Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN SHOT BY A HIRED KILLER IN MOSCOW

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 17, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS: A hired killer shot Armenian businessman
Tigran Hovhannisyan in the stairway enclosure of a residential
apartment. When the entrepreneur was leaving the apartment the criminal
shot him and run away, Armenpress reports , citing Life News Online.

The murder took place at 19:30, on the 10th floor of one of Marshak
Jukov avenue’s flats.

The criminal had been waiting for the victim just before the
apartment. When 40-yar-old Tigran was coming down the stairs, the
gunshot sound was heard. The wound around the neck proved fatal.

The criminal quickly run away and hid.

Tigran Hovhannisyan was known to lead a grilled chicken business
in Moscow.

HOW MANY SEATS WILL THE POWER GIVE TO THE ANC?
Siranuysh Papyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:24:01 – 17/04/2012

Interview with Hranush Kharatyan, ethnographer, on election
developments

You have spoken about the deep political marsh and the society’s
disappointment with the elections many times in these four years. What
do you think about the current election processes?

There is no surprise and almost not evident competition, sure,
not taking into account, (I personally don’t) the weak, uncertain
situation around the PAP and ANC talks, let’s not call it an agreement,
but some talks which arouse a feeling of uncertainty and panic. There
are no election developments besides this phenomenon.

What panic do you mean?

Panic has two meanings: it is evident that the ANC has been recently
losing the possibility, the form and the prospect of being radical
opposition. For two years, so much uncertainty has been introduced
into the political field about the ANC that people stopped considering
the ANC opposition and started guessing whether the power will give
posts to the ANC or not. If four years ago up to the last autumn,
I was sure that the ANC would win 10-15 seats on its own and could
be a serious competitor to the authorities, now, I keep thinking how
many seats the power will give to the ANC. In these conditions, the
ANC-PAP union also displays the lack of any intensive and radical
opposition in Armenia. Prosperous Armenia can’t be opposition, it
pretends to the strengthening of its positions and to the conquering
of the political field.

What is the reason of the Congress’s failure?

I think the serious oscillation happened in the period of the
signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols. The ANC did not show any
radical position stating that actually Serzh Sargsyan was right
to sign the protocols. Here everything started not because ANC
agreed with the authorities, but because it was about the Armenian
and Turkish relations, which is a sensitive topic which matured
during Ter-Petrosyan’s tenure. So, here, the ANC agreed with the
authorities on such an important foreign political issue. Moreover,
I see that there was the demand on a clear assessment and analyses of
the activities of the power (I would not like to use the word “crime”
but it was a criminal act, I mean a well-thought out one against the
society), but it has never been done, except for the poor statement by
Hrant Bagratyan which was uncertain. Bagratyan’s economic analyses on
the economic policy of the government are grounded but I have always
been sure that the roots of the current situation were laid during
the tenure of the first president.

But everyone is saying the parliament of that period was different
from the current one in terms of the quality, intellectual level,
freedom of speech and so on.

Sure, before 1996, despite the war, when the conditions in the country
were objectively hard plus the subjective political conditions,
all that could be called newly formed economic system, collapsed
and the understanding of “you are my brother, you are my friend, the
country is yours, go and reign” was set, which, unfortunately, still
exists and suffocates the economic initiative. The key issues were set
during Supreme Council rule which had liberal, democratic and devoted
parliamentary corps. The members of the first parliament of Armenia
were people, who knew what they wanted, but they had no experience and
the situation was uncertain since they didn’t know how to work. There
wasn’t the balance between knowing what they want and how to do that
was not provided either in the second parliament. But this issue
of knowing what they want is the main direction of activities of
the next parliaments – I’m a parliamentary member and I come here
to solve my problems. This feature is clearly seen when reading the
interviews of parliamentary candidates: they say they know what to
do, but they could do that out of the parliament too. Why do they
want to enter the parliament? Do they have a political program and
a political orientation?

ARMENIA STANDS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF GOOD RELATIONS WITH NATO, BUT HAS NO DEEP AND LONG-RANGE PURPOSES

armradio.am
17.04.2012 12:58

Armenia wants to establish good relations with NATO, but we have no
deep and long-range programs in this regard,” Armenian Prime minister
Tigran Sargsyan said in an interview with Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

“Our priority is the CSTO. The presence of the Russian military base on
the territory of Armenia is an evidence of our military preferences,”
the Prime Minister said. He also stressed that Armenia-NATO and
Armenia-CSTO relations are on different levels of integration.

Asked whether the Russian presence in Armenia will be strengthened
connected with the aggravation of situation in Iran, Tigran Sargsyan
said: “We signed an agreement in 2010 to extend the presence of the
Russian military base until 2044, no other measures are envisaged,”
he said.

Assyrian International News Agency AINA
April 15 2012

Armenia Must Recognize the Assyrian Genocide
Posted GMT 4-15-2012 20:19:1

(AINA) — On March, 19 2012, the Armenian Parliament rejected a
proposal tabled by Armenia’s Heritage Party to consider a bill
recognizing the Assyrian and Greek genocides (AINA 3-20-2012). The
proposal was also supported by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun Party) but opposed by the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA).

According to Galust Sahakyan, the head of the RPA parliamentary
faction, there was no political need for the adoption of the bill.
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Samvel Nikoyan (RPA) noted that
the rejection of the proposal demonstrated Armenia’s respect for its
international partners ‘who have made a lot of effort for the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations.’

The motion was supported by 17 Members of Parliament but ultimately
was not placed on the parliamentary agenda because of abstentions from
all other members, which prevented the quorum necessary to table the
motion.

The refusal by the majority of the Armenian Parliament to even place
the proposal on the parliamentary agenda has been met with dismay and
deep concern by Assyrians, Armenians and Hellenes worldwide (AINA
3-28-2012).

A clear contradiction is seen in this move considering that the
Parliament of Armenia had itself called on other governments to
recognize the Assyrian genocide in the past, specifically in a
Parliamentary Declaration on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide in 2011, with then National Assembly Speaker of
the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan declaring that the
‘recognition of the genocides perpetrated against the Armenians,
Hellenes and Assyrians’ by parliaments and legislative bodies
throughout the world ‘would lead to the restoration of justice and the
prevention of other genocides in the future.’

Commenting on the decision, Armenian organizations, including the
Armenian National Committee of Australia, have ‘strongly encouraged
every member of the National Assembly of Armenia to vote in favor of a
similar motion when it is presented to the Parliament in the future.’

Only weeks before the decision, 36 Assyrian organizations and 22
renowned genocide scholars had called on the Republic of Armenia to
recognize the Assyrian and Greek genocides (AINA 2-19-2012). In a
letter signed by the organizations and scholars and addressed to His
Excellency Serzh A. Sargsyan, the President of the Republic of
Armenia, Sabri Atman, Director of the Assyrian Genocide Research
Centre (Seyfo Center) stated: ‘We would also like to take this
opportunity to call upon the Republic of Armenia, through your good
offices, to move towards recognizing the Assyrian Genocide alongside
the Armenian Genocide. It is our hope that the Republic of Armenia
will also take steps to include references to the Assyrian Genocide
within school textbooks and the general curriculum taught in schools
throughout Armenia. By itself recognizing the co-victims of the
Armenian Genocide, namely the Assyrian and Greek peoples, the Republic
of Armenia will provide the impetus for greater cooperation between
our three peoples and a united front on the global stage.’

The breadth of response to this letter from Assyrians, Armenians,
Hellenes and others around the world is a testament to the strong
feeling amongst victim groups on the matter and the desire of both
Assyrians and Hellenes to see this most important recognition by the
Republic of Armenia become a reality.

Assyrians, including Seyfo Center Director Sabri Atman, will be in
Armenia in April to attend Armenian Genocide commemorations and the
unveiling of the first Assyrian genocide monument in Yerevan. During
this visit Mr Atman will meet with Armenian political leaders and
stress the desire of Assyrians worldwide to see the Republic of
Armenia recognize the Assyrian genocide.

By Joseph Haweil

Asatryan says splitting up of regional states to favor Israel

14:17 14/04/2012 » Politics

‘I’ve been always thinking that creation of Kurdish state is
impossible, because it copes with many different problems. It creates
conflict of interests with Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. If a Kurdish
state is created in one of these countries, it will become a preceding
for other Kurdish communities,’ YSU head of department of Iranian
studies Garnik Asatryan told the news conference.

The expert has underlined that the Kurds comprise different ethnic
units which creates obstacles for them to found united Kurdish state.

‘Splitting up of the regional states is under Israel’s interests,’
said G. Asatryan.

Answering to Panorama.am question on potential speculations over
Kurdish issue, the expert said: ‘It’s an interesting ground to work on
indeed.’

Source: Panorama.am

On 11 April Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the
Askeran region and partook at the tree planting activities in the
vicinities of the Ivanyan village

Wednesday, 11 April 2012 06:58

Thereupon the President left for the town of Martakert and partook at
the enlarged meeting of the regional administration dedicated to work
carried out in the region during the year of 2011.

Head of the regional administration Levon Chalyan, heads of
communities and different enterprises as well as other responsible
officials delivered corresponding reports.

In his speech the President noted that taking into consideration huge
potential of the Martakert region its development had been at a
special spotlight of the state authorities. The Head of the State
underlined that the realization of several strategically important
projects in the region would give a new quality to the prosperity of
both the Martakert and the whole republic. Bako Sahakyan gave
clear-cut instructions for proper realization of the planned
activities.

At the end of the meeting the President answered questions raised by
the attendees, including the one related to his participation in the
coming Presidential elections.

Bako Sahakyan noted that he was preparing to run for the second term
of Presidency on the basis of self-nomination because he does not
belong to any political party. His decision the President explained by
the fact that he feels responsibility to accomplish all the projects
that have been launched during the five years of his presidency. The
Head of the State considered crucial the confidence of the people as
the supreme political authority, underlining that only being vested
with such confidence it would be possible to solve issues our republic
faces and carry out all the projects directed to make Artsakh prosper.

The First Bolt of System

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:57:07 – 15/04/2012

Today 6 brigades of citizens dismantling the boutiques in Mashtots
Park set to dismantle. The police hindered the lawful action of the
citizens. The citizens were able to unscrew several bolts from the
roof of one of the boutiques. In the photo is the first of these
bolts.

Earlier the young environmentalists and activists were fighting day
and night against the illegal construction of boutiques in the park.
Their self-denial inspired the citizens who formed the first group of
dismantlers to execute the demand of young people. The number of
brigades of dismantlers is growing, and the loop around the illegal
boutiques is getting tighter.

While the brother of the ex-mayor Gagik Beglaryan announced that he
has no ownership in the park and the place of his boutique dismantled
from Abovyan Street is not of principal importance to him, Mayor Taron
Margaryan announced that if the owners agree, it is not principal to
him. However, even in this case Taron does not mention the names of
owners though it is self-evident. The sole author of the illegality in
Mashtots Park is the mayor.

What is happening in Mashtots Park has gone beyond the dismantling
action, transforming into a civil movement for the sake of
establishment of Constitutional order and law enforcement. While the
parties are busy with this clownery, the self-determined citizen of
New Armenia – the highest value of independent state – emerged in
Mashtots Park. This citizen does not want a government post and
parliamentary seat, he will dismantle the vicious system to build New
Armenia where the Constitution and the law will prevail, the elective
system of forming government will be established, the interests of the
state and citizen will prevail over the interests of certain groups.

The line runs across Mashtots Park, and on this side is the vision of
New Armenia which is gradually becoming more and more tangible, and on
that side is a grey, anti-state and anti-human dead system with its
government and opposition, with black and white lines drawn between
each other, with their `election’ games.

The citizens give this first bolt to the bright and lively people of
Armenia who have not been devoured by the grey system and who want to
rid of this grey thing.

Turks and Armenians discuss reconciliation issue in Washington

news.am
April 15, 2012 | 12:03

Several Armenians and Turks came together for an event in Washington,
D.C. on Thursday to discuss ways for Turkish-Armenian dialogue,
Today`s Zaman reports.

The event, named `Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation,’ was organized by
HasNa, a civil society group that promotes cross-cultural dialogue,
with an emphasis on the ideas of murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink, who said: `Dialogue is the only solution.’

Ã-mer TaÅ?pınar, a member of HasNa executive board delivered a speech at
the event, saying that while Armenians suffered a trauma due to the
1915 incidents, Turks suffered a trauma due to the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire and he called on both Turks and Armenians to avoid acts
which will recall their traumas.

TaÅ?pınar drew some negative reactions from some Armenians in the
audience. One of the Armenian participants questioned why this event
was organized close to April 24, when Armenians commemorate the
victims of the genocide, while another Armenian participant said the
Turkish state does not educate its people about these issues.

HasNa member Mary Anne Kibarian, an Armenian-American, said she
supports dialogue between the peoples of Turkey and Armenia, adding
that Turkey’s acceptance of Armenian claims of genocide should be a
precondition for this.

First-ever American film shot in Armenia opens in New York

armradio.am
14.04.2012 15:45

`There are vistas in Braden King’s metaphysical road movie, `Here,’
that are so beautiful you want to step through the screen and
disappear into the Armenian landscape where much of it was filmed,’
Stephen Holden writes in a New York Times article titled `Loving, and
Maybe Exploiting, Armenia.’

Measurement and orientation break down in a dramatic,
landscape-obsessed road movie that chronicles a brief but intense
romantic relationship between an American satellite-mapping engineer
and an expatriate Armenian photographer who impulsively decide to
travel together into uncharted territory – both literally and
metaphorically.

Will Shepard is an American satellite-mapping engineer contracted to
create a new, more accurate survey of the country of Armenia. Will
meets Gadarine Najarian at a rural hotel. Tough and intriguing, she’s
an expatriate Armenian art photographer on her first trip back in
ages, passionately trying to figure out what kind of relationship – if
any – she still has with her home country and culture. Fiercely
independent, Gadarine is struggling to resolve the life she’s led in
Canada and Europe with the Armenian roots that run so deeply, if
unconsciously, through her.

There is an almost instant, unconscious bond between these two lone
travelers; they impulsively decide to continue together. HERE tells
the story of their unique journey and the dramatic personal
transformations it leads each of them through.

Will and Gadarine move through Armenia and its remarkable landscape
photographing measuring, and experiencing the trip in their own
individual ways and, ultimately, through each other’s eyes. Their
journey takes them across the length of the country, from the Lori
region in the north to the Iranian border in the south, and finally
into the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It is here that they are forced to
confront their intensifying relationship and the difficult questions
it raises.

Along the way, Will is continually challenged with erroneous data as
his trip descends toward failure, while Gadarine encounters much more
personal static: nationality, culture, family, old friends. As she
starts to discover a new relationship with her homeland, Will begins
to question the solitary life he has chosen.

The two become deeply connected as their sense of themselves – and
their worlds – expands. As their trip comes to an end, each must deal
with the conclusions to which their journey has led them – and each
must decide where to go from HERE.

`When I visited for the first time in 2004, it was instantly clear
that Armenia was the most precise lens through which to focus in on
HERE’s story and themes. Within the first few hours of that very first
trip, there was no place else to go,’ Director of the film Braden King
said.

SUISSE
Bastion Saint-Antoine : une association s’oppose au monument arménien

Un recours a été déposé. Les opposants estiment que le Bastion n’a pas
à accueillir un monument à la mémoire de ce génocide

L’Association de la Vieille-Ville de Genève (AVVGE) s’oppose à
l’implantation du monument à la mémoire du génocide arménien au
Bastion St-Antoine. Elle a annoncé avoir fait recours vendredi contre
l’appel d’offres de la Ville.

« L’appel d’offres du 7 janvier concernant la rénovation du site
comprend aussi les infrastructures pour le monument », a indiqué
dimanche à l’ats Patrick Gutknecht, président de l’AVVGE. Or le
Conseil municipal a adopté fin janvier le budget de rénovation avec
l’assurance du magistrat Rémy Pagani, à la tête des Constructions et
de l’Aménagement, que le monument n’était pas inclu.

En 2005, le Conseil municipal de la Ville de Genève reconnaissait le
génocide des Arméniens de 1915. Dans la foulée, un concours
international pour l’édification d’un monument a été lancé. Le projet
lauréat « Les Réverbères de la mémoire », de l’artiste français Mélik
Ohanian, consiste en neuf réverbères disséminés sur le Bastion
St-Antoine.

« Le Bastion n’a pas à accueillir un monument qui n’a rien à voir avec
l’histoire de Genève », estime M. Gutknecht. Datant du 16e siècle et
classé depuis 1921, le site est l’un des derniers vestiges des
fortifications de la ville. Le recours rédigé par Alain Marti, avocat
de l’AVVGE, demande la restitution de l’effet suspensif.

dimanche 15 avril 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com