Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA, GEORGIA HAVE INTERESTING AND FAR-REACHING PROGRAMS IN ALL SPHERES
Hasmik Dilanyan

“Radiolur”
14:53 17.01.2013

The delegation headed by Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili
has arrived in Armenia for an official visit. Speaking at a joint
press conference, the Prime Ministers of the two countries said their
meeting was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

“We have interesting and far-reaching programs in all spheres,”
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said. Bidzina Ivanishvili
voiced hope that the bilateral relations would continue to develop.

Touching upon the perspectives of re-launching of the
Armenia-Georgia-Abkhazia-Russia railway, the Georgian Prime Minister
declared: “We are making efforts to normalize relations with Russia
as soon as possible; the main issue is the territorial integrity of
Georgia. The re-launching of the railway is connected with general
problems, which can be solved earlier, if there is strong will.”

“You understand that there are no problems between the two neighboring
countries – Armenia and Georgia, but you also know that we have
problems in the relations with Russia.”

Bidzina Ivanishvili Ivanishvili was irritated by the question of
a Georgian reporter related to Foreign Minister Maya Panjikidze’s
statement. Media reported a few days ago that the Georgian Foreign
Minister had declared in Lithuania that the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict was possible only in the limits of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. “The Minister’s words were distorted. The
question is closed,” Ivanishvili said.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN VISITS FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

15:22, January 17, 2013

Paris-Presidential candidate and former foreign minister Raffi K.

Hovannisian met today with Paul Jean-Ortiz, the chief diplomatic
counselor of French President Francois Hollande.

The official encounter, which included a discussion of Armenia’s
upcoming elections, its state of democracy, Armenian-EU relations
and Yerevan’s foreign policy priorities for the future, took place
at the Elysee, France’s presidential palace.

Earlier, Raffi Hovannisian took part in a public forum with the
French-Armenian community, delivering an address and taking questions
on the combined challenges, today and tomorrow, facing the Republic
of Armenia, the Mountainous Karabagh Republic (Artsakh), and the
Armenian diaspora.

ARMENIAN MP VOWS COMMITMENT TO FOREIGN POLICY LINE

TERT.AM
16.01.13

The Armenian authorities’ foreign policy course is not going to change
in any way, Artak Zakaryan of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
has told reporters in Brussels.

“The relationship with Russia has always had and will have
a predominant role for us, and that’s the key component of our
security system. Both political-military and economic cooperation
will, naturally, always have a primary role for us, also due to
economic factors,” the ruling party lawmaker said in the course of
the Armenian parliamentarians’ recent visit to the Belgian capital.

The delegation, headed by speaker of the National Assembly Hovik
Abrahamyan, was in Brussels between January 8 and 10 to discuss
Armenia’s EU and the Eurasian Union policies with European partners.

Zakaryan said Armenia has no ambitions for or objections to the EU
membership perspective.

“We consider the EU integration a key priority for us in terms of
social, political, cultural and economic cooperation, and take into
consideration the fact that it is a key path to the civilized world.

That gives us an extra security stimulus and safeguards against the
global hazards,” he said, adding that the integration process is
attractive for Armenia in many aspects.

Zakaryan noted that the economic attractiveness component of the
on-going Eurasian integration process is unequivocal for Armenia.

“Hence the approaches by the European Union partners and the European
Parliament’s executive bodies are fully comprehensible,” he said.

AZERBAIJANI LEADER LASHES OUT NON-EUROPEAN THREATS AGAINST ARMENIA

news.am
January 16, 2013 | 10:58

Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev threatened Armenia yet again.

Speaking at the country’s cabinet session, he praised himself and
the Azerbaijani people which, according to him, are moving toward a
bright future. He added, however, that Armenia is an obstacle that
is standing in the way of that wonderful road.

Aliyev informed his ministers that Azerbaijan’s economic and military
strength likewise is on the necessary level. As per the leader of
Azerbaijan, the international processes are strengthening official
Baku’s positions. Also, he noted that his country has a strong economy.

“But Armenia’s economy is falling; the future of that country is
in great doubt. We, in our turn, must cause problems for Armenia in
the future, too. We already have isolated them from all [regional]
projects; this policy will continue,” the Azerbaijani president stated.

To note, however, that the authorities of this country have forgotten
that everything is not so bright in the aforesaid Turkish-Azerbaijani
projects. Furthermore, official Baku does not wish to see, in any way,
the fact that Armenia has moved more ahead in European integration
than Azerbaijan.

NEWSPAPER: PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA NO LONGER WANTS TO SEE AGHVAN HOVSEPYAN ON THE POSITION OF PROSECUTOR GENERAL

arminfo
Wednesday, January 16, 11:35

In 2013 Prosecutor General of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan will leave
his position as his 6-year term expires this year. Afterwards, the
president will nominate a new candidate for the given position and
the National Assembly will appoint a new Prosecutor General. Hovsepyan
was appointed Prosecutor General in September 2007.

A Yerevan-based newspaper Zhoghovurd writes that President Serzh
Sargsyan no longer wants to see Hovsepyan on the position of
Prosecutor General, but he has no yet adopted a final decision on the
new candidate for the given position. The paper writes that Sargsyan
will study the issue after the presidential election.

ARMENIA COUNTRY OF SOUL, SYRIA COUNTRY OF MEMORIES: ANDRANIK KANAGYAN

11:55, 16 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, ARMENPRESS: Syrian Armenian Andranik Kanagyan
due to ongoing clashes in Syrian has left Syria and moved to Armenia,
where he has even founded a business. “Our family for already 70-80
years is dealing with restaurant business; it has become a kind of
family business and a way of earning our living”. Armenpress had
an interview with Andranik Kanagyan. The interlocutor continued the
tradition even when moving to Armenia, yet he has always dreamed of
becoming a specialist of fine arts.

Currently our compatriot is busy with restaurant affairs. He enjoys
what he is doing. He has intentions to enlarge the area of the
restaurant, even host live music band, where he himself may represent
his talent.

Yet like the rest Syrian Armenians our hero is missing the days lived
in Syria. He has left the great part of his fortune there; reportedly
it makes him to grieve. Andranik has come to Armenia with his wife
and three kids. Two elder daughters are attending school. They had
encounter difficulties only during the first period of removal , and
then got used. Parallel to public school they are attending musical
school. The youngest is son;the kid aged 2 does not yield his elder
sisters. He is frequenting kinder garden.

CEREMONIE DE CREATION DU GROUPE D’AMITIE ARMENIE-UNION EUROPEENNE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 16 janvier 2013

Le 9 janvier a Bruxelles la delegation menee par le President de
l’Assemblee nationale Hovik Abrahamyan a participe a la ceremonie de
creation d’un Groupe d’Amitie Armenie-Union Europeenne.

La presidente du Groupe d’Amitie Mme Eleni Theocharous s’est felicitee
de l’etablissement du Groupe, exprimant la conviction qu’il deviendrait
le commencement d’une nouvelle cooperation, de relations economiques,
politiques et culturelles mutuellement avantageuses et que les
relations inter-parlementaires se developperont.

Selon Mme Eleni Theocharous l’Armenie avec son passe et present est
dans le système de valeur europeen et que l’Europe, aussi bien que
l’Armenie ont beaucoup a s’apporter.

Pendant la ceremonie de creation du Groupe d’Amitie le President de
l’Assemblee nationale a fait un discours d’accueil.

En lien avec la creation du Groupe d’Amitie un Memorandum a ete signe.

Les deputes du Parlement europeen et de l’Assemblee nationale
armenienne ont eu l’occasion d’avoir des echanges informels pour
leurs nouvelles activites et programmes.

mercredi 16 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

PREMISES OF ARMENIAN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES CAN BE LEASED ONLY THROUGH AUCTION

January 15, 2013 | 18:58

The premises of Armenian schools and universities have been often
transferred to a short-term lease for the “wrong amount.” This
was announced by the head of the State Property Management of the
Government of Armenia Arman Sahakyan at a meeting with journalists
on Tuesday.

According to him, the experts of the Office found during a research
that schools and universities, as public non-profit organizations,
often provide their premises for rent below the market price.

A new order has been established according to which these areas can be
leased only through auction and exclusively for educational, sports,
or scientific purposes.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT PARTICIPATES IN ENLARGED MEETING AT DEFENSE MINISTRY

15 January 2013 – 8:04pm

An enlarged meeting of the heads of Armenia’s legislative, executive
and judicial authorities was held today at the RA Defense Ministry.

The meeting was chaired by Armenian President, Supreme
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Serzh Sargsyan, the presidential
press service reported.

The purpose of the meeting was to summarize the results of “Cooperation
-2012” military exercises and Strategic Commander and Staff Exercises
held within the framework of Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) as well as the results of the military and political stage
with the participation of state and territorial government bodies,
organized prior to the exercises. The indicated two exercises last year
were of great importance to Armenia’s defense and security spheres.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian gave a report at the meeting. He spoke
about the current military and political situation around Armenia,
the existing challenges and the ways of resisting them, the aims,
methods and results of holding national exercises.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES 3 MILITARY-PURPOSE SATELLITES

January 15, 2013 – 21:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia has launched three Cosmos series
military-purpose satellites, the Aerospace Defense Forces spokesman
said on Tuesday, January 15, according to RIA Novosti.

A Rokot launch vehicle carrying the satellites successfully lifted
off from the Plesetsk Space Center in northern Russia, marking the
first space launch in 2013.

~SThe Rokot carrier rocket with three military satellites was
successfully launched at 8:25 p.m. Moscow time (4:25 p.m. GMT),~T
spokesman Col. Alexei Zolotukhin said.

The blastoff had initially been scheduled for December 8, but was
postponed due to malfunctions in the Briz-KM booster.

The light-class Rokot launch vehicle is a modified version of the
Russian RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) intercontinental ballistic missile. It
uses the two original lower stages of the ICBM, in conjunction with
an upper-stage block containing the Breeze-KM booster and space-bound
payloads.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a total of 16 Rokot launches
have been carried out from the Plesetsk site since the first launch
on May 16, 2000.

However, Rokot launches have been suspended for about 18 months after
the vehicle failed to put the Geo-IK-2 military satellite into the
designated orbit on February 1, 2011.

In the first launch of Rokot in more than a year, a rocket with a
Cosmos class military satellite and three civilian satellites on
board blasted off on July 28, 2012.