Category: News

“For Latvia, the stability and security of Europe’s neighbors in the East is a strategic priority and remains high on the political agenda,” said President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis in his statement to the 71st session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) on Wednesday, September 21 in New York.

“Resolution of the protracted conflicts in Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh should remain high on the international agenda. We must remain vigilant and insist that all States including Russia abide by their obligations under international law to respect the borders of sovereign States,” the Latvian President said at a sitting chaired by Armenia’s Acting Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

“The international community must work to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. All parties must fulfill their commitments under the Minsk Agreements and make the Minsk process work,” President Vējonis stated.

On September 21, Edward Nalbandian, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, had a meeting with Michael B. Christides, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Congratulating Foreign Minister Nalbandian on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Independence of Armenia, the BSEC Secretary General commended Armenia’s active engagement within the Organization he presides over.

Expressing his gratitude to the BSEC Secretary General, Edward Nalbandian noted that Armenia attaches big importance to multilateral cooperation in the framework of the Organization in the areas of transport, energy, telecommunications and information technologies.

Edward Nalbandian and Michael B. Christides discussed the primary directions of collaboration within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, as well as issues related to institutional reforms of the Organization.

A reference was made to the implementation of the BSEC new economic agenda – the 2015/17 Action Plan and the increase of effectiveness of the Organization aimed at the development of regional economic cooperation.

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Hints of an early exodus of modern humans from Africa may have been detected in living humans, the BBC reports.

Present-day people outside Africa were thought to descend from a group that left their homeland 60,000 years ago.

Now, analysis of nearly 500 human genomes appears to have turned up the weak signal of an earlier migration.

But the results suggest this early wave of Homo sapiens all but vanished, so it does not drastically alter prevailing theories of our origins.

Writing in the academic journal Nature, Luca Pagani, Mait Metspalu and colleagues describe hints of this pioneer group in their analysis of DNA in people from the Oceanian nation of Papua New Guinea.

After evolving in Africa 200,000 years ago, modern humans are thought to have crossed through Egypt into the Arabian Peninsula some 60,000 years ago.

Until now, genetic evidence has shown that every non-African alive today could trace their origins to this fateful dispersal.

Yet we had known for some time that groups of modern humans made forays outside their “homeland” before 60,000 years ago.

Armenia’s Acting Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick, Pierre Andrieu and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk on the sidelines of the General Assembly session in New York.

The interlocutors stressed the importance of implementing the agreements reached at Vienna and St. Petersburg summits for furthering the peace process.

Edward Nalbandian noted that “Azerbaijan has been turning down the agreements reached on the presidential level for several months now, thus preventing the creation of favorable conditions for the progress of the negotiation process.”

President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan attended today a festive concert named Generation of Independence. The concert was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s independence and took place at the Karen Demirjian Sport and Concert Complex.
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Presidential Address on the occasion of Independence Day

Distinguished President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan,

Your Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians,

Your Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia,

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Compatriots,

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of Independence Day.

We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our independence with our heads held high. We have gone down a difficult but decent path. What did we have at the beginning of that road? We had a country, one third of which was literally leveled to the ground by a devastating earthquake. People had no place to live, to say nothing of jobs. In that situation, we received hundreds of thousands of refugees from the neighboring country. Moreover, we were standing at the verge of a full-scale war. We started under energy crisis and blockade. Probably neither of the former Soviet Republics had such unfavorable starting position. But we did not falter in our choice, remained true to our resolve to build an independent and democratic state.

Our people overcame all hardships with the peculiar tenacity, wisdom, diligence, and courage. Our people revealed the ability to defend Armenia and Artsakh, to develop economy and social life.

I said it before, I reiterate it once again: for me, the greatest achievement of the new twenty-five years old Armenia is the generation born in independence. In past twenty-five years, a new generation grew up in Armenia for which to be a citizen of Armenia is not just a destiny but also an honor: a new generation, which is open to the world and is educated better that the previous generations; a new generation which is politically literate and believes in the noblest and most humane values; a generation whose mentality is based on the principles of freedom and democracy.

This is a new generation which does not and will not tolerate any kind of tyranny or dictatorship, will not tolerate any step aimed at the restriction of their rights and freedoms. And finally, this is a generation which is ready to fight and defend the Fatherland, and fight like lions.

We may build one structure more or one structure less, but we have to build a competitive and successful society. Our greatest wealth are our children who will tomorrow become that society. Moreover, even today they already represent that society and bring honor to our country. We take pride in those children who every year win numerous medals at international Olympiads.

