Author: Kalantarian Kevo

PRESIDENT: WHAT FIRST REPUBLIC FAILED TO ACHIEVE, MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MODERN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011 – 18:14 AMT

On May 28, 1918, Armenian nation adopted a new system of values –
independence and democracy, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated.

On the eve of the First Republic Day, Armenian President awarded
medals to the representatives of the sectors of science, education,
culture, economy and healthcare.

As the Armenian leader noted upon completion of the ceremony, May
victories in the battles of Sardarapat and Bash Aparan were gained at
the time when Armenia and the Armenian nation were given up for lost.

As the President stressed, whatever the first Republic failed to
achieve, must be accomplished by the modern Armenia which declared
independence on September 21, 1991.

AMNESTIED OPPOSITIONIST SASUN MIKAELYAN DOESN’T ADMIT HIS GUILT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011 – 18:31 AMT

Former member of the Armenian parliament Sasun Mikaelyan amnestied on
May 27, does not admit his guilt, believing the authorities actions
towards him a mistake.

As Mikaelyan told journalists, he plans to continue his political
activity in the frames of Armenian National Congress (ANC).

Mikaelyan confessed to have not altered his attitude to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan who he was friendly with in past. “Although
unable to cooperate in political issues, we’ve been brothers-in-arms,
fighting against a common enemy,” he stressed.

Former member of the Armenian parliament Sasun Mikaelyan, who was
convicted in the March 1, 2008 case, was released on May 27. Mikaelyan
had been sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment for illegal weapons
possession since March 2008. In December 2009, he underwent a cardiac
surgery.

President Sargsyan offered the National Assembly to declare amnesty
on occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, the
proposal being based on article 81.1.1 of the RA Constitution and
article 90 of the law on National Assembly regulations. With a vote
91-0, the Armenian parliament approved Thursday, May 26, President
Serzh Sargsyan’s proposal for declaration of amnesty for 396 people
to be released and 379 to have their sentence cut.

>From February 20, 2008, the Armenian opposition led by first president
Levon Ter-Petrossian, who ran for presidency in 2008, but was not
elected, held rallies in the central part of Yerevan, protesting
against the election results. The protest actions resulted in unrest
and clashes between the police and rally participants on March 1-2.

According to the Office of RA Prosecutor General, around 200 people
were injured, 10 people were killed, and over 100 people were arrested.

INMATES TO BE RELEASED UNDER AMNESTY WON’T HAVE TO PAY, SAYS MP

Tert.am
27.05.11

Every effort is made to prevent cases when penitentiaries require
money from inmates to be released under the recent amnesty, an MP
from the Republican Party of Armenia has said.

Raffik Petrosyan, speaking at a press conference, said: “There
were such precedents, and we will take measures so that the amnesty
initiated by the president will have not negative sense.”

Petrosyan’s statement came after reports in the Armenian media saying
the relatives of some inmates to be released under the recent general
amnesty complained that the heads of some penitentiaries required
money for their release.

The amnesty was proposed by President Serzh Sargsyan earlier this
week and approved by the parliament on Wednesday.

On Thursday the document entered into force and Friday saw the release
of Sasun Mikaelyan, a former MP imprisoned over the 1-2 March 2008
post-election unrest.

Nikol Pashinyan, the former Chief Editor of the local daily Haykakan
Zhamanak, is expected to be released within hours on Friday.

AZERBAIJAN DISREGARDED OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS’ STATEMENT, RPA SECRETARY BELIEVES

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011 – 14:39 AMT

Azerbaijan disregarded the statement of OSCE MG co-chairs delivered
May 26 in Deauville, rejecting the co-chairs suggestion to accept the
last negotiated version of Madrid Principles, according to a ruling
Republican Party Secretary (RPA).

Commenting on Azerbaijan’s reaction to the statement of Russian, U.S.
and French Presidents, Eduard Sharmazanov noted that it’s been a
year since Armenia gave a clear reply to co-chairs’ suggestion,
while Azerbaijan keeps maneuvering, thus leading negotiations to
a standstill.

“By its actions, Azerbaijan is attempting to foil the oncoming
Kazan-hosted meeting of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

I believe, the international community as well as mediators must
make relevant inference of Azerbaijan’s irresponsible behavior,”
the RPA secretary remarked.

STATE REVENUE COMMITTEE TO END SPORADIC INSPECTIONS IN COMPANIES

Tert.am
27.05.11

The State Revenue Committee is planning to end sporadically launched
inspections in companies, said the Committee’s chairman.

“We are currently organizing our activities based on risk criteria,
and putting an end to the sporadically launched inspections. We
have risks in almost all spheres,” Gagik Khachatryan told a working
discussion conducted by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Friday.

The statement came in response to the president’s recent concerns
that some owners of big companies evade taxes.

“Our field studies reveal that risks are everywhere. And those risk
criteria dictate the trend our future steps,” Khachatryan said.

He added that the profit tax in the past four months recorded a
considerable growth.

Khachatryan noted further that out of the 85,200 in Armenia, 440
are registered as big enterprises which ensure 60% of Armenia’s tax
revenues. Such index, according to him, has reduced the tax burden
of small- and medium-sized businesses.

He said that entrepreneurs now submit their reports electronically,
every three months.

“We are often unaware of the anticipated tax revenues. So we proposed
changes and removed 57 documents from circulation” he said.

MP: IT’S NOT TIME FOR ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT RESIGNATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011 – 12:40 AMT

Member of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Rafik Petrosyan has
slammed Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s attempts to put responsibility
for the crisis in the country on the government of late PM Andranik
Margaryan.

“It’s already three years as Tigran Sargsyan has headed the
government. Vote of censure didn’t help. However, the government work
should needs some reorganization,” Petrosyan said, adding that every
parliamentarian has the right to express his/her attitude on any issue.

New Times party leader Aram Karapetyan noted, in turn, that
Dashnaktsutyun party voted against the government by political reasons,
in order take up a more radical position on the threshold of elections.

AMERIABANK OFFERS NEW INVESTMENT LOAN FOR INDIVIDUALS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011

Ameriabank CJSC offers a new investment loan for individuals in
Armenia’s banking system. The loan is granted in USD and euros,
with the maximum term of 5 years without established maximum or
minimum amount.

The new loan is allocated to individual to finance or make investments
in business. The loan provides individuals with the possibility
to participate in authorized capital of legal entities operating
in Armenia, through purchase of shares or subscription to a new
stock issue.

The loan is also granted to involve individuals in businesses through
purchasing equipment and other fixed assets used in business, as well
as to establish new businesses, the bank press service reported.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS WILL ARRIVE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS EARLY JUNE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011 – 19:32 AMT

OSCE MG co-chairs will visit the South Caucasus region in early June,
diplomatic sources told PanARMENIAN.Net

The mediators will arrive in the region to prepare an oncoming
meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers as well
as a trilateral Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia trilateral presidential
meeting due June 25 in Kazan.

AZERBAIJAN HAS OCCUPIED FIELD KARABAKH

yerkir.am
15:40 – 26.05.2011

Head of “Modus Vivendy” center Ara Papyan has searched for a long time
not the Woodrow Wilson’s verdict, but for the enclosed maps, whereas
5 of them are big maps and they’re related to one question. Today
during the press conference Ara Papyan said that according to those
documents, not only the mountainous Karabakh belongs to Armenia,
but also Field Karabakh.

“They blame us as if we have occupied the Mountainous Karabakh,
while there must be legislative document confirming that NK is a part
of Azerbaijan”.

In legal point of view Azerbaijan has occupied Field Karabakh.

EXPERT: OSCE MINSK GROUP UNABLE TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 27, 2011 – 10:34 AMT

The statement issued by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries
(Russia, U.S. and France) on the sidelines of G8 summit is non-binding
and, hence, doesn’t envisage any sanctions against those who will
reject to observe its provisions, according to a senior lecturer at
Saint Petersburg State University.

As Alexander Sotnichenko told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the U.S.
intends to internationalize the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to take
out discussions onto the international arena – this time G8 – in
order to strengthen its own influence in the region.

“But today we can be sure that the objective conditions for peaceful
conflict settlement of the conflict have not been developed yet. At
the moment, the OSCE Minsk Group has shown its incapability to settle
the conflict, thus neither in Azerbaijan, nor in Armenia its statement
would be seriously considered,” he stressed.