Author: nina hovnanian

ACTIVISTS PROTESTING SHOP CONSTRUCTION IN PARK MARCHED TO YEREVAN CITY HALL

epress.am
02.20.2012

Environmentalists and supporters who have been protesting nearly
round-the-clock at Mashtots Park in Yerevan today marched to Yerevan
City Hall, demanding the mayor annul his earlier decision and dismantle
the shops being built in the park.

Recall, the Yerevan municipality authorized the construction after
ordering the shop owners to relocate their businesses from large kiosks
that stood on Abovyan St. until last month, RFE/RL’s Armenian service
reported. They were dismantled, along with hundreds of sidewalk kiosks
across the Armenian capital, only to be rebuilt in the park between
Aram and Buzand streets next to the maternity hospital on Mashtots Ave.

The dozen or so activists who arrived at city hall were shouting
“Taron, come!”, urging Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan to come out and
speak with them. Approaching the activists was Acting Secretary of
Yerevan City Hall Staff Sergey Makaryan, who first urged the activists
not to chant insulting statements and then suggested they hand the
letter they brought with them to him, explaining that the mayor is
busy and cannot meet with them at this time.

Member of the civic movement “We are the owners of this city” Vahram
Soghomonyan and several activists, after speaking with the city
employee, agreed to give him the letter addressed to the mayor.

Then, as Makaryan was leaving, activists called out, “Shame! Shame”
and again, “Taron, come!”

Protestors are now waiting for a response to their letter.

UPCOMING ELECTIONS TO INFLUENCE NKR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Aysor.am
Monday,February 20

“In the Minsk Group co-chairing countries elections are going to be
held soon. It may have its influence over the NKR conflict settlement
process,” said RPA fraction secretary Gagik Malikyan today.

The speaker touched upon the international conference held in
Stepanakert and mentioned that the international experts were
delighted with NKR and its achievements. None of them has felt he is
in a war zone.

They discussed Kosovo and other similar issues at the conference
drawing parallels with the NKR conflict and the mentioned conflicts.

According to G. Melikyan the international experts have noted that
the Karabakh war has not ended yet.

NA Vice-speaker Eduard Sharmazanov and G. Melikyan have visited
military positions in Aghdam during their visit to Karabakh and have
“called on the soldiers to be more courageous and brave.”

2012 TO BE YEAR OF IMPROVEMENT OF SEISMIC PROTECTION AND METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES OF ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
February 20, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS: The weekly consultation of the
Emergency Situations Ministry took place February 20 conducted by the
Minister Armen Yeritsyan. Press office of the Ministry told Armenpress
that Minister Yeritsyan declared 2012 as year of improvement and
development of seismic protection and meteorological services.

The first step will be improvement of Garni watchtower and upgrading
and re-operation of demographic device there. The minister was
reported that during the recent days connected with heavy snow,
rescuers registered and helped many vehicles and people remained
under the snow. Wide-scale works have been conducted in the provinces
of Aragatsotn and Shirak provinces. The minister said for effective
organization of works on taking out people and cars from snow jams
the Ministry will acquire few new off-road vehicles.

During the meeting the minister also assigned to prepare for
international NATO drillings scheduled in Georgia on an appropriate
level.

THE STATE WILL CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY SUBSIDIZE AGRICULTURE: PREMIER

/ARKA/
February 20, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. The government will continue to actively
subsidize the agriculture, prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said Saturday
during a meeting with activists of the Republican Party in Ashtarak,
the administrative center of Aragatsotn province.

“Over the past two years, the agriculture has become one of the most
important areas for the government and we have already prepared new
programs for its development, said Sargsyan.

In particular, he said Armenia will import more elite crop seeds from
Russia to distribute them to farmers, wishing to grow elite seeds.

The prime minister said this program will continue and the government
will meet the total demand for seeds which is about 30,000 tons.

Armenia may not participate in Eurovision-2012 in Azerbaijan

news.am
February 19, 2012 | 00:52

YEREVAN. – Eurovision-2012 song contest participants’ names should
have been submitted to European Broadcasting Union (UER) by Mar.
18-20, which will be preceded by the meeting of heads of delegations,
UER coordinator Jarmo Siim told Armenian News-NEWs.am.

Currently inner elections are in process, head of Armenian delegation
Gohar Gasparyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am adding there are no news
yet available.

When asked whether Armenia may decline participation, Gasparyan
refused to comment. However, Siim pointed out that they see no reason
for Armenia to decline participation as the state has already applied
for it.

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Feb 17 2012

Academics unite against oppression at universities
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

GIT members say hundreds of university students are being prosecuted
or suspended from the university on accusations of `aiding terrorist
organizations’.
Academics have raised their voice to denounce the `oppression and
intimidation’ they say they are encountering at Turkish universities.

`Academics are being intimidated, fired or suspended from their
positions by rectors or the Higher Educational Council [YÃ-K] because
of their research topics or political ideas. And there are hundreds of
university students that are being prosecuted or suspended from the
university on accusations of `aiding terrorist organizations.’ The
situation is outrageous,’ Galatasaray University Professor Ahmet Ä°nsel
told journalists at a press conference in Istanbul.

Solidarity network

Some 400 academics from 50 different universities in Turkey and abroad
have formed a solidarity network called `International Workshop Group
for Freedom of Research and Education’ to act as a watchdog to
document and prevent oppression in Turkish universities.

`Today, a wide policy of oppression and intimidation is being
systematically implemented in universities under the name of a `fight
on terror.’ Hundreds of university students have been arrested like
this,’ Ä°nsel said.

`Our colleague, Professor BüÅ?ra Ersanlı, was arrested on
unsubstantiated accusations and has been in prison for 108 days.
However, she has devoted all her life to maintaining peace. This is
the last straw,’ said Professor Zeynep Gambetti, an assistant
professor at BoÄ?aziçi University.

Ersanlı was arrested three and a half months ago for her alleged
connections with the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the alleged
urban wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is
listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the
international community.

Academics who are especially known for their work on the Kurdish or
Armenian issues, as well as those known for being political opponents
of the government, are being systematically suspended from
universities, Gambetti said.
February/17/2012

APA, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2012

French President sends letter to Azerbaijani President

[ 18 Feb 2012 18:58 ]
Ilham Aliyev receives French Minister for Transport and French
President’s Advisor

Baku – APA. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received French
Minister for Transport Thierry Mariani and Diplomatic Advisor to
French President Damien Loras.

Press service of the President told APA that Mariani presented the
letter of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the Head of State.

French guest expressed confidence in the further development of his
country’s partnership relations with Azerbaijan.

The Head of State thanked for sincere opinions in Sarkozy’s letter on
development of bilateral relations and expressed confidence in further
development of relations. President Aliyev expressed hope in failure
of the law criminalizing the denial of `Armenian genocide’ to become
effective.

They also exchanged view on bilateral relation between Azerbaijan and
France, regional and international issues.

MilAz.org, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2012

Hillary Clinton: `The US is working in concert with the Minsk Group
partners toward a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan’

11:11 18-02-2012
“The US will continue to encourage peace, stability, democracy, human
rights, and prosperity in the Caucasus next year”

`Obama Administration is reducing its humanitarian assistance request
by approximately $300 million compared to last year’s appropriation’

Washington. Isabel Levine – APA. “The US will continue to encourage
peace, stability, democracy, human rights, and prosperity in the
Caucasus next year”, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated in FY
2013 International Affairs Executive Budget Summary and Congressional
Budget Justification.

“The US is working in concert with the Minsk Group partners toward a
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan”, said the Secretary, APA’s correspondent reports.

Speaking about other regional conflicts, Secretary Clinton mentioned
that “Georgia continues to deal with the Abkhazia and South Ossetia
conflicts, including the disruptive fallout from the August 2008 war
with Russia, while moving forward on an ambitious political and
economic reform agenda. “The US goal is to support a sovereign, whole,
democratic and prosperous Georgia as a strong partner across a broad
range of security and policy issues, and as a potential model for
democratic change and reform in the region”.

The US also supports rapprochement among all countries in the region,
including between Turkey and Armenia.

The Secretary also underscores that the European Arms Control
Architecture has been at the forefront of Euro-Atlantic efforts to
strengthen stability and security in Europe by updating its arms
control architecture. However unresolved differences with Russia and
“frozen conflicts” in Europe have precluded the start of negotiations
using a unified NATO alliance approach toward a new framework for
conventional arms control in Europe.

Those “frozen conflicts” include those in Transnistria in Moldova,
Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, and South Ossetia and Abkhazia in
Georgia”, she added.

In the meanwhile, Secretary Clinton mentioned that the Obama
Administration is reducing its humanitarian assistance request by
approximately $300 million compared to last year’s appropriation. “We
plan to reduce overall assistance funding to Europe, Eurasia, and
Central Asia by 18 percent in FY 2013”.

This year, the State Department and USAID budget request totals $51.6
billion. “In the face of multiplying challenges, burgeoning needs, and
increased responsibilities, State and USAID have limited our request
to what is absolutely necessary to achieve our mission. We have
requested a modest increase that is less than the rate of inflation.
To ensure that every dollar we receive is spent wisely, we are also
focused on managing our performance. This request also serves as the
Annual Performance Report for FY 2011 and the Annual Performance Plan
for FY 2013”, she added.

National News Agency Lebanon (NNA)
February 18, 2012 Saturday

Politics – Rahi, Keshishian meet

NNA – 18/02/2012 Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi convened with head of
the Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Aram I Keshishian, Saturday to discuss role of Christians of
the Orient.

Christians of the Middle East play an important role in preserving
peace, sustaining stability and holding dialogue, according to the
clergymen.

R.Z.

Masis Mailyan: Karabakh peace process may shortly relegate to the sidelines

arminfo
Saturday, February 18, 16:25

The Karabakh peace process will most likely relegate to the sidelines
in the near future, Chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Public Council
for Security and Foreign Policy, Masis Mailyan, said at the
international conference “The 20th Anniversary of the NKR: Realities
and Perspectives” in Stepanakert.

The formal explanation of that is the election period: in 2012-2013
elections will be held in both the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries
and in the conflicting countries, i.e. in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia
and Azerbaijan. “In fact, the problem is not the elections, but a
number of other factors, for instance, the reluctance to change the
status quo, which has tough internal and external parameters; the
out-of-date approaches used in the Karabakh peace process, the
distorted negotiation format, and other factors”, he said.

At the same time, Mailyan thinks that the military perspective of the
situation can be hindered by international recognition of the NKR’s
independence. “Maintaining peace in the region will remain an urgent
task until official Baku is ready to recognize the fundamental rights
of the NKR citizens and the NKR’s right to exist”, he said. It is
necessary to launch the “second track” of the peacemaking process,
i.e. to start the work over international recognition of the NKR.
The experience has shown that the international recognition of the new
states is the most effective mechanism to ensure long-term stability
in the conflict zones”, he said.

The expert believes that the tension escalation in Syria and the
possible armed aggression against neighboring Iran will change the
external parameters of the current status quo and will play a
destabilizing role in the region. “In this context, the NKR and
Armenia should be ready to respond to new challenges and should have a
thoroughly worked out plan to neutralize the possible external
threats”, Mailyan said.