Author: Andres-Papazian

New nomination introduced in Golden Apricot international film festival

arminfo
Thursday, May 5, 20:38

A new nomination has been introduced in Golden Apricot international
film festival.

Director of the National Cinema Center of Armenia Gevorg Gevorgyan
told ArmInfo correspondent that in 2011 Golden Apricot will also
estimate the best short-length films. The winners of the new
nomination will be awarded a “Golden Stone”. Gevorgyan said that at
the Festival de Cannes, Golden Apricot will be represented by film
director Aram Shahbazyan, who will familiarize himself with the
short-length films presented at the festival.

Before 2010 Golden Apricot estimated the best films in the categories
“Fiction Films”, “Documentaries” and “Armenian Panorama”. This year
several anniversaries will be marked on the margins of the festival:
the 70th anniversary of Roman Balayan, 80th anniversary of Dmitry
Kesayants and 75th anniversary of Edmond Keosayan.

From: A. Papazian

Ashot Manucharyan: Only God and the USA know what losses in Armenia
the transformation activity of Washington will result in

arminfo
Thursday, May 5, 20:26

Several months ago the United States started transformation processes
in Armenia by the method of Madeleine Albright, one of the US
Secretaries of State, Ashot Manucharyan, member of Karabakh Committee,
told journalists on Thursday.

“Washington has launched quite a big number of Armenian politicians in
these transformation processes, thereby expanding the processes
ongoing between the authorities and the opposition. First and
foremost, the matter concerns the people inside the power, who long
for changes but are afraid of what these change may result in. The
given processes imply changes without special shocks, nevertheless,
they present the whole palette of changes”, said the politician.

Manucharyan thinks that the USA exerts pressure on the authorities and
demand that the authorities should give up repressions and the
opposition should give up the idea to change the power by forced
methods. The transformation processes do not envisage a revolution in
Armenia, but achievement of changes by means of mild processes. Thus,
on the one hand, the USA is striving to take Armenia under control,
which, on the other hand, would better comply with the new realities
in the world.

“As a result of these transformation processes, today in Armenia we
have the resigned all-powerful Yerevan mayor, the arrested policeman
and, which is the most important, again opened “1 March case”, which
is fantastic. Just these facts are the levers for implementation of
the transformation processes initiated by the USA. As a result, we see
the partly paralyzed authorities, which have absolutely forgotten what
are repressions, and the fact that Armenian National Congress stepped
back from its non-compromise and revolutionary pose. But there is
still no dialogue between them, but the USA will soon become the
initiator of this dialogue. Thus, what is taking place in Armenia is
reminding of the situation in the neighboring Georgia several years
ago. The Georgians really managed to improve their life gaining at
least some democracy, but at the same time they finally lost Abkhazia
and South Ossetia. As for the losses in Armenia, only God and the USA
know what losses in Armenia the transformation activity of Washington
will result in “, – he concluded.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian government cancels licenses for imported vodka

arminfo
Thursday, May 5, 20:51

The Armenian government is canceling the licenses for imported vodka
and creating equal conditions for the producers and importers,
Armenian Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan said at the government on
Thursday.

The executive body has approved the amendments and additions to the
Laws on Protection of Domestic Market, on Licensing, and on State
Duties. The minister pointed out that the amendments are aimed at
providing an equal competitive field for importers and local
producers.

To note, Ukraine has repeatedly come out for creation of unequal
conditions due to the use of quotas for vodka import. Earlier the
reliable sources of Ukraine reported that license for vodka import was
introduced at a price twice as high as the domestic production in
exchange for the discriminative rates of excise duties cancelled by
the Armenian government in 2008 in order to protect the local
producers. This step made Kyiv start a new trade dispute with Yerevan,
and even applied to the WTO bodies for the second time. Vodka
companies of Ukraine also want to apply to the international
organization to get rid of counterfeited vodka brands of Ukraine in
the Armenian market.

From: A. Papazian

Zangezur CMC tops Armenia’s 1000 largest taxpayers list

20:34 – 05.05.11

Armenia’s State Revenue Committee has published the list of 1000
largest tax payers in the first quarter in 2011, with Zangezur Copper
Molybdenum Combine heading the list.

The company has during the first three months paid 7.45 billion
Armenian drams in taxes which is a six-fold growth compared to the
same period last year.

These figures have shifted the company from the 11th in the ranking
list last year to the top in 2011.

The second company in the list is HayRusGazard with 7.35 billion drams
in taxes. Though it added its tax payments by 40% since last year, the
company lacked around 100 million drams to lead the list.

Alex Grig, LLC, which belongs to MP and businessman Samvel Aleksanyan,
comes third in line with a total of 4.75 billion in taxes. The company
increased its tax payments by 2.1% compared to the same period in
2010.

Armenia’s firstly established mobile operator ArmenTel is the fourth
in the list with a 9.2% increase in tax payments (3.14 billion drams).

The fifth company in the ranking list is K-Telecom with 2.44 billion
drams. This means the company’s tax payments increased by 10.3%
compared to the same period last year.

Overall, taxes paid by Armenia’s largest 1000 companies made a total
of 106.5 billion drams during the first quarter which is by 9.3% more
compared to last year’s figures.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Court delays ruling against Zhamanak to review case

18:47 – 05.05.11

A Yerevan court has delayed a ruling over a case against Armenian
daily Zhamanak on Thursday, after an international media watchdog
criticized Armenia over freedom of press.

The Court of First Instance in Yerevan’s Kentron (Centre) and
Norq-Marash administrative districts ruled that the case will be
reviewed anew and that the next court hearing will be held on May 20.

`Good, dear judge! That was what the people wanted,’ someone cried at
the courtroom.

The lawsuit has been filed against the daily by the wife and the son
of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.

Bella and Sedrak Kocharyans demand that the newspaper publish a denial
of three articles published last year.

Under this lawsuit the Kocharyan family also claims a total of 6
million Armenian drams (approx. $ 16,000) in compensation of which 3
million drams to cover the expenses of the legal action.

Neither the plaintiff nor the prosecution was present at the courtroom
on Thursday.

The court’s ruling comes days after the Reporters Without Border media
watchdog condemned the practice of launching legal action against
media outlets over concerns that they pose threat to their existence.

The organization also called for a suspension of such practice.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Transnistrian president pardons jailed Ernest Vardanyan

21:25 – 05.05.11

The President of the Republic of Transnistria, Igor Smirnov, has
pardoned Ernest Vardanyan, a local journalist of Armenian origin
sentenced over high treason charges.

According to the Russian-languages Rosbalt.ru website, Smirnov
announced about the pardon personally.

Accused of spying for Moldova, Ernest Vardanyan was arrested by the
Transnistrian Security Services on 7 April 2010.

On 16 December 2010 a Transnistrian court sentenced him to 15 years in
prison according to the Article 271 of the country’s Criminal Code
(high treason).

Vardanyan has however denied the accusations.

Since his arrest and trail a series of international rights
organizations have condemned Transnistrian authorities and demanded
Vardanyan’s release.

Vardanyan’s relatives in their turn took steps to have him released.
His mother wrote letters Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin, as well as to the leaders of the rest of G8
countries.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Gomidas Institute in London publishes Talaat Pasha’s Report on
Armenian Genocide

May 5, 2011 – 19:12 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Gomidas Institute in London published Talaat Pasha’s Report on the
Armenian Genocide, 1917 (Bibliodetails: Ara Sarafian (ed. and intro.)

Recent documents released in Turkish archives, combined with surviving
documents from Talaat Pasha’s private papers, confirm that Talaat was
indeed the architect of the Armenian Genocide, according to Sarafian.

There is a clear record that he ordered and supervised the general
deportation of Ottoman Armenians in 1915-16, and that he followed the
fate of such deportees from close quarters. According to Talaat’s
report on the Armenian Genocide, most Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
had disappeared between 1915 and 1917, or they were dispersed in
different provinces of the Ottoman Empire for assimilation.

Talaat Pasha’s Report on the Armenian Genocide, 1917 is the closest
official Ottoman view we have of the Armenian Genocide. The report was
undoubtedly prepared for Talaat Pasha and meant for his private use.
It was not meant for publication and probably only survived because
Talaat was assassinated in 1921 and his widow gave the report to a
Turkish historian who eventually published it, said Sarafian. No such
record has been released by Turkish archives to date, though the data
presented in the 1917 report can be checked against the available
Ottoman records and stands scrutiny.

According to Talaat’s figures 1,150,000 Armenians disappeared in the
Ottoman Empire between 1915-1917. This number includes well over
100,000 Armenians who fled from the Ottoman Empire in 1915 (and died
in large numbers from hunger, exposure and disease), but it does not
include tens of thousands of Armenian women and children who were
absorbed into Muslim families or placed into state orphanages for
assimilation.

From: A. Papazian

Baku says it has action plan for Karabakh, and it is war?

May 5, 2011 – 20:39 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Novruz Mammadov, the head of the international relations department at
the Azerbaijani President’s Administration, said that Azerbaijan has a
certain stance and action plan for the Karabakh conflict settlement.

According to him, Baku `wants’ to reach it peacefully, but will `use
its right to the lands return if necessary.’

Despite Mammadov’s words, all the actions and statements of the
Azerbaijani leadership indicate that Baku aspires towards anything but
for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

With its warlike statements, the Azerbaijani leadership kills two
birds with one stone. First, it continues inciting hatred towards
Armenians among the Azerbaijani population, while Aliyev is able to
unleash a new war to maintain power. Second, it is rather possible
that these very threats prevent mediators from the final settlement of
the conflict and make them to delay the process.

On the other hand, the situation recalls a powder keg, which can
explode any moment. The mediating superpowers, which currently are on
the bit of Aliyev’s presidential ambitions, may become tired of them
one day and get rid of the Azerbaijani incumbent president to solve
the Karabakh conflict finally.

From: A. Papazian

President Sargsyan meets Russia’s Chief Bailiff

armradio.am
05.05.2011 19:01

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the Head of the Federal
Bailiff Service Arthur Parfenchikov.

During the meeting the parties attached importance to the cooperation
between the Judicial Acts Compulsory Enforcement Service of Armenia
and the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia.

The interlocutors emphasized the necessity of the exchange of
experience, saying that the services of the two countries have much to
learn from each other.

Arthur Parfenchikov informed that under the agreement reached with the
Judicial Acts Compulsory Enforcement Service of Armenia, specialists
of the Russian Bailiff Service will arrive in Armenia in the near
future to investigate the experience of Armenian counterparts.

President Sargsyan stressed that periodic meetings and reciprocal
visits further boost the bilateral relations.

From: A. Papazian

RA Diaspora Minister to participate in Istanbul-hosted Global Summit of Women

May 5, 2011 – 18:10 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

On May 5, Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan left for
Istanbul to participate in the Global Summit of Women due May 5-7.

As part of her visit, Hakobyan will meet with representatives of the
Armenian community and visit Istanbul’s Armenian hospital, Armenian
churches, seminaries and cemeteries. Besides, Hakobyan is scheduled to
meet with representatives of the three Armenian newspapers published
in Istanbul.

Since 2003, the Global Summit of Women has been followed by Roundtable
of Women Government Ministers. Hakobyan is invited to participate in
the event this year, the press service of the RA Ministry of Diaspora
reported.

From: A. Papazian