tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44443613910851392712024-03-18T03:03:26.403+00:00Seta's Armenian Blog<center><i>Welcome to my blog which explores contemporary issues concerning Armenia and Armenians everywhere</i></center>Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.comBlogger7570125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-56750970779571999432019-12-28T16:27:00.000+00:002019-12-28T16:45:25.657+00:00Here is some background information about Max!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Maxwell John Cox</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Aged:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span> 34<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Born:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span> September 13, 1985<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Screen printer:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Director<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Attended special calibrations: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Holy Trinity Armenian Church - Manchester<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Christened:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>St Michael’s & All Angels, Tettenhall –WV6 9AJ<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Funeral as above:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WV6 9AJ<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Crematorium: Bushbury East -WV10 7JG following church service: 2.30pm</span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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At around 6 months max gained his Savlon baby badge... Bilston swimming baths!<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Max lived with me and was my main career, for many years. He nursed me through bouts of illness, and was a huge support. He was also in ‘The Young Careers' Tettenhall.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><u>Working Life</u>: Max took on many jobs with or without a company car, named his little business As Graff Spotting HQ – building it up over a number of years. He printed T-shirts and stickers, etc...</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">He developed an interest in street art and graffiti after cycling along the canals during his time in Birmingham and becoming part of the artistic community in Digbeth. He began producing merchandise for artists, bands, shop fronts, menus and van signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As a young boy, Max attended the cubs then scouts in Tettenhall Village and gained many badges, Which he then sewed on his jersey himself! Max and I travelled far and wide for many years!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Following a youthful interest in model aircraft and time spent in the Air Training Corps, he flew a bi-plane which sparked a life long interest in model aircraft and he loved to fly his drone in recent years, especially at White Ladies Priory. He incorporated climbing montains, in North Wales.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Max grew into a hugely charismatic and well-loved man whose enthusiasm was infectious and he would light up any room. He was truly one of a kind and lived life on his terms. He will leave a huge hole in the lives of those who loved him dearly.</span></div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-79923119338917778252019-12-28T15:24:00.001+00:002019-12-28T15:59:08.059+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Bloomberg</b></div>
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<b>Dec 12 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Congress Recognizes Armenian Genocide Amid Tensions with Turkey</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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The Senate adopted a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide, following House approval of a similar measure, despite opposition from President Donald Trump’s State Department on concerns that it would further complicate ties with Turkey.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The Republican-led chamber cleared the measure Thursday without objection -- the fourth attempt by Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, to seek unanimous consent for the resolution. At the request of the White House, Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, David Perdue and Kevin Cramer blocked previous attempts, saying they didn’t want to anger a NATO ally during a time of high tensions.<o:p></o:p><br />
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U.S. lawmakers were outraged by Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria after Trump abruptly withdrew troops from the Kurdish-held region in October. They have also been highly critical of Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, which should trigger sanctions under existing law.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Republican senators personally expressed their concerns to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when Trump hosted him in the White House last month. Their complaints weren’t heeded, and Turkey began testing the S-400 shortly thereafter.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Menendez said during a Foreign Relations Committee meeting Wednesday that he was worried the U.S. was being held “hostage to Turkey.” Senator Ted Cruz, the co-sponsor of the legislation, said the administration has given “no good reason” to block the resolution. The Republican-led panel in Wednesday’s session also voted to advance additional sanctions against Turkey.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The House voted in October 405-11 to condemn the Ottoman Empire’s massacre of 1.5 million Armenians early in the last century, ignoring Turkey’s longstanding opposition to the measure. The House and Senate votes on these resolutions amount to the official U.S. government recognition of the massacre and do not require Trump’s signature.<o:p></o:p><br />
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— With assistance by Nick Wadhams, and Firat Kozok<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br />
<b>The Hill, DC</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Dec 12 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Senate passes Armenian genocide resolution</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>By Jordain Carney </b><o:p></o:p><br />
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The Senate passed a resolution on Thursday formally recognizing the Ottoman Empire's genocide against the Armenian people, a move strongly opposed by the Turkish government.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) passed the resolution, which provides "official recognition and remembrance" of the Armenian genocide, by consent.<o:p></o:p><br />
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"We have just passed the Armenian genocide resolution ... and it is fitting and appropriate that the Senate stands on the right side of history in doing so. It commemorates the truth of the Armenian genocide," Menendez said from the Senate floor.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Under the Senate's rules any senator can ask to pass a resolution. As long as another senator doesn't object, the measure will clear the chamber. The Armenian genocide resolution passed the House in a 405-11 vote.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The move comes after three GOP senators previously blocked passage of the resolution amid pressure from the White House, which argued that it would undercut negotiations between Washington and Ankara, which vehemently opposes recognizing the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in the early 20th century as genocide.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) noted that it was the fourth time that supporters have tried to pass the resolution.<o:p></o:p><br />
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"This is the third week in a row we have come to the Senate floor seeking to pass this resolution, and I'm grateful that today we have succeeded," Cruz said. "This is a moment of truth that was far too long coming."<o:p></o:p><br />
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Congress's passage of the resolution comes as relations between the U.S. and Turkey have been tested in recent months over Turkey's purchase of a Russian weapons system and its incursion into Syria.<o:p></o:p><br />
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It comes a day after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed Turkey sanctions legislation, underscoring the rocky relationship between Capitol Hill and Ankara.<o:p></o:p><br />
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In addition to giving "recognition and remembrance" to the Armenian genocide, the resolution also rejects attempts to "enlist, engage, or otherwise associate" the U.S. government with denial of genocide and "encourage education and public understanding" of it.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Dec 12 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Full text of US Senate’s resolution recognizing Armenian Genocide </b><o:p></o:p><br />
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The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted resolution calling to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance and to reject efforts to associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide.<o:p></o:p><br />
The full text of the resolution is as follows:<o:p></o:p><br />
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RESOLUTION<o:p></o:p><br />
Expressing the sense of the Senate that it is the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Whereas the United States has a proud history of recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, the killing of an estimated 1,500,000 Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, and providing relief to the survivors of the campaign of genocide against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians;<o:p></o:p><br />
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Whereas the Honorable Henry Morgenthau, Sr., United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916, organized and led protests by officials of many countries against what he described as “a campaign of race extermination,” and, on July 16, 1915, was instructed by United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing that the “Department approves your procedure … to stop Armenian persecution”;<o:p></o:p><br />
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Whereas President Woodrow Wilson encouraged the formation of Near East Relief, chartered by an Act of Congress, which raised approximately $116,000,000 (more than $2,500,000,000 in 2019 dollars) between 1915 and 1930, and the Senate adopted resolutions condemning the massacres;<o:p></o:p><br />
Whereas Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term “genocide” in 1944 and who was the earliest proponent of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, invoked the Armenian case as a definitive example of genocide in the 20th century;<o:p></o:p><br />
Whereas, as displayed in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Adolf Hitler, on ordering his military commanders to attack Poland without provocation in 1939, dismissed objections by saying, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”, setting the stage for the Holocaust;<o:p></o:p><br />
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Whereas the United States has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide—<o:p></o:p><br />
(1) through the May 28, 1951, written statement of the United States Government to the International Court of Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and Proclamation No. 4838 issued by President Ronald Reagan on April 22, 1981; and<o:p></o:p><br />
(2) by House Joint Resolution 148, 94th Congress, agreed to April 8, 1975, and House Joint Resolution 247, 98th Congress, agreed to September 10, 1984; and<o:p></o:p><br />
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Whereas the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–441) establishes that the prevention of atrocities is a national interest of the United States and affirms that it is the policy of the United States to pursue a United States Government-wide strategy to identify, prevent, and respond to the risk of atrocities by “strengthening diplomatic response and the effective use of foreign assistance to support appropriate transitional justice measures, including criminal accountability, for past atrocities”: Now, therefore, be it<o:p></o:p><br />
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that it is the policy of the United States—<o:p></o:p><br />
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(1) to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance;<o:p></o:p><br />
(2) to reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide; and<o:p></o:p><br />
(3) to encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the role of the United States in humanitarian relief efforts, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Anadolu Agency, Turkey</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Dec 12 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>US Senate passes Armenia resolution </b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Chamber votes unanimously in favor of resolution to recognize <span style="color: red;">alleged</span> killings of Armenians in 1915 </b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Servet Günerigök </b><o:p></o:p><br />
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WASHINGTON <o:p></o:p><br />
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Thursday a resolution that recognizes the so-called Armenian genocide. <o:p></o:p><br />
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"Our resolution to recognize and commemorate the #ArmenianGenocide just passed the United States Senate," Senator Bob Menendez announced on Twitter. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The resolution asserts that "it is the policy" of the U.S. to commemorate the alleged genocide "through official recognition and remembrance." <o:p></o:p><br />
Last week, the White House asked Republican Senator Kevin Cramer to block voting on the resolution, according to the Axios news site. That marked the third time a Republican senator blocked the measure at the White House's request.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Last month, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham objected to passing the resolution after Menendez sought consent to pass it. Republican Senator David Perdue was also asked to block the resolution.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Cramer said he does not think it is "the right time" to pass the resolution, according to Axios.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The senator reportedly cited U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at this month's NATO summit in London, saying the resolution could harm the Trump administration's diplomatic efforts. <o:p></o:p><br />
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In mid-November during his visit in Washington, Erdogan reiterated his call for historians to investigate the issue.<o:p></o:p><br />
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"If the U.S. side really wants to act fairly, it should refrain from taking a political stand on a matter that historians should decide," said Erdogan. <o:p></o:p><br />
The president warned that listening to one side would lead to irreparable harms in Turkey-U.S. relations.<o:p></o:p><br />
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On Oct. 29, the anniversary of the Turkish Republic, the House voted 405-11 in favor of the resolution to recognize alleged killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Turkey's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.<o:p></o:p><br />
Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.<o:p></o:p><br />
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to examine the issue.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>The National Herald, Greece</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Dec 12 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Turkey’s Armenian Orthodox Christian Church Elects New Patriarch</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>By Associated Press </b><o:p></o:p><br />
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ANKARA – Turkey’s Armenian community on Wednesday voted in Bishop Sahak Masalyan as its new patriarch, in an election that critics say was overshadowed by Turkish government intervention.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Delegates elected Masalyan, 57, as the 85th patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Christians in Turkey, the church announced at the end of a election process that began on Dec. 7. He succeeds Patriach Mesrob II, who died in March at 62.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Masalyan’s rival, Archbishop Aram Atesyan, had been serving as acting patriarch since 2008, when Mesrob became incapacitated and withdrew from his duties.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Atesyan and Masalyan were among only three candidates who were able to stand for the position after Turkey ruled that Armenian clergy currently serving abroad would not be eligible. The third candidate dropped out of the race in protest, while some community members boycotted the election process, according to Turkish media reports.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The patriarch is considered the head of the Armenians in Turkey, which numbers an estimated 70,000, and serves as a go-between the government and the community. Turkish officials often rely on the patriarch’s cooperation for their efforts to counter moves around the world to recognize the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago as genocide.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed around World War I, and many scholars see it as the 20th century’s first genocide. Turkey disputes the description, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of a civil war. Turkey has repeatedly called for a joint committee of historians to investigate the slayings.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Garo Paylan, a legislator in Turkey’s parliament, was among community members who boycotted the election process.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“I will not consider the chosen one as my Patriarch,” he wrote on Twitter, adding that those who interfered in the election process would go down in the “dark pages” of history.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Last year, the Turkish government intervened to halt elections at the patriarchate on the grounds “that the necessary conditions for the electoral process had not been met” and that Mesrob was still alive.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>armenpress.am</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>11 December, 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>“Pray for me”, Patriarch-elect Sahak Mashalian vows great changes for Armenian community</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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Shortly after being elected 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Bishop Sahak Mashalian addressed the Armenian community of Istanbul at the Armenian church near the patriarchate headquarters, noting that they will shape a new community with the patriarchate’s new composition, new programs and initiatives.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“We need something new, both in our spirits and minds. Our establishments need to be renovated, and my election must be the first step. We have an example of leadership before us – Jesus Christ, who washed the feet of his disciples, showed how to be a good shepherd. Today, you did not elect a patriarch, you elected the first servant of God and nation,” Mashalian said.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The Bishop said he will make his first pontifical address as 85th Patriarch after the inauguration and enthronement. “But now I have to ask you to pray for me”.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“The fact that we elected a patriarch in peace happened thanks to the prayers of thousands of people”, he said. The Bishop thanked the clergy, the delegates, and his opponent in the election, Aram Ateshian.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Dec 11 2019</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b>Archbishop Aram Ateshian congratulates new Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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Archbishop Aram Ateshian has offered congratulations to Bishop Sahak Mashalian, who is set to become the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Bishop Sahak Mashalian previously served as the Locum Tenens of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul.<o:p></o:p><br />
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In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, Aram Ateshian wished him every success.<o:p></o:p><br />
“As the eldest member of the clergy, I wish that unity and brotherhood be re-established inside the national religious life of the Turkish Armenian community,” Ateshian wrote.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“It is our prayer that a new flourishing period may open before this age-old Patriarchate and that its mission may be enriched with new achievements for the benefit of our Holy Church and our dear people. God bless the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople!”<o:p></o:p><br />
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The elections of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople are held in three stages. On 7 December the General Religious Assembly elected the 17 religious delegates.<o:p></o:p><br />
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On 8 December Istanbul Armenians cast their votes for the 103 secular delegates representing the two candidates for the post. 89 out of the 103 secular delegates supported Sahak Mashalian, while the remaining 12 – Aram Ateshian. Today the delegates voted to elected the new Patriarch. </div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-53007984934444015182019-12-28T15:21:00.002+00:002019-12-28T15:21:55.183+00:00Arminian News... A Topalian...<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
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<b>Dec 9 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Turkey: Next Armenian patriarch will be elected on Dec. 11 </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Armenian community of Turkey has voted in Armenian churches across the country to elect delegates to choose the 85th head of the church in elections to be held on Wednesday, December 11, Daily Sabah reports.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The community voted in churches in Istanbul, central Kayseri province and southeastern Diyarbakır, Mardin and Hatay provinces after a long period of uncertainty and mourning following the death of Mesrob II, the revered head of the patriarchate of Turkey's Armenians who passed away on March 8 after an 11-year fight against dementia.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some 102 delegates chosen in the election will choose the next head of the church in upcoming elections.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Two candidates are running in the election, Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, who served as acting patriarch during the absence of Mesrob II, and Archbishop Sahak Maşalyan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sebuh Çulciyan, who is the childhood friend of assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and now lives and serves in Armenia, was also a candidate for the election. <b>However, according to the new regulations by the Interior Ministry, reverends living abroad can no longer run in elections.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Previously, the illness of Mesrob II stirred up controversy in the community, and many called for an election while the former patriarch was still alive. The Turkish state would not authorize a replacement for the patriarchate while he was still alive, despite calls by Ateşyan and his dissidents for elections.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Dec 9 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Garo Paylan: I'm not going to acknowledge the elected Armenian patriarch </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Turkish-Armenian Member of Parliament Garo Paylan has tweeted about the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Garo Paylan wrote the following: “I’m not going to participate in the patriarchal elections. I’m also not going to recognize the elected patriarch as my patriarch. The names of officials who turned our honor into a plaything and the names of clergymen and presidents of funds and foundations who collaborated with those officials, will go down in the dark pages of history.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the rules and regulations for the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, the Turkish Ministry of International Affairs had prohibited bishops other than the bishops of the congregation of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople from running in the elections, and this had sparked great reactions among the members of the Armenian community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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armenpress.am<o:p></o:p></div>
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6 December, 2019<o:p></o:p></div>
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Armenia to surpass Azerbaijan with GDP per capita in 2020, says PM<o:p></o:p></div>
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Armenia will surpass Azerbaijan in 2020 with GDP per capita volumes, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at parliamentary debates of the 2020 budget draft.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“In 2019 the Republic of Armenia was able to surpass Georgia with GDP per capita. But more importantly, with 2020 results we will surpass Azerbaijan, in this ranking the Republic of Armenia was the last in at least the past decades, but in 2020 it will be first, and this is the flag of the economic revolution. And this flag is carried by the free, dignified, proud and diligent Armenian citizen,” the PM said.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The two opposition parties of parliament, the Bright Armenia (LHK) and Prosperous Armenia (BHK) parties, have earlier announced that they will vote down the 2020 budget draft.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="http://panarmenian.net/" style="color: #0563c1;">PanArmenian.Net</a> </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Dec 9 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>52% of adult men in Armenia are smokers: official</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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28% of the residents of Armenia are smokers, Deputy Health Minister Lena Nanushyan said Monday, December 9, with 52% of adult men and 2-3% of adult women puffing on cigarettes regularly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The National Assembly is discussing ways to reduce harm to health caused by tobacco products.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nanushyan reminded lawmakers that smoking causes cancer in the lung, oral cavity, esophagus and a number of other organs, as well as heart attacks, and contributes to other diseases.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the Deputy Minister, many non-smokers are affected by second-hand smoke both at home and at work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nanushyan said 70% of pregnant women are also exposed to second-hand smoke.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Legislative reforms proposed by the Health Ministry plan will enable the police to control regulation that bans smoking in indoor public places.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The draft law prohibiting tobacco smoking in public spaces imposes major fines for smoking in public catering facilities, hotels, cars, medical, cultural, entertainment centers and other spaces prohibited by law.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the World Health Organizations (WHO), tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Around 80% of the world's 1.1 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Amn Al-Masdar</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Dec 8 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>280-year-old Armenian Cathedral reopens in Aleppo after suffering damage due to war</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Armenian Catholic Cathedral of Our Mother of Reliefs was reopened on Saturday in the Al-Talal neighborhood in the Old City of Aleppo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The opening ceremony was attended by Syria’s Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, the Papal Ambassador to Syria Mario Zenari, Aleppo Mufti Mahmoud Akkam in addition to a crowd of Muslim and Christian clergymen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Head of the Armenian Catholic Community in Aleppo Archbishop Boutrus Mrayati stressed the importance of celebrating the reopening of the cathedral, which was built in 1840, as a spiritual occasion that aims to preserve Syria’s history, pointing out that renovation works were carried out by national expertise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Grand Mufti Badreddin Hassoun said that reopening of the cathedral is a message to the world that “we are rebuilding what terrorism had destroyed of churches, mosques and factories.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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He stressed that terrorism tools have destroyed the churches and mosques but they won’t be able to destroy Syria.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Other speeches hailed the reopening of the cathedral, emphasizing that it indicates the Christian insistence to stay in Syria and contribute to rebuilding what has been destroyed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Armenian Parliament Passes 2020 Government Budget</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>December 06, 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Tatevik Lazarian</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Naira Nalbandian</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian put an optimistic spin on the economic situation in Armenia on Friday as the National Assembly approved his government’s budget for next year calling for further sizable increases in public spending and tax revenue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“We are doing well,” Pashinian said amid strong opposition criticism of the spending bill passed by 69 votes to 37.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The budget commits the government to spending 1.88 trillion drams (almost $4 billion), up by 14 percent from its expenditures projected for this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In particular, spending on social program is to rise by 10 percent, to 489 billion drams. The budget calls for sharper increases in government funds allocated to education and healthcare. They are projected to total 163 billion drams and 111 billion drams respectively.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By contrast, Armenia’s defense budget will be virtually flat in 2020 at just over 301 billion drams ($634 million), a fact deplored by some opposition politicians and other critics of the government. The latter has pledged to strengthen the Armenian military through more efficient governance and its ongoing fight against corruption.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Since May 2018 Armenia has acquired unprecedented, for the recent past, quantities of weapons and ammunition,” Pashinian said in this regard. He did not shed light on those acquisitions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Armenia’s state revenues are projected to growth just as strongly and reach almost 1.7 trillion drams. According to Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian, this should translate into a budget deficit equivalent to 2.6 percent of Gross Domestic Project. The government had forecast a slightly lower deficit-to-GDP ratio for 2019.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These budgetary targets are based on the assumption that the Armenian economy will expand by at least 4.9 percent next year. Government officials say economic growth may well be faster, arguing that it accelerated to 7.5 percent in the first nine months of this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pashinian declared that Armenia is now the fastest-growing economy in the former Soviet Union. Citing a raft of macroeconomic data, he said: “All this shows that we will be doing even better.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The two opposition parties represented in the Armenian parliament reaffirmed, however, their negative assessment of the government’s economic policies and proposed budget in particular. They insisted that Pashinian has failed to launch an “economic revolution” in the country which he promised after coming to power in May 2018.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senior parliamentarians representing the Bright Armenia (LHK) and Prosperous Armenia (BHK) parties said they will vote against the budget because the government has rejected virtually all amendments proposed by them earlier last month. Janjughazian argued that the amendments envisaged as much as 359 billion drams ($753 million) in additional government spending.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The problems pinpointed by us during the previous debate have not only remained unsolved but have also been deepened [by the government,]” the LHK’s Mane Tandilian said on Thursday. “Therefore, we have no choice but to vote against the budget.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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For his part, the BHK’s Mikael Melkumian claimed that the budgetary targets cannot “improve the plight of the people.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>armenpress.am</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>9 December, 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Parliament OKs aviation tax break for flying to new destinations from Armenian airports</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Armenian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to adopt the bill authored by the Civil Aviation Committee on exempting airlines from the so called “Air Duty” in the event of launching flights to new destinations from Armenian airports. <o:p></o:p></div>
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90 MPs voted in favor, 2 voted against and 1 voted present.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Air Duty is a fixed $21 tax charged from every air ticket sold in the country.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The move is expected to contribute to the development of the aviation market and boost tourism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the aviation committee several airlines have already expressed readiness to launch new flights from Yerevan to destinations such as Kaluga, Berlin, Rome and other European cities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The exemption is granted for a 36 months period from the launch date with the possibility of extension for another 24 months.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>JAMNEWS</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b> OCTOBER 14, 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>70 kilometers through the mountains, with crossings through rivers and gorges, and stopovers in ancient villages </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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A group of Armenian guides undertook to develop ecotourism in the very south of the country – now they are expecting an inflow of tourists starting next year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A new 70-kilometer tourist route will be created in the Syunik region and will pass through reserves and forests and connect the paths of Kapan and Meghri.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Guides say that this mountain route will give tourists the opportunity to see completely wild nature, wade through gorges, cross rivers, see ancient temples and settlements.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The route includes the Platan Grove reserve, thickets of eastern beech, Mount Khustup, where there are tent camps. Part of the route runs directly along the famous Silk Road.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The idea belongs to the public organization Guides from the South. And their goal is not only the development of ecotourism – but the creation of jobs for the local population<o:p></o:p></div>
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“By the end of 2019, our route will be ready – thoroughly developed, consistent with state standards and displayed on maps. By this time, many local guides will also undergo retraining. We will organize a big PR campaign in cooperation with local and foreign agencies, and hope to attract many tourists,” says Robert Matevosyan, chairman of the Guides from the South organization.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Eight villages will be involved in the route – and, accordingly, in the new tourism business – which are located next to the Shikahogh Nature Reserve and the Arevik National Park.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Local residents will sell products, open restaurants, and local traditional crafts will be in demand. The goal is for communities to develop themselves, without external assistance, and tourism will become an incentive for them,” says David Hakobyan, guide, ecologist and program coordinator at Guides from the South.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The entire programme is called “Ecotourism as an incentive for the socio-economic development of communities around protected areas.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since 2018, 27 guides have already been trained – and together with them they have gathered legends, stories about history and traditions, and prepared a program for tourists.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“In preparing the route, volunteers from Peru, Colombia, Russia and Poland worked with us. If we receive the necessary financing, by the end of the year we will also conduct courses on how to organize a hotel business,” says David.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A separate website will be created for this 70-kilometer route, where, among other things, they will publish a list of goods and services that will be provided by at least 40 families included in the project. The site even has the recipes of traditional dishes of these places.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since the beginning of the 1990s, the population of Shikahogh has been reduced four times, there are very few people left.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aramis Tadevosyan, a 58-year-old military training teacher at the local school, together with his wife Gohar decided to join the tourism business – and have already taken their first steps. They renovated their two-story house and even managed to receive the first tourists this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The son of Aramais is 28 years old. More recently, Bagrat and his wife and child returned from Russia.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I left to work, but could not get used to life in Russia. If tourists find out about our places, they will come to us. And we will have the opportunity to get down to business, stop thinking about leaving our village, even those who left will return,” says Bagrat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>[Turkey swims against the overwhelming tide, exposing all its prejudices in one place by repeating false arguments]</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Daily Sabah, Turkey</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Dec 8 2019</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Turkey to boost efforts to fight defamation campaign</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Turkey has been preparing to boost efforts to fight a defamation campaign waged against the country. One of the latest initiatives of the Directorate of Communications has been to create a website about the baseless claims on the 1915 events.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The new website <i>, </i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></i></span><i><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__1915.gov.tr&d=DwMFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=iSp4aJ6gBM1HFp-1ni0NfOGiLNx84hyWm-JFACUX1Vw&s=Z879m8jeV4AMD7lfQI6p83rXZuORDPg-TKVXAXCeaKo&e=" style="color: #0563c1;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;">1915.gov.tr</span></a></i><i><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 13.5pt;">,</span></i><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span>aims to inform the public about the events from the year 1915 with a comprehensive and objective historical narrative. Turkey objects to the presentation of the 1915 incidents as a "genocide," rather referring to it as a tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians suffered casualties amidst the throws of World War I. Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia under the supervision of international experts charged with examining the issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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"This website will respond to Armenian genocide slander used against our country at every possible opportunity in the international area, by putting historical information and data to the fore," said Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Saturday during a training program in the coastal province of Antalya.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He also stated that such an issue ought not to be used as a political tool, adding that the new initiative would contribute to efforts to depoliticize the historical narrative and to reach accurate historical findings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to presenting the events of 1915 in a comprehensive and objective manner, the website also includes official statements about the issue, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's letter to Armenia's former President Robert Kocharyan to establish a joint commission of historians to analyze the 1915 events and the president's messages to the Armenian Patriarchate on the commemoration ceremonies on April 24.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another topic the site offers information on is the ASALA terror group, whose attacks targetted Turkish diplomats in a spat of violent incidents throughout the 1970s and 1980s.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Founded in 1975 in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, ASALA was responsible for hundreds of bloody terror acts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Though the group was formed in 1975, the first killing of a diplomat and his deputy came on Jan. 27, 1973, when group member Gourgen Yanikian killed Turkey's consul general in Los Angeles, Mehmet Baydar, and his aide Bahadır Demir. A total of three diplomats were killed between 1973 and 1978, after which Turkish public servants abroad became targets for Armenian terrorist organizations such as ASALA and the self-declared Justice Commandoes for Armenian Genocide group.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Armenian terrorist attacks intensified from 1980 to 1983. In these years, 80% of recorded attacks (580 of the 699) occurred. The terrorist attacks ceased in 1986, according to a study on Armenian terrorism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 1915, the Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following revolts in which some sided with invading Russian forces. There were many Armenian casualties during this relocation process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey has officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents saying that, although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia. The Turkish government has repeatedly called on historians to study Ottoman archives pertaining to the era in order to uncover what actually happened between the Ottoman government and its Armenian citizens.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rebuffing the "genocide" allegations, Turkey has officially acknowledged past experiences as a great tragedy in which both parties suffered heavy casualties, including hundreds of Muslim Turks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stronger fight against dark propaganda<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to his statements about the 1915 events, Altun also said that Turkey will step up its efforts against dark propaganda targeting the country. "We should wage a stronger fight against dark propaganda," Altun said.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He stressed that Turkey's negotiating power in the international arena had been growing as a result of its growing regional strength. "Our aim is to conduct high-quality, valuable work to equal to the rise of our country, which has a voice in the region and in the world," Altun added.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He underlined Turkey's successes in the fight against terrorism and efforts to show the dark, bloody face of terrorist groups to the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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"We put up fierce struggles in the field simultaneously against terrorist groups," he said, citing Turkey's effort against the PKK, Daesh and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). FETÖ was behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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"In this sense, Turkey's Operation Peace Spring has just shown that despite all attempts to besiege us, we can establish our own game and overthrow geopolitical engineering projects of foreign actors similar to ones from a century ago," he added.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate terrorist PKK's Syrian offshoot the People's Protection Units (YPG) from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Under two separate deals with the U.S. and Russia, Turkey paused the operation to allow the withdrawal of YPG terrorists from a planned Syrian safe zone. Ankara wants the YPG terrorists to withdraw from the region so that a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some 2 million refugees.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured. FETÖ was also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-32248095182321544572019-11-12T16:24:00.001+00:002019-11-12T16:29:22.644+00:00Armenian News...A Topalian <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
Panorama, Armenia</div>
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Nov 2 2019</div>
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Bashar al-Assad refers to the Armenian community as an example of Syrian diversity</div>
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insists national and religious minorities in Syria enjoy full rights which is part of Syrian diversity and that the country has no adverse view on that. Bashar al-Assad’s remarks came during an interview given to Damascus-based Al-Sourea and al-Ikhbariya TV on Thursday. At a question about the Kurds living in Syria, the President exemplified the Armenian minority as an example of Syrian diversity.</div>
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“The Armenians have been a patriotic group par excellence. This was proven without a shadow of doubt during the war. At the same time, this group has its own societies, its own</div>
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churches and more sensitively, it has its own schools. And if you attend any Armenian celebration, a wedding, or any other event --- they sing their traditional songs but afterwards they sing national, politically-inclined songs,” said Assad.</div>
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In the president’s words, the Syrian Armenians are the least, among other Armenians of the world, dissolved in society. “They have integrated, but not dissolved into Syrian society. They have maintained all their characteristics. </div>
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Why should we be open here and unopen with others?” Assad questioned.</div>
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In his words, the reason is that there are separatist propositions and it is their right to defend the territorial integrity and to be wary of separatist propositions. </div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Nov 2 2019</b></div>
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<b>NYT Armenian President interview: Recognition is a strength. It’s not a weakness </b></div>
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If you take Turkey recognizing the Armenian genocide, that will also be recognition of the fact Turkey is on its way to become a tolerant state, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said during an interview with The New York Times’ Roger Cohen.</div>
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“Recognition of something that you have done wrong in ordinary life, in your family, with your friends, recognition is a strength. It’s not a weakness. If you take Turkey recognizing the Armenian genocide, that will also be recognition of the fact Turkey is on its way to become a tolerant state,” he said.</div>
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According to Armenpress, journalist Roger Cohen published a detailed article in The New York Times and touched upon the adoption by the US House of Representatives of the Armenian Genocide resolution.</div>
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“In every office there are images of Mount Ararat, which rises in Turkey, a symbol for Armenians of longing, pride, the hope of return and the suffering of the Armenian genocide that began in 1915 and involved the</div>
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Ottoman Empire’s killing of more than one million Armenians,” Kohen wrote.</div>
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The author also turned to the history of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that today Armenia has closed borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and only borders with Georgia and Iran are open.</div>
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“Yet I found Armenians in upbeat mood! What do physical borders matter these days? The nearly three million citizens of Armenia are in constant touch with the many more millions of Armenians in the diaspora, who are sending money home. With a strong tech sector, Armenia sees itself as a start-up country. It’s looking forward more than back,” he noted. “The country’s bloodless revolution in 2018 has not delivered paradise, but it has eliminated fatalism. People feel they have the freedom to try what they want. Weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism brought down the old Armenian political class, much as massive demonstrations in Beirut, Baghdad and Santiago in recent weeks have brought down or shaken the governments of Lebanon, Iraq and Chile.</div>
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The author of an article entitled “The Spirit That Brought Down the Berlin Wall Lives On” in an interview with the Armenian President touched upon a wave of changes that swept people around the world. Armen Sarkissian</div>
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noted that the old systems will no longer work today.</div>
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“We are living in a quantum world because more than half of life is virtual,” he said. The notion of democracies functioning through elections every few years is outdated. He called Armenia “one of the first labs” to find new “rules or behavior” for a world where every individual has a voice that “is exercised and expressed daily.”</div>
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<b>AHVAL News</b></div>
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<b>Nov 2 2019</b></div>
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<b>Turkey may face reparation demands after U.S. recognises Armenian genocide - Turkish politician </b></div>
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Armenians in the United States may seek a reparations ruling after the U.S. House of Representatives’ on Tuesday voted in favour of recognising the mass killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire a century ago as genocide, a veteran Turkish politician said. </div>
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The Armenian plaintiffs could seek to appeal against a previous ruling by a California court before the deadline on Nov. 9 after last Tuesday’s House ruling, said Cemil Çiçek, former speaker of the Turkish parliament and current member of Turkish presidency’s Higher Advisory Board.</div>
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The House vote on Tuesday came amid bipartisan anger in Congress over the Turkish offensive in northeast Syria against Syrian Kurdish forces that fought the Islamic State alongide U.S. forces.</div>
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Çiçek told Ahmet Taşgetiren, a columnist for Karar newspaper, that the U.S. Congress’ move might have wider repercussions. </div>
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“Armenians of Turkish origin have been filing reparation cases against Turkey for a while,” Taşgetiren quoted Çiçek as saying on Friday. </div>
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“The latest decision of the U.S. House of Representatives’ on genocide in one way has fulfilled the demands of the Armenians in the political dimension. Moreover, the number of votes in favour (405 to 11) could encourage</div>
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Armenians. The courts from now on might not justify their decisions by saying the matter should be left to politics,” he said.</div>
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Çiçek was referring to a decision of the United States Court of Appeals on Aug. 9 to deny the</div>
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appeal of two lawsuits brought by several Armenian-Americans demanding compensation from the Republic of Turkey and two of its banks for confiscating their properties shortly after the period when the Armenian genocide took place. The decision of the court can be appealed until Nov. 9, the politician said.</div>
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The first lawsuit was filed in 2010 by Alex Bakalian, Anais Haroutunian, and Rita Mahdessian seeking $65 million from Turkey’s central bank and state-owned Ziraat Bank. The second lawsuit was filed by David Davoyan</div>
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and Hrayr Turabian against the Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank of Turkey, and Ziraat Bank.</div>
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The U.S. Court of Appeals in 2013 dismissed the two lawsuits declaring that “under the political question doctrine which says certain questions—in this case, determining whether Turkey’s actions were genocide—should be handled by the executive branch, not the courts.” </div>
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The court in August rejected the appeal against its previous decision, saying that the two Armenian lawsuits were time-barred.</div>
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“The Armenians right now may seek to ensure a ruling from the higher court in favour of reparations by thinking that the current climate in the United States right now can have results to their advantage,” Çiçek said. “Such a reparations decision can create problems for Turkey which it might struggle to overcome for 100 years,” he said. </div>
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<b>Jerusalem Post</b></div>
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<b>Nov 4 2019</b></div>
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<b>Recognize the Armenian genocide </b></div>
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<b>In a prelude to the Holocaust and the crimes of ISIS, the slaughter of Armenians was an opening to a hundred years of similar mass murder events. </b></div>
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<b>By JPost Editorial</b></div>
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About 105 years ago, the Armenian genocide began. Members of the Armenian community living in the Ottoman Empire were systematically exterminated at the orders of the governing authorities. As many as 1.5 million Armenians, an ethnic minority, were rounded up and murdered or deported to the deserts of Syria to die.</div>
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The Armenian genocide was well known in its time. The German military attaché to the Ottoman Empire described it as “total extermination” and other accounts provided graphic details of the horrors the survivors went through. Women were sold into slavery and raped, children were left to starve. In a prelude to the Holocaust and the crimes of ISIS, the slaughter of Armenians was an opening to a hundred years of similar mass murder events.</div>
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As a state founded in the wake of genocide, Israel knows too well what it means to be a small minority subjected to massacre and the systematic murder by a government. Like Armenians, Jews had to live as minorities under regimes such as the Germans or the Poles, enjoying “protection” so long as they did not get in the way of the state’s interests.</div>
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In late October, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide. It overwhelmingly passed with 405 votes and affirms that the US will record the genocide and provide “solemn remembrance of one of the great atrocities of the 20th century.” The US was moved to act because of recent tensions with Turkey.</div>
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Unfortunately, Israel has not acted in the same way, mostly because of a political directive according to which Turkey needed to be appeased. Recognizing the Armenian genocide, the argument went for years, would undermine Israel’s ties with Turkey. </div>
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This has created the unwelcome situation where our country, founded by survivors of persecution, did not reach out to another minority group that experienced a similar situation. Decades ago, that may have made sense in the realpolitik of the generations that led Israel. They needed to make difficult compromises, such as the Reparations Agreement between Israel and Germany in 1952. </div>
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Now we have a worthwhile opportunity to correct those wrongs. Israeli-Turkish ties are at an all-time low. Turkey’s leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, continues to incite against Israel in the most vicious form of antisemitism, all part of a wider authoritarian far-right agenda he is promoting in Turkey and the region. At the UN in September, he compared Israel to Nazi Germany: “When we look at the genocide the Nazis committed against Jews, we should look at the massacre happening in the Gaza Strip from the same point of view.”</div>
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Erdogan made his speech attacking Israel at the same time as he showed a map arguing Turkey should invade Syria and ethnically cleanse Kurds. Turkey’s month-long operation in northern Syria has already cost more lives than all those killed in Gaza in two years. Turkey’s bombing of Syria has caused young children to lose their limbs, and has driven 300,000 people from their homes. </div>
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Turkey thinks that it can threaten other countries and that these countries will then be deterred from recognizing the Armenian genocide, a matter of Turkish pride. Israel no longer has any reason to fear Turkey’s reaction. Absent a military conflict, can it really get worse?</div>
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“The US House of Representatives’ vote to recognize the Armenian Genocide is a vote for historical truth and justice,” MK Yair Lapid, co-leader of Blue and White, wrote on Twitter after the US vote. “Turkey cannot be allowed to intimidate the world into denying genocide. I will continue to fight for Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”</div>
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Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar tweeted a similar statement: “I welcome the moral and principled stance of the US House of Representatives in recognizing the mass killing of Armenians 100 years ago as genocide. Israel should make similarly clear its recognition of this terrible atrocity.”</div>
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Lapid and Sa’ar are right. It is time for Israel to do the right thing – not to get back at Turkey, but to set the record straight.</div>
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Armenpress.am</div>
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Real estate deals grow in Armenia</div>
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In the third quarter of 2019 the real estate deals increased in Armenia compared to the same period of 2018, as well as to the 2nd quarter</div>
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of 2019, according to the analysis released by the Cadastre Committee.</div>
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In the third quarter of 2019 the 47.152 real estate registration transactions increased by 17.9% compared to the 40.000 deals of the same period of 2018. The deals also increased</div>
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against the 2nd quarter of 2019 by 0.8%.</div>
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In the third quarter of 2019 the most deals were carried out in the capital city of Yerevan, comprising 35.3% of the total deals, then in Kotayk province -14.1%, Aragatsotn province-9.6%.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Pashinian Denies Rifts Between Armenia, Karabakh</b></div>
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<b>November 04, 2019</b></div>
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has denied differences between his government and authorities in Stepanakert over what the settlement of the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be, stressing that their visions in this matter are identical.</div>
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Pashinian went live on Facebook Sunday night to debunk what he described as false claims by critics that he dismissed as ridiculous.</div>
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“Conspiracies in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement are excluded,” Pashinian said, claiming that former government officials “have been spending millions [of dollars]” on disinformation aimed at discrediting his government.</div>
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“And now they are putting forward a theory that since the current government or I personally as prime minister do not agree to territorial concessions, the negotiations are in deadlock, and the government has started frightening people with the prospect of war. Concrete budgets have been allocated for [spreading disinformation] on this subject,” the premier contended.</div>
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Pashinian said that while in a situation of the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute there may always be a risk of war, it is no higher now than it was before his government came to power in 2018. “On the contrary, if we now monitor the border situation and the level of tensions at the borders, we will see that </div>
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there has been a sharp and significant fall in overall tensions over the past year and a half,” he said, referring to his September 2018 arrangements with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to reduce tensions in the conflict zone.</div>
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“Unfortunately, we still have tensions [in the conflict zone], but these tensions are much lower than they were three, four or five years ago… Unfortunately, we still have loss of life today. I am saying this to show that no one is saying that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue has been resolved and we have reached a lasting settlement. But on the other hand, however strange it may sound, I think there is some very interesting dynamics in the negotiation process, and I am optimistic that this dynamics will continue.”</div>
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Pashinian again stressed that negotiations are being conducted according to the logic that any solution to the conflict must be acceptable to the peoples of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.</div>
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“Decisions must be made in a pan-national manner. We could even hold a referendum. But these discussions are still premature, since we are talking about the strategy. In other words, our task in the negotiation process is to reach a solution that is acceptable to our people,” Pashinian underscored.</div>
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Zohrab Mnatsakanian, who serves as foreign minister in the Pashinian cabinet, also insisted last week that long-running efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are not in deadlock. He cited more high-level talks </div>
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planned by Armenia and Azerbaijan.</div>
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“At least with regard to things relating to us, we do not see a deadlock,” said Mnatsakanian. “We are continuing to work very calmly because this work needs to be done as it concerns our security, regional security and peace.”</div>
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“There is a dynamic in the negotiations and I hope that we can move forward quickly if there is mutual constructiveness,” he told reporters on October 31.</div>
