Armenia to deploy peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon in OctSeptember 22, 2014 - 17:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia will deploy a contingent in Lebanon under the Italian command within the framework of the UN peacekeeping mission, President Serzh Sargsyan told the Italian daily Corrierre della Serra, Public Radio of Armenia website reported. Armenia, along with the international community, is highly concerned with the developments in the Middle East, the President said. “There are large and vibrant Armenian communities in Iraq and Syria, who have lived there for years in harmony with Muslims. We are now witnessing gradual annihilation of the Christian cultural heritage in those regions. The Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS) destroyed the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Deir ez-Zor, Syria. Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian issued a statement condemning the destruction of the church, which housed the remains of victims of the Armenian Genocide, calling it a “horrible barbarity.” Nalbandian called upon the international community to cut the Islamic State’s sources of supply, support, and financing, and eradicate what it referred to as a disease that “threatened civilized mankind.” Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. |