DPA-AFX International ProFeed, Germany Friday 11:30 PM GMT Two Germans women killed in knife attack at Egyptian resort By Walid Zaki and Ramadan Al-Fatash, dpa CAIRO (dpa-AFX) - Two German women were killed Friday in a knife attack on foreign tourists in the Egyptian Red Sea town of Hurghada, a state agency confirmed. The attack at a resort in Hurghada also injured four other foreigners, the State Information Service added without revealing their nationalities. Private newspaper al-Shorouk, citing a health official, said the four injured were two Armenians, a Czech and a Ukrainian. The four were in stable condition, Naglaa Shata, the health undersecretary in Red Sea province, told the newspaper. A security source earlier told dpa those killed in the attack were two female Ukrainians. The German Foreign Ministry said earlier it could not rule out the possibility that Germans were among the victims. 'We don't have any certainty about that yet,' the ministry said in a statement. 'We condemn this cowardly and malicious act that seemed to have targeted specifically tourists, who wanted to spend a recreational time at the beach.' In an initial report, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said six tourists of different nationalities were injured in the attack. The ministry said all the victims were women. The attacker was immediately arrested and was being questioned about his motive, the ministry added without details The man, believed to be in his mid-20s, had sneaked into the hotel by swimming from a nearby beach. An image posted online purportedly showed the attacker being held by hotel employees inside an iron cart. Egypt's tourism industry, a main source of national income, has been in the doldrums since the 2011 uprising against long-time dictator Hosny Mubarak. The industry suffered a serious blow in 2015 when a Russian passenger jet broke up in mid-air shortly after taking off from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board. Russia said the crash was caused by a bomb, and banned flights to Russia from Egyptian airports in response. The Islamic State extremist group, which operates in Sinai, claimed to have downed the plane. Egypt has seen a spate of deadly attacks since the army's 2013 overthrow of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi following massive protests against his rule. The attacks have mainly targeted security forces and Egypt's minority Christians. Earlier Friday, five policemen were killed in an attack near Cairo. Three unknown men on a motorcycle opened fire at a security patrol vehicle killing the five, the Interior Ministry said. The attack took place in the area of al-Badrashein, in Giza province, around 40 kilometres south of Cairo. The assailants escaped. So far, there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. Similar attacks were claimed by the self-styled militant Hasm group that police say is affiliated with the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood from which Morsi hails.
Category: 2017
25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Vietnam
Economic News Friday 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Vietnam OREANDA-NEWS. On July 14, Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, and Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, exchanged letters on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Edward Nalbandian notes in his message that during the past quarter of a century the two countries have established genuine partnership and maintained mutually beneficial cooperation on wide range of issues. Foreign Minister Nalbandian underlines that Armenia highly values the cooperation with Vietnam, expressing confidence that through joint efforts it will be possible to explore the full potential of collaboration and further expand Armenian-Vietnamese friendly relations. Concluding the letter, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia wishes a prosperity and progress to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and continuous development of the Armenian-Vietnamese relations.
Gulen is facing extradition by Trump – he should read up about his Turkey first – Fisk
The Independent - Daily Edition Friday Gulen is facing extradition by Trump - he should read up about his Turkey first A new book laying bare the Turkish regime's collaboration with Isis and its systematic campaign against the Kurds is a frightening read - particularly so for one US-based imam ROBERT FISK MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT Fethullah Gulen says he has no intention of fleeing America if Donald Trump is going to extradite him to Turkey. But the Muslim cleric might like to read a new book before he obliges the Turkish President by climbing aboard a plane for Ankara or Istanbul. Accused of fomenting the attempted coup almost exactly a year ago, he has a touching faith in Turkish justice which has organised the arrest of 50,000 Turks for involvement in the "terrorist" crime. For Ezgi Ba??aran's Frontline Turkey: The Conflict at the Heart of the Middle East - published by that ever loyal imprint of IB Tauris, a true friend of the region - reveals a shocking story of police brutality, torture and Turkish secret police crime and involvement with Isis. It's also not very nice about Fethullah Gulen himself. Born in Erzerum in 1942, he became a cleric, one of the founders of the "association for fighting communism" - which might appeal to Donald Trump - but Gulenist schools, attended at first by poor children, prepared their pupils to occupy as many posts as possible in the country's judiciary, police and military. This is Ba??aran's contention, and she backs it up with a revealing quotation from Gulen used in an indictment that accuses him of trying to topple the secular state in 1999 and which doesn't sound very democratic. "You must move in the arteries of the system without anyone noticing your existence until you reach all the central powers," he said, according to his charge sheet. "You must wait until such time until you have got all the state power, until you have brought to your side all the power of the constitutional institutions of Turkey???" When he realised he might be arrested in 1999, Gulen failed to obtain a preference visa to the US because, according to the Americans, he was not an "educator", as he claimed, but "the leader of a large and influential religious and political movement with immense commercial holdings". But he got a US green card with three reference letters - from a former US ambassador to Turkey and two ex-CIA officials. So while Gulen looks like a rather cuddly imam, spending his twilight years in American retirement, he has built up an extraordinary system of Islamic schools and charities in the US, UK and Turkey worth billions of dollars - and represented himself as a humble servant of God with moderate ideas. His own movement subsequently withdrew a book on the Turkish market (My Little World) in which, according to Ba??aran, he justifies wife-beating, "albeit as a last resort", describes Christianity as "perverted" and characterises America as "our merciless enemy" - not the kind of quote to get you a green card. Ba??aran is a journalist who was editor of Radikal - it sometimes ran my own articles, but was closed in 2016 - and her speciality is the Kurds. And Erdogan. And now Isis. She writes that "the new [sic] Turkey" under Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) is "rushing headlong towards an authoritarian regime and a new, darker Middle East after the hope of the Arab Spring". The solution to what is happening in the Middle East is "directly related to Turkey's 40-year-old Kurdish problem and how the Turkish government chooses to deal with it". Ba??aran's survey of Kurdish history is both familiar and instructive. The Kurdish people were supposed to get a state after the First World War. The Americans declined to accept the League of Nations mandate for "Kurdistan" - let's see if they betray them again after the capture of Raqqa - although it's interesting to be reminded that the original map of Turkey drawn by Ataturk included Mosul, Kirkuk and Suliemaniya because these three now Iraqi cities were Kurdish "and Kurds and Turks were inseparable". Hence Erdogan's interest in pushing his army into northern Syria and into Iraq outside Mosul. Clearly, someone has pulled the old map out of the archives. Ataturk, in fact, talked about autonomy for some Kurdish areas since they had fought with the Turks in the First World War - they also helped to perpetrate the genocide of the Armenians in 1915, although Ba??aran makes scarcely a mention of this. In a protocol drawn up by Ataturk and the still existing Ottoman parliament in 1919, the first article accepted the principle of Kurdish autonomy and recognised the national and social rights of the Kurds. It was kept secret until the 1960s. But a gradual "Turkification" of the country took away these rights. The Kurds revolted 28 times between 1923 and 1938 and the government began a "resettlement" of the Kurdish people. It was not surprising that Hitler admired Ataturk. Indeed, in the last months of Ataturk's life, his military attacked Dersim, a rebellious and mainly Kurdish and Alawite town in south-eastern Turkey where, in the words of one Turkish politician and lawyer, "we annexed Dersim by annihilating it". One of the pilots assaulting Dersim was Sabiha Gokcen, Ataturk's stepdaughter, the only woman to fly a combat aircraft. She returned home a hero. Erdogan, of course, is no Ataturk fan. He wants to return to the glorious days of the Ottoman Empire and this week declared on the BBC that the EU is not "indispensable" to Turkey. And thank heavens for that! But Ba??aran says that the government "intentionally built an explosive triangle of Isis, Kurds and Turks". The PKK, the Kurdish Workers Party, embarked on a ferocious war against the Turkish army and police, but the authorities proceeded with a "de-Kurdification" of Turkish Kurdistan. By 1986, for example, 2,842 out of 3,524 Kurdish villages had been given Turkish names. The Brits tried that in Ireland more than 100 years ago. We know the result. Watch Brian Friel's play Translations. Initially, Gulen backed Erdogan. And it was during this period that Gulenist newspapers were filled with stories about army officers planning a coup. The evidence appears to have been fabricated. Three hundred stood trial. The case was dismissed - after Gulen had done a bunk to the United States. In 2013, Gulen's movement leaked tapes of a corruption scandal including leading government figures. Erdogan called this an attempt at a "civilian coup". Trials began which labelled Gulen a "terrorist". But the AKP was in the ridiculous situation of being the ones who had put Gulenists into key positions to prevent a secular state. AKP members would also have to be put on trial. If Gulen is indeed extradited, his trial will be well worth attending; he will have much to say. In 2014, the Isis siege of the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani began and the Kurds immediately suspected that Erdogan was more interested in destroying them than destroying Isis. The PYD (Democratic Unionist Party, part of the PKK) were surrounded but the Turkish government newspaper Sabah was already saying that the PYD was "more dangerous than Isis". The Kurds were outraged. They suspected that Turkey was arming Isis - and proved it when the Turkish police stopped four lorries sent to the border by the Turkish intelligence service, carrying up to 30 missiles, more than 20 crates of mortar ammunition and anti-aircraft guns. Erdogan said he would make the editor of Cumhiryet - who had revealed the arms smuggling operation - "pay a heavy price". Not the act of an innocent man, least of all one who claimed this week that Turkey doesn't imprison journalists. Turkey kept its border open until Kurdish forces took control of Til Abyad in mid-2015, which cut the Isis supply route to Raqqa. So Isis began to attack Kurds in Turkey. Ba??aran's newspaper Radikal began to expose the connections. The Kurds had warned that an Isis assault team of 100 men had been sent to Turkey. Their warning was ignored by the government. It was true. The paper published a series of interviews with parents in Adiyaman whose sons had gone to Syria as "jihadis". In Diyarbabkir, a bomb killed five people. The bomber was Orhan Gonder, whose parents Radikal had interviewed in Adiyaman. At the heart of the Adiyaman cell, Radikal discovered, was a teahouse called the "Islam Cayevi". The government did not want to know. There was another suicide bombing in Suruc: 34 dead. The bomber was 20-year-old Seyh Abdurrahman Alagoz from Adiyaman. His father went to the police when he originally vanished from his home. They didn't want to know. Alagoz's brother Yunus was manager of the tea house. Ba??aran warned in her Radikal column that more attacks were coming. In October 2015, a bomber exploded himself at a peace rally in Ankara, killing 107. One of the bombers was Yunus Alagoz, the brother of the Suruc bomber and owner of the teahouse. It is a fascinating, frightening story, journalism bringing all the connections together. So now the Turkish-Kurdish war goes on, Gulen is ready for his extradition and Isis appears to be free to stage its suicide attacks in Turkey. After Aleppo and Mosul - and Raqqa soon, I suppose - it's easy to take our eyes off Turkey. Even America has earned Erdogan's rebuke by staging air strikes to help the surrounded Kurds of Kobani. Watch this space. And read this book.
Sports: Marca names Mkhitaryan pretender to Europa League Player of the Year
MediaMax, Armenia
The periodical reviews the Armenian player’s first season at the club, touching on his goals in the Europa League.
Marca also points out that Henrikh Mkhitaryan will play in the Champions League this season after “shining” in the Europa League. The article remarks that Mkhitaryan will be an important player for Jose Mourinho in the new season.
Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 in the Europa League final, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring the winner. He became the first Armenian footballer to play and score in a European cup final.
The fan vote on UEFA website declared Mkhitaryan the best player of the final.
In total, the Armenian midfielder played 11 games and scored 6 goals in the 2016/17 Europa League.
The jury consists of coaches of clubs in the 2016/17 group stages of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, together with 55 journalists from the European Sports Media (ESM) group representing each of UEFA’s member associations. Coaches are not allowed to vote for players from their own team.
Western Prelacy News – 7/14/17
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate 6252 Honolulu Avenue La Crescenta, CA 91214 Tel: (818) 248-7737 Fax: (818) 248-7745 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.westernprelacy.org PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY AT HOLY CROSS CATHEDRAL IN MONTEBELLO - REQUEIM SERVICE FOR ARCHBISHOP SUMBAT LAPAJIAN On Sunday, July 16, 2017 H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will preside over Divine Liturgy and deliver the sermon at Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello. At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the Prelate will preside over requiem service in memory of Archbishop Sumbat Lapajian on the 7th anniversary of his passing. *** PRELATE DELIVERS OPENING MESSAGE AT ARS 96TH REGIONAL CONVENTION On Friday, , the Armenian Relief Society's 96th Regional Convention convened at Homenetmen Glendale "Ararat" Chapter's center. The three-day convention will review the organization's biennial activities and draft endeavors for the new term. H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, accompanied by Vicar General, Very Rev. Fr. Torkom Donoyan, attended and delivered the opening message. In attendance were ARF Western Region Central Committee member Garo Ispenjian, ARS Central Executive members Nyree Derderian, Rita Hintlian, and Maral Matossian, members of the Regional Executive and chapters, delegates, and guests. His Eminence began his message by greeting the members of the Central and Regional Executives, delegates, and honored guests and wishing for productive deliberations as they assess past activities and lay the groundwork for future endeavors. The Prelate lauded the subsequent generations of diligent members who have served in the ranks of the worthy organization to provide for the needs of our compatriots in need and in crisis with a loving and compassionate heart, with the full awareness that the wellbeing of our larger collective family is as important as the wellbeing of their individual families. "We are assured that the ARS will continue to thrive and endure owing to its dedicated members and generous supporters," he stated. The Prelate recalled that the Prelacy honored ARS members on the occasions of the Year of Service, stating, "Indeed you are worthy of every commendation and appreciation," and stated that this year, the Year of Renewal, is an invitation to all, individuals and organizations alike, to renew our faith in our Lord and our Church, and to renew our commitment to serving our nation and our homeland. Finally, His Eminence again commended the exemplary service of ARS members for the benefit of our people and nation, and wished them continued successes in their valuable work. Remarks were delivered by Western Regional Executive Chair Mrs. Rebecca Berberian, Mr. Ispenjian, and Mrs. Matossian. ***
The AGBU Performing Arts Department Holds Benefit Concert for Music Schools in Nagorno-Karabakh
AGBU Press Office 55 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022-1112 Website: www.agbu.org PRESS RELEASE Friday, THE AGBU PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT HOLDS BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MUSIC SCHOOLS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH On June 14, the AGBU Performing Arts Department held a benefit concert for music schools in Nagorno-Karabakh entitled "What Have You Done for Artsakh?" at the Yamaha Piano Salon in New York. The performers included mezzo-soprano Solange Merdinian; violinist Sami Merdinian; as well as pianist and AGBU Performing Arts Department director Hayk Arsenyan, and boasted a varied program with traditional Armenian pieces and lullabies alongside Argentine tangos and Afro-Cuban dances. The concert, which raised nearly $4,000 to purchase instruments for music schools in Nagorno-Karabakh, is part of a series of benefit concerts initiated by the Armenian Ministry of Diaspora and launched by AGBU Buenos Aires in May through the efforts of AGBU Buenos Aires vice president Antonio Sarafian and artistic director of the series, duduk player Gagik Gasparyan. Concerts have been held in three cities across Argentina, the proceeds from which have already been used to buy three school pianos. Concerts are scheduled for São Paulo, Brazil on July 27 as well as Yerevan, Armenia on September 22 in collaboration with the National Folk Instrument Ensemble and the Armenian State Dance Ensemble. During the week of the concert, from September 18 to 23, an art exhibition will be held at Yerevan City Hall to raise money for the cause. The goal of the series is to purchase more than 250 instruments for schools. "Being part of this incredible project means a lot to me personally. Concerts like this one remind us of how lucky we are to be using our music and passion to contribute to bettering society, to making the world a better place. While I was playing, I felt a stronger connection to my roots and ancestors who sacrificed so much and went through all kinds of hardship so our generation could have a better life. In a way, this concert symbolizes my gratitude to them, to all Armenians around the world, for keeping our identity and culture alive. When we work together, we are stronger. I'm humbled to be a part of this world concert tour and team of musicians who are donating their talent to bring smiles to children and contribute to a brighter future in Artsakh," said Sami Merdinian. For more information on the AGBU Performing Arts Department, please visit . Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians around the world. For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.
AGBU Armenia Launches EU-Funded BRIDGE4CSOs Program
AGBU Press Office 55 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022-1112 Website: www.agbu.org PRESS RELEASE Friday, AGBU ARMENIA LAUNCHES EU-FUNDED BRIDGE4CSOs PROGRAM NEW PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY WILL ENGAGE DIASPORA EXPERTISE TO HELP ARMENIAN NON-PROFITS PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES On June 26, AGBU Armenia officially launched its BRIDGE4CSOs program implemented in collaboration with the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and financed by the European Union. The three-year, 2.2 million euro program aims to help Armenian civil society organizations (CSOs) enhance their skills and deepen their knowledge by tapping into the expertise of the diaspora. With more than 5,000 NGOs registered in Armenia, the lack of funding along with the lack of professional skills often hinder the sustainability of the non-profit sector, leaving many CSOs inactive. Charities, associations, CSOs, and foundations address the needs of the citizens in many different areas, ranging from education and youth and women empowerment to culture and health. BRIDGE's main goal is to strengthen the capacity of the Armenian nonprofit sector to effectively contribute to decision-making processes in Armenia and to better respond to citizen's needs. The program started by building a database of CSOs and conducting their needs assessments. The more than 200 Armenian non-profits and experts surveyed have stated that they are more and more willing to acquire new skills and better knowledge. This is where BRIDGE truly helps by providing funding and expertise, and finding the most relevant pro bono consultants from the diaspora to help local organizations on a specific project or task. As the first step in the program's implementation, BRIDGE4CSOs conducted sector-related professional needs assessments of more than 200 Armenian non-profits and experts working in the fields of education, healthcare, art and culture, sports, youth and gender issues. The research findings revealed that Armenian CSOs are willing to become more professional, and believe that peer-to-peer trainings, on-site consultations and coaching are among the most efficient methods to improve their skills. Most of the CSOs also consider social entrepreneurship as key to self-sustainability and are looking for more opportunities to form networks and consortia to experience exchange and to build links with overseas organizations working in the same area. Through the program, Armenian CSOs will have the opportunity to participate in thematic trainings and a university-based, non-profit management certificate program; benefit from free consultations; and apply for small grants. ''Bringing the expertise of diaspora Armenians to Armenian CSOs is a win-win situation for all," said head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski. "As a global Armenian organization, AGBU is committed to strengthening civil society in Armenia by shaping its resilience, sustainability and impact," said Vasken Yacoubian, President of AGBU Armenia. A unique component of the program is the engagement of diaspora talent and potential in the development of the Armenian non-profit sector. "Through our program, any qualified individual can be a consultant, become a board member of a local organization, conduct a specific training or workshop, become a supporter of a non-profit's projects and thus contribute to diaspora involvement in advancing Armenian civil society," said Arsen Stepanyan, the team leader of the BRIDGE4CSOs program. A free, web-based Together4Armenia.am platform, jointly managed by AGBU Armenia and UNICEF in Armenia, will allow for the transfer of knowledge and skills from a network of experts based in the diaspora. Experts and CSOs can register on this platform, and the BRIDGE4CSOs team will then match them. BRIDGE4CSOs is not limited to three years as it intends to enact a new approach to linking Armenia and the diaspora. A tool for change-making in the long term, the program expects to turn a new page for the Armenian world at large with EU support. For more information on BRIDGE4CSOs project, please visit . Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians around the world. For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 07/14/2017
Friday, Sarkisian `Satisfied' With Armenian Military Arsenal . Artak Hambardzumian Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian speaks at a meeting with Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian (L) and other officials in Dilijan, 13Jul2017. President Serzh Sarkisian has insisted that the Armenian military has enough modern armaments to cope with security threats to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Meeting with military personnel, government officials and public figures in the resort town of Dilijan on Thursday, Sarkisian clarified his controversial 2016 remark that Armenian soldiers are "fighting with weapons from the 1980s." "Firstly, the context [of the statement] was a bit different," he said in televised remarks publicized by his office on Friday. "Secondly, there is not a single army in the world that possesses all modern types of weaponry. Neither the American army nor the Russian army nor any other army can claim to have all the modern weapons because no army, no state can gain them [at once.] "But every army needs to have sufficient weaponry in order to be able to accomplish its tasks. That is evaluated in its entirety. On top of that are soldiers' skills. Today our army possesses not the most advanced armaments # but sufficient weaponry and ammunition to achieve objectives set for it." "A sufficient quantity and quality of weapons and ammunition plus intelligent and resilient fighters: this is the formula for success which I don't doubt," added Sarkisian. He did not disclose news types of weapons which Armenia has acquired in recent months. Armenia - The Armenian army demonstrates Buk air-defense systems recently acquired from Russia as well as S-300 surface-to-air missiles during a parade in Yerevan, 21Sep2016. Two years ago, Russia allocated a $200 million loan to Armenia which is being spent on the purchase of more Russian weapons at internal Russian prices that are below market-based levels. The Russian government subsequently publicized a long list of items which the Armenian side is allowed to buy with that money. It includes, among other things, the Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, TOS-1A heavy flamethrowers, anti-tank weapons and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. The arms supplies envisaged by the loan agreement appear to have begun last year. According to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, Russia delivered 300 air-defense systems to Armenia in 2016. Those most probably were shoulder-fired Igla and Verba systems. In late 2015 or early 2016, the Armenian military also acquired advanced Russian Iskander missiles. The acquisition was apparently not covered by the low-interest Russian credit. Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian said in January that Yerevan is planning more arms acquisitions in addition to the $200 million defense contracts signed with Moscow. He gave no details. Russia has long been Armenia's number one arms supplier, reflecting close militaries ties between the two states. Membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has enabled Armenia to receive Russian weapons at discounted prices or even for free. IMF Lauds Armenian Reform Efforts U.S. - The International Monetary Fund logo is seen inside its headquarters at the end of the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington, U.S., October 9, 2016. The International Monetary Fund has praised the Armenian government's efforts to improve the domestic business environment, reform tax administration and attract more foreign investment, saying that is essential for speeding up economic growth. In a statement released late on Thursday, the IMF reported details of a June 23 meeting of its Executive Board that discussed the macroeconomic situation in Armenia and reforms announced by Prime Minister Karen Karapetian's cabinet. "[IMF] directors called for continued efforts to advance structural reforms to foster sustainable and inclusive growth," read the statement. "They underscored the need to promote private sector development and diversify the economy by attracting [foreign direct investment.] In this context, they welcomed the authorities' growth-promoting initiatives to improve the business environment, encourage competition, and strengthen governance." The IMF board also praised government efforts to combat tax evasion and improve tax administration, saying that they have already translated into a sizable rise in tax revenue. Its overall assessment of government policies is in tune with statements made by an IMF team that visited Yerevan on a two-week mission in April. The mission chief, Hossein Samiei, told reporters that Karapetian's cabinet is "reform-minded and committed to improving the structural environment." Karapetian has repeatedly pledged to create "equal conditions" for all business since he was named prime minister in September. Opposition politicians dismiss the premier's ambitious reform agenda, however. They say, in particular, that wealthy businesspeople close to the government continue to enjoy a monopoly on lucrative imports of essential goods and commodities. The IMF board stood by higher economic growth rates that were forecast for Armenia by the Washington-based Fund earlier. "With improving outlook in major trading partners and a pickup in private sector activity, real GDP is projected to grow by around 3 percent in 2017, while inflation would reach around 2 percent by end-2017," it said. "Medium-term growth is projected at 3.5-4 percent." "Nevertheless, there are risks: the recent recovery in remittances and copper prices may not endure, and growth in key trading partners could be weaker than expected," it warned. The government expects that the Armenian economy will expand by at least 3.2 percent this year. In its policy program approved by parliament last month, it committed itself to ensuring that annual growth accelerates to around 5 percent in the following years. Economic activity in Armenia was largely stagnant last year amid a continuing recession in Russia, the country's leading trading partner and the main source of multimillion-dollar remittances from Armenian migrant workers. Yerevan `Still Wants' New Nuclear Plant . Sargis Harutyunyan Armenia - A general view of the Metsamor nuclear plant, 20May2013. The Armenian government has not abandoned its ambitious plans to build a new nuclear power station in place of the aging plant at Metsamor, Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielian claimed on Friday. President Serzh Sarkisian pledged to replace Metsamor, which generates roughly a third of Armenia's electricity, by a modern and more powerful facility meeting safety standards shortly after taking office in 2008. The project never got off the drawing board as his government failed to attract an estimated $5 million needed for the new plant's construction. The government decided instead to extend the life of Metsamor's 420-megawatt reactor by 10 years, until 2027. Russia is playing a key role in this endeavor, having provided Armenia with a $270 million loan and a $30 million grant in 2015. The money is due to be mainly spent on the purchase of Russian nuclear equipment and additional safety measures that will be taken at the Soviet-era facility located 35 kilometers west of Yerevan. "If we start the new nuclear plant's construction now it will not be timely," Gabrielian told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).Work on the plant might only get underway in 2022 or 2023, he said. The government initially planned that the new plant would have a design capacity of 1,000 megawatts. In Gabrielian's words, it now believes that 600 megawatts is a more realistic and cost-effective target. "In the coming years much smaller and cheaper nuclear plants will start going into service [around the world] in 50-megawatt blocks," the vice-premier went on. They could represent an even cheaper option for Armenia, he said. Visiting Armenia in April 2016,the first deputy head of Russia's state nuclear energy agency Rosatom, Kirill Komarov, said that the authorities in Yerevan have yet to come up with convincing "economic grounds" for implementing the expensive project. Two Armenians Wounded In Egyptian Beach Resort Attack Egypt - The entrance to one of two beach resorts in Hurghada where a stabbing attack occurred on . Two Armenian nationals were wounded on Friday in a mass stabbing in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada which left two other foreign tourists dead. News reports said an Egyptian man stabbed two German women to death and wounded two other tourists at a local hotel and then swam to a neighboring beach to attack at least two more people at the Sunny Days El Palacio resort before he was arrested. The motive for his attack was not immediately known. The Egyptian Interior Ministry said that the wounded tourists were rushed to a local hospital. The security manager at the El Palacio hotel told Reuters that two of them are Armenians. Armenia's Foreign Ministry confirmed that, citing information received from the Armenian Embassy in Cairo. "The Embassy has contacted the injured Armenian citizens," it said on its Twitter page. "Their life is not in danger. Medical aid is provided." The ministry spokesman, Tigran Balayan, tweeted separately that "the attacker was neutralized with the help of our wounded citizen." The stabbings came hours after five Egyptian police officers were shot to death in Cairo's twin city of Giza. Twenty-three Egyptian troops were killed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula a week ago, in an assault claimed by the so-called Islamic State militant group. The Foreign Ministry in Yerevan urged Armenians to refrain from trips to Egypt following the October 2015 bombing of a Russian plane over the Sinai. The ministry repeated the warning in January 2016. Press Review "Haykakan Zhamanak" reports that a senior Georgian official, Zurab Abashidze, has refuted reports that Georgia and Russia have finalized an agreement on the opening of two transport corridors that will pass through Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Armenia welcomed those reports earlier this week, with Transport Minister Vahan Martirosian expressing hope that Armenia will get more reliable trade routes to Russia. Abashidze said, however, that the Russian and Georgian governments are only negotiating on a "monitoring of cargo turnover" between. According to "Zhoghovurd," the French ambassador in Yerevan, Jan-Francois Charpentier, has complained about the modest volume of Armenia's trade with France which amounted to roughly $50 million last year. The paper recalls in this regard that President Serzh Sarkisian held a special meeting with senior Armenian officials and called for closer commercial ties with France in March last year. It says that the Armenian government has since taken no "serious steps in that direction." Davit Ishkhanian, a leader of the Nagorno-Karabakh branch of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), assures "Hayots Ashkhar" that Nagorno-Karabakh's image abroad will not suffer after its president, Bako Sahakian, extends his rule by at least three years. "Artsakh must never be compared with Azerbaijan," Ishkhanian tells the paper. "Such statements are wide of the mark. Democracy is very important for us. We have no right or desire to register a setback in that area." He argues that Sahakian will govern Karabakh until 2020 only as an interim president. "What's the point of exploiting that?" he complains. "Hraparak" quotes a food and agriculture expert as saying that agriculture is one of the few sectors that has already benefited from Armenia's accession to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). He points to rising exports of Armenian agricultural products and prepared foodstuffs to Russia. "All you have to do is to produce and deliver them to the Russian market," he says. (Tigran Avetisian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Tehran: Iran, Armenia Confer on Ways to Facilitate Trade Ties
Iranian Government News Thursday Iran, Armenia Confer on Ways to Facilitate Trade Ties Tehran: The IRIB has issued following news: High-ranking Iranian and Armenian economic officials in a meeting in Yerevan discussed ways to remove obstacles on the way of trade relations between the two countries, reaching an agreement to set up a joint economic workgroup. The Wednesday afternoon meeting was held between Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mojtaba Khosrotaj and Armenian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Hovannes Azizian. During the meeting, the two sides discussed and considered spheres of cooperation and ways to facilitate expansion of economic and industrial ties between Iran and Armenia. Khosrotaj pointed to a number of problems facing the businesspersons of the two countries, and underlined reciprocal efforts of officials to remove the obstacles by formation of a joint working group. Azizian, for his part, welcomed the proposal, and stressed the necessity for planning to reach goals of development of cooperation programs with Iran. In a relevant development on Tuesday, Khosrotaj and Armenian Economy Minister Suren Karayan explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral relations. The two sides also discussed the implementation of the agreements in various fields. The recent visit by President Rouhani to Armenia and his negotiations with Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan, paved the grounds for expanding cooperation between the two countries. Armenia as the only Eurasian Economic Union member state which has land border with Iran, together with Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan has planned to create a free trade zone.
Tehran: Iran, Armenia Opt for Broadening of Bilateral Ties
Iranian Government News Thursday Iran, Armenia Opt for Broadening of Bilateral Ties Tehran: The IRIB has issued following news: Senior Iranian and Armenian officials in a meeting in Yerevan underlined the need for the further expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries, specially in the fields of trade and industry. During the meeting in the Armenian capital on Tuesday, Iranian Deputy Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mojtaba Khosro-Taj and Armenian Economy Minister Suren Karayan explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral relations. The two sides also discussed the implementation of the agreements in various fields. The recent visit by President Rouhani to Armenia and his negotiations with Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan, paved the grounds for expanding cooperation between the two countries. Armenia as the only Eurasian Economic Union member state which has land border with Iran, together with Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan has planned to create a free trade zone. In relevant remarks in late June, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani underlined that Tehran and Yerevan should join hands to set up a working group to clean Aras River. "Iran and Armenia have long-standing relations and Iran is ready for cooperation in different fields," Larijani said in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ara Babloya on the sidelines of meeting of Eurasian parliament speakers in Seoul. The Iranian parliament speaker reiterated that accelerating implementation of memoranda of understanding on setting up power plants and electricity transmission signed earlier can benefit both sides. Armenian parliament speaker, for his part, condemned the recent twin terrorist attacks in Tehran and hailed Larijani’s proposals for institutionalizing Meeting of Eurasian Parliament Speakers as appropriate. He pointed to the two countries' long-standing relations, and said, "Cleaning Aras River will make us happy." Babloya said that Iran-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group will be enacted in the Armenian parliament soon in line with promoting parliamentary ties between the two legislations. In relevant remarks also in June, Armenian President Serzh Sargysyan called for expanding all-out relations between Yerevan and Tehran. "I am confident that during your tenure in office, the friendly neighborly Iran will continue to develop upward, bringing its considerable and important contribution to the regional peace and stability," President Sargysyan said. "I am hopeful that through our joint efforts, the traditionally warm and friendly Armenian-Iranian relations will continue to develop and strengthen in all areas, registering a qualitatively new level of cooperation between our peoples," he added. In late February, Tehran and Yerevan signed an agreement to boost their cooperation in the field of customs affairs. The cooperation pact was sealed by Head of Iran's Customs Administration Massoud Karbasian and Chairman of Armenia's State Revenue Committee Vardan Harutyunyan in Yerevan. According to the agreement, the two countries will promote cooperation on custom regulations, products’ value and classification, enforcing rules and transportation rules. Both sides discussed challenges and cross-border trade opportunities and the ways to foster trade relations Upon implementation of all provisions of the newly-signed protocol, all information, requests as well as customs and trade documents between Iran and Armenia need to be provided in accordance with national laws of both sides. As per the agreement, every three months as well as on an annual basis, the two parties will exchange customs statistics data on bilateral trade turnover. The cooperation pact will provide the necessary grounds for facilitating and expanding trade between Tehran and Yerevan as will also open a new chapter in trade relations, which will in turn, elevate bilateral economic ties between the two countries. Export by Iran to Armenia amounted to $179.103 million in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 21) and Iran’s imports from Armenia during the same period stood at $20.892 million.