Month: September 2013

MKHITARYAN VOTED “PLAYER OF THE WEEK”

01:13 05.09.2013

Borussia, Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s two goals in the match against Eintracht Frankfurt
earned him the title of the player of the week.

Mkhitaryan has been named the best with 41.33% of the votes in an
on-line voting on Bundesliga’s official website.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored twice for Borussia Dortmund to maintain its
winning start to the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt
on Sunday.

Dortmund is the only Bundesliga side to have won all four games since
the season began.

The voting for the best goal of the week is still underway. The
Armenian’s second goal is leading with over 57%.

Click here to vote.

ARMENIA WILL NEVER JOIN CUSTOMS UNION – EXPERT

Ekho Moskvy radio, Russia
Sept 3 2013

[Presenter] Armenia will never join the Customs Union, according
to Araik Sarkisyan, vice-president of the [Russian] Academy of
Geopolitical Problems. The expert explained that necessary conditions
for joining the union were missing. According to Sarkisyan, the
Armenian president’s statement is a clever political move.

[Sarkisyan] As long as Georgia is not a member of the Customs Union
and Azerbaijan is not a member of the Customs Union, and Armenia does
not have a direct border with Russia, at best this statement is just
a wish. Such statements have often been made before, so the latest
one should be seen as a political statement – no more, no less – in
order not to make Russia angry in the next two months until Armenia
signs a memorandum on joining the EU as an associate member [at an
Eastern Partnership summit in November] in Vilnius.

[Another expert, Mikhail Khazin, described Armenia’s decision to join
the Customs Union as “sensible” and “useful”.

“Armenia needs to look for external markets. It has very bad relations
with Turkey, Iran is under sanctions and it is difficult to enter
its market, so there is only the Customs Union, and this is a very
sensible decision. For us, from the political point of view, it is
a useful thing. From the economic point of view, it will practically
have no effect,” Khazin told Ekho Moskvy radio.

An expansion of the Customs Union will be in Russia’s interests since
it “plays an important role” in the Customs Union, he added.]

[Translated from Russian]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA TO JOIN MOSCOW-LED CUSTOMS UNION

Agence France Presse
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 2:51 PM GMT

MOSCOW, Sept 03 2013

Armenia said Tuesday it would join the Russia-led customs union to
help promote close integration among neighbours, a project championed
by Russian President Vladimir Putin to bind closer the remnants of
the Soviet Union.

The move was agreed during talks between Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian and Putin in Moscow.

“Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian announced the Republic of Armenia’s
decision to join the Customs Union and take all the necessary practical
steps to that effect, as well as take part in the establishment of
the Eurasian economic union in the future,” Russian news agencies
cited a document signed by the two leaders as saying.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the Republic of Armenia’s
decision and conveyed the Russian side’s readiness to assist in this
process in any way possible.”

According to Putin’s vision, the Russian-led customs union, which
includes ex-Soviet Belarus and Kazakhstan, will form the basis of
the Eurasian economic union with its own executive body and a single
currency.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has slammed the Kremlin’s
project as a “move to re-Sovietize the region.”

Russia has for years tried to get neighbouring Ukraine to join the
Customs Union. Kiev has so far resisted the pressure and hopes to
sign a landmark political and economic agreement with the European
Union at a summit in November.

LITHUANIAN POLITICAL REVIEWER SEES ARMENIA’S MOVE AS SIGN OF DESPAIR

Baltic News Service / – BNS
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 6:44 PM EET

VILNIUS, Sep 03, BNS – Armenia’s decision to join the Russian-led
Customs Union was caused by pressure from Moscow, Lithuanian political
reviewer Vytis Jurkonis has said.

Jurkonis, a lecturer at the Vilnius University’s International
Relations and Political Science Institute, says that the statement made
by the Armenian president on the move to accept the Russian proposal,
thus thwarting the option of signing the Free Trade Agreement with
the European Union (EU), can be viewed as a sign of despair.

“The statement should not be a surprise to many those who said that
Armenia is among the most dependent upon Russia. On the other hand, the
benefits and efficiency of the Customs Union with Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Russia, when Armenia has no borders with any of the countries,
is not convincing,” Jurkonis told BNS.

“Without doubt, it is part of a larger game – the Russian Federation
is stepping up pressure upon countries of the Eastern Partnership
program so that they do not sign Association Agreements. Armenia’s
geographical location and its complex relations with neighbors are
unenviable. The statement can be viewed as a certain sign of despair
due to the rather indefinite situation Armenia is in. In any case,
Russia and the Customs Union are hardly a better alternative to the
European perspective,” he said.

Armenia’s president announced intentions to join the Customs Union
after meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin earlier on
Tuesday.

IF ARMENIA CHOOSES RUSSIAN CUSTOMS UNION, IT CAN’T EXPECT AGREEMENT WITH EU – LINKEVICIUS

Baltic News Service / – BNS
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 3:32 PM EET

VILNIUS, Sep 03, BNS – Should Armenia choose to join the Customs Union
being established by Russia, it will not be able to expect a Free
Trade Agreement with the European Union, the Lithuanian presidency
over the European Union (EU) Council said on Tuesday.

“It means that it will not sigh the Free Trade Agreement with the EU,
if that is the choice it makes. This revises the situation, reduces
the level of ambition regarding the integration and cooperation with
the EU,” Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told BNS in
comment of the statement issued by the Armenian president.

“We respect any choice made by countries, however, they will not be
able to sign both agreements due to different tariff requirements,”
the minister said.

Armenia was earlier expected to initial the Association and Free
Trade Agreement with the EU during the EU Eastern Partnership summit
in Vilnius in the end of November.

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced the decision to join
the Customs Union after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA LOOKING AT OPENING RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN YEREVAN

ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 09:09 PM GMT+4

NOVO-OGARYOVO September 3

– Russia is looking at opening a Russian-language school and a branch
of the Moscow State University in the Armenian capital city Yerevan,
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday after talks with
his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan.

“We are committed to continue cooperation in the area of culture,
to promote contacts among scientists, student and youth exchanges,”
he said. “We are looking at an initiative to open a Russian-language
school and a branch of the Moscow State University in Yerevan.”

The Russian president noted that the two countries had already gained
successful experience of cooperation in the area of education. “I
mean the Russian-Armenian (Slavic) University and six branches of
Russian higher education institutions that were opened in Armenia
and which now are training more than 2,000 students,” he added.

RUSSIA, ARMENIA AGREE TO CONTRIBUTE TO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT BY POLITICAL MEANS

ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 06:47 PM GMT+4

NOVO OGARYOVO September 3

– Russia and Armenia have agreed to contribute to the soonest
settlement of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh by political means.

Presidents of Russia and Armenia, Vladimir Putin and Serzh Sargsyan,
have signed a joint statement to this effect.

The presidents of both countries “confirmed the commitment to resolving
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by peaceful means within the OSCE Minsk
Group based on the principles of non-use of force or the threat of
force, territorial integrity of states, equality and people’s right
to self-determination”, the statement says.

“In order to ensure regional stability and security Russia and
Armenia expressed readiness to further strengthen cooperation and
improve military-political and military-technical relations,” the
statement says.

Sargsyan said much attention was riveted to the settlement of regional
conflicts. “The parties confirmed that they were ready to settle the
conflict by exclusively peaceful means,” the Armenian president said.

He said Armenia was also ready to search for ways to overcome the
crisis and solve all problems in compliance with the Joint Statement
made by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, the U.S. and
France).

NORDIC, BALTIC FOREIGN MINISTERS HOPE TO SIGN AA WITH ARMENIA, GEORGIA, MOLDOVA WITHIN EP SUMMIT

ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 06:25 PM GMT+4

STOCKHOLM September 3

– Foreign ministers of Nordic and Baltic countries (Denmark, Iceland,
Latvia, Sweden, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Estonia) hope to sign
the Association Agreement with Armenia, Georgia and Moldova within
the Eastern Partnership.

The ministers also support the signing of the Association Agreement
between Ukraine and the EU at the Eastern Partnership summit due to
take place in Vilnius in November “if Ukraine proves real progress
in key fields in compliance with the resolutions of the EU summit of
December 2012”.

The Eastern Partnership is a cooperation programme between the
European Union and Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova
and Ukraine. Poland and Sweden initiated it in 2008. The project was
launched on May 7, 2009.

The Eastern Partnership was created to bring closer positions and
strengthen relations between Eastern Europe and the European Union.

The priorities are to create a political community, to strengthen a
free trade zone and cancel visas.

ARMENIA’S ENTRY IN EURASIAN INTEGRATION STRUCTURES TO BOOST ECONOMIC COOPERATION – PUTIN

ITAR-TASS, Russia
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 06:17 PM GMT+4

NOVO-OGAREVO September 3

– Russian President Vladimir Putin is convinced that Armenia’s
entry in the Eurasian integration process will speed up economic
cooperation. The Russian president has made a statement after the
negotiations with visiting Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan at the
Russian presidential countryside residence outside Moscow on Tuesday.

“I am convinced that Armenia’s entry in Eurasian integration
structures will give a strong impetus to mutually beneficial economic
cooperation,” Putin said. He noted that Russia supports Armenia’s
decision to join the Customs Union and the country’s participation in
the Eurasian Economic Union. “We will promote this process in every
way,” Putin pledged.

Armenia decided to join the Customs Union, the presidents of Russia
and Armenia said in a joint statement, which was signed upon results
of the negotiations between them.

“The presidents confirmed the striving of Russia and Armenia to develop
further the processes of economic integration in the Eurasian space,”
the joint statement reads. “In this respect, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan stated about the decision, which the Republic of Armenia
had taken to join the Customs Union, take necessary practical steps
for the purpose and to participate in the shaping of the Eurasian
Economic Union in the future,” the document runs.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA, ARMENIA COMMITTED TO PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – STATEMENT

Interfax, Russia
September 3, 2013 Tuesday 7:46 PM MSK

NOVO-OGARYOVO. Sept 3

Russia and Armenia express their commitment to the settlement of
the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh by
peaceful methods, says a joint statement Russian President Vladimir
Putin and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed in summing up
outcomes of the latter’s visit to Russia.

“The presidents of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia
confirmed their commitment to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict exclusively by peaceful means in the format of work with
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs based on the integrity of principles
of non-use of force or the threat of using force, territorial
integrity of the states, equitability, and the peoples’ right to
self-determination,” it says.

The two countries reaffirmed their mutual willingness to
further strengthen cooperation and improve interaction in the
military-political and military-technological areas to ensure regional
stability and security.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress