Author: Badalian Vardan

OSCE MG co-chairs meet Armenian, Azeri FMs for Karabakh talks

October 28, 2012 – 18:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met on
Saturday, October 28 with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Robert
Bradtke, Igor Popov, Jacques Faure and the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk in Paris.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov joined the parties later.

At the meeting, the co-chairs stressed the necessity to ease tensions
between the conflicting parties, briefing those present on their views
for achieving progress in Karabakh conflict settlement.

The Ministers, in turn, announced their readiness to continue joint
work in reaching a peaceful solution.

In conclusion, the parties agreed to discuss the co-chairs’
suggestions during the latters’ visit to the region in November,
Foreign Ministry press service reported.

BULGARIE
Le conseil municipal de Yambol annule la déclaration reconnaissant le
génocide arménien

Le Conseil municipal de la ville de Yambol située dans le sud de la
Bulgarie a annulé une déclaration reconnaissant le génocide arménien
de deux ans après son adoption.

20 conseillers municipaux ont voté en faveur de l’annulation, huit ont
voté contre et deux se sont abstenus de voter. La proposition visant à
annuler la déclaration a été déposée par sept conseillers à la demande
de plusieurs organisations dont les projets avec la Turquie n’avait
pas été mis en `uvre en raison de la déclaration ont déclaré les
conseillers.

Selon eux, la déclaration `a un effet négatif sur les relations de
partenariat de la municipalité de Yambol, et surtout des organisations
professionnelles avec des organisations similaires en Turquie. `

La déclaration reconnaissant le génocide arménien avait été adoptée le
28 Octobre 2010 avec 28 voix pour.

dimanche 28 octobre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIA: PRE-ELECTION SITUATION – 1

Vestnik Kavkaza
Oct 26 2012
Russia

David Stepanyan, Yeveran. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

According to information circulating in the Armenian parliament,
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia will organize extra session in
December, where its leader, President Serge Sargsyan, will be proposed
to be a candidate in the presidential elections of 2013. The Central
Election Committee hasn’t defined the date of the elections yet,
but most probably they will take place on February 18th.

At the moment none of main candidates for presidentship hasn’t stated
officially on his intentions. Such a situation appears in the republic
for the first time. The uncertainty was caused by absence of agreement
between leading political parties – RPA and Prosperous Armenia.

The closer the date of the elections, the more difficulties appear
in relations of previous allies. Sargsyan and a probable rival from
PA will compete also with several other politicians: leaders of the
union National Self-Identity Parujr Airikyan and the party New Times
Aram Karapetyan, the chairman of Peoples Party Tigran Karapetyan, the
chairman of the opposition party Heritage Raffi Ovannosyan. After the
July session, the leaders of Dashnaktsutyun also stated on possible
presentation of their own candidate.

Even today we can say that all these politicians will play no real
role in the elections. Their task is to provide legitimization of the
current authorities who prepare for next reproduction. The question
whether the opposition will present a unified candidate is also acute.

However, there are few chances for it.

After first presidential elections in Armenia in 1991, a strange
tradition appeared: to deal who will be next president ahead of
elections. Elections only fixed agreements of interested sides.

Previously the strategy of artificial competition between parties was
effective and provided reproduction of the regime in various levels
of power. Corruptive nature of Armenian politicans – pro-governmental
and pseudo-opposition – caused the tendency when political forces
separated from the society and began to lie their own life.

It led to indifference of the society to political processes.

Disorientation took place in the Armenian society: the majority of
electorate doesn’t trust the power and the opposition, preferring not
to go to elections at all or spoil ballots. There were 54 thousand
spoiled ballots in the parliamentary elections on May 6. 54 thousand
voters and several hundred thousand citizens who ignored the elections
are the best confirmation of indifference caused by political processes
in Armenia.

Really strong rivals for Sargsyan could be only his predecessors –
Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Robert Kocharyan; however, observers exclude
a possibility of their participation. Ter-Petrosyan is thought to be
an active player of the Armenian politics, but it would be reasonable
for him not to go to the elections as the ANC lost a significant part
of its supporters after March 1st, 2008.

Kocharyan has chances, but they are shadowy, as well as his whole
activity in recent years. The chances are expressed in a moderate
figure of Prosperous Armenia’s chairman Gagik Tsarukyan. Nevertheless,
Tsarukyan keeps silence and states no attitude to the elections. It
seems he is waiting for somebody’s decision. However, it is obvious
that such a powerful force as Prosperous Armenia will do its part.

To be continued.

NKR DEFENSE ARMY CONTINUES TO GROW NEW WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

Mediamax
Oct 26 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. NKR Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan said that the
recent military exercise in Artsakh showed that the NKR Defense Army
is ready to fulfill all the tasks set forth.

