Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia’s top news as of 18.06.2019
· A soldier has been killed as a result of a road accident in Karabakh on Tuesday morning.
According to Artsakh MOD, the injured soldier died at the hospital.
· Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on Tuesday is leaving for Washington D.C., on a working visit.
In the US capital city, the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be held, with the mediation and participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
· The conversation with the Russian Ambassador at the Armenian MFA was in the context of non-interference in Armenia’s domestic affairs, said chair of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign relations Ruben Rubinyan.
According to him, FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told him that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called the Russian Ambassador last Friday and had talks in the context of non-interference in the domestic affairs of Armenia.
· The Hayastan (Armenia) All Armenian Fund on Tuesday was held Tuesday its annual meeting of the Board of Trustees, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan. President of Armenia and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All Armenian Fund, Armen Sarkissian, is chairing the meeting.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as well as Hayastan All Armenian Fund Executive Director Haykak Arshamyan also addressed the event.
In his speech, Armen Sarkissian noted that the fund has become the main contributor to development and construction in Karabakh, fulfilling its function of uniting the efforts of Armenia, Karabakh and the diaspora for more than. 25 years.
“The main idea of the Fund’s activities should be the issue of preserving identity in the context of globalization,” he added.
Pashinyan, in turn, noted that “we must evaluate what negative impact the Fund’s activities have had on the image of the Armenian potential,” he added. “Every year we collect 15, 20, 25 million [US] dollars, which are spent on very important projects. But external forces spend billions of dollars in order to resist the Armenian influence. Not only the activities of this or that organization are important, but also what effect they have on the image of Armenians.”
· The Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia on Tuesday denied the defense’s appeal against leaving in force the imprisonment of retired general and ex-MP Manvel Grigoryan, and the defense’s motion for releasing him on bail.
Manvel Grigoryan, who is charged with illegal possession of arms and ammunition, appropriation of property, tax evasion, squandering of state resources, and organizing of property usurpation through extortion, is undergoing treatment at “Nairi” Medical Center in Yerevan.
· Armenian squad captain, Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan got married on Monday at St. Lazar Island in Venice.
After the wedding ceremony, they navigated in Venice.
His “chosen one” is Betty Vardanyan, the daughter of Armenian magnate Mikayel Vardanyan.
· Artsakh Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ani Sargsyan commented on the US Congressman Frank Pallone’s statement to lift the ban on visits of US officials to Artsakh.
“We highly appreciate the consistent efforts of US Congressman Frank Pallone for the establishment of direct ties between Artsakh and the US… we are certain that the dialogue between Artsakh and the US, as well as the dialogue through direct and official contacts with the other co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group at different levels will help create favorable conditions for comprehensive discussions and to find paths for the ultimate settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict,” the statement said.
· On the initiative of the Armenian side, an event for Syrian children took place on June 17 at the Aleppo House of Culture.
The event was attended by Vice-Governor Aleppo Kumit Aasi, Mayor of Aleppo Maad al-Madlaji and other high-ranking officials.
During the event, more than 100 Syrian families received gifts from Armenia, collected during the action organized by the Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise.