Author: Badalian Vardan

SERZH SARGSYAN HAD BUSINESS LUNCH WITH FRENCH BUSINESSMEN: FRANCE CAN EXPAND INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA

Panorama
Sept 29 2011
Armenia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is currently paying an official
visit to France, has visited today the Union of Businessmen of France
(MEDEF), where the President had a business lunch with the businessmen,
Panorama.am reporter tells.

The President of Medeff International Jean Burele has noted that the
meeting hosted more businessmen than they planned to, which highlights
French businessmen’s interest towards Armenia.

President Sargsyan was asked to introduce Armenia’s business and
investment opportunities. President Sargsyan delivered a speech
covering Armenian-French relations, trade-economic ties, French
capital in Armenian economy and the expansion of it.

ETHNIC-ARMENIAN SELF-DECLARED REPUBLIC NAGORNO-KARABAKH HOLDS LOCAL ELECTIONS
by Lilit Gevorgyan

Global Insight
September 28, 2011

Last week the ethnic Armenian self-declared Republic
of Nagorno-Karabakh held local elections for over 200 rural
communities and the capital Stepanakert. According to the Central
Election Commission, 59% of the 93,000 eligible voters took part in
the elections. Given lack of any major divisions between the rival
political parties and generally low level of internal security threat,
the elections were peaceful with no incidents or protests.

President Bako Sahakyan, elected in 2007, stated to Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty that “elections have become part of life”
in Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that it was encouraging to see that
the vote took place in a calm environment. The key race was for
mayor of Stepanakert, which went to Suren Grigoryan backed by the
government after he managed to secure 62.5% of the vote, while the
losing candidates have not challenged the results. One of them, Marat
Hasratyan, who is also an MP, agreed that the elections were conducted
properly. However, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the vote as
illegitimate in a statement issued after the elections. Baku called
the vote staged to conceal Armenian “occupation of Azerbaijan’s
internationally recognized territories”. In response, Vasili
Atajanyan, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson for Nagorno-Karabakh
which unilaterally seceded from Soviet Azerbaijan back in 1988,
dismissed Azerbaijan’s response. He said the autonomous republic “is
showing the world that we have created a truly democratic state,”
unlike Azerbaijan, which he called a “hereditary sultanate” where
voters do not have voice.

Significance:The local elections in Nagorno-Karabakh indicate
that there is general consensus among the political parties in
the mainly ethnic Armenian region. Although some foreign election
monitors observed the vote, due to lack of international recognition
international election watchdogs were absent–hence it is difficult
to independently verify the quality of the vote. Nagorno-Karabakh
has seen a series of parliamentary, presidential and local elections
throughout itsde factoindependence in the past two decades. While
the region undoubtedly carries political influence from the parties
functioning in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh has developed its own parties
which often disagree with the political decisions of Yerevan.

Furthermore, some of its politicians have not shied from openly
disputing some elements of the Armenian position on the final status
of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region, aside from the existential threat
from Azerbaijan, faces a handful of issues including corruption
and economic growth issues. Its leadership also realises that in
the face of increased threat of war with Baku, domestic political
unity is important. The ability to consistently uphold–albeit
imperfect–democratic traditions is also important political currency
for Nagorno-Karabakh, which is vying to gain international recognition
of its independence 20 years after its declaration.

LAVROV FAVORS USING NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Interfax
Sept 28 2011
Russia

Russia has called on every party concerned to utilize new opportunities
that appeared in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as a result of
Russian effort, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“We urge every party to use additional opportunities in the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement that emerged as a result of the effort
made by Russian mediation,” Lavrov said in a speech at the 66th
session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Russia together with two other co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group,
France and the United States, will promote a set of measures to build
up confidence and ceasefire, he said.

Speaking about the Transdniestrian conflict, Lavrov said that Moscow
hopes that the decision on the resumption of formal talks on the
Transdniestrian settlement made in Moscow on September 22 will push the
conflicting parties to the search of mutually acceptable agreements.

FRANCE INTERESTED IN BUILDING NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN ARMENIA

RIA Novosti
Sept 29 2011
Russia

French companies are interested in participating in the construction
of a new nuclear power plant in Armenia, French Prime Minister Francois
Fillon said.

Armenia plans to build a new power plant with a capacity of
approximately 1,000 MW. The project could cost about $5 billion. The
Armenian parliament abolished the state monopoly for ownership of
new nuclear power units in 2006 in order to attract foreign capital
for the project.

“A group of French experts will be sent to Armenia to discuss
cooperation in energy, road construction and transport,” Fillon said.

The two sides also discussed issues of cooperation with France in
the field of road construction, including the North-South transport
corridor.

The Armenian government approved an investment program last year to
build the North-South transport corridor, with an estimated cost of
$1.5 billion, for which Armenia signed a $500 million loan agreement
with the Asian Development Bank.

The North-South transport corridor will enable Armenia to mitigate
the effects of the blockade imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

ANCA-WR STATEMENT ON CANCELLATION OF OTTOMAN PARADE

ASBAREZ
Thursday, September 29th, 2011

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region, through
its proactive consultations with Los Angeles City Councilmembers,
the Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, and state
legislators’ offices, confirms that the organizers of the Ottoman
Military Marching Band, who were planning on holding a procession on
Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on October 3, have decided to pull
their permit and cancel the event.

The ANCA-WR also commends the strength and unity of the Los Angeles
Armenian American community, which collectively voiced its shock
that such an event was taking place and exemplified its readiness to
quickly mobilize to address this grievous transgression.

Although no reason was given for the cancellation, the widespread
outrage in the community, and concurrent well-publicized announcement
by the Armenian Youth Federation calling for a massive protest,
undoubtedly impacted the organizers’ decision to ultimately retreat
from their ill-conceived plan to hold this event just one mile from
the border of Little Armenia in Hollywood.

In addition to bringing these serious concerns to the attention of
elected officials, the ANCA-WR two days ago also led the community
in strongly condemning the planned arrival of the offensively-named
band and likewise questioned the irresponsible decision by officials
of the City of Los Angeles to issue a permit to a group who claims
descent from the notoriously murderous corps of the Ottoman Army
known as the janissaries. Within 24 hours of the ANCA-WR statement,
the event was canceled.

The violent and bloody history of the Ottoman Turkish Military,
during which it perpetrated the Armenian Genocide of 1915, where 1.5
million Armenians were mercilessly slaughtered, made the appearance
of the Ottoman Military Marching Band in a city with over 500,000
Armenian Americans, many who are descendants of the Genocide, a clear
cut example of hate speech and incitement.

In solidarity with the Armenian American community, Los Angeles City
Council President Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles City Councilmember
Paul Krekorian, in a strongly worded statement, underscored the
ludicrousness of the event: “This planned performance, supposedly to
celebrate an event taking place in Orange County, is a provocation
of the Armenian community at a time when the community celebrates
20 years of Armenian independence.” The statement continued, aptly
highlighting the significance of the issue in saying that “the 1915
Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire is a wound that
continues to fester.”

The ANCA-WR also thanks California State Senator Kevin De Leon’s
concern about this issue and his staff’s assistance in diligently
attending to this matter while regularly communicating with our staff.

Given the extreme sensitivity of this issue, the ANCA-WR continues to
work with City officials to ensure that the issue is definitively
resolved and that similar instances in the future will receive
the careful scrutiny that they deserve on the part of elected
representatives and City employees.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

VIC DARCHINYAN TO FIGHT MORENO

AZG DAILY
30-09-2011

Vic Darchinyan, “The Raging Bull’, will be back in Los Angeles to fight
Panamanian Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno (31-1-1, 18 KOs) on December 3rd
at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Darchinyan (37-3-1, 27 KOs) will be challenging for Moreno’s “super”
version of the WBA bantamweight title.

