Author: Kalantarian Kevo

LE GOUVERNEMENT ARMENIEN MET EN PLACE UNE STRATEGIE DE PROMOTION DES EXPORTATIONS
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 27 janvier 2012

L’Armenie s’attend a presque tripler ses exportations en 2020 afin
d’atteindre un total de 5,5 milliards de $ a annonce un depute un
depute progouvernemental lors d’une reunion du parti Republicain
(HHK) aussi suivi par le ministre de l’economie.

Gagik Minasian, un depute du HKK qui preside la commission permanent
de l’Assemblee nationale en charge des finances et des affaires
budgetaires a dit aux membres du parti que cet objectif sera realise
grâce a une nouvelle strategie de promotion des exportations mise en
place a la demande du gouvernement.

La strategie d’une politique d’exportation industrielle devrait
bientôt etre approuvee par le gouvernement.

” Tandis qu’aujourd’hui nos exportations annuelles atteignent 1,7
milliards de $, en 2015 nous les releverons a 3 a 3,5 milliards de
$, avec une nouvelle augmentation vers 5 a 5.5 milliards en 2020 ”
a dit Gagik Minasian.

Le depute du HHK a dit que la strategie aspire aussi a changer la
structure des exportations.

” Aujourd’hui les non-matières premières representent seulement 46 pour
cent de nos exportations. Le plan prevoit un developpement essentiel
des autres secteurs que ceux impliques dans la production de matière
première. En 2015 nous nous attendons a augmenter les exportations
immaterielles au niveau de 50 a 55 pour cent et a 60 a 65 pour cent
vers 2020 ” a-t-il dit.

Le mois dernier l’agence de notation Moody Investors Service a
devalorise et baisse ses perspectives pour l’economie armenienne en
lien avec les recessions en Europe et en Russie.

La societe a attribue la vulnerabilite de l’Armenie a la recession sur
les marches etrangers. Particulièrement elle a mis en garde contre une
chute possible des prix internationaux des metaux de base. L’Armenie
a deja souffert de cette situation quand les prix internationaux de
metaux de base ont baisse il y a trois ans.

En attendant, le deficit en hausse entre les exportations et les
importations en Armenie reste aussi un souci principal pour l’economie
locale. L’annee dernière l’Armenie a importe des marchandises valant
presque trois fois autant que ses exportations totales.

Le ministre armenien de l’economie Tigran Davtian, qui a aussi suivi
la reunion du bureau central du HHK, a precise que la strategie
suggère de se concentrer sur le developpement d’une douzaine
d’industries qui relèvera la capacite des exportations du pays dans
les prochaines annees. Le ministre a dit qu’au moins trois programmes
de developpement seront bientôt lances pour trois secteurs dont la
construction mecanique de precision, l’industrie pharmaceutique et
les industries agro-alimentaires.

UN HOMME D’AFFAIRES ARMENIEN ACCUSE DE FRAUDE LE FRERE DU PRESIDENT SERGE SARKISSIAN
Gari

armenews.com
vendredi 27 janvier 2012

L’homme d’affaires armenien Edmond Khudyan a engage une procedure en
justice en vue d’obtenir des reparations d’un montant de 7 millions, au
titre des prejudices financiers subis en Armenie, où sa societe a fait
faillite. La somme exigee correspond au montant des investissements
effectues par l’homme d’affaires en Armenie jusqu’a ce qu’il soit
accule a une faillite dont il a attribue en partie la responsabilite
aux operations frauduleuses du frère du president de la Republique
armenienne, Levon Sarkissian.

Devant la Cour d’appel de Erevan où l’affaire etait portee, Edmond
Khudyan a demande le mercredi 25 janvier que ceux impliques dans la
vaste fraude financière responsable de sa faillite soient inculpes et
punis. En 2005, cet homme d’affaires de la diaspora avait fonde Arin
Capital & Investment LLC, une societe immobilière qui avait notamment
construit un immeuble de plusieurs etages sur le bd Machtots, l’une
des grandes artères au c~ur de Erevan.

Avant meme la construction de l’immeuble, certains des appartements
en avaient ete vendus sur plans a 17 Armeniens de la diaspora.

Son principal associe dans cette operation, Vladislav Mangasryan,
qui s’est charge de la construction de l’immeuble,dirige a titre
officieux les compagnies VERM, VMG et KAMAR. En 2007, Edmond Khudyan
avait designe Eduard Yesayan, un ami de longue date, comme directeur
de sa societe. En 2010, Vladislav Mangasryan et EdikYesayan decidèrent
d’un commun accord de vendre les appartements et d’empocher les sommes
ainsi acquises a l’insu d’E.Khudyan. Ils s’en defendront plus tard,
en pretendant qu’ils avaient agi ainsi dans le seul but de sauver
la compagnie de la faillite, et non a des fins d’enrichissement
personnel. Depuis lors, E. Khudyan s’est retoune contre ses anciens
associes, et a cherche a les traîner devant la justice pour recuperer
les sommes et biens dont il estime avoir ete vole, mais ses demarches
se sont averees vaines.

GENOCIDES : 35 DEPUTES SIGNENT UN RECOURS

Europe1
26 jan 2012

Trente-cinq deputes, essentiellement UMP, ont d’ores et deja decide
de signer un recours au Conseil constitutionnel contre le texte sur
le genocide armenien, a annonce un des initiateurs de ce recours,
Michel Diefenbacher. “Trente-cinq de mes collègues se sont deja
declares partisans d’un recours au Conseil constitutionnel. Ils
sont essentiellement UMP mais aussi PS”, a declare le depute UMP
et president du groupe d’amitie France-Turquie a l’Assemblee – qui
compte quelque 70 membres.

Selon Michel Diefenbacher, les signataires du recours vont plaider
l’inconstitutionnalite du texte, arguant du fait que l’article 34 de
la Constitution n’accorde pas de competence au Parlement pour donner
une qualification juridique a des evenements historiques. Ils vont
aussi faire valoir que cette loi contrevient a la liberte de pensee
et d’expression.

“Le rôle de la France doit etre d’aider au rapprochement des peuples,
en l’occurrence turc et armenien, pas de les diviser comme le fait
ce texte”, a aussi fait valoir le depute.

Jacques Myard (UMP) avait indique mardi avoir entame, avec Michel
Diefenbacher, la collecte de signatures pour la saisine du Conseil
constitutionnel sur le texte penalisant la negation du genocide
armenien definitivement adopte lundi soir par le Parlement francais.

Le Conseil constitutionnel peut censurer une loi qu’il juge contraire
a la Constitution, s’il est saisi par 60 deputes, 60 senateurs, le chef
de l’Etat, le president de l’Assemblee nationale ou celui du Senat. Le
president UMP de l’Assemblee Bernard Accoyer, bien qu’oppose au texte,
a d’ores et deja prevenu qu’il ne deposerait pas de recours.

DES SENATEURS ONT DEJA SIGNE UN RECOURS CONTRE LA LOI SUR LE GENOCIDE

Liberation

25 jan 2012
France

Des senateurs des six groupes du Senat entendent saisir le conseil
constitutionnel au sujet de la loi qui penalise la negation du genocide
armenien, adoptee lundi.

Le president du RDSE (a majorite radicaux de gauche) Jacques Mezard a
indique mercredi que des senateurs des six groupes du Senat avaient
d’ores et deja signe le recours au conseil constitutionnel sur le
texte sur le genocide armenien qu’il entend deposer.

“J’ai des signatures parmi les six groupes du Senat, ce qui a mon
avis sera une première et ce qui est revelateur du malaise sur cette
proposition de loi” a declare M. Mezard sans reveler le nombre de
signatures deja recueillies.

Le Rassemblement democratique et social europeen, comme le groupe
ecologiste, s’etait prononce en bloc lundi contre la proposition de
loi UMP penalisant la negation du genocide armenien qui a cependant
ete adoptee par une majorite de senateurs. Il a entame mardi matin la
collecte des soixante signatures necessaires pour la saisine des Sages.

Les senateurs UMP Alain Fouche et Jean-Jacques Hyest ont annonce
qu’ils avaient signe le recours.

“C’est la logique de mon vote contre la proposition de loi lundi en
seance, ce n’est pas au parlement de prendre des decisions concernant
l’Histoire, et encore moins au parlement francais de juger l’Histoire
dans les autres pays”, a explique Alain Fouche (Vienne) un proche de
l’ancien Premier ministre Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

“J’ai signe le recours”, a aussi indique Jean-Jacques Hyest, ancien
president UMP de la commission des Lois, qui avait contribue a faire
rejeter un texte similaire en mai 2011.

Les six groupes sont l’UMP (132 membres), le groupe socialiste (130),
l’Union centriste et republicaine (UCR, 31), le groupe communiste
republicain et socialiste (CRC, 21), le RDSE (16) et le groupe
ecologiste (10).

La France se prepare a des sanctions d’Ankara

La Tribune

25 jan 2012
France

Après le vote de la loi penalisant le genocide armenien en France,
la Turquie a menace a nouveau de prendre des sanctions economiques
contre Paris. Le vote par le Senat francais d’une loi penalisant –
entre autres – la negation du genocide armenien de 1915 a declenche
l’indignation des responsables turcs. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, le premier
ministre turc, a ainsi denonce une loi “raciste et discriminatoire”.

Mais il a joue, pour l’instant, la carte de la moderation : il a
en effet differe toute mesure de represailles en attendant que la
France “corrige cette erreur”. Le president turc, Abdullah Gul a
lui manie la menace en declarant que “si ce texte entre en vigueur,
les relations entre la France et la Turquie prendront un tout autre
tour”. Ankara a menace de prendre des sanctions economiques si
la loi etait promulguee. Du coup, dans l’Hexagone, on se prepare
a d’eventuelles represailles. Le Medef a ainsi indique que les
entreprises francaises presentes en Turquie allaient etre reunies
“pour etudier les meilleures facons de gerer la situation”.

“Sang-froid”

De son côte, Philippe de Brauer, le president de la commission
internationale du syndicat des PME, la CGPME, se voulait rassurant.

“En ce qui concerne les PME, nous n’avons pas le sentiment que cela
nous genera, en tout cas de manière durable”, a-t-il declare. Alain
Juppe, le ministre des Affaires etrangères, a, lui, appele Ankara
et “nos amis turcs”, a “conserver leur sang-froid”. mais Nicolas
Sarkozy, qui a annonce vouloir promulguer la loi dans les quinze
jours, s’est voulu plus ferme et a “invite la Turquie a prendre la
mesure de ses interets”. La France et la Turquie ont des relations
commerciales etroites qui s’elèvent a près de 12 milliards d’euros
et sont liees par les accords de partenariat signes entre Ankara
et l’Union europeenne. Ce qui en theorie limite la possibilite de
recourir a des sanctions economiques ciblees et a des mesures de
retorsions protectionnistes.

EUROPEAN COURT TO GIVE LEGAL ASSESSMENT OF AZERBAIJANI DISPLACED PERSONS’ SUIT AGAINST ARMENIA

Trend
Jan 26 2012
Azerbaijan

The European court has experience on giving judgments on sensitive
issues, Nicolas Bratza, President of the European Court of Human
Rights said today at the press conference during PACE winter session
expressing his attitude to initial decision of the court on the case of
“Chiragov and Others v. Armenia” which deals with suit of internally
displaced persons from Nagorno Karabakh.

The President of the European Court noted Grand Chamber made its
judgment in early Jan. and that this was very sensitive issue.

“The Grand Chamber examined complaint of the Azerbaijani citizens on
Jan.8 and declared the application admissible. But I cannot say when
final decision will be made. Of course this issue is a political and
sensitive one. However we have experience in dealing with such issues.

This is a quite difficult issue. Nevertheless, we will be able to
give legal assessment,” Mr Bratza said.

Earlier in its decision in the case of “Chiragov and Others v.

Armenia” the European Court of Human Rights, sitting as a Grand
Chamber, has by a majority declared the application admissible. The
Court will deliver its judgment at a later date.

Some 6 displaced persons from Lachin, applicants Elkhan Chiragov,
Adishirin Chiragov, Ramiz Gebrayilov, Akif Hasanov, Fekhreddin
Pashayev and Sagatel Gabrayilov demand that Armenia repairs material
and moral damage to them. The case concerns the applicants’ complaint
that they were forced to flee from their homes in 1992 during the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The applicants complain in particular about the loss of their
properties in Lachin.

Due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the applicants were forced to
flee on 17 May 1992. They have not been able to return to their homes
and properties since.

They also complain that there is no prospect for them in the
foreseeable future to be able to use their property as the Armenian
Government continues to refuse to allow them to return to Lachin. Nor
have the Armenian authorities made any attempt to compensate them
for their losses.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent 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 the 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.

EXECUTIVE SUPERVISOR OF EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: “SECURITY OF ARMENIA WILL BE ENSURED IN THE CONTEST IN BAKU”

APA
Jan 25 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Ulkar Rashidgizi – APA. Armenia will participate in the
Eurovision-2012 Song Contest in Baku, Executive Supervisor of the
Eurovision Song Contest Jon Ola Sand said at the press conference in
Baku, APA reports.

He said that like other countries security of Armenia will be ensured
during the contest: “I am sure that Armenia will participate at the
contest. We regularly keep in touch with them. Armenia is preparing
to the contest”.

WE RESOLUTELY CONDEMN DECISION OF FRENCH SENATE, ENUR ASLANOV

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
January 25, 2012 Wednesday

Azerbaijan resolutely condemns decision of the French Senate,
commenting the bill adopted by the Senate of France penalizing negation
of the Armenian genocide, at the presentation of the edition The
Azerbaijani-Turkish relations in the latest 20 years: successes and
opportunities, Enur Aslanov, the head of the political analysis and
information department at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration,
told journalists.

Aslanov said the Azerbaijani governments position to this end
is clear. The State of Azerbaijan has made relevant statement. It
would be better France assessed the Khojaly massacre that happened
only 20 years ago, instead of interfering the history. If the French
senators are so eager to back the truth, they have to give appropriate
assessment to the Khojaly genocide, too, he emphasized.

Noting the French Senate`s decision is a blow to freedom of expression,
Aslanov said the bill would restrict freedom of scientists to
investigate the historical events. We, therefore, condemn this
decision and hope the French leadership would take rational and
constructive position.

THE BIGGEST LIES OF ALL, ‘A FREE WORLD’

Hurriyet
Jan 26 2012
Turkey

Last week I wrote an article titled “Why censorship is easy in
Turkey.” After this week’s events maybe I should write an article
with the title “Why censorship is easy all around the world.”

You must have all heard of the French National Assembly’s ban on
refusing the Armenian genocide claims. This was something to be
expected. After all, it is not the first time a person like Sarkozy
leading a country far greater than him takes decisions like this. The
most surprising news to me was the arrest made by Dutch authorities.

I lived two years in Holland and thought it was a country of regulated
freedoms where it was possible to do everything under the supervision
of the state. That was magical, I thought. However, even the Dutch have
to obey American requests, I guess. According to Hurriyet Daily News,
an Estonian citizen has been jailed for 60 days after being arrested
by Dutch police at the request of American authorities investigating
the file-sharing website Megaupload.

New Zealand police arrested four other suspects last week: Megaupload
founder Kim Dotcom, Bram van der Kolk, 29 (from the Netherlands but
a New Zealand resident), Finn Batato, 38, and Mathias Ortmann, 40,
the latter two both from Germany. All will be handed over to American
authorities in order to be prosecuted in the United States.

Dotcom was arrested by the FBI on Friday while celebrating his 38th
birthday party inside his rented $30 million Auckland mansion. Dotcom,
a German native who legally changed his name from Kim Schmitz in the
last decade, has been charged with criminal copyright infringement
and conspiracy to commit racketeering.

According to Billboard magazine, computers and documents were also
retrieved and more than NZ$10 million ($8 million) was seized from
financial institutions. Luxury cars, including a pink Cadillac and a
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, were removed from the property,
which Dotcom had been blocked from buying by NZ authorities last year
as he did not meet the criteria of the “good character” test.

The FBI said those arrested have been accused of “running an
international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible
for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted
works through Megaupload.com and other related sites.” The alleged
copyright theft generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds
and caused more than $500 million in harm to copyright owners.

“This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever
brought by the United States and directly targets the misuse of a
public content storage and facilitating intellectual property crime,”
the FBI said.

The FBI shut down the Hong Kong-based website, Megaupload.com, posting
an anti-piracy notice on the site saying the domain name has been
seized and that a federal grand jury has indicted several individuals
and entities, charging them with conspiracy to commit racketeering,
conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit
money laundering and criminal copyright infringement.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Dotcom’s lawyer Paul Davison told
the court today that Dotcom will not try to restart Megaupload or any
other website while he is on bail and the matter is before the courts.

It seems to me that the world leaders really cannot stand for
information to be shared equally and cannot stand matters being
discussed as freely as possible. With these types of extensive measures
they are saying people of the world can discuss things so-called
“leaders” allow and share information as long as the leaders control
the content and the method of sharing. What a wonderful world it is,
isn’t it?

OPEN LETTER TO FRENCH LAWMAKERS

Hurriyet

Jan 26 2012
Turkey

Honorable members of the Senate and of the National Assembly,

There is something rotten in our Republic. The adoption by the two
chambers of a law criminalizing a thought crime (denial of Armenian
“genocide”) is both a shame for French democracy and a violation of
the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The September 2005 Declaration by the civic organization “Liberty
for History” had warned about the dangers of so-called memory laws.

“History should not be a subject of law-making. In a free state, it is
neither for the parliament nor for the judiciary to define historical
truth.” Reports have amply elaborated on the risks incurred. Yet
their findings have been ignored.

The text supported by a minority of deputies and senators is
“anti-liberty, inquisitorial and obscurantist,” as Senator Josselin
de Rohan said in May last year when the bill was voted down in the
Senate. His courage and honesty to say it like it is must be commanded.

The bottom line is that the saga of the Armenian question in our
Parliament has had nothing to do with the search for the truth.

History has been utilized as an instrument for electoral reasons under
the pretence of morality with consequences worthy of a totalitarian
regime, namely state-imposed historical truths.

Shame on those who have voted in favor of this law, and on the many
who avoided responsibility altogether by abstaining or staying away
at such a critical time! The sound of their silence will resonate
for a long time.

I hereby inform you that in spite of this vote, I have not formulated
an opinion on the events which occurred during a civil war in the
Ottoman Empire in 1915 and affected so tragically both the Muslim and
Armenian communities. I believe that history does not belong to anyone,
and it is certainly not for the French or indeed any other Parliament
to write the history of other nations. It would be a tragic mistake
for the U.S. Congress to follow the path down this road.

Come what may, I intend to remain the master of my own conscience and
do not recognize the right of the state – any state – to impose on
me a historical “truth” with the force of the law. “The totalitarians
in our midst,” as Friedrich von Hayek would put it, will not dictate
my thoughts.

Vote-seeking politicians turned our Parliament into a tribunal. Their
actions are not only unconstitutional but by creating a useless and
harmful diplomatic crisis with an allied country and a friendly nation,
they have acted against the best interest of the nation. The damage
they have caused will take years to repair. And, when the President
of the Republic signs this “liberticide” law to please the French
Armenian community, he will dim further the light of freedom of
opinion, of thought and of scholarship in our country.

President Sarkozy will have to bear the responsibility for the
economic consequences of this folly and for pouring oil on the ashes
of communitarianism in a society weakened by recession. At a time when
France needs statesmanship and vision, what the people are getting
is a spectacular deluge of hyper-electoral agitation and short-termism.

With this law and the rise of technocratic governance in the EU,
it has become painfully obvious that the democratic and leadership
deficit can only get bigger. Be it in Paris or in Brussels, when
interest groups rule with their diktats “lobbycracy” is what we have,
not democracy. But I refuse to bow to unscrupulous politicians,
bureaucrats and lobbyists intent on taking us step by step on the
road to managed democracy and authoritarianism.

“So that liberty can live, men will always have to stand up against
indifference or resignation”, Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834).

Yours sincerely,

Sophie Quintin Adalı is an analyst for unmondelibre.org, the
Francophone project of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. The
views and opinions expressed in this open letter are the author’s own.