Category: News

Ural Airlines launches international flights from the Kaluga International Airport. From February 2016, the airline will operate on Thursdays a new weekly direct flight to Yerevan, according to .

Flights to Yerevan will be performed on modern and comfortable liners of Airbus A320 family equipped with economy and business classes.

Ural Airlines is among TOP 5 leading Russian airlines by volume of transportations in January-February 2014-2015 For the first 11 months of 2015 the company’s services have benefited 5.1 million passengers, the geography of flights includes more than 200 destinations.

According to the Federal air transport Agency of Russia (Rosaviatsia) in October 2015 flight regularity of airline amounted to 97,01%. The fleet of Ural Airlines is composed of aircrafts from the European Airbus. The company now operates 35 aircrafts (19 A320s, 10 A321s and A319 6).

International airport “Kaluga” started scheduled passenger services at June, 16, 2015. At August, 18, 2015, the airport received international status, and on September, 4, 2015 for the first time received an international flight. Dassault Falcon 7x arrived from Braunschweig (Germany) to Kaluga. On Board were members of the Board of Directors of the Volkswagen group who arrived with official visit on the opening in the Kaluga region engine factory Currently running regular flights to St. Petersburg and Sochi («Komiaviatrans» airline).

India and Armenia will sign an agreement on agriculture on February 19 when the Armenian Minister for Agriculture, Sergo Karapetyan, visits India, reports.

Last July, India had given the go-ahead for signing and ratification of an inter-governmental agreement between the two counties.

“We are very interested in familiarising ourselves with the research and development potential of agriculture in India. We are also interested in the potential of your manufacturing and agriculture techniques. Traditionally we have been importing from Russia and Belarus. Now, our farmers are showing interest in Indian manufacturing,” Armen Martirosyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, told The Hindu on Friday.

Inviting Indian companies to invest in Armenia, he said bilateral trade between the two countries was only $70 million to $75 million while trade with China was almost $380 million. “The newly-built transport network, however, is more conducive for India,” he said.

“The recent lifting of sanctions might facilitate trilateral cooperation between India, Iran and Armenia,” he said at a meeting organised by FICCI.

Mr. Martirosyan said Indian companies could invest in manufacturing sector, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, in the Armenian free economic zones.

A FICCI delegation focussing on the media, entertainment and tourism sector is set to visit Armenia between 15 and 19 July.

Syria’s Higher Education Minister Mohammad Amer al-Mardini discussed on Sunday with Armenian Ambassador in Damascus Arshak Poladian means to enhance scientific and research cooperation between Syria and Armenia, reports.

Both sides touched on the prospects of renewing the executive program on cultural cooperation between the two countries.

The minister said it is important, given the deep historical ties binding the two countries, that cooperation be activated and mutual visits of scientific delegations to universities in Syria and Armenia be further encouraged.

He also called for increasing the number of scholarships and boosting student exchange program to enhance the scientific capabilities in the fields of applied sciences and Armenian language and literature.

The need to renew the executive program on cultural cooperation was echoed by the Armenian Ambassador, who also stressed the necessity to promote cooperation with Syria, appreciating the cultural and humanitarian role of the Syrian people in supporting the Armenian people throughout history.

Qatar Airways commences four-times weekly non-stop flights between Doha and Yerevan, the capital of Armenia from May 15, reports.

Akbar Al Baker, chief executive, Qatar Airways Group, commented that passengers on the new direct service to and from Yerevan will benefit from easier access to the rest of the world via Qatar Airways global network.

The airline’s expanding global reach, including its newest USA destinations in 2016 of Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta, and significant growth of its modern fleet has enabled the airline to offer this new service to Armenia.

Akbar Al Baker, chief executive, Qatar Airways Group, “Qatar Airways has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, launching new destinations around the globe, while also establishing our new home and hub, Hamad International Airport. With the new service to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, Qatar Airways is again enhancing its worldwide footprint and expanding travel opportunities for business and leisure passengers alike.”

Passengers flying from Yerevan and onwards to any of Qatar Airways more than 150 destinations will enjoy a quick and convenient transfer at Hamad International Airport, the newest airport hub in the world.

The airline will fly the A320 aircraft direct to and from Yerevan on the four-weekly schedule, featuring a two-class cabin configuration comprising of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 Economy Class seats.

Services will depart the Qatari capital every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 2025 and arrives in Yerevan at 0040. The return flights will then leave the Armenian capital every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 0325 and arrive back in Doha at 0530.

 

The Australian newspaper’s Weekend edition has reported on Azerbaijan’s efforts to gain a “diplomatic edge” over Armenia and the Armenian National Committee of Australia by treating “Federal politicians and their wives … to expenses-paid, business-class trips to Azerbaijan.”

Furthermore, in the article titled ‘War of words over shuttle diplomacy in Azerbaijan’, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Australia, Rovshan Jamshidov has admitted that gaining Australia’s firm backing in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute was “one of the main reasons” for opening a Canberra Embassy in 2013.

The article also quotes recent visitors to Azerbaijan as part of its government’s ‘shuttle diplomacy’, Federal MPs Luke Simpkins and Alan Griffin – the Chair and Vice-Chair of the recently-formed Australia Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Simpkins came under fire by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) recently, when he rose in Australia’s Parliament to condemn the self-determined Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh as “illegally seized” territory belonging to the Aliyev dictatorship of Azerbaijan. This statement was delivered as a Constituency Statement, when The Australian confirms there are only four Azeri-born constituents in Simpkins’s electorate of Cowan.

