Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

LE MAIRE D’EREVAN A RECU DIDIER PARAKIAN L’ADJOINT AU MAIRE DE MARSEILLE
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
vendredi 27 juillet 2012

Hier le Maire d’Erevan Daron Markarian a recu en visite de travail
Didier Parakian, l’Adjoint au Maire de Marseille et president-delegue
de l’association Marseille-Armenie. Les deux hommes s’etaient
rencontres debut juin lors de la visite officielle du Maire d’Erevan
a Marseille. ” Armenpress ” ainsi que de nombreux medias d’Armenie ont
relaye cette rencontre chaleureuse. Daron Markarian a remercie Didier
Parakian pour le très bon accueil que lui avait reserve la municipalite
marseillaise. Il a une nouvelle fois appele au developpement des
relations et de la cooperation entre Marseille et Erevan. ” Nous
sommes convaincu qu’a Erevan existe un large champ de developpement
de cette cooperation entre nos deux villes et je salue une nouvelle
fois le 20e anniversaire de la cooperation entre Marseille et Erevan ”
dit Daron Markarian. De son côte Didier Parakian a transmis au Maire
d’Erevan un message d’amitie et de chaleureuses salutations de la
part de Jean-Claude Gaudin le Maire de Marseille.

Didier Parakian s’est egalement declare très agreablement surpris par
la constante beaute d’Erevan, de ses avenues, ses illuminations et
ses espaces verts. ” En nous promenant dans les rues d’Erevan la nuit,
j’ai pense a notre promenade nocturne a Marseille au cours de laquelle
vous nous aviez confie que d’importants travaux se realisaient pour
l’eclairage d’Erevan la nuit. J’ai effectivement constate qu’Erevan
la nuit est egalement très belle. Notre capitale s’embellit de jour
en jour. Bravo a toutes vos equipes de la municipalite d’Erevan et
tous les habitants de la ville qui protègent leur cite en agissant
en veritables citoyens modèles. En matière d’urbanisme la cooperation
entre Marseille et Erevan ne sera pas vaine ” dit l’Adjoint au Maire
de Marseille. Didier Parakian a egalement annonce a Daron Markarian
que Jean-Claude Gaudin effectuera une visite en Armenie l’an prochain.

De son côte le Maire d’Erevan a recu l’annonce de cette venue avec
une grande satisfaction. ” Nous developperons davantage nos liens
car les deux villes ont encore beaucoup a apprendre l’une de l’autre
et mutualiser leurs connaissances en matière de gestion urbaine ”
dit Daron Markarian. Il a egalement confie a Didier Parakian qu’une
delegation culturelle d’Erevan sera presente lors des ceremonies de
Marseille Capitale Europeenne de la Culture en 2013. Il a egalement
invite des membres de la municipalite marseillaise a etre presents
en octobre prochain a Erevan pour les festivites d'” Erebouni-Erevan
” qui marquent l’anniversaire de la capitale de l’Armenie fondee il
y a 28 siècles.

From: Baghdasarian

EREVAN FACILITE LES PROCEDURES D’ACCUEUIL POUR LES ARMENIENS DE SYRIE
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 27 juillet 2012

L’Armenie a annonce jeudi une simplification majeure des procedures
d’octroi de la citoyennete armenienne aux milliers de Syriens d’origine
armenienne de plus en plus touches par les troubles sanglants dans
le pays.

Dans un geste destine a faciliter leur immigration, le gouvernement
armenien a declare que les Armeniens souhaitant obtenir la citoyennete
armenienne pourront recevoir leurs nouveaux passeports dans les
missions diplomatiques armeniennes a Damas, Alep ainsi qu’au Liban
voisin.

” Avec cette decision, nous proposons que nos compatriotes en Syrie et
au Liban puissent recevoir un passeport dans les missions diplomatiques
sur place après avoir obtenu la nationalite armenienne,” a declare
Hranush Hakobian ministre chargee des relations avec la diaspora
lors d’une reunion de cabinet presidee par le Premier ministre Tigran
Sarkissian.

“Des milliers de personnes sont en situation de recevoir la
citoyennete “, a-t-elle indique. “Il y a des difficultes pour
voyager, en particulier depuis la Syrie, et a cet egard cette
decision va grandement faciliter le processus de la naturalisation
de nos compatriotes.”

Selon les services d’immigration d’Erevan, quelque 6.000 ressortissants
syriens d’origine armenienne ont demande la citoyennete armenienne
depuis le debut de la rebellion anti-gouvernementale en Syrie au
debut de l’annee dernière. Le nombre de ceux qui l’ont obtenu n’est
pas clair. La plupart des candidats sont censes continuer de resider
en Syrie.

Les citoyens naturalises etaient jusqu’a present tenus de prendre
leurs passeports armeniens uniquement dans les bureaux de la police
de l’immigration a Erevan. Certains Armeniens syriens se sont plaints
de cette exigence au cours des dernières semaines.

Certains d’entre eux sont egalement mecontents du fait que,
contrairement et aux ressortissants de l’Union europeenne et des
Etats-Unis, les Syriens ne puissent pas recevoir de visas armeniens a
l’aeroport d’Erevan . “C’est un problème majeur qui doit etre resolu
par tous les moyens, car les Armeniens de Syrie ne savent pas comment
sortir de leur pays,” explique Vazgen Mesropian, un homme syro-armenien
installe recemment a Erevan.

“Bien sûr, nous sommes prets a accepter et a aider nos compatriotes
armeniens,” declare a RFE / RL Hovannes Sahakian, responsable du
Parti republicain au pouvoir de l’Armenie (HHK). “Je pense que le
gouvernement prend des mesures et continuera a en prendre rapidement.”

En particulier, a-t-il explique, le gouvernement armenien est pret
a organiser des vols plus frequents entre Erevan et d’Alep, si
la situation en Syrie se deteriore davantage. Pourtant, Sahakian a
souligne qu’Erevan ne souhaitait pas encourager les Armeniens syriens
a quitter leur pays en masse et a organiser leur evacuation, pour
le moment.

” Si notre etat essaie de les evacuer dans cette situation
chaotique, cela pourrait etre interprete, y compris par la communaute
internationale, d’une manière differente : comme une ingerence dans les
affaires internes de la Syrie,” a-t-il dit. “Cela pourrait creer une
situation plus dangereuse pour la communaute des Armeniens de Syrie. ”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN-MEXICAN BUSINESS TASK FORCE HOLDS MEETING

asbarez
Thursday, July 26th, 2012

Armenia’s Consul General to Los Angeles Grigor Hovannesyan makes a
presentation during the event

GLENDALE-Members of the Mexican and Armenian business communities
gathered at the House of Armenia on July 19 on an initiative designed
by the Mexican-Armenian Task Force to engage both communities in
mutual business ventures and cultural exchange.

The event, hosted by the Consulate General of Armenia, was also
co-sponsored by the Mexican Consulate General, the Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce and the Mexican Armenian Task Force. The Task Force,
established in 2009, is comprised of activists representing both
communities.

The 2012 Armenian-Mexican Business Reception included an expo,
displaying foods and beverages imported from Armenia by California
based companies such as: Krajdian Importers, Importers Direct
Wholesale, Grand Candy and Noy. The participants were offered
authentic Armenian food catered by lead Armenian Restaurants of
Southern California including: Anoush, Arbat and Phoenicia restaurants.

Miguel Gonzales of Northgate Markets and Vahe Karapetian of AA Cater
Truck Inc., formed the Business Council and provided seasoned insight
into their successes as well as marketing strategies.

Through this venture, the Task Force’s next initiative is the official
establishment of a Mexican-Armenian Business Council, comprised of
top executive entrepreneurs to engage in mutual trade, marketing and
product distribution.

From: Baghdasarian

APPROACHING BAKU AND YEREVAN POSITIONS

Vestnik Kavkaza
July 26 2012
Russia

Alexei Vlasov. Exclusively to VK

Foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet to discuss
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in September within opening
of the UN General Assembly session in New York. The foreign minister
of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mamedyarov, stated that ahead of the meeting
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group should have talks with foreign
ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Minsk Group is acting for 20
years, but no serious results have been achieved. At the same time, a
bad peace is better than a good war, and peace can be maintained only
by consolidated efforts. Meanwhile, as France recognized “Armenian
genocide,” Baku considers if Francois Hollande continues Nicolas
Sarkozy’s line, the question on possible change of the Minsk Group
format will be posed.

A peace has to be found in the current composition of participants.

Another question is whether political elites of Armenia and Azerbaijan
are ready to step forward to each other in searching for a compromise.

It is very doubtful. Variants of development of social dialogue,
civil society and inter-community contacts at the level of Azeri
and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh follow from it. Today
neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan is ready to state on possibility of
a compromise, alas, because society wouldn’t support the political
forces that would say “we are ready to change our initial positions.”

This situation makes Ilham Aliyev and Serge Sargsyan maintan strict
positions, and it corners mediators. Any format of settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem is impossible without Baku and Yerevan’s will.

Nevertheless, a tense situation has been formed at the line of
separation Armenian and Azerbaijani troops in recent months.

Therefore, a tactic task of the mediators is not proposal of a real
plan of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement, but prevention
of escalation of tension around Nagorno-Karabakh and peaceful process
of contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Armenia and Azerbaijan will experience presidential
elections. It seems 2013 will be a hard year: provocations and attempts
of influencing elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan by foreign forces
will take place. Russia, in contrary, is interested in settlement of
the conflict through preservation of stability both in Armenia and
Azerbaijan, but hardly everybody shares this position.

Apparently Ilham Aliyev will win in Azerbaijan. But he will have a
new mandate of trust and opportunity to settle problems suggesting
new variants of peace. Maybe in 2013 the issue will find progress
due to mediation of Russia and other participants of the Minsk Group.

At the moment the main objective of mediators is improvement of
monitoring reports on ceasing armed clashes on the line of separation
of Armenian and Azerbaijani military forces. The OSCE officials
emphasized it during their recent visit to the South Caucasus.

Secondly, communication between civil societies of Armenia and
Azerbaijan should be intensified.

Thirdly, the problem of the regions which have never been
Nagorno-Karabakh and belong to Azerbaijan should be settled. Seven
regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are controlled by the
Armenian army. Azerbaijan in its turn should solve the problem of
non-use of force in settlement of the conflict.

These issues are a stumbling stone in mediation efforts around the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. If they are managed to be solved, the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem will have a chance to be settled according
to the Madrid principles, step by step.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKISH WEALTHY STORE $158BLN IN OFFSHORE BANK ACCOUNTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 25, 2012 – 11:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The amount of money stored in offshore bank
accounts by Turkey’s wealthiest individuals and businesses is worth
$158 billion, says a report by the UK-based financial transparency
group Tax Justice Network.

According to Today’s Zaman, the report, prepared by former chief
economist at consulting firm McKinsey and tax haven expert James Henry,
tracked the growth in offshore funds around the world and estimates
that the $158 billion in non-taxable Turkish funds is part of the
staggering $21 trillion to $32 trillion which was held globally by
the world’s wealthiest individuals and corporations in tax havens at
the end of 2010.

That amount is more than the combined annual gross domestic product
(GDP) of the world’s two largest economies, the United States and
China, and does not include non-liquid assets often owned through
offshore means including real estate, yachts, racing horses and other
high-expense possessions. Taxing just 3 percent – equivalent to the
interest earned off many such accounts – of the $21 trillion at 30
percent would garner “roughly $189bn a year, more than rich economies
spend on aid to the rest of the world.”

Turkey’s $158 billion share of the tax-free pie is likely to make
Ankara despair no less than other governments over lost tax revenue,
given that the $158 billion in assets overshadows both Turkey’s entire
foreign reserves, estimated at $110 billion, and the country’s central
bank funds, which are said to total $97 billion.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S NATIONAL CARRIER USES SYRIAN UNREST AS OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE TICKET PRICES – PROTEST DEMONSTRATION

news.am
July 25, 2012 | 16:26

YEREVAN. – A group of activists from Armenia’s civil initiatives held
a protest Wednesday in front of Armavia Airline Company’s-which is
Armenia’s national carrier-central office in the capital, Yerevan.

The demonstrators were protesting against Armavia’s increasing of the
prices of the Aleppo-Yerevan and Yerevan-Aleppo flight tickets. They
noted that taking advantage of such warlike situation and pursuing
business interests is shamelessness.

“The Arab airlines likewise could have increased the ticket prices, but
the price fluctuation there was small. Armenia has had very difficult
days, and our compatriots of the Diaspora were along our side in those
difficult days. Armavia is the sole organization in Armenia which
reacted to the Syrian incidents and thought that it is a convenient
time to raise the ticket prices and people will give their last cent to
transfer their relatives to Armenia,” protester Apres Zohrabyan said,
and stressed that Armavia raised the ticket prices virtually twice.

Another protester, Nvard Manasyan, stated that Armavia cannot be called
Armenia’s national carrier because it is taking an anti-national step
for the Armenians at this crucial moment.

The protesters were shouting “shame on you” in front of Armavia’s
central office and making a call to no longer use the Company’s
services.

And no one from Armavia Company approached the demonstrators. The
latter hope the matter will not reach the dimension of a nationwide
boycott and Armavia will review its price policy.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PM CONSIDERS ECONOMIC COOPERATION ACTIVATION WITH ARGENTINA NECESSARY

ARMENPRESS
25 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS: The Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia Tigran Sargsyan received Argentinean Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Diego Ernesto Alvares Rivera. As
information and public relations department of the Government briefed
Armenpress, Ambassador congratulated the top diplomat on the occasion
of assuming the office and wished success in that responsible mission.

The interlocutors high estimated the development and expansion of
bilateral and multilateral relations between Armenia and Argentina.

The head of the Executive Body stressed the need of economic
cooperation expansion despite the geological distance. The activities
of Argentina-Armenia Chamber of Commerce based in Buenos Aires as
well as Armenian- Argentinean business type relations were called by
the sides of high priority. The sides jointly highlighted the measures
undertaken in the cooperation of sport and culture sphere.

The high ranking officials expressed satisfaction on the established
political relations between the two states and highly appreciated
the role of the Armenian community of Argentina in that context.

From: Baghdasarian

IRAN’S AMBASSADOR ASKS ARMENIAN JUSTICE MINISTER FOR LIST OF IRANIAN PRISONERS IN ARMENIA

news.am
July 25, 2012 | 13:40

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan received Iran’s
newly-appointed Ambassador to Armenia, Mohammad Reisi, the Ministry
informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Ambassador extended his thanks to the Armenian Government’s
position on extraditing prisoners, and, at the same time, he asked
for the list of those Iranian citizens who are currently serving
their sentences in Armenia. And he expressed a hope that Armenia’s
manifestation of goodwill-with respect to returning Iranian convicts
to their country-will continue.

The parties also reflected on the agreement to be signed between
Armenia and Iran, and along the lines of transferring prisoners.

Ambassador Reisi underscored that the Armenian and Iranian people do
not feel unfamiliarity toward one another, and that Iran’s Armenian
community is greatly respected.

In his turn, Armenia’s Justice Minister said he is confident that
there will not be irresolvable matters between both countries.

“I am confident that we always can find mutually profitable solutions,”
Hrayr Tovmasyan added, and expressed a hope that the newly-appointed
Iranian ambassador’s mission will open a new chapter in this direction.

From: Baghdasarian

“1915” PERFORMANCE ON GENOCIDE TO PREMIERE IN BRAZIL

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 25, 2012 – 13:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On October 23, 2012 “1915” performance chronicling
the Armenian Genocide will premiere in São Paulo, Brazil.

According to performance author Artur Aroyan, this is the 1st
Genocide-related play staged in Brazil.

The Rojero Rizzardi-directed play will star well-known Brazilian
actors; the sound accompaniment will include performances by Komitas
String Quartet, as well as Inga and Anush Arshakyan’s songs.

From: Baghdasarian

DOCUMENT FORGING EXPECTED FROM BAKU – EXPERT

news.am
July 25, 2012 | 04:01

YEREVAN. – Forged statement from Azerbaijan regarding the
Nagorno-Karabakh presidential elections allegedly released by the
Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs was entirely expected
from Baku, expert Mikhail Alexandrov told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

His comments came after another Azerbaijani attempt to forge statements
by various foreign and international agencies.

“Falsifications by Azerbaijan will continue endlessly. Baku
periodically attempts to interpret documents on its benefit regardless
they exist in reality or not,” the expert emphasized adding it is
mainly targeted to own population to create an atmosphere that the
whole world support Azerbaijan and not Armenia, which is not true.

As the agency informed earlier, Azerbaijani outlets, quoting the
Azerbaijani Embassies in Switzerland and Lichtenstein, circulated
information that the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs has
allegedly stated that it does not recognize the Karabakh elections, and
recognizes Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan and respects Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity.

From: Baghdasarian