Author: Kalantarian Kevo

6TH DIRECTORS ACROSS BORDERS REGIONAL CO-PRODUCTION FORUM TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN JULY 9-11
Sona Hakobyan

“Radiolur”
08.06.2012 18:47

The 6th Directors Across Borders (DAB) Regional Co-Production Forum
will be held in Yerevan within the framework of the 9th Golden Apricot
International Film Festival.

The DAB Co-Production Forum is an annual event aimed at promoting
talents and film production/co-production in the Eastern Partnership
countries, namely: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova
and Ukraine.

DAB Regional Co-Production Forum is part of the DAB Eastern Partnership
Program which is supported by the European Union and implemented by
GOLDEN APRICOT Fund for Cinema Development in Armenia and

Attaching importance to the role of culture as bridge between
countries, Jean-Christophe Gayrand, Acting Head of Operations of the
EU Delegation to Armenia, noted that the program will contribute to
the exchange of professional experience.

“Cine is the field, which has a potential to reach out to everyone
both on the social and economic fields. This project will contribute
to the improvement of cinema in the given country and will help to
make its culture better known to the region,” he said.

This year’s DAB Regional Co-Production Forum is focused on
feature-length fiction film projects. Directors and producers from
the above mentioned countries can apply with film projects which are
in development phase. Preferable that they be co-production projects.

The DAB 2012 Forum will mainly consist of short trainings program
conducted by renowned trainers and guest speakers; this will
provide directors and producers of selected projects with innovative
opportunities for collaboration and developing careers. Alongside
trainings, the Forum will include pitching session and one-to-one
meetings with international professionals and producers.

UFO OR MISSILE? MYSTERY LIGHTS RAISE HAVOC IN ISRAEL

On Line: 08 June 2012 14:58
In Print: Saturday 09 June 2012

A spaceship flying over Israel? A satellite or a Russian ballistic
missile? An unidentified flying object observed in Middle East
countries Thursday night has caused panic, with people calling the
police to say they witnessed a UFO.

The mysterious shining object seen in the skies swirled around and
looked like smoke, some observers said. The object gave off light
and was followed by a smoke trail.

The strange flying phenomenon was also reported in Georgia, Armenia,
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries in the region.

The Israeli Defense Forces made a statement following the incident
saying they were unaware of any operations in the area.

Some astronomical experts conjectured that the object was a satellite
that had exploded in orbit, the Times of Israel reports. The newspaper
also quoted a Lebanese report suggesting that the flying item was
the remains of a meteorite, with its smashed pieces creating a dust
trail that glowed behind it.

Prominent Israeli astronomer Dr. Yigal Pat-El, who is chairman of
the Israeli Astronomical Association and an observatory director,
told the Ediot Ahronot newspaper it is quite possible that the object
was a ballistic missile.

“It most likely spun out of control and its remnants and the fuel
was what people saw. It reached a height of 200-300 kilometers and
that’s why it was seen from so many locations,” he told the newspaper.

Mr. Pat-El also said it was not a meteor: “It looked like a small
body that suddenly started to grow and make spiral-like movements.”

“After a while, it turned into a cloud….it looked like an object
flying high above ground and then disintegrating,” he added.

Suspicions that the shining flying object could be a missile were
further fuelled by a Russian Defense Ministry statement saying the
country had successfully test-fired a Topol strategic intercontinental
ballistic missile.

The launch was made from Russia’s southern Astrakhan region to a
testing area in Kazakhstan 3500 km from Israel’s northern border
where the object was seen.

The Russian Vesti-24 news channel quoted unnamed military officials
as saying the missile hit the practice target despite the fact that
it had an unusual flight trajectory.

Similar reports of an object that went spiraling and then disappeared
in the skies above Norway’s northern town of Tromso emerged in 2009.

The Russian Defense Ministry later admitted it was a failed launch
of a Bulava intercontinental missile.

EXPERT LINKS AZERI SABOTAGE WITH PROSPEROUS ARMENIA’S REFUSAL TO JOIN COALITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 8, 2012 – 17:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijani subversive acts pursued the primary
goal to mar U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to the
region, as well as demonstrate the weakness inside Armenia, Director
of Regional Studies Center (RSC) said.

Richard Giragosian called attention to Azerbaijan’s measures taken
during March 1, 2008 events to prove Armenia’s infirmity.

The expert noted that Azeri attacks started following Prosperous
Armenia’s refusal to join the coalition.

“Though weakness inside Armenia is absurdity in fact, Baku deems it
a serious factor,” he said.

ARKADY TER-TADEVOSYAN: AZERBAIJAN AIMS TO STRIKE FEAR AMONG US
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
08.06.2012 16:55

There is no doubt that the Armenian side should give an equivalent
response to the Azerbaijani acts of sabotage on both diplomatic and
military fields, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, MP Khosrov
Harutyunyan told a press conference today.

According to Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, legendary commander of the
Arsakh liberation war, Azerbaijan aims to strike fear among us. He
is confident, however, that Azerbaijan is not ready for war. “We’ll
definitely win, if war is unleashed,” he said.

Which are the objectives of the acts of sabotage? Khosrov Harutyunyan
considers that Azerbaijan is not satisfied with the possible
perspectives of the negotiation process.

Armenia has declared that the Madrid Principles can serve as a basis
for talks, but the expected results do not suffice Azerbaijan.

According to Khosrov Harutyunyan, Azerbaijan strives to change
the negotiation format at any cost. Thus, Azerbaijan is actually
blackmailing the international community.

According to the MP, the international community must come to
understand that Azerbaijan’s behavior poses an immediate threat to
the whole region.

The Armenian side must use all diplomatic cables to reach adoption
of such a resolution. Khosrov Harutyunyan says this is not easy,
but the works in that direction should continue. He believes that
the parliamentary diplomacy should assume part of the responsibility.

AZERBAIJANI MEDIA DISSEMINATE IMAGINARY NEWS – NKR DEFENSE ARMY

news.am
June 08, 2012 | 14:29

STEPANAKERT. – The Azerbaijani media information, according to which as
if military operations are underway at the Aghdam and Fizuli direction
of the line of contact between the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)
and Azerbaijani opposing forces, is nothing but fruits of imagination,
NKR Defense Army press service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“In reality, a noticeable cease-fire violation growth is recorded at
the frontlines, in the early morning hours of Friday and throughout
the day, but this did not and does not affect the overall situation
in any way.

The NKR Defense Army subdivisions confidently control the situation
along the entire length of the frontline and properly carry out their
military task,” the Defense Army’s statement specifically reads.

PRELUDE OF ABSORPTION OF ARMENIA BY WEST
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:20:03 – 08/06/2012

The United States, NATO the European Union and Armenia have exchanged
sufficient convincing signals on the absorption of Armenia by the
Western community.

The West has already drafted the scheme and iteration of involvement
of Armenia in the European Atlantic plans. Political and geopolitical
roles and functions of Armenia, priorities and perspectives have
been defined.

The president of Armenia, despite the foreign political mistakes
of the current ruling regime, has worked in Moscow for a long time
in a different capacity to understand further impossibility of the
unilateral layout of relations with Russia.

It should be noted that the Armenian politicians have kept to the
principle “enough is as good as a feast” but unlike other states
which supply weapon to Azerbaijan Russia has a strategic treaty with
Armenia and its policy is considered in Armenia (except by bastards)
as prostitution and highly dangerous for our national interests.

Obviously, the Western community is trying to launch the involvement
of Armenia in its strategic sacrifice plans on behalf of Armenia which
means coercion to make concessions to Azerbaijan. They do not urge
to give away a lot but it must be done partly, to their mind. Thus
the state of things in the South Caucasus will be disorganized, new
premises are provided for the clash between Turkey and Russia, Russia
is losing influence in the region, the efforts for the “settlement”
of the Karabakh issue are gradually withdrawn from its policy reserve,
Azerbaijan is partly appeased, the face of Turkey is saved, and full
exclusion of Armenia from the pro-Russian military and political bloc
is achieved.

It should be noted that Russia has reached its goal and stepped on the
verge of the “small” catastrophe in the strategic Southern direction.

In any case, the great powers are informed and conscious of the
meaning of one political move and process or another. Moscow cannot
understand where this policy of the West consolidated between the
Americans and the Europeans will lead. Moscow should understand that
the utmost Armenia was able to do is to get a group of pot-bellied
morons, not confident of themselves and their bullets.

Russia has lost the sympathy of Armenians worldwide which is working
willingly and zealously against the Russian interests. This happened
without any sine qua non, it was just a whim of the Russian politicians
who did not find it possible to treat their only partner in the
Caucasus with respect.

For the West, the failure of their plans of a peace settlement will
lead to either implementation of the French project of status quo
or military defeat of Azerbaijan, which nobody doubts. This plan has
been worked out a year and a half ago and is advancing.

In fact, how can one help recalling the situation of the Armenian
kings and dukes who found themselves between big and small vice. For
the president of Armenia, rejection of foreign political plans would
mean failure not only of politics but also recognition of total
incapability of the ruling group. It was clear that this policy which
can be called a “new course” requires other main functionaries but
they will have to work with the available materials.

At the same time, the reality is more multifarious than it is imagined
against the background of such a development a la “political decadence”
as the visit of Madam Clinton to the region. This profanation will soon
end, and one can become convinced that requirements from Armenia and
relevant signals are merely recommendation labor which can be taken
into account or not, depending on the self-confidence of politicians.

In this situation, Armenia must make sure that its geopolitical
resource is highly significant, and there are people in the American
and European teams holding responsible posts who are not interested
in concessions by Armenia. These people have different thinking and
different sense of strategy.

The Armenian political elite are not acquainted enough with
the political elites of the West and the East which leads to
misunderstanding of a lot of circumstances. One can be sure that
if the “recommendations” will be ignored by default, and Azerbaijan
will get an inadequate and inappropriate answer, “the global elite,
lost and unstable, sunken in corruption and profanation” will agree
with this reality as always.

The moment of truth is not the visit of outdated politicians but when
the Armenian army will be annihilating Azerbaijan, the United States,
NATO, Russia and Iran will prevent Turkey from interference, while
Georgia will not permit transit of the required amount of shipments
and arms for us. This goal has been partly implemented.

SOME ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONISTS TO BE INVITED TO WASHINGTON FOR POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS

arminfo
Wednesday, June 6, 17:52

A number of Armenian parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition
representatives will be invited to Washington in late August – early
September for political discussions, the Yerevan-based Zhamanak
newspaper writes.

Among the invitees will be Leader of Republic Party Aram Sargsyan,
Leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian, representative of
the Armenian National Congress David Shakhnazaryan as well as
representative of Prosperous Armenia Party, ex-foreign minister of
Armenia Vardan Oskanyan. The paper writes that the above oppositionists
will participate in the discussions together for efficiency of the
meeting. At present, invitation of Free Democrats Party representatives
is under consideration.

CLINTON’S STATEMENTS IN YEREVAN NOTHING NEW, AZTAG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 6, 2012 – 15:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The editor-in-chief of Aztag Beirut-based daily
Shahan Kandaharian commented on recent statements of U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton in Yerevan.

“Secretary Clinton’s remarks on Armenia-Turkey relations, suggesting
“the ball is in Turkey’s field reflect the reality. It’s not the first
time the official Washington mentions normalization of Yerevan-Ankara
ties without preconditions, so Clinton’s statement was nothing new,”
Kandaharian said.

Dwelling on Clinton’s urging against use of force in Karabakh conflict
settlement, Kandaharian noted, “the problem lies in the following:
the Secretary of State said that as an OSCE MG co-chair the U.S. will
cooperate with conflicting parties to achieve progress in settlement.

In this case, how are Secretary Clinton’s remarks coordinated with the
State Department’s report suggesting that “with the help of Armenian
troops, the separatists occupied Nagorno Karabakh and 7 Azeri regions”
? This part of the report hasn’t yet been given explanation from any
representative of the State Department, including the Secretary,”
Kandaharian said.

PM SARGSYAN IN BRUSSELS: “WE MUST START TO FIGHT CORRUPTION AT THE VERY TOP”

hetq
14:03, June 6, 2012

What follows are excerpts of an interview given by Armenian Primer
Minister Tigran Sargsyan following his recent speech at the Centre
for European Policy Studies (CEPS) think-tank in Brussels.

Mr. Prime Minister, what are the unique features of the anti-corruption
campaign now taking place in Armenia? Why are they so vital today?

We have adopted a very clear strategy. We must target those important
goals that will result in the success of the anti-corruption campaign.

We are not so much concerned with the number of measures to be taken
but rather their effectiveness. We must begin the campaign at the
very top.

We have targeted 500 high-ranking officials, and if they work in a
transparent manner that is publicly monitored and if their incomes are
scrutinized, it will drastically reduce corruption risks. In addition,
this will decrease the desire of entrepreneurs to seek appointment
to these 500 positions.

It was with the backing of the RA President that we were able to
push this bill through the parliament. This year, for the first time,
an ethics committee has been established tasked with monitoring the
income disclosure statements of these government officials.

Today, all 131 members of parliament, judges and prosecutors must
report their revenues and assets. The committee must respond in all
cases where the public sees that these reports do not correspond
to reality.

It is to be noted that these disclosure reports are made available to
the public on-line. By doing this, we have placed a straight jacket
on these officials. It is my conviction that the best manner to fight
corruption is through securing transparency.

Mr. Prime Minister, the successful attempt of Georgia to fight
corruption is evident to all. Why isn’t it being applied in Armenia?

It’s simple. The revolutionary road leading to change isn’t acceptable
in Armenia. We are taking the evolutionary path towards change. It will
take longer but will guarantee stability. This is of supreme importance
to us, taking into account the relations we have with our neighbours.

When we conduct reforms, we always appraise our internal capabilities.

The geo-political situation fundamentally reduces our potential in
this respect. Thus, we have a more long-term strategy which is perhaps
more painful

What is the problem we face? We have a small stratum of the very rich
and a large layer of the poor. But it is the middle class that pushes
society forward and it is weak in today’s Armenia.

Thus, our goal is to bring the very rich under supervision and make
their actions transparent and open, while at the same time creating
favourable conditions for small and medium business. We regard this
as the best strategy for eliminating poverty

What is the impact of the Armenian diaspora on the economy of Armenia?

We know about the huge amounts of money transfers going to Armenia.

What is the impact of these transfers?

Transfers have a vital significance for our country. There’s an
interesting factor at play. While the population of Armenia is 3
million, there are some 6 million outside the country. Those sending
the transfers are the ones who left Armenia during the past twenty
years and not the 4-5 million who are the descendants of the 1915
Genocide survivors. It’s a matter of old and new emigrants. 95%
of the old ones have never visited Armenia but they possess a great
potential that can spur our economy.

While they have never been to Armenia they live in the Armenian world
and have their churches, political parties, schools, etc.

We have crafted a new strategy to tap into that potential. At the
initiative of President Sargsyan, we have created a Ministry of the
Diaspora. This is a first. Through the ministry we are now carrying
out pan-Armenian programs. There are scores of pan-Armenian bodies
comprised of architects, lawyers, doctors and other professionals.

These bodies are busy conducting development projects in Armenia.

We have also established a National Competitiveness Council in whose
activities representatives of the private sector of the diaspora
participate. The Council is tasked with carrying out projects revealing
those sectors of the economy that have a competitive edge, in addition
to raising the overall level of competitiveness. It also seeks to
encourage investment in Armenia.

In general, we must work at improving the business environment in
Armenia so that investments are able to succeed and be profitable.

AZERBAIJANI DIVERSION GROUP TRIED TO PENETRATE INTO NAGORNO-KARABAKH: THERE ARE VICTIMS

ARMENPRESS
6 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS: In the southern part of
Karabakh-Azerbaijani contact line (in direction of Horadiz) on June
6 at 04:15 by the diversion group of the opponent was taken another
attempt to penetrate into one of Nagorno-Karabakh defense army’s
military positions.

Armenpress was informed from NKR Defense Army press department that
the vanguard subdivisions of Karabakh forces noticing in time the
initiating attack of the opponent held a defensive fight and threw
back the latter to its initial position. At the results of skirmish the
opponent had significant losses. During the defensive battle Armenian
side also had losses. Junior sergeant Vardan Ohanyan was killed,
private soldiers Arayik Mavreyan and Volodya Tsatryan were wounded.

“Only during June this is the 4th diversion activity attempt
implemented by Azerbaijani army in Armenian-Azerbaijani and
Karabakh-Azerbaijani borders, which gives a reason to believe that
official Baku is not tend to give constructive character to peace
settlement process of the conflict, promote increasing efficiency
of efforts made by international institutions and does everything to
change the status-quo in the region.

It seems that Azerbaijani authorities and particularly the Command of
its armed forces don’t realize that the tactics chosen by them is not
only non effective but in case of continuing can lead to unpredictable
consequences for Azerbaijan” is mentioned in the announcement of NKR
Defense Army.