Author: Kalantarian Kevo

MEGRI DAM FOUNDATION IN ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 8 2012
Russia

The Megri dam worth $323 million with an output of 130 MW has been
founded on River Araks today. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan and Iranian
Minister for Energy Majid Namju attended the ceremony, ARKA reports.

The program for realization of the project was signed by the
governments of Armenia and Iran on March 19, 2007, for exploitation
of power plants in Megri (Armenia) and Karachilar (Iran).

The two dams will be exploited simultaneously to reduce expenses
by 10-15%.

Each power plant will produce about 800 million KW/h annually. A
tunnel 18 km long with a diameter of 8.5 m will be built.

Armenia signed a BOOT investment program with Iran’s Tavan AbAraz on
October 15, 2010.

Namju said that Megri will be built in 5 years.

Sagab-Gods (Iran) will do feasibility studies, according to a
memorandum of understanding signed by the Armenian Ministry for Energy
and Natural Resources and the Iranian Energy Ministry. The studies
will be coordinated by the Armenian-Iranian technical committee.

230-KW power lines will transport electricity to Iran. Armenia will
take control over the dam in 15 years. The power plant will have a
lifespan of 10 years when it will be taken under Armenian management
and its engineering constructions will have a lifespan of at least
30 years.

About 2,000 specialists and workers will be involved in construction.

IRAN, ARMENIA BUILDING JOINT HYDROPOWER PLANT

Global Times
Nov 8 2012
China

By Agencies

Iran and Armenia have started the construction of a joint hydroelectric
power plant on the Aras River, Press TV reported Thursday.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held Wednesday with the participation
of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Iranian Energy Minister
Majid Namjou.

With the completion of the project, some 1,700 megawatts of electricity
will be generated annually for domestic use in Iran, said managing
director of Iran’s East Azerbaijan Regional Water Company, Arsalan
Hashemi, according to the report.

The project, constructed simultaneously in Armenia’s Meghri and Iran’s
Qarachilar regions, is financed with 560 million and 500 million US
dollars in credits respectively from Armenia and Iran, said Press TV.

AZERI PRESIDENT HOPES U.S. WILL RENEW EFFORT TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT

Interfax
Nov 7 2012
Russia

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has sent greetings to Barack Obama on
his re-election.

“Azerbaijan is linked with the United States with relations of sincere
friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres. Our
cooperation in the work to ensure global energy security, in the fight
against international terrorism and in asserting peace and stability
in conflict zones has elevated our interstate relations to the level
of strategic partnership,” Aliyev said.

The Azeri president also said that the two countries’ strategic
partnership, based on mutual interests and mutual values, will
hopefully become broader and stronger, and Azerbaijan and the U.S.

will continue their successful cooperation in the spheres of
international security, economic development and democratic reform.”

“Azerbaijan pins great hopes on the United States’ efforts, as a
co-chair of the Minsk Group, and on your personal efforts to ensure a
peaceful, just and law-based settlement of the Armenian-Azeri conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh that has been festering for over 20 years,”
he said.

Sd rb

LUBNA AL QASIMI MEETS WITH ARMENIAN VICE PRIME MINISTER

TendersInfo
November 7, 2012 Wednesday

H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi has held talks in Abu Dhabi
with H.E. Armen Gevorkyan, Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia, and his accompanying delegation on strengthening economic
and investment relations between the UAE and Armenia and promoting
joint investments in various fields.

The meeting also centered on the need to explore new horizons for
investors from both the UAE and Armenia in order to better utilize
the strong bilateral relations and signed economic agreements the
two countries enjoy.

During the meeting, Sheikha Lubna said that the UAE is witnessing
rapid growth in various fields, which is in turn having its positive
impact on the country s trade exchange, placing it at unprecedented
positions in trade and investment indexes, which is in line, she added,
with the government strategies and goals that that were put in place
to strengthen the UAE s standing in the global trade map.

Sheikha Lubna invited Armenian companies to invest in the UAE and
benefit from its available opportunities, especially with regards to
making it their entry point into many neighboring regional markets,
adding that the UAE is geographically and strategically well positioned
as a transit trade hub between east and west and that it has flexible
investment and economic legislations and excellent incentives and
advantages such as its modern infrastructure, high consumption and
income rates, advanced logistical support and the presence of a
sophisticated and wide spanning air, land and maritime network that
adopts the best global standards.

For his part, Mr. Gevorkyan emphasized the importance of the UAE
market for Armenian companies, expressing his hope for strengthening
and expanding Armenia s commercial and investment ties with the UAE,
in light of the advanced standing enjoyed by the UAE and its unique
developmental approach and philosophy, adding that his government looks
forward to welcoming UAE investors to invest in Armenia s sectors
that are witnessing rapid growth, especially that the consumption
rate there is witnessing exponential growth.

Trade between the UAE and Armenia has witnessed noticeable growth
over the past two years, increasing by 6 percent from 2010 to 2011,
with the UAE contributing 97 percent of the two country s bilateral
trade during that period.

NEW DOCUMENTARY PRODUCED IN RESPONSE TO ANTI-ISLAM MOVIE

FARS News Agency
November 7, 2012 Wednesday
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- An NGO produced the first documented response to the
US-Israeli insulting movie against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

“The prophet” shot in the Vatican, India, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Austria
and Iran, depicts Muslims’ solidarity in defending Prophet Mohammad
(PBUH).

The documentary is to be broadcast through 50 satellite channels and
social networks in different languages from Thursday.

An Iranian NGO announced in September that it planned to produce a
documentary which would include interviews with the leaders of major
world religions in condemnation of the insults leveled against the
prophet of Islam.

“The Islam-and-Christianity NGO has embarked on the production of a
scientific and charming documentary, named ‘The Prophet’, in response
to the insulting movie recently produced against Islam and its radical
supporters,” the Public Relations Director of the NGO, Mohammad Karimi,
told FNA in September.

“Leaders of all the world’s major religions, including Christianity,
Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism,
Mandian Sabe’een and Islam, have taken part in the production of this
documentary,” he said.

Karimi said the scene shooting which has been carried out in several
countries, including India, Italy, France, Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Armenia and the Vatican, has finished, adding that the documentary
will be screened in three different languages, namely Persian, Arabic
and English.

Karimi further had added that the documentary will be shown on
satellite TV channels and through social networks and internet
websites, including YouTube and the Islam-and-Christianity NGO’s
website.

Karimi said ‘The Prophet’ which centers on the life and mission
of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) would be a crushing response to
‘Innocence of Muslims’, a sacrilegious movie recently produced by
an American-Israeli man in the US against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH),
which has sparked growing outrage throughout the world.

‘Innocence of Muslims’, previously called Desert Warriors and Innocence
of Bin Laden, is a 2012 anti-Muslim movie which insults Muslims’
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The film has been financed by more than 100
Jews and produced by an American-Israeli man in the US.

The film was being promoted by a Florida pastor, Terry Jones, known
for previous Quran-burning stunts that angered Muslims in various
countries.

ELECTIONS BRING BROAD BIPARTISAN VICTORIES FOR ANCA ENDORSED CANDIDATES

Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Menendez, Feinstein Win in Senate; Cantor, Grimm, Cicilline Among
Key Victories in House ANCA Issues Statement Congratulating Obama;
Re-Energizes Engagement with White House and Congressional Leaders

Sen. Dianne Feinstein WASHINGTON-Approximately 90 percent of the
Congressional candidates backed by the Armenian National Committee of
America prevailed in Tuesday’s hard-fought elections, as U.S. voters
re-elected Barack Obama President and maintained the Democratic
majority of the Senate and the Republican majority in the House.

“We congratulate President Obama on his victory, commend Governor
Romney for a well run campaign, and thank Armenian American voters
who went to the polls today in record numbers to support federal,
state, and local candidates who support issues of special concern
to our community. We look forward to getting to work right away in
engaging with the Obama Administration and the incoming Congress to
make progress on the full range of the Armenian American community’s
public policy priorities.”

Sen. Robert Menendez “We were greatly gratified to see such a large
percentage of our Congressional endorsees win their races, including
powerful advocates such as Senator Bob Menendez, House Majority Leader
Eric Cantor, Representatives Adam Schiff, Ed Royce, Frank Pallone,
and many others.”

On the Senate side, 12 out of 15 ANCA endorsed candidates emerged
victorious, including senior Senate Foreign Relations Committee member
and Armenian Genocide Resolution lead cosponsor Bob Menendez (D-NJ),
Return of Churches Resolution lead cosponsor Dianne Feinstein (D-CA),
Ben Cardin (D-MD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and incoming Senator Chris
Murphy (D-CT). The only ANCA backed Senate candidates to lose were
Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown, Virginia’s George Allen (R),
and Nevada’s Shelly Berkley (D).

Rep. Adam Schiff On the House side, the ANCA endorsed 130 candidates,
of which only 12 were reported to have lost their re-election bids,
with one race still pending. Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Ed Royce (R-CA) won their elections by wide
margins. Rep. Royce was endorsed earlier today by outgoing House
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
to become the next Chairman of that powerful committee during the
113th Congress. He may be challenged by another long-time supporter
of Armenian American concerns, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).

The two Armenian American Members of Congress – California Democrats
Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier – each won broad support of the
electorate. Among the key House races that the ANCA was following
throughout the evening included House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
(R-VA), Congressional Armenian Genocide Resolution lead cosponsor Adam
Schiff (D-CA), and Representatives David Cicilline (D-RI), Lois Capps
(D-CA), Jeff Denham (R-CA), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Michael Grimm (R-NY),
Janice Hahn (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), David Valadao (R-CA), and
Frank Wolf (R-VA). All won their races. In a highly competitive race
between two long-time supporters of Armenian American concerns, Rep.

Brad Sherman (D-CA) defeated Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA).

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Among the House races in which ANCA
endorsed candidates were not successful were those involving Illinois
Republican Robert Dold and Armenian American candidate Danny Tarkanian
from Nevada.

Unprecedented Armenian American Community and Campaign Outreach:
In dozens of states and hundreds of Congressional Districts across
the United States in which the ANCA endorsed candidates ran, the ANCA
sent hundreds of thousands of customized e-mail messages to Armenian
American voters. These messages featured the ANCA grade for each
candidate, news about whether the ANCA has endorsed their campaign,
and a listing of ANCA records and ratings for their state’s full
Congressional delegation.

The ANCA’s final push built upon months of voter registration campaigns
and community education and empowerment programs – led with the
remarkably successful ANCA Western Region Hye Votes campaign. ANCA
regional and local activists volunteered on campaigns and encouraged
candidates to fill out the ANCA Candidate Questionnaire.

Rep. David Cicilline A key element of this effort, as in years past,
has been ANCA Congressional Report Cards, a detailed review and rating
of the records of each Congressional incumbent on more than a dozen
individual legislative initiatives of special concern to Armenian
American voters.

Listing of ANCA Endorsed Congressional Candidates and Election Results

** Ordered by State, then by Senate and New House Congressional
District (per the 2010 Census).

** Names are listed as follows: District, Name, (Party)

Arizona 3 Rep. Raul Grijalva (D) – won

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) – Senate – won 5 Rep. Mike
Thompson (D) – won 6 Rep. Doris Matsui (D) – won 7 Rep. Dan Lungren (R)
– RACE TOO CLOSE TO CALL 10 Rep. Jeff Denham (R) – won 12 Rep. Nancy
Pelosi (D) – won 13 Rep. Barbara Lee (D) – won 14 Rep. Jackie Speier
(D) – won 15 Rep. Pete Stark (D) – lost 16 Rep. Jim Costa (D) – won 17
Rep. Michael Honda (D) – won 18 Rep. Anna Eshoo (D) – won 19 Rep. Zoe
Lofgren (D) – won 21 David Valadao (R) – won 22 Rep. Devin Nunes
(R) – won 23 Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R) – won 24 Rep. Lois Capps (D) –
won 27 Rep. Judy Chu (D) – won 28 Rep. Adam Schiff (D) – won 29 Tony
Cardenas (D) – won 32 Rep. Grace Napolitano (D) – won 33 Rep. Henry
Waxman (D) – won 34 Rep. Xavier Becerra (D) – won 35 Rep. Joe Baca
(D) – lost 37 Rep. Karen Bass (D) – won 38 Rep. Linda Sanchez (D)
– won 39 Rep. Edward Royce (R) – won 40 Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
(D) – won 42 Rep. Ken Calvert (R) – won 44 Rep. Janice Hahn (D) –
won 46 Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) – won 48 Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R)
– won 53 Rep. Susan Davis (D) – won

Colorado 1 Rep. Diana DeGette (D) – won 2 Rep. Jared Polis (D) – won
3 Sal Pace (D) – lost 4 Rep. Cory Gardner (R) – won 5 Rep. Douglas
Lamborn (R) – won 6 Rep. Mike Coffman (R) – won 7 Rep. Edwin Perlmutter
(D) – won

Connecticut Rep. Chris Murphy (D) – Senate – won 1 Rep. John Larson
(D) – won 2 Rep. Joe Courtney (D) – won 3 Rep. Rosa Delauro (D) –
won 4 Rep. Jim Himes (D) – won

Florida 12 Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R) – won 18 Rep. Allen West (R) –
lost 21 Rep. Ted Deutch (D) – won 24 Rep. Frederica Wilson (D) –
won 25 Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R) – won 26 Rep. David Rivera (R) – lost

Georgia 11 Patrick Thompson (D) – lost

Hawaii Rep. Mazie Hirono (D) – Senate – won

Idaho 1 Rep. Raul Labrador (R) – won

Illinois 1 Rep. Bobby Rush (D) – won 2 Rep. Jesse Jackson (D) –
won 3 Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D) – won 5 Rep. Mike Quigley (D) – won 6
Rep. Peter Roskam (R) – won 7 Rep. Danny Davis (D) – won 9 Rep. Janice
Schakowsky (D) – won 10 Rep. Robert Dold (R) – lost

Indiana 1 Rep. Peter Visclosky (D) – won

Iowa 1 Rep. Bruce Braley (D) – won

Maine 1 Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) – won 2 Rep. Michael Michaud (D) – won

Maryland Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D) – Senate – won 3 Rep. John Sarbanes
(D) – won 5 Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) – won 8 Rep. Christopher Van Hollen
(D) – won

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) – Senate – lost 1 Rep. Richard
Neal (D) – won 2 Rep. James McGovern (D) – won 3 Rep. Niki Tsongas
(D) – won 4 Joseph Kennedy III (D) – won 5 Rep. Edward Markey (D)
– won 6 Rep. John Tierney (D) – won 7 Rep. Michael Capuano (D) –
won 8 Rep. Stephen Lynch (D) – won 9 Rep. William Keating (D) – won

Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) – Senate – won 6 Rep. Fred Upton
(R) – won 9 Rep. Sander Levin (D) – won 12 Rep. John Dingell (D) –
won 13 Rep. John Conyers (D) – won 14 Rep. Gary Peters (D) – won

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) – Senate – won 1 Rep. Timothy Walz (D)
– won 4 Rep. Betty McCollum (D) – won 7 Rep. Collin Peterson (D) – won

Nebraska 1 Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R) – won

Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) – Senate – lost 1 Former Rep. Dina
Titus (D) – won 4 Danny Tarkanian (R) – lost

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez (D) – Senate – won 1 Rep. Robert
Andrews (D) – won 2 Rep. Frank Lobiondo (R) – won 4 Rep. Christopher
Smith (R) – won 5 Rep. Scott Garrett (R) – won 6 Rep. Frank Pallone
(D) – won 8 Rep. Albio Sires (D) – won 11 Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen
(R) – won 12 Rep. Rush Holt (D) – won

New Mexico Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) – Senate – won

New York 1 Rep. Tim Bishop (D) – won 2 Rep. Peter King (R) –
won 3 Rep. Steve Israel (D) – won 4 Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D) –
won 10 Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D) – won 11 Rep. Michael Grimm (R) –
won 12 Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) – won 13 Rep. Charles Rangel (D) –
won 14 Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) – won 16 Rep. Eliot Engel (D) – won
17 Rep. Nita Lowey (D) – won 20 Rep. Paul Tonko (D) – won 24 Rep. Ann
Marie Buerkle (R) – lost 26 Rep. Brian Higgins (D) – won

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) – Senate – won 9 Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D)
– won 16 Rep. Betty Sue Sutton (D) – lost

Oregon 4 Rep. Peter DeFazio (D) – won

Pennsylvania 1 Rep. Robert Brady (D) – won 2 Rep. Chaka Fattah (D)
– won 3 Rep. Mike Kelly (R) – won 7 Rep. Patrick Meehan (R) – won 8
Kathy Boockvar (D) – lost 13 Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D) – won

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D) – Senate 1 Rep. David
Cicilline (D) – won 2 Rep. James Langevin (D) – won

Tennessee 2 Rep. John Duncan (R) – won

Texas 29 Rep. Gene Green (D) – won 35 Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) – won

Vermont Sen. Bernard Sanders (I) – Senate – won AL Rep. Peter Welch
(D) – won

Virginia Former Sen. George Allen (R) – Senate – lost 4 Rep. Randy
Forbes (R) – won 7 Rep. Eric Cantor (R) – won 10 Rep. Frank Wolf (R)
– won

Washington 1 John Koster (R) – lost 7 Rep. Jim McDermott (D) – won

Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) – Senate – won 1 Rep. Paul Ryan (R)
– won

BAKU WARNS GEORGIA AGAINST BOOSTING TIES WITH ARMENIA

November 7, 2012 – 22:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – An Azeri parliamentarian slammed possible restoration
of Russia-Armenia railway connection (through Abkhazia), hinted at
by Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Day.az said.

“Should the railway connection with Armenia be restored, Azerbaijan
may support separatist regimes of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Musa
Qasimli threatened.

Qasimli further expressed concern over Georgia’s pro-Armenian stance,
urging Georgia to remember that its social and economic situation
directly depends on Azerbaijan.

As Azeri MP noted, Baku could take retaliatory measures, were Tbilisi
to continue with its policy line.

“Ivanishvili must realize that Tbilisi will be the first to suffer
from a rift in strategic ties with Baku,” the MP concluded.

‘ARMENIANS CREATED THEIR ARTIFICIAL STATE ON NATIVE TURKIC LANDS’

News.Az
Wed 07 November 2012 12:15 GMT | 12:15 Local Time

Armenians in the Caucasus are alien people who created their artificial
state on native Turkish lands, and therefore they have no right to
talk about their ancient roots in the region.

The statement came from the Secretary General of the Justice and
Development Party (AKP) of Turkey, Haluk Ipek.

According to him, Armenia with its policy will not go far, and sooner
or later will realize error of the chosen path. “Armenia has become a
problem for the region and a country that impedes regional cooperation.

Maintaining good relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey is in the
interests of Armenia, because it affects the future of this state.

Azerbaijan is a rising star in the region, Turkey is a rising star in
the world. The strength of our countries is growing, and Armenia is
weakening. How long is it going to stick to this policy? Armenia for
its own future must realize that the path chosen by it is a dead end.

Armenia is now banking on its patrons. But it forgets that its patrons
are far away, while Azerbaijan and Turkey are near. The goal of Baku
and Ankara is the establishment of peace in the region, which lies in
the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,” said Ipek.

Referring to Obama’s re-election as US President, he expressed the
hope that the country as a co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group will show
more activieness in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT’S FANTASY

news.am
November 07, 2012 | 15:08

YEREVAN.- The statement by the Azerbaijani Culture Ministry regarding
the participation of Armenia and Artsakh in World Travel Market
in London, is nothing but a fantasy, says the statement issued by
National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia.

“According to the misleading information, ‘necessary measures ought to
be undertaken to remove Artsakh from the list of seven participating
travel agencies, as has been done previously.’

Not seven, but eleven Armenian travel agencies are represented in
the fair and the participation of Artsakh has never come across an
obstacle before, not counting Azerbaijan’s hysteria and the fact
of damaged pavilion in Paris, which had been recovered promptly,”
the statement reads.

The Foundation stressed that the Armenian boot is attracting much
attention among the visitors as well as participants.

“Moreover, the materials containing anti-Armenian propaganda have
been taken out from the Azerbaijani booth at the request of the
Armenian delegation.”

OBAMA’S NEXT TENURE NOT EXPECTING SERIOUS JOLTS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – ARMENIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST

news.am
November 07, 2012 | 13:57

YEREVAN. – The US presidential elections and serving President Barack
Obama’s triumph are important international developments, but they will
not have a substantial impact on Armenian-American relations, political
scientist Yervand Bozoyan said during a press conference on Wednesday.

He noted that Obama is considered to be a more moderate politician
who expresses milder views. “In that sense, his election will not
record serious jolts in international relations, and significant
changes are not expected in our region,” Bozoyan said.

He added that when a people’s socioeconomic condition is somewhat
stable, and being a more conservative nation, the Americans do not
try to go for big changes. “The deciding factor for the American
people is the domestic issues. So, if they are in a good state,
they have no desire for great upheavals,” Yervand Bozoyan maintained.