Author: Badalian Vardan

Efforts are made to keep Vordan karmir biotype: Aram Aghasyan

13:40, 22 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: The growth of Vordan karmir insect
otherwise called Araratyan vordan karmir increases regularly.
Specially Protected Natural Areas Management Division head, the
Ministry of Environmental Protection Aram Aghasyan dwelling on the
concerns of the environmentalists told Armenpress there is a threat
of extinction of insects.

According to environmentalists the reason of the problem is the
neglected state of Vordan karmir reserve. The reserve ”Vordan karmir
of Ararat” was formed at Ararat valley having a territory of 219
hectare covering two different villages namely Jrarat and Arazat. The
establishment of Vordan karmir reserve under the auspices of Ministry
of Environmental Protection is mainly directed to the preservation of
the insect, yet does not contribute insect reproduction.

For obtaining the paint only females are used. They are wingless,
oval-shaped, with 4-12 mm length and having 2 simple eyes. At the
beginning of September, during 35-40 days, in the early morning males
and females go up to the surface of the ground and get fecundated
after which males are abolished and females are covered with ground
and lay eggs. The insects are gathered when they go up to the surface
of the ground for fecundation.

Vordan karmir is a perfect natural dye, which stopped to be used from
the 19th century . The cause is Mexican vordan, which regardless
yields its quality yet is more available. Armenia should keep vordan
karmir insect as an endemic creature, specialists underscore. Rare and
precious books kept in Matenadaran , church icons are painted by
vordan karmir.

Haykakan Zhamanak: Drug prices rise significantly

11:27 22/09/2012 » Daily press

Drug prices have gone up significantly in Armenia in the past 10-15
days, Haykakan Zhamanak reports.

Prices for about 80 percent of drug names have increased 10-30 percent
in the country.

According to the paper, this is due to the increased control on drug
market. It was revealed that one of the major pharmaceutical companies
had been implementing damping in the market, trying to force out small
rival companies, but now this process seems to have been halted.

Source: Panorama.am

Haykakan Zhamanak: Karabakh’s FM already aoppointed

tert.am
10:27 – 22.09.12

The decree of Karabakh’s president Bako Sahakyan has not been
published yet but the appointment of Foreign Minister of Karabakh may
be considered already a fact.

According to the paper’s sources, the Karabakh president was to
present the new FM Karen Mirzoyan two days ago but the intention was
postponed due to technical reasons.

Turkologist Mirzoyan was Karabakh’s representative in Armenia. He has
had different offices in Armenia’s Foreign Ministry.

Another Armenian killed in Aleppo – newspaper

news.am
September 22, 2012 | 07:05

YEREVAN. – The Armenians, who immigrated to Armenia from Syria because
of the civil war there, informed on Friday as to what is taking place
these days, specifically in the country’s Armenian populated regions,
Hraparak daily reports.

`The Syrian opposition again bombarded the Armenian-populated and, in
general, the Christian-populated areas, in the early morning hours of
[Friday] September 21, and one Armenian was killed as a result of the
military operations.

Our compatriots note that the Armenians [still] remaining in Aleppo
have no choice but to immediately leave the war-ravaged city.

Before the military operations, however, approximately 35,000
Armenians were living in Armenia, and solely 7,000-8,000 of them were
able to leave during these months. And a maximum of 3,000 of those
7,000-8,000 immigrated to Armenia; the others found shelter in Lebanon
and in other countries,’ Hraparak writes.

ARMENIE-SYRIE
Le président syrien a salué la Journée de l’Indépendance de l’Arménie

Le président syrien Bachar Al-Assad a dans un communiqué adressé à son
homologue arménien Serge Sarkissian salué l’Arménie a l’occasion de la
Journée de l’Indépendance. Au nom du peuple syrien, Bachar Al-Assad a
souhaité « au peuple arménien ami » beaucoup de réussite. Les
relations entre Erévan et Damas furent toujours très bonnes depuis
l’Indépendance de l’Arménie. Le premier lien de ces relations étant la
communauté arménienne de Syrie très bien intégrée dans la vie
économique, culturelle et sociale de la Syrie, des Arméniens qui
constituent autant l’élément essentiel de ce rapprochement entre la
Syrie et l’Arménie.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 22 septembre 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Communique de St. Etchmiadzine
Conférence préparatoire du 100 ème anniversaire du Génocide

Le 20 septembre, sa sainteté Aram I, Catholicos de la Grande maison de
Cilicie, est arrivé au saint-Siège d’Etchmiadzine où il a été
accueilli par sa Sainteté Karékine II, Patriarche suprême et
Catholicos de tous les Arméniens et par les membres de la congrégation
du monastère patriarcal.

Les deux patriarches doivent participer ensemble aux travaux de la
commission nationale chargée de préparer le 100 ème anniversaire du
Génocide. Durant la liturgie d’accueil, les deux Catholicos se sont
exprimés sur l’affaire Safarov et le sort de la communauté arménienne
de Syrie en priant pour le repos des mes des victimes et pour la paix
du monde.

Centre d’Information du diocèse de France de l’Eglise arménienne

samedi 22 septembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

If Azerbaijan wants to be part of the European family, it should stop
making a hero out of criminal: D. Pinto

20:37 | 2012-09-19 | Opinions | Regional Opinions |

“Azerbaijan’s civil independence during 21 years could develop much
more effectively.” said Secretary General of the International
European Movement Diogo Pinton.
According to the coordinator of one of Europe’s largest organizations,
Ramil Safarov’s pardon and the tension around it, is a bright example
of the difference of domestic and European mindset.
“If Ramil Safarov killed someone in Baku, he would have been in prison
now. But he killed his foreign partner, in Europe, and the local
authorities had done everything possible for his pardon. Europeans
understand the serious issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Safarov
is one of those people who suffer from this complex historical event.
But if Azerbaijan wants to be part of the European family, it should
not legitimize, as well as make a hero out of criminals.’ said Pinto.

CCAF.info (Communiqué de presse)
21 sept 2012

Destruction des pavillons de l’Arménie et de l’Artsakh

Le CCAF condamne avec la plus grande fermeté la destruction des
pavillons de l’Arménie et de l’Artsakh, dans la nuit du 17 au 18
septembre 2012, lors de la Foire internationale du tourisme, au parc
d’exposition de la porte de Versailles à Paris.

Ces actes de vandalisme ne peuvent pas rester impunis ! Sans tomber
dans l’accusation gratuite, cette lche opération intervient dans un
contexte marqué par la visite scandaleuse du président dictateur de
l’Azerbaïdjan, Ilham Aliev, en France, lequel a gracié il y a quelques
jours le sous-officier Ramil Safarov, auteur d’un crime odieux commis
en 2004 sur la personne du jeune officier arménien, Kourken Makarian,
décapité à la hache dans son sommeil, dans le cadre d’un stage de
l’OTAN à Budapest (Hongrie).

Nous attirons l’attention des autorités françaises sur la montée du
climat anti-arménien qui s’exporte en toute impunité de l’Azerbaïdjan
jusqu’ici en France et qui constitue une menace à l’ordre public. A
Bakou, le racisme anti-arménien fonctionne telle une industrie et son
maître d’`uvre n’est autre que son président de la République, Ilham
Aliev et sa dynastie au pouvoir depuis 1993, qui musèle l’opposition
et prive son propre peuple des libertés les plus élémentaires.

Nous remercions la direction de la Fondation, organisatrice de cet
événement à Paris, d’avoir pris les mesures nécessaires pour restaurer
les deux pavillons vandalisés et renforcer leur sécurité. Par
conséquent, le CCAF se réserve cependant le droit de porter plainte
auprès des tribunaux de la République afin d’enquêter sur les
circonstances de ces actes de vandalisme et d’en retrouver leurs
auteurs et commanditaires.

Conseil national du CCAF
Paris, le 19 septembre 2012.

Libertiamo.it, Italia
21 settembre 2012

La confusione ungherese, il baratro caucasico e la latitanza dell’UE

Posted on 20 settembre 2012.
Autore: Federico Mozzi

– L’estradizione e il ritorno in libertà di Ramil Safarov, ufficiale
azero condannato in Ungheria all’ergastolo per omicidio, rischia di
mettere a repentaglio i pallidi spiragli di pace tra Armenia e
Azerbaijan in una nuova spirale di violenze verbali che Unione
Europea, Stati Uniti e perfino Russia sembrano incapaci di fermare.

Il 19 febbraio 2004, durante un corso trimestrale di inglese promosso
dalla NATO nell’ambito del `Partnership for Peace programme’, il
tenente Safarov uccise nel sonno con 16 colpi di accetta il tenente
armeno Gurgen Margarjan. Solo l’intervento di un ufficiale ungherese,
e una porta fortuitamente bloccata, impedirono a Safarov di procedere
con un secondo tentativo di omicidio.
Secondo la versione di Safarov, il gesto sarebbe ampiamente
giustificato dai continui insulti subiti al convegno e dal perdurare
di una sorta di `stress post-traumatico’ dovuto alle supposte atrocità
che la famiglia dell’omicida avrebbe subito da parte armena durante la
guerra del 1988-1994 nella regione del Jabrayl, uno dei 7 distretti
azeri attualmente occupati da Jerevan e Stepanakert.

Quali che siano le reali motivazioni, il tenente venne condannato da
un tribunale ungherese a scontare una pena senza appello che,
tuttavia, si è improvvisamente interrotta agli inizi di settembre in
seguito all’estradizione verso l’Azerbaijan e il conseguente – e
oggettivamente prevedibile – perdono della pena da parte del
Presidente Aliyev. Dopo il rientro Safarov è stato promosso a maggiore
e, soprattutto, elevato al rango di eroe nazionale.

Le reazioni da parte armena non si sono certo fatte attendere con
l’immediata rottura dei rapporti diplomatici tra i due Paesi. Diversi
protestanti si sono spinti fino a bruciare la bandiera ungherese
bombardando il consolato di pomodori e lo stesso Presidente della
Repubblica, Serzh Sargsyan, non è stato parco nel ribadire che, anche
se `[l’Armenia] non vuole una guerra, se saremo costretti la
combatteremo e vinceremo. Non siamo spaventati dagli assassini, anche
quando godono della protezione di un Capo di Stato’. Con un piccolo
quanto brutale gesto, il Caucaso è avanzato di un passo più vicino al
baratro di un conflitto generale di cui, ormai, pare essere ignota più
la tempistica che l’eventualità.

La giustificazione ungherese, malgrado formalmente irreprensibile, in
quanto giustificata dagli articoli della Convenzione europea del 1983
sul `Trasferimento delle persone condannate’ e dall’assicurazione
azera che Safarov avrebbe scontato almeno altri 25 anni di pena,
sembra tuttavia flebile e riconducibile a scenari che hanno ben poco a
che fare con il diritto e molto con l’economia. Per quale motivo una
diplomazia solitamente accorta come quella ungherese – capace di
rappresentare fino a 50 stati durante la guerra di Libia – si sarebbe
`concessa’ un tale errore di valutazione?

Secondo il blog liberale `Hungarian Spectrum’, l’Azerbaijan avrebbe
promesso l’acquisto di titoli di Stato ungheresi per un valore di 3.8
miliardi di euro in cambio del rilascio del proprio ufficiale in una
trattativa condotta principalmente da Viktor Orbán, Primo Ministro, e
Péter Szijjártó, Ministro per la relazione economiche esterne,
piuttosto che dal Ministero degli Esteri.
Malgrado entrambe le parti si siano affrettate a negare tali
affermazioni, è indubbio che un Paese alla disperata ricerca di
liquidità quale l’Ungheria rischi di intraprendere l’allettante strada
del supporto economico di Baku. Baku, la cui politica estera, per
inciso, ruota attorno all’illusione che il bisogno europeo
d’idrocarburi e quello israelo-statunitense di basi aeree in caso di
conflitto con l’Iran garantisca all’Azerbaijan un perenne
`salvacondotto’ per le proprie azioni. Ma è, questa, solamente
un’illusione?

Oltre a gettare cupi spiragli sulle possibilità che le trattative
condotte sotto l’egida dei mediatori internazionali `Gruppo di Minsk’
portino a qualche conclusione, la vicenda pone infatti diverse domande
circa l’effettiva credibilità dell’Unione Europea nell’area. Questo,
malgrado le diverse decine di milioni di euro impiegati annualmente in
svariati programmi per facilitare l’integrazione dei Paesi caucasici
verso l’Unione.

Con la Russia materialmente alle porte con le esercitazioni `Caucasus
2012′ e `Interaction-2012′ – quest’ultima appena conclusasi proprio in
Armenia – e gli Stati Uniti latitanti attorno alle `gaffe’ di Romney,
il rischio è che Bruxelles si riduca, nuovamente, a spettatrice invece
che protagonista delle crisi che verranno.
Crisi che, nel migliore dei casi, faranno rimpiangere il conflitto
georgiano del 2008, nel peggiore la Yugoslavia del 1991-1995.

U.S. Army Europe
Sept 21 2012

Kansas National Guard Soldiers partner with Armenian forces for
demining training

September 20, 2012

By Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Grieco

YEREVAN, Armenia — Soldiers from the Kansas Army National Guard and a
civilian representative from the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Training
Center are here to teach international Humanitarian Mine Action
standards to members of the Engineering Companies of the Armenian
Peacekeeping Brigades from Sept. 18-28.

The partnership between Kansas and Armenia is one the 22 State
Partnership Programs under the U.S. European Command, and is
administered in part by U.S. Army Europe.

“In essence, we’re doing a train the trainer mission and trying to
build their internal capacity,” said Martin Dumond, on-site training
instructor from the HDCT, out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

“Armenia at this point does not really have a national set of standard
operating procedures for demining, we give them our training and as a
result the idea is that they take the concepts to help develop their
own national training programs.”

Dumond said the procedures taught in the HMA program are based around
the approved international set of standards set down in Geneva,
Switzerland. He said the goal of he and the Soldiers are to show the
Armenians the basic framework and then allow them to tailor that to
fit their respective country’s needs.

“It’s a way of engaging with the Armenians in the humanitarian realm,”
said Dumond. “If they can begin to follow internationally approved
methodology and move in the direction the international community
recommends. What makes this mission different than most is the
Armenians are at a point where they are developing standard procedures
and a training program, so we are building it from the ground up
here.”

The officer-in-charge of the Kansas National Guard detachment in
Armenia, Capt. Michael Liotta, has said this is not the first
partnership engagement Kansas has had with Armenia.

“I believe we’ve done this demining training almost three times, maybe
more,” said Liotta, a Topeka native. “We also help them to set up
their emergency management plans. The adjutant general of the Kansas
National Guard is also in charge of emergency response management in
Kansas, so we brought in Armenian first responders to tour and train
in our facilities.”

Liotta said Kansas and Armenia are state-partnership-program nations
through a cooperative agreement that was forged at the time Armenia
declared independence from the Soviet Union.

“Bob Dole, a senator from Kansas was hurt in World War II and the
doctor that tended to his wounds was Armenian,” said Liotta.
“Apparently they stayed in contact over the years and when Armenia
declared independency, the U.S. was the first country to recognize
them and it was due in large part to that relationship between Bob
Dole and the doctor.”

Liotta also said ever since the state-partnership was formed between
Kansas and Armenia, a Kansas National Guard officer has been stationed
here to help facilitate partnership type engagements with Armenia.

One guardsman said this opportunity was a chance for him to come
face-to-face with his State’s international partner nation.

“You always hear about this partnership, but you never really see the
other partner and this was a great opportunity to come out and meet
the Armenians,” said Sgt. Michael Rogers, Pittsburg, Kan., native and
combat engineer in the Kansas National Guard. “Now that we finally
have a chance to come out and do some direct joint training with them,
it has been amazing.”

Rogers said Kansas has always been very supportive of U.S. service
members and he sees this each time the Guard deploys. He said this
training is a chance to show Kansas another aspect of the Guard.

“We are showing them we do something else in the world than war, that
we’re training people to do a humanitarian mission and save lives,”
Rogers. “It’s a big deal to me and I can really see it becoming a
thing of pride for the people of Kansas.”

Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Nelson, a Wichita native and combat engineer in
the Kansas National Guard, has said landmines are dangerous if left
unchecked and this training will enable the Armenians to remove these
hazards from their country. He said even helping to train someone to
remove these mines gives him a good feeling inside.

Rogers said it’s about helping the Armenians to return a piece of
normalcy to their lives.

“Armenians just want to be safe and work a normal life, like we do,”
said Rogers. “They want the chance to work their land, play soccer
games, go out and enjoy life and this is part of it. They are truly
respectful of their land and these people love being Armenian, and you
can really see it. In a way, Kansas is instilling pride in a whole
other country.”

Rogers also said many Armenians already recognize Kansas and when they
are approached by Armenian troops who see their unit patch, the
Armenian soldiers instantly recognize their partners in Kansas.

“That just shows how close we are,” said Rogers.

During one portion of the class, Armenian and American members
introduced themselves. Many of the Armenian peacekeepers had conducted
deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and even the Balkans.

“I was actually surprised to hear that,” said Liotta. “A few of these
guys were with us in Iraq, and well I believe anytime our militaries
can work together on a mission that’s a fantastic opportunity, it
really shows that we’re all on the same team and can associate
ourselves as being one.”

Liotta and Rogers both said they noticed the intense discipline, work
ethic and determination of the Armenian soldiers. Both said they are
highly impressed by this intense dedication to duty and country.

One of the Armenian students, Junior Sgt. Tigran Nikoghosyan, of the
Engineering Company of the Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade, said this
was not his first time encountering the Kansas National Guard.

“I remember and befriended Sgt. Travis Eichhorn from the 2008 visit,”
said Nikoghosyan, referring to a Jan. 22 visit by the Kansas National
Guard that was timed to correspond with the arrival of mine detection
and disposal equipment provided by the U.S. “Having known him and
recognized him from that visit, I instantly recognize the knowledge
and skills these soldiers bring out here.”

Nikoghosyan said the field exercises were among his favorite portion
of the training as it enabled him to physically apply the knowledge he
has been studying in the classroom thus far. He said judging by his
six years in the peacekeeping brigades, he can say Armenia is no
stranger to international military-to-military cooperation and hopes
to see such cooperation increase and magnify overtime.

“When it comes to cooperation, I would like not only to see the
Americans come out to Armenia, but I would like to see some more
Armenian specialists have the opportunity to study in America with
U.S. troops,” said Nikoghosyan.

Another student, Pvt. Robert Abajyan of the Engineering Company of the
Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade, said he feels the exchange of knowledge
and skills through these types of cooperative training exercises is
essential when it comes to humanitarian mine action missions.

“As these contacts bring with them flows of information, new
knowledge, and experience cooperation these days plays a vital role in
global security,” said Abajyan. “Honestly, you never know what may
happen next, cooperation and joint-training such as this helps us to
be prepared as professionals to face any mission Armenia or the world
may ask of us.”

Abajyan said demining is a critical mission in today’s world as much
of the world has unexploded ordnance and minefields scattered about.
He said by conducting international demining missions lives are being
saved around the world.
The Kansas National Guard are in Armenia assisting a U.S. European
Command host nation to develop its own Humanitarian Mine Action
infrastructure capable of eliminating landmine hazards, returning land
for economic use, educating people on landmine hazards and assisting
victims of landmines and other explosive remnants of war. In addition
to the traditional demining, EUCOM also provides training in mine risk
education, mine victim assistance, and EOD courses in stockpile
destruction.

Currently future HMA events include conducting stockpile destruction
and management in Cyprus, underwater explosive remnants of war
disposal in Montenegro, mine victim assistance in Kosovo and Romania,
underwater explosive remnants of war in Ukraine, and explosive
ordnance disposal in Albania.