Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
August 31, 2012 Friday 1:40 PM EET

CEO: Russia’s Gazprombank plans to expand operations in Armenia

MOSCOW Aug 31

Russia’s Gazprombank plans to expand the scope of its activities in
Armenia, the bank’s Deputy CEO Nikolai Korenev said Friday at a
meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan, RIA Novosti
reported.

Such intent will improve competition in the country’s banking system
and spur its development, Sarkisyan said, as cited by News-Armenia.

Korenev and Sarkisyan also discussed details of bilateral cooperation
in a number of fields, including commercial and economic programs
developed by the intergovernmental commission and possible prospects
of Yerevan-based chemical plant Nairit, among others.

In November 2007, Gazprombank acquired 80% in Armenia’s Areximbank
and later on increased its stake to 94.15% through a purchase of an
additional share issue. In September 2008, the Russian bank
consolidated 100% of the Armenian counterpart.

Areximbank-Gazprombank Group focuses on providing support to business
and servicing financial flows between Russia and Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

Protest against the extradition of Safarov

hetq
00:48, September 2, 2012

Yesterday the `Hayartun’ Cultural Centre at the Diocese of Armenian
Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia and other organizations of
the Armenian community of Georgia carried out a protest action in
front of the Embassy of Hungary in Georgia.

On 31 August 2012 the Hungarian authorities extradited Ramil Safarov
to Azerbaijan. Safarov was an officer of the Azerbaijani army who
murdered with an axe the Armenian army officer Gurgen Margaryan. This
horrendous crime was committed on February 19, 2004, and was carried
out on the Hungarian soil. It was motivated solely by the victim’s
ethnicity. The manslaughter happened while Margaryan was asleep and
another Armenian officer was in line to become the second victim of
the murderer’s heinous intent. All the officers were participating in
the English language courses within the framework of the NATO
Partnership for Peace programme.

Although, the Hungarian court sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment
without the right of appeal before 2036, the murderer was handed over
to Azerbaijan, where he was illegally pardoned and immediately
released on August 31, 2012 by the special decree of the Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev, where he now enjoys his freedom and is
receiving a hero’s welcome.

We regret to state that Safarov’s release is an outcome of a secret
and impure deal between the Hungarian and Azerbaijani authorities. It
is unacceptable when the values of justice, honour and dignity are
traded for other benefits. It is especially regrettable when a member
of NATO and EU takes part in such a deal.

Protesters handed over a statement for the Ambassador of Hungary to
Georgia, Mr. Shandor Sabos, in which they regret that the Hungarian
authorities made a deal with the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan.

Press Service of the Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy
Church in Georgia

From: Baghdasarian

Protest action in Georgia

07:36 pm | Today | Social

On 1 September 2012 the “Hayartun” Cultural Centre at the Diocese
of Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia and other
organizations of the Armenian community of Georgia carried out a
protest action in front of the Embassy of Hungary in Georgia.

On 31 August 2012 the Hungarian authorities extradited Ramil Safarov
to Azerbaijan. Safarov was an officer of the Azerbaijani army who
murdered with an axe the Armenian army officer Gurgen Margaryan. This
horrendous crime was committed on February 19, 2004, and was carried
out on the Hungarian soil. It was motivated solely by the victim’s
ethnicity. The manslaughter happened while Margaryan was asleep and
another Armenian officer was in line to become the second victim of
the murderer’s heinous intent. All the officers were participating in
the English language courses within the framework of the NATO
Partnership for Peace programme.

Although, the Hungarian court sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment
without the right of appeal before 2036, the murderer was handed over
to Azerbaijan, where he was illegally pardoned and immediately
released on August 31, 2012 by the special decree of the Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev, where he now enjoys his freedom and is
receiving a hero’s welcome.

We regret to state that Safarov’s release is an outcome of a secret
and impure deal between the Hungarian and Azerbaijani authorities. It
is unacceptable when the values of justice, honour and dignity are
traded for other benefits. It is especially regrettable when a member
of NATO and EU takes part in such a deal.

Protesters handed over a statement for the Ambassador of Hungary to
Georgia, Mr. Shandor Sabos, in which they regret that the Hungarian
authorities made a deal with the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan.

From: Baghdasarian

Sweden’s FM accuses Azerbaijan of law violation

news.am
September 01, 2012 | 16:05

Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, considered it
`bizarre’ that Ramil Safarov was granted pardon in Azerbaijan.

`They made a bizarre decision in Azerbaijan by granting pardon to that
man who killed an Armenian in Hungary. Upholding of the law should be
priority,’ the Swedish FM wrote in his Twitter account.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a
lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on Friday from
Hungary, where he was serving a life sentence – and with no expression
of either regret or remorse – for the premeditated axe murder of
Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO
Partnership for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his
act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government
and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president
immediately granted him a pardon.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced Friday that Armenia
is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.

From: Baghdasarian

Hungary discredited European reputation – NGO

September 1, 2012 – 16:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Council of the International European Movement
in Armenia has addressed a letter to President of International
European Movement Jo Leinen, Chairman of working group of
International European Movement on Enlargement and Neighborhood
Ksenija Milenkovic, President of European Movement in Hungary Norbert
Kroo and President of European Movement in Azerbaijan Ramin Hajili.

`It was a huge disappointment to receive the information about the
extradition of Ramil Safarov by Hungarian authorities. As we
predicted, the president of Azerbaijan pardoned the killer immediately
and the Azerbaijani society honored the killer as a hero,’ the letter
says.

`All of us, as the members of European Movement, are honored to follow
and spread the European values. During our mission we appreciate our
role in our societies and nations being the locomotive of European
integration process. While being a member of EU and NATO, Hungary, by
extraditing Ramil Safarov, betrayed all these values, discredited the
European reputation and exchanged the justice for caviar.

Not aiming to comment further, European Movement of Armenia rejects to
send a delegation to Baku, Azerbaijan for a meeting planned for
November 2012. We have nothing to do in a country where the killers
become heroes even by the society.

European Movement in Armenia supports the decision of the President of
the Republic of Armenia on cutting diplomatic ties with Hungary.

We call the President of International European Movement to make an
immediate statement, to assess the actions of Hungarian authorities,
to demand from the Council of Europe to suspend the membership of
Azerbaijan and to demand from EU to drop the assistance provided to
Azerbaijan. We expect the same from our colleagues in European
Movements in Hungary and Azerbaijan.’

From: Baghdasarian

Hungarian football fans to organize protest acts

`31
13:02 . 01/09

Hungarian football fans will organize a protest act against the
authorities connected with extradition of Safarov to Azerbaijan. The
chairman of the official Fan Club of the Hungarian National
Team-Carpathian Brigade told Armenian media about this.

The representative of the largest organization of Hungarian football
fans stated they are planning a protest act against their own
authorities connected with the extradition.

`We are too small to change anything today. But we, the Hungarian
football fans, will express our complaint, you will still hear our
voice. The Hungarian public, unlike our government, condemns Safarov’s
transfer to Azerbaijan. We demand justice,’ the Carpathian Brigade
chairman noted.

From: Baghdasarian

How Turkey Restores Armenian Monuments (Video)

August 31, 2012 17:05

The conversation between and Gagik Gyurjyan, the head of
the ICOMOS-Armenia NGO, was on the problems with the restoration of
Armenian monuments in Turkey. We inquired of Mr. Gyurjyan whether the
Armenian side had taken necessary steps to supervise the correct
restoration of monuments in Turkey. Mr. Gyurjyan replied, `Commenting
on correctness and incorrectness is the job of the specialists.
However, unfortunately, people who don’t have anything to do with this
problem comment on it nowadays. Therefore, it is not the task of the
Armenian side, but the task of the international expert group, which
will ensure supervision and will be credible and it will be harder to
make mistakes. It is not polite to doubt the abilities of the
international experts.’

Some Armenian specialists have doubts about the impartiality of
UNESCO, explaining that it is financed by Turkey. Ani presented by
Turkey is included in the preliminary list of UNESCO. We inquired of
G. Gyurjyan whether there were concerns that the preservation of Ani
was under threat. He replied, `Ani has gone beyond national or local
boundaries and has global significance. Therefore, there are no such
concerns. UNESCO is financed by different countries – one country
finances more, another country less, but it doesn’t mean that UNESCO
should be biased. Our goal today is that Armenian monuments in Turkey
are not destroyed, restored correctly and presented correctly.’

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s inflation rate gets more active – newspaper

NEWS.AM
September 01, 2012 | 08:52

YEREVAN. – This year’s increase in the volume of production of
agricultural products has significantly reduced the inflation being
formed in Armenia, Hayots Ashkharh daily reports.

`Due primarily to the developments dictated by domestic economy, the
inflation has returned to the allowable limit of fluctuations. But it
is inclined to strengthen gradually.

It is not a coincidence that in the case when inflation was
fluctuating in the limits of 0.7 percent in June, it already reached
2.3 percent in July, and the twelve-month inflation in Armenia
constituted 2.5 percent in August.

It is predicted that the inflation trends will gain strength in the
coming months, too, [and] conditioned, first and foremost, on the
developments dictated by the external environment,’ Hayots Ashkharh
writes.

From: Baghdasarian

Ukraine’s former ambassador supports Armenia’s decision to suspend
diplomatic ties with Hungary

NEWS.AM
September 01, 2012 | 13:43

Ukraine’s former Ambassador to Armenia, Alexander Bozhko, supports
Armenia’s decision to suspend diplomatic relations with Hungary over
the latter’s extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan,
Analitika.at.ua reports.

`As someone who knows the South Caucasus region well and as a
diplomat, I support Armenia’s decision as a protest against that
country’s actual release of a murderer,’ he said.

`Severing diplomatic ties is an extreme step in international
practice, but this is that case when Armenia had no alternative. That
very same right was brazenly, demonstratively violated by hiding
behind international references. [And] Not counting mankind’s age-old
principle of compensating for an evil deed,’ Bozhko remarked.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, Armenia’s President Serzh
Sargsyan convened, on Friday evening, a special consultation with the
chiefs of diplomatic missions of UN-member states that are accredited
in Armenia, and the heads of international organizations that function
in the country. During the meeting it was informed that Armenia
decided to suspend its diplomatic relations with Hungary for the
latter’s extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.

Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was
extradited on Friday from Hungary, where he was serving a life
sentence – and with no expression of either regret or remorse – for the
premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in
his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his
act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government
and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president
immediately granted him a pardon.

From: Baghdasarian

NY Theatre Workshop to stage new play on Armenian experience

September 1, 2012 – 13:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director
James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced
that Kathleen Chalfant will lead the cast of NYTW’s production of `Red
Dog Howls,’ written by Alexander Dinelaris, The Armenian
Mirror-Spectator reported.

Ken Rus Schmoll will direct the production, which opens the 2012-13
season, beginning performances on September 5.

`Red Dog Howls,’ which will officially open on September 24, will also
feature Alfred Narciso and Florencia Lozano.

In `Red Dog Howls,’ a box of old letters and a father’s dying wish
lead Michael Kiriakos to uncover the buried secrets of his family
history. As Michael gets to know Rose, an elderly Armenian woman,
Michael discovers a past he never knew existed. `Red Dog Howls’
explores the horrors of a forgotten genocide, the enduring strength of
the human spirit and how the choices one generation makes for their
children, for better or worse, will reverberate for generations to
come.

Chalfant earned a Tony nomination for `Angels in America: Millennium
Approaches’ and appeared on Broadway in `M. Butterfly,’ `Angels in
America: Perestroika’ and `Racing Demon.’ Her off-Broadway credits
include `Wit,’ `Painting Churches,’ `Talking Heads,’ `Family Week,’
`Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ and `Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell.’ Her
film and TV credits include `The Laramie Project,’ `Kinsey,’ `Perfect
Stranger,’ `Junior,’ `Rescue Me,’ `Duplicity’ and `Law & Order.’

NYTW is known for its innovative adaptations of classic repertory.
Each season, from its home in New York’s East Village neighborhood,
NYTW presents three to five new productions, more than 80 readings and
numerous workshop productions, for more than 45,000 audience members.
Over the past 28 years, NYTW has developed and produced more than 100
new, fully-staged works.

NYTW’s acclaimed productions of `Once’ and `Peter and the Starcatcher’
are currently enjoying Broadway runs, having garnered 20 Tony Award
nominations, and `Rent,’ which premiered at NYTW, is currently playing
an off-Broadway revival. In 1991, NYTW received an OBIE Award for
Sustained Achievement and in 2000 was designated to be part of the
Leading National Theatres Program by the Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

From: Baghdasarian