Category: 2019

Kim Kardashian criticized by leading Armenian-American advocacy group for making SKIMS products in Turkey

Maral Takmazian
Daily Mail, UK
Sept 27 2019
  • Kim, 38, is of Armenian heritage through her late father Robert Kardashian
  • She’s called for recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in what is now Turkey during and after the First World War
  • The Armenian National Committee of America asked her in a tweet to make her products in Armenia
  • The reality star responded with a series of tweets Thursday explaining it was a business decision to make some products in Turkey 

She’s half Armenian and has publicly called on the US government to recognize the Armenian Genocide that took place in what is now Turkey during and after the First World War.

So it’s no surprise that Kim Kardashian’s decision to have some of her SKIMS products made in Turkey is causing controversy.

The reality star, 38, was called out for it by the Armenian National Committee of America on Twitter Wednesday and on Thursday, she posted a series of tweets explaining her decision.

The ANCA first thanked Kim for raising awareness about Armenia and then tweeted: ‘We saw that you are making some @skims products in Turkey. Please consider making them in Armenia which is known for great craftsmanship & service.’

She responded that her decision to use manufacturers in Turkey was a purely business decision.

‘When I first began dreaming of owning my own shapewear company, I knew I wanted every piece to be made the best way possible; from the finest materials; starting from design stage through to creation, testing, innovation & fit,’ she tweeted.

‘We consulted with experts and searched globally for the best in class options, some which was found in Turkey,’ she went on.

She then justified the decision, tweeting: ‘We believe strongly against discrimination of any kind; against anyone or any nation based on the past.’

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star then wrote: ‘I will be visiting Armenia in the next 2 weeks and hope to seek ways I can help increase trade and hopefully create jobs for Armenians which includes @skims production there in the future.’

Kim concluded: ‘I am a strong believer that in order for change to happen, you must be willing to work with all people, even when you have differences in political opinions.’ 

Kim’s late father, O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Kardashian, was born to Armenian-American parents and his great-grandparents were ethnic Armenian immigrants.

During and after the First World War, Turks engaged in ethnic cleansing of Armenians as they worked to establish a nationalist Turkish state from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. 

Back in April 2011, Kim had expressed anger after her image appeared on the front cover of Turkish Cosmopolitan the same month that commemorates Genocide Remembrance Day. 

‘Cosmopolitan Magazine has a number of international editions all around the world that run in various territories, and when I did this shoot for the international covers I had no idea that Turkey was planning to run my story on their cover THIS month, considering Genocide Remembrance Day is this month,’ she said in a statement at the time. 

Meanwhile, Kim courted controversy in a different way when she announced via social media Wednesday that her SKIMS collection now includes a waist trainer. 

She showed off the new product in an Instagram video in which she modeled the corset. 

‘A waist-trainer is a gift that I used to give to all of my friends right after they had a baby,’ she revealed in the clip. ‘To me they just make me feel really smashed and I really don’t know … smashed isn’t the most descriptive word.’  

It’s not the first time the Kardashian family has boasted about their love of waist training despite backlash from the medical community. 

Kim’s half-sister Kylie Jenner was blasted online after bragging about the cincher as a way to get back to her pre-baby body post pregnancy.

One of the brand’s made popular by the Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars — Waist Gang Stars — was slapped with a class action lawsuit in 2016 for lying to consumers about weight loss benefits.  

Kylie and Kim aren’t the only sisters taking part as Kourtney and Khloe have both shared posts wearing trainers on social media. 


Artsakh official: Azerbaijan suffered two losses during attempted subversive attack

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 27 2019

Another Azerbaijani serviceman was seriously wounded during a failed incursion on the Artsakh frontline positions on Sunday, September 22, Artsakh presidential advisor Tigran Abrahamyan wrote on Facebook.

In an official statement the Artsakh Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani subversive group left behind one body in the no-man’s land after being repelled by the Artsakh frontline troops.

“The Defense Army suffered no losses,” the ministry noted, adding that some episodes of the attack were caught on the surveillance cameras.

Artsakh returned the body of the killed saboteur to Azerbaijan on 24 September.

Abrahamyan said the wounded Azerbaijani soldier somehow managed to throw themselves back into their trenches and apparently succumbed to his wounds later.

“Our servicemen who witnessed the incident also confirmed this,” he said.

The advisor cited Facebook user Alen Ghulyan, who found and shared a video from the funeral ceremony of the soldier killed on the same day and in the same direction. He also posted photos of the Azerbaijani saboteur, which obviously show that he was not a conscript.

The second saboteur was identified as Qürbət Qürbət oğlu Quliyev.  

China Ambassador: More than 10,000 Chinese expected to visit Armenia this year

Toneyan Mark
News.am, Armenia
Sept 27 2019
China Ambassador: More than 10,000 Chinese expected to visit Armenia this year China Ambassador: More than 10,000 Chinese expected to visit Armenia this year

23:16, 27.09.2019
                  

The friendly bilateral and cooperative ties between China and Armenia are growing healthily and sustainably, and over the past years, Chinese-Armenian relations have entered a new stage of rapid development through the Belt and Road Initiative. This is what Ambassador of China to Armenia Tian Erlong told journalists today.

“The trade and economic cooperation is growing sustainably, and the sectors of cooperation are expanding. Since 2009, China has been Armenia’s second major partner in trade, and the amount of the Chinese-Armenian trade turnover comprises nearly 10% of Armenia’s total foreign trade,” he said.

The Ambassador also attached importance to cooperation in the humanitarian, educational and cultural sectors and fully hopes that the free visa regime is established between the two countries soon, adding that this will provide the opportunity to enhance tourism as well. “Whereas 2-3,000 Chinese citizens visited Armenia in 2015, this year, more than 10,000 Chinese citizens are expected to visit the country,” he said.

The construction of a new Chinese embassy in Yerevan is conditioned by the expanding cooperation between the two countries and, according to Tian Erlong, even though the current building is suitable, it is small since there are more than 50 employees.

Mutual recriminations follow resignation of Armenia’s security chief

Baghdasarian Karlen
OC Media
Sept 27 2019

by Ami Chichakyan

Artur Vanetsyan. Official Picture.

Accu­sa­tions of incom­pe­tence and cor­rup­tion have been exchanged between Armenia’s Prime Minister and the former head of the National Security Service, following the latter’s res­ig­na­tion in mid-September. 

Artur Vanetsyan, the Head of the Armenian National Security Service (NSS), who served in the post for roughly a year and three months and was a key figure in Nikol Pashinyan’s anti-cor­rup­tion drive, resigned on 16 September.

That same day, he also published a res­ig­na­tion statement on Facebook and on the official NSS website in which he crit­i­cised the post-rev­o­lu­tion­ary admin­is­tra­tion and expressed hope that his res­ig­na­tion would serve as a ‘stop’ sign for Pashinyan.

The letter began a bitter cycle of recrim­i­na­tion between Pashinyan and his old security chief, marking perhaps the single biggest intra-gov­ern­ment rift since Pashinyan became Prime Minister in spring 2018.

‘State building has its logic: the spon­tane­ity of decisions and tur­bu­lence of actions, and the work style of not dif­fer­en­ti­at­ing between primary and secondary, transient and lasting things, is not the path that leads to the achieve­ment of goals’, Vanetsyan’s statement read. ‘It has nothing in common with an officer’s dignity. The epaulets are incom­pat­i­ble with such a course of events.’

Later that day, the PM’s spokesper­son responded. Vladimir Kara­petyan told Armen­press that Vanetysan should ‘not lose an officer’s dignity’. He also implied that Vanetsyan was not the author of the statement and that it could be connected to, and have provided pro­tec­tion for spokesper­sons of the old regime.

‘We need to find out who has written the text attrib­uted to Arthur Vanetsyan. We hope that its authors are not corrupt public relations agencies who have “mis­tak­en­ly” avoided pros­e­cu­tion’, Kara­petyan said. 

The next day, Vanetsyan shot back, telling reporters that he was the author of the text and that his adviser Armen Davtyan edited it. ‘We worked together on that text. I consider it to be naive to link me with the corrupt’, he said.

He also emphat­i­cal­ly denied rumours of any con­nec­tion with ex-president Serzh Sargsyan’s son-in-law, Michael Minasyan. ‘Do not dare tie me to him […] Michael Minasyan is someone who has to give answers to many questions before Armenian law.’

In a press con­fer­ence on 22 September during a visit to the United States, Pashinyan said that Vanetsyan had shamed himself by speaking out against him while still, de jure, holding the office of the head of the NSS. 

‘He made a statement against the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and being the head of a structure which is sub­or­di­nate to the prime minister, it was a statement against his superior’, Pashinyan said. ‘There is no greater contempt for an officer’s honour.’ 

Pashinyan added that it was equiv­a­lent to ‘throwing [one’s] epaulets into the trash’.

On 23 September, Vanetsyan gave an interview to Hraparak where he made the most trenchant crit­i­cisms of Pashinyan to date. 

‘Nikol Pashinyan spoke about things he has little under­stand­ing of’, he said. ‘Now I see he repeat­ed­ly breaks agree­ments and makes vague and populist state­ments about nothing.’ 

He added that Pashinyan ‘does not think about the con­se­quences of his words’.

Since Vanetsyan’s res­ig­na­tion, Armenian news­pa­pers have been fever­ish­ly dis­cussing the political future of the former NSS chief, with many spec­u­lat­ing that he would join the oppo­si­tion Pros­per­ous Armenia Party.

Vanetsyan denied the rumours, stating ‘I rule out the pos­si­bil­i­ty of joining the Pros­per­ous Armenia Party at any stage in my life and any political force in general.’

However, he quickly back­tracked. ‘I say I rule out joining the political force, and I will make a decision myself, which I will announce in the near future, if necessary, after a rest’, he said. 

He concluded by saying that he would ‘refrain from engaging in “political dis­cus­sions” ’ and would instead con­cen­trate on his role as the chair of the Football Fed­er­a­tion of Armenia. 

Political analyst Armen Minasyan of the Yerevan-based Agora public policy think tank told OC Media that a single res­ig­na­tion could not have a large impact on the future of Armenia. But nev­er­the­less, he said Vanetsyan’s res­ig­na­tion was important in the context of current political processes in Armenia. 

‘The head of the NSS is one of the most influ­en­tial people after the Prime Minister’, Minasyan said, adding that the dis­agree­ments in Pashinyan’s team and excessive pressure by Pashinyan could be some of the reasons that led to this situation. 

‘This weakens Pashinyan’s positions, but one indi­vid­ual doesn’t have that much influence as we have a gov­ern­ment which relies on trust towards [only Nikol Pashinyan].’

According to Minasyan, the debates over ‘epaulettes’ and ‘an officer’s honour’ mean that, pre­sum­ably, there are some orders which sub­or­di­nate struc­tures do not receive pos­i­tive­ly. 

‘Vanetsyan’s res­ig­na­tion will affect the National Security Service’, he said. ‘I believe the state­ments they make have a bad impact on the security officers.’

Saakashvili: Russia wants to annex Georgia, Armenia, other countries and create the USSR

Hambik Zargarian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 27 2019
Saakashvili: Russia wants to annex Georgia, Armenia, other countries and create the USSR Saakashvili: Russia wants to annex Georgia, Armenia, other countries and create the USSR

17:51, 27.09.2019
                  

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said that the Georgian authorities, under Russian pressure, may abandon the course towards the country’s accession to NATO and the European Union, Interfax reported.

In addition, Saakashvili did not rule out that Georgia and Russia in general could become one country, since, in his opinion, the plans of the Russian leadership include restoring the USSR by 2024.

“Putin decided by 2024 to restore the Soviet Union by his next election and plans to annex Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Belarus, the main part of Ukraine, except for the western one. This is his plan,” he said.

The Georgian ex-leader did not specify where he got this information. 

“Now there is a very big conspiracy against Georgian statehood. What is this conspiracy? I will tell you what is happening around Georgia. Firstly, the Georgian government is negotiating with the Russian leadership on the neutral status of Georgia. They want to announce that Georgia will never join NATO and the European Union,” he said.

Armenia debates security services shakeups

Antranik Varosian
EurasiaNet.org
Sept 27 2019
Ani Mejlumyan Sep 27, 2019 
           
  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, center, and Artur Vanetsyan, right, in happier times. Vanetsyan was head of the National Security Service until his surprise resignation on September 16; since then the two men have been publicly feuding. (photo: primeminister.am)

An ongoing feud between Armenia’s prime minister and its recently resigned top security official has led to fevered speculation in Armenia about further upheavals.

The head of the National Security Service, Artur Vanetsyan, announced his resignation on September 16. Insinuations of treachery and scheming quickly followed, with Vanetsyan cryptically accusing the government of mismanagement and a spokesman for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan suggesting that Vanetsyan remained loyal to the former regime, which Pashinyan overthrew last year.

The war of words has only escalated since then. While on a visit to Los Angeles on September 23, Pashinyan said that Vanetsyan’s statement was equivalent to “throwing his epaulets in the trash.” The same day, Vanetsyan shot back. “Pashinyan is again working under the idea that ‘whoever is not with us is a traitor.’ How long will he keep manipulating the public like this?” he told the newspaper Hraparak in an interview. He said he would continue to talk “without any consideration for the consequences” and that “time will show what or who will be thrown in the trash.”

Vanetsyan’s departure was followed by another high-level security cadre shakeup. Chief of police Valery Osipyan was relieved of his duties on September 18. But the same day it was announced that Pashinyan had appointed Osipyan – another holdover from the former regime notorious for his harsh treatment of the then-opposition – as his adviser.

As of now, it is not known who will replace either Osipyan or Vanetsyan. Shortly after the resignations, parliament passed new regulations loosening the requirements for holding the posts, effectively making them equivalent to the requirements for being a member of parliament. Many saw the move as opening the way for more political figures to assume the roles. “As you know, almost everyone is qualified to become a member of parliament,” joked the political satire show Armcomedy. “And of course those two things [the resignations and the new law] have nothing to do with each other. It’s a coincidence.” 

Meanwhile, parliament has begun proceedings to remove another former regime holdover, chairman of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan.

“After a quite turbulent 16 months, Pashinyan has decided to get the situation under control and stabilize it under his unquestioned control before it’s too late,” wrote analyst Hrant Mikaelian in a blog post about the various moves. “It’s possible to trust Pashinyan and see this as a decision that will lead to a stabilization of the situation under his command. But it will be possible to know only with time, as Pashinyan doesn’t have the sufficient experience and understanding of government work to rely on.”

Of all the moves, it was Vanetsyan’s dramatic departure that held the most intrigue.

Vanetsyan had taken a higher profile than had previous heads of the NSS, regularly giving press conferences and becoming a household name. Many counted him as the second most powerful person in Armenia, and speculation quickly turned to whether he might present a political challenge to Pashinyan.

“The way I read his statement, he is talking about creating a party,” Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the opposition party Bright Armenia, told journalists.  

But some were skeptical of how effective Vanetsyan could be politically. “When these statements began after the resignation, for some reason, maybe Vanetsyan himself also believed that he had some kind of political standing,” said journalist Yuri Manvelyan in an interview with RFE/RL. “It was often mentioned that he was among the most popular officials. But he does not have any political weight or standing – this is Pashinyan’s standing.”

Vanetsyan’s acrimonious departure again shed light on his previous ties to the former authorities. Vanetsyan had been spotted in early September in Moscow meeting with prominent businessman and ally of the former regime Samvel Karapetyan, the government-friendly anonymous Telegram channel Bagramyan 26 reported.

“It is extremely worrying that the former head of the secret service of Armenia, who undoubtedly possesses important information, is ready to satisfy his political, or rather, careerist aspirations via Moscow,” wrote news website 1in.am in an analysis.

While the Vanetsyan-Karapetyan meeting caused furious speculation in Yerevan, it may have been misinformation; Vanetsyan denied that he had met the businessman and other reports suggested the incriminating photos may not have been of Karapetyan at all.

Rumors also swirled around Vanetsyan’s ties with Mikael Minasyan, the son in law of Serzh Sargsyan, the president whom Pashinyan ousted last year, but the ex-NSS man denied them. “Do not dare to tie me with him [Minasyan],” Vanetsyan told reporters.

Immediately after his resignation, Vanetsyan headed to Moscow – it is unknown for what purpose – but before he left he suggested that he was in fact considering getting into politics. “At the moment I am not going to comment on my political future,” he said. Time will pass, and I will make my decision.”

Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.

“Azerbaijan seeks not settlement in the Karabakh conflict, but revenge” – Prime Minister of Armenia

Emil Lazarian
JAM News
Sept 27 2019
JAMnews, Yerevan
Artur Xachatryan

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Pashinyan also spoke of Turkey as a threat to Armenian national security and of Russia as a strategic partner.

The Prime Minister of Armenia gave a speech at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The key theme of his 30-minute speech was his position on the Karabakh conflict. He spoke in detail about democratic reforms in Armenia and domestic political problems that, in his opinion, were created by the previous government. He named Turkey as a “threat to Armenian security and the Armenian people,” and Russia as Azerbaijan’s main strategic partner.

Here are some details of the main points of the speech.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called for Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev to create the necessary conditions for progress in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

“Any decision must be acceptable for the Armenian people, as well as the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. We must work together to bring this plan into reality,” said Pashinyan.

The Armenian Prime Minister believes that the Azerbaijani government does not want to find a compromise on Karabakh. He says that with their actions and statements, they prove that they seek not to resolve the conflict, but rather revenge for the “unsuccessful acts of aggression against the Karabakh people in 1990 and 2016″:

“The Azerbaijani government have no intention of resolving the conflict. Instead, they want to defeat the people of Nagorno-Karabakh…  The supreme power of Azerbaijan has remained steadfast in its position, striving for a solution to the Karabakh issue that would benefit only the people of Azerbaijan. To this end, anti-Armenian sentiments are being on the rise, enormous resources are being spent on weapons, and Armenia-phobia has become the official political stance.

They want to return Nagorno-Karabakh to the same status it had in Soviet times. But their efforts are in vain, because in Soviet times, the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region exercised their right to self-determination and declared their independence, leaving left the USSR. The Azerbaijani people did the same. And Baku holding this position is equal to the idea of rebuilding the Soviet Union”.

According to Pashinyan, Baku is representing the Karabakh conflict as a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We do not agree with this viewpoint, this conflict is not about territory. It is about people, about men and women, about their right to live in their homeland, to live like their ancestors lived in years past. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani government doesn’t want to actually speak with these people, because they’re only interested in the territory, not the people living there. More precisely, they’re interested in the territory without the people living there.”

• Op-ed: Where do Russia and the West fit into the new Armenian government?

Before he rose to power, Pashinyan advocated for Armenia’s withdrawal from the European Economic Union, headed by Russia. But by the spring of 2018, when the Velvet Revolution broke out under his leadership, his position on the issue changed drastically.  At the same time, however, like previous administrations, he speaks of the need for cooperation with both Russia and the West:

“Russia is our main strategic partner and ally, Georgia and Iran are our strategic neighbors. We have already formed strategic ties and a partnership with the US, as well as the EU and member countries. And for us, it is a huge challenge to navigate the interwoven conflicts and disagreements between our partners, since we are constantly at risk of being misunderstood by some or all of them,” notes Pashinyan.

• Op-ed: EU-Armenia relations after Velvet Revolution – why no breakthrough has occurred

The Prime Minister says that the tension that exists between Armenia’s neighbors and strategic partners puts the country in a rather uncomfortable position:

“Our situation is complicated by the fact that some of our friends, and possibly all of them, may misunderstand our position.”

And in this context, the head of state commented on relations with Turkey. He believes that Turkey “remains a serious threat to Armenian security and the Armenian people.”

Domestic issues

In his speech, the Prime Minister touched on the topic of democratic reforms within the country, which are being hindered by the political elite:

“We have an unshakable determination to promote democracy and reform in our country. It is based on the solid support of our people, and we have a responsibility to them to implement reforms, ensure justice, improve economic and social conditions and develop our nation…

And they [the previous administration] are trying to avoid justice by using their financial resources and challenging our democratic achievements and the democratically elected government of Armenia, which was not involved in the redistribution of property and wealth. ”

• Armenia’s fight against corruption: a JAMnews series on the first steps of the new Armenia

The new government has expressed its concerns about rumors and false information spread by the media under the influence of the previous administration. And Pashinyan once again touched on this topic in his speech, having previously stated that his administration does not interfere in the media and does not attempt to control it:

“Nonetheless, some media agencies who are still obedient to members of the previous administration think up false rumors and sow distrust among the people about the situation in the country and the true intent behind the Velvet Revolution. Despite this challenge, we are ardently determined to stimulate and protect the freedom of media agencies.”

https://jam-news.net/azerbaijan-seeks-not-settlement-in-the-karabakh-conflict-but-revenge-prime-minister-of-armenia/





U.S. Senate panel backs increased assistance to Armenia

Aram Torosian
ARKA, Armenia
Sept 27 2019

YEREVAN, September 27, /ARKA/ The full U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations  unanimously adopted September 26 a bipartisan provision – spearheaded by Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) of the panel’s foreign aid subcommittee and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) – “to direct that additional funds be made available… for Armenia to further democratic and economic reforms,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Graham-Van Hollen Amendment was passed unanimously as part of the FY20 Senate Foreign Aid Bill (S. 2583) as part of the “Manager’s Package,” which is legislative language proposed by the panel’s leadership.

The provision is in addition to recommended appropriations of $17.6 million from the Economic Support and Development Fund (ESF), $1.5 million for battling narcotics trafficking, $600,000 for International Military Education and Training and $1 million in Foreign Military Financing. The Senate maintained parity in appropriated military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The U.S. Senate panel’s action follows this June’s overwhelming House passage (268-152) of an amendment by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Jackie Speier (D-CA), to the FY20 foreign aid bill, which appropriated an additional $40 million in aid for Armenia’s democratic reforms.

Regarding Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), the Senate expressed it was “concerned with the protracted conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and endorses the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Process.” It calls on the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator to “consult with the Committee on programs that can further create conditions for resolution of the conflict and help address the humanitarian needs for all victims of the conflict.” In June, the House adopted an amendment, offered by Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA), appropriating funds for life-saving de-mining programs and expanded rehabilitation services in the Republic of Artsakh.

In the months leading up to Senate consideration of the FY20 foreign aid measure, thousands of Armenian community advocates supported the effort in increase aid to Armenia and Artsakh, through ANCA’s Rapid Responder online Congressional outreach campaign. Earlier this year, the ANCA testified before a key House panel and submitted testimony to the Senate calling for $10 million in U.S. assistance to Artsakh as part of its $70 million aid priorities package for Armenia and Artsakh.

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s action sets the stage for a full Senate vote, after which a House-Senate “conference” will reconcile differences, adopt, then send the measure to the President for his consideration. -0-


Armenia’s justice minister denies allegations of biased treatment of judicial authority

Torgomian Varazdat
ARKA, Armenia
Sept 27 2019

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan denied today allegations of biased treatment of judicial authority by the government.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that courts were the remnants of the former corrupt authorities and that people had no trust in the judiciary and therefore it lacked legitimacy.  He said the time came for a surgical intervention with all judges to be subjected to a thorough vetting during a “transitional” period.’

Later, on September 16, Pashinyan stated that solving the problems of the judicial system was still a priority, however, it should be solved not by “surgical intervention”, of which he had spoken earlier, but by institutional transformations. Pashinyan said also he counted on the assistance of Armenia’s international partners in implementing the judiciary reform which he said is the “second and most important stage of the revolution.”

“The prime minister’s statements should be viewed in context, and not presented as pressure on all judges or the entire judicial system. There is no bias against the judiciary, and disciplinary proceedings will only be instituted if a petition is submitted to the High Judicial Council and if we  consider the violations very serious,” Badasyan said.

He said the Ministry of Justice is initiating a process of judicial and legal reforms designed for 2019-2023, which will be extended also to related structures, including the Prosecutor General’s Office, the investigative staff, the Judicial Enforcement Service, etc.

According to Badasyan, all measures are aimed at increasing public confidence in the judicial  system through transitional justice, election reforms and other changes. He also pointed out the need to increase the availability of courts and the introduction of e-justice, which would significantly accelerate judicial procedures.

“That is why we attach importance to the introduction and use of electronic tools, as they will significantly reduce the burden on the courts and  litigation processes,” Badasyan said. The minister noted that judges who faithfully fulfill their duties will receive material support and social guarantees and will be able to continue their work.

“We are being criticized for concentration on the past, but this is the result of misunderstanding of the transitional justice. We intend to identify all corruption phenomena that did not contribute to the development of the economy and justice and introduce mechanisms to exclude them,” Badasyan said. -0-

The biggest gata in the world baked in Armenia, breaking last year`s record

Boris Nahapetian
Arminfo, Armenia
Sept 26 2019

ArmInfo. The biggest gata  in the world was baked in Armenia, with a length of 65 meters and a  weight of 410 kg. The initiator of the annual, already traditional  event is the Yeremyan Projects.

It took 2 days to make the biggest gata in the world, using Armenian  dried fruits, and its size allows to treat about 4 thousand people.

As the company noted, the event is held with the aim of increasing  the recognition of the gats as one of the most favorite confectionery  products of the Armenian national cuisine. Every year, the company  intends to exceed last year’s dimensions of the baked gata. , the organizers noted.

To recall that last year, Yeremyan Projects initiated the baking of  the largest gata in the world, which length was 60 meters and its  weight exceeded 368 kg. Gata, baked in Armenia in 2018, was in the  Guinness Book of Records.