Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIE
Aucun accord de l’opposition concernant l’élection municipale à Erevan

Les quatre principaux groupes politiques de l’opposition n’ont pas
réussi à se mettre d’accord sur la création d’une alliance élargie
pour les prochaines élections municipales à Erevan a déclaré jeudi le
Congrès National Arménien (HAK).

Le HAK a appelé à une telle alliance en début de cette semaine avant
de s’entretenir avec des représentants de l’opposition et les partis
Zharangutyun, la FRA et Gagik Tsarukian président du parti Arménie
prospère (BHK).

Le HAK affirme que tous ces aprtis peuvent gagner le contrôle de la
municipalité d’Erevan s’ils participent conjointement à l’élection du
5 mai.

« Il y a eu beaucoup de consultations et de négociations entre ces
quatre forces politiques dans différents formats` a précisé Levon
Zurabian, chef du groupe parlementaire du HAK au service arménien de
RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am). « Au niveau d’une liste commune de candidats,
il semble que nous n’avons pas encore atteint de résultat.`

`Mais je pense que cela ne devrait pas être considéré comme une
tragédie, car il est beaucoup plus important de former un cadre entre
ces quatre parties qui viserait à rendre le pouvoir à Erevan au
peuple` a-t-il dit.

Levon Zurabian n’a pas révélé les raisons pour lesquelles les
négociations ont échoué.

Le BHK, qui a le deuxième plus grand parti au parlement national, a
déclaré mardi qu’il acceptera de faire équipe avec les trois groupes
de l’opposition que si il joue un rôle central dans le bloc.

Selon Levon Zurabian, les quatre forces politiques peuvent encore
travailler ensemble pour l’élection municipale à Erevan, sans la mise
en place d’un tel bloc. Il a déclaré que le HAK estime qu’ils
devraient accepter de s’abstenir de se critiquer les uns les autres,
de lutter conjointement contre les truquages possibles et de conclure
un accord de partage du pouvoir si le Parti républicain (HHK) ne
parvient pas à conserver sa majorité à l’assemblée municipale.

`Nous poursuivons les consultations`, a déclaré Levon Zurabian. `Il
n’existe aucun accord quadripartite encore qui puisse être présenté à
la population. Mais il y a une tendance générale à aller vers une
telle décision. `

samedi 16 mars 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Greek President to visit Armenia

13:35 16.03.2013

Greek President Karolos Papoulias received Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian. Greeting the Armenian Minister, President Papoulis
said the Greek people have the warmest brotherly feelings for the
Armenia and its people. He praised the high level of political
relations between the two countries and added that steps should be
taken to keep the cooperation on the same level.

Minister Nalbandian conveyed Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s
greetings and noted that the Armenian President is looking forward to
his Greek counterpart’s visit to Yerevan.

President Papoulias presented the steps towards elimination of
consequences of the financial crisis. Reference was made to Armenia-EU
cooperation, the negotiations on the Association Agreement, the
process of facilitation of the visa regime, the talks on the creation
of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

The efforts on the settlement of the Cyprus issue were also on the
agenda. In this context Minister Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s
support to Cyprus.

Edward Nalbandian briefed the Greek President on the latest
developments in the settlement of the Karabakh issue. Karolos
Papoulias asked to convey his greetings to President Sargsyan and
added he’s glad to accept the invitation to visit Armenia.

Azerbaijan disseminates yet another disinformation – Armenian official

NEWS.AM
March 16, 2013 | 00:35

YEREVAN. – The Azerbaijani figure’s statements, with respect to a `bad
demeanor’ against the Azerbaijani captives in Armenia, are not true
and they are yet another disinformation. Armen Kaprielyan, the head of
the working group of the Armenian State Commission on Prisoners of War
Hostages and Missing Persons, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am,
commenting on Exo newspaper’s publication that official Baku `knows
hundreds of cases that the Armenians have taunted Azerbaijani
captives.’

`This is yet another manifestation of the foolishness being spread by
Azerbaijani officials. All authorized international organizations are
aware of the real state of things. This claim by the Azerbaijani
`analyst’ is an unsubstantiated statement,’ Kaprielyan noted.

He also underscored the need to speak with facts.

`If the Azerbaijanis even had a hint of facts, they immediately would
have petitioned to the international organizations. And the absence of
such petitions proves that they have no evidence of their unfounded
allegations,’ Armen Kaprielyan concluded.

Edward Nalbandyan introduced Armenia’s efforts for Nagorno Karabakh
conflict regulation in Greece

11:30, 16 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. On the invitation of the Hellenic
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, Edward Nalbandyan
paid an official visit to Athens on March 15. The Department of Press,
Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia told “Armenpress” that the President of Greece
Karolos Papoulias received Edward Nalbandyan. Welcoming the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia the Head of Greece
stated that the Greek people cherishes the warmest fraternal feelings
towards the Armenian people and Armenia and that he is glad to say
that the bilateral political relations are on a high level. At the
same time the President noted that the both sides must make efforts to
raise the economic cooperation to the same level as well.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Edward
Nalbandyan expressed his gratitude to President Papoulias for the
reception and conveyed greetings and warmest wishes of the President
of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and noted that President
Sargsyan warmly recalled his visit to Greece in 2011 and is looking
forward to the visit of the President of Greece to Armenia.

Among other things Edward Nalbandyan introduced the recent
developments in the process of regulation of the Karabakh issue to the
President of Greece.

The President of Greece asked to convey his respects and greetings to
the head of fraternal Armenia and noted that accepting the invitation
of the President of the Republic of Armenia he would be glad to visit
Armenia.

YEREVAN LIBERTY SQUARE DAY 5: EX-CANDIDATE CONTINUES HUNGER-STRIKE – VIDEOS

TERT.AM
10:59 ~U 14.03.13

Former opposition candidate Raffi Hovhannisian, who declared Sunday
an open-ended hunger strike at Yerevan’s Liberty Square, continues
his protest.

The night at the protest site was peaceful and without incident.

Hovhannisian was with his son, Karin, in the morning, reading the daily
press and getting familiarized with a petition sent by a supporter. He
holds a copy of the Bible book, flowers and drawings next to him.

A knitted coverlet featuring the Armenia’s tricolor flag is stretch
edout on the bench where the former candidate continues spends
his night.

Serzh Sargsyan’s major challenger in the recent presidential polls,
Hovhannisian disputes the voting results, considering them fraudulent.

The group of young activist, who have joined Hovhannisian’s
hunger-strike, are sitting on the stairs leading to the Opera House.

WASHINGTON: SPEECH OF HON. JOHN P. SARBANES OF MARYLAND IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2013

US Official News
March 14, 2013 Thursday

The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following
news release:

Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, peace and stability in the Caucuses is in
the national interest of the United States and our European allies.

That means achieving a peaceful resolution to the rising tensions
between the peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan. A final status of the
Nagorno Karabakh dispute must be achieved without resorting to war
and must be in keeping with democratic principles, the rule of law
and the protection of individual human rights.

Decades of Soviet rule and the continuing dispute over Nagorno
Karabakh have decimated the economy of Armenia. In stark contrast,
Azerbaijan now enjoys a growing economy from the extraction of natural
resources. This economic imbalance is further aggravated by the fact
that both Turkey and Azerbaijan have sealed their borders with Armenia,
with Azerbaijan pursuing an aggressive military build-up.

The United States must continue to press for resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh dispute through the good offices and mechanisms
of international actors such as the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe. We must be ever vigilant in decrying actions
that undermine such efforts. I concur with the Obama administration’s
demand for an explanation of Azerbaijan’s pardoning of Ramil Safarov.

Azerbaijan’s decision to pardon Ramil Safarov after he was convicted
by a Hungarian court for the murder of an Armenian soldier while
participating in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program is not only
unconscionable, it is a direct affront to NATO and its efforts to
bring peace and stability to conflict regions through the Partnership
for Peace program.

JUDGE RESIGNS

07:48 PM | TODAY | SOCIAL

Civil Appeals Court Judge Tigran Sahakyan has submitted his resignation
today.

50-year-old Tigran Sahakyan has worked in judicial system since 1996.

Since the year 1996 to 1999 he has worked in Soviet People’s Court
judge.

>From 1999 to 2000 he has worked in the Military Court of Criminal
Appeals and the Court as a judge.

Since 2000 he has been working in the Civil Court of Appeal as a judge.

Tigran Sahakyan has PhD degree.

“Pastinfo”

GUBAD IBADOGLU: ABOUT $ 200 BILLION TRANSFERRED FROM AZERBAIJAN TO OFFSHORE ZONES

19:19 14/03/2013 ” SOCIETY

“About $ 200 billion is transferred from Azerbaijan to offshore
zones on islands in Latin America, Oceania and Europe. Banks in
Muslim countries as well as real estate transactions abroad, gold
and stocks are actively used to implement this,” said PhD, Chairman
of the Economic Research Center of Azerbaijan, Gubad Ibadoglu, the
article published on the website “Biznesinfo.az” says.

Ibadoglu noted that every Azerbaijani family as a result of transfer
of money to offshore zones did not count tens of thousands of dollars
in his budget.

The article says that in the mid-90s at the time of the original
financial redistribution in Azerbaijanthe Bahamas, for example, were
perceived as a springboard for the investment inflows. In practice, it
looked like this: money was pumped to offshore zone from Azerbaijan,
then the structures formed there were registered in Azerbaijan as a
partner or investment companies. In the oil sector of the republic
26 such “partners” operate today.

Offshore companies with Azerbaijani asset have proven themselves in
other branches of economy. There are insurance, financial and trading
firms among them. Offshore schemes worked well in the segment of
air aviation, gold mining industry, in a road construction. Besides
that, recently a tendency for the Azerbaijani offshore companies has
been established there in the sphere of leasing. Increasingly holding
companies are willing to register the offshore more frequently, as well
as companies involved in franchising and licensing, the article says.

The article states that, at the international level, the many
Azerbaijani offshore companies are are not able to act due to
Strasbourg Convention of the Council of Europe (1999) of the Criminal
Law Convention on Corruption and the Warsaw Convention (2005) on
Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime
and on the Financing of Terrorism. In 2009, Azerbaijan adopted a law
“On combating against legalization of criminally obtained funds or
other property and the financing of terrorism”, which greatly limits
the offshore activities. Appropriate decisions of the cabinet of
Ministers are developed, as well as instructions and orders of the
Ministry of Taxes, the Prosecutor General and the Customs Committee.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Azerbaijan who own big business actively
continue to use offshore schemes today. Thus they conduct efficient
economic activities, which easily allows their business to prosper
“outside the boundaries” of state control, the article says.

“There are many firms with the Azerbaijani capital in offshore today.

They make the oil and gas sector, they exist since 1995 and are located
mostly in the Cayman Islands, in the United States. The functioning
of these companies is conditioned by the benefits of tax regimes,”
the head of the Azerbaijani Oil Research Center Ilham Shaban commented
on the situation.

Source: Panorama.am

CHAIRMAN OF ARMENIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION OPPOSES CANCELLATION OF YELLOW NUMBER PLATES ON TAXIS

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. Armen Poghosyan, chairman of the Armenian
Consumers’ Association, speaking Friday at a news conference, voiced
opposition to the traffic police’s proposal to replace yellow number
plates on taxis with special certificates.

This proposal was backed by the government-affiliated center
for coordination of laws, but Poghosyan said he finds this idea
illogical and unacceptable, since yellow number plates serve as
excellent evidence of one or another taxi service’s legality, while
the certificate that is proposed to be fastened on the back window
of the car is not clearly visible.

He also finds everyday technical fitness and medical examinations
unfeasible, but thinks regular examinations, at least twice a month,
are necessary.

The bill also implies tougher penalties for providing transportation
services without a license – wrongdoers must be fined AMD 20,000 to
AMD 50,000.

Gevorg Dosturyan, head of the Civil Position nongovernmental
organization, speaking at the same news conference, said that
replacement of yellow number plates with certificates will leave room
for forging the certificates easily.

“The traffic police department has not solved the problem of illegal
taxis yet, but it is already coming up with a new initiative,
which will create larger room for illegal passenger transportation
businesses,” he said.

According to the Armenian Consumers’ Association, there are 15,000
taxis in Armenia, the nulk of which work in Yerevan. Of them, 30%
have no licenses.

There are some 9,000 licensed taxis in Armenia now. Of them, 7,000
belong to 500 taxi services.

The bill will be considered by the government within the next few
weeks and if approved, it will be sent to the National Assembly. The
changes will come into effect six months after they are passed in
the parliament. -0-

AHOT MANUCHARYAN: CURRENT DYNAMICS PROMISES PROSPECTS

16:16 15/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Commenting on domestic developments, Ashot Manucharyan, member of
Karabakh Committee, said Raffi Hovannisian again woke people up.

According to him, people are so hopeless and desperate that they leave
the country because they find no meaning and prospect to stay. Raffi
Hovannisian had a great role in this important turn.

The positive aspect is that Raffi Hovannisian is not the leader, Ashot
Manucharyan says, adding that 2008 somehow repeats. At that time a
lot of people supported Levon Ter-Petrosyan but his steps led even
his ideological opponents to think about improving the country. He
says dynamics is good no matter what will happen next and promises
prospects.

According to him, there is interest in the continuity of tension
because there are two main actors, one of the actors has presented
their requirements to the government and the government agreed to
meet them, the other side is trying to set obstacles to prevent the
government from meeting those requirements.

According to him, deep inside Armenia has said yes to the West but
in reality the West could not lose its achievements here and now,
with the agreement with the West in place, the government has entered
into negotiations with Russia and agreed to all its proposals.

He also said that we must focus on creating our world.

Ashot Manucharyan says this awakening does not depend on the decision,
action, milestones of one person. He noted that the United States
is interested in staging institutional opposition. For example,
the municipal election of Yerevan may transform to an election to
the revolutionary committee.

He noted that there is one problem now – we cannot understand what
we want, we want sad things that the world has told us, such as
constitutional order, rule of law, fair elections. All these things
are in place in the EU which is in crisis and are absent in China
which is developing effectively.

“Whatever is happening in Armenia in the political sphere is a process
of redistribution of economic levers. The civic sphere rejects such
a policy because it wants to bring into being something else, real
politik. The civil society wants a real political process which is
maturing in Armenia. Armenia is in a better situation compared with
the United States,” Ashot Manucharyan said.