Author: Badalian Vardan

James Cromwell and Jean Reno have joined Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac in the historical romance “The Promise,” a new Armenian Genocide-themed film, reports.

Terry George (“Hotel Rwanda”) is directing from a script he wrote with Robin Swicord, centering on a love triangle in 1922 with a medical student, an American journalist based in Paris and a beautiful and sophisticated woman, portrayed by Charlotte Le Bon. Bale will play the reporter, and Isaac will portray the student, conflicted by old-world traditions.

Cromwell will play an American ambassador who becomes heroic when challenged, while Reno will play a French admiral deeply conflicted in the face of life-threatening danger. The story is set amid the final days of the Ottoman Empire.

Shohreh Aghdashloo and Daniel Gimenez Cacho also star.

Shooting has started in Spain and Portugal and will go into December. Eric Esrailian will produce on behalf of Survival Pictures with Mike Medavoy for Phoenix Pictures, Ralph Winter and William Horberg (“Milk”). Survivial was unveiled as a production company in July by Tracinda Corp., the holding company founded by the late Kirk Kerkorian.

“‘The Promise’ beautifully intertwines heroism and love,” said Esrailian and Medavoy.

Cromwell was most recently seen on AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire.” Reno starred in the French action film “The Squad.”

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said in a report Sunday that its guerrilla fighters have killed hundreds of Turkish soldiers and police officers in a month of clashes with the Turkish army, reports.

In a special report released Sunday on the latest conflict, the PKK said that from Aug. 25 to Sept. 25 its guerrilla fighters had killed “586 soldiers, policemen, special teams and counter-guerrilla forces, and two Turkish soldiers taken captive.”

The group said that only 48 of its fighters had been killed in clashes with the army or by air strikes.

According to the report, the PKK conducted 385 attacks on the army and police in response to 533 Turkish military operations against the guerrilla group.

It added that five guerrilla fighters were taken captive by the Turkish security forces.

The Turkish government and media outlets however, have reported contradicting numbers of the war casualties.

Army sources said that only 129 soldiers and policemen were killed in two months of fighting while the PKK lost 337 of its guerrillas.

Since the resumption of the conflict 30 civilians are also reported to have been killed in the Kurdish areas of Turkey.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian participated in the reception dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the signing of Helsinki Final Act. Minister Nalbandian’s full speech at the event is provided below:

Honorable ambassador Sorokin,
Honorable ambassador Peshko,
Excellencies, ministers,
Ladies and gentlemen,

This year marks important commemorations, the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the 70th year of memorial of the Holocaust, 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, 70th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Charter and the creation of the UN, 40th anniversary of signing of the Helsinki Final Act. They do not only refer to our past and history, but also steer our future actions towards creating in the shared OSCE area a comprehensive, inclusive and indivisible security community free of genocides, wars, conflicts and dividing lines.

It is impossible to underestimate the importance of the Helsinki Final Act in the implementation of this objectives. Its signature has been crucial in post war Europe both in defining relations and cooperations between countries of the region and considerably influencing the future development of the international relations, as a whole.

The conference convened in Helsinki in 1975 was different from the other major international events of the 20th century history of Europe, because it did not bring together the winners and defeated nations for drafting the new postwar world order, but heads of states and nations with the goal to contribute to peace, security, justice and cooperation in Europe, as stated in the preamble of the Final Act.

Although the Helsinki conference did not put an end to wars, it importantly proposed a new model of Pan-European peace which is anchored on cooperation of the participants states and security on the one hand and the protection of human rights on the other.

Armenia honors its OSCE commitments and is an active participating state. Close cooperation has evolved with the OSCE structures, including the Office in Yerevan which is the only fully-fledged office of the OSCE in the South Caucasus, which in itself speaks of Armenia’s attitude towards international cooperation and other regional realities.

In 1975 the Helsinki final act was signed by 35 countries. It is now an organisation of 57 participating states. The significant growth of the OSCE family is driven by the implementation of the principals of the Helsinki Final Act, in particular the right of peoples to self-determination.

The unequivocal implementation of the norms set forth by the Helsinki Final Act 40 years ago, which we have inherited is one of the essential prerequisites for peace, security and prosperity in Europe. Therefore, constant care and attention to it should occupy a pivotal place in current international relation.

Thank You.

Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan participated in a charity event at the Football Academy today.

Mkhitaryan signed balls, which were presented to 30 kids, beneficiaries of the Armenian Caritas, including 10 Syrian Armenians.

Mkhitaryan also signed 2 t-shirts and 20 balls, which will be auctioned in the future: all proceeds will be donated to Armenian orphanages.

Diaspora Armenian businessmen Tigran Tchablakian and Grigor Jaburyan from Tecbuy and Airpo-Tech companies gifted an “Erebouni Haverzh” unique golden pen to Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The player signed the balls with the pen.

On August 22 a delegation representing the brotherhood of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia left for the Sis Catholicosate with the blessing of His Holiness Aram I.

A requiem service was held in Sis for the blessed souls of deceased Catholicoi who lived and served at the Catholicosate of Sis from 1293-1915. Then the pontifical message of His Holiness Aram I was read.

It  was the first time in the last 100 years that a pontifical message was delivered to our people from the ruins of the Catholicosate in Sis. In his message the Pontiff referred to the Armenian Genocide, and His demand for the return of the Sis Catholicosate to its rightful owner, the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.

His Holiness also reaffirmed the commitment of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia to the sacred legacy of the Armenian martyrs.

On 27^th of April 2015, a lawsuit was filed by the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia to the Constitutional Court of Turkey, demanding the return of the centuries old Catholicosate in Sis to the Armenian Church.

The Moldovan opposition calls on people to hold series of protests against the hike of gas and electricity tariffs, TASS reports.

“It’s important to unite and follow Armenia’s example, where people held mass protests after the attempted 18% rise in electricity tariffs,” ex-MP, leader of the “Our Home — Moldova” Party Grigory Petrenko said.

He said the rallies should be held every day and invited the first one on July 22 at the National Energy Regulatory Agency. Petrenko urged other opposition parties to support the protests.

Last week the Regulatory Agency decided to increase the electricity and gas prices 30% and 15% respectively.

The fifth round of informal ministerial dialogues of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) member states will take place in Minsk on 29 June, BelTA reports, quoting Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus.

“Belarus will preside at the fifth round of informal ministerial dialogues of the EaP member states in Minsk on 29 June. The round will include a meeting of the ministers of environment and a meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the EaP member states,” the ministry said.

Partaking in the meeting of the EaP ministers of environment will be European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella and State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia Guntis Pukitis.

Informal ministerial dialogues of the Eastern Partnership member states at the level of the ministers of foreign affairs and heads of other ministries have been held since 2012. The four previous rounds were held in Chisinau (June 2012), Tbilisi (February 2013, transport), Yerevan (September 2013, education) and Baku (September 2014, energy). The main objective of the informal ministerial dialogues is to provide a platform for a regular open exchange of opinions on the most important issues in the EaP activity and the issues of the international agenda. The adoption of final documents or statements is not envisaged.

 

 

 

The film documenting the round-the-world voyage of the Armenia vessel premiered at Moscow Cinema Monday.

The film has been shot on the basis of Zori Balayan’s book “Armenia from sea to sea.”

The Armenia vessel started the voyage on May 28, 2009 from Valencia port on the Mediterranean Sea and ended in the same place on August 5, 2011.

Director Vahe Gevorgyants summed up the heroic journey of the 8-member crew through three oceans, five continents and hundreds of cities in a single film.

On 15 June President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan signed a decree, releasing lieutenant-general Movses Hakobyan from the position of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic defense minister, commander of the Defense Army.

According to another Presidential decree lieutenant-general Levon Mnatsakanyan was appointed the defense minister, commander of the NKR Defense Army.

President Sahakyan also signed a decree awarding Movses Hakobyan with the Grigor Lousavorich Order for exclusive services rendered to the Artsakh Republic.

On 17 June President Bako Sahakyan visited NKR defense ministry and introduced the newly-appointed defense minister Levon Mnatsakanyan to the command staff of the army.

President Sahakyan extended appreciation to former defense minister Movses Hakobyan for the implemented extensive work, underlining that under his command the Defense Army’s combat readiness reached a new level, numerous issues were solved.

Bako Sahakyan noted with certainty that Movses Hakobyan would continue contributing his rich experience and knowledge in the new responsible position as deputy head of the General Staff of the Republic of Armenia’s armed forces.

Speaking about Levon Mnatsakanyan, the Head of the State qualified him as one of the most experienced generals having profound knowledge, held in authority and respect in the army, who showed his worth in all the assumed positions.

Supreme Commander-in-chief of the Artsakh Republic armed forces expressed his confidence that Levon Mnatsakanyan would work with the same fervor as defense minister and Defense Army commander, directing all his skills and abilities towards reinforcing the army and raising steadily its effectiveness.

The Republic of Armenia defense minister Seyran Ohanyan and other officials were present at the meeting.

Three Austrian synchronised swimmers have been hurt in a collision with a bus while walking in the athletes’ village at the European Games in Baku, the BBC reports.

The Austrian Olympic Committee (AOC) said Vanessa Sahinovic was “severely injured” and would be flown to Vienna for further treatment.

Luna Payer will also be flown back to the Austrian capital after suffering injuries to her arms.

Verena Breit bruised her right thigh and has returned to the village.

The AOC said the collision happened at 08:30 local time on Thursday, when the athletes were walking on the pavement in the Olympic village.