Ankara, Turkey | Xinhua | A border gate between Turkey and Armenia has been opened for the first time in 30 years for the passage of humanitarian assistance for victims of the devastating earthquakes hitting southern Turkey, the state-run Anadolu News Agency reported Saturday. An Armenian delegation with five trucks of aid …
Read More »Armenian president resigns citing insufficient constitutional authorization
Yerevan, Armenia | Xinhua | Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on Sunday announced his resignation, citing the lack of constitutional power for him to solve domestic and foreign policy problems. In a statement posted on the presidential website, he attributed his resignation to “a paradoxical situation when the President has to be a …
Read More »Moscow to provide Yerevan with assistance if clashes expand to Armenian territory
Moscow,Russia | XINHUA | Moscow will provide all the necessary assistance to Yerevan in accordance with the 1997 treaty between the two countries if the clashes spill over into Armenia’s territory, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday. “We reaffirm the commitment of the Russian Federation to its allied obligations towards …
Read More »Arsenal’s Mkhitaryan to miss Europa League final over safety fears
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Arsenal’s Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku amid fears over his safety. Mkhitaryan’s well-being was a concern for Arsenal due to the tense political dispute between Armenia and final hosts Azerbaijan. The Premier League club have decided …
Read More »Rwandan minister Mushikiwabo elected Francophonie head
Yerevan, Armenia | AFP | The world organisation of French-speaking nations on Friday elected Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo as its new head despite her country’s shift to English a decade ago and controversy over its rights record. Mushikiwabo was elected in a suspense-free vote on the last day of …
Read More »Pope visits Azerbaijan on Caucasus peace tour
Baku, Azerbaijan | AFP | Pope Francis on Sunday arrived in mainly Muslim Azerbaijan on the last leg of his peace tour of the volatile ex-Soviet Caucasus region, just months after visiting arch-foe Armenia. The pontiff held a mass for the country’s tiny Catholic community in the capital Baku ahead …
Read More »Pope visits Armenian genocide memorial
Yerevan, Armenia | AFP | Pope Francis on Saturday issued a rallying cry to remember the past after visiting the Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan, on day two of a trip likely to stir tensions with Turkey. “A century has just passed from the ‘Great Evil’ unleashed upon you. This …
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