Month: February 2012

NKR MFA: BAKU TRIES TO DISTRACT ATTENTION FROM ARMENIAN MASSACRE IN SUMGAIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 15, 2012 – 10:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Khojalu population became hostage of Baku
authorities’ dirty tricks who turned this tragedy into speculative
political capital, the Foreign Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh
Republic said, commenting on the discussion of Khojalu issue in OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly.

“Baku is trying to present the betrayal of Khojalu population by
Azerbaijan’s authorities as the Armenians’ revenge for the bloody
carnage in Sumgait. Meanwhile, the propaganda is carried out with
obvious insinuation and escalation of ethnic intolerance and enmity
towards Armenians. Regularly playing on Khojalu, the official Baku
is trying to distract the attention of the international community
from the massacre of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad, Khanlar
and other Azerbaijani settlements the whole territory of which saw
in fact barefaced extermination of Armenians. The same happened also
in frontier regions of Karabakh, in particular, in the village of
Maragha where intervention of Azerbaijan’s regular army perpetrated a
bloody massacre of about 100 locals in April 1992,” says the statement
disseminated by the press service of NKR Foreign Ministry.

Earlier, representative of Azerbaijan in OSCE PA voiced Azerbaijani
delegation’s readiness to raise the issue of the alleged “Khojalu
massacre” during Assembly’s winter session.

ARMENIANS AMONG INJURED AT RESTAURANT EXPLOSION IN RUSSIA

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 08:27

VOLGOGRAD. – There are Armenians among the injured at Bellagio
Restaurant explosion in Volgograd, Russia. According to the
preliminary list, Svetlana Ghazaryan, 21, and Agnesa Ghazaryan, 27,
are in serious condition.

Three more Armenians were hospitalized with medium-degree burns. They
are Ekaterina Pahakyan, 35, Arthur Abrahamyan, and Anna Shahbazyan.

The complete list of injured is published on

A fire had broken out at the Italian Bellagio Restaurant on Tuesday at
9:27 p.m. local time. According to preliminary data, the natural gas
boilers heating the restaurant had exploded. Aside from the Restaurant,
the apartment upstairs was likewise completely destroyed by fire.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN, DUTCH OFFICIALS DISCUSS COOPERATION PROSPECTS

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 13:14

YEREVAN.- Secretary of Armenia’s National Security Council Arthur
Baghdasaryan received on Wednesday Klaas van der Tempel, Dutch MFA’s
Special Representative for the Eastern Partnership countries.

The sides discussed prospects for new initiatives and programs
of cooperation between Armenia and the Netherlands, as well as
implementation of reforms in Armenia in accordance with the EU
standards.

The new Armenia-EU cooperation program for 2012-2013 includes 170
proposals, Baghdasaryan said.

In his turn, Klaas van der Tempel expressed satisfaction with
the Armenian authorities’ decisiveness to carry out the reforms in
accordance with the EU standards, which is stated in the international
agencies as well. He also stressed importance of the work of EU
parliamentary group in Armenia, expressing readiness to assist the
important processes.

During the meeting held with the participation of the Netherlands’
Ambassador to Armenia Peter Ian Langenberg, the oficials also discussed
wide range of international and regional problems.

FORMER ARMENIAN POLITICAL PRISONER WISHES TO BECOME MP – NEWSPAPER

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 09:47

YEREVAN. – Former political prisoner Suren Sirunyan could vie for a
majority National Assembly seat in Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary
elections, Aravot daily writes.

“In an interview with Aravot, Sirunyan confirmed our information,
and added that he will take that step in one case. [But] Sirunyan does
not yet disclose what that case is. ‘I will tell when the nominations
begin.’ Sirunyan had recently petitioned to [the European Court of
Human Rights] ECHR to withdraw his [former] petition. He was sentenced
to prison following the events [in the capital Yerevan] on March 1,
2008. At present, he has disagreements with the [opposition Armenian
National Congress] ANC. Formerly, Sirunyan was the chief of security of
[former Internal Affairs Minister] Vano Siradeghyan,” Aravot writes.

From: A. Papazian

“PREDATORY BIRDS” OF ARMENIA’S POLICE FORCE WILL BE REPLACED BY “DOVES” – NEWSPAPER

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 09:25

YEREVAN. – The representatives of Armenian Police Chief Vladimir (Vova)
Gasparyan’s newly formed division, some members of whom are women,
will probably carry out service during the opposition’s rally to be
held on March 1, Hraparak daily writes.

“Around one month ago Hraparak wrote that with the idea of Vova
Gasparyan, a new division will be established in the Police Force. It
will carry out external service, specifically during mass events.

Although such divisions already exist, this will differ to a large
extent. It will be an ‘elite’ service, whose representatives must speak
English, administer first aid, and must be skilled in a civil dialogue
with the citizens. We learned yesterday [Tuesday] that the division is
ready, and it includes 6-7 dozen members. Their uniforms are prepared,
too, and they greatly differ from those of other divisions. There
is the image of a dove on the chest section of the uniform. So,
come this spring the ‘predatory birds’ will be replaced by symbolic
‘doves,'” Hraparak daily writes.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS IN AUSTRALIA TO COMMEMORATE SUMGAIT VICTIMS

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 00:51

SYDNEY. – The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia)
will honor the memory of the Sumgait Massacre victims during a
commemorative evening scheduled for March 16.

Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council Hon. Walt Secord
will participate in the commemoration marking the 24th anniversary of
the tragic massacre as well as excerpts from the documentary Karabakh
Wounds will be shown, the ANC Australia website reports.

“It is important that we remember the massacre and bring greater
awareness to Nagorno-Karabakh’s right to self-determination,” ANC
Australia Executive Director Varant Meguerditchian said.

TBILISI APARTMENT OF GREAT ARMENIAN POET TUMANYAN TO BE PURCHASED AT 145 THOUSAND US DOLLARS

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: The transaction on purchase and sale
of the Tbilisi apartment of all Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanyan is
scheduled for the coming week. Chairman of the Writers Union of Armenia
Levon Ananyan told Armenpress the owner of the apartment Archil Lezhava
said the cost of the apartment is 145 thousand US dollars. Mayor of
Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan and his brother agreed to buy the apartment at
that price. “The preliminary arrangement on purchasing the apartment
has already been reached and the transaction will be conducted next
week. After it, the apartment will pass to the Armenian party,”
the chairman of the Union said. Levon Ananyan noted that after the
conduction of the transaction the renovation issue of the apartment
will be solved. The function of the territory will also be decided.

The delegation that departed for Georgia for talks comprised of
the Chairman of the Writers Union of Armenia Levon Ananyan, nephew
of Gyumri’s mayor, MP Artyem Ghukasyan and Armenia’s ambassador to
Georgia Hovhannes Manukyan.

Ghukasyan brothers expressed wish to purchase the apartment of the
great poet when the danger of losing it has come forth.

AUSTRALIAN MLC SAYS IT IS TIME FOR ANKARA TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: Member of the Legislative Council
of Australia Walt Secord condemned the Turkish government for its
continued denial of the Armenian Genocide in a powerful address on
the floor of the Legislative Council during the first sitting of the
New South Wales parliament in 2012.

In a clear and unequivocal statement on public record, Secord declared
that the Turkish government’s denial of the Armenian Genocide was
unacceptable.

“It is repugnant for Turkey to deny the deaths of the 1.5 million
Armenians,” said the co-deputy chair of the NSW Parliament’s Armenia
Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group.

“It is time for Ankara to accept the past and unequivocally recognise
the Armenian genocide.”

In his address entitled ‘Genocide Study Tour’, Secord also discussed
his recent visits to the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute in Yerevan,
the Concentration Camp in Auschwitz and Halabja in Iraq.

He spoke of the lack of a just resolution to the Armenian Genocide
as a factor that paved the way for the destruction of European Jewry
during the Holocaust.

“Sadly too few of us know of the Armenian Genocide. It was that very
denial of history that allowed communities to silently watch the
transports to and the smoke of Auschwitz,” said Secord.

The Legislative Council Member thanked the Armenian National Committee
of Australia for supporting his recent visit to Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh and pledged to continue encouraging the advocacy efforts of
the organisation.

ANC Australia Executive Director Varant Meguerditchian immediately
contacted Secord to thank him for bringing to light the denial of
genocide and sharing his learnings from his “Genocide Study Tour”
with his parliamentary colleagues.

“Denial is considered by scholars as the final stage of one genocide
and the first stage of the next genocide,” said Meguerditchian.

“We thank Mr Secord for bringing awareness to this issue of humanity
by highlighting the relationship between the denial of the Armenian
Genocide and the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust.”

CHINESE CULTURE TO BE PRESENTED IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: Chinese culture will be presented in
Armenia in April, deputy minister of culture Arthur Poghosyan said,
speaking to Armenpress. He said Armenian-Chinese cultural relations
are on a very high level. Last year Days of Armenian Culture were
held in China and now Chinese culture will be presented in Armenia.

As far as this year is declared in Armenia as year of book,
negotiations are being held with the Chinese party for conduction of
joint events.

Arthur Poghosyan said Armenia and China have a cooperation memorandum
in the legal-contractual field as well. A program of concrete actions
have been signed which envisages conduction of not only cultural but
other different events.

ARMENIA’S INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY WILL BE REESTABLISHED – NEWSPAPER

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 09:43

YEREVAN. – After the upcoming parliamentary elections, Armenia’s
President Serzh Sargsyan will reestablish the Ministry of Internal
Affairs, Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun daily writes.

“According to the rumors in circulation, the Internal Affairs Minister
will be a political figure, and the Police Chief likewise will be
his subordinate. This means the Police Chief will not be dismissed,
but rather he will have a superior,” Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun writes.