Category: 2017

In our country, people can follow and record to another person in order to make decisions in the future – Marina Poghosyan

Ani Tigranian
  • 19:50 | October 31,2017 | Interview
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

 

The secret police officers recorded the conversation of Marine Poghosyan, chairman of the Felix human rights organization, with her close friend Arpi Meras. On September 11, 2015, Arpi Meras from Canada met Marina Poghosyan and their conversation was secretly recorded both at the cafe and Poghosyan’s own apartment.

It should be noted that these tapes were laid as a basis for the criminal case against Marina Poghosyan.

Let us remind that it was pressed charges against Marina Poghosyan for the fact that she had stolen the apartment of Arpi Meras, located at Nalbandyan 50, Yerevan, its properties, and $ 140,000 from their sales.

“A1 +” invited to Marina Poghosyan to talk more about the topic.

Erdogan, Aliyev Target Karabakh, Hail ‘Solidarity’ Between Their Countries

Garnik Zakarian
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Oct. 31

BAKU—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan on Tuesday praised his country’s relations with Azerbaijan saying the bond of solidarity between the two nations keeps “getting stronger.” Erdogan, along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev also ramped up their anti-Armenian rhetoric when discussing the Karabakh conflict, which Erdogan said was “a bleeding wound” for Turkey.

Erdogan was speaking at a press conference in the Azerbaijani capital with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev, after the two attended the 6th Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Council meeting.

“The solidarity between Turkey and Azerbaijan in political, military, economic, cultural areas continues to get stronger,” said Erodgan.

To that end, Aliyev remarked that Azerbaijan would continue and expand its military cooperation with Turkey by purchasing more weapons from Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyop Erdogan, Ilham Aliyev and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili during the Oct. 30 launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway

On Monday, when the two leaders were joined by the Georgian Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili for the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Erdogan was quick to say that “unless Armenia ends the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, this issue will not be resolved.”

“We believe that the international community, especially the Minsk Group, should work more actively to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. We will continue to stand next with Azerbaijan in this matter, as in every matter,” added Erdogan.

The theme of “friendship, brotherhood and unity,” spilled over into Tuesday, when Aliyev, once again, turned his focus on the Karabakh conflict, reiterating his damaging positions, which continue to stall the peace process.

‘The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow for the creation of a second Armenian state on our historical land…Turkey has always supported the just cause of Azerbaijan in all international organizations as a friend, as a brother,” said Aliyev.

Police do not allow Jigarkhanyan to enter his own apartment

Tambiyan Samvel
  • 19:56 | October 31,2017 | Politics
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

The police did not allow 82-year-old actor Armen Jigarkhanyan to enter his own apartment that he had registered in his younger wife’s name.

The actor tried to enter an apartment to take his belongings. “This apartment is owned by Armen Jigarkhanyan’s wife, he has no right to be here,” said Jigarkhanyan’s wife’s friend.

“After being discharged from hospital, Armen Jigarkhanyan lived in his office for several days. Then Armenian friends rent a three-room apartment,”writes the website.

The “Seizure” in Gyumri (video)

Emil Lazarian
  • 19:26 | October 31,2017 | Regions
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

The Persian “Nafas Production” is filming a movie in Armenia, and some of the scenes have been filmed in Gyumri.

Megan Ahmad’s “Seizure” comedy is being performed in one of the US cities. So, some of the areas in Gyumri has been selected as areas similar to the American city.

As a result of the collaboration between Nafas Production and Tsayg TV, some episodes were filmed in one of the TV booths.

Iran and Armenia looking for new investor for Meghri hydropower plant construction

Babken Chilingarian
ARKA, Armenia
Oct 31 2017

YEREVAN, October 31. /ARKA/. Armenia and Iran are looking for a new investor for the construction of a hydropower plant on the River of Arax near the town of Meghri in southern Armenia, Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Hayk Harutyunyan said today during a parliamentary discussion on the draft budget for 2018.

According to an agreement, signed between Armenia and Iran back in 2007, the hydroelectric power plant, which was to straddle the border river, was to have the capacity to produce 130 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Construction of the power plant was to start simultaneously in Armenia’s Meghri and Iran’s Qarachilar. Each of the stations was to annually produce 793 million kW / h of electricity. 

According to Iranian authorities, the construction was to last for five years and cost $323 million. The funding was to come from an Iranian investment company. This project was designed to give an additional boost to economic development of the region and give also a fresh impetus to improving the efficiency of bilateral economic programs. 

The feasibility work was done by Iranian consulting company Sagab-Gods. The generated energy was to be shipped to Iran via a 230 KW transmission line now under construction. After the facility was to be built it was to be operated for 15 years by the Iranian Farat-Sepasat. The electricity was to be supplied to Iran to pay off the Iranian investment. After 15 years of operation, the hydropower was to become the property of Armenia. 

“Although the agreement has long been in force, the Iranian company has not made any investments to this day, so the governments of Armenia and Iran have to look for another investor,” Harutyunyan said today.

The foundation laying ceremony for the Meghri hydropower plant was held on November 8, 2012. However, due to environmental problems related to the reduction of water volume in the Arax River, as well as the increase of water intakes from Turkey in the northern part of Armenia, it was necessary to revise this project towards capacity reduction to about 100 MW, according to the deputy minister. -0-

A Weekend of Armenian Culture, Learning, and Community in New Jersey

Chmshkian Vicken
The Armenian Weekly
Oct 31 2017

By Arev Dinkjian on

RIDGEFIELD, N.J. (A.W.)—The New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation—Youth Organization of the ARF (AYF-YOARF) hosted the first-ever Armenian Cultural and Educational (ACE) Weekend for the Mid-Atlantic Region from Oct. 20 to 22 in Ridgefield, N.J.

Juniors and Seniors from the New Jersey “Arsen,” Philadelphia “Sebouh,” D.C. “Ani,” New York “Hyortik,” and the newly established Manhattan “Moush” chapters were immersed in Armenian culture during the weekend (Photo: AYF-YOARF Eastern Region U.S.)

Juniors and Seniors from the New Jersey “Arsen,” Philadelphia “Sebouh,” D.C. “Ani,” New York “Hyortik,” and the newly established Manhattan “Moush” chapters were immersed in Armenian culture during the weekend.

Modeled after the now-nostalgic Junior Educational Weekend, ACE consisted of educationals and activities revolving around the many aspects of the ever-evolving, ever-interesting Armenian culture.

 

Friday Night Festivities

Members arrived at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Ridgefield on Friday evening and were greeted by Senior members from the host chapter. “Watching the kids arrive Friday night was really exciting, especially knowing this was the first ever Mid-Atlantic ACE and knowing all the great stuff we had ready for them. We worked hard to plan for the weekend, and we were just as excited as the Juniors to get started,” New Jersey Junior Adviser ungerouhi Ani Sarajian said.

For the Friday night activity, the Juniors made Halloween-inspired crafts, including pipe cleaner spiders and pumpkins. They also made a large poster by tracing their hands and signing their names in both Armenian and English. The Juniors and Seniors took a break from their crafting to share stories and AYF memories over a pasta dinner. The first night ended with all attendees watching the festive film “Hocus Pocus” before bed.

 

A Day of Community, Art, Music, and Literature

Saturday morning, members woke to a bagel breakfast followed immediately by the first lecture, given by unger Kevork Ourfalian, originally from the Boston “Njdeh” Chapter. The Juniors learned about the Armenian community, including the church and AYF. They were split up into groups and were tasked with creating a community center that fit the needs of its members and stayed within the allotted budget. They created blueprints for their centers, which included amenities like a gymnasium, a playground, and classrooms. New Jersey’s own ungerouhi Niree Kaprielian lectured about poetry.

The Juniors then learned about famous Armenian poets and read some of their work in both English and Armenian. They were given the opportunity to write their own poems and to create an accompanying picture. Digin Nadine Ariyan, whose daughters are all active members of the “Arsen” chapter, lectured about art. The Juniors viewed famous artwork by Armenians. They learned about various techniques and mediums, as well. Inspired by the many famous painters, the Juniors created their own works of art using watercolor and colored pencil.

Unger Shant Massoyan, an “Arsen” alumni, exposed the Juniors to musical instruments used in Armenian folk music, including the zurna and the davul. He even played some instruments live for the Juniors and taught them the popular folk song Karoun Karoun.

Central Executive member ungerouhi Araxie Tossounian came all the way from Detroit to lecture about literature. Using their previous poetry lecture as groundwork, the Juniors took an in-depth look at the relationships between language, literature, and message. Using William Saroyan’s famous quote about Armenians, they discussed intention and forms of _expression_. They then created manuscripts of their own original short stories, all of which concluded with a clear purpose and message.

Finally, “Arsen” Junior Adviser Katia Ariyan lectured about dance. The Juniors watched performances by Armenian dance groups, including the Shushi Dance Ensemble, which ungerouhi Katia is an active member of. They learned two new dances and then had the opportunity to choreograph their own dance numbers.

“Arsen” Junior Vice President Talia Boyajian noted, “I thought the lectures were the perfect balance of informative and fun. Each activity got better and better as the day went on.”

 

Saturday Night Was More than All Right

After the lectures concluded, the Juniors had some free time, which they used to play games, finalize any of their work from the educationals, and continue watching the movie from the night before. The Seniors used that time to prepare for the dinner and showcase. “We couldn’t wait for the parents and community members to see just what their Juniors had made throughout the weekend. For quite a few of the Juniors present, this was their first AYF event, so I was excited for them to share their experiences with their families. In a moment like that, all you can hope is for the kids to ask their parents to continue sending them to these sorts of events,” said “Arsen” Senior President ungerouhi Arev Dinkjian.

And that was just the case. At 6:30, the doors opened for parents, alumni, current AYFers, and community members. Attendees shared dinner with the Juniors—chicken and pilaf catered by Krichian Catering. Set up around the room was a beautiful showcase of all the work the Juniors made, including the blueprints to their community centers, their watercolor paintings, and manuscripts of their short stories.

“I never thought I would want to stay away from home for this long, but now I want to go to AYF Junior Seminar and Camp Haiastan,” New York “Hyortik” new member Diana Kevorkian enthused.

During the dinner, on behalf of the Central Executive and the Junior Central Council, ungerouhi Araxie addressed those present, as did ungerouhi Katia and ungerouhi Ani on behalf of the host chapter. Afterward, new “Arsen” members Sirahn Toufayan and Taleen Postian were officially sworn in by “Arsen” Senior Vice President ungerouhi Vartenie Kachichian. Everyone—Juniors, Seniors, parents, and community members—in the room recited the oath alongside the two new members.

Ungerouhi Vartanie explained, “I feel like I’m taking a small part in history being able to swear in these new Juniors. Seeing their passion and excitement for events like ACE makes me so hopeful for the future of the AYF and reminds me of the reason I joined when I was 10.”

Reflecting on hearing some one hundred voices repeating the oath, Junior Central Council member ungerouhi Mari Tikoyan stated, “Swearing in the new members helped connect everyone in the room. We had current members, future members, and alumni all recite the oath in unison. You couldn’t help but feel so proud to be a member of such an incredible organization filled with people so dedicated to the Armenian Cause.”

 

Parting Thoughts on Parting

Sunday morning, Juniors and Seniors returned home. The event was an incredible success, and attendees had a weekend full of learning new things, creating beautiful art, and meeting new friends.

Sirahn, the newest member of the “Arsens,” explained, “It was awesome being with my friends from Camp Haiastan and meeting people from other chapters.”

“Arsen” Junior Recording Secretary Knar Alashaian noted, “I met so many more people than I would at any other event because we were surrounded with each other for the whole weekend and interacted more than just a friendly smile and ‘hi.’”

In the end, all of the Juniors and Seniors left the weekend a bit more cultured than when they had arrived—and even more excited for the AYF events to come.

Brazil’s recognition of Genocide vital for bilateral ties: Armenia president

Maghakian Mike
Pan Armenian, Armenia
Oct 31 2017
– 17:30 AMT
Brazil’s recognition of Genocide vital for bilateral ties: Armenia president

The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Senate of Brazil in 2015 was one of the two most important events that took place during ambassador of Brazil Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro’s tenure in Armenia, president Serzh Sargsyan said on Tuesday, October 31.

Sargsyan was meeting the Brazilian envoywho is completing his diplomatic mission in the country.

Thanking ambassador Monteiro for his fruitful efforts, the president noted with satisfaction that the period was marked by numerous initiatives aimed at developing the Armenian-Brazilian relations in different sectors.

Sargsyan said the ambassador had managed to make the best possible presentation of Brazil’s rich and multifaceted culture in Armenia, promoting thereby friendship between the two countries and peoples through culture.

Also, Sargsyan singled out two remarkable events that occurred during the ambassador’s tenure, namely the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Brazil, which, according to the president, was a good occasion to highlight the warmth and strength of Armenian-Brazilian relationship, and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Senate of Brazil in 2015.

The Brazilian ambassador, in turn, thanked the president for the reception and went on to stress that it was a great pleasure and responsibility for him to work in hospitable Armenia, which boasts ancient history and rich culture, and which he was leaving with awesome impressions.

Why is Armenia Borrowing Another 100 Million US Dollars From Russia?

Talar Tumanian
Emerging Europe
Oct 31 2017


 

Ruben Elamiryan
Ruben Elamiryan holds a PhD in Political Science, and is assistant to the Chair of Political Governance and Public Policy at the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia. He is also a lecturer at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University.

On October 12 the Armenian government formally approved a proposal to sign an agreement “between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Russian Federation to provide a state export loan.” Armenia is to use the loan, which values 100 million US dollars, to purchase modern arms from Russia.

According to the agreement, the loan is to be repaid over 15 years (2023-2037) at a 3 per cent interest rate. Armenia will be able to use the loan during the period 2018-2022.

Interestingly, this is the second loan of this type Armenia has received from Russia since 2015. The previous loan was for 200 million US dollars and was used to purchase sophisticated Russian weapons.

Though the new agreement clarifies that it should be used for purchasing modern arms from Russia and with the purpose to further develop friendly relations between the two countries, it does not provide a list of items to be purchased.

The expert community varies in its opinion on how the loan will be used, providing a wide range of suggestions. Most agree, however, that artillery, anti-tank weapons, high-tech reconnaissance and communication facilities, as well as modern air defense systems are likely to be on Armenia’s shopping list.

From this perspective the main question is why Armenia has sought a new loan now, given that the full amount of the previous loan has not yet spent (30 million US dollars remains unspent).

The ongoing arms race between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In late June 2017 Azerbaijan announced the purchase of a large batch of weapons from Russia which, according to officials in Baku, were planned to be used against Nagorno-Karabakh. Less than a month later the Armenian Minister of Finance Vardan Aramyan declared that Armenia is discussing a new loan agreement to buy Russian military equipment.

The approval of the loan agreement by the Armenian Government took place shortly before the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev meeting in Geneva on October 16. As the Azerbaijani side largely apply the principle of “use of force or threat of use of force” in negotiations with Armenia, the timing of the announcement could be seen as a counterweight to Baku.

According to some experts the balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan was restored through the previous purchase of military equipment (in the framework of the earlier 200 million US dollar loan). From this perspective the further modernisation of Armenia’s military capabilities can be seen in the logic of further enforcement of Russia’s only military ally in the region, situated on the frontline of the continuously destabilising Middle East.

Continuing the previous idea, it is notable that on September 23 Mr Sargsyan signed a law to ratify the establishment of an Armenian-Russian joint military group. In this context a militarily strong Armenia could be a necessary ally in times of global uncertainties.

Last but not least could be the “Chinese factor.” In September, Armenian Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan visited China and agreed with his Chinese colleague to deepen military ties between the two countries. Given the gradual rise of China, this loan could be designed to ensure that Armenia does not expand its military cooperation beyond existing parametres.

As such, the 100 million US dollar loan to purchase modern arms should be viewed as a multi-faceted combination of many components, as a balance of power and regional stability in the South Caucasus, as counterweight to threats from the Middle East, as well as the modernisation of the Armenian army.

At the same time, the more fierce the armaments race between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the more dangerous the situation, which could lead to the destabilisation not only of the South Caucasus, but of a much wider Eurasian region.

_______________

The views expressed in this opinion editorial are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Emerging Europe’s editorial policy.

Houses once belonging to Armenians are turned into boutique hotels in Turkey

Kalashian Nyrie
News.am, Armenia
Oct 31 2017
Houses once belonging to Armenians are turned into boutique hotels in Turkey Houses once belonging to Armenians are turned into boutique hotels in Turkey

16:43, 31.10.2017

Sabah newspaper of Turkey has reflected on the details of turning houses, which once belonged to Armenians and are still preserved, into boutique hotels. 

Accordingly, Gaziantep (Antep) town, which is considered the tourism center of  southeast Turkey, has numerous historical houses that are gradually turned into hotels.

Tourists visiting the town have begun preferring to stay at boutique hotels instead of chained-brand hotels. And this fact has forced businesses and proprietors of old houses to renovate these homes as boutique hotels and provide respective services.

The locals, however, do not inform tourists that these houses once belonged to Armenians.

$134mn to be allocated to extend Armenia nuclear plant lifetime in 2018

Hambardsumian Paul
News.am, Armenia
Oct 31 2017
$134mn to be allocated to extend Armenia nuclear plant lifetime in 2018 $134mn to be allocated to extend Armenia nuclear plant lifetime in 2018

16:18, 31.10.2017

YEREVAN. – A total of $134 million will be allocated in 2018, to extend the operation of the nuclear power plant of Armenia.

The aforesaid is noted in the draft of the 2018 State Budget, whose joint debates continue Tuesday at the standing committees of the National Assembly.

The plant accounts for up to 40 percent of the electricity produced in Armenia.

According to next year’s budget draft, about 57.6 billion drams ($120 million) will be provided within the framework of the respective loan program, and the grant funding will amount to close to 6.8 billion drams ($14 million):

To note, the Russian government has allocated a $270-million loan and a $30-million grant for this project.

The operation of this nuclear plant will be extended until 2027.

At present, the Armenian authorities are considering the prospect for building a new nuclear plant and extending the old plant’s lifetime for a second time.