Author: Jirair Kafian

 

 

 

The situation has been relatively calm at the borders of Armenia and Artsakh during the holidays, Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan has said. This does not mean, however, there have been no ceasefire violations.

“There has been sporadic shooting,” the Defense Minister told reporters, adding that the “Armenian side responds only to targeted shooting and only if there is a need to hit a target.”

Vigen Sargsyan noted, however, that “any ceasefire violation is a violation of the commitment to respect the truce and should be followed by an adequate political response.”

Speaking about the replenishment of equipment at the border and the prevention of infringement attempts, the Defense Minister said: “There is no technology that can prevent the infiltration attempts, but the replenishment at the border is an ongoing process, and the better we are equipped, the less the chances of infringement.”

The Defense Minister spoke to reporters at a ceremony of seeing off the conscripts to military service.

Photo: NASA

 

An iceberg expected to be one of the 10 largest ever recorded is ready to break away from Antarctica, scientists say, the BBC  reports.

A long-running rift in the Larsen C ice shelf grew suddenly in December and now just 20km of ice is keeping the 5,000 sq km piece from floating away.

Larsen C is the most northern major ice shelf in Antarctica.

Researchers based in Swansea say the loss of a piece a quarter of the size of Wales will leave the whole shelf vulnerable to future break-up.

Larsen C is about 350m thick and floats on the seas at the edge of West Antarctica, holding back the flow of glaciers that feed into it.

Researchers have been tracking the rift in Larsen C for many years, watching it with some trepidation after the collapse of Larsen A ice shelf in 1995 and the sudden break-up of the Larsen B shelf in 2002.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam has approved the establishment of the Vietnam sub-committee in the Vietnam-Armenia inter-governmental committee on economic-trade and science-technology cooperation, reports.

The sub-committee will be headed by a Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and a department-level official of the Government Office will serve as its secretary. The sub-committee members are representatives from ministries and agencies having cooperation with Armenia.

The PM assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in coordination with related ministries and sectors of Vietnam and Armenia, to organise the first session of the Vietnam-Armenia inter-governmental committee in Hanoi in early 2017.

Iran’s gas can be exported to Europe via Georgia and the Black Sea in the near future, according to the head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).

“Cooperation between the two countries (Iran and Armenia) is of special importance in energy security and in the near future, Iran’s gas can be transferred to Europe via Georgia and Black Sea, said Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, reported Fars News Agency.

He said Iran and Armenia have in recent years been strategic partners in the region.

Iran and Armenia, he noted, can cooperate in the exchange of technical and engineering services as well as in a number of other sectors such as energy, petrochemicals and dam building, among others.

He suggested the transportation of Armenian goods to other countries, especially China, India and Southeast Asia, via Iran’s Persian Gulf ports.

At the conclusion of the Armenian-Iranian negotiations, which took place at the Presidential Palace, the parties signed documents aimed at the deepening of the cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran in a number of areas.

In particular, signed were the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Sport and Youth of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Field of Sport, Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Situations, Memorandum of Understanding between the History Museum of Armenia and the National Museum of Iran on Museum Cooperation, and Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism between the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments of the Republic of Armenia and Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Joint Use of Meghri and Nurdooz Land Border Gate. The Parties also adopted a Joint Statement

The Presidents of Armenia and Iran summed up the results of the negotiations in the statements they made for the representatives of the mass media.

Statement of President Serzh Sargsyan for the mass media in the wake of the meeting with the President of Iran Hassan Rouhani

Distinguished Mr. President,

Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor to host in Armenia the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and my good colleague, Doctor Hassan Rouhani.

It would be impossible to explicate the entire depth and scope of the Armenian-Iranian relations describing them as solely friendly. There are only few nations who were destined for millennia to walk down the crossroads of history side by side and today too continue to work closely together, holding in high esteem each other’s cultures.

Armenia, and I am confident Iran too, is interested to further strengthen and develop friendly relations anchored in the traditionally rich ties. It is testified to by the high level of our relations with Iran after Armenia’s independence, joint programs, dynamic reciprocal visits and, of course, the present visit of my esteem colleague, His Excellency Mr. Hassan Rouhani to our country. There is no doubt that the documents to be signed today and agreements which we have reached will give a new impetus and elevate the Armenian-Iranian cooperation to a qualitatively new level.

Today, we have held comprehensive and substantial discussions on different issues of the bilateral agenda; we have reiterated our commitment to the joint implementation of the development programs, stressed the importance of holding regular political consultations, discussed issues related to the development of cooperation in the areas of trade and economy, energy, transport, agriculture, education, healthcare, culture, ecology and tourism, and enhancement of contacts between the business circles. With the Honorable Mr. President, we have also referred to the process of implementation of the agreements reached at the 14th session of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.

I express deep gratitude to my colleague for the distinctly respectful and thoughtful attention of Iran towards the Armenian cultural heritage, as well as traditionally caring attitude towards the Armenian community of Iran.

As a result of the agreement reached by the Republic of Armenia and Islamic Republic of Iran the swaps of natural gas and electrical energy between us continue. Taking into consideration the necessity to provide for the necessary volumes, which stems from the mentioned above swaps and quadripartite agreements reached in Yerevan, we have also spoken about the use of the Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Russia energy corridor.

We have also exchanged views on the program related to the establishment of a Persian Gulf-Black Sea transport and transit corridor, which will facilitate the transportation of international cargo, will provide the opportunity for the Iranian goods to enter the European market at the minimal transportation cost, as well as will allow to use it as a transit route for cargos from other countries. This will be not only the shortest and the safest passage via Armenia for the Iranian vehicles but will also become a very serious impulse for the growth of the turnover between our countries.

