Author: Kanayan Tamar

FORMER ANC ALLIANCE STILL FAILS TO UNITE

14:15 ~U 24.06.13

The Armenian National Congress opposition alliance member parties fail
to unite yet. The majority of them are inclined to preserve their name,
another party – Human Rights-96- has frozen its membership, head of
Democratic Homeland party Petros Makeyan said, speaking to Tert.am.

“They are more radical. They want to preserve the name – ANC, the
faction be taken, and what exists in the ANC alliance be ours. It means
the ANC party be out of it, not having any authorities,” Makeyan said,
noting that they demand the faction MPs’ resignation and property.

After the ANC has become an alliance the member parties of the
former alliance – Democratic Homeland, Christian-Democratic Revival,
Democratic Line, Armenian Greens’ party and Human Rights-96 came up
with the statement in favor of unification of their parties. They
have conducted a number of political consultations with that aim.

Referring to the legal way pointed out by Ruben Torosyan, Makeyan
said it is rather complicated and unpredictable.

“There are some disagreements, that is why he is not participating
in the discussions temporarily. The negotiations are under way and
I think another gathering will take place,” he said.

Makeyan stressed that talks were also under way with few parties that
have left the alliance earlier. Talks were held with those who have
not joined the ANC party but no response has been given yet.

“They neither refuse nor agree to unite,” Makeyan said.

As to the former chairman of the Armenian Pan-National Movement
Ararat Zurabyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, Makeyan said they were not in
the ANC alliance when they left, thus they may discuss cooperation
opportunities.

Ararat Zurabyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, Hovannes Igityan, Karapet
Rubinyan decided to re-register the Armenian Pan-National Movement
party, considering themselves its successors. The initiators left the
party and the ANC. Asked what the next steps would be, and whether
they would decide to wait, Makeyan said it is wrong to give a break
in political processes, adding that though he cannot say that the
negotiations are as intensive as previously, but the process continues.

He added that according to initial moods the alliance is to be
headed by the political council that will consist of members of
member-parties.

Armenian News – Tert.am

MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUEL IN FIVE MARZPETARANS

Pastinfo reports that on June 21, four criminal cases have been
launched on misappropriation, official fraud and abuse of official
position by Marzpetaran officials of Ararat, Gegharkunik, Kotayk and
Shirak Marzes. The point is about misappropriation of fuel supposed
to be distributed to farmers within a state assistance program. The
same frauds were revealed also in Vayots Dzor Marzpetaran on May 3.

13:41 24/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

THE USSR DEFENSE MINISTER WAS FORCED TO WITHSTAND THE AZERBAIJANI LIES

Monday, 24 June 2013 16:43

Numerous facts and material evidence on the January 13-19, 1990
massacre and violence against the Armenian population in Baku were
referred to by especially non-Armenian sources.

The crimes of Baku were condemned by the civilized international
community, and the events are recorded in the materials of the
February 19 and March 1, 1990 sessions of the USSR Supreme Soviet
(SS). We should pay attention to the speech of the then USSR Minister
of Defense Dmitry Yazov who, being aware of the events taking place
in Baku those days, made public an entire range of outrageous facts.

We know this official as one of the executors of the Ring operation –
the punitive actions and violence committed against the Armenians
of Artsakh. In this case, the facts presented by him prove once
again the Azerbaijani lies related to the events in Baku, as well
as testify to the direction and essence of the steps taken by this
country’s authorities.

By the way, some officials of the USSR KGB (NSC – National Security
Committee) and Interior Ministry also delivered speeches at the closed
meetings of the session and, according to the limited information,
summarized the activities scheduled in advance by the Azerbaijani
leadership.

The Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR responded to the events in
Baku and adopted a resolution on February 13 – to urge the Soviet
authorities to discuss the situation in Nagorno Karabakh at the third
session of the USSR Supreme Soviet. Delivering a speech at the March
1, 1990 session of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Dmitry Yazov drew the
attention of the SS members to the statement of the Azerbaijani SSR
SS Commission and other documents and videos, emphasizing that they
had been distributed among the deputies, intending to draw their
attention from the reality. “…They speak about hundreds of people
killed under the tank tracks (it relates to Azerbaijanis). All this
is slander. The youngest man deceased during the first tree days was
a 14-year-old boy who was among the assaulters. Do you see children
here? And the oldest woman, born in 1915, died from apoplexy, but
was buried as deceased under the tank tracks. Every step contains
lies and forgeries”, he said.

The Azerbaijanis, participating in the session, left the hall after
the Defense Minister’s statements. Yazov, expressing regret in this
regard, continued his speech, presenting another fact. “They committed
sacrilege – they buried 49 people, but dug 150 graves. What did they
do it for? They did it to somewhat avoid the responsibility before
their own people and make the central authorities responsible for it.

What wrote NGO members and applied in the streets had exactly the same
content that comrade Kafarova’s (Azerbaijani MP) statement, condemning
the Center for introducing the state of emergency and involving armed
forces”. There were also cases of getting square with the Soviet troops
by the organizers of the Armenian massacres in Baku. Yazov recalled
concrete examples of the Azerbaijani atrocities. “An Azerbaijani
woman addressed an IM sergeant, asking to accompany her through the
dark alley. He did so. In the nearby corner, some people attacked
him and stunned, then dragged into a house, undressed him, put a
ring on his neck, trying to kill him. The sergeant managed to free
himself from the ring and escape. We allowed him to leave for home,
Leningrad. Four soldiers have not been found so far. Those found were
fired with bullets or tortured. By the way, the examination of all
the soldiers testified that they had been mainly fired from behind”.

Yazov’s clarifications made it apparent that prior to the involvement
of the Soviet troops, Azerbaijan was preparing to counteract their
actions at the highest level, concentrating the resources and forces
gained to this end. This is brightly testified by the minister’s
testimony: “Realizing that the soldiers will not fire on the children’s
hospital, they deployed there snipers and soldiers; besides, they
installed searchlights to illuminate the military settlement. Before
the soldiers entered, the searchlights were switched on and followed
by brutal shooting of the soldiers who were called up from the Rostov
andKrasnodar region’s for driving the technique. The first victims
were four people and the first injured were the paratroopers. When
the columns entered the city, firing came from all the windows, and
I even doubt whether the civilians were killed by the paratroopers’
firing. Both the military and civilian prosecution offices tried to
subject all the corpses to proper medical examination. They examined
none of the corpses, explaining that the Islamic laws prohibited
it. I met the honorable Sheikh. He stated that we were so severe that
had targeted at once 73 bullets at an elderly woman. I insisted on
examining the corpses and he kept stating that it was prohibited by
the Islamic law. I think I have brought enough facts”, stated the USSR
Defense Minister at the session. Analyzing the cases, he expressed
confidence that nationalism should be condemned as a phenomenon and
the proper status of Nagorno Karabakh should be finally defined. He
also drew the attention to the fact that the organizers of the tragic
events in Baku had done everything to conceal the truth. According to
him, this was done deliberately and with the only purpose – to blame
the country’s leadership. “And as for the truth, the extremists’
activities were widespread acts of violence…”

In Aghdam, an attack was undertaken on the radar unit. They bound the
soldiers, grabbed 40 submachine guns and disabled the radar station.

As a result of the violence, the state border was destroyed. Only
due to this the Iranians, who brought arms with them, could reach
Pushkino and Jalilabad. They sold the arms there. There are some
factual evidences. The so-called session of the Azerbaijani SSR
Supreme Soviet was also convened violently”, said Mr. Yazov.

The Armenian SSR Supreme Soviet reflected its position on what had
happened on the USSR-Iranian state border in its resolution:

“The development of the events undeniably confirms that the chain of
anti-Armenian actions following Nagorno Karabakh Armenian population’s
demand for self-determination – the Sumgait massacre, the atrocities
committed on the Soviet-Iranian border, the massive violations
of the state border and import of a great number of weapons, the
attempts to overthrow the Soviet power in Lenkoran and other Azeri
settlements and, finally, the genocide of the Armenian population in
Baku and massacre of representatives of other nations in the city –
is a mere smokescreen for concealing the Azerbaijani nationalists’
and separatists’ far-reaching plans. The country’s leadership continues
to explain the existing situation in the region by Karabakh Armenian’s
demand for self-determination, which, actually, leads to an unfriendly
attitude of the country’s society towards the entire Armenian people”.

It was also emphasized in the February 13, 1990 resolution of the
Armenian SSR SS (signed by Chairman of the ASSR SS Presidium of Mr.

Voskanian and Presidium Secretary Mr. Stepanian) that the flow of
refugees from Azerbaijan had increased those days. Their number in
the ASSR amounted to 240.000 people. Tens of thousands of Armenians
fled from Azerbaijan to different towns of the USSR.

The USSR Supreme Soviet demanded to put an end to the massacres
of Armenians in Baku and other regions of the Azerbaijani SSR and
evaluated them as continuation of the genocide against the Armenian
people. The USSR SS was required to set up a parliamentary commission
to investigate the reasons of the events and to submit the issue to
the third congress of the USSR SS People’s Deputies for consideration.

And the last point of the resolution mentioned that urgent measures
should be taken and strong guarantees should be provided to prevent
the repetition of the ferocious acts and to ensure the inviolability
of the Armenian population and foreign citizens in Baku andAzerbaijan.

Ruzan ISHKHANIAN

STRENGTH AND MEANS SUFFICIENT FOR ENSURING ARMENIA’S SECURITY: PATRUSHEV

YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. There is enough strength and means to
ensure Armenia’s security and there should be no concerns about this,
Secretary of Russian Federation Security Council Nikolay Patrushev
said in Yerevan Tuesday.

“We have visited the 102nd base (Russian military base in the territory
of Armenia) and received evidence that our military, the army and
border guards and others cooperating with them will ensure reliable
security in Armenia”, Patrushev told reporters after the signing of
some bilateral documents, Novosti-Armenia reported.

In commenting mass media allegations about sale of Russian arms
sales to Azerbaijan, Patrushev said Russia is meeting all respective
international obligations and requirements and observes the law of
the Russian Federation, in selling weapons.

Patrushev reminded about Russia’s strategic partnership with Armenia.

The 102nd Russian military base is situated in Giumry town,
in the north of Armenia. On August 20, 2010 Armenia and
Russia extended the base agreement signed in 1995. Now the
base allocation will be valid till 2044. -0- – See more at:

ARMENIA’S GOLD MINING PROJECT NEEDS TO BE SAFE – UK AMBASSADOR

June 25, 2013 | 11:33

YEREVAN. – Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan on Tuesday
received United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Ambassador to Armenia, Catherine Jane Leach.

Harutyunyan presented the makeup and the functions of his ministry.

In her turn, Ambassador Leach underscored the ministry’s activities
in terms of environmental protection.

“Armenia has a very beautiful nature,” she added.

The UK ambassador also spoke about Armenia’s Amulsar gold mine, and
she asked for the minister’s assistance to the investor organization
in this matter.

Harutyunyan stressed the importance of the ongoing processes concerning
this gold mine.

“Each environmental program should be flawless,” the minister
highlighted.

In the British ambassador’s words, all methods should be used so that
this project would be safe.

Harutyunyan and Leach also discussed the avenues for organizing
ecotourism.

At the end of their talk, the Nature Protection Minister presented
to the UK ambassador the red books of Armenia’s plants and animals.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

CATHOLIC PRIEST KILLED IN SYRIA

June 25, 2013 | 13:11

Syrian priest François Murad was killed on Sunday in northern Syria,
in the convent of the Custody of the Holy Land where he had taken
refuge, Vatican official website reported.

The information as confirmed by a statement of the Custos of the Holy
Land. Official Vatican mentioned the circumstances of the death are
not fully understood.

According to local sources, the monastery where Fr. Murad was staying
was attacked by militants linked to the jihadi group Jabhat al-Nusra,
the article says.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

KAZIMIROV: BAKU PINS HOPES ON MILITARY FACTOR

10:55 25/06/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

Vladimir Kazimirov, who headed Russia’s intermediary mission to
Nagorno- Karabakh from 1992 to 1996, the former Co-Chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group, spoke of the possibilities of settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in his interview with Aravot.

“Only guarantees of peace (not only on the part of Azerbaijan but
also the United Nations Security Council and the Co-Chair countries)
could contribute to leaving the occupied territories immediately and
to the return of displaced persons. There will be no progress in the
negotiations until the conflict gets rid of the dominating military
factor and moves to political realm. However, it is Baku that pins
hopes on the military factor. Certainly, thus the ruling elite solves
domestic problems, but it hinders rather than speeds up the conflict
settlement process.”

Source: Panorama.am

FISHY CONCERNS: ARMENIAN HATCHERIES RESIST ‘COSTLY’ TECHNOLOGY

BUSINESS | 25.06.13 | 10:05

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

While the government is trying to take steps to protect the country’s
water resources, demanding that a ‘semi-closed’ water cycle mode by
used in fish farming, most fish-breeders claim it is an inefficient
and costly process that harms their businesses.

Still in late February the agriculture minister said that despite
being one of the country’s promising sectors fish farming had serious
problems as far as water consumption was concerned. He then announced
plans for hatcheries to switch to new technologies that would solve
the problem of water management.

According to the minister, ‘closed’ and ‘semi-closed’ cycles were
planned for fish production at farms, which implies water saving
through multiple use of same water. In this regime used water is used
again with the application of special equipment and technologies.

In order to work under such regimes fish farms need to be equipped
with the newest technologies, such as special pumps, filters, oxygen
generating devices, other special means for regulating water
temperature and chemical composition, which entrepreneurs find quite
costly.

“In developed European countries they get up to 300-450 kilograms of
fish with the use of one cubic meter of water. In our country today it
is about 150 kilograms, which is a very low index,” said the minister,
giving large, medium-sized and small fish farm, one, three and five
years, respectively, to introduce the new water-saving technologies.

But Armenian Fish Farmers Association NGO Artur Atoyan says that most
fish-breeders in Armenia are in poor financial condition and cannot
afford to introduce this technology yet.

“There are fish-farming enterprises that have accumulated a lot of
debt and can barely maintain their existence. And the modern
technology to be introduced is quite expensive, they are not for
[poor] countries like ours. We’ve heard that it is a very good thing,
but it won’t be of use without adjustment to our local conditions,”
says Atoyan, adding that banks consider hatcheries and fish farms to
be a risky business and loan opportunities are limited in this area.

Fish farming in Armenia is mostly common in the Ararat and Armavir
regions of the country. Atoyan says still a few years ago Armenia had
234 fish-breeding enterprises, but 57 of them were recently shut down
and closures in this business continue.

Atoyan says he has information that 97 fisheries will be exempted from
the obligation to apply the ‘semi-closed’ cycle mode and will be
allowed to use alternative means, but a large number of them will
still face a dilemma.

“This technology requires an investment of one million euros, while 97
percent of fish farms in Armenia cannot afford it,” says the head of
the Armenian Fish Farmers Association.

He also says that the use of closed cycle technologies will affect the
taste and quality of fish.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN LEBANON SUFFERED NO HARM

Clashes in Lebanon caused 21 dead and 70 injured. Editor-in-Chief
of Lebanon-based Armenian newspaper Azdak Shahan Gandaharyan told us
that roads are closed. The situation has been tense since yesterday.

Fighters shoot and order to close shops in various districts of
Beirut. The Armenian community suffers too but, fortunately, there
is no human or material damage.

Shahan Gandaharyan said that they got in touch with the Armenian
community of Tripoli who said that the situation is tranquil. Shops
have been reopened no shots have been heard.

Whether new clashes are possible, Gandaharyan said that they are,
but he does not think a war all over the country will split.

The Lebanese army has been able to stop the actions of armed groups
in Southern Lebanon’s Saida town.

12:42 25/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF IRAN ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO BOOST MULTI-VECTOR COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

ARMINFO
Tuesday, June 25, 13:29

Newly elected president of Iran Hassan Rouhani has announced an
intention to boost the multi-vector cooperation with Armenia, Iranian
Mehr news agency reported. The Iranian president expressed such an
intention in response to congratulations of President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan.

President Rouhani said Iran hopes that the efforts of Iran and
Armenia will boost development of the bilateral relations in all
fields. “We will be expanding our cooperation with Armenia through
mutual understanding, confidence and mutual respect,” the Iranian
president said.

Former Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Iranian National
Security Council Hassan Rouhani was elected president on May 12 with
52.3% of votes.