Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES 2012 BUDGET PROJECT

Vestnik Kavkaza
Dec 8 2011
Russia

The Armenian parliament approved the budget project for 2012 today,
ARKA reports.

The project received 66 votes for and 2 against. The Heritage Fraction
and Dashnaktsutyun did not attend the session.

The budget of 2012 will have income of 911.6 billion drams, expenses
of 1044.1 billion drams, deficit – 132.5 billion drams. 732 billion
drams is tax income.

The parliament also passed a package of bills worth about 100 billion
drams. Luxury tax will be introduced for vehicles worth over $90,000,
taxing of alcohol drinks will increase by 50%, income tax for
individuals with income of 2 million drams or more will reach 25%,
fixed casino payments will be increased by 50%.

Income will increase by 7% to 852.4 billion drams, expenses by 43.1
billion drams, compared with 2011. 897.5 billion of expenses belongs
to current expenses, 148.412 billion drams – non-financial assets.

46.2% of finances will be spent on the social sphere, 19.8% for
security, 13.2% for economy, 4.5% for state debt service, 3.1% for
communities, 2% for formation of the reserve fund.

The GDP is expected to increase by 3.1%, compared with 3.95% in
2011 and 4.98% in 2010. The consolidated budget of 2012 will have
938.5 billion drams of income (excluding payments from non-budget
transfers), 1071 billion drams of expenses and a deficit of 132.5
billion drams. Community budgets will have an income of 93.7 billion
drams and expenses of 93.7 billion drams.

The GDP in 2012 should stay at 4.2%, inflation is expected at 4%
(±1,5%).

$1 = 383.62 drams.

GUNFIRE CONTINUES ACROSS ARMENIAN-AZERI LINES
By Karine Ohanyan, Lusine Musaelyan

Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR
CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, No. 619
November 29, 2011
UK

A lasting ceasefire, punctuated by lethal shootings.

Although a ceasefire has held in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict since
1994, the peace is frequently interrupted by bouts of gunfire. In
the latest tragic incident, two young Armenians were killed by shots
fired from the other side of the “line of control”.

Aren Simonyan was killed on November 19 and Mihran Margaryan the
following day. Both were members of the Karabakh Armenian military
and at 19, would only have been toddlers when the conflict was in
full swing.

At the end of the war, Armenian forces retained control of all of
Nagorny Karabakh – an Armenian-majority region inside Azerbaijan in
Soviet times – and also of surrounding areas of land. Because the
sides cannot agree on how a final settlement should look, no peace
agreement has been signed, despite efforts by mediators from Russia,
France and the United States who make up the so-called Minsk Group.

Hopes were high that a summit in Russia in June might produce a
breakthrough, but once again nothing came of it.

Officials in Karabakh and in Baku each regularly accuse the other side
of breaking the ceasefire, commonly with the kind of sniper fire that
left Simonyan and Margaryan dead.

Azerbaijan is committed to regaining control of Karabakh and the
adjoining areas now held by the Armenians. This, plus Baku’s massive
arms spending underwritten by oil revenues, increases Armenian
suspicions about its intentions.

The Karabakh Armenian defence ministry suggested that the deaths of
the two soldiers reflected plans by Azerbaijan to step up its military
presence, and promised to respond accordingly.

“This incident… confirms yet again that not only does Azerbaijan
not respect efforts by international mediators to reach a peace deal,
it is also taking steps to increase tensions in the region. This
circumstance obliges Karabakh to take tougher actions of its own and
respond in kind,” a statement from the ministry said.

In response to what they see as the deliberate targeting of civilians
by Armenian snipers, the Azerbaijani authorities have recently begun
building walls to protect villages located close to the line of
control. When IWPR reported on this issue from the Azerbaijani side,
villagers there said their homes were regularly targeted by snipers.

(See Azeris Wall Off Front-Line Zones on this.)

Villagers in Armenian territory make almost identical complaints
about Azerbaijani sniping.

The village of Talish in the Martakert region is about five kilometres
back from the line of control, but residents say they frequently
come under fire. One man, Vilen Petrosyan, said the shooting became
more frequent during the seasons when farmers were out at work,
and more exposed.

“Of course the gunfire has become an everyday thing for us, and the
danger is ever-present,” he said. “It isn’t just people who suffer,
but also our livestock. My brother got injured in the stomach,
and only survived by a miracle. We who live here have no sense that
there’s a ceasefire at all.”

Such is the level of mutual mistrust that on the Armenian side of
the dividing line, officials and residents suspect that the walls
are intended to provide cover for Azerbaijani sharpshooters.

“Not only is Baku is doing this in a bid to present itself as the
victim, but it could even use these walls to conceal snipers,” David
Babayan, spokesman for the president of Karabakh, said.

At the same time, Babayan suggested that the walls could be seen as
a tacit recognition of Karabakh and its boundaries.

“You can welcome the initiative in one way, since a wall like this
effectively gives the borders a clearer form,” he said.

In Armenia itself, Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan was
just as sceptical about Azerbaijan’s justification for its walls.

“The wall is the physical embodiment of Azerbaijan closing itself
off from reality,” he said. “The wall protects Azerbaijan from…

[mediators’] requests for it to remove its snipers from the line
of control.”

Karen Bekaryan, head of the European Integration NGO in Yerevan,
said that the wall was a “paradox”.

“If its aim really is to protect against sniper fire, then why won’t
Azerbaijan agree to the mediators’ suggestions that snipers should
be withdrawn from the front line?” asked.

For ordinary people living close to the front line, the wall symbolises
mistrust of the other.

Zaven Avetisyan, a resident of Mataghis in Karabakh’s Martakert
district, said he was delighted that the Azerbaijanis were putting
up walls.

“The more they are separated from us, the better. Then neither of
us will ever see the other,” he said. “We won’t see them, and they
won’t see us,

Karine Ohanyan is the Russian-language editor of the Armedia news
agency in Yerevan. Lusine Musaelyan is a correspondent for RFE/RL in
Nagorny Karabakh.

PARUYR HAYRIKYAN PRAISES THE COOPERATION FO ARMENIAN PARTIES WITH THE EPP
Anna Nazaryan

“Radiolur”
09.12.2011 15:08

“The Republican Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir and the Heritage
may become constructive partners of the European People’s Party
in the near future, but this does not mean membership in the EPP,
since Armenia is not a member of the European Union,” leader of the
National Self-Determination Party Paruyr Hayrikyan told reporters
today. He reminded that the question refers to cooperation only.

As leader of a political structure, which has had an experience of
cooperation with the European People’s Party, Paruyr Hayrikyan praised
the cooperation of the three Armenian parliamentary forces with that
European party.

SLEIMAN SUPPORTS PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 9, 2011 – 14:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Lebanese President stands for Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement on the basis of principles of the international
law, specifically people’s right to self-determination.

As Michel Sleiman stated at a joint briefing with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, “despite Azerbaijan’s attempts to discuss Karabakh
conflict at Islamic Conference meeting, Lebanon’s position on the issue
remains unchanged: we were always opposed to adoption of resolutions
condemning Armenia in such organizations.”

In conclusion, President Sleiman urged the OSCE Minsk Group as well
as superpowers to take every effort to achieve establishment of peace.

On December 8, Mr. Sleiman arrived in Armenia on the invitation of
Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan. A meeting with President Sargsyan,
Armenian officials as well as Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness
Karekin II are on the agenda. Also, agreements, to promote development
of bilateral relations will be signed during the visit.

DASHNAKS DIDN’T VOTE FOR LARISA ALAVERDYAN, BUT STILL IN FAVOR WITH HERITAGE PARTY

epress.am
12.09.2011

Journalists asked Heritage Party MP Armen Martirosyan in parliament
today to comment on the vote by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D), which represents itself as an opposition
party, for the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) candidate and not
Heritage Party MP Larisa Alaverdyan (pictured) in the elections for
National Assembly chair.

Martirosyan said that that was the ARF-D’s belief and political will
and he can do nothing about it.

Recall, 102 MPs voted in favor of HHK candidate Samvel Nikoyan, while
opposition representative Larisa Alaverdyan received only 4 votes.

Alaverdyan, however, said she had no problems commenting on the
ARF-D move.

According to her, voting for Nikoyan in no way will affect Heritage
Party and ARF-D relations, when there is a fight for political and
public matters.

One of these issues is the ARF-D bill on expressing a vote of no
confidence to the RA Government, which, as Martirosyan noted, the
Heritage Party will be in favor of.

ATP PLANTS NEARLY 250,000 TREES IN URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT ARMENIA

11:55, December 9, 2011

Heavy snow and rapidly decreasing temperatures presented an added
challenge to Armenia Tree Project (ATP) programs this fall. Despite
a temporary delay in northern Armenia until the weather cleared,
ATP was able to plant a total of 87,143 trees this season. The total
number of trees planted by ATP in 2011 was 246,397.

“The unpredictable weather conditions forced ATP to finish planting
relatively early this fall. However, even during this short period,
ATP had significant achievements in its tree planting programs,”
notes ATP Forestry Services Manager Ani Haykuni.

This year, ATP’s SEEDS program (Social, Environmental, and Economic
Development for Sustainability) has been maintaining previously
planted sites to improve survival rates by clearing grass around
thousands of seedlings that survived their first growing season and
planting new trees.

A total of 62,728 trees were planted this fall on community lands
in Tsaghkaber and Jrashen in the Lori region. In spring, the SEEDS
program planted 124,057 tree seedlings.

“The challenges we faced this fall have mainly been related to
weather. On the other hand, we experienced significant improvements in
the quality and care shown by our seasonal work force,” states SEEDS
program manager Vardan Melikyan. “Since we have a group of workers
who have been with ATP for several planting seasons, they fully grasp
the standards of quality required by ATP in order to ensure the best
results. Nevertheless, we constantly monitor the quality of work to
make sure that everything meets the highest standards of quality.”

“The goal of our programs is not only to plant individual trees but
also to support further development of planted areas as ecosystems. In
a few decades, those planted areas will become community parks and
forests, and will hopefully meet the needs of local residents in
promoting community development. I believe the contribution of ATP
to social, economic, and environmental sustainability in Armenia will
be appreciated by future generations,” adds Haykuni.

The seedlings for ATP’s reforestation programs were grown in
the John and Artemis Mirak Nursery in Margahovit Village and in
Backyard Nurseries in the Getik River Valley. The Backyard Nursery
Micro-Enterprise Program has been one of ATP’s poverty reduction
initiatives since 2004.

“In addition to large-scale reforestation, ATP has worked with local
partners to create small ‘community forests.’ Villages that are located
far from forested areas are being given attention in this program,
since they are in need of green spaces,” explains Melikyan.

The SEEDS program provided 5,860 trees for community forests this fall,
and plans to provide additional seedlings next year to Teghenik and
Karenis in the Kotayk region.

ATP’s flagship Community Tree Planting (CTP) program has also
successfully finished its fall activities. A total of 24,415 fruit
and decorative trees were planted this season, in addition to 35,197
planted in the spring. New communities that partnered with ATP this
fall include the villages of Ptghunk, Agarak, Saralanj, Dzorap,
and Ferik.

Fruit trees have been provided for the rural communities of Aknaghbyur,
Teghenik, and Vardenut to restore orchards and backyards of poor
rural families. In addition, fruit trees were provided to the Fuller
Center for Housing in order to support the program’s beneficiaries
in the Aragatsotn and Lori regions. The total harvest of fruit from
ATP trees was 231,022 pounds from more than 200 community plantings
sites. Varieties included apricot, cherry, wild apple, peach, and pear.

ATP’s mission is to assist the Armenian people in using trees
to improve their standard of living and protect the environment,
guided by the need to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the
fewest resources first, and conserve the indigenous ecosystem. ATP’s
three major programs are tree planting, environmental education,
and sustainable development initiatives.

ISABEL BAYRAKDARIAN, SEROUJ KRADJIAN TO PERFORM IN LA DEC 18

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 9, 2011 – 12:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A celestial performance awaits Los Angeles, as the
distinguished duo, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and pianist/composer
Serouj Kradjian, take the stage for their debut performance on
December 18.

With Isabel Bayrakdarian’s remarkable dramatic instincts paired with
Serouj Kradjian’s fiery performance, it will be an unforgettable
night of music. The husband and wife collaborators are known to
have irresistible electricity flowing between them as they perform
selections from: Khachaturian, Babajanian, Komitas, Liszt, Chausson,
Berlioz, Gomidas, Obradors, Gardel and Piazzolla, Asbarez reports.

The international opera super-star Isabel Bayrakdarian’s has been
described by The Washington Post to have a voice that is ” a high,
bright soprano voice that she employs with a lithe and winning energy.”

While the equally acclaimed Serouj Kradjian has been described as
“a pianistic hurricane,” not only as a virtuoso but also causing a
sensation every time he steps to the ivory keys.

CONFERENCE A EREVAN CONSACREE AU 1050 ÈME ANNIVERSAIRE D’ANI
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 9 decembre 2011

Une conference de trois jours intitulee ” Ani comme centre politique
et la civilisation de l’Armenie medievale” a eu lieu a l’Academie
des Sciences d’Armenie.

L’evenement dedicace au 1050 ème anniversaire de la proclamation
d’Ani comme capitale du Royaume Bagratuni a reuni des chercheurs
venus d’Armenie, de Russie, de France, d’Allemagne, d’Italie, des
Etats-Unis et d’Autriche.

Un site web en trois langues dediee a cet anniversaire d’Ani a ete
lance (). Il fournit des informations sur la ville
et depeint des photos d’Ani.

L’historien Richard Hovhannisian a dit que meme aujourd’hui il est
impossible de visiter les lieux historiques sans ressentir la douleur.

Le president de l’Academie des Sciences Radik Martirosyan a pointe
l’importance geopolitique et historique de la capitale, ainsi que son
rôle culturel et religieux. Il a note, cependant, ” que les autorites
turques ne menage aucun effort pour deformer les faits historiques
et effacer la trace armenienne.”

CHARTER PANEL TO INVITE MINORITY SPIRITUAL LEADERS
by Göksel Bozkurt

Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 7 2011
Turkey

A parliamentary commission tasked with preparing a draft constitution
wishes to listen to the spiritual leaders of the minority communities
in Turkey instead of the represantatives of minority foundations

Parliament’s Constitution Conciliation Commission has decided to
invite spiritual leaders of the Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Jewish and
Syriac communities to hear their input for Turkey’s new constitution.

If the three patriarchs and chief rabbi do not wish to appear at the
panel, they will be asked to recommend appropriate non-Muslim minority
foundations whose representatives the commission should listen to.

“There are too many minority foundations, but we have little knowledge
about them. That is why we decided to invite their highest-level
representatives or to listen to those whom they would recommend,”
Altan Tan, member of the commission’s related sub-panel, told the
Hurriyet Daily News.

Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, acting Armenian Patriarch Episkopos
Aram AteÅ~_yan, Chief Rabbi Ä°sak Haleva and the spiritual head of
the Syriac Orthodox community Yusuf Cetin will be invited to avoid
any controversy over whom the commission should select on behalf of
the non-Muslim minorities. Over 200 minority foundations have been
listed by the commission, including 162 established according to the
1923 Treaty of Lausanne.

At a meeting of the commission held Dec. 6 under Parliament Speaker
Cemil Cicek’s chairmanship, experts assisting the lawmakers said they
had created a Twitter account to collect opinions from citizens and
give deputies a chance to respond. The commission, however, rejected
the idea on grounds that Parliament had already created a website for
the same purpose and a Twitter account might water down the process.

Commission members also raised objections to the method the experts
suggested to classify the input of proposals and demands that
citizens, civic groups and public institutions would make. They
decided the classification would be based on the sections of the
current constitution.

DINK LAWYERS ARGUE PHONE RECORDS SENT ARE INADEQUATE

Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 5 2011
Turkey

The Dink family’s lawyers yesterday said phone records pertaining
to the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink were
inadequate.

The records were recently sent to court by Turkey’s Telecommunications
Directorate (TÄ°B) after months of dawdling.

Records sent by the TÄ°B cover only a limited area in the vicinity
of the crime scene, lawyer Fethiye Cetin said, adding that they had
requested all records from an area measuring 500 meters long.

“The TÄ°B records are in the thousands. It will take time to go through
all these. We are going to present our statements regarding the issue
after we are done examining and scrutinizing,” she said.

The TÄ°B had initially refused to comply with a court request to
deliver the records, claiming the demand would amount to “violation of
privacy.” In recent months, the TÄ°B had continued dragging its feet
by advancing further objections to the request to obtain the records.

The TÄ°B finally agreed to the court’s request and sent the records
last week.

The Dink family’s lawyers said in court yesterday that the roles
played by all officials implicated in Hrant Dink’s assassination had
been exposed, from the Chief of Staff to the government, media and
the judiciary. The concerted harmony in which these officials acted
after the incident indicated the whole affair was coordinated from
a single center, they said.

The case was postponed to Dec. 26 for further investigation into the
phone records.

A group of demonstrators gathered in BeÅ~_iktaÅ~_ and marched
toward the Istanbul Courthouse yesterday, protesting the failure of
authorities to bring the case to a resolution.

Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, was the chief editor
for weekly Agos, a paper published in both Turkish and Armenian. He
was shot in front of his office in January 2007; triggerman Ogun
Samast was sentenced to 22 years in prison last month for the murder.