Author: Babajanian Karo

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR SAYS MORE CAN BE DONE TO DEVELOP ARMENIAN-IRANIAN RELATIONS

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 24, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: Relations between Armenia and Iran
are developing dynamically, Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Seyed
Ali Saghaian said at a lecture for students of the YSU Oriental
Study Faculty. He stressed that the two countries are bearers of
the same culture. “Iran was the first country to recognize Armenia’s
independence. It will be wrong to say that the achievements are ideal:
more can be done,” Ali Saghaian said. He noted that a number of
documents have been signed during the visit of the President of Iran
to Armenia. Before it as well economic cooperation existed between
the two countries. “We are firm in the issue of construction of the
railway, we just need financial means. The two presidents rate high
the signing of free trade agreement,” the ambassador said. According
to him, there exists cooperation in the scientific-educational sphere
as well and it shows bilateral wish to reinforce the ties.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES COOPERATION PROSPECTS WITH GREEK NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER

news.am
February 24, 2012 | 17:30

Armenian Ambassador to Greece Gagik Ghalachyan met on Thursday with
Minister of National Defense Dimitris Avramopoulos to discuss prospects
for bilateral cooperation.

The sides discussed further development of cooperation between
the two countries’ ministries, MFA press service informed Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

They noted that Armenia and Greece have successfully developed
cooperation in the field of military education and officer training,
peacekeeping, defense industry and other spheres.

ARMENIAN PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE DISPLEASED WITH JUDICIAL SYSTEM

news.am
February 24, 2012 | 16:32

YEREVAN. – Armenian Prosecutor’s Office is unsatisfied with the
activities of the country’s judicial system, Deputy Prosecutor General
Aram Tamazyan said during the Office’s session on Friday.

Tamazyan recalled that it should not be forgotten that the law’s
status is maintained and protected owing to the restoration of social
justice and determining of the corresponding penalty.

In his turn, Deputy Prosecutor General Mnatsakan Sargsyan proposed
that changes should be made in the existing practice in connection
with the regional prosecutors’ mandatory participation in the high
courts, and thus they would not have to come to the capital, Yerevan,
to attend the court sessions, and therefore representatives of the
Prosecutor’s Office could defend the charges made with the cases.

WILL IRANIAN WAR SPILL OVER KARABAKH?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:49:51 – 24/02/2012

Candidate for Russian president, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovski
stated that in the summer, the World War III will start. “As soon as
they crush Syria, Iran will be stroke. Azerbaijan will take advantage
and will try to recapture Karabakh. Armenia will perform against this.

Turkey will support Azerbaijan. Here’s how our country can be drawn
into the war in the summer of 2012”, he said.

Besides, there are already opinions of experts, mainly from Armenia
and Russia saying that the U.S. “agreed” with Azerbaijan to “give”
it Karabakh in exchange of support to operations in Iraq.

Despite of a really big possibility of a blow in the region, it is
evident that the situation is under control and there are at least
two factors which evidence that war in Karabakh is not inevitable.

The first factor is that so far no conflict or war, with the
participation of the U.S. or controlled by it, spilled over the
neighbor countries. The feeling is that special mechanisms were used
to localize the military actions in the separate country – let it be
Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and any other one. They said that the
war in Libya (or Iraq) would become a detonator of the World War III,
that the whole Middle East will be involved, but the war started and
ended in one country.

The point is surely not about the fact that the U.S. is right or wrong
in invading in different countries, but about the mechanism which
keeps neighbor countries far from the military-political adventures
in the period of hostilities. The current events in Syria are also
a proof: despite all the predictions, the conflict has not spilled
over neighbor countries.

The only exception has so far been the Russian-Georgian war, when
the war happened on the territories of two countries, but this is a
different story with different goals.

In this connection it seems that even if a conflict between Iran
and the West or Israel starts, it will hardly spill over neighbor
countries of the region. Though, experts hope it will be possible to
avoid the conflict.

The second factor is the U.S. position on Karabakh. If the belonging
of certain territories to the Armenian side and the presence of the
Karabakh military-political unit is a bargaining chip of the U.S. just
with Azerbaijan, so what is meaning of this auction for the last 20
years? Why should the U.S. which has done much to preserve the status
quo in Nagorno-Karabakh should change its attitude towards Azerbaijan,
for which it has a lot of other levers of influence?

Nevertheless, the play of muscles continues in the region. The CSTO
Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said that in case of escalation of
conflict in Karabakh, Armenia will receive all the necessary support.

The third field army of Turkey, the headquarters of which is situated
in Erzrum, is holding massive maneuvers near the Armenian border in
the Kars province. The president and the prime minister of Turkey
are following the exercises.

The Azerbaijani military forces also started large-scale maneuvers
along the Nagorno Karabakh border on February 22. In Yerevan, on
February 21-23, were held Armenian-Georgian joint command-staff
exercises on the “detection and prevention of the spread of weapons
of mass destruction”.

AGHVAN HOVSEPYAN: CRIMINAL SITUATION HAS BEEN STABLE OVER YEARS
Lusine Vasilyan

“Radiolur”
24.02.2012 17:18

The results of 2011 were summed up during today’s plenary sitting of
the Board of the Prosecutor’s Office. Deputy Prosecutor Generals Aram
Tamazyan and Mnatsakan Sargsyan presented the indices describing the
criminal situation in Armenia.

The figures suggest that the number of crimes in Armenia increased
by 7% as compared to 2010.

Two percent increase was registered in the crimes against humans,
particularly murders. The number of road accidents and cases of
hooliganism has also increased.

Noting that the changes need to be thoroughly investigated, Prosecutor
General Aghvan Hovsepyan said the criminal situation in Armenia has
been stable over years. Moreover, statistic shows that the situation
is the best in the CIS.

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: PRESERVING PEACE IMPORTANT FOR REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 24, 2012 – 15:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Iran’s ambasasdor to Armenia Seyed Ali Sagayan said
he believes his country’s position was the most neutral and balanced
one in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Speaking at a meeting with students of Yerevan State University,
the ambassador noted: “The most important thing is preserving the
peace, in particular, in our region which has the potential to flare
up quickly, as was the case with the Russian-Georgian war.”

Georgian troops attacked the South Ossetia on August 8, 2008 and
ruined part of its capital city Tskhinvali. In an attempt to protect
the population of South Ossetia, most of them being Russian citizens,
Russia’s military entered the republic and forced the Georgian forces
out of the region following five-day hostilities.

In late August 2008 Russia recognized independence of South Ossetia
and another former Georgian autonomy Abkhazia. Tbilisi reacted to
this by breaking off diplomatic relations with Moscow and declaring
the two Transcaucasian republics occupied territories.

FRANCE OPPOSES OPENING OF TURKISH CONSULATES IN BORDEAUX, NANTES

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 25, 2012 – 15:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – France has opposed the opening of Turkish consulates
in the French cities of Bordeaux and Nantes as Turkey has suspended
political and military ties with Paris over the adoption of the bill
criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

According to Today’s Zaman, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul
Deputy Osman Koruturk submitted a motion concerning the establishment
of Turkish consulates in Bordeaux and Nantes to the Parliamentary
Speaker’s Office to be answered by Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu earlier this week.

Koruturk recalled that in addition to Turkish consulates in Paris,
Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg, Turkey decided to open two consulates
in Nantes and Bordeaux cities to facilitate transactions for Turkish
citizens, and the talks between Turkish and French officials were
almost completed.

“Is it true that Turkey officially applied to France for the
establishment of the consulates in Bordeaux and Nantes before the
French Constitutional Council announces its decision on the denial
bill, and it has been rejected by the French government?” Koruturk
asked “Why has the government applied to France for the establishment
of consulates that means improvement of bilateral relations after
announcing that Turkey will impose political sanctions on France?”

Underlining that this stance contradicts statements coming from the
government, Koruturk claimed that this situation proves that the
government’s sanctions on France are just claptrap.

HRAPARAK: BITCH RUBO ARRESTED

Panorama.am
25/02/2012

Arrests of representatives of the criminal world continue. Robert
Arakelyan, more widely known under nickname Bitch Rubo, has been
arrested lately, Hraparak reports.

Drugs were found on him. Police searched his apartment and found
drugs and a gun there. Arakelyan was caught near the Narcological
Clinic in Yerevan, the daily writes.

Bitch Rubo has seven previous convictions.

ARMENIAN SINGERS BOYCOTT EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2012 IN BAKU

armradio.am
24.02.2012 14:22

A group of Armenian singers have released a statement addressed to
the European Broadcasting Union and the Armenian Public TV Company
saying they will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012,
which will take place in Baku. The statement reads, in part:

“Armenian soldier Albert Adibekyan was shot dead by an Azerbaijani
sniper near the village of Chinari in Tavush region. And this
happens at a time when the mediators in the negotiation process of
the Karabakh conflict have several times called on the conflicting
parties to withdraw snipers from the Line of Contact.

The Armenian side has always declared it is ready to withdraw its
snipers, while Azerbaijan, as we can see, not only does not accept
the proposal but also takes advantage of every occasion to shed the
blood of Armenians.

Under these circumstances we, the undersigned, are stating in public
that we have the most serious reservation over Armenia’s participation
in the Eurovision to be held in Baku.

Armenia has taken part in all Eurovision song contests, including the
junior ones. However, the perspective of holding this year’s contest in
Baku has been severely criticized by NGOs and politicians of a number
of countries, as well as international organizations. We are declaring
that we refuse to take part in the contest to be held in Baku.

We refuse to perform in a country that is notorious for its mass
killings and massacres of Armenians, a country where anti-Armenian
sentiment is part of state policy, a country where ethnic Armenians
are denied entry, even if they are citizens of other countries.”

The singers recalled the killing of Armenian Officer Gurgen Margaryan
during NATO classes in Budapest in 2004, noting that this can happen
to every Armenian singer or member of the delegation.

“We refuse to perform in a country, which organized mass killings in
Sumgayit, Kirovabad, Baku, Mingechaur and Maragha, a country, which
attacked the peaceful population of Nagorno Karabakh and continue
threatening to kill Armenians. All this happens on the level of the
President and different state bodies, which have been disseminating a
feeling of revenge and hatred towards Armenians among their citizens,”
the singers wrote.

They called on the Public Television to refuse from sending a
participant to that country and declared that they will participate in
Eurovision 2012 should the European Broadcasting Union decide to move
the contest to any other country, adding that they will participate
in all future Eurovision Song Contests.

WHY IS LAW ON STATE OF EMERGENCY ADOPTED AHEAD OF ELECTIONS?

epress.am
02.24.2012

Under no circumstances should the army become a tool in issues of
domestic politics. Every country should have a law on the rule of
law during a state of emergency, but the way in which the government
brought this law to the National Assembly was unacceptable, head of
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D)
parliamentary faction Vahan Hovhannisyan told journalists in the
capital today.

“There’s a provision in the RA draft law on the rule of law during
a state of emergency which was approved by parliament at its first
reading that is completely unacceptable, according to which the
president of a country in a state of emergency can annul the decision
of any state or local governing body. According to the constitution,
this in no way could’ve referred to the National Assembly, which means
that there should’ve been an amendment here. Whether [the amendment]
has been made or not I haven’t yet seen; I think this law was brought
yesterday evening, which is odd – they took it to amend, knowing that
the criticism, especially our criticism, was right,” he said.

Hovhannisyan recalled the process by which the law was adopted by
parliament at its first reading whereby lawmakers voted in place of
their absent colleagues, which, according to him, was covered very
well by the press.

“Even afterwards, the government understood that this way the law
contradicts the Constitution and the prime minister recalled it,
but it’s been brought back again, as it’s considered to be urgent,”
he said.

The lawmaker found it hard to say to what extent the “unacceptable
mistakes” in the law were rectified.

“One thing is important: in any case, involving the army in domestic
political affairs is unacceptable because this is how the Constitution
considers it. If as described by members of government, demoralization
is happening in the country, then they won’t be characterized as a
domestic political struggle and then the situation will be completely
different and for that we have the opportunity of enforcing not a
‘state of emergency’ but martial law,” he said.

According to Hovhannisyan, the draft law, as proposed, was
unacceptable, which was why it will be amended and discussed again.

“The way the bill is raised seems unacceptable for us, because it’s
well understood that elections are coming up – why did they suddenly
turn their attention to and place importance on this issue right
before the election? The public would have the right to think that
the authorities are forecasting situations in which this law will be
needed as a tool, but from what these situations arise, we have to
fight against that, ballot stuffing, violations, buying votes and
the rest, so that such situations don’t arise and not by presuming
it’s all the same, you’re going to do this anyway and there will
be backlash and you try to confront the backlash through this law –
this isn’t an acceptable way [of doing things],” he concluded.