Author: Vicken Chmshkian

Photo: Photoloure

Russia is taking efforts to maintain parity both in absolute terms and in the quantity and quality of the basic weapons systems it supplies, TASS reports.

Russia is committed to maintaining parity in the supply of military equipment to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the conditions of the intensified Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Alexander Fomin said in an interview with Izvestia daily published on Monday.

“Conflicts begin regardless of the fact that one side may be armed better than the other,” Fomin said. “However, it is necessary to seek parity, so Russia is taking efforts to maintain parity both in absolute terms and in the quantity and quality of the basic weapons systems.”

Fomin also said that the main purpose of military-technical cooperation is to preserve peace and stability in a given country, in a region and in the world in general. “Russia’s military-technical cooperation system is organized in such a way as to cause no harm, including to a particular region. We make all the decisions on the delivery of arms to one or another country invariably with taking into account such acute regional situations,” he added.

Representative Jim Costa is traveling overseas to Armenia Monday to help mediate conflict in the region, according to ABC30.

Costa says he’s been a longtime advocate and ally to Central Valley Armenians and hopes to help bring peace in their homeland.

“I’ll be meeting with the President of Armenia and members of the Parliament to determine how we in the United States can help facilitate a successful conclusion to these negotiations,” Costa said.

Costa said he’ll spend four days abroad meeting with dignitaries and traveling.

The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be a priority for Vienna during Austria’s OSCE chairmanship, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told the OSCE permanent Council.

“Continuous dialogue is necessary to further the negotiation process,” Kurz said.

According to the Minister, Austria will pay close attention to the settlement of all conflicts within the OSCE area.

In his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council as incoming OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz said that the fight against radicalization will be the main priority of Austria’s 2017 OSCE chairmanship.

In his presentation of the Austrian OSCE chairmanship program, Minister Kurz highlighted three major threats to security and stability, that all OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation face today: the continuing increase of military conflicts; the growing threat to internal security through radicalization and terrorism; and the continuing loss of trust between states, as well as between citizens, on the one hand, and states institutions and organizations that need to safeguard their freedoms and  values, on the other.

A missile fired by terrorist groups exploded next to the Armenian St. Astvatsatsin Chucrh (Church of the Holy Mother of God), destroying one of the nearby houses, the Aleppo-based Armenian newspaper reports.

According to the source, the church and the adjacent Gertasirats High School have not been damaged in the attack, only the windows are broken.

The Church of St. Astvatsatsin is the only Armenian Church in Aleppo that has escaped losses.

Years ago the terrorists set the St Gevorg Church on fire. The Church of Gregory the Illuminator often comes under rocket attack. The Holy Trinity (Zvartnots) Church of the Catholic community and the adjacent college have also suffered as a result of shelling.

As the 2016 Republican Convention convenes in Cleveland, Ohio next week, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) embarked on an Armenian Genocide billboard campaign prominently displaying the statement of President Ronald Reagan affirming the Armenian Genocide.

With nearly 50,000 people expected at the Convention in Cleveland, the billboards are part of the Assembly’s ongoing public awareness initiative. They serve as a reminder about the need to affirm the truth and learn from the past so as to prevent future genocides.

During his first term in office, President Reagan issued a proclamation which read in part: “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it – and like too many other such persecutions of too many other peoples – the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”

The first two billboards, located on I-77 northbound near Grant Avenue (close to where the Convention will be held) and Carnegie Avenue westbound, features an excerpt from President Ronald Reagan’s proclamation on April 22, 1981.

“The Cleveland Armenian community, and, particularly, our parishioners, are overjoyed with respect to the presence of both billboards,” Rev. Fr. Hratch Sargsyan, pastor of St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Apostolic Church, said. “The billboards are the talk of the Armenian community. Folks are simply ecstatic.”

The billboards’ media campaign was overseen by the Assembly’s Ohio State Chair Ara Bagdasarian, who is also a member of the Cleveland Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee.

“Ronald Reagan, one of the most revered Republican leaders, is the only sitting president to recognize the Armenian Genocide and use the term genocide. With these billboards, we will reiterate Reagan’s statement and help ensure that the next president – whether it be Republican or Democrat – reaffirms the Armenian Genocide,” Bagdasarian said. “We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to share our message about the Armenian Genocide with the visitors coming to Cleveland during the Republican Convention. The world’s spotlight and media will converge here, and we have the chance to be heard.”

Donated by Debbie Abdalian-Thompson, owner of Cleveland Outdoor Advertising, the Assembly put up two of the billboards to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and to promote public awareness during the Convention. A third billboard was added following Germany’s affirmation of the Armenian Genocide on June 2. The most recent billboard reads: “Truth vs National Interest” and “Thank You Germany for Recognizing the Armenian Genocide,” designed by Peace of Art and located on I-77 southbound near mile marker 157.

“I would also like to give special thanks Debbie Abdalian-Thompson and Cleveland Outdoor Advertising for her generous support,” Bagdasarian added.

