Category: News

There is no military solution to the conflicts that exist in our region and the world, at large, Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan has said.

“We proceed from the fact that there is simply no military solution to the Karabakh conflict. We do hope that this is very well understood in Azerbaijan. We do hope that decision-makers in Baku realize that it’s very easy to open the doors to chaos, large-scale military actions and escalation in the whole region, which will be very difficult to stop. This will definitely strengthen the role of terrorist groups in the region and will boost the role of non-regional players, which will try to make use of the situation,” Minister Sargsyan said in an interview with Russian agency.

“Nagorno Karabakh is a country (although unrecognized), not a conflict,” the Defense Minister stated. He stressed that “there will be no settlement unless there is full understanding of this fact.”

“Real people have been living there for over a quarter a century under the conditions of de facto independence. They are responsible for making decisions, forming their government based on democratic principles through free elections,” Vigen Sargsyan stated.

Speaking about the measures taken after the April escalation last year, Minister Sargsayn said “Retooling of the Army is a constant process. We analyze the results and change priorities after any event, even planned military exercises, it’s a natural process.”

“Of course, such analysis is always of a deeper nature after military actions and is based on the assessment of effectiveness of the equipment used by the rival.  We’ve implemented a number of changes in the control system at the line of contact, in the types of weaponry needed to keep the balance and prevent the possibility of such escalation in the future,” he added.

The Armenian Defense Minister stressed that “any violation of the ceasefire regime is a violation of international commitments of the parties – in this case Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh, the signatories of these agreements, and Armenia. Any divergence from the agreements is fraud with threats of escalation.”

“We stand for introduction of mechanisms of monitoring and control over the line of contact. Such agreements were reached at meetings held in Vienna and St. Petersburg under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Russian President respectively,” he noted.

“Unfortunately, yet again Azerbaijan is refusing from commitments, which leaves a negative imprint on the whole process of search for ways of settlement. Every party is making its own choice. But we consider that the situation that exists today (with regular violations of the ceasefire regime) does not provide for perspectives of conflict settlement,” Vigen Sargsyan stated.

Today was the official start of the Artsakh phase of the TUMO Army program, a joint initiative between the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and the Defense Ministry of the Republic of Armenia. The launch was announced at the TUMO Center in Stepanakert by Minister of Defense for the Republic of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan and TUMO CEO Marie Lou Papazian, with the participation of President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Minister of Defense for the Republic of Artsakh Levon Mnatsakanyan and AGBU representatives Lena Baghdasaryan and Sasoon Baghdasaryan.

The Stepanakert center, which was founded and operates through a partnership between TUMO and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, hosts over 100 army conscripts stationed in nearby bases. They are acquiring skills in computer programming, robotics, graphic design and digital music composition.

The program, implemented through a partnership between TUMO and the Ministry of Defense, has been running since February, having started in TUMO Dilijan. Participating soldiers have already completed the TUMO program’s initial self-learning stage and have entered the first level workshops of their choice.

Marie Lou Papazian gave further details about the TUMO Army program to the President and Minister and, based on previous discussions with Vigen Sargsyan, suggested options for future expansion of the initiative. Vigen Sargsyan, in turn, affirmed the Defense Ministry’s intent to have a TUMO center at every major army base throughout the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh. He also welcomed the plans to build a TUMO center in the border town of Koghb, noting its importance in the context of the TUMO Army program.

The guests also viewed the display of Shushi-related infographics created during a joint project between TUMO and the Artsakh Ministry of Culture; the infographic designs were created by TUMO students during a learning lab with Lebanese specialist Ahmad Gharbieh. The minister is sure that once the soldiers have passed through the graphic design workshops, they will also gain such important skills in the field and will be able to create graphic design pieces for the army.

TUMO Army will give draftees the opportunity to acquire aptitudes that will make them more competitive both while they are serving in the Army and once they return to civilian life. The program will help discover the full potential of soldiers who might not otherwise have the possibility of developing their areas of interest outside of formal educational institutions.

Yerevan is not planning new foreign military bases on its territory, but is about to modernize the Russian base in Gyumri, Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan has said.

“Armenia is definitely not holding talks on the opening of any new foreign military bases. We have not received any offer from the Russian side,” Sargsyan said in an interview with .

He noted, however, that the Russian Military base #102 in Gyumri is “of great importance.”

“We hold intensive discussions with our Russian counterparts on its modernization and expansion of its capacities. There are concrete topics and directions, where new forms of cooperation are possible,” the Minister said, meaning particularly the cooperation in the field of air defense.

“Russia is largely supporting the reinforcement of the Armenian Armed Forces. We have a lot of joint programs starting from training of our cadets to joint operation planning,” he added.

The Minister also informed about an agreement on cooperation in the military-industrial sphere reached during his meeting with Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manurov.

Artsakh Defense Ministry reports raised tensions at the line of contact with the Azerbaijani forces overnight.

The Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire about 160 times, firing over 2,600 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions from firearms of different calibers.

The rival also used a 60 mm mortar (7shells) and an automatic grenade launcher in the eastern direction of the line of intact.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep the situation under full control and confidently continue with their military duty, Artsakh Defense Ministry says.

The situation has been relatively calm since morning.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a congratulatory message to President-elect of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron:

“Distinguished Mr. President,

I cordially congratulate you on your decisive victory at the French presidential elections and your election to the highest position of the leader of the country.

I am confident that during your tenure in office, exceptional relations between our two countries, based on the centuries-long Armenian-French friendship, high-level vigorous political dialogue, multifaceted economic cooperation, and dynamic cultural ties will continue to develop and deepen.

Armenia highly values important and continuous efforts of France made together with other Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – United States and Russia, aimed at a peaceful resolution of the NK conflict and establishment of a lasting peace in our region.

I also attach great importance to the French support aimed at Armenia’s convergence with the European family as well as the close cooperation of our countries on the international arena, including in the framework of the International Organization of Francophonie.

I convey to you once again my most sincere congratulations and wish you success and accomplishments in your high mission for the advancement and prosperity of the friendly France.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

The Armenian genocide drama The Promise was screened in Aleppo at the initiative of the Armenian National Committee of Syria, Kansasar reports.

Present at the event were Syrian lawmakers, leaders of the Aleppo State University, Armenia’s Consul General to Aleppo Tigran Gevorgyan, state officials, representatives of the Christian, and Arab communities, journalists.

The Promise will be screened in Aleppo for another 15 days.

The Promise centers on a love story involving a medical student (Oscar Isaac), a journalist (Christian Bale), and the Armenian woman (Charlotte Le Bon) who steals their hearts. All three find themselves grappling with the Ottomans’ decision to begin rounding up and persecuting Armenians.

Turkish police on Sunday night raided the Belge publishing house in Istanbul, searching the venue for about three hours, Turkish media report.

The officials reportedly prevented employees from leaving, seized a total of 2170 books and briefly detained editor Mehmet Ali Varis.

The publishing house was raided on suspicion of having links to the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C).

The Belge Publishing House was founded by Ragip Zarakolu and his late wife Ayse Nur in 1977.

Mr. Zarakolu has been writing and publishing about the Armenian Genocide since the early 1990’s. His ‘Belge’ print house has published over ten volumes on the topic, for which he and his family have been consistently persecuted and jailed by Turkish authorities.

Arsenal ended Manchester United’s 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and kept up their hopes of securing a place in the top four, the BBC reports.

After a largely uneventful first half, Granit Xhaka opened the scoring with a deflected shot from distance, which looped over goalkeeper David de Gea.

And they doubled their lead three minutes later when Danny Welbeck headed home against his former club after a pinpoint cross from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Jose Mourinho introduced Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard to try to rescue the game, but they failed to bring the visitors to life.

The result means Arsenal remain in sixth place but are two points off United in fifth and six points off Manchester City in fourth, with a game in hand over both teams.

Photo: EPA

 

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has decisively won the French presidential election, projected results say, the BBC reports.

Mr Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by about 65.5% to 34.5% to become, at 39, the country’s youngest president, the results show.

Mr Macron will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republic’s foundation in 1958.

He said that a “new chapter of hope and confidence is opening”.

Mr Macron’s supporters gathered to celebrate in central Paris after the bitterly fought election concluded on Sunday amid massive security.

The Macron team said that the new president had had a “cordial” telephone conversation with Ms Le Pen.

In a speech she thanked the 11 million people who had voted for her. She said the election had shown a division between “patriots and globalists” and called for the emergence of a new political force.