Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIA SAYS 1 SOLDIER KILLED, 3 HURT IN SHOOTING FROM AZERI SIDE

Mediamax, Armenia
Oct 22 2013

Yerevan: The Azerbaijani side started shooting at the cars in the
Paravakar section of Berd-Ijevan highway in Tavush Marz [Tavuz Region]
today: 1 soldier is killed and 3 are wounded.

As a result of firing at the military cars transporting servicemen on
combat duty, 19-year-old soldier Garik Poghosyan was killed, Mediamax
was informed in the press service of the Armenian Defence Ministry.

Soldiers Artur Andranikyan, Arayik Zhamharyan and Martin Petrosyan
got gun wounds of various degrees of severity.

People in civilian cars also suffered from the firing.

The OSCE Special Representative Andrzej Kasprzik’s Office was reported
on the incident.

The Armenian Defence Ministry stated that “this criminal step of the
rival will be responded and the provocateur is to be made accountable
for the incident”.

ARMENIAN PM: AZERBAIJAN’S DASTARDLY PROVOCATION WILL NOT GO UNANSWERED

October 23, 2013 | 17:20

YEREVAN. – The Azerbaijani armed forces opened intense fire at
Berd-Ijevan motorway in Armenia’s Tavush Region; this is Azerbaijan’s
another dastardly provocation that will receive an appropriate
response.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated the aforementioned in the
parliament on Wednesday, and in response to the question posed by
opposition Heritage Party National Assembly Faction Secretary Tevan
Poghosyan.

“This is the Azerbaijani authorities’ attempt to distract the
country’s citizens’ attention during the post-election period, so
that the population would not focus on the results of the [recent]
presidential elections [in Azerbaijan]. Such actions will not go
unanswered,” the Armenian PM added.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the adversary opened fire,
on Tuesday at around 1pm-2pm, on the vehicles traveling along the
Berd-Ijevan motorway in Armenia’s Tavush Region. Those in civilian
and military vehicles, alike, suffered from the shots. As a result
of the shots fired upon a military motorcade, conscript, Private
Garik Poghosyan (born in 1994) died, informed the Armenian MOD press
service. In addition, conscripts, Privates Artur Andranikyan (born
in 1994), Arayik Zhamharyan (born in 1994), and Martin Petrosyan
(born in 1994) sustained varying degrees of gunshot wounds. The
office of Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, was informed of this incident.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIA WILL REAFFIRM ITS POSITION ON EURASIAN UNION IN MINSK, SAYS POLITICIAN

17:02 ~U 23.10.13

In an interview with Tert.am, former presidential candidate Andrias
Ghukasyan said he expects Armenia to reaffirm its willingness to join
the Eurasian Union at the upcoming Eurasian Economic Summit in Minsk
(Belarus).

Mr Ghukasyan, Gunnar Wiegand, the chief negotiator of the EU Eastern
Neighborhood project, said in Yerevan yesterday that the EU doesn’t
plan any rephrasing in the Association Agreement. Belarus, on the
other hand, says Armenia cannot accede to the Customs Union either
this or next year. It was reported today that Kazakhstan says the
CU hasn’t yet proven its value to necessitate a rapid integration
process. Neither does the European Union where the process of agreeing
on details lasts several years.

The Armenian authorities are at loose ends now.

Nevertheless, [FM] Edward Nalbandian will be in Minsk tomorrow to
attend the Eurasian Economic Council’s summit. So, a certain process
is expected.

I think a political statement will be made, expressing Armenia’s
willingness to accede to the Eurasian Union.

And will the start of the process be announced?

It is hard to say, as that will depend on the domestic political
developments in Armenia. The ruling force’s position can generally be
considered critical in Armenia. There is a political crisis, without
naturally any expectation that a certain group of people can introduce
Armenia in certain international processes.

The political statement was made on September 3, expressing [Armenia’s]
willingness for the Customs Union membership process. And is that
expected to be on a new level?

I don’t think the representatives of the states attending the Minsk
summit will introduce their visions. As to whether it will be a united
or common statement, we’ll see that in a couple of days. But the
meeting aims to clarify those states’ willingness to pursue that path.

And I don’t think Armenia’s position in the present circumstances can
be different from what [President] Serzh Sargsyan said on September 3.

I think it will be a political declaration reaffirming the fact that
Serzh Sargsyan has decided to join the Customs Union.

Nonetheless, two of the members warn us against joining the Customs
Union.

Neither Belarus nor Kazakhstan would benefit from Armenia’s membership
in the Customs Union as [the country] does not have any potential
for those states – either politically or economically – and it thus
becomes a rival in the CU frameworks. Armenia is a ‘subsidized state’
where the authorities think all the time whether the EU, the Eurasian
Union or anyone else has to take care of the country. That’s the
main agenda. As to why it is at loose ends, that’s because no one is
going to provide for Armenia. The theory that Armenia has to implement
reforms in return for money or Armenia will be given money and deliver
military services in return, they do not work anymore.

And what is Russia’s position on this kind of statements? Are they
made with its knowledge or has it assumed the neutral observer role?

Russia will try to do everything possible to assist in [President]
Serzh Sargsyan’s efforts to maintain power in Armenia. As to whether or
not it exercises any intervention, Russia does not have any economic
or political patronage in relation to Armenia today; hence it will be
limited to its observer status, holding on to its key task, i.e. that
the country’s top official be Russia’s henchman.

It is widely discussed that certain developments in Armenia will
depend on whether or not Ukraine will sign the Association Agreement
with the EU.

There is no progress for Armenia as long as the the ruling regime is
at the helm of power. It is pointless to talk about that. There are
a group of people today, who maintain their political and economic
power without being able to ensure an economic development. They were
hopeful to do that through the West or Russia. All those hopes were
reduced to zero in the past months. And the fact people are facing
today is that Armenia will not get any foreign funding or aid as long
as that regime holds power..

And will the pensions or salaries rise in that case?

An increase in the pensions or salaries was a promise by people who
gave assurance that the gas tariffs or the transport fares would
not rise. Statements by such people should not be taken for granted
because those are statements intended to create an impression that
those people are concerned by the society’s well-being.

Armenian News – Tert.am

FIRST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT IN CANADA INAUGURATED

10:52 22.10.2013

Armenian Genocide, Canada

The Canadian-Armenian community gathered on Sunday for the unveiling
ceremony of an Armenian Genocide monument here, the third largest
city in Quebec and the first Armenian Genocide monument in Canada,
Asbarez reports.

With this unveiling, the Canadian-Armenian community renewed its
dedication and commitment to our national demands and to the Armenian
Cause.

Leaders of all Armenian denominations gathered at the monument, called
“Crucifixion, Resurrection, Rebirth,” and performed the religious
blessing ceremony, while community leaders, among them the chairman of
the Joing Monument Committee, Sako Yacoubian, committee member, Hovig
Tufenkndjian and chairman of Canada’s Genocide Centennial Committee,
Mher Karakashian all expressed the Canadian-Armenian community’s
commitment to justice.

The monument’s creator, sculptor Arto Tchakmakdjian, said the meaning
of the monument is hope.

Also speaking at the event was Armenia’s Ambassador to Canada Armen
Yeganian who called on the international community to recognize the
Armenian Genocide.

Local, regional and federal officials, past and present, were in
attendance at the event and spoke about the need for the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide and condemned the government of Turkey for
its continued denial of the crime.

ZARUHI POSTANJYAN: YOU WILL BE HAVING HARD TIMES

Today Speaker Abrahamyan called a meeting during which a decision was
made not to include the Heritage parliamentary group in the Armenian
delegation to the PACE. The head of the Heritage parliamentary group
Zaruhi Postanjyan stated during the meeting of parliament that Hovik
Abrahamyan is doing his vest to make sure than no different opinion
is voiced in the PACE. The members of parliament applauded to Hovik
Abrahamyan’s decision.

“Mr. Abrahamyan, I would like to inform you that there will be appeals
against this authoritarian decision. You will be having hard times
together with your fellow party members. These actions will not be
forgiven,” Postanjyan announced.

16:36 23/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

MANVEL SARGSYAN: THE RUMORS ABOUT CLOSING OF THE ARMENIAN CENTRE FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (ACNIS) ARE UNTIMELY

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, October 23, 17:27

The rumors about closing of the ACNIS are untimely, the head of the
Centre, Manvel Sargsyan, told Arminfo correspondent.

According to Zhamanak daily, ACNIS will be closed in the near future
as there is no financing.

“Our Centre has been working for 20 years. We registered many
achievement over that period of time and it would be wrong to close
it. We really have financial problems, as Trustees Council of our
foundation in the USA has practically stopped financing of the ACNIS
referring to lack of funds. As a result, our experts have already
left the Centre and only technical workers remained”, – Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan assures that the founder of the Centre, Raffi Hovannisian,
does his best to preserve the Center and tries to settle the financial
problems. “To be short, at present we are reorganizing ACNIS, which
will undoubtedly go on functioning”, – Sargsyan concluded.

ACNIS was founded in 1994.

SHOOTING INTERRUPTS OSCE KARABAKH MONITORING

EurasiaNet.org
Oct 22 2013

October 22, 2013 – 3:27am, by Joshua Kucera

The monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe had to suspend its activities last week because of an as-yet
unexplained shooting:

Following the usual exchange of security guarantees by local commanders
on both sides of the Line of Contact, members of both OSCE teams
heard shooting as they approached their observation points. It was
not possible to determine from where the shots were fired. Safety
and security concerns prompted the Personal Representative to abandon
the exercise.

Naturally, both sides blamed the other. Azerbaijan’s APA reported:

The Armenians violated ceasefire while the contact line was
being monitored by the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office.

Defense Ministry Spokesman Eldar Sabiroghlu told APA that today the
Armenian Army units violated ceasefire..

And the de facto Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Ministry claimed:

A planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan to be conducted by the OSCE Mission in
the Hadrut direction, scheduled for October 17, was stopped because
of the submachine gun shots from the Azerbaijani side towards the
positions of the NKR Defense Army.

OSCE press officer Tatyana Baeva tells The Bug Pit that this is the
first such incident since February 2009. She added that the OSCE
doesn’t have a mandate to investigate who fired the shots, but that
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed in 2011 “to try to
investigate possible incidents with the participation of the sides,
under the aegis of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and with the support of
the Personal Representative,” She added: “This agreement has yet to be
implemented” and that “the Co-Chairs and Personal Representative can
and do encourage the sides to investigate such incidents thoroughly
and impartially themselves.” Of course, if Armenia and Azerbaijan
are known for anything it’s impartiality on Karabakh. Anyway, given
the recent heightened tension between the two countries, the line of
contact probably can use as much monitoring as it can get.

GEORGIA AND ARMENIA TAKE STEPS TOWARDS SECURING THE BORDER

The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 22 2013

By Salome Modebadze Tuesday, October 22 Border security is one of the
main preconditions for ensuring successful trade relations between
the bordering countries. It also serves as prevention against crime
and thus enables the countries to exchange mutual benefits across
the border.

The United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) presented the results
of the EU-funded Enhancement of the Border Management Capabilities at
Ninotsminda-Bavra border crossing point between Georgia and Armenia
(NBIBM) at the closing conference at Radisson Blu Iveria on October 15.

NBIBM Manager, Nikoloz Samkharadze, presented the results of the
NBIBM project which started in October 2012 and ends in March 2014. He
explained that the capacity building project was considered for a year,
while afterwards it will continue with the infrastructural activities.

This 2.5 million Euro project has 100% EU contribution, while UNDP
is the lead agency for the project’s implementation. Latvia is the
main partner together with France. Two project country offices are
located in Tbilisi and Yerevan, while the UNDP country offices ensure
a coordinated approach to the project implementation in Georgia
and Armenia.

Head of UNDP in Georgia, Niels Scott, said to make the movement of
people and goods across the border more fluent, and easier for people
and transporters, in the standards of security is the big opportunity
of the project.

The EU and the UNDP are assisting the governments of Armenia and
Georgia to maintain open but secure borders. The program runs in
co-operation with the International Centre for Migration Policy
Development (ICMPD) and the EU Member States – Latvia, France.

The program demonstrated the advantages of Integrated Border
Management as one of the most effective mechanisms for facilitating
the movement of people and goods while at the same time maintaining
secure borders. It also works to better equip border check-points
and to ensure effective and modern border and customs control.

According to the Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia, Ambassador
Philip Dimitrov, the NBIBM is a successful project because integrated
border management is all about guaranteeing the security and mobility
for movement and trade, by using basic freedoms.

Dimitrov said that this all is in connection with the necessity
to address challenges like cross-border crime, organized crime,
trafficking and many others. According to the EU Ambassador the process
will not end, but will continue with the other border management
projects that are coming.

One such project is the future initiative at the Bagratashen-Sadakhlo
border crossing point (BCP) which was also unveiled on last Tuesday.

Discussing the achievements and prospects of the Integrated Border
Management Project in the South Caucasus on the example of the project
at the Ninotsminda-Bavra border crossing point, Commander of the State
Border Service of the Republic of Latvia, Normuds Garbars, said that
by maintaining open and secure borders between Georgia and Armenia,
would result in a peaceful South Caucasus and Europe.

The project between Georgia and Armenia includes the provision
of modern facility, training in risk management, protection of
international property, and other useful activities in terms of
protecting border security. The Head of the Customs Department, Revenue
Service of Georgia, Vladimer Khundadze said this is a precondition
for deepening the trade relations between the two countries.

Representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance
and National Security Council of Georgia, and the National Security
Council, National Security Service, Police and Revenue Committee of
Armenia attended the conference together with the senior officers from
the State Border Guard Service of Latvia who provided assistance and
consultation throughout the project.

Head of Administration Board, State Border Guard of Latvia, Vladimiris
Zaguzovs positively estimated the project. As recommendations for the
next step he said the cooperation should be strengthened between the
border delegates to have regular exchange of information, as well as
the draft legal acts and rules should be approved.

ARMENIAN GRAPE HARVEST STAYS AT 2012 LEVEL

Interfax, Russia
Oct 21 2013

YEREVAN. Oct 21

The grape harvest in Armenia this year appears to have been
240,000-242,000 tonnes, according to the initial data, which is
pretty much the same as last year’s harvest, the country’s Agriculture
Minister Sergo Karapetyan told the press on Monday.

The production of other crops is growing, he said. The republic
harvested 542,100 tonnes of grain, up 19% from last year, and 306,600
tonnes of wheat, up 26%.

Average crop yield was 31 centners per hectare versus 26 in 2012. To
increase the grain harvest, 640 tonnes of elite, highly productive
seed was sown and the planting area was expanded to 100,000 hectares
from 93,700 last year.

The Agriculture Ministry predicts that Armenia will produce 145,000
tonnes of meat this year, 11% more than last year. It expects
production of 670,000 tonnes of milk, up 8.4%, upwards of 710 million
eggs, up 10.8%, and 11,000 tonnes of fish, up 25%.

Cf of

SERZH SARGSYAN SENT A LETTER OF CONDOLENCES TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

Today – 17:45

President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a letter of condolences to the
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on a terrorist
act which took place in Volgograd and claimed lives of innocent people.

Press service of Armenian President informs about this.

The President of Armenia asked to convey his condolences and words
of support to the families and friends of the victims and wished a
speedy recovery to all those injured during that tragedy.