Author: Tania Jagharian

A book narrating the story of Ayatollah Khamenei’s visit to homes of Christian martyrs is translated into English to provide international readers with the chance to read the interesting events in the meetings, reports. 

Artak Barseghyan
Public Radio of Armenia

NATO highly values the participation of Armenian peacekeeping units in peacekeeping operations, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said in an Internet press conference for Armenian media.

Question – How can the aggravation of Russian- Turkish relations affect NATO‘s cooperation with the countries in South Caucasus, namely the cooperation between NATO and Armenia, and NATO and Azerbaijan? Can the acute manifestation of geopolitical interests contribute to Georgia’s actual NATO membership any time soon? On the whole, taking into account the various geopolitical interests in the South Caucasus countries, how do you see the prospects of the regional policy pursued by the Alliance?

Answer – We recognize of course that each of the three countries in the South Caucasus has chosen its own security policy, and we respect that. To be a partner of NATO is fully compatible with aspirations to seek NATO membership, but also with membership of the CSTO, with membership of the Eurasian Union, with membership in the Non-aligned Movement or with other forms of regional cooperation. Indeed, more regional cooperation seems to make a lot of sense for the South Caucasus both from an economic and strategic perspective. In this context, I am pleased to see that occasionally NATO can provide the framework for more cooperation between Armenia and Georgia, or Georgia and Azerbaijan. However, each of our partnership relations is individual in nature. In the case of Armenia, our basic document is the Individual Partnership Action Plan that anyone can find on the internet at

. It covers a two-year period. A similar plan has been agreed with Azerbaijan, whilst we have other mechanisms for Georgia in recognition of their membership perspective. All these partnerships are approved and supported by our 28 Allies, i.e. also Turkey, and they have their characteristics and logic. This also means these relationships are not a subset of our relations with Russia, and I do not see an immediate impact of the current tension between Turkey and Russia on our individual relations with the three countries of the South Caucasus

Question – Does NATO have new proposals on the expansion of Armenia’s participation in peacekeeping missions, how do you assess the participation of the Armenian military in peacekeeping missions under the auspices of NATO? What events is NATO is planning to hold in South Caucasus in 2016?

Answer – We highly value the participation of Armenian peacekeeping units in NATO operations. Armenia’s commitment is steady and substantial, both in Kosovo, where Armenian units currently serve within the US contingent, and in Afghanistan, where your units serve mostly within the German contingent. Your contributions to these operations, as well as those in Mali (with the EU) and in Lebanon (with the UN), are very tangible contributions by Armenia to international security. At the same time, working together with forces from Allies nations has been a driving force to bring the Armenian armed forces closer to Western standards. As a result of over a decade of hard work, a number of Armenian units were certified to meet the highest NATO standards this autumn (in accordance with what we call NATO Evaluation Level Two). Armenia and specifically its armed forces can be proud of this achievement. I understand that Armenia now intends to broaden the set of units that meets these criteria.

As to our broader cooperation with Armenia, we intend to continue our support to Armenia’s defense reform efforts, provide assistance to the reform of Armenia’s defense education institutions, share best practice on how to reduce corruption in the security sector, support Armenia’s efforts to develop a concept of women in the armed forces, etc. The recently adopted constitutional amendments will have far-reaching implications for the way Armenia’s security sector is organized. I believe they should also create opportunities to strengthen parliamentary oversight over the armed forces.

Looking at our engagement with the South Caucasus region as a whole, we are of course very actively engaged with Georgia in recognition of its membership aspirations. We are currently focused on the implementation of the package of measures agreed in autumn 2014, called the Substantial NATO Georgia Package. These measures include the establishment of a Joint Training and Evaluation Centre (inaugurated this summer), the conduct of regular NATO exercises in Georgia and the provision of expertise in a dozen different domains related to the defense sector with the aim to strengthen Georgia’s self-defense capabilities and to prepare it for future membership. Clearly the aim is also to make sure that these initiatives contribute to regional security, and we are frequently considering to what extent other regional partners can participate in, or benefit from, these activities.
As to our partnership with Azerbaijan, this is organized in a similar way as with Armenia through what we call an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) agreed between NATO and Azerbaijan. This Action Plan we renew roughly every two years. Although the partnerships with Armenia and with Azerbaijan are not identical, there are substantial similarities, with Azerbaijan also contributing to our operation in Afghanistan and engaged in various aspects of defense reforms.

The has released the list of Christian churches and monasteries in Syria that have been destroyed by ISIS and other Muslim groups.

Attacks on Christians in Syria began almost immediately after the Syrian civil war began. The attacks have targeted villages, churches monasteries and the clergy, and have been perpetrated by Al-Qaeda, the Al-Nusra Front, ISIS and other Muslim groups.

On February 23 ISIS attacked the 35 Assyrian villages on the Khabur river in Hasaka, Syria, capturing 253 Assyrians. In the subsequent months it destroyed 11 churches and villages, rendering some villages uninhabitable.

According to the agency, three Armenian Curches have also been destroyed by terrorists. The St. Rita Tilel Armenian Church in Aleppo was bombed by ISIS on April 28. The Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Zor was destroyed by ISIS in September, 2014. The Armenian Catholic Church of the Martyrs was torched by ISIS and its cross atop its clock tower removed.

Photo: Reuters

 

The Turkish army has suspended flights over Syria as part of an ongoing joint military campaign with the United States against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) after it shot down a Russian jetfighter, sparking an unprecedented crisis between Ankara and Moscow, the reports.

The decision was taken following the eruption of the crisis with Russia in which a Turkish F-16 downed a Russian warplane early Nov. 24 after it allegedly violated Turkish airspace, according to diplomatic sources.

Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, stressed that the suspension of the Turkish jetfighters’ participation in the U.S.-led military operations against ISIL was in fact a mutual decision taken with Russia, which also halted its aerial campaigns near the Turkish border. Both parties will continue to be as careful as possible in a bid to avoid a repetition of such incidents until they re-establish dialogue channels to reduce the tension.

Turkish and Russian military officials held initial talks on the incident on Nov. 25 as the office of the Chief of General Staff invited defense and military attachés from theRussian Embassy to military headquarters to inform them about how the incident took place.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu proposed to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, a meeting on Dec. 3 or 4 in Belgrade on the sidelines of an international conference. However, the Russian side has not yet confirmed that the meeting will take place.

On November 26 the artistic director and principal conductor of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia Sergey Smbatyan will lead world renowned “Moscow Virtuosi” Chamber Orchestra at Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.

“Moscow Virtuosi” Chamber Orchestra was established in 1979; the founder, artistic director and principal conductor is world famous Vladimir Spivakov.

Sergey Smbatyan will direct the closing concert of the VIVACELLO Festival. The mentioned concert is dedicated to 175th Anniversary of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The concert will feature performances by participants of Tchaikovsky Competition. This year’s winner, 17-year-old virtuoso cellist Jonathan Rouzman will perform with laureates of the previous years Ivan Monighetti and Boris Andrianov.

The concert program will include works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Robert Schuman and Alexander Rosenblatt works. In fact, Rosenblatt’s Jazz Variations on a Rococo Theme written for Cello and Orchestra will be performed for the first time. Alexander Rosenblatt is famous for his jazz arrangements of classical composers. Especially for this occasion he created his own versions of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.

DHA Photo

 

Turkish police have arrested 20 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group in Antalya a week before the city hosts a G20 summit, the BBC reports.

US President Barack Obama will be among the world leaders arriving in city on Turkey’s southern coast for the summit on 15-16 November.

Two of the suspects arrested on Friday are said to be Russian.

Turkey has stepped up operations against IS militants following a string of deadly bombings.

Anti-terror police carried out simultaneous raids in three districts of Antalya early on Friday, local media said.

Officers reportedly seized “digital materials” during the operation.

Turkey’s Patriotic Party (‘Vatan Partisi’ in Turkish) has reacted to Hollywood star two days ago during his interview in the South California Public Radio where he referred to 1915 as “Armenian Genocide,” reports.

Clooney said the events of 1915 constituted “genocide” and there was no argument about it. He said: “There was a genocide in Armenia in 1915.”

Reacting to Clooney’s remarks, the Patriotic Party’s international relations head member Onur Sinan Güzaltan said on Thursday, “The truth cannot be hidden,” and advised the Hollywood star to look at the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) verdict in which Switzerland’s appeal to overrule the conviction of the party’s chairman (Doğu Perinçek) over the denial of the Armenian Genocide was rejected.

Grattan claimed that the Clooney family was “one of the toys used to manipulate the 1915 events.”

Armenia intervened in the Perinçek v. Switzerland  case as a third party and was represented by human rights lawyers Amal Clooney and Geoffrey Robertson. “The Grand Chamber ruling was  a victory for Armenia,” , as she commented on the judgement. 

Petition launched on the of Quebec’s National Assembly urges to make the study of genocide compulsory in Quebec high schools.

The text of the petition reads:

Considering that racial and cultural intolerance and discrimination are the preconditions associated with the beginnings of genocide, defined as the systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic or cultural group;

Considering that  education is the key to recognizing and preventing discrimination and acts of hate amongst our youth, and that knowledge of genocides is essential to preventing such acts in the future;

Considering that  significant numbers of Quebec students have no knowledge of genocides, past or present, including the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, Rwandan genocide, and the cultural genocide of our First Nations;

Considering that the study of genocide is not currently a mandatory part of the high school curriculum in Quebec, and that the Foundation for the Compulsory Study of Genocide in Schools is able to provide such a course to be implemented in the schools;

We, the undersigned, ask that the National Assembly and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research act to make the study of genocide compulsory in all Quebec high schools as a means to creating a tolerant and peaceful society which is accepting of all cultures and religions.

Chaired by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, the Government discussed Armenia’s demographic status and development trends. The meeting reviewed the draft national action plan aimed improving the demographic situation in 2015-2017, which stems from the Government’s program of 2014.

It was noted that draft action plan seeks to create necessary preconditions for demographic development in Armenia through comprehensive assessment and targeted interventions. The meeting discussed current and future activities, directions, funding schemes and expected outcome.

Summing up the debate, the Prime Minister instructed to finalize the draft, considering the proposals and recommendations voiced at the meeting and submit it to the Government for approval.

Russian air strikes in Syria’s Latakia province killed a top rebel commander from a group armed by President Bashar al-Assad’s foreign enemies, a monitoring group said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 45 people – both rebel fighters and civilians – were killed in the air strikes on Monday evening in the Jabal Akrad area, which is held by the First Coastal Division rebel group.

The group, which fights under the banner of a loose alliance of factions known as the “Free Syrian Army”, confirmed the death of its chief of staff, Basil Zamo, formerly a captain in the Syrian military.

The First Coastal Division is one of several groups that have received foreign military support under a program supported by the United States, including U.S.-made anti-tank missiles, the most potent weapon in the rebels’ arsenal.