Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Yerevan hosts North-South transport corridor program board meeting

August 21, 2012 – 22:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – North-South transport corridor investment program
board convened a regular meeting, chaired by Prime Minster Tigran
Sargsyan on August 21.

The board approved the contract on Yerevan Western ring road’s
architectural planning and construction management negotiated under
the `Sustainable Urban Development Investment Program (tranche 1)’
loan agreement.

Government’s draft decision on international contest results on
Yerevan Western ring’s two road junctions’ construction management was
further discussed, the government’s press service reported.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian Central Bank Refutes Reuters Exclusive

18:39, 21 August, 2012

YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, ARMENPRESS: The banks in the Republic of Armenia,
operating under the supervision of the Central Bank of Armenia, are
subject to the laws of the Republic of Armenia, the regulations of the
Central Bank of Armenia, and the banks internal rules. As Armenpress
reports citing Central Bank Public Relations Service, one of the
supervisory tiers of the Central Bank of Armenia is the provision of
the adequate implementation of financial sanctions imposed on certain
countries under relevant decisions of international organizations,
such as the UN Security Council Resolutions. The decisions and
relevant financial sanctions, imposed by the European Union and the
United States of America in relation to nuclear proliferation programs
of certain countries, are also under the attention of the Central Bank
of Armenia, in order to avoid any possible involvement in or
assistance to such programs by any bank in the Republic of Armenia.
The Central Bank of Armenia obligates all banks and financial
institutions in the Republic of Armenia to scrutinise their
transactions, in order to avoid any possible involvement in
transactions considered unacceptable by the international community.
Moreover, pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board of the Central
Bank of Armenia, individuals and companies from higher-risk countries
are neither allowed to establish a financial institution in the
Republic of Armenia nor to acquire any participation in the equity of
acting financial institutions. `Mellat Bank’ CJSC has been operating
in the Republic of Armenia since 1996; its clientele is primarily
composed of small and medium enterprises involved in the foreign trade
between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia, as
well as of tourists and students. The bank’s activities and assets
have dramatically decreased during the past 3-4 years; in the period
from December 31, 2010 to July 1, 2012, the banks’ assets have
decreased by more than 50%, dropping from 88 million US dollars to
only 40 million US dollars. `Mellat Bank’ CJSC holds no correspondent
accounts either in the European Union and the United States of America
or in the Republic of Armenia. The banks in the Republic of Armenia,
including `ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank’ CJSC, hold no correspondent
accounts with banks and financial institutions in the Islamic Republic
of Iran. The banks in the Republic of Armenia are strictly bound to
customer due diligence rules, in order to avoid any direct or indirect
financing of individuals and companies related to nuclear
proliferation programs. The Central Bank of Armenia will follow its
supervision over the behaviour and transactions of all financial
institutions and their customers in the Republic of Armenia, in order
to safeguard its financial system from any destabilising effects.

From: Baghdasarian

Zhoghovurd: Abovyan residents see political motives behind Monday murder

tert.am
09:22 – 21.08.12

The paper says it has learned from sources that the residents of the
Abovyan city seek political motives behind the death of the man who
was reported killed of gunshot wounds on Monday morning.

They reportedly claim that a taxi service in the city was going to
participate in a contest together with a company belonging to Artur
Harutyunyan (aka Palach), the godson of the Prosperous Armenia party’s
leader, Gagik Tsarukyan.

According to the paper, some suspect that there were initially plans
to kill the director of the taxi service, but instead, his
brother-in-law, Edgar Khojoyan, was gunned down mistakenly. Speaking
to the paper, Artur Harutyunyan made the following remark in that
connection, `There has been an earthquake in Persia [Iran]. Why don’t
you link my name with that? I am very busy and have nothing to do with
anything. I am not aware of anything.’

From: Baghdasarian

ANCA calls on presidential candidates to explain policies on Armenian
American issues

10:59, 21 August, 2012

YEREVAN, 21 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian National Committee of
America has called on both President Barack Obama (D) and Governor
Mitt Romney (R) to outline their views on issues of special concern to
Armenian American voters, and to hold formal meeting with the
community’s broad-based leadership to prior to the November elections.

As Armenpress reports citing ANCA, in a letter sent last week to
President Obama, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian noted that the
President’s failure , over the past three and a half years, to consult
personally with representatives of his Armenian American constituents,
in addition to breaching a campaign pledge, was unhealthy for both
American democracy and U.S. diplomacy. The ANCA’s letter to Governor
Romney, similarly, called upon the Republican nominee to spell out his
views on Armenian American issues and to meet personally with the
broad-based leadership of the Armenian American community.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Des pèlerins de l’Église catholique d’Allemagne en visite au Saint
Siège d’Etchmiadzin

Le 24 juillet, au Saint Siège d’Etchmiadzin, Sa Grce l’Évêque Hovakim
Manukian, le Directeur du Département des Relations Interéglise de
Saint Etchmiadzin a reçu un groupe de pèlerins de l’Église catholique
d’Allemagne, menée par Matthias Konig, le représentant de la
Conférence des Évêques Catholiques Allemands.

Au commencement de la réunion, Matthias Konig, a présenté les membres
de groupe et le but de la visite, déclarant que pendant les huit jours
de leur visite les pèlerins avaient visité les monastères historiques
de l’Arménie et des églises.

Sa Grce Hovakim s’est félicité de la visite des pèlerins au Saint
Siège d’Etchmiadzin, notant que l’Église arménienne reçoit des
pèlerins des Églises Soeur avec un amour spécial, qui veulent
comprendre la riche culture et l’héritage sacré du peuple arménien et
leurs valeurs Chrétiennes antiques.

L’évêque Hovakim a aussi brièvement présenté aux invités les points
culminants importants de l’histoire de l’Église arménienne, la
structure hiérarchique, les difficultés de l’Église arménienne pendant
la période Soviétique et le statut actuel des relations Etat Eglise.

Pendant la réunion Sa Grce a répondu aux questions des pèlerins.

mardi 21 août 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

HUMANITAIRE
L’Arménie renforce son aide aux victimes du tremblement de terre en Iran

L’Arménie s’est déclarée prête lundi à fournir une assistance
humanitaire aux victimes du terrible tremblement de terre qui a tué
plus de 300 personnes et fait des milliers de blessés dans l’Iran
voisin le 11 août.

Le gouvernement arménien a envoyé la semaine dernière cinq camions
d’aide une valeur d’environ 57 millions de drams (140,00 $) pour la
province du Nord-ouest azerbaïdjanais de l’Iran oriental qui a été
secoué par un tremblement de terre d’une magnitude de 6,4. Il a
apporté des tentes, des couvertures, des lits transportables, de la
nourriture et de l’eau potable aux survivants des habitants des
villages locaux.

L’ambassadeur d’Arménie en Iran, Grigor Arakelian s’est également
rendu dans la zone frontalière de l’Arménie, au sud-est de la province
de Syunik et a rencontré Ahmad Alireza Beygi, gouverneur de la région.
Selon le ministère arménien des Affaires étrangères, Beygi a remercié
le gouvernement arménien pour son aide d’urgence.

À Erevan, le ministre des Situations d’urgence Armen Yeritsian a
déclaré que le gouvernement était prêt à envoyer davantage si cette
aide était demandée par la partie iranienne.

S’exprimant lors d’une conférence de presse, Yeritsian a annoncé
qu’aucun gouvernement ne prévoyait d’aider les habitants des villes et
villages arméniens près de la frontière iranienne, dont les maisons
ont été endommagées par la catastrophe. Les résidents deVarhavar, l’un
de ces villages, ont dormi dehors pendant plusieurs nuits
consécutives, de peur de tremblements plus dévastateurs.

Les fonctionnaires de l’administration régionale du Syunik se sont
rendus la semaine dernière à Varhavar pour évaluer les
dégts.Ustabashian, le chef du département de l’administration de la
construction de l’Arshak, a déclaré vendredi que leurs conclusions
écrites seront présentées au Ministère de l’administration locale à
Erevan. Le ministère décidera s’il convient de recommander une aide
gouvernementale aux villageois, a-t-il précisé.

mardi 21 août 2012,
Ara ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Use of Mercenaries and Terrorist Groups to Impede People’s Rights For
Development and Secure Future

asbarez
Monday, August 20th, 2012

Chechen Mujahedin who fought alonside Azeris during the Karabakh war

BY MOVSES MUSAELIAN

Mercenaries have been used often throughout history in conflicts
throughout the world. Their presence has helped armies and fighting
forces gain manpower and fighting capability through monetary
incentive, which has proven to be a rather convenient method of
gaining a temporary military boost. The United Nations, however, has
recognized the dangerous implications that such mercenaries have for
international peace and security and has passed resolutions affirming
not only the danger, posed by the use of such mercenaries, to
international peace and security, but also to self determination and
the freedom of people1.

At the breakup of the Soviet Union, many conflicts rose up in the
Caucasus region and as a result of these conflicts, several parties
utilized mercenaries in their struggle; for example, the use of Afghan
and Chechen mercenaries against the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. The
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict arose when Azerbaijan attempted to brutally
suppress the legal expression of self-determination by the NK2 people,
who wished to live separate from a government that had continuously
denied them rights and kept them under oppression. Even though
Azerbaijan had a clear military advantage over the NK Armenians in all
aspects, they were not able to defeat these people, who were
determined to stay free. As a result of subsequent military failures
in the early 1990s, Azerbaijan desperately turned to the use of
mercenaries to try to change the course of the war. In recruiting such
mercenaries, Azerbaijan actively tried to play the `religion card’ in
portraying the conflict between Christian Armenians and Muslim Azeris,
when in reality such religious connotations were not at all at the
core of the conflict. As a result, Mujahedin groups from Afghanistan,
with ties to al-Qaeda, and extremist groups from Chechnya were brought
to help in the clamping down of this expression of free will. The
Washington Post in 1993 wrote, `The government of this Caucasian
republic has hired a force of more than 1,000 Afghan mujaheddin
fighters to buttress its sagging army, introducing a volatile new
element to the five-year Azerbaijani-Armenian war on the former Soviet
Union’s southern rim’-. This known faction was allied with infamous
warlord, Hekmaytar, and associated with the mujaheddin faction,
Hezb-i-Wahdat. In parallel, Chechen mercenaries were led by Chechen
terrorist, Shamil Basayev, infamous for the Beslan School attack, who
later realised that the conflict against the NK Armenians had little
to do with proper jihad.

After the end of the NK war and with tacit approval and knowledge from
the government, Azerbaijan continued to be used for terrorist
activities by groups such as al-Qaeda and Hezb-e-Islami, which had
logistical offices in the country. For example, Wadih el-Hage, leader
of the al-Qaeda cell in Nairobi, which later destroyed the US embassy
of Kenya in 1998, frequently relayed vital communication to
individuals such as Osama bin Laden while stationed in Baku. After the
US embassy attacks in 1998, international pressure began to mount on
Azerbaijan for the harboring of such terrorist organizations; in
response Azerbaijan did not extradite such individuals, rather
repatriated them. The US Department of State noted in 1999, in its
annual report on global terrorism, `Although Azerbaijan did not face a
serious threat from international terrorism, it served as a logistic
hub for international mujahidin with ties to terrorist groups, some of
whom supported the Chechen insurgency in Russia.’4 The FBI later on
established in 1998 that there were 60 telephone calls between Bin
Laden and his contacts from the branch of `Islamic Jihad’ in Baku, and
it is further speculated that as a result there might have been an
Azerbaijani trace in the September 11 attacks5. It was even mentioned
by the Associated Press that, `one of Bin Laden’s associate claimed
that Bin Laden himself led mujahedin in at least two battles in
Nagorno-Karabakh.’6 The Congressional Research Services in its issued
report also stated that groups and individuals affiliated with Osama
bin Laden and Al-Qaeda had used Azerbaijan as one of its bases in
their growing terrorist network7.

While Azerbaijan made stronger declarations to tackle terrorism after
the September 11 attacks, it has used the pretext of both fighting
terrorism and its frozen conflict with NK to suppress freedoms of
various sorts and democracy in its own country. The United Nations has
similarly passed resolutions on `the protection of human rights and
fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism’8 which Azerbaijan has
continued to violate. For example, the intimidation and imprisonment
of journalists and activists has become routine in order to solidify
the Aliyev clan’s authoritarian grip on the country. Amnesty
International and various other human rights organization have often
criticized this human rights situation and in one of its press
releases, Amnesty International stated, `In oil-rich Azerbaijan, 20
years of independence, economic prosperity and relative stability have
failed to translate into greater fundamental freedoms for its citizens
while the consolidation of authoritarian rule over the last decade has
been largely ignored by the outside world.’9 Freedom House has
continuously described Azerbaijan as `not free’ in both political
rights and civil liberties and in May of 2011 the European Parliament
expressed deep concern in this worsening of human rights in Azerbaijan
and called on remaining political prisoners to be freed and for
Azerbaijan to respect its duties to conventions on human rights10. The
bleak status of democracy in this country was only darkened more by a
referendum that abolished presidential limits and effectively allowed
for Aliyev and his family to rule the country without end. In addition
to this oppression, Azerbaijan has continued with provocative and
violent actions in the border area with NK and Armenia, which has
threatened the peace and security of the civilians living in the
border areas; for example, its recent shooting on Movses village in
the border area. The acts of such subversive terrorist groups by the
Azerbaijan military in the border areas and near civilian populations
can be seen as acts of terrorism and add to the legacy of Azerbaijan’s
association with terrorism. The complete destruction of the Julfa
Armenian cross stones by Azerbaijani military has added a cultural
dimension to this terrorist ideology as well. Organizations such as
UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
brought forward appeals to Azerbaijan to stop this blatant act of
cultural destruction.

I shed light on the associations that Azerbaijan in particular has had
with terrorism and violent mercenary groups, which, contrary to UN
principles, contributed to the oppression of people’s rights to
freedom and self-determination, namely that of the Nagorno-Karabakh
people. The subject of terrorism and international strategies in
tackling terrorism is a frequently discussed matter at the United
Nations, in addition to the core UN principles of freedom and
self-determination that have so frequently been violated by the
Republic of Azerbaijan towards the NK people, who have expressed
democratic desire for self-determination, and towards their own
people, who have expressed the desire for a democratic country. During
the time of the two week internship the subject of counter-terrorism
was frequently discussed in the General Assembly. In UN’s 2006
strategy for counter-terrorism, it was affirmed that, `States must
ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with their
obligations under international law, in particular human rights law,
refugee law and international humanitarian law.’11

In conclusion, in the past decade the importance of effective
counter-terrorism strategies has greatly increased as the type of
threats in the world have also changed. In employing effective
counter-terrorism strategies it has been stressed by the UN that such
strategies not affect basic human rights of the citizens. In extension
to this, the use of mercenaries has also been brought under more heavy
scrutiny, especially following the use of such mercenaries in the War
on Iraq by US forces, which is reported by the UN Human Rights
Council12. In the case of Azerbaijan, we have seen an almost
intersection of these two important themes and it is hoped that
countries like Azerbaijan can move to be more compliant with
international conventions, requests, and urgings in order to
contribute to the betterment of international security.

Notes
1. A/RES/42/96
2. Nagorno-Karabakh
3. The Washington Post
4.
5.
6. Associated Press 11/14/99
7. Congressional Research Services (CRS, 9/10/2001)
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Movses Musaelian completed the Internship program at the Armenian
Mission at the United Nations this summer. Above is a research project
completed for the internship.

From: Baghdasarian

ianyan magazine
April 20 2012

Slideshow: Chechnya’s Forgotten Armenians

Caucasus – By Karena Avedissian on August 20, 2012

I was in Grozny to see my old friend Timur, and along the way I
decided to use the opportunity to search for my Armenian relatives
buried there. My great aunt and her daughter had died in Grozny in the
80s, and the rest of their family had moved away as a result of war. I
had also been given the task of finding the graves of the Armenian
relatives of my friend in Krasnodar. When I asked him why he didn’t
want to visit himself, he told me that after his aunt and cousin were
killed by a mine blast during the war, he had lost all interest in
revisiting the place where he used to spend his summers as a child.

Having previously been the most cosmopolitan city in the North-Eastern
Caucasus, Chechnya’s capital Grozny was prosperous and multi-ethnic,
but with the onset of war in 1992 the city was destroyed and many fled
the republic. The majority of Chechnya’s Christian population left
including the approximately 15,000 Armenians that lived there,
including my relatives.

`I have lived in Grozny all my life and have never been to this part
of town,’ Timur laughed as we drove. This is not surprising,
considering Timur is Chechen and Muslim. There are four Christian
cemeteries in Grozny, and only two Muslim cemeteries; Chechens have a
strong tradition of burying their dead in clan cemeteries in their
home villages in the mountains and foothills of Chechnya’s south and
not in the city proper.

The cemetery, near Grozny’s old cannery, was in bad shape. Only around
20 percent of its large territory is accessible – thick brush has
grown over the footpaths making it virtually impossible to get through
without a cutting tool. Only a small number of graves look like they
are receiving any care. Others still lay on the ground, bearing the
scars of rockets and bullets from war.

A clean up of the city’s cemeteries seems inevitable however, given
the current Chechen leadership’s penchant for aesthetically improving
the city. Virtually no signs of the wars remain in the capital –
astonishing, given the massive scale of damage it sustained.

The city’s mayorship has recently announced plans for the conservation
of some of Grozny’s older Christian cemeteries, including the one I
visited. These plans however pose a problem – conserving a cemetery
means no new burials can take place. Those still alive whose family
plots are in conserved cemeteries cannot be laid to rest there. Some
say that Christian residents should have been consulted before the
decision was made to effectively close those cemeteries.

With so few Christians left in the republic to speak out against the
policy however, the plan is not likely to face any strong opposition.

I did not find my relatives in the cemetery unfortunately, but I did
take photos of as many Armenian graves as I could, hoping to
eventually find a connection, both for myself and for my friend.

Karena Avedissian is a doctoral researcher at the University of
Birmingham studying social movements in the North Caucasus. She has
just completed a stint in Russia interviewing activists in Krasnodar
and the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian Police Chief’s daughter to participate in Junior Eurovision
national final

news.am
August 21, 2012 | 00:01

YEREVAN. – Submission deadline for Junior Eurovision 2012 song contest
was over for the Armenian participants on Monday. The contest is
scheduled for Dec. 1st in the Netherlands, head of the Armenian
delegation to the Eurovision Gohar Gasparyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

She also said that there were lots of applications, however, many of
them simply did not meet the necessary criteria. After all, 20 songs
were selected. The jury will select the top ten from those twenty
applications and the Armenian national final will be aired in the
midst September. The jury and the audience will select the best
participant by 50/50 voting, who will later present Armenia in the
Junior Eurovision-2012.

In addition, there are celebrity applicants this year, including
Armenian Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan’s daughter Angelina
Gasparyan.

To note, Junior Eurovision 2011 Song Contest was held in Armenia’s
capital, Yerevan, and the winner was the group `Candy,’ from Georgia,
one of whose members was an Armenian girl by the name of Anna
Khanchalyan.

Junior Eurovision 2012 Song Contest will be held on December 1st in
the Netherlands.

Armenian Police Chief’s daughter to participate in Junior Eurovision national

From: Baghdasarian

Armenians organizing Turkish concert in Hollywood

tert.am
13:23 – 20.08.12

A Pan-Armenian protest in front of the Memories Banquet Hall will be
held on Sunday, August 26th, 2012, according to Official Unified Young
Armenians organization.

A wide coalition of community organizations will be joining forces to
conduct a peaceful and civil protest an hour before the start of the
Turkish concert and during the concert. `We ask every individual,
organization, or group to join us and ad their name to this campaign.
We need to tell the organizers/sponsors (Big Star Floor Covering) and
the banquet hall (Memories Banquet Hall) that the community does not
welcome a Turkish concert in its backyard,’ UYA statement said.

According to the organization representatives, `there is a red line
the Armenians should not pass in their relations with Turks.’

`If the Armenians had committed genocide against Turks, the latter
would have never allowed conducting Armenian concerts in their
restaurants,’ the statement says.

The remarkable thing is that the event’s poster is too in Turkish.

From: Baghdasarian