Author: nina hovnanian

UNSC MEETING FOCUSES ON STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP WITH OIC

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 29 2013

29 October 2013, 17:51 (GMT+04:00)

By Sara Rajabova

A high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council on
strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held on October 28 on
Azerbaijan’s initiative.

The meeting, chaired by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov,
was attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, OIC Secretary
General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, as well as senior representatives of
the Security Council.

As the author of this first initiative on strengthening the partnership
synergy between the UN and OIC, Azerbaijan has set as priority goals
of its UN Security Council presidency further development of this issue
and outlining new forms of cooperation between the two organizations.

While addressing the Security Council meeting, Minister Mammadyarov
said for the first time the UNSC is considering cooperation with
the OIC in a special session, which speaks for itself, the Foreign
Ministry’s press service said.

According to Mammadyarov, the OIC is the second largest
intergovernmental organization after the UN, with 57 member states,
and this necessitates closer cooperation and coordination between
the Security Council and the OIC in order to benefit from global,
regional and local approaches in addressing relevant issues.

“A just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and
comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict continue to
remain among the most pressing issues on the agenda of both the United
Nations and OIC. Azerbaijan welcomes efforts aimed at the resumption
of direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine,” Mammadyarov said.

He added that Azerbaijan hosted the conference of the OIC foreign
ministers on the establishment of Islamic Financial Safety Net in
Support of Palestine and the Donors Conference in Support of the
City of Al-Quds, and that the OIC member states and international
organizations which attended the conference pledged to contribute
to improving Palestine’s economy, infrastructure, healthcare and
education.

With regard to Syria, Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan hopes that the
unanimous and strong position put forward recently by the Security
Council will contribute to finding a political solution to the conflict
in that country, putting an end to the suffering of the Syrian people.

Speaking about the strengthening of Azerbaijan’s position in the
international arena, he said that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner
that continues to play an increasingly important role in the enhancing
of energy security.

Mammadyarov said that in recent years OIC has been an important
partner of the UN in ensuring international peace and security and
the global spread of the peace culture.

The minister said that many of the issues on the Security Council
agenda relate to the Islamic world.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Mammadyarov said that in the beginning the OIC assessed as an
aggression Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan on the
basis of the UN Security Council’s four resolutions.

According to him, a number of OIC decisions aiming to ensure the
implementation of the resolutions played a crucial role in the
consideration of the issue of Azerbaijani territories’ occupation by
the international community, including the UNSC and General Assembly.

Mammadyarov called for a stop of Armenia’s aggressive policy.

“The only way of resolving the conflict and establishment of
normal relations between the two countries is putting an end to the
occupation of Azerbaijani territories, restoration of the country’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity, immediate ensuring of the right
of refugees and displaced persons to return to their native lands,”
Mammadyarov said.

Azerbaijan holds this month’s rotating presidency of the Security
Council.

The OIC’s Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu placed a special emphasis on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in his speech and expressed concern over
the ongoing occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.

He stressed the importance of resolving the conflict on the basis of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, the principle of inviolability
of internationally recognized borders and relevant UNSC resolutions.

At the end of the meeting, the president of the Security Council made
a statement on behalf of the Council.

Reading out the statement, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the UN Agshin
Mehdiyev said the 15-member body “recognizes and further encourages”
the active contribution of the OIC to the efforts that aim to realize
the purposes and principles embodied in the UN Charter.

The statement said that the Security Council realizes the
importance of cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional
organizations, and arrangements on matters relating to the maintenance
of international peace and security and consistent with Chapter VIII
of the UN Charter can improve collective security.

“The Security Council acknowledges the continuing dialogue between the
United Nations and the OIC in the fields of peacemaking, preventive
diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The Security Council
commends the OIC members states for their ongoing commitment to
international peacekeeping and peacebuilding, including through the
contribution of troops to UN peacekeeping operations,” the statement
said.

According to the statement, the Council acknowledges the intention
expressed by representatives of both organizations to reinforce
cooperation in areas of common interest, such as conflict prevention
and mediation, human rights, humanitarian assistance and refugees,
intercultural dialogue, and the fight against terrorism.

Azerbaijan has acted as a non-permanent member of the UNSC since
January 1, 2012, and its membership will continue till December
31, 2013.

Azerbaijan held the chairmanship of the Security Council in May 2012,
and is chairing it again in October.

INT’L JEWELLERY EXHIBITION IN YEREVAN DRAWS 125 COMPANIES FROM 23 COUNTRIES

ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 28, 2013 Monday 06:37 AM GMT+4

YEREVAN October 28

– One hundred and twenty-five companies from 23 countries will take
part in the 3rd international jewellery exhibition “Yerevan Show-2013”
opening here on Monday. It has been organized by the World Armenian
Jewellers Associatin (AJA) under the patronage of Armenia’s President
Serge Sargsyan and with the particiation of the Republic’s Ministry
of Economics.

The world-famed jewellery and horology companies, producers and
disributors of adornments have brough their wares here for displaying
at the show: jewellery articles made from precious and semi-precious
stones ornaments with pearls, corals, and watches. Fashion jewellery,
equipment and jewellery making toools will be also on view at the
Yerevan Show.

Due to AJA’s support and to Armenian governmen subsidies, over 25
jewellery companies of the Republic got an opportunity to represent
their products side by side with the world’s eminent brands.

It has been pointed out that the organizers have also created
conditions for the arrival of more than 150 wholesale buyers of
jewellery from Russia, Belarus, Israel, India, Kazakhstan, Canada,
the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Ukraine, and France.

The exhibition programme provides for a conference on the theme of
“The Modern State of the Jewellery Sector, Problems and Prospects”,
at which a project will be presented for the establishment of a
jewellery free economic area in Yerean.

Within the scope of the Yerevan Show, an exhibition of the works of
prominent Paris-based sculptor David Erevantsi (Babayan), who was
also a jewellera the start of his creative career, will be held. In
particular, he sculpted a monument to Armenian composer Komitas. The
monument has been erected in the centre of the French capital.

A ceremony will be also held to introduce AJA’s charity research
foundation, the programmes of which include the study of the history of
Armenian jewellery business, and the granting of student scholarships
for studies at the world’s best higher learning establishments.

AJA Vice-President Artak Udumyan has told Itar-Tass that interest
in the exhibition is also evinced by both the professional jeweller
community and the public at large. The number of exhibitors has
trebled as compared with that last year, he pointed out.

According to Gagik Gevorkyan, AJA chief, Chairman of the Jewellery
Guild of Russia, and President of the Moscow Jewellery House”
Aesthete”, “The projects being implemented by the Association
become increasingly serious and large-scale”. “In the long term, the
programmrs can exert positive influence not only on the development
of the jewellery sector but the entire economy of Armenia,” he said.

“The implementation of a programme for establishing a jewellery free
economic area in Yerevan, the idea of which has been supported by the
country’s authorities, will make it possible to turn the jewellery
sector and diamond working into a powerful source of receiving revenue
from abroad, create new jobs and secure a substantial breakthrough
resultant of technological advancemenrt”, Gevorkyan expects. His
opinion is that “This will enable the Republic to become one of key
sectoral players in the international arena”.

On June 11, Gevorkyan was appoitned Adviser to the President of
Armenia as a social service worker. By a Decree of the Head of State,
he “has been asssigned to represent jewellery business of the Republic
on the international scene”.

Gaetano Cavalieri, Predident of the World Jewellery Confederation
(CIBJO), believes that “In the world, there are several countries
and nations which are famed for their qualified jewellers; Armenia
and Armenians are among them”. His conviction is that “The Republic
affords an immense potential to occupy one of foremost positions in
the world jewellery industry”.

“Due to its unique geographical position, Armenia is as if a
link between Asia and Europe and this is fraught with important
possibilities”, Cavalieri pointed out.

Armenia is the world’s only country where a Jeweller Day has been
instituted and is on the list of State holidays. The Jewellery Day
is marked on the last Sunday of October.

ARMENIAN SIDE ANSWERED TOUGHLY IN TAVUSH

Recent violations of the ceasefire at the borders of Armenia and NKR
are related to the political developments, as a study of recent years
showed, the minister of defense Seiran Ohanyan briefed the reporters
at the National Assembly, dwelling on the incident of October 22 on
Berd-Ijevan road, near Paravakar that killed one and injured three
conscripts.

He noted that recent tensions overlapped with the domestic developments
in Azerbaijan. According to Seiran Ohanyan, the attempts of the
Armenian side to appease tension are not met by the Azerbaijani
government.

“They tried again to destabilize the situation to remind about
themselves,” he said. The minister noted that the Armenian commanders
treat any change of the state of affairs with common sense and take
adequate punitive measures.

“For this incident, our commanders gave a tough answer, and we will
continue to answer toughly to this policy. I was at the place of the
incident yesterday, studied the status of the position and the road
network,” he said, adding that the command is ready to take measures
to keep the situation peaceful.

20:22 28/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

‘JUSTICE FOR HRACH MURADYAN’ MOVEMENT APPEALS TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

20:33 ~U 29.10.13

The public movement ‘Justice for Hrach Muradyan’ initiated by the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) held a
procession in Yerevan’s Freedom Square.

The participants demanded that the murder of the head of the Proshyan
village community Hrach Muradyan be solved.

The participants marched toward the Armenian presidential residence
to hand a letter over to the president. They demand that President
Serzh Sargsyan exercise oversight of the investigation.

In the letter the movement points out public skepticism about justice
in the Hrach Muradyan murder case. The movement has doubts that no
comprehensive investigation has so far been conducted. The previous
crimes against the Muradyans remained unpunished, which resulted in
Hrach Muradyan’s murder, the letter reads.

Following the murder, representatives of Armenia’s ruling circles were
too active during the elections of the head of the village community.

The same forces are believed to be involved in the aforementioned
crimes and hindering the investigation.

“Dear Mr President,

We demand that you exercise personal oversight of the investigation.

We are sure that the detection of the previous crimes, particularly
the attempted assassination in 2010, will make it possible to solve
Hrach Muradyan’s murder. We stress that the solution of the murder
case is involves the honor of the state,” the letter says.

SEIRAN OHANYAN HAS NO PLACE TO RUN AWAY

The minister of defense Seiran Ohanyan has also expressed his opinion
on membership to the Customs Union. In addition, he stated his opinion
after the Minsk summit when it was obvious that Armenia is just a tool
for the members of the Customs Union to settle their accounts. After
all this the minister of defense could at least keep silent, at least
saving the reputation of the last of the top government officials
of Armenia.

However, Seiran Ohanyan does not keep quiet and states that the
decision to join the Customs Union was right. In addition, he brings
a strange justification – geographically we have nowhere else to go.

This statement is nothing but “we have no place to run away”. It is
clear that with the quality of the government we have now we have no
place to run away. However, the minister could keep quiet at least,
couldn’t he?

Because if the minister of defense, one of the heroes of the country
that won the war, announces that there is no other way out, a place
to run away, one can hang a big lock on or cross out the victory,
its physical and psychological result.

The point is that there are government positions whose mission
is to demonstrate that there is a way out even if there is no way
out. In fact, all the government positions have such a mission, and
the society should be such everywhere. Despair and its confession are
the end of the state, society and individual, depriving its existence
of a meaning. The minister of defense of any country, especially of
a winner country, has no right to tell that we have no way out.

Meanwhile, Seiran Ohanyan does because he is the soviet army officer,
not the minister of defense of independent Armenia. Nobody expects
or obliges Seiran Ohanyan to withdraw Armenia from the Customs Union
or make statements against the Customs Union or take Armenia anywhere
else. But he can keep silent, can’t he?

The guarantor of Armenia’s security Russia has left no other way
out to Seiran Ohanyan. This is an important question for Moscow. No
high-ranking Armenian official should escape the sword of the Customs
Union to make sure that they don’t give them a surprise later. It
is not accidental that Ohanyan expresses his opinion after returning
from Brussels where he attended the meeting of the ministers of NATO
peacekeeping missions. Hence, Moscow has demanded that Seiran Ohanyan
make an oath to the Customs Union after the meeting.

It is painful to watch the participants of the victory in Artsakh
justifying capitulation of Armenia to the Customs Union, how they
disseminate despair in the winner society, whether intentionally or
not, just to justify the humiliating decisions they made to hold on
to power.

It is painful to watch the winner general say “look at the agreements
and you’ll see the safeguards” in answer to questions on lack of
guarantees that Russia will provide Armenia’s security. Seiran Ohanyan
was awarded his PhD in political science a few months ago and he
should know the value of agreement papers amid big political interests.

Yet the question is that the minister of defense should refer to only
his own armed forces when speaking about guarantees of security.

He may think about dozens of guarantors, take innumerable steps to
multiply foreign guarantees but in public he should see only one
guarantee of security of the winner state – the Armenian army.

Meanwhile, Minister Ohanyan is trying to persuade that Russia will
defend us.

Hakob Badalyan 15:53 29/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

ALEKSANIAN PLANS TO OPEN YEREVAN CITY ON SITE OF EREBUNI MARKET

Tuesday,
October
29

‘Haykakan Zhamank’ daily writes that Armenian parliament deputy
Samvel Aleksanian bought a market in Erebuni administrative district
of Yerevan and plans to open yet another supermarket of Yerevan City
chain there. Vendors were told to leave the area by December 31.

Dozens of farmers sell their agricultural products in the Erebuni
market and it is not clear what they will do starting from January
2014. The number of Yerevan City supermarkets will reach nine, apart
from the Closed Market and Gourmet shopping centers.

TODAY, 10:53

Aysor.am

ARMENIA DROPS TO 37TH PLACE IN DOING BUSINESS 2014

YEREVAN, October 29. /ARKA/. Armenia slid five points down to the
37th place in annual Doing Business-2014 of the World Bank and the
International Financial Corporation (IFC)

Armenia appears between Belgium (36th) and France (38th), but ahead
of such countries as Cyprus, Poland, Spain, Luxemburg and Italy.

Armenia leads among CIS countries in the rating. In particular,
Kazakhstan is the 50th, Belarus is the 63rd, Kyrgyzstan is 68th,
Azerbaijan 70th, Moldova 78th, Russia 92nd, Ukraine 112th, Tajikistan
143rd and Uzbekistan 146th.

Best indicators in post-Soviet area are recorded by Georgia (8th
place), Lithuania (17th), Estonia (22nd) and Latvia (24th).

The authors of the ranking evaluate doing business in countries
for ten criteria. Armenia recorded its best indicators in enterprise
registration (6th place) and estate ownership registration (5th place),
as well as in protection of investors (22nd) and crediting (42nd).

Armenia was the 76th in insolvency resolution, 79th in getting
construction permits, 103rd in taxation, and 109th in getting connected
to power supply, 112th in guaranteeing contract execution and 117th
in international trade.

Armenia had climbed 18 positions to 32nd place in the previous Doing
Business 2013. -0–

– See more at:

LE DIRECTEUR EXECUTIF DE L’ONUDC ABORDE LA PREVENTION DE LA CRIMINALITE, LA JUSTICE PENALE, LA CORRUPTION ET LA LUTTE CONTRE LA DROGUE LORS DE SA VISITE OFFICIELLE EN ARMENIE

ARMENIE

Le 23 octobre 2013 – Yury Fedotov, Directeur executif de l’ONUDC a
termine une mission officielle en Armenie par une serie de rencontres
dont un entretien avec le President de la Republique d’Armenie Serzh
Sargsyan et le Premier ministre Tigran Sargsyan.

Ayant pris la parole lors de la clôture de ses rencontres, M. Fedotov
s’est adresse en ces termes : ” Je remercie le Gouvernement pour cette
invitation. Nos discussions feront office de pierre angulaire en vue
de notre futur travail en commun. ”

A l’occasion de ses rencontres avec le Premier ministre, le President
mais aussi le Ministre des Affaires etrangères Edward Nalbandian, M.

