YEREVAN. – After Friday’s mass brawl in the National Assembly (NA), Edmon Marukyan, chairman of the opposition Bright Armenia party and head of the Bright Armenia faction in parliament, went back, continued his speech from the NA pulpit, and asked: “Who came, clandestinely hit me in the back?”
Examining the video of this incident, it can be assumed that the MP who hit Marukyan in the back was Vahe Ghalumyan, one of PM Nikol Pashinyan’s close circles and a member of the majority My Step faction, who attacked Marukyan and grabbed his head and shoved him.
Before that, however, Marukyan received another—but lighter—hit.
In the general tussle, Artak Manukyan, another member of the My Step faction, can be seen slapping the leader of the Bright Armenia faction.
Azerbaijani press: Armenia unable to exert pressure on Turkey by fabrications about so-called "genocide" – administration
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 24
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Armenia is not capable of exerting pressure on Turkey by fabrications about the so-called “genocide”, Turkish presidential administration told Trend on April 24.
As the presidential administration noted, Armenia hasn’t presented any evidence that there was a so-called “genocide” of Armenians in Turkey.
“Turkey has repeatedly appealed to Armenia to open historical archives for investigating the events of 1915. But Yerevan doesn’t respond to this, which once again proves that no “genocide” of Armenians took place,” the administration said.
The administration noted that during the events of 1915 on the territory of the Ottoman Empire, both Turks and Arabs, Kurds and representatives of other nations suffered.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out so-called “genocide” against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915.
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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Armenpress: Motor vessel Armenia sank in 1941 by German bombing discovered in Black Sea
Motor vessel Armenia sank in 1941 by German bombing discovered in Black Sea
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19:24, 27 April, 2020
YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. Motor vessel Armenia sank in 1941 by German bombing has been discovered in Black Sea, 15 km away from Crimea. ARMENPRESS reports, citing Ria Novosti, the sinking of the vessel was one of the greatest sea tragedies of the world. According to various assessments, the vessel was carrying from 6 to 10 thousand refugees and injured people. For the examination of the vessel 1500 meters under water a Russian made underwater remote control device was used, which made the first photos of the object.
The Russian specialists have ruled out the possibility of the vessel being torpedoed, which was the official version of the disaster. At the same time there are traces of obvious destructions on the deck of the vessel which can be caused by air strikes.
The searches of the sunk vessel were most actively conducted during the last 20 years. Over 300 square kilometers were studied during this period. The Russian Defense Ministry was in charge for the searches.
The Soviet hospital ship Armenia was a transport ship operated by the Soviet Union during World War II to carry both wounded soldiers and military cargo. It had originally been built as a passenger ship for operations on the Black Sea.
Armenia, built in 1928 at Baltic Shipyards in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), was one of four Adzharia-class passenger liners specifically designed for use on the Black Sea. They were the first passenger ships to be built in the newly formed Soviet Union.
The vessel was attacked on November 7 and sank in a period of 4 minutes. Just a few people survived.
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan, Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
Construction of Iran-Armenia power transmission line will not be stopped
20:42,
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. The program of Iran-Armenia power transmission line is in process despite the coronavirus, ARMENPRESS reports IRNA informs that Ambassador of Armenia to Iran Artashes Tumanyan said during an online discussion.
The outbreak of coronavirus had no impact on Iran-Armenia joint projects. He emphasized that Armenia prepares to meet the 60 specialists for the construction of Iran-Armenia power transmission line.
The construction of the 3rd power transmission line will give an opportunity to add the volume of gas-electricity exchange program.
Reporting by Anna Grigoryan, Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
Armenian NPP: Stay at home – We will provide electricity
ArmInfo. From the very beginning of the announcement of quarantine, a rapid response headquarters was created at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant and an action plan to prevent the spread of coronavirus was adopted. The headquarters pays special attention to the entrance, dining room and office space. In particular, a marking is applied on the floor on the entrance to ensure social distance. The entire staff of the station received instructions on the prevention of infection with COVID-19.
According to the press service of the ANPP, the events begin even before arriving at the station – the minibus that brought the employees to work was replaced with a large bus where passengers can maintain a social distance. Upon arrival at the station, each employee at the entrance must measure the temperature, and if it is above 37 degrees, then he is not allowed to enter the territory. During the shift, all employees re-measured the temperature.
