Category: News

An Israeli blogger was arrested in Belarus last Wednesday at the request of the Azerbaijani government over his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh, reports.

Alexander Lapshin wrote several critical posts against Azerbaijan and its president, Ilham Aliyev, in recent months. His family is afraid that if he’s extradited to Azerbaijan, his life will be in danger.
Lapshin, 40, writes a blog in which he records his travels throughout the world, and writes about the various countries he has visited.

On December 13, he and his wife arrived in the Belarus capital, Minsk. A day later, shortly before midnight, Lapshin wrote on his Facebook page: “At this moment I was arrested by the police in Minsk at the request of Azerbaijan. I’m at the Piersamajskaja station in Minsk.”

The Azeri government claims that in April 2011 and October 2012, Lapshin visited Nagorno-Karabakh and wrote about the visits in his blog. After the last visit, Lapshin’s name was placed on the Baku government’s blacklist, and he in effect became a wanted man.

Last June, Lapshin entered Azerbaijan itself, using a Ukrainian passport. Because his name in Ukrainian is slightly different from the name listed in his Russian or Israeli passport, he was not arrested upon entering the country. After a few days traveling around the country, he left without any problem.

In subsequent blog posts, Lapshin criticized the poverty in certain parts of the capital, Baku; the dictatorial rule of President Aliyev; and the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Israel on Sunday asked Belarus to not hand over to Azerbaijan a popular Israeli travel blogger it arrested last week, the Times of Israel reports.

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Romania have exchanged messages on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s message reads: 

Excellency,

It is with great pleasure that I am writing to you to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and Romania.

Romania was among the first states to officially recognize the independence of the Republic of Armenia on December 11, 1991, a short while after the proclamation by Armenia of its sovereign statehood. Days after, on December 17, the Agreement on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Armenia and Romania was signed in Bucharest, anchoring on centuries-old ties of friendship between Armenian and Romanian nations. In 1994, Armenia opened one of its first diplomatic missions in Bucharest.

Throughout a quarter of a century, the Armenian-Romanian relations flourished, based on high level visits and extensive political dialogue, a solid legal framework of over four dozens of bilateral agreements, the activities of the Armenian-Romanian Intergovernmental Mixed Commission on Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, and on the vast cultural exchanges carried out through successive Programs of Cooperation in the field of culture, education and science. Apart from bilateral dimension, our countries have enhanced cooperation within multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations, EU Eastern Partnership, International Organization of La Francophonie, and others.

The Armenian-Romanian relations have vastly benefited from the contribution of the vibrant Armenian community which for centuries has been present in Romania’s political, economic and cultural life.

Please rest assured that Armenia will continue to do its utmost to further strengthen and enhance the relations between our countries to bring to new heights our cooperation in the next quarter of century and beyond.

I would like to use this occasion to wish you and the friendly people of Romania prosperity and progress.

Your Excellency, please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.”

The formation of a new Lebanese government—which will be headed by  was announced Saad Hariri—was announced on Dec. 18, which includes two members of the Lebanese-Armenian community, the Armenian Weekly reports.

Armenians Avedis Gidanian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and former Minister of State for Administrative Development Jean Oghassabian are a part of the new Cabinet, according to Armenia’s Hay Dzayn news outlet. Gidanian was appointed State Minister of Tourism, while Oghassabian will likely head the newly-created State Ministry for Women’s Affairs.

The four key ministerial portfolios—the Finance Minister, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and the Interior Ministry—were given to Ali Hasan Khalil, Gebran Bassil, Yaacoub Sarraf, and Nouhad Machnouk, respectively, according to Lebanon’s The Daily Star newspaper.

Hariri described his Cabinet as a national consensus government, underlining that it will “exert efforts during its short-term,” which will not exceed few months. “Its first mission will be to reach with the Parliament a new electoral law that abides by proportional representation and the right representation,” said Hariri, as reported by the Daily Star.

The Cabinet includes 22 newcomers and only one woman. Along with the State Ministry for Women’s Affairs, four other new ministries have also been established: State Ministry for Refugees Affairs, State Ministry to Combat Terrorism, State Ministry for Presidential Affairs, and State Ministry for Human Rights.

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian consulted on December 14 with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on the Armenian American community’s legislative priorities for the incoming 115th session of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Congressman McCarthy serves as the second ranking official in the U.S. House, as part of a Republican leadership team headed by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).  In this post he controls the flow of legislation that reaches the House floor, among a broad array of other leadership responsibilities. Majority Leader McCarthy is a native of Bakersfield who has, since 2007, represented California’s 23rd District, home to thousands of Armenian American families. The ANCA Chairman has, over the past two months, met with both Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McCarthy regarding Armenian issues.

“We welcomed this opportunity to engage once again with Majority Leader McCarthy and were encouraged, as always, by his continued openness to our issues,” said Hamparian, following the meeting. “The ANCA looks forward to working with him and his colleagues in the House leadership to advance a bipartisan legislative agenda to strengthen U.S.-Armenia relations, defend Artsakh’s status and security, and bring an end to U.S. complicity in Ankara’s obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide.”

Congressman McCarthy, who was endorsed by the ANCA this election cycle, has a track record of support issues of concern to Americans of Armenian heritage, including as a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

Photo: Sputnik/ Ali Hassan

The Syrian government has suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from eastern Aleppo, accusing rebels of breaking terms of the deal, the BBC reports.

Government sources said rebels had blocked the evacuation of civilians from two pro-government towns elsewhere in Syria, agreed under the truce.

A report said militias had fired on buses leaving Aleppo.

At least 6,000 people have left the city since Thursday, but the UN says at least 50,000 are still trapped.

Syria’s army, backed by Russia, has taken nearly all rebel-held districts.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire about 30 times at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night, NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The rival used weapons of different calibers as it fired over 450 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The Azeri forces used a 60mm mortar in the northeastern /Martakert/ direction of the frontline.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army confidently continued with their military duty all along the line of contact without resorting to response actions.

Armenia’s Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan had a meeting with EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström.

During the meeting Minister Karayan attached importance to the Armenia-EU negotiations on a new framework agreement, which is developing in three directions – politics, trade and investments and cooperation in different spheres.

“The fifth round of talks held in Brussels allows to report considerable progress in the negotiation process and inspires hopes for completion of the negotiation process in the near future,” he said.

Commissioner Malmström noted, in turn, that the negotiations on trade and investments are developing in a constructive atmosphere. The parties reached a number of agreements that will be implemented by the end of the negotiations.

The framework agreement will raise the Armenia-EU cooperation to a qualitatively new level, will reflect the volume and depth of the relations and will outline new landmarks for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Minister Suren Karayan invited the EU Commissioner to Armenia.

Asbarez – A organized by human rights group Freedom Now was held on December 14 outside a Hannakuh party hosted by Ilham Aliyev’s Azerbaijani regime at Trump International Hotel – to “highlight the continued repression of civil society and independent voices in Azerbaijan.”

The controversial party – which has been sharply criticized in both the Jewish American and Israeli press – was co-hosted by the Embassy of Azerbaijan, Washington, D.C. and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to celebrate “religious freedom and diversity.”

“We strongly condemn Azerbaijan’s egregious violations of human rights,” said Freedom Now founder Jared Genser. “Hanukkah is the story of good triumphing over evil and the rededication of the Holy Temple. If Jewish leaders attend this celebration, they should take the opportunity to perform the mitzvah rabah (great deed) of pidyon shivuyim (redemption of captives) and urge Ambassador Elin Suleymanov to have his government release its political prisoners.” Earlier this week, Genser had an in The Forward entitled “A Hanukkah Freedom Party With Human Rights Violators” about this event.

“Activists who protest the government’s religion policy are often arrested and given lengthy prison terms based on false charges. Azerbaijan’s lack of respect for religious freedom has prompted the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to categorize it as a Tier 2 country, indicating serious violations,” read Freedom Now’s press statement on the protest. “Other countries in this category include Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia, and Turkey.”

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received a delegation representing the Institute of Public Security Studies at Tsinghua University of China and Chinese GSAFETY Company, headed by GSAFETY management board member Xue Hailong.

The sides discussed prospects of cooperation in terms of security systems in the transport sector. In particular, they touched upon the development of the Smart Town project and the possibility for implementing it in one of Armenia’s cities.

Xue Hailong presented the activities of the company and expressed willingness to cooperate in the field of public transport traffic management systems and traffic safety. Welcoming the Chinese company’s willingness to participate in investment programs in our country, the Prime Minister said Armenia can become a good platform for GSAFETY to enter the EEU market.

Prime Minister Karapetyan suggested discussing cooperation areas and specific projects in more detail with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Armenia.