Category: News

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Canadian singer Leonard Cohen has died aged 82, according to a statement on his official Facebook page.

“It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away,” the announcement said.

“We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries.”

There were no details about the cause of Cohen’s death. A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date, the announcement said.

The Montreal-born singer’s hits included Suzanne and I’m Your Man and he released his 14th album, You Want It Darker, just last month.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today the Ambassadors of EU member states accredited to Armenia and the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Piotr Switalski.

The Prime Minister emphasized the sincere and open dialogue and cooperation with the EU in all directions and stressed the importance of exchange of experience and implementation of the European culture in our country in the fields of business management, fight against corruption, protection of human rights, implementation of judicial reforms.

Speaking about the government program, Karen Karapetyan noted that the main goal of the executive is to create maximally fair, free and equal field for business and promote investment programs.

The Prime Minister briefed the diplomats on plans to create foundations that will co-finance active, openly operating business and encourage them to be law-abiding taxpayers. He said he does not see a way of development of the country without fight against shadow economy and corruption in all spheres.

Piotr Switalski, in turn, underlined that he’s impressed by the Prime Minister’s and government’s ambitions and reforms agenda.  The Ambassador stressed, that as a friend of Armenia, the European Union is willing to help the country develop the economy, improve the business field, the tax and customs management.

Referring to the fight against corruption, Mr. Switalski hailed the measures envisages by the government and voiced willingness to cooperate in that direction.

The EU Ambassador attached importance to the implementation of reforms in the organization of electoral processes, independence o the judicial system, defense of human rights.

Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia will hold talks with Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

According to daily, Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia will try to convince the Russian companies to get involved in Iran’s oil and gas projects.

The source says increased supplies of Iranian gas to Armenia will be on the agenda of the talks.

Gazprom currently supplies gas to Armenia through Georgian territory, but the transit agreement will expire by the end of the year, and Gazprom seeks reduction of transit fees.

Photo: AFP

 

A suicide bomber has rammed a truck into a German consulate in Afghanistan, killing at least four civilians and wounding 120, officials said, the BBC reports.

Gunman attacked the building after the blast, in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, battling with German and Afghan forces.

The Taliban said it carried out the attack in retaliation for air strikes last week in Kunduz province.

Local police said at least one suspect had been arrested in connection with the bombing.

A Nato spokesman said there was “massive damage” to the consulate.

At least one car packed with explosives was rammed into the wall surrounding the compound, the spokesman said. Officials were also investigating whether a second car bomb was involved.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the fighters had been sent “with a mission to destroy the German consulate general and kill whoever they found there”, Reuters reported.

All German consulate staff were “safe and uninjured”, the German foreign ministry said, adding that troops were on site preparing to evacuate staff.

Germany leads the Nato diplomatic mission in northern Afghanistan and has nearly 1,000 troops stationed in the country.

No casualties have been reported as a result of shelling from the Azerbaijani side in the northeastern direction of the line of contact, Spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan said in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia.

“The rival keeps violating the ceasefire, but it’s not something extraordinary, It’s everyday life, we have been dealing with a terrorist state for 25 states now,” the Spokesperson noted.

He added the Azerbaijani side is thus trying to regain its lost dignity.

David Babayan said implementation of confidence-building measures is an important step towards settlement of the conflict.

He added that the resolution of the Karabakh conflict should be approached from two perspectives – the settlement of the conflict and maintenance of peace in the region.

“As breakthrough in the settlement is impossible at this point, the maintenance of peace is the central issue in the negotiations,” Babayan said.

According to him, the confidence-building measures will help reinforce the ceasefire regime and hold the party violating the ceasefire accountable. “Azerbaijan prevents the implementation of the measures, because it’s the one violating the truce,” he said.

The large-scale military actions in Azerbaijan do not mean the possibility of large-scale war has increased.

“There’s no panic or concern connected with the drills. “The military exercises pursue a domestic political goal. The authorities are thus showing the ethnic minorities in the country that the power can be used agaisnt them if necessary,” David Babayan said.

President Serzh Sargsyan met with the Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

At the beginning of the meeting the President of Armenia expressed thanks to the friendly United Arab Emirates for the warm welcome extended to the RA official delegation and expressed confidence that the visit will provide the opportunity to conduct practical discussions and achieve mutually beneficial agreements which will elevate the Armenian-UAE multifaceted friendly relations to a qualitatively new level and will bring their significant contribution to the future development of the bilateral cooperation.

Stressing the importance of historical and cultural legacy of the Armenian-Arab past, a common approach to a number of issues, as well as the presence in the Arab countries of the Armenian communities, Serzh Sargsyan underscored that in Armenia’s foreign policy the Middle East has always occupied a considerable role and 25 years after the Armenian independence our country has been unfoldin an efficient and multifaceted cooperation with the Arab states.

According to the President of Armenia, the relations between Armenia and the UAE with this regard occupy a special place and present an excellent example of cooperation.

At the meeting, the parties praised the relations between the two friendly states and peoples and expressed readiness to develop and strengthen them even further.

President Sargsyan highlighted the importance of deepening the trade, economic and investment cooperation with the countries of the Persian Gulf. He said that Armenia views the UAE as an important hub for transportation from Armenia to the Gulf region and other countries and back, towards Armenia. He informed Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that from the viewpoint of developing relations between the two friendly states, he has made an offer to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan to organize an investment conference in the Emirates dedicated to Armenia. According to the President of Armenia, the experience and good reputation of the successfully organized conferences at the United Arab Emirates will allow the major investment companies from the Emirates and regional countries to turn the conferences into working meetings and create opportunities for the development of investments in Armenia.

The parties stressed the importance of establishing the visa-free regime which will  promote tourism. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum noted that starting next year the Emirates intend to make Fly Dubai flights to Yerevan daily.

The President of Armenia and Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum concurred that there is a great potential for deepening the cooperation between the two countries.

At the conclusion of the meeting, there took place the document signing ceremony. Armenia and the UAE signed a number of documents aimed at the deepening and strengthening of the bilateral cooperation in different areas. Signed were the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Cooperation in the Area of Security and Fight against Terrorism, as well a Memorandum of Understanding between the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations and the UAE Supreme Council for National Security, National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority on Cooperation in Emergency Situations, Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Agreement on the Expansion of Investment and Business Opportunities between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the RA and the UAE Chamber of Commerce.

After the document signing ceremony the Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave official dinner in honor of the President of Armenia who is in the UAE on official visit.

US President Barack Obama is set to meet his successor Donald Trump in the Oval Office for talks aimed at ensuring a smooth transition of power, the BBC reports.

However, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in several cities to voice their opposition to Mr Trump.

They shouted the slogan “Not my President”, a term that was also trending on social media.

Mr Trump will become the 45th US president after securing a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton.

Mr Obama – who had branded Mr Trump “unfit” for office and campaigned against him – urged all Americans to accept the result of Tuesday’s election.

“We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country,” he said.

Defeated Mrs Clinton also told supporters Mr Trump had to be given a “chance to lead”.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $90.5 million in a loan and a technical assistance grant to improve infrastructure operation and sustainability in Armenia through reforms in the road, water, and power sectors.

“Aging public infrastructure, limited fiscal resources and the lack of adequate prioritization and management of scarce public resources, limit opportunities for inclusive growth in Armenia,” said Matthew Hodge, economist with ADB’s Central West Asia Regional Department. “Providing adequate infrastructure services is critical to supporting economic activity and income generation, especially outside of the capital city.”

Armenia faces economic challenges and a tight fiscal situation due to reduced remittance inflows from the Russian Federation and lowering export demand from its main trading partners. The government’s fiscal consolidation limits budget allocations for infrastructure investment, operation, and maintenance in the foreseeable future, emphasizing the need for improved cost recovery, generation of alternative revenues, and better management of fiscal resources.

The program will focus on improvements in infrastructure operations and sustainability through enhanced public financial management practices and utility regulation, increased maintenance expenditures, and improved contracting and maintenance practices in the road and water sectors. In addition, the program will also introduce competition in the power market which opens the opportunities for greater revenue generation especially from exporting surplus electricity.

This is the second phase of the Infrastructure Sustainability Support Program supported by ADB. The first phase of the program, approved in 2012 and already completed, focused on policy reforms in the water and road sectors and laid the platform for deeper engagement and expansion of the program in the second phase.

The program is in line with Armenia’s Development Strategy 2014–2025, which recognizes the need to improve the country’s management of public infrastructure to improve connectivity and utility services.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB in December 2016 will mark 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2015, ADB assistance totaled $27.2 billion, including cofinancing of $10.7 billion.

Armenian Weekly—System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan confirmed that the band is working on a new album in an interview with the United Kingdom’s Kerrang! magazine. “We’ve been working on a new album for the last six months and there [are] about 15 songs that I think are album-worthy,” Dolmayan said in the interview, which appeared in the magazine’s November 9 issue.

Though Dolmayan confirmed that the band is working on the album, he said that they are still unsure about when the album will be released. “System of a Down is definitely making an album, we just don’t know what terms it will be made on,” Dolmayan said, adding, “there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on us, though, because it’s been 11 years—at least 12 by the time it [the album] comes out. Our playing ability is better than it has ever been and we’re trying new things.”

System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in 1994. The band currently consists of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (vocals, guitar), Shavo Odadjian (bass, backing vocals) and Dolmayan (drums).

The band achieved commercial success with the release of 5 studio albums, 3 of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The band has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and their song “B.Y.O.B.” won the Best Hard Rock Performance of 2006. The group briefly disbanded in August 2006 and reunited in November 2010, embarking on a tour for the following 3 years.

On Novembber 23, 2014, System of a Down announced the “Wake Up The Souls Tour” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The tour included a free concert in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia on April 23, 2015, their first show in the country.

Nikolay Ryzhkov, Co-Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Armenian National Assembly and the Russian Federal Assembly, and members of the Commission visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today, accompanied by Hermine Naghdalyan, Co-Chair of the Commission, MPs Volodya Badalyan and Levon Martirosyan.

The guests laid flowers at the Eternal Fire and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims with a minute of silence.

Noting that he has been familiar with the tragedy that befell the Armenian in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, Nikolay Ryzhkov said: “Centuries will pass, but the Armenian Genocide will not be forgotten. Four generations have changed in Turkey, but they keep denying the Armenian Genocide. It’s necessary to take steps towards reconciliation of the two peoples.”

“Unfortunately, the tragic events that befell the Armenians 100 years ago continue in Syria and other places today. Their prevention is the sacred mission for you and us,” Ryzhkov said.