Author: Andres-Papazian

BAKU ASSURES THAT SHOT DOWN DRONE IN ARTSAKH AIR SPACE WAS NOT AZERBAIJANI.

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 15, 2011 – 18:54 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijan’s MD eventually decided to “react”
with one sentence to the elimination by Karabakh air defense forces
of Azerbaijani drone violating Karabakh’s air space.

Azerbaijan’s ministry decided to limit themselves with one sentence,
declaring that “Azerbaijan has nothing to do with the drone crashed
in he territory of Nagorno Karabakh.”

On September 12 at about 07:30, as a result of special actions by
NK air defense forces radio warfare subdivision, in the vicinity of
the village Vazgenashen of Martuni region an Azerbaijani drone was
brought down. The fragments of the drone are being investigated by
special services set up for the incident.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PAYS 184.3 MILLION DRAMS TO ARG AS A PARTIAL COMPENSATION FOR USE OF NATURAL GAS BY UNSECURED FAMILIES

/ARKA/
September 15, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 15. / ARKA /. The Armenian government has instructed
today the ministry of energy and natural resources to pay 184.3 million
drams to ArmRosGazprom (ARG) natural gas distribution company as a
partial compensation for use of natural gas in April-June 2011 by
unsecured Armenian families.

At the initiative of Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan the price of
gas for the vulnerable families was cut by 30% from April 1, 2011.

According to the government decision, before April 1, 2012, some
49,500 poor families that will consume less than 300 cubic meters
of gas per month can benefit from reduced tariffs which is 100 drams
per one cubic meter. The price for others is 132 dram.

According to prime minister Tigran Sarkisian, these families will
get about one billion drams in assistance this year not to feel the
negative consequences of the increased gas price.

Minister of energy and natural resources Armen Movsisyan said during a
Cabinet session the money will be paid to ARG from profits, generated
by state-run companies owned and operated by the ministry.

ARG is the only company dealing with import and distribution of
Russian natural gas coming to Armenia from Russia via Georgia. It was
established in 1997. Russian Gazprom holds more than 80 percent in it,
the rest is owned by Armenian government.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI ENVOY TO US SENDS PROTEST LETTER TO CONGRESS

news.az
Sept 15 2011
Azerbaijan

On September 11, Azerbaijan Ambassador to US Yashar Aliyev addressed
a letter to 435 members of US Congress.

Yashar Aliyev addressed a letter to 435 members of US Congress as a
protest to ceremony of so called “Nagorno Karabakh” held by “Armenian
working group on Armenian issues” at US Congress, Armenian Embassy
in US and some Armenian-american organizations on September 13,
Azerbaijani Embassy in US reported.

The letter underlines Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan and
occupation of Azerbaijani lands as well as the fact of a million
refugees and IDPs as a result of this aggression.

The letter reads that no country in the world recognizes so called
regime in occupied territories created by Armenia. The letters
says that organizers of this ceremony aim to distract attention of
American society from invasion and to strengthen consequences of this
occupation fact.

Taking all these into consideration Azerbaijani Ambassador to US
called congressmen not to attend this ceremony against sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian

SARCOZY IN THE CAUCASUS

WPS Agency
September 14, 2011 Wednesday
Russia

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 197, September 14, 2011, p. 2
[translated from Russian]

NICOLAS SARKOZY OF FRANCE WILL TOUR THE CAUCASUS BEFORE LONG; President
of France Sarkozy is to visit Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

President of France Nicolas Sarkozy will tour the southern part of
the Caucasus soon. Exact date of the trip is not known at this point
but ebullient comments from the three capitals of the region plainly
show the importance they attach to the forthcoming visit.

What Tbilisi and Baku expect from Sarkozy is more or less clear.

Georgia will complain to the visitor that Russia refuses to honor the
Sarkozy-Medvedev accords stipulating, among other things, withdrawal to
pre-war positions. It will remind the guest of his promises regarding
integration of Georgia into European structures.

Azerbaijan will have its own tale of woe to tell. Once again, Russia
will be condemned for the failure (unwillingness) to tell Armenia to
make a compromise with Azerbaijan in the matter of Karabakh. France
will be all too happy to replace Russia in the trilateral talks. Paris
is not sisterly Ankara, of course, but neither it is entirely hopeless
(at least this is how the Azerbaijanis must be thinking). Besides,
Baku will almost certainly promise France oil and gas from its Caspian
reserves. (Analogous promises to Russia of oil and gas after resolution
of the Karabakh conflict failed to convince Moscow.)

There is no saying in the meantime what awaits Sarkozy in Yerevan.

After Russia, France is Armenia’s second closest ally in international
affairs.

In any event, France is not Russia’s worst adversary in geopolitical
intrigues. And yet, does Russia really need another competitor in
the southern part of the Caucasus? Life itself dictates the necessity
to maintain genuine strategic relations with Yerevan and Baku. Even
strategic relations with all involved parties are the only advantage
Russia might convert into peace in the region.

From: A. Papazian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CLAIMS DESTROYING AZERI RECONNAISSANCE DRONE

Interfax
Sept 14 2011
Russia

Nagorno-Karabakh claims destroying Azeri reconnaissance drone

The armed forces of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic have
destroyed an Azeri military unmanned aerial vehicle on Wednesday,
Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry press secretary Senor Asratian
told Interfax.

“I can confirm that an Azeri reconnaissance drone has been destroyed.

More detailed official information will be reported soon,” Asratian
said.

The drone was shot down near the village of Vazgenashen in the Martuni
district of Nagorno-Karabakh, the ministry told Interfax.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army has recorded numerous flights of
Azeri drones along the self-proclaimed republic’s borders in the past
several days, and they have even flown into Nagorno-Karabakh airspace
several times, it said.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI DRONE SHOT DOWN IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
by Joshua Kucera

EurasiaNet.org

Sept 15 2011
NY

Armenian forces in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh have
shot down an Azerbaijani unmanned drone aircraft, they say.

Azerbaijani officials thus far have been silent on the issue, but
the Armenians have produced photos and video of the wreckage.

According to Armenian Reporter:

Vazgenashen, previously known as Gulably, is about ten kilometers from
the Line of Contact (LoC) between the two armies. Armenian officials
believe the aircraft was on a reconnaissance mission.

Karabakh military officials said there was a spike in Azerbaijani UAV
activity in recent days most of it along the LoC. But an Azerbaijani
intrusion at such depth can be considered a significant escalation.

The aircraft went down on September 12 at 7:30 AM local time
near Vazgenashen in Nagorno Karabakh’s Martuni district “as a
result of special measures undertaken by units of air defense and
radio-electronic warfare of the Karabakh Defense Army,” the army’s
press office reported.

According to most early speculation, the drone was an Israeli-made
Hermes 450. Armenian lobby groups in the U.S. have wasted no time;
the Armenian National Committee of America has said it has identified
parts on the UAV that are from a Canadian company with an office
in the U.S., thus a potential violation of sanctions on arms sales
to Azerbaijan (or Armenia). And it’s written to Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton to ask her to look into it.

It’ll be very interesting to see how Azerbaijan responds.

From: A. Papazian

SARKISSIAN APPELLE LES PARTIS POLITIQUES A COOPERER
[email protected]

armenews.com
jeudi 15 septembre 2011
ARMENIE

Le president Serge Sarkissian a appele les leaders armeniens et les
forces de l’opposition politiques a travailler ensemble pour repondre
aux exigences auxquelles doit repondre l’Armenie qui celèbrera mardi
les 20 ans de son independance.

Lors d’une reunion officielle a Erevan, Sarkisian a souligne qu’il est
important aujourd’hui d’instaurer un climat de confiance dans le pays.

” Depuis deux decennies, nous avons etabli dans notre pays une culture
politique fondee sur la concurrence “, a-t-il dit.

” Mais la concurrence politique n’est pas une bonne solution pour
faire avancer le pays “, a rencheri M. Sarkissian.

” Par consequent, la concurrence politique doit aller de pair avec
la cooperation politique. La concurrence et la cooperation doivent
fonctionner ensemble. ”

Ces remarques sont susceptibles d’etre rejetees par des groupes
d’opposition et certains representants de la societe civile qui ont
conteste la legitimite de Sarkissian depuis l’election presidentielle
de 2008 qui l’a conduit au pouvoir. Les autorites armeniennes auraient
soi-disant falsifier les elections.

Le principal parti d’opposition, le Congrès national armenien (HAK),
insiste sur le fait que la demission de Sarkissian et la tenue
d’elections presidentielle et legislatives anticipees sont le seul
moyen pour mettre fin a ces tensions.

Dans son discours, M. Sarkissian n’a pas evoque les discussions de son
administration avec le HAK, qui ont debute en juillet. Elles ont ete
interrompues le mois dernier en raison de l’arrestation controversee
d’un militant de l’opposition.

Sarkissian a egalement evoque ” la maturite de l’Etat ” que ce
dernier a acquis au cours des deux dernières decennies. ” Nous avons
ete capables non seulement de mettre en place des bases pour notre
Etat, mais aussi de commencer a construire quelque chose de solide “,
a-t-il dit. ” ” Nos partis politiques et la societe ont ete capables de
trouver un terrain d’entente entre competition politique et cooperation
afin d’avancer. ”

From: A. Papazian

STATE DEPARTMENT ON ARMENIAN CHURCH COLLAPSED IN GEORGIA

news.am
Sept 14 2011
Armenia

Georgian government respected religious freedom in law and in practice,
says U.S. State Department’s report on religious freedom.

The report contains information about the Armenian church collapsed
in Tbilisi in November 2009.

“The church was used as a warehouse during the Soviet era. The
church did not reopen after the country’s independence, when title
to the property passed to the Ministry of Culture. The AAC [Armenian
Apostolic Church] released a statement accusing the government and
the GOC [Georgian Orthodox Church] of failing to preserve Armenian
holy sites. The Tbilisi municipality began cleaning up the site during
the previous reporting period.

On July 26, the Ministry of Culture began preparatory explorations of
the site and dedicated 47,259 lari ($26,700) to restoration planning.

However, the AAC reported that no further action was taken on the
church’s restoration by year’s end,” the report reads.

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN WILL CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS WITH MAGNIFICENT LIGHTENING

news.am
Sept 14 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Towards Armenia’s 20th anniversary of independence and
Erebuni-Yerevan celebrations, the large-scale works of reformation,
external design and construction are still going on. During the
holidays Yerevan will appear in a new image, both for the residents
and thousands of guests.

The press service of Yerevan City Hall informed Armenia News-NEWS.am,
that this year’s project of 3 over ground passages on Shiraz and
David Bek streets, as well as the Liberty Avenue, will be put into
operation on these days.

The project of reconstruction of the central streets will be
completed. The works of the installation of artistic lighting of
bridges, statues and buildings of architectural value are still going
on. Banks and private companies of Yerevan actively participated in the
implementation of the programs. Yerevan City Hall ensures that on the
holidays Armenian capital will have unprecedented magnificent lighting.

From: A. Papazian

AZERI DIASPORA IN US PROTESTED NAGORNO KARABAKH SEPARATIST’S VISIT

APA
Sept 14 2011
Azerbaijan

Washington. Isabel Levine – APA. Azerbaijani Diaspora in the US held
a strong protest action in Washington DC, against the reception that
honored the representative of a separatist regime on Azerbaijan’s
occupied territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, APA’s correspondent reports.

The protest action was held at 6.30 to 8.30pm in front of the Rayburn
House Office Building against separatist Ashot Gulian, who is visiting
the US as a representative of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Dozens of Azerbaijanis, Turks and other supporters of Azerbaijanis
gathered near the building to support the action.

The protesters held Azerbaijani flags and voiced slogans of protest.

The action raised a lot of interest among the by-passers.

“This is unacceptable that a representative of a separatist regime
which is blamed in crime against humanity, is even able to visit the
US and say that he is representing Nagorno-Karabakh as an official”,
Tural Dzhalilov, a student from Virginia, said.

“Our goal is to let the US and the world know what the Nagorno-Karabakh
separatist regime is and that such things are unacceptable, therefore
we are holding a protest action”, Salim Islamov, an undergrad student,
said.

From: A. Papazian