Month: November 2016

President Serzh Sargsyan received today EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The Armenian President and the EU Commissioner emphasized the qualitative progress in the Armenia-EU cooperation and the intensified political dialogue.

Serzh Sargsyan stressed that Armenia attaches importance to the participation in the Eastern Partnership Program, and has done its best for the development of that format. The Armenian President voiced hope that the discussions of the Ministers of Education, Science and Research will contribute to the reinforcement of cooperation between EU member and partner countries ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit to be held in Brussels in 2017.

President Sargsyan and Commissioner Hahn exchanged views on regional issues and challenges, the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Photo: EPA

 

Syria’s leader has said he hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will be an ally in fighting terrorism but remains “cautious in judging him,” the BBC reports.

Bashar al-Assad said Mr Trump would be a “natural ally” if he fulfilled a campaign pledge to fight terrorism.

But he said it was “dubious” whether Mr Trump could “live up to his promises”.

Mr Trump had previously said it was “madness” to oppose both Syrian forces and IS militants, and that fighting Syria could lead to fighting Russia.

Speaking to Portugal’s RTP state television, Mr Assad said: “We cannot tell anything about what he’s going to do, but if… he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be [an] ally, natural ally in that regard with the Russians, with the Iranians, with many other countries.”

Mr Assad said that Mr Trump’s pledge to focus the fight on Islamic State (IS) militants was “promising”, but added: “Can he deliver?”

“What about the countervailing forces within the administration, the mainstream media that were against him? How can he deal with it? That’s why for us it’s still dubious… That’s why we are very cautious in judging him.”

Current US policy is to strike against IS and other jihadists while supporting moderate rebels opposed to President Assad.

Mr Assad regards those groups as terrorists.

By Harut Sassounian
The California Courier

An unprecedented U.S. presidential campaign came to an end with the unexpected victory of Donald Trump!

Since the November 8 elections, there has been endless speculation by self-styled Armenian analysts about the President-elect’s business ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey, wrongly concluding that he would side with Armenia’s enemies! Since Trump has made no comments on Armenian issues, no one can really know what his position is likely to be….

Beyond Trump’s sweeping campaign promises to “drain the swamp in Washington,” and “make America great again,” no one can predict what he might do on domestic or foreign policy fronts. In addition, there is no guarantee that he will stick to the positions he assumed during the campaign. In recent months, and particularly since the election, Trump has moderated his views on a number of major issues, such as banning all Muslims from entering the United States, building a wall along the Mexican border, deporting 11 million illegal aliens, and repealing Obamacare. As Pres. Obama explained during his November 14 press conference, Trump is a pragmatist, not an ideologue with fixed opinions.

Consequently, rather than speculating about what Trump may do as President, let’s follow Hillary Clinton’s wise advice to keep “an open mind” and give Donald Trump “a chance to lead!”

Since the President-elect has not yet taken a concrete position on Armenian issues, now is the time for Armenian-Americans to ask friendly Republican members of Congress to convey the community’s vital concerns to Trump and his team. It would be much more difficult to make such contacts once the President is inaugurated in January and has given his marching orders to the new Cabinet. Meanwhile, Turkish and Azeri officials are busy establishing their own contacts with Trump’s transition team and Congress through their high powered lobbyists in Washington! Furthermore, while many heads of state, including those of Armenia and Azerbaijan, have sent congratulatory messages to the President-elect, Turkish President Erdogan personally telephoned Trump, urging closer ties between their countries!

Already there are warning signs that two of Trump’s closest aides, who may be appointed to top positions in the new administration, are rabid Turkophiles:

1) Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has repeatedly declared his admiration for Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey, viewing him as a hero;

2) Retired Lt. General Michael Flynn wrote an article in The Hill last week, calling on the U.S. government “to adjust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority. We need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective.”

While Armenian-American ties with the President-elect are practically non-existent, the community has fortunately cultivated excellent relations with many reelected members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, who can adopt bills and pass resolutions on issues of importance to Armenia and Armenians.

Over 90% of the Congressional candidates endorsed by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) were elected on November 8. In the House of Representatives, 117 out of the 122 candidates endorsed by ANCA won their election bids, including Congresswomen Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo, Armenian-American Democrats from California. Regrettably, Cong. Robert Dold (Republican-Illinois), Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, was not reelected; and candidate Danny Tarkanian (Republican-Nevada) lost his bid for the House.

In the U.S. Senate, 7 of the 11 candidates endorsed by ANCA won their election bids on November 8. Armenian Caucus member Cong. Chris Van Hollen (Democrat-Maryland) was elected to the Senate after defeating Turkish Caucus member Cong. Donna Edwards in the Maryland Primary. Unfortunately, Senator Mark Kirk (Republican-Illinois), a staunch supporter of Armenian issues, was not reelected.

Significantly, while 11 members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus did not return to the House due to failure to win, retirement, resignation or seeking other office, the Turkish Caucus suffered a greater loss, with 19 of its members not returning to the House, including Co-Chair Ed Whitfield (Republican-Kentucky) who resigned earlier this year due to an ethics probe.

The substantial electoral success, enjoyed by Congressional friends of the Armenian community, bodes well for the pursuit of Armenian issues in the new Congress. Given that the Republican Party will be controlling both Houses of Congress and the White House, it is incumbent upon Republican Armenians to win over more members of the majority party, while Democrat Armenians can build on their long-established ties with the minority party. After all, the Armenian Cause, as a nonpartisan issue, should be supported by both parties!

The former Red Devils winger has backed the big-money summer signing to come good despite enduring a tough start to life at Old Trafford.

Former Manchester United winger Jesper Blomqvist, whose 38 appearances for the Reds included the 1999 Champions League final, believes it is only a matter of time before Henrikh Mkhitaryan proves his quality for the club.

The Armenia captain has been kept on the fringes of the first team by manager Jose Mourinho for much of the season, making just one appearance since he was replaced at halftime of the 2-1 loss to Manchester City on Sept. 10.

Blomqvist, who won the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999 with United, is confident that Mkhitaryan will be a success in England.

“He can definitely become a star,” the former Sweden international told .

“United is a big club and it takes longer to settle in for some players. Maybe Henrikh needs a little more time to settle in but, when you see how he reads the game and what he has achieved elsewhere, it’s surely only going to be a matter of time before he shows us what he can do at Old Trafford.”

Blomqvist also praised the impact of compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic since his move to United on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in July.

On November 16, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and HSBC Bank, organized a one-day sustainable mining business conference.

The goal was to connect Armenian mine operators with well-known U.S. companies that offer products and services that ensure greater mine productivity, employee safety, and nature protection.  Representatives from seven leading U.S. companies and 35 Armenian mining companies attended the event.

The conference was designed to strengthen the growing commercial ties between the United States and Armenia by introducing leading American businesses to Armenian mining sector operators, and by giving the American companies the opportunity to showcase the latest technological advances in the field.

“Mining, done responsibly and transparently in line with the highest international environmental and social standards, can be a successful investment and be of benefit to the Armenian people,” said Ambassador Richard M. Mills, Jr. in his opening remarks. “Sustainable mining, using the latest technology and equipment, can be safe for mining workers and can protect Armenia’s environment.”

The day-long event helped the U.S. companies gain a greater understanding of the objectives and priorities of Armenia’s government leaders and businesses, as well as the perspectives of multilateral financing institutions and other key business actors.

“Today we’re focusing on the mining sector, because as you know, it is one of the leading sectors in the Armenian economy and a major contributor to the GDP and the country’s exports. Mining represents real opportunities for Armenia,” said Ambassador Mills. “And these opportunities are not just ideas on paper; there are successful mining enterprises that are already in operation and looking to expand. We want to see them grow, and at the same time preserve the country’s natural beauty, invest in the communities where they operate, and protect their workforce.”

Seven U.S. corporations – Modular Mining Systems, General Electric, Caterpillar/Zeppelin, IBM, Honeywell, Terra Source Global and Dow – sent representatives to Yerevan to present their products and services and to learn about business opportunities in Armenia. The one-day program also featured presentations by EBRD Armenia, HSBC Bank, Lydian International, and Armenian government officials.

