Armenian News... A Topalian... Tension spills into South Caucasus
Zaman, Turkey
Dec 27 2015
Turkish-Russian tension spills into South Caucasus
MESUT ÇEVÄ°KALP / ANKARA
The South Caucasus has emerged as yet another arena for muscle-flexing
and a tug-of-war between Turkey and Russia, two countries whose
relations have sunk into mutual hostility but are still short of
actual war, with the region seeing a revival of a frozen conflict and
a shifting of regional alignments last week.
In addition to Syria, Ankara and Moscow seem set to face off in the
troubled South Caucasus, with the dispute between them leaving its
impact across the region.
Relations between Turkey and Russia took a hit after the Turkish Air
Forces (THK) shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border in
late November. Since then, the decades-old conflict between Azerbaijan
and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh has escalated, with Azerbaijan
firing from tanks for the first time since the early 1990s. Last week,
Yerevan announced that the cease-fire, which technically halted
fighting in 1994, if not totally erasing clashes, is no longer in
effect.
It is noteworthy that the armed clashes over the mountainous enclave
gathered new pace immediately after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet
DavutoÄ?lu's visit to Azerbaijani capital Baku earlier in December.
Last week also saw a number of meetings between regional actors. The
Turkish, Georgian and Azerbaijani defense ministers held a meeting in
Turkey to discuss cooperation against regional threats. Then Russian
and Armenian defense ministers signed a treaty on Wednesday to create
a joint regional air defense system. The main target of the
cooperation was no secret.
A Russian military official told the pro-Moscow Sputnik news agency at
the time the treaty is aimed against Turkey. "In my opinion, this
decision is connected with the events in Turkey. Today, aviation plays
a major role in combat. Turkey is a NATO member and there are US
aircraft present in Turkish airfields. There is a need for a more
secure system that can keep the air borders protected and this
requires joint efforts," Sputnik quoted the former deputy commander of
Russia's Air Defense Forces, Lt. Gen. Alexander Luzan, as saying.
Russia has already sent more than a dozen new aircraft, including
advanced attack helicopters and military transport planes, to its base
near Yerevan.
Defense officials in Ankara told Today's Zaman that it is only a
matter of time before the tension over Nagorno-Karabakh relapses into
war. Watching events there with wary eyes, Turkish officials believe
that Russia has deliberately brought the tension with Turkey over the
jet dispute to the region, opening a new theater to place additional
pressure on Turkey.
Speaking to Today's Zaman, Assistant Professor Fatih Ã-zbay, a Russia
expert at Ä°stanbul Technical University, said Russia is sending a
signal to Turkey and Azerbaijan through Armenia by arming Yerevan. For
him, Russia is evidently pursuing a policy of containment against
Turkey in many regions by escalating the geographical scope of the
tension. "The Russia-Turkey dispute has already gone beyond the Syrian
theater. Turkey now faces a strategy of containment from Crimea to the
Caucasus, from Iran to Syria and the east Mediterranean. The jet
crisis has only served as a pretext; it accelerated the process," he
said.
According to Ã-zbay, Russia is drawing the lines of its geopolitical
sphere of influence in these regions against NATO and the West. Ã-zbay,
who lived in Moscow for several years, also said Russia is seeking an
opportunity to take revenge for its jet that was downed by Turkey and
is looking for opportunities for tit-for-tat reprisals. "Armenia's
defense is entirely deferred to Russia and Russian soldiers. Russia,
thirsty for revenge, will not hesitate to shoot any Turkish warplane
that accidentally enters Armenian airspace," he said.
news.am
Turkish historian: Something like Armenian Genocide
s occurring in Turkey
26.12.2015
YEREVAN. ` A force that considers the Kurds an internal enemy
currently rules in Turkey, stated renowned Turkish historian AyÅ?e Hür.
Hür commented on the Turkish authorities' policy conducted in the
country's Kurdish-populated regions, and stressed that PM Ahmet
DavutoÄ?lu's statement'`We will clean up in each home''is a mafia
terminology and contains a hint of genocide, reported the Kurdish DIHA
news agency.
`The developments unrolling today [in Turkey] are similar to the 1915
Armenian Genocide,' AyÅ?e Hür said. `In 1915, the Armenians also were
in a political awakening and were making political demands, which
ended with the deportation and genocide.'
armenianow.com
FOREIGN POLICY IN 2015: GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL,
26.12.2015
YEREVAN. ` A force that considers the Kurds an internal enemy
currently rules in Turkey, stated renowned Turkish historian AyÅ?e Hür.
Hür commented on the Turkish authorities' policy conducted in the
country's Kurdish-populated regions, and stressed that PM Ahmet
DavutoÄ?lu's statement'`We will clean up in each home''is a mafia
terminology and contains a hint of genocide, reported the Kurdish DIHA
news agency.
`The developments unrolling today [in Turkey] are similar to the 1915
Armenian Genocide,' AyÅ?e Hür said. `In 1915, the Armenians also were
in a political awakening and were making political demands, which
ended with the deportation and genocide.'
armenianow.com
FOREIGN POLICY IN 2015: GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL,
STALLED KARABAKH SETTLEMENT, TALKS WITH EU
28.12.15
A year marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
brought the recognition and condemnation issue to the forefront of
not only Armenia's, but also international foreign policy agenda at
the beginning of 2015 as a number of world centers reaffirmed their
position on the Ottoman-era killings and deportations of Armenians.
The commemorations in Yerevan on April 24 were attended by four heads
of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President
Francois Hollande, the Serbian and Cypriot leaders, as well as other
senior state officials and dignitaries from around the world.
Before that, Pope Francis referred to the mass killings of Armenians
in Ottoman Turkey as to "the first genocide of the 20th century" in a
landmark ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican that was also
attended by Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan and top Armenian clergy.
Remarkably, at the beginning of the year the Genocide recognition issue
was also high on the agenda in countries like Austria, Germany and
Bulgaria that were allies of the Ottoman Empire during World War One.
On December 9, upon the initiative of Armenia, the international
community for the first time officially observed the International Day
of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide
and of the Prevention of this Crime. The day has been designated as
such due to Armenian efforts at the UN.
2015 brought little tranquility to the Karabakh conflict zone where
ceasefire violations with deadly escalations at regular intervals
continued throughout the year. Armenia accused Azerbaijan of targeting
civilians after three women in Armenia's border villages were killed
as a result of gunfire from Azerbaijani positions in September.
For the first time since the 1994 Azerbaijan used mortars and heavy
artillery in bombarding Armenian military positions as well as
civilians. And in December a battle tank shelled Armenian military
positions in Karabakh.
International mediators represented by the OSCE Minsk Group's American,
Russian and French co-chairmanship mostly refrained from putting
blame on either party for the deadly border violence even after
themselves coming under fire during a ceasefire monitoring mission
at the Line of Contact in October. Instead, they again called for
the establishment of mechanisms of investigating the violations,
acknowledging Armenia's readiness and urging Azerbaijan to follow suit.
The internationally mediated meeting between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev in the Swiss
city of Bern on December 19 brought no news of a breakthrough as the
parties apparently discussed ways of defusing current tensions in
the conflict zone.
Meanwhile, more concerns were voiced in Armenia during 2015 about
Russian deliveries of modern arms, including offensive weapons, to
Azerbaijan. According to military experts, however, as Yerevan's top
military and political ally, Moscow kept the parity by also supplying
modern types of armaments to Armenia. Russia was likely to further
beef up its military presence in Armenia in the wake of a dramatic
escalation of its relations with Turkey over Syria in November.
Armenia and Russia agreed to join their air defense systems and in
December Russia began deploying new combat helicopters to an airbase
just outside Yerevan. The deployment came to reinforce Russia's
military presence in the South Caucasus that also includes a base
in Gyumri.
The northwestern city was rocked in January by a shooting rampage
allegedly committed by a Russian soldier who deserted from his
military unit stealing arms and ammunition. Valery Permyakov,
a 19-year-old conscript, massacred a seven-member Armenian family,
including two children, in Gyumri sparking angry protests among local
residents demanding his handover to Armenian justice. While they were
concerns about possible complications in Armenian-Russian relations,
the protests did not trigger anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia. The
Armenian trial of Permyakov began in December.
Anti-Russian sentiments were also absent during the June-July
civic protests in Yerevan against energy price hikes blamed on a
Russian-owned electric networks company.
During the year, Armenia also continued to look for ways to give a
new quality to its relation with the European Union that admittedly
suffered a setback in 2013 when official Yerevan announced its
intention to join a Russian-led customs union.
In December, Yerevan and Brussels opened negotiations on a new
overarching framework for bilateral relations that will replace the
previously negotiated but not implemented Association Agreement.
Armenia, however, insists - and the EU acknowledges that - that the
new legal base should not contradict Armenia's commitments to the
Eurasian Union, an economic grouping of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan that Armenia joined in January.
armenianow.com
28.12.15
A year marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
brought the recognition and condemnation issue to the forefront of
not only Armenia's, but also international foreign policy agenda at
the beginning of 2015 as a number of world centers reaffirmed their
position on the Ottoman-era killings and deportations of Armenians.
The commemorations in Yerevan on April 24 were attended by four heads
of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President
Francois Hollande, the Serbian and Cypriot leaders, as well as other
senior state officials and dignitaries from around the world.
Before that, Pope Francis referred to the mass killings of Armenians
in Ottoman Turkey as to "the first genocide of the 20th century" in a
landmark ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican that was also
attended by Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan and top Armenian clergy.
Remarkably, at the beginning of the year the Genocide recognition issue
was also high on the agenda in countries like Austria, Germany and
Bulgaria that were allies of the Ottoman Empire during World War One.
On December 9, upon the initiative of Armenia, the international
community for the first time officially observed the International Day
of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide
and of the Prevention of this Crime. The day has been designated as
such due to Armenian efforts at the UN.
2015 brought little tranquility to the Karabakh conflict zone where
ceasefire violations with deadly escalations at regular intervals
continued throughout the year. Armenia accused Azerbaijan of targeting
civilians after three women in Armenia's border villages were killed
as a result of gunfire from Azerbaijani positions in September.
For the first time since the 1994 Azerbaijan used mortars and heavy
artillery in bombarding Armenian military positions as well as
civilians. And in December a battle tank shelled Armenian military
positions in Karabakh.
International mediators represented by the OSCE Minsk Group's American,
Russian and French co-chairmanship mostly refrained from putting
blame on either party for the deadly border violence even after
themselves coming under fire during a ceasefire monitoring mission
at the Line of Contact in October. Instead, they again called for
the establishment of mechanisms of investigating the violations,
acknowledging Armenia's readiness and urging Azerbaijan to follow suit.
The internationally mediated meeting between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev in the Swiss
city of Bern on December 19 brought no news of a breakthrough as the
parties apparently discussed ways of defusing current tensions in
the conflict zone.
Meanwhile, more concerns were voiced in Armenia during 2015 about
Russian deliveries of modern arms, including offensive weapons, to
Azerbaijan. According to military experts, however, as Yerevan's top
military and political ally, Moscow kept the parity by also supplying
modern types of armaments to Armenia. Russia was likely to further
beef up its military presence in Armenia in the wake of a dramatic
escalation of its relations with Turkey over Syria in November.
Armenia and Russia agreed to join their air defense systems and in
December Russia began deploying new combat helicopters to an airbase
just outside Yerevan. The deployment came to reinforce Russia's
military presence in the South Caucasus that also includes a base
in Gyumri.
The northwestern city was rocked in January by a shooting rampage
allegedly committed by a Russian soldier who deserted from his
military unit stealing arms and ammunition. Valery Permyakov,
a 19-year-old conscript, massacred a seven-member Armenian family,
including two children, in Gyumri sparking angry protests among local
residents demanding his handover to Armenian justice. While they were
concerns about possible complications in Armenian-Russian relations,
the protests did not trigger anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia. The
Armenian trial of Permyakov began in December.
Anti-Russian sentiments were also absent during the June-July
civic protests in Yerevan against energy price hikes blamed on a
Russian-owned electric networks company.
During the year, Armenia also continued to look for ways to give a
new quality to its relation with the European Union that admittedly
suffered a setback in 2013 when official Yerevan announced its
intention to join a Russian-led customs union.
In December, Yerevan and Brussels opened negotiations on a new
overarching framework for bilateral relations that will replace the
previously negotiated but not implemented Association Agreement.
Armenia, however, insists - and the EU acknowledges that - that the
new legal base should not contradict Armenia's commitments to the
Eurasian Union, an economic grouping of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan that Armenia joined in January.
armenianow.com
DOMESTIC POLITICS 2015: TSARUKYAN-SARGSYAN SHOWDOWN,
TRIO FAILURE, CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM
28.12.15
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
In terms of domestic politics much of 2015 in Armenia was dominated by
expectations of a constitutional referendum that sealed transition
to a parliamentary form of government. But politically the year
began with the failure of an opposition trio after the forced exist
from politics of former leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik
Tsarukyan following a showdown with President Serzh Sargsyan and his
ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
In-between the collapse of the trio and the constitutional referendum
there was a period of relative political passivity, with civic groups
moving in to occupy the vacuum.
The referendum took place on December 6 and according to official
figures over 63 percent of Armenians who went to the polls cast their
votes in favor of a government-proposed change under which during the
2017-2018 election period in the local politics there will be a shift
in the power system from the semi-presidential to a parliamentary
form of government one with the prime minister at its top.
However, the opposition rejected the official results of the Central
Electoral Commission that put the "No" vote tally at only 32 percent.
The opposition claimed that up to 500,000 votes were rigged by
government loyalists.
Remarkably, both former presidents of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and
Robert Kocharyan, rejected the controversial constitutional reform as
a mistake in their public articles and interviews. President Sargsyan,
however, dismissed the criticism from his predecessors.
After the constitutional referendum, new opposition forces were trying
to take charge in the political field of Armenia.
They were challenging the current main opposition forces - the Armenian
National Congress (ANC), the People's Party of Armenia (PPA), and the
Heritage Party - stating that they were not aware of the "formula"
of the opposition and were unable to carry out the promised change
of power.
Still in late 2014, a political opposition trio was formed, which
included three parliamentary forces: the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), the Prosperous Armenia (PAP) and the Heritage parties. The
Armenian Revolutionary Federation had left the trio earlier. On
February 20, the three forces planned to hold a large rally in
Yerevan's Liberty Square, but before that Gagik Tsarukyan, the PAP
leader, left the party under apparent government pressure, which,
in fact, meant the collapse of the trio.
In the post-Tsarukyan period the PAP announced itself to be an
opposition party, but moderated its position, eventually supporting the
constitutional reform initiated by Sargsyan and vehemently supported
by the RPA.
The opposition's promised "hot spring" was replaced by silence:
passive political events showed that the opposition took a break.
In parallel with the passivity of the parliamentary opposition the
radical opposition led by Jirair Sefilian, a Karabakh war veteran and
Founding Parliament coordinator, became active. The automobile march
to Nagorno-Karabakh organized by activists of the Founding Parliament
group as part of the movement called "Centenary [of the Genocide]
without the Regime" was obstructed by the police of the NKR. Brutally
beating the participants of the march and breaking their cars,
government loyalists and some plainclothes police officers did not
allow them to get to Stepanakert where Founding Parliament activists
planned to stage protests.
Despite widespread criticisms the Founding Parliament, which initiated
the "Centenary Without the Regime" campaign, urged everyone to take
to the streets on April 24 and not to return home before the regime
collapsed.
Leaders of the group, however, were arrested on April 7. According to
the statement by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, the arrests
were made within the framework of a criminal investigation conducted
in connection with possible "mass disturbances" during public events
scheduled for April 24.
Lawyers of the five arrested members of the radical opposition group
believed their clients were being subjected to political persecution.
In the summer against the backdrop of political passivity, the No
To Plunder civil initiative managed to mobilize thousands of people,
mostly young men and women, for street protests against electricity
price hikes, which were dubbed Electric Yerevan. For nearly two weeks
the participants of the protest managed to keep Yerevan's avenue where
the National Assembly and the President's Office are situated blocked.
The civil struggle dwindled in the wake of the dispersal of the
Baghramyan Avenue protest site, followed by a political autumn focused
on the constitutional referendum.
armenianow.com
SPORTS IN 2015: SOCCER SETBACK, CHESS HOPES, BAKU
28.12.15
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
In terms of domestic politics much of 2015 in Armenia was dominated by
expectations of a constitutional referendum that sealed transition
to a parliamentary form of government. But politically the year
began with the failure of an opposition trio after the forced exist
from politics of former leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik
Tsarukyan following a showdown with President Serzh Sargsyan and his
ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
In-between the collapse of the trio and the constitutional referendum
there was a period of relative political passivity, with civic groups
moving in to occupy the vacuum.
The referendum took place on December 6 and according to official
figures over 63 percent of Armenians who went to the polls cast their
votes in favor of a government-proposed change under which during the
2017-2018 election period in the local politics there will be a shift
in the power system from the semi-presidential to a parliamentary
form of government one with the prime minister at its top.
However, the opposition rejected the official results of the Central
Electoral Commission that put the "No" vote tally at only 32 percent.
The opposition claimed that up to 500,000 votes were rigged by
government loyalists.
Remarkably, both former presidents of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and
Robert Kocharyan, rejected the controversial constitutional reform as
a mistake in their public articles and interviews. President Sargsyan,
however, dismissed the criticism from his predecessors.
After the constitutional referendum, new opposition forces were trying
to take charge in the political field of Armenia.
They were challenging the current main opposition forces - the Armenian
National Congress (ANC), the People's Party of Armenia (PPA), and the
Heritage Party - stating that they were not aware of the "formula"
of the opposition and were unable to carry out the promised change
of power.
Still in late 2014, a political opposition trio was formed, which
included three parliamentary forces: the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), the Prosperous Armenia (PAP) and the Heritage parties. The
Armenian Revolutionary Federation had left the trio earlier. On
February 20, the three forces planned to hold a large rally in
Yerevan's Liberty Square, but before that Gagik Tsarukyan, the PAP
leader, left the party under apparent government pressure, which,
in fact, meant the collapse of the trio.
In the post-Tsarukyan period the PAP announced itself to be an
opposition party, but moderated its position, eventually supporting the
constitutional reform initiated by Sargsyan and vehemently supported
by the RPA.
The opposition's promised "hot spring" was replaced by silence:
passive political events showed that the opposition took a break.
In parallel with the passivity of the parliamentary opposition the
radical opposition led by Jirair Sefilian, a Karabakh war veteran and
Founding Parliament coordinator, became active. The automobile march
to Nagorno-Karabakh organized by activists of the Founding Parliament
group as part of the movement called "Centenary [of the Genocide]
without the Regime" was obstructed by the police of the NKR. Brutally
beating the participants of the march and breaking their cars,
government loyalists and some plainclothes police officers did not
allow them to get to Stepanakert where Founding Parliament activists
planned to stage protests.
Despite widespread criticisms the Founding Parliament, which initiated
the "Centenary Without the Regime" campaign, urged everyone to take
to the streets on April 24 and not to return home before the regime
collapsed.
Leaders of the group, however, were arrested on April 7. According to
the statement by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, the arrests
were made within the framework of a criminal investigation conducted
in connection with possible "mass disturbances" during public events
scheduled for April 24.
Lawyers of the five arrested members of the radical opposition group
believed their clients were being subjected to political persecution.
In the summer against the backdrop of political passivity, the No
To Plunder civil initiative managed to mobilize thousands of people,
mostly young men and women, for street protests against electricity
price hikes, which were dubbed Electric Yerevan. For nearly two weeks
the participants of the protest managed to keep Yerevan's avenue where
the National Assembly and the President's Office are situated blocked.
The civil struggle dwindled in the wake of the dispersal of the
Baghramyan Avenue protest site, followed by a political autumn focused
on the constitutional referendum.
armenianow.com
SPORTS IN 2015: SOCCER SETBACK, CHESS HOPES, BAKU
GAMES PARTICIPATION
28.12.15
>From the 79th position in FIFA rankings at the beginning of 2015 to
the 123rd at the end of the year, Armenia's has been quite a fall in
the list of 200 soccer-playing nations in the wake of another failed
international tournament.
With only two draws in eight competitive games, Armenia ended
ingloriously the competition in Euro-2016 qualifying, despite replacing
its Swiss coach with homebred specialist, ex-player and captain Sargis
Hovsepyan as interim coach in the middle of the campaign. Skipper
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who continued his successful performances for
Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, could not change the situation
either despite being distinguished by his world class play in separate
episodes on his international duty. Mkhitaryan took over the captain's
duties from veteran goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky, who announced the
end of his long soccer career in summer, at the age of 41.
National team fans representing the First Armenian Front club in
November staged protests and demanded the resignation of soccer boss
Ruben Hayrapetyan, whom they blamed for the national team failures and
generally the poor state of affairs in Armenian soccer. Hayrapetyan
refused to step down, but vowed to "sort things out" next season and
only then consider leaving his post.
In December, Varuzhan Sukiasyan, who already led Armenia in 2000-2001,
was appointed head coach of the national team.
With no luck on the soccer pitch during 2015, Armenians reasonably
expected more success on the chess board, where the nation's players
traditionally excel.
Despite his ups and downs on the FIDE rating list, top Armenian
grandmaster Levon Aronian will be among the eight candidates playing
in a tournament next year to decide the challenger for the world title
match against holder Magnus Carlsen from Norway. Russia has invited
Aronian to take part in the Candidates Tournament using its right to
name one player as the host nation.
During the year Aronian won a prestigious tournament in St. Louis, USA,
(taking third in the Grand Chess Tour overall) and led Team Armenia
to silver medals in the European team chess championship that ended
in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The most controversial sporting news of the year, however, was the
participation of Armenian athletes in the first-ever European Games
in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following several months of debate, the National
Olympic Committee left it up to the federations and athletes themselves
to decide whether they wanted to participate in competitions staged
in a country hostile to Armenians.
Some leading athletes, including world wrestling champions Arsen
Julfalakyan and Artur Alexanyan, eventually decided to skip the Games.
The delegation of 25 athletes representing six sports that went to
the June competitions in Baku experienced a hostile reception from
the crowd during the opening ceremony as well as pressure from the
stand throughout the Games. Still, Armenia's Greco-Roman wrestler
Mihran Harutyunyan managed to win a silver medal, while Russia's
ethnic Armenian wrestler Stepan Maryanyan won a gold.
(Harutyunyan was later named Armenia's second best athlete of the
year, while Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Alexanyan, who won his second
world title during 2015, was recognized as the best sportsperson of
the year).
And in August, the sixth Pan-Armenian Games were held in Armenia. More
than 6,300 athletes from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the worldwide
Armenian Diaspora competed in 17 sports at the Games.
panarmenian.net
Armenia's major innovation events in 2015
In the framework of Digi Code programming contest, Armenian school
students got an opportunity to work with Scratch programming language.
The IT field in Armenia is the corner stone of the country's economic
development. It doesn't depend on mineral resources; it's indifferent
about closed borders and the regional situation. It only needs highly
qualified specialists, who are capable to develop and promote their
products globally. Thanks to unique projects, Armenian IT companies
managed to find their place on the map of international innovative
solutions in 2015.
December 26, 2015
PanARMENIAN.Net - Summing up the achievements, PanARMENIAN.Net
presents 12 major events in the field.
Shadowmatic mobile game developed by Triada Studio Games was
recognized by Apple as one of the best 2015 games . Shadowmatic was
named the game of the year and the best innovative game in several
countries. Launched on January 15, 2015, it attracted attention
immediately. It received prestigious international prizes, including
Apple Design Awards in June.
Startup Render Forest has developed a unique online platform for the
users to create high resolution videos.
In early September the Internet Society of Armenia opened for
registration the domain .Õ°Õ¡Õµ (pronounced as hye). During three months
(from September 1 to November 30) the owners of trademarks or other
intellectual property obtained the primary right to register with the
domain.
In late September, the 10th jubilee international conference titled
`Computing Sciences and information Technologies kicked off in
Yerevan, bringing together about 40 participants from Russia, France,
Greece, Germany, U.S., Finland, Italy, UK, Netherlands, Japan and
Ukraine, who presented over 130 reports. The objective of the event
was to contribute to exchange of scientific ideas between the
specialists of computer and information technologies and to discuss
achievements.
