Author: Parkev Tvankchian

 13:49,

YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenia plans to create a foreign intelligence agency, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan said during the parliamentary hearings about the creation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the importance of civil control.

“The government of Armenia is implementing large-scale reforms together with our political team in the Parliament. One of them is the Police reform, the next are the reforms of the Defense Ministry and the Armed Forces. In the context of these reforms we plan to create a separate foreign intelligence body. And the Office of the Security Council has already started discussions with the partners over the creation of this new structure. The Police reforms should be viewed within this broad context. The democratic concept also falls on it basis”, he said.

He said that starting 2018 the government has started a process of democratizing the security field, which is important from the perspective of increasing security, stability and capacities.

He also attached importance to the fact that the Police and the Ministry of Emergency Situations are merging into a single ministry, the Ministry of Interior.

“During the sessions of the Security Council sometimes there are topics relating to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, or functions of the MES relating to defense. And the Ministry of Emergency Situations was not represented in the Security Council. But now, these reforms also create efficiency because the Minister of Interior, as a body coordinating the policy and functions in the field of emergency situations, will have an opportunity to be engaged in the Security Council in the policy development process and in terms of solving the issues”, Armen Grigoryan said.

He believes that these reforms will positively affect Armenia’s democratization process. “We believe that democratization in all spheres of Armenia’s governance is of vital importance for our state. We will continue to move forward on this direction”, he said.

 10:15, 8 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Many Armenians face this question ahead of summer: “Where to spend vacations?” For Armenian tourists, Tunisia is definitely still an undiscovered destination. At this moment all conditions exist for Armenian tourists to spend their vacation in Tunisia, a country with rich history, culture and beautiful sites, without any complications.

Tunisian airline Nouvelair is operating charter flights from Monastir, a city on the central coast of Tunisia, to Yerevan and the opposite direction every week. Armenian travel agency Anriva Tour has not only managed to bring the Tunisian airline to Armenia, but also facilitated the process of obtaining Tunisian visa for Armenian tourists. In the past, Armenian tourists, wishing to visit Tunisia, had to obtain a visa in a third country, mainly in the Embassy of Tunisia in Moscow, Russia. The cost of the visa was about $150-200, and the process was taking quite a long time. But now, thanks to the tour packages offered by Anriva Tour, the citizens of Armenia can obtain a visa at Tunisia’s airport paying just $25. The Yerevan-Monastir flight duration is nearly 4 hours.

Anriva Tour organized a media tour recently for a group of Armenian reporters to Tunisia. During the tour Armenian journalists had an opportunity to visit various sites of Tunisia, get acquainted with the country’s history and culture.

The words can’t describe the impressions, the reporter of ARMENPRESS, who was also in the group, says. Tunisia, definitely, is an attractive country for a tourist with various preferences. Both passive and active recreation lovers can visit Tunisia, for sure, he adds.

The reporter of ARMENPRESS shared some beautiful sites that a tourist MUST visit during the travel in Tunisia.

The Amphitheatre of El Jem – a must visit place! Built in 3^rd century BC, the amphitheatre was the 4^th biggest in its size in the Roman Empire. The amphitheatre had hosted gladiatorial games, animal games, as well as performances. It is well preserved. The tour here is really amazing as you feel the history that goes back centuries.

Are you an adventure lover? If yes, then Quad Biking at Sahara Desert is waiting for you. Challenging yourself to drive in a desert, you also enjoy am amazing view as the tours here are usually organized during sunset or sunrise. You must definitely visit this place to understand what I mean. Words are not enough.

However, the adventures in the desert do not end with quad biking only as there is also a wonderful off-road driving tour. With their different maneuvers professional SUV drivers will make you feel that the car is about to turn over, but you only get positive and indescribable emotions in the end. These tours are also organized on sunsets for tourists to have a chance to take wonderful photos.

Well, Tunisia is much more than a seaside destination. If you ever travel to this country, take the tour to the ancient city of Carthage. Carthage was the capital city of the ancient Carthaginian civilization, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. During the tour you can see the ruins of the ancient city which give you some imaginations about the buildings that had existed here in the past. Excavations are being regularly held in the city. The Baths of Antoninus or Baths of Carthage, built on the 2nd century BC, is located in this city and again is an amazing place for taking beautiful pictures.

Sidi Bou Said – the Tunisian Santorini. Not visiting this charming town during your Tunisian trip means you haven’t seen Tunisia. Known for its cobbled streets and blue-and-white houses, this town looks like a real fairy tale. You will enjoy a beautiful view from the town to the Mediterranean Sea and the port.

Tunisia also is rich of culture. The Sousse Archaeological Museum, another place for you to further discover this country. The Museum keeps collection of ancient Roman mosaics.

Finally, let’s talk a little about the shopping in Tunisia which is an “art of haggling”. Almost all towns in Tunisia have markets (medina) where shopping is a real “art of haggling”. You need to have good haggling skills while trading in these markets, otherwise you will buy a good at a price 10-20 times higher than its real price. The most interesting part here is that the sellers themselves like when you start bargaining. Therefore, I highly recommend you to visit the medina as you will bring with you unforgettable memories from here.

 12:36, 5 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary for West of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India Sanjay Verma visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

ARMENPRESS reports Sanjay Verma laid a wreath at the memorial, and flowers at the eternal flame.

The Secretary for West of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India Sanjay Verma participated in the 8th session of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission on cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, technology, science, education and culture in Armenia. On April 4, Sanjay Verma met with Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan.

 15:50,

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Athens during his working visit.

The bilateral relations, the latest developments in the Caucasian region, as well as the situation in Ukraine were on the agenda of the meeting.

The Greek foreign ministry said that the sides reaffirmed the Armenian-Greek friendship and firm historical ties, as well as talked about the bilateral cooperation.

Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on EU-related matters was signed between the Armenian and Greek Foreign Ministries during the meeting, the Greek Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.