Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Armenia’s ruling party says will not stop ‘people’s candidate’ becoming PM

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
SwissInfo, Switzerland


Armenia’s ruling party says will not stop ‘people’s candidate’ becoming PM

Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan (R) walks with the supporter during a rally in Yerevan, Armenia . REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

(reuters_tickers)

YEREVAN (Reuters) – Armenia’s ruling party said on Sunday it would not stop protest leader Nikol Pashinyan becoming interim prime minister if all opposition factions in parliament support his candidacy.

More than two weeks of anti-government protests forced the resignation of Republican Party veteran Serzh Sarksyan as prime minister and the party has said it will not put forward one of its own members to replace him, in a bid to calm tensions.

Pashinyan, a former journalist turned lawmaker, has said parliament must elect him prime minister on May 1.

He is so far the only person to put himself forward and, as of Sunday, had received the support of all opposition parties in parliament that hold 47 seats of the 105-seat legislature where the Republicans have a majority.

After talks with Pashinyan on Sunday, the parliamentary leader of the Republican Party, Vahram Baghdasaryan, said the party would not “impede the election of the people’s candidate” if all three opposition factions in parliament supported him.

The announcement coincided with the resumption of protests in the capital Yerevan after a two-day moratorium during which demonstrations against the Republican Party and official corruption were held in smaller cities.

Addressing demonstrators on Yerevan’s Republic Square, Pashinyan said he would meet with lawmakers on Monday and called for his supporters to refrain from acts of civil disobedience.

Although demonstrations have been peaceful, the upheaval has threatened to destabilise Armenia, a close ally of Russia in a volatile region riven by a decades-long, low-level conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan.

(Reporting by Hasmik Mkrtchyan; Writing by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)



Aznavour returns to France, no health concerns

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
| 15:57 | April 26 2018
Category
World

Charles Aznavour’s health has improved and the acclaimed singer has arrived in France on April 26 after his concert in St. Petersburg, Russia was cancelled earlier, representatives of the singer told RIA Novosti.

The 93 year old legend, who also serves as Armenia’s Ambassador to Switzerland, was taken to a hospital in St. Petersburg on April 25. He cause wasn’t immediately known but on April 26 Aznavour’s agent said he had suffered a minor muscle spasm.

The concert in St. Petersburg was postponed until 2019.

Aznavour was also due to perform April 28 in the Kremlin Palace, but the appearance was also cancelled.

ANCC Welcomes Parliamentary Hearings on Turkey’s Deteriorating Human Rights Situation

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Armenian
National Committee of Canada

Comité
National Arménien du Canada

 

Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622

E-mail/Courriel:[email protected]

www.anccanada.org

 

-PRESS RELEASE-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

                                                                    Contact: Sevag Belian (613) 235-2622

 

 

ANCC Welcomes Parliamentary Hearings on Turkey’s Deteriorating
Human Rights Situation

 

Ottawa – The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC)
welcomes the recent decision taken by the International Human Rights
Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International
Development to discuss the current human rights situation in the Republic of
Turkey.

 

In August 2017, the ANCC, along with
the Democratic Kurdish Federation of Canada (DKFC) submitted a joint report to
the subcommittee, requesting a comprehensive study on the alarming human rights
situation and the deteriorating state of the rule of law in Turkey today.

 

“The ANCC and DKFC played an instrumental role in
making the proper representations, both to the subcommittee and the wider
foreign policy community, to ensure that Ottawa takes the proper steps in
addressing the current alarming situation in Turkey and initiate a substantive
study that will hopefully generate a better understanding of the current state
of affairs in that country” said Shahen Mirakian, president of the ANCC.   

 

Since reclaiming power after the
failed coup attempt of July 2016, and especially after the highly controversial
constitutional referendum that granted the president unprecedented powers, Erdoğan
and his regime have been merciless in silencing their opposition and
suppressing the people’s fundamental rights of freedom of speech, assembly and
association. Erdoğan’s purges have particularly targeted the academic and
judicial ranks of the country, while attempting to systematically oppress the
rights of various minority groups in the country. Since July 2016, tens of
thousands of people, including journalists, lawyers, judges, military officers
and activists have been arrested including 12 members of parliament from the
pro-Kurdish leftist Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and 80 Kurdish co-mayors.

 

“The subcommittee’s timely decision to raise this
matter brings further evidence to the deteriorating situation in Turkey and the
west’s growing reservations towards the repressive regime of President Erdoğan. 
Though we welcome this step by the subcommittee, we remain vigilant in making
sure that the appropriate representations are made to our legislators during
these hearings and a clear understanding is formulated regarding the current
state of affairs in Turkey” added Mirakian.

 

Thus far the subcommittee has dedicated three
specific sessions for this particular subject.  The first hearing took
place on Tuesday, April 17th, the second hearing is set for Thursday, April 19th,
in Ottawa and the date of the third hearing has not yet been set.

 

“The ANCC will continue to follow closely as the
hearings continue and will be willing to provide more assistance to the
subcommittee to raise more awareness about this increasingly alarming
international human rights situation” concluded Mirakian.

 

 

-30-

 

******

 

 

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Armenian-Canadian
grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-Canadian
community on a broad range of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human
rights throughout Canada and the world.

 

—
Sevag Belian – Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of Canada
T: (613) 235-2622 | C: (905) 329-8526
E:

Sports: Mkhitaryan’s injury severity to be assessed in a medication examination

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
MediaMax, Armenia
April 6 2018
 
 
Mkhitaryan’s injury severity to be assessed in a medication examination
 
 
 
 
Henrikh Mkhitaryan wasn’t able to finish Arsenal vs CSKA Moscow match of the Europa League. The team won yesterday’s match 4:1 (in Armenian).
 
Due to his injury Mkhitaryan was replaced by Alex Iwobi at the 61st minute. The Armenian midfielder will also miss the match against Southampton to be held within Europa League on April 8.
 
“Mkhitaryan had a knee injury, but its severity and recovery period will be revealed after the medical examination,” Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger said in a news conference after the match.

Music: Eurovision: Who is Armenia’s Eurovision Song Contest 2018 entry? Sevak Khanagyan to perform Qami

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
The Sun, UK
April 2 2018

Russian-Armenian singer Sevak will be hoping he can better the nation’s highest position of fourth with his pop track

By Joe Brophy
2nd April 2018, 3:57 pm

THE Eurovision hopes of one country lie in the sultry tones of singer-songwriter Sevak Khanagyan.

Here’s everything you need to know about Armenia’s 2018 Eurovision entry…

Sevak Khanagyan will be representing Armenia at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest

Armenian chess players win only “tickets” at European Championships

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
  • 19:52 | March 28,2018 | Sports
  • Armenian:

The European Individual Chess Championship came to its end in Batumi.

In the last round today, our three chess players Robert Hovhannisyan, Arman Pashikyan and Hrant Melkumyan ended their games and scored 7.5 points each. They eventually took 9th-32th places. The champion of Europe Ivan Saricz was declared European champion, who scored 8.5 points out of 11 and went ahead of all competitors. The 2nd place was occupied by Radoslav Vojtasek from Poland and Sanan Syugirov from Russia.

As we know, 23 were also played in the championship. Robert Hovhannisyan and Arman Pashikian won the “tickets” to the World Chess Cup, and Hrant Melkumyan was in the 25th place, so he was not in the list.

Charges dropped against most Turkish officers in D.C. clash

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Panorama, Armenia

U.S. federal prosecutors have dropped charges against 11 of 15 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security team who were accused in connection with the beating of protesters during their visit to Washington last year, the latest twist in a case that caused a diplomatic rift between the U.S. and Turkey.

The decision by the U.S. to prosecute the 15 men added to political strains as the Trump administration was trying to reset relations with Turkey, a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State. The move to dismiss charges against most of them stands to ease one source of tension between Washington and Ankara, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Prosecutors first asked a judge in November to dismiss charges against four members of Mr. Erdogan’s security detail. Then they dropped charges against seven others on Feb. 14, the day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson flew to Ankara for a meeting with Mr. Erdogan meant to ease tensions. Among those freed of legal jeopardy immediately before the high-level meeting was the head of Mr. Erdogan’s security team.

U.S. officials said that no one pressured prosecutors to drop any of the charges for political reasons. Instead, the decisions were the result of investigators misidentifying some of the suspects and failing to develop enough evidence against others, according to the U.S. officials and an attorney who provided some free legal advice to defendants in the case.

Mr. Tillerson, in his private talks with Turkish leaders, pointed to the decisions to drop charges—which hadn’t been publicized or announced—as an example of how the U.S. had addressed Mr. Erdogan’s grievances, according to administration officials familiar with the talks.

The administration’s efforts to reset relations with Turkey have been buffeted by a series of challenges, including the prosecution of the guards and a decision by President Donald Trump to directly arm Syrian Kurdish fighters that Turkey considers terrorists.

The charges against members of Mr. Erdogan’s security team were the outgrowth of a chaotic clash last May near the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington against demonstrators protesting the Turkish president’s visit.

Videos of the clashes showed men in suits with side arms punching and kicking demonstrators as Washington police and U.S. Secret Service officers tried to intervene.

At least nine demonstrators were hospitalized. One police officer and two members of the Secret Service were also injured.

U.S. lawmakers denounced the attack and some called on the Trump administration to expel Turkey’s ambassador. District of Columbia Police Chief Peter Newsham characterized it as an unprovoked and “brutal attack on peaceful protesters.”

Stable economic growth will be transformed into inclusive economic development year after year. Sardaryan

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
  • 20.03.2018

    •  

  • Armenia:

    •  

  • arm

1
 77

When it was officially announced that the economic growth in Armenia was 7.5% in 2017, the most frequently asked question is the following: to what extent did the society feel the positive effect of that growth, to what extent did it affect the general well-being? This was announced by Shushan Sardaryan, a member of the RPA faction, at the time of announcements in the National Assembly, noting that yes, the government managed to achieve an unprecedented 7.5% growth over the last 10 years, when the world’s average economic growth rate was estimated at 3.1%. 

“Let’s agree that the higher the number of economic growth, the higher the expectations of the society. But, somehow focusing on the mechanical index of GDP growth, we are surprised that the society remains unconnected to it. Therefore, not only the indicator of economic growth, but also the general development should be targeted. In this regard, a new conceptual approach is dictated by President Serzh Sargsyan’s emphasis that economic growth should be inclusive and the results should be available to all sections of society and especially to the socially vulnerable sections. It means that the stable and balanced development of the economy should gradually lead to an increase in the result, under which every member of the society, first of all, with a low income threshold, will feel on his skin that growth has been recorded,” he noted.
 
Along with this, the MP continued, the private sector, especially the agriculture and light industry sectors, should be able to adequately solve the employment problem thanks to the investments, because these sectors create maximum jobs and are important from the point of view of inclusion.


Sardaryan raises the question: to what extent was the economic growth of the previous years inclusive, to what extent did it contribute to the growth of well-being?


“Perceptions are different, in one case there is a growth effect, in another case there is not. And in order not to rely on subjective evaluations, inclusiveness should be truly measurable. For five years now, the World Economic Forum has evaluated the inclusiveness of the economic growth of more than a hundred countries through the Inclusive Development Index, which, in addition to gross domestic product, takes into account 11 other indicators, from equal income distribution to life expectancy, public debt and a healthy living environment. 
In the organization’s latest report, developing Armenia ranked 45th among 77 countries, improving its inclusiveness index by 0.62 points in the last 5 years. Of course, this is not a big number to feel the impact, but it is important that there is a positive dynamic,” he said.


According to the RPA deputy, the positive economic developments of our country are also evidenced by the evaluations of international rating organizations. Moody’s, earlier also Fitch took into account the economic growth, financial system and fiscal reforms to improve Armenia’s rating, they also reviewed the economic growth forecasts for the coming years. “In today’s situation, the economic prerequisites can be said to be system-creating and contribute to the transformation of sustainable economic growth into inclusive economic development year after year,” added the deputy.

Arsenal boss Wenger talks about Mkhitaryan’s performance ahead of Milan match

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
| 13:13 | March 15 2018
Category
Sport

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger talked about Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan ahead of the Milan clash.

“We adapted and integrated very quickly. Certainly the fact has players like him have great qualities helped. As well as the fact that he is playing abroad for a long time and knows how to behave. I believe the styles of Mkhitaryan and Arsenal are in line with each other,” Wenger said.

Arsenal will clash with Milan in the Europa League 1/8 round on March 15.

Chairman Royce Statement on Meeting with Armenia Parliamentary Delegation

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Congressional Documents and Publications

March 7, 2018

Chairman Royce Statement on Meeting with Armenia Parliamentary Delegation

House Foreign Affairs Committee News Release

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DOCUMENTS



Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) today welcomed a bipartisan delegation of Armenia parliamentarians to the Capitol to discuss U.S.-Armenia relations, the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia’s acceptance of refugees from Iraq and Syria.

On the meeting Chairman Royce said: “Armenia and the United States enjoy a valuable and growing relationship. In particular, Armenia’s contributions to counterterrorism efforts and its assistance to Syrian refugees have been crucial. But there are still many opportunities to further strengthen our relationship on security and human rights priorities in the region. I look forward to doing just that.”

NOTE: Chairman Royce is an active member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. In April of 2014, Royce led a bipartisan delegation to Armenia where the delegation commemorated the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and placed a wreath at Tsitsernakaberd, the national memorial to the Genocide.

Members of the Armenia delegation included: Hon. Arpine Hovhannisyan, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia; Hon. Armen Ashotyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations; Hon. Naira Zohrabyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration; Hon. Aghvan Vardanyan, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Healthcare and Social Affairs; and Hon. Edmon Marukyan, Member of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs and Protection of Human Rights.

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