Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MAY BOYCOTT ASTANA SUMMIT

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

No sensational document on Nagorno-Karabakh will be signed at the
OSCE Summit in Astana, Hamlet Harutyunyan, a member of the Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA) parliamentary faction, told journalists Nov. 25.

According to him, a document on humanitarian cooperation is most
likely to be signed in Astana.

As to the possibility of the Armenian President’s boycotting the
Astana Summit, which was the case with the Lisbon Summit, he said:
“If we make sure any anti-Armenian activities may take place there,
he will not go. I think, however, the Armenian President will go
to Astana.”

As regards the comments on Serzh Sargsyan’s not participating in the
Lisbon Summit, Harutyunyan said that the Armenian President’s demarches
are well-grounded and will not thwart the negotiating process. He
also pointed out that the Armenian leader decided against going to
Lisbon after consulting the National Security Council.

From: A. Papazian

MEETING IN NA STANDING COMMITTEE ON EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

National Assembly of RA
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

On November 24 The Chairperson of the NA Standing Committee on
European Integration Naira Zohrabyan received the first Secretary of
the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Mrs Simone Schutze and
the scholarship holder of the International Parliamentary Scholarships
(IPS).

During the meeting Mrs Zohrabyan emphasized the relation between
the Armenian Parliament and Bundestag of Germany, noting that
Armenian-German inter-parliamentary relations were rather dynamic and
were actively developing. According to the Committee Chairperson, as
the European integration is one of the foreign priorities of Armenia,
the experience of Bundestag having democratic old traditions is
instructive for the National Assembly of Armenia. This programme gives
opportunity to the Armenian students and youth to use in practice their
experience, which they have in the Bundestag of Germany, in different
departments of Armenia. Mrs Zohrabyan said that she discussed the
issue of the former and this year’s selected scholarship holders
to have educational practice in the National Assembly with the NA
Speaker, and in future the scholarship holders would have opportunity
to more thoroughly get acquainted with the activities and happenings
of the National Assembly of Armenia. She also expressed hope that the
scholarship holders passing their experience in Germany would also
actively cooperate with Lepsius German-Armenian Research Center in
Potsdam. By the way, emphasizing the issue of the scholarship holders
Mrs Zohrabyan noted that from the independence more than 1300 Armenian
citizens received scholarships from the German Academic Exchange
Service, which, according to Naira Zohrabyan, is appreciable. The
Committee Chairperson noted that all the proposals concerning the
programme would be submitted to the NA Speaker.

During the meeting other issues were also discussed.

From: A. Papazian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH MAY JOIN ARMENIA?

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

34% of the 1,650 respondents involved in a poll conducted by
the Sociometer NGO said that Armenian-Turkish reconciliation is a
“positive rather than negative” process.

Only 6.9% of the respondents welcomed the process, and 30% said it
is “a negative rather than positive” process. Also, 24.8% of the
respondents are unequivocally against it.

On the other hand, 55.5% of the respondents welcomed the
Armenian-Russian agreement on longer-term Russian military presence
in Armenia. Only 1.6% of the respondents are strongly against it.

37% of the respondents believe the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict zone will be maintained, 23.3% believe the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR) will be internationally recognized without any
territorial losses. Moreover, 15% are even more optimistic – they
believe the NKR will join Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

IRAQI PRESIDENT INVITES ARMENIAN LEADER TO BAGHDAD

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

Armenian Ambassador to Iraq Murad Muradyan presented his credentials
to President Jalal Talabani.

In the course of the meeting, Talabani stressed importance of opening
of Iraqi embassy in Yerevan, especially taking into account the fact
that many Iraqi citizens of the Armenian origin presently reside
in Armenia.

In his turn Murad Muradyan conveyed President Sargsyan’s invitation
to visit Armenia. The Ambassador pointed out friendly relations
between two states, noting that centuries-long presence of Armenians
in Iraq creates good basis for further intensification of bilateral
cooperation. Talabani invited Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan to
visit Iraq.

From: A. Papazian

MASSIVE FIRE IN CENTRAL YEREVAN: SIX PRIVATE HOMES ALREADY BURNED (PHOTO, VIDEO)

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

November 24 around 22:30 local time, fire in the center of Yerevan
on Mashtots Avenue a fire accured under unknown circumstances.

According NEWS.am photojournalist Gagik Shamshian, the employees of
Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia led
by head of service Vachik Nikogosian, as well as firefighters arived
at the scene. There are 8-9 fire engines. Arrived on the mayor of
Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan and Metropolitan Police chief Nerses Nazarian,
head of the central police station, Ashot Karapetyan, head of traffic
police in Yerevan Arsene Arshakyan set of traffic police in Armenia,
as well as employees of emergency service are the scene as well.

According to preliminary reports, no casualties.

From: A. Papazian

SIDES NOT TO SEE KARABAKH MISSION REPORT UNTIL NEXT YEAR

news.az
Nov 25 2010
Azerbaijan

OSCE A report by an OSCE-led field assessment mission to the occupied
areas around Karabakh will not be submitted to the conflict parties
until 2011.

Bernard Fassier, French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating
a settlement to the conflict, told journalists in Baku the report
would be submitted to Armenia and Azerbaijan early next year.

He dismissed Armenian media reports that the assessment mission’s
report had already been submitted to the sides, APA news agency said.

The field assessment mission visited the occupied territories
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh on 7-13 October.

While the OSCE mediators visit Nagorno-Karabakh quite often, the
occupied Azerbaijani territory around Karabakh is rarely visited by
international representatives.

Bernard Fassier arrived in Baku today accompanied by his fellow Minsk
Group co-chairs, Igor Popov of Russia and Robert Bradtke of the USA.

They are to hold talks on Friday with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

The visit comes just ahead of the OSCE summit in the Kazakh capital,
Astana.

From: A. Papazian

COVER-UP ALLEGED IN PROBE OF ARMY DEATH
Irina Hovannisian

RFE/RL
25.11.2010

Armenia – Soldiers and tanks lined up for a military exercise, undated.

Military authorities in Armenia faced allegations of cover-up
on Thursday after it emerged that two army soldiers arrested in
connection with last week’s fatal shooting of a fellow conscript have
been charged with negligence, rather than murder.

Junior Sergeant Robert Avetisian was found riddled with bullets early
November 18 at his military base in northeastern Armenia in still
unclear circumstances.

Military investigators promptly opened a criminal case on the
non-combat death under a under an article of the Criminal Code dealing
with premeditated murder. The two other soldiers were detained in
the following days.

The Defense Ministry’s Investigative Department holding the probe
announced on Thursday that they have been formally charged with
negligent conduct that violated the Armenian military’s rules
governing sentry duty. An official at the department told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service that they both were on such duty on the night of
Avetisian’s death.

The official would not be drawn on why the investigators think they
shot the 23-year-old university graduate. The accusation leveled
against the arrested soldiers carries up to four years in prison.

Speaking to RFE/RL, Avetisian’s relatives dismissed the official
theory. “I absolutely do not agree with that theory because my boy
was deliberately murdered,” said his father, Gurgen Avetisian.

Both Gurgen Avetisian and his brother stressed that according to
military officials, Robert was gunned down shortly after walking out
of his unit’s infirmary, where he spent the last days of his life
recovering from an illness.

“A mature person who has graduated from a university and already
served in the army for more than a year would not have left the
medical room at 1 o’clock in the morning without a serious reason,”
argued Robert’s uncle. “There must have been a serious reason. Let
them investigate that.”

Artur Sakunts, a human rights campaigner monitoring army crime,
echoed their arguments and suggested that the military authorities
are not intent on solving the murder. He noted that none of the
unit’s commanders is facing prosecution. “This seems to be a form of
cover-up,” Sakunts told RFE/RL.

From: A. Papazian

AZG: GEORGIA IS AFRAID OF ARMENIAN SPIRITUAL LEADER’S VISIT TO JAVAKHK

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

“In all likelihood, the visit of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin
II to Georgia will be cancelled. The reason is Armenian spiritual
leader’s decision to visit Javakhk,” Azg daily writes.

The visit of Catholicos to Georgia in mid November has been put off
as Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II needed rehabilitation after
treatment. However, the Georgian side’s arguments are not at all
convincing: if the patriarch is unhealthy, Karekin II may visit
Javakhk without his escort.

It became clear Georgian Patriarch is not healthy to receive Catholicos
of All Armenians, whereas he was in good condition to visit Gori
and Achi.

According to the daily, since 1894 no Armenian Catholicos has visited
Javakhk.

Meanwhile, local residents look forward to Armenian spiritual leader’s
visit to Javakhk after breaking with a ten-year tradition not to go
to church.

From: A. Papazian

PHOTO EXHIBITION “UNCONVENTIONAL” TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

On November 17, a photo exhibition “Unconventional” by famous Armenian
photograph Hayk Senekerimyan will be held in Lovers’ Park in Yerevan.

The slogan of the photo exhibition is “Quality is the crown of each
business”. Photographs of Armenian actor Sos Sargsyan, chess player
Tigran Petrosyan, rock group Dorians, TV host Avet Barseghyan and
others will be exhibited.

The exhibition is organized by Armenian Council of Photography. The
organizers of the exhibition urge to maintain quality in any sphere,
be it art, craft or any other field.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT APPRECIATES TURKMENINSTAN’S NEUTRAL STANCE ON KARABAKH ISSUE

news.am
Nov 25 2010
Armenia

Armenian President Serzh Sarsgyan expressed his gratitude to his
Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow for Turkmenistan’s
neutral position on Karabakh conflict.

Serzh Sargsyan stressed Armenia views solution of crisis and conflicts
exclusively by peaceful means, based on rules and principles of
international law, RIA Novosti reports.

Turkmenistan’s neutral stance on Karabakh issue and calls to resolve
conflicts peacefully enabled the country to maintain friendly relations
both with Armenia and Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian