Category: 2019

Sports: Armenian national football team forward to sign deal with Russia’s Sochi

Jalatian Sonya
News.am, Armenia

Forward for the Armenian national football team Aleksandre Karapetian will sign today a contract with the Russian Sochi football club. This is what the footballer told NEWS.am Sport.

On July 10, Aleksandre Karapetian successfully passed his medical exam at the club that scored a pass to the Russian Premier League.

Karapetian, 31, had left for Slovenia to train with Sochi football club and was in a probationary period.

He scored four goals during the three test matches.

Prior to this, Karapetian was playing for Luxembourg’s Progres.

Karapetian has played 8 matches and scored 4 goals with the Armenian national football team.

Samvel Sukiasyan

Sports: U19 EURO: Armenia’s young players ready to show what they can do

Lilit Nahapetian
MediaMax, Armenia
 
 
U19 EURO: Armenia’s young players ready to show what they can do
 
 
 
 
Yerevan will host the UEFA U19 European Championship on July 14-26, and Armenian team has spared no efforts to get ready for the competition.
 
Armenia is in Group A along with Portugal, Italy and Spain.
 
The young players have talked to the press after the training and shared their expectations.
  
Arsen Yeghiazaryan (defender, captain)
 
The atmosphere in the team is very positive. We hold 2 training sessions a day, because we want to play well and make the fans happy.
 
Our competitors are really strong. Top European teams have arrived in Yerevan, but it doesn’t matter to us. If we get into the right mental state and believe in ourselves, I’m certain we’ll have good results.
 
We made some errors in the friendlies, but we have improved the defense since. We make almost no mistakes now, but we still need to do better, because strong teams can use even one mistake against you.
 
Yuri Oganesyan (defender)
 
The most important thing is to play well and show Europe what we can do. Others need to see Armenia is not weak, as they think. We are united and we play as a team, which is very helpful.
 
I am new here, I’ve been in the squad for just 2 months, but everyone has been very nice to me.
 
Erik Azizyan (midfielder)
 
The team is ready for the championship. We train well, and we’ve showed our progress in the friendlies. We defend better now, and with more confidence.
   
Victory is the best result for us. That is why we compete, and we play for no other result.
  
Playing abroad has given me more experience, and it was very helpful.
 
Grenik Petrosyan (forward)
 
I think we are 100% ready for the U19 EURO. There are many favorites, all of them strong, Spain and Portugal the chief ones, I believe. Anyway, we have to play well and compete properly.
 

Sports: Armenia U 20 basketball team leaves for Portugal

Yeghisabet Arthur
Panorama, Armenia
Sport 19:48 11/07/2019 Armenia

On July 10 the Armenia U20 basketball team has left for Portugal’s Matosinhos which will host the European Championship Division B on July 12, the basketball federation announced.

At the European Championship Division B the Armenia team will perform in Group C where its opponents will be Sweden, Georgia, Kosovo, Estonia and the Netherlands.

The team has set off to the competition with numerous personnel losses.

New Armenia Poll – High Public Confidence in Government

Emil Lazarian
The International Republican Institute
July 8 2019


New Armenia Poll – High Public Confidence in Government

YEREVAN, Armenia

A new nationwide poll of Armenia by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research shows high public confidence in government and optimism about the country’s future, even as Armenians remain concerned about economic issues.

Poll results indicate a strong popular mandate for the new government to press on with reforms. More than 60 percent of respondents want the government to undertake both political and economic reforms quickly rather than gradually.

“The goodwill expressed by the Armenian people presents the Armenian government with an unprecedented opportunity to undertake fundamental reforms that strengthen the country’s democracy and improve the economic well-being of its people,” said Stephen Nix, IRI Regional Director for Eurasia. “The government’s speedy delivery on reforms will be key to maintaining its strong public support and the momentum to press on with its agenda,” Nix added.

Seventy-two percent of respondents expressed favorable attitudes toward the performance of the Office of the Prime Minister, and 60 percent of respondents think the country is heading in the right direction. Although this figure represents a 12-point reduction from October of last year, it remains a significant _expression_ of continued confidence in the new government. This attitude may also be reflected in high levels of optimism regarding the government’s handling of reforms, as 59 percent of respondents believe that the government is making enough effort to fight corruption.

Despite these demonstrations of optimism, Armenians remain concerned about a number of issues facing the country. When asked about the government’s greatest failure, respondents most often cited bad management (22 percent). The percentage of people who believe they can influence decisions made in Armenia has declined from 72 percent to 53 percent during the past six months.

In keeping with previous IRI surveys, jobs (30 percent), socioeconomic problems (18 percent), wages (14 percent) and pensions (12 percent) topped the list of priority issues the government must address within the next six months. Although 42 percent think that the economy as a whole has improved over the last six months, just 24 percent cite improvements in the economic situation of their own households over the same time period.

Methodology

The survey was conducted on behalf of IRI by Dr. Rasa Alisauskiene of the Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, with the fieldwork carried out by the Armenian Sociological Association. Data was collected throughout Armenia between May 6 and May 31, 2019 through face-to-face interviews in respondents’ homes. The sample consisted of 1,200 permanent residents of Armenia aged 18 or older and eligible to vote. It is representative of the general population by age, gender and region. The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 2.5 percent for the full sample. This survey was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.



Armen Sarkissian to Donald Tusk: Armenia is country which shares European values

Yeghisabet Arthur
News.am, Armenia
Armen Sarkissian to Donald Tusk: Armenia is country which shares European values Armen Sarkissian to Donald Tusk: Armenia is country which shares European values

18:13, 10.07.2019
                  

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian received Wednesday at the Presidential Palace the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, Armenian President’s press service reported.

President Sarkissian welcomed the visit of Donald Tusk to Armenia and expressed confidence that he would enjoy greatly his visit to our country, especially because Armenia is country which shares European values. “Armenia has not only signed an agreement with the European Union, but also a country which, especially culturewise, is deeply European and has always been. Thus, it’s only natural that we are becoming closer to the European Union. Armenia has always been the cradle of the European values – starting from our religion, culture, to our literature and music,” President Sarkissian noted.

Speaking about the Armenia-EU relations, the President of Armenia expressed confidence that the relations with the EU would become even closer and deeper. “We have a great potential for that,” President Armen Sarkissian underscored. He invited Donald Tusk to visit Armenia with his family.

The President of the European Council expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and noted that this was his third visit to Armenia, “I feel home here,” he said.

During their meeting, the President of Armenia and the President of the European Council exchanged views on the Armenia-EU agenda items as well as referred to the cooperation in various areas. 

70% of polled Armenians are optimistic about the country’s future

Liana Toganian
MediaMax, Armenia
70% of polled Armenians are optimistic about the country’s future

The full report is available here.

 The highest level of optimism was recorded among people aged 15-34 (86%).

 22% of the surveyed were pessimistic about their future and 1% said they did not know.

 As for the view on the country’s future, 70% of the polled were optimistic and 29% were pessimistic.

 66% of the surveyed were satisfied with the way democracy works in Armenia, while 30% were not.

 The survey was conducted over February and March of 2019 among 1000 people.


Donald Tusk visits Sevanavank monastery in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province

Kanayan Tamar
News.am, Armenia
Donald Tusk visits Sevanavank monastery in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province Donald Tusk visits Sevanavank monastery in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province

17:57, 10.07.2019
                  

European Council President Donald Tusk visits Sevanavank monastic complex in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province, Armenpress reported.

The CoE President was presented the history of the monastery’s establishment and activity. Tusk toured the monastery.

Donald Tusk will also visit Noratus cemetery.

As reported earlier, President of the European Council Donald Tusk has arrived in Yerevan. Within his visit, Tusk met with the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Donald Tusk: “I feel at home in Armenia”

David Nargizian
MediaMax, Armenia
 
 
 
Donald Tusk: “I feel at home in Armenia”
 
  
Yerevan/Mediamax/. President of the European Council Donald Tusk has noted he feels “at home in Armenia” at the meeting with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian today.
 
President Sarkissian said he hoped that Tusk would be gratified with the visit, especially given the fact that Armenia shares European values.
 
“Armenia is not only a country that signed an agreement with the European Union, but also a country that is and has always been deeply European in terms of culture. Therefore, coming closer to the EU is very natural for us. Armenia is a cradle of European values, from our religion and culture to literature and music,” noted the President.
 
Armen Sarkissian has also invited Donald Tusk to visit Armenia with family.
 

Armenia calls on Turkey to cease drilling in Cyprus

Hambardsumian Paul
PanArmenian, Armenia
– 17:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Foreign Ministry of Armenia has condemned Turkey’s attempt to conduct a new drilling operation in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone.

“We express our deep concern over Turkey’s attempt to conduct a new drilling operation in the northeast of Cyprus. Turkey’s continued provocative actions in the Eastern Mediterranean put the security and stability of the region at risk, .

“We reiterate our full support and solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus and its people and call on Turkey to cease all activities within Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and rights of people of Cyprus to pursue their political, social and economic development without external pressure.”

Armenia urges Turkey to cease all activities within Cyprus EEZ

Toneyan Mark
Panorama, Armenia

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on Turkey’s attempt to conduct a new drilling operation in Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), calling on Turkey to abandon its plans.

“We express our deep concern over Turkey’s attempt to conduct a new drilling operation in the northeast of Cyprus. Turkey’s continued provocative actions in the Eastern Mediterranean put the security and stability of the region at risk. 

“We reiterate our full support and solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus and its people and call on Turkey to cease all activities within Cyprus EEZ and respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and rights of people of Cyprus to pursue their political, social and economic development without external pressure,” the statement read.