Author: Andres-Papazian

SYRIE
Crise Syrienne : Davantage d’Arméniens s’enfuient du Moyen Orient
soumis à la violence

De plus en plus d’Arméniens ont quitté leur Syrie natale pour
l’Arménie, la violence faisant rage au Moyen Orient depuis maintenant
plus de un an.

Les semaines récentes n’ont apporté que très peu de nouvelles d’une
quelconque paix immédiate, tandis que la communauté internationale
envisage une intervention militaire pour arrêter le flot de sang dans
les villes et villages syriens.

Le porte-parole du ministère de la diaspora arménienne Tevos Nersisyan
a déclaré à ArmeniaNow qu’environ soixante familles arméniennes
étaient arrivées en Arménie venant de Syrie, au cours des quelques
semaines passées. Le fonctionnaire, cependant, précise que ce nombre
ne représente que les familles qui se sont enregistrées auprès du
ministère.

` Nous ne possédons pas de données pour l’ensemble, et estimons que
beaucoup viennent et ne font finalement que rester chez leurs parents,
` a-t-il dit.

Les accrochages entre les rebelles et les forces gouvernementales en
Syrie ont commencé l’an dernier et continuent sans répit malgré les
appels de la communauté internationale au cessez le feu. Les Nations
Unies estiment que plus de 13 000 personnes sont mortes dans les
violences. Les puissances occidentales tiennent le président
controversé Bashar El Assad responsable de la dégradation de la
situation, tandis que la Russie et la Chine tendent à exonérer le
régime, blmant au mieux à la fois le gouvernement et les factions de
l’opposition pour la violence en Syrie.

Damas a officiellement annoncé mardi l’expulsion des diplomates d’un
certain nombre d’états hors du pays. Le gouvernement syrien a pris
cette décision en liaison avec les Etats-Unis, le Grande Bretagne, la
France et la Turquie, qui ont décidé à la fin de la semaine passée
d’expulser les diplomates syriens de haut rang, parmi lesquels des
ambassadeurs, de leur pays.

Huit nations occidentales ont pris la décision d’expulser les
diplomates syriens à la suite de ce qui leur semble constituer une
tuerie de masse de civils par des milices pro-gouvernementales dans le
village de Houla le 25 mai. 108 personnes au total, parmi lesquelles
45 enfants et 34 femmes ont été tuées dans ce que les Nations Unies
ont conclu être des meurtres commis par des troupes gouvernementales
syriennes.

Le fonctionnaire du ministère de la diaspora à Erevan dit que de
nombreux Arméniens de Syrie préfèrent aller au Liban voisin, et aussi
dans les pays européens.

` Les Arméniens perçoivent le Liban comme un pays stable et fort, et
beaucoup s’y réfugient. Il y a un nombre relativement faible
d’Arméniens de Syrie qui préfèrent venir en Arménie. Nous savons que
l’Arménie ne traverse pas des temps faciles non plus, il y a des
problèmes… mais celles des familles qui ont l’argent viennent en
fait en Arménie et achètent des appartements ici. C’est à eux que
revient la décision de s’établir ou non ici. Notre communauté en Syrie
est en général l’une des plus établies et prospère. Beaucoup sont dans
les affaires, ont des relations… Il est regrettable que tout cela
arrive en Syrie `, dit Nersisyan.

Selon les données du ministère de la diaspora, la population de Syrie
compte plus de 50 000 Arméniens d’origine qui ont des liens forts avec
la foi chrétienne et la culture arménienne. ` Nous ne comptons pas
dans ce nombre les Arméniens qui parlent le kurde et l’arabe, ni les
Arméniens catholiques, avec lesquels aucune communication n’est
entretenue. Si nous les intégrions, nous estimons que plus de 100 000
Arméniens vivent en Syrie, ` a dit Nersisyan.

