Author: Jhanna Virabian

 12:40,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan has met with Zoe Konstantopoulou, the former Speaker of Parliament of Greece and the Founder and President of the Course of Freedom political party represented in the Greek parliament and the European Parliament.

During the meeting Ambassador Mkrtchyan presented the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh, the problems facing the forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for raising their rights in international organizations, the issues related to the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process and existing challenges.

Konstantopoulou, speaking about her visit to Armenia as Speaker on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, reiterated her party’s unconditional support to Armenia and the Armenian people and expressed readiness to make efforts within the framework of parliamentary diplomacy to resolve the abovementioned issues.

 21:38,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. On December 11, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in Brussels on a working visit, met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš.

During the meeting, the prospects of expanding bilateral cooperation were discussed. The interlocutors also focused on issues related to deepening the partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union, including a strong commitment to supporting the agenda of democratic reforms in Armenia and enhancing political and security dialogue, the foreign ministry said.

According to the source, the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Latvia exchanged ideas on issues related to regional security and stability.

Minister Mirzoyan presented to his counterpart the Armenian perspective and approaches regarding the process of normalizing relations with Azerbaijan.

 09:57, 8 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has welcomed the ‘major breakthrough’ in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations after the sides reached an agreement to release prisoners.

In a post on X, Michel called on the both countries to finalize the peace treaty.

“Delighted to welcome a major break through in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations as they issue a joint statement. Welcome in particular release of detainees and unprecedented opening in political dialogue. Establishing and deepening bilateral dialogue between sides has been a key objective of the EU-led Brussels process: today’s progress is a key step. I now encourage the leaders to finalise the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal ASAP,’ Michel said.

 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.

 11:30, 1 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Ralph Yirikian, Director General of the national telecommunications operator Ucom, delivered a leadership lecture at the Abu Dhabi University' College of Business. The telecommunications industry accomplished leader shared his extensive experience with graduates from Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge universities residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the invitation of the Leadership School Armenia.

"Leadership is the confidence to uphold truth, the courage to navigate tough decisions, and the ability to comprehend people's needs. The rest is management," remarked Ralph Yirikian.

During the session, Ucom's Director General discussed strategic thinking, goals and objectives as well as mechanisms for their attainment, using as case study the story of Armenia's green telecom operator. He emphasized the importance of embracing mistakes and proposing unconventional solutions to challenges. Ralph Yirikian noted that taking initiative is the foundational step toward leadership, regardless of the organization's size. The lecture concluded with an interactive Q&A session and group discussions led by the Director General of Ucom.