Author: Maral Takmazian

Russia’s Putin arrives in Azerbaijan on brief visit

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 27 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Baku on a short working visit, where he will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, TASS reports.

The leaders of the two states will hold a bilateral meeting, deliver speeches at a plenary session of the ninth Russia-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum and visit the competitions of the last day of the 32nd World Judo Championships.

It will be the fourth meeting between Putin and Aliyev this year.

After the events in Baku the Russian state leader will fly to Dushanbe, where a two-day meeting of the state leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will start on Thursday.

PACE to send monitoring mission to Armenia to get facts on its internal political processes

Maral Takmazian 
Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
 Saturday 7:33 PM MSK
PACE to send monitoring mission to Armenia to get facts on its
internal political processes
YEREVAN. Sept 22
The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) will send a mission to Armenia to gather facts due to
internal political processes in the country.
"The PACE Monitoring Committee made a decision to promptly send
co-rapporteurs on Armenia with a mission to gather facts following the
exchange of views on the latest internal political developments in
Armenia," Arpine Hovhannisyan, the deputy speaker of the Armenian
parliament and the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, said
on her Facebook account.
"They were instructed to report on the outcomes of the visit at the
first meeting of the committee," she said.
On September 12, Hovhannisyan said that the PACE commission on
political issues and democracy had discussed the case against former
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the internal political
situation in the country.
The commission would send to the PACE Monitoring Committee a letter
suggesting the monitoring of ensuring the rule of law and independence
of legislative and judicial authorities be conducted in Armenia, she
said.

King of Spain, Estonia’s president congratulate Armenian Independence Day

Maral Takmazian
ArmenPress, Armenia
Sept 21 2018
King of Spain, Estonia’s president congratulate Armenian Independence Day

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian continues receiving congratulations from leaders of various countries on Armenia’s Independence Day.

Sarkissian’s office said that the most recent congratulations cable came from Felipe VI, the King of Spain, and Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid. The King of Spain extended warm greetings to President Sarkissian and the people of Armenia on the national day.

President Kaljulaid wished prosperity and welfare to the Armenian people and expressed conviction that the mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries will be deepened.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Sports: Artur Vanetsyan elected chairman of Armenian Football Federation

Maral Takmazian
Aysor, Armenia
Sept 22 2018
Read Aysor.am inTelegram

Director of National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan has been elected today chairman of the Football Federation of Armenia. 

Vanetsyan, 39, was the only candidate and was elected unanimously at the extraordinary gathering of the AFF.

From 2002 the AFF was chaired by Ruben Hayrapetyan, 55, who was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2015.

168: FMs of Armenia, Artsakh exchange ideas over NK conflict settlement process

Maral Takmazian
| 11:26 | September 17 2018
Categories
Artsakh
Politics
Region

Armenian foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met with his counterpart from Artsakh Masis Mayilyan on September 17, the foreign ministry said.

The two initially held a one-on-one meeting, followed by an expanded format meeting with delegations.

The sides were pleased to note the frequent and substantive nature of the bilateral meetings, which enables to address numerous agenda issues in detail.

The FMs stressed the importance of holding regular sectoral consultations between the two foreign ministries.

Mnatsakanyan and Mayilyan exchanged ideas over a number of issued relating to the peaceful settlement process of the NK conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format.

Mayilyan also awarded his Armenian counterpart with the Commemorative Medal dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Artsakh foreign ministry’s establishment.

Yerevan Opera Theater to perform ‘The Magic Flute’ in Kuwait for first time

Maral Takmazian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 17 2018

The Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after Alexander Spendiaryan will bring “The Magic Flute” by one of the most celebrated composers of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the Kuwait Opera stage for the first time within the frames of its inauguration.

This will be the first opera performance throughout Kuwait’s history, Yerevan Opera Theater’s press service told Panorama.am.

Earlier in September, the opera theater held tours in Dubai, with “The Magic Flute” premiered at the newly opened Dubai Opera Theater.

Yerevan Opera Theater soloist Zohrab Zohrabyan, playing Sarastro in the performance, says “The Magic Flute” has never been presented in Armenia, only performed in concert format.

“The Magic Flute” is a tale, which illustrates the resplendent power of love, art and music, transporting audiences into a wonderful fantastical realm. The opera tells the story of Tamino, a young hero, sent on a quest by the Queen of Night to rescue her daughter, Pamina, from the wicked wizard, Sarastro.  

Armenian MMA fighter Karine Karapetyan annihilates Azerbaijani opponent, sister of notorious murderer Ramil Safarov

Maral Takmazian
| 09:12 | September 17 2018
Category
Sport

Armenian professional MMA fighter Karine Karapetyan has triumphed over Azerbaijan’s Rena Safarova in the Tbilisi International MMA Championship in Georgia.  Rena Safarova is the sister of Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani army officer convicted for the 2004 shocking murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO training program in Budapest, Hungary. The Armenian lieutenant was 25 years old at the time of his murder.

“I dedicate my victory to the memory of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,” the MMA fighter said on Facebook.

The murder happened during NATO Partnership For Peace English-language courses.

In the night of February 19, 2004 Safarov, armed with an axe, broke into the dormitory room of Gurgen Margaryan and attacked the Armenian officer while he was asleep. He delivered multiple blows to Margaryan with the axe.

After nearly two years of trial, a Budapest court sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment.

However, on August 31, 2012, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan, where he received a state-level hero’s welcome. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev promoted Safarov to the rank of major and provided him with over eight years of back pay. The same day, Armenia severed diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Relations with Armenia develop in all directions – Putin

Maral Takmazian
| 16:45 | September 8 2018
Categories
Politics
World

The relations between Russia and Armenia are progressing in all directions,  Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during talks with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan at the Kremlin.

At the beginning of the meeting the Russian President emphasized the special nature of our relations. “Today the relations between Russian and Armenia develop progressively in all the directions. This goes for political relations, military spheres, security issues and economic cooperation”, he said.

Putin emphasized the cooperation in the sphere of energy, as well as touched upon nuclear and thermal energy.

The Russian President said that the relations between the two countries also develop in the spheres of metallurgy and mechanical engineering.

“In a word we have a lot of topics to discuss”, Putin added, emphasizing that last year trade turnover rise amounted to 30% and hoped that it will further improve.




Lena Nazaryan: Why do we need to take water from Lake Sevan every year? (video)

Maral Takmazian
  • 13:22 | August 28,2018 | Politics
  • Armenian:

NA deputy Lena Nazaryan mentioned at today’s extraordinary session that in recent years taking water from Lake Sevan was explained by scarcity and the shortage of precipitation. Today, the image is different.

We have heard prom the field professionals not only the theory of weather, but also the main reason why we need to take water from Lake Sevan every year.

According to her, incorrect and irresponsible governance, theft of water resource and corruption have led to such a situation that we have to solve the problem by taking 40 million cubic meters water from Sevan.

Lena Nazaryan added that Sevan is not an irrigation dump, and everything needs to be done in order not to take water from Lake Sevan.