Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

UN OFFICE IN ARMENIA MARKS WORLD DAY FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY

armradio.am
13.05.2011 15:38

An art exhibition dedicated to the World Day for Cultural Diversity
for Dialogue and Development was opened today in the UN House. It is
aimed at providing an opportunity to deepen the understanding of the
values of cultural diversity and to learn to better “live together”.

The paintings and sculptures of the Armenian artist Gevorg Msheci,
were exhibited. His art works have attracted the attention of youth,
artistic community, authorities and civil society representatives,
media and the general public.

Maria Dotsenko, UN Department of Public Information Representative
said: “The UNDPI pays attention to promotion of cultural diversity
and supports the country’s efforts aimed at guaranteeing that all
persons have the right to express themselves and to disseminate
their work freely and to participate in the cultural life. Armenia,
being located in the crossroads of ancient civilizations, has rich
traditions of appreciation of cultural diversity.”

The painter, Gevorg Msheci added: “For more than ten years I have
cooperated with the UNDPI and appreciate their support to the
endorsement of Armenian art. This support motivates and encourages
me to promote through the art mutual understanding, tolerance and
dialogue between people of different nations.”

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 21 May as the World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and has welcomed the Universal Declaration
on Cultural Diversity adopted by UNESCO in 2001 and the Action Plan
for the implementation of this Declaration. Armenia, among other UN
Members States, participates in the implementation of this Action Plan.

The exhibition will be open to the public at the UN House until 31 May.

From: Baghdasarian

HOW KHACHIKYAN WAS CAUGHT

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:36:10 – 13/05/2011

Hraparak daily published interesting information on how the former
Chairman of the State Social Security Service was “caught”. Recall
the Control Chamber inspected the Service and found out large-scale
appropriations. It is reported about 60 thousand pensioners who still
received pensions even after their death.

According to Hraparak, Vazgen Khachikyan used to hold parties in
Tbilisi, so, during one party, when already drunk, Khachikyan started
showing off the mechanisms he uses in the Social Security System of
Armenia. His praises were recorded and reported to relevant structures.

The newspaper does not go into details of whether the Special Services
of Georgia or the partiers recorded. But this is not important.

If the Special Services of Georgia recorded everything, then it would
have aroused an international scandal if Khachikyan was not punished.

We can presume that Georgians provided the video to international
structures and not punishing Khachikyan would have proven the fact that
the leadership of Armenia had always had its share in the appropriated
by Khachikyan money and 60 thousand “ready voters”. Note 60 thousand
is about 5 percent of the voters, which could be a wonderful “political
favor” to some party.

And if the Special Services have nothing in common with this video,
then someone made a “bad favor” to Khachikyan. In other words, in
Armenia, for many years, no one knew about all those machinations
and it occurred to everyone only after the confession of the drunken
Khachikyan. This is unbelievable: the point is about 60 thousand
dead people, and not 100 or even 1000 with whose relatives it would
be even possible to agree and divide the money.

In other words, Khachikyan would have hardly dared not to give the
governmental share from the money and voters to the leadership.

Hraparak daily writes that Khachkyan’s mental health suddenly
worsened. All know those having a mental illness paper cannot be
prosecuted.

From: Baghdasarian

JAVAKHAK ARMENIANS ASK CATHOLICOS TO PROTECT ARMENIAN CHURCHES

Tert.am
13.05.11

Several Jabakhk-Armenians currently residing in Russia have addressed
a letter to Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II, asking him to
take the Armenian churches of Javakhk under protection.

This comes after the catholicos unveiled his plans a visit the
Georgian-populated Armenian region in June, the Russian-Armenian
newspaper Yerkramas reported.

The authors of the letter call the catholicos’ attention to the ancient
Armenian churches which were suspended long ago, having turned into
desolate constructions.

They particularly focus on St Nshan church in Akhaltskhe, saying that
its return is urgent for local Armenians.

“The Armenian Apostolic Church is facing the threat of losing its
places of worship. Your visit to Samtskhe-Javakheti will make no
sense unless you solve the problem of returning those churches to
the Armenian community,” the Javakhk Armenians say in their letter.

