Author: Andres-Papazian

ZHOGHOVURD: RULING PARTY EXPELS MEMBERS FOR COOPERATION WITH OTHER PARTIES

Tert.am
12.11.11

The paper claims that the ruling Republican Party of Armenia’s (HHK)
regional office in Spitak expelled 6-7 members for collaborating with
other parties.

Further, the paper says that Chairperson of the HHK’s Spitak Council,
MP Hovhannes Sahakyan confirmed to the report.

However, Sahakyan did not mention why they were dismissed, the
paper adds.

“It’s the party’s disciplinary problem as a result of which the
council of party’s regional body decided to expel them from the HHK,”
the paper quoted Sahakyan as saying.

Sahakyan also said that this proves one more time that the party
is a living organism which not only recruits new members but also
expels them.

From: A. Papazian

US ARMENIANS SLAM RICE OVER ‘GENOCIDE’

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 10 2011

Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures while delivering
a speech at the National Auditorium in Mexico City on Sept. 9. AFP
photo

The largest U.S. Armenian group has condemned former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice “for bragging about twice killing U.S. recognition”
of what the Armenians call the “Armenian genocide.”

In an open letter to the Armenian-American community, Ken Hachikian,
chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), said
Rice in her new memoir “boasts of stopping the dreaded Armenian
genocide resolutions” in 1991 and 2007.

“Rice taking pride in covering up genocide shows what’s wrong with
Washington… The powerful Armenian lobby she attacks is you. It’s me,”
Hachikian said Nov. 8.

“Help us bring about the day when someone in Rice’s position would
never dare compromise America’s standing by so wretchedly playing
the genocide card as a political commodity,” he said.

Rice, now a political scientist at Stanford University, was national
security advisor to former President George W. Bush, a Republican,
during the latter’s first term between 2001 and 2005. She was secretary
of state during his second term between 2005 and 2009.

Rice recently wrote and published “No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My
Years in Washington.”

Armenians label World War I-era killings of their kinsmen in
the Ottoman Empire as “genocide” and particularly urge the U.S.
administration and Congress to recognize it as such. In recent decades
such efforts have been unsuccessful.

Turkey has warned that in the event of the administration’s or
Congress’ formal “genocide” recognition, its relations with the U.S.
will deteriorate in a major and lasting way.

The Bush administration successfully fought against these Armenian
efforts in 2005 and 2007.

The current Democratic President, Barack Obama, had pledged to
recognize the “Armenian genocide” before his election. But after
he became president he, like earlier presidents, fought against
such recognition. The Obama administration, in a behind-the-scenes
effort, prevented the latest “genocide” resolution in the House of
Representatives, Congress’ lower chamber, from coming to a floor vote
last year.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S 12 UNIVERSITIES ARE IN LIST OF LARGE TAX PAYERS

news.am
Nov 11 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – The State Revenue Committee published a list of Armenia’s
largest tax payers for January- September 2011 and Armenia’s 12
universities were included in that list. Yerevan State University
is the largest tax payer among universities. It is on 92nd place
currently with an index of AMD 610.3 million.

The second is Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi
(158th place with AMD 391.9 million). The third is Armenian State
Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan (202 place with AMD 299.9
million).

Armenian State Economic University, State Engineering University of
Armenia, Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction,
American University of Armenia, Yerevan State Linguistic University
after V. Bruysov, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, South
University, Armenian State Agrarian University and Vanadzor State
Pedagogical Institute after H. Tumanyan were also on the list. During
9 months of the current financial year the educational institutions
paid AMD 2.31 billion to the state budget.

From: A. Papazian

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS: GERMANY VS. ARMENIA – 1:1

news.am
Nov 11 2011
Armenia

The final round of European Team Chess Championship kicked off in
Greece. Armenia and Germany both claim the title of winner, having
13 points each.

Vladimir Akobian ended his match in a draw playing with Daniel Fridman.

Naiditsch Arkadij (2712) – Aronian Levon (2802) – 0.5:0.5

Movsesian Sergei (2710) – Meier Georg (2659)

Fridman Daniel (2661) – Akopian Vladimir (2681) – 0.5:0.5

Sargissian Gabriel (2671) – Gustafsson Jan (2633)

Azerbaijan (12 points) – Romania (11), Hungary (11) – Bulgaria (12),
Slovenia (10) – Russia (11) pairs also compete for medals.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA BOOSTS EFFORTS TO LINK RAILWAY TO IRAN

FARS News Agency
November 10, 2011 Thursday

TEHRAN (FNA)- Senior Armenian officials said the country is in search
of financing sources for the construction of the railway connecting
Armenia with Iran.

Armenia’s transport and communications minister Manuk Vardanian
said, “There are negotiations with Iran and China as well as other
international donors and private investors.”

During a recent visit to Moscow the Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian
discussed the issue with Russian president Dimitri Medvedev.

First steps have been taken already and the feasibility study is
ready. For Armenia the railway will be significant economically and
strategically. Costs are estimated up to USD2.5bln.

From: A. Papazian

THOMAS DE WAAL: KOSOVO – A MODEL IN CAUCASUS

Panorama
Nov 11 2011
Armenia

“The independence of Kosovo has served as a precedent for
Nagorno-Karabakh. Although Western statesmen say Kosovo cannot be a
model, statements don’t do it, as they are born in people’s minds. I
think it has created a precedent in Caucasus, it has changed some
calculations,” Thomas de Waal, expert on Caucasus, senior associate
in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, stated at “Eastern Partnership” conference
in Yerevan.

Expert says he thinks the case of Kosovo is interesting – a state
has been recognized by many others although not approved by the Serbs.

“It does create a model,” concluded the expert. Thomas de Waal has
estimated the peace in the region “in deadlock”.

“If all the problems are solved and the issue of status is postponed,
I think we’ll get on a right path,” said the expert. Thomas de Waal
considers world unresolved conflicts white spots, three of them are
in South Caucasus.

From: A. Papazian

UKRAINE READY TO INITIATE TALKS ON PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Kyiv Post

Nov 11 2011
Ukraine

Today at 16:14 | Interfax-Ukraine ST. PETERSBURG – Ukraine is ready to
support negotiations on the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in the frames of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe.

“Ukraine favors the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and supports only a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, according to the principles and norms of international law,”
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn told journalists during
the meeting with Chairman of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of
Azerbaijan Oqtay Asadov in Saint Petersburg in Russia on Wednesday.

Lytvyn said that Ukraine was ready to offer support in negotiations
to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a part of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group, in particular
in the context of Ukraine’s presidency of the OSCE in 2013.

He congratulated Asadov on Azerbaijan’s victory at the elections for
temporary members of the United Nations Security Council, and said that
Azerbaijan’s work in this organization would favor peace and security.

In turn, Ukraine expects support from Azerbaijan at the elections
for temporary members of the UN Security Council for 2016-2017,
which are to be held in 2015, the Ukrainian parliament speaker said.

Lytvyn praised the level of Ukrainian-Azeri political dialogue
and said that relations between the two countries had a strategic
character. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Premier Mykola
Azarov also share such opinion, he said.

The speaker also talked of the necessity to intensify the exchange by
parliamentary delegations and emphasized that there had been active
work by Ukrainian and Azeri MPs during international forums.

Lytvyn said cooperation between parliamentary speakers is an important
part of the bilateral parliamentary cooperation, and he would be glad
to visit Baku next year.

Asadov said the level of the dialogue between Ukrainian and Azeri
presidents was very high and parliaments must support the necessary
level of cooperation and the positions of the two countries.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN BUDGET PROJECT TO INCLUDE SOCIAL PACKAGE – HEAD OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION

Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 11 2011

The Armenian state budget project for 2012 will include a social
package for the first time, Gagik Minasyan, head of the permanent
parliamentary commission for financial-budget issues and member of
the ruling Armenian Republican Party, says, News.am reports.

It consists of higher wages for state officials and lacks higher
taxing for a fixed sum.

Minasyan noted that the state budget for 2012 involves pensions and
social grants to be raised by 10%. Prices are expected to increase
by 4%.

From: A. Papazian

IAEA SATISFIED WITH ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 11 2011
Russia

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is satisfied with the
cooperation efforts of Armenia, its Secretary General Yukiya Amano
said at a meeting with Armenian representative to the organization
Arman Kirakosyan in Viennes on Thursday, News Armenia reports.

The sides discussed realization of programs and issues of mutual
interest, regional development, cooperation.

Armenia has the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus near
the Metsamor City (30-40 km west of Yerevan). The station has been
operating since 1976. Only its second block is operating with an
output of 407.5 MW, producing about 40-50% of the country’s energy.

Armenia wants to build a new power plant over the old one with an
output of 1000 MW. Construction is to start in 2011 and end in 2017.

Armenia may need $5-6 billion for realization of the project. The
parliament lifted state monopoly on nuclear energy blocks in 2006 to
invite private investments for the project.

From: A. Papazian

THE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP ON DEVELOPING COMMON APPROACH TO THE REGIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Noyan Tapan
11.11.2011

On November 8-9, 2011 the Communication Workshop on developing common
approach to the regional communication strategy within the framework
of EU ENPI East – Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Man-Made
and Natural Disasters (PPRD Programme), was organized in the Eptisa
office in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The mission of the event was to discuss existing awareness raising
activities in each Partner Country, to develop common understanding on
the preparation of the prevention-aimed regional communication strategy
for 2012-2014 and form a regional working group for future activities.

The meeting was facilitated by the Communication expert of the PPRD
Program, the Director of REC Caucasus and Communication independent
expert. Two specialists working with awareness raising issues from
each Partner Country (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova,
Ukraine) participated in the workshop.

The Workshop was designed to promote improvement in exchange of
information in prevention, preparedness and response to natural and
man-made disasters among parties concerned of the PPRD East Programme
Partner Countries.

The Regional Working Group for Information and Communications
elaborated in conference interpretation of problems, common for the
Region, of raising public awareness of civil protection and trace a
course of action for their decision.

The participants were able to learn from each other by sharing
experience and knowledge, as well as teaming up in a Regional Working
Group for Information and Communications.

From: A. Papazian