 U.S. travel agency sues Russia’s Aeroflot February 9, 2012 - 14:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Riviera Travel & Tours filed a nearly $3.5 billion suit in District Court for the Central District of California against Russian flagship airline Aeroflot accusing it of extortion, RIA Novosti reported, citing RAPSI legal news agency. Under the suit, a copy of which was obtained by RAPSI, Riviera and Aeroflot signed an agreement providing exclusive rights for the firm to wholesale tickets on Aeroflot flights to the United States, after which Aeroflot began demanding kickbacks from sales revenue, threatening to cancel the contract otherwise. Riviera refused to pay and then had to concede wholesale rights to Downtown Travel, although it retained rights to retail sales. The travel agency charges Aeroflot airline officials Andrei Novokshonov and Alexei Aleksandrov with violating the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Aeroflot declined to comment the information. In October 2011 Aeroflot filed a suit against Riviera arguing it faced losses of about $315,000 for fraudulent operations by the U.S. travel firm in 2009-2010 when Riviera had no license. The court hearing is scheduled for October 16, 2012.  Top stories Armenian delegation headed by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan will pay a two-day working visit to Ashgabat. Hrachya Berberyan: apricot harvest will make 25 and 10-12 thous. tons in Ararat and Armavir provinces respectively Any decisions were postponed until the end of next month after French and Greek parliamentary elections on June 17. Armenian Prime Minister met with the head of International Fund for Agricultural Development Programs in Armenia.   |  Latest news Over 100 trespassers detained in Armenia in January-May  Russian border guards seized 50 firearms, bladed weapons and 300 thous. rubles worth contraband in January-May.Conference participants at Institute of CIS States back Artsakh’s stance The NKR was represented at the round table by Advisers to Foreign Minister Ruben Zargarian and Arsen Melik-Shakhnazarian.Shoushi liberation anniversary celebrated in France Armenian ambassador to France Vigen Chitechyan answered Armenian foreign and domestic policy related questions.Armenian ambassador to China participates in ESCAP meeting Armen Sargsyan participated in meeting of UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. |
