Wikileaks.org



I need you to look into allegations that Armenia transfers weapons to Iran. There was a U.S. Embassy memo on Wikileaks that alleges this and we need a little more background info.Any reports of busts, seizures, caches or transfers of arms is useful. Any arrests for same. Any big studies that analyze this topic.Keep an eye toward where they allege the weapons end up/how are they used. Any reference to the weapons being used against US troops in Iraq would be especially interesting. Also keep an eye out for what kind of weapons are thought to be going between Armenia and Iran. Ticket Details Research Request: AFJ-992694Department: Research DeptPriority:MediumStatus:OpenTimeline (chronological):May 8th, 1992 – Armenian and Iranian presidents sign a joint statement on friendly and goodneighbourly relations between Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Some points include cooperating in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, air piracy and the illegal export of historic documents; cooperating against mass murder, nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; preserving the environment; expanding parliamentary relations; extending facilities to political, commercial, consular and other official figures; creating favourable legal, financial and commercial conditions for joint cooperation; (Source)April 12th, 1994 - The Iranian embassy rejects accusations levelled by the Turkish daily 'Hurriyet' that Iran was selling missiles to Armenia and printing counterfeit dollars… In a statement released Thursday, the embassy said that 'Hurriyet's' baseless allegations were aimed at tarnishing the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the Turkish public opinion. The embassy also denied that Iran has sold missiles to Armenia. (Source)March 6th, 2002 - Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani has said at the end of his visit to Armenia that the two sides did not discuss cooperation in the field of armaments. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan in Yerevan, Shamkhani said that the talks focused on the production of civilian goods by the multifaceted Iranian defence industry. (Source)May 9th, 2002 - The State Department imposes sanctions against companies in Armenia (Lysine), China and Moldova for allegedly selling equipment and technology to Iran that could benefit development of weapons of mass destruction. The penalties, lasting two years, prohibit U.S. government dealings with or assistance to the companies, department spokesman Richard Boucher said. (Source)May 10th, 2002 - Armenian President Robert Kocharian said Friday that his country would look into U.S. claims that Armenian companies have helped Iran develop weapons of mass destruction. (Source)May 17th, 2002 - The Iranian embassy said that not a single joint Armenian-Iranian venture has been engaged in the development of high (military) technology. "The partnership between the two countries' companies is based on international laws and commitments and is aimed at strengthening stability and peace," the embassy said. (Source)May 18th, 2002 - Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan states that close Armenian-Iranian relations are causing no problems in Armenia's relations with the United States of America. "Our relations with Iran have been on a high level since 1991 and we see no reason to change our policy," Vardan Oskanyan said. (Source)May 27th, 2002 - Iranian ambassador to Yerevan, Mohammad Farhad Koleini: The US State Department's accusation against the Armenian company Lysine of cooperating with the Iranian side in producing weapons of mass destruction is nothing other than an attempt to wield psychological control over relations between Armenia and Iran…"No foreign force has the right to interfere in relations between Iran and Armenia. Cooperation between the two countries is continuing within the framework of international law and will be maintained in the future," Mohammad Farhad Koleini said. (Source)2003 - Armenia facilitates Iran's purchase of rockets and machine guns. – Wikileaks2007 - weapons recovered from two Shia militant attacks in which a United States soldier (Matthew Straughter) was killed and six others were injured in Iraq. The Secretary of State Rice discussed the concerns with President Sargsian on the margins of the UN General Assembly, but he denied any transfer occurred. - WikileaksDecember 2008 - Senior US officials threaten wide-ranging US retaliation, including sanctions, if the Armenian government does not halt arms transfers, which they say have resulted in Iranian proxies killing US soldiers in Iraq. (Wikileaks, see also Guardian Article)August 4th, 2009 - Armenian Foreign Ministry ridicules media reports on Hezbollah arms delivery. Italia's Corriere della Sera newspaper was the one that caused speculations around a tragedy.. According to the newspaper, the Tehran-Yerevan plane crash [in Iran] on 15 July, as a result of which 168 people died, happened as the result of an explosion of ammunitions allegedly designated for delivery to Hezbollah militants. (Source)November 2010 – Wikileaks releases Dec. 2008 memo, which is then reported in mainstream press. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims that the documents made public by WikiLeaks is part of a campaign by the CIA and the Israeli Mossad (Source)December 2010 - Razmik Zohrabian, a deputy chairman of the ruling HHK, dismissed the WikiLeaks revelation as "nonsense." "Armenia's relations with America are at a quite good level, and the friendship of our peoples is continuing," he told RFE/RL. "I exclude supplies of weapons to Iran through Armenia because that would have reflected negatively on our relations with the United States." Zohrabian added that "Armenia has no reason to supply weapons to a U.S. rival." He claimed the Armenian government is not officially denying the arms transfer because the U.S. State Department itself has not confirmed the veracity of the published documents. (Source)December 6th, 2010 - Americans would know of weapon re-export from Armenia to Iran long ago if it were truth, Hero of the Karabakh War, Major General Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Commandos) told ArmInfo: "That game was very seriously taken both in Armenia and outside it. I think that such game around Wikileaks is aimed against Barack Obama for his election campaign for the next presidential election in USA is seriously being prepared. Actually the information leakage is from the USA because the US censorship cannot be even compared with the Soviet one." (Source)January 27th, 2011 - Sargsyan stresses importance of Armenian ties to Iran, but denies claims that Armenia has ever sold or sent arms to Iran “because the two countries have no military and technical cooperation” (Source) Also: "WikiLeaks mentioned a case, which really happened. Iran somehow obtained a number of disposable grenade launchers from Armenia. Allegedly, these grenade launchers hurt servicemen in Iraq," he said. (Source)May 3rd, 2011 - Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Reza Mozafari Nia discusses military ties with Armenian officials in Yerevan (Source)Sources:The Wikileaks Article:US embassy cables: US fury at Armenia over arms transfers to Iran, 24 December 2008, 21:58S E C R E T STATE 134490SIPDISEO 12958 DECL: 12/23/2018TAGS ETTC, MASS, OPDC">OPDC, PARM, PREL, AM,SUBJECT: (S) LETTER FROM DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTEREGARDING 2003 ARMENIAN ARMS PROCUREMENT FOR IRANREFS: A. YEREVAN 657, B. State 97802Classified By: EUR/FO DAS Garber, Reasons 1.4 (b), (c), and (d).Summary1. (U) Please deliver the following letter from Deputy Secretary Negroponte. There will be no signed original. Embassy should also propose discussions with the Government of Armenia in coming weeks. Suggested dates and team composition will be provided septel. Embassy Yerevan is requested to report response.2. (Secret/Rel Armenia) Begin Letter:Dear Mr. President:We value our positive relationship with your government, as we explore a range of shared interests, especially an agreement on Nagorno Karabakh and normalization of Armenia's relations with Turkey. At the same time, we are dismayed by a serious and, indeed, deadly - arms re-export case.Secretary Rice, Assistant Secretary Fried, Deputy Assistant Secretary Bryza, and Ambassador Yovanovitch have raised with you our deep concerns about Armenia's transfer of arms to Iran which resulted in the death and injury of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Notwithstanding the close relationship between our countries, neither the Administration nor the U.S. Congress can overlook this case. By law, the transfer of these weapons requires us to consider whether there is a