Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA SEEKING CUSTOMS UNION MEMBERSHIP

Tax-news.com
Sept 12 2013

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

12 September 2013

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister has warned that Armenia’s participation
in a deep and comprehensive free trade area within the European Union
may be incompatible with its request for membership of the Customs
Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Lithuania currently holds the EU Presidency. Linas Linkevicius met
with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian earlier this week, when
the ministers discussed the request. Linkevicius stressed that further
consultations were needed to assess the situation, and cautioned that,
were Armenia to join the CIS member states’ Customs Union, the move
would “diminish Armenia’s ambitions of integration and cooperation
with the EU.”

Linkevicius added that Armenia should not take a step that could
waste what it has achieved during its five year participation in the
Eastern Partnership Agreement.

Earlier this week, Nalbandian held talks with the European Commissioner
for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. He reiterated
Armenia’s readiness to continue its broad cooperation with the EU
in a variety of areas, and said that this would not contradict the
country’s membership of the Customs Union.

SWEDEN : ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH ARMENIA ELIMINATED FROM AGENDA

TendersInfo
September 11, 2013 Wednesday

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt considers that initialing an
Association Agreement with Armenia was removed from the agenda, noting
that he came to this conclusion together with Slovakian Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak.

Bildt wrote, “We came to a conclusion with Miroslav Lajcak that the
Association Agreement with Armenia has been removed from the agenda
now. We work with Ukraine, Moldavia and Georgia.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced a decision to join the
Customs Union and take the required practical steps towards this goal
and consequently to take part in the establishment of the Eurasian
Economic Union.

Russian president Vladimir Putin backed this decision and conveyed
Russia’s willingness to completely contribute towards this process.

MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF ARMENIA-GERMANY FRIENDSHIP GROUP

11.09.2013

Meeting with the Members of Armenia-Germany Friendship Group

On September 11 the Head of Armenia-Germany Friendship Group Artak
Davtyan met with the member of the FRG Bundestag Jurgen Klimke and
the Editor of the political section of Hamburger Abendblatt Christian
Unger. Member of the Friendship Group Vahan Hovhannisyan also attended
the meeting.

Welcoming the guests Artak Davtyan thanked them for accepting his
invitation and visting Armenia and expressed hope that they would
leave Armenia with positive impressions.

Highly appreciating the Armenian-German friendship and cooperation
the member of the FRG Bundestag Jurgan Klimke highlighted the mutual
visits, the contacts of friendship groups and close cooperation of
the MPs of the two countries.

At the guests’ request the RA NA deputy Vahan Hovhannisyan introduced
the inner-political developments and regional problems of Armenia. The
deputy talked about the European integration process and external
political developments.

The members of the Friendship Group discussed a number of issues
relating to bilateral cooperation, highlighting the further development
of the Armenian-German relations in the political, economic and
educational spheres.

ARMENIAN DEMOCRATS HAILING AUTHORITIES’ INTENTION TO MERGE ARMENIA INTO CUSTOMS UNION

YEREVAN, September 12. /ARKA/. The Democratic Party of Armenia issued a
statement today welcoming the country authorities’ decision to merge
Armenia into the Customs Union.

Armenian and Russian presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin,
made a joint statement after they met in Moscow one week ago. It has
become known from the statement that Armenia has decided to join the
Customs Union and it intends to take part in formation of Eurasian
Economic Union in the future.

The announcement came as Armenia was poised to sign the Association
Agreement with the European Union.

The party says that cooperation within the union is in tune with our
country’s economic and social interests.

Armenian Democrats think that the country’s authorities, while
negotiating with the Custom Union member countries, should present
mechanisms of mutually beneficial cooperation, taking into account
that there are no common borders. They should never omit Nagorno
Karabakh’s interests, since the republic’s economic structures function
in Armenia’s customs space.

“We think that membership in the Customs Union absolutely doesn’t
bar Armenia from cooperating with other countries and unions,” the
statement says. “If the European Union’s representatives are frank
in their statements, then Armenia can continue its cooperation under
the Association Agreement and can become a peculiar bridge between
the European Union, the Customs Union and members of the future
Eurasian Union.”

The Democratic Party of Armenia was founded in 1991 by Aram Sargsyan,
the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party
of Armenia. —0—

19:55 12.09.2013

DEFENSE MINISTRY OFFICIAL DETAINED FOR ACCEPTING BRIBE

Thursday,
September
12

Colonel David Davtian, deputy head of the Servicemen’s Social
Protection Department of Armenian Defense Ministry, was detained
today while accepting a bribe.

The press service of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) said
that Davtian demanded and accepted a bribe of $1,000, allegedly for
accelerating the process of providing pecuniary aid to the socially
vulnerable family of a serviceman who died while on duty.

A criminal case was opened. The Investigation Service of NSS is
conducting an investigation.

10.09.2013, 21:12

Aysor.am

EBAY-AUCTIONED NAREKATSI MANUSCRIPT DELIVERED TO ARMENIA

September 12, 2013 – 18:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – An eBay-auctioned Narekatsi manuscript has already
been delivered to Armenia, yet hasn’t been transported to Matenadaran,
the institute of ancient manuscripts.

As Matenadaran director Hrachya Tamrazyan toldPanARMENIAN.Net the
official representatives of the owner of the Russian company Comedy
Club Production Artur Janibekyan are expected in Armenia, to officially
pass the manuscript. A specific day for the ceremony hasn’t been set.

As Tamrazyan noted, the authenticity of the manuscript has been
established by the experts at Matenadaran.

Earlier, Artur Janibekyan bought out Narekatsi’s manuscript auctioned
at eBay for $ 30000 to be further gifted to Matenadaran.

PROSECUTOR GENERAL’S TERM IN OFFICE COMING TO AN END

17:12 12.09.2013

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received the Prosecutor General
of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepian on the occasion of the conclusion of his
constitutional term in office, President’s Press Office reports.

The President thanked Mr. Hovsepian for his years-long service and
contribution to the strengthening of the legal system.

Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that Aghvan Hovsepian would continue
to use his substantial experience for the benefit of protecting
interests of the community and forthe further development of the law
enforcement structure.

SCIENTIST CONCERNED OVER DECLINE IN CAUCASIAN LEOPARD POPULATION IN ARMENIA

13:38 12.09.13

The population of Caucasian leopards (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica)
has declined in Armenia in recent years because of poaching and
troops stationed on the Line of Contact, Mamilkon Ghasabyan of the
Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, Armenian National
Academy of Sciences, told Tert.am.

“There was a large population of Caucasian leopards in Armenia years
ago, but it has seriously declined since the collapse of the Soviet
Union,” he said.

The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets
(FPWC) installed videos cameras at the Khosrov forest reserve. On
August 7, a camera recorded a Caucasian leopard.

Armenian News – Tert.am

U.S. CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP TURNS OFF QUESTION ABOUT GENEVA CONVENTION VIOLATION BY AZERBAIJAN

YEREVAN, September 12. /ARKA/. /. James Warlick, American co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, speaking Thursday at a news conference
in Yerevan, avoided answering a question about Hakob Injigulyan,
an Armenian conscript who lost his way, crossed Karabakh-Azerbaijan
border and captured by Azerbaijanis on August 8.

Azerbaijani TV channels showed two interviews with Injigulyan, who
was dressed in Azerbaijani uniform. The Azerbaijani side, in clear
breach of Geneva Convention, was long barring ISRC representatives
from visiting the captive.

Asked if he has discussed Injigulyan imbroglio in Baku, Warlick said
he had no comments on the matter. He said the only aim of his visit
is to listen to the sides and understand and assess the situation.

—0—

– See more at:

RENCONTRE ENTRE SARKISSIAN ET LES AMBASSADEURS DE L’UE A EREVAN

Europe

Le president Serge Sarkissian a dîne avec les ambassadeurs des Etats
membres de l’UE bases a Erevan. Il s’agit de son premier face-a-face
avec les responsables europeens depuis l’annonce de sa decision
surprise de rejoindre l’union douanière dirigee par la Russie.

Un communique du bureau de Sarkissian a precise que le dîner,
organise dans le palais presidentiel, a porte sur les relations de
l’Armenie avec l’UE et les “orientations de la politique” menee par
le gouvernement armenien. Les diplomates “ont echange leurs points
de vue” et ont questionne Sarkissian.

La declaration ne fait aucune mention specifique de la future
adhesion de l’Armenie a l’union douanière, qui contrecarre son accord
d’association avec l’UE.

Le president armenien veut proposer a l’UE un projet d’accord pour le
rendre compatible avec l’adhesion a l’union douanière. La Commission
europeenne semble etre ouverte a cette idee.

Le commissaire a l’elargissement Stefan Fule devrait se rendre a
Erevan et rencontrer Sarkissian cette semaine.

jeudi 12 septembre 2013, Claire ©armenews.com