Category: News

The State of Rio de Janeiro recognized the Armenian Genocide on Friday, July 24 through a law that establishes  April 24 as “Day of recognition and memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide,” Prensa Armenia reports.

The law was enacted by the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão.

Rio de Janeiro is the fourth State in Brazil that recognizes the Genocide, along with Parana, Ceara and Sao Paulo. Months ago, the Brazilian Senate passed a vote of solidarity with the Armenian people for the centenary of crime against humanity.

On 24 July Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the Nor Seysulan village in the Martakert region.

The Head of the State laid a wreath at the monument commemorating freedom fighters perished during the Artsakh Liberation War, the Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President reported.

Bako Sahakyan thereafter partook in a solemn ceremony of opening of a new kindergarten in the village. The President noted that widening the network of the pre-school institutions in the countryside was one of the priorities of the state, and everything possible would be done to have kindergartens corresponding to contemporary conditions in rural areas.

The President expressed his gratitude to philanthropist Vahagn Khachatryan from Russia for implementing the projects, adding that constant support delivered by him to his native village was an exemplary manifestation of patriotism.

Turkey has warned that adoption of a on its centennial anniversary  will have a deep impact on bilateral relations between the two countries.

With the resolution adopted on July 23, Turkey has once more been “unfairly indicted, historical facts have been distorted and law has been ignored,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on July 24.

The statement continued to say “the decision was part of a campaign aimed at defaming Turkish identity and history, which had started early in 2015, while recalling Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel’s recognition of the deaths of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces during World War I as genocide in remarks delivered in June.”

“The grave picture that has emerged with the July 23 decision of the Chamber of Deputies [was] met with regret by the Belgian Turkish community and has deeply impacted our bilateral relations,” the ministry said, questioning why Belgian deputies spared time on the issue instead of dealing with serious challenges Europe faces, including an economic crisis.

“It should be understood that this and similar decisions that have been made do not serve the Turkish-Armenian conciliation in any way,” the ministry said.

“We strongly condemn this decision unjustly accusing our history and ignoring historical facts and the memory of Turkish people,” the statement concluded.

A gunman has opened fire at a cinema in the US state of Louisiana, killing two people and injuring several others before shooting himself, officials say, the BBC reports.

Police said the attacker was a 58-year-old white male armed with a handgun but did not release any further details.

Witnesses said the man opened fire about 20 minutes into a screening of a film at the Grand Theatre in Lafayette.

Police chief Jim Craft said officers responded to reports of a shooting at about 19:30 local time.

Mr Craft said seven other people were taken to a local hospital with injuries ranging from critical to non-life threatening.

The gunman’s identity is known to police, Mr Craft added, but is not being released at this time.

The police chief said that the gunman did have a criminal history but that it was “pretty old”.

Turkish planes have for the first time carried out air strikes against Islamic State (IS) group targets in Syria, the BBC reports.

Turkish police also raided more than 100 properties in Istanbul, arresting 251 people linked to IS, the office of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

On Thursday, Turkish forces exchanged fire with IS fighters near the Syrian border. One Turkish soldier was killed.

Turkey will now let the US launch air strikes against IS from the Incirlik air base, US officials have said.

Armenia has welcomed the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Belgium.

“Seventeen years ago the Belgian Senate recognized the Armenian Genocide by a special resolution. On June 18 this year the Prime Minister of Belgium reaffirmed the position of the Government on the unconditional recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.

“The resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide adopted by the Chamber of Deputies completes the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Belgium,” the Foreign Minister said.

“We welcome the unconditional recognition of the Armenian Genocide by legislative and executive authorities of the Kingdom of Belgium” Minister Nalbandian concluded.

The Belgian Chamber of Deputies voted to adopt a Resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide. An overwhelming majority of deputies, (124 out of 132) voted in favor of the measure, the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) reports.

The Resolution was filed by MP Peter De Roover (N-VA) and passed the Foreign Relations Commission earlier this month.

In June Belgian  on behalf of his government that the tragic events committed between 1915-1917 in the Ottoman Empire should be “considered a genocide.”

The Belgian Senate recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1998.

 

 

 

Iran will be able to deepen its international relations, especially with neighbors, after the sanctions are lifted, Ambasaador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia Mohammad Raisi told reporters in Yerevan.

The Ambassador said Iran’s Vice-President will visit Armenia in the coming months.

The Ambassador said “Armenia can be a bridge linking the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.” “This may take a long time, but it’s unequivocal that communications can have a serious impact on the development of Armenian and Iranian economies,” he noted.

He added that the lifting of sanctions and Iran’s return as a full-fledged member of the international community will change the situation in the Middle East and will give new quality to the relations with neighbors.

Mohammad Raisi hopes the level of economic relations between Armenia and Iran will reach that of political ties.

As for the Karabakh conflict, the Ambassador hopes the issue will be solved in a peaceful way through negotiations.

He said “Peace and security in neighboring countries is a guarantee of Iran’s security.”

On July 24 Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to Armenia Peter Mikiska and newly appointed Military Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Stefan Grivalsky.

Minister Ohanyan noted that cooperation with the Czech Republic in the field of defense is important to Armenia.

He voiced hope that the appointment of the new attaché would give new impetus to the bilateral cooperation.

Ambassador Mikiska noted, in turn, that Armenia is an important partner for the Czech Republic and the latter is willing to continue the dynamic development of cooperation in the field of defense.

The Russian and German translations of the collection of works by martyred writers were presented at the Union of Writers today. The books include works by 10 authors – Daniel Varuzhan, Siamanto, Ruben Sevak, Grigor Zohrap, Ruben Zardaryan, Erukhan, Tlkatintsi, Gegham Barseghyan, Tigran Chyokyuryan and Artashes Harutyunyan.

The books published at the initiative of the Union of Writers of Armenia NGO are dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The German publication has already been presented to readers in Germany and Austria, Chairman of the Writers’ Union Edward Militonyan said at the presentation. He also informed that the two publications have been presented at international festivals and expos.