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Bulgaria PM Borisov Proposes Closing all Borders in the EU

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Prime Minister Boyko Borisov proposes the closure of all borders in the European Union (EU) in order to stop the flow of illegal migrants. His suggestion was made at the Plenary Meeting of the Conference of European Affairs Committees of the EU Parliaments.

“Bulgaria has managed without much talk, without much complaining, we have created a reliable guard on the Bulgarian-Turkish border – with the necessary enclosures, additional police, ships and for a year and a half Bulgaria has a new situation. On the map you can see that our border, which is guarded, is as much as the Greek one, so I propose a compromise that I will defend at the European Council – first of all we offer immediate prevention and it includes closing all borders in the EU, “Borisov said.

“Officially, anyone wishing to enter the EU has to go to checkpoints (inspection posts) – see the prints, make inspection and so on. This is no different than what is happening in the US, Canada. Why Europe is not like that? “That is a big mistake,” the prime minister said.

“Countries should be divided within Europe. The countries that are part of EU’s border like Bulgaria need to be assisted and get help from the rest, and everything to go through checkpoints.  If someone does not meet the requirements they should return from where they came, Borisov explained, so the first word is called prevention – immediately stopping the flow and from there following the rules, “the prime minister said. According to him, Bulgaria guaranteed 100% of our part of the EU’s external border.

If they are not caught within the EU, disciplined and aided, they can become a source for extremism, Borisov said. If there is no help for the Western Balkans right now, it will be very late, he said.

“The latest war was here in the Balkans – in Kosovo, and we decided to give an example with our colleagues from Macedonia and what could not be achieved for decades we succeeded in signing the contract with our colleague Zoran Zaev.

Turkey installs video surveillance cameras on Armenia border

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The governor’s office of Turkey’s Kars Province has issued a statement informing that video surveillance cameras have been installed in order to make its sector of the border with Armenia safer.

The statement said the cost of installing these cameras was 2,880,000 liras (about US$750,000), according to SonDakika (Last Minute) news website of Turkey.

“These video cameras will also prevent the unpleasant incidents that occur from time to time,” the statement also reads.

Baghdad Plans to Take Control of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Border Posts, Erbi Refuses

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Iraqi Defense Ministry stated that it plans to take control of Iraqi Kurdistan’s border posts ‘in coordination’ with Iran and Turkey, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.

Earlier in the day, Baghdad said that three military convoys would be sent to Iraqi Kurdistan in order to establish control over the border crossings located in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Iraqi Kurdistan refused to place any border crossing from Erbil to Baghdad to the Iraqi federal government.

The Iraqi demand to transfer the control over the border crossings from Erbilto Baghdad followed the Monday independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan. On Wednesday, the Iraqi authorities also ordered to stop all international flights through the airports of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.

On Monday, Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as a number of areas officially controlled by the Iraqi authorities, held the referendum on the independence from Baghdad. According to the Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission, 92.7 percent of voters supported the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan had been widely criticized not only by Iraq itself, but also by Iran, the United States and the United Nations.

Jordan and Iraq re-open Karameh-Turabil border crossing

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The only border point for Iraq and Jordan had been closed since the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) group took control of the area in 2014. The hoped-for return of commercial traffic will be important for both economies.

At a re-opening ceremony at the border crossing on Wednesday, Jordanian Interior Minister Ghaleb Zohbi stood with his Iraqi counterpart, Qassem al-Araji, saying security had been restored three years after the IS group seized control of the frontier areas. An official statement from the two governments said the border point had been secured “against attacks by criminal gangs.”

“The opening of the crossing is of great importance to Jordan and Iraq,” Zohbi said earlier. “It’s a crucial artery. Jordan and Iraq have been discussing reopening it for a while.”

Iraq was once Jordan’s main export market, taking 20 percent of its domestic exports. Until 2014, Jordan was also the gateway for car exports to Iraq.

Securing the highway

The governor of Anbar province, Mohammed al-Halboosi, said trucks should be able to start crossing Thursday, and that Iraqi forces were protecting the road to Baghdad. He admitted an agreement with a private international security firm, Olive Group, on securing and upgrading the road was still to be completed.

Officials said customs and border arrangements have been agreed together with security measures for the 550 kilometers (342 miles) of highway to the Iraqi capital, reportedly with the US security company employing a local force, according to Reuters.

Regaining control

Known as Karameh in Jordan and Turabil in Iraq, it is the only border crossing on the 180-kilometer border between northeast Jordan and western Iraq.

Over the last year, the Iraqi army has regained control of most of the towns in the desert province of Anbar. IS fighters are still in control of the towns of Rawa, Aanah and Al-Qaim, more than 200 kilometers north of Karameh-Turabil.

Over the last three years, Jordan’s exports to Iraq have dropped by more than two-thirds from a pre-2014 level of $1.4 billion (1.17 billion euros) a year.

Efforts have also been made to secure Iraq’s Basra port in the south to Jordan. The Red Sea port of Aqaba is a gateway for Iraqi imports from Europe.

Jordan is also hopeful its northern border with Syria will re-open in the coming months.

jm/kms (Reuters, AP, AFP)

Iranian Parliament ratifies Iran-Armenia border cooperation agreement

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An Iranian MP, while pointing to ratification of Iran-Armenia border cooperation agreement by the Parliament, said the deal aims at boosting goods transit between the two sides, Mehr News Agency reports.

Zahra Saei said the agreement pertained to Norduz Border Terminal and was part of the plan for common border management with neighbors.

“The project, which is in accordance with the recommendations of Kyoto Convention and Chapter VII of the International Covenant on coordination of border control, has been put on agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

The official said the common border gateway plan mainly aims at avoiding similar measures in border customs of the two countries in order to facilitate and speed up customs formalities.

Other merits of the plan include development of business diplomacy with neighbors which is a part of general policies of Resistance Economy since it leads to stronger economic and trade relations with neighbors, facilitates goods transit as well as that it reduces border trade costs, customs offenses parallel workload and smuggling of goods.

CPJ Report: BBC journalist questioned by US border agents, devices searched

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New York, February 1, 2017—Customs and Border Protection officers should respect the rights of journalists to protect confidential information when subjecting international reporters to screening on their arrival to the U.S., the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Ali Hamedani, a reporter for BBC World Service, told CPJ that border agents detained him at Chicago O’Hare airport for over two hours and questioned him when he arrived in the U.S. on January 29 to interview a Persian singer. The journalist, who said he was traveling on a Media I Visa, told CPJ that agents searched his phone and computer and read his Twitter feed.
Hamedani told CPJ that when he traveled to the U.S. on the same visa in November he did not have any issues at the border. The detention of the British-Iranian journalist came two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning entry to the U.S. for 90 days for individuals from seven countries, including Iran.
Continue reading.
Link: https://www.cpj.org/2017/02/bbc-journalist-questioned-by-us-border-agents-devi.php

 

Azerbaijan “seized” Georgian territory to build defense facilities – study

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Azerbaijan has built defense facilities and strongholds which sink into the territory of Georgia, beginning from the crossroad of Armenia-Georgia-Azerbaijan border and stretching to the Red Bridge checkpoint. Some 6,5 km long, the area covers around 800-1000 hectares.

In a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net Armenian political scientist Samvel Meliksetyan unveiled the results of his own research.

According to Meliksetyan, Papakar peak, a key military point, is situated in the territory of Georgia, the Azerbaijan border lying south of the mountain. But the Azerbaijanis have gone some 400 meters deep in this area and established a system of strongholds that fully lie on the territory of Georgia.

“The section situated farther in the east was a subject of dispute in the Soviet times but a final demarcation was carried out in the early 1980s, as a result of which the border was established in favor of Georgia. The demarcation went on to become the state border and is clearly indicated on Google Maps and formal sources,” Meliksetyan said.

By the way, the same map also shows that the Armenian-Azerbaijani border underwent more serious modifications, especially near the village of Barekamavan, where a much larger area of land has become a part of the Azeri village of Kemerli.

Some changes have also occurred on the Armenian-Georgian border in favor of Georgia, but the amended borders were approved as the official ones and are reflected on Google Maps.

Terrorist State of Turkey to build wall along Armenia border?

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Journalist Ercan Baysal of Star newspaper of Turkey has claimed that the country plans to build a concrete wall along its borders with Armenia and Iran.

The Turkish journalist, however, also stressed that the modernization works at Turkey’s customs checkpoints with Armenia, Georgia, and Iran will pick up speed in the coming months.

Baysal noted that, after finishing construction of a concrete wall along the border with Syria, Turkey will start building similar walls along its borders with Armenia and Iran, to prevent smuggling.

It is also noted that a contract was signed in May 2016, and with respect to building three-meter-high concrete walls in six provinces of Turkey.

“Turkey’s claim that Artsakh is an “occupied” territory of Azerbaijan it is not acceptable by many countries.” Turkologist

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karabakh-occupiedTurkologist and expert in oriental studies, Ruben Safrastyan, commented on the recent statement by the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister. Note that on November 20, in Turkey, at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek had said that Turkey will open its border with Armenia only if Armenia “ends its occupation of Azerbaijani lands.” Ruben Safrastyan first noted that the message of the statement is not new, in this context, Turkey has always speculated the Artsakh issue. “It is a part of Turkish politics which aims to put pressure on Armenia and to show to Armenia, “See, we are ready to open the border.

” This once again enables Turkey to assert that Artsakh is an Azerbaijani “occupied” territory. Which, however, is not acceptable by many countries in the world,” noted Ruben Safrastyan. Recall, President Serzh Sargsyan had also referred to the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. Ruben Safrastyan also addressed Koryun Nahapetyan’s speech at the same Assembly, in which he had emphasized the fact of Turkey’s support to Islamists. “It is the true and important approach.

We need to draw the world’s attention to the fact that Turkey is supporting the Islamist extremists,” said the speaker. Speaking of the US-Turkey relations, Ruben Safrastyan expressed an opinion that Turkey will take an important place in the US policy, particularly in the Middle East, “The relations between Turkey and the US, in the near future, will rely on the fact that Turkey has an important role in the Middle East. These relations will become free from excessive sentimentality and will maintain their allied nature with the United States.”

Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2016/11/22/184168/

Residents of Armenia border villages mark start of new school year

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Armenia-children-schoolKnowledge Day and the start of new academic year are marked on September 1 in Armenia’s border villages, just as in the rest of the country.

The border villages, however, have their peculiarities

The Armenian News-NEWS.am reporters visited such villages in Tavush Province, and they participated in the First [School] Bell celebrations in Aygepar village.

The village is noteworthy for the fact that two children, twin brothers Arshak and Artak Anikyan, will be going to Grade 1 this year.

Their father, Arman, is a graduate of the same school.

As per the twins’ mother, Hermine, the boys all summer long dreamed of when they finally will go to school.

Their younger brother, 4-year-old Aram, was following with interest, and stretching toward the school bag.

Even the shots that were regularly fired from Azerbaijan have not dampened the joyful enthusiasm accompanying the First Bell event.

I heartily wish patience to the teachers, and new knowledge to the children,” school principal Arev Arzumanyan said in her welcoming remarks. “[And] I wish peace to our village.”

The award ceremony for children who have excelled in their studies was held under the continuing sounds of sporadic shooting by the adversary. After the ceremony, however, the principal invited everyone inside the school building.

“It’s not safe here in the yard,” she explained.

The school, as well as the entire village, is under constant tension because of the border with neighboring Azerbaijan.

The school walls and windows bear the traces of shooting by the “neighbor.” “They practically fire shots every day, not only today,” the teachers responded when asked whether these shootings are linked to September 1. “Our schoolchildren, including the girls, can quickly disassemble and reassemble a rifle.”

“This year, the school had three graduates,” said Principal Arzumanyan. “One was accepted into an institution of higher education.”

There are two girls, Lilit Avagyan and Ani Arzumanyan, in the current graduating class of the school.

And they walked toward the symbolic first class, holding the hands of the twin first graders.

Another border village of Paravaqar has 28 first graders. The total number of students is 210, nine graduates of this school have entered universities. Angin Nighoyan, the principal of the school, says they are happy that the number of first graders has not reduced. Fourteen pupils are in the graduating class.

Angin Nighoyan has been working as a  principle since 2001. Her son and daughter-in-law are also working at the school.

“Today is a double holiday. It is not only a professional, but a family day, because my eldest granddaughter is a first grader,” Angin says.

Paravaqr, just as many other border villages, are periodically becoming a target for the adversary. “There are no signs after repair works, but there were signs of the mortars before,” said Suren Bulgadaryan, Angin’s husband who is also working at the school.