Month: November 2016

Photo: Getty Images

 

British singer Sting is to reopen the Bataclan music venue in Paris the day before the first anniversary of the attack that killed 90 concertgoers, the BBC reports.

The former Police frontman will perform there on Saturday 12 November.

He said he wanted to “remember and honour those who lost their lives” and “to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents”.

The venue has been shut since Islamist gunmen stormed a gig by US rock band Eagles of Death Metal last November.

Three heavily armed gunmen wearing suicide vests were part of co-ordinated attacks around Paris on 13 November that killed 130 people.

Sting said all revenue from his show would be donated to Life For Paris and 13 Novembre: Fraternite Verite.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian held a meeting with members of the German Bundestag, leading analysts and political scientists at the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation. Bundestag Vice-President Edelgard Bulmahn was present at the meeting.

Minister Nalbandian hailed the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution and praised the Bundestag’s principles stance on the issue.

Issues related to the Armenian-German cooperation, the perspectives of its deepening and expansion were discussed at the meeting.

The Armenian Foreign Minister briefed the attendees on the details of the large-scale military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, which was accompanied by harsh violations of the international humanitarian law. He also presented the results of the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits, the efforts of Armenia and the international community aimed at furthering the negotiation process.

The Minister noted that Azerbaijan refuses from implementing the agreements reached at the summits and keeps aggravating the situation, thus causing a serious harm to the efforts of reaching a peaceful settlement.

The Armenian Foreign Minister said the large-scale drills planned to be held in Azerbaijan in a week are yet another provocation. The military exercises will involve almost the whole armed forces and military equipment, which constitutes a harsh violation of the international commitments of arms control. “This is the response of the Azerbaijani leadership to the calls of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries to further the negotiation process,” he said.

The Armenian Foreign Minister briefed the German lawmakers and experts on the reforms under way in Armenia, attaching importance to the support of partner countries and international organizations in the process.

Reference was made to a number of urgent international and regional issues and the perspectives of their resolution.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) celebrated its 50th anniversary and 11^th year of partnership with Armenia today with a tree planting ceremony at the Karmir Blur museum park in Yerevan.

“ADB is proud to have played a part in the remarkable transformation of the Asia and Pacific region in the past 50 years,” said Shane Rosenthal, ADB’s Country Director in Armenia. “ADB has been working with Armenia since 2005 and we will continue to respond to country’s priority needs to boost economic growth and improve the people’s quality of life.”

The event was attended by senior government officials and project implementation teams from the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology, the Yerevan Municipality, the Armenian Territorial Development Agency, the Armenian Water Supply and Sanitation Company, the High Voltage Electric Network CJSC, electric power system operator CJSC, the Armenia Renewable Resources, and the Energy Efficiency Fund.

ADB has been working with the Government of Armenia since 2005 and has approved 22 loans amounting to $1.04 billion, including 6 private sector loans totaling $130 million, and 21 technical assistance grants totaling $12.3 million. Over the past decade, ADB has financed priority investments in the transport, water supply and sanitation, and energy sectors, and supported the government in its efforts to improve the business environment and foster entrepreneurship among women. ADB-financed projects in Armenia include upgrading of major road links in Yerevan and priority sections of the North South highway, and modernization of the Sevan-Hrazdan Cascade Hydropower system and the new Zvartnots Airport terminal.

ADB will continue to provide support in improving the country’s internal and external transport links, upgrade urban environments, energy and seismic security. By bringing international best practices to Armenia, ADB will strengthen its nonfinancial contributions to the country’s development, emphasizing innovation and private sector-led growth.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB in December 2016 will mark 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2015, ADB assistance totaled $27.2 billion, including cofinancing of $10.7 billion.

On 4 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received prime-minister of the Republic of Armenia Karen Karapetyan.

A wide range of issues related to economic cooperation between the two Armenian states were on the discussion agenda.
President Sahakyan once again congratulated Karen Karapetyan on being appointed to the post of head of the RA Cabinet of Ministers, wished him new successes and expressed hope that during his premiership high-level economic ties between the RA and NKR would continue their consistent development and expansion.

Bako Sahakyan handed in the “Mesrop Mashtots” order to Karen Karapetyan which was awarded to him on 30 August of the current year for support shown to Artsakh in realization of significant socioeconomic projects and in connection with the 25th anniversary of the NKR proclamation.

Prime-minister Arayik Haroutyunyan and other officials partook at the meeting.

Dr. Michael Carpenter, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense, paid a working visit to Armenia on November 2, 2016. During the visit he met with President Serzh Sargsyan as well as Armenia’s newly-appointed Defense MinisterVigen Sargsyan.
In addition to the meetings with top Armenian officials, he toured a number of programs highlighting U.S.-Armenian military partnership. He met with U.S. soldiers who were assisting their Armenian counterparts as they teach their first-ever combat medic course, at the Armenian NCO Academy, designed on a similar U.S. training program.

He also visited the 12^th Peacekeeping Brigade’s headquarters and met with the soldiers and commanders who have joined in numerous NATO- and UN-led peacekeeping efforts around the globe.
“The United States and Armenia have a longstanding security partnership rooted in the friendship between the American and Armenian peoples,” Dr. Carpenter said. “In the face of new challenges to European security in the 21st century, it is vital for the United States and Armenia to work together to strengthen security, stability and prosperity in the region and to keep advancing our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace.”

The celebrated performer passed away from a heart attack in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don on Wednesday, according to the director of the Moscow State Circus Edgar Zapashny.

“Oleg Popov died in Rostov, he was there on tour.  I got in touch with his producer — his wife was not able to talk — and said that we are ready to provide all possible assistance and to organize a farewell at the Moscow State Circus,” Zapashny told RIA Novosti.

The Russian State Circus Company, Rosgostsirk, said in a Facebook statement in the early hours of Thursday that the time and location of Popov’s funeral were being discussed with his daughter, who is currently in Germany. According to Rosgostsirk, Popov “died peacefully, sitting in an armchair” at his hotel. Oleg Konstantinovich Popov was born in Virubovo, Russia, on July 31, 1930.  He was known the world over for his talents, and was nicknamed the “sunshine clown” by French journalist Jaqueline Cartier.   He toured internationally beginning in the 1950s, and was honored with the title of People’s Artist of the Soviet Union in 1969. Popov moved to Germany in the 1990s, and in 2006 was invited to perform at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo, where he received a lengthy standing ovation. Popov also appeared in several films.

The so-called Islamic State group has released an audiotape which it says is from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the BBC reports.

If true, it would be the first public message from him in about a year and would dispel rumours that he is dead.

The voice on the audio calls on Iraqis to defend the city of Mosul against the Iraqi army, which is attempting to re-take it from the militants.

Baghdadi’s whereabouts remain unknown. Some officials have said he may be inside Mosul alongside IS fighters.

It has not been independently verified that the voice in the audio belongs to Baghdadi. There have been repeated rumours of his death through the years, including last year when the Iraqi military said it had hit his convoy.

Mosul, the last IS urban stronghold in Iraq, is where Baghdadi declared a caliphate two years ago.

On 3 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan convoked a meeting of the Security Council. Issues related to army building were on the agenda of the meeting.

Defense minister Levon Mnatsakanyan delivered a corresponding report.

The President gave a range of instructions for proper realization of the discussed issues, underlining that army building and consistent improvement of the Defense Army’s fighting capacity would remain among our key priorities.

The Azerbaijani defense propaganda maintains the policy of disseminating disinformation to mislead both the international community and its own people, the NKR Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“In particular, on November 2 the Azeri side spread information in the media and social networks, claiming that the shells fired from Armenian mortars fell on the Chemenli settlement in Aghdam region and other populated areas,” the Ministry said.

The NKR Defense Ministry declares that the information does not correspond to reality. Moreover, it, says, by spreading such statements the rival is trying to justify future provocations.

“The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army strongly respect the commitments and never target the peaceful settlements,” the statement reads.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $50 million loan to improve the transport efficiency and safety of the M6 Highway from Vanadzor in Armenia to the border with Georgia at Bagratashen, one of the most strategic roads for internal and external trade.

“Road transport plays an important role in the national economy of Armenia, which relies heavily on trade with neighboring countries like Georgia,” said Jiangbo Ning, principal transport specialist with ADB’s Central West Asia Regional Department. ”ADB supports the government’s priority to develop and increase the efficiency of the transport system as a prerequisite for economic growth, and for increased access to social and economic services.”

The M6 highway is a vital link connecting Armenia with Georgia and beyond, providing the shortest link between the respective capitals: Yerevan and Tbilisi. In 2014, the Bagratashen border crossing handled 0.85 million tons of import and export freight, representing almost half of the country’s total import freight tonnage and goods by road.

The conditions of this vital highway, though, are deteriorating and imposing high transport costs on users. Some structures are dangerous and need to be rehabilitated immediately. Every year, landslides, flooding, falling rocks, and heavy snowfall cause road closures. These factors have contributed to a poor safety record – about 30 crashes and six fatalities per year during 2012–2014.

These problems are mainly attributed to a historical lack of maintenance and limited maintenance funding, old road design and technical specifications, and a lack of qualified human resources and contractors, as well as consulting companies with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct maintenance.

The project will rehabilitate and upgrade 51.5 km of the total 90 kilometers of the two-lane M6 highway, as rehabilitation of the remaining 38.5 kilometers will be financed by the European Investment Bank. Facilities and safety along and in the vicinity of this road section in northern Armenia will be improved, and the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Transport and Communications will be strengthened.

ADB is also providing additional support to help the government take proactive steps to increase the budget allocation for road maintenance, and enhance its effectiveness through policy dialogues.

Once completed, the project will help improve access to social services, agriculture, tourism, and jobs, with the aim of reducing regional economic and social disparities. The upgraded road link will particularly benefit the Lori region, a major destination that attracts local and international tourists, by help it transition from its high dependence on minerals and chemicals to a more diversified economy with an emphasis on the tourism and service sectors.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB in December 2016 will mark 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2015, ADB assistance totaled $27.2 billion, including cofinancing of $10.7 billion.