basis for the imposition of U.S. sanctions. If sanctions are imposed, penalties could include the cutoff of U.S. assistance and certain export restrictions.To avoid such sanctions, it is essential that you present compelling evidence that your government is now in partnership with us to ensure such transfers do not occur in the future.To convince the United States that this will not happen again, we seek a written agreement from Armenia, memorializing its intent to implement measures that will prevent Armenia from becoming a source of weapons for Iran or other states or groups involved with terrorism and/or weapons proliferation. Such measures include:-- Reform the Armenian Export Control Commission so its members are full time employees who exclusively work on export controls;-- Establish, at each point of entry into Armenia, Armenian teams dedicated to detecting and interdicting dual-use commodities and other contraband;-- Periodically accept unannounced visits by U.S. experts to assess the work of the teams;-- Harmonize Armenia's export control legislation with that of the EU;-- Update and make public Armenian export control lists, incorporating the control lists of the Wassenaar Arrangement, Missile Technology Control Regime, and other international control regimes;-- Ensure that Armenian-based brokers do not facilitate arms related transfers; and-- Consult with the United States on transfers to countries that are not member states of NATO or the EU, or participating states of the Wassenaar Arrangement.We are prepared to send a team as early as possible in the New Year to discuss this proposal further. It is my hope that we can work together to forge a positive outcome which provides your government the opportunity to strengthen Armenia's export controls and for my government to assist you in this effort.Sincerely, John D. NegroponteEnd text of letter.3. (S) Background: In 2003, Armenia facilitated Iran's purchase of rockets and machine guns. In 2007, some of these weapons were recovered from two Shia militant attacks in which a United States soldier was killed and six others were injured in Iraq. The Secretary discussed our concerns with President Sargsian on the margins of the UN General Assembly, but he denied any transfer occurred. The direct role of high-level Armenian officials and the link of the weapons to an attack on U.S. forces make this case unique and highly troubling. These transfers may provide a basis for sanctions pursuant to U.S. legal authorities. We propose a series of steps that Armenia will need to take to prevent future transfers, which will be weighed in the consideration of sanctions. We hope to use the threat of sanctions as a tool to generate Armenian responsiveness so that we will not be forced to impose sanctions measures.4. (S) The Deputy Secretary is writing to President Sargsian and indicating that a team will be sent to Armenia to seek written agreement that Armenia will take steps to ensure that it does not become a source of weapons for Iran or other states or groups of concern. The team will also present additional information that will make clear why the United States is convinced that the transfers happened and make it unreasonable for Sargsian to continue his denials. We anticipate that the team will travel to Yerevan in the coming weeks, to provide sufficient time for the incoming Administration to be briefed on the situation.5. (S) Objective: Our objective is to prevent Armenia from becoming a source of weapons for Iran or other states or groups of concern, without derailing a possible Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. Embassy Yerevan should seek to convey the seriousness with which the United States views this issue and emphasize that the transfer of arms to Iran and subsequently to terrorists in Iraq, in particular transfers that resulted in the death of an American serviceman, cannot be overlooked by the United States.6. (U) Please contact EUR/PRA Matt Hardiman and ISN/CATR Margaret Mitchell with any questions or follow-up issues related to this case and slug any reporting on this issue for ISN and EUR. RICEPrimary article about the Wikileaks cable from the Washington Post:WikiLeaks: Armenia sent Iran arms used to kill U.S. troops p.m., Monday, November 29, 2010U.S. diplomats concluded in late 2008 that the government of Armenia had supplied Iran with rockets and machine guns later used to kill American troops in Iraq, according to State Department cables disclosed by WikiLeaks.John D. Negroponte, deputy secretary of state at the time, wrote a December 2008 letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan expressing “deep concerns about Armenia’s transfer of arms to Iran which resulted in the death and injury of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.”The cable, based on U.S. intelligence, includes the text of a classified letter labeled “secret” from Mr. Negroponte. It says “in 2007 some of these weapons were recovered from two Shia militant attacks in which a U.S. soldier was killed and six others were injured in Iraq.”The disclosure of the re-export of arms by Armenia is one example of how the leaked archive of U.S. diplomatic traffic totaling more than 250,000 reports reveals an extensive U.S. government effort to stop allies and adversaries alike from arming Iran with even conventional weapons.In Tehran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that the documents made public by WikiLeaks is part of a campaign by the CIA and the Israeli Mossad. While many cables showed heads of Arab states urging the United States to take military action against Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad dismissed them as propaganda. “The countries in the region are like friends and brothers,” he said. “These acts of mischief will not affect their relations.”Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in Washington that the leaks will not affect U.S. relationships with allies. Yet she also said that the disclosures would endanger people in closed societies who had spoken with U.S. diplomats.“There is nothing laudable about endangering innocent people, and there is nothing brave about sabotaging peaceful relations between nations on which our common security depends,” Mrs. Clinton said.Mrs. Clinton said WikiLeaks acted illegally in posting the classified document and that the Obama administration is taking “aggressive steps to hold responsible those who stole this information.”At the Justice Department, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said the government had launched a criminal probe, while Pentagon officials said security is being tightened to better control digital storage devices such as CDs and flash drives.The Armenian incident was part of a wider U.S. effort to block Iran’s access to the global arms and weapons technology market. For example, a 2010 cable revealed covert U.S. efforts to persuade China's government to block a sale from a Malaysian firm, Electronics Component Ltd., to sell gyroscopes to an Iranian front company.The cables also show U.S. diplomatic efforts to stop German sales of high-technology equipment to Iranian front companies and block conventional arms sales from Turkey to Iran. Both countries are NATO allies.In some cases though, the cables show the inefficacy of the American effort. North Korea, according to one cable in 2007, successfully shipped missile components to Iran despite U.S. efforts to seek Chinese help in blocking the transfer.“This shows the breadth of the U.S. effort to quietly shut down all the various spigots and channels that the United States was using to bleed the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Kenneth Katzman, an Iran specialist at the Congressional Research Service. “We have seen a recent example in Nigeria of arms pipelines being exposed, these cables show more of a sweep to it than most Americans were aware of, which is usually limited to public discussion of U.N. sanctions votes.”Mr. Katzman said the worldwide U.S. effort reminded him of Operation Staunch in the 1980s. “It hearkens back to U.S. efforts during the Iran-Iraq war to prevent conventional arms deliveries to Iran, which had a degree of success but was not a complete hermetic seal,” he said.The disclosures about Armenian government links to Iran arms supplies are surprising. Armenia has drawn closer to the United States in recent years as the United States has sought to quietly broker Armenia’s disputes with Turkey and Azerbaijan.A Western diplomat familiar with the incident said the United States had multiple streams of intelligence connecting the Armenian arms shipment to Iran with the deaths of U.S. soldiers in 2007 in Iraq.When Mr. Sargsyan was first confronted with this intelligence in 2008 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he denied knowing anything about the matter, the cable says.Mr. Negroponte, however, lays out the consequences to Armenia in the letter.