Author: George Mamian

Prior to Eurasian Intergovernmental Council’s meeting in Bishkek, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and the heads of government of EEU-member States were received by President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev.

Welcoming the guests, the Kyrgyz President noted that it is a good platform for the furtherance of integration and dialogue between the Eurasian Economic Union-member countries and discussion of issues of mutual interest. Almazbek Atambayev assured that all the way through its chairmanship of EEU bodies in 2017, Kyrgyzstan will do everything to achieve progress in the aforementioned areas.

On behalf of the Armenian delegation, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan thanked the Kyrgyz President for the warm welcome and high-level organization of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council’s meeting. The Premier pointed out that the Bishkek meeting ushers in Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship in the Eurasian Economic Union that will help promote the Eurasian integration process.

The meeting discussed a number of issues on the agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union.

On February 15, the expert group from the NATO Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP) visited the National Defense Research Univerity (NDRU), MoD, RA. President of the NDRU, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Lieutenant-General Hayk Kotanjian welcomed the guests. He highlighted the support provided by the NATO expert group for the defense education reforms underway in Armenia.

Professor Hayk Kotanjian noted that the target of the Second Strategic Defense Review (SDR) of the RA, launched in 2014, is the review of the National Security Strategy (NSS) of the RA. This work will be implemented through the adoption of the National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) of the RA based on the Draft NCS, which was developed at the NDRU and reviewed by the experts of the U.S. National Defense University (NDU) and the NATO PfP Consortium’s Working Group on Cyber Security Reference Curriculum Writing.

NDRU’s Vice President for Research, Head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) of the NDRU, PhD in History, Beniamin Poghosyan presented the University’s main activities and work done after the visit of the expert group in March, 2016. Head of the Center for National Security Policy and Information-Communication Technologies of the NDRU Arman Grigoryan presented the main results of the Center’s activities.

The coordinator-consultant of the NDRU’s educational activities, Doctor of Political Science, Professor Arthur Atanesyan presented the work done aimed at launching the Interagency Executive Education Certificate and Master Programs. The steps taken towards the organization of strategic-operational-level military education in the NDRU, suggested by the NATO DEEP experts in March 2016, were also touched upon. The Head of the Academic-Educational Center of the NDRU’s National Institute for Strategic Defence Security Education Anna Gevorgyan presented the main activities of the Center.

The presentations were followed by Q&A session and a professional discussion ensued. At the end, the NATO DEEP expert group expressed satisfaction with the visit.

Agencia Prensa Armenia – The institutions of theArmenian community in Argentina signed  an agreement to create an entity with an aim of better structuring and coordinating community joint efforts. The initiative was based on the successful experience of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centennial.

The three Armenian historical parties ARF-Dashnaktsutyun, Hunchakian and Ramgavar, represented through the respective public non-profit organizations of Armenian Cultural Association, Armenian Cultural Union Sharjum and Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization, along with the Administrative Institution of the Armenian Church, the Armenian Cultural Union, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Fund and Logia Ararat, signed a historical document in the Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Buenos Aires under the auspice of Archbishop Kissag Mouradian, the Primate of the Apostolic Armenian Church of the Republic of Argentina and Chile.

Professor Khatchik DerGhougassian, who was one of the two representatives of the Argentine-Armenian community that coordinated the activities with the Armenian Genocide Centennial State Committee in 2015, said: “We have given an important step towards the institutionalization of the space for a better coordination of the activities of the institutions of the Armenian community. This is not yet a representative body but it definitely opens the path to reach that goal in the near future.”

The document that the institutions of the working group signed was a first step. It included six principles known as a Basic Consensus, which will be sent to all the other institutions. Any institution in any part of Argentina that gives its official agreement to adhere to these principles will have its place within the structure described as “open, democratic, inclusive and horizontal.” Meanwhile, the group will continue to work on an official name, a working mechanism and a protocol of rules of conduct. “It is a work in process, they said, and we will proceed step by step listening to any healthy criticism and suggestion that any institution can make to improve the project.”

The six principles of the Basic Consensus are the following:

A) The demand for moral and material restitution of the consequences of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and 1923 of Turkey as an heir to the Ottoman Empire responsible for the organization and implementation of the crime against humanity.

B) The repudiation of any attempt to silence, forget, question, deny, relativize or trivialize the Armenian Genocide.

C) The recognition of the Armenian Republic as guarantor of the survival of the Armenian people and the realization of their legitimate aspirations.

D) The evaluation of the historical role of the Armenian Apostolic Church, without any prejudice to the valuable contribution of other religious denominations or freedom of consciousness of each individual.

E) Respect for the role of community institutions as spaces for the preservation, development and dissemination of Armenian cultural values.

F) The prioritization of the education as the main factor for the formation, enrichment and development of the Armenian identity in its permanent and dynamic interaction within the social and cultural context of the country.

Photo: Marina Lystseva/TASS

A Russian military plane with 92 people on board has crashed into the Black Sea, Russia’s defence ministry says.

The plane disappeared from radar 20 minutes after taking off from the resort of Sochi at 05:20 (02:20 GMT). Fragments have now been found and one body has been retrieved.

The defence ministry said the Tu-154 was carrying service personnel, members of the famed Alexandrov military band, and reporters.

The plane was flying to Latakia, Syria.

The flight originated in Moscow and had landed at Adler airport in Sochi for refuelling.

The defence ministry said in a statement: “Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5km from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres.”

So far no survivors have been found, local rescuers told the Interfax news agency.

Defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov confirmed that the “body of a person killed as a result the crash… was found 6km off the coast of Sochi”.

In response to Turkish Ambassador to Canada Selcuk Unal’s comment on terrorist attacks in Canada in the 1980’s by Canadians of Armenian origin, made during his interview with about the assassination of Russian Ambassador in Ankara on December 19th, 2016.

We condemn any terrorist attack, carried out by anybody, in any location. We believe that by diverting attention from this tragedy and talking about their own assassinated diplomats, the Turkish Ambassador is attempting to diminish the horror of what happened in Ankara, and that is abhorrent.

We would also like to reaffirm our condemnation of the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottomans during the Armenian Genocide.

We advise the Turkish Ambassador and the relevant Turkish authorities to focus on the investigation of the Russian Ambassador’s assassination, to focus on improving the security situation in Turkey, and not to distract the world from their own violence-prone policies.

Photo: Reuters

 

President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed the chief executive of Exxon Mobil, Rex Tillerson, as his choice for US secretary of state, the BBC reports.

Mr Trump praised Mr Tillerson, 64, in a statement as among the “most accomplished business leaders and international dealmakers” in the world.

Mr Tillerson is said to have a good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, alarming both Democrats and some Republicans.

The nomination needs Senate approval.

Days ago it emerged that US intelligence agencies believe Russia acted covertly to boost Donald Trump in the election race.

The secretary of state is in effect the most senior US diplomat, responsible for enacting the government’s foreign policy.

Tens of thousands of people have filled Revolution Square in the Cuban capital, Havana, for a rally honouring Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, the BBC reports.

Proceedings began with the national anthem and speeches were made by visiting dignitaries.

President Raul Castro closed the rally, referring to his brother Fidel as the leader of a revolution “for the humble, and by the humble”.

Fidel Castro, who came to power in 1959, died on Friday, aged 90.

Left-wing Latin American leaders were among those attending the event but other countries sent lower-ranking emissaries.

Opinion on Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century, remains divided.

Supporters say he returned Cuba to the people and praise him for some of his social programmes, such as public health and education.

But critics call him a dictator, who led a government that did not tolerate opposition and dissent.

The European Parliament has voted to suspend Turkey’s EU membership talks because of the Turkish government’s crackdown since a coup attempt in July, the BBC reports.

The MEPs’ non-binding vote has already been dismissed as “worthless” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The MEPs asked the European Commission and 28 national governments to impose a “temporary freeze” on the talks.

EU-Turkish ties have soured after years of stop-start negotiations, which are likely to go on, albeit very slowly.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received Bridget Brink, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Minister Nalbandian hailed the high-level friendly relations between Armenia and the United States, underlining that the bilateral ties have greatly advanced thanks to joint efforts, which creates good opportunities for further reinforcement and expansion of cooperation.

Bridget Brink noted, in turn, that the US values the partnership with Armenia and is interested in its further deepening.

The interlocutors referred to the perspectives of development of Armenian-American trade relations and exchanged views on the activity of the US-Armenia Council on Trade and Investments and the Armenian-American Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

The Armenian Foreign Minister and the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State discussed issues related to the implementation of the agreements reached at Vienna and St. Petersburg Summits aimed at furthering the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Edward Nalbandian and Bridget Brink exchanged views on urgent regional and international issues.

On 8 November President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan watched military exercises of the Defense Army conducted in the republic’s central section.

In his speech the President underlined that the Defense Army is the greatest achievement of our independent statehood, pivotal guarantee of our country’s independence, sovereignty and our people’s security, one of the most influential factors of maintaining peace and stability in the region.

“All of us, all Armenians  are proud of our brave soldiers, who due to their daily humble and courageous behavior fulfill the Motherland defender’s sacred mission with dignity, always ready to rebuff any encroachment of the enemy”, noted President Sahakyan.

According to Bako Sahakyan the highest command staff of the Defense Army and all the command units would make the necessary conclusions and carry out appropriate work for consistent increase of the Defense Army’s combat efficiency.

President Sahakyan handed in valuable gifts to a group of servicemen who had registered high results during the maneuvers.