The RA President’s Office reports:
On October 11, Serzh Sargsyan will have a working visit to the Russian Federation, in order to attend the session of the CIS Council of Heads of State and Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
Category: 2017
Water supply interruptions are expected in Abovyan and Vayk
“Veolia Jur” Company informs its customers and consumers about the damage caused by the crash. The following water supply interruptions are expected on October 11:
- from 10:00 to 22:00, will be stopped at Abovyan city in Kotayk Marz, Red Army, Yerevan streets and adjacent territories,
- At 09.30-18.00 will be stopped Vayk town of Vayots Dzor region.
The company claims the consumer’s apologies for the inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding.
Andrias Ghukasyan petitioned to apply a pledge to him
Today, opposition activist Andrias Ghukasyan petitioned for being released on of 1.5 million drams bail. Andrias Ghukasyan mentioned that he would not violate the conditions of the pledge; he had a juvenile girl, a mother with a health problem. He stated that he is a politician, and a graduate of two universities, and his detention was connected only with his activities.
Prosecutor Petros Petrosyan noted that the risks are high in improper conduct. Karen Mezhlumyan, an advocate of Andrias Ghukasyan, informed the court that there was no actual fact that he would commit a crime, would have an effect on the interrogated people and would avoid the case study.
At this point, Vardan Grigoryan, the judge of the Court of General Jurisdiction of the Erebuni and Nubarashen administrative districts, has left the conference room to make a decision. He also noted that he had to make a justified decision because if the mediation was satisfied, the prosecutor would appeal, and if he declined, the defense party would.
We can again lose what we have acquired for a very long time (video) (video)
The former Deputy Chief of the National Security Service Gurgen Yeghiazaryan and the linguist Narine Dilbaryan spoke at the Hayeli Club on the launch of the “Cooperation -2017” CSTO large-scale military exercises in Armenia.
As it is known, the signing of the Armenia-EU agreement, as well as the statements of the Co-Chairs, is expected in November, after which the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in the end of the year.
According to Narine Dilbaryan, very soon we will see Azerbaijan in the CSTO, no matter how absurd it is. “And what will happen next in Armenia and Artsakh, I believe no positive issue will be solved? We can again lose what we have acquired for a very long time.”
The meeting between the prime minister and the Iranian president in Tehran
Today RA Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani met in the residence of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Karen Karapetyan thanked for the hospitality and conveyed the greetings and wishes of Armenian President. “Armenia attaches great importance to warm and friendly relations with neighboring Iran, [and] which have centuries-old historical roots and are based on mutual interests. I can say with great pleasure that this bilateral cooperation continues to develop in an environment of mutual understanding,” the Prime Minister said.
Hassan Rouhani, welcoming the visit of Armenian Prime Minister to Iran, stressed that he is ready to support the initiatives of the governments of the two countries, as well as the implementation of joint programs.
The interlocutors attached importance to the deepening and expansion of cooperation in several domains, in particular, energy, agriculture, information technology, tourism, Syunik and Aras Free Economic Zones, and also, the increasing trade between the two countries.
The sides touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and regional issues. Karen Karapetyan noted that Armenia highly appreciates Iran’s balanced approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is one of the most important guarantees of regional peace and security.
About 600 people are registered in Alaverdi’s mental health center (video) (video)
Most of the patients with mental illness registered in the Alaverdi Medical Center have no aggressive manifestations. They receive continuous medication.
However, not all the registered patients receive the treatment.
Details here.
Armenian Genocide Denial Linked to ‘Islamic Terrorism,’ says Czech President
Czech President Milos Zeman
STRASBOURG, France (Public Radio of Armenia) – According to Czech Republic President Milos Zeman, today’s increase of “Islamic terrorism” is connected with the Armenian Genocide.
“The level of international crime is growing because of Islamic terrorism. I am open and frank, and don’t use the phrase ‘Islamic terrorism’ lightly but, in the overwhelming majority of cases, it has Islamic origin,” said Zeman during a Q&A session following his address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). “It is connected with the Armenian Genocide.”
“I was heavily criticized when I declared the same thing as France did, but as PACE knows, the French Parliament even adopted a law about that genocide. However, I have also been criticized for having a good economic relationship with Azerbaijan,” added Zeman.
The President made the statement in response to Armenian lawmaker Arpine Hovhannisyan’s question. She acknowledged Zeman’s personal input in raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide and asked about plans to include crimes against humanity as a topic within school curriculums.
When asked what the Council of Europe can do to support the integration of this topic in the curriculums of member States, the Czech President stated “we should invest in the police and the army, and have the courage to invest in our own guns.”
Zeman explained how after his wife obtained a pistol after passing the necessary tests, he is also guarded by her in addition to his body guards.
“The second amendment to the American constitution says that everybody has the right to have a weapon – of course they must fulfill the necessary conditions and tests,” said the Czech President. “We Europeans are a little more careful than the Americans, but after Barcelona and many assassinations, I think that the difference between Europeans and Americans is not so great.”
The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic approved a resolution on April 26, 2017, condemning the genocide of Armenians and other religious and national minorities in the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.
Violations in the pre-school of Gyumri (video)
The State Food Safety Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia is conducting inspections in the food centers of Shirak region, in some general educational institutions.
On October 6, the service detected violations in “Lilit” Pre-School in Gyumri. According to the Official Service Report, this pre-school was not provided with running cold and hot water, food was maintained in containers that were not intended for it, household and support sections were not separated from the food storage area.
Cilicia Catholicosate to Host Conference on Independence Centennial
Holy See of Cilicia
ANTELIAS, Lebanon – In April 2018, the Armenian Catholicosate of The Holy See of Cilicia will mark the centenary of the first Independent Republic of Armenia with a pan-Armenian conference in Antelias.
The pan-Armenian conference will bring together historians, academics, community leaders, and government officials from Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora.
The participants will analyze the historical circumstances that led to the creation of the first independent republic of Armenia on 28 May 1918. They will also assess the significant aspects of the history of the diaspora and Soviet Armenia and will propose strategies for the future.
His Holiness Aram I will preside over an organizing committee that will include Yervant Pamboukian, Prof. Ashod Melkonian, Shahan Kandaharian, Giro Manoyan, Khatchik Der Ghougassian and Khatchig Dedeyan.
Stella Kyriakides Elected PACE President
Stella Kyriakides
Armenian Delegation Welcomes Newly Elected PACE President
STRASBOURG, France – On October 10, Cyprus representative Stella Kyriakides (Cyprus, EPP/CD) was elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe following the resignation of Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) on October 6.
She obtained a large majority over the other candidate, Emanuelis Zingeris (Lithuania, EPP/CD), in the third round of voting. She will remain in office until the opening of the next ordinary session (Strasbourg, 22-26 January 2018).
Both were candidates from the group of the European People’s Party. After the vote, Kiriakides took the chair of the PACE president in the presidium.
She will be the 30th President of PACE since 1949, the first Cypriot, and the third woman to take up the post.
“This election comes during extraordinary times for this Assembly, times that have seen our credibility and integrity questioned. Times that have led to the often wrong type of publicity for the work done in this Assembly, leading to the questioning of the principles of transparency and integrity of the institutions of the Council of Europe. These are challenges and responsibilities for us all. But mostly, for myself as a newly elected President of this Assembly,” said Kyriakides.
“My decision to run for the Presidency stemmed solely from my firm belief in Parliamentary Assembly, in democracy, human rights and the rule of law and my passion to work tirelessly. Today you have given me the opportunity, with the trust you have placed in me, to work towards these. In the upcoming few months my priority is to bring about calmness, consensus, credibility and unity. To work tirelessly and openly against corruption. To raise the bar so that we all follow the same principles and code of ethics. To do this, I will need the support of all political groups, of the Secretary General and the staff of the Council of Europe. Because this is why we are all here,” she concluded.
The Armenian delegation supported the candidacy of Kyriakides. The delegation justified its position by the fact that the name of the representative of Cyprus is not involved in any scandals or deals, during the PACE’s work, it has established itself as a principled, objective and honest politician.
The former PACE President Agramunt stepped down from his post on October 6 citing “personal reasons.” PACE lawmakers were expected to impeach Agramunt during the October session of the parliamentary assembly.
Born on March 10, 1956 in Nicosia, Cyprus, Kyriakides studied psychology at Reading and Manchester Universities. At the Cypriot Ministry of Health, she was in charge of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from 1979-2006.
She was elected to the Parliament of Cyprus in 2006, where she is a member of the Committee on Health Affairs and of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs and Vice-President of the Democratic Rally Party.
President of the First Breast Cancer Movement in Cyprus in 1999, she was appointed by the Ministerial Council as President of the National Committee on Cancer Strategy in 2016. She organized the first breast cancer awareness campaign at the Council of Europe in 2013.
At the Assembly, she was Chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development as well as a member of the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination.
She was a contact parliamentarian for the “No Hate Parliamentary Alliance” and the Council of Europe campaign against Child Sexual Abuse (2013-2015), as well as the General Rapporteur for Children’s Rights (2013-2015).
Kyriakides is the Chairperson of the delegation of Cyprus to PACE and a member of the EPP/CD group.