17:34,
YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Armenia and then Azerbaijan in May, his spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing.
Lavrov will be in Yerevan May 5-6, and in Baku May 10-11, she said.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Arab News By Menekse Tokyay April 22, 2021 ANKARA: The US has reportedly informed Turkey of its formal exclusion from the new F-35 consortium agreement. The long-awaited decision comes as little surprise, following Turkey’s acquisition of Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft weapons system, amid fears over its compatibility with the F-35 and its possible use for Moscow to obtain intelligence on NATO members. Turkish companies are expected to fulfill commitments to manufacturing thousands of parts for the F-35 program until next year, but Ankara will no longer be able to obtain the aircraft. Turkey now faces a decision over its direction in terms of military procurement, with relations with Moscow complicated by the latest standoff between Ankara and Kremlin over Ukraine. Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and chairman of the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy (EDAM), told Arab News: “Exclusion from the F-35 program has two important consequences. One is obviously about the companies that have until now participated in the manufacturing process of the F-35s. There is no going back because the manufacturing process shifted away from Turkey to other countries.” The other consequence, he said, concerned the Turkish airforce and Ankara’s deterrence power without the acquisition of the fifth-generation aircraft. “There is no real, tangible way to replace the F-35s with another such platform. The only commercially available fifth-generation platforms that could potentially replace them is the Russian Su-57, and the Chinese (Chengdu J-20) but both of them will create more complications given that they are not NATO-interoperable, and it would be considered a signal that Turkey is distancing itself further away from the West,” Ulgen added. In February, Turkey hired a Washington-based lobbying firm to attempt to orchestrate a return to the F-35 program with a six-month contract, claiming that its removal was not fair. The lobbyists were also expected to get back money Ankara paid to buy over 100 of the jets, but as yet nothing has come of this. “Turkey could work on creating the conditions for its return to the F-35 program, which will require an elaborate negotiation with the US. If that is not possible, and if CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions are not lifted, Turkey could create its own domestic fighter plane (development) program,” Ulgen said. “So far, there has been no solution for manufacturing (an) engine for that potential plan. Secondly, even if that problem is solved, Turkey can only acquire a sizeable number of these airplanes — realistically speaking — in a timeframe of between 2025 and 2030, which means that Turkey’s air superiority will be diminished given that many countries in the region have started to require fifth-generation planes. It will be a strategic gap if it is not addressed properly.” On Thursday, Selcuk Bayraktar, executive of Turkish drone producer Baykar, and son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that his firm had accelerated its National Unmanned Combat Aircraft project. It remains to be seen to what part Russia will play in future Turkish military procurement. As Ankara voices support for Kiev amid Russian military reinforcement along its border with Ukraine, Turkey’s defense ties with Moscow might become unsustainable in the short run. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said on Wednesday the Kremlin will scrutinize the prospect of military and technical cooperation with Turkey if Ankara delivers drones to Ukraine. That was triggered by a report in Turkey’s pro-government Turkiye newspaper claiming that Ankara was ready to sell its weapons and drones to all countries, including Ukraine, following their successful deployment in the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. Ulgen said the future of military and industrial cooperation with Russia remains clouded, with Borisov’s statement showing how difficult it would be to rely on Moscow as a safe partner. “It also demonstrates the differences between trying to find alternative suppliers outside of the NATO framework. Unlike some NATO partners like Canada, which halt supplies of some specific materials and don’t go beyond that, Russia is trying to gain and use leverage over Turkey, and put pressure on Turkey’s foreign policy positions through its supply lines to the military,” he said. Last week, Canada canceled permits for high-tech arms exports to Turkey over the “credible evidence” that the Canadian technology, as an end-user, was diverted to the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh last year.
10:51,
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh rescuers are searching for missing troops and bodies of the war dead in the Hadrut region, the interior ministry said.
So far 1546 remains were retrieved since the signing of the ceasefire.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
President Biden spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the first time as commander in chief on Friday amid tensions over White House's expected declaration Saturday that the massacre of roughly a million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire more than a century ago was "genocide."
The White House readout of the call noted the two men would meet this summer but made no mention of discussion about the potential genocide declaration, which Turkey has long lobbied against strenuously. Bloomberg News later reported that Biden informed Erdogan that he plans to recognize the massacre of Armenians as genocide.
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The White House said Biden conveyed "his interest in a constructive bilateral relationship with expanded areas of cooperation and effective management of disagreements."
