19:09,
YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. The National Center for Crisis Management of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia received a call today at 18:40 that a bomb has been installed at the head office of Adjarabet.am.
ARMENPRESS reports rescuers and operative groups have left for the scene.
11:06,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. 489 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been registered in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 31,392, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.
710 more patients have recovered. The total number of recoveries has reached 19,419.
13 people have died in one day, raising the death toll to 559.
The number of active cases stands at 11,234.
The number of people who had a coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 180 (3 new such cases).
So far, 133,104 people have passed COVID-19 testing.
Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
11:30,
The My Step Foundation’s Program Reviving Cultural Centres in the Regions is in full swing. Meetings with architects, designers, community representatives, volunteers and mentors working on the project have already begun.
On July 8, the staff of the My Step Foundation visited the communities of Ararat and Khachik and discussed with local representatives the various issues of community development, their prospects and the potential leading role of cultural centers.
The first stop was the Cultural Center of Ararat. Inheriting and preserving the center and their traditions from the Soviet period, the staff of the center is ready to bring new colors and opportunities to the center. During the visit, the work priorities were more clearly outlined.
The center is obviously a structure with great potential and opportunities. The building includes a hall, indoor and outdoor courtyards. The building was built with an interesting architectural design, and newly equipped halls will soon become a favorite place for the people of Ararat to create, communicate, develop and dream while encouraging them to be strongly connected to their community.
It should be noted that the employees of two cultural centers, Ararat and Khachik, have been participating in training, which is an important component of the cultural centers’ development program. For about three months now the cultural centers’ staff have been participating in weekly online meetings, communicating and discussing issues with each other and the program team, “It is very difficult to get rid of everyday worries, but we understand the need for these meetings, we already see the benefits they provide. Communication between cultural centers, although remote, but active, is a great opportunity to communicate, exchange ideas, goals, and experience. We often ‘steal’ ideas from each other, which can be very useful for our centers,” admits Mrs. Gayane Haykyan, the director of the Ararat City Cultural Center.
Gayane Gharagyozyan, the mentor working with the staff and volunteers, was also in Ararat.
“When I first heard about the project for the development of cultural centers in the regions, I was pleasantly surprised and happy that a project finally emerged which will work for the promotion of art and culture in the regions.
I have personally witnessed the neglected conditions of cultural centers in different communities, not only as a building, but also as the most important resource that preserves the core values of community life and transmits it to future generations.
I am very excited about the restoration and development of dialogue between generations through art and craft. I am very excited to be part of this important project. I hope that my years of experience, skills and connections will allow me to make an effective contribution to the development of the cultural centers included in the program. I really appreciate my contact with the communities, as I am convinced that I have a lot to learn from them,” said Gayane, who also coordinates the development of the Meghradzor Cultural Center.
On the same day, the Foundation’s staff continued their journey to the mountainous village of Khachik-gate of Zangezur. Everyone in Khachik village is excited and aware of the expected changes, from the youth to the elderly. “Our cultural center will be renovated, there will be clubs and other good things,” say the children from Khachik, who all seem to look alike while wearing medical masks.
The prospect of reviving a cultural center built in front of the Church decades ago has united everyone in Khachik. They realize that there is a lot to do, but they are convinced that if they unite, they will succeed backed by their supporters and benefactors. Of course children’s dreams and desires are different, but they all mention their big dream of having arts, crafts and sports clubs. “I am a native of Khachik, all my goals are connected with this village, we just need more activities, I dream of joining a photography club. After we started working with Ms. Eka, we have a lot of fun in our daily lives, and we look forward to meeting her every time. She has awakened in us the will to achieve our dreams,” says 16-year-old Anush.
Mentor Eka completely feels the pulse of the village, the warmth she conveys is more than mutual.
“The potential of the youth is the great capital that will maintain and advance the process started by their parents. This is a unique opportunity to dream together and make our dreams come true. We are all volunteers for Khachik, we are all from Khachik,” said Eka, a mentor for Khachik and Lchashen.
During the visit, the Foundation’s staff visited the village school, the museum called “Roof”, and got acquainted with the village’s concerns and development opportunities. With its winding roads, giant walnuts, air filled with thyme, mint and rosemary, its unique cuisine, as well as the spiritually and culturally rich history this village has potential for the development of ecotourism, “What we start, our children will continue. It would be very good to organize courses at the Cultural Center, to teach us business skills. We are on our feet from four in the morning, we have everything, all that remains is to package it in the right way!” The village elders repeat.
