Category: News

Commission has been set up to implement the project of construction of solar battery stations approved by the government late last year, press service of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources informs.

The commission comprises representatives from the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Central Bank and the State Services Regulatory Commission.

The commission is tasked with presenting proposals on the construction of solar batteries of commercial scale.

According to the investment program approved by the government, solar plants with the capacity of up to 110 MW are expected to be built in six locations in Armenia. The first plant with the capacity of 55 MW will be built in Masrik, Gegharkunik province.

Manchester United star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has sent a message of support to former club Borussia Dortmund.

“I was deeply shocked by the explosions last night in Dortmund, a city that has a very special place in my heart,” Mkhitaryan said in a Facebook post.

“I want to send my support to Borussia Dortmund, the fans and I also wish a speedy recovery to Marc Bartra,” he added.

An explosion has hit a bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund football team to a Champions League match yesterday.

Defender Marc Bartra fractured his wrist in the incident, which led to Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg being postponed.

A wide-ranging panel discussion at the Hammer Museum at UCLA delved into the challenges of using film to depict genocide and ethnic conflict, according to UCLA’s official website.

The event, held April 6, featured Terry George, an Academy Award-nominated writer and director; Dr. Eric Esrailian, a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; and Stephen D. Smith, executive director of the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation.

George is the director and co-writer, and Esrailian a producer, of a new feature film called “The Promise,” which is set during the 1915 Armenian genocide, and is set for a wide premiere April 21.

Esrailian, a digestive disease expert and philanthropist, also sits on the executive board of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and has been involved in developing the school’s Skoll Center for Social Impact Entertainment. He said one hurdle for the filmmakers is that the events of 1915 are still so poorly understood by the general public.

“One of the challenges is the lack of general awareness of the Armenian genocide,” he said. “Because the denial has been so heavy, it crushes the truth. You have to counteract that.”

That meant striking a careful balance: telling a story through specific characters while also establishing the facts around historical events. George said finding an empathetic person to serve as the focal point can be the key to taking on an emotionally difficult subject in a film. So “The Promise” uses fictional characters who, George said, “allow us to walk through the tumultuous events that defined the Armenian genocide.”

In addition to writing and directing “The Promise,” George was the co-writer and director of “Hotel Rwanda,” and his other projects have examined the Vietnam War and the conflict in Northern Ireland. Creating sympathetic protagonists is one of the important ways to draw viewers into stories about such major conflicts, he said. “An ordinary person who transcends the horrible situation they are put in and, in battling against it, proves our own humanity,” he said.

Smith said that balancing historical accuracy with interesting storylines is a tension that frequently arises in historical films aimed at mass audiences.

“Filmmakers want to keep the engagement of the audience,” he said. “The telling of the story is what’s going to do that and, therefore, artistic license is a really important part of that process.”

But that can raise questions about historical accuracy and credibility — something Smith said can be mitigated in part through close collaboration between scholars and filmmakers.

George said filmmakers have to research and source their work as accurately as possible so their films’ truthfulness isn’t in question.

The film’s release date is within days of both Armenian Genocide Awareness Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day, which this year both fall on April 24. Smith pointed out that April is also the month during which the Cambodian genocide began and that the movie premiere falls during the 100-day period of commemoration of the Rwandan genocide.

“Survivors are still feeling the pain of those events,” he said, adding that the confluence of those anniversaries and commemorations are “good opportunities for communities to come together, because the grief that is shared is universal.”

Esrailian said the new film has struck an emotional chord with audiences who feel connected to the Armenian genocide. “Art can allow people to heal,” he said. “That’s why we made the movie.”

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin attended today the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Footbal Academy in Vagharshapat.

Aleksander Čeferin arrived in Armenia today for a one-day official visit. He was welcomed at Zvartnots Airport by Ruben Hayrapetyan, President of the Football Federation of Armenia.

Upon his arrival in Armenia, the UEFA President headed for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, where he was hosted by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Mr. Čeferin learnt about the history of the Holy See and its cultural legacy.

 

Statement by Edward Nalbandian at the Eastern Partnership and Visegrad 4 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Dear colleagues,

I would like to thank the Visegrad 4 Polish Presidency for hosting this ministerial meeting.

Approaching the upcoming Summit in Brussels with tangible achievements will be important for the future of the endeavors within the Eastern Partnership. In this regard we appreciate the initiative to give a political push to our sectoral cooperation and focus the debate on infrastructure connections, since it is one of the priorities of the Eastern Partnership enshrined in the Riga joint declaration.

On March 21st Armenia and the EU  initialed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement that will reflect the depth and essence of our relations and set new guidelines for enhanced partnership.

Interconnectivity occupies a solid place in the Framework Agreement, as well as in the Armenia-EU Partnership Priorities for 2017-2020, underlining its importance not only for the bilateral relations, but also in the context of the regional cooperation.

Dear Colleagues,

Together with the EU and other partners, we are involved in different interconnectivity projects. We welcome the decision to extend the Trans-European Transport Network to the Eastern Partners. Last year, Armenian and Georgian principal highways were included as core connections on the comprehensive network of TEN-T maps.

Another good example is the Armenia-EU negotiations that started a month ago to conclude the Common Aviation Area Agreement.

The European Union, through the European Investment Bank, contributes to the realization of the one of Armenia’s strategic projects – the construction of the North-South road corridor that crosses the country with 556 km-long modern highway.

The recent modernization of Armenia-Georgia border crossing points with the support of the European Union is a practical step towards implementation of the Eastern Partnership Integrated Border Management Initiative. It provides more efficient capacities for increased volumes of transit and trade.

Interconnectivity does not limit only to transport communications. The European Union through the Neighborhood Investment Facility has contributed to the construction of a new Armenia-Georgia high-voltage transmission lines.

Ensuring mobility and people-to-people contacts are essential for enhancing the connections between our societies. This was one of the core principles set into the foundations of the Eastern Partnership. One of the ways to realize this commitment and to bring our societies closer is the visa free regime. Armenia and the EU for the past three years have been actively implementing the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements. The next step is the visa liberalization dialogue as targeted in the Riga Summit Declaration.

Dear Colleagues,

Through connectivity and economic cooperation we can effectively foster growth and stability in the region at large. It is essential that we consider the notion of connectivity in a broader context, not only among EU and EaP countries but also between different integration formats.

The links between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union should be a matter of pragmatic and result oriented dialogue. Armenia as a member state of the EAEU and one of the Eastern Partnership countries is ready to contribute to this end.

Promoting the connectivity and strengthening economic cooperation can help to forge common interests and joint projects that bring mutual benefits. In this regard they should also be viewed as confidence building measures and should be considered as a strong tool within the context of the efforts of agreed formats of the conflict resolutions.

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to use this opportunity to thank the European Union for significant financial and technical assistance in support of organising a free and fair parliamentary elections in Armenia in the beginning of April. After the elections the European Union stated that they were well administered, fundamental freedoms were generally respected, and that the result reflected the overall will of the Armenian people. The EU further stressed its willingness to work with the democratically elected new Parliament and Government.

Armenia is also looking forward to continue its close cooperation with the European Union.

Thank you.

“Shocked” Borussia Dortmund players will “pull together” when they face Monaco, 24 hours after their team bus was damaged by explosions in Germany.

Defender Marc Bartra fractured his wrist in the incident, which led to Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg being postponed.

The match has been rescheduled for Wednesday, with a 17:45 BST kick-off.

“In such a crisis situation, all of Borussia will pull together,” said chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke, the reports.

“The team and coaches were shocked. Now we must channel it in some way.”

Dortmund said Bartra had an operation on Tuesday after “breaking the radial bone in his arm and getting bits of debris lodged in his hand”.

The 26-year-old, who has played 12 times for Spain, joined Dortmund from Barcelona in June last year.

Captain Marcel Schmelzer said: “We’re all in shock and our thoughts are with Marc. We hope that he will make a speedy recovery.”

The bus was damaged at 18:15 BST on Tuesday – 90 minutes before kick-off – when it was about six miles from the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.

Police said there were three explosions in the vicinity of the coach. They called it “a targeted attack” and found a letter at the scene, but did not disclose its contents.

They are preparing for a “large deployment” at the rescheduled game.

For the first time, a big budget, wide-release feature film-complete with a-list, Hollywood celebrities and a renowned, Academy Award-winning director-will depict the Armenian Genocide. This monumental film, The Promise, will be released in mainstream theaters across the United States and Canada on April 21, marking a major triumph for the Armenian community.

Produced by the legendary Kirk Kerkorian’s Survival Pictures and directed by Academy Award winner Terry George (Hotel Rwanda), The Promise features an outstanding international cast, including Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, Christian Bale, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Sarafyan, and many more. All proceeds from the film will be donated to non-profit organizations, the first time for a film of this scale.

