Author: Andres-Papazian

President of World Council of Yazidis does not rule out that Ded
Hassan may be buried in Yerevan

arminfo
Saturday, January 19, 13:32

At the moment the plane carrying the body of the well-known mafia
boss Aslan Usoyan (a.k.a. Ded Hassan), who was killed by a sniper, is
in Moscow, President of the World Council of Yazidis Aziz Tamoyan told
ArmInfo. To note, Usoyan was an ethnic Yazidi born in Armenia.

Tamoyan said that he is in constant touch with Usoyan’s cousins living
in Armenia and receives the latest news from them. He said that the
plane carrying Ded Hassan’s body was circling above the air space of
Armenia and Georgia for several hours, but Tbilisi did not allow the
plane to land. As a result, the plane had to return to Moscow the same
night. Tamoyan added that there is no specific decision on the place
of Ded Hassan’s funeral, but Tamoyan does not rule out that Usoyan may
be buried in Yerevan. “The final decision will be taken Saturday
evening”, he said.

He thinks the key reason why Tbilisi refused to host the plane is that
the Georgian authorities beware of a big flow of criminal lords to
Tbilisi, which may create an uncontrollable situation.

The Russian mass media consider that Usoyan’s nephew Dmitry Chanturia
(a.k.a. Miro) will replace Ded Hassan.

From: A. Papazian

IRAN, ARMENIA PLAN TO SET UP JOINT ECONOMIC ZONE

Tehran, Jan 18, IRNA — Iran and Armenia announced that they are
planning to set up a new zone for their joint economic interactions.

The Governor-General of Iran’s Northwestern province of East Azarbaijan
Alireza Beigi and Governor-General of Armenia’s Syunik province Suren
Khachatrian made the announcement in their meeting in Tabriz.

‘Establishment of a joint economic zone to share the two sides’
different capacities was underlined in our recent visit to Armenia,’
Beigi said.

He noted that Syunik province can utilize the capacities of Iran’s
private industrial units in a bid meet its needs and also pave the
way for the presence of East Azarbaijan’s industrial products in the
Commonwealth of Independent of States (CIS) and Russian markets.

Last month, it was announced that Iran is studying a plan to set up a
new zone for joint economic interaction with its Northern neighboring
states of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The issue was raised during a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister
Ali Akbar Salehi and the East Azerbaijan’s Governor-General.

During the meeting also attended by Managing-Director of Aras Free
Trade Zone (FTZ), Beigi briefed Salehi on the recent visit by an
Armenian economic delegation to East Azerbaijan, and said that the
Armenian deputy prime minister has voiced Yerevan’s preparedness to
set up a joint economic zone in Aras FTZ.

Salehi and Beigi agreed to raise the proposal in an upcoming meeting
of the Iran-Armenia joint economic commission.

Also during the meeting between the Iranian foreign minister and Beigi,
the two sides discussed establishment of an Iran-Azerbaijan joint
economic and industrial zone in Qoli-Beiglou region of Khoda-Afarin
city.

Iranian officials have always underlined the importance of the
country’s free trade zones (FTZs) for the expansion of economic ties
and cooperation with the neighboring nations.

Millions worth of goods are exported from the Aras Free Trade Zone
every year.

The zone’s exports are mostly destined for Azerbaijan, Germany,
Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Iraq, Georgia and Nakhichevan.

2050**2050

Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80503999

From: A. Papazian

EXPERT: VAHAGN CHAKHALIAN TO BE RELEASED SOON

Friday,
January 18

Jonny Melikian, an expert on Georgia, gave a positive assessment of
the Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s visit to Armenia.

“The Georgian side showed there are not any problems with Armenia,
while all the existing issues can be solved through negotiations,” J.

Melikian told Aysor.am.

He said that the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Garegin
II raised the issue of political prisoner Vahagn Chakhalian during
his meeting with B. Ivanishvili.

“We will soon witness Vahagn Chakhalian’s release from prison,”
Jonny Melikian noted.

According to him, B. Ivansihvili also demonstrated his constructive
position on Armenian historical monuments in the territory of Georgia.

In his words, a new page has opened in Armenian-Georgian relations
and the agenda of these relations will become more diverse.

TODAY, 20:02

Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

SEYRAN OHANYAN: RESUMPTION OF WAR NOT PROBABLE AT THIS POINT
Alisa Gevorgyan

“Radiolur”
18:23 18.01.2013

“The Armenian air defense system will ensure the security of the
civilian aircrafts flying from Stepanakert,” Armenian Defense Minister
Seyran Ohnayan told a press conference today, adding that “the threats
of Azerbaijan contradict the international civil aviation norms.”

As for the possibility of resumption of military actions, the Minister
said the threat is still there, but the analysis of the situation
shows that the possibility of war is not probable at this point.

Summing up the results of 2012, Seyran Ohanya said great attention
was paid to the combat readiness of the army and the raise of the
defense capacity at the military positions. Programs were implemented
to improve the security environment around the country. In particular,
progress was registered in the relations with NATO, CSTO, a number
of European structures.

According to Minister Ohanyan, 2012 was rich in border incidents;
about twenty subversive acts were prevented over the year. The Minister
said “the courage of our servicemen at the line of contact should be
a contagious example for all.”

The struggle against corruption and vicious phenomena remains a
priority for the Ministry of Defense, Seyran Ohanyan said.

The Defense Minister handed certificates and medals to a number of
media representatives. Our colleague Karen Ghazaryan was awarded with
Garegin Nzhdeh Medal of the Ministry of Defense.

From: A. Papazian

SHOPS BELONGING TO CHRISTIANS TORCHED IN EGYPT

January 18, 2013 – 17:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim
protesters outside a church in southern Egypt Friday, Jan 18. The
demonstrators were demanding an investigation into allegations that
a Christian man sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl, The Associated
Press reported.

Residents in the province of Qena said four shops owned by Coptic
Christians were torched overnight after villagers accused one of the
store owners of molesting the young girl.

The clashes took place in the village of Marashda in Qena province.

Residents said protesters threw stones at the local church after midday
Friday Islamic prayers. Police fired tear gas to scatter the crowd,
which is in one of Egypt’s poorest areas.

Qena security director Gen. Salah Mazid was quoted in state media
saying that police are investigating the accusations against the
merchant.

Flare-ups of violence between Egypt’s Christians and Muslims have
become more frequent in the past two years in the wake of the country’s
uprising that ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak but also weakened
security across the nation.

Egyptian Christians fear that the power vacuum that has followed
Mubarak’s overthrow is giving ultraconservatives and extremist Muslims
a freer hand to attack churches and Coptic property, especially in
poor areas of the nation.

Egypt’s Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the
country’s 85 million people, have long complained of discrimination by
the state. They are the largest Christian community in the Middle East.

Clashes between Copts and Muslims are usually sparked by church
construction, land disputes or Muslim-Christian love affairs.

From: A. Papazian

PRESIDENT RECEIVED DELEGATION HEADED BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF GEORGIA BIDZINA IVANISHVILI

17.01.2013

President Serzh Sargsyan received today delegation headed by the
Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili who has arrived to
Armenia with the official visit.

The President once again congratulated Bidzina Ivanishvili on the
victory of the coalition headed by him at the parliamentary elections
in Georgia. Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that the new government
of Georgia will fulfill the assumed obligations with honor. The
President underscored that Armenia is interested in the preservation
of stability in Georgia and is striving to further strengthen the
brotherly relations which will benefit the Armenian as well as the
Georgian peoples.

The Prime Minister of Georgia assured that his government will do
its best to make the Armenian-Georgian relations the best in their
history. Bidzina Ivanishvili noted that substantial negotiations
have been held with the Prime Minister of Armenia on all issues
of mutual interest and noted there is no reason to assume that
reaching an agreement on any issue might be a problem. The Prime
Minister of Georgia also stressed that the two neighboring countries,
which have been living side by side for a long time and support each
other standing shoulder to shoulder, are obligate by assisting each
other to boost the economies of the two countries which have many
similar problems. Referring to the elections which will take place
in Armenia before long, the Prime Minister of Georgia wished success
and expressed hope that they will be peaceful and will reflect the
will of the people.

From: A. Papazian

Yezidis’ Community in Armenia mourning Grandpa Hasan’s death

YEREVAN, January 18. /ARKA/. Aziz Tamoyan, the president of the
National Union of Yezidis of the World and the head of Yezidis’
community in Armenia, has announced seven-day mourning over death
of Aslan Usoyan, 75, better known as “Ded Hasan” (Grandpa Hasan),
one of Russia’s most notorious reputed mobsters, who was gunned down
in the middle of Moscow on Wednesday.

Under Yezidis’ religious constitution, death of a prominent and
respected representative of the community must be mourned for seven
days, Novosti-Armenia reports.

It is said in the statement that Aslan Usoyan’s death shocked Yezidis
all over the world. The National Union of Yezidis condemns this murder
and expresses condolences to relatives of Aslan Usoyan.

“He was a man well known by Yesidis all over the world,” the statement
says. “He had always provided financial and moral support to Yezidi
communities and remained stuck to his national ethnic identity.”

Grandpa Hasan will be buried in Georgia. -0-

From: A. Papazian

MATTHEW BRYZA: “AZERBAIJAN HAS RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY”

APA
[ 18 January 2013 17:25 ]

Baku. Shamil Alibeyli – APA. “We all know that there is a military
base in Armenia, where several Russian servicemen are serving.

Consequently, the military-technical agreement between the sides
is logical,” former US ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza said,
while commenting on the military-technical agreement between Russia
and Armenia. According to him, the most important issue is how Russia
will preserve its image as an OSCE co-chair: “I’m not familiar with the
content of this agreement, but everything must be open and transparent
that all co-chairs are able to know what is going on between Russia
and Armenia. Confidence is impossible without this.”

Touching on the efforts to launch flight between Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh, Matthew Bryza said this issue could deteriorate
the situation in the region: “Azerbaijan has right to defend its
territorial integrity. Not only operation of the airport, but also
the reactions may cause tension in the region.”

From: A. Papazian

GAGIK HARUTYUNYAN: IVANISHVILI’S ADEQUATE POLICY IS BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH GEORGIA AND ARMENIA

Source: Panorama.am
6:36 18/01/2013 ” POLITICS

The changes that occurred in Georgia in 2012 were also of paramount
importance to Armenia. The previous leadership of Georgia was
controlled by external forces and their activities did not always
meet Georgia’s national interests, director of Noravank Foundation
Gagik Harutyunyan told reporters in Yerevan.

According to him, on the one hand, Georgia had restrained relations
with Armenia and conflicting relations with Russia as well as with
neighboring Abkhazians and Ossetians. On the other hand, it was
exactly oriented towards Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili after assuming power began
to carry out more realistic policy adequate to the national interests
of Georgia, which will be beneficial for both Georgia and Armenia,
Harutyunyan concluded.

From: A. Papazian

ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK ELECTED AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIRPERSON-IN-OFFICE FOR THE 17TH TIME

APA
[ 18 January 2013 15:46 ]

Baku – APA. The appointment of personal and special representatives
was held within Ukraine’s OSCE chairmanship in 2013. APA reports
that the mandate of Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the
Chairperson-in-Office, has been extended for a year.

Andrii Deshchytsia has been appointed as Special Representative of
the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for conflicts.

Andrzej Kasprzyk has been working in this position since 1997.

From: A. Papazian