Category: News

Asbarez – Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon stars in Arthur Balder’s new experimental documentary American Mirror with Armenian painter Tigran Tsitoghzhyan.

The new film is in its final stages, announced MP Press and Communication.

Balder was honored with two consecutive awards by the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics of New York for his first work, “Little Spain” and for experimental film “The Reality of the Imaginary,” premiered at MoMA, as well as the “Lady Of the Victory of the Critics Circle of Mexico.” He also gained the recognition of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors of New York as outstanding documentary filmmaker.

The producer of the film is David Shara, who is taking care of an audiovisual product that defies the boundaries between documentary and fiction.

The film also features The Pyramid star Ashley Hinshaw, topmodels such as Hilary Rhoda, jewelry designer Morgan Shara, and The Expanse TV series co-star Florence Faivre, among others.

Azerbaijan has declared three Members of the European Parliament internationally wanted for their recent visit to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, RIA Novosti reports.

MEPs Frank Engel, Eleni Theocharous and Jaromir Stetina visited the Artsakh Republic to observe the Constitutional referendum held on February 20.

The court has ruled to arrest the MEPs, Press Service of the Prosecutor General’s Office has said.

An overwhelming majority of Artsakh citizens voted in favor of a new Constitution, which envisages shift to a presidential form of government.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan received today Ambassador Günther Bächler, Special Representative of the OSCE Austrian Chairmanship for the South Caucasus.

The Defense Minister expressed support for the priorities of the Austrian presidency targeted at the settlement of conflicts, easing of tensions and establishment of an atmosphere of trust.

Presenting the worrisome situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact, Vigen Sargsyan attached importance to the efforts towards implementation of an investigation mechanism and stressed the importance of condemnation of the breach of all arm control commitments by Azerbaijan.

Referring to the situation around the OSCE Yerevan Office, Vigen Sargsyan valued the role of the Office and the OSCE at large in the development of democratic institutions in Armenia, modernization of electoral systems and improvement of human rights.

Noting that Armenia’s cooperation with the OSCE is based on common values and principles, the Defense Minister deemed the Azerbaijani policy of hindering the activity of the Yerevan Office and defaming the initiatives of the OSCE unacceptable.

Ambassador Günther Bächler reiterated the importance of intensification of the OSCE efforts towards settlement of the Karabakh conflict and easing of tensions. he voiced hope that the situation around the Yerevan Office would be solved in compliance with the interests of Armenia and the OSCE.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the mechanisms of cooperation during the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia.

The Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia Karen Karapetyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili discussed issues of bilateral cooperation as they met in Tbilisi today.

“We are willing to deepen the regional cooperation, intensify the commodity turnover and use the whole potential,” the Georgian Prime Minister said. He added that “Georgia attaches importance to the further deepening and development of cooperation with Armenia.”

Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan noted, in turn, that “the bilateral relations have entered a new stage. The Armenian Georgian cooperation keeps developing in an atmosphere of trust, which is a guarantee of the further development and reinforcement of relations. We are willing to discuss issues of cooperation both in bilateral and multilateral formats and seek ways for further intensification of collaboration.”

The Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia discussed a wide range of issues related to cooperation in the trade-economic field, agriculture, transport, tourism and culture. The interlocutors hailed the level of cooperation in the field of energy and discussed the perspectives of transport communication.

They attached importance to the Meghri Free Trade Zone and the perspectives of its use as a platform for making the markets of third countries more accessible.

The interlocutors also stressed the importance of preserving the rich cultural heritage.

Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has announced the jury of Aurora Creative Contest launched on January, 2017. The jury comprised of artists and art professionals in Armenia will select the best artworks presented by children aged 7-14.

Aurora Creative Contest Jury has 6 members chaired by animator Gayane Martirosyan.

“This contest is a good opportunity for people and especially for children to gather around the idea of humanism. It is very important that Aurora invites everyone to take part in this contest regardless where they live. I believe that the artworks will brighter illustrate what humanism is because children better perceive the world than we do,” said Gayane Martirosyan.

