Author: Badalian Vardan

FOOTBALL-CHAMPIONNAT DE RUSSIE
Au Spartak Moscou, Yura Movsissian gagne 2,1 millions d’euros par an,
Araz Ozbiliz 2 millions

Le Brésilien Hulk (Zénith Saint Petersbourg) est le joueur le mieux
payé du championnat de Russie avec un revenu annuel de 7 millions
d’euros d’après le site russe Sports.ru. L’international arménien Yura
Movsissian (Spartak Moscou) qui fut l’un des meilleurs buteurs du
championnat russe la saison dernière n’arrive qu’en 34e position des
joueurs les mieux payés avec des revenus annuels estimés à 2,1
millions d’euros. L’autre international arménien évoluant dans le
championnat de Russie, Araz Ozbiliz (Spartak Moscou) aurait quant à
lui des revenus annuels estimés à 2 millions d’euros.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 6 décembre 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

RUSSIA TO ASSIST IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT’S SETTLING

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Dec 5 2014

5 December 2014, 19:02 (GMT+04:00)

By Sara Rajabova

Following the recent escalation of tensions between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, experts are mulling over Russia’s role in the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They say Moscow can play an important
role in resolution of the long-lasting conflict.

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister has assured his country will
continue rendering assistance to the sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to resolve it.

He said the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a
long-standing and difficult process and approaches has been changed
in it.

“Together with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, for many years we have
been engaged in efforts to reach consensus over a common approach to
start negotiation on the practical implementation of fixed principles
including: respect for territorial integrity, non-use of force and
respect for the right of peoples to self-determination,” Lavrov said
at a press conference in Basel, Switzerland on December 5.

The minister added that this is a very complicated process, but it
is still going on. “I’m confident that as before, we and our partners
from the U.S. and France will assist Azerbaijan and Armenia in reaching
mutually acceptable agreements,” Lavrov said.

He also added that on the sidelines of the 21st OSCE Ministerial
Council the co-chairs made a joint statement reiterating their
determination to assist the sides in seeking new ways to resolve
the conflict.

“There is no military solution, and we call on the sides to refrain
from violence and work actively towards a lasting settlement,” the
statement read.

Lavrov further said his country is concerned about the fate of
Azerbaijani hostages, noting that Russia takes a serious approach
to the problem and advocates the release of all the hostages on a
mutual exchange.

He recalled a statement made following the Astrakhan meeting of the
presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to which the
heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia undertook to create a mechanism that
will allow exchanging hostages and dead bodies, if there are killed.

Lavrov expressed hope that this statement will be taken into account
in the parties’ practical steps along the frontline and in the region.

Armenian special forces killed Azerbaijani citizen Hasan Hasanov
and took hostage Shahbaz Guliyev and DilgamAsgarov in the Shaplar
village of the occupied Kelbajar region on July 11. The civilians
were visiting the graves of their relatives. The Armenians have put
on trial on October 27 the two Azerbaijanis, who were captured in
their native lands by the Armenian separatists.

The bloody war, which flared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia’s
territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, left without
home over a million of civilians of Nagorno-Karabakh and the regions
adjoining it, as well as the regions bordering with Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000
Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost
100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian
withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been
enforced to this day.

AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN FMS DID NOT MEET AS PART OF OSCE MEETING FOR FIRST TIME

Trend, Azerbaijan
Dec 5 2014

By Elchin Huseynov – Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov has not met with
Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian as part of the meeting of the
OSCE Ministerial Council, Trend’s special correspondent in Basel said
Dec. 5.

This information was also confirmed by acting spokesman for the
Azerbaijani foreign ministry Hikmet Hajiyev.

However, the ministers have recently met with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen separately and discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement.

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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

ARMENIA ON EURASIAN UNION: BETTER THE “RUSSIAN YOKE” YOU KNOW

EurasiaNet.org
Dec 5 2014

December 5, 2014 – 9:15am, by Giorgi Lomsadze

Armenia has sealed its Russia-deal, cinching its choice of the
Russian-led EU over the EU proper, but is not entirely happy about it.

By a 103-7 vote, the National Assembly on December 4 endorsed Armenia’s
long-expected accession to the Eurasian Union, but even some of the
lawmakers who pressed the yes-button think that it was Armenia’s
unfortunate fate that brought the Caucasus country to this junction.

“It is better to be under the Russian yoke,” reasoned MP Mher Sadrakian
of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, echoing other lawmakers’
views that alliance with Russia is a necessary evil. “Our people
always have been under a foreign yoke,” Sadrakian went on saying,
RFE/RL reported. “We are used to someone standing above us…

the Persians, the Turks, the Russians… ”

Without Russia, Armenia would not have “conquered” predominantly
ethnic-Armenian Nagorno Karabakh, claimed by Azerbaijan, he continued.

“Without them [the Russians], they will devour us,” Sadrakian said
in reference to Azerbaijan and its longtime ally, Turkey.

Another Republican, Seryan Saroian, offered more transcendental
reasoning, though getting somewhat confused in the process.

“Why are you lamenting us joining the European Union… the
Euronews… I don’t know, Eurasia…Let’s say you eat two more kilos
of sausage, will it change anything?” Saroian was quoted by RFE/RL’s
Armenian service as saying.

Arguing that the deal undercut Armenian sovereignty, protesters had
made their presence known outside parliament, but not imposing enough
to sway the vote. The country’s two largest opposition forces, the
Prosperous Armenia Party and the Armenian National Congress, earlier
had stated that they would not try to derail the Eurasian-Union plans.

The Armenian government says that accession to the Union will ease
access to the Russian market, the main outlet for Armenian goods.

Many observers agree that membership in the Eurasian Union makes
economic sense for Armenia, but they also see potential issues. The
weakening of the Russian economy, now under siege by Western sanctions
over Ukraine, will ripple through Armenia, one observer Karen Kocharian
told Kavkazsky Uzel website. That threat, though, would exist whether
or not Armenia signed on with Russia’s Eurasian Union, he noted.

Other observers spoke of potential pitfalls associated with what could
happen when the South Caucasus becomes a bit of a game of Twister,
with countries’ economic interests going across and around each other.

Neighboring Georgia is going full-speed toward integration with the
European Union, while Azerbaijan remains an economic and political
maverick.

For now, though, Armenia reckons it can contort itself sufficiently
to stay up.

SENIOR LIEUTENANT CHARGED WITH SHOOTING A SERVICEMEN

12.05.2014 11:57 epress.am

Senior lieutenant H. Ghazaryan was arrested on December 2, on the
charge of inflicting a gunshot wound to 20-year old contract serviceman
Karen Ananyan, reports the Armenian Investigation Committee.

According to the Committee’s official statement, an argument arose
between senior lieutenant H. Ghazaryan and contract serviceman,
private D. Saribekyan in one of the military base’s combat positions.

Ghazaryan released irregular shots with his service gun, consequently
wounding Ananyan in the thigh. Ananyan was transferred to the Ministry
of Defense Central Clinical Soldiers’ Hospital. At the moment, there
is no threat to his life.

Ghazaryan is being charged with assaulting a subordinate with
a firearm.

Note, that yesterday aravot.am had reported that the incident took
place on December 3 and according to the site, Ananyan’s wound was
due to an Azerbaijani attack. Epress.am spoke to Ministry of Defense
Media Spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan who did not wish to comment
on the news of the serviceman’s injury.

PETROLE : LA TURQUIE SE REJOUIT DE L’ACCORD ENTRE BAGDAD ET LA REGION AUTONOME DU KURDISTAN

TURQUIE

La Turquie s’est felicitee mercredi d’un accord conclu la veille entre
le gouvernement irakien et la region autonome du Kurdistan pour regler
un long differend sur les exportations petrolières.

“Nous considerons cette reconciliation comme un developpement positif
en ce qui concerne la securite du flux international d’energie et
notre cooperation energetique avec l’Irak” voisin de la Turquie,
a indique un communique du ministère de Affaires etrangères.

L’accord signe mardi a Bagdad prevoit qu’a partir de debut 2015 la
region autonome du Kurdistan va mettre a disposition du gouvernement
federal 250.000 barils de petrole par jour, tandis que 300.000 barils
seront transferes de la province disputee de Kirkouk.

En contrepartie, Bagdad va debloquer la part devolue au gouvernement
regional kurde dans le budget national, qui etait gelee depuis plus
d’un an.

Le differend petrolier empoisonnait depuis un an les relations entre
les parties. En juillet, les autorites kurdes etaient meme allees
jusqu’a annoncer leur volonte de tenir un referendum d’independance.

La Turquie a etabli ces dernières annees des rapports commerciaux
etroits avec la zone kurde irakienne.

vendredi 5 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LES ETATS-UNIS ET LA RUSSIE APPELLENT BAKOU ET EREVAN A EVITER L’ESCALADE DE LA TENSION AUX FRONTIERES

DIPLOMATIE

Une fois n’est pas coutume en ces temps de guerre froide, les
Etats-unis et la Russie ont uni leurs voix jeudi 4 decembre pour
appeler l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan a mettre tous les moyens en
oeuvre afin d’eviter une escalade de la tension dans le conflit du
Haut-Karabagh et d’engager des negociations en vue d’un accord de paix
“durable” et mutuellement acceptable. Le Secretaire d’Etat americain
John Kerry et le ministre russe des affaires etrangères Sergey Lavrov
ont par ailleurs appele a des “mesures supplementaires en vue de
renforcer le cessez-le-feu” dans la zone du conflit, qui a ete le
theâtre d’un regain de violences au cours des dernières semaines.

Au titre de ces violations du cessez-le-feu, ils ont cite le tir
azeri fatal qui a abattu un helicoptère armenien le 12 novembre
dernier, tuant ses trois occupants dans la region d’Aghdam, a l’est
du Karabagh, et provoquant un brusque regain de tension de part et
d’autre de la ligne de contact et de la frontière armeno-azerie. Dans
une declaration commune qui a ete egalement signee par un diplomate
francais de haut rang, MM. Kerry et Lavrov ont toutefois evite de
rejeter la responsabilite de cet incident sur l’une ou l’autre partie
en conflit, se contentant de denoncer une “tragedie qui aurait pu etre
evitee et qui souligne la necessite des mesures que doivent prendre
les parties en vue de reduire les tensions.” “Nous appelons toutes
les parties a faire preuve de retenue afin d’eviter une escalade
des tensions”, indique notamment le texte de la declaration commune
diffusee a l’issue de leur rencontre en Suisse.

La declaration indique par ailleurs que les presidents armenien
Serge Sarkissian et azeri, Ilham Aliyev, sont tombes d’accord pour
“intensifier” leurs efforts dans la recherche d’un plan de paix
mutuellement acceptable lors de leur dernière rencontre a Paris a la
fin octobre. Ele precise que MM. Sarkissian et Aliyev devraient adopter
un projet d’accord de paix tel qu’il a ete presente par les Etats-unis,
la Russie et la France comme ” base pour un règlement durable”. “Les
negociations sur un accord de paix durable sous l’egide des pays
copresidant [le Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE] devraient commencer le
plus tôt possible”, poursuit le texte de la declaration.

L’idee de negociations armeno-azeries sur un accord definitif et
durable a ete proposee par Bakou depuis plusieurs annees. La partie
armenienne s’y etait opposee jusqu’a ce jour, estimant que les parties
en conflit devaient au prealable surmonter leurs divergences concernant
les Principe de base d’un règlement du conflit du Karabagh tel qu’ils
avaient ete enonces dans le plan de paix presente par la troïka du
Groupe de Minsk.

vendredi 5 decembre 2014, Gari (c)armenews.com

LES SOLDATS DE LA PAIX ARMENIENS PARTENT POUR LE LIBAN

ARMENIE

Les unites armeniennes de maintien de la paix sont partis pour le
Liban afin de participer a la mission de la Force interimaire des
Nations Unies au Liban (FINUL).

Le mMinistre armenien de la Defense Seyran Ohanian et l’ambassadeur
d’Italie en Armenie Giovanni Ricciulli ont participe a une ceremonie
de depart a l’aeroport international Zvartnots des soldats de la paix.

32 soldats armeniens de la paix ont atteint le Liban a bord d’un
avion militaire italien.

L’Armenie participe actuellement a deux missions de maintien de la
paix, y compris celles en Afghanistan et au Kosovo.

jeudi 4 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

NAIRIT PROTEST: CHEMICAL PLANT WORKERS AGAIN RAISE THEIR CONCERNS

NEWS | 04.12.14 | 13:02

Several hundred workers of an idling chemical plant in Yerevan again
gathered near the Presidential Palace on Thursday to demand their
back wages and more certainty about the future of their enterprise.

The protesters told media that the plant owes them salaries for 18
months. Another concern of the mostly furloughed workers is that
they will be dismissed from their jobs in February as part of a
‘rehabilitation plan’ for the plant.

According to reports, new contracts will be signed only with a third
of about 1,500 workers who have been on partly paid leave for four
years now.

This is not the first time that Nairit workers stage protests near
government offices, but the future of the sole chloroprene rubber
producer in the entire post-Soviet space still remains unclear.

168 ZHAM: POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF DRAM DEVALUATION SCENARIO

11:23 * 04.12.14

A London-based internationally acclaimed Armenian numismatist and
financial adviser has shared his forecasts on the possible impact of
the Armenian national currency’s devaluation.

In an interview with the paper, Armen Papazyan highlighted several
contributory factors on the world market, warning particularly of
three major developments that require serious attention.

“The highly possible scenario will be the shortage of foreign currency
and cash Dollars, given that many market players in the dollarized
country – where foreign and domestic loans are provided in foreign
currencies – will seek to strengthen their money exchange rate to
prevent a further devaluation. Many will wish to exchange their Drams
with Dollars without waiting for further developments. The situation
will further sharply increase the demand for cash and digital currency.

“The second possible scenario is that the dollarization of deposits and
loans may take a more severe turn, as individuals and institutions may
decide that the devaluation risk is not worth the contribution they
have by saving their sums in Drams. In that case, the dollarization
process will get take a more active turn or just keep the same
paces. And the demand for foreign currency will stand high again. In
the aftermath of such a development – and also considering the past
years’ policies – foreign loans may again be used to meet the existing
demands. And if this scenario is put into practice, the main challenge
facing us – i.e. the creation of productive value – will not be pushed
forward, with the loan policies remaining unchanged.”

“The third likely scenario is that many families and institutions
already having financial difficulties may face a more severe financial
crush for the simple reason that they may have to use an incomparably
higher [sum] than their income to pay off their domestic and foreign
loans in the country facing a 63% dollarization. The Dram devaluation
will pose a risk to foreign loans. They will either not be paid at
all or be paid at the cost of harm to the quality of people’s life
and the financial health of institutions. Of course. I describe all
these developments and scenarios not only as an aftermath of the
past couple of days’ devaluation but also as possible developments
stemming from the general situation,” he said.