Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN DEBT IS UNSTABLE: WB ARMENIA OFFICE HEAD

Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:51:52 – 17/02/2012

Jean-Michel Happy, the head of the Armenian office of the World Bank,
stressed today the necessity to allot loans to Armenia stating at
the same time that Armenia’s foreign debt in unstable.

“After the 2009 economic crisis, Armenia’s foreign debt has
significantly increased and today it is unstable”, he said.

Happy noted that the government of Armenia adopted a strong program
on the consolidation of the debt which will enable to keep the debt
on a stable level in a long-term perspective.

“But the solution of this issue will be determined by two factors –
acceleration of the economic growth and export”, said Happy.

According to him, it is necessary to do this for the foreign debt
not to influence negatively the vulnerable groups.

From: A. Papazian

LIVE BLOG: POLICE PREVENT ACTIVISTS FROM APPROACHING KIOSKS AS CONTROVERSIAL CONSTRUCTION RESUMES IN PARK

epress.am
02.17.2012

Police officers today came in droves to the park off Mashtots
St. between Aram and Buzand streets adjacent to the maternity
hospital where environmentalists for nearly a week non-stop have been
protesting the construction of commercial kiosks in one of the city’s
few remaining green spaces. For one week, the activists practicing
civil disobedience weren’t allowing workers to continue building the
kiosks. Today, however, police didn’t allow protestors near the kiosks.

As reported by the Epress.am correspondent on site, police have
formed a human chain around the kiosks while construction workers
tend to their work. This roused the ire of not only activists, but
also opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan who is on the scene and also
opposes the kiosk construction.

Also on site are Sardarapat movement members Jirair Sefilian and
Garegin Zukaszyan, and Green Party of Armenia leader Armenak Dovlatyan,
with more supporters arriving.

11:51 am: While police officers are keeping an eye on the kiosks,
activists have stood in front of the concrete-mixing transport truck,
blocking it from moving forward. The driver stepped out of the truck,
threatening the activists: “Now I’ll hit you over the head with this
metal rod.”

1:04 pm: Joining the activists is Kajaran village mayor Rafik Atayan,
who with the same group of activists since last year has been opposing
mine exploitation near his village.

1:17 pm: Activists and supporters insist that despite the cold,
they’re not preparing to leave the park at all today.

1:18 pm: Protestors, joined by Heritage Party MP Stepan (Styopa)
Safaryan, are waiting for Yerevan Police Chief Nerses Nazaryan to
bring the papers stating the construction is legal.

1:19 pm: Sardarapat movement member, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan told
Epress.am if a “wave of revolution” begins in Armenia, then it’ll
begin right here, from Mashtots park. According to him, though the
number of protesting youth is not great, they are strong and it’s
this strength that will put an end to the authorities’ rule.

From: A. Papazian

FRANTISEK MIKLOSKO IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH: L’UE INIZI COLLOQUI PER L’ADESIONE DEL PAESE

Buongiorno Slovacchia (in Italian)

16 febbraio 2012
Slovakia

[Frantisek Miklosko in Nagorno-Karabakh: EU begins accession talks
in the country]

Un “quasi” incidente diplomatico è avvenuto nei giorni scorsi nella
Repubblica del Nagorno-Karabakh, quando l’ex deputato slovacco
Frantisek Miklosko si è recato per una visita nel Paese, dove era
gia stato nel 2010. Il Nagorno-Karabakh è un vero e proprio Stato
democratico, ha detto. Come osservatore alle ultime elezioni nel Paese,
ha detto in una conferenza stampa, “ho visto che qui la tutela dei
diritti umani corre più veloce di molti altri paesi”. Secondo lui,
la comunita internazionale dovrebbe aiutare il Nagorno-Karabakh
a rafforzare ulteriormente la propria statualita, e l’Azerbaijan
dovrebbe prendere esempio.

Queste parole hanno alzato un velo di polemiche da parte
dell’Azerbaijan, che non ha riconosciuto l’autoproclamata indipendenza
della Repubblica che si trova nel suo territorio – con l’obiettivo
un giorno di riunirsi all’Armenia, a cui appartiene culturalmente.

L’indipendenza, del resto, non è stata riconosciuta da nessuno Stato.

L’Ambasciata della Repubblica Slovacca a Mosca, per calmare gli
animi, si è affrettata ieri a dichiarare che la visita di Miklosko,
che ora non ricopre alcuna carica ufficiale in Slovacchia, è stata
un’iniziativa completamente privata.

Secondo Miklosko, che fu primo Presidente del Parlamento Slovacco
dopo la Rivoluzione di Velluto, il Nagorno-Karabakh si è impegnato a
preservare la cultura cristiana, mentre l’Europa ha preso le distanze
dalle sue radici cristiane. “Il Nagorno-Karabakh è una sfida per
l’Europa a questo proposito”, ha detto, sottolineando che l’Unione
Europea dovrebbe avviare negoziati di adesione al più presto con
l’Armenia, includendovi anche il Nagorno-Karabakh e l’Azerbaijan.

Secondo lui il Nagorno-Karabakh e come Berlino Ovest, che sopravvisse
al blocco comunista soltanto grazie al sostegno dell’Occidente.

Miklosko si è rammaricato del fatto che la situazione degli
investimenti nella regione è piuttosto complicata a causa
della possibilita di un’operazione militare contro l’Iran, e
dell’impossibilita per il Paese di garantire la sostenibilita dei
programmi di investimento. Nel febbraio dello scorso anno si è recato
nella regione un gruppo di imprenditori slovacchi, insieme ad altri da
Austria e Repubblica Ceca, interessati a progetti nei settori energia,
agricoltura e costruzioni. Imprenditori slovacchi starebbero gia
attuando programmi nella localita che funge da capitale, Artsakh.

Inoltre, sono stati firmati accordi di cooperazione nel campo
dell’istruzione, con l’Universita Paneuropea di Skalica che cooperera
con l’ateneo di Artsakh realizzando scambi di studenti e docenti, il
che permettera agli studenti locali di acquisire un diploma universale
europeo, programma finanziato dalla Fondazione di Visegrad. La
stessa universita slovacca aveva raggiunto un accordo nel 2009 con
l’Universita russo-armena di Yerevan (Armenia). Un simposio sulla
situazione del Nagorno-Karabakh si dovrebbe poi tenere a maggio di
quest’anno nella citta slovacca di Skalica. Secondo Ashot Grigoryan,
presidente del Forum delle Associazioni armene in Europa, questa è una
prova del fatto che la Slovacchia riconosce l’indipendenza di Atsakh.

Frantisek Miklosko è stato a Yerevan, capitale dell’Armenia, dove ha
ricevuto un premio dal presidente dell’Assemblea nazionale, e dove
ha spiegato che “l’Europa occidentale non è ancora arrivata a capire
che il genocidio armeno è servito come base per i genocidi nazisti
e comunisti”. Da notare che il Parlamento slovacco ha adottato un
disegno di legge che criminalizza la negazione del genocidio armeno,
provvedimento preso anche in Francia poche settimane fa con il
conseguente congelamento dei rapporti con la Turchia come conseguenza.

Frantisek Miklosko, ex deputato ed ex membro del Movimento
Cristiano-Democratico (KDH), si è candidato due volte alle elezioni
presidenziali slovacche senza successo. Uscito da KDH, nel 2008 ha
creato con, fra gli altri, Vladimir Palko, il partito Conservatori
Democratici della Slovacchia (KDS), che non si presentò alle
parlamentari del 2010. Nell’attuale tornata elettorale anticipata
il partito aveva aderito all’invito di Gente Ordinaria e Personalita
Indipendenti, e aveva candidato le sue migliori personalita nella lista
di quel partito. Dopo l’uscita del leader del partito Igor Matovic
sull’obbligatorieta per i candidati OL di sottoporsi al test della
verita sulla questione della corruzione politica, Miklosko e Palko,
insieme a una serie di altri candidati, si sono ritirati. In passato
anche Jan Carnogursky (uno dei fondatori di KDH, ex Primo Ministro
della Slovacchia post-1989 ed ora ritirato dalla politica attiva)
si era complimentato per la strada intrapresa dal Nagorno-Karabakh
verso uno sviluppo democratico.

(La Redazione)

From: A. Papazian

EMBASSY: GERMAN JOURNALISTS PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR TRIP TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Trend
Feb 16 2012
Azerbaijan

Journalists are personally liable for making a trip to
Nagorno-Karabakh, even for research. In a conversation with Trend, the
German Embassy in Azerbaijan commented on a group of German journalists
who arrived illegally to the territories occupied by Armenia.

“In its recommendations on security measures while traveling abroad
posted on its official website, the German Foreign Ministry does not
advise visits to Nagorno Karabakh,” the embassy said. “It stressed
that people with a visa in their passports or an entry stamp will
not get a visa to Azerbaijan.”

German journalists Richard Kiesler and Knut Teske, who arrived in
Armenia to study Armenia’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue,
plan to visit the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia. They
made the statement during a meeting with Armenian Parliamentary Vice
Speaker Edward Sharmazanov, Armenia Today reported.

The embassy also stressed that Germany’s position on the
non-recognition of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” remains
unchanged.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has instructed the country’s embassy
in Germany to study the issue, the ministry said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of

Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

From: A. Papazian

REVIVING THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE

BIAnet.org
Feb 16 2012
Turkey

The Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association organizes a workshop
about the Western Armenian language. The project on the language that
is endangered to disappear completely will start on 18 February and
stretches over a period of one year.

Istanbul – BÄ°A News Center16 February 2012, Thursday The language
workshop about the Western Armenian language organized by the
Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association will start this Saturday
(18 February). In 2009, the UNESCO added Western Armenian, one of the
two forms of modern Armenian, to the “Atlas of the World’s Languages
in Danger” as a “definitely endangered language”.

The workshop will stretch over a period of one year and is designed
for 20 students who are continuing from the first, second and third
level. The different parts of the workshop will be held at the Talar
Sileyan training institution. One course takes three months.

In the first course considered as an “Introduction to Armenian”, the
students will be familiarized with the different alphabet consisting
of 38 letters, reading, writing exercises, deciphering Turkish texts
written in the Armenian alphabet and basic vocabulary on topics like
numbers, names of months and days, colours, greeting phrases, food,
professions, age, verbs in present tense and future tense. The number
of new students to enrol is limited to ten.

Western and Eastern Armenian Armenian is an Indo-European language. The
alphabet was invented by clergyman Aziz Mesrob MaÅ~_dots in 405
AD. Later on, another two letters were added to the alphabet. Western
and Eastern Armenian are the two standardized forms of modern
Armenian. Western Armenian is being spoken in Turkey and the Western
Armenian Diaspora while Eastern Armenian is mainly being used in
Armenia and the area of the former Soviet Republic. (CT/VK)

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA OFFERS ACCOMMODATION FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES

Vestnik Kavkaza
Feb 16 2012
Russia

Armenia is ready for Syrian refugees, Gagik Yeganyan, head of the
Migration Agency of the Ministry for Territorial Administration of
Armenia, said , 1in.am reports.

Armenia adopted a system of protecting people threatened in their own
states in 2000. The system has proven efficient. Over 1,000 refugees
asked for help during the war in Iraq in 2002, the war in Lebanon
and the Russian-Georgian war in 2008.

If too many refugees enter Armenia, the government will ask the world
community for aid, Teganyan said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA CULLS WOLVES AFTER COLD SNAP ATTACKS

Agence France Presse
France 24
Feb 16 2012

(AFP) YEREVAN – The authorities in Armenia on Thursday offered cash
rewards to hunters who kill wolves after increasing reports of attacks
on rural villages exacerbated by recent cold weather and heavy snow.

“Because of the heavy snowfall, wolves began to appear more frequently
in populated areas and it became necessary to deal with them,”
Armenian Environmental Protection Minister Aram Harutiunian told a
news conference.

The authorities will pay around $260 (200 euros) to hunters who
kill a wolf — a significant amount in impoverished regions of the
ex-Soviet republic.

Harutiunian said that he envisaged a cull of around 200 wolves from
an estimated total population of between 500 and 700, which he said
would not threaten the animals with extinction in the country.

“We believe that this way we can ease the situation and it will not
affect the wolf population,” he said.

But local environmentalists condemned the planned cull, saying that
deforestation and illegal hunting had reduced wolves’ natural sources
of food in the wild, causing them to scavenge in populated areas.

“Instead of destroying wolves, it is better to stop the illegal
and uncontrolled hunting of wild animals,” environmentalist Srbuhi
Harutiunian told AFP.

From: A. Papazian

DEPUTIES ELECTED BY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM REMIND THE OPPOSITION MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF ALI BABA AND 40 ROBBERS

arminfo
Thursday, February 16, 14:15

A member of the parliament from the opposition Heritage party, Larisa
Alaverdyan, said at today’s press-conference that it is a great honor
for the opposition not to have relevant representatives at majoritarian
ballot stations, as they remind her of Ali Baba and 40 robbers.

“There are various qualifications in the civilized countries to
become a member of parliament, but in Armenia we have only one
qualification – money. To be elected by the majoritarian electoral
system representatives of the authorities should have just 1 mln
drams”, – she said and added that transition to the 100% proportional
electoral system will make it possible to get rid of fraud and bribery.

For his part, a deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia,
Hovanes Sahakyan, said that the opposition’s suggestion to transfer to
the 100% proportional electoral system is a political PR. “The fair
elections depend not on the proportional or majoritarian electoral
systems, but on the electoral culture and political will. If the
intentions of the opposition were serious, they would collect 27
signatures and appeal to the Constitutional Court to define if the
100% proportional electoral system is in line with the Constitution”,
– he said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT CANCELS AUCTIONING OF GOLDEN LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS

/ARKA/
February 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. The Armenian government passed a decision
today to cancel auctioning of so-called golden” license plate numbers.

A golden number can be the repetition of a digit or a combination of
digits (such as 11111, or 121212, or 123123, 88888,55555), consecutive
numbers in either order (12345, 54321), or anything that would strike
one as fanciful.

A deputy police chief, Artur Osikyan, said now golden license plate
numbers can be purchased at fixed prices. The proceeds will go to
the off-budget of the police. The cost will range from 60,000 drams
to 5 million drams. ($1-388.89 drams).

From: A. Papazian

U.S. EMBASSY IN ARMENIA IS ASKED TO EXPLAIN OBAMA’S BEHAVIOR

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS: Political Developments Research
Center addressed an open letter to the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John
Heffern connected with the Obama’s proposal to cut the economic aid
to Armenia. Public relations office of the center says in the letter
they expressed their concern over it.

“We are saddened to hear that President Obama has called for a drastic
19 percent reduction in economic assistance to Armenia in his latest
budget request from Congress. The president has proposed $27,219,000
in aid for Armenia in his Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) budget, which is
nearly $12,781,000, or 32 percent less than the $40,000,000 approved
by Congress for the previous fiscal year.

Taking into consideration the fact that Armenia is in an economic
blockade by Azerbaijan, and its ally Turkey, which has kept the
border with Armenia closed since 1993 as a sign of approval and
support in favor of Azerbaijan in the ongoing conflict between the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, the United States, as a
champion of human rights and democratic development, should continue
to assist Armenia’s progress by keeping the foreign aid level constant
with previous years. This is especially true when the Nagorno Karabakh
people have been striving for self-determination which was first
presented by American president Woodrow Wilson, and the duel blockade
has made the peaceful life much more difficult for people in Armenia
and in Nagorno-Karabakh, artificially limiting the economic growth.

As a diplomat of a country that is serving as one of the Co-Chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group, which aims to bring about a lasting peace
and stability in the region, and a country that supported Armenian
President’s move towards the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, you are
in a good position to understand the tense and fragile situation of
the region.

Nonetheless, taking the geopolitical difficulties into account, Armenia
has still managed to provide peacekeepers in U.S. missions overseas,
specifically in Iraq, and continues to participate in Afghanistan
as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF). Armenian peacekeepers put their lives on the line to further
the democratic and humanitarian mission, along with their Euro-Atlantic
partners, which is another reason President Obama’s budget proposal
to cut foreign aid to Armenia remains perplexing for us.

Therefore, we are kindly asking you to provide an explanation as to
why President Obama has decided to lower foreign aid to the Republic
of Armenia,” the letter runs.

From: A. Papazian