Category: 2019

OSCE Urges Turkey to Find ‘Masterminds’ of Dink Murder

Jalatian Sonya
  • Latest

    •  

  • News

    •  

  • Top Stories

8 hours ago

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was assassinated in 2007 in front of the Agos daily headquarters. (Source: Cihan)

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has urged Turkish authorities to find “the masterminds” and all those involved in the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink following the conviction, last week, of seven defendants in the high-profile case.

In a statement, the OSCE’s representative on freedom of the media, Harlem Desir, welcomed a Turkish court’s decision a day earlier to sentence seven people to lengthy prison terms for their roles in Dink’s killing.

But Desir stressed that “more needs to be done” and expressed hope that “all others involved in this murder will face justice.”

“After 12 years, Hrant’s family, friends, and fellow journalists deserve to know the full truth behind this heinous killing,” Desir said. “It is therefore of utmost importance that the Turkish authorities identify and bring the masterminds of Dink’s murder to justice.”

The 52-year-old Dink, a leading member of Turkey’s ethnic Armenian community who was also involved in Turkish-Armenian reconciliation efforts, was gunned down in broad daylight by purported ultranationalist Ogun Samast on January 19, 2007.

Dink’s murder became a greater scandal after it emerged that Turkish security forces knew of a plot to kill him but failed to act.

The court ruled that the murder was an “organized crime”, and sentenced Erhan Tuncel to 99 years and six months in prison for his connection to Dink’s murder and being a member of an armed group. Yasin Hayal, who was previously sentenced to life for instigating the murder, received seven years and six months in prison for forming and leading an armed group. The assassin, Ogün Samast, who was previously sentenced to 22 years and ten months, received another two years and six months in prison for membership of an armed group.

Ersin Yolcu and Ahmet Iskender each received jail terms of just under two years for their role in the murder, while Tuncay Uzundal and Zeynel Abidin Yavuz were sentenced to more than ten years in prison. Two defendants were acquitted.

“After twelve years, Hrant’s family, friends and fellow journalists deserve to know the full truth behind this heinous killing. It is therefore of utmost importance that the Turkish authorities identify and bring the masterminds of Dink’s murder to justice,” Désir said.

The Representative will continue to monitor developments as the trials of further suspects continue.

Sinanyan Meets with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister

Bedik Zaminian
  • Armenia

    •  

  • Featured Story

    •  

  • Latest

    •  

  • News

    •  

  • Top Stories

8 hours ago

Armenia’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan (right) met with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin

Armenia’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan met Monday with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, State Secretary Grigory Karasin, while the high commissioner was on a working visit to Moscow.

At the outset of the meeting, Karasin stated that Russia is a multiethnic country, where Armenians are part of that mosaic and play a very active role in politics, culture, society and economy.
Sinanyan emphasized that the Armenian community of Russia has great potential, and Armenia will be happy, if the Armenians of Russia, who are already fully integrated in Russian society, are able to participate in the development of Russia and preserve their national identity at the same time.

Sinanyan presented the main goals and functions of the Office of the High Commissioner and the main directions for activities with Armenian communities of the Diaspora, including the Armenian community of Russia.

Sinanyan said that he has had several meetings and will visit Russia often since there is a large Armenian community. He added that the Office will work hard with the Armenian community of Russia and will engage members of the Armenian community toward fulfilling the goals of his office.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toghanyan also attended the meeting.

168: Armenian defense minister doesn’t see anything to worry about border situation

Emil Lazarian
| 12:55 | July 22 2019
Category
Society

Defense minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan doesn’t see anything to worry about the situation in the border.

“In some parts there is tension that is under control, but we have no need to worry”, the minister told reporters.

He stated that this tension is connected with the ongoing engineering works in both sides, which, although are two-sided, but the Azerbaijani side is trying to obstruct the work of the Armenian side.

168: President of Artsakh signs decrees on appointing new deputy heads of Investigation Committee

Tambiyan Samvel
| 13:29 | July 22 2019
Categories
Artsakh
Official

President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan on July 22 signed a decree on appointing Narek Grigoryan deputy head of the Artsakh Republic Investigation Committee, head of the Territorial Investigation Department.

According to another Presidential decree signed on the same day Arayik Nersisyan was appointed deputy head of the Artsakh Republic Investigation Committee, head of the Department of Special Case Investigations.

168: Millions that haven’t been received, serious risks, expectations that haven’t been met — Whose side is time on?

Garnik Tadevosian
| 13:58 | July 22 2019
Category
BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Whereas there was a time when the solutions to issues seemed simple, the situation is totally different after the revolution in Armenia. The situation in many sectors has gotten so mixed up that it’s safe to call it chaotic.

Time is clearly no longer on the authorities’ side. They no longer have the reputation that they had a month or two months ago or even a year ago. The authorities are losing trust day after day, and no matter how much they try to make it go unnoticed, it’s going to be hard to conceal the disappointment of the public.

Change of power did not help meet the expectations of the citizens who had come out to the streets, closed roads, expressed lack of confidence in the previous defective phenomena and the people who created those phenomena and the citizens who helped Nikol Pashinyan become Prime Minister during the days of the revolution. There are no signs of improvement of the country’s social and economic situation. People are still unemployed and are compelled to emigrate. You’ll be convinced of this, if you take a trip to any place outside of Yerevan, even places near Yerevan.

There might be a change of atmosphere, but it’s not like that the living and working conditions have become better. As in the past, people still have their worries and face them alone. With the hope for improvement of the economic climate, the government is waiting for citizens to create jobs for themselves and their neighbors, become rich and enrich the country, but citizens don’t have that opportunity and are compelled to leave the country in search of jobs abroad. However, the government was promising immigration.

The lack of jobs is a serious problem in Armenia. It will be impossible to change the social conditions in the country so long as this problem remains unsolved. Unemployment might have dropped and the number of jobs might have increased based on statistics, but the picture of employment remains the same since people’s incomes haven’t been raised.

The increase of local salaries can, in the best case scenario, mitigate poverty, but not improve people’s welfare, especially since this concerns very few people.

A year after change of power, the amount of pension remains unchanged, not counting, of course, the several thousands of citizens for whom an exception was made in the form of the minimum pension.

Now it seems that the government is considering the possibility of increasing the minimum pension for everyone starting next year, but this is a 10% increase. How much will it be? It will only be AMD 2,500, and this is how we have to wait for improvement of people’s social conditions, especially when inflation “sweeps it away”.

As a matter of fact, recently, according to official data, there has been quite an increase of inflation, and first and foremost in the market of vital commodities. In May, the inflation of foodstuffs reached 5.3%.

There has been quite a sharp inflation of agricultural products. Based on the latest data, this year, the price of cabbage is 78% higher. The price of one onion head has increased by more than 65%, and the prices of potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and pepper have increased by 38%, 36%, 18%, 33% and 28%, respectively. But this isn’t the whole chain, and it’s not surprising at all that people’s living conditions aren’t improving.

There is no improvement because there are more expenses, but the incomes aren’t increasing, or they’re increasing to the extent that they can barely cover up for the impact of inflation. This is the image of the social conditions in Armenia, and nobody knows how it will change in the near future.

Despite the promises for deflation, recently, there are essentially higher risks of increase of the tariffs for public services, and this first and foremost refers to the natural gas inflation. This year, it seems as though the government managed to avoid inflation, but what about next year? It’s not too hard to guess.

The natural gas inflation is a serious social burden for the economy and citizens. It usually not only spreads throughout the economy, but also has an impact on the costs of other public services. How is the government planning on going against this? Perhaps it will the minimum pension by 10%.

The economic processes in Armenia are also not such that will allow one to think about neutralizing the risks or reducing them to a minimum. Although the government records economic growth, and rather high at that, there is no quality, and it’s unnoticeable. There is a sort of lack of real progress, and this doesn’t come as a surprise at all.

The millions of dollars that the government anticipated to receive through investments and financial support to the velvet revolution remained as a kind wish, just like many other promises that the public was given during the days of change of power. The investment risk in Armenia has grown so much that even international organizations are calling on people to stay far from Armenia’s economy, if they don’t want to suffer financial losses. It’s hard to recall something like this during the reign of the former authorities.

Of course, the political authorities, which are incapable of bringing the country back on track and helping it grow even a year after change of power, are the ones responsible for this. People are tired of the constant clash of intrigues. This isn’t what the people are waiting for. How much longer can the government keep the country turbulent and in tension?

