Greek banks are reopening after three weeks of closures sparked by the deadlock over the country’s debt, the BBC reports.
Athens reached a cash-for-reforms deal aimed at avoiding a debt default and an exit from the eurozone.
But many restrictions remain, including a block on money transfers abroad, and Greeks also face price rises with an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).
Meanwhile, Germany has said it is prepared to consider further debt concessions to Greece.
Armenian Ambassador to Poland Edgar Ghazaryan had a meeting with His Beatitude Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland in Belgrade, Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.
Ambassador Ghazaryan expressed gratitude to Metropolitan Sava for the Mass at St. Maria Magdalena Church on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and for the joining of all Orthodox Churches in Poland to the bell tolling at 19:15 Yerevan time on April 23.
Issues related to inter-church relations were discussed. Reference was made to the opportunities of cooperation in the field of education.
Ambassador Ghazaryan conveyed to Metropolitan Sava an official invitation form His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, to visit the Mother See of Holy Etcmiadzin.
Azerbaijani troops on Friday killed an Armenian soldier in the latest shooting in the direction of the Armenian settlement of Gorhayk in Syunik province along the border with Nakhijevan, Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannnisyan said.
Th Spokesperson said the rival suffered substantial losses as a result of retaliatory fire by the Armenian side.
He conveyed the condolences of the Ministry of Defense to the families and friends of contract serviceman Arman Yepremyan, born in 1987, and pledged that the “assault would not go unpunished.”
Hovhannisyan said there had been no shooting in that particular section of the shared border over the past year.
The US Embassy in Armenia has issued a statement on the June 22-23 protests in Yerevan:
We were encouraged by the responsible and generally respectful behavior by both protestors and police on the evening of June 22 during the protests over the planned rise in electricity prices. Freedom of speech and assembly are fundamental rights in any democracy, and we were pleased to see both sides work in a manner that respected these rights and did not escalate tensions.
However, we are concerned about reports of excessive police use of force to disperse the crowd on the morning of June 23, as well as several reports of abuse while in police custody.
In addition, we are troubled by reports that journalists and their equipment were specifically targeted during the operation. It is imperative that the Government conduct a full and transparent investigation of reports of the excessive use of force by the police to the full extent of Armenian law.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has offered condolences on the demise of Kirk Kerkorian:
“It is with deepest grief that I learned about the passing away of a great Armenian, Kirk Kerkorian.
The irretrievable loss befell Armenians all over the world as we lost a remarkable person, an outstanding patriot, a man of a great virtue who has given so much to his people, to his ancestral homeland.
Kirk Kerkorian’s generous and continuous support was immensely important for the development of Armenia. His Lincy charitable foundation established right after the devastating earthquake in 1988 made enormous investments throughout the years in various projects in Armenia and Artsakh.
He gave his unconditional love to its people which repaid him with great admiration. He was bestowed as a National Hero of Armenia, and a true Hero he was indeed!
I would like to express my profound condolences to the Kerkorian family, relatives, friends and Armenians all over the world.
Kirk Kerkorian’s memory and legacy will always remain alive in our hearts and minds.”
The Spanish city of Santa Margarida has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.
The decision of the City Council reads, in part:
“Considering that some governments, including those of Turkey and Spain, do not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide,
Considering that the crimes against humanity have no statute of limitation,
Taking into consideration that the Armenian the Armenian people have not received any economic, territorial or humanitarian reimbursement,
Taking into consideration that the Armenian Genocide is a precedent for the Holocaust, the genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans,
The City Hall decides to support the genocide recognition and reimbursement, to demand from the Spanish Government to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and organize the passage of this decision to international structures.”
Islamic State militants have seized the last Syrian government-controlled border crossing between Syria and Iraq, a Syrian monitoring group says, BBC News reports.
Government forces withdrew from al-Tanf – known as al-Waleed in Iraq – crossing as IS advanced, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
The loss of al-Tanf to IS follows the group’s takeover of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on Thursday.
The US says that fighting the militants will be a “difficult challenge”.
Islamic State now controls “more than 95,000 sq km (36,679 sq miles)” of Syria, which is 50% of the country’s entire territory, the SOHR said.
The militants dominate the provinces of Deir al-Zour and Raqqa and have a strong presence in Hasakeh, Aleppo, Homs and Hama.
However, correspondents say there are large areas under IS control in the east that are not very significant strategically.
IS has also been made significant gains in neighbouring Iraq, capturing the strategically-important city of Ramadi in Anbar province after weeks of fighting.
The European Court of Human Rights will announce the final verdict on Perincek vs. Switzerland case in 5-6 months, Armenian Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan said at the National Assembly today.
“The European Court of Human Rights is not the body that will assert whether there has been an Armenian Genocide or not,” he added.
The Prosecutor General attached importance to the historic Mass in the Vatican. He said the Pope’s statements on the Armenian Genocide come to prove once again the Armenian Genocide is properly acknowledged and perceived internationally. He added that from the point of view of international law this was more important than the fact that one more country recognized the Armenian Genocide.
APA, Azerbaijan
May 22 2010
Statement by Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan Republic
[ 23 May 2010 00:07 ]
Baku-APA. `Parliamentary elections’ are scheduled to be held on May
23, 2010 in Azerbaijan`s Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is under the
occupation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.
APA reports quoting AzerTAc that the Azerbaijani community of the
Nagorno-Karabakh declares that these `elections’ constitute a grave
violation of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, norms and
principles of international law, and do not take into consideration
the voting right of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh,
who are the region`s native residents.
Legitimate elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region can be held only
after the Armenian Armed Forces withdraw from the occupied
territories, the Azerbaijani people return to their native lands and
peaceful co-existence of the region`s Azerbaijani and Armenian
communities is ensured.
Armenia, in contradiction with norms of international law and Charter
of the United Nations, and not honoring decisions on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict adopted by international organizations, has
repeatedly organized such `elections’ in the occupied territories of
the Azerbaijan Republic.
The whole world is aware that the unrecognized separatist regime in
the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is an illegal structure which
was set up by Armenia after it conducted an ethnic cleansing of the
Azerbaijani people.
This is why international organizations, world countries do not
recognize the `elections’ in the Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenia has
been holding in order to conceal its policy of occupation.
By its illegal actions, the Republic of Armenia, has been striking a
severe blow to the ongoing peace talks in the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group, initiatives of the international community to establish
peace and cooperation in the region and dialogue opportunities between
the communities.
The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh hopes that the
international community will strongly condemn Armenia`s
non-constructive actions and take the most effective measures to force
Armenia to stop its policy of occupation.
We believe that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be settled on the
basis of norms of international law, that the Azerbaijani people will
return to their native lands and peaceful co-existence between the
region`s two communities will be ensured.
ARMENIA TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 20, 2010 – 16:00 AMT 11:00 GMT
At May 20 sitting, the Armenian government approved amendments to
the law on Holidays and Memorable Dates.
As RA Labor and Social Affairs Minister Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan stated,
in accordance with changes introduced, Armenia will mark International
Day of Families celebrated worldwide on May 15. Still, May 15 will
remain a working day in Armenia.