Category: News

Armenian economist Carlos Melconian was appointed as President of the National Bank of Argentina on Wednesday December 23, reports.

Stressing that the Bank of the Argentine Nation “will take a more prominent role as a development bank,” Melconian began his tenure after being appointed by the newly elected President Mauricio Macri.

In 1980s Melconian worked in the Central Bank of Argentina and then as a private consultant at the World Bank, among others.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Iran’s Energy Minister, Co-Chair of the Armenian-Iranian Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation Hamid Hamid Chitchian.

The President emphasized the role of the commission in the deepening of Armenia’s relations with friendly Iran.

The interlocutors attached importance to the need to boost the trade-economic relations and utilize the existing potential. They referred to the process of implementation of the joint programs, new projects and the perspectives of mutually beneficial investment programs.

Serzh Sargsyan and Hamid Chitchian discussed issues of regional cooperation, as well. In this context they praised the implementation of the North-South energy project, which envisages parallel functioning of corresponding systems between Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia.

According to the Iranian Energy Minister, yesterday’s meeting of energy officials from the above-mentioned countries was an important and effective step from the perspective of solidarity between the countries of the region and gives new the development of cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ranked 77^th (up from 85th last year) in choice of the world’s top 100 footballers for 2015.

Led by Zico, Javier Zanetti and Gheorghe Hagi, the panel of 123 experts from 49 nations compiled a countdown of the greatest male players on the planet.

Lionel Messi tops the ranking, followed by Christiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

“The problem for Henrikh Mkhitaryan is that, with Bayern Munich so utterly dominant in the Bundesliga, it may be difficult for him to keep improving in his current surroundings. He is not doing a bad job of looking a cut above most of the competition though. After a 2014/15 season blighted by injuries and patchy form – which could also be said more broadly for his club, Borussia Dortmund – the Armenian attacking midfielder has been excellent in their revival under Thomas Tuchel and had scored eight goals by 5 November. Liverpool were heavily linked in the summer, and those murmurs may get louder given the identity of their new manager; if Dortmund cannot run Bayern close this year a new challenge may well be in order,” The Guardian writes.

Russia’s General Staff has provided information to France on Turkey’s role in stealing Syrian natural resources and financing the Islamic State , the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday, reports.

“General of the Army Valery Gerasimov presented information on continued stealing of Syrian national resources, the proceeds from which are used to finance IS, as well as on Turkey’s role in this process,” the ministry said in a statement.

The head of the Russian General Staff has also agreed with France to set up an exchange of operative information to coordinate actions in the fight against the Islamic State, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service announced Thursday.

“It has been agreed to establish an exchange of operative information to coordinate the actions for a more effective destruction of command points, military equipment, [arms] depots, paths for equipping militants, and other IS infrastructures in Syria,” the press service said in a statement.

According to Russian Defense Ministry’s press service, the head of the Russian General Staff has agreed with France to set up an exchange of operative information to coordinate actions in the fight against the Islamic State.

Bundesliga’s official website has released a video of players from different countries wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in their native languages.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will address the nation tonight, possibly announcing his resignation, Georgian national television reported.

Local media outlets indicated earlier Garibashvili planned to resign to lead the Georgian Dream coalition, which he chairs, campaign office.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has been tapped as his successor.

The Azerbaijani side fired more than 2,000 shots from artillery weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions during clashes at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces last night.

The Azerbaijani side used Zu-23-2 missile units, 82mm mortars and HAN-17 grenades.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep full control of the situation at the frontline and confidently continue with their military duty all along the line of contact.

On 23 December President Bako Sahakyan received the Armenian Central Bank chairman Arthur Javadya, NKR President’s Press Office reported.

Different issues related to cooperation between the two Armenian states in the banking sphere were discussed during the meeting.

NKR prime-minister Arayik Harutyunyan partook in the meeting.