Category: News

The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey will seek soonest normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, in case it succeeds in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, Vice-President of the Party Nazmi Gur told RIA Novosti.

Twenty parties are running for Parliament in the June 7 elections, four of them having a real chance to clear the 10 percent threshold. Survey results suggest that 41% are going to vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party.

The Republican People’s Party can count for 29 percent of the votes. The Nationalist Movement Party and the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party are likely to receive 14 and 11 percent respectively.

“We stand for implementation of the protocols on the normalization of relations of Armenia and the opening of the shared border. The Turkish-Armenian relations should not be linked to the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. It’s a question of the Armenian and Azerbaijani nations, which should be solved through negotiations. We also stand for the recognition of the genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire,” Gur said.

On 3 June Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan met in Yerevan with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić.

A range of issues related to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement and regional processes were discussed during the meeting.

President Sahakyan noted that official Stepanakert remains a proponent of peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group and emphasized the need of restoring the full-fledged negotiation format, considering it among the most pivotal constituents of the process.

The President also outlined the highly destructive policy of Azerbaijan, qualifying Baku’s behavior as a threat to the maintenance of stability and peace in the region, an offence against international norms and principles.

Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan, personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and other officials were present at the meeting.

President Serzh Sargsyan today sent a letter of condolence to President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on an accident with a cruise ship which sank into the Yangtze River in China’s Hubei province. The accident left multiple people dead.

“On behalf of the Armenian people and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest sympathy to you and the friendly people of China.

Sharing your grief, I wish steadfastness and strength of spirit to the victims’ families and the Chinese people.

I am confident that the PRC government will try its best to save as much people as possible” reads the RA president’s condolence letter.

A Kurdish businessman, who has previously failed in bids to purchase Liverpool and Vicenza football clubs, is attempting to take control of a Spanish team for the next football season, reports.

Syrian Kurd Yahya Kurdi has declined to reveal the name of the club saying, “The negotiations continue and we have agreed not to reveal the name of the club until the deal is done.

“My lawyers are working on the legal process now, and if I fail to purchase the club completely, I hope to own a majority share.”

Kurdi looks to models of successful ownership in the English Premier League for inspiration. “Manchester City F.C is a good example and the owner of the club, Mansour bin Zayed, has been successful in developing his club; not only with good players, but also wise management to better the team.”

Explaining his failure to purchase Liverpool F.C, Kurdi said that the club owed over £300 million which caused the negotiations to break down.

Kurdi now lives in Canada. He is the son of a Kurdish Muslim father and an Armenian Christian mother, and played football in various Arab leagues.

 

 

 

The actions of the Islamic State in the north of Syria are a matter of serious concern for the world, expert of Arabic studies Sargis Grigoryan told a press conference today. He did not exclude the possibility of land operation by the coalition forces.

The ongoing dangerous developments raise concerns about the fate of Armenians in Syria. According to Hakob Avetikyan, editor-in-chief of “Azg” daily, May was the hardest month especially for the Aleppo Armenians. He said an estimated 7 thousand Armenians out of 35 thousand, still live in Aleppo.

“They have stayed for different reasons. Some live there because of their homes, shops, etc., which they fear will be robbed if they are out. Others have stayed because their children serve in the Syrian army,” said Avetikyan.

Despite the past ten days have been relatively peaceful, some consider it’s like “calm before the storm.” Hakob Avetikyan considers “it’s correct on the part of the Armenian authorities to be cautious.

According to Sargis Grigoryan, Armenia has a serious and far-reaching work to do with regard to Syrian Armenians. He considers it was the right time for the Armenian Foreign Minister to visit Syria and hold meetings there.

On Tuesday, June 2^nd, the Brazilian Senate voted to approve the motion recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The decision is posted on the Senate’s

Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ivica Dačić, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s support for the Brazilian Senate’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“This was yet another important step in favor of the efforts of the international community targeted at the prevention of new genocides and crimes against humanity,” he added.

The resolution expresses its “solidarity with the Armenian people during the course of the centenary of the campaign of extermination of its population” and states that “the Senate recognizes the Armenian Genocide, whose centenary was marked on April 24, 2015.”

In addition, it denounces the “systematic denial, pressure and intimidation against those who try to reconstruct historical events.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the world football body, the BBC reports.

The news came hours after Mr Blatter, 79, announced that he was stepping down from his role.

US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted.

Two days after the arrests, Mr Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA.

However, he said on Tuesday that it appeared the mandate he had been given “does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world”.

Mr Blatter said: “FIFA needs profound restructuring.” He said he would continue in post until an extraordinary congress is called to elect a new president.

No dates have been set, but it is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.

“Azerbaijan has so far demonstrated a non-constructive and unrealistic approach towards the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a joint press conference with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić.

The comment comes after Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov declared yesterday that “Azerbaijan is ready for a breakthrough in the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict.

“Azerbaijan’s non-constructive approach was last demonstrated at the Riga Summit, which had brought together the leaders of 28 EU member states and the Eastern Partnership countries. All these countries, excluding Azerbaijan, agreed to a formulation on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict that was included in the Riga Declaration. It was a general statement about the support of all the countries to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the famous five statements made by the leaders of the co-chairing countries. Azerbaijan protested this position, thus demonstrating that there has been no change in its stance on the issue,” Minister Nalbandian said.

The Armenian Foreign Minister said progress is possible if Baku intends to cgange its position and adopt a more constructive policy.

On Monday morning, His Holiness Aram I, accompanied by Archbishop Oshagan and the other members of his delegation, went to meet the students and faculty of St. Stephen School. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Rev. Antanik Baljian, members of the School Board, Mrs Houri Boyamian, director of the school, and the faculty.

After thanking Catholicos Aram I for his visit, Mrs Boyamian described His Holiness as a spiritual leader, who also champions the Armenian cause and the struggle for human rights. During breakfast, the students presented Armenian songs and poetry, and they shared their impressions of their recent school trip to Armenia.

His Holiness thanked the board, the director, the faculty and the parents for their efforts and told the students to love the Armenian language and learn it well, because of its central role in building community.

Catholicos Aram I ended his visit by touring the school building, talking to the students, and discussing the content of the curriculum and its contribution to Armenian studies and Christian education with the school leadership.

The Armenian delegation headed by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan had a meeting with the President of the Czech Senate Milan Štěch.

Milan Štěch attached great importance to the visit of the Armenian Prime Minister to the Czech Republic and expressed confidence that it would contribute to the reinforcement of warm and friendly relations and promote the development of Armenian-Czech cooperation in different directions.

PM Hovik Abrahamyan said, in turn, that the visit was of great significance for the development of bilateral relations.

The interlocutors emphasized the need to intensify the economic ties, deepen the inter-parliamentary coopetaion and propmote cooperation on the international arena.

Reference was to regional issues, incluring the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and deepening of Armenia-EU relations.