Author: Kanayan Tamar

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: ARMENIA’S JABURYAN LIKEWISE BIDS FAREWELL TO WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

March 20

Mihran Jaburyan, who represents Armenia, missed the opportunity
to compete for a gold medal at the European Freestyle Wrestling
Championship, which is being held in the Georgian capital city Tbilisi.

In the quarterfinals, Jaburyan (55 kg) was defeated by Artyom Gebekov
of Russia on points.

In his first match, the Armenian wrestler had defeated Bencze Llunaj
of Hungary.

Separately, Armenia’s Narek Sanoyan (66 kg) was unable to pass the
round of 16 at the event.

Photo by NEWS.am Sport

NEWS.am Sport

CO-RAPPORTEURS ON ARMENIA TO TELL ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

NEWS.AM
March 20, 2013 | 14:55

Co-rapporteurs on Armenia Axel Fischer and John Prescott will present
information on the February 18 presidential elections during the
meeting of PACE Monitoring Committee planed for March 20.

The committee is set to consider post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey.

The agenda also includes appointment of new co-rapporteur on Russia
and recent political developments in Azerbaijan.

The next meeting of the Committee will take place within PACE session
on April 22-26.

TWO ANTHRAX CASES REPORTED IN ARMENIA

Wednesday,
March 20

Two anthrax cases have been reported in Armenia. One of the patients is
a Georgian citizen. The press service of Armenia’s Health Ministry said
that both men were among those who slaughtered cattle in Pokr Gondura
village in Bogdanovka region of Georgia on March 7. On March 15 the two
men returned to Yerevan, and on March 18 they sought medical advice.

Laboratory tests were done, confirming that they contracted anthrax.

Both patients are now in satisfactory condition.

TODAY, 14:27

Aysor.am

MARCH 19: RAFFI HOVANNISIAN SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT AT LIBERTY SQUARE

22:28, March 19, 2013

Presiding over a press conference on his tenth day at Liberty Square,
Raffi K. Hovannisian called out acting president Serzh Sargsyan for
his continuing distortion of the truth and denial of the people’s
victory on February 18, 2013.

“It is sad that Mr. Sargsyan persists in deceiving himself,”
Hovannisian said. “He has not yet understood that the Armenian people
no longer recognize de facto rulers. The time for a new Armenia is
fast approaching.”

Later in the day, hundreds of citizens gathered at the square to take
part in the third of an increasingly popular series of public forums.

Joined by human rights defender Avetik Ishkhanyan and moderated by
Levon Bagramian, the discussions were led by former deputy speaker
of parliament Karapet Rubinyan and focused on Armenia’s transition
into a parliamentary republic.

In the evening, at a cafe behind his bench at Liberty Square,
Hovannisian met with Gunnar Wiegand, the European Union Chief
Negotiator for Association Agreement. They discussed the new
developments in post-election Armenia, and Europe’s role in encouraging
true, not merely cosmetic, democracy in the republic.

Tomorrow at noon, Raffi Hovannisian’s spokesman Hovsep Khurshudyan
will hold a press conference at Liberty Square.

At 5pm, the next the public forum will be led by former Shushi
commander and leader of the Sardarapat movement Jirair Sefilian.

ARMENIA TO BE REPRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL TOURISM TRADESHOW

NEWS.AM
March 20, 2013 | 11:40

YEREVAN. – From Wednesday to Saturday, the National Competitiveness
Foundation of Armenia (NCFA), together with thirteen tour agencies,
will represent Armenia at the MITT International Tourism Tradeshow
being held annually in Moscow, Russia.

As Russia’s biggest tradeshow, MITT is celebrating its 20th anniversary
this year and it will host over 3,000 companies from 197 countries.

“Armenia’s participation in this leading tradeshow aims to promote
the growth of inbound tourism flows from Russia, as well as maximize
the potential of Armenian-Russian cooperation in the tourism sector,”
noted NCFA Chief Executive Director Arman Khachatryan. “This tradeshow
symbolizes the launch of our initiative in 2013 aimed at raising
awareness and promoting tourism to Armenia in the Russian Federation,”
Khachatryan added.

The USAID-funded Enterprise Development and Market Competitiveness
(EDMC) Project is the main partner of the Armenian delegation to MITT.

“EDMC’s main goal is to support the presentation and promotion of
Armenian tourism products in the Russian market,” noted EDMC Chief
of Party Bruno Cornelio. “As a result of MITT, EDMC in partnership
with NCFA, will organize two familiarization trips to Armenia for
Russian journalists and travel agents.”

On Thursday, a meeting-forum will be organized with Russian travel
agents and the representatives of leading media outlets in Moscow to
promote the Armenian brand in the Russian market and present Armenia’s
tourism attractions and products.

POPE FRANCIS IS A FRIEND OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE – SERZH SARGSYAN – PHOTOS

March 19, 2013 | 19:08

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan attended Pope Francis’s
inauguration in the Vatican.

President Sargsyan congratulated pontiff on election and the start
of his mission as a leader of the Catholic world. Serzh Sargsyan
stressed that for the Armenian nation, as the first nation to adopt
Christianity as a state religion, this event has a special meaning,
presidential press service reported.

He noted that Pope Francis is a friend of the Armenian people and has
good knowledge of the Armenian culture and history which is proved
by his actions in Argentina.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ON HUNGER STRIKE MEETS WITH EUROPEAN OFFICIAL

NEWS.AM
March 20, 2013 | 12:04

YEREVAN. – Gunnar Wiegand, the European Union Chief Negotiator for
the ongoing Armenia-EU Association Agreement talks, paid a visit,
on Tuesday evening, to Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party Chairman,
former FM Raffi Hovannisian-who is declared runner-up to the winner,
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential
election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the
real winner in the vote and who declared a hunger strike on March 10
at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square.

They talked at a cafe nearby the square.

Hovannisian and Wiegand discussed the post-election developments,
and the establishment of a true democracy in Armenia, the Heritage
Party informs.

To note, Wednesday marks the tenth day of Raffi Hovannisian’s hunger
strike.

DASHNAKTSUTYUN IS DETERMINED

17:05 19/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

ARF is going to run in the municipal election of Yerevan and will
do everything it can to receive as many votes as possible, said the
secretary of ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary group Aghvan Vardanyan.

The ARF list will be headed by Armen Rustamyan, the second will be
Aghvan Vardanyan and the third will be Arsen Hambardzumyan.

Aghvan Vardanyan noted that the union with other political forces for
the municipal election could be the pilot for joint political fight.

Aghvan Vardanyan said that ARF did everything to ensure a union
of forces. It negotiated with Heritage and Prosperous Armenia but,
unfortunately, their attempts failed.

At the same time, he noted that they do not rule out cooperation
anyway. According to him, each force should do everything to join in
a post-electoral alliance.

In regard to the failure of negotiations with Heritage and Prosperous
Armenia, Aghvan Vardanyan said first of all Heritage and Prosperous
Armenia didn’t agree with each other. Heritage was guided by
the current situation, while the PAP was guided by its result at
parliamentary elections and number of its parliamentary group.

USA-BASED ARMENIAN JOURNALIST ACCUSES SERZH SARGSYAN OF CORRUPTION AND DEMANDS OBAMA TO RETRACT HIS CONGRATULATIONS TO INCUMBENT PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

ARMINFO
Tuesday, March 19, 12:36

Ara K. Manoogian is a Burbank resident, a human rights activist;
investigative journalist, has announced hunger strike demanding US
President Barack Obama to retract his congratulations to incumbent
president of Armenia. The journalists went on hunger strike on Burbank,
where Congressman Adam Schiff’s office is located.

Manookian says that according to WikiLeaks, the U.S. Government is
well aware that Serzh Sargsyan is one of the most corrupt leaders among
Post-Soviet republics. As Armenia’s #1 oligarch, he has manipulated the
country’s laws and rigged elections in order to control at least half
of Armenia’s most lucrative sectors and enterprises. “I shall continue
my hunger strike until U.S. President Barack Obama retracts his
congratulations, which legitimize the official Armenian Presidential
election results, skewed in favor of the corrupt incumbent, Serzh
Sargsyan, and ignoring popular sovereignty as a cornerstone of
democracy,” Manoogian says/

Starting February 19 Raffi Hovannisian, who took the second place in
the presidential race, has been rallying against the official result
of the election. On March 10 he announced a hunger strike till April 9,
the day of the incumbent president’s inauguration. Some representatives
of the Armenian National Congress, ARFD, and representatives of over
20 NGOs have joined Hovannisian’s movement called “Barevolution”
(“Greetings Revolution”).

MOSCOW’S ARBITRATION COURT POSTPONES HEARING INTO NAIRIT PLANT CJSC

22:00, March 18, 2013

The case pitting Interstate Bank against Nairit Plant CJSC got underway
today at Moscow~Rs Court of Arbitration.

Hetq has covered the story of how millions of dollars in loans from
interstate to Nairit have literally disappeared, funneled off into
a maze of offshore accounts and dummy corporations.

Maksim Kulikov, representing Interstate, showed up at the court with
three colleagues carrying bundles of documents as evidence.

No one from Nairit ever appeared, although it did send its response
to the suit filed by the bank.

Interstate representatives motioned the court for more time to review
the response, arguing that they had only received it that day.

The court agreed and postponed the hearing until May 14.