Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Heritage member: what hampered party programs implementation?

March 17, 2012 – 17:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Heritage party vice president Ruben Hakobyan
commented on the statements calling for changes and reforms in
Armenia, voiced during the two congresses of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia and Prosperous Armenia.

`I carefully follow the reports and the programs and can’t but agree
to the statements issued. But what hampered their implementation
before?,’ he told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Mr. Hakobyan noted that, each Armenian citizen asks the same question,
`What kept ruling parties, particularly RPA from implementing election
program provisions for these years.

Heritage member further underscored the importance of political will
in implementation of reforms and changes in the country.

NADAL SAYS MATCHES VS. NALBANDIAN ARE ALWAYS TOUGH

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 16, 2012 – 16:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On March 16, Argentina-based ethnic Armenian David
Nalbandian will face off against Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals
of BNP Paribas Open, ongoing in Indian Wells, California.

Prior to their most recent meeting, which took place at the U.S. Open
last year, Rafael Nadal was asked about his record against David. And
back then, Nadal was convinced that David beat him three times when
in fact it’s been only two.

“I’ve played many matches against him. U.S. Open last year, Indian
Wells 2009, Miami 2009 [that was in 2010], Madrid, Paris-Bercy…

Those are all memories of difficult matches, especially the last ones
because in the first ones he always beat me easily,” the player said.

For Rafael Nadal, #2 in the world, this is only the third tournament
of the year. After starting the season at Doha, where he went out
in the semifinal (against Gael Monfils), Nadal lost the final of the
Australian Open against Novak Djokovic, a match that famously lasted
almost six hours. He then took a month off before coming to Indian
Wells, where he has cruised through the early rounds, never dropping
more than five games against Leonardo Mayer, Marcel Granollers and
Alexandr Dolgopolov, Nalbandian’s official fan blog reported.

YEREVAN HOPES FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE IN ENHANCING ITS BIOSECURITY LEVEL

/ARKA/
MARCH 16, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. Armenia~Rs agriculture minister Sergo
Karapetyan and representatives of U.S. Defense Threat Reduction
Agency discussed Thursday ways to increase Armenia~Rs bio-security,
the ministry told ARKA. It said during the meeting the sides discussed
issues on implementation of a program designed to reduce biological
threats in the framework of the agreement on cooperation in countering
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the results of cooperation in
the context of modernization of biosecurity and enhancing biosafety
envisaged by the bilateral comprehensive agreement, expressing
willingness to continue the implementation of all programs and
measures.

“Speaking about priorities, the minister highlighted the importance
of developing a program of measures to combat African swine fever,
organization of refresher training courses for veterinarians on
prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and U.S. assistance
to Armenia in strengthening laboratory capacity and creation of an
electronic diagnosis,” the ministry said.

U.S. representatives pledged to continue assisting Armenia in improving
its system of identification and diagnosis of diseases, surveillance,
reporting and response.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is an agency within
the United States Department of Defense and is the official Combat
Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction (chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives). DTRA’s main
functions are threat reduction, threat control, combat support, and
technology development. The agency is headquartered in Fort Belvoir,
Virginia. DTRA employs 2,000 civilian and military personnel at more
than 14 locations around the world.

LOCAL GROUP SAYS YOUNG MILITARY DRAFTEE BEATEN BY SUPERIORS NOW MOVED TO HOSPITAL

epress.am
03.16.2012

Arsen Grigoryan, a conscript who was allegedly beaten by his superiors
at a military base, due to his deteriorating health was moved to
the Central Clinical Military Hospital in Yerevan earlier today,
according to local youth civic initiative “We Won’t Be Silent”.

The youth group earlier reported that the young draftee had been
beaten till he bled and then told not to tell anyone about what
happened. According to We Won’t Be Silent, head of the Yerevan garrison
military police R. Nersisyan, head of the criminal investigations
department H. Upanyan and investigator A. Avagyan are responsible
for the crime.

The civic group had also noted that because of a fight that took place
a month ago, other servicemen along with Grigoryan were detained by
the Yerevan garrison military police on Mar. 14 and subject to severe
beatings while in police custody.

YEREVAN POLICE DISPERSE PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTESTERS

Armenian Weekly
March 16, 2012

YEREVAN (Yerkir)-A large number of police raided a peaceful protest
organized by environmentalists at the city’s Mashdots Park on March 14
and forcibly dispersed the protesters, witnesses at the scene reported.

A large number of police raided a peaceful protest organized by
environmentalists.

Police, which according to eyewitness accounts numbered in the
hundreds, ran into the park where the protesters gathered around a
tent and raided the tent, pushing and shoving through the crowd.

“They pulled one of the protesters from the tent and dragged him out.

His eyeglasses fell and he could not see anything in the dark,”
said one eyewitness.

When the police burst on the scene, those gathered at the park to
protest environmental policies and abuses by the government were
talking among themselves and drinking tea.

At one point, the number of police outnumbered the protesters.

OPPOSITIONIST: ARMENIAN PEOPLE IS LIKE KIPLING’S MONKEY

arminfo
Friday, March 16, 16:39

Armenian people is like Kipling’s monkey, which falls into a trap so
that to get raisins. The people are hungry and sell their votes for a
miserable sum of money. But despite absence of justice and democracy
in our country, we shall nevertheless go to the election with a hope to
get rid of the authorities fastened upon us, representative of Armenian
National Congress, Gurgen Egiazaryan, said at today’s press-conference.

“We must not yield. Citizens should go to the streets and demand fair
verdict for the political prisoners. The government escapes such
topics, but it is no secret that more than 100 people are still in
prison. The authorities are obliged to find the killers which shed
blood at Yerevan streets on 1 March 2008, but the police headed by the
government are idle…The life of only 2% of population is becoming
better. The rest live in misery. According to the data voiced by
Armenian prime minister, 37% of Armenia’s population are poor”, –
he said.

He also added that no electoral programme of the Republican Party of
Armenia was fulfilled. Some programmes are absurd and do not meet
the real situation and human rights, he said. When commenting on
the forthcoming parliamentary election, he said that despite various
rumors in the press, there is no disagreement in Armenian National
Congress regarding the electoral lists.

PARUYR HAYRIKYAN: NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION UNION HAS CARRIED OUT ITS HISTORICAL MISSION

Panorama.am
16/03/2012

The National Self-Determination Union will run in the elections as
part of election alliance only, leader of the party Paruyr Hayrikyan
told a news conference in Yerevan.

Unless the party runs in the upcoming parliamentary elections, it
will disintegrate, according to Hayrikyan.

The National Self-Determination Union has carried out its historical
mission – self-determination of Armenian people and establishment
of statehood, said he.

“We have implemented our program targeting self-determination. But
have those voicing slogans about Karabakh managed to carry out
their task?”

ERDOGAN ACCUSES ISRAEL OF GENOCIDE

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 16, 2012
ANKARA

ANKARA, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan accused Israel of state terrorism and genocide against
Palestinians in Gaza, reports Armenpress citing Asbarez.

Addressing Parliament, Erdogan accused Israel of committing a slow
but systematic massacre that he said started at the beginning of the
20th century.

Erdogan’s comments Tuesday came in response to the latest round
of violence in which hundreds of rockets were fired at civilian
targets in southern Israel from the Gaza Strip and 26 Palestinians,
the majority terrorists, were killed in retaliatory airstrikes.

“I am repeating my calls to Israel to end its inhuman attacks against
Gaza and the Palestinian territories,” the paper quoted him as saying.

Erdogan also called on local media to refer to the Palestinians
fighting against Israel as “resisters” and not terrorists or militants,
because their only aim is to defend themselves against Israeli forces,
the paper said.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since an Israeli
commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara participating in a
flotilla in May 2010 that killed Turkish activists attempting to end
the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.

CONCERT DEDICATED TO 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN LITHUANIA

news.am
March 16, 2012 | 14:51

A concert held within the framework of the program dedicated to the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was organized in Kaunas,
Lithuania, by the Armenian Ministry of Culture and the Pyunik
foundation.

The concert featured Italian violinist Pavel Berman and Armenian
pianist Vardan Mamikonyan.

The works of Claude Debussy, Cesar Franck, Sergei Prokofiev and
Komitas were performed.

The concert marked the premiere of the “Cilicia” by contemporary
German composer Franz Hummel.

ARMENIAN EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION TO VISIT ARTSAKH

Panorama.am
16/03/2012

A delegation led by Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotyan will pay a working visit to Artsakh, ministerial press
office reported.

As part of the visit, the delegation will meet with Artsakh President
Bako Sahakyan, Speaker of Parliament Ashot Ghulyan and Prime Minister
Ara Harutyunyan.

During the meetings, the sides will discuss educational cooperation
between Armenia and Artsakh as well as implementation of the education
reform.

The Armenian delegation will meet with NKR education officials,
will visit Shoushi branch of Armenian State Agrarian University to
monitor the construction site.

The delegation will donate computers, books and school supplies to
educational institutions of Artsakh.