Category: News

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Turkey is discussing “countermeasures” against Germany after its lawmakers voted to label the 1915 mass killings of Armenians an act of genocide, a Turkish official said on Wednesday, adding Berlin should distance itself from the resolution, Reuters reports.

The official, who was speaking to members of the foreign media in Istanbul, also said that discussions with the European Union to resolve an impasse over visa-free travel for Turks to the bloc were “on the right track”.

German lawmakers this month overwhelmingly voted to endorse the resolution, infuriating Turkey.

“Countermeasures are being discussed,” the official said, declining to be identified. He did not give any details about what kind of measures Ankara could take.

Armenia has been elected Vice-President of the 71^st session of the UN General Assembly, according to the .

By secret ballot, the General Assembly elected by a margin of four votes Peter Thomson of Fiji as President of its seventy-first session, also selecting, in consecutive meetings, Bureaux members of its six Main Committees.

The General Assembly also elected by secret ballot 21 Vice-Presidents of its plenary:  Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Mauritania, Nigeria and Zambia from the African States; Bangladesh, Nepal, Solomon Islands and Turkmenistan from the Asia-Pacific States; Armenia from the Eastern European States; Bahamas, Belize and El Salvador from the Latin American and Caribbean States; and Belgium and Germany from the Western European and other States.  The five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States) serve as Vice-Presidents, as well.

A fresh round of Iran-Armenia power talks has begun over exports of certain technical and engineering services as well as electrical goods of Iran to Caucasusian states, reports. 

Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pakayeen expressed regret over remarks by some Azeri lawmakers against a recent visit to Iran by Armenia’s Foreign Minister, reports.

On the occasion of the National Holiday of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II – President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister David Cameron.

On the occasion of the Holiday, the President of Armenia congratulated and sent good wishes to the Queen, Royal Family, and the friendly people of the United Kingdom. “Armenia attaches great importance to the relations with the United Kingdom. A continuous political dialogue has been formed, joint works have been carried out in the areas of trade and encouragement of investments, contacts in the area of culture and education have developed, and efficient cooperation has been going on in the framework of different programs aimed at the implementation of reforms in Armenia. I am hopeful that we will be able to augment all this with new accomplishments. I thank you and the Royal Family for the contribution to the development of cooperation between Armenia and the United Kingdom. I am confident that Your Majesty will continue to keep the development of our relations in the focus of Your Majesty’s attention with the same consistency,” reads the congratulatory message of the President of Armenia to Queen Elizabeth II.

In the congratulatory message addressed to Prime Minister David Cameron, Serzh Sargsyan expressed confidence that the Armenian-British relations, which are based on mutual interests and friendly ties, through joint efforts will continue to deepen for the benefit of the two nations.

On the occasion of the Great Britain’s National Holiday, President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the residence of the UK Ambassador to Armenia. He congratulated Ambassador Judith Farnworth and the entire staff of the Embassy and wished the friendly people of the Great Britain well being and prosperity. The President expressed confidence that this Holiday has a special meaning for the citizens of the UK because in the person of Her Majesty the people of Great Britain see not only the longest reigning monarch in the history of their country, but a wise and caring leader, whose activities for decades have been promoting the reputation of the United Kingdom.

Photo: Alexandr Demyanchuk/TASS

Marek Hamsik scored a stunning goal as Slovakia beat Russia to secure a first win at a European Championship, the BBC repots.

The Napoli midfielder’s measured pass set up Vladimir Weiss, who cut inside and side-footed Slovakia ahead.

Hamsik then spectacularly doubled the lead, receiving a short corner out wide before firing a shot in off the post.

Russia face disqualification if their fans misbehave inside stadiums and a flare was seen among their supporters when Denis Glushakov headed in late on.

Russia will now almost certainly need to beat Wales on Monday if they are to stand any chance of progress, while Slovakia know victory over England will see them through.

Photo: TASS

Russia plans to maintain strategic partnership with Armenia, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday at a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Seyran Ohanyan, TASS reports.

“We would like to maintain our strategic partnership further,” Shoigu said.

The Russian minister said that the bilateral military and military-technical cooperation is regulated and supported by more than 50 treaties and agreements.

“The tempo and intensity of our cooperation satisfy us. We cooperate in all spheres, I’d like to separately note the education sphere,” the defense minister said.

He recalled that many Armenian military are trained in Russian military academies, and this year Armenia filed an application for the training of more than 200 officers. “We are ready to support it”, Shoigu added.

Ohanyan said for his part that he was glad to have the opportunity to meet his Russian colleague and “compare notes” on certain issues of defense cooperation with Russia. “I think our regular bilateral meetings and joint events have become a tradition and demonstrate once again that our relations are at a very high level, and our cooperation in the defense sector is developing dynamically”, the Armenian defense minister said, adding that Russia’s assistance to Yerevan is a proof off such cooperation.

The collector Leon Black is the legal victor in a dispute over the ownership of a famed Picasso sculpture and will take possession of it, the reports.

On Wednesday, the parties who had been fighting over the plaster bust of the artist’s muse (and mistress) Marie-Thérèse Walter, announced that they had agreed that Mr. Black would get to keep the work, “Bust of a Woman,” and a rival owner, representing the Qatari royal family, would receive financial compensation of an undisclosed amount.

“We are pleased that the dispute has been settled and Mr. Black will receive his sculpture,” Gagosian Gallery Spokesperson Jeffrey Schneider said in a statement sent to

“Today’s settlement shows without question that the Gagosian Gallery purchased and sold this sculpture in good faith and without any knowledge of Picasso and Pelham’s prior dealings, as we have said all along,” the statement reads.

A settlement had been announced in May, but the court did not disclose any details regarding who would keep the painting.

In a legal action filed in January 2016 in federal court in Manhattan against the Qatari family’s agent, Mr. Gagosian claimed that he bought the 1931 sculpture in May 2015 for about $106 million from Ms. Widmaier-Picasso, and then sold it to an undisclosed New York collector.

But the Qatari family’s agent, Pelham Holdings, run by Guy Bennett, maintained in its own court documents that it had secured an agreement with Ms. Widmaier-Picasso to buy the work in November 2014 for 38 million euros, or about $42 million.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not be allowed to leave Borussia Dortmund until the end of his existing contract amid interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, the club’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed,  reports.

ESPN FC sources say that Arsenal have made Mkhitaryan their number one target, but the Armenia international — who is under contract until 2017 — will not be allowed a transfer, despite there also being a reported €24 million offer from Manchester United.

Mkhitaryan, 27, has turned down Dortmund’s contract offer and has his heart set on a move to the Premier League, but the Bundesliga have decided not to sell the midfielder and will force him to see out his contract, .

“We’ve been negotiating a new deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan for four months,” . “We now know he won’t sign an extension. There was never a promise that he can leave us prematurely.”

Watzke’s comments came after Mino Raiola, Mkhitaryan’s agent, that the club had promised the Armenian and his representative to be allowed a transfer in the summer.

“Those in charge at BVB promised Micki months ago that he can leave the club in the summer,” Raiola said. “Dortmund have an official offer, but the BVB bosses now fear their fans. All of a sudden they say that he has to leave on a free next summer. That’s very bad management.”

According to Bild, Manchester United have made a €24m offer for Mkhitaryan — who set up 32 goals and scored a further 23 in all competitions for the club last term — and the agent wants his player to link up with Jose Mourinho as soon as possible.

“Manchester United are a unique opportunity,” Raiola said. “Micki wants to join them now by any means.”

However, Dortmund, who have already sold key players Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan to Bayern Munich and Manchester City, have decided to not sell the Armenian.

“We have intensely discussed the question of an early transfer in all club bodies and came to the conclusion that Mkhitaryan will stay in Dortmund next season,” Watzke said.

Photo: Getty Images

Russia has been handed a suspended disqualification from Euro 2016 over crowd disturbances at the game against England in Marseille, Sky News reports.

UEFA announced its decision as a group of Russian football fans faced being thrown out of France – and GoPro footage appeared to demonstrate that attacks on English supporters in Marseille before the match were well-planned.

UEFA also fined the Russian football federation €150,000 over violence inside the Stade Velodrome.

The identities of 29 fans were being checked at a hotel near the southern French port city, but authorities told AFP a decision had already been taken to move some of them to a holding centre at the border.

French police are checking to see if any of the Russians are on a list of supporters “considered a risk”, said Francois-Xavier Lauch, a top local official in the Alpes-Maritimes area.

The head of a Russian supporters’ group said a bus carrying fans on their way to Lille – where there are fears of further violence this week – was stopped near Cannes.