The 8^th informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Eastern Partnership countries will be held in Yerevan on November 17.

The event will bring together EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service Jean-Christophe Belliard, high-ranking delegations from Eastern Partnership participating countries.

The heads of delegation will give a joint press conference upon the conclusion of the meeting.

The same day the Eastern Partnership Ministers for Science and Technologies will hold dialogue dedicated to issues of research and innovation.

The delegations will be hosted by President Serzh Sargsyan.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received Bridget Brink, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Minister Nalbandian hailed the high-level friendly relations between Armenia and the United States, underlining that the bilateral ties have greatly advanced thanks to joint efforts, which creates good opportunities for further reinforcement and expansion of cooperation.

Bridget Brink noted, in turn, that the US values the partnership with Armenia and is interested in its further deepening.

The interlocutors referred to the perspectives of development of Armenian-American trade relations and exchanged views on the activity of the US-Armenia Council on Trade and Investments and the Armenian-American Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

The Armenian Foreign Minister and the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State discussed issues related to the implementation of the agreements reached at Vienna and St. Petersburg Summits aimed at furthering the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Edward Nalbandian and Bridget Brink exchanged views on urgent regional and international issues.

Israel on Tuesday named a new ambassador to Turkey, the foreign ministry said, the latest step towards normalizing diplomatic ties between the once strong Mediterranean allies following a breakdown in 2010, Reuters reports.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emanuel Nahshon said Eitan Na’eh, currently deputy ambassador in London, had been appointed ambassador in Ankara. It was not immediately announced when he would take up his post.

Turkey was also expected to name its envoy to Israel shortly.

Israel and Turkey said in June they would normalize relations – a rapprochement driven by the prospect of lucrative Mediterranean gas deals as well as mutual fears over security risks in the Middle East.

Both countries have recently increased cooperation in the energy sector.

Israeli-Turkish relations broke down in 2010 when 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed by Israeli commandos enforcing a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The soldiers had raided a ship, the Mavi Marmara, leading a flotilla to the Hamas Islamist-run Palestinian territory.

Israel has agreed to pay compensation to the families of those killed on the vessel, a crucial element in the restoration of ties.

Lionel Messi has revealed that Argentina’s players will boycott media duties following accusations made against attacker Ezequiel Lavezzi, reports.

Lavezzi is taking legal action after a journalist suggested he was left out of the squad because he had been smoking cannabis.

Messi inspired Argentina to their 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Colombia on Tuesday with a stunning free kick and two assists.

Afterwards, the captain announced the players would no longer be speaking to the press.

“We have made the decision to not speak to the media anymore – obviously you know why,” Messi said.

“We’ve had a lot of accusations, a lack of respect and we haven’t said anything but I believe that this overtakes everything.

“The accusation against Pocho [Lavezzi] is very serious because if it is made and we don’t say anything, the people believe it.

“So, because a lot of the people believe everything that is said, we prefer to cut it off. We are very sorry that it has to be this way but there is no other option.”

The victory, which ended a four-match winless run, saw Argentina jump into fifth in Conmebol qualifying.

Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan met with mass media representatives to present the program of increased social security benefits to be paid to families of military servicemen killed or handicapped in action or during combat duty.

Attaching importance to meetings with media representatives, Vigen Sargsyan noted that “they provide an opportunity to confer complete information both on the initiative under discussion and army-related issues of public interest.”

Minister Sargsyan briefed the participants on the ideology of “nation-army” and the main directions of the strategy of achieving maximal results.

The Defense Minister referred to the ongoing works in the armed forces and the future plans, the achievements and omissions.

Noting that the “nation-army” ideology does not lead to the militarization of the public or the state, Vigen Sargsyan noted that “only by utilizing the potential of the army, ensuring full interaction between the economic, social, public, educational, scientific and other fields will it be possible to guarantee the combat readiness of the army and the security of the state.”