Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS SENDS CONDOLENCES ON DEATH OF IGNATIOS IV PATRIARCH

news.am
December 07, 2012 | 19:35

On December 7, Garegin II the Catholicos of all Armenians sent a letter
of condolences to the Holy Synod of Antioch Greek Orthodox Church,
to the spiritual theme, and the religious people on the death of
Ignatios IV Patriarch.

The information center of Holy See informed that the condolence letter
particularly said:

“His Holiness bravely served the church of Syria throughout his whole
life and became an example of leadership during the Middle East crisis.

We pray to God to accept the Patriarch’s spirit to his kingdom and
also ask Him to bring peace to people of Syria.”

REP. SHERMAN: WE MUST HOLD AZERBAIJAN ACCOUNTABLE FOR INJUSTICE

December 7, 2012 – 10:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Congressman Brad Sherman was presented the Mkhitar
Gosh medal at a Congressional celebration of the 21st anniversary of
the independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh held on Dec 5.

Earlier this year, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan awarded
the Mkhitar Gosh Medal to Mr. Sherman for his efforts to enhance
U.S.-Armenian relations and to achieve international recognition of
the Armenian Genocide.

Sherman, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
has been leading efforts since 1997 to provide U.S. aid to the people
of Artsakh.

In his remarks during the celebration, Congressman Sherman said:
“Today we celebrate Artsakh’s freedom and independence. Artsakh
continues to strengthen its democracy and held its fifth presidential
election this year. The election in July 2012 was monitored and deemed
free and fair by international observers.

“Despite Azerbaijan’s deeply unjust blockade and a devastating war
in from 1991 to 1994, Artsakh continues to solidify its democracy
and improve its economy. Nagorno Karabakh has been successful in its
transition from a state-run economy to a market economy, which helped
achieve steady economic growth.

“I was the first member of Congress to introduce legislation for
direct aid to Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1997, I introduced an amendment
during the House International Relations Committee’s consideration of
a foreign aid authorization bill for fiscal year 1998 for direct U.S.

humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabakh. While this amendment did not
pass, it accelerated the movement for direct U.S. aid to Artsakh.

“In September 2012, I backed Nagorno Karabakh’s efforts to reopen
the airport in Stepanakert. The opening has been delayed several times.

Unfortunately, officials in Baku have threatened to shoot down civilian
planes traveling to Stepanakert. It is time for that airport to open.

“I condemn Baku’s pardoning and freeing of an Azeri axe-murderer,
Ramil Safarov , who was imprisoned in Hungary for killing an innocent
Armenian officer in his sleep in Budapest. We must hold Azerbaijan
accountable for this grave injustice.”

AMERIA GROUP TO KICK OFF CHRISTMAS CHARITY AUCTION FOR SICK CHILDREN

YEREVAN, December 7. /ARKA/. Ameria group is about to kick off its
traditional Christmas charity auction on December 11, Ameriabank
Development director Tigran Jrbashyan told reports on Friday.

According to him, the collected funds will be donated to helping
children with oncological, hematologic diseases and idiopathic
arthritis.

“The event will be held under “Let’s paint the dreams of our children”
motto. The donated funds will be used for the treatment of the 15
children registered in “Gift of Life,” “Ya pomogu” ( I will help) and
“Children without pain” funds’ database. These are the children with
serious diseases whose parents cannot afford paying for the treatment,”
he said.

Jrbashyan said the first charity auction held in 2010 collected 19
million drams helping 10 children. Two of them were sent abroad for
treatment, and the rest received chemotherapy in Armenia.

“As a result, six children were cured, one kid continues receiving
treatment in Hematology institute. Unfortunately, we failed to save
the lives of the two kids. In 2011 we donated nearly 21 million drams
helping 16 kids. As a result, we saved the lives of two of them,”
he added.

The public is encouraged to donate money to 1570036910764400 charity
account within the frames of the auction, he noted.

Armine Antikyan, a director of Antikyan gallery, said the auction
will be held in association with the gallery. Famous Armenian artists
accepted with enthusiasm the invitation to participate in the auction
and donated their works to the gallery. These works will be auctioned.

The works of the following masters will be exhibited: Teni Vardanyan,
Marina Dilanyan, Arshak Sargsyan, Stepan Veranyan, Samvel Saghatelyan,
Ara Alekyan, Spartak Gevorgyan, Zuleyka Bashbeuk-Melikyan, Armen
Gevorgyan, Sahak Poghosyan, Ararat Sargsyan, Samvel Chibukhchyan,
Anatoly Papanyan, Sargis Amalbashyan, Vahagn Amalbashyan, Levon
Azatyan, Nora Badalyan, Seryozha Vardanyan, Rafael Megall.

Ameria group is one of the fastest-developing investment-banking
groups in Armenia. It provides financial services.

Founded in 1998 Ameria is a leading consulting company on Armenian
consulting services market.

It offers professional management, financial and legal consulting. The
company is a financial, legal and strategic advisor and a partner
to clients in public and private sectors as well as to international
organizations in Armenia and the South Caucasus. -0-

OSKANIAN: IT WAS A NECESSARY VISIT

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:04 07/12/2012

After returning from Brussels, member of the PAP delegation Vartan
Oskanian posted his impressions on his Facebook page. He described
the visit as a necessary one.

According to him, it was necessary that the PAP, as an influential
force in Armenia, presented its opinions on the country’s present
and future.

Second, it was important that the European Union, as one of the most
important partners of Armenia, perceived PAP as a reliable partner.

Third, it was necessary to dispel the misunderstanding that the PAP
is a strongly biased force which does not support European values.

Vartan Oskanian says that the visit was effective. The European
side was interested in the essence of Prosperous Armenia party,
its plans for the future of the country. Besides the Europeans
were interested to know what responsibility the PAP is ready to get
through the negotiations on the EU-Armenia Association and the Deep
and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements.

Prosperous Armenia was interested in a sincere and objective assessment
of the European Union to the processes in Armenia, the ongoing reforms.

According to Vartan Oskanian, both sides received answers to their
questions.

WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION RISKS AT ARMENIA’S MEDICAL AND SOCIAL EXPERTISE COMMISSIONS – PREMIER

NEWS.AM
December 06, 2012 | 15:17

YEREVAN. – Inspections and in-depth studies were conducted at Armenia’s
medical and social expertise commissions, Labor and Social Affairs
Minister Artem Asatryan stated during Thursday’s Cabinet session.

As a result, the Medical and Social Expertise Agency Director and six
expertise commission chiefs are dismissed. Also, several employees
working in this sector were relieved of their duties in line with
their respective letters of resignation.

To note, these commissions determine the disability categories of
the citizens of Armenia.

Also, Asatryan submitted for the Government’s approval four draft
decisions that aim to regulate the activities of these commissions.

“Studies show that the corruption risks are widespread in this system,”
PM Tigran Sargsyan noted, in his turn.

RUSSIA HAS NO LEVERAGE TO PRESS TURKEY ON SYRIA

NEWS.AM
December 07, 2012 | 15:29

YEREVAN.- Russia will hardly be able to influence Turkey on Syrian
issue, Armenian political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan said.

Vladimir Putin, most likely, voiced Russia’s position on Syria
during his recent visit to Turkey but they would hardly listen,
Iskandaryan belives.

“Turkey’s risky policy ‘zero problems with neighbors’ brought the
country to ‘zero neighbors without problems’. However, Russia has
not that much instruments to press Turkey,” said Iskandaryan, head
of the Caucasus Institute.

The situation in Syria can be characterized as a deadlock, as the
opposition does not have enough opportunities and resources to seize
power. Bashar Assad has resources to finally suppress and press
opposition out of the country. The dangerous balance can be violated,
for instance by Washington, but no one takes the courage of making
any steps, he emphasized.

ARMENIA IS UNANIMOUS WITH THE CO-CHAIR COUNTRIES IN ACHIEVING A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

15:19 07.12.2012

Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward Nalbandian at the 19th Meeting of the
OSCE Ministerial Council

Mr. Chairman,

Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to convey my gratitude to the Chairman-in-Office,
Eamon Gilmore and his team for the significant contribution to the
activities of the Organization throughout the year, as well as to
commend the Irish Government for the warm hospitality and excellent
organization of this Ministerial meeting.

Thanks to the efforts of the Irish Chairmanship and the constructive
stance of many delegations a number of important initiatives have
been introduced.

I would like especially to mention the Irish Chairmanship’s “Helsinki +
40” initiative which is aimed at the realization of a vision of free,
democratic, common and indivisible security community envisaged in
the Astana Commemorative Declaration.

Mr. Chairman,

In the political-military dimension of our cooperation confidence
and security building measures as well as arms control remain key
priorities for the OSCE. We welcome the proposal of Vienna Document
Plus Decision on Prior Notification of Major Military Activities and
further modernization of this document.

We welcomed the priority of the Irish Chairmanship on Good Governance.

It is our priority as well. In cooperation with the OSCE Office in
Yerevan the Government of Armenia has been implementing a project
aimed at promotion of good governance through the rapid regulatory
simplification mechanism, also known as a “regulatory guillotine”.

Together with other measures undertaken by our government, it has
had a positive impact: according to the World Bank rating on “Doing
Business”, Armenia has significantly improved its position by rising
from 50th to the 32nd place.

Mr. Chairman,

The Government of Armenia is implementing a wide package of reforms to
further consolidate the democratic institutions, strengthen the rule
of law, protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms,
improve electoral procedures and relevant legislation, strengthen
independent judicial system and expand the role of civil society.

Armenian Parliamentary elections of May 2012 were assessed by ODIHR
to be in compliance with OSCE commitments, and other international
standards for democratic elections. Armenia continues to cooperate
with ODIHR to implement recommendations of its elections’ observation
mission. We are determined to capitalize on this achievement to
hold the Presidential elections of 2013 in line with the highest
democratic standards.

Mr. Chairman,

Strengthening efforts to combat racism and xenophobia remains high on
the agenda of OSCE. Many international organizations on human rights
alerted about flagrant cases of racism, intolerance and violations of
human rights in Azerbaijan, on the policy of hatred against Armenians.

Azerbaijan is not only ignoring the expectations of the international
community, but is constantly making new steps going against the values
of civilized world. The latest such case is the Azeri government’s
release and glorification of the murderer Safarov, who had slaughtered
with an axe Armenian officer in his sleep, during a NATO program in
Budapest simply because he was Armenian. The Azerbaijani leadership
made him a symbol of national pride and an example to follow by youth.

The world reaction was unanimous in condemning what was done by Baku,
which has seriously undermined the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation
process and endangered the fragile regional stability.

Azerbaijan poses a threat to the security of the region by constantly
menacing to use force against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia along with
daily war-mongering, by rejecting the proposals on the consolidation
of the ceasefire, by systematic provocations and ceasefire violations,
by ceaseless acts of vandalism towards the Armenian historical and
cultural heritage.

Azerbaijani authorities are notorious for violations of fundamental
freedoms in their own country, and are now trying to spread this
behavior onto others. Their approach is – if a state is not recognized,
then the people living there should be deprived of the human rights
and fundamental freedoms. According to this logic, the people in the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic should not exercise the right to freedom
of movement, be cured, get education, use drinking water and even
give birth.

Armenia highly appreciates the efforts of the heads of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair states, aimed at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Latest statement adopted in Los Cabos in June of this year by
Presidents Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama and Francois Hollande, is the
fourth one made by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries
on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It is clear to whom they address the
main messages. Armenia is unanimous with the Co-Chair countries in
achieving exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict. As the
Co-Chair countries, we have many times urged to respect the ceasefire
agreement of May 1994 and to abstain from hostile rhetoric, which
fosters feelings of enmity and increases tension.

As the United States, Russia and France, we also regret that in
spite of the call in the joint statement of Deauville of May 2011
breakthrough was not achieved at the Kazan Summit in June 2011,
and it was because of the non-constructive position of Azerbaijan.

Despite the intensive efforts of the three Co-Chair countries
during the last 4 years: 15 summits, several dozens of meetings on
ministerial level, several dozens of visits of the three Co-Chairs
to the region, it has been impossible to reach a breakthrough in the
conflict resolution, because the Azerbaijani side rejected one after
another all proposals presented by the mediators.

Mr. Chairman,

While Armenia values the three Co-Chairs’ efforts for the continuation
of the negotiating process and preservation of peace, we witness
continuous Azerbaijani campaign against the Minsk Group Co-Chairs
which have the mandate of OSCE as the only negotiating format for
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Azerbaijani
officials are trying to take the negotiation process out of this
format, to replace the mediators, to denigrate Co-Chairs’ efforts to
find a negotiated solution.

The Azerbaijani side is also continuously assaulting the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, in spite of his and
his team’s efforts to not allow the escalation of the situation on
the ground.

It has become habitual for Azerbaijan to backtrack even on agreements
to which it had previously consented to. Despite the agreement on
the creation of a mechanism to investigate the ceasefire violations,
as you know, Azerbaijan did everything to prevent its creation,
even threatening to veto the entire OSCE budget.

This was the case again after the Sochi Summit of January of this
year. Despite the reached agreement to accelerate accord on the Basic
Principles for a Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, confirmed
by Los Cabos Statement, Azerbaijan by its maximalist approaches is
seeking one sided advantage in the negotiating process and is doing
everything possible to neglect, even to reject this agreement.

Regardless of Azerbaijan’s destructive stance, Armenia will continue
its efforts towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
exclusively through peaceful means and on the basis of the purposes,
principles and norms reflected in the UN Charter and the provisions
of L’Aquila, Muskoka, Deauville and Los Cabos statements of the three
Co-Chair countries’ Presidents.

Mr. Chairman,

To conclude, I would like to congratulate Mongolia for its accession
to the OSCE and express Armenia’s support to the incoming Ukrainian
Chairmanship. Thank you.

COMMEMORATION CEREMONY FOR FLORA MARTIROSYAN HELD IN LOS ANGELES
Lilit Sedrakyan

“Radiolur”
15:07 07.12.2012
Los Angeles

A commemoration ceremony for Flora Martirosyan was organized at
the St. Ghevond Mother Temple of Los Angeles. Hundreds of American
Armenians gathered at the Temple to bid last farewell to the beloved
singer.

Also in attendance were her colleagues, friends, fans, who had come
to extend their condolences to Flora Martirosyan’s spouse and children.

US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern also participated in the
ceremony. “My wife and I are in Los Angeles today, and we were honored
and moved to be part of the ceremony for Flora Martirosyan, which is
so important to the Armenian people,” the Ambassador said.

On behalf of the American Embassy and the American people John Heffern
offered condolences to her family and to the Armenian people for
their loss.

Flora Martirosyan’s body will be brought to Armenia on December 10.

The funeral will take place at Aram Khachatryan concert hall on
December 11. On the same day she will be laid to rest in Yerevan’s
Pantheon.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: ARMENIA STANDS FOR HARMONIZATION OF INTEGRATION PROCESSES, NOT THEIR CONTRADICTION

armradio.am
14:45 06.12.2012

Armenia will continue its efforts towards reinforcement of the
Commonwealth of Independent States as a structure for all-inclusive
cooperation on a wide range of issue,” Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian said in a interview with Interfax.

Edward Nalbandian said “Armenia stands for harmonization of integration
processes, not their contradiction.” “We have never declared we prefer
the Euro-Atlantic cooperation to all others,” the Minister said.

“We have allied strategic relations with Armenia. We are linked by
deep ties, which forms the solid ground, on which we can add new
stones into our strong allied relations, which have withstood the
test of time,” the Minister said.

“As for the CIS, Armenia is not only a founder, but also one of
the active members of the Commonwealth. Our country is one of the
leaders as regards the number of signed adopted documents within the
framework of the CIS. Armenia was one of the first to ratify the Free
Trade Zone Agreement,” Edward Nalbandian added.

The Minister underlined that “Armenia is successfully developing its
relations with the European Union.” “We have completed the preparation
of the Association Agreement and are negotiating the creation of a
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.”

“Armenia is conducting an open and predictable policy. We are
determined to further deepen our allied relations and develop
partnership with all counties willing to develop cooperation on a
mutually beneficial ground for the sake of the country’s maximal
involvement in international and regional formats,” the Armenian
Foreign Minister said.

“The dialogue between different integration structures can contribute
to the formation of a common space without any dividing lines for
the benefit of all states and their harmonious development,” Edward
Nalbandian concluded.

HETQ EXPOSE LEADS TO CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST FORMER MAYOR
Larisa Paremuzyan

11:54, December 6, 2012

Based on the revelations appearing in a December 4 Hetq article
[]
, the Lori Public Prosecutor has filed criminal charges against the
former Shnogh Village Mayor Haykaz Kochinyan for suspicious financial
dealings while in office.

Prosecutor Armen Shiroyan has promised to keep Hetq informed of
developments.