The independence generation in our country has high standards and high demands. They also have discontent, and that discontent is an important and necessary element of progress. Could you imagine what it would be like if they were content and happy with the existing reality? They show discontent, they protest, criticize, and demand because they want to live in a better country; they want to live in a freer, more lawful, more prosperous country. They do not let the representatives of the senior generation lose vigilance and thereby, they are speeding up the reforms.

Why this is the most important thing for me? State is a tool which is called to serve people and not vice versa. The independence generation wants to improve that tool. And that generation is on the right path. We are walking down a very complicated but the most promising path of building democratic stability. It is indeed very difficult to cover in a couple of decades a distance which others covered in hundreds of years. But it is possible because the course is charted.

Dear Compatriots,

Last twenty-five years of Armenia’s independence have proved once again that nobody is going to solve our problems for us. We are able and will be solving them in the order of priority. We have wonderful friends, partners and allies all over the world. We thank them for cooperation, but let us not forget that responsibility still rests with us, only and only with us. The independence generation is gradually coming to assume that historic responsibility. Before speaking of the mote in one’s eye, they speak of a beam in our own. This is the right path because solutions to all problems are within us. The more mature we as a society, the faster we will solve our problems.

Dear Compatriots,

We are following the path of honest work, honest earning, and the truth telling path. Our society is our wealth. Whatever good there is in our country, it’s been done by them – the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, regardless of who was leading the country.

Today our country has entered a new, accelerated phase of reforms. These are not just personnel changes as some would like to think. These are structural changes which will bring about a qualitatively new state. This is not just wishful thinking; this is a succession of the preset, defined steps. We know where we are going and how to get there. If an entire nation wants to renovate its house, it will do it. Nothing will make us deviate from that route, while the amended Constitution will become a bright beacon illuminating that route.

The Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspors trinity is our strength. Whatever we have done in a quarter of a century, we have done together. Tomorrow we will do even more. In the process we have not only used the existing potential but have also accumulated new experiences and new potential. We have formed new platforms and tools which open new horizons before us.

I once again congratulate us all on the occasion of Independence Day. The realization of our national aspirations is in our own hands. It will take time and work to do. I wish us all peaceful skies and new achievements for the glory of our country and our nation.

National Hero of the Republic of Armenia Movses Gorgissian used to say, “Long live the Armenia which will come tomorrow.” He was speaking of an independent and free Armenia. Today we are saying, “Long live the Armenia which has come”, but immediately follow by saying “Long live the Armenia which will come tomorrow,” and we mean a more prosperous and secure Armenia.

Long live the Armenian nation!

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

On September 20, while paying a working visit to New York, Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with Edgars Rinkēvičs, Foreign Minister of Latvia.

The sides touched upon the organization of high-level mutual visits, attached importance to the expansion of legal field and intensification of inter-parliamentary ties.

The agenda of the meeting included issues related to the intensification of economic cooperation, as well as the preparatory works of the upcoming session of the Intergovernmental Commission.

Edward Nalbandian and Edgars Rinkēvičs discussed the negotiation process over the new legal framework of Armenia-European Union relations.

 Horizon Weekly – On Monday, September 19 2016, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) hosted a Reception on Parliament Hill, where over 50 Ministers, Members of Parliament, Senators and staff gathered to celebrate this milestone.

 During the event, following opening remarks delivered by the ANCC, MP Harold Albrecht (Former Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group), MP Arnold Chan (Current Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group), MP Alexandre Boulerice (Vice Chair of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group) and His Excellency Armen Yeganian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Canada offered their congratulatory messages.

Ambassador Yeganian’s speech is provided below:

Honorable members of Parliament,
Distinguished guests,

I am delighted to stand before you, within the grand walls of Parliament. First, I would like to thank Members of Parliament, especially those who are or have been the members of the Canadian-Armenian Parliamentary Friendship Group, for many years of mutual cooperation. Armenia pays great importance to the development and deepening of friendly relations with Canada. Together, we are strengthening relations between our two countries.

The cooperation of our respective parliaments within the framework of international organizations is ongoing and increasing. We work together closely within the International Organization of La Francophonie. I have to say that over the course of last 5 years we have had an unprecedented number of mutual visits on the level of parliamentary delegations. Jim Karygiannis and Stephane Dion visited Armenia and Artsakh, two parliamentary secretaries Deepak Obhrai and Chungsen Leung led the delegation that participated at our President’s inauguration, Jason Kenney in his capacity as Multiculturalism Minister visited Armenia in 2014 and last year we had Chris Alexander heading delegation for Centennial events and Christian Paradis participating at Francophone Ministers’ summit in Yerevan. Similarly we had number of Armenian MPs and Ministers paying visits to Canada.

The sincere attitude of Canada towards the Armenian people was displayed through the number of resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide, an approach, which was reaffirmed in 2015. In doing so, Canada emphasized its commitment to stand against injustice and crimes against humanity, and demonstrated its commitment to ensure such crimes perpetrated against mankind, will always be condemned and prevented.

We understand and respect Canadian government’s balanced position on the issue of conflict resolution in Artsakh, Nagorno-Karabakh.

Dear guests,

Armenia marked the 98th Anniversary of the establishment of its First Republic in May of this year, and I congratulate all of us on that occasion.

For us, this is the day to reflect on what our people were able to save and protect. In establishing the First Republic, we saved the last piece of our birthplace and the last remnants of our nation. It was a difficult matter to accept, but it was the reality. The bleeding Armenian nation, on the verge of annihilation, just three years after 1915 was able to stand up to the enemy, to prevail, and throw the enemy back. Many consider the heroic battles of May and their victorious outcome a miracle. We prevailed, we survived, and we finally liberated ourselves after 600 years of torture. Our independence and our statehood were not a gift to us. We paid the highest price possible. We did it alone; moreover, we did it against all odds.

At the same time, we mark the 25th Anniversary of Armenia’s Independence exactly in two days. The Armenian people’s thousand year long march has filled each page of our history books with countless memories, has filled it with tears of joy, pain of loss; it has filled it with resolve to rise in the face of adversary and struggle against injustice; it has filled it with the prayers of hopeless nights and promising victories that come with the first rays of sunlight as dawn breaks. Our people perfectly recollect every single page of our history, a history of their struggle. They remember those who have fallen as we advance on our age-old path and celebrate each day of our victorious unity. 25 years ago a new page was written in gold; inscribed in our history book. On September 21, 1991, an entire nation stood and unanimously announced to the world that they assume anew the burden, responsibility, and honor of mastering their own destiny. And every year, as we look ahead we vow that we are the guarantors of calm mornings for our children and peaceful sunsets for our parents, it is us, the united Armenian People.

The tongue we speak is Armenian, in which we prayed at the dawn of civilization and which can be heard today at the different corners of the world. It can be heard thanks to the absolute unity demonstrated by our people 25 years ago. That unity has not only granted us independence, but has also given us the power to fight and the spirit to create over the course of two and a half decades. The State, the Army, the market economy and civil society have been the institutions that we established as our unambiguous response to the chance given to us by time and challenges imposed upon us.

Dear friends,

September 21st marks revival of our people that survived the first genocide of the 20th century – one of the gratest crimes against humanity.

Yes, our history book is also filled with lines fraught with our people’s blood. We remember those lines very well. We will continue to remember it as long as the blood of our ancestors martyred by the Ottoman Empire’s sword in Van, Mush, Trabzon, Yerznka, Marash, Sebastia, Erzurum and Kharberd has not frozen in our veins. We distinguish ourselves by doing everything possible so that never again shall our people face the danger of annihilation. We hold dearly in our hearts the belief that in a world full of contradictions and dangers, the only true guarantor of the Armenian people is a sovereign and independent Armenian state. We know, beyond doubt, that people are the only source of power. We have confidence that unity will prevail when we arrive at decisive turns and monumental challenges as we march forward in time, writing our history book.

September 21 is the symbol of our faith, our convictions and our confidence. Once again congratulations on Independence Day!

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

On September 20, on the sidelines of the 71th regular session of the UN General Assembly, Edward Nalbandian, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, had a meeting with David Choquehuanca, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia.

The sides discussed issues concerning the bilateral relations and cooperation within the framework of international organizations, attached importance to the establishment of friendship group in the parliaments and the holding of regular consultations between the Foreign Ministries of two countries.

Edward Nalbandian expressed gratitude for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by both houses of the Bolivian legislative body back in 2014 and emphasized that it was an important input of the Bolivian people in the fight for the international recognition of crimes against humanity.

In course of the meeting, views were exchanged on the current international and regional issues.

President Serzh Sargsyan today met with heads of a number of structures functioning in the Diaspora and discussed various issues of pan-Armenian significance, President’s Press Office reports.

During the meeting President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan handed in the “Tigran Mets” order to Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan for selfless devotion and substantial contribution to the formation and strengthening of Artsakh statehood and solution of the issues of nationwide significance.