Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

INVESTMENT PROGRAM OF “NORTH-SOUTH” ROAD CORRIDOR PRESENTED IN ARMENIA

Trend
Aug 10, 2011
Azerbaijan

Investment programs (Program 1 and Program 2) of “North-South”
road corridor was presented on Wednesday in the Armenian capital,
News.am reported.

The ceremony brought together governors, mayors, representatives of
the ministries, NGOs, foreign embassies in Armenia and mass media,
transport ministry informed.

Minister of Transport and Communications Manuk Vardanyan said that
total length of the corridor makes 556 kilometers providing access
to the Black Sea and other countries through Armenia and Georgia.

Crossing Armenia’s territory from the south to the north, the corridor
will join the Georgian road.

From: Baghdasarian

ALIYEV LAUDS MUSLIM WORLD FOR KARABAKH SUPPORT

Armenialiberty.org
Aug 10, 2011

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday again commended
Muslim countries for lending unconditional support to Azerbaijan in
the unresolved conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Aliyev was cited by his office as telling the Baku-based ambassadors
of Islamic states that the Azerbaijani government continues to enjoy
that backing.

He recalled their decisive role in the passage by the General Assembly
in 2008 of a resolution on the Karabakh dispute that was rejected
by Armenia.

The non-binding resolution referred to Karabakh as an internationally
recognized part of Azerbaijan and demanded an “immediate, complete
and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces” from occupied
Azerbaijani lands.

Only 39 UN member states, most of them having predominantly Muslim
populations, voted for that document, while over 150 other nations
abstained or did not vote at all. The United States, Russia and France,
the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, voted against.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has likewise
repeatedly accused Armenia of unleashing aggression against
Azerbaijan. The foreign ministers of OIC member states most recently
did so in September last year.

Speaking on behalf of the diplomats, Uzbekistan’s ambassador to
Azerbaijan, Ismatillah Ergashev, was reported to reaffirm this stance.

“The diplomat pointed out that Muslim countries will continue to
support the just position of Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Aliyev’s office said in a statement.

The statement also quoted the Azerbaijani leader as calling for greater
“Islamic solidarity” and a “higher level of mutual support.”

From: Baghdasarian

FEW ARMENIANS SUPPORT EARLY ELECTIONS

China Daily
Aug 10, 2011

TBILISI – Most Armenians are opposed to early parliamentary or
presidential elections, a new poll said Wednesday.

Aharon Adibekyan, a sociologist, said the poll results show that 41
percent of the respondents oppose early elections while 18.7 percent
favor the idea.

“Therefore, it is senseless to submit the issue (of early elections)
to a referendum and spend extra money,” Adibekyan said.

Armenia’s opposition party, the Armenian National Congress, has been
demanding early parliamentary and presidential elections since March.

The South Caucasus country’s next parliamentary and presidential
elections are slated for 2012 and 2013 respectively.

From: Baghdasarian

MEDVEDEV, ALIYEV HOLD 4-HOUR MEETING, BAKU STILL HAS QUESTIONS

news.am
Aug 10, 2011
Armenia

SOCHI. – Russian Presidential Aid Sergey Prikhodko declined to
comment on the meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Sochi on August 9,
Izvestia newspaper reports.

The two leaders held a 4-hour meeting at Russian presidential residence
in Sochi.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, in an official part
of the meeting Medvedev told the press he hoped for a “sincere”
conversation on further developments in the peace process following
the presidents’ meeting in Kazan and previous meetings. In his turn,
Aliyev said Azerbaijan is more interested in the swift resolution of
the conflict, than any other country.

Medvedev emphasized it is essential to move Karbakah peace talks from
the deadlock. The Russian President received the necessary authority
from the other OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries-heads of the
U.S. and France at the Deaville meeting in May.

The sides were close to signing of the “road map” in Kazan on July
24, the newspaper reports citing a source at Russian MFA. “Baku and
Yerevan were one step away to shake hands due to Russian President’s
mediatory efforts. However, at the last moment Ilham Aliyev backpedaled
and presented 10 proposals,” the source told Izvestia.

According to the source, the sticking point was the future
determination of Nagorno-Karabakh’s final legal status in term of
legally binding expression of will. The fate of the enclave, according
to the road map of the OSCE Minsk Group, should be resolved through
referendum. It is no doubt how the majority of Armenians will vote.

For this reason, Baku has still questions, the newspaper reads.

However, following the two leaders’ meeting, Medvedev and Aliyev
stressed “positive dynamics is observed in all directions.”

From: Baghdasarian

US-ARMENIAN COMMUNITY TO BACK JOHN HEFFERN IN CASE NO UNPLEASANT SURPRISES AVAILABLE IN HIS RESPONSES

ARMENPRESS
August 10, 2011
YEREVAN

The Armenian community to US will back the candidacy of John Heffern,
President Obama’s nominee as US Ambassador to Armenia, in case
there are no “unpleasant surprises” in his responses to the written
queries by senators, according to Harut Sassounian, editor-in-chief
of California Courier newspaper.

The Senate will most probably discuss the ambassador’s responses in
September. “We know that the ambassador may not determine the US
state policy on the Armenian Genocide, as it is the competence of
the president, therefore we understand why he does not use the term
of “genocide”. Nonetheless, in case additional statements, casting
doubt on the fact of the Armenian Genocide, will be available in his
answers, we will be against and some additional impediments will be
caused for the approval of his candidacy,” Harut Sassounian said.

He says John Heffern has not cooperated with Turkish lobby
organizations, yet he was an assistant to a US senator, whose activity
was anti-Armenian. However “this fact should not impact on Heffern’s
stance.”

Harut Sassounian reminded that former Ambassador to Armenia Marie
Yovanovitch did not utter the word “Armenian Genocide”. “We do not
expect that the new US ambassador will use words that contradict
the US state policy, we just expect him not to deny the fact of the
Genocide,” Harut Sassounian said.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON D.C. TO OPEN BEFORE 100TH ANNIVERSARY

RMENPRESS
August 10, 2011
YEREVAN

The Armenian Assembly of America, upon a court judgment, returned the
documents of the territory and buildings in Washington, D.C. where
the Armenian Genocide Museum is intended to be founded, to Cafesjian
Family Foundation.

Harut Sassounian, editor-in-chief of California Courier newspaper,
reported Armenpress that Armenian Assembly of America, however,
does not plan to reconcile to this judgment and will apply to the U.S.

Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

“This process may be an obstacle for launching the works of
establishing the museum. Gerard Cafesjian aims to open the museum
before April 24, 2015 – the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

From: Baghdasarian

KIOSKS DISMANTLING PROCESS TURNED INTO CLASH BETWEEN SALESMEN AND POLICEMEN

arminfo
August 10, 2011

Today the work on dismantling kiosks and pavilions, the renting term
of which has expired, has turned into clash between salesmen and
policemen in the center of Yerevan, especially at Papazyan street.

ArmInfo correspondent arrived at the place of the incident at the
moment when after the fight with policemen the owners of the kiosks
were just looking how the workers of the Yerevan mayor’s office were
dismantling their kiosks.

Many of them told ArmInfo correspondent that over the last period
of time they applied to different instances, but all was in vain,
as their complaints still remain without any attention. They also
added that nobody present them in a written form the decision about
dismantling of the kiosks.

From: Baghdasarian

THE COUNTRY BECAME A POLICE STATE

Lragir.am News

10/08/2011

Vardan Harutyunyan, Center for Rights and Freedom NGO, Izabella
Sargysan, Youth for Democracy NGO, Natalia Martirosyan, Armenian
Committee of Helsinki Association NGO, Levon Barseghyan, Asparez
Club of Journalists NGO, Arthur Sakunts, Vanadzor office of Helsinki
Association NGO, issued a statement in connection with the incident
happened on August 9 between the young activists of the Congress and
the Police officers. Today, it became known criminal proceedings were
launched against the youths.

The statement runs that the group which occupied the country in
the result of rigged elections rendered the country a police state,
where no one is protected. The Human Rights organizations condemn
the violence used against the ANC activists by the Police and demand
their immediate release and an impartial investigation.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESIDENT ALIYEV IS QUITE DECIDED ABOUT KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

arminfo
Wednesday, August 10, 14:53

According to the newspaper “Kommersant”, in private conversations
Azerbaijani diplomats very often say that the military potential
of Baku will allow “resolving the problem within a couple of days”
and that President Aliyev “is quite decided about that”.

The newspaper says that the August 9 Medvedev-Aliyev meeting in Sochi
failed to shed light on the prospects of development of the Karabakh
peace process. “In the presence of journalists Ilham Aliyev only
thanked President Medvedev for mediation once again”, the source says.

To recall, during the Aug 9 meeting in Sochi, Dmitry Medvedev and
Ilham Aliyev were said to mostly discuss the options of resolution
of the Karabakh conflict.

From: Baghdasarian

EIGHT ARMENIANS – IN GUINNES BOOK OF RECORDS

ARMENPRESS
August 10, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS: Eight Armenians are registered in
Guinnes Book of Records. Chairman of “Unordinary Moving Activity
Registration” commission Vardan Tovmasyan told Armenpress that Robert
Galstyan was the first Armenian to be registered in Guinnes Book in
1991. With the help of rope with his teeth he pushed 10 m truck the
weight of which reaches 12 tons.

The latest Armenian who was registered in Guinnes Book of Records is
Davit Fahradyan, who completed 354 turns on a horizontal bar-setting.

In 1990 “Dyutsaznagirq” was designed in Armenia with the example of
Guinnes Book. More than 61 people are registered in it. A book is
intended to publish in near future.

From: Baghdasarian