The situation at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagono Karabakh and Azerbaijan remained calm last night, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.
The rival used mostly artillery weapons of different calibers as it violated the agreement on ceasefire. Sniper rifles were also used in some directions.
The font divisions of the NKR Defense Army remained committed to the agreement on ceasefire and confidently continued with their military duty.
Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert
The Last Bell rang in all Artsakh schools today except those in war-affected Talish and Mataghis. Children from the two villages now attend schools in neighboring settlements.
The heroes of the April war, who are only a few years older than today’s graduates, were special guests in all schools.
The soldiers, who protect the border just several kilometers away, congratulated the parents, students and teachers for organizing the graduation ceremony, which symbolizes the return to peaceful life.
For the full report in Armenian click .
On May 24-25, Ambassador of Armenia to Sweden Artak Apitonian visited the Östergötland county of Sweden.
Ambassador met with the Governor of Östergötland Elizabeth Nilsson. During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the prospects of development of direct cooperation between the regions of Armenia and Sweden, as well as shared views on the agenda of Armenian-Swedish bilateral relations and their enhancement.
During the visit, Ambassador met with the heads of several machinery production, agricultural and other companies of the region, which presented the main areas of their operations. Ambassador introduced the investment climate in Armenia to the Swedish businessmen providing relevant information materials. The parties shared views on the prospects of cooperation with the Armenian counterparts.
Ambassador Apitonian also visited the Linköping University and met with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Folke Sjöberg. Ambassador expressed his gratitude for the continued cooperation of the Linköping University with several higher educational institutions of Armenia within the framework of the EU Erazmus+ and TEMPUS ARMENQA program of Implementation of National and Sectorial Qualifications Frameworks in Armenia. Ambassador suggested to further develop the cooperation between the universities with particular focus on advanced training of teachers, student exchange programs as well as arrangement of joint scientific conferences and exchanges.
During the visit Ambassador met also with the Director of Mjärdevi Science Park of Linköping Ms. Lena Miranda. The prospects of cooperation with the ICT sector of Armenia were discussed during the meeting.
An Ecuador delegation headed by First Vice-President of the National Assembly Rosana Alvarado visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
The guests visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Institute. Rosana Alvarado left a note in the Honorary Guest Book.
Photo: AP Photo/ Edlib News Network ENN
Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy said in his press briefing on Friday that weapons and ammunitions are continuously being delivered to the al-Nusra Front terrorists in Syria, allowing them to engage Syrian government forces and hindering the fight against Daesh in the country.
“The never-ending flow of large trucks from Turkey carrying weapons and ammunition crosses the Turkish-Syrian border. This constant feed of live forces and weapons allows terrorists from the Nusra Front to continue their provocative shelling and make advances on Syrian government forces, which diminishes [government military] activity against Islamic State terrorists in other areas,” Rudskoy said during a briefing.
“I want to see Armenians on both banks of Araks River,” says American singer Daniel Decker, who has been a citizen of the Republic of Armenia since 2015.
The singer is paying his 15th visit to Armenia. “I’m here to support the Armenian people at this hard moment following the April events,” the singer told reporters in Yerevan.
“Being an Armenian is a philosophy, a state of mind, not only blood,” said the singer, who has released a CD titled “Armenian By Choice.”
Daniel Decker and composer Ara Gevorgyan have launched a new project called “Araks.”
“I want to see Armenians on both banks of River Araks. Perhaps, this was the main reason for writing the song,” he said.
According to him, “Araks is not half-Armenians, it has always been a symbolic river for Armenia and the Armenian people.” The song is slated for release in October.
Armenia-related songs are included in Decker’s repertoire, but are not meant for the Armenian audience only. The Turkish pressures and persecutions are powerless against his resolve to tell the truth.
“I’m not interested in any pressures. What I’m interested in is the truth, and the truth is that there has been an Armenian genocide and Artsakh is an Armenian land,” Decker said.
To conclude with, he performed a song and dedicated it to Armenian soldiers.
Photo: Reuters
Barack Obama has become the first serving US president to visit Hiroshima since the World War Two nuclear attack, the BBC reports.
Mr Obama said the memory of 6 August 1945 must never fade, but did not apologise for the US attack – the world’s first and only nuclear bombing.
Mr Obama spoke to a number of survivors and in an address called on nations to pursue a world without nuclear weapons.
At least 140,000 people died in Hiroshima and another 74,000 two days later in a second bombing in Nagasaki.
Mr Obama first visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum before walking to the Peace Memorial Park, accompanied by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as Manchester United manager and has signed a three-year contract, the BBC reports.
He replaces Dutchman Louis van Van Gaal, who was dismissed on Monday, two days after the club’s FA Cup win.
“Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,” said United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
Mourinho, 53, said: “To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game. It is a club known and admired throughout the world.”
He said he had always “felt an affinity with Old Trafford” and claimed he has “always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans”.
He added: “I’m looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years.
“There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.”
Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked as boss of Premier League rivals Chelsea in December.
The elimination of consequences of the April war unleashed by Azerbaijan and the support to the affected families in Nagorno Karabakh will be the main strategy of this year’s fundraiser of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund, the Fund’s Executive Director Ara Vardanyan told reporters today.
He said the funds raised during this year’s telethon will be provided for that purpose if no other suggestions are made, he noted.
“The NKR government has started calculating the damages. I can’t mention the amount needed, but the assistance should be multilayered and benefit different spheres –from supply of medicines to reconstruction of houses and assistance to families of the fallen soldiers,” Ara Vardanyan said.
The Executive Director noted that the plans will be clarified within a month or two.
The 25th sitting of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s Board of Trustees was held in Yerevan today.
The meeting was chaired by President Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Board of Trustees. Participating in the sitting were Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly Galust Sahakyan, NKR President Bako Sahakyan, other high-ranking officials.
Addressing the meeting, NKR President Sahakyan Bako Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the entire Armenian nation, Mother Armenia and the Diaspora for rendering support to the Artsakh Republic during the harsh days of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan.
Bako Sahakyan emphasized that the Armenian nation has a unique ability to consolidate at fatal hours and solve national issues of paramount significance.
The President proposed to include the reconstruction of the settlements affected by the April war into the program of the “Telethon-2016.”
Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had a meeting with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks.
The Ombudsman presented the cruelties of the Azerbaijani armed forces against Nagorno Karabakh and underlined that those are a result of the state policy of hatred towards Armenians.
Aramn Tatoyan emphasized the importance of participation of Karabakh’s advocacy and democratic institutions in international discussions, and underlined that the protection of human rights is a priority irrespective of any circumstances.
The parties discussed issues related to joint programs towards implementation of European standards of human rights protection in Armenia.
Reference was made to the defense of children’s’ rights, fight against domestic violence, protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.