People want to see the creation of jobs, economic development, the increase of incomes and the improvement of living conditions, but they are in a different reality.

The bad thing is that nobody sees how all this will end and how long it will continue. There is much more uncertainty, and there can be new surprises every second.

It’s no surprise that the business community is avoiding doing business, undertaking economic projects, creating new and real jobs, ensuring employment and creating conditions for the increase of people’s incomes and mitigating the social burden.

HAKOB KOCHARYAN




The California Courier Online, July 25, 2019

Tatoyan Vazgen

The California Courier Online, July 25, 2019

1 –        European Union and United States
            Punish Turkey for 2 Separate Violations
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2-         Armenian woman tortured, stoned to death by jihadist rebels in Syria
3 –        Turkey: Nuclear weapon material worth $72M seized in car
4-         Sarkissian Awards Bob Dole with Order of Honor
5-         Turkey: Jail terms for murderers of Armenian journalist Dink

*****************************************

******************************************

1 –        European Union and United States
            Punish Turkey for 2 Separate Violations
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

After months of uncertainty and controversy, both the European Union
(EU) and the United States decided to punish Turkey in the same week
for two different violations.

The Associated Press reported on July 16 that the EU foreign ministers
“approved sanctions against Turkey over its drilling for gas in waters
where EU member Cyprus has exclusive economic rights. They said they
were suspending talks on an air transport agreement, as well as
high-level Turkey-EU dialogues, and would call on the European
Investment Bank to review its lending” to Turkey.

The EU Foreign Ministers deplored that “despite the European Union’s
repeated calls to cease its illegal activities in the eastern
Mediterranean, Turkey continued its drilling operations west of Cyprus
and launched a second drilling operation northeast of Cyprus within
Cypriot territorial waters.”

In typical Turkish arrogance, the Ankara government called the EU
decision “worthless.” Furthermore, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu announced: “We have three ships in the eastern
Mediterranean, we will send a fourth.”

The EU Foreign Ministers warned that additional sanctions will be
applied against Turkey if it does not back down from its illegal
drilling operations around Cyprus.

Meanwhile, after months of indecisiveness, Pres. Trump finally decided
to prohibit Turkey from purchasing U.S. advanced stealth F-35 fighter
jets, even though Turkey had already paid a billion dollars for the
116 jets it planned to buy and had participated in the program to
manufacture parts of the aircraft which after cancellation would
result in the loss of around $10 billion for Turkey’s defense
industry.

On several occasions, Pres. Trump made excuses for Turkey’s purchase
of S-400 Russian missiles by wrongly blaming the Obama administration
for refusing to sell U.S. Patriot missiles to Turkey. In reality,
Turkey was the one that did not accept the terms of the U.S. proposed
sale.

On the other hand, Pres. Trump was full of effusive praise for
Turkey’s President Rejep Tayyip Erdogan at a time when NATO leaders
and the U.S. Congress and security officials were warning Trump that
selling the F-35’s to Turkey would compromise the jets’ secrets and
violate the inter-operability of the Russian missiles with NATO’s
military systems.

Given the obvious dangers to U.S. national security posed by Turkey’s
purchase of the Russian missiles, Pres. Trump had no choice but to
cancel the agreement to sell the F-35 jets to Turkey. Otherwise, Pres.
Trump would have been caught in the ridiculous situation of putting
“Turkey First” rather than his favorite slogan, “America First.”

The White House announced on July 17: “The F-35 cannot coexist with a
Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn
about its advanced capabilities.” It said that Turkey’s decision to
purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system renders its continued
involvement in the F-35 joint strike fighter program impossible.

Ellen Lord, U.S. Undersecretary of defense for acquisition and
sustainment, stated: “The U.S. and other F-35 partners are aligned in
this decision to suspend Turkey from the program and initiate the
process to formally remove Turkey from the program.”

In his usual arrogant fashion, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu warned the United States that if it places sanctions on
Turkey, his country would retaliate with its own set of sanctions
against the United States. Besides making big-mouth pronouncements,
let us see if Turkey will actually carry out its threats. Clearly,
U.S. economic sanctions would cause the complete collapse of Turkey’s
fragile economy.

