16:29,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS.  On December 15, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Tatiana Molcean, UN Under Secretary-General, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

According to the source, during the meeting, topics of cooperation between Armenia and the UN institutions, including the UN Economic Commission for Europe, and the implementation of joint projects were discussed. The possibilities of further cooperation on developing sectoral directions, including energy and infrastructure, and the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals were touched upon.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Tatiana Molcean exchanged views on the regional issues as well. In the context of the peace agenda and expected economic benefits, the "Crossroads of Peace" project developed by the Government of Armenia was touched upon.

 16:34,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk at the intergovernmental session on economic cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation noted that Armenia and Russia have historical, friendly relations based on the principles of mutual respect.

''We and Armenia are allies. Certainly, the high dynamics of our allied cooperation is due to intensive and reliable dialogue at the highest level,” said the Russian Deputy Prime Minister.

 17:58,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. US ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien on Friday met with a group of young people from Nagorno-Karabakh to discuss the challenges they have faced and the opportunities they see in Armenia for greater inclusion through civic engagement, informs the US embassy in Armenia, the U.S. Embassy said.

“On Human Rights Day, recognized this week, and every day, the rights of those displaced must be acknowledged and defended,” the embassy added.

 18:03,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is determined to advance the normalization and peace process with Armenia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, stated this during his speech at the 47th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, which took place in a video conference format, the Azerbaijani media reports.

Bayramov informed the participants about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, as well as the process of normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan.

 18:20,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. According to the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Galuzin, temporary difficulties in relations between Russia and Armenia could be overcome with the prospect of further development of relations between the two countries, TASS reports.

According to the source, Galuzin pointing out the many historical, cultural, humanitarian and economic ties between the peoples of Armenia and Russia, said that the  temporary difficulties in the relations are not only surmountable, but  could be overcome with the prospect of further development of relations between Armenia and Russia.

 11:57,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS.  Bankruptcy court judge Tigran Poladyan has been jailed in pre-trial detention on bribery charges, the prosecution announced Saturday. 

Lusine Martirosyan, the Advisor to the Prosecutor-General, said that a court has approved the prosecution’s motion on remanding the judge in pre-trial detention.

Judge Poladyan was earlier stripped of immunity by the Supreme Judicial Council.

 12:13,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spouse Anna Hakobyan, together with their daughter Arpi, visited on December 15 the Amasia Children’s Arts School in Shirak Province.

Students from the painting and embroidery classes presented their work. Hakobyan watched the painting process in the class and talked with the students. She then participated in a concert program featuring vocal-instrumental and dance performances.

Principal Jemma Manukyan briefed Anna Hakobyan on the school’s future plans.

The Amasia Children’s Arts School was founded in 1964. It is currently functioning in a newly renovated building.

 12:26,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated HRH King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and HRH Crown Prince, Prime Minister of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on the National Day of the kingdom.

“I convey to you my warmest congratulations and sincere good wishes on the occasion of the National Day of Bahrain,” the Prime Minister said in a letter to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa published by his office. “On this joyous occasion, I wish robust health and happiness to you, and eternal peace and stability to the friendly people of Bahrain. I am sure that through joint efforts we can achieve deeper Armenian-Bahraini ties, for the benefit and prosperity of our countries.”

In a separate letter to the Crown Prince, the Armenian Prime Minister said, “I convey to you my warmest congratulations on the occasion of the National Day of Bahrain. On this joyous occasion I wish happiness and success to you, and peace and sustainable development to the friendly people of Bahrain. I am sure that through joint efforts we can intensify the Armenian-Bahraini friendly relations.”

 12:28,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has discussed the prospects of the normalization process with Armenia during a meeting with the new United States Ambassador to Baku Mark W. Libby.

According to a readout issued by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Bayramov and Libby discussed “the bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between the two countries, the situation in the region, as well as the prospects of the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

According to the readout, FM Bayramov said that Azerbaijan is interested in the establishment of peace and stability in the region.

 13:57,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife Anna Hakobyan have visited the Sergey Merkurov House-Museum in Gyumri to view the Ghosts of Communism’s Demise exhibition by painter Karen Ohanyan.

The exhibition will be open until the end of January 2024. Most of the paintings are in the genre of landscape and still life.

“These two traditional genres have gotten an unexpected, innovative and impressive interpretation in Karen Ohanyan’s new series of work,” the prime minister’s office said in a press release.

“In his works, he expresses himself about the demise of communism and war sometimes directly, and sometimes by creating impressive artistic symbols and metaphors.”