Author: Kanayan Tamar

CE SOIR REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE-ARMENIE (18 H), UN MATCH QUE LES TCHEQUES CRAIGNENT BEAUCOUP

FOOTBALL-QUALIFICATIONS COUPE DU MONDE 2014

L’equipe d’Armenie est arrivee le 4 septembre a Prague pour affronter
ce soir a 18h la formation de la Republique tchèque, dans le cadre
des qualifications de la Coupe du Monde de football. Des centaines de
supporters Armeniens ont fait le deplacement depuis l’Armenie, ainsi
que des dizaines de membres de la presse et des medias armeniens. Par
ailleurs, pour ce match capital pour la Republique tchèque -ainsi que
pour l’Armenie- des dizaines de journalistes tchèques et etrangers
sont egalement a Prague.

Des dizaines d’affiches geantes sont placees au centre de la capitale
tchèque pour annoncer ce match Republique tchèque-Armenie. Des Tchèques
qui craignent fortement l’equipe d’Armenie pour sa rapidite et des
joueurs d’exception tels qu’Henrikh Mkhitaryan la star du ” Borussia
” Dortmund ou Yura Movsissian (” Spartak ” Moscou). Les Tchèques qui
ont visionne le matche Danemark-Armenie (0-4) a Copenhague savent
que l’Armenie est un adversaire imprevisible qui peut leur barrer la
route a la qualification.

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 6 septembre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

UN NEGATIONNISTE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN NOMME PORTE-PAROLE DU DEPARTEMENT D’ETAT

USA

Doug Frantz, le negationniste notoire et ancien redacteur en chef
du Los Angeles Times qui a perdu son emploi quand il a bloque
la publication d’un article sur le genocide armenien ecrit par le
journaliste Mark Arax a ete nomme nouveau porte-parole du Departement
d’Etat americain.

Doug Frantz a des liens de longue date avec la Turquie. Il a ete
en poste a Istanbul pendant plusieurs annees, d’abord comme chef du
bureau du New York Times, puis comme journaliste d’investigation pour
le Los Angeles Times. Il avait noue des contacts avec les differents
responsables turcs, y compris le consul general de Turquie a Los
Angeles et est alle a Istanbul en mai 2007 pour animer une table
ronde a laquelle participait un celèbre negationniste.

vendredi 6 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

UK FOREIGN SECRETARY, AZERI MINISTER HAIL “SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION”

APA, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2013

Baku, 4 September: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
has met UK Foreign Secretary William Hague during his working visit
to the United Kingdom.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the issues that are
on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, APA quoted the
Foreign Ministry press service as saying. Minister Mammadyarov and
Secretary Hague also held extensive talks on bilateral cooperation
and stressed that there is great potential for extending cooperation
in the future.

Secretary Hague congratulated Minister Mammadyarov on the [forthcoming]
2015 European Games to be hosted by Azerbaijan and recalled that
his country successfully hosted the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in
London. He said the UK would be delighted to share its experience
with Azerbaijan in this area.

Praising Azerbaijan’s increased role in the energy sphere, Secretary
Hague expressed the gratitude for Azerbaijan’s contribution and support
to operations in Afghanistan, as well as the cooperation within the
framework of NATO.

Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan and United Kingdom continue their
energy cooperation successfully and added that there is great potential
to further enhance cooperation in many areas such as investment,
tourism and education, among others.

Speaking about the ongoing peace process aiming to resolve the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov stressed that to achieve
the resolution of the conflict, Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn
from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, and that it is necessary to
start work to draft a comprehensive peace agreement.

Secretary Hague noted that the further enhancement of bilateral ties
is in the interest of both countries, adding that his country supports
the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group and the peaceful resolution
of the conflict.

[Translated from Azeri]

EU NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY THROWN OFF COURSE BY RUSSIA

European Voice
Sept 5 2013

By Andrew Gardner

Armenia chooses Russian-led Eurasian Customs Union over pending
free-trade agreement with the EU

The European Union’s policy towards its eastern neighbours has been
thrown into disarray by a decision by Armenia to abandon a pending
free-trade agreement with the EU.

Armenia is instead joining the Russian-led Eurasian Customs Union. The
change of heart comes as a blow to the EU’s Eastern Partnership
programme, formed in 2009 in an attempt to encourage ex-Soviet states
to move towards the EU.

Russia has launched a diplomatic counter-offensive against the EU,
aimed at preventing the EU from gaining more influence over its
neighbours. It explicitly linked a trade dispute with Ukraine last
month to that country’s plan to sign agreements with the EU.

Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, who has drafted a resolution in the
European Parliament condemning Russian pressure, yesterday warned
that its success with Armenia could have a “domino effect” on more
of the EU’s eastern neighbours.

The EU has repeatedly said that it views membership of the Eurasian
Customs Union as “incompatible” with the type of deep and wide-ranging
trade deals that Armenia and Ukraine have been seeking with the EU.

Armenia completed technical preparations for such a deal in July. An
agreement was to have been sealed in November at a summit meeting of
leaders from the EU and the six countries of the Eastern Partnership.

The summit is billed as a flagship event of Lithuania’s presidency
of the Council of Ministers.

As well as Armenia and Ukraine, the EU was hoping for agreements with
Georgia and Moldova. No progress is expected with the partnership’s
other members, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

Saryusz-Wolski pointed to a statement made yesterday by Georgia’s
President Bidzina Ivanishvili, when he was asked whether Georgia
would consider joining the Eurasian Customs Union. Ivanishvili said:
“If…we see that it is interesting for our country, then why not? But
at this stage we have no position.”

EU sources said that they were still trying to ascertain why
Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian abandoned his ambitions for a
trade agreement with the EU within the space of four days, following
a demand from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday (30 August)
for an immediate meeting.

However, Sarkisian’s decision on Tuesday (3 September) came days after
Putin signed a ~@3 billion arms agreement with Azerbaijan, lending
credence to suggestions that Sarkisian feared losing Russian backing
in Armenia’s ‘frozen conflict’ with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, said yesterday (4 September)
that Moscow had engaged in a “dangerous game” in the Caucasus.

An official privy to EU consultations said that one of the primary
considerations in the EU’s deliberations was how to avoid lending
“ammunition” to Russia in its geopolitical battle with the EU.

Russia explicitly linked its decision to restrict exports from
Ukraine in August to the EU’s offer of free trade and other benefits
to Ukraine. An adviser to Putin described the move as a warning to
Ukraine not to take the “suicidal” step of signing association and
trade agreements with the EU in November.

Ukraine says that the flow of exports to Russia is now returning to
normal, but Russia has officially said that it may reassess rules
affecting the many Ukrainians who work in Russia.

Russia’s pressure on Ukraine has led to a call from Pawel Kowal, the
Polish chairman of the European Parliament’s delegation to Ukraine, for
the EU to sign trade and political agreements with Ukraine immediately,
before the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius.

EU officials expect Russia to apply further pressure in the coming
months. Gunnar Wiegand, the EU diplomat responsible for relations with
the EU’s eastern neighbours, told the European Parliament last week
(28 August) that the clash with Ukraine was “likely to be a first
warning shot” to Ukraine.

One EU source suggested that, cumulatively, Russia’s pressure on
Ukraine and Armenia amounts to Russia’s biggest challenge to the EU
in the neighbourhood since the EU enlarged to include eight formerly
communist states in 2004.

The EU responded to Russia’s pressure on Ukraine by saying that
Ukraine and Russia should resolve their disputes in the World Trade
Organization.

Olga Shumylo-Tapiola of the Brussels-based think-tank Carnegie Europe
said the EU was right to put the Ukraine-Russia dispute “into the
international or European framework” of legal norms and trade rules.

“I don’t think that to fight politically with Russia makes much sense;
that is Russia’s game,” she said. “The EU has to use the instruments
that it has.”

OPINION: ARMENIA TURNS ITS EYE TO THE EAST

Lithuania Tribune
Sept 5 2013

The Lithuania Tribune presents an opinion article by an American
journalist Steven G. Traylor on Armenia’s decision to join the
Customs Union.

The European Union received somewhat disturbing news this week,
when it was announced in Moscow that the President of Armenia, Serzh
Sarksyan and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin have signed
agreements between the two; signalling that Armenia will likely join
the counterpart of the European Union, the Customs Euro Asia Economic
Community (EurAsEC).

The EurAsEC has become a top priority since 2008 for Russia to offset
the expansion of the European Union into what is believe to be Russia’s
“sphere of influence” especially in the Eastern and Central Europe.

While the EU, as a unified 28 member economic power-house, is rivalling
the biggest economy in the world – the United States, Russia is
seeking to rekindle its dwindling influence since the demise of the
Soviet Union as a world player both politically and economically.

Today, the only former Soviet Republics that border on Russia are
the three Baltic States.

“Russia supports the decision by Armenia to enter the Customs Union
(EurAsEC). We will fully work for this to happen,” Putin said regarding
the bilateral talks conducted at his country house outside of Moscow.

Russia is Armenia’s largest trading partner and the largest foreign
investor in the landlocked country. Trade between the two reached
$1.2 billion in 2012 and Russian capital investment was over $3
billion, nearly half of Armenia’s foreign investment, Putin said
during the talks.

Back in July, Armenia concluded talks with the EU regarding a deep
and comprehensive free trade agreement. Political observers fully
expected the country to initiate a free trade agreement with the EU
this November in Vilnius, site of upcoming European Union Summit,
as Lithuania holds the revolving Chairmanship of the EU currently.

However, the European Union does not allow member-states to participate
in other non-EU memberships, as it is considered “incompatible”
with the EU’s Charter.

Armenia is now an invited guest to Vilnius.

Armenian President Sarkisian said: “this decision is not a rejection
of our dialogue with the European institution. Armenia is considerably
more effective and competitive state than it was years ago”, hinting
it being a result of negotiations with the EU.

“We intend to continue these reforms also in the future,” he said.

Reaction in Yerevan and Brussels

>From Yerevan, Hovhannes Igityan, former Chairman of the National
Assembly Foreign Relations Committee said: “I consider the statement
made during Sargsyan-Putin meeting retarded and a big mistake”.

“I do not know the response of Europe, but I think it is an economic
and political mistake. To our question of what the Customs Union will
give Armenia and what we were deprived of not joining the EU deep
and comprehensive free trade area. We have a contract with Russia
on free interactions and trade, and time showed that it does not
provide us with economic growth, while Russia is number one investor
country for Armenia, and Armenia’s only chance of quick development
was the development of economic relations with the European Union
which failed”.

Vice-Chairman of Heritage political party, and Yerevan City Council
Armen Martirosyan has been quoted as saying, “I will stay away from
giving the final assessment, because it is possible that a short
while later, after meeting with the high-ranking European officials,
such statements (coming out of Moscow) is possible to sound again
that we will be signing the Association Agreement. I think I still
have time and the final word will be known in the near future. In
any case, if we are going to join the Customs Union, I think we would
have a system of governance that we have so far. However, after the
decision to join the Customs Union, we would have the same corrupt,
rotten systems of governance. Nothing will change,” according to
local press reports

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele’s spokesman Peter Stano
has said: “currently consulting our Armenia partners on the latest
developments and the potential implications would be examined when
all necessary details were at hand.”

Mother Russia still to be reckoned with

For President Putin, this move is considered a political victory.

Former member-states of the Soviet Union have tasted independence and
found that not all is in harmony with the way it is done in the west.

Economic considerations are always in play when political decisions
are made.

Armenia, for example, has no adequate oil reserves or natural gas, and
most of its energy demands are met through cheap imports from Russia.

Nearly 80 per cent of Armenia’s energy system is estimated to be
under Russian control according to

Ukraine, another potential aspiring member to the EU expected in
Vilnius in November, has felt recently political pressure as well.

Officials are accusing Russian customs of discriminating against their
export with tighter customs inspection that potentially could run
up billion of dollars in losses. Kiev sees this bilateral trade war
designed to discourage Ukraine for signing the Association Agreement
with the EU.

Sergey Glazyev, a senior economic adviser to President Putin has been
quoted by RIA Novosti: “we are preparing to tighten customs procedures
in case Ukraine suddenly makes this suicidal step of signing the EU
Association Agreement”. Ukraine’s export to Russia totalled over $16
billion in 2012, nearly a quarter of all goods, and export to Europe
were just over $17 billion according to EU trade data.

Georgia likewise is an interested member in joining the European Union,
and only recently resumed trade following the contentious war with
Russia, of which each side accuses the other of starting.

So, who will show up?

For Lithuanian President Dalia GrybauskaitÄ-, who is fresh from the
Baltic Summit with President Obama in Washington D. C., the task of
the EU leadership is daunting. The political landscape can and does
change on a daily basis, while the G20 currently underway in St.

Petersburg, Russia – statements and agreements reached there can have
an effect on the EU decisions.

Vilnius will be an interesting place to be come in November, and see
who’s there and who’s not from the South and East of Lithuania.

17-CENTURY BIBLE TO BE EXHIBITED IN DIYARBEKIR ST. GIRAGOS CHURCH

– September 4, 2013

ARMENPRESS: The 17-century Bible will be exhibited in the Armenian
Saint Giragos Church of Diyarbekir, donated by the famous Turkish
writer of Armenian decent Mkrtich Markosyan. As reported by Armenpress,
the writer stated to the Agos Newspaper that he found the Bible 12
years ago in a stack of papers at the toilet of the abandoned Saint
Giragos Church.

According to Mkrtich Markosyan, the Bible was published in 1960
at the Venice’s San Lazzaro Temple. “I kept it very carefully. And
now, when I found out that an Armenian Museum is being opened at the
Saint Giragos Church of Diyarbekir, I decided to donate the Bible to
the museum. The most important thing is that it has survived and is
returning home”, – said the Armenian writer.

A section of the Armenian Saint Giragos Church in Turkey’s Diyarbekir
will be turned into a museum, where items belonging to Armenians will
be displayed.

ARMENIA IMPROVES ITS POSITION IN GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX BY THREE NOTCHES

YEREVAN, September 5. / ARKA /. Armenia’s ranking in the World Economic
Forum’s global competitiveness index in 2013 has edged up three notches
to the 79th position among 148 surveyed nations, according to Manuk
Yergnyan, head of Yerevan-based Economy and Values research center.

The previous report included 144 nations. The Index is based on
measures of 12 basic pillars such as institutions, infrastructure,
and the macroeconomic environment.

According to Yergnyan, in 2013 Armenia has returned to where it
was back in 2005, when it was first surveyed. Yerganyan said the
report notes that Armenia is in the transition from a resource-based
development stage to productivity increase stage.

In terms of macro-economic environment, efficiency of goods market,
technological training, improvement of entrepreneurship Armenia
registered improvement from one to 20 points.

Yergnyan said in terms of inflation Armenia has improved its position
by 104 points due to the fact that in 2011 the average inflation rate
was 7.7 %, securing the country the 105th position among 142 countries,
and in 2012 the figure was 2.5 %, which allowed Armenia to move to
the first group of countries with the rate of inflation up to 2.9 %.

Armenia has worsened its position in terms of such indicators as
productivity of the labor market, dropping 20 points to 50th position
and the availability of credits (a decline of 19 points).

“With regard to the labor market, the deterioration index was mainly
due to the improvement of the position of other countries. In assessing
the credit availability the report considered the process of granting
loans to enterprises on the basis of a survey of company managers,”,
Yergnayn said.

Armenia’s position deteriorated in health and primary education, higher
education and training, market size, salary payment flexibility,
intensity of personnel training, misuse of government funds,
availability of research and service for retraining.

The list of the most competitive countries has not changed. It is
topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore, Finland, Germany and
the USA.

In he CIS, Armenia is ahead of only Moldova (89th) and Kyrgyzstan
(121st). Azerbaijan is on the 39th position, Kazakhstan is 50th,
Russia is 64th, Ukraine is 84th and Georgia is 72nd.

The Global Competitiveness Report is compiled on the basis of
statistical data and surveys among businesses. This year’s survey
involved senior executives of some 100 Armenian small and medium
businesses. —0—

KAZAKHASTAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST: IT WILL BE HARD FOR ARMENIA TO TRADE WITH KAZAKHSTAN WITHIN CUSTOMS UNION
by Ashot Safaryan

ARMINFO
Thursday, September 5, 17:23

Armenia’s Custom Union membership is quite doubtful. The latest
statement of the Armenian president might pursue just political goals,
says Rasul Zhumali, a Kazakh political scientist, total.kz reported.

Zhumali thinks Armenia will face many challenges in implementing
such plans.

Trade turnover of Kazakhstan and Armenia remains modest, though
a Caucasian country would be interested in import of oil, gas and
metals of Kazakhstan and Russia. However, export of raw materials is
possible just hypothetically, the political scientist said.

“Armenia is in a certain economic semi-blockade. It has rather tense
relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Apparently, Sargsyan would like
to get out of that blockade. His statement bears little relation to
economic and customs procedures. The country has no common borders
with the other members of the Customs Union, which may impede the
process. How will they be transporting goods via the territories of
third countries? Implementation of that idea remains doubtful.

Actually, Sargsyan wanted to favor Vladimir Putin, who tries to
increase the number of the Union’s member by means of carrot and
stick,” Zhumali says.

According to him, the power in Armenia belongs to the parliament
rather than the president. Influence of public-sector organizations
is growing in Armenia and they are opposing the decision to join the
Customs Union.

“That country is now quite closely cooperating with the European
Union. It is absolutely unclear how Armenia is going to sit on two
chairs at once,” Rasul Zhumali says.

On September 3 in Moscow, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan confirmed
Armenia’s intention to join the Customs Union and the process of the
formation of the Eurasian Union. Vladimir Putin supported Sargsyan’s
decision and promised to contribute to Yerevan’s accession to the
Customs Union in every possible way.

The Customs Union has been created within the Eurasian economic space
for trade and economic integration of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia
on the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ARMENIA ON ONE OF THE WORST POSITIONS BY CUSTOMS ADMINISTERING IN THE GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS REPORT 2013-2014

by Arthur Yernjakyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, September 5, 17:27

Armenia occupies one of the worst positions by customs reforms in The
Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 of the World Economic Forum.

Customs Administering is one of the weakest points of the country,
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in the government, Thursday,
commenting on the given report.

Armenia has improved its position in The Global Competitiveness Report
2013-2014 by the World Economic Forum moving up 3 positions to the
79th position out of 148 countries by the GCI -Global Competitiveness
Index. However, Armenia took the 123rd position by the burden of
customs procedures. The prime minister outlined also other weak points:
quality of management schools (120th position), country capacity
to retain talent (121st position), exports as a percentage of GDP
(130th position).

The prime minister outlined some strong points revealed by the report:
procedures to start business, hiring and firing practices, transparency
of government policy making, strength of investor protection, the
role of government administration (10-34 positions).

In the CIS, Armenia is ahead of Moldova (89th position – down 2
points) and Kyrghyzstan (127th position – down 6 points). The other
countries in the CIS and Georgia are ahead of Armenia by the national
competitiveness index. Thus, Azerbaijan was 39th , Kazakhstan – 50th,
Russia – 64th, Ukraine – 84th, and Georgia – 72nd.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014assesses the competitiveness
landscape of 148 economies, providing insight into the drivers of
their productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most
comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide.

I HATE RUSSIA

The higher the level of Armenian-Russian relations, the lower the
Russian sentiment in Armenia. This ratio peaked when Serzh Sargsyan
announced in Moscow about his wish to enhance the relations and join
the Customs Union.

Moscow hardly cares how Russia treats its colonies but Moscow should
also understand that there is a critical level which easily breaks
the empire. And in Armenia this level is already reaching its high.

Practically nobody, not even the ruling party has approved Serzh
Sargsyan’s decision. Moreover, many people admitted that the decision
was made under powerful pressure rather than in line with the interests
of the Armenian state. And there is a clear attitude to those who
make pressure.

In Armenia nobody goes chanting “I hate Russia” or “Down with Russia”,
there are calls to say no to USSR, Putin go away, Serzh go away.

However, even Samvel Alexanyan does not force his women to call for
friendship with Russia. Everyone knows what Russia is.

Vladimir Putin with his neo-Soviet imperial policy has been able to
achieve the psychological collapse of the 300-year-old empire. Peoples
who felt being more equal a part of empire than ever (under the
“elder brother”) understood that they are just a colony deprived of
rights which can be blackmailed and coerced.

Putin’s cynical imperialism gave birth in the former colonies the
national dignity, and they started breaking off the empire.

In fact, refusal of the Association Agreement with the EU may help
Armenia to break off the first, raising the issue of national dignity
and sovereignty.

Naira Hayrumyan 16:44 05/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News: