Author: Alex Jidarian

Over its presidency in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Armenia will pay special attention to the development of the peacekeeping component and strengthening of the CSTO defense, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on Tuesday at an extended meeting of the CSTO summit, TASS reports.

“Such tasks as further improvement of control over the collective security system, including collective regional forces, promptness in taking and implementing decisions, holding joint drills, such as the Opyt-2016 (Experience) exercises due in Armenia, are coming to the fore,” he said. “Of great importance is joint effort to develop the system of CSTO crisis management.”

The Armenian President stressed that over his country’s presidency in the CSTO “big attention will be also paid to the organization’s peacekeeping component.” “It is time to set up a basic organization to train CSTO peacekeepers,” Sargsyan said. “We suggest the center for training Armenian army’s peacekeeping brigade be considered as a base for such organization.”

“Our efforts should be rooted in due account of joint liabilities and opinions of the partners,” the Armenian president stressed. “Another topical task is to expand CSTO’s cooperation with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).”

“The Armenian Presidency “will also focus on joint struggle against international terrorism and radicalism, neo-fascism, chauvinism and other expressions of xenophobia,” President Sargsyan told journalists following the summit of the CSTO member states in Tajikistan, President’s Press Office reported.

“In this context we attach importance to the intensification of joint efforts to tackle cybercrime,” the Armenian President said.

Armenia takes over presidency in the Collective Security Treaty Organization after today’s session of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

 

Kurdish forces in northern Syria say they have captured a key military base from Islamic State (IS) north of the militants’ self-declared capital of Raqqa, the BBC reports.

The Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) were backed by US-led air strikes and other rebel groups.

It comes a week after Kurdish forces seized a Syrian border crossing with Turkey from the jihadists.

The move cut off a major supply route for IS.

A Kurdish forces spokesman said they had complete control of the Liwa (Brigade) 93 base, which is deep in IS-held territory.

Redur Xelil said the YPG was now on the outskirts of Ain Issa, a town only 50km (30 miles) north of Raqqa.

“They [IS] have been defeated,” he said.

Dylann Roof, the suspected gunman in the South Carolina church shooting, had recently been given a weapon as a birthday present, according to a relative, the BBC reports.

The 21-year-old’s uncle told Reuters that Mr Roof’s father gave him a .45-calibre handgun.

Carson Cowles said he tried to mentor his nephew, who had no job or driver’s licence, but Roof was not receptive to this idea.

“I actually talked to him on the phone briefly for just a few moments and he was saying well I’m outside target practicing with my new gun,” Mr Cowles said, describing a phone call around the time of Mr Roof’s birthday in April.

 

 

 

 

Political crisis awaits Turkey as the ruling Justice and Development Party has failed to win the majority, while the rest of the parties will not form coalition either with Erdogan or with each other, expert of Turkish studies Hakob Chakryan told reporters today.

Hakob Chakryan said it was important for the People’s Democratic Party to cross the threshold of 10 percent. Had it received less than 10 percent of the ballot, the votes would add up to those of Erdogan’s party. The latter would thus be able to change the Constitution and make Turkey a presidential republic.

The dreams vanished as the ruling party even failed to make a simple majority, the expert said. According to him, the perspectives are dim, as the four parties to be represented in the 500-seat parliament are unlikely to form a coalition.

“None of the opposition parties is willing to form a coalition with the Justice and Development party. Neither do they want to form a coalition with each other. Therefore, political crisis is awaiting Turkey. Even yesterday, there were already talks about snap elections. That means the situation is not that good,” Chakryan said.

As for the three Armenians to be represented in the Turkish Parliament, the expert said “they cannot play any positive role for the Armenian Cause.”

“If they at least manage to defend the interests of the Turkish Armenian communty, that will be positive,” he said.

Seven people died as a result of a road accident on the 10^th kilometer of the Tashir-Stepanavan highway.

The Volkswagen Tuareg went off the road shortly after midnight, hit a tree and caught on fire.

The victims of the accident were residents of Tashir city and were identified as Vanik Mardoyan, Karen Khachatryan, Gevorg Poghosyan, Arman Tonoyan, Gaspar Ghukeyan, Vahag Albertyan (all from Tashir city) and Arthur Balyan from Yerevan.

A criminal case has been launched at the Lori branch of the Investigative Committee. Probe into the details of the case is under way.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin received today the Personal Representativeof the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for Nagorno Karabakh, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting the parties discussed urgent issues connected with the situation in the Karabakh conflict zone.

The Canadian Senate reaffirmed on May 13 its recognition of the Armenian Genocide by reiterating support for Motion 44, first approved in June 2002, Horizon Weekly reports. 

 

 

 

A group of Armenian journalists paid a week-long visit to China at the initiative of the Chinese Embassy in Armenia.

“We have a reliable partner in the face of Armenia. The Armenian-Chinese friendship is at the highest level today,” Deputy Foreign Minister of China Chen Gopin said at the meeting with reporters.

“I believe the journalists’ visit will contribute to the further deepening and reinforcement of business and friendly ties between the two countries and peoples,” he added. Speaking about Armenia, the Deputy Minister said “Armenia stands out for its brilliant culture and history. Wise and diligent Armenia is building its own home today. As for our friendship, it dates back to the times of the Silk Road.”

Which are the most promising fields of Armenian-Chinese cooperation? “Despite the long distance between Armenia and China, we have managed to establish cooperation thanks to the powerful Silk Road. Both countries have advantages in the fields of industry and economy and can effectively complement each other.”

“About ten years ago a successful Armenian-Chinese project was implemented. Here we founded a rubber factory on the basis of Armenian technologies. China, for its part, is ready to support Armenia, particularly in the fields of infrastructure and transport. I should note that some Chinese communities are successfully growing Armenian apricot, which has become another symbol of friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” Chen Gopin said.

“Armenia is a unique country and I think the number of tourists wishing to see something special will grow,” said an official from the Ministry of Commerce. He said the January issue of the most prestigious tourism magazine in China was completely devoted to Armenia.

Commenting on the expor of Armenian goods to China, he said “the difficulties are connected with the lack of sea route between the two countries, which results in the increased prices.”

“Within the framework of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to China the leaders of the two countries reached an agreement to intensify the cooperation in building a Silk Road Economic Zone. A corresponding cooperation agreement has been signed between China’s Ministry of Commerce and Armenia’s Ministry of Economy. We’ll help develop your infrastructures. It requires means and efforts,  but we hope to solve the issue of transportation in a few years.”

The Turkish government has hired former CIA Director Porter Goss for lobbying activities, according to a form filed with the US Department of Justice that was published online, reports.

The form, filed pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, was published on Friday by The Intercept, an online publication that focuses on reporting on the documents leaked by Edward Snowden.

Goss, who served as the CIA director from 2004 to 2006 under the George W. Bush administration, registered through his new employer, Dickstein Shapiro, a law firm which The Intercept said has a long standing relationship with the Turkish government.

According to the form, Goss will “provide counsel in connection with the extension and strengthening of the Turkish-American relationship in a number of key areas that are the subject of debate in Congress, including trade, energy security, counter-terrorism efforts and efforts to build regional stability in the broader Middle East and Europe; educate Members of Congress and the Administration on issues of importance to Turkey; notify Turkey of any action in Congress or the Executive Branch on issues of importance to Turkey; and prepare analyses of developments in Congress and the Executive Branch on issues of importance to Turkey.”

The form, dated April 23, indicates that Goss’ services will continue indefinitely.

The Intercept report called Goss’ decision to work for the Turkish government as an “odd choice” for the ex-CIA director, who once declared “there is no viable alternative to freedom – only freedom offers men and women the opportunity to reach their full potential,” given the poor press freedom record of the Turkish government, which has arrested dozens of journalists, has violently suppressed peaceful protests and has censored social media.

President Serzh Sargsyan, who has paid a working visit to the United States of America, today visited the Library of Congress which has recently been significantly enriched with new video and audio records and digital materials.

The president toured the library, familiarized himself with some of the exhibits which included numerous Armenian language materials and those about Armenia – historical records, old maps with Armenia and testimonies of the Armenian Genocide by American diplomat Henry Morgenthau and others.

Later on, Serzh Sargsyan had a brief meeting with James Billington, Librarian of Congress.

The president also attended the cancellation ceremony of new stamps marking the Armenian Genocide Centennial. HayPost CJSC, the official national postal operator of the Republic of Armenia, cancelled one stamp titled “The Armenian Genocide Centennial: Henry Morgenthau” and one stamp with a souvenir sheet titled “The Armenian Genocide Centennial: American Committee for Relief in the Near East.”

The souvenir sheet displays the donation poster of the American Committee for Relief in the Near East, “They Shall Not Perish,” with the background of Armenian orphans thanking the U.S.