Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has arrived in Armenia for an official visit. His delegation was welcomed at Zvarnots Airport by Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.
Following the official welcome ceremony the delegation headed by the Georgian PM headed for Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
The regular sitting of the Supreme Spiritual Council will be held in Stepanakert, Press Service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin reports.
For that purpose His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has left for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
Georgian Government delegation headed by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvli is due in Armenia today.
The Georgian PM is expected to meet with Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and Prime Minster Hovik Abrahamyan.
Members of the delegation will visit the Tsitsernakaberd memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio, President Serzh Sargsyan visited today Armenia’s Public Radio Company.
First, the President of Armenia familiarized with the activities of the Mass Media scientific and educational center whose main goal is to train high-level professionals for the TV and Radio. Later, at the Alley of Devotees of the Public Radio he was present at the unveiling of the personal plagues for the RA People’s Artists Nara Shlepchian and Ruben Matevossian as well as at the opening of the memorial dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio and 60th anniversary of the Armenian TV.
Accompanied by the leadership of the Council of the TV and Radio Company, the President visited the air studio where the digital production of the Public Radio was launched. According to the responsible officials, Public Radio from now on will be available on the entire territory of Armenia for any modern digital TV.
Serzh Sargsyan familiarized with the policy for the new season of the Public Radio, with the schedule of the programs aired on September 1 and the reviewed schedule which according to the administration of the Radio Company has been augmented with over 20 new political, social, health care related, economic and other programs. It will also provide for a feedback from the audience, offer social programs, and will be mostly society oriented.
The Executive Director of the Public Radio briefly presented to Serzh Sargsyan works carried out at the Radio, existing conditions, including renovation and reconstruction works at the Radio building which started in 2013 and development works at the adjacent territories.
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio, President Sargsyan awarded a group of employees with medals and letters of commendation as well as honorary titles for their contribution to the area of culture and journalism, for the years-long and diligent work.
The President handed the awards, congratulated on the 90th anniversary of the Public Radio and on receiving high awards. “This is one of those jubilees when congratulations go to us all. Certainly, for long years the State Radio as the second, inner voice was waking us up every morning, charging us, infusing with good spirit and sending out for work or studies, also was informing us on the events happening in the world, was educating us, presenting to us the treasures of the Armenian and world literature and music. Today too, in the widespread din and hubbub the voice of the Public Radio is nicely discernible. And as a radio listener, I was delighted to learn that the Public Radio is back to people’s homes, that the Public Radio will be available to this time in a digital voice, much clearer. You know, there are at least two great forges at the Alec Manukian Street: One of them is the State University – for the science and education, and the second one is the Public Radio – for the journalists. It was very nice to see at the Mass Media center that new and good conditions have been created to train new cadre; it is also very nice and symbolic that every morning our students, walking down the Alley of Devotees, will be inspired by their example and will ensure the continuity of our journalism.
Personally knowing the people, who have dedicated themselves to the development of the Public Radio, I am confident that using modern technologies, new methods, we will undoubtedly be able to preserve and uphold our traditions. I once again congratulate you all and wish every success,” said President Sargsyan at the festive event dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Armenia’s Public Radio.
– The launch of the Nagorno-Karabakh Forum was held in Montevideo, Uruguay on Friday September 2 with a team of social activists, academics and lawmakers “whose task will enrich and promote the country’s position of support for a peaceful position in the conflict between the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan”.
The Forum is composed of Senators Ruben Martinez andRafael Michelini Huelmo, Deputies Pablo Abdala,Susana Pereyra and Daniel Radio, as well as the lawyer Oscar Lopez Goldaracena, historian Gerardo Caetano and former Vice Foreign Minister Belela Herrera. The latter two co-chair the group.
The members of the Forum signed of a manifesto which, among other things, confirms the work of the participants in favor of “a peaceful settlement of the question of Nagorno-Karabakh” and “defending the right of its population to develop a free and sovereign in their ancestral homeland, without threats or violence.”
The document also endorses “the mediation efforts by the Minsk Group of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe” and urges the international community to continue its efforts to “ensure respect for the agreements reached, put a stop on war rhetoric and discourage the parties to further deepen the wounds that the conflict has caused with new armed clashes.”
“We want them to know that in Uruguay, thousands of kilometers away from Karabakh, there are other people who are not indifferent,” said Deputy Radio after reading the manifesto. “What we are doing is an act of justice,” added Senator Michelini. Lopez Goldaracena, meanwhile, spoke from the perspective of law: “The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have already ‘self-determined’, because they chose their model of a free sovereign state.”
“We are launching an initiative that we hope will be replicated throughout the world,” said former Vice Foreign Minister Herrera. Caetano warned thatUruguay is “not for sale” and that while “Azerbaijan is powerful and knows how to buy wills” they firmly believe in the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Senator Ruben Martinez Huelmo said that the Forum is called to “overcome the threats,” while DeputySusana Pereyra stressed the commitment of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to democracy from her experience as an election observer in 2012. Deputy Abdalaremarked that the “path that starts today will sooner or later lead to the independence, freedom and self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh.”
The event was inaugurated by Viken Boyadjian, member of the Armenian National Committe of Uruguay, who thanked the members of the Forum and recalled the commitment that keeps Uruguay with the Armenian people, Mario Nalpatian, member of the International Armenian National Committe and vice president of the Socialist International, and Robert Avedisyan, Permanent Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the United States.
Avedisyan brought the message of President Bako Sahakyan, who thanked Uruguay for being a “leading democracy” and encouraged Forum members to remain “independent” in its decisions and attached to the values of human rights and justice, despite the “possible opposition from oppressive and oil-rich regimes and its allies.”
Photo: REUTERS/ Mohammad Ismail
Two explosions rocked the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday, killing at least 24 people and injuring 90. According to local media reports, the devices were detonated by suicide bombers, reports.
Police have confirmed that a police chief and a high-ranking Defense Ministry offials were among those killed in the blasts.
Initial reports earlier suggested that the bombing targeted Defense Ministry personnel.
According to the sourse, Taliban is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.
The second blast reportedly targeted first responders as they rushed to the scene. Afghan law enforcement officers confirmed at least 30 people have been injured in the attack.
The Defense Ministry is located in the centre of Kabul, right next to the Presidential Palace and not far away from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) HQ and the US Embassy.
– A dramatized recreation of one of the Soviet Union’s most devastating natural disasters — the Spitak earthquake in northern Armenia in December 1988 — has been chosen as Armenia’s submission for best foreign-language film Oscar consideration.
The $3 million disaster movie Earthquake (Zemletryasenie) was directed by Sarik Andreasyan and produced by Moscow-based Mars Media, headed by Ruben Dishdishyan, who founded Russia’s top independent production company Central Partnership in 1995 before stepping down five years ago.
Earthquake tells the story of the massive quake that destroyed more than 300 communities and killed 25,000 people. Focused around the story of two young men, Andrey Berezhnov and Robert Melkonyan, whose fates were already intertwined by an earlier tragedy — a car crash caused by Andrey that killed Robert’s parents — the film brings them together in the same rescue squad as they struggle to cope with a disaster that eclipses their own personal stories.
Shot in Armenia and in Moscow on specially built sets — to spare the people of Gyumri (formerly Leninakan) the distress of recreating earthquake damage in a city where memories after nearly 30 years remain raw — the film, long tipped as this year’s Oscar entry from Armenia, beat two other shortlisted films in a secret ballot of the National Film Academy of Armenia.
In comments posted on , Dishdishyan wrote: “This is amazing news! Thank you very much to the [National Film Academy members] for their trust! We will try to justify it. We’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s a start. Thank you to all the filmmakers and participants in the movie and especially the director, Sarik Andreasyan.”
Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received today the delegation headed by his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
The Prime Ministers of the two countries hailed the political and economic relations established between the two countries and referred to the perspectives of their development.
The face-to-face meeting was followed by negotiations featuring the delegations of the two countries.
Hovik Abrahamyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili discussed a wide range of issues related to the Armenian-Georgian cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, energy, transport, tourism, education, etc.
The parties attached importance to the development of energy cooperation both in bilateral and multilateral formats. They welcomed the meetings between Armenian, Georgian, Russian and Iranian energy officials in Yerevan in December 2015 and April 2016, which will allow to initiate and realize programs of regional importance. Reference was made to the construction of the Armenia-Georgia power line.
The parties exchanged views on the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism and education. They attached importance to the efforts towards reinforcement of stability and security in the region.
Hovik Abrahamyan said the Georgian PM’s visit could serve an additional impetus to the further deepening and development of relations.
Armenia began the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with an away loss against Denmark.
Christian Eriksen netted the only goal in Copenhagen in the 17th minute, though the Tottenham midfielder failed to convert a penalty in the second half when Armenia ‘keeper Arsen Beglaryan saved his spot kick.
Armenia will next host Romania.
PHOTO: EPA/CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL
The meeting of Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama went off well and lasted longer than planned. The Syrian issue and Ukraine were discussed first and foremost, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters following talks on Monday, TASS reports.
“The meeting lasted longer than planned. (The two presidents) discussed, above all, Syria and Ukraine. After that Obama and Putin held a one-on-one meeting behind closed doors,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
He added that the meeting went off well. “The work will continue,” Peskov said.
The Associated Press quotes a senior Obama administration official as saying that “President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to keep up negotiations over a cease-fire agreement for Syria.”
The official says Obama and Putin met for 90 minutes on Monday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Hangzhou, China.
The official says Obama and Putin clarified the remaining gaps in the talks, which largely involve how the deal would be implemented.
The official says the two leaders directed their teams to meet again quickly, possible as soon as later this week.