The Australian quotes ANC Australia Executive Administrator, Arin Markarian on this point: “Simpkins … is wined and dined in Baku, and all of a sudden develops an intimate knowledge of Caucasus geopolitics — intimate enough to take a hardline anti-Armenian view … without once visiting Nagorno-Karabakh or Armenia to talk to the other side.”

Markarian added: “You can forgive Armenian-Australians for thinking something smells fishy about Simpkins.”

In MP fiduciary reports obtained by ANC Australia, it is confirmed all entertainment and accommodation expenses on these trips are covered by “the government of Azerbaijan”.

Markarian commended The Australian on shining a light on this “questionable” form of diplomacy exercised by Azerbaijan.

“We have tried to ask these questions to Mr. Simpkins, but he has avoided us. He couldn’t avoid The Australian, but yet, he still wasn’t able to answer the questions raised by its reporters and the Australian public,” said Markarian.

Markarian added: “A Parliamentarian from Western Australia, which hardly has any Azeri population, is invited to Azerbaijan. His fiduciary report of the trip reveals his on-ground expenses, including accommodation and meals, were all paid for by the ‘Parliament of Azerbaijan’, which in itself is a funny concept in a dictatorship ruled by the same family since Soviet time.”

“Then Simpkins returns to Australia and speaks in Parliament about the ‘illegal occupation’ by ‘aggressor Armenians’ of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“The Armenian National Committee of Australia and the Armenian community of Australia finds it preposterous that the native people of a land, who have exercised their rights to self-determination after years of abuse faced by a foreign dictatorship, are now called ‘illegal occupants’ of their native land… by an Australian politician who is only interested in meeting representatives of the Azerbaijani side of this conflict after a sojourn to Baku.”

Iran is ready to mediate the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari said Monday.

“If you look into the past, you see that Iran in the most difficult times tried to resolve the crisis between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Now, if Azerbaijan and Armenia want, Iran will be ready to mediate in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the diplomat said at a briefing in Tehran, according to the Azerbaijan Press Agency.

President Serzh Sargsyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani on Sunday.

Serzh Sargsyan and Hassan Rouhani discussed issues pertinent to the Armenian-Iranian friendly relations and cooperation, as well as a number of pressing issues of the international and regional agenda. The Presidents exchanged views on the possibilities of further developing the bilateral relations in the light of the implementation of the recent agreements reached on Iran’s nuclear program. They also mentioned the positive effect of all these developments which will strengthen regional security and stability. In this context, the parties concurred that any issue can be resolved through the negotiations as long as there is political will to do so.

The President of Iran underscored his country’s readiness to work actively towards the strengthening the good-neighborly, close partnership, expand and deep cooperation with Armenia. Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Hassan Rouhani stressed the importance of going on with the efficient and incessant cooperation aimed at the implementation of the agreements reached at the high level and realization of new, perspective initiatives which will allow to fully use the existing potential.

During the phone conversation, agreed was also the timetable of the forthcoming visits.

Photo: Getty Images

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has arrived in Rome on the first European visit by an Iranian president in almost two decades, following implementation of a landmark deal on curbing Iran’s nuclear activities, the Associated Press reports.

Rouhani, eager for foreign investment after the lifting of international sanctions, started the four-day trip to France and Italy on Monday. The trip was originally planned for November but postponed by the attacks in Paris.

He met first with Italian President Sergio Matterella, and is scheduled to meet later with the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Pope Francis at the Vatican. In France, he is to be welcomed by French President Francois Hollande.

In Rome, Mr Rouhani is expected to sign agreements with Italian firms worth some $18bn, according to the BBC.

On his second stop in France, he will sign a major plane deal with Airbus.

The Iranian president is leading a 120-member delegation that includes government ministers and businessmen for the five days of meetings in Rome and Paris.

“This is a very important visit,” a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

“It’s time to turn the page and open the door to co-operation between our countries in different areas,” the official added.

Pedro Agramunt, a Spanish lawmaker and the chairman of the European People’s Party at the Council of Europe (EPP-CD) Group, will replace Luxembourgian lawmaker Anne Brasseur as the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is elected for one year by majority of votes and can be reelected once.

Last year he was the rapporteur on the functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s human rights organizations accuse him of bias.

He is also listed among those involved in “caviar diplomacy.”

Reported from Strasbourg by Aghavni Harutyunyan

Armenia has been drawn to compete in the first semi-final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Stockholm, Sweden.

The first semi-final will be held on Tuesday 10 May, ahead of the grand final on Saturday 14 May. Armenia will be one of eighteen countries in Semi Final 1 fighting for ten qualifying places in the grand final.

The draw has also determined that the Armenian entry will be performed in the first half of Semi Final 1, although the exact running order of the songs will be decided upon by the producers at Swedish television later.

Semi Final 1: Croatia, Finland, Moldova, Armenia, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Malta, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Iceland, Austria, Sweden, France and Spain.

Semi Final 2: Latvia, Belarus, Ireland, Switzerland, Macedonia, Australia, Lithuania, Poland, Israel, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Georgia, Romania, Slovenia, Norway, Ukraine, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Great Britain.

Armenia will be represented at the contest by Iveta Mukuchyan.