Author: Manouk Vasilian

Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

The perspectives of Armenian-Russian energy cooperation and issues related to Gazprom’s activity in Armenia were discussed.

Karen Karapetyan hailed the gas and energy programs being implemented in the country by Gazprom Armenia and stressed that Gazprom has the largest investment package in Armenia.

The Prime Minister underlined that the programs aimed at energy security, reliable and uninterrupted gas  supply and the large investment projects have been called to life thanks to the willingness and direct efforts on the pat of Gazprom leadership.

Alexey Miller congratulated Karen Karapetyan on appointment and wished him productive activity. Pointing to the positive results of long-term joint work, Alexey Miller emphasized that Armenia has high level of gasification (96 percent), a reliable system of gas supply and reiterated Gazprom’s willingness to keep fulfilling its tasks in Armenia.

He also stressed the importance of effectiveness of further  exploitation of  Hrazdan HPP’s 5th energy unit and the underground gas storage in  Abovyan.

Miller informed of the plans to establish an educational and training complex  in Armenia, which, he said, will be Gazprom’s investment in the future of the Armenian youth.”

Karen Karapetyan awarded Alexey Miller with RA Prime Minister’s Memorial Medal for his contribution to the development and reinforcement of Armenian-Russian economic ties.

In the morning of October 10, President Serzh Sargsyan met in New York with the members of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America.

The parties discussed agenda items of pan-Armenian importance, priorities of the activities of the Armenian Assembly of America, dynamically developing Armenian-American relations and possibilities for their further strengthening and deepening. Views were also exchanged on the pressing international problems, challenges existing in the South Caucasus region, the current stage of the NK peace process and existing issues, as well as the refugee problems which emerged as a result of the ongoing military activities in Syria. In this context, the President of Armenia and members of the AAA Board of Directors discussed issues pertinent to the assistance provided through the joint efforts by the Republic of Armenia and various Armenian structures to our compatriots in Syria as well as to the friendly people of Syria, who are suffering as a result of military actions.

Serzh Sargsyan also responded to the questions raised by the participants of the meeting, presented the process and prospects of Armenia’s economic development, and expectations from the new government of Armenia.

In the framework of his working visit to the United States, in the evening President Sargsyan will participate at the Armenia Investment Forum.

Photo: AFP

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said he will donate the money from the Nobel Peace prize to help the victims of the 52-year conflict in his country, the BBC reports.

He was awarded the prize for reaching a peace agreement with the Farc rebel group last month.

The deal was rejected a few days later by Colombian voters in a referendum.

About 260,000 people have been killed and more than six million internally displaced in Colombia.

“Last night, I met with my family and we have decided to donate those eight million Swedish krona ($925,000) to the victims,” said Mr Santos.

He made the announcement in the city of Bojaya, in the north-western region of Choco, after taking part in a religious ceremony for people affected by the conflict.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday submitted a Russian-Armenian agreement on creating the Caucasus Unified Anti-Air Defense System to the State Duma. This information is available from the State Duma electronic database, TASS reports.

Russia and Armenia signed the agreement in Moscow on December 23, 2015. The document stipulates “the establishment of a regional Unified Anti-Air Defense System as part of the of CIS Unified Anti-Air Defense System.” The main task of the system is to “set up and maintain air defense combat duty in the Caucasus region, keep the battle management system, the weaponry and the military hardware of the Unified Anti-Air Defense System on alert, cooperate with the forces of other regional air defense systems,” an explanatory note says.

In peacetime, the member states’ defense ministries are supposed to draw up plans for the combined use of the troops, their joint air defense combat duties, as well as operational and combat training.

Armenia’s parliament ratified this agreement at the end of June.

Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert

Member of the House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox is visiting Artakh accompanied by pilgrims. This time the Baroness and her delegation visited the frontlines and talked to the soldiers, who, she said, are protecting the border of Artsakh and not only.

“I’m not Armenian, but people like me should be grateful to the Armenian soldiers, who protect this border. They protect it not only for the Armenian people, but also for all Christians in the world. They are also grateful to the Armenian soldier,” the Baroness said.

This is the first time Caroline Cox is visiting Nagorno Karabakh after the April assault unleashed by Azerbaijan. Speaking to reporters in Artsakh, she denounced the work of western media.

“The international media work as they want, but we know what has happened in reality, and it’s our task to inform the world that Azerbaijan remains an aggressor. We know that Armenian soldiers have been brutally decapitated, some have been tortured. This is a harsh violation of international law,” Baroness Cox said.

President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan attended today a festive concert named Generation of Independence. The concert was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s independence and took place at the Karen Demirjian Sport and Concert Complex.
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Presidential Address on the occasion of Independence Day

Distinguished President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan,

Your Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,

Your Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia,

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Compatriots,

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of Independence Day.

We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our independence with our heads held high. We have gone down a difficult but decent path. What did we have at the beginning of that road? We had a country, one third of which was literally leveled to the ground by a devastating earthquake. People had no place to live, to say nothing of jobs. In that situation, we received hundreds of thousands of refugees from the neighboring country. Moreover, we were standing at the verge of a full-scale war. We started under energy crisis and blockade. Probably neither of the former Soviet Republics had such unfavorable starting position. But we did not falter in our choice, remained true to our resolve to build an independent and democratic state.

Our people overcame all hardships with the peculiar tenacity, wisdom, diligence, and courage. Our people revealed the ability to defend Armenia and Artsakh, to develop economy and social life.

I said it before, I reiterate it once again: for me, the greatest achievement of the new twenty-five years old Armenia is the generation born in independence. In past twenty-five years, a new generation grew up in Armenia for which to be a citizen of Armenia is not just a destiny but also an honor: a new generation, which is open to the world and is educated better that the previous generations; a new generation which is politically literate and believes in the noblest and most humane values; a generation whose mentality is based on the principles of freedom and democracy.

This is a new generation which does not and will not tolerate any kind of tyranny or dictatorship, will not tolerate any step aimed at the restriction of their rights and freedoms. And finally, this is a generation which is ready to fight and defend the Fatherland, and fight like lions.

We may build one structure more or one structure less, but we have to build a competitive and successful society. Our greatest wealth are our children who will tomorrow become that society. Moreover, even today they already represent that society and bring honor to our country. We take pride in those children who every year win numerous medals at international Olympiads.

The independence generation in our country has high standards and high demands. They also have discontent, and that discontent is an important and necessary element of progress. Could you imagine what it would be like if they were content and happy with the existing reality? They show discontent, they protest, criticize, and demand because they want to live in a better country; they want to live in a freer, more lawful, more prosperous country. They do not let the representatives of the senior generation lose vigilance and thereby, they are speeding up the reforms.

Why this is the most important thing for me? State is a tool which is called to serve people and not vice versa. The independence generation wants to improve that tool. And that generation is on the right path. We are walking down a very complicated but the most promising path of building democratic stability. It is indeed very difficult to cover in a couple of decades a distance which others covered in hundreds of years. But it is possible because the course is charted.

Dear Compatriots,

Last twenty-five years of Armenia’s independence have proved once again that nobody is going to solve our problems for us. We are able and will be solving them in the order of priority. We have wonderful friends, partners and allies all over the world. We thank them for cooperation, but let us not forget that responsibility still rests with us, only and only with us. The independence generation is gradually coming to assume that historic responsibility. Before speaking of the mote in one’s eye, they speak of a beam in our own. This is the right path because solutions to all problems are within us. The more mature we as a society, the faster we will solve our problems.

Dear Compatriots,

We are following the path of honest work, honest earning, and the truth telling path. Our society is our wealth. Whatever good there is in our country, it’s been done by them – the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, regardless of who was leading the country.

Today our country has entered a new, accelerated phase of reforms. These are not just personnel changes as some would like to think. These are structural changes which will bring about a qualitatively new state. This is not just wishful thinking; this is a succession of the preset, defined steps. We know where we are going and how to get there. If an entire nation wants to renovate its house, it will do it. Nothing will make us deviate from that route, while the amended Constitution will become a bright beacon illuminating that route.

The Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspors trinity is our strength. Whatever we have done in a quarter of a century, we have done together. Tomorrow we will do even more. In the process we have not only used the existing potential but have also accumulated new experiences and new potential. We have formed new platforms and tools which open new horizons before us.

I once again congratulate us all on the occasion of Independence Day. The realization of our national aspirations is in our own hands. It will take time and work to do. I wish us all peaceful skies and new achievements for the glory of our country and our nation.

National Hero of the Republic of Armenia Movses Gorgissian used to say, “Long live the Armenia which will come tomorrow.” He was speaking of an independent and free Armenia. Today we are saying, “Long live the Armenia which has come”, but immediately follow by saying “Long live the Armenia which will come tomorrow,” and we mean a more prosperous and secure Armenia.

Long live the Armenian nation!

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

On September 16, in Bishkek, Edward Nalbandian, Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia, participated and delivered remarks at the session of the Council of the CIS Foreign Minister which was held within the framework of the Organization’s 25th anniversary.

The agenda of the session included issues related to the increase of efficiency of the Organization’s activity and adaptation of the institution to the new realities.

The Foreign Minister of the CIS member-countries touched upon the issues of enhancement of cooperation in the fields of culture, education, law enforcement, emergency situations, cybersecurity.

The participants of the session discussed and approved the drafts of more than a dozen of documents, including the texts of statements to be issued by the Heads of the CIS member-countries on the 25th anniversary of the Organization and on a number of other issues.

A decision was made to held the next session of the CIS Ministerial Council in April of 2017 in Tashkent.

US singer Chris Brown has been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a woman told police he had threatened her with a gun, the BBC reports.

Beauty queen Baylee Curran told the LA Times Mr Brown had pointed the gun at her face after she had been admiring his friend’s jewellery.

Mr Brown came out of his home after a stand-off with police on Tuesday.

The singer has several convictions for violence, including a 2009 assault on his then girlfriend, pop star Rihanna.

Police went to Mr Brown’s home following the emergency call early on Tuesday from Ms Curran, who by that time had left the property.

Ms Curran told the LA Times that she and a friend had gone to Mr Brown’s house with a business associate on Monday evening.

She said she had been admiring the diamond necklace of a man who had been showing off his jewellery when the man got angry and told her to back away.

That is when she says Mr Brown pulled out a gun, pointed it at her face and told her to get out.

On July 21, Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, received Jim Costa, U.S. House of Representatives Congressman.

Welcoming the guest, Minister Nalbandian highly appreciated the friendly partnership between Armenia and the United States, as well as the steps being undertaken in that direction. In this regard the Foreign Minister of Armenia attached importance to the intensive cooperation established between the legislative bodies of the two countries. Edward Nalbandian thanked Jim Costa for his efforts towards the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Congressman Costa mentioned that for years he has been pursuing issues of high importance for Armenia and the Armenian people in the U.S. Congress, and he is glad to visit Armenia to get first-hand information and exchange views on the regional problems and the ways to resolve them.

During the meeting a wide range of issues on the expansion of cooperation between Armenia and the United States was discussed.

Minister Nalbandian and Congressman Costa exchanged views on regional issues.

Edward Nalbandian informed Jim Costa on the efforts being undertaken towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the overcoming of consequences of the large-scale military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) this April.

Jim Costa mentioned that as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country, the United States will continue its efforts aimed the exclusively peaceful settlement of the issue through negotiations.

Photo: NASA    

The US space agency has successfully put a new probe in orbit around Jupiter, the BBC reports.

The Juno satellite, which left Earth five years ago, had to fire a rocket engine to slow its approach to the planet and get caught by its gravity.

A sequence of tones transmitted from the spacecraft confirmed the braking manoeuvre had gone as planned.

Receipt of the radio messages prompted wild cheering at Nasa’s mission control in Pasadena, California.

“All stations on Juno co-ord, we have the tone for burn cut-off on Delta B,” Juno Mission Control had announced. “Roger Juno, welcome to Jupiter.”

Scientists plan to use the spacecraft to sense the planet’s deep interior. They think the structure and the chemistry of its insides hold clues to how this giant world formed some four-and-a-half-billion years ago.