Author: Kalantarian Kevo

WHO WILL DEBLOCK ARMENIA SOONER?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:43:36 – 16/07/2012

A big project is being worked out in the region though there is more
than one project, and this time Armenia is a key factor.

At the time of the visit of the foreign minister of Georgia Grigol
Vashadze to Armenia he held an interview on the reconstruction of
the railway connecting Armenia to Russia through Georgia and Abkhazia.

The Georgian minister made it clear that his country may agree with
this only if Russia recognizes Abkhazia as a disputable area. In an
interview with the Echo of Moscow, he noted that Armenia does not need
the railway, Russia needs it to supply its military base situated in
Gyumri. Georgia does not need it at all.

Apparently, Russia has decided to promote the project of the regional
railway. So, in order to convince Vashadze Moscow asked Yerevan to
invite him to Armenia. Armenia has already convinced Georgia to open
Upper Lars to have land communication with Russia.

Nothing is known about the results of the talks in Yerevan but this
means that Armenia failed to convince Georgia or didn’t want.

It is noteworthy that on the same days the information came that
if railway communication between Armenia and Turkey is restored,
the Armenians may use Trabzon port for shipments. The project of
reconstruction of Kars-Gyumri railway is lobbied by the United States.

Actually, the U.S. and Russia are competing to decide who will end
the railway blockade of Armenia. It is clear that it is not done
for Armenia but to control shipments in the region. The fight for
the railway will be tough and Armenia had better calculate all the
advantages and disadvantages.

Iran’s activeness is also interesting. The minister of ecology of
Iran is planning a visit to Armenia to meet the expert group to study
the situation in Syunik region. The Armenian-Iranian railway will run
across this region if it is built. Perhaps, the Iranian specialists
did not believe the Armenian estimates and considered them exaggerated,
so they decided to study everything on the spot.

Anyway, it is evident that by autumn Armenia will have to choose
the method of deblocking. Armenia is already under pressure, also
because of the gas price but Yerevan most probably understands that
this fight is not for the Armenians but the geopolitical giants need
Armenia to be on their side of the barricade. Yerevan needs to use
this valuable potential not only to break through the blockade but
to restore its sovereignty reducing its dependence on the others.

CELEBRITY ARMENIAN BEAR RELOCATED, LA OFFICIALS SAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 16, 2012 – 12:54 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A celebrity black bear who frequented the trash cans
of Los Angeles suburbs in search of food has been tranquilized and
relocated, officials said, ending the debate over whether he should
be euthanized or allowed to roam the streets, according to ABC News.

The Glendale population, home to one of the largest Armenian
communities, has affectionately named the bear Glen Berian, as the
Armenian surnames end in “ian.”

The California Fish and Game Department tweeted that Glen Bearian is
“safe and sound asleep in a DFG truck, on his way back to forest.”

Glen Bearian was spotted at least a half dozen times last week alone,
most recently on Sunday morning, according to The Los Angeles Times.

He had been shipped at least 25 miles into the Angeles National Forest,
but managed to make it back to town, which the California Fish and
Game Department spokesman Andrew Hughan called an “Olympic feat.”

Sarah Aujero, 29, started a Twitter handle for Glen Bearian, and
has been using it to send virtual bear hugs to his fans and announce
when he poops in pools (“I dont skinny dip, I chunky dunk”). But the
handle is also being used to encourage people to recycle their trash
and stop taking pictures of the beloved animal.

The California Fish and Game Department says it’s illegal to feed
wildlife, “especially @theglendalebear no matter how cute they are.”

Kim Kardashian announced on “Khloe & Lamar” in April that she wants
to run for mayor of Glendale. The half-Armenian plans to work her
heritage to her advantage. But now, Kim might have some competition
that is also playing the minority card. Glen Bearian announced on
Twitter that he may run for Glendale mayor as well.

UNE ENQUETE A ETE OUVERTE SUR L’EXPLOSION DES BALLONS LORS DU RASSEMBLEMENT POLITIQUE DU HHK
Laetitia

armenews.com
lundi 16 juillet 2012

Plus de deux mois après l’explosion de milliers de ballons lors
d’un rassemblement politique organise par le Parti Republicain(HHK),
aucune personne n’a ete arretee. Un haut fonctionnaire de police a
cependant insiste sur le fait que les organes repressifs ont fait des
progrès dans cette enquete criminelle. Les ballons se sont enflammes
dans des circonstances non encore elucidees, provoquant une enorme
flamme sur la Place de la Republique a Erevan. Au moins 154 personnes,
la plupart d’entre elles, des membres du HHK, ont ete hospitalisees
avec des brûlures graves. Certaines ont subi une chirurgie plastique
après l’incident.

Arsen Ayvazian, un haut fonctionnaire de la direction generale
des enquetes criminelles, a dit que les enqueteurs ont interroge
près de 250 personnes mais ne considèrent personne comme etant un
suspect potentiel. Les ballons auraient ete remplis de gaz naturel
inflammable dans un appartement a Erevan. ” Ils ont ete remplis a
partir de reservoirs de gaz de petite taille “, a affirme Ayvazian. Ce
dernier a ajoute que les personnes qui ont participe au gonflage des
7.000 ballons ont ete entendues en tant que ” temoins ” dans l’affaire.

Les normes de securite imposent que les ballons utilises pour des
evenements publics et frequentes par un grand nombre de personnes
soient gonfles a l’helium, un gaz inerte qui ne brûle pas. Ce gaz est
plus cher que le gaz naturel. Karen Avagian, le chef de la section
jeunesse du HHK et qui escortait les jeunes Place de la Republique,
a nie que le parti au pouvoir aurait deliberement ordonne d’economiser
les depenses de la campagne electorale en utilisant ce gaz. Avagian
a egalement nie toute responsabilite dans cet incident. ” Jusqu’a
ce jour, ces ballons etaient en vente et personne ne savait de quel
gaz ils etaient remplis, comment ils etaient remplis et qui etait
responsable de cela “, a-t-il dit le 15 mai.

Certains participants qui ont ete hospitalises ont affirme qu’ils ont
ete avertis a l’avance de ne pas allumer de cigarettes au rassemblement
du 4 mai. Selon Ayvazian, les enqueteurs de la police pensent que les
explosions ont ete très probablement declenchees par le feu a partir
d’un allume-cigare.

PROCES DES AVOCATS D’ORIGINE KURDE A ISTANBUL
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
lundi 16 juillet 2012

Lundi 16 juillet 2012, s’ouvrira devant la 6ème chambre de la Cour
d’Assise d’Istanbul, le procès de 41 avocats turcs, d’origine kurde,
membres notamment des barreaux d’Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Van, Kars,
Ardahan, Batman, poursuivis pour ” appartenance a une organisation
terroriste ” en raison de la defense qu’ils ont assuree du leader
du PKK Abdullah Ocalan. Trente-six d’entre eux sont en detention
preventive depuis le 21 novembre 2011 et dans l’incapacite d’exercer
leur profession et la defense de leurs clients depuis plus de sept
mois. Dans une resolution en date du 6 decembre 2011, le conseil de
l’ordre des avocats de Paris avait exprime sa profonde preoccupation
concernant la situation de ses confrères incarceres et appele les
autorites turques a garantir, en toutes circonstances, l’independance
et la liberte des Avocats.

A l’occasion de l’ouverture de ce procès, les avocats de France et
d’Europe se sont massivement mobilises pour denoncer les poursuites
diriges contre leur confrères turcs, d’origine kurde.

Le Barreau de Paris, sous la presidence de son Bâtonnier, Madame
Christiane Feral Schuhl, enverra une delegation, conduite par Me
Marie-Alix Canu Bernard, membre du conseil de l’ordre et Me Alexandre
Couyoumdjian, president de l’AFAJA, pour exprimer a nouveau sa
solidarite avec ses confrères en detention et rappeler aux autorites
turques que ” les avocats ne doivent pas etre assimiles a leurs clients
ou a la cause de leur clients du fait de l’exercice de leurs fonctions
“.

Seront egalement presents a cette audience, pour exprimer cette meme
solidarite, des representants des Barreaux de Montpellier, Rennes,
Grenoble et du Conseil National des Barreaux, ainsi que le Barreau de
Bruxelles, Suisse, Grande Bretagne et des Pays-Bas, l’Association des
Avocats Democrates (AED), la FIDH, Avocats sans frontière – Suède et
l’International Bar Association.

Paris le 16 juillet 2012.

TOURNAMENT DEDICATED TO 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF NKR INDEPENDENCE

Panorama.am
13/07/2012

A chess tournament dedicated to the 20th anniversary of NKR
independence finished in Yerevan. IM Karen H. Grigoryan scored 6 points
out of 9 and took first place. Grigor Dilanyan was half a point behind
the winner. Tigran S. Petrosyan scored 5 points and took third place
in tiebreak game, armchess.am reported.

THE VISA TO TANZANIA FOR KARABAKH CITIZENS COSTS 50 DOLLARS

ARMENPRESS
13 July, 2012
YEREVAN

Yerevan, July 12, Armenpress: The Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
is marked as a separate state in the website of the Home Affairs
Ministry of the United Republic of Tanzania. As reports Armenpress,
citing the website of the Home Affairs Ministry of Tanzania, Nagorno
Karabakh is in the list of the countries the citizens of which should
obtain an entry visa to Tanzania.

To get a visa to Tanzania the citizens of Nagorno Karabakh have to
pay 50 dollars, while the citizens of Pakistan, the United States
and Ireland are relatively in an unfavorable condition in this
sense. They have to pay, accordingly, 200 and 100 dollars for the
entry to Tanzania.

18 ARMENIAN LAWMAKERS JOINED INITIATIVE ON EXTRAORDINARY SITTING

NEWS.AM
July 13, 2012 | 15:06

YEREVAN.- Up to now eighteen Armenian lawmakers have joined the
initiative demanding an extraordinary parliament sitting to discuss
the Harsnaqar Restaurant incident which claimed the life of a military
doctor.

Among those who signed the imitative are several members of the
opposition Armenian National Congress bloc, Heritage party, ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, fife members of the Prosperous Armenia Party.

The protest action demanding extraordinary sitting is being held in
Yerevan near the building of the National Assembly. The protestors
are carrying posters with inscriptions “We demand an extraordinary
parliament sitting”, “Ruben Hayrapetyan – murderer, wanted” and others.

Forty-four signatures must be collected and presented to the Parliament
Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan in 24 hours. Right after that the speaker
must process the application.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an incident had occurred at
Armenian capital city Yerevan’s Harsnaqar restaurant on June 17, where
several military doctors including Edgar Mikoyan, Arkadi Aghajanyan,
Garik Soghomonyan, Artak Bayadyan and Vahe Avetyan were brutally beaten
by the security personnel. Vahe Avetyan died in hospital on June 29.

The restaurant’s owner is a businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan, who is an
influential figure, ruling Republican Party of Armenia former MP,
who resigned after the scandal, but remained president of Football
Federation of Armenia.

PROTEST ACTION NEAR ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT, PROTESTERS DEMAND EXTRAORDINARY SITTING

NEWS.AM
July 13, 2012 | 14:03

YEREVAN.- The movement calling for punishment of all responsible
for the Harsnaqar Restaurant incident held a protest action near
the Armenian parliament on Friday demanding that an extraordinary
parliament sitting should be convened.

The participants welcome the initiative introduced by four
extra-coalition parties and call on MPs to join the demand.

Those who will not sign the document will contribute to closing of
the Harsnaqar case and will help Ruben Hayrapetyan to preserve his
parliamentary seat and immunity, they said.

Member of Heritage Party Ruben Hakobyan told reporters his party
was one of the co-authors of the initiative. He assured all Heritage
members will sign the document.

Hakobyan also informed of consultations held jointly with the
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC).

ANC must collect 44 signatures and present the form to the Parliament
Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan in 24 hours. Right after that the speaker
must process the application.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an incident had occurred at
Armenian capital city Yerevan’s Harsnaqar restaurant on June 17, where
several military doctors including Edgar Mikoyan, Arkadi Aghajanyan,
Garik Soghomonyan, Artak Bayadyan and Vahe Avetyan were brutally beaten
by the security personnel. Vahe Avetyan died in hospital on June 29.

The restaurant’s owner is a businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan, who is an
influential figure, ruling Republican Party of Armenia former MP,
who resigned after the scandal, but remained president of Football
Federation of Armenia.

VISIT OF A GROUP OF ISRAELI WOMEN TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH CLOUDS IDYLLIC ISRAELI-AZERI RELATIONS

arminfo
Friday, July 13, 13:09

The visit of a group of Israeli women to Nagorno-Karabakh has clouded
idyllic Israeli-Azeri relations.

Yedioth Ahronoth reports that the visit has angered the Azeri
authorities, who have even sent a note of protest to the Israeli
Ambassador to Baku.

Last weeks a group of Israeli women went to Nagorno-Karabakh by
jeeps adorned with Armenian and Israeli flags. The Azeri special
services are claiming explanations from the organizer of the tour,
Magma Challenge travel agency.

IzRus specifies that the company’s name is Magma-Travel in the World
LTD, while Magma Challenge is an extreme tourism project for women.

HRAPARAK: KARABAKH CANNOT BE RETURNED TO AZERBAIJAN

Panorama.am
13/07/2012

Hraparak reports that Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the
Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of Russia, delivered
a rather interesting message during a dinner in her honor at Old
Erivan restaurant. “Everyone in the world understands that Karabakh
cannot be returned to Azerbaijan but today there are no figures in
Azerbaijan who are able to announce it.”

“Clearly, this idea of one of the key actors of “Putin dynasty” gains
new meaning in terms of Russia’s attitude to Armenia in the context
of OSCE Secretary General’s and OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ regional
visits. In all probability Russia realizes that with increase in gas
price and “inventory” of airport, it is necessary to gain Armenia’s
favor because at any moment the status quo may change in the region
not in favor of Russia,” the paper comments.