Author: Badalian Vardan

YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY COMPLETES GRAPE PROCUREMENT IN THE ARARAT VALLEY

YEREVAN, October 4. / ARKA /. The French-owned Yerevan Brandy Company
said it has completed purchase of grapes from winegrowers in the
Ararat Valley. According to a company’s press release, it has bought
a total of 33,298 tons of grapes.

The company said although it had bought as much grape from the valley
farmers as had been planned, it decided to buy additionally grapes
form those farmers who failed to sell t in time or collected more
than stipulated by their contracts.

YBC’s branch in Berd in Tavush province has procured so far 4,500
tons of grapes. Overall, it plans to buy one thousand tons more.

The company pays 145 drams per one kilogram of grape in Armavir
and Ararat provinces and 135 drams for one kg of grape in Tavush,
up from last year’s 140 and 130 drams respectively.

The farmers get the money within three days after handing their grape
to the company. The company has already paid 4.5 billion drams to
all those, whose grape was procured before October 1.

The Yerevan Brandy Company founded in 1887. It was privatized in 1998
by French Pernod Ricard at $30 million. -0-

– See more at:

LEBANON’S CENTRAL BODY CONVOKED SESSION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

11:43, 4 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: The session of the Lebanon’s central
body was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to Lebanon
on October 2 devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. As reported by Armenpress, the session was opened by the
Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Ashot Kocharyan.

At the session the main directions of the activities of the central
body were discussed. The necessity of closer cooperation with the 100th
anniversary state commission was underlined. The sides discussed as
well the details of the joint works to be carried out in 2014-2015

SEARCH FOR ARMENIAN MONASTERY ON KYRGYZ LAKE SHORE POSTPONED UNTIL 2014

October 04, 2013 | 02:09

YEREVAN. – The search for a medieval Armenian church on the shores
of Lake Issyk Kul, inKyrgyzstan, has been postponed until next year.

Ayas Club President Karen Balayan told the aforesaid to Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

The expedition was scheduled to start work in September of this year,
and its initiator is renowned Russian survivalist, traveler and yacht
captain Fyodor Konyukhov.

As per Balayan, the expedition is postponed due to Konyukhov’s very
hectic schedule and his preparations to cross the Pacific Ocean.

“[But] I think it is even better that the expedition is postponed;
this will enable them to better prepare and to include more scholars,”
Balayan said.

He added that the number of scholars, who believe that the monastery
might not actually be located where they are searching, has increased
in recent years.

The main source for the expedition is a 1375 Catalan map, where the
monastery is depicted at the southern part of the lake.

Karen Balayan, on the other hand, believes that it should be sought
at the other shore of the lake.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: PRESIDENT’S SALARY TO BE RAISED TO AMD 900,000

12:22 04/10/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Standing Committee on Social
Affairs Hakob Hakobyan has told Haykakan Zhamanak’s correspondent
that salaries are expected to increase on July 1, 2014.

The draft budget of Armenia, which has already been submitted to the
parliament, contains a provision on increase of salaries. However,
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said earlier that salaries will be
raised in all areas beginning January 1, 2014.

According to Haykakan Zhamanak, on July 1, 2014, the Armenian
President’s salary will be raised from AMD 400,000 to AMD 900,000.

Salaries of ministers and MPs will be raised to AMD 600,000.

Source: Panorama.am

L’ARMENIE RENONCE AU TRAITE DE LIBRE ECHANGE AVEC L’UE

ARMENIE

L’Armenie renonce a signer un traite de libre echange avec l’Union
europeenne après que celle-ci l’eut juge incompatible avec l’Union
douanière que lui propose la Russie, a declare mercredi le president
armenien, Serge Sarkissian.

Il a precise que son pays esperait encore signer avec les Vingt-Huit
un accord d’association portant sur les seuls aspects politiques lors
du prochain sommet du partenariat oriental qui se tiendra a Vilnius,
en Lituanie, a la fin novembre.

“Nos collègues europeens nous disent qu’il y a une contradiction
entre cet accord de libre echange et l’union douanière, donc nous ne
signerons que l’accord d’association”, a-t-il dit devant l’Assemblee
parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe.

Serge Sarkissian a dit regretter une situation qui n’etait pas prevue,
selon lui, au debut des negociations avec l’UE.

“Nous avions dit que nous voulions avoir les relations les plus vastes
et les plus etroites avec l’UE (et) nos collègues nous disaient que
le partenariat oriental ne visait absolument pas a exclure des Etats,
des organisations ou des tiers”, s’est-il justifie.

La decision de l’Armenie, le 3 septembre, de rejoindre l’Union
douanière proposee par la Russie, aux côtes du Kazakhstan et de
la Bielorussie, avait ete mal percue par l’UE, engagee dans une
competition avec Moscou pour attirer les pays d’Europe orientale dans
sa sphère d’influence.

Le president de la Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, avait denonce les
pressions exercees selon lui par la Russie pour empecher l’Ukraine,
la Georgie et la Moldavie de signer des accords d’association avec
l’UE lors du sommet de Vilnius.

Serge Sarkissian a pour sa part recuse toute pression de la part de
l’ancienne puissance tutelaire, du temps de l’URSS.

vendredi 4 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

TIGRAN SARKISSIAN QUALIFIE L’ENTREE DE L’ARMENIE DANS L’UNION DOUANIERE COMME UNE ETAPE MUREMENT REFLECHIE

ARMENIE

Le Premier ministre armenien Tigran Sarkissian a invoque ” l’experience
historique ” et les ” calculs de sang-froid ” derrière la recente
decision de l’Armenie d’adherer a l’Union douanière de la Russie,
la Bielorussie et le Kazakhstan.

Tigran Sarkissian a fait la declaration lors d’une visite a
Saint-Petersbourg pour assister a la reunion de la commission
interetatique russo-armenienne pour la cooperation economique.

” Personne ne nous a invites a l’union douanière. La decision de
l’Armenie a adherer a l’Union douanière a ete une etape pleinement
consciente et mûrement reflechie “, a declare Tigran Sarkissian.

” D’une part, il s’agit d’une experience historique, et d’autre part
d’un froid calcul visant a creer des conditions qui correspondent
pleinement aux interets nationaux de notre pays ” a ajoute le Premier
ministre armenien, cite par le service de presse du gouvernement.

Tigran Sarkissian avait a plusieurs reprises exprime de serieux doutes
sur l’entree de l’Armenie dans le bloc dirige par la Russie dans ses
declarations publiques sur la question avant le 3 septembre, lorsque
le president armenien Serge Sarkissian ait signale la decision du
pays de progresser vers l’integration eurasienne.

vendredi 4 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

LA TURQUIE VEUT EMPECHER LES ACTIVITES AUTOUR DU 100 EME ANNIVERSAIRE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

AZERBAIDJAN

” La Turquie prendra toutes les mesures necessaires pour prevenir
les evenements que les Armeniens pourraient tenir en 2015 dans le
cadre du 100e anniversaire du soi-disant genocide armenien ” a declare
l’ambassadeur de Turquie en Azerbaïdjan Ismail Alper Coskun lors d’une
conference intitulee ” la Republique democratique d’Azerbaïdjan et
l’Armee islamique du Caucase ” et dedie au 95e anniversaire de la
liberation de Bakou de l’occupation bolchevique.

” Les Armeniens ont deja fait des demandes farfelues , et ces creances
peuvent etre attendus dans l’avenir ” a declare l’ambassadeur qui a
ajoute que la Turquie va celebrer le 100e anniversaire de la bataille
de Canakkale.

Ismail Alper Coskun a egalement declare que l’ideologie de l’Etat
armenien est basee sur la falsification des evenements de 1915 .

” J’espère que tous les evenements historiques seront etudies du
point de vue de documents d’archives, comme cela a ete suggeree par
la Turquie et l’Azerbaïdjan ” a-t-il dit.

La conference, qui etait organisee par l’Academie Dimplomatique
d’Azerbaidjan (ADA) en collaboration avec l’ambassade de Turquie
en Azerbaïdjan et le Centre culturel turc Yunus Emre, a eu lieu a
l’Academie diplomatique d’Azerbaïdjan le 19 Septembre .

L’evenement a rassemble le responsable de l’ ADA Khafiz Pachayev
, l’ambassadeur de Turquie en Azerbaïdjan Ismail Alper Coskun et
d’autres fonctionnaires . S’exprimant a cette occasion , Pachayev
a souligne l’importance de la conference et a parle de l’importance
de l’assistance de la Turquie a l’Azerbaïdjan . Il a dit que l’Armee
islamique a joue un rôle important dans l’histoire de la fraternite
Azerbaïdjan – Turquie.

Ensuite, un film documentaire sur l’arrivee en Azerbaïdjan et la
lutte de l’ Armee islamique du Caucase dirigee par le general de l’
armee ottomane Nuru pacha a ete presentee.

vendredi 4 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

AGSHIN MEHDIYEV: “SETTLEMENT OF THE SYRIAN ARMENIANS IN AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED TERRITORIES IS A DANGEROUS PROCESS”

APA, Azerbaijan
Oct 3 2013

[ 03 October 2013 12:35 ]

Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to UN urges international
community to assess this illegal activity of Armenia

Baku. Viktoria Dementyeva – APA. “Settlement of the Syrian Armenians
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan runs contrary to the
international humanitarian law and human rights,” Azerbaijan’s
Permanent Representative to UN, Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev said at the
briefing dedicated to Azerbaijan’s presidency over the UN Security
Council, APA reports. He said Syrian crisis has an impact not only
on this country, but also on other regions and countries.

Ambassador said Syrian refugees of Armenian origin are settled in the
occupied territories and other areas affected by the conflict. The
historical owners of these lands have been forced to leave these
territories.

“As the international community is seeking ways to solve the Syrian
crisis, the sufferings of the people affected by this conflict are used
to make tense the situation around the conflict in another region,”
he said.

Agshin Mehdiyev said the Azerbaijani side had raised the issue at a
number of international organizations, including OSCE Minsk Group.

“This is a dangerous process that may lead to unexpected consequences.

The international community should properly assess this activity of
Armenia,” he said.

MAYOR OF FRANCE’S VIENNE CITY ILLEGALLY VISITS AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Azeri-Press Agency (APA)
October 3, 2013 Thursday 5:34 AM EST

Sep 30, 2013 (Azeri-Press Agency (APA)

Baku: The delegation led by Jacques Remiller, Mayor of Vienne city of
France, has illegally visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

APA reports quoting Armenia Today that Jacques Remiller met with the
leader of Nagorno Karabakh separatists Bako Saakyan in Khankendi.

They discussed development of bilateral relations, cooperation in
education and health.

Bako Saakyan thanked Jacques Remiller for his activity in
France-Artsakh friendship Group.

LOCAL COURT MERGES COL. OZ TRIAL WITH DINK CASE

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Oct 3 2013

3 October 2013 /TODAY’S ZAMAN, ANKARA

Col. Ali Oz — who was sentenced to six months in prison on charges of
neglect by omission in the 2007 murder of Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief
of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos — is being retried as a local
court in Ä°stanbul has asked for a merger of Oz’s case with Dink’s
murder case.

A case was filed against seven soldiers and Oz, who was the commander
of the Trabzon Gendarmerie Battalion at the time when Dink’s killers
were conspiring to murder him, on charges of “neglecting duty and
forging documents,” at the Trabzon 2nd Court of Peace.

Another case was also filed against Oz at the Trabzon 1st High Criminal
Court with the same accusations, but the high criminal court didn’t
accept the case on the grounds that two cases could not charge a
suspect with the same crime.

At the request of the Dink family, the 5th Penal Chamber of the Court
of Appeals decided to have the colonel’s retrial at the Trabzon 1st
High Criminal Court. The court demanded the merging of the case with
Dink’s murder case in Ä°stanbul and postponed the court proceedings.

Dink was shot and killed in broad daylight on Jan. 19, 2007 by an
ultranationalist teenager outside the offices of his newspaper in
Ä°stanbul. Evidence discovered since then has led to claims that the
murder was linked to the “deep state,” a term used in reference to
a shady group of military and civilian bureaucrats believed to have
links to criminal elements.