Author: Mike Maghakian

Blogger Alexander Lapshin’s extradition will not prevent the visits to Artsakh, Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

“Alexander Lapshin’s persecution and his extradition to Azerbaijan amount to a gross violation of the freedom of speech and movement and fundamental human rights,” Tigran Balayan said.

According to him, this is yet another testament to the deep gap between dictatorship and democracy.

“Definitely, the visits of political, public and culture figures, journalists an tourists to Artsakh will not stop and will even multiply,” the Spokesperson said.

On 28 January Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to President Serzh Sargsyan of the Republic of Armenia. The address runs as follows:
“Honorable Mr. President,

On behalf of the people and authorities of the Artsakh Republic and on my own behalf, I cordially congratulate You on the 25th anniversary of the formation of the heroic Armenian army, a holiday that is dear and memorable to all of us. The Armenian army has passed a glorious way and is the pride of all the Armenians, the main guarantee of our people’s security, one of the significant factors of maintaining peace and stability in the region. The Armenian soldier with his unwavering spirit and invincible might brilliantly performs the Motherland defender’s.
Respectful Mr. Sargsyan,
Having been standing at the origins of the Army’s formation, You have done everything possible for its development and strengthening. In Artsakh we know and appreciate Your contribution and patriotic efforts.

In connection with this cherished holiday I once again congratulate You, the whole personnel of the Republic of Armenia’s Armed Forces and our entire people, wishing peace, great successes and new victories on the way of solving national issues and strengthening the Armenian statehood”.

Photos: Tasnim News Agency/Reuters

 

AP – A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed on Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people, state media reported.

The disaster struck the Plasco building, an iconic structure in central Tehran just north of the capital’s sprawling bazaar.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before the collapse. Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others wanting to rush back in to collect their valuables.

The building came down in a matter of seconds, shown live on state television, which had begun an interview with a journalist at the scene. A side of the building came down first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.

A thick plume of brown smoke rose over the site after the collapse. Onlookers wailed in grief.

Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 firehouses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8 a.m.

The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.

The Plasco building was an iconic presence on the Tehran skyline.

The 17-story tower was built in the early 1960s by Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian and named after his plastics manufacturing company. It was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.

Elghanian was tried on charges that included espionage and executed in the months after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current ruling system to power – a move that prompted many members of the country’s longstanding Jewish community to flee.

The tower is attached to a multistory shopping mall featuring a sky-lit atrium and a series of turquoise-colored fountains. It wasn’t immediately clear if the mall was damaged.

Three strong earthquakes have been felt in central Italy, with people in Rome saying they experienced the tremors, local media say, Sky News reports.

On 16 January President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree, according to which serviceman of the NKR Defense Army’s N division Garik Vardanyan was posthumously awarded with the “For Service in Battle” medal for bravery shown during the defense of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic state border.

Private of the NKR Defense Army Garik Artashes Vardanyan, born in 1996, succumbed to wounds at the military hospital in Yerevan on January 15.

The NKR Defense Ministry shares the sorrow of the heavy loss and expresses its condolences to Garik Vardanyan’s family and friends.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan called a consultative meeting to discuss ways of promoting exports and providing Armenian manufacturers access to new markets.

Per-sector investment packages were presented to the Prime Minister, covering transport, communications, information technology, energy and agriculture.

The meeting focused on those sectors strong with specific export potential. To make the steps more effective, Karen Karapetyan instructed to intensify contacts with the private sector.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime about 110 times at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces over the weekend, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The rival used firearms of different calibers as it fired over 2,500 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The Azeri forces used 60mm mine thrower and hand-held anti-tank automatic grenade launchers.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army confidently continue with their military duty and resort to response actions in case of necessity.

President Serzh Sargsyan met with the Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

At the beginning of the meeting the President of Armenia expressed thanks to the friendly United Arab Emirates for the warm welcome extended to the RA official delegation and expressed confidence that the visit will provide the opportunity to conduct practical discussions and achieve mutually beneficial agreements which will elevate the Armenian-UAE multifaceted friendly relations to a qualitatively new level and will bring their significant contribution to the future development of the bilateral cooperation.

Stressing the importance of historical and cultural legacy of the Armenian-Arab past, a common approach to a number of issues, as well as the presence in the Arab countries of the Armenian communities, Serzh Sargsyan underscored that in Armenia’s foreign policy the Middle East has always occupied a considerable role and 25 years after the Armenian independence our country has been unfoldin an efficient and multifaceted cooperation with the Arab states.

According to the President of Armenia, the relations between Armenia and the UAE with this regard occupy a special place and present an excellent example of cooperation.

At the meeting, the parties praised the relations between the two friendly states and peoples and expressed readiness to develop and strengthen them even further.

President Sargsyan highlighted the importance of deepening the trade, economic and investment cooperation with the countries of the Persian Gulf. He said that Armenia views the UAE as an important hub for transportation from Armenia to the Gulf region and other countries and back, towards Armenia. He informed Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that from the viewpoint of developing relations between the two friendly states, he has made an offer to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan to organize an investment conference in the Emirates dedicated to Armenia. According to the President of Armenia, the experience and good reputation of the successfully organized conferences at the United Arab Emirates will allow the major investment companies from the Emirates and regional countries to turn the conferences into working meetings and create opportunities for the development of investments in Armenia.

The parties stressed the importance of establishing the visa-free regime which will  promote tourism. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum noted that starting next year the Emirates intend to make Fly Dubai flights to Yerevan daily.

The President of Armenia and Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum concurred that there is a great potential for deepening the cooperation between the two countries.

At the conclusion of the meeting, there took place the document signing ceremony. Armenia and the UAE signed a number of documents aimed at the deepening and strengthening of the bilateral cooperation in different areas. Signed were the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Cooperation in the Area of Security and Fight against Terrorism, as well a Memorandum of Understanding between the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations and the UAE Supreme Council for National Security, National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority on Cooperation in Emergency Situations, Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Agreement on the Expansion of Investment and Business Opportunities between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the RA and the UAE Chamber of Commerce.

After the document signing ceremony the Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave official dinner in honor of the President of Armenia who is in the UAE on official visit.

Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia Andrej Danko visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today accompanied by Vice-Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov and President of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan.

Members of the Slovakian delegation laid a wreath at the memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims and paid tribute to their memory with a minute of silence.

The guests visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and left a note in the guest book.

Sharing his impressions from the visit, Andrej Danko said: “Sharing the sorrow and bowing before this memorial with huge respect, I never try to hide my tears.”

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will visit France on October 27.

Minister Nalbandian is expected to have a meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault.