Category: News

Ms Judith Farnworth has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia in succession to Mrs Katherine Leach, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Farnworth will take up her appointment during September 2015.

Ms Farnworth joined the FCO in 1991 and is currently serving as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. A specialist in post-Soviet and Central European Affairs, Ms Farnworth began her career at the FCO as a Research Analyst before taking up postings in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Latvia and the Kyrgyz Republic.

On her appointment as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, Ms Farnworth has said:

I am delighted to be appointed as British Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. It is a great privilege to serve in a country with such a rich history and culture. Building on the achievements of the current Ambassador and the Embassy team, I look forward to working with the Armenian Government to strengthen further the bilateral relationship for the benefit of Armenia and the United Kingdom.

Russian military radio-electronic warfare specialists will conduct radio countermeasures against a simulated enemy during drills in Armenian mountains, the press-office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported Tuesday, Sputnik reports.

“The training of new specialists in radio-electronic warfare started at the Russian military base of the Southern Military District in the Republic of Armenia. During the drills, new recruits will exercise countermeasures against radio networks of a simulated enemy,” the report read.

During the three day exercise, participants will undergo a special course on Russian advanced military equipment, its capabilities and operating procedures in extreme conditions in the high mountain region, at an elevation of more than 2,000 meters above the sea level.

Servicemen will also conduct practical tasks, including deployment of radio jamming stations and analysis of gathered information. Finally, they will practice radio countermeasures to disrupt simulated enemy’s communication networks.

“During the drills, servicemen will search for over 2,000 cellular and satellite signals within a radius of 30 kilometers. They will have to locate and jam them with automatic jamming stations,” the district said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for enhanced economic and political relations between Iran and Armenia, saying that stronger bilateral ties would benefit both nations, according to the President’s official website.

His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, closely follows the trial on the return of the Sis Patriarchate launched at the Constitutional Court of Turkey.

Within the framework of the visit to the United States, His Holiness had a meeting with Taner Akcam, member of the commission of the trial, who positively assessed the work done so far and stressed the importance of maintaining efforts.

It has been decided to hold a press conference in Istanbul ahead of the general parliamentary elections in Turkey scheduled for June 7.

The Catholicos keeps in touch with other members of the commission and follows the reactions of Turkey and international media.

On Tuesday 28 April 2015, the attorney of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Turkey submitted a brief to the Constitutional Court in Turkey, requesting the return of its Centre in Sis (Kozan).

Former Turkish President Kenan Evren died on Saturday at the age of 97, the BBC reports.

On 12 September 1980 General Evren launched a coup that overthrew the government. He went on to serve as president until 1989.

He was put on trial in his nineties and was handed a life sentence for the coup in 2014.

Some 600,000 people were detained and 50 executed by hanging in the coup. All political parties were banned, with left-wing activists heavily targeted.

The former president died at a hospital in Ankara.

He had been in ill health since 2012 and was unable to appear in court when convicted.

is ranked 89th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report released by the World Economic Forum. Spain tops league of most tourist-friendly countries, followed by France and Germany.

Other countries in the region are placed as follows: Russia – 45^th, Turkey – 44^th, Azerbaijan – 84^th, Georgia – 71^st, Iran – 97^th.

The theme of year’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report is “Growing through Shocks.” The Report analyzes the performance of 141 economies through the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) and explores how the T&T sector has responded to economic, security and health shocks over recent decades. Understanding the nature and extent of the sector’s resilience to shocks is important, as a strong T&T sector is critical for job creation, economic growth and development in advanced and developing economies alike.

Published every two years, the Report provides a strategic tool for both business and governments: it allows for cross-country comparison of the drivers of T&T competitiveness, for benchmarking countries’ policy progress and for making investment decisions related to business and industry development. It also offers an opportunity for the T&T industry to highlight to national policymakers the challenges to T&T competitiveness that require policy attention, and to generate multi-stakeholder dialogue on formulating appropriate policies and action.

Lark Musical Society  continues its 100 commemorative events for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In April, UCLA and Lark premiered Ian Krouse’s Armenian Requiem at UCLA’s Royce Hall. It was a sold out, giant event. Just when you thought it doesn’t get bigger than that.

Lark Musical Society will now stage Anoush, the opera based on Hovhannes Tumanyan’s immortal ballad and set to beautiful music by Armen Tigranian. Led by Hasmik Papian and Shoushanik Barsoumian, the opera will be staged at the Ambassador Auditorium In Pasadena, California on May 23.

This opera is rightfully known as “the Armenian Romeo & Juliet”. It’s a tale of Armenian lovers caught up in the tumult of human impulses and social mores.  Anoush falls in love with her brother’s friend Saro, a shepherd. Mossi and Saro are at a wedding celebration and they are encouraged to have a friendly wrestle together. Mossi becomes enraged when Saro tries to impress Anoush by pinning Mossi during the match – violating the local code of honor and humiliating his friend. Mossi’s boundless rage ends when he shoots Saro. The heartbroken Anoush cannot live without her love, Saro. Her pain ends when she throws herself into the rivers which flow from the mountains where she met Saro.

On this commemorative centennial year, Lark brings Anoush Opera to help fuel the Armenians’ unbroken spirit to live, thrive, and create through the arts in Los Angeles.

Armenia and Azerbaijan will discuss the Karabakh conflict on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga May 21-22, RIA Novosti reports, quoting an EU representative.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said either the Foreign Ministers, or the Presidents of the two countries will meet in Riga.

He reminded that negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh are taking place within the framework of the Minsk Group co-chaired by an EU member France, as well as Russia and the United States. “This in one of the few processes the EU does not participate in,” he said.

The official noted that the format of the conflict settlement does not change. “We are absolutely confident our Russia, American and French colleagues are doing their best. But, unfortunately, this is a very complex issue,” the source said.

Two significant decisions on Aram Khachaturian International Competition were made at the General Assembly of the World Federation of International Music Competitions was held in Italy on May 8.

First, members of the Federation unanimously voted to include “conducting” in the competition program of the contest in 2016.

Moreover, the 2016 General Assembly of the Federation will be held in Armenia. That means Yerevan will host the most important event of the organization, which counts 115 members on 6 continents today.

The Aram Khachaturian International Competition was admitted as a new member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in 2013, thus becoming the first Armenian member ever joining this more than prestigious musical family.

The Aram Khachaturian International Competition is organized by “Aram Khachaturian” Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the Yerevan State Conservatory.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin may also file a legal claim, demanding that Turkey return the property confiscated from the church during the years of the Armenian Genocide, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, told the in an interview.

“An instruction has been given and this matter is being studied to reveal the relevant documents. This process requires great efforts to reveal the archive documents and prepare a well-grounded legal package,” he said.

“We believe that Turkey has no alternative to facing its history, recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide and restoring justice towards our people,” the Catholicos said in the interview.

His Holoness said the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide victims in Turkey was a positive step.