Author: Andres-Papazian

TIGRAN URIKHANYAN MAINTAINS CONVICTION THAT ARMENIA NEEDS REVOLUTION IN A NUMBER OF FIELDS

19:08 16/04/2013 ” POLITICS

As early as eight years ago, I said in my speech that Armenia needs
a revolution in science, education, industry and agriculture, and I
maintain my conviction, PAP spokesman and MP Tigran Urikhanyan told
a news conference on Tuesday, when commenting on the opinion voiced
by first Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan at the constituent
congress of Armenian National Congress (ANC) party that it is necessary
to carry out a bourgeois-democratic revolution in Armenia.

As for the PAP’s attitude to the fact that Levon Ter-Petrosyan
drew parallels between PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan and former MP,
businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan, Urikhanyan said, “In Armenia, every
person is free to express his opinion and make comparisons.”

However, according to him, voicing an assessment is absolutely a
different thing.

“We give much importance to assessments given by residents of Armenia,
our compatriots, at elections,” Urikhanyan said.

The PAP spokesman declined to comment on the other remarks of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY PAYS HUGE SUMS TO EUROPE – ETHNOGRAPHER

15:51 ~U 16.04.13

The decision to move the UN Regional Office for Europe to Turkey is
linked, among other things, with financial problems, according to
Hranush Kharatyan, an Armenian ethnographer.

At a news conference on Tuesday, the expert said that Turkey, unlike
the UN member states which are becoming more sparing, pays huge sums
to the organization in anticipation of a future support.

“Turkey will often need the United Nations assistance in its future
programs. The UN is a humanistic organization, while Turkey’s policies
today do need a humanistic approach in the light of the deteriorating
relations with the neighboring states. This is why it has intensified
the investments in such big organizations as UN. It follows that the
organizations is coming under Turkey’s influence,” she said.

Fifteen Armenian NGOs had earlier expressed concerns over the decision
and sent a letter to the UN secretary general, programs development
administrator and the UN Development Program (UNDP) representative
in Armenia.

Karine Danielyan, the president of the local NGO, For Sustainable Human
Development, noted for her part that all the Armenian organizations
collaborating with the UN have set up an alliance to raise the issue
unitedly. She said foreign envoys were briefed on their concerns on
the sidelines of a recent UNDP regional assembly in Armenia.

“We raised the Armenian Genocide issues, the numerous violations
observed in Turkey, the absence of our diplomatic relations with
Turkey and the way we are going to work with the United Nations in
such circumstances. Apart from us, the question also raises concerns
in other countries such as Cyprus, Bulgaria etc. This is why they say
the organizations working with us may remain and continue functioning
in Bratislava,” Danielyan said, promising to continue the persistent
struggle against the decision.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S HOUSING MARKET STILL STAGNATES

YEREVAN, April 16. / ARKA /. Armenia’s housing market is still
stagnating, according to Hakob Baghdasaryan, head of Akcern real
estate agency. Speaking at a news conference he said property prices
do not change because of sluggish construction sector and lethargic
mortgage market.

Baghdasaryan said expectations that the arrival of thousands of Syrian
Armenians would revive the housing market did not materialize.

“Syrian Armenians, who fled their country choose to rent apartments
waiting for the situation in their country to normalize so that they
can go back,” he added.

He said the real estate market in the provinces does not differ from
that in Yerevan, not counting a small revival in sales of agricultural
lands.

Speaking about the outlook for the coming months, Baghdasaryan
argued that the situation in the property market will depend on the
government’s approaches and changes in legislation.

“It’s time to shift from decisions with short-term effect to strategic
thinking. And this requires, roughly speaking, to give up 1 million
drams today in order to earn 10 million drams tomorrow. This is true
not only of the construction sector, but also of other sectors,”
he concluded.

According to Armenia’s State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre, the
average market price of a square meter of living space in apartments
in Yerevan amounted to 268,000 drams in February, up from 250, 100
a year earlier. The change is due to the depreciated Armenian currency.

The highest price was recorded in February in the capital’s Kentron
(downtown) administrative district- 424,100 for a square meter and
the lowest in Nubarashen district- 146,200 drams.

The average price of a square meter of housing in private houses
(mansions) in Yerevan amounted to 283,800 drams against 269,600 in
November last year. The average price of a square meter of housing in
apartment buildings beyond Yerevan in February of this year increased
by 0.4% from the previous month. -0-

From: A. Papazian

CHANGE OF MAYOR WILL CREATE COUNTERBALANCE TO RULING COALITION – ARF

April 16, 2013 | 15:47

YEREVAN.- ARF Dashnaktsutyun member assured that Armen Rustamyan
will be more competent and independent mayor of Yerevan than the
rest candidates.

“It is not a secret that Yerevan is very important for Armenia.

Consequently, the change of mayor will create counterbalance to ruling
coalition and will open up an opportunity for mutual control,” Aghvan
Vardanyan said.

Six political parties and one bloc have submitted formal applications
to run in the Yerevan Council elections. The latter are slated for
May 5, and the participating political forces will vie for 65 Council
seats. The election campaign will come to an end on May 3. The Yerevan
Council election will be held with proportional lists only.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

GEORGE TARKHAN-MOURAVI: ARMENIA SIMPLY HAS NO ALTERNATIVE TO BEING PART OF CSTO AND IS NO LESS EAGER TO BE PART OF THE WEST

ArmInfo’s interview with George Tarkhan-Mouravi, Director of the
Institute for Policy Studies (Tbilisi)

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, April 16, 15:08

Judging by meetings of Russian Deputy FM Grigory Karasin and Georgian
Special Representative for Russia Zurab Abashidze, Moscow is currently
trying to build relations with new authorities in Tbilisi. Do you
see any risks for the Georgian Dream and Georgia in this cooperation?

Everything depends on the extent of that cooperation. There are red
lines nobody is going to cross, such as diplomatic relations or the
recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia, and this is
exactly what may pose some risks for our country.

Is Georgian Dream free in decision-making and from the pressure of
Washington and Brussels on Saakashvili?

No one is free from pressure. Today Georgian Dream is less dependent
on the West than Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is, but
dependence is not always bad, especially when things are moving in
the right direction.

Minister for Reintegration of Georgia Paata Zakareishvili characterized
the perspectives of restoration of the Abkhazian section of the railway
as an idea that was not negotiated for. He cast doubt on readiness of
Moscow to study the railway issue and directly linked it to revision
of Russia’s policy on Abkhazia’s independence. Can one suppose that
restoration of the Abkhazian railway is not on agenda of Tbilisi but
‘a bait’ for Moscow?

I think the issue was raised seriously, but without necessary
preliminary processing. It has become clear that Georgia does not need
the restart of the Abkhazian railway for the moment but may well need
additional transportation lines in the near future.

At a glance, change of power in Georgia seems to open new opportunities
for total change of the dividing lines in the region. In Georgia
they are seriously concerned over the country’s dependence on the
Turkish-Azerbaijani transit and influence of those countries on
Georgia. Now, Georgia together with Russia, Armenia and Iran can
theoretically make a geopolitical breach of the situation in the
region forming a new north-south axis and get rid of that dependence.

Why doesn’t Tbilisi display interest in such large-scale project?

The Georgian authorities are not very much concerned over their
dependence on the Turkish-Azeri transit and do not seem to be very
much interested in the project to form a north-south axis from Russia
through Georgia and Armenia to Iran. I think these are just hopes. And
Tbilisi thinks in the same way judging by the low interest it displays
in the project.

NATO represented by Turkey influences Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Armenia is a CSTO member. Georgia strives for NATO. Is it right to say
that Russia’s influence on the South Caucasus is maintained only at the
expense of Armenia, while the balance of forces is in favor of NATO?

Armenia is also active in cooperating with NATO, and nobody there
seems to be eager to join the newly formed Eurasian structures.

Armenia simply has no alternative to being part of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization and is no less eager to be part of the
West. Armenia is one of the ways for Russia to realize its influence
on our region, but let’s not forget that Russia’s key friends are
the army and the navy.

All regional projects involving Turkey and Azerbaijan aim to even more
oust Armenia. Is Georgia interested in Armenia’s isolation given that
it is the key transit country for those projects?

I think you overestimate Armenia’s role in the plans and interests of
Georgia. I do not think that Armenia’s isolation – something Georgia’s
key partners Turkey and Azerbaijan are trying to realize – is not a
priority or even a goal for Georgia – even though this process might
give the country certain benefits.

One should not overestimate Armenia’s role in Georgia’s plans and
priorities. Just like Armenia, Georgia pursues its own goals, and
these goals have western rather than northern orientation. I would
rather not advise Armenia on how to overcome this isolation, but the
roots of this problem are certainly not in Georgia.

From: A. Papazian

TER-PETROSYAN SPLITS POLITICAL FIELD

The head of the Heritage parliamentary group Ruben Hakobyan held a
press conference today and commented on Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech
at the ANC congress and the upcoming election of the Council of Elders
of Yerevan.

Hakobyan said when Ter-Petrosyan and Gagik Tsarukyan did not run in
the presidential election, they were not honest. They state that the
presidential election is apolitical, non-competitive and refuse to
run in them but they run in the local election which turns out to
be political.

In regard to Ter-Petrosyan’s statement on the bourgeois-democratic
revolution, Ruben Hakobyan said it contradicts the previous statements
by the ANC leader. The representative of the Heritage Party thinks
Ter-Petrosyan splits the political field.

14:07 16/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIANS IN CYPRUS PREPARE TO COMMEMORATE THE 98TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Gibrahayer e-magazine – Nicosia 15 April 2013 – Nicosia – Armenians in
Cyprus are getting ready to mark the 98th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide with a series of commemorative events, at the centre of which
will be the annual march in Nicosia.

The march will start at 6 pm from the parking lot on Makarios Avenue,
opposite BIDI (opposite Mondo Cafe) and pass through Themistocli
Dervi, across the Sfinakia traffic light towards Nikis Avenue, and
left onto Kennedy towards Limassol Avenue where at 7 pm it will take a
right from the traffic lights of Limassol Avenue to Armenias Street
and will conclude at The Armenian Genocide Memorial.

A commemorative gathering will be held at the Armenian Genocide
Memorial, which will be addressed by the Armenian MP Vartkes
Mahdessian and Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian. The event is under the
auspices of the Mayor of Strovolos Lazaros Savvides who will also
address the event.

Events begin on Saturday 20th of April, where community members will
donate blood to the blood bank of Cyprus General Hospital between 3:30
to 6:30 pm at a special facility that will be set up at Nareg school.

On Thursday 18th of April Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian will address
the Cyprus Parliament at a special commemorative session in the Cyprus
Parliament.

Photo above – Haroutiun Anmahouni archive of photos from the 60th
anniversary commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Nicosia – Cyprus
(April 1975)

From: A. Papazian

“ZHOGHOVURD”: SERZH SARGSYAN IS TRYING HIS BEST TO CONSIDER HIM A PRESIDENT

16/04/2013 12:49:00
lurer.com

Since the election and re-election of Serzh Sargsyan have not gone
smoothly, he tries to do everything to be seen as a President.

The newspaper “Zhoghovurd” knew that on April 5, 4 days before his
inauguration, he signed a decree establishing a symbol of presidential
power in Armenia.These characters have the leaders of those countries
which are not so distinguished by their democracy, for example,
Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan
Nazarbayev. According to the decree of Serzh Sargsyan, the symbol of
presidential power is used during the inauguration ceremony, but in
other cases it is stored in the presidential residence.

From: A. Papazian

THE NKR FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVED THE NEWLY APPOINTED HEAD OF THE ICRC MISSION

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
2013-04-17 13:24

On April 17, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic Karen Mirzoyan received the newly appointed head of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mission in Nagorno
Karabakh, Nicolas Fleury (Switzerland).

During the meeting, Nicolas Fleury presented the organization’s
plans for the nearest future. The sides exchanged views on a series
of issues of mutual interest.

Karen Mirzoyan expressed his gratitude to former head of the ICRC
Mission Roman Paramonov, who participated in the meeting, for the
activities fulfilled in the NKR during his tenure and expressed
readiness to render all possible assistance in the implementation of
the ICRC programs in the Republic.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA NEEDS REVOLUTION IN ALL SPHERES – POLITICIAN

13:43 ~U 16.04.13

The spokesperson of the Prosperous Armenia party (PAP) says he keeps
sticking to an earlier belief that Armenia needs reforms in all the
spheres of public life.

“I said exactly eight years ago that it is necessary to conduct a
revolution of grain, sowing, manufacturing, science and education,
and my belief hasn’t changed in that respect,” Tigran Urikhanyan told
reporters on Tuesday.

He made the remark when asked to comment on first President Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s recent call for a bourgeois-democratic revolution in
the country.

But he said he doesn’t think the statement was a message to the PAP
which, as certain circles claim, provides financial assistance to
Ter-Petrosyan’s Armenian National Congress (ANC).

“Our collaboration and relationship with the ANC and other interested
[political] parties and forces are and can be based upon only common
interests which are clearly visible and tangible to voters, the Yerevan
residents in this case,” he said, adding that their collaboration
with any political force is aimed at ensuring honest and high quality
voting in the upcoming Yerevan City Council election.

Addressing Ter-Petrosyan’s speech at the ANC’s recent congress,
Urikhanyan said the first president seemed more to be directing
messages to his party members and electorate. “So in that respect, I
don’t consider myself competent to give any answer. We need first of
all to ask whether he had any message to address to the PAP. If yes,
we will try to answer,” he added.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian