Month: February 2012

SEVERAL CRIMINALS DETAINED IN ARMENIA

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 18:41

YEREVAN. – Police officers have detained a young man in Artashat,
Armenia, on Thursday. He has been wanted by the police since January
26 for inflicting physical injuries.

As the press service of the Armenian Police informs Armenian
News-NEWS.am, on that same day at 12.30 p.m. police officers detained
a 40-year-old man in Katnaghbyur village, who has been wanted by the
police of Novosibirsk, Russia for keeping drugs since January 5, 2010.

On that same day at 2.00 p.m. Kotayk region’s police officers detained
a 52-year-old man who has been wanted by the Ukrainian police since
July 2, 2007 for keeping and using drugs.

From: A. Papazian

POPE BENEDICT XVI RECEIVES DIASPORA MINISTER OF ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: Pope Benedict XVI received Minister
of Diaspora of Armenia Hranush Hakobian, who is in Italy for a working
visit February 7-12. Press office of the ministry told Armenpress that
accompanied by the Armenian ambassador to Italy Ruben Karapetyan,
founder-chairman of “Pyunik” charity foundation Gabriel Jemberji,
the minister visited Rome’s Levonian Armenian college, met with the
representatives of the Armenian community, staff of “Radiovatican”
Armenian programs as well as spiritual figures and pupils of the
college.

ARMENIAN KILLED IN SYRIA

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 22:48

ALEPPO. – Due to double explosions in Aleppo, Syria, on Friday an
Armenian man died, the spokesperson of the Armenian MFA Tigran Balayan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“As the Armenian Consulate in Aleppo has been informed, Armenian
Vigen Hayrapetyan died because of explosions in Aleppo,” he said.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, two explosions occurred
in Aleppo, Syria, on Friday because of which 28 people died and 175
got injured.

The terror acts were against the military investigation office,
but civilians also died, including children, who were playing in a
nearby park.

Later opposition Syrian Free Army took the responsibility for the
explosions.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIANS IN TURKEY TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT THEIR SHRINES AT RISK

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 23:58

Malatya city hall’s recent destruction of the “Final Prayer” chapel
at an Armenian cemetery has spurred Armenians in Turkey into action
about other endangered sites all around the country, Hurriyet Daily
News reports.

“The idea of establishing a commission could perhaps be in time but we
first should consider the situation in Turkey. The example of Malatya
may not be well attributed everywhere,” former Malatya Philanthropists
Association (HAYDER) head Garo Paylan said.

The organization continues receiving phone calls about the status of
Armenian remnants elsewhere in the country.

Considering Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s and the city hall’s
insincere interest relating to the chapel’s destruction, Paylan also
said the latter yielded for fear of public reaction.

To note, workers from the city hall destructed a complex located over
a centuries-old Armenian cemetery involving the “Final Prayer” Chapel.

After public protest, the city hall agreed to rebuild the complex
through its own funds.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH ELDERLY MAN GUARDS ARMENIAN CHURCH

news.am
February 10, 2012 | 00:04

TRABZON. – Hasim Kantekin, 78, guards St. Amenaprkich Armenian Church
(built in 1424) in Trabzon, Turkey.

Hasim Kantekin told Anadolu agency that the church is located on his
territory which he has inherited from his father. The old man informed
that he does not keep anything in the church.

He said that he has done everything to preserve the church, or else
it would have fallen down years ago.

“Anyone who wants to visit the church, takes the keys from me and
enters it,” he said.

EDUARD HAMBARTSUMYAN~RS FILMS TO BE SHOWN IN YEREVAN

Tert.am
10.02.12

February 13 to 17, with the sponsorship of the Rossotrudnichestvo
office in Armenia, films by the Russia-based film producer Eduard
Hambartsumyan will be shown in Yerevan.

The meetings with the young and talented film producer and premieres
of his documentaries will take place in Yerevan as part of assistance
to cultural projects aimed at consolidating Russian-Armenian relations.

The film show has been organized by the Arno Babajanyan Remembrance
International Foundation, Russian Science and Culture Center in
Yerevan, First Russian-Armenian TV channel ().

Eduard Hambartsumyan graduated from the Department of Culture,
Yerevan Teachers Training Institute, with honors degree. As a student,
he worked for the Mir interstate TV company and shot films for the
Internews NGO.

In 2004, after moving to Moscow, Russia, Eduard Hambartsumyan took an
in-depth training course at Mosfilm. He took a post-graduate course
under the direction of film art expert Armen Medvedev.

BELARUSIAN MPS TO VISIT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 10, 2012 – 18:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – From February 13-18, delegation of Belarusian MPs
will visit Armenia. Members of Armenia-Belarus interparliamentary
group are due to meet with Armenian National Assembly speaker Samvel
Nikoyan and vice-speaker Eduard Sharmazanov to discuss cooperation
within the framework of international organizations.

ARMENIAN MPS TO OBSERVE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 10, 2012 – 16:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian National Assembly members, NA vice-speaker
Eduard Sharmazanov and RPA member Gagik Melikyan will depart for
Moscow as observers at Russian presidential elections to be held on
March 4, 2012.

Sharmazanov and Melikyan are included in CIS observer delegation,
parliamentary press service reported.

LEVON MINASIAN’S THE PIANO TO BE SCREENED AT DISABILITY FILM FESTIVAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 10, 2012 – 16:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Picture This, an international disability film
festival showcases films about disability and films that were produced,
directed or written by people with disabilities will kick off on Feb
13 under the motto “Eleven years of excellence” in Calgary, Canada.

According to Calgary Herald, over 40 films will be screened over three
days, including The Piano by Armenian-French filmmaker Levon Minasian.

The film, which won the Best of Festival award, is about Louissine, a
young talented pianist who is blind. Unfortunately, her piano doesn’t
fit through the door of her house, leaving her to practice the same
piece over and over again in her front yard.

AZERBAIJANI MINISTER RAISES KARABAKH, EU RELATIONS IN BRUSSELS

News.Az
Fri 10 February 2012 08:55 GMT | 8:55 Local Time

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has urged the European
Parliament and EU to avoid double standards on the Karabakh conflict.

He made the remarks in an address to a conference, “EU-Azerbaijan:
New Horizons for the Partnership”, organized by the European People’s
Party Group in the European Parliament.

Focusing on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
Elmar Mammadyarov called on the EU and European Parliament to take a
position based on international norms and principles on the settlement
of the conflict and said that double standards were inadmissible.

The international norms and principles most often cited by Azerbaijan
concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are the inviolability of
established borders and maintenance of territorial integrity.

Mammadyarov thanked the EU for what he described as its fair position
expressed in a resolution adopted in 2010, which calls for the
withdrawal of occupying forces from Azerbaijani territory and the
return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes. He hoped
that this would not be the last resolution.

Elsewhere in his speech, the foreign minister talked about Azerbaijan’s
important role in the South Caucasus region and international arena,
reforms and the economic development of the country, the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry told Gun.Az.

Describing relations with the EU as a foreign policy priority, he
said it was important to develop strategic partnership relations.

The minister also noted the significance of forming communications
among people and said that it was important to that end to start talks
on visa facilitation and readmission between Azerbaijan and the EU.

The visa facilitation talks are scheduled to start in Baku on 1 and
2 March.

On the Azerbaijani side, MPs Samad Seyidov, Asaf Hajiyev and Ali
Huseynli also addressed the conference, which was held in Brussels
on 9 February.

The conference was opened by Jerzy Buzek, former president of the
European Parliament, while other speakers included Elmar Brok,
chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs,
and Philippe Lefort, the EU special representative on conflicts in
the South Caucasus and Georgia.

While in Brussels, Elmar Mammadyarov had a business breakfast with
Wilfried Martens, president of the European People’s Party, and
bilateral meetings with Elmar Brok and Polish MEP Jacek Protasiewicz.

From: A. Papazian