Author: Badalian Vardan

FUTUR PROJET DE LOI RELATIF A LA REPRESSION DU NEGATIONNISME DU GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 26 octobre 2012

Une delegation du Conseil de Coordination des Organisations armeniennes
de France (CCAF), composee de ses deux co-Presidents, Mourad Papazian
et Ara Toranian, a ete recue jeudi 25 octobre par une delegation
du groupe France-Armenie au Senat, represente par son president,
Philipe Kaltenbach, et les senateurs Luc Carvounas, Herve Marseille,
et Bernard Piras.

La discussion a essentiellement porte sur le futur projet de loi
relatif a la repression du negationnisme du genocide armenien, la
visite officielle du president de l’Armenie en France et la venue a
Paris d’une delegation du groupe France-Armenie du Parlement armenien.

Rappelant les engagements reiteres du President de la Republique en
faveur d’une penalisation du negationnisme, la delegation du CCAF a
fait part de la necessite d’arriver au plus vite a un aboutissement
de cet objectif vote par l’Assemblee nationale en 2006 et revote par
les deux chambres du Parlement il y a moins d’un an.

Philippe Kaltenbach, a affirme la volonte du groupe de voir ce nouveau
projet de loi propose a la discussion dans les meilleurs delais et en
tout etat de cause avant le 24 avril 2013. Il a egalement souligne
l’obligation qu’il y avait cette fois-ci a garantir les conditions
juridiques et politiques de sa reussite.

CONSTRUCTION OF MEGHRI HPP TO BEGIN IN THE NEXT 10-15 DAYS

Vestnik Kavkaza
Oct 25 2012
Russia

In the near future in Meghri the construction of a new hydroelectric
power station will begin near the Aras river, close to the border with
Iran. This was reported by the Armenian head of the Armenian-Iranian
intergovernmental commission, the Minister for Energy and Natural
Resources of Armenia, Armen Movsisyan, who added that construction
of the dam will begin in the next10-15 days.

“As the Iranian side proposed, in the next 10-15 days we will
organize the ceremony of starting the construction of the Meghri HPP,”
Movsisyan said after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
on the results of the 11th session of the intergovernmental commission.

The Iranian side expressed its willingness to increase funding for
the project in order to address the rest of the issues for the early
start of construction. “There is already a decision made by the Iranian
government about raising the threshold for funding, and only small,
private issues remain. We hope that in the near future we will see
the start of construction,” Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namdzhu
said at the session of the commission.

The agreement on the construction of a hydro-electric power plant on
the Aras river was signed between Armenia and Iran in 2007. It is
assumed that two powerful hydro-electric power plants in the South
Caucasus would be built in Meghri (Armenia) and in Karachilare (Iran).

Each of the two plants will produce 793 million kW/h per year.

Preliminary construction costs will amount to about $323 million;
an Iranian investment company will provide the funding for this.

REPORT: ISRAEL SELLS DRONES TO AZERBAIJAN

YNet
Oct 25 2012
Israel

Global Post reports Israel, Russia and Iran violating UN-imposed
embargo by selling arms to Armenia, Azerbaijan. Observers: Border
skirmishes may escalate to wider regional conflict

Ynet Published: 10.25.12, 08:27 / Israel News

Israel, Russia and Iran are violating an international embargo by
supplying weapons to Azerbaijan and Armenia in the framework of their
dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a number of media outlets
reported Wednesday night.

An article published by the American Global Post news magazine quoted
international observers as saying that the region’s strategic oil and
gas pipelines and a tangled web of alliances and precious resources
threaten to quickly escalate the border skirmishes and airspace
violations to a wider regional conflict triggered by Armenia and
Azerbaijan that could potentially pull in Israel, Russia and Iran.

In March, the American magazine reported, Azerbaijan signed a $1.6
billion arms deal with Israel, which consisted largely of advanced
drones and an air defense system. Through this and other deals,
Azerbaijan is currently amassing a squadron of over 100 drones from
all three of Israel’s top defense manufacturers.

Armenia, the report said, employs only a small number of domestically
produced models.

According to the report, the nations of the South Caucasus, where
a fragile peace holds over three frozen conflicts, are buzzing with
drones they use to probe one another’s defenses and spy on disputed
territories.

The Global Post said that to some extent, Israel, Russia and Iran
are already being pulled towards conflict. Last September, according
to the report, Armenia shot down an Israeli-made Azerbaijani drone
over Nagorno-Karabakh and the government claims that drones have
been spotted ahead of recent incursions by Azerbaijani troops into
Armenian-held territory.

Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan,
said in a briefing that attacks this summer showed that Azerbaijan is
eager to “play with its new toys” and its forces displayed “impressive
tactical and operational improvement.”

The International Crisis Group warned that as the tit-for-tat incidents
become more deadly, “there is a growing risk that the increasing
frontline tensions could lead to an accidental war.”

The UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) have long imposed a non-binding arms embargo on Azerbaijan
and Armenia, and both are under a de facto arms ban from the United
States. But the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI) said this has not stopped Israel and Russia from selling
to them.

The two former Soviet republics fought a bloody war over the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh territory between 1988 and 1994. The dispute
has claimed the lives of some 30,000 people and left hundreds of
thousands homeless. They have since been locked in a stalemate with
an oft-violated ceasefire holding a tenuous peace between them. The
drones are the latest addition to the battlefield.

,7340,L-4296758,00.html

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION OPENED IN YEREVAN

ITAR-TASS
October 24, 2012 Wednesday 09:49 PM GMT+4
Russia

The fifth annual Russian-Armenian industrial exhibition opened in
Yerevan on Wednesday.

The Expo-Russia-Armenia-2012 exposition features industrial and
agricultural products of dozens of Russian and Armenian enterprises
and demonstrates the possibilities of their economies.

A “Eurasian Breakthrough” business forum will take place on the
exhibition’s sidelines.

“Russia remains Armenia’s biggest trade and economic partner,” Ovik
Abramyan, the speaker of the Armenian parliament, said, opening the
exhibition, which in his words was a floor for establishing mutually
beneficial business and friendly ties, forwarding new ideas and
carrying out interesting business initiatives.

“Russia and Armenia, that are strategic partners, have broader
opportunities for cooperation thanks to the solid foundation of
reciprocal ties and the commonness of economic agents,” Abramyan went
on to say.

“Russian-Armenian economic ties have been developing successfully. The
presidents of Russia and Armenia noted that during their recent meeting
in the Kremlin,” Sergei Katyrin, the president of the Russian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, said in his address to the participants in
the exhibition.

“We have accumulated vast experience in all spheres of cooperation
by the 20th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations,”
Katyrin emphasized.

He said that Russia was number one partner for Armenia among its
foreign economic partners. “Russian businessmen actively invest in
the energy and banking sectors, telecommunications, and the mining
and construction industries,” Katyrin said.

More than 1,300 enterprises with the Russian capital have been
registered in Armenia. “The accumulated volume of investments in the
republic’s economy has reached 3 billion dollars,” Katyrin went on to
say. He believes that industrial exhibition would produce a favorable
impact on bilateral cooperation and become an additional factor to
deepening economic integration.

AZERBAIJAN AND FRANCE DISCUSS PROSPECTS OF EXPANDING COOPERATION

Economic News (Information Agency Oreanda)
October 24, 2012 Wednesday
Russia

Baku. OREANDA-NEWS . October 24, 2012. Deputy Minister Khalaf Khalafov
of Azerbaijan has held a meeting with a delegation led by Richard
Prasquier, the Chairman of the Council of Representatives of Jewish
Organizations of France, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
of Azerbaijan.

According to the MFA, in the course of the meeting Khalafov told
of the current reforms in the country in all directions and that
Azerbaijan is the global country accepting universal values. At that,
he pointed out that the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
prevents future development of the whole region and stressed the
importance of resolving the conflict in accordance with UN Security
Council resolutions and within the framework of the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.

Mr. Prasquier, in turn, underlined that Azerbaijan can serve as a
positive example for countries of the world in the field of religious
tolerance and contribution to the dialogue activities. He also stressed
the opportunities for further expansion of relationships with France.

The guest appraised high the initiatives and the steps taken in the
area of convergence of civilizations and religions on the international
level, and thanked them for the conditions created for the Jewish
community in Azerbaijan.

THE RA PROSECUTOR GENERAL AND UK AMBASSADOR DISCUSS COOPERATION ISSUES

Wed, 10/24/2012

Today the RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan met Katherine Leach,
Her Majesty’s Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the
Republic of Armenia.

The RA Prosecutor General’s Office informs that issues related to
cooperation have been discussed during the meeting, especially on the
subject of judicial system reforms. Upon the guest’s request the RA
Prosecutor General introduced the prosecution system, its functions and
structure as well as course of implemented reforms and new challenges.

Agreements have been reached to continue discussions in the near
future, especially in judicial reforms and to outline ways of
cooperation for 2012-2016 strategy project implementation.

ARMENIA’S DEPUTY PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN HAILS CZECH SENATE’S RESOLUTION OVER SAFAROV CASE DURING CONVERSATION WITH COUNTERPART

TERT.AM
25.10.12

NA deputy chairman Eduard Sharmazanov had a telephone conversation
October 24 with the Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Republic
PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka.

During the conversation Sharmazanov expressed his satisfaction on
behalf of the RA National Assembly and him over the well-aimed and
just resolution over the case of the Azerbaijani criminal Ramil
Safarov by the Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security
of the Senate of the Czech Republic.

NA’s press service reported that highlighting the Czech counterparts’
this step Eduard Sharmzanov noted that this was another manifestation
of calling a spade a spade. He expressed hope that the cooperation
between the parliaments of the two countries from now on will be
effective and continuous.

PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka noted that in the parliament of the Czech Republic
they greatly emphasize the protection of human rights and democratic
values. He has expressed readiness to more deepen Armenia-Czech
Republic inter-parliamentary relations.

The sides have considered symbolic that this resolution has been
adopted on the eve of the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan’s visit
to the Czech Republic.

AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST STATE OF NSW RECOGNISES THE REPUBLIC OF NAGORNO KARABAKH

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 25, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS: The Legislative Council of the
New South Wales Parliament adopted a resolution recognising the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and the right to self-determination of
its Armenian people, who declared independence from an oppressive
Azerbaijan 20 years ago,reports Armenpress citing Armenian National
Committee of Australia. The motion, which was unanimously adopted
on Thursday 25thOctober, 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 recognise 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) recognises 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.

COOPERATION ENTRE L’IRAN ET L’ARMENIE
Laetitia

armenews.com
jeudi 25 octobre 2012

Le ministre de l’Energie iranien, Majid Namjou, s’est plaint de la
lenteur de la mise en ~uvre des projets energetiques communs avec
l’Armenie lors de sa rencontre avec les hauts fonctionnaires du
gouvernement armenien a Erevan mercredi 23 octobre 2012.

” Nous avons certainement fait des progrès sur les projets realises
en commun, mais je dois dire qu’il y a aussi des obstacles en
raison desquels le cours de ces projets a quelque peu ralenti
“, a declare Namjou lors d’une session ordinaire d’une commission
intergouvernementale armeno-iranienne sur la cooperation economique. ”
Malgre toutes les realisations, les resultats ne sont pas satisfaisants
pour nous et tout doit etre fait pour surmonter les obstacles et aller
de l’avant “, a declare le ministre de l’Energie, Armen Movsisian et
d’autres membres armeniens de la commission.

Namjou semblait se referer aux plans d’Erevan et de Teheran
qui souhaitent construire une grande usine hydroelectrique sur
la frontière armeno-iranienne, expedier le combustible iranien a
l’Armenie et etablir une ligne de transmission reliant les deux pays
voisins. Les projets de plusieurs millions de dollars ont a plusieurs
reprises pris du retard. Le president de l’Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
et de l’Armenie, Serge Sarkissian, ont convenu d’accelerer leur mise
en ~uvre lors de leur rencontre a Erevan en decembre dernier. Les
deux parties ont annonce après le voyage de M. Namjou en Armenie en
juin que les travaux sur la centrale hydroelectrique situee près de
la rivière Arax, qui devrait coûter 350 millions de dollars, allaient
finalement demarrer en août. La construction n’a apparemment toujours
pas commence. Movsisian a cependant affirme que les trois projets
restent a l’ordre du jour, mais n’a pas donne de delais concrets.

” Le haut niveau des relations politiques entre les deux pays nous
oblige a assurer une activite correspondante dans le domaine de
la cooperation economique “, a ajoute Movsisian. Dans ce contexte,
il a note un niveau record des echanges commerciaux bilateraux. Les
relations commerciales armeno-iraniennes ont deja augmente de 13,6%.

jeudi 25 octobre 2012, Laetitia ©armenews.com

ARMENIAN OLIGARCHS HEAD TO DUBAI – NEWSPAPER

news.am
October 24, 2012 | 06:32

YEREVAN. – Prosperous Armenia Party leader and businessman Gagik
Tsarukyan is in Dubai these days, Zhoghovurd daily reports.

“Zhoghovurd’s sources inform that he is joined-or will be joined
today [Wednesday]-by the [National Assembly] NA [ruling Republican
Party] RPA MP [and businessman] Samvel Aleksanyan and Tashir Group’s
proprietor Samvel Karapetyan.

To note, according to tradition, they go to Dubai every fall,
together with their family members, to relax. And every time the
Armenian political scene talks around that the huge businessmen have
gone to Dubai to discuss political matters and to outline some new
developments,” Zhoghovurd writes.