Month: June 2009

IRAN, IRAQ AND TURKEY SIGN POWER MOU

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.06.2009

/PanARMENIAN.N et/ Mr Parviz Fattah Iranian minister of Energy, Mr
Taner Yildiz Turkish energy and natural resources minister and Mr
Kareem Waheed al-Aboudi Iraqi minister of electricity inked an MOU
on last Wednesday at the end of their first regional power conference
held in Baghdad, Mehr News Agency reports.

According to the MOU, the 3 countries agreed to bolster cooperation
in the power and electricity field and link their national power
grids to one another and Syria.

The Iraqi minister stated the 4 countries aimed at connecting their
power networks to the Persian Gulf littoral states, the Central Asian
nations and to European countries in the long run.

According to Mr Fattah Iran has already linked its power networks
with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan.

Mr Parviz Fattah said in Baghdad on last Thursday that Iran’s Bushehr
nuclear power plant will generate electricity in the next Iranian
calendar year.

He said that energy consumption this year has shown a growth of 6%
in Iran.

He added that Iran has been able to turn into a major power producer
and exporter by relying on domestic potential.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA’S CONSUL GENERAL PRESENTED PASSPORT TO THE FIRST DUAL-CITIZEN IN LA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.06.2009

/PanARMENIAN.Net / Zoya Baghramyan realized her life-long dream by
receiving her Armenian citizenship and her official Armenian passport
at a ceremony at the Armenian Consulate General of Los Angeles,
Asbarez.com reports.

Baghramyan completed her dual-citizenship application in March of last
year and in May, in Yerevan she received her Armenian citizenship,
becoming the first Angeleno to receive that status.

During the ceremony, Armenia’s Consul General to Los Angeles Grigor
Hovhannisyan presented the passport again and a memento on this
occasion.

The Consul-General also announced that this year, the Consulate has
received double the number of dual-citizenship applications than
last year.

Baghramyan was born in Azerbaijan and fled the country in 1989
after the Azeri pogroms against Armenians in various parts of the
country. She first went to Moscow and in 1996 she moved to the United
States and became a citizen.

ARMENIA UNDERSCORES EXPANSION OF RELATIONS WITH SYRIA

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 2, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received today Syrian Foreign
Affairs Minister Wallid Muallimi who is in Armenia on a working visit.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that President Sargsyan said
that Armenia underscores the development and expansion of relations
with Syria and saying that in two weeks his Syrian counterpart will
pay visit to Armenia, which according to the sides will open a new
page in relations between the two countries. Syrian foreign minister
underscored the activation of political dialogue between the countries
and particulalry pointed out the necessity of expansion of trade
economic ties. The sides also referred to the stability and security
issues in the South Caucasian issues.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE PRESIDENT INSTRUCTED TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS ON "THE TERMS AND LEGAL PROCEDURES OF THE AMNESTY"

AZG Armenian Daily
03/06/2009

Presidential

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian instructed the heads of Armenia’s
law-enforcement agencies and Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian to
submit proposals on "the terms and legal procedures of the amnesty"
by June 15, RA President’s office reports.

"The presidential administration was instructed to summarize within
the mentioned period relevant proposals from political forces, figures
and the [presidential] Public Council," the office said in a statement,
according to Azatutyun radio station.

LOCAL MONITORS CRITICIZE YEREVAN VOTE

AZG Armenian Daily
03/06/2009

Elections of Council of Yerevan Elders

Armenia’s largest election-monitoring organization gave on Tuesday a
largely negative evaluation of Sunday’s mayoral elections in Yerevan,
reporting a wide range of irregularities. The independent group It’s
Your Choice, which deployed observers in all of the city’s 439 polling
stations, listed in its preliminary report concrete instances of ballot
stuffing, multiple and illegal voting, voter intimidation, presence
of unauthorized personnel, and other procedural violations. It also
deplored pre-election violence, reports of widespread vote buying,
pro-government parties’ reliance on their "administrative resources"
and their tight control of election commissions The report concluded
that the May 31 elections "further deepened voters’ disappointment
with political parties and electoral processes." It said although they
marked a "small improvement" over last year’s local polls in Yerevan
districts, "there are no sufficient grounds to believe that these
elections passed the threshold of democratic, fair and transparent
elections." Presenting the report, the head of It’s Your Choice,
Harutiun Hambardzumian, said voting was particularly fraudulent in
the city’s Malatia-Sebastia district, scene of the largest number
of irregularities reported by the Armenian opposition, media and
observers. He said It’s Your Choice monitors witnessed ballot box
stuffing in five local precincts. "Ballot stuffing occurred when
large groups of voters made their way into those polling stations
and caused uncontrollable situations," Hambardzumian told a news
conference. "Also, in almost all Malatia-Sebastia precincts,
there was an atmosphere of fear. We were unable and even not
allowed to monitor the voting there in great detail." That there
were serious problems in Malatia-Sebastia is acknowledged by the
Armenian authorities. The Office of the Prosecutor-General on Monday
urged the Central Election Commission (CEC) to order vote recounts
in eight local precincts. The Special Investigative Service (SIS),
a law-enforcement agency subordinated to the prosecutors, said on
Tuesday that it has arrested a pro-government member of one of those
commissions and another Malatia-Sebastia resident on suspicion of
"falsifying vote results." Sona Truzian, the spokeswoman for the
prosecutors, specified that the SIS has evidence of the two men adding
"fake ballots" to the precinct vote tally. She said that as part of
the criminal investigation all ballots cast there will be recounted
at the Office of the Prosecutor-General on Tuesday. Journalists will
be able to attend the recount, she said. The precinct in question was
also the scene of a reported assault on two journalists and an election
observer who witnessed the ballot stuffing. The SIS has pledged to
investigate the attack. According to Truzian, the SIS has also opened
criminal cases in connection with fraud reported by Armenian media
in six other Malatia-Sebastia polling stations. "It is possible that
criminal cases will also be opened in connection with violations in
other precincts," she told RFE/RL, according to azatutyun.am.

CONSTRUCTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA RAILROAD IS A PROJECT OF GREAT STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

AZG Armenian Daily
03/06/2009

Armenia-Iran

Construction of Iran-Armenia railroad is a project of great strategic
importance not only for the two states but also for the whole region.

Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Seyed Ali Saghayan told Armenpress that
the railroad can be considered a very convenient direction for cargo
transportation. According to him, the Iranian technical-expert group
has lately visited Armenia to study in what direction the railroad
must be constructed. "Besides that we expect the investors to display
interest towards the project and Russia seems to be interested in
the participation of the project implementation," the Ambassador
noted. According to S. Ali Saghayan the political decision of
construction of the railroad has already been reached – during the
Armenian President Serzh Sargsin’s visit to Iran an agreement has been
reached and at present the discussion of technical issues is being
conducted. Different variants of the direction of the railroad are
being discussed. With the initial information investment of 2 billion
USD will be needed for the construction of Iran-Armenia railroad. The
World Bank and Asian Development Bank have expressed interest in the
railroad construction project.

SAM SAGHATELIAN AND FRIENDS IN ‘KNIGHTS AND HUNTERS’

AZG Armenian Daily
03/06/2009

Culture

Against the backdrop of gender politics, the ever-evolving roles of
men and women, and particularly the cultural underpinnings that inform
tradition and change, the ‘Knights and Hunters’ exhibition examines
our understanding of what could be described as the gentleman’s ethos
on the one hand, and the Don Juan complex on the other. Los Angeles –
Sam Saghatelian, the chief curator of Black Maria and a multi-faceted
artist, invited his fellow friends, Ken Garduno, Jason Hernandez,
Michael C. Hsiung to explore the complex interconnectedness of chivalry
and machismo. "Knights and Hunters," a new group exhibition will
open on Saturday, June 13, at 7 PM. "Against the backdrop of gender
politics, the ever-evolving roles of men and women, and particularly
the cultural underpinnings that inform tradition and change, the
‘Knights and Hunters’ exhibition examines our understanding of what
could be described as the gentleman’s ethos on the one hand, and the
Don Juan complex on the other," Saghatelian explained.

"As the works included in the exhibition shed light on the many
ironies of what it might mean to be a man in the contemporary
world, they reveal the comical, the shocking and not-so-shocking,
and sometimes the downright grotesque," Saghatelian continued. "So
it is that many of the works are tongue-in-cheek and unabashedly
over the top. But perhaps the most important thread running through
these works is that of a certain loving curiosity, and ultimately an
insistence on pointing at a common humanity beyond the politics and
stereotypes." "Knights and Hunters" will remain open through Friday,
July 11, 2009. Sam Saghatelian was born and raised in Armenia. He
worked as an architect until 1988. At the brink of the collapse of
the USSR and Armenia’s independence, Saghatelian began his journey as
an artist. He exhibited in the Armenian Pavilion at the 2001 Venice
Biennale and his works are part of the permanent collection of the
Armenian Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2003, Saghatelian moved to Los
Angeles to continue his journey as an artist. Since relocating in LA,
he has exhibited at APG Gallery in Atlanta, Black Maria Gallery in Los
Angeles, Articultural Gallery in Los Angeles, Harvest Gallery in Los
Angeles and will be showing at La Luz De Jesus in May of 2008. For
more information contact: Zara Zeitountsian, Black Maria Gallery,
323. 660 9393, email: [email protected].

SERZH SARGSYAN GIVES INSTRUCTION TO PRESENT PROPOSALS ON CONDITIONS AND LEGAL PROCEDURES OF AMNESTY BY JUNE 15

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 2, 2009
YEREVAN

On June 2, RA President Serzh Sargsyan held a consultation with the
participation of law enforcement system responsible figures on the
issue of granting an amnesty. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by
the President’s Press Office.

In addition to his May 28 address to all political forces, public
figures, Public Council on their presenting proposals on the necessity
of granting an amnesty, S. Sargsyan instructed proper departments to
present proposals on conditions and legal procedures of amnesty by
June 15.

President’s staff has been charged to sum up the proposals received
from political forces, figures and from Public Council in the
established term.

ARMENIA ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITIONAL WARM RELATIONS AND EXPANSION OF COOPERATION WITH SYRIA

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 2, 2009
YEREVAN

On June 2, RA President Serzh Sargsyan receiving Foreign Minister
of Syria Walid al-Muallim being in Armenia on a working visit
said that Armenia attaches importance to development of traditional
friendly warm relations with Syria proved by history and expansion of
cooperation. According to him, today many people remember the visit
of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to Armenia 30 years ago. S.

Sargsyan said that 30 years later, in absolutely another situation,
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to Armenia will take place
in two weeks. According to the RA President’s Press Office, the
interlocutors were of the same opinion that the visit will open a
new page in the two countries’ relations.

The Foreign Minister of Syria attached importance to activation of the
political dialogue between the two countries, deepening of cooperation
in various spheres especially stressing the necessity of expanding
trade and economic contacts.

The sides also touched upon problems of stability and security in
the South Caucasian region, emphasized the importance of solving the
current problems through peaceful negotiations.

REASON OF ROBERT AVAGIAN’S NOT PARTICIPATING IN FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE WORK IS STRAINED RELATIONS WITH ANC REPRESENTATIVE

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 2, 2009
YEREVAN

The reason of ruling coalition representative Robert Avagian’s not
participating in the work of the fact-finding committee on study of
the March 1 events is his strained relations with Armenian National
Congress (ANC) representative Andranik Kocharian. Reporting it at
the June 2 press conference, R. Avagian said that at first their
relations were very good, but they worsened when he refused to
"write something" about the death circumstances of Police Officer
Hamlet Tadevosian who perished on March 1. Explaining the reason of
his step, R. Avagian had said to A. Kocharian: "It would be better if
you write it, as your political force trumpets it very much. Besides,
governmental institutions have already expressed their opinion, it
would be better if we are neutral in this issue so as not to exert
pressure upon you in this issue and be passive and you be active."

According to R. Avagian, personally he was against sending the
conclusion on death circumstances of H. Tadevosian to the NA Ad-hoc
Committee, as the fact-finding committee even was not empowered to
introduce an interim conclusion to the Committee. "If A. Kocharian
and Zharangutiun representative Seda Safarian had listened to me and
had not sent, it would be also good for the opposition, and the death
circumstances of the rest 9 victims would have been also found out,"
he emphasized.

Commenting upon RA Ombudsman’s statement on appointing a new
representative in the fact-finding committee instead of Vahe Stepanian,
who has also resigned, R. Avagian said that the Ombudsman is not
empowered to introduce a new representative. "RA President’s order
contains a provision, according to which fact-finding committee’s 5
members are irreplaceable," he emphasized.