Category: 2020

Georgia reports first coronavirus case in country

Lena Karagyozian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 27 2020

Georgia on Wednesday reported the first case of coronavirus in the country. 

Health minister Ekaterine Tikaradze said an infected Georgian citizen, who was traveling from Iran, crossed the border from neighboring Azerbaijan, Reuters reported. 

“He was immediately taken to hospital from the border check-point,” she said.

Tikaradze said the infected man, who traveled by mini-bus with other 12 passengers, crossed the Georgian border with Azerbaijan on Tuesday.

All of them had been checked by bodyguards and taken to hospital, the minister said.

“Coronavirus positive was only in one case,” Tikaradze said.

Other members of the group tested negative, but remain in a quarantine, she said

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has created a group to coordinate actions to try to prevent a disease outbreak in the country, the premier’s press service said.

The group has decided to suspend travel between Georgia and Iran for two weeks.

The novel coronavirus originated in China late last year and has infected about 80,000 people, killing more than 2,700, the vast majority in China.

Garibashvili: Armenian military will take part in multinational NATO exercises in Georgia

Garnik Zakarian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 26 2020

ArmInfo. Armenian  military  will take part in the multinational NATO exercises in  Georgia. Minister of Defense of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili announced  at a joint press conference in the negotiations with Minister of  Defense of Armenia David Tonoyan on February 27 in Yerevan.

"I should be pleased to note that Armenian troops will take part in  the NATO Noble Partner 2020 multinational exercises in Georgia. I  also hope that Armenia will continue to be actively involved in such  events in the future," Garibashvili summed up.

It should be noted that in 2020 Georgia will host the Noble Partner  multinational exercises for the fifth time.

International exercises are planned to be held at various training  grounds in Vaziani in September. As part of Noble Partner 2020, for  the first time, team-based exercises at the level of multinational  brigades will be held in parallel with real-time exercises, which  include new approaches, such as cybersecurity, elements of  information operations and elements of countering electronic wars,  reports with reference to the Ministry defense of  Georgia. 

https://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=49685&lang=3

Researcher Samvel Karapetyan passed away

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 27 2020

Armenian historian, researcher specializing in the study of the historical monuments of Armenia, Samvel Karapetyan passed away, Vahe Lorents, expert in tourism informed on social media.

Karapetyan is mostly known for surveying and cataloguing thousands of artifacts of Armenian history and architecture during the course of more than two decades. Serving as the head of the Yerevan branch of the NGO Research on Armenian Architecture, he headed numerous groups of Armenian specialists to old Armenian villages in Iran, Georgia and Turkey to document the historical Armenian monuments and assess their condition. He is the author of numerous scientific publications.

In 2004, Karapetyan was awarded with Mesrop Mashtots medal of the Artsakh Republic and in 2007 – with the Armenian Presidential Humanitarian Sciences Prize for his work in literature.

Turkish dictator Erdogan not welcome in Australia: joint justice initiative

Emil Lazarian
Aravot, Armenia
Feb 27 2020

                                                       
February 27,2020 16:32 19

CANBERRA: The Joint Justice Initiative – consisting of the peak advocacy bodies of the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities – have called on the Australian Government to reject a proposed visit by Turkey’s dictator, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Armenian, Assyrian and Greek communities – who are made up of descendants of survivors of the Ottoman Turkish-committed Genocide and together make up 750,000 of Australia’s population – recently launched their Joint Justice Initiative with the goal of advocating:

“…against any attempt by the Turkish Government to use the sacred ANZAC graves in Gallipoli (and access by Australians to those graves and memorials) as ‘hostages’ or bargaining chips in coercing or persuading the Australian Government in being complicit in the Turkish State’s denial campaign with respect to the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides”.

They say the reported trip by President Erdogan in and around ANZAC Day is “disrespectful to the legacy of our Anzacs and unacceptable to our communities”.

“It was only last year, following the Christchurch terrorist attack, that Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to return Australians and New Zealanders traveling to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day Commemorations ‘in their coffins like their grandfathers’,” said Armenian National Committee of Australia Executive Director, Haig Kayserian.

“Now we are hearing this friend of ISIS, who has created a state of terror by arresting, jailing or dismissing more opposition leaders, minority rights advocates, journalists and academics than any world leader, might be a guest of the Australian Government.”

The Australian Hellenic Council’s George Vellis said Greeks, and especially, Cypriots feel the wrath of Erdogan’s expansionist policies on a daily basis.

“We cannot stand idly by as our representatives continue to offer legitimacy to genocide-denying despotic dictators, particularly one leading a regime that bears no resonance to the values we uphold as Australians,” Vellis said.

“The Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities, who have suffered from Erdogan’s continued denial of Ottoman Turkey’s Genocide committed against our ancestors, will continue to demand higher diplomatic standards by Canberra, and pledge to join with several other community groups in protest should this visit eventuate,” Kayserian added on behalf of the Joint Justice Initiative.

On 25th February 2020, over 100 Federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, departmental officials, political staffers, academics, media and community leaders were treated to cultural performances, food, wine and brandy, as well as the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which affirmed that the signatory public affairs representatives of the three communities were jointly committed to seeing Australia recognise the Turkish-committed Genocide against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Italy soccer legend Alessandro Del Piero visits Yerevan

Garo Vardanian

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 10:36,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. Italian former professional football player Alessandro Del Piero is in Yerevan.

The Juventus legend shared a video story on Instagram filmed from the rooftop of what appears to be a downtown hotel in the Armenian capital.  “Good morning Yerevan”, he wrote.

The visit was not announced beforehand and it is unclear if Del Piero is on a business or private trip.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian healthcare minister discusses situation caused by coronavirus with Georgian counterpart

Emil Lazarian

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 10:01,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of healthcare Arsen Torosyan discussed the situation caused by the novel coronavirus in Georgia with Georgian healthcare minister Ekaterine Tikaradze during a telephone conversation.

“The minister said that 4 people, who communicated with the person infected with the novel coronavirus, have been examined and tested negative for the virus. But these 4 people will remain in isolation for 14 days”, the Armenian healthcare minister said on Facebook.

The first coronavirus case has been confirmed in Georgia on February 26. The patient is a 50-year-old citizen of Georgia who came to Georgia from Iran via Azerbaijan. The patient has been taken to an infectious diseases hospital in Tbilisi.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenian textile companies take part in CPM 2020 – Collection Premiere fashion trade show in Moscow

Greg Madatian

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 11:25,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. CPM 2020 – Collection Premiere International Fashion Trade Show has kicked off in Moscow, Russia, on February 24.

The Fashion Trade Show is also attended by 15 Armenian textile companies, the ministry of economy told Armenpress.

The CPM 2020 – Collection Premiere is one of the most significant events organized in Russia and East Europe within a year during which various companies of 30 participating countries are exhibiting more than 1700 collections and establish partnership with the partners of consumption markets. The Fashion Trade Show is expected to host more than 22.000 specialized visitors.

“We are very happy to see the representatives of the Armenian delegation at this very important event, who have a unique place in this key market of the region with their exclusive products. We expect that the participating companies will expand cooperation with the traditional partners, as well as will create new ties with the partners of targeted markets”, Aram Navasardyan, chairman of the Armenian Marketing Association NGO, who is also coordinating the Armenian delegation’s participation to the event, said in his remarks.

Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toghanyan toured the Armenian pavilion at the Fair.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




All measures taken to prevent coronavirus in Armenia

Liana Toganian

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 11:46,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. During today’s session the members of the Cabinet of Armenia firstly discussed the ongoing actions aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus before passing to the agenda.

Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan introduced details about the spread of the virus in the world and the region and stated that today he talked to his Georgian counterpart over phone, and the latter informed that the first case of coronavirus confirmed in Georgia has been imported to the country from another country. “This person and 4 others who communicated with him have been put in isolation”, the minister said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan added that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent the disease, and Armenia continues living in its normal course. “The public should be convinced that they will be notified in case of any concerning information”, the PM said, adding that major preventive measures have also been taken in the Armed Forces and urged the parents of soldiers to understand the situation.

“The Armenian citizens should be convinced that hiding any case is impossible, I know that in such cases those who spread panic become more, but be confident that the government will in no way hide any information from the public if there is any case”, the PM said, adding that at the moment there is nothing to worry about in that regard.

In his turn deputy PM Tigran Avinyan stated that if, in any case, the virus enters into Armenia, all preventive measures are already taken, even in much better way compared to many other developed countries.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Armenian Defense Minister, CSTO Secretary General discuss regional, international security

Vatche Chakhmakhchian

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 11:30,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan held a meeting with CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas on February 27.

Zas, the new head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, is currently on a visit to Armenia.

Tonoyan congratulated Zas on his appointment as Secretary General.

“During the meeting issues of international and regional security were discussed, as well as the process of further developing the military component of the CSTO,” the defense ministry said in a news release.

The sides also discussed the development of the CSTO Crisis Response System, the increase of the potential of the CSTO Rapid Response Collective Forces and Peacekeeping Forces, the perfection of the system of representatives of the organization’s militaries, the joint combat readiness exercises, as well as issues related to the implementation of joint events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War victory.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Asbarez: Dreaming of Ani

Karapet Navasardian

BY MATTHEW KARANIAN

Editor’s Note: Adapted from “The Armenian Highland,” the world’s first historical guide to the ancient Armenian homeland, by Matthew Karanian (Stone Garden Press, 2019). Available from booksellers and online.

I dreamt of Ani last night.

I was walking along a street in Yerevan when I stopped a child and asked her for directions. “Vonce guhnam Ani?” – “How do you get to Ani?”

She stretched her arm northward. “It’s that way,” she said, responding in English to a question I had put to her in Armenian.

The girl’s response sent me walking on a journey of one hundred miles. When I stopped, I was on the bank of the Akhurian River, in the shadow of the ancient Armenian capital.

If I had been awake, this hike might have taken a couple of days. But I was dreaming. The hike took just a moment.

I waded waist deep through the shallow waters of the river and when I had reached the other side I looked up and saw Ani’s thousand-and-one churches sprawled out before me. I climbed the stairs that had been carved into the steep hillside, past the Monastery of the Virgins, through a stone archway.

Dozens of donkeys and horses and people and priests jostled me as I made my way through the city. Merchants called out to me from both sides of the road and offered spools of silk and jars of spice.

I exchanged a coin for a cup of sev soorj, thick Armenian coffee, as the crowd parted and went silent. A procession of Armenian clergy passed, their black robes adorned only with the volcanic dust that coated the city.

I struggled to hear the hymn that they were singing—nay—whispering. And as I did, they disappeared into the Cathedral of Ani.

I stood alone on the path. I drank my soorj. I walked back to the river.

On a sandy outcrop nearby, a group of women washed clothes and laughed. I took a photograph. And then another. But the women didn’t appear in my pictures.

All I captured was the empty river and the silent cliffs.

I splashed about. The sun went behind a hill. Ani returned to its slumber.

And while Ani slept, I waded to the other side of the river and I walked back to Yerevan, Armenia’s other capital.