Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Haykakan Zhamanak: Putin not planning to visit Armenia

09:51 10/11/2012 » DAILY PRESS

`Russian President Vladimir Putin is not planning an official visit to
Armenia and currently there are no discussions on the matter,’ Russian
President’s press service told Haykakan Zhamanak.

`In summer, Director of Institute of CIS States Konstantin Zatulin
said that Putin will arrive in Armenia on September 7 to attend CSTO
exercise. The exercise was postponed by about two weeks but Putin did
not come,’ the paper writes.

Source: Panorama.am

Sharmazanov: Hasanov’s statement reminds of Krylov’s fable Elephant and Pug

16:30 10/11/2012 » TOPIC OF THE DAY

Head of the Public and Political Affairs Department of Azerbaijan’s
Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov made an illogical statement on
Friday, saying in particular that Azerbaijan is going to intensify
pressure on the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, including the
United States, in Karabakh conflict settlement.

Armenian National Assembly Vice Chairman, RPA spokesman Edward
Sharmazanov has commented on this statement.

`This statement once again shows that the Azerbaijani leadership
becomes more and more impudent. The authoritarian leaders of this
country which lays east of Artsakh are so dizzy with Baku’s
petrodollars that they think they have the right to present an
ultimatum to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

I think this statement made by an Azerbaijani official reminds of
famous Russian writer Ivan Krylov’s fable Elephant and Pug.’

300 cases of Azeri ceasefire violation reported Nov 4-10

November 10, 2012 – 16:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 300 instances of ceasefire violation by Azeri armed
forces were registered at the line of contact between Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan from November 4-10.
Azerbaijan fired over 1200 shots from various caliber weapons towards
Karabakh positions, NKR defense army’s press service reports.
In line with ceasefire principles, NKR defense army took relevant
measures to ensure proper protection of its positions.

`Hraparak’: Sergo Yeritsyan has business

2012-11-10 09:36:58

`Hraparak’ informs, Sergo Yeritsyan, the Head of the RA Language
Inspection, set his own business in Baltic Sates, and in these day has
taken a vacation, on his account, to go abroad and do some
arrangements on business related issues.
When the newspaper gave him a call to clarify the information, he
confirmed that he is not in Armenia. Concerning to the business he
rejected: `These are foolish information’. Then why did you leave?,
asked our reporter `I am not obliged to answer…I am in Russia’,
indefinitely replied Sergo Yeritsyan. `Having a rest?”Yes’.

Is Vardan Ghukasyan Establishing a New `Town Hall’ in Gyumri?

NOVEMBER 9, 2012 20:55

According to members of Vartan Ghukasyan’s entourage, the former mayor
is going to establish the so-called second town hall in the vicinity
of the central marketplace in Gyumri, in the former courthouse next to
Alexandropol Hotel. It will be officially, de jure called Vardan
Ghukasyan’s office, but it will de facto be a town hall, in which Mr.
Ghukasyan will receive citizens, organize gatherings and convene
meetings, as before.

According to the same sources, he decided to decorate his office in
the same style, to have the same interior, colors and furniture, as in
the town hall left by him and enjoyed by Samvel Balasanyan now.

For the moment, the former mayor organizes his gatherings in Oasis
Restaurant that belongs to his elder brother Gevorg Ghukasyan. Mr.
Ghukasyan continues to walk around Gyumri like a mayor, with his
entourage, loyal bodyguards, accompanied by Communist deputy mayor
Gagik Manukyan, every evening he goes from Alexandropol Hotel to
Vardanants Square – he wanders about the town hall, visits also St.
Nshan Church renovated by the Ghusyan Brothers charity fund. In a
nutshell, by doing this, Mr. Ghukasyan wants to show that he is
powerful, that the residents of Gyumri love and need him.

Nune AREVSHATYAN

Aravot: Samvel Balasanyan finds hidden listening devices installed by
former mayor

11:37 10/11/2012 » DAILY PRESS

The efforts of Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan, who undertook
renovation of the office of former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, were not
wasted: he found six hidden listening devices in the office, Aravot
writes.

Samvel Balasanyan’s spokesman, however, dismissed this information.

Source: Panorama.a

Azeris in Lithuania protests against visit of Kaunas theatre to Karabakh

Sat 10 November 2012 06:28 GMT | 6:28 Local Time

The Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Lithuanian (AYOL) has held a
protest outside the Kaunas municipality and Kaunas Chamber Theatre.
At the meeting held with official permission of the Kaunas
municipality, Azerbaijani students studying in Lithuanian protested
against the visit of the Kaunas Chamber Theater to Khankandi – an
occupied Azerbaijani territory, Gun.Az reports.

The participants noted that Karabakh is an internationally recognized
land of Azerbaijan, and called on to respect international legal
norms.

“The path to Karabakh goes through Azerbaijan. We demand respect for
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. International legal norms
recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as a territory of Azerbaijan.”

The protesters presented a written petition to the director of the theatre.

Regarding this visit, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Lithuania has sent a
note to the Foreign Ministry of this country.

The protest action of the Azerbaijani youths was covered by leading
Lithuanian media.

News.Az

London Jazz Festival: Tigran Hamasyan – review
Wigmore Hall, London

John Lewis
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 November 2012 17.51 GMT

The Armenian piano wunderkind Tigran Hamasyan is here to play from
Fable, an album he released on Verve 18 months ago when he was only 22
years old. It’s a debut that leaves you clutching at references. Like
Bartók, he takes ancient folk themes from his home country and twist
them into complex modernist miniatures. Like Liszt, he writes romantic
piano solos with a sparkling right hand; like Keith Jarrett, he
improvises funky gospel tunes, humming along with his own solos.

However, after a fruitful session for Gilles Peterson’s show, Tigran
seems keen to try new things. Indeed, for much of tonight’s concert,
he doesn’t touch the piano at all. Arriving on stage dressed like an
eccentric waiter (red bow tie, black waistcoat, 1950s quiff, fulsome
beard) he leans towards the microphone, starts humming, and composes
an a cappella song on the spot – Jamie Lidell style – using a digital
delay unit to loop several layers of harmonies. Later he uses the same
method to improvise a squelchy dubstep track, with fellow Armenian
Gayanée Movsisyan providing operatic vocals.

Even playing solo piano, every track has a pulse running through it,
but that pulse is implied rather than crudely stated. On a
harmonically complicated version of the old Disney standard Someday My
Prince Will Come, Tigran shifts seamlessly from jazz waltz to ragtime,
from piano-pounding freakout to gentle lullaby, without ever losing
that pulse.

Tigran could probably play absolutely anything on the piano but,
crucially, he limits himself to only playing things he can sing. All
that mumbling along as he plays keeps him in check. Where so much
contemporary jazz can be a dreary display of muscle memory, Tigran has
found a way to keep improvisation fresh and lyrical. Other jazz
musicians would be wise to take note.

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The Republic of Armenia has had a good position on the sanctions
against our country, Iranian Justice Minister

16:33, 11 November, 2012

Iranian Justice Minister Seyed Morteza Bakhtiari hailed Armenia for
defending Iran against the sanctions imposed by the western states,
and underlined that there are no restriction for the further expansion
of Tehran’s ties with Yerevan.

“The Republic of Armenia has had a good position on the sanctions
against our country,” Bakhtiari said in a meeting with his Armenian
counterpart Hrayr Tovmasian in Tehran on Sunday.

He reiterated the good and close relations between Tehran and Yerevan,
and said, “Based on our country’s principled policies, there is no
limitation for enhancing the level of interactions between the two
states.”

Relevant reports said earlier that Bakhtiari and Tovmasian are due to
sign an agreement on extradition of criminals today.

Deputy Justice Minister Ali Sadati said that the agreement will be the
first of such agreement between Iran and Armenia, adding that the
agreement envisaged extradition of 12 Iranian prisoners from Armenia
to continue their prison terms in Iran.

He said that the prisoners are usually found guilty for lack of
knowledge about laws and regulations of the host countries.

Iran has signed about 20 of such agreements with different states and
30 of them are waiting to be signed with other countries, the
judiciary official said.

Jordan’s ex-intelligence chief sentenced to 13 years in prison

November 11, 2012 – 16:06 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A Jordanian criminal court sentenced the kingdom’s
ex-intelligence chief on Sunday, November 11 to 13 years and three
months in prison for embezzlement of public funds, money laundering
and abuse of office, AP reported.
It was the harshest sentence in years against such a high-profile
personality in Jordan.
Presiding judge Nashaat Akhras also demanded in court that defendant
Mohammed al-Dahabi pay 21 million Jordanian dinars ($29.6 million) in
fines to the state and return money he allegedly laundered and
embezzled during his 2005-2008 tenure as head of Jordanian
intelligence. The judge said the amount is estimated at 24 million
dinars ($34 million).
Al-Dahabi’s lawyer Mahmoud Kilani said he will appeal the verdict.
Al-Dahabi was arrested in February, when inspectors from the Central
Bank of Jordan suspected transactions worth millions of dollars had
gone through his bank account.
The rare case against a senior official is meant to show Jordan’s
seriousness in efforts to tackle graft and corruption – a demand
voiced in recent street protests.
In 2003, Jordan sentenced another ex-intelligence chief to eight years
in jail for forgery of state documents and abuse of office. Sameeh
al-Batikhi was released after serving his prison term.