Author: Kalantarian Kevo

INTERVIEW WITH MKHITARYAN: ‘BORUSSIA WAS MY CHOICE’

Wednesday, July 10th, 2013

Henrikh Mkhitaryan at his new club in Dortmund.

After his highly publicized official move to the German soccer club
Borussia Dortmund, the midfielder of the Armenian National Football
team, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, held his first interview with the Football
Federation of Armenia.

FOOTBALL FEDERATION OF ARMENIA: Henrikh, congratulations on your
move to Borussia Dortmund. Today, when everything is finished, can
you tell us about your transfer story?

HENRIKH MKHITARYAN: Thank you for the congratulations. I would like
to thank everyone for showing so much interest in my transfer. As I
promised, I’m giving my first interview after signing with Borussia
Dortmund to the FFA. I also promised that I would tell the story
about my move myself when everything was officially completed.

When I was in Yerevan, waiting for negotiations between the two clubs
to end, I heard a lot of rumors, which were useful for the media,
but not for me. That`s why I tried to avoid comments from various
people until the negotiations were finished.

As a professional football player, I had to follow the rules of the
game; the negotiations were under way and I had to wait for them to
finish. Now I am officially a Borussia Dortmund player.

FFA: When did you leave for Dortmund?

HM: I left from Yerevan to Vienna on the morning of the 8th of July
and then to Dusseldorf from there. From there, representatives from
Borussia Dortmund met me and we went to Dortmund.

FFA: When did your presentation to the team take place?

HM: My presentation took place on Monday, on the 8th of July. Borussia
played against Magdeburg the day before, so Monday was a free day. The
photoshoot with the newcomers also took place that day.

Everything is now settled and the contract is signed. I will be
wearing the No. 10 jersey. The atmosphere at the club is very good,
everybody received me very warmly and I am very glad of that.

FFA: Was it yours or the club`s decision to give you the number 10?

HM: It was my choice. I hesitated between No. 22 – which has become
dear to me and my fans – and No. 10, but finally decided on 10 in
the end.

FFA: You played against Borussia Dortmund last season. Are you familiar
with anybody there?

HM: No, but I’ve already gotten acquainted with all the players.

FFA: Have you discussed with Jurgen Klopp about your role in the team?

HM: Not yet. I start training with the squad today.

FFA: Was Borussia Dortmund your choice?

HM: Yes, absolutely. This is a very important step in my life. I
chose Borussia because it`s a very strong team, with good players
and a great coach. Borussia Dortmund fans create a great atmosphere
in the stadium. I hope to make them happy and to win in every game.

FFA: Will you live on the club’s campus as it was at Shakhtar?

HM: No, the club will give me an apartment.

FFA: What are your feelings leaving Shakhtar?

HM: I want to thank FC Shakhtar, the president of the club, my
teammates and all the coaches – especially Mircea Lucescu – and all
the fans fans, who helped me a lot during the years. Without their
help I would not have what I have now. I would also like to thank
the people who helped complete my move to Borussia Dortmund. I will
try to make them proud of me.

BORUSSIA GOALKEEPER: WE CAN BE REALLY DELIGHTED ABOUT MKHITARYAN

17:43 11.07.2013
Borussia, Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has already begun to show what all the fuss was
about for his new club, Borussia Dortmund, Soccer-Laduma writes.

The versatile Armenian attacking midfielder only joined the Bundesliga
side earlier this week, but they have already put him through his
paces in a pre-season friendly.

The ~@27 million 24-year-old played 45 minutes for Dortmund in their
3-1 over FC Basel on Wednesday night.

In his cameo Mkhitaryan scored one goal and set up another, leaving
his new club certain that they made the right decision in breaking
the bank to sign him.

According to Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc, Mkhitaryan
enjoyed “a great debut.”

“He instantly took on our game,” Zorc told Kicker.

Dortmund goalkeeper, Roman Weidenfeller, was also impressed by what
he saw from the highly-rated and prolific Armenian.

“We can be really delighted about Miki,” Weidenfeller told Ruhr
Nachrichten.

“I think we have signed a huge talent that will help us a lot this
season.”

ARCHIL MAGRADZE APPOINTED ARMENTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATION COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

YEREVAN, July 11. / ARKA /. Armenia’s ArmenTel telecom (trading as
Beeline) announced Thursday that Archil Magradze was appointed as
commercial director of the company’s mobile communications division.

According to an ArmenTel press release, Archil Magradze received
a degree in international economics and law and has many years of
experience in the telecommunications business, including in VimpelCom
group of companies.

“I hope that Archil will use his rich experience in telecommunication
markets of different countries to promote the mobile market in Armenia
“, ArmenTel CEO, Andrei Pyatakhin was quoted as saying.

Archil Magradze worked for MegaCom Ltd., the first telecom in Georgia
where in nine years he rose fr om customer service manager to marketing
and sales director.

In 2006, Archil Magradze joined Georgian Mobitel, where he took an
active part in the launch of the Beeline brand. From 2007 to 2008
he headed the company’s branch in Batumi; in 2008 he was appointed
Beeline Commercial Director in Georgia.

In 2010, Archil Magradze was appointed director of the Tashkent branch
of Unitel, working under Beeline brand in Uzbekistan, wh ere in a
short time he secured a double-digit growth in sales and earnings;
in 2012 he was appointed Commercial Director of Beeline in Cambodia.

Archil Magradze is married and has four children.

ArmenTel is owned fully by Russian VimpelCom Ltd. It provides fixed
and mobile telephony, as well as high speed Internet access throughout
Armenia. -0-

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LEBANON DEMONSTRATES POLITICAL WILL NOT TO GIVE WAY TO PROVOCATIONS: SHAHAN KANDAHARIAN

15:18, 11 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: The responsibility for the explosion,
occurred in the southern district of Beirut on July 9, was not
assumed to any organization or party, though there is an opinion
that the incident is a domestic Lebanese or a domestic Islamist
conspiracy. This was stated by the Editor-in-Chief of Azdak Daily
Shahan Kandaharian in the conversation with Armenpress. “The incident
is in the background of the Shia-Sunni tension in the entire region.

There will be forces, which will try to use the Syrian War to raise
the tension. At the same time there is also a political will not to
give way to provocations”, – said Shahan Kandaharian.

The Editor-in-Chief of Azdak Daily emphasized as well that the
incidents and collisions in Lebanon are not of All-Lebanese nature.

The number of the wounded in the result of the explosion occurred
on July 9 in the southern district of Beirut has reached 38. The
anonymous source of the local lawenforcement bodies supposed that
the Jabhat al-Nusra grouping extremists standbeyond the explosion,
who fight in Syria on the side of the rebels.

The Armenian community in Beirut did not suffer damage from the
clashes ongoing in Lebanon. On June 23 a war situation was created
in the Southern Lebanon, when the Islamist groupings attacked the
Lebanese army. In the result of the collision the army gave wounded
and killed. On June 24 the armed Islamists opened sniper shots towards
the streets of the Southern capital of Lebanon.

SAUDI MISSILE BASE POSSIBLY TARGETS ISRAEL, IRAN

July 11, 2013 – 14:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Saudi Arabia may be targeting Israel and Iran
with lorry launched missiles from a base 125 miles south-west of
Riyadh, the IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review revealed, according to
The Jerusalem Post.

The Jane’s analysts examined a satellite image of the base, near the
town of Al-Watah, built within the last five years.

Analysts found that one of the launch pads “appears to be aligned
on a bearing of approximately 301 degrees and suggesting a potential
Israeli target, and the other is oriented along an azimuth (bearing)
of approximately 10 degrees, ostensibly situated to target Iranian
locations.”

According to the report the launch pads, were designed for Saudi
Arabia’s arsenal of lorry launched DF 3 missiles, which have a range
of 1500-2500 miles and can carry a two ton payload.

Saudi Arabia reportedly acquired missiles from China in the 1980s.

STRATEGYPAGE: AZERBAIJANIS ARE GREATER IN THERE NUMBER AND BAKU HAS MORE MONEY, BUT ARMENIANS ARE BETTER FIGHTERS

14:38 11/07/2013 ” SOCIETY

Between 1991 and 1994, there was a nasty war between the two countries
over Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenia won. Over a million people
became refugees 400,000 Armenians in that number. The situation was
humiliating for Azerbaijan, who saw it as yet another example of more
powerful and wealthier (via oil fields) Moslems being defeated by a
smaller number of armed and more capable non-Moslems, the portal on
military news StrategyPage reports.

The article says that some 20,000 people died. The portal notes
that over 400,000 Armenians fled their homes. There has been a truce
between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1994. But it has been a hot truce.

“The situation was humiliating for Azerbaijan, who saw it as yet
another example of more powerful and wealthier (via oil fields)
Moslems being defeated by a smaller number of armed and more capable
non-Moslems,” the article says.

Although Azerbaijan has three times more people and much more money
because of oil, the Armenians are better soldiers and the dispute
has been stalemated.

“Azerbaijan has a population of nine million and a GPD of $72 billion,
compared to 3.2 million Armenians who have a GDP of $10 billion.

Azerbaijan is determined to reverse this string of defeats, no matter
the cost. But the Azeris are not stupid and have to deal with the
fact that the Armenians are still better fighters and have Russia as
an ally,” the article says.

The article also notes that two years ago Armenia signed a pact with
Russia that, in effect, puts it under the protection of Russia. The
deal extends the lease on a Russian military base in Armenia from
2020 to 2044.

“In the last few years Azerbaijan has purchased over $5 billion worth
of new weapons from Israel and Russia. Officially, all of this is
for potential use against Armenia. But the billions spent on naval
and air defense weapons seem more suited for defense against Iran,”
the article reads.

STEFAN FULE MEETS WITH ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVES

09:56, July 11, 2013

Visiting European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy
Å tefan Fule met yesterday with Levon Zourabyan, Vice President of
the opposition Armenian National Congress.

The two discussed the envisaged autumn signing of the EU Association
Agrteement from the perspective of Armenia’s integration into Europe.

Zourabyan, accompanied by ANC Foreign Affairs Committee President
Vladimir Karapetyan, underscored that they expected the EU to assist
in reforming the electoral process in Armenia.

The sides agreed to continue to hold meetings between the political
opposition in Armenia and EU institutions.

BONES FOUND IN TEGHOUT ARE OF NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL OR HISTORICAL VALUE
by Karina Manukyan

Thursday, July 11, 13:21

On July 3-4, bones (which resemble human bones) were found during
the land operations in the site of construction of a water supply
pipeline being built in Teghout.

The press service of Teghout CJSC reports that the land operations
were suspended and representatives of the Institute of Archeology
and Ethnography of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences were
invited to make assessments. The source recalls that according to the
relevant agreement, the Institute explores the company’s territory
and controls the events on assessment and protection of the monuments
and articles of cultural and historical value found in the course of
the land operations.

The Institute’s expedition explored the site and found no signs of
monuments. Shortly after the land operations were launched. According
to the preliminary assessment of the Institute’s representatives, the
bones found may be 300-500 years old but they are of no archeological,
cultural or historical value.

It is pointed out that on July 5 a group of environmental activists
trespassed the territory of the company and made pictures and video
recording. Afterwards they disseminated the pictures and the video
in the social networks with misleading comments, which were used by
some electronic media. The company is discussing its further steps
to legally assess the situation.

To note, Teghout CJSC was founded on 22 May 2006 by Vallex Group. 100%
of the company’s shares belong to Teghout Investments Limited (Cyprus)
owned by Armenian Copper Programme. In 1991 the reserves of the Teghout
deposit totaled 450 mln tons of ore, including 1.6 mln tons of copper
99 thsd tons of molybdenum.

ARMENIANS ARE AMONG DECLINING NATIONS – SOCIOLOGIST

July 11, 2013 | 12:57

YEREVAN. – Armenians are among the list of declining nations,
sociologist Aharon Adibekyan stated during Thursday’s press conference
devoted to World Population Day.

The sociologist spoke about Armenia’s problems of democracy and
provided statistical data.

In his words, it is predicted that 1.5 million-or 1.7 million,
at best-people are expected to remain in Armenia in the year 2100,
and this is catastrophic.

“Our women give birth to children not to preserve the [Armenian]
nation, but rather to secure the population of Russia, or Europe,”
Adibekyan warned.

The sociologist also noted that, in fear of divorce, women in Armenia
give birth to fewer children.

“So, if you have become a mother, have at least three children!”

Adibekyan advised.

He informed that in line with the growing standard, a woman should
have more than two children, but this standard is currently below
two children in Armenia.

“We are a country at war, and the number of our soldiers may
drastically reduce. As a result, we may also face a security problem,”
the sociologist maintained.

Aharon Adibekyan added that, now, the women that are getting married
are four to five years older and the men are six years older in
Armenia.

HUMAN CAPITAL IS MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN ARMENIA, EXPERT SAYS

YEREVAN, July 10./ARKA/. Human capital is the most important resource
for Armenia’s development, implies Tatul Manaseryan, director of
Alternative research center.

“We shouldn’t allow such high “brain outflow” and such high
unemployment rate among the young people. Unemployment rate in
some age groups reaches 60%. This is unacceptable and raises serious
hindrances for economic development,” he told reporters at the doorstep
to the conference on post-crisis developments and economic challenges
for Armenia.

There are also some other poorly used opportunities which could boost
economic progress in Armenia, such as drinking water reserves and
alternative energy resources.

“Even though Armenia depends on energy suppliers, it produces energy
itself using just 1/3rd of its resources,” the expert said.

According to Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia, as of 1
May 2013, 60,200 people out of 10,200 job seekers are unemployed. Some
10,683 people receive unemployment allowances. -0-

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