Author: Kanayan Tamar

DELAY IN REFORMS REDUCES TRUST TOWARDS GOVERNMENT – ARMENIAN PM

news.am
June 04, 2012 | 20:38

BRUSSELS. – World crisis revealed Armenia’s main problems, including
wrong diversification of economy, unproductive public management system
and unequal conditions for competitiveness, Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan
said on Monday at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

The PM believes that the economic crisis promoted growth of poverty,
increase of foreign debt and high percentage of inflation. At the same
time the EU has supported the country in overcoming world financial
crisis consequences.

“Dear friends, the ideology of our reforms lies in establishment
of democratic society. We believe that the most productive way to
achieve it is the establishment of the middle class,” the PM stated
before disclosing main directions of implementation of further reforms.

“Among our priorities is the creation of appropriate conditions for
the development of the business environment. We do understand that
delay in implementation of the reforms brings forward reduction of
trust towards the Government,” Sargsyan said.

SERGEY MINASYAN: U.S. UNDERSTANDS DELICATE NATURE OF IRANIAN ISSUE FOR ARMENIA

Panorama.am
05/06/2012

“I think Hillary Clinton’s visit was too important for
Armenian-American relations. I also attach much importance to the
fact that the U.S. Secretary of State hailed the level of Armenia’s
parliamentary elections,” political scientist, deputy director of
the Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan told Panorama.am, commenting
on Hillary Clinton’s visit to the region and to Armenia in particular.

The speaker noted that the position of the U.S. on Armenian-Turkish
normalization, the latest border incident and meetings aiming to
reduce tension at the contact line coincides with Armenia’s approaches.

“In this respect, I also place a high value on the statement of the
U.S. Secretary of State that she will “have a serious conversation”
with Ilham Aliyev in Baku. However, it is clear that an adequate
response from the Armenian side is the most serious way which we can
see,” Minasyan added.

The expert also dwelt on the situation around Iran, noting that in
Yerevan Hillary Clinton said nothing about Iran, which testifies to
the fact that “the U.S. understands the peculiarities of relations
between Armenia and Iran or at least understands the significance
and the delicate nature of the Iranian issue for Armenia.”

HRANT MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN: WHAT’S IMPORTANT FOR CLINTON IS THE GEOPOLITICAL INTEREST OF THE US
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
05.06.2012 14:30

What’s important for Clinton is the geopolitical interest of the US,
and her visit was build on this basis, political scientist Hrant
Melik-Shahnazaryan told a press conference today. According to him,
Turkey continues to remain a suitable partner for the United States,
and the Armenian-Turkish process is still important.

Connected with the developments around Iran, Secretary Clinton was
trying to understand ahead of presidential elections in the US what
to expect from the region. Besides, according to melik-Shahnazaryan,
Turkey is still a convenient partner for the US. However, at the
same time the US should not allow Turkey to become too active in the
region, and the Armenian Cause is a proper mechanism to restrict this
activeness. “Official Washington wants to see a predictable region,”
the political scientist said.

The political scientist noted that “unlike the NATO summit, this
time Clinton stressed the importance of the principle of the right
of peoples to self-determination. However, the US still needs to
officially clarify its position, he added.

Speaking about the forthcoming presidential elections in Nagorno
Karabakh, Hrant Melik Shahnazaryan said “Azerbaijan will again make
a big noise in different international structures, but it’s useless,
since NKR is going to elect a President for the 5th time.”

THE POLITICAL SCIENTIST IS SURE AZERBAIJANI’S ACTIVATION WAS BECAUSE OF CLINTON’S VISIT

ARMENPRESS
5 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 5, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijan’s provocations and subversive
activities were “devoted” to the visit of U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton. Political scientist Melik Ter-Shahnazaryan had a
briefing with the journalists on June 5, Armenpress reports.

” During this kind of visits they always turn to such steps, showing
there is no status quo and the conflict is not frozen. The Azeri
are trying to cause tension and change the political situation”
Melik Shahnazaryan came forth with.

He noted that Mrs. Clinton at the press conference was expected to
criticize the incidents on the border of the contact line between
Armenian and Azerbaijan, State Secretary however only expressed concern
about the increase of the tension and about the death of the young
and innocent civilians. She hailed the sides to refrain from using
force and violence. Clinton assured President Sargsyan she will came
up with the same call in Baku.

USA Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived Yerevan on June 4. She
had meetings with President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign
Affairs Minister Edward Nalbandyan.

AZERBAIJAN ACCUSES ARMENIA OF KILLING FIVE SOLDIERS

BBC
5 June 2012

The defence ministry of Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of shooting
dead five of its soldiers on their border, a day after three Armenians
were killed.

Armenian “saboteurs” killed four soldiers in one incident and a
fifth Azerbaijani soldier was shot dead in another, the ministry said
in Baku.

There was no immediate comment from Armenia, which fought a war with
its fellow ex-Soviet state in the 1990s.

Visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for
restraint.

She arrived in Georgia on Tuesday from Armenia, with a visit to
Azerbaijan scheduled for Wednesday.

A formal ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia since their war
over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh is looking increasingly
fragile.

Fragile truce

A statement from the Azerbaijani defence ministry said an “Armenian
sabotage group” had tried to enter Azerbaijani military positions at
around 06:30 (0130 GMT) on Tuesday in the village of Asagi Askipara,
in the Qazax district of western Azerbaijan.

“However, they sustained casualties and retreated,” it said. Four
Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in the fighting, it added.

The fifth Azerbaijani soldier was killed in a separate shooting
incident in Qazax District, the ministry said, without giving details.

Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of killing three of its soldiers on
Monday near the villages of Berdavan and Chinar in the Tovuz district,
which borders Qazax.

The Azerbaijani defence ministry denied killing the three soldiers.

The two former Soviet republics fought a bloody war over the disputed
region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s.

A formal ceasefire is now looking increasingly fragile.

Speaking in Armenia on Monday, Mrs Clinton said: “I am very concerned
by these incidents and have called on all parties, all actors, to
refrain from the use or threat of force.

“There is a danger that it could escalate into a much broader conflict
that would be very tragic for everyone concerned.”

SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVED THE SPECIAL ENVOY OF THE PRESIDENT OF IRAN, MINISTER OF ENERGY MAJID NAMJU

02.06.2012

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the Special Envoy of the
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Minister of Energy Majid
Namju who conveyed to President Sargsyan the invitation of the
President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to participate at the Summit
of the Nonaligned Movement to be held in Tehran.

Serzh Sargsyan welcomed Minister Namju’s visit to Armenia and
underscored that our country attaches importance to the mutually
beneficial cooperation with our reliable neighbor and good friend Iran.

The interlocutors welcomed the increase of turnover between Armenia
and Iran registered in recent years and underscored that it holds
potential for further increase. They expressed hope that particularly
in the area of energy, the implementation of the pivotal programs
will considerably increase the turnover between the two countries.

The Minister of Energy of Iran informed that the construction works
of the Meghri hydro electric power station and the third high voltage
Armenia-Iran transmission line will commence soon.

At the meeting, President Sargsyan and the Minister of Energy of Iran
Majid Namju stressed also and hailed the works of the Armenian-Iranian
intergovernmental commission, which will soon hold its regular meeting
in Yerevan.

QUAND LA COLOMBIE ET L’ARMENIE FONT LA FETE ENSEMBLE
Aurelie Ohanian

armenews.com
mardi 5 juin 2012

Soiree de clôture du centre culturel de la JAF

Le samedi 9 juin 2012 a 21h, la Jeunesse Armenienne de France clôt
son annee culturelle .

A cette occasion, la JAF organise une soiree festive qui regroupera
les 7 – 77 ans avec le groupe La Cumbiamba Parrendera en concert au
Centre Culturel de la JAF au 47 Avenue de Toulon 13006 Marseille.

La Cumbiamba Parrandera est un groupe marseillais de musique
traditionnelle tropicale colombienne. Si vous aimez danser sur des
rythmes endiables aux sonorites africaine, indienne et espagnole,
venez-vous plonger dans un univers des plus festifs.

Compose de deux Colombiens, deux Venezueliens et d’un accordeoniste
marseillais. La Cumbiamba Parrandera est une formation issue du groupe
marseillais La Cumbia Chicharra. La cumbia est un des genres les plus
connus et danses de la musique colombienne, dont l’heritage trouve
ses racines dans les cultures africaine, indienne et espagnole.

La Cumbiamba Parrandera est impregne de ces rythmes et prolonge la
musique traditionnelle colombienne. Des musiques qui ne pourront que
vous donner envie de danser, des rythmes endiables pour feter l’ete.

Retrouvez le programme sur le site de la JAF :

Cliquez ici pour decouvrir La Cumbiamba Parrandera

Centre Culturel Varoujan BOZADJIAN de la Jeunesse Armenienne de France

47, avenue de Toulon – 13006 Marseille

Tel : 04 91 802 820 / Mail : [email protected]

mardi 5 juin 2012, Aurelie Ohanian ©armenews.com

D´autres informations disponibles : Site de la JAF

ARMENIANS KILL FIVE AZERBAIJANI TROOPS IN BORDER CLASH: BAKU

Hurriyet
June 5 2012
Turkey

Armenian forces killed five Azerbaijani soldiers in a new border clash
Tuesday, Baku said, in a new flaring of tensions as US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton visits the volatile Caucasus region.

The Azerbaijani defence ministry said fighting broke out when “a
group of Armenian saboteurs made an attempt to penetrate the military
positions of the national army” in the country’s north-west.

“During the fight, four soldiers of the Azerbaijani armed forces were
killed and another died as a result of the Armenians opening fire,”
the ministry said in a statement.

On Monday, Armenia alleged that Azerbaijani troops had killed three of
its soldiers and wounded six more during another deadly battle on the
border between the enemy ex-Soviet states, although Baku denied this.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a long-running conflict over the
territory of Nagorny Karabakh, where they fought a war in the 1990s
that killed some 30,000 people, but this week’s clashes erupted away
from the disputed region.

Visiting Yerevan on Monday, Clinton said she was concerned by the
rising tensions and warned Armenia and Azerbaijan not to settle their
conflict by force.

“I am very concerned about the danger of escalation of tensions
and the senseless deaths of young soldiers and innocent civilians,”
she said after Monday’s violence.

“The use of force will not resolve the Nagorny Karabakh conflict and
therefore force must not be used.” The Karabakh war saw Armenia-backed
separatists seize the region from Azerbaijan.

Despite years of negotiations since the 1994 ceasefire, the two sides
have not yet signed a final peace deal and there are still frequent
exchanges of gunfire along the front line.

Azerbaijan has threatened to use force to win back Karabakh if peace
talks fail to yield satisfactory results, but Armenia has warned of
large-scale retaliation against any military action.

Clinton is due to visit Baku on Wednesday.

ARMENIAN PM CALLS FOR EU TO THREATEN AZERBAIJAN WITH SANCTIONS

news.am
June 05, 2012 | 20:24

Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan called for the EU to issue a resolution
in order to terminate the militarization in the South Caucasus, Tigran
Sargsyan told European Voice paper after his two day visit to Brussels.

According to Sargsyan, the EU should issue a resolution dictating
that the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute to be solved peacefully.

The Armenian PM considers that the EU should threaten Azerbaijan with
sanctions and clarify what those sanctions will be. Tigran Sargsyan
told the paper that Azerbaijan is trying to undermine the work of
OSCE Minsk Group stressing that Armenia is strong enough to maintain
balance in the South Caucasus.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an Azerbaijani diversion had
claimed the lives of three Armenian soldiers and wounded six others –
one of whom is an officer – in the early morning hours on Monday.

The killed soldiers are: Hrach Sargsyan, Zohrab Balabekyan, and
Karen Davtyan.

The wounded military servicemen are: Lieutenant Mushegh Nurbekyan,
and conscripts Igit Hovhannisyan, Maxim Melkonyan, Sedrak Shahbazyan,
Artak Mnatsakanyan and Koryun Iritsyan.

LE DEFENSEUR TURC DES DROITS DE L’HOMME HONORE PAR LE PRESIDENT ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 6 juin 2012

L’ensemble de la presse annonce que l’eminent militant turc des droits
de l’Homme et editeur, Ragip Zarakolu, a recu hier le prix annuel
2011 du President de la Republique, qui lui a ete decerne pour sa
contribution a la reconnaissance internationale du Genocide armenien.

[Il fait partie des vingt scientifiques, ecrivains et artistes choisis
pour les prix annuels du President. Il y a seulement deux mois, il a
ete libere de prison après avoir ete accuse d’aider illegalement le
PKK en Turquie]. En lui remettant ce prix lors d’une ceremonie, le
chef de l’Etat a estime que les activites du defenseur des droits de
l’Homme representaient une mission exceptionnelle. ” Son combat pour
la reconnaissance de la verite historique par la societe turque est
un brillant exemple de prise de position courageuse. Votre presence
ici et l’acceptation de ce prix aujourd’hui sont aussi un acte de
courage “, a-t-il declare en s’adressant a R.Zarakolu. Celui-ci a
estime que la Turquie moderne doit accepter le fait du genocide. ” La
Turquie doit accepter la verite historique. C’est seulement de cette
manière que la Turquie pourra retrouver son estime “, a-t-il dit. Azg
note que R. Zarakolu est le deuxième citoyen turc, après Hrant Dink,
qui recoit ce prix presidentiel a Erevan.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse