Serzh Sargsyan: There Is No Reason To Be Optimistic About Armenian-A

SERZH SARGSYAN: THERE IS NO REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS

ARMINFO
Tuesday, January 29, 20:03

There is no reason to be optimistic about Armenian-Azerbaijani
relations, Armenian President, presidential candidate from the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said during the Jan 29
meeting with the residents of Noyemberyan.

“We have repeatedly seen Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s statements in
the mass media, who says that Armenia is in the historical lands of
Azerbaijan. And this is the statement of the leader of a state that has
only a 100-year-old history. In this situation it is hard to speak of
a possible constructive dialogue. And if the talks lack a constructive
approach, the problem will get no solution”, Sargsyan stressed.

“Probably, the tension will escalate in the course of time or,
on the contrary, the situation may change for the better, but
now one should not expect more”, he said. In the meantime, Serzh
Sargsyan called on the residents of Noyemberyan not to worry about
the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. “Certainly, we all would like to
have a neighbor we have good relations with, and we’d also like our
army to suffer no losses”, he said.

Sargsyan added that he would like to reduce the army for several
times, and to direct the funds being spent on the armed forces to
other spheres, but there is no such an opportunity yet.

From: Baghdasarian

Usa Senate Committee Unanimously Approved Candidacy Of John Kerry, A

USA SENATE COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED CANDIDACY OF JOHN KERRY, ADVOCATING ARMENIANS, FOR THE POST OF SECRETARY OF STATE

20:32, 29 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS: USA Senate Foreign Relations
Committee has unanimously approved President Barack Obama’s nomination
of Sen. John Kerry to be the next Secretary of State. As reports
Armenpress, referring to international sources, the full Senate is
expected to vote later Tuesday.

According to official representative of Department of State Victoria
Nuland it has been several weeks Kerry is getting prepared for new
work, in which he has being supported by Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton. Despite the change of U.S. Secretary of State external
political direction will remain the same.

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has greeted Barack
Obama’s nomination of Sen. John Kerry advocating Armenians and Armenian
community in U.S. for more than 3 decades.

“We expect to continue constructive works with Senator Kerry in the
post of Secretary of State,” noted Aram Hamparian, Head of ANCA office,
underlining that Kerry was willing to abolish Turkey’s attempt to
keep USA silent over recognition of Armenian Genocide, deepen relation
between USA and Armenia as well as support settlement of NKR conflict.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian Presidential Candidate Has No Intention To Stop Hunger Stri

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HAS NO INTENTION TO STOP HUNGER STRIKE

NEWS.AM
January 29, 2013 | 17:39

YEREVAN.- Presidential candidate Andreas Ghukasyan has no intention
to stop the hunger strike.

Ghukasyan answered the questions during an online Facebook press
conference organized by RFE/RL Armenian service. Armenia has witnessed
fake elections so far, he emphasized.

“The task is not to ignore the vote but to stop holding fake election,”
he said.

As reported earlier, on January 21 Armenian presidential contender
Andreas Ghukasyan declared a hunger strike for an indefinite time. He
was also joined by chairman of Tseghakron nationalist party Shant
Harutyunyan, and another presidential contender Paruyr Hayrikyan who
declared a three-day “dry” hunger strike.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia To Participate In Fitur Annual International Tourism Fair In

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN FITUR ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR IN MADRID

17:05, January 29, 2013

The National competitiveness foundation of Armenia, along with
Armenian 7 travel agencies, will represent Armenia in Fitur annual
international tourism fair which will take place in Madrid, Spain,
from 30 January till 3 February.

Last year 9,506 exhibiting companies from 167 countries, around 120,000
participants and 92,000 visitors met in Fitur. The event was covered
by more than 6300 journalists from 54 countries.

Within the framework of the fair, a forum of investors will be
organized in cooperation of United Nations World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO), during which Armenia’s tourism and investment attractiveness
as well as business environment will be presented by NCFA with the
aim of facilitating investment flows in order to establish affordable
hotel infrastructures in Armenia.

Public Relations Office of National Competitiveness Foundation
of Armenia

From: Baghdasarian

http://hetq.am/eng/news/22787/armenia-to-participate-in-fitur-annual-international-tourism-fair-in-madrid.html

Non-Flying Weather In Karabakh

NON-FLYING WEATHER IN KARABAKH
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:16 29/01/2013

The visit of the Russian defense minister Sergey Shoygu overlapped
with two interesting events. First, he arrived in Yerevan on the
Army Day, as if hinting that this is a holiday not only in Armenia
but also in Russia. The press release on the meeting of Shoygu and
President Sargsyan notes that the sides have agreed to deepen military
cooperation. The extent is not specified.

It may be related to the second of the two interesting events –
meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in Paris. During this meeting the airport
of Stepanakert was discussed. In the official press release there is
only a reference to their statement on the airport.

It is notable that in their statement of 13 July 2012 the co-chairs
stated: “Regarding reports of the planned opening of an airport in
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs received renewed assurances from the
sides that they will reject any threat or use of force against civil
aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain
from politicizing the issue.” Interestingly, in the same statement,
the Co-Chairs reaffirmed that operation of this airport cannot be used
to support any claim of a change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

So what is the problem? In fact, the sides have assured they will
reject use of force against civil aircraft. Is the problem non-civil
aircraft? Or have the co-chairs agreed on more effective safeguards
for Karabakh?

Shoygu is inspecting the Russian military base in Gyumri. It is not
ruled out that during his visit a step will be taken towards the
airport of Stepanakert which is waiting for safeguards.

Today the weather is non-flying in Karabakh. Perhaps, therefore the
first flight will not be boarded by Serzh Sargsyan and Sergey Shoygu.

Although, Shoygu should not necessarily fly to Karabakh. It is enough
to state that Russian airlines will operate flights to Karabakh or
the airport will be defended by the Russian air force.

It is possible that the ministers and co-chairs reached agreement
in Paris over allowing foreign companies to operate civil flights to
Stepanakert. And the safeguard could be Russian anti-missile forces
or NATO mobile groups at the border of Karabakh or at the airport.

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/28747

Csto Secretary General: Azerbaijani Government’S Decision Is An Unfo

CSTO SECRETARY GENERAL: AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT’S DECISION IS AN UNFORTUNATE JOKE, WHICH I DON’T TAKE SERIOUSLY

ARMINFO
Tuesday, January 29, 12:33

“We consider Azerbaijan as a civilized country committed to
acknowledged standards. Consequently, I perceive the given decision as
an unfortunate joke or a similar interpretation,” Secretary General of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bordyuzha
told media in Yerevan when commenting on the Azerbaijani Government’s
decision allowing the Azerbaijani Air Forces to bring down civil
aircrafts over the territory of NKR.

“I don’t think that any country in the world can afford bringing down
a civil aircraft. Consequently, I have very much doubt regarding the
intentions and possibilities of the Azerbaijani leadership to allow
intentional destruction of civil aircrafts. We remember the tragedy
in the Far East and the response by the world community. Therefore,
I don’t take this information seriously,” Bordyuzha said.

On Jan 18 Azerbaijan published information that the
Azerbaijani Government approved rules implying forced landing of
aircrafts-violators. The document determines 13.5/25km-wide borderline
strip used in the special regime along the state border. According
to the document, banned zones and limited zones can be determined in
the airspace of Azerbaijan. The document says that the use of air
space without sending poll (table, graphic), warning military air
forces’ bodies, the poll before coming into force and after ending
of period of poll’s validity and without the permission of relevant
operative body, non-fulfillment of teams of flights governing bodies
and fighter-interceptor aircraft, implementation of the flights for
monitoring, use of airspace of banned and limited zones without special
permission etc are considered the violation of airspace’s rules.

The document allows bringing down the Armenian civil aircrafts fyling
over the territory of NKR.

From: Baghdasarian

French Ambassador To Azerbaijan Refutes Information About April 24 V

FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN REFUTES INFORMATION ABOUT APRIL 24 VISIT OF FRENCH PRESIDENT TO ARMENIA

TERT.AM
29.01.13

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who is in France, met
with Paul Jean-Ortiz, advisor to French President Francoise Hollande
on diplomatic affairs, 1news.az reported citing Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry press service.

French ambassador to Azerbaijan Pascal Monye, in his turn, refuted
the information that French President is planning to visit Armenia
on April 24.

Azerbaijani mass media claims that the information about the visit
is the result of speculations by the Armenian mass media.

The information though has been spread by Turkish Hurriyet Daily News,
which cited its Elysee Palace sources.

The Turkish paper wrote that Hollande received Armenia’s President
Serzh Sargsyan’s invitation to visit Armenia in 2013 in November 2012.

According to the paper’s sources, the French President is planning
to address a “strong message” to the French Armenian community about
Armenian Genocide on the eve of municipal elections.

From: Baghdasarian

U.E : Democratisation De La Turquie Ou " Turquification " De L’europ

U.E : DEMOCRATISATION DE LA TURQUIE OU ” TURQUIFICATION ” DE L’EUROPE ?

Publie le : 29-01-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – ” Si la Turquie entrait
dans l’Union [europeenne], elle disposerait d’un levier redoutable
: le mandat d’arret europeen (MAE). Sur ce point mon opinion
est faite : la Turquie, dans l’etat actuel des choses, ne doit
pas entrer dans l’Union – si tant est que la question soit encore
d’actualite. Voici dix ou quinze ans nous etions nombreux a penser que
si la Turquie entrait dans l’Union, cela accelererait le processus
de sa democratisation. Il faut retourner la question maintenant,
et d’urgence : car les gouvernements europeens et l’Europe elle-meme
sont dans un processus de droitisation. C’est donc le contraire qui
risque de se passer : si la Turquie entrait dans l’Europe, il y aurait
grand danger que celle-ci, sur le plan des pratiques policières et
juridiques, ne se ‘turquifie’.” Cette analyse sans concession du
specialiste de la Turquie, Etienne Copeaux, fait suite au procès
inique de Pinar Selek a Istanbul, où la sociologue turque – exilee
a Strasbourg – a ete condamnee in absentia a perpetuite. Precisons
a nos lecteurs que le terme de ” turquification ” de l’Europe n’a
pas ici la connotation que certains a droite et a l’extreme-droite,
voudraient lui donner. Il s’agit – et du moins c’est comme cela que
nous le comprenons, l’analysons et le disons depuis 2004 – d’une ”
fascisation a la turque ” de nos democraties. Un fait d’autant plus
preoccupant a l’heure où ” les gouvernements europeens et l’Europe
elle-meme sont dans un processus de droitisation “. Le Collectif VAN
vous propose cet article publie sur le site susam-sokak.fr, le blog
d’Etienne Copeaux, le 25 janvier 2013.

susam-sokak.fr

Vendredi 25 janvier 2013 [dernière modification : samedi 26 janvier
2013, 11h]

Après le procès du 24 janvier 2013

Toute forme de complaisance a l’egard de la Turquie doit etre bannie
desormais. Le regime politique se rapproche rapidement de celui de
la Russie de Poutine. Après la rafle d’avocats la semaine passee,
nous avons assiste hier 24 janvier 2013 a un procès stalinien.

Les lois et les codes importent peu. Ils existent pour la vitrine,
seulement pour dire au reste du monde : ” La Turquie est un Etat de
droit “. C’est une assertion aussi grossière que les sempiternelles
proclamations selon lesquelles les Turcs sont les champions de la
tolerance.

Je rappelle, comme le fait avec insistance Yasemin Oz, avocate de Pinar
Selek, qu’il n’existe aucune preuve de sa participation a un attentat
; qu’elle a ete arretee quelques jours après l’explosion du Marche
egyptien en 1998, mais que la police ne lui a pose aucune question,
meme durant les seances de torture, sur ce pretendu ” attentat ” :
elle avait etait arretee pour une autre raison. Le rapport qui est
joint au dossier, aujourd’hui, est commandite par l’Etat et aucun
veritable expert ni chimiste n’y a collabore : c’est un ensemble
d’assertions gratuites.

Pinar a ete acquittee trois fois, en dernier lieu le 9 fevrier 2011.

Ce jugement a ete casse deux jours plus tard par la cour supreme. Le
tribunal local a rejete cette mesure de la Cour supreme. Nouveau
coup de theâtre, en novembre 2012, ce meme tribunal local rejette son
propre jugement, admet que l’acquittement ne vaut plus, et requiert a
nouveau la prison a perpetuite : c’est tout simplement impossible dans
le droit turc, un tribunal ne pouvant annuler son propre jugement. Le
president du tribunal qui avait demande le respect de l’acquittement
etait alors en conge pour maladie. Quelques jours après la decision du
22 novembre, il a declare dans le quotidien Vatan qu’a son retour de
conge il allait reprendre les choses en main, laissant penser qu’il
considerait toujours Pinar Selek comme acquittee.

Hier 24 janvier 2013, ce meme personnage est a nouveau president
du tribunal, il revient sur ses propres declarations de novembre,
et considère Pinar comme condamnee ! Qui donc est alle lui tirer les
oreilles pendant son conge-maladie ?

Il faut se representer la scène. Nous avons l’habitude des grands
procès avec des plaidoiries et requisitoires fracassants, des effets
de manches, de la grande rhetorique et des jures passionnes par leur
mission. Nous avons l’habitude de representations hollywoodiennes
de la justice, avec des debats enflammes. Ici, point. Le president
du tribunal, avec a ses côtes le procureur (qui ne dit rien) et les
assesseurs dont l’un avait fait fonction de president le 22 novembre,
sont des personnages qui font de la peine, en realite. Je n’ai jamais
observe qu’ils regardent leurs interlocuteurs en face. Ils parlent
a voix basse, comme au confessionnal. Ils ont des micros devant eux
mais ne les utilisent pas. Personne ne peut les entendre, sauf les
avocats du premier rang, et encore. Ils font de la peine car toute leur
attitude exprime un ennui phenomenal. Ils jouent avec la vie des gens
et cela les ennuie. Ils parlent de facon monocorde, très lentement,
en regardant leur ecran d’ordinateur, comme s’ils allaient s’endormir.

Ils n’ont pas de convictions, meme pas dans le sens de la repression
: ils font leur travail de fonctionnaires ; en parlant a mi-voix,
ils pensent a leur carrière ; ils ne veulent pas etre mutes dans une
sous-prefecture de province et pour cela ils appliquent les directives.

Aucun signe sur leur visage n’indique qu’ils ecoutent les avocats. La
presence d’un public nombreux, la presence d’une cinquantaine d’avocats
en robe – dont deux francais et le celèbre avocat aveugle Esber
Yagmurdereli, qui a ete comme Pinar victime d’un terrible acharnement
judiciaire – venus soutenir leurs confrères de la defense, leur semble
indifferente. ” Nous aurions pu etre dix mille, a dit le soir Yasemin
Oz, cela n’aurait rien change : ils sont commissionnes par l’Etat “.

Essayez de vous representer une cour d’assises mais sans jury :
l’image est plutôt celle d’un tribunal militaire. L’absence de jury,
c’est -a-dire d’une instance tierce, independante en principe de
l’accusation et de la defense, fait que l’affrontement est direct
entre celles-ci : les avocats ne cherchent pas a convaincre des jures,
mais le president du tribunal. Celui-ci n’est pas, comme en France, un
arbitre. Dès lors, les avocats, lorsque la tension monte, sont amenes
a prendre le president a partie, a l’invectiver, poliment certes,
mais c’est un duel. Comment imaginer alors que le president et les
juges ne soient pas piques au vif, ne soient pas amenes a camper sur
leurs positions, bref a ne pas perdre la face devant leurs collègues,
devant les avocats, devant leurs superieurs surtout ?

Chaque fois que j’ai assiste a une audience, j’ai senti dès le debut
que la partie etait perdue pour la defense. Ce 24 janvier, les avocats
avaient en face d’eux un tribunal qui s’etait dejuge le 22 novembre,
et qui en sortant de la legalite avait annule sa propre decision. Deux
mois plus tard, pouvait-on s’attendre a ce que ce meme tribunal se
dejuge une seconde fois, que ces juges admettent en public : ” Bon,
nous avons fait une erreur, mille excuses, nous allons reparer cela et
acquitter definitivement l’accusee ” ? Ce ne sont pas seulement des
fonctions et des institutions qui s’affrontent, mais des personnes,
des etres humains, qui ont leurs sentiments, leurs ambitions, leur
affect, et leur fierte.

Pas de jury, donc : les avocats cherchent toute la matinee a convaincre
ces fonctionnaires, et c’est peine perdue. La position de la defense
est très ferme : Pinar Selek est innocente, les expertises l’ont
demontre, il n’y a pas a revenir sur l’acquittement. En consequence
ils refusent de plaider sur le fond. Toute la plaidoirie porte sur la
forme et la procedure, et notamment la violation du code de procedure
criminelle en novembre.

L’imbroglio juridique qui a ete cree depuis 2011 est tel qu’il est
impossible a un auditeur etranger de suivre les demonstrations de la
defense. Mais des amis turcs nous disent la meme chose. Et des avocats
eux-memes nous le confessent pendant les poses. Dans son intervention
au cours de la seance de l’après-midi, Yasemin Oz a très clairement
pose le problème : en substance, elle a declare aux juges qu’on ne
sait plus où en en est : lorsqu’il est question de l’acquittement,
est-ce en première ou en dernière instance ? A quel acquittement
se refère-t-on, prononce a quelle date ? Tout cela est dans un flou
juridique… qui tourne au chaos en fin de seance.

Un element du procès est nouveau et peut-etre capital pour la suite :
au procès de Pinar Selek a ete joint le cas d’un autre accuse, Masallah
Yagan, detenu pour appartenance a un ” mouvement ” [terroriste]. Il
comparaissait entre deux gendarmes mais n’a pas ete sollicite avant
la fin de l’audience. Le president lui ayant donne la parole, il a
refuse de s’exprimer, parce que, a-t-il dit, la decision etant deja
prise il etait inutile de se defendre, et que de toute manière il
reclamait le droit de ses defendre ” dans sa langue maternelle ” [le
kurde]. Que signifie cet episode ? Probablement qu’on veut impliquer
plus encore Pinar Selek dans la question kurde, fabriquer des elements
de preuve de sa pretendue implication.

L’accusation mettrait-elle en place une nouvelle strategie ?

Le jugement lui-meme n’a surpris personne, la peine a meme ete
aggravee par une demande d’arrestation immediate, ce qui signifie
que Pinar ne peut plus remettre les pieds en Turquie. En outre,
il est probable que la Turquie fera une demande d’extradition. La
seule issue pour Pinar est maintenant la demande d’asile politique
[Nota CVAN : depuis que cet article est paru, Pinar Selek, exilee a
Strasbourg, a fait etat d’une autre option].

Ce triste episode a galvanise les soutiens de Pinar. La defense va
faire appel et le combat juridique va durer encore des annees ;
en attendant l’issue, il faut faire pression pour que la France
l’accueille [Nota CVAN : le fait que Pinar Selek a decide avec
ses avocats de se pourvoir en cassation ne change rien a l’analyse
ci-dessous]. Il faut sonner l’alarme sur les moyens dont la Turquie
dispose deja pour etendre sa repression hors de son territoire :
il s’agit de la fameuse decision-cadre de l’UE (2002) comportant la
liste des organisations considerees comme terroristes 1, decision
par laquelle les Etats-membres sont tenus d’engager une repression
sevère des mouvements vises sur leur territoire.

Il s’agit aussi des accords de cooperation policière franco-turcs
signes par Claude Gueant et Ibrahim Sahin en octobre 2011, qui non
seulement n’ont pas ete desavoues par le gouvernement ” socialiste ”
et sont toujours valables mais dont le texte, inchange, a ete presente
en projet de loi a la presidence de l’Assemblee par Laurent Fabius,
le 1er août 2012. L’adoption de ce projet de loi par les deputes et
les senateurs, sous un gouvernement PS, serait un scandale absolu.

Enfin, soyons conscients que si la Turquie entrait dans l’Union, elle
disposerait d’un levier redoutable : le mandat d’arret europeen (MAE)
dont a pâti recemment la militante basque Aurore Martin, livree par la
police francaise a la police espagnole. Sur ce point mon opinion est
faite : la Turquie, dans l’etat actuel des choses, ne doit pas entrer
dans l’Union – si tant est que la question soit encore d’actualite.

Voici dix ou quinze ans nous etions nombreux a penser que si la
Turquie entrait dans l’Union, cela accelererait le processus de sa
democratisation. Il faut retourner la question maintenant, et d’urgence
: car les gouvernements europeens et l’Europe elle-meme sont dans un
processus de droitisation. C’est donc le contraire qui risque de se
passer : si la Turquie entrait dans l’Europe, il y aurait grand danger
que celle-ci, sur le plan des pratiques policières et juridiques,
ne se ” turquifie “.

Aussi dans la mobilisation pour Pinar Selek et toutes les autres
victimes turques et kurdes de la repression, nous devons penser,
nous autres citoyens de l’Union europeenne, que nous nous mobilisons
pour nous-memes, dans notre propre interet et celui de la democratie
dans nos pays et au sein de l’Union.

Lire aussi :

Le Collectif VAN soutient la sociologue turque Pinar Selek

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : susam-sokak.fr

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.collectifvan.org/article.php?r=0&id=70879
www.collectifvan.org

Turkish Muslim Who Murdered Catholic Bishop While Shouting ‘Allah Ak

TURKISH MUSLIM WHO MURDERED CATHOLIC BISHOP WHILE SHOUTING ‘ALLAH AKBAR’ GETS REDUCED SENTENCE

Posted GMT 1-28-2013 0:50:48

Let’s quickly recap how disgusting the behavior of the Islamist Turkish
government has been in the case of the murder of Bishop Luigi Padovese.

Bishop Luigi Padovese was the Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia and
President of the Turkish Bishops’ Conference. The Bishop’s driver
and murderer, Murat Altun, had claimed to be Catholic, but prior
to a trip to Cyprus, the Turkish government warned the Bishop that
his driver was an Islamist and potentially dangerous. The Turkish
government was worried about the murder of the Pope resulting in a
major international incident.

The Bishop chose to stay home to protect the Pope from an assassination
attempt and instead Murat Altun beheaded Bishop Luigi Padovese while
shouting Allah Akbar.

The authorities claimed that Altun’s motive was personal and not
political, but Altun claimed that Allah had inspired him to commit
his crime and recited Islamic verses during the trial. The Turkish
authorities tried to claim insanity on his behalf. When that failed,
they came up with an even nastier tactic.

A court reduced the sentence of a man who killed a Roman Catholic
bishop in the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun in southern Turkey
in 2010 on the grounds that he was offered a homosexual affair by
the bishop.

Altun was standing trial at the Iskenderun 2nd High Criminal Court
and facing a life sentence. Concluding the case on Tuesday, the
court handed down a 15-year prison sentence to Altun instead of a
life sentence because Altun claimed that the bishop had asked him to
have an homosexual affair. Altun received a reduced sentence due to
unjustifiable provocation.

The prosecutor said although there is no evidence showing that the
bishop offered such a relationship, the suspect still has the right
to benefit from unjustifiable provocation.

The court had in fact handed down a reduced sentence of 18 years
to Altun but his sentence was reduced further to 15 years for good
conduct during the trial.

While Muslims wail about Islamophobia, this is the true bigotry. This
is what justice for Christians looks like in the Muslim world. This
is what life for Christians and non-Muslims is like in “modern” Turkey.

And as a small gesture, the next time you see a product that has
“Made in Turkey” on it, put it back on the shelf. The murder and
further degradation of Bishop Luigi Padovese after death was also
“Made in Turkey.”

Frontpage Magazine

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.aina.org/news/20130127185048.htm

Presidential Candidate: 75% Of Armenia’s Mining Industry Is Shadow

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 75% OF ARMENIA’S MINING INDUSTRY IS SHADOW

Aysor.am
January 28

75% of Armenia’s mining industry is shadow, the sector reports a
turnover of 200 million AMD, whereas, judging from customs data, it
amounts to 800 million AMD, presidential candidate Hrant Bagratian
said at the meeting with journalists today.

When asked by the correspondent of Aysor.am what he would change in
the environmental policy of Armenia, he replied he would propose a
basic provision: not to sell natural resources, which is the case now.

Natural resources are the nation’s wealth and they should not be sold.

“Some royalties – some laughable payments – have been introduced,”
Bagratian said, adding that his policy proposes a U-turn in this
sphere.

TODAY, 19:30

From: Baghdasarian