Category: News

At a meeting with Russian Transport Minister maxim Sokolov Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan expressed gratitude to the Russian law-enforcement bodies for the productive cooperation with the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office in organizing the investigation into the case of murder of a family of seven in Gyumri.

The President said “the decision to hand over the investigation of the case to the Armenian side reflects the spirit of partnership and friendship and fully complies with the provisions of the Armenian-Russian agreement on the stationing of the Russian Military Base in Armenia.

At the same time the President underlined that the “presence of the Russian Military Base in Armenia is an important component of our country’s security.”

 

U.S. Embassy Yerevan expects to be able to restore full visa services by next week thanks to the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs’ hard work to resolve the technical issues that affected consular systems worldwide. Due to the backlog of pending visa cases caused by these technical issues, we remain unable to print visas within the usual 2-3 business days.

Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants (Tourists, Businesspeople, Students, etc.):

If you scheduled an appointment and were informed that your appointment was cancelled by the Consular Section, please call +374 60 27 0113 to reschedule your interview.

If you were interviewed, your visa was approved, and the Consular Section has your passport, you can pick up your passport and visa at the U.S. Embassy:

–      Monday, June 29 from 4:00 – 5:20 PM

–      Tuesday, June 30 from 2:00 – 3:00 PM

–      Wednesday, July 1 from 4:00  – 5:20 PM

–      Any work day afterwards from 5:00-5:20 PM.  (Please note that Friday, July 3 is an Embassy holiday.)

If you were interviewed, your visa was approved, and you have your passport, the passport may be dropped off at the Embassy beginning Monday, June 29^th. Your passport and visa will be available for pick-up one calendar week from the day the passport is dropped off, unless it is a holiday or weekend, in which case the passport and visa will be available for pick-up on the next working day after a calendar week has passed.

If you were interviewed, your case required additional administrative processing, and your case number has been posted on our website, you may return your passport to us beginning Monday, June 29^th. Your passport and visa will be available for pick up one calendar week from the day the passport is dropped off unless it is a holiday or weekend in which case the passport and visa will be available on the next working day after a calendar week has passed.

Azerbaijani troops on Friday killed an Armenian soldier in the latest shooting in the direction of the Armenian settlement of Gorhayk in Syunik province along the border with Nakhijevan, Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannnisyan  said.

Th Spokesperson said the rival suffered substantial losses as a result  of retaliatory fire by the Armenian side.

He conveyed the condolences of the Ministry of Defense to the families and friends of contract serviceman Arman Yepremyan, born in 1987, and pledged that the “assault would not go unpunished.”

Hovhannisyan said there had been no shooting in that particular section of the shared border over the past year.

The protests in Yerevan against the planned electricity price hike continue.

 

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov. Speaking about the ongoing protests in Armenia against the planned electricity price hike, President Sargsyan said some experts seek to find anti-Russian sentiments in the developments. He said he’s glad that protesters themselves reject these assumptions.

The President informed that Armenia had to make the unpopular decision because of the fluctuation of the currency exchange rate and the rise of the net worth of electric energy. He added that issues of subsidising the cost to needy families have also been taken into consideration. The Government ruled yesterday to raise the monthly allowances for 105 thousand families. The President said the losses of the Electric Networks of Armenia that resulted from possible shortcomings of the company’s activity.

The President said it would be right for the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission to keep the activity of the Russian companies in Armenia in the focus of attention.

The President noted that it would be correct for the Commission to consider the option of conducting audit in the Distribution Networks of Armenia with the participation of the expert community and representatives of the civil society.

 

At least four people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a Shia mosque in the Kuwaiti capital, the BBC reports.

Many people were injured, and unconfirmed reports put the death toll much higher.

The blast hit during Friday prayers at the Imam Sadiq Mosque in al-Sawaber, a busy area to the east of Kuwait City.

An Islamic State- (IS) affiliated group said it was behind the attack. IS has carried out similar recent attacks in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

 

“We are concerned at credible reports of excessive use of force by police officers, including against journalists, in their handling of protests in Yerevan on 23 June, and call on the authorities to investigate the incidents thoroughly and promptly,” Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

“As protests continue to take place in the country, the Government must ensure that the policing of demonstrations strictly complies with international human rights norms and standards, including the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement,” she said.

“We welcome the statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, expressing the Government’s commitment “to democracy, fundamental freedoms and protection of human rights in Armenia”. We encourage the Government to ensure that this commitment is translated in the way it responds to these protests, and we encourage all parties to engage in a constructive dialogue and to refrain from violence,” the statement reads.

The fifth round of informal ministerial dialogues of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) member states will take place in Minsk on 29 June, BelTA reports, quoting Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus.

“Belarus will preside at the fifth round of informal ministerial dialogues of the EaP member states in Minsk on 29 June. The round will include a meeting of the ministers of environment and a meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the EaP member states,” the ministry said.

Partaking in the meeting of the EaP ministers of environment will be European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella and State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia Guntis Pukitis.

Informal ministerial dialogues of the Eastern Partnership member states at the level of the ministers of foreign affairs and heads of other ministries have been held since 2012. The four previous rounds were held in Chisinau (June 2012), Tbilisi (February 2013, transport), Yerevan (September 2013, education) and Baku (September 2014, energy). The main objective of the informal ministerial dialogues is to provide a platform for a regular open exchange of opinions on the most important issues in the EaP activity and the issues of the international agenda. The adoption of final documents or statements is not envisaged.

French taxi drivers have blocked the roads to Paris airports and the main ring road around the city in a protest against Uber, prompting riot police to fire tear gas at some, the BBC reports.

The drivers set up blockades and burned tires as part of a nationwide strike.

Barriers also appeared around Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence in southeast France.

Uber, a US taxi app, has been expanding its UberPOP ride-sharing service in France despite government objections.

Images from Marseille and Paris showed cars overturned and tires burning in the street.

Aeroports de Paris, the operator of the French capital’s Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly airports, warned passengers to travel by train.

 

Head of the Kars branch of the “Ülkü ocaklar” (Hearths of Ideal) radical group of the Grey Wolves Tolga Adıgüzel has voiced threats towards Armenians of Kars after jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan performed a concert at the Ani Ruins, Ermenihaber.am reports, quoting Turkish Radikal daily.

Speaking at a press conference, Adıgüzel threatened Armenians, “who feel so free in Turkey.” He accused Armenians of the ‘events of 1915’ and Khojalu and added: “What should we do now? Should we start a hunt for Armenians in the streets of Kars?”

He also accused all Turkish journalists and officials, who ‘support Armenians launching activity in Turkey.”

He urged Armenians “not to test the patience of Turks.” He added that “Turks, for example, cannot arrive in Armenia and freely organize an event at a sacred site for Armenians.” He threatened to take necessary measures “if such things repeat.”

Within the framework of the Luys i Luso program Tigran Hamasyan performs pieces of Armenian music in 100 churches of Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Germany, Luxemburg, the United States and Russia.

The program is a new interpretation of Armenian religious music from the 5th to the 20th centuries, which will be released as a CD in September 2015.

The program includes works by Mesrop Mashtots, Grigor Nakeratsi, Grigor Pahlavuni, Nerses Shnorhali, Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi and Makar Yekmalyan.