While Armenian government officials are upbeat about the draft 2011 budget, which they say is “unprecedented in several aspects” ARF-D parliamentarian Artsvik Minasyan said he was unimpressed with the government’s plans. During discussions on Monday, October 18, in the National Assembly about the 2011 budget, Minasyan said that the government lacks a serious program to…
By and large, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ latest statement is not different from the previous one. The only difference is the wording “occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh” – the Co-Chairs had not used this phrase in their written statements regarding this field mission, Giro Manoyan, international secretary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) Bureau, told…
LOS ANGELES—Scholars from across the world are set to discuss the Armenian Genocide during a conference hosted by the International Human Rights Law Association at UCLA entitled “Genocide and Then What? The Law, Ethics, and Politics of Making Amends.” The event will take place at UCLA’s Dodd Hall Auditorium on Sat., Oct. 23 from 10:30…
UN SECRETARY GENERAL, MR. BAN KI-MOON PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, MR. JERZY BUZEK PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, MR. MEVLŰT ÇAVUŞOĞLU PRESIDENT OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY, MR. PETROS EFTHYMIOU On October 5, at 3 a.m. a civilian kidnapped from the borderline zone of Armenia, shepherd Manvel Saribekyan, died…
ARF-D parliamentarians Ara Nranyan, Artashes Shahbazyan and Lilit Galstyan introduced a new bill in parliament on October 7, where for the first time in the country’s Criminal Code, legislation will be set to protect lawyers, to ensure their activities are not barred and their lives are not threatened. In the case of creating obstacles to…
On October 5, discussions in the Armenian parliament continued regarding the Armenian government’s proposed package of amendments to the Law on Excise Tax, which it had introduced previously on September 5. Currently, importers of vodka, diesel fuel and cigarettes pay only a fixed tax on the physical volume of their imports. By contrast, local tobacco…
The parliamentary faction of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) will support a proposed bill to recognize the Mountainous Karabakh Republic (MKR). Vahan Hovhannesyan, leader of the ARF-D parliamentary faction, made this announcement on October 5, during discussion of the bill in parliament. “If the bill on recognition of the Mountainous Karabakh Republic is put to…
With no cross atop its dome, no belfry or tolling bells and a makeshift altar, the much-touted and controversial Mass took place Sunday, September 19, at Holy Cross Church on the island of Akhtamar in Van, officiated by the Istanbul Patriarchate’s Archbishop Aram Ateshyan. Thousands of Armenians who had planned a pilgrimage stayed away from…
Lilit Galstyan: Yerevan must be more proactive In a September 10 interview with www.news.am ARF-D parliamentary faction member Lilit Galstyan said the fact that Azerbaijan withdrew its proposed draft resolution, “The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan: Observance of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” from…
The Spring-Summer 2010 issue of the Armenian Review was released earlier this month. Titled “Armenia and Armenians in International Treaties,” the new issue examines the history and performance of Armenian diplomacy throughout the ages. The nine articles appearing in this volume explore treaties that Armenians have been involved in from the 4th century CE to…
