Tag Archives: Armenia

Kyrgyzstan to join Eurasian Economic Union

>>Membership to become political ahead of elections>>

DEC. 23 2014, (The Conway Bulletin) — Kyrgyzstan signed a deal that will make it the fifth member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) in May.

At a meeting in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the union, which from Jan. 1 includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia as well as Russia, would benefit from Kyrgyzstan’s membership.

“All the participants of this integration process are already experiencing its real benefits,” media quoted Mr Putin as saying.

“We are convinced that Armenia and Kyrgyzstan’s membership in the Eurasian [Economic] Union meets the key national interests of both countries.”

Many analysts, though, and people on the streets of Bishkek questioned whether there would be any real economic benefit. Instead, they said that Kyrgyzstan had joined the Eurasian Economic Union for political rather than economic reasons.

Kyrgyzstan is, largely reliant on Russia for economic and military support, but its membership of the Eurasian Economic Union is likely to become a political issue later this year in the run up to its parliamentary election, scheduled for October.

In an interview with Russian state-linked newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta before the official signing ceremony, Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev waived aside concern.

“When making decisions, we guide solely by economic expediency,” he said.

“This step will revive our industry, strengthen security, open borders with neighbouring countries, improve the standard of living of the people. Entry into this union opens up new opportunities for economic development.”

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 213, published on Jan. 7 2015)

Air Armenia to restart operations in March

JAN. 5 2015, (The Conway Bulletin) — Air Armenia, which suspended its international flights in October after declaring itself bankrupt, will re-start operations in March after agreeing a deal to sell 49% of the company to a Ukrainian company called East Prospect Fund, media reported. The news is important for Armenia’s travel links to Russia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 213, published on Jan. 7 2015)

Bread prices rise in Armenia

DEC. 8 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Bread prices have begun to rise for the first time since March, Armenian media reported. Armenia’s economy has been hit by the downturn in Russia’s economy. Commentators said that the rise in bread prices was directly attributable to an increase in the price of flour.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Georgian and Armenian currencies fall

DEC. 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Georgian lari and the Armenian dram have fallen sharply against the US dollar. The lari hit its lowest level for 10 years and the dram its lowest level since 2006. The root cause of the collapse of the currencies is the weakening of Russia’s economy because of a collapse in oil prices and Western- imposed sanctions.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Kyrgyzstan and the Eurasian Union

DEC. 8 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Alongside Armenia, Kyrgyzstan will finally join the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union in 2015 despite few analysts deeming it ready or suited to full membership.

Bishkek will sign accession documents on Dec. 23, although it could be May before it adopts the protectionist taxes slapped on goods from outside the union, Kyrgyz PM Djoomart Otorbayev told journalists.

Eurasian Economic Union officials have even said they will allow Chinese goods “for domestic consumption” to enter Kyrgyzstan according to pre-existing Kyrgyz tariffs for an unspecified period of time, a concession that suggests other members view Kyrgyzstan’s membership as symbolic.

Kyrgyzstan first agreed in 2010 to enter a trade bloc with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan — the current members of the Customs Union which will morph into the Eurasian Economic Union next year — so it has been a long wait.

But Kyrgyzstan has an economy a tenth the size of Belarus’, an unresolved row over ownership of the Kumtor gold mine, its single largest industrial unit, and worries about rising inflation. This makes it a potential weak link.

Arkady Gladilov, editor of local analytical website polit.kg noted that Kyrgyzstan has had three prime ministers in the time it has been committed to joining the bloc. He said the government may have been dragging its feet over Eurasian Economic Union accession.

“Russia is facing a difficult time with sanctions, and Kyrgyzstan’s own picture is far from rosy. If I were them, I would probably do the same in their position,” he told the Conway Bulletin.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Armenia’s parliament approves EaEU

DEC. 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s parliament overwhelmingly passed a treaty to join the Russia- led Eurasian Economic Union in 2015. The vote rubber stamps earlier decisions taken by President Serzh Sargsyan. Alongside Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus are members of the Customs Union which will morph into the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Uruguay VP visits Armenia

DEC. 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Uruguay’s vice-president Danilo Astori visited Armenia, highlighting a little-known but important global relationship.

According to media reports of Mr Astori’s visit, Uruguay was the first country in the world to recognise the Armenian Genocide.

Armenia and Turkey have been rowing for decades over the death of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in eastern Turkey at the end of the First World War. Armenia has said that the deaths were part of an organised genocide by the Ottoman Turks. Turkey has said that the deaths were part of general fighting.

It remains a thorn in Armenia-Turkey relations and forms a major part of Armenia’s foreign policy.

Uruguayan officials were clear on the significance of the trip.

“The trip will have official status and will be important to strengthen the bonds of solidarity, fraternity and cooperation that unite the two countries for decades, when 1965 Uruguay became the first country in the world to recognise the Armenian Genocide and thus inaugurated a long list of agreements and acts of solidarity with the Armenian people that has continued to expand,” they said according to press reports.

The importance of this is that it underlines just how much emphasis Armenia puts on promoting the genocide.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Armenian lecturers quit

DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Roughly 120 university lecturers in Armenia born since 1974 have quit their jobs because of government plans to change the pension system, the London-based NGO Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) said. IWPR said this equalled about a quarter of the total number of university academics under the age of 45 in Armenia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Bolivia passes Armenia genocide denial declaration

NOV. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Bolivia’s parliament passed a law condemning denial of the alleged genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago.

Although Bolivia hasn’t made genocide denial a crime, the statement will be seen as a diplomatic victory by Armenia. It has been locked in a long-running row with Turkey over the allegations of genocide. Turkey denies the allegations and says that Armenians died in confused fighting in eastern Turkey.

Media quoted the resolution passed by the Bolivian parliament as saying: “It declares its firm commitment to human rights, truth, justice, solidarity and condemnation against all denialist policy regarding the genocide and crimes against humanity suffered by the Armenian nation.”

The declaration may be clear but the motivation behind it is far less clear. Armenia and Bolivia haven’t particularly strong ties and it may simply be a piece of posturing by the Bolivian parliament. Still, Armenia is short of friends and happy to take any vote of support.

Turkish-Armenian relations also caught the attention of Pope Francis this week during his three-day trip to Turkey.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Lavash belongs to Armenia

NOV. 27 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural division, declared that lavash was a cultural icon belonging to Armenia. Lavash is a thin white bread used to wrap cheese, vegetable or meat. UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List, compiled since 2008, appears to delight and infuriate nations in equal measure.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)