Author: Kanayan Tamar

RUSSIA’S WEAPONS SUPPLY TO MAKE ARMENIA MILITARIST STATE IN REGION – MP

news.az
June 22 2011
Azerbaijan

The reports that surplus armament from Russian military base in Armenia
will be given to this aggressor country free of charge raise concerns.

The statement came from Fazail Agamali, MP and head of the
pro-government Ana Vatan Party.

He said one should not forget that as one of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs, Russia is engaged in peaceful resolution of the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

Agamali said Russia should not present itself as a country that arms
Armenia and a country that implements a peace mission at the same
time. The MP said the fact that Russia arms Armenia leads to formation
of a militarist state in the region which is totally unacceptable.

ARMENIA NEVER PREPARED PEOPLE FOR WAR – PRESIDENT

news.am
June 22, 2011
Armenia

Council of Europe’s activities are very useful: we learn not to answer
by intolerance to intolerance, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said
on Wednesday answering questions of the PACE delegates in Strasbourg.

“For instance, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved for
years. In my capacity as a defense minister I have been speaking about
resolution of the conflict by mutual concessions for 15 years. Have
you heard this from Azerbaijani officials? This is what I mean when
speaking of intolerance. I highly appreciate the statement made by
U.S., French and Russian Presidents in Deauville which indicates we
should prepare people for peace, not war. We have not been preparing
our people for war for 20 years,” he said.

ARS SENDS $23,679 TO JAPAN QUAKE VICTIMS

Armenian Weekly
Wed, Jun 22 2011

Immediately following the natural disasters in Japan in March, the
Armenian Relief Society (ARS) initiated a fundraiser for the relief
of the victims of the earthquake and its aftermath. All ARS entities
took part in the fundraiser, with the ARS entity in Javakhk being the
first to respond to the call of the ARS, Inc. Central Executive Board.

Ambassador Koichi Kawakami with the ARS delegation.

The donations, totaling $23,679.40, were delivered to the Japanese
Embassy in Lebanon through the Armenian Relief Cross of Lebanon
(ARCL). For many years, the ARCL Araxie Boulghourdjian Socio-Medical
Center in Bourj Hammoud has enjoyed cordial relations with the Embassy
of Japan. On June 21, a delegation from the ARCL, representing the
pan-Armenian ARS family and accompanied by Tamar Der Bedrossian
representing the ARS, Inc. Central Executive Board, visited the
Japanese Embassy in Beirut. After offering its condolences for the
victims of the earthquake and the ensuing calamities, the chairperson
of the ARCL, Taline Kelbashian, presented Ambassador Koichi Kawakami
with a check in the name of the Armenian Relief Society.

On this occasion, the Armenian-Japanese friendship and cooperation
were discussed between the ambassador and the ARS delegation. Speaking
on behalf of the Japanese people, the ambassador conveyed his deep
gratitude to the Armenian people, and particularly to the ARS, for
this assistance, stating that cooperation between the two peoples
shall continue unabated.

After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Japan was among the first
countries to extend a helping hand to the stricken Armenian population
of Spitak.

MINISTER: WITHIN NEXT FEW YEARS INVESTMENTS IN ORE MINING INDUSTRY OF ARMENIA MAY AMOUNT TO $3-4 BILLION

arminfo
Wednesday, June 22, 20:47

Within the next few years investments in ore mining industry of
Armenia may amount to $3-4 billion, which will be conditioned by
adoption of a new Code on Mineral Resources, Armenian Minister of
Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan said in parliament when
presenting the draft Code on Mineral Resources on Wednesday.

“According to our estimations, within the next few years the
investments will total 3-4 billion USD. I talked to the potential
investors, who are waiting for the adoption of this Code”, the
minister said. Movsisyan added that investments are expected for the
metallic and non-metallic deposits, which have already passed a certain
stage of exploration or have not been explored at all. The minister
clarified that the current legislation has a lot of contradictions,
and it does not stimulate investments in this sphere, and the Code
on Mineral Resources is meant to regulate all the problems and
contradictions. “This field attracts no large investments, because
the mechanisms in the current laws contain big risks”, he said and
added that if a legal entity carries out geological exploration of a
deposit, the current legislation gives no guarantees that this legal
entity will exploit the given deposit.

