Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN EXPERT: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN AZERBAIJAN WAS A SHOW

by Nana Martirosyan
Thursday, October 10, 18:19

The past presidential election in Azerbaijan was a well-staged
show, Director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan told
journalists on Thursday.

“There was no election. So, there is nothing to talk about. And
consequently, this will have no influence on either the Nagorno-
Karabakh peace process or any other process in the region,” the
expert said.

Concerning the voters’ lists, Iskandaryan believes that the Azeri
authorities overstated the number of voters.

As regards the votes received by the candidates, the expert said
that this time Ilham Aliyev was more generous and granted a couple
of percent to each of his rivals. “There is no doubt though that all
the figures are fabricated,” Iskandaryan said.

According to the preliminary statistics, Ilham Aliyev polled 84.59%
of the votes during the Oct 9 presidential election in Azerbaijan,
with his key rival Camil Hasanli having received just 5.54%. The
OSCE/ODIHR has already slated the election.

AZERBAIJAN’S OPPOSITION TO CHALLENGE PRESIDENTIAL POLL RESULT IN COURT

October 10, 2013 – 13:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijan’s opposition said on Thursday, October
10 it would challenge in court President Ilham Aliyev’s victory in an
election it said was marred by ballot stuffing and police interference,
according to Reuters.

Aliyev, who succeeded his father in the oil exporting state a decade
ago, won 85 percent of the vote on Wednesday, official results showed,
with nearly all ballots counted. Aliyev controls most levers of power
and media outlets and his victory was a foregone conclusion for many
in the nation of 9 million.

“We’ll go to the Constitutional Court and demand that election results
are cancelled,” opposition candidate Jamil Hasanly told reporters.

“We gathered many examples of voting violations. There was ballot
stuffing, cases of multiple voting and police interference in the
electoral process.”

The Azeri Central Election Commission said it had not received any
complaints of violations.

Azerbaijan’s fractured opposition had united for the first time in
a presidential election behind Hasanly, 61, a former lawmaker and
adviser to the late Abulfaz Elchibey, who was president for about a
year in 1992-1993.

Azerbaijan has enjoyed an economic boom fuelled by oil and gas in
the decade since Aliyev, 51, succeeded his father, raising living
standards. But Aliyev has faced criticism at home and abroad over the
government’s treatment of its critics. Protests are quickly quashed
and one rights group said a pre-election crackdown had doubled the
number of political prisoners.

PUTIN TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT WEEK, LOCAL PAPER SAYS

News | 10.10.13 | 12:00

Photo: www,kremlin.ru

According to a preliminary agreement, Russian President Vladimir
Putin will arrive in Armenia on October 16, writes the Yerevan-based
Zhoghovurd daily, citing its sources.

The paper says that on October 15 Putin plans to visit Tuapse in
Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, where he will attend the opening ceremony
of an oil refinery, after which he will leave for Armenia.

Zhoghovurd adds, however, that the information has not been finally
confirmed.

No official source either in Moscow or in Yerevan has reported about
Putin’s plans to visit Armenia yet.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has several times invited his Russian
counterpart to pay a visit to Yerevan since the latter returned to
the Kremlin as president in 2012. Several times such visits were
announced in the past, but eventually did not take place.

In August Putin paid a visit to neighboring Azerbaijan shortly after
an arms deal between Moscow and Baku worth approximately $1 billion
was disclosed. Some experts said it indicated a period of “cooling”
in the relations between Russia and its South Caucasus ally Armenia
apparently brought on by Yerevan’s plans to initial an Association
Agreement with the European Union.

Many say the situation is different now that the political leadership
in Yerevan has announced its decision to join the Customs Union
of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and further participate in the
formation of the Eurasian Economic Union that admittedly comes at
the expense of deeper European integration.

AYF CAMP TO CELEBRATE 35TH ANNIVERSARY

Thursday, October 10th, 2013

AYF Campers

GLENDALE-As Summer 2013 comes to an end, so does the Armenian Youth
Federation Camp of California’s Summer Camp program. This year marked
the 35th anniversary of AYF Camp, which currently hosts seven weekly
sessions for Armenian youth ranging between the ages of eight and
seventeen. The unique AYF Camp program has developed through the years,
and currently includes a variety of activities such as sports, hiking,
canoeing, Airsoft, rock climbing as well as a strong educational
emphasis on Armenian history, Armenian American identity, Armenian
culture and Christianity and community activism. AYF Camp is known
to provide a safe and unique social experience for children, filled
with joy, laughter and opportunities to build friendships that last
a lifetime.

“Summer is my favorite time of the year because I get to spend a week
or more at AYF Camp,” said longtime AYF Camper and now Counselor
Karina Nazarian. “It’s filled with amazing memories, experiences,
and lifelong friends.”

On November 9, AYF Camp will be celebrating its 35th Anniversary
Banquet in Montebello, at the Armenian Center located at 410 Washington
Blvd. The program will highlight recent achievements of AYF Camp,
whose programs serve nearly 750 Armenian youth annually.

Entertainment will be provided by East Coast based Aravod Band.

General admission tickets are currently available for $75, and $50
for AYF members. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Lodge
Renovation Project.

AYF Camp Celebrates its 35th Anniversary

With the support of community volunteers and donors, AYF Camp has
completed major renovations of facilities in the last decade. Cabins,
restrooms, the campfire amphitheater, basketball court and swimming
pool are among the facilities that have been completed revamped. The
next phase of renovation includes a complete overhaul of the AYF Camp
Lodge. The plans include a state of the art structure with a large
dining hall, kitchen, office and sleeping quarters. The Lodge is home
to many infamous AYF Camp educationals and activities including Wacky
Olympics, Talent Show and Song Competition.

“AYF Camp’s achievements are a direct result of the support provided
by our community of parents, friends and volunteers.” said Viken
Melkonian, member of the AYF Camp Management Board. “This continued
support is imperative for the development of AYF Camp, the organization
which serves our youth and belongs to our youth.”

Donations and 35th Anniversary Banquet tickets may be reserved
by contacting the AYF Camp office at (818)-242-7494 or e-mailing
[email protected].

Since 1977, AYF Camp has offered a genuinely rewarding experience,
by serving as a place for Armenian youth to make new friends and
memories of a lifetime. AYF Camp is the largest and oldest Summer Camp
program in the Western United States, focusing on Armenian culture
and heritage. Visit for more information and sign
up as a “Friend of AYF Camp” to receive news and updates on programs
and events.

CATHEDRAL IN KARS ON WMF WATCH LIST

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 10 2013

NEW YORK

The Cathedral of Mren in the eastern province of Kars has been
announced as one of the cultural and historical heritages in the
world that should be preserved by the World Monuments Fund (WMF).

The World Monuments Watch list, which was initiated by WMF in 1996,
launched its watch list for 2014. WMF President Bonnie Burnham said
that 67 works from 41 countries and regions were under risk and should
be preserved. Among them is the 7th century Cathedral of Mren in Kars.

“Constructed during the Byzantine-Persian wars and at the beginning
of the Arab conquests, the cathedral represents a moment of creation
and collaboration during a time of major destruction. Mren is
representative of the churches built in medieval Armenia and Georgia.

It is thought to be the largest preserved domed basilica from
seventh-century Armenia, built with rubble masonry and decorated with
interior frescoes and a ceramic tile roof. The settlement ceased to
exist after the Turkmen invasions in the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries, and the cathedral has been abandoned and exposed to the
elements for hundreds of years,” the WMF website explains about
the cathedral.

For the first time, all heritage sites in Syria and Mali have been
included on the list, which is normally dedicated to individual sites,
AFP reported. Mali and Syria have some of the oldest sites on the
list, with the cliff of Bandiagara known to have been inhabited tens
of thousands of years ago.

The citadel in Aleppo, the northern Syrian city torn apart by a
30-month civil war, dates back to the early Bronze Age, 3300-2200 BC.

“In Syria, the ongoing civil conflict has a terrible toll on monuments
and sites which continues. We placed the entire country of Syria in
the watch list,” said WMF president Burnham.

The city of Venice, which has been overrun by cruise-ship traffic and
tourists, and New Jersey’s Hudson River Palisades are also among 67
sites that need to be preserved.

October/10/2013

SMOKY WELCOME FOR BULGARIA’S NATIONAL TEAM IN YEREVAN

Novinite, Bulgaria
Oct 10 2013

Ugly scenes marred the arrival of Bulgaria’s national football team
in Yerevan.

Around 40 supporters of Armenia lined up in the airport hall and lit
smoke bombs and firecrackers. They were shouting “gypsies, gypsies”
at the Bulgarian delegation which was trying to make its way out,
reports gong.bg.

The local authorities reacted immediately and escorted the Bulgarians
out of the airport as quickly as possible.

Bulgarian Football Union President, Borislav Mihaylov, commented that
he will make an appeal to UEFA and FIFA on the matter.

