Category: News

 – The launch of the Nagorno-Karabakh Forum was held in Montevideo, Uruguay on Friday September 2 with a team of social activists, academics and lawmakers “whose task will enrich and promote the country’s position of support for a peaceful position in the conflict between the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan”.

The Forum is composed of Senators Ruben Martinez andRafael Michelini Huelmo, Deputies Pablo Abdala,Susana Pereyra and Daniel Radio, as well as the lawyer Oscar Lopez Goldaracena, historian Gerardo Caetano and former Vice Foreign Minister Belela Herrera. The latter two co-chair the group.

The members of the Forum signed of a manifesto which, among other things, confirms the work of the participants in favor of “a peaceful settlement of the question of Nagorno-Karabakh” and “defending the right of its population to develop a free and sovereign in their ancestral homeland, without threats or violence.”

The document also endorses “the mediation efforts by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe” and urges the international community to continue its efforts to “ensure respect for the agreements reached, put a stop on war rhetoric and discourage the parties to further deepen the wounds that the conflict has caused with new armed clashes.”

“We want them to know that in Uruguay, thousands of kilometers away from Karabakh, there are other people who are not indifferent,” said Deputy Radio after reading the manifesto. “What we are doing is an act of justice,” added Senator Michelini. Lopez Goldaracena, meanwhile, spoke from the perspective of law: “The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have already ‘self-determined’, because they chose their model of a free sovereign state.”

“We are launching an initiative that we hope will be replicated throughout the world,” said former Vice Foreign Minister Herrera. Caetano warned thatUruguay is “not for sale” and that while “Azerbaijan is powerful and knows how to buy wills” they firmly believe in the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Senator Ruben Martinez Huelmo said that the Forum is called to “overcome the threats,” while DeputySusana Pereyra stressed the commitment of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to democracy from her experience as an election observer in 2012. Deputy Abdalaremarked that the “path that starts today will sooner or later lead to the independence, freedom and self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh.”

The event was inaugurated by Viken Boyadjian, member of the Armenian National Committe of Uruguay, who thanked the members of the Forum and recalled the commitment that keeps Uruguay with the Armenian people, Mario Nalpatian, member of the International Armenian National Committe and vice president of the Socialist International, and Robert Avedisyan, Permanent Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the United States.

Avedisyan brought the message of President Bako Sahakyan, who thanked Uruguay for being a “leading democracy” and encouraged Forum members to remain “independent” in its decisions and attached to the values of human rights and justice, despite the “possible opposition from oppressive and oil-rich regimes and its allies.”

Photo: REUTERS/ Mohammad Ismail

Two explosions rocked the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday, killing at least 24 people and injuring 90. According to local media reports, the devices were detonated by suicide bombers, reports.

Police have confirmed that a police chief and a high-ranking Defense Ministry offials were among those killed in the blasts.

Initial reports earlier suggested that the bombing targeted Defense Ministry personnel.

According to the sourse, Taliban is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The second blast reportedly targeted first responders as they rushed to the scene. Afghan law enforcement officers confirmed at least 30 people have been injured in the attack.

The Defense Ministry is located in the centre of Kabul, right next to the Presidential Palace and not far away from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) HQ and the US Embassy.

– A dramatized recreation of one of the Soviet Union’s most devastating natural disasters — the Spitak earthquake in northern Armenia in December 1988 — has been chosen as Armenia’s submission for best foreign-language film Oscar consideration.

The $3 million disaster movie Earthquake (Zemletryasenie) was directed by Sarik Andreasyan and produced by Moscow-based Mars Media, headed by Ruben Dishdishyan, who founded Russia’s top independent production company Central Partnership in 1995 before stepping down five years ago.

Earthquake tells the story of the massive quake that destroyed more than 300 communities and killed 25,000 people. Focused around the story of two young men, Andrey Berezhnov and Robert Melkonyan, whose fates were already intertwined by an earlier tragedy — a car crash caused by Andrey that killed Robert’s parents — the film brings them together in the same rescue squad as they struggle to cope with a disaster that eclipses their own personal stories.

Shot in Armenia and in Moscow on specially built sets — to spare the people of Gyumri (formerly Leninakan) the distress of recreating earthquake damage in a city where memories after nearly 30 years remain raw — the film, long tipped as this year’s Oscar entry from Armenia, beat two other shortlisted films in a secret ballot of the National Film Academy of Armenia.

In comments posted on , Dishdishyan wrote: “This is amazing news! Thank you very much to the [National Film Academy members] for their trust! We will try to justify it. We’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s a start. Thank you to all the filmmakers and participants in the movie and especially the director, Sarik Andreasyan.”

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received today the delegation headed by his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The Prime Ministers of the two countries hailed the political and economic relations established between the two countries and referred to the perspectives of their development.

The face-to-face meeting was followed by negotiations featuring the delegations of the two countries.

Hovik Abrahamyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili discussed a wide range of issues related to the Armenian-Georgian cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, energy, transport, tourism, education, etc.

The parties attached importance to the development of energy cooperation both in bilateral and multilateral formats. They welcomed the meetings between Armenian, Georgian, Russian and Iranian energy officials in Yerevan in December 2015 and April 2016, which will allow to initiate and realize programs of regional importance. Reference was made to the construction of the Armenia-Georgia power line.

The parties exchanged views on the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism and education. They attached importance to the efforts towards reinforcement of stability and security in the region.

Hovik Abrahamyan said the Georgian PM’s visit could serve an additional impetus to the further deepening and development of relations.

Armenia began the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with an away loss against Denmark.

Christian Eriksen  netted the only goal in Copenhagen in the 17th minute, though the Tottenham midfielder failed to convert a penalty in the second half when Armenia ‘keeper Arsen Beglaryan saved his spot kick.

Armenia will next host Romania.

PHOTO: EPA/CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL

The meeting of Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama went off well and lasted longer than planned. The Syrian issue and Ukraine were discussed first and foremost, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters following talks on Monday, TASS reports.

“The meeting lasted longer than planned. (The two presidents) discussed, above all, Syria and Ukraine. After that Obama and Putin held a one-on-one meeting behind closed doors,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

He added that the meeting went off well. “The work will continue,” Peskov said.

The Associated Press quotes a senior Obama administration official as saying that “President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to keep up negotiations over a cease-fire agreement for Syria.”

The official says Obama and Putin met for 90 minutes on Monday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Hangzhou, China.

The official says Obama and Putin clarified the remaining gaps in the talks, which largely involve how the deal would be implemented.

The official says the two leaders directed their teams to meet again quickly, possible as soon as later this week.

On 5 September Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received philanthropist Arthur Varzhapetyan, NKR President’s Press Service reports.

Issues related to the realization of various programs in our republic were on the discussion agenda.

For the assistance shown to the Motherland in the realization of significant socioeconomic projects and in connection with the 25^th anniversary of the NKR proclamation Bako Sahakyan handed in the “Mesrop Mashtots” order to Arthur Varzhapetyan.

Thereafter President Sahakyan and Arthur Varzhapetyan partook in the Stepanakert’s Renaissance square at a solemn ceremony of handing over keys from the cars donated by the philanthropist to a number of NKR state structures.

President Serzh Sargsyan attended today the opening ceremony of the totally renovated P. Tchaikovsky Secondary Musical School. The President of Armenia accompanied by the Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghossian, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margarian, representatives of the Hayastan Fund and the School toured the premise, familiarized with the conditions, conversed with the teaching staff and schoolchildren after which at the newly renovated hall was present at the performance of the talented children – laureates of the Armenian and international competitions.

After the conclusion of the large-scale works carried out through the funding of the Hayastan Fund’s US East Coast local bodies, on the occasion of the opening statements were made by the Headmaster of the School Martun Kostandian, Executive Director of the Hayastan Fund Ara Vardanian and the Chairman of the Fund’s East Coast chapter Khoren Bandazian who noted with satisfaction that the renovation has elevated the School’s status to a new level and now there exists the opportunity to organize schooling of the gifted and talented children from the distant regions of Armenia, Artsakh, and abroad, to improve the learning process and achieve new results. Currently, there are over 600 children studying at the School who along with the high-level musical education acquire here also general education.

Photo: Reuters

 

At least 40 people have been killed in four bombings in government-held areas of Syria and one in a city dominated by Kurdish forces, state media report, the BBC reports.

The attacks took place between 08:00 and 09:00 (05:00-06:00 GMT) around Damascus, Homs, Tartous and Hassakeh. It was not clear if they were linked.

The deadliest incident was outside Tartous, on the Mediterranean coast.

Tartous, which hosts a Russian naval base, is a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect.

A news agency affiliated to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) said it was behind the Hassakeh attack, which allegedly targeted Kurdish militiamen.

 

 

 

Turkey’s military actions in the north of Iraq continue. Armenian experts say the actions will be long-term and the result is hard to predict.

“There is an impression that everyone is playing with everyone, and everyone is playing against everyone,” expert of Turkish studies Levon Hovsepyan told a press conference today.

The power centers have lit a green light before Turkey, but have imposed certain restrictions. Meanwhile, Turkey is violating the restrictions, which may force the green light work against Turkey itself.

Levon Hovsepyan is confident Turkey has certain agreements with the power centers, namely Russia and the United States. He rules out that Turkey could have launched military actions without those agreements.

According to him, the green light may become a headache for those who have lit it.

“Turkey has actually created the security zone in Syria, which the US stands against, and which Russia is not interested in. However, it’s in Russia’s interest that the relations between the US and Turkey will continue to aggravate in that context,” Hovsepyan said.

Expert of Arabic studies Sargis Grigoryan shares the opinion. “Turkey made its presence in Syria more substantial. Now Ankara is represented there with its own forces, which gives it wide opportunities,” he said.

Experts say it’s hard to predict the developments, as there are a number of factors that need to be taken into account. They say, however, that one thing is clear – Turkey has entered a game, which is hard to withdraw from. It won’t be easy for the power centers, either, especially with regard to restraining Turkey, since the latter’s military presence in Syria is already a fact, and Ankara will strive to further expand this.