Top Australian politicians to attend Armenian Genocide Commemoration

April 22, 2016 By administrator

210858 The National Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening on Sunday, April 24 will host supporters and friends of Armenian-Australians from both the Federal and NSW governments, who will gather with the community to honor and remember the over 1.5 million innocent victims of the first Genocide of the 20th Century.

The gathered will hear from keynote speaker, prominent military historian and co-author of the recently-published “Armenia, Australia & the Great War,” Professor Peter Stanley, Armenian National Committee of Australia reports.

The Member for Bennelong, John Alexander OAM will be in attendance, continuing his full-fledged support to the cause of Federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Alexander has been vocal in raising the issues and concerns of the Armenian community in the Australian Parliament.

The new Member for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman will also be attending the Commemoration for the first time in his capacity as a Member of the Australian Parliament since taking over his seat from Joe Hockey, now Australia’s Ambassador to the United States.

On March 2, Zimmerman gave his maiden speech in Australia’s House of Representatives, calling on Turkey to recognise and atone for the Armenian Genocide.

Also, Senator Lee Rhiannon, NSW Treasurer and prominent Armenian-Australian, Gladys Berejiklian, the Member for Davidson from the NSW Parliament, Jonathan O’Dea will be joining the Commemoration.

Also joining Armenian-Australians on the night will be the Hon. Reverend Fred Nile MLC, Leader of the NSW Christian Democratic Party, who continues to pursue his party’s policy of full recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Australia. The Hon. David Clarke MLC, Hon. Courtney Houssos MLC from the NSW Upper House and member of the Parliamentary Friendship Group will also be in attendance.

The National Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening will take place at The Concourse in Chatswood from on Sunday, April 24.

UFC Champion Ronda Rousey to remember #ArmenianGenocide victims in Yerevan

April 16, 2015 By administrator

Ronda Rousey

UFC World Champion Ronda Rousey will be in Yerevan on April 22-26.

Rousey’s coach Martin Berberyan told Mediamax Sport correspondent that the initiative to visit Armenia belongs to the athlete herself. report sport.mediamax.am

“It was Rousey’s initiative and we agreed with our team that head coach Edmond Tarverdyan will also join Ronda during her visit to Yerevan. Other athletes will also join them, but we have yet not decided who exactly”, said Berberyan.

Rousey aims to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide and to attend the Centennial events.

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Obama to Appoint US Delegation to Armenian Genocide Commemorations

April 14, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—The United States of America will be officially represented on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan at the Dzidzernagapert Memorial with members of a delegation who will be appointed by the U.S. President Barack Obama, the American Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills announced Monday.

“Along with Armenia, the United States mourn the victims of the massacres and deportation of about 1.5 million Armenians during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,” Ambassador Mills said in a statement. “We should never forget this tragedy and should keep bright the memory of those, who gave their lives.”

ARMENIA George Clooney and his wife in Yerevan April 24

April 13, 2015 By administrator

According to the news website ArmeniaNow Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife, the well-known lawyer Amal Clooney, will be in Yerevan on April 24.

According ArmeniaNow “Mrs. Clooney is likely to become the lawyer in a class action lawsuit that the descendants of the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide may file with the International Court against Turkey.”

The site also indicates that US Vice President Joe Biden may visit Armenia April 24 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Sarkisian to Attend Armenian Genocide Mass at Vatican

April 9, 2015 By administrator

$Pope Francis delivers his 'Urbi et Orbi' (to the city and to the world) blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Day. (Photo: AP \ Alessandra Tarantino)$

Pope Francis delivers his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ (to the city and to the world) blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Day. (Photo: AP \ Alessandra Tarantino)

VATICAN CITY—Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian is on an official state visit to Italy, where he will meet with Italian leaders and will participate in a Mass in memory of the Armenian Genocide at the Vatican.

President Sarkisian will visit the Vittoriano Museum of Rome to view an exhibition titled “Armenia: People of Ark,” dedicated to the Armenian Genocide centennial.

On Saturday, the President will participate in a Mass to be celebrated by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and Cardinal Sepe at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Naples. As part of the ceremony, a replica of one of the ancient cross-stones of Jugha, which were destroyed by the Azeri government, will be unveiled in memory of the Armenian Genocide.

On April 12, the Armenian President will visit the Vatican, where he will attend a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica lead by Pope Francis to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“For Armenians, this centennial won’t feel much different a year, two, five, six, seven or even 200 years from now,” Mikayel Minasyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to the Vatican, said. “Armenians have been fighting their own inner war against injustice and ignorance for 100 years. This anniversary is important for the world, for Armenians, at this point, it doesn’t really change much, but it’s a way for the world to hear the truth.”

Armenia’s ambassador says history is now repeating itself. “Christians from Iraq and Syria are using the same escape routes that Armenians used 100 years ago. Why? Because governments deny history, they avoid speaking about the truth. They use cynicism to address political and historical facts.”

During Sunday’s Mass, which will follow the Armenian rite, the Pope will also officially name Armenian Saint Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Church.

Lebanese Leaders to Attend April 24 Commemorations in Yerevan

April 4, 2015 By administrator

Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gebran Bassil

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Lebanon will be represented at commemoration ceremonies in Yerevan marking the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, the Beirut-based Aztag Daily’s Editor-in-Chief Shahan Kandaharian has told Armenpress.

“On April 24, a four-member delegation of the Lebanese Government, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Industry, will visit Yerevan. Besides the executive body, a parliamentary delegation will visit Armenia as well, including the Vice President of the National Assembly and deputies,” Kandaharian said.

Putin to attend Armenian Genocide Centennial events in Yerevan

March 13, 2015 By administrator

President of Russia Vladimir Putin

President of Russia Vladimir Putin will attend commemoration events dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, his spokesperson confirmed.

“Yes, he will fly to Yerevan,” Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson told AFP, adding that the Russian leader had discussed the issue with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian by telephone on Thursday .

As reported earlier, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan discussed the upcoming personal contacts during a phone conversation on Thursday.

Gyumri Thousands attend funeral of murdered baby

January 22, 2015 By administrator

Thousands of mourners attended in Gyumri yesterday at the funeral of the baby six months died of his injuries a week after the brutal attack that killed six members of his family.

Silently, the crowd walked behind the body Seryozha Avetisyan while being transported to the church of Surp Nshan to a cemetery in the second largest city of Armenia, still reeling from the massacre of January 12, attributed to a Russian soldier.

Christian priests sang songs for the child while he was buried next to his family. Hundreds of people threw handfuls of sand on his grave at the end of the ceremony in the presence of Armenian MPs and local government leaders.

Serzh Sargsyan did not attend the funeral. He had already been conspicuously absent when the six other members of the family were buried Avetisian on 15 January.

Turkish architects call on Pope Francis not to attend ceremony at ‘unlicensed’ Ak Saray

November 11, 2014 By administrator

Aysel Alp ANKARATurkey’s Chamber of Architects has penned a letter to Pope Francis, calling on him not to attend a ceremony set to be held at the country’s new presidential palace during his upcoming visit as the guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Pope Francis is set to be the first house guest at the Presidential Palace, colloquially known as the Ak Saray (White Palace), on Nov. 28.

However, the managers of the Ankara branch of the Chamber of Architects have penned a letter to the Pope, including a report that details case documents and court decisions over the controversial construction of the new palace.

The architects asked the pope “not to legitimize the construction, which is illegal according to international laws, by attending the ceremony to be held at the unlicensed building.”

The Chamber of Architects Ankara Branch Head Tezcan Karakuş Candan said they would continue to write letters to all heads of state to prevent them from attending ceremonies at the “unlicensed palace.”

“We have taken the fight for the Atatürk Forest Farm to an international level. We will follow through on this and deliver our reports and letters to all foreign guests,” Candan said.

The Ankara branch has also requested that the Vatican Embassy give them an appointment.

On Feb. 2, 2012, the Ankara Regional Natural Reserves Commission reduced the size of the forest’s protected area to seven hectares, paving the way for the construction of an enormous complex. A previous court decision had ruled for a halt on the construction of a new Prime Ministry complex, citing violation of the principles of urban planning, ecology and science and adding that the completion of the project could “cause damage that would be hard to repair.”

The complex lies on a 150,000-square-meter area inside the historic Atatürk Forest Farm, one of the most well-preserved green spaces in Ankara, and hundreds of trees were cut down for its construction. It is equipped with a number of high-technology systems aimed at precluding eavesdropping with bugs and wires, and has a total of 1,000 rooms, considerably larger than the White House, the Kremlin and Buckingham Palace.

Controversy over the palace soared when Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek told a parliamentary budget committee last week that the total cost so far was 1.37 billion Turkish Liras ($615 million), around double the original price tag.

November/11/2014

Armenia’s Foreign Minister to Attend Erdogan’s Inauguration

August 25, 2014 By administrator

YEREVAN—Armenia’s presidential press office announced on Sunday that the government of Armenia has received an invitation from Ankara to attend the Turkish president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony.

There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey: the border has been closed by Turkey since 1993. The complications in the countries’ relations are caused particularly by Ankara’s support to Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict and its denial of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Armenia will probable accept the invitation and attend the ceremony at a foreign minister level, Sarkisian said on Sunday at a pro-government youth camp in Tsaghkadzor. Ergodan’s inauguration is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 28.

The president also said Armenia’s foreign minister Edward Nalbandian will seek to ask Erdogan whether he will visit the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on the centennial anniversary of the Genocide in 2015.

Sarkisian said he found it difficult to say when the Armenia-Turkey border will be opened. “Armenia’s wish is to have it opened as soon as possible,” the Armenian president said.