Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

DENIAL AND IMPUNITY PAVES THE WAY FOR THE REPETITION OF NEW CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: ARMENIAN FM

16:21, 24 Oct 2014

“Armenian-American relations over the past few years have developed
significantly,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in
an interview with The New York Times.

“The numerous visits and meetings at all levels of our administrations
are proof of that. These meetings have not only increased in terms of
number, but their content has become richer with every meeting. We
interact closely across the international arena, covering regional
and international security, nonproliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, the fight against all forms of terrorism, peacekeeping
operations and other global challenges,” he said.

“After years of supporting peacekeeping in Kosovo and the International
Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan, Armenia is going to continue
its contribution in supporting global security,” the Minister added.

“Raising awareness of not only the Armenian genocide, but of other
crimes against humanity and genocides is vital for the prevention
of such crimes. As a nation that survived the first genocide of the
20th century, we feel a strong moral responsibility to contribute
to international efforts in prevention of such crimes.” Edward
Nalbandian said.

According to him, “denial and impunity paves the way for the repetition
of new crimes against humanity. Independent of geopolitical or other
interests, the international community should stand together in the
recognition, condemnation and punishment of past genocides, for the
sake of their future prevention.”

“The commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide
is an important step toward its international recognition and
condemnation, but it is not an endpoint. It marks a new beginning in
the context of joint efforts to prevent history repeating itself,”
Minister Nalbandian said.

Speaking about the perspective of Armenian-Turkish normalization, the
Foreign Minister said: “The Armenian-Turkish normalization efforts,
initiated by the president of Armenia in 2008, were summarized five
years ago in Zurich, when we signed the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

But soon Turkey backtracked, returning to its initial language of
preconditions. If the Turkish side considers that it could reanimate
today obstacles to the normalization process, it acts in vain and
without perspective. This is something I told the Turkish foreign
minister in Yerevan in December. Our position, shared by the entire
international community, is the normalization of relations without
any preconditions.”

Minister Nalbandian said the membership in the Eurasian Economic
Union will grant new opportunities to Armenia in terms of boosting
competitiveness in our main export markets and increasing our export
volumes, further enhancing and deepening our economic relations
with the member states of the Union, as well as encouraging direct
investments from those states into our country.

From: Baghdasarian

PEOPLE FEEL NEED FOR CHANGES – ARAM MANUKYAN

14:58 * 24.10.14

Secretary for the Armenian National Congress (ANC) parliamentary
group Aram Manukyan believes that high emigration rates and hard
social conditions account for the urgent need for a change of power.

Citing the figures at a press briefing, Mr Manukyan said that it was
the reason why political forces with different ideologies combined
their efforts.

“People do not like any of the political leaders, but they feel a
need for changes. I think that it is going to be a maximalist demand.

Years ago we expected a rapid change of power, whereas the situation is
quite opposite: the social demand is more urgent that we can satisfy,”
he said.

Mr Manukyan cannot forecast the “finale” of the rally to take place
in Yerevan on Friday.

“We have an agreement. Seeing the number of people, information,
people and holding consultations, the leaders are taking steps
according to the programs,” the MP said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARMEN RUSTAMYAN: UNCERTAINTIES INCREASED AFTER OCTOBER 10 RALLY

12:19 | October 24,2014 | Politics

Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) faction
Armen Rustamyan refrains from expressinghis opinion before the rally
to be held by the three opposition forces on October 24.

“I would not like to see the failure of the process that people have
confidence in, moreover, I would not like to see bloodshed in the end.

I would not like our people to be disappointed and lose faith. I wish
them wisdom and discretion,” Mr Rustamyan said during the parliamentary
briefings on Friday.

Speaking about the October 10 rally, Armen Rustamyan said his position
is much the same: uncertainties remain and have even increased to some
extent after the rally. “Generally, the first rally is very important.

As they say “A good beginning is half the work.”

From: Baghdasarian

DONETSK IS THE NEW KARABAKH; RUSSIA’S COLLAPSE ONLY HOPE FOR UKRAINE, ARMENIA, AND AZERBAIJAN

10.24.2014 12:32 epress.am

It is obvious that Putin’s final objective is to hook Ukraine, exactly
as it did earlier with Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The
Azerbaijani site, Minval.az, spoke to political expert Zardusht
Alizadeh about Russia’s role in the region and the Ukrainian crisis.

According to Alizadeh, the Ukrainian political elite were found to
be just as foolish, greedy, and short-sighted as were the elites in
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the beginning of the 90’s.

“Although, more than twenty years have passed, they haven’t learned
any lessons. They repeated the same mistakes that our political elites
had made. They let Ukraine get hooked by Russia.”

The political expert thinks, that Ukrainians have unequivocally lost
Crimea, “because as long as there is Russia, Crimea will belong to it.

While Donetsk has turned into a new Karabakh, which is the result
of the Ukrainian elite’s greed and stupidity, and Russia did what it
could and wanted to do.”

After what the West did with Kosovo, in regards to Serbia, no one has
the right to call Russia an aggressor, according to Alizadeh. “Russia
hasn’t bombed Ukraine. NATO bombed Belgrade, bombed wedding ceremonies,
radio and TV stations. Russia never bombed, but instead did it
in a more covert way what NATO did with Yugoslavia to defend its
geoeconomic and geopolitical interests. Yes, Russia has violated
international norms and the Ukrainian people’s interests, but the
Ukrainian state’s interests were, first and foremost, violated
by the Ukrainian political elite; Yanukovich, the Maidan leaders,
and Poroshenko. For the sake of power, they betrayed the state’s
interests. The same has happenned in front of my eyes in Azerbaijan,
when a group of government officials betrayed Azerbaijan for the sake
of power. I’ve seen the same in Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova.”

When asked about the escape plan under the current situation, Alizadeh
answered that the noted countries should put their hopes on Russia’s
collapse.

From: Baghdasarian

SYSTEMIC REFORMS NOT FOR PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY – SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT LEADER

12:25 * 24.10.14

The Social-Democrat Hnchakyan Party’s leader says he doesn’t expect
the Prosperous Armenia members to be powerful enough to undertake
systemic reforms in the country.

“There is no conceptual difference between the incumbent authorities
and the [opposition] trio,” Narek Galstyan told reporters on Friday,
commenting on his expectations from the non-governing political forces’
upcoming rally in Yerevan.

The politician said he doesn’t think that the speeches to be made
at the public event will be absolutely influential unless they are
translated into action. “We have to wait for those speeches in any
event, and their continuation,” he noted.

Asked by Tert.am whether the party is likely collaborate with any of
the political forces in qustion, Galstyan did not give a definitive
answer. “The moment will decide whether or not there will be a
collaboration. I cannot say anything for now,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

LE COMMENTATEUR TURC DE BAYAZ TV : >

FOOTBALL

Le jeu fantastique d’Henrikh Mkhitaryan lors de la victoire (4-0) du
Borussia Dortmund face a Galatasaray pour la Ligue des Champions a
egalement seduit les Turcs. Le commentateur sportif de la chaîne de
television turque >, Ahmet Zakar a ete impressionne par
le jeu de l’international armenien.> a-t-il
declare a l’antenne. Henrikh Mkhitaryan a ete l’initiateur des deux
buts allemands tout en creant des occasions dangereuses dans le camp
de Galatasaray.

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

DES JIHADISTES DE L’EI TOUCHES PAR DE VIOLENTES FRAPPES AERIENNES VISIBLES DEPUIS LA TURQUIE

Des frappes aeriennes de la coalition internationale visant des
combattants de l’organisation de l’Etat islamique (EI) etaient visibles
depuis la frontière turque jeudi, un photographe de l’AFP ayant vu
des jihadistes fuyant le raid.

Quatre militants de l’EI etaient deployes sur la colline de Tilsehir,
a l’ouest de la ville kurde de Kobane, quand le raid a commence aux
alentours de 18H00 locales, a explique le photographe.

En entendant les avions de la coalition, les jihadistes se sont
precipites vers le bas de la colline pour se refugier dans des
tranchees, probablement creusees par les combattants kurdes qui
contrôlaient auparavant cette zone.

Après le bombardement, le photographe a vu des jihadistes s’enfuir,
tandis que les Kurdes reprenaient le contrôle de la colline. Les
positions de l’EI et des combattants kurdes evoluent regulièrement
depuis le debut des combats a Kobane, aucun camp n’etant en mesure
de prendre un avantage decisif dans cette bataille.

Les frappes de la coalition ont tue en un mois plus de 500 jihadistes
en Syrie, tandis que les peshmergas promis en renfort par le Kurdistan
irakien pourraient apporter un soutien de poids aux defenseurs
de Kobane.

Mursitpinar (Turquie), 23 oct 2014 (AFP) –

vendredi 24 octobre 2014, Ara (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

LE GOUVERNEMENT REFUSE D’INDEMNISER LES VICTIMES D’ACTES CRIMINELS

ARMENIE

Le gouvernement armenien a provoque la minorite de l’opposition au
parlement retirant un projet de loi qui l’obligerait a indemniser
les victimes de crimes violents et leurs proches.

Le projet de loi parraine par le Congrès National Armenien (HAK) est
principalement destine a l’indemnisation des familles de dix personnes
tuees dans des violences post-electorales a Erevan en Mars 2008.

Huit de ces victimes etaient des partisans du HAK de Levon
Ter-Petrossian qui sont descendus dans les rues pour protester contre
une fraude du vote. Les deux autres etaient des militaires des troupes
interieures tues dans de violents affrontements avec les manifestants
de l’opposition. Personne n’a ete poursuivi dans le cadre de ces
decès a ce jour.

Le gouvernement s’est prononce contre cette indemnisation dans une
conclusion ecrite adressee a la commission parlementaire des affaires
juridiques. Hovannes Sahakian, le president de la commission s’est
egalement prononce contre le projet de loi, citant le manque de fonds
publics. S’exprimant au cours d’audiences de la commission Sahakian
a precise que la majorite pro-gouvernementale du parlement bloquerait
son passage.

Gagik Jahangirian, membre du HAK et principal auteur de la
mesure proposee, a rejete ces explications, faisant valoir que
les proprietaires de voitures et de magasins incendies pendant les
troubles de 2008 ont ete indemnises rapidement par le gouvernement. Il
a affirme que la position du gouvernement fait suite a son incapacite
a punir les responsables des massacres de 2008.

From: Baghdasarian

VAYOTS DZOR GOVERNOR RELIEVED OF POST

11:58 23/10/2014 ” SOCIETY

Edgar Ghazaryan was relieved of his post as Governor of Vayots Dzor
province of Armenia. The decision was made at the cabinet meeting
on Thursday.

Mr Ghazaryan was appointed Governor of Vayots Dzor in June 2012.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said that Edgar Ghazaryan will be
appointed to another position. He thanked Ghazaryan and wished him
success.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

ZHAMANAK: ARMENIAN SPORTS MINISTER TO STEP DOWN FOR BACKING OPPOSITION

09:46 * 23.10.14

The paper says it has learned from sources that Armenia’s minister
of sport and youth affairs is going to resign from office soon over
the reports that he showed support to the opposition’s recent rally.

The paper claims that over 3,000 young sportsmen and parents, as well
as coaches from the 23 state-funded sports schools of Armenia were
forced to head to Yerevan’s Liberty Square on October 10 to join the
public event conducted by the non-governing forces.

Citing further its sources, the paper says that Minister Gabriel
Ghazaryan is going to do the same on October 24, the next time the
“opposition trio” will be conducting a rally.

The “reliable sources” have reportedly told the paper that the
national security and the police services have reported the plan to
the president who is now said to be planning to sack the minister.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian