Day: April 26, 2024

Following the U.K. government’s demand, Israel will allow U.K.-appointed observers to visit detention facilities holding Hamas members who have been under arrest since October 7https://t.co/yU6ukftuOK

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) April 26, 2024

⚡️Russian “double-tap” strikes have killed more than 90 Ukrainian first responders and injured close to 350 civilians since April 2022, said Timothy Hanway, the acting U.S. envoy to the OSCE, in an address on April 25.https://t.co/05yKR0t8ds

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 26, 2024

The European Parliament voted to condemn Russia’s fake elections and declared Putin illegitimate.https://t.co/y8XUO1tGRc

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) April 25, 2024

Official Yerevan on Friday signaled that it would support a proposed meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers at the invitation of Kazakhstan.

The existence of such a proposal was revealed earlier this week when President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan announced Baku’s readiness to such a meeting in Astana, the Kazakhstan capital.

Armenia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan on Friday said that a date for the meeting will be announced once an agreement has been reached.

“The Republic of Armenia considers and favors mediation efforts or negotiation platforms that are really aimed at achieving lasting peace in the South Caucasus, support the recognition of each other’s territorial integrity by Armenia and Azerbaijan and the process of delimitation based on the fundamental principles and mutually agreed documents, including the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration,” Badalyan said.

“We will inform about the date of the possible meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the suggestion of the Kazakh side as soon as an agreement is reached,” Badalyan added.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan last met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in talks hosted by Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin on February 28.

The Olympic Committee of Greece in cooperation with the Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Thessaloniki designated the Armenian Khatchkhar (Cross-stone) Memorial in Thessaloniki as one of the crossing points of the Olympic Flame.

Olympic bronze medalist, Armenian Greco-Roman Artiom Kiouregkian received the flame and transported in as part of Olympic Torch Relay at the proposal of Akis Dagazian, Armenia’s Honorary Consul in Thessaloniki.

The effort was supported by the local Armenian community. Many were present at the site despite the heavy rain.

Armenians have a long tradition of participating in the Olympics. Armenian athletes have mostly succeeded in weightlifting, wrestling, boxing but and artistic gymnastics.

Armenians also participated in the ancient Olympic Games with royal champions such as Tiridates III and Varazdat.

The lighting of the Olympic flame took place on Tuesday, April 16 at the Archaeological Site of Olympia, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1989. The flame will reach Marseille (France) on May 8 before continuing its journey through a number of French regions. 

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024.