STEPANAKERT AIRPORT TO OPERATE IN 2-3 MONTHS
yerkir.am
16:10 – 23.02.2012
Head of state Aviation of NKR Dmitry Adbashyan informed that
Stepanakert airport is entirely ready to operate and added that they
are busy acquiring planes.
“We are expecting to hold flights in May-June”, said he and added
that they are also busy training professionals.
TAX OFFICIAL: NAREG HARTOUNIAN AND OTHERS SEE ARMENIA AS CASH COW
Kristine Aghalaryan
hetq
14:11, February 24, 2012
Armen Alaverdyan, First Deputy to the President of the RA State
Revenue Committee, issued a statement today that basically charged
diaspora businessman Nareg Hartounian with viewing Armenia as a cash
cow to be milked.
“The case of Nareg Hartounian, in typical Armenian fashion, is one
in which Armenia is regarded as a source of profits and, tragically,
evasion of taxes goes hand in hand,” Alaverdyan said.
Alaverdyan made the statement during a live TV link-up with the U.S.
on the general topic of diaspora investment, with particular
attention paid to cases where the rights of diaspora investors have
been violated.
Participating in the discussion were MP’s, officials from the State
Revenue Committee, the Deputy Minister of Diaspora Affairs and lawyers
representing diaspora investors.
Alaverdyan charged the Hartounian family company with importing
macaroni and flour from Russia for three years and not disclosing
the correct sales figures.
The SEC official estimated the difference between the actual and
reported sales figure to be around 20%
Hartounian family lawyer Lernik Hovhannisyan refuted the charges made
by Alaverdyan.
Hovhannisyan argued that the inspector issued incorrect information
as to when Nareg Hartounian actually managed the company.
Mr. Hovhannisyan responded that Hartounian wasn’t even in Armenia
at the time and was called back in September of 2010 when it was
discovered that 120 million AMD had been embezzled from the company.
The lawyer argued that at the time of the alleged tax evasion, it
was Artyom Martirosyan who served as director of the company and that
Nareg Hartounian had no connections to the company at all.
From: Baghdasarian
22 SINGERS REFUSE PARTICIPATION IN BAKU-HOSTED EUROVISION 2012
Panorama
24/02/2012
Late on Thursday Armenian singers have addressed Union of European
Broadcasters and Armenian Public TV refusing their participation in
Baku-hosted “Eurovision 2012” international song contest.
Currently 22 singers have signed under the statement:
1. Artur Grigoryan 2. Nune Yesayan 3. Hayko 4. Artur Ispiryan 5. Emmy
6. Nadezhda Sargsyan 7. Eric 8. Vardan Badalyan 9. Eva Rivas 10. Lilit
Hovhannisyan 11. Vahram Petrosyan 12. Arman Hovhannisyan 13. Alla
Levonyan 14. Aramo 15. Razmik Amyan 16. Emma Petrosyan 17. Arsen /Mro/
18. Sofy Mkheyan 19. Hasmik Karapetyan 20. Aida Sargsyan 21. Arsen
Grigoryan 22. Nara More singers are supposed to join the statement.
“We refuse to stage in a country famous with mass slaughter of
Armenians and massacre, in a country where Armenophobia is a state
policy, in a country that bans visits for people of Armenian descent,”
reads the statement.
From: A. Papazian
ARMENIA’S FORMER ROAD POLICE CHIEF CLAIMS BEING SINGLED OUT BY FORMER POLICE CHIEF
news.am
February 24, 2012 | 14:20
YEREVAN. – Armenia’s former Road Police Chief Margar Ohanyan
reconfirmed his statement that the singling out against him is being
carried out upon the instruction by former Police Chief Alik Sargsyan.
And capital Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork Marash General Jurisdiction
Court commenced Friday’s hearing into Ohanyan’s case with the
publicizing of the case documents, specifically the confrontation
records.
Margar Ohanyan is charged with abuse of official position and
large-scale embezzlement of property, and he is under custody since
August 30. If found guilty, he could face up to twelve years in prison.
In his capacity as Armenia’s Road Police Chief, Margar Ohanyan is
charged with appropriating 574,420 liters of gasoline, which was
allocated to the Road Police, and thus with causing the state damages
worth 160 million drams (approx. US$ 420,000). Along with Margaryan,
Police Force personnel Stepan Karakhanyan, Ara Levonyan, and Samvel
Makhmuryan are also defendants in this case.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
SMBAT MARGARYAN WINS GOLD AT WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS
NEWS.AM
February 24, 2012 | 15:07
YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Weightlifting championships continues in Yerevan.
Smbat Margaryan won a gold medal in 62 kg category lifting 247kg
in snatch, clean and jerk (102+145) competition on Friday. Silver
medalist is Ashot Sukiasyan 245 (110+135), and bronze medalist
Hovhannes Ghazaryan 240(115+125).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
TURKEY’S CONTROL BOARD UNCOVERS SEVERAL GUILTY PARTIES ON DINK MURDER CASE
news.am
February 24, 2012 | 13:57
In the “State Secret” section of the Turkey’s Board of Control report
on the murder case of Hrant Dink-the founder and former chief editor
of Istanbul’s Agos Armenian bilingual weekly, who was gunned down
in 2007 in front of his office building-serious allegations are made
against the country’s police force and the gendarmerie.
The aforesaid section notes that the information, which intelligence
agent Erhan Tuncel had provided back in February 2006-and according
to which Yasin Hayal was getting ready to kill Dink-was sent to the
Istanbul Police Department by the Trabzon Police, but this information
was not sent to the Trabzon Provincial Hall and Trabzon Gendarmerie.
In addition, the Trabzon Gendarmerie was clearly informed, by other
intelligence sources, that a murder was being planned against Dink,
Haberturk of Turkey informs.
It is also noted that Istanbul police and its intelligence unit had
not carried out the requirements of the information received from
Trabzon, and it had presented a false report.
The “State Secret” section also informs that there is sufficient
evidence to launch an inquiry against several police and military
officers, and officials.
From: Baghdasarian
US-ARMENIAN HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE HAS NEVER BEEN CLOSER – AMBASSADOR
news.am
February 24, 2012 | 13:53
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia issued a statement on the occasion of 20th
anniversary of partnership relations between Armenia and U.S.
In his statement Heffern stressed that relations between Armenia and
U.S. are strong and getting stronger.
“Our high level dialogue has never been closer, including at the
level of President Sargsyan and President Obama,” he said pointing
out the 2010 visit of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
“In 2011 we kept up the pace of high level visitors, our visitors
routinely meet with government officials, parliamentarians from
the majority parties and the opposition parties, business people,
journalists and civil society,” he added.
He described the relations between two countries as “deep and broad”
recalling that over 3,500 Armenians had visited the U.S. as part of
exchange programs.
“Our development assistance and cooperation over the years amount to
more than 2 billion dollars. Over 800 Americans have come to Armenia
as Peace Corpse volunteers and worked with Armenian partners in every
marz of the country. U.S. and Armenia are working together towards
common goals of democracy and prosperity, security and peace, both
in Armenia and the region.
I am committed to working with all segments of the Armenian society
to make this relationship even strong and to build our partnership
to help Armenia succeed. Our future together is bright,” Heffern said.
US INCREASES FUNDING OF TURKEY FOR ITS POSITION ON IRANIAN AND SYRIAN ISSUE – ARMENIAN EXPERT
news.am
February 14, 2012 | 23:32
YEREVAN. – U.S. President Barak Obama’s call to reduce economic funding
of Armenia by 19 per cent is connected with the deep financial crisis
in the country, Armenian political scientist Yervand Bozoyan told
the reporter of Armenian News-NEWS.am.
According to the expert, despite the financial crisis the USA has
foreign policy priorities due to which the U.S. president called to
increase the funding of realizing international military education
in Turkey, as ‘Turkey plays an important role as a global partner’.
“Turkey cooperates with the U.S. on the Iranian and Syrian issues,
that is why Washington considers that the funding of Turkey should
not be reduced, moreover, it should be increased,” Bozoyan mentioned.
As the expert pointed out, it does not matter what disposition Armenia
has in the Iranian and Syrian issues as Armenia’s factor is rather
weak and the Turkish factor is strong.
As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Barak Obama called to
reduce the funding of Armenia by the United Stated of America by 19
per cent. At the same time, he called to increase Turkey’s funding.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
LACK OF FINANCIAL MEANS SHALL NOT BE REASON TO DISCONTINUE EDUCATION – ARMENIAN PM
news.am
February 24, 2012 | 14:17
YEREVAN. – Armenia’s PM Tigran Sargsyan attended a conference entitled
“Integrated Social Services: Improving Social Welfare for Armenian
Families and Children.”
In his address at the event, Sargsyan presented the main provisions
of the Armenian Government’s new social policy.
He noted that respective pilot programs were carried out, and they
showed the effectiveness of the integrated social services. “Our
objective is to have one-window offices and social services,” Tigran
Sargsyan said.
The PM also noted that the Government will now transition from the
policy of increasing the incomes of the socially disadvantaged families
to the policy of increasing their human abilities.
“The state’s financial means will be directed to providing jobs and
education to the members of socially vulnerable families,” Tigran
Sargsyan maintained.
As per PM, the studies show that only ten percent of the children
of such families are able to receive a university education. “[And]
This means the state will take care of the education costs for the
children of socially disadvantaged families. Lack of financial means
shall not be a reason to discontinue education,” the PM stressed.
ELECTRONIC UPDATES VANISH “INCONVENIENT” QUOTATIONS BY H. ALIYEV
Aysor.am
Friday,February 24
Azerbaijan’s ruling power rewrites the modern history of the country,
particularly “editing” quotations by Heydar Baba. Quotations by
Heydar Aliyev to artificially change the demographic situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh during Soviet era in favor to Azerbaijan are being
removed from the Web.
After the “electronic resources were updated”, statements by the late
President of Azerbaijan considered “inconvenient” for the current
course of state propaganda, have disappeared from the presidential
library.
However, the original of the quotation by Heydar Aliyev has been
kept in newspaper Echo of July 24, 2002, No.138 (383) (Screenshot)
and in other sources.
“Nagorno-Karabakh problem appeared in 1988. This is not a new problem,
that is to say this is an acute conflict. But this problem lasts
from the beginning of the 20th century…The things were not normal,
either, in the Soviet period…However, despite that, we controlled
the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. At the expense of what? First,
certainly, the Soviet system made that possible.
Second, I mean the period when I was first secretary and was assisting
the development of Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time I tried to change
the demography there. Nagorno-Karabakh raised the issue of opening an
institute, higher education institution. Everybody objected to this
in our country. Thinking it over, I decided to open an institute,
provided that there should be three sectors – Azerbaijani, Russian
and Armenian. The institute was opened. We were sending Azerbaijanis
from the neighboring regions to that institute, not to Baku. We opened
a big shoe factory there. There was no manpower in Stepanakert. We
sent Azerbaijanis there from neighboring settlements.
I was making these and other moves in a bid to increase the number
of Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh and to reduce the number of
Armenians. Those who worked in Nagorno-Karabakh at that time are
aware of it. In any event, thanks to my willpower and other traits, my
word was law for its leadership,” Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev
stated on July 22, 2002, in a meeting with Azerbaijani journalists.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress