No violations of the agreement on ceasefire were registered at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan last night, NKR Defense Ministry reports.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep the operational situation under control and take necessary steps to organize a reliable protection of the military positions.
The Armenian national team will play two friendlies in Los-Angeles, USA. The team will face Guatemala on May 28 and El Salvador – on June 1.
Head coach Varuzhan Sukiasyan has called up 11 players from abroad to take part in the upcoming matches:
Gael Andonian, Dijon FCO (France)
Hrayr Mkoyan, Esteghlal (Iran)
Hovhannes Hambardzumyan, FK Vardar (FYR Macedonia)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan Borussia (Dortmund, Germany)
Marcos Pizzelli Al Raed (Saudi Arabia)
Aras Ozbiliz, Rayo Vallecano (Spain)
Karlen Mkrtchyan FC Anji (Russia)
Gor Malakyan, Stal (Ukraine)
Edgar Manucharyan FC Ural (Russia)
Artur Sarkisov, FC Volga (Russia)
Gegham Kadimyan Karpaty (Ukraine)
On this day we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day. On the 25th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration the EU wishes to recall the principle that “the establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development”.
The right to freedom of opinion and expression includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information. It is a key component of democratic governance and development. People need to be fully informed to be able to form an opinion and participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives. Freedom of information also contributes to better governance as it enhances transparency in public affairs and can be used as a tool to make governments accountable for their actions, in particular when access to information results in the exposure of human rights violations or corruption practices.
Ensuring access to information can serve to promote justice and reparation, in particular after periods of grave violations of human rights.
The EU is committed to continue promoting and protecting freedom of opinion and expression worldwide, not only offline but also in relation to the cyberspace and other information communication technologies, as highlighted by the adoption in 2014 of the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline.
It condemns the increasing level of intimidation and violence that journalists, Human Rights Defenders, media actors and other individuals face in many countries across the world when exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression online and offline.
In addition to combating outright violence the EU is determined to fight against laws or practices that impose censorship, encourage self-censorship or provide legal penalties, including criminal, financial and administrative sanctions, as well as against the misuse of market powers and poor economic conditions.
The EU reaffirms its determination to promote and support, freedoms of opinion and expression as rights to be exercised by everyone everywhere, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and universality – through any media and regardless of frontiers.
This is your Right!
Turkey rejects a European Parliament progress report released on Thursday, Ankara’s European Union Affairs Minister said, citing a reference in the report to the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
“Unfortunately this year… the same reference takes place in the European Parliament’s Turkey report. These expressions, despite all our efforts and our warnings, could not be dropped,” Volkan Bozkir told reporters at a news conference in Austria, when asked about the report’s reference to genocide.
“That’s why we will consider this report as null and void and our permanent representative will send it back to the European Parliament.”
It’s impossible to demand solutions from the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia’s Permanent Represnetative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich has said, RIA Novosti reports.
According to him, it’s up to Yerevan and Baku to make decisions on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
“It’s necessary to understand that the Minsk Group was created as a mechanism to help the parties reach agreements. It’s impossible to demand solutions from the Minsk Group without the conflicting parties reaching agreements,” Lukashevich said.
“Ultimately, everything should be decided by Yerevan and Baku, and everyone, including the OSCE, is trying to help the parties,” he said.
Two Armenian soldiers were killed in Karvachar last night. Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan confirmed the news to Public Radio of Armenia.
After Azerbaijan launched a massive attack on all fronts of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic late Friday and early Saturday, hundreds are volunteering to fight on the frontlines.
NKR Prime Minister Araik Harutyunyan met with volunteers today. The PM briefed them on the situation at the frontline and assured that “the NKR Defense Army keeps full control of the military situation and has inflicted heavy losses on the Azerbaijani army.”
“I’m glad to see so many people volunteering to fight. All of us will go to protect the borders of the Motherland if necessary. At this point I urge you to refrain from panic, keeping high the fighting spirit of the society,” the Prime Minister said.
Moscow hopes that the OSCE Minsk Group’s call for cessation of hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region will help normalize the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday, Sputnik News reports.
Earlier in the day, the OSCE Minsk Group on conflict settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday over resumed clashes in the contested region.
“The Russian Foreign Ministry expresses hope that the call of the international mediators will help stabilize the situation in the conflict zone,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.
The Azerbaijani side used weapons of different caliber as it fired more than 1,100 shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions last night, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army mostly refrained from retaliatory actions and confidently continued with their military duty all along the line of contact.
Photo: AP
At least 14 people have been killed after a bus carrying foreign exchange students crashed on a motorway between the cities of Barcelona and Valencia, the BBC reports.
Most of the 57 people on board the bus were students on the Erasmus programme who were returning to Barcelona after a trip to a fireworks festival.
Photographs from the scene show a white roofed coach lying on its side, surrounded by emergency vehicles.
The accident occurred near Freginals, some 150km south of Barcelona.