Author: Liana Toganian

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs hope the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsayn and Ilham Aliyev will agree to hold the next meeting on Karabakh conflict settlement, US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“We hope the Presidents will agree on a next meeting. The date and place have not yet been set for a meeting,” Warlick said.

According to him, the Co-Chairs are working with the sides to solve the conflict.

“During the UN General Assembly session in New York the Co-Chairs held separate meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss the agreements reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg and to outline the future steps,” the diplomat said.

“We plan to hold meetings and discuss issues with the parties during our visit to the region by the end of the month,” Warlick stated.

On September 19, Edward Nalbandian, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, had a meeting with Abdolreza Fazli, Interior Minister of Iran.

During the talks held in New York reference was made to issues concerning the development of good neighborly relations between the two countries.

In the course of the meeting the sides discussed the further expansion of effective cooperation established between the Police of Armenia and the Ministry of Interior of Iran.

Edward Nalbandian and Abdolreza Fazli commended the significant increase of mutual visits since the Memorandum on Visa liberalization between Armenia and Iran entered into force.

President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the RA Prosecutor’s Office and introduced to the leadership of the Office – members of the Board, prosecutors from the marzes and garrisons and heads of the subdivisions the newly appointed Prosecutor General Arthur Davtian.

At the beginning, the President of Armenia thanked the former Prosecutor General for his efforts and noted that during his tenure there has been register certain progress in the upholding the rule of law in the country, as well as in the fight against crimes and abuses, including in the system of the Prosecutor’s Office.

The President wished all the best to the Prosecutor General Arthur Davtian and the employees of the Prosecutor’s Office headed by him in furthering their activities. Serzh Sargsyan underscored that Arthur Davtian possesses all necessary knowledge, experience, willpower so that our country could register success with the assistance of the employees of the Prosecutor’s Office. The President of Armenia stressed the importance of bringing together efforts and giving a new impetus to the activities of the Office and noted that in any country there can be no success in the economic or public and political areas as long as there is no progress in the judicial system.

Gevork Kostanian thanked the President for the assessment of his work and assured that combined efforts of all employees of the Office allowed the structure to make a step forward. The former Prosecutor General expressed confidence that works aimed at the establishment in our country of law and order and strengthening of the legal system will continue with the same principled stance, consistency, and energy. He wished every success to the newly appointed Prosecutor General.

Prosecutor General Arthur Davtian thanked for the trust vested in him. He assured that the staff of the Prosecutor’s Office is well aware of the problems facing the country as well as of the importance of solving the tasks set before the Office and will do his best to find the most efficient avenues to solve them and meet everyone’s expectations.

Asbarez — On Thursday, at a press conference that kicked off its three-day convention, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), In Defense of Christians (IDC) and the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), and U.S. Representative Dave Trott (R-IL), gathered to announce an ambitious policy agenda. The conference addressed human rights and foreign policy concerns in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the religious persecution of Christians and other ethno-religious minorities in the region.

Recalling the success IDC and its partners in getting the U.S. government to declare that the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) is perpetrating genocide against Christians and other ethno-religious minorities in territories under its control, the conference’s panelists asked what’s next, laying out a number of bold initiatives, frameworks and resolutions to address the concerns of some of the region’s most vulnerable communities.

The conference was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Katrina Lantos-Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, commended IDC for the name of its convention: “Beyond Genocide: Preserving and Protecting the Future of Christianity in the Middle East”.

“Naming the evil alone is not enough,” said Lantos-Swett, who keynoted the conference. “With the focus of this convention, a call to action is implied.”

Lantos decried the destruction of Christian communities in the Middle East, stating, “I am baffled and broken, as the daughter of Holocaust survivors, to see the West so willfully blind or perhaps unwilling to act in the face of such destruction.” A personal call to action is needed, she continued. “The question should be: Am I my brother’s keeper? We dare not answer in any way other than the affirmative.”

Within that context, the press conference’s participants and panelists made some bold requests during the press conference, asking the U.S. government to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, to support the establishment of a province for persecuted minorities in Iraq’s Nineveh Plain and to encourage the reform of Egypt’s legal regulations regarding the rebuilding of destroyed churches.

Rep. Trott announced his historic resolution, “The Coptic Churches Accountability Act” at the conference, stating, “Coptic Christians in Egypt are second class citizens, even though they are indigenous to the region.”

Trott recounted that after the Muslim Brotherhood came to power in Egypt in 2014, Coptic Christians experienced the worst violence the community had seen seen since the 14th century. Dozens of churches were destroyed. And although President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should be commended for his pledge to restore the rights of the Copts, said Trott, the U.S. government should encourage this progress and hold the leadership of Egypt to account.

Andrew Doran, Senior Policy Advisor for IDC applauded Trott. “We are very proud to have Rep. Trott today and we will support his resolution,” he said. “This is a concrete example of what Washington can do in the face of such persecution and destruction.”

