Author: Aram Torosian

On January 12, 2017, in accordance with an agreement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission will conduct a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the direction of the NKR Martuni region, north-east of Ashaghy Veysali settlement, press service of the NKR Foreign Ministry reports. 

From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring will be conducted by staff member of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden) and head of the OSCE High Level Planning Group Colonel Hans Lampalzer (Austria). 

The NKR authorities have expressed their readiness to assist in conducting the monitoring and to ensure the security of the OSCE Mission members.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the world’s best player at the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich, the BBC reports.

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Ronaldo, 31, beat Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann to the prize.

Ronaldo also with both honours recognition for success in the Champions League with Real and Euro 2016 with Portugal.

Carli Lloyd of the United States was named the world’s best female player.

Leicester’s Claudio Ranieri was named best men’s coach, ex-Germany boss Silvia Neid won the female coach award, while Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2016.

Armenia’s former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan has issued a statement, saying he plans to actively participate in the 2017 parliamentary elections.

“Attaching importance to the upcoming processes, I have started a series of consultations with political forces, social structures, intellectuals. My objective is to form a group of supporters to actively participate in the 2017 parliamentary elections, to find the most effective format of political participation,” Seyran Ohanyan said.

He said “they will present a realistic program with a view of forming a political and economic system of new quality with  ‘new quality’ governance.”

The ex-Defense minister pledges to stand by the people, his brothers in arms, intellectuals, students, residents of frontline settlements.

Seyran Ohanyan says he will provide further details and provisions of his political program in the near future.

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan has sent a letter of condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the barbaric murder of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov.

The Armenian President has strongly condemned ‘this act of terrorism’ and offered condolences to the Ambassador’s family and friends, the Russian diplomatic service and the whole Russian nation.

If Azerbaijan rejects the packaged settlement of the issue, then there is only one option for step-by-step settlement, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said.

“After Azerbaijan’s attempt at the beginning of this April to repeat aggression against the self-determined Nagorno-Karabakh Republic it became clear to everyone that if Azerbaijan rejects the packaged settlement of the issue, then there is only one option for step-by-step settlement,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said in comments to Armenpress.

According to the Deputy FM, “Azerbaijan should first recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, return the territories of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which are still under its occupation, and apply to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with the initiative to launch negotiations on the delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The Azerbaijani side kept violating the ceasefire regime at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night.

The rival mainly used firearms of different calibers /550 shots/ and sniper rifles /33 shots/. The Azeri side also used a hand-held antitank grenade launcher in the eastern /Martuni/ direction.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army confidently continued with their military duty and ensured the reliable protection of the frontline.

“The situation is calm at this point and is under vigil control of the Armenian forces,” the NKR Defense Ministry said.

On November 23, the Speaker of the RA National Assembly Galust Sahakyan handed awards to employees of the Public TV Company of Armenia and the Public Radio of Armenia.

Stepan Martirosyan, Arsen Aslanyan, Levon Khachatryan, Aida Nersisyan, Grigor Harutyunyan, Karine Sargsyan, Nona Zotova were awarded the RA National Assmebly Diploma, Karine Kocharyan, Alexander Muradyan were bestowed the Memorial Medals of  RA National Assembly Speaker, Lusine Vasilyan and Lena Badeyan from Public Radio of Armenia received Letter of Appreciation of the RA National Assembly Speaker.

Congratulating the awardees, Galust Sahakyan highly assessed their selfless devotion in the development of radio and television during many years. The Speaker wished them new achievements in their responsible work.

More than 65 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were reported over the weekend.

The rival used weapons of different caliber as it fired over 1,200 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The Azerbaijani side also used a 60mm mine thrower in the northeastern (Talish) direction of the line of contact at 01:50, November 7.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army resorted to retaliatory actions to pressure the activeness of the rival and confidently continued with their military duty.