HE SECRETARY-GENERAL — MESSAGE ON WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

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պանգի մուն

 

Human trafficking is a callous global industry that denies victims their rights and dignity and generates billions of dollars for organized criminal networks.  Most of those trafficked are vulnerable women and children deceived into a life of suffering.  They are exploited for sex and forced to work in conditions akin to slavery.

 

This first World Day against Trafficking in Persons is a call to action to end this crime and give hope to the victims, who often live unrecognized among us.  To stop the traffickers, we must sever funding pipelines and seize assets.  I urge all countries to ratify and fully implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol on Trafficking in Persons.

 

Enforcement, cross-border cooperation and information-sharing can all be effective, but ending human trafficking also means tackling the root causes.  Extreme poverty, entrenched inequality and a lack of education and opportunity create the vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit.  Ultimately, the best protection is to accelerate development for all.

 

Victims of trafficking who are fortunate enough to be freed need assistance to regain their rights and reintegrate into society.  The UN Trust Fund for the Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, works on their behalf but needs additional funding.  I appeal to everyone to support the UN campaign, “Have a Heart for Victims of Human Trafficking”.

 

Let us open our eyes to this crime and our hearts to the victims.  It is time to say no to human trafficking.

Armenian-Uruguayan high-level negotiations take place

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On July 9, President Serzh Sargsyan started his state visit to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

Prior to meeting President Jose Mujica, Serzh Sargsyan visited Independence Square, laid a wreath at the Monument to General Jose Artigas and paid tribute.

The Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay discussed a wide range of issues aimed at strengthening the interstate ties and promoting cooperation. The presidents of the two countries were glad to note that Armenia and Uruguay have managed to establish friendly relations based on mutual respect and trust. According to the Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay, the nature of those relations is displayed through their mutual commitment to collaboration and a special attitude toward each other’s concerns. At the meeting, the RA President underscored that Armenia is interested in promoting a comprehensive agenda in the spheres of policy, trade and economy, culture, as well as in other mutually beneficial spheres. The president expressed readiness to put a lot of effort into reaching that goal.

In order to stimulate the Armenian-Uruguayan cooperation, the interlocutors emphasized the need for making reciprocal visits and bringing the two countries’ foreign affairs ministries into regular contact, which gives the opportunity to effectively deal with the issues of reciprocal concern both in bilateral and multilateral formats. In that context President Serzh Sargsyan laid special emphasis on Uruguayan Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Almagro’s visit in May of 2012 and the President of the House of Representatives Jorge Orrico’s visit in November of the same year, as well as on last November’s visit of our compatriot and the Uruguayan Minster of Tourism and Sport Lilian Keshishyan.

In the context of enhancing the Armenian-Uruguayan relations the interlocutors stressed the importance of expanding the legal and contractual base and were happy to state that during the RA President’s visit this base will be supplemented with a few important agreements.

Touching upon the multilateral cooperation, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Jose Mujica also attached great value to effective collaboration within the framework of international organizations as well.

The presidents of the two countries agreed that the Armenian community settled in Uruguay in different historical periods has certainly made a major contribution to developing the Armenian-Uruguayan relations and has been actively engaged in the country’s social and political life; it has also provided a modest input into the development of the friendly country of Uruguay.

The Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay stressed that the two countries take similar positions and approaches to the issues of universal importance. According to President Serzh Sargsyan, the striking illustration of this is the fact that being the first country of the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965, Uruguay stood on the pedestal of the defender of justice and won the sympathy and respect of all Armenians as an honest and reliable friend. Serzh Sargsyan mentioned that Uruguay has played a dominant role in recognizing and condemning the gravest crime against the Armenian people and the entire humanity.

At the end of the meeting documents aimed at promoting and enhancing multifaceted cooperation between the two countries were concluded. Particularly, the Economic Cooperation Agreement between the government of the Republic of Armenia and the government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the Agreement on the Elimination of Entrance Visa Requirements for Ordinary Passports between the government of the Republic of Armenia and the government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the Cooperation Framework Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Sports between the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay were concluded. The Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay signed a joint statement on the results of the visit.

On his state visit to the Republic of Uruguay President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the Vice President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the President of the Senate Danilo Astori.

At the outset the Armenian President presented his appreciation for the warm reception and stressed that he considered it a great honor to arrive in the friendly state of Uruguay on a state visit.

At the meeting the parties touched upon the promotion of the inter-parliamentary ties between Armenia and Uruguay and attached great weight to the role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening the interstate relations.

The interlocutors paid close attention to the parliamentary friendship groups whose intensive activities, reciprocal visits and contacts, according to President Serzh Sargsyan and the Vice President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the President of the Senate Danilo Astori, can greatly fortify the bilateral friendship.

Serzh Sargsyan and Danilo Astori expressed the belief that the Armenian President’s state visit to Uruguay will yield positive results and will further promote the agenda of the Armenian-Uruguayan inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The Vice President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the President of the Senate Danilo Astori was pleased to accept President Serzh Sargsyan’s invitation to visit Armenia and underscored that it is his great desire to be in the fatherland of his numerous friends with whom he has warm relations. He stated with satisfaction that there are Armenians by birth working at the Uruguayan parliament and at the staff of the Senate who provide input into legislative activities.

On behalf of his country Danilo Astori suggested that Armenia uses Uruguay as a gate to develop trade and economic ties with other countries of the South American region.

On his state visit the Armenian President visited Armenia Square in Montevideo. The president paid tribute at the cross-stone to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide installed next to the square.

In the morning of the first day of his visit to the Republic of Uruguay President Serzh Sargsyan visited Conaprole cooperative which has great agricultural potential. Here the Armenian President was introduced the factory’s entire range of products the 70 percent of which is exported to different countries of the world and familiarized with the production potential.

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan is also to hold a meeting with the President of the Supreme Court of Uruguay Doctor Jorge Larrieux Rodriguez. At the end of the day on behalf of President Jose Mujica of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay an official dinner was held in honor of President Serzh Sargsyan having arrived in Uruguay on a state visit.

The presidents of the two countries exchanged toasts, touched upon the history of the Armenian-Uruguayan friendly relations, the Armenian community of Uruguay which plays a major role in strengthening the ties between the two countries, the development potential of the interstate relations and the need for making efforts at realizing their full potential for the benefit of the two countries.

 

 

President Serzh Sargsyan receives World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen

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Սերժ ՍարգսյանThe President of Armenia and the President of the Armenian Chess Federation Serzh Sargsyan today received the Norwegian grandmaster, the number one chess player in the World Chess Federation (FIDE) rating list, reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen and the world cup-holder, thrice Olympic chess champion, the member of the World Team Chess Champion Armenia’s national chess team, the grandmaster Levon Aronian who have arrived in Armenia at the invitation of the Armenian Development Initiatives Foundation and the company Acronis.

In addition, the Armenian President hosted the Chairmen of the world-famous IT companies Parallels and Acronis and the President of the Skolkovo Foundation who have visited Armenia within the framework of the same project launched by the Armenian Development Initiatives. The foundation has combined chess and information technologies in one project considering that Armenia pays close attention to the spheres already made significant progress in the country.

At the meeting, the executive director of the foundation noted that the project is aimed at presenting Armenia’s successes and peculiarities to the world and creating new development opportunities for underpinning the given and a number of other promising spheres.

The president welcomed the guests and the foundation’s mission, stressing that he considers it a great honor to host the world’s most powerful chess player Magnus Carlsen in Armenia considering also the attitude that has formed towards chess in Armenia. “I am also glad to see Levon Aronian here. He is the pride of our people, and arguably the strongest opponent of Magnus. Indeed, we pin great hopes on Levon, and it is first of all by virtue of Levon that our national team selected from a small country has become a thrice Olympic chess champion. I am very grateful to him. Of course, I am also delighted to see people having achieved great successes in the sphere of information technologies. I think that this initiative of the Armenian Development Initiatives Foundation has hit the target once again and this is a laudable fact,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

According to Magnus Carlsen, he also considers a great honor to be in Armenia – “a great chess country.” “Over the last few days in Armenia I have been witnessing the love and the enthusiasm the Armenian people feel for chess. I think that Armenia’s such approach, especially including chess in school program, sets a wonderful example to the whole world. That is a great step,” said the world chess champion.

At the meeting, the interlocutors touched upon Armenia’s scientific and educational potential and the works carried out in our country to stimulate the development of chess and information technologies, as well as upon the promising development projects.

The tax code is the pledge of our country’s enhanced competitiveness

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Հովիկ Աբրահամյան,Հայաստանի միասնական հարկային օրենսգրքի մշակմանը նվիրված միջազգային համաժողովPrime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan attended an international conference on the development of a unified tax code for the Republic of Armenia. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Finance and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Tax Reform Program.

Welcoming the guests, the Prime Minister highlighted the unified tax code in terms of our country’s long-term and sustainable development.

“Some three weeks ago the National Assembly approved the program of the new government, which seeks to continuously improve our country’s business and investment climate, including the tax environment.

In this regard, the development and enforcement of the tax code in line with the best international practices will be a strong impetus for further improvement of Armenia’s business environment and increased investment attractiveness.

On the other hand, we hopeful that the tax code will help enhance Armenia’s image among its foreign partners as a reliable partner with stable and developed tax system. In addition, the tax code will be designed based on the country’s economic priorities, opportunities and the existing bottlenecks, as well as on the regional priorities.

The tax code should promote as much as possible export-oriented, import-substituting, knowledge-based and non-raw material industries.

On the other hand, the new tax code should allow for effective fight against the black economy. We look forward to having a stronger tax base, increased revenue, especially through more accurate and stricter taxation of major businesses that will enable the government to implement more ambitious, comprehensive and consistent programs in the social, healthcare, environmental, urban development and other areas,” the Premier noted.

Emphasizing that the design of the tax code implies a vast amount of work, the head of government said he would appreciate having the active and effective collaboration of all the stakeholders, including political parties, businesses, non-governmental and international organizations.

“The tax code will be developed in an atmosphere of maximum transparency: any such recommendation, problem or proposed amendment as may arise throughout the design work shall be discussed in advance with the representatives of business circles on different platforms and in various formats,” Hovik Abrahamyan added.

The Prime Minister wished the participants fruitful work and urged them to make a concerted effort to pursue this important undertaking.

“I voiced this idea as early as two years ago when I was the President of the National Assembly. The introduction of the new tax code is the pledge of our country’s enhanced competitiveness,” the Prime Minister concluded.

The conference is attended by members of the Armenian government, officials from the Georgian Ministry of Finance, foreign ambassadors accredited in Armenia, representatives from international organizations, business circles, civil society and experts.

The discussions will focus on the need to introduce a unified tax code in Armenia based on the principle of public-private sector partnership. The international experience pertaining to the reform of tax legislation will be introduced, including that of the Republic of Georgia, the tax and customs reforms underway in Georgia, etc.

 

Minister requested the Ambassador to take effective measures to decrease the tension on the contact line

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On June 6 Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia received Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting the Minister requested the Ambassador to take, within his capacity, effective measures to decrease the tension on the contact line, since ongoing escalation in the shaped operational environment is prone to entail unforeseen consequences for the Azeri side.

Ambassador expressed his concerns and promised to take measures to de-escalate the current situation at the contact line.

President took part in groundbreaking ceremony of new figure skating school and visited companies of Grand Holding

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Սերժ Սարգսյան, Իրինա Ռոդնինա

MHM88371

 

 Today, President Serzh Sargsyan took part in the groundbreaking ceremony of a new figure skating school to be built in Yerevan’s Malatia-Sebastia administrative district. The thrice Olympic champion in figure skating, the multiple world and European champion, the Russian public figure and State Duma Deputy Irina Rodnina also participated in groundbreaking ceremony of the school to be built in the vicinity of the new velodrome. She has been directly engaged in the school establishment program and expressed readiness to promote the development of figure skating in Armenia after the school is put into operation. The school construction is financed by Chief Executive Officer of Monarch Group of Companies and the Armenian businessman Sergey Hambardzumyan who is going to donate the school to Yerevan. Head of that construction company Sergey Hambardzumyan was also present at the ceremony. The total construction value is close to 5 million US dollars. It is to start in June and according to the executives, will be finished in a short space of time – in 2015. The school will have a skating-rink with 500 seats and auxiliary buildings.

Սերժ Սարգսյան, Գրանդ Քենդի

Later on, the President of Armenia visited Grand Tobacco and Grand Candy companies which make part of Grand Holding. The president toured the workshops, familiarized with the investments made by the company being considered as one of the leading native manufacturers, as well as with its recent years’ works aimed at putting new modern workshops in action and increasing the factory’s production potential. Serzh Sargsyan was told that the companies making part of Grand Holding keep on successfully implementing all the programs and abide by Hrant Vardanyan’s business traditions. This is proved by the economic indicators of the first five months of this year. The executives assured that they plan to maintain the same growth rates throughout the whole year. The acquisition of new production lines by Grand Tobacco during 2014 will lead to the creation of 100-130 new jobs. At the other company of Grand Holding, Grand Candy, the President of Armenia was informed that the number of the company’s 410 types of products will increase at least by 15. Currently, Grand Candy employs 3100 workers whose number is going to increase by 150 by the end of this year. All in all, Grand Holding employs around 6500 people.

At the end of the tour, Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the leadership of Grand Holding. The president welcomed the steps being taken to promote the company and wished Grand Holding further successes.
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Nagorno Karabakh . The Keys to a Settlement

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ցույցOn May 18, a rally of protest was held in the Renaissance Square in Stepanakert by the youth of Artsakh against the six-point statement of American Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick made ​​on May 7 at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, in which he presented the U.S. position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. The participants of the rally issued a  Statement, in which they presented, in particular, the position of the youth of Artsakh on the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement, which is summarized in the following provisions.

Nagorno Karabakh . The Keys to a Settlement

First, the sides of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict are the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is possible only with the direct and full-fledged participation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the negotiation process. This is not optional. Otherwise any decision will remain on paper.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic / Republic of Artsakh/ has not mandated anyone to decide on its behalf either on the issue of status or any other.

Second, the borders of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic are inviolable. Throughout the millennia –long history of Armenian Artsakh it was the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Region that was an interim status, which not only failed to guarantee the security of Artsakh Armenians but lead to the partition of Artsakh and exodus of its Armenian population.

Third, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic  has no territories to «return» to any state. Moreover, it  is a claimant to its territories that are under Azeri control. The Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement cannot be based on selective interpretation of the principles of international law by Azerbaijan or anyone.

Fourth, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was formed through free expression of will of its people in line with all norms and principles of international law. Hence, any attempt to blockade the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a blatant violation of international law.

Fifth, all issues concerning refugees and IDPs should be settled on the basis of reciprocity and only after the recognition of the final status of the NKR.

 Sixth and finally, after the indulgence of the brutal crime by an Azerbaijani axe murderer of a sleeping Armenian officer in Budapest, any promise of international guarantees is nothing but a deception. The ceasefire in the zone of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict has been maintained for 20 years exclusively due to the balance of forces. Hence, the only guarantor of the security of the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is the NKR Defense Army.

 

The Youth of  the Nagorno Karabakh Republic /Republic of Artsakh/

Open letter to the President of the French Republic, Francois Hollande, and French ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, Henri Reynaud

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Մաշտոցի պուրակ. հուշատախտակ

 

Honorable Mr. President,

Honorable Ambassador,

 

We, the citizens of the Republic of Armenian, who carried on a 90-day struggle demanding that an abandoned and derelict corner of Yerevan be saved and restored as a public park, are expressing strong disapproval that the RA authorities are once again taking anti-democratic steps, during President Hollande’s visit to Yerevan, by renaming the park after Misak Manushyan.

 

While the decision was made by the Yerevan City Council on April 30th, this decision was made public barely one day ago. This decision was passed without any public debate, and in the absence of journalists, who were banned from the city council session. In the past as well, many of our attempts to attend Yerevan City Council Sessions have been blocked, often by force on behalf of the police.

 

Mashtots Park has a symbolic value for social movements in Armenia. It was saved from being turned into a commercial space by a decision of the Yerevan City Hall. The name “Mashtots Park” has been used by City Hall itself, and has gained wide recognition and acceptance by the public at-large, during the campaign to save the park. Since the saving of the park, the name has also been used by other governmental agencies and in official documents.

 

Yerevan municipality, other state structures of the country, Serj Sargsyan have numerously violated the Armenian Constitution and legislation with regard to Mashtots Park, and nobody has ever been charged for these violations. These state bodies and persons do not have any legitimate and constitutional right to take decisions regarding this park, therefore the decision to rename is illegal and unlawful. If any person participates in enforcing this decision, he or she becomes part of an illegality. If the president of France participates in the designed event, he will become part of a process entailing violation of Armenian constitutional order and fundamental human rights.

 

We are announcing that we consider the renaming, re- appropriation and co-optation of this public space with such important significance, as well as the neglect of the plaque in the park celebrating the victory of the campaign to save the park, to be unacceptable. The regime and the authorities in City Council are doing everything in their power to dismiss and devalue the principles of freedom, the right to peaceful assembly, and solidarity, and remove them from the space that represents these values in our city. It is especially unacceptable that they are attempting to erase the name of Mashtots Park, under the guise of French President Hollande’s visit and the using name of the French Republic, to curb Armenian democracy. Mashtots park is and will always be called MASHOTS PARK, as a symbol of the Armenian citizenry’s campaign to protect its constitutional rights, and as a platform for the freedom of expression and thought in Armenia.

 

While we are proud of the long and storied heritage of French-Armenian relations, and respect Misak Manushyan’s role in the resistance movement during the Second World War, we condemn the French Ambassador’s implicit consent and participation in an event that disgraces the struggle for democracy. We are certain that as representatives of a democratic country, you will refuse to participate in such an event. As an alternative, we propose that you discuss with the Armenian authorities the naming of another park after Misak Manushyan, or the creation of a new park that bears his name instead, a move that will be fully supported by us.

 

With respect,

“This City Belongs To Us” Civic Initiative

“Our City” Public-Civic Initiative

Answer of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to a question by News.am Information portal

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Էդվարդ Նալբանդյան

Question:   California State Assembly passed a Resolution recognizing the independence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. How would you comment?

Answer: We welcome the Resolution passed by the California State Assembly on the recognition of independence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The more Azerbaijan continues to undermine the efforts of Armenia and the international community aimed at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the more new decisions and resolutions can be expected paving way for the international recognition of the realization of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination – the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

 

The answers of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to the questions at the National Assembly

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նալբանդյանը կառավարության նիստում

Tevan Poghosyan: On April 23 Turkish PM made a statement to which Yerevan responded that it was a new form of genocide denial. Obviously, I share your opinion. Indeed, it is very regrettable Erdoganthat there is such an Erdogansituation on the 99th anniversary. Nevertheless after your response Erdoğan Erdogankeeps talking and admiring his own statement.  Moreover, on April 29 he made an “heroic” statement that the proof that no genocide was committed is that the Armenians are living in Turkey today. There has been no answer from our side on this claim. What is your opinion on that?

 

Edward Nalbandian: Today a large number of Jews live in Germany, but  no one would dare to put under the question the reality of the Holocaust. Turkey had better follow Germany’s example through recognition, condemnation and apology.
In 1915 Talaat told Germany’s Consul General that there is no Armenian question because there are no more Armenians. 99 years later Armenians together with the international community struggles for the exclusion of new genocides, new crimes against humanity and wait for civilized steps from Turkey.

 

Tevan Poghosyan: Thank you. Taking the opportunity of your presence, I would also like to  hear your opinion on the following matter. Azerbaijan assumes presidency in the CoE in a few days. During the last few days we can see the situation on human rights in that state,  and how many representatives of NGOs have been arrested, accused and beaten. As a Foreign Minister of a state that presided the Organization what is your view on that? Are you going to raise that issue in the Council of Europe? What actions do you plan to undertake?

 

Edward Nalbandian: Council of Europe senior officials have already raised that issue. During the last week CoE Commissioner for Human Rights made two statements, according to which the situation with the fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and in general human rights is deteriorating in Azerbaijan.

 

We are well aware that expressions of Armenophobia,  intolerance, hate speech have become usual phenomenon in Azerbaijan.

 

I think that not only a CoE chairmanship of such a country, but also its membership are not to the honour of the Organization.

 

 

After the Q&A session at the Parliament, answering the correspondent’s question whether Armenia raises at the Council of Europe the issue of the expressions of armenophobia in Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said, “Yes, we do. However, those expressions are so gross, that are obvious and apparent.
For instance, what does the yesterday’s statement by the Azerbaijani head of police mean, that the inhuman treatment of Leyla Yunus is justified by her supposed Armenian origin. Such numerous expressions are well known in the Council of Europe, as well as in other Organizations.

 

 Անկախ

President Serzh Sargsyan received Twitter Vice President Raffi Krikorian

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սելֆի

 Today, President Serzh Sargsyan received the member of Tumo’s Board of Advisers, the Vice President of Twitter Raffi Krikorian having arrived in Armenia on the invitation of Tumo, the center for creative technologies.

The President of Armenia welcomed the guest and stressed the importance of his visit which aims to familiarize with Tumo’s educational program, support in working on the center’s educational contents concerning computer programming, as well as to discuss with Armenian IT specialists world tendencies and challenges which are of concern to the Armenian IT community.

Underscoring that the development of IT field is one of the priorities of the Armenian economy, the president noticed that our compatriots’ gratifying successes in that field represent a guiding principle for the young generation. Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of promoting close cooperation with Armenian IT specialists, the exchange of experience and consultations.

Raffi Krikorian presented the president meetings held in the framework of his visit, including the meetings with IT specialists. According to him, they are very promising because there are inspiring examples pertaining to the field development which pave the way for the development of IT field.

20 YEARS AFTER THE GENOCIDE IN RWANDA: LESSONS LEARNED AND UNLEARNED by BAN Ki-moon

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պանգի մուն

Today in the Central African Republic, government and community leaders are struggling to help the country find the path of peace.

On Monday in Kigali, I will join the people of Rwanda in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the genocide, the reverberations of which are still being felt across an arc of uncertainty in Africa’s Great Lakes region — and in the collective conscience of the international community.

Each situation has its own dynamics. So does the Syrian conflict, which each day claims new victims. But each has posed a complex, life-and-death challenge: what can the international community do when innocent populations are being slaughtered in large numbers and the Government is unable or unwilling to protect its people — or is among the very agents of the violence? And what can we do to prevent these atrocities from occurring in the first place?

The genocides in Rwanda and Srebrenica were emblematic failures of the international community. The scale of the brutality in Rwanda still shocks: an average of 10,000 deaths per day, day after day, for three months, with hateful radio broadcasts inflaming and inciting Rwandans to kill Rwandans.

The international community has since made important strides in acting on the lessons of these awful events. We are now united against impunity, epitomized by the establishment of the International Criminal Court. International and UN-assisted tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, are pursuing accountability and having a discernible deterrent effect on would-be violators of basic international norms. In a landmark judgement, a former head of state has been convicted of war crimes.

The international community has endorsed the “responsibility to protect”; States can no longer claim that atrocity crimes are a domestic matter beyond the realm of international concern. Growing numbers of governments and regional organizations are creating mechanisms dedicated to genocide prevention. The United Nations and its partners are more frequently deploying human rights monitors to trouble-spots — “eyes and ears” that show Governments and non-state actors alike the world is watching. And since such crimes take planning, we are targetting the key risk factors, from the lack of institutions to grievances left unaddressed.

We are also acting more robustly to protect civilians, including from rampant sexual violence. Assertive peacekeeping approaches have defeated one of the most brutal militias in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations opened the gates of its peacekeeping installations in South Sudan to shelter tens of thousands of people from deadly threats. Twenty years ago, such steps would have been unthinkable. Today, this is deliberate policy, an example of our new “Rights Up Front” initiative in action — a lesson of Rwanda made real. These situations remain fragile, but the thrust is clear: more protection, not less.

However, this work has faced regular setbacks. The end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009 led to tens of thousands of deaths and a systemic failure by the United Nations to speak up and act. For more than three years, the international community has remained divided over the response to the situation in Syria, providing only a fraction of the necessary humanitarian funding while fueling the fire with arms to both sides in the mistaken belief in a military solution.

The world needs to overcome these moral blind spots. Member States may have rival definitions of national interest, or be unwilling to take on new financial or military commitments. They may be daunted by complexity and risk, or concerned that discussions about an imminent crisis in other countries might one day focus on their own situations. But the results of this indifference and indecisiveness are clear: the bloodshed of innocents, shattered societies, and leaders left to utter the words “never again”, again and again – in itself, a sign of continuing failure.

Over the past decade, the Central African Republic has struggled for global awareness of its plight, and over the past year has suffered the collapse of the state, a descent into lawlessness, and gruesome mass killing that has instilled widespread terror and sparked an exodus. People are exploiting religious identity in the fight for political objectives, threatening a longstanding tradition of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians.

I appeal to the international community to provide the military support urgently needed to save lives, get police back on the streets and enable people to return to their communities. The African Union and France have deployed troops, but efforts by the European Union to launch a force have so far come to naught. There is an equally pressing need to start a political process in which reconciliation figures prominently. Any further spread of violence may engulf the wider region.

When the collapse of a country is this profound, the challenge may seem insurmountable. Yet history proves otherwise. The sustained support of the international community has helped Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste make dramatic transformations. Rwanda has registered notable gains in development, and other countries have healed after unspeakable violence. The Central African Republic can walk the same path. I will continue to stand with the Government in charting a course that can build the stable and prosperous country its resources and traditions can make possible.

In Rwanda, I will visit the genocide memorial and pay tribute to the victims — as I have for other tragedies that have challenged the world, from Auschwitz and Cambodia decades ago, to others in our time. The international community cannot claim to care about atrocity crimes and then shrink from the commitment of resources and will required to actually prevent them. Global leaders should do more to prevent the preventable, and to counter the cruelty taking place before our eyes. People everywhere should place themselves in the shoes of the vulnerable, from Syria to the Central African Republic, and ask themselves what more they can do to build a world of human rights and dignity for all. Let us show people facing dire threats that they are not alone or abandoned – and that the lifeline they need is on its way.

BAN Ki-moon is Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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IT Industry Agenda Discussed At Government

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կառավարություն

 

Chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,, the IT Development Support Council held today a regular meeting in the Office of Government.

The Council first reviewed the status of previous meeting’s assignments. Then the meeting discussed issues related to public procurements and VAT problems arising during the implementation of grant programs. Regarding the latter, the Prime Minister ordered to hold an extra consultation and find appropriate solutions. The Council next heard a report on the launch of robotics groups under the “Robotics start at school” project.

60 such groups were said to have been set up nationwide, which are supposed to triple in number in the near future. The speakers noted that the project may help attract thousands of young people into the labor market. The private sector has turned to the government for financial support, and the Prime Minister has approved the request. Various donors are expected to be involved in the project.

The meeting approved a proposal to post all the corresponding draft laws in RSS format at the Ministry of Justice official website. Tigran Sargsyan instructed the relevant authorities to discuss the issue and submit recommendations.

The meeting agenda featured items concerning the minimum wage, warranty service-related customs rules and regulations, as well as the launch of computing skills testing and attestation centers under the “Usum” (Learning) system.

Summing up the meeting, the Prime Minister stated in part, “The IT Development Support Council features representatives from the private sector to get feedback from private operators regarding the existing problems and bottlenecks. Such feedback is a must for the government to understand and address the threats in a timely manner, which are given a prompt response.”

In conclusion, the Prime Minister urged the IT sector representatives to identify and report back all the problems in order to find coordinated solutions and implement new programs.

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President received the Minster of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivan Mrkić

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սարգսյան-մրկիչ

 Today, President Serzh Sargsyan received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivan Mrkić.

The President welcomed the high-ranking guest and stressed the importance of his visit in terms of continuing the Armenian-Serbian high-level political dialogue and promoting the cooperation agenda. Serzh Sargsyan underscored that the age-old relations between Armenia and Serbia have had numerous illustrations. According to the President, the Armenian people gratefully remember the seven Serbian pilots who fell victim to the air crash on the approaches of Yerevan while they were coming to the aid of Armenia during the days after the 1988 devastating earthquake. Moreover, every year, at the anniversary of the earthquake, in the same place, a tribute is paid at the memorial dedicated to their memory.

Serzh Sargsyan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivan Mrkić stressed the importance of the high-level reciprocal visits, as a result of which, in recent years, the bilateral relations and the collaboration in a number of fields have intensified.

The interlocutors expressed their willingness to continue to make efforts at maintaining and developing the existing positive dynamics agreeing that there is a great unrealized potential in the advancement of political, economic, cultural, as well as of the other spheres of reciprocal interest in the framework of international organizations.

At the meeting, the importance of mutually beneficial and close cooperation between Armenia and Serbia during the period of Serbia’s chairmanship of the OSCE was also stressed.
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Malaysian Airlines plane missing, 239 people on board

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malaysia-airlines

 

Nobody knows exactly what happened to a Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared Saturday, but families of the 239 people on board are waiting and expecting the worst.

Air traffic controllers lost track of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 not long after it left Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on its way to Beijing. More than half the passengers were Chinese nationals.

There’s even confusion about where the plane might have gone down.

Vietnamese and Chinese state media, both citing Vietnam’s military, reported the plane crashed off the southern coast of Vietnam.

But the reports are incorrect, said Malaysia’s acting transport minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. “The CA (Civil Aviation Authority) says that is not true, and our foreign office says it is not true,” he said.

China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia are conducting search and rescue operations south of Tho Chu island in the South China Sea, reported Xinhua, China’s official news agency. Ships, helicopters and airplanes are being utilized.

The Boeing 777-200 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12:41 a.m. and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m., a 2,300-mile (3,700 kilometer) trip. It never arrived.

The plane carried 227 passengers, two of them infants, and 12 crew members, the airline said. Air traffic control in Subang, in Malaysia, had last contact with the plane.

 

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Opening Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward Nalbandian Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia High Level Panel Discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 25th Session of the Human Rights Council

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90. Minister Nalbandian participated in Genocide prevention High Level pannel in Geneve - 07.03.2014

 

Mr. President of the Human Rights Council,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First I would like to thank Madam Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office for holding this High Level Panel Discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

I would like also to thank all panelists for their willingness to shape result oriented discussion on genocide prevention. I want to particularly thank Madam Esther Mujawayo, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, the 20th anniversary of which will be marked in an international conference in Brussels in three weeks.

Armenian people, as a nation that survived the first genocide of the 20th century, feels a strong moral responsibility to bring its contribution to international efforts in prevention of crimes against humanity. I should acknowledge the readiness with which many member states lent their support to our various initiatives for this noble goal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all co-sponsors of the Human Rights Council Resolution on Genocide Prevention that was adopted by this august body last year.

Through its various actors, the United Nations plays a central role in Genocide Prevention. I would like to mention the personal involvement of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, who gives guidance to this ongoing cooperation. We are encouraged to see the determined work of the Human Rights Council, and other UN bodies together with the member states. I would like to stress the valuable contribution of Mr. Adama Dieng, Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide, who is with us today.

Despite the fact that the Genocide Prevention Convention was adopted in 1948, unfortunately, new genocides, new crimes against humanity have been committed over the ensuing decades, including recent years. From Cambodia to Rwanda to Darfur the terrible phenomenon of genocide has continued seeming unabated.

 

This means that we need not only debates, resolutions, declarations, conventions, but effective mechanisms and actions to prevent their recurrence.

 

Genocide is a complex phenomenon and does not occur according to a single model. Prevention must be based on an accurate understanding of the history of genocides. This includes a thorough analysis of all modern cases. We must understand not only what happened in each case, but also the causes. We must be ready to learn from past failures and be open to new ideas.

 

Genocide prevention requires the development of both enforcement and preventive measures. If genocide is committed, the perpetrators should not stay in doubt that they will definitely be held responsible. On May 24th, 1915 in a special declaration the Allied Powers – Russia, France and Great Britain, warned the perpetrators of the atrocities against the Armenian people that they would be held personally responsible for “these new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization,” from which the modern concept of Crimes against Humanity entered the international legal system.

 

The prehistory of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is related to the most tragic page in the history of the Armenian people. Raphael Lemkin, the author of the term “genocide,” while defining the crime of genocide, referred to the very policy of mass extermination perpetrated against Armenians. Lemkin dedicated his life to the study of crimes against humanity, which, among others, paved the way for the adoption of the 1948 Convention.

The measures foreseen in the Human Rights Council Resolution of 22nd of March 2013 envisages the necessary preventive measures. We are all unanimous on three pillars of genocide prevention: early warning, human rights protection, and public campaign of education and awareness.

 

First, in order for the international community to react promptly, we must be aware of the risk of genocide as early as possible and make the necessary preventive steps. Usually perpetrators of genocide try to hide their intentions as long as possible. The international community should evaluate the origins of genocidal atmosphere leading to this heinous crime and prevent it as early as possible.

 

Over the course of the past decade, both the United Nations and the regional bodies have made much progress in improving early warning and assessment systems. We should do our utmost to ensure that these advances continue in the years ahead. Early identification and warning by themselves will not be effective unless they are followed by concrete forms of deterrence.

 

Second, genocide prevention is a part of the complex international mechanisms of the human rights protection. Moral values stand on the most important defense line against these horrible crimes. Genocide is an unthinkable crime for a society which is founded on the protection of human rights, on the values of mutual respect, tolerance and non-violence.

 

Third, one of our goals is to reinforce in the public these values through education and remembrance. Generations should get knowledge of the history of past tragedies, past genocides. The acknowledgement and condemnation of committed genocides are one of the most effective tools for their prevention in the future. Unacknowledged or preferred ignorance of genocide, which is otherwise called denial, along with impunity pave the way for the repetition of new crimes against humanity. Independent of geopolitical or other interests, the international community should stand together in the recognition, condemnation and punishment of past genocides, especially in light of the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations, in their efforts towards its prevention in the future.

 

The remembrance days of the victims of genocides, Mets Yeghern, Shoah, remembrance days in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and other genocides should be days of mourning not only for the descendents of victims, but for the descendents of the perpetrators. These days should be approached with willingness to move towards recognition and reconciliation. True reconciliation does not mean forgetting the past or feeding younger generations with tales of denial.

The civilized world resolutely rejects the incitement of hatred, racism, dissemination of intolerance, the denial of genocide, crimes against humanity under the guise of freedom of expression. The prevailing opinion of the international genocide scholars is that denial itself is a continuation of genocide.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide we understand that the effectiveness of each treaty should be evaluated based on its implementation. This panel discussion is a good opportunity for sharing best practices in the implementation of this Convention.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to call upon those states that have not yet acceded to the Convention, to do so in the nearest future and to wish every success to those who spare no effort in genocide prevention.

 

Thank you!

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President Serzh Sargsyan received the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group

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համանախագահներ, սերժ սարգսյան
Today, President Serzh Sargsyan received the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick (USA), Jacques Faure (France) and Anjey Kasperchik, the personal representative of the OSCE chairman in office.

During the meeting, the Co-Chairs shared their impressions received from the meetings held in Baku and discussed issues, pertaining to further steps to be taken toward the process of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with the President of Armenia.

The President of Armenia and Co-Chairs also considered the recently intensified violations of the ceasefire at the Nagorno-Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line, stressing the incompatibility of such incidents with moving forward in the process of negotiations.

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Bulgarians Celebrate Epiphany With an Icy Dip

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Bulgaria Orthodox Epiphany

 

Thousands of young men are plunging into icy rivers and lakes across Bulgaria to retrieve crucifixes cast by priests in an old ritual marking the feast of Epiphany.

By tradition, a crucifix is cast into the waters of a lake or river, and it is believed that the person who retrieves it will be freed from evil spirits and will be healthy through the year.

The celebration of Epiphany, or the Apparition of Christ, as Bulgarians call it, began on Monday in Sofia with a water blessing ceremony.

The head of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neofit, said a prayer for the prosperity of the people and blessed the colors of representative army units — a tradition abandoned in 1946 and re-established in 1992.

 

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A New Year Congratulatory Address by President Serzh Sargsyan

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սերժ սարգսյան,նոր տարի

 

 
Dear Fellow Citizens,
I cordially wish you a Happy New Year!

The passing year has been full of many initiatives and events, but I believe the most significant among them was the deeply conscious work aimed at Armenia’s economic growth and enhanced level of security. We have furthered Armenia’s economic, political and military cooperation with the Russian Federation, and next year, I am certain, we will become a full member of the Customs Union. Armenia is creating a new reality which will make her more protected and more competitive.

We have continued and will steadily continue our course towards reformation. Our cooperation with Europe and the United States in this area will not weaken but will become even deeper. Our goal is inalterable: we want Armenia to be a modern state with strong societal relations and mature legal structure.

Let’s face it: the passing year has also had some ordeals. Despite all difficulties we have been able to make a promise of the regular increase of wages and pensions a reality. We have found basic solutions which will work beyond the next year.

Dear Compatriots,

Certainly, every new year always brings new hopes, new expectations and new plans. I am confident that materialization of these hopes and realization of these plans is in our hands. Each family has its own expectations, its plans, its troubles, and its happiness. Some are waiting for their sons to return from the army, some are working to conclude the constructions of their homes, some are expecting new babies and the bliss of that event, and so on. I wish that every family in Armenia in 2014 is able to make its dreams come true. All happy families together make our country stronger and make us all more positive.

I wish that we enter 2014 with the optimistic outlook and serious programs, all the more so because we have every reason to do it and these reasons live in each one of us. Our mindset and our work will show up in the results we get.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

As always, today we will raise our glasses to the soldiers of our Motherland, to those who at this moment in the wintry mountains are guarding our borders. They defend themselves and our mountains. They defend themselves and our dreams. They defend their victorious homeland and national aspirations.

I have no doubt that our demeanor and our work will make us worthy of them and of our noble goals. We will make flourish our villages and towns, we will beautify every inch of our land, we will bring our folks back home from the far away places. We can do that and we will do it together. The New Year will give new energy and doubled vigor.

Dear Compatriots,

I also congratulate all our compatriots in Artsakh and Spyurk. I send special congratulations to our brothers and sisters in Syria who are going through difficult times. Their pain is our pain. On this festive day, let us pray and believe that tomorrow, in year 2014 they will get peace and success. Their happiness is our happiness too.

I wish all citizens of the Republic of Armenia and the entire Armenian nation all the best. I wish good health to you, your children and your parents.

Happy New Year and approaching Holly Christmas!

President in Moscow participated at the sitting of the Eurasian Economic Supreme Council held in the extended format

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Եվրասիական տնտեսական բարձրագույն խորհրդի ընդլայնված կազմով նիստ

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in the Russian Federation on a working visit, on December 24 in Moscow participated at the Eurasian Economic Supreme Council held in the extended format which was conducted with the participation of the Presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan and the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The Eurasian Economic Supreme Council at the level of state leaders along with other issues adopted a plan of action (“road map”) for the Republic of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and Common Economic Area of the Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation. The members of the Council adopted a decision to approve the plan of action (“road map”). The governments of the Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation and Eurasian economic commission were tasked together with the government of the Republic of Armenia to work towards the implementation of the steps envisaged by the plan of action. The Eurasian economic commission was also directed to carry out the monitoring of the implementation of the steps envisaged by the plan and to inform the Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation on the results of the monitoring.

According to the mentioned above decision, the Eurasian economic commission will report on the works for the implementation of the steps envisaged by the plan of action to the next meeting of the Eurasian Economic Supreme Council held at the level of the heads of state.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia signed a Declaration on the plan of action (“road map”) of the Republic of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and Common Economic Area of the Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation. In order to deepen integration processes between Armenia and Customs Union and Common Economic Area member states, as well as acknowledging the necessity to further develop mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the Republic of Armenia, Customs Union and Common Economic Area member states, supporting the intent of the Republic of Armenia to become a full member of the Common Economic Area, the four Presidents who signed the document declared that the plan of action (“road map”) was adopted and spoke in favor of implementation of the steps envisaged by the “road map” aimed at Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian integration project.

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