Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA TO ADOPT ESTONIA’S PENSION REFORM MODEL

Tert.am
26.03.12

Armenia’s implementation of pension reforms pgoram will largely rely
on Estonia’s example, a member of the Central Bank’s board, Aharon
Chiligaryan, has said.

Addressing a two-day international seminar devoted to pension reforms
in the social security sector, Chilingaryan noted that Estonia’s
model has been functioning effectively for eight years.

“The Estonians’ example is good as they have been applying that system
for eight years. The software we are going to purchase is now being
processed and developed by them,” he said.

Veiko Tali, Estonia’s finance minister also attending the discussion,
told reporters that his country and Armenia are similar to each other,
both being small and simultaneously dynamic.

The Estonian official noted that the country’s experience in resisting
crisis would be helpful for Armenia too.

Asked about the advantages of the Estonian reforms, he said: “One
first of all sees the outcome – where his actions go -, and besides,
there is also a possibility of transferring from one fund to another.

”

The two-day event has been organized under the Technical Assistance
and Information Exchange program (TAIEX), an instrument managed by
the Directorate-General Enlargement of the European Commission.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN’S OFFER WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR HAK: NIKOL PASHINYAN

epress.am
03.26.2012

The reason the Armenian National Congress (HAK) and the Heritage
Party didn’t reach an agreement is because the latter’s proposal
was completely illogical and unacceptable for HAK, said HAK
representative, candidate in the no. 7 electoral district for the
upcoming parliamentary election Nikol Pashinyan, speaking to reporters
in the capital today.

According to Pashinyan, HAK received an offer from the Heritage
Party that its leader Raffi Hovannisian is prepared to withdraw his
candidacy from the no. 7 electoral district if HAK withdraws its
candidates from the no. 1, 4, 6, 9 and 12 electoral districts. This
is how Pashinyan responded to Hovannisian’s earlier statement that
though the two opposition groups didn’t reach an agreement, he will
be withdrawing his candidacy anyway. Recall, in the same electoral
district the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) is backing
businessman, MP Samvel Aleksanyan.

“HAK is participating in the elections not to yield/surrender, but to
overthrow the government. HAK has always been ready and is also ready
now to discuss logical and constructive proposals. Our struggle is so
that political elections get political content. They will vote for
HAK because HAK in the past 5 years has gone down a principled and
self-sacrificing path, has remained loyal to its principles,” he said.

The outspoken opposition member said that he was in support of
discussing with other opposition forces the nomination of candidates
contesting parliamentary seats under the majoritarian (individual
basis) system.

Before the registration of candidates, HAK asked the Heritage party
to present a preferred geographic map of candidates to be nominated
under the majoritarian system. The Heritage Party responded that
it is prepared to begin talks during the election campaign period,
which was unacceptable for HAK.

“All opposition forces have one issue – upholding the vote of citizens
of Armenia. HAK is prepared to uphold the collaboration vote – I
will consider the violation of any candidate’s right to be an act
against me. If opposition forces can ensure democratic elections,
then the HHK has to think whether it will have a proper presence in
parliament,” he said.

IRAQ WANTS TO OPEN DIPLOMATIC OUTPOST IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 26, 2012 – 14:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Iraq intends to open its diplomatic missions and
embassies in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Armenia,
Iraqi ambassador to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Sabir Raja Abboud
al-Moussaoui said.

“I wrote a letter to the leadership of Iraqi Foreign Ministry on
the necessity to establish diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia and opening our embassies and
missions there,” Trend.az quotes Abboud al-Moussaoui as saying.

He said restoration of relations with other Central Asian republics
is necessary, as these countries have a common historical and cultural
community with Iraq.

“Khorezm, Bukhara, Samarkand have historical significance for Iraq. If
Muslim countries in the Middle East and Central Asia unite, then we
will become a major economic force,” he said.

ERDOGAN SAYS TURKS “ARE TIRED” OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 26, 2012 – 13:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The issue of the Armenian Genocide was discussed
at the meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkey’s Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the nuclear summit
in Seoul.

In particular, Erdogan complained to Obama about Turkey being tired
of the Genocide problem.

“I told Obama that we are tired. Every year in April we face the
same problem, whether Republicans come [to power] or Democrats, the
issue remains the same. I showed him the steps we had taken, brought
Akhtamar as an example,” Erdogan voiced his “discontent”, referring
to the reconstruction of the medieval Armenian church in the Van lake
island of Akhtamar in 2010, and the permission to Armenian Christians
to hold liturgies there once a year. Following the reconstruction,
the Turkish government turned the church into a museum.

The Turkish PM also”called” on Obama “not to mistake U.S. senators,
lawmakers and politicians for historians”.

On March 20, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL)
introduced legislation, S.Res.399, calling upon the U.S. government
to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide and to use the lessons
of this atrocity to prevent future crimes against humanity.

“It is time for the United States to join the nineteen nations
including Belgium, Canada, France, Italy and the European Union
that have formally recognized the actions carried out by the Ottoman
Empire from 1915 to 1923 as genocide,” Senator Menendez said. “The
Armenian Genocide is a historical fact and was one of the incidents
upon which the Genocide Convention was predicated. Only by accurately
acknowledging the crimes of the past can we ever hope to move forward
in a legitimate manner and prevent such human rights crimes from
happening in the future.”

“The Armenian Genocide is well-documented and formally recognized by
11 NATO allies and the European Union. This resolution accurately
characterizes the events of 1915-1923 as a genocide, honors the
memory of the victims, and strengthens America’s moral leadership on
human rights and the prevention of mass atrocities around the world,”
said a spokesman for Senator Kirk.

VAHAN HOVHANNISSYAN SAYS DEPRIVING OF DIASPORA ARMENIANS FROM RIGHT OF VOTING A BIG FLAW

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 26, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. After applying the institute of dual
citizenship it is a big flaw to deprive Diaspora Armenians from
the right to participate in the elections, member of the ARF Bureau
Vahan Hovhannissyan told at a news conference Monday. He pointed out
that many Armenians cannot afford to return to Armenia because of
business or social-economic condition but they want to participate
in the elections, in the political life of Armenia.

“From this viewpoint the applying of the institute of dual citizenship
becomes an end in itself,” Vahan Hovhannissyan noted.

He said in the new parliament the ARF will come forth with the
initiative on making relevant amendments in the Electoral Code.

KARABAKH : EREVAN ET BAKOU DOIVENT FAIRE PREUVE DE VOLONTE POLITIQUE
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 26 mars 2012

Le groupe de Minsk (Etats-Unis, Russie, France) a appele jeudi
l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie a faire preuve de “volonte politique”
pour regler leur differend sur le contrôle du Nagorny-Karabakh, une
region separatiste azerbaïdjanaise peuplee majoritairement d’Armeniens.

La secretaire d’Etat americaine Hillary Clinton et ses homologues
russe Sergueï Lavrov et francais Alain Juppe demandent aux “parties
de faire preuve de la volonte politique necessaire pour aboutir a
un règlement durable et pacifique” du conflit, selon un communique
commun diffuse par le departement d’Etat a Washington.

Les trois chefs de diplomatie, qui president le Groupe de Minsk,
mediateur pour l’OSCE dans le conflit, exhortent Bakou et Erevan a
preparer “leurs peuples pour la paix, pas pour la guerre”, selon ce
communique, diffuse a l’occasion du 20e anniversaire d’un appel a
l’organisation d’une conference pour resoudre le conflit.

L’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan se disputent depuis des annees le contrôle
du Nagorny-Karabakh. Rattachee a l’Azerbaïdjan pendant la periode
sovietique, cette region a proclame son independance, non reconnue
par la communaute internationale, après une guerre qui a fait 30.000
morts et des centaines de milliers de refugies entre 1988 et 1994.

Un cessez-le-feu a ete signe en 1994, mais Bakou et Erevan n’arrivent
pas a se mettre d’accord sur le statut de la region.

Le Groupe de Minsk note dans son communique que des progrès “vers
la paix” ont ete realise ces dernières annees, mais souligne “que
les peuples de la region ont deja souffert des consequences de la
guerre et que tout retard dans un règlement (du conflit) ne fait que
prolonger leur epreuve”.

Le communique relève que les deux pays se sont engages en janvier
a accelerer leurs pourparlers a l’issue de negociations tripartites
parrainees par la Russie. “Nous appelons les dirigeants concernes a
achever le travail aussi vite que possible” pour trouver un accord,
ajoute le Groupe de Minsk.

SUPPLY OF WEAPONS TO SOUTH CAUCASUS
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:50:26 – 26/03/2012

In the plans of the great powers the South Caucasus is re-formed into
a periphery of key regions which are, at the same time, subjects and
objects of global politics.

The South Caucasus can no longer be viewed as a region in regard to
which the balance of forces is arranged. The states of the south
Caucasus were not given the opportunity to be more independent,
their policy was practically aimed at the external actors.

In the course of a number of years the impression was that the
United States and Russia mostly had shared goals. Now one can claim
confidently that the United States, Russia and other great powers were
interested in limited factors of the states of the South Caucasus
because not only the possibility of ousting their opponents but
also the possibility of holding active operations of political and
military character is there, having a larger scale of importance than
just regional.

The South Caucasus must fulfill a sufficiently important logistical
role in the rear, and the states of the region must be able to oppose
to aggression and threats of neighboring powers, at least within the
assigned period, which must be enough for unfolding external reaction.

An analogical situation has emerged in the Persian Gulf, as well as
in Southwest Asia, that is the regions which are intended to oppose
to Iran and China.

The United States supports accumulation of considerable amounts
of armaments which the majority of these states cannot adjust to
fast enough. Georgia received a large-scale support from the Western
community in the area of defense, and now Azerbaijan is viewed as an
extremely militarized state, intended to parry Iran~Rs and Russia~Rs
claims. In addition, the Americans would like Azerbaijan to be strong
in military terms not to rely on Turkey~Rs support for its security
issues.

The United States and NATO have set to absorb Armenia, understanding
that sooner or later they will have to complete their efforts in
regard to the CSTO with support. The question is what ~Ssooner or
later~T indicates.

Armenia meets most conditions of the United States, the European
Union and NATO and must pass from polite talks to a direct race, and
they will have to offer support in the form of arms supplies. There
is confidence that in the nearest future the Western community will
not demand more from Armenia than it is possible but in the longer
perspective these claims appear as quite acceptable. The supplies
may be implemented in the framework of goals to deploy peacekeeping
forces, as well as for the purpose of preserving the balance of forces
in the region.

It is necessary to pay attention that the United States and NATO
successfully develop relations with the CSTO members Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in regard to defense and security. Moreover,
Russia is already viewed as a key partner for NATO and the United
States, first of all in the direction of Central Asia and Afghanistan.

The Armenian society which is actively involved in a home political
discussion practically does not take part in projection and foreign
policy. The NGOs developing relations with NATO unfortunately build
up their policy in a limited way. The public sector and the political
parties could play an important role in the development of relations
with NATO and leading states of the West on defense and security
issues.

BRITISH MEDIA ABOUT ‘SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL’S FAVOURITE ARMENIAN BRANDY’

Panorama.am
27/03/2012

London Evening Standard writes that Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite
Armenian brandy – said to have played a key role in the shaping of
postwar Europe – has gone on sale in Britain for the first time.

Business editor Jonathan Prynn notes in his story that the prime
minister developed a taste for the ArArAt brandy when it was served
by Stalin at the Yalta conference in February 1945. After the Second
World War, the Soviet leader arranged for Churchill to be sent 400
bottles every year.

“However, it was not available to the British public because the
Soviet government only allowed a small number of spirit brands, such
as Stolichnaya, to be exported. Most supplies of ArArAt were reserved
for the Communist Party elite,” writes the author.

It’s said that now, more than 20 years after the collapse of the Iron
Curtain, East European drinks distributor Vinorium has brought 10,000
bottles to London, to be sold from Monday in the city’s specialist
wine merchants, such as Gerry’s of Soho, priced at about £29.

Vinorium’s representative hopes eventually to sell ArArAt throughout
Britain and Ireland if it proves a success.

He said: “Everyone seems very surprised that it is finally coming to
the British market. Liquor shops told us they were getting regular
requests for it, but nobody knew where to get it.”

The brandy, which was also a favourite of Agatha Christie and Frank
Sinatra, has been made in the Ararat Valley since 1887. The brand is
now owned by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard.

BARACK OBAMA GAFFE CAUGHT ON MICROPHONE (VIDEO)

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 27, 2012

President Barack Obama was caught on microphone telling Dmitry
Medvedev that he would have more flexibility after November””s
election deal with contentious issues such as missile defence,
Telegraph.uk.co reports.

The exchange between the US and Russian presidents was picked up by
microphone without either leader apparently knowing.

Mr Medvedev, who steps down in May, said he would pass on Mr Obama””s
message to his successor Vladimir Putin, according to an audio
recording of comments the two leaders made during a meeting in Seoul,
South Korea.

Mr Obama says: “On all these issues, but particularly missile defence,
this, this can be solved but it””s important for him to give me space.”

Mr Medvedev replies: “Yeah, I understand. I understand your message
about space. Space for you …”

Mr Obama retorts: “This is my last election. After my election I have
more flexibility.”

And Mr Medvedev finishes: “I understand. I will transmit this
information to Vladimir [Putin].”

Once they were made public, the White House said Mr Obama””s words
reflected the reality that domestic political concerns in the both
the US and Russia this year would make it difficult to fully address
their long-standing differences over the contentious issue of missile
defence.

TURKISH SUPPORT BEHIND AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARISTIC RHETORIC – EXPERTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 27, 2012 – 13:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Besides the nuclear security issue, problems related
to Syria and Iran were also discussed during the meeting between
Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Barack
Obama in Seoul, turkologist Hakob Chakryan and Noravank foundation
expert Aristakes Simavoryan say.

As they told a press conference, Erdogan made a number of statements
noting that OSCE Minsk Group has exhausted itself and necessitates
changes. The experts further stressed Turkish support as the key
reason behind Azerbaijan’s militaristic rhetoric and the protraction
of the negotiation process in the MG framework.