Author: Tambiyan Samvel

European Council President Donald Tusk is due to issue draft guidelines on how the EU intends to negotiate the UK’s departure from the bloc, the BBC reports.

The proposals will be sent to the governments of 27 EU members.

They will help set the tone for two years of tough negotiations and efforts to finalise a deal.

EU leaders say the UK must first agree its exit terms before talks can move on to future ties. London is calling for simultaneous talks.

British Prime Minister Theresa May formally triggered the Brexit process on Wednesday, by sending the Article 50 notification to Mr Tusk.

Concert dedicated to the 25^th anniversary of Armenia’s membership in the UN was held in New York on March 16. Attending the event were Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, UN Secretary António Guterres, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the UN, high-ranking officials of the UN Secretariat, representatives of the Armenian community.

Addressing the attendees, Minister Nalbandian said “it’s hard to overestimate the importance of the day.

“Armenia joined the UN family at a time full of challenges, but this never undermined our determination and commitment to build a society in full compliance with the goals and principles of the UN,” he said.

“We are guided by the UN Charter, which calls to unite to maintain international peace and security, develop good-neighborly relations between states based on the respect for equality and the right to self-determination. The full and steady implementation of these commitments is the duty of all member states. Armenia is fully faithful to these commitments, including in its efforts towards an exceptionally peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict  ” Edward Nalbandian said.

He noted that Armenian directly contributes to global peace, participating in a number of peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon and Mali.

“We have joined the efforts of the international community aimed at non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, fight against terrorism, search for ways to solve the migrant crisis. Armenia has provided refuge to 22 thousand refugees from Syria, making the country the third in Europe with the number of migrants per capita. Our country is doing the utmost to contribute to tolerance and promote intercultural, interreligious dialogue, fight racism, propaganda of hatred and xenophobia,” Edward Nalbandian stated.

Photo:Aris Messinis/ AFP    

Forty-two people, mostly civilians, have died in an air strike on a mosque in a rebel-held village in northern Syria, a monitoring group says, the BBC reports.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raid by unidentified planes was in al-Jineh, Aleppo province.

Russian and Syrian aircraft operate there and US warplanes also target jihadist rebels in the region.

The US said it had carried out an air strike, killing several al-Qaeda militants, but had not hit a mosque.

US Central Command originally said the strike took place in neighbouring Idlib province but later clarified that the precise location was unclear.

“We did not target a mosque, but the building that we did target – which was where the meeting [of militants] took place – is about 50ft (15m) from a mosque that is still standing,” spokesman Col John J Thomas said.

The UK-based observatory, which relays information from sources on the ground, said the al-Jineh mosque had been packed with worshippers for evening prayers.

The village lies in one of the main rebel-held regions of Syria.

Turkey is “completely detached from reality” in calling the Dutch fascists, European Council President Donald Tusk has said, the BBC reports.

His remarks come amid a row between Turkey and European nations over campaigning for a Turkish referendum.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the Dutch government of being “Nazi remnants”.

He was infuriated when a minister was barred from addressing a Rotterdam rally, sparking clashes with police.

Mr Erdogan’s rhetoric intensified when he accused the Dutch of carrying out the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia in 1995.

In his remarks to the European Parliament on Wednesday Mr Tusk said the Netherlands was “a place of freedom and democracy. And for sure Rotterdam,” he said.

“The city of Erasmus, brutally destroyed by the Nazis, which today has a mayor born in Morocco,” he added.

“If anyone sees fascism in Rotterdam, they are completely detached from reality.”

Germany and Austria have also acted to stop Turkish rallies aimed at stirring support for a “yes” vote in a 16 April referendum on giving President Erdogan greater powers.

To achieve progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, it’s first necessary to restore the full format of  talks, Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan said in an interview with Regnum Agency.

“The resolution of the conflict is simply impossible without our participation as a full party. The fact is accepted by international mediators, e.g. the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. We are ready to hold direct negotiations with Azerbaijan and  discuss any issues, and we have declared this on many occasions,” Bako Sahakyan said.

“Status and security are two key political aspects of settlement. All other questions are derivatives. There no way back. Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan. This is excluded. Ensuring security to Nagorno Karabakh in all dimensions cannot be questioned, either. As to other questions, we are ready to discuss them with Azerbaijan. I believe this is a constructive stance based on existing realities,” the President said.

“Like any citizen in my country, I’m confident of the bright future of Artsakh. We’ll do our best to have strong, democratic, social and dynamically developing country, which will find its rightful place in the civilized world,” Bako Sahakyan said.

Photo: AP

 

The Iraqi military says it has retaken a bridge across the River Tigris in Mosul, after driving back Islamic State militants in the city’s south-west, the BBC reports.

The Federal Police Rapid Response Force advanced into the Jawsaq district on Monday and reached the Fourth Bridge.

Mosul’s five bridges have been badly damaged in fighting since October.

But once it is repaired, the Fourth Bridge could help the military bring in reinforcements and supplies from the government-held east of the city.

Manchester United have been drawn against Russian club Rostov in the Europa League round of 16.

United, who completed a 4-0 aggregate win over St Etienne on Wednesday, exited at the round-of-16 stage in their two previous Europa League appearances, losing to Athletic Bilbao in 2011-12 and Liverpool last season.

Rostov, currently seventh in the Russian Premier League, defeated Sparta Prague in the round of 32.

The draw for the last-16

Celta Vigo vs. FC Krasnodar

Apoel Nicosia vs. Anderlecht

Schalke vs. Borussia Monchengladbach

Lyon vs. Roma

FC Rostov vs. Manchester United

Olympiacos vs. Besiktas

Gent vs. Genk

FC Copenhagen vs. Ajax

Asbarez – Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon stars in Arthur Balder’s new experimental documentary American Mirror with Armenian painter Tigran Tsitoghzhyan.

The new film is in its final stages, announced MP Press and Communication.

Balder was honored with two consecutive awards by the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics of New York for his first work, “Little Spain” and for experimental film “The Reality of the Imaginary,” premiered at MoMA, as well as the “Lady Of the Victory of the Critics Circle of Mexico.” He also gained the recognition of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors of New York as outstanding documentary filmmaker.

The producer of the film is David Shara, who is taking care of an audiovisual product that defies the boundaries between documentary and fiction.

The film also features The Pyramid star Ashley Hinshaw, topmodels such as Hilary Rhoda, jewelry designer Morgan Shara, and The Expanse TV series co-star Florence Faivre, among others.

Luisne Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert

The peope of Artsakh are voting today on a new draft Constitution,which envisages shift to the presidential form of governance.  280 polling stations have been opened, including one in Yerevan.

About 30 settlements in Artsakh are also choosing their Member of Parliament. The seat of the 108th electoral district was left vacant after Vitaly Balasanyan was appointed National Security Secretary.

More tha 100 observers from 30 countries of the world have arrived in Artsakh to follow the referendum; 103 local observers and more that 80 mass media representatives have registered at the Central Electoral Commission.

Russia continues to take steps to bring Armenian and Azerbaijani positions closer with a view of solving the Karabakh conflict in a peaceful way, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin said in an interview with .

“A number of steps have been taken by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to normalize the situation after the four-day war in April 2016, which, I stress, could be stopped thanks to the timely mediation of Russia,” the Ambassador said. He reminded about the two summits held in Vienna and St. Petersburg.

“Unfortunately, the agreements reached at the summits, including the ones on an investigation mechanism and expansion of the OSCE monitoring mission have not been implemented yet,” Volynkin noted.

He called attention to the clashes at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on December 29, 2016. “Armenian servicemen and one of the attacking soldiers of Azerbaijan were killed on the territory of Armenia,” the Ambassador reminded.

“Russia stands for re-establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus. We see no alternative to the peaceful settlement. In cooperation with the partners in the Minsk Group, we’ll maintain efforts to bring the positions of the parties closer,” he assured.