12:52,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan will hold a live online press conference on Facebook on December 24.
“Dear compatriots, tomorrow, on December 24, at 20:00, I will answer questions from the media and NGOs live on Facebook”, he said on Facebook, adding that the media outlets and NGOs can send their questions to by 20:00 tonight.
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18:27,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Russia welcomes the processes of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, ARMENPRESS reports the representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said at a press conference.
"We assume that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations will contribute to the improvement of the general situation in the region, will contribute to the formation of an atmosphere of neighborliness, trust and confidence in the region and among the peoples. From this point of view, we welcome Ankara's and Yerevan’s recent willingness to start a bilateral dialogue to discuss normalization of relations”, Zakharova said.
As for the appointment of representatives by the two countries, Zakharova said it was a logical, reasonable step.
"We are ready to support that process by all means," Zakharova concluded.
Earlier, the Armenian Foreign Ministry stated that Armenia, like always in the past, is now ready for the process of normalization of relations with Turkey without preconditions, which is enshrined in the Armenian Government Action Plan. "In this regard, we welcome the statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister on the appointment of a special envoy for the normalization of relations, confirming that the Armenian side will appoint a special envoy for this dialogue," spokesman of MFA Armenia Vahan Hunanyan said.
17:22,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. On December 14, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Armenia Bolat Imanbayev, the Parliament’s press service reports.
The Head of the Armenia-Kazakhstan Friendship Group Vagharshak Hakobyan also attended the meeting.
After exchanging greetings Alen Simonyan congratulated the Ambassador on the occasion of Independence Day to be marked in Kazakhstan in the near future.
The Head of Parliament highlighted the development of cooperation with Kazakhstan, in the bilateral format, as well as in the international parliamentary structures.
The sides touched upon the cooperation of the two countries in the CIS Inter-Parliamentary, the CSTO Parliamentary Assemblies, in the Inter-Parliamentary Union and in the EAEU.
In the context of bilateral relations, the Speaker also underlined that the inter-parliamentary cooperation, where he considered as a key issue the role of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups.
The post-war situation was discussed, particularly the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners of war and the captive persons by Azerbaijan.
In strengthening of the Armenian-Kazakh relations the parties highlighted the role of the Armenian community of Kazakhstan.
PanARMENIAN.Net - Chairman of the parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party Eduard Aghajanyan has said that Armenia is ready to start relations with Turkey without preconditions, and that the move is in Armenia's interests.
Aghajanyan's comments on Tuesday, December 14 came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey will work to normalize ties with Armenia and start charter flights to its capital city of Yerevan.
The lawmaker said the statement from Ankara refers to "starting to establish diplomatic relations" between Armenia and Turkey. According to him, Armenia is not renouncing its key state interests by any means.
"On the contrary, we are convinced that it is in Armenia's interests to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey," Aghajanyan was quoted as saying by Aysor.am.
The MP added that the country has yet to decide its envoy for possible negotiations.
As an individual who attempts to matchmake her friends and enthusiastically passes out crackers for Saint Sarkis Day, I was delighted when I saw posts on Instagram advertising a Miaseen production—The Armenian Dating Show. The show matches single Armenian men and women and pairs them up on a blind date. But here’s the catch: potential dates of the featured cast members first have to meet their prospective date’s family.
The show is amusing as the notion of dating in Armenian culture is wrapped up in its own joys, difficulties, awkwardness and exhilaration. The cast alludes to this as they seek to answer the question of why they chose to participate in the show during the confessionals. The concept of having a potential love interest meet one’s family first isn’t exactly foreign to Armenian families, as potential couples often are introduced at church or Armenian-related events where immediate and extended families are often present. Yet, unlike in Indian or Bengali culture, Armenians do not participate in arranged marriages. Meeting the family first is the crux of the show and perhaps the most affable aspect, given that nearly all Armenian parents desire for their son or daughter to find an Armenian mate.
Dissimilar to the real world where dating is kept private from the family (probably not true for Armenians), viewers are treated to insider information such as what type of person would be a good fit for their child; family members also reveal their thoughts about the potential matches. What makes the show truly shine is the participants’ ability to be vulnerable about how the dates went. After being turned down for a second date twice, Shant, for example, has candidly shared how difficult the process can be. His father echoes a similar sentiment but praises his son’s willingness to participate.
The Armenian Dating Show distinguishes itself from other dating shows in that meaningful topics are presented, such as divorce, rejection and partnership. It is refreshing to see Shant’s father openly explain his family dynamics and the common concerns of a potential match. Likewise, it is endearing to watch Vanessa’s family enthusiastically list all her character traits to her suitors. The show captures how unwieldy dating can be, but also highlights humorous moments, such as Vanessa’s relatives instantly recognizing one of her blind dates, Hampik.
Undoubtedly, the excitement of the show extends long after each episode has aired. Social media stories are filled with viewers’ reactions and the comment section of each episode’s YouTube page is filled with a multitude of opinions about how the dates progressed, who the cast members would match well with, and which family needs a spinoff series. I too am just as invested and have enjoyed conversations with friends in which we share our perspectives and exchange our own mishap dating stories.
Overall, it is wonderful to see Armenian media content that explores the experiences of young Armenians in the United States. I am hoping that at least one of the matches results in a marriage so viewers can be treated to a reality version of My Big Fat Armenian Wedding.
Armenia’s parliament has passed a law that would allow employers to fire those who refuse to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test result
YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenia's parliament approved a law Friday that would allow employers to fire workers who refuse to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test result.
Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbor has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the Caucasus region.
The new rule follows an August order by the ministry of health which required Armenian citizens to provide their employers with proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test every two weeks or face a fine.
“If the employee is not providing a vaccination certificate, or a negative COVID-19 test, the employer is given the right to turn the employee away from the workplace, suspend their pay and fire the employee, if they are off for 10 working days because of that,” Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ruben Sargsyan said Friday.
The new vaccination requirement will not apply to the country’s president, prime minister, members of parliament or the National Assembly, the ombudsman, judges of the Constitutional Court and a number of other officials, Sargsyan said.
“This exception was established for the reason that these positions are either (institutional), as in the case of parliamentary deputies, or their holders are appointed in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.
Armenia began its mass vaccination campaign in April with authorities planning to inoculate 700,000 of the country's 2.9 million citizens by the end of the year. However, only 516,989 citizens had been fully vaccinated by Dec. 6.
In Armenia, citizens can choose to get vaccinated with the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, Sinopharm or Moderna jabs.
10:54, 7 December, 2021
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian issued a statement on the 33rd anniversary of the Spitak earthquake.
“Today we commemorate the memory of the victims of the 1988 December disaster, the earthquake,” the president said. “I convey words of comfort and support to all my countrymen who lost their loved ones, family and home during the devastating earthquake. For the memory of our countrymen who died, together through unity and daily work and devotion, hope and faith we can and must build our strong homeland, which will endure any calamity.”
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted talks with Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the anniversary of a peace deal ending a conflict between the two neighbours over a separatist region.
In a rare meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, both Caucasus countries agreed to work towards demarcating the border of the region of Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev met for about three hours.
In remarks after the meeting, Putin said the three leaders “reached agreement on a whole range of issues” which he considers “key.”
Both Aliyev and Pashinyan echoed Putin’s positive assessment. The Azerbaijani president said the conversation was “open” and “genuine,” and the Armenian prime minister called it “positive.”
Putin also held two separate bilateral meetings with Aliyev and Pashinyan on Friday, before and after the three-way talks.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.
Azerbaijan gained control of a significant part of Nagorno-Karabakh and reclaimed all the regions controlled by Armenian forces outside the separatist region following a deadly flare-up of tensions last year.
Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers for at least five years to monitor the peace deal.
The peace agreement was celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan but was seen as a betrayal by the opposition in Armenia. Pashinyan defended it as the only way to prevent the Armenian forces from losing control over the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The 2020 deal envisaged a transport corridor via Armenia that would link Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan region. But the plan is resented by the Armenian opposition, which also fears that Armenian interests could be compromised by the planned demarcation of the border.
Opening the meeting with Pashinyan and Aliyev on Friday, Putin said that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia “achieved a lot” in a year that passed since the peace deal was signed. There is no large-scale fighting, some 53,000 refugees have returned to their homes, and Russian peacekeepers have been ensuring safety of the Nagorno-Karabakh residents, he said.
In their opening remarks, both Aliyev and Pashinyan said they were prepared to start the work on delimitation and demarcation of the border.
Pashinyan, however, noted that the situation on the border and in Nagorno-Karabakh is “not as stable as one would want it to be” and said that “dozens of people on both sides” died in clashes over the past year. He called the situation on the border a “crisis.”
“Our assessment is that Azerbaijani forces have made an incursion into the sovereign territory of Armenia,” he said.
Armenia’s prime minister also said the issue of prisoners of war, hostages and other persons held in captivity remained unresolved.
Aliyev, in turn, said that Azerbaijani authorities have publicly offered to start working out a proper peace treaty with Armenia “to put an end to the confrontation, to recognize each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and live as neighbors in the future, (or) learn to live as neighbors all over again.”
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18:55,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. By the decision of the Government of Armenia, Hambardzum Matevosyan has been relieved of the post of governor of Armavir Province, ARMENPRESS reports, website informs.
Matevosyan was appointed governor of Armavir in 2018.
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Congressman Jim Langevin has condemned the latest Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia.
“Once again, the Azerbaijani government has unleashed a volley of unprovoked violence against Armenia. Let me be clear – I condemn Azerbaijan’s latest aggression in the harshest terms,” Rep. Langevin said in a Twitter post.
“The United States must act quickly to ensure the stability of last year’s ceasefire,” he added.
One Armenian soldier has been confirmed killed, 13 have been captured, 24 are missing after the November 16th attack on Armenia’s sovereign territory.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry says seven of its soldiers have been killed and another 10 are wounded.