17:56, 15 January 2024
15:34,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. The new Greek parliament has formed a friendship group with Armenia chaired by MP Stavros Kalafatis, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Group of the ruling Nea Dimokratia party.
The Greece-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group from the Greek side will be co-chaired by Zoe Konstantopoulou, the Head of the Course of Freedom party, the Armenian Embassy in Greece said in a statement.
Katerina Notopoulou (SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance) will serve as the group’s Secretary. The group consists of 20 MPs.
13:38,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has met with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Raphael Grossi during the World Economic Forum in Davos.
During the meeting President Khachaturyan emphasized the importance of the long and productive cooperation between the Armenian government and the IAEA, which is of significant importance for ensuring Armenia’s energy security, Khachaturyan’s office said in a readout.
Ideas were exchanged about further development of the atomic energy, as a green energy sector, in Armenia. Grossi said that Armenia can always expect support from the IAEA.
An agreement was reached to continue close cooperation especially as part of expert consultations and comprehensive assistance provision.
18:18,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. During Wednesday’s question-and-answer session in the National Assembly of Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to opposition lawmaker Agnesa Khamoyan, stating that legitimacy is the political and diplomatic defense strategy of Armenia. The question pertained to the limits of the authorities' 'giving' process, considering that Azerbaijan may not stop.
"It will stop at the legitimate borders of the Republic of Armenia. Legitimacy is and will remain the strategy of our political and diplomatic defense.
I share the concerns you raised. Moreover, I hope that the purpose of the statements coming from Baku is not to bring the peace process to a dead end.
I myself have noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan speak different diplomatic languages. Our task is to align the diplomatic languages of both Armenia and Azerbaijan with legitimacy,” Pashinyan said.
13:01,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday night Israel “has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” rebuffing hard-right ministers’ calls to rebuild Israeli settlements in the territory and encourage Palestinian emigration, the Times of Israel reports.
The premier’s English-language video posted to social media came on the eve of the International Court of Justice hearing, a highly charged case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
“I want to make a few points absolutely clear,” Netanyahu said. “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law.”
“Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages. Once this is achieved, Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike.”
The British House of Lords defense and international relations committee holds a hearing on Artsakh on Jan. 10
The International Relations and Defense Committee of the British House of Lords held a hearing on Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia-Azerbaijan relations on Wednesday.
During the hearing, Thomas de Waal and Marina Nagai were invited to give their independent opinions to questions raised by the House of Lords committee peers.
[see video]
The Armenian National Committee of UK participated in the hearing with the presence of its Chairperson Annette Moskofian.
Ahead of the hearing, the ANC-UK had sent briefings to be distributed to the committee members on war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide, destruction of cultural and religious heritage and POWs and illegal abductees.
The ANC-UK also asked Luis Moreno Ocampo, Lemkin Institute, the Tatoyan Foundation, the Etchmiadzin, HART and Global Witness to submit reports to the committee ahead of the session.
13:49,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be anchored on several fundamental principles to prevent escalation or aggression in the future, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Greece George Gerapetritis in Yerevan, Mirzoyan said that on January 4 Armenia responded to Azerbaijan’s proposals on a peace treaty which was received in late December 2023.
“I’d say that in terms of content we see certain regress in some parts of the Azerbaijani proposals, but also progress in several other directions. And we’ve worked very constructively on these offers and we’ve sent our proposals, which, I am sure, are very constructive,” Mirzoyan said.
What matters are the principles on which the peace must be based, he added.
“Regardless whether any specific clause of the new offer is regress or progress, the final peace must definitely be anchored on several fundamental principles. The countries must recognize each other’s territorial integrity without any ambiguity. This is a matter that requires maximum clarity, and the final peace treaty must ensure that clarity. Also, understandably, if the delimitation of borders can take a long time, we must at least see in the peace treaty the clear grounds upon which the delimitation process must take place in the future. These are the issues where the Republic of Armenia cannot see or allow any uncertainty. Also because of the reason that uncertainty is grounds for future aggression or escalations. Therefore, if we are establishing peace, we are establishing the kind of peace that would be maximally difficult to doubt or violate,” Mirzoyan said.
The next principle is the unblocking of economic links and infrastructures in the region, based on fair and fundamental principles, Mirzoyan added.
Reiterating Armenia’s interest on opening the links, Mirzoyan said, “Peace isn’t only the absence of gunfire. Peace is open borders and the movement of goods and persons on each other’s territory. It’s difficult to talk about the establishment of peace in South Caucasus when Armenia continues to be blockaded.”
Enshrined in the heart of Chinsurah, West Bengal, stands the Armenian Church, a monument that breathes life but once a year. It’s doors remain sealed throughout the calendar, opening only on January 6th, a date of profound religious significance for the Armenian community. This annual awakening of the church marks the celebration of Armenian Christmas, the Nativity of Christ, and His Baptism.
This solitary day of activity in the church is punctuated by the ‘Blessing of Water’ ceremony, a ritual commemorating Christ’s Baptism. Despite the absence of a local Armenian population in Chinsurah, the tradition lives on, kept alive by Armenian students from Kolkata. The church, while closed to outsiders, becomes a spectacle for the locals, who gather around its perimeters to observe the festivities from afar.
The Armenian Church of Chinsurah, a structure steeped in history, was founded in 1695 by Khojah Johannes Margar and completed by his brother Joseph in 1697. This makes it the second oldest Christian church in Bengal. The church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist and within its sacred grounds lies the grave of its founder.
A notable architectural feature of the church is its steeple. Added in 1822 through the generous contributions of Mrs. Sophia Bagram, the steeple stands as a testament to her munificence. The church, despite having over a hundred graves within its premises bearing witness to the historical presence of Armenians, is bereft of a contemporary Armenian community in Chinsurah.
https://bnnbreaking.com/world/india/chinsurahs-armenian-church-a-monument-that-breathes-life-once-a-year/
AKIPRESS.COM - Armenia has taken over chairmanship in the Eurasian Economic Union since January 1, 2024 and will preside in the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and Eurasian Economic Commission Council throughout 2024.
The meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Moscow on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Eurasian Economic Council, the Third Eurasian Economic Forum, meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and other events are planned.
11:39,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to the United States Lilit Makunts has attended a holiday reception hosted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“It was wonderful to attend the warm holiday reception for Chiefs of Mission hosted by Secretary Blinken and Ms. Ryan,” Ambassador Makunts said on X. “Looking forward to a more robust Armenia-U.S. partnership in 2024!”