Category: 2017

Turkologist: US and Israel hold secret talks with Kurds of Iraq and Syria

Jagharian Tania
news.am, Armenia
Turkologist: US and Israel hold secret talks with Kurds of Iraq and Syria

18:16, 12.06.2017

YEREVAN. – Both Americans and Israel are conducting secret talks with the Kurds of Iraq and Syria, historian and turkologist Ruben Safrastyan told reporters on Monday.

In response to a comment that the State Department and Iran spoke out against establishment of a Kurdish state, the turkologist said: “Yes, both the State Department, and Iran stated that they oppose this process, but as historical experience suggests, issues related to the Kurds, are in focus of interests of great powers and regional states. Here statements and real actions do not coincide in many cases.”

“There is evidence that both Americans and Israel are conducting secret talks with Iraqi Kurds. That is, there is a big game in the Middle East,” added Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Orientology at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Appathurai: All members accept and support friendly relations between Alliance and Armenia

Emil Lazarian
news.am, Armenia
Appathurai: All members accept and support friendly relations between Alliance and Armenia

18:24, 12.06.2017

YEREVAN. – Despite different positions all NATO member countries accept and support friendly relations between Armenia and the Alliance, special representative of the NATO Secretary General in the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai told reporters in Yerevan.

As to the remark that one of the NATO member countries – Turkey – periodically intervenes in the settlement of Karabakh conflict and shows support towards Azerbaijan, Appathurai said it is clear that NATO allies have different political relations with regional players.

However, it is important to remember that despite these different positions, they all accept and support the consistent, friendly and reliable relations between NATO and Armenia.

“I think Armenia also welcomes consistent relations with NATO member countries through the Alliance,” he added.

Minsk Group Co-chairs Discussed Artsakh-Azerbaijan Border Situation with Bako Sahakyan

Kajoyan Gevork
Lragir, Armenia
Minsk Group Co-chairs Discussed Artsakh-Azerbaijan Border Situation with Bako Sahakyan

  • Lragir.am
  • Politics – , 13:03
The president of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov of Russia, Stefan Visconti of France, Richard Hoagland of the United States, the personal representative of the OSCE CiO Andrzej Kasprzyk and their accompanying officials on June 12, the general department of information of the staff of the President of Artsakh Republic informed. Issues relating to the situation at the borders of Artsakh and Azerbaijan and the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict were discussed. President Sahakyan drew the attention of the co-chairs to Azerbaijan’s destructive policy, innumerable facts of ceasefire breaches and violations of the international norms and principles, defining them as major obstacles to the conflict settlement and serious threats to peace and stability in the region. The president of Artsakh Republic reaffirmed the commitment of official Stepanakert to the OSCE Minsk Group-mediated peace talks on the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.

VTB Bank (Armenia ) and MasterCard encourage non-cash payments

Ophelia Vardapetian
ArmBanks, Armenia
VTB Bank (Armenia ) and MasterCard encourage non-cash payments
12.06.2017 18:40

YEREVAN, June 12. /ARKA/. VTB Bank (Armenia) together with MasterCard international payment system have announced the launch of another promotion campaign designed to stimulate non-cash payments.

According to a bank’s press release, by using VTB Bank (Armenia) – issued MasterCard cards for paying for purchases, cardholders will have the opportunity to win valuable prizes- certificates for the purchase of household appliances and a Hyundai Solaris car.

The promotion campaign is for holders of Cirrus®/Maestro®, MasterCard Standard® и MasterCard® Gold cards issued by VTB Bank (Armenia), as well as for those who will get MasterCard cards of VTB Bank (Armenia) during the promotion campaign. They are required to carry out non-cash payments in the amount of 300,000 AMD or more in all trade and service outlets of Armenia and abroad, as well as on the Internet from 10.06 .2017 to 10.09.2017 inclusive.

The one hundred most active cardholders will take part in the drawing of 10 certificates for the purchase of household appliances, as well as the main prize – the Hyundai Solaris car. The drawing will be conducted during a live TV broadcast.

Details of the campaign are available at the website of VTB Bank (Armenia), at its branches or by calling 87-87.

VTB Bank (Armenia) was entirely acquired by Russian VTB Group in 2004. It runs 67 branches across Armenia.-0-

VivaCell-MTS employees continue voluntary initiatives

Edgar Tavakalian
iTel.am, Armenia

VivaCell-MTS employees continue voluntary initiatives              

 

17:39 | 12.06.17 | News | visibility 296

The willingness to be useful to the country and the society has for many years united the employees of VivaCell-MTS around the idea of volunteering. The denial of indifference and the guidance by responsibility are close to the hearts of employees of a company, which has been operating in Armenia for more than ten years. They strive to be where there is a real opportunity to extend a helping hand and to support in a coordinated manner. The material means for the regularly provided support is initiated by the employees representing various departments of the organization.

Following the April events of 2016, employees of the Finance and Accounting Department came up with yet another initiative to be useful. After a visit to the Central Military Hospital the employees of the department undertook providing monthly AMD 100-150 thousand to each of the families of three homeland defenders who developed serious health issues after the fights. Since May 2016 the families have so far received more than AMD 3.5 million. One-time financial support has been provided to two families; bathrooms and toilet rooms have been renovated for the families of another two soldiers. The volunteers have additionally donated AMD 1.7 million more of personal means.

“I am proud of our employees’ initiative. It’s a pleasure to see them unite around a shared system of values. This is not the first year this particular department implements a voluntary project and becomes useful to our compatriots. The manifested philanthropy and investments are not to be overestimated,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

With a purpose of being useful to the soldiers with disabilities VivaCell-MTS team cooperates with the “Support to injured soldiers and people with combat disabilities” NGO and has provided a medical go-cart to the “Qaylmed” rehabilitation center. The group of volunteers managed to get the cart required for the therapy at significantly lower price thus helping the specialists in avoiding the need to hire the equipment. After purchasing all the required details of the go-cart it has assembled in Armenia. Its mechanism makes it easily adjustable for individual needs of the patients.

The Finance and Accounting Department of VivaCell-MTS plans to provide three more carts to the rehabilitation center till end of the year. The support volunteered by the department totals to around AMD 6 million.

The willingness to be useful to the country and the society has for many years united the employees of VivaCell-MTS around the idea of volunteering. The denial of indifference and the guidance by responsibility are close to the hearts of employees of a company, which has been operating in Armenia for more than ten years. They strive to be where there is a real opportunity to extend a helping hand and to support in a coordinated manner. The material means for the regularly provided support is initiated by the employees representing various departments of the organization.

Following the April events of 2016, employees of the Finance and Accounting Department came up with yet another initiative to be useful. After a visit to the Central Military Hospital the employees of the department undertook providing monthly AMD 100-150 thousand to each of the families of three homeland defenders who developed serious health issues after the fights. Since May 2016 the families have so far received more than AMD 3.5 million. One-time financial support has been provided to two families; bathrooms and toilet rooms have been renovated for the families of another two soldiers. The volunteers have additionally donated AMD 1.7 million more of personal means.

“I am proud of our employees’ initiative. It’s a pleasure to see them unite around a shared system of values. This is not the first year this particular department implements a voluntary project and becomes useful to our compatriots. The manifested philanthropy and investments are not to be overestimated,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

With a purpose of being useful to the soldiers with disabilities VivaCell-MTS team cooperates with the “Support to injured soldiers and people with combat disabilities” NGO and has provided a medical go-cart to the “Qaylmed” rehabilitation center. The group of volunteers managed to get the cart required for the therapy at significantly lower price thus helping the specialists in avoiding the need to hire the equipment. After purchasing all the required details of the go-cart it has assembled in Armenia. Its mechanism makes it easily adjustable for individual needs of the patients.

The Finance and Accounting Department of VivaCell-MTS plans to provide three more carts to the rehabilitation center till end of the year. The support volunteered by the department totals to around AMD 6 million.

OSCE Minsk Group’s statements seek to reduce tensions: envoy

Emil Lazarian
PanArmenian, Armenia
– 16:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Statements released by the OSCE Minsk Group are aimed at reducing tensions on the contact line, Russian co-chair Igor Popov said on Monday, June 12.

After meeting Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) president Bako Sahakyan, Popov told reporters that the Mink Group has always released targeted statements which sought to help maintain the process of the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The co-chairs arrived in Armenia on Saturday and met with foreign minister Edward Nalbandian, defense minister Vigen Sargsyan and president Serzh Sargsyan. They met with Sahakyan on Monday.

The Armenian officials have on both days hailed the co-chairs’ targeted assessment of Azerbaijan’s aggression.

The co-chairs in a statement released on May 18 gave an assessment of the current situation on the Karabakh line of contact, addressed to Azerbaijan.

The ambassadors cited “information collected from multiple reliable sources” which proved that Azerbaijan initiated the latest escalation on the contact line.

Electronic management system to be introduced in Armenian Parliament, staff to be optimized

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia

Today, the Speaker of Armenia National Assembly (NA) Ara Babloyan conducted the next working consultation with the NA Senior Staff.

As the press service of the Armenian Parliament reports, the items of the optimization of the National Assembly Staff structure and list were on the agenda of the consultation. The NA Speaker assigned the Chief of Staff-Secretary General Ara Saghatelyan to provide staff work efficiency and establish strict control over labour discipline.

Ara Saghatelyan presented the inventory process of the staff property, detailing that after the end of the first phase of inventory, installations on modern technology of inventory and property management will be implemented, which will significantly increase the work efficiency. The Chief of Staff-Secretary General also presented the National Assembly Speaker the package of changes for the control over the labour discipline.

Ara Babloyan assigned to make permanent the process of work effectiveness enhancement, and the staff optimization – continuous.

The NA Speaker gave strict assignments to the Senior Staff to establish and install electronic management system which will essentially facilitate the MPs’ activities, excluding unnecessary document circulation.

Particularly, it was assigned to introduce such a system, which will give an opportunity to have a common working platform by connecting an MP’s computers in the office and in the Session Hall. The electronic management system to be created will give an opportunity to provide electronic circulation of staff documents at the same time, thus having significant cost cuts.

The progress in Armenia-NATO relations is significant – top NATO official

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia

“When touching upon Armenia-NATO relations, I want to cite a passage from my recent conversation with the defense minister: We have a perfect cooperation in numerous spheres; the progress is significant,” James Appathurai, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, said at a press conference held at NATO Information Center in Armenia.

The official thanked Armenia for its contribution in the Alliance’s operations held in Afghanistan and Kosovo. In Mr.Appathurai’s words, a meeting of the defense ministers of the respective countries having military units in Afghanistan is to set to be held in Brussels, with the attendance of Armenia’s defense minister. He informed that among numerous issues, the meeting will also address the issue of slightly increasing the peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan.

“In many spheres Armenia-NATO cooperation is in line with a broader fretwork agreement,” the official added.

David Babayan: Co-Chairs’ visit important, final settlement far away

Hagop Kamalian
Public Radio of Armenia
17:03, 12 Jun 2017

Visits of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are important, Spokesman for the Artsakh president David Babayan said.

He said “the visits help ensure the continuity of the peace process and allows to discuss different issues.”

“We have a long way to pass before e can reach a final resolution, especially considering the conflicting approaches of the parties,” Babayan said.

“Azerbaijan’s non-constructive approach does not inspire hope for a soonest settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Therefore, we lay the emphasis on the maintenance of peace and stability.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs had a meeting with Artsakh president Bako Sahakyan this morning.