Author: Badalian Vardan

Fasting Pleases God

03:50 pm | March 16, 2013 | Politics

Today Anahit Melkonyan who has been a chess coach for 30 year,
announced a one-day hunger strike in Freedom Square. She replaced poet
Violet Gevorgyan.
Mrs. Melkonian with this step protests against Catholicos’s statement:

“He has made a mistake about fasting, Fasting Pleases God”,- she said.

Meanwhile, signature collection still goes on in Freedom square under
the title:”I support the struggle of Armenia”.

Responsible of the lists Shushan says that the citizens are very
active. In her words, the citizens are signing in support of the
struggle of Raffi Hovannisian, saying that Raffi’s struggle is also
their struggle.

“Heritage” party Anahit Bakhshyan added that every man has brought his
opinion to Freedom square, such a pluralistic environment that is
hard to imagine.

Raffi Hovannisian did not have lack of guests during the night, he was
visited by many people interested in his health condition and some of
them have been there all night long.

Rule of Law (OEK) party members Mher Sahgeldyab and Khacik Harutyunyan
also visited him urging Mr. Hovhannisyan to get out of the hunger
strike.

By the way, since yesterday 8 young people expressed their support to
Raffi Hovannisian who arrived in Yerevan from Vanadzor and are
students. They will stop their sit-down strike tomorrow morning.

Turbulence or butterfly will change the situation

03:20 pm | March 16, 2013 | Politics

Today Pre-Parliament was discussing “Armenia in the context of
international turbulence-object or subject?”.

Pre-Parliament member Garegin Chukaszyane member tried to explain what
turbulence meant in this context: “Imagine you have two heavy weights
and you can not come to balance and here’s a little butterfly that can
change the situation. Right this is the turbulence when a little
condition can change the situation: this is what gives Armenia the
opportunity to become a subject”.

During today’s discussion direct connections were made.

Karapet Momjyan a historian from Los Angeles noted that information is
heard today that the Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili
called on Armenian workers to come and to invest their money in
Georgia, promising them prospering atmosphere for business
development. “That is, if your state dispels and pushes you away the
neighboring country will certainly benefit from that situation
creating appropriate conditions”.

According to him, RA should be center of safety of information. “I do
not think that there is any country in the world, which is not
important, especially in this age of globalization. The hypothesis
that RA is not important is not right. If we do not take out that
mentality, we can not represent a serious state structure. The most
important thing that Armenians have is our brain and it should be our
future when we have to deal with superpowers.

Synopsys Armenia hosted students of SEUA High School

18:40 15.03.2013

On March 15 Synopsys Armenia hosted the students of State Engineering
University of Armenia (SEUA) High School establishing a new initiative
aimed at developing the IT in the country. The goal of the initiative
is to increase the interest in microelectronics among youngsters with
technical capabilities from an early age and inspire them to choose a
career in the ICT sector. The introductory visits of students from
high schools with an emphasis on technical education to Synopsys
Armenia will take place on a monthly basis.

Synopsys Armenia Director Hovik Musayelyan opened the meeting with a
welcome speech: `Your presence here at Synopsys Armenia today is very
symbolic. Maybe this visit will have an impact on your career choice.
Innovation is the future of our country. I encourage you to use your
intellectual potential to shape that future.’

The welcome speech was followed by a visit to one of the company’s
engineering departments, where students had an opportunity to closely
interact with engineers in an industrial setting and get answers to
their questions. Afterwards the students visited Synopsys Armenia
Educational Department (SAED), where they met with students from SEUA
(the Faculty of Microelectronic circuits and systems) and Yerevan
State University. The high school students familiarized themselves
with the educational environment, after which SAED Director, professor
Vazgen Melikyan introduced the educational department’s activities in
a brief presentation.

`I believe such visits will increase the interest in microelectronics
among students, which will solve an issue of double importance: the
students will be inspired to choose a career in high technologies, and
the sphere will benefit from cutting edge and innovative specialists
in future,’ said Vazgen Melikyan.

`I want to thank Synopsys Armenia for hosting us today. I loved the
environment where people work and learn. I am very excited and
inspired to continue my studies so that I can become Synopsys Armenia
employee in the future ,’ saidan 11th grade student at SEUA High
School Chatikyan Sargis.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 15, 2013 Friday 04:26 PM GMT+4

Azerbaijan calls for preserving Minsk Group format – FM

BAKU March 15

– Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov calls for preserving
the format of the OSCE Minsk Group as an international mediator in the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Speaking at a news briefing on Friday, Mamedyarov said the co-chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group visited the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area in
early April.

The Azerbaijani minister said, “I’m optimistic about the Minsk Group
format as a platform for the talks. The three countries, Russia,
France and the United States, are permanent members of the U.N.
Security Council, play an important role in ensuring global security
and can make positive contribution to solving the Karabakh problem.”

The settlement “should be based on discussions and cooperation with
the Minsk Group countries”, he added.

Commenting on the regular meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents, Mamedyarov said, “Till now this issue is not on the
agenda.”

For his part, OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier stressed that
the issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
“remain the priorities for the organisation”.

Earlier in the day, Zannier met Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev.
During the meeting, the officials exchanged views on the state of and
prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE, the
president’s website reported.

Azeris worried that they failed to undermine Van-Yerevan flights

15:23, 16 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. The official circles of Azerbaijan are
worried and angry with the fact that they failed to undermine the
operation of Van-Yerevan direct flights between Turkey and Armenia. As
reports “Armenpress” citing Azerbaijani media, the head of
public-political affairs department of Azerbaijani president’s staff
Ali Hasanov, referring to the operation of the flights stated: “Thus
Ankara supports a country which continues the occupation of
Azerbaijani lands.”

Also Hasanov did not conceal the concern of official Baku that
“brother country Turkey is establishing relations with Armenia”. Among
other things he noted: “We treat it with double jealousy, when those
countries, with which we have fraternal and strategic relations,
deepen tiess with Armenia.”

Van-Yerevan-Van direct flights will be implemented from April 3, 2013.
Twice in a week the flights will be implemented from Yerevan to Van
and in the opposite direction. The flights become reality due to
“Narekavank” Travel Agency and the Union of Manufacturers and
Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia.

PASHINIAN: INAUGURATION SHOULD BE TURNED INTO WRETCHED PARTY

Saturday,
March 16

After the February 18 election, the political situation has been
changing dynamically, the deputy of HAK parliamentary faction Nikol
Pashinian said during the rally in Liberty Square today.

He stated that the people will not retreat. “Serzh Sargsyan, Gorik
Hakobian and Vladimir Gasparian should realize that they can storm,
but the people will not respond with violence, moreover, they will
not retreat,” Pashinian said.

In his words, the current movement in Liberty Square pursues important
goals such as the formation of a government. The opposition MP
suggested convening an open public council in Liberty Square, saying
that during the discussions, movement participants may submit their
proposals concerning the formation of a new government to Raffi
Hovannisian.

“It is obvious that the political process will reach its apogee on
April 9 when the president elected by the people assumes his office,”
Pashinian said.

According to him, in order to prevent Serzh Sargsyan’s inauguration
ceremony, it is necessary to make it senseless. “We should pack
Republic Square on that day and prove that the people elected their
president, and this is not Serzh Sargsyan,” Pashinian said.

In his words, the inauguration ceremony should be turned into a
“wretched party” and the people’s decision, according to which Raffi
Hovannisian has been elected president, needs to be confirmed.

“Come to Republic Square with your families. There will be no clashes
on that day, It is going to be a grand occasion”, Nikol Pashinian
stated.

15.03.2013, 20:09

Aysor.am

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN READY TO LISTEN TO ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT – VIDEOS

Tert.am
18:01 ~U 15.03.13

During a ‘Facebook conference’ by Azatutyun Radio on Friday, Heritage
party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian stated his readiness to listen to
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan to overcome the national crisis.

“As regards economy, work and pensions, I am not the one to deal with
the problems. It is the Armenian people that are to deal with them,”
Mr Hovannisian said in response to a Facebook user’s call “to force
the president into concessions, negotiations with you because the
people’s socio-economic conditions are disastrous.”

Asked about Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who does
not visit Freedom Square, Mr Hovannsian advised the Facebook user to
address his question to Mr Ter-Petrosyan.

“In the coming days we are going to see Freedom Square turning into
a fermenting square uniting all our people,” he said.

ISSUES ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CAPITALS OF TWO ARMENIAN REPUBLICS DISCUSSED IN NKR

19:08, 15 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS: Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan
met delegation of the Yerevan city administration led by Mayor Taron
Margaryan on March 15.

As Armenpress was informed from presidential press service of NKR,
issues related to further deepening relations between the two Armenian
capitals were discussed during the meeting.

President Sahakyan considered important multilateral cooperation with
the Yerevan city considering it useful both for Stepanakert and for
the whole Artsakh. NKR President has also added that there are all the
necessary preconditions for further widening and expanding the ties.

Bako Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the mayor of Yerevan for
providing technical equipment to the Shoushi communal service and
assisting the process of the town’s beautification. The Head of the
State rated high the initiative of Yerevan city administration to lay
out a park of Freedom Fighter in the center of Stepanakert considering
its importance from both political and moral-psychological viewpoints.

Vice Premier Arthur Aghabekyan, mayor of Stepanakert Souren Grigoryan,
chairman of the Artsakh Union of Freedom Fighters Samvel Karapetyan
and other officials partook at the meeting.

Rule of Law party reps visit Raffi Hovannisian (video)

12:29 – 16.03.13

Deputy leader of Rule of Law party Mher Shahgeldyan and party’s MP
Khachik Harutyunyan visited today Heritage party leader Raffi
Hovannisian hunger-striking for already the seventh day.

The party’s representatives conveyed the greetings of their party
leader Arthur Baghdasaryan.

Mher Shahgedlyan called on Raffi Hovannisian to stop the hunger
strike. `Each political force has its position and own way of its
political fight. We have urged Mr Hovannisian to stop the hunger
strike and he presented his viewpoint on it,’ Shahgeldyan said,
speaking to reporters after the meeting.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are expected to visit Yerevan and
Stepanakert next week

13:58, 16 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENRPESS. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will pay
a visit to Armenia on March 21. The Press Secretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Balayan told
“Armenpress” about this. The President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan will host them on the same day. Negotiations will be
held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Edward Nalbandyan.

Artsakh too is looking forward to the Co-Chairs visits. The Press
Secretary of the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Davit
Babayan stated: “Usually during these visits the Co-Chairs pay visit
to Artsakh as well. If they don’t, it is being conditioned with
weather.” In addition he noted that they are expecting the Co-Chairs’
visit to take place in the beginning of the next week.

On March 3 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Edward Nalbandyan had a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
Jacques Faure, Igor Popov, and Ian Kelly and the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office Anjey Kaspszyk in Paris.
A number of issues regarding the Artsakh issue had been under
discussion during the meeting.