Category: News

On September 13 Tigran Mkrtchyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to Lithuania, had a meeting with the members of Armenia friendship group in Lithuania’s Seimas.

Greeting the Ambassador, Dangutė Mikutienė, the head of the friendship expressed confidence that the previously formed friendly relations will have continuation.

The Ambassador noted that necessary steps will be undertaken aimed at further deepening of Lithuania-Armenia political dialogue, activation of mutual visits, ensuring of the continuous increase of trade volumes, organization of cultural events.

The Ambassador presented the main directions of his mission, in particular underlining the importance of economic and cultural diplomacy.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan thoroughly talked about the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy, the efforts exerted by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in the peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn has welcomed the signature of new political agreement on electoral reforms between Armenian government and opposition, consulted with the Civil Society.

“EU stands ready to assist, also financially, the implementation of this important agreement,” Commissioner Hahn said in a Twitter post.

On 14 September Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to the newly-appointed prime-minister of the Republic of Armenia Karen Karapetyan.

The address runs as follows:

“On behalf of the people and authorities of the Artsakh Republic and on my own behalf, I extend my cordial congratulations to You on being appointed to the post of Republic of Armenia’s Prime Minister.

You have rich experience and knowledge, high personal and professional abilities that will greatly favor the realization of Your activity in this responsible position.

I am confident You will continue serving selflessly to the patriotic mission of bringing prosperity and development the Motherland’s and native people’s, strengthening the Armenian statehood, securing economic progress, deepening and widening ties between Armenia and Artsakh on a consistent basis.

I wish You great success for the glory of the Republic of Armenian and the Armenia people”.

Pope Francis stands for the diplomatic settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Vladimir Fekete, Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan said at a press conference in Baku on September 14.

Accoridng to reports in Azeri media, Fekete added that “the Catholic Church opposes war and urges to solve such conflicts peacefully.” He said the Catholic Church is not directly dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Fekete didn’t mention whether the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would be discussed during Pope’s visit to Baku.

Pope Francis will visit Baku on October 2. The Pontiff is expected to meet with Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, the chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office, as well as representatives of other religious communities, a spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Church in Baku Jamila Mammadova, said at a press conference in Baku on September 14.

The regular 11^th sitting of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation is under way in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

The Armenian delegation is headed by Movses Hakobyan, Head of the Logistics Department of the Ministry of Defense.

The Brussels Airlines will start regular flights between the Belgian and Armenian capitals.

A corresponding application of the Belgian civil aviation was handed over to Armenian Ambassador Tatul Margaryan today.

The parties have agreed to launch the flights next year and increase their frequency, if necessary.

The cessation of hostilities in Syria that came into effect at sunset on Monday appears to be holding, reports suggest, the BBC reports.

The deal, brokered by Russia and the US has been described by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, as possibly the “last chance to save a united Syria”.

Residents in the embattled northern city of Aleppo say there is calm there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said it was “quiet” on nearly all fronts.

However, other reports spoke of sporadic attacks carried out by both government forces and rebels after the ceasefire had come into effect.

The Observatory said they included aerial bombardment of some villages in Hama province, and shelling near Damascus.

The Syrian army has said the truce will be applied throughout Syria for seven days, but that it reserves the right to respond decisively to any violation by armed groups.

A number of rebel factions have given a guarded welcome to the deal but expressed reservations about its implementation.

The delegation of the Armenian Defense Ministry participated in the Second International Military and Technical forum “Army-2016” held at Patriot Park near Moscow from September 6 to 11.

The Armenian booth was attended by the leadership of the CSTO, representatives of the Federal Service of the Russian Military-Technical Cooperation, officials from the Russian Defense Ministry and others.

The Armenian enterprises represented at the forum received proposals for cooperation from Russian and Belarussian companies.

The Armenian delegation received the Grand Prix of teh Army-2016 forum along with delegations from Belarusa nd Kazakhstan.

Asbarez – Leading member of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and member of the Turkish Parliament, will visit the Southern California Armenian community and participate in several events, which include an academic conference, a community dinner and a town hall meeting hosted by Asbarez.

Paylan represents the 3rd district of Istanbul and is active within the Armenian community there. He has been a strong advocate for minority rights, human rights and social justice in Turkey and will engage in discussions involving current events in Turkey and the region. Prior to his election to Parliament, Paylan served in the central committee of the HDP and also served on management boards of Armenian schools in Istanbul. He has long promoted bilingual education and minority rights in Turkey and has been actively engaged in raising awareness on issues of discrimination toward minorities, the rights of the Armenian community in Turkey, Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, Hrant Dink’s case, and justice for the Armenian Genocide. His family originates from Malatya, and he is currently one of three deputies in the Turkish Parliament who are of ethnic Armenian heritage.

On Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Paylan will be the featured speaker at an academic conference organized by Armenians & Progressive Politics and the All-ASA Armenian Students Association in partnership with the Woodbury ASA.

The conference, entitled “GEOPOLITICS AND MINORITIES: THE CASE OF TURKEY” will be held at the Fletcher Jones Auditorium on the campus of Woodbury University, located at 7500 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA. Guest panelists will include Khatchig Mouradian, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno; Asli Bali, Ph.D., Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA; and Edvin Minassian, Esq., Board Member and Past President of the Armenian Bar Association.

Saturday evening at 7 p.m., a Community Dinner with Garo Paylan will be hosted by the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles (UACLA) at Ferrahian High School, 5300 White Oak Avenue, Encino, CA

On Sunday morning, September 25, at 10 a.m., Garo Paylan will first attend Mass at St. Leon Cathedral, 3325 N. Glenoaks, Burbank, CA, and at 11:30 a.m., he will attend Mass at Holy Cross Cathedral, 900 W. Lincoln, Montebello, CA.

On Sunday afternoon, September 25, at 4:00 p.m., Garo Paylan will pay homage to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide by laying a wreath at the Monument in Bicknell Park, Montebello.

On Sunday evening, September 25 at 7:00 p.m., Asbarez Newpaper will host a Community Town Hall with Garo Paylan at the Krikor & Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center located at 211 W. Chestnut, Glendale, CA.

On September 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan received Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting, the sides discussed a range of issues related to the monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan conducted by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.