Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJAN PLAYS THE FOX OFFERING ARMENIA A HAND IN RESTORING YEREVAN’S HISTORICAL CENTER

arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 12:53

Azerbaijan is ready to provide the Armenian authorities with the
maps of the ancient Yerevan so they can restore the historical look
of their capital, Azeri presidential representative Fuad Akhundov
told Interfax-Azerbaijan.

“If they really want to restore the historical look of Yerevan, we
are ready to kindly provide them with the old city’s maps. There are
also a number of Russian and European paintings picturing the Erivan
Fortress (XVI) the way it was in the 19th century,” Akhundov said.

He believes that the Armenian authorities are trying to mislead the
world community and to give Yerevan a look it never actually had in
the past.

He said that the Erivan Sardar Palace, one of the gems of the Caucasus,
was destroyed in 1964 instead of being turned into a museum.

“Yerevan claims that it is an ancient city but it has no historical
center. And to blame for this are those vandals who destroyed the
Erivan Fortress just because it was a masterpiece of Azeri art,”
Akhundov said.

But Mr. Akhundov forgot to say that the Azeris could not have art at
that time just because they were not a nation yet.

Akhundov’s interview is just one more attempt to fake history and it
is aimed against not only the Armenian cultural-historical heritage
but also the legacy of the Muslim Persia-Iran. So, once again they
are playing the fox.

ARFD MEMBER: REPRODUCTION OF AUTHORITIES LEADS TO USURPATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 15, 2012 – 12:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – At a parliamentary hearing on full shift to
proportional electoral system set forth by the opposition, ARF
Dashnaktsutyun MP Armen Rustamyan noted that majority of political
forces back the proposal.

“Majority system in Armenia has become a tool for election violations.

Reproduction and not reelection of authorities leads to usurpation,”
he stated.

In his speech Mr. Rustamyan, one of the initiators of the proposal,
cited figures of previous elections, noting that opposition gains
much fewer seats in the parliament due to the majority system, the
latter facilitating authority candidates’ victory.

ARMENIA 41ST IN FIFA RANKING

armradio.am
15.02.2012 13:06

The Armenian national team has improved four places in new FIFA World
Ranking to reach a record high 41st position.

Armenia~Rs rivals at FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifiers are placed as
follows: Italy is 8th with 1115 points, Denmark – 10th with 1090
points, Czech Republic is 29th with 775 points, Bulgaria is 88th with
408 points, Malta ranks 159th with 133 points.

Spain is at the top of the table followed by Germany and the
Netherlands.

LA CHAINE KURDE ROJ TV PERD SON PROCES EN REFERE CONTRE EUTELSAT
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 15 fevrier 2012

Le juge des referes du tribunal de Paris a deboute vendredi la chaîne
kurde de television Roj TV, qui reclamait 60.000 euros a l’operateur
satellitaire europeen Eutelsat Communications pour avoir suspendu
sa diffusion.

Le 10 janvier, le Danemark avait condamne Roj TV pour “soutien a
une organisation terroriste”, au vu des liens qu’elle entretenait
avec le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK). La chaîne kurde
a fait appel.

Eutelsat avait alors publie un communique annoncant sa decision “de
suspendre la presence de Roj TV sur ses satellites pour ne pas etre
en situation de se rendre complice dune activite terroriste”.

Eutelsat avait egalement demande “aux distributeurs qui diffusent Roj
TV a travers des capacites louees sur ses satellites de suspendre la
diffusion de cette chaîne”.

A la suite de cette decision, Roj TV a assigne Eutelsat, basee a Paris,
devant le juge des referes. Elle denoncait une censure et une atteinte
a sa liberte d’expression.

Dans son ordonnance, le juge remarque que le trouble allegue, a savoir
l’impossibilite de diffuser, “a cesse” puisque la diffusion de la
chaîne Roj TV a “repris par l’intermediaire d’un autre operateur de
satellites, Intelsat”.

VARTAN OSKANIAN ANNONCE SON RETOUR EN POLITIQUE
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 15 fevrier 2012

Vartan Oskanian, l’ancien ministre des affaires etrangères, a annonce
mardi 13 fevrier 2012 qu’il avait decide de faire son retour en
politique et de rejoindre le parti du BHK de Gagik Taskurian, trois
mois avant les elections legislatives.

Oskanian a declare qu’il a officiellement demande son adhesion au
parti du BHK de Gagik Tsarukian, un homme d’affaires millionnaire,
proche de l’ancien President Kotcharian Robert.

” Je suis convaincu que le Parti Armenie prospère, avec d’autres partis
politiques, est en mesure d’assurer des elections libres et equitables,
et de permettre la constitution d’une nouvelle Assemblee nationale
avec une nouvelle configuration des forces politiques “, a-t-il dit .

” En tant que president du conseil d’administration de la Fondation
Civilitas, j’avais, a plusieurs reprises, exprime mon point de vue
sur les evenements et les developpements en Armenie. Aujourd’hui,
je crois qu’il est temps de s’impliquer plus activement dans le
processus politique “, a-t-il ajoute.

Oskanian a deja signale son envie d’atteindre le Parlement lors d’une
declaration publiee le 30 janvier. Les commentateurs ont lie cette
annonce avec celle de l’eventuel retour de Kotcharian au pouvoir. Ils
ont emis l’hypothèse que Kotcharian pourrait s’appuyer non seulement
sur le BHK, mais aussi sur les anciens membres du gouvernement comme
Oskanian, qui a ete ministre des Affaires etrangères de 1998 a 2008.

Naira Zohrabian du parti BHK, a confirme qu’elle a recu une demande
d’adhesion de Oskanian. ” Le president du parti, Gagik Tsarukian,
n’est pas ici en ce moment “, a-t-elle dit. ” Il reviendra demain et
la demande de M. Oskanian sera naturellement discutee en conformite
avec toutes les procedures. ”

” M. Tsarukian a toujours dit que les portes du parti sont ouvertes
a tous ceux qui sont prets a travailler avec nous pour construire un
monde meilleur et qui partagent nos programmes et objectifs … Lors
de ses interviews, M. Oskanian a declare que les objectifs du parti
prospère sont importants pour lui et il veut aller dans le meme sens
que nous “, a declare Zohrabian a declare a RFE / RL.

Zohrabian a convenu que la participation d’Oskanian avec le BHK
donnerait un coup de pouce avant les elections parlementaires prevues
pour mai. Elle a egalement nie que la demande d’adhesion est reliee
a un eventuel retour de Kotcharian.

Sarkissian, Tsarukian et Arthur Baghdassarian ont discute des
prochaines elections lors d’une reunion ce lundi.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION DREAMS ABOUT FIFA TOP TEN

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 16:44

YEREVAN. -Armenia has a good national team demonstrating a good
football, that is why it occupies the 41st position in FIFA ranking,
head of the Armenian Football Federation (AFF) Ruben Hayrapetyan told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

FIFA published the rating-list on Wednesday. According to it, the
team moved up 4 places and occupies currently the 41st position.

In response to what position the team will occupy further, Hayrapetyan
said he does not like to make forecasts.

“I am dreaming about top ten,” he said.

To note, Spain leads the chart, followed by Germany and the
Netherlands.

TENNIS REQUIRES LARGE INVESTMENTS – ARMENIAN COACH
By Khachik Chakhoyan

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 15:59

YEREVAN. – Armenian tennis players have long and difficult trainings,
however, the athletes should participate at least in two-three
international tournaments to gain experience, chief coach of men’s
tennis team Vahe Avetisyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In response to the question whether tennis is popular in Armenia and
how the chief coach assesses development of the sport in the state,
Avetisyan said that preparation of tennis players is gained through
long and hard trainings in Armenia. However, to register a success
investments are necessary.

Currently there are experts who can train the athletes for
international tournaments in investments are made. A total of
$30-40,000 is required annually for a junior tennis player to train and
participate in tournaments, while the amount triples for the adults.

Avetisyan said Danil Proskura, who is the leader of the team, as well
as Khachatur Khachatryan, Ashot Gevorgyan and Torgom Asatryan will
represent Armenia at the Davis Cup. The Armenian team will participate
in the tournament held in Bulgaria.

J. HEFFERN: “ARMENIA AND THE USA HAVE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ECONOMICAL RELATIONS”

15.02.12, 14:12

Today a five-year program financed by United State Aid International
Development (USAID) started officially in Armenia. The program is
named “Enterprise Development and market competition”. US Ambassador
to Armenia John Heffern attended the event. As he noted in his speech
the USA had serious aims to work with Armenia.

According to him the US mission in Armenia has three main directions:
regional programs, elections and the economy.

“Armenia and the USA have good potential to develop the relations, but
today the volume of trade between Armenia and the USA is really small.

Even with close border Armenia has bigger trade volume with Turkey
that it has with the USA”, the Ambassador said ensuring that Armenia
and the USA may do more in trade-economical sphere.

So, according to him the situation must be changed. As he noted every
time with the meeting of Armenian Ministry of Economy they underline
the importance of foreign investments. US official also rated the
existence of the economical competition in Armenia.

J. Heffern underlined that there were some positive points as
Armenia has improved its place with 6 points according to the Doing
Business 2012 list by the World Bank. Now Armenia is the 55th among
183 countries. “This is not an excellent index but the progress in
obvious”, the Ambassador said.

Note that the “Enterprise Development and market competition” program
by the USAID will be fulfilled jointly by the Armenian Ministry of
Economics and Pragma Corporation. The project aims to create better
conditions for Armenian middle business, assist market competition
and push the innovations.

ARMENIAN PEOPLE MUST DECIDE WHICH ELECTORAL SYSTEM THEY WANT – RULING COALITION PARTY MP

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 13:37

YEREVAN. – The need to discuss electoral systems could not have
been raised in stable, democratic countries, the ruling coalition’s
Prosperous Armenia Party MP Naira Zohrabyan said during the National
Assembly hearings devoted to passing to a 100-percent proportional
election system in the country.

“The European colleagues therefore react with surprise when we
raise such issue,” Zohrabyan noted and added: “After all, both the
proportional and the majority election systems have plus points;
what’s important is to hold fair and transparent elections.”

As per the MP, it is easier to commit voting fraud with the majority
system. “The people must be asked to find out which electoral system
they want the elections to be held with,” Naira Zohrabyan stated.

NO WINNERS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – NATO REP

Tert.am
14.02.12

There can be no winners in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mr James
Appathurai, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the
Caucasus and Central Asia, stated in an interview with Armenia’s
Public TV.

He noted that the OSCE Minsk Group is the only format to deal with
the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. The 28 NATO member-states are
supportive of the OSCE Minsk Group processes.

The NATO members are unanimous that there cannot be winners in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Appathurai said.

All the sides will suffer political, military and economic losses.

Negotiations are the only way to progress, he added.

Mr Appathurai recalled his recent meeting with President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev, who re-affirmed his readiness to settle the conflict
through negotiations. President Aliyev did not propose any format
rather than the OSCE Minsk Group.

With respect to the possibility of the South Caucasus states joining
NATO, Mr Appathurai said that the NATO members made a decision on
Georgia in Bucharest. Georgia will joint NATO. However, neither Armenia
nor Azerbaijan shows interest. NATO is not looking for new members,
nor does it object to admitting new states, Appathurai said.

The Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Program is evidence of the
cooperating parties’ intentions. A final version of the program has
been approved, and relevant work is in progress, Appathurai said.