The Armenian national team has climbed 18 places and is currently placed 67th in the FIFA World Ranking.
Brazil has reclaiming its seat at the top of the podium after a seven-year hiatus. Argentina and Germany follow in the 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has claimed there is plenty more to come from him next season, the Daily Star reports.
He endured a tough start to life in England before showing his class with a flurry of goals and assists.
And he is confident of wowing United fans in the future.
When asked whether he was ‘in tune’ with the Premier League, Mkhitaryan told United’s programme: ”No, not yet.
“I still have places where I can improve and have room to improve.
“I know myself very well and I am sure that I can do better, and I will do better, because I am confident.
“As I know very well within myself that I can do more.
“I want to say that, for next year, I am going to have more goals and more assists.”
Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan is prioritising UEFA Europa League glory this term.
“It is one of my goals for this season – to win the Europa League,” he said. “I know it is not going to be easy, particularly at this stage of the competition as there are no easy opponents.”
The reward for United could be more than just lifting that trophy in Stockholm in May. José Mourinho’s men are still jostling for position in the Premier League but, regardless of where they finish domestically, would be assured of at least a play-off place in next season’s UEFA Champions League should they win the UEFA Europa League for the first time.
United face Anderlecht in the quarter-finals, with the first leg in Brussels next Thursday. Mkhitaryan and his team-mates could also make history should they go all the way, since they are aiming to become only the fifth team – after Ajax, Bayern, Chelsea and Juventus – to win all three major UEFA trophies.
“Obviously we understand the importance of the tie with Anderlecht in the quarter-finals,” the Armenian international told “We know that we are going to have two very tough games and, of course, Anderlecht are not easy opponents. I know this because I have watched some of their games in Europe; they are playing very well and have very good players of high quality.”
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will visit Tashkent April 6-7, press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs.
Minister Nalbandian will attend the sitting of Foreign Ministers Council of CIS participating states.
The European Union legislature has overwhelmingly backed plans to allow Ukrainian citizens into the bloc for short stays without visas, AP reports.
The EU parliament on Thursday approved the plans by a 521-75 margin – with 36 abstentions – to allow Ukrainians who have biometric passports to enter the bloc for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
The legislation still needs to be approved one more time by the member states and should enter into force in June.
The visa waiver will apply to all members of the 28-nation EU except Britain and Ireland. The agreement will not give Ukrainians the right to work in the EU.
Professors Andrés Serralta and Marcelo Desena by the Faculty of Humanities and Education of the University of Montevideo, have published their educational research book “Teaching Armenian Genocide. Theory, Methodology and Didactics,” the University’s official website informs.
According to the source, the work was presented by national authorities in the area of education and human rights, before a public that brought together personalities from national and international human rights organizations as well as social organizations, community entities, educators and national cultural referents.
This work complements a previous work of historical research, “Armenian Genocide 1915 -1923. Antecedents, perpetration and consequences, “which dealt with general aspects of the Armenian Genocide and its international recognition.
The British Embassy in Yerevan has issued the following statement regarding the 2 April parliamentary elections in Armenia:
The UK shares the assessment of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election Observation Mission that these elections were well-administered and fundamental rights were generally respected but that they were “tainted by credible information about vote-buying” and pressure on some voters.
The UK welcomed the inclusive process pursued by government, opposition parties and civil society in shaping the new electoral code. Along with other international partners – EU, Germany, US and UN – and the Government of Armenia, the UK supported the introduction of a new voter authentication system. We welcome OSCE/ODIHR’s assessment that this technology reduced the scope for voting irregularities. We note, however, the complaints and allegations relating to the overall electoral process and encourage the relevant authorities to deal with them efficiently and effectively.
The UK will continue to support all in government, parliament and civil society committed to strengthening democracy, prosperity and stability in Armenia for the benefit of its people.
Photo: Reuters
An explosive device has been made safe in a flat in St. Petersburg by Russian police, three days after a suspected bomber on the city’s metro killed 13 people.
A city official said several suspects were held when police raided the flat early on Thursday, Ria Novosti said.
Neighbours were moved away and witnesses said three men were led out in handcuffs, the news agency added.
The main suspect in the metro bombing, Akbarzhon Jalilov, died in the attack.
Aged 22 and from the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, his remains were identified by his parents on Wednesday.
Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives joined with Armenian American community leaders, genocide-prevention coalition partners, and diplomats representing Armenia and Artsakh in a standing-room-only Capitol Hill remembrance of the Armenian Genocide that featured strong bipartisan calls on the President and Congress to reject the gag-rule that Ankara has long enforced against honest American commemoration of this still-unpunished crime against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Among those offering keynote remarks were His Excellency Grigor Hovhannissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, the Honorable Robert Avetisyan, Artsakh Representative to the U.S, and Hayk Demoyan, the Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan. Joining in the commemoration were California State University Fresno President Joseph Castro, former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans and Mrs. Donna Evans, and representatives of In Defense of Christians, Hellenic American Leadership Council, A Demand for Action, and other friends and allies from human rights groups and the Greek, Assyrian and Kurdish communities. ANCA National Board member Greg Bedian, from Chicago, took part in the remembrance.
Historians and researchers will now have access to more than 5,000 publications on Armenian Genocide.
The Armenian Genocide Library of the Armenian National Institute (ANI) opened in Washington on April 5, reports.
The Armenian and English books here do not present the Armenian history and national identity, but provide detailed information on the most painful page of Armenian history – the Armenian Genocide.
Director of ANI Ruben Adalyan says the library currently hosts 5,000 books, but they hope to increase the number.
“We have created a system, which will allow researchers to use the precious collection acquired by the Armenian Assembly of American and the Armenian National Institute over the past 40 years,” he said.
Attending the opening ceremony was Hayk Demoyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, who welcomed the creation of the library and the perspective of cooperation with Armenia.
“Opening of an Armenian information center in Washington is a very important event. The opening of such a center in the US capital is a huge achievement by itself,” Demoyan said.
He added that the center will become a venue for meetings, discussions and coordinated work.