Monday 29 May 2017

Armenian News... A Topalian... 10 Crosses Explained


10 Types Of Ancient Crosses In Different Cultures Explained 
http://www.messagetoeagle.com/10-types-of-ancient-crosses-in-different-cultures-explained/

news.am , Armenia
May 25 2017
Armenia's Diaspora Minister re-appointed 

 President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday signed a decree whereby Hranush Hakobyan has been re-appointed to the post of Minister of Diaspora of Armenia, the press-service of the Armenian President’s Office informed Armenian News. 

Hakobyan has been holding the aforementioned office since the very establishment of the ministry in 2008. 


RFE/RL Report
No Major Changes Planned In Armenian Cabinet
May 26, 2017

No significant changes will be made in the next Armenian government,
Eduard Sharmazanov, a leading member and spokesman for the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) said late on Thursday.

Speaking to media after the meeting of the party's executive body,
Sharmazanov said that the HHK "has decided to give the current cabinet
of Karen Karapetan an opportunity to continue its work without
significant changes."

"At this stage we positively evaluate the work of the cabinet of Prime
Minister Karen Karapetian," he said.

According to Sharmazanov, one ministerial position, which is currently
held by the chief of government staff, will be abolished in the next
cabinet, and David Harutiunian, who held that position, will be
appointed minister of justice to succeed Arpine Hovannisian who was
elected to parliament and then become its deputy speaker.

"All other ministers, including our colleagues from the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), will be reappointed," the
HHK spokesman said.

The HHK and Dashnaktsutyun renewed their political cooperation earlier
this month forming a coalition in the wake of the April 2
parliamentary elections swept by the ruling party.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian, the leader of the HHK, signed
decrees late on Thursday, reappointing a majority of the
ministers. The head of state is expected to issue more decrees on the
reappointment of ministers soon. 
[look who id pointing s finger!!! Disclosures in Malta has shown the hug sums that belong to 
their president, his family and his cronies. Anelemnt of truth surpassed by the Azeri mafia] 


[this is a propaganda article from an even more corrupt regime as exposed
in revelations from Malta concerning their president and his family]

AzerNews
May 26 2017
Armenian government approves next silly idea to stop corruption
By Rashid Shirinov 

The widespread corruption in Armenia is gaining momentum, and now the government of the country has come up with another silly idea.

In addition to the Anti-Corruption Council, Armenia is going to create the second body, now not for fight against corruption but for its prevention.

The Armenian government has proposed to establish another almost identical body to combat the corruption in the country. The draft law "On body for prevention of corruption" was approved at the government meeting on May 25, the Armenian media report.

The Armenian media reported that the new body on prevention of corruption will monitor ethics of the country’s officials, conflicts of interest and other requirements for the Armenian officials.

These requirements will apply not only to high-ranking officials, but also to employees in sectors with high potential risks of corruption: public procurement, public prosecution and investigative bodies.

So far, the Anti-Corruption Council of Armenia failed to fight against this problem, which is destroying the country and its statehood.

The fact of destructive corruption in Armenia was repeatedly pointed out by many foreign representatives in the country. In particular, the U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills has recently harshly demanded from the Armenian authorities to stop this outrage. The diplomat noted that if Armenia does not manage to solve the problem of corruption, it will affect the relations between the two countries in specific areas – for example, in investments.

It is obvious that no matter how many state bodies against corruption Armenia creates, nothing will change while its current president Serzh Sargsyan rules the country. Instead of implementing a serious fight against the problem, the authorities make unrealistic promises for poor Armenian population, just like Sargsyan has recently made at the first meeting of the newly elected Parliament.

The 2015 report of the Transparency International Anti-corruption Center showed that Armenia is one of the most corrupt country of the world.

Despite the European Union Delegation to Yerevan contributing €1.5 million towards two anti-corruption projects in the 2011-2014 period, the doleful situation has shown no signs of change. Moreover, the Armenian authorities do not support the fight but impede it, as the government is itself mired in corruption.


Nature World News
May 26 2017
This Cosmetic Company Is Combining Armenian Folk Remedy with Modern Pharmacology
By John Raphael 


An Armenia-based cosmetic company called Nairian is mixing the long history of Armenia's folk remedies and botanical traditions with modern medicine and pharmacology to create skincare products that are both natural and safe.

Pioneer in Natural Armenian Skincare 
According to the report from Smithsonian, the cosmetic company Nairian is the first all-natural skincare company in Armenia. All the ingredients of their products were made from the plants and herbs harvested at their very own eco-farm at Armenian highlands.

"We've found that the best results are obtained through a marriage of science and nature," wrote Anahit Markosian, Head of Research & Development and co-founder of Nairian, in the company's website. "Therefore each of our formulas is designed to bring out the full potential of its ingredients, promote health, and enhance beauty."

History of Armenian Folk Remedy 
Armenia's folk medicine can be traced back up to nearly three millennia, according to Stella Va'danyan's The History of Medicine in Armenia.

Ancient writers also treat Armenian herbs in high regard. In 301 CE, Armenian monks and scholars spent a lot of time and effort writing on topics like pharmacology, anatomy, botany and phytotherapy. The location of their monasteries, which is commonly on mountaintops, made it possible for them to avoid the threat of invasion. Due to this, monks were able to conduct scientific studies that yielded some of the most brilliant and painstakingly detailed manuscripts in the world.

Mkhitar Heratsi, who is considered to be the father of Armenian medicine, wrote his pivotal book on fevers in the 12th century. In this book, Heratsi fused together folk medicine of his time with medical advances of scholarly and monastic world.

During the 15th century, Amirdovlat Amasiatsi wrote Useless for the Ignorant, an encyclopedia of 3,500 Armenian plant and herbs that he translated into five languages to make it more understandable for laymen.

Some of the Armenian herbs that Nairian incorporated in their skincare products are Rosehip Seed, Lemon Basil, Rose, Sea Buckthorn, Tarragon, Yarrow, Garden Sage, Lemon Balm and Calendula.



Armenpress News Agency, Armenia
May 25, 2017 Thursday
'You gave us all fantastic emotions' - Armenian PM congratulates
Mkhitaryan on Europa League victory

Yrime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan congratulated Henrikh Mkhitaryan 
on the Manchester United
victory in the Europa League.

“Best example of commitment, hard work and patriotism. Congrats, dear
Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Yesterday evening you gave us all fantastic
emotions”, Karapetyan said on Facebook.

Manchester United vs. Ajax ended with the Reds’ victory 2:0.

Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the goals for Manchester.


The Guardian, UK
May 25, 2017 Thursday 5:32 PM GMT
Brexit is entrenching some dangerous myths about 'British' culture
by Afua Hirsch

Britain has always had a warped sense of its own history, excluding
ethnic minorities. Now a survey suggests this is becoming something
more hostile and alarming

There is something deeply ironic about the wave of nostalgia sweeping
political discourse in modern Britain. On one hand, it harks -
increasingly since the Brexit vote - back to the age of empire. "A
small island perched on the edge of the European continent became a
leader of world trade," is how international trade secretary Liam Fox
fondly described that epoch to a group of Commonwealth trade
ministers. On the other, the supposed humanitarianism that accompanied
that age has been swiftly forgotten.

While the empire was founded on racist beliefs about the supposed
inferiority of the people it subjugated, humanitarianism was its
proudly flaunted justification. This was manifested perfectly in
Winston Churchill, who was able to boast of killing "savages" in
Sudan, while also playing a leading role in creating the international
humanitarian norms that many consider one of the great accomplishments
of the 20th century. It's only a matter of time before Britain's
membership of the Council of Europe - along with the rest of the
European institutions developed by patriotic Brits who are keen to
avoid a repeat of war - faces the same fate as our membership of the
EU.

The idea that British 'culture' is somehow opposite to the presence of
ethnic minorities is a historical nonsense

Likewise, humanitarian attitudes are in sharp decline. This was the
resounding finding of today's Aurora Humanitarian Index - a project
inspired by the legacy of the Armenian genocide, still one of the
least-recognised atrocities of the 20th century
. It's no surprise to
learn that responses from 6,500 people in 12 countries, including the
UK, US, Turkey and France, found a lack of confidence, compassion and
leadership in response to the humanitarian issues of our time -
especially the ongoing refugee crisis of north Africa and the Middle
East.

But in Britain something specific is happening. The survey found that
more than half of British people feel hostile not just to refugees,
but to ethnic minorities - many of them British people themselves -
already living here. This can be put down to various perceived
economic and social threats - a quarter think immigrants take away
jobs, and a third that they remove more from society than they
contribute. But more sinister is its generality. More than half of the
British people surveyed felt that people from ethnic minorities
threatened their "culture".


This one finding says so much. It confirms what we all know, that
"British culture" is perceived as something white. This was the
dog-whistle narrative of the Brexit referendum campaign - apart from
the appeal to imperial greatness, there was the demand to "get our
country back". Few said explicitly that this meant make our country
white again. But some heard it nevertheless. It was the surely part of
the reason for the spike in racist attacks after the result, and why a
cabbie told me I'd "be off home soon" as I rushed around on a
referendum-related news story.

It was also the reason why, according to an Opinium poll, ethnic
minority British people are now less likely to identify as British
since the EU referendum.
 Instead, many are more likely to claim the
identity of their ethnic minority heritage. British people who are not
white feel less British now because that hostility is palpable,
because there is an agenda of regressing to a time, before the
European Union, that many remember not for the joys of complete
sovereignty, but for the absence of protection from racism in the
workplace, or at the hands of the police, or for being openly chased
in the streets by white racists.

The idea that British "culture" is somehow opposite to the presence 
of ethnic minorities is a historical nonsense. Many of our most iconic
cultural traditions are the products of immigration - such as fish and
chips, an innovation of Jewish refugees from Portugal. Roads and
cities were built by the Romans, banks were founded by Hugenots, a
royal household established by a broad cross-section of European
aristocracy. There were Africans in Britain, it's now widely accepted,
before there were any "English".

No society ever has a perfect grasp of its history, and that doesn't
matter, it's perceptions that count, and the harm that they cause.
Britain's sense of self has become so warped, so devoid from reality,
that it is demonising its visible minorities, including the 6 million
or so British people of minority heritage among them. In this context,
when I hear politicians appeal to patriotism
, I feel very nervous. Not
because there is anything wrong with patriotic feeling - like
populism, it's a term that only becomes maligned by its context. But
because I know only too well what that current context is. And thanks
to the findings of widespread hostility towards the impact of ethnic
minority people on British culture, so should everyone else.

Armenian Church News

 
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["Armenian Diocese of the UK"]
 
Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland

 
Dear E-Newsletter subscriber, please find volume 3, issue 14 of the Armenian Church News of the Diocese via the link below.Some subscribers have reported that they have not been receiving our newsletters - firstly, please check your spam folders as sometimes emailing systems erroneously put emails in there. Also in Gmail accounts, check your "Promotions" tab and transfer the newsletter that may be in there into the "Primary" inbox. If someone still cannot find their newsletters, please forward this email on to them so that they can read these instructions.
 
 
Please note, the Primate's Office has a new email address:
 
 
E-newsletter
Latest E-Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 14
28th May 2017
 
Please click here for the full pdf of this week's newsletter.
 
Click to download newsletter
 
 
Sunday Liturgy in Dublin
 
On May 21st Primate visited and celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Tayna Parish Church in Dublin for the Armenian Parish. 
Early morning, prior to the Sunday liturgy His Grace attended the consecration of the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Maximous and St. Domatius in Dublin.
 
 
 
Primate's Visit to Eton College Library
 
On 26th May the Primate accompanied by Armen Liloyan, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, visited the Eton College Library that contains the Parikian Collection of early Armenian printing.
 
 
 
Celebration of 25th Anniversary of Shushi Liberation 
 
On 13th May, around 200 London Armenians and friends, as well as students and parents of Gevork Tahtaian Sunday School gathered to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Shushi's Liberation.
 
Download
 
National Gallery Tribute to Bundestag Resolution on the Armenian Genocide
 
The 2016 Bundestag Resolution is a step in condemning the wrongful act of genocide and redressing the injury in defense of the community's own safety and security.
 
Download
 
 
Armenian Street Festival
 
This year ASF takes place on Sunday, 16th of July. Please click here to download the full details. 
To book a stall or sponsor a space, please click the link below to download the forms located on the ASF webpage.
 
 
ASF Webpage
 
 
The Primate's Office
c/o The Armenian Vicarage
Iverna Gardens
London W8 6TP
 
0208 127 8364
 
 
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Armenian Church News

Saturday 27 May 2017

Independence Celebrations in Cyprus...Gibrahayer emagazine

 
Read the Independence issue by clicking here: www.gibrahayer.com

► Armenian Independence celebrations in Cyprus on Saturday May 27 6:30 pm.
► Hamazkayin’s May 20 Show draws a capacity crowd of 850.
► Armenians march in Cyprus on 102nd Anniversary of Genocide.
► Cyprus and Armenia qualify to the Finals of Eurovision 2017 with Armenian singers.
► Foreign Minister Nalbandian meets ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Cyprus representative Simon Aynedjian.
► Visit 
www.artsakank.com.cy .
► Simon Aynedjian’s Interview
on 
www.diplomat.am
► Turkish “security” forces in action: Cyprus 1996 / USA 2017.
► French Oil giant TOTAL begins drilling in Cyprus.
► Gibrahayer calendar of events.
► Inauguration of Genocide Park takes place in Paphos.
► Tennis superstar Haig Ashdjian defeats world no. 20.
► Homenetmen – AYMA team heading for Armenia.
► AYF Panagoum 2017 to take place in August.

 
Click here for the latest updates from Armenia, Artsakh, the Diaspora and Cyprus
Follow us on Facebook on www.facebook.com/gibrahayer

Friday 26 May 2017

Armenian News... Armenia has joined in global vocal condemnation !!!


RFE/RL Report
Armenia Condemns Terrorist Attack In UK
May 23, 2017

Armenia has joined in the global chorus of condemnation of the
terrorist attack in the United Kingdom that claimed the lives of 22
people and injured dozens.

A suicide bomber struck at an American pop star's concert in
Manchester Arena attended by thousands of people, including
teenagers. According to reports, there are also children among the
victims.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian sent a letter of condolences to
British Prime Minister Theresa May today, showing Armenia's solidarity
with the UK.

"At this grave moment of loss, I express my support to you, the
friendly people of the United Kingdom and the families of the victims,
wishing fortitude and resolve, and a speedy recovery to the wounded,"
the Armenian leader wrote, according to his press office.

"Armenia strongly condemns such inhumane acts and is determined to
continue, through the joint efforts, to fight against violence and
terror," Sarkisian underscored.

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian also expressed Armenia's strong
condemnation of the Manchester bombing as he held a joint press
conference with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini after the latest
session of the Armenia-EU Cooperation Council in Brussels.

Manchester is the city where many know Armenia by its soccer star,
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who plays for the local club, Manchester United.

In a Twitter post today Mkhitaryan wrote: "Stay strong, Manchester! My
thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by last night's
horrible attack." 



RFE/RL Report
Armenia, Azerbaijan Exchange Blame Over Karabakh At Black Sea 
Summit In Istanbul
May 22, 2017
Tatevik Sargsian

Representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations over the
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh during the 25th anniversary summit of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) held in Istanbul on Monday, with
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voicing objections to the
speech of the Armenian deputy foreign minister.

Representatives of about a dozen countries participating in the
organization, including Armenia, made speeches at the opening of the
summit. According to Turkey's Dogan news agency, in a clear reference
to Armenia Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Oktay Asadov said in his
speech that "one of the members of the organization has not abandoned
its toxic ideology."

Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimian, responding to
Azerbaijan's representative, was quoted as saying that "the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is not a place for
voicing accusations."

Turkish President Erdogan, for his part, reportedly agreed with this
statement of the Armenian representative, but added, addressing his
words to him: "No representative here has voiced accusations or
assessments. It was you who fully dedicated your speech to political
assessments."

According to the official website of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, in his speech at the BSEC summit Hovakimian criticized
Azerbaijan for its belligerent policies and for torpedoing peace
efforts of Armenia and international mediators in resolving the
protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Accusations, war rhetoric and unilateral maximalist demands cannot
resolve the conflict. It is possible to achieve progress in the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict if Azerbaijan abandons its
policy of the use of force and engages in good faith in the
negotiations within the framework agreed by the OSCE Minsk Group," the
Armenian diplomat, in particular, said.

The Armenian ministry reports that the BSEC summit in Istanbul adopted
an anniversary declaration where it reaffirmed the economic nature of
the organization.


ARKA, Armenia
May 22 2017
Survey reveals 34% of Armenians look at video surveillance at 
public places as personal data protection problem
A survey conducted by Personal Data Protection Agency, an affiliation of the Armenian Ministry of Justice, has revealed that almost 34% of Armenians look at video surveillance in public places as a personal data protection problem, Shushan Doydoyan, the head the agency, told journalists on Monday.

"The problem is that video surveillance is often conducted by owners of private and public facilities not for ensuring security, but for watching employees or hearing their conversations, which is a violation of the relevant legislation.

She said depending on the degree of the violation of the law on personal data protection, entities could be punished by a fine in the amount of 50 to 500,000 basic salaries. According to her, it is necessary that every entity conducting video surveillance does it in accordance with the letter of the law.

She said few people know that they have the right to demand their video recording by surveillance cameras installed in public places (shops, pharmacies, market places ), and the owner must provide it within 5 days.

In turn, the acting minister of justice Artur Hovhannisyan noted that video surveillance is a method that allows to identify a person, and according to the Constitution of Armenia, everyone has the right to protection of personal data that must be processed either at the desire of the person himself or in accordance with the procedure provided by law.

He stressed that to avoid misunderstandings in the interpretation of the law, in public places there are notices warning that the area is under video surveillance because of security issues.

"Having entered such a place, a person is notified by the appropriate sign on the door. It means that he/she agrees to being videotaped and therefore it is legal. Otherwise, if no notice is provided, the persons making video footage will be fined for illegal collection of personal data," Hovhannisyan said. -0-



Smithsonian Magazine
May 22 2017
Explore an Ancient Cave City in Armenia
Residents lived in Old Khndzoresk up until the 1950s
By Jennifer Billock 

In a rural corner of southeastern Armenia, livestock walk in and out of rooms carved into the cliffside, grazing among the ancient rock-hewn homes of Old Khndzoresk, a multi-level village built into the volcanic rocks. Archaeological evidence suggests habitation of the excavated caves goes back over a thousand years, ending only recently, in the 1950s. In the early 1900s, Old Khndzoresk was the largest village in eastern Armenia , housing about 8,300 residents in 1,800 homes. These homes had several rooms and were all stacked upon one another ; one house’s roof was the yard of the one above. The village also had seven schools, four churches, three dyeworks, several leather workshops and about 27 other shops. Residents were known to have traveled to and from different spots in the village through a series of hidden tunnels or by using ropes to climb to higher levels.

The origin of the name is up for debate. Folklore has two accounts : “khndzor” means apples in Armenian, so the village was perhaps named for the various apple trees growing there; or the name might have origins in “khor dzor,” meaning "deep canyon"—because of the cliffs the town was built into. Although researchers aren't exactly sure when the cave village was first built, written records dating to the 13 th century name it on a list of villages required to pay taxes to Tatev Monastery.

