Author: Babajanian Karo

AMERIA EXPECTS FOOD, BEVERAGES AND TOBACCO IN ARMENIA TO GROW IN PRICE BY 19%, 46% AND 27% RESPECTIVELY IN 2013-2015

ARMINFO
Friday, March 29, 11:38

Ameria CJSC expects food, beverages and tobacco in Armenia to grow
in price by 19%, 46% and 27% respectively in 2013-2015. This forecast
is based on the survey of the Armenian food industry conducted in 2012.

According to the results of the survey, 49% of foodstuff, including
drinks and tobacco, falls on Yerevan. 13% of the foodstuff falls on
Ararat region, 13% – on Kotayk region, 8% – on Shirak region, 4% –
on Lori region, 3% – on Aragatsotn region, 3% – on Armavir region,
2% – on Gegharkunik region, 2% – on Syunik region, 2% – on Vayots
Dzor region, and 1% – on Tavush region.

In 2012 the share of food industry in the processing industry of
Armenia was 36%, the share of beverages was 14%, and the share of
tobacco was 4%.

In the structure of foreign trade, the share of Armenian export to
Georgia is the most diverse though it is not big (7.5%). Georgia is
the main buyer of certain items of Armenian goods. For instance, meat
and meat products, as well as the waste products of food industry
and ready-made feeds for cattle are exported to Georgia only. 99%
of sugar and sweet exports also fall on Georgia. Only 1% of exports
of this group of goods falls on the USA. 79% of wheat, flour, starch
and dairy exports fall on Georgia.

The National Statistical Service of Armenia says that in 2012 Armenia’s
foreign trade turnover grew by 3.9% as compared with 2011 and totaled
$5.695 bln (2.3 trln AMD). Exports totaled $1.428 bln (574.3 bln AMD,
7% growth versus 2011). Imports totaled $4.267 bln (1.7 trln AMD, 2.9%
growth versus 2011). The food production output totaled 250 bln AMD,
having declined by 0.3% versus 2011. The output of beverages grew by
14.3% to 100.8 bln AMD, and tobacco – by 57.1% to 25.4 bln AMD.

OMBUDSMAN: ARMENIAN CITIZENS NEED JUSTICE AND BREAD

NEWS.AM
March 29, 2013 | 13:15

YEREVAN.- Armenia’s Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan strictly criticized
work of the judiciary.

On Friday he presented report for 2012, citing state agencies which
positively or negatively responded to his criticism.

Andreasyan noted that the Police, the Ministry of Health are willing
to discuss problems and find solutions. Among the positive trends
Ombudsman pointed to progress in the administration. In this term,
one of the best agencies is considered the State Committee of the
Real Estate Cadastre.

The response of other agencies is disappointing, he told reporters.

Judicial system gave “the most shameful response.”

“According to the research, 70% of citizens do not trust the
judicial system. Stormy response of the agency is further reducing
its credibility,” Andreasyan noted.

Next in the list of negative assessments is Ministry of Justice which
is using techniques of manipulation with legal knowledge in order to
mislead citizens.

Top three includes also Commission for Protection of Economic
Competition and State Revenue Committee. According to Andreasyan,
the problems identified in his report show that people lack justice
and bread, that is improvement in socio-economic situation.

DASHNAKSTUTYUN CALLS ON THE HHK TO BE REASONABLE

12:33 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) has offered the other factions
in the National Assembly to unite and demonstrate tolerance in order
to participate in the NA special session.

“We got acquainted with the offer and expressed our viewpoint. It is
not acceptable to us in its present content as it does not suggest
answers to many questions,” said Aghvan Vardanyan, Secretary of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnakstutyun.

He says Dashnakstutyun is for convening a special session but with
a more serious agenda that implies amending the Electoral Code in
the first year, Constitution in the second year and calling early
elections in the third year.

Aghvan Vardanyan also suggests that the opposition be given controlling
positions.

“In that case, the opposition will do everything that you work
properly. You will also be keen on doing your work perfectly,” he said.

Dashnakstutyun sent its proposals and recommendatiosn to the HHK long
ago. In reply, the HHK called for tolerance and unity.

Dashnakstutyun calls on the HHK to be reasonable and start radical
changes.

DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT “ABSTRACT LAWSUIT” MEANS

Karine Ionesyan
11:56 29/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

There are subjects in Armenia which are unable to appeal to the court
for the protection of their rights, while the business sphere could
have other developments based on the provisions of Aarhus Convention.

It is mostly about NGOs which are unable to appeal to court to protect
others’ rights because they are protecting others’ right. Complaints
against the state bodies also run into closed doors.

The most vulnerable sphere which is full of such examples is the
environmental protection. Gor Movisisyan, attorney of the Environmental
Law Resource Center of Yerevan State University Department of Law,
author of research conducted under the auspices of Aarhus Convention
target group which concerns accessibility of justice in environmental
protection says Teghut and Delphinarium cases are the best examples
of legislative gaps in Armenia.

According to him, the Soviet traditions of administrative procedure
make it impossible to understand what public interest means and what
are effective means for its protection. “Legal interest” is defined
in our Constitution only in terms of the right to property, while
there can be cases when individual interest also requires protection
as an element of general interest. So people need the possibility to
appeal to court, says Gor Movsisyan.

According to him, whenever there is an administrative application
in Armenia, they immediately figure out whether that person has the
right to appeal to the court or not, while in the European countries
each case is treated with an individual approach. So everyone forgets
the main issue and deals with formal issues.

Movsisyan says that the court dismissed the application relating to
the forest of Teghut using the phrase “abstract lawsuit”. The Western
experts were unable to understand what this definition means. Later,
the Court of Cassation decided that two of the three NGOs have the
right to appeal to court since according to their charters they are
engaged in environmental protection. Then the administrative court
dismissed their application and the Court of Cassation passed another
verdict contradicting the previous one, says Movisyan dwelling on
the case of Teghut.

According to him, in Europe any individual, organization or group of
people has the right to appeal to the court.

IS CAPITAL GETTING READY FOR NEW ELECTIONS?

Naira Hayrumyan
13:08 29/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

The “great” redistribution of capital has started in Armenia. What
should have started five years ago when Serzh Sargsyan came to power,
is beginning now when Sargsyan took his last term in office.

Over the last couple of days the press has reported several major
deals, such as the sale of the controlling interest of the Armenian
Business Bank to the head of the Control Service of the president
Hovhannes Hovsepyan and Armavia’s bankruptcy and sale of this company
and Mika Cement to Gagik Tsarukyan. There have been reports also
on the possible bankruptcy of Nairit and its sale. There are also
rumors on the sale of the chain of supermarkets Yerevan City to the
French Carrefour.

This news proves that redistribution of capital has started in the
country. Economist Ashot Yeghiazaryan says this is related to the
change of government in Armenia. Though formally it happened five years
ago, according to him, those who used to have economic levers five
years ago are losing them, as well as their political levers only now.

However, if the rumors that Gagik Tsarukyan may buy two big enterprises
and Samvel Alexanyan may sell his supermarkets come true, then the
redistribution of capital has a different concept. Either Gagik
Tsarukyan is boosting his political leverages, hence the second
president Robert Kocharyan wants to come back, or Serzh Sargsyan’s
oligarchs felt that they are losing the ground under their feet so
they are trying to get rid of their assets in Armenia.

Anyway, redistribution of property is in process, and since capital
is the best indicator of political stability, apparently capital is
getting ready for new elections, presidential or parliamentary.

VYDRA DOUBLE HELPS CZECHS WIN IN ARMENIA

UEFA.com
March 26 2013

Published: Tuesday 26 March 2013, 19.00CETArmenia 0-3 Czech Republic

MatÄ~[j Vydra’s first international goals helped Michal Bílek’s side
to bounce back from Friday’s loss to Denmark in Group B of qualifying.

Two goals from MatÄ~[j Vydra and one from Daniel KoláÅ~Y, along
with a series of fine saves by Petr Ä~Lech on his 100th international
appearance, earned the Czech Republic a 3-0 win in Armenia.

Vydra opened his account for his country two minutes after half-time
and doubled the visitors’ tally in Yerevan with nine minutes
remaining. Michal Bílek’s team, defeated 3-0 at home by Denmark
on Friday, wrapped up a comfortable triumph – only their second in
FIFA World Cup qualifying Group B – thanks to KoláÅ~Y’s effort in
added time.

Vardan Minasyan’s side had started brightly, however, and gave Ä~Lech
a testing time on the occasion of his milestone cap. Yura Movsisyan
had the best chance to break the deadlock in the first half, but was
denied by the Chelsea FC goalkeeper from close range.

Marcos Pizzelli was next to check the 30-year-old’s reflexes and
Ä~Lech made another spectacular stop to keep out the playmaker’s
powerful shot from 18 metres. The Czechs gradually found their rhythm
and began to threaten from out wide in particular. Indeed they ended
the stalemate when Jaroslav PlaÅ¡il’s pinpoint cross picked out Vydra,
who made no mistake with his header.

Home substitutes Artur Sarkisov and Aras Ozbiliz both spurned
opportunities to equalise, though Marek Suchý also went close to
notching a Czech second. Bílek’s charges did eventually engineer
some breathing space courtesy of Vydra’s expert finish from ten metres.

Armenia pushed for a consolation but ultimately had their wounds
salted by a rapid run and finish from substitute KoláÅ~Y in the
fourth additional minute.

EU TO GRANT ARMENIA ~@1 MILLION FOR MIGRATION ISSUES

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 27 2013

The EU will grant Armenia ~@1 million for migration affairs. Person
in Need and Union of Armenian Aid will realize the migration program,
Armenia Today reports.

The program will continue for 2.5 years. It will boost migration from
Europe to Armenia.

Head of the EU delegation in Armenia Trajan Christea said that they
will help the government work on the problem.

The EU granted Armenia ~@3 million for migration problems last week.

.

LITHUANIAN MP’S GROUP FOR FRIENDSHIP WITH NAGORNYY KARABAKH ANGERS AZERBAIJAN

Lietuvos Rytas, Lithuania
March 26 2013

Interview with Dalia Kuodyte, chairperson of the parliamentary
group for friendship with Nagorno-Karabakh; “Moral Approach Does Not
Seek Profit”

The group for friendship with Nagorno-Karabakh established in the
Seimas [Lithuanian Parliament] has angered Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani
Administration has summoned the Lithuanian ambassador to explain the
situation. The Azerbaijani ambassador has delivered a protest note
to Lithuania.

Baku has warned Vilnius that it views the parliamentary group for
friendship with Nagorno-Karabakh as a promotion of Armenian separatism
in the region, which, under international law, is part of Azerbaijan.

Reportedly, this could have a negative impact on bilateral relations.

After these warnings, the Conservative [Homeland Union-Lithuanian
Christian Democrats (TS-LKD)] group in the Seimas urged its members
Vaidevute Margeviciene and Kestutis Masiulis to withdraw from the
friendship with Nagorno-Karabakh group.

[Bartasevicius] Will the group still remain after Azerbaijan’s warnings
and the Conservative group’s pressure on its members who have joined
the Nagorno-Karabakh friendship group? (Lietuvos Rytas asked the
head of this group Dalia Kuodyte, member of the Liberal Union’s [LLS]
parliamentary group in the Seimas).

[Kuodyte] The members have not left the group, it has 11 MPs.

Only one member – Margeviciene – obeyed the party’s request and left
the group.

[Bartasevicius] And what about your party, the LLS, did it not call
on its parliamentary group members to withdraw from the friendship
with Nagorno-Karabakh group?

[Kuodyte] Our party leaders did not express any dissatisfaction
neither publicly nor in private.

I think that they understood correctly why three members of the LLS
parliamentary group decided to participate in the group’s activities.

[Bartasevicius] When you invited the Nagorno-Karabakh foreign
minister to the event to commemorate the independence of Armenia
and when you created the friendship with Nagorno-Karabakh group,
you probably realized that it would anger Azerbaijan?

[Kuodyte] We did not invite the Nagorno-Karabakh foreign minister.

People from Armenia, including one person from Nagorno-Karabakh,
came to Lithuania at the invitation of the Lithuanian-Armenian Forum.

I do not see any reason for the hysteria if we host guests in the
Seimas. After all, we are members of parliament of a free country.

Of course Azerbaijan reacted, and it reacted rather negatively.

However, it happened because it did not evaluate the essence of
the situation.

Our event’s declaration speaks exactly about a peaceful solution to
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and about the need to develop cooperation
between the nations, and I think that all parties are interested
in that.

[Bartasevicius] In other words, you expected that the Azerbaijani
Government would analyze the essence of your event and the resolutions
more deeply, and that it would not get angry at all?

[Kuodyte] Honestly speaking, I did not hope for anything and did not
expect anything.

I simply did what I thought had to be done; this is my right of an
MP of a free country.

[Bartasevicius] Did you consult that with the Lithuanian Foreign
Ministry?

[Kuodyte] No, I did not consult anything with the Foreign Ministry,
and I do not think that I should have done this because the creation
of this group does not have any legal consequences.

It is very important to follow the principles. After all, we rebuilt
our state on the basis of self-determination of the nations. Speaking
about the Nagorno-Karabakh, we also say that it is necessary to find
such a solution to the conflict that would meet the aspirations and
interests of the people who live there.

This was not an international political action, it was an action
based on moral values.

We have a similar approach to Tibet even though China also always
protests every time this problem is mentioned. But do we really have
to be silent simply because we are afraid of protests?

I fully support human rights defender Sergey Kovalev’s idea that
there is no greater lie than the so-called Realpolitik. Because of it,
we forget about moral values, human rights, and nations’ rights.

[Box]

Moral Political Values Are Important

MP Kestutis Masiulis

“I have not talked with my party’s leadership yet, and I do not
know the arguments why I cannot participate in the activities of
the friendship with Nagorno-Karabakh group. I do not know how this
group could harm our foreign policy. If I decide that these fears
are unfounded, I will continue working in the group.

“I became a member because I still remember the spirit of the
Sajudis [Lithuanian liberation movement]. Then we supported
Nagorno-Karabakh, adopted resolutions in defense of the Armenian
nation’s self-determination. What has changed now that we cannot even
maintain friendly relations with the people of Nagorno-Karabakh?

“We do not always have to rely solely on the so-called Realpolitik
policy principles. We should not forget the moral political values. I
sympathize with Armenia and not with the [Azerbaijani President Ilham]
Aliyev’s clan and the Azerbaijani ‘democracy’.”

[Translated from Lithuanian]

REPIN.INFO: SITUATION RELATED TO SEXUAL OFFENCES IN AZERBAIJANI ARMY IS SHOCKING

16:40 28/03/2013 ” SOCIETY

Descriptions of love-cases of Azerbaijani soldiers and commanders,
not towards the country, but towards the other soldiers are so many
that one can really get shocked, the author of “Sexual offences in
Azerbaijani army” article published on Repin.info website writes.

The author of the article notes, that he decided to look through the
informative materials on the topic of the Azerbaijani army after he
read the message in the media about how Malinovsky District Court in
Odessa approved of the decision of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s
Office to grant extradition to a serviceman of Azerbaijani Army
detained in the Odessa, who was accused of organizing a series of gang
rapes with his comrade-in-arms. Here’s what he managed to find out.

In 2011, while in the hospital Yusuf Geybatzade repeatedly beat
and raped another soldier who was being treated too. When another
soldier saw all this, Gaybatzade beat him too. This soldier reported
to the commander of his squadron and the case was transferred to the
military prosecutor’s office. Finally Ganja military court sentenced
the offender to eight years in prison for the torture and abuse of his
comrade-in-arms. “There is no concept of male-rape in the Azerbaijani
judicial system,” the author explains.

The article noted that the Gaybatzade case was not the first in the
Azerbaijani army. Thus in August 2010, three Azerbaijani servicemen
– Askerov, Shirinov and Mehtiev were convicted for sexual offence,
extortion and hazing towards their comrades-in-arms. In April of
the same year junior sergeant Arif Gurbanov was sentenced to 8 years
imprisonment for regular sexual offences towards his comrades-in-arms.

In 2011, Senior Sergeant Mammadov and Pvt. Huseynov have been convicted
for two and a half years imprisonment for committing sexual offence
towards ten of their comrades-in-arms. “It’s noteworthy that Huseynov’s
punishment was later reduced to nine months,” the author writes.

“But the most amazing case was that of Emin Rahimov’s, Togrul
Bagirov’s and Yusif Yusifov’s. These three magic heroes raped the
whole platoon. There were 28 victims found in this case. Factually
three amative soldiers turned the whole platoon into their harem,
and enjoy their sexual services at any time they wished,” the author
notes, and stresses that all this was taking place during passing
the military service in the post on the border with Nagorno-Karabakh.

The platoon commander Lieutenant Shamil Tagiyev and his deputy,
lieutenant Ramal Emrahov condoned all this and were engaged in their
own business. “What business could be on the area where there is
an incessant war going on for twenty years, it’s a big mystery,”
stresses author of the article.

Another case is related with the first lieutenant Anar Azizov,
who regularly raped recruits. The author refers to the Azerbaijani
newspaper “Bizim Yol”, which states that according to the military
rank, the appeal did not pass his hands from the beginning, so the
exact number of victims is unknown. He managed to rape six in the
final appeal. This became known to their relatives. Only after the
assault of the military unit this man was arrested.

On January 28, in 2010 in the artillery battalion, located in Dashkesan
region, two first year soldiers shot a group of officers.

Four were killed, two – wounded. According to the reports of the
military command, the murderers had shot themselves. However, according
to the human rights activists, they were shot for concealment of the
motive that drove them to commit the crime – one of them was raped
by the officers, the second was a warned that he was the next.

The author also writes that recently the Azerbaijani newspaper
“Zerkalo” reported about sexual offense of a serviceman by commander
of the unit. Armed Forces leadership immediately stated that it is a
blatant slander. However, Yashar Jafarli, the head of the Azerbaijani
public association “Retired officers and officers in reserve” confirmed
the fact of the crime, and stated that the practice of “officer rapes”
is widely used in this area.

To the question, how does the leadership of Azerbaijani army respond to
these egregious facts, the author quotes the words of the head of the
press service of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General
Eldar Sabiroglu: “It is not violence; the amount of testosterone in
the blood of the youngsters increases because of the good food. That
is, cases of sexual offence in Azerbaijani Armed Forces are eloquent
testimony of good nutrition of our soldiers.

Notice, that the Armenians do not rape the young. This is the first
sign that the Armenian soldiers are starving.”

Source: Panorama.am

DOLLAR-DRAM DANCE: ARMENIAN CURRENCY TENDS TO DEPRECIATE AGAINST BACKDROP OF ELECTIONS

ECONOMY | 28.03.13 | 16:01

Photolure

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The recent depreciation of the Armenian dram against the US dollar
is explained by a number of foreign and domestic factors, experts say.

As an external factor they bring the US dollar’s appreciation against
the Euro as a consequence of the banking crisis in Cyprus. And among
domestic factors they point out the recent and forthcoming elections,
outflow of funds.

Wednesday, March 27, in average the USD-AMD currency ratio was $1 to
419.75 AMD. According to NASDAQ OMX Armenia stock exchange data, this
is a record-breaker for over the past six and a half years. The last
time the US dollar rate was higher in 2006, when it was worth 420.92
drams on June 19. To prevent the dram’s depreciation the Central Banks
of Armenia last week put 13 million dollars in the stock exchange.

The situation is noteworthy that the volume of exports has grown,
remittances from abroad have grown too, and those two factors usually
restrain dollar appreciation, but the reverse is happening now.

Economist, former MP Vardan Bostanjyan says this dram depreciation
against the dollar is conditioned by a slightly activated business
atmosphere and Yerevan city council elections, when the political
parties participating in it start making expenses during the campaign
(Note: the official campaign is yet to start on April 7.)

“As a specialist in that field, I am convinced that the external
factors are not the only ones affecting the dollar-dram ratio. We
should view currency as regular commodity, product, the growing
demand for which brings increase in price. The demand has grown for
dollars, in particular because of elections, also because the business
atmosphere seems to be reviving, meaning that business volumes are
growing,” Bostanjyan told media on Thursday.

Bostanjyan, however, brings as a reason for the dram depreciation also
the outflow of funds, considering it dangerous for Armenia’s economy.

“In general, the outflow of capital is a rather negative thing, and
let’s talk straight, that it is not something new for Armenia, that
has been the case for the past several years. That’s one of the most
vulnerable points of ours. Because our business world is faced with
great difficulties in placing their money here and making it work,
naturally there comes the desire to move it out to somewhere else.

Capital commonly flows to where most favorable conditions are created,
that’s not a discovery, but an axiomatic rule,” says the economist.