Category: News

At the northern capital of the Russian Federation Saint Petersburg, today after the session of the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Union there took place a session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in which President Serzh Sargsyan participated together with the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

The leaders of the member states discussed the current international issues and challenges, the ongoing activities of the Organization, and forthcoming programs.

Because of the absence of the President of Belarus and lack of a quorum, the issue related to the appointment of the Secretary General of the CSTO was postponed until the next session of the Collective Security Council which will take place in April, 2017.

 

 

 

The new ArmCulture app will allow to see the animated 3D images of the monuments to Hovhannes Tumanyan and Alexander Spendiaryan. The application developed by the Arloopa and Aurora Bareallisse Marketing can be downloaded from the Appstore and Google Market.

When scanning the markers attached to the two monuments, one can see the 3D animation. Voice messages from Tumanyan and Spendiaryan can also be heard.

Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan says the initiative will be continuous.

“The video content will be periodically enriched. In the future Hovhannes Tumanyan and Alexander Spendiaryan will invite people to attend this or that performance or concert,” he said.

“I think this format is a new opportunity to encourage the youth to come to the Opera Theatre. We’ll try to apply the technology to other monuments, as well,” the Minister of Culture added.

According to Armen Amiryan, the initiative is a combination of Information Technologies and culture, which will inevitably lead to positive results.

Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has talked to Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova about Hrachya Harutyunyan after mass media raised concerns about the jailed Armenian driver’s health and living conditions.

According to a press release from the Ombudsman’s Office, the parties reached an agreement to arrange a visit of the Commissioner’s representatives to Hrachya Harutyunyan’s place of detention.

Armenia’s Justioce Minister Arpien Hovhannisyan announced earlier that there were problems connected with Hrachya Harutyunyan’s extradition.

Iran’s gas can be exported to Europe via Georgia and the Black Sea in the near future, according to the head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).

“Cooperation between the two countries (Iran and Armenia) is of special importance in energy security and in the near future, Iran’s gas can be transferred to Europe via Georgia and Black Sea, said Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, reported Fars News Agency.

He said Iran and Armenia have in recent years been strategic partners in the region.

Iran and Armenia, he noted, can cooperate in the exchange of technical and engineering services as well as in a number of other sectors such as energy, petrochemicals and dam building, among others.

He suggested the transportation of Armenian goods to other countries, especially China, India and Southeast Asia, via Iran’s Persian Gulf ports.

Sputnik/Evgeny Yepanchintsev

 

According to press service of the Southern Military District, Russian Air Defense Troops repelled a missile attack by a simulated enemy during a drill at a military base in Armenia, reports.

Russian Air Defense Troops repelled a missile attack by a simulated enemy during a drill at a military base in Armenia, the press service of the Southern Military District said on Monday.

“At more than 6,500 feet Air Defense units of the Russian Transcaucasia searched, identified, tracked and struck with electronic missile launches … the simulated enemy,” the statement released by the press service said. According to the statement, Russian military took a 93-mile-long cross-country march to the Alagyaz training range and back.

The attack of the simulated enemy that, according to the drill’s scenario, used weapons of mass destruction was repelled with Buk-M1-2 and S300-V missile systems. The maneuvers were held in rocky snow-covered mountains, the statement added.

This morning, President Serzh Sargsyan has left on the working visit to the Russian Federation to participate at the session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and session of the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Union which will take place in Saint Petersburg.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored an acrobatic back flick to wrap up Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Sunderland in the English Premier League on Saturday, ensuring a miserable return to Old Trafford for former United manager David Moyes,  according to the Associated Press.

On as a second-half substitute, Mkhitaryan met Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s right-wing cross with a flicked finish with the heel of his right foot that flew into the corner in the 86th minute.

Mkhitaryan was in an offside position but it didn’t stop home fans at Old Trafford saluting a player who is growing in importance in his first season at United.

Ibrahimovic also set up the opening goal for Daley Blind in the 39th before scoring his 16th goal of the season in the 82nd after being played through by Paul Pogba.

Sunderland’s consolation was scored by Fabio Borini in stoppage time.

It was Moyes’ first game at Old Trafford since he was fired by United in April 2014, 10 months into his ill-fated tenure as Alex Ferguson’s hand-picked replacement.

United has won its last four league games to power back into contention for the Champions League qualification places.

– The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League table but the Armenia international insists that a first league title in four years is not beyond the Old Trafford outfit.

Manchester United have not given up hope of winning the Premier League as Henrikh Mkhitaryan eyes trophies in 2017.

Heading into the Boxing Day clash against Sunderland at Old Trafford, United are sixth in the table and 13 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

But with 21 matches remaining, Mkhitaryan said his team-mates are still dreaming of silverware.

“My wishes are for the team to have the best year possible – for Manchester United, for the players and for the fans,” Mkhitaryan told The Times of India.

“I hope we have an amazing season and fight for all the titles. Hopefully, in 2017, we can win some trophies. But United are a long way behind the leaders at the moment.

“We haven’t given up yet, we’re not saying we are out of the competition. There are a lot of games remaining, especially at this time of year, so we’re trying to do our best to be in the top four.

“And, of course, in the Europa League we’re going to try and go as far as we can.”

Having struggled to initially convince manager Jose Mourinho following his big-money arrival from Borussia Dortmund in the off-season, Mkhitaryan is now thriving in Manchester.

Mkhitaryan scored in the Europa League win over Zorya earlier in December, and he netted the only goal in United’s victory against Tottenham three days later before missing back-to-back Premier League games due to injury.

Asked if he was ever worried that he would not force his way back into Mourinho’s calculations, the Armenia captain said: “No, because I was trying to do my best in training to earn a place to play. You have to earn it.

“It doesn’t matter if the club bought me for £40 million, I knew that I am not guaranteed to play. Even when you are selected you many not play every game, depending on the tactical situation and the opponent.”

 

President Serzh Sargsyan is taking part at the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council held in Saint Petersburg.

Among the leaders of other EAEU member states at the session, which is taking place at the B. Yeltsin Presidential Library, there are the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev, the President of the Republic Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambaev, and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Present at the session was also the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Tigran Sarkissian.

The President of the host country Vladimir Putin before taking up the agenda items welcomed the participants in the northern capital of Russia, spoke briefly about the works carried out in the framework of the Union on a number of directions, most significant decisions, as well as about the prospective programs of development. The President of the Russian Federation expressed hope that the results of today’s meeting will enhance the economic cooperation of the member states in the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.

At the beginning of the session, the leaders of the states expressed condolences to the President of the Russian Federation on the crash of the Tu-154 aircraft, which took yesterday in Sochi, and a large number of victims.

In accordance with the Charter, the session is chaired by the leader of the country which is currently presiding at the Organization – the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev. In the framework of the agenda items, the leaders of the member states will discuss the draft of the EAEU Tax Code, issues related to the main areas of integration in the framework of the EAEU, and common market of services of the Union. At the meeting, the parties will also discuss issues related to the development of cooperation in the framework of the EAEU with Iran, India, Egypt, and Singapore, as well as issues related to the international activities of the Union in 2017.

President Serzh Sargsyan made a statement at the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

Photo: EPA

 

A huge search operation is continuing “round the clock” in Russia, after a Russian military plane with 92 people on board crashed into the Black Sea, the BBC reports.

Some 3,500 people on ships, jets, helicopters and submersibles are involved in the operation near Sochi.

The Tu-154 plane – carrying soldiers, members of a famed army music ensemble and reporters – was heading for Syria.

All those on board are feared dead after Sunday’s crash. Monday has been declared a national day of mourning.

Search teams – including 139 divers – worked through the night in three shifts, and the operation “did not stop for a minute”, Defence Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing on Monday morning.

He said that 11 bodies and “154 fragments” have been found since the operation began.

Overnight, he added, powerful spotlights were used to search the crash area.

The 10.5 sq km search area just off the coast had been extended, the spokesman said.

“Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5km  from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50m to 70m,” the defence ministry said on Saturday.