21 YEAR The #13 Noah’s Ark (1053) 23 March 2015 Published Since 1993 Weekly Newspaper HIGHLIGHTS ÜáÛÛ³Ý î³å³Ý ß³μ³Ã³Ã»ñà (³Ý·É. / ýñ³Ýë.) Armenian-Chinese high-level negotiations take place in Beijing China's President Xi Jinping prom- ised more economic and military assis- tance to Armenia on March 25 during talks with his visiting Armenian coun- terpart President Serzh Sargsyan which the two men said will give "new impe- tus" to growing ties between their nations. Serzh Sargsyan, for his part, voiced support for Beijing's long-running efforts to regain control over Taiwan and spoke out against any foreign inter- ference in China's internal affairs "under the guise of human rights protec- tion." In a 5-page joint declaration released after their talks in Beijing, Xi and Sargsyan noted "mutual under- standing on issues relating to pivotal interests and concerns of the two coun- tries." They also presided over the sign- ing by senior Chinese and Armenian government officials of a dozen inter- governmental agreements to deepen bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including law-enforcement, tourism, education and energy. continued on page 3 In This Issue Yerevan Expects Chinese Support For Noyan Tapan Printing House Iran-Armenia Rail Link p.2 is offering coloured and black and white offset and digital IFC and Armenia partner to boost printing of books, brochures, booklets, journals, etc with investment, develop private sector p.7 high quality and low prices Tel: 060 27 64 62 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 Next Armenia-Lithuania Business Forum p.p.10-11 EU-Armenia relations saw Noyan Tapan Video Studio progress on several is offering professional video and photography for indoor agreements in 2014 p.12 and outdoor events such as weddings, birthday parties, official events, seminars and conferences. Tel: 060 27 64 62 World Well-known Pianist Evgeny Kissin Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 in Yerevan p.16 30 March #13 (1053) 2015 2 www.nt.am The Noyan Tapan Highlights POLITICS President Sargsyan meets with Chairman of Standing Committee of National People's Congress Zhang Dejiang As part of his state visit to the Congress laid special emphasis on inter- People's Republic of China, President parliamentary cooperation in deepening Serzh Sargsyan on March 26 visited of collaboration in numerous areas of Tiananmen Square, laid a wreath and mutual interest and in further intensifica- paid tribute to the Monument to the tion of Armenian-Chinese ties. According People's Heroes. to him, the two countries' parliaments, Later on, at the Great Hall of the legally reinforcing the agreements made People the RA President held a meeting between the Presidents, will greatly con- with Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the tribute to the development of political Standing Committee of the National dialogue. Zhang Dejiang expressed satis- People's Congress. faction with the collaboration established The Chairman of the Standing with Armenia's National Assembly. Committee of the National People's President Serzh Sargsyan expressed Congress greeted the Armenian President his thanks for the warm words and hospi- and underscored that in the Republic of tality and noted that Armenia regards its ship between Armenia and China and Armenia, China has a reliable and good relations with China as one of the most have built mutual trust. At the meeting, partner with which the dynamically important foreign policy priorities and the parties also stressed the importance of developing political dialogue is based on places great value on the deepening of inter-party cooperation which has been mutual respect and trust. He attached friendly relations with China - a country developing year after year. importance to President Serzh Sargsyan's representing one of the world's most Following the meeting with Zhang state visit to China and the successful ancient civilizations and an influential Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing high-level negotiations with President Xi member of the international community. Committee of the National People's Jinping which, according to Zhang The interlocutors agreed that since the Congress, President Serzh Sargsyan was Dejiang, will give new impetus to bilater- establishment of diplomatic relations hosted at the Old Summer Palace which al relations, elevating them to a qualita- between the two countries, recent years' makes up part of UNESCO's World tively new level. successful cooperation and mutual sup- Cultural Heritage. This is the best place The Chairman of the Standing port within the framework of internation- to get familiarized with Chinese rich and Committee of the National People's al organizations have promoted friend- diverse culture. Yerevan Expects Chinese Support For Iran-Armenia Rail Link President Serzh Sargsyan on March bilateral China-Armenia relations," Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad 27 called for an "active" Chinese involve- added Serzh Sargsyan Javad Zarif spoke of further progress ment in the realization of his govern- A Chinese firm, China Communicati- made towards the construction of the rail- ment's ambitious plans to build a railway ons Construction Company (CCCC), is way. "There have been very good trilater- connecting Armenia with neighboring already involved in the extremely ambi- al discussions and good decisions and we Iran. tious project, having conducted a feasi- hope that [the project] will quickly move Speaking on the third day of his state bility study and recommended a cost- forward," Zarif said without elaborating. visit to Beijing, Sargsyan said the 470- effective route for the rail link. The study According to Sargsyan's press office, kilometer railway could be part of a was commissioned in 2013 by Rasia the railway project was on the agenda of transnational "Silk Road economic zone" FZE, a Dubai-based investment compa- the Armenian president's talks with which China would like to set up along a ny. The latter had in turn a received 30- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held on vast geographic area. year Armenian government concession to Thursday. The office did not report any "In this regard, Armenia expects an build and manage the 305-kilometer sec- concrete agreements to that effect active participation of Chinese compa- tion of the railway that would pass reached by the two men. nies in the construction of the Armenia- through Armenia. Addressing Peking University stu- Iran railway," he said in a speech at Earlier this year, Armenia's Deputy dents and professors, Serzh Sargsyan Peking University. "That will ensure the Transport Minister Artur Arakelyan said touted Armenia's "dynamically develop- region's even development, which is fully that Rasia has been holding "very active ing friendly relations" with China that in tune with China's 'peace for develop- negotiations" with unnamed Chinese were underlined by his joint declaration ment' motto." investors interested in financing work on with Chinese President Xi Jinping adopt- "At the same time, that would ensure the Armenian section, which would cost ed on Wednesday. Closer ties with China's strong presence in the South an estimated $3 billion. Beijing are "one of the priorities of Caucasus region and give impetus to Visiting Yerevan in late January, Armenia's foreign policy," he said. 30 March #13 (1053) 2015 POLITICS The Noyan Tapan Highlights www.nt.am 3 Armenia Recognizes Greek, Assyrian Genocides Armenian, Greek and Assyrian peoples." to fellow lawmakers on Monday. An estimated 300,000 Assyrian sub- Leaders of Armenia's small Assyrian jects of the Ottoman Empire were killed or and Greek communities were invited to the starved to death during and in the aftermath parliament to witness its passage. They of the First World War. An even larger hailed the development. number of Ottoman Greeks died at the time "People in various countries with as part of the same genocidal government Assyrian communities have long won- policy that also left some 1.5 million dered why this issue is not addressed in Armenia formally recognized the First Armenians dead. Armenia," said Arsen Mikhaylov, head of World War-era mass killings of Assyrians The International Association of the Yerevan-based Assyrian association and Greeks in the Ottoman Empire as Genocide Scholars concluded in 2007 that Atur. genocide with a resolution unanimously "the Ottoman campaign against Christian Eduard Polatov, who leads the Patrida passed by its parliament on March 24. minorities of the Empire between 1914 and union of ethnic Greeks in Armenia and "The National Assembly of Armenia 1923 constituted a genocide against Nagorno-Karabakh, also called the official declares that it condemns the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontic and Armenian recognition overdue. Polatov Greeks and Assyrians perpetrated in the Anatolian Greeks." said it will encourage more Greeks around Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923," reads the The Armenian parliament adopted the the world to campaign for greater interna- resolution co-sponsored by the main par- resolution one month before official com- tional recognition of the Armenian geno- liamentary factions. memorations in Yerevan of the 100th cide. The document says that the widely anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Greece and Cyprus recognized the documented massacres conformed to the "This will be our contribution to the Armenian genocide in 1999 and 1975 definition of genocide set by a 1948 United international fight against genocides," its respectively. Last year, Greece also enact- Nations convention. It also cites "cen- ethnic Greek deputy speaker, Eduard ed a law making it a crime to publicly deny turies-old friendly relations between the Sharmazanov, said as he presented the text this and other genocides. Armenian-Chinese high-level negotiations... From page 1 another major sphere of Chinese- country." "Taiwan is an integral part of One of those documents is a "frame- Armenian ties: military cooperation. the People's Republic of China and the work agreement" on the disbursement of "The parties are prepared to continue Taiwan issue an internal Chinese affair," a Chinese "concessional loan" to the their practical partnership in areas such as it says.