Politico.eu Germany, France, UK and two development banks involved in deal with Ankara. By Karl Mathiesen October 8, 2021 8:04 pm Turkey’s ratification of the Paris climate agreement this week came after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government was offered a guarantee of financial support in talks with France, Germany, the U.K. and two development banks. The parliament in Ankara ratified the deal late Wednesday night, ending years of refusal to take the final legal step to join the international agreement to limit global warming it signed in 2015. It came after a deal in principle to provide Turkey with financial support to clean up its emissions, which was struck between Ankara and officials from France, Germany, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, according to two people who described aspects of the discussions. They would not confirm whether the governments themselves were the source of the funding, or the development banks. The details of the deal would be announced "in a timely manner," one said. The U.K. was also involved in the talks but not a signatory of the deal. German Environment State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth called Turkey's ratification "a very important step on which I cooperated long and intensively with our Turkish colleagues." Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum held talks last Saturday with U.K. COP26 President Alok Sharma, French Minister of Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili and Flasbarth. An IFC Spokesperson said it was "glad to support Turkey as Turkey has chosen to ratify the Paris Agreement, but it is not correct that IFC funds have been pledged toward this end." After those discussions, Turkey announced a new goal of "net zero emissions" by 2053 — a precise date that may owe less to detailed economic analysis of Turkey's emissions pathways than to the 600th anniversary of the fall of Byzantine Constantinople, today's Istanbul, to the Ottoman Empire. Turkey hasn't clarified if that goal is for all greenhouse gases or CO2 alone. Turkey has withheld its legal assent to the climate accord as leverage in a decades-long campaign to be considered a developing country under the terms of the 1992 U.N. climate convention. That would make it eligible for a share of certain climate funds. Turkey's current status is in limbo, where countries have offered it an exemption from having to pay financial contributions, but it officially remains part of the group of developed nations. Turkey's ratification statement said it would implement the Paris deal "as a developing country." But one of the people who described the deal with the European governments and banks said Turkey's status under the convention would not change as part of the deal they had struck with Ankara. Germany had floated a deal with Turkey as far back as 2017, but with the U.S. at that point shaping to withdraw from the Paris deal, Erdoğan was not subject to the pressure from major powers he has felt in the run-up to the COP26 climate talks, which start in Glasgow in a little over three weeks. But with Joe Biden's administration having rejoined the deal this year, Turkey was the only G20 economy not to have ratified the deal. Only Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Iran and Eritrea remain outside.
Author: Talar Tumanian
Armenpress: Azerbaijan pursues far reaching goals to disrupt Russia’s peacekeeping mission – Artsakh’s MFA
Azerbaijan pursues far reaching goals to disrupt Russia’s peacekeeping mission – Artsakh’s MFA
20:32, 9 October, 2021
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh issued a statement condemning the killing of a civilian by Azerbaijani armed forces. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Artsakh, the statement runs as follows,
“On October 9, a civilian of the Republic of Artsakh was fatally wounded by an Azerbaijani sniper fire in an agricultural area near the town of Martakert. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh strongly condemns such aggressive behavior and provocative actions of Azerbaijan aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear among the peaceful population of the Republic of Artsakh and emigration of Armenians from the country. Azerbaijan also pursues far-reaching goals – that is to disrupt the implementation of the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation and to question the effectiveness of the peacekeepers’ activities. This and all the previous incidents, which resulted in casualties among civilians or damage to their property, are manifestations of Azerbaijan’s coordinated anti-Armenian policy and another proof that the Azerbaijani authorities’ peaceful calls on the people of Artsakh and claims for peaceful coexistence are nothing but an attempt to mislead the civilized world and weaken the vigilance of the Armenian parties. We call on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states to take active steps to hold the Azerbaijani party accountable and exclude such incidents in the future”.
Sports: Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Malkhas Amoyan crowned World Champion
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 8 2021
Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Malkhas Amoyan (72 kg) won a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championship in Oslo.
The Armenian weightlifter defeated Sergey Kutuzov of Russia 3: 1 in the final bout and was declared the world champion for the first time.
This is the first medal of the Armenian Greco-Roman wrestling team in Oslo.
Armenian FM to pay working visit to Iran
10:04, 4 October, 2021
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. On October 4, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran, his spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said on social media.
Within the framework of the visit, a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is scheduled, which will be followed by a joint press statement of the Ministers.
Editing by Aneta Harutyunyan
With New Economic Regions, Karabakh Set To Become Economic Driver Of Caucasus – OpEd
Sept 28 2021
By Orkhan Baghirov*
On July 7, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the new division of economic regions in Azerbaijan. According to the decree, the number of economic regions increased from 11 to 14. The capital of the country has been allocated to a separate economic region, and the new Karabakh and East Zangazur were created. The Karabakh economic region covers Khankandi city, Aghjabadi, Aghdam, Barda, Fuzuli, Khojali, Khojavand, Susha and Tartar regions. In the document regarding the new Karabakh region, it was noted that it is important to create this region to ensure the restoration and rapid development of the ancient Karabakh region, which has a rich historical and cultural heritage and charming nature.
The other, newly created, Eastern Zangazur region includes the liberated Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Lachin, and Zangilan regions. Districts of this new region are located in the eastern part of the Zangezur plateau, surrounded by the Zangezur mountain range and covering a vast territory from Lachin and Kalbajar to Nakhchivan, on the border with Armenia, were historically located in the same geographic area. For many years, they were part of the Zangezur district, created in 1861, and were connected by traditional socio-economic, historical, and cultural ties, which necessitated the need to unite them in one economic region.
A new division of economic regions in Azerbaijan will ensure economic specialization, implementation of effective investment policies and flexible regional management. The creation of the new economic zones will provide an impetus for the restoration and development of the liberated territories following the 44 Day War. Therefore, the new division of economic regions can be considered as an important step in creating a unified plan for the development of the liberated territories. It is also important in terms of the reintegration of the liberated territories into the Azerbaijani economy, which requires increasing the efficiency of the work on planning the development of economic regions, ensuring efficiency in economic management, and revising the structure of these economic regions.
There is no doubt that the realization of the economic opportunities in the liberated territories after the restoration will significantly affect the economy of Azerbaijan. Because of the occupation, nearly 7000 establishments in Karabakh were closed, which were providing 24% of the grain revenues, 41% of liqueur production, 46% of the potato growth, 18% of the meat production and 34% of the milk production of the economy of Azerbaijan. The previously occupied lands also possess various rich deposits of mineral resources such as gold, copper, mercury, chromite, and lead-zinc, which were illegally exploited by Armenia during the occupation.
Restoration of these production capacities will substantially contribute to the development of different economic sectors, especially agriculture. According to preliminary estimates, the newly created East Zangezur economic region alone will be able to form about 4% of the Azerbaijani economy in the coming years as it has great opportunities in sectors such as industry, agriculture, livestock, and tourism. Although during the occupation, the region’s share of the total GDP of Azerbaijan fell to 0.1%, in the near future it will be possible to produce about $1.76 billion of agricultural and industrial products in the Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Lachin, and Zangilan districts.
Liberated territories also have a substantial renewable, especially hydro energy potential. About 2,56 billion cubic meters of water, or 25% of Azerbaijan’s local water resources, are formed in Karabakh, which creates opportunities for the establishment of hydro power plants (HPP). During the 44 Days War, Azerbaijan gained control over the 30 HPPs which were operated using the mentioned water resources and destroyed by Armenian occupiers. Many of these power plants have been restored, and restoration work is continuing on others. Karabakh also has a considerable solar and wind energy potential. According to the preliminary estimates of the International Renewable Energy Agency, the liberated areas have more than 4,000 megawatts of solar and up to 500 megawatts of wind energy potential. The Kalbajar and Lachin regions have large wind energy potential, whereas the Zangilan, Jabrayil, and Fizuli regions are rich with solar energy potential.
For the realization of the economic potential of liberated territories, it is also necessary to have a sustainable transport infrastructure. Therefore, one of the main directions of the restoration program for the liberated territories is the establishment of a comprehensive transport infrastructure. The Fuzuli International Airport, the first airport in Karabakh, has already been built and test flights have been carried out. The runway of this airport spans 3,000 meters in length and 60 meters in width. Foundations for the other two international airports in the Zengilan and Lachin districts of Karabakh were also laid. Along with airports, Azerbaijan has also commenced work on restoring and expanding the network of local highways and railroads in liberated territories. Some highways have already been put into operation. These roads will enable access to Karabakh from the northern, eastern, and southern directions, transforming it into the transportation hub in the region.
All the mentioned economic capabilities of the liberated territories in agriculture, energy, transport, and other sectors demonstrate that their realization and effective management through the new division of the economic regions will significantly contribute to the economic development of Karabakh and the Azerbaijan economy. Hence, one of the main goals of the restoration of Karabakh is to bring its share in the Azerbaijani economy back to pre-occupation levels. The economic development of the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions and their access to the international north-south and east-west transport corridors, as well as the Zangezur corridor, will also transform Karabakh into the economic driver of the entire South Caucasus. As an economic driver, it will become the symbol of regional cooperation instead of the region of the conflict as it was during the Armenian occupation.
*Orkhan Baghirov, Leading advisor, Center of Analysis of International Relations
Armenia SRC Chairman, Italian Ambassador discuss cooperation prospects in tax, customs administration field
11:08, 28 September, 2021
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan received Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Alfonso Di Riso to discuss the cooperation prospects in tax and customs administration field, the SRC reported.
In his remarks the SRC Chairman noted that the legal-contractual base between Armenia and Italy in tax and customs administration enables to run cooperation both at bilateral level and within the frames of international organizations.
The Armenian and Italian sides expressed their readiness to take practical steps to further expand the cooperation between the tax and customs authorities of the two countries.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenian bishops elect former US pastor as patriarch
Sept 23 2021
Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church celebrate Mass at the Pontifical Armenian College in Rome this week.
CNS photo/Paul Haring
The bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church have elected Archbishop Raphaël François Minassian, the ordinary for Armenian Catholics in Eastern Europe, to be their church’s new patriarch.
Upon his election, the 74-year-old patriarch took the name Patriarch Raphaël Pierre XXI Minassian, the Vatican said in an announcement today.
The patriarch-to-be and his 11 confreres began meeting in Rome earlier this week to begin their second attempt at electing a patriarch.
The bishops had met in Lebanon for two weeks in June, but no candidate had garnered the two-thirds vote necessary to succeed Patriarch Grégoire Pierre XX Ghabroyan, who died in Beirut in May.
In accordance with church law, after the unsuccessful election, the bishops turned to Pope Francis. He asked them to gather in Rome and begin the electoral process again, yesterday, after two days of prayer and reflection.
Patriarch Minassian was born in Beirut in 1946 and prepared for the priesthood at the patriarchal seminary in Bzommar before studying philosophy and theology at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and doing special studies in educational psychology at the Pontifical Salesian University.
Ordained to the priesthood in 1973, he served as pastor in Armenian parishes in Lebanon and as secretary for five years to Patriarch Jean Pierre XVIII Kasparian.
After serving as a judge in the Armenian church tribunal in Beirut and teaching Armenian at a Catholic university, he was transferred to the United States where he served as a pastor in New York before serving as pastor of Armenian Catholics in California, Arizona and Nevada.
In 2005, he was named patriarchal exarch of Jerusalem and Amman and was named an archbishop and the ordinary for Armenians in Eastern Europe in 2011.
Before electing the new patriarch, the Armenian bishops had two days of prayer in Rome.
Preaching at the opening Divine Liturgy Sept. 20, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, told the bishops that just as they believe the elements of the earth, such as bread and wine are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, they must believe they, too, can be transformed by the Spirit.
“We who are constituted as ministers of the Eucharist, who invoke in the epiclesis the outpouring of the Spirit of consecration, we risk at times setting limits to the Paraclete, keeping in ourselves, in our hearts or in our judgment of others areas of shadow where the only criterion is personal or worse, that of the spirit of the world,” the cardinal said.
“With the bread and the wine, place your personal lives and those of your brother bishops on the altar, asking for yourselves and for them the gift of purification, transformation and mission.”
After decades of suffering persecution and the ravages of war in their traditional homelands, members of the Armenian Catholic Church now live in communities scattered across the globe, Cardinal Sandri said. He prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide the bishops because their people “need shepherds who will lead them, seek them out, and know how to call them by name like the good shepherd described in the Gospel”.
377,405 vaccinations against COVID-19 carried out in Armenia so far: Minister sees positive change in people’s attitude
377,405 vaccinations against COVID-19 carried out in Armenia so far: Minister sees positive change in people’s attitude
11:58,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. 377,405 vaccinations against COVID-19 have been carried out in Armenia so far, of which 133,031 citizens are fully vaccinated, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said during the discussion in the Parliament over the new coronavirus-related rules.
“If in March the vaccination rate was about 10%, today it is higher than 40%. We see the rate, the growing number of daily vaccinations. 9,924 vaccinations were conducted yesterday. So far, a total of 377,405 vaccinations have been carried out. 244,374 citizens received the first dose, and 133,031 citizens have already got the two shots”, she said.
Commenting on the question why the vaccination process has been delayed in Armenia, the minister mentioned misinformation and anti-propaganda, which, she said, negatively affected the citizens. “We have tried to turn the wheel of that anti-propaganda in 4-5 months. And I think that we already have quite a good figure in terms of citizens’ attitude towards vaccinations”, the minister said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
AGBU Reflects on 30 Years of Armenia’s Independence
PRESS RELEASE
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For immediate release
This September 21st marks three decades since the Armenian people voted to declare independence as a sovereign nation state, a status not possessed for many centuries since historical Armenia fell under the rule of successive empires except for the short-lived First Armenian Republic of 1918-1920, which was ultimately integrated into the USSR.
For those living in those momentous years of the early 1990s, an independent Armenian state was an impossible dream come true overnight, a grand redemption for aging Genocide survivors and their progeny to see in their lifetimes the raising of the tri-color at the United Nations. Back in Yerevan, scenes of Armenian citizens rejoicing as the giant statue of Lenin toppled to the ground and the first Armenian Parliament was sworn into session are also iconic markers embedded in the collective psyche.
Suddenly, the Armenian Identity could be defined not only in the context of past tragedies but in infinite new possibilities to bring the Armenian Nation into the modern world family. A free homeland captured the imagination of Armenians in every corner of the world as the new republic took on the challenges and opportunities of self governance with the active support of the worldwide Diaspora—that saw an independent homeland as the guarantor of its heritage and identity—vigorously engaged in the nation-building process.
Those early days soon turned bittersweet as the realities of independence settled in and Armenia endured many setbacks and false starts because of war and economic challenges. It was not until the mid-90s when the end of the first war over Artsakh ushered in a new era of reconstruction and enterprise.
In these ensuing years, Armenia had the breathing space to show the world its intrinsic value as a developing country. By the mid- 2000s, the tourism, agriculture and high tech innovation industries had clearly replaced the defunct factory-based economy of the Soviet period. Those dusty Yerevan streets, crumbling buildings, and rickety roads of the early 1990s were transformed into modern thoroughfares and connecting highways, new infrastructure with first world plumbing facilities, safe and clean new schools and concert halls, a futuristic international airport, privately-owned restaurants offering diverse culinary fare, alongside towering international hotels, well stocked supermarkets, and rows of foreign embassies. The regional city of Gyumri, the ground zero of the 1988 Armenian Earthquake, is now a high tech hub for startups, bringing in a renaissance of creative culture appealing to the youth and tourists.
In the provinces, where unemployment has stubbornly persisted to fray the cohesion of intergenerational families and communities, the last decade has seen the rise of women entrepreneurs in rural areas who have been empowered to launch micro enterprises and small businesses. There are afterschool centers for teens to explore creative technologies to stay competitive with their global peers. Many such endeavors are supported by AGBU and its partners working to level the playing field for Armenia’s women and youth.
Higher learning institutions like American University of Armenia (AUA), which AGBU co-founded and has continuously supported, has changed the world view of young Armenians from across the national landscape. And with the help of AGBU and numerous professional healthcare organizations founded by Armenians in the West, the nation’s healthcare system has made steady progress. In the recent pandemic and war, western-trained local physicians and health professionals worked shoulder to shoulder with foreign medical teams to perform back-to-back life-saving surgeries, healing soldiers and civilians with top grade diagnostic equipment and supplies.
Titans of industry and philanthropists from Russia, United States, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America are the legends that will live on as early Armenian pioneers, visionaries and nation builders, while thousands of youth of Armenian descent visit their homeland to reconnect with their ethnic roots or participate in renovation projects, forming close bonds with their in-country peers. AGBU scholarships have allowed scores of Armenia’s students to dream big and attend the world’s best universities, growing into competitive, sophisticated, and skilled Armenian nationals able to give back to their native country as the times demand.
Since the change of government in 2018, Armenia has held successive elections deemed by international human rights and pro-democracy agencies to have been free and fair. Moreover, the yearnings of the electorate continue to lean into democratic values while maintaining strategically valuable relations with Armenia’s neighbors.
The question that this year’s Independence celebration raises is whether a free Armenian state can prevail with a weakened hand, due to the new geopolitical realities and internal political strife triggered by the Second Artsakh War of 2020.
AGBU, one of the oldest of many Diaspora organizations on the front lines of national crises, takes a long term perspective on the current challenges of the moment. Our focus on putting our people before politics has resulted in countless stories about the resilience of the Armenian people facing life and death situations. These up-close encounters with ordinary citizens and families, from both urban and rural environments, different regions of the world, and many historical turning points, have revealed a common thread of determination and hope that binds us together as one Armenian Nation.
We believe in a free Armenia because that is the essence of the Armenian spirit that lives in every Armenian across the globe. And when Armenians are free to be Armenians, there is no limit to what we can achieve in every sphere of endeavor. Despite all the early setbacks of independence, we somehow stayed the course. So we cannot turn our backs on all that has been accomplished over these 30 years.
Thirty years is still very young in the life of a nation state but Armenia must move past the term “fledgling democracy.” While not yet at its prime, Armenia, before last year’s war, was poised to gain momentum and consolidate progress on many important fronts. We sincerely hope this milestone anniversary will remind Armenians everywhere that after 30 years, we cannot and will not turn back or lose confidence in ourselves.
We are “an against all odds” kind of people and the world must recognize this unique characteristic of ours to repeatedly defy those outworn predictions of our imminent demise. It’s time for the world to bet on Armenia. It is time for us Armenians to bet on ourselves.
In unity is strength.
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit www.agbu.org.
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Deputy PM meets with representatives of grape purchasing companies, minimal purchasing price rises to 130 AMD from 115
19:37,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan, a meeting with the representatives of major grape purveying companies took place on September 15 for discussing the problems that emerged during the purveyance period. The meeting was attended by the representatives of Representatives of “Proshyan Brandy Factory”, “Vedi Alco”, “Vostan Wine Factory”, “Hayasy Group”, ” “Artashat Vincon” , “Ijevan Wine Factory”, “MAP” companies. Deputy Minister of Economy Arman Khojoyan also took part in the meeting.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of Deputy PM Suren Papikyan, the issue of grape procurement price was discussed during the meeting. The result of the meeting was that the companies participating in the meeting agreed to raise the minimum price from the existing 115 AMD to 130 AMD for technical varieties of grapes. Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan also informed that weighing scales and sugar meters were checked at the purveyance stations, noting that this issue will be in the center of the Government’s attention.
The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed the strategic importance of the grape value chain, and offered the grape purveying companies to hold similar discussions regularly after completing the procurement season in order to provide systemic solutions to the existing problems in the sphere.