Author: Suren Karakhanian

Transfermarkt.de website has raised the market value of Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The 26-year-old Armenian international, who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund, now costs €22 million (up from €18 million), Armsport.am reports.

The change is probably connected with the player’s successful performance in Bundesliga and Europa League this season.

Mkhitaryan’s market value was at its highest (€26 million) between August 27, 2013 and February 4, 2015.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel referred to the Armenian Genocide issue at a meeting Sunday, according to a report posted on the German Government’s .

The parties talked about certain issues related to the year 1915 and the resolution pending at the German Bundestag, Davutoglu told a press conference following the meeting.

Davutolgu reiterated his long-standing view that the issue should be discussed on an ‘academic level’ by a commission of historians, which would include German scholars, inter alia.

“We are ready to provide any assistance in this regard. We want of course, to reach a historical reconciliation between Turkey and the Armenia and are ready for any cooperation,” Davutoglu said.

Chancellor Merkel, in turn, expressed gratitude for the “offer on the Armenian-Turkish issue.” “I believe we can and will continue our work intensively,” she said.

Turkey will send troops to Armenia on Oct. 11 in compliance with an international treaty, the Turkish General Staff has stated, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

A Turkish inspection team will be sent to Armenia, with whom Turkey has no diplomatic ties, for a three-day inspection period as part of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, the General Staff announced.

“Within the context of the CFE Treaty, CFE inspection will be held in Armenia under the leadership of Turkey between Oct. 11 and Oct. 14, 2015. During the Turkish inspection, a guest inspector from Slovakia will also be present along with the Turkish inspectors. Our CFE Inspection Team will return home on Oct. 14 after fulfilling the inspection,” the statement said.

Armenian Armed Forces regularly

Kalpana Sunder, freelance travel writer, blogger and photographer based in Chennai, India, has shared her impressions from a recent visit to Armenia in an article published by . The full article is provided below: 

Did you know that Armenia is the world’s oldest Christian nation? And that Cher, who was born Cherilyn Sarkisian is half-Armenian? Armenia is usually not the first country that will come into your mind when you’re deciding on your next travel destination. It’s a mountainous landlocked country- with beauteous landscapes and a buzzing, vibrant capital city. I just came back from there, and here are ten reasons why I loved the country and why you must head there soon.

The fact that it feels very young

I went to Armenia expecting to step back in time: I had read about Armenia’s ancient monasteries, learned about the country’s place in history;. I wasn’t prepared for the capital city, Yerevan’s dazzlingly modern Kentron district, where everyone from teenagers to the elderly dresses with incredible style, and gorgeous cafes and restaurants are busy even during working hours. For a city that’s over 1,700 years old, Yerevan feels very young.

That it has the most incredible monasteries

Armenian monasteries are just the prettiest! I visited many of them and every single one was more beautiful than the previous. Dark and stark, with no decorations but a candle or two lighting up the interiors, they have a truly spiritual atmosphere of centuries of prayer. The sparse walls once held a series of religious murals and paintings destroyed by invaders. Usually their location is breathtaking too – at the shore of Lake Sevan, in gorges, on a promontory or a cliff or cut into the rock like Geghard.

That its national icon is a show stopper

Ararat. The magnificent mountain that is on every image of the country- till the last day it remained shrouded in mist. It is known as the place where Noah’s ark came to rest and is considered the home of Gods in Armenian mythology. Ararat symbolizes the Armenian national identity, it can be found on most of the souvenirs, paintings sold at the flea market, and in the country’s coat of arms and the passport stamps. On the last day I peered outside my hotel window in Yerevan, and was rewarded by the sight of the snow covered mountain! I was incredibly lucky .. But the tragic part of the story is that Mount Ararat, the symbol of Armenia, is actually located in Turkey, 32kms from the border. So near, yet so far away…

It’s amazing café culture

It was one of the first things I noticed in Yerevan during my visit and it gives the city a more European than an Asian ambience. The city is literally full of cafes! Every park, every square, most of the streets have them and no matter what time of the day, they were always packed with people. Armenians like their coffee to be thick and murky, and sitting in a café ( and people watching) will not ruin your budget as Armenian prices are friendly.

