Category: News

Gita Elibekyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Tbilisi

The Georgian authorities assure that by agreeing to transit Russian gas to Armenia Georgia emphasizes the importance of economic and political rapprochement with the neighboring country. The issue, however, remains a hot topic in Georgia.

Under the pressure of the opposition, the authorities have revealed some details of the deal with Gazprom. Deputy Minister of Energy Mariam Valiashvili has said that “had Tbilisi not agreed to the terms offered by Moscow, the transit of gas through Georgia would be terminated and Armenia would get gas from Iran.”

“The existence of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is no secret to anyone. The capacity of the pipeline is 2.3 billion cubic meters, which is much more than Armenia’s demand. In case the demands increase, it will be possible to quickly reshape the infrastructure, just as Russia did in case of Ukraine, where such infrastructure did not exist at all,” Valiashvili said.

This statement raised even greater wave of criticism on the part of the opposition. Opposition MP David Darchiashvili says that “Georgia should first think about its interests rather than those of the neighboring country.”

“Negotiations on the deal were held behind closed doors, and the society does not have enough information about the content of the agreement. We have to be cautious with Russia on such important issues, as it is a matter of our national security,” Darchiashvili says.

Besides, the opposition insists that Gazpom has no alternative route for delivering gas to Armenia, otherwise it would have used it over the past ten years.

Although the opposition is confident that the deal is not fully acceptable, it helps solve a very important issue.

“To refuse from preconditions of Grzprom, as the opposition insists, would mean creating energy problems for a friendly country (Armenia), refusing from the function of being a transit country and breaking all ties with Gazprom,” says MP Gia Volski, a key member of the Georgian Dream.

“The Georgian authorities do not want to create additional problems for the neighboring country,” Volski said in an interview with .

“By accepting the preconditions of the Russian side, Georgia keeps transporting gas to Armenia, thus emphasizing the importance of economic and political rapprochement with the country,” he added.

Expert on energy issues Liana Zarvelidze considers that the concessions of the Georgian side are justified by the country’s position of maintaining its reputation as a transit country.

“All conditions exist for the delivery of Iranian gas to Armenia, the pipeline is there. Armenia could possibly get more gas from Iran, which Georgia would also use. However, Georgia is unwilling to endanger its reputation of a transit country by opposing the Russian side,” she said.

Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Javad Zarif held talks with Armenia’s Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan on Wednesday, the Iranian reports. The source provides no details of the meeting.

Yesterday Armenia’s Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan paid a visit to Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum to commemorate the founder of the Islamic Revolution on the 38th anniversary of it.

Minister Sargsyan later had a meeting with Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan.

 

High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova has said in a statement that blogger Alexander Lapshin’s extradition is unacceptable. The statement reads:

I consider it unacceptable to extradite Russian citizen, independent journalist Alexander Lapshin, from   Belarus to Azerbaijan.

Article 61, Part 1 of the Russian Constitution states plainly, “A citizen of the Russian Federation may not be deported from the Russian Federation or extradited to another state”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies have supported my position.

At the same time, I would like to remind Russian citizens going abroad that it is necessary to study and observe laws of foreign states.

AFP Photo/Oli SCARFF

 

AFP – Henrikh Mkhitaryan insists Manchester United are taking all four competitions they are involved in seriously as they struggle to cope with a demanding fixture schedule.

Jose Mourinho’s club is the only one in England still retaining an interest in a quartet of competitions — the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and the League Cup, in which they can look forward to a Wembley final against Southampton next month.

Their success means United could face as many as 67 games, should they advance to the finals of the other two cup competitions, and has led Mourinho to criticise the English fixture schedule as “nonsense”.

But after a weekend in which a number of Premier League teams were eliminated from the FA Cup after choosing weakened line-ups, Mkhitaryan claimed United want to succeed in every tournament.

“We are taking all the competitions seriously,” he said. “For Manchester United, every cup is very important.

“A trophy is a trophy. It doesn’t matter if it is the League Cup, the FA Cup or the Europa League. We want to do our best to try to win them all.”

The Research Center for Western Armenian Studies recently published documents on its website, proving that the King of Spain during the Genocide.

The Center has now published an official letter from Spain’s Representative to the Ottoman Empire addressed to Turkish Foreign Minister Halil Bey. In the letter dated May 10, 1916 Spain’s Ambassador Julian del Arroyo wrote that His Majesty King Alfonso XIII was asking Sultan Mehmed V to spare the lives of Aknuni, Daniel Varuzhan, Siamanto, and other prominent Armenians, reports.

Regrettably the Spanish King was unaware that these Armenians had been killed long before his praiseworthy intervention.

Several recently obtained documents indicate that Interior Minister Talat finally made up a fake story about the fate of these prominent Armenians. Talat wrote to Foreign Minister Halil Bey on July 25, 1916, asking him to advise the Spanish Ambassador that the Armenians in question, while being led to the Diyarbakir Military Court, had overcome their guards and escaped to Russia. Talat concealed the fact that the Armenian prisoners had been killed months before the Spanish King’s inquiry.

The Armenian National Committee of America on Monday issued the following statement regarding the January 27, White House Executive Order on immigration, titled, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States”.

The complete text of the ANCA statement is provided below.

ANCA Statement on the White House Immigration Executive Order

The Armenian National Committee of America remains engaged and concerned regarding the developing situation surrounding the White House’s January 27th immigration Executive Order, both at the level of U.S. policy and in terms of this action’s impact on Armenian individuals and families.

As has been widely reported, the Executive Order, titled, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States,” places restrictions on travel to the U.S. by citizens of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.

This travel ban has been applied to refugees and visa holders from these designated countries as well as to those with green cards who already have permanent residency or other legal status in the US. The ban, initially in effect for a period of 90 days, may become permanent. We have witnessed uneven and inconsistent enforcement of the order, reflecting apparent confusion among government officials and within the travel industry. The federal courts have issued a stay on the enforcement of the order, but the extent of this legal action, and how it will affect non-U.S. citizens, remains unclear. Future Congressional and court action may also influence how non-U.S. citizens and their families are impacted.

As the ANCA continues to engage relevant stakeholders – including Congress and the White House – we offer the following recommendations:

1. The ANCA encourages Armenians whose relatives or friends have been detained at U.S. ports of entry or who have been blocked from re-entry to the U.S. to contact us immediately at [email protected] or (202) 775-1918. Please be prepared to share basic information, including a description of the situation and the name of any legal counsel. (This information will remain confidential.)

2. Until there is greater clarity regarding the full legal scope and nature of these restrictions, the ANCA recommends that Armenians from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, who are not U.S. citizens, refrain from leaving the U.S., due to the increased risk that they will be denied re-entry, regardless of their immigration status.

3. The ANCA is regularly consulting with civil and legal rights organizations for the most up to date information on this unfolding situation and will provide community updates, as they become available.

As Americans of Armenian heritage – a community of proud immigrants, many descended from the families of Armenian Genocide survivors with roots in Syria, Iraq, Iran and other countries cited in this order – we remain deeply concerned by the moral, legal and humanitarian implications of these new restrictions. We will act vigilantly to protect the human and legal rights of Armenians harmed by this executive order. As a matter of public policy, we are communicating our concerns, on a bipartisan basis, with both houses of Congress and the White House. Consistent with our mission, we will remain vigilant in protecting the welfare of our community and advancing our shared interest in a strong Diaspora, a secure Armenia, a free Artsakh, and a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.

“The Minsk Group Co-Chairs have proposed to meet with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan ahead of the Munich Security Conference,” Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told a press conference today.

He added that the Co-Chairs have offered to organize a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. Minister Nalbandian said “Armenia never refuses from any meetings on the ministerial or other levels.”

Minister Nalbandian added, however, that “we’re not sure about a meeting between the Foreign Ministers. “The meeting will take place if the Azerbaijani side agrees.”

As for the change of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Minister Nalbandian said: “The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs express the positions of their respective countries, and the change of persons can hardly have a serious influence on the mediating efforts.”

Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan, who arrived in Tehran on Monday evening at official invitations of his Iranian counterpart met with Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan to exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues, reports.

The independent global travel search site has included Armenia’s capital Yerevan among the best budget holiday destinations of 2017.

The website writes: “Give in to the minibus chaos to criss-cross your way through the city – for 100 Dram, and a loudly shouted “stop!” you’ll be dropped off at the Yerevan’s prized monuments. The pedestrian Northern Avenue takes you from the opera to the fountains at Republic Square. Imposing Soviet era buildings by day, elegant backdrop to a light and water show at night, the Republic Square is inevitably a must-see.

Enjoy the long summer nights in the pink city, as it’s called due to the pinkish stones of the buildings, at the café terraces, while snacking on lamehjun (Armenian-style pizza). Rebuilt to hide the scars of wars and natural disasters, most of Yerevan’s current attire is only a century old. Yerevan’s oldest heritage lies along the outskirts of the city where the Hrazdan River and deep gorge create a natural border.”

Other cities in the list include: Sofia (Bulgaria), San Antonio (Texas, USA), Valparaíso (Chile), Braga (Portugal), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Lviv (Ukraine), Pristina (Kosovo), Panama City (Panama), Kalamata (Greece), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)