Category: 2018

Agence France Presse

Friday 12:43 PM GMT

 

Ankara,

 

Turkey on Friday said Israel would only harm itself if it recognised the Armenian genocide because to do so would undermine the special status of the Holocaust.

 

“We think that Israel putting the events of 1915 on the same level as the Holocaust is harming itself first and foremost,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy told reporters in Ankara.

 

He was reacting after Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday approved plans to hold a plenary debate on “recognising the Armenian genocide”.

 

No date has been fixed for the debate.

 

Armenians have long sought international recognition for the 1915-1917 killings in the Ottoman era as genocide, which they say left some 1.5 million of their people dead.

 

Turkey — the Ottoman Empire’s successor state — strongly rejects that the massacres, imprisonment and forced deportation of Armenians from 1915 amounted to a genocide.

 

“The events of 1915 are not a political issue but historical and legal,” Aksoy said, without commenting further.

 

Some six million Jews were killed in the Nazi death camps during World War II.

 

Relations between Turkey and Israel have been tense in recent years and got worse after Israeli troops shot dead scores of Palestinians on the Gaza border and Washington moved its embassy to Jerusalem despite international criticism.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week compared Israel’s actions against the Palestinians in Gaza to the Nazi persecution of the Jews.

 

lsb-ezz/raz/bmm/dcr

Arminfo, Armenia

Sharmazanov answered chairman of Turkish parliament

Yerevan May 25

Tatevik Shahunyan. “Turkey and Azerbaijan not only do not abandon the policy of denial, they also propagate Pan-Turkism and hatred for Armenians, and rather the Danube will change its course than Pan-Turkism will achieve its goal.” The vice speaker of the Armenian parliament Eduard Sharmazanov said this in Slovakia when visiting the monument to the Armenian Genocide, referring to the words of the chairman of the Turkish parliament Ismail Kagraman that the Artsakh issue is also a problem of Turkey, and the Cyprus issue is a problem for Turkey and Cyprus for Azerbaijan.

To note, Vice Speaker was accompanied by the head of the Slovakia-Armenia friendship group Dushan Titela, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Slovak Republic Tigran Seyranian and Russian Ambassador Alexei Fedotov. They laid a wreath to the khachkar on the banks of the Danube commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Arminfo, Armenia

Armen Sarkissian: there are many barriers between Armenia and Diaspora

Yerevan May 25

Marianna Mkrtchyan. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian did not participate in the projects of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. This was announced on May 25 by Armenian President Sarkissian himself in an interview with journalists on the margins of the 27th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

“I personally did not contribute to the Foundation’s activities, but our family implements a number of different charitable projects, one of the examples of the font in the Holy Echmiadzin, which bears the name of St. Hovhannes and Vardan, was built by the family in May. For many years, the charitable organization” The Eurasian House, which aims to help students, and about 300 young people received help to get an education, there is a program called “Yerevan – my love”, also initiated by our family. “There is a fund – a global structure, but there are individual individuals and funds working independently.” It’s time to establish cooperation between the All-Armenian Fund and individual funds and individuals, and compare projects that are being implemented, “the Armenian President is convinced.

To comment that there are concerns that the Diaspora is being considered only as a source of financing, Sargsyan said in particular: “Of course, I share this concern, and this concern is quite serious, since if we are talking about national unity, that we must work together – this small country, but a big nation all over the world. We saw that during the protest actions, all the days compatriots from all over the world participated in these processes: through social networks, expressing opinions, coming That is, today there really is this movement of nationwide consolidation, but the question arises whether the Diaspora really exists only to send money from abroad and not have any rights and not participate in anything wrong”. At the same time, he noted that all compatriots, especially those who live in the Diaspora and possess Armenian citizenship, must make their contribution and, of course, have obligations and rights.

According to him, there may be a day when compatriots from the Diaspora will have the opportunity to take part in the electoral processes in their homeland. “If we are talking about the electoral process and the amendment of the Electoral Code, the question arises whether only those who live in Armenia or all who are citizens of Armenia should participate in elections,” Sargsyan said, and continued that for no one Today it’s no secret that there are many problems with the Diaspora. According to him, the best specialist in this or that sphere, if necessary, cannot come to Armenia and take up this or that post, since they must live in the country for at least 4 years. The President added that there are many examples of states where such a system is not applied, and Israel cited as a prime example.

He also agreed with the opinion that in recent years in the Diaspora there is frustration and anger towards the Motherland. “But I also see great love, lack of indifference, and today our task should be to engage the Diaspora fairly and openly in the processes at home.” Do not say that we expect only money from you. Give me money and do not interfere in our affairs so that our compatriots from the Diaspora with all their heart and soul were involved in the processes in Armenia, and they had the opportunity to participate, “Sargsyan said. According to the President, there are many barriers between Armenia and the Diaspora: they are moral, legal and which must be eliminated. Sargsyan expressed his conviction that until these barriers are eliminated, there will remain questions between who should help and not have the rights and the Armenian, who should receive and demand more. “We are all one nation, we need to think like one nation,” the president summed up.

Arminfo, Armenia

Minister: Work on verification of all mining deposits in Armenia will begin in the very near future

Yerevan May 25

Alexander Avanesov. Very soon work will begin on the implementation of the decree of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on the inspection at the exploited mines and deposits in Armenia. The Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia Artur Grigoryan told journalists on May 25.

According to him, the department has already received the order of the Prime Minister, work on its implementation has begun. “All research data will be published in a short time,” the minister stressed. Earlier, RA Prime Minister instructed the authorities to start inspections at the exploited mines and mineral deposits in Armenia. He noted that recently there have been a lot of signals about the compliance of these mines with the legislation and environmental standards of the country. “We will be consistent in this matter, recently, both in the whole world and in Armenia environmental problems are actively discussed, and a balanced approach is needed in this issue, as well as in a number of others,” the prime minister said, stressing that only with this approach will not manage to bring the matter to negative consequences, including those related to investments.

Pashinyan also noted that recently he receives signals that some developers of mines do not fulfill their financial obligations. “We have information that the debts of these companies to the state budget are several hundred million drams,” Pashinyan said, adding that the checks will be conducted on all metal fields. According to the prime minister, if it is established that a particular mine or some company can not organize its activities within the framework of the law, then the corresponding legal consequences will follow. “The Armenian government also decided to invite environmental organizations and journalists to take part in these inspections in order to ensure their full transparency,” concluded Pashinyan.

The sphere of mining industry occupies a special place in the Armenian economy. At least half of Armenia’s exported deposits fall to the share of ore concentrates and metals, which occupy the most important place in the list of products imported from the country. At the state balance of mineral resources, more than 670 deposits of solid minerals with confirmed reserves, including 30 metal deposits, are currently registered. About 400 of these deposits are exploited, including 22 metal ones. There are 7 copper-molybdenum deposits, 4 copper, 14 gold and gold-polymetallic deposits, 2 iron ore and 1 aluminum ore on metallic minerals. In the ore of the deposits registered in the State Balance, in addition to the basic metals, rare elements and their placers have been identified: rhenium, selenium, tellurium, cadmium, indium, helium, waist, bismuth and others.

Currently, for the mining and metallurgical complex of Armenia the final products are mainly concentrates (copper, molybdenum, zinc, in some cases – high in gold and silver, in the near future also lead concentrate), which does not allow to fully exploit the economic potential of the deposits. The organization of production for the processing of minerals mined in Armenia in a closed and final cycle – from extraction to the creation of finished products – will enable production of high-value products, which can provide significant GDP growth.

There are 15 tailing dumps on the territory of Armenia, where waste accumulated during the exploitation of mineral deposits exceeding a few million cubic meters and accumulating about 700 hectares has been accumulated. Currently, industrial wastes accumulated in tailing dumps formed as a result of industrial extraction and processing of minerals are not used, although they contain a considerable amount of polymetals.

The Republic of Armenia also occupies one of the leading places in the world for the richness and diversity of nonmetallic ore reserves. Almost all known ore minerals are found on the small territory of Armenia. Minerals originating in Armenia as a result of volcanic processes, including light rocks such as tuffs, perlites, pumice, zeolites, volcanic slags, etc., are of special value and importance. Huge quantities of reserves of various types of basalt, granite, nepheline syenite, marble. Reserves of the highest quality and the most intumescent rocks (perlites, obsidians and others) are in the world in Armenia. The confirmed reserves of the Aragats-perlite in Armenia are 150 million m3, and the total amount of its projected reserves is up to 3 billion m3. More than 100 basalt and andesite deposits are mapped over the whole territory of Armenia, several of which are unique in their composition (MgO content in basalta from Khalaja reaches up to 11%). The deposits of quartzites, carbonates, zeolites, volcanic slags, pumice, clay, bentonites, diatomites, and gypsum with their significant reserves, which are functioning on the territory of Armenia, are invaluable in their significance and qualitative indicators.

Arminfo, Armenia

Armenian President: The most important task of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund today is consolidation of Armenia and Diaspora

Yerevan May 25

Marianna Mkrtchyan. The most important task of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund today is the consolidation of Armenia and the Diaspora. This was announced by Armenian President Armen Sarkissian at the opening of the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund on May 25, stating that the quorum of the 27th meeting was secured by the presence of 26 of its 37 members.

At the same time, the Armenian President cited the completion of the Vardenis-Martakert road as an example of such consolidation. At the same time, Sargsyan noted that the spring of 2018 was rich in the most important events for Armenia. “I am convinced that 2018 will be historic for Armenia, because of the richness of those important events that are planned in the country, starting from the 100th anniversary of the First Republic to the 2800th anniversary of Erebuni-Yerevan. In the spring of this year we entered a new era of development, moving to the parliamentary form of government, “he said. And in this context, he added that the international authority of Armenia has also increased. According to Sarkissian, the Armenian people demonstrated that they are able to resolve vital problems peacefully and consolidate at important moments of their history, which was clearly demonstrated on April 24 of this year, when the country’s citizens, leaving aside important issues, paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenpress, Armenia

Process of building free and happy Armenia is irreversible – PM Pashinyan

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on May 25 participated in the session of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

The PM delivered remarks at the session which says:

“Your Holiness,

Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia,

Honorable President of the Republic of Artsakh,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy for this opportunity and am happy to see you in the capital city Yerevan. Since its establishment the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund became a support to the newly-created Republic of Armenia. It played a really great role during the first years of our independence. The Fund also played a great role in the coming years, as, in my opinion, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund became the indicator of the Diaspora’s trust towards the leadership of the Republic of Armenia. While analyzing the activity of the Fund one can get serious signals on what processes are taking place in the Diaspora, what concerns appear and what solutions can be to these concerns. The political processes, that occurred in Armenia in April-May, of course, have become a new signal of pan-national unity, and we should do everything and will do confidently to turn that unity signal into a concrete political result, a constant political factor. We have already announced the priorities of the Armenian government. The most important among these priorities is to maintain, continue and give constant nature to the feeling of victory of the citizens of Armenia and the Armenian people.

The key task of our country has been the inviolability of the right of the citizens to form a government, since I think that problems started to deepen in our country from the times when the public started broadly not to trust the election results and every time people felt themselves deceived by the election results. And therefore, our task is that from now on not only this or that political force should feel itself as victorious by any election results held in Armenia, but first of all the citizen of the Republic of Armenia must feel himself/herself victorious in case of any election result. And I want to state that the next key priority for our government is the fight against corruption, starting from election corruption up to public administration, judicial corruption. I want to inform that our government has already taken concrete steps on this path and recorded success. This process will continue until we all are convinced that we have eradicated the corruption as a systematic phenomenon in the Republic of Armenia. And finally, our most important conceptual task, ideological task is the formulation of Armenia’s, if it can be said, applicable significance as a state. In 1991 when the Republic of Armenia was founded and it seemed that everything was very good, I think we allowed an important conceptual gap. We didn’t clearly state why the Armenian people founded the Republic of Armenia as a state. I want to emphasize that the preface of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia has not underwent any change as a result of all Constitutional changes. In other words, the preface of the Constitution remained the same, the Armenian people, rather than the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the citizens of the Soviet Armenia, act as the founders of the Republic of Armenia. Therefore, the beneficiaries of the Republic of Armenia are the Armenian people, and we should answer to an important question – why the Armenian people have created the Republic of Armenia? We are convinced that the Republic of Armenia has been created by the Armenian people for the following purpose: to concentrate Armenians’ human, financial, intellectual, scientific, economic, spiritual potential or most of it in their own territory and to ensure the security and normal development of that potential. We see the future development of the Republic of Armenia on this conceptual basis, and this conceptual base should guide us towards free and happy Armenia. We believe that the medium-term result of this process must be the following: the millennial wheel of the emigration of the Armenian people should eventually stop and turn back, and all Armenians should eventually start a great process to ensure concentrating in the Republic of Armenia, having the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia as an institute and the security and normal development of the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic. In other words, the Republic of Armenia should ensure the security and normal development of the Armenian people, the Armenian people should ensure the security and normal development of the Republic of Armenia.

And therefore, we are moving on this path, we are moving towards free and happy Armenia, and we are convinced that we have already put key cornerstones on the way to building this path. We are convinced that this process is irreversible, and that the Armenian people, the citizen of the Republic of Armenia have won on the path to this goal. This victory is irreversible and it will be continuous. Thank you”.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenpress, Armenia

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund should continue uniting Armenians: Session of Fund’s Board of Trustees held at Presidential Palace

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. The session of the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund was held in the Armenian Presidential Palace on May 25 chaired by President Armen Sarkissian, reports Armenpress.

The President said the session of the Board of Trustees has been convened during historical days when the 100th anniversary of the first Republic of Armenia is being celebrated.

“I cordially congratulate all of us on this historic event. The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has tasks before itself, but I think that one of the most important tasks is the mission to unite that is more than relevant today. The Fund should continue uniting the Armenian citizens, our compatriots living in Artsakh and the Diaspora. The programs which have been implemented are result of pan-Armenian efforts”, President Sarkissian said, adding that the Fund should improve its methods every year aimed at recording greater result and implementing ambitious programs.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund became a support to newly-created Republic of Armenia since its establishment. It played a very great role in the first years of independence.

“During the years that followed the Fund’s role was as much important, and I think that the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund acted as the indicator of Diaspora’s confidence in Armenia’s authorities. When analyzing the activities of the Fund, one can get serious indications as to what processes are going on in the Diaspora, what kind of concerns are emerging and what kind of solutions can be given to such concerns.

Of course, the political developments that took place in Armenia in April-May gave fresh impetus to our national consolidation, and we must do everything to make sure that consolidation becomes a political product and a permanent political factor. We have already announced the Government’s priorities, the most important of which is the preservation of the flair for victory in the citizens of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people in order to give it a permanent character”, the PM said.

Executive Director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Ara Vardanyan presented a report on the 2017 activities. The Fund’s 22 local agencies, which currently operate in 19 countries of the world, have an active participation and contribution to its activities.

Ara Vardanyan said it’s already a week they are visiting different communities of Armenia and Artsakh with the representatives of local structures to get acquainted with the Fund’s projects.

“I think I express the opinion of all local structures that the agenda declared by the new government and its successful implementation will definitely contribute to the ongoing activities of the Fund in the Diaspora”, Ara Vardanyan added.

The members of the Board of Trustees presented their proposals. In particular, member of the Board Arsen Ghazaryan proposed for the businessmen, the business sector to also participate in the Fund’s fundraising.

“The activities of the Fund have proved that it is one of the most reliable structures. I, as an Armenian businessman, combining the numbers, state that we have 1000 major tax payers, if each of them makes a donation, we will have 10 million USD investment from Armenia annually. I propose to correctly carry out this propaganda”, Arsen Ghazaryan said.

His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians also delivered remarks commenting on the proposals according to which the state structures, the church need also to make investments.

“The Church has always provided its assistance to the Fund. In 1992 when the Fund was established, the Church called on the people to express support. From that day the Church considered it its sacred duty to support, assist the Fund not only by calls, but also making investments”, His Holiness Garegin II said.

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund was established by the decree of the First President of Armenia in 1992. It’s a unique structure aimed at uniting all Armenians living in Armenia and abroad, as well as their supporters, who are ready to direct their efforts for sustainable development of Armenia and Artsakh.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenpress, Armenia

International community should condemn both Turkish denialism and Azerbaijani crimes – Eduard Sharmazanov

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia, the Head of Armenia-Slovakia Friendship Group Eduard Sharmazanov took part in the exhibition with the heading “Parliamentarians against Genocides” dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Genocide adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, he National Assembly Vice President noted in his speech:

“Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year marks the 70thanniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Genocide adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948. The Convention on Genocide was among the first United Nations conventions addressing humanitarian issues. The Genocide of Armenian, Greek and Assyrian minorities in Ottoman Empire and Kemalist Turkey is considered to be one of the greatest disasters of the XX century that has taken lives of more than 2 million of innocent Christians.

Dear Mr. Danko and dear Mr. Tittel,it is a great honourforme to be here and address you as the Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and as a descendent of both nations who survived the Greek and Armenian Genocide.

Before highlighting the milestones of the genocide I would like to find the roots of this terrible tragedy. I would argue that this crime was not a chaotic phenomenon caused by and limited to the World War I. It dates back to the Christian massacres in the days of Sultan Abdul Hamid at the end of the XIX century and steps into the XX century with the 1909 slaughter of 30,000 Armenians in the city of Adana.

Moreover, during the 1911 Summit in Thessaloniki the Young Turks adopted a resolution according to which the Christian population of the Empire, as an “untrustworthy element hindering the progress of the country”, was condemned to extermination and assimilation.

On April 24 1915, 600 Armenian writers, journalists, doctors, scientists were arrested and exiled to the depths of Anatolia. A part of them died on the way of the exile, while others died after reaching there. Later, in October Enver Pasha, the Ottoman Minister of War, declared in the presence of a German military attache “we shall solve the Greek question, the same way as we have solved the Armenian question”.

It is worth mentioning that although the World War I ended, the atrocities against the Greek population continued. In September 1922, when the troops of Mustafa Kemal invaded the city of Smyrna, the city was set on fire, the Greek and Armenian quarters were totally destroyed.

Winston Churchill described the atrocities of Smyrna in the following way, “Kemal turned the city into ashes and totally exterminated its Christian population’.

Dear colleagues,

The Genocide of Christian minorities in Ottoman Empire is one of the biggest atrocities of the 20th century. This is a crime against humanity. Unfortunately, Turkey today not only continues its policy of denial but also supports Azerbaijan’s non-constructive policy which is a great regional threat.

Let us not forget, that impunity leads to new crimes. The massacre of Armenians in Sumgait 1988 and Azerbaijan’s aggression two years ago against peaceful people of Nagorno-Karabakh when innocent Armenians were killed and beheaded, are examples of such impunity.

Recently, the Middle East faces the same threats as Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians a century ago. Innocent Christians and Yazidis are still being exterminated because of their ethnicity and religion. This is unacceptable.

Dear colleagues,

I would like to thank Slovakia for recognizing the Armenian genocide and would like also to say that International Community must condemn the denial of the genocide of Christian population in Ottoman Empire, the massacre of Armenians in Sumgait, aggression of Azerbaijan in 2016 as well as the Yazidi Genocide.”

English –translator/editor:Tigran Sirekanyan

Armenpress, Armenia

Manipulation of the name of Armenia’s PM is unacceptable – National Defense Research University of Armenia over Boris Johnson’s case with prankers

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. The National Defense Research University (NDRU) of the Defense Ministry of Armenia has issued a statement over the conversation of the prankers with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in the name of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the NDRU.

The statement runs as follows, “The fake conversation of prankers with UK Foreign secretary Boris Johnson on behalf of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on May 24 was shared in internet.

The National Defense Research University, MoD Armenia appreciates the significance of the freedom of speech and the right to share information through the use of modern digital technologies in the process of democracy development. However, The NDRU perceives totally unacceptable any manipulation of the name of the head of the Armenian executive branch of Government for the sake of various machinations. Those kinds of actions harm the international peace and stability”.

English –translator/editor:Tigran Sirekanyan