Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJAN BUILDS A GREAT WALL OF KARABAKH
by Giorgi Lomsadze

EurasiaNet.org, NY
Oct 13 2011

The notion of a breakthrough in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict soon
could have quite a literal meaning. Azerbaijan is now busy walling
itself off from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

The three-meter-tall wall will stretch three kilometers across the
conflict line to shield nearby Azerbaijani-controlled villages from
sniper bullets. The wall starts in Ortagervend, a village where an
eight-year-old boy was shot to death six months ago.

The chronic sniper exchange between the Azerbaijani army and separatist
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian forces has often turned deadly and
threatened the return of all-out hostilities in the area.

Azerbaijani authorities said that the sniper fire is driving the
civilian population away from the villages.

In a rare sign of approval of an Azerbaijani initiative, separatist
officials welcomed construction of the wall as a way to solidify the
border of the disputed enclave.

ARMENIAN SECRETARY OF NATIONAL SECURITY MEETS DEPUTY HEAD OF CSTO

Vestnik Kavkaza
Oct 13 2011

The Armenian National Security Council has held talks on realization
of deals reached at an informal meeting of presidents of CSTO states
in Astana, Armenia Today reports.

Secretary of the Armenian Council for National Security Artur
Bagdasaryan has met Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO Valery
Semerikov.

The agreed to meet in Yerevan in November to develop Russian-Armenian
military-technical cooperation.The sides discussed training of CSTO
Rapid Reaction Forces in Armenia in 2012.

Semerikov noted that the CSTO will support Armenia in the training
process and send specialists if necessary.

Training will be held in 2012 and will be organized within the
framework of marking the 20th anniversary of the Collective Security
Treaty.

.

EBRD FINANCING TO EXPAND BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICES IN ARMENIA

The Financial, Georgia
Oct 13 2011

The FINANCIAL — The EBRD is supporting the development of the
telecoms, information and media sector in Armenia with a US$ 2.2
million quasi-equity investment in Interactive TV LLC, a digital cable
TV service provider, and one of the capital Yerevan~Rs largest media
delivery companies.

Interactive TV was founded in 2006 and was Yerevan~Rs first cable
television supplier with a substantial share of the capital~Rs digital
cable television market.

EBRD financing will enable the company to build on its existing
footprint and diversify its products by expanding into more districts
of the city and by offering broadband internet services.

~SWe are delighted to have a reputable organisation such as the EBRD
supporting us in our future development plans. We hope to grow into
one of the leading multi-service telecoms, informatics and media
companies in Armenia, while continuing to serve our clients,~T said
Avetik Kalantaryan, the CEO of Interactive TV.

The EBRD is one of the largest investors in Armenia. Since the start
of its operations in the country in 1992, the EBRD has invested more
than US$ 600 million in 101 projects in the financial, corporate,
energy and infrastructure sectors, with 92 per cent of projects
representing investment in the private sector.

PM: ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO DO WHATEVER NECESSARY TO IMPROVE COMPETITION ENVIRONMENT IN COUNTRY

ARKA
Oct 13, 2011

YEREVAN, October 13. /ARKA/. Armenian government will make every
effort to improve competition environment in the country, Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan said Thursday at a regular Cabinet meeting.

“Economic competition is very important to us for handling the 2012
government budget,” he said. “If we manage to ensure just competition,
we’ll have higher economic growth.”

The government, he said, worked out legislative changes in 2010 and
2011 under international organizations’ support. These changes allowed
the government to provide the State Commission for Protection of
Economic Competition with additional powers for improving market. As
a result, the commission tripled fines. At the same time, the
premier noted that fines can be considered effective if they lessen
irregularities.

“Are fines really improving competitive environment, or they only
displeased fine payers?” he said. “It is very important to us to
spur competition. We gave additional levers to the commission and
are ready to give also other powers, if we see that these instruments
serve its direct goal – improvement of competitive environment.”

The antitrust commission has made 86 decisions over nine months
of 2011 and levied fines totaling AMD 230 million. Of this amount,
AMD 150 million has already transferred to the government budget.

Amendments to the law on protection of economic competition took
force in May 2011. The amended law allows the government to give some
additional powers to the antitrust commission. The amendments also
tightened sanctions against wrongdoers.

ARMENIA TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH INTERPOL

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2011 – 20:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On October 13, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met
the Secretary General of International Criminal Police Organization
(INTERPOL) Ronald Kenneth Noble.

At the meeting, President Sargsyan stressed the importance of INTERPOL
involvement in prevention of crimes, expressing wish to further ties
with the Organization.

As the President noted, Armenia-INTERPOL cooperation will help increase
Armenian experts’ professionalism.

In conclusion, the President noted the importance of cooperation in
joint struggle against crime, presidential press service reported.

YOUNG ASTRONOMERS TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN

Tert.am
19:17 ~U 13.10.11

A CIS conference of students and young scientists, “Real and virtual
sky studies”, is to be held in Yerevan Nov. 21-25.

The participants will discuss the latest astronomical research
results and scientific expeditions, data and activities of virtual
observatories.

The conference will be held as part of celebrations of the 50th
anniversary of the first space flight. Among the participants will
be 50 students and young scientists from Armenia, Ukraine, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan,
as well as Russian and European lecturers, who will deliver reports.

Students will deliver reports on their post-graduate papers. Practical
work and visits to the Byurakan observatory will be organized. The
conference will be held in Russia and English. The Russian-Armenian
Cooperation Foundation is sponsor of the conference.

ASHOT HOVAKIMYAN WILL BE APPOINTED DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Lragir.am News

16:29:52 – 13/10/2011

We have learned that the ambassador to Austria, Hungary and Slovakia
Ashot Hovakimyan who was recalled today will be appointed Deputy
Foreign Minister of Armenia. Our sources in the Foreign Ministry
confirmed this information. At the same time, our source did not
confirm the information that Ashot Hovakimyan was unaware of the
hearing on NKR included in OSCE PA agenda, and that the MFA learned
about it from other sources. Our source noted that the MFA has always
kept regular correspondence with the Armenian representation to the
OSCE .

NOT WAITING FOR SEYRAN OHANYAN: RELATIVES OF KILLED SOLDIERS PROTESTED UNDER THE RAIN

epress.am
10.13.2011 16:29

If a year ago, there were only 5 relatives of soldiers killed in
the army protesting outside the Armenian government building every
Thursday, well today this number has grown exponentially.

Tsovinar Nazaryan, sister of the late Artak Nazaryan, 30, commander
of a rifle platoon and head of a military base in Tavush, who
died suddenly in July 2010, today spoke to Epress.am about the two
non-combat army deaths in Nagorno-Karabakh reported this past week.

Recall, just as with Artak Nazaryan, the defense ministry has claimed
both cases were suicides.

“When we received the news, we were simply in shock – it’s very
frightening what’s happening, because yesterday they buried someone
then received news of the death of another serviceman, which the
defense ministry right from the beginning declares is suicide. You
don’t know how they decide this: they decide very quickly; they
have super-professional investigators; they say very quickly that
it’s suicide. This has to be stopped somehow and right now because
if two people from the same village are killed two days apart-this
has to be stopped right now. Tomorrow or the day after, someone else
will be murdered… we can’t wait a month, we can’t even wait a week,
because in that one week a few people might be tortured again, a few
more murdered,” she said.

Note that defense minister Seyran Ohanyan wasn’t participating in
today’s cabinet meeting.

However, Tsovinar said when the minister comes or when he leaves
doesn’t interest her. What’s important for her is that he does his job.

“I’m not waiting for him. I come here to express my public protest; not
for Seyran Ohanyan to come out [of the building] and again [projecting]
his good courteous image say remarks to calm us somehow and then until
the next government session a few more people are killed,” she said.

Tsovinar Nazaryan informed Epress.am that joining their group recently
are the parents of Tigran Hambardzumyan and the entire family of
Aghasi Abrahamyan, both men killed in the army these past two months.

Despite the light rain this morning, protestors stayed outside the
building till the end. They were holding posters and placards in their
hands with such inscriptions as “End the war against our children,”
“People unable to keep their own army will be forced to keep another’s
army,” “The army without murderers,” and “An unannounced war against
Armenian soldiers.”

WE MUST STRENGTHEN OUR INDEPENDENCE, HIS HOLINESS ARAM I SAYS
Armen Dilanyan

“Radiolur”
13.10.2011 16:32
Glendale

The visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House
of Cilicia, to California has caused quite a stir among Diaspora
Armenians. The geography of the Patriarch’s visit is impressive; he
travels from San Francisco, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, visiting
all cities, where there are organized Armenian communities and Armenian
churches. The halls are overcrowded, wherever His Holiness visits.

The Armenian Consul General in Los Angeles, Grigor Hovhannisyan, held
a reception Wednesday in honor of Catholicos Aram I attended not only
by representatives of the Armenian community of California, but also
Lebanon’s Consul General, Mrs. Madonna Aoun Ghazal. She received a
warm welcome, given the support of her country to expatriate Armenians.

Speaking to the audience, His Holiness Aram I dwelt on the future
of the Motherland that revived 20 years ago and the tasks of All
Armenians.

“Armenia is our past, the demonstration of our dreams and ideals.

Armenia is our present and our rose-flooded dawn,” the Pontiff said,
thanking God for having independent Armenia.

“However, having independence is not enough. We must be able to
maintain, reinforce this independence, strengthen the state bodies
to have a stronger Armenia,” he said.

“Armenia within its current borders is just part of historic Armenia.

We dream of regaining our historic lands, this is the aspiration of
every Armenian,” the Catholicos said.

MORE QUESTIONS OVER ARMY DEATHS: ACTIVISTS DEMAND RESIGNATIONS AFTER NEW QUESTIONABLE SUICIDES IN THE RANKS
By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
13.10.11 | 14:12

Wednesday brought more unfortunate news about a soldier’s death in
the Armenian army – the second in the past four days. These deaths in
the ranks in peacetime have once again stirred public debate causing
widespread discontent in society.

A number of human rights organizations that in September put forth
the demand for “serious steps” to be taken to redress the situation on
Wednesday announced that the one-month period had expired and that the
taken steps were “insufficient”. Therefore, they said, based on that
they would demand the resignation of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,
President Serzh Sargsyan and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan.

Nineteen-year-old Yurik Nersisyan died on October 12 at a military
unit. According to officially released information, the soldier shot
himself with his own weapon.

On October 9, according to an official report, another 19-year-old,
Vladimir Asatryan, committed suicide at a military unit stationed in
Nagorno-Karabakh’s Martakert district.

Three soldiers have already been arrested on charges of driving
Asatryan into committing suicide. The victim had written their names
and nicknames on his arm before his death. But his parents do not
trust the official version, still they hope that it would be possible
to find the real culprits at least due to the names written on the
dead soldier’s arm.

In another incident a soldier survived, but alleged torture and
inhuman treatment against him left such a deep impact on him that
his parents doubt he will ever be able to return to normal life.

The 19-year-old soldier (his name is not mentioned at his parents’
request) was hospitalized with the diagnosis of “acute psychosis”
and with multiple injuries on his body.

According to his father Mkrtich Lazarian, his son is in an unbearable
condition, “almost dead” as he describes it.

“There is no healthy spot on my child’s body, his ear is the size of
his head so swollen it is, he has bruises all over his body, traces
of burns from cigarettes on his hands, he can’t even talk, all the
time doctors administer him some drug injection, trying to cause his
complete debility so that he cannot say anything, say who did those
atrocities to him,” says Lazarian. The man, who is a Karabakh war
veteran, is concerned as he has five children and his youngest son
is due to be called up for military service in a few months’ time.

“I don’t understand — if our army leaders cannot control the army
commanders, let them step down, other people will come. These beasts
put our children into a mincing-machine,” says the angry father.

There are no arrests in the case in question even though the incident
took place still a month ago. First, the solider was transferred
to a medical aid station at the military unit, then to Stepanakert
hospital and only then to Yerevan’s Kanaz military hospital. Only on
September 27 did the authorities tell the soldier’s father about his
son’s hospitalization.

The suspected hazing took place at a military unit called Yeghnikner
where on August 26 serviceman Aghasi Abrahamyan was killed. And last
year a video disseminated through social networking websites showed
a commander humiliating and beating a soldier. That commander later
turned out to be a Yeghnikner officer.

Eight human rights groups said in a statement on Wednesday that the
Defense Ministry has not made “a significant step” in the past month,
moreover “it has put pressure on relatives of the dead, urging them
not to participate in protests.”

“… The pressure used against relatives of deceased soldiers calls
into questions the political will to normalize the situation,” said
leading human rights activists.

However, the authorities do not agree with this kind of assessment.

Newly appointed Deputy Prosecutor General, Military Prosecutor Gevorg
Kostanyan calls it “not objective.”

“One should simply compare current figures with the figures for
previous years. It is obvious that the numbers are decreasing,
simply publicity has increased. Of course, our ultimate goal is to
solve the problem completely, but it can only be the result of long
systemic changes, and it cannot be done within a day, within a month,”
Kostanyan told ArmeniaNow.