Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA’S RELATIONS WITH NATO ARE CENTRAL COMPONENTS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION POLICY

March 27, 2014 | 16:32

YEREVAN. – Armenian National Assembly (NA) Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan
on Thursday received the delegation from the NATO Partnership
Sub-Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Committee on
Political Affairs.

Welcoming the guests, the NA leader noted that Armenia’s relations with
NATO are the central components of the European integration policy,
appreciating the cooperation with the NATO and participation in the
Partnership for the Peaceful Program as an important component of
Armenia’s multi-layered security system.

In Abrahamyan’s words, Armenia plans to maintain and develop
the current rates of cooperation, paying special attention to the
implementation of the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan,
and its involvement in the international peacekeeping actions with
the participation of NATO.

Talking about the parliamentary format of Armenia-NATO relations,
Abrahamyan highlighted the cooperation with the Assembly and the
participation of the Armenia NA delegation in its activities.

According to him, Armenia’s participation in the programs of NATO
and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly promotes the democratic and
institutional reforms in Armenia.

Jose Lello, Head of the NATO PA delegation and Chairman of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Political Affairs, underscored the
visit of the delegation to Armenia and the Armenia-NATO cooperation
as well as the cooperation within the framework of the Individual
Partnership Action Plan. He highly assessed the role and significance
of the parliament in the relations with the North Atlantic Alliance,
emphasizing the active participation of Armenia in the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly, and the role of parliamentary diplomacy.

At the meeting the sides conferred on regional security,
Armenian-Turkish relations, and Armenia-EU cooperation. The NA speaker
stressed that Armenia adheres to the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

“War has never resulted in any good thing anywhere causing human and
material losses. Despite our position, Azerbaijan has constantly voiced
at the highest level bellicose announcements, which have become more
active especially in the recent period,” Abrahamyan said. He noted
that Armenia highly appreciates NATO’s position on the Karabakh peace
process, which will continue solely within the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group.

Reflecting on Armenia’s future accession to the Customs Union, the
NA leader noted that this will not undermine Armenia’s political
dialogue with the European Union, and the country will continue to
be committed to universal values joining us and will carry on making
efforts in the deepening of political dialogue for the provision of
continuity of democratic reforms and the protection of human rights.

Referring to the crisis of Syria and the events occurring in Syria’s
predominantly Armenian-populated town of Kessab, Hovik Abrahamyan
expressed a deep concern and condemned these events in Kessab.

“The invasion into Kessab was done from the territory of Turkey, which
is a NATO member country. I believe the international community should
raise its voice for the protection of the rights of the national
minorities and for the provision of the physical security of the
Armenians living in Kessab,” Hovik Abrahamyan said.

ARMENIA MINING INDUSTRY MAY GROW BY 8%

March 27, 2014 | 14:52

YEREVAN. – The mining industry of Armenia could grow by 8 percent this
year, Economy Minister Vahram Avanesyan told reporters on Thursday.

Avanesyan noted that such a prediction is made even considering the
world copper prices, which are not so high.

“We expect that the activeness of the mining companies will be
maintained,” the minister stated.

He added that a 5-ercenbt growth is forecast in Armenia’s food
industry.

According to the January 2014 results, however, Armenia’s industrial
production and mining industry have both dropped by 3.3 percent,
and the food industry fell by 20 percent.

But Vahram Avanesyan added that, first and foremost, this drop is due
to last year’s high baseline indicator and, second, it is seasonal
and it should restore itself over the course of the year.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ZULAL TRIO TO PERFORM ARMENIAN FOLK SONGS IN MASSACHUSETTS

March 27, 2014 – 14:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Zulal, an a cappella vocal trio performing Armenian
folk music will present their “Zulal, A Folk Journey” program at
Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester, Massachusetts on
Saturday, March 29, according to Worcester Telegram.

Zulal’s singers — Teni Apelian, Yeraz Markarian and Anaïs Tekerian —
have been performing together since 2002. “There’s so much in this
genre. We’re yet to extinguish our sources,” Apelian said.

The performance will include Armenian folk songs from different
regions, both historic and present-day.

Similarly, the music is “very ancient and still very contemporary,”
said Apelian, who grew up in Worcester.

The songs can be light, while with pieces based on work you can almost
“hear the spinning wheels,” she said. Also, however, “Armenian culture
in general has a heavy melancholic line, which you hear a lot in the
music,” Apelian said.

‘I AM AGAINST’ MOVEMENT TO HOLD ‘SILENT PROTEST’ OUTSIDE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

15:30 27/03/2014 >> SOCIETY

On March 28, ‘I am against’ civil movement opposed to the introduction
of the accumulative pension system in Armenia will hold a ‘silent
protest’ outside the Constitutional Court of Armenia. On that day,
the Constitutional Court will examine the case concerning the new
pension law.

Member of the movement Sevak Tsaturyan told reporters on Thursday that
participants of the protest will try to show maximum respect for the
court and not to hinder its work. According to him, they will hold
banners stating their demands. The demand for a fair decision, the
respect for courts and no pressure on courts will be the main messages.

Source: Panorama.am

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN OFFERS CONDOLENCES TO OBAMA OVER DESTRUCTIVE LANDSLIDE

13:24 27.03.20140

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to US President
Barack Obama in connection with the destructive landslide in the
north-east of Washington State. The landslide left more than two dozen
people dead while more than one hundred are missing. Serzh Sargsyan
expressed his deepest condolences to President Obama and the friendly
people of the United States of America.

“We are following the process of the large-scale rescue measures
undertaken by the US Government and we are sure that the measures will
be crowned with success allowing to overcome the difficult situation
as soon as possible.”

“Sharing your and the friendly US people’s grief, I wish the relatives
of the victims and the missing people, as well as the entire American
nation steadfastness and strong spirit,” reads the President’s letter
of condolences.

RECKLESS OF CONSEQUENCES, AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES BADGER ENTIRE NATION

Thursday,
March
27

The British Ambassador to Armenia Catherine Leach recently expressed
regret that in the last 20 years the societies of Armenia and
Azerbaijan have drifted apart and the process continues.

In this connection the Armenian parliamentary deputy Ms. Karine
Achemian told the correspondent of Aysor.am that it is a result of
the Azerbaijani authorities’ official policy of Armenophobia.

“When the younger generation of a country is brought up on the
textbooks based on Armenophobia, when enmity toward the Armenians
is instilled from childhood, it is obvious that the societies will
gradually drift apart,” she noted.

In her words, the Azerbaijani authorities badger the entire nation,
without thinking of the consequences.

“There is no propaganda against Azerbaijanis in Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. The Armenian president does not speak about a military
solution of the Karabakh conflict. Moreover, Armenia declared and
continues to declare that talks are the only efficient way to solve
the problem and the problem cannot be solved in a military way,”
Karine Achemian said.

TODAY, 18:39

Aysor.am

TURKISH AUTHORITIES INVOLVED IN STEALING BODY ORGANS OF INJURED SYRIANS

By Editor

Friday, Feb 7, 2014

BEIRUT, (SANA)- The Lebanese ad-Diyar newspaper revealed that the
Turkish authorities are involved in trafficking the body organs of
injured Syrians who reach the Turkish territories.

In its issue on Saturday, the newspaper said the Turkish authorities
transport young Syrian injured of those who enter Turkey to hospitals
in Antalya and Iskenderun in cars guarded by Turkish police and
intelligence.

It added that the injured Syrians have their body organs excised
after being anesthetized to be later killed and mostly buried in the
Turkish lands or sent to the border.

The newspaper noted that the body organs of the injured people that
are mostly trafficked are livers, kidneys and hearts to be given
to people who are waiting for treatment in Turkey, according to
confirmed information.

A French doctor confirmed to Ad-Diyar that stealing of human body
organs of injured Syrians in Turkey has actually taken place.

The Lebanese newspaper pointed out that European scientific websites
known for their credibility revealed acts of stealing body organs
that took place at Antalya Hospital, noting that body organ theft
and transplantation operations have increased in Turkey over the past
two years since the beginning of the crisis in Syria.

It added that Syrian doctors who have come from Germany, France and
Belgium to treat the injured have found out about human body organ
stealing, but were prevented from getting any information by the
Turkish army.

Ad-Diyar stressed that Turkish doctors confirmed that out of 62,000
civilian and military injured people who were transported to Turkey,
body organs of 15,622 of them were excised, with the injured people
sent back to Syria to be buried.

The newspaper cited an incident when families of one of those sent
to be buried in Syria opened the coffin only to discover the truth,
noting that the Syrian doctors were prevented from seeing any of the
dead bodies inside Turkey.

Ad-Diyar said the World Health Organization has started an immediate
investigation into the issue and asked the Turkish Health Ministry
to provide a list of the number of organ transplantation surgeries
performed over many years for comparison and the names of the patients.

H. Said

TURKISH FOREIGN OFFICE’S STATEMENT NOTHING BUT CYNICISM – ARMAN SAHAKYAN

12:42 * 27.03.14

Arman Sahakyan, who was among the Armenian MPs that left for Syria
to deal with the problem of Kessab Armenians’ expatriation, left the
following message on his Facebook page:

“Yesterday’s statement by the Turkish foreign office, which announced
its readiness to provide refuge to Kessab Armenian, as well as its
denial of Turkey’s involvement in the Kessab events, was nothing by a
manifestation of cynicism. Armenian self-defense squads defended Kessab
until the Turkish-Syrian border was opened, with terrorist groups
crossing the border into Syria. It was due to tremendous efforts that
Kessab Armenians were able to safely evacuate the population. Turkey,
as it would do during the Armenian Genocide, is following the principle
‘make a cat’s-paw out of others,’ rending the air with its humanistic
statements. Kessab Armenians can only smile at such ‘humanism’.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

LES PRESIDENTS D’ARMENIE ET DE RUSSIE SE SONT ENTRETENUS AU TELEPHONE

ARMENIE

L’entretien a eu lieu a l’initiative de la partie armenienne. Selon
le service de presse de la presidence armenienne, les Presidents des
deux pays ont discute de la cooperation bilaterale, des questions
d’actualite regionale et internationale, ainsi que de l’adhesion de
l’Armenie a l’Union douanière eurasiatique. >. Le communique ajoute egalement que les deux chefs d’Etat ont
aborde le processus de règlement du conflit du HK. >. Selon RFE/RL, le communique du Kremlin
quant a cet entretien telephonique est plus concis, precisant que >.

Pour Jamanak, en raison de l’imprecision du communique de la partie
armenienne, on ne peut pas en deduire que celle-ci a reconnu les
resultats du referendum, ni determiner lequel des presidents a evoque
le principe du droit des peuples a l’autodetermination. Selon l’agence
Newsarmenia.am, l’Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en Armenie, John Heffern,
a regrette que >.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 20 mars 2014

jeudi 27 mars 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

COMMUNIQUE DE L’AFAJA CONCERNANT L’OUVERTURE DU PROCES DE VARDAN PETROSYAN

FRANCE

A la demande des conseils de Monsieur Vardan Petrosyan, Me Nikolay
Bagdassarian du Barreau d’Armenie et Me Marie Dose du Barreau de Paris
et en accord avec sa famille, l’Association Francaise des Avocats et
Juristes Armeniens (AFAJA), representee par Me Gerard Tcholakian,
assistera, dans le cadre d’une mission d’observation judiciaire,
a l’ouverture du procès de l’acteur et humoriste franco-armenien,
le vendredi 28 mars 2014 a Erevan.

Suite a la collision de son vehicule avec une automobile circulant en
marche arrière, de nuit et sur autoroute, entraînant le decès de deux
adolescents et le blessant lui-meme grièvement, Vardan Petrosyan a ete
mis en examen du chef d’homicide involontaire par infraction routière
et place en detention preventive depuis le mois d’octobre 2013.

Alors que les expertises du dossier d’instruction demontrent l’absence
totale d’emprise alcoolique, de produit stupefiant mais egalement
d’excès de vitesse sur autoroute, l’AFAJA s’etonne que Vardan Petrosyan
ait ete maintenu en detention preventive alors que son etat de sante
reste precaire et necessite des soins attentifs et permanents, peu
compatibles avec sa situation carcerale.

Dans le cadre de sa mission d’observation judiciaire, l’AFAJA restera
particulièrement attentive a ce que le prevenu puisse beneficier
d’un procès equitable et qu’aucun obstacle ne vienne entraver la
manifestation de la verite quant aux circonstances ayant provoque ce
grave accident et endeuille une famille armenienne.

Paris le 26 mars 2014.

jeudi 27 mars 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com