A vehicle belonging to Halo Trust, a de-mining organization, exploded on a landmine near the town of Martakert in Artsakh, killing three de-miners who were in the car, local emergency authorities reported.
“Three de-miners were killed in the explosion and two others suffered various degree injuries”, the emergency situations department of Martakert said.
12:01 – Survivors of the landmine explosion in Artsakh, 31 year old Garik Vahiryan and 44 year old Aram Mkrtchyan, are hospitalized.
The Republican Medical Center of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS Vahiryan is undergoing lower limb surgery, while Aram Mkrtchyan is under intensive care.
12:53 – HALO Trust has confirmed that three of its staff were killed and two injured , by the accidental detonation of an anti-tank landmine in the Gazanchi area in Martakert, Artsakh in the morning of March 29.
“The staff members were in a vehicle conducting survey duties at the time. The injured have been taken to hospital and HALO is contacting the families of those killed. There will be no further statement until the families have been informed”, HALO Trust said in a statement.
Heavy rainfalls expected as powerful cyclone approaches Armenia
Strong rainfalls are expected nationwide in the afternoon of March 30 as a powerful cyclone will reach Armenia. Thunderstorms and strong winds are also forecast.
Heavy rainfalls are mostly expected in Shirak, Lori, Tavush, Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Ararat and Yerevan, the ministry of emergency situations said.
The showers will gradually end in the morning of March 31 and clear weather is expected April 1-2.
Key obstacle for peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict is Azerbaijan’s extremist position – President Bako Sahakyan
The key obstacle for peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict is Azerbaijan’s non-constructive, extremist and bellicose position, President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan announced in an interview with Armenian Mirror Spectator.
President Sahakyan went to the American capital for his first official visit on March 12 at the head of a governmental delegation for a week of political talks and meetings. When asked what motivated this particular visit, the president responded that Artsakh has enjoyed friendly relations with the United States for many years and he himself has visited the United States on numerous other occasions. However, these trips were primarily connected with the work of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. “This time we had the opportunity, and we took advantage of it, to meet with political circles. I am very happy that such meetings took place”, he said.
Sahakyan appreciated the ongoing diplomatic efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs of which the United States is a member. He said, “We understand that the international community in the face of the Minsk Group is concerned with finding a solution to this complicated issue. However, the Minsk Group’s interest is not sufficient. Our profound conviction is that the non-constructive, extremist, bellicose position of one of the parties, Azerbaijan, toward this issue is the obstruction which we are unable to overcome to achieve more serious agreements.”
He also said that for the peace process to be successful, Artsakh must be one of the full parties or “sides” in negotiations along with Armenia and Azerbaijan, as was initially agreed upon at the 1994 Budapest OSCE summit, and that Artsakh continues to do whatever is in its power to restore that format.
The situation of refugees in the region is often raised in international circles. Sahakyan said, “At present, it is Azerbaijani refugees that are chiefly talked about. We naturally are in favor of talking not only about Azerbaijani refugees but also about Armenian refugees.” Sahakyan declared, concerning Azerbaijanis who used to live in Artsakh. “We have said on multiple occasions over the course of recent years that Azerbaijani refugees naturally can return to Artsakh, to the Artsakh Republic, if they recognize its jurisdiction”, he said.
Bako Sahakyan said that although the April War of 2016 with Azerbaijan had its negative effects on the development of the economy, that situation has been rectified now, and for the time being, border incidents are a bit less frequent.
President Sargsyan is the best candidate for Prime Minister, says minister Lokyan
Minister of territorial administration and development Davit Lokyan says incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan is the best candidate for the future Prime Minister.
During the meeting with reporters asked whether he sees President Serzh Sargsyan as the best candidate for the post of the Prime Minister, minister Lokyan said: “Yes, I see. Many factor conditions of today’s Armenia dictate the presence of an experienced person in that post”.
At the same time the minister noted that the right to nominate candidate for the PM fully belongs to the Republican Party which is majority.
Armenian chess players win only “tickets” at European Championships
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.
ANCA-WR Endorses Jesse Gabriel for State Assembly
Jesse Gabriel is running for California State Assembly in the 45th district
Special Election to be held in Assembly District 45 on April 3
GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region on Wednesday announced its endorsement of Democratic candidate, attorney Jesse Gabriel for the California Assembly District 45 special election slated for April 3.
Gabriel is running to replace Matt Dababneh who resigned from his seat at the end of 2017.
Local ANCA chapters North and West San Fernando Valley that fall under the 45th district have also expressed support for Gabriel, who announced his campaign in January.
Gabriel is a Los Angeles County Commissioner and constitutional rights attorney who has represented clients before the United States Supreme Court. Through his legal work and legislative advocacy, Gabriel has advocated for Holocaust survivors, victims of domestic abuse, and communities facing the threat of hate-motivated violence.
To date, Congressmembers Brad Sherman, Karen Bass, and Grace Napolitano have all endorsed Gabriel’s bid. Gabriel has also been endorsed by the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley (DPSFV), the Steamfitters – Refrigeration Fitters of United Association (UA) Local 250, the Los Angeles County Young Democrats, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California State Council, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Teamsters Joint Council 42 and a far-reaching coalition of neighborhood leaders, small business owners, and Democratic activists.
Prior to beginning his law practice, he served as a senior advisor to former United States Senator Evan Bayh, D-Indiana. A Harvard law graduate, Gabriel serves on the Los Angeles County Commission on Local Government Services, and on the board of the L.A. League of Conservation Voters.
He currently lives in Encino with his wife, Rachel Rosner, an affordable housing attorney, and their sons, Ethan and Joshua.
Assembly District 45 includes the City of Calabasas, the City of Hidden Hills, a small portion of unincorporated Ventura County and several neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles, including highly populated pockets of the Armenian-American community in Encino, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Northridge, Reseda, Tarzana, Warner Center, West Hills, Winnetka and Woodland Hills.
To learn more about Jesse Gabriel’s campaign visit www.JesseForAssembly.com
The President-elect of Armenia Dr. Armen Sarkissian visited Synopsys headquarters in Silicon Valley (video)(photos)
On March 16, 2018 the President-elect of Armenia Dr. Armen Sarkissian visited Synopsys headquarters in Mountain View, Silicon Valley.
Synopsys President and co-CEO Dr. Chi-Foon Chan and Synopsys Armenia President Dr. Yervant Zorian welcomed the President-elect Dr. Sarkissian and congratulated him on his new responsibility. They also expressed their determination to continue the fruitful efforts aimed at advancing the high-tech industry in Armenia. “Armenia is the home to one of the largest Synopsys R&D sites with strong engineering expertise and highly successful educational models. The business-academia-government cooperation is crucial for developing the IT ecosystem. Synopsys is committed to continuing its contribution to advance the high-tech industry in Armenia and we are looking forward to working together on making Armenia an important regional center for microelectronics,” said Dr. Chi-Foon Chan.
“It’s impressive what Synopsys does in Armenia,” said the President-elect Dr. Armen Sarksissian. “Synopsys’ investment in technological education is a significant contribution in advancing Armenia’s high-tech economy.
The educational model implemented by Synopsys in cooperation with universities is a good example to expand on.”
The visit commenced with a dedicated meeting where Dr. Chi-Foon Chan gave a corporate overview presentation about the company’s achievements mentioning that the company currently has over 12,200 employees and its annual revenue reached ~2.7B. Talking about Synopsys’ products he added: “We are proud having the Synopsys technology at the heart of innovations that are changing the way we live and work. The Internet of Things. Autonomous cars. Wearables. Smart medical devices. Secure financial services. Machine learning and computer vision.
These breakthroughs are ushering in the era of Smart, Secure Everything―where devices are getting smarter, everything’s connected, and everything must be secure. Synopsys has the world’s most advanced tools for silicon chip design, verification, IP integration, and application security testing. Our technology helps customers innovate from Silicon to Software, so they can deliver Smart, Secure Everything.”
Dr. Sarkissian was then invited to an insightful tour accompanied by Dr. Chi-Foon Chan and Dr. Yervant Zorian.
On the same day a special IT forum organized by AGBU – Silicon Valley was held at Synopsys.
Dr. Yervant Zorian, who is also the AGBU-Silicon Valley Chair and AGBU Central Board Member moderated the town hall event. In his opening remarks, he mentioned: “The new President-elect combines the talents of an experienced statesman, an innovative scientist, and a successful entrepreneur. Therefore, it is not surprising that, as a President-elect, he requested to communicate with the IT community that cares deeply about Armenia, in Silicon Valley, where innovation and entrepreneurship intersect.
It is not surprising also that the AGBU Silicon Valley organized the event given its long commitment to the advancement of technology ecosystem in Armenia, and that the forum was hosted at Synopsys, given the prominence of its IT R&D center in Armenia.”
During the event Dr. Armen Sarkissian shared his vision about the IT development opportunities in Armenia. He explicitly stressed the importance of joining Armenia and Diaspora efforts to make Armenia a hub for new technology, and the need to build its future, based on innovation in the fast changing world.
The topics raised during the 3 hours long discussion, ranged from technology to education, to science and health. At the forum with 200 participants the President-elect was eager to hear from the young generation about their plans, thoughts, and concerns. Dr. Sarkissian was very attentive to every question and input, demonstrating his openness to hear from the leaders of tomorrow.
The President-elect expressed his will to use his position to advocate for a more open Armenia for the benefit of the Armenian residents and the Diaspora. He was clear that he has an inclusive Armenia-Diaspora agenda and called forum participants and community for action to care about each other and work together to attract investment, foster education, and advance science. The powerful evening left attendees enthusiastic about the future of Armenia and ready to contribute to its prosperity.
Earlier this year, in February, Dr. Sarkissian had been introduced to Synopsys Armenia from an insightful tour during his visit to its campus in Yerevan, where the meeting with the local IT community in Armenia was held. The visit agenda also included a meeting with Synopsys Armenia Educational Department students and professors.
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 03/28/2018
Wednesday,
Minister Sees No Leadership Change In Armenia
• Artak Hambardzumian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian, former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian and
other senior officials hold a congress of the ruling Republican Party in
Yerevan, 26Nov2016.
President Serzh Sarkisian will become Armenia’s prime minister just days after
his decade-long presidency ends on April 9, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian
said on Wednesday.
“I think that given the existing situation the president of the republic will
be nominated by the Republican Party (HHK) for prime minister and get elected
[by parliament,]” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Sarkisian hinted at his intention to become prime minister and thus extend his
rule in comments to an Armenian media outlet made last week. In that context,
he downplayed his assurances in 2014 that he will “not aspire” to the top
executive post under a parliamentary system of government.
Echoing statements by other senior members of the ruling HHK, Hakobian
dismissed opposition claims that the outgoing president is about to break his
pledge. “Life is not a dogma whereby if we say something today it must
necessarily occur,” she said. “Life changes and evolves.”
Some Armenian opposition groups have pledged to try to scuttle Sarkisian’s
perceived plans with street demonstrations that will be staged early next month.
Eduard Sharmazanov, the chief HHK spokesman, insisted on Wednesday that the
ruling party is undaunted by those protests. “Under the constitution, it is the
parliament deputies who will decide who will be our prime minister for the next
four years,” he said. “What are [the opposition forces] going to do? To scare
us?”
“The people voted [in the April 2017 parliamentary elections] to determine who
should be in government and who should in opposition,” added Sharmazanov. “The
people voted to give us the right to form the executive branch.”
Dashnaks Signal Support For Sarkisian’s Continued Rule
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian greets leaders of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation before concluding a new power-sharing agreement with
them in Yerevan, 11May2017.
A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) indicated on
Wednesday that his pro-government party does not object to President Serzh
Sarkisian’s apparent plans to stay in power after serving out his final term
next month.
Arsen Hambardzumian, the new nominal head of Dashnaktsutyun’s governing body in
Armenia, commented on claims by senior members of the ruling Republican Party
(HHK) that Sarkisian is “irreplaceable” for the country.
“There are clear challenges facing Armenia,” Hambardzumian told a news
conference. “It’s not a secret that we have the issue of Artsakh’s
(Nagorno-Karabakh’s) security … that there are critical developments in the
region with an element of unpredictability, that the government system in
Armenia is being changed.
“These are all risks and challenges. In these circumstances, the approaches
voices with regard to [Sarkisian’s] experience and being well-informed about
these processes are logical.”
“So if we all are guided by common sense, I’m sure you too will conclude that
those arguments are often appropriate,” he added.
Dashnaktsutyun leaders have said in recent months that it is up to the ruling
HHK to decide who should govern Armenia after Sarkisian’s final presidential
term ends on April 9. So far they have stopped short of explicitly endorsing
the outgoing president’s candidacy for the post of prime minister.
Armenia - Supporters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation attend an
election campaign rally in Yerevan, 30Mar2017.
Dashnaktsutyun, which is particularly influential in the worldwide Armenian
Diaspora, is represented in the government by three ministers in line with a
power-sharing agreement reached with Sarkisian two years ago. It won 7 seats in
the country’s 105-member parliament elected in April 2017.
In Hambardzumian’s words, the party leadership is satisfied with the work of
the three Dashnaktsutyun-affiliated ministers and sees “no need for their
replacement.” The next Armenian prime minister is due to form a new cabinet
after being elected by the parliament on April 17.
In a statement released in early February, Dashnaktsutyun said it remains
dissatisfied with the socioeconomic situation in Armenia despite
“unprecedented” GDP growth achieved last year. The government, it said, should
do more to reduce poverty, spur job creation, “ease income polarization,” and
take tougher anti-trust measures.
Armenian Official Lauds ‘Productive’ Military Cooperation With Russia
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Russia -- A Russian TOS-1A multiple rocket launcher fires during the opening of
the Army-2015 international military forum in Kubinka, outside Moscow, June 16,
2015
Armenia is continuing to acquire Russian-manufactured weapons and other
military equipment as part of its close defense links with Russia, Deputy
Defense Minister Davit Pakhchanian said on Wednesday.
In particular, Pakhchanian announced that the Armenian army has received such
weaponry purchased with a $200 million Russian loan disbursed to Yerevan in
2015.
“What was planned within the framework of the first [Russian] loan has already
been delivered, and there is an agreement to continue that work,” he told a
news conference. “That is a serious component of our arms acquisitions. Our
cooperation with Russia is now going quite well.”
The weapons covered by that loan are believed to include, among other things,
Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, thermobaric TOS-1A and anti-tank Kornet
rocket systems, and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.
The Armenian government announced in October 2017, that Moscow will provide it
with a further $100 million loan that will be spent on buying more Russian
weapons at internal Russian prices set well below international market-based
levels. Armenia is entitled to such price discounts due to its membership in
the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Despite these close military ties, Russia has sold Armenia’s arch-foe
Azerbaijan at least $4 billion worth of tanks, artillery systems, combat
helicopters and other weaponry in the last several years. Armenian leaders have
publicly criticized these arms deals, saying that they contributed to the April
2016 fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Visiting Yerevan earlier this month, a senior Russian pro-government lawmaker
indicated that Moscow will scale down its future arms dealings with Baku in
response to the Armenian criticism.
“We are obviously unhappy with Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan,” said
Pakhchanian. “The Russian side is now saying that the scale of those supplies
will be cut significantly.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. government reportedly warned that Yerevan will risk
U.S. sanctions in case of signing “substantial deals” with Russia’s state-owned
defense industry.
“Of course, sanctions are a problem but we need to ensure our security and our
actions on this issue will be first and foremost based on our interests,”
Pakhchanian said in this regard.
The official made clear that Armenia is also keen to step up
“military-technical cooperation” with other foreign nations, including China,
Serbia and NATO member Poland. Incidentally, defense companies from these and a
dozen other nations, including Germany and Italy, will take part in an arms
exhibition that will open in Yerevan on Thursday.
Pakhchanian further said that the Armenian military is increasingly reliant on
the domestic defense industry in its arms acquisitions and other procurements.
Armenian companies manufacture items such as unmanned aerial vehicles, radars
and electronic equipment using laser technology.
U.S. Again Condemns 2016 Attack On Yerevan Police Station
Armenia -- Ambassador Richard Mills speaks to journalists in Yerevan, 13Sept2017
The United States has reaffirmed its strong condemnation of the 2016 seizure by
opposition gunmen of a police station in Yerevan and any other attempts to
forcibly overthrow Armenia’s government.
Richard Mills, the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, was asked by Aysor.am to comment
on “rumors” that the West supports armed groups like Sasna Tsrer which stormed
the police compound in Yerevan’s Erebuni district.
“Those rumors couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Mills told the online
publication in comments published on Wednesday. “We do not support groups
seeking to illegally overthrow an elected government. And especially with
groups like Sansa Tsrer, who chose violence over dialogue, our condemnation is
firm.”
“We abhor the actions of Sasna Tsrer and others who use violence or who
threaten to harm others to serve their political agenda,” he said. “The actions
of the members of Sansa Tsrer last year led to a tragic loss of life and
unnecessarily terrorized the surrounding community.
“Violence as a tool to bring about political change goes against not only U.S.
values, but also global democratic values of peaceful dialogue and respect for
human life. Violence on all sides undermines democratic principles and can
never be tolerated. So no, we do not support such groups or activities.”
“That said, all those who stand accused deserve a fair trial,” added the
diplomat.
The three dozen gunmen mostly affiliated with Founding Parliament, a radical
opposition movement, seized the Erebuni base on July 17, 2016. They demanded
that President Serzh Sarkisian free Founding Parliament’s jailed leader,
Zhirayr Sefilian, and step down.
The Armenian authorities rejected those demands. The gunmen laid down their
weapons after a two-week standoff with security forces which left three police
officers dead. They are currently standing three separate trials.
The U.S. State Department was quick to condemn the armed attack, while urging
the authorities in Yerevan to exercise “restraint.” The U.S. Embassy in Armenia
reiterated that condemnation after three Armenian medics were taken hostage by
the gunmen a few days later. It called for their “immediate, safe, and
unconditional release.”
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” says Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn implied that
Armenia has yet to become a rule-of-law state when he visited Yerevan on
Tuesday. “It is hard to disagree with the European official,” comments the
paper. “After all, it is not a secret to anyone that human rights protection in
our country still leaves much to be desired. Successive rulings against Armenia
handed down by European Court of Human Rights testify to that.”
“Aravot” reacts to allegations by a 19-year-old Armenian woman, Asya
Khachatrian, that police in Nagorno-Karabakh harassed and ill-treated her
earlier this year because of her appearance unusual for Karabakh. “A person has
the right to decide how to dress and dye their hair, when to start having sex
and with whom,” writes the paper. It says that a lack of a civic consciousness
is the reason why many Armenians tolerate violations of this right by the
police or non-state actors.
“Hraparak” expresses its admiration with “audacious” women like Khachatrian who
differ from others with their “revolutionary views.” “They are the kind of
individuals who change the quality of the society, set the agenda and not
retreat in the face of masculine aggression,” writes the paper. “Each of them
tries to change something in their area of activity and improve our country and
our life. It is thanks to them that our country will renew and establishment
itself and move forward. A new mentality introduced by them and new generations
brought up by them will solve problems facing our country. Do not interfere
with them. Do not stand in their way.”
(Elen Chilingarian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
The delegation of the Armenian office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees visited the Ministry of Diaspora
Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora. Sincerely, Media and PR Department: ( 374 10) 585601, internal 805 ---------------------- Sincerely Department of Press and Public Relations ( 374 10) 585601, extension 805
76. The Minister of Diaspora received the delegation of the United Nations Office for Refugees.docx
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Calendar of Events – 03/29/2018
Armenian News's Calendar of events
(All times local to events)
=========================================
What: Armenian Economic Association 2018 Conference
When: Jun 15 2018 9am
Jun 16 2018 7pm (ends)
Where: Tumo Center for Creative Technologies
and the American University of Armenia,
Yerevan, Armenia
Misc: Scholars and researchers are invited to present their
research in all areas of economics and finance.
April 30 deadline for paper submissions.
Online Contact: aea2018 [at] aea.am
Web:
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Armenian News's calendar of events is collected and updated mostly from
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