Category: 2021

Armenian medals featured at international art exhibition in Tokyo

Chmshkian Vicken
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 2 2021
December 2, 2021, 10:49

 1 minute read

Armenian Ambassador to Japan Areg Hovhannisyan participated in the opening ceremony of the International Art Meda Exhibition (FIDEM) in Tokyo, the Embassy of Armenia in Japan informs.

Works by Armenian medalist Gurgen Hakobyan are also represented at the exhibition.

Held at Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, the exhibition will continue through December 16.

FIDEM’s – International Art Medal Federation – aims to promote and diffuse the art of medals at international level, to make the art known and to guarantee recognition of its place among other arts by increasing awareness of the art, history and technology of medals.

FIDEM organizes a congress every two years and an international exhibition of the art of medals in order to promote exchanges among artists and to make their work known internationally.

FIDEM publishes the magazine ‘Médailles’, which contains information on FIDEM activities and the minutes of each congress. FIDEM members also receive The Medal magazine, which is normally published twice a year.


Sports: Armenian wrestler Malkhas Amoyan tops UWW ranking, to get $10,000 in reward

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 2 2021
December 2, 2021, 11:24

 1 minute read

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Malkhas Amoyan tops the ranking of the United World Wrestling (UWW)in the 72 kg weight category and will be awarded $10,000.

Another Armenian wrestler Gevorg Sahakyan, representing Poland, comes second in the same weight category. Sergei Kutuzov of Russia is ranked third.

Wrestlers from eight different nationalities claimed the grand prize of $10,000 as United World Wrestling announced the prize winners of Greco-Roman in its year-end awards.

UWW will award $600,000 in prize money to 90 wrestlers, 30 from each style, based on a ranking system that honors the most active wrestler throughout the season. 

The top-ranked wrestler will get $10,000 followed by $7,000 for the second-placed wrestler and $3,000 for the third-ranked wrestler.

Malkhas Amoyan, 22, won men’s 72 kg event at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway. He snatched a silver medal in the 2021 European Wrestling Championships held in Warsaw, Poland.


Main Christmas tree to be put up in Yerevan

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

The Yerevan Municipality is not planning any New Year celebrations and fireworks this year. There will be no holiday street lighting and Christmas fair, the press service of the municipality said on Thursday.

At the same time, on the occasion of the New Year and Christmas, the Yerevan Municipality has decided to install the main Christmas tree of the country for children at the Republic Square in Yerevan. Christmas trees will also be put up in the administrative districts of the capital.

All first and second graders in Yerevan will receive invitations from the city hall to attend children’s performances for the New Year.

Ombudsman: Azerbaijani forces open fire near Artsakh’s Karmir Shuka community

Hunanian Jack
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

The Azerbaijani troops opened fire from the combat positions near Karmir Shuka community of Artsakh’s Martuni region on Thursday morning. The shooting lasted for nearly 10-15 minutes, Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said, adding mainly firearms were used.

“According to the explanations received, the shots were heard in the residential part of the community, and the bullets passed through the gardens of the residents. No casualties or material damage were reported as a result of the shootings,” he wrote on Facebook.

“The Azerbaijani side, violating the ceasefire established by the trilateral statement, the agreements reached at a high level, continues its criminal actions against the rights of the people of Artsakh, violating first of all the right to life of the civilian population, psychological and physical inviolability.

“After the establishment of the ceasefire, we have repeatedly stated that with such criminal actions the Azerbaijani side seeks to intimidate the people living in Artsakh, to achieve the eviction of Armenians from Artsakh by creating an atmosphere of fear and despair.

“In order to curb the criminal actions of the Azerbaijani side, to exclude their recurrence, as well as to protect the security of the inhabitants, the immediate removal of the Azerbaijani armed positions from the neighborhood of the peaceful settlements of Artsakh, the introduction of impartial investigation mechanisms of ceasefire violations is an urgent need,” Stepanyan said.

Armenia raised the use of chemical weapon by Azerbaijan against Artsakh at international conference

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

The 26th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention was held from 29 November to 2 December in The Hague. The Armenian Delegation to the conference was led by Georgi Kocharyan, Head of the International Security Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign ministry reported. 

The head of the Armenian delegation, as the representative of the country which holds the chairmanship of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), delivered the joint statement of the CSTO member states during the conference. The statement referred to the inadmissibility of the use of chemical weapons during armed conflicts, the need to maintain the technical direction of the organization and its non-politicization. The CSTO member states have emphasized the importance of maintaining the objectivity and impartiality of the Technical Secretariat in promptly responding to requests from the States Parties to the Convention on the alleged use of chemical weapons in armed conflicts.

At the conference the national statement of Armenia was distributed, in which the Armenian side referred to the use of weapons containing chemical elements during the aggression against Artsakh unleashed by Azerbaijan in 2020, expressing regret over the fact that the Technical Secretariat did not send a fact-finding mission of the OPCW to investigate the use of the weapons containing chemical elements.

Hayastan Fund: Legal restrictions precluded review of source documentation of funds spent by Armenian government

Boris Nahapetian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

The Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund on Wednesday released a statement regarding Agenda Item 1 of the 30th meeting of the Board on November 27. The full text of the statement is provided below.

“The Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund received and acknowledged reports made by the Working Group convened by the Board, the outside auditor conducting the Fund’s annual audit and the Armenian Minister of Finance, regarding the targeted use of the funds donated to the Republic of Armenia during 2020, raised as part of the “We Are Our Borders” global fundraising campaign.

The Working Group reported that they did not receive any credible evidence that funds were misappropriated. The Working Group and the outside auditor further reported that legal restrictions precluded their review of source documentation of funds spent by the Government․

The Prime Minister addressed the Armenian Audit Chamber and requested that they assess the possibility of involving the Working Group and the outside auditor in the capacity of external experts in all Audit Chamber inquiries regarding this issue.

The Prime Minister emphasized the Government’s readiness to act in the utmost transparent and accountable manner and make available all source documents to both the Working Group and the outside auditor in order to complete the record and, more importantly, reassure the Board and the public about the appropriate use of the Fund’s contributions through the Government.

This issue will continue to be a priority for the Trustees and will be revisited as necessary.

Emphasizing the importance of the role of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund in uniting global Armenians around a common goal, the Trustees once again thanked all donors and supporters.”

Opposition MP slams arrest of Artsakh war veteran Ashot Minasyan

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition With Honor faction on Wednesday strongly condemned the arrest of Artsakh war veteran Ashot Minasyan (a.k.a. Ashot the Iron).

Minasyan, who was the commander of the Sisakan volunteer unit that took part in two Artsakh wars, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of plotting to kill Nikol Pashinyan and seize power along with several other political and military figures in 2020.

In a public post on Facebook, Abrahamyan highlighted that the veteran “has dedicated his entire life” to Armenia and Artsakh.

He denounced the charges against Minasyan as “fabricated”, stating the authorities thus step up crackdown on “patriotic Armenians ready to do everything to defend their homeland”.

“However, it’s impossible to oppress, weaken or force people like Ashot the Iron to stop their ideological struggle,” the lawmaker wrote.

“Such men are used to defending their dignity, family, friends, everything connected with the homeland, I believe that Ashot Minasyan will emerge stronger and more determined from this struggle,” he said, adding the authorities “will eventually be held to account” for their steps.

Reserve Officers’ Movement demands immediate release of war veteran Ashot Minasyan

Anna Tamamian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

The Reserve Officers’ Movement once again condemns the “unlawful and anti-national” activities of the current Armenian authorities related to the arrest of Artsakh war veteran, Colonel Ashot Minasyan (a.k.a. Ashot the Iron), demanding his immediate release.

Minasyan, the commander of the Sisakan volunteer unit that took part in two Artsakh wars, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of plotting to kill Nikol Pashinyan and seize power along with several other political and military figures last year. He was first arrested in November 2020 to be released shortly afterwards.

“Not abandoning their treacherous plans to cede Syunik to our longtime enemy, the authorities have been keeping the leaders of Syunik communities in custody for months. Now they have arrested another patriotic man ready to fight against the enemy, commander Ashot Minasyan, to achieve their ultimate goal,” the movement said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Reserve Officers’ Movement demands the immediate release of both Ashot Minasyan and the Syunik community heads, as well as an end to political persecution against all opposition figures,” reads the statement.

Sports: Mkhitaryan happy with his new role in Roma

Bedik Zaminian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 2 2021

Henrikh Mkhitaryan spoke to DAZN and shared his thoughts on his new role within Jose Mourinho’s system shortly before the Bologna-Roma match on Wednesday, RomaPress reported.

“I like this new position lot because I’m playing more with the ball at my feet. There is more space than when I play in front or as a winger,” he said.

“It’s normal because I need to help my mates, look for space and I’m having fun,” he noted,

Mkhitaryan has played for Roma since September 2020. In the 2021/22 season, the Armenian footballer has played in 13 Serie A matches, scoring two goals and making four assists.