Author: Andres-Papazian

Geology museum to be opened in Karabakh

August 17, 2013 | 17:09

STEPANAKERT. – President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako
Sahakyan on Saturday visited construction site of a geology museum
being built in the town of Shushi.

Bako Sahakyan considered important the existence of a museum in
Karabakh, noting the first in its kind museum in the country should
become an important scientific, educational and tourism center.

The President gave instructions for proper realization of the activities.

On the same day President Sahakyan participated in a concert performed
by pupils of Togh village held in the Shushi State Museum of Fine
Arts.

Stressing the importance of the events the President noted that such
initiatives would help restore Shushi’s glory as a cultural center of
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

Armenia man and woman injured in road accident beat doctors

August 17, 2013 | 12:58

YEREVAN. – Two people were hospitalized as a result of road accident
in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on Saturday morning.

The driver of Mercedes, 28-year-old Vahram Avetisyan, drove into the
oncoming lane and crashed into garbage cans and then into a wall, road
police told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The driver and passenger, 32-year-old citizen of Russia Liana
Gevorgyan, were taken to Erebuni medical center where they made a real
mess and even beat the medical center’s staff. Representative of the
hospital told the agency that they would be discharged soon.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

Eurasianet touched upon Armenian Yezdis’ request to help their Iraqi brothers

15:32, 17 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS: Armenia of late has gotten involved
helping Diaspora Armenian communities caught in the
crossfire of civil war in Syria. Now, some Armenian citizens want
Yerevan to offer the same kind of help to their kin in another
regional hot spot, Iraq. Quoting the article published by Armenpress
on August 14, Eurasianet touched upon the Yezdis living in Iraq and
their problems.

As stated by Eurasianet, the Yezdis, a Kurdish-speaking people who are
Armenia’s largest minority, hope that Yerevan will raise the
awareness of the plight of Iraq’s Yezidis around the world. Iraqi
Yezidis now face violent attacks for selling alcohol. Iraqi laws only
allow non-Muslims to sell alcoholic beverages and the country has
witnessed a series of deadly militia attacks on liquor stores run by
Christians and Yezdis.

Sasha Sultanyan, head of Armenia’s Yezdi National Committee, has
announced that the group plans to ask the Armenian foreign affairs
and Diaspora ministries to promote awareness of the Iraqi Yezdis’
situation “in international organizations and help prevent the
massacres”.
`Our brothers are being killed in Iraq,’ Armenpress reported Sultanyan
as saying on August 14 `The governments of Kurdistan and Iraq
aim to destroy the Yezdis living in Iraq and take over their lands.”

Several hundred thousand Yezdis are estimated to live around the
world; the largest number in Iraq. Their religion is a blend of
Zoroastrian, Muslim, Christian and other religious traditions. The
central figure in the faith is a peacock angel Malek Taus, who
dispenses
both blessings and misfortunes as he finds fit.

Ethnic Yezdis together with ethnic Armenians bore the brunt of the
World-War I-era slaughters in southeastern Ottoman Turkey. Many fled
to Armenia and Georgia to escape persecution. Sultanyan expressed hope
that Armenia, given its past, will not stay indifferent to the
targeted violence against another ethnic group.

Yerevan has not yet indicated whether or to what extent it might
choose to stick its head out for the Yezdis of Iraq.

From: A. Papazian

YOUNG ARMENIAN AND TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS SIGN MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION IN VAN (PHOTOS)

August 16, 2013 | 08:08

VAN. – The Armenian-Turkish Young Businessmen Conference kicked off
Thursday in Van, Turkey.

During the event the parties discussed the avenues for finding a
common ground for cooperation and signed a memorandum of understanding.

The young Armenian and Turkish entrepreneurs spoke about the need
for cooperation between the two countries, and noted that business
contacts should reach a level where they impact politics, the Armenian
News-NEWS.am reporter informs from Van.

Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia’s Program Coordinator
Armen Melkonyan noted that the Armenian-Turkish state diplomacy has
stopped at some unknown point, whereas public diplomacy is gaining
new momentum. He added that the business code of ethics is the only
thing that currently regulates relations between both countries.

In turn Van Young Businessmen Union Chairman Eren Gokcenay stated that
politics should not obstruct economy. Subsequently, he expressed his
concern as to why Armenians and Turks should be in touch with one
other via the territory of a third-i.e., Georgia-country.

The more than thirty businessmen, who attended the talk, offered
their services in a variety of domains.

A memorandum of understanding was signed at the end of the day

In the next two days, the young Armenian businessmen are expected to
conduct visits to the Van-based business ventures.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

RESIDENTS OF YEREVAN BUILDING SPEND NIGHT OUTSIDE (PHOTOS)

11:42 16.08.13

The residents of a multi-apartment block in capital Yerevan had
to spend the night in the street after weakened side wall stones
collapsing occasionally aroused a big panic, reports the Ministry of
Emergency Situations.

The district emergency department and other district authorities,
as well as the Yerevan City Hall’s relevant subdivisions have been
reported on the situation.

The rescue teams, which visited the scene after receiving an emergency
call, found out that the five-storey building, situated in Sisakyan
street (Ajapnyak administrative district) is facing a fourth-degree
emergency threat.

Cracks were observed on the walls and inside the apartments. The
worn-out sewage pipes are said to be leaking water, causing insanitary
conditions. Rainwater dripping from the damaged roof undermines the
building’s foundations. Firefighters have isolated the dangerous zones.

The residents were offered to spend the night outside for security
considerations.

Their only request now is to be provided with new apartments.

From: A. Papazian

DECLARATION DU MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES DE LA RHK

HAUT-KARABAKH

Les autorites de la Republique du Haut-Karabagh ont exprime a plusieurs
reprises leur profonde inquietude concernant la campagne mensongère
de l’Azerbaïdjan visant a denaturer la substance du conflit entre
l’Azerbaïdjan et le Haut Karabagh et desinformer la communaute
internationale. Cette campagne s’elargit chaque annee impliquant
des methodes de falsification sophistiquees, des provocations et des
menaces revanchardes.

L’exemple le plus recent de cette campagne de propagande est la
diffusion aux Nations-Unies de la lettre A/67/943-S/2013/442 du 26
juillet 2013 appelant les Etats-membres a retenir leurs citoyens de
visiter la RHK “sans l’autorisation prealable du gouvernement de
l’Azerbaïdjan”, ainsi que la publication de la liste des personae
non grata par le ministère des Affaires etrangères de l’Azerbaïdjan
pour cause de leur visite au Karabagh. Cette liste de 355 personnes
de 41 pays inclut des parlementaires, des personnalites publiques,
des representants de la culture et de l’art, des journalistes, des
etudiants et des touristes. Dans ce contexte, le ministre des Affaires
etrangères de la RHK considère necessaire de declarer ce qui suit :

La RHK est un Etat independant avec sa population qui ne peut en
aucun cas etre privee d’exercer ses droits fondamentaux comme stipule
l’article 2 de la Declaration universelle des Droits de l’Homme qui
prevoit : “il ne sera fait aucune distinction fondee sur le statut
politique, juridique ou international du pays ou du territoire dont
une personne est ressortissante, que ce pays ou territoire soit
independant, sous tutelle, non autonome ou soumis a une limitation
quelconque de souverainete”.

Le peuple du Haut-Karabagh a fonde son Etat exercant son droit
inalienable a l’autodetermination et dans le respect total des normes
et des principes du droit international, agissant dans le cadre de
la Constitution et des lois en vigueur de l’Union Sovietique.

Contrairement a l’Azerbaïdjan, la RHK a entrepris dès le debut de
son existence, la construction d’une democratie assurant tous les
droits et les libertes pour ses citoyens. Les autorites de la RHK ont
l’intention de poursuivre la politique de developpement integral de
la Republique et de ses institutions democratiques et ont exprime
plusieurs fois leur disponibilite pour une cooperation mutuelle
benefique avec toutes les parties interessees.

Dès le debut l’Azerbaïdjan a rejete toute possibilite de dialogue avec
le Haut-Karabagh et a adhere a la politique de règlement du conflit
entre l’Azerbaïdjan et le Haut-Karabagh par l’application d’une force
brutale, non proportionnelle et discriminatoire a l’encontre de la
population civile. Elle a effectue une politique d’epuration ethnique
au Haut-Karabagh et dans les territoires azeris peuples d’Armeniens
tout en intentant une vaste agression militaire a l’encontre du
Haut-Karabagh.

Malgre les processus de negociations en cours et les obligations
prises après la signature du cessez-le-feu, les autorites azeries
continuent l’interpretation selective des normes et principes du droit
international faisant escalader ainsi les tensions et la mefiance
tout en ignorant les realites existantes. Par son langage de menaces
et d’hostilites, l’Azerbaïdjan a fait encore un pas dans la mauvaise
direction menacant les citoyens des pays tiers qui visitent la RHK.

Une telle politique de l’Azerbaïdjan rentre parfaitement dans
le cadre de ses critères internes des droits de l’homme qu’il
essaie d’imposer aux citoyens etrangers. Ces demarches hautement
irresponsables font obstacle a toute tentative de l’instauration de
la confiance necessaire pour le règlement du conflit entre la RHK et
la Republique de l’Azerbaïdjan. Elles fait egalement obstacle aux
efforts deployes par le groupe de Minsk de l’Organisation pour la
Securite et la Cooperation en Europe (OSCE) , visant le règlement
durable et integral du conflit entre l’Azerbaïdjan et le Haut-Karabagh.

Pourtant, il est a noter que malgre les entraves artificielles creees
par la partie azerie, le nombre des touristes visitant le Haut-Karabagh
ne cesse d’augmenter. Depuis son independance, des dizaines de
milliers de citoyens etrangers ont deja visite la RHK ce qui temoigne
de l’environnement de securite et de sûrete etabli par le peuple du
Haut-Karabagh epris de liberte et de l’interet international croissant
pour le riche patrimoine culturel et historique de notre pays. Il
est essentiel a noter que le taux de criminalite au Haut-Karabagh
est l’un des plus bas en Europe et il n’y a pas eu d’incident serieux
impliquant un citoyen etranger enregistre dans notre pays. Le ministère
des Affaires etrangères de la RHK appelle les autorites azeries a
abandonner les vaines tentatives d’entraver la visite des citoyens
etrangers au Karabagh et de concentrer son energie et ses ressources
dans des actions pour le règlement des problèmes essentiels entre les
parties au conflit en contribuant ainsi a l’instauration de la paix
et de la securite dans cette region instable qui est le Caucase du Sud.

Le ministère des Affaires etrangères de la RHK salue et encourage
les visites officielles ou touristiques des citoyens etrangers au
Karabagh. Ces visites et les echanges humains contribuent non seulement
a l’instauration de l’environnement de confiance et de cooperation
dans la region mais sont aussi necessaires pour que la communaute
internationale ait accès a une information fiable et objective sur
le Haut-Karabagh.

Ministère des Affaires etrangères de la Republique du Haut-Karabagh

vendredi 16 août 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ARA MALIKIAN ABRE EL FESTIVAL DE MÚSICA DE SANTA CRISTINA D’ARO

Te Interesa, España
12 agosto 2013

Se incorpora el jazz al Festival

12/08/2013 – Paula Olvera Perez/Europa Press

El violinista de origen armenio Ara Malikian sera el encargado de
abrir el XVII Festival Internacional de Música de Santa Cristina d’Aro.

El festival que por primera vez incorpora el jazz, se alargara hasta
el 25 de agosto con el eje tematico ‘Europa de Colors’.

El Festival de música de Santa Cristina d’Aro que abrira el violinista
Ara Malikian, comenzara el 17 de agosto y se extendera hasta el día
25. El resto de conciertos de camara del festival cuentan con un
grupo de nueve músicos en residencia, internacionalmente reconocidos
como solistas o como miembros de los mas destacados conjuntos de
camara europeos.

En el evento actuaran los violinistas Kai Gleusteen y Adrian
Pinzaru, los violas Wolfang Tarlirz y Anna Kreetta Gribajcevic, los
violonchelistas Amparo Lacruz y Niklas Schmidt, los pianistas Catherine
Ordronneau, Josep Maria Colom y Jose Enrique Bagaría, el guitarra
Luis Gallo, el contrabajo Nacho Ros y el percusionista Nantha Kumar.

Por primera vez, se incorpora el jazz al festival, en el emplazamiento
del Golf Costa Brava, con Susana Sheiman & Ignasi Terraza Trio, que
ha escogido una seleccion de melodías poco conocidas, con arreglos
variados donde los artistas desarrollan sus múltiples registros. La
potente voz de Susana Sheiman estara acompañada por el pianista Ignasi
Terraza, el contrabajo aleman Martín Zenker y el batería catalan
Esteve Pi, conocido por revitalizar los clasicos en forma y concepto.

Como en años anteriores, los interpretes continuaran teniendo su
espacio en el festival con la participacion de Nozomi Nakagiri,
ganadora del primer premio del Concurso Internacional de Música
Maria Canals 2012, y el pianista Pablo Martínez, primer premio de la
Fundacion Loewe.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI SERVICEMEN RENDER HARMLESS BATTALION COMMANDER AND MAJOR OF ARMENIAN ARMY IN FRONTLINE SHOOTING – EXCLUSIVE

APA, Azerbaijan
Aug 15 2013

[ 15 August 2013 10:53 ]

Regiment commander, Colonel Harut Minasyan left him in critical
condition and ran away

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. An officer of Armenian was shot by
Azerbaijani servicemen in the shooting in Berd-Gazakh territory of
the frontline on August 6, APA reports citing military sources.

According to information, on August 6, at 00.50, as a result of the
shooting between Azerbaijani and Armenian servicemen, battalion
commander of Armenian army, Major Avelyan Armen Saroyevich was
seriously wounded. Regiment commander, Colonel Harut Minasyan, who was
responsible for the protection of the abovementioned territory was also
with him. He managed to run away during the shooting. But the battalion
commander Avelyan was taken from the danger zone with serious wounds.

He was first taken to military hospital in Berd region, then to
the Central Military Hospital in Yerevan. According to information,
battalion commander received wounds in thorax, legs and arms. Fingers
of his right hand were amputated. At present, his is in critical
condition.

The soldiers in combat posts speak about Regiment commander Harut
Minasyan’s behavior with irony. Obscene phrases are used in his
address due to his behavior.

However, Armenia’s Defense Ministry concealed from public the fact
of major’s injury. It spread information only about the injury
of serviceman Armeniak Ayvazyan in the mentioned territory of the
frontline.

In general, from August 2 till August 8, 3 Armenian servicemen
were killed and other 4 were wounded by Azerbaijani snipers on the
frontline.

Two UAZ and a URAL were broken down.

From: A. Papazian

ALIYEV PAYS $4 BILLION FOR ARMAMENT

WPS Agency, Russia
August 14, 2013 Wednesday

by Polina Khimshiashvili, Alexei Nikolsky
Source: Vedomosti, No. 146, August 14, 2013, p. 3

Azerbaijan entered the ranks of the leading buyers of Russian military
hardware; Russian-Azerbaijani military cooperation keeps growing. The
overall amount of the contracts signed since 2010 amounted to $4
billion. The countries may sign new contracts too.

The yesterday’s working visit to Baku was the third for Vladimir Putin
since the beginning of his third presidency. Leader of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev does not visit events with participation of the
Russian President very often too. He visited the CIS summit in May
of 2012 after the inauguration of Putin but skipped the CIS summit
in Turkmenistan that followed it up. In the statements that preceded
the meeting aide to the Russian President Yury Ushakov said that
the leaders would discuss the entire complex of bilateral relations
and would sign five or six documents. According to Novruz Mamedov,
deputy director of the administration of the President of Azerbaijan,
Putin’s visit could become not only a good opportunity for development
of relations but also a big event for the entire region.

As a result, as Aliyev announced at a press conference, the parties
discussed all the issues that were of mutual interest including
the topic of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to him, the visit of Putin
demonstrates “how dynamically and successfully our relations develop
and correspond to aspirations of our nations.” He called the relations
“friendly, good neighborly based on mutual interests.” He is also
happy with the way in which relations develop in the political field
and with cooperation in international organizations.

At the press conference Aliyev named the volumes of sales of Russian
armament to Azerbaijan for the first time. According to him, the
current volume of military technological cooperation “is measured
by $4 billion and has a trend of growth” and Azerbaijan entered the
ranks of the leading buyers of Russian military hardware. According to
a source close to the management of Rosoboronexport, the figure named
by Aliyev represents the amount of all contracts signed (and partially
fulfilled) since 2010. Along with this, new contacts may be signed too.

In the response word Putin did not grudge compliments too. According
to him, Azerbaijan is a long-time traditional and reliable partner
of Russia that has the second place in its trade turnover. The first
place is occupied by Italy. Aliyev received Italian Prime minister
Enrique Laeta on the eve of the Putin’s visit.

Expert of the Carnegie Center Alexei Malashenko says that the
smoothness of the statements is explained by the fact that Russia
is interested in preserving of the dynasty of Aliyev as the rulers
of Azerbaijan and does not need any changes that could harm the
established economic and political interests of Moscow. The visit was
performed for protection of Russian interests and he presumed that so
it would be perceived in Armenia quietly. For Aliyev who would have
presidential elections in October the visit of Putin was important too
both due to internal political reasons and for the sake of the dialog
of the US to demonstrate that there was no inclination in relations.

Along with this, Alexander Krylov from the institute of international
economy and international relations remarks that it is difficult to
call the relations of Moscow and Baku absolutely cloudless: last year,
there were disputes about the Gabala radar station that ended with
the fact that Russian stopped lending it, transit of Azerbaijani oil
via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline was stopped this year but bearing
in mind the latest foreign policy steps of Armenia (in November it
will sign an agreement on association with the EU – Vedomosti) it was
quite possible that Azerbaijan would undertake new agreements on the
oil pipeline on the terms more beneficial for Russia to demonstrate
its special relations with Moscow to Yerevan.

[translated from Russian]

From: A. Papazian

ANC-PAC SUPPORTS KOUTOUJIAN FOR CONGRESS CAMPAIGN

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

Peter Koutoujian

LOS ANGELES-Supporters of the Armenian National Committee – Political
Action Committee gathered on Sunday, August 11 to support the
congressional campaign of Peter Koutoujian.

The ANC-PAC and its many supporters in Massachusetts and across
the nation strongly support Koutoujian, who is running in a special
election in the 5th Congressional District in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. The special congressional election, which was made
necessary because longtime Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) was elected
to the U.S. Senate last year, features a crowded field in which
Koutoujian is among the leading candidates.

“Peter Koutoujian is a brilliant example of the American Dream,”
remarked an ANC-PAC spokesperson. “The ANC-PAC believes Peter will
bring integrity and vision to the U.S. Congress. We are supporting
Peter because he will convey his wealth of experience as a policymaker
to the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC. His current
position as the Sheriff of Middlesex County, his long tenure as
a member of the Massachusetts Legislature and his past post as
a prosecutor with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office are
emblematic of the fact that Peter’s judgment and character is just
what is needed in Congress these days,” added the ANC-PAC spokesperson.

The ANC-PAC is proud of Peter Koutoujian’s track record on Armenian
American issues and confident that he will apply his support for
human rights when he is elected to join the 113th Congress. From
issues like securing justice with respect to the Armenian Genocide,
to safeguarding the freedom and liberty for the people of Artsakh,
Koutoujian is a strong proponent of issues of concern to human rights
advocates not only in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but also
across the United States.

As a member of the Massachusetts Legislature, Koutoujian crafted
legislation that led to the creation of the Armenian Heritage Park
(AHP) in downtown Boston. The AHP, which is visited by hundreds of
thousands of visitors every year, includes among other elements a
sculpture that is dedicated to lives lost during the Armenian Genocide
and all other crimes against humanity.

The ANC-PAC is a non-partisan federally registered political action
committee established to support campaign committees for Members of
Congress who share the values of the Armenian American community. The
ANC-PAC is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the voice of the
Armenian American community is clearly heard in our nation’s capital.

The ANC-PAC continues a century old tradition of Armenian American
engagement on the public policy issues facing national political
leaders, both in the U.S. Congress and the White House.

From: A. Papazian