Brussels, Yerevan Ink Documents On Transport Network, Aviation EU/Armenia - European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Armenia's foreign minister Edward Nalbandian sign a document on extension of Trans-European Transport Network toward Armenia, Brussels,24Nov,2017 The European Union and Armenia inked two separate documents regarding Trans-European transport network expansion and common aviation area in ceremonies following the signing of a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in Brussels on Friday. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini signed a Protocol on High-Level Understanding on the Expansion of the Trans-European Transport Network to the Republic of Armenia. "The document is aimed at increasing the efficiency of transport communication between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries, identifying common infrastructure priorities and developing transport networks," the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry said. Meanwhile, Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Karen Nazarian and Chief Negotiator of the Directorate General of the European Commission for Mobility and Transport Klaus Geil initialed an Agreement on the Common Aviation Area. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry's website, among a number of advantages for the parties the Agreement also provides for the possibility of Armenia joining the EU single aviation zone, as well as envisages the introduction of advanced European experience in the aviation sphere of Armenia. Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Author: Garnik Tadevosian
Varuzhan Avetisyan: You are not a judge, but a revenge tool (video)
At the start of the court hearing on the case of 10 members of the Sasna Tsrer, the defendants entered the courtroom with great enthusiasm, and embraced each other. The case is heard by judge Mesrop Makyan, a judge at Kentron and Nork Marash Court of Common Jurisdiction, was sent to Erebuni Court for 6 months.
At the very beginning of the trial Mesrop Makyan asked if there was a motion for self-dismissal.
The defendants did not file a motion for self-dismissal, the defendants came up with announcements instead.
Gagik Eghiazaryan complained that only the ban on visits of his close relatives was released, but his sister and her two juvenile children were not allowed to meet him.
Mesrop manukyan advised him to file a corresponding motion, an he would consider it.
The defendant Pavel Manukyan also made a statement, noting that he had taken weapon 28 years ago for the benefit of his nation, and had been sentenced to imprisonment with the same articles by the Turkish authorities.
Pavel Manukyan compared the trial with a well-known joke when that “While two drunk residents of Aparan are playing chess, a monkey, following their game, dies from the heart attack.”
Pavel Manukyan, referring to the judge, said that they were not sued for the crime they had committed. They should have been sued for the attempt to prevent genocide. “I have nothing against you as a person, I said goodbye at home for a year and a half ago, thinking that I would return home with victory.”
Varuzhan Avetisyan introduced himself as a rebel and said that the criminals in Armenia were captured by the state, and the judge was a component of criminal cooperation. “You are not a judge, but a revenge tool. We are prisoners of war, and have realized our right.”
The Lonely Wolf, Arayik Khandoyan, also came up with an announcement. He minutely told how he had decided to become a soldier, and then turned to the prosecutor calling her “dear girl” when she protested about the announcement.
Judge Makyan noted that Khandoyan was trying to strain the situation in which he would not succeed. There is a break at the moment.
Document on Artsakh Issue has been completely rewritten – Armen Ashotyan
Armen Ashotyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, informs about the results of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly’s activity in Kiev.
“I can state that the recommendations of our delegation have been included maximally in the reports discussed and approved by four committees, and those ideas which contradict our national interests have been denied or totally removed from the voting. We will fully consider these reports after the final approval.
I also want to tell you that we are preparing and circulating an urgent formula that deals with the problem of so-called killer robots. The resolution has received the Bureau’s approval today, and will be finalized tomorrow.
As for the final resolution of the EURONEST, it was also adopted in the Bureau today and should be voted tomorrow. It is noteworthy to emphasize that the part of the Artsakh issue has been completely rewritten in the context of the OSCE Minsk Group approaches and basic principles.
Our delegation works in all directions.”
New EU agreement mentions de-commissioning first block, not nuclear plant – official
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia Friday New EU agreement mentions de-commissioning first block, not nuclear plant – official YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The new agreement with the European Union mentions not the closure of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, but rather de-commissioning the first block of the plant, Vahram Petrosyan, Executive Secretary of the Nuclear Energy Safety Council told reporters at the 15th session of the council. “This information [closure of NPP and subsequent substitution with more powerful one], which you possess, isn’t true, because it’s not about shutting down the nuclear plant, but it’s about de-commissioning the plant’s first block [commissioned in 1976], meaning it will not be commissioned again, it will not be revitalized. On the contrary, works are being done to expand the operational limit of the plant’s second block [commissioned in 1980], meaning the project time has expired”, Petrosyan said, adding that an international experience exists, based on which works are being done to prolong the operational period of the second block. According to him, it is planned to extend the period of operation of the second block for ten years, although international experience shows that the extension period for similar blocks in Russia, Ukraine, Hungary and Finland is 30 years. Petrosyan says the developments of solar and alternative energy sources in important for Armenia, but at the moment the nuclear power plant remains the only source of ensuring Armenia’s energy security.
US Senators Urge Trump To Demand Erdogan Respect Human Rights
From left to right: Senator John McCain and Bob Menendez
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a bipartisan letter to President Trump today calling on the administration to urge Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to stop harassing American diplomats, to respect human rights, and to uphold democratic values in Turkey.
Citing several recent actions including the arbitrary arrest of several U.S. Consulate employees in Istanbul, the detention of top Amnesty International officials, the sentencing by a Turkish court of Wall Street Journal reporter Ayla Albayrak, and the brutal attack by Turkish security personnel of peaceful demonstrators protesting Erdogan’s visit to Washington, D.C., the senators urged President Trump to demand the Erdogan government respect human rights and the rule of law.
“Erdogan and his allies have corroded Turkey’s democracy by mounting an assault on the rule of law, using sweeping state of emergency authorities to stifle fundamental rights including free speech, undermining the independence of the judiciary, and quashing any expressions of opposition,” wrote the senators. “We urge you to send a clear message to President Erdogan that the United States will not tolerate this type of behavior and that any cooperation must be based on a shared commitment to human rights and rule of law.”
The letter was co-signed by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Boozman (R-AR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Martin Heinrich (R-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Bernard Sanders (I-VT).
The letter could be read here.
Sports: Armenian figure skaters participating in several int’l tournaments
PanArmenian, Armenia
Oct 25 2017
Armenian figure skaters participating in several int'l tournaments
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating was held in Moscow on October 20 – 22, with Armenia's representative Anastasia Galustyan also participating.
In Moscow, Galustyan took the 12th spot, while Russia's Evgenia Medvedeva snatched victory.
"The very fact of participation in such a tournament is already a great success for us," said the President of the Federation of Figure Skating, Melania Stepanyan.
"Now our leading athletes will participate in international competitions. Anastasia and Slavik Hayrapetyan will go to Tallinn to take part in the ISU Challenger Series tournament in November. The Tina Hayrapetian / Simon Proulx-Senecal pair will compete in a similar tournament in Warsaw."
Stepanyan also said that Edward Ter-Ghazaryan will leave for Romania to participate in an international junior tournament, the press service of the National Olympic Committee reports.
Yerevan sees Aliyev’s statements before Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh summit as provocative
Interfax - Russia & CIS Military Newswire Tuesday 6:10 PM MSK Yerevan sees Aliyev's statements before Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh summit as provocative YEREVAN. Oct 10 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan believes the Azerbaijani leadership regularly resorts to provocative acts in the run-up to top-level meetings to address the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian presidential press secretary Vladimir Akopyan said. "The president of Armenia believes that everyone perfectly knows that the Azerbaijani leadership resorts to provocative acts before top-level meetings. The latest statement was of the same kind, the only distinction being that this act of provocation was committed in the center of Baku rather than on the border with Armenia or the line of contact with Artsakh [the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic]," Akopyan said in an interview with the Armenian news agency News.am. Several days before a meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan initiated by the OSCE Minsk Group countries, Azerbaijan "is trying to create the illusion that it acts from the dictating position at the negotiations." "Baku's calculus is very primitive - to avoid responsibility for failing to implement agreements reached at previous summits, primarily to the people of Azerbaijan," Akopyan said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had said at an expanded government meeting on Monday that the negotiating process would be resumed without preconditions. Aliyev also accused Armenia of torpedoing negotiations on settling the conflict. He said Armenia had tried to disrupt the talks in any way it could by inventing all kinds of pretexts and putting forward various preconditions. "Our and Baku's perceptions of disgrace are strikingly different," Akopyan said. "Perhaps Azerbaijan doesn't know it, but abandoning agreements reached earlier has been regarded as disgraceful in our region for ages. It's a disgrace when something said in the international arena in the presence of other foreign leaders and something said at home do not match. It's a disgrace when you try to deceive the international community and your own people," Akopyan said. Armenia's agreement to hold negotiations does not mean that it has changed its position on Nagorno-Karabakh or on the need to implement the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg, he said. va mc kl
Azerbaijani press: OSCE MG co-chairmen due in Baku Oct. 7, says Azerbaijani FM
3 October 2017 13:48 (UTC+04:00)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 3
Trend:
Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will arrive in Azerbaijan on Oct. 7, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Oct. 3.
Mammadyarov said that before their visit to Azerbaijan, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen will arrive in Yerevan, Armenia.
“The co-chairmen will arrive to discuss the agenda of an upcoming meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents,” Mammadyarov said. “Following the presidents’ meeting, the mediators want to achieve logical results and break the stalemate in the conflict settlement.”
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
St. Gregory Men’s Hosts Armenian Assembly Town Hall Briefing on Advocacy Initiatives
ARMENIAN AGENDA
MEDIA
ADVISORY
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October
2, 2017
Name: Danielle
Saroyan
Telephone:
(202) 393-3434
Web: www.armenianagenda.com
St. Gregory Men’s Forum Hosts Armenian Assembly Town Hall Briefing on
Advocacy Initiatives
PASADENA, CA – Upon an invitation from the
Men’s Forum of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church of Pasadena,
California, the Armenian Assembly of America’s (Assembly) Executive Director,
Bryan Ardouny, will be delivering a Town Hall Briefing at the church on
Thursday, October 12. Ardouny’s presentation will take place concurrently with
the Men’s Forum monthly dinner, for which ladies and families are warmly
welcome to attend.
Having
recently returned from a trip to Armenia, Ardouny will cover a wide range of
advocacy issues of concern to the Armenian American community, including the
security situation of the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh with the backdrop of
incessant Azerbaijani acts of aggression since the Artsakh conflict’s
escalation in April 2016. In addition, Ardouny will discuss recent developments
in the United States Congress aimed at buttressing decades of robust
U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Artsakh relations, including continued U.S. foreign
assistance to both Armenia and Artsakh. Ardouny will also shed light on the
Assembly’s grassroots advocacy efforts to generate greater involvement by
Armenian Americans in educating elected officials at all levels of government
on the Armenian Genocide.
The Town
Hall Briefing and dinner will commence at 7:00
PM on October 12, and take place at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian
Apostolic Church’s Geragos Hall located at 2215
E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Admission to the dinner is $17 per
person, and RSVPs are required. To
reserve tickets, please call either Mr. Khajag Konialian at 626-351-0216, Mr.
Ardash Gourdikian at 626-399-1914, or the Church Office (Vera) at 626-449-1523.
Established
in the mid-1990s and welcoming the participation of men ages 21 and older, the
Men’s Forum of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church of Pasadena
endeavors to cultivate and encourage better understanding of the Armenian
Church and its doctrines and traditions. Throughout its two decades of service
under the dedicated leadership of former Chairman, Sooren Manoogian, and
current Chairman, Berj Gourdikian, the Men’s Forum has invited prominent
professionals, Armenians and non-Armenians alike, to share their knowledge and
expertise on cutting-edge topics for the benefit of members and friends of St.
Gregory Armenian Church.
Established
in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
JPEG image
Pasadena Briefing 10.12.17.pdf
Georgia not ready to become NATO member – Kurt Volker
Category
World
US State Department’s Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker says Georgia is not ready to become a member of NATO, Sputnik News reports.
“I am working hard to make sure that your aspirations will receive a respective support in the European Union and NATO. Unlike Ukraine, Georgia’s progress is greater. I mean the transparency, the contribution Georgia brought to the global security, the defense, anti-corruption reforms and etc. However, I don’t think that someone from NATO will say they are ready to accept Georgia as a member”, Kurt Volker told Kviris Palitra newspaper.
He said in order to join NATO the consent of all member states is necessary.