Author: Kajoyan Gevork

LES AUTORITES SANITAIRES METTENT EN GARDE LES TOURISTES ARMENIENS SE DIRIGEANT VERS LA GEORGIE CONTRE LA ROUGEOLE

ARMENIE

Les autorites medicales armeniennes ont declare qu’aucun cas de
rougeole n’a ete signale dans le pays, mais ont mis en garde les
citoyens qui envisagent de passer leurs vacances en Georgie contre
la menace d’attraper la maladie.

Gayane Sahakian, responsable du programme national de vaccination
publique du ministère de la sante, a declare que la situation
epidemiologique etait sous contrôle et aucun cas de la maladie importe
n’a ete signale.

Selon le Centre National du contrôle des maladies de la Georgie, le
nombre de personnes infectees par la rougeole a atteint 4611 personnes,
dont 1308 ont ete hospitalises en raison de complications.

Un enfant de 11 mois est mort des suites de la maladie.

” Nous conseillons a tous les voyageurs de se faire vacciner contre
la rougeole au moins quatre semaines avant le voyage ” a-t-elle dit.

Mme Sahakian a dementi les rumeurs que toutes les personnes qui
franchissent la frontière de la Georgie a partir de l’Armenie sont
soumises a une vaccination obligatoire contre la rougeole, affirmant
que les autorites ont seulement renforce le contrôle pour la detection
precoce des personnes presentant des symptômes de la maladie afin de
prevenir sa propagation.

mardi 16 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

LA FRAD MET EN CAUSE L’ENQUETE SUR LE MEURTRE DU MAIRE DE PROCHIAN

ARMENIE

Un responsable de la FRA Dachnaktsoutioun a denonce vendredi 12
juillet la lenteur de l’enquete de police relative a l’assassinat
surevnu recemment du maire de la localite de Prochian, membre du
Parti dachnak, en mettant notamment en avant le fait que les temoins
oculaires du meurtre auraient peur de se presenter devant la justice.

Hrach Muradian, qui occupait depuis près de 8 ans, le poste de maire de
Prochian, une commune situee dans la peripherie de Erevan, avait ete
tue par balles devant le bureau de sa mairie le 2 avril. Un habitant
de la localite avait ete arrete quelques jours après et suspecte
d’etre l’auteur du meurtre dont le Parti d’opposition estime qu’il
avait des motivations politiques. Le suspect principal de l’affaire,
âge de 31 ans, Arayik Petrossian, n’a pas reconnu les faits qui
lui sont reproches. Aghvan Vartanian, chef du groupe parlementaire
du Dashnaktsoutioun, affirme qu’il revient maintenant a la police
armenienne d’identifier au plus vite les ” auteurs reels ” de cet
assassinat.”Nous ne voulons pas conduire des innocents en prison”,
a declare le responsable dachnak. M. Vartanian a fait remarquer
qu’en depit de la recompense de 5 000 dollars promise par la police
a quiconque fournirait des informations sur les circonstances du
meurtre, assortie de garanties de securite pour les eventuels temoins,
les habitants de Prochian craignent de collaborer avec les enqueteurs.

Melania Arustamian, une avocate representant la famille de M.Muradian,
a elle aussi evoque le climat de peur regnant dans la commune. “Si des
gens ont ete temoins [du meurtre] mais ne reconnaissent pas y avoir
assiste, un tel comportement est dû a la crainte”, a declare l’avocate
lors d’une conference de presse a Erevan aux côtes de M.Vartanian,
en rappelant que “la victime a ete tuee en plein jour, au c~ur du
village “. Le Dachnaktsoutioun n’a jamais doute qu’il s’agissait
d’un assassinat politique. Le maire de Prochian etait en très mauvais
termes avec des militants du siege local du Parti republicain d’Armenie
(HHK) au pouvoir, et avec d’autres partisans du pouvoir en place a
Erevan, qui lui ont mene la vie dure durant son mandat. Il avait
recu des menaces a plusieurs reprises, et sa mairie avait fait
l’objet de frequentes inspections de brigades financiers et autres
instances gouvernementales, font valoir les responsables dachnaks dans
designer nommement les eventuels responsables. Selon Mme Arustamian,
les opposants a M. Muradian auraient tente d’incendier sa ferme et
d’enlever l’un de ses neveux en 2010. L’avocate a aussi rappele que
des partisans de M. Muradian s’etaient heurtes violemment a un groupe
d’opposants politiques après les elections locales en septembre 2012.

Selon les differents media, il s’agissait d’hommes de main du candidat
HHK rival de M. Muradian a la mairie de Prochian. Le parti au pouvoir
a bien sûr recuse toute responsabilite dans le meurtre de M. Muradian.

Cette affaire envenime en tout cas les relations deja tendues entre
la FRAD et le pouvoir. Le chef du bureau de la FRAD, Hrant Markarian,
declarait en effet la veille, le 11 juillet, que le premier ministre
Tigrane Sarkissian avait ” declare la guerre ” au parti dachnak en
disseminant des rumeurs dans les media sur d’eventuelles divisions
au sein de sa direction.

mardi 16 juillet 2013, Gari ©armenews.com

ARMENIAN TRUCK DRIVER ARRESTED IN RUSSIA AFTER ACCIDENT CAUSES 18 DEATHS

Irish Trucker Magazine
July 15 2013

Published on 15 July 2013

Russian police have arrested the hospitalised driver of a truck that
smashed into a packed passenger bus outside Moscow, killing 18 people
and injuring dozens more.

Most of the injuries are understood to be severe as the truck was
carrying gravel, which poured onto the passengers in the bus after
the accident occurred on Saturday.

According to a Moscow police statement, the driver has been placed
under arrest for 48 hours and is being interrogated.

The driver – who has no Russian licence – is reported to be an Armenian
citizen and investigators have opened a criminal probe against him
for causing multiple deaths through violating traffic rules, which
carries a maximum of seven years in prison.

He was brought out of an artificial coma in which he had been placed
for a day after the crash and is being interrogated by investigators
from his hospital bed.

Saturday’s accident is one of Moscow’s worst-ever road tragedies.

DAY OF MOURNING IN MOSCOW AFTER DEADLY CRASH

Voice of Russia
July 15 2013

Jul 14, 2013 13:13

Rescue service work on the site where a public transit bus en
route from Podolsk to Kurkino just outside Moscow collided with a
gravel-loaded KAMAZ truck, killing 18 (RIA Novosti)

Rescue service work on the site where a public transit bus en
route from Podolsk to Kurkino just outside Moscow collided with a
gravel-loaded KAMAZ truck, killing 18 (RIA Novosti)

Moscow declared a day of mourning on Monday after a truck ploughed
into a packed passenger bus outside Moscow on Saturday, killing 18
people – the youngest a six-year-old girl – and injuring dozens more.

The regional acting governor promised additional vehicle inspections
after the incident.

The truck driver is regarded as the main suspect in the deadly road
accident near Podolsk, the interior ministry’s press service said. He
was questioned in hospital on Sunday.

Officials said the injuries were particularly severe as the truck was
carrying gravel which poured onto the passengers in the bus and then
covered the roadside.

The accident on Saturday afternoon was one of the worst road tragedies
in Moscow, whose traffic-clogged roads have become ever more dangerous
in recent years.

According to preliminary information, the truck hit the bus after it
turned onto a main road, smashing the bus in two with the force of
the crash.

The driver – an Armenian citizen who had received repeated
traffic violation warnings this year – survived the crash and is in
“satisfactory” condition in hospital, which “allows the investigation
to work with him,” the head of the Moscow health department Georgy
Golukhov said.

More than 60 people were injured in the accident with 32 remaining
in hospital overnight for treatment, the health ministry said.

A dozen victims were said to be in serious condition.

“We will raise the question of additional inspections of more than
5,000 buses at a meeting of the Moscow Region administration,” acting
Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Sunday, adding that such inspections
were critical.

While public transportation vehicles are regularly inspected, it
is vital to exclude any possibility of such accidents occurring,
the acting governor said.

Earlier, he said his administration would initiate federal and regional
legislation to toughen laws on the roads.

FRENCH AMBASSADOR: TIME FOR RECONCILIATION

14:16 15.07.2013

“France plays an active role in his capacity of co-chair of Minsk
Group in order to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the Karabakh
conflict,” US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Pascal Meunier said in an
interview with APA.

“The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan should prepare peoples for
peace, not war,” the Ambassador said. “The position of the French
government is to find a solution. We are very committed to this and
have organized many meetings in Paris. It is an issue that we discuss
both with Armenia and Azerbaijan. We want to organize meetings with
Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Strasbourg and Paris,” he added.

“The time for reconciliation has come. It is also an approach supported
by the European Union, which also has proposed to organize contacts
between peoples. It is very important. You can not reconcile two
nations if they are told by governments that they are enemies. It
is something that has to be done. I think it is understood by both
sides of the conflict and we hope it will be reflected in actions,”
the Ambassador stated.

According to Pascal Meunier, there is not any rivalry between the
three co-chairs, they work together as a team. “All three countries
work as a team. Because I do not think that one of them can solve
the problem without its two partners,” he said.

“Many observers are not expecting a breakthrough in negotiations
this year because of major elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan. But
it does not mean that it will be a lost year. I think it is a year
to prepare new ideas and to discuss them with both sides. Its also
a step forward,” the Ambassador concluded.

THE LETTER RESIGNATION OF BISHOP ZAKARIAN NORVAN CATHOLICOS GAREGIN II

CHURCH

Translated from French

Nor Haratch and site were published on Saturday the
resignation letter that Bishop Zakarian Norvan sent to Catholicos
Garegin II on 1 July 2013. We also received from reliable sources
requesting anonymity, this document. We publish below the translation
by our editorial.

July 1, 2013.

To His Holiness TT Gareguine 22, beaming patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, St. Edjmiatzine

Vèhapar Tèr,

Lately I notice that you take pleasure in hurting me and discredit me.

Your comments about me and blame you send me really surprised me.

Maybe you do not go you realize that your crush under foot the dignity
of people.

The last event of its kind since June 29, 2013 when in the VIP room
of the Charles de Gaulle airport you suddenly attacked me verbally
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Edward Nalbandian, President
of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamian , Ambassador Mr Viguen
Tchitetchian and other religious and secular figures, pronouncing
the words that terrified me: “If you do not release the father of her
work Vatché Ghazanchyan guardian before 1 July 2013, if the diocese
(Armenian France ie) is not able to give him a monthly salary, then you
have nothing to do with the Holy See. ” Emu on the moment, I tried to
check that I had heard and you have repeated: “Yes, you have nothing
to do now with the Holy See.” The day before, already, I was stunned
when I heard you say that “… cassock father Vatché within my own
dignity as she faces of yours and that of every Armenian Church. ”

Vèhapar Tèr, I have neither the desire nor the time to take care
of clerics whose education is based on the desire to do “business”
and became unmanageable. If reform of the Armenian Apostolic Church
is only a matter of step or settlement and that the goal is only to
ensure the continuation of the administrative order, what about the
climate at the mother monastery Armenians, where prevails the absence
of love and decency and a tiring cult of personality? Hope that our
Holy Church does not turn the contents of his mission.

Wanting to get out of this situation, I hereby inform Your Holiness
that from November 1, 2013, I waive my function Primate of the Armenian
Diocese of France, a delegate of the Holy See for Western Europe,
and Board member Spiritual Superior. I resigned from November 1 for
the simple reason that October 19, 2013 to be held the next meeting of
the Diocesan Assembly and delegates will have the time to elect their
Primate which I can send the keys and documents relating to his office.

â~@¨The faithful servant of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church

Archbishop Zakarian Norvan

Monday, July 15, 2013, Ara © armenews.com

Anadolu Agency (AA), Turkey
July 13, 2013 Saturday

Turkey rebuffs Armenian chief prosecutor’s remarks on Turkey-Armenia border

Turkish Foreign Ministry said “It must be known that nobody can dare
to claim territory from Turkey” ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Levent Gumrukcu said on Friday that Turkey regretted
Armenian Chief prosecutor’s remarks on Turkish-Armenian border.
Armenian Chief Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan stated during the
Pan-Armenian Lawyers Congress on July 5 and 6 that the
Turkish-Armenian border wasn’t determined legally and the lost
Armenian territories, as he claimed, must be returned to Armenia.
Gumrukcu stressed that the remarks of an official post like the Chief
Prosecutor’s reflected the problematic mentality prevailing in Armenia
on Turkish-Armenian relations and its neighbour Turkey’s territorial
integrity. He argued that the statement also contradicted the
obligations of Armenia to the international organizations it is
affiliated such as the United Nations (UN) and Organization for
Security and Coordination in Europe (OSCE). “It must be known that
nobody can dare to claim territory from Turkey,” he urged.

Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaii
July 12 2013

Azerbaijani Aloha Sends Hawaii Lawmakers Across Planet on Pricey Trip

By Nathan Eagle

Gift disclosure statements filed last month by two state lawmakers
revealed an unexpected and intriguing donor from half a world away:
The Republic of Azerbaijan.

The thriving oil-fueled nation just north of Iran flew Reps. Rida
Cabanilla and Mark Takai halfway across the world for the
U.S.-Azerbaijan Convention in May.

Yes, from the tide pools of Hawaii to the oil baths of Azerbaijan.

Cabanilla and Takai joined more than 300 other people from the U.S.,
including members of Congress, former governors and political leaders
representing almost every state. There were speeches, a ballet, fancy
dinners and a gala.

Azerbaijan spent a total of nearly $8,000 on airfare, food, lodging
and more for Cabanilla and Takai for a visit that lasted just a few
days – the most expensive gift reported by any member of the
Legislature in the past year.

Other legislators’ disclosure statements showed foreign trips as well,
but less pricey ones. For instance, Sen. J. Kalani English went to
Spain thanks to the Club de Madrid, a trip valued at $1,700. And
Senate President Donna Mercado Kim went on a $3,000 trip to attend a
summit in China that was paid for by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Hawaii lawmakers are required to report any gift that they receive
worth more than $200, or that might result in a fine from the state
Ethics Commission.

Cabanilla and Takai said they aren’t particularly concerned about
accepting such an expensive trip because it doesn’t violate their own
personal ethics or state standards. They both said that they measure
the appropriateness of accepting such junkets by weighing how the
underlying donation might influence them.

`There’s nothing in the Legislature now that would directly benefit
Azerbaijan,’ Takai said, `so it passes the ethics concern.’

Cabanilla said that the most Azerbaijan could get from Hawaii is a resolution.

The convention in Azerbaijan was sponsored by the state oil company in
collaboration with BP, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, among others.

Takai, who heads the House International Affairs Committee, told Civil
Beat on Wednesday that he flew to the small nation that borders
Russia, Armenia, Iran and the nation of Georgia in part to gain a
better understanding of where foreign fossil fuels come from since
Hawaii is talking about weaning itself off imported oil. Azerbaijan
borders the Caspian Sea, which has one of the world’s largest known
oil and gas fields.

But Takai said that the trip was about more than oil. He also went to
promote Hawaii and explore opportunities for tourism and education, he
said, explaining that, `It’s important for us to build bridges
throughout the world if we’re going to continue to prosper.”

Cabanilla, the former chair of the House International Affairs
Committee, said the invitation came as part of a lobbying effort by
Azerbaijan to improve its alliance with the U.S.

She said she went to try to bring business to Hawaii, be it through
tourism, education or medicine.

Takai described Azerbaijan as a fascinating culture, very rich and tropical.

`It’s kind of like Hawaii, but along the Caspian Sea,’ he said.
`Azerbaijan is not quite understood by many in the U.S. and the
country, through this conference, wanted to step up their efforts to
educate elected officials and policymakers.’

Takai said he expects the conference to be an annual event, and for
leaders of Azerbaijan to come visit Hawaii too.

Honolulu has a sister-city relationship with Baku, the Azeri capital
where the convention was held. Takai said that he and Cabanilla
represented the county since Mayor Kirk Caldwell was unable to go.

MP from Prosperous Armenia Party: Scandals around Prime Minister of
Armenia not result of discrepancies within government
by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Saturday, July 13, 18:47

MP from Prosperous Armenia Party Mikael Melkumyan believes that
scandals around Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan are not a
result of discrepancies within the government.

Melkumyan told ArmInfo that to draw final conclusions it is necessary
to wait for the results of the inquiry into the ‘offshore scandal’ and
the end of the “war” between ARFD and Tigran Sargsyan. Prosperous
Armenia prefers good relations with all the political forces if it
does not damage the state and the public interests. I don’t think that
the other parties pursue different goals or seek a split in the
leadership,” he said.

It is widely rumored in the political circles in Armenia that there is
a real ‘war’ between Tigran Sargsyan and Hovik Abrahamyan ahead of the
presidential election of 2018. The prime minister and the speaker
unleashed that ‘smear war’ with the only goal to weaken each other
ahead of the presidential election. As a result, there was leak of
‘confidential’ information against Sargsyan and Abrahamyan regarding
the offshore scandal and misuse of the $2 million provided by the
government for organization of Shanhai-2012 exhibition. To recall,
Armenia’s Ambassador to China is the brother of Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan. Earlier, Hrant Margaryan, ARFD Bureau representative, in
an interview with RFE/RL Armenia service, said that Prime Minister of
Armenia Tigran Sargsyan has openly declared war against ARF
Dashnaktsutyun Party. In response, the Finance Ministry Inspectorate
conducted inspections in the Ararat region and found out that Jonik
Abrahamyan, the speaker’s brother, received and misused 48,000 liters
of diesel fuel the government had provided to the vulnerable rural
residents at preferential prices.

Nevertheless, sources close to the Republican Party say that at the
meeting of the Republican Party Executive Body, the president
reprimanded the prime minister for ‘sending’ financial inspectors to
the ‘Abrahamyans family.’ According to the given sources, the
president was displeased with the open criticism the ruling party
representatives lever at each other. Earlier, Serzh Sargsyan
reprimanded the parliamentary majority, particularly, the parliament
leadership, for their behavior with regard to the Control Chamber’s
report. To recall, after the Control Chamber’s report was introduced
in the parliament, Hovik Abrahamyan harshly criticized the government
structures for misuse of the budget funds. Later, the above
Inspectorate of the Finance Ministry made public the data on the
diesel fuel received by Abrahamyan’s family at a preferential price.

Armenian delegate to PA BSEC: By making anti-Armenian statements from
international tribunes Azeri politicians are just trying to assert
themselves in the eyes of their own authorities
by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Saturday, July 13, 18:49

By making anti-Armenian statements from international tribunes Azeri
politicians are just trying to assert themselves in the eyes of their
own authorities, the head of the Armenian delegation to the PA BSEC
Gagik Minasyan told journalists on Saturday.

He said that during the PA BSEC’s ongoing plenary session in Sofia the
head of the Azeri delegation Asaf Gajiyev said that Azerbaijan was
unable to develop its tourism because 20% of its territory was
“occupied” by Armenia.

“He also said that in Armenia tourism could not develop because of
human rights violations. We gave a worthy response to them, so, their
insinuations had no effect,” Minasyan said.

He said that during the session Turkey urged the PA BSEC to support
its candidacy for hosting the 2020 Olympic Games.

“We were the only delegation who did not support that initiative. We
explained that Olympic Games are not just sports but a holiday of
peace and kindness – something we do not see in Turkey – the country
that continues blockading us. We could not act contrary to the Olympic
ideals, so, we abstained from voting,” Minasyan said.