Author: Kalantarian Kevo

NAIRA ZOHRABYAN: IT WOULD BE RIGHT IF POLITICAL MAJORITY HAD NOT BOYCOTTED TODAY’S SESSION

Panorama.am
21/11/2012

We came out to voice our views on today’s failed session as well as
on possible cooperation between opposition forces that could emerge
from political consultations, Prosperous Armenia Party parliamentary
faction secretary Naira Zohrabyan told Panorama.am.

Zohrabyan had also participated in the protest organized by opposition
bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC) in front of the parliament
building.

The action had also been joined by Prosperous Armenia member Vartan
Oskanian, who also delivered a speech.

Speaking to Panorama.am, Mrs Zohrabyan said that she thinks it would
be right if the political majority, Republican Party of Armenia,
had not boycotted today’s session initiated by ANC, especially as
RPA claims that they have their arguments.

“We were really interested in the holding of the urgent session. We
think it would be right if the political majority had not failed the
session, had participated in it and voiced its view, especially as
they say that they have arguments as to why it is untimely to pass
to a 100-percent proportional election system,” she said.

AZERI-BORN KAZAKHSTAN CITIZEN BANNED FROM BAKU OVER VISIT TO ARMENIA

November 21, 2012 – 18:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – An Azeri-born Kazakhstan citizen was banned from
entering Baku over his visit to Armenia.

Bayram Azizov was detained in Baku airport and questioned by Azeri
customs official as to the reason behind his visits to Armenia. Mr.
Azizov’s passport was confiscated, while Azizov himself was left in
the air.

Having spent 2 days in the airport transit zone, Azizov addressed a
Twitter message to Azeri president. Eventually, Azizov was contacted
by Kazakh Foreign Ministry officials to enable his return to Almaty.

As he was notified, his passport will be returned to him through
Kazakh officials, while his plane ticket was provided by Air Astana
Kazakh company.

In the light of the events above, Kazakhstan addressed a diplomatic
note to Azerbaijan, with no reply to follow, Tengrinews.kz reported.

INGA AND ANUSH WOW AUDIENCES ON EAST COAST
by Lilly Torosyan

November 21, 2012

WATERTOWN, Mass.-Following their presentation at the 54thannual
Eurovision Song Contest, sister duo Inga and Anush Arshakyan have
been releasing new music and amassing new fans through their tours
in Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. Their latest leg of touring
took them to New Jersey and Massachusetts this month, where the duo
performed to enthusiastic audiences.

Inga and Anush Arshakyans On Sat., Nov. 10, Inga and Anush performed
at Felician College in Lodi, N.J., accompanied by the Hamazkayin
Nayiri Dance Ensemble of New Jersey, the Hamazkayin Meghri Dance
Ensemble of Pennsylvania, and the Vanush Khanamiryan Dance Academy
of New York and Connecticut.

The following night, Inga and Anush sang to a nearly full-capacity
crowd at the Shaw Auditorium of Watertown High School. The show
opened with performances from the Zangakner Ensemble. The sisters
then took to the stage with the Erebouni Dance School and Ensemble
of Hamazkayin-Boston, who accompanied them for certain songs.

Nineteen songs were included in the repertoire, and by the last song,
“Menk Enk Mer Sarere” (“We Are Our Mountains”), the crowd was up on
its feet, chanting for an encore, which they received.

A portion of the proceeds from the tickets went to the Gyumri
Children’s Home Orphanage Fund, which serves newborns and children
up to six years of age who suffer from severe health and development
problems.

ARMENIA’S HERITAGE PARTY LEADER TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ASIAN POLITICAL PARTIES IN BAKU

YEREVAN, November 21. /ARKA/. The leader of Armenian opposition party
Heritage Raffi Hovhannisian will attend the Seventh Assembly General
of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties to be held
in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, November 22-23.

Hovhannisian told reporters on Wednesday that Heritage had received
an invitation to participate in the assembly several months ago,
when the “Safarov case” was on fire. Due to this, the party refused
from attending the conference in the country, “which releases and
patronizes as a hero some cowardly murderer (Safarov).”

The Azeri serviceman, Ramil Safarov, was given a life sentence for
hacking Armenian officer Gurgen Markarian to death with an axe on 19
February 2004 in Budapest during NATO training. On 31 August Budapest
extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan where he was immediately pardoned
by President Ilham Aliyev.

These actions erupted outrage in Yerevan. On 31 August Armenia’s
President Serzh Sargsyan invited the heads of all diplomatic missions
in Armenia to the extraordinary meeting and said Armenia suspends
all diplomatic relations with Hungary. Contacts between Armenia and
Azerbaijan have sharply deteriorated since then.

“Later on, the organizers offered some new conditions for participation
guaranteeing for me free and equal speech in Baku. Based on that,
I decided to accept the invitation and make a speech there.

