Author: Babajanian Karo

BUNDESPRASIDENT BESUCHT ERSTMALS ARMENIEN (PRESIDENT VISITS ARMENIA FOR FIRST TIME)

Wiener Zeitung

25 Juni 2012
Osterreich

Heinz Fischer zu Gesprachen auf dreitagiger Reise in Eriwan.

Wien/Eriwan.

Als erster osterreichischer Bundesprasident ist Heinz Fischer
am Montag in Begleitung seiner Frau Margit Fischer und einer
Wirtschaftsdelegation zu einem dreitagigen offiziellen Besuch nach
Armenien aufgebrochen.

Heute, Dienstag, Nachmittag werden Fischer und seine Frau beim
Denkmal der Opfer des Volkermords an den Armeniern einen Kranz
niederlegen. Am Abend werden der Bundesprasident und seine Delegation
am osterreichisch-armenischen Wirtschaftsforum teilnehmen.

Von armenischer Seite wird beklagt, dass Osterreich noch keine eigene
Botschaft in Eriwan eroffnet hat, obwohl seit 20 Jahren politische
Beziehungen bestehen. Auch die Anerkennung der Massaker an den
Armeniern im Osmanischen Reich als Volkermord wird von Armenien
gefordert.

Viele internationale Organisationen und Staaten haben die Massaker
gemaß der UNO-Konvention von 1948 offiziell anerkannt und verurteilt,
darunter das Europaische Parlament, der Weltkirchenrat, Argentinien,
Belgien, Frankreich, Griechenland, Kanada, Russland, Niederlande,
Polen und andere. Nicht zuletzt aus Rucksicht auf die Beziehungen zur
Turkei verzichtete Wien darauf, im Nationalrat einen entsprechenden
Beschluss zu fassen.

Die Turkische Republik hat selbst lange Zeit keine großeren
Anstrengungen zur Aufarbeitung der Tragodie unternommen, weil sie
die Verantwortung dafur dem Osmanischen Reich zuschreibt und jede
Kontinuitat ablehnt. Die vehementen Reaktionen auf jeden Versuch,
einen Volkermord im Osmanischen Reich anzuerkennen, stehen dazu
allerdings in krassem Widerspruch.

Unumstritten ist – auch in der Turkei -, dass hunderttausende
Armenier auf grausame Art ums Leben kamen, als sie wahrend des
Ersten Weltkrieges vom Osmanischen Reich aus ihren Siedlungsgebieten
in Ost-und Sudanatolien nach Syrien deportiert wurden. Wahrend die
offizielle turkische Geschichtsschreibung die Opferzahl auf 300.000
beziffert, sprechen armenische Historiker allerdings von 1,2 bis 1,5
Millionen Toten. Kernpunkt des Streites ist aber, ob die Osmanen es
gezielt auf die Vernichtung des armenischen Volkes abgesehen hatten
oder ob es sich um ungewollte Exzesse bei der Umsiedlung handelte,
wie die Turken es sehen.

L’EX-MAIRE ” VIOLENT ” NOMME DANS LE NOUVEAU GOUVERNEMENT
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 28 juin 2012

Gagik Beglarian, l’ancien maire controverse d’Erevan, a ete nomme
au gouvernement d’Armenie en tant que ministre des Transports et
des communications plus de 18 mois après avoir ete contraint de
demissionner pour conduite violente.

Gagik Beglarian avait quitte son poste de maire en decembre 2010
après que le President Serge Sarkissian ait confirme la participation
de Beglarian dans une attaque contre un fonctionnaire de l’unite du
protocole de l’administration presidentielle.

Selon les rapports des medias, le fonctionnaire, Aram Kandayan a
encouru la colère de Beglarian après avoir demande a la femme de ce
dernier de ne pas s’asseoir a côte du president pendant un concert en
novembre 2010 a Erevan du tenor espagnol Placido Domingo. De telles
places sont traditionnellement reservees pour le Premier ministre
d’Armenie, le president du Parlement et le chef supreme de l’Eglise
Apostolique Armenienne.

Gagik Beglarian a fait conduit Kandayan dans l’une de ses proprietes
a Erevan et a battu le jeune fonctionnaire le jour suivant. Il n’a
jamais ete poursuivi pour ce qu’un porte-parole presidentiel a condamne
comme un comportement ” inacceptable et intolerable “.

L’ex-maire, qui est aussi un riche homme d’affaires, est reste un
membre important du parti Republicain d’Armenie (HHK). Il a ete reelu
au sein du Corps Executif du HHK qui comprend 20 membres pendant un
congrès du parti qui s’est tenu en mars.

Serge Sarkissian a nomme Beglarian comme ministre des transports
dans le cadre d’un remaniement du cabinet a la suite des elections
du 6 mai. Le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkisian l’a presente aux hauts
fonctionnaires du Ministère des Transports et des Communications.

” Je veux feliciter M. Beglarian pour sa nomination ministerielle et
lui exprime ma confiance formelle qu’il reussira a coup sur a assurer
la continuite dans le travail [du ministère] ” a dit le Premier
ministre. ” Les projets que nous avons lances seront conduits vers
une conclusion logique “.

GEORGIE : AMENDE DE 1,5 MILLION DE DOLLARS POUR UN OPPOSANT MILLIARDAIRE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 28 juin 2012

Un leader de l’opposition georgienne, le milliardaire Bidzina
Ivanichvili, a ete condamne mercredi a une amende de 1,5 million
de dollars pour avoir viole la loi sur le financement des partis,
denoncant aussitôt une “fausse accusation” liee a ses activites
politiques.

Le tribunal municipal de Tbilissi a juge que six partis d’opposition
membres de la coalition Le Reve georgien dirigee par Bidzina
Ivanichvili avaient recu indûment des dons sous forme de bureaux et
travaux de renovation effectues par une societe liee au milliardaire.

“Il s’agit une nouvelle fois d’une fausse accusation”, a declare
l’avocat de la coalition, Alexandre Baramidze, a la television
publique georgienne.

L’opposant Ivanichvili, qui veut defier le president Mikheïl
Saakachvili aux elections legislatives de l’automne, a deja ete
condamne a plusieurs amendes pour les memes accusations.

La sanction infligee mercredi intervient au lendemain du gel par les
autorites georgiennes d’actions de M. Ivanichvili estimees a plusieurs
millions de dollars en raison de son refus de regler une precedente
amende de 45 millions de dollars (36 millions d’euros), egalement pour
violation de la legislation sur le financement des partis politiques.

La semaine dernière, la police georgienne avait saisi 300.000 paraboles
appartenant a une autre societe liee a M. Ivanichvili et qui etaient
en cours de distribution pour permettre de voir la chaîne satellite
de l’opposant.

Les autorites ont estime que la distribution gratuite de ces paraboles
par le groupe Global TV du frère de M. Ivanichvili pouvait s’apparenter
a l’achat de votes.

L’homme d’affaires est la cible de pressions constantes de la part du
gouvernement georgien depuis qu’il s’est lance dans la vie politique
en 2011.

Les allies du president Saakachvili accusent l’homme d’affaires de
s’etre enrichi en Russie et d’etre manipule par Moscou.

Mikheïl Saakachvili, un pro-occidental reelu en janvier 2008 après
avoir ete porte au pouvoir a la fin 2003 par la “Revolution de
la rose”, a vu sa reputation ternie ces dernières annees par des
accusations de derive autoritaire.

HEINZ FISCHER THE 24TH PRESIDENT VISITING YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY

ARMENPRESS
27 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS: In the frames of the official visit to
the Republic of Armenia the President of Austria Heinz Fischer also
visited Yerevan Brandy Company on June 27.

The company’s public relations department informed Armenpress, in
accordance with the scheduled program the delegation visited the Aging
Cellar of Yerevan Brandy Company, where he was introduced to the rich
history and production facilities of the Armenian brandy Ararat.

The President stopped at the Peace Barrel, founded in 2001 in honor
of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Barrel is called “Peace”
as it will be opened when Karabakh conflict is resolved.

Heinz Fischer also signed in Ararat memory book.

As a part of tradition the management of the Yerevan Brandy Company
was supplemented with a nominal barrel. He is the 24 th President
who has personal barrel in Yerevan Brandy Company. The Management of
Yerevan Brandy Company also presented the President of the Republic
of Austria with a bottle of specially blended brandy Ararat.

THOSE GUILTY OF HARSNAKAR INCIDENT WON’T BE GIVEN PROPER PUNISHMENT – ETHNOGRAPHER

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 27, 2012 – 16:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan is confident that
those guilty of beating up the doctors at Harsnakar restaurant won’t
be given proper punishment.

At news conference in Yerevan, Ms Kharatyan urged the public to use
media in pressuring the authorities to open a proper investigation
into the incident.

The ethnographer also disagreed that the beating up was a result of
pent-up aggression. As she noted, the incident came as a result of
social relations in Armenia.

As a result of June 17 brawl at Harsnakar restaurant, military doctors
Vahe Avetyan and Artak Bayadyan were hospitalized with serious
injuries. Doctor Garik Soghomonyan was transferred to the Central
Military Hospital with skull trauma. Doctors say that their health
condition remains unchanged after the incident.

Four people, including MP Ruben Hayrapetyan’s bodyguard, have been
arrested on charges of causing life-threatening bodily injuries to
two and more persons.

ZHOGHOVURD: NSS MULLS INTERROGATING JON HUNTSMAN

Panorama.am
27/06/2012

The National Security Service (NSS) mulls involving American benefactor
Jon Huntsman in the criminal proceedings on money laundering charges
in Civilitas Foundation, Zhoghovurd reports.

According to the paper, with no possibility to personally interrogate
him, NSS may send an inquiry to the U.S.

The paper reminds that Jon Huntsman’s name circulates in NSS statement
on the criminal proceedings on money laundering charges in Civilitas.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE NOT PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL OF EUROPE

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 17:57

STRASBOURG. – Following the speech of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania, Chairperson of the Committee
of Ministers of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE)
Edmond Haxhinasto, Armenian delegation member Naira Zohrabyan asked
him a question. The answer is interesting on two aspects, Zohrabyan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

International Court recognized the one-sided independence proclamation
by Kosovo not contradicting to international law. On this regard,
Zohrabyan asked Haxhinasto’s viewpoint on Nagorno-Karabakh, which
desires to use the same right of people’s self-determination,
as Kosovo, and why the unrecognized state cannot claim for an
international recognition.

“In response to my question, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers
said that the issue first of all is not a priority for the CoE, and
secondly, PACE supports the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ mandate in
the process,” she said adding Haxhinasto’s thoughts on supporting
OSCE Minsk Group and that PACE should not deal with the Karabakh
issue are important remarks.

The other interesting remark by Albanian Deputy PM was that
despite Kosovo’s case is unique, PACE should admit that it
achieved international recognition based on people’s right of
self-determination.

Zohrabyan believes that those two remarks are very important. The
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon plans to organize a meeting
between Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations to discuss the options
of re-establishing sub-committee on Nagorno-Karabakh or declining the
idea. The Armenian delegation member hopes very much that Haxhinasto’s
remarks will be taken into account.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ACCEPTS INVITATION TO VISIT AUSTRIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 26, 2012 – 16:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan accepted his
Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer’s invitation to pay an official
visit to Austria.

In his speech, President Sargsyan expressed hope for Austrian leader’s
visit to Armenia to develop bilateral relations.

He thanked President Fischer for the assistance extended to Armenia
following the 1988 earthquake, for construction of children’s hospital
in Gyumri and supporting the Armenian community in Austria.

Cooperation Agreement was further signed between Armenian and Austrian
governments.

ILGAR MAMEDOV: AZERBAIJAN MUST OVERCOME GAP OF CORRUPTION CREATED BY ALIYEV ADMINISTRATION

Panorama.am
26/06/2012

“Azerbaijan’s authorities are not serious with domestic issues
having chosen non-competency and suing people who are fighting for
human rights and social freedom,” Ilgar Mamedov, head of Azerbaijani
“Republican alternative” movement said in an interview.

The expert said the situation with the democratic freedoms could not
be better in Azerbaijan.

“On the background of escalating corruption interior social problem
is lack of freedom. I think assessment is untimely anymore. This
gap of corruption and violation of human rights that the Aliyev
Administration has created must be overcome,” said Ilgar Mamedov.

CHESS NEWS: ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS IN VARIOUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

26.06.12

Armenian GM Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian (Brazil) scored 6,5 points out
of 9 and took the 6th place among 134 participants at the open that
was held in Teplice, Czech Republic. Armchess.am informs about this.

The winner with 8 points was GM Alexandr Fier (Brazil).

According to the same source GM David Arutinian (Georgia) scored 7,5
points out of 9 and took the first prize among 57 participants at
the 5th Karen Asrian Memorial that was held in Jermuk, Armenia.

GMs Avetik Grigoryan, Artashes Minasian and Levon Babujian (Armenia)
were one point behind the winner.