Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

 

 

 

The Azerbaijani side has undertaken several acts of sabotage over the past days, all of which have been successfully averted, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told reporters today.

“Our people can be assured the Armenian Army keeps the situation under control,” the Minister said.

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick has said the mediators are planning a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in the fall.

Speaking of the expectations from the meeting, Ohanyan said: “We expect all types of shooting and assaults to stop thanks to every meeting within the framework of the negotiation process.”

Armenia has welcomed the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Belgium.

“Seventeen years ago the Belgian Senate recognized the Armenian Genocide by a special resolution. On June 18 this year the Prime Minister of Belgium reaffirmed the position of the Government on the unconditional recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.

“The resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide adopted by the Chamber of Deputies completes the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Belgium,” the Foreign Minister said.

“We welcome the unconditional recognition of the Armenian Genocide by legislative and executive authorities of the Kingdom of Belgium” Minister Nalbandian concluded.

The European Union and Armenia will cooperate more actively on monitoring the drug phenomenon in future, thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed today in Yerevan between the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) and the National Security Council of Armenia (NSC). The agreement was signed by EMCDDA Director Wolfgang Götz and NSC Chief of staff, Aram Tananyan.

Armenia — a country of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) area — submitted a formal request for cooperation with the EMCDDA in 2013 (¹). This led to a green light from the EMCDDA Management Board in July that year for the agency to negotiate the MoU with the NSC.

Today’s accord — signed for an initial period of five years and sealing cooperation between the two partners — will be implemented through a joint work programme to be updated every three years. This programme will include steps to enhance the partners’ monitoring and knowledge base on the drug situation and responses to it, particularly through harmonising key indicators in areas of both supply and demand.

Special attention will be given to the regular exchange of information on the appearance on the drug market and use of new psychotropic substances, as well as the technologies employed in their production.

The agreement provides for an exchange of technical expertise and knowledge between the two bodies, the co-sponsoring of technical meetings and the pooling of human and financial resources to launch joint programmes. The NSC will endeavour to present to the EMCDDA an annual report on the drug situation in Armenia. The EMCDDA, for its part, will facilitate training as well as the exchange of experts and scientific research findings on issues of mutual interest.

Both organisations recognise that information on the drugs phenomenon is an essential and indispensable instrument for drafting and implementing drug policies and for assessing the impact of actions to reduce the problems originating from drug use and trafficking.

This cooperation takes place within the EMCDDA’s mandate for cooperation with third (non-EU) countries in consultation with its Management Board and the European Commission

 

Gita Elibekyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Tbilisi

Pianist Tigran Hamasyan will present his Luys i Luso (Light of Light) program at St. Echmiadzin Church in Tbilisi today and will perform at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire on June 18.

Luys i Luso is a unique program for the piano and choir presented by Tigran Hamasyan and the Yerevan State Chamber Choir headed by Harutyun Topikyan.

The program is a new interpretation of Armenian religious music from the 5^th to the 20^th centuries, which will be released as a CD in September 2015.

The program includes works by Mesrop Mashtots, Grigor Nakeratsi, Grigor Pahlavuni, Nerses Shnorhali, Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi and Makar Yekmalyan.

The tour kicked off in Yerevan on March 24. Over the year he will give concerts in 100 churches of Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Russia and the United States.

Egypt intends to establish a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), comprising Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, by the end of 2016, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia told

A free trade zone deal between the sides was discussed in February during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Cairo. Egypt sent an official request to establish a free trade zone with the EEU last year.

“There is a kick-off already in the negotiation process and we estimate that it is going to take from 12-18 months,” Mohamed Elbadri told Sputnik.

At this stage of negotiations, the envoy added, each party will study the benefits of mutual cooperation before entering into direct talks regarding the details of the agreement.

The treaty should cover all trade in commodities between the countries.

The Russia-led EEU officially came into force on January 1. The bloc aims to achieve the free flow of goods, services, capital and labor across its member states, with provisions for a greater integration in the future.

Last week, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev approved a free trade zone agreement between the EEU and Vietnam.

The name of the Princess of Cambridge has finally been revealed to the world – Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, the reports. 

The baby’s name was announced this afternoon by Kensington Palace two days after the newborn’s birth. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge decided on a name for their daughter shortly after the birth but wanted to inform the Queen personally before it was publicly released.  

 

ARMENIAN NA SUMMONS ITS FOURTH DAY SESSIONS IN THE SESSION HALL OF THE ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT

ARMENPRESS
MAY 17, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Assembly summoned today
its fourth day sessions in the session hall of the Armenian government
as reconstruction of the NA session hall is in process. It will open
the doors in September and will be oval.

Armenian National Assembly Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan said that
14 legislative initiatives have been included in the agenda which
have been approved by the standing committees and 20 international
agreements. Hovik Abrahamyan first of all put for voting the bill
on making changes in the law on "Psychology" which was unanimously
approved in the second reading. In the first reading bills on making
changes and additions in the law "About Administrative Violations",
changes in the Criminal Code. With the suggestion of the NA chairman
discussion of a number of legislative initiatives was postponed to
15 days.

Speaking about continuing the works in the government session hall,
NA member Tigran Torosyan noted that it does not matter for him where
he works. "The worker will work in worse conditions as well," he said.

Another member of parliament Victor Dallakyan complained of the
conditions of the government session hall and expressed opinion that
they may have negative impact on the law-making activity of the NA.

Head of the Armenian Republican party’s faction Galust Sahakyan agreed
that the working conditions in this hall are inconvenient.

Akopian ties game vs. Gashimov

May 15, 2010 – 14:10 AMT 09:10 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Armenian grandmaster Vladimir Akopian tied a game vs. Azerbaijan’s
Vugar Gashimov in the 5th round of Men’s Grand Prix in Astrakhan,
Russia.

After drawing four games and losing one, Akopian is the 10th with 2
points. Ukraine’s Pavel Elyanov tops the standings with 3.5 points.

In the 6th round, Akopian will rival China’s Wang Yue.

news.am, Armenia
May 8 2010

Azerbaijan’s habits will backfire, Armenian MP says

15:12 / 05/08/2010Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s refusal to
participate in an informal CIS summit in Moscow, as well as Azeri FM
Elmar Mammadyarov’s unwillingness to meet the OSCE MG Co-Chairs in
Brussels, is nothing but one more attempt of blackmail on the part of
Baku, Stepan Safaryan, Chairman of the Heritage parliamentary faction
told NEWS.am.

He stressed that official Baku used to resort to blackmail before,
making use of the Armenian-Turkish process. After failing, however,
they tried to change its approach. `Alive’s step is an overt move
against Russia, and Moscow must draw necessary conclusions ` come to
realize what kind of country is trying to raise its head and prevent
it,’ Safaryan said. He pointed out that Azerbaijan’s manner of talking
by means of threats and blackmail will backfire on it, and the
international community will change its attitude to Baku for the
worse.

NEWS.am reminds readers that the Azerbaijani President refused to
participate in the informal CIS summit in Mosow, the reasons being RA
President Serzh Sargsyan’s participation. `The main reason is that the
persons that participated in the occupation in Shushi are the Armenian
leaders,’ Ali Ahmedov, Vice-Chairman of the Yeni Azerbaijan (New
Azerbaijan) party, told the Trend news agency.

As regards AzeriFM Elmar Mammadyarov, he refused to meet the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Brussels on May 11-12, pleading a heavy
schedule.

T.P.

DAVID NALBANDIAN DEFEATED IN BNP PARIBAS OPEN SECOND ROUND

Tert.am
17:13 ~U 15.03.10

David Nalbandian was defeated by Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-1,
in the second-round match at the 2010 BNP Paribas Open held in the
Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.

On Friday, the 28-year-old Argentinean-Armenian tennis player posted a
win in his first-round match as he defeated Austrian qualifier Stefan
Koubek 6-2, 7-6.