Author: Badalian Vardan

ARE CRIMEA AND KARABAKH ALIKE?

17:41 17.03.2014

Anna Nazaryan
Public Radio of Armenia

“The events in Ukraine are the result of a geopolitical confrontation
between the West and Russia,” political scientist Aram Manukyan told
a press conference today. He said that the referendum in Crimea
cannot serve as a precedent for the other regions of Ukraine. As
regards Karabakh, he said: “Russia will not spoil the relations
with Azerbaijan, but will not demonstrate an anti-Armenian position,
either.”

According to the political scientist, the Crimea referendum has caused
trouble in Azerbaijan, because the similarities between Crimea and
Karabakh are evident. However, “the international law works only when
there is a powerful force standing behind the given country. There
are still no prerequisites to assume the Karabakh conflict will be
solved soon.”

Expert Manvel Sargsyan sees no similarities between the Karabakh issue
and Crimea. “These are different political issues,” Sargsyan said,
speaking to Public Radio of Armenia. He voiced concern that the OSCE
Minsk Group could be dissolved soon.

Manvel Sargsyan does not share the opinion that the Crimean referendum
was Russia’s victory. “This is an illusion. In reality Russia is not
the master of the situation, as it tries to present,” he said.

UITE CHIEF REITERATES THAT NEW PENSION SCHEME WILL NOT WORK IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, March 17. / ARKA /. The executive director of the Union
of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), Karen Vardanyan, has
once again slammed the government today for enforcement of mandatory
funded pension system arguing it would not work in this country and
saying also if the government persists in efforts to ignore popular
protests against the new pension scheme it would see a ‘Maidan’.

“In the past all negative economic processes affected people
indirectly. This is the first time when the government ‘picks’
the pockets of people. If it continues to insist on this reform,
sooner or later it will have a Maidan in Yerevan,,” Vardanyan said
at a press conference on Monday.

According to him, the authorities are unable to adequately perceive
the public outrage, demonstrated by ‘cynical statements’ of the
ministries of finance and social and labor issues and the central bank.

Armenia’s Constitutional Court suspended last month Article 76 of the
new law, which provides for penalties for failed or delayed pension
tax payments, and the third paragraph of Article 86, which obligates
employed citizens to choose a pension fund, among other parts of the
law. The Court says it will conclude the inquiry on March 28, 2014.

The constitutionality of the law was challenged by three opposition
parties in the National Assembly — the Armenian National Congress,
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, and the Heritage Party —
along with the usually pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party.

The new pension system requires that all Armenian citizens born
after 1973 pay social security taxes equivalent to 5 percent of their
monthly wages, which will be matched and doubled by the government.

That money has to be deposited with private pension funds licensed
by the government late last December.

Asked whether a package of draft legal amendments approved by the
government last week that would exempt newly established IT firms
employing up to 15 people from profit tax for three years and offer
also preferential income tax rate for their employees, could reduce
the protests of young people from IT companies against the pension
reform, Vardanyan said the draft law is for start-ups, while the
reform applies to well-established and successful firms.

The chairman of the Union of Domestic Producers, Vazgen Safarian,
said that the new pension scheme could be effective only it is not
mandatory. -0-

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ARONIAN BEATS SVIDLER IN CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT ROUND 4

19:00 17/03/2014 >> SPORT

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian beat Peter Svidler of Russia in
round 4 of the World Champion Candidates Tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk.

India’s Viswanathan Anand remains in the lead with 3 points. Levon
Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik share 2nd-3rd places with 2.5 points each.

Aronian will play against Kramnik in round 5 tomorrow.

1. Anand 3 2. Aronian 2.5 3. Kramnik 2.5 4. Topalov 2 5. Svidler 2
6. Karjakin 1.5 7. Mamedyarov 1.5 8. Andreikin 1

Source: Panorama.am

POLL SUGGESTS 91% RUSSIANS BACK CRIMEA’S ENTRY AS CONSTITUENT ENTITY

March 17, 17:12 UTC+4
According to the opinion poll, 94% believed Russia should protect
the rights of ethnic Russians and other nationalities living in Crimea

Demonstration in support of Crimea in Moscow

ITAR-TASS/Pavel Smertin

MOSCOW, March 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Ninety-one percent of polled Russian
nationals backed Crimea’s entry into Russia as its constituent member,
president of the Public Opinion Foundation told a news conference on
Monday referring to the opinion poll carried out jointly with the
All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center (WCIOM) between March 14
and 16.

About 97% voters supported Crimea split from Ukraine – Supreme
Council’s commission Alexander Oslon said “five percent answered ‘no,
I don’t agree’ to the question “Do you agree to Crimea’s joining our
country as a constituent member?” Another four percent of surveyed
Russians found it difficult to answer the question, Oslon added.

Director General of WCIOM Valery Fedorov said for his part that the
absolute majority of the polled people said Russia must protect the
rights of Russian-speaking people.

According to the opinion poll, 94% believed Russia should protect
the rights of ethnic Russians and other nationalities living in Crimea.

Sociologists said 83% believed Russia should protect their rights
“even if it worsens relations with other countries,” and 86% of the
polled Russians said “Crimea is Russia”.

Public Opinion Foundation and WCIOM spoke by telephone to 48,590
people in all Russian regions. Between 300 and 1,000-odd people were
surveyed in each of them. It was for the first time that an opinion
poll was carried out jointly by two research centers, Oslon said.

EXTRADITION OF RAMIL SAFAROV REMAINS A MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT FOR HUNGARIAN DIPLOMACY

14:50 17.03.2014

Gurgen Margaryan, Hungary, Ramil Safarov

“The extradition of Ramil Safarov, a convicted murderer, who was
promptly pardoned, freed and feted as a hero once landing in Baku
remains a major embarrassment for Hungarian diplomacy,” the Budapest
Business Journal writes.

“The events have left a permanent blemish on relations with Armenia,
the home nation of Safarov’s victim, Gurgen Margaryan,” GergÅ’ Rácz
writes in an article analyzing the perspectives of economic growth
in Hungary.

In 2004, Safarov brutally axed to death Armenian Army Lieutenant
Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO sponsored English
language program in Hungary.

Safarov, who was tried, convicted and given a lifetime prison sentence
in Hungary, was inexplicably extradited to Azerbaijan in 2012, where
he was where he was given a hero’s welcome by President Ilham Aliyev,
in addition to financial compensation and a promotion in military rank.

Armenia decided to break diplomatic ties with Hungary on the day of
Safarov’s release.

RUSSIA SUPPORTS NATIONS’ RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION – EXPERT

13:30 17/03/2014 >> POLITICS

Azerbaijan is worried after the Crimea referendum to join Russia as
it can become a precedent. We cannot but notice the obvious similarity
between Crimea and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, political scientist
Aram Manukyan said.

The expert told reporters that at the same time, the international
law is effective only when the state is backed by some force.

“Under the current conditions, Armenia should carry out consistent
foreign policy and needs to have influential allies whose interests
coincide with those of Yerevan. Only in this case we can hope for a
fair settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he noted.

According to Manukyan, Russia cannot act against Armenia’s interests in
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue because it has already shown that in similar
conflicts it supports the right of nations to self-determination.

Source: Panorama.am

LA PRODUCTION DE POISSONS S’EST ELEVE A 11 600 TONNES EN ARMENIE EN 2013

ARMENIE

La production de poissons a augmente en Armenie a 11 600 tonnes en
2013 soit plus de 2800 tonnes supplementaire par rapport a l’annee 2012
a annonce le premier vice-ministre de l’agriculture Grisha Baghiyan.

Au cours des dernières annees l’elevage de poissons a atteint un
niveau record selon le vice-ministre.

Le ministère envisage d’augmenter la production a 14000 ou 15000
tonnes très bientôt et meme a 20000 voir 25000 tonnes a l’avenir.

L’un des principaux problèmes dans le developpement de la pisciculture
en Armenie est la mauvaise utilisation de l’eau dans les exploitations
piscicoles a dit le vice-ministre ajoutant que les piscicultures
doivent transiter vers un système de circulation d’eau en circuit
ferme ou semi-ferme.

Le ministère de l’agriculture est en train d’avoir des consultations
avec plusieurs entreprises de pisciculture allemandes afin d’introduire
ce système en Armenie.

En vertu d’un decret du gouvernement, tous les elevages de poissons
en Armenie sont tenus d’avoir un circuit ferme qui implique la
reutilisation de 70% de l’eau.

lundi 17 mars 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

UNE ANTIQUE ET RARE MONNAIE ARMENIENNE REPRESENTANT LE ROI TIGRANE IV ET LE MONT ARARAT EN VENTE SUR UN SITE BRITANNIQUE

MONNAIES ARMENIENNES

Le site britannique consacre aux monnaies anciennes Roma Numismatics
Limited a mis en vente en ligne une pièce de monnaie armenienne très
rare et qui fait la curiosite des numismates et des historiens. La
pièce referencee numero 775 represente le roi armenien Tigrane IV, sa
soeur Erato et l’image du mont Ararat. Le mont Ararat avec le double
sommet -le grand Massis (grand Ararat) et le petit Massis (petit
Ararat)- sont representes tels qu’ils sont visibles de l’antique
capitale armenienne d’Aradachat. Cette pièce de monnaie très rare
fut decouverte en 1978. Au debut, les numismates pensaient que cette
monnaie representait Tigrane II (Tigrane le Grand) en l’an 93 avant
J.-C. après sa conquete de la Cappadoce. Mais cette opinion fut changee
après la decouverte sur la pièce de monnaie d’une inscription portant
la mention >. La pièce de monnaie est mise en vente
a un prix minimal de 1 000 livres sterling.

Tigrane IV est le dernier roi de la famille royale des Ardachessian
qui a regne sur l’Armenie du 8e siècle avant J.-C. jusqu’au 1er siècle
avant J.-C.

Krikor Amirzayan

lundi 17 mars 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

L’Azerbaïdjan accusé
Scandale de corruption à l’Eurovision

Le comité d’organisation du concours Eurovision de la chanson a révélé
que l’Azerbaïdjan a tenté d’acheter les votes de membre du jury et du
public. Les faits se seraient déroulés l’année dernière à Malmo, en
Suède, lors de l’édition 2013 remportée par le Danemark Ces tentatives
de corruption n’ont pas été couronnées de succès, assurent les
organisateurs, qui précise toutefois que les potentiels corrompus
seront exclus pendant trois ans du concours.

dimanche 16 mars 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

ONU
Le comité des ONG de l’ONU rejette la candidature du Congrès National
des Arméniens occidentaux

Le Comité des ONG a recommandé aujourd’hui au Conseil économique et
social (ECOSOC) d’octroyer le statut consultatif général à
l’azerbaïdjanaise >. Le Comité a,
de nouveau, reporté sa décision sur les dossiers de 10 ONG et sur les
rapports quadriennaux de 19 organisations.

> avait jusqu’ici le statut
consultatif spécial auprès de l’ECOSOC. Elle a été créée par un groupe
de journalistes de différents pays et est installée en Azerbaïdjan
depuis 1992. Elle travaille dans quatre domaines principaux à savoir
le développement des médias et de la société civile ; les questions
liées aux réfugiés et aux personnes déplacées ; la paix ; et le
règlement des conflits.

Le statut consultatif général dont elle vient d’hériter concerne les
ONG qui poursuivent des activités couvrant la plupart des domaines
d’action de l’ECOSOC. Ces ONG sont autorisées à soumettre au Conseil
des communications écrites et des pétitions, et à proposer
l’inscription de points à l’ordre du jour du Conseil et de ses organes
subsidiaires.

Parmi les 10 ONG sur lesquelles le Comité a reporté sa décision
figurent e Congrès National des Arméniens occidentaux (France), le
représentant de la Fédération de Russie s’est dit favorablement
impressionné par la collaboration constructive dont a fait preuve le
représentant de cette ONG devant le Comité, avant d’appuyer sa demande
d’admission. Cependant, le représentant de la Turquie a estimé que les
réponses de l’organisation n’étaient pas toutes satisfaisantes. Le
représentant de l’Arménie, en qualité d’observateur, a réitéré ses
commentaires faits précédemment devant le Comité sur le fond. Il a
noté que la délégation de la Turquie n’avait cessé de poser des
questions à cette ONG, en suivant une >
envers les demandes des groupes de la société civile et en essayant de