Stability in Turkey is important for the region, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared.
“We keep following the developments taking place in Turkey,” MFA Spokesman Tigran Balayan wrote on Facebook.
“Stability and order in the neighboring country based on democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms is important for the whole region,” Tigran Balayan said.
President Serzh Sargsyan has arrived in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh for a working visit. President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan today met with Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan.
A range of issues related to the cooperation between the two Armenian states and its expansion were discussed during the meeting.
The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire 23 times at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night, NKR Defense Ministry reports.
The rival fired more than 170 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions, including from sniper rifles.
The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army refrained from response actions and continued the reliable protection of the military positions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has flown in to Istanbul, after an army group said it took over the country, the BBC reports.
He was seen surrounded by cheering supporters, saying in a live TV speech that the coup attempt was an “act of treason” and the army must be cleansed.
Sixty people died during overnight clashes, many of them civilians, and 754 soldiers were arrested, officials said.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the situation was largely under control.
He has ordered the military to shoot down aircraft being used by coup plotters.
Earlier, one of the helicopters being flown by forces involved in the coup attempt was shot down over the capital Ankara.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the military chief of staff, Gen Hulusi Akar, are still unknown. He is reported to have been taken hostage by rebel soldiers.
Gen Umit Dundar, commander of the 1st Army, has been appointed acting chief of staff.
Sporadic gunfire is still reported in major cities.
Armenia has condemned the attack in Nice.
“We condemn the Nice lorry attack. We express our condolences to the relatives of the victims,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry is currently checking whether there are Armenians among the victim of the attack. There is no confirmed data so far.
President Francois Hollande says 50 people injured in the Bastille day attack in Nice are now “between life and death” – in addition to the 84 known to have died.
French President Francois Hollande has described the attack as “despicable”.
He said Nice was one of the most beautiful cities in the world and that the attack had taken place on the day of celebration of liberty.
He said 84 people had died and another 50 injured, who he described as being “between life and death”.
He said the victims were French as well as foreigners and that there were a number of children among the dead.
Local reports have named the attacker as 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel.
Mohamed Bouhlal belongs to a family who resides in Msakin near the city of Sousse, a Tunisian security source told BBC Arabic, on condition of anonymity.
Bouhlal’s parents are divorced and they live in France.
Mohamed used to frequently visit Tunisia, the source added, saying the last time was eight months ago, before he went back to France.
The 31-year-old, said to have been married with three children, was not known by the Tunisian authorities to have been involved in any terrorism activities on Tunisian soil.
However, he was known by to the authorities in connection with drugs and alcohol-related offences.
Earlier, the Tunisian government issued a statement condemning the attack “in the strongest possible terms”.
“Tunisia stands by France in its fight against terrorism and supports any measure taken by the French government to protect its territory and the security of its citizens and visitors,” the statement said.
The action plan for beginning the visa liberalization with Armenia will be on the agenda of the next Eastern Partnership summit in 2017, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Switalski said at the “Civil Society Perspectives on EU-Armenia Relations” conference in Yerevan.
“There is an increasing interest in Armenia concerning the future of relations with the European Union, and we are now going into a very busy period in our relations. The negotiations on a framework agreement are under way. We will soon start discussing the partnership priorities between Armenia and EU within the framework of the Neighborhood Policy,” the Ambassador said, addressing the conference.
Outlining the EU priorities in Armenia, the Ambassador said they want to contribute to the economic stability of the country and enhance good governance. The third priority is connectivity, he said.
“We want Armenia to be better connected to Europe in terms of infrastructure, roads, electricity connections, but also in terms of people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges, intellectual connectivity,” he added.
“Another priority is the security cooperation. The EU wants to help its neighbors to deal with security challenges. Of course in Armenia, the security component has a very concrete connotation, because the country faces very material military threats. But from the European perspective, we speak about a very broad range of security issues –ranging from cyber security to terrorism,” Amb. Switalski noted. Another priority is the outreach to civil society and issues relating to human rights.
Speaking about the reasons why the European Union has been trying to develop a political agenda and build bridges with Armenia, Ambassador Switalski said: “We want to show that it is possible to be a loyal member of another integration project and live with European standards and have good relations with the European Union, that there is no contradiction between membership in another integration project and European values.”
The Ambassador said they now have a common understanding with Armenia on issues such as fight against corruption, economic governance, etc. and the conclusion of the framework agreement will open a new chapter in the relations.
“It is the Armenian party determining the ambition in our relations. On countries like Armenia we are not trying to pursue anything, to impose egoistic agenda on the part of the European Union,” Piotr Switalski stressed.
The Ambassador said in the Eastern Partnership there are two groups of countries – association countries and non-association countries. The first group includes Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, while Armenia is put together with Azerbaijan and Belarus. He added however, that the offer presented by the European Union is still non-discrimination. “Even without the association agreement the countries can enjoy a lot from the European Union,” he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan has offered condolences to French Prime Minister Manuel Valls over the deadly attack in Nice.
“I was deeply shocked to learn of the appalling terrorist attack late yesterday in Nice. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia and on my own behalf, I offer sincere condolences to you, your government and the French nation over this barbaric action, which claimed several dozens of lives.
At this difficult for France time, we share in your grief and express our support and sympathy to the friendly people of France and especially to the families of the victims’ and the injured.
Strongly condemning transnational and trans-boundary terrorism in all its forms of manifestation, I wish peace to the friendly people of France, as well as fortitude and patience to overcome the consequences of this tragedy.”
Photo: AP
The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refutes the reports on the death of a second Armenian citizen in Nice.
At least 84 people have been killed after a lorry ploughed into a crowd attending Bastille Day celebrations in the French city of Nice on Thursday night, in what is being investigated as a terror attack.
The driver ploughed on for 2km on the Promenade des Anglais after fireworks, before being shot dead by police.
One Armenian woman has been confirmed dead.