During Tuesday`s special plenary debate marking the Armenian genocide, Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein said, ”It is no secret that [in Israel] as well this event has been controversial, at least with regards to the publicity it should be given. I am reiterating this year as well, and from this podium: We must not ignore, diminish or deny this terrible genocide. We must differentiate between our current interests and the difficult past, which this dark chapter is a part of.”

”This is the correct and appropriate thing to do, seeing as we are part of the family of nations and a nation whose values of morality and compassion towards every human being are paramount. Let us not remain indifferent, albeit a bit late, to the suffering the Armenians experienced,” Edelstein said, while pledging that the Knesset would continue to send representatives to memorial ceremonies in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

“We cannot remain apathetic, even if it’s late, to the suffering the Armenians experienced. Recognizing the Armenian genocide is important to us as human beings who carry the moral responsibility and constantly hope to improve the world and society,” Edelstein stated.

MK Zehava Galon (Meretz), who initiated the debate, said, ”For years [MKs] have been coming here, to the plenum, in order to ask that the genocide be called by its name. This year, after the agreement with Turkey has been signed, I know that granting this request has become particularly difficult. There was pressure from the Foreign Ministry and from elements in the government – `why are we suddenly raising this issue, with all the diplomatic sensitivity?` But despite this, I am declaring that the Knesset must recognize the Armenian Genocide.”

”Over the years we have let the recognition of the genocide turn into a toy that can be dangled when relations with Turkey are in crisis, and then shelved to placate Erdogan,” she added. ”We have started walking along the most dangerous path of politics, where everything is for sale.”

“Children and grandchildren of survivors must know what genocide looks like and how one tragedy turned into another giant one. But here, in the Knesset, the elected parliament of the state in which the memory of the Holocaust is constant and ‘never forget’ is a moral commandment – we haven’t heard about it,” she said.

Gal-On said that despite the agreement with Turkey making recognition more difficult, Israel must do it.

“This is a decision Israel must make. Sometimes there is a price to doing the right thing, and sometimes the right choice is not the easy one. We are tested when we have to pay a price,” she stated.

Minister without portfolio Tzachi Hanegbi presented the government’s position, say he understands the emotions behind the MKs’ speeches, but did not use the Hebrew phrase for “genocide,” simply saying “tragic events.”

The MKs present approved Gal-On’s motion to the agenda, and the discussion will be moved to the Knesset Education Committee.

The Foreign Ministers of the CSTO member states adopted a statement on Nagorno Karabakh conflict today, expressing support for the agreements reached at the summits of Vienna and St. Petersburg held on May 16 and June 20 “targeted at the prevention of the unacceptable escalation in the conflict zone, stabilization of the situation and creation of conditions for furthering the negotiation process.”

The Foreign Ministers stressed the need to solve the Karabakh conflict in a peaceful way and expressed support for the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group towards settlement of the conflict on the basis of the norms of international law, the UN Charter and provisions of the Helsinki Final Act – non-use of force and the threat of force, territorial integrity and the right of peoples to self-determination.”

The statement was signed by the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia and Tajikistan.

Manchester United have had an offer for Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan accepted, the BBC reports.

The Armenia captain, who cost the German club £23.5m in 2013, is out of contract next summer.

“Had we refused it, the player would be available for free in 2017,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told the club’s official website.

Mkhitaryan, 27, is yet to have a medical at Old Trafford and personal terms are still to be agreed.

If a deal for the player – who will require a work permit – is completed, he will become United’s third major signing of the summer after Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly and former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

He was named Bundesliga Players’ Player of the Season in 2015-16 after scoring 18 goals in all competitions, including one against the Reds in the Europa League defeat at Anfield.

Mkhitaryan is the son of one of Armenia’s most famous footballers, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, and won the first of his 59 caps for his country a week before his 18th birthday.

“Borussia Dortmund and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (27) go their seperate ways this summer,” the club said in a stateemnt today.

Following an intensive round of discussions, Borussia Dortmund accepted the Armenian international’s wish to join Manchester United next season.

Veteran Iranian Armenian composer Loris Tjeknavorian has successfully undergone balloon angioplasty at Day General Hospital in Tehran, the Persian media reported on Monday, reports.

Tjeknavorian was admitted to the hospital last week.

Several colleagues and a number of cultural officials, including Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani, visited him at the hospital.

Tjeknavorian, who is of Armenian origin, has widely performed across the world, having conducted international orchestras in Austria, Britain, the United States, Canada, Hungary, Iran, Finland, Armenia, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Africa and Denmark.

His own compositions have also been performed by major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra in New York and the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.

Pope Francis spoke to Armenian civil authorities, including President Serzh Sargsyan and the diplomatic corps, on Friday in the capital Yerevan on his 14th Apostolic Journey abroad.

In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered in Italian, the Holy Father recalled the Armenian president’s visit to the Vatican last year for the centenary of the Metz Yeghern (or ‘Great Evil’). He said, “Sadly, that tragedy, that genocide, was the first of the deplorable series of catastrophes of the past century, made possible by twisted racial, ideological or religious aims that darkened the minds of the tormentors even to the point of planning the annihilation of entire peoples.”

He also paid homage to the Armenian people “who, illuminated by the light of the Gospel, even at the most tragic moments of their history, have always found in the cross and resurrection of Christ the strength to rise again and take up their journey anew with dignity”.

Below, please find the official English translation of the Pope’s address:

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Civil Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps

Yerevan, 24 June 2016

Mr President,

Honourable Authorities,

Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It gives me great joy to be here, to set foot on the soil of this beloved land of Armenia, to visit a people of ancient and rich traditions, a people that has given courageous testimony to its faith and suffered greatly, yet has shown itself capable of constantly being reborn.

“Our turquoise sky, our clear waters, the flood of light, the summer sun and the proud winter borealis… our age-old stones … our ancient etched books which have become a prayer” (ELISE CIARENZ, Ode to Armenia).  These are among the powerful images that one of your illustrious poets offers us to illustrate the rich history and natural beauty of Armenia.  They sum up the rich legacy and the glorious yet dramatic experience of a people and their deep-seated love of their country.

I am most grateful to you, Mr President, for your kind words of welcome in the name of the government and people of Armenia, and for your gracious invitation that has made it possible to reciprocate the visit you made to the Vatican last year.  There you attended the solemn celebration in Saint Peter’s Basilica, together with Their Holinesses Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians, and Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, recently deceased.  The occasion was the commemoration of the centenary of the Metz Yeghérn, the “Great Evil” that struck your people and caused the death of a vast multitude of persons.  Sadly, that tragedy, that genocide, was the first of the deplorable series of catastrophes of the past century, made possible by twisted racial, ideological or religious aims that darkened the minds of the tormentors even to the point of planning the annihilation of entire peoples.

I pay homage to the Armenian people who, illuminated by the light of the Gospel, even at the most tragic moments of their history, have always found in the cross and resurrection of Christ the strength to rise again and take up their journey anew with dignity.  This shows the depth of their Christian faith and its boundless treasures of consolation and hope.  Having seen the pernicious effects to which hatred, prejudice and the untrammelled desire for dominion led in the last century, I express my lively hope that humanity will learn from those tragic experiences the need to act with responsibility and wisdom to avoid the danger of a return to such horrors.  May all join in striving to ensure that whenever conflicts emerge between nations, dialogue, the enduring and authentic quest of peace, cooperation between states and the constant commitment of international organizations will always prevail, with the aim of creating a climate of trust favourable for the achievement of lasting agreements.

The Catholic Church wishes to cooperate actively with all those who have at heart the future of civilization and respect for the rights of the human person, so that spiritual values will prevail in our world and those who befoul their meaning and beauty will be exposed as such.  In this regard, it is vitally important that all those who declare their faith in God join forces to isolate those who use religion to promote war, oppression and violent persecution, exploiting and manipulating the holy name of God.

Today Christians in particular, perhaps even more than at the time of the first martyrs, in some places experience discrimination and persecution for the mere fact of professing their faith.  At the same time, all too many conflicts in various parts of the world remain unresolved, causing grief, destruction and forced migrations of entire peoples.  It is essential that those responsible for the future of the nations undertake courageously and without delay initiatives aimed at ending these sufferings, making their primary goal the quest for peace, the defence and acceptance of victims of aggression and persecution, the promotion of justice and sustainable development.  The Armenian people have experienced these situations firsthand; they have known suffering and pain; they have known persecution; they preserved not only the memory of past hurts, but also the spirit that has enabled them always to start over again.  I encourage you not to fail to make your own precious contribution to the international community.

This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Armenia’s independence.  It is a joyful occasion, but also an opportunity, in cherishing the goals already achieved, to propose new ones for the future.  The celebration of this happy anniversary will be all the more significant if it becomes for all Armenians, both at home and in the diaspora, a special moment for gathering and coordinating energies for the sake of promoting the country’s civil and social development of the country, one that is equitable and inclusive.  This will involve constant concern for ensuring respect for the moral imperatives of equal justice for all and solidarity with the less fortunate (cf. JOHN PAUL II, Farewell Address from Armenia, 27 September 2001: Insegnamenti XXIX/2 [2001], 489).  The history of your country runs parallel to its Christian identity preserved over the centuries.  That identity, far from impeding a healthy secularity of the state, instead requires and nourishes it, favouring the full participation of all in the life of society, freedom of religion and respect for minorities.  A spirit of unity between all Armenians and a growing commitment to find helpful means of overcoming tension with neighbouring countries, will facilitate the realization of these important goals, and inaugurate for Armenia an age of true rebirth.

The Catholic Church is present in this country with limited human resources, yet readily offers her contribution to the development of society, particularly through her work with the poor and vulnerable in the areas of healthcare and education, but also in the specific area of charitable assistance.  This is seen in the work carried out in the past twenty-five years by the Redemptoris Mater Hospital in Ashotzk, the educational institute in Yerevan, the initiatives of Caritas Armenia and the works managed by the various religious congregations.

May God bless and protect Armenia, a land illumined by the faith, the courage of the martyrs and that hope which proves stronger than any suffering.