Category: 2019

Vanetsyan is not ashamed of content of wiretap of his telephone conversation with head of SIS

Kalantarian Kevo
Arminfo, Armenia
Tatevik Shahunyan

ArmInfo. Director of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan is ashamed not of the content of the wiretap of his conversation with the head of the SIS, Sasun Khachatryan, but of the fact itself. He stated this in an interview with Shant TV.

”It is very regrettable that a similar incident occurred, and I want to say that I am not ashamed of the content of the wiretap, I am very dissapointed with the fact of wiretapping. But if you look at all this objectively and soberly, considering the technological progress such cases should not be excluded.

However, today we are trying to do everything to exclude such cases, ” Artur Vanetsyan said.

To note, months earlier the wiretap of Vanetsyan’s telephone conversation with Khachatryan was spread in the network, during which they talked about the details of the March 1, 2008 case.

The Literary Armenian News – 06/16/2019

Bedik Zaminian 
Dear Armenian News readers,
The homepage for The Literary Armenian News is at: Armenian News.org/tlg/
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column.
***************************************************************************
    THERE IS NO MORE...
    By Kevork K Kalayjian Jr
    There is no more poetry
    Love left no traces in memory
    It is impossible to be funny
    Cynicism has deformed sensitivity
    Sex has replaced sensuality
    It's all transformed to lack of care
    Viewed in the silhouette of body
    Listen to the conversational melody.
    Wait! What's that fly doing there?
    Why does it fly in the middle of
    This hospital, white, clean room?
    As I was saying,
    There is no more poverty
    Love has mortgaged memory
    Caring has been overwhelmed by sensitivity
    Instincts have overpowered sensuality
    By reflecting kindness and care
    Portrayed as a stuffed animal, a Teddy Bear!
    Exhibiting great skills in the agility of the body
    Reverberating the proclamation of joy.
    Resonating the resilience of bliss!
--
Kevork K. Kalayjian, Jr.  A graduate of the AGBU's Melkonian
Educational Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus, holds a B.A. in Political
Science and Economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutherford,
NJ, a M. Ed.  Counseling Psychology, from WilliamPaterson University,
Wayne, NJ, and CPA requirements completed at Pace University, NYC.
Kevork resides in NY and likes to paint and write. Some of his poems
have been published in literary periodicals such as "Ararat" and at
www.poetry.com.
***************************************************************************
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Vanetsyan warns: NSS knows everything

Arpi Talalian
Arminfo, Armenia
Tatevik Shahunyan

ArmInfo. There is a small group of people who are targeting the NSS.  This was stated by the Director of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan in an interview with Shant TV.

“These people just have to take into account the fact that the National Security Service, on the basis of its authority, immediately learns about their secret meetings and goals. Yes, we do not advertise it, but we know everything, we also know by whom these actions are directed, “he said.

Vanetsyan stressed that this a small group of people, who target the National Security Service, because for some reason they don’t benefit from a high rating of the Service. At the same time, the head of the NSS assured that he always perceives healthy criticism positively:  “If we make a mistake, we can apologize, but slandering the Service is unacceptable, since groups that try to weaken the NSS undermine the foundations of the state”.

Azerbaijan in addition to small arms used AGS-17 grenade launcher on front line

Nahapetian Samvel
Arminfo, Armenia
Tatevik Shahunyan

ArmInfo. From June 9 to 15, the enemy violated the cease-fire regime about 140 times on the Line of Contact of the Armed Forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, firing more than 1,000 shots at Armenian combat posts from various small-arms.

Beside to small arms, on June11, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces also used an AGS-17 type grenade launcher (5 rounds).

The front line units of the Army of Defense, in order to suppress the offensive actions of the enemy, resorted to adequate measures, continuing to confidently carry on combat duty, the NKR Defense Army reports.

Yerevan to install the city’s first smart recycling containers

Nahapetian Zhanna
MediaMax, Armenia
Yerevan to install the city’s first smart recycling containers

In the coming weeks Yerevan will install its first plastic recycling containers. They will accept and shred plastic items and additionally, hand out store or restaurant discount coupons as a “reward”. Mediamax has talked with Apaga, the company that came forward with this initiative and produced the SmartApaga Recycling Containers.

 Why not?

 That is the question UWC Dilijan graduate Cedric Solms asked himself while trying to figure out if he should return to his native Germany or stay in Armenia and help clean the country from waste.

 In the end, Cedric joined forces with another UWC Dilijan student Mikhail Zamskoy to make recycling projects in Armenia.

 “I came to the Dilijan college to change my life, try something new. When our initiative worked out, I realized I couldn’t just get up and leave, and that is when Mikhail and I met Haik Kazarian,” told Cedric.

 What do you do with so many bottles?

 And that is the question Armenian-Canadian Haik Kazarian asked himself during his 8th visit to Armenia. While in Yerevan, he would not throw out plastic bottles under any circumstances.

“I just collected them, although I had no idea what I was going to do with them. I kept looking for a solution and I couldn’t find any. One day I complained about it on social media, and Cedric and Mikhail responded. It turned out we had the same idea. In the end, we launched the smart containers startup,” said Haik.

 Can it be profitable?

 No, as they discovered. The initiators and executors of the SmartApaga Recycling Container neither profit nor lose from the project. The only beneficiary is the person throwing plastic bottles into the smart bin.

 “Our sole objective is to clean up a little the city and the country from all that waste. These containers are not our invention, a number of developed countries have them. If it works there, why shouldn’t it work in Armenia?” said Haik.

 What will the containers look like?

 When you notice in the street unusual green and white boxes with specific signs and cameras, go ahead and try to put a plastic bottle or cup in the container – it is the smart one. The container is designed to withstand sunlight and humidity.

 The startup spent AMD 2 million to make the first boxes.

 Help choose the spots

 The survey aimed at determining the best spots for the containers was conducted on Apaga community page, which opened in 2018.

“Now we want to figure out where to put the containers in Yerevan, because we have a long waiting list of client companies and individuals. The excitement that our initiative cause actually convinced us we were on the right way and it would work out in Yerevan nicely,” said Cedric.

 “It definitely will, because these containers are also for people who care about environment and want to save the nature for the next generations,” added Haik.

 According to him, as many as 40 companies (restaurants, supermarkets and stores) have expressed the readiness to cooperate and provide discount coupons.

 “Now we only need to find supporters, investors and sponsors to expand the scale of production and installment of the smart containers.

The next key issue is to get help with finding users for the recycled plastic or the ways to export it,” concluded Haik.

 

Lusin Mkrtchyan

 

Photos by Emin Aristakesyan




Ian Gillan at Machanents House: Lavash, fish and a clay mug by the rock legend

Jane Topchian
MediaMax, Armenia
Ian Gillan at Machanents House: Lavash, fish and a clay mug by the rock legend

The world map placed at the entrance of Machanents Guest House in Etchmiadzin bears colorful pins, one of which rock legend, Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan stuck in a spot in the UK on June 8, 2019.

 

In conclusion of the visit marking the 30th anniversary of Rock Aid Armenia charitable project, Gillan and the other guests called at Machanents Tourism and Art social enterprise to take a tour in the Machanents Guest House and learn about its history.

 

At the entrance, a Machanents staffer tells the guests the most amusing story of the center: it was named after the grandfather of the founder, who was generous with kisses (“mach-pach” means “kiss” in their native Khoy dialect). Everyone has a good laugh before entering the center, so the positive vibe is secured in the very beginning.

 

The museum in the center is decorated in a Parajanov style with Armenian clothing “taraz”, carpets, antiquities from Western and Eastern Armenia, musical instruments…

 

The house hosts art and cuisine schools and an innovation center. Over 400 students attend the courses annually. They are free for vulnerable groups, the guide stresses, and some students work at the center after graduating.

 

At the innovation center Ian Gillan notices a 3D printer and the chess set printed on it, and then spends a few minutes watching the boys playing chess with the regular wooden figures.

 Afterwards we head for a small room with a tonir oven (Armenian mud oven – Mediamax), where two women are baking lavash (Armenian flat bread – Mediamax).

For several minutes Gillan just watches them, and then he gets down on his knees and rolls out the dough with the help from the two women. Later, we make warm cheese rolls with the lavash they baked.
We visit the Machanents International Art Gallery as well, which displays works by participants of an international symposium. Ian Gillan takes a look at every exhibit and stops by the painting entitled “Music”. It was painted on wood by Russian artists Pavel Nikolayev and Irina Maksakova in 2017. Gillan decides to buy the painting and rejects the discount that the gallery provides for visitors.
The tour proceeds to the pottery class, where the guests and Gillan himself try to make tableware.
According to the singer, this is the second time he tries pottery. He describes the first attempt as a disaster, but with the help of Machanents staffers he makes a decent beer mug. It still has to be kiln dried, but the staffers take Gillan’s address and promise to post the mug when it’s ready.
In the end we still our hunger with the fish by “chef” Gillan.
He prepared it in one of the solar cookers that Machanents Guest House installed recently. The devices catch direct sunlight with mirrors and use it to cook the food at 700 degrees. The process is environmentally safe and takes mere minutes.
These particular cookers were invented by Armenian academician Paris Herouni and installed at Machanents by co-authors of Armenian Heliofication Project Vahan Hamazaspyan and Grigor Mnatsakanyan.

The rooms and recreational activities at Machanents Guest House are impressive, and the guests that arrived with Ian Gillan and Jon Dee say they have not seen the likes of it in their home countries. Similar centers might exist, but they haven’t heard of them. It is not a surprise: just a few people in Armenia know about the Machanents House.
Legends like Gillan do not visit Machanents every day, so the hosts’ excitement is understandable. Founder of Machanents Tourism and Art Grigor Machanents Babakhanyan suggests Gillan takes any of the displayed paintings as a gift. Accidentally, Mr. and Mrs. Gillan pick Grigor’s self-portrait. After the lunch Grigor’s daughter Arpine Babakhanyan, who works as the president of the social enterprise, asks if she can perform a song for Gillan.

In addition to the world map at the entrance, Ian Gillan leaves a trace in the Impressions’ Book as well. This is his note:

 “To everyone at Machanents, who has been so kind and generous on this visit. I will treasure the memories forever.

 I love and respect the ethos of your wonderful establishment full of love and creativity.

 Many thanks and best wishes to you all,

 Ian Gillan.”

 Article and photos by Amalie Khachatryan


See photos and videos at

Sports: Arsenal is ready to listen to offers on Mkhitaryan

David Nargizian
MediaMax, Armenia
Arsenal is ready to listen to offers on Mkhitaryan

The Mirror reports that Emery and his coaching staff discussed with players their performance during 15-30 minutes long reviews. Emery did similar appraisals at his previous clubs, but for the Gunners, it was entirely new.

 It is reported that Emery held the review after the Europa League final and before the players went to holidays or their national teams.

 The manager told the players which aspects of their game he liked and which he didn’t, and what he wanted to change, so they could think and work on it until the start of 2019/2020 season.

 The Mirror also writes that Arsenal is ready to listen to offers on players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi as the club is preparing to shake up the squad. However, the players weren’t told they had no future at the club, so they still might be there next season.



Azeri pundits urge Baku to start war for Karabakh

Ani Tigranian
BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus Unit
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
Friday
Azeri pundits urge Baku to start war for Karabakh
 
 
By BBC Monitoring
 
Two Azerbaijani pundits have called on the government in Baku to start war to reclaim the Armenian-controlled breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven districts around it.
 
Reserve army Col Sair Ramaldanov was commenting on recent reports that Armenians tried to shoot down Azerbaijani military aircraft by missiles. Ramaldanov told Report news agency that Armenia seeks to aggravate the situation at the front line to affect the Karabakh peace process and that it might continue “to resort to these kinds of provocations”. He said “tension continues to increase in Nagorno-Karabakh” and that “whenever domestic tension runs high in Armenia or another round of [peace] talks is coming up, the enemy stages more provocations at the front line and the cease-fire is violated more frequently”. He said that Armenians had never fired on Azerbaijani pilots before and that “it is the first time in recent years that the enemy has used its air defence system and tried, unsuccessfully, to hit Azerbaijani aircraft by missiles”. Ramaldanov concluded that that Azerbaijan needs to start war to reclaim the land if Armenia does not “see reason”.
 
The other commentator, military expert Abuzar Abilov, told Minval.az news website that “war is inevitable in the very near future”. He suggested the latest tension at the front line showed that “there is something happening in Armenia, and voters who voted for [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan are now not happy that he is there”. He said Pashinyan had always had “unsuccessful” talks with the Karabakh separatists, and the latter therefore “have provoked the aggravation at the front line” just to “spite” the Armenian prime minister. Abilov added that he believes that Baku should no longer pin any hopes on peace talks and needs to start war to reclaim the land.
 
Abilov also said that three Armenians soldiers were killed on 11 June but the Defence Ministry and media in that country kept silent about it. Meanwhile, Yerevan-based News.am has reported the defence ministry in Nagorno-Karabakh as saying that Azerbaijani troops had killed an Armenian soldier in the breakaway region on 13 June.
 
In the meantime, news sources have reported that the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will meet in the United States on 20 June to discuss the Karabakh settlement.

A1+: Residents of Sari Tagh community complain about smell(video)

Karapet Navasardian
Residents of 20th Street of Sari Tagh community cannot stay at neither home nor outdoors because of the smell from the factory near their street.
 
Yerazik Martirosyan, resident of Sari Tagh 20th Street, told A1+ that there is smell of acetone, and generally smell of everything.
 
According to residents, because of this situation, they have health problems.
 
Suren Manukyan, the son of the owner of the factory, does not accept the complaints of the residents, as a month ago, when he heard the same complaints of the residents, the pipe coming out from the factory, which was directly linked to the residents’ houses, was raised upwards in order to match the standard.
 
Details are presented in the video

A1+: When will Iveta Mukuchyan fall in love?(video)

Emil Lazarian
Singer Iveta Mukuchyan has not fallen in love yet. “And there is no hope for love,” she joked and added to the participants of the opening of the Florence restaurant that her heart is still free.
 
Whereas Avet Barseghyan promised her that she would definitely fall in love when she started to sing his “I fell in love with you” song.
 
By the way, before perfoming this song yesterday, the singer asked to the audience whethe they are ready you ready to fall in love with her.