Author: Kajoyan Gevork

CHARENTS’S ‘BOOK OF RELICS’ DEPOSITED WITH POET’S MUSEUM

21:45 * 13.03.14

The Book of Relics, the latest published literary collection
by Yeghishe Chrents, is kept in the poet’s house museum, his
grand-daughter has said, dismissing the reports that the book is
under lien.

“The edition is not under lien. It has been deposited with the Charents
Museum, because both the preface and the entire book itself contained
numerous mistakes when being compiled,” Gohar Charents told Tert.am
on Thursday.

The book, which contains intimate poems, was published in Armenia
in 2012.

Charents’s granddaughter said she is against the book not only because
of the mistakes but also because its publication violates the poet’s
authorship rights.

“The Ministry of Culture banned the book, so it is now in the museum
where it will be kept,” she added.

RESIDENTS CHEATED BY TONUS DEVELOPER CONFIDENT THAT ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES ARE BUYING TIME

03.13.2014 18:05 epress.am

Yerevan residents deceived by developer company Tonus LLC have no
expectations from their meeting with head of the RA Presidential
Oversight Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan, which took place yesterday after
their protest outside the president’s mansion. One of the residents,
Zoya Petrosyan, assured Epress.am that nothing new was said at the
meeting: “The [same] old topics which have been discussed for about
a year were beaten to death.”

“We’ve talked about the same things so much that we’re sick and
tired of this tense situation. Hovsepyan said only one thing: he
asked for one month’s time supposedly to solve the matter, but I don’t
particularly understand this. If they haven’t done anything in a year,
what are they going to do in a month? Neither party said anything
encouraging; at least if we were somewhat inspired — we came home,
again cheated,” she said.

Petrosyan believes the authorities will do everything possible to buy
time, one month will turn into one year, then years, and nothing will
change. “In 10-15 days, I’ll go to Hovsepyan, see that he wanted one
month’s time, so what has he done in 15 days? If he says, there is
no news, then they’re deceiving us again,” she said, adding only the
president of the country can solve the matter.

Recall, Tonus developer company belongs to Prosperous Armenia Party
member Ashot Tonoyan. Residents are asking to receive the apartments
they legally purchased from Tonus.

In 2006, 140 families signed preliminary contracts for the purchase and
sale of real estate with Tonus Construction and made regular payments
to purchase the apartments. But the new homeowners soon learned that
they have no rights to the apartments since the building is in trust
as an escrow to Artsakhbank.

ELEPHANT GRAND TO BE TRANSFERRED TO TBILISI ZOO

18:08 13.03.2014

Elephant Grand will be transferred to Tbilisi Zoo for three main
reasons: on Tbilisi Grand won’t feel lonely and will also have a chance
for reproduction. Besides, Grand will undergo a surgery on the tusks,
Press Service of the Yerevan Zoo informs.

Yerevan Zoo assures, however, it won’t stay without an elephant. Grand
will be replaced by a male elephant from Tbilisi Zoo 10 years younger.

The Yerevan Zoo will bring another female elephant in the future,
when the living conditions improve.

WHEN AZERBAIJAN ATTACKS ARMENIA

Haikazn Ghahriyan, Editor-in-Chief
Comments – Thursday, 13 March 2014, 13:58

Ukraine intends to leave the CIS. Ukraine’s foreign minister explained
that this post-Soviet organization cannot even help its two members
overcome their disagreement. Moreover, this year Ukraine co-chairs
the CIS and has called its executive body to hold an extraordinary
session on Crimea. However, the CIS members did not even respond to it.

One can understand the concerns of the foreign minister of Ukraine.

The CIS did not exist in reality, as Lukashenko said, it has a
miserable experience. This organization was set up after the collapse
of the Soviet Union to maintain “economic, cultural and other links”
but it rather serves as a sign for Russia to maintain its dominance
in the post-Soviet space and not to let the post-Soviet states go.

The CIS has a miserable experience. Most of its members have conflicts
with one another and a number of unresolved problems. There are more
controversies than agreements.

Armenia is also a CIS member and is in a conflict with Azerbaijan. CIS
and CSTO members Russia and Belarus supply weapons to Azerbaijan.

Georgia left CIS for the same rationale as Ukraine.

Ukraine’s leave is symbolic because Ukraine was one of the parties
to the Belovezh agreement with Russia and Belarus. At that time
dissolution of the USSR and establishment of the CIS was announced.

Many note that developments in Ukraine mark the second stage of
collapse of the empire. In this stage Russia is trying to get as much
as it can because it is unable to prevent the process of collapse. In
addition, considering the nature of policy conducted by the empire
for decades, resumption of “frozen” conflicts should not be ruled
out. And the CIS turns out to be an excellent sign for this.

Russia’s strategic partner, Azerbaijan, will also keep to the policy
of its “younger brother” because the second stage of collapse of the
empire is a “favorable” period. Although Azerbaijan does not take
part in any post-Soviet “integration” project, it does not leave the
CIS because it knows that the CIS and Russia will support it like in
the past two decades.

– See more at:

JAMES WARLICK: ARMENIA SEEKS PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

March 12, 2014 | 12:45

Talks with Armenian FM confirmed that Armenia seeks a peaceful
settlement of Karabakh conflict, OSCE Co-Chair James Warlick said.

“Talks with FM Nalbandian in Moscow confirm that Armenia seeks a
peaceful settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh. Will pursue options for
dialogue,” hetweeted.

The mediator said he looks forward to talks with Russian colleague on
Karabakh, adding that they are resolved to work together with France
to support the path to peace.

Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian met with Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs James Warlick (USA),
Igor Popov (Russia) and Jacques Faure (France), and Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

The Co-Chairs presented to Nalbandian the content of, and their
impressions from, their meeting, on Monday in Paris, with Azerbaijan
FM Elmar Mammadyarov.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ARMENIA DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS SITUATION ON BORDER UNDER CONTROL

March 12, 2014 | 18:56

YEREVAN. – Situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is controlled by
servicemen and there is no reason for concern, Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan said in parliament on Wednesday.

His response came to the question of Heritage MP concerning situation
along the line of contact.

Since the beginning of the year and following January 19 Azerbaijan
escalated situation on the border, increasing intensification of fire
on Armenian positions.

“We must understand that military exercises are planned for the
beginning of the year. The same happens on the Azerbaijani side. They
are holding planned military exercises. We must be calm, as situation
is under control of our armed forces. Moreover, we have recently seen
intensification of engineering works. Almost 30% of military exercises
are held in the areas where we would have to hold the line,” he said.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

RUSSIA AND IRAN REACH PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT ON 2 MORE NPPS

March 12, 2014 | 14:55

Russia and Iran have reached preliminary agreement on construction of
two more nuclear power plants in the territory of the Islamic Republic,
spokesperson for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said.

Behruz Kamalvandi noted that during the talks with Rosatom, Tehran
managed to agree on the draft protocol on further development and
expansion of nuclear cooperation with Moscow based on the previous
agreement as of 1992.

According to Kamalvandi, the technical and commercial conditions
for building of the two power plants will soon be discussed by the
Iranian and Russian officials, IRNA reported.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

YEREVAN WILL HOLD ARMENIAN-SERBIAN BUSINESS FORUM

18:46, 10 March, 2014

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS: The Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia Tigran Sargsyan received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Serbia Ivan MrkiÄ~G.

The Department of Mass Media and Public Relations of the Government
of the Republic of Armenia informed Armenpress that the Prime
Minister stated in his speech that the age-long friendship between
the Armenian and Serbian peoples is strengthened by historical
facts. Tigran Sargsyan noted that Armenia is interested in expanding
those relations. He regarded deepening of economic cooperation,
in particular, necessary and correspondence to the high level of
political dialogue between the two countries. In this context, Tigran
Sargsyan attached importance to holding the Armenian and Serbian
business forum in Yerevan on March 11 which will allow discovering
new prospects of partnership.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia expressed
his gratitude for the reception and said that Serbia is interested
in developing the best possible relations with Armenia. Ivan MrkiÄ~G
reiterated willingness of his country to continue steps directed to
the activation of economic ties and increasing them to the political
cooperation level. He stressed the importance of establishing
corresponding legal field and stated that today at the course of the
meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs the Republic of Armenia
an agreement of double taxation avoidance was signed.

FRENCH SINGER PATRICIA KASS VISITS YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY

YEREVAN, March 10. / ARKA /. French singer Patricia Kass who sang for
Armenian audience on March 9 visited today the French-owned Yerevan
Brandy Company (YBC). She and other French musicians visited the aging
cellar of the plant and were told its history and production process.

The French stopped near the “Barrel of Peace,” filled in 2001. It
contains brandy spirit produced in 1994, when Armenia and Azerbaijan
signed an agreement to end hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The barrel
will be opened on the day when the peace agreement will be signed.

The executive director of the YBC Artak Barseghyan presented the
singer with Ararat brandy, released in a limited quantity. Ararat
was the general sponsor of yesterday’s concert.

The concert that gave start to a two-month series of Francophonie
events in Armenia was organized by international music festival Yerevan
Perspectives with the assistance of the embassy of France in Armenia
and Yerevan Brandy Factory under the patronage of the ministry of
foreign affairs of Armenia.

The Yerevan Brandy Factory was founded in 1887. In 1998 it was sold
to French Pernod Ricard for $30 million. -0-

– See more at:

LA FRANCOPHONIE CENTER OPENS IN YEREVAN

March 10, 2014 | 15:03

YEREVAN. – La Francophonie Days will be held from March 10 to April
10 in Armenia.

Within the framework of this event, La Francophonie Center section
officially opened at Avetik Ishakyan Central Library in capital
city Yerevan.

Congratulating those present on behalf of Yerevan Mayor Taron
Margaryan, Deputy Mayor Aram Sukiasyan noted that the launching of La
Francophonie Center section at the library is a nice “gift” especially
for the francophone reading public and those who are preparing to
study French, informs the Yerevan Municipality Information and Public
Relations Department.

For her part, Library Director Hasmik Karapetyan extended her
appreciation to the city hall for its constant support, and expressed a
conviction that their future collaboration likewise will be productive.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am