Karabakh, Plans Underway to Launch Tumo-AGBU Artsakh Program

June 27, 2014 By administrator

New Center Adds To AGBU-Supported Educational Initiative in Nagorno-Karabakh

Plans are moving forward for this fall’s opening of the brand new Tumo-AGBU Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Program for Creative Technologies. The program is the latest addition to the ambitious public

education initiative spearheaded, fully funded, and developed by AGBU across NKR in partnership with the NKR government, the American University of Armenia (AUA), and Tumo.

The Tumo-AGBU NKR Program f
or Creative Technologies will build on the success of the AUA-AGBU Extension Program, which has expanded by popular demand with AGBU’s financial underwriting. This Continuing Education Program offers certificate courses in Public Policy and Administration, Strategic Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, as well as English language and standardized test preparation. With additional seminars in career development, resume writing and interviewing, it is helping to strengthen the NKR workforce, one of AGBU’s key goals for the project.

Details for the new Tumo-AGBU NKR Program were discussed at a recent Stepanakert meeting attended by representatives of the NKR government, AGBU and Tumo. AGBU Central Board member Vasken Yacoubian, who was present, remarked on the progress of their collaboration. “The curricula we’ve developed with NKR officials and AUA administrators are preparing students to pursue higher education and exciting careers in public service,” he stated. “With the forthcoming Tumo-AGBU NKR Program for Creative Technologies, we look forward to helping even more young leaders advance in the fields of IT, communication and the arts, as we continue to encourage local development.”

Like the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, the Tumo-AGBU NKR Program will offer state-of-the-art computers, design labs, courses with industry leaders and, above all, an environment where young Armenians can reach their full potential. A direct fiber optic connection will link to Tumo’s central servers, allowing staff in both cities to share information, while interactive workshops will draw from Tumo’s satellite program in Dilijan.

Tumo Managing Director Marie Lou Papazian welcomed AGBU’s plans, stating, “From day one, Tumo was designed to be replicable, with the goal of making its educational programs available to youth everywhere. Young people in NKR are eager to connect with global networks without having to emigrate. That need, combined with the NKR government’s active support, makes Stepanakert a natural choice for the next Tumo location.”

During the Stepanakert meeting, NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the project and expressed gratitude for AGBU’s financial backing. Prime Minister Harutyunyan, Yacoubian and Papazian were joined in Stepanakert by Chief of Staff of the NKR Government Levon Grigoryan, AGBU NKR Representative Sassoun Baghdasaryan and Tumo Board member Pegor Papazian.

The Tumo-AGBU NKR Program for Creative Technologies expects to enroll 240 students ages 12-18 in its first year, with a goal of serving over 1,000 students by 2020.

To learn more about Tumo, visit www.tumo.org.

Established in 1906, AGBU is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural, and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

James Warlick urges presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to accept Hollande’s invitation (Video)

June 27, 2014 By administrator

June 27, 2014 | 13:35

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair James Warlick said it is very important for the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to meet in the near future.

“What we really need is to enter a new phase. It is necessary to start a new phase of intensive talks and have substantive progress,” Warlick said in an interview with the Azerbaijani service of the Voice of America.

The American diplomat believes the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are both committed to finding the way forward, and this was seen during the November meeting in Vienna.

“We we need is to capitalize on this,” he emphasized.

The diplomat noted that people are tired of 20 years of war, and they know financial and individual resources are spent.

The Co-Chair expressed concern about the recent escalation at the line of contact and on the border, adding that the mediators want to see those tensions reduced.

Speaking about Russia’s position, Warlick recalled that during his regional visit Forein Minister Sergey Lavrov called on the parties to accept invitation by French leader Francois Hollande.

“We agree with that. The presidents should accept the invitation and begin productive discussions. We work very well with Russians. I work extremely well with Russian and French co-chairs. The United States is committed to the Minsk Group process, but we are also prepared to help bilaterally in any way that we can,” he said.

Aliyev Calls PACE Delegates ‘Liars’

June 25, 2014 By administrator

Azerbaijani activists protest against Aliyev at the PACE meeting hall

STRASBOURG–Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev found himself in a pickle on Tuesday, when before and after his speech at the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, he was dogged by questions from PACE leadership and delegates about Azerbaijan’s abysmal human rights record and rampant violations of press and speech freedoms in his country.

Aliyev chose his tried and true approach: lashing out at his critics and calling them “liars.”

The day began with Azerbaijanis living in Europe staged a protest at the PACE meeting hall. Having covered their mouths with black tape, the group was protesting Aliyev’s continued insisting that his government was protecting the rights of its citizens; that there were no political prisoners in Azerbaijan; and that there was freedom of speech and expression in his country. “All fundamental freedoms are respected in Azerbaijan,” said the Azerbaijani leader.

Aside from the protesters, Aliyev was confronted by PACE President Anne Brasseur who said that no matter how much a country develops economically, it can never be successful if democratic norms and principles are not respected.

The PACE president stressed that while Azerbaijan was a signatory to some 57 conventions since becoming a member of the Council of Europe, it has failed to implement specific provisions dealing with human rights, guaranteeing freedom of speech, press and assembly.

During the question and answer session following Aliyev’s remarks, PACE deputy from Ireland, Michael McNamara brought up the issue of 39 political prisoners in Azerbaijan and stressed that the recent presidential elections were fraudulent.

An angry Aliyev shot back by asserting that there were no political prisoners in his country.

“If you are making such statements,” Aliyev said, “that’s your biased approach toward our country. You have tried to insult our country on several occasions. Azerbaijan will not fall victim to such provocations.”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev exchanged verbal punches with deputies at today’s PACE plenary session in Strasbourg who raised concerns about human rights violations in Azerbaijan.

PACE deputy from the UK, Paul Flynn, was also not spared Aliyev’s wrath. When Flynn questioned the Azerbaijani leader about state attacks against journalists in Azerbaijan, Aliyev angrily retorted: “You are lying.”

Aliyev and Karabakh
A presentation by Aliyev at an international arena would not be complete without a discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Azerbaijani leader’s continued insistence that the current republic of Armenia was actually part of historic Azerbaijan and that Yerevan was granted to the Armenians in the early 20th Century.

He went on to assert that Armenia had not complied with several international agreements–an ironic statement on Aliyev’s part since he was earlier chided by the PACE president for having ignored critical conventions of the Council of Europe, of which, incidentally, Azerbaijan currently holds the chairmanship.

Prior to the beginning of the PACE session, the Azerbaijani delegation aimed to disqualify the Armenain delegation by proposing a resolution, which claimed that Armenians were aggressors in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. That motion was not even brought to the floor for a vote.

Anne Brasseur: PACE ready to continue work with Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians

June 24, 2014 By administrator

June 24, 2014 | 14:26

It is necessary to step up diplomatic efforts into finding settlement of Karabakh conflict, PACE president Anne Brasseur said during the summer session on Tuesday.

“The Assembly stands ready to assist the peace process within the framework of OSCE Minsk Group,” she said ahead of the speech by president of Azerbaijan.

Anne Brasseur reiterated Assembly’s readiness to continue working with parliamentarians from Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations to build an atmosphere of dialogue and trust.

PACE President stressed that the Assembly respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states.

Increasing violations of the cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan

June 23, 2014 By administrator

Two Azerbaijani soldiers and two Armenians died earlier in the day on Friday when a new violation of the cease-fire established on the “line of contact” around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Poghosian Narek, Armenian sergeant 26 years, was shot dead in a section of the front line in the south-Karabakh in the early morning. New reports quoting Armenian Karabakh military sources reveal that he was killed during an incursion of Azerbaijan. They said that the Azerbaijani side had three injured in the assault.

The NKR Defense Army has not issued any official statement on the fatal incident before Friday night.

The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said that early in the morning one of his soldiers committed suicide after killing a fellow soldier and wounded another.

Another Armenian soldier was found dead at the border between Armenia and Nakhichevan exclave of Azerbaijan. Citing the findings “preliminary” military investigators, the Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian said later in the day that the young man of 20 years, Grisha Khachatryan, has probably killed himself by accident.

