Author: Badalian Vardan

Tigran Abrahamyan: Many do not even realize how deep created trap is

Badalian Vardan
Panorama, Armenia

Armenian military expert Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the analytical center Henaket and the I’m Honored bloc’s MP candidate, called for creation of a new security system in Syunik Province amid the existing threats.

“There is a lot of talk about the safety of Stepanakert-Goris road and the establishment of appropriate mechanisms, but I think that the issue of the safety of Goris-Kapan-Chakaten-Shikaogh-Meghri roadway in Syunik is no less important,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday.

“Many do not even realize how deep the created trap is, since incidents are rarely recorded in this area in the post-war period.

“However, as a result of the “verbal agreement”, a part of this road is under Azerbaijani control, while Azerbaijan has the opportunity to ensure control on a larger part of it at any moment.

“It is necessary to create a new security system in Syunik, the current measures help resolve solely temporary and situational issues, whereas serious security guarantees are not provided,” the expert said.

Swedish Bombardier Executive Charged For Azerbaijan Bribery

Badalian Vardan



A Bombardier-produced train (Photo by Bengt from wikimedia)

A former manager at the Swedish branch of Bombardier Transportation, a major engineering company, was indicted  Wednesday on charges of aggravated bribery in what is one of Sweden’s biggest ever corruption scandals, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reported Wednesday.

Thomas Bimer, a former business area manager at Bombardier in Sweden, will now face trial for his role in the allegedly corrupt tender that Bombardier won in Azerbaijan in 2013.
Prosecutors argue the $350 million contract to install signaling systems for a section of Azeri railway involved Bombardier paying a $100 million bribe to at least one mid-ranking railway executive.

“[Bimer] was the head of the department in charge of this project. We believe that he was aware that Bombardier colluded with the customer in Azerbaijan,” Prosecutor Staffan Edlund, of the National Anti-Corruption Unit, told OCCRP.

The allegedly bribed Azeri railway executive also represented a local business, Trans-Signal-Rabita (TSR), which won the tender together with the Swedish company. TSR and Bombardier Sweden rigged the tender so that Bombardier Sweden would win it, according to the indictment now being filed in the Stockholm District Court.

Both Mr Bimer and Bombardier deny any wrongdoing, as does the Azeri railway executive, says the prosecutor, although Swedish investigators have not been able to question the latter.
Furthermore, it is likely that there were other employees at the railway authority in Azerbaijan who received a cut of the payments.

The prosecutor notes that Swedish Bombardier’s former CEO was previously also suspected of bribery, along with several others, yet the insufficiency of evidence means there is not enough to prove any guilt in his case.

Bombardier Sweden has since been sold to the French company Alstom, but it still risks being excluded from any future World Bank-financed projects. The financial institution has reportedly not made any final decisions.

Armenia, Georgia resume railway communication

Badalian Vardan

Save

Share

 13:10, 7 June, 2021

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Georgia resume the railway communication which has been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natela Turnava said, reports TASS.

On June 15 the first train from Yerevan will depart for Batumi.

“I would like to inform that the railway communication between Armenia and Georgia has been restored. On June 15 the first train will depart from Yerevan to Batumi, passing through Tbilisi. This means that tourists from our allied, neighboring country will visit Georgia, our seaside resorts, our capital and other tourism sites”, she said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Turkish press: Turkish contractors aim to rebuild Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh

Badalian Vardan
 ANKARA – ISTANBUL ECONOMY 
MAY 31, 2021 3:52 PM GMT+3
Turkish Trade Minister Mehmet Muş (right) attends the Turkey-Azerbaijan Investment Forum held online, Ankara, Turkey, May 31, 2021. (Turkish Trade Ministry via AA)

Turkish contractors hope to play a key role in the rebuilding of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was recently reclaimed after nearly three decades of Armenian occupation, Turkey’s Trade Minister Mehmet Muş said Monday.

Turkey’s contractors have undertaken projects around the world, and in Azerbaijan in particular they have completed nearly 450 projects worth $15 billion (TL 127.12 billion), Muş said during the virtual Turkey-Azerbaijan Investment Forum organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK).

The Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory and was occupied by Armenia in 1991, was liberated by Azerbaijan in November as part of a Russia-brokered truce following a 44-day war.

Underlining the importance of bilateral trade, Muş said Turkey and Azerbaijan aim to reach a trade volume of $15 billion.

He said Turkey and Azerbaijan’s trade rose by 5% in 2020 on an annual basis to $4.6 billion, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Trade increased in the first four months of 2021 and the trend is expected to continue throughout the year, he added.

Muş said that studies are ongoing to expand the scope of a preferential trade agreement that came into effect on March 1.

He shared that Turkey’s investments in Azerbaijan amounted to $12 billion, while Azerbaijan’s in Turkey totaled $19.5 billion.

Azerbaijan ranked 28th among 190 countries in the Doing Business Index by the World Bank, the minister said.

Mikayil Jabbarov, Azerbaijan’s economy minister, said the “constructive” meeting will strengthen the bond of the Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood.

“The friendship and brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan are at a peak today,” he said, adding that more companies investing in each other’s countries would have a stronger impact on bilateral trade.

Jabbarov said Turkey and Azerbaijan will continue to support each other with the “one nation, two states” motto.

Nail Olpak, the president of DEIK, highlighted Azerbaijan’s new investment opportunities in the aftermath of the victory in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“We have talked with Azerbaijan about joint projects in third countries as well,” Olpak said, listing nations like Georgia and Pakistan.

He said the potential investment areas included health, health tourism, agriculture, defense, infrastructure, mining and medicine.

Yusif Abdullayev, the acting president at the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation, said the forum will be important for Azerbaijan, Turkish investors and companies.

He said an investment roadshow was planned for the beginning of 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19. “We will present all investment developments that took place in Azerbaijan in recent years to Turkish investors.”

Armenia reports 108 daily coronavirus cases

Badalian Vardan

Save

Share

 11:22, 1 June, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS. 108 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 222,778, the ministry of healthcare reports.

221 patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 213,429.

The death toll has risen to 4445 (7 death cases have been registered in the past one day).

3280 COVID-19 tests were conducted on May 31.

The number of active cases is 3822.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Pashinyan-Macron meeting kicks off in Paris

Badalian Vardan

Save

Share

 15:18, 1 June, 2021

PARIS, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his delegation, who are in France on a working visit, arrived in the Élysée Palace, Armenpress correspondent reports from Paris.

Pashinyan was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The two leaders are expected to hold a joint press conference.

Thereafter, a luncheon will be served on behalf of the French President.

Pashinyan and Macron will discuss a number of issues, including the latest developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

After the meeting Pashinyan will visit the French Senate to meet with Speaker Gérard Larcher. Before this meeting, Pashinyan will lay flowers at the bust of world-renowned French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour which has been inaugurated recently in Paris.

After the meeting with the French Senate Speaker, the Armenian caretaker PM will be hosted at the Paris City Hall where a meeting with Mayor Anne Hidalgo is scheduled.

At the end of the visit in Paris, Pashinyan will meet with the representatives of the Armenian community.

[see video]

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Artsakh FM calls capture of Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan in Gegharkunik “political terrorism”

Badalian Vardan

Save

Share

 12:11,

STEPANAKERT, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Artsakh Davit Babayan called the recent capture of 6 Armenian servicemen by the Azerbaijani forces in the border section of Armenia’s Gegharkunik province as terrorism.

“In fact, Azerbaijan is conducting political and geopolitical terrorism. Firstly, with such step Azerbaijan is again showing that it doesn’t and is not ready for building its relations with Armenia in any reasonable and civilized way. Azerbaijan continues terrorist actions, is capturing people who were just conducting engineering works. In fact, they kidnap, capture Armenian servicemen and call them as saboteurs”, he told Armenpress, expressing confidence that Azerbaijan’s aim of taking hostages and prisoners of war is the run a policy of again labeling them as saboteurs and terrorist. “They are trying to complicate the domestic political situation in Armenia in this way, create an atmosphere of distrust toward the future especially in the most important strategic and border areas”, the Artsakh FM said.

According to him, Azerbaijan’s this behavior is a blow to the CSTO, because terrorism has been carried out against the servicemen of the Armed Forces of its member state.

“This is a blow also to our brotherly state Russia, because, Azerbaijan, seems, is again throwing a challenge to Russia with such action. Understanding that Russia must solve this issue in a very calm atmosphere and must intervene in some sense, Azerbaijan is creating such difficulties because it is terroristic and Armenophobic as a state and doesn’t change”, Babayan said, adding that it would be naïve to hope a change in Azerbaijan’s behavior.

On May 27 early morning, 6 servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, while conducting engineering works in the territory of an Armenian military base’ protection area in the border section of Armenia’s Gegharkunik province, have been surrounded and taken captive by the Azerbaijani troops.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Catholicos Karekin II: We believe our people will find the strength to recover from this ordeal with the help of God

Badalian Vardan
Panorama, Armenia

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has congratulated Armenians on the Republic Day celebrated on May 28. His congratulatory message reads:

“From the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin we extend greetings and blessings to our entire people, congratulating them on the festive occasion of the First Republic Day.

This year we are celebrating the Republic Day in a difficult and depressing situation for our country, once again reflecting on the reminiscences of the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia.

Our people, who suffered the bitter blows of the genocide more than 100 years ago, also faced great challenges in defending their existence in the eastern part of their homeland, however did not retreat and fought bravely in the May heroic battles, restoring the native state.

The First Republic did not survive for a long time, but it became a visible guarantor of an independent statehood, which inspired the further victories of the revival of our people.

Today, we are concerned about the problems facing our homeland, the ongoing encroachments on our borders, and the safe and secure life of our people.

However, we believe that with the victorious spirit of the May heroic battles, our people, with the help of God, will find the strength to recover from this ordeal, and through joint efforts, strengthen our homeland, reinforce the statehood, and build the bright future of the Armenian people.

May God grant peace to the whole world, to our country and people, and under His insufficient graces will empower us to achieve our national goals, our aspirations for a secure and prosperous life.”

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Badalian Vardan
News.am, Armenia
09:56, 28.05.2021

YEREVAN. – Zhoghovurd daily of Armenia writes: The authorities, who have always mentioned transparency and being loved by the people, have decided to hold in a closed format the events to be held today dedicated to the First Republic and the heroic battles of Bash Aparan.

And for that very purpose, the roads leading to Sardarapat will be closed off today, from 8:00 to 11:00; even reporters’ entry is not envisioned.

However, let us note that the entry of reporters has never been closed off even during the previous ones [in power]; even ordinary citizens were often able to come and stand next to officials.

But now [acting PM Nikol] Pashinyan’s power, which allegedly enjoys popularity, keeps the event closed even for reporters.

Pope Tawadros mourns death of Patriarch of Armenian Catholic Church

Badalian Vardan
Egypt Today

BY MENA

Wed, – 12:12 GMT

CAIRO, May 25 (MENA) – Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II mourned the death of Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholic Church Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the pontiff expressed his deep sadness for the demise of Patriarch Krikor Bedros.

The Pope also offered his condolences to the Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church.