Armenian News... A Topalian... ErDogAn to Build a wall
Must have got the idea from Trump!
Nothing original about ErDogAn, Killing, death, destruction!
Building, must give it to him... Its the first!...Building a Wall!
Panorama, Armenia
June 27 2017
Turkey building a new wall across Armenia border
Turkey is installing an “Integrated Border Security System” on the Iran and Armenia borders. The system is comprised of prefabricated walls, watch towers on the wall, wire mesh fences and night lighting units, ANF News Agency reported.
According to the source, Turkish MP Mahmut Tanal had submitted a written inquiry on the minesweeping on the Iran-Armenia border, and the inquiry was answered by Turkish National Defense Minister Fikri Işık, who confirmed that a wall will be built on the border after minesweeping efforts are completed.
To remind, Turkey began building the wall in 2014 to boost its security by preventing infiltrations of Kurdish militants and ISIS group fighters as well as refugees from Syria.
As of June, Tthe country has so far completed the construction of a 650-kilometer stretch of the wall along the 911-kilometer border with Syria.
Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his country plans to build walls along its borders with Iraq and Iran, similar to the one currently being erected along the frontier with Syria.
RFE/RL Report
Karabakh War Unlikely, Says Armenian Defense Chief
June 28, 2017
Sargis Harutyunyan
Azerbaijan is unlikely to provoke an all-out war in Nagorno-Karabakh
anytime soon because of "irreparable" losses that it would suffer as a
result, Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian said on Wednesday.
Sargsian also criticized the latest delivery of Russian weapons to
Azerbaijan, while indicating that it will not affect Armenia's close
military ties with Russia.
"I am almost certain that a large-scale war will not break out for the
simple reason that such a war cannot solve the Karabakh problem # in
Azerbaijan's favor," he told a news conference. "On the contrary,
there is a very big risk that in case of a large-scale war Azerbaijan
would suffer irreparable damage to its economy and state."
"Incidentally, I don't minimize the dangers of a full-scale war for
Armenia," he went on. "One does not negate the other. But to
deliberately opt for a large-scale war in this situation would be an
act of madness on the part of Azerbaijan's leadership."
Sargsian suggested that Baku, which regularly threatens a military
solution to the Karabakh dispute, will instead continue to violate the
ceasefire in the conflict zone on a smaller scale.
On June 16, three soldiers of Karabakh's Armenian-backed army were
killed by Azerbaijani forces in a single shooting incident. Another
Armenian soldier was shot dead at a different frontline section the
following morning, leading the Defense Army to promise a "targeted and
disproportionate" retaliation.
Earlier on June 16, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that one
of its soldiers was shot dead by the Armenian side. The warring sides
blamed each other for the escalation that coincided with the latest
visit to the conflict zone by U.S., Russian and French diplomats
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group.
On June 22, the Karabakh army claimed to have killed four Azerbaijani
soldiers while thwarting an overnight incursion attempted by
Azerbaijani forces. The Azerbaijani military denied the claim.
Sargsian said that at least 8 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed in
"punitive" actions taken by Karabakh Armenian forces in the last ten
days. "The unconfirmed number is much higher," he claimed.
The 42-year-old minister was also asked about a new batch of anti-tank
missile systems which Russia delivered to Azerbaijan late last week as
part of lucrative arms deals with Baku. "I view very negatively any
arms delivery to Azerbaijan first of all because Azerbaijan is an
unpredictable country lacking mechanisms for democratic control," he
replied.
"In that regard, any supply of weapons [to Azerbaijan] -- be it
Russian weapons, Israeli weapons or Turkish weapons -- creates new
risks because it's hard to predict who will be making decisions in
that country," added Sargsian.
Russia has also sold around $5 billion worth of tanks, artillery
systems and other weapons to Azerbaijan in line with defense contracts
signed in 2009-2011. The Armenian government publicly criticized those
deals following four-day hostilities in Karabakh that broke out in
April 2016.
Asked whether the latest arms shipment means Moscow is ignoring
Yerevan's concerns, Sargsian said: "No, we cannot say that."
Sargsian also stressed in that context that Armenia has long been
acquiring Russian weapons at discount price thanks to its military
alliance with Russia. The Armenian side is satisfied with the ongoing
"very ambitious program" of military cooperation with Moscow, he said.
ARKA, Armenia
June 27 2017
Authorities keep insisting: no monopolies in Armenia
Yardan Harutyunyan, head of the Armenian State Revenue Committee, told journalists on Tuesday that there are no obstacles for commodity importers in Armenia and that the market is fully open for any importer.
Earlier, Armenian entrepreneurs complained about the obstacles they came across. They said they have been barred from importing petrol, bananas, sugar and other commodities. They explained things by monopolies.
However, this didn't deter Karen Karapetyan, Armenian premier, from insisting that there are no monopolies in the country.
Harutyunyan Tuesday declared the same adding that some 20 companies import the mentioned commodities into Armenia, but people mistakenly think one person stands behind them. --0---
Panorama, Armenia
June 28 2017
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan dismissed from post of General Vicar of
The Spiritual Council of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (Turkey) adopted a decision today in the morning on relieving Archbishop Aram Ateşyan from the post of the General Vicar of the Armenian Patriarch. In an interview with Agos newspaper, Chairman of the Spiritual Council Sahak Mashalyan informed that the decision was passed in a vote of 22 in favour and 2 against.
On May 24, Archbishop Aram Ateşyan invited newly elected patriarchal locum tenens Garegin Bekchian to Istanbul, however until now he did not step down as patriarchal vicar.
On 24 June, a meeting was held between Ateşyan and Bekchian, during which Ateşyan officially announced that he did not intend to resign.
June 27, 2017 Tuesday
Armen Ashotyan ambassador of Great Britain: Artsakh not less than
Scotland has the right to control its own destiny
Tatevik Shahunyan. Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
Assembly of Armenia on Foreign Relations Armen Ashotyan received
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia Judith Farnworth.
Ashotyan highly appreciated the existing opportunities to enhance the
effectiveness of parliamentary cooperation between the two countries
and expressed the hope that it will soon become closer and more
focused. In this context, the importance of constructive cooperation
between the Republic of Armenia and the United Kingdom on
inter-parliamentary platforms was stressed.
Turning to the effectiveness of parliamentary diplomacy, the sides
stressed the importance of activating inter-parliamentary friendship
groups. Also touched upon are the opportunities for cooperation with
the British Embassy on strengthening the potential of the National
Assembly.
During the meeting, the sides touched upon the opportunities for
bilateral cooperation within the broad framework of the all-European
family. In this context, cooperation in the framework of the Eastern
Partnership was touched upon. The signing of a new Agreement on a
comprehensive and expanded partnership at the forthcoming Brussels
Assembly is especially highlighted.
The parties also addressed the problems of regional cooperation. The
importance of ensuring regional stability and security, the peaceful
settlement of current conflicts was underscored.
Touching upon the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Ashotyan noted that the people of Artsakh, no less than Scotland, have
the right to dispose of their own destiny. In this vein, he highly
appreciated the attitude of the British government towards the
referendum in Scotland and expressed the hope that sooner or later the
tendency to wide application of the right to self-determination would
be accepted by Azerbaijan.
Asbarez
June 29 2017
Armenia-Based Startup Introduces ‘World’s Most Powerful Smart Wallet’
The Volterman Wallet
The wallet can also be used to charge
A build-in camera can take a picture of a thiefYEREVAN—Imagine if your wallet could charge your phone, signal when you are away from it, connect you to WiFi anywhere and enable you to track it when it is lost, with an added bonus of snapping a photo of the thief who attempts to steal it.
Too good to be ture?
Not for the team at the Armenia-based startup Volterman , which has developed a smart wallet, which secures it and makes it easy to find in case of loss or theft.
Volterman founder Azat Tovmasyan said in an interview with Banks.am/Itel.am that the four-person team involved in developing what they call the “world’s most powerful smart wallet” is assisted by 30 volunteers who are working diligently on the project.
“The smart wallet has five key functions,” said Tovmasyan. “Its Power Bank allows you to charge your mobile phone up to 100 percent. Whenever your wallet and mobile phone are apart, a Bluetooth alarm function signals the information from one device to the other. That is to say, your mobile phone will notify you once you forget your wallet somewhere and vice versa. If your wallet has been stolen and you missed the notification, a GPS tracker allows you to see via an online map where the wallet is and identify the person who has it.”
The team behind the Voletrman Wallet
He also added that the wallet doubles as WiFi hotspot, which provides internet roaming service anywhere in the world at prices 10 times less than that of standard roaming.
Touching upon the differences between Volterman and other similar smart wallets, Tovmasyan explained that those available on the market only have Bluetooth alarm and the power bank functions, while Volterman offer wallets with photo camera, WiFi and GPS.
Speaking about the business model of the product, Tovmasyan said that they cooperated with GlobalAm NGO, which helped the company start campaigns on design, marketing and crowd-funding platforms. A campaign on Indegogo surpassed their expectations when in one day they hit their fundraising goals. Although, he said, people are welcome to contribute.
“The production will start after the crowd-funding. The electronics will be developed in China, as it is impossible to do it in Armenia. The leather production and assembly process will be accomplished in Armenia. Volterman will launch the first sales on crowd-funding platforms in June, yet you need to visit Volterman.com and leave your email address in advance to get the product at lower prices. Volternman will start sales on international online shops after completing crowd-funding,” he said.
Volterman Smart Wallet was among the winners of Innovation Matching Grants (IMG) scheme, held in the beginning of May in Yerevan.
June 26, 2017 Monday
In two years, Philip Morris Armenia will create the R & D center
Alina Hovhannisyan. Creation of an R & D center (Research &
Development) for Philip Morris in Armenia is an issue of one or two
years. This was stated in a conversation with the correspondent of
ArmInfo by the manager for Corporate relations "Philip Morris Armenia"
(PMA) Vahe Danielyan on the Fields of the Engineering
Forum-Exhibition, held on June 24 in Vanadzor Technology Center.
According to him, such a model for the formation of the research
center will be the first in the CIS in its format, after the existing
R & D centers of the PMA in Singapore and Switzerland. In particular,
Danielyan noted that the innovative center of the PMA will initially
be created in the engineering city, which, within the framework of
cooperation with Armenian technology companies, will try to introduce
its experience to Armenia by conducting in-depth scientific researches
of different disciplines, in particular, chemistry, biology, physics,
in the field Mathematics, thermodynamics, engineering, etc. "At the
final stage, this center will become a center for the production of
prototypes," he stressed, referring to the agreement with the
government of the Republic of Armenia.
In this regard, Danielian recalled that earlier the company Philipp
Morris Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding with the
Government of Armenia. "This is not just cooperation, fixed on paper.
A supervisory group of the government has already been set up, which
monitors the ongoing work on a monthly basis. In particular,
specialists will come to our center abroad, explore scientific
directions and try to connect them with Armenian centers," he
explained. According to Danielyan, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation
will coordinate and systematize the Center's work in the Engineering
City. He informed that the government is preparing a decision on the
allocation of land for the construction of buildings, and the World
Bank will provide financial support for the preparation of
infrastructures. In a conversation with ArmInfo correspondent, the
head of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat Yengibaryan noted
that at the first stage 10 companies, from which 6 are Armenian, will
work in the engineering city. A total of 30- 35 companies are expected
to be involved. According to him, construction will take about 2
years, and the full "launch" of the city of 40 buildings and
structures is planned in 4 years. Earlier Yengibaryan during the press
conference noted that the preliminary cost of construction of an
engineering town near Bagrevand is about $ 20 million. The town will
be built on an area of 3 hectares. To note, the organizers of the
Engineering Forum-Exhibition in Vanadzor were the Enterprise Incubator
Foundation, the Government of Armenia, the regional administration of
Lori and the program "Promoting SME Development in Armenia." The forum
was attended by 26 technology companies, including National
Instruments, Nairi-Tech, Elpida Electronics, UAV lab, Anod, Sezam,
Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics and Yerevan Research
Institute of Communications, etc., who presented their developments
and solutions. More than 200 people from Yerevan and the regions of
Armenia visited the forum-exhibition. The event was aimed at holding
discussions on global trends in the development of engineering, the
problems of engineering education and the business environment. During
the forum, the heads of large engineering companies and
representatives of educational institutions made moderators and
speakers.
asbarez
June 29 2017
Plight of Armenians in Crisis-Plagued Venezuela
BY LORI SINANIAN
Zohrab Kevorkian emigrated from Aleppo to Venezuela in 1955, and raised a family in a small town called Cumana. Many immigrated to Venezuela and settled their part of a small Armenian community, starting a movement of the Armenians from the Middle East to South America.
Can you visualize visiting a country that gives off a feeling as though it is another world once described as comparable to Sir Thomas More’s ‘Utopia.’ Now, envision ‘the perfect imaginary world’ that no longer is a ‘perfect imaginary world.’ How could a perfect world all of a sudden not be? The term ‘perfect’ contradicts itself, and means nothing without further explanation.
I remember walking the streets of Liberatador, Plaza Bolivar, and spending time at my Dede Zohrab’s house on the streets of Cantarana, at 11 years of age, in a third-world country that didn’t really feel like one.
Aside from not being aware of the evident differences between the development level of worlds at the age of 11, I noticed the social norms based off of groups of individuals through the conversations they were having, for which I couldn’t understand, but I was able to grasp and comprehend what was obscure. My duration in Venezuela was կարճ.
If the stored thoughts in the back of my mind are allowing me to remember correctly, I was there for approximately 12 days, 8 years ago. But the length of my excursion was arbitrary and not something I was thinking about or counting down. I was visiting my mother’s side of the family, The Kevorkian’s. While musing back into time of those stored thoughts of mine, I’m remembering different shaped floating clouds in the light colored blue skies of Venezuela. I remember not being able to identify the shape and it causing frustration as if it were my only wonder, my only concern, and the only thought on my mind.
With the advancement of technology, and the largely populated world using time towards social media platforms, we’re on our phones opening our Facebook app’s for one last shot of social adrenaline before day’s end, engrossed in stories from our favorite digital mediums that allow us to feel melancholy to jollity, annoyance to pleasure every minute of the day. Venezuela is an under reported a story that needs to be told.
How does a popular movement address governance decision making without getting bogged down in the minutia in process and structure? Leadership will play out and power will play out whether we recognize it or not. But it has to happen in a principled way or else different forms of unprincipled behavior and countermovement building come into play — this is Venezuela. This connects to a cinema of history and struggle — whether that be Electric Yerevan from two summers ago or Venezuela, now. This could be the story of any third world country. During Electric Yerevan, the parallels were equivalent to Venezuela. The bus rates increased, the corrupted government did not respond to the people, the arbitrary rates and fees increased for the basic necessities of life. Venezuela, a country that once gave me fond memories is now a relatable segue to our homeland, Հայաստան.
One of the richest parts of the world and yet there are people standing in lines for food because of shortages — an oxymoron; an economic horror story. A country that made all of the wrong decisions with its oil money that caused a fundamental destruction of an entire society. The bloviate of never-ending, alternative spectrums, a timely topic that is of immense importance and infused with ongoing changeability on a daily basis, a political context we should understand, the bourgeois press that doesn’t cover all truths, the mediums that provide an outpost of pure truth when it comes to defending a radical group, the pro-government controlling media, and the vaster media — the other side of the divided — that is private and anti-government. These are the many different boundaries that are causing a divide. It’s a legislative standoff between the anti-government and the pro government — two groups that are incompatible because of different legalistic clashes; mayhem; life in reserve mode; a downward spiral. This is not a conspiratorial activity. This is a rational phenomenon. The objective is to put an end to this regime.
Venezuelans have become radicalized, fighting for justice of their own — vulnerable people — persecuted for their faith in democracy and free will. The future of Venezuela is bleak. Venezuela has been in a dictatorship for more than 15 years of redundant clashes between the people and the government. The anti-Nicolas Maduro ire is being manifested through anti-government demonstrations in opposition to the regime on a daily basis, and the demonstrations won’t stop until Maduro is no longer in power. Venezuelans are marching for intrinsic human rights, for the exhaustion of repression by the military force that protects a socio-communist lie, the exhaustion of being humiliated for begging for a bag of food, not being able to purchase any form of medication, i.e. from contraceptives to treatments for cancer, though there’s a minuscule chance to find these -necessary- items on the black market, but what does that matter if the inflation is in the triple-digits? The basic necessities of life are taken away, the government is stealing the wealth of a nation and lining its own pockets, a government that is not responding to human dignity.
The national police and the national guard are going against their people with gas bombs, shotguns, water cannons that shoot a high-velocity stream of water that can be physically injurious, snipers angled towards demonstrators while hidden guards are overlooking the edge of building structures. Peaceful protestors are using molotov cocktails, face masks made out of plastic water bottles, construction helmets, and large pieces of wood or tires as materials for shields. A victim of his country was doing his humane duty. Through the power of his voice he was asking for justice. He was attacked by National Police and shot in his back. He’s alive, and in the hospital, not able to feel his legs and with no medication or supplies for recovery due to lack of resources of a failed communist system.
The young man is Manuel Khatchadourian and he is 17 years old. He can no longer afford to stay in the hospital. If you’re in need of surgery be prepared to bring your own tools that includes bringing your own food to the hospital and a cell phone that has enough battery life for the flashlight to work while they sew you back up. The next step is recovering without any form of medication to help lessen the pain. It’s even worse than a war zone hospital. You can potentially envision an alternative option for those who take life for granted in the U.S., but Manuel doesn’t have an alternative option. For Manuel, this means, that’s it.
‘Cesta Basica’ also known as a market basket is the minimum resource one needs in their home to live off for a month. It consists of a limited amount of basic produce i.e. bread, vegetable oil, coffee, vegetables, eggs, meat, chicken, and fish –for 3 people, for an entire month. A person is required to earn 20 times the minimum wage in order to purchase it. The inflation is at a staggering percentage rate of 500%. How does a country get to the point where they fail to control inflation? Every month, the inflation of the ‘cesta basica’ rises an average of 16 percent. That means 772,614.30 Bolivars. Without providing what the number converts to, I believe that it’s a large enough number, even difficult enough to say aloud in under 5 seconds, try it. When the amount is converted to U.S. currency, it’s technically impossible to see the hardships of Venezuela for Americans because with the number it converts to, one would think Venezuelans are well off. Even if you make a little bit of money the amount you make is increasingly worthless because of inflation. The revelation of the value of Venezuelan currency dropping is a daily occurrence. To put things into perspective, the cost to make fake monopoly money is more than to make a bill of the official currency, the Bolivar. Adding to the economic crisis, people are dying as a result of violent protests and lack of basic resources, individuals are becoming mentally ill and are in desperate need of basic life necessities. It’s a constant day to day occurrence, for 3 years now of psychological warfare. The detrimental psychological toll is rising. Residents of Venezuela are becoming prone to no longer caring about the destructive political system, and instead are looking for any kind of goods they’re able to get their hands on. School days and office hours are even cut short to save electricity from a country that is still exporting oil and bringing in billions of dollars.
Where’s the international community? Venezuelans reached out to Organization of American States (OAS) to potentially find resources from elsewhere, whether that be Colombia, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States. The countries were responsive and willing to help the people of Venezuela but the government denied the sincere requests with a message that “All is well in Venezuela.” As a result, because the government declined helped, the Venezuelan people began to rant and the next step of the opposition is protesting on the streets of everywhere, of people of all classes.
“It’s weird because we’ve never seen anything like this. We lost the meaning of being a Samaritan” Viken Yacoubian, an Armenian from Venezuela.
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