According to the head of the ANPP shift, Artak Navasardyan, for the quarantine period, entry to the station is prohibited for all non-full-time employees, business trips are canceled, a 12-hour schedule for work shifts is established, and all meetings are held via internal communication without personal contact. The ANPP employees are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment – medical masks, gloves, and disinfectants. Premises and vehicles during the day are also disinfected, and some twice a day. All objects that we come into contact with at work: telephones, tables, door handles, etc., must be treated with a disinfectant. Also, to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in a large team and to isolate operational personnel as much as possible, additional measures have been introduced: access to the Block control panel is limited for so-called “day staff”, whether it is a director, chief engineer or workshop head>. The head of the administrative and economic department of the ANPP, Susanna Avetisyan, adds that in March it was decided that employees who can perform their duties from home were transferred to a remote mode of operation. Thanks to the taken preventive measures, no cases of infection with the COVID-19 virus were recorded at the Armenian NPP. The station operates in a safe mode and continues to generate electricity in the prescribed amount>.
Mahatma Gandhi statue to be erected in Yerevan
The Yerevan City Council approved a proposal on Tuesday to install a statue of Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi in the Armenian capital.
The statue is set to be erected at a park at the crossroads of Halabyan and Margaryan Streets.
The proposal on placing the statue has been made by the Armenian Foreign Ministry in prior agreement with the Indian authorities, Andranik Sedoyan, the acting head of the Yerevan Municipality division of the programs of special regulation of urban development activity, said at a City Council session.
The statue will mark the 150th anniversary of the great political leader and philosopher, further strengthening and deepening the friendly relations between Armenia and India, the official said.
“According to the notice, the Indian side is ready to cover the costs of the transfer and erection of the statue. The location of the statue has been agreed with the Indian side,” Sadoyan said.
Separately, the City Council approved a decision to name the park next to the Yerevan Circus after renowned clown and actor of the Armenian circus Leonid Yengibaryan.
Government eliminated many monopolistic, corrupt, privileged mechanisms, says Armenian PM
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13:40,
YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government eliminated numerous monopolistic, corrupt, privileged mechanisms, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that the digital figures even prove this.
“Compared to the first quarter of 2019, 11,3% growth was recorded, but compared to 2018 the growth comprised 37,4%. The first 100 major taxpayers of the list have paid 151 billion AMD in taxes, which is more by 16 billion AMD from the respective figure of the past year and is more from the level of 2018 by nearly 40 billion AMD”, the PM said, adding that, however, while spending money they need to understand whether they are investing that money in the right place.
Pashinyan said the unresolved issues are so much that sometimes it is necessary to make more targeted and a shorter decision with a tendency for more strategic solutions for the future.
According to the data of the first quarter of 2020, the amount of taxes paid by 1000 major taxpayers comprised 246 billion AMD.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijan’s MFA: What kind of security Armenian FM talks about under conditions of military occupation?
Wed 22 Apr 2020 15:29 GMT | 19:29 Local Time
Abdullayeva was answering journalists’ questions.
Commenting on Mnatsakanyan’s remarks regarding the statement made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the video conference on , Abdullayeva stressed that the foundations of the new world order were laid after the World War II and were enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations of 1945, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and the Paris Charter of 1990.
“The norms and principles of international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination of peoples, have been described in all of these fundamental documents,” the spokesperson said.
“Both Azerbaijan and Armenia are full-fledged participants in these documents, who have committed themselves to impeccably comply with their conditions,” Abdullayeva said. “We remind that participating states must refrain from using force that threatens the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
“We also emphasize once again that with regard to the principle of self-determination, participating states must act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and relevant international law, including those related to the territorial integrity of states, as it has been stipulated in the Helsinki Final Act and then confirmed by the Paris Charter,” Abdullayeva added.
“As for the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, while ignoring its aforementioned obligations, using military aggression against neighboring Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia occupied one-fifth of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, having subjected more than a million of Azerbaijanis to the ethnic cleansing,” the spokesperson said.
“Under these conditions, the foreign minister of the aggressor country, that is, Armenia, peremptorily states about the problems with security and free will,” the spokesperson said. “What kind of security and will Armenian foreign minister talk about under the conditions of military occupation?! The fact of the occupation of the territory of one state by another is a permanent source of threat to the security.”
“It is impossible to talk about the security and free will of the Karabakh people when one-third of them have been forcibly expelled from their places of permanent residence and they have been deprived of the opportunity to return to their houses and express free will in relation to the future of their region for about 30 years,” Abdullayeva added.
Regarding the statement made by Sergei Lavrov on April 21 on a phased settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Abdullayeva stressed that this position is confirmed by all OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, which was repeatedly and consistently voiced by them at all levels and stages of the conflict settlement process.
“It is necessary to remember that the occupation is temporary,” the spokesperson said. “The sooner Armenia realizes this and ceases self-deception, deceiving its own population and trying to mislead the world community, the more chances there are to avoid further bloodshed and aggravation of the already deplorable situation in the country.”
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
While Remembering and Commemorating the Armenian Genocide, Let’s Not Forget the Greeks and Assyrians
Armenians are strong people. So they are capable of forgiving Turkey for the genocide
By Silva Emerian
Huge crowds of Armenian Americans march during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. Damian Dovarganes AP
Most of us have experienced hard things: Betrayals. The loss of a loved one. Cross-country moves. Failed marriages. Sick children. Combat. Empty refrigerators. Empty hearts. But the majority of us have never lived through a pandemic. This is hard.
We’re not used to being told to shelter in place and stay at home. We’re not used to waiting in line to get into the grocery store. We’re not used to figuring out online classes and virtual school. We’re not used to canceled events, vacations and graduations. We’re not used to overwhelmed hospitals. We’re not used to this many people being sick and dying all at once.
This is hard.
But some of us remember living through the Great Depression. Some of us remember what it was like during World War II. Some of us lived through genocide.
The Armenian Genocide was the first holocaust of the 20th century — a crime against humanity resulting in the death of 1.5 million Armenians and the deportation of hundreds of thousands more. It was on April 24, 1915 when the leaders of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey rounded up Armenian businessmen, community leaders and clergy and shot them dead, thus beginning the systematic murder and deportation of all the Christian Armenians living in their (historically Armenian) land.
My great-grandparents were among the survivors. They ended up in Syria, where my parents were born. Others landed in Lebanon, Egypt, the United States, France and Australia, creating a worldwide diaspora. Like seeds, we were scattered around the globe, where we planted schools and churches and new communities. We not only survived — we thrived.
For the last 105 years, the Turkish government has denied that the Armenian Genocide occurred. Despite eyewitness accounts, including that of Henry Morgenthau, U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913-1916; despite photographic evidence, mass graves and first-person testimony from survivors; despite physical proof and tangible documents making denial unfounded and implausible, the denial continues.
This is hard.
With denial comes a lack of closure. Not having recognition fuels anger. Hearing the stories of suffering, torture and indescribable torment leads to vengeful thoughts. Every year the scab continues to get ripped off. The wound remains open. And a painful legacy continues to get passed down the generations — a legacy of hatred for Turkey.
This hatred, of course, is in direct opposition to our Christian faith. Armenia became the first Christian nation in the world in 301 AD, and it is our faith that has kept us strong for more than 1700 years. It is our faith that enabled us to endure the genocide. And it is our faith that will help us overcome our hatred.
It will be hard. Because without recognition, without an admission, without reparations, how can we progress? How can we just let go of a century of pain? How can we turn the other cheek? How can we possibly move on from the persecution that shaped our modern identity?
There is one way. Forgiveness. With or without recognition, we as Christians can choose to forgive the Turks who killed our ancestors. We can choose to pray for the current government of Turkey that continues its denial. We can choose to bless the more than 98% of Turks who do not know Jesus and pray for the protection of the 0.3% of Christians living in that country.
This will not come naturally to Armenians. We are a stubborn group. We will resist. We will kick and scream. We will outright refuse. We will feel absolutely justified in our pain and anger. And in so doing, we will never move forward as a country or a people.
We have to forgive. We have to pray to reconcile. We have to change our mindset and outlook for Turkey. If we don’t pray for a heart-change in the people there, we can never expect any change in their minds or behavior.
Armenians are fighters. Armenians are survivors. And Armenians can do hard things.
Even forgive.