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Earlier, a senior official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) confirmed that Mnatsakanian and Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will meet again on the sidelines of an OSCE ministerial </div>
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gathering to be held in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava on December 5-6.</div>
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<b><a href="http://asbarez.com/">Asbarez.com</a></b></div>
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<b>5 November 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia to Acquire New Weapons</b></div>
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The Armenian military will buy new, modern weapons from different countries both during the current year and in 2020, Defense Minister David Tonoyan told reporters on Monday, saying Armenia’s military spending budget was “sufficient” to allow the purchases.</div>
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“Today the Armenian Armed Forces are acquiring mostly new modernized weaponry. In both 2019 and 2020 we will acquire solely new and modern capacities from various countries both contractually and through credit programs,” Tonoyan told reporters.</div>
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In discussing the finances, Tonoyan said that he would like to have seen a double or triple increase in defense spending. However, he said, the current military budget is sufficient to allow for the weapons upgrades.</div>
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Russian SU-30SM aircraft</div>
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The Armenian Air Force will be re-equipped with Russian SU-30SM fighter jets in a few months, Tonoyan announced, adding that the aircraft will be delivered to Armenia either by the end of the year or in the first two months of 2020.</div>
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“The aircraft will arrive either in December or January-February,” he said, adding that this was the initial timeline. Earlier this summer, various reports indicated that Armenia would acquire for such jets, however, Tonoyan did not reveal a specific number.</div>
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The Sukhoi Su-30 is a Russian-made twin-engine, two-seat super-maneuverable fighter aircraft. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.</div>
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The Su-30SM has been upgraded for radar, radio communications systems, friend-or-foe identification system, ejection seats, weapons, and other aircraft systems. It has frontal horizontal fins and steerable thrusters for super-maneuverability.</div>
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The aircraft can be used to gain air supremacy, while targeting the enemy on the ground using a wide range of weapons including air-to-air, air-to-surface and guided and unguided bombs with total cargo capacity of up to 8,000 kilograms, approximately 17,600 pounds.</div>
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<b>JAM News</b></div>
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<b>Nov 4 2019</b></div>
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<b>Why is Armenia facing a demographic crisis?</b></div>
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<b>Gayaneh Mkrtchyan</b></div>
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“If nothing is done, then after 5 years, according to UN forecasts, the mortality rate will exceed the birth rate throughout the country” </div>
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Armenia has five years to go before it has to register a declining population – the stage when the mortality rate exceeds the birth rate.</div>
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“This year, for the first time in history, depopulation was recorded in the Lori region – the mortality rate exceeded the birth rate by 90.</div>
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“At the republican level, we have not yet entered the stage of depopulation, but if nothing is done, then in four to five years, according to UN forecasts, the mortality rate will exceed the birth rate throughout the country,” said Tsovinar Harutyunyan, Executive Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Armenia. </div>
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This, according to experts, is largely due to the fact that now the generation born in the 1990s is entering the age of marriage.</div>
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These were the most difficult years in the modern history of Armenia. There was a war, the country was in a blockade, the economy was in a crisis. In this situation, very few allowed themselves to have children.</div>
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Accordingly, the generation of the 90s is 40 percent less than those born in the 1980s. And this cannot but affect the number of marriages and birth rates now.</div>
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Moreover, 20-25 percent of the 1990s generation emigrated from Armenia.</div>
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Another reason behind the country’s worrisome depopulation is that young men do not want to marry and take responsibility for their families.</div>
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Moreover, among the 20-40-year-olds, the demographic balance is skewed – there are 60,000 men are missing from the country. The main reason is emigration.</div>
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Gurgen Magakyan is 33 years old. He and his family left Armenia while still a schoolboy. He lives in Moscow and is not yet married.</div>
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“Armenia has a difficult socio-economic situation. I do not think that I will return to live in my homeland. Here I make money easier, but I hope that I will marry at least an Armenian. My brother has already married a Russian girl,” he says.</div>
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Artak Markosyan, head of the demography department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, believes that emigration left a heavy mark on Armenia, as people of reproductive age have left the country:</div>
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“In 1992-2002, the decline in fertility in our country amounted to 60 percent. By the way, this was the highest rate in post-Soviet countries. Over 10 years, the number of births decreased from 70,000 to 32,000. Emigration and the lack of a demographic strategy for 27 years distorted the situation.”</div>
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Anahit Margaryan is 58 years old, she is a seamstress. She says her son is 31 years old, her daughter 36, but they are not going to start a family:</div>
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“My son says that it is impossible to support a family, raise children on his salary. Young people are concerned about the economic situation in the country. My daughter was educated, works, but cannot find a husband. And I still dream of grandchildren…”</div>
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According to the statistics committee, the resident population of Armenia as of January 1, 2019 is 2.965 million. Compared to last year, this figure is 7,600 people less.</div>
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• In 2018, 36,502 children were born in Armenia;</div>
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• in 2017 – 37,700;</div>
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• in 2016 – 40,592.</div>
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Total fertility rate:</div>
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• in 2019 amounted to 1.6,</div>
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• in 1994 – 2.2,</div>
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• in 1969 – 3.3.</div>
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Financial incentives only temporarily increase fertility</div>
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For many years, the Armenian government did not invest in improving the demographic situation. After giving birth, mothers were given three thousand drams [about $6].</div>
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The government began to think about the need to stimulate the birth rate only after 2010.</div>
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Since 2013, the government has begun to pay from the state budget:</div>
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• 50 thousand drams [about $100] at the birth of the first and second child;</div>
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• 1 million drams [about $2,060] for the third and fourth children;</div>
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• 1.5 million drams [about $ 3,090] for the fifth and each subsequent child.</div>
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In addition, for two years, working mothers were given a monthly childcare allowance, which finally increased from three to 18 thousand drams [about $37]. And since 2016, benefits were provided to non-working mothers – in the form of a single payment of 126,600 drams [about $485].</div>
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However, an analysis of the birth rate in recent years suggests that these measures were not enough to change the situation.</div>
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Lilit Petrosyan is a young and successful IT specialist. She says:</div>
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“I cannot refuse my salary of 300,000 [about $620] and stay at home. For my husband it will be very hard. On his salary alone we will not be able to live. The child is still very small, but in two months I will go to work, maybe my mother will look after the baby, I don’t know. And so you just have to stop thinking of a second child.”</div>
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Executive Representative of the UN Population Fund Tsovinar Harutyunyan believes that the problem in Armenia is not that people think about the birth of a third or fourth child, but the reluctance to start a family.</div>
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Among youth, the unemployment rate is high, and few decide to marry. And according to Armenian traditions, you must first create a family and only then have children. As for the number of children, Tsovinar Harutyunyan says:</div>
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“Our studies show that many want three children, but have one or two. Among the expectations from the state, improvement of living conditions, growth in the number of jobs with sufficient wages are usually called, in third place is the combination of family and career.”</div>
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According to Armenian traditions, a woman has always been responsible for everything in the house, and a man was responsible for what was outside, says Mher Manukyan, UN Communications Fund communications officer. But this model has long been unacceptable:</div>
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“People do not have apartments, they need to take a mortgage, pay these amounts, live, have a child, support him and think about the following. This is a heavy burden, not everyone will boldly and fearlessly take on this social burden. We should make it as easy as possible.”</div>
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Narek Martirosyan is an accountant, he is 30 years old. He lives with his family in a rented apartment in Yerevan. He says that his son is three years old and he goes to kindergarten so that his wife can also work:</div>
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“We left our father’s house, where my brother and his family remained with their parents. For our one-room apartment we pay 70,000 drams [about $144]. Well, my son grew up – and my wife went to work. How, in such conditions, can we even think of a second child? We don’t have a house, salaries are low and we can’t buy an apartment on a mortgage, we can’t pay the debt. And we dream of having two more children.”</div>
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International experience is an example for Armenia</div>
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The population fund of the UN Armenian office is studying international experience and periodically provides the Armenian government with information on how to solve demographic problems in other countries.</div>
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“The Netherlands, Austria, England realized that it’s very difficult to switch from a model of two breadwinners to a model of one. They took the ‘breadwinner model’: a man working full time, and a woman takes half a day. When women were given the opportunity to return to the labor market after childbirth, many returned, but part-time. So they could already solve the issues of family and child care, without giving up their career. Armenia also needs to revise the maternity leave model for women,” said Tsovinar Harutyunyan.</div>
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The coordinator of the UN project Population and Development Anna Hovhannisyan says:</div>
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“The total fertility rate in a number of countries from 1.5 – as it is now in Armenia – managed to rise to almost a simple reproductive level, that is, to almost two. In these countries, expenditures from GDP for demographic projects were doubled and tripled.”</div>
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The highest level was provided in Sweden and France. In particular, this was possible in Sweden, because women no longer had a choice – family or career. For this, an extremely attractive model of joint parental leave was created.</div>
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“They tried to return the fathers to the family, and now they share home and parental obligations. The couple is given 480 days of maternity leave, of which 90 days are given to each, the parents can divide the remaining 300 days among themselves. 30 days they can rest together.</div>
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For the first 300 days, the state pays the equivalent of 110 dollars. Then financial support is reduced. The optimal period of maternity leave is six months, and parents should receive at least 60-70 percent of their salary. Such a model will be attractive for both fathers and mothers,” the expert said.</div>
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The number of women on maternity leave this year in Armenia was 12,500.</div>
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In 2018, 10.16 billion drams [about $21 million] were allocated from the state budget to provide 140-day paid leave for working mothers and a one-time allowance for those who do not work.</div>
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As of January 1, 2019, 6004 families with four or more children were registered in the system for assessing family vulnerability.</div>
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About 27,000 children live in these families.</div>
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Armenian legislation allows fathers to take parental leave, but in Armenia mothers prefer to take it.</div>
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“In the whole world where it has been possible to increase the birth rate, fathers were actively involved in the process of caring and raising children, which allowed mothers to return to work,” says Anna Hovhannisyan.</div>
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In Armenia, both spouses enter the labor market, share the labor burden. But the wife continues to bear the “home” load – household chores, childcare.</div>
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“The experience of European countries shows that when this load is partially removed from women and assigned to men, this becomes an additional incentive for women to give birth to their next child. I don’t know if any legislative initiative will help in Armenia, because we still have the opportunity for fathers to take maternity leave. If something changes in the mentality, it will actually help,” says Mher Manukyan, UN Responsibility Fund Communications Officer. </div>
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Now the government has created a council to improve the demographic situation.</div>
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“The processes are moving, we have offered the government new solutions and steps. The demographic policy should include a complete package – we need to offer people economic and legislative incentives, as well as carry out serious awareness work,” says Artak Markosyan, head of the demography department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-54175027264194664392019-11-08T14:10:00.001+00:002019-11-08T14:10:44.147+00:00Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-83219836272584067252019-11-04T12:44:00.000+00:002019-11-04T12:44:02.437+00:00Dr. Dikran Abrahamian Keghart.com<br />
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With pleasure, I'd like to inform you that plans are underway for the possible return of <a href="http://keghart.com/">Keghart.com</a> in the new year. The positive development is due to the joining to the Keghart team young journalists from Armenia. It has been three years since <a href="http://keghart.com/">Keghart.com</a> was placed on hold principally because of my health issues and lack of funds. </div>
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If you would like to revive <a href="http://keghart.com/">Keghart.com</a> please make a pledge or forward a cheque to DIKRAN ABRAHAMIAN at the below address. In Canada, an alternative option is to transfer via Interac to <a class="x_moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:dikran@keghart.com" moz-do-not-send="true">dikran@keghart.com</a> and separately forward the "secret" answer/password to the same email address.</div>
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Thankfully Yours,</div>
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Dikran Abrahamian MD</div>
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Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-17582946114959951152019-11-04T12:41:00.001+00:002019-11-04T12:41:33.030+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 7 editorials<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Christianity Today</b></div>
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<b>Nov 1 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian Orthodox Leader: ‘We May Forgive One Day, But We Will Never Forget.’</b></div>
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<b>Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, on what comes next after US House recognizes Armenians’ “legitimate claim” of genocide.</b></div>
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<b>Interview by Jayson Casper in Beirut</b></div>
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The Armenian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Christian denominations in the world. According to tradition, Armenia was evangelized by Jesus’ disciples Bartholomew and Thaddeus. In 301 A.D., it became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion.</div>
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An Oriental Orthodox denomination, the Armenians are in communion with the Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopian, and Malankara (India) churches. They differ with Catholics and Protestants over the 451 A.D. Council of Chalcedon decision to recognize Christ as one person with two natures: human and divine. Oriental Orthodox Christians declare Christ has one nature, both human and divine.</div>
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The Armenian Church is governed by two patriarchs, entitled Catholicos. One, Karekin II, is Supreme Patriarch for all Armenians and sits in Armenia.</div>
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CT interviewed Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, which was once located in modern-day Turkey but since the Armenian Genocide relocated to Antelias, Lebanon, five miles north of Beirut. His jurisdiction includes the Armenians of the Middle East, Europe, and North and South America.</div>
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Aram I discussed the genocide, the US House of Representatives resolution this week to finally</div>
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recognize it, and Armenians’ desired response from Turkey.</div>
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How do you respond to the US resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide?</div>
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Yesterday I made a statement welcoming warmly this action taken. I believe it is very much in line with the firm commitment of the United States of America in respect to human rights. The rights of the Armenian people are being violated. After more than 100 years, we tried to bring the attention of the international community that the Armenian Genocide is a fact of history.</div>
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Whether we call it genocide or massacre or deportation, the intention is important. The intention of the Ottoman Turkish government at the time was to destroy [and] eliminate the Armenian people for political reasons. The presence of Armenian people in the western part of present-day Turkey and [historic] Cilicia was an obstacle to their project of pan-Turkism.</div>
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This is our legitimate claim: that the international community make a visible, tangible manifestation of their concern in respect to human rights, and recognize the Armenian Genocide. It was carefully planned and systematically executed by the government at the time.</div>
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Our people all around the world warmly greeted this action of the House of Representatives. It is our firm expectation that the Senate will reaffirm their decision.</div>
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<b>Christianity Today</b></div>
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<b>Nov 1 2019</b></div>
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<b>Will US Genocide Resolution Satisfy Armenian Christians? </b></div>
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<b>The Middle East diaspora appreciates the House’s recognition at last. But what they really want is repentance.</b></div>
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<b>Jayson Casper</b></div>
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Armenian Americans breathed a sigh of relief this week when the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved Resolution 296 to recognize the Armenian Genocide.</div>
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Around 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1923, as the defeated Ottoman Empire transitioned into the modern Republic of Turkey. Less than half a million survived.</div>
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The resolution also mentions the Greek, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Aramean, Maronite, and other Christian victims who lived in Asia Minor and other Ottoman provinces at the time.</div>
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If the House legislation is passed in the Senate and signed by President Donald Trump, the United States will be committed to commemorate the genocide, to reject its denial, and to educate people about it in order to prevent similar atrocities in the future.</div>
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But if Armenian Americans are finally pleased, the diaspora in the Middle East—much closer to the Turks and the lands taken from their ancestors—demurs.</div>
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“It certainly heals some small aspect of our century-long national wound,” said Paul Haidostian, president of the evangelical Haigazian University—the only Armenian university in the diaspora—in Beirut, Lebanon.</div>
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“There is some sense of relief. But it should not be exaggerated.”</div>
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Nor should it be underestimated, he told CT. All Armenians will welcome the “historic” resolution, though it comes “very late.” But few expect the US Senate will act similarly, as the term genocide has long been rejected by the Turks. “Because it involves Turkey, there is politics involved,” said Haidostian.</div>
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“But it is important to call things by name.”</div>
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Armenian Orthodox Leader: “We May Forgive One Day, But We Will Never Forget.”</div>
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The 405–11 tally reversed what had long been an uphill battle in American politics to even present recognition of the Armenian genocide for a vote.</div>
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Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California and co-sponsor of the bill, worked 19 years on its behalf. Pressure against the resolution from Turkey, a NATO ally of the US, quashed previous efforts in 2000 under Bill Clinton, in 2007 under George W. Bush, and in 2010 under Barack Obama.</div>
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During the Bush administration, nearly 70 percent of air supplies to the US military in Iraq went through Turkey’s Incerlik airbase.</div>
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According to Open Secrets, Turkey spent $13.4</div>
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million to lobby against the bill in 2017–18.</div>
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“We cannot pick and choose which crimes against humanity are convenient to speak about,” said Schiff, as reported by Reuters. “We cannot be cowed into silence by a foreign power.”</div>
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If pro-Turkey politics played a role in preventing a US resolution on the Armenian Genocide in past decades, a new wave of anti-Turkey politics paved the way this past week.</div>
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Turkey’s incursion into Syria offended much</div>
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of the US Congress. Following the genocide vote, the House also passed a sanctions bill against Turkey.</div>
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“While emotions run high,” the Turkish American National Steering Committee wrote in</div>
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an email, House leaders are “manipulating the circumstances to introduce H.Res.296 for a floor vote soon.”</div>
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<b>But parallels between the Armenians and present-day Kurds were obvious to many.</b></div>
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“Thank you, Congress, for voting overwhelmingly to officially recognize and reprimand the genocide of the Ottoman Empire,” tweeted Bassam</div>
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Ishak, president of the Syriac National Council. “Let’s try to stop the new demographic change underway by Turkey in northern Syria.”</div>
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Similar was Toufic Baaklini, president of In Defense of Christians (IDC), who stated his own family had to flee when 250,000 Maronites were starved to death in Lebanon. IDC lobbied on behalf of the resolution, and in an op-ed before the vote panned the “massive misguided investment of American moral capital” in the US relationship with Turkey.</div>
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“By passing this resolution today, America has said clearly that we side with the victims of atrocities and will no longer ignore the Turk’s history of ethnic cleansing,” stated Baaklini.</div>
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Representative Anna Eschoo, a Democrat from California of Armenian descent, highlighted the religious aspect of the genocide.</div>
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“What all of the persecuted had in common was that they were Christians,” she tweeted.</div>
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“This resolution not only honors and commemorates my ancestors who perished but all those who were lost in the first genocide of the 20th century.”</div>
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But another Christian, Representative Paul Gosar, interpreted the resolution differently. The Republican from Arizona voted “present” at the roll call, labeling it an attack on President Donald Trump.</div>
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He stated it was “war propaganda” to compare atrocities against the Armenians with what is happening with the Turks and Kurds today.</div>
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“As a Christian I stand with the Armenians, but I will not vote for a lie,” he stated.</div>
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The pattern of such discourse is upsetting to fellow Armenians, said Hrayr Jebejian, general secretary of the Bible Society in the Gulf. About 5,000 Armenians currently work in the United Arab Emirates, where they have two churches. Another 3,000 are in</div>
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Kuwait, where they have a church and a school.</div>
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“The genocide is sacred for us,” he told CT. “But knowing American politics, it always looks to the Armenian issue as a bargaining chip.”</div>
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Jebejian still has pictures of the two dozen members of his family who were killed in Turkey. He also wonders if the House initiative will go any further. But he is grateful for the international attention it brings.</div>
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“It is better late than never,” he said. “But if it was condemned in those days, it would have prevented the many genocides that followed since.”</div>
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The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) endorsed the US resolution.</div>
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“Remembering and educating about any genocide—Armenian, the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda, and others—is a necessary tool to prevent future tragedies,” stated ADL president Jonathan Greenblatt, “and [it] begins with recognition.”</div>
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<b>But recognition alone leaves much unaddressed.</b></div>
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<b>“I am happy to see our massacre recognized,” Michel Kassarji, the Chaldean Catholic bishop of Lebanon, told CT. “But what can we do now? Will they give us our land and churches back?”</b></div>
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Kassarji’s bishopric doubled in size when 3,000 Chaldean families fled to Lebanon from Iraq and Syria. World Vision helps support his humanitarian efforts, providing a school for 175 children and aid to 125 widows.</div>
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But 200,000 Chaldeans were killed along with Armenians in the genocide, including his great-grandfather. Kassarji went back to Turkey a few years ago to his ancestral home of Diyarbakir. Not one Chaldean family remains. Nearby Mardin has one family, with a sole deacon caring for the historic church there.</div>
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But Kassarji’s question resonates with many Armenians in the diaspora.</div>
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“The map of the world is always subject to change,” said Megrditch Karagoezian, president of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, speaking about “Western Armenia.”</div>
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“The dream is still there,” he told CT. “But how can it happen with no Armenians there? I don’t know.”</div>
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Karagoezian said that many Armenians still hold title deed to their real estate in Turkey. He mentioned the maps of Woodrow Wilson that would have more than doubled the size of modern-day Armenia, on Turkey’s eastern border.</div>
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Subsequent treaties following World War I drew different boundaries, however. A briefly independent Armenia became part of the Soviet Union, and the modern republic was created in 1991.</div>
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Armenia was the first nation to officially adopt Christianity, in 301 A.D. The faith first arrived as early as 40 A.D., traditionally attributed to the preaching of Jesus’ disciples Bartholomew and Thaddeus.</div>
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The Evangelical Church of Armenia was formed in 1846 in Istanbul, and declared an official Protestant millet (a sect allowed to use its own family laws) by the Ottoman sultan in 1850.</div>
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<b>But today, Turkey wants to avoid the genocide label at all costs, Karagoezian said. “It would imply restitution,” he said, “and could eventually translate into some sort of compensation or other political steps.”</b></div>
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The Armenian Orthodox Church has filed a lawsuit against Turkey to return its ancient See of Cilicia. The case is currently working its way through the lower levels of the Turkish legal system.</div>
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But for Haidostian, if there is politics involved today, there were politics back during the genocide also. The university president’s people were crushed as the Turks tried to create a national Turkish state out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire and its</div>
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panoply of religious communities.</div>
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So while the US House resolution is important, he told CT, it should not be overstated. Healing is paramount.</div>
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<b>“The wound will remain open until full repentance for past wrongs is accomplished,” Haidostian said. “That is when new life starts.”</b></div>
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<b>JAM News</b></div>
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<b>Nov 1 2019</b></div>
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<b>Combating violence against women VS national values – Armenians protest ratification of Istanbul Convention</b></div>
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A protest rally was held in Yerevan in connection with the visit of representatives of the Council of Europe, which are holding discussions on the convention</div>
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A rally was held today against the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which aims to prevent violence against women and domestic violence. The rally took place near the parliament.</div>
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Much of the Armenian public that domestic violence is not prevalent in the country.</div>
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The Armenian parliament held a discussion on the ratification of the convention with the participation of senior officials of the Council of Europe, and activists who are fighting to ensure that parliament does not ratify this document take to the streets</div>
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<b>Rejecting the role of the victim</b></div>
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Activists are convinced that the convention threatens traditional Armenian values.</div>
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The head of the Volia initiative, Vahagn Chakhalyan, announced that their rallies will continue:</div>
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“Citizens are ready to organize demonstrations of disobedience in different cities of Armenia. We say that this is not yet necessary, since the document is not yet at the ratification stage. And if the National Assembly of Armenia does not listen to the voice of citizens and goes against their opinion, then protests will be held in all cities.”</div>
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This time, the protest rally took place first in front of the parliament building. A few hours later, it was decided to march along the streets of Yerevan.</div>
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<b>On the Istanbul convention </b></div>
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Armenia joined the convention in January 2018, even under the former authorities, but then the issue did not cause such a scandal; Armenia did not ratify the convention officially.</div>
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The Istanbul Convention (or “Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence”) was signed in 2011 in Istanbul.</div>
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Of the 47 Council of Europe member states, 34 have ratified the Convention, and 11, including Armenia, have only signed. Russia and Azerbaijan did not sign it, and Bulgaria generally recognized the convention as unconstitutional.</div>
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According to the government program, the Istanbul Convention was to be ratified in the second half of September 2019.</div>
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<b>Opinions on ratifying the convention</b></div>
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MPs from the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary party agree with the opinion of the activists; tThey even joined the collection of signatures against the ratification of the convention, organized by the Volia initiative.</div>
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According to MP of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gevorg Petrosyan, the Istanbul Convention contradicts the Armenian Constitution and the country’s value system.</div>
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The fact that in 2018 alone in Armenia more than 400 criminal cases were opened in cases of the use of violence against women, the MP commented on as follows:</div>
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“We have legislation that punishes domestic violence. It is impossible to ratify under this pretext what, in essence, is aimed at the destruction of our national system of values.”</div>
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Gevorg Petrosyan means the “Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence, on the protection of persons affected by domestic violence and on the restoration of harmony in the family.”</div>
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It was adopted at the end of 2017 – again after heated debate and protests in general, it entered into force in January 2018, and began to be applied practically from July 1, 2018.</div>
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In connection with the intensification of the protests, the chairman of the parliamentary commission on state and legal issues Vladimir Vardanyan explained: at the moment, the ratification of the Istanbul Convention is not on the agenda of the National Assembly.</div>
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“But we need to clearly understand the following: Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe, and in a certain sense we should go in this direction. There should be discussions of the (convention).”</div>
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<b>Why do many people think that domestic violence is an issue? </b></div>
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The fact is that victims of violence generally do not report to the police.</div>
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Very rarely do women come forward to talk about violence against them; even rarer do people go to the police. This creates the impression in society that there is no violence against women in Armenia.</div>
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At the same time, as psychologist Anush Aleksanyan explained to JAMnews, victims of violence remain silent because they are afraid of the reaction of society:</div>
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“The society does not have the right attitude towards people who have been abused, there is no support. Therefore, they simply remain silent or speak on condition of anonymity. We also don’t have a culture of discussing such topics,” says the psychologist.</div>
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Aleksanyan considers it a big problem that society often justifies the rapist and blames the victim.</div>
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The psychologist explains that people are silent about violence against themselves out of guilt – the inevitable consequences of violence. After all, they are also carriers of the stereotypes of their society and often share the opinion of others that they have a share of guilt in what happened.</div>
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As regards sexual violence, the Armenian Penal Code does not provide for legal action at all if the rapist is the legal husband of a woman.</div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Nov 1 2019</b></div>
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<b>Benefits with child’s birth to increase twice in Armenia in 2020 </b></div>
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Benefits in connection with the birth of a child will increase in Armenia in 2020, said the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Zaruhi Batoyan on Friday at a joint meeting of the standing parliamentary commissions during the preliminary discussion of the draft state budget for 2020.</div>
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According to her, the one-time allowance for the first child in Armenia in October 2018 was up to AMD 150 thousand.</div>
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“Now both benefits will increase up to AMD 300 thousand. Moreover, benefits for caring for a child up to two years old will increase,” Batoyan noted, adding that these changes will come into force not from January 1, but from July 1, 2020.</div>
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After giving birth, the mother can take a leave of up to three years, with benefits up to two years. Now this allowance is AMD 18 thousand per month, and from 2020 it will grow to AMD 26.5 thousand.</div>
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Asked to comment what caused the delay of six months, the minister explained that some time should pass between the announcement of benefits and their entry into force.</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">1 November, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>International brands with Made In Armenia label: 4 major garment factories opened in Armenia</b></div>
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From now on the clothes of several international brands will be produced in Armenia and will be exported to the European and Russian markets with “Made in Armenia” label.</div>
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The opening ceremony of 4 garment factories of Sartex, Asa Garment, Alex Textile and Texas Production was held on November 1 in Yerevan. The ceremony was attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pahsinyan who toured the factories, got acquainted with the production process and the products.</div>
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“More than 3000 people will work here in the future. The production will be exported mainly to the European, also Russian markets. All products are with Made in Armenia label”, director of the Asa Garment, Alex Textile and Texas Production companies Marat</div>
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Movsisyan said.</div>
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Sartex has been founded by the Italian Sartis and Armenian Alex Textile companies. Sartex represents Sartis Italian company in Armenia. The company is engaged in production of clothes of MaxMara, Moncler, Peuterey, Dolce&Gabana, Dainese and other famous</div>
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brands. Director of the company Mkhitar Aghabekyan said they want the Made in Armenia label become a quality guarantor.</div>
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Asa Garment is an Armenian-Chinese company engaged in production of the French Jennifer brand’s clothes. The company also holds talks for producing ZARA brand clothes. At the moment the company has 300 employees, but soon this number will reach 1000.</div>
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Alex Textile produces clothes for the Russian companies.</div>
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<b>Middle East Forum</b></div>
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<b>Nov 1 2019</b></div>
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<b>Denial of Religious Dimension to Armenian Genocide Persists</b></div>
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<b>by Raymond Ibrahim</b></div>
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An ugly truth of history has just been acknowledged. On October 29, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (405 to 11) in favor of Resolution 296, which acknowledges the Armenian genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turks during WW1. (Unsurprisingly, Ilhan Omar was among the very few to abstain; her disingenuous logic will be addressed later.)</div>
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In order to become official policy, however, the resolution needs to be approved by both houses of Congress, and then signed by the president. The Senate is currently not scheduled to vote on the measure.</div>
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It is at any rate a step in the right direction. According to the book Remembrance</div>
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and Denial: The Case of the Armenian Genocide,</div>
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At the beginning of 1915 there were some two million Armenians within Turkey; today there are fewer than 60,000. Despite the vast amount of evidence that points to the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide, eyewitness</div>
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accounts, official archives, photographic evidence, the reports of diplomats, and the testimony of survivors, denial of the Armenian Genocide by successive regimes in Turkey has gone on from 1915 to the present.</div>
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the vote "worthless" vote, while Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hailed it as "a bold step towards serving truth and historical justice."</div>
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Indeed, Turkey is currently outraged at this resolution; its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, called it "worthless" and the "biggest insult" to the Turkish people.</div>
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Such willful denial borders the surreal considering how well documented the Armenian genocide is. As the International Association of Genocide Scholars says, "the Armenian Genocide is not controversial, but rather is denied only by the Turkish government and its apologists."</div>
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Nor is this a new issue. The Honorable Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey from 1913-16, wrote the following in his memoir:</div>
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When the Turkish authorities gave the order for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to</div>
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conceal this fact. . . I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.</div>
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In 1920 U.S. Lieutenant General James Harbord called the Armenian genocide the "most colossal crime of all the ages."</div>
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In 1920, U.S. Senate Resolution 359 heard testimony on the "mutilation, violation, torture, and death" of countless Armenians, to quote American Lieutenant General James Harbord, who further referred to the genocide as the "most colossal crime of all the ages."</div>
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In her memoir, Ravished Armenia, Aurora</div>
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Mardiganian described being raped and thrown into a harem (consistent with Islam's</div>
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rules of war). Unlike thousands of other Armenian girls who were discarded after being defiled, she managed to escape. In the city of Malatia, she saw 16 Christian girls crucified: "Each girl had been nailed alive upon her cross," she wrote, "spikes through her feet and hands, only their hair blown by the wind, covered their bodies." Such scenes were portrayed in the 1919 film Auction of Souls, some of which is based on Mardiganian's memoirs.</div>
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Whereas the genocide is largely acknowledged in the West—long before this new resolution over 40 American states had acknowledged it—one of its primary if not fundamental causes is habitually overlooked: religion (Muslim Turks vis-à-vis Christian Armenians).</div>
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The genocide is unfortunately articulated through a singularly secular paradigm that focuses almost exclusively on nationalism, identity, territorial disputes, etc.—thereby projecting modern, secular Western sensibilities onto vastly different characters and eras.</div>
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<b>One of the primary causes of the Armenian genocide is habitually overlooked: religion.</b></div>
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War, of course, is another factor that clouds the true essence of the genocide. Because these atrocities mostly occurred during World War I, so the argument goes, they are ultimately a reflection of just that—war, in all its chaos and destruction, and nothing more. But as Winston Churchill, who described the massacres as an "administrative holocaust," correctly observed, "The opportunity [WWI] presented itself for clearing Turkish soil of a Christian race." Even Adolf Hitler had pointed out that "Turkey</div>
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is taking advantage of the war in order to thoroughly liquidate its internal foes, i.e., the indigenous Christians, without being thereby disturbed by foreign intervention."</div>
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Even the most cited factor of the Armenian Genocide, "ethnic identity conflict," while legitimate, must be understood in light of the fact that, historically, religion often accounted more for a person's identity than language or heritage. This is daily demonstrated throughout the Islamic world today, where Muslim governments and Muslim mobs persecute Christian minorities who share the same race, ethnicity, language, and culture; minorities who are indistinguishable from the majority—except,</div>
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of course, for being non-Muslims, or "infidels."</div>
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As one Armenian studies professor asks,</div>
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<b>"If it [the Armenian Genocide] was a feud between Turks and Armenians, what explains the genocide carried out by Turkey against the Christian Assyrians at the same time?</b>" The same can be said about the Greeks (some 750,000 of whom were liquidated during WWI).</div>
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From a Turkish perspective, the primary thing Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks had in common was that they were all Christians—"infidels."</div>
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And the same can be said of all those Christians and other non-Muslim minorities who were targeted for what the U.S. acknowledges was a genocide by ISIS—another genocide that was also conducted during the chaos of war, and against those whose only crime was to be "infidels."</div>
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Raymond Ibrahim is a Judith Friedman Rosen Fellow at the Middle East Forum.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-61634697638366797022019-11-04T12:38:00.004+00:002019-11-04T12:38:56.681+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 13 editorials<br />
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A<b>HVAL</b></div>
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<b>Oct 30 2019</b></div>
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<b>Turkey’s Erdoğan says U.S. Armenian genocide recognition an insult </b></div>
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday condemned the U.S. House of Representatives’ recognition of the mass killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire a century ago as genocide, calling it an insult to his nation.</div>
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The House vote on Tuesday coincided with the anniversary of the 1923 foundation of the Republic of Turkey on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire and comes amid anger in Congress over the Turkish offensive in northeast Syria that President Donald Trump facilitated by withdrawing U.S. troops from the area and ending support for Syrian Kurdish forces that fought Islamic State.</div>
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Erdoğan said a group of U.S. politicians who had been working for 20 years to push for the recognition of the genocide had exploited the negative mood against Turkey.</div>
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<b>“This step taken has no value. And we do not recognise it,” said the Turkish president. “We see such an accusation as the greatest insult made to our nation.”</b></div>
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Erdoğan said the Turkish parliament was working on a statement against the U.S. House of Representatives.</div>
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“A country whose history is filled with stains of genocide, slavery and exploitation has no right to say something or to lecture Turkey,” Erdoğan said. </div>
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The House of Representatives also passed a bill on Tuesday calling for sanctions on Turkey over its military operation in Syria, which will now go to the Senate for approval.</div>
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“We strongly reject it,” Erdoğan said, adding that the bill targeted himself, his family and ministers.</div>
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<b>Erdoğan said the bill was based on accusations made by the Gülen movement, a secretive Islamist group formerly allied to the ruling party that Turkish leaders accuse of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016</b>. The president said the United States had failed to review Turkey’s request to extradite the movement’s U.S.-based leader, Fethullah Gülen. </div>
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“Either you will hand him over to us, or from now on you should not expect us to extradite a criminal in relation to the agreement for bilateral extradition of criminals,” he said. </div>
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Erdoğan also indicated that the bill could have an impact on his plans to visit Washington on Nov. 13.</div>
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“I have not decided yet, there are still question marks,” he said when reporters asked whether he would cancel his visit to the United States.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 30 2019</b></div>
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<b>Paylan: Only Turkish parliament can heal Armenian people's wounds</b></div>
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Istanbul-Armenian MP Garo Paylan representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has addressed the US House’s passage of a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.</div>
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In a tweet on Wednesday Paylan stressed that after dozens of parliaments the US House voted overwhelmingly to recognize the Armenian Genocide.</div>
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<b>“Our grief has become the subject of discussions in others parliaments, since my country has been denying the Armenian people’s Medz Yeghern for 105 years,” the MP tweeted. “The only parliament that is able to heal the Armenian people’s wounds is the Turkish Majlis which I am a member of,” he stressed. </b></div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">30 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Israeli politicians call for recognition of Armenian Genocide after US House vote</b></div>
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Two prominent Israeli politicians are calling for recognition of the Armenian Genocide after the US House of Representatives adopted the H.Res.296, The Times of Israel reports.</div>
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“The US House of Representatives vote to recognize the Armenian Genocide is a vote for historical truth and justice. Turkey cannot be allowed to intimidate the world into denying genocide. I will continue to fight for Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” tweeted lawmaker Yair Lapid, the co-leader of the Blue and White political alliance of Israel.</div>
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Earlier in April Lapid was strongly advocating for a Knesset bill recognizing the Armenian Genocide, which however failed to pass.</div>
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Citing what he called Israel’s “moral and historical responsibility,” he tweeted in April that it was time for the government “to officially recognize the Armenian genocide and stop folding in the face of Turkish pressure.”</div>
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Ex- Likud minister MK Gideon Sa’ar also called for recognition, tweeting on Wednesday that he “welcome[d] the moral and principled stance of the US House of Representatives in recognizing the mass killing of #Armenians 100 years ago as #genocide. Israel should make similarly clear its recognition of this terrible atrocity.”</div>
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The Times of Israel notes that there are individual lawmakers in the Knesset who support recognition.</div>
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In 2016, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein urged Israel to recognize the Armenian genocide.</div>
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“The issue of recognition of the Armenian genocide is raised every year in the Knesset, usually in the form of proposed legislation rather than a call for a debate, and has been knocked down by sitting governments annually since 1989, when MK Yair Tzaban first brought it to the floor. Israel’s refusal thus far to formally recognize the Armenian slaughter as genocide is based on geopolitical and strategic considerations, primary among them its relations with Turkey”, the Times of Israel wrote.</div>
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The Armenian foreign ministry welcomed the US House passage of the resolution, which “is of profound significance in that it resolves to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance, to reject its denial and encourage the education and understanding of the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923 as a definitive example of genocide of the 20th century”.</div>
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Shortly after the US House of Representatives adopted the resolution, Turkey strongly criticized the move, and President Erdogan declared that the Turkish parliament will respond to the vote.</div>
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Ankara also summoned the US ambassador over the adoption of the resolution.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">30 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Armenia expresses "profound" gratitude to US House for "determined and impressive" vote of H.Res.296</b></div>
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Armenia welcomes the adoption of House Resolution 296, affirming the US record on the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.</div>
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“This Resolution is of profound significance in that it resolves to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance, to reject its denial and encourage the education and understanding of the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923 as a definitive example of genocide of the 20th century. </div>
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Back then the people and the leadership of the United States took outstanding efforts in response to the atrocities against Armenians, in rescuing and assisting survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Today the United States is home to a strong and vibrant Armenian American community, proud citizens of their homeland, contributing remarkably to its successes and well-being, and to the friendship between our two nations. This Resolution manifests tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, demonstrates respect to their dignity and signifies endurance of their survivors.</div>
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Armenia profoundly thanks members of the US House of Representatives for their determined and impressive vote on House Resolution 296, which is an evidence of their overwhelming commitment to truth, justice, humanity and solidarity and to universal values of human rights.</div>
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This Resolution is an important contribution to international efforts aimed at preventing new genocides and mass atrocity crimes anywhere in the world, which continue to shatter the conscience of humanity in the present. It is a powerful message against the scourge, the denial and the justification of genocides as it underlines the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern day crimes against humanity.</div>
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Today we also reiterate our deep gratitude to all other nations across the world for their previous actions in recognition of the Armenian Genocide. </div>
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Armenia remains firmly committed to work closely with all its international partners towards consistently and resolutely constructing solid foundations and capacities for prevention of genocides and massive violations of human rights,” the ministry said.</div>
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On October 29 the US House of Representatives adopted the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.296) by a vote of 405 to 11 with 3 voting present.</div>
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<b>Trend.az</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">30 October 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Azerbaijan considers resolution by US House of Reps on “Armenian genocide” biased</b></div>
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Azerbaijan considers resolution No. 296 of the US House of Representatives on t<b>he fictional Armenian genocide biased and unfair</b>, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said, Trend reports Oct. 30.</div>
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Hajiyev noted that this resolution has no political, legal and historical basis, and was adopted as a result of the efforts of pro-Armenian lobby groups.</div>
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The department head added that the events that occurred at that time should be studied not by politicians, but by historians.</div>
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“Armenia and the circles of the Armenian lobby have turned the fictional Armenian genocide into an object of political speculation,” Hajiyev said. “Thus, they want to hide the crimes committed by Armenians in the South Caucasus and in other regions. Therefore, Armenia doesn’t accept Turkey’s proposal to investigate those events by a joint commission. Falsification of history, attempts to rewrite history and its use for the purpose of political pressure are unacceptable.”</div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">30 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Azerbaijan opens cross-border gunfire at Armenian villages, military positions in Tavush Province</b></div>
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The Azerbaijani military has opened cross-border gunfire in the direction of civilian settlements and military positions of Armenia in the Tavush Province overnight October 29-30 and early Wednesday morning, according to Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan.</div>
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“Yesterday night and today early morning the adversary fired from various caliber weapons in the direction of several villages and combat positions in Tavush. The adversary went silent after a responsive fire,” he said, adding that there are no injuries in the Armenian side.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>The Economist</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Oct 31st 2019 Print Edition</span></b></div>
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<b>A long march</b></div>
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<b>The House votes to recognise the persecution of Armenians as genocide</b></div>
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<b>The move comes as US-Turkish relations hit a low</b></div>
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<b>United States</b></div>
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For armenian-americans, it was a moment of vindication. After decades of campaigning for their country to acknowledge their forebears’ agonies, news came that the House of Representatives had voted by 405 to 11 to recognise as genocide the persecution of the Armenians launched by the Ottoman empire in 1915. “I’m so happy, I can’t get over it,” said Aram Garabedian, an 84-year-old activist from Rhode island.</div>
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Since at least the 1970s, Congressional battles over how to characterise the Armenians’ suffering have been a perennial feature of American politics. The House passed a similar resolution in 1984 but successive administrations have laboured to dissuade legislators from using the g-word for fear of alienating Turkey, an American strategic partner.</div>
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Yet when relations with Turkey are at a low ebb because of its incursion into Syria, the energy needed to push back seems to have sapped. House Resolution 296 asserted that America had already, through a series of officially supported gestures and initiatives over the past century, recognised the genocidal nature of the Ottoman Turkish actions.</div>
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What is not in doubt is that in spring 1915, as they were locked in war with Britain, France and Russia, the Ottoman authorities ordered the relocation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in conditions that many were doomed not to survive. Some victims were killed by Turkish and Kurdish armed bands while some perished as they were marched in horrific conditions.</div>
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Most historians of mass killing, including the International Association of Genocide Scholars, agreed that this episode amply meets the criterion laid down by the UN convention on genocide of 1948. This defines the ultimate crime as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group” whether through outright killing of “inflicting…conditions of life” designed to bring about their destruction.</div>
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Some Western governments share the official Turkish view that the intention to bring about death on a huge scale remains unproven, or that the context of terrible suffering on all sides should be factored in. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the vote as the “biggest insult” to his people.</div>
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<b>In the short term, the vote looks very likely to play into Mr Erdogan’s hands, as he drums up defensive feelings among his compatriots and stokes their suspicion of a Western world whose intentions, he says, have always been malign. “This is a resolution which is doomed to be misused,” predicted Brady Kiesling, a former American diplomat who has served in Armenia.</b></div>
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<b>November 1 2019</b></div>
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<b>Healthcare spending to increase 21,7%</b></div>
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Healthcare spending will be increased 21,7%, Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan told lawmakers at parliamentary committee debates of the 2020 state budget.</div>
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“It is expected that under the 2020 state budget 109 billion drams will be allocated to healthcare, around 21,7% or 19,4 billion drams more than in 2019,” he said.</div>
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Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said in 2020 the healthcare policy will be directed at strengthening public health services, disease prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyle.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 30 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian-British cooperation continuously developing– defense minister</b></div>
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Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan received on Wednesday Chargé d’Affaires at British Embassy Yerevan Alison Chick and the newly appointed military attaché, Deputy Colonel Anthony Bromwell.</div>
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As the ministry said in a press release, Minister Tonoyan highlighted the Armenian-British cooperation in the defense sector that covers multiple directions ranging from consultations at strategic level to military education and combat preparedness. Minister Tonoyan added the ongoing cooperation is at the high level and continuously develops.</div>
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During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on a range of topics of mutual interest, the source said.</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 31 2019</b></div>
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<b>USA increases assistance to Armenia by 40%: U.S. Ambassador</b></div>
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Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received today U.S. ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy, U.S. Department of State Director of the Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts Cheryl Fernandes, USAID Armenia Mission Director Deborah Grieser and others, government’s press service reports.</div>
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Welcoming the guests, Armenia’s prime minister thanked for the adoption of the Resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the Armenian Genocide, noting that it is a powerful step toward establishment of historic justice and is of big significance for all Armenians, heirs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide.</div>
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Referring to the Armenia-USA cooperation Pashinyan noted that the Armenian government has an ambitious program of democratic reforms and is consistent in bringing it to life with the assistance of international partners and USA.</div>
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Lynne Tracy, in her turn stated that the USA is interested in further development of effective partnership with Armenia. Ambassador Tracy said in the sidelines of the Armenia-USA cooperation program in 2019 the USA has increased the assistance to Armenia by 40% as compared with the past year and proposed discussion of opportunities to use the assistace for Armenia’s democratic and economic development.</div>
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During the meeting the participants also discussed wide-range of issues on Armenia-USA partnership, referred to the cooperation opportunities in judicial, anti-corruption, economic sectors.</div>
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R<b>FE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">October 31, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Fresh Foreign Loans To Cover Armenian Budget Deficit</b></div>
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The Armenian government announced on Thursday that it will receive almost $146 million in fresh foreign loans soon to finance about half of its budget deficit projected for this year.</div>
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The government formally approved lending agreements with Germany’s state development bank KfW and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at a weekly session chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. It said KfW will lend it 40 million euros ($44 million) while the Manila-based ADB will provide two other “budgetary support loans” worth a combined 45.6 million euros.</div>
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According to Deputy Finance Minister Karen Brutian, the cabinet will approve next week a similar agreement with the World Bank to secure a 45.8 million-euro loan before the end of this year.</div>
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“All these funds will be channeled into financing the budget deficit envisaged by the state budget: namely, financing budgetary expenditures,” Brutian told cabinet members.</div>
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Armenia’s 2019 fiscal deficit is projected at roughly 150 billion drams ($316 million), a sum equivalent to around 2.5 percent of GDP.</div>
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Armenia was even more dependent on external budgetary loans in the 1990s and early 2000s. Such low-interest loans make up a large part of the country’s public debt which totaled $6.54 billion as of September 30.</div>
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Brutian said the debt will reach $6.94 billion, or 50.3 percent of GDP, at the end of this year. The debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 51.3 percent last year, </div>
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stressed the official.</div>
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Pashinian welcomed the decreased relative debt burden, saying that his government has room for more borrowing that could potentially finance “mega projects” considered by it. He shed no light on those projects.</div>
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Pashinian already mentioned the “mega projects” relating to the construction of roads, water reservoirs and other public infrastructure after visiting Brussels in March. He said the European Union is ready to co-finance them with the Armenian government. The government may have to seek more foreign loans for that purpose, he said.</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"><b>31 October, 2019</b></span></div>
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<b>Unemployment rate drops in Armenia</b></div>
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The State Employment Agency of Armenia released data according to which as of October 1, 2019 the number of job-seekers is 83.3 thousand, which increased by 1.3% compared to the same period of 2018, and by 2% compared to the beginning of the year, Zaruhi Batoyan, minister of labor and social affairs, said on Facebook.</div>
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As of October 1 the number of unemployed people comprised 74.3% of the job-seekers or 61.9 thousand people. From the beginning of the year 10.196 vacant, non-repeated positions were collected, 281 of which are new jobs.</div>
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As of October 1, 9.120 job-seekers were employed, 1504 of them via the programs ensuring stable employment.</div>
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According to the Statistical Committee, the unemployment rate in the 2nd quarter of 2019 comprised 17.7%, against the 20.2% of 2018.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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<b>1 November 2019</b></div>
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<b>Healthcare spending to increase 21,7%</b></div>
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Healthcare spending will be increased 21,7%, Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan told lawmakers at parliamentary committee debates of the 2020 state budget.</div>
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“It is expected that under the 2020 state budget 109 billion drams will be allocated to healthcare, around 21,7% or 19,4 billion drams more than in 2019,” he said.</div>
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Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said in 2020 the healthcare policy will be directed at strengthening public health services, disease prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyle.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-67553579930393021922019-11-04T12:35:00.001+00:002019-11-04T12:35:35.955+00:00Arminian News... A Topalian 6 editorials<br />
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<i>[change of direction from previous notorious policy when the ADL actively supported the Turkish position]</i></div>
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<b>Oct 28 2019</b></div>
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<b>Top Jewish Civil Rights Group Endorses US Congressional Resolution to Recognize Genocide of Armenians by Turkey</b></div>
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A leading US-based Jewish civil rights group publicly endorsed on Monday a bipartisan House of Representatives resolution that recognizes the systematic genocide of the Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turkey more than a century ago.</div>
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In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) affirmed that H Res 296 — introduced into the House of Representatives in April — was a “historic Congressional resolution…long overdue,” praising it as “an important step toward raising awareness and educating the American public about the horrific</div>
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genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians during the early part of the 1900s.”</div>
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More than 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered by Turkey between 1915-23, in a killing campaign that formed the basis for the subsequent legal definition of “genocide.”</div>
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“The 20th century saw the worst episodes of genocide in recorded human history, beginning with the Armenian Genocide, through the Holocaust and all the way to the atrocities in Bosnia and Rwanda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in the statement.</div>
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<b><a href="http://eurasianet.org/">EurasiaNet.org</a></b></div>
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<b>Oct 28 2019</b></div>
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<b>Is the U.S. going to recognize the Armenian genocide?</b></div>
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<b>Amid a spat with Turkey, the momentum appears to be on the side of those seeking formal American recognition. But some supporters wonder if this is the right time.</b></div>
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<b>Joshua Kucera </b></div>
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After a decades-long campaign to get the U.S. to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, is this finally the moment?</div>
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The U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled a vote for this week on a resolution to formally acknowledge the genocide, fast-tracked as a result of Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria. It will be the first such vote in more than 30 years, and appears more likely to succeed than any previous effort. </div>
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While it is nearly universally acknowledged that the Ottoman Empire committed a genocide against Armenians starting in 1915, Turkey has vigorously opposed labeling the events as such. During the Cold War, Ankara was one of the U.S.’s closest allies and it has in the past been able to use its clout in Washington to block any attempts at formal genocide recognition.</div>
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But U.S.-Turkey ties have degraded badly in recent years, and have hit a nadir in recent weeks as Turkey has undertaken a military operation in northern Syria against the U.S.’s erstwhile Kurdish allies there. </div>
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Analysts and activists in Washington believe that Turkey’s influence there is no longer strong enough to withstand this latest drive for genocide recognition.</div>
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“Ankara has seen its base of advocates and apologists on Capitol Hill steadily erode over the past two decades,” Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, one of the leading Armenian-American lobbying groups, told Eurasianet. “You can draw a line from Turkey’s refusal to allow a northern front in the 2003 Iraq war to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s assault against peaceful American protesters at Sheridan Circle in 2017, his recent S-400 purchase, and the current bipartisan outrage over the attack on America’s Kurdish allies in Syria.</div>
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An anti-Turkey coalition among U.S. lawmakers has been growing, Hamparian said, which he described as “hawks, legislators who prioritize international religious freedom, the U.S.-Israel alliance, basic human rights, and many other priorities.”</div>
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Turkey “likely has made enough enemies” for the resolution to pass, said Alan Makovsky, a senior fellow at the Washington think tank Center for American Progress who studies Turkey. “Traditionally, the administration lobbies against it, warning that it would seriously corrode U.S.-Turkish relations. Given the current deterioration of bilateral relations … I doubt the administration would try to make that argument. Were it inclined to do so, it would likely fall on deaf ears in Congress,” Makovsky told Eurasianet. </div>
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“This would seem to be the opportune time” for the House to pass a genocide recognition resolution, Makovsky added.</div>
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There could also be action from the White House: President Trump’s advisers gave him a range of options to respond to Turkey’s military actions, one of which was that he could recognize the Armenian genocide, a White House adviser told Newsweek. </div>
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Although many of the House bill’s sponsors are longtime advocates of genocide recognition, some have promoted the issue now as a means of punishing Turkey for its operation in Syria. </div>
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“Now would be a good time for the United States to recognize the Armenian Genocide,” tweeted Ted</div>
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Lieu, a Democratic representative from California, on October 14. “For too long, presidents like @realDonaldTrump were too afraid to acknowledge this historical truth out of respect for Turkey. Turkey no longer deserves our respect or our assistance.”</div>
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"I'm sure the government of Turkey is not happy with [plans to vote on an Armenian genocide resolution], but then again we're not happy with the government of Turkey," said Eliot Engel, a Democratic representative from New York and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. </div>
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The motives behind the current push have rubbed some the wrong way. “First you instrumentalize the victims. Then you instrumentalize their tragedy. Thanks, but no thanks,” tweeted Artyom Tonoyan, a scholar at the University of Minnesota who otherwise supports the genocide recognition, in response to Lieu’s tweet. </div>
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John Evans, who was effectively fired from his job as U.S. ambassador to Armenia after calling the events of 1915 a genocide, has since become one of the U.S.’s leading advocates for formal U.S. government recognition. </div>
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But now may not be the right time, he said. </div>
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<b>“Although it is high time the Armenian Genocide was universally recognized, to do so as a way of lashing out at Turkey seems to be inadvisable,</b>” Evans, who made his controversial comments in 2005 and was subsequently prematurely recalled</div>
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from his position in Yerevan, told Eurasianet. “Both because it instrumentalizes, or misuses, a serious issue; and because it is likely to cause a major backlash among the Turks, who are literally on the warpath just now.”</div>
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It’s not clear what Turkey’s reaction would be to the resolution’s passage. In 2010, the House Foreign Affairs Committee narrowly approved a similar resolution and Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Washington in protest. The resolution was never brought up for a vote in the full House. </div>
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A letter to members of Congress dated October 25 that appeared to be from Turkey’s ambassador in Washington opposing the resolution has</div>
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been circulated by Armenian groups (the Turkish embassy did not immediately respond to queries from Eurasianet about its authenticity). The letter complained that the resolution “solely</div>
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reflects the biased Armenian narrative” and that it “would not be helpful to promote an atmosphere of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.”</div>
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The letter detailed the close economic ties between Turkey and the U.S., but it did not lay out any potential response to the resolution passing.</div>
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The letter also claimed that “Turkey has made important efforts in addressing its history and in seeking a common ground with Armenia.” Under Erdoğan, Turkey has in fact made several steps toward a more honest reckoning with what happened in 1915, though that momentum has stalled or reversed as part of a broader crackdown in the country. And a full recognition of the genocide remains a distant prospect at best. </div>
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Several other countries around the world have passed genocide recognition resolutions, and Turkey has tended to view them as part of an anti-Turkey campaign rather than honest historical assessments. </div>
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Many Armenians in Turkey believe the foreign resolutions do little to help the cause of Turkey’s own reckoning with its history. </div>
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“Decisions in European parliaments did not help Turkey acknowledge [the genocide],” said Yetvart Danzikyan, the editor of the Istanbul Armenian newspaper Agos. “So I don’t think this effort [in the U.S.] will help Turkey acknowledge.</div>
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On the contrary, Turkey has always reacted against efforts like this,” Danzikyan told Eurasianet.</div>
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<b>“I have always maintained that the important thing is for the Turks themselves to come to terms with their history, not for others to do so</b>,” said Evans, the former U.S. ambassador.</div>
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Joshua Kucera is the Turkey/Caucasus editor at Eurasianet, and author of The Bug Pit.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 28 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian FM explains his Artsakh remarks at BBC interview</b></div>
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Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan addressed on Monday criticism over his latest interview to BBC HardTalk's Stephen Sackur, in particular regarding the Artsakh conflict.</div>
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“Such a program can prompt domestic political debates in a democratic country and Armenia is no exception. On this occasion, I am pleased to reiterate that there is pluralism in the Republic of Armenia, there is criticism and support,” Mnatsakanyan told</div>
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a joint news conference with Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva in Yerevan.</div>
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“I noticed that it caused quite a dynamic discussion in Armenia, which is only to be welcomed,” the FM said, adding he is grateful for different opinions, including for criticism.</div>
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Commenting on the his remarks over the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict made during the interview, the minister expressed hope everyone shares the position that the issue at the core of the conflict is the individual and collective rights of the people of Artsakh, including their right to self-determination, security of the Artsakh people and the status of Artsakh, which is the most important for Armenia.</div>
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“<b>The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not about territorial dispute; it’s a matter of security and status for us.</b> The primary concern for us is a human being with his individual and collective rights. Naturally, Artsakh, like Armenia, is a territory inhabited</div>
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by Armenians. In order for it to remain a historic, Armenian territory,<b> it is necessary to protect the Artsakh people’s security and right to self-determination today and in the future</b>. We have been and remain the guarantor of Artsakh's security,” Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said, adding that this is the key point in the Artsakh issue which will continue to be strengthened by various formats and methods. </div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 28 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia denounces Baku for derailing NK talks, calls on NAM member states to respect the peace process</b></div>
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“Armenia deplores the fact that Azerbaijan, the host country of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit and the current Chairman of the Movement, has once again opted for the abuse of its membership in the Movement by promoting misleading, extremely biased narratives on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the Outcome Document of the Summit,” Armenia’s foreign ministry reported on Monday in a press statement, reacting to the document adopted at the 18th NAM Summit of the Heads of State and Governments held in Baku.</div>
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“The authorities of Azerbaijan, who have perpetrated mass atrocities against the Armenians in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, who have been consistently conducting policies of intolerance and hatred, including by way of public glorification of convicted</div>
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murderers of the Armenians, who have repeatedly attempted military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, bear direct and immediate responsibility for creating existential security risks for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the statement released by the ministry press service said.</div>
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It next condemns the Azerbaijani leadership for “a lack of commitment to the peace process conducted under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs… by having opted to yet another forum-shopping exercise in an attempt to derail the ongoing negotiations.</div>
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<b>“Armenia firmly supports the inalienable rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to freely determine their political status without limitation and coercion and to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Armenia remains sole security</b><b style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> guarantor of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,</b>” said the statement.</div>
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The statement next urges the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement to demonstrate responsibility and respect to the negotiations and to act in line with the spirit, the logic and the course of the peace process based on the norms and principles of international law, the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, including equal rights and self-determination of peoples as one of the key principles for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.</div>
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<b><a href="http://eurasianet.org/">EurasiaNet.org</a></b></div>
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<b>Oct 28 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia-Azerbaijan: Who’s the big defense spender? </b></div>
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<b>Azerbaijan spends six times more in dollar terms. But rival Armenia’s spending is far more painful at home. </b></div>
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<b>Sam Bhutia </b></div>
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Decades into an intractable conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, plentiful oil has allowed Azerbaijan to spend lavishly on upgrading its military. Armenia’s struggle to compete, by contrast, is bleeding its budget. </div>
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Between 2009 and 2018 Azerbaijan’s military spending totaled almost $24 billion, according to updated data from the Stockholm International and Peace Research Institute. Armenia spent slightly more than $4 billion in the same period.</div>
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As a share of government spending, however, Armenia spends far more. <b>In 2018, according to SIPRI, 21 percent of Armenian government spending was directed toward the military, compared with about 11 percent in Azerbaijan.</b> That is a significant drag in a country where close to 26 percent of people live in poverty. </div>
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Russia, one of the largest arms exporters in the world, sells weapons to both sides in the conflict – though Armenia, as a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, gets a discount. In response, Azerbaijan has diversified, cozying up to unlikely allies such as Israel. </div>
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According SIPRI, between 2014 and 2018, Azerbaijan was Israel’s second-largest buyer of defense equipment, taking home 17 percent of Israeli arms exports. In 2016, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed his country had purchased $4.85 billion in Israeli armaments. The relationship is not one-sided: Azerbaijan’s exports to Israel totaled $1.3 billion in 2018 (mostly oil), just under 7 percent of Azerbaijan’s total. </div>
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Armenia, meanwhile, is increasingly dependent on</div>
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its economic ties with Russia. In this South Caucasus arms race, an Azerbaijani petrodollar goes a lot farther than Armenia can hope to stretch a dram. </div>
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Sam Bhutia is an economist specializing in the former Soviet Union.</div>
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<b>The Armenian Mirror-Spectator</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">OCTOBER 17, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>EDITORIAL</b></div>
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<b>Sorry State of Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate</b></div>
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<b>by <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Raffi</span><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> Bedrosyan</span></b></div>
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Ever since the last Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan fell ill with dementia but continued to live in a vegetative state in 2008, the seat of the Istanbul Patriarchate has been vacant. Archbishop Aram Atesyan, who got himself appointed as Acting Patriarch, devised several arrangements with the help of the Turkish government to delay the election of a new Patriarch and remained in power for the past 11 years. Patriarch Mutafyan passed away in March 2019 and now no more legal and illegal loopholes are left to avoid the Patriarchal election.</div>
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<b>The Turkish government finally relented to have the Patriarchal election take place in December 2019, but also presented a further obstacle against a fair and democratic election process. It imposed a condition that ‘the only eligible candidates would have</b><b style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> to be clergy in the employ of the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate’, thereby eliminating at least ten other potential candidates who could have been eligible, based on the historically legitimate condition of eligibility applied in previous Patriarchal elections,</b><b style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> which was to be born into an Armenian family from Turkey.</b> </div>
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It should be noted that two of the previously elected Istanbul Patriarchs were clergymen born in Turkey but serving the Armenian Church outside Turkey and not in the Istanbul Patriarchate.</div>
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The Electoral Commission of Istanbul Armenians, selected from Istanbul Armenian community leaders, charitable foundation directors and some clergy, assembled to decide whether to object to the Turkish government about the imposed eligibility condition, but after a very short debate and a few resignations of objectors, it conveniently decided to comply with the government condition and proceed to the election. Therefore, instead of having a healthy debate and new approaches on how to run the Patriarchate with worthy candidates from inside and outside Istanbul, the December election will be between two Istanbul Armenian clergymen, Archbishop Atesyan, the Acting Patriarch until recently, and Archbishop Mashalyan, newly elected as the caretaker clergyman to oversee the election.</div>
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Based on their past performances, both men appear to be completely subservient to the Turkish government, convinced that the best and only way to conduct the Patriarchate affairs is to act exactly as the state demands, without ever rocking the boat. This may perhaps be acceptable as a tactic of survival, but what is even less acceptable is how these candidates act as subservient to the Istanbul Armenian charitable foundation leaders. </div>
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The Patriarchate has the right to exert moral authority over the charitable foundations. Instead, the charitable foundation leaders, who are supposed to run the affairs of the Armenian churches, schools and hospitals on behalf of the Armenian community, conduct themselves as the head of individual empires, not accountable to anyone. Some charitable</div>
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foundations are quite wealthy as they have substantial revenues and income from significant real estate holdings, while others are only reliant on individual donations or fundraising dinners. The “haves” are supposed to help the “have-nots,” but this can only be done by having a strong and influential Patriarch, arbitrating among the charitable foundations and distributing the wealth for the common good of the entire community. </div>
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But at present, the directors of the wealthy foundations keep the revenues to themselves and spend it as they see it fit. <b>Although they are supposed to be elected, the Turkish government has not allowed elections for Armenian charitable foundations for many years, and these people just rule their empires, with no accountability.</b> </div>
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The director of Holy Trinity Church (Surp Yerrortutyun), which oversees numerous other churches and schools in Pera, kept on ruling for 39 years until he passed away recently, completely wasting the potential of the historic Tokatliyan Hotel which his foundations owns, renting it cheaply to his friends and associates. The director of the Holy Saviour Hospital (Surp Prgitch), sees himself as the spokesperson of the entire Armenian community and makes irresponsible statements to the Turkish media, as he did recently, saying that students</div>
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at highly prestigious Armenian Getronagan School are being raised as “militants.”</div>
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One critical issue that the Patriarchate needs to address but has not done until now is the reality of the hidden Armenians, living in different regions of Turkey outside Istanbul. The Islamized hidden Armenians have started to return to their Armenian roots in recent years. Against all odds, risks and consequences, they seek an Armenian identity. At present, the Armenian Patriarchate, or rather the Acting Patriarch, does not recognize them as Armenians until they get baptized and become Christian. But the conditions for baptism are so onerous that few hidden Armenians choose to go through with the process. Moreover, the hidden Armenians are also prevented from being baptized elsewhere in Armenia or Europe, as we experienced during Project Rebirth trips to Armenia with</div>
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several groups of hidden Armenians. It is my humble opinion that any hidden Armenian who wishes to return to Armenian roots, language and culture, has the right to do so, and should not be prevented from doing so. Religion should be considered as a personal choice that comes later.</div>
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Another critical issue that the Patriarchate needs to address but has ignored at present is the status of the hundreds of abandoned Armenian churches in the rest of Turkey outside Istanbul. There were more than 4,000 churches and schools left behind in Turkey after the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Although most of them have been destroyed, there are still hundreds intact, either used by the Turkish state, organizations or individuals for other purposes. It is Patriarchate’s right, indeed its duty, to take steps toward the return of these properties to the rightful owner, the Patriarchate. There are also six active Armenian churches still open in the rest of Turkey outside Istanbul, in Kayseri, Iskenderun, Hatay, Vakiflikoy, and the largest of them all, in Diyarbakir, the Surp Giragos Church. The Patriarchate should appoint part-time or full-time clergy to these churches, even though there may not be a visible Christian Armenian community at present. These churches, and potentially new others, would act as magnets for the hidden Armenians to have the courage to come out, congregate and support one another.</div>
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The two Patriarchal candidates have not uttered a word about any of these critical issues. In fact, they have only praised themselves about what they have done in the past, but not shared any of their future plans and programs, if elected. I think every Istanbul</div>
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Armenian voter should think about these issues and demand how the candidates will deal with them. The Istanbul Patriarchate is not simply a church administrative center appointing clergymen or running a few churches for a community of 60,000 Armenians. There is immense responsibility and duty, not only limited to Istanbul but covering the entire country, to deal with remaining historic assets and emerging realities of hidden Armenians. I would therefore, urge the Istanbul Armenian voters to ask the following questions to the Patriarchal candidates:</div>
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What are your plans to take charge of the Istanbul Armenian charitable foundations, and fairly arbitrate among them for the benefit of the entire Armenian community?</div>
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What are your plans to accommodate and welcome the hidden Armenians who wish to join the Armenian community and return to their Armenian roots, including those who wish to convert to Christianity, and those who do not convert to Christianity?</div>
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What are your plans to start discussions with the Turkish government, organizations or individuals toward the return of Armenian churches and schools previously owned by the Patriarchate?</div>
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What are your plans to appoint clergymen outside Istanbul in the rest of Turkey in areas where there are emerging hidden Armenian communities such as Diyarbakir?</div>
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If the voters are not aware or interested in these issues, the candidates will not be interested in these issues, either. Instead of serving the voters and the Armenian community at large, they will serve their ‘masters’, the wealthy directors of the charitable</div>
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foundations. Not much will change and the Istanbul Armenian community will continue to be treated as ‘flock’, not only in the religious sense but also in the literal sense as ‘sheep’.</div>
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(Raffi Bedrosyan is a civil engineer and concert pianist, living in Toronto, Canada. He has donated concert and CD proceedings to infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh, in which he has also participated as an engineer.</div>
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He helped organize the reconstruction of the Surp Giragos Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd Church and the first Armenian reclaim of church properties in Anatolia after 1915. He gave the first piano concert in the Surp Giragos Church since 1915.)</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-91151132577857758082019-11-04T12:33:00.003+00:002019-11-04T12:33:47.824+00:00Arminian News ... A Topalian 7 editorials<br />
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<b>BBC News </b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">HARDtalk</span></b></div>
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<b>Oct 25 2019</b></div>
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<b>Zohrab Mnatsakanyan - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Armenia</b></div>
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Has anything really changed since Armenia's new reformist government was installed last year? Stephen Sackur speaks to Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenia’s foreign minister.</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csy93x">https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csy93x</a></i></div>
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<i>RFE/RL Report</i></div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>U.S. House Set To Vote On Armenian Genocide Resolution</b></div>
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<b>October 24, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Emil Danielyan</b></div>
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The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote next week on a resolution calling for official U.S. recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.</div>
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The resolution was introduced by several pro-Armenian U.S. lawmakers, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, in April this year and has had 117 co-sponsors since then. It calls on the U.S. government to "commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance” and to </div>
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“reject” Turkish and other efforts to deny it.</div>
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The resolution is included on the House agenda for next week released by Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. It is due to debated right after a House vote on a bipartisan bill that would sanction Turkey for its military offensive in northern Syria.</div>
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“We're going to have a Turkey sanctions bill and we're going to have an Armenian genocide bill,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel told National Public Radio earlier this week. “Both of which I'm sure the government of Turkey is not happy with, but then again we're not happy with the government of Turkey.”</div>
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In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Schiff and other leaders of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues said they are “very pleased” that the </div>
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resolution “will receive a vote next week by the full House.”</div>
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Armenian-American lobby groups also hailed the initiative which is understood to enjoy the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.</div>
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“This latest [Turkish] assault on vulnerable ethnic groups demonstrates the need for Congress to unequivocally affirm the Armenian genocide and adopt the resolutions pending in the House and Senate,” said Bryan Ardouny, the executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America.</div>
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“We urge all [House] members to support this important human rights measure and send a strong message that the days of genocide denial are over,” Ardouny told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.</div>
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The Assembly and the Armenian National Committee of America have for decades been campaigning for the passage of such legislation. Genocide resolutions </div>
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drafted by pro-Armenian lawmakers have been repeatedly approved by congressional committees. But they have not reached the House or Senate floor </div>
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until now because of opposition from U.S. administrations worried about their impact on U.S.-Turkish relations.</div>
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Successive Turkish governments have warned of serious damage to those ties, vehemently denying the slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire. Ankara has not yet reacted to the announcement of the planned House vote.</div>
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There was also no immediate reaction from the White House. Like his predecessors, President Donald Trump avoided using the word genocide in his annual statements on the World War One-era mass killings and deportations of Armenians. He has spoken instead of “one of the worst mass atrocities of the </div>
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20th century.”</div>
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On Wednesday, Trump lifted sanctions imposed by him on Turkey earlier this month, saying that a ceasefire in northern Syria is now permanent.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Armenia Slides In Investment Climate Rankings</b></div>
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<b>October 24, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Robert Zargarian</b></div>
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The World Bank has downgraded Armenia’s position in its annual survey on the ease of doing business around the world despite reporting an improvement in the country’s investment climate.</div>
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Armenia ranked 47th, together with Belgium and Moldova, in the latest Doing Business survey which assessed economic conditions in 190 nations with a range of specific indicators. It was 41st in last year’s global rankings.</div>
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Armenia scored poorly in two of the ten categories used by the bank for evaluating the ease of engaging in entrepreneurial activity: “Protecting Minority Investors” and “Resolving Insolvency.” Even so, the World Bank said the Armenian authorities have “strengthened minority investor protections” over </div>
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the past year. It also found improvements in taxation procedures and construction quality control.</div>
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As a result, the country’s overall Doing Business score went up from 73.2 to 74.5. “This means that over the course of last year Armenia has improved its business regulations as captured by the Doing Business indicators in absolute terms,” the head of the World Bank office in Yerevan, Sylvie Bossoutrot, said in a statement issued on Thursday.</div>
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This latest edition of the study documents reforms implemented in the 190 economies over a 12-month period ending on May 1, 2019, one year after Prime </div>
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Minister Nikol Pashinian and his government took office. Pashinian has repeatedly claimed to have eradicated “systemic corruption” and significantly </div>
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improved Armenia’s business environment.</div>
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Pashinian discussed the country’s worsened position in the investment climates during a cabinet meeting in Yerevan. Economy Minister Tigran Khachatrian blamed it on what he described as a change in the bank’s methodology of measuring minority shareholder protection. Artur Javadian, the Central Bank governor also present at the meeting, claimed, for his part, that Armenia’s poor score in that category is the result of a “technical error.”</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">25 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>‘Armenian government implements open-door policy towards foreign investments’ – PM Pashinyan</b></div>
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The Armenian government implements an open-door policy towards foreign investments, providing for full property ownership, PM Nikol Pashinyan told Gulf News in an interview.</div>
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“Armenia provides an excellent opportunity for investors in areas such as information technology, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, energy and many others”, he said. “Our government implements an open-door policy towards foreign investments, providing for full property ownership. Foreign investors can have free access to any sector and geographic location within the country with no restrictions on personnel recruitment, free and unlimited repatriation of profits, unlimited currency exchange on market rates, and guarantees against nationalization. The five-year grandfather clause protecting foreign investors against investment-related legislation changes is also a part of our foreign investment framework. With regard to international economic relations, Armenia has bilateral treaties on investment promotion and protection with 43 countries, including the United States. Armenia is a member of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. We have treaties on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with 46 countries. This means that the investors are granted a number of guarantees – in particular, national treatment, protection from expropriation, free transfer of means and full protection and security”.</div>
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Pashinyan noted that the World Bank has ranked Armenia 41st out of 190 countries in its Doing Business report.</div>
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“In terms of ease of starting a business, Armenia is 8th in the world, and 14th for registering a property. According to the Index of Economic Freedom, Armenia is the 47th freest economy in the world. We are continuing to carry out deep and comprehensive reforms to improve our business environment. The government is working on legislative reforms to establish a most-favoured-nation regime to define the guarantees provided for foreign investors, as well as to introduce effective dispute settlement mechanisms. We are currently working on expanding opportunities and clearly defining the legal framework for public-private partnerships.</div>
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“Armenia is a small, landlocked country” is a description that you may find in many books and articles. Well, I agree, we are a small country. But, we are a nation with a wide and global network, which makes us great. Armenia is located in a place that bridges cultures and economies. Some may claim that Armenia has a small market, but I am here to challenge that view. Armenia is a part of the Eurasian Economic Union market that has over 180 million consumers. Armenian producers also benefit from GSP+ preferential treatment with the European Union, and GSP with the United States and some other countries. Armenia is also deepening cooperation with the European Union through a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. This ambitious agreement provides a framework for Armenia and the EU to work together for the benefit of the citizens of Armenia in the areas of strengthening democracy and human rights, creating more jobs and business opportunities, fairer rules, more safety and security, a cleaner environment, as well as better education and opportunities for research”, the Armenian Prime Minister said.</div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 24 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia PM: We tell villagers to insure their land so they get huge compensation when hail comes </b></div>
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At Thursday’s Cabinet session, the government of Armenia approved the State Assistance Program for Implementation of a Pilot Insurance System in Agriculture.</div>
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The issue was presented by Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan, noting that since early October, insurance policies have been sold in 6 provinces—Ararat, Armavir, Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Vayots Dzor, and Tavush—due to hail, and in two provinces—Ararat and Armavir—due to early spring frost.</div>
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"With the support of KfW Bank, we subsidize half of those premiums - 50-60 percent,” he said. “This decision is about how we should transfer this subsidized amount to the insurance companies.”</div>
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Referring to the issue, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that until now, if there was a disaster, the hail would damage the crop, the state would compensate for a small part of the loss, but now in case of insurance policies, the state would pay 50-60% of the damage.</div>
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"That's why we envision funds in the budget," he added. “In other words, we tell the villagers, ‘Insure your land so that when the hail comes, you will not receive 30,000 drams, but 500,000-600,000 drams.’"</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">24 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Armenian Government aims BEYOND sky-high, announces future space program plans and creates new law</b></div>
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The Cabinet has approved the bill on creating a national law on space activities.</div>
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Minister of High Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan said that space research and industry require to regulate space activities and develop it on an economically beneficial level, which in turn will contribute to the development of other branches.</div>
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Currently space activities in Armenia are regulated only under international law norms.</div>
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“At the same time we plan to include space activities in the list of activities subject to licensing and provide these companies with tax privileges until 2030,” Arshakyan said.</div>
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The law is expected to have big significance in terms of creating workplaces and other infrastructures.</div>
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“The abovementioned will serve as grounds for a quality generation of specialists (engineers, constructors, mechanics etc.) of space activities to be developed in Armenia in the foreseeable future, which in turn will enable Armenia to carry out its own space programs, including launching Armenian spacecrafts and satellites into the space”, the bill says.</div>
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Arshakyan said there are two space companies with whom negotiations are underway and the new law will contribute to their activities in Armenia. The companies are engaged in assembling and testing satellites.</div>
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Finance Minister Arom Janjughazyan and PM Nikol Pashinyan noted that the tax privileges must be studied in terms of results.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 24 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia drops three spots in FIFA ranking</b></div>
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Armenia's national football team has dropped three places to 99th in the latest FIFA World Ranking released on Thursday after drawing with Liechtenstein 1-1 and losing to Finland 0-3 in Euro 2020 qualifiers.</div>
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The ranking is still led by Belgium, followed by France and Brazil. England is ranked fourth and Uruguay comes fifth on the list.</div>
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Among Armenia’s competitors in the Euro 2020 Group J Italy holds the highest 15th position.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-10034943618202218202019-11-04T12:28:00.002+00:002019-11-04T12:28:30.676+00:00Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland Armenian Church News<table align="center" bgcolor="#f1deff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="main-template" style="background-color: #f1deff; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/amvL6rfSLDI7nknZJhU52oQjizJmOwieeYaT_sJyFbfoB5Nx2jbOner-JqmAzthTBRBUFKMKA0tYwLdRxjQYasSmayfnIedi92nKfTVQIaIljVoklP-F45SFY183fPzXT2665MVpvgdm_9I1_mjlcDUFeTVDXgvfHSOFFhUq-NL1cCtbKusnKFUyfa0k2PGLnx_jvmnRkfkXQVp1HsDAZODribXOVsgWuExA4VGGo1rlQc9vMqh6FH1mLjBUEJrWLJOheaTxWKiAOLbcCnBCHqxmjI8RNn8A6oyYbcM2tAkZg8WbxKpzyr-4AYwS_w1Amh2spgFSvhTuvBWzAUqNKAC99xm9-pYHHXZ9-E0YBc_BaCRPpGQY3Q" sib_link_id="1"><span style="color: white;">Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/_EzbCs-G_qvcHHkHbE5m5dr2JYUQQEZO1Ai3oXVaa4jcvpwoXqWFPVcLShMZCRa5zZ_b001MRd3w2kAQH2c7C3wWmD67PlARIfQMVHuuM27PU_995FWuhJVZU8IFXocDvAcGdTqDNl-i5GVZLcvup4xkCg79KZEiu8XlsMVWFYKx_LyGpcwY7mO-svBhEw4plTYEK9wNdMdLP99ehCdB53U86b8z92GU4izVYY00uu7YbdqkkcsMcorr7VfpJWfMmls3hlgcsftE8mzD66ZQJKiNVaeso5RUjnnkYepJSnd3Hjv_CjcjyyQ2QIQpsclBI-2CCS3bfe-EFCF1Ywd_g34IqmYD4YEAI_EN222wNJlY2LCyCb1CFqS5xSeLHVih8erw82U" sib_link_id="18" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Restoring the Mother Cathedral for many generations to come</a></td></tr>
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The extensive restoration of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin was discussed at a special gathering on 25th October at St Yeghiche Church, featuring Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the chair of the renovation and fundraising committee. Soprano Sevan Habib, accompanied by Jacqueline Karanfilian on the organ, performed a selection of beautiful and heart-warming Armenian songs, which added solemnity to the occasion.<br />“’Etchmiadzin’ literally means ‘the only Begotten descended’”, point out the evening’s MC Shakeh Major Tchilingirian in her introductory remarks, and said, “as such, the Etchmiadzin Mother Cathedral is the holiest place for the Armenian nation, because it is the very spot where Christ instructed St. Gregory the Illuminator to build the first Armenian church.” She underlined that “beyond the physical edifice, Etchmiadzin is a symbol of the Armenian Christian values that we have upheld as a nation for centuries.”<br />The main message of the evening was participation of every Armenian around the world -- to take part in the restoration of this most significant Armenian holy place through their donations.<br />The Primate Bishop Hovakim Manoukian in his opening remarks emphasised that more than the amount of a donation, what is more meaningful is the commitment that members of the British Armenian community make to take part in this historically significant restoration project. He said, “we are all called to secure the physical structure of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin for the coming centuries and to pass on our legacy to generation to come.”<br />Archbishop Hovan Derderian, the Primate of the Western Diocese in the United States, who is leading the fundraising efforts, provided details about the restoration project, about which a short documentary film was shown. He explained the international efforts throughout the dioceses of the Armenian church to make sure that all Armenians take part in this national project. Archbishop Hovan pointed out that the fundraising is carried out by an independent committee and all accounts will be audited professionally and presented to the public. He said the names of all donors from around the world are being centrally recorded and will be published in a special book about this historic renovation.<br />The Cathedral of Echmiadzin, the birthplace of Armenian Christianity, has been undergoing extensive and much-needed major renovations for the last few years. The Cathedral was built in the early 4th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the 1700 years of its long history, the Mother Cathedral of the Armenians has attracted countless pilgrims and visitors from around the world and continues to attract thousands of visitors every year.<br />At the conclusion of the evening, Bishop Hovakim thanked Abp Hovnan Derderian for coming from LA to London and extended His gratitude to Mr Viken Haladjian for helping to organise this event, Sévan Habib and Jacqueline Karanfilian for the concert of the spiritual songs and Shakeh Major Tchilingirian, the MC of the day. He thanked all those who attended, donated and committed to help.<br />Donations large or small can be made securely through the Friends of Etchmiadzin, a UK registered charity, via the following account number: Acc No: 27895718, Sort code: 50-30-10, BIC: NWBK GB 2L, IBAN: GB20 NWBK 5030 1027 8957 18 or by sending your cheques/donations payable to: “Friends of Etchmiadzin” to the Bishop’s House, 27 Haven Green, London W5 2NZ. Reference your donation as “<a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/7jf_WREkXz8Z8Jn3l9grj9VOCwtPt947LCin4BYbjXYXL2uo7yvkJ6MN_m9x-rtqRqDtC1J9BNvMMq_HZhnbfpRO5D-SdmXNEh69vizEo81NTcyaJeVPxAQIzIZWZ1XNaPkKDNMaEn0enhGkGVpdIZ3nn93fkWQ2_ACDRw6jo7qxVvhiAgzgGedDtc-09NkYrFx9QZHWounqCwabUx2OuVgMeiSN8BzPBhgvGNK7dR35WeMOZNQd8dUpjgQEqTE7xrDcgw2SSzr-DydRKc22XwCEw-cVwtdXMNf0qSe6YZ1kEsMEVX-dcErb" sib_link_id="5" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">Renovation”</a>.</div>
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All donations will be acknowledged in a special book, which will be published by the international committee when the renovations are concluded.<br /> </div>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">K Tahta Armenian Community Sunday School's celebration of the Feast of Holy Translators</td></tr>
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K Tahta Armenian Community Sunday School celebrated the Feast of Holy Translators<br />(Սրբ Թարգմանչաց տօն) on 20th October. The creation of the Armenian alphabet in 405AD was a significant historical event, a vital turning point in the Armenian history as the small nation gained a distinct diversity that still holds strong today. Children in all year groups participated in the event, as senior students researched and presented the role and significance of the Holy Translators for the preservation of the Armenian identity in religion, culture, traditions, and literature. Also, the younger pupils recited Armenian authors' poems and songs.<br />His Grace Bishop Manukyan attended the event and was warmly welcomed by the school community. At the end of the event the Primate extended His blessings to the teachers and students of the school. He also offered for the school to hold their traditional celebrations of Holy Translators and Vartanants at St. Yeghiche Church in London.<br /> </div>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">The Primate celebrated Holy Badarak and preached at St Sarkis Church on the 20th October</td></tr>
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The Primate celebrated Holy Badarak and preached at St Sarkis Church in London. While preaching, The Primate reminded us of The Golden Rule of Christianity which is found in Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” he invited the faithful to remain so in the face of testing times at the hands of others and always acting as if you expect the same is the key to a harmonious life. In addition, The Primate continued delivering the message of The Gospel by explaining its teaching that we must overcome pride and envy which we all to often surrender to in everyday life in order to achieve Salvation.<br /> </div>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/82G4Uhqw82B3msnJFWl_PE-V80SsbEl-3ZUl9P4OXhL8qve38dIjR0BAGPUrgzNcDoYaw7zL4TSF_cIuxBnYiecmCC2vCZZLxVNoS_Z8kQZxNvkXAWRi-ipaS-qDLvgNlesB8eUz4c6j9l8bhKWEMLeN038anUonTCGlzORymGRl2_UpGze2KgCY9j4LvPb4o1PDlbAwQ1-xtipNVZwfR1hmOLy2YOqZTqtDWJjPPXojZYh7aow0hq7qjNue2OofeCO3hmC826rqWjMB0DFiHQlFCfrg_rhQ9tD-dBtkfAKlFvgdso_bPw" sib_link_id="7" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Armenian Church Trust UK AGM</a></td></tr>
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ACT UK is the main centralised charity for the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland,serving the interest of the Armenian communities to advance the Christian faith throughout the British Isles and Republic of Ireland.</div>
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Besides this,The Central ethos of ACT UK as a charity is to provide absolute transparency to the generous benefactors who make it possible.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">As such The Annual General meeting(AGM) is a chance to see how the funds are being used to help the Armenian Community develop.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: purple;">Please do join us for the AGM on December 2nd, at 7:30 pm at the Bishop's House (27 Haven Green, W5 2NZ)</span></span></strong></div>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The children's club met on the 12th of October at the Bishop's House. Led by Anna Henden, and assisted by Vanhouni Petrosyan, the classes focus on teaching children the Armenian language through dancing, interactive games and other fun activities to keep the Children occupied during the weekend. The club will recommence on Saturday November 9th, at 2pm, those wishing to bring their children, please inform the primates office by contacting us via email at: <a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk.There">info@armenianchurch.org.uk.There</a> is a small £1 donation for those in attendance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There are many clubs in the Armenian Community for Adults to participate in also.The Club Art wellbeing women, for example met at Bishop’s House on Saturday 12th October. The sessions are focused on art therapy sessions for females led by artist Anna Virabyan.Feel free to attend the The next session which will take place at Bishop’s House at 1PM and kindly note there is a small donation fee of £3 per person.In the absence of linguistics, The session provides the opportunity for expression and empowerment through the different avenues of painting and art in general. Those who wish to attend please contact the Primates office via email at:info@<a href="http://armenianchurch.org.uk/">armenianchurch.org.uk</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">Journey through the Bible</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="rnb-mbl-float-none" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; float: inherit !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 350px;">The Primate is launching weekly Bible studies in English (every Thursday, 7:30 pm) for the faithful of the community, who are in search of a deeper understanding of their faith and Christian fellowship. These are not academic discussions, but a journey of understanding together through the Bible. Currently, The Gospel of John is the focus where we explore his “ High Christology” as well as the countless lessons that can be drawn from his expansive teachings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">Pilgrimage to Holy Land and Jerusalem</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="rnb-mbl-float-none" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; float: inherit !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 350px;">Travel dates: <span style="color: purple;">16th to 24th January 2020</span><br /><strong><span style="color: purple;"><em>(Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Dead See and other early Christian sites)</em></span></strong><br /><br />The visit will include Armenian Christmas mass (Սուրբ Ծննդյան Պատարագ) in Bethlehem on January 19th as celebrated in Old Calendar.<br /><br />The cost per person:<br />Double room sharing £1350 . Single supplement £250.<br /><br />Please kindly note that there will be a lot of walking.<br />Those who are interested in taking can make their deposits of £250 to ACT UK accounts until the deadline of 1st November.<br />ACT UK account number: 20573160 sort code: 30-94-65, REF: Jerusalem<br /><br />Please contact Ms Hrachik Sarian via email: <a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk">info@armenianchurch.org.uk</a> or Tel: 07949810704 for all inquiries related to the Pilgrimage</td></tr>
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<tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#999" height="26" style="background-color: #999999; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-collapse: collapse; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; padding-left: 14px; padding-right: 14px; text-align: center;" valign="middle" width="auto"><a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/iCMWxex2O8INomhLptqQ8j5UFQ332H6KDFBYu5QTHbDFVeKL67Jw3R4vtAKMUg5O0ass-_ZBmr-V5_626Po2xGjZbOxtPQ-HUMXB9PyNa7QV2xuSlHFCdtyjagtbINqoop5GrXz8KFeGozfswVQMN0ofSK5dqWn-_3qJD3rrOHcOGDhjoBxNZ41Ol7q3_YUAhnnLiOwPDtYOFGl3QenueNg80P_3YTA-kLBaJ18Kbmhmdmi2W-LG3Y1P9qIXc20xu3yELgFHUr18J7wSHs6DXykJBQ8mU3DFRVue3dpZJcBOWnCLsZisGPZiIGq4XUlLMpRAv-3PSt_B2RsXQQWBlIxubei90ktTPTXRvsuUdJIPEGMEi-0XJss" sib_link_id="8" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Programme</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">Armenian Bibles & the book Sacred Armenia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="rnb-mbl-float-none" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; float: inherit !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 350px;">Within the coming weeks, ACT UK will purchase a quantity of Bibles in Armenian to continue to distribute to the faithful Bibles during the Baptisms and Weddings in all the Churches in UK and Ireland.<br /><br />Also,We are currently in the process of publishing a brilliant book called “The book Sacred Armenia.” The book is based on the diary of a pilgrim illustrated by photos, which together demonstrate the rich, historical, and spiritual Christian culture and heritage of Armenia as a Biblical country.<br /><br />As with many Church activities, we rely on the assistance of our community to further its success. As such if you would like to donate or think you can be of any assistance in aiding these projects please kindly contact: <a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk">info@armenianchurch.org.uk</a> or Call: 07949810704.<br /><br /> </td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Publicizing your business in our newsletter</span></span><br />"The Armenian Church News" has thousands of subscribers across the UK and abroad and acts as a platform to inform all members of the Armenian community of all the happenings surrounding Armenia and The Church as well. It is also an opportunity for Armenian organisations and businesses to make the readers aware of their presence.<br /><br />If you think more people in the community should know about your organisation and that it also meets the guidelines of the Diocese, please contact us. We look forward from hearing from you. For more information on suitability and fees /donations, : <a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk">info@armenianchurch.org.uk</a> or Tell: 07949810704.<br /> </div>
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<tr><td class="rnb-mbl-float-none" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; float: inherit !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 350px;">Urartu travel invites diaspora Armenians to join us on various trips to Armenia and discover Christian Armenia and roots in other countries.<br />Those who are interested to join, they are welcome to contact us through <a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk">info@armenianchurch.org.uk</a>.<br /> </td></tr>
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<tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#999" height="26" style="background-color: #999999; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-collapse: collapse; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; padding-left: 14px; padding-right: 14px; text-align: center;" valign="middle" width="auto"><a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/cHHeLRyU1L8u_9wKun76jQxbs2ykkU_B0Jnm7RB0SRJpiXn01fhoZtovexpnkWDtSULj7faJeSbZdyzTSfXNZiZmECTS6g1kNtJgV_IwtaaWt9WLoNYo7XK52NvktAisvWhV7Qsd9aFMJkv3X8pEY1H-fYbL-p8J0tgZSkyzwJ48fEC8ylbOccp9BH207P5KHpKqvIQyVp-N94yihn9JFRuyoXKDgtjSkzZTqaQeegQcJqPRX-JJdhtIC10pugRKBgHjddfPBIf5PLKX7fh78gOA3EDLQ-CRL2Q8sJS6" sib_link_id="9" style="color: white; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Please read here more:</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td align="left" class="img-block-center" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center !important;" valign="top" width="100%"><img alt="" border="0" class="rnb-col-2-img-side-xl" hspace="0" sib_img_id="13" src="http://img.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/im/1513644/36a09f700b8c7a78338f301e3dd4e1ac227b10ef83f9a95d3c3f9a3d9514b92a.jpg?e=XK8jGFe7anwDEQp5NTWFQqNLusrk0-KsCdkysm8bHSnt_FtcX6voGfxg6D1c2YQmqPZgMVi3SNoiuAVQvyIagDYXgoLxBWosdkLJGzE0IJaUIjc53Xc4RxftqU93TtLV9H-y5s9Ri_GPFcuOS1RZ3cyYAwRxy_q_s9Co10ZG2BA5nuaSqzoRm0iQtO9XQrgVTIBQYWl6DQqPxiELiJDiINcwgNH9fguDJZlpExyB56id" style="max-width: 1600px !important; vertical-align: top; width: 100% !important;" vspace="0" width="180" /></td></tr>
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</td><td class="rnb-force-col" style="border-collapse: collapse; display: block; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="rnb-last-col-2" style="border-spacing: 0px; float: none !important; width: 350px;" valign="top"><tbody>
<tr><td class="rnb-mbl-float-none" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; float: inherit !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 350px;">Crosses for men, women and children are available from the Primate’s office.<br />Please call 07949810704 or email <a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk">info@armenianchurch.org.uk</a><br /> </td></tr>
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<tr><td align="left" class="img-block-center" style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center !important;" valign="top" width="100%"><a href="http://r.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/mk/cl/f/7EjD9qNbQjzXOt5CmCe17YAWym0uUFgKwfMLlDPnkbt1YkIynp235qtxZ1U6eX_coaHz7lGPYDTQMuy-oPzoI-naqhylwzm6KuKzHFtj4jxTg-gQ9dp4qpKLsTsfh1kLwgJ7tXpNRbGAfwgWXwcoCrIS8UV9PDef8V9mFoin_iilXFbnIAD0hQFQn8YKbKp00Y47KA3t34zSAK1j5ZCtU38UBksA-MyJdXzd8q2TurX7JDPSUy6mPIqSJ2ix42zgoZIL_yz9ICyklQQsmXtaW1zt2tboEwXxRrG6dbNf0em3dYK2j5bQDlSMpsOCZO1dlfP6Wmgryu2sMxaP3tuvarSgsi_dXA5oMd3YH4xAW-_16eJXPyJbMnNTZlyBX2Me6QL_TIo-Uw" sib_link_id="10" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="rnb-col-2-img-side-xl" hspace="0" sib_img_id="14" src="http://img.newsletter.armenianchurch.org.uk/im/1513644/3f3dfe2d2c0a4f4ca42cca5ea6b991421c193fd33edd4cfe82431f035fc4e683.png?e=7R7ngp5t-GtqKCg3fsiQLyFw3cLvrM46s5imFLhXRwJpkspNyzvTRRMY2H1Yp5WODGczFJYg6ZZ0H8Copg9LNnQXjrd6KJGLwiPToNY6bNaFbBiDdIGNCFZmlGEdvQ9xap9aBIYw3k4Qsg2p0bBf4aJTmNKXrNecQFsAVawN1EU4ki1v4VegmyhytrdeDpK9eqfjl4JCjgvMFYT_XqwxlOvGbloDk-5gVMuO7gdA6y7d" style="max-width: 270px !important; vertical-align: top; width: 100% !important;" vspace="0" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="rnb-mbl-float-none" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #555555; float: inherit !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; width: 350px;">The objective of this e-newsletter is to inform the wider public and its constituency members about activities under the auspices of the Primate such as ACT UK, ACYO, Ladies Committee, Parishes, Worldwide Armenian Church,<br />and Armenian organisations<br />upcoming events in the community.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: azure;">The Primate's Office<br />Bishop's House,</span></div>
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<span style="color: azure;">Ealing, London W5 2NZ</span></div>
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<span style="color: azure;">Email:<a href="mailto:info@armenianchurch.org.uk">info@armenianchurch.org.uk</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: azure;">Tel: 020 8998 9210</span></div>
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Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-33056438562641073552019-11-04T12:19:00.000+00:002019-11-04T12:19:41.076+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 4 editorials<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Reuters </b></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Oct 29 2019</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>U.S. House backs measure recognising Armenian genocide</b></div>
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday in favour of a resolution recognising the mass killings of Armenians a century ago as a genocide, a symbolic but historic vote likely to inflame tensions with Turkey.</div>
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The Democratic-controlled House voted 405-11 in favour of the resolution, which asserts that it is U.S. policy to commemorate as genocide the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923.</div>
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<b>Oct 29 2019</b></div>
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<b>House votes to recognize Armenian genocide</b></div>
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<b>By Juliegrace Brufke</b></div>
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The House passed a resolution on Tuesday officially recognizing and rebuking the Ottoman Empire's genocide against the Armenian people and rejecting any efforts to enlist the U.S. government in denying that the genocide took place.</div>
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Proponents of the long-delayed measure, which passed in a 405-11 vote, argue that it's a necessary and overdue step in providing justice for Armenians. Three lawmakers voted present.</div>
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The resolution was introduced by Rep. Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffJudge schedules hearing for ex-Trump aide who refused to appear in inquiryTop Republicans say impeachment resolution is too little too lateEx-Trump official's refusal to testify escalates impeachment tensionsMORE (D-Calif.), a vice chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus.</div>
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“Many American politicians, diplomats and institutions have rightly recognized these atrocities as a genocide, including America's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time, Henry Morgenthau, and Ronald Reagan," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot EngelEliot Lance EngelFormer White House official won't testify, lawyer saysThis week: House to vote on Turkey sanctions billHouse leaders threaten contempt if former White House official defies subpoenaMORE (D-N.Y.) said on the floor ahead of the vote.</div>
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"Only by shining a light on the darkest parts of our history can we learn not to repeat them and properly acknowledging what occurred is a necessary step in achieving some measure of justice for the victims,” he added.</div>
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The bill emphasizes the position of the House that U.S. policy will "(1) commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance; (2) reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide; and (3) encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the United States role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity."</div>
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“Genocides, whenever and wherever they occur, cannot be ignored, whether they took place in the 20th century by the Ottoman Turks or mid-20th century by the Third Reich and in Darfur," Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), a co-chair of the Armenian Caucus who helped lead the efforts on the measure, said on the House floor.</div>
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The resolution comes amid U.S. tensions with Turkey following Ankara's military incursion into northern Syria after the Trump administration pulled troops from the area earlier this month. Turkey does not recognize the murder of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide.</div>
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Bilirakis said it is time Congress address the injustices committed by the Ottoman Empire, saying he believes Turkey’s “current actions against our Kurdish allies is extremely concerning and we cannot stand by and let egregious human rights violations happen.”</div>
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"Today we end a century of international silence that will not be another period of indifference or international ignorance to the lives lost to systematic murder,” he said.</div>
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The House later passed a bill to place additional sanctions on Turkey on Tuesday in the wake of their incursion against U.S.-allied Kurdish troops.</div>
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<b>Reuters</b></div>
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<b>Oct 29 2019</b></div>
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<b>Turkey slams U.S. move to back measure recognizing Armenian 'genocide'</b></div>
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ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu slammed a move by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday to vote in favor of a resolution recognizing the mass killings of Armenians a century ago as a “genocide”, saying the decision was “null and void”.</div>
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The U.S. House of Representatives voted 405-11 in favor of a resolution recognizing the mass killings of Armenians a century ago as a genocide, a symbolic but historic vote likely to inflame tensions with Turkey.</div>
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In a tweet, Cavusoglu said Turkey had thwarted a “big game” with its offensive into northeastern Syria and that the move by the House was aimed at taking revenge for the operation.</div>
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“Those whose projects were frustrated turn to antiquated resolutions. Circles believing that they will take revenge this way are mistaken. This shameful decision of those exploiting history in politics is null&void for our Government and people,” Cavusoglu said on Twitter.</div>
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<b>The Washington Post</b></div>
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<b>Oct 29 2019</b></div>
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<b>Trump’s dealings with Turkey pave way for House vote acknowledging Armenian genocide</b></div>
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<b>By Paul Kane</b></div>
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<b>Senior congressional correspondent and columnist</b></div>
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The Ottoman Empire’s slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians early last century is one of the most well-documented attempts at genocide on record, down to the U.S. ambassador’s contemporaneous description of a “campaign of race extermination.”</div>
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But it’s taken almost 100 years just to get one half of the U.S. Congress to acknowledge and affirm that such an atrocity took place and that, as stated by the nonbinding resolution, the U.S. government should no longer associate itself “with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide.”</div>
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The resolution, which passed the House on a 405-11 vote Tuesday, is the culmination of decades of intense lobbying, worth tens of millions of dollars, if not more, from the Turkish government that could serve as its own PhD-level course in how Congress works — or, in this case, for the past few decades, how something doesn’t work and usually ends in deadlock.</div>
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And, like so much of the past few years, what changed the dynamics and allowed the resolution to finally win approval was President Trump and one phone call earlier this month. With no consultation with Congress, Trump called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and agreed to withdraw almost all U.S. troops in northern Syria and essentially allowed Turkish forces to invade Kurdish strongholds to attack their longtime rivals, who for years had been the chief U.S. allies in the fight against the Islamic State.</div>
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With that, Turkey lost its already wavering support on Capitol Hill, and the dam burst with a flow of proposed sanctions, which also were approved by the House on Tuesday, and new momentum behind the long-stalled effort to officially recognize the Armenian genocide.</div>
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) smiled, pausing for five seconds and shrugging her shoulders, when asked if Trump’s move had eased the way toward recognizing the genocide.</div>
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“There was just an aura of what the Turks could be doing, is engaged again in genocide, by the greenlight that the president gave them. So that was sort of a callback,” Pelosi said Tuesday.</div>
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[Trump says U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey, calling cease-fire in Syria ‘permanent’]</div>
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The resolution still faces an uphill climb toward winning passage in the Senate, but just this mere victory represented a seismic shift against the usual powers of Washington insiders to thwart things that seem so obvious to most people.</div>
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The resolution is one of the rare things that Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), bitter rivals as chairman and ranking minority-party member of the House Intelligence Committee, completely agree on.</div>
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“This is a vote I have waited 19 years to cast, one that tens of thousands of my Armenian American constituents have waited decades to see,” Schiff said during the floor debate. “It is a moment that so many have worked and fought and prayed for, a moment when the House of Representatives refused to be enlisted in the cause of genocide denial.”</div>
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“Armenian Genocide recognition could finally receive vote on House floor,” Nunes tweeted Monday, linking to a story about the pending vote.</div>
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Schiff was a central player the last time the House came close to voting on the Armenian genocide resolution, in October 2000 when he was a state senator running in what was then the most expensive congressional race of all time for his Los Angeles-area district.</div>
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The House speaker at the time, J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), campaigned for the incumbent, James Rogan (R), and promised to hold a vote on the resolution just weeks before the election, giving all credit to Rogan. The House minority leader at the time, Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), cried foul and said Hastert was playing domestic politics with foreign policy — but he also pledged to pass the resolution if Democrats won the majority and he became speaker.</div>
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However, in the last weeks before the November 2000 election, the State Department intervened and persuaded Hastert to stand down because Turkey served as such a critical NATO ally, particularly with its inroads to Middle Eastern nations.</div>
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Schiff went on to win the race and rise to national prominence as the lead investigator in the impeachment inquiry of Trump, but he could never get the full House to vote on the Armenian resolution — not even when Pelosi served as speaker for four years last decade.</div>
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[Rep. Adam Schiff is well-versed in the political ramifications of impeaching a president]</div>
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Instead, Turkey’s government, as well as its business alliances, built a lobbying behemoth that thwarted any effort at acknowledging what its predecessors had done.</div>
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Gephardt and Hastert, once out of Congress, switched sides and went to work for Ankara’s government.</div>
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From 2008 through 2015, Gephardt’s firm had collected $8 million, and just a couple months after his cooling-off period ended in early 2009, Hastert signed a $35,000-a-month retainer to lobby for Turkey and, among other issues, block the Armenian resolution vote.</div>
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Both Republican and Democratic leaders at Foggy Bottom, including former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, pushed back against repeated efforts to officially condemn the Ottoman Empire for its slaughter.</div>
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In 2017 and 2018, Turkey and its government-affiliated entities spent about $13.4 million lobbying Washington, according to Open Secrets, with its biggest firm, Ballard Partners, led by Trump’s most well-connected supporter from Florida. They also added the Daschle Group, founded by former Senate majority leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), to bolster their bipartisan credentials.</div>
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But then Trump called Erdogan, and the Turkish military entered Syria and started attacking the Kurds, prompting some of the strongest bipartisan condemnation of the president the past three years.</div>
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Even the blockade that seemed to protect Turkey from the genocide resolution fell apart.</div>
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“There’s been no pushback,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) said before the vote, “because I think people are outraged over what Turkey was doing and they still do to the Kurds.”</div>
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The diplomats from Foggy Bottom did not bother to register their traditional strong opposition with Engel. “No one’s called me, no one’s called me. I think maybe they knew that I wouldn’t be influenced by it,” he said.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-25828253735828601822019-10-25T11:36:00.000+00:002019-11-04T12:09:10.778+00:00Armenian News,,, A Topalian 5 editorials<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>MediaMax, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 22 2019</b></div>
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<b>EU to assist Armenia with education reforms</b></div>
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Ambassador Wiktorin has remarked that education is a priority sector for EU and the union is ready to assist Armenia with implementation of relevant reforms.</div>
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The parties have agreed that the EU will help the government to complete the drafting of the reform strategy.</div>
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Arayik Harutyunyan and Andrea Wiktorin have also discussed the need to create mechanisms for strengthening cooperation in higher education and establish ties between universities, form a network of Erasmus+ alumni and the possibility of expanding the program into the public education system. </div>
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<b><a href="http://eurasianet.org/">EurasiaNet.org</a></b></div>
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<b>Oct 22 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian government gathers forces against senior judge</b></div>
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<b>The chair of the constitutional court has become a primary target of the new authorities, and is now facing two separate criminal cases.</b></div>
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<b>Ani Mejlumian</b></div>
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The Armenian government’s campaign against a senior judge connected to the former regime is accelerating, with two criminal cases opened against him and one of his former associates arrested. The moves have further heightened the rift in Armenia between those who believe the new government needs to remake the judiciary at any cost, and those who believe the new government is effectively repoliticizing the court. </div>
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At the center of the battle is Hrair Tovmasyan, the chairman of the constitutional court. Tovmasyan is the last remaining senior member of the formerly ruling Republican Party of Armenia to hold power in the country; he was a former member of parliament and played a key role in rewriting the constitution that allowed Serzh Sargsyan to stay in office indefinitely by sliding from the president’s chair to that of the prime minister. That effort ultimately backfired, leading to mass protests that brought the current authorities to power. </div>
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On October 4, the Armenian parliament voted overwhelmingly to call on the constitutional court to remove Tovmasyan. Parliament itself has no authority to remove a judge from the constitutional court; only other judges on the court can do it. But 10 days later, the court rejected parliament’s motion. </div>
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Along with the political effort to oust him, Armenia’s law enforcement agencies have been pursuing legal cases against him. On October 17, the Special Investigative Service (SIS) launched a case investigating “usurpation of power” related to Tovmasyan’s appointment to the court in March 2018. </div>
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The SIS said it was responding to a criminal report </div>
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filed by Arman Babajanyan, an independent member of parliament formerly of the opposition Bright Armenia faction. Babajanyan alleged that Tovmasyan worked together with the Republican Party to ensure that he would take the judicial position just ahead of the new constitution coming into effect; the new constitution instituted stricter term limits for judges. </div>
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Arsen Babayan, a former parliamentary staff member, was arrested on October 21, accused of aiding Tovmasyan in that scheme. </div>
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The second investigation against Tovmasyan was launched by the National Security Service (NSS) into the judge’s personal wealth. The case has to do with renovations done on state properties carried out between 2012 and 2014, when he was justice minister, and allegations that state funds were stolen. </div>
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In the course of that investigation Tovmasyan’s daughters were called in to the NSS for questioning and his father was visited by officers who wanted to ask about how his roof was repaired. </div>
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A small group of Republican Party officials and loyalists protested in front of the NSS building while Tovmasyan’s daughters were being questioned on October 18. "It's a bogus political order,” the party’s deputy president, Eduard Sharmazanov, told reporters. </div>
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Those claims were met with mockery by MPs of the new ruling party. </div>
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“It turns out that the relatives of the officials also have immunity, that is, they cannot be invited for questioning, law enforcement officials should not approach them,” Vahagn Hovakimyan told RFE/RL.</div>
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“One day I will probably tell you what my family, father, mother, and wife went through as a result of my work in 2010-2018,” said Aren Mkrtchyan, another My Step MP and former activist, in a Facebook post. “Small- and medium-sized remnants of Serzh, let's remember who you were, with all the details. Just sit and don’t make a sound.” </div>
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The campaign to dethrone Tovmasyan began in July when the government appointed to the constitutional court Vahe Grigoryan, an ally of the government and former prominent advocate in the fight for justice for protesters killed in 2008, in what became known as the “March 1” events. </div>
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During Grigoryan’s confirmation in parliament he indicated that he did not accept Tovmasyan’s authority and attempted to displace him using a technicality based on a small difference in wordings in the old and new constitutions. </div>
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<b>The Venice Commission, a Council of Europe body advising members on legal issues, openly criticized Grigoryan’s bid and the parliament’s apparent support of it. </b></div>
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“It was disturbing that this statement by the judge has been applauded in parliament and there might be a risk of interference with the mandates of the sitting judges,” the commission said in a statement. </div>
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The issue of overthrowing Tovmasyan took a backseat for a few months but then seemed to be reactivated by a September 4 court ruling in favor of former president Robert Kocharyan, who is facing trial related to the March 1 events. </div>
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Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament, criticized the campaign against Tovmasyan, arguing that it was a sideshow distracting from reforms that the country should be implementing. He further suggested that it appeared to be aimed at letting Grigoryan replace Tovmasyan. </div>
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“For handling Tovmasyan’s case this way, Armenia will have to answer to the international community in Strasburg and so on,” he said on October 21, referring to the home of the European Court of Human Rights. “The chain of events related to this case as a whole will be seen as unlawful investigations against Tovmasyan and will be a weapon in the hands of other side,” the former government. Marukyan continued. “The involvement of NSS is unnecessary attention drawn on this case.”</div>
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Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.</div>
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<b>JAM news</b></div>
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<b>Oct 22 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian PM ‘secretly doubles’ ministerial salaries</b></div>
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<b>The government says “the process was a secret, therefore, this information is not subject to disclosure”</b></div>
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In July 2019, the Prime Minister of Armenia secretly ordered the salaries of ministers, deputy ministers and senior secretaries of the ministries to be raised.</div>
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Information about this appeared on the website of the online newspaper Hetq.</div>
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The administration of PM Nikol Pashinyan says they have already commented on the situation and stated that all “the processes were secret, therefore, this information is not subject to disclosure”.</div>
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Salary raises </div>
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To verify the information about PM Nikol Pashinyan’s secret raise, Hetq sent written inquiries to some ministries about the number of employees and the salary fund from May to August.</div>
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It turned out that the Minister of Emergency Situations Felix Tsolakyan and the Minister of the Environment Eric Grigoryan received 6 million drams (about $12,630) over four months.</div>
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That is, their monthly salaries amounted to 1.5 million drams (approximately $3,157).</div>
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However, per the law “On Remuneration of Persons Holding State Positions”, the ministerial salary index is 12. That is, a minister’s salary is rated at the base salary amount – 66,140 drams ($139.54), multiplied by 12. Which is 793,680 AMD, or $1,670, including taxes.</div>
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Thus, the publication found that without amending the law on remuneration, by secret decision of the Prime Minister, the salary of ministers had doubled.</div>
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This also applies to the salaries of deputy ministers.</div>
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According to the index established by the law, the deputy minister’s salary is 562,160 drams (approximately $1,185). However, after Pashinyan’s order, it grew to 1,062,000 AMD – about $2,230.</div>
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As for the senior secretaries of the ministries, they are now receiving 870,000 drams (approximately $1,835) instead of 595,260 ($1,255).</div>
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<b> Comments from the PM’s administration </b></div>
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The situation concerning the pay raise has has already been commented on by the Prime Minister’s administration.</div>
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The acting head of the public relations department of the administration, Prime Minister Armen Khachatryan stated:</div>
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“We consider it necessary to note that these … officials provide information on income, expenses and property, which implies: this process was completely transparent.”</div>
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<b>Political scientists and politicians sound off</b></div>
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Political analyst Gagik Hambaryan made a harsh statement:</div>
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“For one year, the unprofessional ministers of Pashinyan have not carried out such a volume of work for which they need to be paid 1,500,000 drams … Why did the salaries increase, what kind of professional personnel were included in the government, who … put their skills into the state system management?”</div>
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Hambaryan accused the current authorities betraying their principles:</div>
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“The most heinous thing in Pashinyan’s act is that all this was done secretly. What accountability can be spoken of here? What open and transparent work style is there to speak of? Compared to their predecessors, they are doing everything in a much more impudent manner.”</div>
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Political scientist Grant Melik-Shahnazaryan also believes that the prime minister’s statements and his actions diverge:</div>
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“In fact, Nikol Pashinyan is guided not by transparency and full responsibility to society, but by political expediency and his political plans. That is, priority is not given to his declared values and approaches, but to what best suits the interests of Pashinyan’s political team.”</div>
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The head of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction, oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan, stated that raising ministers’ salaries secretly from the people was an unacceptable step:</div>
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“If people see that such and such a minister is doing their job well, they feel the results of their work in their daily lives, and they can increase it by 10 times. But to do it secretly is insulting both for deputies and for the people. The word ‘secret’ after the revolution is unacceptable for us”, said Gagik Tsarukyan.</div>
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<b>Reaction on social media </b></div>
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Armenian Facebook users are avidly discussing the news – here are some of their comments:</div>
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“Please tell me how many years it will take older people who receive a pension to receive the amount of the monthly salary of one so-called minister? Or how about teachers? If you divide one minister’s salary by a teacher’s salary, how much will it be?”</div>
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“Let them also check how premiums were paid to the Ministry of Economy during the period From May-September! There is a group of privileged people who receive bonuses more than their salary!”</div>
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“It’s a shame that they did it secretly. After all, this was not a matter of state security. Such things should be public, because we changed the last government because of this behavior. People need to know how budget money is Being spent.”</div>
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“If in the end it turns out that this is all true, then it will be a terrible shame! We fought for a transparent and honest government.”</div>
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<b>Public Radio of Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 23 2019</b></div>
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<b>Samuel Moorat Armenian College in Sevres attacked</b></div>
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The Samuel Moorat Armenian College in Sevres, France, has once again been attacked. </div>
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Armenia’s Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajian has condemned this act of vandalism.</div>
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“We are gravely concerned about repeated vandalism against the Armenian Samuel College Moorat of Sèvres. These acts must not go unpunished,” the Ambassador said in a Twitter post.</div>
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The College in Sevres was once again attacked by an organized gang on January 2nd, 2019. </div>
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The gang broke into the three central buildings of the college and smashed the doors and windows of the 24 rooms of the building with metal rods and stones.</div>
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<b>Public Radio of Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 22 2019</b></div>
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<b>Mastermind behind 1999 attack on Armenian Parliament applies for parole</b></div>
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Nairi Hunanyan, the man who led the terror attack on the Armenian parliament on October 27, 1999 and who has been serving a life-sentence since being convicted in 2003, has applied for parole, Arpenpress quotes Department of Corrections spokesperson Nona Navikyan as saying.</div>
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Hunanyan’s application requesting early release is being processed, she said. “That’s all I can say at this moment,” Navikyan said.</div>
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On October 27, 1999 five armed gunmen led by Hunanyan stormed into the parliament, while it was holding a session and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker Karen Demirchyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, as well as three lawmakers and a Cabinet member. The gunmen held the remaining MPs in parliament hostage until surrendering to authorities the next day.</div>
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The five perpetrators, which include Hunanyan’s younger brother and uncle, were sentenced to life in prison in 2003.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-69527817510919432042019-10-23T09:35:00.002+00:002019-10-23T09:35:48.021+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 11 editorials<br />
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<b>Etchmiadzin Mother Church Restoration Appeal</b></div>
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Click to see the huge amount of essential work needed to address the impact centuries of weathering and general deterioration over time:</div>
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(in Armenian)</div>
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<i><a href="https://youtu.be/vGteFlhYvwc">https://youtu.be/vGteFlhYvwc</a></i></div>
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Be as generous as you can be with a donation.</div>
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<b>OC Media</b></div>
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<b>Oct 15 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia offers assistance to refugees as thousands flee Turkish offensive</b></div>
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A sizeable community of ethnic Armenians has found itself under fire in northeastern Syria in the wake of Turkey’s offensive. Armenian authorities have stated that they are willing to help them relocate. </div>
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Thousands of civilians have fled in the wake of the Turkish bombardment and incursion into northeastern Syria that began on 9 October.</div>
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The Turkish government claims it is seeking to establish a buffer zone along the border in order to secure the country against Kurdish ‘terror groups’ and to resettle Syrian refugees.</div>
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However, a rash of civilian deaths and recent videos showing apparent war crimes committed by Turkey-backed forces, including the summary execution of Kurdish political leader Hevrin Khalaf, have raised worries about the impact the Turkish offensive will have on civilians, especially the region’s ethnic and religious minorities.</div>
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It is estimated that around 400–420 Armenian families, roughly 4,000 people, reside in Qamishli, while roughly 16 families live in the town of Tel Abyad. Both cities have been hit by shelling and airstrikes.In an interview with Azatutyun TV, </div>
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Armen Melkonyan, the head of the Middle East and Africa Department at the Foreign Ministry of Armenia stated that 13 families from Tell Abyad have already left the town and have temporarily resettled in other parts of Syria. All of the families reportedly</div>
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left of their own accord and without any official assistance.</div>
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On 10 October, the Armenian Embassy in Syria also announced on Facebook that ‘Armenian diplomatic representatives are constantly in touch with Armenian community organisations in Qamishli and other Armenian communities in the northern part of Syria.’ </div>
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‘Possible steps are being coordinated for relocating our compatriots who wish to do so and providing them with temporary shelters and first aid’, the statement read.</div>
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The Embassy also noted that, for the moment, there was no need for immediate relocations.</div>
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<b>The Foreign Ministry of Armenia condemned Turkey’s</b></div>
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<b> military operations.</b></div>
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‘Armenia condemns the military invasion by Turkey in north-east Syria, which would lead to deterioration of regional security, losses among civilians, mass displacement and eventually to a new humanitarian crisis. The plight of ethnic and religious minorities is of particular concern’, the statement read.</div>
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The Syrian Civil War has left millions of people as refugees, among them thousands of ethnic Armenians. Syrian-Armenians are primarily descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors who were deported from what is now Turkey to Ottoman-run concentration camps in the Syrian desert from 1915–1918.</div>
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According to the Migration Service of Armenia, 22,000 Syrian-Armenian refugees have resettled to Armenia since the outbreak of the war in 2011.</div>
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On 11 October, Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Grigoryan told reporters that the Armenian authorities had been in touch with the Armenian embassy and consular officials in Syria and were open to the possibility of sending humanitarian aid.</div>
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‘If there is a need for aid we will naturally make a decision. However, we have to understand that sending aid to the region will be difficult because it is under Turkish supervision’, he said.</div>
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In an interview with OC Media, Zareh Sinanyan, High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, said that officially Armenia is not, as of yet, initiating a resettlement process.</div>
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‘There hasn’t been a request on the community level’, he said. ‘There have been individual requests to be removed from the region to other parts of Syria, for example, Aleppo. However, they have been retracted’, explained Sinanyan.</div>
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On 12 October, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a follow-up to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Summit which took place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on 10 October. During the call, they also discussed the situation in northeastern Syria. </div>
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However, no other details were given.</div>
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In February 2019, with Russian backing, the Armenian Government deployed an 83 person contingent of military deminers and medical personnel to Syria. The Ministry of Defense stated that the mission was purely humanitarian and carried out activities connected with demining, anti-mine education, and providing medical assistance in Aleppo.</div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 15 2019</b></div>
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<b>Another group of Armenian specialists left for Syria</b></div>
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According to the press service of the Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise, on October 14, the second group of the third shift of the humanitarian mission, consisting of sappers, doctors and specialists ensuring their immediate safety, with the support of Russian partners, left for by airplanes of the Russian armed forces to the Syrian Arab Republic to provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. </div>
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To recall, the first group of the Armenian humanitarian mission consisting of more than 80 people left for Syria on February 8 this year. The first rotation occurred in June of this year.</div>
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<b>JAM News</b></div>
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<b>Oct 18 2019</b></div>
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<b>Almost a quarter of Armenian economy remains untaxed</b></div>
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Most of the hidden income comes from small and medium-sized businesses; large businesses generally pay taxes regularly.</div>
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The share of the Armenian economy remaining outside taxation is 22 percent, head of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia David Ananyan said earlier today, noting that businesses engaged in trade most often avoid paying taxes.</div>
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<b>What other areas do not pay taxes</b></div>
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In Armenia, a significant part of the shadow economy consists of small and medium-sized businesses. Big business after the “velvet revolution” that took place in the spring of 2018 have begun paying taxes more regularly because it is difficult to hide large financial flows.</div>
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“It is difficult to engage in the withdrawal of money into the shadows at large enterprises and to work that way for years. If only because our tax department works with such enterprises on a daily basis,” said David Ananyan, head of the State Revenue Committee.</div>
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According to him, the biggest contributor to the ‘shadow economy’ is trade, in addition to agriculture. The revenue service is trying to deal with violators by making more rigorous checks.</div>
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<b>Expert opinion</b></div>
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The 22 percent announced by the State Revenue Committee is pretty close to reality, economist Hrant Mikayelyan believes.</div>
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He conducts his own research on the share of the shadow economy and claims that in August, 24 percent of the Armenian economy was ‘in the shadows.’</div>
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The expert agrees that large business generally pays taxes. This is evidenced by the large number of new, officially registered workers and the amount of taxes paid.</div>
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And in the case of small business, according to the economist, it is difficult, and in some cases useless, to fight the shadow economy:</div>
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“Take, for example, people who rent out apartments. To date, a tax of 10 percent has been established. Only one percent of this is recorded. Now we could bring the tax down to two percent for all transactions to be recorded. Theoretically, we can do this. However, it will be difficult to ensure that everyone records their transactions, it is simply unprofitable.”</div>
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In an interview with JAMnews, the expert confirmed the statement of the state structure on which areas have more “shadows”:</div>
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“The ratio of spheres shows that a large share of the shadow is in trade and services. For example, there is not much an issue in the production industry.”</div>
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Hrant Mikaelyan also said that before the revolution, the share of the shadow economy reached 26 percent of the total. And the current figure of 22 percent may actually be reduced to 12 percent.</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">14 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Armenia tourism grows</b></div>
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The number of tourists who visited Armenia in the first half of 2019 grew nearly 12,3%, Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan told a news conference.</div>
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He said that they’ve initiated marketing campaigns for the country’s promotion and as a result a number of foreign journalists and bloggers arrived to Armenia.</div>
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“The number of tourists who visited Armenia is recapped only for the semester yet. It amounted 770,000 people, which is 12,3% more compared to last year,” the minister said.</div>
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He said that 17 reporters from the Association of Journalists of Switzerland arrived to Armenia on introductory visits, and as a result more than 30 articles about Armenia were published.</div>
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Khachatryan also mentioned the Armenian-Chinese joint conference on commercial-economic matters. He pointed out an important circumstance. “That’s the creation of sufficient conditions for the use of the UnionPay</div>
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payment system in Armenia. When we do this we will significantly increase Chinese tourists’ convenience on being in Armenia. It is the most popular one in China, and practically the only one which Chinese tourists can use while being abroad,” he said.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<i>[interesting that the only Azeri press articles banging on about the destruction of their monuments within Artsakh with no mention of how they have treated Armenian ones in their territory, some of which has been filmed from across the border] </i></div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">14 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Gohar Agha Upper Mosque restored, inaugurated as Armenian-Iranian Cultural Center in Artsakh</b></div>
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A solemn event dedicated to the completion of Gohar Agha Upper Mosque’s restoration in Shushi took place on October 14th at the initiative of the Revival of Oriental Historical Heritage Foundation within the framework of the Aurora Forum.</div>
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Supporting the initiative of the Government of Artsakh, Revival of Oriental Historical Heritage Foundation started the program of the Upper Mosque restoration in 2014. The project was carried out as part of Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation’s Artsakh development program.</div>
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Artsakh’s Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs and Tourism Lernik Hovhannisyan delivered opening remarks at the event. He said that yet another monument has been restored in Artsakh, the purpose of which is to provide cultural diversity.</div>
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“Our monasteries and churches are being restored in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The monuments of Iranian culture which are located in Artsakh’s territory, particularly in Shushi, have also gotten our care because the Armenian-Iranian friendship has deep roots. The mosque will function as an Armenian-Iranian Scientific Cultural Center. This complex will contribute to the strengthening of the Armenian-Iranian ties,” Hovhannisyan said.</div>
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Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Cuture and Sports Arayik Harutyunyan said in remarks that the significance of the opening of the center is that it can become one of the important centers of studying Islamic culture.</div>
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He said the Armenian ministry is carrying out an initiative in this direction aimed at inventorizing existing samples of Shia culture in Armenia, which can be regularly displayed at the territory of the Shishi mosque.</div>
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IDeA Artsakh Development Program head Suren Amirbekyan thanked the Government of Artsakh and the philanthropists whose joint forces made the project a success.</div>
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“The restoration of the mosque is meaningful: it is a way of paying homage to another culture. I hope this will become a tourism site. Let me inform that we have a great number of tourists impatiently waiting to</div>
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see the Iranian mosque in Artsakh,” he said.</div>
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IDeA co-founder, businessman Ruben Vardanyan, who was also in attendance, told ARTSAKHPRESS that he is very happy and grateful to all those who were involved in this project.</div>
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“The idea of carrying out this project emerged when we visited Shushi with friends. Shushi is Artsakh’s important cultural center which must be preserved and developed. We must preserve what we have and respect our history. If we want other countries to preserve our culture we must preserve theirs too. Our foundation is working to preserve Armenian values and culture all over the world,” he said, adding that they have other upcoming projects.</div>
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Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, the Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church, said he highly appreciated the restoration of the Iranian mosque in Shushi. “On May 9, 1992, I said that no one must touch any of the mosques in Shushi and Akna. This is an integral part of our history and we are facing our history with love, unlike the neighboring two other nations who are erasing the traces of other religion or culture. This mosque is a religious cultural monument which our friendly Iranian people have built. They are preserving and restoring our monasteries, and we must do the same. We are not a nation who is breaking down monuments,” he said.</div>
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Artsakh’s President Bako Sahakyan, Speaker of Parliament Ashot Ghulyan and other government officials were in attendance.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>Mining Journal</b></div>
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<b>Oct 18 2019</b></div>
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<b>Some Armenia reprieve for Lydian </b></div>
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<b style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> </b> </div>
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Armenia's Administrative Court has upheld an appeal by Canadian mine builder Lydian International against a directive of the country’s Environmental and Inspection Body last year that prevents mining at its flagship Amsular project. </div>
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The court found the former head of the government inspection body had been actively involved in anti-Amulsar activities prior to his federal appointment which raised reasonable doubts about his objectivity. The court ruled Artur Grigoryan failed to recuse himself from considering the matter when required to do so and declared his directive invalid.</div>
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"This ruling is yet another confirmation that unlawful attempts have been made to interfere with Lydian's legal right to develop and operate the Amulsar project," said CEO Edward Sellers.</div>
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"It is regrettable that illegality of action against Lydian has now been found to extend to an official of the government of Armenia."Prime minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly acknowledged in August there was no legal basis on which the government could prevent Lydian from advancing the Amulsar project, stating it was in the national interest that Amulsar proceeded.</div>
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However, the company cannot resume construction activities while an illegal blockade of the Amulsar access road is in place.</div>
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"The government of Armenia has allowed continuous illegal blockades of the Amulsar project since June 2018 and failed since then to enforce court orders upholding Lydian's legal rights of access. When will the PM identify who the supporters of illegality against Lydian are, and when will the PM take steps to enforce the rule of law?" Seller asked.</div>
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The company has previously stated it would not be able to restart material construction on site until next April or May. It said there would be some rehabilitation and earthmoving associated with site recovery and remediation in the interim, and did not expect to start production until late 2020 or early 2021, "depending on how construction advances".</div>
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Amulsar is expected to be a large-scale, low-cost operation with production targeted to average about 204,000ozpa over a 12-year mine life. The deposit hosts 3.65Moz in the measured and indicated categories.</div>
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Lydian's Toronto-quoted shares (TSX:LYD) are tracking 50% lower year-on-year at C11c, which gives it a market value of $83.6 million.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">October 16, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Ryanair To Launch Flights To Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Artak Khulian</b></div>
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After months of negotiations with the Armenian government, the Irish budget airline Ryanair announced on Wednesday that it will launch flights between Europe and Armenia in January.</div>
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The company said it will initially fly from Yerevan to Milan and Rome four times a week. It pledged to open two more routes next summer: from Yerevan to </div>
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Berlin and from Gyumri to the southern German city of Memmingen.</div>
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“These four new routes will further promote Armenian tourism, and will deliver over 130,000 customers annually to/from two European countries to one of Europe’s fastest-growing tourism destinations,” said David O’Brien, Ryanair’s </div>
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chief commercial officer.</div>
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“We can service from 86 different cities and airports, whereas our competitors offer far less opportunity for Armenia,” O’Brien told a joint news conference with Tatevik Revazian, the head of the Armenian government’s Civil Aviation Committee, held at Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport.</div>
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Revazian negotiated with Ryanair representatives in Dublin early this year before announcing in March that Ryanair is considering becoming the world’s </div>
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first budget airline to fly to Armenia. She said in July that the Irish carrier is seeking financial concessions from the Armenian side for that purpose.</div>
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Revazian said on Wednesday that the Civil Aviation Committee has drafted a bill that would exempt Ryanair from a fixed $21 tax levied from every air ticket sold in the country. She was confident that the government will approve the bill and send it to the Armenian parliament next month.</div>
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The government hopes that Ryanair’s entry into the Armenian civil aviation market will cut the cost of air travel and attract more tourists to Armenia.</div>
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Armenia’s international air traffic has already grown rapidly since the liberalization of its civil aviation sector in 2013. The former Armenian government decided to switch to the so-called “open skies” policy following the bankruptcy of the Armavia national airline. The liberalization has led to lower ticket prices, giving a strong boost to the country’s growing tourism industry.</div>
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Ryanair’s ticket prices are expected to be significantly lower than those of airlines already flying to Armenia.</div>
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“Ryanair’s average fare for all routes across the year is something like 35 euros ($38.5),” noted O’Brien. But he gave no concrete figures for its upcoming flights to Armenia.</div>
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“To celebrate the launch of its first Armenian airports, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares from just €29.99, for travel until May 2020, which must be </div>
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booked by midnight Friday,” read a statement released by the company. It did not specify how much Ryanair customers will be charged after October 18.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 17 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian lavash on CNN’s list of world’s best breads</b></div>
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CNN has listed traditional Armenian bread lavash among the 50 best breads around the world.</div>
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The Armenian flatbread comes second on the CNN list.</div>
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"When your Armenian mother-in-law comes towards you wielding a hula hoop-sized flatbread, don't duck: Lavash is draped over the country's newlyweds to ensure a life of abundance and prosperity," CNN said in an article.</div>
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"Maybe that's because making lavash takes friends."</div>
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"To shape the traditional breads, groups of women gather to roll and stretch dough across a cushion padded with hay or wool. It takes a practiced hand to slap the enormous sheets onto the inside of conical clay ovens, where they bake quickly in the intense heat," it noted.</div>
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The article also reminds that the bread is so central to Armenia's culture it's been designated UNESCO Intangible Heritage.</div>
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CNN's top 50 list also includes the traditional breads of Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, Ethiopia to name a few. </div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 15 2019</b></div>
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<b>UNICEF: 3% of children are underweight in Armenia</b></div>
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An alarmingly high number of children are suffering the consequences of poor diets and a food system that is failing them, UNICEF warned today in a new report on children, food and nutrition.</div>
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The State of the World’s Children 2019: Children, food and nutrition finds that at least 1 in 3 children under five – or over 200 million – is either undernourished or overweight. Almost 2 in 3 children between six months and two years of age are not fed food that supports their rapidly growing bodies and brains. This puts them at risk of poor brain development, weak learning, low immunity, increased infections and, in many cases, death.</div>
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“Despite all the technological, cultural and social advances of the last few decades, we have lost sight of this most basic fact: If children eat poorly, they live poorly,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.</div>
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“Millions of children subsist on an unhealthy diet because they simply do not have a better choice. The way we understand and respond to malnutrition needs to change: It is not just about getting children enough to eat; it is above all about getting them the</div>
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right food to eat. That is our common challenge today.”</div>
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The report provides the most comprehensive assessment yet of 21st century child malnutrition in all its forms. It describes a triple burden of malnutrition: Undernutrition, hidden hunger caused by a lack of essential nutrients, and overweight among children under the age of five, noting that around the world:</div>
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• 149 million children are stunted, or too short for their age,</div>
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• 50 million children are wasted, or too thin for their height,</div>
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• 340 million children – or 1 in 2 – suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin A and iron,</div>
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• 40 million children are overweight or obese.</div>
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The report warns that poor eating and feeding practices start from the earliest days of a child’s life. Though breastfeeding can save lives, for example, only 42 per cent of children under six months of age are exclusively breastfed and an increasing number of children are fed infant formula. Sales of milk-based formula grew by 72 per cent between 2008 and 2013 in upper middle-income countries such as Brazil, China and Turkey, largely due to inappropriate marketing and weak policies and programmes to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.</div>
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As children begin transitioning to soft or solid foods around the six-month mark, too many are introduced to the wrong kind of diet, according to the report. Worldwide, close to 45 per cent of children between six months and two years of age are not fed any fruits or vegetables. Nearly 60 per cent do not eat any eggs, dairy, fish or meat.</div>
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As children grow older, their exposure to unhealthy food becomes alarming, driven largely by inappropriate marketing and advertising, the abundance of ultra-processed foods in cities but also in remote areas, and increasing access to fast food and highly sweetened beverages.</div>
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For example, the report shows that 42 per cent of school-going adolescents in low- and middle-income countries consume carbonated sugary soft drinks at least once a day and 46 per cent eat fast food at least once a week. Those rates go up to 62 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively, for adolescents in high-income countries.</div>
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As a result, overweight and obesity levels in childhood and adolescence are increasing worldwide. From 2000 to 2016, the proportion of overweight children between 5 and 19 years of age doubled from 1 in 10 to almost 1 in 5. Ten times more girls and 12 times more boys in this age group suffer from obesity today than in 1975.</div>
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The greatest burden of malnutrition in all its forms is shouldered by children and adolescents from the poorest and most marginalized communities, the report notes. Only 1 in 5 children aged six months to two years from the poorest households eats a sufficiently diverse diet for healthy growth. Even in high-income countries such as the UK, the prevalence of overweight is more than twice as high in the poorest areas as in the richest areas.</div>
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The report also notes that climate-related disasters cause severe food crises. Drought, for example, is responsible for 80 per cent of damage and losses in agriculture, dramatically altering what food is available to children and families, as well as the quality and price of that food.</div>
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To address this growing malnutrition crisis in all its forms, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, the private sector, donors, parents, families and businesses to help children grow healthy by:</div>
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1. Empowering families, children and young people to demand nutritious food, including by improving nutrition education and using proven legislation – such as sugar taxes – to reduce demand for unhealthy foods.</div>
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2. Driving food suppliers to do the right thing for children, by incentivizing the provision of healthy, convenient and affordable foods.</div>
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3. Building healthy food environments for children and adolescents by using proven approaches, such as accurate and easy-to-understand labelling and stronger controls on the marketing of unhealthy foods.</div>
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4. Mobilizing supportive systems – health, water and sanitation, education and social protection – to scale up nutrition results for all children.</div>
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5. Collecting, analyzing and using good-quality data and evidence to guide action and track progress.</div>
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Situation in Armenia</div>
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<b>3% of Armenian children are underweight. 4 percent of children are undernourished and 2 percent are severely undernourished. According to the regions, malnutrition ranges from 0% in Tavush to 23% in Aragatsotn.</b></div>
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14% of children under the age of 5 are overweight. This means that being overweight is a much bigger issue among Armenian children than being underweight. Although the differences are not big, the overweight prevalence is higher among boys (15%) than among girls (13%). If we compare the regional indices, we will see that children living in Ararat are more likely to be overweight (36 percent) than children in other provinces (5-19 percent).</div>
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<b>Another talking point is the nutrition of only 24% of 6-23-month-old babies in Armenia meet the minimum acceptable diet. </b></div>
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<b>A Declassified Top Secret CIA Report On</b></div>
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<b>the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict</b></div>
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<b>By Harut Sassounian</b></div>
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<b>Publisher, The California Courier</b></div>
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A 48-page Central Intelligence Agency Top Secret Report, prepared in August 1988 and made public in 2012 with some deletions, is titled “Unrest in the Caucasus and the Challenge of Nationalism.”</div>
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Despite the passage of time, the Report includes an interesting analysis of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict from the perspective of U.S. intelligence services.</div>
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The CIA analyst, in the introduction of his Report, traced the origins of the Artsakh conflict: “Enmity between Armenian and Azeri factions has existed for hundreds of years, and the 1920s settlement subordinating Nagorno-Karabakh -- Armenia’s cultural and religious center -- to the Azerbaijan Republic has been a continual, albeit long-muted, source of Armenian frustration and concern. Azeri animosity toward the Armenians has been intensified</div>
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by political, economic, and demographic trends that have adversely affected the political status of Azeris and increased the gap in living standards between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In particular, the rapid expansion of Azerbaijan’s young adult population has</div>
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put enormous strain on the Republic’s capacity to provide adequate jobs, housing, and education. Azeri frustration has found an outlet in attacks on Armenians.”</div>
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The unnamed CIA analyst reported that a split within the Politburo on how to handle the Artsakh crisis made the situation worse. Second Secretary Ligachev and KGB Chief Chebrikov were the hardliners who vehemently opposed the separation of Artsakh from Azerbaijan. They disagreed with Gorbachev’s reforms and blamed foreign powers for inciting unrest inside the Soviet Union.</div>
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When two prominent Armenian writers, Silva Kaputikyan and Zori Balayan, met with Gorbachev in Moscow in February 1988, they reported that he was well briefed and assured them that he wanted</div>
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a “just solution.” He acknowledged “the peaceful nature of the [Armenian] demonstrations and emphasized his personal sympathy with the desire to reunite Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia….”</div>
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Upon the return of the Armenian envoys to Yerevan, in a radio broadcast on February 27, 1988, Kaputikyan called for Armenians to trust Gorbachev. “He knows about and understands our problem and wants to resolve it personally…. We must do our utmost to ensure that no harm” is done to him, Kaputikyan announced.</div>
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Regarding Soviet concerns about foreign, particularly Armenian-American interference in domestic Soviet turmoil, the CIA analyst reported: “The recent unrest appears to have made Soviet officials more fearful about the role of foreign actors in the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Of the approximately 5.5 million people in the world today who speak Armenian, about 60% live outside the Soviet Armenian republic, about 1.4 million elsewhere in the USSR, and 2 million abroad. So far, Armenian emigres -- most of whom see Turkey much more than Russia as the historic oppressor of their nation -- have not been actively involved in pushing for change in the Soviet system or in Soviet policies. Moscow worries that diaspora attitudes could turn sharply critical of the USSR and that Armenians in the United States, particularly, could grow into a powerful anti-Soviet pressure group. Soviet officials are wary of the large concentration of Armenians in California and</div>
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New York, states with large electoral votes that have been closely contested in previous presidential elections.”</div>
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In a footnote at the end of the previous paragraph, the CIA analyst specified that “the United States hosts at least 600,000 Armenians. About 90 percent of America’s Soviet Armenian immigrants came to California. Los Angeles -- with 100,000 -- has the largest community of Armenians outside Yerevan. The New York City region has about 70,000 Armenians, mostly from Lebanon and Iran.”</div>
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The CIA analyst added: “Moscow may be concerned that foreign Armenian terrorist groups like the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) could turn against Soviet targets -- although we have no evidence that this is the case. Hitherto, the USSR has figured very little in ASALA’s blending of armed struggle with Marxist ideology; the dominant faction of ASALA considers Soviet Armenia as liberated territory and the group concentrates</div>
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its attacks exclusively on Turkish officials. In fact, ASALA eventually would like to see ‘the Armenian provinces’ now located in Turkey and possibly Iraq [?] reattach themselves to the Soviet Armenian core. Furthermore, ASALA is now in a quiet phase, and</div>
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its leader was assassinated on 28 April [1988]. Nevertheless, ASALA in early April did send a moderately worded appeal to Gorbachev supporting the reunification of Karabakh with Armenia, while characteristically stressing that Armenia is an integral part of the USSR and seeks only to rectify the border, not to pursue claims against Moscow.”</div>
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Finally, the CIA analyst explained the position of Turkey on the Karabakh conflict: “Although the Turkish Government has not explicitly sided with Azerbaijan, Turkey’s fear of resurgent Armenian nationalism makes Ankara sympathetic to Baku. </div>
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When the crisis broke in February [1988], Turkish Government spokesmen indicated publicly that international agreements entitle Ankara to a voice in the crisis, an apparent reference to the 1921 treaty</div>
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between the USSR and Turkey that led to the shift of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhichevan to Azerbaijan. Turkey no doubt especially feared that transferring Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia would whet Armenian appetites and would lead to increased pressure to change the status of Nakhichevan and to acquire former Armenian regions in Turkey. Turkish officials probably also noted that some Armenian expansionist demands for a ‘Greater Armenia’ were based on historic claims rather than on the ethnic composition of the affected territories. Thus, some Armenians have demanded the return of Nakhichevan, even though Azeris now greatly outnumber Armenians in this region. Using such historical criteria, could give Armenians a claim even on some border parts of Turkey where only 50,000</div>
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Armenians now live.”</div>
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The CIA analyst concluded his Report by outlining five options the USSR had for the resolution of the Artsakh conflict:</div>
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1) “Sticking with the Status Quo”</div>
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2) “Making Further Economic Concessions” to Armenians</div>
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3) “Enhancing Autonomy of Nagorno-Karabakh Within Azerbaijan”</div>
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4) Expanding “Extraterritorial Native Cultural Institutions”</div>
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5) “Reconfiguration of Nagorno-Karabakh” by splitting it between Armenia and Azerbaijan.</div>
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<b>EVN Report</b></div>
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<b>Oct 15 2019</b></div>
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<b> Turkey, the Kurds and the Generational Trauma of the Armenians</b></div>
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<b> By Maria Titizian</b></div>
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Operation Peace Spring, a military offensive launched by Turkey in northeastern Syria on October 9, promises to create yet another humanitarian crisis. This Turkish military operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), composed primarily of Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian militias, came on the heels of the United States announcing the withdrawal of American troops in the region. The SDF is led by the People’s Protection Units, a Kurdish militia abbreviated as YPG. The U.S. considered the SDF as its key ally in the fight against ISIS. Turkey, on the other hand, considers the group a terrorist organization with links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), with whom it has a troubled and bloody past. </div>
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The Trump administration’s October 6 decision to withdraw its troops was seen as a “green light” for Turkey’s operation to expel the SDF from the Syria-Turkey border region, creating a 30 km-deep safe zone inside northern Syria, where it plans to resettle the 3 million Syrian refugees it is currently hosting.</div>
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A day after announcing his decision to withdraw American troops, U.S. President Donald Trump on October 7 tweeted: “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory...”</div>
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On October 14, the U.S. did impose sanctions against Turkish officials and institutions over the country's incursion into Syria. Trump has also spoken to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling for an immediate ceasefire as Turkish troops move further into Syria. </div>
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Now in its sixth day, heavy fighting continues, with reports of dozens of military and civilian deaths and over 100,000 displaced. According to numerous reports, because of Turkish airstrikes, SDF fighters have had to abandon positions guarding prison camps, where ISIS fighters were being detained. Many have reportedly since been able to escape. SDF forces were also forced to leave posts at a refugee camp from which an estimated 800 ISIS brides and children have fled. Iraq has sent troops to fortify its border with Syria under fears it could be subjected to an ISIS resurgence.</div>
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The SDF, which had been administering the region without Damascus’ involvement, struck a deal with the Assad government to hand over the border towns of Manbij and Kobane. The deal was brokered by Russia, which has an interest in Assad reconsolidating his grip on the country, and will ultimately end several years of semi-autonomy for the Kurds of northeastern Syria.</div>
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It’s a complicated geopolitical battleground where many international and regional players, with varying interests and means, clash violently. Sadly, ordinary civilians pay the ultimate price. We see this same scenario being played out over and over again, from Yemen to Myanmar and beyond.</div>
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The overriding majority of Armenians, both in the Republic of Armenia and dispersed throughout the Diaspora are closely following the Turkish offensive in Syria, as they did when the Syrian conflict first began. Aside from the uprooting of strong, vibrant Armenian communities from Aleppo to Latakia to Damascus and many places in-between, there is something that cuts much deeper.</div>
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During the Armenian Genocide, 1.5 million Armenians were killed, many during a forced exile into the deserts of Syria by Ottoman Turkey. They perished, wiping away several millennia of existence on their ancestral homeland. Some of the survivors stayed in Syria, many in orphanages, and many more left to go on to other countries on other continents. They took a piece of their historic homeland with them and memories of Syria were embedded in their consciousness.</div>
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The human cost of the Syrian war has been great for both the Syrian people themselves and the ethnic and religious minorities who lived alongside them. Armenians, who remained in Syria after having found refuge there following the Genocide, were forced into exile again, for a second time within 100 years. Armenia and Armenian communities everywhere opened their hearts and homes to the Syrian Armenians, most of whom had lost everything.</div>
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This latest offensive by Turkey has rattled us once again. When the perpetrator of our calamitous loss is granted permission to secure “safe zones” - the depressingly-ironic Orwellian term itself is chilling - by removing the majority Kurdish population of northeastern Syria from their ancestral homeland, it strikes a deep nerve in a still-open wound that sets off alarms in our consciousness.</div>
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The deeply-rooted generational trauma that silently seeps through our veins is not something we acknowledge or confront on a daily basis. We carry on with our lives, we raise families, we build careers, we travel the world and we try and create a new Armenia wherever we go. For those of us in the Republic of Armenia, this very small piece of the homeland that has survived, we work hard to rebuild, to recreate, to innovate and, by doing so, honor the memory of everything and everyone that was taken from us.</div>
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Many people often ask us, “Why do you insist on holding on to the past? You have an independent country now, move on, get busy building.” We don’t hold on to the past because we want to. The past won’t let go of us.</div>
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Generations later, we experience trauma on top of trauma because the original crime was never acknowledged by the perpetrator. It is also not lost on us that the country that gave its tacit consent to this latest episode has been dragging its heels on recognizing the Genocide for decades. We were right not to let go because we knew that history would repeat itself.</div>
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And yet, that is no consolation. Although Armenians across the world participated in Kurdish solidarity protests this past weekend, feelings of helplessness and futility are crippling. When our forefathers were being slaughtered, we wanted the world to stand up and stop it. But weary from war, no Great Power was willing to put troops on the line to take the Armenian Mandate, to protect the survivors in a new country that the Paris Peace Conference had promised them. Turkey consolidated its gains in a land emptied of Armenians. Is that the legacy we want to leave to the grandchildren of today's Kurdish survivors?</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-57603950300621179772019-10-23T09:32:00.000+00:002019-10-23T09:32:29.337+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 8 editorials<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b><a href="http://asbarez.com/">Asbarez.com</a></b></div>
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<b>19 October 2019</b></div>
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<b>Turkish Authorities Ban Hrant Dink Foundation Co</b>nference</div>
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ISTANBUL—An international conference on “Social, Cultural and Economic History of Kayseri and the Region,” which was set to take place at the Hrant Dink Foundation’s Havak Hall from October 18 to 19, has been banned.</div>
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Initially, the conference was organized to take place in Kayseri, Turkey, yet was banned due to the interference of the local government. Consequently, the Hrant Dink Foundation’s Board of the Directors made the decision to move the conference to Istanbul.</div>
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As conference organizers were patiently waiting for the start of the conference, and speakers from Turkey and all around the world had already arrived in Istanbul, when, on Thursday, October 17 an official notice was delivered by the Sisli District Government to the foundation – the conference was banned from taking place in Kayseri. However, the notice does not mention any justification for the decision made.</div>
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The foundation released a statement explaining their decision to move the conference to Istanbul. The full statement is available below:</div>
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“The conference on ‘Social, Cultural and Economic History of Kayseri and the Region’, to take place at the Hrant Dink Foundation’s Havak Hall on October 18-19, has been banned!</div>
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As has been closely followed by the public, the conference had been initially planned to take place in Kayseri, yet was banned due to the interference of the Kayseri Governorship. Upon this development, the Board of the Directors of our Foundation decided to hold the conference in Istanbul.</div>
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At a time when all the preparations have been made, all speakers from Turkey and all around the world have already arrived in Istanbul for the conference to take place tomorrow; today on October 17th, Thursday at 17:08, an official notice of ban was given by the Sisli District Governorship to the Foundation, which does not mention any justification for the ban decision.</div>
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We regret to announce that the conference on ‘Social, Cultural and Economic History of Kayseri and the Region’, which was supposed to take place in light of the valuable scientific contributions by numerous scholars from Turkey and abroad, has been banned.”</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 21 2019</b></div>
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<b>Editorial office of Armenian magazine in France comes under attack</b></div>
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The editorial office of the French-language Nouvelles d’Arménie magazine covering Armenian news from France and around the world has come under attack.</div>
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According to the magazine, the intruders broke the door of the office on Sunday, 20 October to steal three computers and video cameras with confidential data.</div>
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The editorial staff of the magazine consistently addresses the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, criminalization of denialism and, at present, the protection of the Kurds from Turkish aggression.</div>
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Armenia's Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajian has strongly condemned the attack as "a serious infringement of freedom of speech and republican values."</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 21 2019</b></div>
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<b>Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan calls for boycott of the elections of new Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople</b></div>
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Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan, one of the candidates for the new Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, issued a letter addressed to Bishop Sahak Mashalian, the locum tenens of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate.</div>
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According to the report by Ermenihaber, Archbishop Bekchyan informed in his letter about his decision to withdraw his candidacy for the post given the violation of the rights of other candidates amid the Turkish government growing interference in the elections.</div>
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In the letter, Bekchyan, who once served as locum tenens of the Patriarchate, next called on all candidates to boycott the elections in solidarity of those whose rights had been violated.</div>
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The development came after Turkish authorities issued guidelines for the election of a new patriarch for the Armenian Apostolic Church. The guidelines included a new condition that would preclude clerics serving outside of Turkey from participating in the election and severely restrict the number of individuals eligible to stand for election.</div>
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The election for Patriarch is scheduled to take place on December 11, 2019.</div>
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Armenpress.am</div>
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Armenia elected to United Nations Human Rights Council with 144 supporting votes</div>
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Armenia has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) with 144 supporting votes.</div>
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“Armenia is elected to UNHRC for 2020-2022 - with 144 votes - a strong testimony of recognition by international community of our democratic transformation and substantial progress in protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms”, PM Nikol Pashinyan tweeted.</div>
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In turn, Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said: “Great result! Big thank you to all our supporters, UN member states for the trust! Committed to work hard and cooperating with all our partners in promoting the human rights agenda.”</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b><a href="http://asbarez.com/">Asbarez.com</a></b></div>
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<b>19 October 2019</b></div>
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<b>Toxic Waste Leaks From Armenian Copper Mine in Kapan</b></div>
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A senior government official accused Armenia’s largest mining company on Thursday of trying to cover up a toxic waste spill that contaminated a river flowing through the southeastern town of Kapan.</div>
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The accident was reported near a “tailings” dump of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) early in the morning. Officials said that a leaky pipe connecting the dump with ZCMC’s ore-processing facilities sent a stream of industrial waste flowing into the already polluted Voghji river.</div>
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According to Levon Petrosyan, the head of the regional branch of the state Inspectorate Body on Environment Protection and Natural Resources, the pipe was swiftly replaced by ZCMC workers sent to the site. “The river is still brown,” Petrosyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service in the afternoon.</div>
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He said his agency took water and soil samples from the contaminated area and sent them to Yerevan for detailed examination.</div>
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ZCMC said that the leak lasted for up to 40 minutes. Minister for Emergency Situations Felix Tsolakyan blasted the company during a cabinet meeting in Yerevan which discussed the accident.</div>
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“They kept things secret and didn’t [immediately] say that such an accident happened,” claimed Tsolakyan. “The [ZCMC] bosses didn’t say that and carried out quick repairs.”</div>
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“I don’t know what he meant by ‘kept secret,’” Petrosyan said when asked to comment on Tsolakyan’s claims. “All I can say is that when our inspectors heard the alert and went there the pipe was already replaced.”</div>
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Environment Protection Minister Erik Grigoryan told reporters that authorities are now ascertaining the damage inflicted on the environment. He complained that Armenian environmental legislation sets “ridiculously” small fines for mining firms violating it and must be toughened significantly.</div>
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Faulty and old tailings dumps are thought to be a key source of environmental damage caused by the Armenian mining industry which generates more than 40 percent of the country’s exports.</div>
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ZCMC, which is nominally controlled by the German metals group Cronimet, is the sector’s largest enterprise employing more than 4,000 people. It is also Armenia’s number one corporate taxpayer.</div>
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<b>Belfast Telegraph</b></div>
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<b>Oct 19 2019</b></div>
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<b>Lord Darzi named chairman of Aurora Prize selection panel</b></div>
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Speaking in Yerevan, Armenia, the peer said the appointment is a ‘great honour’.</div>
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A member of the House of Lords has been appointed chairman of an international humanitarian award committee, taking over from George Clooney.</div>
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Independent peer Lord Darzi was named chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee in Yerevan, Armenia.</div>
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Academy-award winning actor and director Clooney will stay on as its honorary co-chairman, sharing the position with peace and human rights activist Benjamin Ferencz.</div>
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These amazing people celebrated by the Aurora Prize don’t do what they do for recognition. They risk their lives helping others because that’s the way they are Lord Darzi</div>
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Lord Darzi joined the Aurora Prize Selection Committee in September 2017, and is director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.</div>
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The annual 1.1 million US dollar (£840,000) prize is granted to a person carrying out humanitarian work by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviours.</div>
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Speaking at the Aurora Forum, Lord Darzi said: “Being appointed chair of Aurora Prize Selection Committee is a great honour and responsibility.</div>
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“I’m grateful and excited to continue working with my fellow members of the selection committee in this new capacity.</div>
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“Our selection committee is comprised of a select group of outstanding humanitarians, human rights activists and former heads of state.</div>
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“Aurora greatly benefits from their experience and knowledge.</div>
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“Aurora celebrates the champions, those who risk their lives helping others in a time of crises, at a time of war, at a time of all the major challenges facing us on earth.</div>
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“These amazing people, celebrated by the Aurora Prize, don’t do what they do for recognition. They risk their lives helping others because that’s the way they are.”</div>
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Other members of the committee include Nobel laureates Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee, and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson.</div>
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In July, former health minister Lord Darzi resigned the Labour whip, saying that as an Armenian descendant of a survivor of the Armenian genocide, he has zero-tolerance for anti-Semitism.</div>
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<b>Public Radio of Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 18 2019</b></div>
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<b>Nicolas Aznavour and family move to Armenia</b></div>
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Nicolas Aznavour, the legendary Charles Aznavour’s son, has moved to Armenia with wife Kristina Sarkisyan and their son, Armenpress reports.</div>
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Aznavour’s wife confirmed the news to reporters in Gyumri within the framework of the Auroa Forum events.</div>
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“We have moved to Armenia and live here,” she said.</div>
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Nicolas added that Gyumri is of special importance to their family.</div>
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“This is not our first time here,” he said.</div>
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<b>Irish Examiner, Ireland</b></div>
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<b>Oct 18 2019</b></div>
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<b>As Ryanair launches flights to Armenia, here’s why it deserves to be your next holiday destination</b></div>
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As Ryanair launches flights to Armenia, here’s why it deserves to be your next holiday destination</div>
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By Press Association</div>
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In a time when we’re constantly seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-track destinations, it’s a mystery why Armenia has remained so long beneath the radar. A jewel of the Caucasus (a mountainous region wedged between Russia and Iran), Armenia has long been neglected by mass market tourists, more through lack of awareness than lack of inclination.</div>
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Now, budget airline Ryanair is hoping to help put it on the map. Two new routes to Armenia will begin in January 2020, from Milan Bergamo and Rome Ciampino, while another two will commence sometime in the summer, from Berlin Schönefeld and Memmingen Airport in Bavaria.</div>
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Here’s why Armenia deserves a spot on your bucket list, Ryanair or no…</div>
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<b>1. It has magnificent monasteries</b></div>
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If you had to sum up Armenia in one image, it would be a remote, rickety old church perched precariously on a picturesque, rocky mountainside. The first nation ever to adopt Christianity as its state religion (c. 300 AD), it’s no surprise the country is littered with historic monasteries, many of them carefully constructed atop extremely insecure-seeming foundations.</div>
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Touring these stony sanctuaries is an ideal way to sample the brutal beauty of the Armenian landscape, as several key sites lie at the end of a hike.</div>
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Best in show are the Geghard Monastery – a UNESCO-listed attraction partially carved from the mountainside – and the reddish-brown Noravank Monastery, which blends into the surrounding cliffs as the evening light begins to fade.</div>
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<b>2. The capital architecture is impressive</b></div>
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A vibrant, historic capital that wears its Eurasian heritage proudly on its sleeve, Armenia’s capital Yerevan is absolutely loaded with guidebook-worthy architecture. There’s the Blue Mosque – actually a dazzling array of blues, yellows, greens and pinks – and the effortlessly grand parliament building, an elevated, neo-classical masterpiece with three distinct wings.</div>
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Even the modern architecture manages to look generations-old. Consider the Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator, only consecrated in 2001, which is covered in geometric arches and turrets.</div>
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The city is otherwise best known for its bar scene, and a smattering of restaurants and cafes serving up traditional Armenian cuisine. It’s one of the only place in the country where locals really understand any English – and even then, sporadically – so be sure to grab a phrasebook before heading further afield.</div>
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<b>3. The wonderful wildlife</b></div>
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A photogenic mixture of mountains and forests, Armenia’s rich biodiversity covers everything from miniature hedgehogs to large Eurasian bears, contained within the country’s four designated national parks. For peak natural beauty, swing by Lake Sevan, one of the world’s largest alpine lakes.</div>
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Armenia is particularly fruitful for birdwatchers. A vulture’s paradise, eagle-eyed visitors will spot bearded vultures, griffon vultures, black vultures and more, while pelicans populate the lakes, and multi-coloured bee-eaters can be seen flitting through the trees.</div>
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<b>4. The Armenian Genocide Memorial</b></div>
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Commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide – the mass slaughter of ethnic Armenians by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1922 – the memorial features at its centre an eternal flame of remembrance, beside a row of trees planted by visiting foreign leaders.</div>
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The extent of the massacre is still not fully known – estimates vary from 700,000 to nearly 2 million – and Turkish authorities still refuse to acknowledge the severity of the bloodshed. The monument makes for essential, if harrowing viewing.</div>
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<b>5. The Wings of Tatev</b></div>
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Officially the longest cable car on Earth (well, the longest “non-stop double-track” cable car), Wings of Tatev soars above Vorotan Gorge, connecting the village of Halidzor with the mountainside monastery of Tatev, 5.7km away.</div>
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Half-church half-fortress, Tatev has at varying times been a bishopric, a university, and a stronghold, and can trace its lineage all the way back to the 9th century. Variously plundered by the Persians, the Seljuk Turks, the Mongols, the Russians, and a series of earthquakes, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the monastery still stands.</div>
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The cable car takes 30 passengers per cabin, so there’s still plenty of room to rush from side-to-side and capture every inch of forest and undulating hill. A not-for-profit enterprise, every dram goes into the upkeep of the monastery.</div>
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<b>Beloit Bulletin</b></div>
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<b>Oct 20 2019</b></div>
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<b>‘Our water is our gold‘: Armenians blockade controversial mine</b></div>
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In the mountains of Armenia, a previously bucolic spa town is home to a goldmine locals say threatens the country‘s biggest source of freshwater, and with it, an entire ecosystem.</div>
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Jermuk in southwest Armenia has long been renowned for its hot springs, soothing mineral water treatments and impressive waterfalls. But since mining company Lydian International moved in on a gold deposit upstream from the spa town on Mount Amulsar, it has become famous for something else.</div>
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Since June 2018, protestors have gathered from across Armenia to oppose a mine they say is fouling their land and water. Manned day and night, their blockade has succeeded in completely halting construction.</div>
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A year on, Armenia‘s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan — still fresh to power following last year‘s “Velvet Revolution” — is coming under increasing pressure to pick sides.</div>
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On one side, a popular protest movement sees the mine as a symbol of the corrupt regime it has just overthrown; on the other is a company — registered in the UK tax haven of Jersey — responsible for Armenia‘s biggest foreign investment.</div>
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<b>Polluting lakes and pasture</b></div>
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Before construction of the Amulsar mine even began, Lydian relied on the notoriously corrupt government at the time to clear farmland. Locals say they were given a choice between selling the pastures they relied on for a living, and having them expropriated.</div>
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“Villagers don‘t know where to send their cows, or their sheep, so they have to stop agriculture,” Jermuk resident Aharon Arsenyan, who has been resisting the company since 2012, told DW.</div>
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Once the diggers arrived in 2017, locals say things got worse. Whenever the wind picked up, “there was dust,” Arsenyan says. “Every time. We have never seen — never! — such amounts of dust.”</div>
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The landscape around Mount Amulsar in southwest Armenia, which locals say is at risk from a polluting goldmine</div>
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As construction progressed, residents of Jermuk and the nearby village of Gndevaz say dark, muddy water ran from their faucets. A local fish farm, meanwhile, reported the unusual death of hundreds of their fish.</div>
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Others say the farmland they hadn‘t been forced to give up wasn‘t productive anymore, as cattle refused to eat the dust-covered grass or drink contaminated water.</div>
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<b>Contradictory assessments</b></div>
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The biggest controversy, though, is over what might happen if the mine actually starts operating, and whether Armenia‘s biggest source of freshwater will be safe.</div>
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Arsenyan calls his hometown “the capital of water.” Jermuk — and the mine — sit on the source of the Arpa and Vorotan rivers, which in turn feed Lake Sevan. The lake supplies much of the Armenian population with drinking water, and many with fish.</div>
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The entire country of Armenia is peppered with small fountains called pulpulaks. People rely on them for fresh, clean drinking water, and they’re especially beloved during Vardavar, the country’s water festival</div>
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“The entire ecosystem of the country depends on it,” Arpine Galfayan, a Yerevan resident and member of activist group Armenian Environmental Front (AEF), told DW.</div>
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According to , published in 2016, waste water discharge would be minimal and treated to comply with water quality standards. Other disruption — noise, dust, pollution — would also be kept to manageable levels. The company said it would offset any remaining environmental damage by helping fund a new national park.</div>
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But when it approached Armenian-American geochemical engineer Harout Bronozian as a potential investor in the project, he had doubts — and commissioned his own environmental assessment.</div>
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Bronozian‘s consultants said Lydian had hugely underestimated the environmental impact of the project, which would almost certainly contaminate Lake Sevan and other water sources — with chemicals including arsenic and cyanide — for centuries to come, risking both aquatic life and human health.</div>
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A , meanwhile, found that the project could potentially infringe on the habitat of endangered species such as the vanishingly rare Caucasian leopard. It called Lydian‘s promised park “a very negative example of biodiversity offsetting,” and said the mine failed to comply with Armenian and European environmental regulations.</div>
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The mine could encroach on the habitat of the exceedingly rare Caucasian leopard</div>
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<b>‘Water is our gold‘</b></div>
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Galfayan says although locals were concerned as soon as the company appeared more than a decade ago, few dared speak out. According to the AEF, members of government were among Lydian‘s shareholders, and since state forces shot at a crowd protesting over disputed elections in 2008, there had been an atmosphere of fear and oppression.</div>
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In April 2018, all that changed. Armenians took to the streets after then president Serzh Sargsyan tried to install himself for another term. Promising to bring an end to corruption, opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan won the country‘s first democratic elections and took prime ministerial office in May 2018.</div>
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Energized by this victory for public protest, residents of Jermuk and the surrounding villages began their blockade of the mine. Around the country “our water is our gold” became the slogan for the new frontline in the popular war on corruption. Each time Lydian tried a new legal mechanism to pressure government into breaking the blockade, a steady stream of vehicles arrived with reinforcements from around the country.</div>
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<b>A high stakes game</b></div>
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Pashinyan‘s government, however, failed to either revoke the license his predecessors issued Lydian, or to effectively clear the blockades, saying a fresh audit was needed to decide whether the mine should be allowed to operate.</div>
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Environmentalist Aharon Arsenyan speaks at an anti-mining rally</div>
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All this has hit Lydian where it hurts. In 2018, it of over $42 million (€37 million), and total losses of over $136 million, warning “there is a risk that the company will be in default under its agreements” to shareholders.</div>
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In March, Lydian submitted notice to the Armenian government that it planned to sue the government through corporate courts if the situation was not resolved. Rumours circulated in local media that the company could try to claim losses of $2 billion, or almost two thirds of Armenia‘s state budget.</div>
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Then in July, the government‘s own environmental impact assessment was finally published, finding that the mine was safe. In the weeks since, Pashinyan has shifted position more than once, between assuring Armenians the mine is safe and casting doubts on the government‘s own positive environmental assessment of the project. </div>
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On September 7, the prime minister convened a meeting with both activists and Lydian‘s interim, CEO Edward Sellers, who said the company would allow independent monitoring of the site. Two days later Pashinyan took to social media to ask protestors to clear the blockade. </div>
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Galfayan said protestors would not only continue the blockade but were also planning a wider campaign of civil disobedience, including marches on the capital. “This is a matter of life and justice for us,” she said. “We are definitely fighting back.”</div>
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Meanwhile, Jean Blaylock, of campaign group Global Justice Now told DW the international corporate court process is so secretive, it‘s possible Lydian may have already launched its case.</div>
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“Corporate courts are a perfect tool for transnational corporations to bully governments,” Blaylock said, adding that, “the payouts can be huge, the arbitrators take a very narrow perspective, and altogether it is a massive pressure on governments to back down.”</div>
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Lydian did not respond to DW‘s request for comment on criticisms of its operations, or whether it was going ahead with corporate court proceedings.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-57697380838191148852019-10-23T09:05:00.000+00:002019-10-23T09:05:00.476+00:00KLINGEN CHOIR & CULTURAL ASSOCIATION...PRESENT - Multination Tribute to KOMITAS <br />
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The last concert by the choir was a great success.</div>
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Well worth attending.</div>
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<span class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span class="">SO Music4u <<a class="" href="mailto:somusic4u@gmail.com">somusic4u@gmail.com</a>></span></div>
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<span class=""><b class="">The Komitas Concert in London</b></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;">With great pleasure I want to tell you about our concert-exhibition dedicated to the</span><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><b class="" style="font-size: 11pt;">150th anniversary of great Armenian composer Komitas</b><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;">which will take place at the magnificent St Cuthbert’s church, Earls Court, Kensington, London.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-size: 11pt;">I want to kindly ask you to circulate flyer and the description of our concert through your e-newsletter.</span></div>
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Internationally acclaimed <b class="">musicians of 8 nationalities</b> residing in 4 different countries are getting together for the first time to participate in this concert, play and sing the immortal music of Komitas.</div>
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Vocalists:</div>
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Sipan Olah -tenor,conductor, concert director-UK-Armenia</div>
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Hayarpi Yeghikyan – soprano - UK-Armenia</div>
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Katerina Mina – soprano -Cyprus -UK</div>
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Andriana Yordanova – soprano - Bulgaria-Malta</div>
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Clare Ghigo – mezzo-soprano - Malta</div>
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Angelo Muscat – Tenor - Malta</div>
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String instruments</div>
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Lyudmila Lugovskaya – Violin – Russia-UK</div>
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Gayane Mirzoyan – Viola - Austria- Armenia</div>
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Sofiko Tvauri – Cello - Georgia-UK</div>
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Olga Matevosyan – Violin - USA-Armenia</div>
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Evgenia Terentieva – piano - Russia-UK</div>
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Masterpieces by Komitas, some of which have never been performed in the UK before, will be <b class="">presented by soloists, a string quartet, a vocal ensemble and the Klingen Choir.</b></div>
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There will be <b class="">a picture exhibition</b> by the British-Armenian acclaimed <b class="">artist Leonie Pilart</b> on themes of Komitas.</div>
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<span class="" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b class="">Alice Martirosian</b> will present her handwork of miniature historic Armenian costumes.</span> </div>
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Event <b class="">hosts and presenters: Vasoula Christodoulou</b> from London Greek Radio and <b class="">Gary Yeghikyan</b> from KCCA</div>
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You will have the chance of enjoying the picture exhibition during the interval. Additionally there will be reception for the guests.</div>
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We would be grateful if you could support this major project. Your contribution makes it possible for us to deliver this event in high standards to the Armenian and British audience.</div>
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<b class="">A page in the brochure is</b> <u class="">£150</u></div>
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<b class="">Half a page is</b> <u class="">£100</u></div>
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The cheque can be written in the name of Klingen Choir and Cultural Association</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b class="">Postal address:</b></div>
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<b class="">106 Brownfield Street</b></div>
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<b class="">Tower Hamlets</b></div>
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<b class="">London</b></div>
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<b class="">E14 6NF </b></div>
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<b class=""><br class="" /></b></div>
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<u class="">Bank details:</u></div>
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<b class="">Klingen Choir and Cultural Association</b></div>
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<b class="">Sort code: 23-05-80</b></div>
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</div>
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<b class="">Account number: 32452541</b></div>
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We would be very pleased to see you at the event. Please let us know how many invitation tickets you would like to be sent.</div>
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We wish you all the best.</div>
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Warm regards,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sipan and KCCA.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i class=""><span class="" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Sipan Olah</span></i></div>
<div class="" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i class=""><span class="" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Artistic Director and Conductor of KCCA</span></i></div>
<div class="" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i class=""><span class="" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Phone: 07774977537</span></i></div>
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<i class=""><span class="" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Email: <a class="" href="mailto:somusic4u@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span class="" style="color: #0070c0;">somusic4u@gmail.com</span></a></span></i></div>
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<i class="" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span class="" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Website: <a class="" href="http://kcca.uk/" target="_blank"><span class="" style="color: #0070c0;">kcca.uk</span></a> </span></i></div>
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Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-22332028556289370162019-10-16T13:54:00.001+00:002019-10-16T13:54:13.171+00:00 Armenian News,,, A Topalian 6 editorials<br />
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 14 2019</b></div>
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<b>Foreign Ministry: Northern Syria is home to 3,000 Armenians</b></div>
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The Armenian Embassy in Damascus and the Armenian Consulate General in Aleppo are working in an emergency mode, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan told a briefing on Monday, referring to developments in the wake of the Turkish invasion of northern Syria.</div>
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She noted that the Armenian diplomatic mission is in constant contact with the community structures in Qamishli and northern regions of Syria. “All possible measures are being taken to assist all our compatriots who have expressed a desire to move from the northern regions,” the spokesperson said. “We receive operational information from our diplomatic mission about the condition of our compatriots on the ground and the humanitarian situation in general.”</div>
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According to the official, the number of Armenians in northern Syria makes 3,000 people, who live mostly in Qamishli and Al-Malikiyah.</div>
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“To date there have been no military operations near these settlements, therefore the evacuation of Armenians from these two regions is not being considered either,” Naghdalyan added.</div>
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Turkey launched a military operation against Kurdish positions in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, October 9, days after US troops pulled out of the area.</div>
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<b>ArmenPress, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 12 2019</b></div>
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<b>Ethnic Armenians release details about Turkish military invasion in Syria</b></div>
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Ethnic Armenians who moved from Syria’s Tell Abyad to Aleppo due to the Turkish military invasion, told about the situation in that region following the military operations.</div>
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Sargis Nazarian and Vanes Kecherian told Aleppo’s Gandzasar daily that they were in Tell Abyad for working purposes.</div>
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“Before the start of the war our work was very good. We were working and enjoying our job. When the Turkish attack started days before, a shot was fired towards Tell Abyad. The Turkish armed forces started opening shots towards Tell Abyad and nearby villages. Staying there was a matter of life and death. We could not stay there. We left everything there and moved on. At that time we spent a terrible night. The villages in Syria’s north-east near the Turkish border were hit by rockets”, Vanes Kecherian said.</div>
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Sargis Nazarian in turn stated that they have received a warm welcome in Aleppo.</div>
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“Now the situation is unclear, we are waiting”, Nazarian said.</div>
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On October 9 Turkish forces launched an offensive in Syria’s north-east.</div>
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The Armenian foreign ministry released a statement noting that Armenia condemns the military invasion by Turkey in north-east Syria, which would lead to deterioration of regional security, losses among civilians, mass displacement and eventually to a new humanitarian crisis.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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<i>[Pashinian must have got under Aliev's skin as the Azeri press has gone mad on attacking Armenian general]</i></div>
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RFE/RL Report</div>
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<pre style="background-color: #eeeeee; margin: 0em;">October 11, 2019</pre>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Aliyev, Pashinian Trade Barbs, Talk At Ex-Soviet Summit </span></div>
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<pre style="background-color: #eeeeee; margin: 0em;">Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after trading barbs during a summit of
former Soviet republics held in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat on Friday.
Aliyev started the tense verbal exchange at a plenary session of the summit of
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) by accusing Armenia of “glorifying
fascists.” He noted that the former Armenian government erected in Yerevan the
statue of Garegin Nzhdeh, an Armenian nationalist statesman who had fought
against the Bolsheviks and later collaborated with Nazi Germany.
Pashinian responded by accusing Aliyev of distorting the history of Armenia and
the Second World War.
“Ilham Heydarovich’s speech leaves one with a sense that [Adolf] Hitler played
a secondary role and that the Nazi movement was led by Garegin Nzhdeh,” he
said. “Yet the truth is that Garegin Nzhdeh fought against Turkish occupation
of Armenia, against the genocide of Armenians and … also commanded, together
with many Russian officers, a very important section of the frontline during
the Armenian-Turkish war in 1918.”
“I think it’s inappropriate to use this [CIS] format for distorting history and
adding some tension to the atmosphere of this important meeting,” added
Pashinian.
Despite the public recriminations, Pashinian and Aliyev spoke with each other
at a dinner in Ashgabat hosted by Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly
Berdymuhamedov for fellow CIS leaders later in the day.
Pashinian’s spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian, told the Armenpress news agency
that the two men discussed the Karabakh conflict and, in particular,
“possibilities of reducing tensions” and “upcoming steps” in the negotiating
process mediated by the United States, Russia and France. The conversation
lasted for about two hours, said Karapetian.
Aliyev and Pashinian held five face-to-face meetings between September 2018 and
May 2019, raising hopes for a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Their first meeting was followed by a significant decrease in ceasefire
violations in the conflict zone. There have been no signs of further progress
in Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks in the last few months.
Born in the Russian Empire in 1886, Nzhdeh was one of the prominent military
leaders of an independent Armenian republic formed in 1918. In 1920, he mounted
armed resistance against the republic’s takeover by Bolshevik Russia in Syunik,
a mountainous region in southeastern Armenia.
Nzhdeh was one of several exiled Armenian leaders in Europe who pledged
allegiance to Nazi Germany in 1942 with the stated aim of saving Soviet Armenia
from a possible Turkish invasion after what they expected to be a Soviet defeat
by the Third Reich.
Nzhdeh surrendered to advancing Red Army divisions in Bulgaria in 1944 after
reportedly offering Josef Stalin to mobilize Armenians for a Soviet assault on
Turkey. In 1948, a Soviet court sentenced him to 25 years in prison on charges
that mainly stemmed from his “counterrevolutionary” activities in 1920-1921.
Speaking at the Ashgabat summit, Pashinian portrayed Nzhdeh as a victim of
Stalin’s political repressions. “Nzhdeh died in the Vladimir prison [in 1955,]”
he said. “Many prominent Soviet figures died in the Vladimir prison and [writer
Aleksandr] Solzhenitsyn was in the Gulag. Do we consider everyone imprisoned
from 1937 through the 1950s political prisoners?”
Nzhdeh was rehabilitated in Armenia after the republic’s last Communist
government was removed from power in 1990. He is widely credited with
preserving Armenian control over Syunik. He is also revered by many Armenians
as the founder of a new brand of Armenian nationalism that emerged in the 1930s.
Former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) has
espoused his Tseghakron ideology, which puts the emphasis on armed self-defense
and self-reliance, ever since it was set up in the early 1990s.
Senior HHK representatives, who are highly critical of the current Armenian
government, were quick to praise Pashinian’s reaction to Aliyev’s remarks.
“Nikol’s response was appropriate,” the former ruling party’s deputy chairman,
Armen Ashotian, wrote on Facebook.
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b>14 October 2019</b></div>
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<b>UK cancels appointment of A. Gogbashian as new Ambassador to Armenia, names interim Chargé d’Affairs</b></div>
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The British Embassy in Yerevan has said that Alan Gogbashian will not be taking up the role of the UK’s Ambassador to Armenia for “operational reasons”.</div>
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Gogabashian was named as the next UK Ambassador to Armenia in August and was expected to assume office in September.</div>
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“Mr Alan Gogbashian will no longer be taking up the role of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Yerevan for operational reasons. Mr Gogbashian will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr David Moran has been appointed as Chargé d’Affaires with the rank of Ambassador in the interim, until a new Ambassador is appointed”, the British Embassy in Armenia said in a statement published on its official Facebook account on October 14.</div>
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David Moran is Head of Global Economic Issues Department in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). David joined the FCO in 1985 and has previously served as Ambassador to Switzerland, Kazakhstan (2009 to 2012), Uzbekistan (2005 to 2007), and as Ambassador (non-resident) Liechtenstein and the Kyrgyz Republic. David also served in Nairobi, Moscow, Paris and Tbilisi, and in a range of policy and other roles in London. From 2008 to 2009 he was Deputy Director for Early Warning and Transnational Issues in the Cabinet Office.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white;">14 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Transparent and accountable: New website of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund launched</b></div>
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The new website of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund -<a href="http://himnadram.org/">himnadram.org</a>, has launched today ahead of the Fund’s Telethon 2019.</div>
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The new website will make the Fund’s activities fully transparent and accountable to all Armenians and will allow to make online donations with the format preferred by the people.</div>
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“Everyone from any part of the world can enter into our website to see both the works we have carried out and the upcoming projects. We will hold fundraising during which we are putting a money goal before ourselves that we must collect 100.000 or 10.000 USD, and will collect that money in a short period of time and will implement the project. We also have a section for donation in our website which allows to make regular donations to the Fund, 1 USD monthly or daily. That money will be charged from the bank card every month and that particular person will receive a monthly report on what projects his/her donation has been spent”, Director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Haykak Arshamyan said.</div>
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He also informed that the Fund has also expanded the cooperation with ACBA CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK and they will determine jointly on what to spend the collected money.</div>
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The representative of the Bank said they are cooperating with the Fund for a long time, and all payments are carried out by the Bank’s POS terminals.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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Click on <i><a href="https://www.himnadram.org/en">https://www.himnadram.org/en</a></i></div>
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<b><a href="http://eurasianet.org/">EurasiaNet.org</a></b></div>
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<b>Oct 14 2019</b></div>
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<b>Pashinyan allies lament slow pace of change in the new Armenia</b></div>
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<b>The new government has an overwhelming mandate for change. But the prime minister’s fear of unpopularity has hamstrung his ambitious agenda.</b></div>
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<b>Joshua Kucera, Ani Mejlumyan </b></div>
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In August, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that a long-debated gold mine project would, after much deliberation, go ahead. But following an outcry by environmentalists, Pashinyan two weeks later walked back the announcement, and the fate of the mine is still up in the air.</div>
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In July, the government announced that it intended to ratify the Istanbul Convention, an international agreement aimed at protecting women from domestic violence. But after social conservatives, including the influential church, vocally objected, the government quietly shelved ratification. Its fate, too, is unclear.</div>
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Despite coming to power last year on the wave of a self-styled “revolution,” Armenia’s new government has since then been surprisingly cautious in its policy-making. Government supporters complain that the new authorities appear unable to make decisive moves, while promised legislative reforms in the judiciary, taxation, and other spheres have come far more slowly than expected.</div>
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Pashinyan is likely the most popular leader in Armenia’s recent history, with Armenians from all walks of life responding enthusiastically to his promise to rid the country of the rot he inherited from a succession of corrupt, authoritarian governments. But that popular mandate is a double-edged sword, as Pashinyan has been reluctant to use it to implement potentially painful reforms.</div>
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“Most of all he is concerned about his popularity and a lot of the shortcomings that you see happen because of that preoccupation,” said one government ministry official, speaking to Eurasianet on condition of anonymity. “He gets cold feet about difficult issues that the public will not support.”</div>
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“This fear of making mistakes, the fear of losing popularity is very strong,” one NGO official who supports the new government told Eurasianet. “One of the biggest concerns that people have is that reforms are very slow. People voted for this government because of this revolutionary nature and people are waiting for dramatic changes to take place.”</div>
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Those dramatic changes, however, will inevitably require painful compromise. “For Nikol, you often hear this, it’s an ambition to be ‘first,’ ‘unprecedented,’ ‘never before me,’ to have this historical role,” the official added. “You can hear it in his speeches and the ways he addresses MPs. ‘We are the first, we’re unprecedented, there is no democracy like this in the world, the rest of the world should learn from us,’ and so on. This vanity is another incentive for gaining power. And that makes things difficult, because if you want reforms you need to do unpopular things, unfortunately.”</div>
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The paralysis is exacerbated by the top-heavy nature of Armenia’s new leadership. Pashinyan trusts only a small circle of allies, mostly those from his political party, Civil Contract, and those who were active in the protests that eventually brought him to power.</div>
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“The whole revolution was built around Pashinyan’s brand,” said one Western diplomat in Yerevan, speaking on condition of anonymity. “He’s very suspicious of those who didn’t march with him in the revolution and came on later. That impacts how much trust and communication there is between Pashinyan and some of his ministries.”</div>
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“His focus on his popularity does cause some cautiousness on his part,” the diplomat continued. “And not just on Pashinyan’s part, the people who work for him in the ministries and in his inner circle don’t necessarily feel empowered the way that they should to implement Pashinyan’s vision because they’re not always confident that they have direction from Pashinyan.”</div>
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<b>Crowd-pleaser</b></div>
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One key example is judiciary reform. Entering office, Pashinyan placed a high priority on cleaning up the judicial system, filled with appointees from the former government, and on addressing the corruption and human rights violations committed by the former authorities. But that reform languished under Justice Minister Artak Zeynalian, who was an experienced and respected civil rights activist, but from another opposition party, Hanrapetutyun.</div>
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In the meantime, the government pushed for a series of high-profile trials against former senior officials, most notably ex-president Robert Kocharyan, billing them as anti-corruption measures. Those have been crowd-pleasing affairs but have done little to address the more systemic problems that the new government inherited.</div>
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“The people are very hooked on these individual, one-off anti-corruption investigations,” the Western diplomat said. “They get very excited when they see this guy or that guy under investigation or detained but that isn’t a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy.”</div>
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In June, Zeynalian was replaced by Rustam Badasyan, a 28-year-old who had previously served as Pashinyan’s personal lawyer. Since then, observers have noted an invigoration in the ministry. On October 10, the Justice Ministry rolled out a broad program of judicial, electoral, and constitutional reforms, as well as the creation of a body to investigate human rights violations under previous governments.</div>
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But to many, the move came later than it should have.</div>
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“One of the biggest concerns that people have is that reforms are very slow. People voted for this government because of this revolutionary nature and people are waiting for dramatic changes to take place,” the NGO official said. “With this judicial reform, for example, it is lagging behind. They should have started it earlier, that’s for sure.”</div>
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“Pashinyan’s position is that it is too soon to move on this”</div>
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The grumbling about the slow pace has been widespread. A May poll from the International Republican Institute found that more than 60 percent of Armenians thought that political and economic reforms should be undertaken “quickly,” and Pashinyan has been forced to respond to the criticism.</div>
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“My impression and opinion is that quick reforms mean failed reforms,” he said in June. “In the early ‘90s, several brilliant reforms of strategic significance failed, only because their authors decided and wanted to introduce them in Armenia very quickly. And these reforms till now have not been implemented and till now Armenia bears the heavy consequences of the failure of these reforms.”</div>
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But many characterize the slow pace as the result not of deliberation, but of paralysis. The question of the gold mine, Amulsar, and of the Istanbul Convention on domestic violence, have been the two most contentious issues among members of the new government and parliament, said one source involved in the deliberations who spoke to Eurasianet on condition of anonymity.</div>
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That contention is hidden because of a policy in the ruling My Step coalition in parliament to hold internal debates to determine the coalition’s position, and then to vote unanimously, the source said. “That’s why your interviews before the vote and your actual vote can be two separate things,” the source said. “People who just see the sessions [of parliament] when the vote takes place think that this is just another [former ruling] Republican Party, when the order came from above and they unanimously executed it. It’s not like that now but it definitely looks like that from the outside.”</div>
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But the behind-the-scenes debates have complicated the decision making on both Amulsar and the Istanbul Convention.</div>
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The Amulsar gold mine has long been one of the most vexing issues for the new government. Work on the mine was begun under the previous government, and there were irregularities in studies showing it would not harm the environment. When Pashinyan came to power, he faced pressure from grassroots activists to reexamine the environmental impact. But Pashinyan also has made attracting foreign investment key to reviving Armenia’s economy, and backing out of the project – carried out by a company based in the U.S. and registered in the UK – would send a bad signal to other potential investors.</div>
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“The Amulsar issue was carefully reviewed by My Step experts, economists and lawyers,” the ministry official said. “Some people were very against mining, others were afraid of the obvious – that it would hurt investment.”</div>
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Pashinyan announced on August 19, via a Facebook video, that a long-awaited environmental report indicated that “the mine should be exploited.” But many Pashinyan allies, including government officials, publicly objected that his reading of the report was too optimistic and the prime minister two weeks later walked back the approval, asking the Environment Ministry to gather more data.</div>
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The Istanbul Convention has posed a similar dilemma: Many of the new senior officials support ratifying the agreement, as do Armenia’s partners in the West. But some of the convention’s provisions, such as a statement that gender is socially constructed and a requirement to implement the convention’s ideas in the education system, have given ammunition to opponents who seek to turn the country’s socially conservative population against it.</div>
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While the Convention was signed by the previous government, Pashinyan’s government publicly said it intended to work with parliament to complete ratification. But after pushback, including from the influential church, the My Step coalition decided to hold off.</div>
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“Is this the time, and is this an issue of primary importance right now?” asked the source close to the deliberations, paraphrasing the dominant thinking in parliament. “What would be the price of ratification? The ratings might fall drastically. That’s a concern. … Pashinyan’s position is that it is too soon to move on this.” Ratification will be taken up again next spring, “in the best-case scenario,” the source added.</div>
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But the source said some in the government disagree with those calculations: “We can’t just keep doing only reforms that please the majority of people and get praised for them. We have international obligations.”</div>
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Joshua Kucera is the Turkey/Caucasus editor at Eurasianet, and author of The Bug Pit.</div>
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Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 12 2019</b></div>
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<b>Carpet production grows in Armenia in January-August 2019</b></div>
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Armenia has seen a strong growth in production of carpets and carpet coverings in the first eight months of 2019, the latest statistics reveal. The country manufactured a total of 24.4 tons of carpets and carpet coverings from January to August this year, up by 44.4% times from the same period last year, Panorama.am learned from the Statistical Committee. It is noted that a total of 16.9 tons of carpets were manufactured in the country over the past eight months.</div>
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Meanwhile, Armenia produced 26.3 tons of carpets in 2018 which is 32.8% up to compare with the production levels of 2017.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-25397105848726421582019-10-16T13:50:00.003+00:002019-10-16T13:50:44.936+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 8 editorials<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>JAM News</b></div>
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<b>Oct 11 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia condemns Turkey’s military invasion of Syria</b></div>
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The diplomatic mission in Syria is prepared to organize an urgent evacuation of compatriots from settlements under fire</div>
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Turkey, Syria, Armenia, Erdogan, Nikol Pashinyan</div>
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Armenia condemns the Turkish troops’ invasion of Syria, according to a message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. The Prime Minister also called on the international community to take every measure to stop the Turkish invasion.</div>
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Armenia’s humanitarian mission in Syria continues, with Armenian doctors and engineers fulfilling their daily responsibilities.</div>
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Armenia’s diplomatic mission in Syria has organised an urgent evacuation of compatriots in the line of fire, especially from the cities of Tel Abyad and Kamyshly.</div>
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Turkey launched a military operation in northeast Syria to create a ‘safe zone’ along its borders. The attack hit more than 200 targets using heavy weapons, including aircraft and artillery. Washington said it would not obstruct the Turkish military, and began to withdraw its troops from this territory. In this situation, an escalation of the conflict between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds, who now control the northeast of Syria, now poses a real threat.</div>
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<b>Armenia’s MFA warns of a humanitarian crisis</b></div>
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The MFA stated:</div>
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“This invasion will lead to a further deterioration of regional security, as well as civilian casualties, a large flow of displaced people and, ultimately, a new humanitarian crisis.”</div>
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This military invasion, according to the MFA’s statement, creates the conditions for severe and large-scale human rights violations against another ethnic group.</div>
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“Armenia calls for effective international efforts to end this military invasion, prevent mass atrocities and protect the Syrian population on the border of Turkey.”</div>
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In addition, that statement reiterated Yerevan’s continued humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people.</div>
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<b>Armenia’s humanitarian assistance </b></div>
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Yerevan has delivered humanitarian assistance to Damascus since the start of the war. The assistance is for civilians suffering from the fighting.</div>
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Armenia has emphasised that its presence in Syria is one of peacebuilding only through humanitarian activities.</div>
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“Assistance will be provided exclusively outside the combat zone. Armenian specialists will carry out humanitarian activities such as clearing mines and educating local people about the mines, as well as the provision of medical care in Aleppo.”— declared Armenia’s press secretary for the Ministry of Defense, Artsrun Hovhannisyan .</div>
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PM Nikol Pashinyan also declared that Armenian specialists will not be placed in combat:</div>
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“This is an exclusively humanitarian programme and has no military significance. We intend to implement this programme with what is possible in the country’s budget. All costs are included in the draft budget for 2019.”</div>
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After the completion of the active phase of hostilities in Syria in February 2019, Armenia sent a humanitarian mission there. There is a group of engineers and doctors – 83 people in total.</div>
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<b>Armenia continues its humanitarian mission in Aleppo</b> </div>
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Armenia’s condemnation of the invasion of Turkish troops in the territory of Syria was announced on 10 October by the Prime Minister of Armenia:</div>
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“We are concerned about the situation, since, according to our research, such actions will further deepen the humanitarian crisis in Syria.”</div>
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Pashinyan believes that the international community needs to take steps to stop the illegal Turkish invasion and protect Syrian citizens living along the border with Turkey, including national minorities.</div>
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“In this context, I want to note that Armenia in Aleppo (Syria) is implementing a successful humanitarian mission, and we will continue to do so,” Pashinyan reiterated.</div>
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The continuation of the humanitarian mission was also confirmed by Nazeli Elbakyan, who is responsible for public relations at the Centre for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise:</div>
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“I spoke with the head of the humanitarian mission in Syria. The mission operates as usual … The mission has not received any other instructions. Armenian doctors and engineers continue their daily work in Aleppo.”</div>
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<b>What is the government doing?</b></div>
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Armenia’s government decided that citizens of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq could receive Armenian citizenship in their respective countries.</div>
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Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Avet Adonts explained that in 2012, the government made a similar decision, and citizens of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq could obtain citizenship and passports in the embassies or consulates of Armenia in these countries. However, that policy was only in place until 31 December 2018. Adonts noted that:</div>
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“Given the internal situation and the tension in these countries, it is necessary to extend this decision so that citizens of these countries can obtain Armenian passports at the embassies and consulates of their countries through 31 December 2019.”</div>
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<b>Consequences of Turkey’s invasion of Syria</b></div>
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On 10 October, according to Syrian media agency Sana, eight civilians, including women and children, were killed and 20 injured in shelling.</div>
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Information became available about the Armenians who live in settlements affected by the shelling of Turkish troops.</div>
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The head of the parliamentary commission on education, science, culture, youth and sports, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, shared information on his Facebook page.</div>
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Referring to Armenia’s Chief Consular in Syria, Armen Sargsyan, Mkhitaryan said that the Armenian mission in Syria is prepared to organise an urgent evacuation of compatriots.</div>
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“About 16 Armenian families were shelled by Turkish troops in the city of Tel Abyad in northern Syria … In addition, the city of Kamyshli, where there are also many Armenians, is also under fire,” Mkhitaryan wrote.</div>
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Later, it turned out that 13 out of 16 families had already left Tel Abyad, while the Kamyshli Armenians — more than 400 families — had not yet agreed to leave their homes.</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 10 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia’s Catholicos urges international community to undertake urgent and practical steps to prevent further bloodshed in Syria</b></div>
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His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II referred to the developments in Syria drawing the attention of the international community to the actions of Turkey which go against the international rule and law. He stressed that the Holy See of St. Etchmiadzin expects urgent and practical steps to prevent the further bloodshed.</div>
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“The danger of attacks by Turkey against the ethnic minorities and Syrian-Armenians in particular awaken the recollections of Armenian Genocide carried out by the same state in 1915-23. These actions must be strictly condemned by the international community,” Karekin II wrote, stressing that he shares the pain and suffering of the Syrian people and prays for soonest establishment of peace.</div>
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He stressed that the current developments do not have any justification.</div>
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<i>[this is a Turkish PR article the headline of which is not reflected in the Armenian press. Remember that the Armenian community in Turkey are under the cosh of a vengeful Erdogan] </i></div>
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<b>Daily Sabah, Turkey</b></div>
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<b>Oct 11 2019</b></div>
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<b>Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate expresses support for Operation Peace Spring in Syria</b></div>
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Turkey's Armenian Patriarchate expressed its full support for the Turkish military's anti-terror operation in northeastern Syria, saying they were praying that peace and safety will be established as soon as possible in the area.</div>
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"We pray that Operation Peace Spring, which aims to end terrorism and ensure the security of the borders, will continue in accordance with its purpose and establish peace and security as soon as possible," said Archbishop Sahak Masalyan, head of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey's Spiritual Council, in a statement Friday.</div>
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Stating that as the Armenian community they always underscore the importance of people living a prosperous life in an environment of peace, Masalyan said the ongoing wars and chaos in the Middle East, especially in Syria, worried them deeply as well.</div>
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"Unfortunately peace is not always ensured through peaceful means... May God protect our country and our people from disasters with His merciful power," he added.</div>
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He also said elections for the new patriarch would be held on December 11. The Armenian Church in Turkey has been ruled by a deputy Patriarch since 2008. The former patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan died on March 8 in Istanbul after years of battling dementia.</div>
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Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring, the third in a series of cross-border anti-terror operations in northern Syria targeting terrorists affiliated with Daesh and the PKK's Syrian offshoot the People's Protection Units (YPG), on October 9 at 4 p.m.</div>
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The operation, conducted in line with the country's right to self-defense borne out of international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions, aims to establish a terror-free safe zone for Syrians return in the area east of the Euphrates River controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by YPG terrorists.</div>
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The PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, resulting in the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.</div>
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Turkey has long decried the threat from terrorists east of the Euphrates in northern Syria, pledging military action to prevent the formation of a "terrorist corridor" there.Since 2016, Turkey's Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations, launched in August 2016 and January 2018, respectively, have liberated northwestern Syria from YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists, making it possible for nearly 400,000 Syrians who fled the violence to return home.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">October 11, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Yerevan Ready To Accept More Armenian Refugees From Syria</b></div>
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Armenia is ready to help evacuate ethnic Armenian residents of northern Syria affected by Turkey’s military operations conducted there, a senior official in Yerevan said on Friday.</div>
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The Armenian government on Thursday condemned the Turkish incursion into the area largely controlled by Kurdish militias and discussed its repercussions for thousands of Syrian Armenians believed to live there.</div>
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Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, briefed lawmakers on potential government actions at a meeting held in the National Assembly </div>
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behind the closed doors. Grigorian said afterwards that Yerevan stands ready to take in ethnic Armenian refugees from the area attacked by Turkish troops.</div>
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“We have not yet made an official proposal,” Grigorian told reporters. “As you know, not only is the issue at the center of the government’s attention but also our embassy and consulate [in Syria] are in touch with leaders of the [Armenian] community. If there is such a desire [to relocate to Armenia] we will definitely take all measures and provide all necessary means.”</div>
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But he added that none of the local Syrian Armenians has so far expressed a desire to take refuge in Armenia.</div>
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<b>The precise number of Armenians remaining in Syria’s Kurdish-controlled regions is not known. A senior Armenian Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday that around 3,000 of them live in the northeastern town of Qamishli close to the Turkish border.</b></div>
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“The only town [in northern Syria] where there are Armenians now is Qamishli, and our focus is on it,” said Grigorian. “We are communicating with Armenians of Qamishli and their spiritual leaders. We are trying to understand what their needs are.”</div>
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According to government estimates, more than 22,000 Syrian Armenians have fled to Armenia since the outbreak of the bloody conflict in Syria 2011. Some of them have migrated to Europe and North America for mainly economic reasons.</div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">10 October 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Aleppo will do everything possible to assist those affected by Turkish operations in Syria - MP</b></div>
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Turkey’s military operations are unacceptable for the people of Syria: this is an encroachment against Syria’s territorial integrity, Ethnic Armenian lawmaker of the Syrian Parliament Jirair Reisian told Armenpress.</div>
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“Syria considers this encroachment unacceptable. Syria is undoubtedly determined to liberate its territories. It’s obvious that there are threats, but we are ready to provide our support to all those affected, be they Armenians or other nationalities”, the MP said.</div>
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He noted that Turkey’s operations will lead to instability, and actually Ankara is seeking for this.</div>
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“This is Turkey’s desire. During this whole period it has been involved in a very open anti-Syrian policy. The people of Syria are determined to restore their right”, he said.</div>
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Asked whether he knows concrete numbers of Armenians living in the territories where Turkish military operation is underway, the lawmaker said he couldn’t say for sure because Armenians have almost fled these territories, few Armenian families stayed there.</div>
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“I am concerned that the Qamishli region is also targeted where there are injured people. Undoubtedly, Aleppo will do everything possible not only for Armenians, but also the representatives of other nations to overcome the difficulties”, he said.</div>
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On October 9 Turkish forces launched military operations in Syria’s north-east.</div>
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The Armenian foreign ministry released a statement noting that Armenia condemns the military invasion by Turkey in north-east Syria, which would lead to deterioration of regional security, losses among civilians, mass displacement and eventually to a new humanitarian crisis.</div>
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The United Arab Emirates also condemned the Turkish aggression in Syria.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 10 2019</b></div>
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<b>About 13% of Armenia population 16 and over has at least one disease leading to blindness</b></div>
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Eye diseases in Armenia are more common among people who are 50 and over. As reports the Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia, in this age group, 27% have cataract, 6.5% have macular degeneration, 3.5% have glaucoma and 4.4% have diabetic retinopathy. Nearly 13% of the adult population (16 and over) of Armenia have at least one eye disease that can lead to visual impairment.</div>
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Since 2000, at the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), the second Thursday of October is celebrated as World Sight Day.</div>
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Based on the data of the WHO, nearly 1.3 billion people have eye disorders, and out of those 1.3 billion, 36 million are visually impaired.</div>
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World Sight Day serves as an opportunity to touch upon the issue of visual impairment and eye disorders. This year, thanks to changes made to Decision 318-N of the Government of Armenia, starting from July 4, scleroplasty, keratoplasty and shunting (through the application of the latest and expensive technologies) for beneficiaries with 30.01 and more insecurity points, children under 18, persons with 1st and 2nd degree disabilities, fixed-term compulsory military servicemen and members of deceased military servicemen and several other socially disadvantaged people and people included in special groups and included in the family benefit system, will be free-of-charge and guaranteed by the State.</div>
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<b>International Politics and Society</b></div>
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<b>Oct 11 2019</b></div>
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<b>The revolution falters over Amulsar gold</b></div>
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<b>The contentious issue of gold mining in Armenia presents the Pashinyan government with a difficult dilemma</b></div>
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<b> By Alla Manvelyan </b></div>
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Along with a group of activists, residents from the Armenian spa town of Jermuk and the surrounding villages have been blockading the roads to the Amulsar gold mine for some months now. The roadblock is preventing the mining company Lydian Armenia from conducting operations – it was issued a license to exploit the mine by the Serzh Sargsyan government that fell in the 2018 revolution.</div>
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The protesters believe that exploiting the mine will result in an environmental disaster, including pollution of the region’s largest source of freshwater, the Lake Sevan. Lydian, on the other hand, claims that gold extraction does not present a threat to the environment. To try and resolve the conflict the new government allocated USD 400,000 for an additional independent risk assessment. However, the findings have failed to influence the positions of either side in the standoff.</div>
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikolai Pashinyan announced that the government currently has no legal basis to prevent the company from using the mine. He provided assurances that, should any threat to the environment come to light, Lydian would be forced to address it. But activists are not convinced by these arguments. They claim that the government is afraid of being put under pressure by foreign investors and they also suspect that Pashinyan’s entourage are hiding some of facts revealed by expert assessments.</div>
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Along with assurances from the mining company that construction works would not begin before spring 2020, recent calls from the government to clear the roadblock en route to Amulsar triggered another protest action and march in Yerevan (according to information from the ‘Armenian Ecological Front’, around 1,000 people were involved in the protest on 12 September). Further protest actions took place on 20 September, which has been declared Environmental Mobilisation Day. These included a boycott of lessons by pupils at the local school in Jermuk and a public meeting and march in the Armenian capital where protestors protested on bikes and motorcycles. This time around 700 citizens took to the streets in defence of Amulsar.</div>
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<b>Who are the real environmentalists?</b></div>
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The Amulsar conflict revealed divisions in the parliamentary majority that had formed around Pashinyan’s party. Recently, Edgar Arakelyan, an MP from the parliamentary group ‘My Step’, tendered his resignation, citing the issues surrounding the mine as the reason for his decision. Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly Lena Nazaryan, who entered politics from the environmental movement, has also publicly expressed her opposition to the gold mining project, as have other Armenian politicians.</div>
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In several statements Nikol Pashinyan has pointed out that the ongoing situation is being exploited by those referred to as ‘revanchists’. These are supporters of former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, who, along with their family members, have been involved to varying degrees in high-profile criminal cases since the revolution. Television channels and other mass media, which are controlled by representatives of the previous government and which, in the past, were not exactly known for their sensitivity to environmental issues, are now actively highlighting the Amulsar crisis. Moreover, during the protests, various nationalist groupings who had lost their administrative resources after 2018 also attempted to make themselves appear more progressive by adopting the cause.</div>
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To reduce the tension it would help to ensure total transparency of dialogue with society.</div>
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Remarkably, several public meetings and demonstrations were held in Yerevan at the end of August under the slogan ‘For Amulsar!’ but without the participation of the Armenian Ecological Front — a longstanding and consistent lobbyist for the closure of all mines in Armenia. Suddenly, representatives of the nationalist party ‘Dashnaktsutyun’, which had been part of the government awarding the license to mine Amulsar in the first place, were calling themselves ‘environmentalists’. Even MPs from the second largest parliamentary group ‘Prosperous Armenia’, formed by the influential oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan, suddenly donned their environmentalist hats. Tsarukyan and his party were also always members of the coalition with the governing parties before the revolution and held different government posts.</div>
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So far, opponents of the mining operations have insisted on the need for a political decision as proof that the revolution is not over. Supporters of the mine, on the other hand, have focused on the country’s weak economy, the attractiveness of the mines to investors, the unresolved Karabakh conflict, the arms race and, consequently, the inevitability of having to choose between an environmentally friendly economy and one which brings in revenues despite the fact that the majority of the country’s borders are closed.</div>
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<b>The difficult path to consensus</b></div>
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Bearing in mind the way in which protests were dealt with by past governments and the unilateral decisions the previous leaders made with regards to the mining industry in general, the attempts being made by the current government to seek a consensus would appear sincere. It goes without saying, however, that the decisions of even the most legitimate leadership will not always fully meet everyone’s expectations. Disagreements and conflict are unavoidable.</div>
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To reduce the tension it would help to ensure total transparency of dialogue with society. This process should enable the ordinary citizen, with no real understanding of the intricacies of the environment and economics, to access information about the consequences of abandoning the programme. On the one hand, closing the mine will bring job losses and discontent with the social situation will not be addressed by civic initiatives but by the government. On the other hand, unemployment could still become an issue even if the new mine is opened — one of the consequences of gold mining, according to the environmental campaigners, is that the region would become less attractive for tourists.</div>
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That said, we must also be mindful of the possibility of falsification and manipulation by the media, which, even after the revolution, still largely caters to the interests of the oligarchs and groups linked to Armenia’s former leadership. In order to avoid both speculation and well-founded fears about the revival of revanchist forces, we must continue to discuss and refer to reliable environmental assessments. And, if necessary, new assessments must be conducted, irrespective of the cost.</div>
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Only time will tell how this situation will unfold. Right now, it is difficult to believe that a few dozen school students, a couple of hundred local residents, a few thousand protesting environmentalists and human rights activists, as well as individual political actors could be powerful enough to place pressure on a government elected by hundreds of thousands of citizens. A decisive factor here is the willingness of these people to take to the streets once again in support of Pashinyan, someone who is, after all, still a popular Prime Minster.</div>
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<b>Forbes</b></div>
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<b>Oct 11 2019</b></div>
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<b>Hiking Armenia’s New Transcaucasian Trail is a Beautiful Way to Immerse Yourself in Armenian Culture</b></div>
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<b> Breanna Wilson, Contributor</b></div>
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It’s not every day that Time names a hiking trail to their annual World’s 100 Greatest Places list.</div>
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In fact, this is a first.</div>
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And this is just the beginning of the attention and recognition that the new Transcaucasian Trail, a more than 1,800-mile trail that connects some of the most beautiful and remote regions of Armenia and Georgia (and eventually Azerbaijan) to one another, has started to receive.</div>
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And while these are some of the most incredible landscapes you could ever experience in person, it isn’t just the views that make the Transcaucasian Trail a special experience, it’s the interactions and hospitality of the locals along the way that especially set these hiking trails apart.</div>
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And whether you thru-hike the trail and camp all along the way or you decide to join a small group trip that will equip you with a guide, pre-plan your nightly stays at quaint and delightful local guesthouses and small hotels, and feed you all along the way, there’s no wrong way to experience everything that the trail has to offer.</div>
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Which, being short on time and completely unsure where to start (and unfamiliar with traveling in Armenia, where I most wanted to see how development of the trail was coming along), is the option I opted for, signing up with World Expeditions for their Transcaucasian Trail Hike Armenia.</div>
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Their itinerary starts in Yerevan, where you ease into life in Armenia before hitting the trails with two nights in the city before heading up to Sevan Lake and hitting the trails on day three, which is, as you might guess, when things really start to get good.</div>
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<b>The Landscape </b></div>
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From the moment you start this hike, with Sevan Lake to your back as you ascend into the clouds that you really start to realize the beauty – and diversity in landscapes – that Armenia has to offer.</div>
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In the following days, hiking through cities like Kalavan, Gosh, and through the forests of Dilijan National Park – the Armenian Switzerland, as locals like to call it – it was the leaves that changing colors of the leaves, the mountaintop views, and unique rock formations that made the hike perfectly picturesque.</div>
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But you’ll have to work for these views because with ascents from 1,100 to 4,200 feet up into the clouds and with trails as long as 14.5 miles, this hike is, one might say, no walk in the park.</div>
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The trails we set off on included heading from Sevan Lake to Khachardzan (the village next to Kalavan), Kalavan to Gosh, Gosh to Dilijan National Park, and then Dilijan National Park to Haghartsin Monastery Complex. From Haghartsin Monastery Complex we then drove to Haghpat, in the northern part of the country and closer to the Georgian border, to hike from Haghpat to Sanahin Monastery for our last little adventure. Each leg offered something completely different, with most routes being planned to get the elevation gains out of the way first.</div>
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Day 1 of this journey meant a 6.8-mile, 4.5-hour hike starting from Sevan Lake and ending in Kalavan.</div>
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<b>The Guesthouses</b></div>
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Being that World Expeditions planned all of our stays, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was in for (which is how I like it so that I can experience everything with an open mind). And that’s exactly what made each night a treat.</div>
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From the local guesthouse in Khachardzan, just below the village of Kalavan, where the guesthouse owner had no shortage of homemade vodka on hand – and who sat down to eat dinner with us, a delightful treat so that we could ask him questions about the area, his family and the bees and green house he has on the property – it was experiences like this that really opened our eyes to what life in this part of Armenia is like.</div>
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The following night’s boutique hotel in Gosh and guesthouse in Dilijan were just as insightful.</div>
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So, while you can certainly camp your way across these trails, it’s worth making it into the villages for the local experiences and interactions, plus a hot meal and shower never hurt either.</div>
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<b>The Food</b></div>
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Simply put, Armenia has some of the best food in the world. With a plate of fresh herbs on every table next to the basket of the day’s baked lavash, homemade cheeses and pickles, a fresh summer salad of locally grown cucumbers and tomatoes, and homemade dolma – delicious grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat – to stuffed peppers and cabbage, baked eggplant, and manti – the delicious meat dumplings served with garlic yogurt on the side – it wasn’t just a day of hiking that made this food taste so delicious. Between the fresh ingredients and the fact that each day’s meal was made from scratch just for us, there was nothing heavy about these meals and they were exactly what our bodies were craving after long days pushing our limits mentally and physically.</div>
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And finishing each meal with homemade baklava, fresh cantaloupe and watermelon (which were in season at the time), washing it all down with tea and Armenian coffee (a short, potent cup of joe made in a long-handled copper Jezve, similar to – but, whatever you do, never say this to an Armenian – Turkish coffee), it became our nightly tradition to end our days discussing what would be in store for us the following day as we each decompressed and licked the last of the baklava off our fingers.</div>
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<b>Gearing Up for Your Trip</b></div>
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There’s no sugar coating it – the trail is still in development and that means that some parts are better marked than others. Which also means some parts of the trail are better cleared than other. Which means this: a good, sturdy pair of hiking boots is important.</div>
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Be prepared for rain and the mud that follows, especially if you’re hiking the trails in the fall.</div>
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A pair of shoes like Hoka One’s Arkali hiking boots are perfect for this type of hiking. Something light and comfortable is always important but hiking boots with great traction are especially essential here. Wear your boots big so that you can double up on socks for both warmth and comfort, and make sure you either buy shoe inserts, or choose a pair of books with enough cushion in the sole. (The Arkali’s responsive cushion kept my feet from getting sore so I never had to worry about tired and blistered feed even once.) Also look for a shoe with a toe cap (like the Arkali) to keep your toes safe as you climb and make your way through the more unkempt portions of the trails. Trust me when I say that the trail will throw everything that it has at you, so this is not the time to underestimate the importance of a good hiking boot.</div>
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Especially because, depending on the time of year but especially in the fall, you can expect mud. A lot of mud. Again, don’t underestimate the importance of good hiking shoes. And a solid rain jacket. Which is a must. Opt for something light and easy to carry in your day pack like the Mammut Nordwand Advanced hooded hardshell, a jacket that can handle both rain and wind, but also has vents under the arm pit for when you’re making your way up the trail but you need to cool down just a bit.</div>
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There also aren’t always bridges at rivers crossings, so, be prepared for that. (Since it was mostly nice out when we were in the valleys, taking off our boots and wading across the rivers was a nice, refreshing way to get across.) And walking poles certainly wouldn’t hurt either.</div>
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And most importantly, don’t forget wet wipes (and to pack them out with you), a hydration pack so that you don’t go through water bottles the way we did, and it isn’t a bad idea to download the All Trails app before you set out on the trails either – don’t expect much cell phone service out here.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-34040681993190952632019-10-11T11:03:00.000+00:002019-10-11T11:03:21.781+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 3 editorials <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Public Radio of Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 10 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian-populated cities in Syria come under Turkish fire</b></div>
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The Armenian-populated city of Tel Abyad has been targeted by Turkey as part of its offensive against Kurds, informs Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, the head of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport.</div>
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Provided that the Armenian population in the area is under fire, Hayrapetyan talked to Armenia’s Consul General to Aleppo Armen Sarkissian to get information on the situation on the ground. </div>
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“At this point, Turks are bombing the city of Tel Abyad where 16 Armenian families permanently reside. Their evacuation is currently underway. Apart from this, city of Qamishli, with a number of Armenian residents, is also under attack,” he said on Facebook. </div>
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Turkey launched air strikes, fired artillery and began a ground offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria on Wednesday (Oct 9) after US troops pulled back from the area. </div>
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After Erdogan announced the offensive, Trump called the operation “a bad idea.” Later Wednesday, he said he didn’t want to be involved in “endless, senseless wars.”</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 10 2019</b></div>
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<b>The safety of Armenian population in Hasaka province endangered - High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs</b></div>
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High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan has released a statement about the safety of the Armenian population in Syria amid the military operation launched by Turkey. </div>
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“The military actions launched by Turkey on October 9 in the territory of Syrian Arab Republic are not only unlawful and deplorable as a blatant violation of the international law, but also undermine the security of the Armenian population living in number of settlements. The existence of the Armenian population in Hasaka province is endangered,” the part of the statement by Sinanyan read. </div>
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In his words, the Republic of Armenia is engaged with works to ensure the security of Armenians and the members of the Armenian community . “Armenia and al Armenians stand by their compatriots and will do their utmost to ensure their safety,” the statement added.</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 10 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian families leave Syria’s Tal Abyad attacked by Turkish forces</b></div>
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Armenian embassy in Syria’s capital Damascus and Armenia’s Consulate general in Aleppo are working in emergency regime due to the situation created as a result of Turkey’s Syria offensive, embassy officials report.</div>
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“Armenia’s diplomatic representations are in permanent communication with the community structures of Syria’s Qamishli and other northern regions,” the statement said.</div>
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“We are following the developments and jointly working out possible steps to ensure asylums for our compatriots who will express wish to move from the north of Syria and ensure first aid to them,” the Armenian embassy stated.</div>
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It also stressed that over ten Armenian families have left Tal Abyad which is under direct military attack and moved to safe regions.</div>
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“Currently there is no urgent issue of immediate evacuation of our compatriots. According to the information we have, about 3,000 Armenians are living in Syria’s northern regions,” the statement said.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-53470673043389805372019-10-11T11:00:00.000+00:002019-10-11T11:00:18.143+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 6 editorials <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Armenia Hosts Eurasian Union Summit</b></div>
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<b>October 01, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Sargis Harutyunyan</b></div>
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian praised the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) as he chaired a summit of the Russian-led trade bloc in Yerevan on Tuesday.</div>
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Pashinian, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the other EEU member states -- Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan -- met in closed session </div>
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before being joined by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Moldova’s President Igor Dodon and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.</div>
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“Our organization, which is already five years old, is getting stronger year after year,” Pashinian said in his opening remarks. “It has already proved its viability and attractiveness as an international integration grouping.”</div>
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“I am happy to note that Armenia is making its contribution to this process,” added the prime minister who criticized Armenian membership in the EEU when he was opposition to his country’s former government.</div>
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Putin likewise declared that the establishment of the EEU has sped up economic </div>
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growth and boosted living standards in its member states. “The EEU is developing steadily,” he said at the summit. “A vast common market has been created and it is functioning with success.”</div>
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Putin went on to announce that Russia and its ex-Soviet allies making up the bloc will create a “common electricity space” by 2025. He said they are also planning a common oil and gas market. That requires the “harmonization of member states’ legislations on gas supplies and transport,” added the Russian president.</div>
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Pashinian touched upon this issue in his speech. He said the prices of Russian natural gas traded within the EEU should eventually be set in the national </div>
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currencies of member states, rather than the U.S. dollar. Moscow is believed to have objected to this idea until now.</div>
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The session ended with the signing of a free-trade agreement between the EEU and Singapore. Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signed a </div>
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similar deal with Iran last year. Rouhani’s presence at the summit underscored the deal’s importance to the Islamic Republic.</div>
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The Iranian president also used the summit to denounce the “inhuman” U.S. sanctions against his country. “We believe that the international community must counter the U.S.’s hostile and unilateral approach and take serious decisions and effective actions against it,” he said.</div>
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Rouhani also complained that some of Iran’s partners, notably Russia, have been “following the U.S.’s example” and ignoring international law and breaching bilateral agreements. He did not elaborate.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Armenia Pays Tribute To France’s Jacques Chirac</b></div>
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<b>September 30, 2019</b></div>
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Armenia’s leaders described Jacques Chirac as a “great man,” “global political giant” and friend of the Armenian people on Monday as France bade farewell to its former president who died last week aged 86.</div>
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Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian joined current and former world leaders in attending a funeral mass in memory of Chirac held at the Saint Sulpice church </div>
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in Paris.</div>
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In a weekend tweet, Mnatsakanian said he is leaving for Paris to “pay tribute to a great global political giant and big friend of Armenia.”</div>
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“His contribution to relations between our peoples and nations is monumental,” Mnatsakanian wrote. “We bow our heads in deep respect and gratitude.”</div>
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In Yerevan, President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visited the French Embassy to leave messages in a book of condolences set up </div>
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there.</div>
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“France has lost a great statesman and a great man,” wrote Pashinian. “President Chirac was one of the symbols of the awakening of Armenian-French </div>
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interstate relations.”</div>
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“The Armenian people will never forget his sincere friendship and valuable contribution made to the process of international recognition of the Armenian </div>
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Genocide as well as the mediation efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he added.</div>
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For his part, Sarkissian described Chirac, who led France from 1995-2007, as a “great politician of our times” and “one of the architects of the special </div>
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French-Armenian relationship.”</div>
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Chirac became in September 2006 the first French president and leader of a major Western power to visit Armenia. During his state visit he and then </div>
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Armenian President Robert Kocharian inaugurated a square in downtown Yerevan named after France. Thousands of Armenians gathered there to listen to a speech delivered by Chirac at the ceremony.</div>
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While in Yerevan, Chirac also declared that recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire should be a precondition for Turkey’s membership in the European Union. "Every country grows by acknowledging its dramas and </div>
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errors of the past,” he said.</div>
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It was Chirac who signed into law in 2001 a French parliamentary bill that recognized the genocide. The leaders of the CCAF coalition of leading French-Armenian organizations emphasized this fact when they offered their “sincere condolences” to his wife Bernadette and French President Emmanuel Macron on September 26.</div>
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<b><a href="http://asbarez.com/">Asbarez.com</a></b></div>
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<b>1 October 2019</b></div>
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<b>Pashinyan, Putin Discuss Strategic Alliance</b></div>
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President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Tuesday met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, where leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union member-states and others have gathered for the annual summit of the economic pact.</div>
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The two leaders emphasized that their countries continue to be strategic partners to one another, which both said were the result of the historic Armenian-Russian ties.</div>
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“I want to emphasize the strategic nature of the Armenian-Russian relations. They are not based just on the period of the recent years or decades, but the centuries-old history of our peoples,” Putin said.</div>
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The Russian leader expressed his gratitude to Pashinyan for what was deemed to be a successful EEU summit, which convened earlier in the day.</div>
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“It [the EEU summit] was really positive, including in terms of developing our relations with our partners of the third countries. And what is not less important, or maybe the most important for us, is that all the agreements between the member states of the organization have been implemented. You are the individual who made the maximum effort for such a productive work. For that reason I not only congratulate you, but also want to thank you,” Putin told Pashinyan.</div>
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Pashinyan evaluated Armenia’s presidency of the EEU, which concludes at the end of 2019, as a positive step toward advancing the mission of the Eurasian economic alliance and told Putin that his government, while satisfied with the ongoing positive ties with Moscow, is ready and willing to expand and strengthen relations.</div>
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<b><a href="http://eurasianet.org/">EurasiaNet.org</a></b></div>
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<b>Oct 3 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian prime minister finesses democratic intentions</b></div>
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<b>Pashinyan has little choice but to curry Kremlin tolerance in order to give his reform efforts a better chance.</b></div>
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is proving to be skilled in the art of philosophical juggling. In late September, when he was in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Pashinyan delivered a full-throated endorsement of liberal democracy. And less than a week later, back in Yerevan, he was acting as the convivial, selfie-taking host of a jamboree of authoritarian leaders.</div>
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The mixed optics are indicative of the unique challenge that Pashinyan faces in Eurasia; he wants to make the Armenian government more transparent while staying in the good graces of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who treats transparency like a dirty word. Given that Russia is Armenia’s chief strategic and economic patron, Pashinyan has little choice but to curry Kremlin tolerance in order to give his reform efforts a better chance of success.</div>
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Pashinyan swept to power in the spring of 2018 vowing to curb corruption and clean up Armenia’s political culture. In New York, he portrayed himself as an unabashed liberal in the Lockean sense of the term. During a September 25 policy address at Columbia University, he stressed “a need to develop inclusive” institutions in Armenia that make government more accountable to citizens.</div>
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“The world needs positive examples of [political] inclusiveness,” he said.</div>
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But when pressed during the question and answer segment of his Columbia appearance, Pashinyan made it clear that his liberal vision has glass walls. Asked to unequivocally condemn Russia’s territorial seizure of Crimea, he demurred, thus highlighting his conundrum of trying to mesh liberal ideals with geopolitical realities in Eurasia.</div>
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He described the simmering conflict over Ukraine/Crimea as “sensitive,” adding that “condemnation doesn’t always solve the situation.”</div>
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Pashinyan’s punt on the Crimea question is understandable. To call out Russia would doubtless invite Putin’s wrath, and that is something he can’t afford to do right now.</div>
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The Armenian prime minister’s relationship with Putin has been far from warm. But during a Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit in Yerevan on October 1, the two seemed to get along well enough. After a one-on-one meeting, Pashinyan announced that Armenian-Russian relations are on a “positive track.”</div>
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In his Columbia address, Pashinyan expressed a desire for members of the Armenian Diaspora to play an expanded role in promoting reforms. He asserted that previous administrations in Yerevan had sought to limit the role of Diaspora Armenians to several specific areas, in particular efforts to secure broader international recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman-era Turkey. Getting Diaspora members more involved in all aspects of domestic reforms would be an important element in “making our democracy sustainable institutionally,” he said.</div>
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Pashinyan at Columbia described democracy and human rights as “universal values,” but added a qualifier that will reassure Moscow: Democratic institutions need to be home-grown and reflect the “nuances” of the country in question, he said.</div>
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“Democracy and freedom should be a choice for a country or people,” he said, going on to emphasize that they “should not be exported.”</div>
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<b>War of Words at UN General Assembly</b></div>
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<b>Between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey</b></div>
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<b>By Harut Sassounian</b></div>
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<b>Publisher, The California Courier</b></div>
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The United Nations’ General Assembly held its annual session Sept. 24to 30, 2019 in New York City. The participants were heads of statesand high-ranking officials of UN member countries, including Armenia’s</div>
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoganand Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Surprisingly, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev was absent—a big mistake on his part.</div>
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The first speech was delivered by Erdogan on Sept. 24. After speakingabout the lofty notions of justice and equality, which are constantly violated by Turkey, Erdogan once again complained about the fact that</div>
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Turkey is not represented among the five Permanent members of the UNSecurity Council (US, UK, France, China and Russia) which have a vetopower. Long before Turkey is admitted to such an exclusive club,</div>
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India, Brazil, and possibly Germany should have a priority overTurkey. Erdogan also misrepresented Turkey as the country that “has inflicted the first and heaviest blow” to ISIS terrorists in Syria. In reality, Turkey has been the biggest supporter of ISIS terrorists.</div>
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Surprisingly, Erdogan blamed Greek Cypriots for Turkey’s continued occupation of Northern Cyprus. He also criticized Israel for itsmistreatment of Palestinians.</div>
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Turning to the Caucasus, Erdogan stated: “it is unacceptable that Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding areas, which are Azerbaijani</div>
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territories, are still occupied despite the [UN] resolutions adopted.”</div>
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Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, addressed the UN General Assembly on Sept. 25, condemning Azerbaijan for its unwillingness to resolve the “Nagorno Karabakh” (Artsakh) conflict. He</div>
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said that the solution to the conflict must be acceptable to all three populations of Armenia, Artsakh and Azerbaijan.</div>
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Regarding Turkey, Pashinyan stated that “by refusing to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, overtly assisting Azerbaijan against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey remains a serious threat</div>
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to Armenia and the Armenian people, who had experienced the deep tragedy of the genocide and continue to face the fierce denial of truth and justice.”</div>
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Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 28, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated that “rather than wasting time on attempts to mislead the international community and its own people,Armenia must drop its lousy attempts to prolong the unsustainable status quo and faithfully comply with its international obligations.”</div>
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The sooner Armenia gives up its “aggressive and hostile policy in the region,” the better it would overcome its “serious political, economic and social burden,” Mammadyarov said.</div>
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Armenia’s UN delegate exercised his “right of reply” to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Mammadyarov’s speech, accusing him of distorting the conflict of Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia’s representative then mentioned the Azeri massacres of Armenians in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan, in 1988. He added that Nagorno Karabakh was never a part of Azerbaijan.</div>
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Azerbaijan’s representative then responded with his own “right of reply.” The Armenian and Azerbaijani delegates proceeded to deliver a series of remarks replying to each other’s accusations.</div>
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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displeased with Erdogan’s criticism of Israel at the UN General Assembly, condemned him harshly</div>
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according to the Jerusalem Post: “Prime Minister Netanyahu slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday calling him a liar and saying that ‘he who doesn’t stop lying about Israel, he who kills</div>
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Kurds in his own country, he who denies the terrible crimes against the Armenians -- that person should not preach to Israel.’“</div>
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Netanyahu’s comments did not please Armenians around the world who pointed out that under his leadership Israel has rejected the veracity of the Armenian Genocide and blocked the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide by the Knesset (parliament). Netanyahu’s words were</div>
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viewed as simply a disingenuous attempt to use the Armenian Genocide as a tool to bash Erdogan, while Israel itself has not acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. This is the height of hypocrisy by Netanyahu.</div>
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As I have repeatedly pointed out, the Israeli government, as the leadership of a nation that has suffered genocide itself, should have been the first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide, not the</div>
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last. At this late stage, even if Israel were to recognize the Armenian Genocide, it would be a pointless exercise as dozens of countries and international organizations have already acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. By continuing its shameless refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the Israeli government is simply tarnishing its own reputation in the international community.</div>
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Even the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi joined the political fray in New York by meeting with the President of Cyprus and the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Greece to indicate his displeasure at Turkish President Erdogan’s siding with Pakistan in his UN speech. Such a meeting is definitely in the interests of Armenia, Cyprus and Greece in order to counter Pakistan’s cozy relationship with Turkey and</div>
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Azerbaijan. In June, the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Cyprus and Greece met in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia to discuss an expansion of their relations. All three countries share the common goal of opposing Turkish hegemony in the region.</div>
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To end on an amusing note, Pres. Erdogan refused to sit at Pres. Trump’s table with other heads of states at a banquet given by the U.S. President at the United Nations last week, since Egyptian Pres. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, whom the Turkish President abhors, was sitting</div>
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at that table. Erdogan’s chair remained empty, depriving him of the golden opportunity to brainwash Pres. Trump during dinner.</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">30 September, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>For the first time, Armenia releases into the wild endangered species of birds after treatment</b></div>
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Several saved endangered species of birds have been released into the wild in Armenia after successfully passing a rehabilitation process, the Nature Protection and Subsoil Inspectorate said.</div>
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The agency said this unprecedented event was a success thanks to cooperation between the ministry of environment, the National Academy of Sciences Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydro-ecology, the Zoo Fauna Art Rehabilitation Center of Exotic Animals, Protection of Endemic and Endangered Species (PEES) and the Nature Protection and Subsoil Inspectorate.</div>
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Months earlier Nature Protection and Subsoil Inspectorate personnel had transferred the birds – which had sustained various traumas in the wild – to the above-mentioned rehabilitation center where veterinarians and zoologists assumed the care for the animals. The Nature Protection and Subsoil Inspectorate said it has regularly monitored the process.</div>
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The fully recovered birds have been released into the wild in the Ararat plain, an area nearby the Khosrov Forest and Akhuryan region. The birds are rosy pelicans, bearded vultures, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the tawny eagle.</div>
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In addition to the endangered animals, the inspectorate has also released into the wild 3 storks and 1 eagle.</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-16117017766993606972019-10-11T10:50:00.000+00:002019-10-11T10:59:00.784+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 13 editorials <br />
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<i>[this statement shows that the Azeris do not care the people of Karabakh, only the land: they use the term that Armenia made territorial claims ignoring the wishes of the vast majority of the population]</i></div>
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<b>Trend</b></div>
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<b>Baku, Azerbaijan</b></div>
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<b>President Aliyev: Concept of “the people of Nagorno-Karabakh” does not exist</b></div>
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Concept of “the people of Nagorno-Karabakh” does not exist, said Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, addressing the plenary session of the 16th Annual Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club held in the city of Sochi, the Russian Federation, Oct.3.</div>
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<b><a href="http://asbarez.com/">Asbarez.com</a></b></div>
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<b>9 October 2019</b></div>
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<b>‘NerUzh’ Diaspora Startup Program Application Deadline Approaching</b></div>
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Are you a Diaspora Armenian with an innovative startup or startup idea? Have you considered moving to Armenia to establish your startup in the homeland?</div>
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If YES, then check out the “NerUzh” Diaspora Startup Program, launched by the Republic of Armenia’s Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, in partnership with FAST Foundation.</div>
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Selected applicants will have the opportunity to attend a four-day launch event at UWC Dilijan from December 16 to 20, learn about Armenia’s startup ecosystem and the benefits of doing business in Armenia, network with local partners, and develop their startup ideas. At the event, teams will pitch for a chance to win grants ranging from $15,000 to $30,000, as well as entrepreneurial support to establish their startup in Armenia. This year’s target areas are financial, social, governance, educational, mobile, internet, agricultural technologies, healthcare, robotics, engineering, and others.</div>
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Are you ready to apply? Visit the website and fill out the application form by October 21.</div>
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<i><a href="http://asbarez.com/186699/neruzh-diaspora-startup-program-application-deadline-approaching/?fbclid=IwAR1SsXMplH3dLpwUuXL2JoU6PBwIUPcWRIp1boZOnmFxqqjP1oiynLNoGOE" id="LPlnk551098">http://asbarez.com/186699/neruzh-diaspora-startup-program-application-deadline-approaching/?fbclid=IwAR1SsXMplH3dLpwUuXL2JoU6PBwIUPcWRIp1boZOnmFxqqjP1oiynLNoGOE</a></i></div>
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<i><b>Armenpress.am</b></i></div>
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<b>8 October 2019</b></div>
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<b>Unemployment rate drops in Armenia</b></div>
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Unemployment rate has dropped in Armenia by 2.6% in the second quarter of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018, amounting to 17.7%, The Statistical Committee released the respective data.</div>
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The number of unemployed people comprised 207.2 thousand in the second quarter of 2019, against the 236.4 thousand people in the second quarter of 2018.</div>
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The unemployment rate has significantly dropped by nearly 4.2% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter of this year.</div>
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In the second quarter of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018, the employment rate increased by 1.6%, amounting to 47.9%.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 9 2019</b></div>
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<b>Decision made over my arrest: Former director of Hayatsan All-Armenian Fund</b></div>
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Former director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Ara Vardanyan wrote on Facebook that a decision has been made over his arrest. He stressed that he does not admit the charges and will fight till “the end of this absurd.”</div>
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“It is a primitive step to silence me. They do not understand that being arrested in conditions of dictatorship is not a punishment but an honor. I have not caused even a penny harm to the state, just the opposite I have sought to be useful to my homeland. And soon everything will come to its place,” he wrote.</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 9 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia has big potential of human talent: Alexis Ohanian meets with Armenia’s PM</b></div>
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Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received today Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanyan who is in Armenia to participate in the WCIT 2019.</div>
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The Prime Minister welcomed Ohanian in Armenia and in the Armenian government and highlighted his participation in the event.</div>
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“We are proud of the achievements of our counterparts who are known with their successful activity, who make our homeland recognizable in the world. I am happy to host you here and discuss opportunities of implementation of mutually beneficial projects,” Pashinyan said.</div>
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Alexis Ohanian expressed gratitude to the prime minister for voiced assessments, noting that he is happy to visit Armenia where such important technological event is taking place.</div>
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“Armenia has a big potential of human talent and various opportunities to develop and prosper and make part of world technological progress,” Alexis Ohanian said.</div>
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Armenia’s PM and the American-Armenian businessman discussed the pace of the WCIT-2019, cooperation in the IT sector, issues on involvement of young people and women in the IT sector.</div>
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Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the government has declared IT sector a priority aiming to make Armenia a technological country.</div>
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<b>ARKA, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 9 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia's struggle against shady dealings exceeds four times IMF's recommendations</b></div>
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking Wednesday at the economic congress "What to Do - 2", said that the results of Armenia's struggle against shady dealings exceeded four times the International Monetary Fund's recommendations. </div>
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"There are both good and bad news in the struggle against shadow," Pashinyan said. "The good news is that the International Monetary Fund said in one if its reports that if the ratio of tax revenue to GDP will change by 0.3 percent every year in Armenia, this will be success for the country. Now this indicator is improved by approximately 1.2%, i.e. it is four times better than the IMF's best recommendations."</div>
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The premier said that figures can be corrected upon completion of the year, but unprecedented measures are being taken in the country to root out shadow economy.</div>
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As bad news, Nikol Pashinyan pointed out the component connected with people's behavior. As an example, he pointed out the celebration of the Day of Gyumri in Armenia's second biggest city. All day along the city's restaurants and cafés were hosting people, and the people's flows were not dwindling. Gyumri hosted some 15,000 visitors that day.</div>
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"I wondered what trade turnover was recorded that day, and it became known that the number of cash register slips provided that day didn't differ from that provided before," Pashinyan said.</div>
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The government has take a step toward businesses in Gyumri by organizing such a large event, he said, but business people should take return steps.</div>
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But as a whole, he said, over eight months of this year the number of slips have been 75 million more than at the same period a year before. </div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 9 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia’s Catholicos expresses concern over increasing number of divorces in Armenia</b></div>
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One of the serious concerns nowadays is the destruction of families, divorces which makes a big number in the world and in Armenia as well, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II stated at the Church and Family in 21st Century: Values and Challenges international conference.</div>
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“The causes of this reality differ starting from social, economic, moral issues ending with dependence on technology which harm the inter-personal relations inside the family. In the pre-context of this challenge we pay a special attention to the cooperation with the state for the sake of the preservation of families and prevention of existing threats. A real, firm family having Christian system of values means guaranteed future of the state and the country,” the Catholicos stated.</div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Oct 9 2019</b></div>
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<b>WB Report: More than 40% of emigrants from Armenia are people with higher education</b></div>
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In Europe and Central Asia, demographic trends are worsening, in addition to all, the number of able-bodied people is declining, which further exacerbates the problem. The latest World Bank Economic Update for Europe and Central Asia evidences this. (Migration and Brain Drain. World Bank Europe and Central Asia Economic Update).</div>
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The report examines migration trends and gives an idea of both countries of destination and countries of origin. The report also indicates concern about the "brain drain" of skilled labor from countries of origin, as people with higher levels of education are more likely to migrate throughout the region.</div>
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"Statistics show that 55% of people with higher education from Bosnia and Herzegovina live abroad, and this figure is more than 40% for the educated population of Armenia and Latvia, and almost 40% for Albania, Moldova, Northern Macedonia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Romania and Tajikistan, "the report says, while pointing out that these are more likely symptoms of the problem, rather than their cause.</div>
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However, the reporting experts are convinced that improving governance and strengthening institutions in countries of origin is a long-term policy that can address the root causes of continued emigration. World Bank experts believe that promoting the private sector and stimulating job creation, investing in higher education and empowering women in the economy will eliminate the causes of the outflow of the population, especially the highly skilled. </div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui" , "segoe ui web (west european)" , "segoe ui" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , sans-serif;">8 October, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>First Smart Bus Stop in Armenia launched in the city of Etchmiadzin</b></div>
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On the occasion of the 2704th anniversary of the city of Etchmiadzin (Vagharshapat), the first and still only one Smart Bus Stop was put into operation in Armenia.</div>
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The ceremony was attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, several members of Cabinet, Mayor of Etchmiadzin Diana Gasparyan, Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, LSG representatives, MPs, other guests.</div>
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The Smart Bus Stop has been launched by the initiative of the Etchmiadzin Municipality and the Smart Bus Stop LLC.</div>
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The Smart Bus Stop has been built in accordance with the new bus network and appearance of the city.</div>
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The installation of the bus stop aims at ensuring the comfortable travel of the locals, making the waiting time enjoyable and efficient.</div>
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With the special screens of this multi-functional bus stop the citizens can be informed about the number of the route, the time of its approach, etc.</div>
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In addition, the Smart Bus Stop also includes information interesting to tourists, such as where to go, what to see, where to eat. It also has a free Wi-Fi, USB outlets, ATM, etc.</div>
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It’s an indoor bus stop equipped with air conditioning and heating systems. There are special bins in the bust stop for sorting the garbage. There is also a fire fighting system. Passenger transportation is controlled by cameras.</div>
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The Smart Bus Stop is the first of its kind in Armenia.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "segoe ui" , "segoe ui web (west european)" , "segoe ui" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , sans-serif;">October 08, 2019</span></b></div>
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<b>Russian Management Of Armenian Rail Network Under Review</b></div>
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The chief executive of the Russia Railways (RZD) company managing Armenia’s railway network met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday to discuss the uncertain future of its operations in the country.</div>
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RZD runs the network called South Caucasus Railway (SRC) in line with a 30-year management contract signed with the former Armenian government in 2007. The deal committed it to investing $230 million in Armenia during the first five years of operations and another $240 million in the following years. The </div>
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state-run company, which operates Russia’s vast network of railways, claims to have honored those commitments.</div>
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Law-enforcement officials raided the SRC offices in Yerevan and confiscated many documents kept there in August 2018 three months after a dramatic change </div>
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of Armenia’s government. They subsequently launched criminal proceedings against the company, saying that it is suspected of large-scale fraud.</div>
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RZD and SCR denied any wrongdoing. None of their executives in Armenia are understood to have been charged to date.</div>
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Russia’s Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Tokarev warned last month that RZD is considering unilaterally scrapping the 2007 contract because the continuing investigation prevents it from “operating normally” in Armenia. “Our arguments about compliance with the terms of the contract are ignored,” Russian media quoted him as saying.</div>
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Earlier in September, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian defended the probe and said the Armenian government is “actively” discussing the matter with the Russian side.</div>
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Pashinian’s office reported few details of his meeting with RZD’s visiting chief executive, Oleg Belozerov. It said vaguely that they discussed “prospects for making investments and implementing concrete projects in the future.”</div>
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RZD did not immediately issue statements on Belozerov’s talks with Pashinian.</div>
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<b>Tech Crunch</b></div>
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<b>Oct 7 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia and the technology of diaspora</b></div>
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<b>Jon Evans</b></div>
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It’s a tough world out there for small countries. Technology is the future, everyone knows that; but how do you claim your share of that future when you’re competing with America, China, the EU, and India?</div>
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How do you build a thriving ecosystem of tech wealth and tech education — successful international businesses whose alumni found and invest in burgeoning startups — when you face the triple threats of a small population, limited capital, and a potential brain drain? Even nations as wealthy and successful as my homeland Canada often struggle with this.</div>
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So imagine what it’s like for, say, Armenia, from which I write, a former Soviet republic turned tiny nation of three million, sandwiched between unfriendly neighbors in the Caucasus Mountains. I’m here because the Armenian government is, at obvious expense, hosting one of the world’s seemingly countless / endless Major Tech Conferences, this time the World Congress of Information Technology, presumably in the hopes of garnering international attention for — and investment in — Armenia’s tech sector.</div>
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This may seem quixotic. Armenia styles itself as “the Silicon Valley of the former Soviet Union,” and its tech sector is successful enough to have played a prominent role in last year’s ‘velvet revolution.’ But it’s still a country of three million in a relatively obscure corner of the world. However, Armenia has a fascinating secret weapon — its diaspora.</div>
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Thanks to their homeland’s troubled 20th-century history, many more Armenians live scattered around the world than in Armenia proper, including, most famously, hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles. It is “one of the largest and most sophisticated diasporas in the world.” Obviously there’s cultural drift — but at the same time, I’m repeatedly assured it’s a rare Armenian who doesn’t have a distant friend or relative in L.A. and/or Moscow.</div>
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The effects of this unusually large and loose-knit diasporal web are significant. It leads, sometimes directly, often indirectly, to American clients, German universities, and Russian partners; to international connections to venture capitalists and startup</div>
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incubators; to brain gain as well as drain.<b> It means Armenia isn’t just a landlocked nation of three million, but the beating cultural heart of ten million, inadvertently strategically scattered across the globe. That’s a far, far stronger position.</b></div>
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I’ve argued before that as technology shortens and tightens the bonds between distributed communities, they’ll grow more significant, culturally, financially, and eventually politically. (And of course tech also makes entire sub-industries even possible;</div>
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one of WCIT’s sponsors here is a slick and fast-growing crowdfunding marketing company, not exactly a traditional strength of the former Soviet bloc.) The Armenian diaspora is almost a natural experiment testing this theory.</div>
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This natural experiment will test whether this secret weapon will help Armenia continue to punch further and further above its weight in technology, tourism, and other diaspora-enhanced fields. If that happens, and I expect it to, it will be especially interesting</div>
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to see which other distributed communities follow in its wake … and whether those will be affiliated with any nation-state at all.</div>
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<b>Turkey Purge</b></div>
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<b>Oct 8 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian human right activist detained in house raid: report</b></div>
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Arlet Natali AVAZYAN, an Armenian-origin Turkish human rights activist, was detained following a police raid on her house on Tuesday.</div>
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According to a Twitter account, police teams searched Avazyan’s house and then took her to the Anatolia Courthouse in İstanbul’s Kartal district.</div>
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Avazyan yesterday tweeted that she had been summoned by Turkish police to testify in a case filed against her for alleged terrorism links.</div>
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“I was just called by the law enforcement agency. I was called to testify due to my tweets. If I am not checked in an hospital by my doctor tomorrow, I will go to the police to give a testimony. Until 864 imprisoned babies are set free, I will continue my tweets,” Avazyan tweeted.</div>
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Avazyan is known in Turkey with her tweets that are in critical of the Turkish government.</div>
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In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, more than 17,000 women from all walks of life including teachers, doctors and housewives have been jailed in Turkey on coup charges in government-led operations. There are currently more than 800 children accompanying their mothers in Turkish jails.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Global IT Forum Starts In Armenia</b></div>
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<b>October 07, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Emil Danielyan</b></div>
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More than 2,000 technology professionals, business executives and government officials from around the world are taking part in the latest World Congress on </div>
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Information Technology (WCIT) that began its work in Yerevan on Monday.</div>
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The three-day forum is held under the aegis of World Information Technology and Services Alliance, a global consortium of national IT associations. It will </div>
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feature more than a dozen keynote speakers and over 80 prominent panelists.</div>
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The participants include senior executives of tech giants like Google, Siemens and Ericsson as well as Armenian-American celebrities such as reality TV star </div>
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Kim Kardashian, the Reddit social media platform’s co-founder Alexis Ohanian and rock musician Serj Tankian.</div>
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Kardashian arrived in Yerevan early on Monday together with her children and sister Kourtney. Organizers have said that she will speak, both as a “special keynote speaker” and panelist, about “how decentralized technologies have democratized the worlds of entertainment, media, and journalism.”</div>
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Armenia is using the WCIT conference to promote its burgeoning IT industry that employs some 15,000 engineers and generates more than 6 percent of the </div>
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country’s Gross Domestic Product.</div>
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian touted the industry’s achievements and tax breaks granted to it by the current and former Armenian governments in his </div>
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speech at the opening session of the conference. “<b>As a result, the IT sector grew nearly fivefold over the past seven years, boasting a sustained 20-25 </b></div>
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<b>percent annual growth,</b>” he said.</div>
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“Hosting such a major event is a great honor and pleasure for us, because it is a great opportunity to talk to you and to the international community about our strategy to make Armenia a high-tech country,” declared Pashinian.</div>
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“I hope that this truly memorable event will change a lot in the technology world’s relations with the Republic of Armenia,” he added.</div>
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The Armenian tech sector is dominated by local subsidiaries of U.S. corporations as well as a growing number of homegrown firms. Some of them, notably the U.S. software giant VMware, are among the sponsors of the 2019 WCIT.</div>
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VMware’s chief operating officer, Rajiv Ramaswami, met with Pashinian later in the day. He noted that the number of IT engineers working at his company’s </div>
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Armenian branch has increased more than tenfold, to 200, since it was opened in 2010.</div>
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“We are very happy to invest in human talent which is available in Armenia,” Pashinian’s press office quoted Ramaswami as saying. “We have only one request </div>
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to you: please increase human talent, invest in technology education.”</div>
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A shortage of skilled personnel is widely seen as the main challenge facing the local IT sector. Industry executives have long complained about the inadequate quality of education at IT departments of Armenian universities. Many of their students require additional training after graduation.</div>
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In a bid to alleviate the problem, an Armenian organizer of the WCIT, the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), has opened over the past decade over 284 engineering labs in schools across the country. They offer schoolchildren </div>
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extracurricular robotics and computer programming courses mostly financed by the government. The Armenian Education Ministry announced last week a sharp rise in government funding for the UATE which will be used for doubling the number of those labs by the end of this year.</div>
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<b>The Daily Mail, UK</b></div>
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<b>Oct 8 2019</b></div>
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<b>Kim Kardashian reveals she's 'excited' to open Skims factory in Armenia... after being criticized for making products in Turkey</b></div>
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Kim, 38, is of Armenian heritage through her late father Robert Kardashian</div>
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She's proud of her Armenian heritage.</div>
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And now Kim Kardashian has announced she hopes to move production of her Skims range to the country, in an attempt to bring more business to the Eurasian country, which borders Iran and Turkey.</div>
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The reality star, who is currently visiting Armenia with her children and sister Kourtney, revealed in a Reuters interview: 'I'm really excited because tonight I have a meeting to talk about future investments and how to open up a factory here and how to really bring business to Armenia.'</div>
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The move comes after Kim was criticized for selling products made in Turkey. During and after the First World War, Turks engaged in ethnic cleansing of Armenians during attempts to establish a nationalist Turkish state from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. </div>
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Kim herself has called for the U.S. government to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, as it is widely known.</div>
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Kim said she was not involved in the decision to manufacture products in Turkey, explaining: 'I actually wasn't really a part of production at the beginning.'</div>
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She explained she was presented with 'tons of samples from many different factories and I picked quality. I didn't ask like 'Well where's each one made?' and no one thought to tell me until after production.'</div>
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During this week's trip to Armenia, Kim had her three youngest children baptised.</div>
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Saint, three, Chicago, 20 months, and four-month-old Psalm were welcomed into the Christian faith at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Vagharshapat on Monday.</div>
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Video footage posted on Kim's Instagram Story showed the family, including her eldest daughter North, six, walking to the ceremony, with the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star carrying her youngest child.</div>
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Kim's husband, the children's father Kanye West, has not joined them on the trip.</div>
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Kim - whose paternal ancestors were Armenian - was very excited to be in the country.</div>
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She tweeted on Sunday: 'Almost 3 am in Armenia and I can't sleep I'm so excited to be here and see everyone!'</div>
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Last month, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star tweeted: 'I will be visiting Armenia in the next 2 weeks and hope to seek ways I can help increase trade and hopefully create jobs for Armenians which includes @skims production there in the future.</div>
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'As a brand, we believe in embracing all people and as an individual I have been working towards broader goals in hopes of bringing forward the recognition of the Armenian genocide which I remain very passionate about. @ANCA_DC.'</div>
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Kim's late father, O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Kardashian, was born to Armenian-American parents and his great-grandparents were ethnic Armenian immigrants. </div>
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Back in April 2011, Kim had expressed anger after her image appeared on the front cover of Turkish Cosmopolitan the same month that commemorates Genocide Remembrance Day. </div>
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'Cosmopolitan Magazine has a number of international editions all around the world that run in various territories, and when I did this shoot for the international covers I had no idea that Turkey was planning to run my story on their cover THIS month, considering Genocide Remembrance Day is this month,' she said in a statement at the time. </div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-42477473587165868372019-10-11T10:47:00.002+00:002019-10-11T10:47:15.835+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 9 editorials <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 27 2019</b></div>
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<b>Artsakh official: Azerbaijan suffered two losses during attempted subversive attack</b></div>
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Another Azerbaijani serviceman was seriously wounded during a failed incursion on the Artsakh frontline positions on Sunday, September 22, Artsakh presidential advisor Tigran Abrahamyan wrote on Facebook.</div>
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In an official statement the Artsakh Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani subversive group left behind one body in the no-man’s land after being repelled by the Artsakh frontline troops.</div>
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“The Defense Army suffered no losses,” the ministry noted, adding that some episodes of the attack were caught on the surveillance cameras.</div>
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Artsakh returned the body of the killed saboteur to Azerbaijan on 24 September.</div>
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Abrahamyan said the wounded Azerbaijani soldier somehow managed to throw themselves back into their trenches and apparently succumbed to his wounds later.</div>
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“Our servicemen who witnessed the incident also confirmed this,” he said.</div>
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The advisor cited Facebook user Alen Ghulyan, who found and shared a video from the funeral ceremony of the soldier killed on the same day and in the same direction. He also posted photos of the Azerbaijani saboteur, which obviously show that he was not a conscript.</div>
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The second saboteur was identified as Qürbət Qürbət oğlu Quliyev. </div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 27 2019</b></div>
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<b>China Ambassador: More than 10,000 Chinese expected to visit Armenia this year </b></div>
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The friendly bilateral and cooperative ties between China and Armenia are growing healthily and sustainably, and over the past years, Chinese-Armenian relations have entered a new stage of rapid development through the Belt and Road Initiative. This is what Ambassador of China to Armenia Tian Erlong told journalists today.</div>
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“The trade and economic cooperation is growing sustainably, and the sectors of cooperation are expanding. Since 2009, China has been Armenia’s second major partner in trade, and the amount of the Chinese-Armenian trade turnover comprises nearly 10% of Armenia’s total foreign trade,” he said.</div>
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The Ambassador also attached importance to cooperation in the humanitarian, educational and cultural sectors and fully hopes that the free visa regime is established between the two countries soon, adding that this will provide the opportunity to enhance tourism as well. “Whereas 2-3,000 Chinese citizens visited Armenia in 2015, this year, more than 10,000 Chinese citizens are expected to visit the country,” he said.</div>
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The construction of a new Chinese embassy in Yerevan is conditioned by the expanding cooperation between the two countries and, according to Tian Erlong, even though the current building is suitable, it is small since there are more than 50 employees.</div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 27 2019</b></div>
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<b>SOS Amulsar Initiative Indicates Uranium Reserves Available</b></div>
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The SOS Amulsar initiative posted a photograph on its Facebook page, which indicates the presence of large reserves of uranium at the Amulsar gold deposit. So, according to the record, the letter U of the yellow device indicates the presence of uranium in the measured material. The number "245" indicated opposite it indicates the density of uranium in one ton, in grams. Meanwhile, the norm should be 4 ", - noted in the record.</div>
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Earlier, ArmInfo, referring to the work of the famous Armenian scientist Petros Aloyan "Uranium bearing of geological formations in Armenia" noted that the Amulsar occurrence of uranium is located 4 km southeast of the village of Ketchut and 5 km northwest of the top of the mountain of the same name. Approximately 76 tons of uranium were calculated for five sections of the Amulsar manifestation, and taking into account uranium in the thorium section, its total reserves can be estimated at 100 tons. Moreover, according to the studies of another scientist, Professor G. Avagyan, according to 40 samples of Amulsar ore, there are 195 tons of uranium and thorium there. Meanwhile, the development of uranium deposits requires special permission from the government, which Lidian does not have.</div>
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According to the company, the deposit contains about 73733 kg of gold with an average grade of 0.78 g per ton, as well as 294.367 tons of silver with an average grade of 9.29 g per ton. At the same time, not a word about uranium itself. Lydian Armenia, which implements the construction of the field, is a subsidiary of British Lydian International. The total cost of the Amulsar project is $ 370 million. The field's life will be 10 years and 4 months, with an average of 200 thousand ounces of gold being mined annually. Amulsar field is the second largest reserves in Armenia. </div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 27 2019</b></div>
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<b>French courts annulled two more friendship agreements between administrative units of France and Artsakh</b></div>
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The court of the French city of Lyon canceled the friendship agreements between the French cities of Decines-Charpieu, Saint-Etienne and the Karabakh Shushi and Martuni districts, signed on September 25, 2017 and October 21, 2018.</div>
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According to the justification of the court, these agreements contradict Article 73 of the French Constitution, which regulates the code of territorial units of the country and other laws of France. To note, the French courts have already canceled 9 such agreements signed between the cities of France and the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh. <b>The agreements were canceled due to the efforts of Azerbaijan.</b> </div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 28 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian church commemorates St. Gevorg the Captain, Adoktos and Romanos the Singer</b></div>
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The Armenian Apostolic Church marks today the commemoration of St. Gevorg the Captain (St. George the Warrior). As qahana.am reports, he was born in a pious Christian family. Becoming a soldier of the Roman Army in a short period he deserves the honor of becoming Captain thanks to his courage and devotion. During the council convened by the Roman Emperor Dioklethianos he opposes to his plans on Christians’ execution, and thus the fact that he is Christian, is revealed. The King, becoming surprised and astonished, orders to imprison the Captain and subjects him to severe torments. Many people, among them the Queen Alexandria, become Christians thanks to the preaching of St. George.</div>
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After the King’s repeated requests St. Gevorg finally agrees to offer sacrifice to the idols. However, reaching the heathen church he breaks all idols one by one. For this act the King orders to behead St. Gevorg and he is martyred in about 303 A. D.</div>
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St. Romanos the Singer (the Melodist) is considered to be the author and creator of the church hymns’ canons. He has served as a deacon in the Church of St. Sophia, of Constantinople. Many people have mocked at him for his being unable to sing and read well. Once St. Mary appears to him in his dream and giving him a paper roll, orders to eat it. After the dream Romanos is granted the virtue to create and sing church hymns and songs. St. Romanos passes away in 556 A. D.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Luxury Hotel ‘Donated’ To Armenian Government</b></div>
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<b>September 26, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Naira Nalbandian</b></div>
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The Armenian government completed on Thursday the nationalization of a luxury hotel handed over to it by a former senior official facing a corruption investigation.</div>
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The Golden Palace hotel located in the resort town of Tsaghkadzor has until now belonged to Armen Avetisian, a former chief of the Armenian customs service, and his family. They offered to donate it to the state last November after the National Security Service (NSS) moved to prosecute Avetisian for illegal entrepreneurship and money laundering.</div>
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The NSS claimed in October 2018 that Avetisian financed the construction of a similar five-star hotel in Yerevan when he headed the State Customs Committee (SCC) from 2001-2008. The financing was carried out through an obscure company registered in Cyprus and falsely presented as foreign investment, it said.</div>
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It remains unclear whether Avetisian was formally charged afterwards.</div>
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In February this year, the then NSS director, Artur Vanetsian, said that the Tsaghkadzor hotel’s transfer to the state is “in progress.”</div>
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The government completed that process at a weekly meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian. The latter said that the government should decide before the end of this year what to do with the presently disused </div>
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Armenia’s State Property Management Committee estimates the hotel’s market value at around $16.5 million. The head of the government agency, Narek Babayan, said some investors have already offered to buy it at a higher price.</div>
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“But I believe that an auction would be the best option in case of a sale [of the hotel,]” Babayan told reporters after the cabinet meeting.</div>
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The NSS launched the investigation into Avetisian shortly Vanetsian alleged that former President Robert Kocharian and his family accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets when he ruled Armenia from 1998-2008.</div>
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Kocharian dismissed the allegations, challenging law-enforcement authorities to prove them. In an August 2018 interview, he also insisted that Avetisian did not make a huge personal fortune while in office.</div>
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The former customs chief faced corruption allegations by opposition figures and media throughout his tenure.</div>
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Panorama, Armenia</div>
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Sept 27 2019</div>
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Kim Kardashian reveals ‘big plans’ for Armenia</div>
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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West has said that she has ‘big plans’ for Armenia and hopes her upcoming visit to the country will bring some ‘amazing news’.</div>
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“I’ve been working extremely hard on this matter and hope my trip to Armenia will bring some amazing news because I have big plans!” she tweeted.</div>
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“I will be visiting Armenia in the next two weeks and hope to seek ways I can help increase trade and hopefully create jobs for Armenians which includes @skims production there in the future,” Kardashian said in another tweet.</div>
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The TV star’s comments came after the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) expressed concerns over the fact that her SKIMS shapewear are <b>made in Turkey.</b></div>
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“We consulted with experts and searched globally for the best in class options, some which was found in Turkey,” she explained in a separate tweet.</div>
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ANCA also thanked Kardashian for her contribution to the Armenian Genocide recognition. </div>
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Kim Kardashian will be a keynote speaker at the WCIT 2019 to be held in Yerevan on 6-9 October.</div>
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<b><a href="http://eurasianet.org/">EurasiaNet.org</a></b></div>
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<b>Sept 27 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia photo essay | The last villagers of Bardzrashen</b></div>
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<b>Uprooted by the Soviets, they returned to their farms after the collapse. Now climate change is driving them back to the city. </b></div>
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<b>Winslow Martin, Herman Avakian , Vladimir Dubrovsky </b></div>
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Vladimir Dubrovsky</div>
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Residents of Bardzrashen didn’t have a choice in 1980 when Soviet authorities decided they must be moved. It was too hard to reach the mountain village in northwest Armenia, the authorities declared. For several months each winter, snow blocked the road. Besides, the nearby towns where they would be settled needed laborers. </div>
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Down the mountain Bardzrashen’s 80 families were brought to the town of Isahakyan, on the Turkish border, where they were given apartments and instructed to work on a collective farm. </div>
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Then the Soviet empire collapsed. Earthquake. War. Blackouts. Closure of the Turkish border. Poverty. And no more collective farm.</div>
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It didn’t take long for the former villagers to realize the lack of heat and running water made apartment life undesirable. About 40 families returned to deserted Bardzrashen and began to restore their farmsteads, to start village life anew. A school opened. Residents got their water from melting snows. </div>
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And then the snows stopped. The past two winters have been dry. Without water, life is impossible in these arid hills. People are, once again, leaving. The school closed seven years ago. There are maybe five families left.</div>
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Armenian photographer Herman Avakian began documenting life in Bardzrashen, which is also known as Babrlu, in 2002. Later he introduced photographers Winslow Martin, an American, and Vladimir Dubrovsky, a Russian, to the villagers. </div>
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A few months ago, one resident, Yeghish Simonyan, asked Avakian to photograph him one last time. He plans to leave before winter. “I cannot bear it anymore,” Simonyan told Avakian. “There is no life without water.” </div>
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Consulting with the villagers, Avakian organized a charity exhibit of the three photographers’ work. It opened earlier this month at a gallery in Gyumri and hopes to raise money for a pipe system to bring water 6 kilometers up the mountain to Bardzrashen. The cost: about $12,000.</div>
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The governor of Shirak Province, Tigran Petrosyan, attended the exhibition opening and later visited the village. </div>
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Winslow Martin is a photographer based in Arlington, Massachusetts. Herman Avakian is based in Yerevan. Vladimir Dubrovsky is a Russian photographer.</div>
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See photographs by clicking on:</div>
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<i><a href="https://eurasianet.org/armenia-photo-essay-the-last-villagers-of-bardzrashen">https://eurasianet.org/armenia-photo-essay-the-last-villagers-of-bardzrashen</a></i></div>
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<b>Harper's Wine and Spirit Trade Review, UK</b></div>
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<b>Sept 27 2019</b></div>
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<b>Hallgarten lists first Georgian and Armenian wines</b></div>
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<b>By Mathew Lyons</b></div>
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Importer Hallgarten & Novum Wines has added two new wineries to its portfolio from Armenia and Georgia, the first time it has listed wines from those countries.</div>
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Founded in 1957, Vachnadziani is Georgia’s largest wine producer and is based in the country’s Kakheti and lmereti regions. Hallgarten is listing seven single-varietal wines made from five indigenous local grape varieties: Rkatsitelli, Krakhuna, Mtsvane, Saperavi and Otskhanuri Sapere. Two of the wines have been fermented in traditional Georgian qvevri earthenware amphorae.</div>
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The ArmAs winery in Armenia is an 180 ha estate situated in Aragatsotn on the 45th parallel close to Mount Ararat. Its vines are planted at between 700 and 1,900 metres above sea-level in volcanic, limestone and clay soils. Hallgarten has added four of its wines, two from the Voskahat grape and two from the Karmrahyut grape.</div>
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Steve Daniel, head of buying at Hallgarten & Novum Wines said: “The wines from Armenia and Georgia have always fascinated me and I am thrilled to be able to introduce wines from two countries that have so much history.</div>
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“Each of the producers we have introduced utilise the country’s indigenous grape varieties, their unique terroir and a combination of modern and ancient winemaking techniques that result in wines of epic proportion.”</div>
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Hallgarten is also adding a single wine from Greece’s boutique Akriotou winery located in the Sterea Ellada region of Central Greece. The Orivatis, which translates as ’Mountaineer’, is a Savatiano made from 45-year-old vines grown at between 280 and 380 metres above sea level.</div>
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Daniel said: “I have found what I believe to a missing link in our Greek portfolio. In 2015, Vassiliki Akriotou created her first range of Akriotou wines at a micro-winery in the heart of Greece and now we have the sublime Savatiano, made from 45-year-old vines, in our portfolio.”</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-88425049672459753432019-10-11T10:45:00.001+00:002019-10-11T10:45:21.139+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 9 editorials<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>BIAnet, Turkey</b></div>
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<b>Sept 24 2019</b></div>
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<b>New Obligations for Patriarch Candidates 'Attempt to Usurp Right to be Elected'</b></div>
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Ahead of the election of the 85th Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, the Ministry of Interior laid the condition that the patriarch candidates must be from Turkey. HDP MP Paylan has said, "This is an attempt to usurp the right to be elected."</div>
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The Ministry of the Interior has issued a directive to the Patriarchate and the Enterprising Council who prepare to elect the 85th Patriarch, stipulating the condition of "being part of the class of bishops of the Armenian Patriarchate of İstanbul" to be elected.</div>
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The Enterprising Council will hold a meeting tomorrow (September 25) to evaluate the order of the ministry. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Garo Paylan has spoken to bianet on the decision, saying that "what is done in this state cannot be called an election."</div>
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Paylan indicated that the have been many patriarch elections in Turkey and all of them were attended by Armenian clerics from around the world.</div>
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"Apart from Armenians in Turkey, there are many clerics from Sivas, Malatya, Adana, İstanbul and all of these candidates were able to participate in all elections, they had the right to be elected."</div>
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Only three candidates meet the requirements</div>
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"Now, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Turkey, a directive by the Ministry of Interior brings a new restriction to the election of the Patriarch.</div>
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"They say, 'You will choose among Armenians in Turkey.' We have only three high cleric candidates who meet these requirements.</div>
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"This directive is an attempt to usurp the right of natural candidates to be elected and we never accept it.</div>
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<b>"It cannot be called an election in this state."</b></div>
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"The Armenian Patriarchate has the right to appeal the decision. In fact, when Mesrob Mutafyan was being elected 20 years ago there was a similar attempt but the enterprising committee of the time objected to the decision and the situation was corrected.</div>
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"Now the same objection must be made and this restriction must be removed by the ministry officials. Otherwise, it cannot be called an election.</div>
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"The climate of fear affects minorities"</div>
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"I will talk about this matter in parliament, as well as initiatives by talking to government officials," he said, adding that he will submit a parliamentary question tomorrow.</div>
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"But it is important that the Armenian society and all political parties, all democrats of Turkey to embrace the Armenian Patriarch ballot box.</div>
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<b>"The government creates a climate of fear, and especially minority peoples may be more affected by this climate.</b></div>
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"In this sense, the Armenian community should not be left alone against this usurpation of rights. We expect the support of the greater community on this issue. "</div>
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<b>The patriarch election crisis</b></div>
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Former Patriarch Mesrop Mutafyan had been suffering health problems since 2008. The government replaced him with Aram Ateshian in 2010 because Mutafyan was unconscious in the hospital and could not perform his duties.</div>
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While the patriarch's severe health problems remained stable for more than 9 years, an election decision was made in October 2016 at the request of the Armenian community. In March 2017, the Karekin Bekchiyan was elected the Governor of the Patriarchate to take the Patriarchate to the elections.</div>
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The Ministry of Interior did not respond to a petition for the elections that were sent in August 2017. Meanwhile, Atashian did not resign despite the beginning of the election process.</div>
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The Governorship of İstanbul announced that proceedings regarding the election of Bekchiyan are invalid and all the decisions taken by Bekchiyan will be declared invalid. It called Bekchiyan the "so-called governor of the Patriarchate.</div>
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İstanbul Governorship then canceled the election of the Patriarch. Karekin Bekchiyan, who received the approval of the majority of the Armenian community, said, "The dark campaigns have reached a very ugly extent. I am afraid that this attitude will further deteriorate and even corrupt our society." After the decision, Bekchiyan left Turkey.</div>
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Following the death of Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan on March 8, the process began to elect the new Patriarch.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 25 2019</b></div>
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<b>Netanyahu reminds Erdogan of ‘terrible slaughter of Armenian people’</b></div>
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reminded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the “the terrible slaughter of the Armenian people”.</div>
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Netanyahu called on Erdogan to “stop lying” after the Turkish leader accused Israel of occupying Palestinian territories while addressing the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.</div>
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"He who doesn't stop lying about Israel, slaughters the Kurds in his own country, and denies the terrible slaughter of the Armenian people – shouldn't preach to Israel. Erogan, stop lying,” the Israeli PM wrote on Twitter.</div>
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In his remarks at the UN session, the Turkish president said “today the Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation has become one of the most striking places of injustice.” He held up a map of Israel and Palestine to demonstrate Israel’s changing border from 1947 to today.</div>
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Earlier on Monday, Erdogan likened the Jewish state’s Gaza policies to the Nazi treatment of the Jews during a meeting with US Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, The Times of Israel reported, citing Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.</div>
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Erdogan said “we view the Holocaust in the same way we view those besieging Gaza and carrying out massacres in it.”</div>
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<b><a href="http://asbarez.com/">Asbarez.com</a></b></div>
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<b>25 Sep 2019</b></div>
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<b>Mnatsakanyan, Mammadyarov Meet in New York</b></div>
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Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov met Monday in New York, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, to continue their ongoing negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.</div>
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OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov of Russia, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in the meeting.</div>
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The sides discussed a wide range of issues related to the Karabakh peace process and assessed the current realities on the ground, with Mnatsakanyan emphasizing the need for strengthening the ceasefire and decreasing tensions along the border.</div>
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The need for comprehensive steps for developing an atmosphere of trust was also emphasized including through the implementation of previously reached agreements.</div>
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According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, Mnatsakanyan pressed for the return of an Armenian soldier who crossed the border—known as the line of contact—into Azerbaijan.</div>
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Mnatsakanyan also stressed that need for adhering to commitments that each side has made toward the resolution of the conflict and pointed to concrete steps that Armenia and Artsakh have taken to advance the process.</div>
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Ahead of the meeting with Mammadyarov, Mnatsakanyan met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b>24 September, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Two large mine fields cleared by Armenian de-miners in Syria</b></div>
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Two large mine fields comprising an area of 90,000 square meters near the Al Huseyna settlement in Aleppo have been cleared by Armenian de-miners.</div>
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An official ceremony took place on September 24th where Ruben Arakelyan, the head of the Armenian Center for Humanitarian De-mining and Expertise, handed over mission complete certificates to Mohamed Kumait Assi El Sheikh, Member of the executive office</div>
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in Aleppo Governorate for Aleppo City Council. The event was preceded by a joint terrain inspection.</div>
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The certificates are certifying that the number 1 and number 2 hazardous areas are cleared and inspected, safe and fit for use.</div>
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During the de-mining operation the specialists discovered more than 50 explosive remnants of war from the area, the team’s spokesperson Nazeli Elbakyan reported from Syria.</div>
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The Syrian side expressed gratitude to the Armenian side for the support and noted that “this is a historic day which once again reiterates the centuries-old friendship between two peoples.”</div>
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Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan</div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 25 2019</b></div>
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<b>Nikol Pashinyan on Amulsar program: We need to use our resources for Armenia`s full development </b></div>
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers it improper to demonize the mining industry. He stated this at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community of New York, answering the question why the new government does not consider revising the legislation in this area so as not to face possible blackmail of mining investors in the future.</div>
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According to Pashinyan, the Armenian government must be completely honest, both with the Armenian and international public. As the prime minister pointed out, the new government inherited the problem from the previous one, and its solution in one way or another can affect the rating of modern Armenia. "We should go into the details of the problem to the utmost to find the solution based on facts and risk studies is," he noted.</div>
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As the head of the Armenian cabinet indicated, whether it is good or bad, but the fact is that at the moment the Armenian government has no reason to ban the operation of the Amulsar mine. Perhaps such a basis will appear tomorrow, in a month, but it is possible that it will not. "Today's United States was created on the basis of the mining industry. One should not be afraid of it as well as the technology sector. It's another matter if we can provide a way in the modern world to operate mines that will not cause at least tangible substantial harm to life and human health. Any manifestation of civilization can be risky from an environmental point of view, "said Nikol Pashinyan, urging to get rid of such phobias. "My position is as follows - we must use our resources for the full development of Armenia," the head of the Armenian government concluded.</div>
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To recall, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on September 9 live on Facebook said that at the moment there is no legal basis to prohibit the operation of the Amulsar mine. Nikol Pashinyan also officially called on the residents of Jermuk to unblock all roads leading to the Amulsar mine. Meanwhile, on August 19, experts at Earthlink & Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) said during a video conference that the Lydian source data was not complete and, in general, the EIAof 2016was insufficient to guarantee the environmentally sound operation of the mine.</div>
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As Pashinyan assured, the Lydian leadership committed themselves to 100% safe operation. In addition, he said that he ordered the inspection body to study the project in detail, and the criminal case in the Investigative Committee (under Art. Concealment or intentional misrepresentation of information on environmental pollution), previously entrusted to Yura Ivanyan, a relative of the former Minister of Nature Protection Aramais Grigoryan, who approved the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Amulsar development, has been transferred to the deputy head of the Investigative Committee Arsen Ayvazyan. "A new investigation team will be formed, which will consider the facts, give answers to questions in the framework of the criminal case," Pashinyan said.</div>
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In response, environmentalists, activists and residents of the resort town of Jermuk said they were not going to unblock the roads leading to the Amulsar field. "We do not understand the position of the prime minister, who agreed to open the mine solely on Lydian's" honest word "about its 100% safe operation," said Jermuk residents, stressing that they would negotiate exclusively around the closure of the mine. </div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 25 2019</b></div>
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<b>Pashinyan called on men from the American Diaspora to marry Armenian girls</b></div>
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"If your business is going very well, be sure to buy an apartment in Yerevan, if not very - in one of the regions of Armenia," said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community in New York calling on Armenians living in the USA.</div>
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Nikol Pashinyan called on Diaspora representatives to spend at least a month in Armenia and apply for RA citizenship for at least a month. "And if funds allow, be sure to open a business in Armenia. These actions can become a small bridge connecting the Armenian with Armenia. And most importantly, to marry Armenian girls. Of course, emotional connection is the most powerful, but it's good to physically back it up," joked the head of the Armenian government.</div>
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<b>Arminfo, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 24 2019</b></div>
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<b>In 2020, measures to improve demography will be introduced in Armenia: Avinyan announces new programs to stimulate fertility and assist young families</b></div>
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Starting in 2020, the Armenian government will start implementing new programs to stimulate the birth rate, as well as to promote young families and families with children. This, according to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, he said at a meeting of the Council on improving the demographic situation.</div>
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"The government is decisive in improving the demographic situation in the country, so based on the results of discussions at the last meeting, we can fix that in 2020 we will start new programs to stimulate the birth rate, as well as to help young families and families with children," he said.</div>
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Thus, according to Avinyan, since 2020:</div>
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1. The lump-sum allowance for the birth of the first child will be increased 6-fold from 50 thousand drams to 300 thousand drams. </div>
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2. The size of the one-time allowance for the birth of a second child will be doubled - from 150 thousand drams to 300 thousand drams. </div>
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3. The monthly allowance for working mothers will be increased by about 41% - from 18 thousand drams to 25 thousand drams. </div>
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4. A new type of childcare allowance will be introduced in rural areas: until the child is two years old, mothers will be paid 25.5 thousand drams a month.</div>
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5. Work will be carried out to phase out such a vicious phenomenon as the "wait list to kindergartens." In preschool and school institutions, work will be carried out to expand the services of extended care and training, in particular, care will be organized according to the principle of co-financing from 08:30am to 7:00pm. As a result, the working parent should be able to organize the care of the child in preschool or school institutions located near the place of residence or work. </div>
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6. Since 2020, ambitious programs will be launched, under which the state will provide both lump-sum cash assistance and prepaid insurance in the regions to purchase housing on a mortgage due to the birth of a child. The preliminary budget of the program will be approximately 500 million drams. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the amount will be more than enough as a start. In parallel, work will be carried out on targeted housing programs in the regions, and the Committee for Urban Planning is already doing this.</div>
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According to Tigran Avinyan, these programs are only the beginning, and from 2021 a new national ideology should be discussed. "That is, discussions should be held in advance, but from 2021 three children in a family should become the average norm for us. And all our programs should aim to ensure that from 2021 any average family in Armenia has the desire and opportunity to have at least three children, "he said.</div>
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To recall, on August 5, speaking at a rally in Stepanakert, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan named bringing the country's population to 5 million by 2050 among the global challenges facing the state.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 24 2019</b></div>
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<b>Turkish authorities introduce patrol to stop Armenian flag waving at Ani ruins</b></div>
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Kars Governor’s Office and the local branch of Turkish Gendarmerie have adopted a decision to introduce a 24-hour patrol at the site of Ani ruins. The decision is intended to prevent numerous Armenian tourist visiting the site from waving the flag of Armenia.</div>
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In an interview with the outlet, Goksel Gulbey, the head of anti-Armenian Turkish NGO called “Association Struggling against baseless Armenian lies” has welcomed the decision, arguing for years Armenians have visited Kars, Ani ruins, Aghtamar island Van, Mount Ararat and waved the national flags of Armenia and Karabakh.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Former Armenian Police Chief Found Shot Dead</b></div>
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<b>September 24, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Naira Bulghadarian</b></div>
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A former chief of the Armenian police, Hayk Harutiunian, has been found shot to </div>
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death in his home, law-enforcement authorities said on Tuesday.</div>
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Armenia’s Investigative Committee said Harutiunian had a gunshot wound to his </div>
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head when police officers discovered his body in his country house in Bjni, a </div>
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village 45 kilometers north of Yerevan, on Monday night. They also found a </div>
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pistol and a spent cartridge lying next to him, read a statement released by </div>
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the committee.</div>
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The statement added that the law-enforcement agency is conducting an </div>
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investigation into a suicide resulting from threats, humiliation or negligence. </div>
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Investigators have already questioned “witnesses” and established that </div>
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Harutiunian “consumed a considerable amount of alcohol” prior to his death, it </div>
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said.</div>
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Harutiunian ran the Armenian police from 1999-2008, during former President </div>
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Robert Kocharian’s rule. He headed two other security agencies after Kocharian </div>
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was succeeded by Serzh Sarkisian in April 2008. The 63-year-old had held no </div>
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state positions since being dismissed in 2014 as chief of a Justice Ministry </div>
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division managing Armenia’s prisons.</div>
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Harutiunian was a key witness in an ongoing investigation into the March 2008 </div>
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post-election violence in Yerevan, which left eight opposition protesters and </div>
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two police servicemen dead. Unlike Kocharian and several other former senior </div>
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officials, he was not arrested or indicted following last year’s “Velvet </div>
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Revolution” which toppled Sarkisian.</div>
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Citing anonymous sources, two Armenian news websites alleged that moments </div>
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before his death Harutiunian complained to another person that he is being </div>
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pressured by the authorities to give false incriminating testimony against </div>
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Kocharian and a retired senior police officer.</div>
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A spokeswoman for the Investigative Committee, Naira Harutiunian, dismissed </div>
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those claims as untrue. She said at the same time that investigators have </div>
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interrogated an unnamed person who “was with [Harutiunian] at the site of the </div>
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incident.” The latter assured them that the former police chief did not allege </div>
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any pressure exerted on him in connection with the 2008 unrest probe or any </div>
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other issue, Harutiunian wrote on Facebook.</div>
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In a separate post, Harutiunian announced that the Investigative Committee has </div>
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moved to question the authors of the two news reports about “circumstances of </div>
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the case subject to clarification.”</div>
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Meanwhile, residents of Bjni who knew Harutiunian personally expressed shock at </div>
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the news of his death. The mayor of the village where Harutiunian is understood </div>
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to have spent most of his time in recent years said he would never expect the </div>
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police general to commit suicide.</div>
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“I can’t imagine him doing that,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “He was </div>
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not a weak guy, he was a very tough guy.”</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-50637980233452208342019-10-11T10:43:00.000+00:002019-10-11T10:43:24.687+00:00Armenian News... A Topalian 7 editorials <div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Los Angeles Daily</b></div>
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<b>Sept 22 2019</b></div>
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<b>In first LA visit, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan addresses thousands of the diaspora community outside City Hall</b></div>
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<b>Pashinyan made his first visit Sunday to Los Angeles, the largest Armenian population center outside the Republic of Armenia.</b></div>
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<b>By Ariella Plachta</b></div>
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed some 10,000 people from the steps of City Hall on Sunday, Sept. 22, in a rally marking his first visit to Los Angeles, the largest Armenian population center outside the Republic of Armenia.</div>
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Pashinyan was appointed to his post after leading a wave of anti-government protests between March and May of 2018 that led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan — and has been widely hailed as a harbinger of democracy by championing free elections and government transparency.</div>
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“We have created a new image for Armenia,” said Pashinyan after lauding the warm California welcome in Armenian, the diaspora crowd chanting his name.</div>
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“We have developed a new slogan: It’s cool to be Armenian,” he said. “And together we have to make it even better, because the Armenian people is one of a great history and past. And our country has a bright future.”</div>
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Encino councilmember Paul Krekorian, who became the first Armenian elected to city office in 2010, played a leading role in organizing the rally. Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff also addressed the crowd, calling LA the “capitol of the Armenian diaspora.”</div>
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LA Mayor Eric Garcetti praised Pashinyan’s leadership, saying “A day of sunshine has come to Armenia, a day of openness, of democracy. The day has come to invest and support and help the new Armenia rise, and rise and rise under this prime minister.”</div>
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The bulk of attendees, clapping and dancing along to traditional music and dance performances on the steps of City Hall, came in predominately from such Armenian community population centers as Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley. Buses to downtown LA were made available to the communities.</div>
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While estimations of the Armenian population in Greater LA vary, the 2000 census reported over 150,000 Armenians in LA County with some 40,000 living in the San Fernando Valley.</div>
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“We’re here to honor and welcome him, for having led the revolution and cleaning up corruption,” said Hrair Koutnouyan of Glendale, who came to see Pashinyan with his wife. “A government that’s without stealing and cheating isn’t something that’s easily accepted, but he’s proving it can be done.”</div>
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Sisters Ani and Areni Dergrigorian say they’re optimistic about Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s leadership but want to hold him to account. Their signs demand an end to environmentally harmful mining in the Almusar region of Armenia. Photo: Ariella Plachta, SCNG</div>
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Some, like 24-year-old Ani Dergrigorian of Glendale, who has lived in Armenia, is “optimistic” about Pashinyan’s leadership but hopes to hold him to account on issues facing every day Armenians. She and her sister, Areni, brought signs that demanded an end to environmentally harmful mining practices in the nation’s Almusar region.</div>
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“Maybe we don’t feel the impacts as much here, but it’s more important than ever for us to be engaged in politics in Armenia,” she said. “We’re all facing climate change on the same planet. At the end of the day it impacts us too.”</div>
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Monterey Park doctor Jack Der-Sarkissian said he was moved by the “optimism and enthusiasm” in Armenia following the Pashinyan-led protests, what he and his supporters call the “Velvet Revolution.” He’s listening for proof that the leader will be the steward of democracy he said he would.</div>
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“A lot of people in Los Angeles will financially invest in their families and Armenia needs it,” he said. “At the end of the day he needs to convince people like myself that it’s the right time to invest in Armenia. He has a lot of work ahead of him.”</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Azeri Soldier Killed In Karabakh</b></div>
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<b>September 23, 2019</b></div>
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An Azerbaijani soldier was killed in Nagorno-Karabakh at the weekend in what </div>
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Karabakh’s Armenian-backed army described as a failed incursion on its </div>
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frontline positions.</div>
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A statement by the Defense Army said an Azerbaijani commando squad “left behind </div>
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one corpse in the no man’s land” after being repelled by its frontline troops </div>
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deployed southeast of Karabakh on Sunday afternoon.</div>
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“The Defense Army suffered no losses. Details of the incident are being </div>
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clarified,” the statement said, adding that the “sabotage incursion attempt” </div>
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was filmed by the army’s surveillance cameras installed along the </div>
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Armenian-Azerbaijani “line of contact” around Karabakh.</div>
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The Azerbaijani military on Monday confirmed a combat death within its ranks </div>
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but denied launching any commando raids.</div>
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According to the Trend news agency, the Defense Ministry in Baku said that an </div>
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Azerbaijani soldier, identified as Ramin Abdulrahmanov, was shot dead in front </div>
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of Karabakh Armenian positions after accidentally “losing his way.” The </div>
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ministry said it has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to help </div>
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recover his body.</div>
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The deadly incident occurred one day before a fresh meeting Armenia’s and </div>
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Azerbaijan’s foreign ministers due to be held in New York. The two ministers </div>
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most recently met in Washington on June 20 in the presence of the U.S., Russian </div>
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and French mediators co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry described that meeting as “positive.”</div>
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It was the most serious Azerbaijani incursion attempt reported by the Karabakh </div>
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army since five Azerbaijani soldiers were killed near Karabakh in February 2017 </div>
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in an overnight incident caught on Armenian surveillance cameras. Their bodies </div>
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lying in the no-man’s land were retrieved with the ICRC’s help.</div>
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Deadly ceasefire violations on the Karabakh frontlines and the </div>
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Armenian-Azerbaijani border have decreased significantly since Armenian Prime </div>
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Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met for the </div>
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first time in September 2018.</div>
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<b>JAM News</b></div>
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<b>Sept 21 2019</b></div>
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<b>Azerbaijan offers prisoner exchange, Armenia has its doubts</b></div>
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The discussion continues. Details about each side’s position. </div>
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Azerbaijan offered Armenia a four-prisoner exchange – two from each side. Armenia has not yet responded, but will most likely refuse. The main reason is because officials in Baku and Yerevan have different ideas about how these people became prisoners in the first place.</div>
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Azerbaijanis Dilgam Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev were sentenced to life imprisonment and 22 years in prison in Karabakh on charges of murder, espionage and abduction, and in Azerbaijan it is believed that they traveled to Armenian-controlled territory to visit the graves of their ancestors. </div>
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And on the other side, Karen Ghazaryan (sentenced to 20 years in prison in Azerbaijan) is considered a saboteur in Azerbaijan, but is called “mentally ill” in Armenia.</div>
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As for the young soldier Araik Ghazaryan, the Azerbaijani side says that he escaped from the military due to inhuman treatment, while Armenia believes that the guy just got lost.</div>
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The Armenian side has already rejected Baku’s offer to exchange prisoners and other detainees, saying they’ll only exchange on an “all for all” basis. </div>
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In addition, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced a few months ago that “there will be no exchange if the detained Azerbaijani individuals committed murder.” </div>
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The Armenian Minister of Defense, however, does not exclude the possibility of an exchange. On September 20, David Tonoyan commented on the exchange of citizens between Armenia and Azerbaijan:</div>
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“Yesterday I met with an Armenian Red Cross representative. They gave me Azerbaijan’s official offer for an exchange. I cannot disclose all of the details of our discussion now…when we receive new information from Azerbaijan, then we will respond…</div>
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In principle, we are not against returning Armenian citizens home and we will assist in this process. This is a purely humanitarian act,” said Tonoyan.</div>
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Press Secretary of the Armenian Prime Minister Vladimir Karapetyan announced:</div>
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“Given the delicate nature of the issue, we will publicly announce our position when we are closer to making decisions.”</div>
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Information from Baku</div>
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The Azerbaijani State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons once again cites the fact that Azerbaijan insists on an “all-for-all” exchange policy. Azerbaijan announced that it was prepared to exchange Dilgam Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev for Karen Kazaryan and Araik Kazaryan on September 11. In response to the Nikol Pashinyan’s statement about the impossibility of exchange, Coordinator of the Azerbaijan Information Center for the Exchange of Hostages and Prisoners of War Ahmed Shahidov said:</div>
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“In light of the current tense situation in the country, Pashinyan cannot make a final decision about prisoners and hostages. But despite this, the Azerbaijani side is adamant about its decision and does not intend to back down.”</div>
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Meanwhile, the European Court must decide on the case of Guliyev and Askerov within a year. The plaintiffs are relatives of the prisoners who complain that they are unable to contact the prisoners and that their relatives were unlawfully convicted, because if international law does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state, then the decisions of the court in Khankendi (Stepanakert) have no legal force.</div>
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Information from Stepanakert</div>
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Press secretary for the President of Nagorno-Karabakh David Babayan called Azerbaijan’s offer absurd, insisting that the Armenian prisoners did nothing wrong, while the Azerbaijani prisoners are criminals.</div>
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Stepanakert’s cautious response to the Azerbaijani proposal is explained by the fact that the “unequal” status of the citizens offered for exchange can lead to undesirable consequences:</div>
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“It’s possible that, in order to secure the return of terrorists, [Azerbaijanis] may start abducting Armenian hostages, including abroad. Preventing such possibilities requires even greater coordination among government agencies, organizations and partner countries,” said the press secretary for the President of Nagorno-Karabakh.</div>
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The armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh occurred in 1991-1994. Since the ceasefire, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has been a de facto independent republic, not recognized by any state in the world, including Armenia.</div>
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<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 23 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenian Armed Forces launch large-scale military exercises</b></div>
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In accordance with the 2019 preparation plan of the Armed Forces, large scale military exercises will launch on September 24 in the territory of Armenia entitled “The expansion of the Armed Forces: Combating the adversary’s aggression”. As the defense ministry reported in a press statement, representatives of state and local self-governmental bodies will be involved in the drills.</div>
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According to the source, the military exercises are aimed at practical inspection of the advancement of the Armed Forces and implementation of combat plans, the test of involved equipment and forces, exchange of practice among the representatives of state and self-governmental bodies to the command circles of the Armed Forces and military call-up resources. It also aims at synchronization of all units.</div>
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During the exercises, different units of the Armed Forces will exercises trainings in near-combat conditions with use of live fire. An information center will be launched at the ministry's administrative headquarters during the exercises, the source added.</div>
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<b>Armenpress.am</b></div>
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<b>‘Time to come back home’ – President Sarkissian calls on all Armenians to return to homeland</b></div>
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President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian handed over an award to carpenter Samvel Gasparyan during the award ceremony of the Hero Of Our Time in Gyumri’s Sev Berd on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the Independence of Armenia.</div>
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Before handing over the award, the President congratulated everyone on the pan-Armenian holiday – the Independence Day.</div>
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“I sincerely want to thank the Prime Minister firstly for this wonderful idea, its implementation and for the fact that today we all gathered here, in Gyumri to honor our heroes of today. Each of them is really a hero with his/her activity. They are different individuals, but each of them are true masters of their job. I also was happy to see that there were also repatriated persons among today’s heroes”, the President said.</div>
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In his remarks the President also called on all Armenians to return to the homeland. “It’s time to come back home”, he said.</div>
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The President noted that Gyumri and its resident are also the heroes of our time. “Losing half of his city, population, understanding that our people are in fight and it’s not his time, he bore his difficulty with dignity. Time has come, and I think, Mr. Prime Minister, today is the first day of the future of Gyumri and its resident, its new, free and creative life”, he said.</div>
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Today, the Third Republic of Armenia is celebrating its 28th anniversary of Independence.</div>
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Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 23 2019</b></div>
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<b>Stable economy necessary to bring Diaspora Armenians to homeland: political analyst</b></div>
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The incumbent authorities have not undertaken any step during the past one and a half year that will raise the desire of Diaspora Armenians to return to Armenia and settle here, political analyst Gagik Hambaryan told Aysor.am, referring to PM’s statement in Los Angeles that all the Armenians of the world must have RA passport.</div>
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“Such statements are like catching fish in dirty water. When the incumbent authorities undertake steps in that direction only that time we may say whether it will give results or not. As of now the statement of having RA passports is just an idea voiced by Nikol Pashinyan,” Hambaryan said, adding that he has not seen any step undertaken by either incumbent or previous authorities.</div>
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“It was in the program of the incumbent authorities. They should have done something in that direction during the past year and a half. Let’s see what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will do after returning from Los Angeles,” the political analyst said.</div>
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Gagik Hambaryan said to return the Diaspora Armenians to homeland it is necessary to ensure a few pre-conditions and first of all stable economy.</div>
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The political analyst also stressed the importance of granting them the same rights as all the other citizens of Armenia have.</div>
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<b>Sept 22 2019</b></div>
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<b>Hrant Dink memorial a rare effort in Turkey confronting its past - AW </b></div>
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A recently opened memorial site paying homage to Armenian-Turkish journalist and intellectual Hrant Dink was assassinated in 2007, is a rare effort in the country confronting its past and fighting hatred and bigotry, wrote Arab Weekly columnist Constanze Letsch on Saturday</div>
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Dink, the founder of Turkey’s Armenian bi-weekly Agos newspaper, was killed in Istanbul in front of his office on Jan. 19, 2007, in an attack that made international headlines. </div>
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The slain journalist was outspoken on the Armenian genocide and prosecuted three times for violating Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it a crime to insult Turkishness, the Turkish nation or Turkish institutions.</div>
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The “23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory,” is named after an article written by Dink in 1996 that alludes to his life-long struggle to conciliate Turkey and Armenia, the article said.</div>
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An artist and programme coordinator at the site, Sena Basoz, says the projects is unique in that it Turkey has a long history of sweeping trauma under the rug.</div>
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“One trauma immediately follows the next. Unfortunately, there is no culture of confronting the past and the things that have happened,” Basoz said</div>
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For programme coordinator Nayat Karakose, the project also serves the purpose of inspiring visitors to open similar sites at other places.</div>
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Efforts for similar projects in other parts of Turkey have failed, including one featuring the infamous prison in the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakır, which was effectively transformed into a centre for martial law for political prisoners following the Sept. 11, 1980 coup, the article recalled. </div>
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Neither is there a memorial site in the central Anatolian city of Sivas, where on July 2, 1993 a mob of Islamic fundamentalists burned a hotel where a convention was being held, killing 35 people, mainly intellectuals and artists from the Alevi faith.</div>
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The Hrant Dink Memorial site projects began in 2013 and experts visited 15 countries and similar projects in South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Poland, Germany, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States, among others. It is the result of hundreds of archived texts, audio and video recordings collected over the years.</div>
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The site takes visitors on a journey as Dink narrates the painful history of the Armenian minority in Turkey, including discrimination, hate, expropriations, the military coup in 1980, torture and genocide.</div>
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<b>“In Turkey, we are being taught not to remember but to forget — by the state discourse, by school curricula and by media narratives. We have just begun to learn what it means to actively and critically remember the past,” Karaköse said.</b></div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444361391085139271.post-36638819929559191902019-10-11T10:41:00.003+00:002019-10-11T10:41:36.865+00:00 Armenian News... A Topalian 6 editorials<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Panorama, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 21 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia marks the 28th anniversary of Independence</b></div>
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The Republic of Armenia marks the 28th anniversary of Independence on September 21.</div>
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The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Supreme Council of Armenia on August 23, 1990. Under the declaration, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was renamed the Republic of Armenia.</div>
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A referendum on secession from the USSR and the establishment of independent statehood was held on September 21, 1991. 94.9% of the Armenian citizens voted for independence.</div>
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Declaration of the Independence.</div>
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“The Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic expressing the united will of the Armenian people; Aware of its historic responsibility for the destiny of the Armenian people engaged in the realization of the aspirations of all Armenians and the restoration of historical justice;</div>
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Proceeding from the principles of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the generally recognized norms of international law; exercising the right of nations to free self-determination;</div>
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Based on the December 1, 1989, joint decision of the Armenian SSR Supreme Council and the Artsakh National Council on the "Reunification of the Armenian SSR and the Mountainous Region of Karabakh;" developing the democratic traditions of the independent Republic of Armenia established on May 28, 1918, declares.</div>
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The beginning of the process of establishing of independent statehood positioning the question of the creation of a democratic society based on the rule of law,” reads part of the declaration.</div>
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The main celebrations of the 28th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence will take place in the country’s second largest city, Gyumri. </div>
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<b>Public Radio of Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 20 2019</b></div>
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<b>Queen Elizabeth II sends Independence Day greetings to Armenia</b></div>
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has congratulated Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian on Independence Day.</div>
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“I extend my congratulations to Your Excellency on National Day and my warmest wishes of happiness and prosperity to the people of Armenia,” the Queen said in a message.</div>
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Armenia will celebrate the 28th anniversary of independence on September 21.</div>
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<b>News.am, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 21 2019</b></div>
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<b>Arsenal congratulate Armenia on Independence Day</b></div>
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Arsenal congratulated Armenians on Independence Day on its official Facebook page by posting a photo of Mkhitaryan with Armenian flag on the background.</div>
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Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhiytaryan has joined Roma on loan.</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Armenia To Open Embassy In Israel</b></div>
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<b>September 19, 2019</b></div>
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<b>Nane Sahakian</b></div>
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The Armenian government decided on Thursday to open an embassy in Israel, saying that it wants to improve Armenia’s uneasy relationship with the Jewish state.</div>
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“Israel is an important player in the Middle East,” Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian said during a cabinet meeting in Yerevan. “The opening of the </div>
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embassy will contribute to the deepening of bilateral relations and protection of Armenia’s interests in the region.”</div>
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The decision approved by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s cabinet says that the embassy should be inaugurated in Tel Aviv by the beginning of next year. It will not only “give new impetus” to Israeli-Armenian relations but also help to secure the Armenian Apostolic Church’s continued strong presence in the Holy Land and Jerusalem in particular, said the government.</div>
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Israel hailed the decision later in the day, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz calling it a “significant step in the development of bilateral relations.”</div>
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“The opening of the embassy is a new and important chapter in bilateral relations, and we are confident that this will further strengthen the friendship between the two peoples and enhance cooperation between the states in all areas,” said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Nizar Amer.</div>
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Armenia and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992 but have had no embassies in each other’s capitals until now. Armenian ambassadors to Israel </div>
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have been based in Paris, Cairo and even Yerevan.</div>
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Mnatsakanian indicated that the Armenian government would welcome the opening of an Israeli embassy in Yerevan. “That is on the agenda of our dialogue,” he said.</div>
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Armenian-Israeli relations have long been frosty, reflecting differing geopolitical priorities of the two states. Armenia has maintained a warm rapport with Iran, while Israel has pursued strategic cooperation with Turkey and Azerbaijan.</div>
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Armenian leaders have expressed concern over Israel’s large-scale arms deals with Azerbaijan which have reportedly totaled at least $2 billion since 2012. </div>
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The Azerbaijani army used some of its Israeli-made weapons, notably sophisticated anti-tank rockets, during April 2016 hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.</div>
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Relations between the two countries seemingly began to warm up with a July 2017 visit to Yerevan by Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi. Hanegbi and then Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian signed agreements </div>
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on avoidance of double taxation and mutual lifting of visa requirements for holders of Armenian and Israeli diplomatic passports.</div>
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Nalbandian visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2017. “We'll strengthen relations between Israel and Armenia in tech, cyberspace and agriculture,” Netanyahu tweeted after the talks.</div>
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Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s readiness for closer ties with Yerevan when he congratulated Pashinian on becoming prime minister in May 2018.</div>
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In a January 2019 interview with “The Jerusalem Post” newspaper, Mnatsakanian said the current Armenian leadership wants to “develop relations with Israel, </div>
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including in the military field.” Asked about a possible negative reaction from Iran, he said: “Relations with one country won’t jeopardize our connections with others.”</div>
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<b>RFE/RL Report</b></div>
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<b>Armenian Police Chief Also Sacked</b></div>
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<b>September 18, 2019</b></div>
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The chief of the Armenian police, Valeri Osipian, was dismissed on Wednesday two days after the resignation of the head of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS).</div>
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President Armen Sarkissian relieved Osipian of his duties in a decree requested by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.</div>
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Pashinian did not immediately explain the move. He appointed Osipian as his chief adviser later in the day.</div>
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Osipian held a farewell meeting with senior police officers shortly before the announcement of the presidential decree.</div>
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“Mr. Osipian thanked all police officers for their cooperation,” the chief police spokesman, Ashot Aharonian, told reporters after the meeting. He did not give reasons for his dismissal, said Aharonian.</div>
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In an ensuing written statement, Osipian said he “will talk about the reasons for my departure later on.” He stressed that he always been guided by the police “officer’s honor and dignity.”</div>
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According to press reports, Osipian decided to step down at the end of Tuesday’s session of Armenia’s Security Council chaired by Pashinian. Some media outlets claimed that he angered the prime minister with his reluctance to order police forces to disperse protesters blocking the roads leading to the Amulsar gold deposit which is due to be developed by a Western mining company.</div>
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Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan and a spokesman for the Security Council secretary, Armen Grigorian, denied those reports on Wednesday. They insisted </div>
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that the council did not discuss Osipian’s future.</div>
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The police chief was sacked two days after the resignation of Artur Vanetsian, the influential NSS director. In a statement, Vanetsian effectively criticized Pashinian’s leadership style, saying that it runs counter to “the officer’s honor.” The premier rounded on Vanetsian through his press secretary.</div>
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Pashinian has yet to announce who will replace Vanetsian and Osipian.</div>
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Pashinian named Osipian to run the national police service in May 2018 two days after being elected prime minister following weeks of anti-government protests led by him.</div>
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Osipian was until then a deputy head of Yerevan’s police department responsible for public order and crowd control. He personally monitored many </div>
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anti-government rallies staged in the Armenian capital during former President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule. Osipian frequently warned and argued with Pashinian </div>
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during the 2018 “Velvet Revolution” that toppled Sarkisian.</div>
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During his tenure Osipian repeatedly claimed to have eliminated corruption in the police ranks. While not denying this, critics blamed him and the new </div>
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authorities as a whole for Armenia’s rising crime rate.</div>
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<b>Aysor, Armenia</b></div>
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<b>Sept 20 2019</b></div>
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<b>Armenia Wine Cognac - One of the Best in the International Competition</b></div>
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Armenia Wine Cognac has recently won a prestigious international silver medal in the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Along with the world-famous brands, the company’s 3-year-old and 5-year-old brandy got 90 points, and the 7-year-old one got 93.</div>
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International Wine & Spirit Competition has a 50-year history. The competition jury is composed of more than 400 professionals from over 30 countries. According to the competition's rating scale, a silver-medal Cognac is characterized by an exceptional balance and complexity of aromas that significantly distinguish it from its competitors. Olivier Chapt, a French brandy maker at Armenia Wine Company, points out that such an assessment is extremely gratifying but at the same time compelling.</div>
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“Such medals are of great importance to all of us, as it is very important to know that your work is valued. Of course, winning these medals was not that easy job to do. Long and difficult job stands in the background,” says the Cognac maker. He assures that the company will continue to reach new heights and make Armenia's name spread worldwide.</div>
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According to Olivier Chapt, the high quality of Armenia Wine Cognac is conditioned by the Armenian climate, soil and water, grape variety, as well as by the French technology and emplementation of latest equipment. The Cognac is aged in high quality barrels made of French oak, and the distillery is equipped with modern French equipment.</div>
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The winner Cognac is not available in the Armenian market yet. The company plans to launch it in the locall and internationall markets early next year. Olivier Chapt says that especially the 3-year-old Cognac will be popular with young people, as it is light and can be enjoyed at parties.</div>
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The longer the Cognac is aged, the more complex the texture and the newer aroma becomes. Olivier Chapt says, that although the best moment is to try the Cognac, you first need to feel the aroma.</div>
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“When you catch the scent of Cognac, a journey starts through its nuances: different fruits - fresh and dry, oak, and then vanilla, chocolate, and sometimes coffee. You breathe in the aroma, you breathe in again, and you only want one thing at the moment - to try the drink,” says Olivier Chapt, tasting the Cognac.</div>
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It should also be added that earlier four wines from Armenia Wine, were once again awarded gold and silver medals at the Berliner Wein Trophy, in Germany.</div>
Setahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15234718974152459387noreply@blogger.com0