Russian Federal Security Service border guards in Armenia apprehended 2 trespassers on the Armenian-Turkish border, the Russian Federal Security Service Border Guard department reported.
The trespassers were citizens of Pakistan who illegally crossed the Armenian-Turkish border.
The trespassers have been handed over to the Armenian law enforcement agencies aimed at clarifying the details of the incident.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hold a joint press conference in Yerevan on Friday
YEREVAN—German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is on an official visit to Armenia, pledged her country’s support for a peace resolution to the Karabakh conflict and hailed Armenia’s relations with Germany and European Union.
Merkel arrived in Armenia on Friday and was met at Zvartnots International Airport by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Armen Sarkissian and other government officials. From the airport, Merkel, joined by Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, visited the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, where she laid a wreath in memory of the victims of the Genocide and after signing the memory book, planted a tree in the memorial garden.
Before holding talks separately with Pashinyan and Sarkissian, Merkel visited the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies. After the official meeting, Merkel was joined by the president, prime minister, his wife, Anna Hakopyan for a stroll on Yerevan’s Northern Avenue.
But it was Merkel’s high praise for German, EU, Armenia relations, as well as Armenia’s balancing act between Russia and the West that was the highlight of the bi-lateral talks. This, coupled with Merkel’s pledge to ensure a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh by leveraging Germany’s membership in the OSCE Minsk Group the created optimism.
Merkel said Armenia can become an example of how a country can cooperate with Russia, while at the same time, advance and develop relations with the European Union.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel lays flowers at the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial
“Armenia can be an example of how it’s possible to cooperate with Russia and, at the same time, have good relations with the European Union,” said Merkel during a joint press conference with Pashinyan after the two leaders concluded their meeting.
Commenting about Armenia’s membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, Merkel said that Armenia could become bridge for beneficial economic relations between the EEU and the EU.
Pashinyan emphasized the importance if the EEU for Armenia, but also said that during the discussion with the German leader they explored possibilities of trade utilizing the EU’s preferential trade system, known as theGSP+, to advances relations between the EEU and the EU.
Pashinyan called his talks with Merkel “very productive” and said that the position of the sides on many issues were similar, which indicates that the potential to develop and expand Germany-Armenia relations was high.
“We hope that the level of our cooperation will significantly change. We discussed and reached an agreement that after this visit we will develop a joint agenda for different spheres and will work toward their implementation,” said Pashinyan at the press conference.
Merkel also praised the Compressive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU and pledged her country’s active involvement in realizing the provisions of the agreement, which was signed last fall and has been viewed as a new opportunity for Armenia to expand economic and civic relations with the West.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian
The two leaders also touched on domestic issues with Merkel pointing out that her government and the German people closely followed the events of last spring, which culminated in the Velvet Revolution. She said she was encouraged by the steps the Armenian government was taking with its anti-corruption effort.
Reportedly, during their closed-door meeting, Pashinyan, once again, urged the EU to reward Armenia’s efforts on reform and fighting corruption by increasing financial support. While Merkel praised Armenia’s willingness to tackle those issues, she did not publicly pledge increased financial assistance to Armenia.
Merkel also reported that the two leaders discussed a visa-free regime between the EU and Armenia, but cited the large number of Armenians seeking asylum in Germany as an obstacle for advancing that issue, which has been on the EU-Armenia agenda for more than a decade.
Pashinyan was quick to point out during the press conference that the changes in Armenia were setting the ground for repatriation by Armenian, announcing that since the Velvet Revolution the number of Armenians arriving in Armenia was far greater than those leaving the country.
Merkel, who is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan Saturday, said that she planned to discuss with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, effort to reach a peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict. She also added that she plans to also address Baku’s decision to refuse an entry visa to a member of her delegation, German Parliament member, Albert Weiler, who has been blacklisted by Azerbaijan because of his travels to Artsakh.
Meeting with President Sarkissian
Merkel and Sarkisian held a meeting at the Presidential Palace and discussed ways to advance and improve relations between the two countries.
“I want to note with satisfaction that the Armenian-German relations are based on mutual understanding and deep trust. Germany is a very important partner for Armenia, but there is much room for expanding our cooperation in different spheres. And of course, I want to express my satisfaction for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Germany and also for the political support that we feel in our cooperation with the EU, since the Armenian-EU relations are very important for us,” said President Sarkissian.
A toast during the state dinner in honor of German Chancellor Angela Merkel
“Last year our countries marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and today we can summarize our relations as positive. I agree with you that we have unutilized potential in our relations and it should be used not only in political or economic spheres, but also in research and technological spheres. We wish to make our contribution to the reforms declared by Armenia and we attentively followed the changes and processes that took place in your country in spring. We are ready to cooperate in this difficult but important moment,” Merkel told Sarkissian.
On Friday evening, Pashinyan hosted a state dinner in honor of Merkel.
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) – Deputy Minister of Energy for electricity and energy affairs Homayoun Haeri met with Armenian Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Arthur Gregorian on Friday, during his two-day visit to Yerevan.
During the meeting, where Iran's Ambassador to Yerevan Kazem Sajjadi was also in attendance, Haeri said “taking timely measures for setting up the third power transmission line from Iran to Armenia is one of the most important parts of Iran-Armenia bilateral and multilateral cooperation.”
Pointing to the importance of economic transactions between the two countries, he stressed the need for the acceleration and finalization of the project.
Construction of the third high-voltage power transmission line from Iran to Armenia is an important part of energy cooperation between Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia, Haeri said, calling for further efforts by Sanir Co. and the Armenian power company to accelerate the process.
Gregorian, for his part, also referred to the fresh programs by the Armenian government to promote the interactions with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and said Yerevan is willing to implement agreements between the two countries to resolve and finalize the third power transmission line between the two countries.
He highly regarded Armenia’s ties with the Islamic Republic, expressing his government's willingness to implement the agreements.
By Naila Huseynli
The Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Russia discussed common approaches to the peaceful resolution of several conflicts, including the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this at a press conference on the results of the meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara.
“We have reviewed the situation on the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa region, the Balkan Peninsula, Ukraine, and Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Lavrov.
It is noteworthy that Turkey has always supported the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of the country's internationally recognized borders. Turkey and Armenia severed diplomatic relations in 1993 due to occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, Russia, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, is making much efforts aimed at the early settlement of the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry has many times noted that assistance in the settlement of the conflict is one of the country's priorities.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The Warrior of the Commonwealth international tournament, which was held in Armenia for the first time within the frameworks of the 4th International Army Games, has been completed, reports Armenpress.
The closing ceremony of the tournament was held in Dilijan’s Monte Melkonyan Military-Sports College on August 3.
“It’s a great pleasure that holding this competition for the first time in Armenia not only expanded the program’s geography, but also Armenia became an acceptable place for holding similar events”, the minister said.
Russian deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin said the Warrior of the Commonwealth is one of the most important tournaments being held within the frames of the International Army Games.
“This is a unique performance of combat readiness since any country wants to demonstrate its high military skills in the competition and improve them”, he said.
Kazakhstan’s armed forces were declared the winner of the competition, the 2nd place was captured by the Belarus team and the 3rd place by the Armenian Armed Forces’ team.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
“I think that our frequent meetings are useful, taking into consideration current situation in Armenia and the specifics of our relations. This gives us the opportunity to discuss all nuances of our relations, ongoing and possible issues, as well as those that do not exist but are still widely circulated.
I have already said on many occasions that the strategy and main idea of our relations are clear, so we do not have much to discuss in that context. However, these meeting are useful for discussing further development of our relations. In my view, both Moscow and Yerevan are honestly interested in this. I am glad that we have registered many opportunities to discuss all issues over the past 2,5 months. It is evident for me that our relations are developing in a very efficient way and I have no doubt that this tendency will not only continue, but will make our interaction even more efficient,” Nikol Pashinyan concluded.
Armenian Youth Camp Site
BY SEVANA PANOSIAN
Redwoods, Friends, Kebab, Shoorj Bar, Campfire Stories and Armenian Songs…
Preparations are underway for the inauguration of Armenian Youth Camp (AYC), a sleep away summer camp in Northern California for the Armenian youth.
The Armenian Diaspora is alive and well.
While the demand for our future generations to enroll in fun, educational and interactive camps is at an all-time high, space is limited and kids are missing out on the special summer camp experience aimed for Armenians in the Diaspora.
In the spirit that Armenians will move mountains to preserve our culture and nurture our youth, the San Francisco ARF Krisdapor Chapter in conjunction with the AYF Rosdom Chapter have teamed to create more space and expand footprint with the launch of AYC- the North to AYF’s South.
This week-long camp, for children 8 – 17 years of age, kicks off on Sunday, August 5 at Camp Sylvester in Pinecrest, CA.
AYC will be led by the legendary and beloved AYF Camp Director, Moushig Andonian.
To prepare for opening day, Moushig quickly formed an executive committee. Rallying with enthusiasm, more than thirty all-star and experienced AYF Camp counselors joined the team (most of which became CPR certified and AYC trained). Two licensed Emergency Medical Technicians came on board, as did gourmet cooks that are well versed on Armenian and American cuisine.
A “fun fact” is that half of these experienced cooks wanted to kick off AYC’s kitchen crew to honor the memory of the late Deegeen Araxi Soghomonian, one of the volunteers that spent decades preparing meals at AYF Camp and Camp Kessab.
When the website went live, enrollment exceeded expectations. The need for such a camp became obvious when registration boomed to nearly 140 registered campers within weeks.
While the committee prepares for August 5’ths opening day, campers can expect to be grouped into three teams (Red, Blue, and Orange). They will play games like wacky Olympics, obstacle course and quiz bowl. They will participate in fun activities including creative art, festive song and dance, athletics and traditional camp activities like steal the bacon. Most importantly, children will have the opportunity to create lifelong friendships and bond with fellow Armenians.
Our children may not know each other (yet), but “When two Armenians meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia”. – William Saroyan
To share the community efforts of launching this new camp for future generations, please consider sponsoring a cabin, funding a camper’s tuition or pitching in with other supplies. More info can be found by visiting: www.ArmenianYouthCamp.org and by following Armenian Youth Camp on Instagram and Facebook.
Happy Camping!
The status of the border troops in Armenia will be revised. This sensational confession was made by new Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan, who headed the country's military department in May this year, after the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan and the change of the country's top leadership.
Without specifying what amendments are needed to the Treaty on the Status of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation in Armenia, signed in January 1992, Minister Tonoyan explained that "a speedy implementation of certain changes" may be due to a recent incident involving Russian servicemen in the Armenian village of Panik, Shirak region.
It should be reminded that last Tuesday the Russian military carrying out exercises with the 102nd military base deployed in the republic passed through the streets of Panik village and fired blank cartridges there, which caused discontent among the local population.
"I consider that the incident is a provocation in relation to the Armenian-Russian relations, as well as a provocation against the sovereignty of Armenia." The perpetrators should be punished," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said commenting the incident in the Panik village.
In his turn, the commander of the 102nd Russian military base, Colonel Vladimir Yelkanov, who after the incident held a closed meeting with Defense Minister David Tonoyan, outlined his version of the events as follows: "The units of the 102nd Russian military base carried out planned measures for combat training, the details of which according to the annual plan are agreed with the Ministry of Defense. The roads, the movement of equipment – everything is planned and agreed on. This exercise was carried out by the intelligence divisions, but since they are reconnaissance officers, they will under no circumstances name the place of their exercises, so the conversation was tense. The place was chosen incorrectly".
The statement of Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan regarding the revision of the status of the Russian border troops in Armenia became the most harsh statement against the Russian military in the republic.
[Translated from Russian]
YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the Parliament Ara Babloyan on July 17 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Egypt to Armenia Tareq Maaty on the occasion of completion of his diplomatic mission, the Parliament told Armenpress.
Speaker Babloyan thanked the Ambassador for the efforts aimed at developing the Armenian-Egyptian relations and wished success in his future activities.
Ara Babloyan highlighted the historical traditions of friendship between the two peoples and attached importance to the development of productive cooperation in different sectors.
Speaker Babloyan expressed his gratitude to Egypt’s House of Representatives for the ongoing works aimed at recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.
Coming to the regional issues, the Parliament Speaker highly appreciated Egypt’s balanced position on issues vital for Armenia.
Ara Babloyan also talked about the recent events in Armenia during the meeting. He expressed hope that the bilateral friendly ties will continue.
In his turn the Egyptian Ambassador thanked for the warm words and stated that he leaves Armenia with warm memories and will always remain Armenia’s friend. He expressed confidence that the centuries-old bilateral ties will continue further developing and strengthening.
The Ambassador said the Armenian-Egyptian relations have further intensified thanks to the Armenian community which plays a key role for country’s development.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan