Author: Babajanian Karo

NO IRANIAN SKY-SCRAPER TO BE BUILT ON AZNAVUR SQUARE, SAYS ARCHITECT

Tert.am
21.11.11

The Iranian proposal to build a 50-storey building near (Charles)
Aznavur Square in central Yerevan will be rejected president of the
Union of Architectures of Armenia has said.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mkrtich Minasyan said the reason is
that the proposal is inconsistent with the zoning project of city’s
construction plan.

The area under discussion is located between the Moscow Cinema and
the building of Artists’ Union of Armenia and was sold to an Iranian
semi-state company in 1990s.

The company demolished a semi-built building and came up with some
projects. The proposal to building a multi-storey building was made
in 2009 when Gagik Beglaryan was Yerevan Mayor.

The Yerevan Municipality had then allowed the Iranian company to
build a 20-storey building.

However, Mkrtich Minasyan thinks that constructing such a building
today is inadmissible.

The Iranian side and the Yerevan Municipality have come to a deadlock
as the land belongs to the Iranian company, while the decision whether
or not to allow the construction is with the Yerevan Municipality.

Hrayr Poghosyan, Head of the Department Urban Development at the
Yerevan Municipality, says that there is no common ground over the
use of the land at the moment.

The purported sky-scraper was planned to be a cultural centre.

According to Poghosyan, even if the Iranian cultural centre is built
in line with Yerevan’s architectural norms, building it on Aznavur
Square is illogical.

ARF CALLS ON SARKOZY TO CONDEMN FM’S OFFER FOR GENOCIDE COMMISSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 22, 2011 – 16:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Central
Committee of France issued a statement calling on President Nicolas
Sarkozy to condemn his Foreign Minister’s proposal to establish a
commission that would study the Armenian Genocide, Asbarez reported
citing a publication in Nouvelles Armenie.

Speaking during a press conference last week in Turkey, French Foreign
Minister Alain Juppe called the period of the Armenian Genocide hard
for both Armenians and Turks and expressed France’s willingness for
the establishment of a commission to study the Armenian Genocide.

While visiting Armenia last month, Sarkozy, in no uncertain terms
called on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide. He added that if
Turkey did not come to terms with its past, other countries would have
to step in to right the historical wrong.

The ARF statement says:

“The ARF learned of the intention expressed by Alain Juppe to set up a
commission of Armenian and Turkish historians in France to study the
period in the history regarding the Armenian Genocide.

ARF is furious at the Foreign Minister for his remarks, which
potentially cast doubt on the veracity of the Armenian Genocide. Such
statements are not acceptable. They contain hints of policy of denial.

Statements by Alain Juppe significantly minimize the words of
[President] Nicolas Sarkozy, who called on Turkey to recognize the
Armenian Genocide.

The French government can not simultaneously call on Turkey to
recognize the Armenian Genocide and proposer a commission of
historians which must decide on the reality of the Armenian Genocide.

This is an intolerable contradiction by the French authorities, who
apparently decided to play a game of double standards of truth and
denial. This impression is further reinforced by the fact that when
Nicolas Sarkozy was in Armenia, [France’s Interior Minister] Claude
Gueant was hastily dispatched to Turkey.

We can not bear this duplicity and ask Sarkozy to express open
disapproval of the position of Alain Juppe, contrary to President’s
statements made in Yerevan. The Armenian community is angered and
looks forward to decisive action by the President of the Republic.

Inclusion of the bill criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide in the
Senate’s agenda is urgent. Nicolas Sarkozy promised to do so in
Yerevan, let him keep his promise.”

U.S. JUDGE EXTENDS ARMENIA GENOCIDE FUND FIGHTING

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 22, 2011 – 13:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A U.S. federal judge on Monday, November
21, gave attorneys fighting over accounting discrepancies at
a multimillion-dollar compensation fund for the descendants of
Armenian Genocide victims two weeks to hash out an agreement or face
an extensive court-ordered audit.

Glendale News-Press reports that District Court Judge Christina
Snyder ordered attorneys Mark Geragos and Roman Silberfeld to come
back on Dec. 5 with an update on how they want to address accounting
discrepancies in a compensation fund set up several years ago by
insurance company Axa S.A. to pay descendents of Armenian Genocide
victims.

Geragos requested that he and Silberfeld, who is representing
Glendale-based attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan, be “locked in a room”
because he believes they can reach an agreement.

Attorneys on both sides and their staffs have been examining 94 claims
that initially appeared to have problems out of about 1,000 claims
filed with the fund’s administrators.

In a motion filed with the court on Friday, Silberfeld said every
claim was underpaid because the multiplier used to determine payment
amounts was off by 0.1%.

In some instances, separate but identical claims filed by siblings
were denied, others were approved, according to Silberfeld’s motion.

Also, some claimants who received multiple checks only cashed those
for smaller amounts, even though checks for larger amounts were
supposedly issued at the same time.

Silberfeld argued that if there were discrepancies with some of the
94 claims studied, it’s reasonable to believe there are problems with
the remaining 900 claims.

Silberfeld said that while some of the accounting issues brought
up in his motion could be addressed in a private meeting, he didn’t
think he could let the remaining 900 claims go unchecked.

“At least get some start on this,” Snyder said, adding that the
massive amount of accounting work involved with an audit would
seriously deplete the remaining $2.5 million in the fund.

She also brought up the option that the people who were in charge of
administering the fund could be forced to help cover the costs.

Earlier this year, Geragos and attorney Brian Kabateck sued Yeghiayan,
charging that he and his wife, attorney Rita Mahdessian, set up bogus
charities and misused nearly $1 million during the last six years.

Kabateck told Synder on Monday that the motions regarding the Axa
fund are Yeghiayan’s attempt to sideline that lawsuit.

