The government delegation led by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan is on a two-day visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and Armenia signed three memorandums in the field of veterinary, artistic, cultural and scientific-technical cooperation.
Monday, September 2, 2017 EU Commissioner Looks Forward To `Groundbreaking' Deal With Armenia . Sargis Harutyunyan Armenia - Johannes Hahn (L), the EU commissioner for European neighborhood policy, speaks at a joint news conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan, 2Oct2017. The European Union and Armenia will sign a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) "soon," a senior EU official said during a visit to Yerevan on Monday. Johannes Hahn, the EU commissioner for European neighborhood policy, said the landmark accord will not only deepen the EU's ties with Armenia but also serve as an "example" to other countries. "Its relevance is going far beyond our bilateral relationship," Hahn said after talks with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. He called the CEPA a "blueprint for possible other relationships." "This groundbreaking new agreement will help demonstrate that it is possible for Armenia to be part of the Eurasian integration process while also establishing comprehensive and enhanced relations with the EU," Hahn told a joint news conference. Nalbandian confirmed that the deal is due to be signed at the EU's November 24 summit in Brussels that will focus on its Eastern Partnership program of privileged partnership with six former Soviet republics. "Armenia has close links with the EU and intends to expand comprehensive cooperation in all areas of mutual interest," Nalbandian said. "The EU provides valuable assistance to reforms taking place in our country." The EU Delegation in Armenia said over the weekend that Hahn will visit Yerevan to "prepare for" the Brussels summit. The commissioner was scheduled to meet with President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Karen Karapetian later on Monday. The CEPA, which was finalized in March, reportedly contains the main political provisions of a more far-reaching Association Agreement which Brussels and Yerevan nearly concluded in 2013. Sarkisian prevented the signing of that agreement with his unexpected decision to seek Armenia's accession to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. The move was widely attributed to Russian pressure exerted on the Armenian government. Speaking in August, the Armenian president dismissed suggestions that the planned alternative deal with the EU may also collapse at the last minute. "We have no reason to not sign that document," he said of the CEPA. Yerevan Plans More Arms Acquisitions In 2018 . Sisak Gabrielian Armenia -- Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian at a news conference in Yerevan, 2Oct2017. The government plans to considerably increase its defense spending next year in order to purchase more weapons and ammunition for Armenia's armed forces, Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian said on Monday. Sargsian declined to specify the types and sources of that weaponry. "I prefer to show weapons during military parades," he told a news conference. "It is useless and meaningless to speak of forthcoming or possible arms purchases first of all because that makes all processes more difficult. Secondly, that means disclosing your plans for the future, which would allow the enemy to take countermeasures." The draft 2018 state budget unveiled by the government last week would increase Armenia's defense spending by roughly 17 percent to 247 billion drams ($515 million), reflecting a continuing arms race with Azerbaijan. According to Sargsian, the extra spending will "mainly" finance additional arms acquisitions. Russia has long been Armenia's key arms supplier. The Armenian military has received Russian-made weapons at knockdown prices and even for free due to close military ties between the two states. Armenia - The Armenian army demonstrates Buk air-defense systems recently acquired from Russia as well as S-300 surface-to-air missiles during a parade in Yerevan, 21Sep2016. Two years ago Moscow lent Yerevan $200 million for arms purchases from Russian manufacturers at domestic Russian prices. It subsequently publicized a long list of items which the Armenian side is allowed to buy with that money. The list includes, among other things, Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, TOS-1A heavy flamethrowers, anti-tank weapons and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. The Armenian military demonstrated Smerch systems as and several other new weapons at a September 2016 parade in Yerevan. Sargsian announced that the arms supplies financed from the Russian loan will be completed by the end of this year. Other officials in Yerevan said earlier that 18 supply contracts were signed with the Russians as part of that deal. Finance Minister Vartan Aramian revealed in July that Yerevan is discussing with Moscow the possibility of obtaining another loan which it would spend on buying more Russian weapons. He declined to specify the amount of the Russian loan sought by the Armenian government. Sargsian also said on Monday that the Armenian army is increasingly reliant on military equipment manufactured by Armenian companies. He said that more such equipment has been installed in Armenian army positions this year. The minister did not list any of those items, though. Armenian defense firms mainly manufacture various types of ammunition, unmanned aircraft as well as electronic targeting and surveillance devices. Another EU-Funded Border Checkpoint Built In Armenia . Satenik Kaghzvantsian Armenia - A newly rebuilt border checkpoint at Bavra, 1Oct2017 President Serzh Sarkisian and other officials inaugurated on Sunday a third checkpoint on Armenia's border with Georgia that has been modernized as part of a $64 million program mostly financed by the European Union. The checkpoint at Bavra in the northwestern Shirak province has new, better equipped and much bigger passport control and customs facilities meeting EU standards. The area borders on the Ninotsminda district in Georgia which is part of the Javakheti region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians. Georgian Deputy Prime Ministry Dimitry Kumsishvili also took part in the official opening of the new Bavra checkpoint. Armenian officials as well as the head of the EU Delegation in Yerevan, Piotr Switalski, said the modern facility will boost cross-border commerce and tourism. A statement by Sarkisian's office said it will also facilitate the transit of Iranian cargos via Armenia. The country's sole border checkpoint with Iran is due to undergo similar modernization. There are three checkpoints on the Armenian-Georgian border. Work on their expansion and modernization began in 2013 after the Armenian government secured 54 million euros ($64 million) in foreign funding. The EU provided the bulk of the sum in the form of a grant and a loan. The Armenian side of the largest border crossing between the two South Caucasus countries was rebuilt completely in November last year. The Bagratashen checkpoint was inaugurated by Sarkisian and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. Government Signals No Letup In Pension Reform Efforts . Narine Ghalechian Armenia - Armenians demonstrate against controversial pension reform, Yerevan, 18Jan2014. A controversial reform of Armenia's pension system, which sparked angry street protests three years ago, will be completed as planned next year, Labor and Social Affairs Minister Artem Asatrian said on Monday. The new Western-backed system, which took effect in January 2014, will gradually cover 270,000 or so Armenian workers born after 1973. It requires them to earn most of their future pensions by contributing sums equivalent to at least 5 percent of their gross wages to private pension funds until their retirement. The government said that the previous mechanism for retirement benefits based on so-called solidarity of generations is not sustainable because of Armenia's aging and shrinking population. The reform met with fierce resistance from many affected workers mostly employed by private firms. Thousands of them demonstrated in Yerevan in early 2014. Armenia's Constitutional Court effectively froze the pension reform in April 2014. The government responded by making it mandatory only for around 70,000 or so public sector employees for the time being. A law subsequently enacted by it allowed people working for private entities not to be covered by the new system until July 2018. Armenia - Labor and Social Affairs Minister Artem Asatrian at a news conference in Yerevan, 2Oct2017. Asatrian made clear that the deadline will not be extended next summer despite the risk of renewed anti-government protests. He again called the reform a success, saying that the new system currently covers more than 180,000 workers and most of them work in the private sector. Mane Tandilian, an opposition parliamentarian who was one of the organizers of the 2014 protests, dismissed the minister's statements. "I don't know of a single people happy [with the reform,]" she told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "I only know many people who were forced to enter the new system and now have many grievances." Tandilian said she is planning to draft a bill that would make the retirement plan optional for all affected Armenians. The employee contributions are made to two private pension funds whose combined assets currently stand at around 80 billion drams ($167.3 million). Asatrian said in July that 70 percent of that money has been invested in Armenian bonds and other securities. Press Review (Saturday, September 30) "168 Zham" reports that the Armenian government plans to spend over140 billion drams ($293 million) on debt repayments next year. The sum is equivalent to approximately 10 percent overall public spending. The paper says that the government is due to spend 120 billion on debt serving this year. It says that despite this mounting debt burden the government will borrow more loans, mostly from external sources, in 2018. "Zhamanak" accuses Prime Minister Karen Karapetian of not honoring his pledge to attract multimillion-dollar investment in Armenia's economy. The paper points to a record-low amount of foreign direct investment shown by official statistics in the first half of this year. It also claims that the premier has created a favorable business environment only for Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetian. The government must therefore step down, concludes "Zhamanak." "Aravot" disagrees with criticisms of President Serzh Sarkisian's decision to pardon Vazgen Khachikian, the former head of Armenia's state pension fund who was arrested in 2012 and subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison on corruption charges. "If Khachikian had spent 12, not 5, years in jail # would anybody have felt greater relief?" argues the paper. "Would a lack of justice have been addressed? Would corruption in our country have decreased? Why are people so unjustly cruel?" It says the problem is not the length of Khachikian's imprisonment but the fact that many other corrupt officials are not prosecuted. (Naira Bulghadarian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Head of the Armenian delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Armen Ashotyan addressed a conference on the theme “Involvement of the parliaments of Eastern Partnership countries in promoting gender quality and women’s health within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals”, which kicked off in Baku on Friday, APA reported.
“Last time I was in Baku in January 1998. Then I was 13 years old. This was a month before the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. My mother was born in Baku. I don’t know much about the city,” the Armenian MP said.
Ashotyan said he was spending vacations in Baku. “Here we had a house. I knew where I was going. I’m glad that my Azerbaijani colleagues took the initiative to hold the conference in Baku. If there were no such issue on the parliamentary or political agenda, I would be difficult to find another chance to come to Azerbaijan,” he added.
According to the Armenian MP, their trip to Baku was promptly arranged by the Euronest secretariat and Azerbaijan’s delegation to the organization.
“There were some technical problems on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. They did not believe we would come to Baku. But it did happen. I’m sure this was not politically motivated. Rather it was because the Armenian delegation is not paying periodic visits to Azerbaijan. There is little contact between our countries due to the conflict,” Ashotyan said.
He added that they have no security issues in Baku.
“We came here because Euronest is an essential platform for us. Armenia is about to sign a new agreement with the European Union. The other reason we came here is that such an event could have well been used as an anti-Armenia rhetoric and propaganda in the presence of European MPs. Sadly, we saw such rhetoric in some speeches, but let’s remember that we’re not here to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue,” he said.
The Armenian MP said he had been to Shusha and visited the mosque.
“I know that Iranian architects are providing assistance to relevant Armenian institutions in reconstructing the mosque. The mosque is need of it,” he added.
Ashotyan said that the only legitimate format for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the Minsk Group. “ The negotiations are underway in this context, and unfortunately Azerbaijan disrupted the process by resuming the military operations in April last year. Today the activity of the Minsk Group is aimed at restoring trust between the sides. As you know, it was decided during Vienna and St. Petersburg meeting that the mandate of the OSCE monitoring mission should be expanded and the mechanism investigation of incidents on the contact line should be put into practice. The next round of the negotiations can be started only by creating an atmosphere of trust. The Karabakh issue should be resolved peacefully through the the international community’s security guarantee, peoples’ right to self-determination and territorial integrity. These principles should be at the negotiating table as usual. Currently, it is important that all the parties shouldn’t refuse to take proper steps in this process,” said the Armenian deputy.
The White House withdrew its proposal to sell arms to Erdogan’s security team
Administration Action Comes in the Wake of Strong Bipartisan Congressional Opposition
WASHINGTON—Responding to strong Congressional pressure, the Trump Administration has officially withdrawn its controversial proposal to allow the sale of U.S. semi-automatic handguns to Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s security detail, which, in May of this year, made international headlines by attacking peaceful American protesters in Washington, DC, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
“We’re seeing the start of Turkey Arms Embargo 2.0,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We welcome today’s decision by the White House as a reflection of a growing willingness among policy-makers, diplomats, legislators from both parties, and the broader foreign policy community to openly challenge Turkey’s increasingly anti-American conduct.”
News of New Hampshire gun maker Sig Sauer’s proposed plan to sell $1.2 million in semi-automatic handguns and ammunition to President Erdogan’s bodyguards was first reported by The New York Times reporter Nicholas Fandos. The request for Congressional review of the matter was submitted on the eve of the May 16th attack in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC, videotaped live by the ANCA’s Hamparian, which sent peaceful protesters to the hospital. To date, nineteen have been indicted for the brutal beatings, including 15 members of President Erdogan’s security detail.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Democrat Ben Cardin (D-MD) and House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) were among the first to raise objections to the sale. Notably, Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) formally communicated to Secretary of State Tillerson his strong opposition to the deal, calling the conduct of the Turkish guards “unprofessional and brutal.” Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Dave Trott (R-MI) spearheaded a Congressional letter, cosigned by over 35 House colleagues, including Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman and Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), opposing the sale.
