Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ON REPUBLIC SQUARE MAY TURN INTO HOTELS

news.am
September 14, 2012 | 18:23

YEREVAN. – Yerevan chief architect Narek Sargsyan does not mind
turning Armenian government buildings on the central Republic Square
into hotels, he told journalists on Friday.

It mainly refers to the buildings of the Ministry of Transportation
and Communication and the MFA.

At the same time, Sargsyan did not state that the city hall has
conducted any talks with possible investors. Anyway, if the private
sector will make an offer and there will be companies who want to
set up hotels, than 3 out of 5 buildings on the Yerevan Republic
Square (with the exception of the Picture Gallery and the Government
headquarters) will turn into hotels.

The chief architect did not clarify where the ministries will move.

RUSSIAN SOURCE: “HUNGARIAN SPECIAL SERVICES INFORMED AMERICANS IMMEDIATELY THAT SAFAROV HAS BOUGHT AN AX FROM THE SHOP”

Russian “Week Arguments” magazine has wrote an article about the
Ramil Safarov’s case. The article is named “Is the USA guilty for
the tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh?” and gives new unknown facts over
Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan’s murder.

The magazine claims that it found out from the sources near the
Hungarian Government that the country is troubled seriously by the
evaluation of the “Safarov’s case” by Armenia and by the international
society.

According to “Week Arguments” Hungary fulfills such extraditions
sometimes. 6-8 people are sent to their Motherlands which are arrested
in Hungary. And Safarov’s extradition took place in the ordinary way.

The source underlines that Azerbaijani steps after the extradition
“made real troubles for Hungary”.

“Budapest realizes that this deportation can easily become “the
Sarayevo shot” for the Caucasus”, the magazine writes.

“If a new war is started for Nagorno Karabakh, so Budapest will have
its part of sin as well. And now the situation is useful for every side
besides Hungary. After Safarov’s extradition Ilham Aliyev’s authority
is raised in his motherland. But at the same time Azerbaijanis are
dissatisfied with Budapest as now Azerbaijani politicians are announced
to be liars. No one would like this”, the source continues.

Referring to the concrete Margaryan’s case the source writes:
“Washington managed to overcome the situation and to direct the arrow
towards the “little brother”. The well-known trainings in Budapest
were organized by the USA and not by NATO.”

According to the source it was known that Hungarian special services
informed Americans immediately that Safarov has bought an ax from the
shop but the Americans has not pay any attention to this information.

“And the result was the tragedy which all of us knows”, the source
concludes.

ARMENIA WILL BE PRESENTED AT “TOP RESA 2012” INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL MARKET

The National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, along with
representatives from the Nagorno Karabagh Republic and in cooperation
with Armenian travel agencies, will represent Republic of Armenia
and NKR at “Top Resa 2012” annual international travel market which
will take place in Paris from 18th until the 21st of September. Public
Relations Office of the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia
informs about this.

This year, an estimated number of 27,000 representatives from the
tourism industry of around 160 countries are expected to take part
in the exhibition.

It is worthwhile mentioning that this is the first year in the history
of participation in international tourism exhibitions that Armenia
and Nagorno Karabagh are represented in one pavilion.

Furthermore, Armenian rich cultural, historical, and Christian
heritages will be presented in newly developed and fully redesigned
travel guides and maps.

The Armenian delegation has received active support from the
Armenian Embassy in France in the organization of Armenia’s proper
representation in the exhibition.

DEFENSORES DE ANIMALES ANUNCIAN CAMPANA PARA PROTEGER AL LEOPARDO DE CAUCASO

RIA Novosti
17:21 14/09/2012

Los defensores de los animales planean reunir hasta finales del año
32.000 dolares para proteger de los cazadores furtivos a apenas 20
ejemplares del leopardo del Caucaso que habitan en las montañas de
Armenia, según un comunicado del Fondo World Land Trust (WLT).

