Month: December 2008

PROTEST

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
17 Dec 2008
Armenia

Around 60 former Turkish ambassadors and diplomats have "counteracted"
the Internet campaign on collecting signatures for apologizing for
the 1915 events.

They announced that the Turkish intellectuals’ initiative on
apologizing to the Armenians "is unfair, wrong and harmful to the
national interests."

"It is treachery in relation to the diplomats and statesmen murdered
as a result of the acts of violence perpetrated by the terrorist
organizations," they said.

WHY IN BAKU?

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
17 Dec 2008
Armenia

After January 10, 2009, the official Baku is planning to hold a
conference devoted to the following topic: "Armenian-Turkish Relations:
Possible Perspectives".

TO AVERT OVER AGAIN BY VIOLENCE

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
17 Dec 2008
Armenia

As we know on December 19, at 12.00 p.m. the Court of General
Jurisdiction of Shengavit Community will start the court procedure
of the "Case of the 7".

On this occasion the congress underscored in its appeal: "The
administration, the author of the organized slaughter towards their
own people, with a characteristic cynicism, is trying to lay the
blame on the pan-national movement. To avert the before mentioned
regular shame and for the sake of justice we should all be present
in the court procedure."

How is the congress planning to avert the charge? Most probably by the
same scenario, which they used on March 1, by violence, by attacking
the building of the court, the witnesses and the accusing party.

WONDERFUL TOP TEN

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
17 Dec 2008
Armenia

For the 50th time the Armenian sports journalists came to a decision
regarding the 10 best sportsmen. By the overwhelming majority of
votes Gabriel Sargsyan was recognized the leading sports hero of 2008.

1. Gabriel Sargsyan (chess, the winner of the World Chess Olympic
Games and the best participant) 313 units.

2. Tigran V. Martirosyan (weigh-lifting, champion of Europe, bronze
prize – winner of the Beijing Olympic games) 289

3. Tigran G. Martirosyan (weigh-lifting, champion of Europe, bronze
prize – winner of Beijing Olympic Games) 276

4. Levon Aronyan (chess, the winner of the World Chess Olympic Games
and international big tournaments) 245

5. Yuri Patrikeev (Greco-Roman wrestling, European champion, bronze
prize – winner of Beijing Olympic Games) 241

6. Vladimir Hakobyan (chess, winner of World Olympic Games) 208

7. Roman Amoyan (Greco-Roman wrestling, European vice-champion,
bronze prize – winner of Beijing Olympic Games) 195

8. Gevorg Davtyan (weigh-lifting, bronze prize – winner of Beijing
Olympic Games) 164

9. Hrachya Javakhyan (boxing, bronze prize – winner of Beijing Olympic
Games) 117

10. Tigran L. Petrosyan (chess, the winner of the World Chess Olympic
Games) 116

VISIT OF CHINESE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TO ARMENIA AND VISIT OF ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO CHINA ENVISAGED IN 2009

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The deputy foreign minister of
Armenia, co-chairman of the Armenian-Chinese intergovernmental
commission Gegham Gharibjanian, who is a member of the Armenian
official delegation headed by the RA National Assembly speaker Hovik
Abrahamian, met with the deputy foreign minister of China Li Hui on
December 16. The Armenian delegation is on a visit to China.

According to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the
meeting the sides attached importance to the dynamic development
of Armenian-Chinese relations, one evidence of which is the visit
of the speaker of the RA National Assembly to China. It was stated
that China has always viewed Armenia as a friendly country and a
reliable partner. The sides discussed a number of issues of bilateral
interest, in particilar, economic cooperation of the two countries,
the provision of technical assistance to Armenia by China, China’s
participation in the Armenia-Iran railway construction project,
and the work of the Armenian-Chinese intergovernmental commission.

G. Gharibjanian said that after his visit to China during the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games, the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan has
repeatedly underlined the importance of developing relations with
China, considering it as a priority of Armenia’s foreign policy. The
necessity to encourage contacts and consultations between the foreign
ministries of the two countries was pointed out in this connection. The
sides reached an agreement on organizing a visit of Mr. Li Hui to
Armenia in the first half of 2009, which will be followed by an
official visit of the Armenian foreign minister to China.

SYSTEM CREATED BY ANM HITS THE VERY ANM LIKE A BOOMERANG, DPA CHAIRMAN ARAM SARGSIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of Aram Sargsian,
the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA), unless the
the Armenian National Movement (ANM) took part in the RA presidential
elections, society would get rid of the current government system, the
foundation of which has been laid by the very ANM. According to him,
that is why the current situation in Armenia does not rehabilitate.

"The system created by ANM hits the very ANM like a boomerang. They
also used the same actions in 1995 and 1996 towards political forces
being opposition at that time," A. Sargsian said during the December
17 meeting with journalists.

According to his estimation, no exact political estimation has been
given yet to the March 1 events in Yerevan. According to A. Sargsian,
those events should be indeed discussed in an unbiassed way and those
indeed guilty should be called to account. And those indeed guilty,
in A. Sargsian’s opinion, are first RA President Levon Ter-Petrosian
and former RA President Robert Kocharian.

ANM Board member Hovhannes Igitian said that ANM’s fault is only that
they decided to take part in the elections and to change country’s
government system. He also said that illegal actions were done towards
the people arrested on the March 1 cases.

BJNI FACTORY’S CLOSURE UNEQUIVOCALLY HAS A POLITICAL IMPLICATION, VAHAGN KHACHATRIAN ASSERTS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the evaluation of
Armenian National Congress representative Vahagn Khachatrian, the
closure of the Bjni factory unequivocally has a political implication:
the problem is not economic. As V. Khachatrian mentioned at the
December 17 dispute with RA NA ARFD faction member Artsvik Minasian,
if the problem were economic, that issue would have raised long ago,
as it is not the first year Bjni is operating.

According to A. Minasian, it is possible that there is an economic
basis, but he did not exclude, either that Bjni’s closure is also
connected with political activity. "I think it is one of the worst
phenomena in our independent republic we have dealt with since 1991,
when any problem existing on the political plane also brings to
economic redistributions," A. Minasian said.

In response to the question of how much Bjni factory’s closure affected
country’s economy, V. Khachatrian emphasized that 500 people worked at
Bjni, and now these people are unemployed. According to A. Minasian’s
estimation, closure of any enterprise or alienation of the main assets
has a negative impact on economy, though, according to him, now it
is very difficult to value the extent of that impact. As to Bjni
property’s alienation, according to A. Minasian, it is a procedure
established by the law, and if the director is not aware that his
property is put on sale, he has the right to apply to the court and
demand that the decision of the Service of Compulsory Execution of
Legal Acts be invalidated or at least be suspended.

ACCORDING TO ALVARD PETROSIAN, IF FIRST PRESIDENT FELT FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS, HE WOULD MAKE A COMPROMISE WITH AUTHORITIES

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of Alvard Petrosian,
a writer, a member of the RA National Assembly ARFD faction, the most
gladdening event of 2008 is Armenian chess men’s national team’s
victory in the olympiad. However, as she mentioned at the December
17 press conference, it should not be an occasion of swaggering for
the Armenians: the Armenian people should distinguish swaggering from
national dignity. Touching upon the problem of people arrested within
the framework of the March 1 criminal case at journalists’s request,
A. Petrosian stated that no one can wish imprisoned people to be
in prisons. "However, we should not run to other extremes, either,
thinking that those in prisons are angels and are sentenced in spite
of being innocent," she added.

According to the ARFD deputy, she does not see sympathy for
the imprisoned people in Levon Ter-Petrosian’s team and in him
personally. According to A. Petrosian, if L. Ter-Petrosian felt pity
and compassion for those people and their families, he would make
a compromise with the authorities. In response to the question of
whether she considers the imprisoned people political prisoners the
ARFD figure said that the court will find out that. Touching upon
the talks about President Serzh Sargsyan’s announcing an amnesty,
A. Petrosian stated that the President should not be constantly made
to make compromises: he has already granted an amnesty to three people.

Joking with journalists and in response to their question of whom
she sees as a Snow Maiden at the New Year party to be held at NA,
Alvard Petrosian said: "Me."

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION DOES NOT PIN HOPES ON EUROPE, ANC REPRESENTATIVE SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia’s opposition does not
pin hopes on the PACE Monitoring Committee December 17 sitting and
on Europe in general. Stating this at the press conference held the
same day, Armenian National Congress representative David Shahnazarian
said that if European structures continue the policy of closing their
eyes at the fact of existence of political prisoners and at other
unfair actions, it will be the problem of the Council of Europe and
not of Armenia’s opposition. As to possible sanctions to be used
against RA, according to D. Shahnazarian, they should be political
and not economic, as the political sanctions will be aimed against
the authorities and the people will suffer from economic sanctions.

Touching upon the world financial-economic crisis, the ANC
representative expressed an apprehension that Armenia’s oligarch
system will not be able to prevent the consequences of that crisis in
the country. "We had problems of lack of democracy and human rights
at the beginning of the year, while the issues of Nagorno Karabakh
problem aggravation and economic crisis have been added to them now,"
the speaker said.

DAVID SHAHNAZARIAN: PEOPLE IS ON THE ONE SIDE OF BARRICADES AND CRIMINAL AUTHORITIES ON THE OTHER

Noyan Tapan

Dec 17, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. 2008 was turning in Armenia’s modern
history, as society being close to the civil one was formed in the
country then. David Shahnazarian, a representative of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC), expressed such an opinion at the December
17 meeting with journalists. In his words, the assertions that the
Armenian society is divided into two parts does not correspond to
reality: according to D. Shahnazarian’s formulation, the fighting
people is on the one side of the "barricades" and the criminal
authorities are on the other side.

The second achievement of the year, as the ANC representative stated,
was that the political sphere was cleaned from false opposition forces
"appointed" by the authorities. "Now it is clear who are with people
and who support the robber regime," D. Shahnazarian said. According
to him, the above mentioned achievements will inevitably lead to the
national movement’s victory.

Touching upon the foreign policy, D. Shahnazarian said that today
the authorities have serious problems at international structures,
which have emerged in consequence of their March 1 criminal actions.