Author: Kalantarian Kevo

HOW MUCH MONEY DOES YEREVAN MAYOR HAVE?

06:36 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Yerevan mayor and his three deputies did not acquire new property,
be it real, personal estate or expensive property in 2012. They did
not have securities and other investments. The next common thing is
that all the representatives of the authorities gained their incomes
exclusively from their salaries. However, all their families have
had significant financial resources.

Thus, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan’s funds, according to the
property and income declaration stipulated for senior officials of
the Ethics Commission in 2012 amounted to 50 thousand euro, 50 dollars
and 115 million dram, while his wife’s money was 50 million dram.

Deputy Mayor Vano Vardanyan’s funds at the beginning and at the end
of the year amounted to U.S. $ 1 thousand to 21 million, while his
wife’s money, 30 million AMD, U.S. $ 10 thousand and 5 thousand euro.

In the case of deputy Mayor Kamo Areyan and his wife in 2012 there
was a year of expenses. K. Areyan at the beginning of the year had
500 thousand dram, at the end of the year, 450 thousand drams, and
his wife, at beginning of the year 500 thousand dram and 206 thousand
340 U.S. dollars, however at the end of the year she had 300 thousand
dram and 139 thousand 340 U.S. dollars.

“Pastinfo”

RESULTS OF SEGREGATED MEDIA

16:00 – 27.03.2013

On March 25thm at the British House of Commons, a round table took
place based on a topic: “25th anniversary of Karabakh movement: battle
for Independence and justice”, which was organized by British-Armenian
Parliamentary group of parties and the RA embassy in GB.

Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, Shadow Secretary of
State for Culture, Media and Sport, John Whittingdale was presiding
the event.

RA NA MP Vahan Hovhannisyan, NKR deputy MFA Felix Khachatryan as
well as head of Territorial research center NGO Richard Kirakosyan
made speeches, after which they had answered to the questions of
participants.

Baroness Caroline Cox, members of the House of Lords, accredited
diplomats, representatives of the Armenian community, territorial
annalists, historians and students also took part at the round table.

This is the press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which
was posted in the ministry’s official web-site, which was distorted by
some media representatives. Especially the name of Vahan Hovhannisyan
was missing from the text.

This short press release was significant with one feature. Vahan
Hovhannisyan’s name was not mentioned at all as if he was not present
at the event, while he was the first to make a speech. Is it an
accident? Not likely, if we remember the way official media reported
the Uruguay Parliamentary delegation’s visit to NKR.

Head of the delegation was again Vahan Hovhannisyan and he was missing
from official scenes. And it was obvious that the editors made gigantic
efforts to erase his part and even made changes in the material.

AMBASSADORS’ TOUGH STATEMENT REGARDING CIVILITAS CASE

15:29 27/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

The U.S. embassy is not worried about the programs implemented by the
Civilitas on the money of American taxpayers, said the U.S. ambassador
to Armenia John Heffern. He noted that the programs under investigation
by the National Security Service are also American, which have been
fulfilled duly.

John Heffern said that they cannot see any victims, no one has
complained. We are sure there is nothing to investigate either by
the NSS or any other body, Heffern said.

In answer to the question whether the case is politically motivated,
Heffern said that he cannot judge about the motives. I think this is
not a legal investigation but I can’t say what it is, said the U.S.
ambassador.

The German ambassador to Armenia Reiner Morell said that the Civilitas
introduces positive changes in terms of democracy. He noted that
Germany has also funded the Civilitas programs adding that the latter
acts in accordance with law.

Morell added that investigation should have real grounds, while he
cannot see real grounds. He says that in such cases the country’s
positive image is harmed amid political developments and ahead of the
Association Agreement. He said happy with these processes expressing
hope that they will be finalized.

Similar statements were made by the ambassador of Switzerland and the
consul of Norway. They added that their concerns are also appeals to
the Armenian authorities.

The National Security Council launched a criminal case against
Civilitas Foundation last May.

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.