Author: Garo Vardanian

New satellite imagery appears to reveal extensive damage to a strategically significant airbase in central Syria used by Russian forces after an attack by so-called Islamic State (IS), the BBC reports.

Four helicopters and 20 lorries were destroyed in a series of fires inside the T4 base last week, the images from intelligence company suggest.

The cause of the fires is unconfirmed.

Russia has not officially commented on the incident.

 

President Serzh Sargsyan had a phone talk with US Vice-President Joe Biden at the initiative of the American side.

Issues related to the current stage of settlement of the Karabakh conflict were discussed.

The parties attached importance to the full and effective implementation of the agreements reached at the Vienna meeting held on May 16 at the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries.

The interlocutors agreed that the settlement of the issue is possible only in a peaceful way within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship.

The results of the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan provide for a basis for cautious optimism on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitryt Peskov has said.

The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev had a meeting in Vienna Monday mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries.

“Our Foreign Ministers gave necessary assessments to the situation. We hope there are grounds for cautious optimism that this will allow us to enter a more stable stage,” he said.

On May 11, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission conducted reinforced monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijanin the north-western direction of the Talish village of the NKR Martakert region.

From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and staff member of the Office Peter Svedberg (Sweden), as well as by Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Thomas Lenk (Germany).

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria) and Personal Assistant to the Personal Representative of the CiO Simon Tiller (Great Britain), as well as by Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Gunther Bachler (Germany).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No violation of the cease-fire regime was registered.

From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense.

Europa Nostra Award ceremony was held in Istanbul because of the ongoing curfew in Diyarbakir. Speaking at the ceremony, Diyarbakir Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation Chair Ergun Ayık said, “We wish we held this ceremony in our church. We miss the good old days.”

– Diyarbakir Surp Giragos Church was granted with 2015 Europa Nostra, which is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of cultural heritage. The award ceremony, which had been planned to be held in Surp Giragos, was held in Vortvots Vorodman Church in Istanbul.

Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Co- Mayor Fırat Anlı, writer Mıgırdiç Margosyan, Bakırköy Municipal Council member Margırıt Dikme, former mayor of Prince Islands Municipality Mustafa Farsakoğlu, former mayor of Sur Municipality Başkanı Abdullah Demirbaş, HAYCAR administrators, architect Korhan Gümüş, Agos Editor-in-Chieg Yetvart Danzikyan and representatives of some foundations attended the award ceremony.

Though it was announced that Archbishop Aram Ateşyan will attend the ceremony, he didn’t.

Cultural heritage is in danger

At the ceremony, Europe Nostra Turkey Representative Prof. Dr. Nuran Gülersoy gave an outline of the organizational structure and activities of Europa Nostra.

EU Delegation Deputy Head Andrea Schmidt pointed out the importance of restoring a church that is left without a congregation by the help of local support. Schmidt also said: “I feel sorry that we couldn’t be in Surp Giragos today. We feel sorry about the people who died there, as well as the danger that the cultural heritage is faced with.”

Schmidt stated that they also worry about the expropriation in Sur province.

Left to its own fate for years, Surp Giragos Church was finally restored by the great efforts of Armenian community and opened to worship in 2011. The restoration is granted with 2015 Europa Nostra, which is the most prestigious restoration award in Europe. There were 263 applicants and 28 projects won the prize in different categories. From Turkey, Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir was granted with the award.

The has launched the of its official website.

The website is now available in four languages: Armenian, Russian, English and Azerbaijani.

 

 

 

The Armenian government approved today the opinion on the draft law on Recognition of Artsakh submitted by MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan.

According to the government opinion on the draft law, “the adoption of the bill depends on the results of discussions between Armenia and Artsakh, with consideration of the future developments and external factors.”

Co-author of the bill Zaruhi Postanjyan was present at the sitting. “By recognizing Artsakh we’ll prevent a number of problem and become a political factor in the world. Recognition is a bid for Armenian statehood, which the world has to reckon with,” she said.

“The aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan was not condemned in any way, therefore, we have to recognize Artsakh as there is no alternative.  The recent developments showed that aggression is on Azerbaijan’s agenda,” Postanjyan said.

“They committed crimes against humanity, which went unpunished 100 years ago and 25 years ago, and this lead to the April aggression. We have to rely upon ourselves,” she added.

Asked whether it won’t mean end to talks, Postanjyan said “negotiations can still continue,” and added that “speaking about talks at a time when Azerbaijan is applying aggression, would be a mockery of the mankind.”

Mr. Kocharyan, how would you comment on the fact, that the Azerbaijani president awarded and had a photo with the Azerbaijani soldier, who, according to the Azerbaijani news sites, days ago was demonstratively depicted on a photo with the cut off head of Qyaram Sloyan, serviceman of the  NKR Defense Army

“While the international community fights against barbaric actions of terrorist groups, Azerbaijan, a country which is considered a subject of the international law, carries out actions of the same inhumane style,” Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

The comments come after Azerbaijani president awarded and had a photo with the Azerbaijani soldier, who, according to the Azerbaijani news sites, days ago was demonstratively depicted on a photo with the cut off head of Karam Sloyan, serviceman of the NK Defense Army.

“Encouragement of crimes of such kind by the highest state level, is not new for Azerbaijan. Ramil Safarov, who axe-murdered the Armenian soldier in his sleep in Budapest and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian Court, was released by the president of Azerbaijan right after being extradited to Baku in 2012, and then awarded and glorified,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said in comments to Armenpress.

“Targeted bombardment of schools, during which schoolchildren were killed and injured, torturing and tormenting to death the elderly people, mutilation of bodies of captured NK servicemen during the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in early April, proves that Azerbaijan has adopted a policy of perpetration of terror acts and crimes against humanity, encouraged and guided on state level,” he said.

“While the international community fights against barbaric actions of terrorist groups, Azerbaijan, a country which is considered a subject of the international law, carries out actions of the same inhumane style,” the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

Rep. Adam Schiff took to the house floor to present an open letter to President Obama:

I dearly hope, as do millions of Armenians descended from genocide survivors around the world, that he will take this final opportunity as President to speak plainly about the genocide. To say that the Ottoman Empire committed the crime of genocide when it sought to wipe out the Armenians, and very nearly did. That their campaign of extermination nonetheless failed. And that, above all, we will never forget and we will never be intimidated into silence.

Mr. President, there is no higher moral calling than speaking the truth in the face of genocide denial. Please, this year, add your voice to the millions who speak out for those who died in the desert, for the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

The Persian-language agency has published information, claiming that the Islamic State has created a special training ground at the Iraqi-Syrian border for Azeri citizens.

The training ground called Camp Abu Isa is located on ISIS-held vilayet of Aljazeera. ARAN quotes information disseminated by the Islamic State as saying that Azerbaijanis are being trained to use different weapons, and are taught the ideas of Wahhabism. The instruction is in the Azerbaijani language with a Turkish intonation.

ARAN agency reports that the terrorists have graduated from schools sponsored by the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Azerbaijan.

“The information was first published by ARAN agency on September 21, 2015,” expert of Turkish studies Vazgen Petrosyan said in comments to .

“They published photos and facts proving that volunteers from Azerbaijan train with the Islamic State and all of them have graduated from schools financed by the Azerbaijani Government,” he said.

According to the expert, the Azerbaijani government created the schools to fight Shiites, and moist of the graduates have joined the Islamic State.

Petrosyan said these trainees are fighting along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact today.

Spokesman for the NKR President that Azerbaijan has hired mercenary terrorists to fight against Armenians.