With this aim I am heading for Baku today,” Heritage leader said.

According to Hovhannisian, he will strictly follow the main principals
of the party while making his speech: the state sovereignty, the
national interests and respect to the civil rights.

He noted the party had earlier attended the assembly in Cambodia,
where Hovhannisian’s speech was related to the 1915 Armenian Genocide
issue, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, democracy and human rights.

Heritage is a national-liberal political party. It was established
in 2002 by the first minister of foreign affairs of Armenia Raffi
Hovhannisian. It has five seats in the current parliament. -0-

RUSSIA OPPOSED TO PATRIOT MISSILES DEPLOYMENT AT TURKISH-SYRIAN BORDER

November 22, 2012 – 18:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Thursday, Nov 22,
against Turkey’s intention to deploy Patriot missiles on its border
with Syria, according to RIA Novosti.

“Militarization of the Turkish-Syrian border is an alarming signal,”
said ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich. “Our advice to our
Turkish colleagues is to use their influence on the Syrian opposition
to draw them closer to dialogue, instead of flexing muscles and
turning the situation into a dangerous route.”

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday that
Turkey’s request to deploy the missiles would be considered soon.

Ankara says the missile system is necessary to protect its border
with conflict-torn Syria.

Individual NATO countries that have available Patriot systems –
Germany, the Netherlands and the United States – are to decide on
their own if they will provide them for deployment in Turkey.

Turkey has opened fire several times across its border with Syria in
retaliation for Syrian shelling, which killed five Turkish civilians
in October.

U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missiles were deployed to Turkey in 1991
and 2003, during the two Gulf Wars.

Lukashevich also denied Russian media reports saying that Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov was planning to meet on November 26 with the
Syrian opposition.

Since its start in March 2011, the Syrian conflict has claimed tens of
thousands of lives, according to various Syrian opposition groups. The
UN puts the death toll at least 30,000 people.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN INVITED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE OF KAZAKHSTAN TO VISIT ARMENIA

15:15, 22 November, 2012

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The Chairman of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia and the Secretary of the National Security
Council of the Republic of Armenia Artur Baghdasaryan partook in the
joint session of the Committee of the Secretaries of Security Councils
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and CSTO Parliamentary
Assembly Council in the Northern Capital of the Russian Federation
St. Petersburg on November 22. The Department of Information and Public
Relations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia informed
“Armenpress” that in frames of the conference the Chairman of the
State Duma of the Russian Federation Sergey Naryshkin made a report
regarding various issues of regional and international importance.

The Secretary General of CSTO Nikolay Bordyuzha made reports
regarding the activity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization,
preparations for the December session of the CSTO Collective Security
Council, the consequences of removal of the coalitional troops from
Afghanistan and other legal and administrational issues.

In frames of the Interparliamentarian General Assembly of the
Commonwealth of Independent States the Chairman of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan had a meeting
with the Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kairat Mami. Mr. Mami
congratulated Hovik Abrahamyan on the occasion of reelection and
mentioned that the activation of interparliamentarian cooperation will
have a positive impact on the future development of the reciprocal
relations of the two countries. In this respect the Chairman of
the Senate of Kazakhstan Kairat Mami emphasized that Armenia is an
important partner for Kazakhstan.

In his turn the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan invited his counterpart from Kazakhstan to
pay an official visit to Armenia.

ARMENIA-BASED HERITAGE PARTY CANDIDATE DEMANDS INVALIDATION OF RIVAL’S REGISTRATION

tert.am
22.11.12

The election campaign office of Styopa Safaryan, who is running for
parliament in Election District #1, plans to apply to the Central
Electoral Commission (CEC) and the local election commission and
demand invalidation of registration of Robert Sargsyan, a candidate
of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

“Election campaign staffs cannot be located at polling stations. We
have video recorded a number of them,” Mr Safaryan told journalists
on Thursday.

Besides Mr Safaryan and Mr Sargsyan, Armenak Dovlatyan, Chairman of
the Union of the Greens and a member of the opposition bloc Armenian
National Congress (ANC), is running for parliament in Election
District #1.

The election campaign staff also demanded that Armenia’s police
provide them with voters’ lists. However, the demand was rejected.

Voters’ lists are not a state secret, and Mr Safaryan voiced doubts
over their accuracy. Despite high-rate emigration from Armenia, 8,000
more voters have been registered in Armenia in recent five years,
which is strange, he said.

Mr Safaryan also claims that his rival’s representatives offer election
bribes to voters.

GENOCIDE 100TH ANNIVERSARY TO RAISE BIG NOISE – TURKOLOGIST

tert.am
22.11.12

Turkologist Artak Shakaryan thinks the commemoration of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is going to raise a big great
noise.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the expert regretted to note
that people are often unaware of the events being scheduled, but he
did not rule out the possibility that the anniversary may come as a
surprise to Turkey too. Pessimists, according to him, think all the
efforts will be restricted to the publication of six or seven books.

But Shakaryan is inclined to think, on the other hand, that Turkey
is more thoroughly preparing for 2015.

“They have announced they are going to work with the Armenian Diaspora
as they think the diaspora members are citizens of the Ottoman
[Empire], ” he said, adding that Ankara may point out to a certain
process in the Armenia-Turkey relations, by working with at least a
small group of the Diaspora.

Meantime, Shakaryan said, Armenia’s weak policies may cause superpowers
to impose a statement upon the country.

“It is necessary to be more active in this regard, as the Armenians
in both Armenia and the Diaspora need to rely on their own strategies
instead of official organizations,” he said.

The expert explained that such policies cannot ensure a good future
for Armenia.

“It is undefined constructivism, when all doors are left open for
being used upon necessity. Such policies are not in our advantage now;
we need at least to have some definitive scenario,” he added.

Evaluating the current phase of the Armenia-Turkey relations, Shakaryan
said they are worse today than they used to be before the signing of
the bilateral protocols. “Representatives of these two states cannot
talk to each another when meeting in embassies as that would make
others think there are secret talks going on,” he added.

BAKO SAHAKYAN RECEIVED CO-CHAIRS OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP ROBERT BRADTKE (USA), IGOR POPOV (RUSSIA), JACQUES FAURE (FRANCE) AND ACCOMPANYING THEM OFFICIALS WHO ARRIVED IN STEPANAKERT THE DAY BEFORE

News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan
22-11-2012 12:58:17 | | Politics

On 22 November President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan received
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group Robert Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov
(Russia), Jacques Faure (France) and accompanying them officials who
arrived in Stepanakert the day before.

Issues related to the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict settlement and
the latest regional developments were discussed during the meeting.

Bako Sahakyan qualified making hero of the criminal who perfidiously
decapitated the Armenian officer, politicization of humanitarian
issues, militaristic and terrorist rhetoric carried out by Azerbaijan
as unacceptable, adding that it was one of the most serious blows to
the negotiation process.

Within this context the Head of State called upon to undertake
appropriate measures to bring Azerbaijan to constructive path.

President Sahakyan once again underlined that official Stepanakert
favors peaceful settlement of the conflict, restoration of the
negotiation process’s full format under the auspices of the OSCE
Minsk Group.

Bako Sahakyan reiterated that the conflict settlement would be possible
only when the reality is taken into consideration, when efforts are
concentrated on the causes rather than consequences, noting that any
attempt to return to the past is doomed to failure.

Artsakh Republic foreign minister Karen Mirzoyan, personal
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk, other officials were present at the meeting.

CENTRAL INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE ARTSAKH REPUBLIC
PRESIDENT

LES FORCES DE L’OPPOSITION TIENNENT DES POURPARLERS PRE-ELECTION
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 22 novembre 2012

Les principaux groupes de l’opposition en Armenie etaient en
pourparlers sur la possibilite de joindre leurs forces a l’occasion
de la prochaine election presidentielle.

Les chefs du Congrès National Armenien(HAK) et de la Federation
Revolutionnaire Armenienne (Dashnaktsutyun) ont discute de leur
participation aux discussions avec les representants d’Armenie Prospère
(BHK) et du parti Libres Democrates.

Levon Zurabian, le chef parlementaire du HAK, a parle de ” positions
communes ” sur la situation politique en Armenie après la reunion
avec ses homologues du Dashnaktsutyun.

” Nous devons tout faire pour etre capables de casser la monstrueuse
machine a frauder les votes ” a-t-il dit aux journalistes. ”
C’est sur quoi le Congrès est en pourparlers avec d’autres forces
politiques. Le Congrès voit ces questions dans le contexte des
elections presidentielles “.

Armen Rustamian, un leader du parti Dashnaktsutyun, a averti que
son parti et le HAK sont toujours divises sur quelques questions
” litigieuses “. Il a refuse de les specifier, citant le besoin ”
de ne pas endommager le fait d’atteindre de nouveaux accords “.

Questionne sur la possibilite pour les deux forces de soutenir le meme
candidat au poste presidentiel, Levon Zurabian a dit ” nous avons
beaucoup d’approches semblables. Le plus important d’entre eux est
la realisation que quelque chose doit etre radicalement changee dans
le pays “. Des ” actions coordonnees ” dans la course presidentielle
sont donc possibles a-t-il dit.

” Si nous ne convenons pas de principes clefs, nous ne voyons aucune
raison a un candidat commun ” a explique pour sa part Armen Rustamian.

” Les questions qui se posent sont ce que ce candidat doit faire et
cela doit etre verifie aujourd’hui “.

jeudi 22 novembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com