Author: Badalian Vardan

NEXT MEETING OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA FOREIGN MINISTERS TO TAKE PLACE IN PARIS

Azerbaijan Business Center
June 5 2012

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will
hold next meeting jointly with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen in Paris.

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has reported that
the meeting will surely take place on 18 June.

” In the course of Paris meeting Azerbaijan will make another attempt
to convince the opposing side in inexpediency of further keeping of
status quo “,- the Minister noted.

According to the Minister , death of five Azerbaijani soldiers
at the contact line negatively influences negotiation process on
Nagorno Garabagh.

” Lead time of the conflict settlement by Armenian side only promotes
occurrence of such incidents , namely for this reason we call for
Armenia to prepare large peaceful agreement “,- E. Mammadyarov said.

In the end the Minister reported that Nagorno Garabagh problem will
become the topic of discussion at tomorrow’s meeting with the USA
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. In Armenian Azerbaijani Nagorno
Garabagh conflict Armenia occupied 20% of Azerbaijani territory and
made over 1 million people refugees and IDPs.

(Re)Walking the Walk
Alex Rowell

Now Lebanon

June 5 2012

I appreciate that the WalkBeirut tour is old news for veteran NOW
Lebanon readers, but after three years and a significant re-shuffling
of the route, I hope I’ll be pardoned for a brief update.

Starting now in Clemenceau, as opposed to Hamra as previously, this
four-hour trek led by AUB alumnus and WalkBeirut founder Ronnie Chatah
took me and some thirty others through over a dozen of the capital’s
historic jewels last Sunday. Fancying myself, quite irrationally, as
an authority on Lebanese history, I was continuously and increasingly
annoyed to find Chatah’s knowledge surpassing, even humiliating my own
at every turn. Indeed, the brilliance of his narration is his ability
to accommodate the utter novice (“Who was Yasser Arafat?” someone once
asked) while also sating the appetites of a more demanding audience.

In Qantari, you’ll learn about the Armenian Christian sect that only
exists in Lebanon, as well as how to identify the specific Turkish,
French and Lebanese elements in the still-preserved architecture of
the neighbourhood. At the Holiday Inn – where a passing service driver
shouted “How many died there, how many?!” in a tone that seemed to
hold us personally responsible – you’ll discover which room Arafat
stayed in, and what Ariel Sharon did when he took the building off
his nemesis. At the synagogue in Wadi Abu Jmeel, you’ll learn about
the Lebanese Jewish woman who liked to tell visitors how she once
“slapped” Sharon “to the ground”. The journey continues downtown
through the Roman baths, the Grand Serail, Place de l’Ã~Itoile and
Martyrs Square, where it would be no exaggeration to say that Chatah’s
oratory turned epic. Somehow, he summarises more than a century of
the square’s history in a way that manages to be fully political,
without being at all politicized.

Fittingly (as I would come to see it), the tour culminates at
Samir Kassir Square, where Chatah delivers a powerful – and, again,
apolitical – tribute to the historian who gave us the 600-page-long
magnum opus, Beirut. Explaining that Kassir’s passion and bitterness
about the city’s rapidly disappearing history was the very inspiration
for WalkBeirut itself, he invited an audience member – in this case, me
– to read out an Arabic sentence of Kassir’s that neatly captures the
ethos of the whole enterprise: “عÙ~HدÙ~Hا Ø¥Ù~DÙ~I اÙ~Dشارع,
Ø¢Ù~JÙ~Gا اÙ~DرÙ~AاÙ~BØ~L تعÙ~HدÙ~Hا Ø¥Ù~DÙ~I اÙ~DÙ~HضÙ~HØ­”
(“Return to the street, dear friends/comrades, and you will return
to clarity”). Something we might all do more often.

ARMENIA’S NEW RAMKAVAR PARTY – OPPOSITION OR ALTERNATIVE?

news.am
June 05, 2012 | 15:57

YEREVAN. – Head of United Ramkavar Azatakan Party (Armenia) and
Editor-in-Chief of Azg newspaper Hakob Avetikyan offers to make
adjustments in the domestic vocabulary. As it came out at the press
conference on Tuesday he is against the word ‘opposition’.

In response to the persistent attempts of journalists to find out
who will get the sympathy of the party – government or opposition,
Avetikyan announced that he does not understand such phraseology. As
it came out, Avetkyan does not understand the meaning of ‘oppositional
press’ either. He suggested using the word alternative instead.

ARMENIAN CELEBRITY’S DRIVER ARRESTED

news.am
June 05, 2012 | 20:21

YEREVAN. – Court decided to arrest Armenian celebrity Sofi Devoyan’s
driver, 46 year-old Hmayak Mikaelyan on Tuesday and moved him to
Nubarashen penitentiary, police informed Armenian News-NEWS.am adding
criminal case is instigated.

Earlier the agency has informed that Mercedes and VAZ-21214 collided
in David Bek Street on the night of June 3. As a result, the accident
claimed one life, while four were injured and hospitalized.

CONSTRUCTION OF “MEGHRI” HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT TO START IN AUGUST

ARMENPRESS
5 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 5, ARMENPRESS: Iran will be the only consumer of the
energy produced by “Meghri” hydroelectric power plant for 15 years,
which will cover the investment made by Tehran.

The hydroelectric power plant will be cosntructed over the Arax
River and will have the capacity to produce 130 megawatts (MW)
of electricity.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be held in Meghri August 22. The
construction works will be implemented within 5 years.

“Nearly $ 323 mln will be spent on the construction works of the
hydroelectric power plant,” the statement provided to Armenpress by
Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources reads.

American authoritative “Bloomberg” has referred to construction of
the plant June 4. Bloomberg has underlined that the Iranian source
has not presented data on the financial aspect of the project.

Two hydroelectric power plants are intended to construct over the
River Arax — “Meghri” in the Armenian side and “Gharachilar” in the
Iranian side. This investment project will be implemented in Armenia
for the first time.

ARTSAKH PRESIDENT CONVENES MEETING OF NKR SECURITY COUNCIL

Panorama.am
05/06/2012

President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan convened a meeting of
the NKR Security Council. The meeting agenda comprised issues related
to organization of the 2012 crop harvest activities.

NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutunyan, Minister of Agriculture Andranik
Khachatryan, director of the Rescue Service Arthur Harutyunyan,
director of the Countryside and Agriculture Assistance Fund Vahram
Baghdasaryan and heads of regional administrations delivered
corresponding reports and speeches.

For efficient organization of the harvest activities President Sahakyan
entrusted the Cabinet of Ministers to establish a situation room at
the head of the Minister of Agriculture, which is to carry out all
the necessary work and submit information on the situation to the
President with a 10-day periodicity. The situation room is to be
established before June 10, 2012.

Bako Sahakyan underlined that the whole process of this strategic
issue should be widely covered by the mass media, presidential press
office reported.

PLAY SAFELY: AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES UNDER SCRUTINY
By Gohar Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
05.06.12 | 15:25

The high season for amusement parks in Armenia that’s started with
summer has brought fresh concerns over the safety of rides due to
accidents of recent years.

Armenia’s few amusement parks are of Soviet heritage and are typically
poorly appointed and poorly maintained.

Two years ago, on May 9, a public holiday, an accident took place in
Haghtanak (Victory) Park in Yerevan, where the chains of a swing called
Typhoon broke causing injuries to four people. After this incident
the respective bodies started paying more attention to safety issues.

Vladimir Hovsepyan, Head of the Technical Security Service Center
of Yerevan at the Ministry of Emergency Situations, reported at a
press conference on Tuesday that there are 114 engine-driven rides
registered in Armenia (78 in Yerevan). Under the ruling of 2006, they
must undergo technical examination (either in spring or in winter)
before the high season starts.

“All carrousels in Armenia have undergone technical examination prior
to this season, and most of them have been instructed to rectify the
defects; 59 have been repaired and are running safely,” Hovsepyan says,
adding that the examination of 23 amusement rides is still in process.

He added that last year, four rides were closed due to safety concerns
– two in Lori province and two in Kapan, Syunik province.

Hovsepyan says an amusement ride operator faces a 500,000 dram (about
$1,230) fine if the operation is found to be unsafe. In the case of
accidents, a criminal case is filed.

According to him, users can find out whether this or that carrousel
has undergone examination by reading the references fastened on the
windows of ticket-boxes.

THE SITUATION IN VOSKEPAR PEACEFUL AFTER AZERBAIJAN’S UNSUCCESSFUL ACT OF SABOTAGE
Nvard Davtyan

“Radiolur”
05.06.2012 17:35

The situation is calm in the village of Voskepar. There were no
shots over the day, there is no panic, people are engaged in everyday
activities, head of Voskepar community Hrush Aghbalyan told “Radiolur.”

