Author: Kalantarian Kevo

MAN STABBED TO DEATH IN YEREVAN

03:27 pm | Today | Social

A middle-aged man died in Erebuni medical centre on Thursday without
regaining consciousness.

Karen Manasyan, 34, was found near the hospital with traces of
violence.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated in the Erebuni Investigation
Department under Article 104 of the Criminal Code.

According to a police release, Manasyan had been stabbed to death by
Yerevan citizen Arthur H., 28, who was detained on Armenia-Georgia
border on the same day.

Investigation is underway.

GAGIK MINASYAN SAYS AFTER TURKEY’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS THE “OBSTACLE” OF IGNORING INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S CALLS TO BE ELIMINATED

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 10, 2011
YEREVAN

In Turkey’s parliamentary elections, expected in two days, Erdogan’s
Justice and Development Party (AKP) most likely will receive more
than 50% of the votes, according to Gagik Minasyan, member of the
National Assembly ARP faction. He said today at a news conference
that the elections can be considered an important turning point for
Turkey’s development.

Gagik Minasyan says some Turkish deputies think that Turkey’s leading
party does not have enough votes to promote in the parliament its
views on foreign development. According to him, it is evident that
in case Erdogan receives more than 50% of the votes, the “obstacle”
of ignoring the calls by a number of leading international centers on
establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia without preconditions
and opening the borders, will be eliminated and it will be possible
to give a clear assessment to Turkey’s foreign policy, especially
the signing of the protocols without any preconditions.

SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVES MIROSLAV LAJCAK

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 10, 2011
YEREVAN

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Miroslav Lajcak, Managing
Director for Russia, Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans at
the EU European External Action Service.

President’s press office reported that President Sargsyan congratulated
Miroslav Lajcak on assuming the post, expressing hope that the
External Service of the EU will give new breath to the EU united
external policy.

“The issue of rapprochement with the EU, the cooperation issue has
always been one of the important issues for Armenia and gradually
becomes more important. We realize that it is mutually beneficial
process and we tie the reforms and in general our vision of future
with this cooperation”, President Sargsyan said.

The guest said the service has been created to reflect the demands
and agenda issues of each country. He hailed the progress registered
within the framework of the EU Neighborhood Policy, and Armenia’s
targeted approach at the negotiations over Association Agreement.

NKR AUTHORITIES NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE KAZAN MEETING
Lena Badeyan

“Radiolur”
10.06.2011 17:20

The 8th sitting of the Inter-parliamentary Commission on Cooperation
between the National Assemblies of the Republic of Armenia and the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic took place in Yerevan today. The sitting was
held behind closed doors, but members of the NKR delegation answered
the questions of the reporters afterwards.

Unlike the mediators and participants of the negotiation process,
the NKR leadership does not expect rapid results from the active
negotiation process.

“A joint statement may be adopted following the meeting of Armenian,
Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents in Kazan, as the Minsk Group
co-chairing countries are making every effort to achieve progress in
the Karabakh negotiation process,” Speaker of NKR National Assembly
Ashot Ghulyan told reporters.

According to him, Karabakh authorities are not very optimistic about
the upcoming presidential meeting, as Azerbaijan goes on pursing
its policy, particularly introducing news elements in the conflict
resolution and issuing warlike statements.

Ghulyan stated that Nagorno Karabakh will sooner or later be involved
in the negotiations as a full-fledged party to the talks. “For this
very purpose, at the last meeting with the co-chairs NKR President
emphasized that we see the participation of Karabakh in all stages
of the peace process,” Ghulyan concluded.

Karabakh predicts activeness in the negotiation process in the fall.

Before that it’s necessary to use all diplomatic levers to
present Karabakh’s position to the international community. A
corresponding agreement was reached today during the sitting of the
Inter-parliamentary Committee.

As for yesterday’s statement of the OSCE Minsk Group, in which they
call on the parties to avoid any provocative actions or statements,
Ashot Ghulyan stated: “The statement had a concrete addressee. It
was addressed to those who have taken such provocative actions in
the past.”

IS “CAPTURE” OF KAZAN SUSPENDED DUE TO HOME PRESSURE?

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:15:31 – 10/06/2011

The only result of the four-day trip of the co-chairs to the area
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is that for the third time in 2 years
they crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani mined border. The meaning is
not clear, nevertheless, the achievement is input into the record of
the Co-Chairs.

The mediators appealed not to undertake provocations which could
hinder the agreement of the basic principles.

Co-Chairs accept that there is pressure on the presidents in their
home countries aimed at preventing agreement on the principles. The
Co-Chairs seem to know better about the existence of such pressure
than the Armenian society part of which is sure that the current
situation must change and the price of this change should be the
return of territories and security.

The other part of the society perceives safety more specifically in
terms of rejection of the Madrid principles, which, according to Igor
Muradyan, are a national catastrophe for Armenia.

Pressure is exerted in an open political mode (by the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, Heritage and influential experts) and in the
underground mode. Recently, the presence of groups set to disobey
orders from above and to defend our land is felt increasingly
frequently. There are even hints of terror and retaliation against
those who will act against national interests.

Even the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk admitted that “the commander, in a moment of threat, will not
listen to politicians, but he will perform the first order to defend
the positions”. “He knows that he will be responsible if he does not
do everything possible not to leave. As a battalion commander he has
a large caliber weapon, but in this case, indeed, it may be unsafe,”
said Kasprzyk in an interview with a Polish newspaper.

The chairman of NKR Public Council on Foreign Policy and Security Masis
Mayilyan stated: “The adoption of the proposed project is initially
capable of leading to internal instability within the societies of
the conflicting parties and in the case of implementation of the
agreements the war will be inevitable, since peace on the basis of
the Madrid document only means a pending war.”

Either under home pressure or proceeding from their interests and
opinions, the Co-Chairs stated during their visit to Armenia and
Azerbaijan that they do not expect a breakthrough in the meeting
in Kazan.

The spokesman for the NKR President David Babayan noted that the
international community needs excitement in the expectation for Kazan
to lay the groundwork to the recognition of the status quo as the best
option. “I do not think in the nearest future the sides will come
to a common denominator,” said Babayan. Then the Armenian foreign
minister Edward Nalbandyan expressed doubt that Azerbaijan is ready
to sign the agreement but the Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister Araz
Azimov stated bluntly that he expects nothing from the Kazan meeting.

Experts think this is the result of the lack of consensus between the
co-chair countries which fail to decide on how to solve the conflict.

But we must not ignore the home factor. The leadership of the
country understands that “a step to the left, a step to the right
means shooting”.

LEBANON TO HAVE TWO MINISTERS OF ARMENIAN ORIGIN

yerkir.am
14:21 – 10.06.2011

Two main hurdles delaying the birth of a new Cabinet were knocked
down Wednesday, June 8, as deliberations to speed up the formation
process gained momentum after Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati
held “icebreaker” talks in Parliament with Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun.

Sources close to the meeting said talks were able to resolve
difficulties related to the telecommunication and energy and water
resources ministries with parties agreeing for the FPM to retain the
two portfolios.

Nearly five months after the designation of Mikati as prime minister,
Cabinet formation efforts have been obstructed by snags over the
distribution of portfolios in a 30-member Cabinet lineup.

The FPM share will also include two Armenian ministers, whose names
have yet to be made available, one to head the industry ministry
and one minister of state. However, FPM sources warned that if the
agreement reached Wednesday among the groups involved in the formation
of the Cabinet fails to be swiftly implemented this can only mean
that a new government will never see the light of day.

Although a source close to Mikati said tension between Aoun and
Sleiman also receded, another obstacle delaying the new cabinet is
Aoun’s insistence that the candidate for the second Maronite minister,
part of Sleiman’s share, should not be from Jbeil or the Christian
heartland of Kesrouan for electoral reasons.

ASHOT GHOULYAN. “THE PARLIAMENT OF KHARABAKH IS TRYING TO HAVE A RELIABLE PERSPECTIVE FOR BECOMING A SUBJECT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS”

Noyan Tapan

10.06.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 10.06.2011) “We are on the threshold of a historical
event. In September we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the
declaration of the two Armenian republics,” said Ashot Ghoulyan,
the president of NKR National Assembly, during the sitting
of the inter-parliamentary cooperation committee between the
National Assemblies of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of
Nagorno-Kharabakh. The meeting took place in Ra National Assembly,
on June 10.

“I want to state,” he said, “that the role of the parliaments of
the two states is certainly great in the making of the 20-year-old
statehood. I would like also mention about the serious mission due to
which we have an effective system of inter-parliamentary cooperation
and two legal and democratic Armenian states.”

He was sure that the two parliaments, by joint efforts, are able to
keep the inter-parliamentary cooperation “on the proper level to endure
the contemporary challenges and to transfer following generations
a safe and secure homeland based on the values of independence and
freedom.” A. Ghoulyan noted that there are a few formats completed
by the close cooperation and mutual relations of the two states and
the committee has a significant place in the inter-parliamentary
cooperation. The committee enables us to be always in the exchange
of ideas even if formally meetings are not held.

The president of RNK National assembly also attached importance to
the visits to Kharabakh of the Parliamentary groups of Armenia-France
and Armenia-Great Britain friendship. He thanked Armenian National
Assembly for this hoping that such useful visits will be organized
in the nearest future too. According to him by these steps Kharanakh
Parliament tries to have a reliable perspective for becoming a subject
of international relations.

According to him, political and social primary issued are to be
discussed at the current sitting of the committee. He also suggested
thinking about forming a big agenda of the committee then separating
the urgent issues and putting them in a discussion. If the idea is
approved it will be necessary to form a working group on that purpose.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO CONTRIBUTE TO ARMENIA’S NUCLEAR SAFETY

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 10, 2011 – 14:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – During the June 10 sitting, the Armenian government
approved signing of a program with the European Commission on financing
Institutional Development of the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority
program.

Armenian Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan said the agreement will
allow increasing Armenia’s opportunities in the nuclear field. The
program is estimated to cost 1mln euros.

Promotion of nuclear safety in post-Soviet countries as part of IAEA
relevant convention is among priorities of the European Union.

DWELLING HOUSES TO BE BUILT IN MEGHRI

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 10, 2011
YEREVAN

The Meghri Town Hall together with the Dutch “Social Foundation”
organization signed an agreement according to which dwelling houses
will be built in Meghri and will be given to the residents with
available rent prices.

“We have given the Dutch organization two partially constructed
buildings one in Abelyan and the other in Araxshen districts. Besides
these two partially constructed buildings, they will build one dwelling
building as well. Overall, 80 apartments will be constructed”, mayor
of Meghri Sergey Hayrapetyan told Armenpress correspondent in Syunik.

The carried out program will partially solve the apartment issue in
Meghri. The latest dwelling building was built in Meghri in midst of
80s and today more than 250 families need apartments. The statistics
shows growth of the number of population of Meghri.

AMBASSADOR NAZARYAN CIRCULATES A LETTER AT UN HEADQUARTERS

ARMRADIO.AM
10.06.2011 13:38

On June 9 the Armenian Permanent Representative to the UN, Karen
Nazaryan circulated a letter at UN headquarters, calling attention
to the ongoing anti-Armenian propaganda of Azerbaijan.

In the letter addressed to the UN Secretary General the Armenian
Ambassador noted that “against the background of the importance of
the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, it’s disappointing that
Azerbaijan continues to abuses its membership in the UN, availing
itself of every opportunity to disseminate misinformation about
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.”

Emphasizing that Azerbaijan ignores the statements of the UN Secretary
General, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
the EU leaders to reinforce the ceasefire regime and pull back the
snipers from the line of contact, Ambassador Nazaryan voiced hope that
instead of spreading groundless and provocative letters, Azerbaijan
will focus on the negotiations under way within the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group.

Ambassador Nazaryan concluded the letter, noting that Armenia
has always backed the peaceful settlement of the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh, and it has proved this on practice.