Author: Kalantarian Kevo

EURASIAN UNION BID PREMATURE FOR ARMENIA – ARFD MEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 24, 2011 – 16:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – ARF Dashnaktsutyun Hay Dat and Political Affairs
Office Director believes the issue of joining the Eurasian Union
might still be premature for Armenia.

As Kiro Manoyan told a news conference in Yerevan, absence of a
common border with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan further complicates
Armenia’s affiliation with the Eurasian Union.

ARFD member, however, agreed with exert reports suggesting formation of
the Eurasian Union is aimed to counteract Turkey, seeking to increase
its influence in Central Asia.

HETQ ARTICLE LEADS TO INVESTIGATION BY PROSECUTOR GENERAL

hetq
13:09, November 24, 2011

The RA Prosecutor General has announced that it has directed the Lori
Regional Prosecutor’s Office to follow up on a report that appeared
in the November 19 edition of Hetq regarding the wholesale felling
of trees along the Odzoun-Arevatzag roadway.

Toumanyan Police Chief A. Haroutyunyan has been ordered to take
personal responsibility for te investigation.

ARMENIANS CALL FOR RELEASE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE ALES BIALIATSKI

epress.am
11.25.2011

The Committee on International Control over the Human Rights
Situation in Belarus (the Helsinki Association for Human Rights is the
Committee’s representation in Armenia) is organizing a demonstration
today in defense of Ales Bialiatski, the human rights activist in
Belarus who was sentenced to prison Thursday.

Bialiatski (also spelling Belyatsky; first name Aliaksander), the
Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH) and Head of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, was
arrested on Aug. 4, and convicted on Nov. 24 on tax evasion charges
and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in an enhanced regime detention
camp with property confiscation.

According to the Human Rights Watch, tax-evasion charges against
Bialiatski stemmed from his use of his personal bank accounts in
Lithuania and Poland to receive funding from international donors
for human rights work in Belarus. Human Rights Watch said that the
Belarusian authorities created many obstacles to prevent human rights
groups like Viasna from operating in compliance with the law, forcing
them into a legal limbo that the government exploits to punish them.

Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called on the prosecution to withdraw
the charges.

The charges were blatantly politically motivated, and he should
never have been arrested or tried. Ales Bialiatski is a prisoner of
conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released,”
said Amnesty International in a separate statement.

The demonstration in Yerevan today will take place outside the
Belorussian Embassy (12a Nikol Dumani St. in Arabkir administrative
district) at 2:30 pm. Activists will be calling for Bialiatski’s
release and an end to the criminal persecution against him.

Similar demonstrations are set to take place in other countries –
Ukraine, Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

Recall, a similar demonstration was held in Yerevan on Sept. 5,
protesting Bialiatski’s initial arrest.

$12.3 MILLION RAISED DURING TELETHON 2011

armradio.am
25.11.2011 11:04

About $12.3 million was raised for Armenia Fund in the Thanksgiving
Day telethon aired throughout major Armenian American communities
and organizes hoped to double that amount following a fundraising
gala in Moscow on December 21.

The 14th annual telethon aired on November 25 from Hollywood focused
on continuing water supply development projects in Artsakh and Tavush

Of the total amount, $1.7 million was raised in Europe, primarily in
France, through a phonathon held between November 17 and 20.

A fund-rising dinner featuring Russian Armenian businessmen will take
place in Moscow in mid-December.

The final results of the telethon will be summed up in a press
conference in the second half of December.

TURKISH FM: MEMORANDUM SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND TURKISH BUSINESSMEN HAS NO RELATION WITH STATE

APA
Nov 23 2011
Azerbaijan

Istanbul. Mayis Alizadeh – APA. Armenian-Turkish business forum and
Memorandum signed between Armenian and Turkish businessmen has no
relation with state, press services of Turkish Foreign Ministry told
APA’s urkey correspondent.

According to Press Service, there is no any talk about governmental
commercial cooperation with the state, which Turkey has not diplomatic
links.

“There can not be any relation of implementation efforts of projects
financed from abroad with Turkey. The purpose of our position is the
businessmen trying to implement any projects with a neighbour country,
must take Azerbaijan into consideration. Turkish position on Nagorno
Karabagh, that it will support Azerbaijan in all issues is known to
all”, said the Service.

Note that, Turkish and Armenian businessmen signed a memorandum
on cooperation.

The framework agreement, signed during the Armenian-Turkish business
forum held in Yerevan on November 22-23, stipulates for ratification of
contracts between entrepreneurs and businessmen of the two countries,
as well as lobbying for opening of Armenian-Turkish border.

>From the Armenian side the agreement was signed by the Union of
Manufacturers and Businessmen, from the Turkish side – by the Turkish
Armenian Business Development Council.

Both organizations has been cooperating in this direction for
several years, also being partners within “Support to Armenia-Turkey
Rapprochement” project initiated by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).

L’UGAB, Le CSDA, la RAA et Inside Europe ont le plaisir de vous
inviter au vernissage de l’exposition:

ARMENIACA
Les pionniers de l’étude du patrimoine architectural arménien
Le lundi 5 décembre 2011 à 19h
Tour et Taxis (hall principal)
Avenue du Port, 86c, B- 1000 Bruxelles

Une conférence et une projection de film vous seront
également proposées (voir détail du programme sur
le carton d’invitation). RSVP pour le 28 novembre à l’adresse:
[email protected]

Avec le soutien de : Boghossian Foundation Brussels ; Comité
des Arméniens de Belgique/Armeens Comité van Belgie

______________________

AGBU, CSDCA, RAA and Inside Europe are happy to invite you to the
inauguration of the exhibition

ARMENIACA
Pioneers of the study of Armenian architectural heritage
Monday December 5, 2011, 7 pm
Tour et Taxis (main hall)Avenue du Port, 86c, B- 1000 Brussels

A conference and inaugural film screening will also take place on this
occasion.

To find out more about the evening programme please open the
invitation card.Please respond before Monday November 28 at
[email protected]

With the support of : Boghossian Foundation Brussels ; Comité
des Arméniens de Belgique/Armeens Comité van Belgie

______________________

AGBU, CSDCA, RAA en Inside Europe (België) hebben het genoegen
U uit te nodigen op de vernissage van de tentoonstelling:

ARMENIACA
De pioniers van de studie van het Armeense architecturale erfgoed
Maandag 5 december 2011, 19u
Tour et Taxis (hoofdhal)Havenlaan 86c, B- 1000 Brussel

Op deze avond, zullen een lezing en een vertoning van een film
voorgesteld worden.
Gelieve te antwoorden voor: maandag 28 november: [email protected]

Met de steun van : Boghossian Foundation Brussels ; Comité des
Arméniens de Belgique/Armeens Comité van Belgie

1138 CITIZENS OF ARMENIA RECEIVED RESIDENCE PERMIT IN FRANCE LAST YEAR

news.am
Nov 21 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Overall number of migrants from Armenia to Europe makes
around 150 thousand people, stated the participants of conference on
European Integration held by International Centre for Human Development
in Yerevan.

Last year 1138 Armenian citizens were granted residence permits in
France, 106 people in the Netherlands, 227 – in Sweden. At the same
time in 2010, 611 citizens of Armenia appealed to the authorities
of the Netherlands for political asylum. A total of 275 citizens of
Armenia made a similar request to the authorities of Austria, 986 –
to the authorities of Belgium.

About 65 percent of labor migrants account for the Russian Federation,
10 percent for the European countries. Seventy percent of migrants in
Russia are engaged in the construction sector, 10 percent – in trade.
The number of seasonal workers is 60 – 80 thousand people.

During the first 9 months of 2011 individual transfers to Armenia
made $1 billion 92 million, which exceeds last year~Rs indicator by
23 percent.

ARMENIAN FM CALLS HIS TURKISH COUNTERPART IGNORANT

news.am
Nov 21 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenian authorities have for many times stated that the
fact of the Armenian Genocide and the importance of its international
recognition and condemnation has never been and can never be put
into question, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian said in the interview
to Dutch De Volkskrant newspaper in Hague.

In response to the journalist’s report on the process of the
international recognition of Genocide, Armenian FM said that statements
on establishing a committee of historians for 1915 events by Turkish
FM are, in fact, an attempt to put into question the Armenian Genocide
recognition fact by France and various other states and international
organizations.

It is nothing else but continuation of a dangerous denial policy.

French President made a clear statement on the point in Armenia,
Nalbandian added.

Regarding Turkish FM Ahmed Davutoghlu’s claims that Turkish PM
Erdogan’s letter addressed to the Armenian former President Robert
Kocharyan was left unanswered in 2005, Nalbandian said that Kocharyan
has sent answer, which was published on April 25, 2005. Both Turkey
and international community are well aware of the content, except
for several people, Davutoghlu among them, Nalbandian concluded.

THREE ARMENIANS CHARGED WITH SPYING FOR AZERBAIJAN

Interfax
Nov 21 2011
Russia

Investigators from the Armenian National Security Service have
completed a preliminary criminal inquiry into treason.

Three men are being charged with treason and three others with failing
to report the crime.

Based on the evidence obtained during a pre-trial investigation,
it was found that the three Armenians – K. Megrabian, R. Matevosian
and A. Chtrkian, while in Turkey, were spotted by and received an
offer to cooperate with Azeri intelligence agencies for remuneration,
the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office told Interfax.

“They were instructed to obtain information about the Armenian and
Nagorno Karabakh armed forces, their command structure, subdivisions
and the quantity of their military hardware,” the Prosecutor General’s
Office said.

“Besides, the Armenians K. Petrosian, A. Avetikian and D. Avetikian
knew that Megrabian undertook to gather and pass this information
to Azeri intelligence agencies for money, however, they failed to
report it to law enforcement authorities,” the Prosecutor General’s
Office said.

Based on the obtained evidence, Megrabian, Matevosian and Chtrkian
have been charged with treason.

K. Petrosian, A. Avetikian and D. Avetikian have been indicted with
failing to report the crime.

The criminal dossier has been sent to a court.

HEFFERN CONDEMNS AZERI SNIPER ATTACKS

asbarez
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

US Ambassador John Heffern

YEREVAN-Newly appointed US Ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern
condemned the weekend Azeri sniper attacks, which killed two soldiers
and urged for a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“We condemn the incidents that occurred at the line of contact and
express our condolence to families of the victims,” said Heffern
during the official opening of the pediatric ward of the St. Gregory
the Illuminator Hospital in Yerevan Tuesday, reported the local press..

“Any manifestation of violence is deplorable, and we wish to contribute
to the problem’s peaceful settlement through the [OSCE (Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe)] Minsk Group process,”
added Heffern.