On September 5, the RoA National Assembly will debate a resolution on the recognition of the NKR by Armenia. Hetq caught up with MP Hakob Hakobyan, a member of the ruling Republican Party faction and Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs.

Try as we might, we couldn’t get MP Hakobyan to state categorically whether he would vote for recognising the NKR or not. What follows is the give and take that occurred. »»»»»

Viktor, Seko and others have left their mark on church walls. Will today’s visitors be as disrespectful?

The Gtchavank monastery complex high up in the distance. »»»»»

Yesterday, former RoA Central Bank President Bagrat Asatryan described to reporters his recent visit to two villages in the country. His observations weren’t too encouraging.

“I visited Darpas village, where my grandfathers were born in Sisian, and Ahnidzor, the village of the writer Hrant Matevosyan. The conditions, nature and people are different. But they share a common calamity. People are leaving the villages,” commented Mr. Asatryan. »»»»»

An interview with Child Psychologist Diana Danielian

On July 12, the Narekatsi Art Union organized the 6th Aram Manukyan Camp in the center of Shushi. Over 100 children, mostly from Shushi, attended the two week camp.

Diana Danielian, a psychologist from the U.S. who has worked with the children last year and this year, was kind enough to answer the following questions posed by Hetq. »»»»»

Atom Egoyan: This book reminds us where we come from and that true art is without “ego”

At the Ani Hotel today in Yerevan, there was a panel discussion around the recently published book “Armenian Ornamental Art”, drawings by Armen Kyurkchyan and accompanied by original photos by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian. Also on the panel was famed film director Atom Egoyan. »»»»»

“I guess it’s that wild and crazy Mshetsi blood in me”

“I was sitting in the helicopter, we had just taken off. I remember that just then I looked down at my father below. He slapped his legs. Up till then, they thought I was joking. Even my brother was at a loss. He didn’t know what to do.”

This is how Melsida Harutyunyan, a fighter in the Artsakh War, recollects the event. »»»»»

Ara Najarian, Mayor of the California town of Glendale, said today that most of the Armenians in its city jails have been arrested for financial crimes and not for murder or assault.

Mayor Najarian, now visiting Armenia, said that most incarcerated Armenians are thpose that have recently migrated to the United States. He said that the new immigrants, facing financial hardships, do not want to wait and work for 15-20 years to get the big houses and fancy cars enjoyed by those Armenians who came before; members of the older Armenian community. »»»»»

As protesters gathered outside the convening session of the National Assembly today, Armen Hovhannisyan, a member of the “We are Against Foreign Language Schools” initiative, reminded everyone that today was St. Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Barthev Day.  »»»»»

Excerpts from an interview with the Minister of Education and Science

The National Assembly held discussions on proposed changes to the laws on language and school education.  When Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan emerged from the session, protesters against the proposed changes greeted him with whistles and catcalls.  »»»»»

The National Assembly will vote tomorrow on the proposal to make amendments to the laws on language and school education.  Vahan Hovhannisyan, head of the ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) parliamentary faction informed protesters gathered outside the session of Parliament of this development and said the following, “They have made concessions on the number of schools – there will be a private school each in Dilijan and Jermuk, where the medium of instruction will be a foreign language from the 7th grade onwards.  »»»»»