A mediados del siglo pasado Armenia tenía una poblacion importante
de este animal, pero en la actualidad el país cuenta con un maximo
15 ejemplares de la especie.

La caza furtiva del animal no ceso ni siquiera despues de su inclusion
en el Libro Rojo de las Especies Amenazadas.

“Comenzamos una campaña de proteccion del leopardo del Caucaso en
Armenia y hasta finales del año planeamos reunir 32.400 dolares”,
dice la nota del WLT.

La suma, entre otras cosas, se destinara a la creacion de un “corredor
migratorio” para el leopardo para permitir que viaje libremente entre
Armenia a Azerbaiyan y luego, a Iran.

En la recaudacion de los 32.000 dolares puede participar todo defensor
o amante de animales en extincion. Para ello, hay que visitar la
pagina web del Fondo (worldlandtrust.org) y hacer una donacion.

ARMENIANS PROTEST AZERBAIJANI ‘AX KILLER’ PARDON IN MOSCOW

RIA Novosti
14/09/2012
MOSCOW

Several hundred Armenians gathered at a Moscow square on Friday to
protest against Azerbaijan’s pardon of an army officer who killed an
Armenian soldier in Hungary.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this provocative act, which was
designed to disturb the balance in the region,” activist Yury Navoyan
told protesters at a central Moscow site commemorating Russia’s failed
1905 revolution against tsarist-rule.

The demonstration came just two weeks after Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev provoked an international outcry by pardoning Ramil
Safarov after the army officer was repatriated from Hungary on the
understanding that he would serve his life sentence in his homeland.

Safarov had been jailed for hacking Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan
to death with an ax during a NATO training event in Budapest in 2004.

The 35-year-old was treated to a hero’s welcome upon his return to
Baku, promoted and given a flat and payback for the years he had
spent in prison.

The move has exacerbated already high political tensions between the
two former Soviet republics, which have been at odds since fighting
a bitter war over the mainly Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in
the early 1990s.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said Hungary had made a “grave
mistake” in sending Safarov back to Baku and announced that Yerevan
was severing its ties with Budapest.

“With their joint actions, Azerbaijan and Hungary opened the door to
the recurrence of such crimes,” Sargsyan said in televised comments
earlier this month. “I cannot put up with this. The republic of
Armenia cannot put up with this.”

But Azerbaijani President Aliyev has defended his decision to pardon
Safarov, saying it was “in accordance with Azerbaijan’s constitution.”

At the rally on Friday, Navoyan, head of the Russian-Armenian
Commonwealth group, hit out at a “cynical” Hungary for concluding the
“bloody” deal to return Safarov to Azerbaijan, but was careful to
highlight Russia’s efforts to resolve the crisis.

Armenia’s economy has been in decline since the collapse of Communism
in 1991, and the small South Caucasus nation is heavily dependent on
Russia for commodity supplies.

Russia, which has been seeking firmer trade relations with Azerbaijan
in recent years, was one of the last world powers to denounce Safarov’s
pardoning.

President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on the controversy –
a fact picked upon by a lone banner reading, “Why is the Russian
president keeping quiet?”

Friday’s rally was also attended by the leader of the Kremlin-friendly
nationalist Liberal Democratic party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who used
the stage to launch an attack on what he described as a “corrupt”
Europe.

“Some money changed hands, and a Hungarian court made its decision,”
Zhirinovsky said, as he waved a fist in the air.

Both Armenian and Azerbaijani officials have said they are ready to
return to war, but NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen appealed for calm
during a visit to Azerbaijan last week.

“There is no military solution,” he told students at a diplomatic
academy in Baku.

PARLIAMENTARY FACTIONS WELCOMED THE RESOLUTION OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

ARMENPRESS
14 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: European Parliament resolution on
criminal Ramil Safarov extradition and subsequent pardon is the most
grave of the responses covered before that . NA ARF party secretary
Aghvan Vardanyan came forth in the briefing with parliamentary factions
pertain to European Parliament condemning statement on criminal Ramil
Safarov extradition and granting pardon.

ANC secretary Aram Manukyan stated some provisions could be elaborated,
yet all in the entire document is estimated normal. “Our colleague
Europe’s Liberals group also joined the initiative of condemning
resolution adopted on September 13” Manukyan noted, Armenpress reports.

International community responses gradually meet RPA expectations.

“We are stepping up efforts in this direction and in the future
European Parliament ‘s pro Armenian resolutions will make greater
number. Yet RPA faction MP Vahe Hovhannisyan abstained from extra
marks, stating MFA will come forth with relevant statement.

The resolution condemning Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev decision
was adopted by 58 in favor, 13 against and 5 abstentions. European
Parliament considers that the pardon by Azerbaijani President in such
a short period of time raises doubt in the motivation of Ramil Safarov
petition, which do not coincide with Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of
Justice Vilayat Zahirov letter posed to Hungary. As a result Armenia
suspended relations with Hungary on August 31. Granting pardon to
innocent Armenian soldier raises regional tension.

SMALL AND BIG RACISM

September 14, 2012 12:57

Information was spread in the Bulgarian mass media as if during the
football match between Bulgaria and Armenia, the Bulgarian fans had
chanted “gypsies” addressing our football players and our football
federation had filed a complaint accusing Bulgarian fans of racism. No
one in Armenia confirms that news, but if there was such chanting,
it is surprising that there are people in the friendly nation who have
such a wrong perception of our nation’s anthropological type and way of
life. However, it is more important that international organizations,
including FIFA, are too sensitive about this issue and actually often
punish the countries, the fans of which behave as racists. For example,
during Euro 2012, the Russian Football Federation was fined not only
for the fans’ hooliganism, but also racist deeds.

It seems that this approach is excessive European political
correctness. However, in reality, it is a certain mentality, a system
of values, the rules of which Europeans themselves sometimes break, but
we, Armenians, haven’t fully comprehended them yet. The manifestations
of that are many. Recently an election for village headman took place
in the village of Dzorakap, region of Shirak.

Locals claim that in order to guarantee his “reproduction,” the
village headman brought people from Akhalkalak who had never lived in
the village, but were registered there for a few hours. They voted
for him and then returned to Georgia. It is very probable that it
was the case. But look what measures some of the complainers are
ready to take – if their demand is not met, they threaten to close
roads (it is normal) and to kick out of the village the natives of
Akhalkalak who have been living there for a few years; the story was
broadcasted in both Gyumri and Yerevan. Thus, innocent people must
be held accountable for the village headman’s illegal action.

Well, now compare this approach with the international reflection
of such a mentality. Muslims didn’t like some American movie, which,
in their opinion, misrepresented 9/11. What is the way of protesting
against it? To fire at and shell American diplomatic representations
in different countries. It is the same logic.

For me personally, humanity is more important for me than nationality,
let alone where one is from. Thus, I don’t have a problem with
communicating with Azerbaijanis. I have a problem with communicating
with those people – even Armenians – who think that one can somehow
justify killing a sleeping man with an axe.

ARAM ABRAHAMYAN

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO FACE WITH PROTEST ACTIONS IN FRANCE

NEWS.AM
September 13, 2012 | 22:27

PARIS. – The Armenians of France will ‘meet’ the Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev on Sept. 18 with crowded protest actions, head of the
Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) office in France Hrachya Varzhapetian told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, the protest actions will be held in front of the
Azerbaijani Embassy in France. The protest action participants will
express not only their indignation in connection with extradition
and granting a pardon to Ramil Safarov but also against policy run
by Azerbaijan towards Armenia and Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh].

Although Aliyev’s visit is unofficial, Varzhapetian believes that
the participants will also express their protest about the fact that
French authorities allow a person who pardons and calls a murderer
a hero, to visit France.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant
in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence-and with no expression of
either regret or remorse-for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was
his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s
government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani
president immediately granted him a pardon.

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that Armenia
is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Ramil Safarov’s pardoning is condemned by all international
organizations.

KURDISH HISTORIAN ON 1915 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

September 14, 2012 | 00:04

ANKARA. – Turkish Taraf newspaper correspondent took an interview
from a Kurdish famous historian and writer Naci Kutlay. Armenian
News-NEWS.am presents an extract from the interview, where Kutlay
speaks of Kurds and their role in the Armenian Genocide.

Slaughters of the Armenians were perpetrated during the nationalist
boom?

We should know one thing – the Armenians established their party in
1889 and moved into the phase of bourgeoisie, while the Kurds were
not even aware of the developed feudal system. In this period all
started to be cautious of the Armenians. And the Young Turks started
to scare the Kurds by the Armenians.

Did the Kurds play a role in perpetrating Armenian slaughters?

They did play a great role, as majority of the Armenians were
slaughtered by the Kurds.

Following those events almost no Armenian was left in Anatolia,
while those who stayed hid their identity. Why the Kurds are still
afraid of the Armenians?

I am afraid but the issue is still up to date. The Young Turks have
told the Kurds if they will not cooperate with Young Turks in their
liberation struggle, Armenians will come back and establish their
country. It sounded like a verdict for the Kurds.

Is it possible that continuous silence of Turks and Kurds about
the Armenian slaughters is related to the robbery of the Armenians’
property?

It is a very huge factor. If you ever happen to be a guest in any home
in Diyarbakir, you will be served exclusively with Armenian plates.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION DEPLORES “UNTIMELY” PENSION REFORM
By Gohar Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
14.09.12 | 13:44

Armenian lawmakers continue the discussions of changes in the
pension system, with the ongoing reform drawing strong criticism from
opposition factions that consider it premature.

During the debate in the National Assembly on Thursday representatives
of minority parties suggested that instead of spurring the country’s
economic development the reform in the form it is proposed now will
only provide an additional source of income for commercial banks.

Two years ago, still the parliament of the previous convocation passed
a raft of laws envisaging drastic changes in the pension sphere by
which an accumulative retirement plan will become mandatory beginning
2014 for all citizens of Armenia aged below 40. It will be optional
for citizens above this age.

The reform means that all working citizens of the indicated age
on a compulsory basis will have to save up their future pensions
themselves, getting five percent of their monthly salaries deducted
and transferred to an individual account at one of several pension
funds licensed by the state, with the government doubling the sum of
the transferred money. Pension money will become available to people
when they reach official retirement age, which is 63 in Armenia now,
or under some other circumstances involving their disability or moving
out of the country.

Specialists say the new system will contribute to the reduction of the
untaxed segment on the labor market and will encourage employees to
demand that their employers show their real wage rate in tax reports,
as this way they will ensure they have more money transferred to
their individual pension accounts with expectations of higher pensions
after retirement.

“The goal of the new pension system is that the state becomes
responsible for the social state of the society,” Deputy Minister
of Finance Vardan Aramyan explained in parliament. He added that the
model to be introduced in Armenia is close to the one used in Estonia
and that all possible risks have been explored and minimized.

According to the government official, the accumulative pension system
will be transparent and taxpayers will be able to follow their funds.

The accumulated money could be administered earlier, such as if the
account holder moves to another country for permanent residence or
loses his or her ability to work.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers are critical of the government plans to
introduce the system in Armenia at this stage of economic development
when many citizens still have to live off their meager salaries.

Artsvik Minasyan, a lawmaker representing the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), said that the step will entail the
“privatization” of the pension system, while accumulative pension
funds will not be able to solve the problems that exist in the social
welfare system.

Former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan, who is a member of the
opposition Armenian National Congress faction in parliament, voiced
an opinion that the introduction of the accumulative pension system
will only benefit commercial banks.

“With the introduction of this system it will be impossible to ensure
real economic growth, besides it will also reduce the role of state
and social pensions, pension accumulative funds will not work,”
concluded Bagratyan, suggesting that the government rethink the
“untimely” reform.