In the film, it is 1914. As the Great War looms, the vast Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople (Istanbul)-its once vibrant, multicultural capital-is about to be consumed by chaos. Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac) arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine to Siroun, his ancestral village in southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries. Photo-journalist Chris Meyers (Christian Bale) has come only partly to cover geo-political news. He is mesmerized by his love for Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father. When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men, even as Michael hangs on to a promise from his past. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive-even as monumental events envelope their lives.

In addition to the all-star cast, acclaimed musician and activist Serj Tankian served as the film’s executive music consultant and contributed a modern rendition of the Armenian folk song, “Sari Siroun Yar,” to the soundtrack. “It’s been an honor to be an impartial ear and eye to the film,” said Tankian. “The best way to counter high budget disinformation campaigns by the Turkish government is to move people with the truth via the arts. I’ve been doing it for years with music and wanted to help do it through film somehow.” The original title song for the film was written and performed by Chris Cornell of the band Soundgarden and the original score was composed by Academy Award winner Gabriel Yared (The English Patient).

In addition to the release in the United States and Canada on April 21, The Promise will also be released in the Middle East (Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Yemen) on April 20; in Armenia and Russia on April 27; in the United Kingdom on April 28; in Poland on May 5; in Australia on May 25; in Thailand on June 1; in Spain on June 2; in Belgium on June 14; in the Netherlands on June 15; in Singapore on June 22; in South Africa on June 23 and in Italy on August 24.

The grassroots campaign to ensure the box-office success of The Promise has been a worldwide effort supported by a joint coalition of Armenian organizations in North America, including: All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA), Armenia Fund, Armenia Tree Project, Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance, Armenian Catholic Eparchy in the United States & Canada, Armenian Film Foundation, Armenian Gay and Lesbian Association of New York (AGLA NY), Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA), Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Missionary Association of Canada, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), Armenian National Institute (ANI), Armenian Network of America, Armenian Prelacy of Canada, the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of the United States, Armenian Students’ Association of America, Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art (AFFMA), Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), Constantinople Armenian Relief Society (CARS), Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada, Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to Canada, Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the United States, Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS), Hamazkayin Educational & Cultural Society of the United States, Hayastan Foundation Canada, Knights and Daughters of Vartan, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), Office of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the United States, ONEArmenia, Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA), Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada, Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR), Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and Zoryan Institute.

Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered as a candidate in Iran’s presidential election, despite being told not to by the Supreme Leader, the BBC reports.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who served two terms between 2005 and 2013, filed paperwork for the 19 May poll at the interior ministry in Tehran.

Last year, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned him that such a move was “not in his interest and that of the country”.

But Mr Ahmadinejad told reporters on Tuesday that had been “just advice”.

Asbarez – For​ ​the​ ​second​ ​consecutive​ ​year​ ​the​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors​ ​issued​ ​a proclamation​ ​designating​ ​April​ ​24​​​ ​as​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide​ ​Remembrance​ ​Day,​ ​commemorating​ ​those who​ ​perished​ ​during​ ​the​ ​first​ ​Genocide​ ​of​ ​the​ ​twentieth​ ​century.

Representatives​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Armenian​ ​American​ ​community​ ​of​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​were​ ​in​ ​attendance.

Chairwoman​ ​Michelle​ ​Steel​ ​opened​ ​the​ ​program​ ​by​ ​stating​ ​that​ ​this​ ​year​ ​marks​ ​the​ ​102​nd​​ ​anniversary​ ​of the​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide​ ​that​ ​took​ ​the​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​one​ ​and​ ​a​ ​half​ ​million​ ​Armenians.​ ​She​ ​stated​ ​“Not​ ​only were​ ​Armenians​ ​massacred​ ​within​ ​their​ ​historic​ ​homeland​ ​but​ ​their​ ​lands​ ​and​ ​property​ ​were​ ​stolen.” The​ ​Chairwoman​ ​explained​ ​that​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​do​ ​its​ ​part​ ​in​ ​honoring​ ​the​ ​victims​ ​of​ ​this tragedy​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​forgotten​ ​or​ ​repeated.

Reverend​ ​Fathers​ ​Moushegh​ ​Tshajian​ ​from​ ​St.​ ​Mary​ ​Armenian​ ​Church​ ​in​ ​Costa​ ​Mesa​ ​and​ ​Karekin Bedourian​ ​from​ ​Forty​ ​Martyrs​ ​Armenian​ ​Church​ ​in​ ​Santa​ ​Ana​ ​took​ ​the​ ​podium​ ​and​ ​addressed​ ​the​ ​crowd. They​ ​thanked​ ​Chairwoman​ ​Steel​ ​and​ ​the​ ​County​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors​ ​for​ ​their​ ​commitment​ ​to accurately​ ​remembering​ ​the​ ​past​ ​and​ ​honoring​ ​the​ ​victims​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide,​ ​then​ ​together lead​ ​with​ ​the​ ​prayer.

Honorable​ ​Gassia​ ​Apkarian,​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​Superior​ ​Court​ ​Judge,​ ​passed​ ​out​ ​pins​ ​with​ ​the​ ​U.S.​ ​and Armenian​ ​flags​ ​then​ ​thanked​ ​the​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors​ ​for​ ​upholding​ ​justice,​ ​setting​ ​the​ ​historical​ ​record straight​ ​and​ ​not​ ​playing​ ​politics​ ​with​ ​historical​ ​facts.​ ​Alexander​ ​Gonzalez,​ ​District​ ​Director​ ​for​ ​Congressman Dana​ ​Rohrabacher​ ​also​ ​stressed​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​making​ ​sure​ ​such​ ​atrocities​ ​are​ ​not​ ​committed​ ​in​ ​the future​ ​and​ ​pointed​ ​to​ ​Congressman​ ​Rohrabacher’s​ ​reintroduction​ ​of​ ​the​ ​House​ ​Resolution​ ​calling​ ​for​ ​the defense​ ​of​ ​Christians​ ​and​ ​Yezidis​ ​in​ ​the​ ​region.

Anahid​ ​Arakelian,​ ​ANCA​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​chapter​ ​addressed​ ​the​ ​crowd​ ​and​ ​also​ ​thanked​ ​Chairwoman Steel​ ​and​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors.​ ​She​ ​gave​ ​a​ ​historical​ ​account​ ​of​ ​how​ ​a​ ​few​ ​of​ ​her​ grandparents escaped​ ​the​ ​devastation,​ ​survived,​ ​then​ ​eventually​ ​moved​ ​to​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States​ ​where​ ​many​ ​survivors relocated​ ​and​ ​contributed​ ​on​ ​multiple​ ​levels,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Calvin​ ​K.​ ​Kazandjian​ ​founder​ ​of​ ​Almond​ ​Joy​ ​and Mounds​ ​candy​ ​bars,​ ​MRI​ ​inventor​ ​Raymond​ ​Vahan​ ​Damadian,​ ​and​ ​Kirk​ ​Kerkorian.​ ​Arakelian​ ​urged​ ​those in​ ​attendance​ ​to​ ​see​ ​The​ ​Promise​ ​on​ ​April​ ​21​st​,​ ​a​ ​powerful​ ​film​ ​about​ ​the​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide.​ ​She highlighted​ ​the​ ​freedoms​ ​we​ ​sometimes​ ​take​ ​for​ ​granted​ ​in​ ​the​ ​U.S.​ ​and​ ​the​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​such tragedies​ ​are​ ​not​ ​repeated​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future.​ ​Anahid​ ​closed​ ​by​ ​once​ ​again​ ​thanking​ ​the​ ​County​ ​of​ ​Orange​ ​and urging​ ​those​ ​in​ ​attendance​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​events​ ​at​ ​home​ ​and​ ​abroad,​ ​and​ ​highlighted​ ​the​ ​situation​ ​in​ ​Artsakh and​ ​the​ ​current​ ​struggle​ ​for​ ​liberation​ ​and​ ​basic​ ​human​ ​rights​ ​taking​ ​place​ ​there.

Community​ ​members​ ​gathered​ ​for​ ​a​ ​photo​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors​ ​and​ ​this​ ​year’s​ ​proclamation, and​ ​then​ ​again​ ​with​ ​David​ ​Gonzalez​ ​from​ ​Congressman​ ​Rohrabacher’s​ ​office.

Authorities are investigating an Islamist background to the attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus on Tuesday. A letter claiming responsibility reportedly begins with the words “In the name of Allah the merciful,” reports.

Three explosions went off near Borussia Dortmund’s team bus as it set off for the Champions League quarterfinal match against AS Monaco on Tuesday, authorities said. According to local media reports, the case has been handed over to federal prosecutors, which usually means an incident is considered terrorism or a similarly serious crime.

Further reports indicated that a note found near the explosives began “in the name of Allah, the merciful,” and that investigators were looking into possible Islamist connections.

German news agency dpa reported seeing the letter addressed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel directly. “You obviously aren’t bothered about your dirty little subjects,” the note allegedly read. “Your Tornados continue to fly over the ground of the Caliphate to murder Muslims.”

“The letter’s authenticity is being verified,” prosecutor Sandra Lücke told journalists.