Author: Kanayan Tamar

By Harut Sassounian
The California Courier

Last November, Americans elected the unlikeliest presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump. He is not your typical politician. As a successful and prominent businessman, he is used to making off- the- cuff remarks and not subscribing to any particular direction. Given the controversial nature of the Trump Presidency, domestic and international relations may drastically change. President Trump has already revised his position on some major campaign promises: expelling illegal aliens, building a wall between Mexico and the United States, and not allowing immigrants from Islamic countries to visit the United States. President Trump has also altered his position regarding serious, international issues. President Trump may not be sure himself what positions he would take on a variety of foreign policy issues.

Here is a short list of major international decisions President Trump will have to make.

1. The most important realignment of relations will be between Russia and the United States. If these two major countries can get along, there is no reason to be at odds risking the stability of the world. Furthermore, cooperation between Russia and the United States will have a positive effect on reducing terrorism in Syria and Iraq. Many of the major international figures who are opposed to the prospect of the improved relations between Putin and President Trump are reverting back to the Cold War Era mentality. The biggest issue that has arisen in recent weeks was the accusation that Russia had hacked the US presidential election. However, Russians have not done anything extraordinary. China, Russia and even US allies have always tried to steal each other’s secrets.

2. Due to his discontent with current international agreements, President Trump will want to re-negotiate the terms, previously approved under the Obama administration. One of the most important changes President Trump wants to do is re-negotiate the nuclear deal with Iran, which involves several other countries besides Iran and the US. It remains to be seen if the Iranians will go along with any of the changes proposed by President Trump.

3. A major realignment desired by President Trump is the settling of the Israeli-Arab conflict. If President Trump goes along with his plans in moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, this could result in a major clash between the US and the Arab states leading to highly undesirable consequences.

4. The final issue that President Trump will confront is the newly improved relationship between the United States and Cuba. It remains to be seen whether Cuba will go along with any changes proposed by President Trump.

There is no guarantee that President Trump’s ideas will improve the previously negotiated agreements or if they be accepted by the rest of the world. Consequentially, there is a lot of uncertainty where the new world order is headed, and whether relations between various countries will improve. The entire world hopes that countries will get along better with each other and peaceful solutions will be found. Positive relations between Russia and the US will help recent challenges faced by the Armenian Republic.

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking measures connected with an Azeri attempt to violate the Armenian state border, the Ministry’s Spokesman Tigran Balayan told Public Radio of Armenia.

The Spokesperson noted that the steps include contacts with both the Peronal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Statement by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia at the Open Government Partnership Summit 2016

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Armenia thanks the Government of France for its efforts towards advancing the agenda of Open Government Partnership (OGP) and for the extended hospitality. Our appreciation also goes to the civil society Co-Chair – the World Resources Institute. The Summit is an opportunity to galvanize our engagement in OGP initiative promoting fundamental values necessary for the inclusive and sustainable development of our societies.

Between 2011 and 2016, in line with two Action Plans Armenia implemented tangible reforms in major sectors such as the law-making activities, public procurement, access to and freedom of information, healthcare, education, local self-governance, mining industry. Through the implementation of more than 20 commitments targeted actions have been undertaken to meet main OGP challenges on improving public services, ensuring effective management of public resources, promotion of public confidence.

The cutting-edge tools, such as crowdsourcing and co-design were widely used in the drafting process of Armenia’s Open government partnership Third Action Plan (2016-2018). Government officials came together with Civil Society Organizations, experts and private sector partners to discuss and elaborate the suggested action plan commitments.

Most of the declared Summit priorities including on transparency and anti-corruption, sustainable development and climate change are included in our new Action Plan. Armenia joined other states in singing Paris Agreement on climate change. The Government of Armenia provided its final national progress report on the Millennium Development Goals. The roadmap for national implementation the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been drafted. All these processes have been done in an inclusive manner based on multi-stakeholder public discussions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Armenia continues its efforts aimed at consolidating democratic institutions, strengthening the rule of law, national mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights and in this regard sustains strong partnership with the international organizations and initiatives. Last December by the nation-wide referendum Armenia adopted amendments to the Constitution aimed at improving the governance system with increased transparency and accountability. It was followed by the adoption of a new Electoral Code to meet the necessary legal changes in line with the requirements of the amended Constitution. It is noteworthy that both the Constitutional reform and the new Electoral Code have received positive feedbacks from our international partner organizations. To further strengthen the public trust in the election process the Government accepted the proposal coming from the opposition and the discussions on the draft Code were held with the involvement of all parliamentary political factions and civil society representatives.

In Armenia, we have vibrant civil society, which is an indicator of our growing democracy, and an integral part of Armenia’s public life with increasing participation in and contribution to the effective governance. The presence of our Civil Society Organizations among Summit participants, including among members of our OGP National Working Group, is the best illustration for that.

It is noteworthy that at the last global summit of Open Government Partnership, Armenia received a top award and was recognized as a leader in our region for increased efficiency in the activities of its local self-governance authorities and improved public services based on the principles of open governance. Our Civil Society Organizations awarded the Armenian government for advancing freedom of information and joining the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are cognizant that challenges remain. Our new Action Plan is aimed at exploring new tools to directly connect to the society, to mainstream the Open Government Partnership principles in all domains of governance, and to apply human-centered approaches in policymaking. With this in mind, we are looking forward to work hand in hand with all partners to achieve the objectives of Open government partnership.

Thank you.

In a revealing article in , Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has opened up on why his late father Hamlet continues to be his inspiration.

The Armenia captain tragically lost his dad when only seven years old due to a brain tumour and it naturally had a profound effect on his childhood. By somehow summoning up the strength to follow in his father’s footsteps, he has not only emulated Hamlet’s achievement of representing his country but is now appearing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“When you walk onto the pitch at Old Trafford, it is not just a pitch, it is a stage,” the attacking midfielder said. “If my father could see me on that stage, I think he would be very proud.

“I was always kind of chasing him and I think, even though he’s not here, he helped me to get to this place. If he was still alive, maybe I would be a lawyer or a doctor right now. Instead, I am a footballer.

“The year after my father died, I started football training,” he added. “He was the drive for me, he was my idol. I said to myself, I have to run just like him. I have to shoot just like him.

“By the time I was 10 years old, my entire life was football. Training, reading, watching, even playing football on PlayStation. I was totally focused on it. I especially loved the creative players — the maestros. I always wanted to play like [Zinedine] Zidane, Kaká and Hamlet. (Pretty good company for my father).”

The decision to head to Brazil as a 13-year-old to train with Sao Paulo for four months must have been an extraordinarily difficult one to take but it helped broaden the youngster’s horizons and develop his playing style.

“That was one of the most interesting times of my life, because I was a very shy kid from Armenia who didn’t speak any Portuguese,” he admitted. “But I didn’t care at all because, to me, I was getting to go to football paradise.

“I dreamed of being like Kaká, and Brazil was the home of that creative style, which the Brazilians call ginga. That time was very important to me, because it shaped my style as a player. When I returned to Armenia after four months in Brazil, I was still quite skinny and weak, but I had technique and skill. I was feeling very free on the pitch. I was feeling like the Armenian Ronaldinho. (Ha ha ha ha. No, I’m joking).”

Thankfully, United’s fans are now able to enjoy the ‘Armenian Ronaldinho’ after narrowly failing to sign the Brazilian star during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge. The Old Trafford faithful have had to be patient but are clearly now falling in love with the summer signing from Borussia Dortmund.

“I knew it would be a challenge to leave a good situation at Dortmund and succeed at United,” he said. “But I did not want to sit in my chair as an old man and have any regrets. I was ready to move.

“When the deal was done and dusted, I sat down to sign the contract with United and that’s when it hit me. That’s when I realised that this big move to the Premier League was really happening.

“I will never forget that moment, nor will I forget the time I put on the red Manchester United shirt before my first training session with the club. It made me feel so happy and proud about what I had achieved in my career.

“At the beginning of this season at United, I suffered an injury and have not had many chances to play. It would be fair to say that the start of my life in Manchester was not perfect. But there have been many other times when I’ve had setbacks, and I have never given up. I will continue working every day so that I can help the team succeed.”

Having overcome incredible adversity in the past, there is every reason to expect Mkhitaryan to continue achieving his goals and become a firm favourite at United.

For the full, extensive must-read interview with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on his upbringing and football career so far, visit .

President Serzh Sargsyan received today EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The Armenian President and the EU Commissioner emphasized the qualitative progress in the Armenia-EU cooperation and the intensified political dialogue.

Serzh Sargsyan stressed that Armenia attaches importance to the participation in the Eastern Partnership Program, and has done its best for the development of that format. The Armenian President voiced hope that the discussions of the Ministers of Education, Science and Research will contribute to the reinforcement of cooperation between EU member and partner countries ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit to be held in Brussels in 2017.

President Sargsyan and Commissioner Hahn exchanged views on regional issues and challenges, the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is determined to prove his worth at Manchester United.

Mkhitaryan, who played in the whole of his country’s dramatic World Cup qualifying win over Montenegro in Yerevan on Friday, says he will not give up his quest to impress his new boss.

In an interview on the , Mkhitaryan said: “I know I can succeed at Manchester United, and I want to show everyone that I deserve to be a key player in this team and this league.”

“Today I don’t have enough playing time, so I have to do my best so the coaching staff give me the chance to play,” he said.

“There are no disappointments, just challenges. I never give up when I encounter obstacles in my way. I just continue going until I reach my career objectives,” Mkhitaryan added.

Mkhitaryan went on to hail Mourinho’s “fantastic record” as a coach.

He added: “Regarding Jose Mourinho, I hope I can learn a lot from him – he is a coach with a fantastic record.

“I saw the move to Manchester United as an opportunity to grow as a player and as a person.

“It was definitely not the salary that made me join Manchester United, I went for football reasons – for the history of the club, the fans and the coach because he is one of the best in the world.

“The EPL is the best league in the world and it gives me something different, a new challenge. I think I can become stronger by playing there.”

A last-minute goal from Gevorg Ghazaryan earned Armenia a 3-2 win against Montenegro in a 2018 World Cup qualifier.

An incredible  strike from Gevorg Ghazaryan completed the turnaround, giving Armenia their first win since a 2-1 victory against Bulgaria in October 2013.

It was the first victory for Armenia in a competitive match since October 2013 after 12 winless efforts.

In the first half, Montenegro went 1-0 ahead in the 36th minute with a goal from Damir Kojasevic. Captain Stevan Jovetic needed just two minutes to double the lead for his sixth goal for his country in the last eight games, lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Arsen Beglaryan.

Artak Grigoryan reduced the lead to 2-1 five minutes after the interval on a solo effort that began in the middle of the field and was completed with a little bit of luck and help from Ruslan Koryan.

Varazdat Haroyan scored his first international goal to tie the match in the 73rd from close range.

 

Armenia international and Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Armenia. The official ceremony will take place at the Football Academy on November 9.

For more than half a century Goodwill Ambassadors have been helping children and women all over the world to protect their rights and improve their lives.

By raising awareness about children’s issues and helping raise funds, famous persons send a clear message that children are the priority.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) has issued a statement condemning the arrests of opposition MPs in Turkey:

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) condemns in the strongest terms the illegal and targeted arrest of Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (Halklarin Demokratik Partisi, HDP) deputies, including the co-chairs of the party, Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, Turkish president Erdogan and his party, the AKP, have embarked on a very dangerous path, dragging Turkey into polarization and ethnic and social divisions.

Since the Turkish parliamentary elections of June 2015, where HDP was trusted by a large segment of voters in Turkey and abroad and went ahead to win  80 seats, Erdogan and his circle started political and military persecutions against all those opposing AKP’s authoritarian grip on power.

European Armenian Federation is deeply concerned with what’s happening in Turkey, and continues following the proceedings very closely and as long as Turkey refuses to accept its past and continues to try to be mono-ethnically governed, these issues will continue to deepen. Minorities and all segments of society shall have their rights respected and accepted.

“The International and European partners of Turkey must stop treating Erdogan as the democratically elected president of Turkey and face him as he really is: the authoritarian ruler of a country, playing with fire and endangering a whole, already volatile region,” said Karampetian.

“We welcome the Brussels court decision to recognize that a war is going on in Turkey and that the allegations of the Turkish state, that Kurds are terrorists, is false. In this context, it is about time, that the European Union and NATO see Erdogan’s Turkey in face value, a state sponsoring terrorism at home and abroad,” concluded Karampetian.

Earlier in the day, a representation from the Armenian National Committee of Belgium and European Armenian Federation partook in the demonstration held in Brussels, in front of the European Parliament, organized by Kurdish organizations in Belgium.

The 2nd plane cartrying humanitarian aid for  people in war-torn Syria took off from Armenia today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

Vardan Makarian, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and Ivan Volynkin, Russian Ambassador to Armenia,  were at the airport to see off the plane.

The Russian Defense Ministry helps deliver the humanitarian aid to Syria. The first military transport aircraft Il-76 of the Russian Defense Ministry delivered to the Hmeymim airbase about 40 tons of canned foods, vegetables, baked goods, flour, sugar.