Author: Babajanian Karo

BAREV YEREVAN BLOC CHALLENGES YEREVAN MAYOR’S DECISION TO INCREASE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARE IN A JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
by Tatevik Shahunyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, August 7, 13:38

Barev Yerevan Bloc’s Faction at the Elders’ Council of Yerevan has
appealed to the Administrative Court for cancellation of Yerevan
Mayor Taron Margaryan’s decision to increase the public transport fare.

Barev Yerevan representatives are sure that the decision is groundless
and unlawful. Although they pin little hopes with the Armenian justice,
they are ready to fight. Styopa Safaryan, a representative of Barev
Yerevan Faction, says Taron Margaryan has violated the legislation
too many times to be ignored by the court.

“Taron Margaryan is well aware that he has violated laws. That is why,
he has suspended his decision,” Safaryan says.

To recall, Mayor Taron Margaryan has suspended his decision to increase
the public transport fare by 50% following a wave of public discontent
in Yerevan. Nevertheless, the mayor declared that the transport fare
will be increased shortly, otherwise, he said, Yerevan will face a
transport collapse.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER WELCOMES START OF SUMMER EDUCATION IN ARMY (PHOTOS)

August 07, 2013 | 14:35

It is an honor for me to welcome the summer education phase at a
military unit that ensures the protection of Armenia’s border.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan stated the aforesaid Monday, as he was
on hand at the celebratory meeting that was held at a military unit.

To note, the summer education phase at the Armenian Armed Forces
started on Monday.

“The only way to countermeasure a possible enemy aggression is the high
degree of combat-readiness of the Armenian Armed Forces,” Ohanyan said.

On the same day, the minister visited the construction site of a
recreation and entertainment area for the officers of the military
unit.

Ohanyan also attended the official opening of the newly built military
barrack, canteen, and boiler room.

The minister stated that the MOD is doing everything possible to
improve the living conditions of its soldiers and officers.

In addition, he noted that the Armenian army is the sole triumphant
army in the region.

Ohanyan also visited the military bases of the unit and met with the
soldiers that protect the border.

The second day of the defense minister’s working tour began at
a logistics unit, where Ohanyan had breakfast with the military
servicemen. He also asked about the daily lives and the living
conditions of the soldiers. Subsequently, Ohanyan toured the canteen.

Addressing the military personnel of the unit at the celebratory
meeting, the minister noted that Armenians have always been obligated
to focus on the art of war.

Furthermore, Seyran Ohanyan ordered to manifest a conscious approach
toward the combat-readiness classes, since the continuity of the
existing fragile peace in the region rests on combat-readiness.

RADIO-ISOTOPES PRODUCTION COMPLEX TO BE DELIVERED TO ARMENIA IN AUTUMN

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

20:21, 7 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Government will declare
accreditation manager contest to secure the activity of Radio-isotopes
production center which is built in Yerevan.

“Armenpress” reports making a reference on official website of
Armenian government that the above-mentioned issue is included in the
agenda of Government’s August 8 session. The construction works of
Radio-isotopes production center’s building launched in September,
2012. After construction works in the center will be located the
complex of radio-isotopes production purchased from Belgian “IB A
Molecular” company. It is planned to bring the complex to Armenia in
autumn of current year.

According to Government’s decision was founded CJSC “Radioisotopes
production center”. The competence of managing the state shares
has been given to ministry of Economy. The center must produce
radioactive isotopes necessary for cancer treatment and diagnosis of
cancer tumors. The produced resources will be used for biochemical
test and developing images.

The program of Oncology excellence Armenian center of National
Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia consists from three creation
stages – production of radio-isotopes and molecular diagnosis,
radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgical oncology centers. It
must be center equipped with modern technologies of prevention and
treatment of oncology diseases which will provide services of nuclear
diagnosis, radiation medicine, chemotherapy and surgery.

MUSURLIAN FINALLY WINS LOS ANGELES AREA EMMY AWARD

For Documentary on Burbank’s African Sister City

Clip of Musurlian’s August 3, 2013 Emmy Speech in North Hollywood

He has been nominated seven times since 2001, but it was a solo effort
on a 32-minute, in-depth documentary in Africa, that finally garnered
veteran broadcast journalist Peter Musurlian a Los Angeles Area Emmy.

At the August 3, 2013 awards ceremony in North Hollywood, one Emmy
official commented, unofficially, that Musurlian’s Emmy might very
well be the first time in 65 years that someone has won the award
for an entirely “unassisted” effort.

Musurlian solo-produced, shot, reported, wrote, and edited the
documentary. In fact, he even shot his own reporter stand-ups while in
Botswana, Africa. Musurlian did not even have a so-called in-country
“fixer” to help navigate the country, as is often the case during
such foreign reporting trips.

A USC journalism-school alumnus, Musurlian also has three master’s
degrees, extensive U.S. Army overseas reporting experience, 14 RTNA
Golden Mike Awards, and seven Los Angeles Area Emmy nominations.

Before signing-on to his current post at The Burbank Channel in 1998,
Musurlian reported for television stations in Montana, Texas, and
Washington, D.C. He has shot video-in and reported-from more than 20
states, as well as the countries of: Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Botswana, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Mexico, Nagorno-Karabakh,
Nicaragua, Panama, Poland, Romania, and Turkey

His Emmy-Award winning documentary, “Burbank’s African Sister City,”
which will take you on a journey through cities, villages, shanty
towns, palatial estates, and country clubs, also delves into the
continent’s HIV/AIDS crisis and how how the government of Botswana
dealt with the issue early, fast, and effectively.

Since its debut on The Burbank Channel, the film has been easily
accessible on YouTube.

New Release Sent 0n August 7, 2013 Peter Musurlian — (818) 500-1234

AT UN SECURITY COUNCIL KAREN NAZARYAN APPEALED TO ENCOURAGE COOPERATION BETWEEN PARTNERS

13:17, 7 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS: The high-level debate “Cooperation in
maintaining international peace and security between UN and regional
and sub-regional organizations” was held on August 6 at the UN
Security Council. As Armenpress was reported by the Department for
Press, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, at the debate, presided over by
the President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, speeches
were made by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the ministers
of foreign affairs and ambassadors of different member countries,
as well as the representatives of the regional organizations, like
the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the League of Arab
States (LAS), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

In his speech the Armenia’s Permanent Representative in UN Karen
Nazaryan stated that Armenia, as a member of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), welcomes the active dialogue and the close
cooperation between the UN and CSTO, directed to the strengthening
of the mutual relations.

The Ambassador Karen Nazaryan noted that Armenia highly evaluates
the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group directed to the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Armenia’s Permanent Representative in UN appealed to encourage
and assist the initiatives directed to the expansion of the relations
between the partners and the development of the cooperation with the
regional organizations in the name of international peace and security.

“The regional organizations must find ways to expand their cooperation
and dialogue to address increasingly interconnected global challenges”,
– the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a high-level debate in the
Security Council.

“We need to learn from the lessons of our collaborations to build
ever more innovative and flexible partnership arrangements that draw
on our respective strengths,” he said. “Only through cooperation will
we meet our shared aspirations for a more peaceful world.”

The debate, presided over by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
of Argentina, which holds the Council’s presidency this month, seeks
to further strengthen dialogue and exchange of information among
regional and sub-regional organizations and the UN on issues such as
conflict prevention, peaceful settlement of disputes, peacekeeping
and post-conflict peace building.

In his remarks, Mr. Ban highlighted examples of valuable cooperation
between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations across
the globe.

“Of course, we sometimes face challenges when working together. Our
organizations do not always have the same approach to a given
crisis. Our diverse mandates and membership can lead to different
perspectives,” Mr. Ban said, adding that the open debate “is a welcome
opportunity to explore the nature of these challenges and consider
how to improve cooperation.”

In a statement agreed on by the 15-member body, the Council committed
to promote closer and more operational cooperation between the UN and
regional and sub-regional organizations in the fields of conflict early
warning, prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building.

It also recognized the need to enhance the coordination of efforts to
strengthen the global response to current threats to international
peace and security posed by illegal trafficking, terrorism, and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, among others.

In addition, the Council reiterated its commitment to continue to
cooperate with international, regional and sub-regional organizations
and establish arrangements to share experiences and lessons learned.

“ARMENPRESS” INTRODUCES 29TH BESTSELLER BOOKS LIST

10:55, 2 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. The selling volume reduced in the
bookstores of Yerevan because of the vocation season.

“The Alchemist” novel by contemporary Brazilian author Paulo Coelho
tops this week’s “Bestseller Books List” introduced by “Armenpress”
News Agency. This book has been translated into 67 languages and
according to AFP, it has sold more than 30 million copies in 56
different languages, becoming one of the best-selling books in history
and winning the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a
living author.

“The Alchemist” is followed by “Memories of My Melancholy Whores” by
Columbian author Gabriel García Márquez. The book was translated
into Armenian from the Russian version by Hovhannes Ayvazyan in
2010. “Memories of My Melancholy Whores” is dedicated to the love
affairs of an old journalist, who falls in love with a young girl.

“The Book of Lamentations” by St. Gregory of Narek occupies the third
position this week. The pearl of the medieval Armenian literature
is also known to the public as “Narek” for short. The mystical poem
“Book of Lamentations” has been translated into many languages and has
played a significant role in the development of the Armenian literary
language. This masterpiece by St. Gregory of Narek has always been
included in our bestseller books list.

The Armenian version of prominent Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli’s
“Stone Dreams” published by “Graber” publishing house occupies
the fourth position in the bestseller books list. Artak Vardanyan
translated the novel into Armenian. Aram Ananyan authored the
preface of the book and the publication was edited by Seyranuhi
Geghamyan. Aylisli’s “Stone Dreams” novel caused a lot of noise
and hysteria in Azerbaijan. On February 7, 2013, the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a presidential decree that stripped
Aylisli of the title of “People’s Writer” and the presidential
pension. Earlier, Aylisli confirmed reports that his son, a customs
official, and wife were dismissed from their jobs.

“Where the Wild Roses Bloom” by Moscow-resident contemporary
Armenian author Mark Aren (Karen Martirosyan) has appeared in the
fifth position.

The last collected book of poems by renowned Armenian poet Hamo
Sahyan titled “Don’t Declare Me Absent” has been included in the
“Bestseller Books List” introduced by “Armenpress” News Agency and
maintains the sixth position.

“The Little Prince” by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
occupies the seventh place. The novella is both the most read and
most translated book in the French language, and was voted the best
book of the 20th century in France. The book was translated into more
than 250 languages and dialects, as well as Braille.

“The Book of Whispers” by contemporary Armenian writer Varujan
Vosganian occupies the eighth position of our ranking list. The
Book of Whispers begins in a picturesque register, on a lane of
the Armenian quarter of FocÅ~_ani in the 1950s, among the steam of
freshly roasted coffee and the scents of grandmother Armenuhi’s larder,
among the old books and photographs of grandfather Garabet. But the
reader is not left to savour the intimacy of this hearth and home and
nor is he invited to chat with the merry folk who in peacetime spin
stories about Ara the Fair and Tigran the Great. Varujan Vosganian’s
“old Armenians from childhood” have no delectable tales to tell,
but rather events that are thoroughly disturbing. In narrating these
events, they attempt to disburden themselves of a trauma – their own
and that of their forbears The history of the 1915 genocide against the
Armenians, the history of the interminable convoys of those banished
into the Circles of Death, into the Deir ez Zor Desert, the history
of General Dro’s army, the history of the Armenians who followed
the path of exile in the Stalinist period – all these and many other
biographically filtered histories are to be found illustrated in the
pages of this unsettling book.

“The Book of Whispers” is followed by “The Autumn of the Patriarch” and
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Columbian author Gabriel García
Márquez, which have been enclosed in one book, which occupies the
ninth position of the ranking list.

And “Farewell, Tzit” by young author Aram Pachyan occupies the final
position of the Bestseller Books List introduced by “Armenpress”
News Agency.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS AT EUROPEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS

13:03 07/08/2013 ” SPORT

26 Armenian chess players will play in the U8, U10, U12, U14, U16,
U18 European Youth Championships that will take place between September
28 and October 9, 2013 in Budva, Montenegro, armchess.am reported.

Source: Panorama.am

EVENTS DEDICATED TO THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE KARABAKH MOVEMENT TAKEN PLACE IN FRANCE

06-08-2013 18:11:29 | | Politics

On August 4, an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Karabakh
Movement took place in the city of Mandelieu on the initiative of
Alliance All-Armenian Union of Nice, France. Ambassador of the Republic
of Armenia to France Vigen Chitechian, NKR Permanent Representative to
France Hovhannes Gevorgian, Mayor of Mandelieu Henri Leroy, members
of the municipal council, and over 500 representatives of the local
Armenian community attended the event.

The event participants put wreaths to the cross-stone in Mandelieu
erected in commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915.

During the solemn ceremony, Mandelieu Mayor Henri Leroy officially
stated his joining the Circle of Friendship with Artsakh.

Armenian ensembles of France performed Armenian songs and dances at
the event.

NKR MFA Press Service

News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan – See more at:

ZHOGHOVURD: AMD 1M SPENT ON BRANDY FOR ARMENIA’S FOREIGN OFFICE

10:32 07.08.13

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has spent AMD 1m of budgetary
funds on Armenian brandy.

Interestingly, according to the documents at the newspaper’s disposal,
Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration is actually the
purchaser.

One more interesting fact is that the brandy was not purchased from
the producer, Pernod Ricard Company. Rather, it was purchased from
the Agulis Mek Ltd.

Armenian News – Tert.am

TURQUIE : LOURDES PEINES DANS LE PROCES DES PUTSCHISTES

TURQUIE

La justice turque a prononce lundi de lourdes peines, dont au moins
12 condamnations a la prison a vie, contre les membres du reseau
putschiste Ergenekon dans un procès denonce par l’opposition comme
une chasse aux sorcières.

Le tribunal de Silivri, a une cinquantaine de kilomètres a l’ouest
d’Istanbul, a notamment condamne a la reclusion a perpetuite l’ancien
chef d’etat-major des armees, le general Ilker Basbug, pour “tentative
de renversement de l’ordre constitutionnel par la force”, a constate
un journaliste de l’AFP.

D’autres anciens generaux, comme l’ex-chef de la gendarmerie
Sener Eruygur et l’ex-chef de la Première armee Hursit Tolon, le
journaliste Tuncay Ozkan et le chef du petit Parti des travailleurs
(IP, nationaliste) Dogu Perincek ont egalement ete condamnes a la
prison a vie.

Le journaliste renomme du quotidien de gauche Cumhuriyet Mustafa
Balbay, elu pendant sa detention depute du principal parti
d’opposition, le CHP (pro-laïcite), a ete condamne a 35 ans de prison.

Egalement elu depute du CHP, l’ex-recteur Mehmet Haberal a ete condamne
a 12 ans et demi de prison. Mais le tribunal a prononce dans le meme
temps sa remise en miberte, au benefice d’une reduction de peine.

Quelque 275 accuses, dont 66 en detention provisoire, etaient juges
depuis octobre 2008 dans le cadre de l’affaire Ergenekon, premier
d’une longue serie de procès controverses visant a dejouer des complots
supposes contre le gouvernement islamo-conservateur.

Un imposant dispositif de securite etait deploye lundi autour du
tribunal, avec des centaines de policiers et de gendarmes anti-emeutes
soutenus par des blindes et des canons a eau.

Echauffourees a la mi-journee

Des echauffourees ont neanmoins eu lieu a la mi-journee entre des
manifestants et la police près de Silivri, sur une autoroute reliant
Istanbul a Tekirdag. La police a repondu aux jets de pierre par des
jets d’eau et des gaz lacrymogènes, a constate un photographe de l’AFP,
qui a estime a environ 10.000 le nombre de manifestants.

Le reseau Ergenekon, du nom d’une vallee mythique d’Asie centrale d’où
serait issu le peuple turc, est accuse d’avoir tente de favoriser
un coup d’Etat militaire contre M. Erdogan, un ancien islamiste au
pouvoir depuis 2002, en semant le chaos dans le pays par des attentats
et des operations de propagande.

La lecture du verdict par le president du tribunal, Hasan Huseyin
Ozese, et ses adjoints, a ete accueilli par un tolle de l’assistance,
pourtant reduite sur decision de la cour aux prevenus, a leurs avocats,
aux journalistes et aux parlementaires.

“Maudite soit la dictature de l’AKP”, ont scande avocats et deputes,
conspuant le Parti de la justice et du developpement (AKP) au pouvoir,
denonce par l’opposition laïque comme le commanditaire de ce procès,
pour faire taire les critiques contre M. Erdogan.

“Nous sommes les soldats de Mustafa Kemal Ataturk”, ont-ils egalement
crie, rendant hommage au fondateur de la Republique turque laïque.

Peu avant l’entree dans le tribunal de la cour, M. Balbay a harangue
l’auditoire, denoncant “un procès entièrement politique”, et promettant
“un automne chaud” de contestation politique dans les villes de
Turquie, après trois semaines de manifestations antigouvernementales
sans precedent en juin.

“Aujourd’hui, c’est le gouvernement qu’on condamne, pas nous”,
a affirme le journaliste.

Le reseau Ergenekon a ete mis au jour en juin 2007 lors d’une operation
anti-terroriste dans un bidonville d’Istanbul. Des armes et des
explosifs ont ete decouverts, première etape d’une longue enquete
qui a conduit a la redaction de 23 actes d’accusation successifs
-plusieurs milliers de pages- finalement reunis dans un meme procès.

Plusieurs autres procès contre des groupes de conspirateurs supposes
ont par ailleurs ete ouverts après Ergenekon.

Premier procès a atteindre un verdict, Balyoz (masse de forgeron)
avait deja surpris par la severite des peines prononcees : les juges
ont condamne en septembre près de 300 officiers a des peines de 16 a
20 ans de prison, portant un coup sevère au prestige de l’armee turque.

L’armee, qui pendant des decennies s’est voulue la gardienne des
valeurs laïques de la Republique turque, a renverse trois gouvernements
elus depuis 1960 et force un gouvernement pro-islamiste a la demission
en 1997.

Pour certains observateurs liberaux ou proches de la mouvance
islamo-conservatrice au pouvoir, le procès Ergenekon et ses avatars
s’inscrivent dans les efforts du gouvernement pour limiter les
intrusions de l’armee dans la vie publique et instaurer l’Etat
de droit.

Mais pour les defenseurs de la laïcite et certains militants des droits
de l’Homme, ces procès sont surtout un montage visant a ecarter du
champ politique certains opposants.

Ces critiques remettent notamment en cause la validite des preuves
apportees et le recours a des temoignages anonymes.

mercredi 7 août 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com