Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA’S WILLINGNESS TO INTEGRATE INTO CUSTOMS UNION IMPORTANT FOR RUSSIA

22:42 ~U 31.05.13

Russia regards as important Armenia’s willingness for integration
into the Customs Union, Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev stated at a
meeting with his Armenian counterpart Tigran Sargsyan in Minsk.

“Armenia is willing to participate, and we consider it important as
well. We only have to find the right cooperation format,” the Russian
premier said. He proposed discussing the issue as well as the state
of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Official Yerevan has a clear stance on the matter, said Armenia’s
Premier Tigran Sargsyan.

He held a meeting with Viktor Khristenko, Head of the Eurasian
Economic Commission. They discussed a memorandum on integration on
integration. “We realize the need to draft the memorandum and agree
on it with the presidents,” the Armenian premier said.

Premier Tigran Sargsyan also informed his Russian counterpart of his
talks with Head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko. “We are unanimous on the
financing of construction of a new nuclear-power plant,” the Armenian
premier said.

The sides also discussed the need for Armenia to “enter financial
markets for resources for the nuclear-power plant.”

GREECE READY TO SUPPORT ARMENIA’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

May 31, 2013 – 19:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Deputy speaker of Armenian National Assembly Eduard
Sharmazanov met on May 31 with his Greek counterpart Yannis Dragasakis
and Greek ambassador Ioannis Taghis.

The meeting focused on bilateral relations and inter-parliamentary
ties, with Mr. Sharmazanov stressing the importance of the effective
activity of the parliamentary groups, development and implementation
of programs.

Dwelling on regional security, he noted peace talks as the only
solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Mr. Dragasakis, in turn, highly assessed Armenia’s constructive policy,
success in the implementation of democratic reforms. In this context,
he expressed Greece’s readiness to support Armenian on its path to
European integration.

Intensification of economic relations, ways to withstand the financial
and economic crisis, as well Armenia’s relations with Turkey and
Azerbaijan were further discussed.

145 SCHOLARS FROM 32 COUNTRIES TO ATTEND ASTRONOMY CONFERENCE IN ARMENIA

15:11 31.05.2013

A total of 145 scholars from 32 countries will participate in a
scientific conference in Armenia organized by the International
Astronomical Union (IAU), the Armenian Astronomical Society informs.

The conference to be held on 7-11 October is dedicated to the 100th
birth anniversary of astronomer Beniamin Margaryan and will focus on
Multiwavelength AGN Surveys and Studies

The event will bring together scientists from the United States,
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, China, India, Canada, Australia,
Russia, Ukraine and Armenia. Representatives of Argentina, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Taiwan, Ireland, Iran, Poland, Colombia, the Netherlands,
Greece, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Chili, Portugal, Serbia,
Venezuela and Georgia will also attend the conference.

The participants will include renowned astronomers, heads of
international organizations and scientific programs, directors
of observatories and astronomical institutes, as well as young
specialists. About 60 reports will be presented.

Similar scientific conferences were held in Armenia in 1966, 1986,
1989, 1998 and 2001.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: YEREVAN SUPPORTS BASHAR ASSAD

ARMINFO
Friday, May 31, 12:02

The situation in Syria is very complicate and cannot be called black
and white, Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia said at
the PACE Bureau Meeting in Yerevan, Friday.

The minister said that Syrian President Bashar Assad enlisted the
support of a part of his citizens a year ago, and the political views
of the given part of Syrians cannot be ignored.

“Many Syrians refuse to support the opposition, as they are not sure
what will happen when the opposition comes to power. We support Assad
as he supported us,” the minister said.

The minister said that there is a big Armenian community in Syria and
the official Yerevan is seriously concerned over the situation in that
country. In this light, Nalbandian said, 10,000 Syrian Armenians have
already arrived in Armenia.

Edward Nalbandian said it is necessary to seek peace for Syria and
do it at the second Geneva Conference.

“The first Geneva Conference proved fruitless, as Iran and Saudi
Arabia were not involved in it,” the minister said.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: ARMENIAN CHAIRMANSHIP WILL COMBAT RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA IN EUROPE

13:59 31.05.2013

Edward Nalbandian, PACE

Statement by Mr. Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia at the Standing Committee of PACE

Distinguished President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe Mr. Mignon,

Distinguished Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Mr. Abrahamian,
Members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all in Yerevan in my capacity
of the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

On 16th of May 2013 Armenia has assumed the Chairmanship of the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which took place
during the 123rd Ministerial Session of the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg.

Assuming for the first time the Chairmanship of the Committee of
Ministers since Armenia’s accession to the Council of Europe is
an important task. It is an opportunity, a challenge and a big
responsibility.

It is an opportunity because Armenia for the next six months will be
at the forefront of our common efforts to contribute to democratic
development of Europe.

It is a challenge as we all are facing numerous problems on the
continent, which can create difficulties in consolidation of our
fundamental values.

It is a big responsibility because the success of our common efforts
not only depends on individual contribution of each and every
member state, but also on the leadership in streamlining our joint
activities. Armenia, as a nation, whose European identity has been
defined and shaped by common values, ideals and heritage, confidently
takes this responsibility.

Our Chairmanship priorities have been defined in response to the
challenges that we – as member states of this Organisation – are
facing today, with specific focus on issues, which we consider the
most pertinent and require immediate action. We will endeavor to
bring our contribution also to strengthening the capabilities of the
Council of Europe in addressing those challenges.

We will continue supporting the ongoing reform process of the Council
of Europe, initiated by the Secretary General, as we believe that
this is the right way to raise the effectiveness and responsiveness
of our Organisation.

The Armenian Chairmanship will pursue the goals of combating racism
and xenophobia in Europe, of promoting European values through
intercultural dialogue, of strengthening European standards on human
rights and on the rule of law, of fostering democratic societies
and of reinforcing the role of the Council of Europe in the European
architecture.

Intolerance and xenophobia violate human dignity and challenge the
cohesion of our societies. We would like to focus our attention on
the hatred and intolerance, racist and xenophobic rhetoric used
in political discourse as a tool for political propaganda, which
contaminates the souls of the people, incites distrust and creates
images of public enemies and leads to hate-induced crimes. The
Armenian Chairmanship will contribute to the efforts by organizing
a High-Level Conference on Combating Racism and Xenophobia and
Intolerance in Europe.

The Armenian Chairmanship will also support the activities within the
framework of the No Hate Speech Movement, as we consider the Youth
project on combating the hate speech on-line as a timely response to
these threats.

Promoting intercultural dialogue is an effective tool for forging
greater understanding in European societies. Diversity is the
strength and richness of Europe and we should spare no efforts towards
maintaining and preserving our distinct cultural heritage. Armenian
Chairmanship will host the 2013 Exchange of the religious dimension
of intercultural dialogue.

The setting of standards for the human rights and the rule of law
is the area of excellence of this Organisation. We need to further
strengthen the application of the European Convention on Human Rights,
especially at national level. This is a necessary precondition for
securing the rights and freedoms of all individuals.

To further reflect on the European standards on the rule of law, in
continuation of the efforts of the UK Chairmanship of the Council
of Europe, in the framework of the Armenian Chairmanship, the
Constitutional Court of Armenia will organise a Conference in Yerevan.

It will focus on the role of public administration, notably, the
scope and the limits of the States powers’ discretion in designing,
implementing and interpreting laws.

Local democracy has been a priority area for a number of previous
Chairmanships and we will continue their efforts in this regard,
as we firmly believe that local democracy is a crucial element for
the democratic advancement of the society. We will focus mainly on
the aspect of citizens’ participation and the ways to increase that
participation in the decision-making process on matters of local and
regional concerns. This issue will be addressed in detail during the
conference, which will provide an opportunity to reflect upon all
the relevant aspects in order to draw a comprehensive picture, in
particular, with regards the best practices, as well as on policies
applied in member states of the Council of Europe.

The Armenian Chairmanship will also pay special attention to the
problems of the capital cities and their role in overall development
of local democracy, given their weight and influence in political,
economic, social and cultural life.

Education will also remain within the focus of the Armenian
Chairmanship and we will contribute to the cooperation and policy
dialogue in the field of higher education. This Organisation has
carried out important work in support of the implementation of
the Bologna Process, which is currently led by Armenia. Although
tangible results have been achieved, nevertheless, there is a need to
consolidate the implementation and to further build on the progress
achieved.

Armenia will also pay special attention to the area of education for
democratic citizenship and youth participation. In this regard we
will organize a Youth Policy Symposium in Yerevan, which will serve
as a platform for exchange of views and in-depth discussion on youth
participation.

The Armenian Chairmanship attaches great importance to the cultural
dimension of the Council of Europe activities aimed at raising
awareness of European citizens about rich and diverse cultural heritage
of Europe.

The Armenian Chairmanship will also contribute to furthering Council
of Europe’s cooperation with other international and regional
organisations. Such cooperation is essential for better synergies of
activities, for an enhanced effectiveness and impact of efforts. In
this regard, we will closely follow the process of accession of the
European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, which will
further strengthen the protection of human rights and will contribute
to the creation of a single European legal space.

We will ensure the continuity of efforts in areas identified as
shared priorities and we will be in close cooperation with previous,
Andorran and next, Austrian Chairmanships.

To conclude my presentation on the priorities of the Armenian
Chairmanship I would like to inform you that on 3rd of May the National
Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations held hearings on
draft priorities and that the ideas and suggestions expressed by the
members of the Armenian parliament have been taken into account while
preparing the final document. I believe this is an exemplary evidence
of engagement of the elected representatives and their contribution
to the work of the Council of Europe.

Mr. President, Dear colleagues,

I would now like to highlight decisions adopted at the 123rd
Ministerial Session of the Council of Europe, which are important and
relevant in terms of bringing more synergy and targeted approach to
the work of the Committee of Ministers.

I would like to inform distinguished parliamentarians that during the
Session of the Committee of Ministers we have adopted a decision on
securing the long-term effectiveness of the supervisory mechanism of
the European Convention on Human Rights. A report on the follow-up to
the Brighton Declaration, which was adopted during the UK Chairmanship
of the Committee of Ministers, has been prepared for the Ministers’
approval. The report presented measures and efforts taken to improve
the work of the supervisory mechanism of the Convention and to
raise the effectiveness of the European Court of Human Rights. It
referred to positive developments with regards the situation in this
area and it has been endorsed by member states, who reiterated their
determination to implement, as a priority, all envisaged measures in
order to consolidate the positive trend.

The member states also welcomed the measures taken by the Court to
increase the effectiveness of its work, as well as the work of the
Ministers’ Deputies on the supervision of the execution of judgements.

The Brighton Declaration specifically referred to the need for a
coordinated action on part of States Parties to the Convention, the
Committee of Ministers and the Court in order to find way to resolve a
large numbers of applications arising from systemic issues identified
by the Court.

Armenia as a chair of the Committee of Ministers will follow up
the efforts of previous Chairmanships aimed at strengthening the
application of the Convention, and will pay close attention to all
related issues and at the same time will support all the proposed
measures and will encourage necessary actions.

I would also like to mention that within the scope of actions aimed
at improving the system of the European Convention on Human Rights
the Ministerial Session also adopted the Protocol No 15 and decided
to open it for signature in Strasbourg on 24 June 2013. This Protocol
gives effect to certain provisions of the Brighton Declaration. As you
well know, the Protocol has been earlier presented to the Parliamentary
Assembly for examination and the Assembly approved the draft in the
Opinion No. 283 (2013) adopted on 26 of April 2013.

The State Parties to the Convention are invited to take steps in
order to sign and ratify the Protocol as soon as possible.

The Ministers also considered the report on the implementation of the
Council of Europe policy towards neighbouring regions. Significant
progress has been achieved, particularly, through Neighbourhood
Cooperation Dialogue – political dialogue at the highest level – and
Neighbourhood Cooperation Priorities, which set out specific activities
in the fields of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The Organisation now needs to consolidate and build upon those
achievements. With this in mind the Ministers welcomed the progress
made in the implementation of the Council of Europe policy towards
neighbouring regions and encouraged its further development. However,
further cooperation will depend on the interest and needs of the
countries concerned, their readiness to engage and capacity to deliver.

On cooperation with the European Union, the Ministers endorsed the
summary report prepared by Ministers’ Deputies. The cooperation
between the Council of Europe and the European Union is important,
which has been confirmed on several occasions, most notably by the
Secretary General Jagland and by High Representative for Foreign
and Security Affairs Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Fule,
who addressed the Assembly during the January part-Session.

The cooperation develops along two important tracks: the preparation
and implementation of joint programmes and the further development
of legal cooperation.

Accession of the European Union to the European Convention on
Human Rights will be an important step in order to achieve further
coherence. Successful conclusion of negotiations on EU’s accession to
the Convention will bring almost all of the European continent under
the same set of rules and standards and the role of the Council of
Europe as a reference organisation when it comes to common standards
and values will be reinforced.

I also wish to inform you that at the level of the Ministers’ Deputies
a yearly overview of the cooperation between the Council of Europe
and the European Union is being conducted.

The main discussion of the Ministers focused on the issue of democracy,
human rights and the rule of law in Europe and the strengthening
of the impact of the Council of Europe’s activities. To facilitate
the discussion the Secretary General Jagland presented an overview
document, outlining his approaches and made concrete proposals. In
this document the Secretary General identified threats to the European
political, social and institutional model and proposed as a response
to those threats to better use the resources, sharpen the focus on
the most important issues and improve the impact of Council of Europe
various instruments through a more effective assistance to member
States. The bottom line is the need for a better coordination of
activities and more attention to the follow up efforts.

This approach of the Secretary General and his proposals for follow-up
actions have been generally shared by the Ministers. Moreover, they
have encouraged the Secretary General to pursue his efforts aimed at
optimising the functioning and coordination of the Council of Europe’s
monitoring mechanisms, as well as a better use of their conclusions.

The Ministers also invited the Secretary General to present on a
regular basis to the Committee of Ministers an overview of human
rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe, accompanied by
proposals for action to be taken by Organisation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly share the
same objective, which is to promote the Council of Europe’s values
regarding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

It is essential that, with due respect for their respective mandates,
they work in synergy to achieve this objective. This does not mean
that their views and approaches should necessarily be identical. Each
legitimately holds its own perspective.

There has been a marked improvement in relations between the Committee
of Ministers and the PACE over the last few years.

Increasing contacts have been developed through various channels, such
as cross-participation of Assembly Rapporteurs and Chairs of Rapporteur
Groups of the Committee of Ministers in their respective meetings.

I would like to thank the President of the Assembly, Mr Jean-Claude
Mignon, for his initiative in regularly meeting with the Ministers’
Deputies to inform them of the results of the Assembly sessions.

The Armenian Chairmanship is willing and ready to cooperate in good
faith with the PACE aimed at contributing to the realization of the
objectives of this Organisation and further strengthening of the
political dialogue between the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly.

ZHOGHOVURD: OPPOSITION DEPUTIES DEPRIVED OF BUSINESS TRIPS

Friday,
May 31

“Zhoghovurd” paper writes that critical speeches of “Armenian National
Congress” (HAK) parliamentary faction during the presentation of the
government program in the parliament cost the opposition dear.

According to the paper, the National Assembly speaker Hovik Abrahamian
decided to punish HAK faction by not including the faction deputies
in international parliamentary delegations and group. “A negative
attitude is taken towards deputies of HAK faction. Although HAK is the
largest opposition faction, its representatives never take business
trips. Instead of them, several deputies of the Republican Party of
Armenia are included in each delegation,” the paper writes.

TODAY, 12:10

Aysor.am

ARMENIA TO SEND SATELLITE TO SPACE

May 31, 2013 | 00:43

YEREVAN. – The Armcosmos Company was established in 2012 within the
system of the Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia.

The company was created with the objective of launching Armenia’s
own satellite and stationing it in the geostationary orbit which is
allocated to Armenia.

The Ministry of Transport and Communication has filed an international
application to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with
a request to register the right for a geostationary orbit position,
Ministry Chief of Staff Gagik Grigoryan toldArmenian News-NEWS.am.

Once ITU registers the aforesaid right and the research is completed,
talks will be conducted with respect to the designing and construction
of the satellite, the sources of respective funding, and the dates
for launching the satellite.

DES PHOTOS DE MILITANTS AZERBAÏDJANAIS EMPRISONNES NETTOYANT DES TOILETTES CREENT UN TOLLE

Des photos postees en ligne montrant trois detenus militants de
l’opposition nettoyant des toilettes et effectuant d’autres travaux
manuels dans une prison de Bakou ont provoque la colère en Azerbaïdjan.

Les photos ont ete postees le 10 mai sur Haqqin.az , un site de
nouvelles dirige par l’ancien journaliste azerbaïdjanais emprisonne
Eynulla Fatullayev.

Les militants, dont deux ont deja ete liberes, ont qualifie les photos
de ” provocations ” et d’acte visant a les discrediter.

Les trois personnes sont Aboulfaz Qurbanli, chef de l’aile de
la jeunesse du parti d’opposition du parti du Front populaire
d’Azerbaidjan ; Turgut Gambar, un membre du NIDA, un mouvement
d’opposition de jeunes actifs dans les medias sociaux et fils d’Isa
Gambar chef du parti Musavat et Ilkin Rustamzadeh, un membre du
l’organisation de la jeunesse libre.

Qurbanli et Gambar ont ete liberes le 10 mai. Rustamzadeh purge
toujours sa peine de 15 jours et devrait prochainement etre liberes.

Dans une declaration, le 13 mai, plus de 30 militants de la societe
civile ont exprime leurs objections a la publication des photos
denoncant la violation des droits des militants detenus. Ils disent que
les photos ont ete publiees dans le but de discrediter les militants.

Qurbanli dit qu’ils ne savaient pas qu’ils etaient photographies.

Haqqin.az affirme que les photos ont ete initialement publies sur
les sites pro-gouvernementaux qui s sont “moques” des militants,
mais le service azerbaïdjanais de RFE / RL n’a pas pu trouver les
photos publiees sur d’autres sites Web.

Vugar Mammadov, un porte-parole de l’ombudsman d’Azerbaïdjan, a fait
appel au ministère de l’Interieur pour obtenir une explication.

” Ces photos n’ont pas pu etre prises par quelqu’un de l’exterieur
” a declare Mammadov.

Les jeunes militants ont ete arretes le 30 Avril lors d’une
manifestation marquant le quatrième anniversaire d’une fusillade a
l’Academie de Petrole d’Azerbaïdjan.

La publication des photos a suscite un tolle sur Facebook, mais de
nombreux utilisateurs ont egalement souligne qu’il n’y a rien de
honteux a nettoyer les toilettes. Certains utilisateurs ont partage
des photos d’eux-memes nettoyant leurs propres toilettes .

Fatullayev, qui dirige Haqqin.az, a passe quatre ans en prison sur
des accusations qui se rapportaient a son travail de journaliste
avant d’etre libere de prison par une grâce presidentielle en 2011.

Plus tôt cette annee, Amnesty International a rompu ses relations avec
Fatullayev après avoir ” induit en erreur l’organisation au sujet de
la source de financement pour un projet “.

Fatullayev a ete de plus en lien avec le gouvernement azerbaïdjanais.

Dans un article du 10 Mars, il a accuse le chef de l’Institut National
Democratique (NDI) finance par les Etats-Unis, Alex Grigorievs,
de viser a financer une ” revolution Facebook ” en Azerbaïdjan. Son
article a ete repris sur les sites des medias pro-gouvernementaux.

L’Azerbaïdjan a intensifie sa repression contre les militants et
les ONG avant l’election presidentielle d’octobre. Le 10 mai, quatre
residents ont ete condamnes a 10 jours de prison pour avoir participe
a une manifestation non autorisee dans la ville de Xudat.

vendredi 31 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

CAMPAGNE DE SIGNATURE : SEVAN NISANYAN N’EST PAS SEUL !

Nous protestons contre la condamnation de Sevan Nisanyan a 13,5 mois
de prison, sous pretexte qu’il n’interprète pas la mythologie de
l’islam comme les musulmans.

Ce jugement a l’encontre de Sevan Nisanyan, ecrivain, linguiste et
chercheur, de meme, la condamnation de Fazil Say pour la citation
d’un poème de Omar Khayyâm (philosophe et savant persan ayant vecu
de 1048 a 1131) est la preuve, non seulement du developpement de
l’intolerance de l’islam sunnite mais son ancrage dans l’Etat.

La prise de position d’Egemen Bagis (le Ministre responsable de
l’UE dans le gouvernement turc) lors de la reunion en Suède, avec
les representants Assyro-syriaques, ayant qualifie de masturbation
la resolution du parlement suedois sur le genocide de 1915, cette
comparaison obscène doit etre mise dans ce contexte. En plus les
condamnations recentes a prison de Necati Abay, representant de la
plateforme de solidarite avec les journalistes emprisonnes (TGDP) a
11ans et 3 mois, ainsi que d’Ibrahim Guvenc qui est l’ex redacteur
en chef du journal Azadia Welat, a 10 ans 3 mois et 22 jours,
sont des signes qui vont dans le sens de restrictions des libertes
d’expressions.

Le chroniqueur Mehmet Y. Yilmaz rapporte dans le journal Hurriyet du
13 mai 2013, qu’en presence du Premier Ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
lors de la rencontre avec ” Les Sages ” (dans le cadre du processus
de paix en cours), le Ministre de la culture raconte une anecdote
” une personne prie en demandant , mon Dieu protège-moi contre les
calomnies, il entend un tonnerre et Dieu lui apparaît en disant ”
meme moi je ne peux rien contre les calomnies, on dit de moi que
je suis le père de Jesus “. Tout le monde aurait bien ri. Cette
manière de faire est insultante pour des milliards de chretiens et une
deformation grossière du concept de La Sainte Trinite. Cette attitude
irrespectueuse du Ministre de la culture avec l’approbation d’Erdogan
sans aucune intervention des participants est inacceptable. Compte
tenu des positions irrespectueuses d’Erdogan contre les Ezidis,
Alevi, Zoroastriens et d’autres croyances, et la lourde condamnation
de Nisanyan, qui dit simplement ne pas etre oblige d’accepter la
mythologie de l’islam, demontre la violence de l’intolerance de
l’islam dans la Republique de Turquie.

Nous les signataires demandons l’annulation immediate de cette decision
et de ne plus recidiver dans ces procès d’inquisition similaire.

Nous demandons la securite et protection de la vie de Sevan Nisanyan
et la garantie les libertes d’expression telles que prevues par
la Constitution.

La liberte d’expression, la liberte religieuse ainsi que le droit de
pouvoir les critiquer est un droit inalienable. Par ces temps où le
terrorisme islamiste se repand, nous soulignons que ces decisions sont
encourageantes pour les terroristes et menacent la paix dans le monde.

Nous invitons toutes les personnes censees, a lever leurs voix contre
cette decision ridicule.

Nous declarons etre solidaires de Sevan Nisanyan, Fazil Say, Necati
Abay, Ibrahim Guvenc et de tous les amis persecutes a cause de leurs
opinions car ce qui est en cause est notre dignite et notre avenir.

Cliquer “Signature formulaire” sur la page :

vendredi 31 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

VANADZOR-FIOLETOVO AND ARMENIA-IRAN RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION ON GOVERNMENT’S AGENDA

BSR Russia
May 30 2013

Posted by Jezreel Jann Villaruel Yañez on Thursday, 30 May 2013 17:42
Published in Road & Rail Transport

The construction of Vanadzor-Fioletovo and Armenia-Iran railways
remain on the government’s agenda, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
told reporters on Tuesday.

Sargsyan noted, on the request of the Armenian side, the specialists
from different institutions, under the auspices of the Russian
Railways, consulted the government of Armenia concerning the efficiency
of the Fioletovo and Armenia-Iran projects.

“The experts introduced us with several possible scenarios, and they
are on our agenda today,” Sargsyan responded to ARKA.

North-South railway connects Armenia with Iran which will allow to
use alternative ways of transportation of energy resources and other
goods. Currently railway communications of Armenia with foreign
countries is provided only through the territory of Georgia.

In November 2011, former Armenian transport and communications minister
Manuk Vardanyan said the project is ready, and a group of experts
headed by deputy transport minister of Armenia, Iran and Russia,
is working on it.

According to the experts, the project total budget will stand at
1.7-2.8 billion dollars. The project is currently discussed by Russia,
Iran and China. The interest was also shown by the World Bank and
the Asian Development Bank.

In December 2012, former economy minister of Armenia Tigran Davtyan
said the project of Vanadzor-Fioletovo railway construction will not
be implemented in the near future. Earlier, General Director of SCR
Viktor Rebets said the estimated cost of the project varied within
$250-500 million.

South Caucasus Railways, a 100-percent subsidiary of Russian Railways,
runs Armenian Railway.

Armenian Railways was handed over to the South Caucasus Railways on
February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right to
prolong the management term for other 10 years.