Month: September 2013

SOLIDARITY ACTION WITH SYRIAN PEOPLE HELD IN YEREVAN
by Alexandr Avanesov

ARMINFO
Friday, September 6, 15:19

Solidarity action with Syrian people was held in Yerevan, in front of
Syrian Embassy on 6 September. Armenia’s opposition Pre-Parliament
initiative members gathered to express their support for the Syrian
people and the Armenians of Syria.

Members of the Pre-Parliament, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan and
analyst Garegin Chugaszyan, read the statement of the initiative. They
expressed their support for the Syrians, and demanded from the Armenian
authorities to ensure the Syrian Armenians’ safe evacuation from Syria
to Armenia, and, subsequently, to provide them with all the necessary
living conditions in Armenia. The participants in the action were
holding Armenian flags and placards “No war in Syria”.

To note, on 31 August President of the USA Barack Obama said about
their intention to attack Syria and at present is waiting for the
approval of the decision by US Congress.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN ARMY DRAWS OUT SCENARIO FOR COUNTER-ATTACK TOWARDS NAKHICHEVAN
by David Stepanyan

Friday, September 6, 13:15

The military units of the Armenian Armed Forces deployed at the
Nakhichevan direction of the state border, have been carrying out
large scale military exercises.

On 23 August Azerbaijani subdivisions inflicted fire damage from
the Nakhichevani direction of the border to Agarak. As a result, one
serviceman of the Armenian army was killed and another one – wounded.

As press-service of Armenia’s Defence Ministry reported, the military
units and subdivisions of all types of troops are taking part in
the exercise, which will last for 7 days. The exercise are headed
by the commander of General Headquarters of Armenian Armed Forces,
Colonel-General, Yuri Khachaturov. Armenia’s Defence Minister Seyran
Ohanyan visited the exercise zone on 4 September to inspect the
process of the exercise holding.

To note, they were preparing the exercise since 3 September.

Press-secretary of Armenia’s Defence Ministry, Artsrun Hovannisyan,
proved the fact of holding of the exercise but refused to give the
information in details.

HOLLYWOOD STARS NATALIE PORTMAN AND ARMAND ASSANTE TO BE INVOLVED IN MOVIE TELLING ABOUT GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS
by Ashot Safaryan

Friday, September 6, 13:11

Hollywood stars Natalie Portman and Armand Assante will be involved
in a new movie called ‘The Genex’ that tells about the Genocide
of Armenians. Armenian director Artak Sevada reportedly plans the
screening of the movie on April 24, 2015 when Armenians around the
world will be marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the
Ottoman Empire’s genocidal policy during World War I that resulted
in the killings and deportations of some 1.5 million Armenians.

According to the synopsis of the movie published on its official
website, it tells about a “beautiful 25-year- old woman”, Sally
Solomon, who “has spent years running from her family (and her own
ethnic) history.” “But, when Sally’s father is murdered, she finds
herself thrust into the middle of a vast conspiracy that puts her
and the young lawyer trying to defend her against a large, powerful
corporation hell bent on keeping secret its own dark involvement in
the Armenian Genocide.

As Sally will learn – history is a contact sport – and no one can
hide from it.”

Two Hollywood stars – Natalie Portman and Armand Assante – have already
reportedly signed papers to be involved in the movie to be produced by
EdgeArt Entertainment and Sevada Productions, with an expected budget
of $30 million. Several other Hollywood actors, including megastars Al
Pacino and Leonardo DiCaprio, are featured in the conceptual trailer
currently published on the official movie website:

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK DAILY: NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE OFFICERS MONITOR TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS ON REQUEST OF ARMENIAN OLIGARCH

by David Stepanyan

Friday, September 6, 13:10

Some former and current officers of the National Security Service of
Armenia monitored telephone conversations on request of an Armenian
oligarch, a local Haykakan Zhamanak Daily writes.

Reportedly, an illegal structure not subordinate to the National
Security Service has been exposed recently. The structure was
engaged in criminal activity and in some way possessed the expensive
professional equipment acquired on demand of the National Security
Service.

Three representatives of the criminal structure have been detained
and are currently giving testimonies at the correctional facility
Yerevan-Kentron. Nevertheless, no criminal proceedings have been
launched. The fact of arrests has not been registered either.

Materials of the case are ready and criminal proceedings may be
launched at any moment.

From: Baghdasarian

CUSTOMS BORDER BETWEEN ARMENIA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH RULED OUT: FOREIGN MINISTRY

YEREVAN, September 6. /ARKA/. Establishing a customs border between
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh is ruled out, deputy head of Armenian
foreign ministry Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters Thursday.

“For us Karabakh is the red line which we will never cross, and
naturally, a frontier between Armenia and Karabakh is ruled out”,
he said.

Kocharyan said Armenia never ruled out its accession to the Customs
Union, but had negotiated with the Eurasian Commission and the Russian
side to solve a number of problems obstructing the process.

“In particular, one of the key problems was that there is no common
border between Armenia and Customs Union countries. As a result of
multi-lateral negotiations we concluded it is beneficial to Armenia”,
he said.

The deputy foreign minister said the negotiations helped find solutions
to compensate for Armenia’s possible losses from the membership under
the condition of no common border with Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

“You will have an opportunity to get a full idea about benefits of
accession to the customs union for Armenia”, Kocharyan said.

Tuesday, after the negotiations between Armenia’s and Russia’s
presidents, a statement was made saying Armenia intends to enter
the Customs Union and participate later in formation of the Eurasian
Economic Union. -0–

– See more at:

ACCELERATED SURRENDER OF STATEHOOD

The Armenian foreign ministry has issued a press release on the
meeting of the Armenian foreign minister and Commissioner Fule.

Nalbandyan said that Armenia wishes to develop close partnership
as much as it is appropriate for the EU and so that it would not
contradict Armenia’s membership to the Customs Union.

This press release is unique for its concreteness and precise wording.

Usually the MFA’s messages are deprived of concreteness. Moreover,
this time it also came in Russian translation.

There is information that texts on this issue are already written
in Moscow to fasten the MFA and not let it flee. According to the
same situation, the text of Serzh Sargsyan’s declaration to join the
Customs Union was also written in Moscow at the last moment.

Apparently, Russia accelerated and unlike the EU it is not willing to
negotiate for 3.5 years. Yesterday the “pack of wolves”, the Republican
Party unanimously approved Serzh Sargsyan’s decision. The RPA has a
sufficient majority in parliament to accelerate ratification.

Moscow may have fixed the date of ratification – November 29. This
day is symbolic. In 1920, on this day, the Red Army and the Armenian
fifth column destroyed the Armenian statehood. Besides, this day was
fixed for the initialing of the Association Agreement with the EU.

>From now on all the texts will be written in Moscow. Russians do
not fancy spending time or observing ethics, especially in the case
of Armenians.

15:44 06/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: A. Papazian

ACCUSATIONS BY ACTIVIST: EDITOR CLAIMS POLICE OUT OF LINE AGAINST PROTESTERS

NEWS | 06.09.13 | 15:59

Photolure

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

An activist who has been detained several times during the recent
frequent acts of protest in Yerevan says the police is acting in
a systemized and pre-arranged manner and that all this is just the
beginning.

Armenia Today editor, civil activist Argishti Kiviryan, facing one
criminal and three administrative charges, told the press on Friday
that “the regime in Armenia is using its two main pillars – the police
and the criminal world – in an attempt to break the recently shaped
active civil wave” and that “the authorities detect danger in this
civil involvement”.

He claims that the total of around 100 activists have been detained and
taken to various police stations as a result of the recent protests
against the raise of public transport fare, private parking lots,
the construction on Komitas street and Armenia’s membership in the
Customs Union. In the majority of cases administrative motions were
filed against them.

“I have no guarantees today that while walking in the streets of
Yerevan some police officer won’t approach me and subject me to some
kind of violence. The recent cases of steps taken against me are
a proof of that. I am dealing with political persecution in terms
of my professional and public activities. It can’t be defined as
anything else,” says Kiviryan, predicting that tougher processes are
yet to come.

He says that three times during the past month he has been taken to
the police station – first on August 5 from the vicinity of the city
hall, then on August 24 he got detained during the protest against
the construction on Komitas street, and on September 4 during the
rally against Armenia joining the Customs Union held on Baghramyan
Avenue, when ten others had gotten detained earlier and he had gone
to Arabkir police station as a representative of Armenia Today news
agency to find out what was happening. He claims that the detentions
were accompanied with violence, but no criminal cases were filed.

The police issued a statement today responding to media reports
about assaults against civil activists in recent days and alleged
inaction from police. It said such allegations were groundless,
giving assurances that investigations are being conducted regarding
every case. It also urged witnesses to come forward to help police
with the investigations guaranteeing confidentiality of the informers.

PREPARLIAMENT MEMBER CONCERNED OVER SYRIAN-ARMENIANS’ FATE

15:32 06.09.13

Due to the Armenian ruling regime’s criminal passivity and treacherous
conduct, Syrian-Armenians are in a situation of abandoned hostages,
the Parliament member Garegin Chukaszyan told journalists in front
of the Syrian Embassy in Armenia on Friday.

In contrast to the previous stages of the Syria conflict, the United
States’ possible strike poses a threat to the Armenian community’s
physical existence.

“On the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
the physical existence of thousands of Armenians is endangered again,”
The only way out of the situation is mass evacuation of Armenians
from Syria. And it is desirable that they be evacuated to Armenia,”
Chukaszyan said.

Armenia must do its utmost to evacuate Syrian Armenians.

“If the process is fairly successful, Syrian Armenians will have
refugee status in Armenia, which means that the relevant international
standards must be applied to them,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S DECISION TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION NOT SECRET TO EU – NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SEC

14:57 06.09.13

Secretary the National Security Council of Armenia Artur Baghdasaryan
told journalists on Friday that Armenia’s decision to join the Customs
Union was not a secret and Armenia’s European partners were informed.

Baghdasaryan reported detailed information on Armenia’s exports to
European and to the Customs Union – the latter exceed the former. He
also pointed out that 2.5 million Armenians are residing in Armenia.

The most important is Russia’s role in Armenia’s national security,
Baghdasaryan added.

“We should take a comprehensive view of the problem. Consolidating
our security is in our country’s interests, and Russia assumed
great responsibility for that. We need to diversify our economy,
and Moscow assumes this responsibility under the document. Concrete
large-scale programs will be implemented and relevant agreements have
been reached,” he said.

Armenia should try to continue its political cooperation with the
European Union (EU) and adopt European values. “We should translate
association into reality. Further negotiations will show the rest,”
Baghdasaryan said.

“I can officially state that our European partners were informed. It
was not a secret,” he said.

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan submitted the two documents signed
in Moscow to the Council’s meeting on Thursday.

“That was not the first discussion. We used to discuss Armenian-Russian
relations, prospects of cooperation with the EU and any other
international problems. The press was regularly informed,” Baghdasaryan
said.

Not having a common border with the Customs Union is not an obstacle
for Armenia. There are precedents in international practice.

“We pay for crossing the border and we will have to pay if we join
the EU. We go through Georgia and will have to pay just as we have
so far done,” Baghdasaryan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

RUSSIA, GEORGIA AND ABKHAZIA AGREE TO OPEN ABKHAZIAN RAILWAY

Russia, Georgia and Abkhazia agree to open the Abkhazian railway, the
Secretary of the National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan said.

He says the railway has strategic implications for the economy
of Armenia.

“The Georgian side has agreed, so did the Russian and Abkhazian ones.

However, this is a process, and we need to understand that there are
conflicting sides. Importantly, however, there is a political will,”
Baghdasaryan said.

16:17 06/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News: