Author: Badalian Vardan

FRENCH ARMENIANS ARE SHOCKED

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:31:41 – 28/03/2012

Jean Eckian/ Paris

After the refusal by the Armenian parliament to speak for the
recognition of Assyrian genocide, several French-Armenian associations
say they are shocked.

The Armenians of France, who spearheaded the Armenian genocide,
cannot understand the decision of the Armenian parliament to stop a
legitimate request.

With this iniquitous decision, the famous words of the philosopher
Bernard-Henri Levy ‘solidarity of the castaways’ loses all meaning
some say adding “a shame on us”.

Several communes of France recognized the Assyrian genocide. The
Assyrians of France participate in the commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide on April 24.

THE ARMENIANS OF FRANCE CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THE DECISION OF THE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT

Noyan Tapan
2012-03-28

After the refusal of the Armenian parliament to speak for the
recognition of Assyrian genocide, several French-Armenian associations
say they are shocked.

The Armenians of France, spearheaded the Armenian genocide, can
not understand the decision of the Armenian parliament to stop a
legitimate request.

With this iniquitous decision, the famous words of the philosopher
Bernard-Henri Levy ” solidarity of the castaways” loses all meaning
some say. Adding “A shame for us.”

Several communes of France recognized the genocide Assyrian. The
Assyrians from France participate in the commemorations of the Armenian
Genocide on April 24.

SERZH SARGSYAN: NO TALK OF CLOSING THE NUKE STATION UNTIL ARMENIA BLOCKADE LIFTED
By Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
28.03.12 | 12:40

Photo:

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attending the Nuclear Security
Council in Seoul, South Korea, made a speech on Tuesday, stressing
that Armenia is making concrete efforts to ensure the control over
nuclear security.

He also reassured the world community that Armenia fully safeguards
the safe operation of its Soviet-built nuclear reactor at the Metsamor
plant, whose life span ends in 2016.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took advantage of his
participation in the nuclear summit to once again call for the closure
of the Armenian nuclear power plant. Speaking there on March 27 he
said that the station in Metsamor that was built in 1976 was outdated,
did not meet the modern safety standards and is located in a seismic
zone. In his opinion, all this has turned it into a source of threat.

In response, Sargsyan called it “disinformation” and said he wasn’t
by what Aliyev had said as “spreading slander about Armenia has long
become a manner of action in Azerbaijan.” He stressed that the full
compliance of the Armenian nuclear power plant with the requirements
of the International Atomic Energy Agency was confirmed by this
international nuclear watchdog body’s mission last year.

Azerbaijan and Turkey speculate on the issue of the Armenian nuclear
station not only because it may represent an environmental hazard. The
closure of the facility that generates the bulk of Armenia’s energy
appears to be part of these allied countries’ strategy for a complete
transport and energy blockade of Armenia. Turkey and Azerbaijan
hold their border with Armenia closed, which significantly reduces
the landlocked country’s transport and energy potential. However,
thanks to the nuclear power plant, Armenia not only can provide itself
with energy, but also export it. This is against the plans of Turkey
and Azerbaijan, which are trying to lobby for the closure of the
Metsamor station.

Armenia has already once managed to extend the term of operation of
its nuclear reactor, which is designed for 30 years. But until 2016
the Armenian leadership will have to try to prolong the life of the
plant further in order to find investors for the construction of a
new nuclear reactor. President Sargsyan has already stated that the
currently operated reactor will be shut down only when the new one
is put into operation.

The main argument of Armenia in constructing a new nuclear power plant
is that in conditions of a total blockade Armenia has no other sources
of energy. At the summit in Seoul Sargsyan called for addressing
nuclear safety issues in a complex with related problems and not to
turn energy resources into political capital. In fact, Sargsyan set
a condition: there can be no talk about the Armenian nuclear power
plant’s closure until the blockade of the country is lifted.

“Two out of Armenia’s four neighbors, in blatant violation of
international norms, have been blockading our country for the last
twenty years, among other things leaving us no alternatives in
achieving energy independence,” President Sargsyan said.

The summit in Seoul adopted a final communique, in which there is
no mention of the closure of obsolete plants. The two-day nuclear
summit attended by the leaders of more than 50 nations, including
the United States, Russia and China, ended on March 27, with the
participants committing themselves to taking new and more serious
measures to prevent the threat of nuclear terrorism.

STUTTGART COMMEMORATES VICTIMS OF SUMGAIT POGROMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 28, 2012 – 10:54 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian community in Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg
land held an event to commemorate the victims of Armenian pogroms in
Sumgait and other Azerbaijani cities.

Organized jointly with European Artsakh Center, Maral organization
and Armenian-German cultural societies, the event took place in one
of central churches in Stuttgart on March 23.

Father Tiratur, priest of Baden-Wurttemberg’s Armenian community
spoke at the event and served a mass afterwards, European Artsakh
Center reports.

Permanent representative of Artsakh Republic in Germany Harutyun
Grigoryan told about Armenian pogroms and other atrocities of
Azerbaijani authorities, as well as the situation that emerged due to
lack of international condemnation of crimes committed by Azerbaijan’s
government.

Pianist Sophia Melikyan, graduate of Armenian Tchaikovsky musical
school and Madrid’ Royal Conservatory, Master of Arts in Manhattan
school, performed during the event.

VISITE DE DEUX JOURS DU PREMIER MINISTRE TURC RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN
Ara

armenews.com
mercredi 28 mars 2012

TEHERAN, 28 mars 2012 – Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
est arrive mercredi matin a Teheran a la tete d’une importante
delegation ministerielle pour parler des relations bilaterales mais
aussi du dossier nucleaire iranien, a rapporte l’agence officielle
Irna.

M. Erdogan est arrive a 03h30 du matin et a ete accueilli a l’aeroport
par le ministre des Affaires etrangères Ali Akbar Salehi.

Il est accompagne par les ministres des Affaires etrangères, Ahmet
Davutoglu, de l’Energie, Taner Yildiz, de l’Economie, Zafer Caglayan,
et du developpement urbain et l’Environnement, Erdogan Bayraktar.

Le chef de l’Organisation du renseignement national (MIT), Hakan Fidan,
l’adjoint du chef de l’etat-major, le General Hulusi Akar et le chef
de l’Organisation de l’Energie atomique, Zafer Alper, font egalement
partie de la delegation.

M. Erdogan doit notamment rencontrer le president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
et le president du parlement, Ali Larijani.

Les relations bilaterales, la situation regionale, notamment la Syrie
où l’Iran et la Turquie s’opposent, et le dossier nucleaire iranien
seront abordes lors des discussions.

La Turquie a propose d’accueillir les prochaines negociations
nucleaires entre l’Iran et les puissances du groupe 5+1 (Etats-Unis,
Russie, Chine, France, Grande-Bretagne et l’Allemagne). Les dernières
negociations ont eu lieu a Istanbul en janvier 2011 sans donner
de resultats.

La Turquie, qui a renforce ses relations economiques et commerciales
avec l’Iran ces dernières annees, s’oppose aux nouvelles sanctions
americaines et europeennes contre Teheran.

Les Etats-Unis et l’Union europeenne ont impose des sanctions
petrolières contre l’Iran mais la Turquie, qui entretient de bons
rapports avec la Republique islamique, fait valoir que le problème
nucleaire de l’Iran doit etre resolu par des moyens diplomatiques et
non par des sanctions.

La Turquie a annonce qu’elle ne se considerait pas comme liee par
des sanctions prises unilateralement ou en groupe, mais seulement
par celles imposees par le Conseil de securite de l’Onu.

La Turquie importe son petrole de differents pays, notamment de
Russie et d’Azerbaïdjan, mais sa source d’approvisionnement la plus
importante demeure l’Iran (30%).

LES ARCHITECTES ARMENIENS DESIRENT PARTICIPER A LA RENOVATION D’ANI
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
mercredi 28 mars 2012

Les travaux de renovation de la ville d’Ani, la capitale armenienne
des Bagratides debuteront au printemps. Les architectes d’Armenie se
declarent prets a intervenir dur le site de ” la ville aux mille et
une eglises ” si Ankara decide d’adopter la preconisation d’ICOMOS
(Organisation internationale non gouvernementale qui travaille auprès
de l’UNESCO, pour la valorisation, la restauration du patrimoine
culturel) qui prevoit l’aide des architectes armeniens dans les travaux
des fortifications sur le site d’Ani. Hasmig Azizian, la responsable de
la branche armenienne d’ICOMOS affirme ” nous suivons avec attention
le developpement de cette affaire (…) le 2 decembre lors de la 17e
Assemblee generale de l’ICOMOS a Paris fut retenue notre demande de
participer a la renovation de la cathedrale Amenaprguitch (Saint
Sauveur) d’Ani. Mais la Turquie n’a pas repondu jusqu’a present a
notre demande “. L’Armenie attend le feu vert d’Ankara pour participer
a la renovation de l’une de ses plus prestigieuses capitales qui se
trouve a quelques kilomètres de sa frontière…

GETTING READY FOR A WAR?

WPS Weekly Review
March 26, 2012 Monday
Russia

Source: Argumenty Nedeli, No 11, March 22, 2012, p. 2
[translated]

ADDITIONAL MILITARY ASSETS IN DAGESTAN: IS THAT HOW RUSSIA HOPES TO
DISSUADE AZERBAIJAN FROM GOING TO WAR OVER RUNAWAY NAGORNO-KARABAKH?;
Three hypotheses explaining a dramatic enlargement of the Russian
military group in Dagestan.

Between 15,000 and 25,000 servicemen of the Defense Ministry and
Internal Troops with heavy fighting vehicles were dispatched from
Chechnya to Dagestan. The authorities call it planned rotation one
day and establishment of the Interior Ministry’s Tactical Force in
Dagestan the following.

Eyewitness reports mentioned over 300 vehicles including armored
personnel carriers, Ural ferries, and armored command vehicles on the
way to Dagestan. T-90 tanks and multiple rocket launcher systems were
already moved to Dagestan from Chechnya.

According to official explanations, “some forces of the Provisional
Task Force will be moved from Chechnya to Dagestan and transformed into
the Interior Ministry’s Tactical Force.” Dagestani Security Council
Secretary Magomed Baachilov, however, called it “planned rotation”.

Both explanations are lame, of course. Official explanation is
invalidated by the simple fact that no Tactical Force ever needs
so many heavy armored vehicles and Grad launchers. Baachilov’s is
plain rubbish on account of the scope of the so called rotation. The
impression is that a major operation against the extremist underground
is planned in Dagestan. Or else the federal center knows something that
warrants deployment of an equivalent of two divisions… in addition
to the 136th Brigade quartered in Buinaksk, Marines in Kaspiisk,
and countless OMON units.

There is, however, a third hypothesis as well. “As matters stand,
there are between 55,000 and 57,000 servicemen quartered in the
republic… discounting local law enforcement agencies… It is
rumored here that come summer Azerbaijan will make another go at
Nagorno-Karabakh and try to reabsorb the runaway region. All this
military might concentrated in Dagestan is meant as a warning to
Baku, a message that Russia will stand by Armenia,” said a source in
Dagestani security structures.

Source: Argumenty Nedeli, No 11, March 22, 2012, p. 2

HOMELESS FAMILY WITH 4 CHILDREN LIVES IN MISERABLE CONDITIONS IN ARMENIA’S GYUMRI (VIDEO)

March 27, 2012 | 17:44

GYUMRI. – A homeless family with four future servicemen lives in a
broken and small trailer in Gyumri.

The family consists of six members and does not have a status of
homelessness. Parents of four children are jobless and the family
hardly makes both ends meet on social benefits.

The trailer of the Babayans is completely damaged. Father of the
family Sashik Babayan received a home several years ago. However,
his brother’s family and their mother live there, while Sashik with
his family is still homeless.

ARMENIA HAS FEW ALTERNATIVES TO ENSURE ITS ENERGY SECURITY

/ARKA/
MARCH 27, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, March 27./ARKA/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, speaking
Tuesday at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea, said
that Armenia has few alternatives to ensure its energy security.

He said that after tragedies in Chernobil and Fukushima, many became
skeptical about atomic energy’s future.

“In some special cases, one of which is Armenia, there are few
alternatives for ensuring stable development to people and improve
living standards,” the presidential press office quoted Sargsyan
as saying.

The head of state said that energy problems, including those related to
nuclear security should be considered along with associated problems.

He said that transformation of energy resources into negative
political capital.

“Its consequences are especially heavy for those countries in want
of energy reserves and searching for ways for energy independence,”
he said. “Azerbaijan and Turkey, two of Armenia’s four neighbors, have
been keeping our country blockaded for two decades in a clear breach of
the international law – therefore, our country is left with no choice.”

Sargsyan said that Armenia remained steadfast in its determination to
combat illegal trafficking of nuclear materials and ready to support
international efforts to root out terrorism.

Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant in South
Caucasus, is one of the elements of the country’s energy independence.

The plant started functioning in 1980 and ceased operating in March
1989 after the 1988 Spitak Earthquake that killed 25,000 people. In
November 1995, the plant resumed operating, since the country plunged
into energy crisis.

One of the plant’s two units doesn’t function now. The other,
407.5-megawatt unit generates 40 to 50% of the total energy produced
in Armenia.

Experts say the nuclear plant can operate until 2016.

SCR TO COMPLETE SANAHIN MECHANIZED ROAD RECONSTRUCTION IN FALL 2012

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 27, 2012 – 16:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – South Caucasus Railways (SCR) still carries out
works on reconstruction of Sanahin mechanized road race.

Restoration works on the base of Sanahin recycling depot were launched
in October 2011. Such large-scale works at the depot (late XIX century)
were last carried out in 1960.

Reconstruction of VSD is implemented in two stages. The first phase
envisages reconstruction and repair of workshops and building of
the depot, installations of two cranes, and equipment of bench and
procurement sector, welding sector and sectors of repair of hydraulic,
pneumatic and electrical equipment in particular.

The second stage supposes installation of special technical equipment,
building a shed for the repair and settling of large equipment,
which cannot be repaired in special workshops due to its technical
parameters. Office building of mechanized road race is also expected
to be repaired, which will be equipped with facilities for employees.

Last year 10 pieces of railway equipment were repaired at Sanahin VSD:
4 Track Vehicles, 4 railcars, a laying crane and a track crane. Eight
pieces of equipment are planned to be repaired in 2012.

SCR CJSC continues implementation of its program of restoration
and modernization of railway infrastructure, in the framework of
which about 160 km of roads been repaired from the beginning of
the concession activity, about 260 thousand wooden sleepers have
been replaced, 70 switches, 49 crossing, 24 bridges were repaired,
locomotive and wagon depots of Yerevan were reconstructed, etc.