Category: 2019

Armenian festival events in USA launched by Post Classical Ensemble’s concert

20:21,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of Armenia in the United States hosted a gala concert and dinner celebrating the richness and diversity of Armenian art and music on February 19 kicking off the Post Classical Ensemble’s Spring 2020 Armenian Festival. Attended by the members of the upcoming festival’s executive committee, festival sponsors and supporters, the evening featured a stunning performance by world-renowned Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, accompanied by Post Classical Ensemble’s Concertmaster Natanel Draiblate, who enchanted the audience with their renditions of works by Bach, Ligeti, Khudoyan, Kodaly and others, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia.

In his opening remarks Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan spoke about the power of cultural diplomacy, the synthesis of cultures throughout history and the promotion of cross cultural ties. Later during the evening PCE Executive Director Joseph Horowitz gave a brief outline of the upcoming festival.

“The Color of Pomegranates: An Armenian Odyssey” 2020 Armenian Festival, co-chaired by Armenian-American benefactors Aso Tavitian and Noubar Afeyan, will comprise a series of events, including an Armenian Film Festival at the National Gallery of Art and an unprecedented multi-media immersion experience and concert at the Washington National Cathedral, featuring the PCE (ensemble-in-residence at the Washington National Cathedral), cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, composer Vache Sharafyan and visual artist Kevork Mourad. In addition to these, a number of other events such as Armenian art exhibitions and concerts are slated to be held in Washington DC and New York. The 2020 Armenian Festival will be the third major cultural event in the US in the past few years exploring Armenian cultural heritage and traditions, following last year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Armenian program and the Metropolitan Museum’s landmark ‘Armenia’ exhibition.

Acknowledging the historical reality or a pressure card on Turkey?: Armenian National Committee’s reaction to reports on UAE’s recognition of Genocide

09:10,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of Middle East is closely following the Arab media reports according to which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is going to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The Committee views these reports in the context of regional developments.

Vera Yakubyan of the Armenian National Committee of Middle East told ARMENPRESS that such reports on recognizing the Genocide have also been circulated in case of Egypt, but with no concrete result till now.

“You know that as for Egypt there were many rumors that the parliament is going to adopt a resolution, but all these remained in the propaganda field, and no practical steps were taken. We are reacting cautiously to all reports regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. It’s not ruled out that these statements are a step to exert pressure on Turkey, and we know that today certain Arab states have tense relations with Turkey”, she said, adding that the UAE is among those Arab countries which currently has a difficult process of relations with Turkey.

“It’s known that in recent years Turkey has supported the Islamists in the Arab world. And now there is a competition who will be more influential in the Arab world. And therefore the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is being raised on the background of problems with Turkey. Of course, we are following the developments, but are not so excited at the moment because maybe the relations with Turkey will normalize. You know that there are strong economic ties between some Arab countries and Turkey”, Vera Yakubyan said.

She noted that some Arab countries were among the first ones to provide shelter to many Armenians who survived the 1915 Armenian Genocide. These countries enabled Armenians to settle there, have their church, open a memorial stone and commemorate the Genocide victims. “Therefore, we can state that some Arab countries indirectly acknowledge the historical reality of 1915”, Yakubyan said.

As for the possibility of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the UAE, she said it will pave a way for the recognition by the remaining Arab countries.

“If they recognize, that will be an unprecedented phenomenon in the Arab world. It can have a chain reaction effect and the remaining Arab countries will also take such an action. In any case now it’s difficult to understand whether the UAE will recognize the Genocide or not”, Vera Yakubyan noted.

According to the Arab media reports, the UAE may recognize the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915, which will further increase the tension between Abu Dhabi and Ankara. The media outlets report that the UAE’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide may be announced on April 24.

Interview by Anna Gziryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

International military experts highly appreciate Armenian production displayed at IDEX-2019

09:15,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. International military experts have highly appreciated the Armenian military production displayed at the IDEX-2019 International Defense Exhibition and Conference in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, Armenian defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan, who was in the Armenian delegation during the recent visit to the UAE, told ARMENPRESS.

“IDEX-2019 is a global exhibition that is being held in Adu Dhabi every two years demonstrating arms-ammunition, military industry and military production in general. It has two profile directions – land and sea. Armenia was not only participating in the event for the first time, but for the first time was presenting a certain military production at an international exhibition. I want to state that several international experts have already fixed and highly valued that Armenia presented such interesting new products”, Hovhannisyan said.

The defense ministry spokesperson informed that the new products of the Armenian military industry have been displayed.

“There were a number of new products especially in the field of radio electronics by Armenian military industry enterprises. The event has just ended, and we will have the opportunity to sum up who have shown an interest soon”, he said.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan added that by participating in such international platforms Armenia can establish serious ties which will be useful if not today, than in the future.

Nearly 95 countries are participating in the IDEX international exhibition.

Armenia has presented the following military products at the event:

-Electro-optic countermeasure system 3K01

-Sniper Rifle K-8

-Thermal imaging gunner sight for T72A tank

-Inductive mine detector RIA-1

-Bulletproof vest GS-47/0717

-Various types of reconnaissance UAVs, all in final stages of development, with proven technologies

-Military and tactical boots

-Pancratic sniper sight 3*9

-Microwave transistor amplifier for target detection HFAS-75G

The brilliant performance of the Armenian defense ministry’s Military Orchestra and the Guards of Honor has also been highly appreciated. “In recent years a good cooperation tradition has been formed between the Yerevan Drums musical group and the Guards of Honor of the Armenian Armed Forces during the events taking place in Armenia and abroad. This has already become a type of culture. These groups visited the UAE at the invitation of the hosting country, and I want to state that they have not returned yet because they are just kept there. They have been loved so much. Almost every day they continue performing for the guests and visitors. They already have invitations for participating in other events”, Hovhannisyan said.

Interview by Norayr Shoghikyan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Opening Armenian trading house in Turkmenistan under consideration

09:35,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Turkmenistan are preparing for the 9^th session of intergovernmental economic commission due in mid-2019 in Ashgabat.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan Garnik Badalyan held a meeting on February 21 with the country’s finance and economy minister Batyr Bazarow to discuss related issues, the foreign ministry said in a read-out of the meeting.

The sides discussed the circle of issues that will be included in the financial-economic part of the session. They also discussed the possibility of opening an Armenian trading house in Turkmenistan, prospects of involving Armenian capital companies in the Turkmen market and other issues concerning bilateral economic relations.

The Armenian ambassador and the Turkmen minister attached importance to increasing trade turnover volumes and boosting economic ties. They agreed to continue sectoral cooperation.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Artsakh denies suffering UAV loss

09:42,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh is denying reports on Azerbaijan downing one of its UAVs in the Aghdam section, labeling it disinformation.

“The February 21 statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry claiming to have downed an Armenian unmanned aerial vehicle in the Aghdam section is false. The Defense Army has not had any UAV loss. Regarding the photos published in Azerbaijani media, these are obviously old pictures. It is also noteworthy that Baku’s disinformation somehow “coincided” with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ regional visit,” the Artsakh Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The ministry added that “as always, the Armed Forces of Artsakh have all means to safely and efficiently employ all types of UAVs under its disposal”.

“We assure, in the event of necessity we will use [the UAVs] rather purposefully in the future, just like we have used them until now”.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan