Author: Kajoyan Gevork

PHOTOS: POLICE BLOCK ACTIVISTS’ POSTER DECRYING MURDERS IN ARMENIAN ARMY

14:29 epress
11.10.2011

At a regular Thursday protest outside the Armenian government building,
upon seeing the placard held by well-known activist Vardges Gaspari
which read “In the army: they murder, commit suicide, terrorize
the parents of those killed and silence them”, two police officers
approached him and stood directly in front of him, effectively blocking
the placard.

Afterwards, Tsovinar Nazaryan, sister of Lieutenant Artak Nazaryan
who died suddenly while serving during peacetime in July 2010, held
the placard. Police then moved and stood in front of Tsovinar.

“As we saw, when I was holding the poster, these two officers came and
stood in front of me, while now that Tsovinar is holding the poster,
they’ve gone and stood in front of her. This means that police have
reservations not against a person but to silence the voice of justice.

The police today are standing beside the same murderers who kill in
the army. Police doesn’t allow for voices to be raised. Why are they
blocking the poster?” said Vardges Gaspari.

A little while later, the two activists moved from where they were
standing, but police didn’t move with them this time. Later, Gaspari
and Nazaryan, joined by fellow activist Lala Aslikyan (pictured
smiling, above), tried to again stand in their original spot, but
three officers stood in front of the protestors and stayed there till
the end of the group’s demonstration.

Gaspari (pictured, above and below) attempted to hold the poster as
high as possible, as those exiting the government building would be
able to see it.

A few government officials, after their regular Thursday meeting,
left the building from the main entrance; however, newly appointed
RA Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan, who was participating in the
government session for the first time, was not among them. It is
assumed he left the building from the rear entrance.

NALBANDIAN SAYS FACILITATION OF VISA REGIME IMPORTANT PROVISION IN ARMENIA-EU TALKS

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
YEREVAN

Works directed toward the facilitation of visa regime have an
important place in the agenda of the Armenia-EU cooperation,
Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian stated at the “Eastern
Partnership: Inner-Political and European Context of Developments”
conference. According to him, encouraging human contacts, in-depth
partner relations will be established in different spheres. “The
main beneficiaries of the process will be our publics, citizens,”
the minister convinced.

STEVE WOZNIAK LAUNCHED WITH JOHN HEFFERN

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
YEREVAN

The co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak, who arrived in Armenia November
9, lunched today with the US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern.

Wozniak is in Armenia for a two-day visit during which he will be
handed RA President’s award in the IT sphere. November 11 Wozniak will
meet with the Armenian students and specialists of the IT sphere. He
will also visit the memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

EREBUNI DISTRICT POLICE CHIEF FIRED OVER CORRUPTION CASE

epress.am
11.10.2011

The police chief of Yerevan’s southern Erebuni district, Grigor
Grigoryan, was sacked on Wednesday following the disappearance of
his deputy charged with bribery.

Law-enforcement authorities say the officer, Mihran Keshishyan, went
into hiding after being formally accused of demanding $13,000 to end
a criminal investigation of alleged drugs trafficking into Yerevan’s
Nubarashen prison, the largest in the country.

The chief of Yerevan’s police department, Major-General Nerses
Nazaryan, acknowledged the direct link between Grigoryan’s sacking and
the bribery case handled by the Special Investigative Service (SIS).

“Every manager is responsible for his staff,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am).

“I think that he will be prudent enough to surrender himself,”
Nazaryan said, referring to the fugitive officer. “If not, he will
definitely be tracked down. He can’t remain on the run.”

Keshishyan apparently evaded prosecution amid sweeping personnel
changes initiated by Vladimir Gasparyan, the new chief of the Armenian
police. At least a dozen senior police officials have been dismissed
or moved to other positions since Gasparyan’s appointment by Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan just over a week ago.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the police accused media of
spreading false “rumors and gossips” about motives behind those
changes and thus “interfering with the normal work of the police.”

“The ongoing cadre changes in the [police] system are … aimed at
improving its work and effectiveness,” said the statement.

In that regard, Nazaryan refuted a newspaper report that said he too
is set to lose his job. “The minister has told me that we are going
to work together better and for a long time,” said the police general.

BAKO SAHAKYAN MEETS VICE PRESIDENT OF IZMIRLYAN FOUNDATION IN GENEVA

Tert.am
10.11.11

In the course of his visit to Switzerland, President of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR, Artsakh) Bakko Sahakyan met the vice
president of Izmirlyan foundation, Jacques Sarkissian.

According to a press release by the NKR presidential office, issues
related to the implementation of different programs were discussed
at the meeting.

The president stressed the need of boosting investments in
Nagorno-Karabakh, considering it important in terms of the country’s
socio-economic development.

Later in the day, Sahakyan had a meeting with Talin Avagyan, the head
of the Armenian General Benevolent Union~Rs (AGBU) Swiss branch.

He emphasized that organization had a great contribution to the
development of Artsakh, highly praising its efforts towards rendering
socio-economic assistance and strengthening ties among Armenians
worldwide.

The meeting was also attended by the primate of the Artsakh Diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan,
and a spokesperson for the NKR presidential office, David Babayan.

LE VOLUME DE PRODUCTION DE L’USINE ARMENAL EN HAUSSE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 10 novembre 2011

Le volume de la production de papier d’aluminium de la societe Armenal
s’est eleve a 13 110 tonnes au cours du premier semestre 2011 soit
une hausse de plus de 8,2% compare a 2010.

Le volume des exportations pour la periode consideree s’elève a 12
602 tonnes soit 4% qu’entre janvier et juin 2010.

Selon le Service des Douanes de la commission des recettes d’Etat
d’Armenie, la croissance des exportations d’Armenal etait de 19,0%
a 45,1 millions de dollars.

Armenal a ete etablie a Erevan en mai 2000 sur la base de l’usine
d’aluminium Kanaker (KanAZ) et est l’une des plus grandes entreprises
industrielles de l’Armenie et la seule usine de production de papier
d’aluminium dans le Caucase et l’Asie centrale.

NOUVELLE LEGISLATION FISCALE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 10 novembre 2011

Azg relève que lors d’une session du Conseil de developpement des PME,
le PM Tigran Sarkissian a devoile les plans de son gouvernement pour
augmenter l’impôt pour des contribuables les plus favorises et pour
imposer des droits plus eleves sur les voitures a prix coûteux et sur
l’alcool. Le gouvernement et le Ministère des Finances affirment que
les changements proposes pourraient rapporter 101 milliards de drams
(268 millions de dollars) de recettes fiscales supplementaires en 2012,
tandis que Gagik Khachatrian, le chef du Comite des recettes d’Etat,
a affirme que les amendements a la legislation fiscale elabores par
le cabinet de Sarkissian ne seront pas suffisants pour atteindre la
cible du gouvernement. Le PM a revele des details sur les amendements
fiscaux consistant a augmenter de 20 a 25% le taux de l’impôt
sur le revenu pour les personnes qui gagnent 2 millions de drams
(5300 $) ou plus par mois. Un autre amendement prevoit une hausse
de 50% des droits d’accise preleves sur les boissons alcoolisees a
prix eleve. Le PM n’a pas precise de quelles boissons il s’agira,
affirmant seulement qu’elles representent 15% des ventes d’alcool
dans le pays. Le Premier Ministre a egalement appele a l’instauration
d’une ” taxe de luxe ” sur les voitures qui valent au moins 90,000
dollars. Ce seul fait permettrait d’apporter 1 milliard de drams
(2 millions d’euros) au budget de l’Etat en 2012. Le gouvernement
envisage egalement d’augmenter les impôts pour les casinos. D’autres
changements majeurs seraient de simplifier les procedures d’imposition
pour les petites et moyennes entreprises. Pour Gaguik Khachatrian,
pour atteindre l’objectif des revenus fixes dans le projet de budget
d’Etat 2012, il faudrait augmenter les impôts payes par les 440 plus
grandes entreprises de 30%. [Rappelons que lors d’une rencontre avec
l’Association de chefs d’entreprises du pays, le 12 octobre dernier,
le PM avait evoque ” d’importantes reformes fiscales ” qui seraient
bientôt presentees devant le Parlement. Les PME ont toutefois
desapprouve les amendements proposes, exprimant la crainte que le
fardeau fiscal ne pèse a nouveau sur elles plutôt que sur les grandes].

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse

SERGE SARKISSIAN VEUT SEPARER LA POLITIQUE DES AFFAIRES ECONOMIQUES
Laetitia

armenews.com
jeudi 10 novembre 2011

Le president Serge Sarkissian a annonce mercredi qu’il etait primordial
de separer la politique des affaires en Armenie afin d’assurer un
developpement economique sur le long terme.

S’adressant aux membres de l’association des affaires economiques, M.
Sarkissian a egalement declare que son gouvernement a deja reussi a
ameliorer son economie.

” Les entreprises doivent etre constamment separees du système de
l’Etat et l’autorite “, a-t-il declare lors d’un discours prononce au
congrès annuel de l’Union des industriels et des entrepreneurs.” Au
contraire, l’Etat doit continuer a apprendre a respecter pleinement
les interets de chaque citoyen et des entrepreneurs. ”

” Cette transformation radicale garantit a long terme le developpement
de notre croissance economique. ”

L’engagement du gouvernement a longtemps ete essentiel pour engager
a grande echelle l’activite entrepreneuriale en Armenie, resultant
en une monopolisation des secteurs de l’economie par des hommes
d’affaires fortunes proches du pouvoir.

En outre, de nombreux hauts fonctionnaires armeniens sont connus pour
avoir des interets commerciaux.

Des dizaines de deputes du parlement du Parti republicain d’Armenie
(HHK) sont particulièrement fortunes. La presse a affirme que
Sarkissian a l’intention d’empecher plusieurs de ces legislateurs a
entrer dans le prochain parlement qui sera elu en mai 2012.

Le gouvernement affirme, cependant, que le president compte sur eux
pour garder le contrôle sur l’Assemblee nationale et pour gagner un
second mandat en 2013. Les magnats lies au gouvernement continueront
donc de beneficier d’un traitement privilegie par le gouvernement.

Arsen Ghazarian, president de l’Union des industriels et des
entrepreneurs, a insiste pour que Sarkissian s’engage a demanteler
le système oligarchique. Il a affirme que lui-meme et d’autres hauts
responsables de l’union sont arrives a une cette conclusion après la
rencontre de Serge Sarkissian.

Les commentaires formules par Serge Sarkissian nous conduisent a
la conclusion suivante : ” il ya une volonte politique pour enfin
commencer a briser le système oligarchique, ” a declare Ghazarian
declare a RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

La banque ” Doing Business 2012 ” a publie le mois dernier un
rapport concernant 183 pays sur les dix aspects de la reglementation
gouvernementale des affaires, y compris la fiscalite et la facilite
d’ouverture et de fermeture des entreprises et de l’enregistrement
de propriete. L’Armenie occupe la 55ème place dans le classement.

” L’Armenie est le seul pays parmi les 183 a avoir mis en ~uvre
autant de reformes – elles sont au nombre de cinq- reglementaires et
institutionnelles entre juin 2010 et mai 2011 “, a diffuse la banque.

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND IS RECONSTRUCTING STEPANAKERT’S INTERNAL WATER NETWORK 10TH AND 11TH ZONES

Noyan Tapan
09.11.2011

The Stepanakert water supply network, comprised of 13 zones with an
overall length of 140 km, was built in 1950s. Due to the poor state
of the water-pipes significant loss of water was in place. After the
reconstruction the residential blocks within the area will receive
regular water supply.

Sponsored by -Telethon 2010 and Nagorno-Karabakh government

Responsible for the project – Gagik Nazaryan, Hakob Gyulgyulyan

GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA APPROVED THE INITIATIVE OF PARLIAMENT MEMBERS ON THE REDUCTION OF JUVENILE DETENTION TO 48 HOURS

/ARKA/
November 10, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 10. /ARKA/. Government of Armenia approved on
Thursday the initiative of a number of parliament members on making
amendments in the Criminal-Procedural Code of Armenia.

During the government meeting, Armenian Justice Minister Hrayr
Tovmasyan said that it refers to the changes proposing to reduce the
period of detention of juveniles from the current 72 hours to 48,
as well as limit the duration of provisional arrest of six months.

Noting that the government has no objections on this occasion,
Tovmasyan said that he will take additional few days to discuss with
the Attorney General’s Office the issue of underage members of the
gang.