Author: Kanayan Tamar

PATRIARCH YAZIGI STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF JOINT EFFORTS TO RESTORE PEACE IN SYRIA

Jul 18, 2013

Tartous, (SANA)_ Patriarch John X Yazigi of Antioch and All the East
for Greek Orthodox Church called for prayers for restoring security
and peace in Syria, stressing the importance of synchronizing efforts
to extricate Syria from the crisis.

During two religious masses at the Church of Our Lady in al-Sawda area
and St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Dweir Taha village in Tartous,
Yazigi said that amity among Syrians is the only way for Syria to
return to be the great country of civilization and history.

In a statement to SANA during meeting popular delegations at the two
churches, Yazigi said “my message is one of love and peace to the
region’s populations, Syria and the world,” stressing that Syria is
an example of national unity.

20130718-173330.jpg

Sheikh Mohammad Mehieddion, from Zemrin village said the Patriarch
Yazigi’s visit helps enhance amity, fraternity and tolerance among
spectrums of the Syrian people who proved to be one family against
challenges.

M. Ismael

HRACHYA HARUTYUNYAN CAN BE EXTRADITED TO SERVE HIS SENTENCE IN ARMENIA

13:11 19.07.2013

Hrachya Harutyunyan

“Hrachya Harutyunyan’s extradition to Armenia is possible under the
conventions on extradition of convicts only after the relevant court
of the Russian Federation returns a verdict of guilty and after the
sentence enters into force,” the Armenian Ministry of Justice said
in a statement.

Thus, according to the Ministry, the international conventions are
not applicable to Hrachya Harutyunyan at this point.

Hrachya Harutyunyan is charged with violating traffic rules, which
resulted in the death of 18 people in Podolsk,

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
July 17 2013

Turkish minister urges international community to focus on Nagornyy Karabakh

Baku: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov stated on Wednesday that they were
unpleased with the OSCE Minsk Group’s studies in finding a political
solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh involving Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

Paying an official visit to Azerbaijan, Davutoglu held a joint press
conference with his counterpart Mammadyarov and evaluated the solution
process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia.

Underlining that Armenian soldiers should leave Nagorno-Karabakh,
Davutoglu said “Turkey is consistently in consultation with Azerbaijan
as it has always been and from now on we will continue to support the
fair approach of Azerbaijan”.

Reminding that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict had not been solved over 20
years and Azerbaijani lands have still been under occupation,
Davutoglu said “it is time for international community to evaluate
it”.

Davutoglu said, “The Minsk Group has made an effort on this issue over
20 years and we appreciate those efforts but they have not given any
results. Everyone should question the causes of the failure and
co-chairs should play more active roles. The members of Minsk Group
should take actions, too”.

“Turkey is also a member of the group but as co-chair has carried out
the process Turkey cannot give enough contribution to it. Turkey will
support every positive step to solve the issue,” said Davutoglu.

Pointing out a new implementation between Turkish and Azerbaijani
diplomats starting on May, Davutoglu said that a specific number of
Turkish diplomats in Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan and also
Azerbaijani diplomats in Foreign Ministry of Turkey would work like
they were working in their country.

The Minsk Group spearheads the OSCE’s efforts to find a political
solution to the conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh involving
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Fars News Agency, Iran
July 20 2013

Armenia Insists on Using Potentials to Develop Cooperation with Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Armenian Deputy Economy Minister Ara Petrosyan
underscored the necessity for using all the existing potentials to
further expand economic and trade cooperation with Iran.

“The Republic of Armenia attaches great importance to potentials for
economic cooperation with Iran,” Petrosyan said, addressing
Iran-Armenia Trade Forum in Yerevan on Saturday.

He underlined the necessity for utilizing these potentials to further
increase cooperation between the two countries, and said, “Iran is the
fifth largest trade partner of Armenia and the volume of trade
transactions between the two countries is worth $300mln annually.”

Petrosyan urged the two sides to boost efforts to double the volume of
the trade transactions between Iran and Armenia.

Iranian and Armenian trade officials in a meeting in Yerevan on
Wednesday signed a trade agreement.

The trade agreement was signed by the chairmen of the chambers of
commerce of Tehran and Yerevan in the Armenian capital.

Head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce Yahya Al-e Eshaq, heading a
ranking trade delegation, travelled to Armenia to discuss bilateral
ties with the senior Armenian officials.

At the meeting, Head of Yerevan’s Chamber of Commerce Robert
Haratounyan pointed to the current Iran-Armenia relations, and said
the Iranian delegation’s visit to Armenia provides the two sides with
a good opportunity for boosting mutual cooperation between the two
countries.

Al-e Eshaq called for the further expansion of trade ties between Iran
and Armenia, saying that the Islamic Republic can open new horizons to
its Northern neighbor.

`Iran can open the doors to Armenia for the transit of goods to 14
neighboring countries,’ Al-e Eshaq told Armen Press new agency.

Last month, Armenian Ambassador to Tehran Grigor Arakelyan urged
Tehran and Yerevan to further broaden their relations in different
areas.

Arakelyan made the call in a meeting with Chairman of the Iranian
Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Relations Commission
Alaeddin Boroujerdi in Tehran.

`I hope that during the presidency of Iranian President-elect Hassan
Rouhani, Iran and Armenia will further expand their relations in all
fields,’ the Armenian ambassador said.

In recent years, Iran and its Northern neighbor Armenia have boosted
cooperation, signed agreements on energy cooperation and agreed to
cooperate in technology and research and to enhance ties in commerce
and economy.

Public transport fare hike is due to absence of free competition –
Armenian opposition party

July 20, 2013 | 17:31

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s opposition Free Democrats Party expresses its
deep concern over the unfounded rise in the public transport fares in
the country.

The aforesaid is noted in the party statement that was released in
connection with the increase in Armenia’s public transport fares,
which came into force on Saturday.

`This phenomenon is due to an absence of free competition and with an
intention to secure superprofits for the businesses in this domain,
and it contributes to the deepening of the social crisis and the
impoverishment of the population.

`The normal and pro-citizen operations by the public transport are
within the framework of the primary obligations of the state.

`We consider it necessary to solve this problem forthwith by creating
conditions for free competition,’ the Free Democrats Party statement
also reads, in particular.

Historical Armenian building in Istanbul rented despite the ongoing trial

16:12 20.07.2013

The Directorate General of Foundations rented the historical
Sanasaryan Han in Istanbul’s Eminönü neighborhood through a tender,
despite a legal struggle by Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate, the
Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The tender for renting the historical building, organized by the
Directorate General of Foundations on July 18, was won by Ã-zgeylani
Construction Company, despite the ongoing trial over the ownership of
the building.

Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate claims that the han, which was donated
to the patriarchate in 1881 by a Russian-Armenian Mgrdich Sanasaryan,
belongs to them as they have the documents to prove the donation. The
Directorate General of Foundations, on the other hand, claims that the
building did not fall under the jurisdiction of a law on the return of
properties to community foundations that took effect in 2011 as it had
been owned by a person.

Å?ahin Gezer of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate Real Estate Commission
told the Hürriyet Daily News that they had hoped until the last minute
that the tender would be halted. Gezer said they would continue their
legal action.

The Sanasaryan Han had an autonomous status when compared to the other
Armenian foundations, Gezer said, adding that this was due to the fact
that other foundations had churches and schools, whereas the han had
been donated to the patriarchate by a natural person.

Gezer said that the rent of the han should be equally distributed
between Armenian schools and public schools without any
discrimination, while adding that this was as an offer to the
Directorate General of Foundations `as we are equal citizens.’

Another Injection In Yerevan Water Supply System

The Armenian government and the EBRD have signed a loan agreement.
EBRD will lend 5 million euro for the reconstruction of the water
supply system of Yerevan and improve water supply.

The water supply system of Yerevan is a black hole which absorbs
millions. They have blown the whistle for mismanagement, wastage, loss
of loans of millions of dollars since the early 2000s.

It would be unfair to say that water supply has not improved in
Yerevan. It has improved but at the same time all deadlines have
passed by which managers and those in charge of the system promised
24-hour water supply.

In some districts there is 24-hour supply whereas in others water
supply has got worse.

The management of the water supply system of Yerevan has changed
several times. First an Italian company took on the management which
left without doing anything. Now a French company is managing the
water supply system. It is not going to leave and it is not clear how
long it will stay.

The citizens are not interested in details. They need a constant
supply of good quality water. It is at least strange that the capital
of the country which has big resources of drinking water does not have
24-hour running water.

Now another loan is injected in the system. Now the question is
whether the water will take away most of the money or the money will
bring more water to our homes.

14:46 20/07/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

PROTEST AGAINST RISE IN TRANSPORT FARES CONTINUES NEAR YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY

July 19, 2013 | 12:30

YEREVAN. – A protest action against rise in public transport fares
continues near Armenian capital city Yerevan Municipality (photos).

Protesters will stay near the municipality until officials meet with
demonstrators to listen to their demands, one of the protesters Artsvin
Bakhchinyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. He said police did not allow
them approach the building and they did not hear the statement made
by the representative of transport department.

The demonstration is accompanied by scuffles with police. The
protesters held several banners and also threw coins to the
municipality building.

Public transport fares in Armenia’s capital will rise by 1.5-2 times
starting from August 20. The bus fare will make AMD 100 instead of 50,
while minibus fare will increase from AMD 100 to 150.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

AZERBAIJAN USED TO VIOLATING CFE – DAVID JAMALYAN

12:23 19.07.13

Azerbaijan has for a long period been violating the Treaty on
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), the military expert
David Jamalyan told Tert.am as he commented on an analysis by the
Russia-based Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer e-zine.

Azerbaijan is the 5th in the list of the states that purchased weapons
from Russia.

Jamalyan points out the international community’s passive stand. “This
behavior may be natural, as the international community is something
impersonal. States pursuing their own interests prefer keeping silent.

The Treaty has been violated for a long period and was recently
violated once again,” the expert said, recalling the latest
Russian-Azerbaijani arms deal worth a total of $1bn.

Armenian diplomats have repeatedly raised the problem at the
international level and must explore every avenue in future to raise
the problem.

With respect to Russia, which is actually violating the Treaty as well,
Jamalyan said that all the countries supplying weapons to Azerbaijan
are, to an extent, violating the agreement.

“Unfortunately, nowadays the international law has no power to
influence politico-military developments determined by national
interests,” he said.

As regards Russia, Armenia’s strategic partner, regularly supplying
weapons to Azerbaijan, Jamalyan calls for being realists.

“Armenia is an independent state. Russia is our strategic partner, but
that state has its own national interests. Although Armenian-Russian
relations have future, it would be naïve to think that Russia should
develop an ‘Armenia-centered’ foreign policy. It is most important
that Armenians stop viewing Russia as a sponsor and constant defender
of Armenia,” he said.

“Russia is our ally whose interests are concurrent with our interests.

But defending Armenia is Armenians’ business, and it is only our
foreign policy that must be centered on Armenia. We must not forget
that we can attract Russia only if we are strong,” Jamalyan said.

Armenia is as important for Russia as Russia for Armenia.

“With the new reality considered, the issue of neutralizing the
threats of the weapons Russia sold to Azerbaijan must be put on the
Armenian-Russian alliance agenda,” Jamalyan said.

“Given the new level of Armenian-Russian military and technical
cooperation, I am sure we are not going to have any problems in
purchasing modern weapons following the asymmetric strategy principle,”
he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

LES PROJETS ENERGETIQUES AVEC L’IRAN CONSIDERES COMME ESSENTIELS POUR REDUIRE LA DEPENDANCE DE L’ARMENIE A LA RUSSIE

ARMENIE

L’Iran a joue un rôle actif en Armenie au cours des dernières
semaines, ce qui a fait naître des esperances quant a la probabilite
de resserrer les relations armeno-iraniennes a l’avenir et la mise en
~uvre d’un certain nombre de grands projets regionaux impliquant les
deux voisins. Cette cooperation peut aussi signifier que l’Armenie
dependra moins de la Russie quand il s’agit de questions energetiques.

L’ambassadeur de la Republique islamique en Armenie Mohammad
Reisi a fait un certain nombre de declarations remarquables face
aux journalistes armeniens lors d’une conference de presse qu’il a
appele plus tôt ce mois-ci. En particulier, il a fait allusion a la
possibilite pour l’Iran de vendre du gaz naturel a l’Armenie a des prix
qui seraient inferieurs a ceux proposes par la Russie. Bien qu’une
reponse vague ait ete donnee au niveau du ministre de l’energie –
que le gaz iranien n’est pas moins cher que le gaz russe – il est
devenu evident que l’Armenie pourrait acheter du gaz iranien si
celui-ci etait vraiment vendus a un prix inferieur, si la Russie
ne changeait pas d’etat d’esprit et si cela ne contredisait pas les
sanctions americaines imposees a Teheran.

L’election de Hassan Rohani comme prochain president de l’Iran et
surtout la position de Washington a cet egard rendent vraisemblable
que les sanctions americaines contre l’Iran seront assouplies.

Recemment, par exemple, un tribunal britannique a leve les
sanctions imposees a la Banque iranienne Mellat qui opère en
Armenie. Il y a aussi des indications que l’Occident ne serait pas
contre la cooperation energetique armeno-iranienne. En tout cas,
l’ambassadeur americain en Armenie John Heffern poursuit un projet
sur la diversification energetique de l’Armenie, ce qui n’exclut pas
la cooperation armeno-iranienne.

Le Parlement armenien a adopte recemment une loi qui exempte la pose
de lignes electriques de l’Armenie a l’Iran d’un certain nombre de
droits et taxes. L’Armenie est connue pour payer le gaz iranien en
echange delectricite mais jusqu’a present, seules deux lignes ont ete
posees, alors que les deux pays se sont entendus sur la construction
de la troisième il y a longtemps. Ainsi, il sera possible d’acheter
plus de gaz en provenance d’Iran.

Il y a plusieurs jours l’agence de presse iranienne Mehr a publie les
donnees de la National Iranian Gas Company, selon laquelle entre 2007
et 2012 seulement 1,5 milliards de mètres cubes de gaz a ete livre
a l’Armenie. C’est beaucoup moins que les volumes prevus, et l’Iran,
en fait, suggère que l’Armenie devrait respecter ses obligations.

Pour l’Armenie il pourrait s’agir d’acheter plus de gaz en provenance
d’Iran dont elle a besoin pour commencer a acheter moins de gaz en
provenance de Russie. Moscou a recemment augmente le prix du gaz pour
l’Armenie. En outre, des negociations sont actuellement en cours pour
le transfert total du contrôle d’ArmRosGazprom, qui gère le reseau
de distribution de gaz en Armenie, a l’entreprise russe Gazprom. À
l’heure actuelle, le gouvernement armenien a une participation de
20 pour cent dans ArmRosGazprom et si la societe devient entièrement
contrôlee par la Russie, Gazprom va tout simplement interdire l’achat
de gaz moins cher a partir de l’Iran.

Au final il s’avère que ce ne sont pas les sanctions americaines,
mais plutôt la position de la Russie qui entrave le developpement des
relations energetiques entre l’Armenie et l’Iran. Et puisque l’energie
est directement liee a la politique, la Russie peut en effet entraver
non seulement l’integration politique de l’Armenie avec l’Europe,
mais aussi l’integration politique regionale.

L’integration regionale peut etre stimulee si les sanctions americaines
sont vraiment soulages et l’Iran propose des pipelines qui ouvriront
les frontières dans la region. Un tel projet a longtemps ete un sujet
de discussion – L’Iran propose un gazoduc qui irait a travers l’Armenie
vers la Georgie, pour atteindre la mer Noire.

Par Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow

vendredi 19 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com