Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Russia ready to develop long-range air defense system with Turkey

17:14 – 19.05.13

Russia is ready to develop jointly with Turkey a long-range air
defense complex based on S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, state
arms seller Rosoboronexport head Sergei Ladygin said on Sunday.

Turkey launched a tender for the purchase of long-range air defense
systems long ago but no winner has been announced to this day, RIA
Novosti reports.

`Russia is ready to offer as part of the tender a joint
Russian-Turkish product based on the Antey-2500 system [the export
version of the S-300 system]. For example, to mount the air defense
system on the Turkish chassis,’ Ladygin said at the weapons exhibition
in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Rosoboronexport has also proposed that Russia and Turkey join efforts
to promote this air defense system on the markets of third countries,
he said.

`That is, it is possible to discuss selling the license for the
production of this system in other countries of the world,’ he said.
The advanced version of the S-300 missile system, called S-300PMU1,
has a range of over 150 kilometers (over 100 miles) and can intercept
ballistic missiles and aircraft at low and high altitudes, making it
effective in warding off air strikes.

Zhamanak: Belarusian plant to sue BHK member

Sunday,
May 19

`Zhamanak’ daily wrote that Belarus-based Bobruysk Plant of Tractor
Parts and Units plans to sue former agriculture minister of Armenia,
member of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) Vardan Karapetian if he fails
to repay debts for tractors imported into Armenia.

Bobruysk Plant’s spokesman Vasily Vileninovich told the daily’s
correspondent yesterday that V. Karapetian has not yet repaid the
debt. `Our lawyers are preparing documents to file a lawsuit,’ he
said.

18.05.2013, 11:20

Aysor.am

AZERBAÏDJAN-HAUT KARABAGH
Ilham Aliev « un jour le drapeau de l’Azerbaïdjan flottera sur
Chouchi, Aghdam et Stepanakert »

Lors de l’inauguration de la mosquée de la ville de Chamakh
(Azerbaïdjan) après sa rénovation, le président azéri Ilham Aliev a
déclaré « un jour nous rénoverons également la mosquée de Chouchi
».Une déclaration qui vient juste à quelques jours du 21e anniversaire
de la libération de Chouchi (République du Haut Karabagh) par les
forces arméniennes de l’occupation azéries en mai 1992.

« Pour nous les richesses nationales et religieuses sont au-dessus de
tout. Nous rénovons et continuerons à rénover nos monuments
historiques et religieux. Lors des dix dernières années nous avons
construit plus de 200 mosquées et rénové plus de 80 (…) un jour nous
rénoverons la mosquée de Chouchi, d’Aghdam et les autres qui se
trouvent en territoire occupée. Nous expulserons les occupants des
terres azéries et nous ferons flotter le drapeau de l’Azerbaïdjan sur
Chouchi, Khankent (Stepanakert) (…) et afin que ce jour-là vienne le
plus vite possible, nous devons nous renforcer et développer notre
pays » dit le président-dictateur Aliev qui reste malgré ses propos,
le plus grand dilapidateur de la richesse de l’Azerbaïdjan…

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 19 mai 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

EUROVISION -CORRUPTION
L’AZERBAÏDJAN A ACHETE LES VOTES DE L’EUROVISION 2013, LA PREUVE SUR
UN SITE LITUANIEN !

Les soupçons de corruption de l’Azerbaïdjan avec l’achat de nombre de
jurys européens en faveur d’un vote pour le représentant Azéri se
confirment aujourd’hui par des preuves écrit le site « sgamshyan.com
». La vidéo est visible à l’adresse :

Samedi matin à Vilnius, capitale de la Lituanie, des individus parlant
le russe se sont approchés d’un groupe d’étudiants lituaniens pour
leur proposer moyennant finances de voter pour le représentant de
l’Azerbaïdjan lors du vote de la finale de l’Eurovision.

Ces hommes ont selon ces information offert à ces jeunes des cartes
sim chargés sur cinq téléphones portables à chacun et une somme de 20
euros.

Les étudiants ont informé de ces méthodes sur le site d’information
lituanien et affirmé que de nombreux groupes réunissant
une dizaine de personnes proposaient ces démarches dans la capitale de
la Lituanie.

Les journalistes Lituaniens qui ont joint au téléphone nombre de ces
étudiants démarchés par les agents Azéris ont rejoint ces étudiants
pour poser un piège à ces agents . Ces journalistes se sont infiltrés
aux groupes d’étudiants et ont filmé par une caméra cachée la
proposition de ces agents Azéris qui désiraient assurer le vote de
l’Eurovision pour l’Azerbaïdjan. La vidéo de cette corruption est
désormais sur le site lituanien.

Ces agents Azéris auraient lors de la rencontre avec les faux
étudiants et vrais journalistes affirmé que ces méthodes étaient
courantes et que les pays qui gagnaient l’Eurovision avaient affaire à
ces pratiques pour assurer la victoire… Rappelons que la Lituanie a
accordé la note maximale de 12 points à l’Azerbaïdjan. Ceci explique
cela !

Les responsables de l’Eurovision vont-ils une nouvelle fois rester
sourds sur cette corruption caractérisée -avec preuves à l’appui- de
l’Azerbaïdjan ?

L’Azerbaïdjan qui avait également eu recours à ces tricheries lors des
précédentes éditions de l’Eurovision. Armenews avait déjà évoqué ces
pratiques corruptives de Bakou. Mais à aucun moment l’Eurovision n’a
réagi !

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 19 mai 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

AMERIABANK FIRST ARMENIAN BANK TO GET RIGHT TO CONFIRM LETTERS OF CREDIT

YEREVAN, May 17. /ARKA/. Ameriabank has become the first Armenian bank
to receive a confirming bank status from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under the Trade Facilitation
Programme (TFP), Ameriabank~Rs press office told ARKA.

According to the report, the respective agreement was signed in
Istanbul on May 9 at a TFP event held by EBRD. Corporate clients
director Gagik Sahakyan signed the document on behalf of Ameriabank.

Head of Ameriabank~Rs trade financing department Suren Kocharyan said
the new status is important for trade development in the region. It
will make confirmation of letters of credits and banking guarantees
maximally accessible to local exporters, he said.

Ameriabank~Rs inclusion on the list of EBRD~Rs confirming banks shows
the bank is a reliable business partner on the international market,
according to the report.

Ameriabank closed joint stock company is a universal bank offering
investment, corporate and retail banking services in a complex
solution package. Ameriabank has been the first investment bank in
Armenia. It has been providing a wide range of innovative banking
services since 2007.~V0~W

GAS TARIFF GROWTH TO CREATE TENSED SOCIAL-ECONOMIC CONDITION IN ARMENIA – HERITAGE PARTY REP

13:50 ~U 17.05.13

Gas tariff has grown for more than a year and the recent raise was the
second phase, while the authorities have stated about it only after
elections, Heritage party deputy leader Armen Martirosyan told the
reporters on Friday.

“If the authorities had stated about it before the elections, they
would not be able to buy votes by 10,000 drams and the bribe takers
would have stand by the side of the opposition,” he said.

ArmRusGasProm has applied to the Public Services Regulatory Commission
offering rise in gas tariff by almost 70%. At the cabinet sitting
yesterday Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the Government is
ready to subsidize 30% of the gas tariff.

Armen Martirosyan stressed that the raise of gas tariff will result in
the growth of the number of poor families. “The gas tariff growth will
create the deepest tensed social-economic condition in Armenia.

Nothing will remain to the authorities but encourage the emigration,
the thing they have been doing till now,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

HRAPARAK: PREREQUISITES OF SOCIAL REVOLT BECOME RIPE IN ARMENIA

Friday,
May

“The number of people protesting against the gas price surge outside
the government yesterday was small, but it is obvious that a wave of
social revolt is rising. Prerequisites of social revolt are becoming
ripe in Armenia. It is the first time that Armenians take to the
streets not because of rigged elections or the Karabakh problem,
but because of their poor social conditions,” “Hraparak” writes.

TODAY, 12:24

Aysor.am

GIFTING WARMTH: CHARITY CONCERT TO BOOST FUNDRAISING FOR GYUMRI SCHOOL’S HEATING SYSTEM

EDUCATION | 17.05.13 | 11:51

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Hopes at Lord Byron School in Gyumri to have warm classrooms
next winter are becoming more realistic as a charity concert in
Yerevan featuring a talented British violinist is set to boost the
ongoing fundraising campaign for installing a heating system at the
establishment.

The school, which was a gift of the British people to earthquake-hit
Gyumri, and is considered to be one of the best in the city, has not
had a centralized heating system in the past 17 years, which affects
the education process in winters that are particularly harsh in the
northwestern part of Armenia.

Now a fundraising for the school is drawing to an end and even though
there is still not sufficient money available, the head of the Tekeyan
Center Fund, which has initiated the campaign, is full of hope that
the necessary sum will be secured.

On Monday, May 20, a charity concert is planned at the Aram
Khachaturian concert hall in Yerevan, featuring British violinist,
Rafal Zambrzycki-Payne, a former winner of the British Young Musician
of the Year Competition, and the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia
conducted by Sergei Smbatyan. They will play a program including
Tchaikovsky, Mozart’s violin concerto No. 5 and Mendelssohn. All
proceeds from the concert will be spent for the heating system in Lord
Byron School. Tickets are priced from 1,000 to 15,000 (about $2.5 –
$36). VIP tickets of 30,000 drams (about $72) from the Embassy.

Lilit Kalantaryan, Communications Manager at the British Embassy in
Armenia, says this kind of price range will allow those who wish to
be helpful to the school to make donations within their financial
ability. She says they welcome every donation.

The school in Gyumri was built through the efforts of the British
government and British organizations as a gift to Gyumri (then
Leninakan) following a devastating earthquake of 1988. Grigor
Harutyunyan, the principal of this school, which has an English bias,
is impatiently waiting for Monday’s concert. The man, who has headed
the school since 1991, says he has great expectations and is now
certain the school currently attended by 438 pupils will have good
conditions in the coming winter.

“We are all very excited… In the meantime, we have also organized
a fundraising among schoolchildren’s parents who can afford to make
donations, even such symbolic amounts as 1,000 drams (about $2.5).

Teachers and alumni have joined in the fundraising,” says Harutyunyan.

In the dark and cold 1990s, such a school with modern facilities,
well-furnished and with English-bias in Gyumri mostly ruined by the
earthquake was indeed a splendid innovation. The fact that the school
had a central heating system was a very rare thing in those years not
only for Gyumri, but entire Armenia, because of the heavy energy crisis
the country was challenged with. Then British Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher personally did the opening ceremony of the school in June of
1990. For the city in ruins Thatcher’s visit was a large-scale event,
she was received with great enthusiasm and joy.

The excellent heating system built by the British, however, very soon
got destroyed, because the technology was not really suited for as
cold a place as Gyumri, where the air temperature in winter drops as
low as -25C.

The school’s heating issue last year was raised by David Dowell, a
retired British businessman who owned the construction company which
did the school roofing. He has been paying regular visits to Armenia,
Gyumri in particular, and got a heavy impression after his visit to
the school last winter. Upon his return to England Dowell addressed a
letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron describing the situation
and warning that if no measures were taken the school might be facing
losing its students and closing down, since their number is now three
times less than in the beginning. Fortunately, Cameron’s office heeded
the warning and instructed the British Ambassadors (spouses, taking
4-month shifts of ambassador duties) in Armenia to take up the issue.

Ambassadors Jonathan James Aves and Kathy Jane Leach visited the
school, talked to the principal, discussed the possible options for
solving the issue and decided to turn to the Tekeyan Center Fund,
which had the experience of installing heating systems in a number
of other schools.

Tekeyan Center Fund Director Armen Tsulikyan told ArmeniaNow that at
this moment a large part of the necessary sum has been collected –
about 11.8 million drams (nearly $28,500). The cost of the entire
heating system installation project is estimated at some 14.5 million
drams (about $36,000). The sums have been donated both in Armenia
and the United Kingdom.

Earlier, British Co-Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Aves met with
representatives of the Armenian community in the UK, different
structures that deal with Armenia and Armenians, as a result of
which, according to Tsulikyan, donations have been made by about
40 organizations and numerous individuals. The family of the joint
ambassadors has also made its contribution to the project.

“The Gyumri municipality and the Shirak Governor’s office have pledged
to help with the work on installing natural gas supply facilities,
so the project can be launched already in several weeks’ time,”
says Tsulikyan.

PLUS DE 54000 MOUTONS EXPORTES DE L’ARMENIE VERS L’IRAN

Plus de 54000 moutons ont ete exportes de l’Armenie vers l’Iran au
cours de la periode allant de mars 2012 a fevrier 2013.

Les moutons ont ete transportes vers l’Iran après des examens faits
par des veterinaires iraniens en Armenie.

Selon le ministère armenien de l’agriculture, il ya 590200 vaches,
598000 ovins et caprins et 108000 porcs dans le pays. Le nombre de
moutons et de chèvres devrait monter a 1,5 millions en 2020.

vendredi 17 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 16 2013

Lower court should carry out a real investigation, say friends of Dink

Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the office of Hrant Dink
in Ýstanbul to protest the court’s verdict in the murder trial in
January 2012. (Photo: Today’s Zaman)

16 May 2013 /MUSTAFA GÜRLEK/HASAN KARALI/YAVUZ AKENGÝN, ÝSTANBUL

The Supreme Court of Appeals’ recent ruling that there is indeed an
organizational connection behind the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, as opposed to the lower court decision that
found that the hit man acted alone in the crime, might contribute to a
better and more fair retrial process, say lawyers and jurists who are
following the Dink trial.
The 9th Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals on Wednesday
overturned a lower court ruling in the Dink murder trial which
dismissed the existence of an organized criminal network in the case,
but it also failed to find a terrorist organization, which is not
exactly good news. However, the fact that there will be retrial could
turn out to be a positive development.

Former Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals Ahmet Gündel
said the lower court holding the retrial should take the prosecution’s
initial argument that there is a terrorist organization behind the
murder seriously. Gündel said: “Although it appears to be a positive
ruling [by the high court], there are serious problems. This ruling is
strongly at odds with the opinion of the chief prosecutor of the
Supreme Court of Appeals, who said the murder was linked to
Ergenekon,” referring to a terrorist organization whose suspected
members are charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

The lower court prosecutor and the Supreme Court of Appeals prosecutor
both said evidence showed clear links to Ergenekon involvement. They
link it to a coup plot devised by Ergenekon’s military members called
the Cage Action Plan, which was based on targeting minorities and
community leaders of non-Muslim groups. “If the high court ruling is
used during an evaluation, it will only be treated like the job of an
ordinary gang.”

Caner Yenidünya, an associate professor of criminal law, said the
Supreme Court of Appeals still opened a door, making it possible to
have a better trial. “In organized crime, Article 220 of the Turkish
Criminal Code related to criminal organizations is a general
provision. If the local court goes ahead with a retrial, it still has
a chance of deepening the investigation.”

Ufuk Uras, a former parliamentarian, said it was very strange that the
organization behind Dink’s assassination was being presented by the
court as a neighborhood gang. “Certainly it is positive that the
lower’s court ruling saying that there is no organizational link at
all is overturned. At the end of the day, they say there is an
organization, but it describes this group as an “organization formed
with the intent of committing a crime;” the content of that crime is
not described. We have known all along that Ergenekon is behind the
Dink murder. This trial will not end until that connection is made
legally.” However, he also said he agreed that this time there could
be the chance for a more thorough investigation.

Journalist and writer Alper Görmüþ agreed that the ruling is not
satisfactory. “This decision was presented as if it is a positive
ruling, but I don’t agree. I am convinced that this murder couldn’t
have possibly been committed without the support of individuals/groups
inside the state mechanism. This ruling is a diversion from the real
essence of the problem. I also don’t think it is convincing at all. It
doesn’t address concerns that emerged in the public regarding the Dink
trial. I can’t really make a legal assessment but I don’t think that
the lower court will issue a ruling that radically goes against its
initial ruling. Knowing Turkey’s crime practices, nobody in the world
can convince me that three people got together and said ‘Let’s kill an
Armenian.’ Such comments only aim at covering up the issue. They will
satisfy nobody.”

Cavit Tatlý, head of the Jurists’ Association, said, like the other
commentators, the “deeper” connections in the case are yet to be
brought to light. “I think that the involvement of the police force
wasn’t investigated thoroughly in this case. What happens in Turkey is
that in most cases there are some facts that come out during a trial,
but somehow, somebody always manages to cover up that trial. I really
don’t know how many trials like the Susurluk case [inconclusive trials
about state gangs] we have had. The picture can only be seen when
those behind the hit man are found. There is a state connection in
this business and that should not be ignored.”

Cahit Özkan, head of the Supremacy of Law Platform said, “As a rule,
none of the political murders are individual crimes, they are always
connected to a larger organization.” He said that the prosecutor has
to be well prepared with good evidence in the retrial phase.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Supreme
Court of Appeals say that the prosecutor is not planning to file an
objection to the 9th Chamber ruling.