Month: February 2012

Environmental activists plan to spend night in Mashtots Park in Yerevan (PHOTOS)

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 19:25

YEREVAN. – Activists gathered together in the Mashtots Park on
Saturday as well demanding to stop the illegal construction,
environmentalist Mariam Sukhudyan wrote in her Facebook page adding
poor policemen stood behind the iron barricades immovable and were
freezing.

Earlier Armenian News-NEWS.am informed that an incident occurred
between the activists and the policemen in the Park on Friday. Workers
tried to resume the construction with the help of policemen but
failed. The activists demand the Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan to
visit them.

`We will stay here, and our actions will be only peaceful,’ activist
Yeghia Nersisyan said.

The photos are available here.

Iranian news agency reporter arrested in Azerbaijan

February 18, 2012 – 18:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Forces of the national security ministry of
Azerbaijan arrested and jailed Fars News Agency (FNA)’s correspondent
in Baku, the agency said.

According to FNA dispatches, the security forces raided the house of
the FNA correspondent on Thursday, Feb 16 night and arrested him
without any specific charge.

During the attack in the Nardaran neighborhood, many other political
activists were also arrested.

The move is seen as part of Azerbaijan’s recent anti-Iranian move as
Baku had earlier expelled the official representative of the Islamic
republic news agency as well, the agency said.

Meantime, political observers also believe that the wide-scale arrests
by the Baku government are aimed at intimidating and pressuring the
opposition activists.

Nagorno-Karabakh may serve very good model of legal state – head of
Armenian Constitutional Court

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 22:10

YEREVAN. – The Constitution of Nagorno-Karabakh as a legal document is
a pretty good act, and in its constitutional decisions are even ahead
of the Constitution of Armenia, head of Armenian Constitution Court
Gagik Harutyunyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, Karabakh established constitutional thinking and culture.

`I met with high-ranking officials, experts as well as students. I see
their approach to the law and it inspires me. Nagorno-Karabakh may
serve a very good model of a legal state and deserve international
recognition. All our efforts should be directed to it,’ he concluded.

From: Baghdasarian

Head of Armenian Constitutional Court considers French MPs appeal legally weak

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 19:51

YEREVAN. – French MPs’ appeal to the Constitution Council against the
bill criminalizing denial of the genocides, including the Armenia
Genocide, has rather a weak justification, head of Armenian
Constitution Court Gagik Harutyunyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

`I am aware of the arguments, which the MPs have presented. I believe
the bases of the appeal form rather weak arguments, the issues
included carry more institutional and political character. The bill
does not even mention the terms `Armenia’, `Turkey’ or `Armenian
Genocide’,’ Harutyunyan said.

To note, French Senate adopted bill criminalizing denial of genocides
on Jan. 23. However, a group of French senators appealed to the
Council.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

We will die if Armenian President orders – Yerkrapah

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 18:45

YEREVAN. – Armenian Volunteers’ Union Yerkrapah will support the
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan and will die if he orders that,
head of the Union Manvel Grigoryan told the journalists on Saturday
after the ninth congress of the Union.

`We will support our friends regardless what party they belong to.
Meantime, Yerkrapah cannot be anti-authoritative,’ Grigoryan said
adding participants of the Artsakh liberation war and not party
representatives have been invited for the congress.

Asked why the Union opposition members Sasun Mikaelyan, Myasnik
Malkhasyan and Gagik Jhangiryan have not been invited, Grigoryan
recommended to address the question to those people.

Three teenagers beat boy near church in Yerevan

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 16:04

YEREVAN. – Police detained Murad H., 17, Grigor B., 16, Sergey A., 17,
and Sergey Y. 15 near St. Grigor the Illuminator Church in Yerevan
downtown on Friday.

It was clarified that the three teenagers were involved in fight and
beat 15-year-old Sergey Y., police press service informs Armenian
News-NEWS.am. They also found a blade of knife and a piercing
instrument similar to pen in the scene. Forensic-medical and
forensic-technical examination is appointed. Investigation is
underway.

Armenia follows US among countries dangerous for web surfing

NEWS.AM
February 18, 2012 | 21:10

In 2011 Armenia ranked 4th in the list of hacker attacks through
internet surfing, Russian Kaspersky Lab anti-virus producer company
informs.

Russian ranked on the first place, Oman is the second, and the USA is
third. In the top ten of the rating Armenia is followed by Belarus,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Ukraine, Guinea-Bissau, Information
Security informs.

Blizzard, strong wind, poor visibility – closed roads in Armenia

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 22:25

As of Saturday, 20.15, the interstate highways and main roads in
Armenia are mostly passable.

As the press service of Armenia’s Emergency Service informs Armenian
News-NEWS.am, on some parts of the roads there is ice covering.

Near Tsilkar village region on the Aparan-Spitak road there is poor
visibility and strong wind.

Lanjik-Maralik part of the Yerevan-Gyumri road is also difficult to
pass due to blizzard and poor visibility.

The Selim Mountain pass, Berd-Chambarak, Verin Getashen-Madina and
Alagyaz-Tsakhkahovit roads are closed.

Cleaning works are underway. Armenia’s Emergency Service calls to not
travel by those roads.

As of Friday, 20.15 the Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi highway is also closed.

From: Baghdasarian

National News Agency Lebanon (NNA)
February 18, 2012 Saturday

Politics – Rahi, Keshishian meet

NNA – 18/02/2012 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi convened with head of
the Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Aram I Keshishian, Saturday to discuss role of Christians of
the Orient.

Christians of the Middle East play an important role in preserving
peace, sustaining stability and holding dialogue, according to the
clergymen.

R.Z.

States News Service
February 17, 2012 Friday

UNWTO PARTNERS WITH ARMENIA TO ORGANIZE CONFERENCE ON TOURISM’S
CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Madrid, Spain

The following information was released by the World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO/OMT):

A conference on “Universal Values and Cultural Diversity in the 21st
Century: How can tourism make a difference?” will be held in Yerevan,
Armenia (18-19 October, 2012) as agreed during a meeting between
Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, and UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb
Rifai. On the occasion of the meeting, President Sargsyan joined the
ongoing UNWTO/WTTC Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign.

Tourism is one of Armenia’s fastest growing economic sectors
highlighted President Sargsyan on joining the UNWTO/WTTC joint
campaign, which calls on world leaders to recognize tourism as a force
for economic growth and development.

“Tourism is a reliable generator of employment and an irreplaceable
tool for economic growth and territorial development,” said President
Sargsyan. “Apart from being an important economic sector, tourism is
for us an unparalleled means for intercultural dialogue and an
effective catalyst for good international relations and mutual
respect, a matchless tool for building tolerance and peace worldwide,”
he added.

“Armenia clearly understands the need to actively support its tourism
sector and we are most pleased to have Armenia joining the campaign as
well as partnering with UNWTO on holding this conference on tourism’s
contribution to cultural diversity,” said Mr. Rifai. “The Conference
is, moreover, a good moment for the country to progress in its
objective to increase its share of the meetings industry market,” he
added.

UNWTO and Armenia further agreed to work together to promote the South
Caucasus Tourism Development Initiative. This initiative links up the
four countries of the region – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and part
of Turkey – to jointly capitalize on their shared tourism assets and
boost the strategic positioning of the region. The initiative is part
of UNWTO’s strategy to strengthen regional cooperation in Europe as a
means to increase tourism competitiveness.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress