Author: Babajanian Karo

Will Armenian National Assembly Speaker be able to dismiss his Chief of Staff?

news.am
June 16, 2012 | 13:34

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s National Assembly (NA) Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan
will soon sack Vrezh Gasparyan, the current NA Chief of Staff, albeit
the latter had stated they cannot dismiss him.

Reliable sources have informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the new
potential candidates for this job are NA Deputy Chief of Staff Tatul
Soghomonyan, and Head of the Presidential Control Service, Hovhannes
Hovsepyan.

To note, Vrezh Gasparyan was appointed NA Chief of Staff by former NA
Speaker Samvel Nikoyan, during whose tenure Gasparyan was promoted to
three higher positions within five months.

Reflecting on the news about his possible sacking and responding to
the query as to whether he could be transferred to another job, Vrezh
Gasparyan had said: `They cannot.’

Incidentally, the position of the NA Chief of Staff is discretionary
and not a public servant’s job.

EREVAN
La statue du célèbre fleuriste Karabala est revenue rue d’Abovian à Erévan

Karabala est le plus célèbre fleuriste d’Erévan. Une véritable légende
qui donna même lieu à des chansons. Mais sa statue qui gisait sur la
rue Abovian l’une des plus anciennes et passantes rues de la capitale
arménienne avait été déménagé pour travaux depuis de très nombreux
mois. La Mairie d’Erévan a décidé par son Conseil municipal du 11 juin
de replacer la statue de Karabala rue Abovian. Deux jours plus tard la
statue du fleuriste revenait à son emplacement d’origine pour la plus
grande joie des Erévanais et des amoureux.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 16 juin 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

MONNAIES
Une monnaie commémorative dédiée à Serge Paradjanov

La Banque Centrale d’Arménie, dans la série des « Célèbres
réalisateurs du monde » a émis une monnaie commémorative en argent
dédiée à Sergueï Paradjanov. Sur la face de la monnaie figure le
portrait de S. Paradjanov avec ses collages et les éléments qui
revenaient souvent dans son `uvre comme la grenade. La valeur faciale
de la monnaie est de 100 drams.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 16 juin 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

CHANSON
Le clip d’Essaï et Emmy diffué par les chaînes arméniennes

La chanteur franco-arménien Essaï (Essaï Altounian) et la chanteuse
Emmy qui ont enregistré ensemble un single et vidéo-clip «
Erévan-Erébouni » ont présenté leur chanson auprès des médias
d’Arménie. De nombreuses chaînes de télévision d’Arménie telles que «
Armenia TV » ou la Chaîne Publique d’Arménie (Hayastan 1) diffusent
régulièrement cette chanson d’Essaï et Emmy. En Arménie, les
journalistes ne manquent pas de saluer cette `uvre très réussie qui
unit ainsi deux chanteurs de grand talent. Interrogé par la presse
arménienne, Essaï a confié « je ne connaissais pas bien l’Arménie,
mais avec cette chanson, je suis sur que moi-même comme de nombreux
autres Arméniens de la diaspora nous découvriront Erévan avec un autre
regard ». Le tournage d’« Erevan-Erébouni » s’est déroulé à Erévan et
en France. Essaï est un chanteur bourré de talents. En septembre
dernier, à Marseille lors des festivités du 20e anniversaire de la
République d’Arménie, Essaï avait conquis la salle du grand Auditorium
du Pharo.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 16 juin 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Artsakh Slapped Hrant Margaryan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:29:13 – 15/06/2012

ARF Dashnaktsutyun again stands out in the NKR presidential campaign for
its `traditional’ behavior. ARFD Artsakh organization stated that it would
be neutral and would not support any of the candidates running for NKR
president. But literally two days later ARFD stated to support the
incumbent president Bako Sahakyan.

Later, Hrant Margaryan was learned to have left for Karabakh urgently for a
consultation with the ARFD members after which the second statement was
released. We have learned that a lot of ARFD Artsakh members disagreed with
that decision, others were neutral. Actually, Hrant Margaryan made the
decision alone.

Here is another deal between Hrant Margaryan and the authorities. According
to our credible source, Hrant Margaryan’s step caused a backlash among
Artsakh’s Dashnaktsutyun who `saw him off’ with rude expressions.

As to Artsakh’s Dashnaks, they not only refused Hrant Margaryan’s decision
to support the acting president but decided to support the second candidate
General Vitali Balasanyan.

Nurturing Artsakh’s Toddlers with a New Kindergarten in Sos Village

Friday, June 15th, 2012
by Asbarez

In Construction: The kindergarten in Sos village under construction by
Armenia Fund

MARTUNI, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic – Construction crews are building a
new kindergarten in the village of Sos-a grape farming community of
1042 residents situated near the border with Azerbaijan.

Sponsored by the Fund’s affiliate in France and the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic Government, the two-story facility is expected to be complete
by the end of summer, ready to accept up to 50 students for the new
school year in September.

Located on the first floor are classrooms for up to 25 children, ages
3-4 and include the cafeteria, recreation rooms, the bedrooms,
dressing rooms, bathrooms, and storage areas. The second floor will
house the principal’s office, a sports gym and game room, as well as
recreation rooms and bedrooms for up to 25 children ages 5-6.

The need for a new kindergarten has loomed large in this community for
some time now. The existing facility was built in 1976 and designed to
accommodate only four groups of children based on age, unable to cope
with the needs of the village.

That there was an immediate need to build a new kindergarten here is
without a doubt. The current facility’s roof is dilapidated; it’s
sewerage network not functioning; the potable water system is out of
order; and the doors and the windows are broken down.

The kindergarten was always in this bad of shape. It suffered the bulk
of the damages during the early 1990s, when Azerbaijani military
forces bombed the village in an attempt to take the land.

During the Artsakh Liberation War, Sos found itself on the frontlines
of combat, with its residents rising to defend their community from
annihilation. Thirty-eight villagers lost their lives defending the
community and although their sacrifices helped save the village, much
of it was left in ruins at the end of the conflict. The local school
was all but destroyed, while the kindergarten, having suffered from
the bombardment, was converted into a field hospital to provide the
wounded with emergency medical assistance.

In addition to the new school, Armenia Fund completely rebuilt the
village’s water network in 2010, ensuring the people of Sos have round
the clock access to clean drinking water at all times.

We’re hoping the new kindergarten will further help our efforts to
strengthen this 300-year-old community’s roots and allow its residents
to continue living on their ancestral land. You can read more about
the project and download monthly project reports and photos here.

Donate today to support projects like the Sos Kindergarten. Click here
to make a difference.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 13 2012

Knesset’s political debate on 1915 event does not alter facts, Turkey says

June 2012 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, ANKARA

Turkish diplomatic sources have emphasized that debate in the Israeli
parliament over whether to recognize the 1915 mass killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks as an act of genocide will not affect
Turkey’s stance on the issue, adding that the debate does not alter
the facts.

A Turkish diplomatic source told Today’s Zaman the basic starting
point for Turkey is that the events of 1915, or any other historical
event, should be discussed by historians rather than parliaments.
`Parliaments dealing with this issue do not bring any benefit.
Additionally, this kind of step does not contribute to the process. It
undermines the work of historians and both countries,’ said the
official.

The debate was initiated last Tuesday by an Israeli cabinet minister’s
remark that the Jewish state ought to change its policy and recognize
the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as an act of
genocide.

“I think it is definitely fitting that the Israeli government formally
recognize the Holocaust perpetrated against the Armenian people,” said
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s minister of environmental affairs, adding that
the Israeli government had not formally changed its policy on the past
tragedy of the Armenians and that Israel should definitely support an
open and thorough discussion analyzing the data and facts.

A Turkish diplomatic official, when asked whether such a move by
Israel would interfere with ongoing processes between Turkey and
Armenia, stated that no decision taken by the parliament of any
nation, including Israel, would affect Turkey’s stance on the issue.
`Our stance, thought and decision is clear. Additionally, the Armenian
court’s decision is also clear. The decision taken by the Armenian
court is actually blocking the process,’ said the official, adding
that an explanation for the timing of the debate taking place in the
Knesset should be requested from Israeli officials.

Arieh Eldad of the ultranationalist National Union dismissed
accusations that raising the issue now was ill-timed. “A few years ago
people said we couldn’t talk about it because of our good relations
with Turkey. Now people say we can’t talk about it because of our bad
relations with Turkey,” said Eldad, adding that when people are
reluctant to address moral and ethical issues there is always a claim
that the timing of such a discussion is wrong.

Meanwhile, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin denied the debate was related
to deteriorating ties with Turkey, saying there was no intention to
provoke Turkey. `The Turks will definitely be angry, but there is no
intention to provoke, only to remember,” he told Israel’s Army Radio.
`Those who demand recognition of the massacre are not engaged in
lobbying, they are simply seeking historic justice. The free world
must learn these lessons so it won’t happen again,’ said Rivlin.

Israel has long avoided acknowledging the mass killings of Armenians
as genocide, in deference to already strained ties with Turkey, which
was until recently its closest ally in the Muslim world.

Turkish-Israeli relations worsened in May 2010 when Israeli naval
commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, a ship carrying humanitarian aid
to breach Israel’s Gaza blockade, killing eight Turkish nationals and
one US citizen. Relations have remained strained since then.

Armenian historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Christian
Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks during World War I in a
deliberate policy of genocide.

Turkish governments and the majority of Turks deny the charge of
genocide, arguing that there was heavy loss of life on both sides
during conflict in the area.

Yerevan residents hold a demonstration before RPA’s session and demand
a meeting with president

20:57 . 15/06

The session of RPA’s executive body has started. The public has been
waiting for it for a long time, as the issue of the new government
composition is being discussed at the session.

Before starting the session today, the residents of Yerevan’s Byuzandi
and Firdusi streets held a demonstration in front of RPA’s
headquarters. The residents have neither received a compensation for
their deconstructed houses, nor received new flats. The demonstrators
demanded a meeting with the RA president and attempted to pass a
letter to him.

Before that, Yerevan’s Mayor Taron Margaryan noticed them, listened to
them and urged them to go to the municipality. He promised to come
back to them after the session.

The session will end probably at around 9:30pm.

To recall, earlier the party’s press spokesperson Edward Sharmazanov
said the government composition will not undergo essential changes at
least in respect with the republic’s ministers.

On June 2 Tigran Sargsyan was appointed the prime minister of Armenia
by the president’s decree, then the ministers of defense, foreign
affairs and emergency situations were re-appointed to their posts.

No blitzkrieg is expected in case of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan

arminfo
Friday, June 15, 19:04

Actually, no blitzkrieg is expected in case of the war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, not only because of the geographical location of
Armenia but also because of placement of the world forces and
interests in our region, political expert, Aleksandr Manasyan told
Arminfo correspondent.

“It will be very hard for Azerbaijani tanks to run Armenian mountain
paths. So this weapon will not act. As for the air attack, Armenia is
protected with rather strong air defence equipment. At present I think
that Azerbaijan will not dare to attack Armenia. It is very much
possible that by such actions Baku is trying to impose pressure both
upon the world community and domestic political arena of the country.
Aliyev is trying to come forward like a soldier-president ready to
“liberate lands”, and in such a way he is trying to make Azerbaijani
people not to notice his own crimes. Actually, all this is directed to
remaining at the position of the president”, – Manasyan said.

He also added that since 1991 no political force of Armenia has been
able to make an adequate picture of the core of the conflict. The core
and the reasons of the Karabakh conflict are distorted. “Many people
in the world think that Azerbaijan is a victim of the Armenian
aggression, and the Armenians has come forward like an aggressor that
occupied Azerbaijani lands. Though actually everything is visa versa.
Moreover, we can give judicial and legal grounding to the fact that
Nagornyy Karabakh is historical territory of Armenia”, – the expert
concluded.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan: Azerbaijan admits to making provocations

17:58 15/06/2012 » Analysis

“The Azerbaijani FM’s statement is cynical and irresponsible. In fact,
Azerbaijan confessed that it has been instigating border incidents,”
military expert Artsrun Hovhannisyan told Panorama.am, commenting on
Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement that `if Armenia doesn’t want its
soldiers to die, it must withdraw from the Azerbaijani lands.’

Azerbaijan admits to instigating border incidents to press the
Armenian side as well as international organizations, said the expert.

`But most importantly, Azerbaijan’s confession substantiates the view
that Azerbaijan does not care about its soldiers’ security. It has
been proved repeatedly that Azerbaijan suffers more casualties in such
incidents, however, Mammadyarov confesses that Azerbaijan does not
give a damn about its soldiers,’ stressed Hovhannisyan.

Source: Panorama.am