New Date Set for Iran-Armenia Energy Project
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22 YEAR The Noah’s Ark #20 (1060) 18 May 2015 Published Since 1993 Weekly Newspaper HIGHLIGHTS ÜáÛÛ³Ý î³å³Ý ß³μ³Ã³Ã»ñà (³Ý·É. / ýñ³Ýë.) New date set for Iran-Armenia energy project see page 3 In This Issue Armenia hosts international conference Noyan Tapan Printing House on Digital Diplomacy p.2 is offering coloured and black and white offset and digital Israeli speaker calls printing of books, brochures, booklets, journals, etc with for Armenian Genocide recognition p.4 high quality and low prices Tel: 060 27 64 62 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 Syria's Armenian Community 'Facing Extinction' p.5 24 sculpture images of Armenian Genocide Noyan Tapan Video Studio survivors stand at Los Angeles Grand is offering professional video and photography for indoor Central Park p.11 and outdoor events such as weddings, birthday parties, official events, seminars and conferences. Tel: 060 27 64 62 Luxembourg envoy to Ankara defends Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 Armenian Genocide Resolution p.16 18 May #20 (1060) 2015 2 www.nt.am The Noyan Tapan Highlights POLITICS Armenia hosts international conference on Digital Diplomacy With the support of the European Union, the Diplomatic School of Armenia has organized an international conference on Digital Diplomacy. More than 60 participants, Directors of Diplomatic Institutes, Ambassadors and Heads of Department of Ministries of Foreign Affairs from all over the world will discuss the prospects and challenges of digital diplomacy during the two- day event. The program of the conference will cover all aspects of the digitization of diplomacy, from virtual reality and social media over organizational changes in diplomatic services, to best practices in training programs related to e-diplomacy. "Digital diplomacy creates an additional platform for diplo- mats to launch their activity and to be accountable to the pub- lic," Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in his opening remarks. "Widely using the opportunities opened up by information Addressing the audience, the head of the EU Delegation to technologies, we should take into account the sensitiveness of Armenia, Ambassador Traian Hristea recalled that the "first accessible information and its advisory nature, as well as the objective for the longstanding cooperation between the possible influence of the information we provide and the state- European Union and the Government of the Republic of ments we make on interstate relations and human destinies. Armenia in support of Diplomatic School is to reinforce the Therefore, the more opportunities time provides, the more pre- institution, empowering the School to offer education and train- viously unknown challenges emerge," he said. ing for Armenian diplomatic personnel." Judith Farnworth appointed Polish, Swedish diplomats in as Her Majesty's Armenia for consultations Ambassador to Armenia ahead of Riga Summit Ms Judith Farnworth has On May 11 Armenian Minister Nalbandian reit- been appointed Her Majesty's Foreign Minister Edward erated Armenia's approach to Ambassador to the Republic Nalbandian received Political develop and deepen the coop- of Armenia in succession to Directors of the Foreign eration with the EU in differ- Mrs Katherine Leach, who Ministries of Poland and ent directions, taking into con- will be transferring to another Sweden Jaros?aw Bratkiewic sideration Armenia's commit- Diplomatic Service appoint- and Torbjörn Sohlström, who ments in other integration ment. Ms Farnworth will take have arrived in Armenia for frameworks. up her appointment during political consultations ahead Reference was made to a September 2015. of the Riga Summit. number of regional issues and Ms Farnworth joined the During the meeting the the ways of their resolution. FCO in 1991 and is currently I am delighted to be parties exchanged views on Minister Nalbandian serving as Her Majesty's appointed as British Armenia-EU relations, and briefed the European diplo- Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Ambassador to the Republic the work towards working out mats on the events dedicated Republic. A specialist in post- of Armenia. It is a great privi- new legal bases for them. to the 100th anniversary of the Soviet and Central European lege to serve in a country with The interlocutors dis- Armenian Genocide taking Affairs, Ms Farnworth began such a rich history and cul- cussed issues related to the place in different countries of her career at the FCO as a ture. Building on the achieve- preparation of the summit. the world. Research Analyst before tak- ments of the current ing up postings in Ukraine, Ambassador and the Embassy the Czech Republic, Latvia team, I look forward to work- and the Kyrgyz Republic. ing with the Armenian On her appointment as Her Government to strengthen fur- Majesty's Ambassador to the ther the bilateral relationship Republic of Armenia, Ms for the benefit of Armenia and Farnworth has said: the United Kingdom. 18 May #20 (1060) 2015 POLITICS The Noyan Tapan Highlights www.nt.am 3 More Details Of Gyumri Family Massacre Emerge Forensic tests have confirmed that Speaking at a news conference in evidence that the Russian soldier acted the seven members of an Armenian fam- Yerevan, the lawyers confirmed that alone. Nor is it known why he decided to ily in Gyumri were murdered at home in Armenian forensic experts have found massacre the family after deserting his January by a Russian soldier currently traces of Permyakov's DNA on the army unit shortly before dawn, added kept under arrest, lawyers representing Kalashnikov rifle, its detachable bayo- the lawyer. the victims' relatives said on May 14. net and a cigarette butt left in the Both lawyers stressed that answers to Citing DNA samples collected by Avetisians' house. these and other lingering questions Armenian investigators from the scene "DNA traces of Seryozha Avetisyan require a single and comprehensive of the massacre, they said that all of the were also found on the gun barrel, which criminal investigation which they victims were shot or stabbed in their suggests that he grabbed the barrel," one believe is still not being conducted. beds and that only one of them, of them, Lusine Sahakyan, said. "They Armenian law-enforcement authorities Seryozha Avetisyan, was able to put up also found his DNA on the rifle butt." and the Russian military are holding some resistance. "This allows us to presume that the separate inquiries into the crime. The 53-year-old Avetisyan, his wife, shooter also hit him with the butt," she The Russians have so far refused to unmarried daughter, son, daughter-in-law said. "There were injuries on his body hand over Permyakov to the Armenian and 2-year-old granddaughter were found which we think were caused by the butt." side, ignoring a corresponding letter that dead in their Gyumri house early on "So judging from the forensic exam- was sent by Armenia's Prosecutor- January 12. His second grandchild, a 6- ination, the grandfather tried to fight General Gevorg Kostanyan to his month-old baby, died of stab wounds a back," added Sahakyan. Russian counterpart Yuri Chayka in week later, adding to a nationwide shock Sahakyan and the other lawyer, January. The letter followed angry street and outrage caused by the mysterious Yerem Sargsyan, confirmed that protests in Gyumri where many fear a killings. Avetisyan and the other members of the Russian cover-up of the crime. Police found in the house an assault family slept in their bed then the gun- A spokesperson for Kostanyan told rifle belonging to Valery Permyakov, a man broke into their house early in the RFE/RL's Armenian side on Thursday conscript serving at a Russian military morning. The 6-month-old baby, also that the two sides are still "discussing" the base headquartered in Gyumri. called Seryozha, lay with his mother, possibility of Permyakov's extradition. Permyakov was caught on the nearby Araksia Poghosyan, at that moment. The official declined to comment further. Armenian-Turkish border and handed Poghosyan tried to protect her child with A senior Russian lawmaker visiting over to the base's headquarters later on her body moments before they both Gyumri in late March said that January 12. were stabbed by the bayonet, according Permyakov will be tried in Armenia but Permyakov, who remains in Russian to the lawyers. by a Russian military court. It remains military custody, subsequently con- Sargsyan said while it is clear that unclear whether the court will consider fessed to the killings. His motives the murders were committed by DNA samples and other evidence col- remain unclear, however. Permyakov there is still no conclusive lected by Armenian investigators. New date set for Iran-Armenia energy project Armenia and Iran will start building start in March and take 18 months. The loan be provided by the Iranian side. next month a third transmission line that new facility will allow Armenia to The minister also said that the new will connect their power grids and increase electricity supplies to Iran from Armenia-Iran line will be as powerful as increase Armenian electricity exports to the current 1.2 billion kilowatt/hours to the two existing ones combined. the Islamic Republic, Energy Mnister up to 7 billion kilowatt/hours, he said. The sharp increase in electricity Yervand Zakharyan said on May 13. That electricity is generated by exports anticipated by Yerevan will pre- Work on the project has repeatedly Iranian natural gas delivered to sumably require much higher volumes of been postponed by the governments of Armenian thermal-power plants. Iranian gas supplies. According to gov- the two neighboring states due to finan- Zakharan on Wednesday spoke of ernment figures, Armenia buys around cial issues and obstacles resulting from June as the new date for the launch of the 500 million cubic meters of gas from international sanctions imposed on Iran.