Author: Babajanian Karo

BANK SADERAT IRAN REMOVED FROM EU SANCTIONS LIST

Tehran, Feb 6, IRNA – The Bank Saderat Iran is removed from the list
of the European Union’s unfair sanctions upon a verdict recently
issued by a European court, it was reported Wednesday.

The verdict was issued after continuous legal efforts were made by
Iranian officials to prove rightness of Bank Saderat’s activities.

According to a statement published by the Public Relations Office of
the bank, it was removed from the sanctions list due to enduring legal
efforts of its officials to prove that the body was not involved in
any illegal banking activities.

The European court has accepted Iran’s call and the evidences presented
by the bank’s officials to remove its name from the EU sanctions list.

The removal once again proved the rightness of the banking activities
of the Iranian bank despite primary claims made by certain states,
said the statement.

It added that the removal would also boost Bank Saderat’s status both
in domestic and international arenas.

Starting its work since November 1952, Bank Saderat Iran is one of
the largest banks in the Middle East and has 28 international branches
and services in 12 countries.

1394**1422

Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1066297

ARMENIA PRESIDENT OFFERS TO CONDUCT REFERENDUM IN ETCHMIADZIN TO CHANGE TOWN’S LEGAL NAME

TERT.AM
15:49 ~U 06.02.13

Within the framework of the election campaign Armenia’s presidential
candidate Serzh Sargsyan visited today Armenia’s Etchmiadzin town
and met with its residents.

One of the residents of the town asked the president about possibility
to register the name of the town Etchmiadzin in the law as well as
it is registered as Vagharshapat which creates confusion in many cases.

They said the name Etchmiadzin is closer to their hearts.

“This issue is to be solved through a referendum. Conduct a
referendum. The solution of the issue is in your hands,” Serzh
Sargsyan said.

Speaking about the renovation of schools in the town, Serzh Sargsyan
said first of all vocational schools will be reconstructed and sport
clubs will make use of the gym of the renovated schools till the
issue is solved.

“Our goal is to have no unreconstructed school in the republic. All
our schools must be renovated. With their attitude to studying our
children, teachers are worthy it. Our children have received 16 prizes
in international Olympiads. How can we ignore it?” he said.

ABKHAZ RAILWAY RESTORATION BENEFICIAL TO ALL SIDES – GEORGIAN PM

February 6, 2013 – 15:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Restoration of a railway between Georgia and
Russia through Abkhazia will benefit everybody, however, some time is
necessary for the process to launch, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina
Ivanishvili said.

“Nothing will be done to the detriment of the country. Restoration
of the railroad will benefit everyone. The impact will be positive,
but things will take quite some time. The process will be implemented
in stages in order to prevent complications,” he said.

Ivanishvili remarked on the possibility of restoring communication
through the Abkhaz section of the railway after settling a number of
controversial issues with Russia.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is against the restoration of
any rail service through Abkhazia, foreign media report.

VOTE 2013: PM SARGSYAN WARNS SCHOOLS TO STAY OUT OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN

VOTE 2013 | 07.02.13 | 12:31

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, who is also a senior member
of the ruling Republican Party, has warned against the involvement
of schools and other educational establishments in the unfolding
presidential campaign after some media reported about students and
teachers being brought en masse to attend campaign rallies of the
government candidate during school hours.

At a Cabinet meeting on Thursday Minister of Education and Science
Armen Ashotyan stressed that they had taken measures to prevent such
phenomena even before the start of the campaign.

“Our main objective is to prevent any education establishments from
carrying out any political activities and ensure that the education
process remains uninterrupted,” stressed Ashotyan.

The minister said that since the official start of the campaign
on January 21 he has already received two relevant complaints from
provinces. He said school officials in both cases were sanctioned
for allowing students and teachers to attend rallies during what were
supposed to be school hours.

Meeting halls of some of the schools are listed on the Central Election
Commission website as premises where presidential candidates are
allowed to organize campaign events. However, it is not allowed to
use these premises for campaign purposes during school hours.

“We will remain vigilant and will not permit any deviation from the
letter of the law,” Prime Minister Sargsyan told his Cabinet.

FOUR FENCERS TO INTRODUCE ARMENIA IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

09:40, 7 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Junior Armenian fencers will
participate in the European Fencing Championship, which will be held
in the capital of Romania Bucharest. Four fencers will introduce
Armenia in the aforementioned championship. Among them are Michael
Hovhannisyan, Hasmik Azabaryan, Armen Alazyan, and Emma Poghosyan.

In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Secretary General of the
Fencing Federation of the Republic of Armenia Artashes Madoyan stated:
“We shall spare no effort to introduce ourselves as good as possible.

It will be a great achievement for us if we manage to overcome the
barrier of the third stage.”

Afterwards the Armenian fencers will participate in the World Fencing
Championship, which is scheduled to be held in Croatia from March 28
to April 6, 2013.

