Author: Andres-Papazian

ITALIAN MAGAZINE SAYS NSA SPIED ON POPE

October 31, 2013 – 16:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Even the Pope has been spied on by the NSA, an
Italian magazine says, according to the Independent.

The Panorama news magazine says U.S. secret services monitored the
phone calls of Pope Benedict XVI, as well as those of his successor
Francis I. NSA staff listened in on cardinals before the conclave to
elect the Pope in March this year, it says.

In a press release ahead of the magazine’s publication today,
Panorama said: “It is feared that the great American ear continued
to tap prelates’ conversations up to the eve of the conclave on March
12, 2013.”

It added that Archbishop Bergoglio, as he was called before he became
Pope in March, “had been a person of interest to the American secret
services since 2005, according to WikiLeaks”. His election came after
Benedict XVI resigned on 28 February.

Panorama said the recorded Vatican conversations were among the 46
million phone calls followed by the NSA in Italy from December 10,
2012 to January 8, 2013.

The phone calls were apparently catalogued by the NSA in four
categories – leadership intentions, threats to the financial system,
foreign policy objectives and human rights.

From: A. Papazian

THE RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE IN GYUMRI WILL INTERFERE, SHOULD AZERBAIJAN LAUNCH MILITARY ACTIONS

17:35 31.10.2013

“The Russian military base in Gyumri may interfere, should the
Azerbaijani leadership decide to restore jurisdiction over Nagorno
Karabakh in a military way,” commander of the Russian military base
#102 in Gyumri, Colonel Andrey Ruzinsky said in an interview with
“Krasnaya Zvezda” official newspaper of the Russian Army.

“The military-political situation in the zone of responsibility of
the Russian base remains unstable and is characterized by a number
of destabilizing factors connected with the possible escalation of
the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact. In line
with the commitments of the Russian Federation under the Collective
Security Treaty, the Russian military base in Gyumri may intervene
in military actions, should the Azerbaijani leadership decide to
restore jurisdiction over Nagorno Karabakh through force,” Andrey
Ruzinsky said.

From: A. Papazian

AGRICULTURE MINISTER: PRESIDENT’S BROTHER DOESN’T HAVE MONOPOLY ON SHEEP EXPORT

10.31.2013 01:38 epress.am

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s brother, former MP Aleksander
Sargsyan, has a monopoly on the export of sheep, said head of the
Heritage Party parliamentary faction Zaruhi Postanjyan in parliament
today, asking RA Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan what the
ministry is doing to fight against the monopoly in the business of
the export of livestock.

The agriculture minister, however, denied the existence of such a
monopoly. “If you want to work in this business, I can help you.

There’s no monopoly whatsoever – anyone can do it. I can say with the
utmost certainty, there are no monopolies in the agricultural sector,”
he said.

The opposition MP also asked the minister why there are no markets for
agricultural products in the rural areas of the country, especially
in Meghri, or in the north, so that, according to her, residents could
trade with Iran and Georgia, and villagers would have the opportunity
to sell their goods under favorable conditions. Karapetyan said
creating a market in the villages is not expedient, as villagers are
producers and agricultural products have to be consumed in Yerevan
and in the (larger) cities.

Postanyan countered that her question was not about the creation of
markets in the rural areas, but this comment yielded no response from
the minister.

From: A. Papazian

MP TO AGRICULTURE MINISTER: ‘YOU ARE NOT SUBSIDIZING VILLAGERS, BUT FLASH’ GAS IMPORTER

10.31.2013 01:22 epress.am

Villagers of Armavir marz (province) were given poor-quality diesel
fuel, said head of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) parliamentary
faction Levon Zurabyan during discussion of the amount to be allocated
from the 2014 state budget to the RA Ministry of Agriculture, while
speaking about the problems of the residents affected by the hail
in Armavir.

“You’re not subsidizing the villager, but Flash,” said the opposition
MP, referring to Barsegh Beglaryan, president of Flash LLC, one of the
largest importers of gasoline in Armenia, who is known by the moniker
“Flash’s Barsegh”.

RA Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetyan observed that Zurabyan
most likely spoke with villagers who are HAK supporters, since the
remaining villagers are happy with the help they received: the diesel
fuel was purchased from “the highest quality importer,” he said.

Recall, a resident of the village of Haykavan in Armavir marz,
Hovhannes Hakobyan, told Epress.am earlier that the residents are
refusing the poor-quality donated diesel fuel, as tractor owners fear
it might damage the engine.

“The given diesel fuel is the color of rust – not blue or yellow, as
in the case of normal diesel fuel,” Hakobyan said. According to him,
villagers are also unhappy with how the aid is being distributed.

Hakobyan is concerned of the risk of corruption, as the fuel is not
being distributed according to hectares of land owned by each villager.

From: A. Papazian

MEP RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTOR’S DEGREE FROM YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY

15:56, 31 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan State University bestowed
the honorary doctor’s degree upon the Member of the European Parliament
Charles Tannock. The Rector of the Yerevan State University Aram
Simonyan handed the relevant certificate and commemorative medal over
to Charles Tannock.

As reports “Armenpress” Aram Simonyan underscored that the Yerevan
State University bestows the scientific degree upon the friends and
partners of the university, public and political figures, who support
the Armenian people in various spheres.

Charles Tannock was educated at Bradfield College, Berks followed by
Balliol College, Oxford and the Middlesex Hospital Medical School,
London. He is a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Before being elected to the European Parliament in 1999, Charles
worked for several years as a Consultant Psychiatrist in London and
was a Senior Lecturer at University College Hospital. Although he had
successfully combined political work with medicine while acting as a
Councillor in his local Earls Court ward (1998-2000), he was obliged
to give up his practice on taking office in Brussels.

Having spent his childhood living in various European cities, Charles
is fluent in Portugese, Spanish, French and Italian. He has travelled
extensively in South America and Eastern Europe and written political
pamphlets as well as extensive publications in the medical literature.

Charles Tannock s was the deputy leader of the EP Observer mission
to the 2004 Ukrainian Presidential elections. The negative findings
of this joint mission with the OSCE were a significant factor in
mobilising international support for Viktor Yushchenko’s “Orange
Revolution”.

He takes a keen interest in enlargement issues.

He is involved politically in a number of cross party Parliamentary
groups working to support sufferers from epilepsy, cervical cancer and
mental illness. He is a member of the European Cancer Patient Coalition
and the EP Intergroup on Animal Welfare, a former Vice-President of
the European Friends of Israel and a member of Friends of Tibet.

Charles was Founder of the EP Friends of India, a founder member of
the EP Friends of the Commonwealth, a member of the advisory board of
the EU Friends of Armenia, honorary EP Parliamentary Adviser to Save
the Assyrians Campaign and Anglicans for Israel, and the UK Friends
of Falun Gong. He is on the Executive Committee of the Conservative
Friends of Bangladesh and an Ambassador for FRODO, a UK registered
charity which helps Romanian disabled orphans. He is an EP Attachment
Host for the UK John Smith Memorial Trust and the Parliament and
Industry Trust. He is Chairman of the EP-Taiwan Friendship Group
and the EP-Sovereign Military Order of Malta (“Knights of Malta”)
Friendship Group. He is the European Parliamentary adviser to the UK
Overseas Territory Association. He was appointed a Commissioner for
Human Rights of the UK Conservative Party in November 2011.

In the European Parliament, Charles Tannock is Foreign Affairs and
Human Rights Spokesman for the UK Conservative delegation. He was
elected to the UK Conservative delegation Bureau between 2005-07. He
is currently a full member of the Foreign Affairs Committee –
where he is also the European Conservatives and Reformist Group
Co-ordinator (Spokesman)- and he is also a full member of the Human
Rights Subcommittee. From 2000-2004 he served in the UK Conservative
delegation Whips Office rising to Deputy Chief Whip. He was between
1999-2001 the Conservative Party Spokesman on Financial Services.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA EXPECTS TO RECEIVE 25 MILLION EUROS IN GRANTS FROM EUROPEAN UNION IN 2014

YEREVAN, October 31. / ARKA /. The Armenian government expects to
receive a total of 25 million euros in grants next year from the
European Union, deputy finance minister Pavel Safaryan said today at
a parliament hearing on next year’s budget, adding that this figure
is included in the government’s 2014 revenue.

According to him, about 6 million euros are expected to come as part
of the Eastern Partnership, the European Commission is expected to
release 7 million euros to finance public administration reforms and
about 12.5 million euros are likely to come for reconstruction of
three border crossings on the border with Georgia.

Asked whether the European Union may terminate aid to Armenia after
its declared intention to join the Russia-led Customs Union, Safaryan
said “we believe it will not happen.”

“Of course, there are some doubts, but they are not so strong as to
remove this item from the budget” , he said.

According to Armenia’s 2013 state budget, it was to receive 110
million euros aid from the EU within the frameworks of the Eastern
Partnership program and another 21.1 million euros for continuation
of the projects being implemented with the support of the EU. -0-

– See more at:

From: A. Papazian

EXPERT: TURKEY BLACKMAILS EUROPE

Today – 15:41

The announcement by the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev
about Turkish wish to join the Customs Union is just a game “to press”
the European Union. Political express, head of the Oriental Institute
of the Armenian National Academy Ruben Safrastyan announced about
this during the press conference today.

“There is another explanation that this is just a game by Nazarbayev.

Turkish current game is connected with the deadlock in talks with
the EU”, Safrastyan explained.

According to the speaker, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to
“blackmail” Europe with the “decision” to join the Customs Union.

“This process will not deepen so much in order to become real”,
said Safrastyan.

Answering to the question how it can influence on Armenia, Safrastyan
noted that even Turkish aim became true some day, Armenia would say
its word in case it was the complete member of the Customs Union.

He also added that Turkish membership in the Customs Union may even
have positive economical influence for Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

SAFRASTYAN: TURKEY’S INDEPENDENT GAME LED TO TENSIONS IN RELATIONS WITH U.S. AND ISRAEL

15:29 31/10/2013 ” TOPIC OF THE DAY

Turkey plays an independent game in the Middle East, leading to
tensions in relations with the United States and Israel, Turkish
studies expert, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the
Armenian National Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan told reporters
today.

“Turkey supports Al-Qaeda in Syria and the U.S. is concerned that it
may subsequently be directed against the West,” Safrastyan said.

Among the factors causing tension in Turkish-American relations the
expert also mentioned Turkey’s decision to purchase Chinese missile
system, which means that Turkey refuses to buy such weapons from its
NATO allies.

In addition to it, according to the expert, Turkey exposed Mossad
spy ring in Iran, and was called a traitor by Israel.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

BUNDESLIGA: MKHITARYAN TRIUMPHS AT DERBY

October 31, 2013

“The match against Schalke was the best one for Mkhitaryan as part
of Dortmund,” writes the German Bundesliga official website.

The website reflected on Armenian national football squad and Borussia
Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s performance during his club’s
German Bundesliga Week 10 derby against FC Schalke 04.

“Henrikh was taking part in all Dortmund attacks and he achieved a win,
together with the team, in his first derby. He was recognized as the
MVP of the game; Henrikh received this award for the second time.

“The 24-year-old player ran 12.1 kilometers in the match against
Schalke. Henrikh [also] provided two assists.

“Mkhitaryan’s fantastic crossing [with the ball and his ensuing
goal assist to Polish international and Dortmund winger Jakub]
B³aszczykowski is especially memorable.

“This crossing by the Armenian midfielder caused great enthusiasm to
Dortmund Manager Jurgen Klopp,” Bundesliga website also writes.

To note, following the Borussia Dortmund-FC Schalke 04 match, Henrikh
Mkhitaryan was recognized the Bundesliga’s best player for Week 10.

NEWS.am Sport

From: A. Papazian

US TESTED SOVIET MIG FIGHTERS AT MYSTERIOUS AREA 51

A Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter jet flies over Afghanistan.

© RIA Novosti. A. Solomonov 23:37 30/10/2013

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WASHINGTON, October 30 (RIA Novosti) – The United States covertly
tested Soviet MiG fighter planes at the mysterious Area 51 site in the
Nevada desert in the 1960s, including one plane secretly obtained by
Israel, according to declassified US government documents published
this week.

The first of the Soviet fighters, a MiG-21, was loaned to the
United States after Israeli secret intelligence services obtained
the aircraft from an Iraqi air force captain who defected in 1966,
according to George Washington University’s National Security Archive,
which published the declassified documents on its website Tuesday.

The US Air Force held onto the MiG-21 for more than three months in
1968 at Area 51, where specialists tested and examined the fighter
to evaluate it against US fighter planes in air-to-air combat and
to develop new tactics to defeat the Soviet jet, according to the
documents.

The operation to study the MiG-21 was designated “Fishbed-E”
and concluded that the Soviet fighter has “excellent operational
capability in all flight regimes,” according to one of the declassified
US Department of Defense documents.

US specialists noted, however, some deficiencies, including poor
forward and rearward visibility and “limited” performance when flying
below 15,000 feet (4,572 meters).

The aircraft was subsequently returned to the Israelis in April 1968.

Area 51 was also home to two efforts to evaluate the MiG-17 in the
1960s, according to the documents. Those operations, designated “Have
Drill” and “Have Ferry,” including flying the MiGs on a combined
total of 224 sorties.

For decades Area 51 has been the subject of countless conspiracy
theories, including the existence of extraterrestrials, alien autopsies
and whether the site even existed at all.

But US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents declassified in
August acknowledged that Area 51 did indeed exist and revealed that
it was used as a base to test U-2 and other spy planes.

Those documents were also published by George Washington University’s
National Security Archive after it obtained the report in response
to a Freedom of Information request filed in 2005.

From: A. Papazian