Category: News

On October 18-19, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan hosted a two-day workshop, bringing together Armenian and Georgian government officials and NGOs to exchange best practices in controlling the flow of weapons of mass destruction, delivery systems, and conventional weaponry.

During the workshop, organized by the Embassy’s Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS), policymakers and technical experts from both countries shared the methods they currently employ to inform exporting industries about the latest regulations, procedures, and export requirements related to dual-use technology (which can be used for both weaponry and peaceful purposes). The Armenian and Georgian officials also learned new ways to safeguard dual-use technology from being transferred to proliferating states and terrorist groups.

Twenty representatives from relevant Armenian and Georgian agencies, U.S. Department of Energy officials, and NGOs from both countries discussed the mutual challenges they face and the approaches they have undertaken to achieve their goals.  They also discussed the important role that NGOs can play in educating businesses and governments on export controls. “Having agencies from both countries discuss how they reach out to export industries allows for mutual good practices among these neighboring countries to be shared. Also, the chance to network with each other’s counterparts in such a setting strengthens the bilateral relationship between Armenia and Georgia. This workshop provides a basis for future discussions on other relevant export control issues,” said Ashley Fullenwider, the principal Political Science Analyst from the Argonne National Laboratory.

The EXBS program takes a regional and multilateral approach to help harmonize national export control systems with international standards and facilitate information-sharing among nations.

Administered by the Department of State, EXBS operates in more than 65 countries, and is designed to strengthen a country’s export control system by providing legal and regulatory advice, training of licensing officials, enforcement and interdiction equipment, and industry-to-government outreach. Better export control systems help fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, conventional weapons, and related materials.

Photo: Reuters

Islamic State (IS) militants have mounted a ferocious counter-attack in north Iraq, killing at least 19 people in and around the city of Kirkuk, the BBC reports.

They attacked government buildings, killing at least six police officers, and a power station under construction, where 13 employees died, officials say.

Twelve IS fighters also reportedly died and fighting seems to be continuing.

Government and Kurdish forces began a long-awaited operation against the IS capital in Iraq, Mosul, on Monday.

Mosul lies 170km to the north-east of Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic city claimed both by Iraq’s central government and the Kurds.

Government forces said on Friday they had regained control of a further two villages – al-Awaizat and Nanaha – south of Mosul, evacuating 65 displaced families and killing 15 IS militants.

Suleyman Karaman has long been caretaker of an ornate Armenian Orthodox Church built more than 100 years ago in Istanbul’s Yali quarter – an area now under threat from the city’s relentless expansion.

The softly-spoken custodian, who lives with his wife in a cottage on the grounds of the Surp Tateos Partogomeos church, is among hundreds of Yali residents watching with mixed feelings as their historic district transforms before their eyes, reports.

Once home to Armenians and Greeks who bequeathed the elegant buildings, the area fell into disarray after its original inhabitants abandoned the city amid anti-minority policies.

By the time most of the Armenians had left – to be replaced by Kurds from the southeastern province of Mardin – Suleyman Karaman had also headed west from the province of Batman and become caretaker of the Surp Tateos Partogomeos church.

Apart from Karaman and his wife, today there are just 10 Armenians living in the neighborhood.

“Usually, around 10 or 15 people show up [to church], but if there are those coming from Bakırköy [a district with a large Armenian population] there are as many as 50,” Karaman said, lighting a rolled cigarette from a small tin box emblazoned with a photo of Istanbul’s iconic Galata Tower

Another local, Mehmet, 51, rents out a building he owns in Yali and lives elsewhere, but he still prefers to spend his days in the quarter where he lived for decades and where he once restored the former home of the priest at the Armenian church.

He is unhappy at what he says is the suffocation of the neighborhood by the urban projects going on around it.

“We can’t breathe,” he said. “But we’ve been here 50 years. Where else will we go?”

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening of the annual Armprodexpo specialized exhibition at the Yerevan Expo exhibition complex of the Yerevan research institute of mathematical machines, President’s Press Office reports.

The exhibition is aimed at revealing the capacities of the agricultural production, agricultural produce processing industry, to assess the competitiveness of the local production, to expand export opportunities, to establish business ties, to demonstrate to the visitors and guests the variety of high quality agricultural goods and products.

The exhibition is attended by the representatives of the regions of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh engaged in almost every branch in agriculture and goods processing as well as by the representatives of over 90 organizations which work in the area of agricultural services.

The President of Armenia toured the exhibition hall, familiarized with the goods on display, and conversed with the participants about their development programs and problems.

 

 

 

The Armenian National Assembly voted 85 to 7 today (with 6 abstentions) to approve the Government Program.

Before the voting the factions summed up their approaches. Head of the Orinats Yerkir faction Heghine Bisharyan said she sees both positive and negative aspects in the program. Therefore, Bisharyan said she couldn’t vote for or against the document.

The Prosperous Armenia faction did not participate in the voting. Mikael Melkumyan declared that the Party members “cannot assume responsibility for the activity of this government.”

Secretary of the ARF faction Aghvan Vardanyan urged to support the program and help call it to life.

Head of the Armenian National Congress faction Levon Zurabyan did not make a distinct statement, but criticized the program. The party voted against the document.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan noted in his closing remarks that the government was open for cooperation with everyone.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan still has work to do to force his way back into the Manchester United team, manager Jose Mourinho has said, the Daily Mail reports.

The Armenian winger watched from the directors’ box as United eased to a 4-1 win over Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday.

Mkhitaryan, a big-money summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, has not played since injuring his thigh more than a month ago.

Manager Jose Mourinho said ahead of the game that he was fit but, with competition for places intense in the forward positions, Mkhitaryan may have to wait for his chance.

Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial both scored against Fenerbahce while Juan Mata also impressed and all three will hope to keep their places for Sunday’s key Premier League clash with Chelsea.

Mourinho said: ‘The situation is that we played with Lingard, with Mata and Martial. I am not an Einstein. I don’t know a tactical system that can play with four wingers at the same time.

‘He has to work more to get the intensity and fitness to play at a high level. To have him on the bench and give him 15 or 20 minutes like I did to Memphis (Depay), I think it is much better for him to work and wait for his chance, but he is ready very soon.’

According to a decree signed by French President Fracois Hollande, Stéphane Visconti has been appointed new Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Stéphane Visconti will replace current Co-Chair Pierre Andrieu.

The Azerbaijani forces undertook an infringement attempt in the eastern and southern directions of the line of contact with the Karabakh forces between 23:00 and 23:30, October 20, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army were quick to spot the advancement of the special forces of Azerbaijan and threw them back to their initial positions, inflicting losses. No casualties are reported on the Armenian side.

Besides the act of sabotage, the rival violated the ceasefire about 50 times last night. The Azeri side used weapons of different calibers as it fired over 2,800 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The rival used DShK large-caliber machine guns in the southern direction.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep full control of the situation at the line of contact and are ready to prevent any provocative step, the Defense Ministry said.

Asbarez – The documentary feature, Crows of the Desert has been nominated by the ARPA International Film Festival as Best Documentary Film for the 2016 season. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Marta Houske, the film will have its world premiere on Saturday, November 5th at 2pm in the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.

Based on the highly acclaimed memoirs of Levon Yotnakhparian, the film chronicles the incredible true story of one man’s desperate struggle to not only stay alive but to help save his people from near extinction in the 20th century’s first genocide. According to Levon Parian, the grandson of Levon Yotnakhparian, it was his father who inspired him to publish the memoirs. He notes, “My grandfather was never able to publish his very important autobiography of what he did during and after the Armenian Genocide. His was part of an effort organized by diaspora Armenians to save their countrymen from complete annihilation by Ottoman forces. He represented and addressed the needs of the Armenians starving in the deserts of Syria. He lead a team that gave thousands of Armenians the hope of survival.” The family gathered to facilitate the completion of the book: Parian’s mother translated it into English with Parian handling the editing and the layout, his wife outlined the maps, various aunts and cousins supplied photos and documents, while his father, Benjamin—Levon Yotnakhparian’s son—“did the prodding.”

Three years of research, translating, editing and map-making transformed Yotnakhparian’s memoirs into the book Crows of the Desert: A Hero’s Journey Through the Armenian Genocide (2012). The memoirs have since encountered yet another transformation, this time into a documentary film. Executive Producer Paul Turpanjian and TF Educational Foundation, along with producer-director Marta Houske offer audiences a rare and stirring insight into the plight of survivors all but lost throughout the Syrian Desert. Completing the film is a moving score composed by renowned musician John Massari, in collaboration with a stellar cast of world-class instrumentalists and composers: Ara Dabandjian, Alan Derian, Ruben Harutyunian, Armen Ksajikian and Razdan Kuyumjian.

Set against the backdrop of World War I raging through the Arabian Peninsula, the film recounts the astonishing heroics of an extraordinary group of men who endured great tribulations in order to save the lives of countless thousands of Armenian genocide survivors scattered throughout the desert. Along the way, they would risk their lives on multiple occasions, endure unimaginable hardships, and cross paths with legendary figures such as Prince Faisal and Lawrence of Arabia. Several years of meticulous research has uncovered extraordinarily rare film footage and photographs, as well as recently rediscovered documents gathered from archives around the world to reveal a harrowing journey that is at once heart wrenching and inspirational.

Armenia’s border guards are better trained to counter the illegal transport and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction thanks to border security and interdiction training provided by the U.S. The 10-day training session is the latest part of a joint U.S.-Armenian project to improve Armenia’s abilities in this fight against contraband.

From October 10 to 21, 27 Armenian border guards who serve along the Armenian-Georgian border attended training on viable border interdiction strategies that stressed the necessity for interagency cooperation. The border guards were introduced to new tools that can be used to maintain security and aid in border monitoring. The course also included sessions on basic tracking skills, operations management, safety, and evidence control.

The course, which was moderated by border security subject matter experts, consisted of lectures and practical exercises, culminating with several full-scale interdiction exercises. The training was conducted by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Cooperative Threat Reduction Program’s WMD-Proliferation Prevention Program.

Out of the dozens of agents participating in this month’s course, 12 will go on to receive additional training to become instructors. This will enable Armenian authorities to institutionalize the training locally and ensure all Armenian border guards eventually receive the training they need to succeed.

The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Security Service of Armenia, and the Armenian Border Guards have a long history of cooperative efforts aimed at reducing the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.Since 2011, the U.S. Department of Defense, through DTRA’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, has provided $21.3 million in aid to properly train and equip Armenian border guards