gayane says Armenia is the only country to follow Apostolic Church, which celebrates Christmas on January 6.

“Celebrations start from December 31 with some keeping a seven-day fast,” said Dr Gayane. “The day starts with prayers and ends with a community get-together and feasting. Since there is no Armenian church in Delhi, we mostly pray at home,” she says.

“Christmas is all about time with family and home-cooked food,” said Mane, a PhD scholar in Hindi from JNU. She says some of the must-haves on the Christmas table include gaphama — rice and dry fruits, including raisins, steamed inside a pumpkin — lavash, a tandoori-like bread and fish.

Dr Gayane says rice, raisins and fish have a meaning too. “Rice represents the world and raisins symbolise the Christians. Fish is the symbol of Jesus Christ,” says Dr Gayane.

Every year, around this time, the city’s small Armenian community comes together. This time, the gathering was at India Habitat Centre on January 1.

Mane, however, hopes to spread the word on her country’s culture through the Armenian Cultural Centre, founded in 2015 on September 21 — the Armenian Independence Day.


Azerbaijani press: Georgian, Armenian presidents hold one-on-one meeting in Tbilisi

Manouk Vasilian
/ 18:35
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Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan have held a one-on-one meeting in Tbilisi.
 

Georgian-Armenian relations, the situation in the region and other issues were discussed at the meeting, APA’s local bureau reports .
 

Later on, the meeting continued with the participation of the delegations. After the meeting, both presidents will make a statement for the media.
 

During his two-day visit to Georgia, Sargsyan will meet Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Chairman of the Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze and Patriarch Ilia II. The Armenian president is also scheduled to meet with representatives of the Armenian community in Georgia.

Shooting in Komitas Avenue

Manouk Vasilian
  • 14:43 | December 25,2017 | Social
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

On December 25, at 00: 30, a hospital reported to the Arabkir police station that Artush A., who was diagnosed with a gunshot wound in the area of the left knee, reported that he was wounded on December 24, at 23.00, in the courtyard of building No. 27 of Komitas Avenue,Yerevan, during an argument, as a result of shots from an air pistol fired in his direction by a man, he information service of the RA Police reports.

Thanks to the operational and investigative measures taken by the police, the criminal was identified. The necessary measures are taken in the direction of its detection. Investigation is underway.

http://en.a1plus.am/1268245.html

Eduard Sharmazanov: This is a biased and anti-Armenian statement which damages peaceful settlement process

Manouk Vasilian
  • 17:56 | December 22,2017 | Politics
  • Armenian:

On December 22, the RA NA Vice President Eduard Sharmazanov addressed with a letter to the President of Chamber of Deputies of Congress of the Republic of Paraguay Pedro Lorenzo Alliana Rodriguez, where he expressed his concern over one-sided, anti-Armenian statements concerning the Nagorno Karabakh problem adopted by the Chamber of Deputies of Congress and the reality was distorted, and exclusively the false approach of Azerbaijan was presented over the problem, particularly, on 1992 Khojalu events.

The NA Vice President noted: “This is a biased and anti-Armenian statement which damages the peaceful settlement process. The Armenian military units have no connection and could not have any relation. The former President of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutalibov state at best in one of his interviews given to the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on April 2, 1992, noting that the Azerbaijani opposition organized the Khojalu tragedy for organizing his throwing down, and the Armenians have no connection with it.”

Eduard Sharmazanov expressed hope that from now on they would do utmost to reach the position of the Republic of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the legislators of Paraguay and with that avoiding the adoption of the false resolutions.

Sports: Henrikh Mkhitaryan named Armenia’s top footballer for 7th consecutive year

Manouk Vasilian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 22 2017

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was named Armenia’s footballer of the year for the eighth time and the seventh consecutive year.

The Football Federation of Armenia has summed up the voting results for the country’s 2017 Footballer of the Year, and Mkhitaryan captured first place.

In the current year which is coming to an end, the captain of the Armenian national squad became a UEFA [Europa League] Cup and an EFL [English Football League] Cup winner with Man United, and he was included in the Europa League team of the previous competition.