Ohanian spoke to reporters after inspecting the positions of the Armenian army along the border with Nakhichevan. Two Armenian soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani snipers on June 5, leading the Department of Defense Baku threatening “serious consequences”.

The Armenian army has responded to another section of the border of Nakhichevan. Razm.info, a news site for the defense based in Yerevan, said last week that nearly 100 square kilometers of neutral territory were attacked and under Armenian control accordingly. Were published photographs showing Armenian soldiers taking and fortifying positions on snowy mountains.

In a statement released Thursday, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence denied losing ground in the region. However, some Azerbaijani media reported last week that the Armenians launched an “offensive” in Nakhichevan.

New fighting also broke out Thursday night in the west section of the long border between Armenia and the rest of Azerbaijan. According to the news agency APA, three civilians Alibeyli residents, a village on the border of Azerbaijan, including a 5 year old girl, were injured and hospitalized after strokes cross fire from the Armenian side.

The Armenian village near Aygepar also reported to have been within the scope of fire. “Azerbaijanis fired at our villages for about 90 minutes,” said the mayor of the village, Andranik Aidianian. “They stopped when our troops retaliated.”

Monday, June 23, 2014,
Claire © armenews.com

Russian FM: Russia interested in quick resolution of Karabakh conflict

June 23, 2014 By administrator

Russia is interested in a quick resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, bilaterally and as a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan.

“There is a basis for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, i.e. coordinated principles. Now, it is necessary to reach an agreement on the parameters for their implementation and the sequence of moves,” Lavrov said.

He noted that Russia, as a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group, will seek the continuation of the direct dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents.

Karanian’s ‘Armenia and Karabakh’ Earns Prestigious National Book Award

June 21, 2014 By administrator

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Independent Book Publisher’s Association (IBPA) recently awarded a silver medal to author Matthew Karanian’s Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel Guide in the category of Best Travel Book for 2014.

The book award, which is known to the publishing industry as a Benjamin Franklin Award, or “Bennie,” is among the most prestigious national awards for independent book publishers. The competition recognizes excellence in book editorial content and design.

The award was announced on May 28, which, by coincidence, is Armenian Independence Day.

The silver medal is the book’s second major award of the year. Armenia and Karabakh was recently recognized by Writer’s Digest Magazine as one of the Best Reference Guides published in the past year.

A complete list of IBPA book award winners is available online by visiting www.ibpa-online.org. The publisher’s association recognized four travel books for excellence this year; the other travel books are titles about Costa Rica, the Canyon Lands of the American Southwest, and Washington State.

Karanian was traveling in Western Armenia doing research for a future book when the award was announced. He said he considers the award to be an acknowledgement of the merits of Armenia, as well as of his book. “Awards such as these help to give Armenia and Artsakh the recognition that they deserve” among Armenians and non-Armenians alike, he said.

Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel Guide can be previewed at www.ArmeniaTravelGuide.com and is available for purchase by mail order for $30 post paid in the U.S. from Stone Garden Productions, P.O. Box 7758, Northridge, CA 91327.

Source: The Armenian Weekly

According to “Commandos” Armenia must give an appropriate response to Azerbaijani aggression

June 7, 2014 By administrator

After the death on June 5 of two soldiers Armenians Armenian-Azeri border on the border line between Armenia and Nakhichevan, the reactions are many in Armenia and Diaspora. According to General Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan called “Commandos”, the hero of the war of liberation of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Armenia must give a strong and appropriate response to Azerbaijan. “This is the first Once they fired from that direction. If we do not give a strong response, Azeri continue their shots (…) our military response will be the only answer to give, “he said. “Commandos” is convinced that the enemy is not ready for war, and that the Azerbaijani people do not want war. But Baku conducts ad effects. “Everybody know that we have a better trained army, which means that the Azeri provocations will not affect us,” says Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan.

Baku to suffer repercussions if Karabakh tensions soar: Minister

June 6, 2014 By administrator

June 6, 2014 – 14:01 AMT

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk today, June 6.

Ohanyan called on Kasprzyk to take every possible step to ease tension on the Karabakh conflict contact line, as escalation of the tensions can lead to severe repercussions for Azeri side.

The OSCE representative expressed concern over recent events, pledging to take measures to ease the tension on the line of contact, the ministry press service reported.

As the Defense Ministry said earlier, current events are a logical continuation of recent actions of Azeri armed forces, acting in defiance of any peace-building initiative in an attempt to undermine the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to solve the Karabakh conflict.

In recent months, Azerbaijan has been continuously violating the ceasefire, shelling Armenian and Artsakh frontline, as well as border villages of Armenia.

Armenian soldiers Andranik Yeghoyan, 26 and Boris Gasparyan, 22 received deadly injures in the June 5 Azeri shelling on the border with Armenia.

An Armenian soldier was killed in Azeri sabotage attempt in the southern direction of the line of contact on the night of May 28.

On spotting the rival, the NKR army units acted to repel the attack, with 2 dead and 1 injured on Azeri side. The NKR defense army serviceman, corporal Erik Gasparyan, 19, died in action.

On May 23, Azeri forces have been shelling the village of Barekamavan and Armenian defense positions for around 6 hours. Azerbaijanis opened fire at a military vehicle heading to an outpost as well as a ZIL civil vehicle.

Some bullets damaged the roof of the house that belongs to Hovik Gharakeshishyan, former head of the village.

Azeri sabotage attempt was thwarted on the night of May 22 at the line of contact between the Krabakh defense army and Azeri armed forces.

The defense army acted to rebuff the attack, reportedly leaving 3 Azeri soldiers injured. Armenian soldier Arthur Ohanjanyan, aged 20, received a deadly injury in Azeri frontline shooting in the southern direction of the Line of Contact of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan’s troops on May 20.

On the morning of April 19, Azeri troops shelled settlements in Armenia’s Tavush province. Some of the villagers working in the vineyards managed to escape, yet others stayed put. The head of the village of Aygepar Andranik Aydinyan expressed concern over the fates of the latters, with mobile connection cut and no information available.

The village of Choratan was also fired on; the shelling started at 9 am and lasted for almost half an hour. As the head of the village Varuzhan Baghramyan said, “Azeri troops targeted peaceful villagers working in the gardens. Fortunately, no one was injured. Azeri shelling became a pretty common occurrence here.”

Border villages of Aygepar, Movses, Nerkin Karmiraghbryur in Armenia’s Tavush province were intensively shelled in a lengthy Azeri attack on the night of April 15.

On March 24, Garnik Torosyan, 22, was shot dead while on duty at the contact line between Karabakh and Azeri armed forces.

Nagorno Karabakh army soldier Arman Ghukasyan, 20, died from gunshot wounds while on duty on March 19; another serviceman, Varazdat Zakaryan was injured.

In late January, a Nagorno Karabakh army soldier, Karen Galstyan, aged 20, sustained a deadly injury in a sniper attack at the northern direction of the line of contact with the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Simultaneous attempts of penetration by the Azerbaijani subversive groups were recorded on January 19-20 in the north-eastern (Jraberd) and south-eastern (Korgan) directions of the line of contact. The front units of the armed forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic noticed the actions of the Azerbaijani subversive groups and started an organized defense in both directions.

The rival was thrown back suffering palpable human and material losses. Junior Sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan died from the wounds he received during the exchange of fire.

We will not have customs checkpoint with Karabakh – Armenia Economy Ministry

June 2, 2014 By administrator

June 02, 2014 | 13:01

YEREVAN. – No customs checkpoint will open between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, in the context of Armenia’s Eurasian integration, Economy Minister Karen Chshmarityan stated at the National Assembly on Monday.

In response to a query on whether official Yerevan should be concerned about Eurasian Union accession without the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Chshmarityan rhetorically asked: “And are we a part of any international organization together with Karabakh?”

In his words, it does not change anything in this case. The goods produced in Nagorno-Karabakh can be exported to the CIS, European, and numerous other countries without restriction.

The treaty on establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union was signed, in Astana on May 29, by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. In addition, Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan participated in the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and offered to sign a treaty on Armenia’s Union accession by no later than June 15. Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, stressed the need to sign a respective document with Armenia in the shortest period of time.