PaperBoy

On June 10, Serzh Sargsyan received the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. They discussed issues related to the peaceful settlement the Karabakh conflict, the situation on the Line of Contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces and on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including the recent incidents on the frontline. They also stressed the sides’ adherence to the commitments aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict as well as implementation of the agreements reached during high-level meetings Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261289.html

Armenian doctors Armine Barkhudaryan, Hayk Hovhannisyan and Gevorg Voskanyan have returned Nuba Mountains in Sudan where they were substituting 2017 Aurora Prize laureate Tom Catina while the letter was in Armenia. Dr. Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary from Amsterdam, New York who has saved thousands of lives as the sole doctor permanently based in Sudan’s war-ravaged Nuba Mountains where humanitarian aid is restricted. He was selected as the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate from more than 550 nominations submitted from 66 countries. For the last nine years, Dr Catena – known by locals as “Dr Tom” – has been on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Mother of Mercy Catholic Hospital to care for the more than 750,000 citizens of Nuba amidst ongoing civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement. Patients have been known to walk for up to seven days to receive treatment for injuries from bombing attacks and ailments varying from bone fractures to malnourishment and malaria. It is estimated that Dr Catena treats 500 patients per day and performs more than one thousand operations each year. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261287.html

The recent hail in Tsaghkashat community in Aragatsotn region has caused damage to locals. The regional governor of Lori marz and Head of the Department of Agriculture at have been informed about it. A committee will be set up to determine the extent of the damage. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261284.html

On June 10, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who are in Armenia as part of a regional visit. The meeting with Ambassadors Richard Hoagland (US), Stephane Visconti (France) and Igor Popov (Russia) and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk focused on the situation along the Line of Contact between Nagorno-Karbakh and Azerbaijani armed forces. Mr Nalbandian called the mediators’ attention to the fact that an agreement was reached during the meeting of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani FMs in Moscow in April in the presence of the mediators regarding a similar press release, which was published by the foreign ministries of Armenia and Russia. However, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry, as always, not only failed to implement the agreement, but also made an absurd statement alleging that during the Moscow meeting the foreign ministers didn’t highlight the implementation of the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg summits in 2016, rather, the negotiations of the summits were discussed during the meeting. The Armenian FM stressed that the May 18 statement of the Co-Chairs was not the fist targeted statement, Azerbaijan continues to ignore the urges and calls of the Co-­Chairs, moreover it does the opposite. Edward Nalbandian added that a situation is maturing when the Co-Chairs should not only make statements, but also take specific actions to curb this destructive and provocative policy of Azerbaijan. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261282.html

On June 10 2017, the Syunik Animal Market hosted the 3rd Sheep Shearing Festival in Tatev community, Syunik region. The Festival was organized by the Strategic Development Agency NGO with co-funding from the Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation. The goal of the Festival is to make people aware, and expand their knowledge, of the traditions, culture and local products of the VayotsDzor and Syunik regions as well as foster the development of tourism in the region. In total, some 2,000 people took part in the festival. “The Sheep Shearing Festival is becoming something of a tradition. It provides a chance to revitalize community life, recalls forgotten traditions and presents local products to tourists. It is great that more and more travel agencies are including the Festival in their offers. This shows how interest in the event is growing each year,” said Edgar Manukyan, CEO of IDeA Foundation. This year, the Festival featured a sheep shearing contest, live folk music, dancing, tightrope walking, sports, and a fair allowing producers from theVayotsDzor and Syunik regions to sell their products. The on-site food booths offered the Festival’s visitors the chance to taste traditional Armenian dishes. “Since 2008, the Strategic Development Agency, with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland, has been implementing a livestock development program in Syunik, and since 2014 in the VayotsDzor regions. The programme contains a number of events and activities aimed at developing the farmers’ knowledge and capabilities as well as improving the efficiency of pasture management. In this context, the Sheep Shearing Festival is important as it allows our beneficiary communities to present their products, communicate with each other and increase tourism in the region,” said Karina Harutyunyan, who heads the cattle breeding development programme at the Agency for Strategic Development. The 2nd Sheep Shearing Festival was near theHalidzor Station of the “Wings of Tatev” cableway in 2015. Over 3,000 people, including tourists and guests from the U.S., Russia, Spain and Belgium attended the event. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261280.html

The newly elected City Council of Yerevan held its first sitting on June 9. At the end of the meeting, in response to journalists’ questions, Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan addressed the incident related to Anna Stepanyan, whom he appointed as Head of General Education Department at Yerevan Municipality earlier this week. The mayor said that he does not agree with the claims that Anna Stepanyan was a fake observer during last month’s municipal elections in Yerevan. “We have provided answers and there is also an answer by the Central Electoral Commission”, SUT.am cited Mr Margaryan as saying. It is worth that during the May 14 elections, Anna Stepanyan, who was then principal of a Yerevan school, was present in 7/20 polling station as an observer from the “Education and Cultural Bridges” organization. Stepanyan was not accredited by the Central Electoral Commission though she had a document with a CEC stamp that had her name and surname written with a pen.Representative of “Union of Informed Citizens” NGO Daniel Ioannisyan had to call CEC Chairman Tigran Mukuchyan with a demand to remove the fake observer from the polling station. In the end, she was finally removed from there. The names of all the observers are published on the CEC website, and Mrs. Stepanyan’s name is not there. It is difficult to say what the statement by Taron Margaryan “We have provided answers” means, but the response of the Central Electoral Commission was definite, i.e. the fake observer was removed from the polling station. According to the “Independent Observer” initiative, observers from “Education and Cultural Bridges” were often guiding citizens to vote for the Republican Party of Armenia on the election day, SUT.am reports. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261277.html

More than quarter century has passed after the devastating disaster of 1988, nevertheless the depressive psychology of disaster still prevails. Nowadays more than 3500 dilapidated domiks are scattered all over the town. Even the significant part of the families who gained homes in previous years don’t hurry to demolish them and free Gyumri from the painful sight of disaster. Unequivocally, it’s impossible to take Gyumri out of the hard and depressing atmosphere until the town has got rid of the dilapidated domiks, 1000 of which isn’t even inhabited. Our investigations have shown that for freeing the town from domiks one of the best versions will be to buy dilapidated domiks for sale from the owners and just demolish them. The remained wood from the domiks can be distributed to the homeless families living in other domiks. Every year during winter months in order to bestow warmth ”Shirak Center” purchases about 300 cubic meter wood from forest areas of Armenia and distributes to needy families. It turns out that every year our organization forcedly promotes to the disappearance of 1000 trees from our scanty forests. Our new charitable enterprise will promote to no more forest cuttings, instead the wood remained from the demolished domiks will be provided to the homeless families as winter fuel. Moreover, the metal parts remained from the demolition of the domiks will be bartered for wood or will be sold and with the money raised again domiks will be bought for demolition. At the moment in Gyumri the price of one dilapidated domik is 600-800 $. We will take a photo of each domik liable to demolition, the process of demolition and the photos, video materials of the cleared areas will also be introduced. They will be inserted in our website and the sponsor providing financial aid for the acquisition of the corresponding domik will be introduced as well. The suggested project has 5 components which are of paramount importance. The first one is psychological- the hope will arise in the residents of Gyumri that one day their favorite town will regain the former charm without domiks. The second one is social-during the winter months free fuel will be provided to the homeless families sheltered in domiks. The third one is architectural- in Gyumri perceptible communal lands will be freed from temporary dwellings which will give the opportunity to carry out construction work and the reconstruction of the city view. The fourth is environmental-instead of cutting forests we will get winter fuel from the demolition of decrepit and damp domiks long ago gone out of order. The fifth one is employment- 10-15 unemployed people from temporary settlements will be involved in this project. The sum of money envisaged by the budget will be spent on the purchase of domiks, their demolition, preparation and distribution of firewood. For the realization of this project we apply to our partners, all the people of good will and organizations calling for response and donations to one of the accounts mentioned below. GYUMRI, REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA: str. M. Khorenachi 50/4, Shirak Centre NGO E-mail: shirakcentre@gmail.com Web site: www.shirakcentre.org Phone: +(374 91) 45-13-37 ARDSHINBANK CJSC, GYUMRI BRANCH S.W.I.F.T CODE: ASHBAM 22XXX 7 Gay str. Client Account N: 2472601614240020- for USA Benejiciary Bank: INECOBANK CJSC, YEREVAN, ARMENIA, SWIFT CODE: INJSAM22 AMD – 2052622035941001 EUR – 2052622035941040 RUB – 20526 22035941041 USD – 20526 22035941020 The video of Shant TV is about Shirak Centre work to clean Gyumri from domiks. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261275.html