Meghrik Hayitian, vingt et un ans, est arrivée en Arménie avec sa
mère, son père et sa s`ur il y a trois mois à peu près. Dans une
entrevue avec ArmeniaNow, elle a parlé de son expérience à Alep, la
ville la plus grande en Syrie où vivent la plupart des Arméniens. Elle
a dit que la situation à Alep était plus calme que partout ailleurs
dans le pays, mais qu’après leur départ en Arménie, l’un des parents
de sa mère là-bas avait été tué dans une explosion.

` Et avant notre départ, l’un de nos amis arménien, militaire de
l’armée régulière syrienne, Vigen Hayrapetyan, avait été tué `, nous
a-t-elle dit.

Les Hayitian en Arménie sont aidés par son oncle arménien de Syrie,
qui s’était installé en Arménie il y a longtemps. A présent, elle
travaille dans l’atelier de vêtements pour enfants appartenant à son
oncle, mais pense continuer ses études, pas en Arménie, mais ailleurs.
Hayityan ne sait pas encore si elle retournera en Arménie après
qu’elle ait terminé ses études à l’étranger.

Par Siranoush Gevorgyan
Journaliste
ArmenianNow
6 juin 2012
Traduction Gilbert Béguian

dimanche 10 juin 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

A group of advocates of the chamber of advocates to go on a strike on June 11

14:09 . 06/06

A group of advocates of the chamber of advocates will go on a one-day
strike on June 11. It is said in the statement circulated by them that
in this way it will be attempted to draw the attention of the judicial
authority to the inadmissible practice of the Court of Appeals.

According to the advocates, new standards for courts to be seised were
established in the Judicial Code and the procedure codes which are
very indefinite. For that reason, in some cases the appeals are
returned, while in the case of the appeals of other subjects
corresponding to the same standards court is seised.

It is said in the statement of the advocates that in consequence of
this practice by the Court of Appeals the crisis of the judicial
system deepens day by day. `The dual standards applied by the Court of
Appeals at least don’t dispel the doubts of those who tend to think
that corruption lies in the basis of those dual approaches,’ the
statement reads, which is joined by about 100 advocates.

From: A. Papazian

Azeri oil giant to invest $10 bln more in Turkey

BAKU – Anatolia News Agency

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız (R), Azerbaijan’s Ankara Ambassador Faig
Bagirov (L) and SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev chat at the Sheraton
Hotel Baku.
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) intends to invest about
$10 billion in projects in Turkey in the next seven or eight years,
the company’s vice president said.

`In view of the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) construction
project, the total amount of investments in Turkey may exceed $17
billion,’ Suleyman Gasimov said yesterday at the 19th international
conference on Caspian Oil and Gas in Baku, the Azeri capital.

Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to
establish the consortium that will build the TANAP, which will supply
gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz gas fields to Europe through Turkey.
BotaÅ?, Turkey’s state-run oil and gas company, has a 20 percent stake
in the TANAP and the rest is owned by SOCAR.

June/08/2012

From: A. Papazian

Women and infinity – exhibition of Armenian architect in Beirut

news.am
June 10, 2012 | 01:19

BEIRUT. – Sculptures have become rare in Lebanon these days. Only one
out of 10 exhibitions displays sculptures, Lebanese newspaper The
Daily Star reports.

This month Eskis Gallery organized an exhibition of known Armenian
architect Mkrtich Mazmanyan. During the exhibition entitled `The
Ladies of Beirut’ semi-abstract bronze sculptures of female will be
displayed. The artist is known as a professional of public monuments
and portraits. In this exhibition 20 pieces of his work are presented.
He calls his style `Shaped abstraction’. The artist studied sculpture
in Armenia before moving to Lebanon 20 years ago. According to him, he
grew up in a home full of women. Then he raised three daughters.

`For me woman or mother does anything. They are more productive than
men. If women were to disappear from the world then there would be no
progress,’ the artist said.

From: A. Papazian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 8 2012

Turkey says Georgia, Azerbaijan meeting opportunity for peace in region

8 June 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM

Turkey hosts a trilateral meeting with Georgia and Azerbaijan in a bid
to deepen ties between the three allies, where Turkey says it believes
the cooperation mechanism will become an effective way to restore
peace and stability in the region.

`This three-way mechanism will provide an important opportunity to
transform Black Sea, Caucasus and Caspian region to an area of peace,
stability and prosperity,’ Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu
told reporters after the talks with his Georgian and Azerbaijani
counterparts.

DavutoÄ?lu met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze within the scope of
Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia foreign ministers’ tripartite meeting in the
northeastern province of Trabzon on Friday.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed bilateral and regional
issues, increasing cooperation between the countries and regional
stability and security. The parties also exchanged views on regional
cooperation on the issues of common interest to all three countries.

DavutoÄ?lu told reporters that the mechanism between the three
countries are not does not have `excluding’ nature and the foreign
ministers consider the mechanism as a way to widen areas of
cooperation.

He added that the three nations have successfully realized very
significant peace and stability projects.

The meeting coincided with increasing tension along the
Azerbaijani-Armenian border on Friday.

The death toll in the border clashes has increased to nine since
Tuesday. As a result of exchanges of gunfire that started on Tuesday,
five soldiers from the Azerbaijani side and four soldiers from among
the Armenian troops were killed in clashes.

DavutoÄ?lu said the foreign ministers discussing during the meeting
cooperation opportunities and ongoing projects. He added that the the
second session of the meeting will be held in the second half of 2012
in Georgia’s Batumi city and the next one will be held in the first
half of 2013 in Azerbaijan.

In the final declaration of the Trabzon meeting, foreign minsiters
said they underline the importance of stability and prosperity of the
South Caucasus region, located at the crossroads of energy, transport
and communication corridors between East and West and North and South,
for the regional and global stability and security. They said they
acknowledge that protracted conflicts emanating from existing
occupations are the main obstacle to peace and stability in the South
Caucasus and pointing out that resolution of these conflicts will
help to build an atmosphere of peace, stability and prosperity.

The countries said they agreed in the final declaration to enhance the
existing cooperative partnerships among the countries to promote
common development and contribute to peace, security, stability and
prosperity of the region.

They said they note the importance of the earliest resolution of the
conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, and the
conflict over Abkhazia, Georgia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia,
Georgia on the basis of respect for the sovereignty, territorial
integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of
Azerbaijan and Georgia respectively and emphasize the right to safe
and dignified return of the refugees and internally displaced persons
to their places of origin.

From: A. Papazian

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 9 2012

Armenia cooperates with Vietnam

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Ho Shi Min Memorial in
Vietnam, Armenia Today reports.

He met president Truong Tan Sang. The sides signed a visa-free deal
for officials with diplomatic and service passports, cooperation,
trade, science, technical cooperation of Foreign Ministries and a
protocol on cooperation.

The president of Vietnam noted the need for more deals between the two
states to realize the economic potential. He thanked Armenia for
support suring the Soviet times by teaching students at Armenian
higher education centers. Sargsyan met them in Hanoi.

The Armenian president invited them to visit Yerevan and answered
their questions.
Sargsyan visited the Literature Temple in Hanoi.

From: A. Papazian

Karzai: U.S. failed to consult Afghans on airstrike that killed 18

June 9, 2012 – 19:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Afghanistan’s president said Saturday, June 9 that
the United States failed to consult Afghan forces when calling in an
airstrike that killed 18 civilians, and warned that in the future his
government will consider such actions as violating the country’s pact
with Washington, AFP reported.

In the east, meanwhile, a Taliban suicide bomber disguised as a woman
wearing a burqa killed four French soldiers when he blew himself up in
a market.

Both Karzai’s condemnation of the U.S. operation and the French deaths
as that country rushes to pull out its combat forces were reminders
that the international exit from Afghanistan is going to be far from
orderly. As more agreements are signed promising Afghan sovereignty
and more NATO troops are assigned the role of trainers or advisers,
the international mission in the county is becoming increasingly
muddled.

Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi said that President Hamid Karzai
met with investigators earlier in the day and concluded that U.S.
troops had called in Wednesday’s strike without coordinating with
Afghan units.

The incident occurred during a nighttime raid on militants taking
cover in a village. These raids are a major irritant in Afghan
President Hamid Karzai’s relationship with the international military
coalition. Karzai says the raids put civilians at risk of injury or
death. Military officials say such operations are key to capturing and
killing Taliban leaders.

The U.S. and Afghanistan signed an agreement in April that put the
Afghan government in charge of such operations – a move designed to
resolve some of the longstanding tensions. But when villagers in Logar
province displayed the bodies of 18 civilians killed in a U.S.
airstrike on Wednesday, Karzai quickly called on the international
coalition to explain itself.

Faizi said that the investigators told the president that Afghan
forces had surrounded the house in question but that the U.S. troops
decided not to wait for them to try to flush out the militants and
called in aircraft instead. They only discovered later that there had
also been women, children and old men inside.

“This airstrike was a one-sided decision, and not coordinated with
Afghan security forces,” Faizi said. He said that Karzai and his
advisers decided after hearing the investigators’ report that they
would consider such actions in the future as a breach of the special
operations pact.

From: A. Papazian

Bryza new board member in Turkish company

17:45 07/06/2012 » Region

Former U.S. co-chair at the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza has been
appointed member of Turkish `Turcas’ company, `1news’ news site said.

`Turcas’ company is closely cooperating with Azerbaijan’s state oil
company and implements various joint programs.

Matthew Bryza, once OSCE Minsk Group U.S. co-chairs, was appointed
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. American Armenian community and
organizations have condemned Bryza for making biased statements.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

H. Abrahamyan: `Azerbaijan must get rude respond’

`First, I want to express my condolences for the losses. Such policy
by Azerbaijan is really troubling but as both US State Secteray and
OSCE MG co-chairs announced the issue can not be solved by suing force
and the problem must be settled only peacefully. I consider that
Azerbaijani actions have been condemned and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan also delivered speech. We have also discussed the issue in
the Parliament and soon we will deliver announcement by the fractions.
We will do everything in order to settle the issue peacefully. But if
we are compelled a war then we are ready to protect our Motherland,
our soldiers and our lands. Of course it is better to settle the issue
peacefully. No war leads the nation and the country to something
better. It only causes human and material losses’.

Chairman of Armenian Parliament Hovik Abrahamyan told `Radio Liberty’
while answering to the question whether the tensions on the border and
Azerbaijani behavior may cause restarting of the war.

`Radio Liberty’ correspondent asked H. Abrahamyan to comment on S.
Sargsyan’s announcement over the tensions on Armenian-Azerbaijani
border. `Don’t you consider that our responds on the border may cause
the equal attitude with Azerbaijan by the international society’, the
question was.

`I consider that the respond must be certainly given. If they make
provocation we can not keep silence. I agree with the President: they
must get rude respond’, Mr. Abrahamyan concluded.

09.06.12, 14:23

From: A. Papazian

Regnum news agency, Russia
June 9 2012

Kazakhstan ready to contribute to peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict

The Speaker of the parliament of Azerbaijan, Oqtay Asadov, met a
delegation headed by the Speaker of the Senate of the Kazakh
parliament, Kayrat Mami, on 8 June.

The press service of the parliament of Azerbaijan reports that during
the meeting, Asadov said that the peoples of both countries, united by
ancient roots, common cultural and spiritual values, had high hopes
for the development of relations.

“Azerbaijan, a rapidly growing country in the South Caucasus today,
intends to expand economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with
Kazakhstan,” he said.

Asadov also said that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, which was the
most painful problem of Azerbaijan, was a great obstacle to the full
development of the region.

“We are in favour of a fair solution to the problem within the
framework of international law. We believe that with the support of
the international community, including Kazakhstan, the issue will soon
find its just solution,” he said.

Kayrat Mami emphasized that Azerbaijan was Kazakhstan’s most important
partner in the Caspian region. He said Kazakhstan was ready to give
all possible assistance for the speedy and peaceful resolution of the
Nagornyy-Karabakh conflict.

[translated from Russian]

From: A. Papazian