Category: News

Photos by Public Radio of Armenia
Photos by Public Radio of Armenia

Statement by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia at the 126th Session of the Committee of the Ministers of the Council of Europe

Excellences,
Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to congratulate Bulgaria on its productive chairmanship at the Committee of Ministers and to thank Minister Mitov for the excellent ogranisation of this meeting.

I would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary General for presenting his third annual report on the “State of Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe”. We share Mr. Jagland’s view on the concept of “Democratic Security”, according to which the democracies are less likely to go to war. Obviously, authoritarian regimes do not face such a dilemma.

Such case was most recently witnessed in early April when Azerbaijan launched large-scale military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in many killed and wounded, along with gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The tense situation of early April and possibilities of addressing its consequances were discussed two days ago in Vienna in a meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan attended by the Secretary of State of the United States, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and State Secretary for European Affairs of France representing the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

In their joint statement the Co-Chair countries insisted on the importance of respecting the 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements. The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office. This could pave a way for resumption of the negotiations for the resolution of the conflict.

Up until now Azerbaijan has been continously hindering the implementation of such proposals of the Co-chair countries and even reached agrrements. We hope that this time Azerbaijan would not deceive the hopes of the Co-Chair countries and the expectations of the international community.

Dear colleagues,

It is the primary goal of Council of Europe to safeguard common values and individual rights at pan-European level. We share the belief of many in this room that rights of individuals guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights must not be dependent on the status of the territory where peoples live. In this regard, we appreciate recent initiatives to discuss the subject of ensuring human rights in conflict zones.

Today violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism are direct threats to our values. To succeed in the fight against these appalling phenomena we should start with the root causes. Fight against racism, xenophobia and intolerance are essential in this regard. Armenia has been vocal in condemning hate speech and xenophobia, especially the kind, used in a political discourse. Combating these phenomena has been a priority for Armenia during our Chairmanship at this Committee and it continues to remain as such.

2016 marks the 15th Anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the Council of Europe. These have been years of fruitful cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. In a few days we will officially launch the Council of Europe 2015-2018 Action Plan for Armenia, which will further promote reform process in our country.

In conclusion, I would also like to join the previous speakers in wishing every success to the incoming Chairmanship of Estonia.

            On 18 May Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received a delegation of the German Die Linke Party led by of Bundestag deputy Ulla Jelpke.

Issues related to establishing and deepening ties between political forces of Artsakh and Germany were discussed during the talks.

President Sahakyan highlighted this cooperation for Artsakh, noting its importance from the viewpoint of strengthening friendly relations with Germany.

The Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict settlement and regional processes were also touched upon during the meeting.

Connecting U.S. businesses to the Armenian market is a win-win proposition. Businesses are always looking for investment opportunities, and bringing more companies to Armenia diversifies and strengthens the nation’s economy.

To facilitate these new connections, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia, the Armenian Ministry of Economy, and Converse Bank, organized a one-day business conference focused on investment opportunities in Armenia for U.S. businesses. The event was held on May 18 in Yerevan.

“One of my priorities, as Ambassador, is to further developing our bi-lateral economic ties,” said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr., who opened the conference alongside Armenian Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan. “The Embassy and our colleagues at the Ministry of Economy are working to strengthen our joint commercial ties to the benefit of both our nations’ economies.”

“Reliable partners are critical for building durable and lasting business ties, for implementation of mutually beneficial projects and for making long-term investments. Events like this are a serious boost for further strengthening of economic cooperation, identifying new opportunities for businesses and opening up new markets,” said Minister Minasyan. “I am convinced that this new round for development of Armenian-American relations will encourage closer and more effective cooperation between Armenian and American business communities and facilitate establishment of mutually beneficial business ties and identifying new areas of partnership.”
Attending the conference were many Armenian business leaders as well as executives from a dozen U.S. firms, which are successful in the region and looking at investing in Armenia. The conference was an opportunity for U.S. businesses to hear from experts and financial institutions about the investment outlook in Armenia. Armenian governmental leaders shared the nation’s economic development priorities. The day was also an opportunity for Armenian businesses to discuss future partnerships and deals with their U.S. counterparts.

“We know Armenian businesspeople are great deal makers and are always looking for ways to bring new products and services to the Armenian market and to find new outlets for Armenian-made products and services,” Ambassador Mills said. “By connecting Armenian businesses with some great U.S. companies, we hope to see an even larger growth of our bilateral trade. This is what the Armenian people need — the resources and connections to develop their economy.”

A dozen U.S. corporations, representing the IT, engineering, energy, consumer goods sectors, manufacturing and chemical industry, sent representatives to Yerevan for the conference, allowing Armenian business leaders access to well-known U.S. companies eager to enter and expand in the Armenian market.
The one-day program featured presentations by the Ministry of Economy and other Armenian Government officials, the Central Bank of Armenia, Armenia’s stock exchange, EBRD, IMF and the Asian Development Bank.
The event was conducted as a follow up to the first meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Council on Trade and Investment held in Yerevan in November 2015. The council was established after the two countries signed the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in May 2015.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) launched a new assault at Deir Ezzor City on Monday that targeted the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) controlled west district near the 137th Artillery Brigade Headquarters,  reports.

ISIS began the offensive on Monday by seizing Majbal area of Deir Ezzor City after a violent battle with the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Artillery Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division. On Tuesday, ISIS continued their offensive by imposing full control over the Armenian Cemetery that is situated along the International Highway.

With the Armenian Cemetery under their control, ISIS once again cruised their way to the Panorama Checkpoint, capturing this site from the Syrian Armed Forces after a long battle on Tuesday.

The terrorist group is now targeting the Panorama Roundabout in western Deir Ezzor City for the second time in seven days; if captured, the Syrian Armed Forces will be in serious trouble at Al-Firat University.

Rescuers in Sri Lanka are searching for scores of people missing after massive landslides following days of rain, the BBC reports.

The Red Cross says more than 200 families are feared buried in the mudslides in three villages in central Kegalle district.

At least 13 bodies have been recovered so far. Another three bodies were found elsewhere in the district.

Disaster officials say about 150 people have been rescued but more than 60 houses have been buried by mud.

At least 32 people have been killed in flooding during three days of torrential rain in Sri Lanka, according to official figures.

Nearly 350,000 people have been displaced by the flooding.

 

 

 

A draft law condemning the genocide of Sinjar Yazidis has been submitted to the Armenian National Assembly. The Sinjar Yazidi National Union participated in the elaboration of the bill.

Boris Murazi, who heads the public organization, said today “the Yazidi people will benefit both if the bill passes and if it fails to pass.”

“The document is not vulnerable in any respect, because it refers to international resolutions and laws adopted by the UN, which Armenia has also joined,” he told reporters in Yerevan.

He said the genocide continues today, as people are denied entry to their homes.

“If Armenia recognizes this genocide, it will provide Yazidis with an opportunity to present themselves on the international arena with concrete documents, to say that the US and Armenia have recognized the genocide,” he said.

On Saturday 21 May, with the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin will participate in the national event: “Museum Night.”

The Mother Cathedral Museum, and the Ruben Sevak Museum, will be open and free to the public from 14:00 to 24:00.

An open-air concert dedicated to Charles Aznavour’s 92^nd birthday will take place at Charles Aznavour Square in Yerevan on Sunday, May 22.

The performers at the concert will include Levon Malkhasyan, Aramo, Tigran Hamasyan, the Art Cinema Ensemble, Sona Shiroyan and Hayk Petrosyan.

Aznavour’s best works will be performed at the concert.

has presented the Armenian and Azerbaijani views on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.  The European Friends of Armenia has presented the Armenian perspective. 

It is more than 20 years since the cease-fire agreement between Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Yet, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is still simmering in the South Caucasus, disrupting the lives of thousands of people.

This landlocked mountainous region is still subject to an unresolved dispute between its ethnic Armenian population and its former Soviet colonial master – Azerbaijan.

Historical cultural monuments thousands of years old trace the Armenian heritage of this region.

At the early years of the Soviet regime the region of Nagorno Karabakh was annexed to Azerbaijan as an autonomous region (oblast) upon Stalin’s arbitrary decision, disregarding the will of the people of Karabakh and its history.

Nagorno Karabakh initiated its secession from Azerbaijan through the adoption of Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1991.

This act took place in full conformity with all the norms and principles of international law and the Soviet constitutional framework of that time, that granted oblasts the right to follow that path in a legally binding manner.

On December 10, 1991 the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh held its own referendum: 82.2% of all voters participated and 99% voted for independence. Thus, Nagorno-Karabakh got its independence in the same vein as Azerbaijan and all other former Soviet Republics.

The people of Nagorno Karabakh want to live in peace and exercise their right to self-determination.

By virtue of that right they want to freely determine their political status and pursue their development. Azerbaijan opposes that independence and wants to turn back the clock of history. Nevertheless, the only viable option for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is to let its people live independently, in safety and dignity.

Nagorno Karabakh itself is one of the most secure and stable regions in Europe. Despite the ongoing conflict and dire living conditions imposed by Azerbaijan, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have succeeded in state-building and development: they established all the necessary elements of the State as required under the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, such as territory, population, government, and capacity to enter into legal relations.

The people of Nagorno Karabakh organise their political life through elections, democratic institutions, a well-established rule of law system and a vivid civil society.

Six parliamentary and five presidential elections have been conducted that were described by international observers as transparent, competitive, fair and in line with international standards.

Well-established and recognized international organizations such as Freedom House acknowledged that democratic governance in Nagorno-Karabakh has been much better established than in Azerbaijan, which suffers and exports high levels of corruption due to its ruling elite.

20 years of negotiations held by the leaderships of Armenia and Azerbaijan with mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the U.S., France and Russia, demonstrated that the irreconcilable positions of the parties and that no amount of additional talks would overcome the impasse.

Thus, independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic should be recognized in order to provide strong guarantees for the security of its people.

They fully deserved such recognition. Azerbaijan itself should participate in that process, but constructively and not just to block it. The democratic Nagorno Karabakh Republic deserved it much more than a fully-fledged UN,OSCE and Council of Europe member Azerbaijan that routinely violates all norms and principles of those organizations.

Indeed, to make such a decision on Karabakh would be difficult and hard first and foremost for the Azerbaijani elite.

However, it will not be harder for Azerbaijan than it was, to name just a one instance of secession, for such a staunch French patriot as President de Gaulle, who recognized the independence of Algeria.