Fedotov a exprime son soutien a la vision defendue par le Gouvernement
dans les domaines de la prevention de la criminalite, de la justice
penale, de la corruption et de la lutte contre la drogue.

Il s’est egalement rejoui des reformes judiciaires en cours en Armenie
ayant pour objet l’amelioration de l’efficacite du système penal du
pays. Selon le Directeur executif, ” L’ONUDC est pret et determine a
assister le Gouvernement armenien dans son travail et a etablir une
feuille de route des priorites pour lesquelles son action doit etre
conduite, “.

La mission de M. Fedotov en Armenie a ete entreprise afin de
renforcer la cooperation entre l’ONUDC et l’Armenie et ce dans le
but de determiner où l’ONUDC peut fournir son assistance alors meme
que son mandat s’avère très large. Durant sa visite, M. Fedotov a
egalement rencontre le Chef de la police, le Ministre de la Justice,
le Secretaire du Conseil de securite nationale et s’est entretenu
avec l’equipe des Nations Unies en Armenie lors de la première journee.

mardi 29 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

BRITISH MP: WEST SHOULD SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN IN RESOLVING NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 28 2013

Azerbaijan, Baku, October 28/Trend, E.Mekhtiyev/

The West should be more proactive in supporting Azerbaijan in
the region and in pushing for a solution to the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, in line with international law and the four UN
Security Council Resolutions that are yet to be implemented, Angus
MacNeil, Scottish MP in the British Parliament said answering the
questions from The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS).

A.MacNeil also pushed for more support from the West in resolving the
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and implementing the four outstanding
UN Security Council Resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenian
forces.

IRANIAN OFFICIAL: ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION DUE IN TEHRAN

Fars News Agency, Iran
Oct 28 2013

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker’s advisor for international
affairs Hossein Sheikholeslam said that a high-ranking Armenian
parliamentary delegation is slated to pay an official visit to Tehran
to discuss various issues of mutual interests with Iranian officials.

“The Armenian delegation is scheduled to arrive in Tehran on Saturday
for a three-day visit,” Sheikholeslam said.

“The visiting delegation, to be headed by Vice Speaker of the Armenian
National Assembly Galust Sahakyan, will hold separate meetings with
Head of Iran-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Ali Kaeidi as well
as Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign
Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi,” the Iranian official added.

Early this month, Iran’s First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri stressed
the need for widening bilateral relations and mutual cooperation
between Tehran and Yerevan in all fields.

In a congratulatory message to Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
on National Day (October 2), Jahangiri wished the Armenian government
and nation peace and prosperity, and expressed the hope that bilateral
ties between the two neighbors would witness further expansion in
all arenas.

Early in August, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and his Armenian
counterpart Serzh Sargsian, in a meeting in Tehran, hailed the
friendly relations between the two neighboring states, and called
for the further expansion of mutual cooperation in all arenas.

During the meeting, the Iranian president said that relations between
Iran and Armenia have been friendly based on mutual interests and
there is no doubt that the same trend will be continued in future to
help enhance the current level of relations and cooperation.

Iran has always called for expansion of relations and cooperation with
Armenia thanks to both sides cultural and civilization commonalities,
Rouhani added.

Armenia at international conferences has always adopted a very close
and friendly stand with Iran, which helps meet both sides’ interests,
Rouhani said.

The Armenian president, for his part, said that Iran and Armenia have
kept abreast of developments throughout history and in the past 20
years they developed economic cooperation.

There is no doubt that ties and cooperation between the two countries
will be bolstered in line with the expansion of economic cooperation
during the tenure of president Rouhani, he said.

Iran has long taken various diplomatic initiatives to expand its ties
with the neighboring states.

In recent years, Iran and its Northern neighbor Armenia have boosted
cooperation, signed agreements on energy cooperation and agreed to
cooperate in technology and research and to enhance ties in commerce
and economy.