Bulgaria plays Armenia on Friday at 6 PM Bulgarian time in a World
Cup qualifier.

‘s+National+Team+in+Yerevan

POLITICAL SCIENTIST: A NEW PHASE OF ARMENIA-EU COOPERATION MAY BE ANNOUNCED IN VILNIUS

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, October 10, 18:21

A new phase of Armenia-EU cooperation may be announced at the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius, says Alexander Iskandaryan, Director
of Caucasus Institute.

He told media, Thursday, that the Armenian-EU Association Agreement is
unlikely to be signed without Free and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

Nevertheless, he believes that both Yerevan and Brussels try to
develop a new format of cooperation.

“On 3 September it became clear that Armenia would no longer be able
to sign the Association Agreement. However, the given document has
not disappeared and a new format of cooperation will be gradually
developed. Anyway, no document will be signed in Vilnius,” he said.

Earlier, Richard Giragosian, the head of Center for Regional Studies,
said in an interview with Arminfo that Armenia and the European Union
will create a new legal aspect for partnership. The new document will
consist of 6 or 7 clauses, with priority to be given to mobility or
simplicity of visa regime, education and sector- specific cooperation
– that is, the financing will be continued but will be directed to
specific sectors. The other points will concern the efforts to fight
corruption, to ensure the rule of law and to protect human rights,
he said.

To remind, on Sept 3 in Moscow, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
confirmed Armenia’s intention to join the Customs Union and the
process of the formation of the Eurasian Union. Vladimir Putin
supported Sargsyan’s decision and promised to contribute to Yerevan’s
accession to the Customs Union in every possible way. Meanwhile,
Armenia was expected to initial an Association Agreement with EU,
including DCFTA, at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in
November along with some other countries.

SOME 6 MILLION EUROS TO BE INVESTED IN ARMENIA BY YEARNED

YEREVAN, October 10. / ARKA /. Approximately 6 million euros will
be invested in Armenia by the end of the year, Sarkis Aghabekyan,
chairman of the investment policy committee of the Commerce and
Industry Chamber of Armenia said today.

“For several months we conducted negotiations with several investors,
including from Russia, who pledged to make about EUR 6 million
investments in Armenia before the end of this year,” he said, adding
that the investments will be injected in food and processing industry.

Aghabekyan said that the committee was negotiating also with seven
other potential Armenian and foreign investors, who are willing to
make investments here and promised to provide additional information
once the talks were over.

The main purpose of the committee founded in 2012 is to facilitate
export-oriented companies to attract fresh investments and provide
legal advice to businessmen. -0-

– See more at:

RUSSIAN EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN’S FOREIGN POLICY WILL NOT CHANGE WITH ILHAM ALIYEV’S RE-ELECTION

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, October 10, 14:35

Azerbaijan’s foreign policy will not change following Ilham Aliyev’s
re-election as president. Leonid Gusev, Senior Research Fellow at
the Institute for International Relations, Moscow State Institute of
International Relations, told ArmInfo, Thursday.

He said Aliyev will continue the policy it waged during his previous
two terms on the post of the president.

“I don’t anticipate any changes in the Karabakh peace process or
generally in the region either,” he said. Gusev believes that the
Russian-Azerbaijani relations will also develop as before. “Maybe
the cooperation in the energy field will be enhanced certainly,
but no drastic changes are expected,” the expert said.

By preliminary data, Ilham Aliyev was reelected as President of
Azerbaijan with 84.57% of votes on 9 October.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN ANTI-MONOPOLY COMMISSION TO DISCUSS COMPETITIVENESS WITHIN CUSTOMS UNION IN MOSCOW

YEREVAN, October 10. /ARKA/. The chairman of Armenia’s State Commission
for Protection of Economic Competition Artak Shaboyan headed to Russia
Thursday invited by the head of Russian anti-monopoly service Igor
Artemiev, the press office of the commission reported.

The aim of the visit is to discuss competitiveness policy issues in
respect to Armenia’ accession to the Customs Union.

The counterparts will touch upon legal regulation of parallel
importing in the framework of inter-state council for antimonopoly
policy of CIS countries, as well as a number of issues related to
pharmaceuticals. Shaboyan is a member and Artemiev is the president
of the council.

After negotiations of Armenian and Russian presidents Serzh Sargsyan
and Vladimir Putin a joint statement was made on September 3 saying
Armenia intends to join the Russia-led Customs Union and participate
in establishing the Eurasian economic union. Before, Yerevan was
expected to sign an association and free trade agreement with the EU
at Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius. N.V. -0–

– See more at: