Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

INCREASING DEPOSIT INSURANCE COVERAGE MAY FORCE BANKS TO RAISE PRICES OF THEIR PRODUCTS – SAMVEL CHZMACHYAN

YEREVAN, January 26. / ARKA /. A decision of Armenia’s Central Bank
to increase the deposit insurance coverage may force the banks to
increase the price of their products, head of the Union of Armenian
Banks Samvel Chzmachyan, said in an interview with the local newspaper
‘Golos Armenii’ (Voice of Armenia).

Chzmachyan said it is wrong to cite the example of Russia that doubled
bank deposit insurance to 1.4 million rubles ($22,000) in late 2014
December as part of the government’s measures to stabilize the domestic
financial system amid the national currency’s depreciation.

“In contrast to Russia, where the Central Bank has revoked licenses
of dozens of banks in the last 12 months, the Central Bank of Armenia
did so some 15 years ago,’ he said.

Chzmachyan said the Armenian banking system has quite a high liquidity.

“The last time it proved it was last December, when amid the
depreciating dram many depositors rushed to banks to withdraw their
deposits. I know banks, which returned to depositors millions of
dollars in a couple of days and exactly a week later more than half
of those deposits were back to the banks again,” he added.

He said the population should not worry about their savings kept
in commercial banks, because irrespective of scenarios there is no
additional risk to their money.

Under the Armenian law on deposit insurance coverage, the maximum
amount of guaranteed deposits in drams is 4 million while insurance
coverage for deposits in foreign currency is the equivalent of 2
million drams.-0-

From: Baghdasarian

LE PRESIDENT POUTINE A PRESENTE SES CONDOLEANCES A SON HOMOLOGUE ARMENIEN

ARMENIE

Les agences de presse font etat de la conversation telephonique du
President Poutine avec son homologue armenien, dimanche 18 janvier,
a l’initiative du President russe. Celui-ci a presente ses condoleances
aux proches de la famille assassinee a Gumri, le 12 janvier, ainsi qu’a
tout le peuple armenien. D’après le communique du palais presidentiel
armenien, le President Poutine s’est dit convaincu que des mesures
d’enquete seront prises dans les plus brefs delais et que tous les
coupables de cette affaire seront punis dans le cadre prevu par la
loi. Le President Sarkissian a souligne que les organes judiciaires de
la RA poursuivront activement les actions en vue d’elucider pleinement
toutes les circonstances de l’affaire. Les deux Presidents ont souligne
la necessite d’une cooperation etroite entre les organes judiciaires
russes et armeniens. Le President Poutine a egalement exprime l’espoir
que les medecins russes arrives a Erevan aideront leurs collègues
armeniens a sauver la vie de l’enfant de 6 mois, Seriozha Avetissian,
seul survivant de la fusillade. Il a propose d’envoyer un avion pour
transporter le bebe a Moscou pour un traitement ulterieur. Les deux
Presidents ont egalement eu un echange sur l’agenda des relations
armeno-russes.

Ce 19 janvier, les agences de presse annoncent, citant le Ministère
de la Sante, la deterioration de l’etat de sante de l’enfant de six
mois qui avait ete encore opere vendredi dernier. Il est surveille
par les medecins armeniens, mais aussi par un groupe de medecins
russes arrives a Erevan.

Haykakan Jamanak se dit informe de sources > que le
procureur general, Guevorg Kostanian, se serait adresse a son homologue
russe pour solliciter l’accès des enqueteurs armeniens au suspect,
pour interrogatoire. Selon ce quotidien, les enqueteurs armeniens
n’auraient pas encore eu la possibilite de l’interroger. Les agences
de presse rapportent les propos d’une avocate armenienne de V.

Permyakov qui a assiste a son premier interrogatoire par des enqueteurs
russes. Elle affirme que le suspect ne laissait pas l’impression d’un
malade mental et qu’a toutes les questions, il repondait >. L’avocate affirme avoir renonce a assumer sa defense. Pour
Haykakan Jamanak, la remise du suspect aux organes judiciaires
armeniens devient une question de principe pour la partie armenienne.

Jamanak s’interroge dans son editorial sur les mesures que prendra
eventuellement l’Armenie si le procureur general de Russie rejette
la demande de son homologue armenien et refuse de remettre le soldat
russe a la partie armenienne. L’editorial estime très probable ce
scenario et considère que pendant ce temps, la societe armenienne ne
doit en aucun cas baisser son interet envers cette affaire.

Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun, Jamanak et Hraparak reproduisent un article
paru dans le quotidien russe Moskovskiy Komsomolets, dont l’auteur,
Seurgueï Gaponov, demande pardon aux Armeniens. Sont rapportes les
commentaires de diverses personnalites politiques, journalistes ou
simples citoyens russes sur des reseaux sociaux, demandant pardon aux
Armeniens et condamnant cet acte de barbarie. Est egalement rapporte
le tweet du President de la Republique de Tchetchenie, Ramzan Kadirov,
selon lequel
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO TAKE PART IN COMMEMORATION OF AUSCHWITZ LIBERATION

12:17 * 26.01.15

An Armenian delegation headed by Deputy FM Ashot Hovakimyan is to
take part in jubilee events at the Auschwitz memorial, Spokesperson
for Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran Balayan told Tert.am.

The Auschwitz is notorious for mass killings, with 1.1 million of
the 1.4 million victims being Jews, in 1940-1945.

Head of the Jewish community in Armenia Rima Varzhapetyan said that
she has been invited to the jubilee events. However, she cannot leave
Armenia because she is to take part in commemoration of the Jewish
Holocaust in Yerevan.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDS SERVICEMEN KAREN GALSTYAN AND ARTAK SARGSYAN

16:35 26/01/2015 ” SOCIETY

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed decrees posthumously
awarding Medal of Courage to Lieutenant Karen Galstyan and Medal for
Combat Service to private Artak Sargsyan for bravery and selflessness
during the protection of the Armenian borders, the presidential press
service reported.

On January 23, Azerbaijani special units launched an attack on several
military positions in Berd, Tavush province of Armenia. Karen Galstyan
and Artak Sargsyan were killed while repelling the attack.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER DUE IN ARMENIA TODAY

12:43, 26 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will arrive in Yerevan
today for a two-day visit at the invitation of Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Mohammad Javad Zarif will have meetings with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, National Assembly Speaker
Galust Sahakyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries scheduled
for January 27 will be followed by a joint press conference.

From: Baghdasarian

Endangered Bonobo Chimp Imported to Armenia Goes Missing: Preliminary
Investigation Drags On

Kristine Aghalaryan
10:30, January 24, 2015

An endangered bonobo primate has disappeared from the Jambo Exotic
Park in Armenia’s Tzoraghbyur village.

The park’s founder, Artyom Vardanyan, claims that the animal, listed
in the international Red Book of endangered species, died last month.

All such animals can only be imported with special permits and must be
kept in special conditions.

The importer of the bonobo and many other endangered animals is a
company called Zoo Fauna Art. A criminal case of contraband was
launched against company director ArturKhachatryan a year ago and is
still on-going.

Hetq asked the ministry of finance to provide information about the
criminal investigation and whether it has revealed any wrongdoing.

In reply, the ministry said that inquiries have been made to
authorities in Guinea and the Congo in order to finalize the
preliminary phase of the case but that it hasn’t received any answers
as yet.

ArturAfrikyan, first deputy to the president of the State Revenue
Committee, provided us with a list of the animals imported to and
exported from Armenia between 2010 and 2013 with CITES permits.
According to that list, in addition to two bonobos (Pan panicus)
imported to Armenia in 2011, another two were imported in 2012 and not
exported. Furthermore, four Common Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
listed as “endangered” and four Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecusdiana)
listed as “vulnerable” were also imported to Armenia with the same
CITES 2012 permits. None of these animals have been exported.

We asked the finance ministry if the investigation has revealed where
the four bonobos, four chimpanzees and the four Diana monkeys are
today and under what conditions are they being kept.

We also asked the ministry if the investigation has revealed where the
deceased bonobo is buried. We should remind readers that according to
the importer the first bonobo died one week after reaching Armenia. We
also asked if the animals had been exhumed to see whether it had
actually expired.

“As to the questions you raise, the criminal case’s preliminary
examination is continuing. Supplemental information regarding the
process will be made available,” noted the finance ministry in its
reply.

Attorney Ara Ghazaryan explained that Article 197 of Armenia’s
Criminal Code defines the preliminary exam duration of a criminal case
to be two months but that it can be extended. The law doesn’t specify
for how long it can be extended.

“The prosecutor can extend the preliminary examination based on the
decision of the investigator. The law doesn’t state how many times.
For example, a new draft of the Criminal Procedural Code envisagesup
to one year, but the current code doesn’t specify any period. As a
result, it can be prolonged indefinitely. Here, the European
Convention can play a role. If nothing is being done, if the
extensions are merely for show, it can be regarded as contradicting
the reasonable deadline stipulation for court proceedings,”Ara
Ghazaryan added.

We should note that the Ministry of Nature Protection has complied
with a court order to provide Hetq with copies of export, sale or
transport permits of rare animals as regulated by the CITES for the
period 2010-2013. We received the copies today.

Hetq sought the copies for an investigative series it was working on
entitled “Dangerous Monkey Business: Armenia’s Links to the Illegal
Trafficking of Endangered Species.”

The ministry initially refused Hetq’s request, arguing that such
documents contained ‘secretive material’. It merely provided a list of
animals imported to and exported from Armenia.

We will discuss what the copies reveal at a later date.

From: Baghdasarian

Artsakh Defence Army: Azerbaijan has 14 victims and 20 wounded in a week

15:48 – 24 / 01 / 2015

According to the information by Artsakh Defense Army, Azerbaijani side
violated the ceasefire regime for about 1800 times and more than
20.000 shots were recorded towards Armenian border keepers.
Azerbaijani side also attempted various sabotages on the whole line of
the border. And as a result of these sabotages, Azerbaijani side
suffered losses and was withdrawn

Azerbaijan keeps information about the victims and Azerbaijani
authorities does not let any information be available for public about
their failures on the frontline.

Artsakh Defense Army announces that during the passing week, as a
result of its actions, Azerbaijan has had at least 14 victims, more
than 20 wounded servicemen. Two vehicles are demolished.

Artsakh Defense Army protects the borders of Motherland and answers
the enemy in necessity.

From: Baghdasarian

“Azerbaijan says to the world that the conflict has no peaceful
resolution” (video)

16:36 | January 24,2015 | Politics

In the interview with “A1+” turning to the incidents on the border and
frequent subversive operations by the rival, former Deputy Minister of
Defense Vahan Shirkhanyan notes, “Azerbaijan does all these to show
those countries, which have promised to resolve the conflict in favor
of Azerbaijan, that the conflict has no peaceful resolution.
Azerbaijan will unite those powers, which say that they support
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.”

Mr. Shirkhanyan thinks that the meeting of Aliyev with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel was directed against Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

REVUE DE PRESSE
The Cut avec Tahar Rahim : une leçon d’histoire qui manque cruellement
de romanesque

Avec “The Cut”, son nouveau film, Fatih Akin s’est emparé d’un sujet
sensible. Le réalisateur allemand, d’origine turque, s’est en effet
intéressé au génocide arménien. Il retrace le destin de Nazareth
Manogian, interprété par Tahar Rahim, un jeune forgeron enrôlé en 1915
par l’armée turque. Critique de notre contributrice Claire Micallef.

lire la suite…

samedi 24 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

IS UNDERWAY IN AZERBAIJAN

Friday, 23 January 2015 09:10

On January 13, 1990, the massacre of Armenians started in Baku, which
lasted a week. It was stopped only on the seventh day, after the
Soviet troops entered the city. The tragedy in Baku cost the lives of
hundreds of Armenians.
And hundreds of thousands of them were made refugees, leaving in Baku
the results of their decades-old work, their homes, and even
documents. After 25 years, Chairman of the NKR Union of Refugees
Sarasar Saryan recalls the roots and lessons of the crime.
, Sarasar Saryan touches upon the historical roots of
the developments. Throughout the period of the Soviet power, a policy
of expelling Armenians was carried out in the proper Nagorno Karabakh
Autonomous Oblast in a half-hidden way and more obviously in the
Azerbaijani territories. In the perestroika years, the policy was
conducted more extensively. In 1988-1990, it reached its peak.
Azerbaijan was cleansed from Armenians, or one of its main obstacles
for establishing a homogeneous state. The Chairman of the NKR Union
of Refugees agrees with this approach partially. “If we consider that
Armenians constituted one of the weightiest and most organized
minorities in the Azerbaijani territory, so we can say that in this
sense, yes, Baku got rid of a heavy burden”, he said. But, even in
this case, it is early for the authorities in Baku to celebrate a
victory. Even after the series of crimes Azerbaijan did not become a
unitary state. And currently it is like a powder keg, which can
explode from a spark.
From: Baghdasarian