Armenia requests Russia to extradite arrested ex-official
17:08,
YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has submitted the package of required documents to Russia requesting the extradition of Mihran Poghosyan (pictured above), a former lawmaker and former government official wanted on charges of abuse of power and embezzlement, the General Prosecution told ARMENPRESS.
Poghosyan was detained by Russian authorities in the Republic of Karelia in pursuance of an Armenian arrest warrant.
He was charged and declared wanted on April 15th.
Poghosyan is suspected in the crimes during his tenure as Head of the Service of Mandatory Execution of Judicial Acts, a governmental agency under the Ministry of Justice in charge of enforcing judicial rulings. He resigned from the position in 2016 when his name appeared in the Panama Papers scandal, although he denied wrongdoing.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Left to right: Laura Atoian and Sarkis Barkhoudarian present a plaque of appreciation to Professor Peter Cowe
GLENDALE—The community came together on March 13 at the Glen Arden Club at the invitation of the Salmast Heritage Association, whose leaders provided an update of the organization’s local and international projects.
Board Chair Sarkis Barkhoudarian welcomed a hundred guests and introduced Board members. While, Co-Chair Laura Atoian conducted a PowerPoint overview of the organization’s many accomplishments, dating back to its inception in 2015. She thanked Professor Peter Cowe for giving SHA a “home” at the UCLA Narekatsi Chair for Armenian Studies.
Atoian communicated her appreciation for the initiation of the first ever academic course on Salmast, which was taught by Dr. Marco Brambilla during the 2018 Spring Quarter.
She elaborated on SHA’s research projects, which take place at seven international research/academic institutions: Cambridge University, Politecnico di Milano, Yerevan State University, Armenia’s Academy of Sciences, Tabriz University, the Matenadaran, and Iran’s Organization for Cultural Preservation.
She then invited Professor Cowe to speak about his collaboration with researchers at the Matenadaran, the projected UCLA o publication, and his department’s plans for offering an expanded course on Salmast in 2020.
Marco Brambilla Ph.D, SHA Head of Research, spoke about his recent presentation at the International Conference on Heritage as a Builder of Peace, in Florence, Italy, where he discussed Salmast monuments, and the potentially positive impact of restoring historic sites for creating harmony and improving the surrounding community’s quality of life.
He then shared photos of four Salmast Field Expeditions, conducted by Professor Boriani of Politecnico di Milano, with collaborators from Tabriz University, and Professor Farhad Tehrani of Iran’s Organization for Cultural Preservation.
Dr. Brambilla gave explanations about historic Salmast, showed monuments in ruins with their 3D reconstructions by SHA, and specifically emphasized the distinctive architectural styles of Salmast churches throughout the centuries, concluding his presentation with a short video of drone photography showing Salmast monuments in their current state of near destruction.
Our special guest, Professor Farhad Tehrani who is spearheading Salmast preservation with the collaboration of the Iranian government, spoke about the importance of protecting centuries-old Salmast religious sites and urban monuments, held by Iran’s largest Christian minority group.
Dr. Marco Bramilla (center left) in conversation with Dr. Rubina and Neshan Peroomian (center right)
Barkhoudarian and Atoian formally presented and read messages on plaques of appreciation to Dr. Cowe, Brambilla and Tehrani.Atoian also shared a letter of commendation sent from Politecnico di Milano’s Department of Urban Architecture, thanking Dr. Marco Brambilla for decades of contributions to the research and documentation of Salmast/Historic Armenia, dating back to his expeditions in the 1970s with the famed Italian architect, Adriano Alpago Novello.
After a quick break, Atoian, presented a two year budget with detailed explanations about financing SHA’s current projects: the English translation of Allis Hovhanisyan’s “In Raffi’s Footsteps,” recipient of Armenia’s 2018 Book of the Year and Author of the Year Awards; the completion and publication of the Salmast Dialect book by Cambridge Linguistics Professor Bert Vaux; future expeditions to Salmast; the second UCLA course in 2020, and the very first Salmast Conference at Yerevan State University on September 6 and 7 of this year.
The budget presentation generated a full sponsorship for the translation and prompted several other guests to offer pledges of support for specific projects.
As a non-profit organization, SHA’s fund-raising arm is always at work, and in that spirit, we invite readers to consider honoring or memorializing loved ones which will be acknowledged in the dedication section of SHA sponsored books. We also invite the business community to consider the benefits of international exposure for their enterprise by sponsoring the Salmast Conference in Yerevan, and having their company name appear on all printed as well as electronic communications related to the conference.
Mihran Toumajian, Director of West Coast Armenian Assembly of America, Inc. expressed deep appreciation for the existence of an “elite” research and education organization such as SHA, stressing the importance of keeping history alive for future generations of Armenians everywhere.
Ambassador Armen Baibourtian Ph.D, Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles, offered an eloquent message of thanks to SHA and to all the dedicated individuals whose generosity contributes to a better-informed Armenian community. Sarkis Barkhoudarian presented dedicated copies of “In Raffi’s Footsteps” to Mr. Toumajian and to Ambassador Baibourtian, thanking them for valuing SHA’s mission, for their presence and resonating messages of support.
The warm ambiance of the event continued well into the night as guests kept socializing, enjoying delicious food and drinks, experiencing a unique Virtual Reality Tour of a Salmast church, and receiving gifts of the 2019 Salmast Heritage calendar.
The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan should be ready for a launch of active hostilities, the country’s Defense Minister Col. Gen. Zakir Hassanov said at a meeting with the Armed Forces Central Command on Saturday.
“All exercises carried out under the plan are aimed at conducting large-scale offensive operations,” Hassanov was quoted by the Azeri Defense Ministry as saying.
With their irresponsible claims the Armenian military-political leaders are facilitating tension escalation on the Karabakh conflict line, he said.
“The minister issued specific instructions to commanders and chiefs of every level to organize permanent surveillance and keep enemy’s activities under control, give a resolute response to its potential provocations and be ready for a start of active combat operations any time,” the defense ministry said
Hassanov told commanders to increase the intensity of exercises and practices, “especially at nighttime, in an environment as close to real-life combat as possible,” the statement said.
On April 5, 2016, a ceasefire was agreed in Baku and Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh republic.
Azerbaijan lost control over Karabakh and seven other areas in the early 1990s as a result of a conflict with the region’s ethnic Armenian population and with Armenia.
In May 1994, a ceasefire was introduced between Armenia and Karabakh on the one part, and Azerbaijan on the other.
The current Karabakh talks are being mediated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Minsk Group set up in 1992 to search for peaceful settlement. The MG comprises Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Turkey, and is co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States.
Azerbaijan does not consider Karabakh to be a party to the conflict and has refused to negotiate with it.
Pashinyan-Aliyev recent meeting gives hope for reaching progress in NK conflict settlement, says EU’s Mogherini
15:25, 4 April, 2019
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. The results of the recent meeting of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vienna give hope for reaching progress in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Federica Mogherini – EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said during a press conference, summing up the results of the session of the EU-Azerbaijan Association Council held in Brussels, reports TASS.
“The recent meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Vienna was positive. In line with the Paris agreement in January, the high-level contacts and significant reduction in ceasefire violations, it gives us certain hope that the process will move forward, and the two countries will fulfill their commitments and will hold negotiations without preconditions”, Mogherini said.
On March 29 Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Vienna under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The main outcome of the meeting was the willingness expressed by the sides to continue the direct dialogue over the peaceful solution of the Karabakh conflict.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
It’s time for Armenia to become part of new Silk Road – Armenian President meets with Chinese delegation
19:44, 4 April, 2019
YEREVAN, APRIL 4, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received on April 4 the delegation led by Mrs. Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairwoman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee of China.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office, greeting the guests President Sarkissian noted that Armenia and China are ancient countries with centuries-old tradition of cooperation since the times of the existence of the Silk Road. The President highlighted the development of the cooperation already in the 21st century in the sidelines of the One Belt One Road program initiated by the top leadership of China. “It’s time for Armenia to become part of the new Silk Road”, President Armen Sarkissian said.
Speaking about the necessity to activate the existing cooperation, the Vice-Chairwoman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee highlighted the friendly relations with Armenia.
The sides underlined that there is huge potential for developing relations between the two states. They particularly highlighted the expansion of cooperation in the spheres of development of infrastructures, mining industry, protection of the environment, tourism, high technologies and artificial intelligence.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Pashinyan testifies in court as witness in 2017 assault case against campaigning office
15:27, 3 April, 2019
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has testified today in court in a case concerning an assault against his political alliance’s campaigning office back in 2017.
Pashinyan was testifying in court as a witness.
During the last day of campaigning for the 2017 parliamentary election, the mobile campaigning office of the Yelk alliance was attacked and its flag was stolen. During those days Pashinyan was a Member of Parliament.
He told the court details on how he was informed over the phone about the attack and visited the site.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan