Author: Kalantarian Kevo

USA
Andre Agassi visite l’église Saint-Garabed à Las Vegas

Jeudi 9 mai la légende du tennis Andre Agassi a visité l’Eglise
apostolique arménienne Saint-Garabed nouvellement construite de Las
Vegas.

À son arrivée Andre Agassi a rencontré l’archiprêtre le père Avedis
Torossian, le président du Conseil Paroissial Adroushan Armenian et
les membres du Comité en charge de la construction Koko Darakjian et
Levon Gulbenkian.

Houry Darakjian représentant l’ARS, Lindy Schumacher représentante du
Fonds de rêve de Kirk Kerkorian à UCLA, et M. et Mme Alex et Arda
Yemenidjian étaient également présents.

André Agassi et les visiteurs sont entrés dans l’église, après avoir
allumé leurs bougies où une brève information a été fournie au sujet
de la communauté arménienne de Las Vegas et le processus de
construction de l’église Saint-Garabed.

Le groupe a ensuite visité les installations du centre culturel et
Houry Darakjian l’a informé au sujet de l’école arménienne du samedi
et des plans d’expansion pour l’année scolaire 2013-2014.

A la fin de la visite, le Père Avedis a remis à André Agassi une
traditionnelle croix de pierre arménienne commémorant cette visite
spéciale. André Agassi a félicité la paroisse St. Garabed et la
communauté arménienne de Las Vegas pour leurs réalisations et leur a
souhaité un franc succès.

jeudi 16 mai 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Expert from U.S. Studies Air Transportation

The State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition continues
the study air transportation, the commission informs.

The commission called a meeting of about 20 airlines to find out the
reasons of change of prices of air tickets. The Commission launched
the survey on the basis of press reports and complaints of citizens.
Notably, after the flights operated by Armavia were closed, prices of
tickets in some directions soared.

Alost all the companies explained pricing by seasonal factor, as well
as the period of purchase, class and other factors.

The representative of Fly Dubai Vachagan Sargsyan said their company
reduced prices for a seasonal campaign and after the campaign the
prices again went up.

Austrian Airlines assured that the prices of flights operated by their
company have not changed.

Ukraine International Airlines said changes of prices of their tickets
are caused by seasonal factors, rather than closure of Armavia
flights.

The commission informs that the SCPEC has invited the head of legal
department of the U.S. Competition Bureau Stuart Hirschfield for a
wide-scope study of air tickets.

10:58 15/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Proshyan village governor’s tomb vandalized

11:51 – 15.05.13

Unknown people have vandalized the tomb of the murdered governor of
Proshyan village Hrach Muradyan.

`Necessary investigative actions are under way to find the criminals,’
an official from Police press service told Tert.am.

The criminals have drawn hearts and left X+Y=Love writ on the tombstone.

Hrach Muradyan was murdered on April 2. He was shot near the village
governor’s office. Resident of Proshyan village Arayik Petrosyan has
been arrested over the case. His father though claims his son is
innocent and sent open letters to President Serzh Sargsyan and others
claiming his son has no relation to the murder

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 15 2013

Azerbaijani President: Nuclear power plant in Armenia presents big
threat for region

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 15 / Trend /

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday met Director General
of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano in
Vienna.

Amano said the IAEA attached great importance to cooperation with
Azerbaijan, noting that it is a reliable partner in the field of
nuclear security.

The IAEA chief underscored that provision of nuclear security is of
particular importance today.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said nuclear security is not
important only for Azerbaijan, it`s important for the region and the
world.

He added that from this point of view, the activity of the Nuclear
Power Plant in Armenia causes concerns, and a big threat to the
region.

, Turkey
May 15 2013

Mistake to use parliaments in Armenian issue: ex French PM

Talking at a private meeting in Ä°stanbul, Villepin said that the
Armenian issue is `the work of historians’ and `you cannot rewrite the
history through law.’

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said on Wednesday
that it is a big mistake for democratic countries to use their
parliaments in the Armenian issue.

Talking at a private meeting in Ä°stanbul, Villepin said that the
Armenian issue is `the work of historians’ and `you cannot rewrite the
history through law.’

Referring to the important role that Turkish President Abdullah Gül
played in the rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, Villepin said
that delicate and difficult issues such as the Armenian problem
requires good will and imagination in the solution process that takes
time.

`The less countries are involved, the better it is’ added the veteran
French politician as far as the Armenian issue is concerned between
the two countries.

EU should have strategic relations with Turkey and Russia

Evaluating the current status of the European Union in a broad
spectrum, Villepin said that given the internal crises that the EU
face, it `should have special strategic relations with countries
outside of Europe’ such as Turkey and Russia which grow as emerging
markets. According to him, with its population of 450 million people,
the EU does not constitute a `market in a global scale.’

Dividing Europe and its problems into three, Villepin said that the
Northern Europe is convinced in a strong Europe while Eastern Europe
is currently concerned with the challenges of nationalism and populism
in addition to the economic difficulties that all Europe is suffering
from.

Villepin defines the UK as the third part of Europe which is going to
a referendum which will also force problems in the continent.
`The EU today is not united’ commented Villepin who described
Islamophobia as a growing problem in the continent. People are fearful
about their future in terms of their economic well-being for Villepin
which makes the continent more introverted. `France is too much
looking at its own problems’ pointed out Villepin.

Calling Turkey as `one of the leading emerging countries’ Villepin
said that the EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the EU. `This is
a reality’ noted Villepin as he went on to say that they have `a
strong interest in developing cooperation with Turkey.’

Stating the Kurdish, Armenian and European problems are the main
challenges in front of Turkey, the former French Prime Minister who
also served as a Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that Turkey’s
relations with the EU is also dependent on `how much Turkey as a state
wants to have harmonized relations with the EU.’

There should be no preconditions in negotiations with Syria

Responding to Today’s Zaman’s question on the indifference of the EU
in the Syrian crisis, Villepin said that one of the reasons why the
international community is not willing is because `nobody knows what
is best for Syria.’

According to Villepin, the international community is not convinced
about any intervention giving the negative consequences of
intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that he is not sure
whether the intervention in Libya was a success or not.

The support of countries like Russia and China for Assad regime as
another obstacle in front of the involvement of the international
community, Villepin stated that Russia’s position should be taken into
account.

`We should not put any preconditions for negotiations’ with the
regime in Syria said Villepin as he criticized the `red lines’ that
certain countries mentioned such as the removal of Assad from power.
According to Villepin, an opportunity for negotiations in Syria was
missed in the very beginning and now what must be in the agenda is
stopping the war.

The West should not try to give Iran a lesson

`We signed the only agreement with Iran’ said Villepin while
commenting on the Iranian nuclear issue as a politician who
participated in the negotiations with this country. Praising Turkey’s
position in the issue, Villepin said that the P5+1 made a mistake by
not taking Turkey’s proposal into account in the Iranian nuclear
issue.

According to Villepin, it is possible to solve the Iranian problem if
the interests of all parties are taken into account.
`The West wants to give Iran a lesson’ state Villepin who believes
that instead of giving a lesson to Iran, the West should put something
on the table that it attractive enough for Iran to change the
situation.
Cihan

FARS News Agency, Iran
May 14, 2013 Tuesday

Report: Terrorist Groups in Syria Recruiting Azeri Nationals

TEHRAN (FNA)- Terrorist groups are funneling Azeri nationals into
Syria via Turkey to boost their terrorist attacks on Damascus, local
media reports disclosed on Tuesday.

A report by Azeri ANS TV network unveiled shocking details on how
extremist groups in Syria, including Takfiri and Wahhabi jihadists,
are using different tactics to dispatch Azeri citizens from
Azerbaijan’s Northern cities of Zaqatala and Qusar to Turkey and then
to Syria to conduct terrorist operations against the Syrian nation and
government.

A majority of the people in the two regions, located near Azerbaijan’s
borders with the Russian Republic of Dagestan, are Sunni Muslims and
extremist groups in Syria have rearranged their plans to recruit men
from these two regions after people in the mainland gave a cold
shoulder to the extremist groups’ offer of the so-called Jihad in
Syria.

“I am upset that my son has been sent to Syria by the Wahhabis. If he
is to take part in any war, he would have been better off if he had
been sent to Karabakh to fight against the Armenians and not the
Syrian Muslims,” the mother of a young Azeri who has been sent to
Syria told ANS TV.

Similar media reports unveiled in March that militants from Russia’s
North Caucasus have joined terrorist groups in Syria.

While Moscow has been one of Assad’s main protectors, members of an
Islamist insurgency involved in daily clashes in Russia’s
predominantly Muslim North Caucasus and their compatriots have
trickled into Syria to join the terrorists.

In a recently distributed video, Omar Abu al-Chechen urged fellow
Muslims to support the ‘jihad’ against Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad.

The video highlights the role militants from the volatile North
Caucasus region now play in Syria’s civil war, fighting a government
that has been backed by Russia and staunchly protected by President
Vladimir Putin.

Syrian rebels confirmed separately that he is in Syria and the leader
of the brigade. His real name was not clear.

‘02240964

Environmentalist critical of local government bodies’ indifference to
`Symphony of the Stones’

16:50 – 15.05.13

Mary Khachatryan, lawyer for the Trchkan civil initiative, has once
more raised the issue of certification of the Symphony of the Stones
in the Garni Gorge, Armenia.

`All the monuments or landmarks, including Symphony of the Stones,
must be certified. We have a serious problem because the Ministry of
Nature Protection has not prepared a certificate for the landmark,’
she told journalists on Wednesday.

`Despite proper public control, government bodies are not exercising
control,’ she said. Relevant authorities detain people whom they can
accuse, but they ignore the fact of rich people’s mansion houses
slabbed with this stone.

Khachatryan stressed the need for the Symphony of the Stones to become
a landmark of national importance.

`Our Legislature is not at all interested in what is going on in
environmental protection,’ she said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Raise of gas tariff result of Russia’s cynic policy – analyst

16:19 – 15.05.13

Chairman of Globalization and Regional Cooperation analytical center’s
board Stepan Grigoryan thinks the Armenian authorities are not much
guilty in about 67% raise of gas tariff by Russia.

`Russia does it not because we are making a mistake but because today
Russia is carrying out a cynic policy. They are saying you will not
escape and you will again be with even after we raise prices,’ the
political analyst said speaking to Tert.am, adding that another issue
is how promising it is for Russia.

Stepan Grigoryan said that the one-sided raise of gas tariff proves
and Armenia does everything right.

`Armenia is actively working with the EU, has no plans to enter the
Eurasian Union which I think is a right policy and the circumstance
that Russia wants to raise the tariff again proves that Armenia does
everything right,’ he said.

Asked whether it means that Armenia has become a Europe-oriented, the
analyst said, `I do not see tough, one-sided position among the
authorities, I do not see political will. They are working with the EU
but not for becoming a member state.’

In any case there is no need to have big expectations from Russia.
`Russia will not give anything to us. If you enter an alliance it
means that a small country expects a big one to assume commitments and
the growth of tariff shows that even if Armenia entered Customs Union,
Russia would have raise the tariff as well. In that case what’s the
sense of doing it? These examples show that our foreign policy is not
so bad, attempts of maneuvering are being made but of course it is not
very initiative. I think Russia will lose a lot if it continues in
this way. It is a wrong policy.’

Referring to the circumstance that US President Barack Obama applied
to the US Supreme Court for it not to discuss Armenian Genocide case,
the political analyst said it should be explained with the big role
Turkey has.

`Turkey is an important partner for the USA and the latter does not
want to sharpen relations with it. Turkey is a dynamically developing
country and it is clear that they are coming into terms with them,’ he
said.

Asked what factors should have made the USA change its position,
Grigoryan said it should first have been done by Diaspora. `It means
Diaspora’s influence in the USA is not so big and I think it has
weakened,’ he said, adding that the reasons should be analyzed.

Mother of Azerbaijani terrorist killed in Syria: “They fight against
Armenians who are enemies of Muslims”

15:11 15/05/2013 » SOCIETY

The ANS TV channel aired reportage about the Azerbaijani terrorists
fighting in Syria on the rebels’ side and with anti-government forces.
The reportage [!
] states that the parents of the killed terrorist learnt about the
illegal activities of their children in Syria from TV programs.

As the site `Gafgazregion.az’ reports, the father of Rashad, the
Azerbaijani terrorist who had joined the rebels, Zakaria Mammadov
says: “This is my son, Mammadov Rashad Zakaria oglu. He is now in
Syria where for the protection of Muslims he carries out Jihad in the
name of Allah.” The father was not only aware of terrorist activities
of his son, but he also wished him good luck. Zakaria Mammadov says
that a few days ago he got in touch with his son on the internet and
fully justified his actions. The son had told him that there were a
lot of Azerbaijanis among the Syrian rebels.

The leader of the Azerbaijani armed terrorists Vahid Mammadov, who
appears in a Youtube video in uniform different from the others, had
served in the air defense in Azerbaijan, the parents say. There is an
official record in his military card as well. Another interesting fact
in his biography is his participation in a law enforcement raid
against the “Forest Brothers” in Zagatala a few years ago. Last
message from their son Mammadovs received on March 14. He was saying
that everything was OK, then this record in Youtube appeared.

The mother of another Azerbaijani named Rizwan Suleimanova says that
his son had left for Baku on February 14 to work. As it turned out
later her son is involved in the fights Syria. “They do not fight
against Muslims; they defend Muslims against Armenians who are enemies
of Muslims. That’s the fact, they fight for the Muslims,” said
Rizwan’s mother. Brother of the Azerbaijani terrorist says that after
Rizwan’s departure, only once got in touch with by phone while serving
in the artillery during his military service.

Action against rise in gas price to be held near Armenian government

May 15, 2013 | 11:40

YEREVAN. – A protest action against increase in natural gas price will
be held near the building of the Armenian government on Thursday
morning.

On Tuesday ArmRusgasprom has applied to the Armenian Public Services
Regulatory Commission with an offer to revise the natural gas price.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the initiative group organizing
the action said increase in gas price will cause rise in price of
consumer goods and electricity. Activists also called to join them and
protect the rights of Armenia’s citizens.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am