Armenia, Greece hold political consultations

Armenia, Greece hold political consultations

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12:20,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian and Greek foreign ministries have held political consultations on December 17th in Athens, the Armenian foreign ministry said.

The Armenian delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Garen Nazarian, while the Greek side was led by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece Georgios Katrougalos.

The bilateral political agenda was discussed, and ideas were exchanged over further deepening of cooperation in the commercial, scientific-academic, cultural and other areas.

Addressing the current phase and development prospects of the Armenia-EU cooperation, Nazarian introduced the application process of CEPA by Armenia and attached importance to Greece’s ratification of the document.

The sides also exchanged ideas over commencing dialogue about liberalization of EU entry visas, and support from EU countries in this process.

Regional and international matters of mutual interest were also discussed.

At the request of the Greek officials, Nazarian briefed on the latest developments in the peaceful settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In turn, Katrougalos presented the Greek stance over the Cyprus issue.

Issues concerning cooperation and mutual support in multilateral and international arenas were also addressed.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Ալեքսանդր Լուկաշենկոյի բոլոր հարցերին տեղում տրվել են սպառիչ պատասխաններ. Փաշինյան

  • 20.12.2018
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  • Հայաստան
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Բելառուսի նախագահ Ալեքսանդր Լուկաշենկոյի բոլոր հարցերին տեղում տրվել են սպառիչ պատասխաններ: Այս մասին Դիլիջանում հայտարարել է ՀՀ վարչապետի պաշտոնակատար Նիկոլ Փաշինյանը, մասնավորապես անդրադառնալով Լուկաշենկոյի այն հայտարարությանը, թե ինքը համարձակություն չունի քննադատելու Վլադիմիր Պուտինին, ով Ադրբեջանին ամենաշատ զենք վաճառողն է:

Փաշինյանը հիշեցրել է, որ իր խոսնակը պարզաբանել է, որ ՌԴ նախագահի հետ շփումներում պարբերաբար այդ հարցը բարձրացվել է և ասել, որ տեղում էլ Լուկաշենկոյի բարձրացված բոլոր հարցերին տրվել են կոնկրետ ու սպառիչ պատասխաններ.

«Ես անկեղծ ասած տպավորություն ունեի, որ պարոն Լուկաշենկոն բավարարված է այդ պատասխաններով, և, իմ կարծիքով, բոլոր ներկաներն այդպիսի տպավորություն ունեին: Թե ինչ է տեղի ունեցել հետո, չեմ կարող ասել»,- նշել է ՀՀ վարչապետի պաշտոնակատարը:

NYT: The Best Photo Books of 2018

New York Times
Dec 18 2018
The Best Photo Books of 2018

by  Teju Cole

 In a time of omnipresent digital images, books remain one of the most powerful ways of showing the riches of photography.

A photo book is a stubbornly old-fashioned technology. It allows for some experimentation, with scale, paper and color, but it is ultimately a sequence of photographs printed on paper and bound into a portable volume. In a time of a torrential flow of online photographs and omnipresent video, such material simplicity is almost quaint. But a form invented in the mid-19th century remains one of the most vivid ways of conveying the power of images.

I think about my “year-end” list of photo books all through the year, poring over publishers’ catalogs. I’m sent many books and buy many others. I sift through hundreds of volumes. Each book is finally chosen on its own merits. This is not a list of “relevant” or “important” books. I care only for photo books that work, photo books that have somehow merged form and content to create a third thing, full of its own life, vital and resonant. Here are 10 that hit that mark for me in 2018.

Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, ‘The Land in Between’


“The Land in Between” is the catalog of Ursula Schulz-Dornburg’s retrospective exhibition of the same name presented at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt in the summer of 2018, and it conveys very well what made that exhibition among the best I saw this year.

Schulz-Dornburg, born in Berlin 80 years ago, has over the decades created a varied body of work is motivated by a consistent imaginative quest: how to photograph landscapes in political transition. There are all kinds of obvious ways of going about this, but Schulz-Dornburg has largely deployed her efforts in idiosyncratic locales, mostly in the Middle East and in the former Soviet countries. She has photographed in Syria, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia. She has photographed borders and deserts. One memorable series was about Armenian bus stops, photographed directly so that they begin to resemble modernist sculpture. Another was on the marsh Arabs in Iraq in the 1980s; the fragile, intricate structures she photographed would soon be permanently lost to political upheavals and war. But like that of all serious artists, her work was more than how it can be described: a keen political intelligence combined with a poet’s feeling for light, stone, form and shimmering horizons.

MACK, 254 pages, 177 images.

You may read about all the other books at

Culture: Fully renovated Children and Youth Creative Center N3 opened in Yerevan

Arminfo, Armenia
Dec 19 2018

ArmInfo. In the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, a fully renovated Children and Youth Creative Center N3 was opened. The opening ceremony of the center was attended  by acting Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan, Mayor of  Yerevan Hayk Marutyan, UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Shombi  Sharp and other officials.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Nature Protection  of Armenia, a total of 400 million drams were invested in the  project, of which 87.5% were invested by the Yerevan municipality and  the rest by the Green Climate Fund. The center offers sports and art  services for 800 pupils. The visitors engaged in 34 groups now have  the opportunity to attend a renovated, safe, warm and bright  building. Acting RA Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan,  congratulating the pupils and teachers of the center, expressed  confidence that even more children will be able to play sports and  art in new, good conditions.  He stressed that the project was made  possible thanks to the effective cooperation of the ministry, the  Yerevan Municipality and the UN Development Program, the efforts of  which had implemented the program using the energy efficiency  component. Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan in his speech noted that the  municipality will continue to create opportunities for the formation  of a healthy lifestyle and a festive mood for the younger generation. 

Culture: Actor Arman Navasardyan appointed acting director of Sos Sargsyan Pan-National Theatre, Narine Grigoryan to be appointed art director

Aysor, Armenia
Dec 19 2018

Actor of Sos Sargsyan Pan-National Theatre Arman Navasardyan has been appointed acting director of the theatre with the decree of acting minister of culture Lilit Makunts, Navasardyan told Aysor.am.

The art directors of theatres are being appointed by directors. Navasardyan said in the coming days he will appoint the art director of the theatre.
The actors of the theatre and Navasardyan earlier stated that they see actress, Armenia’s honorary artist Narine Grigoryan in the post of the art director.

Former art director and director in combination Vigen Chaldranyan who has recently left the post was not conceding to the demands of the actors. He submitted resignation application just few days ago after meeting with the acting minister of culture. In the open letter he stressed that he leaves the post with the decree of Lilit Makunts.

Travel: Armenia is one of top five destinations for single Russian tourists

ARKA, Armenia
Dec 19 2018

YEREVAN, December 19. /ARKA/. Armenia is one of the five top destinations for single Russian travelers (backpackers) in 2019, according to Skyscanner air ticket booking service.

The list was compiled based on the number of bookings of air tickets made to these destinations in 2018, dp.ru reported. According to experts, in the outgoing year Armenia showed a 14% increase in the number of air ticket bookings, ranking fifth.

The list is toped by Hungary, which saw 61% growth. It is followed by Turkey (1.5 times increase). Armenia’s neighboring Georgia is third, which saw 24% increase.  France with 16% growth is fifth. –0–

Sports: Spanish manager Ginés Meléndez joints Armenia’s Football Federation

Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 19 2018
Spanish manager Ginés Meléndez joints Armenia's Football Federation

2018-12-19 14:33:23 
                           

Famous football manager Ginés Meléndez will assume office as technical director of the Football Federation of Armenia from January 1st.

Meléndez will coordinate the work of all national teams and will work out the policy of development of children’s and women’s football and mini-football.

He will be jointed by two other Spanish specialists.

Meléndez, a former footballer, stopped playing at age 21. He has since long worked as coach at Albacete Balompié.

He has been a UEFA and FIFA technical instructor since 2008 and 2011, respectively. Between 2011 and 2018, he held the position of the Technical Director of the Spanish Football Federation and was a national coach coordinator.

As manager of the Spanish national teams of different age groups, he has coached Xavi Hernandez, Andes Iniesta, Iker Casillias, David Villa, Cesc Fàbregas, Juan Mata, Gerard Pique, Isco and others.

Sports: Armenia’s undefeated Gor Yeritsyan wins WBO Youth welterweight title

ArmenPress, Armenia
Dec 19 2018

Armenia’s undefeated Gor Yeritsyan wins WBO Youth welterweight title

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10:24,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s undefeated boxer Gor Yeritsyan has won the WBO Youth Welterweight title.

The Armenian fighter KO’d Alvin ‘Time Bomb’ Lagumbay (10-3-1, 9 KOs) from the Philippines in the 2nd round at the bout in Kazan, Russia.

This was the ninth professional bout of Yeritsyan and 8th victory by way of knockout.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Sports: Armenia’s Özbiliz scores amazing goal

News.am, Armenia
Dec 19 2018

The video above presents the fantastic goal which Willem II midfielder Aras Özbiliz netted during their Dutch KNVB Cup Round of 16 clash against AFC.

Willem II won the match by a score of 3-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals of this football competition.

The Armenia international scored this goal in the 39th minute.

After the game, Özbiliz said playing in the number-10 (attacking playmaker) position was nothing new to him.

Aras Özbiliz was among the Willem II starters, and he played for 62 minutes.

Azerbaijani Press: Changes on Azerbaijani-Armenian border scare Armenians

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Dec 19 2018

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Yerevan is frightened by any actions of Baku, even in the most peace-loving initiatives it sees far-reaching military plans.

Last week, an important decision was made in terms of protecting the sovereignty and security of Azerbaijan. There was a redistribution of forces, extremely significant and with a serious eye on the future.

The President of Azerbaijan, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev, has instructed the transfer of combat posts and military facilities on the state border with Armenia to Gazakh and Agstafa regions to the control of the State Border Service.

That is, the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia will henceforth be guarded by border troops, and not by parts of the regular army.

Elchin Guliyev, head of the State Border Service, said at a reporting meeting on the results of the service and combat activities of the State Border Service in 2018, the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is aimed at further increasing the combat capability of military units and units of the country's Defense Ministry, creating new reserve forces and strengthening the combat readiness of personnel.

With this decision, Azerbaijan once again demonstrated that it has no claims on the internationally recognized territory of Armenia. Baku respects international law. At present, Armenia is recognized by the international community within the existing borders, and the Azerbaijani side does not intend to change anything, although it has all the possibilities and grounds for this. Replacing the regular army with border guards is another proof of good intentions and a blow to Armenian propaganda, which frightens its own population of the border area with “Azerbaijani aggression”. This is a definite signal to the mediating countries, unequivocally speaking about the clear border that is being drawn in Azerbaijan between war and peace.

However, Yerevan should not consider this as a weakening of the positions of Azerbaijan and a decrease in the level of security in the frontline zone. The border area continues to remain the front line because Armenia continues provoking tension in Karabakh. The state border and border settlements of Azerbaijan are also under the constant sight of Armenia. Numerous incidents by Yerevan have a clear goal to provoke an interstate conflict with the possibility of drawing allies into the process.

The reaction from the Armenian side did not immediately follow, but frightened voices are already heard. Some Armenian military experts have shown concern over the actions of Baku on Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Of course, experts are aware of the deplorable situation of the Armenian armed forces, and therefore their fears are quite understandable. Moreover, it is well known that the peace process does not meet the interests of Armenia, and therefore the representatives of the former and current military circles are doing everything to prevent it.

In reality, Armenia does not take any steps to defrost the situation. The current authorities have no success in terms of improving the economy of Armenia and the life of the Armenian people as a whole.

In such a situation, it is necessary to revise the old myths of the Armenian propaganda and to do everything possible to improve relations with neighbors, especially with Azerbaijan and Turkey. It is difficult to build a democratic state with rights and freedoms for citizens when these citizens are empty in their wallets due to bad relations with their neighbors and the fact that as a result of this, all important economic projects bypass Armenia.