7-14 December

Հայացք Երևանից 15 December 2019

Weekly update

Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Friday it summoned the U.S. ambassador to Ankara over a resolution passed by U.S. lawmakers recognizing the mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide, adding it conveyed Turkey’s dismay over the decision, Reuters reported. The resolution was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on Thursday, in a historic move that has enraged Turkey and dealt a blow to the already fragile ties between the NATO allies. Ankara has condemned the move and said it was null and void, accusing U.S. lawmakers of politicizing history.

The U.S. Senate struck a historic blow today against Turkey’s century-long obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide, unanimously adopting S.Res.150, an Armenian National Committee of America-backed measure that locks in ongoing U.S. recognition of this crime, Asbarez reported. The resolution, identical to a measure (H.Res.296) adopted 405 to 11 in the U.S. House in October, officially rejects Turkey’s denials of its genocide against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christian nations. Passage of the resolution – spearheaded by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) – marks the first time that the Senate has recognized the Armenian Genocide.

According to Reuters a U.S. Senate committee backed legislation on Wednesday to impose sanctions on Turkey after its offensive in northern Syria and plans to buy a Russian S-400 missile system, the latest move in the chamber to push Republican President Donald Trump to take a harder line against Ankara. The Republican-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted by 18-4 to send the “Promoting American National Security and Preventing the Resurgence of ISIS Act of 2019” for a vote in the full Senate.

President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan sent on December 10 a congratulatory address in connection with the NKR State Independence Referendum and Constitution Day, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The address runs as follows: “Dear people of Artsakh, On behalf of the republic's authorities and myself personally I extend my heartfelt congratulations on this most important state holiday - the Day of the NKR State Independence Referendum and Constitution. On this very day both in 1991 and 2006 our people made a historic choice by voting for free and independent Artsakh, for the formation of a democratic, legal and social state”.

President Armen Sarkissian today at the Presidential Palace had a working meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, reported the Presidential Office. Armen Sarkissian and Nikol Pashinian discussed issues of the current agenda and development programs. The interlocutors stressed the importance of traditional, regular meetings as an efficient platform for the exchange of views on our country’s development pace and vision.

Armenia was shocked by the devastating earthquake that struck the country on December 7, 1988, at 11:41am local time; that is, 31 years ago on this day, said News.am. The strong underground shaking destroyed Armenia’s northern portion, with a population of one million, in a matter of thirty seconds. At Spitak town, the epicenter of this tremor, the quake measured over magnitude 7. Shocks were also recorded in capital city Yerevan as well as in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. According to official figures, the disaster claimed around 25 thousand lives, about 19 thousand people became disabled, and close to 530 thousand others were left homeless. Spitak was destroyed almost completely as a result of this earthquake. Also, 21 cities and townships plus 324 villages were ruined. Eighty percent of Armenia’s second largest city, Gyumri— Leninakan at the time, was annihilated. There was considerable destruction in the country’s third largest city, Vanadzor—Kirovakan at the time, as well.