Author: Hovhannisian John

168: Azerbaijan again fires at Armenian border town

Hovhannisian John
| 11:13 | September 17 2018
Categories
Politics
Region

Azerbaijan has again opened cross-border fire at the Tavush province of Armenia overnight September 16-17. However this time the shooting was insignificant compared to the previous days, Armenian defense ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan told ARMENPRESS.

“The shootings were relatively few, our response took place partly. The situation is currently calm, we don’t have losses,” Hovhannisyan said.

Azerbaijan has been shooting at Armenian border towns of Baghanis and Koti in the Tavush province during the recent days. The village of Areni was also targeted.

168: ‘Azerbaijani people ought to demand Aliyev’s son to serve in frontier’, Pashinyan says

Hovhannisian John
| 09:58 | September 17 2018
Categories
Artsakh
Politics
Region

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has commented on the enlistment of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s son Heydar Aliyev into military service.

The PM was speaking today at the campaigning rally of My Step bloc for the upcoming Yerevan City Council election.

Addressing the conscription of Aliyev’s son, the Armenian PM said that the people of Azerbaijan should demand their leader for his son to serve at the border.

“In the past three days the soldier serving in the Armenian Armed Forces [shot] three Azerbaijanis not because they liked it, but because they were firing at the direction of [Armenian] border villages at the orders of Azerbaijan.

The people of Azerbaijan should demand that Ilham Aliyev’s son serves in the border, and that’s when we will see what kind of a situation will be created at the border. No mother of any Azerbaijani can accuse us, because we are taking counteractions only when they themselves act like this,” Pashinyan said.

According to Azerbaijani news media President Ilham Aliyev’s son Heydar Aliyev has been enlisted to military service in one of the state security service bases of the country.

In a late July interview to Russian media, Nikol Pashinyan was asked by Echo of Moscow host Alexey Venediktov why he has sent his son Ashot Pashinyan to serve in Karabakh. Pashinyan answered by saying that his son volunteered to serve there.

“Many interpret this as an aggressive gesture, but on the contrary it is a peace-loving step. We all understand that when I send my son to Karabakh I don’t want war to start there. God forbid my son or the sons of my countrymen, or the sons of ordinary Azerbaijanis die. It isn’t reasonable. I don’t want it. I would be glad if Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev would also send his son to serve there. If his son would also serve there, I would accept it as a peace-loving step. We would all be convinced that Mr. Aliyev too doesn’t want his son to die,” Pashinyan had said in the interview.

ARMENPRESS clarifies details from Dutch justice ministry over deportation of two Armenian children

Hovhannisian John
ArmenPress, Armenia
Sept 7 2018
ARMENPRESS clarifies details from Dutch justice ministry over deportation of two Armenian children


YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Representatives of a family guardian organization called Nidos will accompany Lili and Howick to Armenia, the justice ministry of the Netherlands told ARMENPRESS. As reported earlier, Lili and Howick, the two Armenian children who were rejected asylum by Netherlands, will be deported to Armenia on Saturday.

Maarten Molenbeek, a representative for the press of the Dutch justice ministry, refused to provide other details on the deportation, including on what flight the children will arrive to Armenia. Asked to comment on the statement of the Children’s Ombudsman of Netherlands Margrite Klaverboer, who said that “the deportation will be infringing on the fundamental rights of the children”, Molenbeek refused. “That is her opinion”, he said. Asked who will accompany the children on the flight, Mr. Molenbeek said that an organization called Nidos is dealing with the issue.

The Nidos website describes the organization as “an independent family guardian organization, pursuant to the law, Nidos fulfils the guardianship task for Unaccompanied Minor Asylum Seekers”. Molenbeek said that representatives of Nidos are already in Armenia for further assistance.

Nidos was unavailable at the moment for comment.

Earlier the Dutch media reported that another organization, the Armenian Caritas, is also dealing with the issue in Armenia.

But Armenian Caritas refused to comment. “At this moment, due to the mother’s and the children’s security concerns, Armenian Caritas is not authorized to provide any information,” the organization told ARMENPRESS.

A day ahead of the highly publicized deportation of two Armenian children from the Netherlands, the country’s children’s ombudsman Margrite Klaverboer says the Dutch government will be infringing on fundamental children’s’ rights if Lili and Howick are deported back to Armenia.

Lili (12) and Howick (13), have been separated from their mother since she was sent back to Armenia in July 2017. Earlier in the week Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands personally added her voice to calls for the two children to be allowed to stay. ‘I can’t and don’t want to judge the situation, but I have a great deal of sympathy for what these children are going through,’ she told NPO Radio 5, according to Dutch News.

The children, aged 12 and 13, will be taken to an orphanage on their return and their mother, who was deported a year ago, is unable to take care of them, Klaverboer told television program Pauw on Thursday evening. ‘I have read the file thoroughly and I know their mother is not capable of looking after them at the moment,’ she said. ‘There is nowhere for them to live and they cannot go to school,” the ombudsman said, referring to the fact that the children do not speak or write in Armenian.

The children are set to be deported on Saturday.

They were born in Russia and have lived in the Netherlands for over 10 years, during which their mother made repeated efforts to claim asylum. However, they have not qualified for the government’s amnesty for child refugees. Kalverboer said the children’s future is clearly in the Netherlands and that she has discussed the problems with junior justice ministry Mark Harbers. He has the right of discretion to grant the children a residence permit. So far Harbers has refused to do so.

The State Migration Service of Armenia earlier told ARMENPRESS that it will provide all possible assistance of integration to the children if the mother is unable to care for them.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Mother visits her juvenile children with support of Ombudsman

Hovhannisian John
  • 10:51 | August 31,2018 | Social
  • Armenian:
  • Rus

The mother of two teenage children asked the Human Rights Defender’s assistance in meeting her children.

The applicant informed the Defender that before the court would determine the place of residence of the child, the custody and guardianship body decided to allow her to meet the children two days a week, but the husband does not allow.

In the framework of the proceedings initiated by the Defender’s Office, writings have been sent to relevant authorities, referring to the legislative regulations.

As a result, the issue has been resolved. The applicant also informed the Ombudsman that she could visit the children without any resistant.

Yerevan City Council elections important exam for government, and it should get excellent grade – PM Pashinyan

Hovhannisian John
| 16:03 | August 30 2018
Category
Politics

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during today’s discussion of the legislative package on criminalizing taking or giving bribes during elections, said the upcoming Yerevan City Council elections are a good exam for the government and it should receive an excellent grade for that.

Commenting on the importance of this legislative initiative the PM said: “I think we will not only greatly move forward, but we will reach the point from where there is no place to go forward, in other words, we should rule out such phenomena. Of course, the Yerevan City Council elections are very important exam for us in this regard, and we need to get an excellent grade”.

Taking or giving bribes during elections will be criminalized in Armenia according to the package of draft laws on making amendments and changes in the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses. The package has been approved by the government and will be submitted to the Parliament.

The Yerevan City Council elections will take place on September 23.

Davit Tonoyan speaks about necessity of new fighter-bomber aviation

Hovhannisian John
| 15:16 | August 29 2018
Category
Politics

Ahead of Shant-2018 strategic command and staff military exercises Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan delivered a lecture at the administrative building of the ministry on August 28.

Minister Tonoyan presented his vision on the priorities of the development of defense sphere.

Strictly highlighting the steps aimed at the modernization of armaments and management system, as well as raising the combat readiness of the personnel, Defense Minister Tonoyan assured that the works aimed at army modernization are underway in the sidelines of which they plan to obtain also multifunctional aviation. “Till now the Armenian Armed Forces had a nature of strictly expressed ground forces”, Tonoyan said, adding that they mainly relied on air defense. “The times, however, have changed. The mobility necessary for the Armed Forces requires the presence of fighter-bomber aviation”, the Minister said.

A1+: Seedstars international competition searches for best Armenian startup

Hovhannisian John
  • 17:29 | August 27,2018 | Economy
  • Armenian:

The 10 best startups from Yerevan will be invited to pitch in front of an investment panel and compete to be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup of Seedstars Yerevan 2018. The winning startup will join the global Seedstars Family and take part in the regional and global Seedstars Summits that include our tried and tested bootcamp and investor forum. It’s a catalytic platform for high growth emerging market startups. In addition to seeing the top startups pitch, you can look forward to an event filled with disruptive tech, inspirational discussions, networking sessions and one flight ticket for the winner to come to Switzerland to compete for over $1 mln in investment.

For more information, you can contact Lusine Ghukasyan, Public Relations Officer of Microsoft Innovation Center – 094 64 22 21, 010 54 53 43, [email protected] or visit www.mic.am.

Parliament Speaker Babloyan and PM Pashinyan hold meeting

Hovhannisian John
| 15:44 | August 27 2018
Category
Politics

The meeting of Speaker of the Parliament Ara Babloyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was held on August 27.

The Speaker made the initiative to meet earlier with the statement issued on the country’s domestic political situation.

During the meeting the leaders of the executive and legislative powers in particularly stated:

. Regardless of political views everyone in Armenia has a right to freedom of _expression_ and different opinion

. Independence of judiciary is a key guarantee for ensuring justice in the country, therefore the separation and balance mechanism of legislative, executive and judicial powers should not be undermined in any case
. Armenia’s judicial system has not yet exhausted itself with its all tools in the implementation of justice, nevertheless, if the sides come to a conclusion based on the political discussions that there is a need for “transitional justice” institute, it should be carried out by the changes of the Constitution and the respective legislative field and must not harm the justice in any case.

. According to the Government’s program, approved by the Parliament on 07.06.2018, the snap parliamentary elections must be held at least within a year. In case of holding the snap parliamentary elections through Constitutional changes, the referendum institute can be the most democratic one among the series of mechanisms, as the Constitution, that is subject to change, has been adopted by a referendum. Nevertheless, the choice of any option on this issue should be made based on broad public and political discussions. Such opportunities are not exhausted both in the Parliament and broad public circles.

“Orinats Yerkir” party will participate in the Yerevan Council of Elders elections

Hovhannisian John
  • 24.08.2018

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  • Armenia:

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  • arm

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  • rus

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“Orinats Yerkir” party will participate in the Yerevan Council of Elders elections.


The party has issued a statement informing that the electoral list will be headed by the vice-president of the party, Mher Shahgeldyan.


The party will participate in the Yerevan Council of Elders elections with the slogan “We are and our Yerevan”.

Armenian defense minister departs for Russia on working visit

Hovhannisian John
  • 18:07 | August 20,2018 | Official
  • Armenian:

Armenia’s delegation led by defense minister Davit Tonoyan has departed for Moscow on a working visit at the invitation of Russian defense minister, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, in order to participate in the opening of the Army 2018 International Military and Technical expo and the National Security Week forum.

During the visit minister Tonoyan will have several working meetings.