Author: Kalantarian Kevo

On April 20, at 16.00, in accordance with the arrangement reached between the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Azerbaijani side handed over the body of a deceased serviceman near Bash-Karvend settlement.

Cyprus’ Armenian community has expressed optimism that the Armenian Genocide will get international recognition very soon, its representative Vartkes Mahdessian, said at the Cyprus Parliament on Thursday, reports.

Addressing Parliament, and referring to the 101 years since the Armenian Genocide took place, Mahdessian stated that thus far 29 countries have recognised it, eight coming in 2015.

According to Mahdessian, 2015 was a pivotal year for Armenians, since new dynamics were created to raise awareness among public opinion.

In addition five countries have criminalised the denial of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, opening new paths for Armenians, outlined Mahdessian.

The Armenian community’s representative underlined the fact that Cyprus was the first European country, and second in the world, to recognise the Armenian Genocide by a Parliament resolution and also passed a law criminalising its denial.

Mahdessian closed by saying that Armenians “stand by the Cypriots` side and show solidarity in their efforts to reunite the island,” divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Armenia’s Andranik Karapetyan (77 kg) won gold at the European Weightlifting Championships under way in Norway.

Another Armenian weightlifter Tigran Martirosyan came in second in the same weight category.

President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

The interlocutors discussed the situation established as a result of the recent Azerbaijani offensive along the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

They attached importance to the mobilization of the efforts of the state and the church for the sake of solution of the most important problems and challenges.

The Catholicoi spoke about their forthcoming visit to Nagorno Karabakh.

Russia calls on all parties in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to observe agreements on cessation of hostilities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference on Monday after talks with his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter, reports.

“We call on the sides to observe the agreements reached on cessation of hostilities,” Lavrov said. “We are interested in positive shifts on the political track toward reaching agreements on settling this uneasy conflict,” he added.

Armenia will host Belarus in a friendly today. The match will be held at the Republican Stasium after Vazgen Sargsyan, the kickoff is at 7 pm.

The fixture will be the farewell match of Armenia’s long-time goalkeeper Riman Berezovsky.

The legendary keeper decided to quit international football after a Euro-2016 qualifier against Portugal.

Berezovsky had been playing for the Armenian national team since 1996. On club level he played for Russian “Zenit,” Torpedo” and “Dinamo” and holds the Russian and USSR record of denying penalties.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reacted angrily to the statements made by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during the latter’s official visit to Athens on Tuesday, saying they are “obsessive and one-sided.”

during the Armenian official’s visit, Tsipras spoke of the Armenian and Pontic-Greek genocide, which form part of the two countries’ common past.

“The statements in question are the products of a pathetic mentality proving that the relations and solidarity between Greece and Armenia is built upon a joint hostility and slander language directed against the Turkish identity,” the spokesperson of the Turkish ministry, Tanju Bilgiç said in a statement.

“Turkey and the Turkish people will never give credit to those bringing to the fore at every opportunity a dictum of history which is unlawful, disconnected with realities, one-sided and obsessive,” it added.

The ministry also said the three officials referred to “historical events during the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire” which contained “grave allegations against Turkey and the Turkish identity.”

Brazilian prosecutors are filing charges against ex-President Lula da Silva in a money laundering investigation, officials say, the BBC reports.

He denies any wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated.

The accusations are part of a major corruption investigation at the state oil company, Petrobras.

Lula and his wife, Marisa Leticia, face questions over the alleged ownership of a seafront penthouse in the exclusive resort of Guaruja.

They are among 16 people who are formally being accused of money laundering by Sao Paulo prosecutors.

On February 3, the City Council of the Brazilian city of Franco da Rocha unanimously adopted a decision on declaring Stepanakert and Franco da Rocha twin cities, with the aim of establishing friendly relations between them.

It is noted in the decision that it will serve as a basis for the implementation of various programs and agreements, which will promote the establishment of cooperation between the cities in social, economic, and cultural spheres.

The decision also provides for an exchange of information between the cities in the spheres of culture, tourism and sports.

The draft decision was introduced by member of the City Council Antonio Lopes da Silva and endorsed by Mayor Francisco Daniel Celeguim de Morais.

Municipality of Franco da Rocha is situated in the State of Sao Paolo and has a population of about 145.000.