Author: Badalian Vardan

“ARMENIAN TERRORISTS” DETAINED IN AZERBAIJAN SET FREE

arminfo
Thursday, September 27, 11:01

Six citizens of Georgia, including 3 Armenians, who were arrested
in Azerbaijan, have been set free, Armenian Ambassador to Georgia
Hovhaness Manukyan told media.

He said that six citizens of Georgia (two Armenians, two Georgians
and an Azerbaijani) fishing in the near- border Lake of Jandar on
September 23 reached the Azerbaijani part of the lake because of bad
weather and were detained. However, they were set free the next day,
the ambassador said.

Some Azerbaijani Mass Media called the detainees as terrorists of
ASALA who allegedly penetrated into Azerbaijan to commit terrorist
acts, but the Azerbaijani special services rendered them harmless.

‘KARABAKH NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SUSPENDED’

TODAY.AZ
27 September 2012

Negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh have
been suspended, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told
journalists on Thursday.

He said meetings of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are periodically
held at different levels. However the negotiation process is not
being held to address the concrete issues in a certain time frame
and on a daily basis.

He said the periodic visits of the co-chairs, of course, cannot
remain fruitless.

“During every visit, coming to Azerbaijan, they learn about our
position. Then going to Armenia, co-chairs hear something there. Then
say that discussions will continue in international organisations,
the UN and the OSCE, and because no progress is achieved on this issue
and to fill the vacuum they talk about confidence building measures.

Azerbaijan has put forward a number of initiatives, but Armenia
refused to accept them, ” Azimov said.

In addition, he stressed that some statements of the co-chairs do
not comply with the situation in general.

“When Azerbaijan proposed a dialogue with the Azerbaijanis of
Nagorno-Karabakh and their neighbours the Armenians, the Armenian
side rejected it. Therefore I see speculations on the part of the
Armenian side and co-chairs,” Azimov said.

He said proposals corresponding to the realities should be put forward
and realized.

STEPANKERT AIRPORTS STANDS CERTIFICATION TEST

/ARKA/
September 27, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 27. / ARKA /. The civic airport in Stepanakert, the
capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, has successfully passed the certification
process and is ready to launch first commercial flights to and
from Karabakh, Tigran Gabrielian, chief of staff of Civil Aviation
Department of Karabakh, was quoted by Novosti-Armenia as saying.

“A commission of the Chief Civil Aviation Department of Armenia has
made a series of checks to decide Stepanakert airport’s compliance
with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO). The test was successful, and soon the airport will receive
a certificate,” he said.

Gabrielian said initially the airport will be able to handle 100
passengers a day. The flights will be operated by recently established
Air Artsakh airline.

Azerbaijani authorities would warn of “corresponding measures” if
Nagorno-Karabakh resumed flights. The Azerbaijani State Civil Aviation
Administration said that the planned Yerevan-Stepanakert flights would
constitute an “invasion” of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized
airspace and that “taking corresponding measures in connection with
that is inevitable

But in a statement issued in July, the U.S., Russian, and French
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group said they “received renewed
assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of
force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic
steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue.”

“The co-chairs reaffirmed that operation of this (Stepanakert)
airport cannot be used to support any claim of a change in the status
of Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged the sides to act in accordance with
international law and consistent with current practice for flights
over their territory,” the statement added without elaborating.

THANKS TO DONATIONS BY ORANGE CUSTOMERS AND THE ORANGE FOUNDATION AN 8-YEAR OLD GIRL WILL STAY WITH HER FAMILY

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:36:28 – 27/09/2012

Orange and World Vision Armenia summarize the August results of the
joint SMS Charity project “Let’s Keep Children Home”

Today Orange Foundation and World Vision Armenia announced the results
of the third month of implementation of “Let’s Keep Children Home”
SMS charity project. This project gives the chance to every Orange
customer to support Armenian children whose families cannot keep
them at home and deliver them to the care of state institutions due
to financial difficulties.

By sending SMS to 1234 short number, Orange customers donate 100 AMD
and by sending SMS to 5678 short number – 500 AMD. In August Orange
customers donated a total of 281 000 AMD. As it has been announced
earlier, the Orange Foundation in its turn will double the money
donated by customers all together, i.e., thanks to this fundraising
project the Orange Foundation will transfer 562.000 AMD to World
Vision Armenia, which will use this amount to help Spartak’s and
Armine’s family living in Shirak marz. They have three children and
due to financial difficulties they have had to deliver the eldest of
them, theireight-year-old daughter to the care of the state boarding
institution. Spartak is an automechanic and has good skills but few
tools to provide quality services. The collected amount will be enough
to buy an important kit of necessary tools which will allow the father
of the family to earn more money and keep all children home.

“First of all we would like to thank our customers for their
participation in this initiative. The Orange Foundation has doubled
the contribution of each of them. It’s interesting to note that many
of the donors of August participate in the project for the first time,
so there are new people willing to join their efforts to ours. One
of the most important advantages of this project is that every
Orange customer can have his/her contribution to helping children
who have parents but, nevertheless, are forced to live and grow in
a children’s home. The project will be ongoing, and this month as
well we are expecting donations which will enable to bring tangible
changes into the lives of many other children,” said Francis Gelibter,
Chairman of the Board of the Orange Foundation in Armenia.

“We thank Orange customers for every dram donated. The donation
will enable us to give this family a new start in life, and make it
possible for the eight-year-old girl to enjoy her parents’ presence,and
tendercare,” said Lusine Simonyan, World Vision Armenia’s “Stakeholders
Acting Together for Child Protection in Armenia” Project Coordinator.

World Vision Armenia has considerable experience in working with
vulnerable families that face difficult social and financial
conditions. World Vision Armeni’s experts and social workers will
organize professional work with these families. This work aims to
improve social and economic situation of the families, thus enabling
parents to keep their children at home.

The project will last till June 2013; the Orange Foundation will
regularly provide information regarding the donated money and the
children and families who will be the beneficiaries of this project.

For privacy reasons the last name and community of the beneficiary
family is not indicated.

EU TO ALLOCATE EUR43MLN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA

Mediamax
Sept 27 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The European Union and Armenia concluded two
financial agreements today.

After concluding the agreements, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and
Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule said during his joint press conference
with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan that “we are ready to
assist the process of Armenia’s European integration, Mediamax reports.

According to Stefan Fule, the planned financial assistance will
contribute to preparation of Armenia’s institutions for political
association with the EU and economic integration.

Under the financial agreements, the EU will support the process and
implementation of negotiations on bilateral agreements between the
EU and Armenia including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
and Visa Facilitation/Readmission Agreements.

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that the financial and
technical assistance allows Armenia to substantially enhance the
potential of the government.

“That is -development of substructures, issues of sanitary and
eco-sanitary spheres and legislative reforms, improvement of customs
procedures as well as strengthening of democratic institutions”,
said Tigran Sargsyan.

SENIOR CPC OFFICIAL MEETS WITH ARMENIAN GUESTS

Xinhua General News Service, China
September 26, 2012 Wednesday 9:40 AM EST

A senior Chinese political advisor on Wednesday pledged to enhance
communication and cooperation with Armenia.

Wang Gang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese
People’s Political Consultative Conference, made the pledge during
a meeting with Vazgen Manukyan, chairman of Armenia’s Public Council.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China, hailed the sound development momentum
of the two sides’ relations.

“The two sides have maintained good coordination on international and
regional affairs and safeguarded the two countries’ common interests,”
he said.

As the president of the China Economic and Social Council (CESC),
Wang said the CESC attaches great importance to communication with
Armenia’s Public Council and is willing to enhance understanding and
coordination, develop long-term friendly relations of cooperation
and further develop relations between the two countries and the
two peoples.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL AIR CARRIER FOR SALE

Xinhua General News Service
September 26, 2012 Wednesday 9:40 AM EST
China

Armenian national air carrier Armavia on Wednesday confirmed rumors
it was for sale.

Armavia press secretary Nana Avetisova said one of the main reasons
for selling the company was its unprofitability.

“It is not known who the buyer will be — Italians or someone else,
because there are lots of interested persons,” Avetisova said.

Armavia flights at Zvartnots international airport near the capital
city of Yerevan ceased on Sept. 20 after the airport refused to
provide services over unpaid service fees.

The two sides had signed an agreement on March 15 in which Zvartnots
agreed to review service fees, while Armavia promised to pay its
outstanding accounts by the end of September.

Armavia has amassed 5.3 million U.S. dollars of debt in six months.

EXPERT: U.S. TRYING TO SHAPE ARMENIA INTO ALLY FOR ANTI-IRANIAN POLICY

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 27, 2012 – 20:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In America’s eyes, Armenia might be in the most
important position of any US ally to pursue anti-Iranian policy,
Truman Project’s Daniel Gaynor writes.

In his article, the expert tries to answer the question as to why
the U.S. prioritizes cooperation with Armenia.

“Few countries are in better position to shape US foreign policy than
Armenia. Armenia borders Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran. As a
part of the former Soviet Union, it relies on nearby Russia extensively
for trade and military backing. The U.S. has a significant stake in all
five countries, and Armenia is now coming into view as a potentially
potent lever to advance American aims.That is, if the Armenians can
be won over.As the US tries to woo Armenia to become a stronger ally
in the region, the term “geostrategic” has never been more apt.

Armenia is literally at the center of a number of countries that
Washington considers among its top priorities. As President Obama tries
to accomplish key foreign policy objectives-like preventing Iran from
attaining nuclear bombs or seeing democracy flourish in Russia-he’s
got to encourage Armenia to play along. To Armenia’s south, one such
issue is unfolding in Iran’s nuclear centrifuges,” the article reads.

“America is racing to develop every diplomatic pressure point it can on
Iran, lest Israel launch a preemptive attack and embroil America in a
third Middle East war in ten years. One of those pressure points goes
straight through Armenia. While the US has cut off formal relations
with Iran-Washington talks through Switzerland’s embassy there-it’s
no secret that it employs a variety of foreign policy crowbars to
influence and destabilize Iran’s ruling regime. Some, like President
Obama’s latest round of economic sanctions, are well known.

Partnering with Armenia is not, but could have a major impact. Through
economic and diplomatic incentives, the U.S. is actively trying to
shape Armenia into an ally. As President Obama seeks to economically
isolate Iran-his sanctions have cut the value of Iran currency in
half-he is trying to regionally isolate the regime, as well. Armenia
is key to that strategy.

For Armenia, the game is far less simple. Partnering with the U.S.-with
whom it has a good, but not great, relationship-could alienate
the few friends Armenia has left in the South Caucasus region. It
wants military cooperation with Russia, but economic access to the
west. While it has tried to deepen relations with the European Union
and the U.S., Armenia’s two best friends at the moment are arguably
the U.S.’s most challenging adversaries: Russia and Iran.

That’s not necessarily because of shared ideologies, or even shared
interests; it’s because Armenia doesn’t have many friends to pick
from. Of its four neighbors, two-Turkey and Azerbaijan- have closed
off their borders to Armenia,” Mr. Gaynor writes, according to
stratrisks.com.

YEREVAN TO HOST THIRD RETURN TO BOOK FESTIVAL

tert.am
27.09.12

The third ever festival entitled Return to Book is opening at the
National Children’s Library of Armenia on October 1.

The event, organized by the joint efforts of the Library, the Armenian
Book Center and the Ministry of Culture, aims to raise the value of
printed books and reading, and build bridges between different nations’
arts and cultures with the help of cultural dialogues.

The festival is being held under the aegis of a state committee
coordinating the events dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the
Armenian printing art.

The program offers numerous cultural events and functions, including
an exhibition-fair, workshop discussions, lecture series and round
tables expected to bring together Armenian and foreign writers,
as well as book presentation, a series of fairytale readings, a
spiritual concert etc.

The official ceremony is due at 3:00pm Yerevan time on Wednesday. The
exhibition-fair, entitled Book Beyond the Walls, will be held in
Yerevan’s Northern Avenue next Thursday. The festival will run through
October 25.

“THERE WILL BE NO ATTACKS AGAINST IRAN”

07:24 pm | Today | Politics

The war in Syria is bound to have an impact on the regional countries.

While making this comment, the Head of the ARF Hay Dat and Political
Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan at the same time said that in his opinion,
the start of hostilities against Iran is unlikely.

The consequences of military operations against Iran are so
unpredictable that I think everyone realizes that such a step would
be taken, if the consequences were predictable,” he noted.