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Today, President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the tragic accident with the bus near Podolsk. The President of Armenia asked to convey his condolences and words of support to the families and friends of those killed in the accident and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. |
A Brazilian man died after a cow crashed through the roof of his home and landed on top of him as he lay sleeping in his bed.
Joao Maria de Souza, 45, had been in bed with his wife Leni when the animal suddenly fell through the ceiling of their home in Caratinga, south east Brazil.
The cow is believed to have escaped from a nearby farm and climbed onto the roof of the couple’s house, which backs onto a steep hill.
The corrugated roof immediately gave way and the one-and-a-half-tonne horned bovine fell 8ft onto Mr de Souza’s side of the bed.
His wife, and the cow, both reportedly escaped unharmed.
Rescuers took Mr de Souza to hospital with a fractured left leg but no other obvious injuries, reporting that he was conscious and talking normally.
But hours later he died from internal bleeding while still waiting to be seen by doctors, according to his family.
Civil police in Caratinga, Minas Gerais state, today launched an inquiry into the bizarre death.
Police officers were also trying to identify the owner of the cow, who could be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Yerevan—Yesterday, on July 10, Raffi K. Hovannisian met with Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement. Hovannisian and Füle discussed matters concerning Armenia-EU relations, Association Agreement, and regional challenges.
Later in the day, the Heritage Party’s vice-president Armen Martirosyan, and spokesperson Hovsep Khurshudyan—along with the representatives of other non-ruling parties’ parliamentarian factions—had a separate meeting with Štefan Füle.
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Tonight, the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met with the honorary guests and film industry professionals from Armenia and different countries of the world who are participating at the 10th International Film Festival in Yerevan. The participants of the meeting spoke with the President of Armenia about the Golden Apricot’s ten year existence, success, as well as about the nominations of this year’s Festival. They noted with satisfaction that the repute of the Festival is growing by year, the geography of the participants is expanding, and the number of the movies is increasing too. |
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On July 11, President Serzh Sargsyan will conduct a working visit to Moldova to participate at the European People’s Party (EPP) Third Summit of the Leaders of the Eastern Partnership in Chisinau.
In the framework of the visit, in Chisinau the President of Armenia will also hold bilateral meetings. |
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Today, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro presented his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan. The President congratulated the Ambassador on the commencement of his duties and wished him success in his diplomatic mission in our country. Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that Ambassador Monteiro will do his best to justify expectations of the two friendly nations and trust of the President of Brazil in elevating bilateral relations to a new level and in strengthening the Armenian-Brazilian relations based on mutual respect and trust. The newly appointed Ambassador of Brazil expressed gratitude to the President Sargsyan for his and all RA state bodies’ readiness to provide necessary assistance and assured that during his tenure, he would do his best to make bilateral relations closer and further deepen cooperation. At the meeting, the parties stressed the importance of improving the legal field and of the active interparliamentary cooperation and interaction in the framework of international organizations. |
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We still have much to do to strengthen our position on the world movie map and with this regard the Golden Apricot’s repute as the leading regional film festival is of special importance. In the last ten years, many of the outstanding figures of the cinema world have discovered Armenia anew and have become our country’s dear and dedicated friends. Undoubtedly, such a festival is a great honor for any country and is an excellent opportunity for establishing new cultural ties. It is proved by the extensive geographical representation of the participants of the Festival as well as by the interest of a number of the world’s leading mass media outlets toward the Golden Apricot and our country. The Festival’s mission of promoting the development of the national cinema and creation of the Golden Apricot international film school is critical. Today, movies created through the assistance of the Festival are representing Armenia on numerous international film festivals. Golden Apricot’s rich ten-year history is a commendable and laudable reality which has been enriching Armenia’s cultural life. Dear Friends, I once again welcome the participants and guests of the Tenth Festival. I urge you to remain faithful to its motto – the Crossroad of Civilizations and Cultures – to preserve and deepen momentous achievements of the Festival and its high repute. I wish the organizers diligence and enthusiasm to continue with the same vigor their noble work launched ten years ago.
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President Serzh Sargsyan met today with the members of the Public Council. Discussed was a wide framework of issues pertinent to the internal as well as foreign policy, ranging from the problems of the state policy on culture, risks related to the water resources of Ararat valley up to the problems associated with the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage in Yerevan and proposals aimed at the modernization of the telecommunication system. Considering that the extensive agenda involves different areas and each of them independently, according to the President, could become a topic for consultations, President Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that the presented issues and corresponding documentation have already been discussed at the Public Council and the Council will continue to work them over with the relevant agencies, trying to be useful to these agencies in finding efficient solutions for the raised issues. Serzh Sargsyan noted that the highlighting of the problems which interest our society during such meetings and consultations with the President doesn’t necessarily mean that the Public Council has finished its job and from now on these issues have become the President’s problem. “If an issue relates to our foreign policy or national security, I may accept that, however in all other cases, it is assumed that you continue to push these issues forward with the same vigor and make efforts, along with the state structures, to find solutions acceptable for the society and the state,” President Sargsyan said at the beginning of the meeting. Before turning to the agenda items, the Chairman of the Public Council Vazgen Manukian spoke about the activities of this four-year old structure; a skeptical attitude toward the Public Council which was present right after its creation and voiced criticism. He said that now, after certain work has been done there is a positive attitude of the public toward the Council and its achievements. V. Manukian also spoke about current problems of the Council and ideas regarding its future. “In fall, concluding our work, we will present to our society and the President results of our activities of four years and, hopefully, also in fall, we will have a law on the Public Council. At any rate, the draft law will be introduced in the National Assembly in early fall,” the Chairman of the Public Council said. For the structure under his leadership, Vazgen Manukian stressed the importance of authority which any such structure should have and underscored three important factors to achieve that: personal repute of each member of the Public Council, the degree of independence and unrestraint of the Public Council in raising different issues, and at the same time, its impartial and non-populist stance. President Serzh Sargsyan concurred that the Public Council has traveled a difficult road since its creation and has gone through some harsh criticism. “As the saying goes, any good deed is reprehensible. We have to learn to work in these conditions. I believe that we have left behind the part of the road which had to be traveled together and in fall I will be ready to discuss the draft of the law you’ve mentioned,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.
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I congratulate you on the occasion of Constitution Day. July 5 is indeed a momentous day for us. On that day, our people made their historic choice. At the same time, everyone knew that it was impossible through a referendum, just in one day to become a democratic, social, and legal state. It is a long way and a serious process. The Main Law of our land is called upon to guarantee rights and freedoms of our citizens. We, as a state and as a society, step by step are getting closer to the remarkable goal enshrined in our Constitution. Dear Compatriots, Once again conveying my congratulations on the occasion of this significant state holiday, I wish us all to have a state, which grows stronger by day, strong guarantees for protection of human rights and freedoms, and application of the rule of law in all areas of our social life. |
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On the occasion of Independence Day of the United States of America, President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the US Embassy in Armenia. He congratulated Ambassador John Heffern, the staff of the Embassy and in their person the people of the United States on the occasion of Independence Day. On the occasion of the holiday, President Serzh Sargsyan sent also a congratulatory message to the President of United States Barack Obama.
Distinguished Mr. President, I send my heartfelt congratulations and best wished to you and the friendly people of the United States on the occasion of America’s Independence Day. In recent years, the close partnership between our countries has registered considerable advancement and today, at the pinnacle of our interstate relations, we have achieved the exceptional level of cooperation in different areas. We highly value assistance provided by the United States to Armenia to our economic development, as well as to the consolidation of democratic institutions and civil society. We are keenly interested in utilizing in full the substantial potential existing in our bilateral relations and to elevate them to a new level. The US involvement in the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict deserves special acclamation. We are confident that your administration will continue its active mediation mission and will contribute to the establishment of a stable and durable peace in our region. |
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Today, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alhadzi Tukur Mani (residence in Tehran) presented his credentials to Serzh Sargsyan. The President congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and wished success in his diplomatic mission in our country. Serzh Sargsyan noted that Armenia values Nigeria’s active work within the African Union and the country’s contribution to the preservation of global peace and stability. The parties stressed the necessity of forming a legal field for the development of cooperation in the areas of mutual interest. At the meeting, along with the bilateral issues, stressed was importance of the two countries’ cooperation in the framework of international organizations. |
On the occasion of his birthday anniversary, President Serzh Sargsyan is receiving congratulations and best wishes from the Heads of states and international organizations, representatives of the state and public sectors, and individuals.
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President Serzh Sargsyan received a congratulatory message from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
On the occasion of President Sargsyan’s birth anniversary along with other Heads of states, he received a congratulatory message from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
“Distinguished Serzh Azatovich,
I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of your birth anniversary.
You deservedly enjoy high esteem in your Motherland and abroad. Your input to the strengthening of the Armenian-Russian relations, which are based on the old traditions of friendship and mutual respect, is hardly to be overestimated.
Our latest meetings contributed to the further expansion of our bilateral political dialogue, constructive partnership and cooperation in the trade, economic and other areas, on the international arena, particularly in the framework of the CIS and CSTO. All this emanates from the basic interests of Russia and Armenia and is channeled toward the security and stability in the South Caucasus.
I wish you excellent health, happiness, well-being and new accomplishments,” the congratulatory message of the President of the Russian Federation reads.
The prosecutor implementing prosecutorial supervision confirmed the bill of indictment on criminal case initiated against the deputy head of penitentiary D. Muradyan for taking bribes in particularly large amount.
According to the evidence obtained during the pre-trial proceeding D. Muradyan, being a deputy head of “Nubarashen” penitentiary of RA Ministry of Justice from December 1, 2011 to February 6, 2013, authorized to cooperate the operative and medical service divisions of penitentiary, from August to December 2012 had taken bribes in particularly large amount from A. Hakobyan serving a term in the same penitentiary.
According to preliminary investigation data D. Muradyan had demanded from A. Hakobyan who was imprisoned for the term of 5 years and 6 months for committing crimes of average weight and taken from the latter himself and through his wife a total bribe of 1.631.320 AMD equal to 4.000 USD, as well as furniture costing 540.000 AMD .
According to the obtained evidence D. Muradyan had demanded the bribe for admitting the defendant to the therapeutic part of the penitentiary without sufficient base and keeping there for a lasting period, contributing to long- and short-lasting meetings with his wife, as well as allowing to repair the cell, to furnish it and to have and use a mobile phone violating the defined order.
By the preliminary investigation it was also found out that during 2012 in order to contribute to the early release of the same defendant within his authorities, D. Muradyan had demanded and taken bribe twice and returned it not being able to solve the matter of the early release.
On the base of the evidence obtained by preliminary investigation implemented in RA Special Investigation Service D. Muradyan was accused according to the Point 2 of the Part 4 of the Article 311 of RA Criminal Code.
The criminal case with the bill of indictment was sent to court.
Today, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Republic of Armenia Ghazi Taher Khaled presented his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan.The President congratulated the Ambassador on his appointed and expressed hope that reopening of the Embassy of Iraq in Armenia and diplomatic mission of Ambassador Khaled will allow to considerably promote the traditionally good-neighborly Armenian-Iraqi relations.
Noting that thousands of Armenian who today live in Iraq, may become a natural bridge for establishing closer bilateral relations between Armenia and Iraq, Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of developing concurrently with the political dialogue also economic relations, strengthening of cultural ties and active interaction in the framework of international organizations.
The parties exchanged views on the instability present in recent years in the Middle East and on the current regional developments.
Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, Ambassador Ghazi Taher Khaled assured that he would do his best to further strengthen and deepen the Armenian-Iraqi friendly relations.
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President Serzh Sargsyan received the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolay Bordyuzha. At the meeting, the Secretary General of CSTO presented to Serzh Sargsyan the results of the conference held on June 26-27 in Yerevan with the participation of the political scientists and experts from the CSTO member states. He spoke with the President of Armenia about the ongoing works and programs of the Organization, discussed issues related to the cooperation in the framework of CSTO. |
In the framework of the criminal case initiated on the abuses recorded in the process of fixing and paying pensions 4 employees of “Arabkir-2” paying service were charged.
By the preliminary investigation it was found out that the responsible person for “Arabkir-2” territorial subdivision of paying service of social security state service staff of RA Ministry of Labor and Social affairs G. Tadevosyan, reaching prior agreement with three payer-inspectors of the same subdivision had squandered pension money in particularly large amount.
Particularly, by G. Tadevosyan’s assignment the payer-inspectors S. Sarhatyan, E. Aleqsanyan and V. Grigoryan had found the data of pensioners who had not received pension for lasting period and dead ones involved in pension payment list.
Then, from May 2009 to January 2010 the payer-inspectors S. Sarhatyan, E. Aleqsanyan and V. Grigoryan falsifying the signatures of those pensioners, had drawn out the pension money in their names and together with G. Tadevosyan, by a group, had swindled pension money in particularly large amount.
On the base of the evidence obtained by the preliminary investigation implemented in the Investigation Department of Especially Important Cases of General Investigation Department of RA Police adjunct to government G. Tadevosyan was accused according to the Point 2 of the Part 2 of the Article 179 of RA Criminal Code, V. Grigoryan, S. Sarhatyan were accused according to the Point 2 of the Part 2 of the Article 179 and the Part 1 of the Article 325 of RA Criminal Code, E. Aleqsanyan was accused according to the Part 1 of the Article 179, the Point 2 of the Part 2 of the Article 179 and the Part 1 of the Article 325.
We remind that in May, 2011 in State Interests Protection Department of RA Prosecutor General’s Office a criminal case was initiated on the abuses recorded in the process of fixing and paying pensions the preliminary investigation of which was tasked to the Investigation Department of Especially Important Cases of General Investigation Department of RA Police adjunct to government.
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In the framework of his official visit to the Republic of Poland, President Serzh Sargsyan together with the Polish President Bronisław Komorowski today in Warsaw participated at the closing ceremony of the Armenian-Polish Business Forum. Serzh Sargsyan greeted the organizers and participants of the Business Forum, spoke about the centuries-long Armenian-Polish friendship, cooperation of the two countries in different areas, the Armenian-Polish trade and economic relations and briefly presented the business environment in modern Armenia, tendencies of economic development and investment opportunities. In his welcoming remarks, the President spoke with esteem about the Polish authorities, in the person of President Komorowski and the Polish businessmen who, according to President Serzh Sargsyan, in the difficult conditions of the global economic and financial crisis have registered great success and through their daily work have further empowered their country. “The Armenian-Polish friendship is centuries old and soon we will be celebrating the thousand year anniversary of the establishment of the first Armenian settlements in Poland. Becoming stronger with centuries, the Armenian-Polish relations are encompassing every area. The Armenians not only fought for independence of Poland but also made an important contribution to the country’s development. It is no accident that in order to advance the trade and crafts, the kings and princes of Poland were inviting Armenians to settle in different parts of the country, endowing them with numerous privileges and rights. The high level of our current political relations and achievements registered in different areas, has its origin in the spiritual and cultural community, friendship and mutual sympathy formed during the ages. Regrettably, today the Armenian-Polish trade and economic ties are substantially lagging behind the relations established in other areas. To fill that void, we, the two Presidents have decided on the necessity to organize a business forum – two years ago in Yerevan, and now here, in Warsaw. It should be noted that there are already some results, especially with regard to the presence of the Polish companies in Armenia and their participation in different Armenian projects. However, it is still not enough, and I urge you to be much more active. Distinguished Entrepreneurs, I would like to present briefly the business environment in modern Armenia, tendencies of economic development, as well as the investment opportunities. Continuous improvement of the business and investment climate is a chief prerequisite of our economic development. Toward that end, in recent years, we have undertaken large-scale economic reforms, particularly related to the opening a business venture in Armenia, construction permits, registration of property, acquisition of loans, protection of investments, filing taxes and some other areas. The achieved results have been reflected in the international ratings, particularly, in the Doing Business-2012 annual report published by the World Bank’s International Financial Corporation. According to the mentioned report, Armenia compared to the previous year, improved her position by 18 points, occupying the 32nd position among 185 countries. Please note that it makes the business climate in Armenia the best in the CIS region. Nevertheless, we don’t believe that our efforts aimed at the liberalization of the investment field and business climate and improvement of the state governance structure in general stop there. There is still a long road to go and we are passing that road with the assistance of our European friends. In this context, it is warranted to speak about the Association Agreement to be signed with the European Union and the Deep and Comprehensive Tree Trade Agreement which constitutes its part. It will put our cooperation with the EU member states, including Poland, on a qualitatively new and more comprehensive basis. Last December, we signed the agreement on visa facilitation with the European Union which was immediately followed by the cancelation of visa requirements for the EU citizens visiting Armenia. Considering also the Polish LOT airlines five times a week flights to Yerevan, I trust that all obstacles for visiting our country and observing the created conditions first hand have been removed. Along with all this, I believe that Polish entrepreneurs would like to know that Armenia, being a member of the CIS Free Trade Zone agreement and closely cooperating with the Customs Union, has a competitive advantage in the CIS region. It definitely creates extra opportunities to enter the CIS market with more favorable conditions through the capital invested in Armenia. Steps are also taken toward the improvment of infrastructure and full utilization of the existing opportunities which will allow to decrease the transportation fees. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to highlight a number of areas which, in my opinion, could possess potential for the further development of the Armenian-Polish cooperation. The area of information technologies in Armenia is growing rapidly. It ensures high profitability and is really attractive for major foreign investments. It is proved by the presence in Armenia of 360 companies working in the IT area, 151 of which are branches of foreign companies. Many of the major international companies are represented in Armenia, among them Synopsys, National Instruments, Microsoft, D-Link, Mentor Graphics, and others. Everything is being done to staff the field with professional cadre and, of course, to retrain them. The Armenian National Engineering Laboratories program is being implemented, and retraining programs have been launched at the Microsoft innovation center and laboratories of the Mobile Solutions. The Tumo supermodern center of creative technologies for 12-18 years old children has been functioning in Yerevan since 2011, and now we are planning to extend the programs of the center to the regions of the Republic as well. Traditional areas which brought the international recognition to the Armenians are jewelry making and diamond cutting. The Armenian jewelry is sold in many countries of the world, including Poland. We have serious programs on making Armenia a regional and why not, also an international hub for jewelry production through the creation in Armenia of the free zone for the jewelry production. Armenia attaches importance to the establishment of free trade zones as a strong incentive for the attraction of direct foreign investments, introduction of advanced technologies, implementation of innovative methods, and creation of new jobs. In coming years, we are planning to make large investments in the area of agriculture, through the technical re-equipment and enhancement of productivity, as well as through the modernization of processing capabilities. I would like to see the growth of the Polish investments also in the area of tourism, mining, and health care which are continually modernized areas with great potential for development and which the state has declared the priority areas for development. Distinguished Entrepreneurs, I am hopeful that today’s Forum will enhance the establishment and expansion of the long-term and mutually beneficial economic programs for the prosperity of the Armenian and Polish peoples. I wish you all success and I hope that soon I will hear of success of the Polish businessmen in Armenia,” President Serzh Sargsyan told the participants of the Armenian-Polish Business Forum in his welcoming remarks. |
Honorable Mr. President, the deficient situation of a series of disturbing and discouraging problems, stretching deeper roots each day, oblige us to inform you about their disastrous consequences.
“Free life in the fatherland” – it is with this idea that all Armenians stood up to free the fatherland from the enemy, to live and freely build a home. However 21 years have passed since the victory, but the building of a home in their own liberated land has remained a vital problem for Shushi’s inhabitants.
I consider it necessary to remind you about the fact that, while people worried about this problem are seeking pieces of land, there are several pieces of deserted land that belong to different officials and individual oligarchs. With my application filed earlier this year (N1/104), on May the 20th, I demanded that their names and the sizes of the land pieces belonging to them be made public, but I received a refusal and a strongly groundless answer, which is in contradiction with the NKR law on freedom of information.
If state statistical information about these land pieces will be published, then the Armenian will wake up and realize for whom he has made war and liberated the land of Artsakh. Is it possible that’s how it should be in a democratic country, or maybe European structures will remain indifferent to such dictatorial phenomena? I don’t think that Artsakh needs to be expressed as European emphasis.
The current situation, extremely disappointing and creating a strongly negative thought about the state and ruling classes, fully allows one to think that the Artsakhtsi, according to an unwritten law, doesn’t have the right to land in his liberated land.
“Since the first days of Shushi’s liberation, I have been living in Shushi for almost 20 years now. I patiently went through all the post-war trials, hoping that one day my turn ill come to have a piece of land in the homeland, where I can build a home and have a family. However, it recently became known that this is mostly a monopoly of oligarchs and officials. A clear expression of this is the stop of land allocation by Shushi’s local administration and, as a continuation, decision regarding the sale of the remaining free and hardly reachable pieces of land in Shushi through auction, following the “you have money, you will have land” principle. Of course, this means that having land, building a home and live in Artsakh is the right of those who have great sums of money and can win lands in the auction sales.
Please tell me, what should I call ‘Homeland’? The lands of officials and oligarchs? When due to the arbitrariness of the Artsakh government I don’t even have a small piece of the large lands, so I can build a home with my own hands’ work and have a family. The only thing left to do is draw the Diaspora’s attention and ask for support in finding a solution to this and similar problems, why not, even apply to European structures. Otherwise, I have no intention of complying with this “I don’t give a damn” way of working of the authorities and to wait in vain for justice and I myself will be forced to join the large groups of emigrants”, says Sipan Petrosyan, inhabitant of Shushi. Not having any property, he filed an application to the municipality of Shushi, received a refusal, motivated by the fact that in 2012, pieces of land were allocated to his two brothers at a cadastral price. However, all property rights belong to his brothers and the applicant is not authorized to carry out any construction works in the mentioned land pieces. As a matter of fact, the Shushi local administration’s response to the abovementioned application of Sipan Petrosyan is strongly groundless and illegitimate.
During the processing of such situations, as a natural consequence, a considerable part of cases discussed in European structures deal with similar situations, where all violations of human rights prescribed by the legislation of the NKR will be mentioned. More, in European structures such cases will simply end in favor of the applicant. As a result, the highest state authorities will have to face the obligation of finding a global solution to such problems.
Certain official, not being under verification by the competent state bodies, allowed themselves to abuse the official position in allocating land pieces in Shushi and in auction sales and sign a series of groundless contract with different persons. In order for these land piece allocation problems not to finally become a cause of emigration, we consider it necessary to ask you the following:
a) The government of the independent Republic of Artsakh should adopt a fair decision and carry out a very important project. That is recognizing all land pieces and ruins fit for building housing as prevailing state interest and allocate them with priority right to private individuals for building a house and settling in the fatherland, with the objective to prevent emigration from Artsakh and de-Armenization.
b) After the decision of the NKR government regarding the recognition as prevailing state interest takes effect, the basis of all the decision made by the prefecture and the city hall of Shushi regarding the whole process of allocation and auction sale of land pieces, from the past years as well as current ones, should be reinvestigated and supervised by a several competent state bodies.
c) The state must start proceedings against employees of local administration on grounds of not carrying out their obligations as prescribed by the law or deficiently carrying them out, as well as abusing their official position.
d) A permanent commission under the direct control of the NKR governmentshould be created; this commission should check in what measure the past land piece allocations are fair and legitimate, as the legal decisions of European structures have not yet been called to life. Competent state bodies and local administration must not discriminate between oligarchs, officials and simple NKR citizen, but must be guided by the principles of democracy․
Most honourable Mr. President, in order to find a solution to this and similar nation destructive problems, we are expecting a fair decision from you, in the name of our martyrs, our heroic freedom fighters and the protection of the rights of our victorious people, which as the right to live in its victorious land like a victorious person.
Thank you in advance.
NKR citizen Ruzanna Tsatryan
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President Serzh Sargsyan conducted today a working visit to Austria. In Vienna, the President of Armenia participated at the Summit of the European Peoples Party (EPP). At the Summit, discussed was a wide range of issues related to the EU economy, political developments, and current international problems. In particular, the agenda of the Summit includes issues pertinent to the economic growth, creation of jobs, increased competitiveness of the economy, and development of a closer economic and monetary union within the European Union. The participants of the Summit will exchange views on the implementation of structural changes at the national level and reflect on the results of the EU semi-annual activities for 2013. They will also discuss regional issues and the EU Eastern Partnership program.
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The joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict made today in Enniskillen by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries is the fifth one. We highly appreciate the continuous efforts of the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Russia, USA and France, aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Armenia is unanimous with the Co-Chair states and is determined to achieve an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict.
As the United States, Russia and France, we also regret that rather than finding a solution, because of Baku’s attempts to snatch one-sided advantage, progress was not achieved in the Summits of Kazan in June, 2011, Sochi in March, 2011, Astrakhan in October, 2010, Saint-Petersburg in June, 2010. Armenia shares the Co-Chairs’ approach that further delay in reaching a balanced framework agreement on the main principles for a comprehensive peace is unacceptable.
As the Co-Chairs, we continue to believe that the elements outlined in the statements of the heads of the Co-Chair countries over the last four years can be the foundation of reaching a fair and lasting settlement of the conflict, and that those elements should be seen as an integrated whole and that any attempt to select some elements over others would make it impossible to achieve a solution.
We absolutely agree that peoples should be prepared for peace, not war. Unfortunately until now the Azerbaijani leadership is doing just the reverse. We absolutely agree with the heads of the Co-Chair states-France, the United States and Russia, that the use of force will not resolve the conflict, and that only a negotiated settlement can lead to stability and peace, which will open new opportunities for regional cooperation and development.
Unlike Azerbaijan, which on the occasion and without makes references to only one principle of international law, Armenia has on several occasions reiterated and in response to the Enniskillen appeal of Presidents Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama and Francois Holland, once again re-affirms its commitment to the principles of international law, particularly the non-use of force or the threat of force, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and territorial integrity.
In spite of the several appeals of the international community to refrain from provocative rhetoric and actions, Azerbaijan continues its bellicose rhetoric and provocations on the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border with Armenia, the glorification of murderers and persecution of peace advocates, the propaganda of xenophobia, intolerance and hatred, which leads to raising tension and escalation of the situation in the region.
The joint statement of Enniskillen on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs may become an impetus for achieving progress in the negotiation process would Azerbaijan correctly perceives the messages of the three Co-Chair countries.
