1620 – English language newspaper Namloos begins publishing in Amsterdam
1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself emperor of France in Paris, taking the crown from attending Pope Pius VII.
1816 – The first savings bank in the United States, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, opens for business.
1848 – Austria's Emperor Ferdinand I abdicates in favour of Franz Joseph I.
1920 – Armenia cedes territory to Turkey by Treaty of Alexandropol while Communists seize power in Armenian capital Yerevan and proclaim a Soviet republic.
1942 – Nuclear chain reaction is demonstrated for the first time by scientists working on the secret Manhattan Project underneath the University of Chicago's football stadium.
1954 – United States Senator Joseph McCarthy is censured by the Senate for browbeating army personnel with his communist witch- hunts.
1969 – The Boeing 747 jumbo jet makes its debut as 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, fly from Seattle to New York City.
1971 – Britain terminates all treaties with crucial states in the Gulf, leading to formation of United Arab Emirates.
1982 – In the first operation of its kind, doctors at the University of Utah Medical Centre implant a permanent artificial heart. Barney Clark, a retired dentist, lives 112 days with the device.
1993 – Drug lord Pablo Escobar, one of the world's most wanted men, is killed in a gunfight with security forces in Colombia, 16 months after he escaped from prison.
2001 – Enron, the largest United States energy-trading company, files for bankruptcy protection, dealing a blow to financial markets worldwide. It is the largest bankruptcy in United States history.
2006 – Fidel Castro fails to attend a military parade marking the 50th anniversary of the date he and his rebels launched their revolution, fuelling speculation that the ailing Cuban leader may not ever return to power.
2010 – Swedish authorities win a court ruling in their bid to arrest the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for questioning in a rape case.
L'Express s'est entretenu avec Bako Sahakian, le président du Haut-Karabagh. Une république auto-proclamée située sur le territoire de l'Azerbaïdjan, non-reconnue par la communauté internationale.
Quand les armes se tairont-elles? Des combats de tranchées ont encore lieu, sporadiquement, entre les armées de l'Azerbaïdjan et du Haut-Karabagh, une région qui a souhaité s'en détacher lors de l'éclatement de l'URSS, avec le soutien armé décisif de l'Arménie, que Bakou reconnaît comme seul belligérant.
La guerre pour le contrôle de ce territoire, peuplé majoritairement d'Arméniens, a fait 30 000 morts et des centaines de milliers de réfugiés. Et depuis le cessez-le-feu de 1994, rien n'a changé, la signature d'un traité de paix se faisant toujours attendre – cette république auto-proclamée n'est reconnue par aucun Etat membre de l'ONU.
Une signature qui ne devrait pas intervenir tout de suite considère le président du Haut-Karabagh, Bako Sahakian. De passage en France cette semaine pour le lancement des "Journées de l'Artsakh", L'Express l'a rencontré.
Le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères, Sergueï Lavrov, a déclaré cette semaine que les négociations pour la paix entre le Haut-Karabagh et l'Azerbaïdjan "ne se termineront pas de sitôt"…
Bako Sahakian: Je préfère des analyses réalistes comme celle-ci aux déclarations de haut-responsables politiques de tel ou tel pays annonçant que la solution est proche. Mon pays est la partie la plus intéressée pour une paix définitive dans la région. Le seul fait que l'Artsakh (nom officiel du Haut-Karabagh depuis un vote en 2017) ne soit pas reconnu par d'autres pays est pénalisant pour notre population.
Pour arriver au début de l'établissement d'une paix, il faut établir des relations de confiance entre les parties. Ce qui n'existe pas du tout aujourd'hui. En tout cas, l'accord obtenu avec les médiateurs du conflit, qui concernait la mise en place de mécanismes d'enquête pour éviter toute violation du cessez-le-feu, n'a pas été respecté. Il aurait pu influer d'une manière positive sur l'établissement d'une relation de confiance et permis qu'on ne s'entre-tue plus.
Qu'attendez-vous de la France, dans le groupe de Minsk avec les Etats-Unis et la Russie, chargé de faciliter une issue pacifique du conflit?
La France est un pays ami pour les Arméniens. Et notre première volonté, dans le contexte du conflit, n'est pas que la France devienne un ennemi de l'Azerbaïdjan.
LIRE AUSSI >> "Diplomatie du caviar" en Azerbaïdjan: une enquête anti-corruption en Europe
Mais en même temps, nous ne souhaitons pas que des relations s'établissent entre l'Azerbaïdjan et un certain nombre de responsables politiques sur la base de mensonges, de corruption et de fausses valeurs. Cela se fait en grande partie au détriment de notre pays.
L'Azerbaïdjan a acheté beaucoup d'armements sophistiqués ces dernières années. Craignez-vous une attaque d'envergure?
Que ce soit avant l'achat de ces armes sophistiquées ou après, l'Azerbaïdjan a toujours été dans la logique de les utiliser contre le Haut-Karabagh. Elle ne s'en est jamais cachée et son président, notamment, profère assez régulièrement des menaces. Quand il y a eu l'agression azerbaïdjanaise de quatre jours en 2016 (110 morts, dont des civils, de part et d'autre), une partie de ces armes a été utilisée contre le Haut-Karabagh.
Une grande partie de ces armes a été vendue par la Russie, pourtant partenaire stratégique de l'Arménie et amie du Haut-Karabagh. Vladimir Poutine ne joue-t-il pas un double-jeu?
L'Azerbaïdjan en achète également à Israël, la Biélorussie, l'Ukraine et d'autres pays. L'occasion nous a été donnée à plusieurs reprises de dire que ces ventes à l'Azerbaïdjan sont inadmissibles, sachant qu'il promet leur utilisation contre le Haut-Karabagh. Il y a des négociations auxquelles l'Azerbaïdjan participe, mais parallèlement, il ne cesse pas les menaces d'une reprise de la guerre. C'est un pays qui se durcit, dont on connaît la situation en matière de liberté [en régression]. Nous considérons que cette menace n'est pas uniquement contre les Arméniens, mais aussi contre la communauté internationale dans son ensemble.
Des canons arméniens, pointés vers l'armée de l'Azerbaïdjan, le 8 avril 2016, au Haut-Karabagh.
REUTERS
Le régime en place en Azerbaïdjan, incarné par le clan Aliyev, vous paraît-il durable?
L'actuel président azerbaïdjanais (Ilham Aliyev) a hérité son pouvoir de son père (Heydar Aliyev, président de 1993 jusqu'à sa mort en 2003 à 80 ans). Récemment, il a nommé son épouse comme vice-présidente du pays (Mehriban Aliyev). Cette famille veut rester coûte que coûte au pouvoir. Je parie que quand le fils aura l'âge de prendre le pouvoir, il trouvera une fonction qui garantira à cette famille de le conserver.
La restitution à l'Azerbaïdjan de certains districts qui ne sont pas peuplés par des Arméniens vous semble-t-elle, à terme, envisageable?
Ce n'est évidemment pas la première fois que l'on me pose la question. Voici ma réponse: l'Azerbaïdjan a été artificiellement créé au début du XXe siècle sur une partie de notre territoire, le Haut-Karabagh, sur décision du parti bolchevique. Je suis en désaccord avec l'affirmation d'une "occupation" par l'armée du Haut-Karabagh. Le conflit qui a surgi entre l'Azerbaïdjan et le Haut-Karabagh a été la conséquence de la politique des bolcheviques. Nous ne pouvons pas trouver de solution si on continue à réfléchir comme eux.
Et concernant les ex-zones de peuplement azéri sous votre contrôle?
Le malentendu existe avec la communauté internationale parce qu'elle met la question des frontières et du statut des territoires au centre des solutions. Pourquoi, dès lors, ne pas parler des territoires peuplés d'Arméniens et qui ne le sont plus, à la suite de nettoyage, comme à Chahoumian, dans la partie nord du Haut-Karabagh (sous contrôle azéri depuis la guerre). Nous sommes d'accord pour discuter des territoires évoqués, mais il faudrait discuter de l'ensemble de ces territoires d'une manière globale.
La ville fantôme d'Agdam, à présent sous contrôle arménien, a compté près de 30 000 habitants, majoritairement azéris. Ici le 29 octobre 2009.
REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili
Quelle est votre position concernant la Catalogne, dont l'autorité régionale a vainement proclamé son indépendance?
Mon pays exprime sa solidarité envers tous les peuples qui luttent pour leur liberté et leurs droits. Certains processus sont irréversibles, à partir du moment où tout un peuple aspire à la même chose. S'il y a des divergences de points de vue, il faut les régler de manière pacifique. La guerre ne règle rien. Ce que je souhaite au peuple catalan, s'il souhaite, sur la base de son droit à l'autodétermination, changer de statut, c'est qu'il le fasse d'une manière pacifique.
Pas question donc de reconnaître à ce stade une indépendance catalane?
L'établissement de relations normalisées entre les Catalans et l'Etat espagnol est dans l'intérêt des deux entités. C'est à eux de s'entendre. S'ils ne s'entendent pas, nous pourrions voir, en fonction des relations que nous pourrions établir, qu'elle sera notre position. Mais je ne suis pas favorable à une reconnaissance par principe. Ce n'est que déclaratif et cela n'apportera rien de substantiel.
` Wednesday,
3 Armenian Soldiers Killed, One Wounded In Anti-Tank Mine Explosion In
Karabakh
Armenia - An Armenian soldier on combat duty on the border with
Azerbaijan, 30Dec2015.
Three servicemen of Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian army have been
killed and another one was seriously wounded in a mine explosion
reported at one of the military units stationed in the northeastern
direction of the line of contact with Azerbaijan's armed forces.
Nagorno-Karabakh's Ministry of Defense said the incident occurred on
Tuesday evening. It identified the killed servicemen as 22-year-old
leutenant Gegham Zakarian, 19-year-old private Sargis Abrahamian and
20-year-old private Sargis Melikian.
Nineteen-year-old private Narek Hoveyan is currently being treated by
doctors, his condition is assessed as heavy, the source said.
"Investigation is underway to establish the circumstances of the
incident," the Nagorno-Karabakh military said.
Armenia's Investigation Committee also said that one of its units is
investigating the circumstances of the Karabakh servicemen's death.
In a statement it said that the servicemen were blown up by an
anti-tank mine while carrying out engineering work.
The Investigation Committee said a criminal case has been instituted
on the hallmarks of a penal code article dealing with "breach of rules
for handling weapons, ammunition# that negligently caused the death of
two or more persons."
Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovannisian also confirmed
that the case was not a consequence of "direct enemy impact".
The latest deadly incident in Nagorno-Karabakh comes shortly after a
regional tour by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who visited
Baku and Yerevan on November 19-21 for talks with the political
leaderships of Azerbaijan and Armenia that also focused on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
Armenian Government To Subsidize New Water Tariff Rise
. Anush Muradian
Armenia -- A session of the Public Services Regulatory
Commission. 22Nov., 2017
A public utilities regulator has approved a second water tariff rise
within just over a year sought by a French company that became
Armenia's single operator in late 2016. This time, however, the
increase will be subsidized by the Armenian government for a year.
The French company, Veolia Djur, had formally asked the Public
Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) to raise the tariff from 180
drams to 194.3 drams (some 40 U.S. cents) per cubic meter for the vast
majority of consumers. The PSRC on Wednesday decided to partly satisfy
the French company's request.
Garegin Baghramian, the head of the PSRC's Tariff Policy Department,
said the water tariff will be increased by 11.4 drams - to 191.4 drams
per cubic meter. (According to the current exchange rate, one
U.S. dollar is about 485 Armenians drams). The new tariff will become
effective from January 1, 2018.
On November 2, Prime Minister Karen Karapetian instructed the State
Water Committee (SWC) head to submit a proposal to the government on
how to keep the existing retail water tariff if a new rise is
approved.
At today's session of the PSRC a representative of the SWC and the
Commission's head announced that the government will fulfill its
promise and during 2018 consumers in Armenia will continue to pay 180
drams per cubic meter of water.
"The difference between the current tariff and the tariff to be
applied from January 1 should be subsidized at the expense of lease
payments," said Armen Sergoyan, head of the SWC's Water Supply and
Drainage Systems Department.
PSRC Chairman Robert Nazarian said: "Certainly the tariffs for our
consumers will remain at the same level as they are today. I think the
State Water Committee will submit a relevant draft decision to the
Government at one of its upcoming sessions and it will be adopted."
The regulators already sanctioned a nearly 6 percent rise in the water
price last December. The PSRC head told Veolia Djur representatives at
that time to "operate in a way that will preclude further tariff
increases." He said the Armenian subsidiary of France's Veolia utility
group must specifically crack down on "illegal water consumers."
Veolia Djur General Manager Christian Lefaix was also present at
today's meeting. Addressing him, Nazarian noted that there are
numerous shortcomings in terms of water consumption volumes, which
have also been revealed as a result of a relevant monitoring. "I
should ask Mr. Lefaix today to use all his reserves and potential in
this direction and do everything possible so that we do not raise the
tariffs due to the volume of water consumption," the PSRC head said.
Armenia's drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities are run
by Veolia in accordance with a 15-year management contract which it
signed with the Armenian government in November last year.
Before that the French company for a decade managed the water and
sewerage network of Yerevan. It significantly improved water supply in
the Armenian capital in that period not least because of capital
investments made in the aging network.
In a November 2016 statement, Veolia said that it will attract $200
million in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development and the German development bank KfW over the next four
years for similar infrastructure upgrades across the country. "By 2030
the entire population of Armenia will thus be supplied with drinking
water [around the clock] thanks to Veolia," said the statement.
Armenian Students, Officials Hold `Roundtable' On Military Service Law
. Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Participants of a roundtable discussion on the new law on
military service observe a minute of silence in honor of killed
soldiers, Yerevan,22Nov,2017
Leaders of a student movement against controversial restrictions of
the right to draft deferments have met with Armenian parliament
members and government officials on Wednesday in a `roundtable
discussion' that was promised to them in exchange for the halt in
their street protests last week.
The restrictions sought by the Ministry of Defense were approved by
the Armenian National Assembly on November 15 and will become law upon
signing by President Serzh Sarkisian.
Under the legislation, in order to get a draft deferment all male
students who want to pursue their studies must sign contracts with the
Ministry of Defense and agree to serve three years in the military
after completing their studies at the location chosen by the
Ministry. Otherwise, the legislation stipulates, the students will be
drafted to the army once they attain the age of 18 to serve for two
years.
Critics of the legislation argue that the measure will discourage
students from pursuing scientific careers and will eventually harm the
development of science in the country. Proponents of the law,
including Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian, see no such risks. They
point out that the law will give a fairer treatment to all students
and will reduce corruption by closing a key loophole to avoiding
compulsory military service.
Armenia - University students protest in Yerevan against government
plans to abolish military draft deferments, 7Nov2017.
David Petrosian, one of the leaders of the student group, "For Science
Development", that spearheaded weeklong rallies and a boycott of
classes that involved hundreds of students from Yerevan State
Universities as well as some other schools of higher learning, told
lawmakers and representatives of the ministries of defense and
education today that instead of "taking the university to the army"
they suggest "bringing the army into the university."
In particular, students came up with two proposals that still need to
be discussed by government representatives and lawmakers. They
recommended that the government work out a flexible draft deferment
policy that will help develop the science and education system, will
ensure the continuity of the education process and at the same time
will exclude corruption.
Petrosian also proposed that students be engaged in military service
during their bachelor's degree studies in universities.
"We distribute 18-month-long service during the four-year bachelor's
degree studies, and we get about four months of service during a year
with two-month periods. This allows us not to take the university to
the army, but to bring the army into the university. The principle of
the continuity of students' education will not be violated and at the
same time students will participate in the service. It means that for
four years students will be in service, at the same time they will
continue their education in the university," Petrosian said.
Deputy Defense Minister Artak Zakarian noted that the proposed type of
service is now applied in Switzerland, which he said is a country
where there is no threat of war.
As for master's degree studies, students suggest that military service
be continued for six more months during post-graduate studies.
