Author: Badalian Vardan

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.

HERITAGE PARTY AND FREE DEMOCRATS HAVE CIRCULATED A STATEMENT: ALEXANDER ARZUMANYAN IS NOT FAMILIARIZED WITH IT

17:07 . 27/03

Heritage Party and Free Democrats issued a joint statement today with
which they presented a complex political-civil alternative for the
democratic-national transformation of the republic.

Stating a range of realities, the signatories of the covenant have also
touched upon the topic of the Armenian-Turkish relations, which after
the publication of the Heritage Party’s proportional list in the past
days became a topic of a big discussion for the party. The statement
published today states that “the Armenian-Turkish relations must be
established based on historical justice, international law, recognition
and compensation of the Armenian Genocide and acknowledgement of
the deprivation of homeland. The Armenian -Turkish border must be
opened and the diplomatic relations must be established without
preconditions. If Turkey continues to set forth preconditions then
Armenia, too, must do the same”.

Many have noticed that though in the past Heritage Party together with
ARF-D representatives systematically, during each four-day session
demanded from the NA chairmanship to exclude the Armenian -Turkish
protocols from the parliamentary agenda and to withdraw Armenia’s
signature, no such demand is set forth in this document any more.

At the same time, the surprise was big when Alexander Arzumanyan, who
is the fourth in the list of Heritage and Free Democrats Parties, told
us that he isn’t still familiarized with the statement and it isn’t
still final: they are examining it presently. But the statement signed
by the same Alexander Arzumanyan has been circulated among mass media.

TOURISM IN TATEV: TWO MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS JOIN FORCES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

27.03.12 | 15:02

Photo:

Tatev rural communities in Armenia’s southern Syunik province will
receive major assistance as part of a long-term program by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia and the National
Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia (NCFA). The two structures signed
a Memorandum of Agreement on Tuesday to join efforts and raise funds
for the program.

Earlier this year the two organizations jointly elaborated a four-year
community development program for Tatev rural communities. The program
is comprised of thirteen sub-projects, focusing on community and
tourism infrastructure development, and income generation. (Tatev is
one of Armenia’ key tourist attraction sites, with its 9th century
monastery (first structure dates back to 4th c) and picturesque
natural surroundings. The remoteness and lack of infrastructure,
however, make life in rural communities challenging,)

Arman Khachaturyan, CEO of NCFA, says the program budget is $1.6
million, 20 percent of which will be funded by the UN. UNDP and NCFA
plan to organize a fundraising event in April to attract investments
from international organizations, representatives of private and
public sectors, and other sources.

EUROTERM INVESTS $6.8 MILLION IN ARMENIAN FOOD AND VEGETABLE PROCESSING FACTORY

news.am
March 28, 2012 | 14:46

YEREVAN. – Euroterm Company will invest $6.8 million in Armenian
food and vegetable processing factory, director of the Company Eduard
Ghazaryan told the journalists on Wednesday.

The factory produces 150 tons of concentrate and 60 tons of tomato
paste per day.

The factory is specialized in producing juices: well-known brands
include Noyan and Fiesta. It exports 60% of the production and intends
to raise production volume to $10 million this year.