BOMB ALERT AT BUILDING OF PUBLIC REVENUE COMMITTEE
Aysor
July 22 2010
Armenia
Armenian police on Thursday ordered the emergency evacuation of the
building of the Public Revenue Committee of Armenia after receiving
a bomb alert by telephone.
Police officials received a call about a bomb placed at the building of
the Public Revenue Committee of Armenia. Currently, sappers are looking
for a bomb; all people are evacuated; search activities are going on.
From: A. Papazian
YANUKOVYCH APPOINTS AMBASSADORS TO DENMARK AND ARMENIA
Kyiv Post
July 22 2010
Ukraine
Yesterday at 11:57 | Interfax-Ukraine Ukrainian President Viktor
Yanukovych has appointed ambassadors to Denmark and Armenia, the
president’s press service reported on Thursday.
According to an order No. 777/2010, Ivan Kukhta becomes Ambassador of
Ukraine to Armenia. Under the second order, No. 779/2010, the president
appointed Mykhailo Skuratovsky Ambassador of Ukraine to Denmark.
Kukhta headed the consulate department of the Embassy of Ukraine in
Russia in 2006.
Skuratovsky was ambassador of Ukraine to several African states
(South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Namibia).
From: A. Papazian
AZERBAIJANI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE HINDERS CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Aysor
Julu 22 2010
Armenia
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan’s interview to Interfax
caused, to put it mildly, “indignation” among Azerbaijani media.
The cause is simple. Ohanyan touched upon topics of military-political
and military-technical cooperation of Armenia with CSTO, with NATO,
Russia. In his interview the Defense Minister also spoke about the
advantages Armenia has as CSTO member in purchase of armament and
development of military-industrial sphere.
Mr. Ohanyan also criticized the policy of our neighboring state aiming
at violating the military balance in the region and arms race. It was
mentioned that Azerbaijan’s militaristic policy poses a real threat
for regional stability and for the world.
While, Spokesman for Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroglu
interpreting the interview once again accused the Armenian side of
“occupation” of Azerbaijani territories meanwhile mentioning that
the conflict settlement is protracted due to “occupation” policy of
Armenian leadership.
“We consider it necessary to remind the Spokesman for Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry that Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan has
said repeatedly that the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh peaceful
settlement proceed within the framework of OSCE Minsk Group. The
Armenian Defense Minister is well aware of the resolutions on the
settlement adopted by international structures,” Armenian Defense
Ministry report read.
“We once again advise the Spokesman for Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
not to make irresponsible militaristic statements, war threats, not
to aggravate the situation by spreading misinformation. This policy
hinders conflict resolution and establishment of peace in the region,
causes tension on Armenia-Azerbaijan contact line,” the statement read.
The Armenian Defense Ministry also mentioned that if with steps of
the kind Mr. Sabiroglu wants to influence the Armenian side and to
raise Azerbaijani Armed Forces martial spirit, let him pay attention
to the part in S. Ohanyan’s interview where he said that “Azerbaijani
Armed Forces fighting efficiency can never surpass the efficiency
of armed forces of Armenia and NKR. I hope that fact will finally
convince the leadership of our neighboring state that the conflict
peaceful resolution has no alternative.”
“Note that we refute the information spread by Azerbaijani media
that the original interview of Seyran Ohanyan to Interfax was removed
from the website. The interview was placed on the website Interfax –
Military News Agency – and
is on the website at present,” the Armenian Defense Ministry declared.
From: A. Papazian
ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT OFFERS CONDOLENCES TO GABRIELIAN’S FAMILY
Aysor
July 22 2010
Armenia
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan has sent a message of condolence
to the family, friends and colleagues of Academician Emil Gabrielian,
an outstanding scientist, who died at 79 after serious and short-term
illness on July 21 in the U.S.
A spokesperson to the Armenian State Administrations said President
Sargsyan expressed in the message his condolences and deeply sadness
on the death of Emil Gabrielian.
“It was a profound sorrow when I heard about the death of the great
Armenian pharmacist, an active member of the National Academy of
Sciences of Armenia, director of the Science Center for Drug and
Medical Technologies Evaluation and Research of the Ministry of
Health of Armenia, Academician Emil S. Gabrielian,” said in President
Sargsyan’s message.
“True-hearted work of Mr Emil Gabrielian contributed to medical aid
programs delivered to victims of the tragic and deadly earthquake
of 1988.
“Honored person and actor of the sphere of health, Mr. Gabrielian
always contributed to public activities, which aimed to strengthen
our nation and our society,” said in the letter where there were also
mentioned great efforts of late Mr Gabrielian towards development of
the health system and pharmacology, and his research of the effects
of medical regulation of blood circulation.
From: A. Papazian
US CONGRESS HOSTS SCREENING OF A DOCUMENTARY ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Panorama
July 22 2010
Armenia
A hall of the U.S. Congress House of Representatives hosted the
screening of “AGHET: A GENOCIDE,” a powerful documentary by German
filmmaker Eric Friedler depicting 1915 tragic events, Ermenihaber
reported.
California Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) hosted the screening. The
90-minute screening was attended by the former U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans, Rep. Frank Pallone, Rep. Brad Sherman, and
others. The Congressmen addressed speeches condemning Turkish poicy
following the screening. The film is already available in English
and was screened on a number of German channels in April.
From: A. Papazian
HAGUE COURT TO PRONOUNCE JUDGEMENT ON KOSOVO ISSUE TODAY
Aysor
July 22 2010
Armenia
The International Court of Justice in The Hague will pronounce a
judgement today on legality of Kosovo independence proclaimed in 2008.
Representatives of 40 countries will attend the court sitting but the
resolution on legality of independence will depend on 15 countries’
judges, RBK reported.
Nine of the countries involved in the process have already recognized
Kosovo independence, six rejected it. Thus, Kosovo independence was
recognized by Japan, Sierra Leone, Jordan, United States, Germany,
France, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Somali. Russia, Slovakia,
China, Morocco, and Brazil rejected it.
The judgement has no compulsory legal force but it is supposed to be
precedent for other states not recognized de jure.
Thus, according to The Guardian, if the court recognizes Kosovo
independence as legal, Nagorno Karabakh, Northern Cyprus, South
Ossetia, and Transnistria can also make a similar demand.
Note that Kosovo independence was proclaimed on February 17, 2008. 69
countries have recognized it so far.
From: A. Papazian
ARMENIAN HARD DRINKS ‘ARBUN’ AND ‘COGNAC’ LABELED
Aysor
July 22 2010
Armenia
During its session on Thursday, Armenia’s government cast light
on the issue of description of “cognac” and “arbun” in relation to
hard drinks.
Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said that “arbun” will only label the
drinks which are being prepared using the imported alcohol, while
a hard drink fully containing a local-made alcohol will be label
“the Armenian cognac.”
From: A. Papazian
ANCA STATEMENT ON BRYZA’S CONFIRMATION HEARING
asbarez
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Senator Menendez questions Ambassador-designate Bryza.
WASHINGTON-Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director
Aram Hamparian made the following comments after the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee confirmation hearing with US Ambassador Azerbaijan
designate Matthew Bryza.
“Matt Bryza’s testimony unfortunately raised more questions than it
answered, underscoring our longstanding concern that he is not the
right person to represent the United States in Azerbaijan.”
“Today’s hearing shed long overdue sunshine on a number of serious
shortcomings in Mr. Bryza’s diplomatic activities, starting with
his consistent failure to challenge Azerbaijan’s belligerence,
the dramatic under-spending of Congressional allocations for
Nagorno-Karabakh, and including, of course, his unwillingness to
forcefully confront Baku’s video-taped destruction of the Djulfa
Armenian cemetery. In terms of addressing conflict of interest issues,
his responses also fell short. His announcement that his wife, who
professionally advocates on Caspian energy policy and works at the
Hudson Institute, whose supporters include Azerbaijani, Turkish,
and energy corporate interests, has now pledged to steer clear of
State Department policymakers dealing with Azerbaijan is too little,
too late, coming, as it does, ten years into his service in a series
of senior and sensitive posts dealing directly with Baku and the
Caspian energy industry.
“We want to share our special appreciation with Senators Boxer
and Menendez for their continued leadership in ensuring that the
Senate approves a diplomat to Baku who can most effectively advance
US interests and American values in the Caucasus region, and offer
thanks to Chairwoman Shaheen for raising relevant concerns regarding
a possible conflict of interest.”
For a complete review of the ANCA’s concerns
regarding the Bryza nomination, visit:
To watch the complete hearing visit:
From: A. Papazian
AZERBAIJAN CONFIRMS, REJECTS NEW KARABAKH PEACE PLAN
Emil Danielyan
22.07.2010
Azerbaijan — President Ilham Aliyev presides over a Cabinet meeting,
13Jul2010
After repeated denials, Azerbaijan on Thursday confirmed Armenian
claims that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev presented his
Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts with a new plan to end the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at their meeting in Saint Petersburg
last month.
Elkhan Polukhov, a spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry,
was reported to say that the “working proposals,” which have been
essentially welcomed by Yerevan, are unacceptable to Baku. Unlike
Armenian leaders, he claimed that Russia drafted them single-handedly
without consulting with the United States and France, the two other
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.
“Those working proposals were prepared only by one party, and the Minsk
Group format was thus not observed,” Polukhov told the Day.az news
service. “In essence, the proposals that were made in Saint Petersburg
[on June 17] change the whole philosophy of the negotiating process.”
“They thereby cause damage to the work that has been done in the last
six years and to the shaky structure that has been built during those
six years,” he said.
Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian have described Medvedev’s proposals as a “new version” of
the basic principles of the conflict’s resolution which the mediators
had first formally proposed in Madrid in 2007.
Other government figures in Yerevan have claimed that Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev cut short his visit to the Russian city and
ordered his troops to attack a Karabakh Armenian army outpost the
next day to demonstrate his frustration with the latest turn in the
negotiating process.
“Only various approaches were discussed in Saint Petersburg,” Polukhov
said on July 5. He insisted the ongoing peace talks continue to center
on another version of the Madrid principles that was submitted to
the conflicting parties. Azerbaijan claims to have largely accepted it.
The mediating powers have so far declined to explicitly confirm
that what Aliyev and Sarkisian received in Saint Petersburg is the
Minsk Group’s newly modified peace plan. But in a joint statement
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued on Saturday,
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and U.S. Deputy Secretary
of State James Steinberg did praise Medvedev’s efforts to “bridge
the differences between the parties.”
The statement was issued immediately after the apparent collapse of
negotiations between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The mediators had hoped that the talks will
mark decisive progress towards the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani
framework peace accord.
Armenia — President Serzh Sarkisian visits Miasin youth camp,
21Jul2010
Sarkisian said late on Wednesday that the peace process will remain
deadlocked unless Azerbaijan follows Armenia’s example and accepts the
Saint Petersburg proposals as “a basis for negotiations.” “There is
only one question today: Does the Azerbaijani side accept the latest
proposals by the Minsk Group co-chairs or not?” he told members of
an Armenian pro-government youth organization.
“When Azerbaijan says that it accepts, we will continue negotiations.
If it says it doesn’t accept, then we will probably have to look for
other solutions,” he added.
There have been indications that Baku is now unhappy with not only
Russia but the United States and France. In a series of interviews
with Day.az this week, several pro-government members of Azerbaijan’s
parliament have accused all three mediating powers of pro-Armenian
bias.
One of them, Fazail Agamaly, claimed that Baku is now dealing with an
“anti-Azerbaijani coalition” formed by Washington, Moscow and Paris.
“The limit of trust in the Minsk Group co-chairs has long been
exhausted,” he said.
“Despite all their efforts to give their activities a shroud of
objectivity, the co-chairs have adopted an anti-Azerbaijani position,”
charged another lawmaker, Fazil Mustafa. Azerbaijan should therefore
pursue a “tougher policy towards both Armenia and the mediators,”
said Mustafa.
In what may have been a related development, Aliyev on Thursday
bestowed the title of “national hero” on Mubariz Ibrahimov, an
Azerbaijani soldier killed in the June 18-19 firefight with Armenian
forces in northern Karabakh. He also ordered his government to name
a school and a street in Ibrahimov’s native Bilyasuvar district after
the soldier.
Ibrahimov was shot dead in Armenian-controlled territory, a
fact presented by Karabakh and Armenia as further proof that the
fighting, which also left four Armenian soldiers dead, was provoked
by Azerbaijani forces. The Karabakh Armenian military has still not
handed back his body.
From: A. Papazian
ARMENIAN MONEYBAGS ARE READY TO DESTROY ONE MORE PARK IN YEREVAN
ArmInfo
2010-07-22 17:28:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian moneybags are ready to destroy one more park
in Yerevan.
Member of the “We are the Owners of Our City” group Mariam Sukhudyan
says that the park situated between Mashtots Avenue and Saryan Street
may be turned into one more construction site.
“They are planning to build a cafe, a hotel and an underground parking
lot there and are claiming that they are improving the territory. It
has become a “good” tradition to seize green areas under the guise
of improvement,” says Sukhudyan.
She says that earlier the Municipality permitted the construction of
cafes in the Students Garden claiming that the new buildings would
go well with the Viktor Hambartsumyan monument. As a result, they
built monumental concrete structures instead of one-storied cafes
and illegally cut lots of trees so as to clear area for the buildings.
“Our group is ready to fight for saving the park but the local
residents should actively support us. Only by joint effort will we
be able to prevent the park from being turned into a concrete zone,”
says Sukhudyan.
From: A. Papazian