Category: 2020

Aravot.am: Armenian deputies had received rewards once before transferring to COVID-19 fund

Jalatian Sonya
News.am, Armenia
July 10 2020

22:48, 10.07.2020
                  

Armenia’s new telecom player wins approval to buy Veon unit

Talar Tumanian
NASDAQ
July 10 2020
Armenia’s new telecom player wins approval to buy Veon unit
     
Contributor
Nvard Hovhannisyan Reuters

July 10 (Reuters) – A new telecom company in Armenia said on Friday it has won regulatory approval to buy the local unit of Veon VON.AS.

Amsterdam-based Veon, which operates mobile networks mainly in emerging markets including Russia, Pakistan, central Asia and North Africa, said last month that it was in talks with Team LLC about a sale.

Team LLC was set up in April by Hayk Yesayan, former general director of one of Armenia’s biggest telecoms company, Ucom, as a new player in the market providing internet services and TV and radio broadcast services.

The value of the sale has not been disclosed. Team LLC said in its statement on Friday that the deal would close soon.

Armenia’s telecoms market is competitive and the merger of Veon Armenia and Team LLC will create a major player to take on market leaders Viva_MTS and Ucom.

Veon had held talks early this year about selling its unit to Ucom when Yesayan was still general director, but it later withdrew from the talks. Yesayan, who had originally founded Ucom with his brother, left Ucom in April.

(Reporting by Nvard Hovhannisyan; Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Susan Fenton)


Senator Paul Scarr Calls on Australia to Recognize Armenian Genocide

Kalashian Nyrie
Greek Reporter
July 10 2020
By

 Stavros Anastasiou

 –

Jul 10, 2020

Federal Senator for Queensland Paul Scarr announced his support of the Joint Justice Initiative, calling for Australia to recognize the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.

“For many years, I have provided support to the Queensland Rwandan community in relation to its commemoration of the genocide in Rwanda against the Tutsis,” Scarr stated in regards to his decision. “I understand the importance of recognizing historical truths.”

Senator Scarr had previously signed an Affirmation of Support to back national recognition of the genocide, meeting with delegated from the Joint Justice Initiative on February 2020.

The Joint Justice Initiative is an organization made up of members from the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities. Their goal is to mainly raise awareness and recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The Initiative had also featured a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding during this time between the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC).

The memorandum declared Australia’s recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as a priority on behalf of the communities that have immigrated to and thrived in the country.

Responding to Senator Scarr’s support, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia Haig Kayserian said “We welcome Senator Paul Scarr joining our growing coalition of supporters in the Federal Parliament, representing a broad cross-section of political parties. It is only a matter of time that this support must translate in overdue Australian recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.”

Over 100 federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, officials, academics, media and community leaders witnessed the historic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Attendees were later treated to cultural performances, along with wine, food and a gala celebration when the public affairs representatives from the three communities in Australia united together in order to encourage Australia to recognize the Turkish-committed genocide against their ancestors.

https://au.greekreporter.com/2020/07/10/senator-paul-scarr-calls-on-australia-to-recognize-armenian-genocide/?fbclid=IwAR30OyuO6dscutw49Z7POrgWm3QuMwynsEsvGsP_NLHvMiRIHwvkrwbd4ko


UNESCO warns Turkey against Hagia Sophia mosque conversion

Christine Harutyunian
Public Radio of Armenia
July 10 2020

Society 17:45 10/07/2020Region

The UN’s cultural agency UNESCO warned Turkey Friday against converting the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul into a mosque, urging dialogue before any decision is taken, AFP reported.

The Hagia Sophia, which was first a cathedral then a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of an area designated as “Historic Areas of Istanbul.”

“This inscription entails a number of commitments and legal obligations,” a UNESCO spokeswoman told AFP.

“Thus, a state must ensure that no modification affects the exceptional universal value of the property inscribed on its territory,” the spokeswoman said, adding that any modification requires prior notification to UNESCO and possibly examination by its World Heritage Committee.

She noted that the Hagia Sophia was inscribed within the “Historic Areas of Istanbul” as a museum, a position that had repeatedly been communicated to Turkey through letters.

“We call on the Turkish authorities to initiate a dialogue before any decision is taken which could undermine the universal value of the site,” the spokeswoman said, adding that this message was reiterated to the Turkish ambassador to UNESCO on Thursday.

The source reminds that Turkey’s Council of State, its top administrative court, is looking at a case brought by a Turkish NGO that would allow the Hagia Sophia to be re designated as a mosque, a move backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The decision is expected later Friday, according to Turkish media.

Sports: Armenia to host Kuwait in a friendly

Alex Nanijanian
Public Radio of Armenia
July 10 2020

<img width=”800″ height=”600″ src=””https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/xArmenia-team-50.jpg.pagespeed.ic.4WkvoQgGHd.jpg” class=”attachment-full size-full wp-post-image” alt=”” srcset=”https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/xArmenia-team-50.jpg.pagespeed.ic.4WkvoQgGHd.jpg 800w, 300w, 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px”/>

The Armenian national team will host Kuwait in a friendly, the Football Federation of Armenia reports.

The match will be held in Yerevan on November 11.

On October 6 Armenia will play another friendly against Albania on October 6.

Anti-monopoly authority allows merger of TEAM LLC and VEON Armenia

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
July 10 2020

<img width=”759″ height=”475″ src=””https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/handshake.jpg.pagespeed.ce.RrLG-BiPvM.jpg” class=”attachment-full size-full wp-post-image” alt=”” srcset=”https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/handshake.jpg.pagespeed.ce.RrLG-BiPvM.jpg 759w, 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px” data-pagespeed-url-hash=”1312504891″/>

Armenian State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition made the decision to allow the merger of VEON Armenia CJSC and TEAM LLC.

TEAM LLC will acquire 100% stake in VEON Armenia CJSC.

The company has undertaken not to carry out mass layoffs (more than 10% of the total number of employees) for at least six months after the merger takes effect.

Germany to send medical team to Armenia

Garnik Zakarian
Public Radio of Armenia
July 10 2020

<img width=”959″ height=”720″ src=””https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xGerman-medical-team.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zvMznGJAdB.jpg” class=”attachment-full size-full wp-post-image” alt=”” srcset=”https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/xGerman-medical-team.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zvMznGJAdB.jpg 959w, 300w, 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 959px) 100vw, 959px”/>

Thanks to cooperation between the EU, Germany and Armenia, a medical emergency team from Germany will arrive in Armenia soon, the German Embassy in Armenia informs.

The ISAR Germany (International Search and Rescue) team comprising doctors, nurses and emergency experts will support Armenia in the fight against Covid-19.

Pashinyan presents Armenia’s new national security strategy

Ani Basmajian
MediaMax, Armenia
July 10 2020


Yerevan /Mediamax/. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has delivered an address about the National Security Strategy at the Security Council meeting today.

 

We present several remarks from the Prime Minister’s speech.

 – Violence must be excluded in settlement of any internal issues in Armenia. Any individual or political power that considers violence to be a method of settling internal issues must be rejected.

– The people and free _expression_ of the will of the people are the only sources that form power. Any attempt to distort the free _expression_ of the will of the people must be considered anti-national.

 

– Sovereignty of Armenia, Artsakh and Armenian people is the biggest value. Those that are ready to engage foreign powers in internal Armenian issues and to represent the interests of foreign powers in Armenia must be met with tough counter-action from the Armenian people and its legitimate representative, the government.

 

– Existence of courts that are under foreign or domestic influence is a threat to national security. The courts must be independent.

– The goal of the Artsakh peace talks must be the defense of the achievements of Artsakh Liberation War, which was aimed at protecting the sovereignty and security of the people of Artsakh. The governments of Armenia and Artsakh will consider the option of settlement of the conflict as acceptable only if it is approved by the people of Armenia and Artsakh.

 

– Armenia has been “in the Western past of the East” and “in the Eastern part of the West”, often becoming an arena where civilizations clashed. We reject this presumed position and present as an advocate for a dialogue between civilizations.


Syrian-Armenian Bundestag employee attacked by Islamists in Berlin

Maghakian Mike
Panorama, Armenia
July 10 2020

Syrian-Armenian Kevork Almassian, an employee of Bundestag, was attacked by two Islamists in Berlin on 6 July, barely surviving the murder attempt, German media outlet Journalisten Watch reported.

Kevork Almassian is an Armenian Christian who has taken refuge in Germany. Since 2018, he has worked as an aide to AfD MP Markus Frohnmaier in the Bundestag. Almassian has received death threats since 2019 when he was doxed by editor-in-chief of T-Online Lars Wienand and Syrian Islamist activist Nahla Osman.

The two Islamists struck Almassian with a knife on the street in an attempt to kill him. Almassian was able to escape. He ran along the Berlin street for about 10 minutes and called for help, but no one responded.

In a tweet on Friday the Syrian-Armenian said he is informed that the German journalists who started the media campaign against him in February 2019 and exposed his life to danger by turning the radical Islamists against him, are now preparing a new report, in a bid to deny that the attack against him happened.

The attack is being investigated by Berlin law enforcers. 

 

Armenpress: Armenian servicemen prevent infiltration attempt of Azerbaijani troops

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Armenian servicemen prevent infiltration attempt of Azerbaijani troops

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 17:13,

YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS. The servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces made an attempt to violate the Armenian state border in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush Province on July 12 at about 12:30, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of the Defense Ministry of Armenia Shushan Stepanyan wrote on her Facebook page.

”After the warning by the Armenian side the Azerbaijani servicemen left their UAZ vehicle and returned to their positions. At 13:45 the Azerbaijani servicemen repeated the attempt to occupy the Armenian position by using artillery, but were silenced by the Armenian side. They suffered casualties and were repelled”, she wrote.

Stepanyan added that the Armenian side suffered no losses.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan, Editing and Translating by Tigran Sirekanyan