Category: News

The U.S. Department of State announces the opening of the registration period for the 2018 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, also known as the “Green Card Lottery.” Entries for the 2018 Diversity Visa lottery must be submitted electronically between noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Tuesday, October 4, 2016, and noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Monday, November 7, 2016, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia informs.

Applicants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry form at during the registration period. Paper entries will not be accepted. Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter. Heavy demand may result in website delays. No entries will be accepted after noon EDT on November 7, 2016.

Applicants are reminded that there is no cost to enter, that multiple entries result in automatic disqualification, and that they should retain their entry confirmation page with their unique confirmation number.

The annual DV program makes immigrant visas available to persons meeting simple, but strict, eligibility requirements. A computer-generated, random lottery drawing chooses selectees for visa interviews. The Diversity Visa Program requires the principal applicant to have a high school education, or its equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience as defined under provisions of U.S. law. Entrants may prepare and submit their own entries or have someone submit the entry for them.  Regardless of whether an entry is submitted by the individual directly or with assistance, only one entry may be submitted in the name of each individual. The person entering the DV lottery is responsible for ensuring that the information provided is correct and complete.  Visas are distributed among six geographic regions, with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration. No DV visas are given to nationals of countries that sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the past five years. Within each region, no single country may receive more than 7% of the available DVs in any one year.

The law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period.  The Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.  Entrants who submit more than one entry will be disqualified. Applicants must submit a recent photo taken within the last six months.  Entries that include the same photo from the last DV year (DV-2017) will be disqualified.

There is no cost or fee to register for the DV Program. You are strongly encouraged to complete the entry form yourself, without a “Visa Consultant,” “Visa Agent,” or other facilitator who offers to help for a fee. If somebody else helps you, you should be present when your entry is prepared so that you can provide the correct information. You should retain the confirmation page and your unique confirmation number.

To fight fraud, the Department will use web site-based tools to notify entrants of their selection and visa interview appointment information.  The Department will not send selectee notification or appointment letters to successful entrants by regular mail or by e-mail.  Instead, entrants will use their confirmation number to check their status online. Starting May 2, 2017, entrants may enter their DV-2018 entry confirmation number into the Entrant Status Check, which will be available at , to determine if their entry was selected to move forward.

It is important to note that winning the lottery is not a guarantee that you will receive a visa – winners must be interviewed and qualify for a visa. 

For detailed information about entry requirements, along with frequently asked questions about the DV lottery, please see the instructions for the DV-2018 DV lottery available at .

Photo: Viktor Drachev/TASS

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) plans to hold large-scale collective forces’ drills dubbed Combat Brotherhood on the territory of Armenia, Kazakhstan and Russia in October 2017, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov said on Friday, TASS reports.

“This year, four CSTO exercises have been held on the territory of various states and at different time. Next year, we’re planning to unite the maneuvers and hold them under a single scenario simultaneously with all the components of the CSTO collective forces. So far, the name Combat Brotherhood has been proposed for the drills,” Sidorov said.

The CSTO’s unified drills will be held in October 2017. “That is, we won’t hold drills separately in April, August, September and October as was the case this year and in October 2017 we’ll practice joint measures within a short period of time on the territory of three states: Russia, Armenia and Kazakhstan. This will be more efficient to optimize the joint system of the CSTO collective forces’ control,” he said.

“The drills will approximately last for three weeks and a counter-terror operation will be devised under a single scenario: first reconnaissance, then the use of the rapid response collective forces with the support of aviation and then the post-conflict settlement with the employment of peace-keeping forces. This will be an experiment,” the colonel-general said.

The CSTO rapid response collective forces comprise over 17,000 servicemen from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. These troops allow adequately responding to all existing challenges and threats – to counter terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. The CSTO peacekeeping forces comprise about 3,600 servicemen.

An NKR Defense Army vehicle has been damaged as a result of intensive firing from the Azerbaijani side.

The NKR Defense Army reports more than 50 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side at the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

The rival fired more than 1,800 shots from weapons of different calibers in the directions of the Armenian positions.

More intensive firing was reported in the northern and northeastern directions of the line of contact, where the rival used DShK large-caliber machine guns, Istiglal rifles and sniper rifles and HAN-17 grenade launcher.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army resorted to response actions to pressure the activeness of the rival and confidently continued with their military duty.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the BBC reports.

