NEWS ON ARMENIATV

2007-11-12 Armenian Prime Minister visited Tavush province

The Armenian premier visited the “Vazashen” village to celebrate the 2000 anniversary of the village. Serj Sarkissian inaugurated a monument arc marking the 2000 anniversary of the village and planted a tree. He assured the villagers that just like any other Armenian border village; Vazashen is in the center of attention of the Armenian government. After a long break, the village was once again connected to the natural gas network.

2007-11-12 Smile Network International

Smile network funds surgical missions and provides necessary supplies needed to repair birth defects including cleft lips, cleft palates or other conditions requiring surgical care such as burns, tumors and other genetic defects. Surgeries carried out by smile network teams of medical volunteers are free of charge and are available to children who would otherwise go untreated. Annually thousands of children are born throughout the world with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates and suffer the humiliation and embarrassment of their disfigurement. Most of the time these children have difficulty eating, drinking and speaking and as a result many are malnourished, underdeveloped and lack energy, strength and confidence. These children suffer rejection, social injustices and frequently are hidden away from the mainstream of everyday life. Currently the issues of decided in which hospital the operations will be carried out in Armenia are being discussed. The organization is willing to find the best hospital in the country. Scientific head of “Arabkir” medical center Ara Babloian said that the medical center has offered its help to the organization. According to him even if another hospital is chosen for the realization of the mission, the “Arabkir” medical center will cooperate with it.

2007-11-12 Serj Sarkissian is a presidential candidate

After his nomination as presidential candidate, thanking over 600 delegates of the 11th congress of the Armenian Republican Party, Armenian Prime Minister Serj Sarkissian said that the presidential elections is an opportunity to assume the entire responsibility of the country for the next five years, an opportunity to reconcile the work of legislative and executive branches of power and an opportunity to avoid meaningless political confrontation. During his speech the Armenian premier focused on the government’s activity so far and shared his party’s vision of Armenia for the next five years. In a reference to domestic policies he said that over the last 15 difficult years Armenia has succeeded in building a sovereign state based on democratic principles. He also referred to foreign policy challenges saying Armenia will never agree to Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s demands and will remain committed to unconditionally improving ties with Turkey. Referring to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Serj Sarkissian said that Armenia will press for the international recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s right to self-determination and will help crate grounds for it. He said that Armenian believes that Nagorno-Karabakh must have a common border with Armenia and it also must have strong security guarantees. According to him currently the government of Armenia has enough political will to hold free, fair and transparent presidential elections. Also during the 11th congress of the party, Serzh Sarkisian was elected chairman of the Armenian Republican Party. He was elected unanimously by 650 delegates of the party’s congress. According to him it is a great responsibility to be chairman of a party whose previous leaders were its founder Ashot Navasardian and former Prime ministers Vazgen Sarkisian and Andranik Margarian. He promised to work hard and increase the role of the party in all areas of Armenian life. Parliament chairman Tigran Torosian, Mushegh Lalayan, Razmik Zohrabian and Galust Sahakian were elected deputy party chairmen. The congress also increased the number of the party’s governing board from 72 to 100 and set up a 13-member executive body.