Armenian News...A Topalian - 12 editorials
March 23; another date for your diary (with Sipan back in London):
see attachment
AHVAL News
March 8 2019
Turkey’s Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan dies at age 63
The Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan, the leader of the Armenian Christians in Turkey, died Friday at the age of 63, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople passed away at Istanbul’s Armenian Surp Pirgic hospital where he was being cared for. He had been incapacitated since 2008 with an early onset of dementia, said Anadolu Agency.
Funeral details were not immediately available.
Mutafyan was elected patriarch in 1998, replacing the late Karekin II. After Mutafyan’s health was deteriorated, the Turkish authorities in 2008 appointed Archbishop Aram Ateşyan as deputy chairman, a position which did not exist until that time.
The Armenian Church in Istanbul objected to the appointment, saying that only the Armenian community could select their religious leader. After years-long-disputes, a new election was held in 2017.
The Turkish government intervened to halt the elections at the Armenian Patriarchate on grounds that the necessary conditions for the electoral process had not been met and that Mutafyan was still alive.
Ateşyan, who was likely to lose the election, remains as the General Vicar of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.
08.03.2019
Turkey's Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan dies in Istanbul
ISTANBUL
The Armenian Orthodox Patriarch in Turkey, Mesrob Mutafyan, died Friday in the Yedikule Holy Savior Armenian Hospital in Istanbul at the age of 62 after a long battle with dementia. Hospital officials said Mutafyan died of a heart attack.
Mutafyan, officially known as Mesrob II, began suffering from dementia in 2008 and has been in a vegetative state since then. Mesrob II had been receiving treatment in the same hospital since his diagnosis.
His lengthy illness had triggered a debate in the Armenian community of Turkey on who should succeed the patriarch. Mutafyan was the 84th patriarch of Turkey's Armenian Orthodox community and succeeded Karekin II in 1998. Archbishop Aram Ateşyan was appointed to serve as Patriarchal Vicar, as Mesrob II had to withdraw from his duties due to his illness.
A new patriarch could not be elected as Turkish laws prohibit any elections while a standing patriarch is alive. Ateşyan has faced criticism from prominent figures in the Armenian community for allegedly blocking bids to start an election process. The dispute was partly resolved when an archbishop was appointed as locum for the launch of the election process, but it failed to quell tensions in the community. A patriarchal election must be held by the synod, and the synod has to apply to the Interior Ministry after approving the election. The government ruled out the election of a new patriarch, while Mutafyan was still alive, but a group of Armenians had filed a lawsuit to remove the regulations blocking the election.
Mesrob Mutafyan was born in Istanbul and studied sociology and philosophy in the U.S. before returning to Turkey. He was ordained by the priesthood in 1979 and appointed as pastor to Kınalıada, an island near Istanbul where a small Armenian community lives.
Bedros Şirinoğlu, who heads an association of Armenian foundations, including the foundation that runs the hospital where Mutafyan died, told reporters on Friday that the patriarch died at 12:45 of a heart attack. "He was a valuable clergyman and was very fond of his country, his nation. Unfortunately, he suffered this illness that cut short his tenure. Our staff at the hospital did everything they could to keep him alive, but we ultimately failed," Şirinoğlu said. He said funeral arrangements for the late patriarch would be arranged later.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Aram Ateşyan upon hearing of Mutafyan's death and gave his condolences to the Armenian community for the loss of their patriarch.
Turkey's Armenian community is mainly concentrated in Istanbul, and the Orthodox patriarchate has the largest congregation among the community. The patriarchate traces its roots back to the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottomans and Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror) who is credited with paving the way for the establishment of a patriarchate. Before the sultan granted them religious freedom, Armenians were forced to pray in the Byzantine churches of other communities in the city. The patriarchate was an influential religious authority for Armenian communities around the world until the early 20th century, but its influence decreased over time, especially after the Armenian population in Turkey diminished following World War I and after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief
Tuesday 5 March 2019
TURKEY: Minority foundations still cannot hold elections
By Mine Yildirim, Norwegian Helsinki Ctte
Since 2013 Turkey's government has blocked community foundations relating to the non-Muslim communities protected under the Lausanne Treaty from holding board member elections. This causes foundations many problems, including that "new ideas or new dynamism are not allowed". Some fear that progress achieved since 2008 is being reversed.
TURKEY: Minority foundations still cannot hold elections
Turkey's government has obstructed non-Muslim community foundations from exercising their right to elect new board members since 2013, by failing to draft the election regulation it is legally obliged to draft. The government insists community foundations elections cannot take place without a government-drafted election regulation. Community foundations have a difficult choice to make: continue to ask the government for regulations and not take legal action against the government, which has not worked so far; take legal action or to defy the government by going ahead with elections to renew their boards, and so risk possible harmful
consequences.
The state's obstruction of elections causes many problems. Deaths, ill health and other reasons have reduced the numbers of board members, imposing extra work on those that remain. Without new elections vacant places cannot be filled. Indeed, Moris Levi, the deputy leader of the Jewish community who also represents all the community foundations to the government's Vakiflar Genel Müdürlügü (VGM - Directorate-General of Foundations), told Forum 18 that for some foundations "very soon it will be impossible for these institutions to carry on with so few board members .. The damage done by not being able to hold elections is enormous." As new members cannot be recruited, the lawyer Sebu Aslangil notes, "new ideas or new dynamism are not allowed, and these are very important for community life" (see below).
These community foundations are unique institutions relating to the
non-Muslim communities protected under the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, such as Armenians, Greeks, Syriac Orthodox, Jews and a handful of others
Read the full report by clicking on
Aysor, Armenia
March 6 2019
Armenia’s PM not satisfied with volumes and tempos of activity of law enforcers regarding arrests of oligarchs
After the revolution it was expected that a number of oligarchs and officials would face courts but an impression is as if the law enforcers are focused on few people, MP from Bright Armenia faction Arman Babajanyan said during government-NA Q&A today.
He also noted that in some cases people make some donations and free from responsibility.
“Why must Sashik Sargsyan donate 18,5 million USD to the state and enjoy vacation in Spain? Why is not this process more transparent?” the MP asked.
In response the PM said he does not know a case when someone pays and frees from responsibility.
As to more people to be brought to responsibility, Pashinyan said the question is not logical as the government does not put a certain number before it. At the same time Pashinyan stressed that the preliminary investigation is not publicized but once a week he gets familiarized with new information.
“I have told the law enforcers under my subordination that I am not satisfied with the existing volume and tempos as an impression may be created that it was a revolution, everyone was inspired, we discussed, decided and then everyone passed to his work. I have referred to the issue from the NA tribune. I am a Prime Minister and not a prosecutor or investigator. But as I have stated before each penny stolen from the people and the state will be returned to the budget. In some cases, stemming from political purposefulness proposals were made which were not agreed with avoiding or being relieved of responsibility,” Pashinyan said.
RFE/RL Report
EU-Armenia Ties No Threat To Russia, Says Pashinian
March 05, 2019
Arus Hakobian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has insisted that closer ties with the European Union sought by his government cannot undermine Armenia’s alliance with Russia.
“The good news is that the European Union doesn’t set any geopolitical conditions in its relations with Armenia,” Pashinian said at the start of a visit to Brussels on Monday. “Our cooperation agenda with the EU is fully [based on a] reform agenda … and we are going to fully implement this reform agenda.”
“I don’t think that there are contradictions between our relationships with the European Union and Russia,” he told members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. “In these two relationships we are transparent. It is very important to insist that there is no plot against Russia in our relations with the European Union and there is no plot against the EU in our cooperation with Russia.”
Pashinian strongly criticized Russian-Armenian relations and, in particular, Armenia’s membership in the EEU when he was in opposition to his country’s former government. However, he ruled out major changes in Armenia’s traditional foreign policy orientation immediately after coming to power on a wave of anti-government protests last May.
Addressing EU lawmakers, Pashinian stressed that there have not been “any changes in our foreign policy strategy” since the “velvet revolution.” “Armenia remains committed to its foreign policy obligations and partners,” he said.
Pashinian made clear at the same time that his government is keen to implement the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which the previous Armenian administration signed with the EU in 2017. “In this regard, I want to note that early ratification of the CEPA by the EU member states is crucial for its complete entry into force and further enhancement of our bilateral
relations,” he said.
The CEPA commits Yerevan to carrying out political reforms that will
democratize Armenia’s political system and boost human rights protection. It must also gradually “approximate” Armenian economic laws and regulations to those of the EU.
Armenpress.am
5 March, 2019
Armenian President holds meeting with innovation editor at Financial Times John Thornhill
President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian on March 5 met with John Thornhill, innovation editor at the Financial Times, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
John Thornhill writes a regular column on the impact of technology in the contemporary world.
At the meeting John Thornhill said he is deeply impressed with the ancient history and rich culture of Armenia after visiting historical-cultural sites of the country.
President Armen Sarkissian and John Thornhill talked about Armenia’s past and future, in particular, the new development directions and innovations. The President said all these are based on education, adding that Armenia attaches great importance to education, science and technologies by encouraging the youth to propose new ideas, study the new technologies and establish startups.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
armenpress.am
Yerevan in top 10 best cities for start-ups
6 March, 2019
Business leaders have started to view Armenia as a technological and innovative hotspot, ARMENPRESS reports Danish platform Valuer specialised in start-ups and innovations writes. It has made a list of the 25 cities with the best start-ups, where Yerevan raks 6th.
'Self-described as the “Silicon Mountains”, the number of software startups quadrupled between 2015 and 2017 to reach approximately 280. The government is legislating to facilitate further growth of this market, offering a five-year tax break for startups and creating two free economic zones in Yerevan in which tech startups can operate without paying VAT, property tax, income tax, or export customs duty.
These reforms have seen the tech industry grow by 20% annually, exploding compared to Armenia’s overall economic growth (hovering at 2%). The large US tech corporations in Armenia are also funding educational programs, further developing Yerevan’s talent pool. With the industry accounting for 15% of Armenia’s exports, the startup scene here is only expected to continue to grow”, Valuer writes.
The top 5 cities of Valuer's list are Warsaw (Poland), Tallinn (Estonia), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Portland (USA) and Riga (Latvia).
Earlier, Yerevan was included in world's top 10 cities for tech career list by Enterprise Times.
“Research shows that by 2025, the need for programmers in Armenia will have tripled to 30,000. This is largely due to the ever-increasing innovation in their tech sector. A sector that is growing at an annual rate of 20% and shows no signs of slowing down. If you haven’t considered a move to the country previously, it’s worth considering. Cost of living is very low, crime rates are low and culture is in abundance. Currently the main speaking languages are Armenian & Russian but the English language is becoming more and more popular”, Enterprise Times said in the article published in October 2018.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Panorama, Armenia
March 7 2019
UK-Armenia annual military-political consultations held in Yerevan
Director for Euro Atlantic Security of Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom Nick Gurr held meetings in the Armenian Defense Ministry. As the press office at the ministry reported, the Armenian-UK annual bilateral military-political consultations took place co-chaired by the head of Defense policy department at the ministry of defense Levon Aivazian.
The discussions focused on regional and international security issues as well as the bilateral cooperation in the defense sector between the UK and Armenia.
As the release said, Levon Aivazian presented the main directions of Armenia’s defense policy and priorities for the development of the Armed Forces. The parties reflected on the current state of affairs in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The British side, in turn, reiterated the UK’s stance on the NK conflict settlement under the auspices of OSCE Minsk Group through exclusively peaceful means.
The meeting was concluded with signing of the Cooperation Plan for 2019 between the ministries of defense of Armenia and the UK.
[this report seems to be unaware of the khachkar in Cardiff, though the one in Dublin is outside Great Britain]
armenpress.am
5 March, 2019
1st Armenian cross-stone dedicated to memory of Armenian Genocide victims unveiled in Great Britain’s spiritual center
An Armenian cross-stone (khachkar), dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide was unveiled in Canterbury on March 2. The cross-stone by the initiative of the Armenian community erected in the Memorial Garden of the Canterbury Cathedral, a Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, was consecrated by the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain Hovakim Manukyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia.
The Ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom Arman Kirakossian, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Dean of Canterbury Robert Willis and more than 200 representatives of the Armenian community in the United Kingdom participated at the event.
During the evensong followed by the dedication ceremony, the Dean of Canterbury Robert Willis emphasized the symbolism of installation of the Armenian cross-stone in Canterbury, the spiritual centre of the United Kingdom, noting that khachkar is considered as a symbol of peace, reconciliation and hope.
In his welcoming speech Ambassador Arman Kirakossian noted that from this day on the Armenian cross-stone, a magnificent symbol of the Armenian medieval culture, will be a part of the more than 1400-year old rich history of Canterbury. The Ambassador underlined that this cross-stone has been marked to symbolize the Armenian genocide of 1915. In that regard, Arman Kirakossian recalled with gratitude the efforts of the Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Davidson, who not only gathered and published British materials on the Armenian Genocide, but played also a significant role in the process of adoption of the resolution on the Armenian issue and financial assistance, provided by the League of Nations to the First Republic of Armenia.
According to Ambassador Kirakossian, the fact that the Armenian Genocide went unpunished was a major impetus for future dictators and crimes against humanity as it happened during the Holocaust, genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur. ‘In this sense ‘Never again’ is a challenge to nations and to us all, because it is a bitter truth that too often, the world has failed to prevent the killing of innocent people on a massive scale’, he said. Arman Kirakossian reconfirmed Armenia’s firm commitment and resolve towards a continued effort of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as advancing the human rights agenda, preventing atrocity crimes, including genocides.
In Ambassador's words, the main message of the Genocide is the message of survival, resilience, hope, a triumph of life over death, and celebration of new victories of the Armenian people.
The participants of the event paid tribute to the Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Davidson and laid a wreath to his gravestone.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
ARKA, Armenia
March 7 2019
Armenian government cuts the number of ministries from 17 to 12
The Armenian Cabinet approved today its new structure. According to a relevant draft law, which is yet to be approved by the parliament, the government will be composed of 12 ministries instead of the current 17.
Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan said the cut in the number of ministries is important in terms of streamlining the operations of the government. He said the draft law eliminates the position of first deputy prime minister and reduces the number of deputy prime ministers.
Zeynalyan said the Ministry of Culture and Sports will be merged with the Ministry of Science and Education and will be called the Ministry of Science, Education, Culture and Sport.
The Ministry of Agriculture will be merged with the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments and will have a new name.
The Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources will be part of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, which will also oversee transport, water, civil aviation and state property management.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology will be divided and some of its functions will be transferred to the Ministry of Territorial Administration. The ministry will oversee the high-tech sector, including digitization and the military-industrial complex.
The Ministry of Diaspora will be reorganized into the office of the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Issues to be overseen by Prime Minister. Below are the ministries the Armenian government is to be composed of.
1. Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, 2. Ministry of Health, 3. Ministry of Justice, 4. Ministry of Emergency Situations, 5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6. Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, 7. Ministry of the Environment, 8 Ministry of Defense, 9. Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, 10. Ministry of High-Tech Industry (the name may be changed), 11. Ministry of Economy 12 Ministry of Finance. -0-
armenpress.am
5 March, 2019
Passenger flow in Armenia’s airports grows 11.6%
Passenger flow in Armenia’s two airports comprised 166 451 people in February 2019, which surpasses the figure of January 2018 by 11.6%, Armenia International Airports CJSC told Armenpress.
The passenger flow in Zvartnots airport grew up by 12.4% in February 2019 against February 2018. In February 2018, 139 216 people used the services of the Zvartnots airport, whereas this number in February2019 is 156 452.
The passenger flow in Gyumri’s Shirak airport comprised 9 999 people in February 2019, compared to 9 941 people in February 2018.
Flight-landings in both airports increased 10.6% in January-February 2019 compared to January-February 2018.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
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