Judges in Norway praised him for his peace deal with Farc rebels, signed last month after four years of negotiations.

But the agreement was narrowly rejected by Colombians in a referendum last weekend.

The 52-year conflict has led to the deaths of an estimated 260,000 people with more than six million people internally displaced.

The convoy with humanitarian aid from Armenia has arrived in Aleppo, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs via Twitter.

The authorities in Lattakia received 40 tons of food and relief aid sent by Armenia to help the Syrian people, SANA reported.

Armenian Consul in Aleppo Tigran Gevorgyan told journalists during the unloading of the aid shipment at the Virgin Mary Church in Lattakia that this aid has been provided based on directives from Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to help the Syrian people and as an expression of the strong friendship between the two countries.

Gevorgyan noted that back in 1990 when Armenia was having a food and economic crisis, Syria sent around 6,000 tons of wheat, food, medicine, and fuel to help it overcome the crisis, asserting that Armenia will continue to send aid to the Syrian people.

A Syrian Arab Army officer said that the aid will be distributed among displaced families that have been affected by terrorism.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday submitted a Russian-Armenian agreement on creating the Caucasus Unified Anti-Air Defense System to the State Duma. This information is available from the State Duma electronic database, TASS reports.

Russia and Armenia signed the agreement in Moscow on December 23, 2015. The document stipulates “the establishment of a regional Unified Anti-Air Defense System as part of the of CIS Unified Anti-Air Defense System.” The main task of the system is to “set up and maintain air defense combat duty in the Caucasus region, keep the battle management system, the weaponry and the military hardware of the Unified Anti-Air Defense System on alert, cooperate with the forces of other regional air defense systems,” an explanatory note says.

In peacetime, the member states’ defense ministries are supposed to draw up plans for the combined use of the troops, their joint air defense combat duties, as well as operational and combat training.

Armenia’s parliament ratified this agreement at the end of June.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a congratulatory message to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

“Distinguished Mr. President,

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of your birth anniversary.

I sincerely wish you great health and new success in your policies aimed at the increase of the well-being of the citizens of Russia, prosperity of the country and strengthening of its role on the international arena.

There is no doubt that joint and consistent deepening and enrichment of the potential of our countries’ allied cooperation, based on the centuries-long brotherly and friendly relations of our countries, allows to register significant results in all areas of the Armenian-Russian cooperation. Thanks to your personal input, important interstate strategic agreements, including economic, military-technical, investment, humanitarian and other, are being called to life.

I am confident that the intensive and efficient political dialogue and our regular meetings will continue to play an important role in the active development of the entire complex of the Armenian-Russian cooperation on the bilateral level as well as in the framework of international and regional unions.

Joint steps aimed at the productive functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union, adaptation of the Commonwealth of Independent States and further development of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s structure create qualitatively new conditions for the future development of the allied relations for the benefit of our peoples, stability and security in the region.

I am glad for the upcoming opportunity to welcome you at the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Armenia.

I cordially wish you, Distinguished Mr. President, all the best and success in all your undertakings,” reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia.

Photo: AP

 

The winner of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize is set to be announced later in Norway’s capital, Oslo, the BBC reports.

The winner of the prestigious award has been selected from a list of 376 candidates – 228 are individuals and 148 are organisations.

However, who or what they are is meant to be kept closely guarded secret.

Despite this, a list of front-runners has emerged – including Syria’s White Helmets, and the negotiators of the Iran nuclear deal.

Last year, the prize went to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, a group lauded for helping their country’s transition to democracy, instead of Angela Merkel – who was widely thought to be in the running for her work with refugees.

Rebel-held eastern Aleppo in northern Syria may face “total destruction” in two months, with thousands killed, the UN’s Syria envoy has said, the BBC reports.

Staffan de Mistura told reporters that he was prepared to personally accompany al-Qaeda-linked jihadists out of the city if it would stop the fighting.

He also appealed to Russia and Syria not to destroy the city for the sake of eliminating militants.

The UN says 275,000 civilians are trapped in the war-torn east of Aleppo.

“The bottom line is, in a maximum of two months… the city of eastern Aleppo at this rate may be totally destroyed,” Mr de Mistura told a news conference in Geneva.

“Thousands of Syrian civilians, not terrorists, will be killed and many of them wounded.”

He added: “This is what you, we, the world will be seeing when we will be trying to celebrate Christmas, or the end of the year, if this continues at this rate, unimpeded. Homs [Syrian city] multiplied by 50.”

He said the UN was not willing to “be passive, resign ourselves” to genocides such as those in Srebrenica and Rwanda.

 – On the morning of Sunday, October 2, “Avedissian” Hall of Ferrahian High School in Encino was filled to capacity as religious and community leaders and members and faithful had gathered for Pontifical Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, who was assisted at the altar by Western Prelate Moushegh Mardirossian and Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian.

His Holiness was escorted from the “Yeghia Sarafian” meeting room to “Avedissian” Hall under an “Ambhovani” with an honor guard of Homenetmen scouts. At the entrance of the hall, His Holiness was greeted by Sunday School students and throngs of faithful, and as the choir sang the “Hrashapar” hymn of welcome, the Pontiff entered the hall and blessed the faithful as he approached the altar to begin Divine Liturgy.

Divine Liturgy was sung by a choir comprised of members and soloists from various Prelacy Churches, led by Crescenta Valley Church parish pastor Rev. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian, with Holy Martyrs Church choir leader Mr. Gomidas Keshishian on the organ.

The Prelate conveyed his greetings prior to the Pontifical message. His Eminence thanked God for the day and for the celebrations of the previous days in honor of the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The Prelate reiterated His Holiness’ sentiments from the prior evening, that such anniversaries are occasions for spiritual renewal and an invitation to renew our pledge and dedication to serve, and concluded by greeting his clergy brothers H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, H.E. Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, H.E. Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, Fr. Antony Atallah representing H.G. Bishop Serapion, Deputy Consul General Valery Mkrtoumian and Counsellor Razmik Stepanyan, ARF Central Committee members, community leaders and representatives, Prelacy Councils’ members, and faithful. He then invited Archbishop Derderian to convey his remarks.

On behalf of Diocesan clergy and council, Archbishop Derderian greeted His Holiness with love and gratitude. The Primate reflected on his years as a student at the Seminary of the Great House of Cilicia, where he received instruction from His Holiness, and lauded His Holiness’ spirit of hard work and diligent service which he personally witnessed. The Primate stated that His Holiness’ past twenty years of service as Catholicos has been characterized by service dedicated to the people, and concluded by praying for God to grant His Holiness Catholicos Aram I a long and healthy life so that he may continue to stir the souls of the faithful as an “apostle of faith,” and for God to keep the Holy See of Cilicia unshaken.

Prior to inviting His Holiness to address the congregation, the Prelate urged the faithful to heed the Pontiff’s messages on the importance of Armenia, Artsakh, and Diaspora unity, and to be guided by faith, hope, and love in our service.

Prior to delivering his message on the day’s Gospel reading from 2 Corinthians 13:5-13, His Holiness gave thanks and praise to Almighty God for the opportunity to be with the people and to witness the bond of the faithful with our church and faith. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” It was on this, verse 5 from the day’s Gospel reading, that His Holiness delivered his spiritually renewing and inspired sermon. St. Paul in Corinthians asked this important question to the Corinthians centuries ago, but today, the same question can be addressed to us, stated the Pontiff. Being Christian, having Christian faith, means believing in our Lord Jesus Christ alone, making Christ a living presence in our daily lives, the purpose of our lives, and becoming witnesses of Christ, stressed His Holiness. “Our Lord Jesus Christ has been a constant presence in our history and in the lives of our forefathers. Through Him we overcame infinite storms, Through Him we were illuminated and strengthened, through Him we walked from death to life. Our forefathers had Christ as the center of their lives, as their guide, strength, and hope. They even became witnesses of Christ with their blood. We must follow in their ideal example. Armenia and Artsakh are surrounded by enemies; in the Diaspora, we are surrounded by a different type of enemy. Thus, we must keep our Lord Jesus Christ close to us always, in our individual and collective lives, to become renewed in our faith and walk with Christ alone, for this is the key to our survival and endurance,” emphasized His Holiness.

At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, “Achahampouyr” was held at the foot of the altar. One by one, faithful approached His Holiness to kiss his hand and receive his blessing. Each faithful also received a gold-plated cross as a memento.

Following “Achahampouyr,” the procession of altar servers and choir members guided His Holiness to the courtyard, where doves were released. The spiritually moving and inspiring day came to a close with “Cilicia.”