The new Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, seeks to establish a dialogue with the West, but has no intention to give up the nuclear program, Andrey Areshev, researcher at the Institute of Political and Social Studies of the Black Sea and Caspian Region, told ArmInfo.  

Areshev said that Hassan Rouhani is a true representative of the Iranian elite, an experienced diplomat and negotiator, direct participant in the Iranian-Iraqi war. The word "reformist" applied in the Western and some Russian publications to define him is conventional. Areshev thinks that the representatives of the Iranian elite may apply one or another tactics to achieve certain goals, but their strategy is similar. "The strategy is one - to strengthen the international positions of the country and to ensure its security. I think that the dialogue with the West is possible. Moreover, the
Iranian leaders, regardless of their image, have repeatedly suggested cooperating with the West on the key problems. The brightest example is the idea of the Dialogue Among Civilizations introduced by Mohammad Khatami. That dialogue failed due to the fault of the West, because the West needs a weak and split Iran. No one in power - be it a reformist, radical or conservative - can agree with such an approach of the West.

The expert also pointed out that the rhetoric against Israel might change. He thinks that the Iranian leaders are unlikely to threaten to wipe the Jewish state off the map. "Notwithstanding such threats of ex-President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran took no practical steps in this direction. But these aggressive statements aggravated the relations with not only the Jewish state, but with the United States. This was a very serious emotional component in the dialogue between Iran and the West, and Tehran did not benefit from that. Not only Rouhani, but also other candidates criticized Ahmadinejad for
such rhetoric.

To recall, Hassan Rouhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, won the June 14 elections in Iran by obtaining 52.3% of votes.

Mr Ambassador, Armenia and Belarus celebrate an anniversary – 20 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Did our countries gain much for these 20 years like the independent states?

Employees of the Kilikia Commercial Center are picketing the Parliament of Armenia. They demand the Parliament to open pavilions and permit trading.

They have submitted a letter-request to the parliament speaker. To recall, on June 1 the State Revenue Committee closed Kilikia Commercial Center for illegal activity. The Center employed nearly 300 people.

  F1 grenade has been found in the area of ArmRusgasprom Company's offices, the Police press-service told ArmInfo.  

The alarm was received approximately at 12:50pm on June 16 from Hrazdan-5 branch leadership. The grenade was found in the grass near the gate.

Rescuers found out that the same day on 8:30am the company's watchman found the corroded grenade without detonator and submitted it for expertise. Investigation is underway.

Son of Yuri Khachaturov, Head of the Armed Forces General Staff, did not beat anyone, says Armenian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan.  Hovhannisyan says that Khachaturov's son, who is deputy commander of a troop at the artillery military unit in Dilijan, was at the given military unit some 10 days ago. If there are any facts, name of the sufferers, it is necessary to submit them, he says.

Earlier, nrnak.com disseminated reports that Khachaturov's son beat soldiers. The source did not name Khachaturov's son. The head of the Armed Forces General Staff has three sons. The website reported that three of the beaten soldiers were taken to Vanadzor Hospital. Khachaturov's son delivered one of the beaten up soldiers, Zorik, who was in an extremely grave situation,  to a hospital in Yerevan  by his own car.

 Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 413 drams for 1 dollar, 549drams for 1 EUR and 13 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum selling rates stood at 414 drams for 1 dollar, 553 drams for 1 EUR and 13 drams for 1 Russian ruble .
                                                   

 Visit of OSCE CiO, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara to Armenia and Azerbaijan has been postponed for unknown period of time, the OSCE Yerevan Office told ArmInfo.

Additional information on the new date of the visit will be provided later, the Office reported.

OSCE CiO will visit only Georgia on June 18-19.

 Head of Barev, Yerevan Faction in the Elders Council of Yerevan Anahit Bakhshyan has sent a letter to Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan wherein she refuses from the official car GAZ 3110, as it is out of order and worn out.

The car was provided to Bakhshyan in compliance with the law on the local self-government. In her letter, Bakhshyan complains of discrimination against the Council's factions when it comes to provision of official cars.

Baku. The head of the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations in Russia  (UAOR), Abbas Abbasov, sent the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Day of National Salvation.

Baku. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has responded to the European Parliament resolution on the arrest of Ilgar Mamedov. The discussion in the European Parliament and the adoption of the  resolution in the case of  Ilgar Mamedov, is regrettable, reads  the statement  of the Foreign Minister.

Vienna.  US Ambassador to OSCE Ian Kelly in his response to Dunya Miyatovic, the special representative on the Media problems statement called Azeri authorities to cease imprisoning  journalists.

Baku. Civil Movement "Republican Alternative" (REAL) held an event today in the office of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS), dedicated to the birthday of the leader of the opposition group Ilgar Mamedov. Today he turns 43 and will marks it in jail.

In the last five years the number of internet users in Armenia has grown by 50-60 times, CEO of GNC- ALFA (subsidiary of Rostelecom) Hayk Faramanyan told journalists on Saturday.

He said that the number of broadband internet users has grown to 350,000-400,000, with the internet usage having amounted to 60- 70 GB.

"The growth was due mostly to the regions. So, today they have almost half of all usage. The presence of big international operators has boosted competition and has pushed down the prices," Faramanyan said.

He said that the quality of corporate internet in Armenia is much higher than in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey.

"The point is that the local operators are very aggressive in their investment policies. Rostelecom's investment program alone has created over 1,000 jobs since late 2012. We have laid a fiber cable to the border of Nagorno-Karabakh, thereby allowing the local operator, Karabakh Telecom, to build its own network.  In the last two years the number of internet users in Nagorno- Karabakh has grown by 40-50%, while the prices have dropped," Faramanyan said.

Rostelecom bought 75%-1 stake in GNC-ALFA for $2.5mln in Feb 2012.

The visit planned by OSCE Chairperson-in- Office, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara to Armenia and Azerbaijan has been postponed.

APA reports quoting diplomatic sources that Leonid Kozhara will visit only Georgia. The visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia has been postponed due to the schedule of the presidents of the two countries. It is not known when the visit will take place, it will be determined through diplomatic channels.

Leonid Kozhara's visit to the region was scheduled for June 17-19.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved by means of war as war will be disastrous for the whole region, Nagorno-Karabakh's Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan said in an interview to France 24. 

He said that in 1988 Nagorno-Karabakh struggled not only for its reunification with Armenia but also human rights, social and economic equality and safe life. But peaceful demonstrations by students and workers were followed by Armenian massacres in Sumqayit, Baku and Kirovabad and an aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Mirzoyan believes that Azerbaijan must change its position in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process as it keeps propagating xenophobia and Armenophobia. 

Mirzoyan is sure that sooner or later the parties will find a peaceful solution that will guarantee safe and prosperous future for two independent states - Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, but this will become possible only if Nagorno-Karabakh is involved in the peace process as a full party to it.

Armenia's progress under the Open Management Cooperation program will help it improve the indicators considered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Ambassador of the United States to Armenia John Heffern said during the Open Management Cooperation-Armenia conference in Yerevan on Friday.

He said that earlier Armenia was a beneficiary of the MCC program, and this work could considerably help it participate in the Corporation's programs again.

Heffern said that anti-corruption activity is one of the key criteria of the Corporation. He said that Armenia does not yet comply with this criteria, but the United States welcomes the country's progress in this field.

The MCC's $177mln five-year program in Armenia was completed in Sept 2011. It was aimed to restore the country's irrigation system and to support and consult local farmers.

The offshore scandal involving Armenia's Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is just part of the regime's plot to sacrifice him in order to keep its power pyramid intact, opposition MP Aram Manukyan told journalists on Friday.

Manukyan does not doubt that Hetq.am's article saying that Margaryan is involved in an offshore diamond business is true.

"But he is not the only government official in Armenia who has such a history, and the regime can sacrifice one or two of them at any moment just to scare the rest," the MP said.




 

 Well-known Russian businessman of Armenian origin, co-director of Sberbank CIB Ruben Vardanyan said during the Sobchak Alive TV program that he is not going to run for Armenian presidency.

He said that every man must do what he can. "I do a lot for Armenia, but I am a Russian citizen, and I believe that I am good only where I do what I can do. I am on very good terms with the Armenian authorities. I think I am a bad politician. I will not be able to do politics - especially in Armenia, whose mentality and culture are much different from what I saw in the country I grew up in," Vardanyan said.

He said that Armenia has its own problems. It is a monoethnic state with a clan regime. He refuted the rumors that the Armenian authorities keep him away from politics.

According to Forbes, Vardanyan has a wealth of almost $0.5bln. He has a foundation that is very active in Armenia. It has provided $20mln for the Revival of Tatev and is co-funding the $120mln Dilijan International School project.

The leaders of Russia, the United States and France are planning to make a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during the forthcoming G8 summit.

RIA Novosti quotes the Russian President's assistant Yuri Ushakov as saying that he is 100% sure that the statement will be made.