THE PUBLICATION OF AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER’S LETTER TO HIS NKR COUNTERPART CAUSED A SHOCK IN AZERBAIJAN

11:41, 7 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijani Umid (Hope) party Vice
President of Public Relations Aynur Imranov has posted in the social
networks Azerbaijani Defense Minister’s letter to his Nagorno Karabakh
Republic counterpart forwarded in 1993, July 25.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister, then deputy Minister Safar Abiev wrote in
the letter ” for holding a meeting between the heads of the countries
NKR Defense Minister Samvel Babayan must undertake obligation to cease
all kinds of military actions for three days”. As Armenpress reports,
Azerbaijani faktxeber.com reported, the publication of the letter
which comes to prove the existence of correspondence aroused shock
in Azerbaijani society.

Azerbaijani politician stated in the comment of the letter. “If Safar
Abiev recognized Nagorno Karabakh still in 1993, why they are cheating
Azerbaijani people with fake negotiations till today? “. One of the
site users reminded the content of the letter was published also in
1993 by Azerbaijani mass media.

CARREFOUR EN ARMENIE

Selon les sources de Joghovourd, une dizaine d’homme d’affaires
armeniens representant des PMI, auraient l’intention d’organiser une
action de protestation contre l’ouverture a Erevan de l’hypermarche
Carrefour. Les producteurs locaux et les societes d’importation sont
preoccupes par le fait que Carrefour s’installe a Erevan, ce qui
conduirait a la fermeture de plusieurs petits et grands magasins de
la capitale. Les initiateurs de cette action proposent que Carrefour
ouvre a Gumri ou au Karabagh.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 31 janvier 2013

jeudi 7 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

NCFA TO ASSIST IN SYRIAN ARMENIANS’ JOB PLACEMENT

February 6, 2013 – 16:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Economy Ministry jointly with the National
Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia (NCFA) are studying a
possibility of employment assistance for Syrian Armenians.

As Deputy Economy Minister Ara Petrosyan said, a job placement
possibility in tourist sector is being studied, along with a housing
problem.

As Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan earlier noted, 400 Syrian
Armenians out of 700 job seekers have already been employed, with
children arriving from Syria to be educated in local schools in
accordance with Armenian school programs.

HAYRIKYAN’S LIFE IN DANGER UNTIL CRIMINAL IS FOUND

NEWS.AM
February 05, 2013 | 12:39

YEREVAN.- Until The Criminal Is Found, Paruyr Hayrikyan’s Life Is In
Danger And He Will Be Accompanied By Bodyguards, Member Of Union For
Self-Determination Karo Yeghnukyan told reporters.

Party fellow of wounded presidential candidate dismissed allegations
that the goal of the attack was to postpone presidential vote. The
criminal’s goal was to kill Hayrikyan, he assured.

Earlier Hayrikyan’s lawyer said that presidential candidate decided
not to appeal to the Constitutional Court. Thus, election will be
held on February 18.

EL ARZOBISPO ARMENIO CATOLICO SOBRE LA MASACRE DE ALEPPO: “YA CASI NOS HEMOS HABITUADO AL HORROR COTIDIANO”

Agencia Fides
31 enero 2013

Aleppo (Agencia Fides) – “El efecto de la condicion en la que
vivimos desde hace mas de un año es que ahora ya nos hemos comenzado
a habituar al horror cotidiano”. Con estas palabras, el Arzobispo
de Aleppo de los armenios catolicos, Boutros Marayati, describe a
Fides la situacion que viven los habitantes de la metropolis siria,
donde ayer se encontraron docenas de cadaveres de jovenes víctimas
de ejecuciones sumarias colectivas. “Siempre hay nuevas noticias de
masacres, hay un constante ruido de bombardeos, se vive en un estado
de tension y miedo día y noche, se lucha por sobrevivir en una vida
cotidiana en la que no hay ni siquiera agua para beber ni combustible
para calentar los hogares. Estamos abrumados por todo esto”, dice a
la Agencia Fides, el Arzobispo, “no tenemos ni siquiera el tiempo
necesario para tomar conciencia de las terribles cosas en las que
estamos inmersos. La masacre en la universidad de hace unos días,
donde perdimos tambien a la pobre hermana Rima, parece ya algo lejano”.

Con el habitual rebote de acusaciones, los medios de comunicacion
gubernamentales han culpado de la matanza a las brigadas yihadistas
de Jabhat Al-Nusra, mientras que los grupos de la oposicion hablan de
“una nueva masacre terrible perpetrada por el regimen”.

Según el Arzobispo armenio catolico de Aleppo, la imposibilidad de
verificar la dinamica real de los hechos sangrientos hace que sea aún
mas alienante la condicion de la poblacion afectada por el conflicto:
“Sentimos que hay una deformacion de toda la informacion. Simplemente
no nos podemos fiar de lo que oímos, y no hay posibilidad de comprobar
ni siquiera los acontecimientos que ocurren a poca distancia de
nuestros barrios. Incluso ahora se puede escuchar el ruido de las
explosiones, pero no sabemos quien las produce ni contra quien
se dirigen. Estamos en medio de una guerra, pero vivimos como si
estuvieramos en la oscuridad, sin entender realmente lo que esta
sucediendo. Nos preguntamos cuando y como acabara todo esto. Oremos
al Señor, para que nos guarde y nos proteja” (GV) (Agencia Fides
30/1/2013)