Author: Kanayan Tamar

LE GOUVERNEMENT MINIMISE UNE POSSIBLE INFLATION EN CAS D’ADHESION A L’UNION DOUANIERE

ARMENIE

Le gouvernement a reconnu jeudi que l’adhesion imminente de l’Armenie
a un bloc commercial dirigee par la Russie va faire monter le coût de
nombreux biens importes, mais a affirme que l’inflation en resultant
ne sera pas aussi elevee que ne le pretendent ses detracteurs.

S’exprimant lors d’une reunion hebdomadaire du cabinet a Erevan, le
Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian a rejete les rapports des medias
predisant des hausses de prix importantes et a demande au ministre
de l’Economie Vahram Avanesian de les refuter.

Vahram Avanesian a assure aux journalistes qu’après l’adhesion a
l’Union douanière l’indice global des prix a la consommation va
augmenter de seulement 1,5%. > a fait
valoir le ministre.

Les trois Etats membres de l’Union douanière – la Russie, la
Bielorussie et le Kazakhstan – percoivent des droits uniformes quant
a l’importation de 11500 produits. Plus de 60 pour cent d’entre eux
sont plus eleves que les tarifs fixes par l’Armenie ceci refletant
le regime commercial traditionnellement liberal de ce pays.

La nation du Caucase du Sud devra adopter des tarifs plus eleves
après avoir rejoint l’Union, ce qui a suscite des inquietudes des
economistes et des entrepreneurs locaux. Une association d’hommes
affaires armeniens a calcule recemment que les prix de detail des
viandes importees, des produits laitiers, du ble, de l’huile de
cuisson, du sucre, des pommes de terre et d’autres legumes vont
augmenter de 15 pour cent.

Garegin Melkonian vice-ministre de l’economie a revele le mois dernier
que le gouvernement a demande a l’union de permettre a l’Armenie de
continuer a appliquer ses tarifs existants pour au moins 850 articles
importes. Avanesian a confirme cette position. > a-t-il dit.

Le ministre a admis qu’Erevan ne reussira pas necessairement a
remporter ces larges concessions. En tout cas, a-t-il dit, les hausses
de prix seront compenses par les avantages economiques de l’adhesion
a l’Union douanière. Avanesian a precise que l’un d’eux : un rabais
important pour le prix du gaz naturel russe livre a l’Armenie.

La Russie, la Bielorussie et le Kazakhstan representent moins d’un
quart du commerce exterieur armenien. Les critiques affirment egalement
que l’Armenie n’a pas de frontière commune avec l’un de ces Etats et,
contrairement a la Russie et le Kazakhstan, manque de vastes ressources
naturelles qui faconnent essentiellement les politiques commerciales
protectionnistes de cette Union.

Le Premier ministre Sarkissian avait cite ces arguments quand il s’est
prononce contre l’adhesion a l’Union Douanière avant le demi-tour en
matière de politique etrangère du president Serge Sarkissian annonce
le 3 septembre dernier.

vendredi 28 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

MEGHRI CASINOS LIMITED IN RIGHTS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 27 2014

27 February 2014 – 6:50pm

The government of Armenia today set new rules for casinos in the
Armenian city of Meghri on the border with Iran.

The casinos cannot be located closer than 300 m to educational and
cultural institutions, the local and state government bodies and
hospitals, news.am reports.

Recall, late in 2013 Armenia adopted a new law according to which
casinos could exist only in four cities of the country.

BELARUSIAN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA TO MOVE TO OLIGARCH TSARUKYAN’S VILLAGE 1

Charter 97, Belarus
Feb 27 2014

8:48, — Politics

The Belarusian diplomatic mission will receive a plot of land in the
village of Arinj (the region of Kotayk).

Relations between Lukashenka and Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the
Prosperous Armenia party have impacted the cooperation between the
two countries to the extent that something unprecedented is expected,
a local newspaper, Zhamanak, writes.

“The foreign embassy will be sent from Yerevan to the village of
Arinj in Kotayk Region. At the Cabinet meeting, foreign minister
Edward Nalbandian will submit a project proposing to grant Belarus
a plot of land in the village Arinj, Kotayk region. Leader of the
Prosperous Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan is known to live in Arinj,
where he has two houses. It’s also know that Lukashenka and Tsarukyan
have warm relations and their families are close,” Zhamanak reports.

Gagik Tsarukyan and Aliaksandr Lukashenka became friends and started
cooperation in 2010.

On September 30, the Armenian-Belarusian Trade Centre opened in
Yerevan. The businessman corked a 400-litre cask of brandy for
Lukashenka’s youngest son Nikolay during Lukashenka’s visit to the
Yerevan Brandy Company. The cask will be opened when the president’s
youngest son is grown up, BelaPAN writes.

In 2012, the joint venture to bottle Armenian brandy was opened in
Minsk. The Armenian businessmen is a co-founder of the company.

Lukashenka lately awarded his friend with the Order of Friendship of
Peoples for “his big personal contribution to the development of trade,
economic and political ties between Belarus and Armenia”.

Stsiapan Sukharenka, a former KGB chief, was appointed ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Armenia in August 2008.

UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY OF ARMENIA DID NOT SHARE POSITIONS OF ANY PARTY IN UKRAINE CONFRONTATION

February 27, 2014 | 14:02

YEREVAN. – The choice of Ukrainian people towards the European path of
development is most likely related to economy, as Europe has different
cultures and different living standards, said Anna Harutyunyan,
chairman of the Ukrainian community of Armenia.

“Ukrainian community of Armenia is concerned over the developments,”
she said. “We are worried not became of the political differences
and are not trying to share political position, we are worried about
Ukrainian people, the fact that Ukrainians were killed,” she said.

The society itself should protect its citizens from violence, killings
and bloodshed, Harutyunyan emphasized.

“This is the main task of the political regime and government that
bears responsibility for the fate of the country,” she added.

The head of Ukrainian community said they are not dealing with
politics but spreading culture and traditions of Ukraine and are
receiving financial aid from the Armenian government.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIANS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS

In the afternoon of February 26, 2014, a demonstration organized by
the Armenian National Committee of Belgium was held in front of the
Embassy of Azerbaijan in Brussels, commemorating the Armenian victims
of Azerbaijani pogroms in Sumgait, Baku, Maragha, Minkeshahuri,
Kirovabad and other cities.

Waving Armenian and Nagorno Karabakh flags and posters, as well as loud
calls in French, English, Russian and Armenian, slogans reminding of
Azerbaijan’s bloody past and present, of the pogroms beginning back
in 1988 to the assassination of Gourgen Margaryan and the heroic
death of Armen Hovhanissyan, the protesters reminded that Armenians
all over the world never forget these events and that sooner or later
Azerbaijan shall recognise and admit the freedom and independence of
Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Having read loudly the letter addressed to the Embassy of Azerbaijan,
the protesters marched to the memorial of the victims of Armenian
Genocide in Brussels. The prayer for the souls of Armenian victims
was pronounced there with the presence of M. Seyran Ohanyan, Minister
of Defence of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Avet Adonts, ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, M. Armen Edigaryan, Head of RoA
Mission to NATO, representatives of the Armenian community. The
participants laid wreaths to the memorial.

Brussels,

The Armenian National Committee of Belgium

MOVEMENT AGAINST FUNDED PENSIONS WARNS OF PRESSURE, INTIMIDATION

16:12 * 27.02.14

The movement against funded pensions has issued a statement, drawing
the attention of Armenia’s law-enforcement agencies, local and
international human rights organizations to a pressure and intimidation
campaign against movement members.

“We state that any attempt to intimidate any members of the movement
through visiting them at home or inquiring about them from neighbors,
using criminal elements, physical threats or psychological pressure,
will be viewed as aimed at the movement against funded pensions and
entire society,” the movement’s statement says.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ZHOGHOVURD: NAIRIT WORKERS TO CONTINUE PROTESTS

12:36 27/02/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Workers of Nairit plant plan to continue the protests, Zhoghovurd
writes.

“This is the only way out. It is unclear how the plant got into so
much debt,” a worker told the newspaper, adding that no one knows
when the workers will receive their salaries.

Armenian Deputy Energy Minister Iosif Isayan told reporters yesterday
that Russia’s Rosneft intends to build a new plant on the territory
of Nairit.

Source: Panorama.am

WILL ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES RECOGNIZE THE LEGITIMACY OF NEW AUTHORITIES OF UKRAINE?

February 27 2014

The events in Ukraine are creating a new geopolitical situation. In
this context, one of the most important topics for discussion is the
issue of recognizing legitimacy of Ukraine’s new authorities. The
analysts’ opinions match on the issue that Russia will not recognize
the legitimacy of the new government of Ukraine. Another question is
how the authorities of Armenia would display them in this situation.

Stepan Grigoryan, Director of Analytical Centre on Globalization and
Regional Cooperation thinks that “Armenian authorities should accept
the legitimacy of the new authorities of Ukraine, and a delegation from
RA National Assembly should to go to the Supreme Rada”. To the question
of Aravot.am of whether it is appropriate for the Armenian authorities
to recognize the legitimacy of the new government of Ukraine, ACGRC
Director Richard Kirakosyan, agreeing with Stepan Grigoryan’s opinion,
said, “There is one head of the government in the world who questions
the legitimacy of the new government of Ukraine.

It is the Prime Minister of Russia. However, I think that the
Armenian authorities will follow the logic, and recognize Ukraine’s
new government. I must also say that I was confused when I read
Galust Sahakyan’s recent statements, who once again demonstrated
his political insignificance. The Parliament was very deceptive. The
move that our Parliament pays tribute to the memory of the victims
of Ukraine was good, however, it was to be done not with regard to
denial of March 1 exactness in Armenia.” Referring to the prospect
of Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union, Mr. Kirakosyan said, “I
think what happened further weakened Armenia’s prospects to appear in
this Union. It means we should respect the people in Ukraine who came
out to the streets and defended their independence and sovereignty.”

In the conversation with Aravot.am, the political scientist Hrant
Melik-Shahnazaryan argued the opposite, saying that he does not think
that something is weakening or changing in the matter of Armenia’s
accession to the Customs Union. Later he added, “Ukraine is not
constitute a part of the Customs Union, nor any emphasis was made on
Ukraine in the process of formation of the Customs Union. Armenia had
chosen this way not for Ukraine or Kazakhstan rather than building
economic and political components with Russia. So, I do not think that
for Armenia there is a weakening of motivation. This is more of Russia
task than Armenia.” With regard to the observations of recognizing
the legitimacy of the government of Ukraine, Mr. Melik-Shahnazaryan
said, “Whoever the Ukrainian authorities are, Armenia needs to build
possibly good relationship with them. The revolution is not over yet,
so, to clearly say who is in power and who is not, at this stage it
is too early.”

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

Read more at:

TATEV AERIAL TRAMWAY TO WORK SIX DAYS A WEEK

YEREVAN, February 27. / ARKA /. The world’s longest aerial tramway
built to transport visitors to the Medieval Monastery of Tatev in
southern Armenia said today that beginning from March 1 it will
operate six days a week from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening.

The aerial tramway will not be working on Mondays, the company running
the facility said. On festive days it will work in usual mode.

The 5.7-kilometer-long aerial tramway, built by Austrian-Swiss
Dopplemayer/Garaventa transports visitors from the village of Halidzor
across the Vorotan gorge to the village of Tatev, within walking
distance of the monastery, allowing tourists and visitors to bypass
a 90-minute drive on a road in and out of the Vorotan River Gorge.

The cable car travels at a speed of 37 kilometers per hour (23 miles
per hour) and a one-way journey takes 11 minutes. At its highest point
over the gorge, the car travels 320 meters (1,056 feet) above ground
level. It has two cabins, each capable of carrying up to 25 passengers.

The cable car is part of a $45 million-dollar public-private effort
to develop tourism at Tatev and in the overall region of Syunik. The
aerial tramway was officially registered by a representative of the
Guinness World Records as the world’s longest aerial tramway built
to transport visitors. -0-

– See more at:

ARTEM STEPANOV: AZERBAIJANI TERRORISTS IN SYRIA FIGHT AGAINST CHRISTIANS AND AGAINST ARMENIANS IN PARTICULAR

17:18 27/02/2014 >> REGION

“The participation of native Azerbaijanis in the war in Syria, as
well as mercenaries of other countries, is a potential threat not
only for the region but for the whole world, at least – for Europe,
Russia and the countries of the South Caucasus,” Artem Stepanov’s
article, published on the website of “Scientific Society for Caucasus
Studies” reads.

The author notes that the revival of Islam in the territory of the
former Soviet republics receives radical forms, and the Syrian conflict
provides good opportunities to improve the combat experience.

This is especially dangerous in the presence of both open and latent
conflicts in the Caucasus region. “According to the data, from three
hundred to thousands of so-called “volunteers” have left Azerbaijan
for Syria to fight there.” And they fight not for fear but for, as
they say, “conscience”, basically killing Christians. As one of the
militants subsequently killed by the fighters said, the Azerbaijanis
are fighting against the Armenians in Syria,” the article reads.

The article notes that after the collapse of the Soviet Union the
Azerbaijan Popular Front came to power, which opened wide its doors
for both the politicized and for fundamentalist Islam.

The author notes that in the meantime, dead bodies of Azerbaijani
“mujahideens” are being delivered to Baku from time to time. In May
of the last year, Azerbaijanis fighting among the militants delivered
another video message calling on their compatriots to commit “jihad in
Syria.” Though, according to the Azerbaijani legislation participation
of the citizens in any armed unit on foreign territory not obeying
to Baku, is a felony and is qualified as a mercenary, however, no
one is convicted by this article yet.

Since the beginning of 2014 the Azerbaijani news agency APA reported
about elimination of 24 fighters from the Caspian republic in Syria.

In addition, there is information about the elimination of Azerbaijani
terrorists in Afghanistan. Thus, in the last week, the media reported
about the elimination of 5 Azerbaijani fighters. All of them had
previously been involved in the international wanted list.

“All of these events may directly or indirectly affect the aggravation
of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. It’s easy to assume that
returning from Syria the fighters will not fail to use their combat
experience in fighting against the people of Karabakh, or worse –
to provoke a new war. Radical Islamism in Azerbaijan is getting more
strength, and no one knows what this will evolve. In this case, combat
capability of the Armenian army and its ability to adequately respond
to provocation is put in the forefront. And we’re back to where it
came – a strategic cooperation with Russia, which plays a significant
role in strengthening the security of the NKR and Armenia. Armenia,
certainly, is not sitting idly and waiting for someone to defend it
from the radical Islamists – by no means,” Artem Stepanov writes.