Author: Andres-Papazian

APA, Azerbaijan
March 17 2012

Ziyad Samadzadeh: `Most of the Armenians withdrew deposits from bank
accounts and left Azerbaijan before Nagorno Karabakh conflict’

[ 17 Mar 2012 11:47 ]

Baku. Ali Ahmadov – APA-ECONOMICS. Return of USSR bank savings will
not cause problem with Armenians, who lived in Azerbaijan USSR and who
left here later, MP Ziyad Samadzadeh said.

To him, the decree issued by Azerbaijani President noted that citizens
must present ID cards in order to receive compensations: `That is, all
Azerbaijani citizens will be able to receive compensations. It is
already known that on the eve of Karabakh conflict, most of the
Armenians living in Azerbaijan withdrew their savings and left the
country. That is why, there is no problem in connection with their
savings’.

Samadzadeh says Azerbaijanis, formerly living in Armenia, put savings
in Armenian Savings Bank that time, could not get their savings, too:
`Those citizens will not be able to get money back, and what is their
fault?’

From: A. Papazian

States News Service
March 16, 2012 Friday

11-032 ARMENIAN DELEGATIONS TO VISIT KANSAS

TOPEKA, KS

The following information was released by the Kansas Adjutant Generals
Department:

Two delegations from the Republic of Armenia will arrive in Kansas
next week for a visit arranged under the State Partnership Program, a
program of the National Guard Bureau. Kansas has been partnered with
Armenia since 2003 to foster mutually beneficial military to military,
military to civilian and civilian to civilian relationships. Maj. Gen.
(KS) Lee Tafanelli visited Armenia for the first time as adjutant
general in September 2011.

“Were pleased to have this opportunity to host such a distinguished
delegation,” said Tafanelli. “We look forward to further developing
and enhancing our relationship with the people of Armenia.”

The first group will arrive Saturday, March 17, and will be led by
Maj. Gen. Armen Harutyunyan, head of Investigation Service of the
Ministry of Defense. Their visit will focus on various aspects of the
Kansas legal and military justice systems. Their schedule will include
visits to the Kansas Supreme Court, Washburn Law School, Fort
Leavenworth, the Kansas Attorney Generals Office, the Kansas Bureau of
Investigation and the office of the assistant U.S. attorney for the
Kansas district.

The second delegation will arrive Monday, March 19 and will include
Seyran Ohanyan, Armenian minister of defense and Davit Tonoyan, first
deputy minister of defense. The delegation will meet with Maj. Gen.
(KS) Lee Tafanelli and members of the Kansas National Guard senior
staff. They will also take a tour of the Capitol Building and meet
with Gov. Sam Brownback, who will sign a proclamation recognizing the
mutual achievements made under the partnership and saluting the people
of Armenia. Following a photo opportunity with the governor, the
delegation will join Brownback for a luncheon with cabinet
secretaries, legislative leaders and other state officials.

The Armenians will later meet with representatives of the Command and
General Staff College from Fort Leavenworth and visit the warehouse at
Forbes containing the Expeditionary Medical Systems, a mobile hospital
that is deployable for military or civilian emergency response use.
Armenia purchased an EMEDS system in 2005 and Kansas has been working
closely with them to develop a deployable mobile medical capability.

After leaving Kansas, the defense minister will travel to Washington
D.C. to meet with the U.S. Secretary of Defense and other senior
officials.

The State Partnership Program is a National Guard program that
partners the National Guard with developing nations to foster military
and civilian relationships. Members of the Kansas National Guard, as
well as representatives from law enforcement, education, medicine,
agriculture and other professions, have visited Armenia several times
and representatives from various Armenian military and civilian
organizations have come to Kansas for training, discussions and other
events. Soldiers of the Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade have deployed to
serve alongside soldiers from the United States and other coalition
forces.

From: A. Papazian

Alek Yenikomshyan: “4 years after March 1, 2008 and none of those
responsible have been brought to justice”

hetq
11:05, March 1, 2012

What follows is the English translation of a video distributed by the
Sardarapat Movement in which Alek Yenikomshyan shares his observations
about political developments in Armenia in the ensuing 4 years after
the events of March 1, 2008.

Four years have passed since the massacre that took place on March 1, 2008.

The authors and organizers of that crime have yet to be brought to
justice in the ensuing four years. It is in such a appalling state of
affairs that the current authorities and regime are making believe
that they are organizing the next round of elections in Armenia.

The past 17 years have shown us, however, that these so-called
elections have been marred with fraud, deception and other gross
violations. Naturally, presidential elections slated for next year
cannot be any different.

Of particular note is that when we are observing the 4th anniversary
of the March 1st tragedy, the regime is busy pushing through a bill
regarding the `Law on the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency’. The
only aim of this legislation is to legitimize future repressive
measures by the regime.

However, during the past four years, our people, and young people
especially, have proven that such repression cannot break their will
and determination.

Today, we witness the tangible manifestations of that determination –
the environmental movement, protests against a reprehensible language
law, those condemning unacceptable non-combat deaths in the army, and
other civic activism.

Such civic and public movements will surely hasten the ultimate demise
of the current powers that be in Armenia.

The young generation in Armenia is gradually coming to the realization
that the aim of the regime is one and the same – to ensure that the
criminal oligarchy now running roughshod over Armenia retains it
property and privilege, at the expense of the public interest and
public property.

The Armenian people, the youth in Armenia, are determined to put an
end to this state of affairs.

Buoyed with such unbending determination and resolve, we will surely
establish a government in our motherland that our people are truly
deserving of.

From: A. Papazian

Creative citizen should become Armenian hero – Prosperous Armenia

news.am
March 17, 2012 | 14:10

YEREVAN. – State should provide tax and other benefits to support
small and medium businesses, ruling coalition member Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP) leader, Armenia’s biggest businessman Gagik
Tsarukyan said during the PAP congress on Saturday.

`The 2008 world economic crisis affected our state as well. Almost all
states assisted to small and medium businesses, farmers, established
various mechanisms to support and ease their situation.

I doubt that an Armenian businessman did have such support. I would
like to stress especially small and medium businessmen as the big ones
are able to survive. Taken into account this, the state should provide
tax and other benefits and support the small and medium businesses.

It is a fact that these two fields have been neglected. Majority of
those businessmen went bankrupt and left the state. We should
establish environment and conditions for the talented ones to present
our state abroad and move forward,’ Tsarukyan said adding he became
big businessman from the very beginnings and is aware of economic
situation in Armenia perfectly.

PAP introduces new offer and goes back to the beginning of capital
establishment, where the whole nation got used of and not only the
selected ones. The base of the project is a human being. Not an
official but a creative citizen, creating well-being should be the
hero in Armenia, he stressed.

From: A. Papazian

Iran to build 470MW power plant in Syria
Economic Desk

On Line: 11 March 2012 16:10
In Print: Monday 12 March 2012

TEHRAN – Iran Power Plant Projects Management Company (MAPNA) will
establish a power plant in Syria with the generation capacity of 470
megawatts, the company’s managing director said.

Abbas Aliabadi told IRNA news agency that the project would be
completed in 28 months.

Once the power plant comes on stream, the total generation capacity of
Iranian-made power plants in Syria will increase to 1,300MW, he added.

Energy Minister Majid Namjou has said that the Islamic Republic is
ready to start electricity exports to Syria and Lebanon via the Iraqi
power grid in May 2012.

According to the Energy Ministry statistics, the country will be
exporting up to USD 1 billion worth of electricity by March 2012.

Iran is currently exchanging electricity with Afghanistan, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Nakhichevan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

From: A. Papazian

EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN WON’T TAKE MEASURE TO STABILIZE SITUATION IN REGION

Panorama.am
16/03/2012

“Conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh is a playing card for Aliyev used to calm
interior unrest down. Obviously, Azerbaijan’s administration won’t
take measures to stabilize situation in the region, as it opposes
to the policy of that country,” military expert Gagik Karapetyan
told Panorama.am.

Armenian FM Eduard Nalbandian declared on Friday that advancement
in Karabakh conflict is failed because Azerbaijan withdraws from
agreements reached during the negotiations.

According to the expert it’s not by chance that Azerbaijan is
purchasing armaments and making rhetoric statements.

“There is no real chance for Azerbaijan to resume war, however it
continues cheating its own people claiming a powerful army has been
established capable to solve regional issues. Billions of expenses
made in military field should be justified anyhow,” G. Karapetyan said.

Referring to a casualty recorded on Thursday when an Armenian soldier
was shot dead from rival’s sniper, expert underlined Azerbaijan is
not committed to carry out either its obligations or agreements.

From: A. Papazian

OPPOSITION BLOC REPRESENTATIVE MEETS WITH GERMAN OFFICIAL, DISCUSSES ARMENIA’S STATE OF AFFAIRS

news.am
March 16, 2012 | 17:09

YEREVAN. – A delegation led by Levon Zurabyan, the opposition
bloc Armenian National Congress Coordinator, on Friday met with
Markus Loning, Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and
Humanitarian Aid at the German Federal Foreign Office.

The parties discussed the current state of affairs in Armenia in the
lead-up to the country’s parliamentary elections.

The interlocutors stressed the importance of holding free and fair
elections, in terms of securing Armenia’s progress and its future
integration with European organizations.

They also examined the matters concerning the coverage of the upcoming
elections.

From: A. Papazian

FRESNO PHILANTHROPIST, ETHNIC ARMENIAN PETE PETERS DIES AT 94

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 16, 2012 – 13:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Pete Peters, one of Fresno’s leading philanthropists
died at his home on March 13. He was 94, Fresno Bee reported.

The youngest son of Armenian immigrants, Mr. Peters helped his brother,
Leon S. Peters, grow Valley Foundry and Machine Works. The firm made
everything from wine-grape crushers to ship winches.

Mr. Peters gave generously to Community Regional Medical
Center, California State University, Fresno, and other community
organizations. He was instrumental in the building of Community’s
burn center. And he helped establish the Alice A. Peters Nursing
Scholarship (honoring his brother’s wife) that has helped numerous
nurses complete their education.

Community Medical Centers will soon announce a sizable commitment
to Clovis Community Medical Center that will add to Mr. Peters’
contributions, said Robert V. Saroyan, vice president of development
at Community Medical Foundation.

Mr. Peters was known to show up unannounced and unaccompanied at
Community Regional Medical Center and Clovis Community, where he was
known as “Uncle Pete.” He’d walk through the hospital, greet people
and make his own assessment of how things were working, Saroyan said.

“He didn’t need an entourage,” Saroyan said. “He wasn’t that kind
of guy.”

Mr. Peters joined his brother’s company in 1939 as a machinist. A
self-trained engineer, Mr. Peters is credited for creating a design
for a stainless steel circular tank that has been used for decades
by winemakers around the world.

In 1969, Valley Foundry was sold to AMETEK Inc., and Mr. Peters
continued as vice president. He was named CEO after his brother’s
death in 1983.

Mr. Peters retired in 1989 and remained active in the community,
creating and running a charitable organization that has donated
millions to Valley organizations.

Mr. Peters created and served as chairman of the board of the Pete P.
Peters Foundation. He also oversaw the Leon S. Peters Foundation.

Together the two foundations have donated to numerous organizations,
including Fresno State, Community Regional Medical Center, Valley
Public Television, the San Joaquin River Parkway and the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Fresno County.

From: A. Papazian

COULD FORMER ARMENIAN POLICE OFFICIAL BE RELEASED PRIOR TO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS? – NEWSPAPER

news.am
March 16, 2012 | 08:49

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s former Chief of the Police Force Criminal
Investigation Department, Police Major General Hovhannes Tamamyan,
could be released from the courtroom before the upcoming parliamentary
elections, Haykakan Zhamanak daily writes.

“The events that unrolled in court yesterday [Thursday] point to this.

Tamamyan and the other [two] defendants pleaded guilty and asked for
a speedy trial. According to Armenia’s law, in the case of a speedy
trial the defendants cannot be sentenced more than two-thirds of the
maximum sentence specified by the given article. Tamamyan’s article
specifies a maximum of six years in prison, and, in fact, this maximum
now reduces by two years and becomes four years.

In addition, since by pleading guilty Tamamyan has acquired a
mitigating circumstance, his sentence might not be carried out
conditionally, especially if we factor in that he has numerous state
awards. In other words, it is highly unlikely that he will receive
two or three years of conditional [release] and be released from the
courtroom,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

To note, Hovhannes Tamamyan and the other two defendants are charged
with abuse of power, which has caused serious consequences.

From: A. Papazian

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST JEWISH-TURKISH JOURNALIST FOR CRITICIZING MINISTER WHO DEMANDED ACCOUNT FROM ARMENIANS

news.am
March 16, 2012 | 13:11

Turkey’s Internal Affairs Ministry filed court proceedings against
Roni Margulies, the Jewish columnist of the Taraf daily of Turkey,
who had written a critical column against Turkish Internal Affairs
Minister Idris Naim Sahin, who had made an anti-Armenian speech during
the demonstration held in Istanbul on February 26.

Margulies, on the other hand, notes his column insulted no one. “The
PM and the Internal Affairs Minister are filing a lawsuit thinking
they will force us to stop writing. Do they think we will be afraid?

We would not have written if we had feared. We are not stupid. The
Minister must apologize not solely to the Armenians, but to entire
Turkey as well,” Roni Margulies said.

From: A. Papazian