Pres. Trump, who often ignores U.S. national interests at the expense
of profitable business arrangements, claimed that Turkey was willing
to purchase billions of dollars’ worth of F-35 fighter jets. As usual,
Pres. Trump exaggerated the figures. The reality is that Turkey was
planning on spending one billion dollars on the purchase of F-35 jets,
not billions. Furthermore, several countries, including The
Netherlands, Israel, and an unnamed Gulf country, have already
indicated that they will make up for the jets not purchased by Turkey,
by buying additional jets.

However, banning the Turkish purchase of F-35 jets is not the only
punishment that could be applied against Turkey. Pres. Trump signed in
2017 the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
(CAATSA). He is obligated by this law to implement sanctions on Turkey
for purchasing missiles from Russia. Such a decision is not up to
Pres. Trump. However, Wall Street Journal reported on July 21 that
Pres. Trump is opposed to placing sanctions on Turkey. The President
is scheduled to meet with a group of Senators this week to discuss
possible sanctions against Turkey as pressure mounts from lawmakers to
punish Ankara. Pres. Trump has three options: 1) avoid placing any
sanctions; 2) delay the sanctions; and 3) place a milder version of
sanctions. Most probably, the U.S. Congress will impose sanctions
against Turkey if the President fails to do so!

Even without sanctions, Turkey has already suffered millions of
dollars’ worth of negative publicity. Several major U.S. publications
wrote editorials last week questioning Turkey’s membership in NATO.

The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board wrote: “The U.S. and NATO
don’t have much choice now other than to rethink whether Turkey still
belongs in the alliance.”

Bloomberg published an editorial, headlined: “Turkey Has Abandoned the
West. Good Riddance.”

Jed Babbin wrote an opinion column in the Washington Times, titled:
“Throw Turkey out of NATO.”

With each passing day, Turkey is distancing itself more and more from
NATO, in favor of Russia. The combination of EU and U.S. sanctions
would be the death knell for Turkey’s economy and its membership in
NATO.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

2-         Armenian woman tortured, stoned to death by jihadist rebels in Syria

BEIRUT—An Armenian woman was repeatedly tortured and then executed by
jihadist rebels in the Jisr Al-Shughour District of the Idlib
Governorate.

The death of the Armenian woman, Suzanne Der Karkour, was first
reported by the humanitarian organization SOS Chretiens d’Orient on
July 13.

There are over 20,000 Al-Qaeda terrorists in Idlib, Syria. The
terrorists have commonly targeted Christian towns. Der Karkour, a
Christian, was repeatedly raped and then killed by Idlib terrorists.
According to the humanitarian group, Der Karkour went missing on July
9 inside her hometown of Al-Yaqoubiyeh, which is located just north of
the jihadist stronghold of Jisr Al-Shughour.

A local priest sent parishioners to search for Der Karkour on July 9;
they found the Armenian woman dead in a field.

Citing locals from Al-Yaqoubiyeh, the humanitarian group said an
autopsy was done on Der Karkour’s body and it was found that she was
tortured for at least nine hours before she was stoned to death.

Der Karkour, who was 60 at the time of her death, was one of the few
Christians still living in the jihadist-held areas in northern Syria.

The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)
confirmed the report about Der Karkour and said she was killed by
unknown assailants; however, the locals in Al-Yaqoubiyeh and SOS
Chretiens d’Orient said the local jihadists were behind her brutal
murder.

Al-Yaqoubiyeh is one of several Christian towns that surround Jisr
Al-Shughour. At least 18 women remained in Al-Yaqoubiyeh after the
jihadists captured the town. Many of their relatives escaped to the
Syrian government-held areas prior to its capture by the Free Syrian
Army (FSA) and Jabhat Al-Nusra.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

3 –        NASA awards its highest honor to Yervant Terzian

HOUSTON (Cornell Chronicle)—NASA has announced it will award the
Distinguished Public Service Medal, its highest honor, to astronomer
Yervant Terzian, the Tisch Distinguished Professor Emeritus. The medal
will be presented by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine at the NASA
Johnson Space Center in Houston on Aug. 2. The ceremony will be
broadcast live at noon EDT on NASA TV.

“Dr. Yervant Terzian has dedicated his life to education, public
service and scientific research,” according to NASA in its award
citation. “He has used his enthusiasm for space exploration and
education to bring inspirational experiences to students and the
general public across the country.”

The award citation additionally highlighted the great influence
Terzian’s work has had on the younger generation.

“Dr. Yervant Terzian has made an indelible impact on education and
inspiring young minds … He has evoked comprehension and wonder in his
students and in his public audiences. These accomplishments and his
eminent humanity prove Dr. Terzian worthy of this Distinguished Public
Service Medal,” according to the award citation.

Terry Herter, chair and professor of astronomy, agrees.

“Dr. Terzian has been a relentless, eloquent ambassador for the
sciences over his entire career, reaching and influencing
undergraduates, graduate students, colleagues and the general public.
This is a very well-deserved award,” Herter said.

Terzian has served on eight NASA committees, including the Hubble
Space Telescope Fellowship Committee, NASA’s Diversity in Science
Education and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Radio Astronomy
Evaluation Committee. For 20 years, Terzian directed the NASA New York
Space Grant Consortium, comprising 19 universities and five industries
and science centers. In 2012, the 52 state NASA Space Grant directors
elected Terzian chairman.

“The Space Grant has been very successful in implementing space
programs for the brightest students across New York state to provide
them with opportunities to develop their interest in space,” Terzian
said. “This is what will keep the United States as the leader.”

For 12 years, Terzian served as a visiting lecturer in astronomy for
the American Astronomical Society, traveling across the U.S. enhancing
college communities’ scientific understanding of the universe. He has
also contributed to dozens of radio and television programs for public
listeners, on topics such as life in the universe, NASA and the space
program, the U.S. space shuttle program, and the state of astronomy.

Terzian said he has been inspired throughout his life by the ancient
Greeks and their deductive method of science.

“When I was very young and asked my father why there were stars, I was
not satisfied with the answers, and I started reading everything I
could from the American Library in Cairo,” he explained. “The
description of nature through our science, through our scientific
methods, is still young, and we should expect major discoveries in the
future. From the work humans have achieved so far, we can deduce that
we are not alone in the universe, and the day will come that we will
find life in other planets.”

Terzian is known for his studies of stellar evolution and the
discovery of regions of hydrogen gas between distant galaxies — a
finding that indicated the presence of unseen matter in intergalactic
space. His research using national radio astronomy observatories has
been supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation. He is the
author or co-author of more than 235 scientific publications and the
editor of seven books, including “Carl Sagan’s Universe.”

A member of the faculty since 1965, Terzian served as chair of
Cornell’s Department of Astronomy from 1979 to 1999. He initiated the
National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates
program at Cornell, which offers summer research for students,
particularly women and members of underrepresented groups.

Among Terzian’s many honors are NASA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and
the Republic of Armenia’s Gold Medal, its highest honor for scientific
achievement. He was elected a fellow of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science in 2001.

At Cornell, Terzian has been recognized for the excellence of his
teaching with the Clark Distinguished Teaching Award in 1984 and the
Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellowship Award in 2001.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

4-         Sarkissian Awards Bob Dole with Order of Honor

On July 12, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a decree
awarding retired American Senator Bob Dole with the Order of Honor,
for his contribution to the development and strengthening of
Armenian-American friendly relations.

The Armenian President signed the respective decree based on a
proposal by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Senator Dole is a retired
American politician, statesman and attorney who represented Kansas in
the U.S House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969 and in the U.S.
Senate from 1969 to 1996, serving as the Republican Leader of the
United States Senate from 1985 until 1996.

He was the Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 presidential
election and the party’s vice presidential nominee in the 1976
presidential election.

Senator Dole became a friend of Armenian-Americans at a young age,
when he returned from World War II with injuries that had left his
right arm frozen and about to be amputated, Dr Hampar Kelikian (born
in Hadjin), a pioneer in the restoration of damaged limbs fixed the
Senator’s shattered shoulder and allowed him to regain some use of his
arm. Dr Kelikian refused to accept any fees for performing that
surgery.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

5-         Turkey: Jail terms for murderers of Armenian journalist Dink

            By Mustafa Hatipoglu

ISTANBUL (Anadolu Agency)—An Istanbul court on Wednesday, July 17,
sentenced three people in connection with the 2007 killing of a Hrant
Dink.

Erhan Tuncel, 99.5 years; Ogun Samast 2.5 years; and Yasin Hayal 7.5
years in prison over the murder of Hrant Dink.

Dink was killed in front of his office in Istanbul in January 2007. He
was one of the founders of the bilingual Armenian-Turkish newspaper
Agos.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California
Courier.  Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify
mailing addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail,
, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/22/2019

Garnik Tadevosian 
                                        Monday, 
13 Charged Over Violent Unrest In Armenia
        • Marine Khachatrian
Armenia -- The building of the Investigative Committee in Yerevan.
An Armenian law-enforcement agency has pressed criminal charges against 13 men 
arrested after last week’s violent clashes between riot police and people 
protesting against a government ban on unauthorized logging in the northern 
Tavush province.
The clashes broke out in the provincial capital Ijevan late on July 17 as 
several hundred protesters defied police orders to unblock a major highway 
passing through the town. A dozen police officers and at least two civilians 
were hospitalized as a result.
The Investigative Committee announced on Monday that the arrested men have been 
formally charged with hooliganism and violent assault on law-enforcement 
officers. They will risk between four and seven years in prison if convicted.
A statement by the Investigative Committee said 10 of the suspects were 
remanded in pre-trial custody while the three others were set free pending 
investigation. It said investigators have also arrested another man as part of 
the ongoing inquiry.
A spokeswoman for the committee, Naira Harutiunian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
service (Azatutyun.am) that law-enforcement authorities are also continuing to 
hunt for 11 other individuals suspected of involvement in the unrest.
Relatives of at least some of the indicted men have said that the latter did 
not commit violent acts and are unjustly prosecuted.
The mother of Vahram Simonian, an arrested Ijevan resident, insisted on Monday 
that he did not participate in the demonstration. She claimed that Simonian and 
his father and brother found themselves at the site of protest only because 
they got stuck in a traffic jam in their car.
Simonian’s lawyer, Ara Gharagyozian, said, for his part, that the case against 
his client is based only on incriminating testimony given by another person.
The Armenian police deployed hundreds of officers in Ijevan during and after 
the unrest. The national police chief, Valeri Osipian, defended the use of 
force against the protesters when he visited the town on July 18.
The protests erupted after authorities moved to stop illegal logging in Tavush 
forests, which has been widespread for over two decades. The angry protesters 
accused the Armenian government of depriving them of their sole source of 
income.
Government officials counter that the country’s deforestation has reached 
dangerous levels. They also say that commercial logging has primarily benefited 
a small number of timber traders.
EU Envoy Praises ‘Excellent’ Ties With Armenia
        • Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia -- Piotr Switalski, head of the European Delegation in Armenia, at a 
news conference in Yerevan, .
The outgoing head of the European Union Delegation in Yerevan, Piotr Switalski, 
described the EU’s relationship with Armenia as “excellent” on Monday.
“Cooperation between the European Union and Armenia is on the right track,” he 
told a farewell news conference.
Switalski pointed to their “very intensive and friendly political dialogue” 
involving mutual visits by Armenian and EU leaders and the EU’s “technical 
missions” to Yerevan focusing on wide-ranging reforms planned by the Armenian 
government.
European Council President Donald Tusk praised the government’s reform agenda 
during a visit to Armenia earlier this month.He specifically hailed “the focus 
on creating an independent, efficient and accountable judicial system” after 
holding talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Switalski reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to support judicial reforms planned by 
Pashinian’s government with “political, technical and financial” assistance. 
The financial aid should be made available already this autumn, he said.
Switalski also stressed the importance of 25 million euros ($28 million) in 
additional EU aid to Armenia that will be provided this year. He portrayed the 
sum as a reward for reforms already implemented in the country. The diplomat 
singled out the holding in December 2018 of parliamentary elections widely 
recognized as democratic.
The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, also acknowledged the 
“democratic reforms” last month when she announced the extra aid after 
chairing, together with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian, a 
session of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council.
The CEPA offers the South Caucasus state the prospect of a closer relationship 
with the EU in return for major political and economic reforms. The 350-page 
agreement is already being partly implemented despite not having been ratified 
yet by all EU member states.
Armenian Army Switching To Private Canteen Services
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- Soldiers at the privately managed canteen of a military base in 
Armavir, July 19. 2019.
Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan on Monday defended his decision to gradually 
outsource the Armenian military’s canteen services to private companies.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry has always purchased foodstuffs and delivered them 
to army bases where they have been cooked and served to soldiers by military 
personnel. Earlier this year the ministry contracted six private firms that 
will all army canteens within the next three years.
Four army units, all of them training centers for non-commissioned officers, 
already have their canteens managed by one of the private contractors. Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian visited the unit located 50 kilometers west of Yerevan 
and dined at its new canteen with soldiers late last week.
Tonoyan said the main purpose of the change is to improve the quality of 
soldiers’ food. He indicated that it is also meant to eradicate corruption in 
food supplies to the armed forces.
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan 
(second from right) inspect the new canteen of a military base in Armavir, July 
19, 2019.
“Improving the quality of food within the framework of cooperation between the 
state and the private sector is the best variant,” he told reporters. “That 
will be obvious.”
“Time will tell whether [the new system] is more expensive or cheaper,” the 
minister said. “In any case, I don’t think that our soldiers must east cheaper 
food.”
Tonoyan acknowledged that an Armenian company that has become the first 
military canteen operator is owned by a friend of his. He denied any conflict 
of interest and expressed confidence that the company, which has until now 
specialized in imports of medical equipment, will be equal to the task.
“I don’t deny that the company chief is doing that at my request because I 
don’t have another credible option,” he said. “If he fails I will fail too.”
“As soon as the five other companies get down to business the process will move 
forward very fast,” added Tonoyan.
Senior Prosecutor Accused Of Bribery
Armenia -- Prosecutors attend an event marking the 101st anniversary of the 
creation of their agency, Yerevan, July 1, 2019.
A senior Armenia prosecutor has been charged with large-scale bribery and 
suspended as a result, it was announced on Monday.
Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General said the official, identified by his 
L. K. initials, demanded last month and subsequently received a “large bribe” 
for pledging to ensure that a man serving a 10-year prison sentence is released 
from jail on parole. The bribe was paid by a person close to the convict in 
several installments, it said in a statement.
The statement added that investigators have asked to remand the prosecutor in 
custody on charges carrying between four and ten years’ imprisonment.It did not 
say whether he will plead guilty to the accusations.
The statement also said that the alleged bribery was exposed by the National 
Security Service (NSS). It was not clear whether the suspect was caught 
red-handed.
Corruption among Armenian law-enforcement officials and prosecutors in 
particular has long been a serious problem. According to the statement, 
Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian has repeatedly warned his subordinates against 
engaging in corrupt practices, saying that they would receive tougher 
punishment than other citizens accused of such crimes.
The NSS has been behind most of the high-profile corruption investigations 
conducted in Armenia after last year’s “Velvet Revolution.” The former Armenian 
branch of the Soviet KGB said on Monday that since May 2018 it has recovered 
22.6 billion drams ($47 million) worth of financial “damage” inflicted on the 
state as a result corruption and other crimes.
 
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Fire opened by Azerbaijani side in Nakhijevan sector not targeted: Armenia’s DM

Nahapetian Zhanna
Aysor, Armenia

The shooting by Azerbaijani side in Nakhijevan sector was not targeted, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan told the reporters today.

“The shooting was not targeted. We have undertaken measures, established communication with our neighbor for such cases not to repeat again,” Tonoyan said.

Asked whether the communication has been established via operative communication stated by Nikol Pashiyan, Tonoyan gave positive answer.

As to how it works, the minister said, “The case happens, we check and warn, the other side undertakes measures. This is a mediated communication, we are speaking via appointed official. It is normal and positive process.”

On July 17 the Azerbaijani side opened fire in the direction of the Armenian postguards violating the ceasefire regime.

Extent of Armenia’s Ijevan illegal logging is presented from space

Albert Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
Extent of Armenia’s Ijevan illegal logging is presented from space (PHOTOS) Extent of Armenia’s Ijevan illegal logging is presented from space (PHOTOS)

10:18, 22.07.2019
                  

In order to form an idea as to what terrible-extent illegal logging has been done in the forests of Ijevan, I present the dynamics of intensification of logging in about 800 hectares of forest in Ijevan during last year. Ayser Ghazaryan, the former Deputy Minister of Environment of Armenia, has written this and posted respective photos on Facebook. 

He noted that the first satellite GIF imagery is the July 2018, the second is the July 2019, and the third is the July 2019 satellite imagery combined with a transparent map—with yellow borders—of the forestry, and the green numbers are the numbers of squares and forests.

Also, Ghazaryan posted the logging dynamics of the same forest in Ijevan in 2018-2019, but this time combined with optical, multispectral satellite imagery—in infrared, red, and green. He noted that here the aforesaid forest is mostly in dark red, the polygons with yellow borders are highlighted as examples where intensive logging was conducted, and some other homogeneous areas can also be identified to their color.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had touched upon the events that unrolled in Ijevan town last week.

“We will stop illegal logging with all determination,” he had written. “Those guilty of yesterday’s [July 17] events, as well as the organizers of illegal logging, shall be punished with severity.”

On the evening of July 17, numerous residents of Ijevan blocked the Armenia-Georgia interstate motorway in protest against the incumbent authorities’ tougher stance on illegal logging. A clash ensued between demonstrators and police. Subsequently, the police detained several people from their homes. The demonstrators argue that they are able to make a living solely by logging.

Watch videos at

PM: Any war waged against us will lead to the unconditional victory of Armenia

Elizabeth Jabejian
Panorama, Armenia

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia attended on Monday the military educational institutions’ 2018-2019 academic year graduation ceremony at the Defense Ministry headquarters.

The premier congratulated the students on graduating from military educational institutions and being awarded the rank of officer. Nikol Pashinyan handed out graduation certificates to a group of students, the PM’s press service reported.

Addressing the event, the head of government stated, in part:

“Today’s event symbolizes the generation change that is taking place in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. Today we can see people standing in this square who were at the roots of the Artsakh liberation struggle; we can see senior group officers who boast an exemplary record of service and awards symbolizing their impressive path. Today, in this square, there are graduates of military educational institutions being awarded a rank of officer for the first time in their lives.

The service of an officer is perhaps a type of service that calls for the highest possible voluntary traits as it requires unconditional will and readiness to execute orders without discussion. It is an activity that requires great moral, intellectual and psychological strength. And today, your presence on this square proves that you have already made up your mind, you have enough confidence in your strength to bear a burden that might otherwise seem unbearable.

Being an officer, being a commander means sometimes entrusting one’s subordinates with such risky missions as may imply loss of life; being an officer implies great responsibility for such missions. This means that each order’s wording calls for special responsibility, because orders must be reasonable, justified and based on an accurate assessment of the situation; they should serve the goals set before the Armed Forces and the people of the Republic of Armenia.

This means that the authority of each officer should be much greater than that of his epaulettes. The subordinates’ respect is an added value to officer’s epaulettes. You will earn your fellow servicemen’s respect with dedicated service, respect for others, and exceptional respect for your country and your nation. And I wish your commitment to this challenging path could be more effective, I wish it to be the most victorious for our country, our people and each of you.

I wish to highlight and welcome women’s involvement in military affairs, which has been the case for many years. It is an important indicator of serious transformations underway in our society, considering that women have enormous potential, they represent the majority of our population. We must provide the necessary prerequisites, so that our women could serve the Republic of Armenia in a dignified manner and effectively in all spheres of public life.

I understand that not every one of you can achieve such success. Nevertheless, I wish you to go as far as the rank of army general; I wish you could reach high positions by virtue of your merits without mediating your social standing and personal relations.

Dear friends,

Now, let me talk about peace. The Republic of Armenia is a pacifist state and our armed forces are the main guarantors of peace, but I want to emphasize what kind of peace we need.
The Chinese military strategy believes that talented generals win without a war. We need such peace. We need such an army, such a state and society that can make the potential adversaries realize that fighting with us makes no sense, since any war waged against us is doomed to failure as it will lead to the unconditional victory of the Republic of Armenia, its people and its armed forces.

And all of us, irrespective of our uniform, are dedicated to these victories, and each of us, from the National Assembly and to the House of the Government, should serve this noble mission. We all wear the epaulettes of our people, our history, our ancestors, our descendants. Long live those who wear these epaulettes with dignity.

And, therefore,
Long live the Republic of Armenia!
Long live the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia!
Long live the Republic of Artsakh!
Long live the Armenian people!

Glory to our martyrs, glory to our officers and soldiers, glory to the rising generation that will see ever new achievements and new victories! Glory and glorious service to you all! Thank you.”