Author: Nyrie Kalashian

EU diplomats are supporting the forces that “shake” the situation in Armenia, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said as it commented on the EU statement on developments in Yerevan, reports.

“During the briefing of the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs we gave assessment to the drama in Yerevan. We also called attention to the to Armenia issued in agreement with the EU Members States’ Heads of Mission in Armenia,” the Ministry said.

“Surprisingly, there was no space in the document for a direct and clear condemnation of the criminal actions – an armed attack on the premises of a police regiment, murder of a policeman and hostage-taking,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Instead, there was an emphasis on the requirements from the authorities – to observe the principle of proportionality in handling public manifestations and call for a full investigation of all cases of alleged wrongdoing by the police.”

“It’s hard to get rid of the feeling that EU diplomats are openly supporting the forces in Armenia, which seek to “shake” the domestic political situation in the country,” the statement reads.

23: 02 Munich shooting investigated as “suspected terrorism”

Munich police are using the term “suspected terrorism” in connection with the shooting at a city mall.

22:50 Munich’s transport suspened

Munich’s main train station has been evacuated and the city’s transport system has been suspended.

People are offering space in their own homes on social media, using the hashtag #Offenetuer – which means “open door” – for people who are stranded without a way to get home.

Police have asked everyone to stay indoors.

36-year-old super middleweight contender Arthur Abraham (45-5, 30 KOs) beat little known bottom dweller Tim-Robin Lihaug (15-2, 8 KOs) by an eighth round stoppage in a fight at the Max Schmeling Halle, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany.

Abraham knocked Lihaug with a 1-2 combination in the 8th. After Lihaug got back to his feet, Abraham unloaded on him with power shots until the fight was stopped. The fight was stopped at 1:09 of the round.

Photo: NASA    

The US space agency has successfully put a new probe in orbit around Jupiter, the BBC reports.

The Juno satellite, which left Earth five years ago, had to fire a rocket engine to slow its approach to the planet and get caught by its gravity.

A sequence of tones transmitted from the spacecraft confirmed the braking manoeuvre had gone as planned.

Receipt of the radio messages prompted wild cheering at Nasa’s mission control in Pasadena, California.

“All stations on Juno co-ord, we have the tone for burn cut-off on Delta B,” Juno Mission Control had announced. “Roger Juno, welcome to Jupiter.”

Scientists plan to use the spacecraft to sense the planet’s deep interior. They think the structure and the chemistry of its insides hold clues to how this giant world formed some four-and-a-half-billion years ago.

Armenian President expects an agreement on implementation of commitments by Azerbaijan and exclusion of ceasefire violations, reports.

Speaking to reporters before the trilateral meeting between the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents in Saint Petersburg, President Sargsyan said “the recent years have shown that the negotiation process can be more or less productive if the parties meet their commitments, i.e. act in compliance with the provisions of the 1994 and 1995 agreements on ceasefire.”

“I hope we’ll finally reach an agreement in St. Petersburg and Azerbaijan will meet its commitment,” President Sargsyan said.

“I also hope that the border incidents will be excluded and we’ll continue the negotiations with an aim of reaching a final solution,” the Resident added.

Turkey’s Permanent Delegation to the EU Friday rejected the European Parliament’s Turkey Progress Report over its request for recognition of the  Armenian genocide, Anadolu Agency reports.

The report, which the EP passed in April by 375 votes in favor and 133 against, arrived at Turkey’s Permanent Delegation to the EU on Friday.

According to diplomatic sources from the delegation speaking anonymously due to restrictions on speaking with the media, the report was rejected over its remarks calling for recognition of the 1915 events “genocide”.

Turkey also returned a previous report in spring 2015 for the same reason.

“Turkey will reject the European Parliament Progress Report on Turkey to be voted on Thursday if it includes any mention of an ‘Armenian genocide,’” Turkey’s then-EU Minister Volkan Bozkir said.

In 2016 on May 30^th in the framework of World Stamp Show NY-2016  a stamped souvenir sheet  dedicated to the  “Sport. 31^st Summer Olympic Games “Rio-2016″” was canceled and put into circulation.

The souvenir sheet depicts the panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro. The stamp of the s/sheet depicts the famous Copacabana beach of Rio de Janeiro, with the images of some of the sports which Armenia will present during 31^st Summer Olympic Games..

The official cancellation ceremony was carried out by Armenia’s permanent representative to the United Nations  Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and the Managing Director of “HayPost Trust Management”   Juan Pablo Gechidjian.

HayPost is taking part in the biggest international philatelic exhibition: World Stamp Show – NY 2016

World Stamp Show -NY 2016 is a major once-a-decade eight day international philatelic exhibition which will take place May 28 through June 4 in New York, USA.

More than 120 philatelic associations and organizations and over 50 national postal operators from all over the world are taking part in the event. HayPost participates at such a major exhibition for the first time and presents Armenian philately in a strategically situated boot, thus bringing recognition to Armenia and Armenian philately. At the event Armenian stamp issuances from 2013 -2016 are presented.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in early June.

The Minister announced the plans at the National Assembly.

22 years ago, on May 12, 1994, a termless agreement on ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, signed by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the Azerbaijani Republic and the Republic of Armenia through the mediation of the Russian Federation, entered into force. This agreement, as well as the February 6, 1995 trilateral agreement on strengthening the ceasefire, signed under the auspices of the OSCE, still remain the only real achievement, which laid the foundation for peace talks and created conditions for the activities of the mediators on finding a just and final solution to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.

Before April 2, 2016, the ceasefire was generally maintained, despite the incessant attempts of Azerbaijan to destabilize the situation on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of the NKR and Azerbaijan. The NKR authorities have repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community to the purposeful actions of the Azerbaijani side, as a result of which ceasefire violations were becoming more and more threatening in their nature and scale.

Official Stepanakert has been urging the international community to condemn the deliberate policy of Azerbaijan of escalating tensions and derailing the negotiation process conducted under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship. We have repeatedly pointed out that without an adequate and targeted international response, the consistent and purposeful actions of Azerbaijan on fomenting a war in the region will become irreversible.

In the early hours of April 2, Azerbaijan, in gross violation of the agreements of May 12, 1994 and February 6, 1995, launched a large-scale offensive along the entire Line of Contact between the armed forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, using heavy weaponry, artillery and combat aircraft. Only thanks to the decisive actions of the NKR Defense Army, which gave a fitting rebuff to the insolent rival, on April 5, Azerbaijan was forced to ask, as in 1994, through the mediation of the Russian Federation for the cessation of the hostilities. It has been generally maintained, despite the recurrent violations by the Azerbaijani side.

Even after the failure of the military venture of April 2-5, Azerbaijan has not abandoned the idea to solve the conflict by force, as evidenced by the statements of the Azerbaijani officials, including at the highest level. Moreover, Azerbaijan tries to unilaterally denounce the ceasefire agreement of May 12, 1994, which is an obvious continuation of the policy on disrupting the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict and instigating a war in the region.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, being committed to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict and making every effort to fully restore the ceasefire, is at the same time prepared to stop, in the strongest terms, any attempts of Azerbaijan to unleash another aggression.

Ensuring full compliance with May 12, 1994 agreement and the practical implementation of the February 6, 1995 agreement, which contains a set of measures on early warning and crisis stabilization is the only way of creating the necessary conditions for the resumption of the peaceful settlement process of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.

Researchers and students across Georgia and Armenia are now able to participate in collaborative work with their peers in Europe and other parts of the world thanks to two direct Internet links to the pan-European GÉANT network recently implemented through the EU-funded EaPConnect project.

EaPConnect aims to create a world-class regional research and education (R&E) network in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and connect it to the European network. It is in line with the recently revised European Neighbourhood policy that aims for increased interconnectivity and economic development for the European Union and its neighbours.

“The project will further contribute to Europe being a hub for global research and education collaboration”, said DG NEAR Director for Neighbourhood East Lawrence Meredith. “EaPConnect is bridging the digital divide and bringing people together. We are proud to support the integration of Armenia and Georgia into the global landscape”.

“Armenia has a long history of achievements in scientific research. Connecting to the GÉANT network will bring positive outcomes to our pool of talents and projects while contributing to advance European and global science,’’ said Dr Hrachya Astsatryan, head of the Center for Scientific Computing at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Steve Cotter, CEO of GÉANT, commented: “We are proud to welcome two new members to the European research and education community and expand to over 40 connected local networks. GRENA and ASNET-AM are already established partners of global scientific institutions such as CERN in nuclear research and physics and the European research community looks forward to extending their collaboration with their Georgian and Armenian colleagues.’’

“The Georgian research community has a strong interest in European Technologies and scientific values. I believe that scientists working in high-energy physics, medicine, meteorology, climate change, seismology and computational biology will greatly benefit from the established network and implemented service,’’ said Dr Ramaz Kvatadze, Executive Director of GRENA.