Author: Kajoyan Gevork

MONTEBOURG EN TURQUIE POUR RESSERRER LES LIENS, PARLER NUCLEAIRE

ECONOMIE

ANKARA, 10 oct 2013 (AFP) – Le ministre francais en charge de
l’Industrie, Arnaud Montebourg, devait arriver jeudi a Ankara pour
une visite de trois jours destinee a rechauffer les liens entre Ankara
et Paris, avec un volet particulier sur le nucleaire, a-t-on indique
de source turque.

Les relations bilaterales ont souffert ces dernières annees en raison
de l’opposition de la France a une adhesion a l’union europeenne et
de la question du genocide armenien, sous l’empire ottoman, ce qui
a fait perdre a la France des contrats.

La France, qui etait auparavant dans les trois premiers investisseurs
etrangers en Turquie, a recule a la septième place Le ministre du
Redressement productif doit rencontrer le Premier ministre Recep
Tayyip Erdogan et les ministres de l’Energie, de l’Economie, et des
Transports notamment.

“Le nucleaire sera au menu de nos entretiens evidemment, c’est très
important”, a souligne a l’AFP un responsable turc. Accompagne de
representants d’Areva et de GDF Suez, M. Montebourg doit discuter
lors de ses entretiens avec les responsables turcs de plusieurs
contrats lucratifs.

Depuis mai, Areva et GDF-Suez sont en negociation avec Ankara avec
un consortium dirige par les japonais Mitsubishi et Itochu pour la
livraison en 2023-2024 de quatre reacteurs Atmea, d’une capacite de
1.150 megawatts a Sinop (nord, sur la mer Noire).

Les negociations doivent encore continuer pendant plusieurs mois. Le
ministre francais se rendra vendredi a Istanbul, coeur economique de
la Turquie, un marche emergent de 75 millions d’habitants, où il doit
s’entretenir avec le maire, Kadir Topbas.

jeudi 10 octobre 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

MEP CALLS ON EU TO ASSIST IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 9 2013

9 October 2013, 12:28 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova

EU must assist with resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, a member of European Parliament Claudiu-Ciprian Tanasescu
said.

He was replying to a survey from the European Azerbaijan Society
(TEAS) on the conflict, Azertag news agency reported.

“The Minsk Group, led unanimously by Russia, the U.S., and France,
is still in the center and the peace process should be revived with
the help of the EU,” Tanasescu said.

He noted that this can, however, only succeed if the conflicting
parties themselves return to the negotiations table again.

Tanasescu said the EU has emphasized in its security strategy from 2003
that its foreign and security policy is based upon international law.

“Therefore, the UN resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven
occupied regions are, from a European perspective, binding and must
be implemented,” MEP said.

According to Tanasecu, the territorial integrity is a basic component
of state sovereignty and therefore, the population has the right to
live peacefully within borders defined by international law.

“This is impossible in the case of Azerbaijan, whose 20 percent of the
territory is occupied by the regular army of a neighboring state and
also is a home for many refugees. This is an unbearable situation,”
MEP said.

The South Caucasus nations are important for Europe not only as a
geographical neighboring region, he added

Tanasecu said Azerbaijan plays an especially important role in European
energy security.

“An example is the gas transportation through the Southern corridor.

This economic exchange is an advantage for both sides,” MEP said.

He said Azerbaijan has to be granted the rights of the UN Security
Council resolutions to stabilize the South Caucasus region. “A
reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is long overdue,”
Tanasecu said.

For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in
conflict which emerged over Armenia’s territorial claims against its
South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory,
including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. A fragile
ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by
US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country’s territories.

Peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group have produced no results
so far.

ARMENIAN ENERGY MINISTER MEETS OFFICIALS FROM IRAN’S WEST AZARBAYJAN

Mehr news agency, Iran
Oct 8 2013

Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan has
said that visit of Iranian officials is a unique chance to develop
relations, Mehr news agency reported on 8 October.

At a meeting with officials of Iranian West Azarbayjan Province
headed by Governor-General Vahid Jalalzadeh, Movsisyan said: “Such
meetings can have significant impact in bilateral relations. They
improve cooperation process.”

He added that there were numerous opportunities for cooperation
between Armenia and West Azarbayjan. “Establishing animal husbandry
units, the using technical knowledge of the Islamic Republic of Iran
in the fields of energy and natural resources are some of the fields
of potential cooperation,” he said as quoted by Mehr.

Jalalzade, meanwhile, was quoted as saying: “As West Azarbayjan
province has improved in various fields such as agriculture, the
province can have an important role in increasing cooperation between
the two countries.”

[translated from Persian]

ENERGY MINISTER: TRANSPORT PROBLEMS OF ARMENIA AND SMALL VOLUMES OF COPPER MINING HINDER THE BUILDING OF THE COPPER-SMELTING PLANTS

by Ashot Safaryan
Tuesday, October 8, 16:30

The transport problems of Armenia and small volumes of copper mining
hinder the building of the copper-smelting plants, Armenia’s Energy
and Natural Resources Minister, Armen Movsisyan, said over today’s
parliament hearings dedicated to the problems of subsurface use.

Together with local and foreign experts we were discussing the problem
of the copper-smelting plants in Armenia. The research showed that
for effective functioning of a plant we should be able to mine, at
least, 250 thsd tons of copper in a year. We have not yet reached
such volumes”, – Movsisyan said.

He also added that the deposits available in Armenia mainly contain
copper sulfide, which gives about 30% of nascent sulfur during the
mining process. This sulfur product should be sold. However, Armenia’s
communication problems hinder to do that. “These problems do not let
exporting of sulfur or sulfuric acid for the competitive prices.

Without resolving the sales problems, we shall not be able to
have copper-smelting plants. We need a well-developed chemical
industry. We have some ideas in this direction. And we shall reach
the above-mentioned volumes of copper mining sooner or later”, –
the minister concluded.

ARMENIAN MP AGAINST RACISM, XENOPHOBIA. A YEAR AGO HE JUSTIFIED HATE CRIME

10.09.2013 14:09 epress.am

The fight against terrorism is the focus of several Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS), including Armenia, said National Assembly
Vice President, Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson Eduard
Sharmazanov at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence and
Security of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Oct. 8 in St.

Petersburg.

Sharmazanov expressed regret that in the territory of the CIS there
are still countries today where inter-ethnic and inter-religious
hatred prevails and where xenophobia and terrorism are born. Some
CIS countries, he said, considering this or that nation their enemy,
at the state level instill hate among the new generation.

It is his deep conviction that terrorism is born where there is no
tolerance, which leads to radical nationalist sentiments.

However, in May 2012, when brothers and nationalists Arame and Hambik
Khabazyan set fire to DIY, a bar in central Yerevan, Sharmazanov not
only didn’t condemn their actions, but publicly declared his support,
saying that what they did was “right and justified”.

Furthermore, he said that all those who “attempt to protect degenerate
faggots in our society defile the national portrait of us Armenians.”

His statements drew the attention of the European Commission against
Racism and Intolernace, a body of the Council of Europe, which said
that such statements “create a dangerous sense of impunity”.

After these statements, which Sharmazanov had conveyed to a local
newspaper, Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK Armenia)
NGO President Mamikon Hovsepyan appealed to the parliamentary
ethics committee, asking it to investigate whether these statements
comply with the ethics of a lawmaker. Hovsepyan pointed out that by
publicly justifying a hate crime, Sharmazanov violated the RA National
Assembly’s Code of Ethics, as well as his oath in office.

Several NGOs have called the DIY bombing “a clear act of terrorism
directed against minorities”.

ARMENIA’S UPCOMING ACCESSION TO CUSTOMS UNION HAS NOT CHANGED THE ATTITUDE OF RUSSIAN BAILIFFS TO ARMENIAN MIGRANTS

by David Stepanyan
Wednesday, October 9, 11:21

Armenia’s upcoming accession to the Customs Union has in no way changed
the attitude of Russian bailiffs to the Armenian migrants. In 2013 over
30,000 labor migrants were deported from Russia. Armenian migrants
were deported along with migrants from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and
Azerbaijan. In addition, hundreds of migrants, including citizens of
Armenia, are waiting for their deportation in special isolation wards.

Not so long ago, a 47-year-olkd citizen of Armenia Farad Gasoyan
was deported from Buriatia and deprived of the right to enter the
country within 5 years. Gasoyan married in Buriatia, but failed to
extend the term of his legal temporary residence in Russia.

Earlier, Head of the Federal Migration Service of Russia Konstantin
Romodanovsky said that over 3 million of foreign migrants illegally
work Russia.

EXPERT: MANY GEORGIANS WANT TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION

Today – 16:00

Many Georgians now are for the Customs Union and the “Western
mood” is not so actual in Georgia now. Expert of the information
technologies, blogger Tigran Kocharyan announced about this during
the press-conference today in Yerevan. According to the speaker more
than 60 % of the Georgian population is for joining Customs Union.

“It will be profitable for Armenia if Georgia joins Customs Union. The
border issues will be solved easier then”, said T. Kocharyan.

Speaking about the coming presidential elections in Georgia Kocharyan
said that the competition will be stronger in Georgia than it is
in Azerbaijan.

“I think, the second round of the elections will take place in
Georgia. Each of the candidates tries to prove Russia that he is
more pro-Russian. Who manages to prove the better, the more chances
he gets.”

Presidential elections in Georgia will take place on October 27.

RUSSIAN FORMER AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA IS INDIGNANT AT STATEMENT BY AN ARMENIAN EXPERT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ARMINFO NEWS AGENCY

by Marianna Lazarian

Wednesday, October 9, 17:50

The former ambassador of Russia to Armenia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko,
comments on recent interview by political expert Richard Giragosian
with Arminfo news agency. Here is the full text of his commentary,
as he asked:

“In his recent interview with Arminfo news agency, the head of the
Centre for Regional Studies, Richard Giragosian, has again cast doubt
upon Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union. He said nothing
new. Nevertheless, I think it is important to draw attention on
arguments, which supporters of orientation towards the EU (including
Giragosian) use, saying that the way of further development chosen by
Armenia is wrong. In this context, they separate not only the economic
prospect but also the fact that Armenia lost confidence as a partner
of the western countries. Giragosian regrets that almost four years
of work for signing of the Association Agreement and DCFTA with the
EU which had to be signed in Vilnius in November of the current year,
were in vain. Coming forward from the position of Armenia’s patriot,
Giragosian regrets that from now on Brussels will start reducing
its programmes that cost millions EUR, which were earlier foreseen
for making reforms. In such an attitude I see, at least, two moments
which do not enhance Mr Giragosian’s “patriotic position”. He seems
to forget that not everything is sold in this world for money, that
Armenia is sovereign state which does not accept diktat of the EU, and
its conditions hidden under the pseudo-democratic principle “more for
more”. What the EU offered in the form of the association relations,
is not so much good for the national interests of Armenia. Why did
the EU refuse Yerevan’s aspiration to preserve its foreign political
course, saying about incompatibility of Armenia’s participation in
the European integration and Eurasian processes simultaneously? The
Europeans put the question point-blank” “either-or”. which in
fact would mean changing of the political course and canceling of
the allied relations with Russia. Today, Giragosian says quite the
contrary, that just joining the Customs Union will “become a dramatic
changing of Armenia’s course”. He seems not to be aware that Moscow
but not Brussels accepted both directions (European and Eurasian),
and thought that their simultaneous development is possible as they
replenish each other. Giragosian says nothing about it, but insists
that Russia forced Armenia to refuse the European development course
in order to please its empire ambitions.

Mr. Giragosian is not embarrassed to lie just to help the EU to save
its face. He is not ashamed to call Armenia’s position a shame, a
strategic mistake, a lost opportunity. What he wants to say is that
the EU is right in whatever it does, that its policy is a blessing
for Armenia, while the Customs Union is nothing but a mistake for
it. But by saying this he denies Armenia its right to choose.

What has the EU done for Armenia after all? Several millions EUR given
to the country so it could unify the requirements to the products
it makes for export, annual grants of some 200 million EUR, soft
loans the country will have to repay one day and endless promises of
financial assistance and investments. It’s not very much, is it?

Kovalenko says that experts, like Mr.Giragosian, blame Russia for
almost all difficulties and problems experienced by Armenia. “There
is no secret in assessment of the trade, economic, and investment
relations between the two countries. Russia is a major foreign trade
partner of Armenia. Its annual investments total 3 bln USD (which is
as much as the USA’s investments throughout the period of Armenia’s
independence. The private transfers from Russia to Armenia total 3 bln
USD per annum. Russia is the key foreign labor market for Armenia’s
citizens. Big Russian investments in energy and communications are
expected in relation to Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union”,
he says.

ovalenko thinks that Mr.Giragosian should not frighten Armenia by
hopeless future or loss of opportunities. “European commissioners
realize this and are trying to make adjustments to the work with
Armenia. Giragosian speaks about it frankly, but at the same time,
he editorializes it, stressing that the context of cooperation
will change, new demands will be put forward to the Armenian
Government and the focus will be shifted from the ruling party and
the Government to the opposition. Apparently, this means that the EU
will actively start preparing a “fifth column” inside the country to
trigger anti-governmental sentiments in the civil society and hold
protest actions. Briefly speaking, this will lead to destabilization
of the situation. If it is so, I’d like to recall that almost 80%
of Armenia’s citizens consider that the country’s accession to the
Customs Union will strengthen the economy and the national security
system of Armenia. This is an important remark and it should make the
Armenian authorities take specific steps to formalize such sentiments
of the overwhelming majority of the citizens and to switch them onto
the track of public movement to support the Eurasian process. One
shouldn’t do such things half-way”.

TIGRAN KOCHARIAN: ALIEY’S VICTORY IS TO ARMENIA’S ADVANTAGE

Wednesday,
October
09

Ilham Aliyev is going to win the presidential elections by receiving
80-90% of the votes as his re-election is to the advantage of everyone,
including international bodies. Expert on information security Tigran
Kocharian expressed such an opinion at the meeting with reporters
today, when discussing the presidential elections being held in
Azerbaijan.

In his words, the main struggle is between two presidential candidates:
the incumbent president Ilham Aliyev and the single candidate of the
National Council of Democratic Forces of Azerbaijan Jamil Hasanli.

T. Kocharian noted that Jamil Hasanli’s image resembles the images
of Levon Ter-Petrosian, Raffi Hovannisian and epos expert Vardan
Sedrakian. “Being an historian, that candidate wants to play with
historical events. At the same time, he – like Raffi Hovannisian –
wants to play by means of pro-Western forces. Like Levon Ter-Petrosian,
he promised to deal with all problems within two years and then
to leave”.

As regards Ilham Aliyev, Tigran Kocharian said that Aliyev’s victory
is advantageous to Armenia because “the more he plunders the country,
the more he will fear society and war resumption”.

TODAY, 18:06

Aysor.am

ARMENIA DEMONSTRATES ITS MODERN WARFARE AMID COMMANDER DRILLS

21:33, 8 October, 2013

ARMAVIR, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenia demonstrated its modern warfare
during the commander and staff exercises “Reaction-2013”. As Armenpress
reports, operative-tactic missiles SCUD and 8K14-1, antiaircraft
missile systems C300, “OCA” complexes, “Krunk”, “Baze” and other
drones, radiolocation systems and weapons of Armenian production were
presented. The representatives of the Armenian government followed
the mass military exercises from a vantage ground.

During “Reaction-2013” commander and staff exercises a special scene
was planned and played out where the decisions were to be made in
extraordinary tense situation.

The steps were meant to push back the enemy’s aggression and
plan counter-strike scenarios. The steps of the government bodies
and agencies in these situations were planned. The normative acts
needed for the transfer of the government system to the higher alert
situation were clarified. “Reaction – 2013” strategic commander and
staff exercises were held in “Baghramyan” Military Centre target
to enhance the level of coordination of work of the governmental
and military administrative bodies in case of possible aggravation
of military-political situation and implementing new and efficient
methods in the system.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am