Author: Kalantarian Kevo

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN VISITED SOS SARGYSAN ON THEATRE DAY

15:32, 27 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. The Chairman of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan paid a visit to prominent
actor, People’s Artist of the USSR Sos Sargsyan on March 27. The
Press Secretary of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
Gohar Poghosyan stated this in a conversation with “Armenpress”.

Among other things Gohar Poghosyan noted: “Today Hovik Abrahamyan
paid a visit to Sos Sargsyan and congratulated him on the occasion
of the World Theatre Day and personally handed him over the Honor’s
medal of the National Assembly.”

Sos Sargsyan was awarded the Honor’s Medal of the National Assembly,
but he could not take the medal because of health conditions, thus
Hovik Abrahamyan personally visited him and handed over the medal.

Sos Sargsyan starred in more than 40 movies; among them are “Musical
Team Boys”, “Gikor”, “Dzori Miro”, “Nahapet”, “Solaris” by Andrei
Tarkovsky, and many others.

ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PROPOSES ‘MINIMUM DEMANDS’

TERT.AM
15:28 ~U 27.03.13

Armenian ex-presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian’s proposals to
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan are the minimum for the current
situation, which required a comprehensive approach, Mr Hovannisian
told journalists in Freedom Square on Wednesday.

“If Serzh Sargsyan wants to meet, taking the proposals as a basis,
he should consider the fact that this is our minimum demand. This
does not mean he cannot remove a single point, but, in this case,
he has to propose an adequate point,” Mr Hovannisian said.

Among Mr Hovannisian’s proposals is snap presidential elections
and, within a year, parliamentary elections. He also demands the
appointment of his people to a number of key government posts – as head
of Armenia’s National Security Service, prosecutor general, minister
of education and science, and as governors of five Armenian regions.

With respect to his behavior during the negotiations – if they actually
take place – Mr Hovannisian notes that no further concessions should
be expected.

Mr Hovannisian is not going to leave Freedom Square. So Armenia’s
president can only meet with him there. It may be a public or a
private meeting.

Drawing lessons from his last meeting with Armenia’s president,
however, Mr Hovannisian wants their next meeting to be video recorded,
with him to have a copy.

Mr Hovannisian is not now conducting any negotiations with Armenia’s
president. He also refuted reports on discrepancies in the agenda of
negotiations constitutional struggle agenda.

LILIT GALSTYAN OFFERED TO TOP HERITAGE ELECTION LIST

15:28 27/03/2013 » POLITICS

I confirm the fact that we offered the candidacy of ARFD member Lilit
Galstyan for the top position in Heritage party’s list for Yerevan
elections, Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisian announced at a news
conference at Liberty Square.

“So, no one should say that we did not go till the end trying to
form a united front,” Hovannisian said.

According to 168.am, as the alliance failed to be established, the
proposal remained on paper. Later, Lilit Galstyan was offered to be
in the first three in ARFD list but she refused.

Source: Panorama.am

EMIGRATION CONCERNS: EU FUNDS NEW PROGRAM IN ARMENIA TO PROMOTE REINTEGRATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS

SOCIETY | 27.03.13 | 15:33

Photolure

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia and the Armenian
representative of the People in Need (PIN) organization signed a
memorandum of understanding earlier this week to cooperate on a program
promoting circular migration and reintegration processes in Armenia.

The main purpose of the program to be carried out with the European
Union’s financial support is to promote the protection of rights and
economic stability of Armenian citizens who leave the country to find
work abroad, and reintegration of labor migrants in Armenia in order
to prevent illegal immigration. The EU-funded budget of the program
is EUR 1 million (about $1.3 million).

Czech expert and member of the Association of the European Center of
Meetings between East and West Erika Lerner thinks that the signing
of the Association Agreement between Armenia and the European Union,
which is now scheduled for early 2014, will be delayed.

According to polls conducted in Armenia in October-December 2012 by a
relevant EU institution (for internal use purposes), up to a million
people are ready to leave Armenia if a maximally simplified visa
regime is put in place between the South Caucasus country and the EU,
said Lerner. And those, she says, would not only be labor migrants,
but also non-working members of their families.

But now Armenians formally cannot seek asylum as a readmission
agreement has been signed with Armenia, which means that every
illegal immigrant from Armenia will be returned to the country of
his or her origin.

In January-February 2013 the negative balance of international
passenger traffic compared with the same period of last year in Armenia
increased by 7,700 or by 53.7 percent, totaling 22,100. In February
alone, the negative balance of international passenger traffic was
15,100 people, while in February last year it was 10,200.

Expert of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute Hrant Mikaelyan thinks
the peculiarity of migration in Armenia is its mass nature. Since the
declaration of independence in 1991 the country has been abandoned by
1.4 million people. Today’s estimated number of Armenia’s permanent
population is 2.9 million. Russia, with which Yerevan has a non-visa
regime, remains the main direction of emigration from Armenia.

In accordance with a Russian naturalization program, anyone recognized
as a ‘compatriot’ may be entitled to move to Russia. Moreover, such
a resettling compatriot would also have the right to get a lump-sum
cash assistance of 240,000 Russian rubles (about $7,800). But one can
get this money only if he or she decides to settle in one of several
regions of the vast country with sparse population. Citizens of the
former Soviet Union are also considered to be compatriots in Russia.

Since the start of the program in 2006, a total of 125,000 people
from different countries moved to Russia as resettling compatriots,
with 63,000 doing so in 2012 alone. The number of families who used
the opportunity in Armenia is about 5,000. Former Russian Ambassador to
Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko was outraged that the Armenian government
opposed the program. “Almost as many people have left Armenia under
the U.S. Government’s annual Green Card lottery. What is this whole
noise about?” he said last year.

During last week’s press conference, President Serzh Sargsyan argued
that most people leave Armenia because of the current “stifling”
atmosphere in the country, which he said is being portrayed by two
television companies, as well as print and online media.

Sargsyan was also confronted on emigration issues during the campaign
ahead of last month’s presidential election in which he officially
won. An elderly man in the border region of Tavush complained to the
visiting candidate that there was no work in his village and that
his sons had to leave the country in search of jobs. “The cucumber
grows upside down, because you think like that,” replied Sargsyan in
what became an occasion for opposition media to criticize the head of
state. At the same time, during the same press conference Sargsyan,
in fact, spoke against making drastic changes in the government,
considering that it has fulfilled its tasks in 2012 and is now on
track to live up to his expectations also this year.

‘MILLION MAN MARCH’ RESCHEDULED FOR MAY 1

03:22 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Director Arshak Zakaryan, who was going to stage “million man march”
in Yerevan on April 8, today told reporters that the march has been
rescheduled for May 1.

“Supporters of Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian think that
the event may hinder their movement, therefore we have changed the
date not to become a scapegoat,” he said.

Zakaryan says the choice of the date (May 1) is not accidental as
many of the march participants are workers who are complaining of
the present situation.

The director says members of the Heritage party disapproved of the
move from the very beginning though the march is targeted against
the authorities.

Participating in the press conference was also ex-presidential
candidate Andrias Ghukasyan, who said he would join the march on May 1.

“The leaders of the initiative will be known on April 12,” he said
adding that civil disobedience is an option not to allow the country’s
authorities to conclude such agreements in international relations
that will be irreversible for Armenia.

As reported earlier, participants of the march will gather in Yerevan’s
Republic Square and peacefully march to the presidential compound on
Baghramyan Avenue.

Arshak Zakaryan says he voted for Serzh Sargsyan in the 2008
presidential but the latter has deceived him as he has not enacted
any of his campaign pledges.

PROGRAMS REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN YEREVAN AND FRENCH CITIES DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY

14:30, 27 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. The Deputy Mayors of Yerevan Kamo
Areyan and Vahe Nikoyan hosted the Head of French Economic Service
for South Caucasus issues Daniel Patat. A range of issues regarding
the prospects of development of the cooperation with French cities and
organizations were under discussion. Also the sides touched upon the
issue regarding Yerevan water supply. The Department of Information
and Public Relations of the Yerevan Municipality informed “Armenpress”
that Kamo Areyan welcomed the guest on behalf of Taron Margaryan and
laid a heavy emphasis on the significance of cooperation with French
organizations and prospects of the development of ties with them. Also
he spoke about the issue of continuing the joint programs.

The Head of French Economic Service for South Caucasus issues Daniel
Patat conveyed his gratitude for the reception and stressed that the
comfort of the population is of a certain importance for them too.

Among other things Daniel Patat noted: “I regularly visit Yerevan and
I would like to say that I am charmed with the remarkable development
of the city during the recent period of time. A palpable job has been
done and unquestionably it’s very praiseworthy.”

WATCH HOVANNISIAN’S PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE!

A1+
11:49 AM | TODAY | POLITICS

Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian, who has been on hunger strike
in Yerevan’s Freedom Square since March 10 protesting the outcome
of the February 18 presidential election that gave victory to Serzh
Sargsyan, is to give a press conference at 12.00.

A1+ is live-streaming the event.

ARTSAKH : LE PRESIDENT A RECU LES CO-PRESIDENTS DU GROUPE DE MINSK DE L’OSCE

Publie le : 27-03-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette newsletter bimensuelle sur l’actualite politique,
economique et culturelle du Haut-Karabagh mise a notre disposition
par la Representation de la Republique du Haut-Karabagh en France.

Representation du Haut-Karabagh en France

2013-03-20 15:47

Le 19 mars, le President de la Republique du Haut-Karabagh Bako
Sahakyan a recu les Co-presidents du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE, les
Ambassadeurs Igor Popov pour la Russie, Jacques Faure pour la France
et Ian Kelly pour les Etats-Unis.

Le President a salue Ian Kelly et lui a souhaite un travail fructueux
tout en remerciant son predecesseur Robert Bradtke pour sa contribution
aux negotiations.

Bako Sahakyan a souligne que Bakou continue la politique destructive
qui constitue un danger pour le règlement pacifique et pour le maintien
de la paix et de la stabilite dans la region. Il a egalement regrette
que l’Azerbaïdjan a ignore la proposition de Stepanakert a respecter
le cessez-le-feu lors des jours feries officiels et continue a le
violer quotidiennement sur toute la longueur de la ligne du contact.

Le President a reitere la position de Stepanakert consistant a trouver
une solution pacifique au conflit par le biais des negociations dans
le cadre du Groupe de Minsk.

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Representation du Haut-Karabagh en France

AZERBAÏDJAN : AKRAM AYLISLI CIBLE DES NATIONALISTES

Publie le : 27-03-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire une traduction d’un article en anglais de Shahin
Abbasov du site EurasiaNet mise en ligne sur le site de NAM (Nouvelles
d’Armenie Magazine) le 24 mars 2013.

NAM

Azerbaïdjan : Un ecrivain ploie sous la contrainte d’une controverse
litteraire

EurasiaNet

14 fevrier 2013

Le dernier ouvrage d’Akram Aylisli, intitule ” Reves de pierre “, est
la cible des nationalistes en raison de la vision sur les evenements
dans les annees 1990 en Azerbaidjan, en particulier le conflit
entre l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie sur le territoire du Haut-Karabagh,
offrant une image generalement favorable aux Armeniens. Sa dernière
publication en decembre a declenche une campagne de haine du regime
contre Akram Aylisli, une campagne qui rappelle quelque peu celle
lancee contre Salman Rushdie en 1988 suite a la publication des versets
sataniques. Akram Aylisli, ainsi que des membres de la famille, ont ete
soumis a un châtiment officiel. Et, dans le cas le plus notoire de la
propagande haineuse, Hafiz Haciyev, chef du parti pro-gouvernemental
Muasir Musavat, a offert 10000 manats (environ 12000$) de prime a
quiconque coupera l’oreille de l’auteur.

Dans un entretien le 13 fevrier avec EurasiaNet.org, Akram Aylisli,
paraissant epuise et nerveux, a declare que le harcèlement, qu’il
a decrit comme l’experience la plus difficile de sa vie, l’oblige
a envisager de quitter l’Azerbaïdjan. La police, a-t-il ajoute, n’a
pris aucune mesure pour proteger sa famille ou lui-meme de possibles
attaques physiques.

” Je ne veux pas quitter l’Azerbaïdjan. J’ai 75 ans ” a-t-il explique.

” Je n’ai pas encore decide, mais il semble que je vais devoir demander
l’asile politique a l’etranger. Cela est triste “.

Le cas d’Akram Aylisli a souleve la question de savoir si un pays
comme l’Azerbaïdjan est capable de concilier des episodes sensibles
de son histoire avec une garantie constitutionnelle de la liberte
d’expression. Pour beaucoup en Azerbaïdjan, la reponse semble
etre non. Mais certains ne sont pas prets a sacrifier la liberte
d’expression sur l’autel de la fierte nationale. Bien que peu soit
d’accord avec la representation negative du pays par Akram Aylisli,
dans laquelle les Azeris ont durement traite les Armeniens a Bakou
pendant le conflit du Karabagh, certains militants des droits
de l’homme, des representants des partis d’opposition et des des
utilisateurs des reseaux sociaux se prononcent fermement contre la
campagne anti-Aylisli .

Mise en scène factice de funerailles pour les livres d’Aylisli,
autodafe de ses ~uvres, l’interdiction de ses pièces et exhortation
des gens a lui couper l’oreille ” ne sont pas moins nocifs pour le
pays ” que le roman ” trompeur ” sur le passe de l’Azerbaïdjan, a fait
valoir l’ecrivain populaire Chinguiz Abdullayev, president du PEN-Club
Azerbaïdjan. ” Les gens ne devraient pas se comporter de cette facon
” a-t-il ajoute.

Un petit groupe de jeunes ecrivains azerbaïdjanais se sont rassembles
en soutien a Aylisli le 3 fevrier pour reaffirmer son droit
constitutionnel a ecrire ce qu’il veut, peu importe ce qu’il peut
etre. ” Personne ne peut imposer une interdiction sur un ecrivain,
faire pression sur lui “, a commente l’ecrivain Gunel Movlud âge de
27 ans. ” C’est de la censure autrement “.

L’extradition en 2012 vers l’Azerbaïdjan et le pardon officiel qui
s’en est suivi du lieutenant- Ramil Safarov pour l’assassinat d’un
officier de l’armee armenienne en Hongrie a ete l’evenement qui a
pousse Akram Aylisli a publier son roman, qui, dit-il, contient des
histoires ” basees sur la vie reelle “.

” Quand j’ai vu la folle et artificielle reaction alimentant la haine
entre les Armeniens et les Azerbaïdjanais, qui est alle au-dela des
frontières, j’ai decide de publier mon roman ” a-t-il dit.

Un ecrivain, a-t-il insiste, a le droit d’exprimer ses pensees,
dans ses romans sans qu’il soit considere comme un traître.

Mais le president Ilham Aliyev l’a traite comme tel. Ajout du carburant
a la campagne de haine, le president a depouille Aylisli du titre d’
” ecrivain du peuple ” et de sa pension. Pendant ce temps, le fils
d’Aylisli, Najaf Naibov, a ete limoge d’un poste de direction au sein
du Comite national des douanes, et sa femme, Galina, a ete licenciee
en tant que directrice d’une bibliothèque publique pour enfants.

Plusieurs membres du Parlement ont vivement critique le travail
d’Aylisli comme etant une trahison et ont appele a ce qu’il soit dechu
de sa nationalite – meme si la Constitution azerbaïdjanaise interdit
une telle mesure. D’autres vont encore plus loin. ” Certains deputes
m’accusent d’etre un ” armenien ” ” a raconte Aylisli. ” Est-ce un
crime d’etre armenien ? C’est du racisme “.

Le 13 fevrier, Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahchukur Pashazade , responsable
du Bureau des musulmans du Caucase, un allie du gouvernement, a lance
une autre flechette en denoncant Aylisli comme un ” infidèle “. Le
fait que la campagne contre Aylisli a prise uniquement de l’ampleur
dans les dernières semaines – un mois après que ” Reves de pierre
” soit paru en decembre 2012 dans la revue litteraire russe Druzhba
Narodov – amène certains observateurs a Bakou a croire qu’elle est
destinee a detourner l’attention populaire des dernières, violentes
manifestations a Bakou et dans la ville regionale d’Ismayilli .

Quelques-uns suggèrent que le mecontentement officiel est dû a la
representation peu flatteuse d’Heydar Aliyev, père defunt du leader
actuel. Officiellement, Heydar Aliyev est venere comme l’architecte
en chef de l’Azerbaïdjan independant. ” Reves de pierre ” presente
l’ancien president, qui a dirige Parti communiste d’Azerbaïdjan
pendant près de 20 ans lors de la fin de l’ère sovietique mais se
refère a lui seulement comme ” le maître “.

Peu importe si Akram Aylisli reste en Azerbaïdjan ou quitte le pays,
la controverse touche tous ses travaux. Reves de pierre fait partie
d’une trilogie envisage, le premier tome, intitule Yemen, a ete publie
en 1990. La dernière tranche, provisoirement intitule ” Traffic Jam Big
“, n’a pas ete publiee officiellement. Mais Akram Aylisli, sollicitant
des commentaires, a distribue un nombre limite de livres a Bakou entre
amis et collègues. Il a refuse de discuter du roman, mais il a reitere
son intention de le publier. Une personne qui a vu un projet a dit a
EurasiaNet.org que l’histoire porte sur les ” crimes ” qui auraient
ete commis pendant la presidence d’Heydar Aliyev entre 1993-2003.

La publication est une claire denonciation du vieux Aliyev qui pourrait
poser une contreverse plus grave encore pour la liberte de parole en
Azerbaïdjan que celle generee par ” reves de pierre “.

Un ecrivain du Caucase, auteur de best-seller en Russie, Boris Akunin,
a emis quelques conseils. ” [Mes] chers Azerbaïdjanais ” a-t-il ecrit
dans son blog : ” Ne savez-vous pas que l’Etat ne peut pas gagner …

dans une guerre avec un ecrivain ? ”

Note de l’editeur :

Shahin Abbasov est une journaliste independante basee a Bakou.

EurasiaNet.org

Traduction Armenews

dimanche 24 mars 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

Article en anglais :

Azerbaijan: Writer Buckling Under Strain of Literary Controversy

Lire aussi :

L’ecrivain disgracie oblige de quitter l’Azerbaïdjan ?

La liberte d’expression en Azerbaïdjan

Azerbaïdjan: Le president Aliev punit l’ecrivain azeri Akram Aylisli

Appel urgent pour defendre les Justes azeris

Azerbaïdjan : haro sur le heros

Azerbaïdjan : un ecrivain accuse de ” sympathie pour les Armeniens ”

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : NAM

WHAT DID THE NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE (NSS) WANT WITH SUREN ZOLYAN?

The Details of Today’s Meeting

March 25 2013

“It is a political instruction that is related to my activities,”
Suren Zolyan, a former rector of Yerevan State Linguistic University
After V. Bryusov commented on his being invited to the NSS during
a conversation with The NSS notice lacked the case
with regard to which S. Zolyan was invited to the NSS.
inquired of him what the NSS demanded from him. Mr. Zolyan stated
that he would talk about it in more detail at the press conference
to be convened one day later, where he was going to also present the
decision of the respective committee of the European Parliament,
in which it is asserted that in the case of S. Zolyan, the proper
observance of international obligations undertaken by the Republic of
Armenia was under threat. S. Zolyan informed that the aforementioned
formulation was asserted in the report, along with other issues.

Coming back to what had happened at the NSS today, Mr. Zolyan informed:
“Generally, it was a very polite conversation. There is nothing
new. Since as early as June, Armen Ashotyan continuously carried out
checks at the Linguistic University and sent all that material to
the NSS. As far as I can understand, they naturally had to respond
to Ashotyan’s requests, since it was their mission. He regularly
sends his requests to the NSS, and in that sense, we can say that NSS
should be AAS, which stands for Armen Ashotyan’s Services. I really
cannot understand all this. If the Azeri NSS was engaged in that,
I would understand, but as far as I know, Armenia is not conquered
by Azerbaijan yet, about which I reminded the folks there too and
expressed my surprise why the NSS dealt with that issue. What threat
does the Linguistic University pose to Armenia?” Assessing what
had happened, S. Zolyan stated: “Perhaps, at the preliminary stage,
there was an intention to gather compromising evidence. However, I
have prepared the decision of the European Parliament for Ashotyan
and his colleague, Hrayr Tovmasyan, the Minister of Justice, which
will be, to put it very mildly, a slap in the face for them. Let them
write to the NSS, knowing that those steps will eventually be given
an adequate assessment. I am just surprised that the NSS has become
an institution that carries out such instructions.” Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

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