Armenian News... A Topalian... Delivery of Military Equipment to Armenia

Asbarez.com

24 July 2018

Russia Completes Delivery of Military Equipment to Armenia

MOSCOW (Moscow Times)—Russia has reportedly delivered $200 million worth of weapons to Armenia as part of a loan deal Moscow extended to help Yerevan build up its military capabilities.

Moscow granted Armenia a $200 million credit in 2015 to buy Russian weapons and modernize its armed forces. The country’s new prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, who took office following peaceful anti-corruption protests this spring, has since promised to continue pursuing friendly relations with Russia.

Under the agreement, Armenia purchased missile launchers, surface-to-air missile systems and ground-based radio reconnaissance technology, the state-run TASS news agency said.

“The arms provided under the $200 million contract are advanced and modern, and are not even in service yet in Russia,” the Armenpress news agency quoted Armenia’s Defense Minister David Tonoyan as saying Sunday.

In addition sniper rifles, guided missiles and grenade launchers, Russia’s RBC business portal reported in 2016 that Moscow was due to send Armenia BM-30 multiple launch rocket systems.

RFE/RL Report

Armenian Defense Chief Warns Baku

July 23, 2018

Armenia will strike back harder if Azerbaijan again launches offensive military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said in an 

interview published on Sunday.

Speaking to the Russian publication EADaily.com , Tonoyan warned Baku against a repeat of the April 2016 “aggression” against Karabakh which nearly degenerated 

into an all-out Armenian-Azerbaijani war.

He said the Armenian military has “drawn conclusions” from the four-day hostilities that left at least 190 soldiers from both sides dead. Those include unspecified measures that have “excluded the element of surprise” another Azerbaijani might have, he said.

“I don’t want you to be left with the impression that Armenia is a solicitor of peace,” said Tonoyan. “I would advise the Azerbaijani side not to be so confident that it controls the issue of escalation of the military situation. 

It’s not that mediators will manage to convince the Armenian side to suspend retaliatory punitive actions if the Azerbaijani side resumes hostilities, even if Baku conducts a military operation of limited scale.”

“In case of a repeat of the scenario of the April 2016 aggression, the Armenian side may not resist the ‘temptation’ of using its entire arsenal to counter the 

enemy in a resolute and large-scale way … Azerbaijan would not be allowed to retain a monopoly on determining the place, time and scale of escalating the 

situation,” he warned.

President Ilham Aliyev and other Azerbaijani leaders regularly threaten a military solution to the Karabakh conflict. Senior military officials in Yerevan and Stepanakert say that the Azerbaijani military has deployed more troops along the “line of contact” around Karabakh since April.

“The war is not over. Only its first phase has ended,” Aliyev said during a military parade in Baku on June 26. He threatened military strikes against “strategic” Armenian targets.

During the parade the Azerbaijani army demonstrated 240 pieces of military equipment, including Belarusian-made Polonez and Israeli-made LORA missiles which were reportedly purchased by Baku in recent months.

While admitting that Yerevan is “worried” about weapons demonstrated during the parade, Tonoyan stressed: “There are means of countering any type of weapon and the Armenian side not sitting idly by.”

PanArmenian, Armenia

Karabakh Army Chief Warns Of Missile Strikes On Azerbaijan

July 24, 2018

Sisak Gabrielian

The Armenian military could “paralyze Azerbaijan’s economy” with missile strikes if Baku provokes renewed hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, Karabakh’s top military commander said on Tuesday.

“That is definitely part of our tactical plans,” Lieutenant General Levon Mnatsakanian told a news conference in Stepanakert. “In general, the art of warfare requires strikes on these facilities as well as military targets in 

case of a resumption of hostilities, which will damage the [enemy] economy and won’t allow appropriate supplies to the armed forces.”

“I see no need for that yet … But if there is a need to strike [those targets] we will not hesitate for a second,” he said.

Mnatsakanian implied that a big hydroelectric power station near the Azerbaijani town of Mingachevir is one such potential target. A recent accident there caused major power outages in Azerbaijan.

Other Armenian political and military leaders have said in the past that Azerbaijan’s strategic oil and gas installations could also be targeted in the event of another Karabakh war. The Armenian military can hit them with ballistic missiles, including state-of-the-art Iskander systems supplied by Russia in 2015 or 2016.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry was quick to react to Mnatsakanian’s warnings, dismissing them as “absurd” and saying that its missile defense systems adequately protect domestic economic and military facilities. In a statement cited by the APA news agency, the ministry also said Baku itself has sophisticated missiles capable of destroying key Armenian facilities.

“Before making such irresponsible statements, the enemy should think about the fact that in the territory of Armenia there are facilities the destruction of which would make it impossible to live there for centuries,” it warned in a clear reference to the Metsamor nuclear power plant.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev threatened military strikes against “strategic” Armenian targets during a June 26 military parade in Baku. The parade featured Belarusian-made Polonez and Israeli-made LORA missiles which were supplied to the Azerbaijani army in recent months. They reportedly have a firing range of 200 and 300 kilometers respectively.

Mnatsakanian said that the Armenian side has the capacity to shoot down these missiles. But he did not elaborate.

PanArmenian Net

July 24 2018

DJ arrested in Azerbaijan for playing Armenian song 

A DJ was arrested in the Azerbaijani resort town of Nabran after he played an Armenian song during an event on July 21.

As a result of complaints by the residents living in the area, officers of the Khudat district police department arrived, Median.Az said citing a report from Yenicag.az.

Nagiyev Abdul Khalig oglu, who worked as a DJ in the recreation center, found himself surrounded by police officers shortly afterwards. After showing resistance to the officers, the DJ was detained and taken to the police station.

According to him, he got the music from the computer of the head of the entertainment center.

Nagiyev was arrested for 10 days by the decision of the Khachmaz District Court.

ARKA, Armenia

Panorama, Armenia

July 24 2018

Armenian Church marks the commemoration of the 12 Minor Prophets

The Prophets were those persons through which God spoke his will to the people of the world. They were the voice of God on earth, and gave advice to the people of Israel, warning them against dangers, and trying to keep them from the temptations of sin. Each prophet clearly comprehended that God spoke by means of his person. 

To that end, in the Holy Bible, we find expressions of “God told me”, “This is what God is saying”, etc.

Often, God gave them power to work miracles, proving to people that they were chosen by Him. In the Nicene Creed, we proclaim that the Holy Spirit “Spoke in the Law, in the Prophets and in the Gospel”, once more affirming that God has spoken to us by means of the prophets.

The prophets received their revelations through visions, proverbs, and symbols. They were the connecting link in the God-man relationship. The prophets’ purpose was to purify and instill in the human mind the conscience that God is their leader, as well as to strengthen the faith in the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom. All prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah came true in the New Testament, by means of Jesus Christ. The twelve prophets lived and worked over a broad range of time. 

Arka.am

July 23 2018

Report: 16,000 slaves in Armenia now

The Walk Free Foundation, an international noncommercial organization attempting to end contemporary slavery and human trafficking, has released its Global Slavery Index 2018. 

According to the organization, there are 40.3 million of people in the world living in modern slavery, of which 71% are women. 

The foundation says 16,000 of 2,917,000 people living in Armenia are slaves. Armenia came 68th in the ranking among 167 countries and 13th among 50 countries of Europe and Central Asia.   

Russia was ranked 64th with its 794,000 slaves, Ukraine 49th with 286,000, Turkey 48th with 509,000, Moldova 65th with 22,000, Uzbekistan 69th with 160,000, Tajikistan 75th with 39,000, Azerbaijan 79th with 43,000, Georgia 80th with 17,000, Kazakhstan 83rd with 75,000 and Kyrgyzstan 85th with 24,000. 

Walk Free Foundation singles out Northern Korea for the largest number of modern slaves – 2.64 million (population is 25.2 million), and Canada as country with the smallest number – 17,000 (35.9 million population) and Japan – 37,000 (127.9 million population). 

PanArmenian, Armenia

July 23 2018

Aussie-Armenian Natalie Aroyan playing Aida in Opera Australia 

Australian Armenian soprano Natalie Aroyan is a principal with Opera Australia and is playing the title role in Verdi's "Aida" at the Sydney Opera House until August 31.

She will also perform the role of Eva in Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" (The Master-Singers of Nuremberg) in Melbourne in November.

Natalie will also be returning to John Bell's production of Carmen as Micaela for the 2018 Sydney Season.

In an article published on Australia's Traveller magazine, Aroyan has revealed that Armenia is among the places that have "made" her.

"My first motherland visit was truly an unforgettable and powerful personal journey. It was a holiday but when some people heard I was coming, they organised a concert," the soprano said.

"Armenians have a love of opera and Armenian folk songs, so for someone to return to the country and share the same love and passion with them was something they were very grateful for and I felt so very proud to share with them.

"Visiting the Armenian Genocide Monument for the first time was very emotional. Reading the detailed accounts and seeing imagery of what took place over 100 years ago was heartbreaking. This inspired me to work on the production entitled "An Armenian Journey" in 2016. It was about the life of an orphan, my great grand-mother, who survived the Genocide and thrived. The concert was a success and all the proceeds went to charity."

Also among memories she cherishes are her trips to Disneyland, Pisa in Italy, Greece and Israel.

A1+

New football season in Armenia to kick off on August 4

July 23,2018 

The list of games of the Armenia’s highest and first group championships, as well as cup play-offs, and the competition rules for the games of the professional football clubs in Armenia in 2018-2019 have been approved at the regular session of the Executive Board of the Armenian Football Federation on July 21, FFA press service reports.

Premier League championship will start on August 4 with the games of “Banants” – “Shirak” and “Lori FC” – “Ararat-Armenia.” The next day will be games of “Ararat” – “Alashkert” and “Pyunik” – “Gandzasar-Kapan”. In the first round “Artsakh FFA” will be free.

The cup tournament will start on September 19, with the preliminary round matches. The following teams will meet each other in the first round:

“Locomotive” – ​​”Ararat”

“Unior Sevan” – “Lori FC”

“Yerevan” – “Ararat-Armenia”

“Artsakh FA” – “Shirak”

Commentary

Azerbaijan Organizes its Own Diaspora To Compete With the Armenian Diaspora

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

           

For many decades, the Turkish government has had an inflated image of the Armenian Diaspora, describing it as a giant worldwide force. Inrecent years, Azerbaijan has been infected with the same fear of theglobal Armenian Diaspora. Pres. Ilham Aliyev has described the ‘Armenian lobby’ as the greatest enemy of Azerbaijan. 

Consequently, the Azeri leaders have started pouring massive resources into the formation of their own diaspora in various countries as a counterpart to the “powerful Armenian lobby.”

Ironically, while the Armenian government is making plans for the repatriation of Armenians from overseas, Azerbaijan is trying to do the exact opposite by encouraging Azeris to move to formerly Soviet countries, Europe and the United States in order to enlarge its Diaspora.

Nazim Ibrahimov, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Work with the Diaspora, recently announced that “the establishment of coordination centers for world Azerbaijanis continues and that this

affair is one of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s priorities…. The state of Azerbaijan has created massive financial conditions for this.Upon the president’s orders, we offer support to our diaspora organizations around the world. On account of this activity, the Azerbaijani diaspora not only responds to the Armenian lobby decently, but also overpowers them at times.”

Last year, Sergey Rumantsev, a graduate of Baku State University, wrote an article in the OpenDemocracy.netwebsite, titled: “Long Live the Azerbaijani Diaspora,” stating that “Baku is going to great lengths to mobilize, or even create, an international Azerbaijani diaspora.” The main purpose of the Azeri Diaspora is to counter

Armenians in the Karabagh (Artsakh) conflict. Azeri leaders view the Armenian Diaspora “as immensely influential and strongly united in solidarity,” hence, “for Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev regime, a diaspora is synonymous with an overseas political lobby.”

Azeris have such an exaggerated view of the Armenian Diaspora that when the Russian Supreme Court decided to annul the registration of the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress last year, “many [Azeri] commentators rushed to conclusions about Armenian plots and intrigues,” Rumantsev wrote. The truth is that the Azeri rganization

had violated Russian laws. Armenians had nothing to do with its closing.

Azeri authorities were so impressed by the Armenian Diaspora’s political clout that since the early 2000s they “have invested large sums of financial and symbolic capital into this project. They’ve tried to conjure up a diaspora to their liking as quickly as possible.”

It all started when Heydar Aliyev, the father of the current president, was the leader of Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1970’s-80s. He arranged for the education of many Azeri students in universities throughout the Soviet Union and encouraged the relocation of Azeris to

various Soviet Republics.

Prior to the Second World Congress of Azerbaijanis, held on March 16, 2016, “the state committee for working with Azerbaijanis abroad produced a documentary film with the telling title, ‘we’re a nation of 50 million,’” Rumantsev wrote. The committee stated that 10 million

Azerbaijanis were living in about 70 countries.

Rumantsev asserted that Azeris living overseas are not a coherent group; there is a considerable difference among Azeri immigrants: “Azeri Diaspora activism is generally limited to quite a small circle of ethnic Azerbaijani businessmen and their family members.”

Rumantsev described the origins of the organizational efforts for Azeris abroad: “In November 2001, Baku held the inaugural World Congress of Azerbaijanis at the initiative of Heydar Aliyev. The following year saw the foundation of the state committee for working

with Azerbaijanis abroad—Nazim Ibrahimov was appointed its permanent leader. Its first convention led to the creation of yet another body, the ‘Coordinating Council of World Azerbaijanis’, led by, of course,

pan-Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev. The success of

diaspora-building henceforth came to be measured in how many organizations existed, and how to unify them into one structure.”

The World Congress of Azerbaijanis consists of local/regional bodies, followed by Azeri organizations in various countries and finally bythe World Congress which takes its orders directly from the Azeri

government.

President Ilham Aliyev proudly told attendees of a recent conference of World Congress of Azerbaijanis: “if we had 336 diaspora organizations five years ago, now we have 416.” At the Fourth World Congress in 2015, “delegates stated that there are now 462 such organizations.”

The few activities Azeris participate in worldwide are represented by Azerbaijan’s official media in an exaggerated fashion, as if a large number of Azeris in Europe or the U.S. are involved in pro-Azerbaijan

activities, in support of the Aliyev regime. For example, when Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan visited Berlin in 2016, a small number of Azeris held a protest, and sent the following message to Pres. Aliyev: “Mr. President—you have the support of Azerbaijanis across the world!”

Rumantsev concluded his article by stating that the Azerbaijani Diaspora cannot be compared to the classical Diasporas of Armenians, Jews or Greeks. Most Azeri organizations overseas “exist only on paper.”