Category: News

Russia will return Mikhail Vrubel’s painting “Demon and Angel with Tamara’s Soul” to Armenia.  The painting was kept in the Museum of Russian Art in Yerevan and was stolen back in 1995.

After talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan expressed gratitude for the efforts of the Russian party to find the work.

“The painting has been found thanks to efforts of relevant bodies in Russia, and President Putin today revealed plans to return it to Armenia,” President Sargsyan said.

The first day of President Sargyan’s visit to the Russian Federation concluded with the meeting at the Embassy of Armenia in Russia with the doctors and students residing in Mocow. Present at the meeting was also His Eminence Ter Ezras Archbishop Nersissian, Primate of the New Nakhijevan and Russia Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The President underscored in his welcoming remarks that in his foreign visits he pays special attention to the meetings with our compatriots as they present a strong base for Armenia’s cooperation with other countries. The President said that this is particularly true in case of Russia where the Armenian community is among the most powerful in the world.

Serzh Sargsyan noted that he was proud that the Armenian doctors of Moscow are true to their calling and continue to have a great input to the development of the area of health care and regardless of where they are at the moment, are always ready to unite for the benefit of Armenia. In that context the President recalled how last April, at the difficult for Armenia and Artsakh moment, the Armenian doctors of Moscow came to aid and stood by the young soldiers, providing medical and also moral support.
Serzh Sargsyan in his remarks spoke also of the formed and successfully developing Armenian-Russian cooperation in the area of health care. At the meeting, the participants presented their views on the works aimed at the strengthening of the Armenian-Russian cooperation, including in the area of health care and, at the President’s suggestion, offered their views on the processes underway in Armenia.

In the evening, President Serzh Sargsyan met in the Embassy with the Russian state and political figure Sergei Stepashin. The President of Armenia awarded Sergei Stepashin with the Order of Honor for his contribution to the deepening of the allied cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation, and for the strengthening and development of the Armenian-Russian friendship.

Presidents of Armenia and Russia paid special attention to the Karabakh issue as they held a meeting in Moscow today.

“Russia continues to support the parties in seeking mutually acceptable ways for the conflict both within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group and during direct contacts with Yerevan and Baku,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said following talks with visiting President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

“We discussed issues of security in our region, paying special attention to the Karabakh conflict settlement, creation of conditions conducive to the furthering of the negotiation process,” President Sargsyan said, in turn.

“We value the contribution of Russia and other Minsk Group co-chairing countries to the process of exceptionally peaceful settlement of the conflict,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

“We stressed the importance of observing the trilateral ceasefire agreements of 1994 and 1995. Wes stressed the need to implement the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg. We are united in the opinion that the use of force or the threat of force are absolutely unacceptable and strike a blow to the negotiation process,” Serzh Sargsyan stated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan will meet in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation.

The Armenian president will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic cultural and humanitarian areas, as well as prospects of further integration in the Eurasian bloc.

“The two presidents will meet on March 15 to discuss key aspects of bilateral cooperation in political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian areas and examine the prospects for developing integration cooperation in the Eurasian region,” the press service of the Russian president said.

A week after Jose Mourinho criticised their pitch, the Russian Premier League has “banned” FC Rostov from hosting league games due to “shortfalls” in the playing surface, the BBC reports.

Manchester United drew 1-1 at the Olimp-2 Stadium in their Europa League last-16 first-leg tie last Thursday thanks to a goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

“It’s hard for me to believe we are going to play on that field, if you can call it a field,” Mourinho had said.

Rostov now have until 24 March to bring their pitch up to standard.

The pitch was dry and bobbly, and after the match Mourinho said the conditions made it “impossible to play a passing game”.

Rostov will have their pitch inspected again on 24 March, with their next home game on 31 March against FC Krasnodar.

Uefa had deemed the pitch playable for the Europa League game, but the Russian Premier League say they have different regulations in place.

United and Rostov play the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Like Rostov, Rubin Kazan’s Central Stadium has also been banned by the Russian Premier League.

Photo: AP

 

US President Donald Trump paid $38m in tax on more than $150m  income in 2005, a leaked partial tax return shows, the BBC reports.

Two pages of the tax return were revealed by US TV network MSNBC but they gave no details on income sources or of charitable giving.

The White House said publishing the tax return was against the law.

Mr Trump refused to release his tax returns during the election campaign, breaking with a long-held tradition.

He has said he is under audit by tax authorities and that his lawyers advise against releasing tax returns. His critics, however, say they suspect Mr Trump has something to hide.

The two pages show that Mr Trump paid $5.3m in federal income tax and an extra $31m in what is called alternative minimum tax (AMT).

AMT was set up nearly 50 years ago to stop the wealthiest people from using deductions and loopholes to avoid paying taxes. Mr Trump has called for it to be abolished.

The $38m bill was an effective tax rate of about 24%, higher than the average American citizen would pay but below the 27.4% averaged by higher-earning taxpayers.

Dozens of people were reported to have been killed or injured by a suicide bomber at a Damascus court building on Wednesday, state media reported on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

No further details were immediately available.

State media said the attacker targeted the Palace of Justice, a court house in central Damascus.

Istanbul Governor claims election of the Armenian Patriarch Locum Tenens is illegal.

On March 15, the Clerical Assembly in Istanbul elected Karekin Bekdjian, Primate of the German Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church as Locum Tenens (Patriarchal alternate) reported Istanbul-based Agos news.

Following the election, a notice was handed out by Archbishop Aram Ateshian to the Clerical Assembly that stated that it was illegal to start the election process, according to Agos. The notice was from the Governor’s office to the press and was signed by Deputy Governor Aziz Mercan.

“Considering the unfavorable developments that took place during the meeting on February 16 at the patriarchate, it is determined that starting the election process is legally impossible given the facts that this process might cause disturbance and divisions in the society, that there is already an incumbent vicar and that your society knows the basic proceedings and practices concerning the patriarchal election,” read a part of the statement.

In a response, Bekdjian stated that a group including Ateshian and Mashalian will go to the Istsanbul Governor’s office to explain the situation.

“In this planned meeting, our party will explain the logic of election of the Locum Tenens,” read Bekdjian’s statement. “Then an announcement will be made within the next couple of days.” Bekdjian added that he will not be attending the meeting.

The election of the Locum Tenens is being considered the first step of the Patriarchal elections. The Locum Tenens is responsible for managing the election process as planned.

Thirty members from the Clerical Assembly participated in the elections.

Initially, General Vicar of the Patriarch Aram Ateshian, Bishop Sahag Mashalian, and Armenian Primate of Germany Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian were named as candidates. However, prior to the election, Mashalian withdrew and declared his support for Bekdjian.

Ateshian will now step down as General Vicar.

The Clerical Assembly is expected to form a commission comprising of clergymen and secular figures to organize the transfer of power from the General Vicar to the Locum Tenens in the coming days.

The elections of this initiative group will be organized within 10 days after the election of the Locum Tenens. The group will then organize elections for the Patriarch of Istanbul within a six-month period.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is confident the parliamentary elections in Armenia will be a success. Putin made the statement at the beginning of talks with his visiting Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan.

At a meeting in Moscow the Presidents of the two countries discussed key issues of bilateral cooperation and integration prospects within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Kremlin’s press service reported.

“We’ll celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations on April 3, and the Armenian-Russian ties have acquired an allied nature in the full sense of the word,” Putin said.

“We are actively cooperating nearly in all directions within international organizations, including those created on post-Soviet space. Much has happened over these years, but the relations between Armenia and Russia have always been built on the basis of  deep roots dating back to the past. This remains the case in the current stage of development,” Vladimir Putin said.

“We also know that our meeting is taking place against the background of preparations for the parliamentary elections in Armenia. The process is not an easy one, but I’m confident Armenia will pass this stage of development under your leadership. We wish you success,” Vladimir Putin said.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, in turn, thanked for the invitation to visit Russia. “Our cooperation is constantly enriching, and the regular meetings on the highest level allow to sum up the results of work carried out in a certain period and determine the main directions of our future cooperation,” he said.

“The 25 years of diplomatic relations have been years of close cooperation, and we have reached truly allied relationship,” President Sargsyan said.

Gazprom plans to swap electric power generated at Hrazdan thermal power plant (TPP) in Armenia for Iranian gas, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian gas holding Alexei Miller said on Wednesday, TASS reports.

“We see the upside in improving efficiency of operations on the Armenian market on account of performing swap operations with electricity generated at the fifth unit of Hrazdan TPP in exchange for the Iranian gas,” Miller said.

Armenia plans to build a high-voltage power transmission line in 2018, “which will make possible to export electric power to the Iranian market using swaps,” he added.

Gazprom prepared a master plan for development of Armenia’s gas sector by 2030, Miller said. The company expects discussion of the paper will start this year, he said. Gazprom provides for reliable gas supply to Armenia, Miller said.

The natural gas price for Armenia is currently equal to $150 per 1,000 cubic meters, Miller said. “We held talks with the government of the Republic of Armenia last December and considered possible to keep the preferential price level for the year of 2017,” he said.