Month: October 2016

Tumi, a village in Artsakh’s Hadrut Region, is the site of the latest multifunctional community center to be built by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. The project is sponsored by the fund’s French affiliate, with additional support from the government of Artsakh.

Within the last three years, along with other infrastructures, a dozen of similar community centers have been built in Artsakh with the financial assistance of French-Armenians. Ara Vardanyan, the executive director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, said that ongoing French-Armenian support for the construction of such centers is a testament to the immense improvements they have brought to the daily lives of communities across Artsakh.

The future two-storey community center of Tumi will house key civic and cultural facilities including the mayor’s office, a medical clinic, a library, a game room, a computer room, and a 150-seat hall designed for a broad range of arts events and gatherings.

Commenting on the benefits that the community center will bring, Tumi mayor Edik Mosiyan said, “Given our community’s considerable distance from Hadrut City, the closest metropolitan area, our existing medical clinic must often provide the services of a maternity ward as well, which is why it’s doubly important to have a truly modern clinic. As for community events, we sorely lack a proper space, because our former club is now so run-down that it’s no longer usable.”

Previous Hayastan All-Armenian Fund development projects implemented in Tumi, which has a population of 768, include the reconstruction of the community’s water network, and the furnishing of its school and kindergarten.

Tumi is located 31 kilometers from Hadrut City, the regional center. The community is home to a number of historic and cultural monuments, and the remains of various other antiquities.

Photo: REUTERS/Nicolas Asfonri

 

– Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is being treated for a cold, his office said on Tuesday, prompting speculation that the illness was diplomatic.

The announcement was unusual because the presidential office rarely provides any comments on the state of the 76-year-old leader’s health, which is a state secret under Kazakh law.

But some, including Kazakh political analyst Aidos Sarym, say it was most likely an excuse to avoid visiting Armenia where the office of President Serzh Sarksyan had said earlier on Tuesday it expected Nazarbayev to visit on Oct. 13.

Armenia will host a top-level meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) on Oct. 14.

But Astana’s ties with Yerevan have been strained since April, when during the renewed military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan insisted on holding a meeting of another regional body, the Eurasian Economic Union, outside of Armenia which was due to host it.

Both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim nations. Azerbaijan also tranships a significant share of Kazakh oil exports.

Still, Nazarbayev’s genuine health is a matter of concern for many, including energy majors who have invested billions of dollars in the country.

On October 14 in Yerevan will host the session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which will be chaired by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. Armenia has been presiding in the Organization for the period of time between the sessions of years 2015-2016, President’s Press Office reports.

At the session discussed will be the process of implementation of the decisions adopted at the previous summits, as well as the priorities set by the Republic of Armenia during the country’s presidency at the CSTO.

In the framework of over two dozen issues on the agenda of the session the parties will discuss the international situation and current issues related to the collective security, drafts of the decisions on the creation before 2025 of the CSTO collective security strategy and CSTO emergency response center, issues related to the improvement of the works of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, as well implementation of the decision related to the fight against international terrorism.

The parties are expected to make a number of political statements.

Considering the fact that for years 2016-2017 the presidency of the CSTO will be assumed by the Republic of Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko will present to the Collective Security Council the priorities of his country, which are to be implemented during the country’s presidency, in the period between the sessions.

In the framework of the agenda of the Collective Security Council emphasized will be the military element of the Organization and training of the military personnel. The parties will sign documents related to the development of the response structure of the CSTO member states.

The Heads of the CSTO member states are also expected to make a decision on the Secretary General of the CSTO.

On 9 October Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan accompanied by the country’s high ranking officials visited the trade fair organized in the Stepanakert city in connection with the Day of Agricultural Worker, NKR President’s Press Office reported.

The President noted with satisfaction that Harvest festival had already become traditional in our republic underlining that good undertakings should be maintained and consistently developed.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, chairman of the National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan, premier Arayik Haroutyunyan and other officials partook in the event.

Photo: AFP

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said he will donate the money from the Nobel Peace prize to help the victims of the 52-year conflict in his country, the BBC reports.

He was awarded the prize for reaching a peace agreement with the Farc rebel group last month.

The deal was rejected a few days later by Colombian voters in a referendum.

About 260,000 people have been killed and more than six million internally displaced in Colombia.

“Last night, I met with my family and we have decided to donate those eight million Swedish krona ($925,000) to the victims,” said Mr Santos.

He made the announcement in the city of Bojaya, in the north-western region of Choco, after taking part in a religious ceremony for people affected by the conflict.

About 50 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were registered at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night.

The rival fired more than 430 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army remained committed to the ceasefire regime and resorted to response actions in case of extreme necessity.

Photo: Sputnik/ David Khizanishvil

Three parties — the ruling Georgian Dream Party, the United National Movement and the Alliance of Patriots  — have made it into the Georgian parliament, the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said on Sunday, after counting 99.92 percent of ballots, Sputnik News reports.

On Saturday, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. “According to data from 3699 (99.92 percent) of polling stations, the Georgian Dream secures 48.6 percent, or 856,858 votes. The United National Movement scores 27.14 percent, or 478,416 votes. Alliance of Patriots gets 5 percent, or 88,032 votes,” the CEC said in a statement.

President Serzh Sargsyan has left for the United States for a working visit. On October 10 in New York he will participate at the Armenia Investment Forum, President’s Press Office reports.

The Forum will be attended by  representatives of dozens of leading companies from different areas, representatives of financial institutions and over one hundred international investors.

In the framework of the visit, the President of Armenia will also hold a number of bilateral meetings.

The Armenian national team has left for Poland, the Football Federation of Armenia informs.

The team will face Poland in a World Cup Qualifier. Twenty-two players have been called up for the match that will take place at Warsaw’s National Stadium at 22:45 Yerevan time.

Goalkeepers

Arsen Beglaryan FC Alashkert

Anatoly Ayvazov FC Shirak

Gor Manukyan FC Pyunik

Defenders

Gael Andonian Olimpique Marseille, (France)

Varazdat Haroyan Padideh FC (Iran)

Taron Voskanyan Karmiotissa FC (Cyprus)

Levon Airapetian Paykan F.C. (Iran)

Hrayr Mkoyan FC Esteghlal (Iran)

Gevorg Hovhannisyan FC Shirak

Andranik Voskanyan FC Alashkert

Artur Kartashyan FC Pyunik

Midfielders

Marcos Pizzelli Al-Fujeirah  (UAE)

Aras Ozbiliz, Besiktas J.K. (Turkey)

David Manoyan Karmiotissa FC (Cyprus)

Artak Grigoryan FC Alashkert

Karen Muradyan FC Alashkert

David Hakobyan FC Shirak

Zaven Badoyan FC Banants

Kamo Hovhannisyan FC Pyunik

Forwards

Ruslan Koryan FC SKA-Khabarovsk

Gegham Kadimyan Karpaty (Ukraine)

Vardan Poghosyan FC Pyunik

Ten soldiers and eight civilians were killed on Oct. 9 in an Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) suicide bomb attack targeting a military road checkpoint in the Şemdinli district of the eastern province of Hakkari, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has announced, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Speaking ahead of a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) consultation meeting in Istanbul, Yildirim said 10 soldiers and eight civilians were killed in the suicide attack when a PKK bomber blew himself up inside a bomb-laden pickup that drove into the Durak gendarmerie road checkpoint in the district.

Yildirim said five tons of explosives were used in the attack, which created a six-meter deep hole at the scene and damaged buildings nearby.

Two of the killed soldiers were identified as Pvt. Eyüp Hacıoğlu and Gendarmerie Specialized Sgt. Hasan Aydoğdu.

In addition, the Hakkari Governor’s Office also stated that 27 people, including 11 soldiers, were wounded in the attack and were transferred to hospitals with a military helicopter.