Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan disseminated yet another cynical statement turning obvious facts upside down in an attempt to put the responsibility for military actions, unleashed on April 2 by itself against Nagorno-Karabakh, on the Armenian side, the purpose of which is to avoid responsibility for the committed war crimes.

It is not for the first time that Baku makes futile attempts to distort the obvious reality. During communications our international partners have also confirmed that, beyond any doubt it was Azerbaijan, which initiated the large-scale offensive along the entire Line of Contact with Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in hundreds of killed and maimed, and committed war crimes.

Armenia strongly condemns Azerbaijan’s futile attempts to cast doubt on the trilateral ceasefire agreement of 1994, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, that does not have time limitations. It is a dangerous step which threatens with further destabilization of the situation in the region. The aggressive military actions launched by Azerbaijan at the beginning of April could not result in the cessation of the 1994 agreement, rather they raise the liability of the party which violated it.

All of this shows that, despite the calls of the international community to continue the negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, Baku’s real intention is to undermine the settlement process. The fact that the lengthy statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry does not contain any reference not only to the statements of the heads of the Co-Chair countries on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution but it also lacks any mentioning of the only internationally mandated mediation format of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs whatsoever, clearly demonstrates that.

Azerbaijan strives to portray the negotiations as a kind of a process that discusses solely those issues which fit Baku’s interests.

It is obvious that calls and appeals are not sufficient anymore to bring Baku back to senses. Decisive steps are needed to bring Azerbaijan to order and into a constructive mood.

Two Russian military pilots have died after their helicopter crashed near the central Syrian city of Homs, the BBC reports.

The aircraft, an M-28H attack helicopter, was not shot at, Russia’s defence ministry said.

The crash happened in the early hours of Tuesday, the ministry said. The bodies were recovered and brought to Russia’s Hmeimim air base.

Russia joined the Syrian conflict in September, launching air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

The agreement on ceasefire was mostly respected at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan last night.

The NKR Ministry of Defense reports that the rival violated the ceasefire in the northern line of the line of contact, opening fire from 82mm mortars and 12 mm D-30 howitzers.

the front divisions of the NKR Defense Army remain committed to the agreement on ceasefire and confidently carry out their tasks.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick (USA) and Pierre Andrieu (France) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The interlocutors discussed the situation established as a result of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact.

The parties attached importance to the maintenance of the ceasefire regime, soonest implementation of confidence-building measures and resumption of peace talks.

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan talked by phone with his Armenian and Azeri counterparts on Sunday, calling on the two sides to show restraint and settle disputes on  Nagorno-Karabakh via peaceful negotiations, Tasnim news agency reports.

On March 15 Armenian’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Germany Ashot Smbatyan had a meeting with Norbert Lammert, President of Bundestag.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to Armenian-German political dialogue, reinforcement of inter-parliamentary ties, cooperation in the economic, cultural and scientific-educational spheres.

Referring to the cooperation between the Armenian National Assembly and the German Bundestag, the parties pledged commitment to work towards further deepening of parliamentary ties between the two countries.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Federica‪ Mogherini, High Representative of the ‪‎European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Issues related to Armenia-EU cooperation, urgent regional and international developments, challenges and perspectives were discussed.

The interlocutors agreed that the 4th Eurasian Neighborhood Summit in Riga in May 2015 was an important milestone in Armenia-EU relations, which served a basis for future cooperation.

President Sargsyan hailed the launching of negotiation on a new Armenia-EU legal framework and voiced hope that the parties would successfully complete the important process.

President Sargsyan referred to the large-scale reforms in Armenia, including the constitutional changes adopted last December. The President stressed that our country is resolute to continue the reforms in different spheres and values EU’s financial and expert assistance.

During the meeting reference was made to the negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict under way within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. President Sargsyan briefed the guest on the position of th Armenian side. Frederika Mogherini reiterated the EU support for th efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and the three core principles that lie in the basis of the talks – non-use of force or the threat of force, the right of peoples to self-determination and territorial integrity.

Photo: Reuters

The UN says it plans to deliver aid to about 150,000 Syrians in besieged areas over the next five days amid a partial truce in the country’s civil war, the BBC reports.

It said it was ready to help an estimated 1.7 million people in hard-to-reach areas by the end of March.

A cessation of hostilities began on Saturday and there have been complaints of breaches from both sides.

But it otherwise appears to be intact with a key Syrian opposition group saying the situation is much better.

The UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator in Syria, Yacoub el-Hillo, called the truce “the best opportunity that the Syrian people have had over the last five years for lasting peace and stability”.

The organisation plans to use the lull to deliver food, water and medicine to towns like Madaya, where residents have reportedly been starving to death.

It says it needs the approval of Syria’s warring parties before it can further expand its deliveries.

Efforts to deliver aid to Islamic State-besieged Deir al-Zour by air last week failed when several pallets were damaged, disappeared or landed in no-man’s land.

Almost 500,000 people are living under siege in Syria, the UN estimates.

The cessation of hostilities was agreed as part of a plan by the US and Russia.

Photo: Getty Images/Heritage Auctions

A lock of hair snipped from the head of John Lennon 50 years ago has fetched $35,000 at auction in the US, the BBC reports.

The four-inch (10cm) lock was kept by a German barber who gave him a trim as he was about to film How I Won The War in 1966.

The unnamed buyer was a British-based collector of memorabilia, auctioneers said.

“This is the largest lock of Lennon’s hair ever sold at auction,” Heritage Auction in Dallas, Texas, said.

Spokesman Garry Schrum said the bidder got a “good chunk of Lennon’s hair”, adding: “It was a good size with quite a lot of strands.”

Lennon’s locks were chopped by Klaus Baruck in Hamburg, Germany, just before the rocker’s starring role as Gripweed in Richard Lester’s dark comedy about a British army platoon and their misadventures in World War II.

The haircut took place just a month after the release of the band’s legendary 1966 Revolver album.