Flora Martirosyan’s Never Again Project To Continue After Her Death

FLORA MARTIROSYAN’S NEVER AGAIN PROJECT TO CONTINUE AFTER HER DEATH

December 24, 2012 – 19:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – “Never Again” project initiated by famed Armenian
singer Flora Martirosyan will be implemented following her death,
FMS Media co-founder said.

In conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Karen Fidanyan,
however, didn’t specify the date of the next concert.

Famed Armenian singer Flora Martirosyan died on November 20 morning
at the age of 55.

Los Angeles Gibson Amphitheatre hosted the first concert of “Never
Again” series on Nov 1, 2011, staring 22-time Grammy winner, Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame Legend and United Nations Ambassador of Peace Stevie
Wonder, singers Malina Moye, Alexia Vassiliou and Eric Benet, united
in a cause to embrace genocide awareness. Flora Martirosyan received
U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman’s special certificate for her invaluable
contribution to the Armenian community and world peace through music.

From: Baghdasarian

New Year Is Approaching, And So Are The Expenses

NEW YEAR IS APPROACHING, AND SO ARE THE EXPENSES

Monday, 24 December 2012 16:55

“Toy prices are rather high, I prefer to decorate our Christmas tree
with our old ones. The 10.000 drams I have saved is intended for the
purchase of New Year presents,” says Mrs. Darina from Stepanakert
who was doing Christmas shopping like many other citizens.

Christmas shopping is in its full swing in the shops and trade centers
of Stepanakert, everybody hurries to buy Christmas presents, toys
and garlands for decoration.

“Christmas toy prices have hardly changed as compared to the previous
year, while garland prices amount to 300 to 500 drams instead of the
previous year’s 550 to 800 drams on average,” says the saleswoman of
one of the shops in Azatamartikneri street.

This year the Christmas tree prices vary greatly, in shops Christmas
trees are sold at the price of 1500 to 45 thousand drams. Christmas
toys cost 400 to 500 drams on average, the balloons amount to 50 to
100 drams. There are such citizens as Mrs. Gayane who prefer to spare
no expense to festively decorate the house. I bought Christmas toys and
garlands at an amount of 10 thousand drams, they are the main things to
decorate the house and remind of the coming of New Year, aren’t they?”

Some citizens are ready to spend 30 thousand drams buying Christmas
presents while the others no more than 5 to 10 thousand drams. But
most of our interlocutors agree that the current prices are too high
and unaffordable for everybody.

I wish all our compatriots were able to celebrate New Year’s Eve
even if half the way they want to, but unfortunately most people
have to incur debts to get prepared for New Year celebrations,”
Mrs Victoria says.

Tatevik Khachatryan

From: Baghdasarian

http://karabakh-open.info/en/societyen/2807-en572

Artsakh President Gave Concrete Instructions To The Defense Minister

ARTSAKH PRESIDENT GAVE CONCRETE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEFENSE MINISTER AND THE SUPREME COMMAND STAFF OF THE ARMY

13:32, 25 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: President of the Artsakh Republic
Bako Sahakyan partook at the meeting of the Defense Army’s Military
Council convoked to sum up the activities of the army in 2012 and
delivered there a speech on December 25. As central information
department of the office of the Artsakh Republic President informed
Armenpress, in his speech the President high rated the role of army
building in our state policy and touched upon the activities carried
out during the past year, the achievements and problems existing
in this sphere. The Head of the State gave concrete instructions to
the defense minister and the supreme command staff of the army for
the continuous strengthening of the army, defense potential of the
country and ensuring people’s security.

From: Baghdasarian

Restaurant Opens In Yerevan For Syrian Armenians

RESTAURANT OPENS IN YEREVAN FOR SYRIAN ARMENIANS

11:42, 25 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: An eastern restaurant for Syrian
Armenians called “Oriento” is scheduled to open on December 25 in
capital Yerevan. 40 member- staff comprises mainly of Syrian Armenians,
Ministry of Diaspora informed Armenpress. The restaurant will welcome
its customers from 12: 00 am until 20: 00 pm. Besides the quests
are set to be entertained by a show program by the participation of
a singer and musician invited from Syria. The restaurant is located
in the former place of Astral club.

Armenian Government on behalf of the Ministry of Diaspora supports
Syrian Armenians based in Armenia. A working group was established
dealing with the issues of Syrian Armenians . Over 600 Syrian Armenians
are facing urgent job problem, 250 of them are already supplied with
them by the joint efforts of the Ministries of Diaspora, Labor and
Social Affairs.

6500 Syrian Armenians due to war time situation in Syria are based
in Armenia; most of them are supplemented with apartments. A special
school was opened for Syrian Armenians.

From: Baghdasarian

Men’s Chess Team Becomes 2012 Best Squad

MEN’S CHESS TEAM BECOMES 2012 BEST SQUAD

12:18, 25 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The winner of the 40th Chess Olympiad
Men’s chess team of Armenia becomes best 2012 squad of the Republic
of Armenia.

As reports “Armenpress” in accordance with the polls of the
Federation of Sports Journalists of Armenia “Mika” Yerevan Chess Club
women’s team, which became the Vice Champion of the European Chess
Championship, occupies the second place. Men’s Greco-Roman wrestling
team, which occupied the third position in the European Championship,
has been declared the third top squad of the Republic of Armenia
for 2012.

From: Baghdasarian

Le Ministere De L’Agriculture Ne Voit Aucune Menace De Penurie D’Oeu

LE MINISTERE DE L’AGRICULTURE NE VOIT AUCUNE MENACE DE PENURIE D’OEUFS AVANT LE NOUVEL AN
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 25 decembre 2012

Les oeufs ne manqueront pas en Armenie avant les vacances du Nouvel
An a declare le chef de departement vterinaire du ministère de
l’Agriculture Ashot Hovhannisyan.

D’habitude, un total de 17 millions d’oeufs est vendu en Armenie
avant les festivites du Nouvel An.

” Nous avons deja stocke de 6,5 a 7 millions d’oeufs. En dehors de
cela, la production quotidienne est de 1,5 millions d’oeufs en Armenie,
incluant 480 000 pièces etant stockees pour les ventes du Nouvel
An. Cela signifie qu’il n’y aura aucun problème, ni avec la quantite,
ni avec la hausse du prix des ~ufs ” a dit Ashot Hovhannisyan.

Ashot Hovhannisyan a aussi mentionne que le ministère de l’Agriculture
contrôle la situation avec les responsables des fermes de volaille.

Selon le ministère de l’Agriculture, la production d’oeuf sera en
hausse de 3,8 % a 650 millions de pièces dans le pays vers la fin de
cette annee.

mardi 25 decembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Un Depute Menace Un Journaliste

UN DEPUTE MENACE UN JOURNALISTE
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 25 decembre 2012

Un depute affilie au Parti republicain du president Serge Sarkissian
(HHK) est implique dans un autre scandale après avoir menace de
tabasser un journaliste qui lui demandait un commentaire.

Le depute Mher Sedrakian, a reagi avec fureur quand il a ete approche
par Mher Arshakian, journaliste a la chaîne de television independante
A1 +, a l’Assemblee nationale mercredi.

La video de l’incident publie par A1+ montre Mher Sedrakian menacant de
” casser la mâchoire ” et disant a Mher Arshakian de ” foutre le camp
“.

La video a declenche un tolle mediatique, avec des dizaines de
journalistes signent une lettre au president du parlement Hovik
Abrahamian lui demandant de prendre des mesures. Le vice-president
Edouard Sharmazanov et plusieurs autres personnalites du HHK n’ont
pas tarde a presenter des excuses au journaliste pour l’incident.

Mher Sedrakian a cependant declare ” Je ne m’excuserai pas ” au servie
armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am). ” Je ne me considère pas comme
coupable. Mon estime de soi est au-dessus de tout le reste “.

Il a affirme qu’il ” a parle un peu brutalement ” avec le correspondant
A1+ parce que ce dernier a essaye de ” pousser son micro dans ma bouche
“.Mher Sedrakian, qui a longtemps ete liee a des actes de violence
politique et autres, a egalement declare qu’il aurait passe a tabac
Mher Arshakian s’il n’avait pas ete un journaliste.

En reponse au tolle, le president de l’Assemblee nationale Hovik
Abrahamian a recu jeudi Mher Arshakian pour discuter de l’incident
embarrassant. ” Le president de l’Assemblee nationale a exprime ses
regrets dans le cadre de l’incident et a dit :” C’est un etre humain,
peut-etre que vous ne l’avez pas approcher correctement ou peut-etre
quelque chose s’etait passe entre vous ” a declare Mher Arshakian au
service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am ). ” J’ai affirme que rien
ne s’etait passe entre nous “.

Selon les termes du journaliste, tout en affirmant que le depute
pro-gouvernemental ne voulait pas l’offenser, Hovik Abrahamian a
suggere qu’il demande au comite d’ethique du Parlement d’enqueter
sur l’incident. Il a dit qu’il va suivre les conseils du president.

Riche homme d’affaires considere comme une figure du crime par les
politiciens de l’opposition et certains medias, Mher Sedrakian a
travaille pendant de nombreuses annees en tant que maire du district
d’Erebuni a Erevan avant d’etre elu a l’Assemblee nationale sur
la liste du HHK en mai 2012. Age de 61 ans ce dernier contrôle de
nombreuses entreprises locales et a une forte influence sur les
resultats des elections.

Les rapports de presse ont a maintes reprises affirme qu’il
etait implique dans des attaques violentes contre des militants de
l’opposition et des journalistes ainsi que des fraudes electorales. En
particulier, Mher Sedrakian a ete accuse d’avoir peut-etre donne un
coup de main en août 2008 lors de l’agression d’un correspondant du
quotidien pro-opposition “Haykakan Zhamanak.” Le journaliste, Lusine
Barseghian, a ete rouee de coups par des inconnus a la suite d’une
serie d’articles qui scrute les activites presumees illicites de Mher
Sedrakian et d’autres personnes influentes proches du gouvernement.

Tout en reconnaissant qu’il etait irrite par les articles Lusine
Barseghian, Mher Sedrakian a fermement nie toute implication dans
l’attaque. ” Je ne bats pas les femmes ou les personnes mortes. Je
voudrais juste raser les cheveux de cette fille ” avait-il dit
a l’epoque.

Plus tôt ce mois-ci, certains medias ont affirme que les gardes du
corps de Mher Sedrakian ont brutalement tabasse deux hommes dans un
conflit dans une station d’essence a Erebuni. L’homme d’affaires a
nie ces informations.

mardi 25 decembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Heritage leader: president must prioritize national interests

Heritage leader: president must prioritize national interests

December 22, 2012 – 13:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The ruling authorities must serve the people in
Armenia, with RA law to be equal for all, Heritage party leader said.
The ruling authorities must serve the people in Armenia, with RA law
to be equal for all, Heritage party leader said.
`Armenia’s next president must prioritize national interests over
personal ones. Armenia must have a new constitution for the coming
five years,’ Raffi Hovannissian said at Heritage congress, stressing
the need for a shift to parliamentary system of government.

From: Baghdasarian

More than 160 Reps of media demand that parliament speaker give poli

More than 160 representatives of Armenian media demand that parliament
speaker give political assessment of MP’S bad behavior

YEREVAN, December 21. / ARKA /. More than 160 representatives of the
Armenian media community have undersigned a letter to National
Assembly speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, demanding that he give a political
assessment of the bad behavior of an MP from the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia, Mher Sedrakyan, who has become embroiled in a
scandal after threatening to `break the jaw’ of a journalist who
asked him for comment.

The incident happened after Mher Arshakian, a journalist with the
independent TV station A1+, approached Mher Sedrakian in the National
Assembly on Wednesday. Video of the incident released by A1+ shows
Sedrakian threatening to `break the jaw’ of the journalist and telling
him to `get the hell out.’

The video triggered a media uproar. Deputy parliament speaker Eduard
Sharmazanov and several other senior members of the Republican Party
apologized quickly to the journalist for the incident.

The letter, which has already been sent to the National Assembly,
cites numerous occasions, when members of Armenian parliament, “to say
the least, behaved inappropriately with journalists.”

“The incident with Mher Sedrakyan is just a recent example which is
the last straw. In our work we have to often associate with MPs who do
not know the rules of simple human communication,’ the letter says. It
calls on law-enforcement authorities to make an investigation.

“We do not expect condemning statements; we do not expect expressions
of deep regret. We demand a political assessment of what happened and
your assurances as parliamentary speaker, that no such incident will
remain without consequences. We also demand that Mher Sedrakian
apologize publicly to the journalist for his behavior”, the letter
says. -0-

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia: Customs Union Or DCFTA

Armenia: Customs Union Or DCFTA

18:59 22/12/2012
Story from Lragir.am News:

The spokesman for the head of the EU foreign policy chief Maja
Kocijancic presented the official stance of the EU on the possible
entry of Russia and other post-Soviet states into the Customs Union,
the Armenian service of RFE/RL informed.

The spokesman for Catherine Ashton avoided a direct comment on the
statement by the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Trian Hristea
that Arrmenia needs to choose between the EU and the Eurasian Union.

`We are currently negotiating an Association Agreement together with a
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade part,’ the official, Maja
Kocijancic, told RFE/RL in Brussels. `Armenia is free and sovereign to
enter into any agreement, including agreements with third countries.
Armenia’s membership in a free trade agreement with a third country
does not contradict the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
(DCFTA) negotiations with the EU.’

`But if Armenia were to join any customs union, this would not be
compatible with concluding a bilateral Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Agreement between the EU and Armenia. Because a customs union
has a common external trade policy and an individual member country no
longer has sovereign control over its external trade policies,’
Kocijancic stressed.

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/politics/view/28488