Category: 2022

Strengthening link between workforce and education an ongoing imperative – deputy minister

Hovik Karapetian

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 13:18,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Competitive workforce is one of the most important preconditions for the development of the economy of the country and the community, therefore, the government of Armenia has set development of human capital, creation of jobs, and targeted and social development as a priority, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ruben Sargsyan said during the Armenia Workforce Development Activity first national conference in Yerevan.

He said the ministry has adopted a policy of continuous development of human capital aimed at boosting labor and high-productivity employment.

“The ministry’s new draft strategy highlights more the conscious choice of profession, the promotion of employment, as well as the introduction of career development and effective training systems”, the deputy minister said, adding that the employment strategy will be adopted this November-December and will consist of several components.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan said the strengthening of connection between workforce and education is the continuous imperative in any country of the world. “Our task is to reach the point that the investments being made in education to have their direct affect also on the country’s economic life. There is an inter-agency stable dialogue in terms of enhancing the education-workforce link”, he said, adding that in 2021 the government of Armenia approved the state criteria for general education which is offering new content solutions, including introduction of a professional orientation institute in all schools of the country which will provide students with an opportunity to choose their future profession.

In his turn Deputy Minister of High Technological Industry Gevorg Mantashyan said that their ministry is open to all those people who want to participate in the country’s technological change. “Not only the abilities, but also knowledge are important. Making great changes is difficult alone”, he said.

Armenia Workforce Development Activity (AWDA) is a five-year program, designed to provide the youth and women with the opportunities to improve their skills in line with labor market needs and find employment in the fields of ICT/high-tech, agriculture, tourism and hospitality. The program is funded by the US Agency for International Development and will be implemented by Enterprise Incubator Foundation with Armenian National Agrarian University, Fund of Armenian Relief and CIVITTA Armenia.




Orion Summit 2022: Armenia Central Bank Governor comments on dram devaluation and issues voiced by exporters

Bedik Zaminian

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 13:52,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia Martin Galstyan commented on the current devaluation of the Armenian dram and the issues raised by exporters during his speech at the Orion Summit 2022 in Yerevan.

He presented factors which contribute to devaluation of the dram, such as the flow of foreign visitors to Armenia, the growth in export of services. “Many of you visit restaurants in the evening where you can see how many foreigners there are. According to the statistical rules, it should be registered as an export. Thus, we can see an unprecedented growth in export from Armenia this year, which, of course, leads to the devaluation of the national currency”, he said.

He said that now some part of the society, particularly the exporters call on the Central Bank to artificially depreciate the Armenian dram, which, most probably, should help them to be more effective and competitive. However, the CBA Governor raises a question whether the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of exporters depends on the devaluation of the dram by 5-10%.

“In my view, this is not a solution. The solution is to be unique. If we want to be unique, there are many things we can do together. But I will not rely only on the artificial depreciation”, he said.

Recently the Armenian dram has been appreciating especially against the US dollar. As of June 21 exchange rates set by the CBA, the US dollar exchange rate has decreased by 4.02 drams, comprising 417.01 drams. The Euro exchange rate decreased by 3.40 drams, comprising 440.07 drams.




Armenia has a chance to be recognized as high-tech country, Deputy Minister says at Orion Summit 2022 in Yerevan

Elizabeth Jabejian

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 14:00,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Minister of High Technological Industry of Armenia Davit Sahakyan participated in the panel discussion “Maturing and Accelerating Armenian Startup Ecosystem: Innovation, Finance and Investment Perspective” during the Orion Summit 2022 in Yerevan.

In response to the question of ARMENPRESS, the deputy minister attached importance to this summit, which, according to him, is a platform to communicate with the field, understand the existing problems and jointly find their solutions.

“The summit enables to inform about the programs that the ministry is going to implement and is implementing for the development of the sector”, the deputy minister said.

According to Davit Sahakyan, Armenia is transitioning from a country of information technologies to a country of high technologies.

“During the panel discussion the initiatives, which we have implemented, were discussed, including the courses that are five such as cybersecurity, engineering, blockchain, artificial intelligence and technological entrepreneurship. We position today’s Armenia not based on today’s needs, but on future needs”, he said.

He said Armenia has a big potential to succeed in IT sector. This summit, he added, is one of the initiatives that is steadily moving towards the fulfillment of that goal.

About Orion

Orion Worldwide Innovations (“Orion”), is a startup growth and ecosystem acceleration hub and offers a full-service package to make companies investable to enter the US market, enhance their customer acquisition strategies, stay competitive and protect their innovation. Orion is a U.S.-based company formed in 2017, with offices in New York City, U.S., and Yerevan, Armenia, though Orion partners with companies and investor networks worldwide.




FIFA President sends letter of gratitude to Armenia’s Football Federation President

Arbi Tashjian

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 15:24,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. FIFA President Gianni Infantino sent a letter of gratitude to President of the Football Federation of Armenia Armen Melikbekyan, the FFA said.

The letter reads: 

“Dear President,

On behalf of the entire FIFA delegation, I would like to thank you and the whole team at the FFA for affording us such a cordial welcome and warm hospitality, and making our stay so special on the occasion of our visit to Armenia last Wednesday, for the FFA 30th Anniversary’s celebrations.

First of all, please allow me to reiterate my heartfelt congratulations on this historic milestone and pay tribute to all those who keep our sport alive and ensure its prosperity in Armenia, and to all those who have contributed and continue to contribute to this invaluable legacy.

During our visit, we have shared important moments. The audience with H.E. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the exciting match at Tsovagyugh Village, and the memorable FFA 30th Anniversary Gala dinner were certainly some of the highlights. All these moments shared together offered us the opportunity to exchange our ideas and vision of football and to express FIFA’s support for the development of football in your country. No doubt that the mini-fields project will greatly contribute to it.

Dear President, I would like to assure you that this visit has reinforced our determination to work together for the prosperity of football and the community in Armenia, and you can always count on FIFA’s support for this.

Thank you for your invaluable work and contribution to the development and prosperity of football in Armenia, and I look forward to seeing you again soon”.

Washington and Paris stopped contacts with Russian Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group – Zakharova

Boshkezenian Garik

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 15:31,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Moscow doubts the sincerity of the statement of Washington to continue the cooperation with Russian within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a weekly press briefing in  response to the question of Lurer news program.

“If Washington and Paris had really considered important the unique mediation format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, they would not have ignored that mandate approved by all participating states of the OSCE and would not have demonstratively stopped the contacts with the Russian Co-Chair on February 24 without any consultation. This caused an irreversible damage to the work of the Co-Chairs. And now they are making such statements”, she said.

Zakharova said that the United States and France have not provided yet a concrete explanation over this step.

She stated that Russia is interested in the normalization of the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenia presents its information technology adavnces at Orion summit in Yerevan

Boris Nahapetian


  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Orion technology summit in Armenia

“Armenia has a great potential for success in the field of information technology”, both the organizers of the Orion Summit technology conference and its participants declared one after another.

The founders and representatives of foreign tech giants have arrived to participate in the summit.

The event is organized by the Orion Worldwide Innovations Center for Startup Growth and Connected Ecosystems.

  • “Armenia can repeat the success of Singapore” – Russian entrepreneurs continue to flock to Yerevan
  • Armenia needs five times more programmers – preliminary count
  • Launched in secret: Armenia’s first satellite joins Earth orbit

Orion Summit is held for the first time. The goal of the technology summit is to support Armenian startups and to give them the opportunity meet the world’s largest tech companies.

During the conference, the most relevant topics for the development of the IT sector, and the techno sector were discussed. The participants of the summit paid special attention to the possibilities of creating future Armenian Unicorn companies (private start-up companies, the value of which exceeds $ 1 billion in 10 years from the moment of their creation). The directions of “development of the fast-growing Armenian market” and the launch of the “Digital Julfa Network” were also discussed.

The Digital Julfa Network initiative, as conceived by its authors, should unite the technological, commercial and cultural potential of Armenia, and help strengthen Armenia’s intellectual position in the world.

“The 300-year-old network of Armenian merchants in New Julfa was a powerful trade route from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean. Now, as an evolution of world-class innovation, we are creating the Digital Julfa Network, which will bring together the technological, financial, business, legal and cultural potential of Armenia,” said Emma Arakelyan, Director and Founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations.

Representatives of both Armenian and leading foreign companies Adobe, SADA, Embodied, cognaize, Scylla, Grand Thornton, Startup Lithuania spoke during the discussions.

As a possible impetus for the rapid development of Armenian startups, the possibility of “mergers and acquisitions” was discussed.

The aim of the organizers and partners of the summit is to achieve global growth through mergers and acquisitions, promote the growth of Armenia’s GDP, and create a model of success for other emerging markets.

About 2,500 companies are registered in the Armenian startup system. The summit participants believe that in the event of a merger and enlargement, they will be able to become more competitive in the international market.

Over the past 2.5 years, the number of electric cars in Armenia has increased significantly. However, experts believe that the government could do more to encourage people to buy them

According to the Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia, Orion Summit is an initiative that really contributes to the development of the information technology sector.

David Sahakyan stressed that the summit has become a platform both for clarifying the problems of the sphere and for a joint search for solutions with international partners. In addition, he said, the event was a good occasion for the department to inform about its programs for the development of the sphere.

In particular, the ministry organizes courses on cybersecurity, blockchain, engineering, artificial intelligence, and technological entrepreneurship.

“We are positioning Armenia based not on today’s needs, but on the basis of future needs”, David Sahakyan stressed.

Orion Worldwide Innovations was founded in 2017 in the USA, and is engaged in the growth and development of startups. With offices in New York and Yerevan, Orion works with organizations around the world, including investor networks.

In 2023, the Orion summit will be held in New York and then in Frankfurt.

https://jam-news.net/armenia-presents-its-information-technology-adavnces-at-orion-summit-in-yerevan/

Embellishing Beirut with artist Lena Kelekian

David Nargizian
Lebanon –

With countless solo exhibitions and international awards to her name, multidisciplinary Lebanese artist Lena Kelekian has carved out a successful career in the art world. Here, we learn more about her journey, her contribution to the country’s artistic and cultural scene, and why the benches project on Beirut’s famed corniche boulevard is her most cherished to date.


It started in 1992, when I had my first solo exhibition at the inaugural event of the Salon de Artistes art gallery. Following the exhibition, my artwork was acquired by the Billy Graham Museum in Illinois; it is part of their permanent collection. Since then, I have had over 17 solo and 320 collective exhibitions in 65 countries.

My Olympian achievements have definitely marked my career. I won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for Fine Arts and won a Torino Winter Olympics Torch for Lebanon, which was only awarded to a small number of gold-medal winners. In fact, I was the only recipient of the torch in the Middle East.

In 2012, I was also awarded a gold medal at the London Olympics for Fine Arts and was honored by the International Olympic Committee for my artistic endeavors and achievements.

Furthermore, I won first prize in the Sassine tunnel murals embellishment competition in 1997. My environmental design was titled “Trees of Lebanon.” More recently, following the devastating explosion of the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, I decided to create a special icon, “The Virgin Theotokos, the Protector of Lebanon,” which was auctioned off to help rebuild the homes destroyed by the blast. Thousands of copies of the icon were distributed to citizens affected by the blast, and pocket-size prints of the same icon were placed inside the little chapel at Rafic Hariri International Airport for travelers to take with them.

My city embellishment works can be viewed all over Beirut and Greater Beirut. I have more than 100 pieces of public art on display, including: the Ain Mreisse benches and the mega chess board; the Sassine and Salim Salam tunnel walls’ the 500-meter Beirut river wall, featuring floral designs; the 8-meter-high monument in Karantina displaying the “Power of Art” and the 65-meter backdrop wall; the 13-meter-long monument along the Damascus highway at the Aley roundabout; and the 60-meter Kempinski Summerland resort jetty and 300-meter marina wall, which depicts a shoal of fish. Elsewhere, I worked on the Haigazian University stele and the Armenian Genocide “Forget-me-not” monument, which can be seen on campus.

My murals can also be spotted in public gardens across Nabaa, Bourj Hammoud and Achrafieh. These projects are very special to me, as we wanted to transform former wastelands into playgrounds for children.

CMC Clemenceau Medical Center in Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh and other hospitals also showcase my work. It is hugely rewarding to help soothe the pain of patients and their families with colorful art.

Finally, my artworks can be found in over 23 museums, from Japan to Mexico.

The Ain Mreisse – Avenue de Paris Corniche benches project is the dearest to my heart because of the impact it has had on visitors, tourists and people frequenting the promenade on a daily basis. Each bench has become a landmark, combining functionality with artistic design and cultural interaction.

In addition, the art therapy project titled “Beirut Heals through the Arts” was our direct intervention through our MEADOWS NGO, which I established in 2007. The members trained in Greece and Jordan as art therapists, and we put their know-how to great use following the Beirut explosion to help heal the psychological wounds of hospital nurses, social workers and the youth.

In April, I curated the “Meadows Mask Art – Venice 2022” art exhibition installation, with the participation of 100 international artists from 65 countries within the Venice Biennale. Similarly, I am curating the 19th Asian Biennale in October 2022, which will showcase the works of 500 artists from 100 countries.

My upcoming exhibitions will be in Mexico, Romania and China.

In my art studio.

I love nature. My favorite area is Bois de Boulogne, Metn, where I spend time in my summer house relaxing or creating art pieces and hosting dear friends. I also love clubbing and discovering new restaurants!

https://www.lebanontraveler.com/en/magazine/lena-kelekian/ 






Lavash: Tradition meets innovation in Austria’s first Armenian restaurant

Karagyozian Lena
CREME GUIDES
Wednesday,
Pomegranate wine. The first and only thing that came to my mind when I thought of Armenian cuisine. Harutyun Hakobyan and his mother Narine opened Lavash to combat this (because many people in this country feel the same way I do). Their mission: to bring the “taste of Armenia” to the plate and familiarise the Viennese with the cuisine of the small Caucasus country.

Lavash – here comes the first lesson of the evening – is the name of the thin bread that is ubiquitous in Armenia and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Also indispensable: nuts, cereals, legumes, many herbs and, yes, the pomegranate also appears in many dishes – as a raw fruit or as a syrup, the “balsamic of Armenia”, as Harutyun says.

This is also the case in the beetroot tartare we get as a starter. Fresh and creamy thanks to sour cream (lesson two: sour things like yoghurt and co. play a significant role in Armenian cuisine), topped with crunchy beetroot and accompanied by crispy baked lavash wedges.

“When you eat Armenian food, you travel 2500 years back in time,” says Harutyun. It is one of the oldest cuisines in the world, he says. Mama Narine gives these traditional dishes a modern makeover, serving the classic Armenian dolma (vine leaves stuffed with beef and vegetables) with yoghurt-garlic foam instead of simple sauce.

Narine Manukyan has worked as a cook in Tyrol for over 20 years, most recently as head chef in an Austrian restaurant. But for a long time, she and her son dreamed of having their own restaurant. She is proud of the traditional cuisine of her home country and especially proud that they have opened the country’s first Armenian restaurant with their Lavash.

Her eyes light up when she talks about food. About their recipes, which “all come from the family, from grandmas and great-grandmas”. About personal kitchen secrets and creative ideas that distinguish her dishes and make them unique. If you like, you can watch her cooking in the small open kitchen where she is busy (all alone!). “I don’t trust anyone,” she says with a laugh. “That’s why I have to cook everything myself.”

Good thing, I think to myself as I take the first spoonful of her spas. Spas is a yoghurt-based soup with hulled wheat, fresh herbs, pomegranate seeds and lavash chips – one of the most traditional Armenian dishes. It is lukewarm, which suits this summer evening wonderfully. The combination of yoghurt and wheat may sound unusual (to our palates) but makes perfect sense taste-wise. We use the soft flatbread to scrape the last bits out of the bowl.

With the soup, we drink white wine from the Karas winery: behind it is a family that returned to its Armenian homeland after many years in Argentina to make innovative wines. Wine culture in Armenia goes back many thousands of years. “Many people think of sweet wines first,” Harutyun says. I was no different. But, and here comes the subsequent learning, “In the last ten years, the wine landscape has completely reinvented itself.”

The result is wines like Kraki Ktor, made from the local Kangun grape variety, which tastes of bitter orange, and is fruity but not a bit sweet, rather mineral, as the vines grow in the volcanic soil around the sacred Mount Ararat.

Mount Ararat is the national symbol of Armenians – you can find it in their passports, on their coins, on their football shirts – even though it is no longer on Armenian soil but on Turkish ground. Armenia, squeezed between Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, was under foreign rule for a long time. Again and again, they had to cede territories to neighbouring countries, and to this day, there are border disputes. As a result, many people have left the country.

That is why the kitchen is so important as a symbol of identity, says Harutyun. Mother and son not only want to pass on their country’s culinary heritage but also want to do a little cultural mediation work. Do I know any famous people from Armenia? He asks me before the main course? I have to pass. And I learn that the singer Cher, the French chansonnier Charles Aznavour and the Kardashians all have Armenian roots. The first Viennese coffee house was also opened by an Armenian in 1685.

After this little history lesson, Harutyun brings our main courses: Butter-soft, juicy aubergines stuffed with minced meat and tomato sauce. As a vegan variant, the Garni yarakh is also available with bulgur. Just one of many plant-based dishes on the menu here.

Our second main course, Tsaghkazart, is also vegan: baked flower cabbage with roasted nuts, pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs and creamy cashew sauce. This, too, is a modern creation by chef Narine, which – like everything from her kitchen – comes beautifully presented to our table.

Our evening ends with sweet puff pastry (“handmade, of course”) and thick yoghurt, matured overnight like labneh. It is accompanied by Armenian brandy (which I had never tasted before!) and finally, a glass of pomegranate wine.

OPENING TIMES

Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00am – 10:00pm

At lunchtime there is a separate menu with small, quick lunch dishes

ADDRESS

Lavash


Hamerlingplatz 2
1080 Vienna-district 8
.How to get there

CONTACT

[email protected]
+43 660 202 1111
.lavash.at

Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center announces opening of applications for EWC Armenia 2022

Dabaghian Diana

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 15:55,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) announces that Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) 2022 applications are now open.  

EWC is one of the world’s largest and most diverse pitch competitions and entrepreneurship support programs for emerging entrepreneurs. Since its launch in 2019, EWC has supported more than 300,000 participants from 200 countries, awarded $2 million in cash prizes, and provided in-kind support and services valued at $150 million.

EPIC is the official lead organizer for Armenia, working in partnership with the Ministry of High Tech Industry, GIZ Armenia, Startup Armenia Foundation, National Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (NCIE), TUMO Labs, and Team Telecom Armenia.

“For the second year in a row, we strive to make the EWC Armenia a truly pan-national event that will include the entire spectrum of Armenia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, from individual entrepreneurs and the government to the IT industry and educational institutions. Thus, we place no limitation on the type or nature of entrepreneurial ideas and ventures that may be presented for competition in the Entrepreneurship National Cup. As a growing entrepreneurial nation, we believe we can surpass our achievements from last year and build on our global visibility and impact,” remarks Nejdeh Hovanessian, assistant director of EPIC and national coordinator of EWC in Armenia.

The National Final is open to both Armenian startup teams and those relocated in Armenia.

In the Armenian national competition, prizes will exceed $100,000.

EWC is more than just a global pitch competition with a shot at life-changing prizes. It advances entrepreneurs from all stages — idea-stage, early-stage, growth-stage, or beyond — by providing them with tools and resources to grow their ventures.

All applicants to EWC Armenia 2022 will have access to EWC Accelerates, a virtual training program that helps entrepreneurs hone their skills and increase their chances of winning national competitions and advancing to the Global Finals.

The EWC online platform also offers all contestants who start the application access to $1,000 worth of perks. All founders who complete an application to the EWC Armenia 2022 will receive access to over $25,000 worth of perks. The top EWC100 will receive $100,000 in in-kind services from partners such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Freshworks, Google Cloud, Hubspot, Stripe, Zoom, and others.

The National Finals competition for Armenia will be held in mid-August. In October, all global finalists will be invited to participate in an intensive virtual startup boot camp and the top EWC100 will advance to pitch live at the EWC Global Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November.

For those who wish to participate in EWC Armenia 2022, please register at the following website:  www.entrepreneurshipworldcup.com.

All the interested candidates can join our Info Session tomorrow (June 23) at 8 pm to learn more about the competition and ask questions.

Please, register to participate. Here’s the registration link Entrepreneurship World Cup is hosted globally by the Global Entrepreneurship Network and Monsha’at.

The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.