Month: September 2013

ARMENIA’S STEP SHORTENED GEORGIA’S WAY TO ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH EU – ARNOLD STEPANYAN

16:54 17.09.13

Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union dramatically shortened
Georgia’s way to an Association Agreement with the European Union
(EU), Arnold Stepanyan, Chairman of the Georgia-based Multinational
Georgia NGO, told Tert.am.

“Because it is clear to all the nations, including Europe, that other
states may be pressed like Armenia,” Stepanyan said.

A major part of Georgia’s society is for economic relations with
Europe.

In this context, Stepanyan rules out that Georgia following Armenia’s
scenario.

The Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Times) daily reported that Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili stated that “the Eurasian community
is rampant corruption, absence of authorities’ accountability to the
public and pressure on minorities. Eurasia is jailed oppositionists,
homeless boys, oligarchic economy, and driving licenses for money.”

That was President Saakashvili’s response to Premier Bidzina
Ivanishvili’s statement that Georgia would one day join the Customs
Union.

Armenian News – Tert.am

‘AND INJUSTICE FOR ALL’: THE RECENT ATTACKS ON ACTIVISTS IN ARMENIA

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Activists have been gathering in front of Yerevan’s municipal building
on a daily basis in peaceful protest

BY VARAK KETSEMANIAN

YEREVAN-For the past 20 days, activists in Yerevan have been staging
protests against corruption, inflation, controversial construction
plans, and President Serzh Sarkisian’s recent decision to join the
Russian-led Customs Union, among other issues. They have been met with
violence, by both police officers and organized gangs on the streets.

Observers claim the violent reactions have a common thread. The police
say they are investigating the incidents, but activists are skeptical
about the willingness of the authorities to reveal the perpetrators.

Many protestors affiliated with anti-corruption organizations have
taken to the streets to demand the resignation of two municipality
members-Misak Hambardzumyan, the director of Yerevan Trans, and
Henrik Navasardyan, the chief of the Transport Department-and the
implementation of reforms to diminish widespread corruption. The calls
for resignation are the ultimate manifestation of anti-corruption
and anti-inflation sentiments among the activists, who continue their
peaceful protests by gathering in front of the municipality building
on a daily basis.

Since the first days of the protests, during a period of two weeks
between Aug. 22 and Sept. 5, there have been numerous life-threatening
attacks against activists, including members of such organizations
as Transparency International or the Anti-corruption Center. Many
accuse the police of ignoring the reports filed by the victims, and
failing to carry out proper investigations. One activist who had been
detained by police on multiple occasions claimed they were acting in a
systemized and predetermined manner. The attacks reportedly have some
similarities: They occurred during the night. The victims reported that
once they left the protest scene (the vicinity of the municipality
building) and were a few streets away, a group of 5-10 men-clad in
the same black uniform and armed with blackjacks-approached and asked
whether they had taken part in the municipality protests. After getting
a positive response, the victims were beaten for a couple of minutes.

To cite a few examples, on Sept. 5, political activists Haygag
Arshamyan and Suren Saghatelyan were attacked by a group of eight men,
resulting in serious injuries, including swelling and nose fractures.

Another case was reported by 21-year-old Arman Aleksanyan, who was
attacked and beaten, with an injury to his head, on the night of Sept.

4. Many other protestors, such as Anushavan Krikorian, Mihran
Markarian, Papken Der-Krikorian, and Mikayel Donoyan, were similarly
attacked and injured during recent days.

Most of the victims claim there is a direct correlation between the
perpetrated attacks and the police department’s reluctance to arrest
the criminals. Argishti Kiviryan, the editor of Armenia Today and a
civil activist, told the press that the government in Armenia is using
its two main pillars-the police and the criminal world-to break the
emerging civil activism. Others have voiced their loss of trust in
the police, while some have warned that they will resort to private
means of self-defense.

What has perplexed activists is the fact that most of the victims
say the attacks took place on streets with security cameras, leading
some to believe the police are concealing the sequence of attacks. The
above-mentioned municipality members are seen as the primary culprits
behind the aggression and the attacks. “I have no guarantees today that
while walking in the streets of Yerevan some people won’t approach me
and subject me to some kind of violence. I am dealing with political
persecution in terms of my professional and public activities. It
can’t be defined as anything else,” said Kiviryan.

Meanwhile, tensions increased between the authorities and protesters
when President Sarkisian announced Armenia’s decision to join a
Russian-led economic union on Sept. 3. The news led to widespread
condemnation and complaints on behalf of political parties and NGO’s
who see the move as a violation of basic democratic principles. In
a Sept. 6 press conference, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
political affairs director Giro Manoyan emphasized that a government
elected by its own people must not take such decisions without the
consent or even the approval of its people and of parliament. In the
days that followed, protesters gathered at the presidential palace
to voice opposition to Armenia’s membership in the Custom’s Union.

On Sept. 6, demonstrators also gathered outside the Republican Party
headquarters to protest Sarkisian’s decision, which they saw as an
attempt to restore the Soviet Union. Police reportedly outnumbered
the journalists and protesters on the scene. Talking to reporters,
Levon Barseghyan said activists are displeased that the public was
not sufficiently informed of the details of the agreement with the
Custom’s Union. Clashes between police and activists continued when
the latter attempted to continue their demonstration outside of the
Presidential Palace. Several people were detained.

In light of the ongoing violence, Denis Krivosheev, the Europe and
Central Asia deputy program director of Amnesty International, said
in a press release that the Armenian government must ensure that
the work of the activists is carried out without any obstacles and
interference. Kriovsheev concluded that an impartial investigation
must proceed in order to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The police force of a given government has the duty to provide
protection against any aggression that may endanger the life of
its citizens. Yet, we are witnessing the exact opposite in Armenia,
where the police are supporting the interests of the ruling elite
at the expense of all other citizens. Are we witnessing a return to
the Hobbesian state of nature, where-in the absence of justice and
a law enforcer-each person is obliged to resort to personal means to
defend himself?

INTEGRATION ASPIRATIONS OF ARMENIA AND SOME ISSUES OF THE MILITARY AND POLITICAL SECURITY OF THE REP. OF ARMENIA AND NKR

12.09.2013

Sergei Sargsyan

Both Moscow and Brussels, which diplomatically and ornately state
that there are no contradictions between the integration of Armenia
in European and Customs Unions, nevertheless, hint that the suit of
documents necessary for signing the EU Association Agreement and
entering Customs Union contain some insuperable contradictions,
which in fact present RA and NKR with a crucial dilemma of choice.

In fact, formally the point is not “either/or”; the pivotal problem is
that Armenia has to make a choice of a main vector of its integration,
meanwhile the additional vector of political and, firstly, economic
cooperation will be inferior.

At the same time it looks like Moscow and Yerevan do not quite clearly
understand mutual reaction to the integration aspiration of Armenia.

It seems to be caused particularly by two main key divergences.

Firstly, today the same situation as in 90s and early 2000s when Russia
ensured Armenia’s military security and in economic and political
sphere the West played key role, is not possible. Both the situation
in economy and policy of these countries, power centers and Russia (its
geopolitical weight) have changed. Today Moscow regards ally relations
exclusively as common military-political and economic complex.

Secondly, Armenia considers signing of the EU Association Agreement as
another step in the direction of strengthening of its complementary
foreign policy and Moscow considers it as another step to the moving
stairway after which Yerevan will have little chances to “jump off”
and Armenia will inevitably become an ally and partner of the EU, i.e.

Russia’s geopolitical competitor, no matter what the diplomats and
politicians say.

On this assumption Russia, seeing that pro-European moods if not
among the majority in general, but at least among the majority of
media-active representatives of the expert community of Armenia are
prevailing, sharply activated its policy in regard to Armenia in
several directions simultaneously. In particular:

It intensified negotiations on all the joint military-political
and military technical projects which are on different stages of
implementation; It supplied heavy offensive arms worth $1 billion
to the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. They informed about it in the
June. This, on the one hand marked the process of marketisation of its
relations not only with Baku but also with its military and political
ally in the region – Yerevan, and on the other hand it strengthened
Armenia’s dependence on military technical and moreover military and
political support of Russia in Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

Russia is not the only but one of the main suppliers of weapons to
Armenia and Azerbaijan. The fact of selling large amount of weapons
by Russia – co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is responsible
for Nagorno-Karabakh settlement by peaceful means, affords ground for
diplomatic rhetoric, but this will not change the situation because
race of armaments began in the region long ago. And not only Russia
but Turkey (by the way, it is also a member of the OSCE Minsk Group)
supplied arms to Azerbaijan too.

