Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN GM LEADS CHESS TOURNAMENT IN BULGARIA

news.am
June 8

Armenia’s GM Tigran Petrosian tallied four points after Round 4 at
the “First Major European Open” being held in Golden Sands, Bulgaria,
and he leads the current overall standings.

IM Karen Grigoryan, along with fifteen other chess players, is half
a point behind the leaders.

GMs Vladimir Akopian and Avetik Grigoryan, and IM Hovhannes Gabuzyan
have 3 points apiece.

GM, Hrant Melkumyan, and IMs Hrayr Simonyan and Grigor-Sevak Mkhitaryan
have 2.5 points each.

YEREVAN DAIRY FACTORY BLAST SURVIVOR IS RECOVERING WELL

news.am
June 08, 2012 | 13:16

YEREVAN. – E. Ghazaryan, who sustained injuries as a result of an
explosion at Marianna Dairy Factory, is in a relatively more stable
condition on Friday, Marianna Dairy Production Company Deputy Director
Albert Hovhannisyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Ho noted that the blast survivor’s health condition is relatively
better, he is conscious, and is now breathing without a respirator.

And with respect to the possible causes of the explosion, the Deputy
Director noted that the investigation will reveal everything.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a blast occurred at Marianna
Dairy Factory in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) received a call, on Thursday
at 8:35am, informing that there was an explosion at the Factory and
one person had sustained injuries, MES informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

An operative team was dispatched to the scene.

As a result of the blast, E. Ghazaryan, 55, was injured and transferred
to hospital.

TURKEY SAYS WON’T ATTEND ANY CYPRUS-PRESIDED EU EVENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2012 – 11:22 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey will not attend any event presided over by
Cyprus when the divided nation assumes the European Union presidency
in July, the country’s foreign minister said, according to Belfast
Telegraph.

Turkey does not recognize Cyprus as a sovereign nation and opposes it
taking over the EU presidency until a solution to the dispute is found.

The island was split into an internationally recognized Greek-speaking
south and a breakaway Turkish-speaking north in 1974 when Turkey
invaded after a coup by supporters of a union with Greece. Only the
Greek section is part of the EU.

“EU-Turkey relations and the political contacts we are currently
establishing will continue as they are,” Turkey’s foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint news conference with EU foreign policy
chief Baroness (Catherine) Ashton and enlargement commissioner Stefan
Fule. “Yet no ministry or organisation of the Turkish Republic will
take part in any activity that will be presided by Southern Cyprus.”

Eight policy issues have been frozen by the bloc over Turkey’s refusal
to allow ships and planes from Cyprus enter its ports and airspace.

Turkey, however, is showing renewed interest in reviving its stalled
bid to join the European Union, now that one of its key opponents –
Nicolas Sarkozy – is no longer the president of France.

Turkey began its EU accession negotiations in 2005 but made little
progress in its candidacy, thanks to its dispute with Cyprus and
opposition from Mr Sarkozy to Turkey’s membership. Mr Sarkozy argued
that the predominantly Muslim country is not part of Europe and
wanted Turkey to accept some kind of a special partnership with the
EU instead of full membership – an offer Turkey rejected.

Now that Socialist Francois Hollande has replaced the conservative Mr
Sarkozy, Turkey hopes France will be more sympathetic to the candidacy
of a country that has one of the world’s fastest growing economies
and is becoming a regional diplomatic player.

“Turkey will determinedly progress in its course towards the EU,”
Egemen Bagis, the Turkish minister in charge of EU affairs, said.

discovered in north-eastern Mexico Reports say gang-related messages
were found on the blankets covering 11 men and three

ZHOGHOVURD: SAMVEL ALEXANYAN PLAYED BACKGAMMON IN HAK OFFICE

Panorama.am
08/06/2012

Zhoghovurd paper, citing its sources, reports that MP Samvel Alexanyan
visited Armenian National Congress (HAK) office in Malatia-Sebastia
administrative district of Yerevan the other day. Those present shook
hands with him and invited him in. The Republican MP played backgammon,
talked with them a little and left. Paper’s sources confirmed the
information, however, neither Alexanyan nor HAK office gave the paper
official confirmation.

