Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Gevorg Gharibyan (60kg) defeated Turkey’s Kerim Kamal 5-5 to clinch gold at the European Championships under way in Rome, Italy.
A four-point takedown in a dramatic final bout helped the Armenian secure the champion’s title. The Turkish wrestler managed to level on points, but in case of a draw preference is given to the author of a more complex trick.
Karen Aslanyan claimed a bronze medal in the 67 kg division.
By Lusine Shahbazyan
Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Karapet Chalyan is not happy with the bronze medal at the European Championships, he told NEWS.am Sport.
Chalyan who is representing Armenia in 77-kilo weight class had to clash with Bulgaria’s Hayk Mnatsakanyan for the bronze, but the latter refused because of an arm injury.
“I am not happy with bronze. I failed to reach the final and to fight for the gold. But, I was happy to beat 2017 World Champion Viktor Nemes,” he said.
February 11 marks the birthday anniversary of legendary Armenian artistic gymnast Albert Azaryan. The athlete is celebrating his 91st birthday today.
The Armenian National Olympic Committee extended birthday greetings to the “best Armenian athlete of the 20th century", wishing him sound health, longevity and happiness.
Albert Azaryan was born in 1929 in Ganja.
He is the 1956 and 1960 Olympic champion on the still rings. Azaryan is the first ever gymnast to become an Olympic champion on rings twice, a feat that Akinori Nakayama would accomplish twelve years later and that no one else has matched ever since.
He is the first person to do one of the rings most famous exercises called the Azaryan Cross (or Iron Cross; Crucifix) in an international competition.
An artistic gymnastics tournament, the Albert Azaryan Cup, is named after Azaryan and hosted in Yerevan.
Azaryan was voted the top Armenian athlete of the 20th century by journalists from the Armenian Federation of Sport Journalists.
16:48,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent congratulatory letters to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.
In his letter addressed to Rouhani, Pashinyan said: “I warmly congratulate you and the good people of Iran on the 41st anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution.
The centuries-old friendship and historical traditions between our peoples are a firm base for the constant progress of the Armenian-Iranian uninterrupted relations.
I am sure that the complete implementation of joint programs and agreements reached during my visit to Iran will contribute to the expansion of bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples.
By using this chance I invite you to visit Armenia at your appropriate time.
I wish you good health, success, and peace and prosperity to the Iranian people”.
The letter addressed to Iran’s Supreme Leader says:
“Accept my warmest congratulations on the 41st anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution.
I am confident that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its development path by recording new success and achievements.
The centuries-old Armenian-Iranian relations, which are based on the friendship and mutual respect between our peoples, are a guarantee for expanding the bilateral partnership.
Armenia is interested in pushing forward a comprehensive bilateral agenda with friendly Iran for the benefit of the welfare and progress of our peoples.
I wish Your Eminence good health, and peace and prosperity to the good people of Iran”.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
18:18,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II hosted on February 11 King Abdullah II of Jordan, who is in Armenia on an official visit.
As ARMENPRESS was in formed from the Facebook page of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness hoped that this visit will further strengthen the relations between the two countries.
Karekin II reaffirmed with pleasure that the careful attitude of the authorities of Jordan towards the Armenian community and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the best prove of friendly relations.
The Catholicos of All Armenians noted with satisfaction that the heirs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide were able to resume to normal life in Jordan, making their contribution to the progress of the country.
Referring to the fact that for historical reasons Armenia has a great Diaspora living next to various cultures and religions, His Holiness highlighted the close cooperation between the spiritual leaders of different countries aimed at prevention of abuse of religious feelings and intolerance among societies. In this context, Catholcos Karekinn II noted that the relations between Armenia and Jordan, as well as the life of the Armenian community on Jordan can serve as a good example of friendship and co-existence for many nations in their efforts to establish Christianity-Islam or other inter-religious relations.
King Abdullah II of Jordan expressed satisfaction for the meeting, talking particularly about the relations between Christian and Islamic peoples.
Referring to the important role of the Armenian community in Jordan and the Middle East, King Abdullah II of Jordan hoped that the Armenian community in Jordan will strengthen parallel with the development of Armenian-Jordanian relations. The King reaffirmed his readiness to continue supporting the Armenian Church and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
King Abdullah II of Jordan noted that Armenia and Jordan have many opportunities for developing cooperation.
The King of Jordan expressed concern over the situation in the Middle East, the problem of the diminishing number of Christians in that region and particularly about the Armenian community in Syria, expressing readiness to provide necessary assistance to the preservation of the Armenian Christian presence.
Catholicos Karekin II wished success to the King for the sake of the progress of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the welfare of the Jordanian people.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
20:47,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Olympic champion, 3 times world and 4 times Europe’s champion wrestler Artur Aleksanyan (97kg) is in the final of Europe’s championship.
ARMENPRESS reports another Armenian wrestler Gevorg Gharibyan (60kg) is also in the final and will compete with representative of Turkey Kerem Kamal.
The 3rd Armenian wrestler who reached final was Ruben Gharibyan (82 kg), who was defeated by the representative of Italy.
The championship takes place in Italy.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
08:51,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Cuisine is perhaps one of the best ways of reflecting the hospitality and culture of any nation, and Armenia sure boasts one of the finest traditional cooking in the world.
Derian, a cozy Syrian-Armenian restaurant in downtown Yerevan, had very special patrons on February 10.
President Armen Sarkissian and King Abdullah II of Jordan were dining there on the first day of the historic, first ever visit of His Majesty to Armenia.
ARMENPRESS’s Norayr Shoghikyan talked to the restaurateur Hakob Azelyan, the Syrian-Armenian owner of Derian, to find out how it felt like hosting the royal, and of course what was on the menu.
“We were informed that the President will be hosting a guest at our restaurant, but we didn’t know who that guest would be due to security reasons, it was kept secret,” Azelyan said.
Azelyan and his wife Mirey are running the restaurant together as a family business, and on that special day all members of the family were working.
“We were anxious in the beginning, but King Abdullah II accepted us very easily. President Armen Sarkissian introduced us to the king, he told him that we came from Syria, we shook hands with the king, and when a warm atmosphere settled our anxiousness subsided,” said Mirey.
Asked about the menu, Hakob Azelyan said there was nothing extraordinary. The dinner comprised Armenian and Arabic cuisine.
“We served our entire menu. There was nothing unusual. The menu consisted of veal and chicken barbeque, ghaurma, ishli kofta, manti, Armenian cheeses, strained matsoon, olives, tabbouleh, dolma, hummus and muttabal. We served caramel cake, a fruit assortment and Arabic kanafeh for dessert,” he said.
Mirey Hamalyan said King Abdullah II liked the food very much and thanked the staff for the hospitality and the delicious meals.
The owners of Derian are proud of their high-profile guests, which also include celebrities Elton John and Michael Caine, as well as government officials.
However, as true restaurateurs, they don’t put a difference between their guests when serving them.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
08:53,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Berlin on February 13. At the meeting the sides will discuss the bilateral relations, economic policy, as well as issues relating to the foreign policy and security. The Armenian PM will also take part in the Munich Security Conference which will take place on February 14-16.
ARMENPRESS is presenting a brief information and statistics on the Armenia-Germany political and economic relations.
Armenia and Germany established diplomatic relations in January 1992. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties Armenia has conducted over two dozen official visits to the Federal Republic of Germany at the president, prime minister and foreign minister level. Starting from 1995 there have been official visits from Germany to Armenia at the level of the Bundestag president, the deputy PM and the federal foreign minister. Since Armenia’s independence the German Chancellor paid the first visit to Armenia in 2018 after a power change in Armenia.
Pashinyan-Merkel meeting
In July 2018, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan had informal meetings with the leaders of a number of countries, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The next meeting came shortly, and this time within the frames of a historic visit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Armenia on an official visit on August 24. She was welcomed by PM Pashinyan at the Zvartnots international airport. After the welcoming ceremony Chancellor Merkel visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. Thereafter, Pashinyan and Merkel held high-level Armenian-German talks in Yerevan where they discussed broad range of issues relating to the bilateral relations. In particular, they discussed the ongoing programs in the economy’s different branches, as well as the prospects of new joint initiatives.
“This visit is taking place after great changes in Armenia: the more unexpected it was for us, the more positive it was for your country. We are interested in further developing our relations with Armenia. We know that this is a complex region and we are ready to help you being your partner in solving the problems. We are ready to boost and develop the bilateral economic ties. We are full of hope that we will be able to record new results on this path”, Chancellor Merkel said in Yerevan.
The Armenian PM and the German Chancellor also discussed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and highlighted the settlement of the conflict through peaceful negotiations under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Pashinyan said Armenia highly appreciates Germany’s balanced position on the NK conflict and support to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship format. Touching upon the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, Pashinyan highly valued the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution by the Bundestag in 2016.
The next meeting of the two leaders again was held shortly. It took place months later, on February 1, 2019 in Berlin. Pashinyan and Merkel expressed confidence that this meeting would give a new impetus to the Armenian-German friendly partnership. Merkel said Germany is interested in developing the ties with Armenia and is ready to discuss the prospects of expanding the bilateral relations. Their discussion focused on the process of joint projects in the fields of IT, environment, as well as the possibilities for new initiatives. An agreement was reached to continue the active dialogue in the implementation of various economic programs.
Economic indicators
According to the data of the Statistical Committee, Armenia’s trade turnover with Germany in 2019 was 451.3 million USD, which increased by 4.2% compared to 2018 (432.9 million USD). In 2019 the export from Armenia to Germany comprised 69.6 million USD, which decreased by 48.9% compared to 2018 (136.1 million USD). Meanwhile, the import from Germany to Armenia according to the country of origin comprised 381.68 million USD in 2019, which increased by 28.6% compared to 2018 (296.9 million USD).
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
On June 15, 2005 the parliament of Germany adopted a decision on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. On April 23, 2016 President of Germany Joachim Gauck (2012-2017) made a statement on the Armenian Genocide, and on June 2, 2016 the Bundestag adopted a resolution on the Armenian Genocide.
During her visit to Armenia Chancellor Merkel visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, laid flowers for the memory of the innocent victims. She also planted a fir tree at the Memorial Park.
Prepared by Anna Gziryan
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
11:04,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a decision on appointing Artur Martirosyan deputy minister of education, science, culture and sport.
The PM’s respective decision is posted on e-gov.am.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
Tuesday,
Opposition Party Clarifies Stance On ‘Illegal’ Referendum
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia -- Opposition leader Edmon Marukian (C) speaks at a news conference in
Yerevan, .
The opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK) on Tuesday again denounced
constitutional changes drafted by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s political
team as illegal but said it will not actively urge voters to reject them in an
upcoming referendum.
The draft amendments call for the dismissal of seven of the nine members of
Armenia’s Constitutional Court. The judges -- and the court’s chairman, Hrayr
Tovmasian, in particular -- have been under strong government pressure to resign
in recent months, with Pashinian accusing them of being linked to the “corrupt
former regime.”
Deputies representing the LHK voted against the proposed amendments when
Pashinian’s My Step bloc pushed them through the Armenian parliament last week.
The opposition party’s leader, Edmon Marukian, said they run counter to the
Armenian constitution and were passed with serious procedural violations.
Pro-government lawmakers denied that.
Marukian insisted on Tuesday that the referendum scheduled for April 5 is
“completely illegal.” He said at the same time that the LHK leadership has
decided not to officially campaign for a “No” vote.
“There must not be a ‘No’ camp in the unconstitutional referendum and
unconstitutional process; there must only be a ‘Yes’ camp,” Marukian explained
at a news conference.
“Why? Because the authorities badly need some people to campaign for a ‘No’ vote
so that they can tell those people that they are defending Serzh Sarkisian and
deliver the kind of speeches which everyone is tired of,” he said.
“Let them only campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote, and the people will decide whether or
not to vote ‘Yes.’ But setting up a ‘No’ vote front would mean giving the
authorities a chance to keep generating hatred,” he added.
A senior My Step figure, Alen Simonian dismissed this stance as “absurd.” “If
they call [the process] unconstitutional but are not going to do anything about
that, it means … they just don’t know what they are doing,” he said.
Pashinian urged supporters to vote for the amendments immediately after
President Armen Sarkissian set the referendum date on Sunday. The prime minister
said they would thereby “say yes to the revolution” and “slam the door in
corrupt officials’ face.”
Pashinian has repeatedly accused Tovmasian and the six other Constitutional
Court judges appointed under the former governments of obstructing his efforts
to make the Armenian judiciary “truly independent.”
Critics claim that he is on the contrary keen to gain control over the country’s
highest court. They also point to the authorities’ failure to ask the Council of
Europe’s Venice Commission to examine the draft amendments before putting them
on a referendum.
The LHK and the other parliamentary opposition party, Prosperous Armenia (BHK),
may still prevent the holding of the referendum if their parliament deputies
appeal to the Constitutional Court and convince it to declare the amendments
unconstitutional.
Under the Armenian constitution, such appeals must be signed by at least 27
members of the 132-seat parliament. The BHK and the LHK control 26 and 17
parliament seats respectively.
Marukian reaffirmed his party’s readiness to challenge the referendum in the
court. BHK leader Gagik Tsarukian indicated on Tuesday, however, that BHK
lawmakers will not back such a move. Some of those lawmakers have also
questioned the legality of the government drive to replace the high court judges.
Armenian Opera Director Reinstated
• Gayane Danielian
Armenia - Constantine Orbelian, the director of the national opera theater
controversially sacked by the government, Yerevan, March 29, 2019.
Constantine Orbelian, an acclaimed Armenian-American conductor and pianist, has
been reinstated as director of Armenia’s national opera theater after winning a
court battle against the government.
Orbelian was appointed as artistic director of the Alexander Spendiarian
National Opera and Ballet Theater in Yerevan in 2016 and became its director
general as well a year later. He is widely credited with breathing a new life
into one of the country’s most important cultural institutions chronically
underfunded by successive post-Soviet governments.
In March 2019, then acting Culture Minister Nazeni Gharibian dismissed Orbelian
as chief executive, saying that he is not legally allowed to combine the two
leadership positions. She also argued that the 63-year-old U.S. citizen is not
fluent in Armenian.
Orbelian rejected the decision as illegal and challenged it in court. Most
actors and musicians of the state-run theater also condemned his dismissal,
demanding that Gharibian be sacked instead.
Dozens of them rallied outside the main government building in Yerevan. Meeting
with their representatives, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian defended the legality
of Orbelian’s dismissal while pledging to address their concerns.
Armenia -- Artists of the nationla opera theater stage a protest action in
support of Constantine Orbelian, 30Mar2019.
In October, a district court in the Armenian capital declared the controversial
sacking null and void. Armenia’s Court of Appeals upheld that ruling on Monday.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Orbelian said the decision means that he can
again perform the duties of director general. He cautioned, though, that his
three-year contract signed with the former Armenian government expires in August
and that he does not know yet whether the current authorities will extend it.
Orbelian is scheduled to meet with Ara Khzmalian, a deputy minister of
education, culture and sports, on Wednesday. He said he will discuss with
Khzmalian the possibility of renewed government funding for the theater.
The San Francisco-born musician complained that for the last two years the
government has not financed performances staged by him in and outside Armenia.
Also, he said, the roof and the ventilation system of the imposing theater
building, one of Yerevan’s main landmarks, need urgent repairs.
Senior Policeman Prosecuted For Torture
Armenia -- The entrance to the Office of the Prosecutor-General, Yerevan.
Armenian law-enforcement authorities have brought criminal charges against a
senior police officer who was seemingly caught on video brutally beating a man
together with three other individuals.
The blurry video was first posted by the NewsMedia.am on its website and widely
circulated by Armenian media in November. It showed four men punching, kicking
and swearing at the victim. One of them then forcibly put a gas mask on his head
while another started hitting his shoe soles with a truncheon.
The Armenian police were quick to launch an internal inquiry into the scandalous
video that caused outrage among viewers and prompted serious concern from the
country’s human rights ombudsman.
A police statement issued afterwards said one of the violent individuals shown
in the footage turned out to be the head of the police department of Chambarak,
a small town in Armenia’s northeastern Gegharkunik province. The officer, Narek
Simonian, was suspended as a result, the statement said, adding that the police
are now trying to identify the other men involved in the violent interrogation.
A separate, criminal investigation was launched by another law-enforcement body,
the Special Investigative Service (SIS).
Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General reported on Monday that the video
depicts the interrogation of a man who was taken to a police station in Yerevan
in November 2008 on suspicion of an attempted burglary. In a statement, it said
that Simonian and several other policemen subjected the man to “inhuman,
degrading and brutal treatment” after he refused to confess to the crime.
According to the statement, Simonian has been charged with serious abuse of
power as part of the ongoing “comprehensive, full and objective investigation.”
Investigators are doing their best to identify all individuals responsible for
the torture, added the prosecutors.
Ill-treatment of criminal suspects has long been commonplace in Armenia, with
law-enforcement officers threatening and beating suspects to extract
confessions. They have rarely been prosecuted for such illegal practices until
now.
Jordan’s King In ‘Historic’ Visit To Armenia
Armenia -- Armenian President Armen Sarkissian (R) and Jordan's King Abdullah
arrive at the presidential palace in Yerevan, .
Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke of similarities between his country and Armenia,
voiced support for closer bilateral ties and praised the centuries-old Armenian
presence in the Middle East during an official visit to Yerevan on Tuesday.
He also called for Armenian support for his position on the status of Jerusalem
after holding separate talks with President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian.
Both Armenian leaders described Abdullah’s first-ever visit to their country as
“historic” during the talks that seemed to have focused on ways of boosting
Armenian-Jordanian economic ties. Sarkissian was satisfied with the “wonderful
discussions with His Majesty.”
“I’m very glad that … relations between our countries are reinvigorated and we
have already concrete results,” Pashinian told the Jordanian monarch at the
start of their meeting.
“Our two countries and peoples have carved a niche for themselves in today’s
modern world, all the while remaining true to their identities, their cultures
and faiths,” Abdullah said in a speech delivered at the presidential palace in
Yerevan later in the day. “And Jordan, much like Armenia, has made its human
capital the main driver of its journey towards development. Our countries have
much to gain from cooperating to capitalize on this promising potential.”
“Although this is our first official visit to your beautiful country, we feel we
are among family, and in fact we are family,” he declared.
Armenia -- Jordan's King Abdullah delivers a speech at the presidential palace
in Yerevan, .
Abdullah went on to lavish praise on Jordan’s Armenian community. “Thousands of
Jordanians trace their roots back to Armenia,” he said. “They do honor to both
of our countries and play vital roles in the arts, education, public service,
business and much, much more. And they form the solid bedrock on which our
friendship continues to grow and flourish.”
The community mainly consists of descendants of survivors of the 1915 Armenian
genocide in Ottoman Turkey who had taken refuge in what is now Jordan.
Sarkissian stressed that it was Abdullah’s great-great-grandfather, Emir Hussein
bin Ali of Mecca, who urged Arabs to shelter them.
“I would like to bow to the great memory of your ancestor and your family and to
tell you the thanks from my nation,” the president told Abdullah.
“Our joint history extends far beyond that,” the king said for his part.
“Armenians in the Middle East are part of the oldest Christian community in the
world. They are an integral part of our region’s past … and we look to work with
you to make sure they continue to play such a role in shaping its present and
creating its bright future.”
In that context, Abdullah pointed to the existence of an ancient Armenian
quarter in Jerusalem and his religious custodianship of the city’s Muslim,
Armenian and other Christian worship sites.
“Preserving the city’s identity and its legal status, as well as the historic
status quo in relation to holy sites, Islamic and Christian alike, is going to
be key,” he said. “So we look to Christian leaders and friends like you and
around the world to work with us in safeguarding Jerusalem as a unifying city of
peace.”
Jordan is reportedly concerned about an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan put
forward by the United States. Amman has been particularly sensitive to any
changes of status in Jerusalem after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to
recognize it as Israel’s capital.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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