“Aravot” asks the heads of several media organizations to sum up the year 2011 and its results for Armenia. “I think one of the achievements is that the people finally woke up,” Mesrop Movsesian of the A1+ TV station tells the paper. “Not through spontaneous rallies. Now, sitting at home, they think about what they should do and how. I think this is the most important thing about the past year.” As for setbacks, Movsesian cites a “loss of Armenia’s image. “It’s not yet clear when we can restore it,” he says.
Gegham Manukian, the news chief of the Yerkir Media TV channel, singles out jubilant scenes in Yerevan that were sparked by surprise victories of Armenia’s national soccer team. “It wasn’t because of an obligation, it wasn’t arranged by the government that they applauded, sang our national anthem and waved our flag,” Manukian tells “Aravot.” “As for the losses, they are the people who have left our country this year as a consequence of the government’s inept policies.”
Lragir.am reports that President Serzh Sarkisian and former President Robert Kocharian honored on Wednesday the best Armenian athletes of 2011 at a ceremony organized by Gagik Tsarukian, the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader and the chairman of the National Olympic Committee. “It’s been a while since Robert Kocharian participated in a public event,” notes the online journal. “He did not attend even the ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, ostensibly because of his absence from the republic. What made Kocharian to kind of come out of the shadow and attend Wednesday’s ceremony?”
Lragir.am suggests political reasons for this, saying that there are “quite interesting developments” unfolding on the Armenian political scene right now. “With his presence Robert Kocharian seems to be trying to show that he will not stay away from them,” it says.
7or.am comments on the annual New Year’s reception for journalists held at the Armenian parliament this week. The publication says that the latest event was more low-key and less lavish than the previous ones organized by Hovik Abrahamian, the former parliament speaker. Also, it says, attendance at the December 2010 reception was noticeably stronger. “Even the editors and directors of some media outlets, who were present last year, did not show up. Many deputies were also absent,” says 7or.am.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Gegham Manukian, the news chief of the Yerkir Media TV channel, singles out jubilant scenes in Yerevan that were sparked by surprise victories of Armenia’s national soccer team. “It wasn’t because of an obligation, it wasn’t arranged by the government that they applauded, sang our national anthem and waved our flag,” Manukian tells “Aravot.” “As for the losses, they are the people who have left our country this year as a consequence of the government’s inept policies.”
Lragir.am reports that President Serzh Sarkisian and former President Robert Kocharian honored on Wednesday the best Armenian athletes of 2011 at a ceremony organized by Gagik Tsarukian, the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader and the chairman of the National Olympic Committee. “It’s been a while since Robert Kocharian participated in a public event,” notes the online journal. “He did not attend even the ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, ostensibly because of his absence from the republic. What made Kocharian to kind of come out of the shadow and attend Wednesday’s ceremony?”
Lragir.am suggests political reasons for this, saying that there are “quite interesting developments” unfolding on the Armenian political scene right now. “With his presence Robert Kocharian seems to be trying to show that he will not stay away from them,” it says.
7or.am comments on the annual New Year’s reception for journalists held at the Armenian parliament this week. The publication says that the latest event was more low-key and less lavish than the previous ones organized by Hovik Abrahamian, the former parliament speaker. Also, it says, attendance at the December 2010 reception was noticeably stronger. “Even the editors and directors of some media outlets, who were present last year, did not show up. Many deputies were also absent,” says 7or.am.
(Tigran Avetisian)