Author: Badalian Vardan

Approach toward Armenia pushes Turkey and Iran away – Russian
political scientist

November 30, 2013 | 13:00

On the one hand, Turkey and Iran are countries which have grounds for
dissatisfaction and, on the other hand, they aspire to become leaders
in the Muslim world.

CIS Institute Director Konstantin Zatulin told the abovementioned
toArmenian News-NEWS.am, as he commented on Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani’s forthcoming visit to Turkey.

Zatulin added that the Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh issue pushes
Turkey and Iran away from one another because Iran develops friendly
relations with Armenia, whereas Turkey continues its blockade imposed
upon Armenia.

`Hence, in the case when their approach toward Israel brings these
countries closer, their approach toward Armenia, in all probability,
pushes them away [from each other].

`[But] I do not believe that Iran would change its approach toward
Armenia for the sake of some rapprochement with Turkey,’ Konstantin
Zatulin concluded.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armenian Activist Considers Ombudsman a Senior Police Advisor (VIDEO)

11.30.2013 01:15 epress.am

Activist Vardges Gaspari henceforth will regard Human Rights Defender
Karen Andreasyan as a senior advisor to the police and decide
accordingly which questions he will raise and which he won’t, he
declared in conversation with Epress.am today.

On Thursday, Gaspari declared a one-day hunger strike at the Human
Rights Defender’s Office. Earlier, Gaspari had contacted the office,
informing staff of an incident on Aug. 23 whereby he was picked up by
police outside city hall and detained for several hours. He wanted to
know from the Ombudsman’s Office why he was detained without proper
documentation.

The activist also contacted the Human Rights Defender on Aug. 24,
asking him to confirm that he was, indeed, at the police station and
the Ombdusman is aware of this. Not receiving any answers, Gaspari
sent an additional three written appeals to the office.

Today Gaspari presented the same demand to the staff, asking for an
explanation as to why the Human Rights Defender’s Office didn’t
respond to the incident in a timely manner. A representative of the
office said that appeals are responded to only after the case has been
studied.

Another employee cited the police saying that at the police station
Gaspari was presented with a written protocol which he refused to
sign.

“Excuse me, at the same time that a person is being tortured, you are
saying that you responded after 3 months. I want to confirm: did you
tell me at that time that the police gave me protocols which I
allegedly refused to sign? Confirm or deny it – you don’t have to show
me the police decision. How can I prove 3 months later that they
didn’t present me with any documents? In that case, why did I contact
the rapid response team – just for the sake of recording the fact?
While you failed to taken note of the breach of human rights,” Gaspari
said to the Ombudsman staff.

According to him, the Human Rights Defender is refusing to present to
him the fact of the crime of which he is aware. “Isn’t 3 months enough
time for the Human Rights Defender to answer a question that doesn’t
depend on any other state agency? What else can I expect from the
human rights defender?”, he said, implying that he has no other
expectations from this office.

The Vilnius Summit as assessed by political scientists

15:41 30.11.2013

Armine Gevorgyan
Public Radio of Armenia

The joint declaration adopted between Armenia and the European Union
in Vilnius was a political achievement, political scientist Sergey
Shakaryants says.

Speaking at a press conference today, the political scientist said
President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech was also a success, especially
considering that it covered issues related not only to the Association
Agreement, but also Armenia’s blockade by Turkey and the Nagorno
Karabakh issue.

As for the general assessment of the Vilnius Summit, Shakaryants says
it was a complete failure. He believes Russia has not pressured either
Armenia or Ukraine. `The Russian authorities have openly clarified
what will happen to the economies of the countries if they open their
customs borders to Europe.’

`Both Armenia and Ukraine were clever enough not to commit a political
suicide,’ he said, adding that the two would sign the Association
Agreement had the EU refrained from requiring unilateral concessions.

Political scientist Levon Shirinyan considers that Armenia was trying
to conduct a balanced policy before September 3, but made the decision
to join the Customs Union because of the lack of security guarantees
on the part of Europe.

Mother of Armenian sent from Ukraine to Azerbaijan demands
compensation for moral damages

November 30, 2013 | 00:09

YEREVAN. – Anush Khachatryan, the mother of Asatur Khachatryan, 22,
who was mistakenly sent from Ukrainian capital Kyiv to Azerbaijani
capital Baku, demands that the airline in question pay compensation
for their moral damages.

Asatur’s mother told the above-said to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Anush Khachatryan noted that they have not been given any
compensation, nor has anyone contacted them in this respect to this
day.

In turn, Asatur’s father, Syoma Khachatryan, said his son had gotten
married upon returning from Kyiv. Incidentally, Asatur Khachatryan had
been engaged before heading to the Ukrainian capital city.

Asatur’s mother earlier had told Armenian News-NEWS.am the following:
`They had written 601 instead of Flight [No.] 611. When he boarded the
plane, he realized that he was flying to Baku. They said: `No problem,
go to Baku, [then] we will send you to [Armenia’s capital city]
Yerevan.’ Thank God, all this ended well with direct assistance by the
Red Cross.’

AnalitikaUA.net informed several days ago that the Kyiv Regional
Prosecutor’s Office had exposed all the guilty in this incident and
specified the measures for bringing them to justice.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Haykakan Zhamanak: Food prices rise in Armenia, whereas global food prices fall

13:19 30/11/2013 » DAILY PRESS

According to the report of Armenia’s National Statistical Service
released yesterday, prices grew by 6.6% in Armenia in November 2013
compared to November 2012. Food prices grew by 54%.

`At first glance this information cannot be considered extraordinary,
with even higher growth of 71% and 82% recorded by the Statistical
Service in the past months. The problem is not that prices have
decreased as reported by the Statistical Service, although in reality
the price increase process contiues. The main problem is that food
prices rise in Armenia, although global food prices fall.

According to the World Bank data, global food prices fell by 12% in
October 2013 compared to October 2012. Armenia follows the principles
of oligarchy and monopoly rather than the principle of liberal market
economy,’ Haykakan Zhamanak daily writes.

AZERBAÏDJAN
Bakou poursuit la « chasse à l’Arménien »

La « chasse à l’Arménien » se poursuit en Azerbaïdjan avec
l’encouragement des autorités. Vesti.Az se référant à l’information
diffusée sur azerinews.tv affirme que sa rédaction a reçu une pétition
signée par 280 salariés de la polyclinique pour enfants numéro 7 du
quartier Narimanov de Bakou. Cette pétition dénonçait la nomination du
médecin chef de la polyclinique, Lorita Djouvarlinskaïa qui exerçait
auparavant ses fonctions de médecins à la polyclinique pour enfants
numéro 4 de Bakou. Les protestataires écrivent « cette nomination nous
interpelle, car dans notre effectif nous comptons des réfugiés, des
familles de martyrs de la guerre du Karabagh, et jugeons que cette
nomination est une agression à leur encontre. Ces personnes se
demandent pourquoi une polyclinique d’Etat doit être dirigée par une
Arménienne ? Pourquoi nous devons être dirigés par une personne qui
n’a pas apprise notre langue officielle depuis 53 ans ? Lorita
Djouvarlinskaïa est une personne indésirable pour nous et pour tout le
public » écrit la lettre de dénonciation. La rédaction du journal a
alors appelé Lorita Djouvarlinskaïa. Cette dernière s’est déclaré
choquée par cette affaire et confié « Je m’appelle Alieva Lorita
Abdoulkizis, je suis née en 1959 à Bakou. Mon mari est Azéri de la
région de Fizouli et j’ai pris sa nationalité. Je ne sais pas qui a
diffusé la rumeur que j’étais arménienne ? Je n’ai rien d’autre à
rajouter car il m’est difficile de parler sur ces choses ». La
rédaction d’azerinews.tv affirme par ailleurs que Lorita
Djouvarlinskaïa s’exprime en « azéri pur ». La pureté tant de la
langue que de la race…qui est le combat de Bakou dans un pays qui
compte des dizaines de minorités nationales et où plus de la moitié de
la population n’est pas d’origine azérie…

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 30 novembre 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ARMENIA, EU TO BOOST COOPERATION

Shanghai Daily, China
Nov 29 2013

Nov 29,2013

YEREVAN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — Armenia and the European Union (EU)
have agreed to further develop their cooperation, according to the
official website of Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan.

Armenia’s main objective is to form functional mechanisms with the EU,
which will reflect the depth of the social, political and economic
relations between Armenia and the EU, while compatible with other
formats of cooperation, Sargsyan said.

“We have high expectations from this summit and view it as an
important stage for developing our relations on more meaningful and
realistic bases”, Sargsyan said in a speech delivered at the two-day
EU Eastern Partnership Summit, which closed on Friday in Vilnius,
capital of Lithuania.

The EU and Armenia released a joint statement at the Vilnius Summit
on Friday, saying that both sides are ready to develop cooperation
further.

The Eastern Partnership was jointly initiated by the EU, its member
states and the Eastern European partner countries, namely Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, in May 2009.

Armenia was previously scheduled to seal an Association Agreement
and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU at the summit.

The EU pulled out from the process after Sargsyan announced Armenia
would join the Customs Union in September.

Georgia and Moldova pre-signed the Association Agreement with the EU
at the Vilnius Summit, but Ukraine failed to.

The EU and Armenia would continue their cooperation in different ways,
officials said.

SHARJAH RULER’S GESTURE UNDERSCORES UAE’S CULTURE OF GIVING

Emirates News Agency (WAM), UAE
November 28, 2013 Thursday

ABU DHABI, 28th November, 2013 /WAM/ — The UAE and its leaders are
well known for their philanthropic and charitable ventures in a variety
of fields, both at home and abroad, commented a local newspaper.

