Category: News

On December 7 Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the Commission, announced the launch of negotiations on a new Armenia-European Union framework agreement.

In his statement on the occasion of the launch of negotiations Edward Nalbandian noted,

“I am glad to be here in Brussels to launch together negotiations between Armenia and the European Union.

The Armenian side has long expressed its readiness to start negotiations with the EU on a framework agreement that would adequately reflect the depth and essence of our partnership. We are glad that the decision of the EU Council to open negotiations on the new legal basis of our relations allows us today to embark on this road.

Armenia enjoys close links with the European Union and is determined to further develop and strengthen comprehensive cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, taking into account our commitments within other integration formats. This determination has deeply rooted basis. In the words of the President of Armenia “With its past, culture, current goals and dreams, the Armenian nation is an inseparable part of the European civilization”.

Indeed, as ancient is the European civilisation, so old are the ties of Armenia and the Armenian nation with it. They go back to the depth of centuries to the times when the enlightened sons of our nation made their contribution to the formation of value system, which today is called the European values.

Based on those common values, we are committed at the continuous promotion of human rights and rule of law, consolidation of democratic institutions and improvement of judiciary, good governance, fight against corruption, strengthening the civil society. We are thankful to the EU for its valuable support in this regard.

Constitutional reform in Armenia that the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe characterised as of “extremely high quality” and “ in line with international standards”, was approved yesterday by the referendum, according to preliminary results. It is another important step also aimed at advancing many of those aspirations.

The further improvement of the framework for enhanced trade and investments, and increased sectoral cooperation are among the priorities of our common agenda.
Dear Colleagues,

Alongside the deliberations on the legal basis of our relations, the Armenian side has been engaged in negotiations with the relevant bodies of the European Commission regarding our participation in a number of EU programmes. We look forward to intensify effective cooperation in a large number of areas, such as education, science, research and innovation, air transportation and others.

We attach great importance to people to people contacts, and view enhanced mobility of our citizens as an important prerequisite for bringing our societies closer. It is almost two years now that the EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation and Readmission agreements are being implemented. We do believe that it is high time to move further and launch a dialogue on visa liberalization.

Following the successful negotiations of last month, we look forward to signing in coming days the agreements on Armenia’s participation in a number of EU programs, such as “Horizon 2020”, and the Program for Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (COSME). In the area of transport, the Government of Armenia has expressed its readiness to conclude a common aviation agreement, following the liberalization of the aviation market through the Open Skies Policy.

Armenia well recognizes the importance of inclusive cooperation in different formats. We have been long advocating for adoption of a more visionary approach in utilizing the vast opportunities provided by integration frameworks and making best use of their advantages in a spirit of cooperation and partnership.

Dear colleagues,
Dear Federica,

I believe we are opening today a new promising page in the Armenia-EU mutually beneficial relations. Many of those, from both sides, who will shoulder the challenging task of the negotiation process are not newcomers and have generated wide experience in the past. I believe that their knowledge and determination will serve to the purpose.

I wish all the success to our joint endeavor and I am confident that we will continue to proceed in the right direction.

I congratulate all of us on this occasion and wish productive deliberations.”

Naming a baby is one of the biggest decisions new parents have to make, so it makes sense that Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are taking their time choosing a name for their new son.

A day after their second child was born, the star couple still haven’t chosen his first name — or, at least, they aren’t sharing it yet — a source told .

The pair took almost a week to name daughter North, 2, and, shortly before her son’s arrival, Kardashian West told PEOPLE that they still didn’t have a name picked out. However, the source did say that Kardashian West reportedly told people at the hospital that she was going to use her late father’s name — Robert — for the child’s middle name.

“It’s like the last thing Kanye and I did when North was born,” she shared. “We didn’t name her for like seven days. I feel like it will just come to us.”

A source close to West also told PEOPLE that they hadn’t shared the new baby’s name yet.