On June 10, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan received the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Richard Hoagland, Igor Popov and Stephane Visconti, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. The parties discussed the state of the Karabakh conflict, the situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, the developments since the last meeting with the Co-Chairs. The Armenian Defense Minister called the attention of his guests to the recent incident on the frontline and welcomed the targeted response of the international mediators. As an important guarantee of the productivity of negotiations over the conflict, Vigen Sargsyan emphasized the importance of implementation of investigation mechanisms in accordance to the Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements, and thereby the formation of an atmosphere of mutual trust. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261271.html

On June 16, it will become clear when Hrachya Harutyunyan will be transferred to Armenia, Victor Martirosyan, the father of Harutyunyan’s wife, told A1+ Company. Relatives of Hrachya Harutyunyan, an Armenian truck driver sentenced to 6 years and 9 months in prison by a Moscow court, were informed about it by the Ministry of Justice. On April 25, Victor Martirosyan met with Deputy Minister of Justice to discuss Hrachya’s possible extradition to Armenia. During the meeting, he was informed that Hrachya would be transferred to Armenia in a month or two. The families of the 18 victims have received 18 mln rubles in compensation from Ara Abrahamyan, Chairman of the Union of Armenians of Russia. This means that financial liabilities are removed and Hrachya Harutyunyan can serve the rest of his sentence in Armenia. Some sources say that the Armenian and Russian sides are discussing the option of exchanging Harutyunyan with Valery Permyakov, a Russian serviceman charged with the murder of a seven-member Armenian family in January 2015. That is, when Permyakov is transferred to Russia, it will be immediately announced also that Harutyunyan will be handed over to the RA law enforcement. On July 13, 2013 the gravel-loaded truck driven by Hrachya Harutyunyan, an Armenian citizen working in Russia, collided with a packed commuter bus outside the Russian capital. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus had split in two. The accident claimed 18 lives and injured more than forty others. The investigation revealed that the accident resulted from poor maintenance of the truck resulting in a brake malfunction. Harutyunyan, according to investigators, was to know about it. In August, a Moscow district court sentenced Hrachya Harutyunyan to 6 years and 9 months in prison on charges of ‘violating traffic and vehicle operation rules, which unwittingly led to the death of two or more persons.’ Harutyunyan has health problems. His relatives believe after his transfer to Armenia he will undergo operations. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261267.html

From 4 to 10 June, Azerbaijan’s armed forces violated the ceasefire along the Line of Contact over 250 times, using various caliber weapons, as well as 60-mm and 82-mm mortars and anti-tank grenades. The Artsakh Ministry of Defense says the frontline units of its Defense Army are in full control of the situation and confidently continue their military vigil. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261265.html

On June 9, the Spanish city of Valencia passed a resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Embassy in Spain reports. The Compromís, València en Comú and Socialista parties represented in the City Council voted in favour of the measure presented by the Armenian Association “Ararat.” The City Council condemned the first genocide of the 20th century, calling on the Valencian Parliament, the Spanish Government and Turkey to follow suit. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261262.html

Aram Hakobyan, one of the members of the Sasna Dzrer group, has developed cardiovascular disease in addition to a number of health problems. He also has a conversion disorder and difficulties in walking. Lawyer Davit Gyurjyan, who visited Aram Hakobyan five days ago, says there is no change in his health condition. The medicine for the Sasna Dzrer group member is provided by his relatives while the European Court of Human Rights ordered Armenia to provide Hakobyan with proper medical care and essential medicines while he remains in custody. On June 16, the Court of Appeals is set to hear the appeal against a decision order to ban visits to Aram Hakobyan, Vardan Geravetyan and Gagik Yeghiazaryan. They are even forbidden to talk to their relatives on the phone. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261260.html

At around 6:33 a.m., the Ministry of Emergency Situations was informed that a citizen had fallen into a canal in Yerevan. Rescuers were called to remove the citizen who wasn’t able to get himself out. Before their arrival, locals were able to take the 34-year-old man out of the canal. The man was taken home with the help of rescuers and police officers. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261257.html

More than two dozen U.S. Congressmen called on their colleagues to increase aid to Armenia in 2018. In a June 6th letter to Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), the leaders of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, over 25 U.S. Representatives raised alarms about President Trump’s call for a 67% cut to U.S. foreign aid to Armenia (reducing overall aid from $20.4 million in FY16 to $6.8 million in FY18), urging the restoration of aid levels for both Armenia and Artsakh. “As Members who care deeply about strengthening the bilateral relationship between the United States and the Republic of Armenia, we urge you to reject the harmful cuts to U.S. foreign aid to Armenia included in the President’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) budget,” the Representatives stated in the letter. “At a time of tremendous global uncertainty, the U.S. should continue to foster the progress of its allies, not retreat from its responsibilities as the world’s leading democracy. As the U.S. and Armenia commemorate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we urge the committee to reject the harmful cuts to U.S. aid to Armenia proposed by the President’s FY18 budget,” they continued. U.S. foreign included in the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget foresees cuts not only for Armenia (67%), but also for Georgia (57%), Ukraine (69%) and Azerbaijan (over 90%). In 2016, the United States provided nearly $20 million to Armenia and $10 million to Azerbaijan. Trump’s administration proposes to provide $ 6.8 million to Armenia and $1 million to Azerbaijan. Thus, the draft budget proposes to cut aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan by 67% and 90 % respectively. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261251.html

Today the NA adopted the bill on the enlargement of the communities. Before that there was a big wave of protest in the whole country. Mainly the communities were protesting. They note that there is no success story from the previous enlargement, based on which the enlargement could be repeated. “A1+” hosted the NA lawmaker Mane Tandilyan to discuss the topic more in detail. Watch details in the video! Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261249.html

“I couldn’t understand what had happened,” Konstantin Orbelyan, Artistic Director of Opera and Ballet National Academic Theatre, couldn’t understand how yesterday Gayane ballet failed. A number of musicians of the orchestra refused to perform. In that way they expressed their protest against the dismissal of 10 people in the administrative staff. Artistic Director of the Theatre didn’t receive the answer to “Why to boycott?” question even today at the meeting with the participation of musicians and dismissed staff members. “Everybody was engaged in his personal matters. Aren’t you ashamed that you disappointed 1000 people, who had come to watch the performance?” says Konstantin Orbelyan. He isn’t going to solve the issue at any cost. He will leave that mission to Minister of Culture, “Amiryan today was there, let him make a relevant decision.” Conductor of the Opera Zaven Vardanyan considers the boycott of the orchestra to be organized. Maybe they are 4 deputy heads dismissed from the jobs. He thinks so as the orchestra has no reason to boycott. The conductor considers the dismissal of 10 employees of the Opera to be a right decision. Vardanyan thinks that in the Opera, the positions of the administrative staff are exaggerated, “You know that there are dismissals in the whole country and the Theatre cannot avoid it.” The issue of the boycott today was discussed at the meeting in Opera with the participation of musicians and dismissed employees. The issue wasn’t resolved. Zaven Vardanyan has negative attitude towards the boycott, “You should respect the audience. They aren’t guilty, if there are inner problems.” The journalists weren’t able to find any musician in Opera, who yesterday was among the protesters. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261247.html

Today former Deputy Defense Minister Vahan Shirkhanyan, who was detained in connection with the case of the armed group neutralized in Nork-Marash, was brought to the court by wheelchair. The court hearings, which kicked off on December 2, were postponed, as Shirkhanyan didn’t attend them. Today the Court will present the summary of forensic-medical examination, which will clarify whether Vahan Shirkhanyan can participate in the court hearings or not. To remind, Vahan Shirkhanyan demanded to provide him a wheelchair to take part in the court hearings. Watch details in the video! Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261245.html

Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan neither accuses nor accepts the behavior of “Yerkir Tsirani” party. Mayor considers the fact that today the members of the faction weren’t able to find their room to be their own guilt, “The staff of Yerevan Municipality for the past 10 days constantly invited everybody to solve the organizational issues. She should have respected the institution of the Council of Elders and be present, I am ready to talk and meet with everybody.” Could the Mayor feel the spirit of the hell promised by Zaruhi Postanjyan? “I didn’t see Mrs Postanjyan in order to feel it.” In reply to the question by “A1+” why Gayane Soghomonyan was relieved of her post, Taron Margaryan answered, “Ask her! She left the job according to her own application, explaining that she teaches at the university and has no time.” The Mayor also touched upon the issue of Firdus market salesmen. Watch the video for more details! Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261243.html

The Informer’s system was invested by the Republican still before the elections, when the voters, who took money, could inform law enforcement authorities about the attempt to bribe them. “-Was there any case, when any voter informed about an attempt?- I cannot remember such a case,” says the NA Deputy Speaker Arpine Hovhannisyan. The voter, according to Arpine Hovhannisyan, today can inform that during the elections, for example, Mihran Poghosyan’s headquarters bribed him or her. Head of Department of State Property Management can imagine that there will be people in his department, who will inform about corruption steps of the authorities. Arman Sahakyan, Head of the Department of the State Property Management, says, “If there are accusations, we are ready to listen to those accusations as well.” Armen Rustamyan, Head of Dashnaktsutyun faction, believes that the committee on prevention of corruption will certainly activate the fight against the corruption, for example, a lawmaker can inform about his or her colleague’s illegalities. Dashnak lawmaker is sure that fight against corruption in Armenia would be meaningless, if the state bodies did their job well. According to Armen Rustamyan, the establishment of this independent anti-corruption committee shows that in the fight against corruption, law enforcement authorities aren’t reliable. The NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov in the fight against corruption proposes eyes instead of committees and laws. Especially when it relates to the lawmakers, who must inform about each other’s offenses, “The lawmakers, if there is such an issue, should look in the eyes of his or her colleague and speak to them directly, and not secretly inform another body.” If the fight against corruption should be carried out by looking in each other’s eyes, why do we need to invest the Informer’s system? Mr Sharmazanov simply thinks that the Informer’s system must be used in a right way. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261241.html

Serzh Sargsyan received a delegation of participants of the annual meeting of the Belgium and the Netherlands-led subgroup of International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Welcoming the guests, the President noted that the annual meetings are a good opportunity to exchange views with stakeholders’ representatives and partners on the prospects of cooperation with subgroup countries, as well as on the challenges and problems facing the global economy and the ways of coping with them. Highly appreciative of the ongoing cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Serzh Sargsyan highlighted those joint projects implemented during the past 25 years of Armenia’s membership of these international financial institutions, thanks to which Armenia managed to ensure macroeconomic and financial stability, pursue coordinated fiscal and monetary policies, as well as carry out comprehensive reforms and enhance our country’s economic efficiency. Stressing that Armenia has embarked upon serious reforms aimed at long-term development, President Sargsyan expressed confidence that the close and fruitful cooperation with the World Bank and the IMF would continue all the way through the reform process. Hailing the 25-year-long cooperation with partner Armenia, the representatives of the IMF and the World Bank assured of their readiness to keep on making joint efforts in order to record new achievements. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261239.html

The issue of Vardenis residents regarding the enlargement of the communities may be solved also in favor of the residents. To remind, 2 days ago residents of more than 20 communities closed Vardenis-Martakert road, protesting against the project of the enlargement of the communities and demanding to take into account also the opinion of the residents. The matter is borderline villages, which, accruing to the residents, will be emptied as a result of enlargement. Besides, here are many refugees, who think that they may have sub-cultural problems with others. During these days, members of the Government organized discussions with the residents. As a result it seems that the proposals of the residents will be accepted. The offer is that instead of 13 villages to be joined to Vardenis and Mets Masrik, those villages join each other. So the proportionality in terms of the number of the people will be maintained. To remind, after active discussions at the NA today the bill on the enlargement was adopted with 57-24 votes. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261237.html

Serzh Sargsyan sent a condolence message to the Sarinyan family on the demise of renowned literary critic, NAS Academician Sergey Sarinyan. The President offered deep condolences to prominent scholar’s family, close relatives, friends and colleagues. “The outstanding scholar dedicated his career to the study of classical and modern Armenian literature, literary theory and methodology. He made a significant contribution to the cause of publication and propagation of Armenian literature. Valuable is Sergey Sarinyan’s contribution to pedagogy, education and upbringing of the new generation of philologists. He deserved his colleagues’ and students’ respect and sympathy,” the President said in his message. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261235.html

At the NA session convened by the Government today the bill on the enlargement of the communities was discussed at the second reading. Naira Zohrabyan, lawmaker from Tsarukyan alliance, noted that in the morning the residents of Gegharkunik marz applied to Gagik Tsarukyan, “I know that you will accept that draft as it is a political decision. The elections of local self-government bodies are due in the near future and you have decided to fit the local self-government bodies to your candidates. Meet with the villagers; they have other proposals, they have more correct logic. We cannot see any logic of optimal government in this bill.” Edmon Marukyan, lawmaker from Yelk alliance, said that first he supported the bill on the enlargement of the communities, but during this period there is no advancement, particularly in Lori marz, “The Government hasn’t carried out any efficient step, and good ideas have been spoilt. Bring an example of a success story as it has been a while since the previous enlargement.” Vache Terteryan, deputy minister of Territorial Administration and Development, noted that the issue of residents should be touched upon in the NA and not give qualifications, “Yesterday during the whole day we were with the residents. This proposal is a project discussed with them. We have success stories, if you want to see them, look through our website. I will do my best so that they become more public.” Nikol Pashinyan, Head of Yelk alliance faction, said that they support the bill, “I hope that after Edmon Marukyan’s speech the HHK will not vote against the bill.” The bill on prevention of corruption was adopted with 92-0 votes. The bill on privatization of state property was adopted with 58-31 votes. Before the voting on the bill on the enlargement of the communities, Nikol Pashinyan noted that it will be right that there be an inclusive report on the first group of enlargement. The bill on enlargement of the communities was adopted with 57-24 votes. The NA session convened by the Government ended. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261233.html

Serzh Sargsyan left for the Republic of Kazakhstan on a working visit to take part in the opening ceremony of Astana Expo-2017 international exhibition in Astana, which will be attended by 115 countries and 18 international organizations. Dedicated to alternative energy sources and green technologies and referred to as “Future Energy,” the exhibition will present the best energy saving technologies and the latest developments in the field of alternative energy. On the margins of the Astana Expo-2017, the President of Armenia will call at the Armenian pavilion. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261231.html

Armen Israyelyan, specialist in Iranian studies, after the terrorist attack in Iran says that provocations are possible on the border with Artsakh. “Of course not by Saudi Arabia or any other third party. But by the special services, which aim at destabilizing the northern regions of Iran, I think Azerbaijan is interested in it,” specialist in Iranian studies told the journalists. Those provocations may harm our borders. Armen Israyelyan links the terrorist attack in Iran to economic, political and security factors. In economic terms, he says, it may affect bilateral relations. “First it is conditioned by Iran’s economic situation, after nuclear agreement, the expectations relating to involvement of Iran in foreign investments etc, unfortunately, they weren’t fulfilled.” According to the specialist in Iranian studies, during the recent one-two years we have been able to create such preconditions, which will serve as a ground to develop bilateral economic relations- tourism, joint small enterprises etc. In the international relations, according to the words of Armen Israyeyan, Iran has lost its reputation, and if formerly nuclear agreement was on the agenda, now terrorist attacks are on the agenda. In political terms, according to the specialist in Iranian studies, the authorities of Iran will toughen their policy with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Armen Israyelyan is sure that the role of Armenia will increase for Iran. Source: http://en.a1plus.am/1261229.html