In October, Armenian IT companies, along with firms from Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Taiwan, China, Iran and other countries, presented
their innovative solutions during the 11th annual exhibit Digitec
Expo.
Meanwhile, on October 10 the opening ceremony of the first Armenian
fab labs took place in Yerevan. Equipped with special techniques, fab
labs allow to stimulate scientific research in the fields of robotics,
physics, machine building, etc, turning into a new platform for the
research carried out by young Armenian scientists.
Armenian startup ArmNomads that was founded in March 2015 employs
three developers. However, it has already proved that all one needs
for creation of a quality product is knowledge, good ideas and
enthusiasm, while big budget and publicity are not the main factors
for success. The team has developed Let's Twist mobile game that
caught the attention of Apple and was featured as Editor's Choice in
78 countries of the world on November 12.
In late November, the Union of Employers of Information and
Communication Technologies started operating in Armenia. The
organization aims to cooperate with educational and public structures
in various segments of Armenian economy to raise the country's
competitiveness.
Armenian-American startup SoloLearn is one of the fastest developing
startups of the Silicone Valley with up to $10mln financial backing,
according to Mattermark company engaged in startup research. Besides,
SoloLearn was included in the list of the best applications in India.
With the huge competition at the programming tutor market, SoloLearn
achieved an incredible result: it became the world leader in the
field.
On December 8, Ball of Robots exhibition opened in Yerevan, featuring
20 interactive robots from the UK, U.S., Japan, Russia, Ireland and
other states, including the famous actor Thespian, Robot Paro,
designed to administer the documented benefits of animal therapy,
robowaiter Yosha, RoboFootball, Robot Ping-Pong and Robot Baxter
performing industrial operations, as well as the best of Armenian
robotics.
In the framework of Digi Code programming contest, Armenian school
students got an opportunity to work with Scratch programming language
and upload the games they created to the website of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Scratch is a visual programming language. It
can be accessed as a free desktop and online multimedia authoring tool
that can be used by students, scholars, teachers, and parents to
easily create games and provide a stepping stone to the more advanced
world of computer programming.
In mid-December, Forbes magazine issues the list of top 50 startups in
2015 that also included PicsArt Armenian startup estimated at $250
mln. PicsArt is a full-featured mobile photo editor, collage maker,
drawing tool and a social network for artists. It was developed in
2011 and garnered over 250 million users all over the world.
28.12.15
>From the 79th position in FIFA rankings at the beginning of 2015 to
the 123rd at the end of the year, Armenia's has been quite a fall in
the list of 200 soccer-playing nations in the wake of another failed
international tournament.
With only two draws in eight competitive games, Armenia ended
ingloriously the competition in Euro-2016 qualifying, despite replacing
its Swiss coach with homebred specialist, ex-player and captain Sargis
Hovsepyan as interim coach in the middle of the campaign. Skipper
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who continued his successful performances for
Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, could not change the situation
either despite being distinguished by his world class play in separate
episodes on his international duty. Mkhitaryan took over the captain's
duties from veteran goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky, who announced the
end of his long soccer career in summer, at the age of 41.
National team fans representing the First Armenian Front club in
November staged protests and demanded the resignation of soccer boss
Ruben Hayrapetyan, whom they blamed for the national team failures and
generally the poor state of affairs in Armenian soccer. Hayrapetyan
refused to step down, but vowed to "sort things out" next season and
only then consider leaving his post.
In December, Varuzhan Sukiasyan, who already led Armenia in 2000-2001,
was appointed head coach of the national team.
With no luck on the soccer pitch during 2015, Armenians reasonably
expected more success on the chess board, where the nation's players
traditionally excel.
Despite his ups and downs on the FIDE rating list, top Armenian
grandmaster Levon Aronian will be among the eight candidates playing
in a tournament next year to decide the challenger for the world title
match against holder Magnus Carlsen from Norway. Russia has invited
Aronian to take part in the Candidates Tournament using its right to
name one player as the host nation.
During the year Aronian won a prestigious tournament in St. Louis, USA,
(taking third in the Grand Chess Tour overall) and led Team Armenia
to silver medals in the European team chess championship that ended
in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The most controversial sporting news of the year, however, was the
participation of Armenian athletes in the first-ever European Games
in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following several months of debate, the National
Olympic Committee left it up to the federations and athletes themselves
to decide whether they wanted to participate in competitions staged
in a country hostile to Armenians.
Some leading athletes, including world wrestling champions Arsen
Julfalakyan and Artur Alexanyan, eventually decided to skip the Games.
The delegation of 25 athletes representing six sports that went to
the June competitions in Baku experienced a hostile reception from
the crowd during the opening ceremony as well as pressure from the
stand throughout the Games. Still, Armenia's Greco-Roman wrestler
Mihran Harutyunyan managed to win a silver medal, while Russia's
ethnic Armenian wrestler Stepan Maryanyan won a gold.
(Harutyunyan was later named Armenia's second best athlete of the
year, while Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Alexanyan, who won his second
world title during 2015, was recognized as the best sportsperson of
the year).
And in August, the sixth Pan-Armenian Games were held in Armenia. More
than 6,300 athletes from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the worldwide
Armenian Diaspora competed in 17 sports at the Games.
panarmenian.net
Armenia's major innovation events in 2015
In the framework of Digi Code programming contest, Armenian school
students got an opportunity to work with Scratch programming language.
The IT field in Armenia is the corner stone of the country's economic
development. It doesn't depend on mineral resources; it's indifferent
about closed borders and the regional situation. It only needs highly
qualified specialists, who are capable to develop and promote their
products globally. Thanks to unique projects, Armenian IT companies
managed to find their place on the map of international innovative
solutions in 2015.
December 26, 2015
PanARMENIAN.Net - Summing up the achievements, PanARMENIAN.Net
presents 12 major events in the field.
Shadowmatic mobile game developed by Triada Studio Games was
recognized by Apple as one of the best 2015 games . Shadowmatic was
named the game of the year and the best innovative game in several
countries. Launched on January 15, 2015, it attracted attention
immediately. It received prestigious international prizes, including
Apple Design Awards in June.
Startup Render Forest has developed a unique online platform for the
users to create high resolution videos.
In early September the Internet Society of Armenia opened for
registration the domain .Õ°Õ¡Õµ (pronounced as hye). During three months
(from September 1 to November 30) the owners of trademarks or other
intellectual property obtained the primary right to register with the
domain.
In late September, the 10th jubilee international conference titled
`Computing Sciences and information Technologies kicked off in
Yerevan, bringing together about 40 participants from Russia, France,
Greece, Germany, U.S., Finland, Italy, UK, Netherlands, Japan and
Ukraine, who presented over 130 reports. The objective of the event
was to contribute to exchange of scientific ideas between the
specialists of computer and information technologies and to discuss
achievements.
In October, Armenian IT companies, along with firms from Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Taiwan, China, Iran and other countries, presented
their innovative solutions during the 11th annual exhibit Digitec
Expo.
Meanwhile, on October 10 the opening ceremony of the first Armenian
fab labs took place in Yerevan. Equipped with special techniques, fab
labs allow to stimulate scientific research in the fields of robotics,
physics, machine building, etc, turning into a new platform for the
research carried out by young Armenian scientists.
Armenian startup ArmNomads that was founded in March 2015 employs
three developers. However, it has already proved that all one needs
for creation of a quality product is knowledge, good ideas and
enthusiasm, while big budget and publicity are not the main factors
for success. The team has developed Let's Twist mobile game that
caught the attention of Apple and was featured as Editor's Choice in
78 countries of the world on November 12.
In late November, the Union of Employers of Information and
Communication Technologies started operating in Armenia. The
organization aims to cooperate with educational and public structures
in various segments of Armenian economy to raise the country's
competitiveness.
Armenian-American startup SoloLearn is one of the fastest developing
startups of the Silicone Valley with up to $10mln financial backing,
according to Mattermark company engaged in startup research. Besides,
SoloLearn was included in the list of the best applications in India.
With the huge competition at the programming tutor market, SoloLearn
achieved an incredible result: it became the world leader in the
field.
On December 8, Ball of Robots exhibition opened in Yerevan, featuring
20 interactive robots from the UK, U.S., Japan, Russia, Ireland and
other states, including the famous actor Thespian, Robot Paro,
designed to administer the documented benefits of animal therapy,
robowaiter Yosha, RoboFootball, Robot Ping-Pong and Robot Baxter
performing industrial operations, as well as the best of Armenian
robotics.
In the framework of Digi Code programming contest, Armenian school
students got an opportunity to work with Scratch programming language
and upload the games they created to the website of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Scratch is a visual programming language. It
can be accessed as a free desktop and online multimedia authoring tool
that can be used by students, scholars, teachers, and parents to
easily create games and provide a stepping stone to the more advanced
world of computer programming.
In mid-December, Forbes magazine issues the list of top 50 startups in
2015 that also included PicsArt Armenian startup estimated at $250
mln. PicsArt is a full-featured mobile photo editor, collage maker,
drawing tool and a social network for artists. It was developed in
2011 and garnered over 250 million users all over the world.
ALREADY ITCHING FOR YOUR FIRST HOLIDAY OF 2016?
HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS FOR YOUR BREAK
Lincolnshire Echo, UK
Dec 28 2015
1. Rio, Brazil ...
2. Rotterdam, Netherlands
3. Matera, Italy
4. Fremantle, Australia
5. Berlin, Germany
6. Ladakh, Himalayas
7. Sacremento, California
8. Yukon, Canada
9. Armenia
"Armenia is a Christian nation on Asia's edge, where east and west
collide, bordering Turkey, Georgia, Iran and Azerbaijan," explains
Kerry O'Neill, of Secret Compass, which organises the Armenia: Fables,
Myths and Legends expedition.
Caroline O'Keefe, Secret Compass
"This team expedition across the rugged ridge lines of its Southern
Caucasus mountains was tough but not impossible, totally wild and
ultimately very satisfying.
"The 12-strong team got on brilliantly, working in small teams to set
up camp and cook every night.
"We exchanged travellers' tales and learned about Armenia's turbulent
history from our guides, the cloudline sometimes below us, sometimes
above. The mountain peaks rippled out as far as the eye could see,
southwards into Iran, eastwards into Azerbaijan."
"We experienced the incredible hospitality - and ferociously strong
alcoholic shots! - of our kind hosts near Tatev Monastery at our
adventure's end. Used to the normally conservative nature of travel in
the Middle East, Armenia offered a breath of high-altitude fresh air."
Highlights include: Scaling two mountains above 3,200m in the very
remote and wild Arevik National Park; visiting Tatev Monastery,
perched precipitously on the side of the Vorotan Gorge, Armenia's
deepest gorge; and exploring Yerevan afterwards, a buzzing capital
city.
Follow in Kerry's footsteps on the Armenia expedition from August 27
to September 4, 2016, priced at £1,599 (all-inclusive except
international flights). Approximate return flights from London to
Yerevan cost £300 return.
This is purely a trekking expedition, with a bit of light scrambling
every now and then when reaching the rocky tops of things. You need to
be fit though, as days can be long and hot.
Team mates will be carrying all their summer gear though so experience
of trekking while carrying a relatively heavy rucksack (the water
alone weighs 3kg at the beginning of even day) is advised.
Lincolnshire Echo, UK
Dec 28 2015
1. Rio, Brazil ...
2. Rotterdam, Netherlands
3. Matera, Italy
4. Fremantle, Australia
5. Berlin, Germany
6. Ladakh, Himalayas
7. Sacremento, California
8. Yukon, Canada
9. Armenia
"Armenia is a Christian nation on Asia's edge, where east and west
collide, bordering Turkey, Georgia, Iran and Azerbaijan," explains
Kerry O'Neill, of Secret Compass, which organises the Armenia: Fables,
Myths and Legends expedition.
Caroline O'Keefe, Secret Compass
"This team expedition across the rugged ridge lines of its Southern
Caucasus mountains was tough but not impossible, totally wild and
ultimately very satisfying.
"The 12-strong team got on brilliantly, working in small teams to set
up camp and cook every night.
"We exchanged travellers' tales and learned about Armenia's turbulent
history from our guides, the cloudline sometimes below us, sometimes
above. The mountain peaks rippled out as far as the eye could see,
southwards into Iran, eastwards into Azerbaijan."
"We experienced the incredible hospitality - and ferociously strong
alcoholic shots! - of our kind hosts near Tatev Monastery at our
adventure's end. Used to the normally conservative nature of travel in
the Middle East, Armenia offered a breath of high-altitude fresh air."
Highlights include: Scaling two mountains above 3,200m in the very
remote and wild Arevik National Park; visiting Tatev Monastery,
perched precipitously on the side of the Vorotan Gorge, Armenia's
deepest gorge; and exploring Yerevan afterwards, a buzzing capital
city.
Follow in Kerry's footsteps on the Armenia expedition from August 27
to September 4, 2016, priced at £1,599 (all-inclusive except
international flights). Approximate return flights from London to
Yerevan cost £300 return.
This is purely a trekking expedition, with a bit of light scrambling
every now and then when reaching the rocky tops of things. You need to
be fit though, as days can be long and hot.
Team mates will be carrying all their summer gear though so experience
of trekking while carrying a relatively heavy rucksack (the water
alone weighs 3kg at the beginning of even day) is advised.
armenpress.am
EXPORTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES RISE BY NEARLY
EXPORTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES RISE BY NEARLY
60% IN ARMENIA
28 December, 2015
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28. Armenia recorded major progress in
exports of fruits and vegetables in 2015. Minister of Agriculture
of Armenia Sergo Karapetyan told the journalists about this in the
final annual press conference.
"We have already exported 76 thousand tons of fresh fruits and
vegetables against 46 thousand and 450 tons of last year. We have
increased exports by nearly 60%. We expect more rise till the end of
the year", "Armenpress" reports, the Minister stated.
Sergo Karapetyan added that the main markets of Armenian exports are
the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union. "Russia's share
here is 84% against 46% of the last year", Sergo Karapetyan stated.
28 December, 2015
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28. Armenia recorded major progress in
exports of fruits and vegetables in 2015. Minister of Agriculture
of Armenia Sergo Karapetyan told the journalists about this in the
final annual press conference.
"We have already exported 76 thousand tons of fresh fruits and
vegetables against 46 thousand and 450 tons of last year. We have
increased exports by nearly 60%. We expect more rise till the end of
the year", "Armenpress" reports, the Minister stated.
Sergo Karapetyan added that the main markets of Armenian exports are
the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union. "Russia's share
here is 84% against 46% of the last year", Sergo Karapetyan stated.
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