FIFA has published a new ranking of national teams.
The Armenian team shares the 1222 points with the Mauritanian team now in the 101st place. Compared with the previous month, our team maintained both the number of points and its place.
The Belgian team is still leading the ranking list, which is only one point higher than the world champion France. The Brazilian national team is third.
Meetings of the last 11 rounds of the World Chess Championship of veteran chess players took place today in Bled, Slovenia.
Armenia’s Karen Movsisyan scored 8.5 points in a draw with Dutchman Marc van der Werf. He shared the 1-2th place with Georgian representative, but was recognized as the winner with the additional coefficients. The third place was taken by another Georgian representative.
Director of National Theater after Sos Sargsyan, Vigen Chaldranyan, appointed Suren Shahverdyan as artistic director, and he will continue to hold the position of the theater director. Meanwhile, a group of actors demand his resignation. According to them, actress Narine Grigoryan should be the artistic director, and actor Arman Navasardyan should be the director.
I’m not ‘adhered’ to the chair, I’m adhered to my dignity and my truth,” Vigen Chaldranyan told “A1+.”
“They plan to use the complicated situation ahead of the elections and to force me to resign. If you declare that this is your own theater, you must have a cadastre paper,” said the filmmaker.
To remind, Vahe Shahverdyan’s son Suren Shahverdyan has recently been fighting for the post of director of Russian dramatic theater after Stanslavski, but the director of the theater Fred Davtyan chose Karen Nersisyan. “I did not even know about that,” said Chaldranyan, “but it should not be considered that I put Suren in this place. I know Suren Shahverdyan for a long time ago. Suren Shahverdyan is a man of the theater. You do not want to work with me, I will work with Suren. Your job will be associated only with the artistic director. You will not have contact with the director,” said the filmmaker by adding that they must obey the state laws.
President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian answered the question of an Azerbaijani student referring to Nagorno Karabakh conflict during his meeting with the professors and students of Otto von Guericke University in German Saxony-Anhalt State.
President Sarkissian said, “From the viewpoint of mankind it was a tragedy what happened in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh. I don’t wish to go back to historical details.
What happened in Armenia may create an environment where the conflict can be resolved. Armenia has a new Government and new Constitution. I am the Head of State, but I am not the Head of the Government. Now Armenia is like Germany. According to the Constitution, the Head of the Government has to negotiate with Ilham Aliyev. My role can be limited by offering advice.
I want to emphasize a very important point. People have dies not only in Azerbaijan, but also in Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. I think we should spare no efforts to create a fair and peaceful atmosphere for finding a solution to the issue. Will it be easy? No. But we have to try to do it today, otherwise your and our children will have to ask the same question after years.
Therefore, it’s time to solve the issue.”
Yerevan
Tatevik Shahunyan. The ruling My Step bloc started the second day of the election campaign from the Lori region.
The main theme of the election speech of Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was yesterday's incident with a candidate from the bloc Sasun Mikayelyan, who said that the May revolution was more important for the Armenian people than the Artsakh victory. Pashinyan did not like the aftershocks of this statement, in which he saw the influence of the Republican Party. "Where were all these false patriots when they robbed the army, when they stole food from the soldiers?
Why were they silent? They were silent because they themselves also robbed and stored the loot in their basements, as did General Manvel Grigoryan. We all know them by name, we know who stole what and how much and where the loot is kept. We will return to the army all the stolen funds till the last penny, all the thieves will be punished. All of them will become homeless, as they were originally. Judgment day has come, all those who are trying to scare people – various local princes will also be held responsible . We will take everyone out of their cabinets, will beat against the walls, lay on the asphalt so that they cannot get up, cut off their neck ", Pashinyan threatened. He further assured that only the people can decide who will continue to be in power. He urged not to give a single vote for the Republican Party, which for years had robbed the people, but send all Republicans to the garbage dump. Pashinyan also urged not to vote for those forces who believe that in Armenia it is possible to solve issues by violent means.
At the end, Pashinyan also promised to carry out an economic revolution after the elections and bring the country out of poverty.
Naira Badalian. The current government in Armenia poses a greater threat to Artsakh than Azerbaijan with all its armed forces. This opinion was expressed on November 27 at a press conference by the former head of the Ministry of National Security of Armenia, the former member of the governing board of the opposition party "Armenian National Movement", and now the MP candidate from the former member ruling Republican Party (RPA) David Shahnazaryan.
According to Shahnazaryan, the statement of Sasun Mikaelyan, a member of the electoral ''My Step'' bloc, that the victory of the people in the revolution is more important than the Artsakh liberation war, is part of the political program of the Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan according to the formula "Power in return for Artsakh". Thus, according to him, through the mouth of Sasun Mikaelyan, what was the political goal of the current government was expressed. "I will not stop repeating that the so-called revolution has become an absolute evil for two Armenian states," he stressed.
Nevertheless, according to the former head of the Armenian National Security Ministry, Nikol Pashinyan's yesterday's harsh statement is connected not so much with the reaction to the statement of a member of the pre-election bloc headed by him, but with the fact that there were many more people present at the launch event of the RPA campaign, than on "My step" bloc recently organized march. Referring to the criminal case on the events of March 1, 2008, David Shahnazaryan said that the case is used exclusively in the promotion of the current regime, which is deprived of state thinking. "The investigation of the case failed, despite the statement of Prime Minister Pashinyan of August 17 that it was fully disclosed," said the MP candidate from the Republican Party, stressing that the society is gradually coming out of a state of stupor and soon it will become obvious to everyone.
To note, Sasun Mikaelyan, a member of the parliament of Armenia, a member of the ''My Step'' bloc led by Nikol Pashinyan, said yesterday that the victory of the people in the revolution is more important than the Artsakh war of liberation. This statement caused a negative reaction in Stepanakert, Secretary of the NKR National Security Council, the hero of Artsakh, Vitaly Balasanyan urged to recover. "It is surprising and even angered that these days, during the election campaign to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, this is speculated and understated in some party interests. I would like to remind Sasun Mikayelyan, who went through the horrors of the Artsakh war, that the revolution that took place In the recent period, the RA cannot be considered a more serious victory than the Artsakh liberation war, and even more so than the creation of a second Armenian Republic. Such statements at least cast doubt on the participation of such persons in the state It's regrettable that such statements are being made in the presence of the Supreme Commander of Armenia. Come on in, guys! " A statement was made by the NKR Ministry of Defense spokesman Senor Asratyan, who noted that the statement of a person is ambiguously perceived when there is nothing to say to him, but the desire to speak is great. And Arshavir Gharamyan, adviser to the President of Artsakh, called to erase the name of Sasun Mikayelyan from among the heroes of the Artsakh war. The statements voiced from Stepanakert angered Nikol Pashinyan, who expressed bewilderment with such a reaction to Mikaelyan's statement. "I am even more surprised by the fact that those who have witnessed how they rob the army over the years are reacting to this formulation," said Pashinyan. "Do not dare to be inspired, sit in your seats, and wait for what we are doing to become a reality, and do not force us to talk about these topics more openly. Do not hope for forgiveness, you are responsible for your every robbery," Pashinyan threatened.
Ani Mshetsyan. On the margins of the 52nd meeting of the PABSEC General Assembly, held in Yerevan from November 27 to 28, ArmInfo correspondent talked with the Secretary General of the organization representing Azerbaijan, Asaf Hajiyev, about the Karabakh conflict, regional problems and the work of the organization.
Mr. Hajiyev, how do you see the solution of the Karabakh issue? Do you consider the format of the OSCE Minsk Group optimal, or do you see other alternatives?
To be honest, I believe that it is impossible to concentrate attention exclusively on the format of the OSCE Minsk Group. Of course, the Minsk Group has been engaged in this conflict for more than 25 years, but since then the issue has not gotten off the ground. So we must look for alternatives. They come to every country and then state that "this is a matter of two countries." And if this is a matter of two countries, then why do you need us?
Yes, this is a matter of two countries. Tolstoy has good words: "All happy families are the same, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." All conflicts are different, but there must be one principle for the conflict to get off the ground. This principle, in my opinion, should be a principle of territorial integrity. And within the framework of this principle, realize everything you want, even though the right of a nation to self-determination, at least any other right. Because if there is no main principle, this issue will be endlessly discussed. All the time they are talking about compromises, but Azerbaijan has lost 20% of its territories, what other compromise could there be? Lose 20 more?
