Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

UN NOUVEAU TIMBRE DEDIE AU BRANDY ARMENIEN

Un nouveau timbre dedie a la creation de la production de brandy en
Armenie a ete edite et mis en circulation. La ceremonie de lancement a
ete suivie par le vice-ministre des Transports et de la Communication
d’Armenie Andranik Aleksanyan, le chef de la direction par interim de
” Haypost ” CHSC M. Haik Avagyan er d’autres personnalites et invites.

Le timbre represente un verre de cognac, un panier de raisins et
une sculpture antique, representant deux hommes en habits royaux,
avec des verres a la main.

Vahagn Lazarian est le concepteur du timbre. Ces timbres d’une valeur
nominale de 300 drams ont ete imprimes par la maison d’impression
Cartor, en France, avec un tirage de 40 000 articles.

Un timbre dedie a la production de la bière a ete publie en 2011, et un
autre timbre dedie a la viticulture armenienne sera publie cette annee.

La production de brandy a ete fondee en Armenie en 1887.

vendredi 28 juin 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ALIYEV PRAISES AZERBAIJAN ARMY, WARNS ARMENIA AGAINST INTRUSION

, Turkey
June 26 2013

President of Azerbaijan Aliyev said “we will never let another form
of Armenia in the land of Azerbaijan.”

World Bulletin/News Desk

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said “we will never let another
form of Armenian state in the land of Azerbaijan.”

Speaking at a parade devoted to the country’s Armed Forces Day in Baku,
Aliyev warned Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Aliyev said, as a country in armed conflict zone, Azerbaijan places
special emphasis on the military.

Need for a “stronger army”

Underlining that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved for
years and that Armenia has ignored the decisions taken by international
organizations and has not brought the armed conflict to an end, Aliyev
said, “we could not reach any agreements after talks and that’s why
there is a need for a stronger army”.

Pointing that the Nagorno-Karabakh is land belonging to Azerbaijan in
the past and in the future, Aliyev said “Our people have lived there
for centuries and today, Nagorno-Karabakh is an inseparable part of
Azerbaijan and the whole world recognize here as the land belonging
to Azerbaijan.”

Stressting not only Nagarno-Krabakh, but also the land of Armenia that
is inside the mainland of Azerbaijan, Aliyev said, the government
of Azerbaijan and its people will never let another form of Armenia
government on the mainland of Azerbaijan.

Aliyev told the crowd they have increased the military budget to USD
3.7 billion, reminding it was USD 163 million in 2003.

The Azerbaijan President also said they purchased nearly 100
helicopters, tens of fighter jets and rocket systems.

The conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims
against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent
of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire
agreement in 1994.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of theNagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

World Bulletin/News Desk

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said “we will never let another
form of Armenian state in the land of Azerbaijan.”

Speaking at a parade devoted to the country’s Armed Forces Day in Baku,
Aliyev warned Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Aliyev said, as a country in armed conflict zone, Azerbaijan places
special emphasis on the military.

Need for a “stronger army”

Underlining that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved for
years and that Armenia has ignored the decisions taken by international
organizations and has not brought the armed conflict to an end, Aliyev
said, “we could not reach any agreements after talks and that’s why
there is a need for a stronger army”.

Pointing that the Nagorno-Karabakh is land belonging to Azerbaijan in
the past and in the future, Aliyev said “Our people have lived there
for centuries and today, Nagorno-Karabakh is an inseparable part of
Azerbaijan and the whole world recognize here as the land belonging
to Azerbaijan.”

Stressting not only Nagarno-Krabakh, but also the land of Armenia that
is inside the mainland of Azerbaijan, Aliyev said, the government
of Azerbaijan and its people will never let another form of Armenia
government on the mainland of Azerbaijan.

Aliyev told the crowd they have increased the military budget to USD
3.7 billion, reminding it was USD 163 million in 2003.

The Azerbaijan President also said they purchased nearly 100
helicopters, tens of fighter jets and rocket systems.

The conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims
against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent
of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire
agreement in 1994.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of theNagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

From: Baghdasarian

U.S. AND AZERBAIJAN: A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED

Sacramento Bee, CA
June 27 2013

By Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles
Published: Thursday, Jun. 27, 2013 – 7:27 am

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2013 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following
article is being released by Nasimi Aghayev, Consul General of
Azerbaijan in Los Angeles:

I was in Baku recently for the “U.S.-Azerbaijan Convention: Vision for
Future”, which brought together over 300 elected officials from the
U.S., including senators and congressmen from Washington DC as well as
state legislators and other elected officials from 42 states. The
convention was a chance to reflect on how far the partnership has come
and look forward to the future of this remarkable relationship.

The convention was also an opportunity for U.S. officials to meet
their Azerbaijani counterparts on a grand scale, and to learn more
about Azerbaijan – and its vital importance for America.

Sharing the same values as well as interests, the relationship is
based on three key areas.

Firstly, Azerbaijan has made an invaluable contribution to America’s
national security. It’s a reliable ally in a difficult region: located
at the crossroads of East and West, Azerbaijan is a rare example of a
secular, modern and progressive Muslim-majority country. It has been a
steadfast ally in the fight against terrorism and has been supporting
the international effort in Afghanistan. Azerbaijani soldiers have
served there with distinction alongside U.S. forces, and the country
is a crucial part of the transport corridor for the Afghan mission:
around 40% of cargoes for Afghanistan transit Azerbaijani territory.

Additionally, Azerbaijan has been indispensable in supporting global
energy security, a key policy of U.S. administrations for forty years.

Azerbaijan has and will continue to be a reliable supplier of energy
to Europe and the West. With the upcoming construction of a major gas
pipeline to Europe, Azerbaijan will become key to developing a
long-term and diverse energy supply for this continent.

Thirdly, Azerbaijan is a symbol of intercultural and interreligious
harmony. As our Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said recently in
Washington addressing the American Jewish Committee, Azerbaijan
“enjoys a centuries-long tradition of peaceful co-existence among its
Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities.” Secretary of State John
Kerry lauded this exemplary tolerance, noting Azerbaijan’s “commitment
to fighting anti-Semitism and a commitment to diversity and
pluralism.”

However, guided by an unhealthy zero-sum mentality, one particular
group in Washington has always been unhappy and envious about anything
positive happening in U.S.-Azerbaijan relations. Since the very
beginning of Azerbaijan’s independence, the Armenian lobby has
conducted a comprehensive campaign in the nation’s capital to damage
U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic partnership, undermine Azerbaijani interests
and defend at all costs the illegal military occupation of 20% of
Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory by Armenia – the
occupation that was accompanied by massacres and total ethnic
cleansing, leading to the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of
Azerbaijanis from their native lands.

In trying to hurt Azerbaijan, the Armenian lobby has constantly harmed
U.S. national interests: and it continues to do so today only
following its own ethnocentric agenda without any regard for America’s
core interests.

One vivid example has been Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act,
which, passed in 1992 after intensive lobbying of Congress by Armenian
pressure groups, bans any direct U.S. government aid to Azerbaijan.

The absurdity of the section lies in the fact that it rewarded the
aggressor and punished the victim. And it prevented the U.S. to help
its ally during the difficult years of 1990s when such help was very
much needed. Although Section 907 has been waived every year since
9/11, in recognition of Azerbaijan’s support in the fight against
terrorism, its very existence is damaging, and therefore the full
repeal of this unfair law is critical for U.S.-Azerbaijan relations.

It is important for our friendship, and it is important for the sake
of restoring justice.

Or take the case of Matthew Bryza, a skilled and highly esteemed
diplomat with deep knowledge of the Caucasus, whose nomination to
become America’s next ambassador to Azerbaijan was blocked in 2010 in
the U.S. Senate under the influence of Armenian special-interest
groups. This undermining of U.S. policy left a key post unoccupied for
many months, and after serving for a year on a recess appointment,
Bryza had to return to Washington last January and quit the U.S.

Foreign Service: a serious loss for American diplomacy.

Armenian lobbying in Washington has also harmed America’s leadership
in the peace process on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. To date,
Armenia refuses to withdraw its forces from the occupied regions of
Azerbaijan – the first step of the peace plan drawn up by
international mediators – in contravention of numerous U.N. Security
Council resolutions.

The U.S. has both the capability and the motivation to persuade
Armenia to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijan, enable the displaced
population to return to their homes and begin building peace. Active
engagement in the peace process by the U.S. is crucial to the success
of this peace effort. So far it is missing. The Minsk Group, the
primary international mediation body for this conflict, is still
waiting for a permanent U.S. co-chair. It goes without saying that
resolving this conflict is key to stability in an increasingly
important part of the world, where the U.S. has so much at stake.

The Convention in Baku demonstrated how far the U.S.-Azerbaijan
relationship has come – but U.S. interests and U.S. values would be
far better served by strengthening this partnership even further,
while disregarding any attempts to undermine it.

SOURCE Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles

From: Baghdasarian

SPIES FOR AZERBAIJAN ARRESTED IN ARMENIAN MILITARY

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
June 26, 2013 Wednesday

June 22 National Security Service of Armenia arrested a contract
employee of an N-military unit of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, a
resident of Kapan, unmarried Movsisyan Mane Artashesovna born in 1982.

National Security Service had indisputable facts, which show that
Movsisyan from January 2012, before moving to the office, met with
an employee of the special services of Azerbaijan, acting on the
territory of Turkey, who in the social networks Classmates, mail.ru
agent and Facebook was represented as S Dr, Seryan Dervisyan or Tigran
Dervisyan. Their talks continued well after the last transition of
Movsisyan for service in the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. According
to the data transferred to special services of Azerbaijan by Movsisyan,
it was secret information about Armenia, having a military nature and
containing state and official secrets. Meanwhile the NKR National
Security Service (NSS) arrested two persons for committing similar
crimes. One of them is an NKR Defense Army serviceman. They were
also recruited via the Internet by the aforementioned employee of the
special services of Azerbaijan. Now there is a judicial investigation
against them, the press service of the NSS reported.

From: Baghdasarian

SARGSYAN: COOPERATION WITH MOSCOW IS NOT IN CONTRADICTION WITH EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Interfax, Russia
June 26 2013

Yerevan has never taken any steps against Moscow and it will never
do that, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said.

“The strategic relationship between Armenia and Russia is not a
secret to anyone. We have never taken a step that could be directed
against Russia, and we have no complexes to prompt us take this
step,” Sargsyan answered the question about Armenia’s standpoint
on integration processes at a joint press conference with Polish
President Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw.

“We had been neighbors with Russia for many years and parts of the
same state for a long time. Relations of friendship based on mutual
respect have formed through centuries. Our peoples are friends, we have
a common history and we are proud of it,” the Armenian presidential
press service quoted Sargsyan to Interfax.

Armenia and Russia are CSTO member countries; they have broad
military-technical and economic relations, he said.

“Ourpeople are a bearer for European values, and it is our goal
to develop our society in accordance with these values. Armenia is
one of the countries that have achieved the best results in the EU
Eastern Partnership program. We operate on the “both” rather than
“either or” principle. And I do not see any contradictions here,”
the Armenian president said.

Poland is assisting the Armenian advancement towards European
integration, Sargsyan said. “We need this assistance in technological
and material matters and the exchange of experience,” Sargsyan said.

From: Baghdasarian

ENERGY SECURITY OF ARMENIA REDUCED TO ZERO. PART 2

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 27 2013

Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The gas sphere is posing serious worries for Armenia. The gas
pipeline Iran-Armenia, which began working in the mid 2000s, initially
belonged to the Armenian side. Armenia and Iran agreed to construct
a gas pipeline 1 meter in diameter. Such a pipeline enabled the
transportation of gas, which could not only cover Armenia’s demands,
but also be exported through Georgia to Ukraine. However, the Russian
side pressed the vulnerable Armenian authorities and they yielded
to Russia which wasn’t interested in gas export from Iran through
Armenia to Georgia. As the result, the diameter reduced to 700 mm,
and the gas pipeline began to provide the Armenian-Iranian program
“gas for electricity.”

We can understand the aggressive policy by Russian energy concerns
which captured key positions in the Armenian energy system, but
it is not clear what interests the Armenian authorities have. The
second president of the country, Robert Kocharyan, said that “gas for
electricity” was good business – gas exported to Armenia from Iran
turned into electricity and returned to Iran. The Armenian authorities
treated an opportunity for alternative gas as business rather than
as a strategic leverage which could improve Armenia’s position in
the region.

The climax of the energy security policy provided by the Armenian
leadership was a decision by Kocharyan to give the gas pipeline
Iran-Armenia to the company ArmRosGazprom in 2007. For sure, the
control over the gas pipeline enabled Gazprom which possesses 80%
of ArmRosGazprom to protect its positions in the European gas market
from the undesirable Iranian rival.

However, what did Armenia gain from this? Statements by Armen Movsisyan
that Iranian gas is more expensive than Russian gas seem strange and
doubtful. Moreover, recently the Iranian ambassador in Armenia Mohammad
Reisi said that Iranian gas wasn’t more expensive than Russian.

Unfortunately, the energy policy of Armenia in the past 10-15years
has been aimed only at the so-called technical security without a
consideration of any political component.

Armenian power economy is developing rapidly, but it doesn’t belong
to Armenia.

>From the technical point of view, security improved due to
implementation of new technologies, new equipment, including
modernization and so on. But in the political sphere Armenia’s energy
security is reduced to zero because of “wise” policy of the Armenian
authorities.

As the result of nontransparent deals Russia received key facilities.

Today the major and the most important power facilities don’t belong
to Armenia, except for the Nuclear Power Station and the Vorotan
hydroelectric power chain. In the early 2000s experts of the Ministry
of Energy developed a report for the government, which said that
Vorotan must not be given to a private investor or a foreign state
because Vorotan was a main controller of our power system. The Vorotan
chain was withdrawn from the privatization program. However, some
“caring” hand included Vorotan into this list again; and according
to some information, the future purchaser of Vorotan will be the
American company ContourGlobal.

From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE CAN GUARANTEE ARMENIA’S SECURITY – PATRUSHEV

Interfax, Russia
June 25 2013

The Russian military base in Armenia has enough forces and means at
its disposal to guarantee Armenia’s security, said Russian Security
Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

“We have visited the Russian military base and we could see that our
servicemen are a reliable shield for Armenia’s security. There are
enough forces and means to guarantee Armenia’s security,” Patrushev
told reporters in Yerevan on Tuesday.

Asked to comment on Russia’s sale of arms worth $1 billion rubles
to Azerbaijan, he said, “Russia is abiding by all international
obligations and requirements, and all Russian laws in arms trade.”

“Furthermore, it maintains strategic relations with Armenia,” he said.

Cooperation between the Russian and Armenian security councils has
reached a high level, Patrushev said. “Our councils are intensively
cooperating under a plan intended for two years and we have instructed
the councils to draft a plan for 2014. In addition to this, military
technical cooperation is rising to a new level,” he said.

Armenian National Security Council Secretary Artur Bagdasarian said
five agreements have been signed between the security councils,
“which lays solid groundwork for effective cooperation.”

Sd mk

From: Baghdasarian

IVANISHVILI HAILS ‘SUCCESSFUL’ VISIT TO ISRAEL

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 26 Jun.’13 / 12:20

PM Ivanishvili said his visit to Israel exceeded his expectations,
describing the trip as his “most successful” foreign visits so far.

“In Israel I received more than I was expecting,” he told Georgian
journalists in Tel Aviv on June 25 just before wrapping up his two-day
visit to Israel.

“I think that it was my most successful visit,” Ivanishvili said and
then added immediately that all of his previous foreign trips were
“successful”. Since becoming PM in late October 2012, Ivanishvili
visited Brussels, as well as neighboring Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Turkey, before paying visit to Israel on June 24-25.

“Georgia will become a genuine friend of Israel and the two countries
will stand side by side in trying to overcome problems the two
countries are facing,” he said.

Ivanishvili stressed that his meeting with Israeli counterpart,
Benjamin Netanyahu, lasted for an hour and 45 minutes, which he said,
was much longer than scheduled and during the talks they discussed,
among many other issues, possibility of free trade agreement between
the two countries; Ivanishvili said that this issue was not initially
in the agenda of his talks in Israel.

“We have also talked about easing and lifting visa requirements and
this process will start soon,” he said, adding that details would be
elaborated in the course of further negotiations between officials from
the two countries. “I think we will have visa free regime with Israel.”

“I think it was a very successful visit,” Ivanishvili said, adding
that economy and security issues were also part of discussions.

Before concluding his visit, PM Ivanishvili spoke at Israeli-Georgian
business forum in Tel Aviv where he said that he was very glad that
he was able “to translate my emotions”, as well as “love and respect”
between the two peoples “into the political level”.

From: Baghdasarian

EU-ARMENIA ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT DEAL NOT AT RISK – DEPUTY FM

18:49 ~U 27.06.13

An Armenian deputy foreign minister has dismissed the reports that
the signing of the EU-Armenia Association Agreement may experience
a failure in the light of Russia’s increasing pressures against
the country.

“The negotiations are held in two directions, with Russia and the EU,”
Shavarsh told a news conference on Thursday.

Journalists reminded the official of Polish President Bronislaw
Komarowski’s Wednesday statement saying that the Eastern Partners of
Europe are facing a choice between the EU and Russia (the Eurasian
Union project). Kocharyan responded to the remark by reiterating the
existing position that the Association Agreement deal does not imply
membership in the Union.

“The documents on the negotiation table make no mention of European
prospects. All that’s only about association; this is the essential
difference,” he said. “Komarowski cannot prove what is already obvious;
membership in the Customs Union prevents [a country] from being a
member of the free trade zone in Europe because you give part of your
authorities to a supranational body just the way you would in case
of being an EU member. That’s where the conflict lies,” he explained.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

EDUARD SHARMAZANOV MET THE HEAD OF GREECE-ARMENIA FRIENDSHIP GROUP

19:31, 27 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS: Vice President of the National Asembly
of the Republic of Armenia, head of Armenia-Greece friendship
group Eduard Sharmazanov held a meeting with thte former speaker of
Greek parliament, head of Greece-Armenia friendship group Apsotolos
Kaklamansi on June 27 in Athens.

“Armenpress” was informed from Information and public relations
department of Armenian National Assembly that greeting the Vice
President of National Assembly Apostolos Kaklamakis highly estimated
the warm and friendship relations of Armenian and Greek nations. He
mentioned that in 1996when he was the speaker of the Parliament
Armenian Genocide was recognized.

Thanking for warm reception Eduard Sharmazanov mentioned that in the
beginning of 20th century in the territory of Ottoman Empire took place
genocide of Armenians, Greeks and other Christian ethnic minorities
highlighting that Armenians and Greeks should unite efforts against
Turkish denial National Assembly Vice President informed that Armenian
National Assembly applied with a call to parliaments to recognize
the genocide of other Christian nations including genocide of Greeks
in Pontos.

The head of Greece-Armenia friendship group highlighted that everything
must be done to exclude the implementation of new genocides.

Reverberating to relations between two countries the sides stressed
the importance of more active and efficient cooperation of friendship
groups. At the meeting were discussed issues relating to possible
support by Greece to Armenia which has chosen the way of becoming
closer with EUand issues on regional security.

From: Baghdasarian