Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Armenia appoints new Ambassador to Argentina

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 13:56,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on appointing Hovhannes Virabyan Ambassador of Armenia to Argentina (residence in Buenos Aires), the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

According to another presidential decree, Estera Mkrtumyan has been relieved from the position of Armenia’s Ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru and Paraguay.

The President signed the respective decrees based on the Prime Minister’s proposal.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia approves three Covid vaccines

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 18 2021

Armenia will roll out the Covid vaccination in March 2021, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

She said the vaccination will be carried out on voluntary basis. People in risk groups will be vaccinated free of charge, she said, adding that it’s not yet clear what it will cost for others.

According to the Minister, the government will import only the vaccines that have successfully passed phase 3 of clinical trials.

Three vaccines – AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sputnik V – have so far been approved by an expert commission.

“With regard to Pfizer, there are issues pertaining to the required storage temperature, which need to be solved” Avanesyan said.

The amount of vaccines to be imported will depend on several factors, including their cost and how much money the state can allocate for the purpose. 

Asbarez: 114-Year-Old Lucy Mirigian Passes Away in San Francisco

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

February 18,  2021



Lucy Mirigian at age 112

BY GARO MIRIGIAN AND SONIA KOUJAKIAN

Lucy Mirigian, an active member of the San Francisco Bay Area Armenian community, including in organizations such as the Armenian Relief Society, passed away on February 12. She was 114.

Lucy was born in Armenia on August 15, 1906, the youngest of five children of Kevork and Altoon Sarkisian. While still very young, she contracted small pox. The “pox” completely destroyed her right eye, requiring Lucy to spend the rest of her life with one artificial eye. From even that young age, Lucy never considered herself disabled or let this tragedy get her down. Instead, she led a “limitless” life, attending college, learning to drive, working for years for the U.S. Treasury Department, being an active community member, becoming a voracious reader, a lover of handicrafts, and a world traveler and organizer.

Lucy Mirigian at 19

While she was still very young, Lucy and her family left everything they owned, escaped from Turkish-held Armenia just prior to the genocides, and relocated in Fresno. In Fresno, Lucy’s father and grandfather (a parish priest in Armenia) helped build the Holy Trinity Armenian Church.

At age 15, Lucy contracted typhoid and lost a year of her schooling. Undeterred, she returned to school after her recovery and was able to complete high school and secretarial school. Lucy, then, ended up teaching Sunday School and Armenian School, and started clubs for the young people of the Fresno Armenian church community.

Lucy married Ashod Mirigian in 1936, and moved to the Bay Area, ultimately settling in San Francisco. Lucy immediately became active in the San Francisco Armenian community, again teaching Sunday School and Armenian School, as well as joining the Ladies Auxiliary and ARS (Armenian Relief Society). In fact, when the United Nations was being formed in San Francisco, Lucy joined George Mardikian’s group of volunteer ladies to help feed the delegates during their planning meetings at the Opera House.

Lucy and Ashod became charter members of the Armenian American Citizens League (AACL), an organization formed to help the displaced persons who were flooding into the U.S. from war-torn Armenia.

Lucy Mirigian at 65

Lucy and Ashod had two children – Sonia (married to Hagop Koujakian), and Garo (married to Aida Petrossian). Lucy enjoyed helping her children grow by being active in PTA and other school activities. She encouraged music lessons and education. As a result, her children learned violin and piano, and both became career educators.

Once her children were a little independent, Lucy began working for the Social Security Administration. Upon her retirement, she began traveling and ultimately traveled around the world. After joining AARP, Lucy enjoyed their club activities, and eventually became their local tour director – organizing numerous gambling trips and cruises for fellow seniors.

Lucy passed quietly in her sleep on Friday morning, February 12, 2021. A family graveside service will be held in Fresno at the Ararat Cemetery.

Lucy is survived by her daughter Sonia and her husband, Hagop, her son Garo and his wife, Aida, grand-children Melina (and her husband Carlo Manjikian), and Lara (and her husband Armen Titizian), two great grand children (Joey and Bella Titizian), and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends – all of whom she loved dearly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice or her favorite organizations: St Gregory Armenian Church, Nor-Cal Senior Services, Armenian Relief Society, and the Armenian American Citizen’s League Scholarship Fund.

Massive police forces deployed in Yerevan amid the opposition rally

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 20 2021

Large number of police forces and vehicles have been deployed in capital city Yerevan as the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement is holding a nation-wide rally demanding the resignation of PM Pashinyan. 

As Mediaport Telegram Channel reports, a truck with barbed wire fence is parked near the National Assembly building. Buses with riot police officers have been stationed near the residence of Pashinyan. 

To remind, a rally organized by the Homeland Salvation Movement, a coalition of 17 opposition parties, will take place at Yerevan’s Liberty Square on Saturday, February 20. A number of political, public and cultural figures have urged the people to join today’s rally. 

Truth about the war discussed much – Armenia’s PM

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 10 2021

Head of Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan stated at the parliament today that he prepared a bill offering setting up a fact-finding group to examine the pre-war period, the process, the process of negotiations and present a report to the people.

“Don’t you want to examine and present the truth to the people, Mr Prime Minister,” Marukyan asked addressing the PM at the government-NA Q&A.

In response, PM Pashinyan stated that at this moment more then 1,000 criminal cases relating to the war are being examined.

“The mechanism of examination has been clearly put in the acting legislation and this mechanism is the investigating commission which may be formed in accordance with the relevant legislative regulations,” Pashinyan said.

As to the truth about the war, the PM stressed that it has many times been discussed and agreed that everything till the last detail must be revealed.

Marukyan responded that investigative committee that will be created will have low legitimacy as it will mostly be comprised of representatives of authorities.

  

Armenian expert: Baku dictator himself factually announced launch of ‘signboard war’

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 13 2021

Armenian expert on Iran Vardan Voskanyan slammed the installment of provocative Azerbaijani signboards in Armenia’s Syunik Province in an effort to pressure the Armenians.

“The dictatorial regime of Baku, taking advantage of the incompetence of the regime that still believes its in power in Armenia, is trying to exert psychological pressure on our people by installing provocative signboards in Syunik Province of Armenia with the use of various tricks,” he wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

“The launch of the so-called “signboard war” was factually announced some time ago by the dictator of Baku himself, trampling on the sign reading “Haykazyan” in one of the temporarily occupied territories of the Artsakh Republic as a manifestation of his disrespectful and obscene behavior, which has already become recurrent.

“These Azeri “signs” are, in fact, useless, because after the Armenian reconquest they will definitely end up in landfills, as the Azerbaijani proverb says, ‘tülkü hiyləgərdir, amma dərisi satılır’ (No matter how cunning the fox is, its fur is sold),” Voskanyan said. 

Armenia Deputy PM: All the money sent to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund transferred to state budget

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
News.am, Armenia
Feb 10 2021
18:26, 10.02.2021

During today’s question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan said the funds transferred to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund in October-November have been transferred to the state budget.

According to him, during martial law, this allowed to make all expenses quickly and on time, and there were also large expenses.

“There will be report on the expenses during the parliamentary hearings in May,” Grigoryan stated.

Nearly $170,000,000 was transferred to the Fund during the entire period of the war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

    

Aurora directs over $470,000 to Artsakh aid program

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 10:27, 9 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative continues to broaden its humanitarian program in Artsakh, the IDeA Foundation told Armenpress.

Aurora’s international standing and its vast network of engaged donors, experts, humanitarians and beneficiaries are being used to provide support to the people of Artsakh and ensure effective solutions on the ground. Taking into consideration the scale of Aurora’s relief program, a decision has been made to bring onboard a local expert with relevant background, and Narine Aghabalyan, former Minister of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh, has joined the Aurora team to lead the project. In the meantime, Aurora keeps accepting proposals from organizations in need of assistance on the ground – they are invited to submit their applications to [email protected].

“It is very important that Aurora is able to help people in need in different corners of the world, as well as to direct large-scale programs to Artsakh in 2020․ Aurora has already supported around 50 projects focused on immediate needs of locals, impacting thousands of Artsakh people. We are very glad to welcome Narine to the team and are certain that her expertise will allow the program to reach new heights,” said Arman Jilavian, Board Member of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.

In the aftermath of the war, Aurora has been providing direct aid to the people of Artsakh on the basis of the #AraratChallenge crowdfunding initiative and has already allocated $473,000 to the program. Together with partner organizations, the #AraratChallenge helps 48 projects focused on providing essentials to displaced people and restoring civil infrastructure in Artsakh through financial support, as well as by connecting volunteers willing to donate their time and expertise with humanitarian organizations in need of assistance on the ground.

Over the years, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Co-Founders, Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan and organizations founded by them have been involved in numerous programs in Artsakh. In addition, starting with Marguerite Barankitse, the recipient of the inaugural Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, the Aurora Prize Laureates have been visiting Artsakh annually, promoting its internationally.

“Overcoming the consequences of the autumn war of 2020 in Artsakh is a challenge for every Armenian.  Aurora can unite us all and help us meet it. United, we can do so much more than what we think we’re capable of,” said Narine Aghabalyan. An Artsakh native born in 1967 in Stepanakert, she held offices within the Government of the Republic of Artsakh in 2009–2020. For more than 8 years, Narine Aghabalyan had been the Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs, and later occupied the position of the Minister of Education, Science and Sports before joining the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.

In her new position as Head of Artsakh program, Narine Aghabalyan will oversee the implementation of the projects in the region supported by Aurora, as well as the development of a humanitarian platform to connect all stakeholders under the auspices of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and enforce the centralized coordination of major Artsakh-related efforts and funding.

* * *

About the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, is transforming this experience into a global movement based on the universal concept of Gratitude in Action. By addressing real, on-the-ground challenges, the Initiative provides a second chance to those who need it the most. We believe that even in the darkest times, a brighter future is in the hands of those who are committed to giving others help and hope, and Aurora welcomes all who embrace this philosophy. This is achieved through the Initiative’s various programs: Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, Aurora Dialogues, Aurora Grants, Aurora Community, Aurora Index, 100 LIVES Initiative and #AraratChallenge. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have been joined by thousands of supporters and partners. Our Chair, Dr. Tom Catena, draws on his experience is a surgeon, veteran, humanitarian and the 2017 Aurora Prize laureate to spread the message of Gratitude in Action to a global audience.

Armenpress: Yerevan Mayor has no plans to resign

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Yerevan Mayor has no plans to resign

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 20:56, 9 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan has no plans to resign, ARMENPRESS reports Marutyan said at the City Council session, answering the question of a Council member from ‘’Prosperous Armenia’’ Party, who asked to comment on the rumors that he will soon resign to be appointed Ambassador of Armenia to the Czech Republic.

‘’I do not resign. Before mentioning the Czech Republic, there were rumors about my expected appointment as an Ambassador of the USA’’, Marutyan said, adding that he has made some promises to the people and as long as all the promises are not fulfilled, he will continue working.