Turkey’s flagship carrier, Turkish Airlines, launched first-ever regular flights to Armenia on Wednesday in a move seen as another step towards the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.
Its inaugural flight from Istanbul to Yerevan was followed by an official welcoming ceremony at the Zvartnots international airport attended by a deputy head of the Armenian government’s Civil Aviation Committee, Stepan Payaslian.
Flights between the two cities were until now carried out by other, smaller Turkish carriers. Turkish Airlines will fly to the Armenian capital on a daily basis.
The company announced plans to launch an Istanbul-Yerevan flight service in October shortly after a senior Turkish diplomat, Serdar Kilic, visited Armenia for talks with his Armenian opposite number, Ruben Rubinian. The two men pledged to speed up the implementation of agreements reached by them in 2022.
One of those agreements calls for the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border for Armenian and Turkish diplomatic passport holders as well as citizens of third countries. Ankara is reportedly planning to do that ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary elections slated for June.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned the elections and praised Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in that context earlier this year. Armenian opposition leaders responded by accusing Ankara of meddling in Armenia’s internal affairs. Pashinian’s political allies insisted that Fidan did not endorse the Armenian leader.
Even before Fidan’s statement, Pashinian’s political opponents claimed that Turkey and Azerbaijan will go to great lengths to help his Civil Contract party win the polls. They have for years said that Pashinian is making unilateral concessions to the two Turkic allies in hopes of clinging to power. The premier’s political team denies this.
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168: Debt “reconstruction”. How does the Ministry of Finance hide 1?
March: 11, 2026
The authorities have decided to make another eye-opening before the elections, this time in connection with debts. They changed the form of presentation of the state debt in order to hide the real amount of debts.
The huge debts that today’s rulers of Armenia have accumulated in these years have become a real headache for them. No matter how they try to justify it, it doesn’t work, so they decided to subject the debts to “reconstruction” so that they appear less.
According to the data published by the Ministry of Finance in January, as of December 31 of last year, the government’s debt amounted to 14 billion 40 million dollars. According to the same data published by the Ministry of Finance in February, the government’s debt of 14 billion 40 million dollars recorded as of December 31 of last year has become 13 billion 897 million dollars.
By a “miracle”, as of literally the same day, the debt decreased by 143 million dollars.
What happened to so much debt, there is no explanation, no clarification.
At first glance, it seems that the exchange rate of the calculation has been changed. But no, the exchange rate remained the same. Credit guarantees were taken and deducted from the government’s debt. Previously, they were included in the government debt, now they are not.
They decided to present the government’s debt without guarantees.
Although it is not the case that guarantees are very different from government debts.
If the loans provided by the government’s guarantee are not returned tomorrow, the government itself is obliged to return them.
So, the guarantees are the same debts that depend on the government. But now they do not appear in the government’s debts. That is why the debt of the government, in the indicators published in January and February, as of the same day, decreased by 143 million dollars.
At the end of last year, the guarantees provided by the government amounted to 207 million dollars, of which 136 million dollars were included as internal guarantees of the government, 71 million dollars were included as external guarantees, in the debts of the Central Bank. Now the internal guarantees provided by the government have been removed from the government’s debt indicators, although they have not been repaid, on the contrary, they have increased.
Credit guarantees provided by the government at the beginning of this year reached almost 222 million dollars. The largest guarantee was provided to “Lydian Armenia”. As of February 1, it was 123 million dollars.
Previously, these amounts provided in the form of internal guarantees were not included in the government’s debts. As a result, the debt of the government increased from 14 billion 40 million dollars to 13 billion 897 million dollars.
At first glance, the index at the end of the previous year has decreased, but nothing has actually changed in the amount of the debt. On the contrary, the debt of the government continued to increase at the same high rate this year.
In January alone, the government’s debt increased by almost 212 million dollars.
This happened mainly at the expense of increasing foreign debts.
The foreign debt of the government increased from 6 billion 539 million dollars at the end of last year to 6 billion 741 million dollars as of the end of January this year.
It increased by almost 202 million dollars in one month. The domestic debt increased by 10 million.
As a result, the government’s debt as of January 31 amounted to 14 billion 109 million dollars, but without guarantees. Including the guarantees, or according to the previous calculation methodology, it would amount to 14 billion 260 million dollars, 220 million more than it was at the end of last year.
To imagine how the government debt has changed in the last year, let’s note that in 2025 on January 31, the debt of the government was around 12 billion 386 million dollars.
It increased by 1 billion 874 million dollars in one year.
Now, have you imagined at what rate the government is increasing the debts? That is why he does such manipulations with debts.
He decided not only to remove the provided internal credit guarantees from his own debts, but also to “hide” the public debt indicator, which, as is known, includes the debts of the government and the Central Bank. Of course, you cannot compare the debts of the Central Bank with the debts of the government, but they also reach several hundred million dollars. According to the latest published data, the Central Bank’s debts amount to 490 million dollars. At the beginning of the year, they even decreased a little, in contrast to the government’s debts.
By combining the debts of the government and the Central Bank, the guarantees provided by the government, it will turn out that the state debt of Armenia has reached 14.8 billion dollars. A little more and we will pass 15 billion.
However, when the CP members sat in the government seats, the state debt was only 6.7 billion. It increased by 8 billion dollars.
The debt of the government was 6.1 billion, they increased it to 14.2 billion.
They are proud of other increases, but they do not talk about the increase in the debt, the maintenance of which has become an extremely heavy burden on the state and the budget. 11 percent of the budget revenues, almost 14 percent of the tax revenues go to servicing only the interest on the government’s debt. The reason is that they not only increased the debt more than twice, but also significantly worsened the quality of the debt. And now, with such tricks, they are trying to hide the true picture of the debt.
HAKOB KOCHARYAN
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My kids went to school in Bolivia and Armenia. It was coming back to the US that was hardest for them to adjust.
- We lived in Bolivia when my kids were in elementary school.
- By the time they were in middle and upper school we were living in Armenia.
- School shootings in the US impacted their mental health.
My children have had the unique and wonderful opportunity to grow up overseas and attend school in Bolivia and Armenia.
We lived in Bolivia when they were in lower elementary school and Armenia when they were in middle and upper elementary school, respectively.
However, when it came time to move back home to the US, from the outside, what we had been observing was distressing. From extreme political polarization to fears of an economic recession, to most concerning for a family with school-aged children — the rise of school shootings, the idea of returning to the United States and enrolling my now middle and high school-aged children was terrifying.
This fear for my children's safety and relative powerlessness to protect them was further exacerbated by my inability to have good answers to the difficult questions my children were asking me. I knew that to help my children feel safe and more positively embrace the idea of returning to public school in the United States, I had to once again don the hat from my academic roots as a clinically trained social worker and set my mothering hat aside.
It was essential for me to approach these interactions with my children in this way, to be sufficiently mindful of my concerns and fears, which then put me in a better position to listen to my children and distinguish between my reactions and theirs.
The first and best lesson of social work is to listen. I had to listen to the thoughts and fears my children expressed to understand the impact that school shootings were having on them.
Their questions ranged from "Will I be safe?" and "Why are school shootings happening in the United States so often and not as much overseas?" As a parent, they were hard to answer, but after listening and now with greater awareness of my children's specific concerns and feelings, I was prepared and more equipped to engage in deeper discussions.
As a family, we took part in a series of discussions that ran the gamut from bullying and mental health, which centered on the reasons that lead individuals to choose gun violence, to finding ways to use empathy and kindness toward others to identify and potentially intervene in instances of bullying, to understanding the national debate around gun control and school safety, among other topics.
I told them it's normal to be scared
These conversations allowed us a space to put school shootings into greater context for our children and helped them understand how to articulate what they need to feel safe.
Listening to our children through these discussions taught us to accept the sad reality of school shootings in the United States, to embrace that we don't and won't have all the answers and that it is completely reasonable to feel scared and concerned about the possibility of a school shooting happening.
Putting my parenting hat back on to help turn the corner on their valid concerns about returning to the United States, we reassured them that while a familiar occurrence in the United States, school shootings remain rare.
We showed them that most schools, including the ones they are currently enrolled in, have implemented safety and security plans to help reassure them that significant efforts are being made on an ongoing basis to ensure their safety.
Most importantly, by carving out time for these intentional discussions, we created a safe space to share what they are thinking and feeling, and to demonstrate that they are not alone.
Armenian MP Advocates for Artsakh Armenians’ Rights in Talks with French Delegation
In the heart of Yerevan, a meeting that could subtly shift the scales of international diplomacy took place, bringing together Levon Kocharyan, a member of Armenia's opposition Hayastan faction and an MP, with representatives from the French parliamentary delegation. This gathering, part of the Armenia-France Friendship Group, was not just a diplomatic formality but a fervent plea for the safety and repatriation of Artsakh Armenians—a testament to the enduring spirit of a people in the face of adversity.
During the meeting, Kocharyan extended a heartfelt thank you to the French representatives for standing with the Armenian people through thick and thin. His words were not mere formalities but a reflection of a deep-seated concern for the future of Artsakh Armenians. With a clear and unwavering voice, he underscored the unacceptable nature of the forced depopulation of the Artsakh Republic. The essence of his message was clear: the right of Artsakh Armenians to return and live safely in their homeland is non-negotiable. This sentiment, shared in a post on Telegram, resonated as a call for continued support from France in these critical endeavors.
The backdrop to this meeting is a tapestry of complex geopolitical tensions and historical ties. Recent visits by French officials to Armenia amid escalating tensions with Azerbaijan underscore France's commitment to peace and stability in the region. Furthermore, discussions between Armenian officials and French parliamentarians have highlighted the longstanding relations between the two nations, including support for Armenia in the European Parliament and the French Senate. These engagements reflect a broader international concern for the plight of those forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, emphasizing the importance of international solidarity in addressing these humanitarian crises.
The meeting between Kocharyan and the French delegation is a poignant reminder of the power of international diplomacy in advocating for human rights and safety. As the world watches, the commitment of nations like France to the cause of Artsakh Armenians offers a glimmer of hope in a seemingly intractable conflict. It is a call to the global community to stand united in the face of aggression and to champion the cause of those who seek nothing more than to live in peace and security in their ancestral lands.
The dialogue that unfolded in Yerevan is more than a mere discussion—it is a beacon of hope for the Artsakh Armenians and a testament to the enduring power of international solidarity. As these conversations continue to evolve, the unwavering spirit and resilience of the Armenian people remain a powerful force for change, echoing through the halls of diplomacy and beyond.
Armenia, France will always maintain special relations – French Prime Minister
20:49,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and France have had and will always maintain special relations, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said in a post on X, publishing a photo from the meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
"Infrastructures, energy, education, culture. Thank you, dear Nikol Pashinyan, for the exchange of views, which reaffirm our mutual desire to strengthen cooperation between our two countries.
We will continue to fully support Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Attal posted.
RFE/RL Armenian Service – 02/21/2024
Wednesday,
Opposition Vows Pushback Against Pashinian’s Plans For New Constitution
• Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - Opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelian speaks during a rally in
Yerevan, September 2, 2023.
The Armenian opposition will push back hard against Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian’s attempts to enact a new constitution demanded by Azerbaijan, one of
its leaders said on Wednesday.
Ishkhan Saghatelian said his main opposition Hayastan alliance and its allies
would “do everything” to turn a possible referendum on the constitution into a
popular vote of no confidence in Pashinian.
“Ten days ago, we began virtually daily meetings with our fellow citizens in
various regions and towns to explain all those dangers that will emerge in the
event of a constitutional referendum,” Saghatelian told RFE/RL’s Armenian
Service.
“We will not sit idly and we will soon work with our people on a larger scale,”
he said. “In my view, they [the authorities] are trying to examine the public
mood and they will make a final decision [to hold the referendum] only if they
feel that they will succeed. Through our work, we need to make sure they realize
that it’s impossible.”
“If the constitutional referendum does take place, we will do everything to turn
it into a referendum of no confidence in Nikol Pashinian. This is a case where
we see a real possibility of a broad-based consolidation of Armenia’s opposition
camp,” added Saghatelian.
Pashinian declared last month that Armenia needs a new constitution reflecting
the “new geopolitical environment” in the region. Analysts believe that he first
and foremost wants to get rid of a preamble to the current constitution that
makes reference to a 1990 declaration of independence adopted by the republic’s
first post-Communist parliament. The declaration in turn cites a 1989
unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet Armenia and the then
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on February 1 that Armenia should remove
that reference if it wants to cut a peace deal with his country. Armenian
opposition leaders portrayed Aliyev’s statement as further proof that Pashinian
is planning to change the constitution at the behest of Baku.
Pashinian has denied the opposition claims while saying that Armenia “will never
have peace” as long as it sticks to the 1990 declaration. His critics maintain
that his appeasement policy will not stop Azerbaijan from demanding further
Armenian concessions and resorting to military action for that purpose.
Russia Detains Azeri Man Wanted By Armenia
• Naira Bulghadarian
Russia - A lawyer for Azerbaijani man Kamil Zeynalli (left) takes a selfie with
him following his arrest in Moscow, .
Police in Russia briefly detained on Wednesday an Azerbaijani man accused by
Armenia of committing war crimes during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The man, Kamil Zeynalli, was apprehended at Moscow’s Domodedovo international
airport early in the morning as he was about to board a flight to Baku. In a
live video message aired on social media during his detention, Zeynalli said
Russian police officers told him that Armenian law-enforcement authorities
issued an arrest warrant for him last May and he must therefore face extradition
hearings in a Russian court.
Zeynalli, who is known as a fitness coach and blogger, was reportedly set free
hours later, after the Azerbaijani Embassy in Moscow pledged to deal with the
case. He is due to appear before the Russian court on Thursday, according to
Azerbaijani media.
A spokesman for Armenia’s Interior Ministry, Narek Sargsian, told RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service that the Azerbaijani is wanted on murder charges. But he
refused to give any details.
The charges are believed to stem from the execution of two Karabakh Armenian men
captured by Azerbaijani troops in October 2020. A video posted by Azerbaijani
social media users at the time showed Azerbaijani-speaking soldiers shooting and
killing them.
The victims wore Karabakh Armenian uniforms and were bound and draped in
Armenian flags during the execution. Armenian prosecutors identified them as
residents of Karabakh’s southern Hadrut district occupied by the Azerbaijani
army during the six-week war.
In a detailed 2020 analysis published by the investigative website Bellingcat, a
retired British army officer and open source expect suggested that “these two
men were indeed Armenian combatants who were captured between October 9 and
October 15 by Azerbaijani soldiers, possibly special forces, and likely executed
a short time later.” Bellingcat denied Baku’s claims that the video is fake.
Azerbaijani forces were also accused of committing other war crimes. In December
2020, Britain’s The Guardian daily examined gruesome videos that show men in
Azerbaijani army uniforms beheading two elderly civilians recognized by their
Karabakh Armenian relatives and neighbors.
“The ethnic Armenian men were non-combatants, people in their respective
villages said,” wrote the paper.
Armenian Tech Entrepreneur Set Free
Armenia - Ashot Hovanesian inaugurates his Synergy International Systems
company's branch in Vanadzor, March 11, 2022.
The founder and chief executive of a major software company was released from
custody on Wednesday three weeks after being arrested in a corruption
investigation openly criticized by some Armenian officials.
Ashot Hovanesian as well as two current and former employees of his
U.S.-registered company Synergy International Systems were charged with helping
senior Ministry of Economy officials rig a procurement tender which was
controversially won by Synergy but invalidated by a court last June.
The indicted officials include Vahan Kerobian, who resigned as economy minister
on February 14 two days before being put under house arrest. Kerobian denies
abusing his powers to illegally disqualify another bidder and grant the
procurement contract to Synergy. Even before his resignation, he publicly
dismissed the same charges brought against several of his subordinates.
Hovanesian has likewise denied through his lawyers assisting in the alleged
abuse of power by the government officials. His arrest has been criticized by
Armenia’s Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE) and some
pro-government lawmakers.
The latter were among about 70 parliament deputies from Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian’s Civil Contract party who petitioned prosecutors to free Hovanesian,
senior Synergy executive Lili Mkrian and her former colleague Ani Gevorgian
pending investigation. The two young women were released from custody on
February 12.
The Office of the Prosecutor-General said Hovanesian, 71, was also set free on
bail because he testified about “circumstances of essential importance for the
criminal proceedings” and is now less likely to obstruct the probe.
In a February 4 statement, the UATE said that “unfounded” detentions of
“business representatives and other prominent persons” are turning Armenia into
a “risky country” for local and foreign tech entrepreneurs.
France’s Macron Reaffirms Support For Armenia
France - French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian make statements to the press at the presidential Elysee Palace, Paris,
Azerbaijan should explicitly recognize Armenia’s borders and enable
Nagorno-Karabakh’s displaced population to return to its homeland “freely and
rapidly,” French President Emmanuel Macron said when he met with Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian in Paris on Wednesday.
“France stands with your country because that’s where the camp of justice,
independence, liberty and international law is,” Macron told Pashinian at the
start of their meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace.
The two leaders were due to attend later in the day an official ceremony to
induct Missak Manouchian, an ethnic Armenian hero of the French Resistance to
Nazi occupation, into France’s national Pantheon. The burial was timed to
coincide with the 80th anniversary of the execution of Manouchian and members of
his Resistance group by the Nazis.
In a statement to the press, Macron said he will discuss with Pashinian the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and what he described as the lingering “risk of an
escalation on the ground.” He called for a “just and lasting peace” between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“Azerbaijan should end any ambiguity -- this seems to me more necessary than
ever before -- regarding its respect for the territorial integrity of Armenia
and, in particular, any ambiguity regarding a reference map for working in good
faith on the delimitation and demarcation of its borders [with Armenia,] which
should also serve as the basis for a necessary mutual withdrawal of troops from
the borders.”
Armenia insists on using the most recent Soviet military maps drawn in the
1970s. Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Union Council
President Charles Michel backed this mechanism for the border delimitation in a
joint statement with Pashinian issued last October.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev again rejected it in early January, saying
that it favors the Armenian side. Aliyev also renewed his demands for Armenia to
withdrawal from “eight Azerbaijani villages” and open an extraterritorial
corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave. Yerevan rejected the demands,
saying that they amount to territorial claims to Armenia.
France, which is home to an influential Armenian community, has stepped up
support for Armenia and criticism of Azerbaijan in recent years, prompting angry
rebuttals from Baku. It initiated an emergency session of the UN Security
Council right after Azerbaijan’s September military offensive in Karabakh
condemned by key EU member states as well as the United States.
Macron said on Wednesday that Baku should comply with a November order by the
International Court of Justice to ensure the security of Karabakh Armenians
willing to return to the depopulated region. He also made clear that Paris “will
continue our defense cooperation with Armenia.”
France became last October the first Western nation to sign major arms deals
with Yerevan. Baku condemned those deals before expelling two French diplomats
in December. Paris ordered the tit-for-tat expulsion of two Azerbaijani
diplomats shortly afterwards.
Pashinian defended the French-Armenian military ties, saying that they are only
aimed at helping Armenia protect its internationally recognized borders.
“Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of all of its neighbors,” he
stressed.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2024 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
An Armenian war would escalate tensions with Iran By Parker Miller February 20, 2024 2:27 pm
Armenia, the world’s oldest Christian nation, is on the precipice of a losing war against neighboring Azerbaijan that threatens to pit Iran against the West.
In the latest bout of tensions between the two hostile neighbors, Azerbaijan killed four Armenian soldiers on Friday. Armenian officials have taken this to be a sign that Azerbaijan is preparing for a large-scale invasion of their lands.
In the following days, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and American Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to mediate between the two countries and come to a peaceful resolution. However, all sides doubt that the successive meetings have changed Azerbaijan’s resolve.
The tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan stem from modern and ancient rivalries: The two hate each other passionately on a fundamental level.
The Kingdom of Armenia was the first nation to convert to Christianity, preceding even its historic ally, the Roman Empire. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, was a product of Islamic military expansion northward of Arabic and Near Eastern lands several hundred years later.
The two regions naturally became historic rivals, a feud that was expanded upon by territorial claims over the contentious Nagorno-Karabakh region. Several wars have been fought since the fall of the Soviet Union to determine the fate of this Armenian-populated autonomous region.
Armenia first militarily solidified its claim over Nagorno-Karabakh in 1991 in a bloody victory over Azerbaijan. Its territorial gains were largely thanks to the backing of the newly reformed Russian Federation, compared to the military support for Azerbaijan from Turkey.
Since then, and especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has grown increasingly negligent of Armenian interests and has failed to back it against Azerbaijani aggression. Last September, when Russia suffered a heavy setback at Ukraine’s hands, Azerbaijan took advantage of the moment and attacked several Armenian border points, claiming them and Nagorno-Karabakh for itself.
An attack on Armenia now risks deteriorating the remaining structural integrity of Caucasus and Near Eastern relations. Armenia rests in one of the most uncomfortable political positions on the planet.
Positioned geographically on either side of its borders are Turkey and Azerbaijan. These two share a historical connection as parts of the former Ottoman Empire, religious brotherhood as old Islamic regions, and kinship as ethnic Turkic peoples. Turkey has been key in pressuring landlocked Armenia and isolating it economically from the rest of the developed world.
Armenia has long relied on Russia as a defensive ally. They inherit some of the oldest denominations of the Orthodox Christian faith. They also bond in their abhorrence to Turkey due to its Armenian genocide in the early 20th century and the many Russo-Turkish wars that have taken place over several hundred years.
The West has effectively sided with Azerbaijan due to its holdings in the Caspian Sea, which are rich in natural oil reserves. Europe sees it as a good alternative to Russian oil, which it cut itself off from through sanctions over Ukraine, and several gas companies own major investments in Azerbaijan. Israel trades military equipment to Azerbaijan for its oil as well.
Because these factors, combined with Russia’s negligence, have effectively isolated Armenia, it turns to its only alternative friend: Iran. Tehran is at odds with Azerbaijan due to its large, possibly insurrectionist, Azerbaijani population on their shared northern border. They fear the common threats of European, Israeli, and Azerbaijani hostility that may bring them together.
There is an easy solution to this: The United States can present itself as the alternative. Make clear that friendship with the Christian nation is our goal, and not only can Armenia be saved from imminent destruction and being tied to Iran, but America can gain another geopolitical stronghold against Iran as tensions continue to grow.
If Armenia is further ignored and neglected by the world, it may be the final straw that leads to direct military involvement in Western Asia.
Parker Miller is a 2024 Washington Examiner winter fellow.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/2864627/armenian-war-escalate-tensions-iran/
Pashinyan meets with the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
20:27,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Robert Floyd, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference, the PM's Office said.
The interlocutors discussed issues related to the cooperation between the Armenian government and the organization and its expansion.
Armenpress: Malkhas Amoyan defeats Turkish wrestler becoming three-time European champion
21:48,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Member of the Armenian Greco-Roman wrestling team, Malkhas Amoyan has won the title of European champion for the third time at the European Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships held in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.
Malkhas Amoyan competed against Turkish wrestler Emre Basar in the final of the 77 kg weight category of the European Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship. Amoyan secured the European gold medal for the third time with a 7:0 victory over his opponent.
House collapses after explosion in Yerevan district
A private house collapsed following an explosion in Yerevan’s Erebuni district on Monday morning, the Rescue Service reported.
Two people are believed to be trapped under the rubble
Rescuers are working to evacuate the trapped residents.
Rescue Service Director Kamo Tsutsulyan and his deputy Davit Sargsyan also arrived at the scene.