Author: Kalantarian Kevo

REGIONAL COOPERATION EFFECTIVE IN ESTABLISHING STABILITY: IRANIAN OFFICIAL

Press TV, Iran
April 4 2013

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has stressed
the importance of strengthening regional cooperation to establish
stability in the region.

In a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in
Yerevan on Wednesday, Mehmanparast said that regional cooperation
would play a “very effective” role in establishing stability in the
region and resolving problems.

He hailed the high level of political relations between Iran and
Armenia and called on the two countries to make efforts to enhance
their economic and trade cooperation.

“The economic conditions of Iran and Armenia have appropriate
capacities to increase the level of trade ties and technical and
engineering services, which should be supported by facilitating the
presence and activities of traders and technical and engineering
firms,” the Iranian spokesperson reiterated.

The Armenian foreign minister, for his part, said that Tehran and
Yerevan are witnessing good developments in their ties, adding that
having relations with Iran on the basis of mutual respect is among
the priorities of his country’s foreign policy.

Nalbandian pointed to the second round of the talks between Iran and
the six major world powers of the P5+1 scheduled to take place in the
Kazakh city of Almaty and expressed optimism that issues pertaining
to the Iranian nuclear program would be resolved peacefully.

The two-day talks, which will cover a range of topics including Iran’s
nuclear energy program, have been scheduled for April 5-6.

Iran and the P5+1 (China, Russia, France, Britain and the US plus
Germany) have held several rounds of talks with a focus on the Iranian
nuclear energy program. The last round of the negotiations between
the two was held in Almaty on February 26-27.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly
accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear
energy program.

Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to
the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology
for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iranian
nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran’s
civilian nuclear program has been diverted toward non-civilian aspects.

SF/HJL

SPOKESMAN DISCUSSES WITH YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, Iran
April 3 2013

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mihman-parast discussed issues of
mutual interest with Chancellor of Yerevan State University Aram
Simonyan here on Tuesday.

In the meeting, the two sides called for expansion of cooperation
between universities of Iran and Armenia.

Simonyan suggested that more Iranian students attend Armenian
universities and wider relations between higher education institutes
of the two countries establish.

He also called for cooperation between universities in the fields of
geology, seismology and book publication and more exchanges between
Iranian and Armenian universities students and faculties.

Mihman-parast said that Iran currently has 45 million population under
35 years old, so it has a great capacity for university admission
and would welcome increase in universities cooperation with other
countries.

He added that relations between the two countries are in a good level
now, but it should increase to its highest level and in this concern
increasing students visits, exchanging student delegations, decreasing
cost of students trips and using university capacities for this
concern such as dormitories and food services could be very effective.

After this meeting, Mihman-parast met with Dean of Orientology
Department of the university Gorgen Malikian.

In the meeting, Malikian called for students visits to Iran to increase
their experiences and increasing their knowledge about Iran’s history
and civilization.

Head of Iranology Chair in Orientology Department of the university
Garnik Astatorian, who attended the meeting, presented a report on
activities of the center.

Media delegations from IRNA, Fars, ISNA, Mehr and News Network are
accompanying Mihman-parast in his visit to Armenia.

The spokesman is to meet with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian on Wednesday.

MP SAYS 17 CAUCASIAN CITIES “INTERESTED IN JOINING” IRAN

Fars News Agency , Iran
April 3 2013

A senior Iranian MP has said that 17 Caucasian cities, including Baku,
“are interested in joining Iran”, Fars News Agency reported on 3 April.

“A trend has started calling for 17 Caucasian cities, including some
in Azerbaijan, to join our country; we hope that this is achieved
with the support of the people and international organizations,”
Mansur Haqiqatpur, deputy head of Iranian parliament’s national
security and foreign policy committee told Fars.

The MP was reacting angrily to Azerbaijan hosting a conference of
groups seeking independence for Iran’s 20 million-strong minority of
ethnic Azeris.

On 31 March, Iran summoned the Azeri ambassador to Tehran over the
conference, which it termed as “unjustifiable”.

Despite this, Haqiqatpur criticized Iran’s reaction to the conference,
saying: “Some of the contemptible statements of Azeri officials were
not confronted seriously.”

“The issue about 17 cities in the region joining our country is
serious, and there is going to be a meeting about this in the
Caucasus,” he added.

Chiding relations between Azerbaijan, Israel and the UK, the Iranian
MP said: “These foreign regimes laugh at Azerbaijani statesmen,
and consider them too weak to liberate the 20 per cent of their land
which is occupied by the Armenians.”

Haqiqatpur described the level of ties between Iran and Azerbaijan
as “weak and lower than average”, and said: “Expanding ties must be
damaging to them, which is why they think of downgrading relations
with Iran everyday.”

He added that he had written nine letters to Azerbaijan’s parliament,
to which they had not “given a transparent response”.

[Translated from Persian]

SUKHOI CIVIL AIRCRAFT WILL SUE ARMENIA’S ARMAVIA OVER $1.4 MILLION DEBT

InSerbia News
April 4 2013

MOSCOW – Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) is ready to sue Armenian airline
Armavia over the unfulfilled terms of a deal on SSJ-100 aircraft,
the first Sukhoi Superjet in the airline’s fleet, and losses from
the termination of the sale agreement.

The Russian aircraft manufacturer is planning to go to the
International Commercial Arbitration Court, Gazeta.ru reports referring
to an unnamed source in the company.

“The lawsuit will be filed in the next few days. The plaintiff’s
claim totals around $1.385 million,” the source is quoted as saying.

In December last year the Armenian national carrier released its
financial statement for 2012. According to the document the company’s
debt was 540 million roubles ($17 million). The owner of the troubled
airline Mikhail Bagdasarov blamed the carrier’s financial problems
on the global economic crisis and losses from the use of the Russian
SSJ-100.

The Armenian airline became the first customer of the Sukhoi
Superjet-100 airliner.

Under the terms of the contract, the liner was mortgaged with SCAC
until the full price was paid by Armavia. However the carrier failed
to pay the full sum for the aircraft and decided to terminate the
sales contract and return the aircraft to the manufacturer.

The airline sealed an amendment to the sale contract and returned
the airplane to Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. According to a SCAC statement
Armavia mortgaged the aircraft to third parties while it was in
their possession.

The manufacturer hopes the International Commercial Arbitration Court
will help solve the disparities.

“Taking into account the financial state of the Armenian airline
and a high probability of its bankruptcy, the prospects for a full
implementation of the above-mentioned contract look rather uncertain,”
SCAC statement says. “In case of bankruptcy, the courts in Armenia
may seize the aircraft…”

Armavia halted flights on April 1 and launched bankruptcy proceedings.

Armavia had 14 aircraft making more than 100 flights a week to 20
countries.

Armavia is owes money to Russian airports, banks and Russia’s civil
aviation authority. According to the authority the carrier owes $1.4
million to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport and smaller ammounts to two other
airports in southern Russia.

VTB bank has already filed a lawsuit against Armavia and Mika Limited
owned by Mikhail Bagdasarov to claim a reported debt of $22 million.

The bank was refinancing the airline’s loan for the purchase of the
SSJ-100 airplane.

Mikhail Bagdasarov, announced his intention to sell the company last
year, however he failed to find a buyer.

MURDERED ARMENIAN VILLAGE HEAD A VICTIM OF FAMOUS CLAN – POLITICAL ANALYST

News from Armenia – NEWS.am
April 05, 2013 | 14:07

YEREVAN.- Head of Proshyan village administration fell victim of
“a famous clan”, Armenian political analyst said.

However, Chairman of Politologists’ Union of Armenia Hmayak
Hovhannisyan did not give any names, advising reporters to address
secretary of the National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan and
other politicians “who used to accuse a famous person of serial
murders.”

He said “filthy atmosphere” mentioned by President Serzh Sargsyan is
not created by reporters but failure to solve the March 1 case.

“The citizens of Yerevan must give their votes, while 10 people were
killed in the center only in 2008. Those guilty of the killings have
not been brought to responsibility so far,” he said.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the body of Hrach Muradyan,
with a fatal gunshot wound, was found on Monday near the administration
building of Proshyan village, in Kotayk Region of Armenia. The
regional investigation department instituted criminal proceedings,
and an investigation is underway.

TURKISH MP MAKES UNFLATTERING STATEMENT AGAINST ARMENIANS

April 05, 2013 | 14:05

ISTANBUL. – Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) MP Ahmet
Duran Bulut made a very unflattering statement with respect to
Istanbul-Armenian journalist Etyen Mahcupyan’s inclusion in the
Commission of Wise Men, which the Turkish authorities have set up to
resolve the country’s Kurdish issue,

Istanbul’s Agos Armenian bilingual weekly informs that, reflecting
on Mahcupyan’s inclusion in this commission, the Turkish nationalist
MP said the following with irony:

“There are Armenians in the list; a smart man. [But] I do not need
an Armenian’s intellect. What can an Armenian think for the Turkish
nation? They have brought and selected as wise men those that opposed
the state, the people that wished to take revenge upon the Turkish
nation until recently.”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

“NO MATTER HOW MANY RIOT POLICE YOU BRING, WE WILL FOLLOW PEACEFUL PATH”

Friday,
April 05

“The struggle should be waged right now – there is no other day for
that. Sometimes we retreat, but it is impossible to bring us to our
knees, ” the leader of Heritage Party, ex-presidential candidate
Raffi Hovannisian declared at the rally in Liberty Square today.

“This is our day and we must unite in the name of our homeland. We
must oppose the lie they tried to present to us on February 18. We
demand the truth, justice, and freedom. It is our right and no one
can deny us that right,” Hovannisian stated.

He stressed that all this is not romanticism and an object of jokes.

“No matter how many riot policemen you bring, we will follow a peaceful
path,” he said.

Addressing the rally participants, Raffi Hovannisian said he
appreciates their resolution and proposes obeying the popular will.

“Let’s gather in Liberty Square on April 9 and participate in the
formation of a New Armenia,” Hovannisian stated.

He called on people from the Diaspora, Artsakh, and all provinces of
Armenia to gather in Liberty Square of Yerevan on that day.

TODAY, 20:10

Aysor.am

HAK NOT TO ATTEND SARGSYAN’S INAUGURATION

06:41 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

The parliamentary group of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) will
not attend the National Assembly’s special sitting on April 9 during
which Serzh Sargsyan will be sworn in as Armenia’s President for a
second term.

The faction took the decision at its April 5 meeting, Secretary of
the HAK faction Aram Manukyan told A1+.

According to our sources, HAK MPs are not going to attend the April
9 rally to be held by the Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian at
Freedom Square for the “inauguration of a new Armenia.”

ANOTHER ACT OF SACRILEGE COMMITTED IN ARMENIA

A1Plus.am
05:31 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Representatives of the Shushi battalion have issued a statement
condemning the murder of Hrach Muradyan, Mayor of Proshyan village.

“Today we buried our comrade-in-arms Hrach Muradyan whose brutal
murder was great pain and anger for each Armenian.

A conspirator’s bullet, which could be released only by the enemy,
physically removed from our ranks a devotee of the Liberation War.

Another honest and incorruptible Armenian, a true devotee of his
Motherland, was assassinated. Yet another act of sacrilege was
committed during the tenure of the ruling regime.

Hrach and all our martyrs are immortal.

We shall follow the course of investigation. We shall see to it that
all perpetrators receive maximum punishment as prescribed for the
crime. We extend our condolences to the family, relatives and friends
of Hrach Muradyan.”

ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN: ARMENIAN OPPOSITION HAS ALWAYS ACTED INEFFICIENTLY, LEADING SITUATION TO DEADLOCK

16:46 05/04/2013 ” POLITICS

Throughout the history of the Republic of Armenia, opposition has
always acted inefficiently, leading the situation to a deadlock,
coordinator of Sardarapat movement initiative group Zhirayr Sefilyan
told a news conference on Friday.

According to him, instead of leading the situation to a deadlock,
we should choose another way – “to form parallel power in the country.”

“Unification of the capabilities of the Armenians is the only way to
come out of this situation,” Sefilyan said.

Sardarapat movement has a clear action plan that should be launched
on April 9, Sefilyan said.

“On that day, we should lay the foundations of forming parallel power
in the country,” he said. “A new liberation struggle has started,
based not on the idea of unity with Artsakh, but the idea of creating
Armenian state and the end will be victory.”

Sefilyan added that the program has been presented to former
presidential candidate, Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisian.

Source: Panorama.am