Author: Kalantarian Kevo

TURKISH WRESTLER BANNED FOR RACISM TO COMPETE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 14, 2013

Former world and European Greco-Roman wrestling champion Rıza Kayaalp
of Turkey will compete in next month’s World Championships, Hurriyet
Daily News reports.

To note, Kayaalp was handed a six-month ban, by FILA (International
Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles) earlier this month, for
making racist comments against Armenians and Greeks.

In his Twitter account, the Turkish wrestler had blamed Istanbul’s
Gezi Park protesters for “leaving the streets to Armenians” and claimed
that “Armenia is having a festival” seeing the anti-government rallies
in Turkey.

After controversy erupted, the tweets were deleted, but FILA handed
a six-month ban to the Turkish athlete.

But the Turkish Wrestling Federation (TGF) appealed the decision. TGF
Chairman Hamza Yerlikaya defended Kayaalp, calling the ban was
“unlawful” and vowed to take the issue to Court of Arbitration for
Sport (CAS) if their appeal to FILA was not successful

FILA has delayed Rıza Kayaalp’s suspension for racism, announcing
that the case will be reviewed after next month’s World Championships.

NEWS.am Sport

MOSCOW CAN NOT IGNORE ARMENIAN INTERESTS IN RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN: RUSSIAN EXPERT

19:22, 14 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS: Russia is interested in keeping
some balance in South Caucasus and for that reason it should develop
relations both with Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Armenpress” reports making a reference on “RIA Novosti” that such
opinion expressed Russian political expert Andrei Kazantsev.

“By implementing such policy Russia will have opportunity to control
the situation in its Southern borders,” he said.

But experts think that it will not be easy for Russia to do so.

“Armenia is the official ally of Russia, they are both members of
Collective Security Treaty Organization,” said expert on international
policy Andrei Suzdaltsev.

In the opinion of experts the situation on Nagorno-Karabakh can have
much more unpleasant continuation. Andrei Kazantsev mentioned that
it is not accidental that Azerbaijan buys lots of weapons not only
from Russia but also from the whole world. “In such situation it is
very important that intermediary countriesincluding Russia implement
steps to weaken tension in the region,” he said.

RUSSIAN EXPERT: MOSCOW SHOULD FEAR POSSIBLE MILITARY ALLIANCE AZERBAIJAN-GEORGIA-TURKEY RATHER THAN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OF ARMENIA

by Ashot Safaryan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, August 14, 14:46

Moscow should fear possible military alliance Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey
rather than European integration of Armenia, senior research fellow
at MGIMO Institute of International Studies Leonid Gusev told ArmInfo.

“I think the Kremlin is not extremely annoyed with the upcoming
Association Agreement of Armenia and the EU. It seems to me that the
leadership of our country is well aware that the South Caucasus states
should wage their own policies. Consequently, the possible military
alliance Baku-Tbilisi-Ankara is a reason for annoyance,” Gusev said.

Earlier, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania spoke of the
possible alliance and said that Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are
now facing such challenges.

Gusev said that Turkey is a NATO member with rather a strong army.

However, it would be wrong saying that the given initiative is aimed
against Russia, first of all. Nevertheless, it is not pleasant news
for Moscow.

“I don’t think that it is in favor of Moscow to have a foreign military
axis on its southern borders. I think, this issue must be discussed
in the course of Putin’s visit to Baku,” Gusev said. As regards the
visit of the Russian leader to Azerbaijan, the expert does not think
that Moscow has changed its priorities in the South Caucasus.

“Relations with the former Soviet republics have always been in the
focus of Moscow’s attention. In addition, cooperation with the Caspian
Sea countries is of special importance for Russia,” he said.

NEW APARTMENTS TO BE DESIGNED IN NEW ALEPPO DISTRICT OF ASHTARAK

12:48, 14 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS: The collection of material resources
of the construction works of the New Aleppo District of Ashtarak
will be launched in the nearest future. As reported by Armenpress,
the commission, coordinating the New Aleppo District establishment
works in Ashtarak for the Syrian Armenians, held a session on August
14 at the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia, during
which the interlocutors discussed issues related to the preliminary
works of the project implementation.

“Today we will discuss the main plan of the New Aleppo District, after
which we will coordinate the corresponding works. We should assist,
help and accelerate the building process”, – stated the Minister of
Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan.

According to her, the number of the applicant families is gradually
increasing making it already 328.

The President of the State Committee for Architecture at the Government
of the Republic of Armenia, the former Chief Architect of Yerevan
Narek Sargsyan noted that he had not yet studied the project, but
everything that was presented is quite professional and accepted in
the architecture. “This is a project that can get a life ticket”, –
he said.

At the end of the session the Minister of Diaspora of the Republic
of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan instructed Narek Sargsyan to clarify
the details of the project approval in a week and hold professional
discussions on the issue. The Minister urged the media representatives
to highlight the issue more actively, as any donation is quite
important for the implementation of the construction works of the
District.

PROCESSES IN ARMENIA SIGN OF IDEOLOGICAL BANKRUPTCY – EXPERT

12:00 14.08.13

The political analyst Richard Giragosian has attributed the ongoing
processes in Armenia to a state of ideological bankruptcy caused by
the absence of clear-cut strategies.

Speaking to Tert.am, the expert said that the recent public rebellions,
which saw crowds of people protesting against the hike in the bus fares
and the higher tuition fees at state-run universities, were neither
guided nor controlled by any political force. The parties, according
to him, are not even able to have any involvement in those processes.

Giragosian, the president of the Regional Studies Center, disagreed
to the remark that the political forces’ passiveness may be due to
the summer season. He said the rest period seems to last too long
for the political parties, with every month being a holiday.

Armenian News – Tert.am

UNE ROBE DE CHAMBRE POUR FEMME PEUT-ELLE NUIRE A UN PARTENARIAT STRATEGIQUE ENTRE L’ARMENIE ET LA RUSSIE ?

ARMENIE

première vue, le lien entre l’accident de la circulation mortel le
13 juillet en dehors de Moscou et le partenariat strategique entre
l’Armenie et la Russie peut ne pas etre evident. Mais, pour beaucoup
d’Armeniens, un lien existe, et il est livre sous la forme d’un
peignoir jaune et rose fleuri d’une femme. La robe, porte devant
le tribunal par un chauffeur de camion armenien de 46 ans Hrachya
Harutiunian, qui est accuse d’avoir cause l’accident qui a cause
la mort de 18 personnes et en a blesse 30, a declenche une effusion
massive de colère en Armenie contre ce qui est percu comme une volonte
deliberee d’humiliation par la Russie, longtemps presente comme le
pays ” ami proche “. Les autorites russes ont affirme que Harutiunian
etait vetu de la robe (et de pantoufles) uniquement parce que ses
vetements avaient ete detruits dans l’accident. Mais l’explication
est tombe sur largement dans l’oreille d’un sourd. Avec la tete
enfouie dans ses mains, les pleurs d’Harutiunian, un veteran de la
guerre du Haut-Karabagh avec l’Azerbaïdjan, est rapidement devenu un
symbole d’autres affronts presumes par la Russie – en particulier, 1
milliard de dollars de vente d’armes de Moscou avec les irreductibles
ennemis des armeniens les azerbaïdjanais. La photo d’Harutiunian
debraille et un reportage video par la chaîne russe d’etat RTR TV,
qui le decrit comme un ” meurtrier armenien meuglant ” ont alimente
les manifestations les 16 et du 17 juillet devant l’ambassade russe
a Erevan et le consulat dans la ville du nord-ouest de Gyumri. En
Armenie, comme ailleurs dans le Caucase du Sud, les affronts publics
a la dignite d’un homme peuvent etre synonymes de problèmes rapidement.

Une reponse afin de defendre la dignite est consideree comme
obligatoire. Dans ce cas, cependant, les manifestants et d’autres ont
vu l’insulte de ” l’humiliation ” comme dirige non seulement vers le
defendeur armenien, mais les Armeniens en general. Le mecontentement
n’a cesse de croître depuis des mois contre la Russie pour soi-disant
ne pas avoir traiter l’Armenie comme un egal, et, a cet egard, la
societe conservatrice macho, la vue d’un veteran armenien vetu d’une
robe de femme a ete la goutte de trop.

La colère contre Moscou a commence dans les milieux politiques
armeniens le mois dernier, quand ils ont appris que la Russie, qui
detient un bail de 49 ans sur une base militaire a Gyumri, avait
vendu pour 1 milliard de dollars d’armements a l’Azerbaïdjan, dont
18 puissant lance-roquettes multiples BM-30.

Le secretaire du Conseil national de securite russe Nikolaï Patrouchev
a caracterise l’accord comme “purement commercial”, mais certains
analystes armeniens l ‘ont qualifie de ” purement traître “. “C’est
une expression importante de la politique cynique de la Russie,
qui demontre. . . que la politique complementaire [de construire des
liens etroits avec la Russie et l’Occident] n’est plus acceptable “au
Kremlin, a declare Stepan Grigorian, directeur du Centre d’analyse de
la mondialisation et la cooperation regionale d’Erevan. Les relations
armeno-russes subissent des deformations periodiques, mais la publicite
sur le contrat d’armement avec l’Azerbaïdjan est apparu comme ”
un calcul delibere de laisser l’Armenie savoir qu’elle ne doit plus
compter sur eux”, a fait valoir l’analyste politique Aghasi Yenokian,
directeur du Centre des etudes internationales nationales armeniennes.

Les analystes associent ce changement d’attitude a l’attente d’un
accord d’association de l’Armenie avec l’Union europeenne, dont
la signature est prevue cet automne. Erevan a esquive l’adhesion
a l’Union Russie-Eurasie, une sorte d’alternative post-sovietique
a l’UE, et Moscou n’a pas cache son irritation. Le 11 Juillet,
Konstantin Zatouline, directeur de l’Institut de la Communaute des
Etats independants, a averti ” qu’Erevan ne doit pas oublier que la
Russie est la garantie de la securite de l’Armenie, et non l’Union
europeenne “. Mais de nombreux Armeniens aimeraient oublier tout cela.

La mainmise de la Russie sur l’economie de l’Armenie – via l’energie,
le ferroviaire, les telecommunications et comme le marche pour les
travailleurs migrants armeniens – se double d’un noeud coulant,
disent certains. L’augmentation recente des prix du gaz russe, dont
l’Armenie depend, et les protestations ulterieures sur les tarifs de
transport plus eleves a Erevan, ont souligne cette dependance. Dans
ce contexte, le comportement de la Russie envers Harutiunian et la
desinvolte attitude envers les ventes d’armes a l’Azerbaïdjan ont
livre le message suivant : ” Je vous avoue, je ferai tout ce que je
veux “, a fait valoir la parlementaire Lyudmila Sarksian, membre de
l’opposition de la faction du Congrès national Armenien. Le leader de
l’opposition Raffi Hovhannisian, l’ancien candidat a la presidentielle,
est d’accord. “Si la Russie, notre partenaire strategique, fournit
l’equivalent d’un milliard de dollars d’armes a des pays qui veut
effacer l’Armenie et le Karabagh a partir de la carte du monde,
qu’est-ce que ce type de partenariat strategique ?” a-t-il demande
aux journalistes le 17 Juillet. Le traitement du chauffeur de camion
Harutiunian devrait servir de nouvelle “alerte”, a-t-il ajoute.

Le sociologue Aharon Adibekian, directeur du Centre de recherche
Sociometer, estime, cependant, que, finalement, le scandale du
chauffeur de camion aura un impact “temporaire” sur les liens entre
l’Armenie et la Russie. “Il y a eu des cas similaires où les passions
ont eclate, mais les revoltes publics n’ont pas un impact tangible
sur la politique mondiale “, a declare Adibekian. ” Il s’agit d’un
bouleversement emotionnel simplement, et la memoire publique est
courte.” Hovhannes Sahakian, secretaire du Parti republicain au pouvoir
est d’accord. Le tolle provoque par la comparution d’Haruitiunian
“a une telle resonance juste parce que son calendrier a coïncide
avec le contrat d’armement avec l’Azerbaïdjan, mais ils ne doivent
pas etre relies les uns aux autres”

Neanmoins, meme les politiciens pro-gouvernementaux tels que le
president du parlement Hovik Abrahamian ont condamne le traitement
d’Harutiunian comme “inacceptable et inhumain” et ont appele les
responsables a rendre des comptes.

Les declarations de l’ambassade russe a Erevan et due ministère des
Affaires etrangères indiquent, cependant, que Moscou considère la
colère des Armeniens plus comme une tentative “par certaines personnes”
pour tenter de “manipuler la tragedie” de l’accident de la circulation
et “d’enflammer les passions anti-russes “.

Certains observateurs armeniens ont fait echo a ces allegations,
affirmant que soit ” certains elements occidentaux ” ou la Russie
elle-meme, dans une tentative supposee “pour se debarrasser de ses
engagements envers l’Armenie” sont derrière les protestations et
les critiques.

Le vice-ministre russe des affaires etrangères Grigory Karasin a
souligne que l’enquete sur l’accident sera equitable. Harutiunian,
qui fait face a sept ans de prison, est actuellement l’objet d’un
traitement psychiatrique a Moscou.

Note de la redaction :

Gayane Abrahamian est un journaliste independant et redacteur en chef
a Erevan.

Eurasianet.org

mercredi 14 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

BAKU SAYS RUSSIAN ARMS TRADE AT $4 BILLION

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev at
a recent meeting in Baku

BAKU (Combined Sources)-Azerbaijan said its arms trade with Russia
is worth $4 billion as it boosted military spending in connection
with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reported Bloomberg.

“As of today, military and technical cooperation with Russia is
measured at $4 billion and it tends to grow further,” Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev said Tuesday after meeting with Russian President Vladimir
Putin in Baku. It was the first time Azerbaijan disclosed the price
of its arms deals.

Azerbaijan has increased military spending by almost 30 times to $3.7
billion in the past decade and repeatedly threatened to use force to
regain control of Karabakh if peace talks fail.

At a press conference following their meeting, Putin said only a
diplomatic solution would be acceptable for the Karabakh conflict.

“There is only a political solution to Karabakh conflict,” the RIA
Novosti agency quoted Putin as saying.

“During the negotiations we touched upon international issues,
including the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Russia is providing active
assistance to the settlement, which is possible only by political
means,” added Putin.

He also stressed the need for a resolution of the existing problems
in the Caspian region related to delimitation, ecological issues,
for the benefit of all countries of the region.

But, Putin failed to clinch a concrete energy deal on his rare trip
to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, dashing Moscow’s hopes to challenge the
dominance of major Western energy companies in the former Soviet
republic, reported Reuters.

Putin’s trips abroad usually yield a flurry of deals and one of his
closest allies, state oil champion Rosneft’s head Igor Sechin, went
to Baku last month to prepare the ground.

Russia has long tried to increase its presence in Azerbaijan, a country
Europe is hoping will help it lessen its dependence on Russian gas
after Moscow’s “gas wars” with Ukraine disrupted deliveries in 2006
and 2009.

But on Tuesday, Sechin signed only a vague cooperation agreement with
Azeri state energy firm Socar as Putin landed in Baku for the first
time in seven years.

“Under this agreement, we plan to cooperate on a number of issues
including crude swap operations, a joint use of infrastructure,”
Sechin told reporters without giving details.

Sources on both sides said a lot of differences needed to be removed
for the companies to agree on teaming up on field development or
swapping energy supplies.

“Azerbaijan is asking such a high price for its assets that Rosneft
is not willing to offer,” a Russian energy source said, asking not
to be named. A Socar source also said a lot of work needed to be done
to iron out the differences.

Western oil companies such as BP, Statoil and Exxon Mobil have
dominated the Azeri oil industry since the collapse of the Soviet
Union while relations between Moscow and Baku have been mostly cool.

Ties between Moscow and Baku were strained late last year after
protracted talks between the two countries failed to reach a deal
over Moscow’s use of a radar station on Azeri territory.

The only Russian company with a significant presence in Azerbaijan
is the privately-held Lukoil.

Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom agreed in the last decade to buy
almost the entire gas output from Azerbaijan, in what was seen as
a successful attempt by Russia to defend its leading position in
Europe’s gas markets.

But the deal never materialized in full, and Azerbaijan and major oil
companies have instead agreed to supply most of their gas through a
new pipeline to Europe from 2019.

The project does not represent a major challenge to Russia’s gas
dominance in Europe, although Moscow has always been keen to make
sure Azerbaijan does not become a major transit route for gas from
other Caspian Sea producers.

The threat has somewhat diminished since major producer Turkmenistan
rerouted most of its gas to China away from Russia and the European
markets.

Azerbaijan has almost a trillion cubic meters in gas reserves,
according to BP data, relatively small compared to Russia’s 33 trillion
cubic meters.

Last month, industry sources told Reuters Rosneft was seeking a stake
in Azerbaijan’s Absheron gas project but this was not mentioned in
the cooperation agreement.

SOCAR and French oil company Total each hold 40 percent in Absheron
with the remainder being held by GDF Suez. Azeri officials have said
Absheron will help increase Azeri gas exports in coming years.

Sources have also said Rosneft and Socar were also considering swapping
Azeri oil in Europe against Russian supplies to Asia which would allow
Rosneft to service its plants in Italy and Germany while Socar would
supply its Asian buyers.

ALEKSEY VLASOV: MOSCOW IS IN THE STAGE OF MAKING CHOICE OF THE GEO-POLITICAL PREFERENCES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Tuesday, August 13, 17:45

At present Moscow is in the stage of making choice of the geo-political
preferences in the South Caucasus, Russian political expert, Aleksey
Vlasov, told Arminfo correspondent when replying to the question if
new arrangements on Karabakh will be made between Moscow and Baku
during Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan.

Baku goes on thinking that Russia has enough effect upon Armenia to
persuade Yerevan and Stepanakert to agree to the unilateral cede of
positions in the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement.

“I think that in general the situation is not developing towards
changing of landmarks. Moreover it is very hard to predict development
of the situation in this direction. Will Putin discuss any new details
on Karabakh?”, – he said. At the same time, when asked if according to
the result of the visit, Russia will refuse the policy of an active
contradiction to the “bypassing” projects of the energy corridor,
Vlasov replied that Nabucco seems to be finally dead. As for the
Trans-Anatoly gas pipeline, this is a project which involves all
the interested parties and Russia seems to be satisfied with Baku’s
choosing of just this project. At the same time, pointing at the
interest of “Rosneft” to these projects, the expert did not rule out
that the issue will be settled just during the present meeting of
the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan.

When commenting on the viewpoint that Putin visits Baku also to support
Aliyev on the threshold of the presidential election, Vlasov doubts
about that and said that Aliyev hardly needs such a support.

So, he thinks that Moscow will not meddle with the presidential
campaign in Azerbaijan, and this “neutrality” may be enough to Baku.

As for the Kremlin’s interests, they are rather strict regarding the
energy issues, he said.

“HONEY AND BERRIES FESTIVAL OF SHAMSHADIN” CAN HOST UP TO 10 000 VISITORS

18:56, 13 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS: In Berd city of Tavush region on
August 18 will be held money and berries festival which has the
aim to increase business interest towards that region. “Armenpress”
reports that about this mentioned president of “Spiritual revival”
foundation Hayk Chobanyan during press conference on August 13.

“Tavush has great potential which can be developed in case of proper
special policy. We have the aim to stimulate interest towards Tavush
in business sphere,” he said. Honorary consul of Norway to Armenia
Timothy Strait who considers Berd his second home in Armenia after
Yerevan, has the opinion. He thinks that there are great resources
in Tavush. “This festival will be continuing and our aim is to help
organizers gain skills and in future to continue their implementation,”
he said.

Hayk Chobanyan informed that ladt year in the festival took part
several thousands people and this year organizers can host up to
10 000 visitors. He also mentioned that inhabitants of all villages
in Tavush take part in it. “Tavush is rather calm region. We should
show with the help of this festival that people must not be afraid
to visit it as if ti svery calm and safe region,” added Chobanyan.

At the festival handmade works of local masters will be introduced,
will be exhibitions, concert program in participation of local artists
and groups, berry township will operate where will be sold drinks and
dishes made in place. “Last year we organized an action according to
which pupil wrote essays about specific dishes which are being made
int heir families and we will make those dishes,” he said.

“Honey and berries festival of Shamshadin” is held by foundations
“Spiritual revival” and “Homeland development initiative”.

ARMENIAN AGENCY ORDERS ADDITIONAL TESTS FOR SOME IMPORTED FOODS

YEREVAN, August 13. / ARKA /. Armenia’s State Food Safety Service,
an affiliation of the Ministry of Agriculture, said it has ordered
additional lab tests for a string of foods imported from Brazil,
Belarus, the Netherlands, the U.S. and New Zealand, which may have
E.coli and salmonella pathogen.

The State Food Safety Service said if the invoices for the goods
conform with Armenian law requirements, the imported goods will not
be subjected to additional laboratory examination.

“However, given media reports that frozen and canned meat, imported
from Brazil as well as smoked meat and cottage cheese brought from
Belarus, poultry meat brought from the Netherlands, fish brought from
the U.S. and lamb from New Zealand may have E. coli and salmonella
pathogen, the head of the State Food Safety Service ordered August
13 that all border checkpoints of the agency conduct additional
laboratory tests of these products,” the agency said in a statement.

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