Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Modernized S-300 Missiles in Air Defense Exercise

S-300 surface-to-air missiles

MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) – Modernized S-300 surface-to-air
missiles will shoot down `enemy’ fighters in an exercise in Russia’s
Western Military District, the district’s press service said on
Monday.
The joint tactical exercise involving aviation, antiaircraft and
radiotechnical forces, encompasses an area from Russia’s westernmost
exclave of Kaliningrad to central Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod and from
Murmansk in the north to Belgorod in the south, the Western Military
District said.
It did not say when the exercise began or will end.
Radar crews will track several targets simultaneously amid heavy
jamming and issue target designation data to S-300 missile crews in
real time, the Western Military District said.
A group of Su-27 Flanker and MiG-31 Foxhound fighters will pose as
`enemy’ warplanes.

Raffi Hovannisian offers Ter-Petrosyan to ponder on difference between
words and deeds

February 23, 2013 | 15:30

YEREVAN.- Armenian presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian, who is on
a trip to Armenia’s regions, commented on the statement of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, leader of opposition Armenian National Congress bloc.

Speaking about yesterday’s rally in support of Hovannisian, opposition
bloc leader said `Raffi Hovannisian did not start, the people started
[these rallies]; they came to Liberty Square and are voicing their
protest against these authorities.’ Ter-Petrosyan stressed that the
protesters have not yet taken action.

Hovannisian shared Ter-Petrosyan’s opinion that it was the rally
initiated by the people of Armenia.

`He is right. People demand justice. I am acting together with people.
As to difference between words and deeds, he also has to think about
it. But, he is right saying that it is people’s struggle, not my own,’
he emphasized.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Feb 23 2013

Turkey’s message to Sargysan irks Azeris

23 February 2013

A note of congratulations sent by President Abdullah Gül to his
Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, over his successful re-election
has angered a number of Azeri parties.

`This hurt us. But it should not be exaggerated. International
organizations are keeping silence over the presidential elections in
Armenia. Armenia’s population is less than 2 million, but 2,500,000
people have been registered,’ Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov said
Feb. 22 during a debate in Parliament.

Gül sent a message of congratulations to Sargsyan after he was
re-elected to a second five-year mandate.

The deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party, Mubariz
Gurbanli, also said Gül’s note of felicitations was unacceptable.

`We didn’t expect this. Therefore, we have expressed such an
attitude,’ Azeri news agency APA quoted him as saying.

Another lawmaker, Fazil Mustafa, said that although the Turkish
president’s immediate message raised concerns, it was not a reason to
transform the matter into a bigger issue.

Musavat Party Central Executive Board member Arif Hajili also
criticized Gül. `Turkish President Abdullah Gül’s sending of
congratulations before the official announcement of the results is the
wrong step. This is the continuation of Turkey’s zero-problem policy
with the neighboring states. But actually this policy failed. With
this policy, Turkey’s relations with most of the states in the region
have become tense.

Moreover, the Turkish president’s congratulations to Sargsyan
contradict the interests of Azerbaijan. At a time when the
international community is expressing views that an illegitimate
government exists in Armenia, the Turkish government sealed the
legitimacy of the Armenian leadership. This is wrong and causes
regret,’ he said.

The chairman of the United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Gudrat
Hasanguliyev, also expressed his regret at Gül’s act.

`If someone thinks that Armenia and Armenians will give up the
so-called genocide and territorial claims thanks to these steps, they
are mistaken,’ Hasanguliyev said, adding that phone calls,
congratulations and other steps would not achieve results just like
what he declared to be the failed `football diplomacy’ of 2008 and
2009, the Zurich protocols and work and residence permits for illegal
Armenian migrants in Turkey.

23 February 2013

DEFENSE MINISTRY TO BUY TIGR ARMORED VEHICLES

Tigr multipurpose military vehicle

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, February 22 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Defense
Ministry is interested in buying Russian-made Tigr (Tiger) armored
vehicles, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

Different modifications of the vehicles exist, including those armed
with antitank rockets that can effectively engage a superior enemy
force as large as a tank company, he said.

This particular modification is being developed by the Arzamas
Machine-Manufacturing Plant in conjunction with the Tula-based KB
Priborostroyenia [Instrument Building] Design Bureau.

“We will show this machine at an exhibition in Nizhny Tagil. I think
it will impress everyone – both our enemies and our state contracting
authorities,” Rogozin said.

He said it is wrong to buy 100-percent foreign-made military arms and
equipment, because such policy is detrimental to domestic manufacturers
and does not involve technology transfers.

Rogozin also said the state will support private firms working
under state defense contracts, adding that the relevant legislation
is pending.

The SPM-2 GAZ-233036 Tigr (Tiger) is a high-mobility multipurpose
military vehicle manufactured by MIC, a GAZ Group division, at the
Arzamas machine-manufacturing plant.

It has a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour and can carry up
to nine personnel or 1.2 tons of cargo.

ARMENIA: POST-ELECTION FIGHT OVER PRESIDENCY CONTINUES

EurasiaNet.org, NY
Feb 22 2013

February 22, 2013 – 11:33am, by Giorgi Lomsadze

Supporters of Armenian presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian are
gathering this evening in central Yerevan for what Hovannisian called a
“celebration of victory”, but more questions than answers exist about
the claim.

The official returns for the February 18 vote placed the American-born
Heritage Party leader far behind incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan,
but Hovannisian claims this is a result of his votes being stolen.

Sargsyan failed to convince his challenger otherwise during a
tete-a-tete yesterday in the presidential residence, and Hovannisian
emerged from the talks insisting that he would press on.

“My dear compatriots . . . we are defending our Constitution, our
rights,” he declared to protesters in Liberty Square. “This is not
about the fight between Raffi and Serzh, but about the future of the
Republic of Armenia and its citizens.”

Mindful of the ten deaths that followed the last time there was a
presidential election fight, both sides appear to be approaching the
conflict with some degree of caution.

The presidential administration released a little video teaser of the
closed meeting between the two men. “You look kind of sad,” Sargsyan
told Hovannisian with a disarming smile — an observation which his
rival denied, also with a smile.

But amidst all the platitudes, the outcome of this face-off is no less
critical. The options for Hovhannisian’s supporters essentially boil
down to preparing for the next elections, preparing for a revolution
or preparing to come to terms with Sargsyan, ArmeniaNow reported.

Hovannisian promised to disclose the details of his talks and propose
a future course of action at the rally today.

While there is little concrete evidence of Hovannisian’s claims
to a complete, national victory, Armenians have many reasons to be
skeptical of the outcome of the election. Many are posting online
alleged videotaped evidence of ballot-stuffing. Some angrily protested
in front of the Yerevan office of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.

The ultimate question could be if Hovannisian’s rally will widen —
senior members of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation
have joined the Liberty Square protest — or, like so many protest
movements before his, slowly wither away.

GLENDALE SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES TALK DIVERSITY, FUNDING AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Glendale News Press, CA
Feb 22 2013

February 21, 2013|By Kelly Corrigan

At the first Glendale Unified school board election forum of the
season Wednesday night, candidates discussed districtwide diversity,
language programs and commemorating the Armenian genocide.

About 20 people attended the event hosted and televised by the Glendale
chapter of the Armenian National Committee.

All candidates said they supported making April 24 – the day
commemorating the Armenian genocide – a non-instructional day,
effectively giving students the day off while district staff and
teachers work on professional development and other matters. Many
students of Armenian descent already stay home from school that day
to participate in commemoration activities.

School board President Christine Walters, who is running to keep
her seat, said all days must be negotiated between the district and
Glendale Teachers Assn. and classified staff.

“It’s something that we cannot do unilaterally, but I do understand
the importance of April 24 to this community,” she said.

Incumbent Joylene Wagner added that she would like to see “more
conversation” on the subject, saying she would “love it to be a staff
development day.”

TOOTHACHE FOR ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 22 2013

David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

It seems that the intention of the Armenian authorities to increase
the tax burden in 2013 is being implemented from January 1. At the
end of the last year the Head of the Committee for State Expenses,
Gagik Khachatryan, announced that tax revenues should increase to
118 billion drams, although the 108 billion drams in 2012 already
provoked enormous dissatisfaction among the citizens. Armenian dentists
became the first target of the Armenian tax inspectors. This field
is relatively developed in Armenia, and people come from the entire
CIS for cheap and high quality dental treatment. According to the
information of the Associations of Armenian Dentists, Armenia now has
750 dental centers. Armenia is a leader among European countries in
the number of dentists per capita.

It seems that the success of Armenian dentists did not allow the
Armenian authorities to sleep in peace. Therefore it was decided that
the taxes paid by dentists should be increased several times.

According to the new tax package adopted by the Parliament late in
2012, the dental clinics should pay taxes on each chair. The clinics
of Yerevan will pay 60-100 thousand drams (150-250 dollars) for each
chair per month. 100 drams will be paid by clinics in the center of the
city, and others 60-80 drams. If the clinic has less than 3 chairs,
the tax is 60-100 thousand drams, if more than than 3, then it is 48
thousand drams per chair. Previously it was only 15 thousand drams
(35 dollars) per month.

The other victims of the tax inspectorate (although to a lesser extent)
include real estate agents, employees of beauty salons and lawyers,
who should now pay 24.5% tax instead of 10%.

Obviously, this inappropriate move provoked a riot. Dentists
held a protest in front of the government building, demanding
the reconsideration of the tax changes. Earlier they held similar
actions in front of the presidential palace and the building of
the Armenian Parliament. The dentists claim that because of this
inappropriatetaxation, many of them will have to cease their business,
taking into account fluctuations in profitability, because dental
services have a seasonal character. Dentists also believe that
this will also cause at least a 50% increase in the costs of dental
services, which will affect their clients. Physicians said that the
innovation is like a cultural anaesthesia that will be followed by
a new law for insuring the public health system.

The main issue is not only the increase of taxation but its structure.

Everyone understands that this structures creates conditions for
the developments of the new Armenian monopoly integrated with the
authorities. Today in Armenia almost all spheres of the economy have
been monopolized – retail, import, public health, energy distribution,
drinking water supply, banking, etc. The increased taxation of the
dentists revealed a new potential monopoly. The dentists have already
argued that the new law was aimed at pushing out the small clinics
and the promotion of the large clinics supported by the government.

To put it differently, the changes to the tax inspection are aimed
at increasing the tax burden for small and medium-size businesses in
favor of the big monopolies. It became a logical continuation of the
policy carried out by the government for cooperating with oligarchs
and defending their interests. Independent experts claim that small
clinics are forced to leave the market. Dentists confirm that this
pressure started last year with numerous check-ups and inspections
that forced many private clinics to close.

The leaders of the small Yerevan clinics claim that all these
efforts were made in favor of the biggest dental center in Armenia,
Natalie-Dent, that should open soon. The center belongs to an MP from
the ruling party, oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan. In this situation the
dentists have a dilemma – they can either get employed by Aleksanyan
or leave the country in search of a better life abroad. It is clear
that Armenian dentists will use the old and well-established second
option. Several dozen dentists have shut down their clinics and moved
abroad, mostly to Russia.

Yet on February 8 the prime minister, Tigran Sarkisyan, beaming with
his snow-white smile, told journalists that “no dentist will leave
Armenia because of the new tax.” He is convinced that businessmen are
not intending to leave the country “because of their high profits
here.” He also excluded the possibility that the price of dental
services will increase. Sarkisyan advised the dentists to study the
experience of taxi drivers, whose tax-burden is even higher…

.

JOINT BOOK OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI WRITERS TO BE PUBLISHED IN TURKEY

Fri, 02/22/2013 – 19:21
International law

“Now the Azerbaijani will receive a Nobel Prize and we will remain.

Azeri outpaced us. That person is burning in our pain and problems,
and shows his humanism… do we have such an intention?” today in the
“Hayeli” club said the writer Levon Javakhyan.

According to him, in Armenia, especially among the intelligentsia,
the published novel of Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylislii “Stone Dreams”
is looked up with jealousy.

As Javakhyan says there is also an intention to confront the
Azerbaijani against each other – the nation and the writer. “That is
to say, Aylisli is different, Azerjaijani-different. No, Azerbaijan
gave birth to Akram Aylisli”- he said.

However, many examples of Armenian writers who value and present the
humanistic and universal values of Azerbaijani people also exist.

Javakhyan mentioned such several names and works of Armenian writers
of different era: “Turkish girl” by Khachatur Abovyan, “Ahmad” by
Hovhannes Tumanyan, “Fire Shirt” by Vardges Petrosyan.

During the press conference of Diasporan Armenian publicist Sargis
Hatspanyan presented the issue of relationship between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani peoples and intellectuals in the scope of universal and the
best traditions. He said that his Turkish friend, the founder of the
“BELGE” edition Ragip Zarakolun plans to publish in one book titled
“Artsatagir” the novel of Aylisli “Stone Dreams” and the tales of
Levon Javakhyan about the life of the Azerbaijani people.

The Turkish publisher in his open letter to the Azerbaijani and
Armenian writers said that he wants to “… respond to their call for
peace and brotherhood, “and have his “contribution to peace building,
which all the reasonable forces of the two societies seek.”

Author: Factinfo

COURT SATISFIED THE MOTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF RUBEN HAYRAPETYAN

Fri, 02/22/2013 – 19:38
News

Today Avan and Nor-Nork Court of First Instance, presided by Judge
Aida Davtyan, continued the trial of G. Chukaszyan against Ruben
Hayrapetyan.

During the previous hearing, the defendant submitted a motion to
discontinue the application on the grounds of time period limitation,
reasoning that Mher Arshakyan, the representative of Garegin Chuqanzyan
is not an authorized person and presented without a signature, so
the time period limitation should be used.

The respondent was also asked the court to postpone the hearing,
unless the applicant submits a written objection to the motion.

The representative of the plaintiff Karapet Badalyan objected
the motion in the written form, arguing that M. Arshakyan was an
authorized representative, with the authorization certified by a
notary, so the petition is baseless, because the claim was filed
within the time period prescribed by law. As a result, the court
granted the defendant’s motion and delayed the hearing.

The next court hearing will be held on March 22.

It should be remembered that the plaintiff demands for the compensation
for the damage caused to his good reputation, honor, and dignity and
business reputation.

Author: Factinfo

HERITAGE PARTY LEADER BEGINS ‘REVOLUTION OF GREETINGS’

YEREVAN, February 22. /ARKA/. Opposition Heritage Party leader,
Raffi Hovannisian, told thousands of his supporters at Liberty Square
today that he was starting a “revolution of greetings” and protest
demonstrations across the country.

Hovannisian, who came in second in the February 18 presidential
election, refused to recognize the official results, which gave the
victory to the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan. He rallied his
supporters for two days at Liberty square demanding that Sargsyan
‘hand the power to the people of Armenia.’

Hovannisian told the crowd today that he and his supporters will
travel tomorrow to Ashtarak, Vanadzor, and Gyumri for rallies and on
Sunday they will reconvene at Liberty Square in Yerevan.

He called on Yerevan mayor to take note of ‘our intention to hold a
demonstration on Sunday at Liberty Square’, which he said is nobody’s
property, and on Sunday the Armenian people will gather there again.

Hovannisian said he was going to hold demonstrations in all the cities
and villages across the country, and stressed the need of unity.

“All Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Diaspora, and Armenia
must become united, ” he said, adding that the demonstrations would be
peaceful, and he will not allow anyone to raise hands on people. He
said any law-enforcement officer, who will send troops against the
people, “will be brought to account by the people.”

At this moment Hovannisian and several hundreds of his supporters
began marching along the central streets of Yerevan. He urged the
protesters to remain calm and not to occupy the roadway.

According to preliminary data, Serzh Sargsyan was reelected president
garnering 58.64% of the vote, while Raffi Hovannisian received 36.74%.

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