ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE HIT A WOMAN
tric-locomotive
September 23, 2009
An electric locomotive hit Vardush Boshian, resident of Armenia’s
Shnogh Village, on September 22. Vardush Boshian, 81, was taken to
hospital where she died later in the day.
Sheep torn up Wolves tore asunder 16 sheep belonging to Iso Shandinian,
a resident of Aragatsotni Marzh.
VIOLATIONS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL: WHY DOESN’T CONTROL CHAMBER APPEAL TO GENERAL PROSECUTOR?
Tert
Sept 23 2009
Armenia
At today’s Control Chamber of Armenia counsel session, five reports
were presented relating to investigations conducted on different state
bodies. The results of the reports related to the finance, justice,
sport, and youth ministeries, and the department of civil aviation,
as well as the work implemented by the social fund, which is supported
by the World Bank.
After the session, CCA Chair Ishkhan Zakaryan gave a press
conference and presented a number of concerns with the results of
the fore-mentioned federal bodies’ investigations. In brief, here
are the numbers presented by Zakaryan:
He mentioned that the Armenian Social Investment Fund recorded a
sum of 26,334,000 AMD subject to recovery, 25,300,000 AMD of which
was recovered.
In the area of construction carried out by the Ministry of Justice,
violations worth 65 million AMD were recorded, half of which has been
recovered. There is a schedule of recovery for the other half.
Compulsory Enforcement Service of Judicial Acts of the Ministry of
Justice: 3.9 million AMD to be recovered, which were recovered during
the check.
The General Department of Civil Aviation: almost 11-12 million AMD
to be recovered, but were also fully recovered during the check.
Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (youth projects): 3,390,700 AMD
to be recovered. Partly recovered; schedule of recovery for remainder.
In response to a question about appealing to the Prosecutor General
with the recently made public violations, Zakaryan stated that the
CCA Chair could not make such a decision on his own; that decision
must be made by the Control Chamber counsel, which, surprisingly,
did not make such a decision at today’s session.
CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF URGES RECONSIDERATION OF APPEALS COURT DECISION
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.09.2009 15:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff, a Congressional Leader
on Armenian issues and co-author of the California State law allowing
family members of Armenian Genocide victims to request payment on the
life-insurance policies of relatives, filed an amicus brief with the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of a petition
for a rehearing before the entire Ninth Circuit Court, Mr. Sean Oblack,
spokesman for Congressman Schiff, told PanARMENIAN.Net.
In late August, a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit struck
down the California state law which allowed the insurance claims,
claiming the state law was pre-empted by federal policy.In the brief,
Rep. Schiff argues that the federal government has never discouraged
states from recognizing the Armenian Genocide or acted to pre-empt
state efforts to allow insurance claims to go forward. Schiff also
pointed out that the state law contains a "severability" clause,
meaning any reference held to be invalid can be severed from the rest
of the law.
"It would be a tragically unjust result – not to mention one
unsupported by law – for this court to deny relief to the victims
of these atrocities because of the use of an historically accepted
term that, however proper, could be severed from the statute by its
own terms," said Schiff. "Nothing in law or equity compels such an
injurious result."
In the brief, Rep. Schiff points out that neither Congress nor the
Executive Branch has ever taken a position or acted to preempt state
efforts to resolve insurance claims of Armenian Genocide victims and
their heirs. Additionally, Rep. Schiff demonstrates that neither of
these branches of government has ever acted to preempt or discourage
states’ recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The U.S. government has consistently recognized that 1.5 million
Armenians lost their lives at the hands of the Ottoman Empire between
1915 and 1923, and the federal governme fic violence to obtain
compensation for their injury – particularly when they have a valid
contractual right to recover.
NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO SIGN SUCH A DOCUMENT
vardan-oskanyan
08:18 pm | September 22, 2009
Politics
"I would never sign such a document and I assure you that I don’t
envy the person who will soon sign it," former RA Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan said today.
According to him, the documents go against Armenia’s national
interests.
"We are completely giving up our historical rights and are eliminating
even the formal possibility of restoring historical justice."
Oskanyan took note of the fact that the pre-signed protocols allow
the Turks to get what they have wanted for the past 17 years.
"I feel that we are at a loss," said Oskanyan, adding that the opening
of the border will first and foremost benefit Turkey. He especially
considered the proposition to recognize borders as unacceptable and
informed that although there are many countries that have recognized
each other’s territorial integrity, that doesn’t mean recognition of
current borders.
Vardan Oskanyan recalled that Armenia hasn’t even recognized the
borders with brother Georgia. "We respect Georgia’s territorial
integrity, but there is still demarcation of borders. Azerbaijan
and Georgia haven’t recognized their borders, but they are in good
relations.
Oskanyan sees a real danger in the creation of a Turkish-Armenian
commission of historians and informs that Turkey is already discussing
the issue of addressing countries that have recognized the Armenian
Genocide with the demand to change their decision after the
ratification by both parliaments.
Vardan Oskanyan said that another danger concerned tying the Karabakh
conflict with the Turkish-Armenian relations. According to Oskanyan,
Turkey is the first to benefit from the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border and improvement of relations, but Turkey is doing that on
the account of Armenia. "No Armenian has the right to sign such a
document," said Oskanyan.
Oskanyan is amazed to hear the statements that Armenia has no prospects
for development without the opening of the border. He finds that the
obstacle for Armenia’s development is lack of democracy. He called
on the rise of the people and even expressed willingness to lead it.
TURKEY’S PRECONDITIONS
9/22/conditions
07:57 pm | September 22, 2009
Politics
Turkey will propose four preconditions for Armenia, including
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
As reported by "Bakililar.AZ", the preconditions must be discussed
during the meeting of the Turkish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
with high-ranking figures from the U.S., Russia and France.
The first and main precondition is to ensure progress in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; in other words, the return of liberated
territories to Azerbaijan.
The second requirement is the creation of a commission of historians
to study the events that took place in the beginning of the past
century. The commission must include Armenian, Turk, Swiss and
American historians.
The other two issues regard RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit
to Turkey- the Turkish-Armenian protocols must be signed before
October 12 and the Armenian President must visit Turkey. Only after
the implementation of these preconditions will Turkey come close to
even opening the borders.
This is what Prime Minister Rejeb Tayyib Erdogan was reported to say,
according to "Bakililar.AZ".
Let us remind that the general debate will start tomorrow during
the session of the 64th UN General Assembly that kicked off on
September 15.
Among those to speak tomorrow are Presidents of Azerbaijan and Iran,
Ilham Aliev and Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Georgian President Mikheil Sahakashvili will speak on September 24,
while Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan’s speech, according
to the UN press release, is scheduled for September 28, which is the
last day of the general debate.
NEW FLEXIBLE MENU SERVICE FOR ALL VIVACELL-MTS SUBSCRIBERS
ArmInfo
2009-09-22 11:26:00
ArmInfo. VivaCell-MTS has developed a new menu service for all its
subscribers, the Company’s press-release says.
A new free of charge unified access to all VivaCell-MTS services
will be available for prepaid and postpaid subscribers beginning
September 18. A simple dial of *130# will now take the subscribers
to the list of services which will help them choose the service they
need and just follow the instructions. And there will be no need to
keep another service code in mind.
K-Telecom CJSC (VivaCell-MTS brand) is 80% subsidiary of MTS OJSC.
THE NKR PRESIDENT CONGRATULATED THE PRESIDENT OF THE RA
Aysor
Sept 21 2009
Armenia
The NKR President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to
President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan wishing peace,
health and all the best.
According to the NKR President’s official site the message reads:
"Honorable Mr. Sargsyan, I cordially congratulate you on the
Independence Day of the Republic of Armenia.
September 21, 1991 has opened new chapter in the history of the
Armenian people. Building independent statehood was a difficult,
but at the same time respectable path our people could successfully
overcome. The Armenian people restored the right to be the arbiter
of their own destiny, to have an independent, free and sovereign state.
Even today under the global financial and economic crisis the
leadership of Armenia is doing everything possible to take up
different challenges and to lay a stable foundation for socio-economic
development. I am confident that under your presidency the Republic
of Armenia will achieve new success, will celebrate new victories
and the cherished dreams of the Armenian people will come true.
I wish you peace, good health and all the best in the name of
prosperous and bright future of Armenia and Artsakh.
Tert, Armenia
Sept 19 2009
Ter-Petrossian: `Turkey is Not Going to Open the Border Until¦.’
13:10 ¢ 19.09.09
During the September 18 rally, Armenian National Congress (HAK) Leader
Levon Ter-Petrossian, in his speech, stated that everything is clear
for him in Armenian-Turkish relations.
`Extorting from Serzh Sargsyan the agreement to create a commission of
Armenian and Turkish historians, Turkey has managed to skillfully
prevent the risk of Armenian Genocide recognition (made on behalf of
the U.S.) and to delay opening the border until the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue or at least till significant progress is made
in that process. Thereby, until the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, Armenia has nothing to do in terms of Turkey and is doomed to
take on a passive role,’ Levon Ter-Petrossian stated.
He said the most important topic discussed in our country currently
has become whether Serzh Sargsyan should visit Turkey within the
context of `Football Diplomacy’ or not.
`Serzh Sargsyan’s going or not going to Turkey no longer has any
significance, since he has already made every mistake he could in
terms of Armenian-Turkish relations, particularly by placing the fact
of the Armenian Genocide in doubt and subjecting it to
bargaining. Therefore, whether he goes or not, it is not possible to
correct the situation. As you know, recently Serzh Sargyan sharply
announced that he will visit Turkey only on one condition: that is, if
the border is open by then. This statement, which seems to be an
ultimatum, reveals two facts. First, on April 22, in exchange for
signing the `Road Map,’ Turkey promised Serzh Sargsyan they would open
the border. Second, that Sargsyan is offended by the Turkish
government for not keeping their promise. However, one cannot consider
that statement an ultimatum, since Sargsyan has considered it
necessary to immediately include in his statements that he is also
ready to visit Turkey if we are on the threshold of opening the
border. Making this addition, voluntarily or involuntarily, he gives
away that he has already decided to leave for Turkey, since the word
`threshold’ is so expansive, one can understand whatever one wants
from it,’ the opposition leader stated.
Levon Ter-Petrossian asked why, however, Sargsyan was offended by the
Turkish government.
`Because they tricked you? You shouldn’t have let them trick
you. Isn’t it clear if not in human relations, then in policy, the one
to blame is the one who has allowed others to cheat him, and not the
cheater, however inadmissible it may be from a moral point of view?
So, if you were cheated, you must, in the first place, be offended by
yourself. Or, if Turkey has actually violated agreements, then be so
brave as to state it openly and make corrections to your policy. In
any case, these are just rhetoric questions and statements, since,
Serzh Sargsyan will visit Turkey all the same, whether he wants to or
not: First, because he will not be allowed to act otherwise, and
second, because he cannot obstruct `Football Diplomacy,’ since it was
his initiative. In case he doesn’t go, which is unlikely, Sargsyan
will do more harm to our country, and he will place himself in a more
humiliating and ridiculous situation. As to the Armenian-Turkish
Protocols announced on August 31, I consider the Armenian National
Congress’s official assessment (familiar to you) to be sufficient for
now, and I’m not excluding that I will return to them [the Protocols]
on another occasion and speak in more detail,’ said the Republic of
Armenia’s first president.
Ter-Petrossian said, at this time, he would like to stress only the
following:
`Even with Serzh Sargsyan sacrificing the Genocide, Turkey is not
going to ratify the protocols and is not going to open the border with
Armenia until the Karabakh issue is resolved. As for HAK’s¦
complaints, I am forced to recall that around all of that, around
which today the remaining political bodies are shouting, we have sound
the alarm on numerous occasions over the past two years, but no one
has paid attention to our calls. We stated our words at one time, not
waiting, like the others, to stand before the final outcome, in order
to make an uproar afterwards. Who needs a delayed uproar when it is
nearly possible to influence the process? I have a big fear, that
contrary to HAK’s consistent uproars, the same thing is going to
happen in Karabakh’s case: one day they are going to wake up, see that
everything is signed and finished, and begin grieving.’
Tert.am
‘I AM GOING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS’: PRESIDENT SARGSYAN
Tert
Sept 17 2009
Armenia
Today, during the meeting with leaders of parties in the sport-concert
complex (named after Karen Demirchian), the President of the Republic
of Armenia stated that after the joint statement on establishing
Armenian-Turkish relations and the pre-signed Protocols were announced,
a process began that is really positive and important.
"I am referring to this phase of public-political discussions,"
he said.
"During these days I thoroughly got acquainted with various opinions
voiced publicly, I heard both positive and encouraging appeals
and criticism, including sharp criticism. I also heard concerns. Of
course I also see risks and I also have concerns. But in order for our
concerns to be comparable, in order for us to be able to adequately
evaluate risks and understand that we have work to do, we must be able
to bring all our observations to the same level," the president noted.
Addressing those present, Sargsyan said that by inviting Turkey’s
president to Armenia and initiating this healthy process, he aimed to
open the window of opportunities of establishing bilateral relations
for Armenia and Turkey, to show that a nation who has passed through
the disaster of genocide, and the Armenian country, in fact, has enough
power to stretch out its hand first and to point to the fact that
it’s senseless to move against the course of the world’s development.
"There are no, or there are few, positions against the establishment
of diplomatic relations with Turkey. And if we start our logical path
from this starting point, then we must be able to understand where
we are, what we have and in what direction we proceed," Sargsyan said.
Sargsyan answered the last question in this way:
"Personally, I am going to solve problems. If we have closed any door
for settling any issue, please mention it. Let us together understand
these problems. If we really wish to establish relations, then let’s
understand who will do what and, in general, what work we will all
do together. I think, this is the most important."
APNM BOARD REP.: US DEPARTMENT OF STATE HAS ALREADY LINKED ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION AND KARABAKH CONFLICT
ArmInfo
2009-09-18 16:09:00
ArmInfo. Turkey has repeatedly set Karabakh conflict’s resolution as
precondition to opening the border with Armenia. Given the different
"weight categories" of Armenia and Turkey, the force exerting pressure
on Armenia and Turkey in opening of the border will have to takes
this precondition into account, Hovhanness Igityan, a member of the
Armenian Pan National Movement Board, ex-head of the Parliamentary
Commission for Foreign Affairs, told ArmInfo.
"The demands made by the first persons of Turkey regarding the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict in favor of Azerbaijan are
made differently which testifies that these demands have already
been satisfied. In addition, the same office of the Department of
Sate is engaged in the problems of the Karabakh conflict settlement
and normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and everything
is interrelated from the viewpoint of time, which means that the
Department of State has already linked these two issues," Igityan said.
In addition, he said, Turkey constantly expresses satisfaction with
interrelation of the Karabakh and the Armenian-Turkish processes. Prime
Minister Erdogan, for his part, openly states that the Armenian-Turkish
border will open simultaneously with settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, while the Armenian leadership keeps silence indirectly
confirming the aforementioned.
The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey have agreed to
start their internal political consultations on the two protocols –
the "Protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations" and the
"Protocol on the development of bilateral relations" – which have
been initiated in the course of their efforts under Swiss mediation.
The two Protocols provide for a framework for the normalization of
their bilateral relations within a reasonable timeframe. The political
consultations will be completed within six weeks, following which
the two Protocols will be signed and submitted to the respective
Parliaments for the ratification on each side.