Author: Babajanian Karo

ARIEL COHEN: HILLARY CLINTON TO ENGAGE IN INTENSE GEOPOLITICAL DISCUSSIONS IN CAUCASUS

TODAY.AZ

U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will engage in intense
geopolitical discussions in the Caucasus and Turkey during her
visit, the leading expert of the Heritage Foundation for Russian and
Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy, member of Trend
Expert Council, Ariel Cohen said.

“Clinton will be meeting all three Caucasus presidents, which
opens an opportunity to give a push for the Nagorno-Karabakh talks,
stalled after almost two decades of Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani
territory,” he told Trend today. “U.S Secretary of State should also
reiterate US support for Georgia territorial integrity and call to
end the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Azerbaijan on June
6, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev said.

During her visit, the Secretary of State is scheduled to meet with
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the country’s Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov, Abdullayev said.

He said during Clinton’s visit it is planned to discuss the situation
in the region, strategic partnerships, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
as well as energy cooperation.

“Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Armenia and Azerbaijan would
listen to Clinton’s calls for an equitable resolution, which should
include liberation of the occupied Azerbaijan lands,” he said. “After
all, years of mediation by the Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev,
who developed excellent relations with both Baku and Yerevan, have
not resulted in a breakthrough.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

“Another priority for the Secretary of State’s visit to Baku,
Azerbaijan, should be expression of support for the Caspian state and
its president due to incessant Iranian terror activities and plotting,”
he added.

“Just recently, the media disclosed a US government report which
revealed a massive Iranian-directed campaign to murder American and
Israeli diplomats, their family members and others in the capital
Baku,” he stressed.

“In Baku, Clinton, nevertheless should develop and discuss a program of
anti-terrorism assistance to Azerbaijan, which includes train-and-equip
package for the Azerbaijani security services and special forces,”
he added.

“Clinton should also acknowledge that the recent host of the popular
Eurovision song contest, Azerbaijan demonstrates levels of inter-ethnic
and inter-religious tolerance unknown in the broader Muslim world, let
alone the neighboring Iran,” he said. “At the same time, Secretary
of State should reiterate American support for good governance,
democratization, human rights and transparency in Azerbaijan, as it
enjoys unprecedented oil and gas revenues.”

TENSIONS CONTINUE WITHIN REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA – NEWSPAPER

news.am
May 31, 2012 | 06:02

YEREVAN. – The friction is continuing within the Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA), Yerkir daily writes.

“According to our sources, two poles are forming within the RPA
[Parliamentary] Faction: one pole is the ‘true RPA members,’ and
the other is the ‘included,’ that is, those MPs who represent other
[political] forces but have entered the Parliament with the RPA’s
proportional list.

The RPA members are not friendly toward them and do not accept the
presence of such politicians in their list.

Even the naked eye could see that the contact is cold between the
RPA-member MPs and those people during the official presentation
of the mandates for the fifth National Assembly’s newly-elect MPs,”
Yerkir writes.

SINGER TURNED MP SHOUSHAN PETROSYAN – WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ARMENIAN WORK ETHIC?
Grisha Balasanyan

hetq
19:21, May 30, 2012

Shoushan Petrosyan used to be a singer…Now she’s a legislator in
the new parliament, having been elected to Armenia’s National Assembly
on the Republican Party slate.

But don’t tell her that she’s moved from the realm of show business
to the gritty world of politics. That will along get her blood boiling.

“I have always disliked the terms show business and stars. I
have said so during my 20 year career. I categorically reject the
crude inference made by reporters that now show biz has entered the
parliament. No. Show biz hasn’t infiltrated the legislature but only
one person has. That’s me, Shoushan Petrosyan.”

The singer turned MP told reporters, when she visited the Central
Electoral Commission to pick up her mandate, that singing is just as
important as working in the parliament and serving the nation.

“I will work in the National Assembly because we have grown tired of
all these protests. For how long can we go on complaining that this or
that is bad? By the way, many of the naysayers aren’t fully matured
citizens. They are the youth who say that there is no work. But when
you propose something their first question is how much is the salary.

Tell them the job pays 60, 000AMD and their response is ‘you must be
crazy’,” Petrosyan noted.

When asked if she could have been elected to parliament as an
independent, Petrosyan said that the ruling Republican Party approached
her with the offer to run on their ticket.

“Other parties could have made a similar offer. I would have mulled
it over.”

Perosyan said that what was important was the adoption of a state
mode of thinking and noted that the ideology of Garegin Nzhdeh must
serve the country.

She confessed that she hadn’t followed the proceedings of the previous
legislature, describing the body as uninteresting and lacking any
real debate.

“What I find exciting is that there will be some diversity in the
new parliament. There must be debate and movement. Above all else,
we must develop a civilized culture within the legislature since we
will serve as an example for the people.”

She noted that if all Armenia’s citizens took pride in their work,
many things would change in the country. The singer added that it
wasn’t shameful to work for a small pay check but that it was a shame
not to work.

“I feel a deep sense of respect when I see those uniformed workers
cleaning the streets at night. They are more patriotic than those
others who boast and brag. Armenians have always been an industrious
people who worked the land. Now, those concepts are only found
in books.”

LE CHEF DE LA POLICE ARMENIENNE A ETE CONDAMNE A 6 ANS DE PRISON
Laetitia

armenews.com
jeudi 31 mai 2012

Le colonel Margar Ohanian, l’ancien chef de la police de la circulation
armenienne arrete l’an dernier, a ete condamne a six ans de prison
mercredi 30 mai 2012 après avoir ete accuse de corruption.

Un tribunal d’Erevan a reconnu coupable M. Ohanian de detournement
de fonds des fonds publics. Trois autres policiers poursuivis dans
le cadre de l’affaire penale ont eu des peines de prison avec sursis.

Ohanian a ete arrete et renvoye en septembre dernier après une enquete
criminelle sur le vol presume de plus de 150 tonnes de combustible
attribuees a la police pour les voitures de patrouille.

Ohanian a nie toute responsabilite concernant le detournement de
fonds presume avant le procès. Il a pretendu avoir ete injustement
poursuivi a l’initiative du general Alik Sarkissian, l’ancien chef
de la police nationale. Sarkissian a toutefois nie toute implication
dans l’arrestation de son subordonne.

L’avocat de M.Ohanian, Mkrtich Vasakian, a critique la decision du
tribunal, la qualifiant de trop sevère, affirmant que le juge Mkhitar
Papoyan, aurait pu donner une peine d’emprisonnement avec sursis a
son client. Tout en clamant son innocence, Ohanian Vasakian a affirme
que lui, sa famille et ses amis ont amasse plus de 100,000 dollars
pour compenser l’etat de la perte de carburant. L’avocat a decrit le
paiement comme une ” affaire d’honneur et de dignite ” pour l’agent.

” ETRE CHRETIEN EST UNE QUALITE DE VIE ” AFFIRME SA SAINTETE ARAM 1ER
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 30 mai 2012

Continuant sa visite des paroisses de Teheran en Iran, dimanche
20 mai, Sa Saintete Aram 1er a preche dans l’eglise St gregoire
l’Illuminateur. Le thème de son sermon etait ” le Christ : notre Vie “.

Sa Saintete a decrit la vie comme ” un cadeau de Dieu. Donc, elle
doit etre vecu pour Dieu. Dieu doit etre le centre et le but de la
vie humaine “. Aram 1er a rappele aux fidèles que ” la vie humaine a
ete deforme a cause du peche d’Adam ; le Christ, le Nouvel Adam est
venu au monde pour retablir la vie d’humanite et la creation “.

Donc, ” le Christ est la source de la vraie vie ; dans et par Lui
on nous a donne la vraie vie ” a expose Sa Saintete qui a appele les
fidèles a vivre leur vie ayant le Christ au centre de leur pensee et
dans le travail.

Après la celebration de la messe, Sa Saintete, accompagnee avec les
primats de Teheran et d’Isfahan a rencontre les fidèles et a eu une
brève conversation avec eux sur des questions se rapportant a leur
famille et vie associative.

Le meme jour Sa Saintete a aussi visite l’eglise St Minas et a
ete chaudement saluee par les fidèles. Dans son message, Aram 1er
a souligne le besoin du renouvellement spirituel. Il a dit ” etre
Chretien est une qualite de vie supportee par des valeurs spirituelles
“.

NKR PARLIAMENTARY FACTIONS SALUTE RHODE ISLAND LAWMAKERS’ RESOLUTION ON KARABAKH’S RECOGNITION

NEWS.AM
May 30, 2012 | 15:34

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) National Assembly (NA) factions
welcome the Rhode Island House of Representatives resolution that
calls on the US President and Congress to recognize NKR’s independence.

“Considering that NKR’s international recognition-which, also, will
bring about regional peace and stability in the South Caucasus-plays
the greatest role toward resolution of the Artsakh [Karabakh] issue,
NKR NA factions and parliamentary group salute the passing of the
aforementioned resolution, at the same time expect for this process to
be continuous and the US would exhibit a principled and a constructive
stance toward NKR’s international recognition issue,” specifically
reads the NKR NA factions’ statement released in this regard.

REDUCTION IN CENTRAL BANK’S FOREIGN ASSETS COULD NOT HAVE GREATLY IMPACTED DEVALUATION OF ARMENIAN CURRENCY – ECONOMIST

news.am
May 30, 2012 | 12:00

YEREVAN. -Reduction in the Central Bank’s foreign assets could not have
greatly impacted the devaluation of the Armenian national currency,
the dram (AMD), Alternative Research Center Director, economist Tatul
Manaseryan stated during a press conference on Wednesday.

He recalled that such phenomena occurred in the past, too. “This could
have an impact, but not a very significant one,” Manaseryan added.

At the same time he noted that despite the dram’s devaluation, the
dram-based prices have not increased too much.

“Considering the 2013 presidential elections [in Armenia], the
investors will postpone large-scale projects,” the analyst maintained.

Also, Manaseryan remarked that the statements made by high-profile
politicians could have a bearing on the currency exchange rates,
but solely for a short term.

According to Tatul Manaseryan, if the capital is not invested inside
the country, the foreign investments will affect the country’s
foreign debt.

To note, the average exchange rate of the US dollar rose from AMD
392/$1 to AMD 407/$1 in Armenia, in the past three weeks.

142 ARMENIANS ARRESTED AFTER FIGHT WITH CHECHENS IN SOCHI

13:45 . 30/05

142 Armenians were arrested in consequence of a mass fight in Sochi.

The situation in the city was tense for already several days. On the
night of May 26 the police prevented the mass fight between Sochi
based Armenians and Chechens working in the Olympic district.

According to the information given by the head of Sochi’s “Sevan”
Armenian community Hrach Makeyan, the Chechens offended Armenian girls
returning from the Last Bell celebration. The girls’ brothers fought
with them and the Chechen workers escaped to the Olympic district.

After that, Special Police Force, the police arrived at the scene.

Clashes took place with the police, too, in the result of which
142 Armenians were arrested for not obeying the leadership. Now,
all of them are already released, and only one person was detained
for five days.

RA Minister of Diaspora refused to comment on the incident.

ARMENIA LACKS WORK PRODUCTIVITY

news.am
May 30, 2012 | 02:24

In the 21st century those nations are rich, which work productively.

Motivation for the civilization is the energy spent by humans.

Armenia, as a rule, is beyond the European nations on work productivity
level. It is not even leading among the CIS states.

People are usually involved in agriculture, followed by trade and
services (hotel business, restaurants, car repair) fields. At the
same time, the decrease of people involved in the industry is getting
concerning.

Another main field Armenians deal with is construction. The number
of workers overpasses the indicator of 2001 but is lower than in the
pre-crisis period of 2008.

GOVERNMENT IN ARMENIA SELLS ATOMSERVICE

news.am
May 30, 2012 | 03:10

YEREVAN. – The state-owned Atomservice CJSC shares will be sold on
a classic auction, the issue is included in the Thursday session of
the Government.

This is a second attempt to sell the company, as it found no purchaser
in 2008 auction.

The company was established in 1986 for holding scientific-technical
contract works for the operation and regulation of atomic strontium
(contractors are Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, Armatom, Enconet
(Austria), Batelle (US)).