Iranian-Armenian Archives

Armenian-Iran The Armenian community in Iran is the country’s sole national minority that celebrates New Year on the night of December 31.

Armine Elajian, a journalist of Tehran-based Alik Armenian daily, told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“The [Iranian Armenian] national social associations celebrate New Year on December 31, from 7pm to midnight,” Elajian said. “And some of the [Iranian] Armenians celebrate [the New Year] at home, since New Year is a family holiday.”

In her words, the Armenian community in Iran maintains all the traditions, and also celebrates all national religious holidays with great fanfare.

“We are the largest [national] minority in Iran,” Armine Elajian added. “The [Iranian] Armenian community is very traditional, and it retains all the traditions, especially national religious. There are many people in Iran who are interested in our holidays. They come and partake in the celebrations, as a guest.”

According to the latest official data, about 80 thousand Armenians live in Iran, and there are several dozens of Armenian schools that provide education in this country.

Most Iranian Armenians are artisans and traders, but there also are numerous physicians, lawyers, engineers, and architects among them.

by Giorgi Lomsadze,

Giving away perhaps the last opportunity for energy independence, Armenia plans to sell its 41-kilometer-long section of an Iranian natural-gas export pipeline to Russian energy leviathan, Gazprom. The decision leaves Moscow in full control of natural-gas supply routes to Armenia.

Armenia Energy Minister Ara Simonian assured Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, however, that the terms of a state license will not allow Gazprom Armenia to mess with imports from Iran.

Those imports, though, are just a quarter of the annual 2 billion cubic meters Armenia receives from Russia, its economic and security patron.

Originally, many observers abroad and in Armenia alike had hoped that the Iranian-Armenia pipeline, completed in 2008, would wean Armenia off energy dependence on Russia.

Moscow is believed to use its position as Armenia’s economic, energy and security patron to ensure the country’s fealty – a situation that does not necessarily make it tolerant toward market-competitors.

Moscow first tried to set a limit to the Iranian-Armenian pipeline’s diameter and, hence, its supply capacity. Then, Gazprom muscled its way into taking over domestic distribution and, now, all import infrastructure.

Commenting on the takeover of the Iranian pipeline, Gazprom Armenia, Gazprom’s local distribution monopoly, said that it only made business sense to let one company operate the country’s supply-and-distribution infrastructure.

The company’s spokesperson told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that a “tentative agreement” on such a handover has existed since 2007. A $30-million “prepayment” already has been made, she said.

Ironically, a year ago, EurasiaNet.org reported, Yerevan indicated it intended to increase its Iranian imports to 2 bcm.

At the time, Moscow had remained strangely silent.

Now, it seems, the reason why is plain.