We have a million refugees. What do we get another million. This issue was discussed as early as 1920, when it was decided that Nagorno-Karabakh should become part of Azerbaijan. After the establishment of Soviet power there was a similar decision of the Caucasus Bureau; in the USSR, Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan. And why should Karabakh leave its composition today? Because Armenians live there? I was recently in the USA and there is a village called "Little Armenia". Now, if the people living there want autonomy to become an independent state, how do you think the US authorities will react to this, will they be given autonomy? We saw similar processes in Canada, Spain, and how did it all end? And why, in those cases, everything must be stopped, but here it is necessary to wait 25 years.
In fact, this is a tragedy of two peoples. After all, so many people died, economic growth retarded, people began to live worse, families lost breadwinners. Do you really think that's good? The OSCE MG Chairs should think about it. But in fact, it does not concern them, and concerns us. We all lost our relatives, many lost our homes, they did not lose them. I'm not talking about who is more, who is less. This is not the case, the death of one person is already a tragedy, and here both countries have suffered very significant casualties. This issue should be resolved within the framework of territorial integrity, it is within this framework that the rights of the Armenian people must be realized. And then, after all, we had lived together for centuries, had problems, were not, why did it suddenly become so? After all, there were many joint marriages, and what should these children do? Now about 30,000 Armenians live in the territory of Azerbaijan, and there is not a single Azerbaijani in the territory of Armenia. I think it is worth resolving the conflict within the framework of the Aland Islands analogy. This is the territory of Finland, but the Swedes live there. They live in their cultural values, but live in Finland, and there are no problems.
How do you think regional conflicts hinder the PABSEC activity?
Yes, of course, conflicts inhibit the work of the PABSEC, there are problems in the region that need to be addressed. Of course, the purpose of the PABSEC is not to resolve conflicts, however, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic several times adopted declarations with which not all countries agreed, but which were nevertheless adopted, emphasizing the importance of solving problems in line with the territorial integrity of countries. It clearly states that territorial integrity is the way to solve problems, because there is the Helsinki Agreement, where 3 principles are laid down – peaceful solution, territorial integrity and the right of peoples to self-determination.
No one in the world is against peaceful solutions to problems. If everyone unconditionally and without any preconditions accepts the principle of the right of a nation to self-determination, then in the world there will be a huge number of small states that will fight each other. "This means the end of the world. However, within the framework of territorial integrity, the principle of the right of peoples to self-determination can be implemented. And there are already such examples in the world, as I mentioned, the Aland Islands.
As you understand, if some countries do not cooperate with each other, then this limits the activities of the PABSEC. For example, in our organization there are 12 countries and 7 conflicts. Take at least yesterday's incident, when the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was condemned, but there are other conflicts as well. There is a problem of Nagorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia. As a result, there is no trade relationship between the two countries. Because the Azerbaijani territories are under occupation, and until the Armenian military leaves these territories, Baku's position is such that cooperation is out of the question. The position of Azerbaijan can be understood as millions of people have left their homes.
Today, there are 65 million refugees in the world, which means that among 110 people there is one refugee. If we take our region Black Sea, then among 60 people 1 refugee. If we take only Azerbaijan, then among 9 people there is 1 refugee. This issue should be the focus of attention of the world community, and should be resolved. After all, historically, we are neighbors, and no one can change this. And the example of the Aland Islands is an excellent example of how, within the framework of territorial values, the right of peoples to self-determination is exercised.
How do you evaluate the work of the PABSEC meeting in Yerevan?
The PABSEC meetings were held at a very high level. I want to note that from year to year the organization improves its work. Over the past few years, the PABSEC has received observer status in one of the largest parliamentary assemblies of the world – in the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, we also received the status of associate member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which includes almost all world parliaments, in addition, we received observer status in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. This suggests that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is already recognized in the international arena. This gives us the opportunity to participate in work, speak, talk about problems in the region, and how to cooperate. After all, the purpose of our assembly is economic cooperation between countries, and if there is no cooperation between countries, then there can be no dialogue.
On the other hand, the Black Sea region is one of the most important regions of the world, rich in energy resources. After all, it is from our region that oil and gas from the Caspian and Black Seas is delivered to world markets. An example is the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, as well as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum gas pipeline, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which will allow to deliver goods from China to Europe not in a month, as it was before, but in a week, has recently been completed. The region is the intersection of the world's transport arteries, such as the Silk Road, the Northern Route, and at the same time it plays the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia.
How do you explain the problem related to the fact that yesterday four delegations (Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and Ukraine – Ed.) Refused medals with which the Chairman of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan wanted to award them in honor of the 25th anniversary of the PABSEC? There is a point of view that the whole thing was that the meeting was held precisely in Armenia, and there is a subtle political background that slips here?
I heard that in the Armenian press there appeared information that this issue is related to the secretariat. I want to remind you that we have nothing to do with medals and awards. We have no right to award them, nor, moreover, ask to be taken away from someone. This is done by the decree of the chairman of the PABSEC; this has nothing to do with the secretariat.
In the speech of the head of the Azerbaijani delegation, it was said that in this situation there is no political context. I think that when the issue of medals was discussed, it was said there that they are awarded to persons who made a serious contribution to the development of the PABSEC, and not just the heads of delegations, especially since our head was appointed recently. There are, for example, a lot of examples of worthy people, for example, Nikolay Kolomoitsev from the Russian delegation, who has worked in the organization for 20 years. This contribution is not awarded to delegations, but to specific people. For example, during a meeting in Istanbul, at which 9 countries participated in the 14 speakers (12 countries are members of the PABSEC, but in some countries the parliament consists of 2 chambers – Ed.) It was the speakers who were awarded the medals, and here, things were different.
Marianna Mkrtchyan. Armenian Human Rights Defender Armen Tatoyan is familiar with publications where the Republican Party draws attention to the manifestation of hatred by government official, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the election campaign.
Thus, answering to the journalists, whether the Ombudsman is familiar with the call voiced by the RPA and what is being done in this direction by the office of the Ombudsman, Tatoyan assured that he is familiar with these publications and not only with them. He recalled that the Ombudsman's office has established an independent working group that conducts round-the-clock monitoring of the electoral process. "Without focusing on anyone, I would like to note in general that, unfortunately, in this area we are registering an increase in intolerance and hatred. This is a matter of concern, and I believe that the election campaign should go in a different direction. I do not want to give any assessment of the pre-election process, this issue is not in my competence, but all of this affects issues related to freedom of speech. Manifestations of hatred, insults that are voiced by individuals in social networks and the fact that the institution of fake users is developing even more, cause concern, "the Ombudsman of Armenia said.
At the same time, he informed that their monitoring already indicates that mostly fake users spread hatred of dissenting opinion.
Touching upon violations during the pre-election campaign, Tatoyan noted that at the moment violations have already been registered now the Ombudsman's office sums up the results and then surely will make a statement where attention will be paid to several areas.
To note, yesterday the RPA made a statement in which it stressed that a number of statements voiced by Acting Prime Minister on November 26 and 27, are the most vivid manifestation of the words of hatred that cross all permissible boundaries of the political struggle, flout a number of principles of humanism and morality, for example, when a woman becomes a target. According to the source, such behavior is unprecedented in the political culture of the country, especially on the part of a high-ranking official, and this is the prime minister responsible for the safety and well-being of every citizen. "We already had a reason to address the abuse of administrative resources by the acting Prime Minister, another obvious example of which is that while officially on vacation, the acting Prime Minister voices threats against elected officials, and the police, in fact, gives instructions that are to be followed mandatory. We call on the Central Election Commission of Armenia, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and international observation missions to pay attention to the speeches, behavior and rhetoric of the Acting Prime Minister of the country, "the statement of the Republican Party of Armenia reads.
Thirty-two women nursing graduates from Kerala, suspected to be victims of a trafficking racket, were on Tuesday rescued at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) when they were on their way to pursue a short-term course to learn German at the University of Traditional Medicine of Armenia (UTMA).
Kala Krishnaswamy, deputy commissioner of police (northeast division), said police registered a case of attempted human trafficking based on a complaint from KIA immigration officials and arrested Tony Tom, who was taking the women to Armenia. Most of the women had studied in Mangaluru.
The DCP said Tom runs an education consultancy in Mangaluru and offered to facilitate the study at UTMA. Tom was accompanying the women who came to the airport on Monday to catch a flight for Armenia around 4am Tuesday. Immigration officials suspected foul play as they doubted the existence of such a course in the university. They handed over the accused and the women to airport police for investigation.
Police said the women found a newspaper advertisement about the course and contacted Tony Tom's Hopesyn Education International in Mangaluru. The institute assured nursing students jobs in reputed hospitals abroad if they could speak German and they signed up for the German course at UTMA.
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