Author: Andres-Papazian

PRESIDENT LAYS WREATH AT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ MEMORIAL IN BERNE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 2, 2011 – 20:17 AMT

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan visited the 25th Geneva International
Book and Press Fair, where Armenia was presented as an honorary guest.

The Armenian leader characterized the Fair as an important event,
along with 500th anniversary of book printing in Armenia and Armenia
2012 World Book Capital project.

Further, the Armenian leader laid a wreath at Berne-based monument
to Armenian Genocide victims. Meeting with the representatives of
Armenian community in Switzerland was on presidential agenda.

Meetings with senior Swiss officials are scheduled for May 3,
presidential press service reported.

From: A. Papazian

2,808 GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR VETERANS REFUNDED FOR “FROZEN” SOVIET DEPOSITS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 2, 2011 – 15:12 AMT

Head of the Methodological Assistance Department at the Armenian
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Armen Margaryan said that as of
the beginning of 2011around 2,800 veterans of the Great Patriotic War
received compensations at the total amount of AMD 600mln for their
“frozen” deposits in the Savings Bank of the former USSR.

The program of compensations is under way. The government has not
set definite terms for its completion, thus, eligible persons can
still apply to receive compensation, Margaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

On March 25, 2010, the Armenian government made a decision to pay
compensations to veterans of the Great Patriotic War for their old
deposits held until June 10, 1993, in the Savings Bank of the former
USSR. The compensations are paid only to those people, who were
included in the list of families receiving benefits from July 1,
2005, to April 1, 2006.

AMD 1.7bln was allocated for payment of compensations for the “frozen”
Soviet deposits in 2010.

From: A. Papazian

FRANCE DOES NOT RULE OUT DEPLOYMENT OF MILITARY FORCE IN KARABAKH

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 18:05:35 – 02/05/2011

Arnaud Dubien, the editor-in-chief of the Eurasia Intelligence Report,
research director at the Institute of International and Strategic
Relations, member of the Valdai Club, answered the question of
Lragir.am on who determines the expediency of intervening with another
country’s home affairs in the context of the active participation of
France in the campaign against Libya and Cote d’Ivoire. The reporter
of Lragir.am asked Arnaud Dubien to evaluate the probability of an
armed intervention in the Karabakh conflict by France or the EU.

Arnaud Dubien says the situation in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire differs
from Kosovo. The campaigns on Libya and Cote d’Ivoire were preceded
by the resolutions of the UN Security Council, unlike Kosovo. The
approval of the UN Security Council makes a difference for France
which did not follow the United States into Kosovo. As to the military
intervention in Karabakh, the situation is different, he says. First,
the diplomatic track of the settlement mediated by the OSCE, second,
there is no war in Karabakh. France does not rule out deployment of
peacekeepers in Karabakh but in any way it will be in a different
context, in another way, Dubien said.

From: A. Papazian

74% HAVE NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ARMENIANS IN TURKEY

Tert.am
02.05.11

Around 74% of Turks have a negative attitude towards Armenians,
a poll has revealed.

According to the Turkish daily Radikal, 3040 people from Turkey~Rs 12
provinces were interviewed during the survey conducted by Foundation
for Political, Economic and social Research.

Around 33% of the respondents said they have a positive attitude
towards Arabs, while 39% expressed negative views.

Around sixty-five per cent of the respondents said they have a negative
attitude towards US citizens.

Forty per cent of young Turks expressed positively about Europeans,
while respondents above sixty have a negative attitude towards them.

From: A. Papazian

HOT-LINE PHONE SERVICE TO OVERSEE POLICE FUNCTIONING

Tert.am
02.05.11

Armenia’s Police launched a hot-line phone service to register
complains related to police activities.

The hot-line, initiated at the internal security department of the
police, is expected to receive calls related to violations by police
officers.

Occasions when the police ignore complaints on infringements of public
order or any other statement can also be reported to the hot-line.

Calls can be made to 55-00-89, 52-24-83 phone numbers.

The confidentiality of the source is guaranteed.

From: A. Papazian

GREEN-HOUSE OWNERS PROTEST OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT

Tert.am
02.05.11

A group of Armenian citizens engaged in green-house business protested
outside the government building early on Monday.

According to a press release by the opposition Heritage party, the
complaints related to the protection of local producers’ rights,
“unequal competition in the market” and imports of tomatoes from
Turkey which are “not custom-cleared.”

Some of the complaints referred also to “high interest rates” of the
loans the banks provide farmers with.

Further the statement said that the farmers asked Armen Martirosyan,
an MP of the Heritage party, to join their protest.

Having got familiarized with their complaints Martirosyan offered
them to choose four representatives and later they met with the Head
of Staff of the government, Davit Sargsyan.

“At the meeting, David Sargsyan, having listened to the issues
raised, pledged to inform them in the nearest future over the ways
the government envisages to solve this problems,” read the statements.

From: A. Papazian

DIALOGUE BETWEEN HAK AND AUTHORITIES ‘CLARIFIED’ POLITICAL FIELD

Tert.am
02.05.11

The dialogue between the main opposition bloc and authorities has
rendered more clearness to Armenia’s domestic political field, an
opposition party representative has said.

Speaking to Tert.am, Armen Martirosyan of the Heritage party said:
“I definitely welcome the dialogue between the Armenian National
Congress [or the HAK] as after a lasting indefiniteness the political
field is gradually being clarified.”

According to him, thanks to that those political forces that will be
active in the pre-election process are coming to the surface.

“My only pain is that for three years now the people assembled under
other slogans and demands. But it turns out now that the other issues
have been raised, there are other slogans,” he explained.

It comes after the HAK leader and former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan
said at a rally on April 28 that the authorities have satisfied
two of their main demands and have dropped hints that the third one
would be satisfied in the near future. He also said that the “door
for dialogue is half-open”.

The HAK demanded the authorities to lift the de facto ban on holding
rallies and assemblies on Liberty Square and a confirmation that the
1-2 March 2008 events will be properly investigated.

The third demand is the release of those citizens arrested over the
post-election unrest in March 2008 that left at least ten people
killed and dozens arrested.

At least five people remain in prisons now.

Armen Martirosyan further said that the dialogue between the HAK
and the authorities cannot be an impediment to the struggle of other
opposition forces.

“But the responsibility of those opposition forces, that do not fight
for dialogue but rather for the resolution of people’s demands, for
the implementations of reforms at the earliest possible, is getting
bigger and bigger,” explained Martirosyan, adding that HAK’s supporters
may be disappointed with the current situation.

Earlier on Monday, Aram Bareghamyan, a HAK activist sentenced over
1-2 March 2008 events, was released.

From: A. Papazian

HETQ’S CHIEF EDITOR WINS MEDIA FREEDOM AWARD

hetq
14:37, May 2, 2011

Edik Baghdasaryan, Hetq Online Chief Editor and President of the
Investigative Journalists NGO, has been awarded the 2011 “Media
Freedom” prize here in Armenia which coincides with World Press
Freedom Day.

The award was presented on behalf of the Yerevan Press Club,
Journalists Union of Armenia, Internews Armenia and the Freedom of
Speech Defense Committee.

From: A. Papazian

BY DEMOUNTING THE MONUMENT IN KARS, TURKISH GOVERNMENT DEMOUNTS THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

arminfo
Monday, May 2, 14:54

By demounting the monument in Kars, Turkish government has been
demounting the Armenian-Turkish relations, Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan
told journalists today.

He also added that the action on demounting of the monument is
of political nature and is chiefly targeted at attraction of the
Azerbaijani electorate towards the leading party during the forthcoming
parliamentary election.

“It is very much possible that after the parliamentary election Turkey
will make constitutional alterations in favor of strengthening of
the president’s institute, after which Erdogan may be nominated for
the presidency”, – he said. He called on the Armenian party to become
more active in the international cultural instances so that to prevent
such an attitude to the cultural values.

From: A. Papazian

PROVOCATIONS WILL CONTINUE, BUT LARGE-SCALE HOSTILITIES UNLIKELY, MILITARY PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS
Anna Nazaryan

“Radiolur”
02.05.2011 17:30

“The Armenian side is never late to respond to Azeri provocations and
this has always been the case,” military psychologist David Jamalyan
told reporters today.

Speaking about the situation at the line of contact, political
scientist Sergey Minasyan said he is suspicious about Azerbaijan’s
wish to start war. “That country simply wants to show that it can
realize its threats. In reality, the one, who is prepared for war,
will not speak that much,” he said.

David Jamalyan says it’s necessary to speak with the aggressor in his
own language. “Although official Baku denies the information about
losses, social networks inform about victims on the Azeri side.”

According to the military psychologist, provocations at the line of
contact will continue, but the possibility of resumption of hostilities
has significantly lessened.

From: A. Papazian