Author: Babajanian Karo

“BAKU’S STATEMENTS AND STEPS ARE IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION WITH THE AGREEMENTS REACHED IN SOCHI”

19:53 . 12/04

Today Armenian FM Edward Nalbandyan met OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairmen
Robert Bradtke, Igor Popov, Jacques Faure and Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk in Warsaw.

The press service of the foreign ministry informs that during the
meeting the discussions continued on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement process, as well as on the implementation of the provisions
of the joint statement of the presidents issued during the summit
in Sochi in January. In that respect Edward Nalbandyan touched upon
Baku’s statements and steps, which are in direct contradiction with
the agreements of Sochi.

Nalbandian said the anti-Armenian and racist rhetoric which has
escalated on the highest level in Azerbaijan recently impairs the
formation of a positive atmosphere important for the negotiation
process.

DEUX ONG TURQUES VONT MANIFESTER LE 24 AVRIL
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
vendredi 13 avril 2012

A l’approche du 97ème anniversaire du génocide des arméniens,
deux Organisations Non Gouvernementales turques préparent une série
de manifestations pour commémorer la déportation des Arméniens
orchestrée sous l’Empire Ottoman en 1915 et dénoncer le racisme.

” la reconnaissance du génocide arménien représente
l’accomplissement d’une responsabilité éthique, juridique, politique
et sociale, a déclaré ” Ayse Gunaysu, a Hurriyet Daily News,
la représentante de l’Association des droits de l’homme (Ä°HD)
et de la Commission contre le racisme et la Discrimination.

La principale manifestation qui se tiendra a Taksim Square (Istanbul)
le 24 avril, arborera le slogan ” Non ” a l’Initiative de racisme ”.

Les ONG annoncent un calendrier de manifestations a travers le pays,
tandis que d’autres auront lieu a Ankara et Izmir, simultanément
avec Istanbul.

” Les mensonges ne peuvent en aucun cas prévaloir toute une
éternité, si nous sommes prêts a voir la vérité, ” a expliqué
la militante des droits de l’homme, pour qui ” La reconnaissance
de ce passé de douleur mènera a la réelle démocratisation de
la Turquie. Le racisme et la haine perdront du terrain ce qui nous
rapprochera des normes humaines de la vie ”, a-t-elle dit.

Ayse Gunaysu a également attiré l’attention sur la mort de Sevag
Sahin Balikci, un jeune turc d’origine arménienne, qui aurait été
tué par une balle perdue le 24 avril 2011 en effectuant son service
militaire.

Il a été abattu par un de ses camarades de section, décrit comme
étant un ultra-nationaliste.

LA POSITION DE HOLLANDE SUR LA TURQUIE : ENTRE OUVERTURE ET FERMETE
Par Sylvia Zappi

Le Monde

April 12 2012
France

Il n’y aura pas d’adhesion de la Turquie a l’Union europeenne lors du
prochain mandat presidentiel. Francois Hollande l’a redit, mercredi
11 avril, sur le plateau de Des paroles et des actes sur France 2 :
“Aujourd’hui, il y a un processus de negociation qui est en cours
depuis d’ailleurs des annees” mais “aucune condition majeure n’est
reunie, et donc, dans le prochain quinquennat, il n’y aura pas
d’adhesion de la Turquie a l’Union europeenne”. Relance par les
journalistes, M. Hollande a insiste : “Ca ne se fera pas durant le
prochain quinquennat”, s’il est elu le 6 mai.

Les declarations du candidat socialiste interviennent alors que le
processus de negociations entre Ankara et l’UE pietine, notamment
du fait du refus de la Turquie d’appliquer l’union douanière a la
partie grecque de l’île divisee de Chypre, membre de l’UE depuis
2004, que la Turquie ne reconnaît pas. Le ministre turc des affaires
europeennes avait denonce, voici huit jours lors d’une visite a
Bucarest, les “obstacles et les difficultes” de la Turquie dans son
procesus d’adhesion.

BLOCAGE SUR CHYPRE

La position sur ce dossier du depute de Corrèze n’est pas nouvelle.

Depuis plusieurs jours M. Hollande laissait entendre que s’il etait
elu, les negociations seraient “très longues”, notamment a cause du
blocage sur Chypre. Si plusieurs reponsables socialistes, influents sur
les questions internationales, comme Pierre Moscovisci ou Jean-Louis
Bianco plaident depuis longtemps pour une approche plus ouverte,
le candidat, lui, maintient sa position ferme.

Des 2004, alors que son parti se divisait entre partisans et opposants
a l’adhesion de la Turquie a l’UE, Francois Hollande avait pose ses
conditions. A l’occasion d’une rencontre avec le premier ministre
Erdogan en juillet 2004, celui qui etait alors premier secretaire du
PS avait dit qu’il etait “favorable” au principe de l’adhesion turque,
“a condition que les critères d’adhesion soient respectes “, citant
notamment “la question des droits de l’homme et la reconnaissance du
genocide armenien”.

RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Deux mois plus tard, il signait avec Mourad Papazian, president
du Parti socialiste armenien, un texte commun appelant la Turquie
a reconnaître le genocide armenien. Car, peut etre plus que la
question chypriote, c’est la non reconnaissance par Ankara du genocide
armenien de 1915 qui a suscite la position de M. Hollande. Le candidat
s’interesse depuis longtemps a l’Armenie et s’est demene pour que
son parti soit en pointe dans la bataille pour le reconnaissance de
ce geneocide.

Plus recemment, alors que les groupes socialistes du Senat et
de l’Assemblee nationale semblaient cafouiller sur le vote de la
proposition de loi reprimant la negation du genocide armenien de
1915, presentee a l’initiative de la majorite de Nicolas Sarkozy,
il s’etait prononce personnellement pour son adoption. Il n’a jamais
varie sur ce sujet de tension majeure entre Paris et Ankara.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL TO PUT GEORGIA BETWEEN ROCK AND HARD PLACE

The Messenger
April 12 2012
Georgia

The Armenian Diaspora in Tbilisi has asked City Hall to erect a
memorial to their genocide at the hands of the Turks in the early 20th
century. Georgian officials have not yet responded to the demand, but
it is clear that if they build the monument it will cause a significant
amount of discontent among Georgia’s neighbours, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The proposed memorial would be erected near Avlabari Metro station,
according to a general agreement reached with City Hall two years ago.

Chair of a multinational Georgia NGO, Arnold Stepanyan, supports the
idea of a monument in Tbilisi. Yet the Armenian Diaspora is courting
controversy. Advocates of the memorial know that such a move will
create problems for Georgia in Turkey and Azerbaijan. Erecting
a memorial means indirectly recognizing the genocide, which is a
political act. This could also cause discontent in the ethnic Azeri
population in Georgia, and could strain relations between them and
ethnic Armenians. This could needlessly aggravate the situation in
Georgia. Giorgi Gigauri from Asaval-Dasavali draws certain parallels,
wondering what would happen if Georgians demanded that Armenia
erect in Yerevan a memorial to the Georgians who suffered under the
Russian occupation. It would be a provocative move and one Armenia
could not yield to, as it would be targeted against its strategic
partner, Russia.

However, only recently the Georgian Parliament officially recognized
the genocide of the Cherkez people by Russia in the 19th century –
so there is a precedent that the government, whatever their decision,
will have to work around.

GAZPROM OAO : ALEXEY MILLER AND VARDAN ARUTYUNYAN REVIEW ARMROSGAZPROM OPERATING RESULTS

4 Traders

April 12 2012

The Gazprom headquarters hosted today a working meeting between Alexey
Miller, Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee and Vardan
Arutyunyan, Director General and Chairman of the ArmRosGazprom Board.

The meeting participants reviewed the issues of Russian gas pricing
for Armenian consumers between 2012 and 2013.

In addition, a focus was placed on the status of the agreement
stipulating Gazprom’s participation in the gas and power projects
in the Republic of Armenia as well as the current operating results
of ArmRosGazprom.

During the meeting, the parties noted the successful commissioning
of the fifth power generating unit at the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant
enabling to largely satisfy the Armenian power needs and to increase
power supplies to the neighboring countries.

Background Armenia does not produce natural gas and the country’s
power generation sector is totally reliant on gas imports.

Gazprom resumed natural gas deliveries to Armenia in June 2003.

Gazprom Export delivers gas to the border with Armenia where it
is purchased by ArmRosGazprom. In 2011 Gazprom provided Armenian
consumers with some 1.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

On March 31, 2006 Gazprom and the Government of the Republic of Armenia
signed a 25-year Agreement identifying the strategic principles of
Gazprom’s participation in the gas and power projects in the Republic
of Armenia. The document provides for Gazprom to increase its ownership
stake in ArmRosGazprom via the additional share issue.

As a result, Gazprom acquired an 80 per cent stake in ArmRosGazprom.

The funds received due to the share issue were allocated for purchasing
the fifth power generating unit at the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant
and constructing the gas infrastructure facilities in Armenia.

Incorporated in December 1997, ArmRosGazprom is focused on natural gas
supplies to the domestic Armenian market. In addition, the company
transports, stores, distributes and sells natural gas as well as
upgrades and expands gas transmission and underground gas storage
systems in the Republic of Armenia.

In January 2012 the fifth power generating unit at the Hrazdan
Thermal Power Plant was brought into pilot operation. After the
state-of-the-art gas turbines were installed, the total capacity
of the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant reached 480 MW. The fifth power
generating unit is expected to produce up to 1.8 billion kW of
electricity in 2012.

YEREVAN TO MULL ARMENIA-IRAN PIPELINE DOCUMENT

Xinhua General News Service
April 11, 2012 Wednesday 7:25 AM EST
China

The Armenian government said it will consider on Thursday a set of
rules of construction and operation regarding a planned pipeline
between its country and Iran.

Titled “the Rules of Technical Operation of the Main Oil Product
Pipeline,” the draft terms of reference were developed to define the
rules of construction and operation for the pipeline, the government
said Wednesday at its official website.

Last February, Armenia and Iran signed an agreement on importing
petroleum, diesel and aviation fuel.

Until the construction of the planned pipeline, Armenia will import
the Iranian products using special trucks, the government said.

IGDIR TO HOST FIRST AIRLINER IN JUNE

Panorama.am
12/04/2012

The first airliner will land in Turkish city of Igdir in June. The
airport construction in the city are planned to be terminated until
then.

Turkish news site Son dakika said the foundation laying of the airport
in Igdir bordering with Armenia, Nakhijevan and Iran took place 16
years ago.

In the Middle Ages Igdir used to be called Tsolakert and together with
Koghb they formed the province of Chakatk, Mets Hayk (historic homeland
of Armenians). Under Ottoman Empire the city was renamed Igdir.

TURKISH DIPLOMAT DECODES ANKARA’S INTENTIONS TOWARD ARMENIA IN 1992

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 12, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, ARMENPRESS: Halil Akıncı, Turkish deputy
ambassador to USSR before the collapse of the Soviet Union, has made
revelations related to Turkey’s position toward Armenia for that
time. As Armenpress reports citing the Turkish ekolay.com, Halil
Akıncı said after the collapse of the USSR and proclamation of
Armenia’s independence Turkey intended to establish relations with
Armenia, even to set up a consulate. But after some period of time
Turkey suddenly changed its decision.

The Turkish diplomat noted Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Armenia’s president
then, stood up for establishment of relations with Turkey, leaving
aside the “historical issues”. Halil Akıncı suggested that in case
of establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations Ter-Petrosyan would
probably not resign and would be in power up to now.

SURVEY REVEALS SECT MEMBERS’ POLITICAL PREFERENCES

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 13, 2012 – 13:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On April 13, Exit Poll sociological research center
presented to the journalists the findings of its “How are voters
guided in their choice” survey.

Representative of the center Levon Andreasyan said initially they
did not intend to publish the findings, but being concerned about
some of the results, decided to voice these issues.

“195 out of 2710 respondents are members of different religious
organizations,” Andreasyan said at a press conference.

“All of them were unanimous in their decision to vote for an opposition
party,” expert said, without, however, specifying the party.

Exit Poll center conducted the research in Yerevan and Armenia’s
provincial centers on March 22 -April 8, by order of Political and
Social Research Institute for Black Sea-Caspian Region.

VIDEO OF GAGIK TSARUKYAN’S CAMPAIGN STOP IN ETCHMIADZIN: KNEELS TO SHAKE HANDS
Grisha Balasanyan

15:59, April 13, 2012

During a campaign stop in the town of Etchmiadzin, Prosperous Armenia
Party head Gagik Tsarukyan got down on his hands and knees to shake
hands with members of the crowd and to accept their petition letters.

During a short speech, Tsarukyan, one of the wealthiest men in Armenia,
boasted that he had always made good on his promises. He also urged
those assembled to freely vote according to their conscience.

In contrast to a campaign rally held a few days ago for the ruling
Republican Party, at which President Serzh Sargsyan made an appearance,
today’s rally was fewer in number.

This is due to the fact that at the Sargsyan rally school pupils,
teachers and even kindergarten kids had been involuntarily bussed in.

This reporter was told that school administrators warned their staffs
not to attend today’s Prosperous Armenia event.

When we tried to photograph one teacher, she shied away, saying that
she had secretly attended the rally and didn’t want her principal to
find out.