Aside from being a fascinating architectural sightseeing opportunity, Old Khndzoresk is a must for military history buffs. Mkhitar Sparapet—once a key leader of the rebellion during Armenia’s fight for liberation from Ottoman rule in the 1700s—is buried nearby. Villagers are said to have murdered him in 1730 , fearing the Ottomans would target their village if he was found hiding there. His stone tomb can be found at a 17th-century hermitage near the bottom of the gorge, slightly south of the old village.

In 1958, Old Khndzoresk’s residents moved out, having built a new village higher up the canyon. The exact reason is under dispute: Some say an earthquake in the 1930s devastated the village and left the cave dwellings unsafe, leading to a gradual departure. Others suggest the residents were forced to move by Soviet leaders, who deemed the caves uncivilized and wanted to source the rock as building material. Whatever the case may be, the families built and moved into their new town, aptly called New Khndzoresk. Today a 525-foot-long swinging suspension bridge hangs about 200 feet above the river, linking the two villages. It opened in 2012, built by locals with local materials and can be accessed by a path that leads from a viewing platform.

From the bridge, visitors can see the several historic churches once frequented by villagers, as well as a fountain, “Nine Children,” named for a local legend: Once, during an attack on Khndzoresk, women and children were needed to fight alongside the men . A widowed mother, Sona, was killed in battle, leaving behind nine children. After the attack, Sona’s father Ohan built the fountain—installing a bowl that looks like a woman’s breast. He christened the fountain with a single prayer: “I beg you sacred fountain, let the water of the fountain turn into milk and protect my orphaned grandchildren.”

Explore the town's architecture, landscapes and legends in this 
360-degree interactive map, created by 360 Great Armenia : 
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/visit-ancient-cave-city-armenia-180962981/ 

Wednesday 24 May 2017

Armenian News... A Topalian... Chance to see 'The Promise' Brentford


The Promise Film 
For those who want to see the film again, or have yet to se it 

(are there any such Armenians?), it will be showing at the 
Watermans Art Centre, Brentford (box office 020 8232 1010)
between 2 and 8 June.

This is also an independent cinema so there may be other such 
places near you bringing back the film.


The next film to be released in September/October:
Architects of Denial 

featuring a number of persons including Geoffrey Robertson QC


Click on the trailer of this documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Z7TPdzReQ 


Asbarez Armenian News
May 19 2017
OSCE Minsk Group Blames Azerbaijan for Missile Attack 

A guided missile attack by Azerbaijan partially destroyed Artsakh 
military equipment

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov 
of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the 
United States of America, issued a statement on Friday holding Azerbaijan 
accountable for the missiles fired in an attack against the Artsakh 
(Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic on the night of May 16-17. 
The Minsk Group further condemned their ceasefire violations.

The Azerbaijani armed forces launched a Spike guided missile attack 
Monday afternoon, partially destroying military equipment, defense 
officials in Armenia and Artsakh confirmed, and reported no casualties.

The offensive used 60-mm mortars and an antitank grenade launcher 
at different parts of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border.


Panorama, Armenia
May 20 2017
Artsakh soldier killed by Azerbaijani fire 

On May 20, at around 07:20, Artsakh Defense Army soldier identified 
as Karen Saribek Danielyan (b. 1996) sustained a fatal gunshot wound 
due to Azerbaijani fire in one of the military bases of Karabakh Defense 
Army located in the northern direction. As the Press Service of Artsakh 
Defense Ministry told Panorama.am, a probe is underway to uncover the 
circumstances of the incident.

The Defense Ministry of Artsakh shares the grief of the loss and extends 
its condolences to the family members, relatives and fellow servicemen 
of the deceased soldier.


Texas Recognizes Armenian Genocide
May 20, 2017

The Texas House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution
recognizing the Armenian Genocide on Friday.

Thus, Texas has become the 46th state in the U.S. to officially
classify and commemorate the 1915-1923 annihilation of Ottoman
Turkey's indigenous Christian Armenian community as genocide, reports
Asbarez.com.

"We are grateful to the Texas House of Representatives for standing on
the right side of history by making their dynamic state the latest
member of our Union to unequivocally and vociferously honor the memory
of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide despite
overwhelming Turkish opposition," remarked Armenian National Committee
of America-Western Region Chair Nora Hovsepian, as quoted by the news
website.

Turkey denies the World War I-era killings of Armenians constituted
genocide. Its government did not immediately react to the resolution
in Texas. 


ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
May 19, 2017 Friday
Kurds of Turkey greeted the fact that the first session of 6th
convocation Armenian Parliament was conducted by their compatriot
Ani Mshetsyan. 

Kurds of Turkey greeted the fact that the first session
of 6th convocation Armenian Parliament was conducted by their
compatriot Knyaz Hasanov.

"This is an exclusive fact in our history, when in Christian country,
at the opening of the first session of Parliament the chairman role
was given to Kurdish origin lawmaker," Kurdish NDP Hakaria
organization official statement reads.

"The first time, when on one side of the representative of our nation
the president of the country was sitting ,and with the other head of
the religious community, while he governs the meeting of Parliament,"
the statement reads.

"In Turkey live several million of Kurds, however, the Kurds still
fight for their rights, which are being violated daily and everywhere
by the Turkish population. However, in Armenia, where only a few
thousand Kurds live, our community has such a respectful attitude,
"the authors of the statement note.


Asbarez Armenian News
May 19 2017
Armenia Signs Convention on Cultural Property Offenses
NICOSIA, Cyprus (Council of Europe)—Six states signed on May 19 in Nicosia the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property.

Armenia, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and San Marino as well as Mexico, one of the Organisation’s observer states, were the first to sign the convention, which is open for signature to any country in the world.

Adopted in the framework of the Council of Europe’s action to fight terrorism and organized crime, the new convention seeks to stop the looting of antiquities and their trafficking through the art markets. It makes a criminal offence their unlawful excavation, importation and exportation, acquisition and placing on the market, and the falsification of documents in this context.

By bringing national legislations up to the same standards, the treaty will close the existing loopholes and enable much more effective cross-border co-operation in investigating, prosecuting and sentencing persons suspected of the offences listed in the convention.

Crucially, the convention protects the cultural property of any state, be it party or not to the treaty.

The signing took place in Nicosia during a Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers meeting bringing together Foreign affairs Ministers of the Organisation’s 47 Member States. The treaty will enter into force after five ratifications.

The new treaty fills a gap in international law, since none of the existing conventions deal with criminal law issues. It complements the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.


ArmBanks, Armenia
May 19 2017
Private noncommercial remittances to Armenia increased 14.5% 
to more than $312.9 million in Jan-March 2017 
More than $312.9 million has been received in Armenia through banks over a period between January and March 2017 as private noncommercial transfers, the Central Bank of Armenia reports on its website.

This amount is 14.5% larger than received at the same period a year before.

Over $127.1 million came to Armenia in March alone showing an 18.1% year-on-year growth and a 26% month-on-month growth.

The remittances have grown at the mentioned period mainly because the inflow of money transfers from Russia intensified, while the outflow from Armenia dwindled.

The inflow from Russia grew 20.7% in Jan-March 2017, compared with the same period a year earlier, to $165.2 million, while the outflow from Armenia to Russia shrank 213.5% to $66.1 million.

In total, $183.5 million was transferred from Armenia abroad in the first quarter of 2017 against $180.5 million in the 1st Q 2016, and net inflows totaled around $129.4 million against $92.6 million respectively.

According to the Central Bank of Armenia $ 1 532.8 million was received in Armenia in 2016 (a six-percent decline) and AMD 816.9 million was transferred outside (a 7.3% growth). As a result, the net inflow amounted to $715.9 million showing a 17-percent decline.


Hurriyet, Turkey
May 19 2017
Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges moves headquarters from Istanbul to Yerevan
ISTANBUL 

The Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS) decided to move its headquarters from Istanbul to Yerevan during an extraordinary general assembly meeting in Tehran on May 16.

In a written statement on May 17, the organization said a majority of members of the general assembly had decided to relocate FEAS’ headquarters to Armenia after 22 years of operations in Turkey.

“It is a historical and turning point for the federation after three years of struggle,” said Mohammed Omran, the chairperson of the federation and the executive chairman of the Egyptian Exchange.

“Having two young and ambitious exchanges; Cyprus Stock Exchange and Iran Fara Bourse as new board members replacing the withdrawing exchanges [Borsa Istanbul and Sarajevo Stock Exchange] will definitely enhance the dynamism of the federation,” Omran added.

In moving FEAS’ headquarters to Armenia, NASDAQ OMX Armenia will start to support the administration of the federation, according to the statement.

The secretariat has been entrusted to Konstantin Saroyan, CEO of NASDAQ OMX Armenia, who was also appointed FEAS secretary-general, according to the statement.

His appointment was recommended by the Executive Board and approved by the majority of the General Assembly, it added.

FEAS was established on May 15, 1995, with 12 founding members, the Amman Stock Exchange, Bratislava Stock Exchange, Central-Asian Stock Exchange (Kazakhstan), First Bulgaria Stock Exchange, Istanbul Stock Exchange, Karachi Stock Exchange, Ljubljana Stock Exchange, State Commodity Raw Materials Exchange (Turkmenistan), Tehran Stock Exchange, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Yerevan Stock Exchange and Zagreb Stock Exchange, according to the statement.

The purpose of the federation is to contribute to the cooperation, development, support and promotion of capital markets in the Eurasian region.

FEAS currently has more than 40 members, including stock exchanges, post-trade institutions, dealers associations and regional federations from over 30 countries.


Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
May 19, 2017 Friday
British International School of Armenia to hold Open Doors event June 3
The British International School of Armenia (BISA) is proud to announce 
the official opening of High School for 2017 academic year.

BISA is a Pearson Authorized High School in Armenia certified to offer
Edexcel Academic Qualifications to students aged 13 - 16. All the
subjects are offered in accordance with the academic program of
British educational system. Upon graduation the students will receive
Edexcel International Advanced Levels /A-Level/ qualification and an
opportunity to continue their further studies in leading international
universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and others.

As the director of the school mentions, BISA’s core mission is to
raise the competitiveness of education in Armenia to international
level and to facilitate academic mobility. BISA high school is the key
link in providing pre-vocational education, which enables students to
orientate in their further vocational studies. The Student Advisors at
BISA will be ready to provide guidance to those willing to study
abroad. The courses at school are delivered in English, in the
afternoon. This gives the students an opportunity to combine education
at BISA with their public school education. Apart from the main
program, BISA students will also take TOEFL/IELTS and SAT preparation
courses.

British International School of Armenia will hold an Open Doors event
on June 3, at 15:00. During the event the parents and the students
will learn about the general provisions of the school, its programs
and admission procedure, as well as get acquainted with the school,
the educational environment, the teachers and the staff. The admission
of the school has already started and the deadline for applications is
June 16, 2017. 


Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
May 19, 2017 Friday
Henrikh Mkhitaryan wins Manchester United goal of the season award

Armenian international Henrikh
Mkhitaryan’s amazing ‘scorpion’ kick against Sunderland has been voted
Manchester United’s Goal of the Season for 2016/17 by a big margin,
Manchester United reported on its official website.

The Armenian’s effort in the3-1 Boxing Day winat Old Trafford, an
instinctive backheeled volley from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s cross, picked
up 57 per cent of the votes in the official poll on ManUtd.com.

Wayne Rooney’s record-breaking250th goal for United, a spectacular
last-gasp free-kick in January’s draw at Stoke City, was the runner-up
with 13 per cent, andPaul Pogba’s long-range drive at Swansea Cityon
nine per cent completed the top three.

Collecting the accolade at Thursday’s end-of-season awards ceremony at
Old Trafford, Mkhitaryan said: "To be honest, I was impressed as well.
I just realised when I went home and watched it again." Crediting the
player who provided the assist for his award-winning goal, Zlatan
Ibrahimovic, the Armenian quipped: "I couldn't miss this great
opportunity because I received a great ball from the god!"