Author: Kalantarian Kevo

On September 27, in the framework of the working visit to Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan met with the leadership of the EU-Armenia Friendship Group headed by the President of the group Eleni Theocharous.

During the meeting, a range of issues related to Artsakh-Europe relations, settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and regional processes were discussed.

On the same day Karen Mirzoyan met with the President of the Friendship group with Artsakh in the European Parliament Frank Engel and other members of the group. During the meeting, a number of issues related to the activity of the friendship group were discussed. The sides highlighted the importance of deepening ties with various European structures, including the European Parliament.

Later in the day, Karen Mirzoyan, as a keynote speaker, delivered a speech at a round-table organized by Frank Engel entitled “Nagorno Karabakh Republic: 25 years of state-building in a volatile region” at the premises of the European Parliament.

In his speech, the NKR Foreign Minister stated, in particular, that 25 years ago the people of Nagorno Karabakh voted for independence on a nation-wide referendum which became the logical continuation of Artsakh liberation struggle in response to decades of discrimination and oppression by Azerbaijan.

“In spite of the peaceful and legitimate nature of the Karabakh movement, from the very beginning Azerbaijan rejected any dialogue and resorted to the language of threats and intimidation which led to a large-scale war against Nagorno Karabakh and its peaceful population”, Karen Mirzoyan said.

The NKR Foreign Minister stressed that even today the people of Artsakh literally have to defend the young democracy in the conditions of constant attempts of Azerbaijan to return Nagorno Karabakh to the past. Karen Mirzoyan noted that the NKR had repeatedly spoken out publicly about Azerbaijan openly preparing for the resumption of war by, however, the international community did not react to these warnings. The impunity enjoyed by Azerbaijan led to the resumption of hostilities against Nagorno Karabakh on April 2, 2016.

Karen Mirzoyan stressed that the people of Artsakh cannot remain hostage to the destructive policy of Azerbaijan and will continue to develop even in the conditions of the unresolved Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. In this regard the Foreign Minister mentioned that the NKR authorities attach great importance to the expansion and deepening of foreign relations of the NKR at all levels, its integration into the international processes.

Karen Mirzoyan expressed confidence that expansion of the international cooperation will be an important contribution to strengthening peace and security in the region.

“We believe that the time has come for the international community to support our struggle. It’s time to recognize and support the reality – existence and consistent development of the free and democratic Nagorno Karabakh Republic”, Karen Mirzoyan concluded.

The NKR Foreign Minister answered questions of participants.

Members of the NKR National Assembly delegation, members of the European Parliament and experts attended the discussion.

According to a decree signed by President Serzh Sargsyan, Suren Karayan has been appointed as Minister of Economy.

“There was no other choice…I knew that it wouldn’t be right if the world’s fastest underwater swimmer was there and didn’t even try to help.”

Shavarsh Karapetyan

Shavarash Karapetyan was a 17-time world champion finswimmer in Armenia during the Soviet Union’s existence. Despite his success as an athlete, he is best known for his incredible heroism.

On a September day in 1976, while training, Karapetyan heard a trolley bus skid off the road and land in frigid Lake Yerevan. As the bus sank, Karapetyan stripped off his clothes and jumped into the lake. As it hit bottom, he broke the windows of the bus and started to pull people out, one by one. In about 20 minutes, he pulled out over 30 passengers, although only 20 survived; some were already dead by the time he got to them.

As a result of his selfless actions he contracted pneumonia, and when the broken glass-induced gashes on his legs became infected, he developed sepsis. He was hospitalized for weeks and was in serious condition, but eventually recovered. His doctor said the only reason he survived was because he was in such prime physical shape due to his training.

Karapetyan’s injuries did not allow him to continue his career as an athlete and he had to leave sports. Years later, while walking in a neighborhood he came by a burning building and, again without hesitation, ran in and saved people inside. He was again injured and hospitalized.

He was one of those who carried the Olympic torch in the relay leading up to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Volunteers from the United States Embassy in Armenia joined the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia (FCHA) to build a home for the Aloyan family from SisavanVillage in the Ararat Region

The partnership between the U.S. Embassy and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia started in 2008.Every year, the U.S. Embassy’s “Helping Hands” volunteer organization joins forces with FCHA to create an event where Embassy staff and family member can help build a home for an Armenian family living in inadequate housing conditions. This year, U.S. Embassy personnel joined the Aloyans to help with painting and concreting projects for their new home.

The Aloyans are a family of eleven. Sargis and his wife, Anie – together with their 2 children – live with Sargis’ parents and his brother’s family, making for eleven people in a three-room house. The extended family started building a house for Sargis and his family four years ago.

“Perhaps it is the cherished dream of everyone to have a home. As a father of two I was always downhearted that I could not provide my little ones with a decent home. It is impossible to explain the happiness we feel each day when we see the progress on the construction of our house and feel that soon, very soon, we will move to our new home,” shared Sargis.

“Back in the spring of 2016, this house had only walls and a ceiling. Today, construction is nearly complete and we are already painting the walls. The U.S. Embassy has joined us in our mission since 2008. And it is thanks to the strong conviction and dedication of our partners, volunteers, and supporters that the Aloyans and many other Armenian families enjoy the happiness of homeownership,” stated FCHA President Ashot Yeghiazaryan.

In 2009, the United States Congress designated September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City.  In 2016, as the American people mark the 15th anniversary of those senseless acts of destruction, the U.S. Embassy was honored to partner with FCHA to give the Aloyans renewed hope as they prepare to move into their new home and begin to construct a new, brighter future.

A car has exploded after ramming the gates of the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, with at least one person killed, reports say.

Kyrgyz security officials quoted by the local AKIpress news agency described the blast as a terrorist attack.

The news agency also quoted the chief of security at the Chinese embassy as saying that no staff there had been injured.

The Russian TASS news agency says one person was killed, two were wounded.

Local reports say that the person killed was the driver of the car.

Kyrgyz security officials are at the scene conducting an investigation.

Massis Post – In a directive issued to all Eastern Diocesan churches Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian has asked all parishes to assist in fundraising drives aimed at assisting Armenian community members affected by the devastating flooding in Louisiana earlier this month.

Vasken Kaltakjian, the parish council chair of St. Garabed Armenian Church in Baton Rouge, has reported that three Armenian families were forced to flee their homes, and one community memeber lost his business in the wake of the severe flooding that caused widespread damage and loss in the State capital.

According to Mr Kaltakjian, one family experienced minor damage to their property and has already returned to their home. They are expecting to begin renovations soon.

One family’s house was completely submerged in water. Everything in the house remains unsalvageable, including such basic items as clothing and other personal belongings.

A third family was forced to evacuate their home and will not be able to return for at least six weeks. The first floor of their house was completely flooded, and they lost all furniture, appliances, and other items on the first floor to water damage.

The fourth family experienced damage at their place of business, where two parking lots were flooded and 82 cars were destroyed. In addition, the family owned two rental houses and a fishing camp, all of which were submerged in water.

Two of these families did not have flood insurance as their properties were not located in a flood zone, Mr. Kaltakjian said. Those forced to evacuate their homes are now staying with friends and relatives in the area.

The parish council of St. Garabed Church has been in touch with these Armenian familys to provide emergency assistance. Their goal is to provide short-term relief while the families await aid from insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Summer 2016 marked another successful campaign for the Land and Culture Organization (LCO)/Organisation Terre et Culture (OTC).  After three summer campaigns of volunteers, and four years of historical archaeologists, local workers and artisans, LCO/OTC celebrated the completion and consecration of the its fifth historical restoration project 16th century Sourp Stepanos Nakhavegah (St. Stephen the Protomartyr) church in the village of Shikaghogh.  Shikahogh is located in the southern Syunik region, adjacent to the Shikahogh Forest Reserve 20 miles south of Kapan.   Being near the Armenian-Artsakh border, the Azeris shelled Shikahogh during the Karabagh conflict.  Now, they are hoping to develop ecotourism in the Shikahogh State Reserve area.

Sourp Stepanos was blessed on August 6nd by Holy Etchmiadzin Bishop Hovannes Hakopyan and clergy of the Syunik Diocese.  Present at the consecration ceremonies were Kegham Kevonian President of UIOTC (Union of Land and Culture International), Haig and Hilda Manjikian and Nazaret Kevonian of LCO-USA, project architect Stepan Nalbandian of LCO/OTC Armenia “Yergeer Yev Meshagiut”, along with LCO/OTC volunteers and members.  Over two hundred members of the Shikahogh community, neighboring villagers, and mayors from surrounding villages and attended the ceremonies.  It was an emotional moment for all present following the culmination of years of hard work by volunteers and local craftsmen.   Some community elders remember being baptized at Sourp Stepanos. 

Throughout the project’s duration, 60 volunteers from the diaspora lived in Shikahogh and worked on Sourp Stepanos.  Volunteers participated in every aspect of the project from archaeologic digs, clearing the exterior and interior of the church, fixing the roof, rebuilding the altar and more.  Since 1989, LCO/OTC has worked on 20 projects including renovation of community centers, schools, construction of solar dryers, and historical church restoration in Armenia and Artsakh.  

In addition to the completion of Sourp Stepanos, LCO/OTC began work on a new project in southern Armenia.  This year’s campaign brought 40 dedicated volunteers from the United States, France, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Armenia, and Artsakh to spend three-weeks in the Syunik region, rebuilding the 17thcentury historical Sourp Hovannes (St. John) church in Armenia’s southern most point of Meghri.  The Meghri restoration project will take four to five years to complete. During the campaign, workdays of physical labor participating in the renovation of this Armenian church is just one part of the LCO/OTC experience.  Volunteers live in a very modest rural home and spend non-working hours bonding with village residents, while enjoying local activities and their surroundings.  In addition to experiencing village life, the volunteers go on excursions of Armenian historical sites. 

A bomb has gone off at the Brussels Institute of Criminology, without causing casualties, Belgian media say, the BBC reports.

Shortly before 02:30 local time (00:30 GMT), a car rammed through three fences, RTL Belgium reports.

“One or more” suspects then reportedly detonated a bomb near the laboratories.

Belgium’s terror alert level remains high since bomb attacks on Brussels airport and the city’s metro, claimed by so-called Islamic State, that killed 32 people in March.

It is unclear what happened to the suspects behind the latest blast, which Belgian media said had caused “significant” damage.

Fire service spokesman Pierre Meys told Agence France-Presse that the “extremely powerful” blast “was probably not accidental”. Some 30 firefighters helped put out the resulting fire.

Prosecutors said an investigation was now under way.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan provided a fascinating glimpse of his quality on Saturday by producing an eye-catching first-half display during Manchester United’s 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic.

The Armenia international joined the Reds from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month and made his unofficial debut at the DW Stadium, where Jose Mourinho oversaw a comfortable victory in his first match as manager thanks to second-half goals from Will Keane and Andreas Pereira.

Mkhitaryan started the match in the number 10 position and impressed the 7,000 United fans in attendance with an energetic, creative performance behind striker Will Keane. The 27-year-old was taken off during the break in a planned substitution, yet he had already made his impact.

Speaking on MUTV during a live broadcast of the match, Denis Irwin explained why he was bowled over by Mourinho’s third signing of the summer. “When he is receiving the ball, he is always available, his body shape is always right and he let it run across him a couple of times,” Irwin said.

“He looks like a player who wants to go forward as well and carry the ball forward to the opposition. We know from last year at Dortmund alone what he can achieve in terms of scoring goals, creativity and assists.

“So it has all been good. I know people will say it is Wigan, but you can see his ability to take the ball under pressure. He is at a good age, he has good experience and you can see that.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama in a telephone conversation on Wednesday dicussed the settlement of the Krabakh conflict, TASS reports, quoting the Kremlin.

Putin informed Obama on the June 20 meeting in St Petersburg on peace settlement of the conflict.