Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LEADER URGES EQUALITY IN NEW TURKEY CONSTITUTION

Now Lebanon
Feb 20 2012

The spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians said Monday
that members of his community must not be treated as second-class
citizens in Turkey’s new constitution.

“We want the new text to represent all of us… We want nothing more
than to be equal,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople
said after addressing a session of parliament devoted to drawing up
a new basic law.

“We do not want to be second-class citizens. Minorities have
unfortunately fallen victim to such injustice. But this is starting
to change,” he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.”

The patriarch was consulted by parliament about the role of religious
minorities in the new constitution for the Muslim majority but
secular nation.

An official from the Syriac community also addressed lawmakers and
representatives from the Armenian and Jewish communities are also
due to have their views heard.

Turkey does not recognize Bartholomew I’s title as head of the world
Orthodox Christians and considers him only the spiritual head of
Turkey’s tiny Greek Orthodox minority.

Ankara said last year it aimed to draft a new constitution by mid-2012
to replace a post-coup basic law adopted in 1980, but progress has
been slow and the new document may not emerge this year.

Today the Greek Orthodox population numbers little more than 2,500
people in Istanbul. There are also some 60,000 Armenians and 15,000
Orthodox Syrians among the minority religious groups.

The government in Turkey is headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, leader of the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party
(AKP).

From: Baghdasarian

WAR WITH IRAN COULD REVERBERATE ACROSS GLOBE

Post Noon

Feb 20 2012

The Middle East and the West aren’t the only regions that would be
hit by an Iran-Israel war

TBILISI: After two apparent assassination attempts against
Israeli diplomats in the South Caucasus, many fear this fractured
and strategically important region is being pulled into the rising
tensions between the West and Iran.

On Monday, police defused a “magnetic bomb” attached to a car belonging
to a local driver for the Israeli embassy in Georgia. On the same day,
a bomb exploded on an Israeli embassy vehicle in New Dehli, injuring
several, including the Israeli defense attache’s wife.

The attempted bombing in Georgia came less than three weeks after
the government of neighboring Azerbaijan announced it had arrested
three men who had been recruited and paid to assassinate the Israeli
ambassador to Azerbaijan and later attack a Jewish school in the
country.

Tehran accused Azerbaijan Monday of aiding Israeli intelligence
forces in assassinating Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, an Iranian nuclear
scientist who was also killed by a bomb magnetically attached to
his car in early January. At the time, a top Iranian official told a
local newspaper that “Iran’s reaction will extend beyond the borders
and beyond the region.”

The official added: “None of those who ordered these attacks should
feel safe anywhere.”

All three countries that comprise the South Caucasus – Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Armenia – maintain important relationships with both the
West and Iran. Conflict between these two sides could destabilize
the fragile, but strategically crucial peace in the region.

Azerbaijan: Fears of an Iranian invasion

Azerbaijan is a major supplier of both natural gas and oil for Europe,
and several pipeline projects designed to reduce the EU’s energy
dependence on Russia require Georgian territory and Azerbaijani
resources.

The two countries are also key links in the Northern Distribution
Network, a transit route supplying ISAF forces in Afghanistan. Since
Pakistan closed its borders to NATO air and ground transit in
November 2011, this route is now the only means for the alliance to
get personnel and materials in and out of Afghanistan.

Since the revelation of the alleged Iranian assassination plot,
Azerbaijan and Iran have been furiously trading accusations. Tehran
has often threatened Azerbaijan with invasion should it allow Western
countries to use its territory in support of an operation against Iran.

Georgia: Caught in the middle

Georgian authorities, meanwhile, have been cautious to assess blame
in the foiled bombing in its capital, Tbilisi, although Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly pointed to Iran in the attacks.

Shota Utiashvili, head of the Georgian Interior Ministry’s analytical
department publicly noted the similarities between the descriptions
of the defused bomb and the one used to kill the Iranian scientist,
and said it was designed to target the car’s passengers. Other top
officials have downplayed the link, however, noting that the bomb
was found on the driver’s personal car, not an embassy vehicle.

Furthermore, pro-government TV channels have made little mention of
the incident in domestic news broadcasts.

Georgia has cultivated close ties with Tehran since its brief 2008 war
with Russia, signing a visa-free travel agreement with the Islamic
Republic and opening up greater economic, academic and commercial
links in various agreements with the country.

Armenia: Trying to stick close to Iran

The country perhaps most vulnerable to the shifting circumstances is
Armenia, which relies on Iran for crucial political support and as a
route for about one third of its trade. Due to an ongoing territorial
dispute with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s borders with both Azerbaijan and
Turkey have been closed since the early 1990s. It relies on Iran and
Russia – through Georgian territory – for its trade and energy supply.

Analysts in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, worry that a damaged
or preoccupied Iran could reopen its on-again-off-again war with
Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Russian factor

Meanwhile, Russia has announced it will hold military exercises
in the South Caucasus this year that are unprecedented in scale,
involving not only its units in its own North Caucasus territory,
but also battalions stationed in Armenia and the Georgian breakaway
republic of Abkhazia. Over the past year, Russian officials have often
warned that foreign intervention in either Syria or Iran could lead
to a “wider conflict” in the region. Viewing the South Caucasus as
its buffer zone against the Middle East, observers say Moscow is now
reasserting its presence in the region.

From: Baghdasarian

HANS-JOCHEN SCHMIDT : ONE SHOULD NOT MILK A COW OUT COMPLETELY, BECAUSE ONE DAY IT WILL GIVE NO MILK AT ALL

ArmInfo
February 20, 13:23

ArmInfo News Agency’s Interview with German Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Hans-Jochen Schmidt

Mr. Ambassador, what investments in Armenia are expected from Germany
in 2012?

I suppose the companies, which made investments over the past few
years, will continue investing in 2012 as well. I mean, first and
foremost, the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Plant (ZCMP), in which
the German company Cronimet Mining has seriously invested. In
addition, the company has also invested in production of lead-acid
storage batteries in Yerevan, which was launched two years ago. The
high-quality product of the company is not only meant for the Armenian
market, but is also exported to Georgia. Certainly, we would like it
to appear in the Azerbaijani market as well, but it is practically
impossible for certain reasons. Both enterprises will by all means
receive additional investments.

Trade in our economic relations is at a quite high level, and
this concerns the spheres of medicine, pharmacy, energy, as
well as technologies of production of such beverages as Jermuk,
Alexandropol, Pepsi, i.e. the beverages of the companies that use
German technologies. Armenia is interested in development of food
industry and food export. And Germany may become a good partner
in that.

Via some banks we also provide loans for agricultural projects on
preferential terms. The German Development Bank KfW, which is engaged
in German-Armenian financial cooperation, funds the projects in the
sphere of housing construction. The German ProCredit Bank operates
in the financial sector, though not so successfully as in Georgia.

Therefore, we’d like the Bank to expand its activity in Armenia
as well.

The investment of the German capital in ZCMP is a vivid example of
effective cooperation in one of the cornerstone spheres of Armenian
economy – ore mining industry. Being a large taxpayer in Armenia,
Cronimet Mining is not only developing mines, but is also implementing
numerous social and educational programs in Syunik region, and the most
important thing is that the company realizes the obligation to observe
the environmental standards. For instance, the German Government’s
interest in protection of the environment is demonstrated by the fact
that Germany is ready to provide Armenia with a preferential loan
worth 40 mln EUR for development of alternative power engineering. In
addition, the German Agency for International Development GIZ
(Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit) has worked
out a program on protection of Armenia’s forest resources. At present
the German Development Bank KfW has expressed willingness to provide
a 6 mln EUR loan for the reserves, including for those in Syunik,
and we are waiting for the reply of the governor of Syunik region.

However, the residents of Kajaran are discontent with the fact that
they will have to leave the village because of the plant’s activity.

They have applied to you to organize a meeting with the head of the
company Gunter Pilarsky …

No meeting has been held so far. The company is extremely interested
in ensuring good relations with the villagers and in settlement of all
problems for the mutual benefit. Thus, in 2006, when the company was
privatized, Pilarsky personally told the residents of Kajaran that
the activity of the German company would not harm a single resident
of Kajaran.

Within the next 20 years no prospecting work will be carried out in
this territory, and the decision on extension of mines is meant for
the future. It was reported then that the company would ensure the
re-settlement of the residents in other places. Today many people use
these territories for construction of country houses, but the company
does not want the territories to be used by people who settle there
to use the territories for speculative purposes and to exert pressure
on the enterprise.

There is a well-known German proverb: “One should not milk a cow out
completely, because one day it will give no milk at all”. To tell
the truth, the criticism of environmental organizations against the
plant seems a bit strange to me. During my meetings in Syunik region,
I made sure that the company has a quite good reputation. The local
organizations and the residents spoke well about it and pointed out
the importance of the company’s programs. The company, which is the
largest taxpayer in Armenia and the largest employer in Syunik, can
be an example in terms of implementation of social programs. Today the
company has about 3,000 employees. The average salary of employees in
Syunik is 147 thsd AMD, and the company monthly pays about 248 thsd
AMD to its employees. The company’s employees often undergo medical
examination, and the company pays for their operations in Germany’s
hospitals if necessary.

Let’s pass to another important topic. As known, on January 23 the
French Senate adopted a bill criminalizing the denial of genocides. Do
you think that the German Bundestag may also adopt a similar bill?

In 2005 the German Bundestag adopted a resolution on the mass murders
in 1915 and before that. I think that from the point of view of
analysis and assessment of those events, this resolution unambiguously
formulates the injustice committed then. The topic of the genocide is
one of the most discussed topics in Germany. This issue is seriously
debated on. The film “Aghet” (Catastrophe) dedicated to this topic,
which was shown on the first TV channel of Germany is evidence of it,
and, in my opinion, the film gives a good analysis of the injustice
towards Armenians, as well as towards Greeks and Assyrians, as I have
learned here. There is also a German book telling about the Armenian
Genocide in 1915-1916. The author of the book is the well-known German
writer Wolfgang Hurst. The book sums up all the materials of the
political archive of the German Foreign Ministry regarding the events.

Both the film and the book mention the role of German military advisors
in Turkey of those days. For instance, I consider the statement of
the-then German Reichschancellor about the alliance of Germany and
Turkey to be politically unacceptable. He said that our only goal is
to hold Turkey beside us till the end of the war, no matter whether
Armenians would die or not. In the meantime, I do not think Bundestag
will initiate a bill criminalizing the genocide denial, like in the
case of Holocaust.

From: Baghdasarian

IRAN, ARMENIA SHARE INTERESTS IN REGIONAL ISSUES: 20-YEAR-OLD HISTORY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Armen Israyelyan

Panorama.am
20/02/2012

In these days the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution is
celebrated in Iran. The Islamic Revolution began on January 8, 1978
by a large manifestation of protest of students During the whole year
the manifestations of protest held by different stata of the society
were over on February 11, 1979, headed by the founder of the Islamic
Republic of Iran Emam Khomeinia announcing the destruction of the
shahs` government and the establishment of the Islamic system.

The strategy of foreign policy of Iran was changed considerably after
the Islamic Revolution. According to the newly admitted constitution,
the execution of general provisions of foreign policy was dedicated
to the president of the Republic and the Ministry of Foreign affairs,
directed by the Supreme Leader of Iran and the Supreme commander of
AF. The principle ” No West, no East”, as well as the landmark to leave
in peace with neighbours and to conduct a policy of good neighbouring
relations were included in the agenda of foreign policy of the country
in order to exclude the presence of superpowers in the country.

In September 1991, after the crumbling of the Soviet Union, when the
independence of the Republic of Armenia was proclaimed. Iran was the
first country that officially declared the independence of Armenia
on December 26, of the same year.

On February 9, 1992, Raffi Hovhannisyan, the Armenian minister of
foreign affairs and Ali Aqbar Velayati, the minister of foreign
affairs of Iran sign in Tehran a declaration for establishing
diplomatic relations.

On February 28, 1992, Ali Aqbar Velayati, the minister of foreign
affairs of IRI makes his first official visit to Yerevan. The purpose
of the visit was to make some consulations about international and
regional problems and the Iranian deligation announces its readiness
about the regulation of the antagonism of Nagorno Karabakh to assume
its negotiating mission, as a result of which on March 16, 1992,
a document is farmed and published, which refers to the antagonism
of Karabagh, assumption of negotiating mission of IKI Velayati
makes an offer where he witnessed that Iran is ready to appear with
negotiating mission for studying the possible ways of regulation of
Karabagh antagonism.

On May 6, 1992, a delegation headed by the president of RA Levon
Ter-Petrosyan arrives in Tehran on invitation of the IRI president
Hashemi Rafsanjani. The sides negotiated about the antagonism of
Nagorno Karabakh among other questions. On May 8, 1992 the RA president
L. Ter-Petrosyan , the attorney of the president of Azerbaijan
Yaghub Mamedov, as well as the president of the negotiator country
Iran H. Rafsanjani, signed a common declaration on the regulatio
of the opposition of NK. After he high level mutual visits between
two countries, the sides decide to open embassies in each other `
s countries. In April 1992, the IRI embassy is opened in Yerevan and
in December the RA embassy is opened in Tehran. Vahan Bayburdyan is
appointed the attorney of the affairs of RA in Tehran and mutually
Bahman Ghasemi is the attorney of the affairs of IRI in Yerevan.

In 1994, the Armenian- Iranian relations are raised to the level
of ambassadors and Hamid Reza Niqqar Esfahani is appointed the
ambassador , who is then replaced by Mohammad Farhad Qoleyni and
Alireza Haghighia. Actually Ali Saghaian is the IRI ambassador in RA.

Vahan Bayburdyan, who was formerly the RA attorney becomes the first
ambassador of the third Republic of Armenia in Iran. During the
following years the last is replaced by Gegham Gharibjanyan and Karen
Nazaryan. Actually Grigor Araqelyan is the RA ambassador in Tehran.

In order to develop the economic – commercial relations between
Iran and Armenia a bridge is being built on the river Araks after
the exploitation of which Iran becomes a transit way for Armenia
to the transmission of loads to the countries of Persian Gulf. The
transmissions of loads are increased for 3-4 times.

More than 200 Armenian- Iranian enterprises started working actively
in Armenia. Thanks to the economic interaction, Iran holds the first
place in the exterior commerce of Armenia. A branch establishment
of the Iranian bank ” Mellat” is opened in Yerevan. The aerial
communication between two countries was realized by the Iranian
companies ” Aria Tour”, “Caspian” and ” Armenian air roads”.

On 1995, corresponding agreements are made about the Iranian-Armenian
gasmain, the high volt line of transmission line, the building of
the common hydroelectric power station on the river Araks.

On 25-27 December, 2007, a delegation headed by the second Armenian
president Robert Kocharyan visited Iran for four days and had meetings
with the IRI Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, president seyyed Mohammad
Khatami, minister of foreign affairs Qamal Kharazi and minister of
defense Ali Shamkhani.

On September 8-9, 2004, the IRI president seyyed Mohammad Khatami
makes a return official visit to Armenia. In the frames of the visit
to Armenia, M. Khatami visited also he monument of the Armenian
genocide to pay respect to the innocent martyrs that are victims of
the genocide.

Generally, the mutual visits executed in the level of presidents
certified the dynamic development of bilateral relations. On July5 ,
2006, the president R. Kocharyan made a labour visit to Iran, where
he meets the newly elected president of IRI Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

On March 19, 2007, the official ceremony of the opening of the
gasmain is held in participation of the RA and IRI presidents, and
by the end of 2008, the building of the second part of the Iran-
Armenia gasmain is finished.

In October 2007, the IRI president Mahmud Ahmadinejad arrives
in Armenia for a two days` visit. During the visit in Yerevan a
memorandum of mutual understanding between Iran and Armenia is signed,
the sides appear with a common declaration. The president of Iran is
granted with a nomination of an honourable doctor of the Yerevan State
University. On April 13, 2009, the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan
`s official visit to Tehran revived the Armenian-Iranian relations.

During it the president of Armenia had meetings with the IRI Supreme
leader seyyed Ali Khamenei, president Mahmud Ahmadinejad, president
of Mejlis Ali Larijani and the Secretary of the Supreme Council of
National Security S. Jalili.

The RA president specially mentioned that Iran had proved many times
that is a confident friend having a pivotal importance for Armenia. In
Serzh Sargsyan`s words Armenia has always felt the support of Iran
and in the years of blockade the emergent products were imported to
Armenia by the territory of Iran.

The president Serzh Sargsyan`s next labour visit to Iran took place on
March 27, 2011. During the meeting the presidents of two countries gave
importance especially to the successfully developing interaction in
energetics, transport, culture and some other domains , they reverted
also to the project of the building of the Iran -Armenia railway. In
the frames of his visit to Tehran Serzh Sargsyan took part also in
the celebrations organized for the holiday of Novruz.

In December 2011, the IRI president Mahmud Ahmadinejad makes a return
visit to Armenia. In the frames of the visit agreements concerning
the increase of the volumes of commerce circulation, development of
substructures, economy, energetics, transport, industry and domains
of investment were signed.

Afterwards, the presidents of Armenia and Iran appeared with a common
declaration expressing contentment for high level relations between the
Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The relations
are based on the friendship of many centuries of the nations. The
presidents reaffirmed their decisiveness to continue developing the
bilateral friendly mutually profitable relations.

On February 9, 2012 was the 20th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations of Iran and Armenia. The political, economic and
cultural relations of two countries develop year by year, including
new programs.

Now, in the working agenda of the governments of two countries are
the projects of building of the passageway Iran- Armenian, railroad,
oil-pipeline, the electric power stations on the river Araks that will
be built with the help of the loan provided by the Asian development
bank, about the realization of which corresponding agreements were
signed and now the preparatory works of the realization of the above
mentioned projects are done. Iran and Armenia collaborate actively
also in international organizations , the points of views of two
countries about the problems of region coincide. During the meetings
of the presidents of Armenia and Iran the point of view, according
to which all the countries, including Iran, have the right of using
nuclear energy peacefully, is underlined.

Let us mention, that Iran , the first negotiator country involved
in the regulation of the antagonism of NK, has conducted and
conducts a balanced policy which is appreciated greatly by the
Armenian government. It must be mentioned, that the role of the
Armenian community in Iran, that was given exclusive rights and
opportunities after the Islamic revolution in Iran, is on the basis
of the development of the relations of Iran and Armenia. The Armenian
churches and historical monuments are conserved and restored by the
direct support of the government of Iran. According to the constitution
of the country the Armenian community in Iran is represented also in
the IRI Mejlis by its two representatives.

Studying the past and present of the political relations of Armenia
with its direct neighbour and friend Iran , particularly analyzing the
20 year` s history of diplomatic relations of Armenia and Iran , we can
state that both countries have the power to continue developing their
political, economic and cultural relations during the next decades.

From: Baghdasarian

RUMORS OF ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S RETURN ARE NOT UNFOUNDED: RUSSIAN PAPER ON DEVELOPMENTS IN ARMENIA

epress.am
02.20.2012

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia is concerned about tomorrow,
writes Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta today, noting that talk of
second president Robert Kocharian’s [pictured] possible return to
politics have resumed once again.

“Indirect evidence of this can be considered the former foreign affairs
minister, head of Civilitas Foundation Vartan Oskanian’s membership in
the Prosperous Armenia Party, which, along with the Republican Party of
Armenia, is still part of the ruling coalition. It was Kocharian who
initiated the creation of the Prosperous Armenia Party, and as said
among experts, with this, he ensured political support. Recently,
tension between the Republicans and the ‘Prosperous’ was evident,
because of rumors that Kocharian has lost confidence in the main party
in power. And the rumors, it appears, are not unfounded. Oskanian is
considered ‘Kocharian’s guy.’ It’s no coincidence that Republican Party
leaders were extremely irritated toward Oskanian’s first statement in
the new party [when he signaled his intent to join the party], that
he hasn’t yet managed to join the ‘Prosperous’ and yet he’s already
outlining a plan. The question is whose [plan]?” writes the daily.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN HOLDS MILITARY EXERCISE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT ZONE

news.am
February 20, 2012 | 12:12

BAKU. – The Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched military exercise in
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
press service informs.

“Azerbaijani army launched large-scale military exercise on the
frontline, including Land and Air forces headed by Azerbaijani Minister
of Defense Safar Abiyev,” the release reads.

The trainings will last till the end of this week, the modern weapons
acquired by the Azerbaijani Army will be used, RIA Novosti reports.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKISH MINISTER SAYS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’S HISTORICITY NOT CONDITIONED ON OBAMA’S APRIL 24 STATEMENT

news.am
February 20, 2012 | 11:31

In a television interview, Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs,
Egemen Bagis, reflected on the investigation launched against him in
Switzerland, the French Senate’s passing of the bill that criminalizes
the denial of genocides-including the Armenian Genocide-, and the
US President’s upcoming April 24 statement on the commemoration of
the Genocide.

Bagis again criticized French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the
aforesaid bill, and stressed that this draft law must return from the
French Constitutional Council, Anadolu News Agency of Turkey informs.

In connection with the investigation launched in Switzerland for his
denial of the Armenian Genocide while he was in that country, Turkey’s
Minister for EU Affairs noted that a preliminary investigation is
underway, and that he can he can go to Switzerland without problems,
since anyone would hardly arrest a Turkish minister.

And Commenting on US President Barack Obama’s April 24 statement,
Egemen Bagis said: “What will happen if he says, or does not say,
‘genocide?’ If someone says genocide, then it is genocide, and if he
does not say genocide, then it is not genocide?”

Bagis noted that the world’s largest archives on 1915 are in Boston,
and that solely the Armenians are able to study them.

From: Baghdasarian

LES FORCES DE POLICE DOIVENT EVITER D’UTILISER LA FORCE CONTRE LES MANIFESTANTS
Laetitia

armenews.com
lundi 20 fevrier 2012

Selon de nouvelles règles pour le contrôle des foules par la police,
les forces de securite devraient eviter d’utiliser la force contre des
manifestants pacifiques et devraient avoir recours a des armes a feu
uniquement en cas de violentes emeutes.Les ” directives detaillees
pour la police ont ete elaborees avec l’assistance d’experts de
l’Organisation pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe et
approuvees par Vladimir Gasparian, le chef de la police nationale “.

Les lignes directrices precisent les types de ” moyens speciaux ”
que la police peut utiliser pour faire face a la ” resistance armee
” et a des manifestations qui mettent en danger la securite publique.

Les evenements de mars 2008 sont consideres comme les pires violences
de rue dans l’histoire de l’Armenie et qui resonnent encore sur la
scène politique locale. Les autorites armeniennes insistent qu’ils
ont utilise la force meurtrière pour mettre fin a ” des troubles
de masse “, organises par des proches collaborateurs du candidat
de l’opposition presidentielle Levon Ter-Petrossian dans le but de
renverser le gouvernement par la force. Ter-Petrossian et le Congrès
national armenien (HAK) nient avec vehemence la theorie officielle,
en disant que les autorites ont deliberement tue des gens pour faire
appliquer les resultats d’une election presidentielle frauduleuse.

Les lignes directrices stipulent que les nouveaux agents de police
peuvent utiliser des armes a feu seulement s’ils ne parviennent pas a
contenir une foule violente. Ils ne devraient pas avoir recours a la
force si une manifestation se deroule pacifiquement, selon le document.

Nikol Pashinian (parti HAK), qui a passe environ deux ans en prison
pour le rôle qu’il avait joue lors des mainfestations de 2008, a rejete
les lignes directives du document. Pashinian a fait valoir que les
autorites devraient tout simplement cesser de truquer les elections,
si elles veulent vraiment eviter la violence. ” Il n’y aurait pas de
perturbations si les elections seraient democratiques. ”

From: Baghdasarian

TARON MARGARYAN AVOIDED MEETING

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:55:12 – 20/02/2012

A short while ago, the environmentalists walked to Yerevan City Hall.

They demanded a meeting with Mayor Taron Margaryan to issue their
request to stop the construction of kiosks in Mashtots Park.

The activists waited for 1.5 hours, after which they handed a letter
to the City Hall laying down the reasons why construction must stop.

Neither the Mayor, nor any employee of the City Hall met with the
protesters. The Mayor informed through the Police the construction
will not stop.

The environmentalists returned to the Mashtots Park to continue their
timeless sit-in.

From: Baghdasarian

Mediamax news agency, Armenia
Feb 17 2012

Armenian FM, OSCE chief discuss Karabakh, forthcoming polls

Yerevan, 17 February: OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier
expressed concern over the preservation of tensions on the contact
line between Nagornyy Karabakh and Azerbaijan, highlighting the
importance of creation of an investigation mechanism proposed by the
[OSCE] mediators.

The European official said this in Vienna on 16 February at a meeting
with Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan, Mediamax reports
quoting the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

Edvard Nalbandyan took part in the Ministerial Conference of the Paris
Pact in Vienna, dedicated to the fight against illegal drug turnover
in Afghanistan.

The Armenian foreign minister and the OSCE secretary-general also
discussed the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Edvard Nalbandyan also met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in
Vienna and reaffirmed his invitation for Sergey Lavrov to visit
Yerevan.

From: Baghdasarian