Category: News

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.

“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 25^th 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.

Massis Post – On May 24, 2016 a delegation of Armenian Council of America and Gaidz Youth Organization visited the German Consul General to hand deliver a letter from the Armenian American community, urging Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German Parliament to remain steadfast and recognize the Armenian Genocide. Similar letters will be delivered to German Missions throughout the Armenian Diaspora as well as to German government representatives and Parliamentarians.

Germany’s parliament is set to vote on a cross-party bill on June 2nd, recognizing the 1915-1923 Genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Turkey.

The following is the English translation of the open letter:

Honorable Chancellor Merkel,

In view of the approaching vote by the German Bundestag on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian people are hopeful that the national government and the coalition partners led by you will formulate a clear and unambiguous resolution in the Parliament, in which the crimes against the Armenian people ARE recognized as Genocide.

Regrettably, it was not until 2005 that the subject of the Armenian Genocide was first discussed in the German Parliament. The subsequent resolution in June 2005 was accepted by all factions but fell far short of the expectations of the Armenian people.

In contrast to the resolution adopted by the European Parliament in 1987, followed by resolutions of numerous national parliaments, the German Parliament refrained from clearly acknowledging these crimes as Genocide. A further ten years passed before the Armenian Genocide issue was once again raised in the German Parliament on April 24, 2015.

Last year, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, German President Joachim Gauck in his speech at the Berlin Cathedral declared the massacres as Genocide. The following day, on April 24, 2015, during the debate in the Parliament, representatives of all factions followed the President’s lead in acknowledging the massacres as Genocide, but unfortunately the parliament was unable to agree upon a closing resolution.

In 2005, the Parliament accepted partial responsibility for the elimination of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire. In view of the historical importance of this fact, the Armenian people find the current stance of the German government unacceptable and incomprehensible. This stance is unbecoming to a country where the commemorative culture has such a high value. The Armenian people expect that the German Government and all Parliamentary parties will finally show enough courage to officially recognize the events of 1915 for what they were: Genocide.

In 2005, France took a clear stand and officially recognized the events as Genocide despite tremendous pressures by the Turkish government. If Germany declines to recognize these crimes as Genocide, we can only view this decision as an act of appeasement toward Turkey, very much like the period between 1915 and 1918, when Germany did nothing to prevent or stop the slaughter of Armenians out of consideration to its Turkish allies. Former Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg wrote at the time “Our only goal is to KEEP Turkey as an ally until the end of the war, indifferent to whether the Armenians perish or not.”

Recently, the Chairman of the CDU/CSU Faction stated in a newspaper interview that his faction will put forward a motion in the Parliament on June 2nd, 2016 in which the crimes against the Armenian people will be recognized as Genocide. He has also stated that Germany will not bow to Turkish pressure. We are optimistic that the CDU/CSU faction will position its decision around this clear statement and urge you and your Government not to be influenced by the threats and blackmail attempts of the Turkish Government, and follow the example of other European institutions and Parliaments in recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan had a phone conversation with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzey Kasprzyk.

The interlocutors discussed the situation at the Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Defense Minister assured that the Armenian side is committed to the agreements reached between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna on May 16.

Minister Ohanyan noted that “The Armed Forces of Armenia and the NKR Defense Army unequivocally support the implementation of the 1994 agreement on ceasefire and 1995 agreement on reinforcement of ceasefire, expansion of the monitoring mission, implementation of the mechanism of investigation of border incidents.”