Author: Kalantarian Kevo

UNITED STATES INTENDS TO CUT HUMANITARIAN AID TO ARMENIA BY 17% IN 2013

YEREVAN, February 25. / ARKA /. The United States intends to cut
humanitarian aid to Armenia by 17%, fr om last year’s $44.2 million
to $36.6 million in 2013, the Department of State said in a draft
report on financing of foreign programs.

According to the draft document, which will be submitted to the U.S.
Congress, because of the budget deficit and the maximum lim it of
public debt, funding cuts will affect virtually all budget costs,
both external and internal.

The aid to Azerbaijan will decline by 21.8% from $20.8 million in
2012 to $16.3 million in 2013.

This year, no funding is earmarked for supporting the Armenian economy
(last year the State Department released $40 million to that end). The
2013 draft project envisages $27.2 million for programs of cooperation
with Armenia in the field of defense.

As noted in the draft report, the U.S. assistance is focused
on democratic, economic and other reforms that would enhance
regional security, in addition to diplomatic efforts to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenian-Turkish border.

The U.S. financial assistance will be used also for the prevention
of trafficking and transport of weapons of mass destruction, drug
trafficking, strengthening security of the Armenian NPP, defense

MFA. YEREVAN NOT HOLDING TALKS WITH ANKARA

2013-02-25 19:33:11

The Armenian Foreign Ministry denied any negotiations with Turkey,
Armenian Report said today.

“Armenia is not conducting negotiations with Turkey in any format,”
spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan said.

He was commenting on the information in the Turkish Hurriyet Daily
News after the Armenian News correspondent’s request.

According to the information, Ankara made an offer to Yerevan to
take part in a regional project in the case of progress in the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue, as well as voiced this proposal at the OSCE
Minsk Group.

While referring to diplomatic sources, the newspaper reported that
Ankara is trying to attract the OSCE Minsk Group.

“We presented a comprehensive project of establishing corridors
to the OSCE Minsk Group in November 2012,” Hurriyet Daily News
reported earlier. “This project must be implemented in peacetime
and in particular, after Armenia makes a move to liberate the seven
occupied regions bordering with Nagorno-Karabakh. We then propose
to fully normalise relations between Turkey and Armenia and Armenia
and Azerbaijan.”

According to the information the proposed project consisted of two
phases: the establishment of relations between Turkey, Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia by restoring unused railways and the building
of new ones.

‘The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project must be completed by the end
of this year and the Turkey-Armenia railway can then be re-opened
after some restoration work’, the information said.

The second phase of the project envisages the establishment of
relations between the regional countries with Europe and Asia, the
edition reported. A transportation line between London and Beijing
will soon be possible after Marmaray and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway projects are completed. However the normalisation of the
political situation in the region will allow Armenia to join this
growing strategic situation, sources close to the project said,
the edition reported.

According to the Turkish edition’s sources, Turkey informed Baku
about the content of the proposed project. ‘We made it clear that
the project can be implemented only after Armenia advances towards
a peace settlement’, Azerbaijani sources said, the newspaper reported.

VARTAN OSKANIAN AND HEIDI TAGLIAVINI DISCUSSED PROCESS OF FEBRUARY 18 ELECTIONS

19:37, 25 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS: Member of “Prosperous Armenia”
NA fraction Vartan Oskanian hosted Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Mission,
Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini. As Armenpress was informed from Oskanian’s
office, process of February 18 elections, as well as developments
that preceded and followed them, had been discussed during the meeting.

Interlocutors stressed the importance of Electoral Code and improvement
of electoral process and discussed possible suggestions of OSCE/ODIHR,
highlighted in final report, which would contribute the trust of the
society on elections.

POLITICAL EXPERT: RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN IS NOT PLANNING A “COLOR REVOLUTION” IN ARMENIA

ARMINFO
Monday, February 25, 16:31

The leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisian is not planning a
“color revolution” in Armenia, Deputy Director of the Caucasus
Institute Sergey Minasyan told journalists on Monday.

“What Hovhannisian wants is to reform the country’s political system,
and he will do it if he makes best of the huge human resource he
has got in his hands for the moment. The ‘cut off heads’ of some
governors and mayors prove that what he is doing is not in vain,”
Minasyan said, adding that among Hovhannisian’s priorities is mid-term
parliamentary elections.

To note, the Feb 18 presidential election has been followed by the
resignations of governor of Shirak region Ashot Giziryan, mayor of
Vanadzor Samvel Darbinyan and mayor of Armavir Ruben Khlghatyan. Some
media say that governor of Armavir region Ashot Kaghramanyan and
mayor of Echmiadzin Karen Grigoryan may also resign soon.

LAVROV: RUSSIA WON’T BETRAY S. OSSETIA, ABKHAZIA

TERT.AM
17:00 ~U 25.02.13

Russia will not use the breakaway Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia as bargaining chips in its rapprochement with Tbilisi,
Russian top foreign official Sergei Lavrov has said.

“The problem won’t be solved at the expense of Russia betraying
Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the Voice of Russia quoted him as telling
a press conference.

Lavrov stressed that Tbilisi torpedoed the only opportunity of solving
the 2008 crisis through dialogue.

If Saakashvili had succeeded in his military attack on South Ossetia
in 2008, Abkhazia would have been next, the Russian foreign minister
told reporters.

Speaking on the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate, Sergei Lavrov urged
to call a meeting of the Middle East Quartet.

“The Quartet should get together as soon as possible. We need to
sit down and discuss everything even if no final agreement follows,”
he said, stressing that the Palestinian issue could only be settled
through negotiations.

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY PLEDGES TO STAND BY PEOPLE

TERT.AM
15:39 ~U 25.02.13

The Prosperous Armenia party (PAP) has issued a statement, expressing
its position on the February 18 presidential election and the
subsequent developments in Armenia.

Referring to an earlier decision not to field a andidate or back any
of the contenders running for presidency, the party points out to
the existing public distrust in the electoral system.

It also reiterates its commitment to be always next to the people
of Armenia.

“The wide distrust by the society demonstrates that numerous problems
in the country continue to remain unresolved. The injustice at every
turn, infringements upon the citizens’ dignity – which has become an
ordinary practice by the governing circles -are day by day increasing
the society’s dissatisfaction.

The Prosperous Armenia party reaffirms it political agenda developed
in the course of the parliamentary election.

The Prosperous Armenia party perfectly realizes its responsibility
to the people.

Prosperous Armenia has been and will always be next to the people
of Armenia.

The Prosperous Armenia party finds that the Republic of Armenia
citizens hold an absolute right to demand respect for their rights,
including the right to vote.

The Prosperous Armenia party resolutely calls upon the authorities
to demonstrate restraint.

The PAP warns that the use of any force against peaceful demonstrators
will lead to irrevocable aftermaths.

It calls upon the organizers and participants of mass events to carry
out all their activities within the frameworks of the law.

Deeply realizing the extent and complexity of the extremely serious
problems and challenges facing the country, the PAP calls upon all
the influential political forces to commit themselves to developing an
urgent large-scale democratic, political and economic reforms agenda
and elaborating a map towards their implementation.

The Prosperous Armenia party is ready to invest all its resources in
the arrangement and implementation of this process.

PAP calls upon the authorities and the influential political forces
to demonstrate sensibility, mutual tolerance and resoluteness towards
resolving the problems facing the people,” reads the statement.

COMMISSION RELEASES FINAL RESULTS, DECLARES SARKISIAN VICTORIOUS

February 25, 2013

YEREVAN (A.W.)-The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) announced today
the final results of the Feb. 18 presidential election in Armenia,
declaring the incumbent, Serge Sarkisian, victorious.

A scene from the Feb. 24 rally in Yerevan, during which Hovannisian
urged authorities and CEC to do the right thing. (Photo by Khatchig
Mouradian) The president of the commission, Tigran Mukuchyan, announced
the results, according to which Sarkisian has secured 58,64 percent of
the 1,521,261 votes cast, while his closest rival, Raffi Hovannisian,
has garnered 36,75 percent of the votes. These figures are identical
to the preliminary results announced last week.

On Feb. 24, Hovannisian had urged the authorities and the CEC to think
twice before announcing the final results, and do the right thing.
Hovannisian has declared victory in the election and demands that
authorities relinquish power to the people.

Below is a summary of the official figures.

Sarkisian 861,373 votes (58.64 percent)

Hovannisian 539,693 votes (36.75 percent)

Hrant Pakradyan 31,643 votes (2.15 percent)

Paruyr Hairikian 18,096 votes (1.23 percent)

Antreas Ghougassyan 8,329 votes (0.57 percent)

Vartan Setrakyan 6,210 votes (0.42 percent)

Arman Melikyan 3,520 votes (0.24 percent)

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Library & Museum of America
65 Main St., Watertown, MA. 02472
Tel: 617-926-2562
Web:
Email: [email protected]

“When Life Gives Lemons”
Vartanantz Lecture by curator Gary Lind-Sinanian
Event initially planned on Feb. 17 and rescheduled to March 2

DATE AND TIME
Saturday, March 2
3PM

LOCATION
Contemporary Art Gallery, 3rd Floor

Refreshments
following program

QUICK LINK

Every year, the Armenian people commemorate the Feast of St. Vartan
Mamigonian and his army, who were martyred in the Battle of Vartanantz
at Avarayr in 451 AD. The Armenians refused to convert from
Christianity to Zoroastrianism, and the disastrous battle marked the
beginning of a 30 year long guerilla war by Armenians against the
Persian army occupying Armenia. St. Vartan and his doomed struggle
are memorialized in books, paintings, music, theater and other media,
and he continues to provide a role model for the generations to
follow.

ALMA has mounted an exhibition “History, Art, Icon: Vartanantz and the
Armenian Nation” highlighting some of the varied popular memorabilia
drawn from the museum’s collections. In conjunction with the exhibit,
ALMA curator Gary Lind-Sinanian will present a lecture on Saturday,
March 2 at 3pm, discussing the events of Vartanantz. A loss can
define a people as strongly as a victory, and Lind-Sinanian’s
presentation, “When Life Gives Lemons”, will compare several great
defeats in history, and the impact they had on their societies. Some
groups redefined their loss, others repressed it, and still others
embraced their rage as justification for revenge. How does Vartanantz
define Armenian culture?

The lecture and discussion explore the events and their cultural
impact. Please join us for an examination of what makes us Armenians.

Gary Lind-Sinanian is an unabashed Armenophile who has served as
ALMA’s chief curator since 1987, and has created many exhibitions and
presentations examining and celebrating the complex history of the
Armenian people.

LITHUANIAN-ARTSAKH PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP

Story from Lragir.am News:

17:38 26/02/2013

A group of Lithuanian parliamentarians adopted a resolution on the
creation of a parliamentary friendship group with Artsakh, yerkir.am
reports.

The resolution in particular runs that since Lithuania and Artsakh
have always been led by the international law and democratic values
in their fight for liberation, taking into account the fact that the
right to self-determination is the only guarantee to physical security
and people’s development, underlining Karabakh’s efforts to create a
free and democratic nation, the Lithuanian parliamentarians propose
to set up a parliamentary friendship group with Artsakh.

FRENCH MP VALERIE BOYER WILL NEVER VISIT TURKEY DUE TO LIFE THREATS

TERT.AM
16:48 ~U 26.02.13

French MP, author of the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian
Genocide, Valerie Boyer said she will never visit Turkey because of
threats she receives, Turkish Milliyet reports.

This year she presented two bills one of them relating to criminalizing
the denial of the Armenian Genocide, the other offers creation of a
commission to investigate the decision of the French Constitutional
Council to recognize the bill unconstitutional.

She said the Turkish government has disrespected her and threatened.

She said there are many videos in YouTube containing bad words and
disrespect in her address.

“I am glad I do not understand Turkish. But my family and I have
received threats in French, I was forced to live under police
protection for a while. I am deputy head of Armenian-French friendship
group. I will continue my fight for punishing the denial of the
Armenian Genocide,” she said.

The French MP said she previously visited Turkey but now she does
not want as she will endanger her life there. Boyer said even if the
Turkish government promises to guarantee her safety she will not take
the risk.

“The government did not kill Hrant Dink, while it is not known who
did it,” she said, adding that besides threats she is also receiving
supportive messages from Turkey.

“There are still people in Turkey who believe in human rights,”
she said.