But in this case Russia – Collective Security Treaty Organization
member, supplied weapons to Armenia which is member of the CSTO too,
and to Azerbaijan – which is not the CSTO member and which is in the
state of war with Armenia. Though according to the Article 2 of the
Collective Security Treaty “member-states will consult with each other
on key issues of international security, which affect their interests,
and coordinate their stances” and nothing more.

The similar example is the military sales by the NATO member countries
to Turkey, which is also a NATO member country and to Cyprus, which is
not a member of NATO and part of its territory is occupied by Turkey.

And Great Britain and the US used to arm Pakistan – their CEATO ally
(South-East Asia Treaty Organization, 1955-1977) and its rival India
in the period between escalations of the longstanding conflict and
imposing an embargo during the full-fledged military operations
(Second Kashmir War in 1965 and Third Indo-Pakistani War in 1971).

For Moscow it is both policy and business.

Business:

– It does not lose solvent Azerbaijan as a market for its weapons
and military equipment;

– It boosts its military industrial complex not only in the aspect
of production but also in the aspect of guarantee and post-guarantee
maintenance, modification, after market support, supply of ammunition,
etc.

– It receives additional financial dividends from training of the
operators of the modern weapons systems, etc.

Policy:

– It consolidates it positions:

in military and technical cooperation with (at least) Azerbaijan;
over the whole range of military-technical, military-political and
military-economic cooperation with Armenia. After the $1 billion worth
military sales to Azerbaijan, re-equipment and modification of both the
102nd Russian military base in Armenia and Armenian Armed Forces are
expected. In particular, it has already been stated about initiating
additional armament of the RA Air Force with combat aircrafts. Besides,
part of the armaments, military equipment, ammunition and components
will be produced at the military industrial facilities of Armenia. It
is clear that re-armament and modification will be carried out with
the consideration of current needs and broad range of equipment which
was supplied or is planned to be supplied to Azerbaijan;

– Russia strengthens its military and political presence in the South
Caucasus region in general: Consecutive visits of the secretary of
National Security Council of Russia N.Patrushev (June 23-25) and
Secretary General of the CSTO N.Bordyuzha (June 26-27) to Armenia
took place. During these visits a number of documents were signed and
several projects, which promote not only bilateral military-technical
and military-political partnership but also regional growth of
significance of Armenia, were initiated.

In particular, regional infrastructure of joint reserves will
be created – “ArmRosreserv”. The topicality of this project is
conditioned by the increase of the productivity and level of the
military-industrial cooperation between Armenia and Russia and will
allow solving crucial problems of ensuring security of Armenia, first
of all economic one, and it will also be of regional significance
because its infrastructure is of civilian designation (food, technical
equipment, etc.)

During the visit the Secretary of National Security Council of Armenia
A.Baghdasasryan and CSTO Secretary General N.Bordyuzha signed a
protocol, which consists of 20 points, stipulating deepening of the
cooperation in some directions within the framework of the CSTO of
both bilateral and multi-lateral character. It is supposed to create:

– special rescue units;

– mechanisms of cooperation between police agencies, constant dialogue
between special services and law-enforcement agencies;

– new joint enterprises in the sphere of military industry.

Besides, within the framework of decision of the CSTO about the
creation of the CSTO Troops, Collective Air Force – from Armenian Air
Force units and air units of the 102nd Russian military base will be
formed. Their goals will be:

– Implementation of troops carrier missions to the necessary regions
during the operations carried out by the CSTO

– Air defence of the CSTO operations.

And in general the CSTO Air Force will support armies of the member
countries during the protection of their sovereignty and territorial
integrity,

During the visit the issues of strengthening and modernization of the
Air Force of the RA, air units of the 102nd Russian military base in
Gyumri and modernization and re-equipment of the Antiaircraft Defence
of Armenia were also discussed.

