Author: Andres-Papazian

HUNGER STRIKER RAFFI HOVANNISIAN NOT ALLOWED TO PUT UP TENT IN LIBERTY SQUARE

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 16, 2011 – 13:03 AMT 09:03 GMT

Heritage party was not allowed to put up a tend for the party leader,
hunger striker Raffi Hovannisian.

“It’s a ground for children,” police said.

Heritage parliamentary group Stepan Safaryan said the party
representatives have already addressed to international organizations,
including the ICRC office in Yerevan.

Hovannisian spent the night of March 16 at the verge of Liberty
Square. As to his health state, Safaryan said no doctor has visited
Hovannisian yet. “Presently, his health said is fill us with
apprehension but we are hopeful that a doctor true to Hippocratic
Oath will visit him,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

IRAN ESTABLISHES BANK OF FREE ECONOMIC ZONES

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 11:26 AMT 07:26 GMT

Iranian President’s advisor, head of the organization for free and
special economic zones Behrooz Baghai announced that the permission for
establishment of a bank of free economic zones has been already issued.

According to him, a developed banking system is one of the vital
elements of the infrastructures of free economic zones.

“The organization’s policy is aimed to attract foreign investments
and development of transit of cargo in all economic zones,” he said.

Armenia is also planning to create 2 or 3 free economic zones in 2011.

The government has already approved a relevant legislative initiative,
which is submitted to the parliament. The zones are likely to be
located in Mars plant and Zvartnots Airport. Works will kick off in
summer or autumn. Besides, the technopark in Gyumri may host free
IT trade zone. Investments will be private while the government will
create favorable conditions. The initiative supposes increase in job
opportunities and export-bound high-quality production.

From: A. Papazian

‘REVIVAL’ DOCUMENTARY ON ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE PRESENTED IN GYUMRI

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 13:05 AMT 09:05 GMT

Gyumri hosted presentation of ‘Revival’ series of documentaries
dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

The series of documentaries tells about revival of all cities of the
Third Republic of Armenia – about their past, present and future.

The film is shot by Gyumri-based Van TV company through the assistance
of ArmenTel (Beeline trademark) company. The film consists of 12
parts – one is dedicated to Armenia, the rest – to Yerevan and 10
provinces of the country.

“The series of films will become a sort of guide for Armenians residing
both in Armenia and abroad in raising awareness of and conceiving
the importance of their ancient Motherland, century-old history of
Armenia’s cities,” Van TV company director Vahagn Ghazaryan said.

From: A. Papazian

OVER 30 000 IRANIAN CITIZENS MAY VISIT ARMENIA DURING NOWRUZ BAYRAM

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 14, 2011 – 23:04 AMT 19:04 GMT

Head of the Tourism and Territorial Economic Development Department
at the RA Ministry of Economy Mekhak Apresyan said that the number
of Iranian citizens visiting Armenia is growing from year to year.

“In 2009, according to monitoring, their number totaled over 80 000,
while 40% growth was recorded in 2010, bringing the number of Iranian
tourists to around 120 000,” he said.

A considerable growth is recorded in their number during Nowruz Bayram
(the New Year in Iranian calendar), which starts on March 21 and
lasts for 13 days.

40-50% growth in the number of Iranian tourists was recorded in
2010 compared to 2009 during this period. According to Apresyan,
their number will exceed 30, 000 this year.

According to the results of an official monitoring conducted at the
republic’s checkpoints over the past years, an Iranian citizen spends
around USD 700-800 on an average during his visit to Armenia.

However, Apresyan believes that this sum reaches USD 1 000 without
calculation of transportation costs.

From: A. Papazian

IRANIANS ATTRACTED BY AFFORDABLE PRICES AND RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 14, 2011 – 23:15 AMT 19:15 GMT

Head of the Tourism and Territorial Economic Development Department at
the RA Ministry of Economy Mekhak Apresyan said that Iranian citizens,
who every year visit Armenia to celebrate Nowruz Bayram (the New Year
in Iranian calendar), are first of all attracted by affordable prices,
low transportation costs, close geographic location, rich cultural
heritage and amiability of the Armenian people.

“The general growth in the number of Iranian tourists visiting
Armenia proves that those Iranians, who visit Armenia, later share
their impressions with their friends and relatives, what results in
growth of the visits number,” Apresyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Referring to guests’ accommodation in Armenia’s hotels, Apresyan
noted that there are certain problems with it already now. “Thus,
our business entities should take this factor into consideration
and be more prepared for it in future,” Apresyan said, adding that
Iranians prefer to go to Garni, Geghard, Etchmiadzin and Sevan as
part of their visit to Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

JAPAN EARTHQUAKE NOT TO DIRECTLY AFFECT ARMENIA, SEISMOLOGISTS SAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 13:55 AMT 09:55 GMT

Head of the National Service of Seismic Protection at the RA Ministry
of Emergency Situations Hrachya Poghosyan said that the massive
earthquake in Japan will not directly affect Armenia.

First, this is explained by the fact that the earthquake took place
far from Armenia, as well as by the fact that “we are located on
different tectonic plates.”

As for light earth shocks in Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, Petrosyan
told journalists in Yerevan that they help in consuming the energy
accumulated in the Earth crust, what allows avoiding violent
earthquakes.

A massive earthquake, 9.0 on the Richter scale, unleashed a huge
tsunami which crashed through Japan’s eastern coastline, on March 11.

According to the updated data, 5,900 people are considered to be
killed or missing.

The cooling system of nuclear reactors at Fukushima nuclear plant
has failed as a result of the earthquake. The failure has resulted in
explosions at the first and third energy units. A “state of emergency”
is declared at the neighboring Fukushima-2 nuclear plant, where the
cooling system has also failed. People have been evacuated within a
20-km zone.

On March 14, Japan asked IAEA to send a group of specialists to assist
in overcoming the situation at the nuclear plants.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY USES AZERBAIJAN TO CEMENT POSITIONS IN CASPIAN REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 13:32 AMT 09:32 GMT

Turkish Ares Shipyard company wants to launch military shipbuilding
in Azerbaijan. According to company director Kerim Kalafatoglu ,
Turkey has certain plans with respect to the Caspian basin.

“We want to introduce our technologies in Azerbaijan and promote
“Made in Azerbaijan” brand. Our goal is to make a contribution to the
national defense industry of Azerbaijan,” he said. “We manufacture
cutters and boats for various purposes.”

The above-mentioned suggests a conclusion that Turkey just wants to
cement positions in the Caspian region. Under favorable circumstances,
Ankara will obviously try to impose its conditions on Iran and Russia,
become a headache for both.

After the failure of its Security and Stability Platform, Turkey
decided to pick up a less disadvantageous initiative. However, it’s
unclear, whether Azerbaijan will be capable to digest the huge amount
of arms. Anyway, cutters and boats will hardly help Baku, should it
venture a new war against Artsakh.

The matter is that the Turkish military machine is penetrating into
Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian

“CHILDREN OF THE VARIEGATED COLORS” EXHIBIT TO OPEN IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 13:04 AMT 09:04 GMT

Vahagn Ghukasyan’s exhibit titled “Children of the Variegated Colors”
will open at Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art on March
22 to offer the audience a renewed opportunity to treat painting as
an autonomous art and re-experience the history of painting through
the artistic biography of an artist.

The project of “Children of the Variegated Colors” is composed of
two series of paintings: the “Reign of Flowers” and “The Studio
of Colors”. “The Reign of Flowers” is composed of eight paintings,
five of which depict flowers on the overall surface of the canvas. The
remaining three are portraits where flowers continue playing prominent
semantic and visual role. The paintings which depict only flowers take
us to the world of classics of Armenian modern painting, from Martiros
Saryan’s flowery paintings to Vigen Tadevosyan’s abstract compositions.

The series of paintings called “Studio of Colors” is composed of
fifteen paintings which demonstrate the tools of traditional methods
of painting: easel, canvas, palette, brushes, paints, etc, from various
views. A studio which looks at itself. Painting materials on the floor
look at the canvases placed on easels and hanging on the walls, and
vice-versa, canvases placed on easels and hanging on the wall look
at the paints and brushes on the floor and chairs. All of these are
depicted in contrasts and rhythms, amid light and colors.

“The Children of Variegated Colors” is an artistic monologue recited
in the indifferent clamor of the present and the watchful silence of
the future.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE COMMEMORATED IN ISTANBUL, ANKARA, OTHER TURKISH CITIES APRIL 24

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 14:15 AMT 10:15 GMT

Professor of Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, one of initiators of
the campaign ‘Forgive Us, Armenians,’ Cengiz Aktar said that actions,
processions and other events will be held in Istanbul, Ankara and
other Turkish cities to commemorate the Armenian Genocide on April 24.

The events of 1915 are more openly discussed in Turkey, Aktar said
in Yerevan.

“Armenians are more often spoken about in Turkey now than earlier. Of
course, there are people who deny the events, but it’s for sure that
the concrete wall of denial has cracked. Memories about Armenian
families are fresh specifically in Turkey’s villages. It is necessary
to conceive that not only the Armenian people, but also Turks had
suffered,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

AZNAVOUR URGES SARKOZY TO MEET HIS PLEDGE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 15, 2011 – 14:21 AMT 10:21 GMT

World known singer, Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland Charles
Aznavour voiced regret over the fact that Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy
of France and Barack Obama of the United States have failed to meet
their electoral pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

As freelance journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net in an
interview with Nouvelles d’Armenie, Aznavour urged Sarkozy to be as
good as his word, otherwise Armenians of France can remember about
the broken promise during the next presidential election in 2012.

On October 12, 2006, French National Assembly passed a bill on
criminalization of the Armenian Genocide denial. Recently, WikiLeaks
released a cable quoting French President Nicolas Sarkozy as saying
that the bill “will be buried in the Senate”, what aroused Aznavour’s
indignation.

On March 13, 2011, about 3000 people gathered at the French Senate
building on March 12 to demand adoption of the bill criminalizing
denial of the Armenian Genocide.

A similar action was held in Marseille.

From: A. Papazian