Author: Babajanian Karo

MONTSERRAT CABALLе VISITS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL IN YEREVAN

18:56 10.06.2013
Armenian Genocide, Montserrat Caballе

World-renowned Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballе visited the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial today to pay tribute to the memory of the
Armenian Genocide victims.

Yesterday she gave a concert at the Opera and Ballet Theater after
Alexander Spendiaryan.

Earlier the world-famous Spanish soprano visited Nagorno Karabakh,
where she met with NKR President Bako Sahakyan and visited places
of interest.

Azerbaijan has declared Montserrat Caballé “persona non grata”
and has sent a note of protest to Spain over her visit to Artsakh.

On June 8 the famous opera star received an Order of Honor from
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

FOREIGN MINISTER EDWARD NALBANDIAN TO VISIT SPAIN

June 10, 2013 – 20:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A newly appointed Spanish ambassador Jose Ignacio
Carbajal Garate (residence in Moscow) presented copies of his
credentials to Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

At the meeting, the parties stressed the importance of boosting
political dialogue between the two countries as well as strengthening
cooperation in the framework of international organizations.

Expansion of trade, economy and cultural ties were also discussed,
noting the oncoming visit of Armenian Foreign Minister to Madrid as
essential in this context, Foreign Ministry press service said.

GUILTY OF INCIDENT IN SIUNIK SHOULD BE PUNISHED: TSARUKYAN

YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. The guilty of the incident that occurred in
Siunik of Armenia in early June should be punished to prevent future
recurrences, leader of the Prosperous Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan
told reporters in the parliament.

On June 1, a deadly shooting incident happened near the house of Siunik
Marz ex-governor Suren Khachatryan: former Goris mayor candidate
Avetik Budaghyan was killed and his brother colonel Artak Budaghyan
was gravely wounded. There was also another wounded in the accident –
Nikolay Abrahamyan.

On June 4, a criminal proceeding was instituted against the governor’s
son Tigran Khachatryan and the safeguard Zarzand Nikoghosyan. They
were arrested and charged with murder and illegal using, carrying or
possessing of weapons.

“The situation is very sensitive and should not be used for discussions
or willful versions from reporters”, Tsarukyan said.

The party leader urged everyone to be patient and wait until the
investigation is over, Novosti-Armenia reported.

On June 6, Armenia’s president approved the government decision about
releasing the governor of Siunik Suren Khachatryan of his post. -0–

HERITAGE MP: THE STIGMA IS STILL IN PARLIAMEENT

01:54 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

On June 10, the National Assembly started its regular four-day
session, with the secretary of the opposition Heritage faction, Zaruhi
Postanjyan addressing a question to NA Spokesman Hovik Abrahamyan.

“Has the Republican Party of Armenia considered in its board meeting
the issue of withdrawing the Armenian-Turkish Protocols from the NA
agenda? What is Serzh Sargsyan’s stance on the matter as the stigma
(the protocols) is still in the Armenian parliament?” she said.

“I shall give the same answer. Serzh Sargsyan has not taken any
decision in this regard,” said the NA speaker.

“Given Turkey’s attitude towards our compatriots in Syria I urge that
the Republican Party hold a consultation and remove the disgraceful
protocols from the National Assembly,” said the Heritage MP.

“Thank you for recommendations, let us decide on our steps ourselves,”
NA Vice Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov replied to Zaruhi Postanjyan.

RPA MP Artashes Geghamyan hurried to support his teammates saying in
his recent article, which had been translated into seven languages, he
said that ‘the protocols are a trump card for Armenia against Turkey.

If the protocols are withdrawn from the NA agenda, it will be a great
gift to Azerbaijan and Turkey.’

Head of the Heritage faction Ruben Hakobyan said, in turn, that the
international opinion on the protocols had changed significantly,
and the documents should be quickly removed from the NA.

“I suggest convening parliamentary hearings on the issue and I request
that the parliamentary majority support our initiative,” said Hakobyan.

“The majority opinion in the matter is quite clear,” said Sharmazanov.

PUTIN CUP: ARMENIA’S ATHLETES CAPTURE 3RD PLACE

June 10, 2013

YEREVAN. – The Armenian men’s national team, together with Ukraine,
came in third at the Putin Cup international sambo wrestling tournament
that was held in Moscow.

“Overall, I assess our athletes’ performances to be well. We took part
in this prestigious tournament for the second time. We were fifth
last year, [but] third this year. And this is the case when world
and European champions, Ashot Danielyan and Vachik Vardanyan, were
not included in our team, due to injuries,” Armenian Sambo Federation
(ASF) President Levon Hayrapetyan said.

The Armenian national team members won a total of fifteen medals in
this year’s European championships plus three medals in the world
cup phases, ASF informs.

NEWS.am Sport

ARMENIA AND BELARUS EXPECT JOINT FARM EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLY SOON

YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. Armenia and Belarus are planning to start
joint farming machinery assembly plants, Ambassador of Belarus to
Armenia Stepan Sukharenko told reporters in Yerevan Friday.

“We are close to having a certain plan and to making our mind up about
where exactly in Armenia we will be doing it”, the ambassador said
at a meeting with reporters on 20th anniversary of the countries’
diplomatic relations.

Mainly two models, MTZ-82 that is popular among Armenian farmers and
mini-tractors helpful in small farms and vineyards, will be assembled
in the plants.

The ambassador said the plants are important for Armenia in terms of
the ongoing agriculture modernization in particular.

Sukhorenko also said Belarusian field-engineers are preferred by
Armenian farmers due to their best quality-price relation.

There were a total of 14,683 tractors in Armenia as of the beginning
of 2013; number of harvesters was 1,362. -0-

WHO WILL PAY AZERBAIJAN FOR LIFTING BLOCKADE ON ARMENIA?

The Armenian and Azerbaijani ministers of foreign affairs have
obviously been offered by the United States a revolutionary scenario of
regional settlement. It implies ending the blockade of communications,
apparently, with some reimbursement to Azerbaijan.

However, it is not known yet who will pay the reimbursement. Some
forces would like Armenia to pay, of course. In addition, right in
this period Azerbaijan announced that it will sue Armenia at the
international court for a compensation of 300 billion USD for the
damage caused as a result of the “occupation”.

It is not ruled out that the region of Fizuli was assessed that much.

Azerbaijan would love to have this scenario. Will Armenia agree to
such a high price? And why should Armenia pay all?

In the end, the point is not a breakthrough in the blockade of Armenia
to which we we have somehow got used but mostly about the opening of
regional communications which is necessary to those who sell and buy
goods. It is surely not Armenia so Armenia should not pay.

The international community has lost enough in the result of the
blockade of regional communications by Azerbaijan and Turkey. They
had to lay out long pipes, waste money on bypassing communications.

Apparently, the international community is dissatisfied with this
situation so it makes Turkey and Azerbaijan unblock the region.

Moreover, the situation in both republics is critical so it is easier
to exert pressure on them.

The ever-present Matthew Bryza recalled that the Armenian and
Turkish normalization cannot be ensured without the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. Perhaps, he was not confirmed as U.S. ambassador
to Azerbaijan for this idea but was replaced by Richard Morningstar
who has a more “apolitical” approach and lobbies for opening of
energy communications.

Azerbaijan’s gas and oil revenues are on the decline. However, the
layout of “Western” alternatives to to the Russian pipes is still
urgent, and the solution is close. However, no one is going to lay out
expensive pipes since no one supported the “project of the century”
– the Kars-Akhalkalak-Baku railway. It is not accidental that the
Turkish part of Kars-Gyumri railroad is under reconstruction.

Perhaps, Serzh Sargsyan meant this transformation when he was speaking
about serious transformations expected in the region. The opening of
regional communications will really change the region especially if
it is carried out with the help of pressure on Azerbaijan and Turkey.

In this situation Armenia has major advantages but the international
community needs the unblocking so it should come to terms with
Azerbaijan. It can force or just pay Baku but not at the expense of
Armenian interests.

In this context, the statement of the General Director of Azerbaijan’s
National Oil Company Rovnag Abdullayev that his country may supply
gas to Armenia if the latter requests seems like a proposal to the
international community rather than to Armenia. Representative of
Azerbaijan’s president administration Ali Hasanov who stated that
“if Armenia requests, they will put forth their preconditions”
actually confirmed that the opening of regional communications is
already realistic.

Naira Hayrumyan 11:37 10/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

WE WILL ASSIST JAVAKHK ARMENIANS WHEN CROSSING BORDER – MP

June 11, 2013 | 17:43

YEREVAN. – The Javakhk Armenian’s problems, in connection with the
customs duties being paid when crossing the Armenia-Georgia border,
will be discussed in the Armenian National Assembly (NA).

Armenian NA MP Vardan Ayvazyan, who is from Javakhk-Georgian name:
Javakheti, is a predominantly-Armenian-populated part of Georgia’s
southeastern Samtskhe-Javakheti Province-by birth, stated the aforesaid
at the NA.

He recalled that the Javakhk Armenians had recently blocked the
highway between Gyumri, Armenia, and Akhalkalaki, Georgia, as a sign
of protest against the brokerage fees that are levied from them each
time when they cross the aforesaid border.

As per Ayvazyan, this matter was discussed with the head of the
Armenian Customs Service, Ayvazyan also traveled to Javakhk and
discussed this matter with Armenian member Petrosyan of the Georgian
Parliament.

Vardan Ayvazyan assured that there is a clear agreement to meet at the
NA next week to discuss these matters, and that the Customs Service
will assist the Javakhk Armenians in this respect.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIA, SPAIN INTERESTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS IN ALL SPHERES

17:52 11.06.2013

Today, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the Kingdom of Spain Jose Ignacio Carbajal Garate (residence in
Moscow) presented his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan.

Serzh Sargsyan congratulated the Ambassador on the commencement of his
diplomatic service in our country and noted that Armenia is willing
to develop relations with Spain in all areas – political, economic,
and cultural which is testified to by the activities of the Embassy
of Armenia established in Madrid in 2010.

Ambassador Jose Ignacio Carbajal Garate assured that he would do his
best to further cooperation of the two countries in different areas
and to make these relations even more cordial.

At the meeting, the parties stressed the importance of the increased
presence of the Spanish investments in the Armenian economy, more
vigorous exchange in the fields of cultural and tourism and cooperation
in the framework of international organizations.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SEC CHAIRS COMMITTEE FOR MILITARY INDUSTRY REFORMS

17:31 ~U 11.06.13

Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Artur
Baghdasaryan chaired on Tuesday the first meeting of the interagency
committee set up to implement a program of reforms in Armenia’s
military industry.

“At the first meeting we are to consider and specify our further tasks,
outline the government-approved program of reforms of the country’s
military industry. This committee has political, economic and social
importance,” Baghdasaryan said.

He pointed out numerous problems that the committee has to deal with.

But the committee must be able to propose new solutions and show a
new approach to the military industry’s problems to ensure progress
in the industry.

“This is the president’s clear stance, and the committee is determined
to be effective,” Baghdasaryan said.

The committee decided to form a permanent military and technical
council and discussed other organizational issues.

Armenian News – Tert.am