Author: Kalantarian Kevo

LITHUANIAN OFFICIALS: ARMENIA-EU PROCESS RELAUNCH MAY TAKE YEARS

October 9, 2013 – 17:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Representatives of the Lithuanian government warned
against expectations for initialing any version of the Armenia-EU
association agreement at a Vilnius Eastern Partnership summit next
month.

A number of Lithuanian officials who asked to remain anonymous noted
the initialling of the deal to be impossible for several reasons,
one of them being time frame. With only several weeks left till the
summit launch, introducing amendments to a several hundred pages-long
document is impossible, the officials note. Also, the association
agreement being viewed as a single document, a new mandate from
the European Commission or EU member states is necessary to pick
out and sign certain parts of the document. As the officials note,
the process should be started over again with several months if not
years necessary to complete it.

According them, disappointed over Armenia’s unexpected decision to
join the Russia-led Customs Union, European officials aren’t motivated
to alter the document before the start of the summit.

Lithuanian officials, however, show understanding for Armenian
decision, explaining it by Russia’s pressure.

Lithuania’s parliamentary vice-speaker Petras Austrevicius, by
contrast, was harsh in his criticism of Armenia’s decision, noting
that it came as an unpleasant surprise to Europeans, also violating
the principles of transparency and consistency.

“By joining the Customs Union, Armenia will be missing on its chances
for Eurointegration, also having lower status in EU partnership
compared with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia,” RFE/RL Armenian service
quoted him as saying.

Photo: armenianleaders.wordpress.com

ZHOGHOVURD: NAIRIT TO BE SOLD TO RUSSIA

10:55 09/10/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan announced in parliament
yesterday that negotiations are underway with Russia’s Rosneft over
the sale of Nairit plant. According to him, the results of the first
three stages are positive and Rosneft intends to make the planned
investments. The fourth stage is underway. It is expected to be
completed in October.

“We will start the sale process with Rosneft unless any problem
emerges,” the Minister was quoted as saying by Zhoghovurd.

Source: Panorama.am

“REACTION 2013” RAISED LEVEL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN STATE INSTITUTIONS: MINISTER OF DEFENSE: UPDATE

20:01, 8 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The tactical component and the
activities of the participating subdivisions of “Reaction – 2013”
strategic commander and staff exercises demonstrate good results. This
was said by the minister of the Defense of the Republic of Armenia,
Seyran Ohanyan, during the talk with the journalists. As reports
Armenpress, Ohanyan said: “I am content with the tactical part
of this exercise, the activities of the subdivisions. The results
of the fire pierce are visible to everybody. Observing from here,
I consider them to be high. We will make a final decision after the
number of the pierced targets to be accounted, then we will give an
appropriate assessment”.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

ARAVOT: ARMENIA’S CUSTOMS UNION DEAL TO LEAVE GAS TARIFFS UNCHANGED

10:47 09.10.13

Armenia’s minister of energy and natural resources said Tuesday
in parliament that the decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union
will help simplify the terms of the natural gas delivery agreement
with Russia.

“There is an agreement which says the gas price for Armenia is $270 on
the border,” the paper has quoted Armen Movsisyan as telling reporters
after a National Assembly debate.

“The negotiations are now underway so an agreement will be signed
soon. I am hopeful it will be concluded in April,” the minister added.

Movsisyan said further that a simplification also means removal of
the taxes, which accounted for about 30% of the total gas tariff.

The paper reports the minister as saying that the prices of the
imported gas will the same as in Russia, save for the transport costs
which will raise the amount to $189 on the border.

The minister thus explained that the tariffs will remain unchanged
for the population, the paper comments .

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIA TESTS SCUD BALLISTIC MISSILES, 8K14-1, S300, OSA MISSILES, KRUNK AND BAZE DRONES DURING REACTION-2013 EXERCISES

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, October 9, 11:20

Reaction-2013 command and staff exercises were held at Baghramyan
Polygon, in Armavir, Armenia, on 7-9 October. SCUD ballistic missiles,
8K14-1, S300 missile systems, OSA air-to-land missile system, as well
as Krunk and Baze drones and other radiolocation systems, weapons made
in Armenia and other arms were tested in the course of the exercises.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and all the members of the Government
got an opportunity to test their shooting skills, familiarize
themselves with the military hardware and ammunition demonstrated
during the exercises. The Government members followed the exercises
from the observation post. The scenario of the exercises: adoption
of military-political decisions in tense situations, responding to
security challenges, rebuffing foreign aggression, counterattacking
etc.

The goal of the exercises was to transfer experience of assessing
military-political situations, developing recommendations and making
decision to the government agencies, as well as harmonization of the
activity of the government and military agencies in case of tense
military-political situations, introduction of new effective measures
of state government etc.

Reaction-2013 command and staff exercises have proved Armenia’s
readiness and preparedness to meet any security challenges.

NEWSPAPER: ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO UK MAY BECOME FOURTH PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, October 9, 12:44

Armenia’s Ambassador to UK Armen Sargsyan may become the fourth
president of the country, a Yerevan-based Haykakan Zhamanak Daily
writes.

Head of the President’s Staff Vigen Sargsyan has submitted a proposal
to the Commission for Constitutional Reform to reduce the current
10-year of permanent residence in the country required from the
candidates for president. The paper writes that the amendment will
enable nominating Ambassador Armen Sargsyan as candidate for president
at the next presidential election in Armenia.

“Although Sargsyan has been living abroad for long years, his latest
appointment as Ambassador of Armenia to UK can be considered as
residence in the country, because the Embassy is considered the
territory of the country it represents in line with international
conventions. It has been rumored in the government circles recently
that Sargsyan will be appointed the prime minister and then will
be nominated for the position of the president of Armenia from the
Republican Party,” the paper writes.

ARMENIA AND PUTIN’S “VICTORY”

The Russian president will hold his next big press conference in the
second half of December. His press secretary Peskov has informed about
this. Peskov said Putin will hold a news conference after his annual
speech at the Russian Federal Duma.

Putin’s press conference in December will arouse interest in the
context of another event. On November 29 the EU and Ukraine are
expected to sign the Association Agreement in Vilnius. The EU is
also expected to initial the Association Agreement with Georgia
and Moldova. These events are highly important to Russia. Moscow
is trying to hold back the post-Soviet states, especially Ukraine
because its signing will be a great geopolitical loss for Armenia,
and it is not an exaggeration.

Currently, Moscow is doing everything it can to keep Kiev back. It does
not even refrain from bloodshed, given the recent mysterious incident
at the Russian-Ukrainian border when a suicide bomber illegally went
through the Russian border crossing point, and as he was stopped at
the Ukrainian BCP, he let the bomb go off and killed himself and the
border guards.

Ukraine is something like the last battle for Russia. Losing it will
be a psychological brunt to Moscow.

So far the Baltic States have escaped from Moscow’s orbit in the
post-soviet space, which was not psychologically difficult for Russia
because they have never been part of the Soviet Russian psychological
orbit.

Georgia has also partly escaped but Moscow tried to present it as
the consequence of Saakashvili’s mental state.

Ukraine is altogether different. Ukraine will thus aspire to leadership
in the post-soviet space. In other words, Ukraine is on the way to
becoming a state which chooses another path and claims to the role
of the locomotive for the other countries of the post-soviet space.

In fact, it will mark the end of the empire that Putin is still trying
to reconstruct.

Hence, it is interesting to wait to find out in what capacity Putin
will hold his press conference, as the restorer and emperor of the
USSR or as the commander who has lost the battle and whose biography
includes only one victory – the victory over Armenia.

In addition, this victory is also highly relative, like the one in
the Russian-Georgian war when Russia conquered by weapon what it had,
in fact, conquered earlier in the course of time, Abkhazia and Ossetia.

11:44 09/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

VAZGEN SAFARIAN DEFEND L’ADHESION DE L’ARMENIE DANS L’UNION DOUANIERE

ARMENIE

Le President de l’Union des producteurs domestiques armeniens Vazgen
Safarian a defendu la decision du President Sarkissian de faire de
l’Armenie un membre de l’union douanière dirigee par la Russie en
disant que cela va avoir un impact positif sur l’economie.

” L’adhesion a l’Union douanière va devenir un stimulant direct pour
le developpement de l’economie armenienne. Dans le passe recent,
nous avons partage avec la Russie un espace economique, culturel,
industriel et economique commun, nos usines ont travaille en utilisant
une technologie similaire ” a declare Vazgen Safarian.

Vazgen Safarian a ecarte les craintes infondees qu’en rejoignant
l’Union douanière l’Armenie perdra son independance politique.

” Aucun pays dans le monde, des Etats-Unis au Mozambique,
est absolument independant. Tous les pays sont dans une certaine
dependance economique, politique et militaro-strategique avec les
autres ” a-t-il dit.

Vazgen Safarian a dit que l’Armenie peut proposer a ses futurs
partenaires des produits agricoles, des produits industriels et des
produits textiles.

Il a ajoute que l’adhesion a l’Union douanière ne signifie pas que
l’Armenie devrait reduire ses liens avec l’Europe. ” Ceux qui sont
engages dans le commerce avec les pays de l’UE devraient continuer,
parce que l’Europe a besoin des biens que nous exportons, en
particulier du minerai et des matières premières ” a-t-il dit.

mercredi 9 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

JEUNE, ARMENIEN ET VACHEMENT DOUE

Jazz

Si l’on en croit la legende, vous chantiez deja du Led Zep en vous
accompagnant au piano… dès l’âge de 3 ans !

” Oui, c’est vrai. Mon père etait un grand fan de rock, et j’adorais
les disques de Led Zeppelin et Black Sabbath qu’il ecoutait a longueur
de journee ! ” Mais a l’epoque, vous viviez encore dans une petite
ville armenienne, en URSS… Comment s’etait-il procure les vinyles ?

” Ca, c’est une autre histoire ! J’imagine que sa collection lui
a coûte une fortune. ” Pourquoi le piano, et pas la guitare, si
votre première passion etait le rock ? ” Je grattouillais aussi un
peu de guitare… mais le piano me paraissait plus facile. Ensuite,
mes parents m’ont fait prendre des cours, et c’est parti. ”

Et a l’âge de 10 ans, vous aviez deja abandonne Deep Purple pour
Thelonious Monk… ” Ca, je le dois a mon premier prof de jazz ! Au
bout de huit mois, il a commence a me faire ecouter tous ces trucs
be-bop, et grâce a lui, j’ai compris très tôt ce qu’etait vraiment
le jazz. Ce prof etait un vrai genie ! ”

Vous avez perce sur le Vieux Continent, mais vivez desormais aux
Etats-Unis. Où vous sentez-vous le mieux, si tant est que cette
question se pose vraiment ?

lire la suite, voir lien plus bas

mercredi 9 octobre 2013, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY NOW OPEN TO THE DIASPORA

Tuesday, October 8th, 2013

Distance Learning at Yerevan State University

Comprehensive distance learning program launched in Armenian Studies

YEREVAN-The Distance Learning Laboratory at Yerevan State University
(YSU) announced today the launch of DistanceLearning.am-a pioneering
program of English-language courses, which can be taken by anyone
with access to a computer.

“For too long our language, culture, and history have been kept in
select universities of the world,” said Dr. Artashes Khurshudyan,
director of the virtual program. “But now we must deliver to the demand
of the 21st century. Contemporary education itself must be democratized
and become as accessible as possible. This distance learning program
will also contribute to the dissemination of Armenian issues across
the world.”

For years the Distance Learning Laboratory, which is housed in the
Department of Sociology, has been developing this program-which is
the University’s first diaspora-oriented initiative. Now Armenians
everywhere are invited to take YSU-certified courses in the various
eras of Armenian History, Genocide, Comparative Genocide, and the
Armenian Diaspora. These have been developed by leading experts,
scholars, and professors from all over the world.

“DistanceLearning.am is a virtual university in itself,” Khurshudyan
added, “a virtual university where courses in Armenian Studies are
being taught 24 hours a day. At any moment anybody in the world can
walk into our university and begin or continue his education.”