Category: 2023

 16:26,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah on taking office.

“I convey to you my cordial congratulations on assuming the leadership of the State of Kuwait,” the Prime Minister said in a letter to the new Emir. “I wish you new successes and achievements on the path of your mission. The relations between our countries have potential to develop and strengthen. I express readiness to further strengthen the friendly bilateral relations through joint work in areas of mutual interest for the benefit of our nations. Taking the opportunity, I wish robust health and successes to you, and lasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Kuwait.”

 16:57,

YEREVAN, 22 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 22 December, USD exchange rate stood at 405.62 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.55 drams to 446.91 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 4.42 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.09 drams to 515.87 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 80.20 drams to 26625.78 drams. Silver price up by 2.81 drams to 315.40 drams.

 16:39,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS/BTA. The Netherlands Parliament voted late on Thursday evening to approve the position of the country's government in favour of Bulgaria becoming a full member of the Schengen border-free area, Bulgarian Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov told journalists on Friday. According to Stoyanov, the position of Austria is the only hurdle left regarding Sofia's Schengen bid.

Very intensive talks are underway between Bulgaria and Austria, and between Romania and Austria, Stoyanov said. EU institutions engaged in the process are taking part in the negotiations. The minister expressed hope that Austria will make a decision in the coming days. "This will hardly happen before New Year's Eve. What matters to us is to have a decision by Austria; it is less important whether it comes before or after New Year's Eve," he commented.

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PM Nikolay Denkov said that, in a way, the Netherlands’ decision was expected and now Bulgaria has a better position to negotiate with Austria for the final decision about the country’s accession to Schengen. Commenting on President Rumen Radev's call on the government to ensure Bulgaria's full accession to Schengen by New Year’s Eve, Denkov said the negotiations are ongoing and they will end in a way that considers Austria's concerns, as this country has a serious migration problem. "Any appeals of a general nature do not help at all at the moment. Negotiations require delicacy, calmness, and arguments to be heard on the other side. If it [Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen] were so easy to do, the caretaker cabinet should have done it last year," Denkov stressed. Any comments such as what could have happened count for nothing now, he added.

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel: "I welcome the decision of the Dutch Parliament to agree to Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen area. I would also like to thank [Dutch] Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his government who tabled the proposal last week. I am convinced that this action is in the interests not only of us and our northern neighbour, but also of the entire European Union."

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)

 17:55,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan discussed issues related to the South Caucasus, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said.

The parties emphasized the leading role and special responsibility of the states of the region in maintaining stability and security in the South Caucasus.

"Both sides confirmed their commitment to maintaining a close dialogue on the issues of regional and European security," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

 18:28,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov  had a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian  and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

It is noted that Russia’s Lavrov with his Iran counterpart discussed a number of topical issues on the regional and bilateral agenda in the context of implementing agreements reached during the highest-level talks in Moscow on December 7.

In a phone conversation with the Turkish Foreign Minister,  Lavrov exchanged views especially on current matters on the bilateral and international agenda, emphasized the situation in the South Caucasus, taking into account the special role of the countries of the region in the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to the source, some aspects of Russian-Turkish cooperation were also touched upon, including the schedule of upcoming high-level contacts.

 18:54,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of the Republic of Armenia has ratified a protocol by which Armenian citizens will have the opportunity to enter the United Arab Emirates without a visa requirement.

88 MPs voted in favor of making amendments to the memorandum of understanding signed  on June 21, 2009  between the governments of Armenia and the UAE on the exemption from the requirement to obtain an entry visa for persons holding diplomatic passports. No lawmaker voted against or abstained.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan noted that the cooperation between Armenia and the United Arab Emirates is developing with dynamism in almost all domains.  Vahan Kostanyan noted that the UAE is the first trade partner of Armenia in the region. 

“There are approximately 30 weekly flights between Yerevan and various cities in the UAE. As a result of the protocol's ratification, citizens of the two countries, possessing passports with a validity period of not less than six months, can enter, exit, and move through the territories of their respective countries without a visa or fee. Passports exempt from the entry visa requirement include valid, diplomatic, special, official, and ordinary passports from both countries. Holders of these passports are permitted to stay in the other country's territory for a maximum period of 90 days," said Kostanyan.

 19:45,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Kyrgyzstan will partially change the design on the country's national flag, with a corresponding law signed by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, said his press service on Friday.

The law on amendments to a law "On State Symbols of the Kyrgyz Republic" was adopted in order to improve one of the main state symbols of Kyrgyzstan: the country's flag, according to the service.

The adopted law changed the shape of the sun's rays on the flag of Kyrgyzstan from wavy to straight.

 21:24,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS.   Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov  and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held phone talks, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

The ministers discussed issues on the agenda of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, as well as the current regional situation.

 20:35,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan participated in the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum held in Tehran. The delegations from Armenia, Bolivia, China, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Iran, Iraq and Mexico participated in the meeting chaired by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran.

Following the meeting, the Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir Abdollahian welcomed the heads of delegations from member-states and delivered a concluding speech, the foreign ministry has said.

In his statement, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan highly valued the centuries-old cultural ties between Armenia and Iran and the bilateral cooperation on protection of cultural heritage. The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized the role of the Forum as a platform for cultural dialogue and cooperation, aimed at preservation and popularization of the rich cultural heritage of ancient civilizations.

According to the source, Vahe Gevorgyan presented the policy of deliberate destruction and alteration of the identity of Armenian monuments, churches, and holy sites in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the importance of support from international partners to prevent the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage. In this regard, the urgent need to deploy UNESCO's independent expert mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories was underscored.

The Forum's Ministerial Meeting was concluded with the adoption of the Tehran Declaration, outlining provisions on protecting cultural heritage in conflict situations and fostering international cooperation in this field.

 21:46,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS.  The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia on Friday  organized the visit of accredited mass media representatives to the northeastern border zone of the Republic, the ministry said.

The media representatives visited military unit N and combat positions, talked with military personnel, familiarized themselves with their daily routine, conditions of military service, and the progress of fortification and engineering work.