Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

December 9 is the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crimeat the initiative of Armenia.

The 9th of December is the anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).

The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims.

In adopting the resolution, without a vote, the 193-member Assembly reiterated the responsibility of each individual State to protect its populations from genocide, which entails the prevention of such a crime, including incitement to it.

– Nationalist Turkish Party Istanbul Chair Bilal Gökçeyurt and the chair of so-called Turan Organization Ercan Uçar have been acquitted in the case of the threat against Agos.  Agos’ lawyer Hakan Bakırcıoğlu objected to the ruling.

On April 24, 2015, a black wreath was put in front of the office of Agos newspaper and a declaration titled as “One night, we might come to visit you unexpectedly” was read. Agos newspaper filed a criminal complaint against this threat. The trial was held today.

Nationalist Turkish Party Istanbul Chair Bilal Gökçeyurt and the chair of so-called Turan Organization Ercan Uçar have been acquitted on the ground that “there is no element of a crime”.

Editor-in-chief Yetvart Danzikyan attended the hearing on behalf of complainant Agos newspaper.

Speaking during the hearing, Danzikyan said: “They had put a black wreath, while the office was closed. We saw it in the morning. Then, we saw that they released a video about their action titled as ‘One night, we might come to visit you unexpectedly’. We filed a criminal complaint. There had been similar actions when Hrant Dink was working in Agos. You know what happened to Hrant Dink. Thus, we considered this action as a threat.”

The suspects claimed that they exercised their right to democratic protest.

Agos’ lawyer Hakan Bakırcıoğlu objected to the ruling on the ground that it violates the law. He stated that the acquittal openly violates the law and rule, since there is solid evidence showing that the suspects committed the crimes of threatening and insulting.

In the indictment issued by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office, it was stated that the suspects regard Agos as responsible for Armenia’s actions in Karabakh, though the newspaper has no influence over the actions of the Armenian state.

It was also stated that the suspects committed the crimes of threatening and insulting by reminding Hrant Dink with the title of “One night, we might come to visit you unexpectedly” and releasing their press statement on the same day. The prosecution demanded prison sentence for the suspects on the charges of threatening and insulting.

Following “the case of black wreath”, RSF Turkey Branch made a statement via social media: “The threat against Agos goes unpunished and it is troubling. This ruling encourages similar attacks.”

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland during the PACE autumn session on October 10 stressed the need for the Council of Europe to have access to Nagorno Karabakh.

“We share the view of Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland that the organization should fulfill its mandate also in Nagorno-Karabakh, and politicization of the issue of access to Nagorno Karabakh is inacceptable,” Ani Sargsyan, Spokesperson for the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in comments to News.am.

“The goal of the Council of Europe is to promote the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law throughout the European continent, and the unresolved Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict should not serve as an excuse for ignoring the rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh,” she added.

“By impeding the visit of representatives of the Council of Europe to Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan demonstrates, first of all, its disregard for the goals and principles, which lie at the core of this organization,” the Spokesperson stressed.

 

 

 

The Armenian Government today approved the bill on amendments to the structure of the executive body.

Under the proposed bill, the Ministry of Economy will be renamed Ministry of Investments and Support of Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources will be called the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, the name of the Ministry of Transport and Communication will be changed into Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies. The Ministry of Urban Development will be excluded from the list.

According to Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, the Ministry of Investments and Support of Entrepreneurship will support the businessmen and address the issues they raise, consider their objections and proposals.

Speaking about the IT sphere, the Prime Minister said “the field has its peculiarities and it’s logical for the Ministry of Transport and Communication to address issues of IT, as well.”

Tonight, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Republic, President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan attended the Prayer for the Republic at  Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan.

The  ceremony was presided over by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, participated in the liturgy.

A contemporary art exhibition hall opened at “Zvartnots” International Airport of Yerevan today. The exhibition opened at the airport departures hall will not only make the passengers’ journeys more interesting, but can also be a serious support for contemporary Armenian artists.

ArtAm at the airport’s departures hall is an artistic space aimed at dissemination and development of the Armenian culture and artists. Located at Zvartnots International Airport, its aim is to bring the Armenian culture closer to the community by making art and cultural heritage an active element of cognition and delight for its visitors.

By creating this artistic space to serve the society, Zvartnots International Airport expresses its commitment to the development of the Armenian culture.

The first collection of twenty-five paintings to be staged at ArtAm is authored by Hasmik Avetisyan.

The exhibitions will be changed every month, thus letting each painting to be displayed for a month in a place, where a vast number of people pass through.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the delegation headed by the President of the Japan-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship League, Seishiro Eto.

Welcoming the first visit of the delegation to Armenia, the President of Armenia underscored that Japan holds a special role in Armenia’s relations with the countries of East Asia, and our country is striving to develop multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation with the friendly Japan. Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that the visit of the delegation headed by Seishiro Eto will become a new impetus for the development of the interparliamentary relations between Armenia and Japan and will elevate the Armenian-Japanese cooperation in that area to a qualitatively new level.

At the meeting, the parties noted with satisfaction that the official visit of President Sargsyan conducted to Japan in 2012 which according to them opened new opportunities in the expansion and deepening of bilateral cooperation.

President of the Japan-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship League Seishiro Eto stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in the interstate relations, expressed readiness to do his best to invigorate the ties between the members of the two Parliaments and promote the strengthening of the Armenian-Japanese interparliamentary relations and to translate them into a solid base for the development of the economic relations between the two countries.

The parties discussed opportunities and potential of developing mutually beneficial partnership in different areas and in the framework of international organizations.

The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor the ongoing standoff in the police building in Erebuni and the ensuing protests.

“We reiterate our call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint, act within the confines of the law, and work for a peaceful resolution of the standoff. We are deeply troubled by the ongoing hostage situation, and call for the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of medical personnel held captive since Wednesday, and any others who may wish to leave the police building in Erebuni,” reads a statement on the Embassy’s Facebook page.

“We reiterate that threats and violence are not acceptable means of achieving lasting political change in Armenia. We urge the Armenian government and security forces to maintain order in a manner that upholds ALL Armenian citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly, and to ensure that all individuals detained by the police receive just treatment and are afforded due process under the law,” the Embassy said in a statament.

Members of Washington, DC’s diplomatic, international finance, government, and public policy communities joined Armenian American leaders at an Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) roundtable talk – led by the Development Foundation of Armenia’s (DFA) Garen Mikirditsian – exploring strategies to expand U.S.-Armenia trade and investment and grow Armenia’s economy.

The two hour program was held in the ANCA’s Aramian Conference Room.

“We were pleased to provide this opportunity for Garen Mikirditsian to share his compelling vision for Armenia’s economic growth, to openly address concerns raised by friends of Armenia, and to cooperatively explore ways that Armenian stakeholders in Washington, DC’s international affairs community can continue to contribute to the growth of the U.S. – Armenia bilateral economic relationship,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, who moderated the talk.

Mikirditsian outlined the short term and long term goals of the Development Foundation of Armenia, which promotes the economic growth and global competitiveness of Armenia based businesses by attracting and encouraging investments and expanding export markets, as well as promoting Armenia internationally as an attractive tourism destination. The DFA was established by the Government of Armenia in 2015 with a Board of Directors chaired by the Prime Minister and includes representation both from the private sector and the ministries of Economy, Finance and Agriculture. Mikirditsian was appointed acting chief executive officer in April, 2016.

Roundtable participants asked detailed questions about a broad range of topics, including efforts to expand Armenia’s burgeoning IT sector, new tourism sector opportunities, the growing wine industry in Armenia, and the need to overcome longstanding obstacles to investment. Mikirditsian highlighted ongoing cooperation with the World Bank and a close working relationship with the U.S. Embassy and USAID, particularly in the joint effort with the Smithsonian Institute to develop Armenia’s tourism strategy and targeted capacity building initiatives. Upcoming 2016 efforts to spotlight Armenia’s textile and light manufacturing sectors during a trade exposition in Yerevan, Armenia and a planned investors’ forum in the U.S. were also discussed.

The focus on U.S. – Armenia trade relations increased significantly last year with the signing of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), a bilateral accord advocated by the ANCA for over a decade as part of a broader campaign to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation. To build on that understanding, the ANCA is working to secure a double tax treaty in order to establish a clear legal framework for investors and individuals that have business activities in both jurisdictions, preventing double taxation and facilitating the expansion of economic relations.