Not only are the initiatives we announce today in the interest of the Middle East’s persecuted populations, they’re also in the interest of the American people, continued Doran. “Violence and terrorism is not contained to the Middle East. And it’s not coming to America and the West; it’s already here — it’s ravaged our nightclubs, our public spaces, our churches.”

Toufic Baaklani, president of IDC, also commended Trott’s resolution. “We are the strongest country in the world. When Congress or our lawmakers act, the whole world listens,” he said. “With the question of justice in mind, I believe our next act should be to sanction the individuals and countries that have supported and funded ISIS.”

The discussion moved to the creation, within the framework of Iraq’s constitutional governance, of the Nineveh Plain Province in northeastern Iraq, which would be preserved as an autonomous zone for persecuted Christians, Yezidis and others who have faced persecution and genocide at the hands of ISIS.

“The Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional Government have recognized the need for the Nineveh Plain Province. It’s time for United States to do the same,” said panelist Robert Nicholson, Executive Director of the Philos Project, noting that the plain is the ancient homeland of northeastern Iraq’s Christians and Yezidis, who were displaced when ISIS invaded the area.

“The problems of the Middle East never stay there,” Nicholson continued. “When ISIS is rolled back, we will need a vision, a long-term plan and Christians should be part of this plan. New provinces, based on a decentralized, federated Iraq, will allow Christian and minority communities to feel empowered in the post-ISIS future.”

The region’s indigenous peoples include Christian Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs, Kurds, Yezidis as well as Shabaks. There are also significant numbers of Turkmen, Armenians, Kawliya and Mandeans.

The need for a safe zone for these persecuted minorities, rent from their Ninevah homeland during the ISIS onslaught in 2014, is more pressing than ever. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has stated that the Mosul invasion could result in a severe humanitarian crisis in a region already besieged by horrific human tragedy. UNCHR predicts that as many as 1.2 million refugees will flee the city and surroundings as the offense commences.

And the Assyrian, Chaldean and Syriac Christians, all victims of genocide, should be given first priority in support for the creation of the Nineveh Plain Province, he said. “The United States and the international community should help this community in securing safe passage, aid and administrative autonomy, in fielding their police and local security forces, and in saving their culture and languages”.

“The last act of genocide is cultural and historical erasure,” said panelist and Prof Alexis Mourkazel, Former Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Holy Spirit, noting the death and persecution of Christians and Yezidis in northern Iraq and Syria.

He shared his vision for a revitalized Nineveh Plain through the creation and support of intellectual, cultural and academic centers of learning that will be a focal point for the region and a link between East and West. “Let us create an interactive climate in the Nineveh Plain, where its scholars, artists and educated people can return and be a link to the world,” said Mourkazel. “If you leave the region dry, it will not survive; rather let it survive and grow through culture.”

The panelists also discussed how failing to recognize past genocides is not only a moral failure but also emboldens current and future perpetrators of genocide.

Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), decried a century of American inaction regarding the Armenian genocide, stating that IDC’s success in getting the U.S. government to recognize the genocide being perpetrated by ISIS set a powerful example.

“Sadly, the United States has been complicit in Turkey’s refusal to recognize the Armenian genocide, which is not in alignment with American values,” said Hamparian. “ANCA joins with all of you, bound together in support of IDC’s policy agenda, which asks for a truthful and just recognition of the Turkish genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and other minorities. Justice for one equals justice for all; progress for one equals progress for all.”

Doran set the tone for the rest of the conference, stating that the progress and initiatives IDC and its partners are advocating for are not sectarian in nature. “IDC does not advocate for the rights of Christians over and above Muslims or any other group,” said Doran. “More sectarianism will only lead to more violence. To the Muslims in the West and East, we say, we are not adversaries, but brothers and sisters, struggling against violence and extremism. They are welcome here as they have welcomed so many of us in their homes in the region. We are acutely aware of the suffering of millions of Muslims in the face of ISIS and the sectarian violence in the Middle East. The policies that IDC and its partners advocate for will support all peoples in the Middle East, of all faiths.”

The press conference participants and panelists included Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, (R-IL), Rob Nicholson, Executive Director, the Philos Project, Prof. Alexis Mourkarzel, Former Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Holy Spirit, Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America, Andrew Doran, IDC Senior Advisor, Kirsten Evans, IDC Executive Director and Ninar Keyrouz, IDC Director of Media and Communications.

Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs Hassan Ghashghavi has said on Tuesday that Armenia will release eight jailed Iranians on Wednesday,  reports. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has noted the high economic effect of Armenia’s integration with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), TASS reports.

“Armenia for us is a strategic partner in the Caucasus and we systematically build our relations of alliance along the most sensitive lines and in the international scene, the CIS space first and foremost,” Putin said during narrow format negotiations with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan on Wednesday.

“Incidentally, I was very pleased to see that and I would like to congratulate you. I’ve taken a look at last year’s statistics. Since Armenia joined the EAEU your GDP has grown 10%,” Putin said.

He believes this is a very positive sign. Putin voiced the hope that the positive trend will be preserved.

At the beginning of the meeting Sargsyan said that in the course of his working visit to Moscow he was going to discuss with Putin current interaction between the two countries and to exchange opinion of various issues on the regional agenda. Sargsyan said that in January-June 2016 Russian-Armenian trade was up 12% and commodity export to Russia reached a record-high. He attributed the growth to Armenia’s accession to the EAEU. Sargsyan said his country had no major problems in bilateral relations with Russia.

Armenia joined the EAEU in 2015.

Putin added that he will inform Serzh Sargsyan about the results of the talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev.

“I met with Azerbaijani President (Ilham) Aliyev in Baku just recently, and, of course, we could not overlook the issue you’ve just mentioned – the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,” Putin said opening talks with the Armenian leader. “Of course, I will be glad to inform you about the results of our talks in Baku.”

The Russian and Azerbaijani presidents held talks in Baku on August 8.

The U.S. Embassy has issued a statement on the events in Yerevan late on Friday:

The U.S. Embassy is deeply concerned by the shocking images and credible reports of violence and excessive use of force by the police to disperse protestors during the night of July 29-30. We are just as concerned by credible reports that journalists and their equipment were specifically targeted by the police during these operations, in what appears to be clear violations of the freedom of the press. We urge the Armenian government to take immediate steps to prevent a repeat of last night’s actions and to direct the Armenian security forces to maintain order in a manner that upholds all Armenian citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly – freedoms that are guaranteed in the Armenian Constitution and are the core values of any strong and functioning democracy. At the same time, we also urge protestors to responsibly exercise their freedom of assembly by exercising restraint, eschewing violence, and avoiding the active standoff at Erebuni police building.

We welcome the Armenian Human Rights Ombudsman’s efforts to document the reports of violence against protestors, journalists, and passersby, and to advocate for the rights of those in detention. The Prosecutor General’s launch of a criminal case into violence against journalists is a positive initial step, and we call on the government to allow a full, independent, and transparent investigation into all allegations of human rights violations, and to prosecute all those involved to the fullest extent of the law. We also urge the government to take immediate steps to ensure similar violations of Armenians’ constitutional and human rights do not recur.

As friend to Armenia and a partner in its democratic development, the U.S. Embassy is deeply concerned by what the events of last night indicate about the rule of law and protection of civil rights in Armenia. We remain committed to working in partnership with civil society and individuals within the government who are truly committed to strengthening rule of law. At the same time, information gleaned by the investigations into police misconduct, as well as information gathered by credible independent reports, will inform future decisions about participation in Embassy programs and activities.

Amidst the calls for further protests this evening, we strongly urge all parties to sincerely work for a peaceful resolution of the situation.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter-Steinmeier today departs on a three-day visit to the South Caucasus region, and will travel to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Before his departure, Steinmeier said that despite much turbulence in Europe, one must not lose sight of the situation in the South Caucasus. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict risks to re-escalate at any time,” said Steinmeier. “As Chair of the OSCE we have the responsibility to hedge this risk as far as possible.” As measures to this end Steinmeier named the consolidation of the ceasefire, confidence-building measures and negotiations that should soon be taken up.

Steinmeier also stressed that the settlement of territorial conflicts in Georgia has to remain high on the agenda. With a view to the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that will take place in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on 1-5 July, Steinmeier said: “By speaking at the opening session of the Parliamentary Assembly I wish to underline our support to strengthening parliamentarianism in the OSCE area.”

Armenia has been elected Vice-President of the 71^st session of the UN General Assembly, according to the .

By secret ballot, the General Assembly elected by a margin of four votes Peter Thomson of Fiji as President of its seventy-first session, also selecting, in consecutive meetings, Bureaux members of its six Main Committees.

The General Assembly also elected by secret ballot 21 Vice-Presidents of its plenary:  Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Mauritania, Nigeria and Zambia from the African States; Bangladesh, Nepal, Solomon Islands and Turkmenistan from the Asia-Pacific States; Armenia from the Eastern European States; Bahamas, Belize and El Salvador from the Latin American and Caribbean States; and Belgium and Germany from the Western European and other States.  The five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States) serve as Vice-Presidents, as well.

Congressman Adam Schiff has commended the overwhelming vote by the German Bundestag to recognize the ‎Armenian Genocide‬.

“With this acknowledgement of the facts of the genocide, Germany joins a host of other European countries in recognizing and condemning the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923,” Rep. Schiff said.

“The German vote is particularly courageous as it comes in the midst of negotiations with Turkey regarding the flow of refugees and migrants into Europe. It sends a clear message that the truth of genocide cannot be silenced and that temporary expediency can never justify complicity in genocide denial,” he added.

“Our own Congress should demonstrate the same willingness to defy Turkish threats, and the same moral integrity and commitment to principle by following Germany’s example,” Adam Schiff said.