Author: Garo Vardanian

 

 

 

There have been no negotiations with the Armenian authorities on the supply of Iranian gas to Georgia, Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan told reporters after the government sitting today.

At the same time he noted that the topic was not on the agenda of the meeting of the Energy Ministers of Armenia, Russia, Georgia and Iran held last December.

Zakharyan reminded that Georgia and Gazprom are holding talks on gas supply, but there’s no information about the results of the negotiations so far.

 

Pep Guardiola will next week announce he is to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, according to reports in the German media, reports.

The former Barcelona coach said earlier this week he would make an announcement on his future before Christmas, but German newspaper Bildclaims he has ‘already sorted out his future’.

Last month Barcelona daily Sport reported he had already given his word to former Barca colleagues Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City’s chief executive and director of football respectively, that he would join them at the Etihad next season.

“Everything points to his leaving,” said Bild, adding that the 44-year-old was aware of the dangers of ‘out-staying his welcome if he remained at Bayern’.

“He is someone who enjoys a challenge and that is why he joined Bayern Munich in 2013.”

Guardiola has won two titles and a German Cup since taking over at the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2013 following a year out of football. Prior to that he won the Champions League twice, three La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys in a four-year spell at the Nou Camp.

 

Photo:  Sputnik/ Grigori Sysoyev

 

Any force that threatens the Russian military in Syria should be destroyed, Russia President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with the Russian Defense Ministry, reports.

On 9 December 2015, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations, in partnership with the President of the UN General Assembly and the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, co-hosted the first annual observance of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of This Crime at the Trusteeship Council Chamber of the United Nations Headquarters.

Attended by a large number of representatives of UN member states and observers, international organizations, think-tanks, civil society organizations and media, as well as members of Armenian-American community and school students, the meeting in observance of the International Day began with a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims of genocide. Opening remarks were delivered by the President of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Mr. Jan Eliasson and the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Mr. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. The panel featured the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Mr. Adama Dieng, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence Mr. Pablo de Greiff, President of the International Center for Transitional Justice Mr. David Tolbert and First Vice President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Assistant Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Stockton University Prof. Elisa von-Joeden-Forgey. Statements on behalf of the UN member states were delivered by Chairpersons of regional groups.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan noted that the International Day, established pursuant to the UNGA Resolution 69/323 of September 11, 2015, calls for a manifestation of a collective sense of a duty before all victims of the crime of genocide. He reconfirmed Armenia’s commitment to promote and support international efforts to underpin the significance of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and to consistently and resolutely construct rigid foundations for prevention. In this regard, the Ambassador of Armenia recalled the unanimous adoption of the respective resolutions initiated by Armenia and adopted by the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council earlier this year, expressing appreciation to all the partners for their unwavering support. He recalled that in April 2015 Armenia hosted a Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide.

Referring to the remarks by the President of the General Assembly and the Deputy Secretary General, who said, earlier, that, by honoring the memory of the victims of the Genocide, the international community reaffirmed its commitment to prevent this horrendous crime, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan noted that the International Day would render dignity to the victims of past inaction and would help reclaim justice. Mr. Mnatsakanyan further remarked that 9 December would not merely mark the adoption of a landmark international legal instrument, but also send a powerful message to ignite political, legal and moral responsibility “for defying and ultimately halting the repetitive nature of this crime”, as a “moral and political imperative” to consistently elaborate a rigid system of prevention.

“Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it”, stressed the Ambassador of Armenia, suggesting that, to eliminate genocidal tendencies, it will be imperative to analyze the causation of past cases, and that “every pattern of discrimination, every violation of rights affecting vulnerable groups, every exclusionary ideology, climate of impunity, denial of genocide and hate speech, as well as incitement to violence” are exactly compelling early signs, which beg early action.

The panelists elaborated on the nature, causes, and consequences of genocide, empirical analysis of genocidal patterns, and their relationship to long-term prevention, the importance of memorialization and dignity of genocide victims, their right to remedies and reparations, guarantees of non-recurrence and accountability, the links between genocide and other human rights violations, and prevention and punishment of genocide.

The UN Secretary-General issued a message on the first observance of this International Day, calling upon the international community “to recognize the need to work more concertedly to protect individuals from gross human rights violations and uphold our common humanity”.

The event, which also featured musical performance by the UN Symphony Orchestra, was widely publicized in the UN, as well as in local and international media. The UN Department of Public Information launched a social media campaign “#GenocideVictimsDay” and “#PreventGenocide”, a special slogan (“Remember the Victims Prevent Genocide”) and logo for the International Day.

The event was webcast and the archived video is available online. For more information on the International Day please visit –

Background: Upon the initiative of Armenia, in September 2015, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted resolution A/RES/69/323 proclaiming this International Day, which encourages all Member and Observer States, all organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations and individuals to observe the International Day in order to raise awareness of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as well as to commemorate and honor its victims. It acknowledges that victims of this crime call for a form of memorialization, which plays an important role in the prevention of genocide. 9 December also marks the day of the adoption of the Convention in 1948. The resolution 69/323 followed up on another important resolution, initiated by Armenia and adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2015 which recommended to the UN General Assembly to proclaim such International Day. These resolutions and the first observance event add to the continued efforts of Armenia to promote consolidated international action against the crime of genocide.

Armenia appreciates Russia’s efforts to reach a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian said on Monday following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

“We discussed the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,” he said. “Armenia highly appreciates Russia’s efforts aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means. We will continue working in this vein.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that Russia is opposed to discussing Nagorno-Karabakh settlement at international venues not designed for that purpose.

“We, the co-chairmen of the Minsk process – Russia, the United States and France – speak out against the attempts to raise this issue at various international venues, which did not engage in the settlement,” he said, when commenting on a report by the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on the situation around  Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Russian foreign minister noted that the co-chairmen of the Minsk group maintain regular dialogue on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “This is a very complex issue with its own history,” Lavrov said.

Nalbandian also expressed condolences over  the Russian plane crash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and thanked Lavrov for the assistance in transporting home the bodies of Armenian citizens who lost their lives in the air crash in South Sudan.

“Today’s meeting was another good opportunity to discuss the implementation of the agreements reached at the level of heads of our states,” Nalbandian said.

Nepal’s parliament has elected women’s rights campaigner Bidhya Devi Bhandari as its first female president, in a move hailed as a milestone, the BBC reports.

She is the second person to hold the mainly ceremonial role.

The 54-year-old is currently the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist).

Ms Bhandari was defence minister from 2009 to 2011. As president, she has promised to champion minority and women’s rights in Nepal.

Earlier this month, Nepal’s parliament chose its new prime minister, KP Sharma Oli.

Nepal’s parliament has elected women’s rights campaigner Bidhya Devi Bhandari as its first female president, in a move hailed as a milestone.

She is the second person to hold the mainly ceremonial role.

The 54-year-old is currently the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist).

Ms Bhandari was defence minister from 2009 to 2011. As president, she has promised to champion minority and women’s rights in Nepal.

Earlier this month, Nepal’s parliament chose its new prime minister, KP Sharma Oli.

Turkey’s military transport helicopters have penetrated into Armenia’s air space twice in the recent days, Armenia’s civil aviation department told TASS on Saturday.

“On October 6 and 7 transport helicopters of Turkey’ Armed Forces violated the air space of Armenia,” the source said.

“Air traffic controllers of the Armaeronavigation company have got in contact with their Turkish counterparts who referred to bad weather,” he said noting that the country’s air border was breached in the direction of the city of Armavir, some 48 kilometres from the Armenian capital city of Yerevan, and that the helicopters were en route from the Igdir to Kars regions in Turkey’s east, bordering Armenia.

Armenian football legend, captain of “Ararat-73” Hovhanness Zanazanyan passed away on October 4 after a long illness.

Hovhanness Zanazanyan’s public funeral will take place at St. Hovhannes Church in Kond from 6-8 p.m. today.

A commission to organize Zanazanyan’s funeral has been established upon the instruction of Ruben Hayrapetyan, President of the Football Federation of Armenia.

Zanazanyan was born in Athens on December 10, 1946. He became Champion of USSR in 1973 as he led the legendary “Ararat.” The team also won the USSR Cup in 1973 and 1975.

Hovhanness Zanazanyan won the bronze with the Soviet team at 1972 Olympics.

Officials from several countries have said that more than 1,000 people died in last week’s stampede near Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the reports.

The last figure given by the Saudi authorities was 769.

However, a Nigerian official told the BBC that more than 1,000 bodies had been taken from the disaster site to morgues in the city of Jeddah.

Indian, Pakistani and Indonesian officials have also been quoted as saying they think more than 1,000 died.

Several countries have been severely critical of the way the Saudi authorities have handled the accident’s aftermath, notably Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran, which lost at least 228 people in the disaster.

Iranian  claims the Saudi government confirms the death toll in the recent Hajj tragedy has reached 4,173.

It quotes Saudi Vice Minister of Health Hamad bin Muhammad Al-Duweila as saying on Tuesday that he has received a photo showing that 4,173 pilgrims were killed in the tragic incident in Minda, near the holy city of Mecca.