Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AZERBAIJAN DOES NOT FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS

Fri, 02/08/2013 – 17:54

Co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of Council of Europe
Pedro Argamunt and Joseph Grech expressed their deep concern over the
development of events in Azerbaijan, condemning peaceful demonstrators
and arrests of political leaders.

Co-rapporteurs also announced that rumors about unfair judicial
processes and ill-treatment towards detainees are also very troubling.

They also point out that on January 23-24 in Ismail city 80
participants of a peaceful protest action against perpetrations of
authorities of January 26 in Baku were isolated, 30 were subjected
to administrative penalties and 5 were arrested during.

“We call on Azerbaijani Government to review the cases of those
arrested and detained-according to human rights standards. All
information relating to ill-treatment of prisoners and torture should
be checked and the perpetrators punished”, – said the statement.

Legality of the arrest of opposition leaders by the authorities is
questioned in the document and it calls upon to use all legal means
to release them.

The observers remind in their speech that Azerbaijan should maintain
and perform its obligations undertaken when being accepted in the
Council of Europe.

Author: Factinfo

ONLY 8 PERCENT OF ARMENIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE WOMEN

YEREVAN, February 8. / ARKA /. Only 8 percent of Armenian business
people are women, according to Lilia Gevorgyan, head of a foundation
in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Armenia, set up to support
businesswomen.

“Although Armenian businesswomen have become much more active over
the recent years, they make only 8 percent of the business community,’
she said.

Mika Cement company’s chief executive officer Naira Martirosyan said
despite favorable conditions created in recent year for women to start
and run businesses, they still face a string of challenges like lack
of business knowledge.

This in mind she proposed that special organizations be set up to
teach businesswomen the basics of business running.

Another problem, according to Ms. Martirosyan is the small Armenian
market, which does not allow them to expand and develop their business
potentials.

Of 60 thousand companies, operating currently in the country, 92%
are small or medium-sized. ($ 1 – 406.10 drams). -0-

SDHK WON’T JOIN NEW OPPOSITION PARTY – MEMBER

February 8, 2013 – 17:22 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Social Democrat Hunchakian Party doesn’t have the
moral right to join another party, party representative said.

Gurgen Yeghiazaryan deemed the Armenian National Congress (ANC)
opposition bloc’s decision not to nominate a presidential candidate
incomprehensible.

“Though ANC proved unable to overthrow the ruling authorities, it
managed to somehow affect the killings in the army,” he told a press
conference, noting waging a serious struggle as their priority.

Yeghiazaryan further said that the party will hold an expanded meeting
next week.

On Feb 7, ANC leader Levon Ter-Petrossian said the bloc will turn
into a single party promoting liberal ideas.

ARMENIA’S RULING PARTY TO FACE INTERNAL STRUGGLE FOLLOWING PRESIDENTIAL VOTE – ANALYST

February 07, 2013 | 13:51

YEREVAN. – Everyone in the ruling Republican Party (RPA) is working for
the party candidate, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan until election
day on February 18. After that, however, Sargsyan will be considered
an outgoing president, and therefore politics in Armenia could start
anew solely at that time. Political and electoral technology specialist
Armen Badalyan said this during a press conference on Thursday.

In his words, following the presidential vote, a variety of factions
within RPA will commence working for themselves.

“Some potential political developments could unroll at that time.

[And] if [they do] occur, solely the external forces will benefit
[from this], [and] if they do something here. But I see that the
external forces stand to gain nothing; everything is unrolling as
they want,” Badalyan said.

The political analysts added that, due to the present-day societal
disposition, nothing could be changed in Armenia.

ARMENIAN NAIRIT’S PRESS OFFICE DECLINES TO COMMENT INTERSTATE BANK’S CLAIM OF $25 MILLION

YEREVAN, February 7. /ARKA/. The press office of Nairit, Armenia’s
chemical plant, declined to comment on the Interstate Bank’s suit
against Rhinoville Property Limited, the owner of the chemical plant.

“Certainly, I am not going to comment,” a spokesperson of the press
office told an ARKA News Agency correspondent. “I think it would be
better to seek comments fr om the International Bank,” she added.

ARKA News Agency is now trying to obtain information fr om officials.

Earlier, RIA Novosti reported that the Moscow Court of Arbitration
will start hearing a claim of CIS Interstate Bank to Rhinoville
Property Limited, the owner of Armenia’s chemical giant, on March 18.

Interstate Bank demands that Rhinoville Property Limited pay back
$25.183 million.

The plaintiff claims $16.764 million which Rhinoville Property Limited
took from the $70-million credit line the bank opened for the company
in 2006 and $8.419 million as penalty.

Nairit was the only plant in the Soviet Union to produce chloroprene
rubber.

The plant was closed in 1989 for environmental reasons and resumed
operating partially in 1992.

In 2001, some production facilities were separated from the plant for
producing chloroprene rubber and a debt-free enterprise based on them
was established.

In 2006, 90% of Nairit’s shares were sold to British Rainoville
Property Lim ited for $40 million. The remaining 10% belong to the
Armenian government.

Rhinоville Property Lim ited has been co-founded by the Samex company
(Poland), Intertex (USA) and Evrogaz (Russia).

In April 2010 the plant stopped producing rubber. Before the halt,
the plant sold its products abroad – chloroprene rubber was exported
to EU countries, Russia (about 30% of the exports), the United States
and 20 other countries.

The Interstate Bank operates with a 100-percent presence of the state
capital of members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The bank
promotes development of CIS member countries’ national economies and
their economic integration.

The goal of the Interstate Bank’s activity consists in facilitation
to economic integration and development of the national economies of
CIS countries by means of creation of the mechanism of settlements
for effecting trans-border payments in national currencies, crediting
foreign trade operations of CIS countries in national currencies, and
participation in implementation of investment projects of inter-state
significance.

The Interstate Bank was founded in 1993 by ten CIS countries –
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. The Interstate Bank has its
representative offices in the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of
Belarus and the Kyrgyz Republic.

The highest management body of the Interstate Bank is the Council
of the Bank, consisting of the heads of the central (national)
banks and the representatives of the ministries of finance and other
governmental authorities of the founder States. The office of Chairman
of the Council of the Interstate Bank has been held since May 2011 by
Chairman, Central Bank of the Russian Federation Sergey Ignatiev.-0—

MARCH PROTESTING VIOLENCE AGAINST ARMENIANS IN TURKEY TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

NEWS.AM
February 07, 2013 | 16:08

YEREVAN. – A protest march to condemn the discriminatory policy that
is conducted against the Armenians of Turkey will be held in Armenia’s
capital, Yerevan.

The “Club of Young Diplomats” NGO released a respective statement.

“The “Club of Young Diplomats” NGO deplores the attacks and violence
against the Armenian women in Istanbul’s Samatya district, and demands
from the authorities of Turkey to ensure the safety of their citizens
and to be steadfast in bringing the guilty to account.

We call upon all international organizations and human rights
associations to react to the inaction by the Turkish authorities,
and to take measures to protect those persons in the country that
are subjected to persecution on nationalist grounds.

We call upon the NGOs, youth organizations, [and] individuals in
Armenia to join the protest march to condemn the discriminatory policy
that is conducted in Turkey against our compatriots.

The march will be held on February 11, at noon. The route: Republic
Square, UN Office, EU Office,” the statement specifically reads.

SERZH SARGSYAN CONSIDERED “GAREGIN NZHDEH” MOVIE TO BE THE BEST IN LAST SEVERAL YEARS

20:07, 7 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS: President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan considered “Garegin Nzhdeh” movie to be the best
among Armenian films shot in last several years. He shared with his
observations with voters of Arabkir district during his meeting on
January 7. Serzh Sargsyan assured after a while Armenian TV would start
producing qualified movies and TV programs. As reports Armenpress,
presidential candidate has also noted that it is a rather difficult
issue to shoot qualified movie at once. “This issue is not yet solved
even in more prosperous countries than ours,” he underlined. Serzh
Sargsyan assured that there would be reforms of quality in the Public
Television of Armenia at time when with private channels everything
was more complicated.

Serzh Sargsyan suggested comparing current situation with the once
existing 5 years ago. “There is number of brilliant programs which I
considered to be an achievement,” Serzh Sargsyan noted bring several
examples. He also referred to the issue of serials which solve some
social issues which evidence are the expensive cars of the actors. “It
doesn’t mean that I encourage violence to be shown on the screens,”
Sargsyan stressed.

Arabkir residents asked Serzh Sargsyan to found a cultural center in
the district; presidential candidate promised to resolve that issue.

Presidential candidate Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with voters of
Arabkir district of Yerevan on February 7 in frames of his pre-election
campaign.

P.HAYRIKYAN PROHIBITED TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL

Factinfo
Thu, 02/07/2013 – 16:31

The health condition of the presidential candidate, the president
of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan has
deteriorated, – the coordinator of his headquarter Manya Ayvazyan
informed “Pastinfo.am” adding that the doctors prohibited him to
leave the hospital for two days and he canceled all his appointments.

Whether the deterioration of the health condition can affect the
decision of postponement of the election, the coordinator of the
headquarter said that there is not firm decision yet but nothing
should be excluded.

Despite the fact, that the presidential candidate during the meeting
with the journalists the day before announced that he was feeling
good and was involved in the affairs, but because of the changes
in his health condition, according to Manya Ayvazyan, the election
campaign is being performed without his participation.

On January 31, late in the evening next to his house the presidential
candidate, the president of the National Self-Determination Union
Paruyr Hayrikyan was shoot. The former was taken to Surb Grigor
Lusavorich Medical Center.

AZERBAIJANI NOVELIST STRIPPED OF ‘PEOPLE’S WRITER’ TITLE

Akram Aylisli

Azerbaijan’s Orhan Pamuk
An accomplished author in Azerbaijan has raised a storm of criticism
with a new novel that casts the country’s traditional rival, Armenia,
in a sympathetic light.

By RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service
February 07, 2013

BAKU — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has stripped a prominent
novelist of the title of “People’s Writer,” as well as his
presidentially awarded pension.

Azerbaijani media reported on February 7 that the actions were taken
against Akram Aylisli because of his novel “Stone Dreams,” which was
printed in a popular Russian magazine last year.

The novel describes sensitive issues in relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.

It focuses on Nagorno-Karabakh, the mostly Armenian-populated region
that broke away from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

Azerbaijani media quoted Aliyev’s decree, which said Aylisli was
punished “for distorting facts in Azerbaijani history and insulting
the feelings of Azerbaijani people.”

Aylisli told RFE/RL the presidential decision was “unexpected” because
his title and pension were awarded to him for his other works in
the past.

IN TURKISH TEXTBOOKS HEYDAR ALIYEV IS PRESENTED AS “DICTATOR” ALONGSIDE WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN AND PINOCHET

16:21 07/02/2013 ” SOCIETY

Former President of Azerbaijan, “National leader” Heydar Aliyev is
presented as an example of a modern dictator alongside with Saddam
Hussein and Pinochet in the textbooks of “Constitutional Law” for
the law students of Turkish universities.

According to Azadlyg, photos have appeared in the social networks,
where the pages of the textbook are clearly visible. There under the
definition of autocrat the photo of Heydar Aliev is depicted who is
also called a “dictator” just like Saddam Hussein and Pinochet.

“During the dictatorship all the functions of the executive and
judicial powers are in the hands of one person. Dictators, in contrast
to the autocrats, do not inherit the power or get it in the result
of elections, but they get it in a result of using the unstable and
difficult condition that exists in the country. Dictators in the
right wing may be known as the Nazis or National Socialists, and in
the left wing may be known as communists. Today dictators can rely
on a certain ideology. However, these individuals who control the
power and sovereignty of the state form the controlling system, not
compatible with humanity. Examples: Saddam Hussein, Heydar Aliyev,
Pinochet…” the Turkish textbook says.

Source: Panorama.am