Author: Paul Hambardsumian

On September 14, CSTO Permanent Council Session was held under the Chairmanship of Davit Virabyan, the Permanent and Plenipotentiary Representative of Armenia to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Petko Draganov, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Head of United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), as well as Marcel Peṧko, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre delivered speeches during the meeting.

The representatives of the UN and OSCE touched upon the activities of the institutions headed by them, the issues standing before them, perspective directions of the cooperation with the CSTO.

During discussions the promotion of the cooperation between the UN, OSCE and the CSTO in issues of mutual interest was highlighted. In this context Ambassador Peṧko stressed the efforts by the Armenian Chairmanship in CSTO aimed at development of the OSCE-CSTO practical interaction.

On a visit to Argentina, Vice-President of the Armenian National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov had a meeting with members of the Argentina-Armenia Friendship Groups of both chambers of the country’s Parliament.

Edward Sharmazanov emphasized the importance of establishing close ties between the friendship groups, noting that the cooperation could contribute to the development of interstate relations between Armenia and Argentina. He attached importance to reciprocal support on the international arena.

Edward Sharmazanov briefed the Argentine lawmakers on the situation at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

“We live in a region facing a number of challenges, where Turkey is upholding the 20-year-long illegal blockade of Armenia on one hand, and Azerbaijan is threatening the security and stability in the region with its criminal policy on the other hand,” he said.

“Everyone should realize that there is no alternative to the realization of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination. Armenians of Artsakh share equal rights with the people of any other country. The international recognition of Artsakh is the imperative of the time,” Sharmazanov added.

An Armenian delegation headed by Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of Logistics Department Movses Hakobyan has departed for Moscow to participate in bilateral Armenian-Russian negotiations on military-technical cooperation, Press Service of the Armenian Defense Ministry reports.

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed he is still not sure if he will be fit for the Manchester derby.

The Armenian international was forced off on the 38th minute in a friendly against the Czech Republic and had to miss the 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Denmark.

“We win and lose together…I am very disappointed to have missed yesterday’s game vs Denmark, but I would like to thank the team for their hard work,” Mkhitaryan said in a Facebook post.

“I continue extensively my rehabilitation, but I am not sure yet if I will be fit for the derby this weekend,” he added.

“I am motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy to be in great shape as soon as possible…a simple devotion to what I love most – football! Thanks for sending me your love and support,” Mkhitaryan wrote.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Forum will be held in Uruguay on Friday, September 2, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,  reports.

“The Nagorno-Karabakh Forum in Uruguay is a space composed of social activists, academics and legislators that aims to enrich and promote the country’s position of support for a peaceful resolution in the conflict involving the Republics of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and threatens the stability of the entire South Caucasus,” said the Armenian National Committee of Uruguay, the organizers of the initiative.

According to the organizers, the members of the forum will develop and publish investigations and organize discussions on the issues pertaining to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The forum, which is sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, will be attended by Robert Avedisyan, Permanent Representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to the United States, who will read a message sent by President Bako Sahakyan supporting the initiative.

Other participants include Senator Rafael Michelini, Senator Ruben Martinez Huelmo and Deputy Daniel Radio, Deputy Susana Pereyra, Deputy Pablo Abdala, Belela Herrera, theformer Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Historian Gerardo Caetano and Oscar Lopez Goldaracena, lawyer and human rights specialist.

“This forum is a contribution to the understanding and the search for a peaceful solution from the South American region,” said Alfonso Tabakian, Director of the Armenian National Committee of South America. “It is composed of renowned personalities from different areas of Uruguay, which will be a bridge so that the public opinion in that country could approach the topic and understand the reality of the conflict without the defects or pressures that may present in the diplomatic tensions or blackmailing by the economic powers,” said Tabakian.

“We are convinced that given the solidarity and democratic characteristics of the Uruguayan people, they will understand the issue and will support the struggle for the sovereignty of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

On January 4, 2015, the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry issued a statement pleading for international recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh and its right to self-determination.

A total of 29 children were killed in a suicide attack targeting a wedding party in the Şahinbey district of the southeastern province of Gaziantep late on Aug. 20. The total death toll in the attack has risen to 54, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Some 29 of the victims of the deadly suicide bombing in the Beybahçe neighborhood were identified as being under the age of 18 after the identification process.

A total of 44 victims have been identified and laid to rest so far, including 31 males and 13 females. The autopsy and identification processes of another seven victims are also ongoing.

The death toll in the suicide attack, meanwhile, rose to 54 in the early hours of Aug. 22.

Another three wounded people who were receiving treatment at hospitals succumbed to their injuries, bringing the death toll to 54.

A total of 66 wounded are still receiving treatment at hospitals in the province, with 14 in a critical condition.

 

 

 

Organizers of the 13^th Golden Apricot Yerevan Film Festival today presented the cooperation with a number of Foreign Missions accredited to Armenia. The best French, Russian and British films will screened within the framework of the festival.

Golden Apricot Film Festival in cooperation with British Council in Armenia will present a special film program, dedicated to the 400th anniversary of renowned British writer William Shakespeare’s death. The best films, based on Shakespeare’s works, will be screened in the frames of the program.

The “French New Cinema” program will be realized in cooperation with the Embassy of France in Armenia. It includes the best three films of French production.  The program will open with Two Remis, Two, (2015) by Pierre Léon.

The “Danish New Cinema” program will be implemented in cooperation with the Danish Film Institute. The program will present the best Danish films of the last five years. The Commune (2015) by Thomas Winterberg will open the program.

The four best films by Basque directors will be presented in a separate film program titled “Basque New Cinema.” The film Autumn without Berlin (2015) by Lara Izagirre is to open the film program.

The Golden Apricot 13^th International Film Festival will kick off on July 10 with the screening of Hamo Beknazaryan’s Zareh and will run through July 17.

Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has admitted that they will come to a decision over Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s future soon, the reports.

Manchester United are closing in on the Armenian midfielder and Watzke confirmed that a new, improved, bid had arrived.

Dortmund were desperate to keep hold of the 27-year-old but an offer in the region of £33m looks like it has convinced them to sell.

They wanted him to stay and see out the last 12 months of his contract but agent Mino Raiola went into overdrive in a bid to get him out.

Watzke told German paper : “The situation is now different.

“Manchester have made a much improved offer.

“In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision.

“And as we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend.

“I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up at the weekend. And then the board will make the decision, definitely at the weekened.”

Photo: AFP/ADEM ALTAN

 

Putin has received Erdogan’s message where he apologized for death of Russian Su-24 pilot and expressed readiness to resume relations with Russia, Kremlin spokesman has said.

According to the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Erdogan “is sorry” and is willing to deal with the crisis in the relations between two countries, Sputnik News reports.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov will visit Armenia June 27-28, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister will meet with Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries will be followed by a joint press conference.