Category: News

 

 

 

Living in Talish will be as safe as in Mataghis or Martakert, authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic assure. Some residents of the village that was abandoned after the April war, have now returned to their home. The authorities pledge to create conditions for the villagers to return to Talish and stay there.

The NKR leadership has invited architects from Armenia and Diaspora to participate in reconstruction works. Secretary of the NKR Security Service Vitaly Balasanyan, who keeps the reconstruction works in the spotlight, says today’s modernized defense systems allow to ensure the security of all borderline settlements, including Talish.

The power supply has been fully restored, the water supply system will start working in the coming days. The road to the village is being reconstructed. Vitaly Balasanyan says residents of Talish will enjoy tax and energy benefits.

Speaking to Public Radio of Armenia, Spokesman for the NKR Prime Minister Artak Beglaryan said it’s hard to estimate the number of Talish residents still living in Armenia. “The numbers change, because more and more families opt for return to Artsakh,” he said.

Photo: EPA

 

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned after suffering a heavy defeat in a referendum over his plan to reform the constitution, the BBC reports.

In a late-night news conference, he said he took responsibility for the outcome, and said the No camp must now make clear proposals.

With most ballots counted, the No vote leads with 60% against 40% for Yes.

The turnout was nearly 70%, in a vote that was seen as a chance to register discontent with the prime minister.

“Good luck to us all,” Mr Renzi told reporters. He said he would tell a Cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon that he was resigning, then tender his resignation to the Italian president.

 

 

 

Thousands of Diaspora Armenians have joined the “Justice Within Armenia” initiative launched on September 21, famous Canadian Armenian actress Arsine Khanjyan told reporters in Yerevan today.

The Diaspora Armenians have set up an observervation mission for the sake of democracy, justice and transparent elections. The group will have a practical participation in the parliamentary elections next year.

“Armenia’s independence was an important achievement, gift and a dream come true for Diaspora Armenians, but we, as individuals, were unable to make our contribution at the time,” Arsine Khanjyan said.

“However, we have always lived with the consciousness to support Armenia, to help the country rise not only in the cultural field, but also develop as an independent, sovereign and democratic state,” she added.

She noted, however, that the situation is getting more and more troublesome, and this has caused concern among Diaspora Armenians and served as a basis for the “Justice Within Armenia” initiative.

“Our young soldiers’ endless love for the Motherland made us reassess our views and steps. The present and future of Armenia is now measured by the life of those guys, the state they defended should be worth their endless love,” Khanjyan said.

According to her, the July events (the seizure of a police headquarters) alerted that urgent changed are needed and signaled that Diasporas Armenians should have a practical participation.

Actor Hrant Tokhatyan has joined the initiative from Armenia. Speaking to reporters today, he said “the unity of concerned individuals will always benefit Armenia.”

Speaking through Skype, System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian expressed concern over the split among Diaspora Armenians and the Motherland.”

According to Canadian Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, the Diaspora should realize its responsibility and the role it can play in Armenia. “This year’s events showed that the Diaspora should have a practical participation, e.g. on justice-related issues, including elections,” he said.

The Diaspora Armenians plan to arrive in Armenia next spring to observe the parliamentary elections in the country.

The European Union Delegation to Armenia and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) have signed a Contract to the EUR 2 million grant that marks the beginning of a three-year project aimed at facilitating development of the civil society sector in Armenia.

AGBU Armenia is actively undertaking a new strategic direction to engage more closely with civil society in the country and through this grant will take its first steps forward.

The Civil Society Facilitation project will be implemented by AGBU Armenia together with the Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF). The project will build the capacity of local CSOs and harness their networks. A special focus will be put on establishing direct ties between experts from Diaspora and local CSOs and facilitating skills and knowledge exchange as well as more active involvement of Diaspora in a day-to-day life of the Armenian civil society.

The project will complement the currently run EU-funded capacity building project which focuses on internal and external capacity building of around 100 CSOs in Armenia (STRONG Civil Society Organisations for Stronger Armenia) and other ongoing actions supported by the European Union (e.g. Community Development through Social Entrepreneurship – CODE-SE project- Social Response to Labour Migration in Armenia (Together4Armenia.am)). The action is completely in line with the priorities identified in the EU Country Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society (2014-2017) and Annual Action Programme 2015 in favour of the Republic of Armenia.

Photo: Reuters

 

Europol has warned that militants from so-called Islamic State (IS) will aim to step up attacks on European targets, as they face defeat in the Middle East, the BBC reports.

The European police force says more foreign fighters will try to come back to Europe, and “several dozen” capable of attacks could already be there.

Their tactics could include car bombs, kidnappings and extortion, it said.

But the report plays down the likelihood of attacks on critical infrastructure, such as nuclear sites.

It says that IS militants now prefer soft targets, and there is now a greater emphasis on “lone actors” such as the perpetrator of the lorry attack in Nice in July.

It warns that some Syrian refugees in Europe may be vulnerable to recruitment by extremists who infiltrate refugee camps.

Europe has been shaken by a series of attacks in recent years blamed on IS militants.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, the Military-Industrial Commission approved the draft on Military-industrial and military-technical policy strategy.

Deputy Defense Minister, head of the State Military Industry Committee David Pakhchanyan said the strategy aims to turn the scientific-technical and industrial-technical potential into practical innovative means, which will help ensure the competitiveness of the production of the military industry complex.

Pakhchanyan underlined that the document has been worked out on the basis of the experience of the years of independence and the analysis of the April events.

He noted that the strategy also aims to boost the development of military industry, implementation and development of innovative technologies and organization oflocal production.

The main objective is to create a scientific-technical complex with a view of implementing the priorities of development of the military-technical policy.

According to Pakhchanyan, with the “nation-army” formula in the spotlight, it is necessary to review the education process in Armenia in order to turn the school-higher educational establishment-industry-science link into a scientific-educational complex.

During the meeting reference was made to development of the military industry complex and other issues related to the military-technical policy.

Photo: Getty Images

 

US President-elect Donald Trump has named Gen James Mattis, a former marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as his defence secretary, the BBC reports.

“He’s our best,” Mr Trump said, as he announced his pick in a speech in Ohio.

Gen Mattis, who is known as “Mad Dog”, was an outspoken critic of the Obama administration’s Middle East policy, particularly on Iran.

He has referred to Iran as “the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East”.

Mr Trump made the announcement in Cincinnati at the start of a “USA Thank You Tour 2016” for his supporters.

“We are going to appoint ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis as our secretary of defence,” he told the crowd.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian briefed President Serzh Sargsyan on the Foreign Ministry’s activity towards ensuring Armenia’s active involvement in international organizations. Minister Nalabndian presented the achievements and future plans, the chairmanship of the International Organization of the Francophonie, the organization’s reference to Nagorno Karabakh in its recent statement.

Minister Nalbandian reported on a number of meetings to be held within the framework of international organizations – the priorities of Armenia at the meeting of Foreign Ministers in Vienna dedicated to nuclear security, the “Support to Armenia” mission within the framework of NATO, the Open Government Partnership Global Summit in Paris, the OSCE Ministerial meeting in Gamburg.

President Sargsyan called Minister Nalabndian’s attention to the directives to be given to diplomats during the traditional meeting with Armenian Ambassadors expected in Paris.

Serzh Sargsyan instructed to hold the next meeting with diplomats in Armenia. The President presented his views on intensification of economic diplomacy.

In a revealing article in , Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has opened up on why his late father Hamlet continues to be his inspiration.

The Armenia captain tragically lost his dad when only seven years old due to a brain tumour and it naturally had a profound effect on his childhood. By somehow summoning up the strength to follow in his father’s footsteps, he has not only emulated Hamlet’s achievement of representing his country but is now appearing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“When you walk onto the pitch at Old Trafford, it is not just a pitch, it is a stage,” the attacking midfielder said. “If my father could see me on that stage, I think he would be very proud.

“I was always kind of chasing him and I think, even though he’s not here, he helped me to get to this place. If he was still alive, maybe I would be a lawyer or a doctor right now. Instead, I am a footballer.

“The year after my father died, I started football training,” he added. “He was the drive for me, he was my idol. I said to myself, I have to run just like him. I have to shoot just like him.

“By the time I was 10 years old, my entire life was football. Training, reading, watching, even playing football on PlayStation. I was totally focused on it. I especially loved the creative players — the maestros. I always wanted to play like [Zinedine] Zidane, Kaká and Hamlet. (Pretty good company for my father).”

The decision to head to Brazil as a 13-year-old to train with Sao Paulo for four months must have been an extraordinarily difficult one to take but it helped broaden the youngster’s horizons and develop his playing style.

“That was one of the most interesting times of my life, because I was a very shy kid from Armenia who didn’t speak any Portuguese,” he admitted. “But I didn’t care at all because, to me, I was getting to go to football paradise.

“I dreamed of being like Kaká, and Brazil was the home of that creative style, which the Brazilians call ginga. That time was very important to me, because it shaped my style as a player. When I returned to Armenia after four months in Brazil, I was still quite skinny and weak, but I had technique and skill. I was feeling very free on the pitch. I was feeling like the Armenian Ronaldinho. (Ha ha ha ha. No, I’m joking).”

Thankfully, United’s fans are now able to enjoy the ‘Armenian Ronaldinho’ after narrowly failing to sign the Brazilian star during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge. The Old Trafford faithful have had to be patient but are clearly now falling in love with the summer signing from Borussia Dortmund.

“I knew it would be a challenge to leave a good situation at Dortmund and succeed at United,” he said. “But I did not want to sit in my chair as an old man and have any regrets. I was ready to move.

“When the deal was done and dusted, I sat down to sign the contract with United and that’s when it hit me. That’s when I realised that this big move to the Premier League was really happening.

“I will never forget that moment, nor will I forget the time I put on the red Manchester United shirt before my first training session with the club. It made me feel so happy and proud about what I had achieved in my career.

“At the beginning of this season at United, I suffered an injury and have not had many chances to play. It would be fair to say that the start of my life in Manchester was not perfect. But there have been many other times when I’ve had setbacks, and I have never given up. I will continue working every day so that I can help the team succeed.”

Having overcome incredible adversity in the past, there is every reason to expect Mkhitaryan to continue achieving his goals and become a firm favourite at United.

For the full, extensive must-read interview with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on his upbringing and football career so far, visit .

On December 2, 2016, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr. and Armenian Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan unveiled in Gyumri the newly restored mural “In the Mountains” created by famed Armenian artist Hakob Hakobyan.  The U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) funded the restoration of this mural.

With the funding, the mural was removed from an abandoned factory building in Gyumri, repaired and conserved, and installed safely in the city’s Achemyan State Drama Theater where it is once again accessible to the public on the second floor.

“For the past several years the mural we are here to celebrate was hidden away in an abandoned factory. It was crumbling into dust,” Ambassador Mills said during the unveiling ceremony. “But thanks to the U.S. State Department’s Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation it now has new life.  Now the eyes of the next generation of artists, community leaders, and innovators will see Hakobyan’s work, perhaps here of his story, and find in it inspiration to create future works of art that capture the spirit of Armenia.”

The mural was created by Hakob Hakobyan (1923-2013), an Armenian artist whose works are considered national treasures. His murals are included on the official list of historical and cultural treasures of Shirak province.

The restoration work done on “In the Mountains” was carried out by the Minas Avetisyan Cultural Foundation with the participation of Fabrizio Iacopini, a renowned restorer from the Restoration Institute in Florence, Italy.  The Minas Avetisyan Cultural Foundation was established in 2003 by Arman Avetisyan, the son of prominent Armenian artist Minas Avetisyan, to preserve his and other artists’ murals, removing them from abandoned industrial buildings in Gyumri and moving them to safe locations.

“The restorer’s work is a labor of love, of respect for artists and their works.  And their passion and dedication is clearly on display today,” Ambassador Mills said.

This is not the first time the U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation has worked on rescuing a mural in Gyumri.  Last year, another project preserved Rafayel Atoyan’s “On the Way to the Watermill” mural, moving it from an abandoned factory to Gyumri’s newly-renovated Youth Palace.

The U.S. State Department established the U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2000 to celebrate mankind’s shared cultural heritage and to bring countries and peoples together. Through the AFCP, the U.S. State Department each year funds a number of projects around the globe that protect unique cultural heritage sites.

The AFCP has been providing support for Armenian cultural sites since 2005, funding projects such as preserving the archeological finds at Areni cave, protecting the Dashtadem Fortress, mapping and cataloging items found at the Noratus medieval cemetery and its collection of khachkars, preservation of a medieval masonry bridge in the Garni Gorge, and documentation of traditional Armenian music and dance.  Earlier this fall, the AFCP awarded a $450,000 grant to preserve and restore the historic St. Hovhannes Church in  Meghri.

“Culture, art, traditions – these help celebrate the uniqueness of Armenia.  This love of culture is shared by Americans.  And by preserving these Armenian treasures, we not only help bring our two people together, but save a unique treasure for generations to come,” Ambassador Mills said.