Author: Andres-Papazian

BUDGET DRAFT OF THE NEXT YEAR – ON THE AGENDA OF THE PARLIAMENT SITTING

National Assembly of RA
parliament.am
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

Opening the parliament sitting of November 17 the Speaker of the
National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan in the name of the legislators
congratulated the students on their International Day, wishing
success. We~Rll also note that the students of Yerevan School 119
Senior School visited the parliament this time to attend the sitting
and to get acquainted with the activities of the National Assembly.

Afterwards, the parliament by voting adopted the draft law on
amendments to the law on Human Rights Defender and turned to other
agenda issues. In particular, the debate of the report of the Control
Chamber ended. The Chairman of the Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan
in his final speech thanked the deputies for concerning debates.

Ishkhan Zakaryan also presented to the deputies~R assessment the
annual programme of 2011 activities of the Control Chamber, touching
upon the principles laid on the basis of the document.

The Chairman of the Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gagik
Minasyan presented the endorsement on the programme and noted that
it completely complied with the letter and spirit of the law. The
Committee Chairman also noted that the targets of checking were rather
thoroughly described, which would keep those who checked and those
to be checked within the framework of law.

After debating the draft law 2011 State Budget of the Republic
of Armenia in NA Standing Committees it was also presented in the
plenary sitting. RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan submitted to the
parliament the strategic priorities of the main financial documents
for the coming year.

Thanking for the concerning and constructive debates the Prime Minister
noted that the executive body would express its position in the final
version of the draft budget in the brief written document.

The Finance Minister characterized the 2011 budget balanced.

12 deputies were registered for addressing questions to the Minister.

The debate of the issue will continue at November 18 sitting.

At the last hour of the third day of the four-day sittings, according
to NA Rules of Procedure, the members of the government answered the
deputies~R questions.

From: A. Papazian

IRANIAN LEADER VS. EXTERNAL FORCES’ INTERFERENCE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

news.am
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be solved if the external pressure
on the South Caucasus region is stopped, Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad told a press conference in Baku.

“Iran hopes that the Nagorno-Karabakh problem will be resolved
peacefully,” Ahmadinejad said.

According to him, Iran welcomes the efforts of both sides in the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully and in
accordance with international law, Trend News reports.

As NEWS.am reported perilously, Iran has repeatedly expressed his
readiness to act as a mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan to
resolve Karabakh conflict.

From: A. Papazian

‘NO CHANGES EXPECTED IN STATUS QUO IN KARABAKH CONFLICT’

news.az
Nov 18 2010
Azerbaijan

‘No changes should be expected in established status quo in the
Karabakh conflict at the summit of heads of the OSCE states in Astana’,
said expert.

‘Unfortunately, it is difficult to expect serious changes since no
party is ready for a radical review of its positions. And when they
are mutually excluding it is difficult to hope for any achievements.

The only thing that can be said here is that at the summit in Astana
everyone will call on the parties to reject the military attempts
to settle the conflict and urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to renew
economic cooperation and to ensure the security of strategically
important facilities, as the Metsamor nuclear power station. However,
no changes should be expected in status quo’, said professor of the
University of Tennessey, political scientist Andrei Korobkov.

He said the Karabakh conflict is not the only conflict of its kind.

‘We have seen the attempts to settle similar conflicts through war
in the past years. But these attempts did not promote the conflict
settlement and just created new problems. Therefore, it is important
for the parties to the Karabakh conflict not to allow the resumption of
hostilities since it will have a negative impact on the whole region’,
said Korobkov.

The summit of the heads of the OSCE states will be held in Astana
(Kazakhstan) on December 1-2 of this year.

From: A. Papazian

OIC POSITION ON KARABAKH TO BE DISCUSSED IN UN

news.az
Nov 18 2010
Azerbaijan

OIC position on Nagorno-Karabakh has been added to draft resolution.

The position of the Organization of the Islamic Conference on
Nagorno-Karabakh has been added to the draft resolution on Azerbaijan
named ‘The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ which
will be discussed on December 13th at the UN General Assembly session.

The OIC opinion on Karabakh was raised by the Permanent Representative
of Tajikistan to the UN who, as a chair of the OIC Conference Group in
New York, recently addressed the UN Secretary-General and the President
of the Security Council asking them to take into consideration the
Dushanbe Declaration of the 37th session of the Council of Foreign
Ministers of the OIC, held in May 2010.

‘We condemn the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and call
for the resolution of the conflict on the basis of respect for the
territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally
recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan’, says the
Ambassador’s letter.

According to the declaration, the OIC, as the second largest
intergovernmental organization after the United Nations, should play
a key role in strengthening mutual coordination and cooperation to
confront the challenges and threats facing the Islamic countries.

The UN News Center representative also said that, another draft
resolution connected with Azerbaijan – ‘Protracted conflicts in the
GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security
and development’ will also be discussed on December 13th, on the same
day with ‘The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’.

From: A. Papazian

NO BRAWL BETWEEN ARMENIANS, AZERIS IN TABRIZ

news.am
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

The information on a mass brawl between Armenians and Azerbaijanis
is false, Tigran Balayan, Spokesman for the RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, told NEWS.am. The Armenian Embassy in Iran refuted the
information, he said. “No such incident occurred in Tabriz on November
17,” he said.

Earlier, a number Azeri media outlets reported a brawl during a
ceremony on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of Sattar Khan’s
death, in Tabriz. Azeris were allegedly crying out “Karabakh or
death!”, “Long live Azerbaijan!”, “We will destroy Armenia!” High
words developed into a brawl, and law-enforcers had to interfere.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA, IRAN TO MARK 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN PRINTING

news.am
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran has organized
the roundtable ~SRole of book in bringing nations together~T s part
of the Book Week in the country. Publishers, workers of culture and
foreign diplomats participated in the discussions.

The press service of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that
RA Ambassador to Iran Grigor Arakelyan made a speech, addressing the
role of books in Armenia and Armenian communities worldwide.

Speaking of UNESCO~Rs decision to declare Yerevan a capital of the book
in 2012, Ambassador Arakelyan told the history of Armenian printing.

He pointed out that the 500th anniversary of Armenian printing will
be marked not only in Armenia, but also throughout the Diaspora.

The first book was printed in the Near East 400 years ago, in New Juga
(a city in Iran with a large Armenian community).

Ambassador Arakelyan proposed jointly preparing cultural programs
for the Iranian people to be informed of Armenians~R spiritual values
and holding cultural events in Yerevan and Tehran.

From: A. Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN MEETS ARMENIAN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FIGURES IN MOSCOW

Panorama
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting in Armenian Embassy
to Moscow with Armenian social and cultural figures of Russia,
Panorama.am reporter tells from Moscow.

During the meeting President~Rs decrees to award actor Armen
Djigarkhanyan with Medal of Honor, journalist Margaret Simonyan with
Movses Khorenatsi medal and sculptor Michael Sogomonyan with title
of Honored Artist were handed.

From: A. Papazian

‘KARABAKH CONFLICT HARD TO SOLVE’

news.az
Nov 18 2010
Azerbaijan

Vyacheslav Nikonov ‘Karabakh conflict is among the conflicts which
are hard to solve.

By my estimates, there are 34 conflicts of this kind in the world.

These are the conflicts which have no rapid and unambiguous solution’,
said executive director of the Russian world foundation, president
of the Politika foundation, political scientist Vyacheslav Nikonov.

The political scientist does not expect a breakthrough in the
resolution of the conflict conflict and at the summit in Astana.

‘I do not imagine the documents which can be signed there. The
matter is that it is very difficult to settle the conflict when it
is difficult to find the resolution which can be suitable for both
parties’, Nikonov said.

From: A. Papazian

SEVERAL SUSPECTS OF ARMENIAN CRIMINAL NETWORK ARRESTED IN LOS ANGELES

news.am
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

U.S. authorities say they have arrested several suspected members of
the Armenian criminal network believed to have worked with inmates
to orchestrate a riot at a Los Angeles County jail, Associated Press
reports.

Sheriff~Rs spokesman Steve Whitmore told The Associated Press that
about a half-dozen suspects of the Armenian criminal group were
arrested on Wednesday.

According to him, the gang is increasingly teaming up with the Mexican
Mafia, a prison-based Latino gang that also controls gang activity
on the streets, the source says.

Several inmates were injured in Aug. 22 riot at a Castaic facility
north of Los Angeles, which resulted in $250,000 in damage.

From: A. Papazian

AZERI SPIES IN ARMENIA?

news.am
Nov 18 2010
Armenia

It is the fifth day that the residents of Yeghegnadzor and Vaik have
been filled with terror of Azeri spies who allegedly crossed the
border, the Hraparak newspaper reads. According to some information,
there are three of them, while others say they are seven spies.

Citizens say the Azeri spies must have crossed the border from
Nakhichevan. They spent several days in Yeghegnadzor. They spoke
excellent Armenian, which is natural ~V they are spies, are they not?

The locals told that three people were arrested on November 14. ~SOn
November 17, we called the National Security Service to find out what
had happened. The press secretary told us that there were no spies,
but it was training,~T the newspaper writes.

According to the reliable information at the newspaper~Rs disposal,
military police for several days has been searching all the cars
along the way to Vaik and Jermuk. However, the strange behavior of
the press secretary of the RA National Security Service, as well as
military police officers and panicky local residents, arouse doubts
that it was training.

From: A. Papazian