Month: September 2013

Yerevan’s Republic Square is one of most beautiful places in the
world: Russian Minister of Culture

14:07, 28 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On September 28 the Minister of
Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky accompanied by the
Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan placed
flowers by the statue of prominent Russian poet Alexander Griboyedov
in Yerevan paying tribute to the memory of the great activist. The
Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky was in
Yerevan on an in unofficial visit, notwithstanding as Medinsky
mentioned he could not miss the chance to discuss issues regarding the
bilateral cultural cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the
Republic of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan.

As reports “Armenpress” among other things the Minister of Culture of
the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky underscored: “My previous
visit to Yerevan was held in 1986. Yesterday I visited the Republic
Square and admired the fountains there. In my opinion this square is
one of the most beautiful squares in the world. Now I feel myself 30
years younger. We have a lot of ideas and wonderful prospects
regarding the bilateral cooperation.”

Internet conference titled “Culture as Pivotal Factor for Nations’
Competitiveness” organized on the initiative of “Political Science
Association of Armenia” and the Association’s Center for Situational
Analysis and Political Forecasts “Politlogos” launched on September
27. As reports “Armenpress” notable political scientists, experts of
culture, social activists, as well as representatives of diplomatic
institutions and media attended the aforesaid conference and the
Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky was
among them.

Professor Vladimir Rostislavovich Medinsky was born on July 10, 1970.
Medinsky is a Russian political figure, Publicist, professor of the
Moscow State Institute of International Relations and writer, who
since May 2012 has been the Minister of Culture.

He is an ethnic Ukrainian, member of the Writers Union of Russia (СоÑ?з
пиÑ?аÑ?елей ÐоÑ?Ñ?ии), and member of the General Council of the United
Russia party. previously he was the head of the Committee for Cultural
Affairs in the State Duma, in 2011.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Treasury of Holy See Has New Exhibits

Society – Saturday, 28 September 2013, 11:27

On September 30 Catholicos Garegin II will dedicate Carl and Emma
Soghoyan Exhibition of Manuscripts at the Alex and Marie Manoogian
Treasury at the Mother See Saint Echmiadzin. Mr. and Mrs. Soghoyan
have donated two dozens of manuscripts and the first printed Armenian
Bible (Amsterdam, 1666). The manuscripts will be exhibited in the new
hall of the Treasury. The exhibition includes some exclusive documents
from the archive of the Mother See, including the secret documents of
the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Zaven Yeghiayan relating to
the Armenian genocide, as well as his letter to the Catholicos of All
Armenians Gevorg on marking April 24 as the Genocide Memorial Day.

Ministry Lifts Ban on Turkish/Azerbaijani Food Imports: Winners and Losers

Vahe Sarukhanyan

13:46, September 28, 2013

On June 7 of this year, Armenia’s Minister of Agriculture Sergo
Karapetyan lifted a ban on the importation of food products from
Turkey and Azerbaijan that had been decreed in 2009 by his
predecessor, Gersim Alaverdyan.

That ban, on meat, fruits and vegetables, was ostensibly for health
and safety reasons.

Surprisingly, the Ministry never publicized the lifting on the ban as
prescribed by law.

When Hetq wrote to the Ministry regarding this omission, they
responded by citing Article 61 of the Law of Individual Legal Acts in
an attempt to justify their concealing the lifting of the ban.

As the Ministry interpreted the law, they are only obliged to inform
those agencies and officials, or citizens, affected by the law and
that it is up to those agencies/officials to publicize the new
decision to a wider audience; i.e. the public.

The Ministry even failed to publish news of the lifting of the ban in
its own website. In fact, it was only on September 20, after the press
got hold of the story, that the Ministry saw fit to publish an
explanation as to why the 2009 temporary ban had been lifted.

In its explanation of September 20, the Ministry argued that the 2009
ban proved ineffective and that even more Turkish and Azerbaijani
products were illegally entering the country. The Ministry also noted
that Armenia and Turkey are members of the World Trade Organization
and that no member state can unilaterally place trade restrictions on
another.

In essence, the Ministry said that the 2009 ban not only didn’t have
any teeth, because it was merely a ministerial decree, but that it was
illegal as well since it restricted the rights and freedoms enshrined
in Armenia’s Constitution.

The Ministry also argues that only a government sponsored law could
have effectively placed a restriction on certain imports. So why
didn’t the Ministry, in collaboration with the government, draft such
a bill and introduce it to the National Assembly for passage?

The question naturally arises, so why did it take the Ministry four
years to recognize the errors of its way.

The Ministry now claims that absent the ban its Food and Safety
Inspectorate (FSI) has the resources to effectively test imported food
and food products according to the highest safe and health standards.

But the Ministry itself has confessed that even under the ban the FSI
failed to halt the importation of banned food products from Turkey
and Azerbaijan. The Ministry fails to state what has changed within
the FSI to make it an effective watchdog agency today.

This is an issue of national security.

We have Turkey and Azerbaijan, two countries with which Armenia has,
to put it mildly, less than amicable relations, whose produce can
theoretically be imported into Armenia.

Other than the FSI, an agency already proven to be ineffective food
safety watchdog, who can assure the Armenian public than imports from
these two countries are indeed fit for consumption?

Put more correctly, what if, by accident or design, such produce poses
a dire safety risk to Armenian consumers?

The Armenian government appears unconcerned with such matters.

On the contrary, by lifting the ban, Agriculture Minister Karapetyan
has lifted any remaining veil of pretense as to whose interests come
first – the consumer or the commercial oligarchs.

That flashing yellow light, which many didn’t heed to begin with, is now green.

Armenia’s 1st Vegan Fest Tomorrow in Mashots Park

11:40, September 28, 2013

Armenia’s first `Vegan Fest’ will take place tomorrow at 1pm in
Yerevan’s Mashtots Park.

Touting the slogan `Choose Life’, the festival seeks to disseminate
the ideal of a healthy lifestyle through vegetarianism in addition to
highlighting cruelty to animals.

Vegetarian dishes will be available for sampling, as well as lectures
on the benefits of eating healthy.

Invited musicians will provide an entertaining backdrop to the fair
that will also include slackline and yoga competitions.

The public is encouraged to bring samples of vegetarian dishes to the
fair where a contest for the tastiest will be held.

So come one and all.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian-Georgian military-political cooperation an important security guarantee

15:55 28.09.2013

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Armenia Tengiz
Sharmanashvili and outgoing Military Attaché, Colonel Murtaz
Gujejiani.

The Armenian Defense Minister highly appreciated Tengiz
Sharmanashvili’s efforts towards reinforcement and development of
military relations between the two countries, evidenced by a number of
high-level visits, and joint programs in the field of defense.

The parties stressed that the existing Armenian-Georgian
military-political cooperation is an important guarantee of security
of the two countries and the region, as a whole.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Ohanyan expressed confidence to
Murtaz Gujejiani for his productive work throughout the term in office
and wished him success in his future activity.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MG Co-Chairs prepare summit of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents

Saturday,
September 28, 2013

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -Ambassadors Igor Popov of the
Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the
United States of America – and the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, met with
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian in New York on September 27, according to
the press service of Armenian Foreign Ministry.

The Co-Chairs and the Ministers continued discussions on the substance
of the peace process. The Co-Chairs stressed the commitment of their
three countries to support the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the non-use of force or the threat
of force, territorial integrity, and equal rights and
self-determination of peoples. They also referred to the statement of
their three Presidents on June 18, 2013, with special attention to the
appeal to the sides to refrain from any actions or rhetoric that could
raise tension in the region and lead to escalation of the conflict.

The Ministers reiterated their determination to continue working with
the Co-Chairs to reach a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The
Co-Chairs expect to visit the region in November to discuss with the
Presidents their planned summit meeting later this year.

TODAY, 13:12
Aysor.am

C. Cox: I hope international community to demand justice from Azerbaijan

Saturday, September 28, 2013

I don’t know all details pertaining to Armenian POW Hakob Injughulian
held captive in Azerbaijan, but it is already a serious fact that he
is in Azerbaijan, member of the British House of Lords Baroness
Caroline Cox said during a briefing with reporters today.

In the words of Baroness Cox, she hopes that the international
community will demand justice and release of Armenian prisoner of war
from Azerbaijan.

Armenian serviceman Hakob Injighulian crossed into Azerbaijan on the
night of August 8, 2013. According to preliminary information, he lost
his way.

TODAY, 16:21
Aysor.am

Azerbaijani media are outraged: Armenian businessman insured Hilton
hotel in Baku

16:42 28/09/2013 » SOCIETY

Famous Russian billionaire of Armenian origin Sergey Sarkisov not only
entered the Azerbaijani market, but also insured one of the five star
hotels in Baku, the Azerbaijani news portal Haqqin.az” writes.

Earlier “Haqqin.az” reported with reference to the site Virtualaz.org,
that the famous Russian billionaire of Armenian origin Sergey Sarkisov
had adjusted his insurance business in Azerbaijan. After this, the
Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan hurried to deny these facts, calling
the investigation of the site “biased” and “false.”

According to the article, the information published on May 5, 2012, on
the Armenian billionaire’s official website of the “RESO – Guarantee”,
states that “Unity Re” which is a member of re-insurance company RESO
reinsured several largest hotels in the world’s Hilton network in May
2012.

It says that today, the world-famous chain of hotels and resorts
founded in the U.S. in 1919, has 540 facilities in 78 countries around
the world. Five hotels in that network, including Hilton Baku
(Azerbaijan), Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand (Lebanon), Hilton Abu Dhabi,
Hilton Ras Al Khaimah and the Double Tree by Hilton RAK (the last
three – UAE), were reinsured by the “Unity Re” in May 2012.

The total sum of the insured objects exceeded $ 600 million, the
“Haqqin.az” informs. “It also became known that the head of the “Unity
Re” had come to Baku to participate in the second Azerbaijani
International Insurance Forum held on July 7-8, in 2011. The
organizers of the forum were the Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan and
Azerbaijani Insurers Association. Was it so difficult for our Ministry
of Finance to check and find out that the “Unity Re” is included in
the holding of the company of the Armenian billionaire?” wonders the
portal.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

Azerbaijani political scientist: Authorities accuse opponents of
sympathy for Armenians but talk about public diplomacy

16:00 28/09/2013 » REGION

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbul oglu stated that they
need to “continue looking for common ground between Armenians and
Azerbaijanis”, while alike statements of the screenwriter Rustam
Ibrahimbekov had caused a storm of criticism among the authorities,
says Azerbaijani news portal “Minval.az.”

“Why double standards are used between Ibrahimbekov and Bulbul oglu?”
asks the author of the article.

According to the Azerbaijani political analyst Zafar Guliyev, the
ambassador’s statements are certainly agreed with the authorities. “As
an official, he is allowed to voice such thoughts from time to time.
You can also remember that in previous years he often was engaged in
“people’s diplomacy” games which were periodically organized by the
official circles either of Azerbaijan or Armenia. I am positive about
the possibilities of the public diplomacy if they are initiated by the
people, public officials. However, it is not effective when these
games are held by the power structures,” the expert said.

As for the double standards, if an independent public member,
intellectual or oppositionist expresses such an idea and not an
official, he is immediately accused of pro-Armenian views, Guliyev
believes. “A good example is Rustam Ibrahimbekov, who speaking about
the same possibilities of public diplomacy, peace negotiations and
peaceful solution of the problem, etc.,’ he said.

According to Guliyev, this situation is explained by the fact that
since Heydar Aliyev’s times the Karabakh problem has been monopolized
by the highest circles of the power, and even within the government
itself only specific individuals could talk about the Karabakh
problem. He believes that any reasoning expressed on this issue is
immediately subjected to unwarranted criticism unless it is agreed
with the authorities. Political analyst also noted that the double
standards often appear within the country.

“The real opposition is accused of being close to the Armenians. There
are some facts that Isa Gambar was meeting with the leaders of the
Democratic Party of Armenia. We can see a continuous controversy.
Azerbaijani Ambassador Polad Bulbul oglu speaks on the necessity of
establishing good relations, close contacts between the intellectuals
of the two countries, while in the same time the image of the enemy,
which is Armenia, is being inculcated and any contact with them are
reprehensible,” Guliyev said.

He added that for many years Azerbaijani authorities put forward
farfetched facts against their political opponents concerning their
pro-Armenian relations and sympathy for him. “In this regard, the
ruling power constantly exposes itself and shows that their periodic
game in public diplomacy and this kind of statements of the ambassador
mean nothing. Azerbaijan’s public is already used to these
contradictions,” concluded the Azerbaijani expert.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia vs. Georgia 3-1

September 28, 2013

YEREVAN. – A friendly match between the Armenian and the Georgian U17
national football teams was played in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

In the end, Armenia defeated the guests by a score of 3-1, informs the
Football Federation of Armenia website.

The squads will play another friendly on September 30.

To note, the Armenian national team is preparing for the Group 7
tournament for the 2013/14 UEFA European Under-17 Football
Championship qualifiers.

The aforesaid tournament will be held from October 23 to 30 in Armenia.

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