The general approach shown by government representatives was that the
problem is not connected with the law, which was adopted in parliament
last week, and that all issues should be regulated by government
decisions and sub-legislative acts.
"We can state that there is a problem and that the discussion has been
a successful one, because we hear each other, because from both sides
there are common approaches and the desire to give a more
comprehensive and full solution to the problem. And these mechanisms
are now to be set out in government decisions and sub-legislative
acts. Let's start to work with the government together to make your
recommendations documented so that they can be reflected in government
decisions and sub-legislative acts. This is my suggestion. The ball is
in the government's court now," said Deputy Parliament Speaker Eduard
Sharmazanov, who represents the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
Among those participating in the discussions was also Armenia's
Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchian.
Before the start of the roundtable its participants observed a
minute's silence in honor of three Armenian servicemen who were killed
in an anti-tank mine explosion while carrying out engineering work in
Nagorno-Karabakh last night.
Tashir Considers Construction Of Hydro-Power Plant In Southern Armenia
. Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia -- Vice President of Tashir group Karen Darbinian. 22Nov.,
2017
The Tashir group of companies, which has pledged to invest $872
million in Armenian electricity grids in the next ten years, is going
to make large-scale investments also in the electricity generation
sector, a representative said.
Besides a hydro-power plant in Shnogh, which is in the northeast of
Armenia, the company considers the possibility of building an HPP also
in Meghri, which is in the extreme south of the country.
At a press conference on Wednesday Tashir's Vice President Karen
Darbinian did not give further details regarding the possible
hydro-power plant construction in Meghri. "This is at the stage of
discussions. It is very likely that in the future Tashir will make
investments also in the field of electricity production," he said.
On November 13, Tashir announced that on the river Debed it will build
a 120 MW hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of up to 460
million kilowatts per year, which will provide about 6 percent of
Armenia's total demand in electricity.
Tashir Group, which is owned by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel
Karapetian, owns the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) and the
Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant, which it acquired from the Russian Inter
RAO Company in October 2015. Besides, Tashir, in fact, also owns
Armenia's largest solar power plant, Arexim, with a capacity of 0.5
MW, which was inaugurated in the Armenian town of Tsaghkadzor in
September.
In August, by the government's decision, the High-Voltage Electric
Networks state company was handed over to the management of Tashir for
a period of five years with the possibility of prolongation. Due to
this company it is possible to export large volumes of electricity
from Armenia or to import electricity to the country.
In this regard, Darbinian said: "No specific strategy has been
outlined yet, but, of course, we will also be engaged in export. The
export of electricity is a very important factor for Armenia in terms
of energy security."
As for the investment of about $900 million in the ENA, the company
says it will be made during a period of 10 years, by 2028. Tashir says
it will attract half of the sum from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank and the
Eurasian Development Bank. The other half will be provided from
Tashir's own means.
According to Darbinian, 80 percent of the equipment needed for the
modernization of the ENA will be produced in Armenia, and Tashir will
invest about $100 million to establish relevant enterprises. He said
that two years ago when Tashir took over the ENA, losses in the power
grid made 13.3 percent. Now, he said, they have been reduced to 8.7
percent.
According to ENA Director General Karen Harutiunian, about a thousand
jobs will be cut as a result of the modernization of the network that
currently employs about 7,300 workers. Over the past two years 900
workers were also discharged from the ENA, but the company kept paying
100 percent of their salaries for the first year and 50 percent of
their salaries for the second.
Press Review
Armenian media analyze the statements made during yesterday's joint
press conference of the Armenian and Russian foreign ministers, Edward
Nalbandian and Sergei Lavrov, in Yerevan.
"Past" writes: "In fact, the Russian side has come to a point where,
unable to get a solution according to its own scenario, it has decided
to revert to an old status quo, which is to `freeze' the conflict
until it is again suitable for it to deal with the matter." The paper
suggests, however, that it will not be possible to return at least to
the point that existed before April 2016 when the deadliest
Armenian-Azerbaijani fighting since the 1994 ceasefire took place.
"Zhamanak" suggests that with its trilateral interaction with Turkey
and Azerbaijan in recent years Russia has sought a new situation in
the Karabakh settlement process, expecting to deploy in the conflict
zone a Russian or Russian-led peacekeeping force. "But either
Azerbaijan hurried with the April 2016 war or the Armenian armed
forces proved much more combat-ready than Moscow and Baku thought, and
the matter did not go as far as the deployment of Russian
peacekeepers," the daily concludes.
"Haykakan Zhamanak" writes: "Armenian media and expert circles readily
picked up on Lavrov's statement that there is no cause for `too much
optimism' over a speedy resolution of the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh. This was perceived as a statement made in favor of
preserving the status quo. Lavrov's statement in Baku that Russia, the
United States and France have the same position in the Karabakh
settlement was perceived the same way. But the paper reminds its
readers that the last time the international mediators lost their
optimism as a result of which they for a long time could not organize
direct talks between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, a
large-scale Azerbaijani offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh happened."
(Elen Chilingarian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
United News of India
Saturday
Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan to get Lifetime Achievement at IFFI
Panaji, Nov. 18 -- Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan will be
bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award at 48th International Film
Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 which begins on November 20.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani tweeted,
''Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, Atom Egoyan will be bestowed the
Lifetime Achievement Award at #IFFI2017. @IFFIGoa will also honour his
work with a special film section that will screen 3 films produced by
him.''
An accomplished Director, Writer and Producer, Egoyan has made a mark
in the mainstream and alternate cinema all over the world. His work is
often credited for exploring different themes that carry a rich amount
of emotions and effective use of Technology.
Born to Armenian - Egyptian parents, Egoyan discovered a lot about his
heritage when he attended the University of Toronto, and started to
study Armenian history. He developed a sudden interest in the 1915
Genocide in which up to 1.5 million of Turkey's Armenian population
were killed. He describes this moment as the motivation to make films
that highlight the history which is otherwise suppressed.
Egoyan directed 15 full-length films thereafter, several television
episodes, and a few shorter pieces. His debut film 'Next of Kin' won a
major prize at the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg.
His commercial breakthrough came with the film 'Exotica' (1994) for
which he won a lot of accolades including the FIPRESCI Prize at the
Cannes Film Festival and eight Genie Awards.
His film 'Ararat' was the first feature film on the Armenian genocide
and received critical acclaim and appreciation for taking a bold stand
on this sensitive topic. It won Best Film on Human Rights by The
Political Film Society of Hollywood.
Celebrated as one of the best Contemporary filmmakers on the
international scene, Egoyan's brilliant depiction of his artistic and
flawless scenes and capturing the emotions of the audience is widely
appreciated.
This year, at IFFI 2017, three of the best films by Atom Egoyan will
be screened namely 'Exotica', 'The Sweet Hereafter' and 'Remember'.
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.uniindia.com_canadian-2Dfilmmaker-2Datom-2Degoyan-2Dto-2Dget-2Dlifetime-2Dachievement-2Dat-2Diffi_entertainment_news_1051343.html&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=7YL3Gzx150F9t5AOq0OZlOXqDHqbnzNKAdF2YIQsFsc&s=Sc-nE5CYePKMY_WNrER9Dd2FjzeFcJokf_Om35BzBsc&e=
YEREVAN, November 16. /ARKA/. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) said today in a statement that they met separately on 14 and 16 November with the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meetings.
The Co-Chairs discussed with the Foreign Ministers concrete steps to implement the agreements reached by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan during the Geneva summit on 16 October 2017 as well as other items raised by the Co-Chairs in Geneva. During the meetings, the Co-Chairs and the Ministers reviewed a number of working proposals currently on the table.
The Ministers agreed to hold a joint meeting on the margins of the December 2017 OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna. The Co-Chairs will prepare the agenda for this meeting, which will include substantive issues of the political settlement, as well as specific measures to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact. Special attention will be paid to finalizing the expansion of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum. On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.
A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed. Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year. On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. —0—
Armenian Genocide vid presented at Amsterdam's KLIK festival
A video prepared by the Union of Armenians of Ukraine was presented at the international animation festival KLIK in Amsterdam.
Titled "Thank you for the chance to blossom again. Armenians", the video was directed by Andranik Berberyan and Andrew Lidagovsky and was timed to coincide with the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The video was presented in several festivals, including Ukraine's Molodiya Festival, KLIK in Amsterdam, as well as the international festival ReAnimania in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, and was well-received everywhere.
"This shows that the world is loyal to our new communication message and is ready to join it, becoming closer to the Armenian people, understanding of its culture," Berberyan said.
The video took the third spot at the Molodiya Festival in Kiev.
They Sold the Bones of Greeks And Armenians Who Were Killed in Turkey. 400 Tons Of Bones Were Transferred to France for Industrial 'Use'
Asia Minor Catastrophe led to the death of thousands of people and the displacement of 1,5 million Greeks. One more crime made by Turks occurred two years later and had been unknown for years. The crime had to do with the selling of the bones of all the people who were slaughtered by Kemal's Young Turks.
According to reports, Greeks' bones were sold by Turks to French for industrial 'use'! In total, 400 tons of human bones, which means the bones of 50.000 people, were transferred to the French industries in Marseilles. In 13th December 1924, the boat with the British flag arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece. When the workers in the port were informed of the bones, they didn't allow the boat's departure. Soon, there were demonstrations in the city from shocked refugees, who asked for the seizure of the shipment.
Finally, the English Consulate intervened, and the Greek government allowed the boat to depart so that there was no conflict with the British. The newspaper 'Macedonia' that was published on 14th December 1924 confirmed the arrival of the boat in Thessaloniki but didn't mention the human bones the boat carried.
The same month, New York Times published the news with the following headline: "An unbelievable story of a shipment with human bones." Also, the French newspaper Midi published the news, mentioning the human bones which were to be sold in Marseille.
Elias Venezis in his book Number 31328 mentions the process of collecting bones by people who were captured by Turks. When he was 18 years old, Venezis was captured with 3.000 people. He wrote the book after he returned from the East, to describe the hardships he and other captives went through after the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
In the book's prologue, he wrote: "There's nothing deeper and holier than a body in pain. This book is dedicated to this pain."
The Armenian weightlifting team recorded an outstanding result winning 32 medals, including 18 gold, 8 silvers, and 6 bronze at the U-20 and the U-23 European Weightlifting Championships held from October 15 -21 in Durres. Albania
As the country’s ministry of sport and youth affairs reported, in the U-20 tournament the representative of Armenia Arpine Dalalyan, competing in the 90+ weight class, was named the European champion with a total score of 228kg, claiming small gold medals both in the snatch and the sneak and jerk.
In the 75kg weight category, Sona Poghosyan of Armenian claimed the title of the European Champion. In the men’s competition of the U-20 tournament Simon Martirosyan claimed gold medal in the 105+ kg weight category, with a total score of 433kg, winning the gold in both events.
In the men’s competition of the U-23 tournament Gor Minasyan, competing in the 105+ kg weight class, Karush Ghukasyan – in the 94kg weight class, and Andranik Karapetyan – in the 85kg weight class, were declared European Champions.
Meanwhile Simon Martirosyan and Andranik Karapetyan were named the best athletes of respectively the U-20 and U-23 tournaments and awarded with special prizes.
The final results placed the Armenian national team the first at the championships with the most number of medals won during the competition.
The government of Turkey should start legal procedures regarding its citizens who illegally crossed Azerbaijan’s state border, Azerbaijani MP Aydin Huseynov told Trend.
He said that having taken this step, the Turkish government will thereby warn its citizens, who wish to visit the Nagorno-Karabakh region, against committing such illegal acts.
The MP stressed that the participation of Turkish citizens in an event held in the occupied Azerbaijani territories is disrespectful towards both Azerbaijan and Turkey.
On September 22, Turkish citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu illegally visited Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by the Armenian armed forces.
Grave Crimes Investigation Department of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office filed a criminal case under the Criminal Code’s Article 318.2 (illegally crossing Azerbaijan’s state borders). All four individuals are accused under the abovementioned article. A measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen against them. They were declared internationally wanted.
An appeal was sent to the Turkish law enforcement to detain the four individuals.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.