Sunday 7 October 2018

Armenian News... A Topalian... Tribute to Aznavour

Official Commemorative Tribute to Aznavour
France24 TV Report in English



ArmenPress, Armenia
Oct 5 2018
Emmanuel Macron makes posts in Armenian on Twitter dedicated to Charles Aznavour

French President Emmanuel Macron made another post on Twitter in Armenian. 
ARMENPRESS reports the President of France made 2 posts on Twitter in Armenian 
about world famous French-Armenian chansonnier Charles Aznavour.

“Charles Aznavour was the son of Armenia, friend and Ambassador. He
who knew the tragedy of history gave voice to those who were
silenced”, reads one of Macron’s post.

Շառլ Ազնավուրը եղել է Հայաստանի որդին, դեսպանը, բարեկամը։ Նա, ով գիտեր
Պատմության ողբերգությունը, ձայն տվեց նրանց, ում ցանկացել էին լռեցնել։

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) 5 октября 2018 г.

The other post runs as follows, “Thank to Charles Aznavour today we
have the opportunity to remember what we owe to those Armenians who
fled their Fatherland and came to make better our Fatherland”.

Շառլ Ազնավուրի միջոցով, այսօր առիթ է հանդիսանում հիշեցնելու այն ինչ ,
որպես ազգ, մենք պարտավոր ենք այս բոլոր Հայերին, ովքեր, փախչելով իրենց
հայրենիքից, եկել են մեծացնելու մերը հայրենիքը։ 


168.am
4 October 2018
Six Armenian governors sacked
The government approved the dismissal of several governors during today’s Cabinet meeting.

Aragatsotn Province Governor Ashot Simonyan, Lori Province Governor Hrant Margaryan, Vayots Dzor Province Governor Aragats Saghatelyan, Armavir Province Governor Gagik Mirijanyan, Gegharkunik Province Governor Ishkhan Saghatelyan, Syunik Province Governor Karen Hambardzumyan were sacked.

The governors were representing the Prosperous Armenia and ARF parties.

Speaking at a rally on October 2 in Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the governors and other officials representing the two parties will be fired, after the parliament adopted the highly controversial bill which is seen as a move to limit the possibilities of calling early elections of parliament.


ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
October 4, 2018 Thursday
Aram I concerned about recent events in Armenia
Marianna Mkrtchyan. 

The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, Aram
I, is concerned about recent events in Armenia. "The Diaspora cannot
be indifferent and passive to these events, as it is an integral part
of Armenia, and it cannot be indifferent to the challenges that the
country faces," said Aram I.

According to him, the interests of the motherland should be above
personal or party benefits. The Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia expressed the conviction that the Motherland should be kept
away from shocks and dangers at all costs and through mutual
compromises.

Aram I also urged to abandon the current policy of intolerance and
mutual distrust, replacing it with mutual love, tolerance and respect,
and abandon the approaches that divide society into different camps.

He urged everyone to move along the path of love and law, on the basis
of mutual respect and understanding, putting the security of the
country above all.


RFE/RL Report
Armenian Public Debt To Rise Further In 2019
October 04, 2018
Sisak Gabrielian

Armenia’s public debt will rise by about 3 percent to $7.3 billion next year, 
Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian said on Thursday.

Janjughazian downplayed the anticipated increase, saying that the debt will 
fall as a share of Gross Domestic Product. The debt-to-GDP ratio is projected 
at around 55 percent for this year.

In Janjughazian’s words, Armenia’s government and Central Bank will owe a total 
of $7.1 billion to mainly foreign creditors in December, up from almost $6.9 
billion in January 2018.

Their combined debt rose by $863.5 million in 2016 and by 832.5 million in 
2017. It totaled just $1.9 billion before the 2008-2009 global financial crisis 
that plunged the county into a severe recession.

Janjughazian defended the current government’s plans for more borrowing, saying 
that it is needed to finance the state budget deficit which is projected to 
fall to 2.2 percent of GDP in 2019. “We borrow not to take care of our current 
expenditures or to please a part of the society but to create more output which 
can generate new capacities,” he told a news conference.

“When we say that we are going to borrow that creates the impression that we 
are making the situation worse,” complained the minister. He insisted that the 
situation will actually improve because the debt burden will ease in relative 
terms next year.

The draft state budget for 2019 approved by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s 
cabinet last week sets aside 85 billion drams ($176 million) for debt 
servicing. The sum is equivalent to roughly 5 percent of overall budgetary 
expenditures planned by the government.


Fodor's Travel
Oct 6 2018
Yerevan Rising: Ten Reasons to Visit Armenia’s Capital Now
Benjamin Kemper 

Change is afoot in the Pink City.
Until recently, most travelers skipped over Yerevan for the Caucasus’ showier capitals like Baku, with its space-age skyline, or Tbilisi, with its Instagram-famous cheese breads and Disney-fied old town. But today, leaving Yerevan off the itinerary would be a big mistake. In the last few years—and especially since April’s Velvet Revolution—the city has seen a tectonic culture shift with third-wave coffee shops and sleek new galleries sprouting up between its 13th-century churches and salmon-hued khrushchyovka ( a style of Soviet-designed apartment buildings. Walk Yerevan’s streets, and you’re as likely to hear reggaeton blaring from a souped-up BMW as you are Armenian duduk music emanating from a café’s speakers. This constant interplay between old and new makes Yerevan as frenetic as it is fascinating. Here are our top reasons to give the city a second look.   
    
1. Try Armenian Cuisine in a Variety of Restaurants 
Armenian cuisine is a patchwork quilt of flavors and techniques influenced by Persia, Eastern Europe, Georgia, and the Levant. Get a sense of eastern Armenian food (which skews more Russian and Georgian) at Dolmama, a homey restaurant whose star dish is dolma, grape leaves wrapped around lemony rice and rosemary-scented ground beef. At Anteb, a no-frills Syrian-Armenian joint a few blocks north, spring for the city’s best manti, thumb-sized beef dumplings swimming in broth and dolloped with thick yogurt. Off the tourist track but well worth the taxi ride are Tatik Papik, whose flaky herb-stuffed flatbreads from Karabakh called zhingyalov hats draw hordes of in-the-know locals, and Chaman Restaurant, a Kond neighborhood stalwart serving oversize platters of fried fish and roasted vegetables.

2. Sample the World’s Oldest Viticulture                                                                                            
Wine has been produced in and around Yerevan since the 9th century BCE, making it one of the world’s oldest-known viticultural area. To many oenophiles and food historians, drinking wine in what may be its birthplace is nothing short of a religious experience, but even if you can’t tell your Riesling from your chardonnay, don’t miss out on the hedonistic pleasures of local wine and mezes at bars like In Vino, whose walls disappear behind rare Armenian and Italian bottles, and Wine Republic, a one-stop shop for wine geeks looking to sample esoteric varietals like voskehat and karasì.

3. Live Music on Amiryan Street 
Yerevan is a terrific music town with live shows for travelers of all tastes. First-time visitors shouldn’t miss the soulful, unplugged Armenian folk music at Tavern Yerevan on Amiryan Street, a restaurant with a mixed crowd known for its heavenly khorovats, Armenian barbecue. (Call ahead for showtimes.) Those with a penchant for jazz, on the other hand, will be pleasantly surprised by the talented musicians at Mezzo Classic House Club, who play precise covers of well-known classics. Note that smoking—cough—is—cough—allowed.

4. Explore the Green Space of Lovers’ Park 
If you envision Yerevan as a gray Soviet slab of a city, think again: There are plenty of parks and gardens to escape to with a book, playlist, or picnic basket. Lovers’ Park is the most central with eight acres of rolling lawns, burbling waterfalls, and tree-shaded paths. English Park, situated behind the Gabriel Sundukyan Theater, is smaller and more manicured and makes for pleasant people-watching.

5. Sample Armenian “Pizza” 
If foldable handheld foods like pizza and tacos speak to your soul, you’ll no doubt be a sucker for lahmajun, Armenia’s paper-thin flatbread smeared with spicy lamb and baked until blistering. Sample a textbook rendition at Mer Taghe, whose pies get a sprinkling of parsley and a spritz of lemon before arriving tableside, or pop by Lahmajun Gaidz (owned by a Syrian refugee) for a Middle Eastern interpretation heady with aleppo pepper and pomegranate molasses.

6. Witness the Soviet Architecture of Republic Square and Beyond 
Love it or hate it, Yerevan’s Soviet architecture is objectively impressive; indeed, it was under the Soviet yoke that Yerevan grew into the sprawling urban center that it is today. The architect behind this transformation was Armenian-born Alexander Tamanian, who bulldozed old buildings and roads to make way for pink-tuff houses (hence Yerevan’s moniker, the “Pink City”) arranged around an avant-garde circular street plan. His greatest achievement? The triumphalist Republic Square, Yerevan’s nerve center that took 53 years to build and today houses the National Gallery and Marriott Hotel. Go at sunset in the summer to see its exuberant “musical fountains” in action.

7. Taste Churchill’s Favorite Brandy 
Legend has it that Winston Churchill indulged in a finger or two of Armenian brandy every day. Matured in Caucasian oak casks and double-distilled like French cognac, the spirit is prized even today for its roundness and complexity. See how it’s made at the Yerevan Brandy Company on an hour-long tour (daily, by appointment only: +374 54 00 00) through its cathedral-like production areas, rackhouses, and tasting rooms, and be sure to snap a few pics of the Hradzan Gorge and Victory Bridge below.

8. Marvel Religious Sites Like Katoghike, Surp Grigor Lusavorich Catherdral, and the Blue Mosque 
Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its national religion, and that deep-rooted history is reflected in Yerevan’s churches. The city’s oldest, Katoghike, miraculously survived a ruinous 1679 earthquake. Inscriptions on the tiny chapel’s west-facing façade have been dated to as early as 1229. Fast-forward to the 21st century at Surp Grigor Lusavorich Cathedral, the world’s largest Armenian Apostolic church consecrated in 2001 that’s infamous for its polarizing modern architecture. Though Yerevan has been home to Muslim communities for centuries, the Blue Mosque—striking for its colorful mosaics and turquoise dome—is the city’s only remaining Islamic place of worship and is worth peeking into (modest attire required).

9. Take Easy Day Trips to Architectural Wonders and UNESCO-protected Sites 
Clocking in at 11,500 square miles, Armenia is about the size of Maryland, which means most of its historic sites can be seen on day trips from Yerevan. Echmiadzin Cathedral is a no-brainer, situated 11 miles west of the city center. Considered to be the oldest cathedral on earth, it was consecrated around 300 AD. Its soaring, time-worn halls remain a place of pilgrimage for Armenians the world over today. Also within reach from the capital are Geghard, a UNESCO-protected monastery hewn into a cliffside, and Noravank, whose florid stone carvings are unparalleled in the Caucasus—architectural marvels that shouldn’t be omitted from any travel itinerary.

10. Indulge in Café Culture 
Yerevan is arguably the Caucasus’ capital of café culture, and with good reason—there’s a coffee shop on almost every corner, and a favorite local pastime is hanging out for hours on end while sipping surj, black Armenian coffee, or—more recently—cappuccinos and other specialty brews. Coffee geeks unite at The Green Bean, which roasts its own beans, and at Gemini, adored for its expertly pulled espressos and hot crêpes. Solo travelers mingle at Aeon AntiCafe, a snug oasis with board games and coworking areas where you pay by the hour to graze on unlimited biscuits, coffee, and tea.

11. Experience the Open-Air Shopping on Buzand and Aram Streets 
Be ready to bargain at Vernissage, Yerevan’s largest open-air market held on weekends on Buzand and Aram Streets. Here, brash hawkers flaunt their wares ranging from century-old antiques to hand-woven kilims art to dime-a-dozen t-shirts. For souvenirs of the edible variety, look no further than Pak Shooka, a renovated Soviet-era food hall with a gilded façade where you can stock up on dried fruits, freshly ground spices, and basturma, Armenian beef jerky.

12. Experience Incredible Hotels 
Kim Kardashian may have posted up in the Marriott Yerevan, the city’s most iconic hotel, but we’re convinced she would’ve been more impressed by the Hyatt Place, a five-star opened in 2013 that’s arguably the best in town thanks to its cloud-soft beds, generous breakfasts, and unobtrusive décor. For travelers strapped for cash, Envoy Hostel can’t be beat; it offers private and shared rooms in addition to fantastic walking tours and excursions. My Hotel Yerevan, with its 12 well-appointed rooms and warm front-desk staff, is a step above Envoy and ideal for couples and those seeking digs with a sense of place.

13. Drink in Bars and Breweries 
Come nightfall, make like most Yerevanians and post up at a neighborhood bar or café. A fantastic first stop on a night out is Dargett Brewpub, a buzzy beer mecca that opened in 2016 and pours more than twenty draft beers—including Armenia’s first IPA. Then, have a cocktail or two at Daboo Bar, whose suave mixologists shake up eye-catching concoctions made with fresh fruit juices and dry ice, before heading to Calumet Ethnic Lounge for punk rock vibes and a mixed, unpretentious crowd.

14. Wander the National Gallery and Matenadaran 
As one of the world’s oldest cities, founded in 782 BC, it’s no surprise that Yerevan boasts a wealth of world-class museums. The National Gallery is its most splendid with seven floors of international and Armenian works ranging from Iron Age frescoes to medieval icons to modern paintings by diasporan artists. Equally worthwhile is Matenadaran, a temple to Armenia’s ancient literary tradition presided over by a massive statue of Mesrop Mashots, who created the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD. Inside you’ll find rare centuries-old manuscripts and intricately illustrated books.

15. Honor the Armenian Genocide Memorial 
A solemn, heartrending tribute to the million or more Armenians who perished in the Armenian Genocide in 1915, the Armenian Genocide Memorial (aka Tsitsernakaberd) amasses photographs, documents, and artifacts related to the atrocities carried out by the Ottomans during the nation’s most brutal flashpoint. Beyond the museum, towering pillars, haunting music, and an eternal flame sear this sacred and sorrowful place into memory.

A1+
Passenger flow in Zvartnots airport increases 9,3%
October 4,2018

In September of the current year, the two airports of the Republic of Armenia served 278 719 people in total, thus exceeding the indicator of the same month of 2017 by 9.3%, Armenia International Airports CJSC – the operator of the airports said in a press release.

As compared to September 2017, a 7.1% increase in passenger flow was observed at Zvartnots International Airport of Yerevan in the 9th month of 2018. In September 2018 Zvartnots served 262 815 passengers against 245 363 of the past September. As for Shirak Airport of Gyumri, this September it served 15 904 passengers, while this indicator was only 9 646 in September 2017. Thus there has been an increase of 65%.

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