Author: Kanayan Tamar

Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia can attack strategic and
economic objects of a rival at a distance of 300 km.

15:22, 15 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Armed Forces of the Republic of
Armenia can attacks military units of the supposed rival with
missiles, as well as its strategic and economic objects at a distance
of 300 km. and more. As reports “Armenpress”, this was said during the
press conference by the Head of Operative Department of Headquarter of
Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, Major General Artak Davtyan.

Speaking about strategic training of the command headquarters held on
October 1-13 Major General mentioned that a number of different types
of training were involved in the schedule considering different
scenarios regarding missile attacks. Major General said the following:
“There will be no attack on peaceful civilians and such scenario is
not even considered. We are planning attacks on strategic and economic
objects of the supposed rival that are of great importance for the
country, for instance centres of petroleum and gas”.

RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan Congratulated the Renowned Scientist
Grigor Gurzadyan on His 90th Birthday Anniversary

15.10.2012

Dear Mr Gurzadyan I congratulate you on behalf of the RA National
Assembly and personally me on the occasion of your 90th birthday
anniversary.

You are one of the greatest persons of the world science, who has not
only weighty and huge contribution to the sphere of universal
researches and astrophysics, but also has directed the Armenian
scientific thought to a new level of international recognition.

The world science is obliged to you for the crucial and fundamental
intentions and discoveries, which were a brave step and new word in
the sphere of scientific thought, and today continue to remain an
information rich source and applied firm basis for the specialists of
different countries.

You are the best example of selfless and kind devotion of a scientist,
philosopher, writer and painter with multi-layer way of thinking. The
generations will find everlasting material of learning and copying in
your life, in your scientific fruitful activity, in your essays and
paintings.

Dear Mr Gurzadyan, I once again congratulate you on the occasion of
your birthday jubilee and I am sure that from now on you will continue
living, working and creating with the energy of youth. I wish you
health, continuous fervor and long years for the benefit of our people
and for the glory of our science.

News on forced landing of Armenian plane is an instigation: Vahan Hovhannisyan

2012-10-15 14:41:18

In an interview with lurer.com touching upon the news that Turks made
the Armneian plane land, ARF faction MP Vahan Hovhannisyan told that
it wasn’t a forced landing.
`There is no such a thing. This is an instigation. According to
preliminary agreement we agreed to land the plane there. The
preliminary direction of the flight was Yerevan_Erzurum_Aleppo. This
was the agreement of the Turkish side,’ Hovhannisyan said and added
that checking works still continue.
Note, a while age Agence France Press making reference to local press
spread information, that Turkish state agencies made the Armneian
civil plane land on October 15.
Ankara explained this by the need for a routine check. The plane
landed in the airport of Erzurum.
Note, Vahan Hovhannisyan is the coordinator of `help you brother’
initiative. And the plane, which landed in Erzurum within the
framework of `help your brother’, was the plane transferring aid to
Aleppo.

Armenia-Russia: Old ties, new projects, uncertain future

Analysis | 15.10.12 | 13:53

By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Despite the optimistic tone of the meeting of the Armenian-Russian
intergovernmental commission, which took place in Yerevan late last
week, it still revealed the reluctance of Yerevan to strengthen its
ties with Moscow.

First, it was stated that Yerevan is categorically against the Russian
immigration program, Compatriots, by which about 5,000 Armenian
citizens have left Armenia and settled down in Russia. Second, at the
government level it was reiterated that Armenia is unwilling to join
the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus – a new
integration process in the former USSR territory expected to
consummate in the establishment of a Eurasian Union later this decade.

As a result of their Yerevan meeting the Armenian and Russian sides
only signed a program of long-term economic development until 2020
which provides for `an ambitious growth of bilateral trade relations
and investments’, as it was stated by Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan. In saying that, officials still did not point to a single
major project in which Armenia expects Russian investments. The matter
may concern the construction of a new unit of the Armenian nuclear
power plant and the Iran-Armenia railroad. The future price of Russian
natural gas supplied to Armenia was not specified either.

Judging by the statements, Russia insisted on Armenia’s joining the
Customs Union, making both investments and the price of natural gas
contingent on this move.

Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov expressed confidence that the
parties would be able to agree on a mutually acceptable price of
natural gas.

Armenia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan
said: `Unlike other countries we are going to have a rather low price
of gas.’ He did not specify, however, what the price is going to be as
compared to the current price of $180 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Russia has also promised investment in the railway, but the issue will
be discussed only in December, apparently during the expected visit of
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Armenia.

Advisor to the President of Russia Igor Levitin said that Armenia’s
possible participation in the Customs Union was being discussed in
spite of the fact that the two countries do not share a common border.

However, Armenia’s Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan said: `Joining
the Customs Union does not imply free trade with third countries that
are not in it, while Armenia has a free trade agreement, particularly
with neighboring Georgia.’

Davtyan also pointed to the fact that 60 percent of the state budget
of Armenia is formed at the state border, while with the entry to the
Customs Union the management of these sources of revenues will be
transferred to a supranational center. `And I’m not sure that all of
the solutions of this center will entirely meet the national interests
of Armenia,’ he added.

And Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan
made what all but amounted to a sensational statement. He said that
the controversial Russian immigration program, Compatriots, cannot be
implemented in Armenia against the country’s will.

The intergovernmental commission’s session resulted in the signing of
protocols in which the sides laid down their attitudes towards this
program.

`The positions of the sides are clearly formulated in the protocols:
the Russian side is interested in the continuation of this program,
and the Armenian side is categorically against it,’ said Kocharyan.
According to him, the program cannot be continued in Armenia on the
basis of Armenia’s `clearly expressed position’.

Earlier, during a question-and-answer session in parliament Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that the format of the implementation of
the Russian program was unacceptable to the government of Armenia.

The goal of the program is to promote and organize voluntary
resettlement of former USSR `compatriots’ to Russia, a country
experiencing demographic problems. The realization of the scheme in
Armenia, however, also caused dissatisfaction as it is regarded as an
additional stimulus for out-migration, which is already high in
Armenia.

Apart from these concerns, the sides appeared to be content with the
development of economic ties.

During the eight months of the year, the trade turnover between
Armenia and Russia increased by 23 percent as compared to the same
period of 2011, amounting to $880 million. In addition, as the
Armenian prime minister said, imports from Russia to Armenia totaled
$640 million, showing a 17-percent rise, while exports of Armenian
goods and services to Russia made $168 million, registering a
50-percent increase. Work on the operation of free economic zones in
the territories belonging to the Russian company, Sitronics Ltd. RAO
Mars, and the Yerevan Scientific-Research Institute of Mathematical
Machines is in progress. Russian companies also control the basic
infrastructure of Armenia – the railway, power grids, the natural gas
system, the bulk of the communications market.

La Francophonie Summit to support peaceful settlement of NKR issue

13:16, 15 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Edward Nalbandian presented with a speech in the framework of the
discussion of international situation during the Summit of
International Organization of La Francophonie in Kinshasa.

As Armenpress was informed from the press, informational and public
relations department of Armenian MFA, Armenian Minister referred to
NKR settlement issue. He noted that the position of international
community is exclusively for the peaceful solution, which is the same
with the Armenian approach. The Summit has accepted the final
resolution on Solution of Crisis situations and Peace-building.

`We urge all the sides of the conflict to refrain from using force or
threat of force, which may jeopardize the peaceful settlement process’
was noted in the final resolution of the Summit of International
Organization of La Francophonie.

Serzh Sargsyan about Armenian Genocide and NKR settlement issue at
World Armenian Congress Conference

12:19, 15 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS: Serzh Sargsyan partook at the
conference of `World Armenian Congress’ which concluded the activity
of the 2003-2012 period after the founding congress.

`I sincerely welcome the participants of the second conference of the
World Armenian Congress union for Armenian NGO’s in Yerevan. I am
glad to see the friends who came to their motherland from different
corners of the world willing to clarify the agenda of Armenian issues
and to try to give some solutions to them’ Armenpress reports the
opening speech of Serzh Sargsyan. He has assured that the founded
friendship is going to have a future, because the participants are
bounded with very important values and feelings, allow people Armenian
nation pass through the crossroads of the history, keeping Armenian
identity.

`We have centuries to pass. I want sincerely say to all of You,
welcome to Armenia, welcome to your motherland. Every initiation which
is aimed to unite the Diaspora must be encouraged and nourished. We
are of a small number so we must struggle for every Armenian to stay
Armenian’ stressed the President. Serzh Sargsyan has also highlighted
that it is thanks to the public organizations’ operation all over the
world, that we can speak about global Armenian civil society, with the
presence of political, charitable, cultural and professional
organizations which have succeeded. Core power of the civil society is
in its variety, and we must do our best to keep and be conducive for
this variety. President believes, neither the state can replace the
civil society nor the society the state.

`Representatives of different nation are living outside their country
and in the case of Armenians, the reason is not about the free choice
or the better life but about the genocide and dispossession from their
homeland. We are coming close to the 100th anniversary of Armenian
Genocide and the crime against our nation must be punished. But it is
not the only issue of our agenda. We protected Artsakh during the war
and now it is time to establish justice in diplomatic arena’ noted the
President. He also stressed the extremely difficult situation in
Syria. Catholicos Karekin II blessed the members and the organizers of
the congress for gathering in Armenia. The Chairman of World Armenian
Congress Ara Abramyan noted that one of the main issues of the
Congress was to support the recognition of Armenian Genocide by
international community.

The World Armenian Congress was founded in October 2003 as a union for
Armenian NGO’s, and has since reached an international status. The WAC
objective is to strengthen relations between Armenia and the Armenian
Diaspora, contribute to Armenia’s economic development and the
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, as well as international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The President is
Armenian-Russian businessman, Ara Abramyan. A youth branch, known as
the WAC Association of Youth Organizations, was founded in 2006.

Turkey destabilizes situation in the region, expert says

tert.am
13:06 – 15.10.12

Deputy head of Russian geopolitical researches academy Arayik Sargsyan
said the main guilty in the destabilization of the situation in the
region is Turkey.

Speaking to reporters Monday, he said it is a sensational phenomenon
that the Turkish parliament has allowed to undertake military
activities outside of its borders in case of necessity.

`In other words the Turkish parliament allowed the government to apply
military force outside of Turkish borders, without noting which
border,’ he said.

Arayik Sargsyan noted that with the same permission Turkey may start
military actions not only in Syria but outside of its border with
Armenia, and other neighboring countries. `It is a sensational
phenomenon, as being NATO member Turkey makes a decision without their
consent,’ he stressed, adding that it happens in case when Turkey has
issues with all countries except Georgia.

`If Turkey launches military actions against Syria, Iran will help its
ally – Syria. And Israeli government is waiting for it to start
military actions [against Iran] targeting the nuclear centers,’ he
explained.

Sargsyan said here Israel will feel the necessity of Stepanakert
airport as it will need few temporary runaways for the Israeli planes
to land there.

`Azerbaijan has 4 airports, though it needs the fifth too. The Israeli
planes will try to land in Stepanakert,’ he said without stressing
whether the authorities of Karabakh will allow it or not.

`I do not say that the regional developments will result in World War
III, but they will cause serious problems, with Turkey being the main
provoker,’ he said, adding that Russia clearly understands it and
President Putin delayed his visit to Turkey agreed with it.

The expert said within the framework of the visit a number of economic
agreements were to be signed. `Russia was ready to give 20 million USD
to Turkey while it does not give even a million to Armenia,’ he said.

Military expert: Combat characteristics of S-300 complexes in case of
their dislocation in Syunik province allow covering Karabakh’s air
space

arminfo
Monday, October 15, 08:42

The combat characteristics of S-300 complexes in case of their
dislocation in Syunik region allow covering the air space of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, military expert Arkady Grigoryan told
ArmInfo when commenting on the publication of the US-based open-source
military analysis IMINT & Analysis.

Turan says that the analysis of recent imagery acquired from various
sources highlights air defense developments in the Caucasus region. In
its most recent research, the US-based open-source military analysis
IMINT & Analysis, based on the Google Earth satellite imagery of air
defense systems, examines Russian and Armenian air defense postures in
the Caucasus region.

Grigoryan stressed that the presence of S-300 complexes in Armenia is
nothing new and should amaze nobody. He also confirmed that the
quantity of the complexes has increased over the past few years.

Turan quotes Sean O’Connor, a subject matter expert in the fields of
air defense and strategic warfare, as saying: “Imagery from
TerraServer and Bing Maps provides the first look at newly identified
active S-300PS (SA-10B GRUMBLE) complexes in Armenia and the Georgian
province of Abkhazia. Both locations represent significant
deployments for differing reasons”.

Prior to 2008, Armenia imported components for at least three S-300PT
(SA-10A GRUMBLE) batteries, displacing S-125 (SA-3 GOA) batteries
defending the capital of Yerevan, according to the source.

By 2010, Russia delivered an additional pair of S-300PS batteries,
reportedly deployed in the eastern Syunik Province. The two sites,
near Goris in the north and Kaghnut in the south, both reside within
seven kilometers of the border with Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Only the Kaghnut battery resides on a prepared site, the complex
specially designed to accommodate the local terrain. Both batteries
employ a 5N63S mobile engagement radar and mast- mounted 5N66M
low-altitude EW radar”, the source mentioned.

“As imaged in 2011, the Goris battery currently operates four 5P85S/D
TELs, with the Kaghnut battery operating eight. Additionally, both
batteries displaced aging 2K11 (SA-4 GANEF) units. The status of the
displaced 2K11 batteries remains unknown”. Deployment of the mobile
S-300PS batteries in Syunik province places the entire
Nagorno-Karabakh region under the protection of Armenia’s air defense
network, according to the analyst.

The siting of the S-300PS batteries permits target track assignment
from either the Yerevan- based 64N6 battle management radar or a
Nagorno-Karabakh-based 36D6 EW radar. Furthermore, the current siting
of the S-300PS batteries closes a pre-existing air defense gap,
allowing Armenia to deny air travel into the Azeri province of
Nakhchivan.

Turquie : “Il était une fois à Smyrne”…

Publié le : 15-10-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite à lire des extraits traduits à partir de l’article de Vercihan
ZiflioÄ?lu paru sur le Hürriyet Daily News le 13 octobre 2012.

Hürriyet Daily News

Une exposition intitulée “Il était une fois à Izmir” se déroule du 12
au 29 octobre 2012 en Turquie pour commémorer le 90e anniversaire de
l’incendie d'”Izmir”. Mais à l’époque, cette ville s’appelait Smyrne,
et c’est bien l’incendie de Smyrne qui est entré dans l’histoire.
Cette ville a été rebaptisée ensuite à l’époque kémaliste – comme la
plupart des villes de Turquie – pour effacer dans les mémoires
l’histoire des populations non-turques qui ont construit et peuplé ce
pays, des millénaires avant l’arrivée des peuples turcophones. Cette
exposition veut souligner la diversité culturelle d’Izmir et revenir
sur les communautés grecque et arménienne “d’Izmir” quoiqu’il n’y ait
plus ni Grecs, ni Syriaques, ni Arméniens à Izmir qui est devenu très
exactement l’antithèse de Smyrne, la multiculturelle. Déplacements
forcés de populations, massacres, génocides auront eu raison, au début
du XXe siècle, de l’image européenne de la Turquie. Organisée par
Osman Köker, cette exposition rassemble 60 photos et des cartes
postales historiques de la collection Orlando Carlo Calumeno. Osman
Koker a déclaré au quotidien Hürriyet Daily News : «Je veux que les
spectateurs se rafraîchissent la mémoire au sujet d’Izmir.»

Köker a mené un certain nombre d’expositions avec la collection
Orlando Carlo Calumeno, y compris celle intitulée «Mon cher frère» qui
a attiré un total de 10.000 personnes en Arménie, aux États-Unis et en
Europe avec ses représentations de la vie arménienne d’avant 1915,
tirées de la vaste collection de cartes postales appartenant Ã
Calumeno. «Ces expositions aident les Arméniens à se souvenir de leur
pays », a déclaré Köker. «Avec cette exposition, le dialogue
turco-arménien s’est amélioré.” Köker a dit que la nouvelle exposition
présente l’histoire d’Izmir, ainsi que les incidents importants
survenus dans la ville égéenne, y compris le grand incendie de Smyrne.

“Nous n’allons pas seulement présenter le grand incendie de Smyrne,
mais nous ferons aussi en sorte que les spectateurs se rafraîchissent
la mémoire au sujet d’Izmir,”a dit Köker.

Expliquant les origines de l’incendie, Köker a dit, “les forces
turques ont repris le contrôle de la ville [en faisant reculer les
forces grecques pendant la guerre d’Indépendance] le 9 septembre 1922.
Après cela, le grand incendie a commencé dans la ville.”

L’incendie, aussi connu comme la “Catastrophe de Smyrne”, a détruit
une grande partie d’Izmir, y compris son port.

Les photographies de l’exposition représentent en fin de compte la vie
des peuples non-musulmans d’Anatolie, a-t-il dit, ajoutant qu’elles
ont montré qu’il y a eu depuis toujours, des chrétiens syriaques, des
Grecs et des Arméniens dans la région.

Köker a dit que sa maison d’édition a déjà publié deux livres sur
Ä°zmir, y compris celui d’Hervé Georgelin «La fin de Smyrne» et «Once
Upon a Time à Izmir: Des cartes postales de la collection Orlando
Carlo Calumeno» qui constituent la base de la présente exposition.

Extraits traduits par le Collectif VAN Ã partir de l’article de
Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu paru sur le Hürriyet Daily News

Photos depict seminal events in Ä°zmir’s past at an exhibition

For the 90th anniversary of the great fire of Izmir an exhibition on
the cultural diversity of the city and talks on the Greek and Armenian
communities

EXHIBITION:
Once upon a time in Izmir
Postcards from the Collection of Orlando Carlo Calumeno
October 12-29, 2012

TALKS:
Ari Çokona
The Pearl of Ionia: Izmir
Oct. 12, 2012

Zakarya Mildanoglu
The 90th Anniversary of the Great Fire, Izmir and Armenians
Oct. 18, 2012

Place:
Cezayir Meeting Hall, Hayriye Street, 12, Galatasaray – Ä°stanbul

By Birzamanlar Publishing with the contributions of Heinrich Böll
Foundation and Anadolu KuÌ?ltuÌ?r

Retour à la rubrique

ARMENIE – RUSSIE
Des divergences entre l’Arménie et la Russie au sujet du système d’immigration

Vendredi 12 octobre 2012, lors de la rencontre à Erevan du comité
intergouvernemental de l’Arménie et de la Russie, des divergences sont
apparues entre les deux pays au sujet du système d’immigration de
Moscou.

Le service fédéral des migrations russe (FMS) a commencé à exploiter «
son programme Compatriotes » en Arménie en 2009 et aurait attiré des
centaines de familles arméniennes depuis. Lancé en 2006, le projet du
gouvernement russe offre des avantages concernant l’emploi, le
logement et propose une aide financière aux résidents mariés des
anciennes républiques soviétiques qui souhaitent s’installer en
Russie. Conçu à l’origine pour les anciens compatriotes qui ont perdu
des liens avec leur pays, la Russie, après la désintégration de
l’Union soviétique, le programme a également pour but de régler les
problèmes démographiques. Le Premier ministre arménien, Tigran
Sarkissian, juge le programme russe en Arménie dans sa forme actuelle
d’« inacceptable ».

Moscou a répété que le programme ne concerne qu’un petit nombre de
personnes et permet de contrôler la « migration illégale ». Après la
réunion à Erevan co-présidée par le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian
et le ministre russe des Transports Maxim Sokolov, l’ambassadeur russe
en Arménie Viatcheslav Kovalenko a affirmé que le programme «
Compatriotes » a également été discuté lors de la réunion. Le
diplomate n’a pas donné plus de précisions. Pendant ce temps,
l’ambassadeur arménien en Russie Oleg Yesayan, qui a également assisté
à la réunion, a déclaré que les différences qui sont apparues ont même
été enregistrées dans le document établi à l’issue de la réunion.

« Les parties sont restées sur leur position. La Russie est intéressée
pour la mise en `uvre du programme tandis que la partie arménienne est
catégoriquement opposée à la mise en `uvre de ce programme », a
déclaré Yesayan.

Dans une interview accordée à RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am) vendredi 12
octobre 2012, le ministre adjoint arménien des Affaires étrangères,
Shavarsh Kotcharian, a déclaré que le programme d’immigration russe ne
sera pas mis en `uvre sur le territoire de l’Arménie.

« C’est l’Arménie qui décide des opérations sur son territoire, et
depuis que l’Arménie a exprimé très clairement sa position,
naturellement le programme ne peut pas être mise en `uvre », a déclaré
le vice-ministre. Récemment, la Russie a officiellement annoncé
qu’elle souhaitait simplifier les modalités du programme Compatriotes.

lundi 15 octobre 2012,
Laetitia ©armenews.com