Author: David Nargizian

The meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Russia Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin has started at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Spokesman for the Armenian President Vladimir Hakobyan informs in a Twitter post.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talks with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, are not going to be smooth, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier today.

“Naturally, the talks will be difficult. The key task now is to secure that combat operations are not resumed, not to let the progress reached by the moment of violence outbreak around Nagorno-Karabakh be lost,” he told journalists. “So, the working day promises to be very busy and hard.”

Separate talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents will be followed by a trilateral meeting and a working lunch.

 

 

 

The adoption of an Armenian Genocide resolution by the German Bundestag should be followed by a bill criminalizing its denial, Armen Marukyan, Head of the Department for the History of the Armenian Cause and Armenian Genocide of the National Academy of Sciences, told reporters today.

“If Germany accepts there was genocide, it will be very logical to criminalize the denial of that genocide,” Marukyan noted. He said the bill is especially important for Germany, which is home to about 3-3.5 million Turks, who keep denying the Armenian Genocide.

Armen Marukyan offers to translate the text of a similar bill submitted to the French National Assembly and address an official letter to the Bundestag leadership.

“Germans have to adopt this law if there are truly guided by democratic values. They may even reject the bill, but we have to try,” he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved a bill late June 7 that will lift lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution, paving the way to have the immunities of a score of lawmakers lifted, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The related constitutional amendment was published in the Official Gazette on June 8, opening the way for the trial 152 legislators, amounting to 27.6 percent of the total number of seats.

A total of 799 cases have been opened against lawmakers, including the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and deputies from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

There are no summaries of proceedings against only four deputies out of 59 deputies in parliament elected under the HDP ticket, while there are summaries of proceedings against the leaders of all three opposition parties holding seats in the national assembly.

The HDP has, meanwhile, announced they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to stop the proceedings upon Erdoğan’s approval of the law.

Critics of the bill suggest it is aimed at evicting members of the HDP, which is focused on the Kurdish issue.

Armenia duly fulfills its obligations undertaken under the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, State Committee under the RA Government on Nuclear Safety Regulation (ANRA) said in a statement.

According to the committee, inspectors have conducted about 200 inspections: no any non-compliance or deviation from the requirements of international treaties has been recorded.

The full text of the statement is provided below:

In 1991, the Republic of Armenia (RA) joined the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and then ratified the Agreement between the Republic Armenia and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in connection with the NPT and the Protocol Additional to the Safeguards Agreement.

In accordance with the Law of the RA on Safe Utilization of Atomic Energy  for Peaceful Purposes, the RA established the state system on accounting for and control of nuclear materials. The RA Government adopted relevant legal acts to ensure fulfillment of its obligations undertaken under the international treaties.

The RA performs continuous accounting for and control of nuclear materials that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.

In accordance with the NPT and the IAEA Safeguards Agreement, the state accounting for and control of nuclear materials is implemented at three levels:

1. The facility level: the accounting for and control of nuclear materials is implemented by the facility personnel.
2. The state level: the accounting for and control of nuclear materials is implemented by the state authority empowered by the legislation, i.e. the state committee under the RA Government on nuclear safety regulation.
3. The international level: the accounting for and control of nuclear materials is implemented by the IAEA inspectors.

In accordance with the mentioned agreements and the procedures established by the laws, the IAEA inspectors regularly conduct on-site inspections to verify the presence of the nuclear material accounted and reported. In its turn the RA submits relevant reports and declarations to the IAEA.

In accordance with the safeguards procedures, video cameras have been installed by the IAEA inspectors to continuously control the movement of nuclear material.

Nodes, installations, safe boxes housing nuclear materials are sealed by special IAEA seals any damage of which is recorded directly through the satellite by the IAEA special unit.

The IAEA inspectors have conducted about 200 inspections: no any non-compliance or deviation from the requirements of international treaties has been recorded.

The RA has participated in four Nuclear Security Summits held at the initiative of the US President. In this context a number of measures have implemented aimed at strengthening the safety of nuclear installations, nuclear and radioactive materials, enhancing their physical protection level as well as preventing the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials.

The RA duly fulfills its obligations undertaken under the international treaties.

Photo: Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy

 

Russian helicopter pilots began working out nighttime flights in mountainous terrain in Armenia aboard Mi-24P attack helicopters and Mi-8MT military transport helicopters, the Southern Military District (SMD) said in a statement Friday, Sputnik News reports.

Instructors at the district’s Erebuni air base would focus on imparting the knowledge of instrumental control on young pilots, according to the district press service.

“During the training, pilots will practice flying at night at altitudes of 1,500 meters [49,200 feet] to 4,000 meters [13,100 feet] above sea level, accessing a given area, conduct aerial reconnaissance and detect simulated enemy positions,” the press service said.

The Mi-24P and Mi-8MT helicopters were transferred to Erebuni, incorporated into an air division of the Russian 102nd Military Base in Gyumri in 2001, in December 2015.

On Sunday, April 24, 2016 from 2-4 pm, thousands of devoted Armenian-Americans and their friends and supporters will gather in Times Square to commemorate the first genocide of the 20th Century, The Armenian Genocide (Medz Yeghern). In recognition of Genocide Awareness Month (April), Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) will also be commemorated, as well as other genocides that have occurred since then.

The theme of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration is “Truth, Recognition, and Justice.”  This historic event will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were annihilated by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire and to the millions of victims of subsequent genocides worldwide. Speakers will include civic, religious, humanitarian, educational, cultural leaders, and performing artists. This event is free and open to the public. Attorney R. Armen McOmber will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, past National Grand Commander of Knights of Vartan and Founding Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn affirms the Armenian Genocide. “These killings, which were labeled “crimes against humanity and civilization” at the time, exactly fit the definition of the word genocide, which was coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer in 1943,” explains Papazian. “It is only proper to bring the terminology up to date and apply the international laws for genocide to the Armenian case.”

Papazian headed the Armenian Assembly of America in 1975, when a non-binding resolution recognizing the mass killings of Armenians as genocide, passed through Congress.  On April 22, 1981, then-President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation #4838 that summoned Americans to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps. The proclamation stated, “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it—and like too many other persecutions of too many other peoples—the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”

Papazian further observes that President Barack Obama used the Armenian phrase “Medz Yeghern” (“Great Crime”) in his annual April 24 proclamation issued on Armenian Remembrance Day, words which the Armenians use as the equivalent of their genocide. “But the U.S. position is kept slightly ambiguous since our country fears alienating Turkey, an important and unpredictable country in the Middle East,” he adds.

“In the long run,” stresses Papazian, “it is Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide which is crucial, since Turkey is the responsible successive government of the Ottoman Empire. In recent years there have been some positive developments among progressives. Examples of progressives are Turkish intellectuals, including the grandson of one of the chief perpetrators; so it is within the realm of possibility that Turkey itself will recognize the Armenian Genocide and make some sort of restitution,” he concludes.

The 101^st Commemoration is organized by the Mid-Atlantic chapters of the Knights & Daughters  of Vartan (), an international Armenian fraternal organization headquartered in the United States, and co-sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (), the Armenian Assembly of America (),  the Armenian National Committee of America (),  the Armenian Council of America, and the Armenian Democratic League (Ramgavar Party).

Participating organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Catholic Eparchy for U.S. and Canada, the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF-YOARF), several Armenian youth organizations and university and college Armenian clubs.

 

 

 

“The recognition of Artsakh’s independence by Armenia is not in process, but the agreement on mutual military assistance is being developed,” Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reports today.

He said Armenia’s number one objective is to reach Nagorno Karabakh’s return to the negotiating table as a party to talks.

“The recent developments showed that there is no alternative to Karabakh’s involvement in the talks. It’s important for preventing such provocations in the future and for achieving progress in the negotiation process,” he said.

Referring to the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Shavarsh Kocharyan clarified that they’re coming to study the situation connected with the recent events.

“The utmost objective of the Armenian side and the international community is to prevent the reoccurrence of the developments of the past days, to ensure the maintenance of the ceasefire, which will, in turn, allow to return to talks,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

He added that the Madrid Principles are the only basis for negotiations.

The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Merrimack Valley (AGCCMV) will join with the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Merrimack Valley in jointly sponsoring its 101^st observance, the  reports.

The combined event will take place Sat., April 23, beginning at 10 a.m. with a procession along downtown Lowell to City Hall, where events will take place.

A proclamation will be issued by the mayor with pertinent remarks from government and state officials. A flag-raising ceremony will be conducted by the youth.

A light luncheon and cultural program will follow at the historic Masonic Center, across from City Hall. Children from the various church schools will combine their talents.

“Please join us and let your voices be heard for genocide recognition and justice and to celebrate our priceless Armenian heritage that will be so beautifully expressed in the youthful voices of our children,” said Sossy Jeknavorian, AGCCMV chairman.

Photo: AFP/Russia Emergency Ministry

 

A passenger jet has crashed in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, killing all 55 passengers and seven crew on board, officials say.

The FlyDubai Boeing 737-800, coming from Dubai, missed the runway as it attempted to land at 03:50 local time (00:50 GMT) on Saturday.

It is not clear what caused the crash but poor visibility and high winds are being considered as a factor.

CCTV footage showed an explosion and a huge flash after the plane crashed.

“The aircraft hit the ground and broke into pieces,” the Investigative Committee of Russia said on its website.

Reports say the plane abandoned its initial attempt to land and circled for two hours before crashing at the second attempt.

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met with the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday morning, as part of his official visit in Greece, according to Greece.com.

“Our people know what it is to be refugees, to be uprooted… we are on the first line of humanism to address the crisis. I want to believe that the truce in Syria will stop the flow of people. Our countries face these challenges with the head high” the Greek PM said during the meeeting with the Armenian President.

“We’ve had long-standing ties with Armenia. Today, I welcomed President S. Sargsyan, to further deepen our relations,” the GReek PM tweeted. 

We’ve had long-standing ties with Armenia. Today, I welcomed President S. Sargsyan, to further deepen our relations.

— Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu)

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in Greece on official visit, today laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide located at the Nea Smyrni Square in Athens and accompanied by the representatives of the Armenian community, clergy and Armenian cadets, who receive military education in Greece, paid tribute to the memory of the victims.

Later, at the government building the President of Armenia had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras. Serzh Sargsyan and Alexis Tsipras stressed the importance of deepening the mutually beneficial cooperation in a number of areas – trade and economy, agriculture, culture, education, health care, tourism and others, as well as the necessity to encourage investments and contacts between the representatives of business circles and with this regard highlighted the role of the intergovernmental commission. Prime Minister Tsipras assessed as promising the development of the trilateral Iran-Greece-Armenia cooperation, considering warm and friendly relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He noted that his country has a good experience of such trilateral cooperation in the Greece-Cyprus-Israel and Greece-Cyprus-Egypt formats, which in his assessment, are functioning efficiently. The Prime Minister noted that Greece also sees opportunities in cooperation between the EU and EEU and would like to bring his participation to the process. On behalf of his country, the Prime Minister of Greece expressed readiness to support the development of the Armenia-EU relations, bringing to a successful conclusion negotiations on a new Armenia-EU legal document on cooperation. Along with the discussions on the bilateral agenda items, the President of Armenia and Prime Minister of Greece exchanged views on current international problems, challenges, as well as regional developments. Presenting the position of his country regarding current international problems, Alexis Tsipras underscored that they must be solved through peaceful means, based on the norms of international law. He also underlined that Greece supports a peaceful resolution of the NK problem through negotiations in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group and would like to see a peaceful, secure and stable development of the region.

After the private meeting of the President of Armenia and Prime Minister of Greece, there took place extended negotiations with the participation of the official delegations. At the conclusion of the discussions, the parties signed a number of documents aimed at the development and deepening of the Armenian-Greek cooperation in a number of areas. In particular, signed were the Program of Cooperation between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia and Ministry of Health of the Hellenic Republic in the area of Health Care and Medical Aid for 2016-2018, Action Plan of Cooperation between the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia and Government of the Hellenic Republic for 2016-2020, Program of Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Government of the Hellenic Republic on Cooperation in the area of Education and Research for 2016-2020.

President Serzh Sargsyan and Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras recapped the results of the negotiations with the joint statements for the representatives of mass media.

***

Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the meeting with the representatives of mass media after his meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras

Your Excellency,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First, allow me to express gratitude to you personally, Mr. Prime Minister, President Pavlopoulos and of course to the brotherly Greek people for this special reception. Each time I visit Greece, I feel exceptional warmth. There is no doubt that that warmth is emanating from the friendship of our two peoples which withstood the test of centuries and today has become the cornerstone of our interstate relations. I should mention with satisfaction that in the course of my visit, I have had very open and constructive discussions with my Greek partners – President Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Tsipras. We have discussed the entire agenda of the Armenian-Greek relations and prospects of cooperation. We have registered with pleasure that our approaches in bilateral as well as with on regional and international issues mainly coincide. At the same time, we agreed that we should do more in bilateral as well as multilateral formats to give a new impetus and new quality to our relations. We stressed the importance of the documents signed in the framework of the visit, which are aimed at deepening of our cooperation in the areas of health care, medicine, culture, education and research. These are areas in which our countries have competitive advantage which means that we should work hard to use it. We also agreed that unfortunately in our bilateral agenda the weakest link is the trade and economic area which undoubtedly is conditioned by objective reasons. I told Mr. Tsipras that we are watching closely efforts by the Greek governments aimed at addressing the existing problems. We are confident that your country will overcome all obstacles. Armenia is greatly interested in the economic and political stability and advancement of the friendly Greece. We noted with satisfaction that military area has become a traditional area of our cooperation, and today we continue to expand our cooperation. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank the Government of Greece for the years-long consistent assistance in the area of civil and military education. In last twenty years, over 200 Armenian servicemen and officers have been trained in Greece. This is the basis which allows to register new success in this area. We should never depart from the idea that security of our two nations is interlinked.
Of course cooperation with Greece is important in the context of Armenia-EU all-inclusive cooperation since the European Union continues to be one of the most important partners for Armenia with regard to the implementation of the reforms; EU is also a major trade partner for Armenia. We are also grateful for the assistance provided in this axis.

We attach special importance to the balanced position of Greece in the resolution of the NK issue and support to the continuous efforts of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. There is no doubt that the Armenian community of Greece has a great role in the preservation of the incessant Armenian-Greek friendship. We will never forget assistance of the brotherly Greek people which lent a helping hand to the Armenians who survived in the Genocide and provided them with the opportunity to live and create in their new Fatherland. I also highly value Greece’s principled position on the recognition and condemnation of that horrendous crime. On the eve of the 100th anniversary of our national tragedy, Greece reiterated its pledge adopting the resolution on Fight Against Racism and Xenophobia (September 9, 2014), which also criminalized the denial of the Armenian Genocide sending an exemplary message to the world. In its turn, the National Assembly of Armenia in 2015 unanimously adopted a Declaration on the Condemnation of the Genocides of Greeks and Assyrians in the Ottoman Empire. This is a vivid manifestation of the fact that the spirit of solidarity continues to unite our two nations. Centuries long spiritual and cultural commonalities of our two nations are testified to by the Armenia: The Spirit of Ararat Exhibition opened in the framework of my visit at the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens. Events like these are important for the preservation of the spirit of friendship and from the viewpoint of passing it on to future generations. From this viewpoint it is also essential to conduct high-level reciprocal visits. In this context, I have invited Mr. Tsipras to visit Armenia. I am very glad that he accepted the invitation, and we once again referred to the significance of a constant work towards solidifying our friendship. Friendship ought to be nourished and enhanced, and frequent meetings are a means to achieve that.

I once again express my thanks for the warm welcome.