The U.S. House, in July of this year, passed the Trott Amendment, a measure strongly backed by the ANCA, against the arms sale. Following this vote, Rep. Trott, said: “We need to block this arms sale and once and for all point a finger in Erdogan’s chest and tell him that a strategic location does not place Turkey above the law.” Earlier this month, an amendment authored by Appropriations Committee members Senators Van Hollen (D-MD) and Leahy (D-VY) successfully amended a must-pass appropriations bill, at the committee level, with legislative language opposing this weapons transaction. Sen. Van Hollen told the Washington Post that the appropriations panel’s vote in support of the measure sent “a strong, bipartisan message: We are not going to let President Erdogan’s personal bodyguards attack peaceful American protesters on American soil—and we’re certainly not going to sell them weapons while they do it.” The Washington Post editorial board called for a block of the gun sale as a “more meaningful way to suggest there is a price to be paid for such brutality.”
According to the Associated Press, “a spokesman for Sig Sauer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.” The AP also reported that: “Lawmakers of both parties have asked the State Department to take extra precautions to ensure there’s not another violent incident this week by Turkish personnel during the U.N. gathering.”
The Paravon Restaurant Complex, owned by MP Gagik Tsarukyan, has a property value of 2.866 billion AMD (US$5.9 million), the highest of any restaurant in Armenia.
Verin Ptghni Mayor Gevorg Poghosyan, where Paravon is located, refused to provide Hetq with the amount the posh restaurant pays in property tax, arguing it was a “business secret”.
Such an argument is more than ludicrous since property taxes are a major source of revenue for towns and villages in the country when they are drafting their budgets. It’s public information. Evidently, what Paravon pays in property tax is not available to the public.
Hetq contacted MP Iveta Tonoyan, Tsarukyan’s press spokesperson twice on the matter. She promised to speak to Mayor Poghosyan and then get back to us in two hours. We never heard from her.
So, we don’t know how much Paravon pays in property tax. However, in response to our inquiry, the State Property Cadastre said that according to their calculations the restaurant’s annual property tax should amount to 8.599 million AMD ($18,000).
We should note that the Cadastre’s property appraisals are usually much lower than the market value.
We should note here that Armenia’s property tax law states that the base tax rate for commercial or public usage is 0.3 %
In second place in terms of property value, at 1.393 billion AMD is the Parvana Restaurant Complex owned by MP Samvel Aleksanyan’s wife Shogherina Mkrtchyan. (She owns 100% shares in the company Parvana Litch, the legal owner of the restaurant.)
It pays 938,000 in yearly property tax according to Yerevan’s Kentron District Office. This is less than restaurants further down the list in terms of property value. If we calculate what Parvana should actually be paying (0.3%) then we come up with 4.180 million AMD – almost four times what it’s now paying.
When we wrote to the State Property Cadastre on the matter, we were more than surprised when they agreed with our calculation, stating that Parvana should be paying 4.180 million AMD.
Parvana, open for business since 2005, has effectively paid 16 million AMD less in property tax ever since.
Has Yerevan’s Kentron District Office, where the restaurant is located, struck a deal with MP Aleksanyan allowing Parvana to pay less? If so, what is the Office getting in return?
Most of the top ten restaurants in Armenia in terms of property value have ties to former or current government officials.
The Bellagio Restaurant is owned by Sargis Margaryan, brother of former MP Grigor Margaryan.
The Florence Restaurant is owned by Tigran Karapetyan, son of Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.
The Harsnakar restaurant Complex is owned by former MP and current president of the Football Federation of Armenia, Rouben Hayrapetyan.;
Here’s a list of the top ten restaurants by property value in Armenia and the property tax paid (in AMD)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.24
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Andrew Schofer will be the new permanent US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.
The remarks were made by the interim US co-chair Richard Hoagland during the round-table in Washington.
“I’m very pleased to tell you that starting Monday, the US co-chair will be Andrew Schofer. Very experienced senior US diplomat, who most recently served as our charge d’affaires at the US Mission for International Organizations in Vienna,” he said.
The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE’s efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Erdogan slams German rebukes over election ‘interference’
ISTANBUL – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the German government on Saturday for criticising his call to ethnic Turks to vote against Germany’s two ruling parties in September elections, warning the foreign minister to “know your limits”.
The latest spat between Ankara and Berlin risks propelling a months-long crisis in ties between two NATO allies with deep historic links to a new level ahead of Germany’s general election on September 24.
Erdogan had a day earlier caused consternation in Berlin by urging ethnic Turks in Germany to vote against both parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition.
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel had bitterly condemned Erdogan’s comments as an “unprecedented act of interference” in Germany’s sovereignty.
But speaking to supporters in the southwestern province of Denizli, Erdogan launched a stinging personal attack on Gabriel.
“He knows no limits! Who are you to talk to the president of Turkey? Know your limits. He is trying to teach us a lesson… How long have you been in politics? How old are you?” Erdogan said.
Erdogan repeated his controversial call for ethnic Turks eligible to vote in the German elections not to cast their ballots for Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), their coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD), or the Greens.
“Teach them a lesson in the German elections,” he said. “They are waging a campaign against Turkey. Vote for those who don’t have enmity towards Turkey.”
He added: “It’s not important for us whether Germany opens its doors to us or not. We have enough doors.” Tensions have spiralled between Germany and Turkey in recent months.
Berlin has lambasted Ankara over the magnitude of the crackdown that followed last year’s failed coup, which has seen several German citizens arrested, including journalists. Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel, the Istanbul correspondent of the Die Welt daily, has been jailed in Turkey since February ahead of trial on terror charges.
German journalist Mesale Tolu has been held on similar charges since May, while activist Peter Steudtner was arrested in a July raid.
Ankara meanwhile has accused Berlin of failing to extradite suspected Kurdish militants and coup plotters who have taken refuge in Germany.
Addressing Merkel as “Madam”, Erdogan said the Turkish authorities had sent Germany dossiers on 4,500 suspects wanted for extradition to Germany on terror charges and received no answer.
“And she wanted one or two people to be sent home by me,” he said in apparent reference to the detained journalists and activist. “Forgive me but you have your legal system and so do we,” he added.
In a potential further bone of contention, Dogan Akhanli, a German writer of Turkish origin who has written extensively on Turkey’s human-rights record, was arrested in Spain on Saturday at Ankara’s request, Greens MP Volker Beck said. It was not clear why.
Earlier, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, who is also the official government spokesman, defended Erdogan’s comments and said the reactions were “very disrespectful and very arrogant” and “beyond the bounds of decency.”
Gabriel’s SPD – whose candidate for the chancellorship is ex-EU parliament speaker Martin Schulz – and Merkel’s CDU are rivals in the election. But they have been in broad agreement on the policy regarding Turkey within the country’s grand coalition.
Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Twitter: “We expect foreign governments to not interfere in our internal affairs.”
The opposition Greens meanwhile have pushed for an even tougher line against Ankara, with its co-leader Cem Ozdemir, who is himself of Turkish origin, a vocal critic of Erdogan. Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek, a staunch Erdogan loyalist, lashed out against Ozdemir on Twitter, warning: “Sit tight! You Armenian servant…”
Ozdemir had previously pressed Ankara to recognise the World War I killings of Armenians as genocide.
Analysts estimate that about 1.2 million people of Turkish origin will have the right to vote in the September elections.
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia Monday Mayor of Bird: Stream of guests of the 6th "Festival of honey and berries of Shamshadin" exceeded all expectations Yerevan August 8 Naira Badalyan. In the Armenian city of Berd, Tavush region, the 6th "Festival of honey and berries of Shamshadin" was held on August 12 - 13. Lovers of natural honey, sweet berries, as well as jazz music had the opportunity to taste and purchase the products of local beekeepers, as well as drinks made from berries. According to the director of the fund-organizer of the festival "Spiritual revival of Tavush" Hayk Chobanyan, "Festival of honey and berries in Shamshadin" is a good platform for the development of tourism in the city of Berd, and the entire Tavush region. As Chobanyan noted, in addition to sweet lovers, the festival attracts the attention of businessmen and investors not only from Armenia, but from foreign countries. The festival traditionally starts with the initiative "Jazz on the Border". This year the guests of the honey and berries holiday were pleased with the "State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia", pleasantly surprised by the representatives of local youth musical and choreographic groups. During the Festival the contest for the most delicious honey cake was held, and Pastor Aram Mirzoyan delivered a speech and read a prayer in honor of the Assumption Day, held a ceremony of consecrating the grapes. Mayor of Bird Harutyun Manucharyan proudly noted that the flow of participants of the Festival-2017, in comparison with the previous ones, started several days before the official opening. There were so many guests that the city's hotels simply could not accept all comers, he noted. The first honey and berry festival was held on August 18, 2012. Beekeepers from the vicinity, village farms, different producers take part in the festival in Berd. Products they represent in small pavilions on the territory of the arboretum "Soran", where about 15-20 tents are located, in which various varieties of flower honey are displayed, as well as fruit crops. In addition, in the pavilions, there are various kinds of souvenirs, samples of wood carvings, handmade products, tapestries. The aim of the festival is to stimulate beekeeping in the region. The event is also aimed at providing the tourist flow to the picturesque places of Tavush. Shamshadin is the current town of Berd, located on the bank of the Tavush River, at a distance of 202 km from Yerevan, 69 km from the regional center and 10 km from the border. It is located in a favorable climatic zone, the average summer temperature is + 21C. Surrounded by low mountains. Nearby are the ruins of the Tavush fortress of the 10th century, the temples of Varagavanq, Horanashat, here is the cyclopean fortress (I millennium BC) and the museum of Berd. In 2 km there is a church of St. Nshan, also called the temple of Mother Mary. In 2014, a new church of St. Gevorg opened in Berd. From the garden of Surani you can see the city. Here are the Memorial to the victims of the Genocide and the Historical Museum of Berd.
Armenian medicine producers work with various countries to expand the geography of medicine export, Albert Sahakyan, the deputy director of “Scientific Center of Drug And Medical Technology Expertise” told Armenpress. According to him, some shifts have already been registered.
“About 10% of the drugs registered in Armenia are of Armenian production and provide 7% of the drug demand of the republic. About 90% of the drugs necessary for the republic residents and medical establishments are imported. According to the order of import amounts, the large importers as to 2016 are Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, France, Slovenia, Russia, Austria, Georgia, UK, USA”, Sahakyan said.
According to him, the drugs produced in Armenia are substantially exported to Iraq, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Latvia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Ukraine, Yemen and Vietnam.
“Accordnig to the data we have, the Armenian drug producers implement activity in various countries to enlarge the export, and some shifts have already been registered. For example, “Liquor” CJSC started to export drugs to Iraq and Vietnam after receiving GMP certification”, Sahakyan said.
The geography of export really expands year by year, according to the Head of “Arpimed” Vachagan Ghazaryan. Drugs are exported to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan since 2014, as well as to Yemen starting from this year.
According to Albert Sahakyan, the main problems in medicine production are the financial investments and the lack of qualified specialists. However, extensive work has been initiated in the sphere of legislation towards medicine circulation regulation as the adoption of RA law “On medicine”.
By Katie Lange
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
When World War I ended, new countries were born and borders were redrawn in the Middle East. But those changes were marked with missteps that have led to many of the conflicts that have made it one of the most volatile regions in the world.
If you’re not sure why, here’s the basic gist.
The 1916-1918 Arab Revolt was often carried out by mounted Arab tribesmen, who knew the land intimately and were excellent marksmen. Library of Congress photo
The British, French and Russians had been jockeying for position over the declining Ottoman Empire for decades before World War I. But as the war unfolded, Germany’s spreading influence in the region brought concern from all parties. Great Britain wanted to protect its interests in the region – mainly oil and mobility via the Suez Canal – so Britain and its most important colony, India, sent troops to Bahrain. On Nov. 5, 1914, France and Britain declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The fight eventually moved east.
A map of the Middle East circa 1914.
There were three main components to the Middle East: the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Arabia.
During World War I, the centuries-old Ottoman Empire mostly encompassed the areas around Turkey, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine (Israel hadn’t been created yet). Armenia was also part of the empire.
Persia (modern-day Iran) was divided into three spheres of influence before the war: Russian-controlled, British-controlled, and a neutral zone. During the war it became a battleground for Russian, Turkish and British troops.
Arabia: This encompassed most of modern-day Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. Parts of it were fought over by the Ottoman Empire for a century prior to the war, when power had gone back and forth, but the region remained relatively autonomous during World War I.
During the war, Arab rebels who wanted to be free from the Ottoman Empire asked the British for help. The British supported that request, with the help of France. When the war ended, the two European powers implemented a mandate system in the Treaty of Versailles that split up the former empire’s countries – much to the chagrin of those who lived there.
A current-day map of the Middle East.
Turkey, an independent republic at that point, became the successor state to the Ottoman Empire. It’s still the biggest and most powerful country in the region.
Lebanon was created as a state separate from Syria, which had seen Lebanon as part of its own territory for years. These were put under French rule and stayed that way until after World War II.
Mesopotamia (Iraq) had been made up of three former Turkish provinces – Mosul in the north (known as Kurdistan), Basra in the south, and Baghdad in the middle. After the war, they were united as one country under British colonial rule.
Palestine was put under British control and divided into two countries, with the western portion of it becoming Trans-Jordan (later, just Jordan).
Georgia and Armenia (northeast of Turkey) were given international recognition.
Persia: Since Russia had problems of its own (namely, civil war), Britain became the dominant force.
Arabia: In 1932, many of the region’s kingdoms and dependencies were combined into one, called Saudi Arabia. Yemen, Oman, Muscat and the states that would later make up the UAE remained independent.
The Arabian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in early 1919 included King Faisal (front, center) and Lawrence of Arabia (third from right). National Archives photo.
Iraq:
When Iraq was put under British rule after the war, three missteps led to conflict in the region that continues today:
Britain’s division of the mandated area.
Palestine/Jordan:
The Cairo Conference’s decision to install Faisal as king in Iraq also deeply affected Palestine and Jordan. Faisal’s brother, Abdullah, had been trying to regain Syrian independence from the French. But the British didn’t want to cause conflict with France, so it threatened Faisal, telling him he wouldn’t get to rule Iraq if Abdullah attacked Syria. To appease Abdullah, the British created Trans-Jordan from Palestinian land and made Abdullah its king. This split set the foundation for the Arab-Israeli conflict we see today, since it split in half the land that would be considered for a future Jewish national homeland.
Persia:
A lot went on in this region during the 20th century. Here are some of the main takeaways.
The Anglo-Persian Agreement of 1919 that was formed after World War I would have given Persia British money and advisors in exchange for oil access. But that was rejected by the Iranian Parliament in 1921.
Iran’s king, Ahmad Shah Qajar, was removed from power in 1925 by the parliament after his position was weakened in a military coup. Reza Pahlavi, a former military officer, was named the new king and, in 1935, renamed the nation Iran. He was deposed in 1941 following an invasion by Soviet, British and other commonwealth forces looking to secure oil reserves from possible German seizure. His son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, then became king (shah, as they call it).
U.S. President Gerald Ford and the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, look at charts during a state visit. Photo by David Hume Kennerly, May 1975, courtesy of Gerald Ford Library
Unrest due to corruption and the shah’s efforts to westernize the country finally bubbled over in 1979, and the shah was forced to leave Iran. The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who had previously been exiled, returned to become the country’s supreme spiritual leader, and he made Iran a theocracy. Iranian revolutionaries, angered by American interests and political dealings in their country, also stormed the U.S. Embassy, accusing the U.S. of harboring the exiled shah, who had relied on the U.S. to stay in power. Hostages were taken, ties were severed, and thus began the lack of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran that continue to this day.
World War I also saw the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its outcomes helped lead to the rise of Adolf Hitler and World War II. The Cold War can also trace roots back to World War I.
But all of those topics are for another day. The intricacies of the Middle East are enough for this blog!
Read More: Why the Great War Matters | U.S. Army Center for Military History
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