Category: News

A USD 1.5 million scanner will be installed at the Sadakhlo Border Crossing to promote secure and easy traffic between Georgia and Armenia, Georgia Today reports.

The scanner will inspect cargo and ensure the authenticity of manifests, tariff collection and identification of illegal goods.

The European Union and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) donated the equipment as part of a wider EU-supported initiative to introduce Integrated Border Management in the South Caucasus.

The project, supported by the EU delegation in Georgia and UNDP, helped the governments of the two countries tackle smuggling and trafficking issues, ease people’s movement at the border crossing point, equip and train border guards and promote professional cooperation between the border management agencies of Georgia and Armenia.

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued the following statement in the run up to the meetings led by the Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chair countries with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding Nagorno Karabakh.

“Everything we have seen in the forty-five days since Azerbaijan launched its April 2nd offensive confirms that Ilham Aliyev is hell-bent on conquest, that he’ll only leverage concessions by Nagorno Karabakh to intensify his attacks, and that the OSCE, the international community, and – sadly – our own U.S. government are all unable or unwilling to confront ongoing Azerbaijani ceasefire violations that continue to claim lives on all sides. Given Azerbaijan’s track record of escalating violence, we remain profoundly opposed to one-sided deals that require Nagorno Karabakh to make up-front, strategic, and irrevocable security concessions in return for deferred, vague, and reversible Azerbaijani promises regarding Artsakh’s future status.”

“We remain supportive of the OSCE platform and hopeful for progress in today’s talks and the timely implementation of concrete confidence building measures – including the placement of a ceasefire monitoring systems at the line of contact and an agreement on the non-deployment of snipers, heavy arms and new weaponry.”

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and US Secretary of State John Kery are holding a meeting in Vienna, President’s Spokesman Vladimir Hakobyan informed in a Twitter post.

 

 

 

The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in Vienna, but the meeting will produce no results, Head of the Modus Vivendi Center Ara Papyan told reporters today.

Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan also believes that speaking about resumption of the negotiation process is senseless.

“We see that at this moment the parties are moving in completely different directions both on the military and political fields, which actually is leading to a new collision,” the analyst said.

“Unfortunately, the resumption of war is the most likely scenario today, because, having failed in its April attack against Karabakh, Azerbaijan was actually deprived of several important political platforms it was using in the negotiations. Today Azerbaijan has more serious reasons to start war than it had on April 1, because it has lost important factors it was using against Armenians,” he said.

According to Ara Papyan, Azerbaijan is not solving a Karabakh issue now. Rather, he said, it’s trying to destroy Armenia. He believes that there is only one way for depriving Azerbaijan of the opportunity to wage war – to move forward and reach Yevlakh.

“Azerbaijan must not be able to export oil and gas. In this case it will not have money, if it has no money, it won’t be able to fight. This is the only way out, all others are temporary solutions,” Papyan said.

“Give Karabakh to Azerbaijan, it will claim Zangezur the next day,” he added.

According to Ara Papyan, today it’s necessary to work with the indigenous peoples in Azerbaijan. “They are aware of what Azerbaijan represents and the Azerbaijani authorities are contributing to this by their discriminative policy against the indigenous peoples.”

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts (CCA) announces the opening of the relief Sasuntsi Davit by sculptor Artashes Hovsepyan, which is an integral part of the architectural heritage of the Cascade complex.

In the 1980s, when the Cascade was being constructed, architect Jim Torosyan (1926-2014) invited the sculptor Artashes Hovsepyan to design one of the galleries in the future complex and the artist worked for four years in the hall which is now called Sasuntsi Davit Gallery. The multi-figure composition, depicting more than thirty episodes from the Armenian epos, is the sculptural version of the famous graphic work (Sasuntsi Davit, 1922) by renowned Armenian artist Hakob Kojoyan (1883-1959). Following the destructive earthquake of 1988 and the collapse of the Soviet Union, this tufa relief remains unfinished, yet it conveys in stone a monumental resonance inherent in Kojoyan’s original work as interpreted by the sculptor Hovsepyan.

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts, in keeping with its mission, works not only to present the best of Armenian and international fine art, but also to preserve and celebrate the artistic and architectural heritage of the Cascade complex.

“By presenting the Sasuntsi Davit relief the Center celebrates a major work in the extraordinary career of Artashes Hovsepyan while noting the 85^th birthday anniversary of the maestro. This important work, related to Armenia’s story as a nation, will remain available for public viewing without an admission charge. This year of 2016 is marked by the 25^th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia and the character of Sasuntsi Davit has always been and remains a source of inspiration and strength for the Armenian people. In this context the presentation of the Sasuntsi Davit relief reminds us of Armenia’s endurance as a civilization,” stated Vahagn Marabyan, the Acting Executive Director of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

The private preview of the relief Sasuntsi Davit will take place on May 18. The public opening of the relief will take place on May 21, 2016 as part of the Museum Night annual event.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with  Federica Mogheini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to regional developments and the existing challenges. In this context reference was made to the situation established as a result of the recent escalation in the Karabakh conflict zone and the ways out of the situation.

Presenting the stance of the Armenian side on the resumption of the negotiation process, President Sargsyan stressed the need of unconditional implementation of the 1994 agreement on ceasefire and the 1995 agreement on reinforcement of the ceasefire as a first step towards creating favorable conditions for the settlement of the issue.

Federica Mogheini reiterated the EU support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and voiced willingness to provide assistance in the implementation of confidence-building measures in the conflict zone. In this respect the Armenian side attached importance to the visit of EU representatives to regions that suffered as a result of the conflict.

The parties voiced hope that the meetings being held in Vienna today at the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries would help overcome the current situation and establish stability and peace in the region.

During the meeting reference was made to Armenia-EU relations, including cooperation in different spheres.

The meeting of Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and Federica Mogheini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission, has started in Vienna, President’s Spokemsman Vladimi Hakobyan informs.

The Presidents of Armenia and Azebaijan are in Vienna to participate in meetings initiated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Russian Foeign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kery have also joined the talks.

Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan has signed a decree on the 2016 summer draft and demobilization, NKR President’s Press Office reports.

 

 

 

The Armenian National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations withheld support to the bill on Recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic co-authored by MPs Zarruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan.

After being considered at the parliamentary panel, the bill was discussed at the National Assembly, but will not be put on the agenda of the plenary session.

The Republican Party, Prosperous Armenia and Orinats Yerkir factions did not participate in the voting, declaring that despite their support for the initiative, they consider it inexpedient at this point.

“The Ngaorno Karabakh Republic is a full-fledged state and this is a fact,” Head of the Foreign Relations Committee Artak Zakaryan said. He added, however, that “unilateral steps that would put all of us in an awkward situation” are not necessary now.

Head of Prosperous Armenia faction Naira Zohrabyan said “the issue is a delicate and sensitive one and is of great value.” “We all stand for recognition, but we should be guided by the principle ‘don’t harm’,” she added.

“Although the Armenian Revolutionary Federation has always voted for similar bills, it considers that the step should be a unanimous one,” Head of ARF faction Armen Rustamyan said. According to him, it’s up to negotiators to say when it’s the right time to recognize the Ngaorno Karabakh Republic.

The MPs advised the co-authors to postpone the vote, but the offer was turned down. With 12 votes in favor, no cons and abstentions, the bill was not put on the agenda of the session.

“The fierce fighting at the contact line six weeks ago  shows that the status quo is untenable in the long run,” German Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier said ahead of the meetings of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs with the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna.

“The longer the conflict continues and the more the parties upgrade their weapons, the greater the risk of a new escalation, even a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the German FM said.

“The OSCE plays an important role in conflict resolution. France, Russia and the US have been trying for years as co-chair of the Minsk Group to consolidate the ceasefire and the resumption of the political process. Germany supports the OSCE Chairmanship with great emphasis. We are committed to ensuring that the parties move forward on the path towards sustainable conflict resolution,”reads a statement from the German Foreign Ministry.

“In our view, the aim must be that the ceasefire is respected at the contact line and strengthened, confidence-building measures are agreed so that the negotiations can resume,” he added.

“That will take time, overnight there will be no solution. This does not mean, however, that we should leave attempts to search for a solution to the conflict,” the German FM concluded.