Author: Andres-Papazian

BAKO SAHAKYAN CONVENES CONSULTATION ON INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES

Panorama.am
25/01/2012

On 25 January Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan convened
a consultation on works done in 2011 in the sector of industrial
infrastructures and plans for the year 2012.

NKR Minister of Industrial Infrastructures Karlen Petrosyan and head
of the structure’s divisions delivered reports.

Noting the importance of the sector for the development of the
republic, Artsakh President stressed the necessity of maintaining
proper implementation of the planned activities and gave instructions
in this direction.

NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan and other officials attended the
consultation, Artsakh President’s press office reported.

From: A. Papazian

FRENCH PRESIDENT’S SON HOSPITALIZED IN ODESSA

news.am
January 25, 2012 | 17:16

French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s son Pier was hospitalized in Odessa
after a private party in Tchaikovsky club, where he was playing the
DJ set, Dumskaya paper informs.

Currently he is in a medical facility which is heavily guarded by
Ukraine’s Security Service.

According to preliminary facts Pier might have got poisoned in the
restaurant where he went after the party. However inspections show
that Pier had felt bad already on the previous day. According to the
organizers he went to the restaurant rather late and did not drink
any alcohol, LifeNews informs.

It is expected that doctors will leave for Odessa on Wednesday to
take Pier home.

The official representative of the Ukrainian MFA said he had not
heard about Pier’s Odessa tour, ITAR-TASS informs.

Pier was born in 1985 from Sarkozy’s first marriage to Marie-Dominique
Culioli. The young man is famous in the French music world and
frequently organizes world tours.

From: A. Papazian

BABY SARKOZY IS BORN IN GYUMRI

news.am
January 25, 2012 | 17:18

YEREVAN. – A baby boy was born Wednesday at the maternity hospital of
Armenia’s Gyumri city. And in honor of the French President Nicolas
Sarkozy, the newborn was named Sarkozy, Gyumri Maternity Hospital’s
Director Armen Isahakyan told Aravot daily.

He also informed that the parents themselves had decided to name the
child Sarkozy, since they were very moved by the French Senate’s
passing of the bill that criminalizes the denial of genocides,
including the Armenian Genocide, and therefore the parents wanted to
express their gratitude in this way.

The three-kilogram Sarkozy is from Akhurik village. He is his parents’
firstborn, and his father is unemployed.

Little Sarkozy’s parents already received their baby boy’s passport
with his name and surname: Sarkozy Avetisyan.

Also, the ruling coalition’s Republican Party of Armenia was the first
to “mark” Sarkozy’s birth, as the Party representatives presented US$
200 to this socially disadvantaged family.

From: A. Papazian

FRANCE ‘CANNOT BE’ KARABAKH MEDIATOR ANY MORE – MP
Aydin Mirzazade

News.Az
Wed 25 January 2012 12:10 GMT | 12:10 Local Time

News.Az interviews Aydin Mirzazade, an MP for the ruling New Azerbaijan
Party and deputy chair of the Milli Majlis committee for defence
and security.

What will be the positive and negative effects on France of the law
criminalizing the denial of genocide?

The French Senate made â~@~Kâ~@~Kthe biggest mistake in the country’s
history of parliamentarianism. The Senate has interfered in a
historical question, which is not within its competence. At the same
time, the Senate has interfered in historical events that have not
even been confirmed. Notwithstanding the repeated calls by Turkey,
France refused to create a commission to investigate the historical
events of a century ago. Unfortunately, some political circles in
France raised to a similar level the competition, which this country
historically has with Turkey.

By this decision France ruined its relationship not only with Ankara,
but also with countries that are friendly with Turkey. France is
thereby damaging its international image as a democratic and free
country. In other words, France has demonstrated that it can restrict
freedom of speech, freedom of thought. I am sure that their future
generations will ask forgiveness from Turkey and the world community.

How will the decision influence Turkish-French relations?

I think that in the near future this decision will receive responses,
which will certainly be negative for interstate relations. Turkey will
limit its political, economic, cultural and military relations with
France. France itself will suffer the primary damage. Unfortunately,
the Senate decision, designed for the upcoming presidential elections
in France, completely fails to meet the national interests of the
country. In this regard, France has caused great damage to Armenia
by recognizing the “Armenian genocide”.

What steps should Turkey and Azerbaijan take in response to this law?

