Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting in Yerevan today, promising to further strengthen political and economic ties.
“We, the Georgian government, are ready to work hard for bilateral relations to become even more effective,” Agenda.ge cited the Georgian PM as saying.
Gakharia said that Georgia and Armenia can further strengthen ties in economy, construction field, infrastructure, culture and sports.
The Friends of Artsakh forum was held in Stepanakert on Oct. 11
The participants of the Friends of Artsakh Forum “Cooperation for Justice and Peace” adopted a concluding Declaration. The forum took place in Stepanakert, Artsakh on October 11.
The forum is jointly organized by the Artsakh Foreign Ministry and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
California State Senator Anthony Portantino, California State Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, traveled to Artsakh to participate in the forum.
The full text of the Declaration is available below.
Friends of Artsakh Forum ‘Cooperation for Justice and Peace’
Guided by the principles and ideals of freedom, democracy and equal rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other core international human rights instruments;
Recognizing the right of peoples to self-determination as one of the most important achievements of humankind for ensuring global peace, stability and equality among nations, as well as being convinced that effective implementation of this right is of paramount importance for promoting the development of friendly relations between States based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality;
Reaffirming the obligation by States to refrain from any forcible action, which deprives peoples of their right to self-determination, freedom, and independence;
Noting that the lasting resolution of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict is possible exclusively by peaceful means, based on the recognition of the results of realization by the people of Artsakh of their right to self-determination;
Members of the California delegation
Reiterating the importance of increasing the effectiveness of the mediation efforts by co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group by restoring full participation of the Republic of Artsakh at all stages of the peace process;
Taking into account that in their struggle for independence the people of Artsakh were guided exclusively by the principles and norms of the international law, democratic values, and universal ideals, which continue to remain the basis for the process of state-building in the Republic of Artsakh;
Highly appreciating the consistent steps taken by the people and authorities of the Republic of Artsakh to strengthen and develop a free and democratic society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Considering unacceptable any form of isolation of Artsakh from international processes and deprivation of its people of the benefits of international co-operation;
Reaffirming that human rights are universal and inalienable regardless of the political, legal or international status of the country of residence;
Recognizing the key importance of bilateral and multilateral international co-operation for the development of peaceful and friendly relations between peoples, their mutual cultural enrichment, as well as the promotion of economic prosperity;
“Pro Artsakh Forum: Cooperation for Justice and Peace”
Noting the importance of creating and strengthening the institutional framework for practical co-operation, and exchange of expertise with Artsakh in areas such as education, sports, culture, and economy;
We support the people of Artsakh on their path to freedom and democracy, as well as their efforts towards recognition of the Republic’s independence;
We express readiness to further develop and deepen the dialogue with the Republic of Artsakh with the involvement of broad public and political circles;
We call on the international community to take all necessary measures to remove obstacles in the equal participation of Artsakh in international co-operation aimed at promoting democracy, as well as strengthening peace and stability in the region;
We proclaim the formation of the International Network of the Friends of Artsakh ProArtsakh with the aim of raising awareness about Artsakh in the international arena, protecting the legitimate interests of its people, and promoting the involvement of Artsakh in international processes.
October 11, 2019
Stepanakert
Republic of Artsakh”
Further coverage will be provided by Asbarez in future additions.
Monday,
Putin, Pashinian Discuss Syria Crisis
Armenia -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) and Russian President
Vladimir Putin meet in Yerevan, October 1, 2019.
In a weekend phone call, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed with Russian
President Vladimir Putin the safety of ethnic Armenians remaining in Syria in
light of Turkish military operations conducted there.
The two men spoke by phone one day after attending a summit in Turkmenistan’s
capital Ashgabat of leaders of former Soviet states. The Kremlin said they
followed up on their conversations on the sidelines of the summit but did not
give any details.
A slightly longer readout of the phone call released by the Armenian government
said Pashinian and Putin spoke about the situation in northern Syria and other
“regional issues.”
“Yesterday I made a request to [Putin at Ashgabat] which is important in terms
of the security of the Armenian community in Syria,” Pashinian wrote on
Facebook later on Saturday. “I am grateful to the Russian president for his
rapid response.” He did not elaborate.
The Armenian government has condemned Turkey’s incursion into northeastern
Syrian regions mostly controlled by Kurdish militia.It has said it is
particularly concerned about the security of ethnic and religious minorities
living there.
Those include a few thousand ethnic Armenians mostly based in the border town
of Qamishli. The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, said
on Friday that Yerevan is ready to help them take refuge in their historical
homeland.
Armenia has already taken in more than 20,000 Syrian Armenian refugees since
the outbreak of the bloody conflict in Syria. Most of them used to live in the
northern city of Aleppo.
In February, more than 80 Armenian demining experts, army medics and other
non-combat military personnel were deployed in and around Aleppo. Pashinian
made clear last week that the Armenian military will continue the “humanitarian
mission” closely coordinated with Russia.
European Court To Give Advisory Opinion On Kocharian Case
• Naira Bulghadarian
FRANCE -- The building of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg,
September 11, 2019
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has formally agreed to advise
Armenia’s Constitutional Court on the legality of coup charges brought against
former President Robert Kocharian.
Kocharian was charged last year under Article 300.1of the Armenian Criminal
Code dealing with violent seizure of power. The accusation stems from the 2008
post-election street clashes in Yerevan which left ten people dead.
In separate appeals, Kocharian and a district court judge in Yerevan asked the
Constitutional Court early this year to determine whether the article conforms
to the Armenian constitution. The ex-president’s lawyers argued, among other
things, that the clause was added to the Criminal Code in 2009 and cannot be
used retroactively against him.
In July, the Constitutional Court suspended the consideration of the appeals,
asking the ECHR as well as the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission for
“advisory opinions” on the matter.
“The European Court of Human Rights has accepted a request for an advisory
opinion from the Constitutional Court of Armenia and has constituted a Grand
Chamber of 17 judges to consider it,” the Strasbourg-based tribunal said in a
weekend statement.
The statement said the judges will arrive at a common conclusion regarding
Article 300.1’s conformity with the European Convention on Human Rights.
“Advisory opinions, which are given by the Grand Chamber, give reasons and are
not binding,” it stressed.
The ECHR gave Kocharian’s legal team and the Armenian parliament until November
19 to present “written observations” to the chamber. Other interested parties,
including the Armenian government, can send their comments to Strasbourg by
December 4, according to the statement.
Armenia’s representative to the ECHR, Yeghishe Kirakosian, said on Monday that
the government will exercise that right. Kirakosian declined to shed light on
the government’s likely arguments.
Kocharian, who was arrested again in June, is specifically accused of illegally
using Armenian army units against opposition protesters that demanded the rerun
of a disputed presidential election held in February 2008, two months before he
completed his second and final term. The 65-year-old ex-president was also
charged with bribery early this year. He denies all charges leveled against him
as politically motivated.
Armenia’s Constitutional Court Refuses To Oust Chairman
• Gayane Saribekian
Armenia -- Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian (C) reads out a ruling
on an appeal lodged by former President Robert Kocharian, Yerevan, September 4,
2019.
Members of the Constitutional Court on Monday rejected lawmakers’ calls for the
dismissal of its chairman, Hrayr Tovmasian, who is increasingly at loggerheads
with Armenia’s political leadership.
The Armenian parliament appealed to the court on October 4 with a resolution
drafted by its pro-government majority and endorsed by Justice Minister Rustam
Badasian.
It denounced, among other things, Tovmasian’s handling of appeals against the
legality of coup charges brought against the arrested former President Robert
Kocharian. The resolution also said that Tovmasian cannot make impartial
decisions on this case because of his past membership in the former ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
Tovmasian would have been replaced if at least six of the Constitutional
Court’s nine judges had voted against him.
In the event, the high court refused to even hold detailed discussions and vote
on Tovmasian’s future. It did not immediately explain the rebuff or reveal how
many judges backed it.
The decision was announced several hours after the court met to discuss the
issue. One of the judges, Alvina Gyulumian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that
Tovmasian is not taking part in the meeting because of being on vacation.
Armenia -- Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian reads out a court
verdict on an appeal filed by former President Robert Kocharian, September 4,
2019.
Tovmasian, who was installed as court chairman by Armenia’s previous leadership
overthrown in the 2018 “Velvet Revolution,” strongly denies violations of the
due process, political bias and conflict of interest alleged by the
parliamentary resolution.
Tovmasian claimed on October 2 that the Armenian authorities are seeking to
oust him in order to gain control over the country’s highest court and be able
to make unconstitutional decisions. He said he will not bow to the pressure
despite the recent arrests of two individuals linked to him.
Senior lawmakers from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s My Step alliance
condemned Tovmasian’s statements when the National Assembly debated the
resolution two days later.
In a September 4 ruling read out by Tovmasian, the Constitutional Court
declared unconstitutional a legal provision used by investigators against
Kocharian. Pashinian called the ruling “illegal,” citing dissenting opinions
voiced by two court judges.
In July, Pashinian charged that Tovmasian had cut political deals with former
President Serzh Sarkisian to “privatize” the court. Tovmasian responded by
warning the government against trying to force him and his colleagues to resign.
Britain Reverses Appointment Of New Envoy To Armenia
UK -- Alan Gogbashian, a British diplomat of Armenian descent.
The British government has unexpectedly rescinded its recent decision to
appoint an ethnic Armenian diplomat as the United Kingdom’s new ambassador to
Armenia.
The government announced two months ago that Alan Gogbashian will replace
Judith Farnworth, a fellow diplomat who has served as British ambassador in
Yerevan for the last four years. The announcement was welcomed by many in
Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora.
“This is the first time that a Diaspora Armenian will be ambassador to
Armenia,” the office of Zareh Sinanyan, Armenia’s Armenian-American
commissioner general of Diaspora affairs, said on August 12.
“Mr Alan Gogbashian will no longer be taking up the role of Her Majesty’s
Ambassador to Yerevan for operational reasons,” read a statement released by
the British Embassy in Yerevan on Monday. “Mr Gogbashian will be transferring
to another Diplomatic Service appointment.”
“Mr David Moran has been appointed as Chargé d’Affaires with the rank of
Ambassador in the interim, until a new Ambassador is appointed,” added the
statement posted on the embassy’s Facebook page.
The British mission gave no further explanation for the abrupt and highly
unusual reversal of ambassadorial appointment.
Gogbashian lived and worked in Armenia nearly two decades ago, before joining
the British diplomatic service. He has headed various divisions at the British
Foreign Office since 2014. He was Britain’s deputy head of mission in Morocco
from 2011-2014.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Thursday,
Former Police Chief Also Charged Over 2008 Crackdown
• Naira Bulghadarian
Amenia - The national police chief, Alik Sargsian, argues with protesters
outside the prime minister's office in Yerevan, 01Sep2011.
Alik Sargsian, a former chief of the Armenian police, has been charged with
covering up what law-enforcement authorities now describe as security forces’
illegal post-election crackdown on opposition protesters in Yerevan in 2008.
Sargsian was named to run the national police service shortly after former
President Robert Kocharian handed over power to Serzh Sarkisian, his preferred
successor and the official winner of a disputed presidential election held in
February 2008. Sarkisian took office in April 2008 just over a month after
violent street clashes in Yerevan which left eight protesters and two police
personnel dead.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said on Wednesday evening that later in
2008 two aides to the new Armenian president ordered senior police officers,
including Alik Sargsian, to destroy evidence of the “overthrow of the
constitutional order” led by Kocharian.
An SIS statement claimed that the officers forged and backdated documents
justifying the use of force against supporters of opposition presidential
candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, who staged daily demonstrations against alleged
vote rigging. It said they also helped to cover up the Armenian army’s alleged
involvement in the crackdown which investigators say was illegal.
Sargsian, who headed the police until 2011, flatly denied the accusations of
abuse of power, forgery and cover-up leveled against him. “I have nothing to do
with the March 1 [2008 events,]” said the retired police general who served as
a provincial governor during the deadly violence.
Sargsian, who was not arrested despite facing the grave charges, said he will
not hire a lawyer for now. “I don’t yet feel the need to have a defender,” he
said.
One of the presidential aides mentioned in the SIS statement, Gevorg Kostanian,
was subsequently appointed as Armenia’s prosecutor-general, while the other,
Gevorg Mherian, became a deputy chief of the national police. Mherian was shot
dead by an unknown gunman in February 2009. Nobody has been prosecuted in
connection with his murder.
The SIS did not indict Kostanian, who was elected to Armenia’s former
parliament in 2017 on the then ruling Republican Party’s ticket. Kostanian on
Thursday dismissed the “nonsensical” allegations made by the law-enforcement
body investigating the dramatic events of February-March 2008.
The SIS statement came two days after Alik Sargsian’s predecessor as police
chief, Hayk Harutiunian, was found shot to death in his home. Law-enforcement
authorities suggested that he committed suicide.
Harutiunian was repeatedly interrogated by investigators as a witness in the
case. The SIS claimed on Wednesday that he too had signed “official documents
containing false information and records” about the 2008 crackdown.
Two Armenian news websites reported on Tuesday that moments before his death
Harutiunian complained that he is being pressured by the authorities to give
false incriminating testimony against Kocharian. Law-enforcement officials
denied those reports.
Kocharian is currently under arrest, standing trial, along with three other
former officials, on coup charges. He rejects them as politically motivated.
Pashinian Slams ‘Former Corrupt Elites’ In UN Speech
U.S. -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during the 74th Session
of the General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York,
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian accused Armenia’s former rulers of trying to
obstruct his anti-corruption efforts and spreading “fake news” when he
addressed the UN General Assembly late on Wednesday.
“Our democratic transformation and zero tolerance policy against corruption are
not without resistance from former corrupted elites,” Pashinian said in a
speech. “Their vast financial resources are directed at escaping justice. Our
government has not pursued a single case of redistribution of property. At the
same time our resolve to press with reforms and justice is unwavering.”
“Our mass media is completely free from government control or interference,” he
went on. “However, some of them are not free from meddling and control from the
same old circles of former government, fabricating fake news and spreading
mistrust in the public about the origins and purposes of the Velvet Revolution.”
Meeting with Armenian Americans in New York earlier in the day, Pashinian
pointed to several former officials, including a brother of former President
Serzh Sarkisian, who have been charged with corruption since he swept to power
in the April-May 2018 revolution.
Armen Ashotian, the deputy chairman of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK), denounced Pashinian on Thursday for bringing up domestic political
issues at the UN body.
“Nikol is a rare leader who has used the UN rostrum for his internal political
agenda,” said Ashotian. “For example, it didn’t occur to [U.S. President
Donald] Trump to attack the Democrats who have launched impeachment proceedings
against him.”
“I hope that another person will speak on behalf of our country at the UN next
year,” he wrote on Facebook.
Ashotian and other HHK figures reacted in a similar fashion after Pashinian
branded Sarkisian and his relatives a “professionally corrupt family” and said
they “must return what they plundered” at a September 22 news conference in Los
Angeles.
In the 30-minute UN speech, Pashinian also said that his government is
committed to “advance democracy and reforms” but needs greater international
assistance in that endeavor.
“We need to have access to international best practices to save time and
resources,” he said. “We need to avoid the mistakes previously made by other
democracies to make our democratic reforms more fruitful and efficient.”
Luxury Hotel ‘Donated’ To Armenian Government
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- The Golden Palace hotel in Tsaghkadzor.
The Armenian government completed on Thursday the nationalization of a luxury
hotel handed over to it by a former senior official facing a corruption
investigation.
The Golden Palace hotel located in the resort town of Tsaghkadzor has until now
belonged to Armen Avetisian, a former chief of the Armenian customs service,
and his family. They offered to donate it to the state last November after the
National Security Service (NSS) moved to prosecute Avetisian for illegal
entrepreneurship and money laundering.
The NSS claimed in October 2018 that Avetisian financed the construction of a
similar five-star hotel in Yerevan when he headed the State Customs Committee
(SCC) from 2001-2008. The financing was carried out through an obscure company
registered in Cyprus and falsely presented as foreign investment, it said.
It remains unclear whether Avetisian was formally charged afterwards.
In February this year, the then NSS director, Artur Vanetsian, said that the
Tsaghkadzor hotel’s transfer to the state is “in progress.”
The government completed that process at a weekly meeting chaired by Deputy
Prime Minister Tigran Avinian. The latter said that the government should
decide before the end of this year what to do with the presently disused
property.
Armenia’s State Property Management Committee estimates the hotel’s market
value at around $16.5 million. The head of the government agency, Narek
Babayan, said some investors have already offered to buy it at a higher price.
“But I believe that an auction would be the best option in case of a sale [of
the hotel,]” Babayan told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
The NSS launched the investigation into Avetisian shortly Vanetsian alleged
that former President Robert Kocharian and his family accumulated hundreds of
millions of dollars worth of assets when he ruled Armenia from 1998-2008.
Kocharian dismissed the allegations, challenging law-enforcement authorities to
prove them. In an August 2018 interview, he also insisted that Avetisian did
not make a huge personal fortune while in office.
The former customs chief faced corruption allegations by opposition figures and
media throughout his tenure.
Press Review
“Haykakan Zhamanak” deplores opposition “propaganda manipulations” of Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s latest remark that a Karabakh settlement must be
acceptable to the peoples of not only Armenia and Karabakh but also Azerbaijan.
The pro-Pashinian paper says that a more intransigent statement by Pashinian
would simply make no sense because no Karabakh peace accord can be put into
practice without being signed by Azerbaijan. “In other words, a variant
satisfying all three conflicting parties is the only way to resolve the
conflict,” it says.
Lragir.am comments on investigators’ latest allegations of an official cover-up
of the 2008 crackdown on the Armenian opposition and resulting criminal charges
brought against Alik Sargsian, a former chief of the Armenian police. The
publication draws parallels between Sargsian’s denial of the charges and former
President Robert Kocharian’s claims that he was not aware of controversial
orders issued to Armenia’s police and army in February-March 2008. It also
says: “The current investigation has not yet found the answer to the main
question: the circumstances of the killings of ten persons.”
“Zhamanak” comments on Pashinian’s repeated statements to the effect that his
government is seeking the “truth” about the Amulsar gold mining project
disrupted more than a year ago. The paper says that Pashinian is thus trying to
“win time in a difficult situation.” “It does not matter for which solution [he
is doing that] because either solution would cause a great deal of resistance
which would have to be overcome,” it says, adding that the challenger for the
Armenian government is to determine which decision on the future of the project
would be a lesser evil.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
In the department of investigation of particularly important cases of the main military investigation department of the RA Investigative Committee, the relevant officials of the RA Ministry of Defense and the RA Armed Forces abused their official powers and exceeded their official powers, in 2018. 25/6 G.Hasratyan Street, Yerevan, apartment building in January “On housing provision for servicemen of the RA Ministry of Defense system” of the RA Government dated 03.07.2007. In the course of the preliminary investigation initiated in the criminal case initiated under Article 308, Part 1 and Article 309, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code regarding the violation of the order established by Resolution No. 384, a sufficient combination of evidence was obtained to indict Vigen Sargsyan, the former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, as an accused in the case of transfer of official powers.
In particular, it was substantiated in the criminal case that the RA government’s 07.03.2007 by decision No. 384-N and the RA Minister of Defense dated 19.03.2013 According to Order No. 287, the authority to discuss the issue of providing free-of-charge housing to servicemen who need to improve housing conditions, with the exception of areas included in the list approved by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, except for the territories included in the list approved by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, was assigned to the Central Housing Commission of the Republic of Armenia, which was to be headed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia on 07.03.2007. According to decision No. 384-N, however, the RA Minister of Defense made a decision regarding the allocation of 29 out of 71 apartments in the building number 25/6 of G. Hasratyan Street in Yerevan, and the issue of the allocation of these apartments was not discussed by the committee at all, and as a result of the committee’s discussion, a number of apartments in the mentioned building, on the instructions of the RA Minister of Defense, were allocated by the commission in violation of the order established by the above-mentioned decision of the RA Government, as a result of which significant damage was caused to the RA Defense System. to the rights of servicemen in need of a residential area, to the latter’s and the legal interests of the state.
Bearing in mind that in accordance with Article 190, Part 6 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code, the investigators of the Special Investigation Service conduct the preliminary investigation of the cases of complicity or crimes committed by the head employees of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities of the Republic of Armenia, persons performing public service in connection with their official position, therefore, the criminal case was sent to the Special Investigation Service of the RA to continue the preliminary investigation.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s working visit to the United States of America has begun. The working visit started with the planned agenda in the city of Los Angeles.
On September 22, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the members of the Central Board of the Social-Democratic Hnchakyan Party of the West Coast of America, the chairman of the Central Board of the SDHAP. Hambik Sarafyan led by
Welcoming the representatives of the SDP leadership, Prime Minister Pashinyan noted. “Dear Mr. Sarafyan, dear colleagues, I am glad to meet with you here today and also to discuss the issues of our current agenda. Of course, this visit, no matter how much we try to make it practical, turns out to be more emotional than practical. At least it is not bad, because it creates a better background for discussing many issues of the agenda related to our country and people in a much better atmosphere. I am very happy, I welcome you, and I hope that our contacts and discussions will be the same in the future.”
Hambik Sarafyan, the chairman of the Central Board of the SDAP, on behalf of the Central Board of the SDAP, welcomed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and noted that the SDAP welcomes and supports the reforms taking place in Armenia.
“Dear Mr. Prime Minister, SDHAP expresses its support to you and the Armenian government in the process of democratic, economic and legal changes implemented in the homeland. We are ready to support you and we are sure that under your leadership we will be able to successfully continue the progress of mother Armenia”, said the chairman of the central board of the SDAP.
At the meeting, the changes implemented in Armenia, the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora ties, the involvement of the Diaspora in the reforms implemented in our country, combining efforts to ensure Armenia’s economic progress and other issues were discussed.
Referring to the trends of economic development of Armenia, the Prime Minister of Armenia noted that the indicators of economic growth are becoming more and more optimistic in different directions every month, there is a good dynamic, the reaction of the international community also contributes to this process. “At this stage, I emphasize building the right atmosphere of communication with the Diaspora, I mean that there should not be any feeling of alienation, isolation in the Diaspora, the Diaspora should be fully involved in the process of Armenia’s progress. For this purpose, during my visits abroad, I have meetings with the widest possible circles of Armenian communities in the Diaspora. I think it’s time to consolidate our national potential around Armenia,” said Nikol Pashinyan.
On the same day, Nikol Pashinyan met in Los Angeles with the leadership of the Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramkavar) Party of the West Coast of America, the chairman of the party, Dr. Raffi Balyan led by
Welcoming the representatives of the leadership of the Ramkavar Liberal Party on the West Coast of America, the Prime Minister of Armenia noted. “Dear colleagues, dear Mr. Balya, I am very happy for today’s meeting. This is a very good opportunity to meet and discuss in Los Angeles. Of course, today we will have several opportunities to meet and discuss. We highly appreciate the role of your organization in general Armenian preservation, in the Republic of Armenia, outside its territory.
We also make this emphasis during the meeting with our other partners. One of the most important tasks of our government is to not only preserve and develop the positive background that exists between the Armenian government and the Diaspora, but also to make it permanent and a tradition for all Armenian governments. In our situation today, our task is to generate, double, triple the success and turn it into a national, nationwide result. That is why it is very important to build the right atmosphere in relations with the Diaspora, to create the right working mechanisms, and, most importantly, to make the entire Diaspora feel like a full beneficiary of the Republic of Armenia. This is our problem, which we hope to solve with the participation of you and our other structures and parties in the Diaspora.”
Raffi Balyan, chairman of the Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramkavar) Party of the West Coast of America, welcomed the Prime Minister of Armenia, noting: “Dear Mr. Prime Minister, on behalf of the leadership of the West American region of the Ramkavar Liberal Party, we would like to welcome you to the city of Los Angeles and congratulate you on the 28th anniversary of Independence Day. Մենք շնորհակալ ենք այս առիթի համար։ Our party, which is a hundred-year-old traditional Armenian party, carries out its activities in the territory of Western America, especially in the cities of Fresno and Los Angeles. We continue that patriotic activity even today, and we are always ready for the motherland.” The members of the leadership of the party stated that they support the Prime Minister of Armenia and support the large-scale reforms implemented by the government, which are aimed at the progress and prosperity of Armenia.
Issues related to the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora relations, the development of Armenia, and the full involvement of the Diaspora in the ongoing processes were discussed at the meeting.
Parliament supply staffer arrested for faking commemorative medals
12:36,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. An official in charge of supplying the Parliament of Armenia staff with gold-plated silver commemorative medals for awarding occasions has been arrested in suspicion of embezzlement.
The Investigative Committee said the Head of the Administrative Supply Department of the National Assembly Staff is in custody for supplying fake medals. Authorities said they were investigating a report on the alleged misconduct since June 24 after being tipped off by another staffer.
According to preliminary information staffers at the parliament have violated the law on procurement from 2015 to 2017.
All medals at the parliament’s warehouse have been confiscated and the apartments of employees of the parliament’s staff have been searched.
The arrested staffer has caused nearly 10,000,000 drams in damages by his actions, according to authorities.
The suspect collaborated with one of his acquaintances who happens to be a jeweler, and awarded him the official tender to supply the commemorative coins (278 units of the Commemorative Medal of the National Assembly President and 75 units of the National Assembly Medal of Honor). The jeweler was paid more than 12 million drams. However, the latter supplied the parliament’s staff with fake medals with each having the cost of around 4000 drams and being made from copper and zinc.
A lab test confirmed that the medals are gold-plated cheap fakes.
The Head of the Administrative Supply Department has been arrested on September 19 on charges of abuse of power and embezzlement.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
AS Roma’s Mkhitaryan named Man of the Match in Sassuolo clash
08:41,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian football star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been named Man of the Match by AS Roma in the Sassuolo clash.
Roma defeated Sassuolo 4:2 and Mkhitaryan had scored a goal in the match.
The Armenian international was named Man of the Match as a result of a voting initiated by AS Roma on Twitter.
Mkhitaryan joined Roma on loan from Arsenal.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
The ANCA is leading a nationwide Congressional outreach campaign to ensure Senate support for key pro-Armenia and Artsakh foreign aid measures and to ensure Artsakh security. Advocates can take action by visiting anca.org/takeaction
Launches Grassroots Letter Campaign at anca.org/takeaction to Address Key Pro-Armenian Appropriations and Defense Measures on the Docket
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have returned from the August recess and are set to begin consideration of two key Armenian National Committee of America-backed pro-Armenia and Artsakh measures dealing with expanded U.S. assistance to the region and efforts to ensure Artsakh security.
First, the Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on the Fiscal Year 2020 foreign aid bill, a far-ranging multi-billion measure that touches on a number of ANCA policy priorities. Prior to the August recess, the U.S. House had adopted two ANCA-backed amendments that we are encouraging Senators to include in their version of the foreign aid bill. The first, the Speier Amendment, allocates an additional $40 million in democracy development assistance, while the second, the Cox Amendment, appropriated continued funding for de-mining and other humanitarian programs in Artsakh.
Meanwhile, key leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Armed Services Committees will be meeting to serve on a “conference committee” responsible with reconciling the House and Senate versions of a major defense authorization bill – known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). During negotiations, legislators are encouraged to ensure that two vital pro-Artsakh amendments – the Sherman and Chu Amendments – are included in the final version of this legislation that is sent to the White House for the President’s signature.
The Sherman Amendment — offered by Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) with the support of Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Vice-Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) — prohibits funds from being used to transfer defense articles or services to Azerbaijan unless the President certifies to Congress that the articles or services do not threaten civil aviation. This amendment was necessitated by the public assertion, reported by Radio Free Europe in March of 2011, by Arif Mamadov, the Director of Azerbaijan’s Civil Aviation Administration, that the Azerbaijani government had warned the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that “the law on aviation envisages the physical destruction of airplanes landing in that territory,” specifically referencing flights to Nagorno Karabakh. As a result of this threat – which has never been withdrawn – the civilian airport in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh has been closed ever since. The U.S. House adopted the amendment on July 11, 2019, by a vote of 234 to 195.
The Chu Amendment — offered by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) with the support of Representatives Pallone and Schiff — supports measures to continue the cease-fire in Artsakh, including the non-deployment of snipers, heavy arms, and new weaponry, the deployment of gunfire locator systems, and an increase in OSCE observers along the line-of-contact. The three specific proposals advanced as part of the Chu Amendment are consistent with the Royce-Engel peace proposal, first put forward in October of 2015 by the bipartisan leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a letter to the Department of State signed by 85 U.S. Representatives. They enjoy broad-based Congressional support and are endorsed, in principle by the State Department, the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, but – not yet – by Azerbaijan. The U.S. House adopted the measure “en bloc” with other amendments by voice vote on July 11, 2019.
ANCA advocates across the U.S. have been contacting their legislators through the organization’s March to Justice action portal to encourage legislators to ensure expanded U.S. assistance to Artsakh and Armenia and defend the key pro-Artsakh amendments to the NDAA.