Author: Babajanian Karo

RUSSIA AWARE ITS MIGRATION SERVICE ACTIVITIES UNACCEPTABLE IN ARMENIA – PM

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 3, 2012 – 20:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia has been informed of Armenia’s official
position on inadmissibility of implementing resettlement programs of
Russia’s Federal Migration Service in RA territory, Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan said.

As Prime Minister Sargsyan noted, the issue was discussed with the
Russian side on intergovernmental level, and will be raised again
in Yerevan.

Heritage parliamentary group member Alexander Arzumanyan, in turn,
stressed the importance of the problem, dubbing it “hunt for humans.”

EXPERT: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN GEORGIA ARE HISTORICAL FOR IT

ARMINFO
Tuesday, October 2, 15:25

The incumbent authorities of Georgia had all the opportunities to
falsify parliamentary election in this country held on 1 October. But
they decided not to fall off the way of European integration. For
this reason, the parliamentary election in Georgia are historical,
president of Yerevan Press Club, Boris Navasardyan, said over today’s
discussions with Vice President of German Bundestag, Wolfgang Thierse.

“I am confident that despite the reforms made in Georgia, there are
still instruments in this country with a help of which the election
could be falsified, but the authorities decided not to make such
a step. I think that such a decision was adopted 15 days before
the election, when the wave of protest actions was held in the
country and the authorities decided not to worsen the situation”, –
Navasardyan said and added that this has once again become evidence
of availability of political will of Georgian authorities.

By preliminary data based on 15.35% of total votes, the two leaders
in the parliamentary elections in Georgia are Georgian Dream –
52.77% of votes and the ruling party United national Movement –
42.08%. The other parties have not yet overcome the 5% threshold to
the parliament. The elections are especially interesting as after
the presidential election in 2013 in Georgia the political and public
system in the country will change and the parliament and the government
will receive much more powers.

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN HOLDS SECRET MEETINGS IN YEREVAN – NEWSPAPER

news.am
October 02, 2012 | 07:13

YEREVAN. – Chairman Ara Abrahamyan of the Union of Armenians of Russia,
who had arrived in Armenia prior to the Independence Day anniversary
events on September 21, met with President Serzh Sargsyan, discussed
several projects-including investment ones worth half a million
dollars, so far-, subsequently met with the “boys’ and representatives
from Armenian agencies, and instructed them to support Sargsyan in
the forthcoming presidential elections, Hraparak daily reports.

“This is noteworthy not solely from the viewpoint of the union of
Armenians he heads, but, also, [because] Ara Abrahamyan is virtually
a member of the Russian ‘Tsarist family,’ on the part of [the Russian
Federation’s (RF) First Lady] Lyudmila Putina; he is married to her
cousin. And on the political part, Abrahamyan is a RF Public Chamber
member, [President] Putin’s adviser, [and] his trustworthy person.

Ara Abrahamyan left Yerevan on the evening of September 20. [But]
Until then, he allocated another half a million [dollars] for a
variety of projects,” Hraparak writes.

ARAM I, ARMENIAN ENVOY DISCUSS SITUATION IN MIDDLE EAST

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 1, 2012 – 15:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His
Holiness Aram I met last week with Armenian ambassador to Lebanon
Ashot Kocharian at St. Mary Monastery in Bikfaya.

The conversation focused on three topics, namely: preparations for
the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide;
the conclusions of the meeting of the Heads of Religious Communities
in Lebanon at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, and the situation
in the Middle East.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO LEBANON PRESENTED ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES OF INDEPENDENCE OF ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
2 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, ARMENPRESS: The Tekeyan Cultural Association of
Beirut organized a festive evening, dedicated to the 21st anniversary
of the declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia. As
Armenpress was reported by the Press, Information and PR Agency of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the event was opened by
the Chairman of the Association Aram Sepejyan.

Then the main speaker of the event, the Ambassador of the Republic of
Armenia to Lebanon Ashot Kocharyan performed a congratulatory speech
on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the Armenian Independence.

The Armenian Ambassador presented in details the achievements and
challenges during the years of the Independence, touched upon the
key directions of the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia,
the process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation, legislative
reforms, economic developments, Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, as well
as the Armenian-Lebanese bilateral relations.

During the event musical performances and recitation were performed,
as well as a film about Armenia was screened. The Primate of the
Armenian Diocese of Lebanon Archbishop Gegham Khacheryan performed
the final speech.

IVANISHVILI PRO-WESTERN?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 15:38:42 – 02/10/2012

By the time the Armenian parliament is playing democracy, the
neighboring Georgia witnessed real democratic events. The party of the
president Saakashvili lost in the parliamentary elections and accepted
the victory of the opposition and Saakashvili said that he does not
mind cooperating with Ivanishvili. The situation is beneficial for
all but Russia.

Russian experts already say that Ivanishvili’s victory does not
mean automatic establishment of relations with Russia. Moreover,
arguments are presented that billionaire Ivanishvili spent millions
of the American lobbyists and PR companies. Georgian experts already
affirm that Ivanishvili is not related to Russia.

Actually, Saakashvili, on the eve of the end of his presidential term,
did the most democratic act – elections won by the opposition. At the
same time, he kept under his control almost half of the parliament,
and the majority of the parliament passed to the force which may
ensure the irreversibility of the pro-Western policy and take up the
establishment of relations with Russia.

This is quite beneficial for Saakashvili and Georgia. Russia lost
arguments against Saakashvili because it can no more accuse him of
election frauds. On the other hand, soon, the Georgian authorities
won’t represent Saakashvili and Moscow will have no arguments against
negotiations with Georgia. Now, Putin categorically refuses talking to
Saakashvili, but apparently, he will have to speak to Ivanishvili. The
elections had to put an end to the irreversibility of the democratic
development of Georgia, and they did it. It’s Armenia’s turn.

EU PACKAGE TO SUPPORT INSTITUTION BUILDING IN ARMENIA TOTALS Â~B¬43 MILLION

ENPI Info Centre
Oct 1 2012

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Å tefan
Fule and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan of Armenia have signed two
new financing agreements between the EU and Armenia totalling â~B¬43
million.

A press release said the two agreements focused on institution building
in support of the negotiations and implementation of the future
EU-Armenia bilateral agreements: the Association Agreement and Deep
and Comprehensive Free Trade Area and Visa Facilitation/Readmission
Agreement.

“I believe we are preparing the ground for an Armenia which is a state
with more citizen-friendly institutions, an attractive investment
destination and better conditions for those businesses which want to
take advantage of new market opportunities,” Å tefan Fule said after
signing the documents on 27 September.

EU bilateral assistance to Armenia under the European Neighbourhood
Partnership Instrument (ENPI) is â~B¬157 million for 2011-2013, double
the amount for the previous period. An additional â~B¬ 15 million have
recently been allocated under the “more for more” principle. “The more
reforms Armenia carries out the more the EU will be able to support
it. Already today, EU support for Armenia has reached unprecedented
levels,” said Commissioner Fule.

Through the financing agreements signed in Yerevan, the EU will
support Armenia’s Sustainable Development Programme, focusing on
several sector specific strategies such as Customs Administration,
Quality infrastructure, Food Safety and e-governance.

The new Financing Agreements are based on the ENPI Annual Action
Programme 2011 worth â~B¬43.1 million and composed of two actions,
namely:

· Framework Programme in support of the EU-Armenia agreement –
worth â~B¬19.1 million, channelled through the Eastern Partnership
Comprehensive Institution Building (CIB) initiative.

· Support to the Government of Armenia for the implementation of
the ENP Action Plan and the preparation for the future Association
Agreement – worth â~B¬24 million, channelled via budget support
programme. (EU Neighbourhood Info)

UN DEBATE ENDS WITH WHIMPER, KASHMIR TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH, CIRCUS LEAVING
By Matthew Russell Lee

Inner City Press
Oct 1 2012

UNITED NATIONS, October 1 — The week-long UN General Debate, which
began with Barack Obama as second speaker Tuesday twice citing KFC
but not once Sudan, Haiti or Congo, ended with a whimper and not a
bang on Monday night.

Monday in the morning Syria and Sri Lanka spoke of double standards.

By the afternoon it was Palau talking of sharks, Portugal saying
we are “impotent witnesses” to what Canada’s John Baird called the
“crimson tide” in Syria.

In the UN Media Center, which had been standing room only during
Obama’s speech, a dozen scribes remained. But the UN couldn’t wait to
the end to throw them out. “After Venezuela we’re shutting it down
and calling security,” Inner City Press was told. And so it closed,
even as Dominica gave its speech.

Over in a photo booth above the GA Hall, Inner City Press watched
the final 10 rights of reply play out. Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent
Representative said Jammu and Kashmir are not an integral part of
India; the Indian political coordinator insisted that they were.

Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative said Armenia had abused its right
to speak, and left the hall before the Armenian duo’s second reply.

Eritrea downplayed its 2008 skirmish with Djibouti; Iran defended
its right to peaceful nuclear use. In the end, new President of the
General Assembly Vuk Jeremic of Serbia offered up a summary, smiling
as he said how many spoke of territorial integrity. One thought of
Kosovo, which does not have a seat. Nor does Somaliland, nor the
apparently soon to be re-conquered Azawad in northern Mali.

Much of the week’s action took place outside the UN, for example at
the Waldorf Astoria where the Friends of Syria met on Friday. In the
side hallways of the lobby, European and African diplomats talked in
a hush about the M23 rebels, then went their separate ways. Deals
were cut, then diplomats cut out. Only the bitterness remained,
the backwash of conflicts, the rights of reply. But it will continue.

Watch this site.

BAKO SAHAKYAN HIGHLY EVALUATED ACTIVITY OF “BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA”

“birthright-armenia”.html
21:45, 1 October, 2012

On 1 October President Bako Sahakyan received a group of young people
who arrived in Artsakh from the Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia
within the framework of “Birthright Armenia” foundation’s initiative.

Armenpress reports that, the Head of State rated high the activities
of the foundation in cementing ties between Armenia, Artsakh and the
Diaspora, considering this work significant from the standpoint of
deepening inter-Armenian relations.

During the meeting the President also answered to various questions
posed by the young people, touched upon Artsakh domestic and foreign
policy issues.

OSKANIAN: “COME AND ARREST ME IF I’VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG”
Grisha Balasanyan

hetq
16:07, October 1, 2012

Vardan Oskanian, the Prosperous Party MP facing charges of
embezzlement, rose in parliament today and charged Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepyan with fabricating evidence against him based purely
on political motivations.

“If a man isn’t a thief or a swindler, he doesn’t think of concealing
his every move,” Oskanian declared from the speaker’s podium.

Oskanian, who faces charges of embezzling funds intended for the
Civilitas Foundation, presented evidence to the contrary, stating
that he had nothing to give to or take from Civilitas.

The former Armenian foreign minister stated that after consulting
with the Civiltas board, and contrary to the wishes of the Huntsman
family, he transferred funds from his personal accout nt to that of
Civilitas two days ago.

“The amounts transferred can be accounted for down to the last penny.

You can count it for yourselves,” declared Oskanian, adding that he has
been deeply insulted by the charges levied against him, rhetorically
asking if this is the way they treat a foreign minister with 10 years
of service under his belt..

Oskanian stated that he had no need of the money he is to alleged to
have embezzled and then threw the gauntlet down to his detractors.

“Come and arrest me if I have done anything wrong. I am ready,”
Oskanian exclaimed.