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A cow of Varuzhan Grigoryan, a resident of Kuchak village of Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province, on Tuesday gave birth to a two-headed calf.
Village prefect Hovik Amiryan noted that this had never occurred in Kuchak, and that they likewise are surprised.
The calf, however, died several hours later.
BRUSSELS — The European Union and Armenia have agreed on a new pact tightening political ties, more than three years after Yerevan walked away from a more far-reaching political and commercial deal with the EU to join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.
Talks on the agreement concluded during a visit to Brussels by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on February 27.
It is expected to be signed later this year, possibly in May.
Armenia negotiated an Association Agreement that included a free-trade deal with the EU in 2013, only to make a U-turn that same year and reject it under pressure from Moscow.
The negotiations on a new agreement with the EU started in December 2015.
It is less ambitious than the agreement that was abandoned in 2013, most notably lacking a free trade area component — which Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine now have as part of their agreements with the EU. But it will upgrade political relations between Brussels and Yerevan, which are currently based on a Partnership and Cooperation agreement that entered into force in 1999.
Armenia’s fierce rival, Azerbaijan, started talks on a new political agreement with the EU earlier this month.
The meeting between President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has started in Brussels.
President Serzh Sargsyan is on a working visit to the Belgian capital city where he will hold meetings with the heads of all EU organizations as well as with European People’s Party (EPP) President Joseph Daul, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
During the Iranian New Year, also known as Nowruz, Persian-language information offices will be opened across Armenia, a meeting of state and private tourism organizations has decided.
The content of a Persian-language magazine about Armenia and the dissemination of publications among Iranian tourists at Armenia’s border checkpoints have been discussed.
Also, issues of printing and installing billboards, as well as launching a hotline were in the spotlight.
With this open letter we, a group of civil society and human rights organizations from Armenia appeal to Diaspora Armenians – individuals, organizations and non-formal groups – to take an active stance in the political life of Armenia.
We have always felt the great love of Diaspora for our country and are indeed grateful for immense and tireless support that our compatriots abroad were rendering to the people of Armenia throughout many years. However, since Armenia’s independence in 1991, we have lived – and you have witnessed – the heart-breaking conditions of our country: poverty, depopulation, and the slow surrender of our national sovereignty. Continuously rigged elections and political corruption have concentrated almost all socio economic power in the hands of an unrepresentative oligarchic elite. Natural resources are depleted to serve short-term and small group interests; poverty and social injustice grow in parallel with the remarkably improving welfare of a number of decision-makers. Civic and political rights of citizens are systematically violated, peaceful assemblies against the injustice are brutally cracked down and the controlled judiciary fails to ensure fair judgments, increasing the number of political prisoners. After all, the 4-day war of April 2016 revealed how the uncontrolled and unpunished corruption exhausts the resources of the Armenian Army and threatens the security of Armenia.
Twenty-five years after the Independence, we can no longer consider these conditions to be the birth-pains of a new republic. Though it may not seem apparent upon first glance, the lack of democracy underpins nearly all other national issues. Indeed, democracy is at the heart of nation-building in the 21st century.
We, the undersigned, have worked and fought tirelessly for rule of law and democracy in Armenia. We have developed the infrastructure and activated our citizens in monitoring elections – the single most fundamental process of democracy. But our resources have been limited.
We are writing to tell you that we need you. Not your donations or remittances, but you – your spirit and physical presence in Armenia – here on the ground, at the voting precincts – engaging, observing, and taking ownership of your role in this historic quest for Armenian democracy.
The upcoming Parliamentary Elections are of paramount importance for the country. As a result of the Constitutional Referendum of 2015, which was itself marred by rampant corruption, Armenia now begins its transition to a parliamentary republic. This means there will be no further presidential elections, and the upcoming Parliamentary Elections will decide the future of Armenia.
We urge all the Diaspora organizations, institutions and active individuals to join us in our endeavors and render your support to promote justice, human rights, free and fair elections, accountable governance, civil rights and dignity. Get in touch with us, come to us and let’s walk this path together.
The future of Armenia is democratic, and that future begins today, with your participation and solidarity.
Join us!
Find out how to join our election observation efforts by visiting www.citizenobserver.am or emailing info@citizenobserver.am. We encourage all Armenians of the Diaspora to join, regardless of age, citizenship, political affiliation, or fluency in Armenian.
Signed,
Transparency International Anticorruption Center
Journalists Club “Asparez”
Europe in Law Association
Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor
Goris Journalists Club
Centre for Community Mobilization and Support
“Sose” NGO
National Young Women’s Christian Association of Armenia
Northern Branch of Eurasia Partnership Foundation
“Peace Dialogue” NGO
Women’s Resource Center
“Public Information and Need of Knowledge” NGO
Foundation against the Violation of Law
“Guarantee” Center of Civil Society
Lori Citizens’ Union
“LogoS” NGO”.
YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission registered proportional lists of all political forces willing to participate in the parliamentary elections set for April 2 .
Earlier five parties and 4 blocks submitted applications to participate in the parliamentary elections.
RPA, ARF, Armenian Revival, Free Democrats, the Communist Party of Armenia as well as Tsarukyan alliance, Way Out alliance, the People’s Party and the ANC block, Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian alliance have been registered to struggle for the parliamentary mandate.
Due to the lack of necessary papers, the Commission rejected registration of two candidates from the national list of Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian alliance – Vladimir Arakelyan and Samvel Melikyan.
Armenia will make a decision to use Iskander missile systems depending on the development of the situation, defense minister Vigen Sargsyan said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“I can explain the algorithm. The functions and parameters of the weapon allow to cause irreparable damage to the infrastructure of the country, against which it can be applied. Accordingly, the decision to use the system will be closely connected with the development of the situation,” he said.
The minister also said that the Iskanders delivered from Russia belong to the armed forces of Armenia, and that the latter’s officers, who have completed special training, operate them.
As reported earlier, four Iskander systems have been delivered to Armenia and displayed for the first time at the military parade marking the 25th anniversary of the country’s independence.
An 2.8 magnitude n earthquake shook Armenia’s north-eastern region Gegharkunik on Saturday morning.
The Emergency Ministry’s Seismic Protection Center recorded the jolts at 10:15 Yerevan time (GMT 6:15).
The earthquake was centered 27km east off the town Sevan at the depth of 10 km.
YEREVAN. – Following an agreement between the defense ministries of Armenia and Russia, and upon instruction by the President of Armenia, another consignment of humanitarian aid, which is intended for the residents who have suffered from the Syrian conflict, on Friday was sent to Syria, on behalf of Armenia.
The objective of this assistance is to enhance the resilience of the people and Armenian community of Syria.
This consignment of humanitarian aid—which comprises about 20 tons of food, food items, clothing, and sleeping bags—was sent to Syria from Erebuni Airport in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, and on board a Russian Air Force plane.
“To the brotherly people of Syria, with warm wishes for peace from Armenia,” is written on this humanitarian cargo.
Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Friday, February 17 said that Azerbaijan will receive adequate response in case it makes provocations during the upcoming parliamentary elections, set for April 2.
“Today some in Azerbaijan have the illusion that Armenia is preoccupied with the elections, and will be distracted and vulnerable as a result,” he said.
“Recently, Baku, which adores useless and short-lived PR campaigns and spends big money to carry them out, declared the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue is Azerbaijan’s “internal” affair. Unfortunately, people have short memory. This kind of reasoning, which has neither legal nor moral basis, once resulted in the escalation of the conflict and war, with numerous victims and suffering first of all for the people of Azerbaijan itself.”
“We wish Azerbaijan no suffering, honestly, but won’t allow anybody to even dream about causing suffering to our people,” Sargsyan went on to say.
“The Artsakh issue is the Armenian people’s business, the national cause: the future of Artsakh is in the hands of Artsakh people.
“I see it as my duty to declare that every provocation will receive an adequate response. Politics based on illusions has no future.”