New-born baby in Armenia named “Sarkozy”January 25, 2012 - 17:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A couple in Armenian city of Gyumri named their newborn baby after French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday, January 25 in thanks for the French Senate vote to outlaw denial of 1915 Armenian Genocide, AFP reported. The family said the child was given the first name Sarkozy out of gratitude to the French leader, who many Armenians have praised for backing the bill. "We were going to name the baby after his grandfather, but after the French Senate passed the bill despite threats from the Turks, we decided to name him in honour of the president of France, this brave man," the boy's grandmother Alvard Manukian said. "Let our baby, Sarkozy Avetisian, become a man as brave and just as his namesake," his grandmother said. Armenia has hailed Sarkozy for his commitment to the bill which has infuriated France's NATO ally Turkey, with President Serzh Sargsyan saying that France had "reaffirmed its greatness and power, its devotion to universal human values". Top stories As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed. David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |