Author: Badalian Vardan

ALUMYAN: “IT’S NOT NECESSARY TO CHANGE LAWS ALL THE TIME IN ORDER TO CREATE A JUST JUDICIAL AUTHORITY”

17:48 . 25/06

“It’s not necessary to change laws all the time in order to create
a just judicial authority. This rather contributes to diverting the
real direction of the settlement of the issue. This is not the path
to having a just judicial system. The fact we have problems in the
system is not a legislative gap,” lawyer Hayk Alumyan says.

Such is his assessment to the 12 legislative proposals drawn up by
Femida NGO within the frames of the project “From Judicial System to
Independent Judicial Authority”.

A monitoring of the judicial and legal practice was carried out
within the frames of the project, based on which the package of the
legislative proposals was developed.

Advisor to the Chair of the Cassation Court Sergey Marabyan also
doesn’t fully agree with the monitoring results. According to him,
almost 70% of the public today trusts in the present judicial system.

However, the participants in the discussion agreed there is a necessity
to implement the project, this is a step to formulate a public legal
conscience.

As a representative of the legislative body in the NA ARF-D member
Aghvan Vardanyan assured he will be consistent and will participate
in all the discussions: it is just necessary to specify whether 10 or
70 percent of the public believes we have a just judicial system today.

“It’s already 20 years we have been constantly changing laws, this is
not a solution for the problem. Nothing creates more legal ambiguity,
than laws which change constantly,” lawyer Hayk Alumyan said.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO ROMANIA VISITS GHERLA (ARMENIAN CITY)

news.am
June 25, 2012 | 16:26

BUCHAREST. – Armenian Ambassador to Romania Hamlet Gasparyan visited
Gherla city, historical Armenian city in Transylvania, Romania on June
22 to 23.

He met with the newly elected Mayor Marius Sabo, attended holy liturgy
at St Trinity Armenian church and participated in the cultural events.

The sides exchanged views on preservation of the Armenian rich
heritage in Gherla and establishment of contacts with Armenia during
the meeting in the city hall on June 23.

The Mayor assured that the historical center of Gherla, former
Armenopolis, where Armenian ancient religious and secular buildings
and institutions are preserved, are considered to be treasure of the
city and are always the focus of the city authorities.

ALIYEV NOT TO LEAVE FOR ISTANBUL DESPITE THE TURKS’ EXPECTATIONS

16:01 . 25/06

Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov will visit Turkey in the near future
to participate in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) summit
to be held on June 26-27 in Istanbul.

Tert.am informs citing Azerbaijani sources Mammadyarov will also
participate in the events devoted to the 20th anniversary of the
organization, as well as in the session of ministers.

A number of bilateral meetings including a meeting with the Turkish
FM Ahmet Davutoglu are planned during this period.

The Turkish side had said earlier the Azerbaijani president would
participate in the BSEC summit and they hoped to see Ilham Aliyev at
the meeting in Istanbul.

Touching upon Armenia’s participation in the summit earlier the Turkish
media had stated though they invited Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
the Armenian FM will participate in the summit.

It was stated the summit would be attended by Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Moldavian
President Nikolay Timofti and RF Deputy PM Olga Golodets.

DEPUTY FM ASHOT HOVAKIMYAN TO REPRESENT ARMENIA IN ISTANBUL

16:14 . 25/06

Deputy FM Ashot Hovhakimyan will head Armenia’s delegation at the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) summit on June 26-27 in Istanbul,
the press secretary of the foreign ministry Tigran Balayan said.

This summit is a jubilee one as the organization was established on
June 25, 1992 and this year it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

The stable and peaceful development of the Black Sea region, as well
as ensuring smooth, successful trade and economic ties between the
member states are BSEC’s main goals.

ARMENIAN NA HOSTED BOURG-LES-VALENCE COMMUNE DELEGATION

ARMENPRESS
26 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: NA RPA faction chairman Galust Sahakyan,
faction members Artak Zakaryan and Mnatsakan Mnatsakanyan had a
meeting with Bourg-les-Valence commune delegation headed by Commune
Committee Association head Jean-Pierre Sandoz.Public Relations and
Information department of NA informed Armenpress Galust Sahakyan high
estimates Armenian-French cooperation current level, in the opinion
of the interlocutor the active relations have turned into a sincere
friendship between the two nations.

NA RPA faction chairman expressed gratitude over the deepening of
the interstate relations, especially over the steps undertaken in
the regional cooperation sphere .

MP Mnatsakan Mnatsakanyan informed that Bourg-les-Valence and Talin
are sister cities. ‘~RFrance have launched long -term development major
projects in Talin, especially in the service sector’~R Mr Mnatsakanyan,
former mayor of Talin remembers.

Jean-Pierre Sandoz stressed the importance of Armenian-French
relations, especially the active role of Armenian community in the
self- government body works, paving the way to the cooperation with
Armenian communities, Talin inclusive.

DEMAND FOR REAL ESTATE DECREASES IN ARMENIA – POLL

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 02:27

YEREVAN. – Recently there is much talk about a crisis in Armenia’s
Real Estate Market. Armenian News-NEWS.am conducted a poll among
real estate agencies about the condition of the market in 2012 and
the changes that took place during the last month.

The Director of Viva Realty Agency Edward Harutyunyan mentioned
that there are no falls compared to last month but the number of
transactions did grow a little. There are no significant changes in
the market. Currently only those people are lowering the prices of
apartments who want to sell them quickly.

The Director of Bars Agency Marina Chatinyan informed that the demand
for real estate decreased. The market is more or less active in the
outskirts of Yerevan but in the center it is rather passive.

In Alpha Agency we were informed that offers are more than demand
in the Armenian real estate market. The same situation is in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

UKRAINE OFFERS TO LEASE AIRCRAFTS TO ARMENIA

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 12:56

Ukraine’s Trade and Economic Development Minister Petro Poroshenko
and Armenia’s Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan discussed the matter
of leasing Ukrainian airplanes to Armenia.

Also, they agreed to hold consultations with respect to using Ukraine’s
track-record in terms of signing a Free Trade Agreement between EU
and Armenia, UNIAN News Agency informs.

In addition, the parties reached accordance on organizing a joint
business forum.

Both ministers also examined the matter of protecting Ukrainian-made
products-including alcoholic beverages-from being counterfeited in
Armenia’s market.

AZERBAIJAN BOASTS OF MILITARY SUPERIORITY AS ARMENIA SIMULATES RESPONSE TO WAR

Karabakh | 26.06.12 | 11:32

Map: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes
Armenia will lose if hostilities resume over the disputed region
of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I have no doubt that Armenia will flee the battlefield if the active
phase of the war starts,” Aliyev said in remarks broadcast on the
state television channel AzTV on Monday.

“We have every opportunity to regain control of our territory,”
he added, reports Bloomberg.

The Azeri leader’s statement came as Armenia went into three-day
“command-and-staff” exercises simulating the country’s combat-readiness
and response to a possible aggression by Azerbaijan.

Earlier this month Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said that
on June 25-27 top military and civilian officials across Armenia will
practice “the launch of the state-military state system at a time of
war and the organization of resistance to aggression”.

The defense chief implicitly linked the drills, the first of their
kind, with unfolding preparations for the military exercises of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led defense
pact of a number of ex-Soviet countries, including Armenia, that will
be held in Armenia in September.

CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha met with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan on June 25. The presidential press service said during
the meeting Bordyuzha briefed the Armenian leader on the course of
preparations for the exercises of the CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction
Force due next fall.

Meanwhile, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported that at least one
former Armenian paramilitary organization that had participated in the
1992-1994 war with Azerbaijan said on Monday that it started recruiting
new “volunteers” and asked the Armenian military to authorize their
deployment on frontline positions.

Smbat Ayvazyan, the head of the Metsn Tigran (Tigran the Great)
militia, linked the move with this month’s upsurge in fighting along
Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ayvazyan said no official reply had come from the Ministry of Defense
yet, but added: “They have asked for a meeting with us to discuss how
we imagine the course of further action and what steps could be taken.”

1ST ANNUAL KOREAN ARMENIAN FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN SEPT.

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 26, 2012 – 13:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The 1st Annual Korean Armenian Festival is slated
to take place on September 15-16, 2012.

The two day affair will take place at Crescenta Valley Park and
promises to be a fun filled day for families and children of all ages,
according to Asbarez.

“The festival will symbolize a day of harmony and celebration of
cultures,” stated James Pak, member of the Korean-American Federation
of North Los Angeles. “It will also symbolize the significance of
intercultural engagement which is so essential to our society today.

We hope that the community-at-large joins us in September for this
special festivity.”

In hopes to advance growing cultural ties between the Korean American
and Armenian American communities, a group of creative and enthusiastic
individuals have come together to plan the first ever joint cultural
event. The Festival committee is comprised of members from both
the Armenian and Korean communities, many of whom are veteran event
planners with years of experience in organizing fairs, festivals,
dances, fundraisers and extraordinary cultural events.

“We have an exciting day planned for our community to enjoy,” said
Arick Gevorkian, member of the Crescenta Valley Armenian Community &
Youth Center. “There will be choir and dance performances, games and
rides for young children, and barbeque competitions.”

The Korean Armenian Festival is co-sponsored by the Los Angeles County
Department Parks & Recreation 5th Supervisorial District, Supervisor
Michael Antonovich. It is also supported by local businesses, the
Crescenta Valley Town Council, and various non-profit organizations. A
portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Crescenta
Valley Town Council Scholars.

IF THE OLIGARCHS STAY, OUR COUNTRY WON’T RESIST

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:57:25 – 26/06/2012

Political scientist Nvard Manasyan, dwelling on the incident in
Harsnakar restaurant complex, told Lragir.am that it is the logic
continuation of the impunity in a more developed and open way, which
proves, they don’t care at all for the state, they have received their
certificate of being mentally ill in exchange of services provided
during the elections, so they do whatever they want.

Nvard Manasyan says she can’t but violate the presumption of
innocence since there have been many cases when murders were covered
up under suicides. She says sure this time they will say there is no
corpus delicti. But here we again deal with the trust crisis. All
the institutes are exhausted in terms of providing services to the
society, that you think, there is corpus delicti, but they just
don’t make it public. According to her, Ruben Hayrapetyan appeared
in the parliament not because of his intellect, education or public
activities, but other values, which give him the right to have outlaw
relations with the state.

I have no guarantee, under these conditions, that the investigation
will be impartial and Femida – blind. In our case, she can see out
of fear to be sure she won’t harm some people. It will be hard. If
the oligarch stay, out country won’t resist, says Nvard Manasyan.

According to her, everyone understands the systemic deadline of the
situation and the worsening regional situation. According to Manasyan,
the transformation is close. As to what it will be like, will depend
mostly on the society and the patriots. I hope we won’t wait for long,
she concluded.