Published since 07.2002
Published on April 18, 2008
NEW MFA ON THE JOB: PRESIDENT CALLS ON ALL MINISTERS TO BE “SOLDIERS”
- On April 14, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree appointing 52-year-old Eduard Nalbandyan Minister of Foreign Affairs. Earlier, Nalbandyan was relieved of his position as Armenia’s Ambassador to France, the Vatican, Israel and Andorra. The future minister was only 22 years old when he began his diplomatic career in the USSR embassy in Lebanon where he worked for more than five years. At the age of 30 Nalbandyan already worked as an advisor at the USSR Embassy in Egypt, up to the disintegration of the Soviet state. For some time he was also advisor in the embassy of Russia in Cairo. After Armenia gained independence, Nalbandyan remained in Egypt as Armenia’s charge d’affaires (1992-1993), ambassador (1994-1998), Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Egypt, Morocco and Oman (residing in Cairo). The change of power in Armenia marked the start of the “European stage” of Nalbandyan’s diplomatic career. In 1999 he was appointed Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France, pluralistically serving as official representative of Yerevan’s interests in Israel, the Vatican and Andorra (residing in Paris). It was under Eduard Nalbandyan as Armenia’s Ambassador to Israel that Armenia’s Foreign Minister in February 2002 sent a note of protest to the Foreign Ministry of Israel. That was the reply of official Yerevan to the controversial statements of Israeli Ambassador to Armenia Rivka Cohen (“the Holocaust is an unprecedented phenomenon, and nothing, including the tragedy of Armenians, can be compared to the Genocide of the Jews”.). It was in particular mentioned in the note that Armenia considers unacceptable any attempt to negate or diminish the fact of the Armenian genocide no matter what motivation it is done with. Despite solid professional experience (incidentally, Nalbandyan speaks French, English, Russian, and Arabic, the first three being the languages spoken in the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states), analysts say the figure of the diplomat is eclipsed by his predecessor, veteran Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. If not all then at least a majority of commentators speak about the professional qualities of diplomat Oskanian. Many point out not only his phenomenal memory, when in the course of negotiations over Karabakh he could discard a “fresh” idea proposed by the Azerbaijani side straight away, reminding the other negotiating party that 13 or 14 years before such an issue was also proposed, discussed and turned down. Oskanian is also an eloquent speaker, capable of captivating an audience. And although many criticize him for excessive emotionality, it also speaks for his sincerity. Despite his vast experience of diplomatic work, the new foreign minister practically never had a close engagement in the paramount problem of Armenian statehood – the Karabakh issue. In this connection, noteworthy is the statement made by President Serzh Sargsyan as he introduced the new foreign minister to his ministry on April 16. The president called symbolic the coincidence according to which the new ministers of defense and foreign affairs were appointed on the same day – April 13. “I am convinced that a diplomat of any country, especially in the case with Armenia, is a soldier of his country, its officer, general and bears equal responsibility for the security of its borders and security of the state. I urge our diplomats to always remember and be guided by this principle,” the president said. Speaking about the problem of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sargsyan emphasized that Armenia will always support the right of Nagorno-Karabakh’s people to self-determination. He said that Armenia is a guarantor of the security of Nagorno-Karabakh’s people and will continue this policy. “It is impossible to imagine that Nagorno-Karabakh is in some way subordinate to Azerbaijan. We are for a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh problem. We are not afraid of war, but we want peace,” the head of state said. At the same time President Sargsyan noted that in the next several years Armenia’s foreign policy, retaining its complementary essence, should become more active, initiating and “we should be more involved in international life, continuing to deepen mutual relations both with friendly countries and international organizations.” Sargsyan also pointed out that the issue of the international recognition and condemnation of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey will remain on the agenda.
- Aris Ghazinyan
Headlines for April 18, 2008
NOW THERE ARE 10: TWO, INCLUDING TEENAGE CONSCRIPT, SUCCUMB TO MARCH 1 WOUNDS
Gayane Mkrtchyan
The death toll of the bloody March 1 events in the Armenian capital rose to 10 Monday. Over the weekend a young military conscript assigned to Armenian police died in hospital of wounds he sustained ...WOMAN POWER: JAILED OPPOSITIONISTS’ RELATIVES RAISE CONCERNS BEFORE EUROPE
Gayane MkrtchyanA group of Armenian women claiming that their jailed relatives are political prisoners are set to turn areas near major European embassies and representations in Yerevan into scenes of their daily protests ...NEW PRESIDENT APPOINTS TWO KEY MINISTERS
President Serzh Sargsyan on Monday evening signed a decree appointing General-Colonel Seyran Ohanyan Armenia’s Minister of Defense, the president’s press service reported. Since 2007, 46-year-old Ohanyan ...COST-CUTTING START: GOVERNMENT SET TO ABOLISH SUBSIDY ON RUSSIAN GAS, PRICES TO INCREASE FOR CONSUMERS
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Gayane MkrtchyanThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is in discussion and set to approve its Monitoring Committee’s draft report on the Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Armenia. According ...EASY OPPORTUNITY: PACE RESOLUTION IS A PRESIDENTIAL PLAYBOOK FOR INSTANT REDEMPTION
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Oh, what a mess I wonder who's watching me now Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me Faced as he is with the unenviable necessity to mend a gutted nation, President Serzh Sargsyan ...SPORT: ARMENIA GETS ITS FIRST EUROPEAN CHAMPION IN TAE KWAN DO
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Tae Kwan do An Armenian fighter for the first time achieved a European title as Arman Yeremyan became the continent’s champion in the 78-kilogram section in the European Tae Kwan do Championships in ...SCRUM FOR SURVIVAL: RUGBY STRUGGLES TO CAPTURE ATTENTION OF SUPPORTERS
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Four years ago, when Alexander Chilingaryan got a left leg injury during a baseball training session, doctors recommended that he forget sports. “But I did not believe them and I believed myself and ...REALIZED DREAM: DIASPORA ARMENIAN FOUND HIS TRUE HOME IN GORIS
Armine Avagyan 1
While many Armenians dream of leaving to settle in other countries, Shahen Zeytuntsyan, from Germany, found Armenia attractive enough. More over he preferred Syunic province to Yerevan and now 68 year ...COALITION-MANIA?: POWER-SHARING BECOMES ‘A POPULAR TREND’ EVEN IF YOUR WIN IS ‘UNDISPUTABLE’
Negotiations over the roles in the emerging government of the four political parties that formed a new political coalition in Armenia last month as well as actual appointments have dominated discussions ...NEW CONSTRUCTION, NEW PROTEST: CONTROVERSY RISES AS BUILDING SITE IS REVEALED IN VANADZOR
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Large scale construction works have started in the center of Vanadzor, Lori province, when a 6 meter deep pit was dug in the center of town, where green area stood just a week ago Human rights activist ...KASHATAGH: KARABAKH’S REGION FEELS SHORTAGE OF ELECTRICITY, JOBS AND RESIDENTS
Naira Hayrumyan
The first pan-Armenian conference on the development of the Kashatagh region of Nagorno-Karabakh took place in that region last month. The conference was organized by the Tufenkian Foundation under the ...CLAIMS AND COUNTERCLAIMS: LAWSUITS SPLIT POLICE AGAINST JOURNALIST IN GYUMRI
Ani Hakobyan
The Gyumri police is asking a court to impose a 50,000 drams (about $170) fine on the chairman of the Gyumri Journalists Club for refusal to obey the demands of the police during a March 2 political protest ...NEW MFA ON THE JOB: PRESIDENT CALLS ON ALL MINISTERS TO BE “SOLDIERS”
Aris GhazinyanOn April 14, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree appointing 52-year-old Eduard Nalbandyan Minister of Foreign Affairs. Earlier, Nalbandyan was relieved of his position as Armenia’s Ambassador ...WALK TALK: ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES LAW ON ASSEMBLY AS POLICE RESTRICT AFTERNOON “WALKS”
Marianna Grigoryan
On April 15, while National Assembly Chairman Tigran Torosyan was discussing with international experts the necessity of the controversial amendments to Armenia’s law on assemblies, several dozen policemen ...
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Today in Armenian history- 1862 Birth of H.F.B. Lynch in London of Irish parentage. Besides his study of law, he became noted as a writer, a geographer, a politician, and a traveller, with a keen interest in Armenia. His two-volume book on his Armenia travels is a classic and describes life in Armenia at the end of the 19th century. In 1906, he was elected to serve as a member of the British Parliament. (He died in London on 1913 11 24).
- 1877 The Yerevan detachment of the Russian forces, headed by General Ter-Ghukasov, occupies Bayazet for 12 days with the help of Armenian home guards.
- 1933 Death of Avetik Sahakian (Father Abraham), the Parliamentary President of the First Armenian Republic.
- 1953 The administrative districts of Yerevan, Kirovakan, and Leninakan are dissolved.
- 1958 Inauguration of the Armenian SSR's Art Institute.
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