The New York Times and other outlets reported earlier this week that Biden is expected to issue a formal declaration stating that the killings of Armenians during World War I was a genocide, a move that is likely to exacerbate tensions with Turkey, a NATO ally.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has repeatedly declined to confirm the reports, saying that Biden would have more to say on the topic this weekend. Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is Saturday, and a formal declaration is likely to be issued on that day if Biden follows through with the plans.
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter on Friday said Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to his counterpart, seemed to signal the Biden administration was now referring to the historic killings as a "genocide."
"At this time we don't have anything to read out as far as the secretary's call with his Turkish counterpart, but when it comes to the Armenian Genocide you can expect an announcement tomorrow, we'd have to refer you to the White House," she said in a briefing with reporters on Friday.
No president since Ronald Reagan has described the massacre as genocide over concerns of angering Ankara.
Biden has endured pressure from lawmakers to recognize Armenian genocide. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led a letter to Biden this past week calling on him to follow through on the promise "to recognize the genocide and your decades of leadership on this issue."
Biden and Erdoğan agreed to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in June, according to the White House readout of the call.
The meeting between Biden and Erdoğan in June would come on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels, which the White House announced Friday Biden plans to attend in person. Biden will travel first to the United Kingdom for a Group of Seven summit there before making a stop in Belgium for the NATO summit and meetings with European Union leaders.
Porter emphasized the importance of the U.S. relationship with Turkey in her remarks.
"Turkey is a valued and long-standing NATO ally and we obviously have shared interests and those shared interests include, of course, counterterrorism, ending the conflict in Syria as well as deterring any malign influence in the region," she said.
"We also seek cooperation with Turkey on common priorities such as [unclear] engaging and dialogue to address any disagreements," Porter continued.
"At the same time, we'll always uphold our values which includes human rights and rule of law and protecting the interests of those while keeping Turkey, as well, aligned with the transatlantic alliance on all of these critical issues."
11:14,
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a statement calling on Azerbaijan to immediately return the Armenian prisoners of war, Head of the Armenian Delegation to PACE Ruben Rubinyan said on Facebook.
“The PACE Monitoring Committee has just adopted a statement, calling on Azerbaijan to immediately return the Armenian POWs”, Rubinyan said.
The issue of the Armenian POWs, who are currently in the Azerbaijani captivity, has been discussed at the PACE political groups on the sidelines of the Committee’s spring session on April 19. The issue has also been discussed at the PACE plenary session on April 20.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
During a visit to Syunik Province, US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy met with Governor of Syunik Province Melikset Poghosyan and Mayors of Meghri, Goris and Sisian Mkhitar Zakaryan, Arush Arushanyan and Artur Sargsyan. In the press release issued by the US Embassy in Armenia, it is sressed that Syunik Province was affected by the pandemic and the war the most.
The Embassy’s press release states that the regional governor and the mayors presented the situation in detail and considered the opportunity for the US government’s humanitarian assistance to those displaced as a result of the war. Ambassador Tracy and the Armenian officials also touched upon the US government’s ongoing support to the development of the province.
https://news.am/eng/news/640065.html
Some of the weapons and armored vehicles captured by the Azerbaijani army from Armenian forces during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh War have begun to be exhibited in a newly built open-air museum in Baku.
The "Spoils of War Museum," which was opened Tuesday by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, displays tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, missile systems, personnel carriers and other vehicles, either destroyed during the war or seized in working condition.
The park, located on 5 hectares (538 square feet) of land on the Caspian Sea, is reminiscent of a real battlefield. Right at the entrance of the museum, there are the remains of an "Iskender-M" missile, which Armenia used during the war against Azerbaijan. In the exhibition, it is possible to see all kinds of vehicles and weapons used by the Armenian army, from T-72 tanks to BMP armored vehicles, from Zastava M-55 anti-aircraft guns to Gvozdika self-propelled guns, and Toçka-U and Smerç missiles.
At the museum, the 10-stage defense lines established by Armenia and their positions were exactly replicated. There are models of Armenian soldiers at the positions where mines are laid in front of them.
The heads of some model soldiers are pointing towards the sky. With this, the models refer to the fear of the Armenian soldiers caused by the drones used by the Azerbaijani army in the war.
"Karabakh is Azerbaijan" is written on the sign in the museum, on which more than 2,000 Armenian license plates are arranged side by side.
Wooden bullet boxes of the Armenian army were used in the construction of the benches in the museum. The lighting at the edges of the walking tracks was also made of tank bullets.
It is stated that the museum, which reflects Azerbaijan's victory in Nagorno-Karabakh in all its glory, will be one of the most visited places in the country.
