Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 12.12.2019:

·       The Dutch House of Representatives has just unanimously ratified the EU-Armenia deal, Armenia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Tigran Balayan tweeted.

“Grateful to Dutch MPs for strong support to the enhancement of Armenia-EU partnership,” he said.

·       Bishop Sahag Masalyan has been elected the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople.

The final election for the Patriarch took place Wednesday at the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.

A total of 119 delegates took part in the vote.

·       CoE has issued a statement on Armenia’s anti-corruption efforts amid recommendations of Group of States against Corruption (GRECO).

Thus, while recognizing the Armenian authorities’ anti-corruption efforts, GRECO concludes that the situation in Armenia for MPs, judges and prosecutors is now “globally unsatisfactory” and not yet fully compliant with all recommendations.

Armenia has fully implemented seven of 18 recommendations contained in GRECO’s Fourth Round Evaluation Report. The remaining 11 recommendations have been partly implemented.

GRECO is also following closely the developments relating to the recently formed Commission for Prevention of Corruption, the statement said.

·       FIFA dismissed reports that FIFA’s chairman of the referees committee Pierluigi Collina was going to adopt a child in Armenia.

“Pierluigi Collina and FIFA categorically deny these facts, which in no way correspond to the truth,” FIFA’s media office said in a statement.

According to them, “such action unjustly puts in a bad light a character highly respected and admired in the world of sport.”

·       Yerevan city hall has revealed details on New Year celebrations.

Thus, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's New Year's message will be broadcast live from Republic Square in downtown capital city Yerevan, Head of Information Department of Yerevan Municipality Hovsep Kubatyan wrote on his Facebook.