Author: Babajanian Karo

ARMENIA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY SUGGESTS TURNING OFF POWER AS PROTEST AGAINST TARIFF INCREASE

YEREVAN, July 3. /ARKA/. The Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) suggests
residents of Armenia turning off the power at 22:00 on July 5 in
support of ‘Against electricity tariff increase” civil initiative,
says a press release from the DPA.

Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission raised the electricity
tariffs at its meeting on Tuesday.

In particular, the tariff for electricity supplies by the Electric
Networks of Armenia will be 41.85 drams per kilowatt-hour in daytime
(from 7:00 to 23:00) compared to the current 38 drams, and 31.85 drams
per kilowatt-hour at nights, compared to the current 28 drams. The
decision comes into effect on August 1, 2014. -0–

– See more at:

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U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairmen `Speak Out’ About Azerbaijan’s Declining
Human Rights Record, Call on President Obama to Appoint Special Envoy to
Nagorno Karabakh

By Taniel Koushakjian
July 2, 2014

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) recently
concluded their annual Parliamentary Assembly meeting, held this year in
Baku, Azerbaijan. The OSCE-PA consisted of approximately 300 Members of
Parliament from over 50 participating member states from June 28 – July 2,
including U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ),
Chairman and Co-Chair, respectively, of the U.S. OSCE Helsinki Commission.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Khadija Ismayilova
in Baku, Sen. Cardin noted that `Azerbaijan has a strategic partnership
with the United States” in dealing with international security issues, but
added that Washington will continue to raise human rights and press freedom
concerns with the Azerbaijani government. `When it comes to the last
presidential election [in Azerbaijan], it was not rated to be `free and
fair,” Cardin said, stressing that Azerbaijan has =80=9Cserious issues’ when
dealing with opposition political parties. Also, regarding the Azerbaijan
government’s 2009 ban on radio broadcasts by RFE/RL, British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC), and Voice of America (VOA) in Azerbaijan, Cardin said
that `We [the U.S.] continue to speak out about that,’ before Ismaliyova
finished her question. `We want an open media… open internet,’ he said,
calling the Azerbaijan government’s actions as potentially violating the
`basic rights that the people of Azerbaijan deserve.’

In a separate interview with Ismayilova, Rep. Smith stressed the urgency of
resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and called on President Obama to
appoint a special envoy to usher in a breakthrough in the now 20 year-old
negotiations. Smith said he suggested in Baku that a `very high-profile,
international personage’ be `tasked’ with seeking a resolution to the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Smith cited President George W. Bush’s
appointment of a special envoy to Sudan and President Clinton’s appointment
of a special envoy in Ireland as examples of the `high-level personal
interest by the President of the United States,’ that helped bring
about a
resolution in those conflicts. Smith said that President Obama `could play
that role,’ if he appointed a special envoy, warning that `this could break
out into a very hot war, very quickly.’

Full transcripts of the interviews are available below.

Mariam Pashayan, Peter Kechichian and Gevorg Shahbazyan contributed to
this report.

###

Khadija Ismayilova, RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service, Interview with U.S.
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) in Baku, Azerbaijan

Published June 30, 2014

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD): Azerbaijan has a strategic partnership with the
United States dealing with security issues. Their cooperation in Iran and
Afghanistan is important. Their energy policies are important, but when it
comes to the last presidential election it was not rated to be `free and
fair.’ They have serious issues as to how they treat the opposition. So
there are human rights issues that we have raised, and continue to raise,
as a friend, trying to get the type of improvements we think would be
beneficial to Azerbaijan and help in regards to their relationship with
other countries.

Khadija Ismayilova: Radio Free Europe, among other foreign radios, BBC and
Voice of America, is banned on local frequencies in Azerbaijan-

Senator Ben Cardin: And we speak out against that. We want to open media,
open coverage, open internet, all that we believe are basic rights that the
people of Azerbaijan deserve.

Khadija Ismayilova: There are journalists and bloggers in prison and
election monitors-

Senator Ben Cardin: We have spoken up about that also. We have spoken out
about areas that we think need to be improved.

Khadija Ismayilova, RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service, Interview with U.S. Rep.
Chris Smith (R-NJ) in Baku, Azerbaijan

Published June 30, 2014

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ): The two parties, you know, have been poles
apart, and that’s always a problem. I have suggested that, in addition to
the Minsk group and the other mechanisms that exist for trying to get a
resolution, that a very high-profile international personage might be
tasked, as we saw with Sudan. Senator Danforth was picked by George Bush
after years of conflict, you know, what something in the order of four
million, two to four million nobody knows the exact number, died in South
Sudan and with Darfur thrown in, huge loss of life. When Senator Danforth
became special envoy for President George W. Bush, he got the parties
together and stayed in that room until they hammered out an agreement and
it’s known as the comprehensive peace agreement, the CPA. That would have
not have happened with Bush’s extraordinary efforts. The same thing
happened in Northern Ireland where the troubles had killed thousands, the
Protestants and the Catholics couldn’t have been poles apart, and in this
case President Clinton tasked another U.S. Senator, former, who got the
parties together, stayed in that room until came and hammered out the Good
Friday agreement. But it took that high-level, personal interest on the
part of the President of the United States, and that’s not to say some
other world leader could play that role, but I think the President could
play that role. So a special envoy with the idea of saying let’s solve
this, because this could break out into a very hot war very quickly.

Available online at:

L’AUGMENTATION DU PRIX DE L’ELECTRICITE DEFINITIVEMENT APPROUVEE

Energie

Les regulateurs des services publics ont formellement approuve
hier l’augmentation de 10 % du prix de l’electricite fournie aux
menages armeniens, ignorant les protestations des principaux groupes
d’opposition du pays et des manifestants en colère.

La Commission de regulation des services publics (PSRC) a justifie
cette mesure prise après une discussion animee avec des representants
de l’opposition et de la societe civile. Elle a de nouveau invoque les
pertes financières importantes subies par les reseaux d’electricite
de l’Armenie (ENA), la societe nationale d’electricite russe.

Robert Nazarian, le president de PSRC, a declare que la hausse
tarifaire fera gagner 20 milliards de drams (50 millions de
dollars) de revenus annuels supplementaires a l’ENA, qui pourraient
etre utilises pour rembourser les dettes de la societe auprès
de centrales armeniennes. Il a affirme qu’a defaut de regler ses
problèmes financiers, l’ENA mettrait en peril l’approvisionnement en
electricite du pays.

“Bien sûr, cela va ajouter a la charge socio-economique de la
population”, a declare Nazarian lors de la reunion de deux heures.

“Bien sûr, cela pourrait conduire a une augmentation des prix des
denrees alimentaires de base. Mais ce sont des consequences qui
doivent etre traitees par les organes competents”.

” Les motifs financiers ne suffisent pas a justifier cette mesure”,
a replique Aram Manoukian, un depute de l’opposition qui a parle au
nom des quatre partis d’opposition representes au Parlement. Manoukian
a declare que la hausse des prix augmenterait la pauvrete dans le pays.

Manoukian et d’autres participants a la session ont egalement fait
valoir que le prix de l’electricite avait deja grimpe de près de 27
% en juillet dernier suite a une forte augmentation du coût du gaz
naturel russe fourni a l’Armenie. Ils ont dit que l’ENA a depuis
enregistre des pertes seulement en raison de sa mauvaise gestion.

Dans le meme temps, plus d’une centaine de citoyens en colère ont
manifeste devant les bureaux de PSRC a Erevan, qui ont ete boucles
par la police anti-emeute. Ils ont menace de penetrer dans le bâtiment
après que l’organisme de reglementation ait d’abord refuse de permettre
a leurs representants de participer a la reunion.

Certains d’entre eux ont bloque une rue adjacente au centre-ville. Les
agents de police ont utilise la force pour debloquer la rue, mais se
sont abstenus d’arreter quiconque.

Le 24 juin, 27 personnes avaient ete arretees lorsque la police avait
dispersee une manifestation similaire devant le siège de PSRC. Les
actions de la police ont ete critiquees par l’ombudsman des droits
de l’homme, Karen Andreasian.

Valeri Osipian, chef adjoint du departement de police d’Erevan qui
s’occupe generalement des emeutes, etait d’une humeur plus conciliante
hier, en disant publiquement a ses officiers de n’arreter personne
et demandant aux manifestants de ne pas exacerber les tensions.

Deux de ces manifestants ont finalement ete autorises a assister a la
reunion de PSRC. “Vous n’allez pas vous en sortir avec cette decision.

Je ne vais pas payer “, a crie l’un d’eux a Nazarian et quatre autres
membres de l’organe de l’Etat.

Le prix de l’electricite de jour en Armenie est de 38 drams (9
cents US) par kilowatt / heure depuis juillet 2013. Les menages
seront factures près de 42 drams par kilowatt / heure a partir du
mois prochain.

mercredi 2 juillet 2014, Claire (c)armenews.com

ZHAMANAK: TSARUKYAN EXPANDS BUSINESS IN BELARUS

11:31 01/07/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan is expanding his
business in Belarus, Zhamanak writes. He has registered a new company,
Multi Group Investable, in Minsk. It will make investments in promising
sectors of Belarusian economy.

The newspaper reminds readers that in 2012 Tsarukyan started joint
business with Belarustorg. He opened a brandy company in Minsk.

Tsarukyan’s stake in the joint business amounts to 69 percent.

Source: Panorama.am

U.S. CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR COORDINATED ASSISTANCE TO JAVAKHK

July 1, 2014 – 10:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In a meeting this weekend with Georgian President
Giorgi Margvelashvili, U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff raised the need
to coordinate and focus USAID assistance to meet humanitarian needs
in the predominately Armenian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk).

Rep. Schiff had worked on this issue with former Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili and USAID Director Rajiv Shah and sought to
continue the emphasis on assistance to this economically vulnerable
area. Schiff is in the Caucasus participating in a Helsinki Commission
meeting.

President Margvelashvilli expressed his willingness to coordinate
assistance to the region, and added a new sense of urgency to the
issue. With Georgia’s signing of an association agreement with
the European Union this week and Armenia’s participation in the
Russia-based customs union, it will be more important than ever,
the President emphasized, to ensure that trade between Armenia and
Georgia can continue unabated and grow.

The Javakheti region is particularly reliant on this trade, making
resolution of any trade issues between countries belonging to the
separate trade associations – and assistance to the region – all the
more timely and vital.

Trend Daily News (Azerbaijan)
June 28, 2014 Saturday 12:18 PM GMT +4

Azerbaijan opposes discussion of report on control over armed forces
at OSCE PA meeting

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 28
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:

Azerbaijani delegation opposed the discussion of the report “Control
over Armed Forces and Venetian document”, which does not reflect the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, at the meeting of the Standing Committee of
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Baku on June 28.

The head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA Bahar Muradova
spoke against the document. She noted that the OSCE PA must
demonstrate a specific position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result
of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven
surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently
holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N.
Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the
Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

The above mentioned report did say that the regional conflicts pose
additional challenges for the OSCE, and widely covers Russia’s
occupation of the Crimea. The report also emphasized that the
unilateral annexation of the Crimea by Russia threatens all
international norms and sovereignty of independent countries.

The report however does not include the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, as well as conflicts in Georgia and Moldova.

Two foreign companies show interest in Parking City Service company

13:56 * 29.06.14

Vazgen Harutyunyan, Director of the Parking City Service CJSC, told
Tert.am that two foreign companies have shown interest in purchasing
the company during this week.

“We have just started talks,” Harutyunyan said.

An analysis and audit has to be made yet. The fixed selling price of
the company is AMD2bn (about $5,000,000).

Armenian News – Tert.am

Moscow releases updated ‘White Book’ on massive human rights’
violations in Ukraine

10:56 * 29.06.14

The Russian Foreign Ministry has released an update of the White Book
on abuse of human rights and the supremacy of law in Ukraine in the
period from April through mid-June 2014, says a report posted on the
ministry website.

The White Book is bound to draw international attention to the facts
of massive violations of human rights in Ukraine, Dolgov said.

“The information contained in the White Book proves systematic and in
some cases [for instance, the so-called antiterrorist operation of the
Kiev authorities against civilians in the southeast, the cynical
bloody provocation staged at the House of Unions in Odessa and the
blocking of unwelcome media outlets at any cost] practically
purposeful flagrant violations of fundamental international principles
and norms in the field of human rights and the supremacy of law in
Ukraine,” said ministry ombudsman for human rights, democracy and the
rule of law Konstantin Dolgov.

Armenian News – Tert.am

PEOPLE
Adriana et Aram : leur fête d’amour à Marrakech

En exclusivité > a proposé aux lecteurs des images du mariage
d’Adriana Karambeu et du franco-arménien Aram (André) Ohanian qui
s’est tenu à Marrakech (Maroc). La top-modèle de renommée mondiale est
désormais Adriana Ohanian dans l’état civil. Ci-dessous quelques
détails sur ces cérémonies grandioses du mariage qui fit la une des
magazines people. Krikor Amirzayan

ILHAM ALIYEV’S PACE SPEECH PROVES FUTILITY OF ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE AZERBAIJANI POLICY

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 27 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 27

By Ilkin Izzet – Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent speech at the PACE session
in Strasbourg proved once again that attempts to influence and manage
Azerbaijan’s domestic and foreign policy are ineffective and futile,
Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration’s Public and
Political Issues Department, Ali Hasanov said.

Hasanov noted that this is an example for the Azerbaijani youth.

While speaking at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, President Ilham Aliyev stressed
the main priorities set by Azerbaijan during its chairmanship in the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and spoke about the
reforms implemented in the country. Most of the president’s speech was
devoted to Armenia’s aggressive policy and double standards applied
by international organizations.

“Azerbaijani president, thanks to his ability to think globally,
iron will and logic, independent and analytical thinking, adherence
to principles and determination, once again demonstrated that the
country is able to adequately respond to any pressure and threat
attempts,” Hasanov said, speaking at the at the 4th selective and
reporting conference of the “Ireli” public union on June 27.

“Azerbaijani youth should closely unite around their president,
demonstrate national initiative, examples of patriotism, to resist
and to give an adequate response to foreign powers and their local
vassals, whose actions are directed against the national statehood,”
Hasanov stressed.