74 THOUSAND CARS IN ARMENIA DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE
news.am
February 14, 2012 | 01:47
YEREVAN. – As of January 1, 2012, 318.6 thousand cars were insured
in Armenia, Armenia’s Car insurance bureau informs.
According to the same source, in December 392.7 thousand cars were
insured. As it comes out, 74 thousand car owners did not renew their
contracts in the beginning of the year.
To note, Rosgosstrakh Armenia is the leader among insurance companies
followed by Ingo Armenia and Reso.
LOGO CONTEST ANNOUNCED FOR GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION EVENTS
ASBAREZ
Monday, February 13th, 2012
GLENDALE-In preparation for the commemoration of the 97th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, the United Commemoration
Committee of the Armenian Genocide has announced a logo contest. The
Committee invites artists, designers, and 10th-12th grade students
to participate in this contest.
April 24, the symbol of the greatest tragedy that befell the Armenian
nation, does not simply remind us of the commemoration and loss
of the 1.5 million innocent martyrs, but is also an invitation to
continue the struggle for our demands with a united spirit and united
effort until Turkey recognizes and admits its responsibility for the
heinous crime it has committed, repents, and restores the rights and
possessions of the Armenian people.
The Committee is certain that talented artists and students, realizing
the challenges of the solemn topic, will commit themselves with deep
inspiration to create the logo that best represents the spirit of
April 24 and its true meaning and purpose.
The deadline for the contest is March 15. All entries must be submitted
to the United Armenian Council, P.O.Box 39879, Los Angeles, CA 90039
STEVEN SPIELBERG TO PRODUCE FILM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Tert.am
14.02.12
Steven Spielberg, the world-famous film director and producer, founder
of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education,
is going to produce a film on the Armenian Genocide.
He plans to start negotiations with the Armenian side.
The Ntvmsnbc.com website reports that the film is to be produced to
mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Steven Spielberg, in cooperation with producer and screenwriter Steven
Zaillian plan to meet with representatives of the Armenian Cinema
Center. Both Armenian and well-known foreign actors are expected
to play.
In 1993, Steven Spielberg and Steven Zaillian co-produced Schindler’s
List.
ACTIVISTS ALLOW CONTRACTORS TO WORK ON KIOSKS IN PARK BUT HOPE MAYOR WILL ANNUL EARLIER DECISION
epress.am
02.14.2012
Environmentalists who for four days straight have been protesting the
construction of kiosks in the park next to the maternity hospital on
Mashtots Ave. in Yerevan this morning were disappointed to see work
carried out by construction workers.
“We heard construction noises; we came to see what was happening,”
one protestor, Yeghia Nersisyan, told Epress.am.
Several activists had blocked the entrance to the kiosk, prohibiting
contractors from entering. Their supervisor for a long time tried to
persuade activists to allow his workers to go inside and install a
few water pipes. In his opinion, what are the contractors, who are
assigned to come and continue their partially finished work, guilty of?
“These men have come from Hoktemberyan [the present-day city of
Armavir] and Abovyan – they’ve come such a long way to earn a few
wages. The other one has come to get paid for work – he has a patient
[most likely a family member] in the hospital and several issues for
which these people need money,” said the supervisor.
Despite the various arguments, the environmentalists spoke with the
workers and expressed fear that anyone could come and present such
arguments.
“If every day, someone comes and gets permission to do one or two jobs,
then what’s the point of our struggle of these past few days?
Let them wait till evening, until we see what the mayor decides,
then it will be clear what we’ll do,” said activist Arman Yaralyan.
The supervisor urged activists to allow the contractors to work today,
then after the meeting with the mayor, if necessary, he personally
will come and remove the water pipes.
“We will allow it, but only today. If they violate this condition,
I personally will come and break this kiosk’s glass; I myself will
dismantle those pipes,” said Yeghia Nersisyan.
Contractors then began installing the water pipes, while activists
continued their protest on the grounds, hoping that by this evening,
the issue will be resolved.
“The mayor’s position will be clear from our meeting with him (though
it’s already obvious that he’s in favor of the kiosks remaining here;
he’s already said so). In any case, we will stay until this issue
is resolved. I personally am not preparing to surrender and leave,”
said Arman Yaralyan.
According to him, many of the activists are bed ridden after standing
outside in freezing temperatures, since police didn’t allow them to
light a fire to keep warm.
“All of us know very well if they allow us to have a means of
heating here, none of us would leave. This is one of the authorities’
shrewd moves, which aims to break us and expel us from the park,”
said Yaralyan.
SLOVAK POLITICIAN: HUMAN LIFE DEARER THAN FREEDOM OF SPEECH
PanARMENIAN.Net
February 14, 2012 – 15:25 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Slovak politician, member of the National Council
of the Slovak Republic František Mikloško urged main actors of
the European Union to change the principles and tools of shaping
future Europe.
“EU doesn’t conceive yet that the Armenian Genocide denial led to such
disasters as Nazism, Holocaust and later communist repressions,” Mr.
Mikloško told a press conference, noting Slovakia as the first
European country to adopt the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide
denial.
“The French Constitutional Council is likely to pass its decision
on February 28. However, in light of recent developments there are
no real chances for passage of the bill,” Slovak politician said,
adding that each human life is more valuable that freedom of speech.
On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide. If signed into law, the bill will impose a 45,000
euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this
crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.
HERITAGE: PRE-ELECTION BRIBES BY REPUBLICAN PARTY DETERMINED VOTING RESULT IN HRAZDAN
arminfo
Tuesday, February 14, 14:32
Pre-election bribes by the ruling Republican Party determined
the voting result in the town of Hrazdan, Armen Martirosyan,
parliamentarian from Heritage Party told media, Tuesday.
“The opposition was observing the situation at the polling stations
by combined efforts, while votes were defrauded outside the polling
stations. I know very cases of voter bribery. The citizens were under
permanent pressure and were reluctant to vote for the Republican
candidate, Martirosyan said.
He said that the law-enforcement was warned not to interfere into
election fraud at polling stations. The parliamentarian said the
opposition has no legal levers of pressure and cannot take the
situation fully under control.
Aram Danielyan -the incumbent Mayor and the ruling coalition’s
Republican Party of Armenia member – defeated Sasun Mikayelyan- the
former MP and Mayor, and opposition Armenian National Congress member.
According to the preliminary results of the elections, Danielyan
received 13,000 votes, and Mikayelyan received about 11,500 votes.
The whole day long, Sasun Mikayelyan’s campaign headquarters was
informing about cases of fraud and election bribes, whereas Aram
Danielyan’s headquarters was refuting this information.
The voter turnout was at 57.86%.
ON WHOSE BEHALF BRYZA SPEAKS
Lragir.am
Published: 13:46:59 – 13/02/2012
Mathew Bryza was not appointed Ambassador in Azerbaijan, but
according to him, this is related to the upcoming elections in the
U.S. rather than the Armenian lobby. Bryza did not go into details
of how his appointment could be connected with the elections,
though he hinted that he was engaged in the Karabakh issue during
the Bush administrations and then this issue was a more important
priority than the Armenian and Turkish relations supported by the
Obama administration.
Bryza gave an interesting interview to the Turkish Hurriyet in which
he warned the current U.S. administration that the “artificial”
affirmation that there are no ties between the Karabakh issue and the
Armenian and Turkish normalization condemns to death the prospects
of settlement of the conflict “since it makes any compromises by the
Armenian party impossible. Actually Armenia will receive great benefit
from the opening of the borders with Turkey without any compromise
in the Karabakh issue”, said Bryza.
Such sincerity by the American diplomat evidences that, being the U.S.
Ambassador for one year in Baku, he did everything for the Karabakh
issue to hinder the normalization of the Armenian and Turkish
relations. He did it in spite of his administration which has
numerously stated there is no connection between these two issues.
Perhaps, Bryza meant this when speaking of his appointment. It is
not ruled out that the State Dept. blames Bryza of the collapse of
the Armenian and Turkish process because the main obstacle to the
normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey was Baku,
where Bryza worked as Ambassador.
Anyway, Mathew Bryza, who worked as the American Co-Chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group, does not hide that he would prefer the settlement of the
conflict in favor of Azerbaijan. “For Armenia it is more important
to eliminate the risk of war and have a fair and stable settlement in
Nagorno Karabakh then direct trade links with Turkey. The U.S. needs
to focus on the progress in the Karabakh issue which is achievable.
The framework law on the peace settlement would be a progress”
thinks Bryza. At the same time, he calls on the U.S. and France to
repress Armenia and Azerbaijan. “There are a couple of fundamental,
key details that could be agreed if the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan adopted the hard and risky political decision. They won’t
do that if they don’t feel political support by the U.S. and France”,
says Bryza.
On whose behalf is Bryza making these speeches? Are the
Turkish-Azerbaijani forces behind him or the U.S. is? But if he
represents the U.S. then not surely the current administration. Or
is the current administration going to listen to Bryza and change
its policy?
FARS: DUE TO IRAN NAKHIJEVAN SURVIVES HUMANITARIAN DISASTER
Panorama.am
13/02/2012
In the aftermath of anti-Iranian policy of Azerbaijani authorities
about hundred Iranian cargos have been unjustifiably stopped in the
region of Salyan for four days, Iranian “FARS” news agency reported.
“Azerbaijani officials say the Iranian cargos were banned to move on
because of not matching with the cargo vehicle standards. But if it
is true, why they have allowed the cargos to enter in Azerbaijan and
to be stopped only when 60km were passed,” Iranian media wonders.
“FARS” writes that Azerbaijan’s anti-Iranian policy is getting severe.
“20 years ago when Azerbaijan lost its connection with Nakhijevan in
the aftermath of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh,
hundreds of cargos and buses drive through Nakhijevan every day saving
the territory from humanitarian disaster.”
NO MILITARY SOLUTION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – BERNARD FASSIER
Tert.am
13.02.12
There is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Bernard Fassier, the outgoing French co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk
Group, told a press conference.
He recalled his statement in Paris: a new war will not at all be easy
for Azerbaijan.
No one can say which of the sides will gain victory in a new war. In
any case, it will have grave consequences both for the winner and
for the loser. New victims, hatred, refugees. That is inadmissible,
Fassier said.
ARMENIA’S RULING PARTY CANDIDATE BECOMES SPITAK CITY MAYOR IN ONE-MAN RACE
news.am
February 13, 2012 | 11:01
YEREVAN. – As a result of the mayoral elections held Sunday in
Armenia’s Spitak city, in the Lori Region, the ruling coalition’s
Republican Party of Armenia member, and the sole contender, Gagik
Sahakyan became Mayor of Spitak.
Sahakyan received 6,783 of the 6,947 votes cast, Central Election
Commission informs.
Also on the same day, village prefect elections were held in the
aforementioned Region’s Chkalov and Blagodarnoye villages, where two
former prefects were reelected.