Author: Kalantarian Kevo

PUBLIC COUNCIL TO DISCUSS MASHTOTS PARK ISSUE

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 21, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS: The issue of Mashtots Park will
be discussed in the Public Council of Armenia February 23, ecologist
Karine Danielyan told a news conference February 21. She said during
a few years Yerevan has turned into an ecological disaster zone and
the construction ongoing in the capital killed Yerevan.

“Mashtots Park’s issue is only a small element of a big problem. It
is a green territory near which is a hospital. I understand that the
mayor says it is a temporary solution, I believe him,” she said.

Ecologist Mary Khachatryan said the demand of activists is legal,
they want to have healthy environment.

“The City Hall has a right to temporary suspend the construction and
discuss the issue. The shops may be placed in underground passage in
the same territory,” Khachatryan said.

She offered to suspend the construction, withdraw the policemen from
the construction area and convene a public discussion in the City
hall to decide where to move the shops.

“We will fight for the park till the end, even in conditions of frost,”
the ecologist said.

Architect Levon Igityan said placing of shops in the territory of
the park is a temporary solution, no issue may be solved with anger.

February 20 in the evening the ecologists surrendered the territory to
policemen. They say the construction lasted all night long, ignoring
that there is a maternity house near it.

MINISTER NALBANDIAN TO VISIT KOREA, VIETNAM AND SINGAPORE

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 21, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS: Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward
Nalbandian will visit the Republic of Korea, Vietnam and Singapore
February 22-28.

MFA press office reported that the Minister will meet with the heads
of the mentioned states and discuss steps on development of bilateral
relations, international and regional issues.

HERITAGE PARTY TO FILE LAWSUIT OVER CONSTRUCTION PLAN IN YEREVAN PARK

Tert.am
21.02.12

A lawmaker of the opposition Heritage party, Zaruhi Postanjyan, is
now on her way to a Yerevan district court to lodge a claim over the
controversial construction in Yerevan’s Mashtots Park.

The construction activities in the park resumed yesterday night after
the environmental activists left the area. As early as this morning,
the doors and windows of several kiosks were already fixed.

Commenting on overnight construction, Armen Martirosyan, another member
of the Heritage party faction in parliament, said: “It has become a
habit to carry out activities like this behind the veil of night.”

After negotiations on Monday evening, the environmental group and
activists protesting in the park agreed to quit the area, trusting
its protection to the police. The protesters had asked the policemen
to return them the park the same way they left it.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEARLY SAY WHO FRENCH ARMENIANS WILL VOTE FOR – HILDA TCHOBOIAN

news.am
February 21, 2012 | 06:50

PARIS. – It is impossible to unequivocally say who France’s Armenian
community will choose in the upcoming presidential elections in
the country, Rhône-Alpes regional MP Hilda Tchoboian told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

“The Armenian community, just like the French, already has
predetermined candidates. And there is a very small segment which
is uncertain, and it could vote according to its mood on the last
day. It is impossible to give percentages,” the French Armenian
politician noted.

In her view, an opinion was formed, after the bill that criminalizes
the denial of genocides-including the Armenian Genocide-, that the
French Armenian community’s votes would go to President Nicolas
Sarkozy, if the latter is able to carry out the bill. “This is not
serious, since the Armenian community-whether right or left-already
has a clear position,” Tchoboian argued.

“There are Armenians who will vote for Sarkozy for a given reason. If
the bill is passed and Sarkozy is able to ratify the law, the
community’s uncertain segment could vote in his favor, [and thus]
will add to those who [already] will vote for him,” Hilda Tchoboian
concluded.

MARGAR OHANYAN: “I AM NOT A LAMB FOR YOU TO SACRIFICE”

19:44 . 20/02

“I am not a lamb for you to sacrifice, find material evidence, then
find guilty. I don’t plead guilty, this is an intentional step,
a terror, against me” former head of traffic police Margar Ohanyan
said at the court today.

Giving evidence during the trial at court today, he conditioned the
intention against him with the ties he has with former chief of police
Alik Sargsyan.

“There have been disagreements with Alik Sargsyan connected with
personnel appointments, as well as personal matters, and in the result
of all this a criminal action was brought against me” Margar Ohanyan
has said and added that the chiefs of police staff urged him to go
and beg the chief of police to forgive me, but I don’t know for what.”

According to Margar Ohanyan, he has no connection with the petrol
cheques: about 25 000 cars were found in the republic which got
petrol with traffic police cheques, but they weren’t traffic police
cars. And he has compensated for the loss considering it a matter of
dignity and honour. He spoke about his former colleague Ara Levonyan,
who was accused with him in the petrol embezzlement case. The latter
had said Ohanyan had told him that he was giving the embezzled petrol
cheques to the superiors.

“Who is Ara Levonyan for me to give an account to him what I am doing.

This is slander, a lie, no such a thing has happened,” the former
traffic police head has said.

According to Margar Ohanyan, the evidence given by Levonyan and
the other defendants are contradictory, since they wrote the truth
at first, then pressure was exercised on them and they changed the
evidence, “They have said if they detained Margar, who are you for
them not to be able to detain? Write and finalise it…”

The next court session is scheduled on February 24, during which the
documents available in the case will be examined.

Margar Ohanyan: “I am not a lamb for you to sacrifice”

“I am not a lamb for you to sacrifice, find material evidence, then
find guilty. I don’t plead guilty, this is an intentional step,
a terror, against me” former head of traffic police Margar Ohanyan
said at the court today.

Giving evidence during the trial at court today, he conditioned the
intention against him with the ties he has with former chief of police
Alik Sargsyan.

“There have been disagreements with Alik Sargsyan connected with
personnel appointments, as well as personal matters, and in the result
of all this a criminal action was brought against me” Margar Ohanyan
has said and added that the chiefs of police staff urged him to go
and beg the chief of police to forgive me, but I don’t know for what.”

According to Margar Ohanyan, he has no connection with the petrol
cheques: about 25 000 cars were found in the republic which got
petrol with traffic police cheques, but they weren’t traffic police
cars. And he has compensated for the loss considering it a matter of
dignity and honour. He spoke about his former colleague Ara Levonyan,
who was accused with him in the petrol embezzlement case. The latter
had said Ohanyan had told him that he was giving the embezzled petrol
cheques to the superiors.

“Who is Ara Levonyan for me to give an account to him what I am doing.

This is slander, a lie, no such a thing has happened,” the former
traffic police head has said.

According to Margar Ohanyan, the evidence given by Levonyan and
the other defendants are contradictory, since they wrote the truth
at first, then pressure was exercised on them and they changed the
evidence, “They have said if they detained Margar, who are you for
them not to be able to detain? Write and finalise it…”

The next court session is scheduled on February 24, during which the
documents available in the case will be examined.

LA COOPERATION ISRAELO-CHYPRIOTE IRRITE ANKARA
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 21 fevrier 2012

Le premier minister israelien Benjamin Netanyahou a effectue une
visite officielle a Chypre le jeudi 16 fevrier en vue de renforcer la
cooperation energetique avec les autorites de la partie grecque de
l’île, au large de laquelle de vastes gisements de gaz naturel sont
en voie de prospection, comme d’ailleurs dans les eaux territoriales
israeliennes.

Les autorites chypriotes, au grand dam des Chypriotes turcs et de leurs
protecteurs turcs, ont lance une deuxième operation d’exploration des
eaux insulaires, en vue d’effectuer des recherches plus approfondies
sur les gisements offshore. M. Netanyahou est le premier chef de
gouvernement israelien a se rendre a Chypre, dans un contexte pour
le moins tendu des relations entre la Turquie et l’Etat hebreu. Le
soudain rechauffement des relations entre Israël et Chypre doit
d’ailleurs autant aux projets de cooperation dans l’exploitation des
gisements de gaz prometteurs sous leurs eaux territoriales qu’a la
degradation de leurs relations avec la Turquie. Si les relations entre
la Turquie et Chypre n’ont certes jamais ete vraiment cordiales depuis
l’intervention militaire turque de 1974 au nord de l’île erigee en ”
Republique turque du Nord de Chypre ” protegee et reconnue par la seule
Turquie, elles se sont degradees en l’absence de toute progression
dans le processus de negociations entre la partie grecque, membre
de l’UE et la partie turque. Quant aux relations entre la Turquie
et Israël, jadis cordiales, elles n’ont cesse de se degrader depuis
l’offensive israelienne de 2009 sur Gaza et surtout depuis l’attaque
d’un commando israelien le 31 mai 2010 contre une flottille humanitaire
pour Gaza qui avait coûte la vie a neuf ressortissants turcs ; le
refus persistant d’Israël de presenter ses excuses officielles pour
cette attaque avaient provoque une serie de mesures de retorsion
turques en septembre 2011.

Le cabinet de M. Netanyahou a fait savoir que sa visite d’une journee
a Chypre “visait a renforcer des relations deja etroites entre les
deux nations”. ” C’est une relation tout a fait naturelle pour ce qui
nous concerne”, a declare M. Netanyahou au debut de sa rencontre avec
le president chypriote Demetris Christofias.

Le porte-parole du gouvernement grec chypriote Stefanos Stefanou a
declare pour sa part a la presse avant cette rencontre que la visite du
premier ministre israelien “illustre la dynamique en cours allant vers
le renforcement des relations entre les deux pays”. Les deux leaders
devaient signer un accord d’assistance mutelle en cas de desastre
naturel et de cooperation entre les forces aeriennes et navales des
deux pays pour les operations de sauvetage. Selon la presse chypriote,
M. Netanyahu demanderait aussi l’aval de M.

Christofias sur certains sujets, comme l’utilisation de la base
aerienne chypriote “Andreas Papandreou” a Paphos, ou le transit du
gaz naturel vers Chypre via un gazoduc, ou encore la contribution a
un terminal energetique devant etre amenage a Chypre, ainsi que la
protection de ces gazoduc et des infrastructures connexes.

IRANIAN ARMENIANS CELEBRATE VARDANANTS DAY AT VALLEY OF AVARAYR

16:58 . 20/02

Ceremonies were held at Atrpatakan’s Armenian Diocese in Iran to
celebrate Vardanants Day. At St Sargis Church in Tavriz and St
Stepanos Church in Urmia liturgies were served to commemorate the
fighters who fell for the sake of Armenians.

Celebrations were also held at Avarayr Valley, where Grigor Chifchian,
vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Atrpatakan (Iran) visited to pay a
tribute to the ossuary of Sparapet (commander) Vardan, ministers and
soldiers. In the valley, where the Armenian army of 66 000 soldiers
fought against the Persian army of 300 000 soldiers, there are old
pictures of crosses, which, probably, were engraved on rocks and
stones by Armenian soldiers as a form of expression of their faith.

During the ceremony at the valley a schoolchildren’s choir performed
songs dedicated to Sparapet Vardan and national songs.

A. AYVAZYAN: NOT A SINGLE ARMENIAN MONUMENT IS LEFT IN AZERBAIJAN

Aysor.am
Monday,February 20

Merited figure of the RA culture, expert in Armenian and Nakhijevan
studies Argam Ayvazyan is author of more than 200 scientific
publications about Nakhijevan and an author of more than 30 works.

“Recently the indifference has become common both in Armenia and in
Diaspora. The Soviet Armenian scientific mind didn’t refer to the
case and wrote no article about it when Nakhijevan became parted from
Armenia during the Russian – Turkish war. Nakhijevan was separated
from Armenia in all the spheres,” A. Ayvazyan noted.

The specialist in monument studies till now examines the historical
and cultural monuments of Nakhijevan by his own means. “There is no
monument left in Nakhijevan due to that indifference. If we have no
way to stop it in Nakhijevan, we could at least publish the materials
we had,” he said.

GAGIK MELIKYAN: WE HAVE TO BREAK TIES BETWEEN BUSINESS AND POLITICS

Panorama.am
20/02/2012

We have to break the ties between business and politics, Secretary
of RPA parliamentary faction Gagik Melikyan told reporters in Yerevan.

“RPA has repeatedly said that we have to break the ties between
business and politics. There will be no businessmen on our party
lists. And running for parliament by majority system is their
constitutional right. No one is going to violate the constitutional
right of our citizens. RPA will support those who will enjoy people’s
support. Let no one dare to play on people’s will,” said Melikyan.

U.S. CONGRESSMEN VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
20.02.2012 11:11

A 15-member Congressional Delegation from the U.S. House of
Representatives headed by Chairman David Dreier met with President
Serzh Sargsyan and Speaker of Parliament Samvel Nikoyan on February
19. President Sargsyan hosted a dinner for the delegation, which
included five members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and
Ambassador John Heffern.

At the dinner in honor of the Congressmen, President Serzh Sargsyan
noted that he attaches the utmost importance to the contacts with the
friends of Armenia in Congress whose support has had its considerable
impact on the establishment and development of democracy in Armenia
as well as on the preservation of stability in our region. “Taking
this opportunity, I would like to express gratitude to you all for
making possible financial, humanitarian and technical assistance to
Armenia from day one of our independence.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Armenia and the United States, and I am glad that
we are celebrating this jubilee on the highest level,” President
Serzh Sargsyan said.

The Congressmen stressed the importance of the development of the
US-Armenia relations. Your commitment to human rights, democracy and
the rule of law in Armenia can be an example for many, many others,”
Congressman David Dreier said.

At the meeting discussed was a wide range of issues pertinent to
the development and deepening of the Armenian-American relations
and stressed was the importance of strengthening bilateral and
multilateral cooperation.

Congressman Dreier, Chair of the House Democracy Partnership,
highlighted the importance of the upcoming parliamentary elections
to the bilateral relationship and urged the government and all the
political parties to “do everything in their power to ensure free,
fair, and credible elections.” The delegation expressed interest in
developing closer ties between the National Assembly and the U.S.
Congress.

The Congressmen visited Armenia as representatives of the House
Democracy Partnership (HDP), which is a bipartisan, 20-member
commission established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 to
support the development of independent, democratic legislatures. The
HDP seeks to build the capacity of its partner legislatures in
key areas such as legislative oversight, budget analysis, committee
operations, constituent relations, and library and research services,
using peer-to-peer exchange programs, training seminars for members
and staff, and targeted material assistance. This was the second
visit of the HDP to Armenia.

The Delegation includes Rep. David Dreier (R-CA); Rep. James Moran
(D-VA); Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC); Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE); Rep. Kenny
Marchant (R-TX); Reverend Patrick Conroy, Chaplain of the House of
Representatives; and staff.