Author: Badalian Vardan

“ARMENIA” WINES RECEIVE GOLD MEDAL IN MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION (PHOTOS)

news.am
February 22, 2012 | 11:38

Two gold and a silver medal is the tally with which “Armenia Wine”
Company returned home from the Prodexpo 2012 International Exhibition
held in Moscow.

In 2011, the Company began exporting “Armenia” wines to US and the
Baltic states. And this year the Company aims to introduce its product
to Russia. And the first results have come in. Participating for the
first time in the Prodexpo 2012 International Exhibition, which was
held in Moscow from February 13 to 17, “Armenia Wine” Company was
awarded with two gold and a silver medal plus certificates.

And talks have commenced on the possibilities for exporting “Armenia”
wines to Russia.

CAHORS. L’ARMENIE DANS LEUR COEUR
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 22 fevrier 2012

Quoi de neuf bientôt en Armenie ? Reponse : neuf jeunes de 20 a 24
ans engages dans une mission humanitaire orchestree par l’association
Tourisme Solidaire Armenie (TSA), presidee par Daniel Arabian.

Ce dernier travaille sur ce projet en lien etroit avec la Mission
locale et la Ligue de l’enseignement du Lot. Destination des neuf
jeunes en avril prochain : la ville de Gumri durement touchee par
le tremblement de terre de 1988, qui garde des plaies beantes et des
bleus a l’âme.

Les neufs jeunes, quant a eux, vont mettre leur bleu de travail pour
panser les plaies de cette ville en participant activement, du 11
avril au 28 juin, a la renovation d’une ecole, entre autres bâtiments
publics detruits. Les associations locales a vocation humanitaire,
SPFA et KASA, apportent egalement leur pierre a l’edifice de ce projet
qui s’appuie sur le savoir-faire et les competences de ce groupe de
volontaires. Competences qui se nourrissent de formations dans le
domaine du bâtiment, au sein de l’AFPA de Cahors, sans omettre un
apprentissage linguistique et culturel qui permettra a ces ” macons
du c~ur ” d’evoluer dans une parfaite harmonie avec l’Armenie qui
leur tend les bras pour partager des pans de vie pas toujours faciles.

Le partage d’une vie, des emotions, c’est justement ce qui
booste Ingrid Joubert : ” C’est une première experience, mais dès
l’ete prochain j’ai envie de transmettre ce partage, ce vecu et de
restituer ces emotions dans le Lot où nous proposerons des expositions
itinerantes et un concert “, s’enthousiasme la jeune femme.

Meme motivation chez Mickaël Corre qui voit en cette aventure ”
une occasion unique decouvrir, d’agir et de s’ouvrir l’esprit “,
lâche-t-il. Hier, Ingrid, Mickaël et les autres jeunes issus de
differentes regions de France etaient presents sur le marche de
Cahors pour une vente de pâtisseries. ” Le benefice est destine a un
soutien materiel auprès des jeunes armeniens qui exprimeront differents
besoins “, explique Anna Laheurte, très motivee… au point d’insister
pour annoncer un prochain rendez-vous qui lui tient a c~ur : ” une
nouvelle vente, sur le parvis de la mairie de Cahors samedi prochain
“, dit-elle, en reprenant son souffle, après avoir couru pour nous
confirmer cette information. Du souffle et du c~ur pour l’Armenie,
Anna et les autres en ont plein leurs valises.

——————————————————————————–

L’appel aux dons

Collecte de vetements, soutien au peuple armenien : le projet solidaire
des neuf volontaires a besoin des Lotois. Vous pouvez les joindre au
06 82 66 47 07 ou bien par mail : [email protected]

YEREVAN MAYOR REFUSES TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS

news.am
February 21, 2012 | 20:33

YEREVAN. – Yerevan City Mayor Taron Margaryan made a statement
in relation to the protests against installing boutiques in the
Mashtots Park.

“Dear Yerevan residents,

The installation of temporary pavilions in the non-green area of the
Mashtots Park gained a public resonance. It is better to exchange
reasonable facts and achieve mutual public understanding instead
of protesting.

Anyone who desires to get acquainted with the facts on installing
temporary pavilions in the park will make fair conclusions. The facts
are the following: the pavilions mainly in green areas on the Abovyan
Street in Yerevan downtown has been dismantled by the city hall.

However, the owners were provided with other areas as compensation,
including the nearby non-green area of the Mashtots Park. To note, the
area is for temporary use. Important and complicated property issues
should not be settled based on separate people’s idea of justice.

I believe any issue regarding the capital may be settled in a civilized
way for the benefit of our city,” the statement reads.

RED CROSS MEMBERS VISIT ARMENIANS KEPT IN AZERBAIJAN

Trend
Feb 21 2012
Azerbaijan

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
visited three Armenian POWs and five members of one family kept in
captivity in Azerbaijan, the ICRC Baku Office told Trend.

The ICRC representatives delivered 7 ‘Red Cross’ letters to captives
and received 3 ‘Red Cross’ letters from the family.

At present, there are three Armenian POWs and five members of one
family in captivity in Azerbaijan.

One Azerbaijani POW is in captivity in Armenia. Junior Sergeant
Mammadbagir Akhunzade was captivated in January.

EUROPEAN UNION ADOPTS DECISION ON LAUNCH OF NEGOTIATIONS OVER CREATION OF DEEP AND COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AREA WITH ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 20, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS: All the preconditions defined for
launch of negotiations over creation of European Union-Armenia deep
and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA) have been fulfilled.

European Union has adopted a unanimous decision on launch of
negotiations for creation of deep and comprehensive free trade area
with Armenia, press service of Economy Ministry of Armenia told
Armenpress.

The affirmative decision of the European Commission on launch of the
negotiations is a response to Armenia’s steps implemented during the
past year in the direction of preparation for the talks. For the launch
of the negotiations the European Commission had set preconditions
for legislative changes and improvement of relevant structures in a
number of spheres concerning foreign trade.

During 2011 Armenia registered vital and tangible progress in the
aforementioned spheres in the line of fulfillment of obligations and
priorities. EU structures took into consideration the implemented
work to adopt a decision on the launch for negotiations.

By creation of deep and comprehensive free trade area Armenia will
have an opportunity to diversify and orientate its export capacity
and enter into the European big market with more favorable conditions.

At the moment Armenia makes use of Generalised System of Preferences
(GSP+) granted by the European Union.

ARMENIAN FM GIVES LECTURE AT DIPLOMATIC SCHOOL

news.am
February 20, 2012 | 17:48

YEREVAN.- Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian gave a lecture
on Monday to the students of the diplomatic school.

Twenty-five of 150 applicants have been handpicked to acquire necessary
diplomatic skills.

The Ministers stressed it is already the third generation of students
of the school, adding that the best foreign experts in foreign
relations, international law and economy will teach the students.

The school functioning at the Armenian MFA opened in 2010.

ARF-D CALLS ON YEREVAN’S MAYOR TO ORGANIZE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ISSUE OF PARK ADJACENT TO MASHTOTS AVENUE

15:58 . 20/02

ARF-D Faction Leader Vahan Hovhannisyan has addressed a letter to
Yerevan’s Mayor Taron Margaryan on the issue of the park adjacent to
Mashtots Avenue.

The letter particularly reads: “The urban development, construction
works carried out by the city hall in Yerevan’s main avenue-Mashtots
Avenue have caused serious concern among the public, as well as a
wave of protest among a number of ecological and non-governmental
organizations.

Taking into consideration the fact that the works are carried out in
a green, public territory which is established in Yerevan’s master
plan, taking into consideration that the work implies Á change in the
life activity environment, as well as proceeding from the fact that
the actions carried out affect the vital interests of the capital
and its residents, being guided by Articles 12, 13, 14 of RA Law on
urban development, we ask you to organise public hearings as soon
as possible to inform about the city hall’s plan concerning the
above-mentioned territory, as well as to hear the point of view of
interested individuals and organisations”.

CSTO SECRETARY GENERAL TO DISCUSS STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS IN ARMENIA

NEWS.AM
February 21, 2012 | 14:45

YEREVAN. – CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha will discuss
strategic documents during the upcoming visit to Yerevan.

The meeting is scheduled for the midst of March, he said during the
space bridge Moscow-Astana-Minsk-Yerevan-Kiev-Chisinau on Tuesday
adding strategic documents are being drafted under the instruction
of the heads of CSTO member states and will be discussed with experts
during the meeting.

As for military-technical cooperation, Bordyuzha said that Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a cooperation memorandum during
his visit in 2010 to establish military enterprises.

DEFENSE MINISTRY INVESTIGATING CASE OF SOLDIER WHO DIED OF PNEUMONIA

epress.am
02.21.2012

At around 9:50 am on Feb. 20, rank-and-file soldier Narek Martirosyan
died after being admitted to the intensive care unit at the Ministry
of Defense’s Central Hospital days earlier.

The soldier, who had been serving in one of the units in
Nagorno-Karabakh, was admitted to hospital on Feb. 16 and diagnosed
with pneumonia.

Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia is currently gathering
materials in connection with the case and a forensic examination has
been assigned, senior officer with the public relations division at
the RA Defense Ministry investigation service Meri Sargsyan informed
Epress.am.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SLAMS AZERBAIJAN AHEAD OF EUROVISION

Tert.am
21.02.12

Amnesty International has published a report on Azerbaijan, slamming
the country for its poor human rights record ahead of the Eurovision
2012 song contest.

“Last May, Azerbaijan secured the right to host this year’s Eurovision
song contest thanks to its winning entry “Running Scared”. Only a few
months earlier, this is, quite literally, what hundreds of peaceful
protesters were doing in downtown Baku, as police violently sought
to silence them.

This May Azerbaijan will don its Sunday best as it welcomes thousands
of Eurovision visitors and basks in the international attention it
will bring. A multi-million dollar PR campaign is seeking to portray
the country as modern and progressive. Indeed there are achievements;
the country of over 9 million people has adult literacy rates of close
to 100 percent and its oil wealth is fuelling an economic boom that
is transforming Baku’s skyline,” reads the report.

The authors note that criticism of President Ilhjam Aliyev and leading
government figures is frequently punished, with the international
community seeming to have turned a deaf ear to the authoritarian rule.

“This crackdown on dissenting opinion is being facilitated by a muted
response from members of the international community, whose eyes would
appear to be more firmly fixed on petro-dollars and energy security
than the rights of ordinary Azeris,” they say.

The Amnesty International experts further slam the Azerbaijani
authorities for suppressing anti-government protests and imposing
threats and intimidation on civil society groups working on human
rights.

“Peaceful anti-government protest has effectively been criminalized
by banning demonstrations and imprisoning those who organize and
take part in them. Police use excessive force to break up peaceful,
but officially unsanctioned demonstrations. Threats and intimidation
against human rights defenders have been used together with legislative
and administrative means to shut down and deny registration to civil
society groups working on democracy and human rights,” they note.

The authors further voice concerns over the deplorable situation of
human rights NGOs which often face pressure and harassment and denied
registration or closed on arbitrary grounds.

*On 4 March 2011, three local NGOs located in Ganja, the Election
Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, Demos Public Association
and the Ganja Regional Information Centre, were evicted from their
premises by the authorities without any formal explanation or apparent
legal grounds.

*The branches of two international organizations, the National
Democratic Institute and the Human Rights House in Baku were shut
down on 7 March and 10 March respectively on the grounds that they
had failed to comply with registration requirements.

*On 11 August the office of Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute
for Peace and Democracy was destroyed, days after she had spoken
against the government-endorsed forced evictions and the demolition
of buildings in central Baku as part of a reconstruction project. The
demolition began without any prior notice and despite a court order
banning any demolition attempts on the property before 13 September
2011,” the experts note.