Author: Kajoyan Gevork

At OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan opposed
discussion of report on control of armed forces

16:54 28/06/2014 >> REGION

At the meeting of the Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly, taking place on Saturday in Baku, the Azerbaijani delegation
opposed the discussion of the report of the Finnish co-rapporteur for
OSCE PA’s Committee on Political Affairs and Security Pia Kauma
entitled “Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the Vienna Document”.

The head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA Bahar Muradova
spoke against the document. She noted that the OSCE PA must
demonstrate a specific position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The above mentioned report did say that the regional conflicts pose
additional challenges for the OSCE. The report does not include also
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as conflicts in Georgia and
Moldova. The crisis in Ukraine and the unilateral annexation of Crimea
by Russia “has challenged the whole international order and the
sovereignty of independent state,” the report reads.

As APA reports in its turn, since the end of the Cold War, new threats
have emerged with new operational tactics and weapon systems.

The document notes that terrorism, cyber warfare, unmanned aerial
vehicles and the way they can be used to conduct more limited
operations are more relevant to modern security policy, and demand new
responses. The report says that as threats have changed, the
quantitative assessments of troop and material counts do not carry the
same weight they used to. In an age when one can theoretically cripple
an entire nation with a successful cyber attack, simple counts of a
country’s main battle tanks or other equipment are of little value.

The document notes that new regional conflicts also pose additional
challenges for the OSCE.

Source: Panorama.am

Hraparak: Etchmiadzin shooting case resolved by apologies

12:18 28/06/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Although the June 18 shooting in Etchmiadzin occurred in broad
daylight, police “have failed” to resolve the case, Hraparak writes.

The shooting took place between the nephews of generals Manvel
Grigoryan and Seyran Saroyan and unknown persons.

“Rumors say the incident was “resolved” by other methods. A few days
after the incident, the sides met, the “unknown persons” apologized to
Manvel Grigoryan and all the problems were settled,” the newspaper
writes.

Source: Panorama.am

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria
June 27 2014

Armenian legal council: Terrorist acts strangled life in Kassab

Beirut, SANA _ The Beirut-based Arab Armenian International Law
Assembly appealed to the international community and relief
organizations to help the locals of Kassab town remove the massive
debris in their town that terrorists left behind.

Kassab is a scenic Syrian town near the border with Turkey that has a
predominately Armenian population.

Terrorists backed by the government of the Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan overran the town late last March, committing
crimes against the population there that drew an international outcry.

The Syrian army recaptured Kassab and declared it free of terrorists
in mid-June, restoring tranquility and peace to it.

In a statement, the Assembly said that a fact-finding mission that
recently visited Kassab and the nearby villages bore witness to the
“colossal damage” done to the locals’ properties and the town’s
infrastructure.

The Council lashed out at Erdogan’s government for its role in the
offensive which, the statement said, “hides under the cloak of Islam.”

“The acts of terrorists in Kassab have strangled every aspect of life
there and damaged the religious and cultural heritage of its locals,”
the statement pointed out, estimating the material damage in the town
at up to USD 1 billion.

Fight for Armenian people’s interests will continue – Heritage Party

June 28, 2014 | 13:04

YEREVAN. – We will wait patiently until the Armenian people’s words
turn into actions.

Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party Chairman, ex-presidential
candidate, former FM Raffi Hovannisian noted the abovementioned at
Heritage’s tenth party congress on Saturday.

“We have participated in and won the presidential election; we have
participated in the [capital city] Yerevan Council of Elders election
and have been included in the Council,” he added.

Hovannisian also noted that their fight for the Armenian people’s
interests will continue.

“On April 9 [following last year’s presidential election], we acted
correctly by not giving in to provocations, since nothing is worth
making the people and the law enforcement bodies confront each other.

“The reality is that the people were unprepared for a triumph at the
time. One month before the presidential election, they did not believe
in victory, and therefore it was difficult to unite and defend it,”
Hovannisian stated.

Heritage’s leader added that his party has acquired fifty new members
in recent times.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am
News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Azerbaijani media spread ridiculous rumors about “destroyed Armenian
military outposts”

June 28, 2014 | 14:01

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijani media, following bad example of their president
and leadership, spread ridiculous rumors, Armenian expert Arkady
Grigoryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He commented on the Azerbaijani press reports about allegedly
“destroyed Armenian military outposts”. According to ANS PRESS, on
Friday evening “the Armenian side opened fire on the village” and in
response Azerbaijani army opened retaliatory fire. “As a result
Armenian outposts were destroyed and a fire broke out in the neutral
zone,” the media reported, adding that “there were no casualties”.

“It is clear that when the president is distorting facts, defense
minister is boasting of ability ‘to destroy any facility in the
territory of Armenia’, the media would follow their lead and dream
up,” the expert said.

The mentioned facts provoke several questions: “If the outposts were
destroyed, why there are no casualties? The most important thing: they
were destroyed by what? Small arms will not work. Is Azerbaijani media
aware that ‘to destroy outposts’ means to break through the defense
and as a consequence to start full-scale action?” Grigoryan wonders.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armenian politician calls for strong efforts to suppress Azerbaijani aggression

14:05 * 28.06.14

The opposition Heritage party’s political secretary has expressed
concerns over the Armenian authorities’ inaction to Azerbaijan’s
repeated gun attacks against the country’s eastern border.

Speaking to Tert.am, Styopa Safaryan said he really wonders why
Armenia does not convene a working meeting with Collective Security
Treaty Organization to discuss possible measures to suppress the
Azerbaijani acts of sabotage.

“The Armenian-Russian agreement, which was prolonged in 2011, focused
on joint defense, also with Azerbaijan. So it applies to all the
borders,” he explained.

It comes after Azerbaijan’s overnight gun attacks against caused
considerable damage to several border villages of Armenia. The armed
violence is thought to be significantly more intensive compared to
previous raids.

Safaryan said he doesn’t think Armenia will suffer any harm of loss if
it tries to send certain messages to Andrzej Kasprzyk, the personal
representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office. but added that
reliance on Russia, a key strategic ally committed to ensure the
country’s border security, remains the major choice.

In more general terms, the politician said he sees the necessity of
adopting new approaches and methods to react to the enemy’s
aggression. “Because military methods and the efforts of the Defense
Ministry are not enough for maintaining the ceasefire,” he added.

ARMENIE
Les députés arméniens décident de lutter contre les avortements de
foetus féminins.

Les parlementaires en Arménie discutent d’une interdiction pour les
médecins de révéler le sexe d’un foetus avant la 30e semaine de
grossesse, ce qui, espèrent-ils devrait réduire les avortements
sélectifs. Ils reconnaissent, cependant, que la législation pourrait
ouvrir une nouvelle opportunité pour les médecins pour toucher des
pots de vin de parents qui veulent des fils et non pas des filles.

> a déclaré Ara Babloyan, président de la commission de
la santé du Parlement le 20 mai.

Le projet de loi est basé sur une étude sur les naissances en Arménie
en 2012-13 que le ministère de la santé a mené avec l’aide des Nations
Unies, et qui a conclu que chaque année 1400 filles manquent à l’appel
comme cela devrait être naturellement le cas.

.

Selon un sondage d’opinion les couples sont six fois plus susceptibles
de vouloir un garçon qu’une fille, et l’avortement sélectif devient
plus commun dans une troisième ou quatrième grossesse, lorsque les
couples sont désespérés d’avoir un fils.

> a déclaré Hayrapetyan, citant les réponses données lors de
l’enquête.

Gayane Avagyan a déclaré que le ministère de la Santé a examiné les
nombreuses heures d’émission avec les groupes de femmes, des
psychologues, des Nations Unies et d’autres organisations, et il avait
regardé les expériences d’autres pays dans la lutte contre les
avortements sélectifs selon le sexe. Elle a dit que les fonctionnaires
avaient conclu que la meilleure façon de commencer était en d’adopter
une loi similaire à celles existant dans d’autres pays.

L’Assemblée parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe a adopté une
résolution sur la question en 2011, distinguant l’Azerbaïdjan,
l’Arménie, la Géorgie et l’Albanie comme des pays ayant un bilan
particulièrement préoccupant dans le domaine des avortements sélectifs
selon le sexe.

Naira Zohrabyan, un membre du parti Arménie prospère qui a pris part à
la discussion de l’APCE, est inquiète cependant car selon elle la
nouvelle loi pourrait faire plus de mal que de bien.

>
dit-elle. >.

>
dit-elle.

Marietta Gevorgyan, une mère de deux filles, a interrompu une
troisième grossesse quand elle a découvert qu’elle attendait une autre
fille. Elle ne croit pas non plus que la loi va fonctionner.

Hraparak: National Security Council to meet on July 2

11:29 28/06/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Armenia’s National Security Council will hold a meeting on July 2.
Prior to that, Armenia’s top officials, including President Serzh
Sargsyan, will travel to Karabakh, Hraparak writes.

The newspaper notes that the Armenian side is again putting forward
the thesis that Artsakh must be a full party in the negotiations and
no agreement can be reached without Karabakh. Another peculiarity of
the NSC meeting is the fact that it will take place on the eve of
Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union on July 3.

Source: Panorama.am

Chorrord Ishkhanutyun: Nzhdeh statue to be installed near Republic Square

11:57 28/06/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

It is already known where Garegin Nzhdeh’s statue will be installed in
Yerevan, Chorrord Ishkhanutyun writes. The statue will be installed
soon, with Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan being interested in it.

The newspaper has learnt that the statue will be installed in the park
near Republic Square metro station, not far from the head office of
the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

Source: Panorama.am

HAMALIR DISPUTE: COURT SUSPENDS CONTROVERSIAL AUCTION OF DEMIRCHYAN COMPLEX

NEWS | 27.06.14 | 13:09

RELATED NEWS

Passions Over Hamalir: Demirchyan Complex auction attracts no buyer yet

An appeals court on Thursday suspended a controversial auction
announced for the Karen Demirchyan Sport and Concert Complex in
Yerevan granting the claim of the facility’s owners that the procedure
initiated by the bailiffs is unlawful.

The Service for the Mandatory Execution of Judicial Acts (SMEJA)
of Armenia’s Ministry of Justice first put up the Complex, known as
Hamalir, for action in May. It said its owner had failed to repay
his debts to the state budget running into tens of millions of dollars.

The bidding price for the building was first set at 19 billion, 350
million drams (about $47.2 million), but it was reduced by 10 percent
after the offer failed to attract bidders during the first 10 day. A
fresh auction for the Hamalir was to have been announced on June 27,
but it was suspended after the court’s decision.

The Demirchyan Complex had challenged the SMEJA-announced electronic
auction as unlawful, insisting that it violated some legal provisions
relating to the agency itself.

The Hamalir auction had also raised concerns among some architects and
the general public regarding possible alterations of the building’s
external appearance in case of its sale.

The seven-storied Complex was built in 1983. It is situated on a total
area of 46335.7 square meters and includes other auxiliary structures
and territories.

The Hamalir, which has become of one Yerevan’s architectural landmarks
in the past three decades, is also located in a territory adjacent
to Tsitsernakabert, a hilltop memorial to the victims of the 1915
Armenian Genocide.