Movsisyan pointed out that the Code on Mineral Resources is aimed
at regulating the tax field and simplify it. From now on the taxes
will be linked to the sales of mineral products at world prices at
stock exchanges, he said. The Code maximally protects the interests
of the state and brings the environmental requirements in compliance
with international standards. It regulates the issues of mining of
all mineral products in Armenia, except oil, gas and radioactive raw
materials, for which a certain bill will be submitted for consideration
of parliament in autumn. For permission for mining of mineral products,
the mineral developer is to submit the project of deposit closure to
the regulatory body. The regulatory body will carry out monitoring
after the closure of the deposit at the mineral developer’s expense.

EX-PREMIER: SYSTEMIC CHANGES IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY SHOULD FIRST OF ALL BE MARKED BY THE PREMIER’S RESIGNATION

arminfo
Wednesday, June 22, 20:45

The systemic changes in the Armenian economy should first of all be
marked by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s resignation, ex-premier
of Armenia, member of the Armenian National Congress Hrant Bagratyan
told journalists with confidence.

“The economic growth constantly being spoken of by the government
is observed in the ore mining industry only, whereas GDP is usually
calculated without any fundamental field in order to receive the
real scene of its growth. 10-15% GDP growth was fixed in Azerbaijan,
excluding the oil revenues. I am convinced that the registration of
the mines’ owners in offshore zones taken on board by this government
is at least absurd, as it turns out that the revenues from the mineral
resources of our country are received by an unknown person”, he said.

According to Bagratyan, the situation in Armenian economy leaves much
to be desired, as in 2008 Armenia was in the 114th place in the world
by its revenues per capita, whereas according to the latest data, the
republic has dropped to the 144th place. Moreover, Armenia’s economy
is built on wrong solutions and fundament, and everything must be
changed basically. In this context, he thinks that it is very hard
to imagine how the dialogue between the ANC and the RPA will develop
in the field of economy.

“I don’t think Tigran Sargsyan can understand anything, having
made relevant conclusion from the current situation, therefore, the
president should dismiss him”, he said and added that someone else
may be appointed premier, for instance, Galoust Sahakyan. “This will
be much more interesting. He will do nothing at least”, Bagratyan
concluded.

SERZH SARGSYAN: IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FINALLY SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT UNTIL ARMENOPHOBIA IN AZERBAIJAN DISAPPEARS

arminfo
Wednesday, June 22, 20:46

It will be impossible to finally settle Karabakh conflict until
Armenophobia in Azerbaijan disappears, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said during the summer session of PACE in Strasbourg.

He thanked the leadership and structures of the Council of Europe
for supporting the Armenian authorities in holding the reforms
in the country, particularly, in the efforts to hold elections in
full compliance with the constitutional rights and international
commitments. Sargsyan stressed that the CoE should exert efforts to
promote tolerance in the region. “Unfortunately, the phenomenon of
racism and xenophobia still exist in the CoE territory. For instance,
in the recent report on Azerbaijan the European Commission against
Racism and Intolerance confirmed the extreme level of Armenophobia
in Azerbaijan. We regret for such a situation, which undermines
stability in the region, and we realize that the final settlement of
the conflict is possible only in case Azerbaijan lacks Armenophobia
and has an atmosphere of confidence”, he said.

ARMENIA SHARES HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LEGACY WITH EUROPEAN FAMILY OF NATIONS

/ ARKA /
June 22, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 22. / ARKA /. In a statement made today at the Council
of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Armenia’s president Serzh
Sargsyan said twenty years ago, in September 1991, Armenia declared
independence, attaining the dream of many centuries and generations,
and reuniting with the community of sovereign states and ten years
later, in 2001, Armenia acceded to the Council of Europe, reaffirming
a shared historical and cultural legacy with this European family
of nations.

“Today, standing before the Assembly, I recall these milestones with
a sense of pride for the achievements of our people and our state in
the last two decades’ president Sargsyan said.

“Having experienced various oppressive regimes, my people know too
well the price of freedom. The history of my people is one of creation
and struggle. Freedom and peace have been our dream for centuries. We
are now en route to our dream,’ he said.

According to him, the people of Armenia have made their historic
and irreversible choice. “Our road to becoming closer to Europe has
been unique in a natural way. However, there have been obstacles,
which are not natural, such as the artificial and unlawful blockade
imposed on Armenia by our two neighbours. However, in spite of all
the difficulties, our society knows precisely where it is going,
and why it has chosen this particular route of development. For us,
it is a homecoming to the European civilization and cultural realm,
to which we belong, and where we have been ever-present,’ he said.

The president said the Council of Europe is indeed the institutional
embodiment of our common system of values. Its mission encompasses
the entire Continent, defining Europe not purely as a geographical
term, but above all, as a common cultural and civilization platform
of values and identity.

‘My people have throughout history paid too high a price for the right
to worship these values and ideas, which at such times in history were
alien to our particular region. As a consequence, we were silenced in
the most brutal and horrendous way. The Council of Europe signifies
the promise that such events are not to be allowed to reoccur on the
European Continent. In the last two decades, the Council of Europe
has been a vital partner for Armenia in the process of state building
and strengthening of democracy. In Armenia, some even joke that our
political system has three components: the government, the opposition,
and the Council of Europe. The joke, however, actually reflects the
strong involvement of the Council of Europe in the change process
currently underway in Armenia,’ president Sargsyan said.

WHY SHOULDN’T I VISIT ARMENIA? – AZERI SPIRITUAL LEADER PLANS TO TELL HIS POSITION ON KARABAKH “TO ARMENIANS’ FACES”

news.am
June 22 2011
Armenia

Head of Caucasus Muslims Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade has not
yet agreed to attend the CIS interreligious council meeting scheduled
for November in Yerevan.

However, he considers his visit will contribute to the Karabakh
peace process.

“If the Armenian Catholicos is coming here expressing his thoughts
and sharing views on Karabakh conflict, why should I step back and not
to go to Yerevan to tell what I think to Armenians’ faces? I believe
not going to Armenia would be cowardice,” Pashazade told Azerbaijani
media, Interfax reports.

According to him, it is necessary to maintain these relationships
and use the right words.

“Talks are underway but I have not given my consent. I plan to hold a
meeting with the Russian Patriarch in the near future. Some spiritual
leaders of the CIS will also be present. Events in Armenia will be
discussed as well,” he said.

The spiritual leader also said they are negotiating a meeting between
religious leaders of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to be held in
Austria where the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be discussed.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OF 26 DELEGATES

news.am
June 22 2011
Armenia

Twenty-six parliamentarians appealed to ask questions to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan following his report at the summer session
of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Five of them are Azerbaijani delegates, member of the Armenian
delegation Naira Zohrabyan told the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent
from Strasbourg.

There are also delegates from France, Lithuania, Switzerland, Ireland,
Italy, Moldova and Armenian delegate Zaruhi Postanjyan.

At the moment Armenian President is holding a closed- door meeting
with PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu.

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN SOULIGNE L’IMPORTANCE D’UN CLIMAT DE CONFIANCE ET DE TOLERANCE

APCE
Publie le : 23-06-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente l’allocution du President armenien Serge Sarkissian au cours
de la session plenière d’ete de l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil
de l’Europe (APCE), a Strasbourg le 22 juin 2011.

Le Conseil de l’Europe est un relais essentiel pour enraciner la
democratie en Armenie

” L’Armenie se rapproche de l’Europe de manière unique et naturelle
depuis deux decennies, au cours desquelles le Conseil de l’Europe a
ete un partenaire essentiel dans le processus de formation et de
renforcement de la democratie “, a declare le President de l’Armenie
Serge Sarkissian, en s’adressant a l’Assemblee parlementaire.

La crise politique de mars 2008 a donne lieu a des divergences de
points de vue, mais l’Armenie a beneficie de ce dialogue constructif
pour ameliorer sa legislation et combler ses faiblesses en matière
juridique. Les autorites du pays ont appris la tolerance et la culture
du dialogue ; elles ont aussi appris a ecouter et respecter l’opinion
des autres et ont compris que le gouvernement et l’opposition
n’etaient pas des ennemis.

Le President s’est dit fier de la maturite de la societe armenienne et
determine a poursuivre les reformes, meme les plus douloureuses, pour
permettre au pays de se developper.

Pour ce qui est de l’avenir, M. Sarkissian a souligne qu’il etait
important d’instaurer un climat de confiance et de tolerance pour
parvenir a un règlement du conflit du Haut-Karabakh. Il a appele le
Conseil de l’Europe a se rapprocher du Haut-Karabakh qui peu importe
son statut demeure une partie integrante de l’Europe.

” Je suis convaincu de l’emergence d’un avenir commun, base sur la
paix et la stabilite, sans divisions ni clivages “, a-t-il conclu.

Voir la video du discours

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Source/Lien : APCE