Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIAN COMPANY UNABLE TO ORGANIZE TRADE DESPITE HAVING LICENSE – STATEMENT

tert.am
15.01.13

An Armenian limited liability company registered in the Bagratashen
village (Tavush region) has complained to the Ombudsman’s hotline
service that its attempts to organize trading activity have constantly
met obstacles in the past two years.

A statement by the Ombudsman’s office says that the Elgara LLC has
not been able to organize its work since May 2010 despite having a
license by the Ministry of Economy.

“The State Revenue Committee’s local tax inspection rejects,
without legal grounds, the statements on launching an activity and
the registration of electronic cashboxes, hampering the activities
under the above license with the justification that the Ealagra LLC is
obliged to ensure the conditions prescribed by law. But as a matter
of fact, the Elagra company complies with the requirements set forth
in the legislation effective at the time, as well as the provisions
of the Armenian laws,” reads the statement.

Studying the problem, the human rights defender has found that
Committee’s emplyees have violated the Company’s rights, resorting
to excessive measures.

From: Baghdasarian

TWO STRATEGIC ENTERPRISES TO BE OPENED IN ARMENIA IN 2013

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. Two strategic enterprises will be set
up in Armenia this year, Armenia’s Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan
told reporters on Monday.

“ASKE Group” Charentsavan metallurgical complex will be launched
in the near months. It will process black metals and produce the
important for us production, which we will not import anymore. It is
quite a big enterprise equipped with Siemens modern technology. It
will provide hundreds of new jobs,” Davtyan said.

Earlier, one of ASKE Group founders, Vahan Harutyunyan, said the
manufacturing capacity of the new armature producing plant will be
125,000 tons per annum. The total investments value stood at 7.8
billion drams.

Davtyan added the second enterprise-Astral Crystal-will be growing
crystals.

“This is a very interesting, high-technical production. The required
technology has already been provided,” Minister said.

In the framework of the 4.2-billion-dram program 20 new jobs with an
average wages of 180, 000 drams will be offered.

Astra Crystal CJSC , founded in 2011, operates in processing technical
crystals, as well as raw sapphire.

Natfood, Nubarashen poultry factory and Ararat group are to be launched
in 2013, Economy Ministry said. ($1 – 408.59 drams).-0-

From: Baghdasarian

ROBERT KOCHARYAN EXPLAINS WHY HE DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

14:04 15.01.2013

Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan explained the reasons
of why he decided not to participate in the presidential race in an
interview with Mediamax agency. The interview in full is presented
below :

– Mr. Kocharyan, the public expected you to take part in presidential
elections, but it did not happen. Why did you decide so and how do
you assess the current political situation in the country?

– The political situation is so dull that the only reason for this
interview is my promise to give it. Of course, I know that there were
some expectations of my possible participation in upcoming elections.
Although I have never spoken of my intention to participate in
elections, anyhow I deem it necessary to give some explanations. I
would single out three circumstances which forced me to refrain from
returning to active politics.

First: the fight for power between two natives of Karabakh, longtime
companions, was unacceptable for me. It would make it difficult
for many people to make a choice and would become a topic for
various speculations. Besides, I myself have chosen the incumbent
President as a successor, and his desire to run for the second term
is understandable.

Second: I wouldn~Rt like to participate in the formation of a format
of three Presidents fighting for power, which is extremely unpleasant,
and I believe very harmful for the country.

Third: the search for a political compromise in Armenia has transformed
into small-retail political bargaining. This is not what I would like
to spend my time, knowledge and experience on.

These factors are certainly not fundamental, but I think they are
very weighty from emotional and ethic points of view. This is why
I gave brief interviews and only in cases when it would be simply
impossible not to react to the situation.

– And what about fundamental factors? In your previous interviews
you spoke about such factors as the migration, the economic situation
and political competition. How would you assess today~Rs situation?

– The fundamental factors unfortunately do not inspire optimism as
before. The population outflow from Armenia doesn~Rt reduce, and
this is not a labor migration. The tendency is extremely dangerous
given a low birthrate and aging population. It is not accidental that
migration is called country~Rs health cardiogram.

The economy began to grow, but will it be a steady growth with
decreasing investments, and how much will it be conditioned by
increasing debt commitments? Even with an expected GDP growth of
7% in 2012 we won~Rt reach the level of 2008 in comparable figures
(98%), with over a three-fold increase in the ratio of public debt
to GDP (with the deteriorating structure of the debt). By the way,
the restoration of railway communication through Abkhazia, which is
quite possible after recent transformations in Georgia, could be a
serious positive stimulus for our economy.

As for the political competition, it became like a puppet show ahead of
elections, which cannot contribute to the effective work of authorities
and generates apathy in the society. It~Rs well known that without
competition the authorities sleep peacefully but people, as a rule,
live badly.

It~Rs extremely difficult to reverse these trends by measured efforts
of the government. They need something more, a mobilizing society
which would inspire hope and impel to act. I hope the authorities
will meet these challenges.

From: Baghdasarian

ROBERT KOCHARYAN CONSIDERS THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER BETWEEN TWO OLD COLLEAGUES UNACCEPTABLE

12:07, 15 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: The second President of the Republic
of Armenia Robert Kocharyan in an interview pledged by him presented
the reasons made him not to run for the Presidential elections. Robert
Kocharyan noted three grave factors forced him to abstain from
returning to active politics, Armenpress reports citing Mediamax.

First the struggle for power between two longtime partners, both
from Karabakh is unacceptable for me: it will create an uncomfortable
situation for the people itself and will later become the subject of
various speculations. Besides it was me who recommended the acting
President as the next president, reportedly his desire to be re-elected
is understandable.

Kocharyan did not wish to participate in the struggle for power thus
not prompting to the formation of extremely unpleasant and hazardous
format for the country.

The former President did not want to spend his time and knowledge in
the search for political compromise, a situation not acceptable by
him. Calling the above mentioned factors not fundamental the Second
President is sure they are rather grave in the emotional and ethical
viewpoints. Thus the former President confines himself to a short
interview. ” Not dwelling on the prevailing political situation would
be simply incomprehensible” Kocharyan summed up.

Presidential Elections are due in Armenia on February 18. Eight
candidates have been already registered. Former two Presidents are
not participating in the election struggle.

From: Baghdasarian

APPEL DU SNESUP-FSU DE L’UNIVERSITE DE STRASBOURG EN SOUTIEN A PINAR SELEK

Publie le : 15-01-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
propose cette information publiee sur le site Pinar Selek le 14
janvier 2013.

Pinar Selek

Le 14 Janvier 2013 par SNESUP-FSU

Pinar Selek, sociologue et chercheuse a l’Universite de Strasbourg,
est odieusement persecutee depuis 15 ans par l’Etat turc et contrainte
a l’exil. Accusee de complicite en 1998 dans un attentat qui n’a
jamais eu lieu, emprisonnee et torturee, elle a ete acquittee a trois
reprises, mais la justice de son pays la condamne a nouveau, en usant
de procedures qui contreviennent aux règles du droit. Aujourd’hui la
cour criminelle d’Istanbul entend se substituer a la cour supreme
turque et requiert la prison a vie a l’encontre de la feministe et
de la militante des Droits de l’Homme.

Les raisons de cet acharnement contre Pinar Selek sont directement
politiques et mettent en cause un Etat qui bafoue les libertes
fondamentales. Le seul tort de Pinar Selek est son courage. Courage
d’avoir refuse de livrer a la police les noms des militants kurdes
sur lesquels elle conduisait ses travaux de sociologue. Courage de son
combat pour le droit des femmes et de toutes les minorites opprimees.

Courage de defendre obstinement le droit a une recherche libre et
independante. Courage de denoncer le sexisme et l’homophobie, le
nationalisme et le militarisme. Courage enfin d’affronter depuis 15
ans une justice aveugle et un Etat manipulateur qui la condamne pour
ne pas perdre la face.

Le 24 janvier prochain la cour criminelle d’Istanbul risque de
condamner Pinar Selek a la perpetuite. Seules des mobilisations
d’ampleur, locales, nationales et internationales, peuvent aujourd’hui
mettre un terme a l’aveuglement de l’Etat turc. Elles s’organisent
a de multiples niveaux, en Turquie, en Allemagne comme en France.

Dans un communique du 3 decembre 2012 le President de l’Universite de
Strasbourg a apporte le soutien de notre communaute universitaire a
la sociologue. Il faut aujourd’hui aller au-dela. Le Snesup appelle a
trois actions urgentes qui devraient federer l’ensemble des acteurs
de l’universite, associations, organisations syndicales, elus des
conseils et presidence :

1. la creation d’un large comite de soutien universitaire
2. l’organisation le 24 janvier, jour de l’audience a la cour
d’Istanbul, d’une grande manifestation de soutien sur le Campus de
l’Esplanade 3. l’envoi le meme jour d’une delegation officielle de
notre universite a Istanbul

Notre communaute entière doit se mobiliser pour que justice soit rendue
a Pinar Selek ! Son combat est le nôtre. Elle incarne exemplairement
les valeurs d’humanite et la defense de nos droits fondamentaux.

Lire aussi :

Le Collectif VAN soutient la sociologue turque Pinar Selek

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Pinar Selek

From: Baghdasarian

Cihan News Agency (CNA) – Turkey
December 24, 2012 Monday

OSCE Minsk Group’s Activity Cannot be Considered Positive, Ruling Party

BAKÜ (CIHAN)- The OSCE Minsk Group’s work on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict cannot be considered positive, deputy chairman and executive
secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov told the
media today.

“The Minsk Group has been working on this issue for over 20 years, and
it is failing to achieve its goals,” he said. “Co-chairmanship does
not apply to three individuals, but rather to three different
countries. Azerbaijani society expects the Minsk Group and its
co-chairmen to adequately fulfill their mission on the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict.”

“There is only one way,” he said. “It is the liberation of occupied
Azerbaijani territories, the restoration of just peace in the South
Caucasus and most importantly, the assurance of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity.”

“I think that the Minsk Group has not fulfilled this task yet,” he
said. “The co-chairmen did not take very serious actions towards the
fulfillment of their commitments. Azerbaijani society can not
appreciate the work of the Minsk Group and its co-chairmen as a whole.
I do not think that replacing one of the representatives of the
co-chairing countries will significantly change anything. However, we
always welcome innovations in the workings of the OSCE Minsk Group.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions regarding the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

CIHAN

From: Baghdasarian

The Star (South Africa)
December 29, 2012 Saturday
E1 Edition

ARMENIA’S BURDEN

by Robert Fisk

Between wars, I lecture on the Middle East. But rarely have I seen an
audience so moved, so trapped by history, so tearful, as one night in
Sharjah last spring.

Nothing I said upset them. But the pictures I showed them were
terrifying. In front of me, young and middle-aged Armenians – well-off
for the most part, businessmen and women, well-educated – sat in an
almost religious silence as they watched a succession of four
photographs.

Each showed the progress of an Armenian death march from Erzerum, old
people, carts, young men with hidden faces, the doomed on their way to
death 97 years ago.

The four pictures were taken by Victor Pitchman, an Austrian soldier
in the Turkish army, who could not have known that these men and women
were about to die.

Nor could they have known. They are heading in a straight line, down a
straight road, women with scarves, over-burdened donkeys, past the
same bunch of trees which feature in each photograph, a pale line of
hills on the far horizon.

All the Armenians of Erzerum were to die at the hands of the Turks in
the 1915 genocide.

There are many photographs of Armenian survivors. And there are
pictures of their corpses. But few show the living just before they
were slaughtered.

These people, in the pictures I had been trawling through from the
Armenian genocide museum in Yerevan, were the living dead. Shellfire,
wounds, death.

Each year, we report this miserable saga. But old wars and other
genocides lean heavily upon us, as they did upon my Armenian audience
in the Gulf.

These were their grandparents and great-grandparents, plodding along,
possessions piled on horse-carts, a pleasant enough, sunny day, clouds
high in the sky.

Only the grave awaits them.

From: Baghdasarian

Leicester Mercury, UK
December 28, 2012 Friday
Edition 1; National Edition

Film describes ride to bride

JOURNEY: HOW TOM’S ROUND-THE-WORLD CYCLE RIDE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TWIST

by ADRIAN TROUGHTON

Adventurer Tom Allen set off to cycle round the world but got
sidetracked when he fell in love along the way.

His heartwarming story has now been turned into a film.

The 29-year-old’s trip, which lasted three-and-a-half years, saw him
visit 32 countries, cycle 13,000 miles and get married in Armenia.

The 79-minute film of the adventure, Janapar – Armenian for “journey”
– tells the story of how he met, fell in love with and married an
Armenian-Iranian woman, Tenny.

The film, which took a year to put together, is to be shown at cinemas
throughout the country next year after its premiere at the Raindance
Festival, in London . Tom, of Middleton, near Medbourne, said: “When I
set off way back in 2007 without a map or a guidebook, I didn’t know
what to expect.

“I was a young man fed up with life and seeking a challenge.”

He set off with two pals, Mark and Andy, but within six months was
travelling alone.

“Mark left in Budapest after 10 weeks and then Andy went his separate
way after six months when we were in Armenia,” said Tom.

“Me cycling on my own through dangerous terrain and having to fend for
myself weren’t really in the plan, but I kept on going because I was
determined to finish my journey.” While in the Armenian capital
Yerevan, however, events took an unexpected turn.

“I met a woman called Tenny and fell hopelessly in love,” said Tom.

Wanting to continue his journey, he left Tenny and cycled off towards
the Iranian border – but two days later went back to her. “I knew I
had to go back to see her again and go with whatever happened next,”
he said.

They married on September 19, 2009.

Tom arrived back in Middleton in October 2010 with hundreds of hours
of footage of his travels.

A friend, former BBC producer and director James Newton, sifted
through the footage and put together the film. James said the footage
went “far beyond a simple journey” and “depicted entire chapters of
its subject’s life”.

“It soon became clear that the story was theatrical in scope,” he
said. “It possessed the power to inspire and to change the way people
thought about life.

“Janapar has universal themes. It was beautifully filmed by Tom with
an unusual level of honesty.

“He invested a great deal of trust in the lens and we hope this is
reflected in the film.”

Tom plans to cycle to screenings of the film around Britain next year
and hopes his wife might join him.

The film can be bought online as a DVD or downloaded from:
BLOG HIGHLIGHTS TOM chronicles his journeys throughout
the world and his thoughts on all things cycling on a blog. Here are
two entries: ¦ Riding in the rain – A springtime journey through the
Pacific north west: Washington state was not a place in which I
expected to be able to ride a full day without finding a grocery
store.

Neither did I expect to ride for days through near-wilderness, nor
find myself stringing my food bags up trees to avoid bear and raccoon
raids at night.

It’s a long way from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and from the
highbrow politics of the federal government, even though that can
always be found sneaking in through the cultural back-door of the
ubiquitous television set. ¦ Riding in more rain – towards and along
the Oregon coastline: “You must be the cyclists!” Stuart accosted us
halfway through a bowl of quite excellent clam chowder. He was in his
60s, whitehaired and bespectacled. He was slender as a bean, a
Geocaching logo on his faded baseball cap and a look of curiosity and
mild amusement on his face.

I trusted him immediately.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian swimmers to participate in extreme race

Armenian swimmers will participate in the Third International Extreme
Race of Winter Swimming across Yellow River in China.

The event held at an altitude of 2,200 meters brought together
swimmers 48 from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Iceland, Russia,
Slovakia, South Africa, Ukraine, the United States, and host China,
china.org reported.

The water temperature is registered at 2 degrees Celsius and is
running 3 meters per second.

It is the fourth international race hosted by Qinghai Province.

From: Baghdasarian

KARABAKH OFFERS NEW HOME TO SYRIAN ARMENIANS

11 Jan 13

Resettlement scheme angers Azerbaijan, which sees it as an obstruction
to an eventual peace deal. By Hayk Ghazaryan, Shahla Sultanova –
Caucasus

Some of the Armenians fleeing the conflict in Syria are being welcomed
as settlers by the authorities Nagorny Karabakh.

Robert Matevosyan, head of the resettlement department at Nagorny
Karabakh’s Kashatagh district government, says 25 families have moved
there since the civil war started in Syria.

“The first families to come to Kovsakan already have their own houses,
and an apartment block has been restored and others have been given
homes there. Those who moved to Berdzor are currently living in a
guesthouse and aren’t being charged for it,” he said.

Azerbaijan, which claims Karabakh as its territory and is home to
hundreds of thousands of refugees from the region. Officials and
others there were furious at the resettlement programme, saying it
was a breach of international law.

“We have informed the United Nations and the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe about it,” Azerbaijani foreign ministry
spokesman Elman Abdullayev said. “This isn’t the first time Armenia
has carried out an illegal settlement in Nagorny Karabakh. This is
a provocation; it hinders the peace process.”

Azerbaijan holds Armenia responsible for the situation, and refuses
to engage in negotiations with Karabakh.

The Kashatagh district – which Azerbaijan calls Gubadly – is part of
the “Lachin corridor”, a strip of land that in Soviet times separated
the Armenian republic from the Armenian-majority Nagorny Karabakh
region, which was administratively part of Azerbaijan.

In 1992, early on in the Karabakh conflict, Armenian forces seized
the corridor, thus providing a direct link to Armenia.

Karabakh has declared itself an independent state but has not won
international recognition. Since a 1994 ceasefire, attempts to find
a negotiated solution to the dispute have failed.

Although Kashatagh is Karabakh’s largest district, its population
stood at just 8,500 in 2011, since many residents fled during the
fighting and now live as refugees in Azerbaijan.

Local officials welcome any new arrivals who can help make up the
numbers.

Homes are being built or restored for the incomers, since those
left empty after the war were often dismantled for use as building
materials.

Matevosyan said jobs were being found for the Syrian Armenians,
who were also receiving food supplies.

“We are giving farming families large patches of land,” he added.

Matevosyan said another ten families had contacted his department to
ask about moving to his district.

“We are ready to accept anyone who applies to us,” he said. “Kashatagh
residents understand the problem. They don’t mind if their own houses
aren’t being repaired; they are ready to help fellow-Armenians in
trouble.”

Vardan Poghosyan is one of the new arrivals in Berdzor, where he has
brought his wife Lusvard and their one-year-old daughter.

He is working for the phone company Karabakh Telecom while Lusvard
has found a job in a hotel. They have now been joined by Vardan’s
brother and Lusvard’s parents.

“I chose Karabakh immediately,” he said. “I didn’t want to live in
Armenia – it’s quieter here. I spent 15 days in Armenia and then went
back to Syria. After that, I decided to move to Karabakh.”

Azerbaijani officials say the settlement scheme is a deliberate ploy
designed to block a resolution of the Karabakh dispute and rule out
the possibility that refugees might one day return home.

“Karabakh is Azerbaijani land. It is unacceptable to settle Syrian
Armenians there without the permission of Azerbaijan,” Abdullayev
said. “It violates international law and also the rights of the
Azerbaijanis who were forced to leave Nagorny Karabakh.”

He added, “It is also disappointing that the international community
is opting to remain silent about this.”

Poghosyan does not see Azerbaijani objections as a problem.

“I really don’t understand why we should take Azerbaijan’s reaction
or opinion into account,” he said. “These are our lands. Azerbaijanis
have no place here, unless there is a peace deal which will allow
all refugees to return to their homes.”

He added, “We lost a great deal in Syria, and this place is a refuge
for us. We are going to settle here and develop the area.”

One of the difficulties facing the new arrivals from Syria is that
they speak a different dialect of Armenian.

“The Karabakh dialect and Eastern Armenian are a bit hard to
understand, but we’ll manage, we’ll gradually get used to it all and
understand one another,” Poghosyan said. “It’s the same language;
it’s just the sounds and the writing system that differ. We’re all
Armenians, after all.”

Matevosyan said schools were providing one-to-one sessions to help
children entering local schools adapt to the language.

Activists in Azerbaijan were angered at what they saw as their
government’s inaction on the issue.

“I am dissatisfied with what the Azerbaijani government is doing
about it. All it’s done is raise the matter with international
organisations. That’s it,” said Akif Naghi, who heads the
Karabakh Liberation Organisation. “It’s behaving like an NGO, not
a government…. It thinks it’s enough to inform the United Nations
about it.”

Naghi called on the authorities to press for international sanctions
on Armenia to secure an end to the settlements.

In Karabakh, human rights activists dismiss the Azerbaijani objections.

Karen Ohanjanyan, coordinator of the Karabakh Committee of Helsinki
Initiative-92, describes the programme as “a demonstration of
solidarity”.

More than that, he said, the Armenians from Syria would be a valuable
addition to the community.

“They come from a traditional society where the culture of cooperation
is very highly developed. Many were businessmen and are well educated.
Their organisational skills in economic and other areas will be a
significant boost to development in Nagorny Karabakh,” Ohanyan said.

Charities in Karabakh and Armenia are offering help to the new
arrivals. Three of them are planning to restore old apartment blocks
as accommodation.

After meeting the refugees from Syria, Artak Beglaryan, head of an
NGO called Will, was impressed with their stoicism.

“Of course there are hardships, and everyone knows they lived in
better conditions in Syria, but the important thing is that they’re
prepared to work and strive,” he said.

Despite such optimism, Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional
Studies Centre, a think-tank in the Armenian capital Yerevan, questions
the sustainability of this resettlement. He points out that Armenians
from Lebanon who came to Karabakh in an earlier influx eventually
gave up and left.

Not only did the Karabakh authorities lack “both the capacity and
the resources” to help the Syrian Armenians establish themselves,
the regional environment was not conducive to their resettlement.

“The situation on the ground is now even more unstable, since the
threat of war looms large over the region and over Karabakh itself,”
he said.

Hayk Ghazaryan is a correspondent for the Hetq newspaper in
Stepanakert, Nagorny Karabakh. Shahla Sultanova is a freelance
journalist in Azerbaijan.

From: Baghdasarian