Khachik’s visit ended with an open-air seminar. Lilit Grigoryan, the Coordinator of the Foundation’s Cultural Programs, talked with children about the human-society-art connection through works of Minas, Kochar, Saryan, Monet and Picasso. These questions are not new, they are universal and eternal, but for a more meaningful life, you need to think wider, discover your own abilities and develop your skills.
One of the goals of the Foundation’s visits to regions and cultural centers is to inspire locals and make communities aware of new horizons of development. This time, the village of Khachik and it’s locals became a source of inspiration for us. On our way back, we already had confidence that thanks to the active participation and support of organizations and individuals operating both in Armenia and around the world, Khachik’s dreams, which have already reached to amazing heights, will become a reality.
12:37,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan commented on the decision of the Turkish authorities on granting Hagia Sophia a status of a mosque.
“By the decision of granting a status of a mosque to Hagia Sophia the Turkish authorities reaffirmed their denialist and xenophobic attitude towards civilizations. And every response of superpowers with Christian values on this topic is very much like the sigh of a sick and helpless person, as long as there is the denial of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian-Turkish closed border, the genocidal acts by Turkey in the Middle East”, the Artsakh President said on Facebook.
Turkey’s top administrative court on July 10 annulled the 1934 government decree that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for Hagia Sophia to be reconverted into a mosque.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
12:07,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the Gandzasar Monastery on the sidelines of his working visit in the Republic of Artsakh, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
President Sarkissian was accompanied by Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan.
Armen Sarkissian toured the medieval monastery, lit a candle and prayed.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:23,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. The defense ministry of Artsakh denies the Azerbaijani media reports according to which a soldier in Artsakh has been killed by a fellow serviceman, the ministry told Armenpress.
The ministry issued a statement which says:
“The Azerbaijani media outlets, in particular Amiya.az website, which from the very beginning of its creation is engaged in publishing fictitious information about the “emergency incidents which result in deaths” in the Armenian Armed Forces in general and the Defense Army of Artsakh in particular, spread another disinformation on July 11 according to which on July 2 “a soldier has died for unknown reasons in the 1st regiment deployed in Artsakh, but later it was revealed that the soldier has been killed by a co-serviceman on the ground of personal hostile relations”.
The defense ministry of the Republic of Artsakh informs that this report has nothing to do with the reality and urges the local media outlets not to pay attention to the reports of the aforementioned Azerbaijani propaganda center which regularly spreads disinformation about the Defense Army, as well as calls on using exclusively the official press releases of the defense ministry of Artsakh while reporting about the incidents taking place in the Army”.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
15:06,
STEPANAKERT, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan signed a decree on July 11 on extending the state of emergency which has been declared in the Republic since April 12 and has been extended until July 11, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
The coronavirus-related state of emergency is extended for 32 days, from July 11, 22:00, to August 12, 22:00.
According to the latest data, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Artsakh has reached 146.
The total number of recoveries is 19.
The number of active cases is 27.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:08,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. During the period from July 5 to 11 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime at the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact more than 150 times by firing nearly 1800 shots from various caliber weapons at the Armenian positions, the defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress.
The Artsakh Defense Army forces adhere to the ceasefire regime and continue confidently fulfilling their military tasks.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
16:52,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. Ruling My Step faction MP of the Armenian Parliament Tsovinar Vardanyan and her daughter have recovered from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), she said on Facebook.
“Dear friends, the results of my test and that of my daughter are negative. I want to thank doctors who helped us to overcome the disease, as well as my friends and relatives”, Vardanyan said.
There are several lawmakers infected with COVID-19 in the Armenian Parliament.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
13:59,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenia presented the 2nd Voluntary National Review Report on UN Sustainable Development Goals during the online High-Level Political Forum held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council on July 10, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.
This year the Forum was being held under the title “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”.
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mher Margaryan was chairing the part of the Forum relating to the presentation of the voluntary reports as Vice Chairman of the UN Economic and Social Council.
Armenia’s report was firstly presented via a video, showing the actions taken in the country since 2018 for the implementation of the SDGS, the achievements recorded, as well as the innovative solutions aimed at overcoming the existing challenges. It also touched upon the situation caused by the novel coronavirus in the country and the government’s measures aimed at eliminating its consequences.
Then, the presentation was followed by a Q&A session. Armenian deputy foreign minister Artak Apitonyan answered to the questions of the online Forum participants.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan