Author: Ekmekjian Janet

Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States has said  Armenia’s parliamentary elections were held in accordance with democratic norms and without violations.

Armenia’s parliamentary elections were held in accordance with democratic norms and without violations, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Sergei Lebedev told on Monday.

“The April 2 elections to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia were held in accordance with the constitution, the electoral code and universally recognized democratic norms of holding elections,” Lebedev said.

Four political forces have passed the threshold to enter the Armenian legislature, with data frost polling stations processed, led by the ruling Republican Party with nearly 50 percent of the votes.

“We concluded that the elections were multiparty and competitive, free, transparent and open,” Lebedev, who leads the CIS observer mission, said.

Sajjad Karim Co-Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Association Committees, has issued the following statement: 

Azerbaijani Prosecutor General has issued three international arrest warrants, this week, against MEPs Eleni Theocharous, Frank Engel and Jaromir Štětina for having visited Nagorno Karabakh and having, through their behaviour, supported the self-proclaimed local statehood. On 20 February, the MEPs named above carried out “observations” of a process organised locally in Nagorno Karabakh.

No official European Parliament observation mission has been organized in Nagorno Karabakh. Any impression given contrary to this is therefore without merit and completely unfounded.

Whilst MEPs are free to visit areas of their choosing and promote their individual beliefs. At the same time the MEPs should responsibly pay attention to the obvious fragility of the ceasefire and the need to support the political mediation processes in Nagorno-Karabakh and be clear of their unofficial individual status for all such visits.

The issuing of an international arrest order is unwelcome, unhelpful and undesirable, it also exaggerates the importance to be attached to this individual MEPs visit.

What is needed is the re-invigoration of the Minsk Group process and a political mediation to take the peoples living in the area, and the states concerned, from the current, too long, protracted conflict to stable peace, economic revitalisation and decent living conditions. This should be the drive of our political activity, when we conduct it openly and transparently via the official bodies of the EP.

We look forward to all three named MEPs declaring the basis of this visit as per declaration requirements for all MEPs.

The Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office conducted monitoring of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border near the village of Chinari in Tavush province, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Defense reports.

From the Armenian side the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic) and Christo Christov (Bulgaria).

Following the monitoring the OSCE representatives were briefed on the situation at the frontline and the statistics of the cases of ceasefire violation by Azerbaijani forces.

The Armenian party called the attention of the OSCE monitors s to the fact that Azerbaijan keeps the Armenian border villages, pastures and fields under fire.

No ceasefire violations and incidents were registered during the monitoring.

Former German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected president by a parliamentary assembly, the BBC reports.

The Social Democrat, 61, is one of Germany’s most popular politicians.

The post is largely ceremonial, but the president represents Germany abroad and is seen as carrying moral weight.

During the US election campaign, the usually circumspect ex-lawyer described Donald Trump as a “hate preacher” and predicted more challenging relations with Washington.

He has also criticised those who “make politics with fear”, and spoken out against right-wing populism.

The Supreme Court of Belarus considered today Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin’s appeal against the decision on his extradition to Azerbaijan, Lapshin’s lawyer Natalya Shekina told reporters, Sputnik reports.

According to her, the ruling will be publicized at 12:50 (Minsk time) today.

Lapshin was not present at the court hearing today, the lawyer said. She informed that the bloggers life has applied to the General Department of Interior Affairs of Belarus for additional protection. Besides, she filed a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Lapshin, who was arrested for his trips to Nagorno Karabagh (NKR/Artsakh) in the past and his criticism of Azerbaijan, has been detained since mid-December.

The body of an Azerbaijani soldier was returned from Armenia to Azerbaijan on Sunday in a transfer facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The handover took place on the road between the Armenian town of Ijevan and the Azerbaijani town of Gazakh at the international border.

Immediately after the incident on the international border on 29 December 2016, the ICRC offered its services, in its role as neutral intermediary, to facilitate the transfer of the soldier’s body.

In April last year, following an escalation in hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the ICRC assisted the sides in several operations to search for the bodies of those killed in action and retrieve them from the battlefield, along the Line of Contact. The ICRC also facilitated the handover of the bodies.

The ICRC has been carrying out humanitarian work in the region related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since 1992.

Financings include €51 million loan to upgrade the 405 MW Complex

ContourGlobal has announced that its subsidiary, ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade CJSC, signed two credit facilities which comprise nearly $200 million of non-recourse long term financing for Armenian business on December 29, 2016.

A $140 million long-term financing provided by the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), Dutch development bank FMO and DEG the German Investment and Development Corporation was closed and disbursed on December 29, 2016.  Proceeds from the loan will be used to refinance bridge loans and shareholder loans that were put in place to fund the acquisition of the Vorotan Facility from the Government of Armenia in 2015 and to pay an initial distribution to shareholders, as well as to fund the rehabilitation of the complex.  The amortizing loan has an 18 year final maturity and IFC also provided an interest rate swap.

This financing comes alongside a €51 million loan from German Development bank KfW to the Government of Armenia that is being on-lent to the project to fund the electro-mechanical refurbishment and modernization of the plant.  This on-loan, which also closed on December 29, 2016, has several tranches with maturities ranging from 2025-2050 and will be used to fund the refurbishment works.  As a result of the refurbishment project, new turbines, generators, transformers and auxiliary electrical and mechanical equipment are planned to replace the old equipment in the Tatev, Shamb and Spandaryan hydro power plants, which together make up the Vorotan Facility. This will improve the reliability and safety of operations, prolong the life cycle of the plants and increase the availability factor of the cascade. The refurbishment is planned to be completed in 2021.

Joseph Brandt, President and CEO of ContourGlobal, the parent company of Vorotan, said, “We are very pleased to have completed these innovative long-term financings for Vorotan and we would like to thank our partners at IFC, FMO, DEG and KfW for their commitment to the project.  We would also like to thank the Government of Armenia for their work to facilitate these transactions.  These financings provide a stable, long-term capital structure which allows us to continue our work making sure that the operational performance, safety, reliability and efficiency of this plant are maintained at world-class standards.”

Vorotan is a series of three individual hydroelectric power plants with a total electrical capacity of 405 MW located on the Vorotan River in southern Armenia.  The facility was acquired by ContourGlobal in July, 2015 with IFC concurrently acquiring a 20% interest in the project.

Asbarez – On Thursday February 9, the All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA) will be coordinating the annual simultaneous college campus “Stain of Denial” silent protest against denial of the Armenian Genocide. ASA chapters on their respective college and university campuses will stage protests. The event is co-sponsored by the Western and Eastern Regions of the Armenian Youth Federation, ARF Shant Student Association, Alpha Gamma Alpha, and Alpha Epsilon Omega.

Stain of Denial is organized to engage college students in raising awareness about the Armenian Genocide, its ongoing denial, and the need for recognition and reparations. The protest is held every winter in order to symbolize the fact that genocide denial by nations including the Republic of Turkey and the United States continuously occurs throughout the year and not only on April 24th, the day that is typically cited as the beginning of the systematic deportation and extermination of Armenians and other minorities in the Ottoman Empire. The protest will concurrently take place on campuses throughout the United States from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, along with complimentary activity on social media that specifically incorporates the hashtags #StainOfDenial, #ArmenianGenocide, and #DivestTurkey, aimed at augmenting the event’s exposure. The messaging of the protest at each campus will highlight three themes: history of the genocide, its consequences and contemporary conditions of affected Armenians worldwide and current student action. The third theme specifically highlights resolutions that ASAs have passed through their student government councils, including both Armenian Genocide recognition and divestment bills, the latter of which targets over $70 million of University of California funds allocated toward the Turkish government as a part of the #DivestTurkey initiative.

The All-ASA openly invites alumni, graduate students, faculty, non-Armenian student organizations, and the general public to join their respective campus’ ASA in the call for justice, either in-person or on social media if they are unable to physically participate. The All-ASA released a statement preceding the protest, reading: “The Armenian Genocide claimed the lives of 1.5 million people and forced the dispersion of Armenians throughout the world. The Republic of Turkey, a descendant regime of the Ottoman Empire, has led a denial campaign since its founding to stave off responsibility for necessary reparations, setting a cyclical precedent for the repression of justice. The United States, under political pressure from Turkey, has also refused to acknowledge the genocide by its rightful classification. As Armenian-Americans, we believe that politics and humanity need to be held in separate realms. The Stain of Denial is a tool to educate each campus’ community about the Armenian experience and the cycle of genocide.”

ASAs participating in this year’s Stain of Denial include those based at Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, the Claremont Colleges, Glendale Community College, Los Angeles Valley College, Loyola Marymount University, Occidental College, Pasadena City College, Santa Monica College, UC Los Angeles, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, and the University of Southern California. For the first time in its history, Stain of Denial will also include universities outside of California as well: Armenian students at Northeastern and Tufts Universities located in Boston, Massachusetts, Yale University, Concordia University, Montreal, and various colleges on the East coast of Canada will be participating. Information on Stain of Denial including details about campus protest locations can be found on the All-ASA website: www.all-asa.org .

The All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA) works to unite various Armenian-American college student organizations and serve the greater Armenian-American community through cultural, social, educational, and activist programming. As the largest confederation of ASAs in the nation, All-ASA is dedicated to collaboration among its constituent organizations, leadership development of its members, and community service.

 – New South Wales Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian confirms she will stand for the state’s top job, as outgoing Premier Mike Baird says: “I haven’t backed anyone”.

Mike Baird announced his resignation, citing the need to support his family.

A partyroom meeting is planned for Monday and a leadership spill is expected to happen on Tuesday, but it is unlikely there will be a ballot, as the ABC has been told the leadership positions will be decided by the partyroom earlier.

On ABC News, Mr Baird said he had not backed anyone.

“Gladys Berejiklian would be outstanding, no doubt about it,” he said.

“There is an incredible, talented group of ministers, many have huge potential both short-term and long-term.”

In a statement confirming she would run for the top job, Ms Berejiklian said she was “deeply saddened” by Mr Baird’s decision to retire.

“Mike has been an inspiring leader and a man of enormous integrity who has left an outstanding and indelible mark on the state of NSW,” she said.

“Today is Mike’s day — but I would like to make it clear that I will be standing for the leadership.”

It is likely that Dominic Perrottet will be the deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party.

The ABC understands Transport Minister Andrew Constance is also considering running.

While it was expected that Planning Minister Rob Stokes would also run for the leadership, he has since confirmed he will bow out of the race.

These are the likely frontrunners who may contest the leadership positions:

Treasurer and the Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party, Ms Berejiklian is considered the frontrunner to be the next Premier.

Ms Berejiklian is part of the Liberal Party’s moderate faction and was elected unopposed as Mr Baird’s Liberal deputy in April 2014.

The 46-year-old former Commonwealth Bank executive was elected the Member for Willoughby, on Sydney’s lower north shore, in 2003.

She was appointed transport minister after Barry O’Farrell led the Coalition to a landslide win in 2011, a position she held until Mike Baird appointed her Treasurer after the 2015 election.

She is NSW’s first female Treasurer.

In October 2016, Ms Berejiklian declared the state debt free with a final surplus for the 2015-16 financial year of $4.7 billion.

Labor attributed the debt-free status to the sale of infrastructure assets including the partial sale of Ausgrid, but the Government pointed to investment in other projects such as Sydney’s WestConnex and the light rail.

Ms Berejiklian is the daughter of Armenian migrants and a granddaughter of victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.