Author: Kanayan Tamar

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULDN’T BE CONSIDERED INSOLVABLE – FRENCH AMBASSADOR

Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
February 9, 2015 Monday

BAKU (CÄ°HAN)- It is important not to consider the conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh as something that will last forever, French Ambassador
to Azerbaijan Pascal Monnier told Trend.

“What is important is not to consider the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
as something that will last forever and something we can not deal
with,” he said.

The ambassador talked about the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“There is a saying in French: ‘you don’t need the reason of hope to
be active’,” he said. “My impression and the will of our government
are not linking these two.”

“If there is a conflict in Ukraine it doesn’t mean we have to be
completely inactive in Nagorno-Karabakh,” said French ambassador.

He added that as soon the date is agreed with the parties, the
co-chairs will come to the region. “There is a willingness to help
and to maintain the dialog between the parties.”

Mediation is neither a tribunal and nor a court, it is a way to
use all the techniques available for the diplomats and experts in
confident building in conflict resolution in post – crisis management,
according to the diplomat.

He added that the co-chairs can not decide for the presidents in
terms of what is acceptable for them, for the people of the region.

“Last year President Francois Hollande offered a meeting for Presidents
Aliyev and Sargsyan in Paris, what was after the meeting is not
what we expected to see,” said Monnier. “We urge, by all means,
both presidents, both countries to start a dialog and to avoid any
measures which can harm this dialog.”

Armenia is unlikely happy with the status-quo, according to the
French ambassador.

“As we know, Armenia is occupying a lot of territories, 7 territories,
and also controlling Nagorno-Karabakh,” said the ambassador. “If we
look at the economic situation of Armenia, we don’t have an impression
that Armenia is getting a lot from the situation.”

“I think Armenia would get more if peace was there,” Monnier said,
adding that the work of co-chairs is to find a way that both presidents
would be happy with.

“We know that there are three major principles of resolution:
non-use of force, territorial integrity and self – determination,”
said the ambassador, adding that territorial integrity and self –
determination sometimes are contradictory.

“If you don’t believe in any progress you are not active,” he said.

“2015 is a very important year. Of course 2015 could appear more
complicated to EU because of commemoration, because of Ukraine and
ISIS, but it is not reason to be inactive, we will continue to be
active.” Regarding the inclusion of Germany in the list of OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairing countries, Monnier said that Germany as a
government is supporting the Minsk Group co-chairs, as does all the
European Union.

Earlier, the deputy chairman of the OSCE PA’s committee on political
affairs and security, the Azerbaijani MP, Azay Guliyev said he plans to
raise the issue of increasing the number of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
from three countries – the US, Russia and France – to five, including
Germany and Turkey.

Guliyev said he will raise the issue at the winter session of the
OSCE PA, to be held in Vienna.

Monnier believes the co-chairing group is the right body to find the
peaceful, lasting solution to the conflict.

“I don’t think that there is debate is Europe on this subject,”
he said.

“At the same time what I think is that any concrete support of any
member states is welcomed that means that the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is something of concern for all the
nations because it violates the stability in the region and it also
prevents economic integration of the region,” he said,” adding that
it is a negative impact on everybody.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently
holding peace negotiations.

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

TURKEY’S LEADER VOWS TO TAKE ON JEWISH/ARMENIAN/GREEK LOBBY

FrontPage Magazine
Feb 9 2015

February 9, 2015 by Daniel Greenfield

Oh great. It’s that vast Jewish-Greek-Armenian conspiracy again.

Ever since the AKP Islamists hardened their grip on Turkey, its
demented leaders have been competing to out-crazy Iran by spewing
random hate. Now Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who recently appeared
at the Paris Unity March, is vowing to take on the… everyone who
isn’t a Turk lobby.

“I announce it from here: we have not and will not succumb to the
Jewish lobby, the Armenian lobby or the Turkish-Greek minority’s
lobbies,” Davutoglu said during a speech at his party’s provincial
congress in Istanbul. “I call out to the parallel lobby that sent
them a message: We will stand before you with dignity no matter
where you are; you will be despicable for the treason you have done
to this nation.”

About the only thing any of those minorities in Turkey are lobbying
for is not being killed. But Davutoglu is a favorite of foreign
leaders like Obama and Hillary who overlook the crazy bigotry.

Meanwhile Turkey is helping massacre Kurds, occupying Cyprus and
trying to start a war with Israel.

DEVELOPMENT OF CULINARY TOURISM IN ARMENIA NEEDS SERIOUS APPROACH

YEREVAN, February 9. /ARKA/. Sedrak Mamulyan, head of the Development
and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions, thinks development
of culinary tourism in Armenia needs a serious approach.

Speaking Monday at a news conference, he said that the policy of
drift will produce no results in this area.

He said that tourism in Armenia is just a way to earn money,
while tourism’s real mission is to present the country’s culture
to foreigners.

Mamulyan said national cuisine of any country is an important component
of tourism, since this is one of the most remarkable and unforgettable
elements of trips.

The expert voiced regret at the fact that 80% of the people working
in tourism industry don’t consider national cuisine as cultural value
or tourism product.

“They say tourists, tired of long hikes, treat meals only as a method
to appease hunger, but the thing is that the tour continues also in
the restaurant’s territory,” he said. “Our tour guides, unfortunately,
don’t understand this and therefore they make absolutely no efforts
to introduce national dishes to tourists.”

In his words, many Armenian restaurants make no attempts to boost
our cuisine, since they are not interested in doing it.

“I have repeatedly offered our travel agencies to take part in the
free trainings our organization has conducted to introduce traditions
of Armenian national cuisine,” Mamulyan said. –0——

EXCLUSIVE CONTRACTS: SUPPLYING MEDALS TO ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT

15:32, February 9, 2015

Marine Madatyan
Grisha Balasanyan

When it comes to supplying the Armenian government with medals, to be
awarded by its various ministries and state agencies to individuals
and organization s deemed worthy of praise and merit, Yerevan Jewellery
Plant-1 OJSC has cornered the market.

Founded in 1950, Gnomon Armenia boasts that it is the largest jewellery
manufacturer in the region. In 2014, it received 23 million AMD
(US$48,200) in payment for supplying the Armenian government with a
variety of medals and decorative awards. In most cases, the company
won the contracts on a non-competitive basis.

Here’s a list of some of the state agencies that purchased medals
from Gnomon:

Ministry of Education and Science: 5,760,000 AMD contract to supply
60 8,000 AMD “Progress” medals and 110 48,000 AMD commemorative medals.

The former are made of gilded brass and the former, gilded silver.

Armenian Police: 11,040,720 AMD contract. The company has supplied
the police with 1,406 medals of various types under its exclusive
contract. The contract stipulates that the medals must be made from a
“light metal”, without specifying what type.

Ministry of Nature Protection: 400,000 AMD contract.

Ministry of Economy: 600,000 AMD contract

Ministry of Emergency Situations: 1,305,000 AMD contract. Compnay
has supplied 90 gold-plated brass medals

Armenia’s Investigative Committee: 4,459,000 AMD contract. Company
has supplied 686 ID cards fashioned from a copper alloy at 6,500 AMD
per card.

To produce state medals, chest decorations and other awards in
Armenian, a company needs a license issued by the Ministry of Finance.

Gnomon received such a license in 2007.

According to Nasdaq OMX Armenia, Gnomon OJSC is 75.89% owned by Gnomon
Ltd. 10.13% is owned by Emil Grigoryan, Chairman of the Jewellers
Association of Armenia. (Grigoryan is also general director of
Gnomon). 2.28% is owned by family members of Emil Grigoryan. The
remaining 11.7 % is owned by 1,454 shareholders.

Gnomon Ltd., registered in Russia, is 50% owned by Emil Grigoryan. The
other 50% is owned by his daughters.

AZERBAIJAN SAYS WON’T ATTEND EURONEST PA SESSION IN YEREVAN

17:45, 09 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Azerbaijan will not attend the session of the Euronest Parliamentary
Assembly in Yerevan on March 16-18, Elkhan Suleymanov, Chairman of
Azerbaijani Delegation to the Euronest PA, told APA.

“Despite the fact that Armenia signed a Customs Union agreement
and joined the the Eurasian Economic Union, the Euronest PA neither
expressed its attitude towards this fact nor discussed this situation.

On the contrary, the fact that the plenary session of the Euronest PA
will be held in this country in such situation proves the approval
of Armenia’s political decisions to join the above-mentioned
institutions. And this means that Armenia will achieve the adoption
of any decision in favor of its own interests during Yerevan session
of the Euronest PA,” Suleymanov said.

Azerbaijan fears the issue of the Armenian Genocide will be raised
at the Euronest PA session ahead of the 100th anniversary.

VIOLATIONS OF THE ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENTS BY THE RUSSIAN FORCES IN ARMENIA (PART 1)

09-02-2015 11:31:05 | Armenia | Politics

On January 12, 2015, the Avetisyan family were massacred in the
Armenian city of Gyumri. Valery Permyakov, a Russian tanker of the
102nd military base in Gyumri, was suspected in this murder from the
very first moment.

Russian border guards caught Valery Permyakov near Bayandur village in
Shirak region during the night of January 13. They transferred him to
the Russian 102nd military base, and afterwards it was announced that
the case of Permyakov will be considered by Russian law enforcement
bodies and by the court of the Russian Federation.

The question is whether the actions of Russian border troops and
military forces in Armenia have conformed with Armenian-Russian
agreements.

Quest with arms It is known that the Russian military armed with guns
took part in the search for Permyakov in Gyumri on January 12.

According to Article 13 of the “Agreement between the Government of
the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Armenia
on organizing daily activities and garrison service of the Russian
Federation’s military units outside the territory of the Russian
military base in Armenia”, the Russian soldiers in fact may participate
in operational search activities during the search of servicemen of
the Russian Federation who deserted the Russian military base.

However, the second article of the “Agreement between the Russian
Federation and the Republic of Armenia on the usage of military weapons
by the soldiers of the Russian military base outside the territory
of the Russian military base in Armenia” clearly lists all the cases
in which it is possible to give out, carry and use weapons.

However, these cases do not include implementation of operational
search activities related to the quest after the deserter.

Under the jurisdiction of RA Article four of the “Agreement between
the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on jurisdiction
and mutual legal assistance in cases related to the presence of
Russian military base on the territory of the Republic of Armenia
” states that “In cases of crimes and other offenses committed in
the territory of the Republic of Armenia by members of the Russian
military base and by family members of those persons, the legislation
of the Republic of Armenia is applied, and the case is investigated
by RA competent authorities.”

This means that the case of the Russian soldier (as well as Permyakov
himself) accused of the murder of seven people in Armenia (outside the
military base) should be transferred to the Armenian law enforcement
bodies.

There was no attempt to cross the border Article 3 of the “Agreement
between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on the
status of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation on the territory
of the Republic of Armenia, and the conditions of their functioning”
clearly defines that “border troops of the Russian Federation are
not involved in activities other than the protection of the borders
with Turkey and Iran (with the exception of works on liquidation of
natural disasters, accidents and catastrophes).”

Although the Russian side stated that Valery Permyakov was caught while
trying to cross the border illegally, this statement is quite doubtful.

According to the legislation of the Republic of Armenia (Article 329
of the RA Criminal Code), illegal violation of the Armenian border
is a crime, and unfinished crime (attempted crime) is also an offense
(Chapter 6 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia). That is,
a criminal case against Permyakov for attempting to illegally cross
the state border was supposed to be opened.

However, despite the fact that a month has already passed since this
event, a case has not been opened by the Armenian or the Russian
law enforcement bodies, which indicates that Permyakov did not make
an attempt to cross the border. If there was no attempt to cross
the border, then it may be noted that the Russian border guards
were engaged in actions that do not concern the protection of the
Armenian-Turkish border.

Should have been transferred to the RA law enforcement bodies Article 5
of the same agreement on the Russian border troops in Armenia states
that Russian border guards carry out operational law enforcement
activities according to the criminal code and criminal procedure
legislation of Armenia.

This means that the people caught by border guards, as well as proofs
and materials found by them must be transferred to the relevant
authorities of the Republic of Armenia. However, Russian border guards
escorted Permyakov to the 102nd Russian military base and handed him
to the commander of this military base.

Movement only by agreement In the first part of Article 25 of the
same treaty on the Russian border troops in Armenia, it is stated that
“movement, exercises and maneuvers of the Border Troops of the Russian
Federation outside their areas of deployment are carried out on the
basis of plans agreed with the state authorities of the Republic
of Armenia.”

However, during the night of the 12th to 13th January, border guards
of the Russian Federation did not coordinate their movement from the
village Bayandur to Gyumri with the relevant authorities of Armenia
(while transporting Permyakov).

Soon we will present other episodes of violation of the treaties and
agreements on the part of Russian security forces in the territory
of Armenia. These episodes are related both to the recent events,
and also to other known and unknown incidents.

“Union of Informed Citizens” NGO

– Politics News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan

– See more at:

RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE TROOPS CONDUCT DRILLS ON ARMENIAN MOUNTAINS

16:51 * 09.02.15

Intelligence subdivisions of a southern Russian military district
have started trainings in Armenia’s upland mountainous complex Kamkhut.

RIA Novosti reporta that the drills have attracted around 600
participants and 50 units of military equipment.

“After a [symbolic] alarm, servicemen of the intelligence subdivisions
crossed 20 km around the educational-training complex Kamkhut which
host the exercises,” sources from the region have said.

The field gatherings will be conducted in February under the leadership
of an intelligence battalion.

CANADIAN ANYA POGHARIAN INVENTS NEW DIALYSIS MACHINE

February 9, 2015

CBC, Montreal – Seventeen-year-old Anya Pogharian’s high school science
project could end up changing the way dialysis care is delivered.

After poring over online dialysis machine owner’s manuals, she
developed a new prototype using simple technology.

While machines currently cost about $30,000, hers would cost just
$500 — making it more affordable for people to buy and have at home.

Pogharian was inspired by volunteering at a hospital dialysis unit.

When she was assigned a high school science project, she chose to work
on a new kind of dialysis unit. She spent 300 hours on her invention —
well above and beyond the mandatory 10 hours.

Dialysis is the process of cleaning waste from the blood. It’s
typically used for people who have kidney disease. The treatment
takes about four hours a couple times per week.

Pogharian said she wanted to find a way to improve the procedure,
which can be hard on patients.

“It takes a lot of energy out of them,” said Pogharian. “They’re very
tired after a dialysis treatment.”

“You wouldn’t have to make your way to the hospital, which is a
problem for a lot of patients. It’s not necessarily easy to make
your way to the hospital three times a week, especially it you have
limited mobility,” she said.

Testing it out

Her project has earned her a slew of scholarships and awards. Now,
Hema-Quebec has offered her a summer internship, to try out her
invention with real blood.

“All the population will benefit from that kind of instrument that
will reduce medical care cost, hospitalization stays. Basically,
it’s a great idea,” said Louis Thibault, director of applied research
at Hema-Quebec.

Pogharian said she hopes one day, her invention will be used overseas.

“Ten per cent of patients living in India and Pakistan who need
the treatment can’t afford it or can’t have it in any way. It’s not
accessible. So that motivated me.”

But Pogharian says she’s focusing on doing well on her CEGEP midterm
exams.

ARMENIANS DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR KIDNAPPED POLITICIAN – VIDEO

14:48 * 09.02.15

A crowd of Armenian civic activists gathered Monday afternoon in
front of the Government building in Yerevan’s Republican Square to
condemn the recent kidnapping of Artak Khachatryan, a member of the
opposition-leaning Prosperous Armenia party (PAP).

The protesters, identifying themselves as members of the group
Suspension, were calling for strong measures to condemn the violence
against the politician.

The protest was joined by PAP lawmakers, including Vartan Oskanian,
a former foreign minister who strongly condemned the incident. He
called for taking a broader outlook on the kidnapping. “Democracy,
the country’s situation today … it is really necessary to put an
end to all this through a revolt; it’s no longer possible,” he told
reporters at the scene.

Oskanian said he sees the authorities’ responsibility behind the
kidnapping. “What is going on in the country lies upon the authorities’
responsibility. If they are not able to end all this and resolve this
particular incident, then they are to blame for that,” he noted.

Asked whether the incident might be treated as a challenge to Gagik
Tsarukyan, the Prosperous Armenia party’s leader, Oskanian replied,
“This is a challenge to the entire Armenian nation, so we as a nation
have to put an end to all this. No one must be beaten in Armenia for
his or her activities; the people’s patience has really worn thin,”
he noted.

South Caucasus to remain important for West – Styopa Safaryan

14:03 * 08.02.15

The South Caucasus will remain important to the West even without the
oil factor, Styopa Safaryan, Head of the Armenian Institute of
International and Security Affairs (AIISA), told Tert.am.

“It [Azerbaijan] is of importance for the West in terms of not only
energy resources, but also communication as it is a way to Central
Asia. That is, it is important in terms of security,” Mr Safaryan
said.

Azerbaijan is important for Europe in terms of transit of good to
Afghanistan and air communication.

“Why cannot the West impose sanctions on Azerbaijan for its
self-confident and mean steps just as it has done in the case of
Russia? The reason is the need to win over Azerbaijan,” Mr Safaryan
said.

He points out rather complicated relations between Azerbaijan and
British Petroleum.

As regards a threat of war, Mr Safaryan said that the changes in
Armenia’s military doctrine due to statements by President Serzh
Sargsyan and Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan suggest that “a spark
may kindle flames.”

Resumed hostilities would meet the interests of Russia and Turkey, he said.