Author: Andres-Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
May 4 2011

New proposals on Karabakh heed territorial integrity, self-determination
Wed 04 May 2011 07:53 GMT | 10:53 Local Time
Te

`It took years to bring the negotiations over Karabakh conflict to the
current level’, the US ambassador said.
US ambassador in Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza has commented on the state
of the negotiation process to settle Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the
work held to this end today.

`It took years to bring the negotiations over Karabakh conflict to the
current level’, the US ambassador said.

`Over the past years the presidents, foreign ministers and mediators
tried to prepare proposals fitting for both parties.

These proposals to settle the Karabakh conflict were drawn up with
respect to both territorial integrity and self-determination of
nations.

I have contacted US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke
who said there is a progress in negotiations. In turn, I will spare no
effort to bring the presidents to the agreement on these principal
issues’, Bryza said.

1news.az

From: A. Papazian

AMD 6612.7 Million Sent To Karabakh’s Budget In Jan-Apr 2011 As Taxes,
Duties And Social Pays

STEPANAKERT, May 4. /ARKA/. Some 6612.7 million drams were transferred
to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s budget in Jan-Apr 2011 as taxes,
duties and mandatory social pays.

According to the information available on Karabakhi tax agency’s
Internet site, this result exceeds the planned indicator by 5.1%.

The result of the same period a year earlier exceeded the projected
indicator by AMD 807.8 million or 13.9%.
According to the report, AMD 4769.8 million came to the budget as
taxes and state duties in Jan-Apr 2011 instead of the planned AMD 4561
million.

The result of Jan-Apr 2010 exceeded the projected indicator by AMD
609.5 million.

Obligatory social payments totaled AMD 1842.9 million in Jan-Apr 2011
exceeding the planned amount by AMD 112.9 million the result of the
same period a year before by AMD 198.2 million. ($1 = AMD 372.79).
-0–

From: A. Papazian

Nagorno Karabakh president signs decrees to award servicemen

17:51 – 05.05.11

As the May 9 Victory Day and the Shouhsi Liberation Day are drawing
near, President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan (NKR,
Artsakh) has signed decrees to award servicemen for their heroic
deeds.

According to a press release by the NKR presidential office, 19
servicemen of the NKR defense Army received bravery awards (five of
them – posthumously).

Military service medals were bestowed upon 460 servicemen for their
brave operations, combat readines and protection the country’s borders
during the Nagorno Karabakh liberation war. Twenty-six awards were
bestowed posthumously.

The president also granted awards to 26 servicemen for their personal
bravery in the heroic battles of Shushi (one of the awards was granted
posthumously).

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Public Council `should be given new status’

22:23 – 05.05.11

Armenia’s Public Council should be given a new status, the Council’s
president Vazgen Manukyan has said.

Speaking at a meeting that marked the second anniversary of the
Council’s foundation and summed up its activities, Manukyan said on
Thursday that the Council now has a `special place in the public life’
of the country.

`The Public Council should be given a new status,’ said he. `I think
that little by little the Public Council is assuming an important role
in the public life.’

Further, he said that the National Assembly should adopt a law about
the Public Council with its authorities and liabilities clearly
defined.

He also reminded that during the recent two years the Council referred
to issues sensitive to the public such as the re-opening of
foreign-language schools, the pulling down of Moscow Cinema’s
amphitheatre, the government’s controversial decision on maternity
leave payments, etc.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

French President pledges to punish Armenian genocide denial
by Jean Eckian

Published: Thursday May 05, 2011

A sign outside French Senate calls for a law against Genocide denial.
Jean Eckian

Paris – On May 4, French Senate voted 196 to 74 not to debate the bill
penalizing denial of Armenian genocide thus rejecting a proposal by
the main opposition Socialist Party. But at the same time the French
government promised that it would pave way for legally punishing
Armenian Genocide denial under existing anti-racism legislation.

Following the French government statements indicating that it does not
support this bill, a major concern was spread in the ranks of the
Armenian community, relayed by the French press noting the “anger of
the Armenians.”

Despite the support of a majority of the Socialist party, communists
and some senators of the ruling Union of Popular Movement (UMP), the
government may have been seeking to block the adoption of the bill.

For this reason, representatives from Coordinating Council of Armenian
Organizations in France (CCAF) met President Nicolas Sarkozy on April
30.

Head of French State indicated to representatives of the CCAF, Mourad
Papazian and Ara Toranian that “government will leave the Senate free
to determine its vote, without instruction by the presidential
majority.” Sarkozy also said that he was maintaining his position on
the need to fight the Armenian genocide denial in France.

Former UMP Minister Patrick Devedjian, the president’s son Jean
Sarkozy and Levon Sayan, representative of Charles Aznavour retained
in Geneva, also participated in the meeting.

Turkey’s Hurriyet reported on April 27 that a Turkish delegation would
go to Paris to lobby French senators.

On May 4, Armenians planned to demonstrate in front of the French Senate.

UPDATE: According to Turkey’s Zaman daily the Sarkozy government “has
bowed to pressure from the Armenian lobby and made a compromise. The
justice minister, delivering a speech at the Senate on [May 4],
offered to issue a circular to pave the way to trying those who deny
the [Armenian] genocide.

Justice Minister Michel Mercier announced at the Senate that the
circular will be drafted later this week that would mandate sanctions
will be implemented against denial statements.

Citing a special commission established by the Jewish community and
the Ministry of Justice as an example Mercier said: “I invite the
representatives of the Armenian society to jointly work with members
of the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice in order to determine all
of the incidents of genocide denial and racism.”

According to the circular, a commission comprised of representatives
of the Armenian society will be able to file complaints to punish
those who deny the existence of genocide with jail sentences.

Turkish officials, meanwhile, were “shocked” by the circular proposal,
which they learned about during some discussions on the bill.”

From: A. Papazian

Agricultural equipment import in Armenia may become vat-free

YEREVAN, May 5. /ARKA/. Importers of pesticides, fertilizers and
agricultural equipment in Armenia may be exempted from paying
value-added tax, Gagik Khachatryan, chairman of the State Revenue
Committee, said Thursday after a meeting aimed at discussing the
processing industry’s problems.

`At this meeting, we came up with a proposal to exempt importers of
pesticides, fertilizers and agricultural equipment from VAT in an
effort to spur development of agriculture and processing industry,
which is directly connected with the agriculture sector,’ he said.

The chairman of the committee voiced concern over too low taxes in the
processing segment.

`Of course, there are some problems in this area, such as difficulties
in selling and exporting products, but nevertheless, taking into
account this, we have come to conclusion that taxes here should be
increased,’ he said.

Khachatryan said that now taxes in the processing industry make up
only one percent of the total output.

`This industry’s turnover grew 35% in 2010, compared with the previous
year, to AMD 65 billion, but taxes remained unchanged,’ he said.
`Average annual taxes from this industry amount to AMD 4.7- 5.2
billion.’

Khachatryan pointed out documentation turnover as another painful problem.

He said that the discussion was focused on favorable impacts of a
series of tax reforms on business and removal of obstacles.

`The aim is to let businessmen focus only on implementation of their
business programs,’ he said. `We also spoke about current things in
this area and presented a package of reforms.’

Khachatryan also singled out creation of a risk-controlling system
among the State Revenue Committee’s top-priority objectives.

President Serzh Sargsyan, Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan and
representatives of more than 20 processing industry companies were
present at the meeting. -0-

From: A. Papazian

Armenian government corrects pension payment rules

YEREVAN, May 5. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has corrected the
rules of assignment, registration, calculation and payment of
pensions, Armenian Labor and Social Welfare Minister Arthur Grigoryan
said Thursday after the Cabinet’s regular meeting.

He said that the government has also approved the form of the contract
on cash and cashless payments of pensions. These decisions also
stipulate that lists of pensioners must be kept throughout ten, not
five years.

Grigoryan said that the government also set service quality criteria.
New rules leave no room for paying dead pensioners’ pensions.

The same applies to pensions of those people who have left Armenia. If
the social welfare ministry finds out such illegalities, it will
appeal to law enforcement agencies.

The government has also made some changes in the system of social
support for servicemen and their families.

`Before that various categories and groups of people enjoyed different
extra payment, while now all the all the groups will be united, and
their benefit will be unified with increment intended for those
persons stipulated by these rules,’ the minister said.

He said that increment will average between AMD 11,000 and AMD 12,000.
($1 = AMD 372.79). M.V.-0-

From: A. Papazian

Armenian Social Welfare Ministry intends to bring illegally paid
family benefits back to budget

YEREVAN, May 5. /ARKA/. People who have illegally got social benefits
in Armenia will have to return this money to the government budget,
Armenian Labor and Social Welfare Minister Arthur Grigoryan said
Thursday after the Cabinet’s regular meeting.

He told journalists that this is a quite large amount of money.

`Substantial reforms are being implemented now in the family benefit
system,’ he said. `Unfortunately, there are many corruption risks
here, and the system needs special attention and reformation.’

The minister said that the ministry has already taken certain steps
and will release its analysis soon.

He said that appropriate legislative changes will be implemented as well.

These amendments will imply punishment for those officials who,
abusing their powers, include persons not eligible to receive benefits
in lists of beneficiaries. -0-

From: A. Papazian

Single geodesic map of Armenia to be created

YEREVAN, May 5, /ARKA/. Armenian energy and natural resources minister
Armen Movsisyan told a Cabinet session that soon a single geodesic map
of the country will be prepared.

He said under a government decision the procedure for allocation and
storage of data will be improved, adding that this will promote
accumulation of experience and data on use of natural resources.

`Having a single geodesic map of Armenia is instrumental for effective
use of natural resources and drawing future programs,’ he said. -0-

From: A. Papazian

THE BILL CRIMINALIZING GENOCIDE DENIAL WAS REJECTED

AZG DAILY #81, 06-05-2011

By P.K.

On Wednesday, after 3 hours long discussions and speeches, where the
speech of Michel Mercier, Minister of Justice and Freedoms of France,
who together with admitting the fact of the Armenian Genocide,
considered the bill as not legislative and restrictive the freedom of
opinions, became decisive. The French Senate voted 196 to 74 to block
a formal debate on the issue.

Whilst, on October 12, 2006, the French National Assembly approved a
bill penalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide, but as a result of
the intervention of the government the bill did not approved. On July,
2010, the socialist senators suggested a new bill criminalizing the
Genocide denial. Ultimately, it was decided to put it to the vote on
May 4, 2011. The bill was called to widen the enforcement sphere of
the law of 1881 referred the freedom of the press. These would allow
extending the application of the law Gayssot (1990) in the denial of
the Armenian Genocide.

The French-Armenian community and organizations held a protest in
front of the senate building since 14:00 o’clock on Wednesday. Singer
Charles Aznavour, the mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe, famous French
philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and others has earlier called on French
legislators to vote for the bill and maintain justice. “Nobody could
stop the process of annihilation of the Armenian population of Turkey.
Let this bill at least serve as a means to prevent the denial, while
we are still at peace,” the singer wrote in an article published in
daily “Liberation”.

Bertrand Delanoe mentions in his appeal that “Nicolas Sarkozy broke
his promise. On April 24, 2007, the candidate for the presidency
Sarkozy promised the Armenian unions to assist the approval of the
2006 bill in Senate and castigated “state denial” of Ankara. But after
the election he stated giving promises to the Turkish government…”

From: A. Papazian