Photo: AFP
Armenian peacekeepers are safe after the Taliban attack on an army base on Friday, Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan reports.
“No of the Armenian peacekeepers has been hurt in the attack on the Mazar-e Sharif in northern Balkh province. they continue service in another base,” Hovhannisyan said in a Facebook post.
More than 100 Afghan soldiers were killed or wounded in a Taliban attack on an army base on Friday.
– The municipality of the City of Buenos Aires during a session on April 20 declared “for the promotion and defense of human rights” the central act “for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Turkish State, to be held next April 24 under the slogan ‘Memory, Truth, Justice and Reparation.’”
The resolution–presented by Legislator Jose Campagnoli, president of the Commission on Human Rights, Guarantees and Antidiscrimination of the legislature, with the co-author of Carlos Tomada, second vice-president of the legislature– will be presented on Monday, April 24 in front of the residence of the Ambassador of Turkey, after a rally organized by the institutions of the Armenian community. In that sense, the legislature also approved, on the initiative of Legislator Javier Andrade, an adhesion to the activities that will be carried out that day.
Privately-owned Armenian carrier Taron-Avia is gearing up to re-enter the Russian-Armenian air services market, Russian Aviation Insider reports.
On April 10, a Boeing 737-500 repainted in the Taron-Avia livery arrived at Shirak airport outside the city of Gyumri, where the airline will be based. The airplane, which was previously operated by now-bankrupted Air Armenia, sports the word “Gyumri” on the vertical stabilizer.
Taron-Avia has launched a new website, obtained the Russian Transport Clearing House’s permission to use that organization’s blank forms for its air tickets, and taken some other steps in the run-up to the launch of commercial operations.
The carrier is expected to commence flights to Russia in late April. The list of destination airports includes Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, and Samara’s Kurumoch airport.
The airline deliberately chose Shirak as its base airport (Armenia’s other operational airport, Zvartnots, serves the capital city Yerevan). First, on December 31, 2014 the Shirak management waived the surcharge of 10,000 dram ($21.39) per outbound passenger; on January 1, 2017 the airport reduced the air navigation service fee by 50%, and meteorological support is provided free of charge. “Having taken these advantages into consideration, Taron-Avia decided to operate from Shirak,” a representative of Armenia’s General Department of Civil Aviation told Russian Aviation Insider. Second, Gyumri is the hometown of Taron-Avia owner and CEO Garnik Papikyan.
Apart from the newly delivered Boeing the carrier has two more 737-500s, which it used to sublease.
If everything goes to plan, Taron-Avia will lbecome Armenia’s second carrier to offer regular services to Russia. Last summer Zvartnots-based airline Armenia broke onto the Russian market. Armenia management declined to comment on the new carrier’s plans but offered their congratulations.
Russia hopes the parties to the Nagorno Karbakh conflict will return to the negotiating table, Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
“Today marks the anniversary of the end of large-scale military actions at the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in what became the worst violation of the ceasefire regime since 1994,” Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a briefing today.
“The OSCE Minsk Group and the international community have been taking measures to help create conditions for furthering the negotiations. For that purpose two summits were organized in Vienna and St. Petersburg. Work in that direction continues, and we hope the parties will return to the negotiating table and continue discussions,” Zakharova said.
Today, during his working visit to the Republic of Malta, President Serzh Sargsyan attended the Congress of the European People’s Party held at the “Arena” conference center of the “Intercontinental” hotel in Saint Julian’s. The congress was conducted by the President of the European People’s Party Joseph Daul. The Head of the European Union Donald Tusk, The Head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, The Presidents of states and governments representing the parties which are members to European People’s Party from the EU member states and Eastern Partners and the Leader of the Nationalist Party of Malta Simon Buzitil participated at the Congress.
During the two-day Congress, the spotlight of all the delegates will be the importance of pan European issues and the agenda, specifically, focuses on the political discussions on the essential topic of “The Future of Europe.” They will also turn to the issues of the European neighborhood, the current developments in the sphere of Eastern Partnership and to the current international challenges.
President Serzh Sargsyan made a speech during today’s first plenary session of the congress, in which he touched upon the relations and cooperation between Armenia and the European Union, he stressed the new opportunities and prospects for expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation, and he also touched upon the upcoming parliamentary elections after the constitutional amendments and stressed the importance of the mission and problems of the European big family which is a key milestone in the path of Armenia’s democratization.
The President of the Republic of Armenia expressed the hope that the European Union would succesfully overcome all the problems faced by this stage and all the challenges, continuing its specific mission of spreading peace, stability and development, which would be beneficial for the people of Europe as well as for its partners.
Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the Congress of the European People’s Party
Distinguished Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, l’d like to thank President Daul of the European People’s Party for inviting us to attend this event. Of course, I am also sending all my best wishes to the President Mr. Buzitil at the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m glad to register that form the very beginning this year has been very active for the Armenia-European Union relations. A historical achievement was registered in February: jointly with President Tusk, we had announced the conclusion of negotiations on the new legal document regulating our relations-Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. It will open up a new page in the relations between Armenia and European Union, and consolidate its institutional foundations, establishing new opportunities for the further expansion and deepening of our partnership.
Armenia-European Union partnership is a success story, a model of a successful partnership that resulted on one hand from Armenia’s consistent European agenda, and on the other – stemmed from the tailor-made approaches of the recent years in EU’s cooperation with the Eastern Partnership nations. Throughout this process Armenia has vividly demonstrated that it has been possible to make compatible various integration processes while harvesting and sowing everything positive and useful, which unite and does not divide nations.
Dear colleagues,
Just in three days from now on, Armenia will hold parliamentary elections. This is going to be an important stage on the path of democratization of my nation since constitutional reform. Taking into account peculiarities of my country’s development we pursue the objective of taking a decisive step towards building a democracy of European model and further strengthening of the democratic institutions. We are committed and spare no effort in order to conduct elections in line with the highest international criteria. All appropriate international structures, such as OSCE/ODIHR, PACE, European Parliament, OSCE and CIS PAs had been invited to Armenia to observe elections.
We are grateful to the European Union and the European People’s Party for standing by us throughout these important processes.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Few days ago European communities solemnly celebrated the 60-th Anniversary of the Rome Treaty, which established necessary conditions for the current prosperity and sustainable development of European citizens. We, in Armenia closely follow with great interest both those jubilee events and accompanying discussions. The history of the EU is first and foremost one of jointly settling the issues, overcoming disagreements and, last but not least, jointly building the success.
His Holiness Pope Francis had rightly noted on this occasion: “The founding fathers remind us that Europe is not a conglomeration of rules to obey, or a manual of protocols and procedures to follow. It is a way of life, a way of understanding man based on his transcendent and inalienable dignity.”
We believe that European Union will also successfully overcome all the issues and challenges it faces at this stage and it will continue with its unique mission of peace, stability and development for the benefit of both people of Europe and Europe’s friends.
Thank you.
President Serzh Sargsyan has left for the Republic of Malta to participate in the meetings and the Summit of the European People’s Party (EPP).
Heads of state and government of the EU and Eastern Partnership member states, whose parties are also members of the EPP, are invited to take part in the Summit.
Congratulatory address of President Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of International Women’s Day
Dear Ladies,
I congratulate you on the occasion of Women’s Day.
Nowadays, March 8 has truly acquired the status of a holiday. It presents yet another beautiful occasion to express our love and admiration, our gratitude and devotion to the women and girls around us.
We encourage in every way a greater participation of women in the social life of our country. We believe that the women of Armenia posses the yet undisclosed huge potential which ought to be called to life in various areas. Currently, it is obvious that along with the traditional areas, such as education and health care, the women have begun to play a serious role also in entrepreneurship, journalism, governance, high technologies, judicial and other areas, including the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. I have no doubt that you will continue to expand current success and will deservedly occupy a greater place in the political life as well.
Dear Ladies,
Along with all this, you remain the pillar of the traditial family, which serves the base our nation, stand as a rock behind your husbands, as guardian angels for your children, as tender sisters to your brothers and brides to the soldiers who defend your honor on the borders.
I once again congratulate you on the occasion of this bright spring holiday. With special appreciation, I congratulate the mothers of soldiers who are serving in the Army now.
I wish you happiness and all the best.
On 28 February Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.
The meeting addressed a number of issues related to the situation along the contact line between the Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan armed forces.
Special attention was paid to the penetration attempt made by the Azerbaijani subversion unit on 25 February. The President described it as a provocative policy aimed at undermining peace and stability in the region.
Within this context the President highlighted the need for targeted and tough response by the international community, considering it an important component in containing the destructive policy waged by the adversary.
The bodies of the dead Azeri soldiers were evacuated from the no man’s land at about 17:00 under an agreement reached between the parties with the mediation of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Artsakh Defense Ministry reports.
The operation was carried out with the participation of the Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICTC).
Armenia’s defense minister told Sputnik that Yerevan’s cooperation with NATO does not threaten its relations with Russia.
Armenia’s cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is not directed against its strategic alliance with Russia, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told
“Our relations with NATO were always build completely openly for our allied countries and partners. We have never made a secret of this, and this cooperation could never and never will be directed against the interests of our strategic alliance with Russia,” Sargsyan said.
Armenia takes part in the NATO Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces launched on January 1, 2015 as a follow-up on the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission, which completed at the end of 2014. Armenia also participated in ISAF mission sending up to 131 soldiers to Afghanistan.
Armenia will continue arms procurement dialogue with Russia, Sargsyan told Sputnik.
“Contracts have been implemented in advance on a range of [orders], which is also pleasing. We will continue dialogue with Russia about the possibility of acquiring weapons on the Russian market,” Sargsyan said.
He expressed “deep respect and a desire to increasingly develop this cooperation,” lauding Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) membership allowing Yerevan to buy weapons at the same price as the Russian Armed Forces.