Armenia: LGBT People:Written question – 248579
Her Majesty’s Government continues to pay close attention to the issue of LGBT rights. I raised the importance of diversity and inclusion in a speech to the National Assembly of Armenia in September 2017, referring to the record number of LBGT and female MPs in the House of Commons.
The British Embassy Yerevan has been active in supporting the LGBT community in Armenia. The British Ambassador and her team are in close contact with Armenian LGBT community representatives, have regularly hosted events for LGBT civil society organisations and spoken at conferences on LGBT issues to reiterate UK support for the universality of human rights. The British Embassy in Yerevan, along with other Embassies, has expressed grave concern over the upward trend in cases in Armenia where hate speech, including death threats, have been made against minorities and human rights defenders, particularly those promoting LGBT rights.
The UK, alongside partners, has called for hate speech to be condemned and for law enforcement agencies to take urgent steps to guarantee the physical safety of Armenian citizens and to investigate allegations against those suspected of perpetrating hate crimes.
Meet the Johnnies: Christine Mooradian (AGI19)
UAE State Minister satisfied with agreements reached in Yerevan – PM Pashinyan receives Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh
UAE State Minister satisfied with agreements reached in Yerevan – PM Pashinyan receives Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh
19:31, 3 May, 2019
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the delegation led by Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates, Co-chair of Armenian-UAE intergovernmental commission Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh on May 3.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, greeting the guests, the PM highlighted the 1st session of the Armenia-UAE intergovernmental commission held on May 2, which is a good platform for discussing issues of development of interstate relations. Nikol Pashinyan noted that Armenia highlights cooperation with the UAE and the activation of economic relations. The rising tendencies in the sphere of tourism also speak about the positive dynamics of Armenia-UAE cooperation.
The Minister of State of the UAE thanked PM Pashinyan for the warm reception and expressed satisfaction over his visit to Armenia, the results of the discussions and agreements reached during the session of the intergovernmental commission. According to Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, the UAE is interested in the development of cooperation with Armenia and implementation of joint projects in various spheres.
The interlocutors discussed issues related to the deepening of economic cooperation in different directions. The Prime Minister noted that the Government is implementing large-scale reforms aimed at improving the business environment, creating equal conditions for economic development and attracting foreign investments. From the perspective of further development of the Armenia-UAE economic relations, Nikol Pashinyan considered promising the cooperation in agriculture, tourism, IT, renewable energy, reservoir construction. The head of the government also noted that Armenia can become a bridge for UAE businessmen to the AEEU and third-country markets. In the context of deepening cooperation in the IT sphere, the Prime Minister expressed hope that the UAE companies will actively take part in the World Congress of Information Technologies to be held in Yerevan in October, 2019.
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh noted that the spheres indicated by the Prime Minister of Armenia are of interest for the UAE as well and that his country is ready to expand partnership with Armenia in political, economic and humanitarian spheres.
The Armenian Prime Minister and the UAE State Minister also touched upon the steps to establish direct air communication, which will contribute not only to the development of tourism, but also to the volume of trade turnover. Both sides emphasized the importance of holding business forums and organization of high-level mutual visits.
The Prime Minister thanked the UAE government for its balanced position on Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
A1+: Two medals from International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad
Asbarez: Genocidal Absurdity
Garen Yegparian
BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
Two utterly absurd actions taken over the past two weeks may have paved the way to some minor positive results. One was completely Turkish, the other American/internet.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as he is wont to do, further denigrated his country’s reputation with his annual Armenian Genocide (denial) statement, disseminated via a tweet. The full text is available in Asbarez. In that statement, he may have just gotten one concept right. I emphasize “concept” and not facts, since the latter seems to be beyond his excellency. The sentence of interest reads thus: “The relocation of the Armenian gangs and their supporters, who massacred the Muslim people, including women and children, in eastern Anatolia, was the most reasonable action that could be taken in such a period.”
As you see, Erdoğan asserts relocating gangs and their supporters is reasonable when they are massacring people. Now, if we insert facts into this logic, we end up with an interesting outcome. Since it was Turkish gangs and their supporters (let’s add organizers, too, since the Ottoman government played the lead role) who were massacring people, then it is Turks who should have been deported. Since they were not deported a century ago, and since Erdoğan finds deportation to be a reasonable solution, then perhaps he should correct the error of his Ottoman predecessors and deport all the Turks living in Western Armenia. Of course, since he also has access to the lists of whose ancestors were Armenians (and Greeks, and Jews, etc.), he should of course leave those people in place and restore them to their rightful heritage.
What do you say Mr. Erdoğan? Are you up for implementing this proposal? It is, after all, based on your statement.
The other door-opening absurdity came to us courtesy of Facebook. Nora Hovsepian posted her grandmother’s survival story. Facebook then deleted it, supposedly because it was hate speech. All it contains is a paragraph (not much longer than Erdoğan’s statement) describing how she survived followed by an equally brief description of Armenian life after the Genocide. Nora asked Facebook to review its action.
After waiting for 36 hours and getting no response, she reposted it. Hundreds of supportive comments and 1300 “shares” followed. Interestingly, at least three other people reported similar experiences with Facebook. I haven’t read all the comments, so there may be more. It seems to me it’s time we compiled all such cases and confronted Facebook with its foolishness. It’s obvious that Turks are complaining about our posts, and Facebook, being the corporate behemoth that it is, is mechanically following some policy it has. The outcome is odious in the extreme. We must use the compilation of this Facebook behavior to elicit a change in its policies so that simple descriptions of our experiences during the Genocide are not blithely deleted.
Even more, this policy modification should apply to any Turkish complaint about Armenian postings. I say this because one of the examples I read in the comments to Nora’s original post was from Matthew Karanian. Facebook had deleted a post about “The Armenian Highland” which is his most recent book. It’s obvious the problem extends beyond Genocide related postings.
Let’s get busy contributing examples of Facebook’s (perhaps unintentionally) anti-Armenian actions. Who will set up a Facebook page where everyone can tell their tales?
Asbarez: United Armenian Council Hosts Round Table Discussion On Justice for the Armenian Genocide
GLENDALE—On April 26, The United Armenian Council of Los Angeles for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, (aka UACLA), hosted a round table panel discussion on the topic of the Armenian Genocide at Kouyoumdjian Hall of the St. Gregory the Illuminator, Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale, California.
The UACLA is a body consisting of over 40 of the major religious, political, cultural, benevolent, athletic, compatriotic and professional organizations of the greater Los Angeles Armenian community,
Entitled “Demands…Restitution…Justice,” the event attracted more than 200 attendees and featured three prominent experts: Varujan Vosganian, Member of Parliament of Romania and expert in International diplomacy; Karnig Kerkonian, expert in legal theory and International Strategic Litigation attorney; and Frank Zerunyan, renowned professor and educator in public policy and governance at USC.
The event was moderated by Daniel Ohanian, a University of California, Los Angeles, Ph.D. candidate for Early and Modern Ottoman History.
The live-streamed event started with Ripsime Biyazian welcoming everyone on behalf of UACLA. She then invited Most Reverend Mikael Mouradian, Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy. His Excellency gave his blessings, thanked the event organizers and the panelists and finally reiterated the necessity of our demands and justice for the blood and souls of our victims.
The presentation began with Parliamentarian Vosganian, describing the importance of global efforts toward the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He then transitioned his discussion to the subject of reparations. The author of the internationally acclaimed, “The Book of Whispers,” Vosganian made a distinction between the claims of individuals and those of communal properties, such as churches, schools and cultural centers with a compelling argument that it is incumbent on the Armenian nation to form a unified, world-wide body, whose purpose would be the pursuit of claims and reparations for the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Building on the theme set by Vosganian, the second panelist, Karnig Kerkonian, who holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago, School of Law and a Post-Doctoral degree in International Law from Cambridge University in England, emphasized the need for the Armenian nation to build a plan upon which the collective claims of the Armenian people could be brought. He provided, as an example, the path for which the Jewish nation invoked the idea of the return to the historical Jewish homeland as well as the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. He explained that the establishment of the State of Israel was not something that happened overnight, but was thoughtfully conceived through implementation of legal theories that were decades in the making. Kerkonian showed the audience a slide of the actual one-page letter from Balfour to Rothschild, which would be known as the Balfour Declaration, where the suggestion was proposed and the support sought for a method of return of the Jewish people to their homeland. Kerkonian then educated the guests on the work of attorney and legal theorist, Theodore Hertzel, who wrote a short booklet, wherein he set forth his legal theories that would provide the support necessary for Jews to return to their homeland and eventually establish the State of Israel. Kerkonian concluded by suggesting that the Armenian people must pursue a similar organized and carefully considered method of planning based on law, as Mr. Vosganian had suggested, wherein the goal would be to develop the means by which Armenians could return to their homeland.
The final panelist, Frank Zerunyan, Istanbul born USC Professor of Public Policy, provided an intriguing analysis of the present-day legal attempts at restitution and restoration of Armenian property rights, particularly as they concern the Armenian Churches. He noted that the Republic of Turkey continues to erect hurdles against Armenian control of Armenian Church rights, by means such as the delay of the election of a new Patriarch in Turkey and placing limitations on the education of new seminarians. He discussed favorably the recent case of Catholicos Aram I’s reassertion of jurisdiction of the Catholicate of Sis. He expressed his belief that if there was an independent judiciary system in Turkey, such cases would have a chance of succeeding. Professor Zerunyan cited examples of Turkish courts, having rendered some favorable decisions in recent years prior to the mass arrests of the judiciary after the failed coup d’état of President Erdogan. However, since the coup attempt, the Turkish judiciary has been tremendously weakened by the executive branch’s arrest of a great number of the country’s judiciary. He encouraged that such legal proceedings continue to be instituted and that he expects that the Armenian people would see some success in the future since such religious rights of minorities are protected even under the Treaty of Lausanne.
“We are absolutely thrilled that our community came out in great numbers and filled Kouyoumdjian Hall beyond capacity to see this panel of distinguished speakers, engage in an exchange of views of one of the highest calibers on the question of justice for the Armenian Genocide,” said Co-Chairman of the UACLA, Harout Manoukian.
The lecture was followed by a 30-minute Q&A period, where the panelists addressed and answered the inquiries raised by the audience.
Following the question and answer session, the evening’s guests were treated to beautiful renditions of such Armenian anthems and classics as Giligia, Hayastan and Kedashen among others, performed by the well-known and popular singer, Tavit Samuelian, who was accompanied by the talented keyboardist, Aram Lepedjian.
“The United Armenian Council will continue its unwavering commitment to raising awareness and educating the world about the Armenian Genocide, by providing a platform for the most cutting-edge thinkers, on the subject of restorative justice as consequences of the Armenian Genocide,” concluded Peter Haig, treasurer of the UACLA.
Asbarez: SURVEY: Make the Case for Non-Stop U.S. to Armenia Flights
The LAX2EVN.org survey will measure and demonstrate to international carriers and Los Angeles area airports that the market is growing for tourism and business travelers from the U.S. to Armenia.
Your LAX2EVN.ORG survey response will let airlines know the time has come for non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Yerevan.
LOS ANGELES–The Armenian National Committee of America has launched an online survey to measure and demonstrate to international carriers and Los Angeles area airports that the market is growing for tourism and business travelers from the U.S. to Armenia. This means there is a market opportunity to establish non-stop airline service from the U.S. to Armenia.
“The year-over-year statistics show that tourism and business travel to Armenia has been consistently growing. With Armenia poised for economic growth, the time is ripe to establish non-stop airline service between Los Angeles and Yerevan to accelerate the constructive ties with the movement of people and goods between the U.S. and Armenia, a ‘win-win’ for both countries,” said Zanku Armenian, who has years of professional experience in aviation matters. “Imagine getting on a plane in LA and stepping off in Yerevan. This will be a dramatic convenience for travelers with reduced travel time and faster movement of cargo.”
The survey is designed to collect community feedback on the demand for non-stop service between the U.S. and Armenia, based on convenience, connection cities, cost, time-savings, and other considerations. Airlines and airports use survey data to help them gauge market interest in commercially sustainable routes to new international destinations. The survey takes approximately 4 minutes to complete. Aggregate data will be used to demonstrate market potential but individual responses will be kept confidential and will not be shared with any third parties.
Travel to Armenia marked double-digit growth in 2018 with the demand for flights from the United States to Armenia continuing to grow – driving tourism as a major engine of Armenia’s prosperity. Currently, travelers from the U.S. need to purchase tickets using connecting flights on foreign carriers, often with long layovers. This effort is intended to create an effortless, convenient, and speedy connection in getting from one country to the other.
In September, 2018, ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian called on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation to take the concrete steps needed to facilitate non-stop commercial flights between the U.S. and Armenia, noting that “a non-stop connection would eliminate significant inconvenience for Americans and create new revenue streams for U.S. airlines and airports. With a concerted effort, we are confident that there would be a strong and growing demand for the launch of non-stop flights as early as the 2020 peak tourist travel seasons.”
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/03/2019
Friday,
Armenian Speaker Adds To Pressure On Tsarukian
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan speaks at a parliament session in Yerevan,
March 5, 2019.
Adding to pressure on Gagik Tsarukian, parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan has
challenged the leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) to
publicly dispel “reasonable” doubts about the legality of his entrepreneurial
activities.
In a letter to Tsarukian, Mirzoyan said there are “legitimate concerns” about
Tsarukian’s compliance with a constitutional provision that bars parliament
deputies from engaging in business.
Mirzoyan publicized the letter late on Thursday just hours after
law-enforcement authorities pledged to investigate a small pro-government
party’s claims that Tsarukian is flouting that ban.
The party called the Citizen’s Decision also appealed to the speaker earlier
this week. It urged him to set up an ad hoc ethics commission that would look
into the matter and, if necessary, ask the Constitutional Court to expel
Tsarukian from the parliament.
Mirzoyan, who is a close associate of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, indicated
in his letter that he will not initiate such a parliamentary inquiry. Still, he
said that Tsarukian “should at least present detailed public clarifications
regarding the issue.”
A senior BHK lawmaker, Sergey Bagratian, essentially dismissed the demand on
Friday. He said the onus is on the authorities to prove that Tsarukian has
violated the constitution.
“It’s not Mr. Tsarukian who should prove that he has not been engaged in
business,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “It’s the
political force making such statements which must prove that Mr. Tsarukian is
engaged in business.”
Armenia - Gagik Tsarukian and other deputies of his Prosperous Armenia Party
arrive for a parliament session in Yerevan, April 8, 2019.
Bagratian argued that neither the Central Election Commission nor any political
force, including Pashinian’s My Step bloc, had objected to his participation in
the December 2018 general elections.
Tsarukian and his associates maintain that while the BHK leader owns dozens of
businesses they are not run by him on a day-to-day basis.
My Step lawmakers began questioning these assurances last month amid mounting
tensions between Pashinian’s bloc and Tsarukian’s party, which is Armenia’s
largest parliamentary opposition force. They cited Tsarukian’s calls for the
government to impose hefty tariffs on imports of cement to Armenia.
The tycoon owns the country’s largest cement plant which is increasingly
struggling to compete with cheaper cement imported from neighboring Iran. He
has warned that it could lay off the vast majority of its 1,100 workers.
Earlier in April, Tsarukian criticized the Pashinian government’s economic
policies, saying that they have not attracted major investments and boosted
living standards in the country. Some of his businesses were raided by tax
officials afterwards. The State Revenue Committee denied any political reasons
for the tax audits.
The inquiry into Tsarukian’s involvement in business, which was ordered by
prosecutors, raised the possibility of the tycoon being stripped of his
parliament seat. Vahe Enfiajian, another senior BHK figure, on Thursday did not
deny a newspaper report which said that all 25 other BHK deputies will resign
from the 132-member parliament if their leader loses the seat.
Armenian PM Vows To Promote ‘Christian Values’
• Emil Danielyan
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian kisses a cross held by Catholicos
Garegin II during an Easter Mass at Yerevan's St. Gregory the Illuminator
Cathedral, April 21, 2019.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Friday reaffirmed his stated support for the
Armenian Apostolic Church and pledged to promote “Christian values” in Armenia,
saying that they hold the key to human happiness.
“I will dare to say that the non-violent, velvet, popular revolution that took
place in Armenia [in 2018] was for the most part based on the Christian
values,” Pashinian said. “As a human being, as a politician, I myself regard
the moment when I read and reread the New Testament as a turning point in my
life.”
“I believe that the doctrine at the heart of it is really revolutionary in all
senses, including the state-building sense, and this is the formula which can
bring happiness to the Republic of Armenia, its citizens and humankind in
general,” he added.
Pashinian made the comments at the inaugural session of a working group tasked
with ascertaining his government’s relationship with the Armenian Apostolic
Church. It comprises government officials and senior clergymen from the ancient
church to which the vast majority of Armenians nominally belong. The supreme
head of the church, Catholicos Garegin (Karekin) II, also attended and
addressed the meeting.
Pashinian said the working group should propose “joint decisions” on
contentious issues such as continued teaching of the history of the church
taught in Armenian public schools. His government is reportedly intent on
restricting or modifying those classes that have long been criticized some
civic groups. Those plans have been denounced by conservative and nationalist
figures accusing the current authorities in Yerevan of undermining “traditional
values.”
Pashinian also signaled on Friday his government’s desire to review legal tax
exemptions enjoyed by the church. In particular, he seemed to call for
exploring the possibility of taxing some of the properties belonging to the
church.
Armenia - Worshipers light candles during a Christmas Eve service at the Surp
Sarkis church in Yerevan, January 5, 2019.
Speaking at the meeting, Garegin said the authorities should take into account
“enormous human and material losses” suffered by the church during the Armenian
genocide in Ottoman Turkey and anti-religious persecutions in Soviet times. “In
this context, state support is important so that the Church can restore
necessary conditions and capacities for accomplishing its mission in the
homeland and the Diaspora,” he said.
Without naming anyone, Garegin also criticized those who want to “restrict”
that mission by citing the church’s separation from the state declared by the
Armenian constitution. He argued that the constitution also recognizes the
church’s “exceptional” role in the country’s history and social life.
Pashinian likewise acknowledged its “special significance” for many Armenians
when he met with Garegin in Echmiadzin in November. It was apparently their
first one-on-one meeting since Pashinian swept to power in May in a wave of
mass protests. The premier had been very critical of Garegin in the past.
In June, an obscure Armenian group launched a series of protests against
Garegin, accusing him of corruption and close ties with the country’s former
government. Dozens of its members partly occupied his Echmiadzin headquarters
in July.
Police waited for several days before forcing the protesters out of the Mother
See. The perceived slow response prompted strong criticism from the former
ruling Republican Party (HHK) and other conservative critics of Pashinian.
The HHK subsequently failed to push through the parliament two bills that would
ban any demonstrations inside church premises and require the state to provide
Garegin with bodyguards on a permanent basis. Pashinian’s government and
political allies spoke out against the bills.
Yerevan Wants Eurasian Union To Extend Trade Concession
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia -- Cars parked at a customs terminal in Yerevan.
The government will ask the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) to continue to waive
its hefty tariffs for used cars imported to Armenia in increasingly large
numbers, Economic Development Minister Tigran Khachatrian said on Friday.
Armenia had to replace its traditionally liberal trade regime with more
protectionist policies pursued by the EEU member states when it joined the
Russian-led trade bloc in 2015. It was allowed to temporarily exempt around 800
types of goods, including key foodstuffs and fuel, from higher customs duties
set by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Import duties collected from these products are due to be raised to the EEU
levels by 2020, meaning that they would become more expensive in Armenia. The
tariff increase will be particularly sharp for second-hand cars imported from
beyond the EEU.
Armenian car imports have grown rapidly in the last few years amid strong
demand from not only local residents but also buyers from Russian and
Kazakhstan, where such vehicles are more expensive because of the higher EEU
tariffs.
This growth seems to be accelerating further in anticipation of the expiry in
January 2020 of the trade preference enjoyed by Armenia. The Armenpress news
agency quoted the chief of the Armenian customs service, Shushanik Nersisian,
as saying that 9,481 cars were imported the country in April this year, sharply
up from 4,324 cars in April 2018.
Khachatrian said the Armenia government hopes to secure a full or partial
extension of the tariff waiver. “There has been no official application [to the
EEU] yet,” he told a news conference. “But it’s a process that has to be
launched and discussions regarding it are now in progress.”
The minister cautioned that getting the other EEU member states to agree to
such an extension will not be easy. “If the [planned] renegotiation was only
about Armenia’s internal market, its outcome would probably more predictable,”
he said. “But as we know, this situation where customs duties on imported cars
are lower here than in any other EEU member state leads people to register cars
here and sell them there.”
“That is now visible,” Khachatrian went on. “In some cities of those states the
number of cars with Armenian license plates is now so large that their citizens
are wondering why these [import] taxes are collected in Armenia but not in
their countries. Why? Because those duties are lower in Armenia. Now, as you
can imagine, we have to argue during negotiations why this should remain the
case.”
Minister Sees Major Improvement In Armenian Investment Climate
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia -- Minister for Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatrian
at a news conference in Yerevan, May 3, 2019.
Armenia’s business environment has improved significantly since last year’s
“velvet revolution,” Economic Development Minister Tigran Khachatrian insisted
on Friday.
He said the current Armenian government has broken up economic monopolies,
created a level playing field for all businesses and eliminated “systemic
corruption” since taking office in May 2018.
Western donors and lending institutions have for decades urged successive
governments in Yerevan to take such measures, saying that they are essential
for the country’s faster and sustainable economic development.
“We now talk about equal competition, equal opportunities for entering the
market or the absence of systemic corruption so easily as if that should be
taken for granted,” Khachatrian told reporters. “But these are the kind of
fundamental changes that have come about … They confirm that any citizen
willing to engage in any economic activity can do it now.”
“This should be considered the main achievement of the revolution,” he said.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has also repeatedly made such statements. He has
said that the improved investment climate puts his government on track to carry
out an “economic revolution” in Armenia.
Pashinian’s political opponents and other critics dismiss these statements,
saying that the government’s economic policies have not led to greater
investments or faster economic growth. They argue that the Armenian economy
grew more slowly in 2018 than in 2017.
Khachatrian confirmed an 8.6 percent year-on-year fall in Armenian exports
recorded by the Statistical Committee in the first quarter of this year. The
minister blamed it on a downturn in Armenia’s mining industry.
The government had forecast an 8 percent rise in exports in 2019.
Press Review
“Zhamanak” reports that parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan has sent a letter to
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian urging him to publicly
respond to allegations that he illegally combines his political activities with
business. The paper notes that the letter was made public late on Thursday
right after a meeting of the governing board of Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. It says this means that the “yellow card” to
Tsarukian was “at least approved” by Pashinian. The authorities, it says, are
serious about their threats to strip Tsarukian of his parliament seat.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that the current political agenda of the Armenian
government’s opponents is “false.” In particular, the pro-government paper
dismisses BHK assurances that Tsarukian is not personally engaged in business.
“Equally false is the discourse about the criminal case against [former
President] Robert Kocharian being fabricated,” it says. “Looking people in the
eyes, they want to make them believe that firearms were use against citizens in
the center of Yerevan for several hours [in March 2008] without the then head
of state’s knowledge and orders.” The paper also dismisses allegations by
senior representatives of the former ruling Republican Party that the current
authorities’ are undermining Armenia’s national security with their foreign
policy.
“Aravot” dismisses as “artificial” the outcry sparked in Armenia by Russian
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s behavior at a Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
meeting in Yerevan which many felt was disrespectful towards Pashinian and his
Russian language skills. “In my view, the [Armenian] prime minister’s knowledge
of Russian, English and, according to specialists, French is quite
satisfactory,” writes the newspaper editor, Aram Abrahamian. “It is natural to
speak in the official language of that organization at EEU events. As for
Medvedev, if he was untactful that is his problem. It was meaningless to
wrangle over that [on social media.]”
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Inaugural meeting of Government-Church relations task group held in Yerevan
Inaugural meeting of Government-Church relations task group held in Yerevan
14:46, 3 May, 2019
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. The inaugural meeting of the task force dealing with the Government-Church relations affairs took place on May 3, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin said.
The first session was chaired by Armenian Apostolic Church leader Catholicos Garegin II and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan