Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIA’S FORMER ROAD POLICE CHIEF RELEASED FROM PRISON

October 08, 2013 | 12:12

YEREVAN. – As a result of the amnesty that was recently declared,
Armenia’s former Road Police Chief, Police Colonel Margar Ohanyan
was released from prison on Tuesday.

Ohanyan’s brother, Mushegh Ohanyan, told the abovementioned to
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that they went to meet Margar Ohanyan with all their
relatives.

“There were 100 people. Mr. Ohanyan is very good, he feels fine,
he will rest for these three days, he will talk with his relatives,
[and] answer the phone calls on Friday,” Mushegh Ohanyan stated.

He added, however, that they are not celebrating his brother’s release
with great fanfare.

To note, Margar Ohanyan was sentenced to six years in prison. He was
charged with abuse of official position and large-scale embezzlement
of property. In his capacity as Armenia’s Road Police Chief, Margar
Ohanyan was accused of appropriating 574,420 liters of gasoline,
which was allocated to the Road Police, thus causing the state damages
worth AMD 160 million (approx. US$ 420,000).

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

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ZARUHI POSTANJYAN. “WHO IS ARAKEL MOVSISYAN? A PERSON THAT I DO NOT KNOW.”

October 7 2013

Today, Aravot.am inquired from “Heritage” MP Zaruhi Postanjyan whether
she is not going to apply to the NA Ethics Committee regarding the
expression “a person lying under the Turk” made to her address by the
Republican MP Arakel Movsisyan (Shmays). To remind that interpreting
Ms. Postanjyan’s question raised in Strasbourg, he has said “What
can be a person lying under the Turk.” Zaruhi Postanjyan answered,
“Frankly speaking, I absolutely do not want to comment on such persons
like Movsisyan, who I do not know what kind of education they have.

The most important issue is other than this. Who is Arakel Movsisyan?

A person that I do not know. Today, our the most important target is
the illegal authorities, which is headed by leader Serzh Sargsyan. Our
task, today, is not Arakel Movsisyan. I can not give an explanation as
to what role he has, nor I want to spend our time on such persons. Our
task is to establish legal rules.” To our question as to what
extent you consider the expression of Arakel Movsisyan beyond the
parliamentary ethics, Zaruhi Postanjyan answered, “They are beyond the
parliamentary ethics long ago. Generally, majority of the Republican
Party MPs have not only gone out of ethical boundaries a long time ago,
but the places for many of them are in. So, let’s leave ethics aside,
of course, it’s very important, but let’s talk about the fact that
they are mostly criminal elements. Their seats are not in the National
Assembly of Armenia or in marzpetarans (Governors’ offices) but in
detention prison wards.” She once again stated that the statement
of the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan regarding
withdrawal of Zaruhi Postanjyan from the Armenian delegation staff
is illegal, and she informed that she had already filed an appeal to
the PACE Regulation Committee.

Hripsime JEBEJYAN

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WHY DID GEORGIA MAKE STEPANAVAN GOLD FACTORY SHUT DOWN? (VIDEO)

October 7 2013

“As long as other branches of our country’s economy is still collapsed,
a part of it is just developing, Armenia, wittingly or unwittingly,
even to the detriment of the environment, or even to the detriment
of the people’s health, will continue developing and maintaining the
mining industry,” – such opinion was made by Chairman of Republican
Union of Employers of Armenia Gagik Makaryan, answering the question
of Aravot.am whether it is possible to go by the path of green economy
with today’s aggressive paces of mining industry. Mr.

Makaryan observed that it is the time for the government to start
thinking about the development of other economic sectors that
would be a counterbalance to the mining industry. “The economy
must be diversified in all branches. In other words, even if the
industry volume remains the same in the total unit weight, the
other sectors develop and mining industry decreases. If the unit
weight of this falls, it would be also easier to make a political
decision.” To the question of Aravot.am as to which branches may
be a counterbalance to the mining industry, Mr. Makaryan brought
the example of food processing. “Today, wine factories are built,
modernized; brandy production, fruit vodkas, quite serious types of
productions have been started to develop, fresh fruit-vegetables. I
think if all this together is about $ 200 million, this number can
be doubled in 2-3 years. If you add a few factories, plantations
be provided, subsidizing processors, and plantation cultivators,
the volume will grow significantly. Russian and European markets
like the Armenian food, and also quotas need to be obtained in those
markets.” To our question as to why all of this is not done now,
maybe it is more advantageous to the Government for the investor
to come and make the investments in mining industry, pay respective
taxes to the state budget, rather than for the government spending
money for the development of branches counterbalancing this sector,
Mr. Makaryan said. “Now they approach negligently, the subsidies are
not much, bank provide credit with high interest rates, the business
environment is quite poor, the issues of certification for export
are not regulated, and the government has not put all its leverages
in this work completely, it should devote to the work at large. And
it is that the state receives the greatest benefit from the mining
industry, mining industry is mainly export-oriented, and in this
case the VAT is returned for the part, it just provides employment,
and pays certain taxes, but the losses, since they become obvious
in the course of years, vigilance has become less.” Today, during
the press conference on “Is it possible to transform the economy
of Armenia to a “green” one?” held in “EcoLur” press club, Gagik
Makaryan said that if Armenia takes the path of green economy, the
share of mining industry in GDP should be reduced. To the question
whether the mining industry is expanding every year, but not much
changes is noticed in the GDP of this sector, Mr. Makaryan said,
“As of 2012, a new category of metals mining has not increased, it
has remained at the existing level. The fact that they are doubled,
is not so, the price for metals in the international market has
fallen, even though the volumes have increased, the prices in the
market are dropped.” Details in the video To the question that, on
the one hand, they are trying to develop tourism, on the other hand,
new mines are operated, Mr. Makaryan opined that there is no adequate
counterbalance to the mining industry, and brought an interesting
example: “1.5 years ago, the Gold factory opened in Stepanavan was
shut down very soon because the demand for it was received from the
Government of Georgia claiming that the factory in Stepanavan harms
the environment of the region of their country.

Nelly Babayan

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GREEK EX-DEFENCE MINISTER FOUND GUILTY IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE

October 7, 2013 – 16:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Greek former defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos
has been found guilty of money laundering, in one of the
highest-profile corruption case since Greece’s financial crisis began,
BBC News reported.

Tsochatzopoulos, who was already in jail over a separate case, will
be sentenced on Tuesday, October 8.

Akis Tsochatzopoulos served as a minister in several Greek Socialist
governments over the past 30 years.

There has been widespread anger in Greece about official corruption.

Prosecutors in Athens said the former Pasok minister had laundered
money and received millions of euros in bribes in relation to defence
contracts agreed during his tenure as Greece’s defence minister,
from 1996 to 2001.

The contracts related to the purchase of German submarines and Russian
missile systems for the Greek navy, the court heard.

As well as Tsochatzopoulos, 16 out of 18 co-defendants were convicted
of involvement in the fraud, including his wife Vicky Tsamati,
ex-wife Gudrun Tsochatzopoulos and daughter Areti Tsochatzopoulos.

The court said they had co-operated with the former minister to
launder the bribes through property purchases and offshore companies.

The BBC’s Athens correspondent, Mark Lowen, says Tsochatzopoulos
has come to be seen in Greece as a symbol of official corruption,
against a background of anger among Greeks weary of tightening their
own belts to cope with the government’s austerity measures.

Frequent allegations of corruption have been levelled at Greece’s
political class, which has enjoyed a culture of impunity, the
correspondent says, and it’s widely believed that this judgement is
simply the tip of the iceberg.

Tsochatzopoulos was sentenced to eight years in prison in April,
on separate charges of submitting false income declarations to hide
his wealth.

In that case, he was also ordered to pay a fine of 520,000 euros
($705,640).

The conviction of Tsochatzopoulos is the latest in a series of
corruption cases involving prominent public figures.

In February, a former mayor of the city of Thessaloniki, Vassilis
Papageorgopoulos, was jailed after being found guilty of embezzlement.

There is immense public pressure to act, with widespread disgust
among citizens that they have been pummelled by austerity while
politicians are deemed to have got away with crimes for too long,
the correspondent says.

ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO CUSTOMS UNION NOT TO AFFECT KARABAKH – POLITICAL ANALYST

October 07, 2013 | 22:14

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union will not affect
the situation over Karabakh, Russian political analyst said.

Anatoly Tsyganok, head of the Russian Center of Military Forecasts,
commented for Armenian News-NEWS.am on possible opening of the
checkpoint on the border between Armenia and Karabakh if Yerevan
joins the Russia-led block.

“It is a tough question. I do not think that the status quo will
change. The NKR [Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] has not been recognized,
and most likely everything will remain as it is,” he said.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Georgi
Kalamanov said the issue on checkpoint between Armenia and Karabakh
has not been clarified yet.

ANCA EASTERN REGION ORGANIZES PETER KOUTOUJIAN PHONE BANK

Monday, October 7th, 2013

Peter Koutoujian

FRANKLIN, Mass.-The Armenian National Committee of America – Eastern
Region (ANCA-ER) organized a phone bank for congressional hopeful
Peter Koutoujian at Camp Haiastan on Saturday.

Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian is running for the vacant
seat in Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional district, which includes
Watertown, Belmont, Waltham, Lexington, Arlington, and many other
towns heavily populated with Armenian Americans. The ANCA Eastern
Massachusetts has been actively working on the campaign, volunteering
at district phone banks and canvassing the district. Local Armenian
youth have joined the local ANC and participated in this effort.

A volunteer phone banks for Peter Koutoujian

The ANCA-ER organized the phone bank at Camp Haiastan during the
Armenian Youth Federation’s annual Senior Seminar, an educational
event that attracted more than 85 Armenian youth from the East Coast,
West Coast and Canada. ANCA-ER Executive Director Michelle Hagopian
and ANCA National Board Member Steve Mesrobian instructed and helped
the youth for an hour on Saturday. The group used the online system
on koutoujianforcongress.com by doing a virtual phone bank, which
allows individuals to make calls anywhere they have Internet access.

“The ANCA-ER strives to activate Armenian youth on all things important
to the Armenian people. Volunteering with the ANCA-ER to phone bank
for Peter is a privilege and the very least that Armenian youth can
be doing,” said Hagopian.

The Special Primary Election for now Sen. Ed Markey’s old seat will
take place on Tuesday, October 15, in Massachusetts’ 5th district. For
more information on ANCA-endorsed Koutoujian and his campaign, visit
today.

280,000 SERVICEMEN TO BE DEMOBILIZED IN TURKEY

October 7, 2013 – 18:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Some 280,000 servicemen will be demobilized in
Turkey in connection with the adopted new law on reducing the period
of military service, Haberler reported citing Sabah newspaper.

According to the newspaper, about 40,000 people are expected to be
demobilized in the country within a few days. The remaining servicemen
will be demobilized in stages.

Earlier, the General Staff of Turkish Armed Forces announced an
agreement with the government on the reduction of the compulsory
military service period from 15 months to one year.

According to the statement of the General Staff, the compulsory
military service period for those who entered universities will be
equal to six months.

Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the
government’s plans to reduce the military service term to 12 months.

Zhoghovurd: SMEJA chief buys cars at expense of state budget

Saturday, October 05

`Zhoghovurd’ paper says that Mihran Poghosian, who has been the head
of the Service for Mandatory Enforcement of Judicial Acts (SMEJA) of
Justice Ministry since 11 June 2008, has purchased during his tenure
11 BYD cars from Catherine Group owned by him. Each car cost 4-5
million drams.

`During this period SMEJA allocated state budget resources of 50
million AMD or $120 thousand for purchases in the company founded by
M. Poghosian. Besides, 1 million 300 thousand drams was allocated to
Catherine Group under the guise of car repairs and servicing in 2013
alone,’ the paper writes.

TODAY, 11:20
Aysor.am

Education one of major direction of NKR’s vital activity

Saturday, October 05

President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakian sent a
congratulatory message on Teacher’s Day, the press service of the NKR
president reported.

The message reads:

`On behalf of the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh and myself, I
warmly congratulate you on your professional holiday – Teacher’s Day.
It is a national holiday traditionally marked in our country as a
manifestation of deep respect to the teaching profession.

We all remember our teachers, their lessons and advice with warmth and
respect. It is a hard, but interesting job of great importance to our
country and people. During school years, personality forms and a
course of life of each person is determined, with teachers playing an
invaluable role in this sense. With wisdom and kindness, patience and
selflessness, you educate and bring up the rising generation,
imparting your knowledge and skill to pupils, for which we are
grateful to you, dear teachers.
Your problems are always at the center of the NKR authorities’
attention because education and science are one of the major
directions of the vital activity of our state.

I congratulate again all the teachers of Artsakh and wish you peace,
good health and success in the implementation of your patriotic
mission’.

TODAY, 14:37
Aysor.am

NKR Minister of Foreign Affairs Received the Chairman of the
France-Artsakh Friendship Circle

2013-10-05 14:46

On October 5, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic Karen Mirzoyan received Chairman of the France-Artsakh
Friendship Circle, member of the French Parliament Francois
Rochebloine who was in Stepanakert on a visit.

During the meeting activity of the Friendship Circle, as well as
prospects and possibilities of cooperation between France and Artsakh
in various spheres, particularly, in the political, cultural and
educational fields were discussed.

At the request of the guest, the Foreign Minister also touched upon
the current stage of the peaceful settlement of the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic