Author: Kalantarian Kevo

” GOLDEN APRICOT” HOSTED AGNIESZKA HOLLAND

ARMENPRESS
14 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: “Golden Apricot” International 9th
Film Festival hosted the world-famous Polish film director Agnieszka
Holland. Within the frame of ” Yerevan premiers” her ” In Darkness”
film, “Oscar” candidate is scheduled to be presented.” In Darkness”
has been selected as the Polish entry for the Best Foreign Language
Film at the 84th Academy Awards. In January 2012, the film was named
as one of the five nominees.

Holland is most famous for her military and psychological dramas,
dedicated to the Polish Jews in World War II. Holland’s ” In
Darkness” film touches upon the same topic. The film is based on real
facts. Agnieszka Holland noted that she is happy to participate in
“Golden Apricot” .The film director high estimated the launch of
the festival, organized by the efforts of ” sage and professional
specialists”, Armenpress reports.

Agnieszka Holland (born November 28, 1948) is a Polish film and TV
director and screenwriter. Best recognized for her highly political
contributions to Polish cinema, Holland is one of Poland’s most
prominent filmmakers and a Hollywood outsider. Not only is she
considered to be one of the few female directors working in Hollywood
today.

CHORRORD INKNISHKHANUTYUN: TYCOONS TO VISIT ARMENIA

Panorama.am
14/07/2012

President of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) Ara Abrahamyan,
owner of Tashir Group of Companies Samvel Karapetyan, ex-mayor
of Yerevan Karen Karapetyan and founders of BAMO Holding Muradyan
brothers will visit Armenia soon, Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun reports.

“According to some rumors, the Russian-based tycoons’ visit to Armenia
has an exact purpose. Irrespective of anything, these businessmen,
who are connected with Armenia with thousands of links, will try to
clarify their future plans for 2013. Second, some of them will try to
carry out lobbying of RPA in their homeland and to solve the issue
of future local princelings because they will play a decisive role
in the upcoming elections,” the paper writes.

TURKISH MINISTER ONCE AGAIN THREATENED HOLLANDE

ARMENPRESS
14 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS: The concern on possible new bill
criminalizing the denial of Armenian Genocide in France continues in
Turkey. Armenpress reports calling euroactive.com website that Minister
for European Union affairs and chief negotiator of Turkey Egemen Bagis
after the statement of Francois Hollande again published an article
on Turkish-French relations calling French President not repeat the
“mistakes” of previous Government.

Bagis mentioned that Turkey always considered France as its friend
country and cooperated with it but the bill criminalizing the denial of
Armenian Genocide “takes under shadow” that friendship. He announced
once again that Turkey is ready to create a board of historians with
Armenia on order to study the events of 1915.

“We can understand the interest of France towards the events of 1915
taking into consideration that France is a Co-Chair country in OSCE
Minsk Group and Armenian community in France” mentioned Bagis hoping
that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated. The Minister
also mentioned that Turkey does its best to keep the relations with
France in good atmosphere and believes that France will also make
all efforts in this direction.

“We hope that Hollande’s Government will not repeat the mistakes of
the previous Government. If theses mistakes are repeated, nobody will
have a benefit from it” summarized the Turk Minister.

ROTTEN ROUBO
BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

asbarez
Friday, July 13th, 2012

The only thing missing was a single tear running down his cheek… or
more likely a flood of crocodile tears as “Nemetz Roubo” (Rouben
Hayrapetyan) announced his resignation from the Republic of Armenia’s
parliament.

Unless you’ve been living under the rock of Gibraltar (a
regular rock just wouldn’t do in this case), by now you know that
Maj. Dr. Vahe Avetyan, a Defense Ministry employee, was beaten in that
parliamentarian/oligarch/thug’s employees in his restaurant, Harsnakar
(Bridestone), evidently a hangout for notables. Avetyan died two
weeks later of his injuries. Protests have been organized throughout
the Armenian world. These have ranged from quietly laying wreaths and
lighting candles to the most recent nighttime rally in front of the
Harsnakar was rousted by various law-enforcement agencies. In fact,
before you read this, another gathering will have taken place in
front of the Armenia’s Consulate General in Glendale.

Clearly, every decent Armenian human being has had it. The protests are
calls for an end to the lawlessness and impunity enjoyed by Armenia’s
economic elites.

As it is, law enforcement has reported that Hayrapetyan was not in the
restaurant at the time of the incident. I don’t know how believable
that is. The actual beaters are being investigated. Given the history
of such situations (you might remember when a presidential protocol
employee was severely beaten for asking former Yerevan Mayor Gagik
Beglaryan to conform to the seating arrangements required; Beglaryan
is now back in power as Minister of Transport and Communication and in
a leadership position in Armenia’s ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

The cynicism driving Roubo’s actions becomes evident when we consider
his refusal to heed the public calls to step down as President of
Armenia’s Football Federation. Who knows what ill-gotten gains he’s
accruing thanks to that post.

Further insight into this man comes from the obvious sanction he gives
to the continued use of the moniker “nemetz.” I have gotten varied
explanations as to what this word means. But, it’s clear that it is
derogatory, and a way of saying “German” and/or “foreigner,” with a
hint of being a disciplinarian, or even a Nazi. Watch some videos of
this guy, and you’ll see his arrogance and threat-laden interaction.

It’s the same kind of presumptuous, unchecked, and societally
destructive behavior that led Siunik’s regional governor Sooren
Khachatryan to threaten eco-activist Mariam Sookhoodian last December.

Let your indignation show! Participate in the protests. Contact
Armenia’s authorities and give them an earful.

“THERE IS NO HARSNAKAR CASE FOR RPA”: FOUR FACTIONS WISH TO CONVENE A SPECIAL PARLIAMENTARY SESSION

13:54 . 13/07

Four parliamentary factions-ANC, PAP, ARF-D and Heritage Party have
proposed to hold a special parliamentary session. Establishing an
interim parliamentary committee connected with the Harsnakar restaurant
case will be on the agenda of the special session.

According to the NA regulations, 44 MPs’ signatures are needed to
convene a special session. The authors of the initiative to establish
a committee say it is conditioned by the big tension emerged among the
public connected with the incident occurred on June 17 at Harsnakar
restaurant and Vahe Avetyan’s death.

The draft was circulated last evening, and the necessary signatures
must be collected within 24 hours. RPA faction leader Galust Sahakyan
has already expressed his position in the press.

“There is no Harsnakar case for us,” RPA MP has said.

ARF-D faction MP Artsvik Minasyan informed the faction will join the
initiative. PAP’s position is still indefinite. PAP faction Secretary
Naira Zohrabyan noted they, in essence, aren’t against convening
a special session but they fear that taking into consideration the
parliamentary recess, it will be difficult to invite the faction’s
MPs to participate in the signatures collection.

If the necessary signatures are collected, the special session will
be convened on June 17. To note, 17 signatures will be collected from
the MPs of ANC, Heritage Party and PAP and 27 more will be needed. The
authors of the initiative have called upon independent MPs to join
the initiative.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NK CONFLICT

Trend
July 13 2012
Azerbaijan

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke
of the United States, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, and
Jacques Faure of France) and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk (Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office) traveled July 10-13
to Baku, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Yerevan, OSCE told Trend today.

In Baku, the Co-Chairs met with President Aliyev and Foreign Minister
Mammadyarov; in Nagorno-Karabakh they met with de facto authorities; in
Yerevan, they met with President Sargsian, Foreign Minister Nalbandian,
and Defense Minister Ohanyan.

On July 11, the Co-Chairs again crossed the Line of Contact by foot.

On July 12, they traveled from Nagorno-Karabakh to Yerevan via
Kelbajar, their first visit to that region since the October 2010 Field
Assessment Mission. In all their meetings, the Co-Chairs reaffirmed
their countries’ resolute commitment to a peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as the Presidents of the three Co-Chair
countries emphasized in their June 18 joint statement at Los Cabos.

The Co-Chairs continued discussions from their June 18 meeting
in Paris with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
Co-Chairs expressed their deep concern over recent incidents along the
frontlines, and reiterated that the sides’ political will to achieve
peace is best demonstrated by refraining from maximalist positions,
respecting the 1994 ceasefire agreement, and abstaining from hostile
public rhetoric.

Regarding reports of the planned opening of an airport in
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs received renewed assurances from the
sides that they will reject any threat or use of force against civil
aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain from
politicizing the issue. The Co-Chairs reaffirmed that operation of this
airport cannot be used to support any claim of a change in the status
of Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged the sides to act in accordance with
international law and consistent with current practice for flights
over their territory.

The Co-Chairs plan to meet again separately with the Foreign Ministers
of Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to prepare for a joint meeting of
the Ministers in September.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Russia Leader Calls Genocide ‘A Crime Against Humanity’

Asbarez
Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

Valentina Matviyenko at Dzidzernagapert (photo by Armenpress)

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-The Armenian Genocide was “was a crime
against humanity and civilization,” said the chairwoman of Russian
Federal Council (Senate), during a visit to Dzidzernageprt memorial
monument on Thursday.

Valentina Matviyenko led a delegation to the Armenian Genocide Museum
and Institute and laid a wreath at the memorial.

“No matter how many centuries pass, such crimes can never be forgotten
nor can they be repeated again,” said Matviyenko adding that it
was the right decision by the Armenians to build such a memorial
dedicated to the innocent victims. “As long as the memory lives on,
such things will never happen again.”

The visiting dignitary was given a guided tour of the Museum-Institute,
after which she signed the Book of Records and watered the tree she
had planted on an earlier visit to the “Memory Garden.”

At a press conference later Thursday with Armenia’s Parliament Speaker
Hovig Abrahamian, Matviyenko said the Russian Federal Council was
interested in strengthening cooperation with Armenia’s National
Assembly.

Matviyenko added that since establishment of diplomatic relations,
Armenia and Russia have reached mutually beneficial cooperation in
most different spheres.

“Armenia is an active member of the CSTO and the Armenian-Russian
military-technical cooperation is productively developing within that
framework,” said Matviyenko.

Abrahamian praised Armenian-Russian cooperation adding that the
visit of the delegation will further contribute to the development
of that cooperation.

RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP: “THE FORMAT OF NEGOTIATIONS ON CONFLICT’S SETTLEMENT MAY BE EXTENDED IF NAGORNO KARABAKH JOINS THIS PROCESS”

APA
July 12 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementieva-APA. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov
(Russia), Robert Bradtke (US) and Jacques Faure (France) met with
the leadership of separatist regime in Azerbaijan’s occupied region.

APA reports quoting “Novosti-Armenia” that after the meeting with
Bako Sahakyan, Russian co-chair Igor Popov said that the format of
negotiations on the conflict’s settlement may be extended if Nagorno
Karabakh joins this process.

“The co-chairs always said that Karabakh must join the negotiations
process talks at certain. I don’t exactly know when this stage will
start, but I opine that if the discussion of details fn peace treaty
starts, the format of negotiations can be extended”.

BEGLARYAN ESCORTED BY POLICE OFFICERS

03:14 pm | Today | Politics

The RA Ministry of Transport and Communication is studying the issue
relating to the bus drivers that declared a workers’ strike in Abovyan
and Charentsavan cities yesterday.

“The ministry is conducting concrete studies to find out the
illegitimacy and will present the details to you later,” said Minister
of Transport and Communication Gagik Beglaryan.

The bus drivers complain that free buses ride on the same route and
don’t let them gain profits.

According to the owners of the five buses belonging to King Deluxe
Company, the law “On Benevolence” has been breached and those free
buses are illegal.

The drivers were supposed to hold a protest in front of the government
building today, but they didn’t come to Yerevan since Gagik Beglaryan
had managed to talk to them. “The most important thing for me is that
they are working and that all the buses are en route.”

Beglaryan persistently tried to avoid answering questions today,
but he agreed to speak after coming out of the government building
and was escorted to the ministry building by police officers.

GEGHAMYAN SPEECH IN OSCE PA DREW AZERI CRAZY

ARMENPRESS
12 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS: The necessity of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict peaceful settlement was touched upon in OSCE PA.

Armenian NA delegation head in OSCE PA Artashes Geghamyan had a
briefing with the journalists on July 12. ” I came forth with rough
and convincing statements, reportedly Azeri brought counter arguments.

I stated , Armenian soldier Levon Tamrazyan was shot by enemy’s bullet
a couple of days ago, yet they argued the news, stating Armenian
soldier had nothing to do in Azerbaijani areas” Geghamayn noted.

In the words of the interlocutor the delegates realized Azerbaijan
was simply trying to disguise its actions on the border, Armenpress
reports.

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Armenian delegation head posed questions
to OSCE Secretary- General Lamberto Zannier: he is expected to come
up with new suggestions, so as Azerbaijan unconditionally follow
the negotiations rule, Nagorno Karabakh issue must be resolved in
accordance with international law.

Zannier agreed, Armenia accepts Minsk Group Co-Chairs proposed document
and their main problem is with Azerbaijan. Geghamyan dwelled on the
statement made by Azerbaijani side that OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
come to the region as tourists, OSCE is expired organization.

” My remarks caused a certain liveliness, and Azerbaijani delegation
was in a very ridiculous situation : they could become enemies with
the Mediators. It was in favor of us, and the delegates understood,
what kind of criteria Azerbaijan followed.

OSCE PA annual conference’s 21 st session was launched on July 5-9,
Monaco.