Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: CIVIL INITIATIVE SAYS CHANGES “WON’T PASS”

SOCIETY | 08.10.14 | 10:48

By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

While the president-attached constitutional reform commission intends
to unveil the concept of changes in the country’s basic law on October
15, the part of the society that finds such changes unnecessary says
“You Won’t Pass” and forms a civil initiative.

Members of the group believe the intentions of the Armenian government
to make the changes and the started process are against democracy
and are going to call on international institutions not to give their
support to the Armenian authorities in this matter. At the same time,
they will try to mobilize the public sector to torpedo the process.

There is no need for a constitutional reform in Armenia as there is
no political crisis in the country, says political analyst, member of
the You Won’t Pass group Armen Grigoryan. He estimates that there is
no even public demand for changes, as a survey conducted by APR Group
shows that 60 percent of the public does not find it necessary, and
14.5 percent of respondents found it difficult to answer the question
concerning the reform.

“These planned changes are the biggest challenge. It will result in a
deep crisis in the country. Armenia will take the path of North Korea,”
Grigoryan said during a discussion with NGOs during last weekend.

Under one of the concepts proposed by the commission, Armenia is to
become a parliamentary republic with a strong prime minister and only
a nominal president elected by members of parliament. Parliamentary
elections will thus become the main elections forming the government
in Armenia. Opposition parties and some observers believe this will
enable President Serzh Sargsyan to remain in power as head of the
ruling party after his second and last term in office ends in 2018.

Members of the initiative refer to the fact that there was no such
election pledge in the Republican Party’s election program, concluding
that this way the government wants to ensure its “reproduction”.

“In particular, the Republican Party, in contrast to Dashnaktsutyun,
Heritage, Prosperous Armenia, did not have a provision in its program
about switching to a parliamentary form of government. They have
always been against it and it prompts that Serzh Sargsyan tries to
reproduce the authorities,” said lawyer Tigran Yegoryan during the
same discussion.

Most opposition forces also have premonitions that Sargsyan seeks to
ensure his stay in power as head of the National Assembly or leader
of the majority party. This issue is likely to feature prominently at
the joint rally of three opposition parties scheduled for October 10.

Still in April, when several blueprints for the reform were first
unveiled President Sargsyan pledged not to seek a high government
post after the end of his second and last term in office. After that,
representatives of the ruling party on numerous occasions insisted
that the goal of the constitutional reform is to make Armenia more
democratic by providing it with the parliamentary form of government.

Remarkably, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun),
the only parliamentary opposition party to back the idea of reforming
the Constitution today, believes that at present opposition forces
have no role in decision-making and that’s why they offered their
variant of reforming the Constitution.

According to Yegoryan, however, there is no need to change the
Constitution for that purpose, as the reason for all this is the
misuse of the electoral system for the government’s needs.

“This concept does not clearly formulate solutions. The government
cannot show any concrete reality that cannot be solved by the current
Constitution and can be solved under the proposed changes,” he said.

Analyst Argishti Kiviryan believes that the plans for amending the
Constitution can be upset only if Sargsyan loses his equilibrium
inside his own party.

Interestingly, at a news briefing earlier this week Chairman of the
Constitutional Court of Armenia Gagik Harutyunyan, who also heads
the commission on the constitutional reform, did not rule out that
President Sargsyan may eventually not accept the variant implying a
transition to the parliamentary form of government.

From: Baghdasarian

DETROIT PHOTOGRAPHER COMMEMORATES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE THROUGH ART

13:04, 08 Oct 2014

Detroit photographer Michelle Andonian is working on a project “Hope
Dies Last” to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide in 1915 in which 1.5 million people perished. The project
will be released in 2015, Deadline Detroit reports.

Back in 1989, one year after a massive earthquake in Armenia killed
tens of thousands of people, Detroit photographer Michelle Andonian
ventured to that nation, the home of her ancestors.

While talking to the archbishop, Paren Avedikian, he told of a sad
tale of a man who survived the earthquake, but lost so much: His
entire family and his home, not to mention both his legs.

How on earth, the archbishop asked the man, could he go on in life
after losing so much, to which the man replied: “Hope dies last.”

“That has stayed with me for years,” says Andonian, who works out of
her photography studio in a loft in Eastern Market.

Now, nearly 25 years later, she’s working on a project, “Hope Dies
Last” to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
in 1915 in which 1.5 million people perished. The project will be
released in 2015.

“Instead of emphasizing genocide destruction, the project will pinpoint
universal themes of bravery, resilience and hope,” she said.

The project is still a work in progress, and will include a book chock
full of photographs, photo exhibits and a performance that combines
live music and visuals. The photos are from Adonian’s seven visits to
Armenia since 1989, and from visits to Turkey and trace the history
of the Armenia.

The live show will be performed at different venues including the
Detroit Institute of Art and the Macomb Center, and will be produced
in collaboration with Alexandra Du Bois, a music composer, the Detroit
Chamber Winds and Strings and the University Michigan School of Music.

On Tuesday, the Knight Foundation made public some good news Andonian
had known for about two week. She was among 58 winners of the Detroit
Knight Arts Challenge who got a piece of a $2.48 million in grants
to help promote the arts in Detroit.

Andonian, a free-lance photographer and former Detroit News
photographer and Washington Post photo editor, got $50,000.

She said she was not only thrilled to learn of the grant, but also
saw it as a validation of the importance of recognizing the Armenian
genocide, a controversial, political hot-potato internationally. Some
nations have refused to recognize it out of concern of offending
Turkey, which still says it was not responsible for the Armenian
deaths.

The Armenians say the genocide took place in 1915, during World War I.

The Ottoman government, which ruled what is now Turkey, carried
off a campaign to systematically kill of the minority subjects,
the Armenians. An estimated 1.5 million people perished.

Andonian says she’s been to Armenia seven times since 1989, the last
two times, in the past year, and she’s also traveled to Turkey for
the project. She says she plans to use photos from her project from
all the trips.

“The book is kind of a personal biography of my attempt to hold on
to my Armenian culture by going to where the Armenians came from and
where my grandmother originated from. Knowing survivors has always
held a very special place for me.”

“I had been trying to find a voice for that story. The book this book
really is retracing my Armenian journey as best I can.”

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY DECLARES CURFEW IN 8 PROVINCES AMID UNFOLDING RIOTS

08:34 â~@¢ 08.10.14

Turkish authorities have declared curfew in five provinces,
including Diyarbakır, largest city in southeastern Turkey, as street
demonstrations turned violent and police clashed with protesters,
Today’s Zaman reports.

Sympathizers of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) staged street
demonstrations following Monday’s call by pro-Kurdish party across
Turkey. Protests particularly turned violent in Istanbul, Siirt,
Mardin, Diyarbakır, MuÅ~_, Van and Hakkari.

Turkish police fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrating
youths in areas where protesters set barricades on roads and set
on fire banks, post offices and schools. In Varto district of Mush,
a man died and dozens of people were wounded in clashes between riot
police and demonstrators.

As protests continued for two days in a row, authorities declared
curfew in six districts of Mardin, ErciÃ…~_ district of Van, Kurtulan
district of Siirt, Batman and seven districts of Diyarbakir.

Citizens won’t be able to leave their houses at night in Kızıltepe,
Nusaybin, Savur, Derik, Mazıdagı and Dargecit districts.

In Diyarbakır, authorities banned citizens from leaving their houses
between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. in Baglar, Kayapınar, Sur, YeniÅ~_ehir,
Bismil, Silvan and Lice districts. Authorities said in a statement
that the curfew could be extended if need be.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

AUCUN COMMENTAIRE SUR L’AVENIR DES PROTOCOLES TURQUIE-ARMENIE APRES LES REMARQUES DE SARKISSIAN A L’ONU

ARMENIE

Les officiels a Erevan n’ont pas fait d’autres commentaires sur
le retrait possible des protocoles Turquie-Armenie de l’Assemblee
nationale a la suite du discours a l’ONU du president Serge Sarkissian
d’envisager une telle possibilite.

S’adressant a la 69e session de l’Assemblee generale des Nations
Unies a New York le 24 Septembre, Serge Sarkissian a declare que >.