That it has so much contemporary art

Yerevan is studded with contemporary art… The main attraction is the Cascade complex, that serves as the Cafesjian Museum of Art – a place full of really interesting contemporary art by international artists, from the collection of the founder. Lots of art pieces are located either in the park leading to the Cascade, in the stairs of the complex or inside, where the escalator is (entrance on the left side). The city is also full of various monuments of famous Armenians or other random art installations. The Green by the Monument has a full circus show with elephant statues and a clapboard house! My favourite was the ‘Three Glassinators’ by Andrew Carson on the terrace of the Cascades- a whimsical assortment of glass pieces rotating in the breeze.

The Khachkars or cross stones

I loved the Armenian Khachkars or cross stones with intricate patterns of leaves, grapes, pomegranates and saintly figures. The word “khachkar” is formed by two Armenian roots: “khach” (cross) and “kar” (stone). The cross is the most familiar symbol of Christianity, but nowhere is this iconography as culture-entrenched as it is in Armenia. Wherever you go, thousands of khachkars, or cross-stones are found in the world’s oldest Christian nation, providing a rare glimpse into spiritual expression. Today Khachkars are on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

That it has an incredible variety of fresh and dried fruits and fresh, organic food

Wherever I went there were women selling garlands of dried fruits called Churchkela, or sweet Sujuk which are walnuts soaked in thickened grape syrup and dried on a string. They hung like curtains everywhere alongside paper thin fruit lavash, and baskets of apricots, dates, almonds and figs. In fact the apricot is called the Armenian apple. They say that in the first century BC, Roman general Lucullus took several apricot saplings from Armenia to Rome. The Romans planted those saplings in their city and called the fruit the “Armenian plum” and it spread to Europe from there. We drank glasses of Kompot– clear fruit juice made by boiling fruits like peaches, apricots and strawberries in water without additives. We saw bottles of fresh juices and jams and preserves. Fruit country, truly! Our tables were laid with fresh crunchy salads, sautéed greens and vegetables , herbal teas, and sweets. Paper thin lavash bread baked in underground ovens was a staple and grilled meats called khorovats as well as charred potato found their place on the menus. I also loved their creamy, thick yoghurt called Matzoon.
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For a small country, it has an incredible variety of landscapes

It is a mountainous country and travelling around can show you how much the landscape varies – the north is full of green hills while the south feels more deserted. We drove through miles of deserted roads and canyons in the Caucasus Mountains, to the Garni pagan Temple, and the Geghard monastery, carved out of rock faces. Another day we drove to turquoise Lake Sevan, one of the highest freshwater lakes, surrounded by mountains, which the Armenians call the Armenian Sea. You can climb up to the Sevanayak Monastery and get a panoramic sweep of the Lake and also see ancient cross stones or khachkars. We also visited the monastery of Khor Virap surrounded by wheat fields and vineyards against the backdrop of stunning Mount Ararat. Armenia even has its own little Switzerland called Dilijan National Park! That’s on my list for next time…

If music be the food of love, play on!

Almost everywhere, there was music- from traditional duduk flutes played by boys in flea markets to street entertainers and musical fountains at Republic Square. Armenia has a long musical tradition developed by Komitas , a priest, in the late 19th century. My guide Tatevik Martini, blessed with a divine voice, sang a religious song inside the pagan temple of Garni and that will always remain my most precious memory of the trip. Even while travelling on ski lifts, each cable station had speakers with music!

That it has some of the friendliest people in the world who are so proud of their country!

What I found amazing was that everyone came up and spoke to me- wanted to know if I was Indian and then told me what they liked about
my country. Children and adults were most willing to be photographed and fruit sellers were ever willing to give me a free tasting before I bought anything. Almost always they asked me if I enjoyed Armenia. I always gave them a sincere thumbs up!

Russian President Vladimir Putin has phoned British singer Elton John and proposed a meeting if their timetables coincide, Putin’s spokesman told Russian news agencies on Thursday, Reuters reports.

John had previously asked to speak to Putin about gay rights in Russia, but had fallen victim to pranksters who impersonated Putin on the phone.

This time, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a phone call had really taken place and that the Russian leader had asked John not to be offended by the earlier prank, which had been carried out by comedians and later broadcast on Russian television.

A leading House Democrat is urging members of the committee charged with awarding Nobel Peace prizes to grant the honor to Pope Francis, reports.

California Rep. Adam Schiff will began circulating Wednesday a letter among his House colleagues that calls for the pope to be given the highly-touted humanitarian award for using his “pulpit to exhort people and nations around the world to conduct their affairs with spirituality, morality and integrity.”

“Pope Francis has been a powerful advocate for peace, urging an end to conflict and support for constitutive ties among nations,” Schiff wrote. “He has called on the world to use diplomacy and discussion to solve disputes, rather than military force, coercion or intimidation. This commitment to nonviolence, which the Pope has put into practice every day through his words and actions, is at the core of the principles behind the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Pope Francis is in Washington this week to meet with President Barack Obama and give a joint address to Congress.

Democrats have praised the pope, who was elected in 2013, for speaking out on climate change, immigration and forgiveness for those who have lived outside the traditional tenants of the Catholic Church.

Lawmakers have also thanked the pope for being a leading advocate to push countries to accept a series of migrants fleeing the Middle East for Europe.

Schiff wrote in the letter that Pope Francis’ compassion for the refugees solidifies his credential for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“As the world struggles to cope with a flood of refugees not seen since the end of World War II, the Pope has emerged as perhaps the leading advocate for relief,” he wrote. “The Pontiff has called on the international community to respond meaningfully to this unsurpassed humanitarian disaster. His compassion has also taken the concrete form of inviting a Syrian refugee family to reside in his residence at the Vatican.”

Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee are asking their Congressional colleagues to join a bipartisan call for renewed U.S. leadership in keeping the peace along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The two senior legislators are currently collecting Congressional signatures on a letter addressed to Ambassador James Warlick – the U.S. representative to the OSCE’s Minsk Group tasked with reaching a resolution of Nagorno Karabakh-related security and status issues.  In their letter, they specifically call for the U.S. and OSCE to abandon their failed policy of false parity in responding to acts of aggression, noting that: “The longstanding U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation.  Instead, this policy of artificial evenhandedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility.”

The letter proposes three concrete pro-peace steps that would, “in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war.  Over the longer term,” the letter notes, “these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region:”

—  An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact.

— The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact.

— The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have both expressed support for these life-saving initiatives; Azerbaijan has not.

“We want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership in keeping the peace, averting war, and promoting a durable and just negotiated settlement of status and security issues related to Nagorno Karabakh,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “We join with Armenia and Artsakh in supporting each of their three concrete peace-keeping proposals, and welcome – in the wake of yet another round of Azerbaijani aggression – their principled advocacy for replacing the U.S. and OSCE’s failed policy of artificial evenhandedness with an accountability-based approach to peace-keeping.”

 

Text of Royce-Engel Congressional Sign-On Letter to Ambassador Warlick

Dear Ambassador Warlick:

We are writing out of concern over the escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in deaths on both sides of the conflict.   It is our hope that the United States, through its role in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group, as well as through direct diplomacy with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, will immediately advocate for several steps to promote peace in the region.

We believe that securing the full and public support of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabakh for the following steps would, in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war. Over the longer term, these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region.

An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact.

The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact.

The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

We also urge you to publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line of contact. The longstanding U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation.  Instead, this policy of artificial evenhandedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility.

Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations. We continue to support your efforts to reach a durable and just resolution to this conflict and look forward to your response.

Consultations on constitutional amendments continued today at the RA Presidential Palace, President’s Press Office reports.

As part of that process, President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the representatives of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Hakob Avetikyan, Armen Manvelyan, Karen Kakoyan, Suren Sargsyan, Varazdat Avoyan and Seyran Gharibyan.

Security forces in Egypt have mistakenly killed 12 people, including Mexican tourists, during an anti-terror operation, the interior ministry saysm, the BBC reports.

The tourists were travelling in four vehicles that entered a restricted zone in the Wahat area of the Western Desert, a ministry statement said.

Ten Mexicans and Egyptians were also injured and are being treated in a local hospital.

The ministry said it had formed a team to investigate the incident.

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto condemned the incident and said he had “demanded an exhaustive investigation by the Egyptian government”.

The Mexican foreign ministry confirmed that at least two of its nationals had been killed and said it was working to confirm the identities of the other victims.

In a statement, it said Mexico’s ambassador in Egypt, Jorge Alvarez Fuentes, had visited the local hospital and spoken to five Mexicans who were in a stable condition.

Armenian Sargis Parsikian, born in 1954, was killed as Damascus came under heavy rocket attack on Thursday, September 3, Lebanon-based Aztag daily reports.

The funeral will take place today at the Armenian St. Sarkis Church in Damascus.

The attacks on the city over the past few days have left tens dead and wounded.