Author: Andres-Papazian

IRAN AND ARMENIA TO SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 13, 2010 – 15:25 AMT 10:25 GMT

Iran and Armenia will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) during Armenian
Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan’s upcoming visit to Tehran.

During the September 9 meeting held between Armenia’s Ambassador
to Tehran Grigor Arakelyan and Iranian Commerce Minister Mehdi
Ghazanfari, the two sides discussed possible ways to boost bilateral
trade cooperation, IRNA reported.

Tehran presented the draft FTA to enhance the two-way transactions
to Yerevan in August 2009, Tehran Times reported.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will pay a visit to Iran
in September, while RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is expected to
arrive there in the second half of October.

From: A. Papazian

WHY DOESN’T PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN SACK CROOKED AND INEPT OFFICIALS?
Edik Baghdasaryan

[ 2010/09/13 | 16:30 ]

This question is frequently posed by various political figures and
players, especially those hailing from the ruling Republican Party.

They just cannot understand how numerous officials, caught with their
hands in the state “cookie jar” or found to be involved in various
nefarious affairs, remain unscathed, working at their old job, often
seen rubbing shoulders with President Sargsyan.

Every time the RoA Control Chamber issues a report or study, you can
bet there are several top officials, including ministers, that should
be sacked, if not brought up on criminal charges as well.

Let’s merely recall the millions squandered recently by the Ministry
of Culture. A portion of the funds has never been recovered and I
believe the government can kiss that money “bye-bye”. Nevertheless
Minister Hasmik Poghosyan continues at her post. Can anyone explain why
President Sargsyan hasn’t dismissed her for such inadequate oversight?

Last week the Prosecutor General’s Office issued a statement that
criminal cases had been initiated against companies responsible for
clean-up work on the shores of Lake Sevan. The work contract was won
by three companies in the normal manner – the deal was fixed from the
start. The companies went too far though and pocketed a chunk of the
money rather than doing the assigned job.

Later, we find out that officials from the Ministry of Nature
Protection signed off on the work reports as if all was going fine.

Another taxpayer rip-off swept under the rug by corrupt officials.

Let’s face it; you don’t actually believe that all this was done
without bribes being handed out

One month ago the chief and his deputy at the Environmental
Inspectorate at this same Ministry were charged with bribe taking.

They’ve been taking bribes for years. This is how it works when
inspectorate employees go around to various places of business making
inspections – palms get greased.

The deputy ministers knew what was going on and, of course, so did the
minister. Naturally, they got their share of the “take”; it couldn’t
be otherwise. During the past months, evidence of illegal logging
and tree cutting in Armenia’s remaining forests has been recorded
and the ministry merely makes a daily note.

What is compelling President Sargsyan from keeping the Nature Minister
in office? Is it that President Sargsyan can’t run the country without
this minister? There is no logical answer to this frequently asked
question.

A possible explanation occurred years ago when Serzh Sargsyan was
Armenia’s Minister of Defense. This reporter was talking with an
army general. We were discussing certain abuses linked to another top
officer, General Yuri Khachaturov. I asked why it was that Minister
Sargsyan didn’t remove Khachaturov for misconduct. The general I was
talking with categorically retorted, “Serzh Sargsyan doesn’t sacrifice
his people.”

Fine; but if that’s the case why should the public suffer? Maybe this
is what President Sargsyan ponders as he walks alone on the shores
of Sevan.

From: A. Papazian

GeoProMining plans to increase gold production to 150,000 ounces a year

YEREVAN, September 10, /ARKA/. Group GeoProMining plans to increase
gold production six times to 150,000 ounces a year, its CEO Roman
Khudoliy told reporters during a visit to Sotk gold mines in
Gegharkunik province.

He said this year the company plans to produce about 25,000 ounces and
after introducing the Albion technology production will increase to
150,000 ounces.

He said the company will also release 180 million Drams to support the
renovation of culture palace in Vardenis. An agreement to that end was
signed by Roman Khudoliy and Gegharkunik governor Never Poghosian.
Vardenis is located near the mines. The total renovation cost is 300
million. Some 130 million Drams will be released by Social Investments
Fund and the remaining portion by the governor’s office and Vardenis
municipality.

GeoProMining Company acquired 100% shares of Sterlite Gold Ltd. from
an international company Vedanta Resources in September 2007. Sterlite
Gold Ltd. was the sole owner of the company AGRC. Now AGRC is renamed
GPM GOLD. GPM GOLD operates Sotk gold deposit and Ararat Gold Recovery
Plant. According to Vladimir Kozlov, GPM Gold CEO, the technical
re-equipment of Ararat gold recovery plant will cost some $45
million.-0-

From: A. Papazian

Khalafyan’s case leaves more mystery as defendant makes another
astonishing statement

11:03 – 11.09.10

Kotayk Court of first instance held on Friday the next-in-turn court
hearing of Vahan Khalafyan’s case.

Vahan Khalafyan had on April 13 been brought to the Charentsavan
police station on suspicion of theft and died on the same day in that
police station.

According to the official version, Khalafyan stabbed himself to death
after he was allegedly subjected to degrading treatment and torture
during the interrogation.

But Khalafyan’s relatives, as well as human rights defenders say he
was killed by the policemen who interrogated him.
Ashot Harutyunyan, former Head of the Department of Criminal
Investigation at the Charentsavan Police and the main defendant in
this case made the next astonishing statement in the courtroom.

Harutyunyan particularly said that Khalafyan’s signature was missing
from the protocol authorizing the police officers to bring him to the
police station because he was already dead at that time.

Earlier Harutyunyan had questioned the version that Khalafyan
committed suicide as the knife he used was in a shelf which could only
be opened from its upper part and required a lot of force.

`This is the second statement that goes in line with the logic that
Khalafyan did not commit suicide but was rather killed,’ human rights
defender Arthur Sakunts told Tert.am.

Ashot Harutyunyan also said that the room was in a mess when he
entered, while it is mentioned in the investigation material that
everything in the room was neatly arranged at that time.

According to Mr Sakunts this detail too attests to the fact that the
investigating body is hiding the real motives and perpetrators of this
crime.

The next court hearing will take place on September 15.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Le Cinema, Canada
Sept 10 2010

Tête de Turc frappe fort
par Martin Gignac

Critique du film Tête de Turc

Film coup de poing, «Tête de Turc» de Pascal Elbé est un drame social
magnifiquement interprété qui ne lésine pas sur l’émotion. Quiconque
s’intéresse de près ou de loin au septième art français passera un
très bon moment de cinéma.

Dans une cité, des adolescents s’en prennent au médecin Simon (Pascal
Elbé) avec une rare violence. Lorsqu’un cocktail Molotov explose sur
sa voiture, cet incident scellera à jamais le sort de son frère
policier Atom (Roschdy Zem), du jeune Bora (Samir Makhlouf), de sa
mère Sibel (Ronit Elkabetz) et d’un monsieur sans histoire (Simon
Abkarian).

Acteur habitué aux seconds rôles («3 amis», «Romaine par moins 30»,
««Les insoumis» et la liste est longue), Pascal Elbé se tourne vers la
réalisation d’une brillante façon. En reprenant les codes du film
choral, le voilà offrir un crochet en plein visage qui laissera peu de
gens indifférents. C’est que son essai s’intéresse à un sujet chaud en
France : la criminalité dans les banlieues. L’injustice fait rage, les
gens se sentent opprimés et la violence ne fait que commencer.

Bien que le sujet ne soit pas nouveau (Mathieu Kassovitz était passé
par là de façon encore plus éclatante dans le culte «La haine»), le
traitement ne manque pas de style. La réalisation est nerveuse,
parsemée d’intrigants flashs visuels et d’une subtile musique de Bruno
Coulais. Le scénario, écrit par le cinéaste lui-même, explore en
profondeur les différents enjeux, tout en livrant de forts dialogues
qui ne lésinent pas sur l’humour. La subtilité n’est pas toujours au
rendez-vous, ce qui n’empêche pas le message de fonctionner
parfaitement. La pauvreté amène à la criminalité, et ces gens, souvent
des immigrés et leurs enfants, sont confrontés au rouleau compresseur
d’une société souvent raciste et intolérante.

Sans jamais trop manipuler son public, le metteur en scène dessine des
personnages forts, campés par des acteurs en pleine possession de
leurs moyens. Comme à son habitude, Roschdy Zem en impose avec son
flegme naturel et son charisme d’enfer, incarnant un policier qui sent
son existence se dérober à lui. Pascal Elbé s’est accordé un beau rôle
qu’il défend avec justesse. C’est également le cas du jeune Samir
Makhlouf qui est confronté à de douloureux cas de conscience, et à
Ronit Eklabetz qui semble toujours parfaite dans tout ce qu’elle
touche. Il n’y a que l’être peu développé que donne vie le bouillant
Simon Abkarian qui ne sert pas à grand-chose, si ce n’est pimenter la
conclusion. Ces différentes figures rappellent la fragilité de l’être
humain, et des liens qu’ils tissent autours d’eux, autant face à leur
famille qu’aux étrangers, des thèmes qui font échos à ceux de James
Gray.

Charge à la fois sociale (sur la communauté) et politique (il est
question de Turcs et d’Arméniens, d’immigration et d’un système qui ne
valorise pas tout le monde) sur les origines, l’identité et la
culture, «Tête de Turc» ne laisse pratiquement aucun répit dans sa
façon de traiter avec urgence une problématique grave. Après son
introduction endiablée, différents destins se croiseront au fil de
situations tendues (comme chez Iñárritu), où l’émotion en apparence si
lointaine se rapproche peu à peu, avant d’exploser au visage du
spectateur et de lui éveiller, du même coup, la conscience.

From: A. Papazian

Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2010

Official statement: OSCE MG Co-Chairs strongly urged all parties to
respect the ceasefire

11 September 2010 [10:25] – Today.Az

OKThe Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of
Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United
States strongly urged all parties to respect the cease-fire, OSCE
Minsk Group’s official statement says.

While all parties reconfirmed their commitment to the 1994 cease-fire,
the Co-Chairs reiterated that it is critical that this commitment is
carried out in practice. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs travelled to
Baku, Yerevan, and Nagorno-Karabakh September 6-9.

On September 8, with the facilitation of the Permanent Representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and the
military authorities of all sides, the Co-Chairs crossed the Line of
Contact (LoC) on foot, en route to Stepanakert/Khankhendi, to
highlight that the LoC is not to become a permanent barrier between
neighboring peoples and to demonstrate to all parties that the
ceasefire of 1994 must be strictly respected. This marked the first
time the mediators have crossed the LoC since November 2001.

The Co-Chairs held discussions with all parties regarding the
previously agreed Field Assessment Mission to the territories
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, which they will conduct between late
September and mid-October. They presented the elements of their
mission, and they will finalize their preparations for the mission in
the nearest future.
The Co-Chairs welcomed the decision by Azerbaijan to postpone
consideration of its resolution in the United Nations General
Assembly. At the same time they reiterated that the OSCE Minsk Group
remains the sole framework for a peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Before they return to the region to carry out the Field Assessment
Mission, the Co-Chairs will travel to Washington, D.C. and then to New
York to work with the sides on the margins of the United Nations
General Assembly, as they had previously announced.

/Trend/

URL:

From: A. Papazian

Xinhua, China
Sept 12 2010

Armenia, NATO conduct disaster-management drills

English.news.cn 2010-09-12 02:24:15 FeedbackPrintRSS

TBILISI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — Armenia and NATO on Saturday started an
exercise to cope with the consequences of natural disasters, according
to reports reaching here.

The joint exercise, codenamed “Armenia 2010,” will last till Thursday
next week and is being conducted in three phases.

The Armenian wire service ArmInfo quoted Armenian military sources as
saying that the three phases are command-and-staff exercise, field
exercise and stock-taking.

A total of 706 military personnel from 29 countries including Armenia
are taking part in the week-long drill.

The exercise began early on Saturday when a magnitude-7.2 earthquake
was presumed to have occurred in a province, killing 12 people and
injuring 17 others. The quake damaged the water supply and sewage
systems, along with the communications, natural gas and electricity
supply systems. The transport system was affected as well. Adding
insult to injury, a chemical plant was affected to release four tons
of chlorine.

Though the Armenian armed forces were called in immediately after the
occurrence of the earthquake, the Armenian government still appealed
to the international community for assistance like rescue specialists
and rescue equipment to complete the joint disaster-management drill.

Editor: yan

From: A. Papazian

The Voice of Russia
Sept 11 2010

Georgia cuts Armenia’s Internet

Georgia has deprived Armenia of its Internet access. The incident was
caused by damage to a fiber optic cable on territory controlled by
Tbilisi. As a result, some Internet users in Armenia have been left
without the possibility of accessing the World Wide Web.

`The problems were recorded in the late afternoon on Saturday. In
particular, the rate of data transmission was significantly decreased
and IP telephony did not work,” a representative of the
telecommunications company Orange-Armenia told Interfax.

The level of Internet services for the republic’s population will be
unstable until the problem is corrected on the territory of Georgia.

From: A. Papazian

news.am, Armenia
Sept 11 2010

Turkey to approve constitutional reforms

September 11, 2010 | 16:15

The Turkish authorities’ constitutional reforms are nothing but an
attempt to strengthen their political positions and determine their
chances in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, the expert in
Turkic studies Artur Hakobyan told NEWS.am.

According to him, the document does not provide for any real reform in
Turkey’s domestic life. The expert stressed that the constitutional
reforms will not influence Turkey’s policy toward Armenia.

Although the Turkish Opposition is against the document, the ruling
party will be able to push it through. `I should stress, however, that
the opposition parties took up a violent struggle against the
document. Kurdish parties are urging their supporters to vote against
the document, as it does not resolve the Kurdish problem. The other
opposition parties believe the document will not bring any real
changes in Turkey’s public and political life. Still others believe
that by adopting the draft reforms Turkey will lose its chance of
adopting a new constitution. The Nationalist Movement Party considered
the document an anti-national one and claims that, if the document is
adopted, Turkey will be divided between Kurds and Armenians and the
Armenian Genocide will be admitted,’ Hakobyan said.

He stressed that the party’s claims are groundless, as the adoption of
the document will by no means contribute to the admission of the
Armenian Genocide to say nothing of Turkey’s division between Kurds
and Armenians.

A constitutional referendum is to be held in Turkey on September 12.

From: A. Papazian

HULIQ.com, SC
Sept 11 2010

Armenia Makes, Will Eat, World’s Biggest Chocolate Bar

Submitted by Michael Santo on 2010-09-11
Hershey’s may in fact be jealous. Armenia on Saturday saw a record
certified by the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s
biggest chocolate bar.

Armenia’s World’s Biggest Chocolate Bar Weighs Nearly 5 Tons
The record for the Armenia’s World’s Biggest Chocolate Bar now sits
officially at 9,702-pounds. That’s nearly five tons. Guinness World
Record’s representative Elizabeth Smith presented the factory owner
Karen Vardanyan with an official certificate during a ceremony today.

Don’t worry, the bar is not about to go to waste. The bar, made by
Grand Candy factory to celebrate its 10th anniversary, will be handed
out in chunks on Oct. 16th, in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, in Republic
Square. The bar is all natural, 70 percent cocoa, and 224 inches long,
110 inches wide and 10 inches thick.

You can see Grand Candy’s website here. For those who want milk
chocolate, you will be disappointed. The Armenian World’s Biggest
Chocolate Bar is reportedly dark chocolate. The previous record was
set in Italy in 2007.

From: A. Papazian