Author: Babajanian Karo

ANIMAL DEFENDERS ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT THE CAUCASUS LEOPARD

17:21 14/09/2012

The animal advocates plan to raise up to $ 32,000 year-end to protect
from poachers just 20 copies Caucasus leopard living in the mountains
of Armenia, according to a World Land Trust Fund (WLT).

A mid-century Armenia had a sizeable population of this animal,
but today the country has more than 15 specimens of the species.

Poaching the animal did not cease even after inclusion in the Red
Book of Endangered Species.

“We started a campaign to protect the Caucasus leopard in Armenia until
the end of the year we plan to raise $ 32,400,” says the note WLT.

The sum, among other things, provides for the creation of a “migration
corridor” for the leopard to allow free travel between Armenia to
Azerbaijan and then to Iran.

In the collection of $ 32,000 can participate every advocate or
endangered animal lover. To do this, you must visit the Fund’s website
(worldlandtrust.org) and make a donation.

AZERIS THREATEN TO “SHED ARMENIANS’ BLOOD” AT ANTI-SAFAROV RALLY IN MOSCOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 14, 2012 – 15:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Moscow is hosting a rally to protest the extradition
and release of Azeri criminal Ramil Safarov convicted for axe-murdering
an Armenian officer in Budapest.

The Russian-Armenian Commonwealth organization coordinated the event
with Moscow’s municipality, with the rally held jointly with other
Russia-based Armenian social organizations.

Representatives of political parties, major public associations and
Russia’s national communities will attend the rally.

According to Azeri media reports, Moscow-based Azeris plan to stage
a provocation during Armenian organisations’ rally.

In Vesti.az-released report, the Azeris threaten to “shed the blood
of Armenians, should any disrespectful speech abuse Azerbaijan or
any participant attempt to burn an Azeri flag.”

TURKEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND IS SURE TO BE NEXT TO AZERBAIJAN ON KARABAKH CONFLICT. HULUSI KYLYCH

16:44 | 2012-09-14 | Region | Politics |

As Azerbaijani mass media reports, the Ambassador of Turkey to
Azerbaijan Hulusi Kylych, who will give his farewell to Azerbaijan
tomorrow, gave a speech during a ceremony dedicated to the end of
his diplomatic activities.

In his speech he announced: “Turkey has always been and is sure
to be next to Azerbaijan on Karabakh conflict. Turkey is for the
peaceful resolution of the conflict. Our position is the same. We want
this conflict to be solved in the frames of international law and
regulations. The partnership between the two countries continues in
all the spheres, especially in military-strategic domain. Azerbaijan
is not only Turkey’s brother country, but also Turkey’s twin brother.”

ARMENIA’S FM AND CYPRUS PRESIDENT DISCUSSED CYPRUS AND KARABAKH CONFLICTS

/ARKA/
14 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 14. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan and President of Cyprus Demetris Christofias discussed
yesterday Karabakh and Cyprus conflicts, Foreign Ministry reports.

“Mr. Christofias elaborated on the current process of Cyprus conflict
settlement. Mr. Nalbandyan, on his side, noted that Armenia highly
commends the constructive approach of Cyprus, and the initiative
aimed for settlement of the conflict. He also deplored that the
Turkish side is not reacting appropriately to these initiatives,”
according to the statement.

Armenia’s FM underlined the importance of the joint memorandum signed
in 2011 when President Serzh Sargsyan visited Cyprus. The memorandum
states mutual support in settlement of Artsakh (Karabakh) and Cyprus
conflicts.

Mr. Nalbandyan also spoke about the situation around the extradition of
Azeri serviceman Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, where he was immediately
pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev. Ramil Safarov murdered Armenian
officer Gurgen Margaryan with an axe on the ground of national hatred
and intolerance in Budapest, 2004.

During the meeting the sides also discussed the bilateral cooperation
and perspectives for its further development.

12TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OPHTHALMOLOGY MARKS 20 YEARS OF AECP ACTIVITIES

Panorama.am
14/09/2012

The two-day 12th International Conference on Ophthalmology began
September 14 in Yerevan, with the participation of representatives
from the Government of Armenia, Ministry of Health, U.S. Embassy and
USAID, embassies and non-governmental organizations.

U.S. Ambassador John A. Heffern and Armenian Minister of Health
Derenik Dumanyan welcomed the participants of the event.

The conference brought together renowned experts of various fields of
ophthalmology from Armenia, the United States, Europe, CIS countries,
Caucasus, Central and Middle Asia to foster a vigorous exchange of
information and knowledge in various specialties related to eye care.

The conference was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of USAID,
AECP, the Ministry of Health, and Gebauer Stiftung, a Swiss charity
foundation.

Prevention of childhood blindness through combating Retinopathy of
Prematurity (ROP) and the announcement of the USAID/AECP joint project
“Center of Excellence for Prevention of Childhood Blindness” (CEPCB)
were the main topics of the conference’s first day.

The mission of the CEPCB is to develop specialized ophthalmological
capacity to help children from Armenia and abroad avoid childhood
blindness. The Center will also take the lead in the exchange of
knowledge among medical professionals in the region.

“Through USAID support, the AECP has the exciting opportunity to
be the first in the region to establish and develop this Center of
Excellence. The Center will function within one year at the Republican
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as decided preliminarily,” AECP President
Roger Ohanesian said at the event.

Initially, the project will focus on childhood blindness caused by
Retinopathy of Prematurity and related eye diseases in conjunction
with providing quality newborn care in Armenia and encouraging
regional cooperation.

Day two of the conference (September 15) will concentrate on the
activities of the AECP in the past 20 years, and the advances made in
eye care thanks to fruitful cooperation between Armenian and American
physicians, authorities, and donors. Presenters will highlight the
AECP countrywide program, the activities of its Mobile Eye Hospital,
as well as practical and scientific studies and achievements.

The AECP has published a 20 Years Anniversary brochure “Highlights
– 20 Years Bringing Hope & Sight” which may be accessed at

THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) HAS BECOME A PART OF THE ESTABLISHMENT (VIDEO)

September 13, 2012 16:33

“The radical opposition and the government equally kill the
investigation into the 10 deaths of March 1,” the relatives of the
casualties of March 1 said this to A1+. Does movie director Tigran
Khzmalyan share this opinion? During a conversation with ,
he said, “In our country, the term opposition, not to mention radical
opposition, has lost its meaning, because the establishment has taken
on the functions of the opposition. And now Serzh Sargsyan is not
only the head of the republic, the chess federation, but, it seems,
also the opposition. The resistance has remained in the country; a
group of people who cooperate with the government mechanically call
themselves an opposition. To hush up or not to hush up is not the
question for me; it is obvious that they must hush up both the events
of March 1 and October 27 and Vahe’s case and try to avoid punishment.”

He said that the opposition, including the ANC, is a part of the
establishment.

Details in the video

Arpine SIMONYAN

CHORRORD INQNISHKHANUTYUN: ARMENIA’S SECOND PRESIDENT TO MEET MPS, TYCOONS IN MOSCOW

tert.am
14.09.12

Second President Robert Kocharyan, who is now in Moscow on a visit,
is going to meet with several tycoons and members of Armenia’s National
Assembly, later this week, the paper has learned.

Citing sources close to the upper government circles, it says Armenia’s
domestic policy will be on the agenda of the discussions.

Some of the politicians are expected to give the ex-president specific
answers on recent political “flaws”. Kocharyan is said to have had
very few meetings in this format recently as he was busy trying to
realize minor politicians’ tricks before having his final say.

The paper claims that Kocharyan is very likely to start a comprehensive
discussion on foreign political developments as well, the issue
being much more serious than th tricks. The paper tried to contact
to Kocharyan’s spokesperson, Victor Soghomonyan, for comment, but
the calls to his office reportedly went unanswered.

RUSSIAN PAPER REVEALS NEW FACTS ABOUT ARMENIAN OFFICER’S MURDER

tert.am
14.09.12

Russian Argumenti Nedeli has published an article blaming the US in
sharpening of the situation over Nagorno Karabakh. The paper also casts
a new light on the murder of the Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,
presenting new facts.

Citing the sources close to the Hungarian government, the Russian
paper claims Hungary is very concerned with the criticism of Armenia
and the international community for Safarov’s extradition.

The paper says Hungary is periodically extraditing convicted people.

The country transfers 6-8 people to their homeland annually and
Safarov’s extradition was a common thing.

The source though says Azerbaijan’s steps, followed Safarov’s handover
left Hungary in extremely unpleasant situation.

“Budapest understands that this deportation [like newspaper called it]
may be ‘Shot in Sarajevo’ for Caucasus,” the newspaper writes meaning
the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914 in
Sarajevo leading to the outbreak of World War I.

“If a war breaks for Nagorno Karabakh now, Budapest will have its
share of guilt. Besides, all the parties make use of the situation
but Hungary. Safarov’s return raised rating of Azerbaijani president
Ilham Aliyev in his country. Nevertheless, Baku is dissatisfied with
Budapest. After the details of the deal were revealed, Azerbaijani
political figures are viewed as liars. No one would like it,” the
paper says.

Referring to Gurgen Margaryan’s murder, the source says that
“Washington managed to come off clear” and pointed to its “junior
partner.” The thing is that the English language classes in Budapest
have been organized by the USA. The source says they were not NATO
classes by FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

It became known that before the tragedy the Hungarian special services
informed the Americans that Safarov had bought an axe. Americans though
did not anyhow respond to the information. “As a result the cutthroat
calmly grinded the axe and chopped off unfortunate Armenian’s head,”
the paper concluded.

U.S. EMBASSY IN ARMENIA ISSUES WARNING AMID ANTI-AMERICAN PROTESTS

Glendale News Press
Sept 13 2012
CA

The U.S. embassy in Armenia joined those in at least six other nations
on Wednesday in warning of possible anti-American protests following
the attack on the consulate in Libya that killed an ambassador and
three other officials.

While the embassy, located in Yerevan, acknowledged it had no
“specific information” that the protests would affect events locally,
it cautioned U.S. citizens there to remain “particularly vigilant.”

“Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, all
U.S. citizens in Armenia are cautioned to maintain good situational
awareness and should stay current with media coverage of local events,”
the embassy said in its statement.

The embassies in Burundi, Egypt, Kuwait, Sudan, Tunisia and Zambia
all issued similar warnings on Wednesday.

Armenia — he second most densely populated of the former Soviet
republics — shares borders with Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The warnings came one day after militants attacked and burned the U.S.

Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, leading to the deaths of four Americans,
including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

On Thursday, violent protests that erupted two days earlier outside
the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo continued as assailants clashed
with government forces. And in Yemen, the L.A. Times reported that
hundreds of Yemeni protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Sana and
started fires.

A Yemeni security official told The Times four protesters were killed
and more than 30 were injured as security forces tried to disperse
the crowds.

The protests have spread in reaction to a movie filmed in Los Angeles
County that mocks the prophet Muhammad.

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ARMENIA: BELOVED INDOOR MARKET, NOW SHUTTERED, FACES DEMOLITION

EurasiaNet.org
Sept 13 2012
NY

September 13, 2012 – 3:45pm, by Yigal Schleifer

Are elected officials in Yerevan trying to take any local color out of
the city’s food scene? That certainly seems to be the case. Last year,
the city’s mayor issued a ban on street vendors — many of them fruit
and vegetable sellers — in an effort to “clean up” Yerevan. More
worrisome for Yerevan residents, it now looks like local leaders are
turning a blind eye while the city’s well-known indoor market, the now
shuttered Pak Shuka, is in danger of being demolished by a businessman
cum politician who reportedly wants to turn it into a supermarket.

In a detail-rich report, The Armenian Weekly lays out the whole
sordid tale:

On Jan. 7, Tiv 1 Shuka CSJC, the company in charge of the renovation,
began demolishing the inside of the landmark, which held ornate
stone carvings considered by some as architectural jewels and
massive intricate iron gates considered as the “gateway to the
capital.” For the average Yerevantsi, to shop there was an expensive
proposition, compared to the regular markets. In its heyday, once
inside, tourists entered another universe, where they experienced
true Armenian culture and hospitality, and were greeted by a myriad
of proud and friendly vendors offering them samples-from the latest
fresh harvest of organic fruits and vegetables, intricate displays
of dried fruits and nuts, spices and herbs, an assortment of meats,
seafood, and poultry, fresh lavash bread, sheets of dried fruit syrup
(ttu lavash, or sour lavash) or roll-ups, and the ever-present fruit
sujukh (shelled walnuts threaded on a string, dipped in grape molasses,
then hung to dry until a thick and tender coat covers it in the form of
a sausage). Pak Shuka offered an amazing range of goods and souvenirs,
something to satisfy every appetite, all displayed on attractive
stalls and decorated booths. Experiencing the atmosphere, color, and
aroma was described as visiting a veritable “colorful museum of food.”

The current owner of the building, Samvel Aleksanyan (b. 1968 in
Yerevan), a businessman (he owns the Yerevan City supermarket chain)
and parliamentarian representing the Republican Party of Armenia,
has tried to reassure Yerevantsis that he only plans to renovate
the building and construct an underground parking area. Yet, despite
his persistent denials, rumors abound that he plans to relocate his
largest four-story supermarket to the site of the Pak Shuka building.

Aleksanyan’s company, Fleetfood, Armenia’s largest food import
conglomerate, enjoys a de facto monopoly on the highly lucrative
imports of wheat, sugar, alcohol, and cooking oil to Armenia. He’s
one of the country’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, widely known as “Lfik
Samo” (a nickname where “Lfik” comes from the Russian word for bra,
as Samvel’s father owned a bra shop in Soviet times).