Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ANKARA URGES TO SOLVE FROZEN CONFLICTS AS BAKU SLAMS OSCE MINSK GROUP

February 19, 2014 – 17:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Frozen conflicts are an obstacle to establishment
of peace in the Caucasus, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said on Feb. 19, Trend News reported.

He made the remarks at a press conference dedicated to the results
of the third meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and
Turkey in Ganja.

He said that all parties must do their utmost to resolve the frozen
conflicts.

According to Davutoglu, borders between Turkey and Armenia won’t be
opened unless the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is solved and Azerbaijan’s
“territorial integrity” is restored.

Meanwhile, political analyst Mubariz Ahmedoglu slammed the OSCE
Minsk Group mediation efforts, with 4 fundamental documents for
peaceful settlement as the only merit of their 22 years of work,
Novosti-Azerbaijan reported.

“Currently, the Co-chairs are unable to either offer a new concept
for peaceful settlement or even defend the ones offered by their more
successful predecessors,” Ahmedoglu said.

He went on to criticize the activity of the U.S. Co-chair James Warlick
as “unbalanced and stupid,” with the latter “having taken no effort
to study the history of the conflict.”

“Were the other 3 Co-chairing states serious about the settlement, they
would pick energetic and promising diplomats, rather than retirees,
for the mediators’ posts,” he said.

From: Baghdasarian

METSAMOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EMPLOYEES PROTEST OUTSIDE OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE

02.19.2014 16:22 epress.am

A few dozen Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant employees on Tuesday
demonstrated outside the Armenian Ombudsman’s office, asking the Human
Rights Defender to intervene and ask that the mandatory component of
the new pension system be removed. The employees stated their requests
in a letter delivered to the Ombudsman’s office.

During the demonstration, participants held signs of the popular Dem
Em (“I am against”) movement against the pension reforms and chanted,
“We’re not slaves!” Speaking to the press, demonstrators claimed that
99% of the nuclear power plant’s 1,800 employees support their rally.

“January’s [pension] deductions were already made, but we are against
our salaries going to pension funds,” said one of the employees,
lead engineer Tsolak Lazarian.

Speaking to staff of the Ombudsman’s office, the demonstrators
explained why they’re protesting outside their office. “It’s
clearly evident that our country’s leaders have put pressure on
the Constitutional Court — both publicly and privately. Don’t be
intimidated: we know that you have little leverage and knowing quite
well that the authorities don’t take your remarks into consideration,
we’ve come to you. We’re sure that for years our government has been
on an actual labor strike — our authorities are not fulfilling
their function. That is to say, in this case, when the government
is on strike, as nuclear power plant employees, we have the right to
work at least as our government does,” one of Metsamor’s employees,
Garik Zargaryan, said to the staff of the Ombudsman’s office.

Another protesting employee said that since they work under
particularly hazardous conditions, there is no guarantee that they’ll
live long enough to be eligible for a pension, which is why they
considered it pointless to make payments to a private pension fund.

As for their future plans, the nuclear power plant employees preferred
to remain silent. Nevertheless, they said the demonstrations won’t
turn into a labor strike, as the power plant must work, and they
decide their next steps after they receive the Ombudsman’s response.

From: Baghdasarian

GYUMRI RESIDENTS MARK BOOK-GIVING DAY BY PRESENTING RULING PARTY A BOOK OF CAMPAIGN PROMISES (PHOTO)

February 19, 2014 | 16:20

GYUMRI. – The citizens of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city,
marked book-giving day by presenting the local branch of the ruling
party a book with their campaign promises.

The protesters joined “I am against” initiative against mandatory
cumulative pension plan.

“We will remind them of all campaign promises and will present demand
on abandoning mandatory pension plan,” said Arsen Vardanyan, member of
“I am against” initiative.

The participants say no jobs have been created in Gyurmi, therefore
it is senseless to introduce new pension plan.

The young people were received by the MP from Republican Party of
Armenia Sukias Avetisyan who promised to raise their problems during
the upcoming session of the National Assembly.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMAN NSHANYAN: “MANDATORY ACCUMULATIVE PENSION SYSTEM IS NOT FOR ARMENIA”

Wednesday, February 19, 16:10

The mandatory accumulative pension system is inherently a good idea,
but it is not for Armenia, a prominent actor, singer Arman Nshanyan
told ArmInfo. According to him, the given system would fit the
countries where average salary is $2,000-$3,000 and not $100-$200
like it is in Armenia.

“People in Armenia care for every 5,000 drams. This amount covers
their transport costs, for instance. Families need this 5000 AMD now
and not in 20-30 years,” Nshanyan said.

People are discontented not only at the mandatory component of the
system but also at the absurd situation following the Constitutional
Court’s decision of January 24 that suspended some provisions of
the Law on the Accumulative Pension until the Court considers its
constitutionality on Mar 28 2014. Nevertheless, the Finance Ministry
of Armenia urges employers to calculate and make accumulative pension
payments and employees to choose a pension fund and a manager for it.

The compulsory accumulative pension system will apply to the citizens
born after Jan 1 1974 (the citizens below 40). Starting Jan 1 2014, 5%
of their salaries will be transferred to their personal accumulative
accounts. The government will transfer a similar amount (but no
more than 25,000 drams). The pension reformed sparked large-scale
protests in the country. The staffs of such big companies as the South
Caucasus Railway, the Electric Networks of Armenia, NPP and others
went to street to protect their rights. The most original action of
protest was organized by the actors of the Opera and Ballet Theater,
who boycotted Anush Opera performance.

From: Baghdasarian

EUROPE DOES NOT LET GO OF ARMENIA – NEWSPAPER

February 19, 2014 | 07:10

YEREVAN. – Europe does not let go of Armenia in any way, Hraparak
daily reports.

“An economic conference is expected in April, with the participation
by Western investors, and a British interparliamentary delegation,
which until then had visited Karabakh–[thereby] complementing the
Azerbaijani ‘black list’ [of those visiting Karabakh]–, was in
Armenia yesterday [i.e., Tuesday].

“This group also met with representatives of the parliamentary
factions, including the [ruling Republican Party] RPA and the
[non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party] PAP representatives. The
latter made a stirring talk criticizing the Armenian authorities and
the situation in Armenia,” Hraparak writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARTSVIK MINASYAN URGES EMPLOYEES NOT TO CHOOSE FUNDS

19:22 | February 19,2014 | Economy

Artsvik Minasyan, a lawmaker from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun, urges employers not to come into conflict
with their employees over the mandatory funded pension component. “It
is another trick by the authorities to spoil relations between
employers and employees,” he says.

The deadline for making transfers to the pension fund from January
wages expires on February 19… The joint statement made by the
Ministry of Finance and State Revenue Committee has caused a stir,
given the Constitution Court’s decision to suspend the application
of the new pension law until March 28.

The minister said that about 90 percent of employers have made
deductions but have not transferred the money to personal accounts.

Artsvik Minasyan urges everyone not to yield to provocations, make
transfers or choose funds.

From: Baghdasarian

MAN FEIGNED DEATH TO ESCAPE POLICE BRUTALITY IN TURKEY

15:22 â~@¢ 19.02.14

A man in Istanbul has released security camera footage showing he was
violently beaten by police officers, saying that he pretended to be
dead because he was scared of being actually killed.

The man, identified as Kenan Eroglu, was reportedly travelling with
three friends at around 11:30 p.m. in Istanbul’s BayrampaÅ~_a district
on Feb. 15 when traffic police warned them to stop their car. The
police fired warning shots before Eroglu’s friend stopped the car 200
meters away. When they left the car, police officers reportedly came
and swore at them. After his friends escaped out of fear, a quarrel
erupted and police officers and the driver of a tow truck began to
beat him.

“I asked to police to take us to a police station if we did something
wrong. [One of them] punched me after saying ‘do you have a private
driver?’ Then the tow truck’s driver got me on the ground. I tried
to protect myself. They started violently beating me,” Eroglu said.

“Both police officers and the other driver kicked me while I was
on the ground. I was scared because it was a desolated area. They
hit me on the face with a wire fence. I fainted. When I woke up,
the driver was searching my pockets. There was a gun in the police
officer’s hand. I was afraid they would kill me. They sprayed tear
gas on me. I pretended to be dead and then they left me,” he added.

“The incident lasted around fifteen minutes,” Eroglu said, adding
that he did not remember the rest after paramedics arrived.

Doctors gave an eight-day incapacity report to him and there was a
blood clot in his brain as well as bruises on his body, Eroglu said,
denouncing the officers and the driver.

The Istanbul Police Department said the incident had been carefully
followed and official action was taken against the officers as part
of the investigation.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARPA-SEVAN TUNNEL REPAIR TO TAKE TWO MORE YEARS – MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT

YEREVAN, February 19. /ARKA/. Repair work in Arpa-Sevan tunnel will
be completed in the next two years, said Artashes Ziroyan, head of
bioresource management agency, Armenia’s ministry of environment.

Arpa-Sevan is still one of the most important problems in the sector,
Ziroyan said Tuesday, at a discussion on effects of discharges from
the lake.

Repair work that started in September 2010 is carried out by Arpa-Sevan
Armenian company. A total of 11.8 billion drams only were allocated
for the work, of it 6 billion has been already spent.

Ziroyan said the tunnel repair will allow supplying water to Sevan
Lake on a permanent basis and raising water level by more than 20
centimeters every year.

The 48.3-kilometer-long tunnel supplying water from Kechut reservoir
to the lake was constructed in 1961-1981.

Lake Sevan, one of the largest alpine lakes in Europe and Asia,
is located in the heart of the Armenian plateau, at an altitude of
1,914 meters. The lake stretches over 70 kilometers from northwest
to southeast. Its water surface area is nearly 1500 square kilometers.

The lake is the main source of drinking water in the region. The
water level in the lake will be raised to the optimum 1,903.5 meters
by 2030. -0–

– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

IN PARIS AND MOSCOW THEY PAY TRIBUTE TO MEMORY OF ARMENIAN OFFICER GURGEN MARGARYAN VICIOUSLY MURDERED BY AZERI RAMIL SAFAROV

by Marianna Lazarian

Wednesday, February 19, 16:11

A memorial service for Armenian Officer Gurgen Margaryan, murdered
by Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov, was held at St. Hovahannes Mkrtich
Church in Paris. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the
Armenian Embassy in France, the Representation of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, and a number of members of the Armenian Community of France,
the Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo.

Armenian Ambassador to France Vigen Chitechyan, the leaders of the
Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France also attended
the ceremony.

After the service the participants marched to the Yerevan Park in
Paris, where they laid wreaths at the Komitas Statue on behalf of
Armenians of Armenia, Artsakh and France. Services commemorating
Gurgen Margaryan were offered in Armenian Churches of Marseille,
Lyon and other cities.

On February 16 a memorial service for Gurgen Margaryan was held in
Moscow. Leaders of the Armenian Union of Russia, the Russian-Armenian
Cooperation NGO, the cultural Union, and a number of other
guests attended the ceremony.

To recall, on February 19 2004, R. Safarov viciously axed sleeping G.

Margaryan in Budapest. Both the officers were undergoing an English
language course under the NATO PfP program. On April 13 2006 the First
Instance Court of Budapest sentenced Safarov to life imprisonments
without the right to pardon for 30 years. In February 2007 the Court
of Appeal left the verdict unchanged. President of Armenia Robert
Kocharyan decreed awarding Gurgen Margaryan with Gallantry Medal
posthumously.

Later on 31 August Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan, where the
president pardoned and rewarded him. In fact, Armenia has severed
its diplomatic relations and official ties with Hungary.

From: Baghdasarian

KARABAKH PRESIDENT DISCUSSES ARMY BUILDING WITH ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES OFFICIAL

February 19, 2014 | 11:58

STEPANAKERT. – President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh)
Bako Sahakyan on Wednesday received first deputy chief of the general
staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Enriko Apriamov.

The issues related to army building were discussed at the meeting.

NKR Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Movses Hakobyan participated
in the talks.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian