09:10, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Retired footballer Aras Ozbiliz has said he’s running for the Football Federation of Armenia presidency in order to utilize his experience and bring benefits to the Armenian football, and make sure that the best players, like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, return to the national team.

In an with Armenpress, the 33-year-old former Armenia midfielder said that the country needs a national development plan for football.

“I can bring huge benefits to Armenian football with the experience that I have amassed over the years. I see my work only through maintaining the principles of transparency and fairness,” he said when asked on his plans if elected FFA president during the December 23 vote.

“I will reveal my plans regarding the Football Federation during an upcoming press conference. I can’t say that I will be able to change everything in a couple of years, but I think that we need a national football development plan, which won’t be taken from some other country, but will rather be designed to match our uniqueness. Armenian football needs global changes,” Ozbilis added.

There’s been a lot of talk in the sports community that Inter Milan’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was formerly the captain of the Armenian national team, is endorsing Ozbilis for the FFA presidency.

“I am grateful to Henrikh Mkhitaryan for always supporting me both in word and deed. I’ll say this, if elected, I won’t spare effort to have players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan play in the Armenian national team until the end of their career. Perhaps we don’t fully realize that Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a great football player. Small countries like Armenia must cherish players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Henrikh is the example and proof that it is possible to have global stars from Armenian football. We must do everything possible to use, for example, Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s experience, talent and connections for our development,” Aras Ozbiliz said when asked on Mkhitaryan’s support.

Reminiscing on his career in the Armenian national football team, where he played in over 40 matches, Ozbilis said he was honored to be part of the team. “It was a great honor to play in the Armenian national team. Our generation really brought together a good team, and we were like one big family. Playing with the national team’s shirt is a completely different feeling. I miss the team, but I am still by their side, but now as one of their top fans,” he said.

Asked on the toughest and best players he faced on the field during his career, Ozbilis mentioned Ricardo Quaresma, Adriano, Pepe, Costa, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan himself.

“Honestly, I didn’t like playing against smaller [built] players, because they were a lot faster,” Ozbilis said laughingly. “It was really difficult for me to play against Patrice Evra.”

Asked to name the greatest footballer of all time, Ozbilis said it’s Lionel Messi.

The full  is available in Armenian.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1125662.html?fbclid=IwAR1jwJ-oWHTau4OItKFwz8c3BQHbRIcI3O72eNkd9TOAJ6hnz0Kt_gtot10

 10:28, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. An emergency spending bill to provide billions of dollars in new security assistance for Ukraine and Israel was blocked in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as Republicans pressed their demands for tougher measures to control immigration at the U.S. border with Mexico, Reuters reports.

The vote was 49 in favor to 51 against, leaving the $110.5 billion measure short of the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to pave the way to start debate.

The bill would provide about $50 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine, as well as money for humanitarian and economic aid for the government in Kyiv, plus $14 billion for Israel as it battles Hamas in Gaza.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, also voted "no" so that he could introduce the measure again in the future. After the vote, Schumer noted the risks if Ukraine falls, saying it was a "serious moment that will have lasting consequences for the 21st century," risking the decline of Western democracy.

Republicans said it was essential to make their case for tighter immigration policies and control of the southern U.S. border.

"Today’s vote is what it takes for the Democratic leader to recognize that Senate Republicans mean what we say," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a floor speech earlier on Wednesday. "Then let’s vote. And then let's finally start meeting America's national security priorities, including right here at home."

Even if the bill passes the Senate, it still would need to be approved in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where dozens of Republicans have voted against Ukraine aid, including Speaker Mike Johnson.

"Make no mistake, today's vote is going to be long remembered. History is going to judge harshly those who turned their backs on freedom's cause," President Biden said in remarks at the White House.

Republicans contend that excessive illegal immigration across the southern border with Mexico is a hugely important security concern, and say they want more accountability than they are getting from the Biden administration for U.S. taxpayer funds that go to Ukraine.

The emergency spending bill included $20 billion for border security.

Schumer said on Tuesday he would try to break the impasse by offering Republicans the chance to add an amendment on border policy to the legislation.

No such amendment had been announced by Wednesday evening.

 10:51, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Members of Parliament held a moment of silence on Thursday to commemorate the victims of the 1988 Spitak earthquake.

The Spitak earthquake occurred on December 7, 1988 with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (Devastating).

Over 25,000 people were killed and 20,000 others injured in the quake. Over half a million people became homeless. 17% of the entire housing stock of Armenia was destroyed.

 11:17, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Cabinet ministers on Thursday observed a moment of silence during the Cabinet meeting on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1988 Spitak earthquake.

“Today is December 7^th, it’s the anniversary of the devastating Spitak earthquake of 1988, which killed over 25,000 of our compatriots,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said and asked for a moment of silence.

Over 25,000 people were killed and 20,000 others injured in the quake. Over half a million people became homeless. 17% of the entire housing stock of Armenia was destroyed.