The other members of Jury are Marine Ales, composer, member of the Aurora Prize Creative Council; Eleonora Malkhasyan, journalist and theatric critic, manager of cultural projects at IDeA Foundation; Tigran Matulyan, artist; Arev Petrosyan, artist; and Hrant Vardanyan, film director. The detailed bios of the jury members are presented below.

The results of the contest will be announced in April 2017. The authors of the best three entries will be awarded by Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the best five will have a unique opportunity to attend the Aurora Prize Award Ceremony on May 28, 2017, in Yerevan, Armenia. The deadline to submit the entries is March 31, 2017.

Contest Jury

Gayane Martirosyan – Gayane Martirosyan is animation film director. She is a professor at the Yerevan State Institute Theatre and Cinema leading the class of animation film directing. Gayane Martirosyan is the founder of massive animation at HayFilm studio. She is the author of a number of animations including The secrets of Dragon Carpets series (2008-2013), Three bells (2002), The War in our Street (1989) among others. She is a laureate of various national and international awards.

Marine Ales – Marine Ales is a composer and theatre critic. She is the author of 300 songs in Armenian and Russian. Her songs were released in 5 albums: I’ll Leave You (1999), My Poplars (2001), Thoughts (2003), With and Without You (2007), Barefoot in the Sky (2010). She was jury member of the 2016 Golden Apricot International Film Festival. Marine Ales is co-founder of Gift of Life Foundation. She is the laureate of numerous awards for life-time achievements. In 2010, Marine Ales published the collection of her poetry Shards. Marine Ales is the member of the Aurora Prize Creative Council.

Eleonora Malkhasian – Eleonora Malkhasian is a journalist and theatre critic. She is the manager of cultural projects of the Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation. Eleonora Malkhasian has worked for many cultural journals including Muse journal published in Los Angeles, CA. She taught History of Art and Theatre in various art universities and institutions in Armenia. Eleonora is the co-author of Museums of Armenia book published in 2002.

Tigran Matulyan – Tigran Matulyan is contemporary artist. He is a member of Artist Union of Armenia. His works were exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions around the world. Matulyan’s artworks are part of the collection and permanent exhibition of the Armenian Museum of Contemporary Art, Arame Art Gallery, Armenian National Gallery, Khrimian Museum of the Holy See Echmiadzin, The Museum of the History of Yerevan. He holds the title of Honorable artist of Armenia.

Arev Petrosyan – Arev Petrosyan is the founder of Arev Art Gallery in Armenia. Arev is the author of the stained glass picture The Power of Unity put on display in the Assembly Hall of Coucil of Europe. She was presented in many national and international art exhibitions and galleries. She has designed TV studios for various TV shows. The artist is also known for her charity and social activities aimed at the solution problems and healthcare issues of socially vulnerable people, namely the poor, orphans, the elderly, women and children with disabilities.

Hrant Vardanyan – Hrant Vardanyan is a film director. He made his first short “Silence” in 1995. Since then Hrant Vardanyan has made a number of short and feature films. He directed music videos for well-known Armenian musicians. In 2011 Hrant Vardanyan founded Arev Film Studio in Armenia. He is the laureate of national Hayak film award for his The dream of sheep film(2014).

Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Security Council addressed the UN Security Council open debate on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Conflicts in Europe.”

The Ambassador’s full speech is provided below:

Mr. President,

I thank the Secretary General and the other briefers for their contribution to this debate. We share the concern reflected in the concept paper for this debate that despite high expectations for Europe to become a strategically stable continent following the end of the Cold War, new challenges and threats emerged on the continent in the 1990s. However, apart from the broader geopolitical processes or religious, ethnic and territorial disputes, the causes of these challenges stemmed also from the blatant and violent denial to peoples the right to pursue their aspirations for freedom and self-determination.

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a point in case. It is a conflict, which in effect has been a struggle of the people of Nagorno Karabakh for freedom and self-determination, a struggle against historical injustice of the 1920s and persistent discrimination throughout 70 years of Azerbaijani rule over them. It is a struggle, which witnessed barbaric pogroms at the end of 1980s and the beginning of 1990s against Armenians in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and other parts of Azerbaijan as a reaction to the legitimate aspirations of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to freely determine their future. It is a struggle for self-defence and physical survival of the people of Nagorno Karabakh as a result of an outright aggression, war and ethnic cleansing unleashed against them by the newly independent Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 1990s.

Mr President,

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is about a struggle of the people of Nagorno Karabakh against the claim of sovereignty over them by a despotic regime in Azerbaijan with a shocking human rights record, which suppresses and suffocates any dissent, any aspiration for freedoms and rights within its own jurisdiction. It is a struggle against barbarity of a regime, which ruthlessly glorifies Ramil Safarov, a murderer, who in 2004 axes to death an Armenian officer while asleep, during a military training course. It is a struggle against a claim of jurisdiction by a regime, which persistently cultivates and inspires Armenophobia, hatred and intolerance against Armenians. It is a struggle for freedom and survival. It is a struggle of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. It is, in other words, a struggle for the right to self-determination.

Mr. President,

The renewed attempt of aggression by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh at the beginning of April 2016 and ensuing perpetration of atrocities and outright barbarity, of which this delegation has consistently informed the Council, has been a stark reminder about the urgency of supporting the peace process under the auspices of the internationally agreed format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The war is not an option. The international community should forcefully reject the use of force and any pursuit of a military solution to this conflict. The 1994/95 cease-fire agreements, signed by Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia constitute the foundation of the cessation of hostilities. Armenia urges Azerbaijan to undertake immediate and genuine steps towards the implementation of the agreements reached at the summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg in May and June 2016 respectively in order to create conditions conducive to the advancement of the peace process. Azerbaijan should bring to an end without delay the persistent war mongering and cultivation of hatred and intolerance against Armenians and instead invest genuine efforts in promoting a culture of peace, as well as respect for human rights. Armenia urges Azerbaijan to demonstrate genuine political will and effort in advancing the peace process on the basis of the principles and elements put forward by France, Russia and the United States, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and reiterated in their numerous statements at all levels, including the heads of states of the Co-Chairing states.

Finally, Armenia expresses its deep appreciation to the international community, to this Council and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for their continued and unwavering support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the only internationally agreed format of negotiations for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to reach a lasting settlement as soon as possible.

Thank you

Manchester United considered signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan before he joined Borussia Dortmund with Sir Alex Ferguson a fan of his ability, according to his former assistant Rene Meulensteen.

Mkhitaryan is thriving under Jose Mourinho after a £27million summer move from the Bundesliga club but his arrival at Old Trafford could have happened much sooner had the stars aligned under Ferguson.

Meulensteen, who formed part of Ferguson’s backroom team during his pomp, says he remembers watching Mkhitaryan at Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk before Ferguson decided against a bid because he did not think the midfielder was ready.

Speaking to talkSPORT the Dutchman said: “When he was much younger, before he joined Dortmund, we were actually looking at him. I remember the name very clearly!

“We felt he was not ready but he is, in my opinion, a typical Man United player. He is quick, he is creative, he has got assists in him, he has got goals in him.

“I am really, really pleased he has found his feet and is performing to his best.”

Iskander missile systems supplied by Russia in 2016 are owned and managed by the Armenian Armed Forces, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told .

“There is no alternative to the Minsk Group co-chairmanship format for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, if we are really committed to seeking a mutually acceptable solution,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint press conference with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs do not stay idle. Lavrov said the Minsk Group Co-Chairs have spoken about the need to accelerate the negotiation process on many occasions.

“The latest statement adopted in Munich underscores the unacceptability of the use of force and military rhetoric and stresses the necessity to implement the agreements reached at the summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg,” Lavrov said.

“We’ll continue to work in cooperation with out French and American counterparts to create an atmosphere conducive to a constructive dialogue that will allow to consider concrete offers on the Karabakh settlement,” the Russian Foreign Minister noted.

Speaking about the future of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Sergey Lavrov said “we cannot be indifferent towards the issue, especially considering that the Office is headed by a Russian citizen.”

“The German and Austrian chairmanships of the OSCE have worked hard to settle the issue with Azerbaijani colleagues,” Lavrov said.  He voiced hope that the latest offer will help solve the question.