This night divisions of the Azerbaijani armed forces again undertook
provocative actions, trying to penetrate into Armenian territory near
the village of Voskepar. The sabotage group was neutralized thanks to
the watchfulness of Armenian servicemen. Members of the group managed
to escape taking the bodies of the five killed soldiers.

Azerbaijani media, quoting the Ministry of Defense, publicize the names
of the killed soldiers: Amil Novruzov, Khalid Azizov, Vahid Bagirov,
Julfagar Atashli and Elchin Ismailov.

The situation is peaceful also in Chinari. A criminal case has been
launched into the incident that occurred there yesterday, Press
Secretary of the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Defense
Mery Sargsyan told “Radiolur.”

As for the injured, their condition is satisfactory.

MILITARY PROVOCATION SYNCHRONIZED WITH CLINTON’S VISIT – POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

tert.am
05.06.12

In its statement issued in May 2012, the Political Science Association
of Armenia drew the international community’s attention to the
fact that an official from the office of the Azerbaijani President,
performing the order of the head of the state, issued a statement that
meant the territorial claim to the Republic of Armenia synchronized
with the visit the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs from Russia, the US
and France paid to Baku on May 11, 2012.

Given the fact of the total control the Ilham Aliyev regime is
exercising over the state and public institutions in Azerbaijan no
one can doubt that the given provocation was ordered by none other
than President Aliyev himself.

Yesterday – on the very day of the US Secretary of State’s arrival –
a raiding party Ïf Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces, in accordance with the
order of Ilham Aliyev, murdered three Armenian servicemen performing
their duty in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Under the condition of the arms race uncontrolled by the international
community in the Karabakh conflict zone, the treacherous killing of
the Armenian citizens in the territory of the Republic of Armenia,
synchronized with the visit of one of the highest officials of the
US (Minsk group Co-Chair state) to the South Caucasus, is a cynical
challenge to peace and stability in the South Caucasus and surrounding
regions.

The Political Science Association of Armenia calls upon the Honorable
Minsk Group Co-Chair States to condemn in the strongest terms
possible the provocative actions of Azerbaijan and exert pressure
on Aliev’s regime demanding an unconditional implementation of the
all international obligations concerning preservation of cease-fire
regime on the Line of Contact.

FOR CENTURIES BELL AND AZAN RANG TOGETHER IN DIYARBAKIR – TURKISH OFFICIAL

news.am
June 05, 2012 | 03:48

YEREVAN. – Another Turkish group visited Armenia in the framework
of USAID ‘Convergence between Armenian and Turkey’ program. Seihmus
Diken, the advisor of the Diyarbakir mayor, gave an interview to
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Mr. Diken, the Mayor of Diyarbakir Osman Baydemir, often makes
friendly remarks about the Armenians and their history. Why do the
Kurds remember those events?

Because Armenians are one of the nations, living in the region
along with the Kurds. For centuries the bell and azan rang together
in Diyarbakir. Like we – the Kurds and Muslims – have our rights,
so do the Armenians, because we have lived together, our voices and
breaths were mixed. We shared everything on the streets. The mayor,
elected by the people, knows this truth. That is why he treats the
Armenians in such way. And the Armenians, who had come to Diyarbakir,
saw that treatment for themselves.

Who are those words addressed to, given that there are almost no
Armenians left in Diyarbakir?

Those addresses are not only for the scarce Armenian families living
in Diyarbakir but also for the Armenians throughout the world, in
America, Canada and Armenia. If an Armenian is living somewhere we
treat him like a compatriot.

How do the Diyarbakir Kurds stand towards the songs of Aram Tigran?

If you want to know how the Kurds stand towards his songs, I will tell
you that during a festival in Diyarbakir a year before the singer’s
death fife hundred thousand people came to listen to him. The Kurdish
nation will never forget two Armenians – one is Aram Tigran, the other
is Karapet Khacho, who was living in Yerevan and died a few years ago.

Those two people have done a lot for the Kurdish Music. Why did they
dedicate their lives to it? Because their fathers told them before
they died ‘you know the Kurds saved us from the Genocide. Express
our gratitude through music until the end of your live’.