Category: 2017

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Tuesday
Deputy: If Armenia loses nuclear power, it will become a banana republic
Yerevan October 24
Alexander Avanesov. Statements by Armenian officials on the
possibility of replacing the nuclear power plant with alternative
sources of energy can not but cause concern. With such a statement on
October 24 from the rostrum of the National Assembly of the republic
made a former Prime Minister of RA, MP from the opposition faction
"Elk" ("Exit") Aram Sargsyan.
According to him, Armenia's nuclear power industry has no alternative.
The WWER reactor at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is guaranteed to
provide the republic with electricity at an affordable price. Neither
wind nor solar energy has such capabilities, and hydropower requires
large areas that the country does not have. Thermal energy gives such
an opportunity, but it is too expensive. Even Iran, possessing serious
reserves of hydrocarbon raw materials, builds atomic blocs. Moreover,
official Tehran sets itself the task of becoming a country that
produces nuclear fuel. "Armenia should have not only a nuclear power
plant but also a country that has its own uranium. There are all
technical, material, and political opportunities for the republic.
There are 34 uranium deposits in Armenia, mainly in Syunik and Vayots
Dzor. The country's participation in the International Center in
Angarsk in Russia also gives this opportunity," Aram Sargsyan said,
urging the ruling Republican Party to address this issue. "If we lose
nuclear power, we will turn into a banana republic," the deputy said.
The Armenian nuclear power plant consists of two units with Soviet
(Russian) WWER reactors. The first unit was commissioned in 1976, the
second - in 1980. In March 1989, after the Spitak earthquake, which
killed 25 thousand people, the station's work was stopped. In November
1995, in connection with the most acute energy crisis, the second
power unit of the station with a capacity of 407.5 MW was involved. In
March 2014, the Armenian government decided to extend the life of the
second power unit by 10 years - until 2026. The project is coordinated
by the subsidiary structure of the State Corporation Rosatom - JSC
Rusatom Service. Completion of work is planned for 2019. The
Government of the Russian Federation allocated a state export credit
for this purpose to Armenia for $ 270 million and a grant of $ 30
million. In March 2015, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was
established to implement the program. Up to now, five meetings of the
JCC were held.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Tuesday
Tatul Manaseryan: Significant revival and growth of Russian economy
have beneficial impact on Armenia's economy
Yerevan October 24
Tatevik Shahunyan. The significant revival and growth of the Russian
economy has a beneficial effect on the Armenian economy. Economist
Tatul Manaseryan expressed this opinion during the round table "The
Role of the Expert and Educational Community of Armenia in the
Development of Eurasian Economic Integration", adding that the
Armenian economy is gradually emerging from the protracted process of
slow and low growth.
"This is not just about transfers, but also about the possibilities
for increasing investment, and as a result - increasing jobs and
increasing incomes of the population. "These opportunities can be
multiplied by effectively implementing the command competitive
advantages of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union," the
expert said adding , that difficulties remain in the interaction
between the EAEU countries.
As a proof of his words, he cited statistical indicators. So,
according to the expert, in January - September 2017, in comparison
with the same period of the last year, business activity grew by 5.1%,
but at the same time, there were also negative trends in the Armenian
economy - there is a decline in construction, a decline in the volume
of agricultural production, etc. "According to the estimates of the
Ministry of Finance, high economic activity for eight months and
further trends make it possible to expect that in 2017 Armenia will
complete with economic growth in the corridor 4-4.8%," he said.
According to Manaseryan, Armenia's foreign trade turnover is also
growing at a rapid pace - in the nine months of 2017, this indicator
increased by21.7%, while the growth of exports of goods and services
from Armenia amounted to 19.1%, while imports increased by 23.2%.
"It is difficult to find common ground in the segment of states that
do not have complementarity in terms of the production chain, for
example, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are not connected by chains, but today
the competition between representatives of Armenian and Belarusian IT
for the market of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan is actively developing,
the marked competition will be fragmented taking into account that the
Armenian niche is a high-tech service of production complexes the
cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan, because there is a need to
develop such processes, unlike Kyrgyzstan," he stressed.
In Manaseryan's opinion, that the establishment of a free trade zone
between Iran and Armenia serving all the countries of the EAEU is of
great importance, in order to implement the advantages of cooperation
and cooperation. He said that many Russian companies are already
inclined to invest in this zone, it is interesting for Russian
business circles to participate in the work of this zone, as the
potential of not only bilateral cooperation between Russia and Armenia
but also a multilateral one with the potential to enter the Iranian
market is visible. "This cooperation is promoted by active trade and
economic ties between Armenia and Iran, Armenia registered an
unprecedented growth of exports to Iran in the first eight months of
this year - about 11.2% and will receive additional benefits." This is
an unprecedented growth, because for all the years of such growth in
Armenia According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, in
January-August of 2017, Armenia's exports to Iran amounted to $ 54.8
million, an increase of 11.2% over the same period of last year. m, we
can say that the Armenian economy is gradually emerging from a
protracted process of slow and low growth", summed up Manaseryan. It
should be noted that the roundtable was organized by the Eurasian
Economic Commission, the Eurasian Expert Club, the Research and
Analytical NGO "Integration and Development" and the Noravank
Foundation.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Tuesday
Mexican MPs visited the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh
Yerevan October 24
Alexander Avanesov. On October 24, members of the Chamber of Deputies
of the Mexican United States and the delegation of the Mexico-Armenia
friendship group Blanka Margarita Kuata Dominguez, Maria Cristina
Teresa Garcia Bravo, Carlos Hernandez Miro accompanied by the Deputy
Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Eduard
Sharmazanov visited the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh.
The guests were received by the Chairman of the National Assembly
Ashot Ghulyan. The head of the parliament noted that the Republic of
Artsakh is interested in having friendly relations with different
countries. "It is desirable for us that the first acquaintance is
systematic, I think this visit is a good beginning for our relations,"
he stressed.
Speaking about the struggle of the Artsakh people, the Deputy Speaker
of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov touched upon
the anti-Armenian propaganda of the Azerbaijani leadership and the
military actions that are periodically provoked at the contact line.
"The struggle of the Artsakh people is not a fight against Azerbaijan,
it is a struggle for their freedom and peace," Sharmazanov added.
Answering the question of the head of the delegation Blanqui Dominguez
on the reasons for restricting the freedom of Artsakh from Azerbaijan,
Ashot Ghoulian noted that thanks to the parliamentary ties it is also
possible to represent Artsakh on international sites and torpedo
anti-Armenian agitation on the part of Azerbaijan. "Our visit is an
excellent precedent for further visits by representatives of the
Mexican authorities, and we will cooperate with you, since we believe
that freedom and human rights are the highest," Blanca Dominguez said.
Stressing the importance of the meeting, Mexican MP Carlos Miro said:
"It is very important that at these meetings we raise our voice and
call for peace and dialogue."
"The Speaker of the Parliament presented the guests with the problems
that Artsakh faced on the way to positioning itself in the world. The
meeting discussed the course of state construction in Artsakh, the
structure of the parliament and inter-parliamentary ties. Summing up
the meeting, the head of the parliament expressed his hope that the
inter-parliamentary relations formed with Mexico will be deepened in
the future. "Anything at first is difficult, but you took on this
difficulty, therefore, take into account that you have a friendly
country in the person of 150 thousand people of Artsakh," Ashot
Ghulyan added. Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Vahram Balayan
and Deputy Foreign Minister Felix Khachatryan participated in the
meeting.
Then a meeting of the deputies of the Mexican United States with
representatives of the factions of the National Assembly was held.
Welcoming the guests, the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly
Vahram Balayan noted the importance of such meetings and expressed the
hope that Mexico as one of the world's most influential countries will
sympathize with the struggle of Artsakh and will help ensure that
Artsakh also became one of the world's most recognized countries.
During the meeting, Mexican MPs presented Artsakh's parliamentarians
their impressions of the visit to Artsakh, touched upon further steps
to expand bilateral relations. "Today we are physically present here,
we see a serious difference between the Artsakh that we represented
and the real Artsakh, which further obliges us to contribute to the
fact that your voice has been heard," said Maria Cristina Bravo.
Speaking about the history and culture of Artsakh, Carlos Miro
presented his observation about the similarity between the cultures of
the two countries and called it a base for further interaction. "Let
us be a part of the history of Artsakh," the Mexican deputy summed up.
"We are also looking for real freedom and know what it means to fight
for freedom," Blanca Dominguez said. The heads of the parliamentary
factions expressed readiness for further cooperation with their
Mexican counterparts and, in this context, identified certain areas.
Before the meetings in the parliament in the morning, the delegation
visited the Stepanakert Memorial Complex and laid flowers to the
monument to the soldiers who died in the Artsakh war.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Tuesday
Mexican law makers paid tribute to the memory of those who died in the
Artsakh liberation struggle
Yerevan October 24
Marianna Mkrtchyan. A delegation of Mexican deputies is on a visit to Artsakh.
According to the press service of the Armenian parliament, Mexican
deputies of Blanka Margarita Kuat Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa
Garcia Bravo, Carlos Hernandez Miron, accompanied by the Deputy
Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov visited
Stepanakert Memorial on October 24 and paid tribute to the memory of
the sons of the Armenian people who died in the Artsakh Liberation
Struggle.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Tuesday
'Freedom and human rights are above everything' – Mexican MP says
during Artsakh visit
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Members of the Parliament of Mexico
Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez, Maria Cristina Teresa Garcia Bravo,
and Carlos Hernández Mirón and Vice Speaker of Armenia’s Parliament
Eduard Sharmazanov on October 24 were hosted in the Artsakh
Parliament, the parliament told Armenpress.
The guests were welcomed by Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghoulyan who said
the Artsakh Republic is interested in having friendly relations with
different countries. He said this visit is a very good beginning for
the bilateral relations.
Speaking about the fight of the Artsakh people, Vice Speaker of the
Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov touched upon the anti-Armenian
propaganda by the Azerbaijani authorities, as well as the regular
military operations in the line of contact.
“The Artsakh people’s fight is not against Azerbaijan, their fight is
for freedom and peace”, Sharmazanov said.
In response to the question of MP Blanca Margarita Cuata Dominguez on
the reasons of restriction of Artsakh freedom by Azerbaijan, Ashot
Ghoulyan said it is possible to present Artsakh in international
platforms through parliamentary ties and ban Azerbaijan’s
anti-Armenian propaganda.
“Our visit is a very good precedent for the further visits of Mexican
officials and we are going to cooperate with you since we believe that
freedom and human rights are above everything”, Blanca Margarita Cuata
Dominguez said.
MP Carlos Hernández Mirón highlighted the importance of the meeting
and noted: “It’s very important that we raise voices during such
meetings and call for peace and dialogue”.
The meeting also touched upon the process of statebuilding in Artsakh,
the structure of the Parliament and inter-parliamentary ties.
At the end of the meeting Ashot Ghoulyan expressed hope that the
inter-parliamentary relations with Mexico will further deepen.
The meeting was also attended by Vice Speaker of the Artsakh
Parliament Vahram Balayan and Deputy Foreign Minister Felix
Khachatryan.
The Mexican lawmakers also met with the representatives of the Artsakh
parliamentary factions.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Tuesday
Armenian government makes substantial efforts to assist refugees – FM Nalbandian
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Foreign minister of Armenia Edward
Nalbandian delivered a speech at the OSCE Mediterranean conference in
Palermo, Italy, press service of the ministry told Armenpress.
Armenpress presents the full text of his speech:
“Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank Minister Alfano and his team for the
organization of this Conference.
It is widely acknowledged that the security of the OSCE area and of
the Mediterranean region is interconnected and the recent developments
came to prove the veracity of this assumption. The unprecedented large
movements of migrants and refugees across Mediterranean and Middle
East, in particular from Syria and Iraq require close regional
cooperation in order to address such security related issues as
combating terrorism, countering trafficking, dignified treatment of
refugees, to name a few.
From Syria alone Armenia has harbored about 22.000 refugees, on per
capita basis making our country the third largest recipient of Syrian
refugees in Europe. This has caused a number of challenges for a
country of just 3 million which has in the recent past already
received hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from Azerbaijan.
Many of the Syrian Armenian refugees are descendants of the survivors
of the Armenian Genocide who found shelter in Syria. One hundred years
passed, they were forced once again to abandon their places of
residence. Thus, Armenians know what it means to be a refugee and to
host refugees.
The Government of Armenia has undertaken substantial efforts in
assisting the refugees and facilitating their integration. We offered
wide variety of protection tools such as accelerated asylum
procedures, facilitated naturalization, emergency and medical
assistance, housing, scholarships, simplified access to educational
institutions and labor market, flexible taxation and business
environment. We are grateful for certain international support
provided to Armenia in this regard and look forward for the continued
cooperation.
Armenia has also tried to reach out to the people who need assistance
in Syria by continuous provision of humanitarian aid. The Consulate
General of Armenia in Aleppo has been the only diplomatic mission in
the city that despite challenging conditions has never stopped
operating.
It goes without saying that comprehensive response to the large
movements of migrants and refugees requires addressing root causes of
this phenomenon, such as terrorism and identity based crimes. Armenia
was among the first in the OSCE to raise these issues and strongly
advocate for the strengthening of the OSCE commitments in this regard.
The condemnation of persecutions of individuals and communities,
including on the basis of their religion or belief, bringing to
justice those who participate in perpetrating terrorist acts,
preventing cross-border movement of foreign fighters, weapons, funds
connected to the terrorist activities are important parts of the OSCE
commitments enshrined in the Hamburg ministerial declaration on
terrorism. We are convinced in the continuation of the OSCE efforts in
this regard.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to inform you on the upcoming OSCE conference on
“Countering and preventing hate crimes against Christians and members
of other religious groups,” to be held in Yerevan on November 22. The
participation and contribution of our Mediterranean partners will be
welcome.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Historically the Mediterranean has been not a natural barrier dividing
Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but rather a bridge linking so
many civilizations, Armenians among them, thriving on its hospitable
shores. We strongly believe that these traditions should be further
strengthened”.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Tuesday
Armenian, Russian transportation ministers test new Yerevan-Gyumri train
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The ministers of transportation of
Armenia and Russia – Vahan Martirosyan and Maxim Sokolov – tested the
new train which was earlier supplied from Russia to operate the
Yerevan-Gyumri route.
Vahan Martirosyan, minister of transportation, communication and
information technologies of Armenia, told reporters that they are
testing the train to understand what issues might emerge in the relief
conditions and whether or not the train requires modernization.
“The Yerevan-Gyumri route has been chosen because the majority of
passenger transportations are made to Gyumri today. In addition, the
government has a program relating to the development of tourism in
Gyumri. We had announced that it will being functioning in February,
but we hope it will start sooner”, he said.
Russia’s minister of transportation Maxim Sokolov said the train is
rather convenient and complies with all modern requirements.
“This summer the first Vice President of Russian Railways Alexander
Misharin visited Armenia. On the sidelines of the visit, the
modernization of the South Caucasian Railway fleet was discussed with
the Armenian Prime Minister. Later the transportation and
communication minister called me and requested to speech up the
process. As you can see, the train is in Armenia. I’d like to express
gratitude for the team work”, he said.

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Tuesday
"Impossible to pull trigger with one hand, negotiate with the other",
President Sargsyan on NK conflict
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is following the serious
military-political processes which are happening not far from its
borders, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in his speech at the
National Defense Research University’s session on October 24.
“I presented my principle approaches over the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict recently at the UN General Assembly. I don’t see the need to
repeat what I’ve said there. Nevertheless, I’d like to emphasize
several circumstances.
First, at this phase we do not have a goal to solve or put forward a
military task in Artsakh. We have solved the task of protecting the
civilian population of Artsakh from the adversary’s indiscriminate
gunfire, and we have solved it long ago. The peaceful settlement of
the conflict, among other conditions, must completely exclude any
military threat towards the peaceful population of Artsakh.
Second, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict indeed has no military solution.
Therefore it is impossible to pull the trigger with one hand, and to
negotiation with the other hand for finding this solution. We either
negotiation or we shoot. We are ready for both”, the President said.
The President emphasized that the negotiations should take place in
conditions of mutual trust via gun silence. Serzh Sargsyan mentioned
that by achieving short-term tactical or propaganda advantage, neither
of the sides solves any significant issue for itself. On the contrary,
the provocations make the serious negotiations simply impossible.
“Here I’d like to make a small deviation from the topic and say that
honestly a very strange situation has been created for me, when after
the Geneva talks the Azerbaijani side is attempting to emphasize with
a special cruelty that I have violated some kind of agreements. It is
honestly strange, and I am waiting for our next meeting very
impatiently in order to ask my colleague what had angered him.
Moreover, those who talk are people who shouldn’t have absolutely any
information about our conversation, because it was the two of us
talking, and If we had an agreement on non-disclosure, then how did
his assistants, or, I don’t know, deputies and others get acquainted
with the topic? I reassure you I haven’t said a single word from our
conversation anywhere. And what did I say at the meeting with the
Armenian community of Switzerland? I said that no Armenian leader can
sign a document which can put at risk the security of Nagorno
Karabakh. Secondly, I said that Karabakh must not be part of
Azerbaijan. And third, I said that the Azerbaijani President is also
concerned over the safety and fatalities of his soldiers. Is there
anything new here? I repeated what I’ve been saying for 20 years, what
we are talking about for 25 years. Meaning, if it seemed to anyone
that if we negotiate in Geneva, adopted a statement that the tension
must be reduced, it doesn’t mean that striving for Karabakh’s
independence should also reduce. Honestly, it is very strange for me”,
the President said.
The President said that Armenia does not carry out, and won’t carry
out revenge and collective punishment actions. Nevertheless, the
President warned that for every military loss, a compensation action
against the soldiers of the other side will take place.
“The third group of my points is about our ideology. The Nagorno
Karabakh conflict doesn’t have an ethnic or religious nature. We don’t
have any problems neither with the Azerbaijani people, nor moreover
with Islam. We are convinced that the Azerbaijani people want peace,
it is simply necessary to put this desire onto the right track”, the
President said.
He reminded that since the very first day of the Artsakh Liberation
Movements, the Armenian side did everything within the then-active
laws and international rights. “We really proceeded by carrying out
all actions in compliance with the then-active USSR law and
international rights. I don’t how to what extent we must be grateful
to our senior friends who were able to instill this right idea in us.
And it is because of this that we clearly say that the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict differs from all conflicts in the post-Soviet
territory, not only because the origins of the conflicts are
different, but first of all because everything was done within the
laws and rights”, he said.

The Brown Daily Herald: Brown University
 Tuesday
Greg Asbed '85 named MacArthur Fellow
by Dylan Clark
The MacArthur Foundation
Greg Asbed '85 plans to channel the funds from the grant into the
Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a farmworker-based human rights
organization located in Immokalee, Florida, that he founded.
Greg Asbed '85 was recently named one of this year's 24 MacArthur
Fellows. The achievement, often referred to as the "genius grant,"
comes with an award of $625,000 spread over five years. The money is
awarded based on three main criteria: "exceptional creativity, promise
for important future advances based on a track record of significant
accomplishments (and) potential for the fellowship to facilitate
subsequent creative work," according to the MacArthur Foundation
website.
The MacArthur Fellows Program has been active since 1981.
Approximately 1,000 people have been recognized as MacArthur Fellows,
19 of whom have been affiliated with the University. Each fellow is
nominated by individuals selected by the foundation. Approximately
2,000 nominees are further reviewed by a selection board before the
final few are chosen and notified of their award.
Asbed received the call notifying him of the award the day before
Hurricane Irma hit Florida, and he "was busy screwing plywood over our
windows when it came in, which made it all the more surreal," Asbed
wrote in an email to The Herald.
Though the money was granted directly to Asbed, he plans on funneling
all of the funds into the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the
organization he founded over two decades ago.
The CIW is a "farmworker-based human rights organization" that,
through advocacy, corporate campaigns, anti-slavery investigations and
community organizing, addresses the human rights crises in the
agricultural industry, Asbed wrote. His wife, Laura Germino '84,
directs the organization's anti-slavery program.
In 2011, the CIW - located in Immokalee, Florida - developed a
corporate responsibility campaign called the Fair Food Program. The
FFP has partnered with 14 multi-billion dollar companies - including
McDonald's, Walmart and Whole Foods, among others - that require their
produce suppliers to implement a human-rights-based code of conduct.
In addition, these companies agree to pay an extra penny per pound of
produce purchased from suppliers, which go directly into the farmers'
paychecks, according to the CIW's website.
The FFP has "put a stop to longstanding abuses like violence against
women, wage theft and even forced labor in the Florida tomato
industry," Asbed wrote. The program has been adopted by other groups
along the U.S. east coast and is "expanding into strawberries and
other crops, covering 35,000 (people) with its groundbreaking
protections," he added.
"Brown graduates make transformative contributions that build
understanding, influence policy and advance important movements that
are shaping the world," wrote Brian Clark, University spokesperson, in
an email to The Herald. "The work by ... Greg Asbed and Laura Germino
...  is among the most extraordinary examples of this - the MacArthur
Fellowship is testament to the tremendous impact they have had
advocating for the rights to fair working conditions for farm
laborers."
Asbed's work has been influenced in "a very round-about way" by his
time at Brown, he wrote.
Graduating with a degree in Neuroscience, Asbed planned on joining the
field after college. His education instilled in him the "willingness
to throw a beloved theory, or ideology or methodology away and to
focus only on what actually works, (which) is a hallmark of the hard
sciences, but not so much of the field of social change," Asbed said.
His plans changed after he spent three years in Haiti working for the
Papaye Peasant Movement, a grass-roots organization that aims to
support workers and reduce their dependency on outside aid.
Asbed cited the story of his grandmother, who survived the Armenian
Genocide, as another reason for his passion toward human rights.
"Through her struggle to survive that nightmare, she managed not only
to pass her DNA down to me but also a deep and abiding appreciation
for the importance of universal human rights," he wrote.
Asbed was nominated as a MacArthur Fellow by Kerry Kennedy '81 P'17
P'20, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights - an organization
that provides assistance to other human rights groups around the
world. They worked together after the CIW won the RFK Human Rights
Award in 2003.
"We were so deeply impressed by the transformational work that ...
they were doing to empower farmworkers," Kennedy said.
RFK Human Rights went on to help the CIW secure partnerships for the
FFP. "I've marched with them all over the country," Kennedy added.
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ITAR-TASS. Russia
 Tuesday 2:42 PM GMT
Russia ready to cooperate with Armenia in agricultural machinery deliveries - PM
EREVAN October 24
HIGHLIGHT: Russia is ready to broaden cooperation with Armenia in
terms of agricultural machinery deliveries, Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev said on Tuesday.
/Update/
EREVAN, October 24. /TASS/. Russia is ready to broaden cooperation
with Armenia in terms of agricultural machinery deliveries, Prime
Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.
"We are ready to continue working on supplies of agricultural
machinery products," the prime minister said. "I believe we have vast
opportunities in this area," he said.
Fruits and juices from Armenia enjoy demand in Russia, Medvedev said.
The food embargo currently effective in Russia is positive for the
increase in deliveries from member-states of the Eurasian Economic
Union, including Armenia, he noted.
"We do not have major greenhouse and processing projects so far. We
should definitely deal with that," Medvedev said.