“He never said anything about the name. Even if they had one picked out, he wasn’t going to share it. He doesn’t believe in telling anyone the name until the baby is born.”

The first source also reveals that Kardashian West did not have a C-section to deliver her baby, which was surely a relief.

After she learned that her baby was breech, the reality star wrote on her website and app that she was hoping to avoid delivering via C-section.

“Obviously, if it’s an emergency and for the safety of my son, I will get a C-section — but if I don’t need one, I’d rather not,” Kardashian West wrote.

The new mom had plenty of support throughout the delivery: Most of herfamily members stopped by the hospital on Saturday to deliver gifts and see their newest addition. And, the source says, older sister Kourtney, who has three children of her own and to whom Kardashian West has said she often turns to for pregnancy advice, stayed with her sister throughout her labor.

After the preliminary counting of the votes at the constitutional referendum held on December 6, 2015, President Serzh Sargsyan hosted numerous officials, political and civil figures at the Presidential Palace. The President made a statement at the beginning of which he requested to honor the memory of the victims of the 1988 earthquake with a minute’s silence.

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday, we together crossed over an important threshold which we were facing for the last two years. Wisdom, vision and light of faith dispelled the fog of uncertainty, suspicions and concern. Yesterday we chose to embark on the road of long-lasting and sustainable development, and because of that the Armenian statehood today is moving into the next stage.

Many of the proponents of “No” were presenting themselves as a “front”. I was trying to avoid that word as much as I could. It is my deep conviction that we have no right to have “fronts” within our country. For a nation which had the history like ours, it would be unaffordable luxury. Besides, among other objectives these changes are aimed at eliminating the necessity of organizing fronts or fighting each other.

Today, we are ready to state that parliamentary system of governance has become a reality for our country. It means we will have strong authorities and strong opposition, the role of political parties will increase, and there will be new opportunities for their development. It means also development of the partisan system which is an important prerequisite for any democratic state. Transition to parliamentary system will provide utmost transparency in the activities of the legislative and executive authorities. Responsibilities of the executive power will become more clear-cut and its accountability will grow, while its activities will become more predictable for the parliament as well as for the people.

Finally, the changes allow to be more confident about the security of our state. Constitutional provisions which envisage administration and operative management of the armed forces allow to adopt swift and efficient decision in the situation which have already become ordinary for us, or in critical situations.

Many of us were concerned with the impact these changes might have for our national security and defense. Be assured, that everything was measured with the utmost precision, otherwise, in case of a tiniest threat, I would stop the entire process.

Dear colleagues,
It is very important that during the campaign, “Yes” was promoted not only by the Republican Party but also by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Prosperous Armenia represented in the National Assembly, as well as by a number of other parties.
“Yes” doesn’t mean that we didn’t have disagreements, disputes, or discussions. There were plenty, trust me. Nevertheless, we always were able to find compromise and develop mutually acceptable options.

I am confident that this framework of cooperation will continue to expand for the benefit of our nation state, for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia.

The reforms are an important milestone for the strengthening of the Armenian state and democratic institutions. We have to breathe new power, new life to our Constitution.

We have not yet reached our destination; on the contrary, today we just stepped on a new road.

Constitutional changes should have their proper reflection in the entire legal system of the Republic of Armenia. New constitutional laws shall be adopted, changes should be made in hundreds of laws. We need to fling ourselves into this hard work right away to prepare a new Electoral Code. These works must be finished by June 1, 2016, so that parliamentary elections of 2017 are conducted in the atmosphere of greater trust, so that results of the election are not doubted by either political parties, or our citizens.

We are ready to conduct the most open and inclusive discussions in all possible formats to finally adopt a new, faultless Electoral Code. We are ready to discuss any mechanism which can provide for transparency and trust. I hope our opponents will accept this offer, and together with us will undertake this important task.

In our turn we are ready to work hard to bring our Electoral Code in line with the best world practices. We are well aware that the quality of the forthcoming elections will shape the future of our state, our nation. For that very reason we will work openly and transparently, because trust, increasing trust is the most important thing for us.

Candid dialogue, resolution of the current problems aimed at the regulation of social life – these are prerequisites of our country’s advancement.

Today we need trust not only among political forces but also public’s trust towards the political forces. This is the only way for the political forces to mature as authorized representatives of the society in the task of carrying out changes. The National Assembly must become the primary platform for ideological disputes, for finding solutions to the most pressing issues.

In the elections, there mustn’t be those who get everything and those who get nothing.
Today when we are ready to embark on a new road, I am expressing my gratitude to all those who for the last two years were promoting this process with their efforts and dedication. I express gratitude to the Chairman of expert commission and the members for their professionalism and principled stance. I thank leaders and representatives of the political forces, to the citizens who believed in and supported this initiative. My thanks to all those who provided for the high organizational level of the referendum. It was a huge and comprehensive work, and we did it standing shoulder by shoulder.

In the process, I spoke more than once about the importance of conducting fair and transparent referendum. I am more than confident that the law enforcment bodies did their best so that this state event was conducted in a due, normal way. Now it’s time for the relevant bodies to conduct proper procedures, true to the letter and spirit of the law, and give assessment to all signal about violations. It is really important for our future.

Dear Colleagues,
Now we are much more well-prepared to move on more confidently on our road towards a well-organized state. I have no doubt that our quarter of a century experience of statehood will allow us to tell the difference between transient and eternal, between primary and secondary. And most importantly, I am confident that probably for the first time in the history of the newly independent Armenia, we will be able to make power a factor which will not separate but will unite all able forces. The strength of the state is not defined by the intentions of the leaders, or by their sincere wishes and promises but by a steady system which will allow to make them true. We have already made the first but a very important step towards an active and logical system. We will make next steps together and together we will pass on our generations an efficient state.

Thank you all for that.

The opposition in Venezuela has won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, overturning nearly two decades of dominance by the Socialists of President Nicolas Maduro, the BBC reports.

Five hours after polling ended, the National Electoral Council announced the opposition had won 99 seats.

President Maduro has admitted defeat, recognising “these adverse results”.

It is the worst-ever defeat for the leftist movement founded by former leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.

The Socialists have gained 46 seats, with another 22 yet to be declared.

Results arrived much later than expected, five hours after polls closed. Fireworks erupted over the capital, Caracas, soon after.

AP Photo/ Burhan Ozbilici

 

The international backlash against Turkey has continued, with the Arab League being the latest organization to condemn the deployment of Turkish troops in Northern Iraq, labeling the incident an “intervention,” reports.

Germany-based Armenian professional boxer, WBO Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham has received the Champion of Berlin Award for the fourth time in a row.

Photos from Arthur Abraham’s Facebook page

Photo: Getty Images

 

A shortlist of candidates chosen by magazine’s editors for the 2015 Person of the Year was revealed on NBC’s TODAY show Monday morning, The eight contenders are, in alphabetical order:

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who as leader of ISIS has inspired followers to both fight in his self-declared caliphate of Iraq and Syria, and also stage attacks in countries like Tunisia and France.

Black Lives Matter activists, who have protested inequality towards African Americans, especially in their treatment by law enforcement.

Caitlyn Jenner, whose coming out as a transgender woman prompted widespread conversations about gender identity and issues of equality for the LGBT community.

Travis Kalanick, who as CEO of Uber drove his car-hailing company to a nearly $70 billion valuation, but also drew criticism about the downside of the sharing economy.

Angela Merkel, who as German chancellor has been at the center of major news events this year, from economic strife in the Eurozone to Europe’s ongoing migrant crisis.

Vladimir Putin, who as president of Russia has defied Western sanctions over his country’s military activity in Ukraine to play a critical but precarious role in the war on ISIS.

Hassan Rouhani, who as president of Iran is seeking to bring his country out of pariah status and repair its sanctions-crippled economy by pursuing a nuclear deal with the West.

Donald Trump, whose populist rhetoric has made him frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential candidacy and stirred debate about the party’s future.

The 2015 Person of the Year will be unveiled on TODAY Wednesday morning, when the news will also be shared on Time.com. NBC is also asking readers to vote on which of the eight finalists should win.

Photo: Reuters

 

A suspected US-led coalition air strike has killed four Syrian military personnel, according to a monitoring group.

The strike took place in Deir al-Zour province, which is largely held by the jihadist group Islamic State, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

If confirmed, it would be the first coalition strike to have killed Syrian government forces.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory said 13 military personnel were also wounded.

The strike hit part of the Saeqa military camp, near the town of Ayyash, it said.

The IS controls most of the province, including almost all of its capital, Deir al-Zour.

A separate strike believed to have been carried out by the coalition in the city overnight killed a woman and two of her children, the Syrian Observatory said.

Deir al-Zour province links Islamic State’s de facto capital in Raqqa with territory controlled by the group in Iraq. The area’s oilfields are a major source of revenue for IS.

A local court in Ankara has fined Armenian-origin columnist Hayko Bağdat 1,160 Turkish Liras for “insulting” Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek via his Twitter account, after Gökçek complained that he had used the words “Armenian” and “disgusting” to describe him, the reports.

In his defense, Bağdat said Gökçek repeatedly asks his critics on social media whether they are “Armenian,” adding that the Ankara mayor is “disgusting” for using the term “Armenian” to describe people he dislikes. He demanded his acquittal and told the court that he did not deliberately intend to “insult” Gökçek.

Ali Deniz Ceylan, Bağdat’s lawyer, also told the court that Gökçek, who is well-known in Turkey as a prolific Twitter user, has tweeted many derogatory statements against which his client has responded.

However, Judge Süleyman Köksaldı sentenced Bağdat to a fine of 1,160 liras, while also delaying a compensation lawsuit opened by Gökçek against Bağdat.

Shortly after the ruling, Bağdat slammed the decision via his Twitter account on Dec. 7.

“My last words on this issue: Gökçek is committing a hate crime by calling anyone he dislikes ‘Armenian.’ This is disgusting behavior. Also, Gökçek himself is an Armenian,” he tweeted.

Back on Sept. 28, Bağdat told reporters that he faced a jail term after calling Gökçek “Armenian.”

“Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek has opened a court case [because] I called him ‘Armenian.’ Let me say why I called him ‘Armenian.’ Whenever he grabs a microphone or takes the keyboard in his hands, he calls his political rivals, the voters of his political rivals … journalists, and anyone he is angry with, ‘Armenian.’ He constantly says they are traitors because they are ‘Armenians’ or they have ‘Armenian’ roots, as if all elements making trouble for this country must somehow have a relationship to ‘Armenianness,’” he said.

France’s far-right National Front (FN) appears to have made big gains in the first round of regional elections, estimates show.

They put the FN ahead in at least six of 13 regions in mainland France.

The elections are the first electoral test since last month’s Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed.

The centre-right Republicans party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to be in second place ahead of the governing Socialist Party.

A second round of voting will be held on 13 December.

As the results became clear, the Socialist party said it was withdrawing from the second round in at least two regions, in the north and the south, to try to block a run-off victory for the FN.

Exit polls from Sunday’s vote predicted that the FN had won 30.8% of the vote, followed by Mr Sarkozy’s Republicans on 27.2% and President Francois Hollande’s Socialists with 22.7%.

FN leader Marine Le Pen, who stood in the northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who stood in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur in the south, both looked to have won more than 40% of the vote, polls predicted, breaking previous records for the party.

Marine Le Pen told supporters it was a “magnificent result” which proved the FN was “without contest the first party of France”.