Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIE
Le président Sarkissian admet avoir commis des erreurs

A l’approche des elections du 18 février, dont il est le grand favori,
le président arménien Serge Sarkissian semble disposé à porter un
regard un peu plus critique sur le bilan de ses cinq années de mandat.
Jeudi 14 février, dans un discours prononcé dans la ville d’Achatark,
à une trentaine de km au nord-ouest de Erevan, où il organisait un
meeting, il a admis avoir commis des erreurs, mais en se disant
convaincu que cela n’empêchera pas les électeurs de le réélire, s’ils
souhaitent la prospérité et la justice dans le pays. `Je regrette les
erreurs que j’ai commises, qui sont nombreuses et dont je suis mieux
que quiconque informé’, a-t-il déclaré dans un exercice inhabituel
d’autocritique, en ajoutant, en reprenant à son compte « les mots de
[l’essayiste américain Ralph] Emerson : `Le plus grand courage n’est
pas de ne jamais tomber mais de se relever après chaque chute.”. M.
Sarkissian, qui a présidé aux destinées de l’Arménie durant les cinq
dernières années, n’a toutefois pas précisé la nature de ces erreurs.

`Si vous récusez l’idée selon laquelle la richesse de notre peuple est
détenue par une poignée d’individus, faites entendre votre voix lors
de ces élections’, a déclaré M. Sarkissian devant une foule dense
rassemblée sur la place centrale d’Ashtarak en poursuivant : `Si vous
rejetez l’idée que notre gouvernement est l’otage d’une poignée
d’individus fortunés, vous devez absolument participr à ces élections
». Des appels d’autant plus surprenant de la bouche d’un président
régulièrement accusé de diriger le pays avec une oligarchie et d’avoir
mis à profit son mandat pour s’enrichir. `Si vous êtes d’accord avec
l’idée que notre pays a besoin d’une nouvelle’ politique économique et
d’emplois bien rémunérés, si vous pensez que vous devez vivre dans un
pays de justice, ne restez pas chez vous’ le jour de l’élection, a
poursuivi le president candidat à sa reelection.

Lors de sa campagne en janvier dans la province méridionale du
Syounik, avait là encore reconnu certaines erreurs, et avait admis ne
pas avoir tenu certaines des promesses qu’il avait faites lors de la
campagne pour les élections de 2008. Il avait ajouté qu’il avait voulu
privilégier durant son mandat les réformes socioéconomiques et
d’autres changements qui ont été opérés, dans cette courte période, au
détriment de certaines autres mesures promises.

La veille, M. Sarkissian avait aussi révélé que les services de
sécurité chargés de l’enquête sur l’attentat du 31 janvier contre l’un
des candidats rivaux, Parouyr Hayrikian, avait résolu l’affaire. Deux
suspects ont été arêtes et ils auraient avoué leur responsabilité dans
cette aggression. M. Hayrikian, hospitalisé, a renoncé d’user de son
droit constitutionnel à repousser de deux semaines la date du scrutin,
au prétexte qu’il ne souhaite pas que cette affaire prête à
spéculations politiques. Les autres candidats en lice le lui ont
reproché, estimant qu’il avait fait l’objet de pressions de la
présidence. Si l’affaire semble close aux yeux de M. Sarkissian, qui
en a profité pour se féliciter de l’efficacité des services de
sécurité, M. Hayrikian semble toutefois penser que les véritables
commanditaires de l’attentat dont il a été victimes doivent encore
être arrêtés.

vendredi 15 février 2013,
Gari ©armenews.com

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 14 2013

Group of CIS Interparliamentary Assembly observers to arrive in
Armenia this week

14 February 2013 – 4:19pm

A team of international observers of the CIS Interparliamentary
Assembly (IPA) headed by Coordinator of the Committee, the Chairman of
the Moldovan Parliament on national security, defense and public order
Alexander Stoianoglo will arrive in Yerevan on Saturday, News.am
reports.

Head of Secretariat of the IPA CIS Council Aleksey Sergeyev will
participate in the work of international observers.

During the visit, meetings with the leadership of the National
Assembly of Armenia, Central Electoral Commission, the Prosecutor’s
Office and the Armenian Police will be held.

On Sunday, the delegation will visit Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims.

The group includes 28 MPs from the member states of IPA CIS. On the
Election Day they will visit precincts in Yerevan, Ararat, Artashat,
Etchmiadzin, Armavir, Ashtarak, Hrazdan and Charentsavan.

New York Times
Feb 14 2013

Could the Kardashians Enter Baku Even If They Really Wanted to?

By PETER SAVODNIK

Last weekend, the magazine published my article with the print
headline, `If They Build It, Will the Kardashians Come?’ The story,
about Baku’s ambition to become a new hub for the global 1 percent,
focuses on Khazar Islands, a $100 billion megadevelopment being built
on the Caspian, and the headline flicks at the development’s target
audience – celebrities and, mainly, people who want to be celebrities
– while touching on the unavoidable globalizing and liberalizing
effect this sort of project will have.

Some readers, however, took issue with the headline. After all, Kim
Kardashian claims Armenian heritage, and the Azeris and Armenians have
a particularly complicated relationship. (It has been barely 20 years
since they were killing each other over Nagorno-Karabakh.) The
question was raised, quite literally: even if she wanted to, could Kim
Kardashian actually come to Baku?

One one level, if Baku has any shot at becoming the city it wants to
be, there are going to be Armenians there. Anyway, Armenians are
scheduled to compete in the 2015 European Games, which Baku is
hosting. If Baku’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games prevails, there will
probably be Armenians there, too. There will be Armenian race-car
drivers who compete at the Formula One race track planned for Khazar
Islands, and there will be Armenian musicians who play at its symphony
hall, and there will probably be Armenian investors who see the value
in building a big, flashy development on the Caspian. Kim Kardashian
may even swing through to promote her new line of pumps or clutches or
skin scents or whatever. This is on top of the 30,000 Armenians,
according to Kenan Guluzade, the former head of marketing for Khazar
Islands, who live in Baku.

But these assumptions shouldn’t belittle the tensions that still exist
between Azeris and Amernians. The first time I asked Ibrahimov about
the Armenian question, we were in the back of his Rolls, and he said:
`Armenian people cannot buy here. I will never sell to Armenian
people. My generation will never forget.’ That’s what he’s supposed to
say – it’s what the state wants him to say, because it distracts
Azeris from the problems facing Azerbaijan like poverty and a lack of
potable drinking water by focusing on the shared enemy that is
Armenia. But as he spoke, it was unclear if Ibrahimov really cared.

On Saturday, two days after the story was posted online, I circled
back to the question of Armenia. I asked Ibrahimov whether he would
ever welcome the Kardashians or any other wealthy Armenians who wanted
to visit his megadevelopment. This time, I had to communicate with him
through his assistant, Nigar Huseynli, who’s 23 and always nervous.
Huseynli told me that this would require some discussion and that her
boss would reply as soon as possible. She also asked if I wanted a
photo. Twenty-four hours later, Ibrahimov had still not gotten back to
me, and I e-mailed and then called Nigar in Baku, and she said he
would reply very soon. She seemed put off by the question, and I asked
her what she thought. `Azerbaijani nation has always been peace loving
and has been in peaceful relations with its neighbors,’ she said. `I
hope that in the near future our lands’ – Nagorno-Karabakh, now
controlled by Armenia – `will be returned by peace negotiations.’
Perfect Soviet-propaganda-speak – a sign that Azerbaijan may not look
like it used to but, underneath all the glass and steel and neon
lights, it is still an authoritarian state. But one that’s now open
for big business.

Kim Kardashian’s spokesmen, in New York and Los Angeles, did not
respond to requests for comment.

.

Interfax, Russia
Feb 13 2013

New Nagorno-Karabakh airport pursues purely humanitarian ends –
Armenian foreign minister

YEREVAN. Feb 13

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are not inclined to politicize the
opening of an airport in Stepanakert, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian said.

“The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen called for not politicizing the
opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh in their statement. Neither
Karabakh nor Armenia have politicized or intend to politicize this
issue,” Nalbandian said at a press conference in Tbilisi in reply to a
question by Azeri public television.

“Azerbaijan is politicizing this issue by its daily statements, so
violating the obligations it has undertaken to the co-chairs. The
co-chairs have also asked them not to use force or threaten to use
force against civilian planes. Neither Armenia nor Karabakh have ever
threatened or are threatening to use force against civilian planes.
Azerbaijan has threatened and is continuing every day to threaten to
use force against civilian planes, and so it is violating its
obligation to the co-chairs not to do so,” the Armenian Foreign
Ministry press service quoted Nalbandian as saying.

The Armenian foreign minister also pointed out that the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs said the opening of an airport in Stepanakert should
not prejudge Nagorno-Karabakh’s status.

“We have never tied the opening of the Stepanakert airport to aspects
of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including
Nagorno-Karabakh’s status. Armenia has stated repeatedly at the top
level that the opening of an airport in Stepanakert pursues purely
humanitarian and civilian ends. It is necessary to look at things as
they are rather than foment tensions by statements that go against the
international community’s opinion,” he said.

va jv

EuFoA Secretary General Michael Kambeck: “We can’t divulge the names
of our financial backers”

Marine Madatyan

15:37, February 12, 2013

On February 9, the EuFoA (European Friends of Armenia) issued the
results of an election survey it had conducted between January 31 and
February 5, entitled “Poll: Armenia on the Eve of Presidential
Elections”

According to the survey results, in which 1,609 face-to-face
interviews were conducted through Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan
was way ahead with Raffi Hovannisian in second place.

The EuFoA website ran the following headline atop an article
summarizing the results: Voters show more trust in elections as race
enters final phase – Hovhannisyan strongly gains while Sargsyan still
looks most certain to win in 1st round.

The poll was crafted and implemented by two organizations – TNS
opinion () and IPSC-Institute for Political and
Sociological Consulting (), a research group in Armenia.

Hetq recently caught up with EuFoA Secretary General Michael Kambeck
and Steve Schwarzer, Director for Methods and Statistics at TNS
opinion, Brussels.

Makeyan: Both authorities and HAK are to blame for existing situation

`Our forecasts came true: the presidential election is taking place in
uncompetitive conditions,’ Chairman of Democratic Homeland Party
Petros Makeyan said at a press conference today.

According to him, a sham competition is underway, and not only the
authorities, but also the opposition, particularly Armenian National
Congress (HAK), are to blame for it.

Makeyan stressed that HAK did not allow forming a new force center.
`HAK established partnership with Prosperous Armenia Party. As a
result, Levon Zurabian declared that he positively assesses the term
of President Robert Kocharian,’ Makeyan noted.
In his words, instead of breaking up the power pyramid, HAK has broken
up itself.

As regards the transformation of HAK from an alliance to a new party,
Petros Makeyan expressed an opinion that HAK lacks resources for
rehabilitation.

Thomas de Waal: Azerbaijani authorities speak of thousands of
Armenians who would live in Baku but in the same time bait Eylisli

19:27 14/02/2013 » SOCIETY

Ekrem Eylisli’s novel is a brave act for the writer, thinks the famous
British journalist, author of `Black Garden-Karabakh,’ Thomas de Waal.
In an interview with the Azerbaijani service of `Radio Liberty’, he
noted that Eylisli wrote the novel “Stone Dreams” not as a politician
or journalist but as an artist, as a writer.

`He expressed his vision in fiction. He said that `the society in
which I live, has also committed wrong things, that’s why we are
responsible for it, and it must be recognized,’ de Waal noted.

Answering the question, how he perceives the outrage in Azerbaijan
over Eylisli’s novel, which suddenly broke the taboo by talking about
violence of the Azerbaijani side during the conflict, and began to
call upon the parties to come to peace, de Waal answered, `This speaks
about the fact that the Azerbaijani society is not ready to analyze
the history and problems. And the most important thing is that it is a
characteristic phenomenon for two sides of the conflict both the
Azerbaijani and the Armenian society.’

`Unfortunately, instead of encouraging Eylisli as brave citizen, they
subjected him to pressures, burnt his books. The anger of few people
is sensible. However, the fact that Azerbaijani government is heading
the campaign launched against Ekrem Eylisli is regrettable. The
Azerbaijani government likes to talk about peace, he even recalls how
peacefully thousands of Armenians lived in Baku. Unfortunately, the
pressure on the writer who bravely comments on the conflict, brings to
another impression delivering diverse message,’ the expert said.

The expert, answering the question how the fact that state TV
transmits speech full of hatred against Ekrem Eylisli, the fact that
the president of Azerbaijan has deprived him of the title of `National
Writer’ and the head of one of the pro-governmental parties announced
a reward to the one who cuts the writer’s ear, influences the
international image of Azerbaijan, said that such behavior of
Azerbaijani authorities reminded of the scandal that erupted in Soviet
period over the novel written by Boris Pasternak `Doctor Zhivago’ or
the ban over Salman Rushdie’s books.

De Waal also noted that the Azerbaijani authorities are likely to
think more about the domestic audience, but in our time, such
questions do not remain within the borders of the country. And the
government should be concerned about the image of Azerbaijan in the
whole world. `In all cases, this is a regrettable phenomenon. Ekrem
Eylisli presents the tolerant layer of Azerbaijani society.
Unfortunately, his voice was not heard,’ he said.

De Waal said that different arguments can be presented during the
debate, about the wounds of war in that number, `However, this debate
should be expressed in a polite form, be presented on television, in
newspapers. The burning of books, however, is a result of primitivism
and ignorance,’ the expert said.

As De Waal mentioned the OSCE Minsk Group includes in its mandate also
the support of those people who call on for peace.
`I am not sure in which format they can do it in case of Eylisli. But
I think that any statement made by the OSCE Minsk Group would be just
on time, especially when there are threats that endanger the life of
Ekrem Eylisli. Perhaps this can be done by the countries co-chairing
in the Minsk Group separately. Just as in case of the statement
released by the White House about Ramil Safarov,’ De Waal stated.

The British expert cited example of Azerbaijan’s neighboring country
Georgia where a few years ago, the local political analyst Mamuka
Arashidze said that probably Georgia should recognize Abkhazia’s
independence. His remarks caused outrage among the Georgian society,
the TV channels began criticizing him. But this controversy did not go
beyond verbal squabbles, no one threatened to kill the politician. De
Waal said that Azerbaijan has sometimes to take the example of Georgia
which has had the same problem and to see how they react to different
opinions there.

`Aylisli’s case showed that the society is not ready for peace yet. We
can see that in recent years, the process repeats by the same
scenario. Co-Chairs come with a plan, but the parties do not consider
it acceptable and the process continues, it repeats as if in a vicious
circle. Apparently, the main goal has become not so much reaching a
peace but prevention of a new war,’ Thomas de Waal summed up.

Source: Panorama.am

Carrefour continues to analyze Armenian market to open its store in
the next 12 months – bne

18:32 – 14.02.13

The Armenian government says it’s set to help Carrefour resolve a
dispute that has delayed the French hypermarket giant’s entrance to
the country, in a bid to prevent the country’s investment climate
being harmed further by the affair, bne (Business New Europe) writes
referring to the opening of French Carrefour in Armenia.

As the first international supermarket chain to try to crack the
Armenian market, Carrefour is running up against the power of local
oligarchs who want to keep control of the lucrative food retail
market, say reports. However, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
has come out in favour of the French retailer, which could pave the
way for Carrefour to open its first store in Yerevan this year, bne
writes.

On February 7, Sargsyan told journalists that, “Carrefour must be
opened in Armenia for sure. I had a meeting with Carrefour
representatives, and we discussed all the issues related to the
entrance of the network to Armenia and its normal operation here.
Armenia is quite interested in providing people with Carrefour’s
services,” Sargsyan told journalists.

Carrefour’s arrival is expected to boost competition, raise demand for
agricultural products and help create new infrastructure, Sargsyan
said.

Carrefour’s arrival in Armenia has been anticipated for more than a
year, and the first store was expected to open in late October 2012 –
a month after Majid Al Futtaim Holding, the operator of the Carrefour
brand in the Middle East and Central Asia, launched the first
Carrefour in neighbouring Georgia. Carrefour executives have
reportedly been trying for several months to meet with top government
officials in an attempt to break the impasse.

In an emailed statement, Carrefour’s press office told bne that, “in
line with its strategy of developing the Carrefour brand, the Majid Al
Futtaim group continues to analyze the Armenian market and aims to
open its first store in the next 12 months.”

The article says Armenia’s small retail sector is relatively
underdeveloped, and still populated by local players, among them Star,
SAS, Galaxy and Yerevan City – all of which have emerged in the last
decade. The supermarket and grocery chains have gradually replaced
open-air bazaars and street vendors, as Armenia, like other
post-Soviet countries, makes its transition to a formal retail sector.

ArCa system issues to be solved till February 15

18:07, 14 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: After upgrading works, incoming
issues of ArCa system will be solved till February 15. This was noted
by Armen Safaryan, head of department of `Armenian Card’ specialists,
in the interview with Armenpress. `We have informed all the banks that
issues will be solved till February 15. New program platform has been
installed and that is the reason of some issues,’ Safaryan informed.

According to him, there is no issue concerning outflow of money. The
problem of the system is concerning the salaries which are not
transferred to accounts of the owners.

Preparatory stage of Ashtarak-Talin part of North-South road
construction launched

16:52, 14 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The restoration and construction of
the Ashtarak-Talin part of “North-South Road Corridor Investment
Program” linking the North of Armenia to the country’s Southern parts
launched on February 14. As reports “Armenpress” the Executive
Director of the Program Ara Hovsepyan stated this in the construction
site in the middle of the Davtashen and Katnaghbyur communities.

Among other things Ara Hovsepyan noted: “Today we start the
preparatory works for the construction of this part of the road.” Also
he mentioned that they are aiming at having a new, wide bilateral road
in the Artashat-Yerevan-Talin-Gyumri part by 2017. Also Director of
the Program Ara Hovsepyan recalled that on September 13, 2012, they
have announced the beginning of the construction of the Yerevan-Ararat
and Yerevan-Artashat parts. The construction works are carried out by
the Spanish “Izolux Corsan” company.