The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) is the official national organizer of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) in Armenia. The program offers entrepreneurs across the country the opportunity to compete globally for a share of US $1 million in cash prizes, plus additional investments and another US $750,000 of in-kind support. EWC is now accepting applications for 2021, aiming to exceed the past mark of 175,000 contestants from 200+ countries in its first year.
“EPIC, through the Open Center of Excellence for Innovation Advancement, is proud to accept responsibility for hosting this event in Armenia. We hope to use EWC as a platform for not only supporting and promoting Armenia’s entrepreneurs, but also as a vehicle for collaboration and purpose with our local venture and industry partners. To this end, we are in dialogue with our local startup ecosystem partners, universities in Armenia, the government, and the local business community to share responsibility for the success of this event. Together, as national co-organizing partners, we will plan, promote and execute the national competition for the benefit of all,” shares Dr. Michael Kouchakdjian, director of the Open Center of Excellence for Innovation Advancement and EPIC.
EWC is more than just a global pitch competition with a shot at securing life-changing prizes. It elevates entrepreneurs from all stages — idea-stage, early-stage, growth-stage or beyond — by providing them with tools and resources to grow their ventures.
EWC Accelerates is a virtual training and mentorship program that helps entrepreneurs hone their skills and increase their chances of winning in their national competitions, and advancing to the Global Finals.
The EWC online platform also offers all contestants who complete the application access to more than $25,000 in perks from partners such as Google Cloud, Hubspot, Stripe, and more.
“We strive to make the EWC Armenia a truly pan-national event that will include the entire spectrum of Armenia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, from individual entrepreneurs to government and from IT industry to fine arts. Thus, we don’t consider any limitation for the type or nature of entrepreneurial ideas and ventures that may compete for the Entrepreneurship National Cup. As a growing entrepreneurial nation, we believe that Armenia must have at least one deserving representative in the EWC Global Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” remarks Nejdeh Hovanessian, assistant director of the Open Center for Innovation Advancement and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at EPIC.
National Finals are held through July 2021 in Yerevan. In November 2021, the 100 winning startups from around the world will be flown to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to participate in the EWC Accelerates program for an intensive startup bootcamp and to compete in the EWC Global Finals.
Presently, EPIC is seeking potential sponsors for the EWC Armenia competition. Businesses and organizations interested in sponsoring awards and prizes can contact EPIC at epic@.
The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.
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Margarit Hovhannisyan | Communications Manager
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AGBU Press Office 55 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022-1112 Website: PRESS RELEASE Thursday, AGBU President Berge Setrakian’s Global Message for April 24th and 115th Anniversary of the Organization For 115 years, AGBU has consistently responded to the needs of Armenians across the globe, while serving the Armenian homeland through both painful and promising times. We mark this significant milestone as it coincides this month with Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day, reminding the world of one of the darkest hours in the history of humankind. Both occasions have a more profound meaning this year as we emerge from a period of great devastation for the Armenian people—one in which we witnessed similar human tragedies and sorrows from over a century ago. As we take this moment to acknowledge our troubled yet rich history, we shift our focus to the future. Even as we confront our new common reality, we must remain steadfast in unifying our nation, in healing our wounds, supporting one another, and spurring a fresh start. That means building and supporting our young democracy through fair and competitive elections. This is vital to moving forward united in purpose. We also must stand in solidarity with the people of Armenia and Artsakh who lost family members in battle or still wait to reunite with their loved ones in the aftermath of the 44-Day Artsakh War. AGBU has always been committed to the main pillars of its mission: humanitarian relief in times of need; nation building in Armenia; and, of course, the broad areas of education and cultural enrichment. We have stood by our Armenian Church, the bastion of faith and community for millennia and the future. And, as tomorrow unfolds, AGBU will again step in at pivotal moments to serve the greater good, just as we have in recent years in Syria, Lebanon and Artsakh to meet the dire humanitarian needs resulting from war, disaster and health and financial crises. We appeal to our leadership, volunteers, supporters and friends across the globe to join us in meeting the enormous challenges ahead by seizing opportunities to build a better future for Armenians everywhere. We especially commend our younger generation of civic-minded leaders who inspire us with their passion for serving our global community and we encourage more young people to join this growing movement. AGBU will proudly lead by example as we welcome those from all walks of life who share our values and mission into our global Armenian family. With a mind to initiating and expanding sustainable programs combined with the right focus and foresight, we will end this difficult chapter in Armenian history with Armenia emerging stronger, more confident, and better positioned to take its rightful place on the world stage. In unity is strength. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit .