Author: Kanayan Tamar

Russia sells record $15.16 billion worth of weaponry in 2012

January 21, 2013 – 19:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia sold a record $15.16 billion worth of
weaponry in 2012 while expanding its foreign client list, the Federal
Military-Technical Cooperation Service (FSMTC) reported on Monday,
Jan 21, according to RIA Novosti.

“The volume of arms exports has reached $15.16 billion, according
to preliminary calculations…which means that our plans have been
fulfilled by 111.8 percent,” FSMTC chief Alexander Fomin told a
government meeting on state defense contracts.

Russia reported arms sales of $13.2 billion in 2011, enough to
maintain its position as the world’s second arms exporter after the
United States.

“In the past ten years, we have seen a general increase in exports,
which have tripled since 2003,” Fomin said. “The portfolio of orders
for defense-related products has also tripled. Its current value
exceeds $46 billion,” he added.

India is the leading purchaser of Russian arms, with Myanmar,Vietnam,
Venezuela and Middle East countries also among the Russian defense
industry’s main clients.

Fomin said Russia’s expanded list of its clients in 2012 included
Afghanistan, Ghana, Oman, and Tanzania.

The FSMTC also claimed the quality of exported Russian military
products has improved, though problems still remain, especially with
poor after-sales services.

“We have been issuing fewer licenses to replace or repair exported
products, which is an encouraging trend,” Fomin said.

The controversy over the quality of Russia’s defense-related products
has been widely-publicized.

Algeria refused delivery of a batch of MiG-29 fighters in 2007 claiming
their “inferior quality.”

Russia’s traditionally strong position on the Indian arms market
has been recently undermined by failures to fulfill or properly
execute several contracts, including the long-delayed delivery of
the overhauled aircraft carrier Vikramaditya to the Indian Navy.

Last year, India asked Russia to replace faulty parts on the leased
Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine which had affected its operational
readiness.

Fomin said his service was drafting new legislation that would allow
Russian arms manufacturers to open their own service centers abroad
and to import defense-related products to satisfy their own needs.

ARMENIA’S CHESS IN SCHOOLS PROGRAM PRODUCES UNIQUE RESULTS

YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. Armenia has accounted for unique
results in implementing Chess in Schools program, International
Chess Federation (FIDE) President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was quoted by
Novosti-Armenia News Agency as saying at a news conference called
on Saturday as part of FIDE board’s session held in Tsakhkadzor,
one of the most popular resorts in Armenia.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is also the president of
Armenian National Chess Federation, attended this session.

Ilyumzhinov said that Armenia had unanimously been chosen to host
this meeting, since the Armenian National Chess Federation gives a
good example to other national federations of successful development
of chess.

He said that that as a rule, many issued are discussed at the FIDE
board’s meetings, but this time the meeting was mainly focused on
Chess in Schools program.

“Armenia, its education ministry and national chess federation has
showed as this program works, since not a single country’s chess
federation has reached such results,” he said. “Serzh Sargsyan is
the first head of state to sign a decree on Chess in Schools program.

Chess is consistently introduced in schools and considerable results
are seen here. That is why the board members are here today to learn
the experience of Armenian Chess Federation and introduce this model
in our countries.” Ilyumzhinov said that this is the board’s first
meeting in 2013, which “is taking place in such a wonderful country.”

“We hold our meetings in different continents every quarter, We are
pleased to open this chess year here in Armenia at the invitation of
the national chess federation and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,”
he said.

Chess was included in Armenian schools’ curricula in 2011.

The FIDE representatives called Armenia a real chess superpower
and said its chess development experience can be useful for other
countries.

Armenian chess players won World Chess Olympiads in Turin in 2006,
in Dresden in 2008 and in Istanbul in 2012. -0-

THE ACTIVITY OF THE PACE SUB-COMMITTEE ON NAGORNO KARABAKH NOT TO BE RESUMED

18:01 21.01.2013

“The activity of PACE Sub-Committee on Nagorno Karabakh will not be
resumed,” PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon said today at a press
conference in Strasbourg.

“Although this committee was supported by the former president, I don’t
support it, because OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with the settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and I trust them in their activities,
PACE president said, adding that he has decided to contribute to this
work in a new format. He holds trilateral meetings with the heads
of the Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations; these are unofficial
meetings and are not held within the framework of the Sub-Committee.

“I want to visit Armenia together with the Azerbaijani government
representatives and Azerbaijan together with the Armenian government
representatives,” Jean-Claude Mignon said.

“In the near future Armenia and Azerbaijan will chair the Council of
Europe Committee of Ministers. I hope mutual accusations within the
organization will end and constructive dialogue will be launched,”
he said.

“I know very well that Nagorno Karabakh is a complicated conflict.

OSCE Minsk Group has done great work towards the resolution of the
conflict. I regularly meet with Jacques Faure in Paris. I can say
that the activities are being continued and there are improvements. I
think that Minsk Group will put forward proposals soon and report
about the work done,” he said.

Jean-Claude Mignon recalled that in five months Armenia will chair
the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

“Following this, Austria and then Azerbaijan will take the office. I
tell the delegations of both countries that unless these two countries
take concrete steps towards the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, it will be very difficult for us during the chairmanship
of these countries at the organization like Council of Europe, house
of democracy, its assembly,” he said.

PACE President said he wished to visit both countries. “I would like to
visit these two countries, this is my wish. But it would be better to
visit these countries with chairman of the Council of Europe Committee
of Ministers, that is, to visit Armenia together with the Azerbaijani
government representatives and Azerbaijan together with the Armenian
government representatives. I have an impression that this problem
will finally move off dead center,” he said.

CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT ARMAN MELIKYAN STILL DEMANDS PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL NUMBER OF THE ARMENIAN CITIZENS ABSENT FROM THE COUNTRY

ARMINFO
Monday, January 21, 13:32

The Election Headquarters of Arman Melikyan, candidate for president
of Armenia, former minister of foreign affairs of NKR, still insists
on publication of the official number of the citizens absent from
the country ahead of the presidential election of Feb 18.

Melikyan and his Election Headquarters believe that this will make
the election process more transparent and help avoiding inaccuracies.

Melikyan thinks that the number of voters is intentionally exaggerated
by 400-500,000 people in order the authorities are able to use the
votes of the absent citizens in favor of their candidate.

“Unless our demand to publish the number of absent citizens is
fulfilled, we will be thinking that there are no conditions for
fair election in the country,” says the statement by Melikyan’s
Election Headquarters. However, the Central Electoral Commission
refused to fulfill Melikyan’s demand at the last session. By the
latest data of the Armenian Police, the number of voters in Armenia
is 2,507,960 people, which is by 25,000 people more than during the
last parliamentary election on May 6 2012. The total number of the
Armenian citizens is 2,871,771 people.

“THERE SHOULD BE A PROPER ROAD TO TAKE THE BRIDE HOME, SHOULDN’T THERE?”

Saturday, 19 January 2013 14:14

No gas, no water, no proper road, no medical post… when asked about
the problems of the village the inhabitants of Ghouze Jartar do not
forget this line of “no”s. And these complaints seem quite appropriate
as in neighbouring Gyune Jartar which is at a distance of 1 km there
is both gas and water and the state of the roads here is much better
than in the former village.

It seems as if we don’t live in the 21st century. It is not a proper
way of living. We don’t even have water; the only thing we have is the
“Mote” spring that serves us all year round and from where we carry
bucketfuls of water home. We use the spring water for washing, for
irrigating the vegetable garden and for household affairs and when
in summer it slows down we do not know what to do,” says inhabitant
of Ghouze Jartar Zelita who, like her fellow villagers, has to pass
4 kilometers on foot to get to Gyune Jartar for shopping as there
is no shop in their village. This is, of course, when the weather
conditions are good.

As Mrs. Zelita says on some rainy days not only the cars cannot enter
the village because of the poor state of the roads but the people
also can’t go out of the village.

There is no medical post in the village to provide the first medical
aid to the villagers when needed. “4 days ago I felt bad, my blood
pressure rose, I thought I would die before the arrival of the
ambulance from Gyune Jartar. Taxi drivers take us to the mentioned
village for 3 thousand drams. I often feel bad. How should I pay this
money, I am an invalid’s mother,” she says angrily.

There are a lot of other problems in the village but according to my
interlocutors the most urgent one of them is the state of the roads
which has been becoming worse day by day for many years.

“There are quite a lot of young people in the village but most of
them go to Stepanakert to find a job as there is none here, that is
why most of them do not hurry to marry,” a 55-year-old woman from
the village expresses her opinion.

The reason for his being unmarried a 25-year-old young man from the
village again finds in the poor state of the roads, “There should be
a proper road to take the bride home, shouldn’t there?”

Russian Duma ratifies Armenia-Russia tax agreement protocol

news.am
January 19, 2013 | 14:20

MOSCOW. – State Duma of the Russian Federation (RF) on Friday ratified
the protocol that proposes amendments to the Armenian and RF
governmental agreement on preventing double taxation of income and
property. These amendments refer to taxation of income in the form of
interests and dividends.

Specifically, the income interest from commercial loans will be taxed
at 5 percent. But the sole exception will be the earnings for state
agencies and the central banks of Armenia and Russia.

Furthermore, the amount of taxation for hired jobs is being determined.

`A 13-percent interest rate will be applied for the workers that come
from Armenia to Russia,’ the latter’s Deputy Finance Minister Sergei
Shatalov explained, and added that this interest rate is applied for
the RF residents, RBK reports.

Haykakan Zhamanak: People’s Party of Armenia leader in Munich hospital

tert.am
13:10 – 19.01.13

The paper has talked to Stepan Demirchyan, the leader of the People’s
Party of Armenia, who has undergone a surgery in Munich.

This is not reportedly Demirchyan’s first operation. But the
politician has assured the Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent that he is
now recovering and feels quite all right. Demirchyan is expected to be
back to Armenia after January 20.

Was Airport in Stepanakert Built For Russian Armed Forces?

Naira Hayrumyan
12:09 19/01/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

The international observers cautiously advise the Armenian side to
refrain from tensions and not to launch flights from Stepanakert. The
prime minister of NKR says flights will be resumed soon. The Armenian
defense minister says the Armenian air force will guarantee security
of flights between Yerevan and Stepanakert. The Azerbaijani mass media
report the Azerbaijani air force flies above the regions of Aghdam and
Tartar located at the front line.

The operation of the airport of Stepanakert is a purely civilian
activity and it is an anti-human step to hinder this activity.
Obviously, however, the powers which would like to deploy troops in
the conflict area are trying to benefit from the possible provocation.

First of all, it is Russia which is likely to involve Karabakh within
the scope of the Armenian-Russian military cooperation. Apparently,
the new agreement of military cooperation between Russia and Armenia
supposes this.

During the meeting with reporters on January 18 the minister of
defense Seiran Ohanyan said a new phase of Armenian-Russian military
and technical cooperation will start. He noted that the issue is the
distribution of the arsenal of the Russian military base all over
Armenia instead of its current concentration Gyumri.

The ruling party in Azerbaijan is hopeful that the Russian-Armenian
cooperation is not aimed against Azerbaijan. The party’s executive
secretary Ali Mahmedov said, `With his latest orders Vladimir Putin
wishes to put the Russian-Armenian strategic military cooperation on
the agenda in the geopolitical context.’ He noted that the citizens of
Azerbaijan worry that Russia will link the military cooperation with
Armenia with the role of peacemaker in Karabakh, Rosbalt Agency
informs.

At the same time, the head of the Russian Center of Strategic and
Technical Analysis Ruslan Pukhov told the Nezavisimaya Gazeta it was
strange that Armenia was our ally but we supplied weapon to Armenia.
We hope this mistake will be corrected by means of this agreement, he
said. Pukhov said Azerbaijan does not always observe friendly
relations with Russia.

Azerbaijan has refused to continue the lease of Gabbala on reasonable
conditions, and Russia has to look for alternatives.

Seiran Ohanyan does not mind location of a Russian military base in
Armenia. `We have followed the whole process and seen that failure to
reach an agreement in negotiations the use of Gabbala was suspended,’
the minister said. `If our approval or refusal is concerned, we are
not against allocation of the radio station here,’ Ohanyan said.

Russia needs an opportunity to deploy troops in Karabakh, and the
first flight Stepanakert-Yerevan could be one.

Dink to be remembered 6 years after his murder

12:55 19.01.2013

A commemoration for Hrant Dink, an assassinated Turkish Armenian
journalist, is scheduled for Jan. 19 in the sixth year since his
murder, which caused shock and consternation all across Turkey. As
every year, crowds will march from Å?iÅ?li to Taksim Square, stopping in
front of the offices of Agos, the weekly of which Dink was the
editor-in-chief.

The Friends of Hrant Dink organization established in memory of the
late journalist has called the event `We are here, brother’ and is
preparing to call for justice during the demonstration, the Hurriyet
Daily News reports.

Dink was murdered on Jan. 19, 2007, in broad daylight in front of
Agos’ building by Ogün Samast, a 17-year-old Turkish nationalist.
After a two-year trial, Samast was convicted of premeditated murder
and sentenced to 22 years and 10 months of prison.

The court also ruled that Dink’s murder was not an organized crime
despite serious claims that some civil servants linked to the `deep
state’ were `indirectly’ involved, to the dismay of Dink’s family and
supporters. However, this court decision was recently challenged in an
appeal. The prosecutor’s office of the Supreme Court of Appeals asked
the top court to overturn the rulings in Dink’s murder case Jan. 10,
arguing that there were enough elements to conclude that the
assassination was organized.

The Friends of Hrant Dink claim that almost all the civil servants who
were involved in the death of the journalist were protected and
promoted by the government.

ARMENIE
Un soldat tué et un officier blessé dans un accident de voiture dans
le sud de l’Arménie

Un soldat conscrit a été tué dans un accident de voiture survenu dans
le sud de l’Arménie mercredi à 15h30 a annoncé le service de presse du
ministère arménien de la défense. Un officier qui se trouvait
également dans la voiture avec le soldat a été hospitalisé.

Une voiture Oural dirigé par le conscrit Arthur Gevorgyan a glissé de
la route et est tombé dans la gorge sur la route Erevan-Meghri. Arthur
Grigoryan a été tué sur le coup, le capitaine Husik Stepanyan a été
blessé et est actuellement à l’hôpital de Vayk dans un état grave,
selon le rapport.

Des poursuites pénales sont engagées en vertu de l’article 377 du Code
pénal (infractions à la circulation et décès par une conduite
imprudente).

samedi 19 janvier 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com