Author: Babajanian Karo

GAGIK TSARUKYAN PROMISES THEY WILL DO MORE THAN THEY SAY
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
10.04.2012 18:12

The Prosperous Armenia Party started its regional visits from Kotayk
marz. Leader of the Party Gagik Tsarukyan met with residents of
Yeghvard, Nor Hadjn and Byreghavan. He noted in his speeches that he
is well aware of the problems of the region, and those are included
in the Party’s election platform.

“We have always turned the words into deeds,” Tsarukyan said, adding
that they will continue fulfilling all promises and will do more than
they say.

According to Gagik Tsarukyan, it’s important for the voter to believe
that all programs will become a reality. He said they will realize
all programs within 2-3 months if they are given a chance.

IRAN CAN PLAY LEADING ROLE IN SOLVING SYRIA CRISIS, UN OFFICIAL

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, ARMENPRESS: Spokesman for the UN Secretary General
Martin Nesirky said Iran as an important regional country can play
a key role in solving the crisis in Syria, reports Armenpress citing
Irna.ir.

Nesirky told IRNA that the UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Kofi
Annan hopes for help from Iran to improve Syria’s critical situation.

Nesirky said Tehran can use its regional influence to help Annan to
find a solution for Syrian crisis.

Referring to Annan’s visits to China and Russia, the Uinted Nations
spokesman said Annan’s visit to Iran is one part of his mission in
seeking regional help easing tensions in Syria.

ATOM TEAM IS ALMOST ENTIRELY COMPOSED OF ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS

Aysor.am
April 10, 2012

GM Sergei Movsesian and ten other Armenian chess players are taking
part in Russian Team Chess Championship to be held in Loo on April
9-15, 2012, armchess reports. Movsesian plays in St. Petersburg Club.

Desnogorsk’s Atom Team is almost entirely composed of Armenian chess
players: 5 of its 6 main members are Armenians (FM Pogos Nakhapetiane,
IM Beniamin Galstian, Vardges Tovmasian, Sargis Manukyan, Georgy
Pogosian).

RUSSIAN LANGUAGE’S NEUTRALIZATION IS IMPOSSIBLE IN ARMENIA – PRIME MINISTER

news.am
April 10, 2012 | 15:30

The peculiarity of our strategic partnership with Russia is the fact
that Armenia does not have common borders with Russia, Armenian PM
Tigran Sargsyan said in an interview with rbc.

“This means we are obligated to invent new contemporary methods for
collaboration, ties with Russia. And in this sense the modern world
is allowing us new possibilities. [And] All that makes it possible
to expand our cooperation,” Sargsyan noted.

Speaking about the position of the Russian language in Armenia, the
PM said this language’s neutralization is impossible in Armenia. “It
is just that other languages, which compete with one another, have
emerged in our linguistic environment.

But today we see that the [Armenian] youth are studying not only
English, but also Chinese, Farsi, for example. They see a demand in
the market. We likewise need to look at the language issue from a
new viewpoint,” Tigran Sargsyan noted.

WHO WILL EXILE WHOM TO THE MOON? ASHOTYAN GIVES A “STRICT WARNING” TO SUREN ZOLYAN

15:34 . 10/04

By the decree of RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan,
Rector of Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov Suren
Zolyan has received a regulatory fine, a “strict warning” for being
absent from the country without the minister’s permission and for
delegating his competences to another person temporarily.

The rector has responded quite roughly and has explained in the
press that he is a member of the Experts Committee of the European
Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and has participated in
the mentioned committee’s plenary session. In this case giving a
“strict warning” the minister has exceeded his competences. It is
clearly stated in the charter that the ministry must not intervene
with the activity of the experts.

“With the same logic he could order to behead me or exile me to the
moon,” Suren Zolyan has said and defined the decree as “absurd”.

He has also said that the court will annul the minister’s decree,
he has nothing to worry. The rector has informed he will turn to
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan with the issue of withdrawing the
decree and of the issue of Ashotyan’s further holding the post.

ENERGY MINISTRY SAYS IRANIAN PETROL NOT IMPORTED YET

PanARMENIAN.Ne
April 10, 2012 – 12:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Iran hasn’t yet started petrol imports to Armenia,
a reliable source at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources
told PanARMENIAN.Net

“Petrol imports were discussed in bilateral cooperation framework,
however no practical steps have yet been taken,” the source at the
ministry said.

As Mehr news agency (MNA) reported earlier, quoting the managing
director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company,
Armenia expressed interest in importing oil products from Iran.

According to Jalil Salari, importing oil products from Georgia is not
economically justified for Armenia. So, it has embarked on importing
the products from Iran.

The Iranian private sector will transfer oil products to Armenia via
road transportation fleet in the first phase, he said, adding that
exports of oil products will be continued using pipelines.

In February, Iranian and Armenian oil ministers signed an agreement,
based on which Iran will supply Armenia with gasoline, gas oil,
kerosene, and jet fuel.

Iran’s gasoline and gas oil production capacities are currently around
50 million liters and 100 million liters per day respectively.

Iran is now exporting gasoline and diesel fuel to neighboring
countries, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Refining
and Distribution Company Alireza Zeighami said.

According to Zeighami, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are
now importing or have called for the import of gasoline and diesel
fuel from Iran.

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN: “NK ISSUE MUST BE SETTLED PEACEFULLY”

10.04.12, 12:20

Nagorno Karabakh issue must be settled peacefully and in frame of the
international law principles. According to IRNA Iranian Ambassador
to Azerbaijan Mohammad Bager Bahrami announced about this during the
interview with Azerbaijani “ANS” TV channel.

Ambassador Bahrami noted that Iran would certainly use its relations
with Armenia to solve the issue peacefully and just in frame of the
international laws and principles.

Speaking about the OSCE MG activities the ambassador said:
“Unfortunately, OSCE MG is not able to settle the issue for already
more than 18 years. Nagorno Karabakh issue must be settled by the
regional states’ efforts”.

ARMENIA WILL TOUGHEN ITS POSITION
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:48:05 – 10/04/2012

The parliament to be elected on May 6 in Armenia may introduce
some corrections into the foreign policy of the country. Anyway,
the parties, which intend to enter the parliament, are actively
criticizing foreign policy of the current administration, as in regard
to the Armenian and Turkish relations, so the cooperation with Russia,
Iran, Georgia and the Karabakh settlement.

The ex-foreign minister of Armenia, the current second number in
Prosperous Armenia, Vartan Oskanian thinks the initiative on the
normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations has not brought
to anything – we made concessions, but the border is still closed.

He also recalled that there has been no other regional project
fulfilled in Armenia after the Iran-Armenia gas pipe in 2007. As to the
relations with the U.S., the Millennium Challenges program closed, the
U.S. suspended the aid to Karabakh, and the support to Armenia was cut
by 20%, says Oskanian. With regards to the genocide issue, the position
of the American administration has never been so pro-Turkish, he says.

Heritage party is dissatisfied with the foreign policy and intends
fighting for the international recognition of Karabakh, defending
the rights of the compatriots in Javakhk, making efforts for the
normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations “in the context of
the international right and based on the recognition of the Armenian
genocide and compensation”.

“The relations between Armenia and Russia, U.S. and China will develop
based on equality, and the cursor of the foreign policy will become
the increasing integration into the European civil structures with
the prospect to become a full member of the European Union”, is said
in the party’s program which the Free Democrats also joined.

Dashnaktsutyun is performing from radical positions too. It demands
not to sign any documents which could question the legitimacy of
the Woodrow Wilson 1920 decision which included a number of Western
Armenia territories into the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

The principles and interests of the Armenian nation will be maximally
respected in relations with Turkey. The signature under the Armenian
and Turkish protocols must be recalled.

The compromises to Azerbaijan in relation to the Karabakh issue should
not contradict the results of the Karabakh independence referendum
in 1992 and the Constitution of Artsakh. They should be adequate to
the mutual compromises by Azerbaijan. The issue on the trilateral
agreement on non-use of force should be included in the negotiations
between the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh and Azerbaijan, is said in
the ARFD program.

It is necessary to proceed from the principles of elimination of the
land blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey without preconditions. One of
the elements of the friendly relations with Georgia is the ensuring
of the right and possibilities of the Georgian Armenians in particular
the Armenian population of Javakhk.

The next issue regarding the relations with Azerbaijan – Nakhidjevan,
is also planned to be under the attention. “Since Nakhidjevan has been
annexed by Azerbaijan, it is necessary to keep a clear recognition
of its Armenian belonging”, is said in the ARFD election program.

The Armenian National Congress has not yet issued its program. In
the March 30 rally, Levon Ter-Petrosyan just touched upon this issue
stating that the Armenian and Turkish relations and the Karabakh
issue should be immediately solved.

After the formation of the new parliament, Armenia will most likely
strengthen its position on the Armenian and Turkish relations, perhaps,
it will even recall the Armenian and Turkish protocols.

RUSSIA MAY REFUSE TO EXTEND GABALA RADAR LEASE AGREEMENT

News.Az
Tue 10 April 2012 10:11 GMT | 11:11 Local Time

Russia may refuse renewal of the agreement on the lease the Gabala
radar station, and build a similar one in neighboring Armenia,
close to the boundary with one of the member-countries of NATO,
the influential Austrian newspaper Der Standard reads.

This is Turkish Malatya, where elements of a missile defense system
were deployed recently.

According to Der Standard, the construction of the Russian radar
station in Armenia would be beneficial to Yerevan in terms of security
policy.

Thus, the publication says “it would be possible to increase
the strategic importance of the country, which is practically in
isolation.”

“Russia, as a defender of Armenia, would provide additional safeguards
in the event of another war with consolidating Azerbaijan”, the
newspaper said.

The author does not exclude the intervention of Russia in the possible
war from the major military base in Gyumri on the Armenian-Turkish
border: “However, one cannot be completely sure that it will act only
on the side of Armenia, it is easier to enforce peace in the early
stages of the conflict”.

As reasons for the refusal of Moscow from the Gabala radar station,
they call increasing the cost of the lease. The newspaper asserts that
Azerbaijan has already filed complaints about the lack of information
from the radar, the number of Russian troops at the base, and the
objects of observation.

“Azerbaijani representatives believe that a new big radar, opposed to
NATO, will draw Azerbaijan into a confrontation between East and West,
which is contrary to its interests”, the newspaper says.

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I DELIVERS EASTER MESSAGE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 10, 2012 – 13:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In his Easter Message on Sunday, April 8, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I said, “Christianity
would have lost its purpose and meaning without Christ’s resurrection.

Resurrection is the fulfillment of the promise of a renewed Christian
life guided by the truth and righteousness of God.”

He addressed two issues that touch the lives of people in the Middle
East.

Of the situation in the Arab World, he said, “We would like to see
the metaphorical spring become a real spring, whereby the flowers of
justice, mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence and human rights
break into full bloom.” “Because Christians and Muslims both belong
to this region and their histories are interwoven,” he continued,
“they should work as partners to demand that as new reforms are
introduced in these countries, the full rights of both communities
are respected and constitutionally recognized.”

His Holiness Aram I also addressed the internal situation in Lebanon.

While he commended the government for restoring internal security,
he suggested that more could be done to respond to the urgent needs of
the population. For example, he asked, “How can any government deprive
its citizens of electricity for more than thirty years?” Finally, he
urged the government to hasten dialogue among the different political
parties in order to strengthen the unity of the country.

He then blessed the faithful, and prayed that they carry the message
of resurrection into their everyday lives.

On Easter Monday, during the liturgy of Memorial for the Deceased that
follows every major feast in the Armenian Church, the Catholicos
presided over the service. Special prayers were said for the
inhabitants of Maragha village in Martakerk, Karabagh, who were
massacred twenty years ago.