Author: Manouk Vasilian

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has issued a statement, expressing his support to the Armenian Army:

“We learned with deep sorrow about the death of our soldiers. We express our sympathy, patriarchal love and blessing to their families. Our soldiers are heroes and martyrs, because they sacrificed their lives for the Motherland, for our independence and our rights.

We express our full support to the brave Army. The Armenian Army is the guarantee of our Motherland’s security and independence. Strong Army means strong Motherland. We are confident that the brave soldiers will struggle with renewed strength to foil all attempts of the enemy to approach the territory of Artsakh.”

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, held a meeting on 24 September with the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian, and a separate meeting on 25 September with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov.  They also met jointly with the two Foreign Ministers to discuss the immediate need to reduce tensions along the Line of Contact and international border, to advance negotiations on a lasting settlement, and to implement confidence-building measures.  The Ministers agreed to continue preparations with the Co-Chairs on the next presidential summit, which is expected to be held before the end of this year.

The Co-Chairs called for the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to accept an OSCE mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations.  Without such a mechanism, the sides will continue to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks on the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border.  Armenia has agreed to discuss the details of the mechanism, and we urged Azerbaijan to do the same.

The Co-Chairs condemned in strong terms the use of artillery that caused additional casualties in the last twenty-four hours. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. An escalation of violence is not in the interest of Azerbaijanis or Armenians, or a negotiated settlement.

The Co-Chairs encouraged the sides to implement people-to-people programs to build trust between societies affected by the conflict.

A major car crash in the Central Anatolian province of Niğde has killed at least 13 people and injured one, the Turkish police have stated, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

A car and a light commercial vehicle were involved in a collision in the early hours of Sept. 25 on the Aksaray-Adana highway, near the Bor district of Niğde.

Eleven people died at the scene.

Three injured people were rushed to a hospital in Niğde for treatment, but two could not be saved.

No official statement has been issued about the cause of the crash.

The Armenian community of Argentina honored former and late Argentine President Raul Alfonsin on Sunday September 20, with a plaque in memory of his recognition of the Armenian Genocide as president of the country on September 1, 1987, Agencia Prensa Armenia reports.

The event took place at the Armenian Cultural Association, the same place where he made his statement of recognition 28 years ago, and was organized by the Commemorative Commission of the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

Dr. Hugo Kuyumdjian, speaking on behalf of the Commission of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, said that “it is our duty to highlight and remember the individual who made ethics in politics and morals his inalienable flags.”

Kuyumdjian also stressed that Alfonsin “encouraged and accompanied” the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by both houses of Congress in 1985 “despite the pressures.”

“That same year he instructed Leandro Despouy to work for the recognition in the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the United Nations.”

“The Turkish state must understand that our country’s position on human rights and its position on the Armenian Genocide cannot become factors of pressure and negotiation,” concluded Kuyumdjian.

Hipolito Solari Yrigoyen, President of the National Convention of the Radical Civic Union, recalled: “The friendship between our peoples, Argentina and Armenia, is of long standing: it was the President Hipolito Yrigoyen who acknowledged, anticipating many, the first proclaimed independence of Armenia.”

On October 15 there will be a tribute to former President Nestor Kirchner for promulgating Law 26,199 in January 2007, which declared every April 24 as the “Day of action for tolerance and respect among peoples” in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenia’s ex-Minister of Energy, Adviser to RA President Armen Movsisyan passed away today aged 53. He had long been fighting brain cancer.

Armen Movsisyan worked as Minister of Energy and then as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources between 2001 and 2014.

Armenian Amalya Margaryan stunned the jury and audience at Ukraine’s X-Factor.

Amalya performed “Rise like a phoenix,” the song that brought victory to Austria’s Conchita Wurst at Eurovision Song Contest 2014.

All four members of the jury gave her a berth to the next round.

Tracinda Corp., the holding company founded by the late Kirk Kerkorian, has unveiled production company Survival Pictures with the Christian Bale-Oscar Isaac drama “The Promise” as its first project, has learned exclusively.

Survival is described as telling stories of “perseverance, endurance and the inextinguishable fire of the human spirit” to reflect Kerkorian’s values. Kerkorian, who bought and sold MGM and United Artists three times, died on June 16 at the age of 98.

“The Promise” will be produced and financed by Survival Pictures managers Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic, with “Hotel Rwanda” director Terry George helming from a script he wrote with Robin Swicord.

The story is set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, which was dissolved in 1922, with shooting in Portugal and the Canary Islands scheduled for the fall. Mike Medavoy (“Black Swan”) is producing for his Phoenix Pictures banner with Esrailian, Ralph Winter (“X-Men”) and William Horberg (“Milk”).

The script centers on a love triangle with a medical student, an American journalist based in Paris and a beautiful and sophisticated woman. Bale will play the reporter, and Isaac will portray the student, who’s conflicted by old-world traditions.

Bale was last seen in “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and stars in two completed Terrence Malick titles — “Knight of Cups” and “Weightless.” Isaac will be seen in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “X-Men: Apocalypse.”

Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson Patricia Glaser said, “Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian’s unwavering dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences around the world. ‘The Priomise’ will be a wonderful love story and will open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills a longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian, who was thrilled to participate in the development and casting process.”

Islamic State (IS) militants have killed more than 120 civilians since launching a fresh attack on the Syrian border town of Kobane, activists say, the BBC reports.

IS “fired at everything that moved” after entering on Thursday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

A separate IS attack on the north-eastern city of Hassakeh has displaced 60,000 people, the UN says.

Kobane became a symbol of Kurdish resistance in January after an IS siege lasting several months was repelled.

IS launched an apparent two-pronged offensive on Thursday after Kurdish fighters from the Popular Protection Units (YPG) cut off one of the militants’ major supply routes near Raqqa.

Raqqa is the de facto capital of the IS “caliphate”, whose creation IS announced a year ago after it captured large swathes of northern and western Iraq and parts of Syria.

On 25 June Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a condolence letter in connection with the death of Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church Nerses Petros XIX, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President reports.

The letter runs as follows:

“I have learnt with deep sorrow about the death of Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church Nerses Petros XIX.

The deceased Patriarch had a substantial input in solving national issues, strengthening the Motherland-Diaspora ties, maintaining the Armenian national identity and developing inter-church dialogue.

On behalf of the Artsakh people, authorities and on my own behalf I express my condolences on this irretrievable loss. The memory of Patriarch Nerses Petros XIX Tarmouni will always remain bright in the hearts of our faithful people.”