Author: Andres-Papazian

NATO, U.S. DON’T PLAN MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 8, 2011 – 10:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The top U.S. official at NATO said Monday, November
7, that there is zero planning – or even thinking – going on about
a military intervention in Syria.

“There has been no planning, no thought, and no discussion about
any intervention into Syria. It just isn’t part of the envelope of
thinking, among individual countries and certainly among the 28 [full
NATO members],” said Ivo Daalder, the U.S. ambassador to NATO. “If
things change, things change. But as of today, that’s where the
reality stands.”

Daalder said that there were three overarching conditions that need
to be met before the Obama administration would even consider any
future military intervention such as occurred in Libya.

“The formula was that there needs to be a demonstrable need, regional
support, and sound legal basis for action,” said Daalder. “It’s
those three things we need to look for before we even think about
the possibility of action. None of them apply in Syria.”

Daalder also noted that there is not enough evidence that air strikes
would be effective in Syria, that the opposition and the Arab League
have not asked for intervention, and that the UN Security Council
has refused to act, ForeignPolicy reports.

From: A. Papazian

OPEN MUSIC SOCIETY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED IN LA

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 8, 2011 – 14:42 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Open Music Society Foundation, a multifaceted
arts organization dedicated to fostering musical excellence, was
established in Los Angeles this month, Asbarez reports.

Following two years of preparation, the foundation was launched
with a “strong community-engagement approach to the creation and
performance of classical, jazz, folk, and world music in an entirely
novel context,” said artistic director and conductor Aram Gharabekian,
one of the founders of the OMSF.

“The goal is not only to involve local communities in terms of
training talented youths, commissioning new works, and presenting
public performances, but engaging larger, global, communities of
artists and audiences, through collaborative projects that will
lead to groundbreaking concerts and multidisciplinary arts events,”
Gharabekian explained.

Forthcoming performances planned by the foundation include an
international, multi-day music festival which will take place at a
major venue in Los Angeles, sometime in 2012.

While classical music is at the heart of the OMSF, its founders have
stated their commitment to promoting a diversity of musical genres,
including various fusions.

According to an OMSF representative, much of the impetus for creating
the foundation came from Open Music Fest, an international music
festival that debuted in Yerevan, Armenia, in 2009. A critical and
popular success, the two-month long, 23-concert festival quickly
distinguished itself by a series of bold classical renditions
as well as a number of genre-bending concerts. Conceived and led
by Gharabekian, the festival also stood out by featuring numerous
international guest artists who collaborated closely on the event’s
programming and performances.

An OMSF source said that Open Music Fest paved the way for the
launch of an international foundation dedicated to nurturing musical
stewardship and innovation on a genuinely global scale.

“What we witnessed throughout Open Music Fest, among performers
and audiences alike, was an unfettered enthusiasm for pushing the
envelope, for opening up classical and modern music to the most
daring of possibilities,” Gharabekian recalled. “It is no accident
that we decided to weave the name of our new endeavor around the
term ‘open music.’ It is a key principal in everything we’re trying
to accomplish.”

OMSF projects include the commissioning of new compositions; musical
mentorship and instruction for youths; a new installment of Open Music
Fest; collaborative projects comprising music, theater, and dance;
and concerts across the world.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TO EXPAND TRADE, ECONOMIC TIES WITH IRAN – NALBANDIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 8, 2011 – 13:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia stands for strengthening of strategic
cooperation with Iran, RA Foreign Minister said.

“Armenia plans to strengthen ties with Iran in transport and energy
sectors,” Edward Nalbandian told a press conference in Yerevan

“Bright examples of cooperation in these fields will be commencement
of railway construction to foster trade relations and operation of
hydropower station at the border,” he noted, stressing the importance
of cooperation between governmental institutions.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi emphasized
that Armenia possesses great potential for development of trade and
economic relations.

From: A. Papazian

LEARNING FROM ASIAN TIGER: ARMENIA, INDIA LAUNCH NEW CENTER IN YEREVAN TO EXPAND COOPERATION IN IT
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow
08.11.11 | 12:15

An Armenian-Indian center of information and communication technologies
that opened in Yerevan on Monday is expected to boost the country’s
IT sector that for years has been declared by the government as
a priority. Attending the opening ceremony at the Yerevan State
University were Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and India’s
Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology
Sachin Pilot.

According to officials in charge of the project, the center’s goal is
to deepen bilateral cooperation in the IT industry and promote the
involvement of world-class IT workforce in Armenia, organize joint
research projects, etc.

Prime Minister Sargsyan said in his opening remarks that it will
give fresh impetus to IT research and educational programs. He said
that the center’s teachers were trained in India and explored new
methods being used in the sector. The center has been equipped with
a supercomputer, PARAM, which is unique for the South Caucasus region.

According to the prime minister, it will give a rare opportunity for
the center to carry out new research work. Research in the center is
expected to focus on 20 directions.

The prime minister also said that this center will be useful for
efforts to develop a technological park in Armenia’s second largest
city, Gyumri.

Indian minister Pilot, for his part, said that India is ready to
share its 20-year experience in the IT sector with Armenia.

“Our help to Armenia will be not in the form of money, but in the
form of scientific potential,” he said.

At present, India is one of the world leaders in the IT sphere. The
Indian Information Technology industry accounts for more than 5.19
percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export
earnings as of 2009. In 2010-11, annual revenues from the IT sector
are estimated to have reached some $55 billion and is expected to
touch at $225 billion by 2020.

As of January 38 enterprises with the involvement of Indian capital
had been registered in Armenia. These enterprises are engaged in
different branches of the light industry, such as production of
clothes, pharmaceutics, etc. Armenia’s Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan
expressed a hope that the visit of the Indian minister to Armenia
would give an opportunity to involve India also in Armenia’s IT sector.

During a meeting with the Armenian prime minister, Indian minister
Pilot said that the two countries should establish new economic ties,
expand bilateral cooperation in different directions. Prime Minister
Sargsyan said that Armenian-Indian economic cooperation is on a high
level in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, machinery and
information technologies, and the government of Armenia is interested
in developing cooperation also in the tourism sector, in which the
organization of two-way flights could be instrumental.

Later, the Indian IT state minister held a meeting with local
specialists of the sector at the Synopsys Armenia office in Yerevan.

From: A. Papazian

MORE SERIOUS THAN LOSS OF POWER
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:39:50 – 08/11/2011

The recent stage of the government reshuffle was evidence to Serzh
Sargsyan’s growing self-confidence and increased control over the
government. In other words, Serzh Sargsyan celebrated a government
success or victory which may last short unless it gets into an organic
contact with the public interest.

The point is that not only Serzh Sargsyan or his entourage must feel
the effect of the reshuffle but first of all the society. Only in
this case will it be possible to speak about lasting victory. If the
public does not feel the effect of the reshuffle, the situation may
swiftly revert back.

The society must feel the relation of changes to it. This feeling
is not there. Meanwhile, the only feeling is that the reshuffling
government may shape a social basis.

In addition, it does not matter who is at the head of the government,
Serzh Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan or Putin. The Armenian government now
needs social support which can be ensured only in case the public sees
that it is the beneficiary of the processes inside the government. In
the meantime, the society does not only see it but also does not
believe that it could ever benefit from them.

In this case, it will be impossible to solve the problem of the
government in the ruling system of Armenia. The point is that the
government’s resource of self-preservation has decreased considerably.

Naturally, the struggle for resource is becoming heated. In other
words, a situation occurs when everyone is ready for everything.

A social platform could perform a restricting role. And since now
Serzh Sargsyan has the advantage, the existence of a social support,
restricting everyone, including Serzh Sargsyan, will simultaneously
allow holding the advantage over the other segments of the government,
neutralizing or essentially reducing their backstage activities,
the possibility for backstage counterattacks.

Apparently, however, instead of a rational assessment of the situation,
Serzh Sargsyan’s appears to be in euphoria, allowing Tigran Sargsyan,
for instance, to threaten the public that in case of not joining the
president they will get nowhere. Certainly, Serzh Sargsyan says so
until he announces that Tigran Sargsyan’s approach is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Serzh Sargsyan must walk towards the society rather than
the society must be united around Serzh Sargsyan and walk towards him.

Most people may say that Sargsyan will never go there because walking
towards the society means losing power. Certainly, it is not absolute,
and there will be compromises when Sargsyan walks towards the society,
sincerely, not formally and out of campaign purposes, meeting the
public interest and keeping power. Moreover, the leader of the main
opposition Levon Ter-Petrosyan seems to have hinted for a number of
times that the government is ready to reject the imperative of change
of government in case of real systemic changes.

But even if Serzh Sargsyan’s movement toward the society is equal
to loss of power, it is nevertheless necessary to go. Judging by the
current Armenian and international situation and tendencies, judging
by new essential nuances, it is better to lose the power that exists
in Armenia rather than to keep it. Because keeping such power will
incur serious losses, more serious than the loss of power.

From: A. Papazian

ANCA JOINS U.S. CONGRESSMEN TO BLOCK $111M SALE OF ARMS TO TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 8, 2011 – 09:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
joined with a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives in seeking to
block a proposed $111 million sale of U.S. arms to Turkey over Ankara’s
increasingly belligerent actions against Armenia, Cyprus, and Israel.

“We join with friends of Armenia, Cyprus, Israel, and the Kurds – as
well as with all those who respect human rights and seek a sustainable
regional peace – in seeking to block arms sales to a government in
Ankara that openly boasts of using all the military resources at its
disposal to rain death upon Kurds – both within Turkey and inside the
Kurdistan Regional Government, to threaten Armenia, menace Cyprus,
and antagonize Israel,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of
the ANCA.

“We are deeply concerned by Turkey’s increased saber rattling, its
threats against Israel, its outlook toward the European Union, its
occupation of Cyprus and its unrelenting blockade of Armenia,” stated
Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), upon introduction
of the bill. “It appears as though our long-standing ally in Ankara is
not only drifting toward confrontation with its friends and allies,
but is also cozying up to some of our most entrenched enemies. The
U.S. should be busy raising these very serious concerns with Turkey,
rather than selling arms to them.”

Representatives Berkley and Engel further elaborate their concerns
in a “Dear Colleague” letter urging support for H.J.Res.83. “While
Turkey was late to distance itself from the nightmare in Syria
and has worked to gloss over the dangers of the Iranian regime, it
still refuses to apologize for the Armenian Genocide,” explained the
resolution’s supporters.

The sale proposed by the Obama Administration late last month would
include AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Helicopters, engines, spare parts,
training equipment, technical documentation and support services.

Under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act, the Administration
must notify Congress 15 days before selling arms to a NATO ally such
as Turkey, if the sale is $50 million or more. After 15 days, the sale
can be finalized, unless Congress passes legislation prohibiting or
modifying the proposed sale.

The resolution introduced by Berkley and Engel would prohibit this
sale. Cosponsors of the Berkley-Engel bill, H.J.Res.83, include Reps.

Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Michael Grimm (R-NY), Steve Israel (D-NY),
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), James McGovern (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ),
and Ed Royce (R-CA).

From: A. Papazian

LA TURQUIE UTILISE-T-ELLE DES ARMES CHIMIQUES CONTRE LE PKK ?

Publié le : 08-11-2011

Info Collectif VAN РРUn communiqu̩ du BDP,
parti légal kurde représenté au Parlement turc, signale que des
” informations sont de nature a appuyer les allégations selon
lesquelles l’armée turque aurait utilisé des armes chimiques
[contre les militants du PKK]. Le silence des médias concernant ces
allégations est révélateur de leur soumission au Gouvernement. Les
autorités, la presse, les juges, tout le monde se tait. Comme si
les 24 personnes tuées n’étaient pas des êtres humains. Comme
si aucune voix ne s’élevait pour dénoncer l’utilisation d’armes
chimiques. Ratifiée par le Turquie le 14 janvier 1993 et entrée
en vigueur le 3 mai 1997, la Convention du 13 janvier 1993 sur les
armes chimiques (CAC) prohibe de manière absolue l’emploi et le
stockage d’armes chimiques. ” Le Collectif VAN vous invite a lire
ce Communiqué de presse publié le 31 octobre 2011.

Parti pour la paix et la démocratie bureau national

Après la divulgation par les autorités de la présence de 24 corps
dans la morgue de l’hôpital public de Malatya, une délégation
composée de membres du BDP, de l’Association des Droits de l’Homme
(IHD) et de l’Association Mésopotamienne de Soutien des Familles
de Victimes (Meya-Der) a effectué une enquête et publié ses
conclusions. La délégation a souligné que les autorités avaient
refusé de lui fournir des informations et indiqué que, sur les
photos présentées aux familles des défunts, figuraient des corps
brÔlés et mutilés.

Selon plusieurs sources concordantes, ces corps appartiennent a des
militants du PKK. D’après les familles qui ont pu identifier les corps
et les informations fournies par des ONG, les corps étaient brÔlés
et ne présentaient pas d’impact pouvant provenir d’une arme a feu.

Ces informations sont de nature a appuyer les allégations selon
lesquelles l’armée turque aurait utilisé des armes chimiques. Le
silence des médias concernant ces allégations est révélateur de
leur soumission au Gouvernement.

Les autorités, la presse, les juges, tout le monde se tait. Comme
si les 24 personnes tuées n’étaient pas des êtres humains. Comme
si aucune voix ne s’élevait pour dénoncer l’utilisation d’armes
chimiques.

Ce silence pernicieux convient a ceux qui veulent plonger le pays
dans le chaos.

Ratifiée par le Turquie le 14 janvier 1993 et entrée en vigueur le
3 mai 1997, la Convention du 13 janvier 1993 sur les armes chimiques
(CAC) prohibe de manière absolue l’emploi et le stockage d’armes
chimiques.

L’article premier de la convention intitulé “obligations générales”
est ainsi rédigé:

1. Chaque Etat partie a la présente Convention s’engage a ne jamais,
en aucune circonstance:

a) Mettre au point, fabriquer, acquérir d’une autre manière,
stocker ou conserver d’armes chimiques, ou transférer, directement
ou indirectement, d’armes chimiques a qui que ce soit;

b) Employer d’armes chimiques; 2

c) Entreprendre de préparatifs militaires quels qu’ils soient en
vue d’un emploi d’armes chimiques;

d) Aider, encourager ou inciter quiconque, de quelque manière que ce
soit, a entreprendre quelque activité que ce soit qui est interdite
a un Etat partie en vertu de la présente Convention.

2. Chaque Etat partie s’engage a détruire les armes chimiques dont
il est le propriétaire ou le détenteur, ou qui se trouvent en des
lieux placés sous sa juridiction ou son contrôle, conformément
aux dispositions de la présente Convention.

3. Chaque Etat partie s’engage a détruire toutes les armes chimiques
qu’il a abandonnées sur le territoire d’un autre Etat partie,
conformément aux dispositions de la présente Convention.

4. Chaque Etat partie s’engage a détruire toute installation de
fabrication d’armes chimiques dont il est le propriétaire ou le
détenteur, ou qui se trouve en un lieu placé sous sa juridiction
ou son contrôle, conformément aux dispositions de la présente
Convention.

5. Chaque Etat partie s’engage a ne pas employer d’agents de lutte
antiémeute en tant que moyens de guerre.

Tenu par ces obligations, le gouvernement turc doit répondre aux
questions suivantes :

Existe-t-il un stock d’armes chimiques ?

En a-t-on utilisé au cours des dernières opérations ?

Pourquoi les rapports d’autopsie sont tenus au secret ?

Quelle est la cause de la mort d’après les rapports d’autopsie ?

Une enquête a-t-elle été menée concernant les allégations d’emploi
d’armes chimiques ? Sinon, pourquoi ?

Me Meral DANIÅ~^ BEÅ~^TAÅ~^

Présidente adjointe du BDP, chargée des affaires juridiques et des
droits humains

Retour a la rubrique

From: A. Papazian

L’OPPOSITION ARMENIENNE CRITIQUE LE PROJET DE BUDGET DU GOUVERNEMENT
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 8 novembre 2011

Les representants des principales formations d’opposition d’Armenie ont
emis de vives critiques le 4 novembre a l’encontre du projet de budget
presente par le gouvernement pour 2012, estimant qu’il n’aurait guère
d’effet positif sur les conditions de vie de la population, d’autant
qu’il prevoit un gel des salaires dans le secteur public. Ils ont
fait valoir qu’avec un taux d’inflation des prix a la consommation
qui devrait depasser les 5 % en 2012, les centaines de milliers
de fonctionnaires, de retraites et autres categories socialement
vulnerables de la population verront leurs revenus reels diminues. Un
amendement du gouvernement soumis a l’Assemblee nationale cette
semaine prevoit d’augmenter les depenses publiques de quelque 5 % pour
atteindre 1.05 trillion de drams (2,8 milliards de dollars), tandis
que dans le meme temps, le deficit budgetaire devrait etre ramene a
3 % du PIB. Dans cet objectif, le gouvernement devra augmenter les
taxes et impôts de 13 % en 2012. “Nous enregistrons un recul de nos
revenus en termes reels”, a indique Artsvik Minasian, un economiste
et depute du groupe de la Federation revolutionnaire armenienne ( FRA
Dachnaktsoutioun) au Parlement. “Quand il n’y a pas d’augmentation des
salaires dans la fonction publique, et quand l’inflation s’accroit,
alors cela signifie que les conditions de vie des gens empirent”,
a-t-il ajoute. S’exprimant sur les ondes du service armenien de
RFE/RL , Minassan a ecarte les arguments du gouvernement selon
lesquels la situation economique du pays ne permettrait pas une
hausse plus importante des depenses budgetaires. Il a ainsi fait
valoir que l’industrie minière, actuellement sous-taxee, pourrait
a elle seule apporter quelque 70 milliards de drams supplementaires
au budget de l’Etat. “Les categories socialement vulnerables seront
les plus gravement touchees”, a declare en echo Bagrat Asatrian,
un ancien gouverneur de la Banque centrale proche de l’alliance
de partis d’oppositions non parlementaires rassembles au sein du
Congrès national armenien (HAK), dirige par Levon ter Petrossian, qui
a relance son bras de fer contre le pouvoir, en lancant une nouvelle
campagne de manifestations. “On ne peut pas se permettre de sous-payer
les fonctionnaires et attendre d’eux qu’ils soient honnetes”, a
ajoute Asatrian, qui n’a guère accorde d’importance aux projets du
gouvernement visant a augmenter le salaire mensuel minimum de 2 500
drams. “Ce budget est un message a tous les citoyens, pour qu’ils
s’occupent d’eux-memes et n’aient rien a esperer des autorites”,
a ajoute Armen Martirosian, un responsable du parti d’opposition
parlementaire Jarankoutioun (Heritage). Faisant entendre un tout
autre son de cloche, Gaguik Minasian, proche du pouvoir et president
de la commission de l’economie et des finances du Parlement, a balaye
ces critiques du revers de la main, en indiquant que le gouvernement,
s’il ne prevoyait pas d’augmenter les salaires dans le secteur public,
envisageait de mettre en place une serie de mesures au profit des
fonctionnaires, qui verraient notamment leurs depenses reduites dans
les domaines de la sante, de l’education, du logement et meme des
loisirs. Le budget propose prevoit une enveloppe de 18 milliards de
drams a cet effet. “Ce n’est bien sûr pas assez, mais c’est tout
ce dont nous disposons ” a explique le vice ministre des finances
Pavel Safarian. Le Parlement etant contrôle par les membres du Parti
republicain du president Serge Sarkissian and des formations associees
a sa coalition de gouvernement, il est probable que le budget 2012
soit vote en l’etat avant la fin de l’annee.

From: A. Papazian

SOCIOLOGIST: IN CASE OF SUCCESSFUL PR CAMPAIGNS SOME PARTIES MAY ‘STEAL’ 1/3 OF THE VOTES FROM THE RULING FORCE

arminfo
Tuesday, November 8, 14:35

1/3 of the active voters in Armenia have not yet decided who they
will vote for during the forthcoming parliamentary elections. So,
in case of successful PR campaigns some parties may “steal” their
votes from the ruling force, Director of the Sociometer Research
Center Aharon Adibekyan said during a press-conference on Tuesday.

“For the moment, the votes are divided among four forces: the
Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia, the Armenian National
Congress and ARFD-Heritage. The party with the best PR will carry
most of the votes,” Adibekyan said.

He said that the recent resignations in the government will certainly
influence the results of the elections. “This may puzzle the voters who
were going to vote for the parties the resignees are member to. On
the other hands, the resignations may attract other voters. So,
it is hard to predict anything for the moment,” the expert said.

From: A. Papazian

POWER PYRAMID MOVES TOWARD SELF-DESTRUCTION – ARMENIAN OPPOSITION REP

Tert.am
08.11.11

The Armenian police chief’s resignation was too late. He is supposed
to be anywhere, but not as holding the post of presidential advisor,
Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, a member of the opposition Armenian National
Congress (ANC), told journalists Nov. 8.

“Alik Sargsyan was a flexible figure and achieved good results in
large-scale money laundering. For three years Margar Ohanyan [ex-chief
of Armenia’s traffic police] was engaged in plunder. Did not his boss
see that? And now he is going to Parliament to give good advice?”

Yeghiazaryan said with indignation.

As regards the appointment of Vladimir Gasparyan as chief of Armenia’s
police, Yeghiazaryan, who was vice-chief of the National Security
Service, said that, in contrast to Alik Sargsyan, Vladmir Gasparyan
is a professional.

The dismissal of Mikael Minasyan (the Armenian president’s son-in-law),
as well as Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan’s expected resignation
is “one more bluff.”

“In our country, where election results are predetermined just a
few hours before the voting, dismissing the Parliament speaker and
appointing him head of the election campaign office is a ridiculous,”
Yeghiazaryan said.

“This dismissal is President Serzh Sargsyan’s attempt to resolve a
problem, namely, clearing the rear,” he added.

“The power pyramid has decayed and is moving toward self-destruction,”
he added.

From: A. Papazian