Geragos, Kabateck and Yeghiayan were on the same legal team that
in 2005 brought a lawsuit that resulted in Axa’s $17.5-million
compensation fund, which was set up to pay claims that it failed
to compensate descendants of Armenian Genocide victims who bought
policies between 1875 and 1923.

ARMENIAN FM – 1915 GENOCIDE NOT DEBATABLE

hetq
14:42, November 22, 2011

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan has come out strongly against
any talk of a “historical commission” to study the events of 1915.

In a recent interview with the Dutch “De Volkskrant” daily, Nalbandyan
is reported to have said that, “Armenia’s government has declared
on many occasions that the fact of the Armenian Genocide and the
importance of its recognition and condemnation have never been and
will never be questioned.”

Nalbandyan described Turkish statements on establishing such a
commission as “a continuation of a dangerous denial policy” in an
attempt to question the fact of recognition of the Genocide by France
and many others.

The Armenian Foreign Minister noted that French President Sarkozy,
during his recent visit to Armenia, made his position on the 1915
Genocide quite clear.

MAN HANGS HIMSELF FROM A BRIDGE

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 22, 2011
YEREVAN

A young man hanged himself from a bridge in Gyumri November 22 at
about 8.49 am local time. Press service of the Emergency Situations
Ministry told Armenpress that a rescue squad departed for the site
but did not manage to save the life of the man.

ARMENIAN CONSULATE IN LA HOSTS RECEPTION TO HONOR KARABAKH PRESIDENT

Tert.am
22.11.11

The General Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles hosted
on Monday an official reception in honor of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR, Artsakh) President Bako Sahakyan.

Speaking at the ceremony, the president said that the further deepening
and strengthening of ties between the motherland and the Diaspora
depends to a large extent on California which is home to one of the
world’s biggest Armenian communities.

Sahakyan noted that unity remains the most important guarantor of all
the victories and achievements of the independent Armenian statehood,
and stressed the importance of preserving and strengthening it further.

According to a press release by the NKR presidential office, the event
was also attended by the head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan the NKR permanent
representative to the USA and Canada, Robert Avetisyan, leaders of
traditional political parties and heads of organizations, as well as
clergymen and representatives of the local Armenian community.

OPPOSITIONIST FINDS FURTHER TALKS WITH REGIME POINTLESS

Tert.am
22.11.11

The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) sees no sense in
pursuing the talks with the ruling regime, according to an activist.

Speaking to the Armenian Public TV Channel yesterday evening, Levon
Zurabyan, the coordinator of the alliance, referred to the to the
detention of one of their activists, Tigran Arakelyan, considering
it the authorities’ attempt to frustrate the dialogue.

“Tigran Arakelyan was detained in an attempt to frustrate the dialogue,
and those moves demonstrated that the authorities are unprepared for
a civilized process,” he said. “The topic of the dialogue is already
closed, and we see no point in negotiating with the [President]
Serzh Sargsyan led regime. All we can do is to achieve Sargsyan’s
resignation through pan-national pressures.”

Zurabyan added that at their upcoming rally on November 25 they
are going to adopt a declaration laying out the political and legal
grounds for the president’s resignation. He aded that the ANC will
subsequently force Sargsyan to step down by making the situation
uncontrollable through public pressures, and simultaneously urge the
National Assembly to include the issue in its agenda.

“If that does not work, the scheduled election will turn into a vote
of no confidence in the president. So, Serzh Sargsyan’s removal becomes
the cornerstone of our program,” he said, adding that their activities
would attract the world community’s attention, increasing pressures.

TURKISH BUSINESSMAN: OPEN BORDER WILL THREE FOLD INCREASE ARMENIA-TURKEY TRADE TURNOVER

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 22, 2011 – 12:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Trade turnover between Armenia and Turkey totals
USD 300 mln with a possibility to make it three times as big in
case of opening the border in the nearest future, co-founder of the
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) said.

Talking with journalists in Yerevan, Noyan Soyak noted the possibility
to develop a triangle tour: Ejmiatsin -Van – Ani.

Dwelling on the launch of Yerevan-Van flight, he said it will be
delayed due to the recent Van earthquake.

For his part, Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen
of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan noted that trade turnover between Armenia
and Turkey currently grosses USD 150-200 mln and agreed that it may
grow several times in case of opening of the border.

Interfax, Russia
Nov 19 2011

Azeri President Aliyev: Baku may use force to solve Karabakh problem

BAKU. Nov 19

Baku wants the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh to be resolved
peacefully, but if negotiations do not produce the desired result,
Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity by force, Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev said.

“We want to resolve this issue through negotiations. If the issue is
not resolved through negotiations, we will have to resort to a
military option. This is our sovereign right. Nobody can deprive us of
this right,” Aliyev said in a speech to veterans of the war over
Nagorno-Karabakh and families of soldiers killed in it in the Gabala
district on Friday.

“I am sure that our country’s territorial integrity will be restored,
all those displaced will return to their homeland, and justice will
triumph. The international community is on our side, they recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh as an inseparable part of Azerbaijan. Support being
given to Azerbaijan on the international arena and in international
organizations, particularly the UN, is at the same time support for
our policy and our position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Aliyev
said.

va

IBNLive.com, India
Nov 19 2011

Anand holds Aronian at Tal memorial chess
by Press Trust of India

Moscow: World Champion Viswanathan Anand held nemesis Levon Aronian of
Armenia in the fourth round of Tal memorial international chess
tournament now underway here.

In the eyes of many experts, Anand was close to recording his second
loss against Aronian in as many games following the Bilbao final
masters.

However, some precise manoeuvres saw the Indian ace salvage the half point.