Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA WOULD LIKE CZECH VISAS TO BE ISSUED BY EMBASSY IN YEREVAN

CTK National News Wire
October 30, 2012 Tuesday 12:36 PM (Central European Time)
Czech Rep

Armenia would like Czech visas to be issued at the recently opened
diplomatic mission in the capital of Yerevan and not at the embassy
in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi, Armenian National Assembly head
Hovik Abrahamyan said after a meeting with Czech Senate chairman
Milan Stech today.

“It is very difficult for citizens of the Armenian Republic to travel
to Georgia to get visas at the diplomatic mission in Tbilisi” he said.

He asked Czech parliament to push for the change.

The Czech Republic opened its embassy in Yerevan in May. The one-man
office headed by charge d’affaires Petr Mikyska is formally directed
by the ambassador to Georgia.

Mikyska is in charge of the political and economic agenda and
extraordinary assistance to Czech citizens in emergency situations.

The mission has its seat at the Polish embassy for austerity reasons.

Its consular section only represents the Czech Republic in issuing
short-term visas.

Armenia opened its diplomatic mission in Prague last year.

Armenia is one of the six former Soviet republics that participate
in the EU project Eastern Partnership launched during the Czech EU
presidency in 2009 with the aim of extending cooperation.

Stech offered Armenia closer and more frequent cooperation on expert
level and parliamentary exchange in its effort at coming closer to
the EU.

ms/dr/hol

IRAN, ARMENIA HAIL ECONOMIC COOPERATION

asbarez
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

Armenian and Iranian presidents during a meeting last year

YEREVAN-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that
expansion of economic cooperation will help strengthen the ancient
and friendly ties between Iran and Armenia, Iran’s state-run IRNA
agency reported.

In a telephone conversation with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian,
Ahmadinejad described the recent meeting of the two countries’ Joint
Economic Cooperation Commissions in Yerevan as successful.

“The meeting was an emphasis on consolidating the ancient ties and
shows that Tehran and Yerevan are determined further raise the level
of bilateral relations,” he said.

Sarkisian, for his part, said that holding the commission meeting
served as an incentive for promoting economic cooperation.

“Iranian companies’ participation in the Armenian projects contribute
to the deepening friendship between the two nations,” he said,
according to IRNA.

Last week Armenia and Iran vowed to boost economic cooperation,
increase bilateral trade and speed up joint energy projects including
a hydro-electric power plant on their shared border.

“The high level of political relations between the countries requires
corresponding activity in the economic sphere too,” Armenian Energy
Minister Armen Movsisian said at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart
Majid Namjoo.

Movsisian said that construction of the hydro-electric power plant
on the Arax river would begin in November.

The problems hampering the construction of the Armenia-Iran third
high voltage line have been resolved, Iranian co-chairman of the
Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission, Namjoo said last week.

“The problems and obstacles have been eliminated, so at present,
the Iranian contractor must make every effort to build this line,”
Namjoo said after signing the Memorandum of Understanding following
the eleventh meeting of the Commission in Yerevan.

Movsisian said that Namjoo’s appointment as a co-chairman of the
commission has given a new impetus to the implementation of programs,
particularly the process of building a power line which will be
completed rapidly.

According to the Energy Ministry, a new power line from Iran to
Armenia is being constructed by Iranian company Sanir. The project
cost is estimated at 100-105 million euros.

Yerevan and Tehran have agreed to hold discussions on the construction
of Iranian-Armenian railway, Iran’s co-chairman of the Armenian-Iranian
intergovernmental commission, Energy Minister Namjoo said.

EXPERTS: RUSSIAN TROOPS TO SHIELD ARMENIA’S FRONTIER IN CASE OF NEW KARABAKH WAR

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 31, 2012 – 21:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian military experts offered forecasts and
scenarios for possible conflicts Moscow could become drawn into.

According to Russian media, resumption of a Karabakh war was named
as one of the possibilities, with the geography of war capable of
spreading beyond the borders of NKR.

According to experts’ forecasts, in the event of a new war, Russian
troops deployed at Armenia’s Gyumri military base will shield Armenia’s
borders, thus enabling Armenian army soldiers to be more effectively
used in Karabakh.

According to a military expert Alexander Khramchikhin, Russia won’t
gain from involvement in Karabakh war, with Moscow to find itself in
a difficult situation should the conflict become “unfrozen.”

According to the expert, Russia has managed to stay flexible in
its Transcaucasia-oriented policy, cooperating with both Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

“Should the conflict break out between the two above-mentioned
countries, Russia won’t be openly supporting Armenia, with Moscow
agreeing to become involved in a war were the 3rd parties, like Turkey,
to interfere,” the expert predicted.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN VISITS “SHENGAVIT” AND “EREBUNI” HISTORIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM RESERVES
Alisa Gevorgyan

“Radiolur”

17:14 31.10.2012

President Serzh Sargsyan visited the “Shengavit” and “Erebuni” Historic
and Archaeological Museum Reserves today. During a consultation with
specialists of the sphere the President was briefed on the situation
and the problems existing in the sphere of archaeology.

In 180 B.C. Artashes I founded capital Artashat, and the recent
archaeological findings are proofs of its strength and richness. The
excavations of the ancient city started in 1970 and continue into
today. According to Pavel Avetisyan, Director of the Institute
of Archaeology and Ethnography, the findings allow to restore the
general picture of one of the largest state and cultural centers of
the Ancient East and the Armenian royal city.

As for the Shengavit archaeological site, the 5000-year-old temple and
the adjunct structures found on its territory still need to be examined
and restored to present the exceptional values of Ancient Armenia to
the visitors. However, all this requires serious investments. “Despite
the considerable achievements of the past years, the sphere needs
serious state support,” Pavel Avetisyan said.

Director of the Erebuni Historical & Archaeological Museum-Reserve
Gagik Gyurjyan attached importance to the programs targeted at the
creation of infrastructures, preservation of monuments and continuation
of excavations.

MEETINGS IN PRAGUE

30.10.2012

On October 30 the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan being on an official
visit in the Czech Republic met with the President of the Senate of
the Czech Republic Milan Å tÄ~[ch.

Thanking for the invitation and warm reception Hovik Abrahamyan
congratulated the people of the Czech Republic and the members of
the Senate on the occasion of the National Holiday. He expressed
confidence that the cooperation based on the friendly relations
between the parliaments of the two countries would more strengthen and
develop. “Armenia is interested in developing the cooperation with the
Czech Republic with different formats, taking into consideration also
the common goals that we have within the framework of the Eastern
Partnership”, the NA President noted. In terms of deepening the
inner-state relations Hovik Abrahamyan highlighted the development
and reinforcement of the inter-parliamentary relations. In the NA
President’s word, in the context of the political dialogue the
parliamentary diplomacy and the activity of the Parliamentary
Friendship Groups can have an important role. He noted that
Armenia-Czech Republic Parliamentary Friendship Group had been shaped
in the National Assembly, and its activity could give a new impetus
to the cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

“The partnership relations between the parliaments of the two countries
have been established, and the dialogue at parliamentary level can also
be useful for rising mutual recognition, for having good pictures about
the foreign political agenda from the view of supporting each other in
the Parliamentary Assemblies of the international organizations”, the
NA President said. Hovik Abrahamyan emphasized the cooperation of the
two countries within the framework of the international organizations.

Touching upon the Safarov case the NA President recorded with
satisfaction the stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Czech Republic, which had unequivocally and strictly evaluated what
happened. He highly appreciated the adopted resolution condemning
the Azerbaijani murderer Ramil Safarov by the Committee on Foreign
Relations, Defense and Security of the Senate of the Czech Republic.

“Highlighting this fair and special step by our counterparts, I am
sure that the cooperation between our parliaments from now on will
be productive and continuous”. Mr Abrahamyan also thanked the Senator
Å tÄ~[tina, who was attending the meeting, for his many years work in
favour of Armenians, beginning from 1988 disastrous earthquake period.

Besides the adoption of the resolution on Ramil Safarov, recently
during the next full meeting of the OSCE PA, which was held in Tirana,
he had supported the RA stance, especially in relation to Safarov case.

Mr Abrahamyan highlighted the activity of the diplomatic representation
of the Czech Republic in Armenia, proposing to open a full embassy
in Yerevan, where a consulate service will also function and the
citizens of Armenia should not be obliged to leave for Georgia to get
entry visas for the Czech Republic. In NA President’s conviction, the
opening of the embassy will also have a positive impact on providing
continuity of the political dialogue in terms of trade-economic
cooperation, tourism and activation of human contacts.

The President of the Senate of the Czech Republic thanked Hovik
Abrahamyan for accepting his invitation and visiting the Czech
Republic. He highly assessed the friendly relations shaped between the
two countries and in this context emphasized the development of the
inter-parliamentary cooperation. Milan Å tÄ~[ch expressed conviction
that the NA President’s official visit to the Czech Republic would
give a new impetus to the bilateral cooperation. He highlighted the
democratic reforms going on in Armenia. Touching upon the Safarov’s
extradition and condemning it, Mr Å tÄ~[ch noted that the step taken by
Hungary was perhaps a consequence of a mistake or negligence, but the
Azerbaijani President’s step was against all international standards.

“It’s inadmissible that the murderer is released and is given a title
of hero’ the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic.

Milan Å tÄ~[ch deemed important Hovik Abrahamyan’s proposal of having
full Embassy of the Czech Republic to Armenia and expressed conviction
that it would promote the activation of bilateral relations in all
directions.

In the course of the meeting regional problems were also discussed.

The sides touched upon the Armenian-Turkish relations, the NK problem
and the events held in Syria. Hovik Abrahamyan stressed that the
Karabakh conflict should be solved within the OSCE Minsk Group, as
a result of peaceful negotiations. The NA President expressed hope
that up to 2015 the Parliament of the Czech Republic would recognize
the Armenian Genocide.

Hovik Abrahamyan invited the President of the Senate of the Czech
Republic to Armenia on an official visit, and the invitation was
gladly accepted.

The heads of the two parliaments summed up the results of the meeting
in the joint briefing, as well as answered the journalists’ questions.

“The Azerbaijani authorities’ this decision contradicts all the norms
of the international law: the murderer cannot appear in freedom and
get a title of hero”, Mr Å tÄ~[ch said.

“To heroize the murderer, the criminal is not good for a President
of any country. And I would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Czech Republic, the Senate of the Czech Republic,
the Committee on Foreign Relations, and those, who condemned that
immoral step taken by Azerbaijan and Hungary”, Hovik Abrahamyan said.

In the NA President’s word, the authorities of the Czech Republic
have balanced stance in the issue of conflicts of the Caucasus region,
which Armenia highly appreciates. Hovik Abrahamyan noted that during
his visit he would apply to the Government of the Czech Republic,
to give opportunity to the diplomatic representation functioning in
Yerevan for providing entry visas to the citizens of Armenia.

The President of the Senate of the Czech Republic said that he knew
that the history of Armenia was one of the ancient ones, and Armenia
was the first country adopting Christianity as a state religion. He
ensured that he was intended to search versions for the citizens of
Armenia in facilitating the issue of providing entry visas to the
Czech Republic. Mr Å tÄ~[ch noted that the Czech Republic was ready
to support Armenia in the European Integration process. In his word,
the Czech businessmen are ready to make contributions in Armenia. In
the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic the Delegation led by
the NA President met with the Chairman of the Czech Republic-Armenia
Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Robin BÅ’hnisch and the members
of the group. In the course of the meeting the sides discussed a
series of issues of bilateral interest, among them issues concerning
the deepening of inter-parliamentary cooperation, the cooperation in
international organizations and regional problems.

On the same day the NA President and the members of the Delegation
visited Lidice Museum, took a tour in Lidice Memorial, laid flowers at
the tomb of innocent victims and at the monument of Lidice children
and had been to Lidice Children’s Gallery. Hovik Abrahamyan met and
talked with those who survived the tragedy.

At the end of the day the NA President met with the representatives
of the Armenian community. In his word, Hovik Abrahamyan touched upon
the inner-political situation of Armenia, the process of Karabakh
problem settlement, the Armenian-Turkish relations, answered the
numerous questions concerning the compatriots. “We have compatriots
spread worldwide, bringing together their efforts and possibilities
stems from the interests of Armenia and Diaspora, because in terms
of the region being separated, but realizing our people’s united
interest we should be one commonness. Only in that way we can face
the national challenges, solve the national problems, and leaning on
the achievements of Armenia today outline that dignified future, which
is the striving of our people’s all sons irrespective of their venue.

Today, it is everybody’s problem to reinforce the statehood of Armenia
and strengthen our country, and on that path we should solve numerous
problems. In this process we also expect your practical participation”,
Hovik Abrahamyan noted. “I am glad that you in the heart of Europe
are not separated from the problems of Armenia and in general, our
people, are not indifferent towards its destiny”. “Dear compatriots,
I am sure that the time will come when already about 20 year-old de
facto independent Artsakh sooner or later will be recognized de jure
independent. Today already by democracy and at the level of protection
of human fundamental freedoms the Nagorno Karabakh Republic exceeds
its close neighbour Azerbaijan. And now Armenia confidently pursues
negotiations over the NK issue within the OSCE Minsk Group framework
being led not only by the interests of the Armenians of Artsakh,
but also the Armenians throughout the world. The Armenian authorities
have repeatedly announced that they are in favour of the solution of
the problem only through peaceful way, unlike the bellicose statements
regularly sounding at the highest level by Azerbaijan. At the same time
we are sure that the issue of Artsakh will be solved for the Armenians’
benefit. The Republic of Armenia led by the President Serzh Sargsyan
has distinctly announced that the Nagorno Karabakh has never been
and will not be part of Azerbaijan’, the NA President stressed.

On October 31 the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan will have meetings
with the first Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Karel Schwarzenberg, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Miroslava
Nemcova and the Archbishop of Prague, the Leader of Bohemia Diocese
His Eminence Dominik Cardinal Duka. On the same day late in the
evening the Delegation led by the NA President will return to Yerevan.

ECONOMIC PROJECTS BACKBONE FOR CIS INTEGRATION – ARMENIAN ANALYST

October 31, 2012 | 16:58

YEREVAN.- Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, all independent
republics were faced with common problems – downturn and GDP slump,
internal and external conflicts, Armenian political analyst said
during space bridge organized by Russian RIA Novosti agency.

Alexander Markarov said all the aforesaid in addition to closed borders
refers to Armenia. He believes CIS, as a platform for maintaining ties
between the former Soviet states, was not developing successfully. New
structures, such as CSTO and Customs Union, appeared as examples of
cooperation in various levels.

The analyst believes economic projects may become a backbone for CIS
integration. Such projects may be the basis of political integration,
while the other direction is humanitarian cooperation.

ARMENIA READY TO CONTINUE TALKS WITH BAKU DESPITE AZERI THREATS – OFFICIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 31, 2012 – 16:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – National Security Council (NSC) Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan met with the Ambassador of Austria to Armenia Alois
Kraut and Austria’s honorary consul Aram Marutyan.At the meeting, Mr.

Baghdasaryan briefed the envoys on regional issues, specifically
Karabakh conflict and relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Mr. Baghdasaryan further stressed Armenia’s adherence to peaceful
settlement of Karabakh conflict within OSCE Minsk Group format. The
official reiterated Yerevan’s readiness to continue talks with Baku
despite Azeri threats and release of axe-killer Safarov.

The parties further focused on prospects of development of Armenia-Iran
and Armenia-Georgia ties.

In conclusion, the parties agreed to establish partnership between
the NSC and Austria’s Security Council, with the Ambassador pledging
to contribute to Armenia-Austria ties.

ARMENIA PROVIDES SECURITY GUARANTEES TO AZERBAIJAN’S BOXING FEDERATION
By Lusine Shahbazyan

news.am
October 31

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Sport and Youth Affairs Ministry sent a letter
to the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) with respect
to providing security guarantees, Minister Hrachya Rostomyan told
NEWS.am Sport.

As NEWS.am Sport informed earlier, the national boxing team of
Azerbaijan had submitted a bid to compete at the 2012 World Youth
Boxing Championship to be held in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, on
November 25. But Aghajan Abiyev, the Vice President of the Boxing
Federation of Armenia, had told Azerisport that Azerbaijan is still
waiting for a formal letter from Armenia’s Sport and Youth Affairs
Ministry, and on providing security guarantees to the Azerbaijani
team, and that they will head to Yerevan solely after having received
such letter.

A letter signed by the Minister, and which pledges security guarantees
for the Azerbaijani delegation and for all delegations arriving in
Yerevan, was sent to AIBA on October 26, that is, on the deadline
for submitting participation bids, and a reply was received that the
letter has reached its destination.

SYRIAN ARMENIANS COULD BE PROVIDED HOUSING OUTSIDE YEREVAN

news.am
October 31, 2012 | 16:37

YEREVAN. – During Armenia’s Deputy PM and Territorial Administration
Minister Armen Gevorgyan’s consultation meeting on Wednesday, at
which the regional governors likewise were on hand, Diaspora Minister
Hranush Hakobyan reflected on the question of providing housing to
the Syrian Armenians who have arrived in Armenia.

The minister proposed the regional governors to provide information
on the rental apartments located in the communities nearby the capital
city Yerevan, and with respect to job vacancies in these communities.

And the Deputy PM instructed the regional governors to submit the
required information to the Diaspora Ministry within one week and,
considering the Syrian Armenians’ professional skills, to discuss
the opportunities for providing local jobs.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER: COOPERATION WITH CZECHIA ESSENTIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 31, 2012 – 16:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan met
October 30 with Czech Senate president Milan Å tÄ~[ch as part of his
visit to Czech Republic.

Congratulating the Czech people and the Senate members on national
holiday, parliament speaker voiced confidence for further development
of cooperation between the two countries, parliamentary press service
reported.

“Deepening of cooperation with Czech Republic is essential to
Armenia, considering the common goals in the framework of the Eastern
Partnership (EaP) project,”

He further stressed the role of friendship groups in development of
interparliamentary relations.

“Armenian-Czech parliamentary friendship group has been established
in RA National Assembly, the activity of which may give fresh impetus
to bilateral cooperation,” Abrahamyan said, stressing the role of
collaboration in international intuitions.