“Notwithstanding the close relationship between our countries, neither the Administration nor the U.S. Congress can overlook this case,” Mr. Negroponte said in his letter to the Armenian president.“By law, the transfer of these weapons requires us to consider whether there is a basis for the imposition of U.S. sanctions. If sanctions are imposed, penalties could include the cutoff of U.S. assistance and certain export restrictions,” he said.After leveling the threat, Mr. Negroponte told Mr. Sargsyan that in order to avoid sanctions he had to provide a written assurance to the United States that Armenia would update its export-control laws, establish teams of customs specialists at the border to check for contraband and dual-use exports and allow U.S. spot inspections of these checkpoints and make public its export-control lists.The Armenians appear to have agreed to these measures as the United States never leveled any sanctions against Mr. Sargsyan’s government. The Armenian Embassy declined to comment for this article.A December 2009 cable revealed that U.S. intelligence in June 2009 uncovered two Iranian front companies that offered to sell missile test equipment manufactured by the German firms Rohde & Schwarz and Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik (HBM) to Iran’s main developer of liquid-fueled ballistic missiles, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group.“We want to share this new information with German officials and encourage them to continue their efforts to prevent SHIG or other Iranian entities of proliferation concern from procuring sensitive items from Rohde & Schwarz and HBM,” the cable said.A March 2009 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, stated that a network of Iranians had been identified in the Azerbaijani capital who were engaged in illicit activities.“Some [of the Iranians] are also said to be significant actors in obtaining spare parts and equipment for the Revolutionary Guard, raising revenues and managing money for it and/or regime figures, or managing Iran-origin narcotics trafficking,” the cable said.U.S. diplomats concluded in late 2008 that the government of Armenia had supplied Iran with rockets and machine guns later used to kill American troops in Iraq, according to State Department cables disclosed by WikiLeaks.John D. Negroponte, deputy secretary of state at the time, wrote a December 2008 letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan expressing “deep concerns about Armenia’s transfer of arms to Iran which resulted in the death and injury of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.”Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. answers questions about WikiLeaks at the Justice Department on Monday. He said the government had launched a criminal probe.Iranian Defense Official Visits Armenia 04, 2011YEREVAN -- Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Reza Mozafari Nia has discussed military ties with Armenian officials in Yerevan, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.Mozafari Nia met with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and his first deputy, Davit Tonoyan, during the talks on May 3.?An Armenian Defense Ministry statement said they spoke about "issues related to Armenian-Iranian cooperation in the area of defense."A ministry source linked the talks with Ohanian's official visit to Tehran last July. The source told RFE/RL they focused on the implementation of Armenian-Iranian agreements reached during that trip.While in Tehran, Ohanian met with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, and other top Iranian officials. Official Armenian and Iranian sources said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Armenian-Iran ties and stressed their importance for peace in the region."Cordial bonds between Iran and Armenia will help maintain peace and stability in the region," Ohanian said then. Few other details of his talks were reported.Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazarian reportedly said late last month that bilateral relations have now reached "the highest level." He also reaffirmed Yerevan's positive assessment of Iran's role in regional security."Over the past years, Iran has followed a conscious and coherent policy in the region," the IRNA news agency quoted Nazarian as saying at a ceremony organized by the Iranian Embassy in Armenia. The event marked Iran's National Army Day.Defense and security have arguably been the least advanced component of Armenia's warm rapport with Iran, which has centered on economic cooperation and joint energy projects. Still, military cooperation between the two neighboring states has prompted serious concern from the United States on at least one occasion.According to a classified U.S. diplomatic cable disclosed by WikiLeaks in December, Washington accused Armenia of re-exporting weapons to Iran and threatened sanctions against Yerevan in late 2008.In a secret December 2008 letter, then Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte pressed President Serzh Sarkisian to "ensure such transfers do not occur in the future."Sarkisian has pursued close ties with Iran throughout his three-year presidency. Visiting Tehran in late March, he described the Armenian-Iranian relationship as "truly exemplary" and called for its expansion.Relations with Iran is a rare matter of consensus in Armenia, reflecting its unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan over Baku's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and strained relations with another Muslim neighbor, Turkey.With the Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish borders closed for almost two decades, Iran is one of landlocked Armenia's two conduits to the outside world.Ruling Party Official Denies Armenian Arms Transfers To Iran 02, 2010YEREVAN -- A leading member of President Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party (HHK) has denied recently disclosed U.S. claims that Armenia re-exported weapons to Iran, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.In an alleged December 2008 secret letter to Sarkisian publicized by WikiLeaks on November 28, then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte threatened U.S. sanctions against Yerevan if it fails to "ensure such transfers do not occur in the future."A separate "background" note sent by the State Department to U.S. diplomats in Yerevan said that Armenia "facilitated" Iran's purchase of rockets and machine guns in 2003. It said some of these weapons were used in a deadly militant attack on U.S. troops in Iraq.Sarkisian's office and the Armenian ministries of defense and foreign affairs have refused to comment on the leaked documents. A spokesman for Robert Kocharian, who was Armenian president in 2003, likewise declined to comment on December 1.But Razmik Zohrabian, a deputy chairman of the ruling HHK, dismissed the WikiLeaks revelation as "nonsense.""Armenia's relations with America are at a quite good level, and the friendship of our peoples is continuing," he told RFE/RL. "I exclude supplies of weapons to Iran through Armenia because that would have reflected negatively on our relations with the United States."Zohrabian added that "Armenia has no reason to supply weapons to a U.S. rival." He claimed the Armenian government is not officially denying the arms transfer because the U.S. State Department itself has not confirmed the veracity of the published documents.A spokesman for the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) dismissed this explanation. "They just avoided refuting the obvious," Arman Musinian told RFE/RL. "The U.S. government does not seems to have questioned the veracity of those documents."Musinian said the embarrassing U.S. accusations "exposed the essence of the Armenian authorities." He speculated that the government avoided U.S. sanctions by making concessions to Washington on other unnamed issues.The Washington TimesFebruary 14, 2011 MondayAid for allies onlyBYLINE: THE WASHINGTON TIMESSECTION: B, LETTERS; Pg. 2LENGTH: 146 wordsWe need to reduce spending by all means possible, especially to places that work against the United States. For example, Armenia should get less aid because it sold weapons to Iran and Iraq, which resulted in the death of U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Straughter and the wounding of three others.The same goes for the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which should not get any aid. It's a total waste of money, especially because it is used for illegal drugs and the arms trade by Armenia and Iran. At the same time, I urge the United States to sustain funding for Azerbaijan, which is a steadfast ally, helping U.S. interests in the region and the Muslim world.We need to spend less and spend wisely, helping only true friends and not rewarding hostile nations. Foreign aid should revolve around our national interests and be need-based.BEDIR MEMMEDIAlexandria, Va.Global InsightMarch 31, 2011Armenia to Expand Commercial Ties with IranBYLINE: Lilit GevorgyanSECTION: Main StoryLENGTH: 1378 wordsArmenian president Serzh Sargsyan led a high level delegation to the Iranian capital Tehran on 27-28 March for bilateral talks aimed to deepen already solid commercial ties between the two neighbouring countries.Boosting Co-Operation in Face of SanctionsIHS Global Insight Perspective?SignificanceThe Armenian and Iranian leaders have pledged to boost commercial and energy co-operation between the two neighbouring countries after concluding a fresh round of talks in the Iranian capital Tehran, overcoming religious and political differences.ImplicationsThe Armenian and Iranian leadership gave their political commitment to furthering energy and mining co-operation and expanding railroad infrastructure, mutually beneficial for both countries.OutlookDue to political pressures and cultural differences Armenia and Iran make unlikely yet reliable commercial partners. The political problems experienced by both countries are set to shape bilateral commercial ties--Armenia remains under Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades and needs economic outlets, as does Iran, which is pressed by international sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan held high-level talks with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Iranian capital Tehran on 27-28 March. The Armenian delegation included a group of high-ranking officials as well as businessmen visiting Iran to take the opportunity for finalising a swathe of bilateral projects. After the successful round of talks, Iranian media outlets had reported that Ahmadinejad told Sargsyan that he "has placed no limits on the development of cooperation with Yerevan", calling for the expansion of political and economic ties. However, the political aspect of talks was limited to both parties throwing their support behind wider commercial co-operation. Talks were dominated by energy co-operation projects, which make up 80% of the total bilateral trade. Armenia and Iran are building a new hydroelectrical power plant on the Arax River that runs between the two countries. Armenian minister of energy and natural resources Armen Movsisyan, also visiting Iran, stated that aside from USD450 million that is already invested in bilateral energy projects, the two countries are considering new programmes that will turn Armenia and Iran into energy operators in the region. To meet this goal they have agreed to construct another high-power electricity transmission line in addition to two others that already link up Armenia and Iran with total power transfer capacity of 220 kw per hour. Currently Iran swaps its natural gas exports to Armenia with electricity power supply imports through two existing transmission lines.On the sidelines of official meetings, Iranian deputy minister of industries and mines Ahmad Khadem ul-Melleh and Armenian envoy to Tehran Grigor Arakelyan also explored ways to expand co-operation in the mining industry to boost the volume of bilateral trade that currently stands at USD270 million annually. The Iranian government has long been interested investing in Armenia's mines and given that the South Caucasian country lacks the investment means to develop these mines, Iranian capital is certainly welcome. The parties have also agreed to build new railroad infrastructure which will make up part of the North-South transport corridor in the region.Unlikely PartnershipArmenia and Iran have maintained close political and economic ties since the former gained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In some ways this partnership has been puzzling for many observers given that Armenians pride themselves on being the first Christian state in the world (adopting the religion as a state faith in 301AD). Furthermore, since 1988 Armenia has been in war with neighbouring Muslim Azerbaijan--a predominantly Shi'a country, much like Iran, which was expected to have closer ties with its religious kin. Against this background, close relations with the Islamic Republic may indeed seem strange. However the two countries share millennia of history which predates both Christianity and Islam. Furthermore the Armenian presence in Iran has been significant and repeatedly boosted by an often forcible influx of Armenians, moved to Iran by its rulers in the past centuries who believed that the country's economy would benefit from skilled Armenians. In return, Iranian rulers have accepted the limited freedoms extended to the Armenian Christian community. This tradition of religious tolerance seems to continue nowadays and has certainly benefited Armenia, where 30% of businesses are joint ventures with Iranian partners. It must be said though that a good part of these businesses have been set up by members of the Iranian-Armenian community, which in turn has facilitated good relations between the two countries.With the mounting international pressure on Iran over its dubious nuclear ambitions and introduction of economic sanctions on the country, Armenia's economy has also suffered. Thus, the Armenian government had to cave in to European Union (EU) demands and restrict its export of dual purpose hi-tech products that cannot be found in Iran. This restriction even includes personal computers, according to Armenian sources. This limit was a blow to Armenia's IT sector but on the positive side, other sectors involved in economic co-operation remain intact. At the same time, Western countries have also eased their pressure on Armenia when it comes to its economic ties with Iran. Firstly, there is a broader understanding on areas such as non-transfer of arms and new technologies to Iran that the Armenian government has agreed. Secondly, Western mediators have failed to force Azerbaijan and Turkey to lift the economic blockade that has been in place for the past 17 years. Azerbaijan and its ethnic kin Turkey imposed the blockade to cripple Armenia economically and force it to withdraw support for Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh, which seceded from Azerbaijan in 1988. Unsurprisingly, following the talks in Tehran, the deputy speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Bahar Muradov has described Iran's co-operation with Armenia as "harmful for Azerbaijan's national interests" since it will benefit the Armenian economy--diminishing the effects of the Turkish and Azeri blockade. The Azeri call is not likely to be heeded by Tehran, which has its own fears when it comes to the sizeable Azeri community in Northern Iran. Many Iranian Azeris continue to advocate the unification of Northern Iran (or Southern Azerbaijan) with Azerbaijan proper. Landlocked Armenia can co-operate only with Georgia and Iran, hence the EU and US realise that it would be unrealistic to expect the Armenian government to close the door to the vital Iranian route for its economy.Outlook and ImplicationsDespite the wider geopolitics, Armenian-Iranian commercial ties are set to expand. The Armenian government realises that Iran offers not only a wide market, but also is crucial for diversifying Armenia's energy supplies. The country receives most of gas supply from Russia via Georgia which has proven to be an unreliable supply route in the past. Iran and Armenia have already built a gas pipeline and are currently launching the construction of an oil pipeline that will take Iranian oil products to Armenia. For Iran, which is being marginalised by the international community, Armenia presents an attractive export route. The scope of the bilateral co-operation will also depend on Iran's relations with the international community. Should Iran manage to improve its international standing and stop the sanctions, Iranian exports will not be limited to the Armenian market but can be taken further, a prospect which could turn Armenia into an important transit country. However, the chances of this happening in the near term are unlikely. Tourism is already booming and is set to expand further. In March alone 20,000 Iranians visited Armenia to celebrate Iranian new year, Now Ruz. While Armenia benefited from the influx of Iranian tourists it also gave a chance for especially young Iranians to celebrate the holiday in a much freer society--something that many of them would like to recreate in the future.ARMINFO News AgencyJanuary 27, 2011 ThursdaySerzh Sargsyan: Iran is a very important country for ArmeniaLENGTH: 380 wordsDATELINE: Yerevan January 27Iran is a very important country for Armenia and not only because we have been neighbors for many centuries, but also for other reasons, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Echo of Moscow Radio."Actually, Iran is one of the two countries through which we communicate with the external world. Having problems with Iran means narrowing the pipe Armenia is breathing through. Therefore, we always speak about this with our European partners, with the USA and Russia. All of them know our relations. We have good economic ties with Iran. Now we are trying to implement big infrastructure projects. We have an arrangement on construction of Armenia-Iran railway. We have launched joint construction of a hydropower plant on the River of Araks. There are also other projects quite important for the economy of Armenia," the president said.He highlighted that relations with Iran are important for Armenia also because Azerbaijanis try to present the Karabakh conflict from various aspects depending on the audience. They try to introduce the conflict as a religious issue, specifically, as a conflict between religions, at the Organization of Islamic Conference, at assemblies of Turkic-language states and in the Islam world in general."Our steady relations with Iran and other Islamic countries, Arab states are very important. It is a chance for us to present the truth, first of all, and to confirm the course Armenia has taken in order our citizens feel themselves comfortable in the Arab states and in the Middle East and avoid any religious conflicts. Churches were built in Iran and Armenians could preserve their identity, language, culture and traditions now, and after the Islamic Revolution and under the current leadership," Sargsyan said. He said that Armenia has never sold or sent arms to Iran because the two countries have no military and technical cooperation."In this light it is very important that we recognize Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and we openly tell about that. We have our own nuclear power plant. Iran has an absolute right to that as well. Of course, we are interested that the IAEA controls over these activities both in Armenia and Iran. Therefore, we have a very clear approach to the given issue," he said.Russia & CIS Military NewswireJanuary 27, 2011 Thursday 12:35 PM MSK Armenia did not sell grenade launchers to Iran - President SargsyanLENGTH: 210 wordsDATELINE: YEREVAN. Jan 27 Armenia did not sell grenade launchers to Iran - President SargsyanArmenia did not sell grenade launchers to Iran, as there is no bilateral military-technical cooperation agreement, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan told Ekho Moskvy radio."Armenia has never re-exported or sold armaments to Iran. We have no military-technical cooperation. Such things have never been done," he said."WikiLeaks mentioned a case, which really happened. Iran somehow obtained a number of disposable grenade launchers from Armenia. Allegedly, these grenade launchers hurt servicemen in Iraq," he said.Yerevan recognizes Iran's right for peaceful uses of atomic energy. "We loudly say that. We also have a nuclear power plant and we think that Iran has the full right [to atomic energy]," he said.Iran is very important for Armenia. "This is not only because we have been neighbors for centuries but also because of other reasons. In fact, Iran is one of the two countries through which we communicate with the world. Problems with Iran will narrow the air pipe Armenia is breathing through," he said.Armenia and Iran implement economic and infrastructural projects, including the construction of an interstate railroad and a hydropower plant on the Aras River, the president said.ARMINFO News AgencyDecember 6, 2010 MondayAmericans would know of weapon re-export from Armenia to Iran long ago if it were truth: Armenian GeneralLENGTH: 223 wordsDATELINE: Yerevan December 6Americans would know of weapon re-export from Armenia to Iran long ago if it were truth, Hero of the Karabakh War, Major General Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Commandos) told ArmInfo."That game was very seriously taken both in Armenia and outside it. I think that such game around Wikileaks is aimed against Barack Obama for his election campaign for the next presidential election in USA is seriously being prepared. Actually the information leakage is from the USA because the US censorship cannot be even compared with the Soviet one."Commandos believes that Central Intelligence Agency cannot be compared with the work of the KGB in the USSR. CIA is informed of all the developments around Iran, American intelligence agents tracing the ties between Armenia and Iran live in Armenia for a long time already. He said that many Armenians residing in abroad also work for CIA."Hence, Americans would know of supply of Russian weapons from Armenia to Iran if it were truth. The founder of Wikileaks cut it too fat. It is simply impossible. As regards Abiyev, he is a good businessman who is sometimes engaged also in military affairs, which is very good," he said. One of the latest publications by Wikileaks tells that Russian Defense Minister Serdyukov told his Azerbaijani colleague Abiyev about re-export of Russian weapons to Russia by Armenia.BBC Summary of World BroadcastsMay 11, 1992, MondayARMENIA AND IRAN SIGN COOPERATION MEMORANDUMSOURCE: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran 0330 gmt 8 May 92Text of report (summary Iran and Armenia held a meeting on 7th May after which various protocols were signed)SECTION: Part 1 The USSR; C. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT; ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI VISIT TO IRAN;?SU/1377/C2/ 1;?LENGTH: 344 words(Text) The Iranian and Armenian presidents held a second round of talks in Tehran yesterday [7th May] afternoon, following which officials signed a cultural memorandum of understanding and agreement on consular facilities, customs and border traffic; on telecommunications, postal and stamp printing cooperation; scientific and technical education; telecommunications affairs; trade; banking services; establishing an Islamic Republic Bank in Yerevan; and delivering natural gas to Armenia.The two presidents signed a joint statement on friendly and goodneighbourly relations between Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.Among the memorandum's points are Expanding bilateral relations; establishing regular contacts among high-ranking officials; compiling and exchanging long-term joint agreements; dealing with natural disasters together; forming a joint commission for economic, technical and scientific cooperation; emphasizing the implementation of agreements between the two countries on oil and gas,economic affairs, commerce, banking, and industries; establishing regular contacts in the scientific, religious, cultural, educational, health, sports, press, radio and television, cinema, and tourism fields. Other points include cooperating in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, air piracy and the illegal export of historic documents; cooperating against mass murder, nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; preserving the environment; expanding parliamentary relations; extending facilities to political, commercial, consular and other official figures; creating favourable legal, financial and commercial conditions for joint cooperation; expanding scientific and technical cooperation and that in research centers; expanding and establishing transport and roads links, telecommunications, and air and land transport; accelerating and concentrating on the use of Iran's transit routes to the Black Sea ports; and stepping up the construction of a permanent bridge over the Araks river. (A4, B, ME/A)COPYRIGHT: Copyright 1992 The British Broadcasting Corporation? Top of Form?BBC Summary of World BroadcastsApril 18, 1994, Monday[25];Iran denies Turkish paper's allegations of arms sales to Armenia, counterfeitingSOURCE: Islamic Republic News Agency (Iran) news agency, Tehran, in English 1348 gmt 16 Apr 94SECTION: Part 4 Middle East; THE MIDDLE EAST; IRAN; ME/1974/MED;?LENGTH: 108 wordsAnkara, 16th April: The Iranian embassy here has rejected accusations levelled by the Turkish daily 'Hurriyet' that Iran was selling missiles to Armenia and printing counterfeit dollars.'Hurriyet' in its Tuesday [12th April] issue claimed that counterfeit dollars were printed by sophisticated printing machines in Iran and Iraq and then taken to Turkish markets.In a statement released Thursday, the embassy said that 'Hurriyet's' baseless allegations were aimed at tarnishing the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the Turkish public opinion. The embassy also denied that Iran has sold missiles to Armenia.LOAD-DATE: April 17, 1994Copyright 1994 The British Broadcasting Corporation? Russian Press DigestJune 27, 1997Arms Deliveries Were Sanctioned By ChernomyrdinBYLINE: Alexander BudbergSOURCE: MOSKOVSKY KOMSOMOLETS, p. 1SECTION: NewsLENGTH: 1200 wordsHIGHLIGHT: Secret arms deliveries to Armenia were sanctioned by Premier Chernomyrdin; Russia suspected of having supplied arms to other conflict zones as well.The secret arms deliveries to Armenia in 1994 to 1996 were sanctioned by Premier Chernomyrdin, writes MOSKOVSKY KOMSOMOLETS. The sensational scandal over the secret and free deliveries of arms to Armenia has slowly come to a silent end. The paper recalls the Iran- contras scandal in the U.S., which ended in the interrogation of the President in the Senate. In Russia, it ended with a little-publicised instruction to the Office of Prosecutor General. The paper says that Defense Minister Pavel Grachev could hardly have made a decision on the arms deliveries on its own. The paper writes that it has got hold of "sensational documents" -- the directives issued by Mikhail Kolesnikov, former Chief of the General Staff, concerning the delivery of hundreds of armored vehicles and tanks across Georgia to Armenia.This would be stale news, the paper writes, if it were not for the fact that some of the documents begin with a justification in keeping with the established procedure. It reads: "In accordance with an instruction given by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, I ask to deliver to Armenia ...." Another document said: "To implement the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, 50 BMP-2 [armored vehicles] to be handed over to the Republic of Armenia in keeping with the established order..."Russia's entire policy in Trans-Caucasia has been immoral and ineffective, the paper writes, and Chechnya has been its logical result.When the scandal was just beginning, the Government said it would investigate it itself. Now it is clear why it displayed such enthusiasm. No findings are to be announced by the end of June, as planned. June has almost ended, and investigation will obviously result in nothing.It is suggested that the immense sums paid by Armenia in cash were spent on the election campaigns. In the State Duma practically all the main factions (primarily Our Home Russia and the communists) have said the investigation should be stopped. Therefore, the paper supposes, the money has gone in various directions. Apart from money, Russia has lost her influence in the Caucasus, not to mention the loss of human lives. And the heavy price to be paid for breaking the "vicious circle of imperialism" is hard to estimate.LOAD-DATE: June 30, 1997Copyright 1997 RUSSICA Information Inc. - RusData DiaLine? BBC Sumary of World BroadcastsMarch 6, 2002, WednesdayNo mention of armaments in Iranian-Armenian defence talks - Iranian defence chiefSOURCE: Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan, in Armenian 6 Mar 02 p3LENGTH: 776 wordsIranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani has said at the end of his visit to Armenia that the two sides did not discuss cooperation in the field of armaments. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan in Yerevan, Shamkhani said that the talks focused on the production of civilian goods by the multifaceted Iranian defence industry. He came out against a possible US attack against Iraq as part of the war on terror, saying that Iran was interested in Baghdad's integrity. Shamkhani said that the region needed to address economic issues rather than security ones. The following is the text of Vaan Vardanyan report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar on 6 March entitled "We are obliged to and should cooperate":Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani's official visit to Armenia has ended. Ali Shamkhani and Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan signed a memorandum on bilateral cooperation and the results of the visit were summed up at a news conference. Ali Shamkhani said that he ruled out a US attack to Iran. "I do not think that the USA will see Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan in the same category," he said. He made us understand that they Iran are convinced of their power and are not going to yield to any pressure.The Iranian defence minister described the signed document as a positive step in the sphere of bilateral cooperation. Asked if this memorandum could be followed by an agreement on military cooperation, Shamkhani replied: "The basis for our cooperation already exists. There is no need for haste here. Depending on the interests of the two countries and regional developments, this will probably also take place."The Iranian Defence Ministry has many forms of production: from food to armaments. In our negotiations with Armenia so far we discussed the problem of demand for civilian goods. There was no mention of armaments."He especially stressed that Iranian-Armenian cooperation was not directed against any third country, and that his country was ready to cooperate with all the countries of the region in promoting and strengthening stability.Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan assessed the signed document in the following way: "The signed memorandum is the beginning of our cooperation in the military sphere. And this cooperation is multilateral: from exchanges of experiences to the creation of joint enterprises. As Mr Shamkhani noted, the Iranian Defence Ministry has big structures, and cooperation with the Armenian Defence Ministry and other executive bodies in charge of Armenia's security, may be very useful."These spheres are known: Minister Shamkhani visited our military institute. We have information about Iran's military institutes. Why not? Student exchange may be organized etc. We are neighbours, friends, we are obliged to and must cooperate."It is known that the USA included Iraq on the list of countries supporting terrorism, and many analysts believe that in the near future the Americans will attack this country once again. Iran's position on this is negative. Shamkhani said: "We are against attacking Iraq and Iraq's regional integrity is important for us. War is not the best way to settle existing problems between countries."Because of war we suffered serious damage in the region, and a result of this all nations here are lagging behind in their development. All policies should be directed at ruling out war as an option. The UN may have a more active role in these processes and Iraq, in its turn, should adhere to UN decisions. Iraq should be resolute and implement the decisions of the UN Security Council."Commenting on opinions in the Azerbaijani mass media that Iran's domestic situation is not so stable and that there are separatist tendencies in Iranian Azerbaijan, Shamkhani gave a short answer: "We have good relations with Azerbaijan. This is simply a wish."The Iranian defence minister's assessment of the American military presence in Central Asia was not positive either: "Iran believes that Central Asia and the Caucasus should have peace, stability and a basis for economic development. If we compare the economic indices of these regions with other regions, we shall see that these regions lag behind. That is why the best solutions for the improvement of people's lives are economic. It is necessary to switch from security problems to economic ones. The Americans usually resort to the opposite option, they turn economic problems into security ones, which is dangerous for the peoples of the region. However, the people in these regions are better aware of regional problems."LOAD-DATE: March 6, 2002Copyright 2002 The British Broadcasting Corporation? Bottom of FormMay 9, 2002, Thursday, BC cycleSanctions imposed against companies in three countries for dealing with IranSECTION: Washington DatelineLENGTH: 102 wordsDATELINE: WASHINGTONThe State Department is imposing sanctions against companies in Armenia, China and Moldova for allegedly selling equipment and technology to Iran that could benefit development of weapons of mass destruction. The penalties, lasting two years, prohibit U.S. government dealings with or assistance to the companies, department spokesman Richard Boucher said.He said the goods supplied by the companies to Iran violated international agreements designed to inhibit development of weapons of mass destruction.The identities of the companies and the nature of their exports to Iran were not disclosed.LOAD-DATE: May 10, 2002Copyright 2002 Associated Press?All Rights Reserved?The Associated PressAssociated Press WorldstreamMay 10, 2002 FridayArmenian president pledges to look into claims that Armenian companies helped Iran develop weaponsSECTION: INTERNATIONAL NEWSLENGTH: 168 wordsDATELINE: YEREVAN, ArmeniaArmenian President Robert Kocharian said Friday that his country would look into U.S. claims that Armenian companies have helped Iran develop weapons of mass destruction.On Thursday, a U.S. official said Washington had imposed sanctions against companies in Armenia, China and Moldova for allegedly selling items to Iran that could benefit the country's development of weapons of mass destruction.The official said the sales violated several international agreements.The sanctions bar the companies from receiving U.S. government assistance and from selling their products to the United States. The identities of the companies and the nature of their exports to Iran were not disclosed.Kocharian said it was important to prove the charges against the companies."If this is true, we will have to figure out why this happened," Kocharian told reporters in Yerevan, the capital, after returning from a tour of South America.He declined to comment further, saying he needed more information.LOAD-DATE: May 11, 2002LANGUAGE: ENGLISHCopyright 2002 Associated Press?All Rights ReservedBBC Sumary of World BroadcastsMay 17, 2002, FridayArmenia: Iranian embassy rejects US allegation over transfer of high technologySOURCE: Ayastani Anrapetutyun, Yerevan, in Armenian 17 May 02 p3LENGTH: 376 wordsText of report by Armenian newspaper Ayastani Anrapetutyun on 17 May, entitled: "Iran respects the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty""The Islamic Republic of Iran joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has been adhering to it in its economic and trade contacts with other countries and there have been no exceptions," the public relations section of the Iranian embassy in Yerevan has said in response to an Armenpress question about Iran's position with regard to recent allegations by the US State Department that several Armenian (also Chinese and Moldovan) private companies were selling to Iran arms-related technology that could be used for developing weapons of mass destruction.The embassy said that not a single joint Armenian-Iranian venture has been engaged in the development of high (military) technology. "The partnership between the two countries' companies is based on international laws and commitments and is aimed at strengthening stability and peace," the embassy said.The embassy also said that dozens of joint trading companies have been established in both countries in recent years, which have been conducting efficient activities through legal means based on joint investments. These companies were registered in both countries in compliance with the current laws. These companies act either separately or within the framework of the Union of Iranian Merchants and Manufacturers or under the sponsorship of the Iranian-Armenian Chamber of Commerce.The embassy singled out several joint ventures that are conducting successful operations: the Pak-Gas which has put into operation a liquid gas station in Armenia by investing 500,000 US dollars; the Paksman company which has invested 2m dollars in setting up a unit producing hygiene products; the Taj company, the Arsmen Pars and the Armenian Grand holding which have either invested at least 1m dollars or are going to do so in order to boost Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation.Citing the official figures of the Armenian Statistical Service, the embassy said that as of 1 January 2002, the amount of Iranian investments in Armenia was almost 18 bn Armenian drams, equal to 26.8 per cent of the overall foreign investments in Armenia .LOAD-DATE: May 17, 2002LANGUAGE: ENGLISHCopyright 2002 The British Broadcasting CorporationBBC Sumary of World BroadcastsMay 18, 2002, SaturdayArmenian foreign minister blacklisted firm was forewarned about sanctionsSOURCE: Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 0900 gmt 18 May 02LENGTH: 181 wordsText of report by Armenian news agency MediamaxYerevan, 18 May: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated today that close Armenian-Iranian relations are causing no problems in Armenia's relations with the United States of America."Our relations with Iran have been on a high level since 1991 and we see no reason to change our policy," Vardan Oskanyan menting on the situation with the imposition of sanctions against an Armenian company, which Washington accuses of selling to Iran components for weapons of mass destruction, the minister said that the Lysine closed-type joint-stock company had been warned that the deal might lead to American sanctions.Oskanyan said that the deal, which triggered the sanctions, was struck "more than a year ago". The minister did not say that the Lysine company deliberately provided Iran with components for weapons of mass destruction."The point is that metal, which seems safe at first glance, may contain other substances, which may be used for creating banned types of weapons," Vardan Oskanyan.CITY: ?YEREVAN, ARMENIA?(75%);? May1802FST20213LOAD-DATE: May 18, 2002LANGUAGE: ENGLISHCopyright 2002 The British Broadcasting CorporationThe?Armenian ReporterMay 25, 2002Sanctions Imposed on Armenian Companies By U.S.BYLINE: Mooradian, MooradSECTION: Vol. 34; No. 34; Pg. 4LENGTH: 1129 words????The world learned that the U.S. government has imposed sanctions onArmenian, Chinese, and Moldovan companies that apparently sold items that areon the banned list to Iran. These are strategic supplies that can be used todevelop weapons. Included on the list is the sale of technology relative tomissiles or weapons of mass destruction. The Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000covers all of these. In addition to U.S. law, the companies are accused ofviolating a 33-nation non-proliferation regime whose purpose it is to preventthe spread of chemical and biological weapons.While China and Moldova were also sanctioned, this article is restrictedto discussions about Armenia. First, let us all be aware that sanctions suchas these would not be imposed against the Armenian companies if the evidencewere not substantial. The U.S. government has no cause to hurt profits thatare needed to help Armenia; this would be counter-productive to U.S. aims forArmenia. The U.S. government also knows that there are enough people in theU.S. with interest in Armenia who will be examining this issue quite closely.Many of the concerned parties are in the U.S. Congress. Next, be assured thatthe U.S. government is not fooled by the primitive and amateurish propagandathat cascades from Baku and Ankara to link Armenia and terrorism.JUST A WARNINGIf the FBI, with its massive security apparatus, has operatives thatspied for foreign states and passed on damaging information for money, it isnot earthshaking knowledge that rogue profiteers in any country could try tocircumvent governmental watchdog agencies and sell prohibited items orknowledge. This is the reason why the U.S. government announced, and made aspecial point of stating, that the government announced, and made a specialpoint of stating, that the government of Armenia is not being penalized, andthat America is appreciative of the cooperation it received from Yerevan to runthe rouge company (ies) down. From hindsight, though I am just surmising,knowledge of what was about to happen might have been the reason why AmericanAmbassador to Armenia John Ordway warned Armenia about its dealings with Iran.With this said, no one in Armenia should take this instance of anArmenian company selling banned substances or knowledge lightly. This time itappears to have been chemical substance. This is a case of greedy, uncaring,and amoral people working against the best interests of Armenia. There is noanother nation in the world that is more generous or understanding than theU.S. has been toward Armenia. This includes Russia, which has not givenanything to Armenia without a price.Armenians with blinders on are recently beginning to discover that thefraternal love they assumed existed mutually between Russia and Armenia is afairytale, poppycock that carried over from the Soviet nightmare of lies.ARMENIA'S PREDICAMENTThe U.S. has stated, and it has shown, that it fully understands thepredicament Armenia is in, with blockades on its western and eastern bordersand an iffy northern border. The U.S. has no problem when Armenia trades theitems that are associated with normal civilian commerce, with and through Iran.However, America also knows that Armenian scientists worked during the Sovietera with missilery, nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. Placed in thewrong hands, this knowledge can be used to spread a scourge that could engulfthe world in a calamity that could doom even Armenia. One of those wrong handshas been determined by the U.S. to be Iran.Indeed, this is an additional challenge for Armenia, but not one that isimpossible to meet and master. No doubt Iran has been a good neighbor toArmenia when good neighbors existed nowhere but on the southern border. Iranis also wise enough to understand that a large part of Armenia's destiny istied to the West. Most of Armenia's hard cash from external sources arrivesfrom the U.S. The most influential entity in the world that can help Armeniawith its Turkish and Karabagh problems is America. Arguably Armenia's richestand most influential Diaspora is American. To be more tactful, Armenia wouldbe in exceedingly more difficult straits without the Armenian-AmericanDiaspora. Iran understands all of this. Tehran understands that Armeniacannot isolate itself and turn away from the international balance it has beenattempting to maintain.To retain an acceptable demeanor, Armenia has to comply with certaininternational standards. One of these is nonproliferation. I am not implyingfor a moment that Armenia's government does not have this policy. But once thefacts are in, and in cooperation with the U.S., any company or person thatviolates these nonproliferation standards must be prosecuted to the full extentof the law. There is no reason why this should create a problem with Iran.NOT EITHER-OR SITUATIONThe U.S. is not insisting that Armenia employ an either-or relationshipwith the U.S. and Iran. The requirement is for Armenian companies to refrainfrom participating in certain very limited and restrictive activities. Onbalance, this is not asking too much. Iran claims that it is not violating thenonproliferation criteria so there should be no dispute in enforcing it inArmenia.The key is for Armenia to take steps that will encourage the companiesthat are looking for quick profits through illicit activity to channel theirenergies into ventures that are internationally acceptable and just asprofitable. Chemists, for example, may be able to use their genius and turntheir knowledge to developing organic substances that do not harm people, donot pollute the environment and can stimulate agricultural productivity, killinsects, fungus and diseases that harm trees and foodstuffs. There is a largemarket for these everywhere and there are large grants in the West that supportthis type of initiative. This unfortunate and negative finding can be turnedinto a constructive outcome.Armenia has the talent, the energy, the education, and the will to makethe country into a stronghold of positive production. If additional laws areneeded, the legislature needs to quickly act to help the enforcement agenciesensure that the minority of citizens and outsiders who wish to flirt withdanger and tempt fate take the sure, secure, and productive path. While thesanctions by America need to be taken seriously, the problem should not beexaggerated. The next step is to fix the problem, remain alert, and moveforward.Article copyright The Armenian Reporter International.********************************************************Copyright 2002 SOFTLINE INFORMATION, INC.Ethnic NewsWatchBBC Sumary of World BroadcastsMay 27, 2002, MondayUS sanctions aim at psychological control of Armenia-Iran links - Iranian envoySOURCE: Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 0842 gmt 27 May 02LENGTH: 265 wordsText of report by Armenian news agency ArminfoYerevan, 27 May: The US State Department's accusation against the Armenian company Lysine of cooperating with the Iranian side in producing weapons of mass destruction is nothing other than an attempt to wield psychological control over relations between Armenia and Iran, the Iranian ambassador to Yerevan, Mohammad Farhad Koleini, said today at a meeting with journalists.He said he had reached this conclusion after studying the issue in detail.The ambassador said that Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan's recent statement on this issue completely reflects the true situation and this position fully satisfies the Iranian side.The Armenian foreign minister had earlier told an Arminfo correspondent that the Armenian Foreign Ministry was continuing consultations with the US State Department on this issue."No foreign force has the right to interfere in relations between Iran and Armenia. Cooperation between the two countries is continuing within the framework of international law and will be maintained in the future," Mohammad Farhad Koleini said.A decision to impose sanctions against the Armenian company Lysine was taken by the US State Department on 9 May. The accusation was made against the company that two years ago the then owner of the company sold equipment to Iran. In particular, fermentation vats, big tanks made of stainless steel, were sold. They were used to cultivate strains of germs to produce lysine. The equipment sold could be used to produce dangerous pathogenic microbes.LOAD-DATE: May 27, 2002LANGUAGE: ENGLISHCopyright 2002 The British Broadcasting Corporation? BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus UnitSupplied by BBC Worldwide MonitoringJuly 4, 2008 FridayArmenian security service arrests drug traffickers from IranLENGTH: 149 wordsText of report by private Armenian news agency ArminfoYerevan, 4 July: Armenia's National Security Service has blocked another drug trafficking route from Iran. A resident of Yerevan, Ashot Zilfuguryan, known as a drug dealer, was arrested at the moment of selling another batch of drugs in Kapan [a city in Armenia's Syunik province, which borders Iran] today, the press service of the National Security Service said.A total of 1.95 kg of opium was discovered upon searching his Opel car. Under a preliminary agreement, an Iranian citizen (?Baskhemio Mehdi Kalamlah), who trafficked in the drug today in a cache set up in a spare wheel of his truck. The Iranian citizen has been arrested as well. A criminal case has been started in the case. The Investigation Department of the National Security Service is carrying out the investigation.Source: Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 1226 gmt 4 Jul 08BBC Monitoring Trans Caucasus UnitSupplied by BBC Worldwide MonitoringAugust 4, 2009 TuesdayArmenian Foreign Ministry ridicules media reports on Hezbollah arms deliveryLENGTH: 140 wordsExcerpt from report by private Armenian news agency ArminfoYerevan, 4 August: The Armenian Foreign Ministry notes that speculation on the subject of "delivering arms from Iran via Armenia" is not serious."This is so ridiculous that there is no need to comment," the head of the information service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tigran Balayan, has told our correspondent.Italia's Corriere della Sera newspaper was the one that caused speculations around a tragedy.. According to the newspaper, the Tehran-Yerevan plane crash [in Iran] on 15 July, as a result of which 168 people died, happened as the result of an explosion of ammunitions allegedly designated for delivery to Hezbollah militants.[Passage omitted: Azerbaijani and Israeli mass media carried similar reports]Source: Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 1011 gmt 4 Aug 09ARMINFO News AgencyDecember 6, 2010 MondayAmericans would know of weapon re-export from Armenia to Iran long ago if it were truth: Armenian GeneralLENGTH: 223 wordsDATELINE: Yerevan December 6Americans would know of weapon re-export from Armenia to Iran long ago if it were truth, Hero of the Karabakh War, Major General Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Commandos) told ArmInfo."That game was very seriously taken both in Armenia and outside it. I think that such game around Wikileaks is aimed against Barack Obama for his election campaign for the next presidential election in USA is seriously being prepared. Actually the information leakage is from the USA because the US censorship cannot be even compared with the Soviet one."Commandos believes that Central Intelligence Agency cannot be compared with the work of the KGB in the USSR. CIA is informed of all the developments around Iran, American intelligence agents tracing the ties between Armenia and Iran live in Armenia for a long time already. He said that many Armenians residing in abroad also work for CIA."Hence, Americans would know of supply of Russian weapons from Armenia to Iran if it were truth. The founder of Wikileaks cut it too fat. It is simply impossible. As regards Abiyev, he is a good businessman who is sometimes engaged also in military affairs, which is very good," he said. One of the latest publications by Wikileaks tells that Russian Defense Minister Serdyukov told his Azerbaijani colleague Abiyev about re-export of Russian weapons to Russia by Armenia. ................
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