H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member
and Ruler of Sharjah has funded the refurbishment of a 13th century
Christian monastery in Armenia should come as no surprise, the UAE
and its leaders are well known for their philanthropic and charitable
ventures, ” The National” noted in its today’s editorial.

In Sheikh Sultan s case this generosity has often expressed itself
through his interest in science and culture, the Abu Dhabi-based
English language daily said.

Sheikh Sultan holds a bachelor s degree in agricultural engineering
and a doctorate in history, and last month he was inducted as a member
of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon.

In accepting the Academy Medal, he stressed the importance of
cultural communication and building “bridges of knowledge” to promote
understanding and tolerance among all cultures.

The donation to the Haghartsin monastery, which Sheikh Sultan visited
in 2005 at the invitation of the former president of Armenia, Robert
Kocharian, underscores that philosophy, and demonstrates his respect
for other religions and for the ties between the two nations, the
paper wrote.

The idea of giving across borders, be they physical or cultural,
is a positive example to us all.

PRESS RELEASE
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network
28, Chovelidze street
Tbilisi, 380008, GEORGIA
Tel: ++ 995 32 99 63 28, 995 99 57 77 22
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Web:

Tbilisi, 27 November, 2013

The Second Regional Conference on Environment for the South Caucasus

On November 27 at Bulachauri Green Center the Second Regional Conference on
Environment in South Caucasus within the scope of the EU-funded program
being implemented by the International Organization Mercy Corps and Caucasus
Environmental NGO Network CENN was held.

At the conference a programme Enhancing Local Capacity and Regional
Cooperation for Climate Change Adaptation and Biodiversity Conservation in
Georgia and the South Caucasus presented a general overview of the
programme’s past two years progress and up-to-date achievements.

A broad spectrum of stakeholders attended a conference representing the
Ministries of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan, donor organizations USAID, relevant agencies and international
and local NGOs. The event gathered some 43 professionals and national
authorities from the three Caucasian countries.

The guests from Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Georgian stakeholders
participated in the discussions over the presented results aiming at
enhancing regional cooperation for the mitigation of the climate change
impact on environment and on social and economic situation in the South
Caucasus. The conference participants reviewed the developed municipal CCA
plans and proposed actions against the anticipated environmental and social
impacts in the region in the trans-boundary context. Presentations on the
pilot projects’ progress being implemented by local organizations were
delivered and a replication strategy was discussed along with future
activities and plans.

The conference highlighted the programme developments in participating
countries, and explored possible solutions in an environment of
understanding and joint efforts. The conference served as a good place for
information exchange. Participant’s draw crucial recommendations regarding
local level Climate Change Adaptation Plans to be translated into the
trans-boundary adaptation plans.

Delegation of the European Union to Georgia

38, Nino Chkheidze, 0102 Tbilisi, Georgia

Tel:(+995 32) 294 37 63

Fax:(+995 32) 294 37 68

The European Commission is the EU’s executive body.

“The European Union is made up of 27 Member States who have decided to
gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together,
during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of
stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural
diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is
committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and
peoples beyond its borders”.

FSB OFFICER STOLE MONEY OF ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER

Turan Information Agencyzerbaijan
November 27, 2013 Wednesday

Yerevan/27.11.13/Turan:

The head of the Russian-Armenian newspaper, Third Force Plus, has sent
an open letter to the director of the Russian FSB Bortnikov with a
request to invoke the responsibility of the organization’s employee,
Lieutenant Colonel Vadim Pozdyshev.

In July 2011, Pozdyshev was dismissed from his service in the FSB for
the embezzlement of newspaper funds, which were kept in the Moscow
Alpha Bank and earned by the international team of the edition.

“FSB punished him for theft and robbery of the journalists and even
forbade him to travel abroad from the Russian Federation, but they
did not return our money and, to put it mildly, are not in a hurry to.

Moreover, the offender is engaged in employment and transferred to work
at RBEGROUP as head of the analytical department,” the letter said.

As a result, the newspaper was forced to suspend its activities,
and numerous complaints by journalists to the FSB remained unanswered.

Employees of the newspaper are again turning to the head of FSB with a
call to complete the investigation of this case and to restore justice.

“We are not leaving the bright belief that Armenia’s integration
into the Customs, Eurasian and other unions, day and night promoted
by the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, and starting with theft and the
closure of independent Armenian media, is no more than an unfortunate
misunderstanding and not a deliberate policy of infringement of rights
and freedoms of the citizens of Armenia.

We inform you also that we will not tolerate criminal lawlessness of
your employees with artificial delay to resolve the issue, which the
Russian FSB has been demonstrating for more than two years, despite
all the hints and threats from the Russian Embassy in Armenia,” is
said in a message which was signed by the executive director of the
newspaper Nelson Sargsyan and deputy editor Irina Marutian. -02D-