Author: Kanayan Tamar

JIRAYR SEFILYAN: SOCIETY IS FORMING PARALLEL GOVERNMENT

03:59 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Jirayr Sefilyan, Commander of the “Shushi” special battalion, welcomes
students’ decision to join the nation-wide protests against the
fraudulent Feb. 18 presidential election and says we have appeared
in a situation where it is possible to achieve significant changes
in short periods of time.

“First of all, everything depend on people. Great is also Raffi
Hovannisian’s role, who is leading the nation-wide protests,” said
Mr Sefilyan.

He considers the thoughts expressed by the Heritage party leader
[Raffi Hovannisian] to be unprecedented and incomparable with the
classical practice.

“Ninety percent of the society is forming a parallel government with
all its institutions, preparing for the transitional period. The
collision would have been unavoidable if people had taken the former
path,” said Mr Sefilyan.

AGRICULTURE: FAVORABLE CONDITIONS AND BETTER SEED QUALITY EXPECTED TO INCREASE CROP PRODUCTION

ECONOMY | 27.02.13 | 15:01

Photolure

Hrach Berberyan
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Hrach Berberyan, heading the farmers’ union, believes this year will
be favorable for agriculture.

“Five days are left before the crop year starts: the layer of snow
was thicker this year as compared to last year, the only concern
now is the possible April frostbite, but there are numerous means to
“cushion” the negative climatic impact, they just need to be applied
in practice. As for the water issue, I can say that last year had no
deficit of humidity, but the water for some reason disappeared. This
year just let them claim there is no water!” Berberyan told the press
on Wednesday.

Berberyan praised the government measures aimed at supporting farmers,
however stressed that there is a need for serious legislative reforms.

The government last week approved the oat, corn, millet, sainfoin
(a forage grain) production development program for 2013, according
to which 850 tons of spring-planted oat seeds, 11 tons of corn
seeds, 37 tons of millet seeds and 530 tons of sainfoin seeds will
be purchased from foreign and local producers and distributed to
farmers at favorable terms. The government program is expected to
enhance the sowing fields, increase the gross volume of crops and the
farmer income. The government has allotted more than 700 million drams
(around $1.7 million) to the purchase of seeds.

“The selling price to the villagers will be lower than the market
price, plus we are going to subsidize 40 percent of it,” Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan stated.

Last year the government gave wheat seeds to farmers with a condition
to return by 2:1 kg ratio, however the seeds were low-quality, hence
did not yield good crops. Berberyan is hopeful this year things
won’t repeat.

According to Berberyan, the post-election unrest will not interfere
with villagers’ work. (There had been speculation that villagers may
get caught up in protests that might interfere with seasonal work.)

“Agriculture is stable, we don’t like tribulations. In Ararat plain the
land workers will be in the fields and orchards in some 10 days, so no
‘shocks’ can affect the development of agriculture. A villager wants
to work and earn his family’s living, nothing else,” said Berberyan.

ROBOTICS STARTS FROM SCHOOL

15:43 27/02/2013 ” ECONOMY

Today, a joint press conference was held at VivaCell-MTS Headquarters
on the theme “Robotics starts from school”. The conference was
presided by:
Karen Vardanyan, the Executive Director of the Union of Information
Technology Enterprises
Ralph Yirikian, VivaCell-MTS General Manager
Anna Sedrakyan, Cronimet Charity Foundation Director
ShaghikMarukhyan, World Vision Armenia Operations Manager

The Union of Information Technology Enterprises, in cooperation with
VivaCell-MTS, Cronimet Charity Foundation, World Vision Armenia and
Counterpart International Armenia, plan to set up robotics groups in 50
Armenian schools. The aim of this initiative is to raise interest among
pupils towards robotics, develop their engineering thinking, as well as
to prepare potential students for studying in technical universities.

“Year by year the number of students interested in robotics and eager
to participate in robotics competitions increases, and they, by the
way, have great success during the competitions. In order to promote
developments the Union has designed a robot set for the study groups.

Currently it is planned to carry out pilot project within the frames of
which 50 Armenian schools will be provided relevant sets of educational
robots”, said the UITE Executive Director Karen Vardanyan.

“The development of robotics is one of the prospects of strengthening
competitiveness in our country. VivaCell-MTS supports by all possible
means the initiatives meant for the development of the field. The
enthusiasm, interest, students’ own demand to learn new things make
schools an ideal environment for establishing a sound basis for
robotics field in Armenia. Certainly, many students would wish to be
specialized particularly in the robotics filed as an essential area,
thus becoming carriers of advantages for competitiveness in the word”,
said VivaCell-MTS Ralph Yirikian. “The development of robotics will
distinctly reduce the “brain outflow,”added VivaCell-MTS General
Manager.

The courses for school groups will start in September 2013. Within
the frames of this project it is envisaged to train the teaching
staff from respective schools in June – July. The programming of
educational robots will be implemented through Labview, Microsoft
robotics studio programmes.

Today there are robotics groups in the following schools of
Yerevan:”AYB” high school, Polytechnic basic college and Quantum
College, as for the regions, in Lori (Akhtala), Syunik (Sisian,
Kapan), Shirak (Gyumri) and Aragatsotn (Talin).

Source: Panorama.am

SUMGAIT POGROM VICTIMS COMMEMORATED IN ISRAEL

February 27, 2013 – 15:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Israeli city of Petah Tikva commemorated the victims
of the 1988 Sumgait pogrom at a Tuesday, February 26 event.

As the press attache of the Ararat Union of Armenians of Israel
Mendel Korsunski told PanARMENIAN.Net those gathered were briefed
on the history of the conflict and atrocities perpetrated against
Armenians in Azerbaijan.

“The Ordinary Genocide” documentary was screened at the event,
followed by a moment of silence for the victims of Sumgait massacres.

KONSTANTIN ZATULIN: SERZH SARGSYAN WILL HAVE TO REPLACE HIS PRIME MINISTER DURING HIS SECOND TERM

ARMINFO
Wednesday, February 27, 12:19

It is time for the political elite of Armenia to realize that the
current post- election situation may affect the country and it is
necessary to seek consensus with the opposition, says Konstantin
Zatulin, Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, in an interview
with ArmInfo.

He is sure that change of power would have harmful effect on
Armenia, as a spontaneous unmanageable force will come to replace
the legitimately elected authorities.

“Long-term destabilization of the domestic political situation is
inadmissible for Armenia, for the country is between two enemies,
Azerbaijan and Turkey. The political elite must realize this,”
he said. Zatulin stressed the necessity of a series of political
consultations between the authorities and the opposition.

As regards Raffi Hovannisian, Leader of Heritage Party, who took
the second place in the presidential election, Zatulin said: “Leader
of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian does not want to admit that he
received such quantity of votes just because there were no serious
opponents. He received also the votes of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Gagik
Tsarukyan, who refused to run for president.”

The expert said that by shaking the political situation in the country
Hovannisian may lose the votes given to him. In addition, it is very
dangerous, he said.

Commenting on the rumors that Moscow is discontented at Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan who maybe replaced for that reason, Zatulin said
that such politician as Serzh Sargsyan, undoubtedly, realizes the
necessity of changes.

“President of Armenia realizes that he will have to replace the prime
minister during his second term. The country’s economic policy vector
for the coming 5 years and its cooperation with allies depend on
future prime minister,” Zatulin said.

AZERI EMBASSY INCITES BRAWL AT FRENCH PARLIAMENT

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

The capacity crowd, among them members of the French Parliament,
turned out to mark the anniversary of Sumgait Porgoms

People affiliated with the Azeri Embassy in Paris begin brawl at an
event marking the 25th anniversary of the Sumgait Porgoms

PARIS-An Azeri delegation disrupted a commemoration event marking the
25th anniversary of the Sumgait Massacres taking place inside the
French Parliament Tuesday when they refused to stand in observance
of a moment of silence for the victims.

According to Mourad Papazian, chairman of the Coordinating Council
of Armenian Organization in France (CCAF), one of the Azeris punched
an event organizer, Hratch Varjabedian, who had approached them to
inquire about their show of disrespect.

Eyewitnesses reported that one of the Azeris shouted that he would
only stand to commemorate “the victims of Khojaly.”

After Varjabedian was punched, a group of young Armenians rushed to
the scene and a brawl ensued before audience members broke it up and
police cordoned off the room.

Surprisingly, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to France, Elchin Amirbeyov
immediately arrived at the scene accompanied by other embassy officials
and issued a condemnation of the attack.

The APA news agency reported on its Web site that Armenians locked
the door of the auditorium and were accompanied by French members of
the audience in “brutally” beating them.

The event, entitled, “Sumgait events after 25 years: the present
situation and future prospects for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh”
was organized by French Parliament member Francois Roshebloun and
was attended by several parliament members.

The Nor Serount in France (AYF of France) cancelled a day-long
demonstration scheduled to take place Wednesday in front of the Azeri
Embassy in France for fear of more Azeri-initiated violence.

TEVAN POGHOSIAN: THIS STRUGGLE IS NOT AIMED AGAINST ANYONE

Wednesday,
February 27

Deputy of Heritage parliamentary faction Tevan Poghosian spoke about
the post-election developments at the session of the National Assembly
today. In his words, everybody placed great hopes on the election
but there is no national enthusiasm at the moment.

“The only issue on the agenda is whether the election helped restore
the people’s trust and whether there is currently a situation when
the desire to move forward arouses popular enthusiasm. Personally,
I don’t see this. But the positive thing is that civil society is
now stronger than ever,” Tevan Poghosian stated.

As regards the ongoing struggle, the deputy said it is a struggle for
all citizens, it is not aimed against anybody, and this struggle will
succeed, regardless of whether it is accepted or not.

26.02.2013, 20:25

Aysor.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: OFFICERS IN CIVVIES WATCH OVER RAFFI HOVANNISIAN’S PUBLIC MEETINGS

TERT.AM
10:55 ~U 27.02.13

Armenian ex-presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian’s public
meeting in Armenia’s regions were marked by the presence of numerous
law-enforcers in civvies.

They were taking pictures of the citizens present at the meetings. The
local police officers will later visit each of the citizens to ask,
persuade or even threaten them – they must not take part in Raffi
Hovannisian’s rallies nor must they even think of arriving in Yerevan.

However, the officers in civvies had one more task to accomplish,
which succeeded in Artashat. One of them insulted David Sanasaryan,
a Heritage party member. It was no mere coincidence. The aim of the
provocation was Mr Sanasaryan’s detention and arrest, which failed.

One of the law-enforcers tried to prevent the newspaper’s report from
performing his duties, striking his camera, pushed him and demanded
that he stop taking pictures.

ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE : LE DEBAT SUR L’ACCORD ANTI-KURDES ANNULE

Publie le : 27-02-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente cette information publiee sur le site ActuKurde le 26
fevrier 2013.

ActuKurde

Le debat sur l’accord anti-kurdes annule

2013-02-26 13:35:51

Le debat a la commission des affaires etrangères de l’Assemblee
Nationale sur l’accord anti-kurdes signe entre Paris et Ankara est
annule, après une intense campagne de sensibilisation.

La commission des affaires etrangères de l’Assemblee Nationale devait
examiner mardi 26 fevrier le projet de loi sur la cooperation dans
le domaine de la securite interieure entre les deux pays. Il s’agit
d’un accord qui permet aux forces de securite turques et francaises
de mener une lutte commune sur le terrain contre les militants de la
cause kurde. Signe a Ankara le 7 octobre 2011, sous la presidence de
Nicolas Sarkozy, ce projet a ete soumis au parlement, le 1er aout 2012,
par le gouvernement socialiste.

” Nous avions appele ce projet de cooperation le projet ‘anti-kurdes’.

Depuis la signature de cet accord, nous n’avons eu de cesse d’informer,
de debattre et ces derniers jours toutes les associations rassemblees
dans la coordination de solidarite avec le Kurdistan ont deploye une
energie fantastique pour recueillir 5000 signatures a l’adresse des
deputes ‘Ne votez pas ce projet de loi’. Nos deputes du Front de
Gauche ont ete super-reactifs… Alors, la bonne nouvelle est que
cette reunion est officiellement annulee. Pas de discussion sur cet
accord. ” a declare Sylvie Jan, responsable nationale du Reseau PCF
Solidarite Kurdistan.

Parallèlement a la campagne de petitions lancee par le Parti Communiste
Francais (PCF), une autre campagne ” Non aux accords de cooperation
policière franco-turque ” a ete menee sur Avaaz.org a l’initiative
d’Andre Metayer, president des Amities Kurdes de Bretagne. En deux
jours, près de 5 000 signatures ont ete rassemblees sur le site.

” On ne lâche rien, parce que pendant ce temps le procès des 17
militants kurdes continue et nous avons appris hier qu’ils risquaient
tous de la prison ferme ” a dit Sylvie Jan.

Le 12 fevrier 2013, dix-sept autres kurdes ont ete arretes
a Bordeaux et a Toulouse, au moment où le ministre francais des
Affaires etrangères Laurent Fabius recevait a Paris son homologue
turc, Ahmet Davutoglu. Onze de ces kurdes ont ete mis en examen
pour “association de malfaiteurs en relation avec une entreprise
terroriste”, “financement du terrorisme” ou encore “tentatives
d’extorsion”, après avoir comparu devant un tribunal de Paris. Parmi
eux, sept ont ete places en detention provisoire et les quatre places
sous contrôle judiciaire.

En France, près de 250 kurdes ont ete arretes depuis 2007 pour des
motifs politiques, selon un decompte de l’ActuKurde. Arrete en octobre
2012, Adem Uzun, le membre du conseil executif du Congrès National
du Kurdistan (KNK), base a Bruxelles, est toujours en prison. Enfin,
l’assassinat de trois militantes kurdes a Paris, le 9 janvier, n’a
toujours pas ete elucide.

” La France doit mettre ses accords economiques au service de la
paix et non au renforcement de la repression des progressistes, ici
et en Turquie. … On fait grandir la chaîne de sensibilisation,
de conscience a conscience ” a ajoute la responsable nationale du
Reseau PCF Solidarite Kurdistan.

Lire aussi :

Appel aux deputes contre la cooperation policière franco-turque

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : ActuKurde

LA PRODUCTION DE BRANDY EN HAUSSE DE 26 POUR CENT

La production de brandy en Armenie au cours des dix premiers mois de
2012 est en hausse de 26,5 pour cent compare a 2011 a 14.15 millions
de litres, selon les derniers chiffres du Service National de la
Statistique.

La production de vin s’est contractee de 20,4 % a 3,6 millions
de litres. La production de vodka et des spiritueux entre janvier
et septembre est en hausse de 28,7 pour cent compare a 2011 a 7,9
millions de litres.

La production de bière a connu une baisse de 8,2 pour cent a 12,23
millions de litres et la production de boissons sans alcool est en
hausse a 33,7 millions de litres soit une hausse de 9,8 % compare
a 2011.

mercredi 27 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com