Month: September 2013

OVER 500 COMMUNITIES IN ARMENIA CONNECTED TO GAS NETWORK IN 11 YEARS

YEREVAN, September 17. / ARKA /. Armenia’s Russian-controlled natural
gas operator ArmRosgaprom (ARG) said it has connected 546 rural and
45 urban communities to natural gas network in 2002-2013, out of the
total 998 communities.

“We have now 644,448 subscribers connected to the network – 345,547
in multi-apartment buildings and 298,901 in privately-owned homes,”
the company said.

Prior to 1993, Armenia had 388 communities with 485,000
households connected to the network. -0- – See more at:

IT’S TIME TO CLOSE DOWN FOREIGN MINISTRY

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia welcomes Russian-American
agreement to destroy Syria’s chemical weapon and achieve a peace
settlement in Syria.

This is the first statement of the Armenian foreign minister after
Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on Armenia’s membership to the Customs
Union. The MFA was not distinguished for initiatives but attempts
at diversifying political priorities allowed room for Armenia to
maneuver. However, many people assessed September 3 as the final loss
of the right to foreign policy.

Now Armenia will have to walk behind Russia. And the statement on
Syria is evidence to this.

Armenia’s foreign policy has its unique aspects due to the existence
of the Armenian Diaspora which exceeds the population of Armenia 2-3
times. On the one hand, the Diaspora provides lobby, financial and
other means of foreign policy. However, it must also be an object
of foreign policy which must insist on national interests all over
the world.

This refers to Syria and Turkey and the entire Bigger Near East
which is on the verge of transformation. Armenians living in Turkey
do not call themselves Diaspora because they live in their historical
territory. But it is their duty to protect Armenia, as a duty of the
descendants of the genocide victims.

Unprecedented things are happening in Turkey. In Diarbekir
(Tigranakert) a monument in honor of the victims of the Genocide
of Armenians and Syrians was opened. The monument was dedicated by
the mayor of Diarbekir Abdullah Demirtas. “We the Kurds are asking
absolution from Armenians and Assyrians for what our ancestors did in
1915. We will continue our endeavor for compensation to the innocent
victims,” Demirtas said.

The Armenian MFA did not react to this unprecedented event, as well as
to Aghvan Hovsepyan who stated earlier in summer to launch a process
of legal claims to Turkey. It is not known whether the process will
continue in the light of membership to the Customs Union. Obviously,
the MFA was unable to give it a state or national status. Moreover,
Shavarsh Kocharyan had to disavow his statement under foreign pressure.

Appeals to establish a united Armenian army appeared on social
networks. But first it is worthwhile to create a united Armenian MFA
which will work out an integrated policy, express a stance and pursue
national interests. Because Armenia’s foreign political isolation
could expose to threat the interests of the whole nation, and not
only Armenia. Armenia’s foreign policy has already exposed state and
national interests. It is time to close down the MFA, given that its
building has already been sold to a Diaspora Armenian.

Naira Hayrumyan 17:12 17/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: ARMENIA’S FOREIGN POLICY ENDANGERED

Tuesday,
September
17

The independence and foreign policy of Armenia are endangered, the
leader of opposition Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian told a press
conference today.

“By being opposed to Armenia’s entry into the Customs Union, we don’t
state about anti-Russian sentiment. If Russia invites us to economic
cooperation, it should not also forget about the security of Nagorno
Karabakh”, Raffi Hovannisian stated.

He announced his plans to hold a large rally in Liberty Square of
Yerevan on September 21.

‘Unfortunately, our citizens’ protest against the Customs Union is
still weak. The majority of them are still unable to assess soberly
what has happened,” R. Hovannisian said.

TODAY, 16:25

Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA MP CRITICAL OF AGRICULTURAL LENDING POLICY

15:01 17.09.13

Artur Stepanyan, a Board member, Central Bank of Armenia (CBA),
informed Armenia’s Parliament on Tuesday of new agricultural loans
at an annual interest rate of 14%.

He also reported better credit repayment.

Lyova Khachatryan, a Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) parliamentary
group member, got indignant at the official’s statement. “Your loans
at relatively low interest rates are for people take out in order to
repay the higher-interest loans they took out earlier and have since
been unable to repay. They have not been invested in agriculture,”
Khachatryan said.

In response, Stepanyan said that loans totaling AMD 115bn have been
granted. “And the 14% annual interest rate in the lowest rate the
banks set for the agricultural sector,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARF-D NEVER AGREED WITH ARMENIA’S FOREIGN POLICY – MP

16:44 17.09.13

Although Vahan Hovhannisyan, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) parliamentary group member, has accepted
a proposal to work as Armenia’s ambassador to Germany, it does not
mean the ARF-D agrees with Armenia’s foreign policy, the ARF-D group
member Armen Rustamyan told journalists on Tuesday.

“We have never said we agree with this foreign policy. We have clearly
stated our position. It is based on the seven major points of the
ARF-D platform,” Rustamyan said.

“They have appointed Vahan Hovhannisyan, but they are well aware he
has his own opinion and we are not going to change ours. If you ask
Hovhannisyan, he will say the same,” Rustamyan said.

He stressed that Armenia’s FM Edward Nalbandian has changed his stance
on a number of issues. Following Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s
statement on Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and involvement
in the European Union’s development, an entirely new situation has
developed in Armenia.

“We [the nation] – particularly the foreign minister – will not admit
the fact, but it is his problem. It is common knowledge that Armenia’s
foreign policy has changed since September 3. We are moving toward
the Eurasian Union. It is forming a political power pole, with Russia
and China being the pivot thereof. Armenia has got involved in this
process as well,” Rustamyan said.

Armenia’s FM is trying to present the country’s accession to the
Customs Union as economic cooperation, which is not actually so.

Armenia has no alternative.

“If we have no alternative, we should build up what we have,”
Rustamyan said. He stressed that Armenia’s authorities must publicly
admit that it was a political decision rather than a means of solving
economic problems.

As regards Armenia-EU cooperation, Rustamyan noted that the EU will
certainly find a way of cooperating with Armenia. However, it will
not be on the earlier planned scale.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EGYPT COULD BECOME FIRST MUSLIM COUNTRY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: VATICAN INSIDER

16:25, 17 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Egypt could become the first Muslim
country to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 organized by the
Ottoman Empire. As reported by Armenpress, this was published by
the Italian website Vatican Insider, touching upon the unprecedented
step of the lawyer Muhammad Saad Khairallah,Mwho for the first time
in the history has submitted an accusatory claim against Turkey on
the organization of the Armenian Genocide.

The Egyptian Court will consider the case on November 5. Muhammad Saad
Khairallah stated about it for the first time during the talk-show
held on September 4. He expressed his hope that his claim will make
Egypt recognize the Armenian Genocide thus serving an example for
the other Arab countries.

During the talk-show a proposal was sound to erect a monument
commemorating the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide in Cairo,
the capital of Egypt.

Vatican Insider is a project run by the daily newspaper La Stampa,
designed to provide a complete information service on the Vatican,
the activities of the Pope and the Holy See, the Catholic Church’s
presence on the international scene and on religious issues. It is
an independent multimedia tool, produced in three languages: Italian,
English and Spanish.

It is distributed through the website , as
well as other digital platforms and the main social networks on the
Internet. It boasts a staff of qualified Vatican correspondents,
flanked by some of the most prestigious international names in the
field of religious and Vatican-based information.

It provides free news and in-depth reports seven days a week and
offers its partners exclusive journalistic services, inquiries,
interviews and information packages.

From: Baghdasarian

COLORING MATERIAL PRODUCTION IN ARMENIA INCREASED BY 5.5 PERCENTS

17:26, 17 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The coloring materials production
in the Republic of Armenia has been increased by 5.5 percents at the
course of the period ranging from January to July of the current year
in comparison with the same period of 2012, thus reaching 5 thousand
448.4 tons. In accordance with the data of the National Statistical
Service of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Armenia produced 5
thousand 164.9 tons of coloring materials during the last 7 months of
the previous year. As reports “Armenpress” the total volume of coloring
materials produced in the Republic of Armenia previous year equals
to 10 thousand 848.4 tons. In accordance with the data of the State
Revenue Committee under the Government of the Republic of Armenia, our
country exported over 100 tons of various coloring materials to foreign
countries at the course of the first six months of the current year.

SABIROGLU’S REMARK PROVES NON-CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH OF AZERBAIJANI SIDE – ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY

September 17, 2013 | 17:06

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijani side’s refusal to withdraw snipers from the
line of contact proves Baku’s non-constructive approach to the
settlement of Karabakh conflict, representative of the Armenian
Defense Ministry said.

“This is another proof that Azerbaijan supports escalation of situation
in the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces,”
spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He recalled the previous statements of the Armenian Ministry saying
Azerbaijan is responsible for the losses until hotbeds of tension
exist.

Earlier spokesperson for Azerbaijani Defense Minister Eldar Sabiroglu
said Armenia allegedly suffered more losses during shootouts at the
line of contact and expressed his position on international agencies’
demands to withdraw snipers form the line of contact: “Azerbaijani
state, the Ministry of Defense refuse to do so. We will not withdraw
snipers before the war ends.”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TBILISI HOSTS CONCERT DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN CHAIRMANSHIP OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE

September 17, 2013 | 15:44

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Embassy in Georgia and the office of Council of
Europe organized a concert in Tbilisi on Septemer 12

The event was attended by representatives from Georgian government,
diplomatic community and civil society organizations. The event was
held to celebrate the Armenian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe,
Armenian MFA’s press service reported.

It was also an occasion to raise awareness of the Council of
Europe’s No Hate Speech Movement. In this regard, Armenian Ambassador
Hovhannes Manukyan noted that “our common goal is to say no to hatred,
intolerance and discrimination.”

In his speech Ambassador noted that Armenia is actively involved in the
work of Council of Europe’s agencies and inter-governmental committees.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARF MEMBER’S APPOINTMENT AS AMBASSADOR WILL NOT FETTER PARTY – DASHNAKTSUTYUN MP

September 17, 2013 | 13:18

YEREVAN. – The Armenian authorities themselves appointed Vahan
Hovhannisyan knowing all too well that he has his own views.

Opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party Supreme Body member and
ARF National Assembly Faction leader Armen Rustamyan stated the
abovementioned during a press conference on Tuesday.

He reflected on ARF Bureau member and MP Vahan Hovhannisyan’s
appointment as Armenia’s Ambassador to Germany.

“We will not change our views, we will not be fettered. This
appointment will in no way fetter ARF in its policy,” he noted.

Rustamyan also stated that a completely new situation has arisen in
Armenia after September 3 in Moscow where, following the talk between
Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin,
Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and
subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union.

As per the opposition MP, Armenia’s foreign policy vector has changed
as a result of this announcement, and Armenia is now heading toward
the Eurasian Union, which is forming a geopolitical pole whose axis
is Russia and China.

“Armenia truly had no alternative today. We will strengthen what we
have, since we have an energy and military security issue,” he stated.

Armen Rustamyan also noted that the development of Armenian-Turkish
relations is not beneficial for Russia. As per the ARF official,
if these relations develop, Russia will have nothing to do in the area.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress