Author: Kanayan Tamar

POLITICIANS ATTEND PROTEST MARCH IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL DAILY

12:56 pm | January 30, 2013 | Politics

The employees of Zhoghovord daily accompanied by journalists and
politicians are presently heading for the Court of General Jurisdiction
of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts. They are going
to hand over a petition with a demand to lift the 3 Million AMD freeze
from the newspaper’s property.

Among the participants of the protest march are Sasun Mikaelyan,
Petros Makeyan, Garnik Isagulyan and many others.

The freeze stems from a January 19 slander suit filed by Khachik
Khachatryan, owner of Yerevan Poultry Factory and president of X
Group. The latter argues that the paper smeared his good name and the
reputation of the factory in a September 2012 article, claiming that
the Ministry of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspectorate had fined the
company for selling eggs past their due date.

The newspaper says that the freeze might prevent its further operation.

ARMENIA-RUSSIA: SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIALS FROM MOSCOW DISCUSS PROSPECTS OF STRONGER COOPERATION IN YEREVAN

News | 30.01.13 | 10:45

Photo:

President Serzh Sargsyan received the Minister of Defense of the
Russian Federation Sergei Shoygu (left)

By Naira Hayrumyan ArmeniaNow correspondent

On January 28, which was officially marked as Army Day in Armenia,
the South Caucasus country was unexpectedly visited by Russian Defense
Minister Sergey Shoygu and Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha, who had an impressive
delegation with him.

Enlarge Photo RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan hosts his Russian
counterpart Sergey Shoygu (right)

While the visits were described as ‘scheduled’ ones, as a matter of
fact both took place in an unannounced manner.

During their meetings with the top leadership of Armenia the Russian
officials gave “assurances’ that the military cooperation between
Armenia and Russia, both bilateral ties and ties within the framework
of the CSTO, would “further expand and deepen”.

During a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Seyran
Ohanyan on Tuesday, Shoygu explained that the matter concerned
“additional elements of security of Armenia.” He did not elaborate
on that.

The visit to Armenia by Russian Defense Minister Shoygu coincided with
the meetings of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with
the OSCE Minsk Group co-heads in Paris, France. The meetings also
discussed the issue of the Stepanakert airport. In a statement, the
Co-Chairs included a reference to their own statement on the airport
of July 13, 2012, in which they noted: “The Co-Chairs received renewed
assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of
force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic
steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue.”

In fact, the parties gave guarantees of the non-use of force against
civil aircraft. This means either that the question now concerns not
civil, but military aircraft or that the Co-Chairs can’t agree on
who should be in charge of ensuring the security of the airport.

Probably Russia, willfully or with the consent of the other co-chair
countries, the United States and France, has decided to deploy modern
air defense systems in Karabakh to become a “guarantor” of Karabakh’s
security, and at the same time get a military airport in the strategic
location. It is not excluded that the matter concerns joint use of
the airport by the Russian forces and NATO.

“I don’t think that any state today will, indeed, allow itself
to destroy civilian aircraft. So I don’t treat this information
seriously,” said CSTO Secretary General Bordyuzha in Yerevan, terming
Azerbaijan’s threats to shoot down planes a ‘bad joke’. But in doing
so he only reaffirmed that the matter concerns non-civilian aircraft.

Either way, the visit of two senior Russian military officials to
Armenia 20 days before the presidential election and on an official
holiday, Army Day, looked like a sign of Russia’s ultimate return
to Armenia.

“We are particularly pleased that [your visit] is taking place during
the days when the Armenian Army is celebrating the 21st anniversary
of its establishment. This is very symbolic and in full accordance
with the spirit and dynamic trends of the deepening Armenian-Russian
alliance,” said Armenian Minister Ohanyan.

For several months before the election, President Sargsyan has been
trying to build his policy on attempts to diversify the country’s
foreign-policy orientation, reducing dependence on Russia by means
of establishing closer relations with the European Union and the
United States.

But less than three weeks before the ballot in which Sargsyan hopes
to be reelected to the number one political post in the country,
and especially after the visits of Shoygu and Bordyuzha, there seems
to be little left from that attempt at diversification. Meanwhile,
in Yerevan Armenia and Russia signed a memorandum on the foundation
of a CSTO academy. It was said that chassis for Russian KamAZ trucks
will be assembled in Armenia where service centers for the maintenance
of military equipment will also be founded. Bordyuzha reminded that
some of these centers are already functioning as centers for servicing
the vehicles of the Armenian Armed Forces.

According to Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia
Artur Baghdasaryan, in 2013 Armenia will host more than two dozen
events within the framework of its cooperation with the CSTO.

Baghdasaryan also said that the CSTO Academy will start functioning
already in a few months. “This is going to be a very serious analytical
center,” the Armenian official underscored.

AMERIABANK PROFITS MORE THAN DOUBLED TO 6.2BLN DRAMS IN 2012

YEREVAN, January 30. /ARKA/. Ameriabank’s profits more than doubled to
6.2bln drams in 2012 compared to the year before, the bank’s financial
director Gevorg Tarumyam told journalists Wednesday.

“If compared to average indicators of the banking system as a whole,
we had provided more dynamic growth in relation to practically all
parameters. For instance, an approximately 1% decline in profits is
recorded in the banking system, whereas Ameriabank’s profits more
than doubled compared to the last year”, Tarumyan said. This is the
second highest profit in Armenia’s banking system in the period.

The bank’s assets grew by 22% to 245bln drams in 2012 against 2011,
which is also above the average level recorded among the banks,
according to the financial director.

Ameriabank’s investments in loans rose by 7% (146bln drams) and the
liabilities grew by 25% (245bln drams).

“Funds attracted from clients grew by 39%, and it is important to
mention that demand liabilities increased by about 48%. This means
that new clients see us a convenient bank for effecting transactions”,
Tarumyan said.

Time deposits grew by about 35% partly due to special deposit offer
“Learn the Value of Money” that attracted a total of around 4bln
drams in deposits (about 9% of the overall deposit base) during two
and a half months, according to Ameriabank’s financial director.

Ameriabank closed joint stock company is a universal bank offering
investment, corporate and retail banking services in a complex solution
package. Ameriabank has been the first investment bank in Armenia. It
has been providing a wide range of innovative banking services since
2007. ($1=407.75drams). -0-

AMERIABANK TO OPEN NEW SUBSIDIARIES ACROSS ARMENIA

January 30, 2013 – 15:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Ameriabank CJSC CFO reported a 28% growth in
client base, with the number of the legal and physical persons having
increased by 14% and 29% respectively.

“Current situation has prompted the opening of another subsidiary
in Yerevan, as well as a number of new offices in major cities of
Armenia,” Gevorg Tarumyan told a news conference.

Currently, the bank has 9 subsidiaries located in Yerevan, NKR,
Kajaran, Dilijan and Vanadzor.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL WILL BE PLACED IN PASADENA

NEWS.AM
January 30, 2013 | 14:49

A memorial commemorating Armenian Genocide victims will be placed
in Pasadena.

It is expected to be by April 24, 2015, the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, Los Angeles Times reported.

The winning design for a public memorial was announced on Tuesday. A
student at the Art Center College of Design Catherine Menard presented
her concept for consideration of the committee dealing with the
memorial.

~SAt first I felt unworthy — who am I to respond to such loss?~T
she said in a statement.

~SBut art lends itself to the deepest, darkest parts of human
experience. It can create sympathy, empathy, understanding. I wanted
to pair this horror with something uplifting and beautiful, to create
a way to remember. I developed three different ideas and settled on
the one that I felt most terrified and most moved by,~T Los Angeles
Times quotes Menard.

WE KNOW HOW ARMENIANS WERE MASSACRED AND ERADICATED IN TURKEY – KURDISH PARTY LEADER

NEWS.AM
January 30, 2013 | 00:04

The Turkish parliament’s pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party
(BDP) Co-Chair Gultan Kisanak severely criticized the recent attacks
that were carried out against elderly Armenian women in Istanbul’s
densely-Armenian-populated Samatya neighborhood.

She recalled that five Armenian women were assaulted in the past 1.5
months, and one of these attacks had ended tragically, Evrensel daily
of Turkey reports.

“During the assault against the 84-year-old Armenian woman, there was
money on the table but they did not take it; this proves yet again
that the attacks are carried out on grounds of racial hatred.

We know very well how the Armenians in this country were eradicated,
subjected to massacres. We know about the still-bleeding wounds of
Turkey’s recent past.

The attacks against Armenians are continuing systematically in the
past 1.5 months, but neither the police nor the authorities are giving
explanations; this is the embarrassment of this country.

We stand with our Armenian citizens. We will never leave them alone,”
Kisanak stated.

ARMENIA’S FM ACHIEVES SUCCESS IN PARIS TALKS – ANALYST

TERT.AM
12:18 ~U 30.01.13

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian seems to have registered
a progress at the meeting with the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs and
Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov on January 28 in Paris,
political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

At a news conference today he reminded that according to the statement
released by the co-chairs the issue on operation of Stepanakert airport
was also discussed at the meeting. “Judging from further developments
and Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that the airport will soon be operated
it may be concluded that Nalbandian has achieved a success in this
issue,” he said.

The political analyst said that on the other hand it is obvious that
Azerbaijan is trying to change the format of negotiations wanting
Turkey to be engaged in it while the Armenian side is doing everything
to preserve the existing format and currently has better relations
with the international community which cannot be said about Azerbaijan.

The political analyst also stressed that the meeting was a working
one and it is possible that the negotiation process continues on the
level of presidents.

In Paris the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs discussed with the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan the working proposals addressed
to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as issues
on operation of Stepanakert airport.

PASADENA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL “TO SHED 1.5 MILLION TEARS” IN A YEAR

11:45, 30 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANAURY 30, ARMENPRESS. Student at the Art Center College of
Design Catherine Menard won the tender announced for the design of a
public memorial in Pasadena commemorating the Armenian Genocide. As
reports “Armenpress” the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee
praised Catherine Menard’s design as an “an emotionally compelling
design” that would serve to “inspire a similar emotional connection
in those who encounter it, for generations to come.”

The central feature of Menard’s design — a carved-stone basin of
water straddled by a tripod arrangement of three columns leaning into
one another — is a single drop of water that falls from the highest
point every three seconds, each “teardrop” representing one life lost,
according to the college. Over the course of one year, 1.5 million
“tears” will fall into the pool, representing the estimated number
of people who died during the Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1918 Turkey.

Menard had to first immerse herself in the brutal history of the
Armenian people to come up with concept. In a statement, Menard said
the research process was engrossing and inspirational. “At first I felt
unworthy — who am I to respond to such loss?” she said. “But art lends
itself to the deepest, darkest parts of human experience. It can create
sympathy, empathy, and understanding. I wanted to pair this horror
with something uplifting and beautiful, to create a way to remember.

AZERBAIDJAN : RSF CONDAMNE L’INTERPELLATION DE JOURNALISTES ET D’ACTIVISTES

Publie le : 30-01-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette information publiee sur le site des Reporters
Sans Frontières le 29 janvier 2013.

Legende photo : Activiste arrete par des policiers pendant une
manifestation, Bakou © AI

Reporters Sans Frontières

RSF condamne l’interpellation brutale de journalistes et d’activistes
de premier plan

Azerbaïdjan

Publie le mardi 29 janvier 2013.

Reporters sans frontières (RSF) exprime sa profonde indignation
face a la brutale interpellation de journalistes et de net-citoyens
de premier plan, en marge d’une manifestation a Bakou (capitale),
le 26 janvier 2013.

” Le regime d’Ilham Aliev n’en finit pas de demontrer son mepris pour
les libertes fondamentales, a deplore Christophe Deloire, secretaire
general de l’organisation. La brutalisation intolerable de figures de
premier plan de la lutte pour les droits de l’homme et la liberte de
l’information, revet de toute evidence un caractère demonstratif et de
vengeance personnelle. Les autorites cherchent a juguler et decourager
la parole critique en faisant taire ceux-la meme qui denoncent
regulièrement la triste situation des droits de l’homme dans le pays.

”

” Quelques jours seulement après le rejet, par l’Assemblee
parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe, d’une resolution sur les
prisonniers politiques en Azerbaïdjan, ce nouveau coup porte a la
societe civile temoigne du profond sentiment d’impunite des autorites
azerbaïdjanaises. Il est urgent que la communaute internationale
se ressaisisse et fasse comprendre a Bakou que de tels agissements
sont incompatibles avec son appartenance au Conseil de l’Europe,
a l’Organisation pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe (OSCE)
et son association avec l’Union europeenne (UE). ”

Une centaine de manifestants ont ete interpelles lors de la dispersion
d’une manifestation a Bakou, le 26 janvier 2013. Ils entendaient
protester contre la violente repression, quelques jours auparavant,
d’une emeute a Ismailly, a 200 kilomètres de la capitale.

Outre des militants de mouvements d’opposition tels que le Front
populaire, Musavat et NIDA, parmi les personnes interpellees figuraient
les celèbres journalistes Khadija Ismaïlova et Chahveled Tchobanoglu,
les blogueurs Emin Milli, Zaur Gurbanli, Bakhtiyar Hadjiyev, ainsi que
les journalistes et defenseurs des droits de l’homme de la region du
Nakhitchevan, Malahat Nasibova et Ilgar Nasibov. D’autres journalistes
ont egalement ete interpelles alors qu’ils couvraient l’evenement,
comme le directeur du site d’information Telebe.az, Mursel Aliev,
et le correspondant du portail 1news.az, Zaur Rasulzadeh. Gilets
d’identification et cartes de presse n’ont aucunement empeche les
policiers en civil de disperser violemment les professionnels des
medias.

La brutalite des forces de l’ordre n’a pas faibli une fois la
manifestation dispersee. Les policiers ont fait usage de gaz
lacrymogène a l’interieur du vehicule qui conduisait au commissariat
une trentaine de personnes, dont Malahat Nasibova et Ilgar Nasibov.

Les fenetres etant fermees, de nombreuses personnes se sont senties
mal, y compris le chauffeur, qui a occasionne un accident. Une
ambulance a dû etre appelee au commissariat numero 37 du district
de Khatai, où les personnes apprehendees ont ete placees en garde
a vue pendant quatre heures. D’autres manifestants ont ete conduits
aux commissariats des districts de Nasimi et de Sabail.

La plupart ont ete liberes avec un avertissement verbal. Mais des
sanctions ont ete prononcees contre les plus connus, en vertu de
la nouvelle legislation sur les manifestations illegales, inspiree
de l’exemple russe. Le blogueur Emin Milli a ete incarcere pour 15
jours, ainsi que trois militants d’opposition. Bakhtiyar Hadjiyev a
ete condamne a une amende de 600 manats (environ 570 euros), Khadija
Ismaïlova a 400 manats (environ 380 euros).

Un certain nombre de ces journalistes et activistes etaient intervenus
devant l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe, la semaine
dernière, pour temoigner de la situation des libertes publiques en
Azerbaïdjan. La seance s’etait close le 23 janvier par l’adoption
d’une resolution sur la situation des droits de l’homme dans le pays,
une bonne nouvelle largement temporisee par le rejet d’une resolution
specifique sur les prisonniers politiques.

Allez plus loin : rejoignez le groupe “Support Azerbaijani Activists
in Administrative Detention” sur Facebook !

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Reporters Sans Frontières

LA RUSSIE CONDAMNE LES MENACES DES AUTORITES AZERIES
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 30 janvier 2013

Nikolay Bordyuzha, le secretaire general russe de l’Organisation du
Traite de securite collective (OTSC), a rejete mardi 29 janvier les
menaces de l’Azerbaïdjan qui veut abattre des avions civils volant
dans la zone du Haut-Karabakh sans autorisation.

” Je considère l’Azerbaïdjan comme un pays civilise qui adhère a des
normes universelles “, a-t-il dit lors d’une visite a Erevan. ” Je
doute fort que les dirigeants de tous les pays peuvent ordonner la
destruction deliberee des avions civils … Je ne prends pas cette
information au serieux. ”

L’Azerbaïdjan a declare que le projet de lancement de vols commerciaux
entre Erevan et Stepanakert constituerait une violation de sa
souverainete du Karabagh. Les autorites de Bakou ont officiellement
autorise l’armee azerbaïdjanaise d’abattre ces avions.

L’Armenie et le president du Karabagh ont condamne ces menaces,
disant qu’elles vont a l’encontre du droit international. Bordyuzha
a indique que l’Armenie, qui est membre de l’OTSC, peut compter sur
le soutien de la Russie dans le cadre d’une eventuelle et nouvelle
guerre avec l’Azerbaïdjan.

Bordyuzha a parle aux journalistes mardi après avoir signe avec
Artur Baghdassarian, secretaire du Conseil de securite nationale de
l’Armenie, de nouveaux accords visant a consolider la cooperation
militaire russo-armenienne dans le cadre de l’OTSC.

mercredi 30 janvier 2013, Laetitia ©armenews.com