Category: News

Armenia is one of the 14 countries with absolutely no interference in Internet management, Arman Saghatelyan, Executive Director of the Public Radio of Armenia, said at a WCFDavos/Yerevan forum on “From Crisis to Development – Powered by Communication.”

“Under these conditions the fight against fake news is a hard, but thankful task,” he said.

Speaking about the April war, Sagahatelyan said “the Armenian information field ensured an apparent privilege over Azerbaijan.”

“Having an open system, we never restricted the free movement of media representatives and the freedom of expression. Instead, we ensured security and allowed international media to  the conflict zone, the territory of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, guaranteeing freedom of expression and enabling them to cover the events,” Arman Saghatelyan said.

He noted, however, that the open system and the information liberalism, which Armenia stands for, includes certain risks. These include huge flow of misinformation, abuse of the right to freedom of expression and speech.

“Unlike closed systems, we are more stable, more intellectual and creative, and, therefore, more prepared to respond to new challenges,” Arman Saghatelyan said.

World Communication Forum Association (WCFA) in cooperation with Armenian Public Relations Association (APRA) has organized a two-day WCFDavos/Yerevan forum “From Crisis to Development – Powered by Communication “ in Yerevan.

Six suspects, including a journalist, were detained on March 21 as part of an ongoing investigation into the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, Anadolu Agency has reported.

An Istanbul prosecutor issued a detention warrant for eight suspects for publishing images and footage of murderer Ogün Samast in some media outlets in 2007 and 2016 in front of a Turkish flag shortly after his apprehension in the Black Sea province of Samsun.

Police later detained journalist Muammer Ay and other suspects Murat Bayrak, Yüksel Avan, Birol Ustaoğlu, Yakup Kurtaran and Ahmet Çetiner in simultaneous operations conducted in six provinces.

The search for the other two suspects is ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office also demanded another arrest warrant for the Gülenist prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, lawyer Halil İbrahim Koca, and journalists Faruk Mercan, Adem Yavuz and Ekrem Dumanlı.

Dink was shot dead at the age of 52 in broad daylight outside the offices of the Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper Agos in central Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007.

Ogün Samast, then a 17-year-old jobless high-school dropout, confessed to the murder and was sentenced to almost 23 years in jail in 2011.

But the case grew into a wider scandal after it emerged that the security forces had been aware of a plot to kill Dink but failed to act.

Global development practitioners are gathering at the  in Yerevan, Armenia to explore opportunities and mechanisms to promote impact investment for development.

The United Nations Development Program and the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Initiative say the event may be the first conference focused on scaling impact ventures from incubation to acceleration and expansion to support development goals.

The Summit is a first of its kind collaborative dialogue that convenes a wide range of impact business leaders, social venture philanthropists, United Nations officials and other development practitioners, as well as social entrepreneurs, philanthropic organizations, government representatives and leading academics.

The Summit will bring together key stakeholders from the growing impact investment ecosystem, in order to create new models of collaboration between investors, ventures, governments and international development organizations.

The IID Summit includes a set of events, including a series of TEDx talks, showcase-sessions for pioneering impact ventures that present fresh solutions for the SDGs, interactive discussions, a thematic exhibition, and more.

The Summit will take place at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies  – a venue intentionally selected as an example of an innovative impact venture that directly supports development. Several other social enterprises have contributed to the Summit.

Joint Press Release by the Republic of Armenia and European Union on the initialling of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA):

On 21st of March at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yerevan, on behalf of the Republic of Armenia Chief negotiator Garen Nazarian, Deputy Foreign Minister and Trade lead negotiator Garegin Melkonian, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments and on behalf of the European Union (EU) Chief negotiator Luc Devigne, Deputy Managing Director in the European External Action Service and Trade lead negotiator Petros Sourmelis, Head of Unit in the European Commission, initialled the Armenia – EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The Agreement will be an important step to broaden the scope of bilateral relations between Republic of Armenia and the European Union.

It will strengthen the political dialogue and set a solid basis for the continuation of economic and social reforms. Strong commitments to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, underpin the new agreement and Armenia-EU future cooperation. The CEPA will also create the framework for stronger cooperation in sectors such as energy, transport and the environment, for new opportunities in trade and investments, and for increased mobility for the benefit of the citizens.

Relations between Armenia and the EU have seen a significant strengthening in recent years. The CEPA is a joint endeavour, which will further deepen their relations within the larger framework of the revised European Neighbourhood Policy and Eastern Partnership. The CEPA will offer EU and Armenia a platform to bring their relations to a new, higher level.

Horizon Weekly – “Orphans of the Genocide,” a documentary chronicling the plight of the Armenian orphans of the Armenian Genocide won the best documentary award at Canada International Film Festival held in Vancouver.

“Orphans of the Genocide” weaves historical archives with interviews and memoirs of Armenian orphans to establish irrevocable proof of the Armenian Genocide. An emotional, visual journey through never-before-seen archival footage and memoirs of orphans who lived through the last century’s first, fully documented, and least recognized genocide features insightful interviews with such prominent figures and scholars as British journalist Robert Fisk; Clark University’s director of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Prof. Debora Dwork; and Armenian-American Dr. Jack Kevorkian, among others.

Armenia’s Transport Minister Vahan Martirosyan will compete for the position of the UN World Travel Organization (UNWTO).

The UNWTO’s current Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai of Jordan, has served in the position since January 2010 and is stepping down at the end of this year. The organization’s 33-nation executive board will choose a nominee in May to be voted on by its General Assembly later this year to serve as Secretary-General for the 2018 to 2021 term.

Seven eligible applications have been submitted. Other candidates are Márcio Favilla, Brazil; Walter Mzembi, Zimbabwe; Zurab Pololikashvili, Georgia; Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente, Colombia; Alain St. Ange, Seychelles; Dho Young-shim, South Korea.

As part of the United Nations, the UNWTO supports many of the United Nation’s programs and is one of the largest global tourism organizations that advises member states on how to develop and implement tourism policies. The organization’s mission is to, “drive economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offer leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide,” according to its website.

UNWTO’s membership includes 157 countries, six associate members and 500 affiliate members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

Vahan Martirosyan was appointed as Armenia’s Minister of Transport and Communications in September 2016 and in October had a title change to Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies. Martirosyan spent more than 30 years working in electrical engineering posts in Armenia, serving in various board positions of CJSC, one of the country’s largest electrical utility companies, for the past 16 years.

Actor Dean Cain, who recently visited Armenia, has talked to Fox News about Armenia’s support for Syrian refugees, Armenia as the first Christian nation, and the Armenian Genocide.

Asbarez – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge), Chair of the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange, introduced Senate Resolution 29 on Monday designating the month of April for commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. The Resolution also calls on the Republic of Turkey to return confiscated church properties to their rightful congregations.

April 2017 will mark the 102nd commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which began in 1915. More than 1.5 million Armenians were persecuted and massacred by the Ottoman Turks in the first genocide of the 20th century. California has long and proudly recognized the Armenian Genocide. This is the first legislative resolution to declare April as a month of Armenian Genocide commemoration and also call for the immediate restoration of church properties under Turkey’s control.

In addition to genocide denial, religious discrimination and intolerance remain serious issues in the current Republic of Turkey. Discriminatory laws are still used to justify the confiscation of church property and prevent free worship. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noted in its 2011 report that the Turkish government continues to impose serious limitations on freedom of religion or belief, thereby threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority religious communities in Turkey.

The Armenian Church has taken important steps to restore ownership to its religious sites within Turkey. In 2015, a lawsuit was filed with Turkey’s highest court seeking the return of the church’s headquarters, a sacred site in the south-central city of Kozan, which was confiscated in 1915 by the Ottoman authorities.

“Although the Californian Legislature has recognized and commemorated the Armenian Genocide, our research shows that the issue of church property has yet to be included in a resolution that passed a house of the legislature. Religious discrimination anywhere is against common human values,” commented Portantino. “I join with many historians who believe that historical Armenian churches represent the cultural heritage of the Armenian nation and should be returned to their rightful owners to be cherished and used for appropriate religious purposes,” concluded Senator Portantino.

SR 29 was co-authored by all the members of the State Senate California, Armenian & Artsakh Select Committee, including Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, Scott Wilk, Tony Mendoza and Josh Newman.

Sen. Portantino represents nearly 930,000 people in the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, Atwater Village, Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, La Verne, Monrovia, Montrose, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is to join Chicago Fire as a deal has been agreed with Manchester United and the player, according to the club’s official website.

The 32-year-old German midfielder’s move to MLS is subject to a medical and a visa being obtained but Chicago are keen to finalise a swift transfer.

“I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United,” said Schweinsteiger. “But I am grateful to the club for allowing me the chance to take up the challenge at Chicago Fire.

“I have enjoyed working with the manager, the players and staff here and wish them all the best in the future. But I have to reserve special thanks to the United fans – whose support has been a very special part of my time in Manchester.

“I was delighted to be part of the squad that won the FA Cup for them last season and will always remember their energy and their passion. Now is the right time for me to start a new chapter in Chicago and I am looking forward to it.”