Author: Andres-Papazian

US engaged in transforming Armenia, former politician says

16:15 – 05.05.11

The United States is currently engaged in a processes to transform
Armenia, a former member of the Karabakh Committee, has said.

“That’s when realities change, but unlike revolutions, this is a
process that involves many people and by avoiding turmoil,” Ashot
Manucharyan told a news conference on Thursday.

Asked about the purpose, he said: “Their goal is to make the country
more controllable on the one hand, and bringing it in line with the
standards of the modern world.”

Manucharyan said he believed that the United States is applying the
methods of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

“Today, we have a mayor who was been dismissed, and a powerful police
officer who is in jail, as well as a re-opened case of the March 2008
events,” he said, considering all those developments to be the tools
of such a policy.

Manucharyan said that the method is aimed at achieving changes through
transformations (as opposed to revolutions).

He noted in that context that such tactics caused the opposition
Armenian National Congress (ANC) to retreat its revolutionary posture
and resort to non-revolutionary methods.

“The United States realized it is necessary to stop plundering the
nation not to lose control over the world,” he said, stressing the
importance of applying the same approach to Armenia.

“The United States policies coincide with our interests as much as
this point is concerned, but all the other aspects cannot be
beneficial as they give the country additional leverages over
Armenia,” he added.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

`Noah’s Harbor’: New railway as another guarantee of Turkey-Azerbaijan
fraternity includes Nakhijevan-Igdir section

Analysis | 05.05.11 | 13:46

By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

A railway directly linking Azerbaijan and Turkey will start operating
in the nearest future and, as Turkish mass media report, the
construction of the Nakhijevan-Igdir railway bed has been completed.

According to CNN Turk, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
stressed: `Nakhijevan is our issue. No one should expect a different
approach from us.’

There is a word `ijevan’ in the Armenian language. Depending on the
degree of land development it means `hotel’, `inn’, `caravanserai’.
Armenian toponymy (place-name study) knows many ijevans, however
Nakhijevan has always been mentioned in singular -it is the `first
harbor’ of humanity after surviving the Great Flood.

For thousands of years the area has been held sacred as `Noah’s
wharf’. The legend says it was in this part of the Ararat Valley that
Noah’s marquee (tent) was put up.

In the period of cooperation between Bolsheviks and Turkey, this land
was given to Azerbaijan along with Nagorno-Karabakh. The act of
transfer was consolidated in the Treaty of Kars signed on October 13,
1921.

Ever since then a program has been carried out pursuing complete
extrusion of the Armenian demographic presence from the region and
total destruction of the millennial traces of Armenian material
culture.

In the period of independence [from the Soviet Union] the last
`Armenian traces’ were erased. In 1999 the then Azeri president Heydar
Aliyev stated: `Nakhijevan is one the most ancient lands of
Azerbaijan, a part of Azerbaijan that has a very rich history, it’s an
Azeri land with a 3,500-year-old history… That has to be proved.’

This statement officially launched the final stage of obliterating the
traces of Armenian presence `on the lands of the autonomy’.

The final chord in this venture was struck in 2001-2006, when
thousands of Armenian tomb-stones were wiped off the face of the earth
in the historic cemetery of Jugha – a medieval city of merchants and
craftsmen. The mission on the ultimate and irreversible liquidation of
all the traces of the Armenian presence in the region was implemented
by Azeri army units.

In summer 2009 Azeri president Ilham Aliyev stated: `Nakhijevan is an
ancient Azeri land. For centuries our nation lived and created on that
wonderful land. The historic and architectural monuments there
demonstrate how extremely talented the Azeri people is… Nakhijevan has
given outstanding people to Azerbaijan. Nakhijevan has given to
Azerbaijan the great leader Heydar Aliyev.’

The following step was the announcement on the `construction of a
railway connecting Turkey with all of the Turkic world’, referring to
the Nakhijevan-Igdir railroad that would link Azerbaijan and Turkey
with other Turkic states.

In October 2009, Nakhijevan hosted the eleventh summit of Turkic state
leaders, during which Turkish president Abdullah Gul stated:
`Nakhijevan matters greatly to Turkey. The border between Azerbaijan
and Turkey in the Nakhijevan region is physically small, but
politically this 10-12 km-long border is of great importance.
Geographically it links Turkey with Turkic republics.’

On May 2 this year, the Turkish premier stressed that the newly-built
railroad is a highly significant stage in Turkey-Azerbaijan
cooperation.

Moreover, he said: `Azerbaijan’s sorrow is our sorrow, Azerbaijan’s
joy is our joy. Here, I am stating again: until the Karabakh issue is
resolved, the rapprochement process with Armenia is impossible. We
have always backed Azerbaijan, and we always will.’

Because of its strategic importance Nakhijevan, bordering with Turkey,
was naturally doomed to Turkey’s support. Nakhijevan has highway
communication with Turkey and Iran; it is also linked with Baku by a
major highway, partly running through Iran (a small sector of the road
runs along the Armenia-Iran border stretching along the right bank of
the River Arax). Hence, the new road will become Azerbaijan’s ninth
railway exit to the outer world.

From: A. Papazian

UITE to promote e-trade development in Armenia

May 5, 2011 – 10:38 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

On May 11, the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) will
organize a seminar titled `E-trade. New Possibilities in Armenian
Market.’

The seminar aims at promoting e-trade in Armenia and increasing the
awareness of companies interested in e-trade to sell their products
and services. It will cover current structures of e-trade, technical
and legal tasks, with a discussion will be organized following the
theoretical part, UITE press service reported.

From: A. Papazian

Government gives equal rights to cigarette importers, local manufacturers

May 5, 2011 – 10:19 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

The Armenian government has approved a bill on legislative changes to
be introduced in the laws on domestic market protection, licensing and
state duty. As Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan said, the bill gives
equal rights to cigarette importers and local manufacturers.

In October 2010, the Armenian parliament passed amendments to the law
on excise tax. The amendments envisage a stage-by-stage equalization
of rates for both local producers and importers till 2014.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) rules prohibit any fiscal or
regulatory preferences for domestic products. Excise rates should be
equal for local and imported cigarettes. A similar requirement on
equal tax rates for imported and locally produced products is
contained in the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) signed by Armenia with 13
countries, including Russia and Ukraine.

From: A. Papazian

Arabo detachment commander: Azerbaijan hired Ukrainian and Baltic snipers

May 5, 2011 – 13:26 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Azerbaijan hired new snipers, this time, from Ukraine and Baltic
States, the commander of Arabo detachment stated.

As Manvel Yeghiazaryan told a news conference in Yerevan, `the snipers
will work on the frontline, killing our soldiers.’

On April 29, Azerbaijan continued intensively firing at NKR positions
from sniper rifles, killing two servicemen. Another soldier of the NKR
Defense army was wounded. On April 28, servicemen of the NKR Defense
Army Vazgen Bakhshyan, 19, was wounded in the head as a result of
Azerbaijani firing at NKR positions in the south-eastern part of the
line of contact between the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces.
Bakhshyan died on the way to a military hospital.

From: A. Papazian

University of Maryland concert to feature Armenian dances

May 5, 2011 – 15:03 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

University of Maryland, Baltimore, will host a pops concert on Friday, May 6.

The school’s University Band, Wind Ensemble and Maryland Community
Band team up for this annual performance, which focuses this year on
dance tunes. The program includes pieces from `Fiddler on the Roof’
and Leonard Bernstein’s `Danzon’ from `Fancy Free,’ as well as folk,
Scottish and Armenian dances, The Washington Post reported.

From: A. Papazian

OY unlikely to join next parliament, Armenian political analysts say

May 5, 2011 – 15:26 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Armenian political analysts Suren Surenyants and Yervand Bozoyan said
that Orinats Yerkir party, a member of the ruling coalition, will not
be represented in the parliament after the next election.

`Even if elections are held under conditions of complete
falsifications and only among relatives of Arthur Baghdasaryan [the
leader of the party], I do not see Orinats Yerkir in the future
parliament,’ Surenyants said ironically.

According to him, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) will be favorites during
the next parliamentary election. Besides, Prosperous Armenia and ARF
Dashnaktsutyun will join the future parliament, noted Surenyants.

Yervand Bozoyan agreed with his colleague, adding that Heritage party
also has chances to be represented in the parliament after the
election. According to him, Heritage will succeed in doing so only if
it manages to create a new political force, union with other
opposition forces.

From: A. Papazian

Sears presents Zaven Ghanimian’s jewelry Zeghani Collection

May 5, 2011 – 15:30 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Sears and designer Zaven Ghanimian announced plans to bring the
renowned Zeghani Collection to Sears shoppers.

Zeghani incorporates the opulence of large-carat-weight genuine
gemstones crafted in ornate settings made of sterling silver. The
designer has maintained a strong commitment to keeping his jewelry
affordable – without sacrificing quality. Each piece is handmade,
undergoing extensive quality control to ensure that the jewelry can be
passed down as a family heirloom. Beginning May 4, the collection will
be available for purchase at Sears stores throughout Canada as well as
online, PRNewswire reported.

Ghanimian is the son of famed jeweler Simon G and trained at his
father’s jewelry business before designing his solo collection. The
Zeghani by Simon Collection reflects the fine artisan design from the
Simon G family of jewelry. Zeghani’s stunning use of color and metal
is modern, sophisticated and European-inspired. Each piece is unique
and showcases extraordinary combinations of exquisite genuine gems
encrusted with simulated diamonds.

Ghanimian, the president of Zeghani, began working alongside his
father, Simon Ghanimian, the owner of the famous Simon G Jewelry. His
father taught him everything there was to know about making
high-quality jewelry from start to finish, and Ghanimian learned
everything he could about the family business. In 2005, he was named
marketing coordinator of Simon G and helped establish the company as
an industry leader. Zeghani was launched in February 2007. Ghanimian
is responsible for brand development, design and business development
for this up-and-coming designer brand. He implements innovative
technology to create new and unique works of wearable art. Ghanimian
is an active member of the Armenian Jewelry Association.

From: A. Papazian

OSCE PA President to visit Armenia

armradio.am
05.05.2011 14:27

President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Petros Efthymiou will
visit Armenia May 9-11.

Within the framework of the visit he will meet Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan,
representatives of parliamentary factions, members of the Armenian
delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian.

The delegation headed by Petros Efthymiou will visit the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.

From: A. Papazian

Some proposals of international experts unacceptable to the Armenian side
05.05.2011 16:49

Lena Badeyan
`Radiolur’

About 40 provisions of the package of amendments to the Electoral code
will be changed, said David Harutyunyan, Chairman of the National
Assembly’s Standing Committee on State-Legal Issues. However, not all
proposals of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights and the Venice Commission are acceptable to the Armenian side.

`Our Constitution requires the presidential candidate to have been RA
citizen for at least ten years and to have permanently resided in the
Republic of Armenia for ten years. There are proposals that can simply
harm the security of our country. We insist that citizens of other
countries should not have an opportunity to run for President. The
criticism of such provisions is unacceptable to us,’ David Harutyunyan
said.

The amendments to the Electoral Code envisage implementation of
Internet voting for those citizens of the Republic of Armenia, who are
not in the country on voting day. International experts are somewhat
worried about the proposal, but David Harutyunyan says he sees no risk
here.

`We’ll continue working with the Venice commission and considering the
opposition’s proposals,’ David Harutyunyan said.

From: A. Papazian