Author: Kajoyan Gevork

California State legislators speak out against the helicopter attack

13:00, 15 Nov 2014

Just months after the California legislature adopted legislation in
support of Karabakh self-determination, state-level elected officials
issued strong statements against Azerbaijan’s most recent attacks.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Major Sergey
Sahakyan, and the 2 members of the Artsakh Air Force who perished
today,” said Assemblyperson Adrin Nazarian. “It is unconscionable
that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces would shoot down an unarmed
helicopter, during a routine exercise, in an unprovoked attack against
Artsakh. In order to regain peace in the region, Azerbaijan needs to
prove themselves as an equal partner of peace and immediately cease
all aggregation against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

CA Board of Equalization Member and Controller Elect Betty Yee shared
her concerns regarding the most recent attack. “When life is
threatened anywhere and citizens are left in fear, the possibility of
peace becomes less hopeful. I join my elected colleagues around the
world in denouncing this act of violence against Armenia. May peace
reign within the borders, and may violence against any people and
nation be condemned.”

Assemblymember Marc Levine tweeted, “If shown to be true, this
unprovoked attack has the potential to destabilize an already unstable
situation.”

Minister confirms that Russia will provide Armenia with $300 millionto
extend service life of NPP

YEREVAN, November 12. / ARKA /. Armenian energy and natural resources
minister Yervand Zakharyan has confirmed today that Russia has pledged
to provide $300 million assistance to Armenia, which the government
will use to extend the service life of the Metsamor nuclear power
plant until 2026. The minister said a relating agreement is to be
signed later this year. He said $270 million of that amount will come
as a loan and the rest as a grant. Armenia’s Mestamor nuclear power
plant, located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan, was built in the
1970s, but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One
of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995.
Armenian authorities want to replace the aging facility by a new plant
that is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the
Soviet-constructed facility, generating currently some 40 percent of
Armenia’s electricity. But the government has yet to attract funding
for the project that was estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility study
to cost at as much as $5 billion. –0—-

ARMENIE
De retour : Le fondateur de Repat Armenia veut que les autres suivent
son retour à la maison

Bien que l’émigration continue d’être une menace pour l’Arménie, un
petit nombre d’immigrants (dans le pays) espère donner l’exemple. (Sur
environ sept millions d’Arméniens à travers le monde, moins de la
moiti̩ Рenviron 2,5 millions vivent en Arm̩nie)

Les initiateurs de l’ONG Repat Armenia (), Vartan
Marashlyan, qui a déménagé en Arménie en provenance de Moscou il y a
deux ans, avec ses partisans ont crée le Fonds Repat Armenia, bien
que, selon lui, à la fois dans la diaspora et en Arménie lespersonnes
qui veulent retourner en Arménie sont traités de façon négative.

“Où allez-vous ? Êtes-vous fou ? Les gens partent loin de là, où
allez-vous ? Tout le monde et même un chauffeur de taxi me l’ont
reproche “, a déclaré Marashlyan de son expérience de déplacement en
Arménie.

ARMENIE

Le Synode des évêques de l’Eglise arménienne condamne la destruction
d’un hélicoptère par les forces armées d’Azerbaïdjan

Le 13 Novembre, au cours du Synode des évêques en cours, qui se tient
au Saint-Siège d’Etchmiadzin, sous la présidence de Sa Sainteté
Karékine II, Patriarche suprême et Catholicos de tous les Arméniens ;
et Sa Sainteté Aram Ier, Catholicos de la Grande Maison de Cilicie ; a
été fait référence en particulier à l’incident entraînant la
destruction en vol d’un hélicoptère arménien sur la ligne de front de
l’Artsakh, condamnant les provocations effrénées par l’Azerbaïdjan.

Le Synode des évêques a offert une prière à Dieu pour le repos de
l’me des membres tués de l’équipage de l’hélicoptère ; Le Major
Sergey Sahakian, le lieutenant Sarkis Nazarian, et le lieutenant Azat
Sahakian ; et a exprimé ses condoléances à leurs familles et amis.

Dans le respect de la situation préoccupante actuelle, le Synode des
Évêques a exprimé son soutien aux autorités arméniennes et du
Nagorno-Karabakh, en demandant au Seigneur d’accorder la paix à notre
pays et notre peuple.

Le Catholicos de tous les Arméniens, et le Catholicos de la Grande
Maison de Cilicie, ont ordonné aux évêques de tenir des services de
commémoration pour les aviateurs tués. Ils ont également demandés aux
structures nationales et internationales de réagir afin d’éviter les
provocations et attaques belliqueuses de l’Azerbaïdjan qui faussent le
processus de règlement pacifique du conflit du Karabagh et de
neutraliser la menace de guerre.

samedi 15 novembre 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Interfax, Russia
Nov 13 2014

YEREVAN. Nov 13

The destruction by Azerbaijan of a Nagorno-Karabakh air force
helicopter can significantly escalate tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict area, the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic foreign
ministry said in a statement.

“The destruction by the Azeri side of a helicopter of the air force of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army while on a training flight
near the contact line is an unprecedented violation of the ceasefire
regulations fraught with a serious escalation of tensions in the
conflict area,” it said.

“This incident once again highlights the need for stepping up efforts
toward developing and adopting urgent measures to bolster the
ceasefire regime, primarily including efficient mechanisms for
investigating its violations, which have been repeatedly proposed by
the Armenian parties and supported by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
The soonest development and implementation of incident investigation
mechanisms will help identify the true violator of the ceasefire
regime, namely Azerbaijan, and avoid unaddressed calls on the parties
to the conflict, which instill a false sense of permissiveness and
impunity in it,” the Nagorno-Karabakh foreign ministry said.

Azeri armed forces shot down an Mi-24 helicopter in the conflict area
on Wednesday. Media reported that three people were killed in the
crash.

UK URGES KARABAKH CONFLICT SIDES TO AVOID STEPS THAT CAN ESCALATE TENSION

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 14 2014

14 November 2014, 17:18 (GMT+04:00)

By Sabina Ahmadova – Trend:

The UK appealed to the sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to avoid
steps that would escalate tension along the contact line between
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, according to a message posted by
the British Embassy in Armenia on its Facebook page.

The message said the UK supports the statement of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs expressing concern over the downing of a helicopter
near the line of contact.

The UK also urged both sides to respect ceasefire and work towards
peace.

An Armenian Mi-24 military helicopter flying 1700 meters northeast
of the Kengerli village of Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district attacked the
Azerbaijani army positions on Nov. 12.

The helicopter was shot down by the Azerbaijani side. The wreckage
of the downed helicopter fell on an area located 500 meters away from
the frontline.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire
agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

SITUATION IN ZONE OF DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN MILITARY HELICOPTER NORMAL

Cihan News Agency, Turkey
Nov 14 2014

BAKU – 14.11.2014 15:17:17

The situation in the area where the downed Armenian helicopter fell,
is normal, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend on Nov.14.

The mentioned helicopter was shot down by Azerbaijani armed forces
in the country’s Aghdam district.

The information, previously spread by Armenia about “intensive
firefight” in the zone, was dismissed by the ministry as being false.

No comments were provided on operation of removing the helicopter
wreckage from the area, and recovering the bodies of Armenian soldiers
presumably killed in the incident.

On Nov. 12, at 13:45 (UTC/GMT +4 hours) Armenian Mi-24 helicopters
flying 1,700 meters northeast of the Kengerli village of Azerbaijan’s
Aghdam district attacked the Azerbaijani army positions. One of the
helicopters was downed by the Azerbaijani armed forces, while the
other one had to leave the territory. The wreckage of the downed
helicopter fell on an area, located 500 meters away from the frontline.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions. (Cihan/Trend az)

LES DEPENSES DE L’ARMENIE POUR LES BASES MILITAIRES RUSSES CREENT UN DEBAT

ARMENIE

La dernière decision prise par le gouvernement armenien d’attribuer
plus de depenses pour une base militaire russe a alimente le debat
de savoir si le pays d’accueil devait effectuer ces paiements.

Le Cabinet a approuve jeudi une nouvelle allocation de 20,5 millions
de drams (environ 50000 $) au Service national de la securite (NSS)
qui va depenser l’argent pour couvrir les depenses de la base militaire
russe stationne dans la deuxième ville d’Armenie Gyumri.

Ces allocations de l’Etat armenien sont versees trimestriellement. Le
responsable de la NSS Gorik Hakobian a declare qu’au cours du deuxième
trimestre de l’annee 2014 ce meme montant d’argent a ete remis aux
gardes-frontières russes en Armenie pour couvrir leurs frais de
transport militaires.

L’analyste politique Gagik Hambarian, quant a lui, a appele cela un
non-sens que l’Armenie comme un pays accueillant une base militaire
etrangère doit egalement couvrir ses depenses. Il a cite les exemples
d’autres pays où la Russie a des bases militaires et qui paie des
sommes importantes pour les utiliser.

> a-t-il dit. >.

Selon l’analyste, cela est encore plus absurde que le gouvernement
armenien accorde a une compagnie de chemin de fer russe l’expedition
des cargaisons militaires russes. L’Armenie n’a pas cache que la
presence des troupes russes sur son sol est un moyen de dissuasion
a l’agression possible par la Turquie avec laquelle la nation du
Caucase du Sud n’a pas de relations diplomatiques.

Un accord armeno-russe signe en 2010 a etendu la presence de la base
militaire russe en Armenie jusqu’en 2044. Moscou a depuis renforce
la base de 4000 a 5000 soldats avec des armes lourdes.

vendredi 14 novembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

VISITE DE SARKISSIAN AU HAUT KARABAKH

CONFLIT

Le President Serge Sarkissian s’est rendu hier par voie aerienne au
Haut-Karabakh afin d’observer les exercices militaires armeniens a
grande echelle qui ont lieu dans et autour du territoire.

Le service de presse de Sarkissian a declare que > il visitera egalement des bases militaires armeniennes du
Karabakh et evaluera l’etat de preparation au combat des troupes qui y
sont stationnees. Le bureau a publie des photos d’un Sarkissian vetu
en uniforme et emergeant d’un helicoptère militaire a l’aeroport de
Stepanakert recemment reconstruit. Il a ete recu sur le tarmac par Bako
Sahakian, president de la Republique du Haut-Karabakh auto-proclame
(NKR).

Sarkissian a ete montre plus tard dans la journee en train de regarder
les exercices des commandos armeniens du Karabakh et en train de
remettre des decorations a certains membres des forces speciales. Il a
egalement tenu une reunion avec les hauts grades des armees armeniennes
du Karabakh dans ce qui ressemblait a une grande tente militaire. Le
service de presse presidentiel a declare que Sarkissian avait . Les fonctionnaires de Stepanakert ont brocarde
cette declaration, affirmant que des avions de combat et helicoptères
armeniens continueront a survoler le Karabakh et les territoires sous
contrôle armenien comme d’habitude.

L’helicoptère a apparemment ete abattu par un missile lance a
l’epaule, et est tombe a terre homme dans le district d’Agdam en
partie contrôlee par les Armeniens du Karabakh. L’armee du Karabakh
a declare jeudi qu’en raison de la poursuite des tirs >
de la partie azerbaïdjanaise elle n’a pas encore pu approcher l’epave
de l’helicoptère et recuperer les corps de ses trois membres d’equipage
presumes morts.

Le porte-parole du ministère de la Defense, Senor Hasratian, a
affirme au service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am) que l’un des
pilotes pouvait etre encore en vie. Les autorites de Stepanakert ont
egalement demande au Comite international de la Croix-Rouge (IRC) de
les aider a localiser et a rapatrier les pilotes. Un porte-parole du
CICR a Erevan a indique que la Croix-Rouge etait en train d’explorer
une telle possibilite.

Selon le bureau de presse de la presidence armenienne, Sarkissian
s’est rendu au Karabakh, après avoir assiste a un exercice de defense
aerienne sur une base militaire dans l’est de l’Armenie. Le bureau a
diffuse des photographies de systèmes antiaeriens de tir de missiles
sol-air.

vendredi 14 novembre 2014, Ara (c)armenews.com

PRESENTED DRAFT BUDGET IS ARTIFICIAL AND SENSELESS – RUBIK HAKOBYAN

17:00 / 13.11.2014

Speaking at the budget draft discussion today, head of the Heritage
party faction Rubik Hakobyan raised a question on what the government
has done during this period.

“If to say in one word, than nothing. The new coming government brings
with it hope while this government not doing anything has deepened the
crisis. I assess the draft budget as artificial and senseless. Though
many of the government members are professionals they cannot work
because of bad system,” he said. “I offer the government and the PM
to resign, it will be the best step and the people will applaud them
as they have crossed the limit. But it is clear that it is a romantic
proposal,” Hakobyan said.

Nyut.am