The positions of Turkey and Azerbaijan on this issue are unanimous
and clear. Azerbaijan has always been at Turkey’s side, including on
this issue.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already expressed
his firm stance on this issue. As for Azerbaijan, Paris realizes that
Baku may review its relations with France.

How expedient is France’s further co-chairmanship of the Minsk Group,
mediating a settlement to the Karabakh conflict?

This issue has been on the public agenda in Azerbaijan for some time
now and is gradually becoming reality. The removal of France from
the Minsk Group will reduce the number of countries involved in the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. But on the other hand, now that
France has taken a biased stance on regional issues, it cannot be a
mediator in the Karabakh settlement. Azerbaijan’s refusal of French
mediation in this conflict is possible, and this step is one of the
issues under debate in Azerbaijan.

How likely is it that the French Senate will now recognize the
Khojaly genocide?

Azerbaijan is doing its utmost on this. The international community
already perceives the Khojaly genocide as one of the most tragic
events for humanity. In addition, Armenia itself does not deny this
fact either. Therefore, the question of recognition of the Khojaly
genocide in the parliaments of the world is important for Azerbaijan.

Baku will be consistent in pursuing this.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY READY TO BE THE LAST TO “LAUGH” IN THE CASE OF ” ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” CRIMINALIZATION IN FRANCE

Fineko/abc.az
25.01.2012
Baku

Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan Khulusi Kilic has commented
statement of Armenian Foreign Minister in respect of celebrations on
the occasion of French Senate~Rs adoption of the law on application
of criminal penalties for non-recognition of ” Armenian genocide”
in Ottoman Empire in 1915-17.

Kh. Kilic said that French Senate should not have adopted such
decision.

” Politicians should deal with policy and historians- with history.

French Senate has overstepped the allowed limit. How will France
react if we offend its people? And in response to Armenian Foreign
Minister~Rs statement I can say : he laughs best who laughs last “,-
Turkish Ambassador said.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN’S ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE FROM OSCE MG FAILED, EXPERT SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 25, 2012 – 13:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The main achievement of Sochi meeting between
Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijan Presidents is that Azerbaijan failed
to change the OSCE Minsk Group format or to transfer the Nagorno
Karabakh problem settlement to other international institutions,
according to the director of the Institute of History at the RA
National Academy of Sciences.

“Talks are still in progress and no matter how assiduously Aliyev
tries to “run away” from Minsk Group, he will fail,” Ashot Melkonyan
told a press conference in Yerevan.

“Azerbaijan’s strive to change the MG format is explained by desire to
settle Karabakh conflict by the use of force,” he said, adding that
he denies the possibility of a new war, as Azerbaijan understands
the danger of failure and another defeat by the Armenian side.

At January 23 trilateral presidential meeting in Sochi Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan stressed the need to refrain from extreme
measures, calling for continuation of approximating positions.

“Considering the importance of shifting to development of peace
agreement, Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed readiness to
expedite reaching an agreement on Basic principles,” Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that heads of the two stated had
requested Russia to mediate establishing of humanitarian ties between
the two countries.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GRANDMASTERS WIN GIBRALTAR CHESS FEST ROUND 1

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 25, 2012 – 11:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian grandmasters Sergei Movsesian, Gabriel
Sargissian, and Varuzhan Akobian (U.S.) got off to a good start at
Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2012.

At Gibraltar Chess Fest round 1, Movsesian, Sargissian, and Akobian
beat Silas Lund (Denmark), Husein Nezad (Quatar), and Marcel Peek
(Netherlands) resp.

The Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival is set to take place from
January 23 to February 2, 2012 at the Caleta Hotel in Gibraltar. The
main event of the Festival is the 10-round Masters tournament from
January 24. In addition, there will be the 1st Amateurs and Challengers
events from January 23 to 27, the 2nd Amateurs and Challengers from
January 28 to February 1, two evening blitz events and Master classes
with elite players.

From: A. Papazian

TURKOLOGIST SAYS DECISION OF FRANCE’S SENATE UNPRECEDENTED

ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 25, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, ARMENPRESS: The decision of France’s Senate
was unprecedented as irrespective of Turkey’s threats the Senate
confronted them and adopted the bill penalizing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide, Turkologist Anush Hovhannissyan told a news
conference January 25.

According to her, the Senate’s decision has started having its impact
on the inner-political life of Turkey as many Turkish parties, using
this decision, strictly criticize the ruling party of that country.

“This decision cannot have an impact on Armenian-Turkish relations
as there are no such relations,” she said.

Hovhannissyan noted that not denying the fact of the Genocide the
senators who were against the adoption of the bill were saying that
the laws about history must not be brought to the political field.

“It is Turkey’s diplomatic step which they use for quite a long time,”
she said.

The Turkologist said currently Turkish-French relations are in critical
phase and no qualitative changes are expected. “This decision is more
a wish to restrict Turkey,” Hovhannissyan said.

Expert Vladimir Vardanyan noted that the majority of mass media were
presenting the decision as a pre-electoral step.

“The positive side of the decision was that neither of the French
senators disputed the fact of the Armenian Genocide,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

ANTELIAS CONFERENCE UNDERSCORES GROWING CONCERNS OF CHRISTIANS IN A CHANGING ISLAMIC WORLD

hetq
12:34, January 25, 2012

Against the backdrop of political transition now taking place in
many countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the Armenian
Catholicosate of Antelias is hosting a Christian-Islamic conference
organized by the World Council of Churches.

Over 70 participants from various Christian and Islamic communities
from around the world have been invited to attend the January 24-28
event, the brainchild of His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of
Antelias.

In his opening remarks to the international conference on “The
Christian Presence and Witness in the Arab World”, His Holiness Aram
I said that “in view of the changing political landscape in the Arab
world, the Christian communities are called to engage in dialogue
with all trends of Islam which advocates democracy, coexistence and
non-violence”.

He reminded the conference that he Middle East” is at a crucial
juncture of its modern history”, and that “although the present
situation is depicted by some as Arab spring or Arab revival and
by others, the end of autocracies and emergence of democratic
processes or simply regime change, the common denominator in all
these characterizations is that the region is in a process of
transformation”.

Aram I warned the conference of misleading approaches which “may
distance us from concrete realities, such as conceptualizing,
westernizing and generalizing this process of transformation”. He
advocated “an existential, not conceptual, a Middle Eastern, not
Western, a contextual, not general approach to the events that are
taking place in the region”. According to His Holiness “the region
is still facing uncertainties, ambiguities and polarizations. Hence,
if this process of transformation is not sustained by a strategy of
active non-violence and if it is not led by people with a clear vision,
the region may be exposed to even greater and far-reaching dangers”.

Among challenges and priorities before the Christian communities,
Catholicos Aram believes that “the Christian unity must acquire a top
priority; and the Middle East Council of Churches provides the proper
framework for the churches to speak with one voice and act together”.

His Holiness challenged Christians and Muslims “to move from being
good neighbors to real partnership as co-citizens. This partnership
must be articulated: by building together democratic societies,
by ensuring for Christians a broader space for active and full
participation in decision-making structures and processes; and by
providing for Christians all the possibilities to preserve their own
values and traditions and organize their community life, being at
the same time integral and inseparable part of larger society”.

Catholicos Aram I reminded the conference that “the Christians are
deeply concerned about their future in the Middle East. Uncertainty,
anxiety and fear are increasingly dominating their life. But the
Christians should not turn to their Christian brothers and sisters in
the West; they should turn to their Muslim co-citizens and partners
to share with them their concerns and expectations”. It is the firm
expectation of Aram I that “Muslims respond frankly and realistically
to the growing concerns of Christians”.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION TRAIN SET IN MOTION – EXPERT

Tert.am
25.01.12

No one has doubts that French President Nicolas Sarkozy will enact the
Senate approved bill criminalizing the Genocide denial, an Armenian
political analyst has said.

Speaking at a Moscow-Yerevan TV bridge earlier today, Alexander
Iskandaryan, the director of the Caucasus Institute, said the bill
is of great significance not only for Armenia, but also many ethnic
Armenians around the world.

“The Armenian Genocide recognition train has been set in motion, and
it is no longer possible to halt it. These events are very important
for this region, as well as Europe,” he noted. “The issue has both a
moral and political significance. I don’t think what happened changed
Turkey’s attitude to France.”

Speaking further, Director of Russia’s Political and Social Studies
Institute Vadim Zakharov stressed the importance of giving a worthy
attention to all those who contributed to the adoption of the bill.

He said France should set an example for other countries.

“It is time for other countries’ parliaments to recognize the Armenian
Genocide,” he stressed.

From: A. Papazian