GYUMRI: HOMELESS AND IGNORED ORPHANS

08:05 pm | September 29, 2011

“I am forced to gather the children’s cloths in the winter and wash
them in the spring when the water comes from the faucet,” says mother
of three orphan children from Gyumri, Elmira Tamazyan.

“Shirak Center” has released information according to which “this
family lives in a shack that has no accommodations and water supply.

Even though they lost their homes after the earthquake, they are not
subject to compensation by the government since they registered later
than the period set by the Armenian government.

The man of the house passed away three years ago, the elder of the
children, Burastan is in the 9th grade, the middle child, Anahit is
in 4th grade and the youngest, Karushik is four years old.

The mother barely makes ends meet by working at other people’s homes
for a day’s pay. She is forced to leave the four-year old child home
alone sometimes, and the child is often beaten by the kids in the
district. Their shack is located next to kindergarten N 4 in Gyumri,
but the kindergarten doesn’t accept the child due to the family’s
lack of money. The kindergarten charges a monthly fee of 10,000 drams.

Although 35-year old mother of three orphans Elmira Tamazyan’s shack
is located in central Gyumri, they are ignored and abandoned by
everyone, including the dozens of local and international charitable
organizations in Gyumri.”

ARMENIAN DISTINGUISHED COMPOSERS IN GYUMRI

ARMENPRESS
19:47, 29 September, 2011

The Armenian Ministry of Culture and “Armenian Music Conference”
organized today in Gyumri a concert-meeting on the occasion of
the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia. Before presenting
their works to the students of the Gyumri branch of Yerevan State
Conservatory after Komitas, the composers arrived in Gyumri – Vahram
Babayan, Levon Chaushyan, Gevorg Badalyan, Arsen Babajanyan, Yervand
Yerkanyan, Martin Vardazaryan and Armenuhi Karapetyan, met with
journalists. Chairman of “Armenian Music Conference”, composer Levon
Chaushyan, attaching importance to tradition of suchlike meetings as
a best variant of spread of art, expressed hope that the meeting will
become periodical hereafter.

The conference, whose main goal is to spread the Armenian music in the
world and Armenia, has already established creative ties in different
courtiers, but organizes a meeting in the republic for the first time.

In future suchlike meetings will be held in other provinces of the
republic.

All the guests, attaching importance to these meetings, expressed a
confidence that this is not only a method of presetting high-class
music outside the capital, but of revealing new names as well.

ERDOGAN PUSHES FOR COMMON FUTURE WITH BALKAN STATES

28/09/2011

Wrapping up his visit to New York, Erdogan sends a message of universal
values and pushes for a common future with Balkan states.

By Chase Winter for Southeast European Times in New York — 28/09/11

New York Balkan Forum underlines Turkish-Balkan ties. [Zlatko
Kovac/SETimes]

Speaking alongside leaders of the Balkan states at the New York
Balkan Forum last week (September 22nd), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan stressed the cultural and historical ties between Turkey and
the Balkans, while calling on the region to overcome its troubled
history to co-operate and integrate to form a common future.

“In the future, the Balkans’ most pressing need is to learn a lesson
from its experience and start working towards prosperity, development,
and peace,” he said, adding that any problems experienced in the
Balkans directly reflect on Turkey because of historical ties of
brotherhood.

However, the absence of Serbia and Greece at the forum due to the
presence of Kosovo and Macedonia, respectively, was a clear reminder
of a Balkans still divided.

Intra-Balkan economic integration and investment were key themes,
while Turkey’s fast-growing economy and investments in the region
provided the backdrop to the growing importance of Turkey.

Describing the Balkans as “Turkey’s door to the West”, Confederation
of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) President Rizanur Meral
said Turkey has undergone an economic transformation since 2002, with
the world’s second fastest growing economy and a jump in exports from
$35 billion to $135 billion.

Balkan countries will need to expand markets due to the small size of
domestic markets, Deputy Governor of Turkey’s Central Bank Ihbrahim
Turhan said, adding that countries like Turkey and Russia afford
opportunities.

According to Timothy Ash, the head of emerging markets research at RBS
global banking, as Europe faces financial trouble Turkey can play a
role as a driver for Balkan growth. However, he warned, Balkan states
will have to do more to attract FDI as European financial resources
run dry.

As the largest investor in Kosovo, Turkey plays a unique role in the
country due to a “common past, religion, geographic position and the
big support we’ve got from the Turkish government” Kosovo Foreign
Minister Enver Hoxhai explained.

Pointing to the free trade agreement between Albania and Turkey,
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that Turkish investment in
Albania increased four fold between 2005 and 2010.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said that
energy co-operation with Turkey, especially finalising Nabucco,
are his country’s top priority.

“Connecting energy markets, making sure we have a southeast European
energy market with a common strategy to make sure energy networks
are connected,” is one area Mladenov said the Balkan states could
make tangible efforts at co-operation and integration.

On the political front, Mladenov said working together to overcome the
difficulties of the past is necessary for regional co-operation. “One
of the very important examples over the past few years has been the
role Turkey has played in pushing and helping countries strengthen
their co-operation together, particularly Bosnia and Serbia,” he said.

All the states including Turkey said their future is within the
EU and NATO, which will act as an anchor for regional co-operation
and security.

However, Erdogan highlighted that for a common future there needs
to be more than economic growth and material gain: human rights,
democracy, and the rule of law are also of equal importance.

Speaking on Saturday (September 24th) at an event organised by the
Turkish Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA),
Erdogan said the age of autocratic regimes is over and that Turkey
would act according to universal principles and the will of the people.

By framing the Balkans as being the heart of Turkey and stressing
universal rights, Erdogan tried to place ideology and principles to
the forefront of his message.

“Sarajevo’s fate is Edirne’s fate, Skopje’s fate is Kosovo’s fate,
Palestine’s fate is Istanbul’s fate, in that case the fate of humanity
should become the fate of Ankara,” he said.

COMMENT:

Anonymous About 19 hours ago

After 500 years of Ottoman rule we now have Erdogan preaching for a
“common” Balkan future? Somehow I am not as touched as I should be. I
wonder why?

All the countries in the Balkans except for one or two made alot of
sacrifices in order to be independent states today. In memory of the
fallen let us not tarnish their memory with articles likes these. The
Balkans do not need a “big brother”. They need to organise themselves
and to look toward a common EU future. That is the only way forward
for the Balkans. Erdogan should do the same with his country once of
course all the prerequistes have been met by his country set forward
by the EU.

US EMBASSY TO HOLD PEACEFUL RALLY IN YEREVAN FOR US CITIZENS

Tert.am
19:04 29.09.11

US citizens in Armenia are planning to hold a sanctioned political
rally in Yerevan on 30 September 2011, according to a press release
by the US Embassy in Yerevan.

The demonstration will be held 6:30 pm on Freedom Square, followed
by an authorized march through central Yerevan.

The march is expected to start from Freedom Square, proceed down
Mashtots Avenue, Amiryan Street, Nalbandyan Street, Tumanyan Street,
Northern Avenue and come back to Freedom Square, but it could also
spread to other downtown areas, the statement said.

US citizens should exercise caution and consider alternative routes
to avoid the downtown area during the march, as it may create traffic
disruptions, it added.

“We remind US citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful
can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence without
warning,” read the statement.

“You should avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and exercise
caution when in the vicinity of any demonstrations. Stay current with
media coverage of local events and be aware of your surroundings.”

Further, it said that US citizens traveling abroad should regularly
monitor the US Embassy’s website, and the US Department of State’s
Bureau of Consular Affairs website, where the current Worldwide
Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific
Information can be found.

The US Embassy also encouraged US citizens to review “A Safe Trip
Abroad,” which includes valuable security information for those both
living and traveling abroad.