Author: Andres-Papazian

AZG. Lithuania failed Baku’s order

yerkir.am
11:23 – 12.03.2011

Yerevan `Zvartnots’ International airport has prohibited passengers
from Lithuania and Estonia to enter the Republic of Armenia.

RA National Safety Council told `Interfax’ that prohibition of entry
visas is not a matter of commentary.

As the information department of the airport told `Interfax’, 3
citizens of Estonia and 1 citizen of Lithuania were introduced as
journalists. `They told us that they have come to Armenia to make a
documentary about Caucasus conflicts’.

On the other hand the National Safety Council reported that they are
not involved in providing entry visas.
Meanwhile sources of `Regnum’ agency report to the corresponding
organizations of RA that the mission of Andreus Brokasi’s group is to
lower Armenia’s reputation and put Armenia’s interests in information
field into danger. Brokasi’s group is connected with Azerbaijan’s
well-paid official organizations.

This modern producing group of Lithuania signed an agreement with
Azerbaijan’s ministry of culture, and they announced about this many
times. `We were fully aware of their plans a month ago’, told the
corresponding sources to `Regnum’.
Before arrival, `Brokasi’s group’ had electronic communication with
Baku’s clients. `These guys are not lucky. And those who come to
open-hearted and hospitable relatives of Armenia with bad intentions
will face troubles’, said the agency.

From: A. Papazian

Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia
president.am
March 12 2011

Official visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Latvia

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is Latvia on official visit, held today
a working breakfast with the Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis
Dobrovskis.

President Sargsyan and Prime Minister Dobrovskis discussed prospects
of development of the Armenian-Latvian economic relations, stressing
that existing sufficient potential and necessary prerequisites should
be used to their fullest. Among promising areas of cooperation the
parties highlighted tourism, metallurgy and some other areas. They
also stressed the importance of creating an Armenian-Latvian
intergovernmental commission.

President Sargsyan and Prime Minister Dobrovskis spoke also about
regular visits at different levels, active interaction, strengthening
of ties between the business communities of the two countries which,
according to the interlocutors, can be best served by the business
forums. In this context, they stressed the importance of Yerevan-Riga
regular flights.

Today, in Riga President Serzh Sargsyan visited also the Armenian
Church, where he met with the representatives of the Armenian
community.

At the meeting the President of Armenia said, `I have come with a
humble mission of passing to you greetings and good wishes from our
people, our Motherland and reaffirm that regardless of where Armenians
live – in Riga or Vilnius, Paris or Los Angeles, Yerevan or Vanadzor,
we are one nation and our strength in our unity.’

According to Serzh Sargsyan, empowerment of Spyurq means empowerment
of Armenia and vise versa – empowerment of Armenia means empowerment
of Spyurq.

The President of Armenia noted with satisfaction that representatives
of the Armenian community, being part of the Latvian society, have not
forgotten their motherland, their native language and their faith.

President Sargsyan spoke also about regional developments,
particularly the current stage of the NK peace process.

Concluding his two-day official visit to the Republic of Latvia,
President Sargsyan returned today to Yerevan.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
March 12 2011

Armenian State Revenue Committee cracks down illegal business?

March 12, 2011 | 16:13

Officers of the State Revenue Committee found an illegal soft drink
production shop in the Shengavit community, Yerevan.

The Committee’s press service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the
Yerevan resident Ernest Mamikonyan was running the illegal business.
Experts are estimating the damage caused to the state.

Also, in the Nor Nork community of Yerevan, State Revenue Committee
officers found a shop that was not officially registered at the
taxation service. Arkady Hovhannisyan was illegally trading in
agricultural produce at the shop. Experts are estimating the damage
caused to the state.

From: A. Papazian

ARF Armenian Cause Office proclaimed 2011 a year of support to the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic

PARIS, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: Paris office of the ARF Armenian Cause
has proclaimed 2011 a year of support to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of independence of Artsakh.
Director of the office Hrach Varzhapetyan told Armenpress that a
number of events will be organized within its framework, the main of
which will be held May 15.

`A big gathering dedicated to the support of the NKR national army
will be held in Paris, in which Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan will
participate in all appearances,’ Mr. Varzhahpetyan noted, adding that
the core significance of the gathering is that such a courageous theme
has been chosen for the first time. `This is very important, that
Artsakh relies on the own strength, army and the support to the letter
is very valuable,’ Mr. Varzhapetyan stressed.

According to him, within the framework of the year – in April, a round
table-discussion is intended to conduct. `The discussion, in which
both Armenian and French public and political figures participate, has
a goal to reveal the means by which we can reach the international
recognition of the independence of the NKR,’ the director of the
office noted.

Mr. Varzhapetyan said that the Armenian community of France actively
follows the negotiation process of the NK conflict solution,
especially that France is a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk
group. According to him, the latter displays quite serious and
watchful policy toward the conflict. In Mr. Varzhapetyan’s opinion, a
distinct progress will be registered in the negotiation process by the
time when the main party – Artsakh, will be invited at the table of
negotiations.

`The day when the Artsakh leadership has its representative in the
negotiation process, a serious progress will start in the sense of
improvement and solution of the issue. And sooner the international
community accepts Artsakh as a negotiating party, the larger the
opportunity of providing a solution will be,’ Mr. Varzhapetyan said.

As for the war rhetoric frequently voiced by Azerbaijan, the director
of the office noted that they are for the inner threat and are typical
only to a losing party. `And if there is a serious speech about war,
Artsakh will win, for it has its army. And the Armenian armed forces
are ready to worthily defend their border,’ Mr. Varzhapetyan said,
adding that big states distinctly note that the issue must be solved
within the framework of the OSCE, and the efforts of Azerbaijan to
move it to other instances are in vain and are a waste of time.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
March 12 2011

Armenian President promises changes for the better

March 12, 2011 | 20:22

The Armenian police, customs, taxation and judicial systems will
undergo new reforms, Armenian President Serzh Sargyan told
journalists. `The ultimate result of the reforms will be that the
people will be able to decide on which political force they will vote
for. I am sure the changes for the better in our country will be long,
and we will have a democratic country as a result of development,’ the
Armenian leader said.

Reforms are always painful. `Any political force seeks to capitalize
on problems, but we will be determined to achieve our aim,’ the
Armenian leader said.

He pointed out that pension reforms will save billions of drams, which
will be used under other social programs.

From: A. Papazian

NKR Foreign and Defense Ministries: Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani
official propaganda doesn’t disdain any methods, even cashing in on
children’s life and death

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: The Azerbaijani official propaganda
continues aggravating the situation on the occasion of the Azerbaijani
boy’s death in the frontier village of Orta Karvend, intensively
spreading false accusations against the Karabakh party, says the joint
statement of the Nagorno Karabakhi Ministries of Foreign Affairs and
Defense. Careful investigation of the case can discover some facts
testifying to the fabricated accusations of official Baku.

The statement says that during the March 10 monitoring conducted by
the OSCE Mission in the noted place, the Karabakh party drew the
attention of the monitoring group to the following facts:

1. The distance between the front positions of the NKR Defense Army
and the village of Orta Karvend makes 1400-1500 meters, i.e. to hit a
man with adjusted fire from a SVD sniper rifle is impossible in this
case;
2. The relief of the noted section doesn’t allow adjusted firing from
the positions of the NKR Defense Army towards the opponent, as the
latter has height privileges;
3. According to reliable sources, for more accurate firing at the NKR
Defense Army’s positions from Orta Karvend, the Azerbaijani soldiers
climb the houses’ roofs. The very houses, in the yards of which `boys
play’;
4. In the frontier villages, people usually settle in the middle or
back, i.e. the safer area of the settlement and not in its front
section. And according to the Azerbaijani mass media information,
everything is just the contrary in Orta Karvend, and the yards, where
‘children play’, are, for some reason, situated as close to the front
line as possible;
5. Even if the child was killed by firing, still it should be
established who and from what side fired. It isn’t excluded that Fariz
Badalov could be a victim of firing by the Azerbaijani pointsmen
between the villages of Orta Karvend and Shykhlar.
6. It isn’t excluded either that the boy could have perished as a
result of careless handling of unexploded ammunition, which often
happens in the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict zone, on both sides of
the contact-line.
7. If the shot was not fired straightly at the target, but up
on-the-mitre, so the bullet, shot from a simple gun, could not fly so
far. High calibre machineguns can fire at such a distance. But,
according to the Azerbaijani mass media information, the child died on
the way to the hospital. If the shot had been fired from a high
calibre gun, so it would have merely smashed the child’s head.
`Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani official propaganda doesn’t disdain
any methods, even cashing in on children’s life and death. The
Armenian parties are strangers to fascist methods used by Azerbaijan –
killing children, asleep men, and hostages, making subversives and
terrorists national heroes, and others,’ the statement runs.

Every time, after the Presidents’ meetings or before a visit of the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen to the region, the Azerbaijani propaganda
machine increases the tension on the contact-line. Another example was
the March 10 death of 19-year-old soldier of the NKR Defense Army
Arthur Aghababian as a result of the firing from the Azerbaijani side.
The incident took place almost immediately after the OSCE monitoring
of the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces’ contact-line. This is rough
violation of the agreements on confidence building measures achieved
on March 5 in Sochi as a result of the Armenian, Russian, and
Azerbaijani Presidents’ meeting. While, on the initiative of the
Armenian parties, the mediators once again offer drawing off snipers
from the front line, official Baku doesn’t only block this initiative,
but also intensifies the sniper war and with its provocative actions
reduces to zero the efforts of the international community on peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

`The international community must strictly condemn similar actions of
the Azerbaijani leadership and apply corresponding sanctions against
it,’ the statement concluded.

From: A. Papazian

Los Angeles Times
March 12 2011

Martin Marootian dies at 95; lead plaintiff in suit over Armenian
genocide victims’ insurance policies

The retired pharmacist joined a legal battle in 1999 to force New York
Life to honor policies bought by over 2,000 people, most of whom died
in the genocide. The company settled for $20 million.

By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times
March 12, 2011

Martin Marootian, a retired pharmacist who stood up for Armenian
genocide victims as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that resulted in a
$20-million settlement from New York Life Insurance Co. for failing to
honor claims on policies sold to thousands of Armenians slain during
the last years of the Ottoman Empire, has died. He was 95.

Marootian died Feb. 25 of natural causes at his home in San Diego,
said his daughter, Andrea.

In 1999 Marootian joined a legal battle to force New York Life to
honor policies purchased by more than 2,000 Armenians, most of whom
perished in what some historians have described as the first genocide
of the 20th century. From 1915 to 1923, an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians died at the hands of the Turks, who ruled the Ottoman Empire
until its dissolution after World War I. Many of the Armenians were
executed and others died on forced marches into the desert.

The cause of their deaths has long been disputed by the Turkish
government, which has maintained that the Armenians were casualties of
war, not targets of persecution.

Some Armenians, including Marootian, saw the battle with New York Life
as an opportunity to win some official acknowledgement of the
suffering of genocide victims and their heirs.

Marootian “was not interested in … money but in the restitution of
Armenian history,” said Vartkes Yeghiayan, the Glendale attorney who
spearheaded the lawsuit. “He was one of my heroes.”

Born in New York on Oct. 19, 1915, Marootian grew up in Connecticut
and Rhode Island. He worked as a bartender to pay his way through the
Connecticut School of Pharmacy and graduated in 1939. During World War
II he served with an army medical unit in the South Pacific.

After the war he married Seda Garapedian, and in 1955 they settled in
Pasadena. Over the next several decades he worked at pharmacies in
Pasadena and Glendale. He and his wife lived in La Cañada Flintridge
for more than 35 years, until Seda’s death in 2007.

Marootian was a student of Armenian history who took part in annual
commemorations of genocide victims. He treasured a 1905 family
portrait of 11 relatives that included his uncle, Setrak Cheytanian,
who in 1910 purchased a policy with New York Life. Of the 11, the only
two who survived the massacre were his mother, Yegsa, and his older
sister, Alice.

His mother died in 1982. Part of her legacy was an old shoebox
containing the original copy of her brother Setrak’s New York Life
policy, all the premium payment stubs and her correspondence with the
insurance company dating to the 1920s that documented her repeated
attempts to collect on the policy.

The company said that it had paid benefits to the heirs of a third of
the purchasers of 3,600 policies it had sold to Armenians from 1890 to
1915 but that it had been unable to locate the beneficiaries of the
other 2,400 policyholders who died. When contacted by potential
beneficiaries, company officials asked them to produce certification
from the Armenian Church in Turkey that they were the rightful heirs.
Marootian recalled in a 2005 Sacramento Bee story that it took his
family more than 30 years to obtain the church certificate “and New
York Life still stonewalled us.”

In 1995, Marootian’s sister read in an Armenian newspaper of attorney
Yeghiayan’s efforts to locate beneficiaries. Of the hundreds who
responded to the story, she was the only one who had the original
policy. She agreed to become the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit but
died before it could be filed. Her children were about to throw out
the shoebox when Marootian, recognizing the importance of its
contents, stepped in.

The next several years were arduous. Marootian testified before the
California Legislature, which was persuaded to pass a law extending
the statute of limitations on such claims. Then approaching 90, the
retiree was deposed for four days by New York Life attorneys. At one
point, the company offered to settle with Marootian alone, but he
refused, saying he wanted restitution for all the other Armenians
whose claims were outstanding.

In 2004, the company agreed to pay $20 million to settle the lawsuit.
According to Yeghiayan, it was Marootian’s idea for the settlement to
include $3 million in charitable donations to Armenian civic
organizations that had helped refugees after the mass killings
started.

Yeghiayan credits Marootian with “opening the floodgates” to
compensation for thousands of heirs of genocide victims. To date,
insurance companies in the U.S., France and Greece have agreed to
settlements totaling $52 million.

Some Armenian community members complained that the money awarded was
insufficient, but Marootian was satisfied that a point had been made.
“I’d like the word to get around that there was a genocide,” he told
The Times in 2001. “These people didn’t die in nice white beds.”

In addition to his daughter Andrea, Marootian leaves another daughter,
Vanessa Backer, a grandson and two sisters.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on March 26 at St. Gregory
Armenian Church, 2215 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

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From: A. Papazian

Expert: Muslimization of Javakhq ongoing

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: The Muslimization of Javakhq can be a
serious challenge for the Armenian side, expert Vahe Sargsyan said
speaking today to reporters. He said the Muslim element is dynamically
developing in Georgia: if before the soviet period it was spoken about
20-25 thousand Muslim groups, after the collapse of the USSR the
Muslim mass in Kwemo-Kartli has reached 350-400 thousand. Previously
there were four Azerbaijani villages in the region of Tsalka, near
Javakhq, now their number reaches 7.

During the recent year Georgia is implementing policy of reduction of
Muslim mass, but, the expert says, it does not mean that the Armenian
side must be calm. He said Javakhq region is of great interest not
only for Turkey and Azerbaijan but for many other countries of the
world. Sargsyan said that during the recent years the Turkish and
Azerbaijani parties are acting intensively: Turkey is making
investments in construction of hydro power plants and Azerbaijan in
road construction.

`The Javakhq Armenians are concerned with the return of meskheti
Turks. It means that among a number of factors another appears. The
Armenian side must be active,’ the expert said.

The speaker said Armenia must make investments in Javakhq. He said it
is not only an economic issue, it is of moral-psychological
significance for the local Armenians.

Javakhqi expert Ghevond Mkrthcyan said Armenia’s intensive activity is
of extreme importance for Armenia. `Javakhq is of strategic importance
for Armenia and everything possible must be done to keep it back from
Muslimization. The Azerbaijani side is undertaking noticeable steps
for reinforcing its presence in Javakhq,’ he said.

From: A. Papazian

Hayk Harutyunyan: Renovation of Byurakan Observatory to contribute to
development of scientific tourism

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: Byurakan Observatory is the important
part of the scientific tourism of Armenia, and the scientific tourism
requires energy, effort, investments and a creation of some
conditions, Director of Byurakan Observatory Hayk Harutyunyan told
Armenpress, adding that more literate approach with up-to-date
equipments is necessary in order visitors come both for pleasure and
gaining knowledge. Investments are necessary for it.

`We have unique tools in the region; a large telescope (1000 km), as
well as a telescope (1m) which is in the range of the best 5 in its
kind in the world. But the equipments need updating,’ the director of
the observatory said, reminding that it is a long time there has been
no updating in the observatory.

Referring to the visits, Mr. Harutyunyan noted that tourists and local
visitors are hosted with great pleasure. Schoolchildren prevail among
them.

According to Mr. Harutyunyan, he will be glad to work with an
interested investor for purpose of improving the conditions, which
will be quite an efficient cooperation and will contribute to
development of the sphere of tourism.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
March 12 2011

Armenian President says Sochi meeting significant one

March 12, 2011 | 18:15

Meeting between Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani presidents can be
considered a significant one, president Serzh Sargsyan told the
journalists.

`The Karabakh conflict is connected with all problems as it is one of
the most important issues. The Sochi meeting can be considered a
significant one. There is a precise basis for negotiations and
short-term arrangements,’ he said, adding long-term talks will
definitely continue. According to the Armenian leader, in Sochi they
determined the way to move forward. In a short-term perspective
arrangements should focus on maintaining of ceasefire regime, he said.
`It is like an indicator showing how the sides are implementing the
arrangements. The situation can become tensed within short period of
time, while peace process and easing of tension is a long process. We
should try to manage to relieve tension and, if we can, achieve our
goals,’ he stressed.

Serzh Sargsyan noted the co-chairs have a good opportunity to carry
out investigation into the incidents in the line of contact which
preceded the talks and followed them, as well as present an unbiased
report on developments. `We are ready to fulfill our commitments. Time
has come for the presidents to give a precise response how they are
using current stage of negotiations. What is their goal: to achieve
success or move to hostilities under the mask of talks,’ the Armenian
leader said, adding the Sochi meeting differed from others. `There is
a document we are working at and a long-term process, and there are
short-term arrangements we must implement,’ he concluded.

From: A. Papazian