The WORLD FOLK VISION competition-festival is being held online this year, and Marianna Gevorgyan, who is the only representative from Armenia, has made it to the semi-final.
In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am, Gevorgyan informed that she had participated in the competition with a performance on the kanoon and that she might make it to the final after the online vote. “There are 3,950 participants from 115 countries, and only 180 have made it to the semi-final. I was offered to participate in the competition. I performed two works, including a group song and a solo, and the jury selected the solo performance. I am the only representative of Armenia, and it is a matter of raising the Armenian national flag. No other representative is performing with the kanoon. The vote, which is free-of-charge, kicked off on June 1 and will end on June 15. On June 16, based on the results of the online vote, 50 participants will make it to the final. Turkey and Azerbaijan are also participating. I am asking all Armenians to vote for me and help me raise the Armenian tricolor flag. To vote, all you need to do is visit the of WORLD FOLK VISION, register and give 10 points for Armenia.”
Armenian book of prayers the most popular item on British Library’s Endangered Archives website
An Armenian book of prayers by Grigor Narekatsi (Gregory of Narek) has been the most popular item on the Endangered Archives website for three months running, the program says in a Twitter post.
The original book dated 1832 is kept at the Fundamental Scientific Library (FSL) in Yerevan, Armenia.
The most popular item on the EAP website for 3 months running now – this Armenian book of prayer printed in 1832- Narek. Book of prayer [Narek.Girq aghotits].
There are over 4000 Armenian books and periodicals in this collection, all available online.https://t.co/RbYzPtdoFC pic.twitter.com/RfKbi0FhRW
— Endangered Archives (@bl_eap) June 4, 2020
Endangered Archives Programme at the British Library help preserve vulnerable archives
There are over 4,000 Armenian books and periodicals in this collection, all available online.
Armenia police chief: Actions of policemen detaining person without face mask lawful
Law-enforcement authorities will examine the video recording, but I believe the police officers’ actions were lawful. This is what Chief of Police of Armenia Arman Sargsyan said during a discussion on the report on the performance of the 2019 State Budget held as part of the joint session of parliamentary standing committees today, commenting on the video in which police officers are laying a man on the asphalt who had violated the anti-epidemic rules and hadn’t worn his face mask. According to him, the police officers had warned the man a couple of times to wear his face mask, but he had refused to obey the rules established by the Commandant for the state of emergency. Sargsyan added that anyone who refuses to obey police officers’ lawful demands and try to entangle police officers in ‘clarifications’ through sabotage will be punished.
The police chief also stressed that police officers will be held liable, if they use violence against people for no reason.
PM says the COVID-19 pandemic peak in Armenia may take place in late June
PM Nikol Pashinyan said the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia may take place in late June.
According to him, during the meeting on COVID-19 situation in Armenia, they have discussed several scenarios, including the option of declaring a total lockdown, the announcement of a curfew, as well as the ban on most economic activities.
“I do not agree with any of the decisions during those discussions. Because before making such decisions, we must make sure that they will solve our problems,” he said.
According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic continues all over the world with different dynamics, at different rates, and therefore, there are many uncertainties in this regard.
Australian MP Mike Freelander supports Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Joint Justice Initiative
The Federal Member for Macarthur, Dr. Mike Freelander has signed an Affirmation of Support for the Joint Justice Initiative of the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities, who are calling for Australian recognition of the Genocides suffered by their ancestors.
The February 2020 launch of the Joint Justice Initiative at Australia’s Parliament House featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC), which declares Australia’s recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as a priority on behalf of their communities.
Freelander, a Jewish-Australian, was a paediatrician before being elected to Federal Parliament in 2016. He has since served on the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport and on the standing committee for Social Policy and Legal Affairs.
“We thank Dr. Mike Freelander for supporting national Australian recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides,” said Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Executive Director, Haig Kayserian.
“The Joint Justice Initiative strives to lead Australia onto the side of truth and justice on this issue of primary importance to the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities, and we believe Dr. Freelander’s support brings us a step closer to achieving our goal.”
The Joint Justice Initiative has so far announced the support of Freelander, Senator Eric Abetz, Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Pat Dodson, Jason Falinski MP, Josh Burns MP, John Alexander MP, Senator Andrew Bragg and Bob Katter MP, with a promise of more announcements to come.
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 recognize the Turkish-committed Genocide against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
First Armenian museum opens in Turkey
Turkey’s first Armenian museum has opened at Vakifli, the sole remaining Armenian village in the Samandag district of the southern province of Hatay.
In the museum, different cultures are also presented besides the Armenian culture, Hürriyet Daily News reports.
Stating that they have been working for the establishment of the Musa Dagh (Mountain) Museum for a long time, Cem Capar, the chairman of the Vakifli Village Armenian Orthodox Church Foundation, said, “This museum has traces not only from the Armenian culture but also from the culture of all the peoples living in Anatolia.”
Vakifli village is known for being the only village of the dwindling community in the country and still maintains Armenian life and culture.
Stating that they have been working with his journalist wife, Lora Capar, to complete the cultural museum project for a long time, he said the museum was established with the objects from the village’s locals.
“We could not make the opening because of the coronavirus outbreak. As we have now entered the normalization phase, we are now opening the museum to visitors. We will make our official opening in the coming days,” he said.
Local clothes, historical items and jewelry are exhibited at the Musa Dagh Armenian Museum and images of traditions are published on screens.
Greek Defense Minister says Athens ready for military conflict with Turkey
Greek Minister for National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that his country was ready for a military conflict with Turkey to defend its sovereign rights against the backdrop of Turkey’s provocations related to planned shelf exploration, Sputnik news agency reported.
On Monday, Athens condemned Turkish Petroleum Corporation’s intention to receive operation rights in areas considered by Greece to be a part of its continental shelf, as another attempt to usurp the country’s sovereign rights. It noted that the move had followed the signing of the controversial deal on maritime boundaries between Ankara and Libya’s Tripoli-based government. The same day, the Greek Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador to lodge a protest. On Thursday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent letters to the EU leadership in light of Turkey’s provocation.
“Turkey’s behavior has been quite aggressive recently. I believe that the only way for Greece to deal with such a behavior, which generally tends to be an aggression, is, on the one hand, to use all its diplomatic means, and on the other hand, to ensure the strengthening of the armed forces’ deterrent force,” the minister told Greece’s Star TV channel on Thursday, as quoted by the source.
Answering a question on whether Greece was ready to engage in a military conflict with Turkey, Panagiotopoulos responded affirmatively, noting at the same time that it was not a desirable solution.
Chief of Armenia’s Police describes actions of police officers legal
The legality of actions of the police officers who apprehended the citizen for not wearing mask will definitely be viewed, chief of Armenian police Arman Sargsyan told the reporters today, adding though that he considers them legal as their demand was just keeping the commandant’s rules.
“The citizen who rebels the coexistence rules and provokes police officers to be engaged in something, the police officers in this case are acting in a right way. If they apply same actions against a person who has not done anything, the police officer will be punished for humiliating a person. At the same time the police officers have an authority to use force by the law and where they find it necessary to use force they will use it,” the chief of the police said.
Sports: Joaquin Caparros returns to Armenia
By Samvel Sukiasyan
The newly-appointed manager of the Armenian national team Joaquin Caparros has returned to Yerevan from Spain, FFA press service told NEWS.am Sport.
FFA technical director Gines Melendez and youth national squad manager Antonio Flores have also returned to Armenia.
After arriving in Yerevan, the Spanish specialists isolated themselves.
CSOs Call on Georgian Gov’t to Help COVID-hit Armenia
Ten local civil society organizations have appealed to the Georgian government to provide assistance to neighboring Armenia that has been hit hard by the pandemic.
In the statement released on June 5, the group urged the authorities to demonstrate solidarity and a spirit of cooperation towards Armenia, which – in turn – would lay the ground for joint measures to contain the regional spread of the virus.
Signatories include the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center, Georgian Democracy Iniatitve, Open Society Foundation Georgia, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Human Rights Center, Tolerance and Diversity Center, Women’s Iniatives Supporting Group, Equality Movement, Union “Sapari”, and “Salam” – a civic activism platform of ethnic Azeri Georgians.
Based on Georgia’s “successful handling” of the first wave of the virus spread, CSOs suggested Georgian healthcare system could offer “tangible assistance” to Armenia in order to avoid large-scale outbreak in the region.
The signatories maintained that international solidarity and cooperation was a “necessary precondition” for mitigating the fallout of the pandemic and preventing high mortality rate.
Georgian CSOs expressed readiness to provide assistance to their Armenian counterparts – within their capabilities and resources.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on June 4 reiterating Georgia’s readiness to support Armenia and help it weather the crisis.
To date, Armenia has recorded up to 12,000 cases of infection, with the death toll exceeding 170.
Armenia’s healthcare capacity has been overwhelmed by the recent upsurge in new cases. As stated by Armenian Health Minister, 154 out of 186 intensive care units (ICU) in the country are already occupied by seriously ill patients.