Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree appointing Arman Kirakosyan Armenia’s ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
With another decree Kirakosyan has been recalled from the post of Armenia’s ambassador to Austria and from other international organizations.
Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Ara Babloyan has issued a statement calling on the political forces running for parliament to avoid touching upon the Artsakh issue in their speeches during the campaigning in the snap parliamentary elections.
“About 30-year history of the Republic of Armenia has proven that there are values which are not subject to any speculations, abuse or bargaining. These values cannot be reduced to a level of personal and political interests. And Artsakh has its special place among these values,” reads the statement released by the parliament’s official website on Wednesday.
Babloyan stressed the April 2016 flare-up showed how the whole Armenian nation united in support of the security of Artsakh and its people’s right to self-determination.
“There should be no ‘black’, ‘red’, ‘white’ or ‘green’ forces among us regarding the Artsakh issue. Let the divisions of political colors, if we cannot refuse from them at all, spread exclusively on the political fight, but Artsakh and Armenia have just one single color which is the Armenian tricolor. Moreover, the above mentioned equally refers to all the political forces.
“The tricolor is common like the security and future of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia. Thus, I urge all of us to unite around a common position to exclude Artsakh from the vocabulary of the pre-election speeches and daily debates,” reads the statement.
The official also urged the Artsakh people to refrain from stirring up tensions in the pre-election period and not to respond to some misrepresented statements.
Eleven political forces, including two blocs and nine parties. are running in the December 9 early parliamentary elections. The election campaign that officially got under way on 26 November will last through 7 December, with 8 December to be declared a ‘day of silence’ in which no campaigning will be allowed.
The best way to drink Armenian brandy is with Armenian apricots, says Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
“You just pop out the pith and use it as a shot glass. Getting Armenian apricots is a little hard here in Florida, so regular ones work too. Most nights, I’m just sipping on it neat with a little dark chocolate,” Ohanian said in an interview with Food & Wine.
But more importantly, he advised, “do it with people you love.”
“I know it’s kitschy, but Armenians are very proud of our hospitality as a people who have been displaced all over the world. Not by choice, of course, but by genocide. Whether you are Armenian or not, there’s always a seat at the table for everyone,” he added.
Alexis Ohanian has recently unveiled Shakmat, an Armenian brandy that he created in collaboration with Flaviar.
"The time has come for Armenian brandy to reclaim its rightful place on the World Spirits map. A hidden gem of flavor and tradition, its recognition is long overdue," he said.
Shakmat (or shakhmat) is the Armenian word for chess.
The Police of Armenia received information that on October 7, Nibou Heven, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), had illegally entered Armenia from Zvartnots International Airport of capital city Yerevan, and with a fake DRC passport issued under the name Mike Ndjibou Muela.
According to the information received, he had destroyed this passport in Armenia, applied to the State Migration Service of Armenia with his birth certificate, and was issued an asylum seeker’s official document.
On November 12, however, law enforcement officers detained this man and took him to a police station.
A criminal case has been filed.
An investigation is underway.
YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. The first deputy chairman of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Vigen Sargsyan has asked the acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for a televised debate ahead of December 9 early parliamentary elections.
Sargsyan wrote on his Facebook page that his decision is prompted by the fact that Pashinyan’s campaigning for his My Step alliance is based on scaring the voters by the Republicans, which he describes as ‘vicious’ policy of dividing the society into ‘blacks’ and ‘whites.’ Sargsyan then accuses the acting Prime Minister of making the entire electoral process ‘ugly and unworthy.’
Sargsyan says he wants a face-to-face debate with Pashinyan, although the Public Televison is set to hold December 5 such a debate among the heads of all the parties and bloc contesting the polls. He proposed also that the debate be on 4-6 topics, half of which is to be chosen by Pashinyan and the other half by him with the opportunity to ask one another questions. Sargsyan also said that the date could be chosen by Pashinyan because of his busy schedule.
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned October 16 to clear way for the dissolution of the parliament and holding early parliamentary elections. Under the Armenian Constitution, early elections are held if lawmakers fail twice within 14 days to appoint a prime minister.
Pashinyan was elected as PM by the country's National Assembly after former president turned-prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned on April 23 under immense public pressure provided by weeks of nationwide protest against Sargsyan and his Republican Party.
Nine political parties and 2 blocs will be contesting the polls. They are My Step bloc, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the National Progress Party, the Christian-National Revival, the Sasna Tsrer All-Armenian Party, the Orinats Yerkir Party, the We bloc, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, the Bright Armenia bloc, the Republican Party of Armenia, the Social Democratic Party and the Decision of Citizen party. -0-
YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA. A set of modernization measures to be carried out in 2018 and 2019 will increase the capacity of the Armenian nuclear power plant by 10%, raising the average annual output to about 2.9 billion kWh of electricity, the acting Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Garegin Baghramyan said on November 27.
Baghramyan said also that the increased capacity could prompt a revision of the price of electricity for the households, if no ‘external factor affects the pricing.’ According to Baghramyan, the capacity of the facility will grow after the replacement of the second turbine generator in 2019.
He said the replacement will allow producing 400 or even 500 million kWh more electricity. ‘Accordingly, the resulting" surplus "will significantly affect the cost of all electricity, given that the production of every additional 100 million kWh saves 2 -2.5 billion drams worth electricity," he said.
He also said that the Ministry of Finance has asked the Russian side to extend the repayment period for a $270 million loan granted to Armenia earlier for extension of the facility’s service life up to 2026. The acting minister noted that the extension of the loan repayment period will not affect the electricity tariff for the population.
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities said they would build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging facility. The new plant was said to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. The plant currently generates some 35 percent of Armenia's electricity.
In March 2014, Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life up to 2026 because of delay in building a new unit. The service life extension has become possible thanks to Russia’s financial resources. The country was to provide $270 million to Armenia as a loan and $30 million as a grant. -0-
In the evening of November 27, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and his spouse Nouneh Sarkissian visited the headquarters of the German Red Cross in Berlin, the presidential office reports.
The German Red Cross, which is providing humanitarian assistance all over the world in the areas affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts, started its activities in Armenia in 1988, right after the earthquake in Spitak. The organization had actively participated in the rescue works and later, in cooperation with the Armenian Red Cross, provided large-scale and many-sided assistance to the affected population.
President Sarkissian met with President of the German Red Cross Gerda Hasselfeldt, expressing gratitude for landing a hand at that difficult for the Armenian people times.
At the meeting with the staff of the organization, the Armenian president speaking about the devastating earthquake, which took place 30 years ago and its dire consequences, loss of human lives and people who became homeless, noted, “All that was very sad and tragic. But in these 30 years there have also been very humane, touching stories. Stories about human love, care, attention and lack of indifference. We, those living in Armenia and Armenians all over the world, will never forget warmth, attention, and human attitude which our friends in the world, also from this wonderful country manifested towards Armenia and the Armenian people. Please be assured that every Armenia holds in his or her heart that gratitude and respect. These are not just nice words. Recently, I have visited Gyumri and have noticed that gratitude not only in elderly people but in young people, who didn’t see the earthquake, but the story lives within them and together with it, their parents passed on them also gratitude. So, I am here to convey the words of gratitude on my personal behalf and on behalf of the entire Armenian nation.”
At the meeting, President Sarkissian handed Armenian state awards and souvenirs to a group of employees of the German Red Cross. For the practical participation and tireless humanitarian activities aimed at the mitigation of the devastating Spitak earthquake, Deputy Secretary General of the German Red Cross Johannes Richter was awarded the Mkhitar Heratsi medal, and German Red Cross representatives Zigrfid Hetmannschperger and Carl-Heinz Scheiden were awarded Medals of Gratitude.
Addressing President of the German Red Cross Gerda Hasselfeldt, President Sarkissian asked her to convey his words of gratitude to thousands of German Red Cross workers, all those who are contributing their time, life, and compassion to help other overcome difficulties.
At the conclusion of the event, the German Red Cross Gerda head handed Nouneh Sarkissian a certificate for 10 thousand Euros which will be used to renovate the Berlin outpatient clinic in Gyumri.
President Sarkissian thanked for the gift and added that he would make a donation for the same amount also earmarked for the renovation of the Berlin outpatient clinic in Gyumri as a token of a true friendship of the two nations and the opportunity to undertake tasks of a greater scale.