DOUBLED NUMBER OF VISITORS IS FORECASTED IN ARMENIAN PUBLIC BEACHES

ARMENPRESS
8 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS: The construction works of ‘~RSevan’~R
National park are scheduled in 2012 autumn. Armenpress reporter had
a briefing with Ashot Avdalyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ministry
of Natural Protection of the Republic of Armenia.

The interlocutor stated that the construction will last for six
months. In fact next year there will be three public beaches in Sevan.

Sevan public beaches hosted over 100 thousand citizens during 2011.

‘~R The number of the resort takers is probable to double current
year’~R Avdalyan underscored. Deputy Chief of Staff assures there
was a flow in public beaches by the tourists as well.’~RThe tourists
often came directed by the interest to compare local public beaches
with the private ones’~R Avdalyan stated.

The choice of the public beach area is due to the geological position;
reportedly they ought to be near the highway and railroad.

The project of public beach construction was approved by UN small
Grants Program National Steering Committee.

The Government in its June 7 sitting decided to locate 5.5 hectares
within the city of Sevan to the establishment of new beaches.

Overloading of two beaches, operated by the instruction of the
President of the Republic of Armenia, comes to prove the public is
in demand of a new model resort area.

The new beaches will be free of charge, will create equal opportunities
for the public. Simultaneously Season new jobs, additional tourism
infrastructures will be implemented within the program.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PLACES THE FINAL NAIL ON THE COFFIN OF TURKISH DENIALISM
By Appo Jabarian

Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
June 7, 2012

For nearly a century, Turkey has been aggressively spending millions
of dollars in the international arena in order to push forward its
denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide.

Besides monetary resources, Ankara has been making major efforts to
bully various nations away from recognition of the Genocide.

But all the expenditures and efforts continue to prove futile. The
Turkish Genocide of Armenians has now become a universally recognized
fact. Placing the final nail on the coffin of Turkish denialism is the
U.N. International Court of Justice. This week, the official website
of the United Nations’ International Court of Justice has featured
Publisher of The California Courier Harut Sassounian’s groundbreaking
article titled “All Three Branches of US government Recognize the
Armenian Genocide.”

Thanks to Sassounian’s timely article, the U.S. record on recognition
of the Armenian Genocide has once and for all been put in a strong
perspective. Sassounian’s research on U.S. legal actions on the
facts of the Genocide has revealed that “With all three independent
branches of the US government going on record reaffirming the Armenian
Genocide, the United States has gained its rightful place in the list
of righteous nations that have recognized the Armenian Genocide. In
fact, in many respects, the United States has compiled a more extensive
record of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide than most other countries
that have merely adopted a legislative resolution on this issue.”

During the last few years, while certain Armenian American lobbyists
sadly opted for spinning the wheel on Genocide recognition, many
activists clamored for more accomplishments in the nation’s capital,
and in U.S. and international corridors of powers.

Various Armenian American lobbying groups can do more good if they
take into consideration the common knowledge that the Genocide is a
universally recognized fact, and that Armenian Americans collectively
may move on to addressing a host of vital issues:

1) On the home front, they can make efforts to

Actively encourage the Armenian American youth to enter politics;
Inspire larger circles of Armenian American youth to serve this great
country by enlisting in the armed forces; Pave the way for increased
Armenian American participation in local, state, and federal government
elected offices and workforce; 2) On the lobbying front,

Propose congressional resolutions officially condemning Turkey’s
dismal record on human rights and on Ankara’s suppression of the
identity of ethnic minorities in Turkey; Propose other Congressional
resolutions calling on Turkey to abolish its unfair and universally
rejected repressive law – Article 301 on the so-called “insulting
Turkishness;” 3) On the Armenian Cause, in conjunction with world
Armenians, Armenian Americans need to

Develop a short-term and long-term master plan on the successful
resolution of the Armenian Cause; Co-ordinate worldwide boycott
of tourism to Turkey and its exported products; Promote divestment
of Turkey; Alert nations of the world on the threats posed by the
re-emergence of Pan-Turkism or Pan-Turanism that actively promote the
creation of the New Turkish Ottoman Empire; and last but certainly not
least, 4) On Armenia and Artsakh, it is vital that Armenian Americans
focus more on

Assisting the people of Armenia in containing post-Soviet corruption,
monopolies, nepotism and gross mismanagement of Armenia’s natural and
national resources; ~UPursuing continuous renewal of U.S. foreign
policy on military assistance parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan;
~USoliciting increased foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno
Karabagh); ~UUrging formal U.S. recognition of Republic of Artsakh’s
independence; ~UEnsuring Armenia-Artsakh’s consolidation of its
political, economic, social and military strengths; ~ULobby for
freezing U.S. foreign aid to, and U.S. investments in Azerbaijan as
long as Baku fails to stop its military aggression against Artsakh
(Nagorno Karabagh) and Armenia.

While it is necessary for Armenian Americans to be vigilant on the
issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide; and be willing
to punish the deniers, they should also rearrange their list of
priorities, and re-channel their resources.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY: SITUATION ON FRONT-LINE REMAINS TENSE

Trend
June 8 2012
Azerbaijan

The situation on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops remains tense, and the ceasefire is violated in all directions,
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in all directions of the
front-line from 8:00 am on June 7 to 8:00 am on Friday, the Defense
Ministry reported.

Despite the intense fire, Azerbaijan has not suffered any losses and
attacks were suppressed by return fire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

BAKU TRYING HARD TO CONCEAL REASONS BEHIND AZERI SABOTEURS’ DEATHS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 6, 2012 – 17:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijani authorities try hard to concoct
reasons behind the deaths and injuries on its side. In fact, these
are saboteurs, having been killed or wounded by Armenian armed forces
trying to hinder Azeri subversive acts. Thus, according to Azerbaijani
authorities, Azeri soldiers commit mass suicide, get blown up by mine,
and die in an accident.

For instance, today, June 6, Azerbaijani media reported that a soldier,
19, was “blown up by mine.” He was hospitalized, with doctors assessing
his state as moderate.

Sometimes, even a concrete slab kills an Azerbaijani soldier. For
instance, it was reported that two Azeri servicemen were killed in
Agstafa region, with another having been “injured during collapse of
concrete slab.”

Emin Guliyev and Orkhan Huseynov died, while Elnur Kechalov is still
at hospital.

Meanwhile, according to Miacum.am website, 21 Azerbaijani soldiers
were killed in Azeri subversive acts in recent days in Tavush- Kazakh
zone of Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

On June 5 night, attempt was made by Azerbaijani soldiers to
infiltrate one of the positions of Artsakh defense army on the line of
contact. Armenian side, however, managed to hinder Azeri attack, with
NKR army units pushing Azeri forces back to the original positions.

TURKEY REJECTS CLINTON’S CALL TO NORMALIZE THE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
6 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUN E 6, ARMENPRESS: Turkey rejects on Hillary Clinton’s
calls for Ankara to normalize ties with Armenia, noting that a
ruling by an Armenian court is main obstacle to a thaw. Turkish
diplomat at the interview with Hurriyet Daily News reporter announced
that the Armenia’s Constitutional Court decision on the records on
Armenian-Turkish relations impede the regulations of the ties between
the states, Armenpress reports.

Turkey once again comes forth with destructive policy. “Turkey’s
stance on this matter is clear” the Turk diplomat noted.

In accordance with the Armenia’s Constitutional Court’s decision the
records are consistent with the Constitution.

The fifth article of the court’s ruling makes reference to Armenia’s
declaration of independence in a manner that angered Turkey, while
the document’s 11th paragraph says, “The Republic of Armenia stands
in support of the task of achieving international recognition of the
1915 genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia.” The accords,
signed by the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia in October 2009,
need parliamentary approval in both countries for ratification.

Hillary Clinton urged to ratify the minutes of the regulations of
ties without preconditions on June 4. “As I have already told during
my last visit to the region, the ball is in the Turk’s court” the
Secretary of State stated.

ON THE WARPATH?: ARMENIA CALLS ON U.S., EU TO THREATEN AZERBAIJAN WITH SANCTIONS IN CASE OF REPEATED ACTS OF SABOTAGE
By Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
06.06.12 | 12:53

Some observers of the contentious atmosphere between Armenia and
Azerbaijan are linking two incidents this week in which three Armenian
and five Azerbaijani soldiers were killed, with the visit of United
States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the region.

The Armenian side blames Azerbaijan for the loss of life, insisting
that it only retaliates to acts of sabotage attempted by Baku.

Azerbaijan, on the contrary, accuses Armenia of perpetrating sabotage.

One such cross-border incursion blamed on Azerbaijan on June 4 near
the villages of Berdavan and Chinari of the Tavush province cost
Armenia three killed and six wounded. The following night Armenia
reported another aggression from Azerbaijan around the same area,
saying that the Armenian soldiers repulsed the attack by a group of
Azeri commandos killing five and wounding several. The Public TV of
Armenia said Azerbaijan lost as many as 14 of its soldiers in that
foiled attempt at overrunning Armenia’s defense positions.

“Azerbaijan is not satisfied by the fact that every day there are
violations by Azerbaijanis on the line of contact of Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh. They are trying to transfer the tension, to escalate
the situation onto the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan which
greatly undermines the negotiation process, as well as threatens the
regional stability. The responsibility for all possible consequences
of such activities lies on the Azeri side,” said Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian during a June 4 joint press conference with
visiting U.S. Secretary of State Clinton in Yerevan, hours after the
first reported border fighting.

Clinton, for her part, said that “the use of force will not resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict”. “We are calling on everyone to renounce
force as well as refrain from violence… The United States, along
with the Minsk Group, is committed to doing everything we can.

And I discussed some specific ideas with the president and the
foreign minister today. I made it clear to the president that the
United States believes that a peace settlement must be based upon
Helsinki principles, the non-use of force or the threat of force,
territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination
of peoples. And you can’t take one out. They have to be an integrated
whole in order to arrive at a sustainable solution,” said Clinton.

Meanwhile, a number of pro-Armenian congressmen in the United
States, including Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), House
Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Democrat Howard Berman (D-CA)
and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
on Monday issued strong statements condemning a brazen cross-border
Azerbaijani attack against Armenia. In separate statements issued
within hours of the Azerbaijani attacks, the Members of Congress
urged Secretary Clinton to issue a clear and unequivocal rebuke of
Azerbaijani aggression, expressed concern about pending U.S. arms sales
to an increasingly violent Aliyev regime, called for the strengthening
of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan, and
offered their condolences to the families of the slain soldiers.

In his turn, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan urged the
European Union to issue a three-point resolution to Azerbaijan in a
bid to curb the militarization of the South Caucasus. At the end of
a two-day visit to Brussels (June 3-4), Sargsyan told European Voice,
a leading source for EU news and affairs, that “the EU should draw up
a declaration stipulating that the festering dispute over the status
of Nagorno-Karabakh must be resolved peacefully, threatening sanctions
if force is used and setting out what those sanctions would be.”

Azerbaijan vows not to succumb to pressure. Head of the Department of
Political Analysis and Information of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration Elnur Aslanov said: “With such provocative actions
Armenia is trying to maintain the status quo instead of establishing
peace and stability in the region, further pushing the region to
intensified military rhetoric and instability.”