Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Zerkalo: Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was to be commissioned in 2009;
however it will not work in 2014 as well

18:55 26/10/2013 » ECONOMY

“The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili completes tenure on his
position. In his speech, he expressed great regret that he could not
launch the project of commissioning of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway
during his presidency,” Azerbaijani newspaper “Zerkalo” reads.

The publication reminded that the construction work of Georgian
section of BTK railway kicked off on November 21, in 2007.
The presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey – Ilham Aliyev,
Mikheil Saakashvili and Abdullah Gul – signed a symbolic document on
launching the BTK construction. The document was placed in a capsule,
and laid at the foundation of the railway.

“The agreement on starting the BTC construction was signed in Tbilisi
on February 7, in 2007, and it was expected that they will complete
the work by the end of 2009. Unfortunately, the BTK will not be put
into operation neither in this, nor in the upcoming year. It is
therefore surprising when senior officials claim that the construction
works continue in accordance with the approved schedule,” wrote
Zerkalo writes.

As stated by the head of the transport policy of the Ministry of
Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Ketevan Salukvadze,
while talking about the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway project said that Georgian section of the railway will be
completed in 2015 according to the current timetable. According to
her, today 78% of the work on the first section (Marabda-Tetritskaro)
is completed, as well as 54% of the work in the second section
(Tetritskaro-Tsalka), 23% of the work in the third section
(Tsalka-Akhalkalaki), 9% of the work on the fourth area (train
station), 39% of the work on the railway station and 33% of the work
on the fifth plot line (Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi).

Salukvadze noted that the total cost of the project in Georgia makes $
767 million. In the framework of the “Baku-Tbilisi-Kars” a new
105-kilometer railway branch is planned to be constructed. In
addition, Georgia will be reconstructed Akhalkalaki-Marabda-Tbilisi
railway section, which will increase its capacity to 15 million tons
of cargo a year. In the future, with the completion of the Marmaray
project (construction of a tunnel under the Bosporus) access to Europe
will be provided by using the railway line of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars.

In his turn, the general director of the “Marabda-Kartsakhi” company
Oleg Bichiashvili stated that the BTK construction goes on at an
accelerated pace, but is unlikely to be used for the withdrawal of
NATO’s military cargo from Afghanistan. The head of the company, who
leads the project of construction of the Georgian section of the
railway, got acquainted with the work on the future highway, on
Thursday during the day. “In 2014 withdrawal of troops and supplies
from Afghanistan is planned to be implemented, the opening of the
railway is unlikely to happen before 2015,” Oleg Bichiashvili told the
reporters.

Source: Panorama.am

European Parliament’s resolution evidence Armenia’s decisions not
fully understood by EU member-states – Samvel Farmanyan

14:59 – 27.10.13

The European Parliament’s latest resolution, particularly the wordings
concerning the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict stem from
Armenia’s foreign policy, Samvel Farmanyan, a Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) parliamentary group member, Head of the Armenia-EU
parliamentary cooperation commission, told RFE/ Radio Liberty, as he
answered a question as to whether the wordings concerning
Nagorno-Karabakh in the European Parliament’s resolution – which run
counter to the EU’s official position – are the result of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision in favor of Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union.

`We cannot deny it. But we should pay attention to the fact that our
latest decisions are not definitive ones and are not perceived by EU
member-states, particularly by European Parliament members. This means
tremendous work needs to be done for our partners from the European
Parliament to form a full and clear idea of the logic followed by
Armenia’s leadership,’ Mr Farmanyan said.

On the other hand, it would be wrong to account for the resolution by
the Armenian president’s decision alone. Other factors play their role
as well.

`The Azerbaijani lobby played an essential role. Such wordings have no
precedents in the European Parliament’s history. I mean the wording,
saying `the occupation of one European partnership member-state’s
territory by another member-state.’ This wording runs counter to the
European Parliament’s official position and to the OSCE Minsk Group’s
activities,’ Mr Farmanyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Heritage party reps `politically’ recognize Armenian National Movement

12:53 – 27.10.13

Heritage party Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan, who was present at the
`revival’ congress of the Armenian National Movement (ANM) on
Saturday, as well as Heritage parliamentary group member Rubik
Hakobyan, told Tert.am that their presence at the congress proved
their recognition of the party.

`Legally, it is not I that is supposed to recognize [the party]. It is
the function of the Ministry of Justice. Politically, I do recognize
it,’ Martirosyan said.

On his part, Hakobyan called `emotional’ the question that one of the
aims of the congress was to `restore the ANC’s political brand’ though
Hakobyan himself (a former member of Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun) and his fellow members were persecuted by
the ANM for their political statements.

`I do not think emotions should come into the forefront in politics. I
know the initiators and I think well of them. They invited me to the
congress and I showed respect for them,’ Hakobyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Arthur Abraham wins wide UD to set up third Stieglitz fight – Photos

11:51 – 27.10.13

WBO Inter-Continental super middleweight champion `King’ Arthur
Abraham (38-4, 28 KOs) labored to a lopsided win today, shutting down
Italian Giovanni De Carolis (20-5, 10 KOs) of Italy in a match held at
the EWE-Arena in Oldenburg, Germany,
reports.

In a bout that was supposed to set up a third fight with WBO super
middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz (who destroyed Abraham last
time out after losing their first meeting on points), Abraham was
often visibly frustrated with the hit and run tactics of his opponent,
tactics which did not warm the hearts of the ringside judges, who gave
Abraham a virtual shutout win with scores of 120-108 and 119-109
twice.

To be fair, De Carolis’s pot-shotting style yielded some mild success
early, but as he began to tire, Abraham was able to load up with
enough power shots and a very effective left jab to take control of
the fight.

A round-by-round recap here would be redundant, as the fight lacked
much in the way of standout highlights. Abraham, as is usually the
case in his fights, was by far the heavier puncher, and in round eight
he landed a hard left hook that did stun the Italian momentarily. But
that was about as dramatic as the fight got, with Abraham often tiring
of chasing his opponent around the ring, merely standing there with a
look of disgust and beckoning him to come and fight.

When De Carolis did try and launch a flurry, more often than not his
shots ended up bouncing off of Abraham’s trademark turtle-shell
defense. As the final bell sounded, Abraham landed a hard right hand
and then threw up his arms in despair at his opponent’s evasive
tactics.

The conventional wisdom was that Abraham had to look good today to set
up the trilogy fight with Stieglitz, who last week cruised to a win
over Isaac Ekpo of Nigeria. If looking good means winning by a wide
margin, Abraham did the job, but this was not the fearsome King Arthur
of old, a man who would have likely found a way to cut off the ring
and leave De Carolis looking woozily up from the mat long before the
final bell.

It remains to be seen if that version of Arthur Abraham is just in
hiding or gone for good. A third fight with Stieglitz should give us
the answer.

Armenian News – Tert.am

BELARUS PRESIDENT HAD NOT EARNED SINGLE ETHICAL PENNY TO MAKE SUCH STATEMENT – ARMENIA’S FIRST OMBUDSWOMAN

October 26, 2013 | 11:33

YEREVAN. – Today’s political picture is surreal, and it seems to
reflect the reality; but, at the same time, it does not does not
respond to the real opinions and assessments.

Armenia’s first Human Rights Defender, “Against Legal Arbitrariness”
NGO Executive Director, and public activist Larisa Alaverdyan stated
the above-said during a press conference on Saturday.

In Alaverdyan’s words, “We [i.e., Armenia] are looking at the West with
one eye, at Russia with the other, but are making drastic decisions.”

Commenting on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s recent statement
that Azerbaijan’s view should be taken into account in connection
with Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union, she said Lukashenko
had not earned a single ethical penny to make such a statement,
which likewise is surrealism.

“In turn Turkey wants to enter where Armenia appears. All this enables
me to describe it as a surreal situation. And this is not a result
of Armenia’s independent plan,” Alaverdyan noted.

She added that Armenia’s senior officials are stating that they cannot
do anything because they are a poor country.

“Are there no people with a rich thinking? This is a self-blockade,
a self-siege. All this testifies to the fact that the political
elite are not changing and it maintains the old thinking,” Larisa
Alaverdyan added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

PEUT-ON FAIRE CONFIANCE AUX TURCS ?

REVUE DE PRESSE

Le gel des relations entre Israël et la Turquie depuis 2010 et le
rapprochement entre Ankara et Teheran auraient porte un coup terrible
au Mossad, le service israelien de renseignements exterieurs. C’est ce
que revèle un article bien informe du quotidien americain Washington
Post : la Turquie aurait “vendu” a l’Iran, en 2012, une dizaine de
contacts iraniens du Mossad. Outre le fait que ces agents ou honorables
correspondants sont maintenant “grilles” et menaces, c’est une perte
catastrophique de sources de renseignements sur le territoire turc,
frontalier de l’Iran et de la Syrie ;

POUR LIRE LA SUITE CLIQUER SUR LE LIEN

samedi 26 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

BOURJ HAMMOUD PREND UNE LONGUEUR D’AVANCE

REVUE DE PRESSE

En plein c~ur du quartier armenien, parmi une foule de tous âges
et dans une ambiance conviviale, la fondation Goguikian a lance
le premier projet de recyclage beyrouthin. Avec, pour objectif,
une meilleure representation des populations armeniennes au sein de
l’Etat et de la societe civile.

Par un beau samedi d’octobre, la circulation est coupee au niveau
du rond-point de Bourj Hammoud pour celebrer le lancement du projet
” Ready Set Recycle “. Le public, plus nombreux que prevu, a pu,
jusqu’a 13 h, ecouter differents intervenants, profiter de chants et
de spectacles, notamment de magie, a la plus grande joie des enfants.

La foule est dense et attentive, une habitante du quartier beyrouthin
fait part de son enthousiasme et de la satisfaction d’etre temoin de
la naissance du premier projet de recyclage ici, en plein centre de
la communaute armenienne. Cynthia Najjar, membre active du projet,
ne cache pas sa joie devant la foule assemblee pour assister a l’etape
de mi-parcours et confirme avec bonne humeur l’interet porte par les
populations a l’initiative environnementale.

Pendant les douze prochains mois, elle prendra la forme de collecte
des detritus recyclables (papier, verre, aluminium) pour ensuite
etre revendus a une usine. L’argent recolte sera mis au service de
la communaute par le biais de projets concrets.

Le projet fedère, et ce ne sont pas uniquement les habitants de Bourj
Hammoud qui ont repondu present, mais aussi des residents d’Achrafieh
et d’autres quartiers de Beyrouth. Tous reunis autour d’un point
commun ; une preoccupation et une prise de conscience de l’importance
de changer des habitudes nocives pour leur ville. Il s’agit de faire
un pas vers une gestion plus respectueuse de l’environnement afin
d’ameliorer celui de tous, urbain cette fois-ci.

Le recyclage, passerelle vers un plus grand rôle politique Pour
une habitante de Bourj Hammoud, le recyclage est un veritable defi
a relever, mais des difficultes plus sociales qu’environnementales
peuvent parfois primer sur cet etat de fait. Soheila Hayek, membre
active de la fondation Goguikian, pour qui des situations parfois
precaires ne doivent pas empecher un projet de voir le jour, partage
ce point de vue. Bourj Hammoud doit etre un des fers de lance du
recyclage pour demontrer la volonte de devenir pionnier dans les
politiques publiques de la ville.

Le lancement est le fruit d’un an de travail accompli par douze
etudiants, beneficiant du programme de bourses de la fondation,
repartis entre cinq universites (Universite Saint-Joseph, American
University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, Haigazian
University et Universite de Balamand). Ils ont developpe, dans le
cadre de leurs cours de projection au management, ce projet pilote.

Celui-ci repose sur deux axes, l’un pedagogique avec des interventions,
dans le secondaire principalement, visant a faire prendre conscience
aux jeunes generations de l’importance du recyclage. L’autre plus
technique, avec pour but la concretisation du projet sur le terrain.

Michel Goguikian, a l’origine de la fondation eponyme dediee a son
père, premier ambassadeur d’origine armenienne, travaille sur de telles
actions en vue de donner un plus grand poids a la communaute de Bourj
Hammoud au sein de l’Etat libanais. Integrer la fonction publique
est bel et bien la volonte des etudiants aides par la fondation. Le
programme de bourse n’est qu’une facette ; une initiative d’aide
aux jeunes Armeniens desirant passer les concours du secteur public
a egalement ete mise en place (cours de soutien en arabe…). Le but
final est de mener les jeunes de Bourj Hammoud vers la societe civile
libanaise. ” Pour promouvoir leur communaute, mais aussi travailler
a l’interet general du Liban “, confie M. Goguikian.

En effet, les etudiants soutenus par la fondation pendant quatre ans
sont dans l’obligation de donner 10 heures de leur temps hebdomadaire
a des travaux volontaire, ici a Bourj Hammoud. Au total, 4900 heures
de benevolat ont permis l’inauguration du projet de recyclage. La
mise en place des collectes de detritus recyclables sera reprise par
la municipalite de Bourj Hammoud. Symbole du fait que la communaute
armenienne a beaucoup a offrir au Liban. L’espoir affiche est de voir
des systèmes similaires s’etendre a l’ensemble des municipalites de
Beyrouth. Les membres des associations environnementales universitaires
ont fait le deplacement, on pouvait compter parmi eux des etudiants
de la Notre Dame University, Haigazian University et de l’USJ. Sans
oublier l’association ” Terre Liban ” apportant en complement de la
preoccupation du recyclage celui, plus general, de la protection des
forets libanaises.

L’Orient Le Jour

samedi 26 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

PROJET DE FORTE AUGMENTATION DES SALAIRES DES DIRIGEANTS ARMENIENS

POLITIQUE

Le Parlement armenien a debattu jeudi d’une forte augmentation des
salaires des fonctionnaires de haut niveau, dont celui du president
Serge Sarkissian, qui est demande par le gouvernement, mais rejete
par la plupart des forces d’opposition.

Un projet de loi a ete soumis a l’Assemblee nationale. Il vise la
tete de l’Etat, des ministres, les hauts fonctionnaires ainsi que
des deputes du Parlement. Il prevoit notamment de tripler le salaire
mensuel du president Sarkissian, du Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian
et du president du parlement Hovik Abrahamian. Le president recevrait
1,3 million de drams ( 3.260 dollars) par mois, soit près de neuf
fois plus que le salaire moyen actuel en Armenie.

Les deputes de l’opposition ont condamne l’initiative du gouvernement,
en raison du fait que les dirigeants politiques du pays n’auraient
pas le droit moral de gagner plus sans une augmentation equivalente
des autres salaires du secteur public, ainsi que des pensions et des
prestations de la securite sociale versees aux Armeniens a faible
revenu.

” Ces responsables meritent un licenciement, plutôt qu’une augmentation
de salaire “, a declare Nikol Pashinian , depute affilie au Congrès
national armenien (HAK) . ” Au cours de leur règne, la pauvrete en
Armenie a augmente de 27,6 % et l’emigration s’est intensifiee de 3
5%. Ces resultats desastreux resultent sans doute du fait qu’ils ont
ete mal payes ? a ironise le depute.

” Au nom de quoi le salaire de Serge Sarkissian devrait-il etre releve
? Pour l’occupation des rues d’Erevan par des chars, le 1er mars 2008
? Ou pour la ridiculisation de l’Armenie aux yeux de l’Europe et la
Russie ? a martele Pashinian . Il a egalement condamne le fait que le
gouvernement ait choisi de proposer cette mesure juste après avoir
decide d’abandonner les maigres prestations versees a des milliers
de chômeurs .

Un autre depute HAK, Aram Manoukian , a rejete l’argument du
gouvernement selon lequel des salaires plus eleves reduiraient la
corruption parmi les differents representants de l’Etat. Manoukian a
fait valoir que le système judiciaire armenien reste en proie a la
corruption, malgre le fait que les juges gagnent actuellement plus
encore que le President de la Republique. ” La corruption ne peut
etre eliminee que par une volonte politique “, a declare Manoukian .

Davit Harutiunian, depute du Parti republicain de Sarkissian (
HHK), a souscrit a cette affirmation. Il a neanmoins propose que les
autorites les augmentations de salaire des hauts responsables soient
accompagnees de mesures anti-corruption .

Pour sa part, Galust Sahakian, leader parlementaire du HHK , a rejete
les critiques de l’opposition, au motif que de meilleurs salaires
pour les hauts responsables armeniens constituent ” une question de
la dignite de l’Etat. ” ” Si vous ne voulez pas payer un supplement
, faire en don aux orphelinats , “a-t-il declare aux parlementaires
de l’opposition.

Le projet de loi du gouvernement est aussi conteste par les deputes du
parti Zharangutyun de Raffi Hovannisian et du parti Armenie Prospère
de Gagik Tsarukian. Zaruhi Postanjian de Zharangutyun l’a qualifie d’
” immoral “.

Mais avec la majorite HHK au Parlement, le gouvernement pourrait
rester tente de pousser ce projet de loi a l’Assemblee nationale.

samedi 26 octobre 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

AZERBAIJAN SLAMS ARMENIA’S PROPOSAL ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 25 2013

25 October 2013, 13:42 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova

An Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry official expressed concern over
Armenian Prime Minister’s proposal to investigate allegations of drug
trafficking in the Nagorno-Karabakh territory, local media reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev said Azerbaijan has
repeatedly expressed its concern over drug transit through the occupied
territories to international organizations, including the UN.

At the meeting with Executive Director of the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yuri Fedotov, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan invited UNODC to conduct an investigation concerning the
allegations of drug trafficking in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Abdullayev said that by making a decision about the territory of
another country, Armenia has once again demonstrated its impudent
disrespect for international law.

He said that Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part
of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani officials and representatives in international
organizations have repeatedly made well-founded statements about the
use of the occupied territories in drug production.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security earlier exposed 12
people involved in smuggling drugs from Iran, and impounded about
40.5 kilograms of narcotic substances from them. It was ascertained
that part of these drugs had been cultivated and harvested in the
Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenian armed forces. These
drugs were then delivered to Iran and from there found their way
to Azerbaijan.

Given the urgency of the problem of controlling illicit trafficking,
intensive work is underway in Azerbaijan to establish a legal basis
for combating such crimes.

Azerbaijan has joined the 1961, 1971 and 1988 UN conventions on
narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and the fight against illegal
circulation of precursors, and has signed bilateral and multilateral
agreements and memoranda with a number of countries on fighting drugs.

Besides the three UN conventions, Azerbaijan is party to the Partial
Agreement, establishing the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe
on cooperation in combating drug abuse and drug trafficking.

Over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory,
including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, has been
occupied by Armenian forces since the war between the two South
Caucasus countries in the early 1990s. The UN Security Council has
passed four resolutions calling for an Armenian pullout, but they
have not been enforced to date.

DINK MURDER SUSPECT TUNCEL MET POPE’S ASSASSIN AGCA: REPORT

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 25 2013

ISTANBUL

Erhan Tuncel, the suspected instigator of the murder of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, recently met with Mehmet Ali
Agca, who attempted to assassinate the late Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Tuncel was fugitive at the time but “hiding” in Istanbul’s coastal town
of Kumburgaz, although locals and police were aware of his identity,
according to a report published by daily Hurriyet on Oct.

25.

Tuncel, who was arrested by Istanbul’s 14th High Criminal Court
on Oct. 24, first met Agca in a café during his recent period in
hiding and told him, “I am one of your biggest fans,” according to
an eyewitness whose name was kept anonymous by the daily.

The duo then met on a number of subsequent occasions in the same place,
witnesses said.

The cafe by the sea was being managed by Tuncel’s fellow townsmen from
the southeastern Turkish province of Elazıg, and Tuncel generally
spent his days in Kumburgaz reading books by the sea, according
to reports.

Agca and Tuncel had “long hours of talks” at the café, according to
the witness.

“He had two mobile phones, his cigarettes and books. He would not
talk too much. We would see him talking to his fellow townsmen from
Elazıg and occasionally with the police. Policemen would call him ‘Mr.

Erhan,'” an eyewitness told the daily.

Tuncel was captured by police on Oct. 23 as he was out doing his
“daily jogging.” The court decided to arrest him the next day.

He had spent 38 days on the run, but he claims that he was hiding
out in order to prepare his defense.

Tuncel moved to Kumburgaz after being released by the court on Jan.

12, 2012. He rented a villa by the sea and spent the summer in the
town, but Kumburgaz locals said he had been away from his house
after a new arrest warrant was issued for him. The villa’s owner is
still unknown.

The trial concerning the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink restarted in Istanbul on Sept. 17 this year following an
overturning from the Supreme Court of Appeals after six years of legal
procedures. The court had issued an arrest warrant for Tuncel. On the
same day, Tuncel went to Kumburgaz State Health Center and he said
he was suffering from a back illness, Doctor Sinan Onder said. Tuncel
got a rest day report from the doctor and sent it to the court.

The case history

Tuncel was an informant in the Black Sea province of Trabzon ahead of
the murder of Dink, the editor-in-chief of Armenian-Turkish newspaper
Agos who was shot dead in broad daylight in Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007.

The trial concerning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink restarted in September, and the court subsequently issued an
arrest warrant for Tuncel.

Tuncel is seen as key in linking the murder to the state institutions,
as members of the police department in Trabzon, the hometown of the
suspects, have been accused of failing to relay intelligence provided
by Tuncel to the Trabzon Gendarmerie Command, in a report prepared
by Turkey’s State Supervisory Council (DDK).

October/25/2013