Author: Kalantarian Kevo

BAKO SAHAKYAN: DESTRUCTIVE POLICY OF BAKU THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

February 19, 2014 | 14:22

STEPANAKERT. – President oftheNagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic
Bako Sahakyan visited the NKR foreign ministry and participatedin a
consultation summing up the activities of the structure in 2013 and
the 2014 action plan.

Foreign minister Karen Mirzoyan, responsible officers of the ministry’s
different departments delivered corresponding reports.

President Sahakyan noted in his speech that Artsakh Republic would
further conduct multidirectional, balanced foreign policy based
on complementarity with influential states and power centers, NKR
president’s press service reported.

Bako Sahakyan noted that destructive policy of Baku is the biggest
obstacle to the settlement ofAzerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, which
also threatens maintenance of regional peace and stability.

Referring to the peace process, President Sahakyan underlined that
the NKR would be consistent in itsactivities aimed at restoring the
full-fledged negotiation format, by convincing the interested parties
that it would be impossible to achieve comprehensive settlement
without full participation of the official Stepanakert at all stages
of the negotiations.

Touching upon the international recognition process of the Artsakh
Republic, President noted positive developments that are inspiring.

President Sahakyan gave instructions in order to improve efficient
organization of activities and eliminate shortcomings.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

LA CHANTEUSE ARMENO-RUSSE EVA RIVAS VA ATTAQUER EN JUSTICE LA CHAINE DE TELEVISION RUSSE HTB

CHANSON-PEOPLE

La chanteuse et top-modèle Eva Rivas (nee Valeria Alexandrovna
Reshetnikova-Satourian, en Russie le 13 Juillet 1987) qui representa
l’Armenie a l’Eurovision en 2010 va porter une action juridique contre
la chaine de television russe HTB. Cette dernière aurait place la photo
d’Eva Rivas dans la liste des femmes qui auraient recues 40 000 roubles
pour accompagner durant un mois de riches hommes d’affaires dans leur
vie quotidienne. Outree par la presence de son nom dans cette liste,
la chanteuse armeno-russe s’appreterait a porter plainte.

Krikor Amirzayan

mercredi 19 fevrier 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

DIXIEME ANNIVERSAIRE DE L’ASSASSINAT DE GOURGEN MARGARYAN

OTAN-EUROPE-AZERBAÏDJAN

Il y a juste 10 ans, le 19 fevrier 2004, le lieutenant Gourguen
Margaryan qui participait a un stage de l’OTAN a Budapest etait
retrouve mort dans son lit, decapite. L’auteur de cette veritable
boucherie, le lieutenant azerbaïdjanais Ramil Safarof, avait tranche
la tete de son homologue armenien durant son sommeil. A coups de
hache. Ce monstre vit desormais dans son pays où il est traite en
heros. Malgre sa peine de prison de 30 ans incompressible que lui
avait infligee la justice hongroise en 2006, il a ete libere le 31
août 2012, au terme d’une transaction honteuse entre le gouvernement
Orban et l’Etat azerbaïdjanais. Une fois en Azerbaïdjan, un accueil
officiel a ete reserve a ce barbare qui a beneficie d’une grâce
presidentielle et a ete eleve en grade.

Cette injustice sans nom, qui constitue sans doute l’un des plus
grands scandales judiciaires enregistres en Europe depuis le debut
du siècle, a provoque l’indignation des communautes armeniennes
dans le monde entier. Le lendemain meme de l’extradition de Safarov,
le president armenien Serge Sarkissian convoquait les ambassadeurs
presents a Erevan, en enjoignant leurs Etats a denoncer ce deni
manifeste de justice. Il s’en est suivi une serie de petitions de
principe condamnant l’attitude de l’Azerbaïdjan et de la Hongrie. Mais
aucune mesure concrète.

Ce manque de reactivite et de fermete a encourage l’agressivite de
l’Azerbaïdjan, qui multiplie les violations du cessez-le-feu sur
le front du Haut-Karabagh. Quant aux autorites hongroises, elles se
sont placees avec l’extradition d’un tel criminel en rupture totale
avec les valeurs democratiques. Et leur image est au plus bas dans
l’opinion. Il n’en demeure pas moins qu’elles continuent de beneficier
de tous leurs droits dans les instances europeennes.

A Paris un service commemoratif a l’officier armenien Gourgen Margaryan
a eu lieu a l’eglise Saint-Jean Baptiste de la rue Jean Goujon. La
ceremonie a ete suivie par des representants de l’ambassade d’Armenie
en France, la Representation de la Republique du Haut-Karabakh et un
certain nombre de membres de la communaute armenienne de France.

Etaient presents l’ambassadeur armenien en France Vigen Tchitetchian et
les dirigeants du Conseil de coordination des organisations armeniennes
de France.

Après le service, les participants se sont rendus au Jardin d’Erevan,
où ils ont depose des couronnes de fleurs au pied de la statue de
Komitas au nom des Armeniens d’Armenie, d’Artsakh et de France.

D’autres services commemorant Gourgen Margaryan ont ete offerts dans
les eglises armeniennes de Marseille, Lyon et d’autres villes.

Le 16 fevrier un service commemoratif pour Gourgen Margaryan a
eu lieu a Moscou. La ceremonie a ete suivie par les dirigeants de
l’Union armenienne de Russie, l’ONG de cooperation russo-armenienne,
l’Union culturelle “Ararat”, et un certain nombre d’autres invites.

Le Comite National Armenien du Canada (ANCC) rappelle egalement a la
communaute internationale l’horrible assassinat du lieutenant armenien
Gourgen Margaryan, et appelle les dirigeants des nations a condamne le
mepris flagrant du droit international dont fait preuve l’Azerbaïdjan.

Safarov, libre en Azerbaïdjan Le monument dedie a Gourguen
Margaryan a Erevan La communaute armenienne de Hongrie
mercredi 19 fevrier 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

ARMENIA TO ESTABLISH CONSULATE IN ERBIL, IRAQ

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 18 2014

18 February 2014 – 6:58pm

Armenia is going to establish a consulate in Erbil, the capital of
Iraqi Kurdistan, Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said
today during his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

The Armenian official also said that his country is going to ease
the visa regime with Iraq.

ARMENIAN EXPORT INCREASES

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 18 2014

By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, February 18
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated that Armenia’s becoming
the member of the Customs Union will increase its export. It is
known that in September, 2013 Armenia officially declared about its
decision to enter the Customs Union and accordingly, the Eurasian
Union. The roadmap of the plans for the Eurasian Union was published
and translated in the Armenian language.

FAMILY OF VICTIM KILLED IN SHOOTOUT INTENDS TO APPEAL TO EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

02.17.2014 22:14 epress.am

After four months, the judicial investigation into the three complaints
brought forth by attorney Hayk Alumyan in the criminal case of the
Jun. 1, 2013 murder outside former Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan’s
house was suspended. Alumyan represents the family of the victim,
Avetik Budaghyan.

Recall, on Jun. 1, 2013, former Goris mayoral candidate Avetik
Budaghyan was murdered outside the house of then Syunik regional
governor Surik Khachatryan, while Budaghyan’s brother, Colonel Artak
Budaghyan, was wounded.

Speaking to reporters today, Alumyan said they are disappointed with
the actions of the domestic courts. The Budaghyans’ complaints refer
to investigator Aleksan Ghazaryan’s three decisions which set free
Khachatryan’s son, Tigran, and his bodyguard, Zarzand Nikoghosyan,
and with which the persecution of Avetik Budaghyan was terminated
because of his death. Recall, Khachatryan and Nikoghosyan were charged
with murder, but the investigative body later considered they acted
in self-defense and released them.

During the trial, Alumyan asked that the investigator present in court
all the materials relating to the complaint, which Aleksan Ghazaryan
didn’t do. “The court, accepting that investigation of the case is
impossible without all the materials provided by the investigator,
did not require the investigator, nevertheless, bring the materials
related to the complaint, but rather suspended the investigation. That
is, the court considered the investigator’s folly a force majeure,”
said the attorney.

Alumyan said his clients appealed the Court of First Instance of
Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun Administrative Districts of Yerevan’s
decision to discontinue the investigation at the Court of Appeal, and
they are currently preparing to appeal also to the Court of Cassation.

After exhausting the domestic courts, the Budaghyans will appeal to
the European Court of Human Rights.

DO WE HAVE A DREAM?

EDITORIAL | FEBRUARY 17, 2014 2:52 PM

By Edmond Y. Azadian

When nations face overwhelming, burning issues, their citizens resort
to extraordinary measures, if they still possess the instinct of
survival. A case in point may be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march
on Washington and his historic speech at the Lincoln Memorial, on
August 28, 1963.

The event was a watershed in the Civil Rights movement in the US and
King’s messianic message still reverberates in the halls of power,
long after his untimely assassination.

Although he advocated change through non-violence, he did not hesitate
to state in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, “the whirlwinds of
revolt will continue to shake the foundation of our nation until the
bright day of justice emerges.”

His example was followed by other African-American leaders, including
Louis Farrakhan, who organized the Million Man March in 1995 in
Washington.

Now, the question arises: Do we have a dream? Can we mobilize a
million-person march on Washington? In the case of the Armenians,
that “million,” of course, can only be a symbolic number.

The compelling message of the march must be the recognition of the
Genocide in a non-equivocal context and that the destruction of an
entire nation cannot be dealt with simply with a play of words in
the political marketplace.

The centennial of the Genocide is around the corner and only an event
commensurate with its enormity could serve as an adequate undertaking
to mark the occasion.

Armenians cannot expect to stage similar movements in Middle Eastern
countries; only Europe and North America can tolerate and understand
such a massive political action without repercussions, especially in
light of the delicate and frightening situation in that part of the
world at the moment. Armenians in Europe, and especially in France,
are doing their share and those actions are yielding political
dividends. The challenge is for us, the Armenians living in the
United States.

Of course, we cannot be naïve to the point where we expect the media
to give full coverage to us and that the impact of the march will
shake the political world. Much has changed from 1963, when King’s
message resonated through the entire media. In recent years, many
powerful protests at the nation’s capital have received muted coverage
in the media because since the height of the Civil Rights movement,
the Rupert Murdochs of the world have forged an alliance with the
military-industrial complex to cut down to size any movement which is
not considered going along with the day’s favored policies. Therefore,
media access has to be bought ahead of the event to assure some
political impact.

Any such movement requires motivation, political will and above all,
finances. One may ask who will underwrite the cost of such an immense
undertaking, when as a community, we have so many needs to build
half-empty churches all over the country? The answer is obvious:
Forbes magazine just published the names of the 10 richest Armenians,
who certainly will not commit even a penny if they do not see a united
community mobilized and ready to march in Washington.

In the past, the Armenians in the US were polarized. Divisions were
rife. But when the opportunities arose, like in 1946 to appeal to the
United Nations, there was community-wide consensus. Today, people are
less polarized yet more fragmented. Charismatic leadership drove each
segment of the community at the time but today it is almost impossible
to single out leaders who would rise to the occasion and move the
masses to action. That is the enemy within, the one we should tackle,
before we begin criticizing the politicians.

It is tragically symbolic that the Genocide museum project will
certainly miss the centennial mark and there is no discussion about
it throughout the community. Its dedication by 2015 could have served
as a jumping-off-point to a million-person march and movement.

A million-person political march could be coupled with a statement
about the survival of the Armenians by organizing a gala affair in New
York, with the participation of world-class artists and celebrities
who may attract the attention of non-Armenians. There are l efforts
regarding the centennial commemoration in the US, but plans have
not been announced nor finalized. It seems, however, there is no
one overarching entity uniting Armenians across the United States,
much less globally.

One laudable action needs to be mentioned, which may serve as a spark
of inspiration: world-class pianist Vartan Mamikonian has engaged
himself, with a Crusader’s zeal, to organize 100 musical events around
the globe, culminated with a concert on April 24, 2015 in Yerevan.

In terms of scholarship, we have made headway and all the courts and
political forums will be inundated with full documentation of the
Genocide to defy anyone who wants to deny it happened.

The time is already at hand when we have to start.

Do we have a dream for 2015 or is this column merely reminding up
that it will remain a dream?

– See more at:

LIFE UNDERCOVER: LEGENDARY SPY GEVORK VARTANIAN’S 90TH BIRTH ANNIV.

February 17, 2014 – 15:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Legendary Soviet spy Gevork Vartanian, who helped
foil a Nazi plot to kill Allied leaders in Tehran during World War
II would have celebrated his 90th birthday today, February 17.

Vartanian died from cancer at the age of 87 in a Moscow hospital on
January 10, 2012.

Vartanian and his wife, Gohar, became a legendary spy couple, working
on numerous missions for Soviet intelligence abroad. In an interview
with RIA Novosti, Ms Vartanian shared her memories and thanked her
friends for their care of her after her husband’s death.

“I wouldn’t have survived the grief of losing my wonderful husband,
my life companion if it were not for the support of our friends.”

As she further noted, after her husband’s death, she continues the
task of passing on the experience of intelligence work to younger
generations. “He gave all of himself to the people and our motherland,
holding nothing back,” she said.

Vartanian, whose father was a Soviet intelligence agent in Tehran
posing as a merchant, began working for Soviet intelligence when he
turned 16. He played a role in foiling a Nazi plot to assassinate
Soviet leader Josef Stalin, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill when they held a conference
in Tehran in November 1943.

Adolf Hitler ordered operation Long Jump after Nazi intelligence
learned of the conference. Vartanian’s group shadowed an advance
team of Nazi agents, who arrived to set the ground for the mission,
helping uncover the plot.

The Foreign Intelligence Service, which goes under its Russian acronym
SVR, said that acting on orders from Moscow, Vartanian also joined a
British intelligence school in Tehran and obtained information about
its graduates sent to the Soviet Union, allowing Soviet authorities
to catch them.

The SVR said Vartanian and his wife worked as intelligence agents in
several countries between the 1950s and 1986, but didn’t name them.

They got married several times in different places as part of their
cover. The ITAR-Tass news agency said they worked in Iran, Italy,
France and Greece among other nations.

After retiring in 1992, Vartanian helped train young intelligence
agents.

AZERBAIJANI MP IS CRITICIZED IN PARLIAMENT FOR COMPARING RULING REGIME WITH CANNIBALS

19:39 17/02/2014 >> REGION

Recently Azerbaijani Parliament has subjected MP Fazil Mustafayev to
obstruction for his essay “The Cannibal” and has demanded to apologize
to the Azerbaijani people.

As the site Qafqazinfo.az reported, the essay describes how Azerbaijani
MP, together with his colleagues from Finland, Romania, the Netherlands
and Catalonia went to Africa to check how the funds for the fight
against malaria were spent.

He told how a delightful it was to see a university built in one of
the remote districts of the world, and no Azerbaijani university can
be compared with it. MP was also surprised by the request of people
surrounding him, who asked him unanimously to bring a “cannibal”
from his trip.

“My attention was drawn to the fact that the stereotype about Africa
had not changed with so many different people. I was ready to answer
the first question about the expected cannibal that I had promised to
bring. I told them jokingly that I had met there a lot of cannibals
whom I had offered to come with me to my country, but they knew
nothing about this place, and when I showed it to them on the map I
received a refusal immediately. When I asked about the reason, they
answered “we know about your country, that’s true we are cannibals,
but you have such cannibals in your country that may eat us too,”
writes the Azerbaijani MP.

Mustafayev shares his observations about the crumbling walls after the
restoration of facades of houses in Baku and complains of corruption,
which has no analogues even in the most criminal states.

“These are the real cannibals, my friend. To spend millions on
restoration of a building, knowing that it will be destroyed anyway,
and then demolish it after a costly repair when there are hundreds
of people in the country needing an apartment, work, bread,” writes F.

Mustafayev.

Azerbaijani MP notes that such false phrases like “we were defeated
in the Karabakh war, because we were not prepared – Vezirov didn’t
allow us to stay in Karabakh, Mutalibov didn’t let us buy guns etc.”

appeared in the lexicon of the Azerbaijani people.

“Today, because of Baku’s wrong planning, we do not know where the
city begins and where it ends. We have gathered 40% of the population
here and during each earthquake we pray that there was no damage. How
would we be ready for Karabakh war with such brains, no matter today
or yesterday” the MP says.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN CUSTOMS UNION CAN SECURE ADDITIONAL 1.5%-2% GDP GROWTH FOR KARABAKH – EXPERT SAYS

YEREVAN, February 17. / ARKA /. Armenia’s membership in the
Customs Union can secure an additional 1.5%-2% GDP growth for the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the next two years , Ashot Tavadyan,
a professor at the Armenian State University of Economics, said today.

“Karabakh is in the same space as Armenia, and I think that Armenia’s
formal membership in the Russia-led trade bloc will be reflected in
Nagorno-Karabakh as well,” he said in an interview with ARKA .

He said Armenia’s membership in the Customs Union will cut the barriers
for exports of agricultural products and other commodities produced
in Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to him, improved transport conditions in Armenia will have
their positive impact on Karabakh as well because the North-South
transport corridor passes near its borders.

On February 3 the Armenian government made public a “roadmap” to
Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union. The 249-page document posted
on the government’s website lists 262 administrative and legislative
actions concerning 20 areas of government policy. -0-

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