Author: nina hovnanian

NATIONAL FINAL TO SELECT ARMENIAN EUROVISION ENTRY

00:06 22.01.2013

After an initial announcement that the Armenian representative would
be internally selected, Public Television of Armenia has now changed
plans. As many high-quality proposals have been received, a national
final will be organised after all, to be broadcast live on 2 March,
official website of the Erovision Song Contest informs.

Earlier this year, Eurovision.tv reported that Armenia would internally
select their representative for Malmo, with Sirusho being one of the
most rumoured candidates. Today, the Armenian public broadcaster has
re-drawn the plans.

Gohar Gasparyan, the Head of the Armenian Delegation, explained ot
Eurovision.tv: “Earlier AMPTV announced an internal selection, but
as we continue getting numerous letters and songs we decided to give
an opportunity for as many singers/authors as possible to perform
live and be selected by the viewers and professional jury ensuring
healthy competition.”

The application period starts on 22 January and ends on 20 February.

The national final will be broadcast live on the First Channel of
the Public Television of Armenia on 2 March.

ISRAEL GROUNDS UAVS IN AZERBAIJAN FOR FEAR OF IRAN SEIZURE

Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:7PM GMT

File photo shows a Hermes 450 drone flying over an unknown location.

Israel has grounded its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Azerbaijan
after Iran’s capture of two US-made RQ-150 drones.

Israeli drones, including its medium size multi-payload Hermes 450,
have stopped flying after senior Azeri Defense Ministry experts
notified the Zionist regime of their concerns about the possible
seizure of the drones by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Israeli officials are convinced that Iran is trying to seize their
drones, currently under Azerbaijan’s control.

Iranian military experts are capable of disrupting the navigation
system of the Israeli drones even before takeoff and when parked in
the hangar. That has infuriated the Israelis.

Designed for tactical reconnaissance missions, surveillance and
communications, Hermes 450 has an endurance of 20 hours.

Equipped with global positioning system (GPS), this UAV can take
off from 260-meter taxiways and due to its composite structure,
anti-aerial batteries cannot detect it.

Earlier this month, Iran Navy’s aerial defense division announced it
has downed two US RQ-11 drones in the last two years. The drones were
respectively captured in August 2011 and October 2012.

In December 2012, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’
Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi announced that a ScanEagle drone had been
captured after it entered the country’s airspace over the waters of
the Persian Gulf.

PACE PRESIDENT: INACCURACIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BEFORE ELECTION DAY

06:53 PM | JANUARY 21, 2013 | POLITICS

At the opening of its winter session, the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE) re-elected on January 21 Jean-Claude
Mignon as its President.

Mr Mignon is hopeful that the Armenian authorities will do everything
possible to conduct the upcoming presidential election in the healthy
atmosphere. During his speech in Strasbourg, the PACE President said
the shortcomings recorded by the PACE observation mission should be
addressed before the election day [February 18].

The international observers have expressed their concerns over the
inaccuracies in the electoral register, saying an accurate check-list
is a prerequisite for holding proper elections. The delegation is
disappointed to see its previous recommendations connected with the
aforesaid problems unmet.

UAE, ARMENIA SIGN AGREEMENT

Tue, 22 Jan 2013IANS

Abu Dhabi, Jan 21 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
Armenia have signed an agreement for technical and administrative
cooperation in customs matters.

The agreement was signed between UAE’s Federal Customs Authority
(FCA) and Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC).

Suoud Salem Al Agroobi, head of FCA’s international relations
department and Karen Bekaryan, SRC director of customs procedures
signed the agreement in Armenian capital Yerevan.

–IANS/WAM

ASSAD: TURKISH GOV’T PLAYS DIRECT ROLE IN SYRIAN PEOPLE’S MASSACRE

FNA
18:13 | 2013-01-21

TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blamed foreign
interference for the aggravation of unrests in his country, and said
the Turkish government is directly involved in the killing the people
in Syria due to its aid and assistance to terrorists.

“The Turkish government plays a direct role in the massacre of the
Syrian people,” Assad said in an interview with Iran-based Nassim
International News Agency on Monday.

Noting that Syria pays special attention to its relations with
the Turkish people, he said, “The Turkish people have announced
their support for us practically since the very first day of the
developments and they have never been deviated from their (true)
path despite the media and propaganda campaign and the huge spending”
made to deviate them from this path.

Turkey is among the countries that support militants inside Syria.

Ankara provides military training for anti-Damascus militants along
its borders with Syria.

The unrest in Syria began in March 2011.

The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad says that the chaos is being
orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a
very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

Militant groups, supported by certain western states and their regional
allies, such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been trying to
topple the Syrian government for over 20 months.

Also Sources said on Sunday that a large number of spying cells from
Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are operating in Syria to help
the armed rebels topple the Damascus government.

Informed sources told the Palestinian al-Manar weekly that Israeli,
Saudi, Turkish and Qatari intelligence officers, backed by the US,
have infiltrated into Syria via the Turkish borders, adding that each
spying cell is comprised of 16 agents.

According to the sources, the main goal of the intelligence groups is
gathering intelligence, specially in the form of footage and images,
from Syria’s sensitive and important sites, the country’s military
grid and power in particular.

The spying cells have also been provided with a list of Syria’s
prominent scientists and experts in different fields to kidnap and
assassinate them, the sources said, elaborating on the mission of
the multinational espionage operations underway in Syria.

EDMON KHUDOYAN: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES WILL SHORTLY SET FREE SWINDLER VLADISLAV MANGASARYAN

arminfo
Monday, January 21, 15:15

The Armenian authorities will shortly set free swindler Vladislav
Mangasaryan, Edmon Khudoyan, a Diaspora businessman reportedly driven
to bankruptcy by Mangasaryan, told journalists on Monday.

On Jan 17 the police detained Mangasaryan and he is in Nubarashen
jail now.

“I am sure that our prosecutor’s office and police allowed him to
steal all he could steal and now his patrons will do their best to
have him released as soon as possible,” Khudoyan said, adding that
he had to be detained two years rather than two days ago.

To note, the American-based Armenian businessman Edmon Khudoyan
has accused the head of “VMG Group” CJSC Vladislav Mangasaryan for
being a member of the criminal group that embezzled $8.5 million
equivalent real estate property and $1.5 million equivalent sums from
his “Arin Capital” investment company he established in Armenia. He
said that the criminal group is under the patronage of the Armenian
president’s brother, Levon Sargsyan. However, when talking to ArmInfo
correspondent, Levon Sargsyan disproved these accusations calling them
false. “I have nothing in common with the deeds which Khudoyan has been
trying to blame me for. Today any man may accuse another one without
proof,” Sargsyan said. When commenting on Khudoyan’s initiative to
appeal to the European Court for Human Rights, Sargsyan said that is
his own right and he can do what he wants. Earlier Mangaseryan said
at a press-conference that he is an honest man and has nothing in
common with any criminal groups.

VOLUMES OF GAS IMPORTED FROM RUSSIA INCREASED PREVIOUS YEAR

12:03, 21 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARAY 21, ARMENPRESS: The volume of gas imported from the
Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia has increased by 22.3%
making 1 967.2 million cubic meters in 2012 in comparison with 2011-
1 609.1 million.

ArmRusGasArd JSC has sold 1 609 million cubic meters which is
4.8 percent more than that of 2011. As Armenpress reports citing
ArmRusGasArd official web site consumption volumes in energy and
industrial sector have increased reportedly by 23.7 and 2 percent in
comparison with the previous year data, making 231.9 and 254.7 million
cubic meters. Gas consumption by the population has decreased by 1,
6 percent,by other consumers 12.1 percent amounting reportedly 42
million and 162.4 million cubic meters.

RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN LAUNCHES HIS NEW WEBSITE AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

15:08 21.01.2013

Leader of the Heritage Party, presidential candidate Raffi Hovhnnisyan
has launched his new website at raffi4president.am ahead of the
presidential elections set for February 18.

Hovhannisyan’s address posted on the front page of the website reads:
“Dear compatriots, I believe that truly Our Armenia is still ahead.

I’m going there on February 18. Come with me. It’s possible.”

Besides the address, the website presents Raffi Hovhannisyan’s election
platforms, his biography, as well as information and video materials
about the election campaign.

FOREIGN MINISTRY ADDRESSES ISSUE OF UNDP OFFICE TRANSFER TO TURKEY

January 21, 2013 – 13:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Foreign Ministry is currently addressing
the issue of the planned transfer of UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre
for Europe to Istanbul, Ministry spokesman said.

As Tigran Balayan told PanARMENIAN.Net Cyprus and Slovenia share
Armenia’s concerns over the plan to move UNDP center to Turkey.

Armenian civil society representatives addressed a letter to UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, voicing deep concerns over the plan to
move UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre for Europe to Istanbul, head of
For Sustainable Human Development NGO and UNEP National Committee said.

As Karine Danielyan told a press conference, Armenia’s 15 NGOs
joined the initiative, with the decision on the move taken once the
information was released.

“Armenian Foreign Ministry has already issued an official statement;
however, we found it appropriate to take relevant steps on the issue,”
she said.

Ms Danielyan further noted that Armenia finds it inappropriate to move
a regional center to a country that failed to recognize the Armenian
Genocide and establish diplomatic relations with some of the states
in the region.

“Moreover, Turkey is not an EU member. It is still guided by Article
301 of Constitution, which restricts freedom of speech, hampers
the free development of national minorities, the latter, in turn,
bringing about internal conflicts and deaths of prominent public
figures (Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s murder),” she said.

“We hope that the UN will be committed to its principles and won’t
prioritize the funding Turkey offers,” Ms Danielyan said, urging the
international community to focus on the problem that may adversely
affect the implementation of the programs of the UNDP Regional Center
both on regional and country level.

According to her, Cyprus and Slovenia have already joined the call,
with Russia also having expressed concerns over the plan.

Armenia expects high results from cooperation with NATO

14:19, 19 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS: 8th session of Armenia-NATO
Interagency Coordinating Council on implementation of individual
partnership action plan took place on January 19 under the presidency
of Secretary of National Security Council of Armenia Artur
Baghdasaryan. As Armenpress was informed from NSC press service, Artur
Baghdasaryan mainly noted

`Armenia-NATO cooperation recorded positive results during 2012. 120
activities from 150 preplanned have been completed. All the events
scheduled were implemented in accordance with the plan by defence,
emergency situation, police, and national security service structures.
I would like to stress the importance of the fact that NATO has highly
evaluated works of strategic review in defence sphere, noting that our
armed forces and reforms within it meet international standards’.

Thereto, in frames of Armenia-NATO Interagency Coordinating Council on
implementation of individual partnership action plan different issues
concerning defence, emergency situation, combat against cyber-attack
as well as reforms in sphere of military education have been
discussed.