Author: Rose Khoyetsian

Today, on the occasion of the State Holiday of the Russian Federation – Russia Day, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Armenia. He congratulated Ambassador Ivan Volynkin and the entire staff of the Embassy and wished them all the best also the well being and prosperity to the people of Russia.

The President of Armenia watched the festive cultural program prepared by the employees of the Embassy.

On the occasion of the holiday, President Serzh Sargsyan sent congratulatory messages to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the RF Government Dmitry Medvedev.

In the congratulatory message addressed to the President of the Russian Federation, President Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that the strategic nature of the Armenian-Russian cooperation, which is based on the friendly and brotherly relations of the two peoples, constantly reveals itself on the bilateral interstate level, as well as in the cooperation in the framework of international and regional settings.

“I am confident that through the joint efforts we will be able to promote future development of the entire complex of our bilateral relations and implement reached agreements which are aimed at maintaining development in the atmosphere of stability and security,” reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia.

In the congratulatory message addressed to the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, President Sargsyan noted that this remarkable holiday is inseparably tied to the profound transformation in Russia’s vital activities and is aimed at the prosperity of the citizens and strengthening of Russia’s role on the international arena.

Manchester United have entered the fray for Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, according to the Daily Mail. The report says that the Armenian is set to leave Dortmund, as he is refusing to sign a new contract and any transfer fee would be worth £25 million.

Arsenal and Juventus have been in long discussions for Mkhitaryan, while it’s also believed that Chelsea and Liverpool have shown interest in the 27-year-old.

Dortmund are probably overjoyed, as that £25 million fee is set to explode now Man United have joined a range of other elite clubs wanting to sign Mkhitaryan. We’re two weeks into this transfer saga, and no closer to learning where he wants to go.

Champions League matches may put Arsenal and Juventus in the box seat, but United and Chelsea can pay top dollar to soothe the wait for top level European action.

The only German lawmaker who voted “no” to a resolution recognizing the World War I-era killings of Ottoman Armenians as “genocide” has said it is not the duty of the Bundestag to vote on historical events that took place in other countries, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Bettina Kudla, a MP from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), posted a statement on her website after the vote on June 2.

“It’s not the duty of the Federal Parliament to evaluate historical events that took place in other countries. In the resolution presented to parliament, there was also no assessment from historians showing that this was genocide,” read the statement.

“It’s not possible to see the political and financial outcomes of this resolution already,” she added.

As the only no-voter among the 631 lawmakers in the Bundestag, Kudla said the vote could seriously harm relations between Germany and Turkey.

“This could also harm the migrant deal signed between Turkey and the European Union. That would make the solution of the both the refugee and migrant issues more difficult. The collapse of the deal between Turkey and the EU would lead to very serious humanitarian consequences and a major financial burden for Germany,” he added.

Also opposing accusations against Germany over the incident, Kudla said the GermanEmpire should not be considered a “partner in crime” for the 1915 killings.

“It’s not accurate to arrive at the conclusion that the German Empire was a partner in crime in the Armenian deportations. The resolution [voted on at the Bundestag] does not state where this responsibility stems from,” she added.

The Board of the IRWF has unanimously resolved to award the Raoul Wallenberg Medal to the late Dr. Stanley E. Kerr and his wife, Elsa, for their devoted work in favor of Armenian women and children in the 1920’s who had managed to survive the great tragedy which started to unfold in 1915.

The relief effort was organized and provided by the Near East Relief (NER) and among the American volunteers was they 21 year old Stanley Kerr, at that time, a junior officer with the US Medical Corps. After having served in Aleppo he was transferred to Marash, in Anatolia, where he headed the American assistance operations, at a great risk for the Turks regarded the Americans as collaborators of the Armenians. In 1922, he moved to Beirut where he and his wife Elas, established the Near East Relief Orphanage for Armenian children at Nahr Ibrahim, Lebanon. In this position, the couple was instrumental in aiding a significant number of Armenian mothers and children.

In 1925, Stanley Kerr earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, a field where he distinguished himself, and returned to Beirut to chair the Department of Biochemistry of the American University of Beirut. In 1965, he retired with the rank of Distinguished Professor and was awarded the Order of Merit from the Republic of Lebanon.

Besides their actual help to Armenian orphans, Stanley wrote a remarkable memoir documenting his experiences in Marash – The Lions of Marash: Personal Experiences with American Near Esast Relief, 1919-1922), providing a first-hand account of the plight suffered by the Armenian people.

One of the couple’s sons, Dr. Malcolm Kerr, an acclaimed scholar specialized in Middle Eastern Studies, became the President of the American University of Beirut and was tragically assassinated in Beirut by extremists in 1984.

Malcolm’s son, Steve Kerr, was a prominent Basketball player and currently head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

The Raoul Wallenberg Medal will be posthumously bestowed to Stanley and Elsa Kerr, in the hands of their grandchildren and it will be coordinated with them, together with other commemorative initiatives such as a special stamp dedicated to the heroic couple.

Mr. Eduardo Eurnekian, Chairman of the IRWF, said that “Dr. Stanley Kerr and his wife Elsa are an example of pure humanitarianism and as such, they should be recognized and remembered. They should serve as role models for the young generations”.

Photo: Reuters

Three bomb blasts in Baghdad have killed at least 53 people, medics say, the latest in a series of attacks in the Iraqi capital in the past week, the BBC reports.

A female suicide bomber is believed to have targeted a market in the northern, mainly Shia Muslim area of Shaab.

The other bombs went off at a market in the neighbouring predominantly Shia district of Sadr City and among shoppers in Rashid, to the south.

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the Shaab attack.

On 10 May Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan met at the Tigranakert archeological museum with representatives of Hay Dat Central Council, regional committees and offices, NKR President’s Press Office reported.

A wide range of issues related to Artsakh’s domestic and foreign policy, the Motherland-Diaspora ties, the large- scale military operations launched by Azerbaijan from 2 to 5 April and their consequences, as well as current regional developments were discussed during the meeting.

President Sahakyan appreciated the activity of Hay Dat in objective presentation of the Armenian Genocide, the Artsakh cause and solution of the issues of pan-Armenian significance.

Bako Sahakyan welcomed holding the conference of the ARF Hay Dat committees and offices in Artsakh underlining the unique importance of the event.

The relative tranquility established between the armed fores of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan was again breached by the Azeri side at about 17:40, the NKR Defense Ministry reports.

The Azeri forces used 82 mm mortars as they shelled the military positions of the Defense Army in the direction of Martakert.

Movement of equipment was observed in the northeastern direction of the line of contact.

The font divisions of the NKR Defense Army closely follow  the developments on the frontline and undertake retaliatory measures to pressure the amativeness of the rival.

The finalists of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity are arriving in Armenia for the award giving ceremony scheduled for April 24.

The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is a new global award that will be given annually to individuals who put themselves at risk to enable others to survive. Recipients will be recognized for the exceptional impact their actions have made on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes, having overcome significant challenges along the way. One of the four finalists, the ultimate Aurora Prize Laureate, will receive a grant of US$100,000 and the chance to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspired his or her work for a US$1 million award.

The finalists

To commemorate 101 years since the Armenian genocide, the Cyprus Committee on the Memory of the Armenian Genocide organizes a series of events to mark the dark anniversary, according to a press release on Tuesday, reports.

On Wednesday, April 20, a book in Greek and English that includes articles on the Armenian genocide in the Greek Cypriot press between 1914-1923 will be launched at the University of Nicosia’s UNESCO amphitheatre at 7pm.

On Saturday, April 23, at 5:30pm, the youth will walk from the capital’s Makarios Avenue to the Armenian Church on Armenias Street where they will be joined by community members for a remembrance event set for 7:30pm.

This will be under the auspices of House President Yiannakis Omirou who is the main speaker. The Armenian Archbishop and Mehdessian will also address the gathering.

The events aim to maintain remembrance for the 1.5 million Armenians who died at the hands of Turkey during the 1915 genocide, and to push for recognition of the genocide by Turkey.

Statement by Council of Europe of Secretary General Jagland:

“I am dismayed and deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities at the contact line in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Council of Europe urges both sides to stop this totally unnecessary bloodshed which leads nowhere except to further violence and loss of lives including of many civilians. I urge the parties to protect the right to life as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and return to the ceasefire and resume peaceful negotiations. This is a humanitarian imperative”