Month: February 2012

FRANCE, BRITAIN TO BUILD AIR COMBAT DRONES

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 16, 2012 – 17:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – France and Britain are to launch a joint project
to build air combat drones during a visit by UK Prime Minister David
Cameron to Paris, French newspaper Les Echos reported on Thursday,
February 16, according to AFP.

Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will announce the
project during a summit meeting on Friday, the newspaper quoted
several sources as saying.

“The project will take the form of a joint letter of intent that
will be non-binding but will open the door to the first preliminary
studies,” the business paper reported.

“Tens of millions of euros” will be allocated to getting the project
off the ground, it said, and the goal to is to have a prototype drone
ready by 2020.

The project hopes to avoid the “fratricidal European battle” that has
opposed the Rafale fighter jet produced by France’s Dassault and the
UK-backed Eurofighter in bidding for warplane contracts, it said.

Dassault’s Rafale this month won the right to be the sole bidder
in a major contract to supply warplanes to India, beating out the
Eurofighter consortium and sparking consternation in Britain.

Les Echos said the drone project would be a joint programme between
Rafale and Britain’s BAE systems, noting that it excluded pan-European
aerospace and defence corporation EADS, which “will not be appreciated
in Berlin”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT CANCELS AUCTIONING OF GOLDEN LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS

/ARKA/
February 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. The Armenian government passed a decision
today to cancel auctioning of so-called golden” license plate numbers.

A golden number can be the repetition of a digit or a combination of
digits (such as 11111, or 121212, or 123123, 88888,55555), consecutive
numbers in either order (12345, 54321), or anything that would strike
one as fanciful.

A deputy police chief, Artur Osikyan, said now golden license plate
numbers can be purchased at fixed prices. The proceeds will go to
the off-budget of the police. The cost will range from 60,000 drams
to 5 million drams. ($1-388.89 drams).

From: A. Papazian

TRIAL OF FORMER POLICE CHIEF ACCUSED OF ABUSING HIS POSITION POSTPONED

epress.am
02.16.2012

The trial of former head of the RA Police General Department of
Criminal Intelligence Hovhannes Tamamyan that was to take place at
a Yerevan district court today was postponed.

Recall, Tamamyan was arrested late March 2011 on on charges of abuse
of power and has since been kept under arrest pending trial. He is
accused of deliberately mishandling a police investigation into the
May 12, 2010 murder of 23-year-old Khachik Lazarian. As reported
by RFE/RL’s Armenian service, prosecutors say police investigators
overseen by Tamamyan deliberately failed to prosecute the murder
perpetrator and charged another individual instead, presumably in
return for a massive kickback. Tamamyan is also charged on similar
accounts in another case, in which he failed to prosecute Aram and
Arthur Martirosyans for the murder of Hakob and Hovsep Hovhannisyans
and Spartak Zargaradoghyan in Nov. 2009 in Gavar.

Also named as accused are former Deputy Head of the Arabkir Division
of Yerevan Police Armen Poghosyan and former Senior Investigator of
the Police General Investigation Department of Specially Important
Cases Vahan Khanzadyan, who also face similar charges.

Appointed public prosecutor Ruzanna Sirekanyan, who is defending
Khanzadyan’s interests, asked the judge for 10 days to become
acquainted with the case materials.

Judge Arshak Vardanyan granted the request and postponed the court
date to Mar. 6 at 12 pm.

Afterwards, reporters tried to ask Hovhannes Tamamyan’s defense
attorney Vaghinak Gevorgyan questions; however, the latter mainly
refused to comment, saying that it might affect his client’s case.

Asked whether Tamamyan will admit his guilt, the attorney said
everything will be known at the trial.

He mentioned that any media report could affect the court process,
which is why he is currently refraining from making any comments.

ARMENIAN EXPERT SAYS ISRAEL CAN’T STRIKE IRAN ALONE

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 16, 2012 – 18:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The European Union has not officially confirmed
yet the information regarding suspension of Iranian oil export to 6
countries, according to Armenian political analyst.

“Iran is certain about sanctions against the Iranian oil import to
harm the EU first. Iran has already started searching for new markets.

For instance, oil supplies to India increased by 37%,” Roman Smbatyan
told PanARMENIAN.Net

Dwelling on Israel’s stance on Iran issue and statements on possible
strike on Iran, the expert noted that Iran has no potential for launch
of hostilities by itself.

“Israel can’t attack Iran alone, without the U.S. assistance which
currently faces complex situation as to forthcoming presidential
elections and international financial crisis,” Mr. Smbatyan said.

RUSSIA WANTS TO BE SOLE CONSTRUCTOR OF NEW ARMENIAN NPP

news.am
February 16, 2012 | 18:30

YEREVAN. – Fifty per cent of financing of new unit of the Armenian
Nuclear Power Plant will fall on Russian state-run Rosatom company,
said Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan.

He said that during the recent visit of Rosatom head Seregy Kiriyenko
the sides re-affirmed previously agreed commitments.

“The Russian side offers to seek 50% of financing without attracting
new companies. We must assess the situation,” he told journalists
on Thursday.

In this case the only option is to obtain credit, but the Armenian side
prefers to involve other companies which will make better investment
proposals, he added.

French companies have expressed aspiration to participate in the
construction of a new NPP power unit.

Unless new investors are found, the Armenian side will accept Russia’s
proposal, Movsisyan said.

IF SPIELBERG PRODUCES FILM ON GENOCIDE … – SABAH

Tert.am
16.02.12

The Turkish newspaper Sabah has published an article providing a
forecast of possible developments in case world-famous film director
and producer Steven Spielberg produces a film about the Armenian
Genocide.

The author of the article, Mevlut Tezel, calls for boycotting
Spielberg’s films in case he manages to bring his plan to life.

It comes after the Turkish media published reports saying that
Spielberg is cooperating with producer Steven Zalian to realize his
project and has to that end started negotiations with representatives
of Armenia’s National Cinema Center.

“We won’t be able to recall the ambassador so we must boycott
Spielberg’s films,” he says. “We must boycott endlessly in case
Spielberg and script-writer Steven Zalian produce the film, following
the example of Schindler’s Life [which is about the Jewish Holocaust].”

According to the Turkish journalist, the film, if produced, will
cause of all kinds of debates devoted to the Genocide to go beyond
the framework of political discussions, reducing the issue to the
public domain.

“Even the ignorant not knowing Turkey’s place on the world map will
start thinking that we have committed the Genocide,” Tozel says,
adding that the film’s negative impact would be 100 times stronger
than that of Midnight Express (which tells about the unlawfulness in
Turkish prisons and the judiciary )

Speaking to Tert.am, Ruzan Bagratuni, a spokesperson for the
National Cinema Center, dismissed the reports that they have started
negotiations with Spielberg.

“There is nothing of the kind,” she said. “A letter was earlier sent
to Spielberg from Armenia but the process was frozen.”

DEPUTIES ELECTED BY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM REMIND THE OPPOSITION MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF ALI BABA AND 40 ROBBERS

arminfo
Thursday, February 16, 14:15

A member of the parliament from the opposition Heritage party, Larisa
Alaverdyan, said at today’s press-conference that it is a great honor
for the opposition not to have relevant representatives at majoritarian
ballot stations, as they remind her of Ali Baba and 40 robbers.

“There are various qualifications in the civilized countries to
become a member of parliament, but in Armenia we have only one
qualification – money. To be elected by the majoritarian electoral
system representatives of the authorities should have just 1 mln
drams”, – she said and added that transition to the 100% proportional
electoral system will make it possible to get rid of fraud and bribery.

For his part, a deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia,
Hovanes Sahakyan, said that the opposition’s suggestion to transfer to
the 100% proportional electoral system is a political PR. “The fair
elections depend not on the proportional or majoritarian electoral
systems, but on the electoral culture and political will. If the
intentions of the opposition were serious, they would collect 27
signatures and appeal to the Constitutional Court to define if the
100% proportional electoral system is in line with the Constitution”,
– he said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMEN YERITSYAN LABELS NEWS ABOUT HIS APPOINTMENT AS POLICE CHIEF AS NONSENSE

Panorama.am
16/02/2012

Armenian Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan said that
the news about his appointment as police chief was nonsense.

“We need fresh power, which is Vladimir Gasparyan, as a fresh power
I will work as a rescuer in this field as long as I am allowed to. I
do not wish to become a police chief,” noted Yeritsyan.

Asked about the reason behind recent rumors, the Minister said,
“Maybe taking into consideration the fact that I was a policeman
people think it is possible. We like distributing posts to each other.

It’s up to the President to decide who is to work as a police chief.

To my mind Gasparyan copes with the tasks set before him.”

Armen Yeritsyan noted that the Orinats Yerkir Party will get quite
good results in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Meanwhile the
Minister emphasized that he does not want to become an MP.

YEREVAN SCHOOLS, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, HOSPITALS TO TEACH HOW TO BEHAVE DURING STRONG EARTHQUAKE

Panorama.am
16/02/2012

The Armenian government has approved a pilot program “Teaching Actions
and Rules in Yerevan Schools, Hospitals, Other Medical Institutions,
State Government and Local Self-Government Departments during a
Strong Earthquake.”

According to Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan,
program’s implementation will improve seismic protection of the
population.

Around AMD 40 million funding is required to implement the program.

The program envisages lectures, book publishing, provision of materials
for television programs, organization of mental preparation trainings,
and evacuation exercises.

“FIGHT” BETWEEN HNCHAKS

07:43 pm | Today | Politics

On January 28, the Social-Democratic (Hnchakyan) Party held its 8th
Congress during which Gevorg Perkuperkyan was elected chairperson
of the party, and the state registry has recognized Perkuperkyan as
Chairman of the Party. Perkuperkyan has appealed to member of the
Armenian National Congress (HAK) Lyudmila Sargsyan with the demand
to hand over the party’s legal property.