Author: Shushan Frangulian

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Dominik Cardinal Duka, Czech Primate and Archbishop of Prague.

The president welcomed the guest, who, according to the president, is one of the Armenian people’s best friends and is always a welcomed guest in Armenia. Serzh Sargsyan warmly recalled his previous meeting with Cardinal Duka and expressed satisfaction with the fact that Armenian-Czech meetings at various levels give a fresh impulse to bilateral relations, and they continue to develop dynamically.

According to Serzh Sargsyan, the opening of the Czech embassy in Armenia in pursuance of the agreement made during his meeting with President Zeman will greatly contribute to the strengthening of friendship between the Armenian and Czech peoples and to the reinforcement of relations between the two countries. “As a first country of the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion, we greatly value the broadening of spiritual ties and relations with the peoples sharing similar worldviews. Undoubtedly, the Czech people belong to that group. In that context, I attach great importance and value to your visit to Armenia,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

At the meeting, the parties placed importance on the cooperative climate between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Czech Catholic Church, in which, according to the president, Cardinal Duka has played an invaluable role. Armenia’s president expressed his satisfaction with the allocation of Prague’s Church of the Holy Spirit to the Gregory the Illuminator parish community of the Armenian Apostolic Church, considering that step a great event in the life of the Czech-Armenian community from the perspective of preserving their faith and identity.

“I am delighted that I have had the chance to visit Armenia, a country which was not only the first to adopt Christianity as a stat religion, but also has a rich ancient history and culture and a people which represent all of that and command high respect,” said the Czech Primate and the Archbishop of Prague.

Noting that the Czech people are well aware of the crime committed against the Armenian people at the beginning of the last century, Cardinal Dominik Duka stressed that he is confident the close relationship and collaboration between the two friendly peoples, states and churches should be also aimed at promoting peace in the world and at eliminating intolerance.

President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting today with the President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Joseph Daul, in Madrid. At the outset, Serzh Sargsyan congratulated Joseph Daul on being reelected as President during the EPP congress on 21 October and wished him success, expressing the hope that under the leadership of Mr. Daul, the EPP, as the most influential political force of Europe, will continue to fulfil its mission and meet the expectations of European voters.

The interlocutors discussed issues pertaining to the further promotion of cooperation with the EPP, the prospects of RA-EU relations, the strengthening of ties between the RPA and EPP, Armenia’s collaboration with its EPP partners in international platforms, as well as to common issues and challenges which will also be touched upon during today’s broadened summit of the EPP. The RA president and the EPP president reflected upon the current stage of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group and upon the existing problems. The interlocutors also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and on the refugee crisis.

Armenia’s president presented to Joseph Daul the process of RA constitutional amendments and the importance of making amendments to the fundamental law for our country.

President Serzh Sargsyan noted that he warmly recalls Mr. Daul’s visit to Armenia in April this year and his participation in the events to commemorate the Armenian Genocide Centennial, by which, Armenia’s president was certain, the EPP president reiterated his and his party’s loyalty to the universal values that underlie European integration. Stressing the importance of the resolution “The Armenian Genocide and European Values” adopted by the EPP Political Assembly, the president thanked the party leader and those EPP members of the PACE who endorsed that statement.

The RA president will also take part in the EPP broadened summit in Madrid.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs will arrive in Armenia on October 26, Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran Balayan informs in a Twitter post.

The mediators are expected to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The Co-Chairs will visit Baku on October 28, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told a press conference in Baku.

There is no need to hurry for defining the place and date of the next meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, Mammadyarov noted.

“There are two ways: either the presidents will choose the place of a meeting, or the co-chairs will make a proposal. In all cases, we are waiting for the co-chairs’ visit to the region and we will discuss it,” he said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will leave for Astana on October 15 to participate in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of CIS participating states, Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire 110 times at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan last night.

The rival fired more than 1,400 shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army confidently continue with their military duty all along the line of contact and resort to retaliatory measures if necessary.

President Serzh Sargsyan attended today the opening of the RA Investigative Committee’s new building in Yerevan’s Arabkir Administrative District.

Armenia’s president toured the building, visited offices of different committee subdivisions, talked to some of the employees, familiarized himself with the working conditions provided for the Investigative Committee, including modern IT-based programs, e.g. digitalization of criminal cases, the electronic system of preliminary investigation, aimed at raising investigative officers’ work effectiveness.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said in a report Sunday that its guerrilla fighters have killed hundreds of Turkish soldiers and police officers in a month of clashes with the Turkish army, reports.

In a special report released Sunday on the latest conflict, the PKK said that from Aug. 25 to Sept. 25 its guerrilla fighters had killed “586 soldiers, policemen, special teams and counter-guerrilla forces, and two Turkish soldiers taken captive.”

The group said that only 48 of its fighters had been killed in clashes with the army or by air strikes.

According to the report, the PKK conducted 385 attacks on the army and police in response to 533 Turkish military operations against the guerrilla group.

It added that five guerrilla fighters were taken captive by the Turkish security forces.

The Turkish government and media outlets however, have reported contradicting numbers of the war casualties.

Army sources said that only 129 soldiers and policemen were killed in two months of fighting while the PKK lost 337 of its guerrillas.

Since the resumption of the conflict 30 civilians are also reported to have been killed in the Kurdish areas of Turkey.

Some of the top chess masters in Canada will compete in Toronto during a memorial tournament held in honour of the victims of the Armenian genocide, reports.

The “Chess to Remember,” hosted in Toronto on Sunday, is meant to raise awareness of the death of 1.5 Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman government.

It’s being held as part of the commemoration of the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide, which began on April 24, 1915.

More than 80 participants have registered to take part in the event, including a grand chess master, four international masters and two women international masters. An additional five FIDE (World Chess Federation) masters and seven national masters will be in attendance.

The event will be broadcast .

The tournament takes place at the Toronto Armenian Community Centre. A total of $2,500 is up for grabs in prizes, trophies and medals.

President Serzh Sargsyan attended today the official consecration ceremony of Holy Martyrs Armenian Catholic Church, an episcopal residence, in Gyumri. The ceremony was held as part of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. The church is named “Holy Martyrs” in memory of the Holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

The sacred ceremony was attended by RA government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to Armenia, members of the Synod of Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church, as well as by the sponsors of the church construction and worldly guests from different countries.

The ceremony was co-conducted by His Eminence Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and His Beatitude Gregory Petros XX Gabroyan, newly elected Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church.

On the occasion of the church opening, Papal Nuncio Bishop Marek Solczynski read the message of Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, and the episcopal delegation of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin presented the patriarchal blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

It was S. E. Archbishop Nerses Der-Nersessian of blessed memory, the first primate of the Ordinariate of the Armenian Catholic Church in Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe, who pursued a goal to build an Armenian Catholic church in Gyumri as an episcopal residence. The preparatory actions were continued by second Primate S. E. Archbishop Nshan Karakeheeyan, construction works started in 2010 during the service of H. Vahan Ohanyan, an apostolic delegate, with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and with the support of the RA government. The church is designed by architect Hakob Jivanyan. 

The church construction was continued and finished by S. E. Archbishop Rafael Minasyan who took the office of primate in 2011. It was his decision to name the church Holy Martyrs as a symbol of the Armenian Genocide Centennial to keep the martyrs’ memories alive forever.

The chief supporters of the construction of Holy Martyrs Church are the Holy See, the Council of Oriental Churches, the Italian Synod of Bishops, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Renovabis, Kirche in Not, the Archdiocese of Cologne, the association Work in the East, Rome’s Levonian Pontifical College, St Vlas Church, and the Caporale family from Italy.

Within the frames of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, a cross-stone to martyrs has been erected in the yard of Holy Martyrs Church.

The appointment of Armenia’s new Justice Minister has caught the attention of world media.

A Lebanon based website has posted the photos of newly appointed Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan and presented details from her biography and work experience.

The website describes her as “the youngest and most beautiful Minister of Justice in the world.”