Month: February 2015

YEREVAN BLAMES AZERI ARMY FOR SHELLING FRIENDLY VILLAGES

Interfax, Russia
Feb 5 2015

The Azeri Armed Forces shelled a number of friendly village at the
border with Armenia in the early hours of Thursday, Armenian Defense
Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan claimed.

“The Azeri village of Parakhli that is on the opposite side from the
villages of Baganis and Koti in the Tavush district of [northeastern]
Armenia was under the shelling from the Azeri positions starting from
10.40 p.m. (9.40 p.m. Moscow time). Mostly, tracer bullets were fired.

This is another provocation of the Azeri side,” Hovhannisyan wrote
on Facebook.

The Azeri army “continued to shell the villages of Parakhli and
Kushchi Airum” overnight, he said.

In turn, the Azeri Defense Ministry reported 70 violations of the
ceasefire regime by the Armenian army along the line of contact with
Azeri troops and said large-caliber machineguns were used.

The ministry said the hostile fire had been suppressed.

Tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone have been lingering
for several months. The sides are trading ceasefire breach accusations
daily.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) urged
Azerbaijan and Armenia on January 27 to exhibit self-restraint in
the Karabakh peace process.

“We called on Azerbaijan to observe its commitments to a peaceful
resolution of the conflict. We also call on Armenia to take all
measures to reduce tensions,” reads a statement by OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen issued after their meeting with the Azeri Foreign Minister.

“The rise in violence that began last year must stop for confidence
to be restored and progress to be made in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process,” the statement reads.

The OSCE emphasized the importance of measures that could prevent
unintended incidents between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN PMS DISCUSS BILATERAL COOPERATION AHEAD OF EEU MEETING

Interfax, Russia
Feb 5 2015

GORKI. Feb 5

The prime ministers of Russia and Armenia have discussed their
bilateral agenda and cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU) ahead of an EEU meeting of head of states.

“This is our first meeting since Armenia joined our integration
project that is the Eurasian Economic Union,” Dmitry Medvedev told
his Armenian counterpart Hovik Abrahamyan on Thursday.

The meeting is taking place ahead of Friday’s first meeting of the
EEU intergovernmental commission in an expanded format, he said.

“Today we have the opportunity to discuss briefly but concisely
our relations, both economic and investment issues, and all other
topics that have relevance for our countries,” the Russian prime
minister said.

Abrahamyan thanked him “for the great personal support” for Armenia in
joining the EEU. In 2014, trade between Russia and Armenia reached $1.5
billion, which is 3.2% more than in 2013, the Armenian premier said. .

Russia is Armenia’s key foreign economic investor. Total Russian
investment in Armenia since 1991 has stood at around $3.4 billion.

In 2009, the Armenian government received a $500 million 15-year loan
from the Russian government on preferential terms. The credit line
was fully closed by the Armenian government in October 2013 at the
expense of funds received by Yerevan from the placement of Eurobonds.

kk cy

From: Baghdasarian

CLARK U.’S AKCAM RECOGNIZED WITH HRANT DINK SPIRIT OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE MEDAL

Targeted News Service
February 5, 2015 Thursday 10:11 PM EST

WORCESTER, Mass.

Clark University issued the following news release:

Clark University History Professor Taner Akcam was recently presented
with the Hrant Dink Spirit of Freedom and Justice Medal by the
Organization of Istanbul Armenians on the 8th commemoration of Dink’s
assassination. The late Hrant Dink was a prominent Turkish-Armenian
journalist known for his efforts of reconciliation between Turks and
Armenians and his advocacy of human and minority rights in Turkey.

Professor Akcam holds the Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and
Stephen and Marian Mugar Endowed Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies
at Clark. It is the only chair in the world dedicated to research
and teaching on the subject of the Armenian Genocide. He was the
first Turkish scholar to publicly express his conviction that the
1915 Armenian genocide occurred under the Ottoman Empire.

“It is a great honor for me to receive this award,” said Professor
Akcam. “Hrant Dink was the Martin Luther King Jr. of Turkey; he
symbolized freedom of speech and justice. It is critically important
to remember him and to work to keep his spirit alive as we continue
to fight for the recognition of Armenian genocide.”

Akcam will add this to his growing list of honors and accolades. In
2006, he was recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for his
outstanding work in human rights and for fighting genocide denial. He
also received the Hrant Dink Freedom Award from the Armenian Bar
Association for being “a champion of historical truth about the
Armenian Genocide” and for his “courageous defense of liberty and
free speech.”

This is the second year the Hrant Dink medal has been awarded; last
year’s recipient was Khatchig Mouradian, editor of the Armenian Weekly
and professor at Rutgers University and Worcester State University.

Mouradian is a PhD. candidate at Clark, where he is working on his
dissertation on the second phase of the Armenian Genocide. He has
also taught courses at Clark.

MOSCOW CONCERNED OVER SERIOUS DETERIORATION OF SITUATION IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH – LUKASHEVICH /UPDATES/

ITAR-TASS, Russia
February 5, 2015 Thursday 05:44 PM GMT+4

MOSCOW February 5.

Russia is concerned over the serious deterioration of the situation
in Nagorno-Karabakh, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich
told a briefing on Thursday

“A very difficult situation persists on the contact line and on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” he said. “Still there are many cases
of violation of the ceasefire regime, armed clashes have become
more frequent and the activity of subversive-sabotage groups has
intensified.”

Lukashevich said that according to reports of the monitoring mission
of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
that are based on official source data, in January 2015 alone a total
of 12 people have been killed and 18 injured in the conflict zone. “It
is clear that the actual number of casualties may be considerably
higher,” he added.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at loggerheads for decades over the
status of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region inhabited almost
entirely by ethnic Armenians but which is located within Azerbaijan’s
internationally recognised borders.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that a statement made by
the troika of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group after a meeting with
the Azerbaijani foreign minister in Krakow on January 27 this year,
contains “an appeal to all the conflict sides to observe the ceasefire
agreements.” On Thursday, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are to meet
in Munich with the Armenian foreign minister to discuss the situation
on the contact line and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

“We strongly urge the sides to take efficient measures to de-escalate
tension and avoid taking steps that may escalate the conflict,”
the diplomat said. –0–ezh

CSTO PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH PROBLEM

Central Asia General Newswire
February 5, 2015 Thursday 2:39 PM MSK

YEREVAN. Feb 5

The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), Nikolai Bordyuzha, has expressed concern about tensions on the
border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Armenian Foreign Ministry
spokesperson told Interfax.

At his meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian in
Yerevan on Wednesday, Bordyuzha “expressed deep concern over the
recent escalation on the Armenian-Azeri border and on the contact
line between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and reaffirmed the CSTO’s
unreserved support for peaceful resolution of the Karabakh problem,”
the spokesperson said.

The parties also discussed preparations for meetings of CSTO charter
institutions scheduled for this spring.

Armenia attaches importance to cooperation within the CSTO which “is
an important component of providing security, and will continue its
consistent efforts to reinforce an alliance within the Organization,”
Nalbandian said.

From: Baghdasarian

FIRST ARMENIAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HOSTS SEMINARY SCHOLARSHIP ORGANIZATION’S 70TH ANNUAL MEETING

Fresno Bee, CA
Feb 6 2015

By Ron Orozco

A seminary scholarship organization for Armenian Evangelical
Churches in America will celebrate the 70th edition of its annual
banquet/membership meeting at 1 p.m. Feb. 8 at First Armenian
Presbyterian Church, 430 S. First St.

Armenian Theological Students Aid, Inc., was chartered by Fresno
pastors Arsham K. Yeramian and Hagop Chakmakjian, along with Yettem
business owner Ezras Tellalian, in 1944.

The organization assists seminary students in the United States,
Canada, Near East and in other Armenian communities around the world.

Edward S. Saliba is president of the nine-member board of directors.

The luncheon is free. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Details: (559) 237-6638.

Read more here:

From: Baghdasarian

AS IRAN AND ARMENIA AGREE ON A NEW RAIL LINK, RUSSIA BLOCKS PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT

Asia News, Italy
Feb 6 2015

by Armen Grigoryan

Plans to build the rail link date back to 2008. Iranian Foreign
Minister pushes for cooperation with Yerevan, seeking investors for
its section of the line. Russia, which operates Armenia’s existing
railroads, does not want Iran to export gas through Armenia. The
latter’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union hinders NATO
military bases in Georgia.

Yerevan (AsiaNews) – During a press conference in Yerevan on January
27, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif said
that various opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation could
potentially be beneficial, and Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU) could represent one such opportunity. He noted
that trilateral discussions (apparently, with the participation of
Russian representatives) concerning the construction of a railroad
connecting Armenia and Iran had been successful, and that negotiations
concerning cooperation on energy and gas supplies may also prove
fruitful. Foreign Minister Zarif also noted Iran’s readiness to
complete the hydroelectric plant project on the Arax River, while
financial issues related to the other projects could soon be resolved
by the Armenian government (Aravot.am, January 27).

The construction of a railroad connecting Armenia with Iran was
first promised by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in an address
to the National Assembly (parliament) in October 2008. Financing
the construction, however, was a problematic issue: while Iranian
officials confirmed the commitment to build a link connecting Iran’s
existing railroad network to the Armenian border, a considerably larger
investment would be required to carry out the construction on the
Armenian side. The estimated cost of building the Armenian section of
the railroad is about $3.2 billion, which does not include the costs
of land acquisition and customs duties on equipment. The project’s
entire cost is on a level comparable to Armenia’s annual budget.

On August 7, 2014, the Armenian government approved an initial
project. A memorandum prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
suggested that the Export-Import Bank of China could provide a loan
for about 60 percent of the construction costs, with a 3.5-percent
annual interest rate (News.am, August 8, 2014). Later, in October 2014,
Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan replied to a parliamentary
inquiry that the government was still looking for investors, and no
specific decision had been made yet (Tert.am, October 22, 2014). Then,
Minister of Transport and Communications Gagik Beglaryan indicated that
negotiations with some prospective investors were going on, although
without concrete results so far. He added, an agreement signed during
Deputy Transport Minister Arthur Arakelyan’s visit to Tehran provided
that Iran would invest $400 million in the construction of a railroad
link to the Armenian border (Azatutyun.am, December 11, 2014). In turn,
Victor Rebets, the manager of the Russian company operating Armenia’s
existing railroads, the South Caucasus Railroad Stock Company,
announced that his firm plans to operate the Iran-Armenia link as
well, supposedly from 2022, when construction work is expected to be
finished. However, he did not indicate whether the Russian side had
planned to make an investment in order to accomplish the construction
works (Arka.am, December 22, 2014).

On the other hand, it will be difficult to realize Minister Zarif’s
recently specified Armenian-Iranian project on natural gas supply
cooperation, even though it is estimated to cost much less than the
aforementioned railroad’s construction. While Iran has consistently
shown interest in the possibility of exporting gas to Europe via
Armenia and Georgia, Moscow has consistently used its leverage
on Yerevan to prevent Iran’s development in that direction. The
Armenian section of the Armenian-Iranian pipeline launched in 2007
is 28-inch wide, instead 56 inches, as initially planned, while the
Iranian section built specially for this connection is 56 inches
wide. The Armenian government had decided to reduce its pipeline
section’s diameter under Russian pressure, and then sold its share to
ArmRosgazprom-the company operating Armenian gas distribution networks
with 80 percent of its shares owned by Russia’s Gazprom. In December
2013, Russia persuaded Armenia to sell the remaining 20 percent of
its shares as well, and a new bilateral agreement guarantees Gazprom’s
monopoly for a further 30 years. It may also be noted that while the
deal signed in December 2013 was being discussed, Iran’s ambassador
to Armenia, Mohammad Reyisi, announced that Iran was ready to provide
cheaper gas supplies than Russia (Lragir.am, December 6, 2013).

However, the Armenian government did not consider that opportunity,
choosing instead to fulfill Moscow’s demands.

Russia has consistently stood in the way of Iranian gas transit
via Armenia, considering such an outcome a threat primarily to
Russia’s geopolitical interests. After all, as a transit country,
Armenia would obtain some more room for maneuver and become less
dependent on Russia. Contrarily, Moscow does not object to the
proposed Armenian-Iranian railroad, although it is not yet clear
whether Russia plans to invest in this transportation project
directly. Russian representatives have been saying that Armenia’s
EEU membership should provide an additional pretext for persuading
Georgia to provide transport corridors to connect Russia with Armenia,
which would increase the strategic potential of the Russian military
base in Armenia. Moscow also intends to take control of the customs
service on the Armenian-Iranian border, replacing the Armenian custom
inspectors with a “Eurasian customs service.” Additionally, Russian
sources have openly indicated that Armenia’s EEU membership, as well
as Russia’s recent agreement with Abkhazia and the planned agreement
with South Ossetia, should help to prevent the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) from establishing military infrastructure in
Georgia-not to mention block Georgia’s deeper economic integration
with the European Union (see EDM, December 11, 2014).

In summary, the possible construction of an Armenian-Iranian railroad
is primarily an economic issue for Armenia, although the potential
benefits will be limited without having a direct connection with
Russia, as the landlocked country’s border with Turkey remains closed.

At the same time, though Russia is interested in having a railroad
connection with Iran, it has an opportunity to use a route across
Azerbaijan as an alternative. Russia’s possible contribution toward the
construction of the Iranian-Armenian railroad is bound to be connected
to Russian geopolitical interests, as Moscow plans to strengthen its
grasp on the South Caucasus.

(Courtesy of the Jamestown Foundation)

,-Russia-blocks-pipeline-development-33396.html

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALEPPO BISHOPS SAYS SYRIAN CHRISTIANS BETRAYED BY THE WEST

ANSAmed, Italy
Feb 6 2015

Monsignor Marayati laments lack of help, ‘city is dying’

(by Fausto Gasparroni) (ANSAmed) – ROME, FEBRUARY 6 – The Armenian
Catholic bishop of Aleppo told ANSA on Friday that the Christian
community in Syria felt “forgotten, neglected and betrayed by the
West”. Monsignor Boutros Marayati added, in response to a question
about the international community’s reaction to the conflict that has
been ongoing for almost four years, that “no one thinks about us. For
example, you hear about Kobane (also known as Ayn Al-Arab, Ed.), and
Kobane is a small, unimportant town, while Christians – most of whom
live in Aleppo – are forgotten.” “The situation in Aleppo,” he said on
the fringes of a bishops prayer for peace he presided over on Friday
in the Santa Maria in Trastevere church, promoted by the Comunita di
Sant’Egidio, “is tragic. There is a lack of water, electricity, light,
heating, and fuel. The doctors have left and there is no medicine. But
we are living there, surviving. We feel a bit abandoned, forgotten,
by the West and the entire world.” Monsignor Marayati went on to say
that churchgoers “often come and ask us whether they should stay or
go. And you can’t say anything given the tragedy before us, since
there is above all a lack of security.

Rockets and bombs come from the jihadists’ area, and two weeks ago
our cathedral was also hit a rocket that destroyed the cupola and
the entire roof.” “The people are now thinking about leaving,” he said.

“Already two thirds of the Christian population, the Armenians, have
left. Only a small one-third of them have stayed – those that still
believe in peace want to stay. Especially when the appeal to save
Aleppo was launched, or at least to freeze the situation and bring
in a ceasefire, some believed and still do.

They are however becoming more pessimistic, because the situation has
not changed. It has instead become worse.” Marayati underscored that
“there is hope. There have been many appeals, and even the Comunita
di Sant’Egidio made an appeal to save Aleppo. However, nothing has
changed on the ground, in reality. To the contrary: it has become
worse.” “At this point,” he continued, “we only open our churches to
help people. Aid comes and everyone has become poor and in need of
help. Those who used to help the church now need help themselves.

People are fed up. Is there such thing as human dignity? How can you
always line up for a drop of water, to wait for petrol, wait for food.

The wealthy have left and the middle class has become poor.” The
bishop said that, nevertheless, “despite everything, we have opened
the schools and churchgoers come to church. Many of the churches have
been destroyed, but those that are still functioning are filled with
believers praying that this type of evil – as the Gospels say – will
go away simply by praying and fasting. We call for peace through
appeals for prayer and fasting. As one bishop said, ‘these are
things we ask the Lord with tears’. This is what we do now in our
communities.” On the subject of relations with other communities,
including non-Christian ones, the Armenian Catholic bishop stressed
that “what was beautiful about Aleppo was that everything is done in
an ecumenical fashion” he said.

“Either we’re together or we aren’t. And so, everything that is done
is done between the Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, and with
moderate Muslims. Everything that happens now – at least as concerns
the part that is still there – is cooperation, a collaboration,
ecumenical and interfaith solidarity.” (ANSAmed).

ABOUT 200,000 ARMENIANS MAY GET BANNED FROM RUSSIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 6 2015

6 February 2015 – 8:38pm

Gagik Yeganyan, the head of the Migration Service of the Armenian
Ministry for Territorial Governance and Emergencies, said that
50,000-60,000 Armenians had left Russia and could not return back
for violating the Russian migration law, News.am reports.

In his words, over 3 million people have violated the Russian migration
laws. They may get banned from Russia for up to 10 years.

About 180,000 of the violators are Armenians.

THREE PEOPLE KILLED IN AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA CLASHES

Press TV, Iran
Feb 6 2015

Fri Feb 6, 2015 6:9PM

At least three people have been killed in clashes between Azeri and
Armenian forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisian, said
on Friday that an Armenian was killed during Azeri forces’ shelling
of villages along the Karabakh border.

The second victim, a 25-year-old Armenian soldier, was killed by the
Azerbaijani fire in a separate incident along the Karabakh front line,
the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Separately, an Azerbaijani soldier lost his life in a shootout with
Armenian forces on Thursday.

Multiple confrontations between Baku and Yerevan over the disputed
mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh left tens of troops dead from
both sides last year.

The two ex-Soviet Caucasus nations claim the territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which is located in Azerbaijan but largely populated
by Armenians.

Ethnic Armenian forces took control of the enclave, which accounts
for 16 percent of Azerbaijan territory, in the early 1990s during
a six-year war that took place from February 1988 to May 1994. The
conflict left an estimated 30,000 people dead and one million displaced
before the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in 1994. A permanent peace
accord has never been inked and the dispute still remains unsettled.

Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the region by force if
negotiations between the two sides fail to yield results.

IA/KA/SS