Author: Lilit Nahapetian

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said today that the Organization had to start the process of closure of the Office in Yerevan, since no consensus could be reached on the future mandate of the Office.

The closure of the OSCE Office in Yerevan follows months of negotiations and extensive efforts by the 2016 German OSCE Chairmanship and the 2017 Austrian OSCE Chairmanship to resolve the deadlock on the extension of the Office’s mandate.

The OSCE opened its field presence in Armenia in 2000. Zannier said that the Office in Yerevan, with its dedicated staff, had made a significant contribution in assisting and advising the Armenian authorities on the implementation of OSCE commitments. “Co-operation with Armenia has always been very fruitful,” he said.

The OSCE’s activities in the country included, among others, assistance with police reforms and support for reviewing and streamlining the national regulatory frameworks affecting business activity and the daily lives of citizens. In 2006, the Office in Yerevan established a Programme Implementation Presence in the Syunik region to contribute to sustainable development.

Secretary General Zannier emphasized that the OSCE will seek to continue its engagement with Armenia in line with existing OSCE commitments across all three security dimensions – the politico-military, the economic and environmental and the human dimension.

The Office in Yerevan will discontinue its operations on 31 August 2017.

Dear Compatriots,

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of Victory and Peace Day.

I first of all congratulate the veterans whose ranks, regrettably, diminish by year. This holiday is the perfect occasion for us to show them our profound respect and admiration. It is also an opportunity to express our gratitude to the heroic generation which went through the superhuman challenges and secured prospects of peaceful work and development for our country.

The World War II was a grave trial for many peoples of the world, including the Armenians.

Our warriors at the battlefield and our workers in heartland here in Armenia as well as our compatriots abroad withstood that trial with honor. For us, it became the Great Patriotic War indeed. We toiled with all our ability, accomplished heroic tasks  which were above our abilities and brought the victory and desirable peace closer.

After May 9, 1992 this date acquired additional meaning for us.
Liberation of Shushi saved not only Stepanakert but the entire people of Artsakh from physical annihilation. This epic deed of the Armenian warriors and its compound historic significance are so overarching that are still being studied and analyzed by the researchers.

One thing became clear on May 9, 1992 and the same thing is clear today: We have not and we will not sacrifice our life and our freedom, our rights and our dignity.

Dear Compatriots,

I once again congratulate you all on the occasion of Victory and Peace Day. This is the holiday of those who stood against misanthropic propaganda and violence, and the heroes who won in that fight. The immortals are with us, and this is our common holiday.

I wish you all peace and creative work.

Yerevan is not planning new foreign military bases on its territory, but is about to modernize the Russian base in Gyumri, Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan has said.

“Armenia is definitely not holding talks on the opening of any new foreign military bases. We have not received any offer from the Russian side,” Sargsyan said in an interview with .

He noted, however, that the Russian Military base #102 in Gyumri is “of great importance.”

“We hold intensive discussions with our Russian counterparts on its modernization and expansion of its capacities. There are concrete topics and directions, where new forms of cooperation are possible,” the Minister said, meaning particularly the cooperation in the field of air defense.

“Russia is largely supporting the reinforcement of the Armenian Armed Forces. We have a lot of joint programs starting from training of our cadets to joint operation planning,” he added.

The Minister also informed about an agreement on cooperation in the military-industrial sphere reached during his meeting with Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manurov.

Horizon Weekly – On May 2, 2017, Turkish parliamentarian of Armenian descent and a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Mr. Garo Paylan held a series of meetings in Ottawa and Montreal with Members of Parliament and various current and former Canadian officials.

During his meetings, Mr. Paylan had the opportunity to provide an overview of the current political climate in Turkey, the aftermath of the constitutional referendum and the ongoing uncertainty and concern regarding the rights and freedoms of minorities living in Turkey.

Later during the day, Mr. Paylan also had the opportunity to meet Canada’s former Minister of Justice and Attorney General and current head of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, the Hon. Irwin Cotler, where similar issues were raised and discussed.

Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian, Sergey Lavrov and Elmar Mammadyarov will hold a meeting in Moscow on April 28.

The discussions will focus on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian doesn not rule out a meeting with his Russian and Azerbaijani counterparts later this week.

“There is a general perception that such a meeting should be organized. When the final agreement is reached and the timetable is clarified, we will inform you,” Nalbandian told Orakarg program of Public TV.

“It is known that Armenia has always been and continues to be a supporter of  negotiations,” Minister Nalbadian said.

“It is also known that it has always been Azerbaijan trying by all means to move the discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to other platforms, thus trying to avoid negotiations and to refuse meetings organized within the agreed format under the aegis of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, while putting the blame for that on the Armenian side,” the Foreign Minister stated.

The comments come in the wake of Azeri claims that Armenia avoids negotiations, but will have to return to the negotiating table.

Minister Nalbandian blamed Azerbaijan for the failure to implement agreements reached during negotiations, as it was the case with the agreements reached at last year’s Summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg.

“Azerbaijan always rejects the implementation of even minimal agreed steps, while demanding the maximum. Everyone gets the impression that Azerbaijan is not capable of negotiating. However, despite Azerbaijan’s attempts to refuse meetings,  Armenia has always been and continue to be the supporter of talks, as there is no alternative to the negotiation process,” Minister Nalbandian stated.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the Board of Supervisors marked the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by proclaiming a Day of Remembrance for one of the darkest chapters in human history, reports.

“The month of April and the celebration of the Armenian culture culminates in our Day of Remembrance, a day where we mourn, remember, and rejoice in the rebirth of a resilient people,” said Supervisor Barger.

Earlier this month, Supervisors Barger and Hahn introduced a motion proclaiming April as “Armenian History Month” in Los Angeles County – the home to the largest population of Armenians in the United States. The Armenian community continues to enrich the region through their leadership in the fields of business, agriculture, academia, medicine, government, and the arts.

“What happened to Armenians was awful,” Elton John said, as he announced the release of the Armenian Genocide film The Promise. 

“I am excited to announce the release of The Promise, a story of the Armenian Genocide at the outset of World War I. What happened in Armenia was awful. It was wrong. Let’s keep the promise to never forget and to promote human rights wherever we are and however we can,” the singer said.

“Like our belief about HIV & ending AIDS, no one should be left behind. In this spirit of championing human rights, all of the film’s proceeds will be donated to charity. I thank you so much for your support, & hope that you too vow to Keep the Promise,” Elton John stated.

Elton John and EJAF chairman David Furnish at West Hollywood Park during an Oscar commercial break.

Set in 1914 right before the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the film follows Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), a hopeful medical student who arrives in Constantinople to bring modern medicine to his ancestral village of Siroun in Southern Turkey. In the bustling capital, he soon meets Chris Myers (Christian Bale), an American photo-journalist, and Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), an Armenian artist. Both Michael and Chris soon fall in love with Ana and a love triangle ensues just as the Turks join the war on the German side, turning against the Armenians. Everyone must find a way to settle their differences in order to survive the coming chaos.

 

 

 

Armenia is one of the 14 countries with absolutely no interference in Internet management, Arman Saghatelyan, Executive Director of the Public Radio of Armenia, said at a WCFDavos/Yerevan forum on “From Crisis to Development – Powered by Communication.”

“Under these conditions the fight against fake news is a hard, but thankful task,” he said.

Speaking about the April war, Sagahatelyan said “the Armenian information field ensured an apparent privilege over Azerbaijan.”

“Having an open system, we never restricted the free movement of media representatives and the freedom of expression. Instead, we ensured security and allowed international media to  the conflict zone, the territory of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, guaranteeing freedom of expression and enabling them to cover the events,” Arman Saghatelyan said.

He noted, however, that the open system and the information liberalism, which Armenia stands for, includes certain risks. These include huge flow of misinformation, abuse of the right to freedom of expression and speech.

“Unlike closed systems, we are more stable, more intellectual and creative, and, therefore, more prepared to respond to new challenges,” Arman Saghatelyan said.

World Communication Forum Association (WCFA) in cooperation with Armenian Public Relations Association (APRA) has organized a two-day WCFDavos/Yerevan forum “From Crisis to Development – Powered by Communication “ in Yerevan.

Earlier this week, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) sent letters to the Senate and House Select Committees on Intelligence expressing concern regarding the undue influence of Azerbaijan on America’s democratic institutions.

In their letter to the Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), House Intelligence Chairman David Nunes (R-CA), and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian stated: “We are writing to express our concern regarding the undue influence of yet another foreign government on America’s democratic institutions, namely Azerbaijan. We are deeply troubled by recent reports about Azerbaijan’s ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its nexus to both the Mammadov family and the highest levels of the Azeri government. We therefore respectfully request that the congressional investigations of Russian influence be expanded to include Azerbaijan’s influence peddling and any materials it may have potentially compromising U.S. officials.”

The Justice Department has previously brought some cases involving Azerbaijan through the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), but much more is needed. According to the “Azeri Oil Money Got a Pass From This Ethics Committee” article in Bloomberg News, Azerbaijan continues to shell out over $45,000 monthly to the Podesta Group, of which the columnist states “It’s hard to tell whether it’s this creativity and generosity or any real U.S. strategic interest that makes the U.S. overlook the country’s brutal dictatorship. A combination of both is likely: Without the ‘caviar diplomacy,’ Azerbaijan might be considered too small to defy declared U.S. values and principles for its sake.”

“When it comes to the integrity of America’s democracy, the rule of law, and our governance process, we must not turn a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s influence peddling, authoritarian regime and human rights atrocities,” Assembly Co-Chairs Barsamian and Krikorian said. “Further, we must ensure that Azerbaijan’s rampant corrupt practices do not compromise U.S. policies and objectives. Additional evidence on Azerbaijani as well as Turkish wrongdoing is available and growing; we would welcome the opportunity to help advance a thorough investigation and United States response.”

In addition to the U.S., Azerbaijan’s caviar diplomacy is also amply documented in the December 2016 European Stability Initiative (ESI) report, wherein expensive watches, jewelry, computers, and large sums of money, among other gifts, were provided to several politicians from a number of countries in Europe. ESI states that “the ease with which democratic institutions and safeguards can be undermined has emerged as a fundamental threat to European democracy.”