Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN MONASTIC COMPLEXES AND RURAL AREAS ARE UNIQUE AND OF UNIVERSAL VALUE. TALEB RIFAI

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, ARMENPRESS: Armenia is an exclusive touristic
country; the absence of the access to the sea is not a disadvantage.

Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization came
forth in the course of the briefing with the journalists on October 19.

“Armenia has rich culture, which is exactly what the tourists will
look for in the future. The lack of water areas is not a shortcoming,
there are plenty of beaches in the world and the addition of one
beach will change nothing, while Armenian monastic complexes, rural
areas are unique and of universal values ” Secretary General noted,
Armenpress reports.

In the words of the interlocutor Armenia registers success in touristic
sphere, the increase in the number of tourists for more than six times
is a vivid example of this. The prospect of the future is promising;
reportedly the ongoing tourism policy is right. Future is thoroughly
outlined in Armenia” Secretary General underscored.

Tigran Davtyan, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia stated
Armenia should be prepared both in infrastructure, and legal aspects
for the increase in the number of tourists. In his words two day
lasting international forum on Human Values and Cultural Diversity in
the 21st Century: the Importance of Tourism was a great opportunity
for representation of our country. “We shall reach the goals through
the new modern possibilities” Davtyan noted.

HOMELESS FAMILY LIVES IN ATTIC

05:17 pm | October 17, 2012 | Social

Heriknaz Markosyan’s family lives in an attic of a many-storeyed
residential building in Armenia’s Gyumri city. The family did not
receive an apartment as Heriknaz’s mother was in prison during the
registration of homeless families in 2008. Heriknaz was unable to
submit the full package of documents required by the Mayor’s Office
for the registration.

The family is temporarily living in the attic which lacks public
utility facilities.

For more details watch the video of Gyumri-based Shirak Center NGO.

NEWSPAPER: DESPITE FORECASTS AND PROMISES, PUTIN WILL NOT VISIT ARMENIA IN EARLY NOVEMBER

ARMINFO
Thursday, October 18, 15:26

President of Russia Vladimir Putin will not visit Armenia in the
first half of November despite various forecasts and promises, the
Yerevan-based Hraparak newspaper writes. Such visits are not made
spontaneously, they are prepared at least two months in advance,
the paper writes.

As regards the agreement on $2 billion, which Moscow is expected to
earmark for Armenia, if the country joins the Eurasian Union, the
paper writes, “it is untimely to speak of that, though the Armenian
party has already started preparing documents for placement of the
loan.” If there is need to sign such agreement, the Armenian party
must visit Moscow and not the vice versa.

“To recall, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin had a talk on the $2
billion loan during their meeting in Moscow,” the paper writes. The
Russian Embassy in Armenia has no official information on the visit,
the source reports.

Vladimir Putin was to visit Armenia in September on sidelines of the
CSTO CRRF exercises, but didn’t. Earlier, Konstantin Zatulin, Head
of the CIS Institute, told ArmInfo that V. Putin will visit Armenia
in late October or early November.

EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN SCARES OF THE ROLE OF FOOTHOLD FOR ATTACKING IRAN AND IS TRYING TO DISTANCE FROM THE WEST

arminfo
Thursday, October 18, 15:16

Azerbaijan scares of the role of foothold for attacking Iran and is
trying to distance from the West, political expert, Sarkis Asatryan,
said at today’s press-conference.

“Today Azerbaijan is watched like one of the footholds for the West
and Israel in case of their possible operation against Iran. But
Baku understands very well that Iran is able to deliver a serious
strike upon Azerbaijan and is trying to distance from the West in a
certain sense, as it understands its risky situation. Maybe, the last
statements by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev about the British
Petroleum were conditioned just by this fear”, – Asatryan said.

He also added that Aliyev’s attack on the British company may be also
linked with an attempt to hide the sums wasted by his administration,
as their making public, may cause serious unrest in the republic. The
expert thinks that it may be also linked with decrease of the oil
reserves in Azerbaijan.

“It is no secret that Azerbaijan is one of the biggest oil producing
countries…However, according to experts, Azerbaijani oil reserves
will be enough for not more than 20 years. Naturally, the British
Petroleum cannot produce oil in an amount as Aliyev demands”, –
he said.

He also added that reduction of oil production in Azerbaijan may
result in social outbreak in this republic and, as a result, Baku
will lose one of its serious trump cards at the foreign policy front.

Naturally, such weakening of Azerbaijan will play into the hands
of Armenia.

TALEB RIFA: ARMENIA ON THE RIGHT TRACK IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM
Liana Yeghiazaryan

“Radiolur”
15:01 18.10.2012

The international forum of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
titled “Universal values and Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century”
kicked off in Yerevan today within the framework of cooperation
between the Armenian Ministry of Economy and UNWTO. Armenian Minister
of Economy Tigran Davtyan and UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifa had
a briefing with journalists before the conference would start.

Taleb Rifa, who’s paying his second visit to Armenia, regrets that he
has arrived without his family and is determined to visit Armenia with
his family next summer to enjoy the beauty of our country. Mr. Rifa
has been familiar with the rich Armenian history and culture from
the age of eight. UNWTO Secretary General says Armenia has chosen
the right path for the development of tourism.

“Even the perspectives of the future in this country are based on
history and rich culture. Armenia has demonstrated itself in the best
way in the field of tourism. Your country is known all over the world.

I have many Armenian friends in my Motherland. I’m sure people in
every corner of the world know about your beautiful country thanks to
people who once left the Motherland. Your culture is highly estimated
around the world,” Taleb Rifa told reporters in Yerevan.

About 740,000 tourists visited Armenia in 2011. The Minister of
Economy promises to surpass the number this year. The tourism season
still continues, but the trends allow to make such predictions. Tigran
Davtyan says it’s unprecedented that the World Tourism Organization
holds its conference in Yerevan. He’s inclined to explain this by the
importance of Armenia in the field of international tourism. At the
same time, according to Davtyan, the congress and the declaration
to be signed promise new perspectives of short-term and long-term
development of tourism. Armenia has already declared the development of
tourism as a priority and is working to improve the infrastructures –
the airport, the means of communication and the hotel network.

The international two-day conference of the World Tourism Organization
features representatives of RA Government, the private sector and
diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia, as well as international
experts from the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, the
Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Georgia and other CIS member states.

ARMENIAN HACKERS MADE A UNIQUE ”GIFT ” ON AZERBAIJAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

13:07, 18 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS: On the occasion of Azerbaijani
Independence Day Armenian cyber army hackers have attacked some
Azerbaijani web sites. As Samvel Martirosyan, information security
expert told Armenpress national anthem have been posted in the broken
websites. The photo of Ramil Safarov axe murdered by fellow Azerbaijani
participant, Lieutenant Ramil Safarov, in Budapest during a three-month
English language was also posted on broken sites.

A number of Azerbaijani web sites namely 1news, Apa, Vesti, Day.az,
Trend have been broken by Armenian hackers on September. Armenian
hackers have also attacked Azerbaijani President’s and First Lady’s
web sites. According to Armenian professionals this was the hottest
Armenian- Azerbaijani cyber attack resulted by Hungary- Azerbaijani
disgraceful transaction, granting pardon to the criminal and his
subsequent release.

ARMENIA’S EX-FM FACES GOVERNMENT’S PRESSURE – DER STANDARD

tert.am
18.10.12

The Armenian authorities have launched a proceeding against a former
foreign minister; Vartan Oskanian is accused of money laundering,
says the German publication Der Standard in an article covering the
criminal case against Oskanian and his foundation, Civilitas.

“Oskanian was floating free from the authorities for four years
running. Now that he has reached the other coast, he is threatened
with a legal proceeding and probably, twenty years in prison.

Armenia’s long-time foreign minister is accused of money laundering
and misappropriation,” the paper says.

Referring to Oskanian’s words characterizing the case as absurd,
the German publication says it might not absolutely be the case
as the politician who quit his ministerial office in 2008 might
face challenge of returning to politics and acting as a possible
presidential candidate

“As early as after the parliamentary elections in spring, things were
being arranged quite differently for Oskanian. The former diplomat,
57, joined the parliament as a number two figure of Prosperous
Armenia. Formerly representing the ruling authorities, the party
doubled its mandates in the elections. But Oskanian faced a tough
time once he decided to act against the [ruling] Republican Party’s
new coalition headed by President Serzh Sargsyan. Sargsyan saw a new
rival emerge,” says the paper.

It further addresses the tax inspections at Civilitas and the
subsequent charges of money laundering and misappropriation of funds,
as well as the parliament’s approval of the petition to strip Oskanian
of mandate.

“That’s a classical example of a political monopoly,” Oskanian was
quoted as telling Der Standard. “They have agreed among themselves to
find something about this person. And their criticism has a success.”

“Thanks to his international connections, Oskanian managed to find
several donors for Civilitas, including the European governments, the
OSCE and his sponsor, Jon Huntsman. The businessman transferred $1.4
million to the Yerevan based organization. And the Armenian justice
is now trying to base its charges on it,” the paper goes on saying.

The author of the article, Markus Berinath, thinks the Armenian
authorities see second President Robert Kocharyan lying behind
Oskanian’s image. According to him, either of the two can send a
challenge to the incumbent president in the upcoming polls.

NO OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION GIVEN ON PUTIN’S VISIT TO YEREVAN – PAPER

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 18, 2012 – 12:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – No information has been provided on Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s possible visit to Armenia, Hraparak daily reported
citing Russian diplomatic sources.

As for USD 2 bln, Russia is said to allocate to Armenia in case the
latter joins the Eurasian Union, the same sources deemed it early
for such discussions, noting that the Armenian side itself will visit
Moscow to ink the deal.

Asked by the paper’s reporter if rumors on Putin’s November visit to
Yerevan are true to fact, the spokesman of Russian Embassy in RA Sergey
Abelyan noted, “No official notification has been given on the issue.”

LE TURC FACE AU GENOCIDE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
vendredi 19 octobre 2012

La sortie du dernier ouvrage du journaliste Hasan Cemal – prononcez
Hassan Djemal – est un pave dans la mare du negationnisme en
Turquie : 1915, le genocide armenien (Everest Yayinlari, en turc, 230
p.) ecorne le tabou des tabous d’un pays qui refuse toujours d’admettre
l’extermination planifiee de plus de un million d’Armeniens ottomans
par le gouvernement nationaliste jeune-turc, a partir de 1915. Il y
a quelques annees, le titre de ce livre aurait suffi a envoyer son
auteur en prison. Aujourd’hui, publie par un editeur a large audience,
il occupe les vitrines et les presentoirs de la plupart des librairies
du pays, ce qui constitue une veritable avancee.

Sur la couverture, une photo d’Hasan Cemal le montre agenouille devant
le memorial du genocide a Erevan, en Armenie, deposant un bouquet
de roses blanches au pied de la flamme du souvenir. “Je ne peux
pas oublier ce matin a Erevan, en septembre 2008, raconte-t-il. Aux
premières lueurs du jour, le mont Ararat emergeait et s’evanouissait
dans la brume. La main de l’Histoire, ai-je ecrit ce matin-la,
montrera la voie a ceux qui veulent voir.”

pour lire la suite de l’article de Guillaume Perrier, voir lien
plus bas

KHACHAGHBYUR-2 CONSTRUCTED ON SPECIALLY PROTECTED AREA

05:36 pm | October 17, 2012 | Social

“Khachaghbyur-2” SHP is being constructed in specially protected areas,
“Ijevan” and “Hazel Forests,” At the same time the project says
that “the construction area doesn’t include any specially protected
areas.” In regard with this contradiction, “Trchkan” civic imitative
has made an enquiry to Nature Protection Ministry, EcoLur NGO reports.

The letter particularly says: “…Not only the project doesn’t say
anything about the EIA and probable impact, but also the environmental
expertise opinion doesn’t say a word about it, which has been issued
to “Mega Energy” Company. This contradicts to RA Law “On Specially
Protected Areas”…The project also mentions that there is no necessity
for tree felling for the construction of SHP, as the pipeline lays
along the road. This is false information, as forests are located
in the part of valley where the pipeline should lay, and there is no
such a road. While laying 2.8 km pipeline will be impossible without
forest felling.

Thus, the environmental expertise, as a matter of fact, hadn’t been
carried out and the provision of RA Law on “On Environmental Impact
Expert Assessment” had not been complied with,” the statement says.