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Yerevan hosts ‘Nation-Army 2017’ conference

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nation-army-2017The annual conference “Nation-Army 2017” opened on Thursday in Yerevan’s Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in a ceremony attended by the President Serzh Sargsyan, Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan, high-ranking government officials and servicemen. 

The event, organized by the Ministry of Defense, addresses the problems in military education. It has brought together also representatives of defense and educational institutions, regional governments, heads of NGOs, school teachers and university professors,  and commanders.

The organizers have also launched an exhibition which will run from April 21 through 22. As part of the event, the participants will conduct debates to discuss the potentials of military education in Armenia and consider the nation-army security formula.

 

Armenia Airlines officially announced the launch of the Yerevan-Beirut-Yerevan direct flights.

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The Armenian Ministry of Economic Development and Investments told Panorama.am that until June of the current year the Yerevan-Beirut-Yerevan flights will be operated once a week with the frequency of flights increasing to two times a week staring from June and three times a week – since July.

Tourism Minister of Lebanon Andranik Gidanyan and First Deputy Director of Armenia’s State Tourism Committee Mekhak Apresyan underscored the flights, as well as issues related to strengthening and developing the trade-economic relations, tourism development, strengthening the friendly ties between the two countries.

“This flight was expected and necessary. It is based on the open-air policy run by the Armenian Government. The flight will particularly contribute to further boosting the trade and economic ties between the two states and the mutual visits of the tourists of the two countries,” Mekhak Apresyan said.

Yanina Dubeykovskaya: Today we are in the right place, at the right time and with the right people

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“We have great expectations from this forum,” Director of Davos World Communication Forum Association Yanina Dubeykovskaya announced during the forum titled “From Crisis to Development – Powered by Communication” launched today in Yerevan.

To note, Armenian Public Relations Association (APRA), in cooperation with Davos World Communication Forum Association, has organized two-day forum of WCFDavos/Yerevan from 21 to 22 March.

Yanina Dubeykovskaya noted that during the forum held in Davos last year, Armenian representatives Armen Tavadyan and Tatevik Pirumyan delivered impressive speeches. “Many of our guests had no idea that there is a country called Armenia, for which I am sorry. Representatives of Armenia Armen and Tatevik simply opened the eyes of those people and opened the doors so that those guests realize what country Armenia is. And it is quite logical that this year we are holding the forum in Armenia.”

She thanked all the companies that have supported to the organization of the forum. “Each country has a unique experience and we have invited experts from all the continents to realize not only how big the world is from different perspectives, but also how small it is when people meet in the rights place at the right time. And today we are in the right place, at the right time and with the right people,” Dubeykovskaya said.

She also noted that she is impressed by Armenia, namely by its hospitality and the smiles of  the Armenian people.

 

Source Panorama.am

Activists stage protest in Yerevan over “Food Provider’s” death

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YEREVAN. – Activist Shahen Harutyunyan and his friends are staging a protests in Yerevan in memory of “Food Provider”Artur Sargsyan, who died in Armenia medical center Thursday.

A short rally was held in the city’s central Liberty Square, which was followed by a march.

The activists moved from the square to Mashtots Avenue, where they blocked the street, Armenian News – NEWS.am correspondent reports. Some of them sat on the ground, as a result of which the traffic ground to a halt. This march was planned to be held earlier, and Artur Sargsyan was to take part in it.

The police forcefully removed the protestors and opened the road. The protestors are now marching to the Ministry of Justice.

Artur Sargsyan, who was charged with aiding the Sasna Tsrer armed group, was released from prison on December 31, 2016, since he had an illness that was incompatible with imprisonment.

On February 9, however, he was arrested yet again.

Subsequently, Sargsyan went on hunger strike, and demanded that his preventive measure of arrest be commuted.

A few days ago, and with a written guarantee by several dozen MPs, he was released from prison and immediately taken to hospital.

Several days ago, however, he left the hospital on his own volition.

But his health grew worse on Wednesday evening. He was taken to “Armenia” Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, but he did not regain consciousness after this operation.

The Sasna Tsrer armed group had taken over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan, taken hostages, but later surrendered, in July 2016.

On July 26, Artur Sargsyan had broken through a police wall with a vehicle loaded with food, and delivered food to the members of this armed group.

Yerevan court convicts 3 opposition activists over hostage standoff

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A Yerevan district court on Thursday sentenced three opposition activists to three years in prison, confirming the charges that they used force against law enforcement officers during the patrol police regiment’s armed occupation last year.
All the three – Arsen Mkrtumyan, Gagik Mikaeklyan and Soso Margaryan – are members of the armed Sasna Tsrer group which held the compound under a fortnight’s seizure in July.
The lawyers of two said they are planning to file claims with the Court of Appeals.

US Embassy to Armenia revises visa renewal procedure after Trump order

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The United States Embassy in Yerevan has adopted new visa issuance procedures following President Donald Trump’s Executive Order to suspend the travel of seven states’ nationals to the country.

The new rules apply particularly to the Armenian citizens seeking a visa renewal.

“This change mentioned in the reporting affects all nationalities but only affects the possibility of visa renewals without interview.  The Executive Order states that applicants with valid visas or visas that expired no more than 12 months ago can renew without an interview, at the consular officer’s discretion.  Interviews may also be waived for diplomatic and official visa applicants, visa applicants under the age of 14, and applicants over the age of 79.

“Rules for applicants with prior visas that expired more than 12 months ago are now the same as for first-time applicants: they must appear for an in-person interview to establish their eligibility for the visa.  There have been no changes in eligibility requirements,” reads the Embassy’s clarification submitted to Tert.am

 

Yerevan: Family moved from Canada to Armenia: Our dream came true

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YEREVAN. – Tamara Kabasakalian, her husband and two small children moved to Armenia from Canada five years ago. The family which has no relatives in Armenia, has been dreaming of returning to their historical homeland since 2000. The older generation of the family was born in Canada and visited Armenia only several times.

“I visited Armenia four times, first in 1989. Then I fell in love with Armenia. I arrived with my husband in 2001. Returning to Canada, I kept saying that that I will move to Armenia once. It was a dream and actually I had no idea that this day would come true. Then all our family visited two more times and baptized children here. The decision to move to Armenia was accepted quickly. In October, 2010 we made a decision and arrived in Yerevan in June, 2011. Our friends were surprised, relatives were saying that our dream came true,” Tamara said.

According to her, she and her husband had good jobs in Canada, a house, a car – everything that is necessary for welfare of the family with two children: “But we decided to tie the future of our children with Armenia.”

As 43- year-old Tamara claims, Armenia is safe, one can take children to theater every day. Everything is expensive in Canada and the Armenian theater comes there once in four or six months.

“Difficulties are everywhere and we decided to overcome them here. At first there were concerns connected with employment, integration, education of children, medical care. But now, when children ask, if we want to return to Canada, we give a negative answer unambiguously,” Tamara said.

in five years, the family had to overcome many difficulties and now Tamara speaks about them with a smile. According to her, difficulties hardened them.

“If we stayed in Canada, we would not gain such experience,” Tamara jokes.

Teacher by profession, Tamara deals with human rights protection, social services, education, and medical care, assistance for disabled and elderly people in Armenia. Tamara makes contribution to development of Armenia by means of training center where she teaches English and French by a new technique.

Asked what she would like to bring from Canada to Armenia, Tamara thought a little and then named two things: rule of law and desire to study.

Armenian: Petrosyan: New Yerevan Circus is designed for all types of performances

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YEREVAN. – Construction of the new building of Yerevan Circus, in the capital city of Armenia, is expected to be completed in late 2017.
Its artistic director and head of the Union of Circus Workers of Armenia, Sos Petrosyan, told about the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“I hope we will have a new circus building at the end of the year,” he noted.

In his words, the old circus building was in poor condition, to put it mildly.

“And despite these inconveniences, the audience was coming, in any case,” added Petrosyan. “And not a day did we interrupt work; we were working even during the Karabakh war.”

Instead of the previous 1,560 seats, however, the new Yerevan Circus building will have a 2,500-seat capacity, and it will be a modernized circus with all amenities.

“The new building is designed for all kinds of [circus] performances,” noted Sos Petrosyan.

In his words, so that the new circus functions anew, a new special course for directors of events, circus, and pop has been set up at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography.

In addition, Petrosyan’s book entitled Armenian Circus, and which presents the history of Armenian circus, is already being printed.

“But we want to devote the publishing to the opening of the new circus [building],” he added.

Video-Interview & Touring Armenian Aviation Center, A system Comparable to the world Best,

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By Wally Sarkeesian,
(YEREVAN) It might surprise many of the Armenian Diaspora used to hearing about institutional shortcomings in Armenia’s government services, but the aviation regulator (the General Department of Civil Aviation, and air traffic control agency ARMATS is comparable or better than many of the world’s developed nations, according to the UN’s aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  Both Armenian agencies are based at Zvartnots International Airport, Yerevan.

Ranked at an impressive 85% compliance with ICAO’s international standards, this better than Sweden (84%) and Turkey (84%) and just below that of Germany (90%) and the United States (91%). By comparison, Russia has a rating of only 71% and Azerbaijan has a lowly 43%. In fact an earlier audit of Armenia in 2007 had awarded an even higher score at 96% to Armenia, one of the best in the world!
According to visiting ICAO Regional Officer Air Traffic Management Len Wicks, Armenians should recognise the excellent work by the aviation regulator and ARMATS to provide a safe and efficient aviation system. He particularly noted the modern air traffic control system that ARMATS had installed, which was able to manage all current air traffic demands safely and efficiently. Mr. Wicks expected that more flights would operate through Armenian airspace, especially given the conflicts affecting many of the neighbouring nations.
ARMATS Director General Artur Gasparyan agreed that Armenia was fully capable of handling much more air traffic and even the future ‘free flight’ environment planned by Europe. Armenia is a member of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), unlike Azerbaijan.
Armenia has managed, despite all the difficulties for a small nation, to develop an excellent aviation system to safely welcome travellers like tourists, businessmen and diaspora to landlocked Armenia. It’s something all Armenians can be proud of.
Gagrule.net like to Thank All leadership of  “Armats” Armenian air navigation service for the great hospitality 
Mr. Len Wicks for his expertise,
and Liana Vardanian for assisting with the Interview.

 

Video-Interview Repat Armenia Executive Director Vartan Marashlyan

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By Wally Sarkeesian,

Yerevan: The Repat Armenia is a very important bridge connecting the Diaspora Armenian with the homeland, www.gagrule.net Founder Wally Sarkeesian interview  Mr. Vartan Marashlyan executive Director at Repat-Armenia head office in Yerevan.

The Repat Armenia Foundation, a non-governmental, non-profit institution, was established in August 2012 to take the concept of active repatriation promotion to the next level, with a full time, dedicated staff based in Yerevan and a network of supporters worldwide.

Inform, initiate and actively champion the return of high-impact (professional, entrepreneurial) individuals and families to Armenia to secure the future development of the Armenian nation.

Repat Armenia unites hundreds of like-minded people with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, who provide potential repatriates and newcomers with soft landing and networking support, by providing information and necessary resources for those who wish to engage with Armenia.

Visit Repat-Armenia: http://repatarmenia.org/en/about-us/who-we-are