Author: Kajoyan Gevork

200 HEADS OF MASS MEDIA PARTAKE IN MEDIA CHALLENGES DISCUSSION IN MINSK

11:15, 10 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The Forum of European and Asian
Media (FEAM) launched in the capital of Belarus, Minsk. The seventh
annual Forum of European and Asian Media titled Integration Processes
in the Post-Soviet Space and New Media kicked off on 9 December and
will last until December 12. More than 200 heads of the leading media
outlets from the CIS, Baltic states and Georgia partake in the forum.

Director of “Armenpress” News Agency Aram Ananyan also participates
in the event.

Eurasian integration will be the main topic of the Forum of European
and Asian Media 2012. The journalists, media experts and political
figures will discuss the prospects of integration projects, cooperation
between mass media and the society, as well as the peculiarities of
structure and activity of new mass media in the post-Soviet space.

The Forum of European and Asian Media hosted renowned politicians
and public figures and representatives of culture during its existence.

Traditionally the leaders of the host country participate in the
forum. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is expected to have
a meeting with the participants of the forum.

In the framework of the forum the organizers will convoke plenary
sessions and discussion forums. Awarding of the winners of “FEAM Best
Media-Project 2012” will also be held in Minsk. RIA Novosti and “Mir”
International Television made a decision regarding the organization of
this contest. The contest is aimed to the creation of new informational
and analytical projects dedicated to the economic and political
integration on the basis of new and traditional media-technologies.

Participants of the forum will also partake in the “Wall against Wall”
unyielding debates dedicated to “The Internet: Unlimited Information
and the Limits of Freedom”. The participants of the debate will be
divided into two camps – supporters and opponents of immersion into
the Internet, which will defend their views.

BAKOU MENACE STEPANAKERT ENCORE UNE FOIS
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 10 decembre 2012

Le ministre azeri des Affaires etrangères Elmar Mammadyarov a une
nouvelle fois mis en garde jeudi Stepanakert contre l’ouverture prevue
de l’aeroport, a rapporte l’agence de presse APA.

” Si l’aeroport est en service et les vols sont operes dans le
Haut-Karabagh, cela sera prejudiciable au processus de paix ” a dit
Elmar Mammadyarov au representant special de l’UE pour le Caucase du
Sud Philippe Lefort en visite a Bakou.

Pendant ce temps a Stepanakert, le chef du Departement de l’aviation
civile de l’Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Dmitry Atabashian Dmitry a
dit a Armenpress que l’ouverture de l’aeroport de Stepanakert est
imminente et est en attente de mise au point technique.

Dmitry Atabashian a egalement ajoute qu’un certain nombre de compagnies
aeriennes ont exprime leur interet pour utiliser l’aeroport de
Stepanakert.

Le chef de l’aviation civile a declare que tandis que l’aeroport
sera principalement utilise pour les vols vers l’Armenie, d’autres
destinations internationales sont a l’etude.

” Comme vous le savez, l’aeroport est deja utilise, mais les vols
se feront après nous ayons acquis plus d’equipement. Actuellement,
nous ne disposons pas d’un système anti-givrage afin de garder le
tarmac et les pistes sans glace “, a explique Dmitry Atabashian qui
a ajoute que les accords pour l’achat de l’equipement necessaire ont
deja ete signes.

lundi 10 decembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

KAREN ANDREASYAN: “COURTS ARE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION”

Mediamax News Agency
Dec 10 2012
Armenia

Monday 10 December 2012 12:03LeftRight Yerevan. December 10.

/Mediamax/. This year, the Office of Ombudsman pursued the rights of
about 5600 people.

Armenian Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan said this in Yerevan today,
Mediamax reports.

Summing up the statistics of human rights violations by governmental
bodies in 2012, Karen Andreasyan said that some of these people were
provided with legal counseling and 2290 applications were accepted
for consideration.

“820 off these applications contained serious complaints and referred
to Police, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministries of
Justice and Defense, as well as to Yerevan Municipality,” said Karen
Andreasyan.

This year, the Armenian Human Rights Defender’s Office issued 27
decisions on human rights violations relating to Prosecutor’s Office
and Ministry of Defense (6 violations each).

In reply to Mediamax’s question, Karen Andreasyan said that “courts
are the biggest problem in Armenia’s human rights protection”.

“The courts should be the guarantor of human rights protection. The
social vulnerability of our citizens, the absence of a free economic
competition and the mistrust towards electoral processes is also a
serious challenge from the point of view of human rights protection,”
said Karen Andreasyan.

According to him, the citizens have no confidence in electoral
processes and the problem here is the “unceremonious treatment” of the
Central Electoral Committee, Police or the Prosecutor General’s Office.

U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO VISIT ARMENIA

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 10 2012

Yerevan/Mediamax/. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Thomas Melia will visit Armenia on
December 13-15.

He will discuss issues of human rights and democracy with the
Armenian high-ranking officials, political leaders and civil society
representatives, the U.S. Embassy reported today.

THE BUDGET OF THE NKR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WILL RISE BY AMD 88 MLN

Monday, 10 December 2012 12:38

The standing commissions of the National Assembly commenced the
discussions of the law budget draft 2013. During the joint session
of the financial and economic commission and the standing commission
on foreign relations head of the staff of the NKR Foreign Ministry
Semyon Afyan presented the 2013 budgetary expenditures.

As he reported the Ministry’s funds rose by 88 mln drams as compared
with 2012 which is mainly stipulated by the increase of the expense
allowances of NKR permanent representatives in foreign countries. Some
increase is scheduled in the wage bill as well through adding 5
new posts in the Ministry and granting bonuses to those who have a
diplomat’s degree.

The reserve funds, as Semyon Afyan reported, would be directed to the
NKR permanent representatives as subsistence allowances, to the NKR
official delegations’ participation in various arrangements organized
in different countries as well as to the organization of a number
of events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the NKR Ministry of
Foreign Affairs both in Karabakh and outside its borders. NA deputy
Spartak Avanesyan wondered whether there were some vacant places
in the Foreign Ministry and in answer the head of the staff of the
Ministry said that they had vacant places at the moment and they were
going to conduct competitions for the posts in February.

AGAIN ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF “AZAT ARTSAKH” PRESS SERVICE

Monday, 10 December 2012 12:44

Nothing is going to change in “Azat Artsakh” public press service in
the forthcoming year: neither the salaries of the journalists and other
employees nor the journalists’ royalties, newspaper editor-in-chief
Leonid Martirosyan noted during December 5 NA discussions of the
State Budget draft 2013.

As he reported the funds of the press remained unchanged as compared
with this year. 90% of the press expenditures are covered by state
subsidies.

During the discussions the unfavourable building conditions were
touched upon as well. As the editor assured the problem had been
discussed for many years, they had applied to the authorities but the
issue was still unsettled. During these years neither of the founders
of the press service /the founders are NKR President’s office, the
Government and the National Assembly/ visited them to get familiarized
with the building conditions, Leonid Martirosyan announced and added
that they felt ashamed to receive foreign guests.

That the governing bodies are all well aware of the conditions of the
public press service is out of question as the journalists also raised
the issue during the meetings with different high-ranking officials
yet the conditions have not changed at all.

During the discussions NA deputy Vahram Atanesyan informed that he had
addressed an application to the Prime Minister about the conditions of
the press service and now he was waiting for a reply and explained that
they had not visited them as they had nothing to say in this concern.

While the authorities decide how to solve this “complicated” issue
the journalists will continue working in the same conditions.

STATEMENT OF PARTICIPANTS OF THE RIGHTS MARCH ORGANIZED BY ANC

17:10, December 10, 2012

We have been organizing the Rights march on the international day of
the protection of human rights every year since 10 December, 2008.

These marches have become an opportunity to take stock of what the
Popular Movement has accomplished in its struggle for freedom and the
restoration of constitutional rights, as well as an expression of our
determination to continue the fight.

On this day we report on the state of human rights and democratic
freedoms to our people and to the international community, as well as
map out our future tasks in these areas. Here are then the most
pressing areas of concern:

1. For more than a year and four months, the ruling regime of Armenia
is keeping Tigran Arakelyan, who is an Armenian National Congress
activist, in prison. The authorities released all the political
prisoners in 2011 under pressure from the public and entered
negotiations with the Armenian National Congress on the issue of
forming a legitimate government through fair and free elections. In
order to torpedo these negotiations, the authorities, with help from
the police, organized a provocation against the group of young
activists from the Armenian National Congress on 9 August, 2011.

As a result, Tigran Arakelyan has been sentenced to 6 years in prison,
and if Serge Sargsyan orders the obedient Appeals Court to confirm the
sentences of First Instance and Appellate Courts, three other
activists – Artak Karapetyan, Sargis Gevorgyan, and Davit Kiramijyan –
will also be imprisoned for 3, 2, and 2 years respectively. On behalf
of today’s march we demand freedom for the youngsters, who are
fighting for the Armenia of their dreams.

2. Having created a machine for vote bribing, voter intimidation, and
multiple voting, the Armenian authorities continue to deny the
Armenian people’s right to form a government through elections. The
National Assembly, which was formed after the 6 May elections, does
not reflect the true will of the Armenian people as a result. In the
mean time, the authorities are gearing up for massive vote fraud in
the upcoming presidential elections.

3. Television remains under the control of Serge Sargsyan’s regime,
which tramples on the basic right of the Armenian people to free
speech and free access to information.

4. On 1 March, 2008, the authorities drowned the people’s anger at
election falsification in blood, violating the most basic of human
rights – the right to life -then failed to uncover that unprecedented
crime and to punish anybody for organizing and carrying out the
killings. The Armenian National Congress is calling on the people to
continue its unbending struggle for its basic rights. Emigration is
not the right answer to oppression and lawlessness. Citizens must take
ownership of their destinies and rid the country of its dictatorial
rulers.

We call on all the political forces that are not controlled by the
authorities to join forces during the upcoming presidential elections
for the sake of our people’s freedom and prosperity.

Finally, we call on the international community, particularly the
Council of Europe, its Parliamentary Assembly and the Council’s Human
Rights Commissioner not to turn a blind eye on the blatant violations
of human rights and democratic freedoms by the Armenian authorities,
to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Armenia in its struggle
for those rights, as well as to take the necessary measures to make
sure that the Armenian authorities are fulfilling their obligations
and commitments in the area of human rights.

Participants of the Rights March

ARMENIA~RS JUDICIAL SYSTEM MOST DISTRUSTED AGENCY BY CITIZENS, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

YEREVAN, December 10. / ARKA /. Armenia~Rs judicial system (courts and
prosecutors) is the most distrusted government agency, human rights
defender Karen Andreasyan told journalists on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference he called on the occasion of
International Human Rights Day, Andreasyan said this fact is of great
concern. He blamed the distrust on citizens~R socio-economic problems.

“Very high level of poverty and electoral processes add to deepening
distrust of citizens towards government agencies,” he added.

“Although the latest parliamentary elections in May 2012 were
conducted without blatant violations during the vote and vote count,
the confidence in the process as a whole is little” he said, saying
this is to be blamed on the Central Election Commission, the police
and the prosecutor’s office. -0-

PROTEST AGAINST TIGRAN SARGSYAN IN U.S.

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:01 10/12/2012

On the second day of his working visit to the U.S., Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan visited the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of North America.

Leader of the Diocese Hovnan Archbishop Terteryan presented the
activities of the Diocese. Later, Prime Minister met with the
representatives of the Armenian community of California, answered
their questions relating to Armenia’s home and foreign issues.

After the meeting, Tigran Sargsyan approached the U.S. based Armenian
protesters from Teghut protection group, who conveyed their concern
over the environmental issues in Armenia.

Prime Minister said that the government follows the activities of
the group and is aware of their worries. According to him, it is
impossible to build the civil society without active people who are
devoted to ideas.

Tigran Sargsyan said that the efforts of the initiative group produce
positive results and the state bodies take into account the opinion
of the group. According to him, the government supports the movement.

Prime Minister said ready to discuss the demands of the group with
the aim to find solutions meeting their needs too. He invited everyone
to Armenia.

U.S. AND ABKHAZIAN RAILWAY
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

15:50 10/12/2012

Average American diplomats signals to Russian experts that the U.S.
does not mind lifting of the blockade of the Abkhazian railway. There
are serious reasons for this.

Georgia’s isolation from Russia did not bring anything to the U.S. and
the Western community but additional problems and the feeling of
potential and real risks. The U.S. has built an adequate social and
political model of co-existence of Georgia with the foreign world,
including (though strange it may seem) with Russia.

The U.S. has always been interested in “transit” Georgia with all its
parallel attributes, which has proven right in recent years. This model
would suit Russia perfectly if Georgia stopped irritating Moscow. Of
course, the question of Georgia’s accession to NATO remains, but it
is unlikely, even after the “historic” Chicago Summit, that NATO will
make the desired decision for Georgia.

Georgia, weakened by Russia, is an endless consumer of the donor
assistance and will be waiting for a new war. This waiting may be an
acceptable condition for other nations, but not Georgians, who are
not focused on waiting for long, but on the rule “here and now”.

The country, which has experienced a period of favorite positions,
will not return to the position of the Eurasian marginal, and will
prefer a not-rich, but some “model” of existence, realizing that
being in this region, it cannot lead a multidirectional policy.

Russia showed its “respect” toward the American-Atlantic transit
corridor in Georgia quite convincingly, and it became the main factor
of losing if not the interest, then the attention of the Euro-Atlantic
community in Georgia. Actually, after the military conflict in August
2008, the Georgian transit corridor became Russian. Russia will have
to be satisfied with Georgia’s distancing now and in the future.

However, the Georgian-Russian relations are not the only circumstance
to be taken into account during the consideration of the current
situation by Americans. Being in a state of communication and
political isolation, the South Caucasus was heavily dependent on the
Turkish-Azerbaijani unit, which does not correspond to the interests
of either the U.S. or Russia, or other countries in the region.

It is necessary to note that the unblocking of the railway towards
the Abkhazian direction will be attractive for Iran, but the Americans
understand very well that this direction is related to the relations
between Iran and the U.S. partners in Europe, so this factor is no
more a big threat for the U.S. strategy.

The U.S. would like to exploit the Georgian transit corridor under
the economic support of Russia in order to shift away the material
and political expenses. The only question is whether the United States
may, in a certain period, assume waiting positions, and this gap may
be favorable for the possible activities of the Armenian lobby in
Washington in the direction of acceleration of positive reaction to
the opening of the transport directions.

Saakashvili’s team has been consistent to this issue, who retained his
policy calibrated and capable to lead to results. But, most likely,
the “team” failed to understand that Moscow won’t communicate with
Saakashvili anyway, due to other issues.

It seems that both Georgia and Russia hurry because the Caucasian
past demonstrated that the factor of time in this region is important,
and missing the moment, you can never reach after it.

H. Clinton’s famous statements on Russia’s attempts to integrate the
post-Soviet territory should not be mechanically connected with the
reopening of the Abkhazian railways. The Russian-Georgian relations
are a special case and are least dangerous for the U.S. interests,
since Georgia is firm and won’t return to the Russian orbit.

There comes a time when Russia does not lose but only pretends that it
is worried with the fate of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is just
a demagogic and not very persuasive technique in dealing with Georgia
and Armenia on the opening of the Abkhazian road. All interested
parties may wish to collect “points” in this political bargaining,
but all the parties are afraid of failure and delay of the project.