>
a repondu le diplomate armenien.

mardi 7 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

MEETING DE SOUTIEN A VARDAN PETROSYAN : METTRE FIN AU SYSTEME POLITIQUE EN ARMENIE POUR AVOIR UNE JUSTICE EQUITABLE.PHOTOS

COMMUNIQUE PAR RENAISSANCE ARMENIENNE

Le dimanche 5 octobre 2014, a l’appel du mouvement Renaissance
Armenienne de Paris a eu lieu sur la Peniche Anako un meeting
de soutien au celèbre artiste, le comique franco-armenien Vardan
Petrosyan, injustement emprisonne en detention preventive depuis le 9
NOVEMBRE 2013, alors que les accusations infondees du procureur et de
la partie adverse sont discreditees au fur et a mesure des audiences.

Devant une foule nombreuse et attentive, M Schanth Vosgueritchian,
le porte-parole du mouvement, a tout d’abord presente brièvement les
raisons d’etre de son mouvement (le mutisme de la diaspora concernant
la politique interieure de l’Armenie) et ses objectifs (apporter le
soutien de la diaspora aux citoyens d’Armenie et a ses mouvements
civiques, tels que le mouvement Sardarabad, le Pre-Parlement,
les mouvements ecologiques, etc., qui luttent contre la politique
devastatrice du pouvoir en place et pour la mise en place d’un regime
democratique).

Il a fustige “le système judiciaire d’Armenie, ce dernier etant
une emanation d’un système politique qui bafoue les droits les plus
elementaires des citoyens et appliquent les ordres venus directement
de l’executif”. À la suite de ce preliminaire, un film documentaire
intitule “la Republique d’Armenie contre Vardan Petrosyan” a ete
diffuse relatant chronologiquement ce drame qu’il est convenu d’appeler
“l’affaire Vardan Petrosyan” et qui donnait un apercu global des
incoherences et des absurdites du système judiciaire dans le pays.

Madame Ani Hamel, l’epouse de Vardan Petrosyan, a pris ensuite
la parole pour exprimer ses ressentis avant et après “l’affaire”,
par rapport au vecu des citoyens d’Armenie, ses efforts quotidiens
pour sensibiliser les artistes armeniens ou etrangers et certains
responsables au Quai d’Orsay. La presence du consul francais a chaque
audience au tribunal et l’interet que portent les autorites francaises
a cette affaire portent ses fruits car les conditions de detention de
Vardan Petrosyan sont acceptables par rapport aux autres detenus. Elle
a remercie les deux associations (AFAJA et Renaissance Armenienne de
Paris) qui l’ont soutenue dès le depart. Elle a egalement informe
l’auditoire des dernières evolutions : cinq temoins doivent etre
entendus a compter de vendredi prochain, ce qui va encore retarder
l’issue du procès.

Le dernier orateur fut M Philippe Kalfayan, ancien secretaire general
de la F.I.D.H (Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de
l’Homme) et membre d’honneur du Barreau des avocats d’Armenie, qui a
souligne “le système pyramidal de la justice en Armenie où tout se
decide au plus haut niveau, les autres acteurs judiciaires n’etant
que des executants ou des pantins au service de l’executif”.

Le système judiciaire n’est absolument pas le garant de la vie des
citoyens, ni de leur protection. A titre d’exemple, Mr Kalfayan a
cite l’affaire sordide de deux personnes convoquees au commissariat
pour deposer simplement leurs temoignages sur des faits divers et
qui sont decedees dans des conditions obscures.

Cette presentation s’est achevee par un debat interessant entre le
public et les intervenants, un moment d’echange devenu helas rare
dans notre communaute. A noter que le meeting a ete transmis en direct
sur internet par Renaissance Armenienne de Paris. Roupen PACHAYAN

mardi 7 octobre 2014, Ara (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

PLUSIEURS QUARTIERS DE KOBANE AUX MAINS DES JIHADISTES

Syrie

Les jihadistes etaient parvenus mardi matin dans trois quartiers
de la ville kurde syrienne de Kobane, que des centaines d’habitants
terrorises ont fuie par crainte des exactions du groupe Etat islamique
(EI).

Les forces kurdes engagees dans la defense de la troisième ville
kurde de Syrie, connue egalement sous le nom d’Aïn al-Arab, etaient
parvenues a repousser dans la nuit de dimanche a lundi un assaut des
jihadistes, mais ceux-ci ont finalement reussi a entrer dans Kobane
lundi en fin de journee.

S’ils conquièrent Kobane, les jihadistes s’assureront du contrôle
sans discontinuite d’une longue bande de territoire a la frontière
syro-turque.

Très rapidement, ils se sont empares de trois quartiers de la ville :
“ils ont pris la cite industrielle, Maqtala al-Jadida et Kani Arabane,
dans l’est de Kobane après de violents combats contre les Unites de
protection du peuple kurde (YPG)”, a declare a l’AFP le directeur de
l’Observatoire syrien des droits de l’Homme (OSDH), Rami Abdel Rahmane,
en evoquant des scènes de “guerilla urbaine”.

Terrorises par l’avancee des jihadistes connus pour leurs exactions –
meurtres, viols, rapts – des centaines “de civils residant dans les
quartiers Est ont fui vers la Turquie voisine”, a-t-il precise.

Sur Twitter, les messages portant le mot-cle #SOSKOBANE se
multipliaient, certains faisant etat de l’avancee de Kurdes de Turquie
vers la frontière syrienne pour venir en aide a la ville.

Sur sa page Facebook, le militant kurde originaire de Kobane Moustafa
Ebdi a precise que l’EI avait “lance l’assaut grâce a des kamikazes
qui se sont fait exploser”.

Quelques heures auparavant, les jihadistes avaient plante les drapeaux
noirs de l’EI a une centaine de mètres a l’est et au sud-est de
la ville.

Dans la nuit pourtant, les combattants des YPG etaient parvenus a
tendre une embuscade aux jihadistes, tuant 20 d’entre eux.

Frappes ‘insuffisantes’ –

En face, les Kurdes ont mobilise les combattants de l’YPG, mais
ceux-ci sont moins nombreux et moins bien armes que les jihadistes,
equipes notamment de chars.

Signe du desespoir des forces kurdes, dimanche, une combattante
de 20 ans a mene un attentat suicide contre une position de l’EI a
l’est de la ville, provoquant la mort de “dizaines” de jihadistes,
selon des sources kurdes.

Il s’agit de la première kamikaze kurde recensee depuis le debut des
violences en Syrie en mars 2011. “Si necessaire, tous les combattants
des YPG suivront son exemple”, a averti son mouvement.

La coalition americano-arabe, qui a debute des raids en Syrie le 23
septembre, n’a mene qu’un nombre limite de frappes dans le secteur,
ne permettant pas d’arreter l’avancee de l’EI.

Les raids “sont insuffisants pour battre les terroristes au sol”,
a deplore un responsable kurde, Idris Nahsen, reclamant “des armes
et des munitions”.

A ce propos, des responsables de l’armee americaine ont revele lundi
que seuls 10% des près de 2.000 raids menes en Irak et en Syrie
contre l’EI depuis debut août ont ete realises par des pays arabes
et d’autres allies des Etats-Unis.

L’offensive de l’EI dans la region a deja fait des centaines de
morts dans les deux camps depuis le 16 septembre et pousse a la fuite
quelque 300.000 habitants, dont 180.000 ont trouve refuge en Turquie.

Sans intervenir militairement, la Turquie surveille de près la
situation, notamment en raison des obus qui atteignent son territoire
depuis une semaine.

Des responsables kurdes ont denonce cette passivite, accusant Ankara
de laisser faire les jihadistes, au moment où la presse britannique
rapportait que les 46 otages turcs liberes fin septembre par l’EI
pourraient avoir fait l’objet d’un echange contre 180 jihadistes,
dont plusieurs seraient originaires de pays europeens.

30 morts dans un double attentat –

Ailleurs en Syrie, au moins 30 combattants et policiers kurdes ont
peri dans un double attentat a la camionnette piegee mene par des
kamikazes de l’EI, selon l’OSDH.

Les attentats ont vise deux positions des YPG et des assayesh,
dont un camp d’entraînement, a l’entree d’Hassaka. Parallèlement,
les forces loyalistes regagnaient du terrain près de la capitale en
reprenant lundi Doukhaniye, aux portes de Damas.

En Irak voisin, où l’EI contrôle plusieurs regions, au moins 25
jihadistes ont ete tues dans des frappes aeriennes visant trois bases
du groupe autour de Mossoul (nord), selon des sources medicales et
des temoins.

Dans l’est du pays, cinq combattants kurdes ont ete tues lundi lors
d’une attaque jihadiste lancee depuis la ville strategique de Jalawla,
ont annonce des sources militaires.

L’armee americaine a utilise pour la première fois des helicoptères
dans sa lutte contre l’EI en Irak, ont indique des responsables lundi,
ce qui marque une escalade dans la gestion du conflit et expose
davantage au danger les soldats americains.

L’Australie, la Belgique et les Pays-Bas ont realise ces dernières
heures leurs premières missions aeriennes pour la coalition en Irak.

L’ancien chef du Pentagone Leon Panetta a averti que la lutte contre
l’EI “pourrait durer 30 ans” et “faire peser des menaces sur la Libye,
le Nigeria, la Somalie et le Yemen”.

Malgre le feu vert, la Turquie reste l’arme au pied face aux jihadistes

Malgre l’autorisation de son Parlement il y a quatre jours, la
Turquie repugne toujours a engager la moindre operation militaire
contre les jihadistes du groupe Etat islamique (EI) qui menacent la
ville syrienne de Kobane, pourtant a portee de tir de sa frontière.

Depuis ce vote, le gouvernement islamo-conservateur au pouvoir a Ankara
a repete sa volonte de participer a la lutte contre l’EI mais a pose
des conditions pour rejoindre la coalition militaire reunie par les
Etats-Unis, alimentant ainsi les soupcons des populations kurdes qui
accusent Ankara de les abandonner a leur sort.

Ses responsables ont multiplie les declarations pour expliquer leur
position.

La Turquie ne veut pas se faire entraîner dans un conflit a ses portes

Le Premier ministre Ahmet Davutoglu l’a explique vendredi. “Nous
ferons tout ce que nous pouvons pour que Kobane ne tombe pas”. Mais
il a d’emblee ecarte une intervention contre l’EI, pourtant a portee
de canon des chars turcs.

“Si les forces armees turques entrent a Kobane et que les Turkmènes
de Yayladag (une autre minorite turcophone de Syrie) nous demandent
+pourquoi est-ce que vous ne nous sauvez pas ?+, il faudrait alors que
nous intervenions la-bas aussi”, a-t-il plaide. Tout au plus s’est-il
engage a faire son possible pour renforcer “l’aide humanitaire”
a la ville syrienne assiegee.

M. Davutoglu comme le president Recep Tayyip Erdogan l’ont tous deux
precise : seule une attaque contre le tombeau de Souleimane Shah,
une enclave turque en Syrie, pourrait precipiter une entree de ses
troupes chez son voisin.

La Turquie veut faire tomber le regime de Damas

Comme l’a encore recemment affirme, avant de se retracter, le
vice-president americain Joe Biden, la Turquie sunnite a longtemps
soutenu les groupes rebelles syriens les plus radicaux, dont l’EI,
dans l’espoir de precipiter la chute du president alaouite (une
branche du chiisme) Bachar al-Assad.

Le gouvernement l’a toujours nie mais ce n’est que très recemment,
après la liberation de 46 Turcs detenus en otages par l’EI en
Irak, qu’il a publiquement reconnu la menace causee par ce groupe
ultraradical. Le texte de la resolution adoptee par le Parlement
evoque ainsi “l’augmentation significative” et “alarmante” du nombre
“d’elements terroristes en Syrie et de la menace qu’ils font peser
sur l’Irak”.

Mais en declarant son hostilite aux “terroristes” de l’Etat islamique,
M. Erdogan a rappele que “le depart de l’actuel regime syrien” restait
sa “priorite” et que les frappes aeriennes contre les jihadistes
risquaient par ricochet de renforcer Damas.

La Turquie privilegie une zone tampon et une zone d’exclusion aerienne

C’est une vieille lune turque depuis le debut de la guerre civile
syrienne en 2011. Ankara, qui accueille deja plus d’un million et
demi de refugies, exige en echange de son entree dans la coalition
la creation dans le nord de la Syrie d’une zone-tampon doublee d’une
zone d’exclusion aerienne susceptible de proteger le territoire turc.

Faute de cette zone d’exclusion aerienne, a mis en garde M. Davutoglu,
les forces du president syrien Bachar al-Assad pourraient profiter
de frappes de la coalition pour “bombarder en represailles” les zones
desertees par l’EI, notamment autour d’Alep et de Raqa, “et 3 millions
de personnes vont fuir vers la Turquie”.

Les Etats-Unis ont indique qu’une zone d’exclusion aerienne, qui
necessite un accord du conseil de securite des Nations unies, n’etait
pas a l’ordre du jour.

La Turquie veut eviter de renforcer le camp kurde

C’est l’obsession d’Ankara. Le gouvernement turc a beau avoir engage
il y a près de deux ans des pourparlers de paix avec les rebelles du
Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK), il veut tout faire pour
eviter que la guerre contre l’EI ne renforce les Kurdes.

La resolution du parlement autorisant le recours a la force mentionne
parmi les “menaces” le “groupe terroriste du Parti des travailleurs du
Kurdistan” et M. Erdogan a lui-meme fait samedi un parallèle entre le
PKK et le groupe Etat islamique. En outre, la Turquie s’est inquietee
que les armes fournies par les Occidentaux aux combattants kurdes,
en première ligne contre l’EI, “tombent entre les mains” du PKK.

AFP, 7 oct 2014

mardi 7 octobre 2014, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

INDIA WELCOMES ARMENIAN INVESTORS

YEREVAN, October 7. /ARKA/. Armenian investors can make investments
in India as part of the Indian premier Narendra Modi’s “Make in India”
initiative, Indian ambassador to Armenia Suresh Babu said on Monday.

The new cabinet took the oath of office in June and has faced an
economic challenge since then. The aim of the new government is to
ensure development in a new direction, Babu said at a presentation
of the initiative in Yerevan.

Domestic production is to become the core of the economic growth
to boost GDP growth and create lots of new jobs, according to the
ambassador.

The head of the Armenian Development Agency Robert Harutiunyan, in
his turn, said it was a familiarization event to present business
opportunities available in India to Armenian companies.

The new Indian government picked the ‘open door’ investment policy.

Major projects are expected to be launched, where Armenian companies
may implement new economic programs and get profits, Harutiunyan said.

India is one of the most rapidly developing economies in the world
and is the fourth in terms of buying capacity. Experts say investments
in Indian economy are profitable due to large domestic market, cheap
and skilled labor force and proper infrastructures. -0–

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SCOLDS SOME CSTO ALLIES FOR STANCE ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

KARABAKH | 07.10.14 | 10:38

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan voiced criticism against a number of
military allies for their positions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
as he received visiting Secretary-General of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bordyuzha on Monday.

According to the presidential press service, Sargsyan welcomed
the visit of the CSTO Secretary-General which he described as
“purposeful” and “pertaining to the growing tensions at the borders
of the CSTO member states in the recent period, including the
drastic aggravation of the situation along the Armenian-Azeri and
the Nagorno-Karabakh-Azeri line of contact in August this year.”

At the same time the Armenian leader noted that “unfortunately,
Azeri provocative actions in every possible way pose a threat to the
fragile security system of the area under the CSTO responsibility.” “By
permanently violating the ceasefire regime, Azerbaijan hampers the
efforts of the OSCE Minks Group aimed at peaceful resolution of the
conflict,” he added.

According to the report, the president underscored that the positions
of a number of CSTO partners on issues being of paramount importance
to allies, particularly on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, expressed
in different international platforms, do not correspond to the
common spirit of the negotiation process, contradict the statements
and proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as to the documents
endorsed within the framework of the CSTO. “[Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev’s bellicose and Armenophobic statements do not rouse
a keen response among our CSTO partners which could have suppressed
the adventurous desires of the Azeri leadership,” he emphasized.

According to President Sargsyan, in the end Azerbaijan continues to
aggravate tensions and initiate provocative actions rudely violating
his commitment to peaceful resolution of the conflict and the norms
of international humanitarian law. “This was plainly testified by the
murder of Karen Petrosyan who had been taken prisoner by the Azeri
side,” he said.

Bordyuzha noted that ahead of the preparation of the upcoming session
of the CSTO Council he is now studying the most acute security problems
that the CSTO member states face. According to him, there are a few of
them, including the situation pertaining to the mentioned heightened
tensions in summer. Referring to the meetings held by the President
of the CSTO Council Vladimir Putin in connection with those events,
Bordyuzha expressed the opinion that it is necessary to report and
discuss all those issues which, he said, can seriously affect the
security of the CSTO member states at the upcoming session of the
CSTO Council.

Armenia’s CSTO allies are Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan.

From: Baghdasarian

GOVERNMENT OFFERS CONCESSIONS TO PROTESTING SMALL TRADERS

BUSINESS | 07.10.14 | 10:43

The Armenian government appears to have bowed to pressure from
hundreds of small traders demanding changes in a controversial new
tax regulation enforced from October 1.

Representatives of mostly small enterprises again gathered near the
government office on Monday, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamyan and discussion of ways of settling the dispute.

They complain about the new sales tax law that, while reducing the
size of the tax on turnover for them from 3.5 to 1 percent, requires
that they produce, upon request from tax authorities, documentation
regarding all their purchases. Small traders say it adds an extra
amount of paperwork. They also claim that it is not always that they
can acquire proper documentation from larger companies.

Besides easing the tax burden on small and medium-sized enterprises,
the law, as designed by its authors, also aims at combating tax evasion
by large companies. But small companies feel they are being used as a
tool in this process – something that they find wrong and unacceptable.

In a statement issued late on Monday, the government announced that
the prime minister had instructed Finance Minister Gagik Khachatryan
to draft a number of amendments to the law within the next three days.

It said that the amendments, if approved by the National Assembly,
will extend from October 10 to next February the deadline for stock
inventories which must now be conducted by the traders in a manner
required by tax officials.

The finance minister was also given until the end of this month
to propose ways of simplifying what the traders see as complicated
procedures for complying with the new law.

After meeting with PM Abrahamyan delegates of the protesters also
told the other traders that they had reached a compromise agreement.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES TO AGGRAVATE TENSION: SERZH SARGSYAN

21:02, 06 Oct 2014

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the Secretary-General of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bordyuzha who
has arrived in the Republic of Armenia on a working visit.

The Armenian President welcomed the visit of the CSTO Secretary-General
which is purposeful and pertains to the growing tensions at the
borders of the CSTO member states in the recent period, including the
drastic aggravation of the situation along the Armenian-Azeri and the
Nagorno-Karabakh-Azeri line of contact in August this year. He noted
that unfortunately, Azeri provocative actions in every possible way
pose a threat to the fragile security system of the area under the
CSTO responsibility. By permanently violating the ceasefire regime,
Azerbaijan hampers the efforts of the OSCE Minks Group aimed at
peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The president underscored that the positions of a number of
CSTO partners on issues being of paramount importance to allies,
particularly on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, expressed in different
international platforms, do not correspond to the common spirit of
the negotiation process, contradict the statements and proposals of
the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as to the documents endorsed within
the framework of the CSTO. Ilham Aliyev’s bellicose and Armenophobic
statements do not rouse a keen response among our CSTO partners which
could have suppressed the adventurous desires of the Azeri leadership.

According to the president, in the end Azerbaijan continues to
aggravate tensions and initiate provocative actions rudely violating
his commitment to peaceful resolution of the conflict and the norms
of international humanitarian law. This was plainly testified by
the murder of Karen Petrosyan who had been taken prisoner by the
Azeri side.

Nikolay Bordyuzha noted that ahead of the preparation of the upcoming
session of the CSTO Council he is now studying the most acute security
problems that the CSTO member states face. According to him, there
are a few of them, including the situation pertaining to the mentioned
heightened tensions in summer. Referring to the meetings held by the
President of the CSTO Council Vladimir Putin in connection with those
events, Nikolay Bordyuzha expressed the opinion that it is necessary
to report and to discuss all those issues which can seriously affect
the security of the CSTO member states at the upcoming session of
the CSTO Council.

From: Baghdasarian