From: Baghdasarian

SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN: PROGRESS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS POSSIBLE, IF…

armradio.am
12.05.2011 18:50

“Progress in the negotiations on the Karabakh settlement is possible,
if Azerbaijan stops using the peace process as a cover for continuing
its anti-Armenian hysteria and distorting the essence and reasons of
the Karabakh conflict, demonstrates willingness to restart negotiations
with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, stops its threats and starts
implementing the documents it has signed,” Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Shavash Kocharyan said.

“No matter how hard Azerbaijan is trying to present the Karabakh
issue as a territorial dispute with Armenia, it will have to assume
responsibility for the policy of ethnic cleaning and the launching
of military aggression against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,” the
Deputy Foreign Minister said.

Shavarsh Kocharyan reminded once again that Armenia has been and
remains the guarantor of security of NKR and its people, it has been
building its relations with NKR as a de facto full-fledged state.

“Although the issue remains on the agenda, Armenia refrains from
recognizing NKR de jure, committed to the peaceful settlement of the
conflict through peace talks within the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group,” he said.

If Azerbaijan continues its non-constructive policy, the international
recognition of NKR will follow, Kocharyan stated.

From: Baghdasarian

DUTCH EXPERTS HOST SEMINAR TO PROMOTE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 12, 2011 – 17:16 AMT

On May 9-10, a seminar on promotion of e-marketing and travel
agencies websites was organised in Armenia on the initiative of
National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia. The seminar hosted
12 leading tour operators from Armenia and Georgia.

Within seminar framework, Dutch experts Derek Visser and William Blom
shared their experience on e-marketing, online advertising, e-commerce.

The experts intend to maintain communication with the representatives
of Armenian travel agencies upon return to Netherlands.

As Mr. Blom noted, the seminar aims at promotion of tourism industry
in Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

CONTROVERSIAL CONSTRUCTION: RESIDENTS IN YEREVAN DEMAND SUSPENSION OF ‘ILLEGAL WORK’ IN THEIR YARD
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN

ArmeniaNow
12.05.11

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow intern

Opposition Heritage party representatives, environmentalists and
residents gathered in one of the courtyards in a central street
in Yerevan to express their protest against the construction of a
multi-storey building there.

Avagshin, a local construction company, started the ground work in
106 Nalbandyan Street with permission to knock down a kindergarten
that was located at the same address.

Styopa Safaryan, the head of Heritage’s parliamentary faction,
asserted, however, that the company was carrying out construction
illegally.

“No company has been authorized to start construction here,” said
Safaryan.

Urban Development Minister Vardan Vardanyan, who went to the site
to get first-hand information about the construction project, gave
assurances that construction there had been suspended.

“We have sent an official note to the City Hall asking it to cease
construction until required urban development documents can be
submitted – the only existing authorization referred only to the
kindergarten here, but no one has authorized any construction here,
moreover, we are banning it,” said the minister.

Environment Minister Aram Harutyunyan stated that until the
construction company gets permission no work will be carried out on
the site.

“They have to go through all the legal procedures, get a proper
authorization, hold public discussions; only after that, taking into
account all opinions, we will see whether it is worth giving a positive
conclusion or not,” said the minister.

The only party that seems happy with the construction of a multi-storey
building there are the owners of private houses in the vicinity
of the construction site; they say that they have signed contracts
with the construction company according to which they will be given
apartments in the new building in return for the permission to knock
down their houses.

“It is excellent that they are building a block of flats; we have an
agreement that they will give us apartments in it and we will finally
be able to get away from our damp rat-houses,” Mariam Petrosyan, 28,
told ArmeniaNow.

From: Baghdasarian

MARRIAGE REGISTRATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN A WEEK IN ARMENIA

/ARKA/
May 12, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, May 12. /ARKA/. On Thursday, Parliament of Armenia adopted
the changes and amendments in the law “On acts of civil registration”
discussing the dates of marriage registration.

Presenting the amendments, Armenian Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan
said that the changes suggest to reduce the dates of marriage
registration in Armenia from one month to seven days. Today it is 30
days for Armenian citizens (from the moment of submitting application
for registration of marriage) and three months – for foreign citizens.

He said that the dates of the law comes from Soviet times when long
time of marriage registration was given, whereas in USA the marriage
can be registered in 15 minutes.

The changes envisaged by the law allow to minimize the dates of
marriage registration only by checking the existence of other marriages
of the couples.

Quick registration can take place in case of birth of common child,
pregnancy, military service and serious illness.

The amendments will include also permission of regional inhabitants
to register the marriages not only in the regions but also in Yerevan.

In 2010, over 17.9 thousand marriages were registered in Armenia
which is by 4.2% less than in 2009. In 2010, the number of registered
divorces was 2.9 thousand – 5.9% more than in 2009.

The age of registered couples was increased. In 2010 average age of
fiancees registering marriages was 29 years and brides – 24.9 years.

The age of fiancees registering marriage the first time was 28.1
years and bribes – 24.4 years. Some years ago the age of bribes was
21 years and fiancees – 26 years.

From: Baghdasarian

THE ALIBI OF MARCH 1
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:58:41 – 12/05/2011

Or what their answer to Kocharyan will be

The reaction of the Armenian government to the recent interview of
Robert Kocharyan is rather interesting. They have unanimously decided
not to comment on his words. Is it a sign of respect or ignoring? Is
the respect for Kocharyan so great that the Republican members of
parliament, for instance, think they do not have the right to comment
on his words, or have they been instructed to keep quiet, as if there
has been no interview at all?

Either they have been instructed to respect or to ignore. Something
has been instructed or ordered definitely because the behavior of the
ruling majority is shaped by the instructions from the president’s
office.

It is more probable that there was an order to ignore because if
it were a matter of respect, the same would be instructed for the
former interviews. In the meantime, the government commented on
Robert Kocharyan’s interviews through press conferences, interviews,
speeches. There has been none of these in the past two or three
days, everyone, including the prime minister, refuses to comment on
Kocharyan’s words.

Apparently, Kocharyan took a step to which the government is still
unable to give an adequate response. Kocharyan plays with open cards,
which was not typical of him. And perhaps the government did not
recognize Kocharyan’s new handwriting. Perhaps they did not recognize
and they do not know who they should answer. He stated clearly that
on March 1 he acted upon a consultation with Serzh Sargsyan and the
parliament majority, in other words, everything he did was agreed
with them. He also clearly stated that during his tenure the quality
of life was high, and now decline is significant.

Either the government must react with a similarly open and
straightforward text, which means a conflict, or must agree with him.

In both cases, the government will appear in an unfavorable situation.

Obviously, the best option is silence, at least for the time being.

The problem is, however, that lasting silence will be perceived as
a sign of agreement. So, sooner or later the government will have to
answer Robert Kocharyan, in word or in action.

The best action would be a court action, of course, when everyone
stands before court and finds out what they did on March 1. However,
the fact that Serzh Sargsyan has difficulty answering Kocharyan is
evidence that Sargsyan does not have a forceful alibi for March 1.

Consequently, he will probably choose the compromise which Robert
Kocharyan is also offering. “And the problem is that the investigation
fails to reveal all the circumstances of death of people, to hold
definite persons responsible or to acquit them for the motive of
self-defense… Concrete results of the investigation would prevent
diverse manipulations of the issue, in which I am highly interested.”

Although, it is not ruled out that Serzh Sargsyan will not choose this
option either and will temporize till the scheduled parliamentary
election shapes a new political status quo, determining his further
actions.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA SUGGESTS LAW ON REPATRIATION

news.am
May 12 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan submitted
to the government a bill on repatriation on Thursday.

Government approved the initiative and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
stressed the bill of has “serious political context.”

Bill supposes those, whose one or both parents are Armenian, and who
consciously admits their Armenian belongings as citizens of Armenian
descent. The passport, birth certificate or other documents may serve
as a proof.

Repatriates will have several advantages, including privileged loans
and free training on Armenian language. Individuals convicted of
crimes cannot claim for repatriation.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJANI SNIPER KILLS CIVILIAN IN ARTSAKH

Panorama
May 12 2011
Armenia

“Azerbaijani armed forces regularly violate the ceasefire regime
along the line of contact. During the last two days the rival has
fired Defense Army positions more than 400 times, in the aftermath
of which Armenian side has recorded casualties,” Defense Army press
office informs.

The statement reads: “On May 11 in the south-eastern region of
Karabakhi-Azerbaijani line of contact, Arayik Nelsoni Balasanyan,
33, resident of Qyuratagh village, region of Hadrut was deadly shot
by an Azerbaijani sniper.”

From: Baghdasarian