Author: Badalian Vardan

PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION SLAMS GOVERNMENT OVER “VAGUE” POLICY PROGRAM

Politics | 21.06.12 | 11:09

Parliamentary opposition slams government over “vague” policy program

Representatives of the four minority factions in the Armenian National
Assembly leveled harsh criticism at the government over its five-year
policy program that they view as “lacking specifics, unfeasible and
relying on too many general terms.”

Ex-prime minister Hrant Bagratyan, a lawmaker with the opposition
Armenian National Congress, said the government program was a
collection of “general phrases and good wishes”. He also accused
the current government, which went through only a minor reshuffle,
of failing to live up to its previous commitments.

Naira Zohrabyan, of the Prosperous Armenia Party, in particular,
criticized the government for lacking policy on curbing the growing
migration.

“We agree with our colleagues that 450 people migrate from the
country every day; exactly so many people live in one village,”
she said during the Wednesday session in parliament.

Representatives of the opposition Heritage party and the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation also made critical statements regarding the
government program.

In the next five years the government formed by the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA) and its junior coalition partner Orinats Yerkir,
in particular, pledges to double the official minimum wage of 32,500
drams (about $80), create an additional 100,000 jobs, reduce the
poverty rate and encourage birthrate.

In his presentation from the parliament tribune Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan defended the feasibility of the program, describing it as
urgent for the nation.

Pro-government lawmakers, meanwhile, shrugged off the criticism coming
from their opposition counterparts, describing it as populism.

The debate is expected to continue today, followed by a voting
procedure. While the opposition factions are expected to vote against
the program, it is expected to be easily approved by the National
Assembly where the RPA and Orinats Yerkir control more than half of
the seats.

ARMENIA’S CHIEF NARCOLOGIST PROPOSES UNIFYING CSTO COUNTRIES’ INDICATORS

news.am
June 21, 2012 | 09:47

ASTANA. – Speaking at the physicians’-narcologists’ session of the CSTO
(Collective Security Treaty Organization) countries, which is held
in Astana, Kazakhstan, Armenia’s Chief Narcologist Petros Semerjyan
proposed the unification of the indicators of these countries.

“So we can compare what we are talking about, which drug addicts,”
said Semerjyan during Wednesday’s session.

In his words, there is a huge increase in the number of drug addicts
in Armenia.

“[But] The number of drug addicts is increasing also because people
have started to apply for medical treatment,” maintained Semerjyan.

“There is a huge increase, 500 percent per year, which is conditioned
on the fact that narcological service has become appealing,” said
Armenia’s Chief Narcologist, Novosti Kazakhstana writes.

WHY DOES PM’S INCOME GROW IN TIME OF CRISIS?

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:27:38 – 21/06/2012

Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan, ANC, explained in his yesterday’s
speech in the National Assembly the reason why they will vote against
the program of the government. He said that the government has not
fulfilled its promises.

According to him, the choice to vote for or against the program should
be based on the results of the government’s activities for the past
four years and on whether the government has an accurate evaluation of
the situation. He says that the program does not provide analysis of
the previous activities or evaluation of the current situation. But
the team headed by the prime minister has been led by the principles
“the less we speak about problems the better”.

As to the fact that decline is determined by crisis, Pashinyan wonders
how come Tigran Sargsyan’s personal assets are growing. In 2008, the
prime minister had AMD 17,242,000 and USD 22,000, while in 2012 he has
AMD 35 million and USD 870,000. He wonders what crisis we mean when
poverty grows by 10%, GDP per capita by 14%, budget by 7.8%, while
the PM’s dram amount doubles, and the dollar amount grows by 3933%.

He said he will vote against the program because he does not want
to confirm the saying that people deserve the government they have
because Pashinyan is sure people deserve a better government.

NEGATIONNISME : APPEL DU CCAF A LA NOUVELLE ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE

Publie le : 21-06-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente le Communique de presse du CCAF (Conseil de Coordination
des organisations Armeniennes de France) publie le 20 juin 2012.

Communique du CCAF

Negationnisme : Le Conseil de Coordination des Organisations
Armeniennes de France (CCAF) attend des gestes rapides et forts de
la nouvelle Assemblee nationale

Le Conseil de coordination des organisations armeniennes de France
(CCAF) salue l’ouverture de la XIVe legislature de l’Assemblee
nationale, mardi 20 juin. A cette occasion, il rappelle que
conformement aux engagements du president de la Republique, Francois
Hollande, le Parlement doit dans les meilleurs delais etre saisi
d’un projet de loi portant sur la penalisation de la negation des
genocides reconnus en France.

Lors d’une rencontre avec Francois Hollande, en tant que candidat du
Parti socialiste durant la campagne presidentielle, le futur President
de la Republique nous avait donne toutes les garanties sur sa volonte
indiscutable de legiferer a nouveau sur ce dossier, lui-meme s’etant
personnellement implique dans cette question il y a plus de 10 ans et
lors de la commemoration du 97e anniversaire du genocide des Armeniens,
le 24 avril 2012, a Paris, a laquelle il a chaleureusement participe.

Lors de la precedente legislature, la proposition de loi portant sur
la lutte contre le negationnisme avait suscite, durant son adoption,
une large majorite dans les deux chambres. Une majorite cassee par
un recours scandaleux auprès du Conseil Constitutionnel, lequel a
invalide la loi, pour des considerations plus politiques que juridiques
et sous la pression inadmissible de la Turquie et de l’Azerbaïdjan.

Ce principe du consensus entre la majorite et l’opposition doit
necessairement guider l’action des legislateurs lors de l’examen du
prochain texte a venir. Ce climat non-partisan est l’une des cles
de reussite de la lutte contre le negationnisme. Nous appelons donc
l’ensemble des deputes a s’engager en faveur d’un nouveau texte au
nom de la paix civile, des valeurs de la Republique et de la dignite
humaine.

Nos exigences sont fortes, nos espoirs sont eleves et notre
determination est intacte.

Conseil de Coordination des Organisation Armeniennes de France Paris,
le 20 juin 2012

—————————— CCAF Conseil de Coordination des
organisations Armeniennes de France 34, avenue Champs Elysees 75008
Paris [email protected]

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MATTHEW BRYZA A ETE ENGAGE PAR LA COMPAGNIE PETROLIERE TURQUE TURCAS.
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 21 juin 2012

L’ancien Ambassadeur Americain a Bakou a ete nomme au sein du Conseil
des Directeurs.

La compagnie Turcas est une compagnie petrolière proche de la compagnie
petrolière d’etat, azerie SOCAR.

” Il est regrettable que l’on ait permis a M. Bryza, depuis si
longtemps, employer son poste au gouvernement americain comme une
plate-forme pour avancer son ordre du jour d’apologiste pour Ankara
et Bakou ” a dit Aram Hamparian, directeur de l’ANCA.

La nouvelle position de Bryza a aussi irrite l’opposition en
Azerbaïdjan.

” Nous sommes absolument mis en fureur par la nomination de Matthew
Bryza ” a declare Murad Gassanly, un membre de l’opposition Azerie
base a Londres. ” Cela montre que les relations Etats-Unis-Azerbaïdjan
peuvent seulement etre decrites comme imbibees de petrole ” a-t-il
ajoute. ” Oubliez les droits de l’homme et la democratie “.

L’ARMENIE FETE CE SOIR LA FETE DE LA MUSIQUE A EREVAN
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
jeudi 21 juin 2012

Aujourd’hui l’Armenie fetera egalement la Fete de la Musique.

Organisee par l’Ambassade de France de 19 a 23 heures, des concerts
seront donnes sur la Place de la Liberte a Erevan. En Armenie, cette
Fete de la Musique est organisee chaque annee depuis 2007. Elle est
sponsorisee par l’Ambassade de France, le Ministère armenien de la
Culture et la Ville d’Erevan. Ce soir un coup de projecteur sera donne
a la musique pop qui fete ses 50 ans avec la prestation des groupes
” Imagine band “, ” Lav Eli “, ” Dogma “, ” The Beautified Project “.

Egalement au programme, des artistes qui se sont produits dans ” Hay
superstar ” avec Iveta Donoyan, Soussana Bedrossian et Raffi Ohanian.

BELLE SAISON POUR LA FAARALP
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 21 juin 2012

La Federation des Associations Armeniennes Rhône-Alpes (FAARALP) qui
regroupe une douzaine d’associations de cinq des huit departements
de la region Rhône-Alpes tenait samedi 9 juin sa dernière reunion
de la saison a la salle Sevan de Romans. Quatre associations de
Drôme-Ardèche, l’Amicale des Armeniens de Romans, l’association
culturelle ” Armenia ” (Bourg-Lès-Valence), Memoire et cultures
armeniennes (Montelimar) et l’association culturelle des Armeniens
d’Aubenas sont membres de cette Federation. Parmi ces associations
Valence et Romans etaient fortement presentes a la reunion, avec
Krikor Amirzayan (president d’Armenia) et 2e vice-president de la
Federation et Georges Eretzian (secretaire d’Armenia), Bernard Cakici
(president de l’Amicale des Armeniens de Romans) et Hagop Ajamian
(membre de l’Amicale).

Le president Arthur Derderian a rappele les grandes actions des
associations membres de la FAARALP au cours de la saison ecoulee.

Eddie Hatoyan et Fredo Basmadjian (Maison de la Culture Armenienne de
la Loire) ont presente le futur site internet de la Federation. Ils
ont egalement presente le site de la MCA de la Loire tournee vers la
promotion des gites ruraux en Armenie. Les membres de la FAARALP ont
egalement evoque le projet de l’organisation d’une grande soiree a
l’occasion du 10e anniversaire de la Federation l’an prochain.

Arthur Derderian, president de l’APECLE (Association Pour les Echanges
et la Cooperation entre Lyon et Erevan) a presente ses actions dans
le domaine de la viticulture et de viniculture dans la region d’Ararat
ainsi que du biogaz avec 19 stations realisees dans la region du Lori.

Hagop Ajamian (Amicale des Armeniens de Romans) a presente le
projet d’un plateau technique de formation accessible a distance en
partenariat avec une autre association en Armenie. Les associations
membres de la Federation (FAARALP) ont depose cette saison cinq projets
concernant la cooperation decentralisee avec l’Armenie auprès de la
Region Rhône Alpes. Il s’agit des projets de viticulture, de biogaz,
des gites ruraux, du kiosque mobile de tourisme et de la formation
a distance.

Les membres de la FAARALP ont insiste sur l’importance de l’information
des actions de la Federation ainsi que les contacts auprès des elus
de la region Rhône-Alpes.

La saison 2011-2012 de la Federation s’est terminee salle Sevan autour
d’un buffet de specialites armeniennes. Rendez-vous est pris pour la
rentree pour d’autres actions.

US, FRENCH AND RUSSIAN HEADS SPEAK FOR STATUS QUO IN GARABAGH CONFLICT, CHIDING AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS

Azerbaijan Business Center
June 19 2012

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Within the framework of the G20 summit in the
Mexican town of Los Cabos the presidents of the United States,
France and Russia passed an appeal to the leaders of Azerbaijan
and Armenia on the occasion of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno Garabagh conflict. This appeal, to put it mildly, is not
embodiment of the hopes of the peoples involved in the conflict –
they were suggested to continue to suffer.

“We regret that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan failed to
take decisive steps to which our countries have called on them in a
joint statement issued May 26, 2011 in Deauville,” says the appeal
of the presidents of the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group
on Garabagh conflict.

MG co-chair countries’ heads urged the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to fulfill the commitments to accelerate the harmonization
of the basic principles of the Garabagh conflict, covered by the
statement from 23 January 2012 made in Sochi; refrain from using
military force to resolve the conflict and use fully MG co-chairs’
mediation assistance.

“The use of military force will not lead to settlement of the conflict,
but only prolong the suffering and misery, to which peoples who
live in this region are exposed. Only peaceful settlement through
negotiations would find a way out of this situation and ensure the
supply for the future and prosperity of the region,” the co-chair
countries’ joint statement says.

Yesterday, deputy prime minister Ali Hasanov urged these countries
to determine finally their attitude towards the conflict and take
effective steps to resolve it. Instead, the co-chairs have proposed
only the preservation of the notorious Status Quo.

ANCIENT SIGHT ARMENIAN HILL HAS BEEN RUINED IN TURKEY

In the region of Kzltebe of the province of Mardin in Turkey “Armenian
Hill” ancient sight has been ruined. A new high-rise building is
expected to be built on its site.

According to the Turkish Radical, archeologist Mezih Bashgelen,who
had managed to take secret photos of the site got anxious about the
destruction of such a remarkable sight. The archeologist sent the
letter with photos of the hill to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

“The photos were taken secretly. Everything was terribly destroyed.

>From their dug land old earthen comes out. The Ministry should
undertake rapid steps,” Bashgelen noted.

Armenian Hill which also carries the name Telaermen has gained its
name from the nearby Armenian village.

“Without appropriate exploration and scientific investigation and
documentation it is very lamentable to ruin such an important hill.

Telermen Hill of Kzltep should be taken under protection with no
delay and illegal interference should be prevented”, he mentioned.

ARMENIA ATTENDING AT BSEC SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL

Hurriyet
June 22 2012
Turkey

Sevil KucukkoÅ[email protected]

Armenia will participate in the 20th Anniversary Summit of the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) in Istanbul
at deputy foreign minister level, despite Armenian President Serj
Sarkisian being invited to the gathering, the Daily News has learned.

The June 26 summit will be co-chaired by Serbia and Turkey, the two
consecutive Chairmanships-in-Office of BSEC in 2012.

The governments of BSEC member states, observers and sectoral dialogue
partners, as well as several international and regional organizations
have been invited to the summit.

Azerbaijan President Ä°lham Aliyev, Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili, Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti, and Russian Deputy
Prime Minister Olga Golodets, are among the participants.

In parallel with the summit, several side events such as
parliamentarian forums, academic and NGO forums, and business forums
are planned.