Armenian News... A Topalian... 9 editorials

British Museum, London

I am Ashurbanipal: King of the World, King of Assyria

Very interesting exhibition until 24 February, with a section on Urartu containing items from the History Museum of Armenia (see attachment)

RFE/RL Report

Official Sanguine About West's Reaction To Armenian Deployment In Syria

February 11, 2019

Ruzanna Stepanian

A senior Armenian lawmaker expressed confidence on Monday that Western powers will not rebuke Armenia for deploying military personnel to Syria with Russia’s support.

The Armenian Defense Ministry sent 83 medics, demining experts and other military personnel to the Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday. It said they will help civilians and clear landmines left behind from the continuing bloody conflict in the Arab state.

The ministry attributed the deployment to “the severe humanitarian situation” in Aleppo, “written requests from the Syrian side,” and the existence of an Armenian community in Syria.

Andranik Kocharian, the pro-government chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on defense and security, said that the thousands of ethnic Armenians in the war-ravaged city will now “feel safer.”

“Our Western partners will definitely understand this [deployment] because we are talking first and foremost about our [ethnic Armenian] compatriots living in Syria,” Kocharian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

Armenia’s plans to send military personnel to Syria were first announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in September following his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Moscow.

John Bolton, the U.S. national security adviser, discussed the issue with Pashinian and Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan when he visited Yerevan in October. Bolton warned them against sending combat troops to aid Syrian 

government forces or their allies.

The United States and the European Union have been very critical of the Russian military intervention in Syria which helped President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime gain the upper hand in the brutal civil war.

The Armenian deployment came as Tonoyan held talks in Moscow with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.The latter thanked Yerevan for its “humanitarian assistance” to Syria.

Kocharian claimed that the Armenian government itself initiated the dispatch of the sappers, medics and other servicemen tasked with protecting them. Russia is “naturally very happy” with their deployment, he said.

Meanwhile, a senior opposition lawmaker denounced the government for sending the contingent to Syria without consulting with the Armenian parliament.

“The authorities constantly talk about a transparent work style and increasing [the government’s] accountability. This action runs counter to that,” said Gevorg Gorgisian of the Bright Armenia Party (LHK).

“Maybe [the deployment] was necessary,” said Gorgisian. “But they should have talked about that. The National Assembly should have known why they are doing that.”

Gorgisian also warned of the move’s possible negative “consequences” for Armenia’s relations with the U.S. and the EU.

AMN Al-Masdar News

Feb 13 2019

US upset over Armenia’s military deployment to Syria

The United States expressed their dismay over Armenia’s recent military deployment to Syria, despite the fact they were invited by the Syrian government.

“We recognize the desire of other nations to respond to the humanitarian situation in Syria, and we share the concerns about protecting religious minorities in the Middle East,” the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

“However, we do not support any engagement with Syrian military forces, whether that engagement is to provide assistance to civilians or is military in nature,” they added.

“Nor do we support any cooperation between Armenia and Russia for this mission. Russia has partnered with the Assad regime to slaughter civilians and trigger a humanitarian catastrophe. Russia continues to protect the Assad regime and its atrocities on a global stage,” it added in a statement to Armenian media circulated by the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.

The Armenian military’s deployment was part of a humanitarian mission that sought to assist the war-torn city of Aleppo.

News.am, Armenia

Feb 13 2019

Armenian MFA comments on reaction of US over deployment of Armenian humanitarian mission in Syria 

                  

Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan has commented on the reaction of the U.S. Department of State over deployment of Armenian humanitarian mission in Syria.

"We have acknowledged the US State Department's statement on the deployment of the Armenian Humanitarian Mission in Syria. It’s a long time Armenia and the USA make joint efforts to respond to the humanitarian disaster in Syria that is accompanied by a major crisis of refugees and deported people.

We reiterate that during the entire process of the Syrian conflict the world-spread Armenian people followed the fates of the civilian people, minorities, including the Armenian community in Syria with great concern. The Armenian public opinion displayed deep concern and compassion towards the sufferings of the civilian people and the demolition of the country. This is a country that had a key contribution to the survival of the Armenian people who escaped the genocide. General Consul of Armenia in Aleppo worked non-stop during the entire Syrian crisis.  Armenia has granted asylum to over 22 thousand Syrian refugees and has provided 4 air cargos of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. Following the establishment of relative tranquility and security Armenia plans to continue its hummanitarian mission, including by providing doctors and specialists for humanitarian demining aimed at supporting the improvment of the living conditions of the war-suffered civilian population of Aleppo. The Armenian mission has exclusively hummanitarian nature, is guided by the international humanitarian law and will coordinate its activities with the institutions and international partners offering humanitarian aid on site.

We share the concerns of the international community about the situation of the ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East and highlight the continuity of humanitarian aid provided to Syria,'' Naghdalyan noted.

RFE/RL Report

Workers Resume Protests Against Closure Of Armenian Copper Plant

February 13, 2019

Karine Simonian

More than a hundred employees of a copper smelter in northern Armenia blocked a nearby railway on Wednesday in protest against its recent closure which followed the government’s decision to enforce strict environmental regulations there.

The Soviet-era plant located in the town of Alaverdi was fined $800,000 last fall for exceeding air pollution quotas set by the government in 2005. Citing financial problems, its parent company, Vallex Group, refused to pay the fine 

and comply with the pollution caps.

As a result, production operations at the Alaverdi plant, the town’s largest employer, were brought to a halt in October. Its more than 500 workers were sent on a four-month leave. They will be receiving two-thirds of their monthly wages until March 1. It remains unclear what will happen to them afterwards.

The situation is compounded by Vallex’s failure to repay a $380 million loan provided by a Russian commercial bank, VTB, about a decade ago. The Liechtenstein-based company invested the money in the Teghut copper and 

molybdenum deposit also located in the Lori province.

Vallex shut down the Teghut mine and laid off most of the 1,200 people working there in January 2018 because of being unable to refurbish its waste disposal facility. VTB took over the mine in payment for the debt. The creditor may also gain ownership of the Alaverdi plant.

The workers blocking a section of the railway passing through the town demanded urgent government action against the continuing shutdown. They complained that 

government officials have so far been vague on the future of the smelter and its staff.

“We want our jobs back so that we continue to work and Alaverdi lives on,” one of them told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

“They keep coming here and holding closed and public discussions but the town is still waiting for an official answer,” said another protester. “For the last four months we haven’t seen anyone seriously dealing with the problem.”

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian was asked to comment on the situation in Alaverdi during a parliament session in Yerevan on Wednesday. He said that a settlement between Vallex and VTB has been complicated by lawsuits filed by 

other entities linked to the Alaverdi and Teghut facilities.

“We must help them settle this dispute as soon as possible,” Pashinian said, answering a question from an opposition parliamentarian.

The comments did not satisfy the protesting workers. “The prime minister’s answer amounted to ‘wait, wait indefinitely,’” said one of them. “Let them freeze our debts and we’ll wait. Let them give us another source of income and we’ll wait.”

The protesters refused to unblock the sole railway connecting Armenia to the outside world despite appeals from Lori’s governor, Andrey Ghukasian. “The cause of your problem is not the government,” he told them at the scene.

Ghukasian suggested that the protest may have been organized by Vallex with the aim of clinching more concessions from the government.

Panorama, Armenia

Feb 14 2019

Another incident of Armenian church targeted by vandals in Istanbul

New case of vandalism has been found on the walls of the Armenian Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Istanbul’s Zeinlink district, according to a report by ermenihaber.am. The spray-painted graffiti captured by the photographer of the news outlet is signed “OHB” which is one of the most active graffiti makers in Istanbul.

This is not the first incident, in which Armenian institutions have been the target of graffiti and vandalism in Istanbul in recent years. In April 2018 photos of graffiti reading “This homeland is ours” spray-painted on the exterior wall of the Armenian Surp Takavor Church and a pile of trash dumped in front of the church’s door began circulating on social media and various Turkish news outlets. The Kadıkoy Municipality condemned the incident as a “racist attack” in a Twitter post, saying the necessary work has been initiated to clear the writing and remove the trash.

In 2016, the exterior walls of the Bomonti Mkhitarian Armenian School of Istanbul were vandalized with anti-Armenian graffiti recently. “One night, we suddenly will be in Karabakh,” read the graffiti in Turkish.

Armenpress.am

Yerevan to have new park instead of cafes outside Opera House

11 February, 2019

Yerevan City Hall will replace the cafes outside the Opera House with a new park.

The City Hall said around 1 hectares of green landscape will be restored and the park will feature new solutions and valuable trees.

Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan has directed to announce an open tender and involve residents in the project.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress.am

Armenian Church donates apartments to 10 homeless families

11 February, 2019

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin will donate apartments to 10 homeless families from Spitak and Gyumri.

The project is initiated through financial assistance from dioceses.

The Social Service of the Armenian Church has selected the families according to priority.

The apartment are already acquired and some of the families have already moved in. Soon the church will present the families with the certificate of ownership.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress.am

Passenger flow in Armenia’s airports grows by 12.2%

12 February, 2019

Passenger flow in Armenia’s two airports comprised 212 171 people in January 2019, which surpasses the figure of January 2018 by 12.2%, Armenia International Airports CJSC told Armenpress.

The passenger flow in Zvartnots airport grew up by 12.6% in January 2019 against January 2018. In January 2018, 178 292 people used the services of the Zvartnots airport, whereas this number in January 2019 was 200 731.

The passenger flow in Gyumri’s Shirak airport comprised 11 440 people in January 2019, compared to 10 876 people in January 2018.

Flight-landings in both airports increased by 12% in January 2019 against January 2018.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenpress.am

3 Scottish football clubs interested in Henri Avagyan

12 February, 2019

A number of leading Scottish football clubs are interested in Henri Avagyan, the goalkeeper of Armenia national U-21 team and Alalshkert club, ARMENPRESS reports The Scotsman newspaper informs.

Particularly, Motherwell, St Mirren and Hibs have all been in discussions about bringing the 23-year-old to the Scottish Premiership.

According to the source, the representatives behind Avagyan’s potential move are the same as those who helped broker Vykintas Slivka’s transfer to Hibernian in the 2017 summer transfer window, and the mooted deal which almost saw Juventus striker Stefano Beltrame join St Mirren earlier this season.

Avagyan is expected to be involved in his nation’s European Championship qualifiers this March. He has one appearance for the national team thus far, a 2-2 draw away to Liechtenstein in the Nations League.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan