Category: News

As legislators were completing work for the 114th Congress, Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) Executive Director Bryan Ardouny was on the Hill meeting with Members of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues this month recapping the year and discussing priorities for the 115th Congress.

During his meeting with Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ardouny discussed initiatives for the 115th Congress. He also reiterated the Assembly’s deep concerns regarding the atrocities Azerbaijan committed during the military offensive it launched during the April War,

According to the latest investigations, 3 out of the 31 incidences detailed in the report were citizens and not servicemen, including a 92-year-old grandmother who was also tortured. The report also identified 3 Nagorno Karabakh servicemen who were beheaded, noting that one was executed by ISIS-style decapitation then publicized on social media as a “trophy.” The Azerbaijani officer who showcased this Armenian soldier’s head was then given a military award from Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.

In his meeting with Armenian Caucus Vice Co-Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who serves as the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a wide range of issues were discussed, including expanding the Caucus as well as strengthening U.S-Armenia relations.

“As we look ahead to 2017, U.S. leadership remains essential in addressing the challenges before us,” Ardouny stated. “The Armenian Caucus, with its bipartisan leadership team, will play a pivotal role and we anticipate a very active and energized Caucus as we continue to advance important priorities in the new Congress and Administration,” he added.

Today, the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani were present at the closing ceremony of the Armenia-Iran Business Forum which took place at the Radisson Blue Hotel compound.

The Forum was organized by the Armenian Development Fund in the framework of the official visit of the President of the IRI to Armenia and is aimed at the deepening of the Armenian-Iranian trade and economic relations.
At the Forum, the President of Armenia made a statement.

Concluding his official visit to the Republic of Armenia, the President of the IRI after the Business Forum left Yerevan.
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Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the Armenia-Iran Business Forum

 

Honorable Mr. President,

Distinguished Entrepreneurs,

Ladies and Gentlemen:
I cordially salute the participants and organizers of the traditional Armenian-Iranian Business Forum.
Forums and exhibitions such as this one, and among them I would like to mention the Armenia Expo 2016 exhibition, which took place last October in Iran, have become an important platform which bring together representatives of the state and business sectors of our countries and provide them with the opportunity to discuss the existing problems, to develop practical mechanisms for the expansion of the economic cooperation between our countries, and allow to pre-set new areas for cooperation.

Currently, the existing potential for the development of the economic relations between our two countries is not fully utilized, and to be precise and frank, I need to say that we are using only a negligible part of that potential.

It is necessary to bring our trade and economic relations in line with the high level Armenian-Iranian political relations which will allow to bring to life major economic projects, and we have a positive experience on this, particularly, in the area of energy.

Today I have asked Mr. President to encourage major entrepreneurs working in different areas to come to Armenia and establish businesses here. On my behalf, I promised to encourage the Armenian businessmen to do the same at the Islamic Republic of Iran. I will keep it under my personal control all the businesses that the Iranian entrepreneurs will establish in Armenia.

We also want for the Iranian capital to be more visible in Armenia which will be mutually beneficial for the economies of our two countries. Certainly, many Iranian businessmen have been doing successful business in Armenia for a long time now, but I hope that this Forum will allow the business circles of Iran to discover new, still untapped investment opportunities in Armenia.

Distinguished Entrepreneurs,

Today in Armenia every prerequisite has been created to make investments and conduct successful business. First of all, I would like to mention that even though Armenia is a country with small and open economy and for that very reason is susceptible to the negative impulses coming from outside, nonetheless thanks to the tax, budgetary and monetary policies we have been able to ensure a stable macroeconomic environment in the country. There is no doubt that the constant improvement of the country’s business and investment climate is important. In recent years a great amount of work has been done in that area which have received commendation of our international partners. However, we will not be content with the results. Thus, we intend through the legislative reforms to provide for the national and most favoured nation treatment, to define more clearly guarantees provided to foreign investors; we intend to allow the businesses the opportunity to use present and future privileges, and install modern mechanisms for the resolution of investment disputes. To assist the businesses and promote the development of the business climate, we consistently curtail and simplify a number of procedures.
A comparative advantage of making investments in Armenia lies in the fact that our country has preferential trade regime with many countries. Businessmen of these countries working in Armenia can benefit from the wide opportunities provided by Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union. Goods made in Armenia with zero customs fee, without any administrative hurdles can freely enter the 180 million strong market of the members of the Eurasian Economic Union. Besides, our country has a free trade agreement with almost all countries of the CIS countries. Armenia enjoys also the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) with the US, Canada, Switzerland, Japan and Norway and advantages of the GSP+ system provided by the EU.

As a neighbour and friendly for Iran country, Armenia may also become a gateway and additional transport corridor towards the EU and CIS member states. With this regard, I stress the importance of the North-South highway as the shortest transit route linking the ports of the Black Sea to the seaports of the Persian Gulf.

I will also note that Armenia is actively engaged in the negotiations between the Eurasian Economic Commission and Iran which are aimed at signing the agreement on the free trade zone as soon as possible.
Ladies and Gentlemen:

There is no doubt that our bilateral economic relations have great potential; however, there are certain difficulties on the road for their disclosure which require us to work daily with diligence and make joint decisions. In particular, the entrepreneurs of the two countries continue to view as rather complicated regulations related to business activities and investments. Among the pending issues I would underscore also the facilitation of the procedures related to the import of goods from Armenia into Iran and vice versa, in Syunik marz – issues of cooperation between the free economic zone to be created in the area bordering Iran and Iranian Aras free economic zone.

Nevertheless, I am confident that the close economic cooperation between our countries should be aimed not only at the strengthening of the trade ties but at the development of the science-based economy, with the use of modern technologies.
I would also like to mention that success registered in Iran in recent years, e.g. in the area nanotechnology, and Armenia’s achievements in the area of information technologies prove that it is possible to have serious accomplishments in the area of high technologies even when there exist external limitations or scare resources. Undoubtedly, unification of the scientific and innovative potential of the two friendly and neighbouring states will promote the deepening of the economic cooperation and will enhance the competitiveness of our industries. Thus, I view as necessary the establishment of permanent working links between the representatives of the areas of modern and high technology areas.

I would like to mention with satisfaction that during the latest session of the Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission there was adopted a decision and have already been created four sub-commissions on concrete areas. I believe it will invigorate the activities in certain areas.

The areas of pharmaceuticals, medicine, jewellery production, textile, mining, agriculture, food processing, transport can become possible areas of cooperation for the Iranian entrepreneurs, and the list goes on and on. I see great potential for the deepening of cooperation in the areas of culture, healthcare, education, and tourism. With this regard, I attach special importance to the agreements reached by our countries on the visa free regime.

Today, Mr. President inquired what the dynamics are this year with regard to the increase or decrease in the area of tourism. I told him that in the first six months of the year, 260,000 tourists from Iran visited the Republic of Armenia, while during the previous year their number was almost the half of it. I hope that at the end of this year, God willing, we will cross the threshold of 300,000.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
I truly hope that the Forum will facilitate the discovery of the opportunities existing in our countries and will pre-set the best formats for cooperation.

I invite the Iranian companies to make investments in Armenia in every area of interest. I assure you once again that we are ready to give special attitude to every investment project, based on the needs of the investor.

Thank you, Honorable Mr. President, for your participation and assistance to the developing of the economic ties between our countries as well.

Thank you.

The welcome ceremony for Iran’s President was held at the Presidential Palace today.

The Presidents of Armenia and Iran Serzh Sargsyan and Hassan Rouhani held a private meeting, after which they were joined by the delegations of the two countries.

Armenia’s President welcomed his Iranian counterpart and voiced hope that the latter’s first-ever official visit to Armenia will give new spirit and breathe to the cooperation between the two countries.

“The Armenian-Iranian friendship dates back to the depth of centuries and based on that solid ground we established interstate relations on 1992. Twenty-five years on, we can state that no circumstance has ever cast shadow on our relations,” President Sargsyan said. He expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the attention towards relations with Armenia.

“We’ve always been frank and sincere in our relations and are willing to continue the same way,” he added. The Armenian President also asked to convey his respect and good wishes to Iran’s religious leader Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

Hassan Rouhani, in turn, expressed his delight for being in “the beautiful country of Armenia and its capital Yerevan.

“We see Armenia as a friendly country and wish to further deepen and develop our bilateral relations. Our countries belong to the same culture and civilization. The relations between the two nations have always been warm and friendly,” Iran’s President said.

Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.

Hassan Rouhani said a number of agreements had been reached during the meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan and viced hope the programs would be implemented in the near future.

PM Karapetyan, said, in turn, that the rich bilateral agenda creates a firm ground for the development and expansion of relations.

The Armenian Prime Minister presented a number of proposals, which, if implemented, will further reinforce the Armenian-Iranian ties and give new impetus to the future cooperation.

In particular, Karen Karapetyan offered to consider the idea of creating a food certification center in Armenia, which will contribute to the facilitation of assessment of compatibility of products and will boost the commodity turnover.

PM Karapetyan attached importance to the expansion of Iranian businessmen’s activity in Armenia, considering the capacities of the  Eurasian Economic Union’s market.

Karen Karapetyan reiterated Armenia’s willingness to contribute to the negotiations between Iran and EEU.

President Rouhani hailed the steps aimed at furthering the Armenian-Iranian cooperation and said Iran would welcome any constructive proposal.

With the financial support of the Devecyan, Ekserciyan families and Krikor Simsiroglu of Argentina, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is building a buckwheat-processing factory in Bavra, a village in Armenia’s Shirak Region. The project is being implemented in partnership with the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD), through the latter’s buckwheat-cultivation program. Launched in Armenia in 2015, the program provides local farmers with agricultural equipment as well as training. Armenia’s first buckwheat-processing factory was opened on December 6 in the village of Tsovagyugh, with the support of ENPARD.

Bavra’s buckwheat factory will be housed in a former agricultural building. To date, crews have renovated the structure’s walls, ceilings, and floors, and installed a new roof as well as new windows, and gates. In addition, ENPARD is connecting the building to the power grid. The next phase of the project will include the installation of electrical, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and gas systems, exterior and interior decoration, and the construction of an adjacent lab. The project is slated to be completed by the summer of 2017.

Koryun Sumbulyan, the future factory’s manager, says that it will serve cooperatives of close to 430 farmers throughout the regions of Shirak, Lori, and Aragatsotn. “Buckwheat production is a new development in Armenia,” Sumbulyan says. “Our climate is ideal for growing this crop, and already we have reaped our first harvest. I think within a few years we will be able to produce up to 9,000 tons of buckwheat annually at our factory, thereby meeting local demand at affordable prices.”

Bavra is the gateway to Northern Armenia. In the past three years, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has built a community center, a playground, and a sports field in the village, all through the sponsorship of the Devecyan family.

The US electoral college has certified Donald Trump as president, despite a last-ditch effort to deny him the White House, the BBC reports.

Six weeks after winning the polls, the Republican has secured the 270 votes needed to formalise his victory.

Reacting to his win, Mr Trump promised to “work hard to unite our country and be the president of all Americans”.

Electors had been flooded with emails and phone calls urging them not to support the billionaire.

The voting process is usually a formality, but was clouded this year by claims that Russian hackers tried to sway the presidential election.

Texas ultimately put the president-elect over the 270 threshold, despite two of its electors voting against him.

The result will be officially announced on 6 January in a special joint session of Congress.

The President of Armenia, Chairman of the RA National Security Council Serzh Sargsyan today invited a meeting of the National Security Council.

In the framework of the agenda, the RA Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ashot Manukian reported on the draft strategy of the Concept for the Safe Management of the Radioactive Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel in the Republic of Armenia.

The concept stems from the RA national security strategy and is aimed at ensuring a continuous policy for the safe use of nuclear energy based on the international obligations assumed by the Republic of Armenia, safety standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as on the best international practices for the safe management of the radioactive waste and used nuclear fuel. The strategy is aimed at the utmost improvement of the management of the radioactive waste and used nuclear fuel in Armenia, development of cooperation with the entities dealing with the radioactive materials, as well as state and local governance bodies.

After the discussions, the President of Armenia stressed the importance of adopting the document and tasked the Prime Minister of Armenia to discuss with the Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources and make a proposal on the timetable for the development of the RA Government strategy based on the provisions of the Concept for the Safe Management of the Radioactive Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel in the Republic of Armenia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian reported to the members of the National Security Councils on the issue related to the organization of the Summit of Francophonie in Armenia in 2018 on which he was instructed by the President of Armenia at the working meeting held on December 2. At the meeting of the National Security Council it was decided to create an interagency commission on the preparation works for the Summit of Francophonie.

The President tasked the government to prepare in one month and present for the approval of the President the action plan for the organization and execution of the Summit of Francophonie. He also instructed to create a secretariat on the preliminary works and execution of Armenia’s presidency at the Organization of Francophonie.

The members of the National Security Council were presented also the report of the RA Minister of Labor and Social Issues Artem Asatrian on the RA Demographic Strategy and the list of events aimed at the implementation of the Strategy (for years 2009-2035), which was approved by the N 27 decision of the Government of Armenia adopted on July 2, 2009, their results and the vision related to the future development of this issue.

Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Aleksanyan has been named Armenia’s athlete of the year for the third time in a row. Aleksanyan won the Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

The top 10 athletes of 2016 have been chosen as a result of survey among 35 sports journalists conducted by the Republican Federation of Sports Journalists of Armenia.

1. Artur Alexanyan, Greco-Roman wrestling
2. Mihran Harutyunyan, Greco-Roman wrestling
3. Simon Martirosyan, weightlifting
4. Gor Minasyan, weightlifting
5. Nazik Avdalyan, weightlifting
6. Harutyun Merdinyan, gymnastics
7. Andranik Karapetyan, weightlifting
8. Hripsime Khurshudyan, weightlifting
9. Varsham Beranyan, Greco-Roman wrestling
10. Artur Davtyan, gymnastics

Photo: Reuters

 

German police are investigating a “probable terrorist attack” after a man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48, the  BBC reports.

The driver is an Afghan or Pakistani asylum seeker, according to security sources cited by DPA news agency.

He reportedly arrived in Germany in February as a refugee.

The daily Tagesspiegel said the man was known to the police for minor crimes, but not terror links.

“All police measures related to the suspected terrorist attack at Breitscheidplatz are progressing at full steam and with the necessary diligence,” Berlin Police said on Twitter.

German politicians had avoided branding the bloodshed a terror attack in the hours immediately following, but Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television, “there are many things pointing to one”.

People in Armenia’s capital Yerevan have been laying flowers in front of the German Embassy in Armenia today as a sign of sympathy with the German people.

A man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin last night, killing 12 people and injuring 48.