Author: Talar Tumanian

On May 11 Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received the delegation of the Yerkrapah Volunteers Union (YVU) headed by chairman of the organization’s board Manvel Grigoryan.

A range of issues related to the situation along the Karabakh-Azerbaijani borderline, army-society ties and upbringing of the younger generation were addressed during the talks.

For courage and bravery shown during the defense of the Homeland and in connection with the Victory Day, the 25^th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Defense Army and Liberation of Shushi President Sahakyan handed in high state awards to a group of YVU members.

Body of a soldier from the Russian military base #102 was found in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri today.

The man identified as Sergey Yalpayev (born in 1996) was stubbed in the neck, the Prsecutor General’s Office reports.

 

A criminal case has been instigated under Article 104.1 of the Armenian Criminal Code.

One person has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Investigation into the details of the case is under way.

Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti cited the military’s southern command as saying that preliminary indications were the attack was sparked by a domestic dispute.

Presentation of the Head of the National Defense Research University (NDRU), MoD, RA, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Lieutenant-General Hayk S. Kotanjian at the “Nation‒Army‒2017” Forum. Yerevan, 20.04.2017.

Dear Colleagues,

The analysis of the balance between the current military threats to the Republic of Armenia (RA) and the resources for overcoming them shows that the further development of the defense system should be based on innovative conceptual ideas with the use of the most modern means of national defense that would be consistent with the developments in the defense security thought and technologies of Armenia’s allies and partners. The “Nation Army” concept is such an idea of ​​strategic caliber, the introduction of which implies shaping cooperation of new level and depth between the society and the Armed Forces.

In this context, the importance of the recent monographic development of the “Nation-Army” concept in our University instructed by the Defense Minister should be noted – with the modernization of the traditional Armenian home guard phenomenon under the current digital technological revolution. It is clear that for effective launching of such innovative cooperation, the continuous education and training of senior officials with relevant knowledge and skills becomes a priority. It is no coincidence that since the first years of the Republic of Armenia’s independence, the formation and development of the military education system has always been and is at the center of attention of the country’s military-political leadership.

Under this policy, the RA Minister of Defense, the incumbent President of the RA Serzh Sargsyan instructed to learn the principles of activity of the US National Defense University (NDU) that nourishes the top US military-political leadership with the products of its academic research and provides the top leadership with interagency security education, and to develop the project of establishing its sister organization by localizing NDU’s model in Armenia – through the academic fellowships in this research-educational institution. The Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia was founded through this multi-phase project.

During its activities, the INSS, as an academic basis of the future National Defense Research University, has taken steps towards creating a quality professional environment necessary for defense-security studies in Armenia. The research of this academic institution is aimed at becoming the innovative basis for the security education of future leaders, with the research staff being the intellectual core of the teaching faculty.

For this, the tools have been established in recent years for producing, publishing and systemizing the strategic knowledge to be taught in the future research university – “Working Notebooks” academic-applied journal of strategic studies, that includes the collective monographs of regional and functional studies with the coordination of the INSS experts and the involvement of leading domestic and foreign experts, as well as the first Postgraduate School within the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and the first Specialized Council conferring PhD degrees (candidate and doctoral) in Political Science.

The establishment of the Groups of Strategic Gaming and Cybersecurity in our INSS in cooperation with the US NDU is aimed at the gradual development of the research component. One of the main objectives of establishing the Strategic Gaming Group is to increase the level of precision of the results of the research carried out in the defense system through the use of innovative analytical methods under the high level of uncertainty in the predictions of the turbulent regional security dynamics. At the same time, the establishment of this group is aimed at introducing innovative teaching methods in the future educational activities, in particular, strategic games and scenario analysis of hard-to-predict dynamics of security processes.

One of the most significant results of the Cybersecurity Group’s activities is the drafting of the National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) within the framework of updating the National Security Strategy. This document has already undergone successful academic review in the College of Information and Cyberspace of the US NDU.

As for the educational component of the University’s activities, intensive work has been underway since September 2017 to organize pilot training courses at interagency and departmental levels. Taking into account the results of the Strategic Defense Review (SDR) conducted with the consultants of NATO, the CSTO, the United States and Russia, the basis for these courses is the product of the research (aimed at reforming the defense system) of the leading experts from the Ministry of Defense, the RA Armed Forces General Staff and of those we collaborate with in the defense security field. Later, Master Programs in the defense security field are planned to be developed on the basis of these courses to prepare the future generation of strategic leaders of the Republic of Armenia.

Through the organization of strategic defense security education in our University the military education reforms underway in Armenia will be completed resulting in the formation of a military education system that prepares personnel capable of effectively resisting current security challenges, and comprises all – from tactical to strategic levels.

March 20 is celebrated as International Day of Happiness.

What is the International Day of Happiness? It’s a day to be happy, of course! Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.

In 2015 the UN launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals that seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet – three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.

Joseph Castro, president of Fresno State University, has been named man of the year by the Knights and Daughters of Vartan for his support of the Armenian community, the reports.

In its announcement, the Knights and Daughters highlight Castro’s support for the Armenian Genocide Memorial monument on the campus, the only such memorial on a U.S. college.

The group also recognized his backing for the Armenian Studies program at Fresno State and his efforts to further initiatives between Fresno State and American University of Armenia.

He will be honored as the group’s second man of the year at a banquet to be held March 25 at Pardini’s Catering and Banquets.

The Knights is an Armenian fraternal organization. The Daughters is an organization that supports the Armenian culture and development of Armenian women.

The Azerbaijani authorities have long turned everything into a farce – both the international law and their domestic life, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said.

The remarks come after the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office instigated a criminal case against three MEPs carrying out an observation mission at the Constitutional Referendum held in Artsakh on February 20.

The Deputy Foreign Minister refused from further comments. “It’s ridiculous and can in no way affect the visits to Artsakh,” he said.

The Dutch club Willem II is reportedly interested in signing Armenia international Aras Ozbilis,  reports.

The former Ajax striker is currently playing for Turkish Besiktas, and was loaned to Spanish Rayo Vallecano last summer.

Willem II currently sits 11^th in the Dutch league.

Ex-Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan has submitted an application on withdrawal from the Republican Party of Armenia. Ruben Tadevosyan, head of the Republican Party’s organizational committee confirmed the news to Public Radio of Armenia.

Governor of Ararat Province Rubik Abrahamyan has also submitted his resignation, the Government’s Public Relations Department confirms.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan is expected to sign accept the resignation today.

The City Court of Minsk has rejected the appeal of Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin, Sputnik reports.

Lapshin had appealed the decision of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus on his extradition to Azerbaijan.

The hearings were held behind closed doors. Journalists were allowed in only during the proclamation of the court ruling. Photo or video shooting was prohibited.

Alexander Lapshin, who holds Russian and Israeli citizenship, was detained by Belarus authorities in December 2016 at the request of Azerbaijan. Earlier this month the Deputy Prosecutor General of Belarus decided to satisfy the request of the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan on the blogger’s extradition.

Gladys Berejiklian has outlined her priorities and praised her Armenian migrant parents, saying she “will be governing for everyone”, during her first speech after being voted in as the new leader in New South Wales, reports.

The 46-year-old was sworn in as 45th Premier of NSW this afternoon after being elected unopposed as Liberal leader in an early morning partyroom meeting this morning, replacing Mike Baird.

The meeting lasted 10 minutes and also saw Finance Minister Dominic Perrottet voted in as deputy party leader.

In her first press conference as leader, Ms Berejiklian praised her parliamentary colleagues for putting their trust in her.

“I thank them for determining, based on my performance, that I am best for the job and I am so excited that the party has come together united in support of my Premiership,” she said.

The Premier spoke movingly of her upbringing.

“I haven’t talked about this much previously but my father was a boilermaker, a welder, and one of the first jobs he did in Sydney was working on the Sydney Opera House, which is a great sense of pride for my family,” she said.

“My mum left school at 15 to support her family and became a nurse.

Ms Berejiklian said she would be governing “for everyone” in NSW.

She said her policy priorities as Premier would be:

• local infrastructure;
• housing affordability;
• and building a strong economy, with an emphasis on more jobs.

When a reporter asked whether she would be able to answer private questions, such as former prime minister Julia Gillard, about her single status, she laughed.

“I have been in public life for a long time. I have been a senior minister for six years. I am ready for anything,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Ms Berejiklian has been the member for the Sydney north shore electorate of Willoughby since 2003.

Mr Baird resigned as Premier on Thursday, citing the ongoing illnesses of close members of his family as the cause for his early exit from the leadership role.

The Premier spoke about her upbringing on 2GB just after her successful partyroom meeting.

“I want everyone in NSW to feel that they can do what I’ve done, that there’s no challenge too big and that our state has those opportunities,” she told the Sydney radio station.

“I remember my mother saying to me: ‘Glad, even if you’re not quite sure what the teacher’s asking you, put your hand up and have a go’… I just remember that like nothing else and that’s kind of kept me going for all my life.”

Vache Kahramanian from the Sydney-based Armenian National committee of Australia said it is a wonderful day for all the community.

“Gladys Berejiklian, [who] is the daughter of migrants who came to Australia with limited English and survivors of the Armenian genocide, today has reached the highest office in our state of NSW and this is a monumental and proud achievement for our community and also a proud day for NSW as well.”