Author: Kanayan Tamar

HERITAGE PARTY LEADER SLAMS ICAPP BAKU DECLARATION AS ‘SHAM’

November 27, 2012 – 14:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Upon his return to Armenia, Heritage party leader
and presidential hopeful Raffi Hovannisian addressed a letter to the
co-chairmen of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties,
the 7th General Assembly of which Hovannisian had addressed in Baku
on Nov 23.

“The “Baku declaration” is a sham and a forgery. It was imposed
upon the delegates to the Assembly in flagrant disrespect of their
rights and dignity; in intentional violation of the procedures of
the organization which required a) adoption by consensus (at least
I opposed it publicly and in no uncertain terms) and b) distribution
of its final draft to all delegates before the closing session (which
was purposefully not done); and in what appeared to be a premeditated
conspiracy of commission (at least by the distinguished senator from
Pakistan who headed the drafting committee and was informed in advance
that I demanded, in accordance with the aforementioned procedural
preconditions, to see the draft declaration and to speak in reference
to it if it turned out to be one-sided, partisan and/or untruthful)
and of silence (both of you sat quietly by as the ICAPP rules and
regulations were being railroaded by the Azerbaijani delegation and the
senator in charge of drafting the resolution),” Mr. Hovannisian said.

“As you well know, not only was I denied the right to reply when
during the 4th plenary session at least five Azerbaijani delegates
attacked me by name with slanderous falsehoods and calls to arms,
but I was expressly refused my fundamental prerogative to express
my position on participating in, or opposing, the consensus required
for adoption of the declaration.”

“In short, there was no consensus; the rule of law was mocked in
broad daylight; and, what is worse, the text of the “final” document
included a section on Nagorno Karabakh which was stealthily added
at the last moment, hence rendering it a declaration of standard
Azerbaijani propaganda which not only was spurious and self-serving but
effectively supported their war rhetoric and incitement to violence
(as manifested in the most uncivil banging of fists to which all
of us can testify) instead of the cause of peace, security, and
reconciliation. How ironic. I do not know if this was the price the
ICAPP leadership had to pay in exchange for the arrangements and other
undisclosed benefits delivered by the host state and its ruling party.

Frankly, that is not my concern, but rather a matter for your
conscience and of your own fidelity to the high principles and values
of ICAPP,” the Armenian politician said.

“I hereby demand that you do the right thing, correct your misconduct,
and cancel the corruption called the “Baku declaration,” as well as
its publication, forthwith and in toto. That failing – and even if
no other delegate of good conscience registers his or her protest
in formal Fashion – I demand that you remove the word “Armenia”
from that falsified piece of paper. If the ICAPP leadership wishes
to remain complicit in this deceitful, bellicose affair, and wants
to associate itself with war and not pacific settlement, that is your
choice. I will not be a part of it,” he said.

MARYLAND COUNTY WANTS YOU TO TALK AMERICAN, NOT ARMENIAN

NOVEMBER 27, 2012 15:24

A county in northern Maryland is under the grave threat of creeping
Armenian culture, or so a local lawmaker believes. In Carroll County,
Commissioner Haven N. Shoemaker Jr. has introduced legislation that
would make English the official language of the county of 168,000
residents.

The Washington Post reports that Shoemaker~Rs bill came about after
he heard that a Washington suburb spent taxpayer money on translating
government documents into Armenian. But Carroll County is transforming
from a mostly agricultural region into an more diverse exurb of
Baltimore, and Shoemaker~Rs proposal has its detractors:

~SIt~Rs divisive,~T said Dane Manges, 31, a Manchester resident who
works in Cup, a tea bar on Main Street here. He thinks the ordinance
distracts from more substantive threats to the community~Rs traditions
and heritage, such as rapid suburbanization. ~SThese things could be
maintained without an ~Qus~R and ~Qthem~R mentality,~T he said.

Backward as official-language regulations seem, they do have some
popularity in Maryland. In February, Frederick County passed such an
ordinance in February; Queen Anne~Rs County followed suit in May.

Carroll County~Rs commissioners will debate making English their
official language at a hearing next month.

NOT ONLY CHURCHILL MUST KNOW ABOUT ARMENIAN BRANDY – KATHERINE LEACH

news.am
November 27, 2012 | 12:46

YEREVAN.- Armenian brandy remains relatively unknown out of the
CIS area, UK Ambassador to Armenia Katherine Leach told reporters
on Tuesday.

Ambassador said she would like to see more Armenian goods in British
stores as Armenia has much to export, first of all brandy. Although
Churchill loved it, the brandy is little-known out of the CIS area,
she emphasized.

Armenia’s brandy producers union can take certain moves to promote
Armenian production and form image on the markets of Western Europe,
Katherine Leach added.

At the moment Armenian brandy is not exported to UK. Small batches of
strong drinks are exported to France, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic
and Bulgaria.

LEVON ARAKELYAN’S “MIRACLE” CAVE IN ARINJ
Sona Avagyan

13:03, November 27, 2012

Many years ago Tosya Gharibyan, a resident of the Arinj village in
Kotayk Province, asked her husband to dig her potato cellar in their
home’s basement.

That request, made in 1985, changed the future direction of Levon
Arakelyan’s life.

A builder by profession, Levon proceeded to dig and dig singlehandedly
for the next 23 years until his death.

Today, curious visitors travel to Arinj to see the underground
cave/museum dug by Levon.

Tosya says that Levon saw a vision and heard a voice from the midst of
a white fog tell him, “Levon, you will perform one singular miracle
in this world. You will become sick. Do not fear any illness. What
images you see before your eyes, you will reproduce exactly.”

After this, master Levon decided to dig the potato cellar deep
and wide.

Master Levon at work Levon’s self-portrait on the courtyard wall
The underground cave goes 21 meters deep into the earth. The museum
has seven rooms that are interconnected by a maze of corridors and
steps. The floor space of the cave is 280 square meters and is located
beneath the yard of the two storey house.

Tosya Gharibyan says the temperature in the cave remains a constant
10 degrees Centigrade, in both summer and winter.

The cave is festooned with numerous stone carvings made by Levon. The
underground museum is also illuminate by electric lights.

Portions of Vigen Chaldryan’s film “Priestess” were shot here.

Levon’s only tools were a hammer and chisel. He didn’t believe in power
tools. The master builder never rested, working almost every day and
digging through successive layers of black earth, touf and basalt.

Tosya Gharibyan descending into the cave Levon’s portrait of
his wife “My husband would only catch 3-4 sleep a night. In the latter
years of the project, visitors would come with food to offer him. Levon
would complain and say they were interrupting his work. From the very
beginning, he’d fill up a bottle of mineral water and take it down
the cave. That’s what sustained him. That and his untiring spirit
and love for what he was doing. If he didn’t love what he was doing,
he’d never achieve all this. And there I was chiding him, ‘Get out
of there. It might collapse on you’. Luckily, he never listened to me.”

The first floor of the house has been transformed into a museum as
well, displaying the clothes worn and tools used by Levon. There are
also press clippings of the cave and a visitor’s sign-in book. And
the cave/museum has been a spot for many a curious visitor – whether
from Armenia, the diaspora or non-Armenian tourists.

In the yard, you can see flower pots that Levon made from the shards
and pieces of stone from the dig. There are also two stone mosaics
on the wall of the courtyard – one is of Levon, holding his hammer
and chisel, the other is Tosya, potato in hand.

Master Levon’s tools Planters in the courtyard made of stone shards
Levon Arakelyan passed away suddenly four years ago at 67. He was
working on the day he died.

“He would say, God has instructed me to do this and God will tell me
when to stop.” says Tosya.

Levon and Tosya have four daughters and 12 grandchildren.

Tosya says that in this age of modern tools and equipment, no one
will continue the work of master Levon. His hammer and chisel remain
silent, on display for all to see.

LEBANESE, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

NowLebanon
Nov 26 2012

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman discussed the latest regional
developments on Monday with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
particularly developments in neighboring Syria.

During a joint press conference with the Armenian president, Suleiman
said he briefed Sargsyan on “efforts deployed to resume dialogue
[in Lebanon] and keep it away from the negative repercussions of the
regional crises,” the National News Agency reported.

The Lebanese president also voiced his country’s support for Armenia’s
independence, and its “pride in the accomplishments of Lebanese people
of Armenian descent.”

He also expressed his desire to “reinforce the ties between Lebanon
and Armenia in the cultural and social fields.”

Meanwhile, Sargsyan voiced his concern over the fate of the Syrian
people.

“Armenia has always stood against bloodshed, and it is impossible for
the situation in Syria to be resolved without dialogue,” Sargsyan said.

Fears of a spillover of the Syrian conflict, which has raged for more
than 20 months and left over 40,000 people dead, have increased as
violence has spread to Syria’s borders with Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan,
Iraq, and Israel.

Earlier on Monday, the Armenian president arrived in Lebanon for an
official visit.

Sargsyan had been scheduled to address the Lebanese parliament.

However, last week Speaker Nabih Berri dismissed his earlier call
for a plenary legislative session to receive Sargsyan, ostensibly
due to the absence of several ministers and MPs who travelled to
the Vatican to participate in the ordination ceremony of Maronite
Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai as a cardinal.

Parliamentary activity in Lebanon has been disrupted since the
opposition March 14 coalition announced that it would cut all ties
with the current government, including meetings held by parliamentary
committees to discuss proposals transferred by the cabinet.

The boycott decision followed the assassination of Lebanon’s Internal
Security Forces intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan on October 19 in
Beirut’s Ashrafieh.

-NOW Lebanon

LEBANESE PM, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AVOW STRONGER BILATERAL RELATIONS

Now Lebanon

Nov 26 2012

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan held talks pertaining to bilateral relations during a meeting
at the government’s Grand Serail in Beirut, the National News Agency
reported on Monday.

According to the report, the two parties agreed to form a
Lebanese-Armenian committee to oversee the improvement of relations
between the two countries.

During the meeting, Miqati called for “eliminating all obstacles to
reinforcing relations” between Armenia and Lebanon.

The Lebanese premier also addressed the situation in the Middle
East region during his meeting with Sargsyan and underscored his
government’s decision to “stay away from the events in Syria,” amid
“the difficult developments in the region.”

Earlier on Monday, the Armenian president arrived in Lebanon for an
official visit.

-NOW Lebanon

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT URGES BUILDING STRONGER TIES
By Van Meguerditchian

The Daily Star
Nov 27 2012
Lebanon

BEIRUT: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan underscored Monday the
importance of deepening bilateral relations between Armenia and
Lebanon during the first day of his visit to Beirut, which also saw
the signing of two agreements between the countries.

Sargsyan said the three-day trip reflects the importance of
Armenian-Lebanese cooperation 20 years after the two countries signed
their first bilateral agreements.

“I expressed to President Michel Sleiman the importance of cooperation
with Lebanon on the global level,” he said.

“For our part, we have already taken the necessary measures to
encourage [Lebanese] investors to come to Armenia,” Sargsyan added.

Following talks with his Lebanese counterpart, Sargsyan praised
Sleiman’s efforts to preserve stability and peace in Lebanon amid
the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.

In a joint news conference at Baabda Palace, Sargsyan voiced concern
for the unrest in Syria and said that his country welcomes any attempts
at dialogue to bring stability to the war-torn country.

“We are worried about the Syrian people; their pain is also our pain,”
the president said.

After his arrival at the Rafik Hariri International Airport, the
Armenian president headed to the Baabda Palace to meet with Sleiman.

The morning meeting saw the signing of the two agreements. One will
abolish visas for diplomats and the other will allow the countries
to recognize each other’s university diplomas.

“We affirmed the mutual desire to strengthen ties between the two
countries and focused on the need to strengthen cultural and social
cooperation,” Sleiman said.

Sleiman also said he told Sargsyan of his efforts to launch National
Dialogue and distance Lebanon from regional conflicts.

Accompanied by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and Information Minister
Walid Daouk, Sargsyan then headed to Downtown Beirut and placed a
wreath of flowers in honor of the Lebanese martyrs at Martyrs Square.

Lawmakers from rival March 14 and March 8 coalitions will attend
a lunch in honor of Sargsyan at Speaker Nabih Berri’s Ain al-Tineh
residence Tuesday.

A previously planned Parliament session to welcome him was replaced
by a lunch at Berri’s residence because the session was expected to
lack quorum.

Despite their boycott of Parliament, March 14 MPs said that they
would attend the lunch because it would not be a political gathering.

“Of course we will participate in tomorrow’s lunch; it is a social
occasion to welcome the Armenian president along with other MPs from
the other camp,” Beirut MP Ammar Houri told The Daily Star.

“The reasons for boycotting the parliamentary session were purely
political and tomorrow’s occasion is not a political one.”

According to Houri, Berri’s decision to replace the Parliamentary
session with a lunch was a “wise move that prevented a new political
crisis.”

“Had such a session taken place, it would have been disrespectful,”
the lawmaker said.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati also welcomed Sargsyan in an official
ceremony at the Grand Serail.

“This visit should not end without taking the steps necessary for
the development of our cooperation. Mr. President, your visit today
signals that you consider the relations between the two countries
important,” Mikati said.

“We should remove all the obstacles that hamper the development of
bilateral relations between the two countries. The presence of our
Lebanese partners within the Armenian sects greatly contributes in
strengthening these relations,” Mikati added.

Sargsyan also called for the development of bilateral relations
and said that such visits play an important role in strengthening
relations.

“We know the circumstances that the region is going through and we
hope that Lebanon can overcome all the difficulties and we also hope
that the situation here remains stable.”

Sargsyan will visit Armenian Patriarch Aram I at the Armenian
Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias Tuesday and will hold a meeting
with students at Haigazian University in Beirut.

ARMENIA INTERESTED IN INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN CIS, EURASEC

Kyiv Post

Nov 26 2012
Ukraine

YEREVAN – An Armenian-Russian group is now working on ways to
stimulate integration processes, taking into account some geographic
characteristics, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said.

“Armenia said it is interested in integration processes in the CIS and
EurAsEC. During the recent meeting, the presidents of our countries
raised that issue and Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] pointed out
very precisely that Armenia has no common border with EurAsEC and
the Customs Union,” Sargsyan said in an interview with Interfax.

He said there is no precedent in world practice when a country without
a common border is a member of the Customs Union, and therefore a
working group has been created on the orders of the presidents of
Armenia and Russia.

“The group will work out instruments that will stimulate integration
processes with regard for these characteristics,” Sargsyan said.

ARMENIAN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT SHRINKS 2% TO 98.9BLN DRAMS IN OCTOBER

YEREVAN, November 26. /ARKA/. Armenian industrial output shrank by 2%
and exceeded 98.9bln drams in October against October 2011.

Armenia~Rs National Statistical Service reported that industrial
output grew by 2.5% in October against September.

Agricultural output went up by 1.4% to about 118.2bln drams in October
against the same period of the year before; October against September
reduction was 32.8%.

Construction output grew by 2.1% to 51.8bln drams in October 2012,
as compared with October 2011. Yet, an 8.9% fall was recorded in
construction in October against September. ($1=406.37drams). ~V0–

PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA, LEBANON DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

armradio.am
16:25 26.11.2012

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman discussed the latest regional
developments on Monday with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
particularly developments in neighboring Syria, Lebanon Now reports.

During a joint press conference with the Armenian president, Suleiman
said he briefed Sargsyan on “efforts deployed to resume dialogue
in Lebanon and keep it away from the negative repercussions of the
regional crises.”

The Lebanese president also voiced his country’s support for Armenia’s
independence, and its “pride in the accomplishments of Lebanese people
of Armenian descent.”

He also expressed his desire to “reinforce the ties between Lebanon
and Armeniain the cultural and social fields.”

Meanwhile, Sargsyan voiced his concern over the fate of the Syrian
people. “Armenia has always stood against bloodshed, and it is
impossible for the situation in Syria to be resolved without dialogue,”
Sargsyan said.

He stated that “Armenia continues the efforts to establish stability
in the South Caucasus region, adding that “Azerbaijan turns down all
suggestions of the OSCE Minsk Group and is preparing its people for a
new war, and the pardoning of a murderer is an outstanding example,”
the National News Agency reported.