* * *

Currently the military security of the Republic of Armenia is
guaranteed by:

– Armed Forces of the Rep. of Armenia and Army of Defence of NKR;

– Membership in the CSTO, and first of all military-political and
military-technical cooperation with Russia, 102nd Russian military
base and “Armenia” tactical group of Border Troops of FSS (Federal
Security Service) of Russia;

– Availability, maintenance, readiness and constant modernization of
the engineering facilities along the confrontation line in the area
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

At the same time, as the Russian emperor Alexander III stated at the
end of the 19th century: “Russia has only two allies – its army and
fleet”, Armenia, generally speaking, also has only two allies – Armed
Forces of the Republic of Armenia and Army of Defence of NKR. And
these two pieces are of paramount importance at the chess board of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

August, 2013

“Globus” analytical journal, #8, 2013

Return ________________________________ Another materials of author

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POST-SOVIET STATES ON THE EXAMPLE OF KIRGIZIA AND UKRAINE (EXPECTATIONS
AND CONCERNS)[03.06.2013] INTENSIFICATION OF RUSSIA-TURKEY INDIRECT
MILITARY AND POLITICAL CONFRONTATION[25.02.2013] GEORGIA: AN
ATTEMPT TO MANEUVER IN A NARROW GAUGE[14.01.2013] SOME ASPECTS
OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY AND POLITICAL SITUATION ROUND THE
NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT [02.08.2012] “IT IS NECESSARY TO RAISE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY”, – says the deputy head of the Center for Political
Studies of “Noravank” Foundation Sergei SARGSYAN in his interview
to “Golos Armenii”[26.07.2012] TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE: GOALS,
PROBLEMS AND RISKS [25.06.2012] TURKEY IN THE US MISSILE DEFENCE
SYSTEM: PRIMARY ASSESSMENT AND POSSIBLE PROSPECTS[13.10.2011] ARMENIA
AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE INTERESTS OF THE MILITARY AND POLITICAL
BLOCKS[05.09.2011] SHALE GAS GHOST[08.02.2011]

RUSSIAN STATE DUMA TO DISCUSS ARMENIA’S ‘APPLICATION’ FOR CUSTOMS UNION MEMBERSHIP SOON – EXPERT

21:39 17.09.13

The Russian State Duma will soon hold a meeting to discuss Armenia’s
“application” for membership in the Customs Union, Chairman of the
Union of Political Scientists of Armenia Hmayak Hovhannisyan told
Tert.am.

According to him, the “application” is Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan’s “word” said publicly following his meeting with his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which is tantamount to a written
application. “A word spoken is past recalling,” Hovhannisyan said. The
rest is technicalities, he added.

According to the established procedure, the Armenian president’s
“application” is to be discussed and approved by the parliaments of
the Customs Union member-states.

“It will take several months because it has been said that Armenia
may become a Customs Union member next may. The National Assembly is
supposed to approve that package of bills, which is not a problem. The
parliamentary force led by President Serzh Sargsyan constitutes a
decision-making majority. That is, no problems can be expected. Let
alone the fact that none of the political forces, except for the
5-member Heritage parliamentary group, has spoken against Armenia’s
accession to the Customs Union,” the expert said.

With respect to the fact that Armenia has no common borders with any
of the Customs Union member-states, Hovhannisyan said: “Why should we
be concerned over the matter if your website interviewed the economist
Mikael Melkumyan, who explained the situation. I said the same as a
political scientist.”

Both Melkumyan and Hovhannisyan stressed the fact that Armenia,
Georgia, Russia and all the Customs Union member-states signed the
Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR
Carnets (TIR Convention).

“And goods cross the Georgian border without any customs clearance.

Russian goods come to Armenia through Georgia. What problems may
arise?”

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIA’S ARMAVIR REGION: EMIGRATION OR POPULATION RISE?

20:52 17.09.13

Governor of Armenia’s Armavir region Ashot Kagramanyan told Tert.am
that, despite the hail-caused AMD 25bn damage, the villagers are
not emigrating.

However, the villagers told the opposite to Tert.am.

“Very many villagers are leaving. The authorities promised to provide
us with fertilizers, but have not kept their promise. We are in a
grave situation,” one of the villagers, Mgrashat, told Tert.am.

In response to the complaints, Governor Kagramanyan cited figures. He
does not deny emigration.

“This year we have 185 more first graders than last year. Our village
has not any serious population loss. Otherwise, we would not have
more first graders,” he said.

Kagramanyan noted that villagers normally go to seasonal work.

Head of the Aigeshat village community Aramais Mkhitaryan told Tert.am
that the hail-caused damage made many of the villagers go to other
countries.

A resident of the Amasya village told Tert.am that “ten people left
the village in the Soviet times, while 110 are leaving now.”

Governor Kagramanyan said that Armenia’s government rendered aid
estimated at AMD 7-8bn.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARF LAUNCHES ANTI-EMIGRATION CAMPAIGN

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

Leader of the ARF’s parliamentary bloc Armen Rustamian (left)

Campaign called “We Will Live in Our Country” aims to curb depopulation
of Armenia.

YEREVAN (Arka)-Rampant emigration from Armenia is depopulating
the country, putting the country’s national security in jeopardy,
Armen Rustamian, the head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s
Parliamentary bloc, said Tuesday at a press conference. The press
conference was being held to present the party’s new campaign called
“We Will Live in Our Country.”

Rustamian pointed out that the most immediate threat of depopulation
is the shortage of conscripts in the Armenian army.

“There are gaps also in other areas,” he said. The program consists
of 11 parts, targeting various areas, including economy, politics,
and education.

In its program, the ARF proposes to separate business and politics,
to pursue a just human resources policy, to make officials’ activities
more transparent and accountable, to provide young people with room
for putting their ambitions into reality, to create new jobs, to
make tax and customs policy more predictable, to spur investments,
to carry out a transition from social to industrial agriculture and
to increase the quality and availability of education.

Rustamian said the Armenian Revolutionary Federation embarked on this
program a few months ago.

“We have held a series of substantial discussions on various
professional platforms, and we need to start a new phase now,” he
said, adding that discussions will continue and stressing that this
campaign is not an ordinary project of the party, but rather the
party’s national plan.

The party leader also said that the ARF is willing to cooperate with
all parties in implementing this program.

“The authorities should understand that the continuation of this
situation means self-destruction, and we hope there are people who
understand this among officials,” he said.

Armenia’s population has contracted by 15,000 people since the
beginning of this year. Armenian citizens crossed the country’s
borders 702,525 times, 298,146 times arriving in it and 404,397
times departing.

It means 106,233 Armenians remained abroad in January to June, 2013,
compared to 73,451 in January to June, 2012.

According to June 2013 reports, there were 3,011,900 citizens in the
country then, of which 1,904,400 lived in cities and 1,107,500 in
rural areas.

From: Baghdasarian

FROM THE GRAPEVINE: PRODUCTION EXPECTED TO BE RICH FOR WINEMAKERS

NEWS | 17.09.13 | 16:43

Photolure

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

President of the Winemakers’ Union of Armenia says this year will
see excellent yield of grapes, and the procuring companies will work
efficiently with timely payments to suppliers.

Avag Harutyunyan, head of the Winemakers’ Union, told the press on
Tuesday that by official data the 45 grape procuring companies of
Armenia will purchase around 240,000 tons of crops, 160,000 of which
is to be used for food and drink production.

Harutyunyan says there are around 10 companies currently operating
in the field, which have purchased around 10,000 tons of grapes,
and starting September 20 all the companies will join the process.

“We have excellent, healthy crops of high quality. This is the last
year of the transition period when the farmer is asking to buy his
grapes. This year a process has commenced that would lead to next year
us asking to buy grapes from the farmer. This is a crucial time for the
Armenian grape market,” he says, adding that grape procurement prices
start from 145 drams (around 35 cents) per kilo and says he believes
the price will not drop, because if farmers had tens of hectares of
vineyards, the price would be justified, but now a farmer in Armenia
has the average of half a hectare of land with 70-80 quintal (100
kilograms) crops-yielding capacity, hence the profitable price for
him would have been 180-200 drams (around 43-48 cents) per kilo.

According to Harutyunyan, there will not be any problems with
the purchasing companies, because since last year the government
and the presidential staff have been overseeing payments and all
the companies, for the exception of only one or two, have met the
incurred liabilities.

In reference to joining the Customs Union, he says wine will not pose
a problem, however things are different with the Armenian brandy,
because 95 percent of it is consumed by the CU member countries while
a third country, namely France, dictates the rules in this game.

“The Association Agreement would allow us to use the word ‘Cognac’
in the Armenian market, the right to use ‘cognac’ term in the Russian
market is the privilege of Russian-French relations. They may reach
an agreement any moment, and in that case our presence in the Customs
Union would largely depend on them,” says Harutyunyan, adding that
if Armenian cognac is not granted access in the CU, there won’t be
enough demand for it to match today’s volumes of production.

ARMENIA DOUBLED EXPORT OF JAMS, JELLIES AND FRUIT PUREES

14:15, 17 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: The volumes of the jams, jellies
and fruit purees exported from the Republic of Armenia during the
first six months of the year of 2013 have increased in comparison
with the same period of the previous year by more than twice and
made 328,100 kilograms. According to the data provided by the State
Revenue Committee of the Government of the Republic of Armenia,
during the first months of 2012 156,000 kilograms of jams, jellies
and fruit purees were exported from Armenia.

As reported by Armenpress, the major part of the jams, jellies and
fruit purees exported from our Republic during the first six months
of the year of 2013 was tasted in Russia (206,800 kilograms), Canada,
Germany, the United States of America, Ukraine and other countries.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

ARMENIA’S IT SPHERE INTRODUCED IN “IT’S ARMENIA” SEMINAR IN TOKYO

16:32, 17 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of the Republic of
Armenia to Japan in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan, the
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japan Association for
Trade with Russia & NIS (ROTOBO), and the Japan Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (JCCI) organized a seminar titled “IT’s Armenia”,
which was held in Tokyo on September 13. The Press, Information, and
Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that the aforesaid seminar
was dedicated to the IT sphere in Armenia. The Embassy of the Republic
of Armenia to Japan invited the head of the Enterprise Incubator
Foundation (EIF) Bagrat Yengibaryan, Founder of “Instigate CJSC”
Vahagn Poghosyan, the Head of Viasphere International and Viasphere
Technopark Tony Moroyan (USA), and the Head of Engineering Department
of Mentor Graphics Corp. Ara Markosyan to introduce the Armenian IT
sphere. About 150 representatives of Japanese companies, scientific
research centers, and governmental structures attended the seminar.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

DASHNAKTSUTIUN: ARMENIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY JEOPARDIZED BY GROWING MIGRATION

YEREVAN, September 17. /ARKA/. Migration has loomed large and
diluted Armenia creating threat to the country’s national security,
Armen Rustamyan, the head of Armenian Revolutionary Federation /
Dashnaktsutiun party’s faction in the National Assembly, said Tuesday
at a meeting with journalists held for presenting the party’s social
program called We will Live in Our Country.

He also pointed out the shortage of conscripts in the Armenian army.

“There are gaps also in other areas,” he said.

The program consists of 11 sections targeting various areas, including
economy, politics and education.

In its program, Dashnaktsutiun party proposes to separate business and
politics, to pursue a just human resources policy, to make officials’
activities more transparent and accountable, to provide young people
with room for putting their ambitions into reality, to create new jobs,
to make tax and customs policy more predictable, to spur investments,
to carry out a transition from social to industrial agriculture and
to increase quality and availability of education.

Rustamyan said the Armenian Revolutionary Federation / Dashnaktsutiun
embarked on this program a few months ago.

“We have held a series of substantial discussions on various
professional platforms, and we need to start a new stage now,” he
said adding that discussions will be continue on other platforms and
stressing that this document is not an ordinary project of the party –
it claims the status of the national program.

The head of the faction also said that the party is willing to
cooperate with different, not only opposition parties in implementing
this program.

“The authorities should understand that continuation of this situation
means self-destruction, and we hope there are people understanding
this also among officials,” he said.

Armenia’s population has contracted by 15,000 people since the
beginning of this year. Armenian citizens crossed the country’s
borders 702, 525 times, of which 298,146 times for arriving in it
and 404,397 times for departing it.

It means 106,233 remained abroad in Jan-June 2013 against 73,451 in
Jan-June 2012.

According to June 2013 reports there were 3,011,900 citizens in the
country then, of which 1,904,400 lived in cities and 1,107,500 in
rural areas. —0—-