Author: Andres-Papazian

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW REACTOR FOR ARMENIAN NPP REMAINS ROSATOM PRIORITY

ARKA
Oct 26, 2011

YEREVAN, October 26. / ARKA /. Nikolay Spassky, a deputy chief
executive director of Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom, said today
in Yerevan that construction of a new reactor for Armenian nuclear
power plant is one of priority international projects of Rosatom.

Mr. Spassky was quoted by Novosti-Armenia news agency as saying that
he was involved in the preparation of an intergovernmental agreement
on the construction of a new reactor for the Armenian NPP, which was
signed last year during Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s visit
to Armenia.

“From the official point of view this project has the highest status
being made as an intergovernmental agreement,” said Spassky, adding
that he could not comment on media stories in Russia about its attitude
to the project, but could voice the official position of Russia and
Rosatom corporation which he represents.

“I repeat that we are not just ready to help Armenia build a new
reactor, we want to participate in it. We are ready to participate in
the financing of the project and are willing to participate further
in the future operation of the new reactor,” said Spassky.

Spassky said also the specific parameters of the project remain
at the discretion of the Armenian side. According to him, like
any other project the construction of nuclear power unit is very
difficult, requiring strict adjustments. Spassky said that the sides
have moved forward substantially one year after the signing of the
intergovernmental agreement.

In turn, Armenian deputy minister of energy and natural resources,
Areg Galstyan, said the work is being carried out in accordance with
Armenia’s law and international conventions and in accordance with
a schedule.

The Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant is located some 30 kilometers
west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following
a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230
light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities
said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging
facility. The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity
of the Soviet-constructed facility. Metsamor currently generates some
40 percent of Armenia’s electricity.

But the government has yet to attract funding for the project that
was estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility study to cost at as much
as $5 billion. Under a 2003 agreement Armenian nuclear power plant’s
financial flows are managed by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian
state-run Rosatom corporation. The agreement expires in 2013. In
2010 Russia and Armenia signed an agreement on cooperation in nuclear
energy sphere whereby Russia committed to assume 20% of all expenses.

The Armenian government will cover another 20% and the remaining part
is supposed to come from investors.

From: A. Papazian

SIXTY ISRAELI DRONES CO-PRODUCED IN AZERBAIJAN FOR BAKU. SPY SATELLITES NEXT

DEBKAfile Special Report
October 25, 2011, 2:20 PM (GMT+02:00)

Israeli missile-carrying UAV for Azerbaijan Azerbaijan’s election to
a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council brings to the world
body for the next two years a government which has cultivated lively
military and economic ties with Israel.

Those ties are constantly challenged by Turkey’s military industries,
giving Ankara yet another reason to scowl at Jerusalem. Russia, Armenia
and Iran also view this collaboration with distrust, especially the
rapid arming of the Azerbaijan army with assorted types of Israeli
drones co-produced in new factories established in Azerbaijan.

Both Moscow and Tehran are actively looking for ways to torpedo this
expanding military partnership.

debkafile’s military sources report that within the next two months,
the Azerbaijan army will take delivery of 60 drones of two types,
the Orbiter 2M, whose altitude ceiling is 4-6 kilometers and can stay
in the air up to 5 hours; and Aerostar, which can go as high as 10
kilometers and stay aloft for 12 hours.

Seventy percent of their components are manufactured in Israel,
30 percent in the new Azerbaijan factories.

This collaboration may be just the beginning.

At the end of September, Yavar Jamalov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of
Defense Industry, talked about building missile-carrying drones. It
was the first hint that the two governments had reached terms on
joint production of this advanced unmanned aerial craft.

Our sources report he was referring to the Hermes 450 produced by
Elbit, having already absorbed the Hermes 450 in his armed forces.

According to Western intelligence sources, Jerusalem and Baku are
also deep in discussion on the sale of Israeli military spy satellites.

Tehran is worried. debkafile’s Iranian sources report that in addition
to the radar stations Israel has installed on the Caspian shore with
an open eye on Iran, it is about to acquire bases in Azerbaijan for
long-range drones able to keep the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites
under surveillance.

Turkey, for its part, made an unsuccessful effort to freeze Israel
out of the Azerbaijan drone market.

On a recent visit to Baku, the Secretary of Military Industry at
the Turkish defense ministry, Murat Bayar, tried to persuade the
government to buy its long-range Anka drone instead of the Israeli
tactical aerial vehicle. He promised Turkish financing for the
construction of a special factory in Azerbaijan.

However, the prototype of the Turkish drone is still under construction
and won’t be finished until next year. Only then will it starting
gaining operational experience. The Azerbaijanis did not say no to
the Turkish official but invited him to come back after the finished
drone had been put through its paces.

On Sept. 12, an Israel-made and operated drone with Azerbaijan
Air Force markings was downed over the Martuni district of Nagorno
Karabach, with which Azerbaijan is at war.

The Nagorno Karabakh Ministry of Defense in the capital of Stepanakert
said the Azerbaijani drone had been brought down “as a result of
‘special measures’ taken by its antiaircraft units.”

In its Sept. 22 issue 510, DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s military sources
reporting the incident interpreted those “special measures” as a
combination of Russian antiaircraft officers who entered the tiny
Caucasian republic from neighboring Armenia and advanced anti-drone
equipment owned by Nagorno Karabakh’s antiaircraft defense units.

Western sources believe Moscow had the Azerbaijani drone shot down
as a one-off incident for four objectives:

1. A hands-off road sign to Israel to stay out of the Caspian Sea
region and its conflicts.

Moscow has taken note of Israel’s deepening economic and military
footholds in four countries: Azerbaijan, which is the largest,
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Georgia, and regards its supply of arms
to these countries as unwanted interference in Russia’s backyard.

2. Revenge for Israel reneging on its 2009 commitment to build a
drone factory in Russia. Moscow decided to confront Israeli drone
technicians with Russian antiaircraft crews with an unwinnable ambush.

3. Moscow was also telling Tehran that it was serious about cooperating
with the Iran to safeguard its rights in the Caspian Sea and willing
to use diplomatic, military and intelligence means to halt the spread
of Azerbaijani and Israeli influence in the region.

4. The Defense Ministry in Stepanakert published pictures of the downed
drone deliberately exposing its camera as a warning to Jerusalem and
Baku that if Azerbaijani drones continue to fly, Moscow may turn the
drone’s wreckage over to Iranian intelligence experts and let them
unravel its secrets.

From: A. Papazian

DARCHINYAN: MORENO’S NOT A GOOD PUNCHER, YET NOT EASY TO KNOCK OUT

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 25, 2011 – 19:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Vic Darchinyan faces one of the biggest opponents and
challenges of his career, with a bantamweight world title unification
boxing bout against formidable Panamanian Anselmo Moreno in December.

IBO champion Darchinyan (37-3-1, 27 KOs) will fight WBA Super champion
Moreno (31-1-1, 11 KOs) in Anaheim, California on December 3.

Anselmo has won 25 straight fights since his only professional loss on
points nine years ago. At 173 cms, he will enjoy a significant height
advantage over fellow southpaw Darchinyan. According to Darchinyan’s
manager Elias Nassar, Moreno’s preparation weight is 67kg [147-pounds],
which would qualify him to fight as a welterweight.

Darchinyan isn’t daunted by Moreno’s physical proportions, pointing
out he has beaten bigger men before. He expects to be in chase mode
against Moreno, who he said was a technical fighter, similar in style
to Mexican Cristian Mijares, who Darchinyan dismantled three years ago.

“He’s a tactical fighter, he loves to move,” Darchinyan told AAP of
Moreno. “I think his mind is going to be to win every round, not to
knock me out, he’s not a good puncher. I’m not saying it’s going to
be easy to beat him or knock him out, it’s going to be hard.”

The bout will share top billing on the Anaheim card with the IBF
bantamweight title rematch between Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko,
two of the three professionals to beat Darchinyan.

Darchinyan would be happy to fight the winner and then move up to
super bantamweight for a rematch with Nonito Donaire, the only other
boxer to beat him in the professional ranks.

“I’ll fight either Mares or Agbeko, whoever wins, I’d love to fight
him,” Darchinyan said.”My goal is I want to fight Nonito Donaire,
he’s moving up to 122 pounds (55.33kg).”

Darchinyan will travel to the United States three weeks before the
fight and hopes to do some training at the Hollywood gym of famous
trainer Freddie Roach, BoxingScene reported.

From: A. Papazian

FRIENDS FOREVER: ARMENIAN PREZ REITERATES TIES WITH RUSSIAN NEIGHBORS/INVESTORS
By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
25.10.11 | 13:18

Photo:

Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan’s first three-day state visit to
Russia once more confirms the fact that the relations with Russia
“have gone beyond positive-friendly and are developing in the realm
of friendly partnership and strategic relations”, the president said.

Many in Armenia, however, have concerns whether those words match
reality.

The president said that from the first day of his visit the Armenian
delegation could feel the pointedly warm attitude, which is the first
evidence of Armenian-Russian relations as allies.

“It is an answer to all those who are trying to drive a wedge between
the two countries. We reaffirmed today that such attempts are futile.

The Armenian-Russian strategic partnership has a strong historic ground
and is actively developing in accordance with both countries’ interests
that are aimed at the future and are important to both peoples”.

Sargsyan’s visit has a full agenda: on the second day, Monday, the
leaders of Armenia and Russia had a personal meeting at the Kremlin,
followed by the signing of a number of documents.

“We are holding large-scale negotiations both privately and publicly.

We have covered all the topics on both bilateral and regional as
well as economic and military-technical cooperation,” said Russian
president Dmitry Medvedev.

Reflecting on the Karabakh conflict, Medvedev stated that it is
possible to reach a just solution of the issue through negotiations.

During their joint press-conference the two presidents also talked
about economic cooperation.

“Russia has been and will remain our number one trade and economic
partner,” said Sargsyan, stressing that Russian investments in Armenia
currently reach $3 billion, and 60 percent of foreign companies
operating in Armenia are Russian.

It is this extent of Russian presence in Armenia that many economists
are concerned about. They periodically remind that Russia owns 80
percent of Armenia’s energy networks by “pennies and pressures”,
having ousted Iran by means of the same pressures; two of Armenia’s
three phone operators are Russian, 30 percent of the railway has been
given to Russia under concessional management agreement. The concerns
grew even bigger when the Russian military base deployment agreement
was extended to 49 years.

“Every once in a while we should remember that one shouldn’t keep
all eggs in one basket, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Russia or any
other country. It’s a threat to our sovereignty, but we can see how
that political-economic expansion continues, and not in our favor,”
political scientist Stepan Grigoryan, heading Globalization and
Regional Cooperation Center, told ArmeniaNow.

While Armenia is expecting new developments and new economic and
political intervention, the Armenian president’s visit is in process:
he has meetings scheduled with Russian premier Vladimir Putin, State
Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, Leader of Federal Council Valentina
Matvienko, and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

From: A. Papazian

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN MEETS THE SPEAKERS OF TWO CHAMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT

armradio.am
25.10.2011 17:31

Within the framework of the sate visit to Russia, President Serzh
Sargsyan had a meeting with the Chairwoman of the Federal Council,
Valentina Matvienko, and the Chairman of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov.

During the meetings the parties noted that President Sargsyan’s state
visit was rather productive: a number of documents targeted at the
development and expansion of Armenian-Russian cooperation in different
spheres were signed. They noted that the documents would open new
horizons for the further reinforcement of bilateral relations. It
was noted that the high-level cooperation between the two countries
in the political, economic, military and humanitarian spheres fully
corresponded to the spirit of centuries-old friendship between the
Armenian and Russian peoples.

President Serzh Sargsyan emphasized the importance of cooperation
between the Armenian National Assembly and the two chambers of the
Russian Parliament.

The interlocutors stressed the importance of cooperation between the
Parliaments of the two countries within international organizations,
particularly the Parliamentary Assemblies.

President Sargsyan is scheduled to meet also Russia’s Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin and the Mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin.

From: A. Papazian

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA AFRAID OF LOSING BUSINESS – EX-PREMIER

Tert.am
25.10.11

The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) is not leaving the ruling coalition
for fear of losing its business, Armenia’s ex-premier, Chairman of
the Liberty party Hrant Bagratyan told journalists, Oct. 25.

According to him, the same was the authorities’ way of dealing with
the businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan. After he publicly announced
his support for the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the
authorities launched processes to prevent him from developing his
business in the country.

From: A. Papazian

HOLLYWOOD : PROTESTATIONS CONTRE UNE FANFARE OTTOMANE

NAM
25-10-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire une traduction de Gilbert Beguian d’un article en
anglais mise en ligne sur le site de NAM (Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine)
le 17 octobre 2011.

Les protestations contre le defile d’une fanfare ottomane en empechent
le deroulement

L’intention de cette manifestation hollywoodienne etait d’attirer
l’attention sur un festival culturel turc, d’après les organisateurs,
mais les descendants du peuple armenien, avec d’autres, s’y sont
opposes, en reference au genocide.

Par Jason Wells , Los Angeles Times

30 septembre 2011

La parade prevue d’une fanfare militaire ottomane a Hollywood a ete
annulee a la suite des protestations e groupes armeniens pour qui ce
spectacle aurait ete une insulte aux victimes du Genocide Armenien
de 1915-1918.

Le genocide a coûte la vie a près de 1,2 million d’Armeniens au
temps de l’empire ottoman, devenu la republique de Turquie des temps
modernes. Le gouvernement turc conteste qu’un genocide ait eu lieu.

Selon un fonctionnaire de la Commission de Police de Los Angeles,
l’autorisation pour le defile, prevu pour lundi prochain sur Hollywood
Boulevard, a ete retiree mercredi.

Hafsa Rai, porte-parole de l’Institut Pacifica, qui avait organise
le spectacle, a dit que l’organisation avait ete surprise par
la protestation, et que sa mission est de promouvoir le dialogue
interculturel.

“Nous ne sommes pas la pour offenser qui que ce soit. Cela n’a jamais
ete notre intention”, a-t-elle declare.

La marche avait pour but de susciter l’interet envers le Festival
des Cultures Anatoliennes de Costa Mesa qui debute le 6 octobre et
qui celèbre toutes les cultures qui se sont trouvees dans ce qui est
aujourd’hui la Turquie, y compris les Armeniens, a dit Rai.

Mais lorsque le bruit de l’organisation de la parade s’est repandu,
il a fait l’objet d’une condamnation unanime des groupes armeniens,
dont la Federation de la Jeunesse Armenienne et le Comite National
Armenien, qui ont dit de la marche qu’elle “equivaut a un discours
de haine et de persecution”.

La Federation de la Jeunesse Armenienne avait decide de protester
contre le defile, presente dans une page de Facebook, et les reactions
des lecteurs qui y figurent exprimaient a la fois la surprise et
l’indignation. Que la fanfare militaire ottomane soit programmee
au moment où les descendants d’Armeniens celèbrent le vingtième
anniversaire de la Republique de leur patrie, n’a fait qu’aviver
l’ardeur de la reaction.

Qualifiant le defile de “provocation grossière”, le president du
Conseil Municipal de Los Angeles Eric Garcetti et le conseiller
municipal Paul Krekorian ont ecrit dans une declaration commune
mercredi qu’ils etaient satisfaits que la parade ait ete annulee,
ajoutant que le “Genocide Armenien que les Turcs de l’Empire Ottomans
ont commis est une plaie toujours ouverte”.

Au moment où le mecontentement de la communaute armenienne grandissait,
a dit Rai, l’Institut Pacifica s’efforcait de rechercher d’autres
cultures dans le defile. Mais dès lors qu’il etait clair qu’il ne
pourrait avoir lieu comme prevu, les organisateurs ont decide de
suspendre la manifestation, a-t-elle dit. “Je pense que nous n’avions
pas realise le temps que tout cela allait prendre”, a-t-elle dit.

Traduction Gilbert Beguian lundi 17 octobre 2011,

Stephane ©armenews.com

Retour a la rubrique

From: A. Papazian

LYNCHAGE COLLECTIF DES KURDES EN TURQUIE

Source/Lien : Mediapart
Publie le : 25-10-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente cet article de Maxime Azadi publie le 22 octobre 2011 sur
son blog heberge sur Mediapart.

Après chaque offensive du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK)
contre les forces de l’ordre, les autorites turques encouragent le
lynchage et les kurdes deviennent la cible du nationalisme turc.

Plusieurs attaques racistes ont eu lieu ces derniers jours a travers
le pays. La mort des soldats et des policiers sont les pretextes
de ce lynchage, alors qu’ils mènent une guerre injuste contre le
peuple kurde.

Suite aux arrestations massives de kurdes et la mort sept commandants
du PKK dans la frappe aerienne du 10 octobre au Kurdistan irakien, au
moins 24 soldats selon les autorites et plus de 80 selon le PKK ont ete
tues le 19 octobre dans une serie d’attaques simultanees contre huit
objectifs militaires dans la province de Hakkari, voisine de l’Irak.

Le gouvernement pointe du doigt le parti kurde

Comme toujours, le premier ministre turc et les autres membres du
gouvernement ont pointe du doigt le principal parti kurde BDP qui
siège au parlement, ce qui a declenche une nouvelle campagne de
lynchage raciste dans les rues du pays.

Plusieurs locaux du BDP, notamment a Izmir, a Istanbul et a Ankara,
ont ete attaques par des nationalistes turcs. Les attaques se sont
multipliees et etendues a travers le pays ces deux derniers jours.

Le 21 octobre, les etudiants kurdes ont ete victimes des attaques
racistes dans la Faculte de Droit d’Istanbul. Un autre groupe a tente
d’incendier les locaux du BDP a Umraniye, a Istanbul, tandis qu’un
groupe de 20 personnes ont attaque le BDP a Sariyer, toujours dans
la meme ville. Les quartiers kurdes a Elazig ont subi des attaques
racistes, provoquees par un membre de la faculte de theologie et un
prof de d’histoire selon les temoins qui affirment egalement que les
policiers etaient presents lors des tentatives de lynchage.

Toujours le 21 octobre, des nationalistes ont pris pour cibles
les etudiants kurdes avec des couteaux et bâtons a l’universite de
Proche-Orient au Chypre du Nord, sous occupation turque. D’autres
tentatives de lynchage ont eu lieu a Antep, a Kirikkale et a Sakarya.

Lynchage est une reaction citoyenne !

Les autorites ne prennent aucune mesure contre ces attaques, au
contraire ils les encouragent et provoquent, tout en protegeant les
lyncheurs. Ce sont toujours les victimes qui se font arreter par
la police a la fin de chaque attaque raciste. Pour les autorites,
il s’agit d’une ” reaction citoyenne “.

Par ailleurs, la police poursuit ses arrestations massives visant
les membres et les sympathisants du BDP. Plus de 60 personnes ont
ete arretes entre le 18 et 22 octobre a Mardin, Urfa, Hakkari, Mus
et a Aydin.

Environ 4500 membres actifs du parti kurde BDP ont ete arretes au cours
des six derniers mois, ce qui explique que la Turquie est championne
du monde des arrestations. Elle est aussi la plus grande prison pour
les journalistes et les elus.

Retour a la rubrique

From: A. Papazian

” FRANCOIS HOLLANDE- CANDIDAT SOCIALISTE A L’ELECTION PRESIDENTIELLE “- AZG
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 25 octobre 2011

” La guerre pour les voix des Armeniens de France se poursuit “-
Novoye Vremia

Haykakan Jamanak estime que lors de la campagne electorale les
principaux candidats a l’election presidentielle, dont Francois
Hollande, tenteront d’obtenir le vote de l’influente communaute
armenienne de France. Ainsi, le principal sujet sur lequel miseront
les principaux candidats sera la question de la penalisation de la
negation du genocide armenien. / ” Lequel des candidats speculera le
plus [sur la question du genocide] “- Haykakan Jamanak

Golos Armenie publie un entretien avec la chanteuse francaise Elodie
Frege qui, a l’occasion du 20ème anniversaire de l’Independance de
l’Armenie, a donne un concert a Erevan, le 5 octobre, a l’invitation
de cette Ambassade et de la communaute d’affaires francaise.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA TO FURTHER NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS – DMITRI MEDVEDEV

Tert.am
24.10.11

Russia intends to further the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Russia
President Dmitri Medvedev stated at a news conference held jointly
with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan, in Moscow.

“Building up stability in the South Caucasus is an important issue on
the agenda of our talks,” the Russian leader said. He pointed out that
the two exchanged views on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh. “My
conviction is that it is only by political means that a fair settlement
of the conflict is possible,” the Russian leader said.

Much has been done over recent years. “Russia intends to further the
negotiation process as OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs through direct
contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders,” President
Dmitri Medvedev said.

From: A. Papazian