“The entire structure of the Defense Army took part in the exercise,
which ended two days ago. The exercise showed everything the Defense
Army will do in the event of resumption of hostilities, “- he said.

Movses Hakobyan noted that the NKR Defense Armey continues to grow
weapons and equipment.

According to him, the Karabakhi side enriches its reserves with the
same speed the enemy acquires armament.

AZERBAIJAN STEALS WEAPON FROM SOUTH AFRICA – ARMENIAN MOD

news.am
October 26, 2012 | 21:14

YEREVAN. – The Armenian Ministry of Defense is going to release a
video, which will denounce the so-called ‘super advantage’ weapon
‘made in Azerbaijan’ under the name of ‘Istiglal.’

As a matter of fact, the Istiglal is a sort of a weapon, produced in
the South African Republic out of license, the Armenian MOD secretary
Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.

Hence, the Azerbaijani side simply stole it. However, the fact of
being out of license is not the greatest default of the weapon.

“The weapon features bad optics. Also the snipers’ weapons cannot
match the machine-gun bullets,” Hovhannisyan claimed.

According to some data, the ‘proud’ of Azerbaijani military productions
will be no longer produced due to its high level recall morbidity.

RA NA PRESIDENT HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN IS TO LEAVE ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT FOR THE CZECH REPUBLIC

26.10.2012

On October 29 the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan on a three-day
official visit will leave for the Czech Republic at the invitation
of the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milan Å tÄ~[ch
. The delegation led by the NA President comprises of the Chairman
of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan,
the Chairwoman of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human
Rights and Public Affairs Elinar Vardanyan, deputies Karine Atshemyan
and Artur Gevorgyan.

In Prague the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan had meetings with
the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milan Å tÄ~[ch,
the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Miroslava Nemcova, the first
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg,
the Archbishop of Prague, the Leader of Bohemia Diocese His Eminence
Dominik Cardinal Duka, the Chairman of the Czech Republic-Armenia
Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Robin BÅ’hnisch. A meeting with
the representatives of the Armenian community is also envisaged.

In Karlovi Vary the NA President will have meetings with the Head of
the State Joseph Novotny and Mayor of the City Petr Kulhánek .

In the evening of October 31 the Delegation led by the RA NA President
will return to Yerevan.

“ARTSAKHKAT” RESUMED ITS WORK, YET WHO WILL COMPENSATE THE CHILDREN?

Friday, 26 October 2012 11:54

“Artsakhkat” CJSC has resumed its activities since October 22.

Karabakh-open.info was informed about this by director of the company
Armo Tsaturyan according to whom the company’s probationary produce
had been tested and the company got the permission to resume its
activities that had been stopped at the end of September.

It must be mentioned that according to the official information the
“Artsakhkat” produce became the reason for the acute enteric infection
that burst out in a number of kindergartens of Stepanakert and in that
of Aygestan village, Askeran region. The director of the company,
however, does not accept this opinion and claims that nothing like
that is possible. As he assures he has his own arguments and the
results of his own examinations.

Anyway, the company will resume its dairy production, how the company
will manage to restore its rating in the public is another question,
though the number of consumers may possibly increase as according
to the public rumours not the “Artsakhkat” dairy produce but the
meat used caused the infection. According to other rumours macaroni
products were the reason. However, these are the rumours that have
been circulating in the public during the latest 20 days. Yet some
definite information can be provided by Ministry of Healthcare only
which has so far made no official announcement and gave no explanation
concerning the real reason for the infection. To the journalists’
question when the results of the examinations will become known the
Ministry’s answer is “Soon they will”.

As we have already informed criminal proceedings were brought against
the company and Armo Tsaturyan hopes that the law enforcement bodies
will soon reveal the real reasons and those who are guilty will answer
for the case.

As a consequence of all this the company carried 2,5 mln dollars’
damage the compensation of which is a separate matter. A question
arises: who will compensate the children and their parents who spent
days and weeks in hospitals?

Anahit Danielyan

AZERBAIJAN CONDUCTED SEVEN DIVERSIONARY OPERATIONS SO FAR THIS YEAR – KARABAKH MOD

news.am
October 26, 2012 | 14:58

Azerbaijan conducted seven diversionary operations so far this year,
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan
stated during a press conference on Thursday.

Last year the adversary was able to infiltrate into Karabakh territory
several times. “This year seven such attempts were made and all of them
were prevented on time. Suffering losses, the adversary was forced
to retreat,” Hakobyan noted adding that, except for one attempt,
the adversary was unable to cause any losses to the NKR Defense Army.

As per the Minister, Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire in NKR’s
direction 12,000 times since the beginning of the year until October
1. It had breached the truce 9,519 times within the same time period
last year. As Hakobyan noted, in the case of firing shots, the Karabakh
side likewise opens retaliatory fire. “The adversary is attempting
to maintain a tense situation at the line of contact,” NKR Defense
Minister noted, and added: “I don’t know how much they have managed
to raise the spirit of their own army, but they have not achieved
[any] success in other respects.”

Movses Hakobyan informed that an analysis has been conducted on the
causes for the NKR Defense Army servicemen being killed by Azerbaijani
snipers. “We have done much work to correct the situation at the line
of contact,” the NKR Defense Minister noted.

AUSTRALIA’S NEW SOUTH WALES RECOGNIZES KARABAKH INDEPENDENCE

asbarez
Thursday, October 25th, 2012

New South Wales parliament

SYDNEY-The Legislative Council of the New South Wales Parliament
adopted a resolution recognizing the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and
the right to self-determination of its Armenian people, who declared
independence 20 years ago.

The motion, which was unanimously adopted on Thursday 25th October,
comes after many months of advocacy from the Armenian National
Committee of Australia (ANC Australia). It was introduced to the
Chamber by the Hon. Marie Ficarra MLC, who was been a long-standing
supporter of Armenian issues.

The motion acknowledges the 20th anniversary of independence
for the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, it supports the right to
self-determination of its people, and it “calls on the Commonwealth
Government [of Australia] to officially recognize the independence
of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and strengthen Australia’s
relationship with the Nagorno Karabakh and its citizens”.

ANC Australia Executive Director Vache Kahramanian and with
Communications Director Haig Kayserian were present in the Gallery
to witness the successful passage of this historic motion.

“Nagorno Karabakh has been at the forefront of ANC Australia’s recent
activities. Today’s result is a victory for all those who continue
to remain oppressed under brutal regimes,” Kahramanian remarked.

“The NSW Parliament has always been, and continues to be, a beacon
of hope in upholding human rights. We thank all members of the
Legislative Council for taking a stance to uphold the basic human
right to self-determination. In particular we thank Marie Ficarra
for her courageous stance.”

ANC Australia Honorary Chairman, Greg Soghomonian welcomed this
historic decision.

Soghomonian said: “The Republic of Nagorno Karabakh is now receiving
the status it has long deserved – an independent, democratic republic.

This is a significant milestone for the Armenian-Australian community
and the Armenian community at large.

He added: “This motion serves as a testament to the strength of the
Armenian National Committee of Australia in ensuring the representation
of all issues of importance to our community.”

The full text of the motion can be read below.

1. That this House notes that 2012 marks the twentieth anniversary
of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

2. That this House:

(a) acknowledges the importance of the basic human right to
self-determination and a free and a democratic society,

(b) recognizes the right to self-determination of all peoples including
those of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,

(c) notes Nagorno-Karabakh’s sustained efforts towards creating a free
and democratic society through the use of legitimate parliamentary
elections and its continued efforts to develop a responsible
government,

(d) supports and encourages Nagorno-Karabakh’s involvement within
the international community and further encourages its engagement
with the international community to reach a solution to the existing
regional problems to establish peace and stability,

(e) encourages peaceful relations and the continued promotion of
humanitarian and economic support for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh;
and

(f) calls on the Commonwealth Government to officially recognise
the independence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and strengthen
Australia’s relationship with the Nagorno-Karabakh and its citizens.

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIA FUND LAUNCHES 15TH INTERNATIONAL TELETHON CAMPAIGN

armradio.am
12:06 25.10.2012

Wednesday, October 10, 2012 marked the launch of Hayastan All-Armenia
Fund’s 15th International campaign.

The live 12 hour program is set to air on Thanksgiving Day, November
22, 2012 and will raise funds for the construction of Multifunctional
Community Centers in the remote villages of Armenia and Artsakh.

The community centers will house first aid clinics with an ambulance,
computer rooms connected to the internet, an auditorium for trainings
and town hall meetings, a library with audio visual equipment, as
well as an administrative and accounting office. The dinner reception,
hosted at the House of Armenia in Glendale, attracted long time donors
and supporters of the Fund.

The event has become a tradition where the official logo of the
telethon is unveiled, kicking off the campaign and rallying the
greater Armenian-American community around one mission: to help
strengthen Armenia.

The honor of unveiling the official Telethon 2012 Logo, designed by
Los Angeles based graphic artist Edik Balaian, was given to Mr. Ara
Vardanyan, Executive Director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund and Mr.

Ara Aghishian, Esq., Chairman of Armenia Fund U.S. Western Region.

Present at the event was the Honorable Grigor Hovhanissian, Consul
General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles, Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy, Archbishop
Vatche Hovsepian, former Primate of the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church, as well as the leadership of major Armenian-American
organizations, who are also members of the Armenia