We have also exchanged views on the regional integration processes and stressed the importance of the opportunities for cooperation which are provided by Armenia’s membership to the Eurasia Economic Area.

The works on the improvement of the business climate and investment regulations for the businesses of the two countries are in progress. With this regard, I would like to stress in particular the importance of the visa free regime for the citizens of our countries. I am confident that mutual recognition of our two nations will also promote the deepening of the trade and economic ties.

With this regard, I am very glad that today concurrently with the visit there will take place a large business forum in Yerevan.

At the meeting, we have certainly discussed pressing regional and international issues. We have exchanged views on the implementation of the historic agreements on Iran’s nuclear program. I am confident that they will open new horizons for the hardworking and creative people of Iran and will become a new stimulus for the invigoration of our bilateral as well as a wider regional cooperation.

We have discussed the situation in the Middle East, fight against terrorism and international efforts aimed at the resolution of the situation. With this regard, the resolution adopted two days ago by the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Aleppo is important. There is no doubt that Armenia is first of all concerned with the safety of the Armenian community in Syria, particularly in Aleppo.

As always, this time too I have presented to my distinguished colleague the efforts of Armenia and the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group aimed at moving forward the process for finding a peaceful resolution for the Nagorno Karabakh problem, agreements reached at the summits in Vienna and Saint Petersburg and aimed at the elimination of the consequences of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh in April.

We highly value Iran’s balanced position on the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue through the exclusively peaceful means, based on international law. We have reiterated that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no military solution and stressed the inadmissibility of any step meant to escalate the situation in the region and surge of instability.

We agreed with my colleague to continue with this good tradition of having high level meetings.

I thanked the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the invitation to visit Iran next year and said that I would certainly come with pleasure because our relations are simply compelling. Thank you very much.

Qantas will launch the first regular nonstop service between Australia and Great Britain in March 2018, according to the .

The route, from London to the southwestern city of Perth, will cover 9,008 miles. It would be the second-longest flight in the world and the longest by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The approximately 17-hour flight would only be topped in mileage by Qatar Airways’ Doha-Auckland service, which is set to launch in early 2017.

The Perth-London flights will begin in March 2018.

“This is a game-changing route flown by a game-changing aircraft. Australians have never had a direct link to Europe before, so the opportunities this opens up are huge,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. “It’s great news for travelers because it will make it easier to get to London. It’s great news for western Australia because it will bring jobs and tourism. And, it’s great news for the nation, because it will bring us closer to one of our biggest trade partners and sources of visitors.”

The 787-9 Dreamliner that Qantas plans to use for the flight will carry 236 passengers in a three-class configuration of business, premium economy and economy.

Tickets go on sale in April.

The Red Devils striker hailed a “beautiful” goal from his Armenian team-mate in Thursday’s Europa League win at Zorya, according to Goal.com.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Henrikh Mkhitaryan is poised to make his mark on Manchester United after playing a starring role in Thursday’s 2-0 win at Zorya.

Armenia playmaker Mkhitaryan scored his first goal since leaving Borussia Dortmund for Old Trafford in the Europa League success, which secured Jose Mourinho’s side a place in the knockout rounds.

After a shaky start to life at United – including being hooked at half-time on his first start, a Manchester derby defeat – Mkhitaryan has blossomed in recent games.

He offered a glimpse of his true quality in sub-zero Ukrainian conditions, charging from the centre circle before nutmegging Rafael Forster and finishing smartly.

Ibrahimovic rounded off the win with a late breakaway goal – his 13th of the campaign – but the Swedish icon was quick to put the limelight on Mkhitaryan.

“The first goal was magnificent,” Ibrahimovic told MUTV. “Henrikh had speed and control all the way, and the timing to put it through the defender’s legs… it was beautiful.

“Henrikh had speed and control all the way, and the timing to put it through the defender’s legs… it was beautiful.

“He killed the game off by scoring the goal and did a great job tonight.

“I’m very happy for him because he’s a quality player and I hope he continues; I know he will. I’m super happy for him.”

Today, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Armenia Maria Pavlova Tsosorkova-Kaymaktchieva presented her credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan, President’s Press Office reports.

The President of Armenia congratulated the ambassador on her appointment and wished every success. Serzh Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-Bulgarian interstate relations have a strong base anchored in the cultural similarities and centuries-long friendship and dynamically developing political and economic dialogue. All this, according to the President, create an excellent foundation for further strengthening and deepening of the relations between Armenia and Bulgaria. Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that the newly appointed ambassador will promote these relations through her active work, contributing to the opening and development of the entire potential for cooperation in different areas.

Ambassador Maria Pavlova Tsosorkova-Kaymaktchieva concurred with the President’s assessment of the interstate relations and stressed the importance of the full utilization of the existing legal field, which comprises over five dozen documents, and expansion of cooperation.

The parties exchanged also views on the NK peace process and challenges existing in the region.

“Over the last 24 hours, 14 neighborhoods in eastern Aleppo (around 300,000 residential quarters) were completely liberated from terrorists,” the Russian center said, TASS reports.

An earthquake measuring 6.3 in magnitude has hit New Zealand’s South Island, hours after an initial quake killed two people, the BBC reports.

The new tremor struck at 13:45 local time (00:45 GMT) at a depth of 10km (6 miles), northeast of Christchurch.

A 7.5-magnitude quake, with the same depth, had hit the same area just after midnight, triggering tsunami warnings.

A large river dammed up by a landslide has now breached its banks sending a “large wall of water” downstream.

Residents around the Clarence River – one of the largest on South Island – were being urged to move immediately to higher ground.