Author: Andres-Papazian

SYRIAN TROOPS RECAPTURE TOWN NEAR JORDAN BORDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 6, 2012 – 16:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Syrian troops recaptured from rebels Thursday, Sept
6 a border town used by refugees to cross to Jordan, activists said,
an apparent bid by the regime to stem the flood of Syrians fleeing
their country’s civil war, The Associated Press reported.

Damascus meanwhile accused Cairo of stirring up violence in the
country, as Syria lengthens the list of other Arab countries that
it blames for its unrest. Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi called
this week for Syria’s president to step down in an indication of the
increasing isolation of Damascus in the Arab world.

In the latest clashes, hundreds of Syrian soldiers backed by 20 tanks
assaulted Tel Chehab, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights and local activist Mohammed Abu Houran said. Rebels fought
back but were pushed out.

A Jordanian army officer living just across the border said by
telephone that he had heard heavy shelling starting early in the
morning, but that it had subsided by midday. “It sounded like the
shelling came from tanks and armored vehicles,” said the officer,
who cannot be identified under standing army regulations. “God help
the Syrian people.”

The activists did not have any figures for casualties, but Abu Houran
said that at least 2,000 refugees were waiting in the town for the
chance to cross the border. Most of them were staying in two schools.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT URGES ALL COUNTRIES TO CONDEMN HUNGARIAN-AZERBAIJANI TRANSACTION

ARMENPRESS
5 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Assembly accepted
“the adoption of the statement by NA of the Republic of Armenia on
extradition of criminal by Hungarian authorities and granting pardon
by Azerbaijani President “. Armenpress reports that National Assembly’s
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Artak Zakarian stated that the text
of the statement was discussed with all factions who made efforts to
come to an overall conclusion: the draft was elaborated on the basis
of the held discussions. Ninety six for , one against and no abstained
voices accepted the text of the statement containing the following:

-Dwelling on cruel and inhuman crime perpetrated against Armenian
Armed Forces officer Gurgen Margaryan by Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov in
2004 February 19, in Budapest in the course of NATO’s ” Partnership
for Peace “program.

-Pointing out Hungary Government as a host country did no ensure the
safety of participants in the course of international events organized
in the territory of its country .

-Recording that Armenian officer assassinate was from time to
time justified and finally gifted by hero rank at a high level ,
reportedly Hungarian law making bodies just could not be unaware and
could predicate the transfer of life sentenced criminal meant granting
him peace and create a precedent encouraging crimes against Armenians
on ethnic basis.

-Noting that granting various awards and titles to the criminal by
Azerbaijani President is a manifestation of political cynicism towards
the international community, qualifying Aliyev step contradiction to
“Extradition of prisoners” Convention’s humanitarian universal human
rights principles and norms ,National Assembly announces:

1.The Hungarian government also bears responsibility for what happened,
condemnation to Hungarian authorities adopted stance and suspension
of official relations with Hungary at a Parliamnerat level.

2. Azerbaijani regular step is a threat to regional security and
aggravation of further enmity and hatred atmosphere towards Armenians,
breach of human rights guaranteed by international instruments,
efforts made at drawing failure NKR peaceful settlement, particularly
meddling OCSE Minsk Group co-chairmen commissioned consistent policy.

3. Entrenched hatred atmosphere towards Armenians at a state level
in Azerbaijan reaffirms the fact NKR cannot be a part of Azerbaijan.

4.Calls on the countries’ Governments led by democratic values,
condemn deal between Hungary and Azerbaijan perpetratred on August 31.

5.Looking forward to commensurate response by the international
parliamentary organizations.

Exchange of point of views on the controversial points of the draft
is being held.

From: A. Papazian

“GRAN CONCERTO” IN YEREVAN BY “I SOLISTI VENETI”

Noyan Tapan
05-09-2012

Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall – Friday, September 7, 2012 – 19.00 hs.

On the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the
Diplomatic Relations between Italy and Armenia, the Italian Embassy
in Yerevan , with the patronage of the Ministry of Culture of the
Republic of Armenia, has organized a “Gran Concerto” that will be
performed by the Italian Orchestra “I Solisti Veneti” at the “Aram
Khachaturian Concert Hall ” on Friday, September 7, 2012 at 19.00 hs..

The Gran Concerto, in fact, will be dedicated to the first “start”
of the Italian-Armenian official relations – which trace back their
origins from the Protocol signed on March 17, 1992 – with a view to
enhance the strong feelings of friendship and deep cultural links that
both Countries and Peoples have always shared in their long history.

The special event, which enjoys the sponsorship of two prominent
Armenian Companies, VivaCell-MTS and Festa Tour Avia, will mark
the presence in Armenia of the Italian Orchestra, confirming the
outstanding success already scored in Armenia on the occasion of its
first experience of 2011. I Solisti Veneti is a Group of well known
artists specialized in the performance of Venetian Baroque Music
under the direction of the famous Conductor , Maestro Claudio Scimone.

The program of the ” Gran Concerto ” will include, among others, pieces
from the repertoire of Gioacchino Rossini, Antonio Vivaldi, Girolamo
Salieri, Niccolo` Paganini, Amilcare Ponchielli and Giuseppe Verdi.

The music played by I Solisti Veneti is appreciated world-wide,
and constitutes a constant reference for the Armenian audience and
amateurs.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN WOMEN’S TEAM DEFEATS ITALY AT CHESS OLYMPIAD

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 5, 2012 – 11:34 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian women’s team scored a 2,5:1,5 victory over
Italy in the 7th round of the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.

After the win, the team climbed to the 15th place with 10 points.

China tops the standings with 12 points.

In round 8, Armenia will rival Romania.

From: A. Papazian

HUNGARY VIOLATED 18 OF STRASBOURG CONVENTION’S 20 ARTICLES – ARMENIAN POLITICAL ANALYST

news.am
September 05, 2012 | 13:28

YEREVAN. – The general meaning of the Strasbourg Convention on the
Transfer of Sentenced Persons is that these persons can serve their
sentences in their countries, too. But by extraditing Ramil Safarov
and his being released in Azerbaijan, Hungary violated eighteen
of the Convention’s twenty articles, Armenian Analytical Centre on
Globalization and Regional Cooperation Director, political scientist
Stepan Grigoryan said during a press conference on Wednesday.

In Grigoryan’s words, however, the process is not over for Hungary.

The latter still has the right to demand from Azerbaijan to provide an
answer as to the current state of the process. It even has the right
to demand the return of Safarov, if he is not serving his sentence
in Azerbaijan.

The political analyst also recalled that the Convention was adopted
in Strasbourg, France, in 1983, and Armenia and Azerbaijan joined it
in 2001.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant
in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence-and with no expression of
either regret or remorse-for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was
his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s
government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani
president immediately granted him a pardon.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that
Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.

From: A. Papazian

HRAPARAK: STATE REVENUE COMMITTEE DEPUTY HEAD HAD DIRECT CONTACTS WITH PM?

tert.am
05.09.12

Hraparak paper says the government is discussing the issue on cutting
the offices of deputy heads of State Revenue Committee, the state
agency having the biggest number of deputy heads.

The paper reminds that few days ago the prime minister dismissed two
deputy heads Artashes Beyburtyan and Rubik Kocharyan, while the latter
is reported to be appointed in not less important office. The paper
says head of the SRC has personally applied to the PM for dismissing
the mentioned two deputy heads. According to the paper’s sources,
Khachatryan did not like the direct contacts established Beyburtyan
and the PM.

From: A. Papazian

POLITICAL EXPERT: HUNGARY MUST CLAIM BACK RAMIL SAFAROV

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 17:02

Hungary must claim back Ramil Safarov, political expert Stepan
Grigoryan told journalists on Wednesday.

He said that formally Hungary, as a party extraditing a sentenced
person, complied with the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced
Persons, but Azerbaijan, as a party receiving that person, broke
almost all points of that convention.

“It was certainly a bargain. Simply, the Hungarian authorities did
not expect that the Azeris would pardon Safarov so quickly. I am sure
that the Azeris promised that they would keep him in jail for a few
years more,” Grigoryan said.

He said that the Azeri authorities are certainly surprised to see that
their actions have raised such a big wave of protest worldwide and that
the protesters are mostly non-Armenians. “Now the world can see that
the Armenians can be consolidated against injustice,” Grigoryan said.

He does not think that it will be right on Armenia’s part to kill
Safarov. “Armenia is a civilized country and can solve its problems by
means of diplomacy. On the other hand, I fully support the Armenian
President’s tough attitude. One must be tough in such cases. In his
speech the President made it clear that we will defend our country
and people, but he did not say anything about assassination attempt,”
the expert said.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN MUST BE EXPELLED FROM ALL EU AND NATO PROGRAMS

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 18:50

Azerbaijan must be turned out of all EU and NATO programs, including
Partnership for Peace, while Hungary, who has let a criminal avoid
punishment, must be expelled from NATO and perhaps even the EU and
branded as a country ignoring elementary human rights and freedoms,
Russian expert Grigory Vetrov says in an article on Tribuna.ru.

“The inaction of the European structures, NATO and the Western human
rights defenders proves that they no longer respect the international
law and moral rules,” the expert says, urging Russia to give a good
thought to all this.

“The behavior of the Azeri authorities, who have proclaimed a hero a
man who has cynically killed a sleeping person and thereby encourage
their people to hate their neighbors and to act likewise, is more
than dangerous,” Vetrov said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SUSPENDS TIES WITH HUNGARY ON THE PARLIAMENTARY LEVEL
Lusine Vasilyan

“Radiolur”
05.09.2012 18:45

The Armenian National Assembly held a special sitting today with
one issue on the agenda – the transfer of Azerbaijani murderer Ramil
Safarov and his pardoning by the Azerbaijani President.

The task force comprised of representatives of all factions developed
the text of the statement, which the Parliament discussed today.

According to the draft statement, the National Assembly holds the
Hungarian authorities responsible for what happened, criticizes that
country’s behavior and suspends the official relations with Hungary
on the parliamentary level.

The Armenian Parliament reiterates that the recent developments prove
the unacceptability of Nagorno Karabakh’s being under Azerbaijani
jurisdiction.

The National Assembly urges all parliaments guided by democratic
principles to condemn the deal between Hungary and Azerbaijan and
expects an adequate reaction and concrete actions from international
structures.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA CLIMBS 3 POSITIONS IN FIFA RANKING

ARMRADIO.AM
05.09.2012 13:46

The Armenian national team has climbed three positions in the FIFA
ranking. Armenia currently ranks 53rd with 575 points.

European and World Champion Spain tops the list, followed by Germany
and England.

Armenia’s rivals in FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifiers are placed as
follows: Italy is 6th, Denmark is 10th, Czech Republic is 19th,
Bulgaria is 89th and Malta ranks 139th.

From: A. Papazian