 11:53, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is attempting to introduce certain items into the agenda to artificially delay the signing of the peace treaty with Armenia and make the process difficult, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has said.

“I think Azerbaijan is trying to introduce certain issues into the agenda to perhaps artificially make the signing of the peace treaty difficult,” Simonyan said when asked to comment on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that if Armenia wants to include the issue of the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians in the peace treaty, then the rights to return of Azerbaijanis who left Armenia must also be addressed.

“I assess this very negatively. We, and they, know very well what proposals we have conveyed and what we are negotiating about. Speaking about it all the time now creates artificial problems. It’s obvious that we are actually speaking about peace, and not just signing a paper or pretending,” Simonyan said.

The Speaker said that Azerbaijan must reduce its hate speech against Armenians.

“You can’t accuse Armenia of the same, because in Armenia, the opposition and the media are accusing us of being tolerant, of pouring water to their mill. It must be clear that, indeed, after some time, I don’t rule out that some Armenians will go and live in Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijanis will come and live in Armenia, and trade with one another. Yes, we are heading towards peace, peace doesn’t happen anyway else. And the claims that we fought against each other and it is an unsolvable issue for us are unacceptable, because history knows multiple cases. England and France were at war against each other for 116 years, and today they are allies,” Simonyan said.

 12:12, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The peace treaty can be signed with 5 days if Azerbaijan doesn’t delay the process, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has said.

“The treaty can be signed within some ten, or five days in case of desire to do so. We’ve sent our sixth proposals, significant work has been done. If the Azerbaijani side doesn’t change anything and doesn’t present new proposals, of course it can be signed within a few days,” Simonyan said when asked on the likelihood of concluding the peace talks by yearend.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently said that peace can be established even without a peace treaty, and cited the example of Russia and Japan.

Speaker Simonyan commented on Aliyev’s remarks, saying that the Azeri leader brought a very bad example.

“I don’t think that the territorial issue which Japan is presenting to Russia, and the issue that we have, are identical. I don’t know why he brought that example, I am honestly surprised. Regarding the peace treaty, yes, peace can be achieved if the Azerbaijani president starts from positive steps, for example, by changing his rhetoric, and coming to the meetings that are being organized in various platforms, and reiterating what he had said during the meetings,” Simonyan said.

 12:24, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has said that participating in the CSTO PA session would have made no sense and that’s why he opted out. 

“There are outstanding issues, they are not implementing their obligations,” the Speaker said. “We only hear big talk against Armenia, whereas, if we look what happened after 9 November 2020, Azerbaijan, as an ally of Russia, numerously displayed very bad conduct, ranging from the killings of Russian troops, up to the violation of agreements. In other words, Azerbaijan did whatever it wanted in our region, and Russia either didn’t respond, or was unable to do so,” Simonyan said.

He recalled the discontent in Russia over Armenia sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine, whereas Azerbaijan has numerously sent aid to Ukraine, and the Russian authorities haven’t said anything about it.

“Unfortunately, in case of Armenia, Russia is reacting very painfully, but in case of Azerbaijan, it is either unable to respond or pretends not to have noticed it, in order to save its face during a bad game,” Simonyan said.

Simonyan was also asked to comment on Russia’s failure to deliver the armaments which Armenia has paid for.

The Speaker expressed hope that the issue will be resolved in a collegial atmosphere. He said it is a chance for Russia to show that it remains committed to the principles it has declared, and to the documents it has signed.  “And the Russian side has a chance to show that nevertheless it continues to be committed to its declared principles and signed documents. If obligations aren’t being fulfilled, and it is a fact that they’re not fulfilled, Armenia must definitely protect its interests,” the Speaker said.

 12:26, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s latest statement alleging that there is a ‘growing revanchism’ in Armenia and that Baku wants guarantees that such processes won’t happen.

Simonyan advised the Azeri leader to search for such guarantees in his own policy.

“He ought to search for those guarantees first of all in himself and his policy. A lot depends on the Azerbaijani side. You can’t shoot and kill an Armenian soldier, invade the territory of Armenia, and then say ‘I am afraid of revanchism.’ You can’t skip the meetings on the peace treaty and then say ‘I am afraid of revanchism.’ You are afraid of revanchism? Then establish normal relations with your neighbors, your direct neighbors, whom you can’t replace,” Simonyan said.

 13:13, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The government has appointed Kolya Mikayelyan as the new governor of Vayots Dzor province, replacing Ararat Grigoryan.

The decision was approved at the December 7 Cabinet meeting.

 13:46, 7 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks forward to hosting the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Washington soon for peace negotiations, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien said after his trip to Baku.

“Had positive and constructive meetings in Baku. As I told President Aliyev, the U.S. welcomes visits by the Central Bank Governor and Energy Minister, and Secretary Blinken looks forward to hosting foreign ministers Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Washington soon for peace negotiations,” O’Brien said in a post on X.