Author: nina hovnanian

Changing the demographic curve: UN experts say alternatives to current
policies needed

SOCIETY | 22.05.13 | 09:11

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

During these days when the Armenian parliament is discussing a new
program of the recently appointed government that also includes
provisions concerning the country’s demographic problems, an
international expert visiting Yerevan says in tackling the issue
officials in Armenia should pay attention not only to promoting the
birthrate but also to solving various problems of concern to the
population.

During a discussion held at the United Nations Office in Yerevan on
Tuesday assistant representative of the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) in Armenia Garik Hayrapetyan said although some projects have
been carried out in Armenia in this regard, such as child benefits,
free assistance to childbirth, housing for young families, etc., which
are directly or indirectly aimed at improving the demographic
situation, much still needs to be done to tackle the demographic
problem in the country.

Armenia is currently ranked among countries with low birth rates. In
recent years, the birthrate index in Armenia has been 1.5-1.6 (per
1,000 people). In its program for the next five years the government
plans increasing this rate to 1.8.

`A program for five years is a rather short-term program for
demography and I am not sure that its inertia will make it possible to
achieve certain goals, so alternative programs should also be
considered,’ said Hayrapetyan, adding that senior UNFPA expert Ralph
Hakkert has been invited to Armenia to see what alternatives could be
offered to the current policies.

According to Hayrapetyan, based on various statistical data a research
will be conducted within the next month and proposals will be
developed.

`Even if Armenia manages to raise its birthrate, it will have a
long-term, but not dramatic effect. The low birthrate of Armenia is
mainly connected with unemployment and emigration, so it would be more
useful first to work on addressing these problems,’ said Hakkert.

Presenting the experience of several countries aimed at increasing
birth rates, the expert noted that the provision of lump sum payments
to families for births mainly proves inefficient, and in this view
long-term benefits are necessary. He cited the example of Macedonia
where for a third and every subsequent child the state pays $150 a
month to the family for a period of 10 years.

Hayrapetyan said that in Armenia the birthrate among women aged above
35 is almost at a zero level, meanwhile, most women still remain able
to give births for the next 14 years. According to him, perhaps a
policy should be developed to use the fertility potential of mature
women.

`Increasing the birth rate requires quite an effort. Labor laws must
be amended to allow people to feel confident about their future and
that without assistance they will be able to raise their children due
to their own jobs,’ said Hayrapetyan, adding that the salaries of
women who take maternity leaves should be maintained at the level of
up to 80-85 percent of the original pay and that they also need to be
sure during the period of absence from work that they will not lose
their jobs. As for paternity leaves in Armenia, according to
Hayrapetyan, there were two such cases in the Tavush and Ararat
provinces in the last two years.

Armenia returns Iranian meat and bone meal

11:22 – 22.05.13

Customs officials at the Agarak border checkpoint (Syunik region) have
returned 2,040 kilograms of Iranian meat and bone meal after they
found out that the necessary accompanying documents were missing.

After an examination, sampling and laboratory testing, the product was
declared dangerous for use, reports the State Food Security Service.

The results of the 2013 food inspections are not yet available on the
Service’s website.

The inspections in 2012 revealed 14 violations, leading the customs
authorities to ban the products’ import.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Moscow Region Head Calls for CIS Migrant Visa Regime

MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) – The Moscow Region acting governor has
called for introduction of a visa regime for citizens of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) travelling to Russia, in
response to the rising number of illegal migrants in the region.

`At least 20 percent of the population in the Moscow Region are
migrants,’ acting Governor Andrei Vorobyov said. `If we fail to
regulate this process it will go astray.’

Vorobyov said he supports President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to
introduce visas for residents of the member states of the CIS, which
consists of former Soviet republics.

In his State of the Nation address in December, Putin called for an
end to the practice of allowing citizens from post-Soviet republics to
enter Russian territory on their national (internal) passports by no
later than 2015.

The issue is a thorny one for the Russian government, which has to
balance public disquiet over immigration with the economic necessity
of bringing in labor to make up for Russia’s shrinking working age
population.

Most former Soviet republics, including Russia, retain the internal
passport, which in the Soviet Union served as an ID card, a record of
place of residence and other important information.

Under existing agreements, Russia allows visa-free entrance to
national passport holders from the CIS countries, including
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Russia has the world’s largest number of illegal migrants, accounting
for almost seven percent of the country’s working population,
according to the 2012 International Migration Outlook report published
by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD).

According to the global body’s report, 960,000 temporary labor
migrants came to Russia in 2010, more than twice as many as those
entering the United States.

Russia has recently introduced new rules requiring foreign workers in
certain trades to show a minimum knowledge of the Russian language.

Marseille Provence 2013 – Capitale Européenne de la Culture
l’Excellence Franco-Arménienne sous les projecteurs ! Photos & Video

Dans le cadre de Marseille Provence 2013 – Capitale Européenne de la
Culture, se déroulera du 17 au 23 Juin, la Semaine de l’excellence
franco-arménienne, sous le Haut Patronage de Monsieur Vartan Sirmakès
Consul Général d’Arménie à Marseille.

Programme – Pavillon M – Salle Mistral

Lundi 17 Juin : Journée d’inauguration de l’exposition Henri Verneuil.
Invités d’ honneur : Omar Sharif et Jacky Nercessian

16h Visite de la Place Henri Verneuil et du showroom H99 par nos
invités d’honneur
17 h Inauguration de l’exposition Henri Verneuil au Pavillon M suivie
d’un cocktail ( Salle des Mariages ) en présence de Hranush Agopian,
Ministre de la Diaspora de la République d’Arménie, SE Viguen
Tchitetchian, Ambassadeur de la République d’Arménie, Vartan Sirmakès,
Consul Général de la République d’Arménie à Marseille. Roland Blum,
Premier adjoint au Maire de Marseille, Garo Hovsepian, Conseiller
régional PACA, Didier Parakian, Adjoint au Maire de Marseille, Daniel
Hermann, Adjoint au Maire de Marseille, délégué à la Culture et des
présidents des associations franco-arméniennes partenaires
18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la Salle Mistral animée
par Richard Findykian
20 h Soirée au Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille avec Omar Sharif et
Jacky Nercessian – Union Générale Arménienne de Bienfaisance

Mardi 18 Juin : Journée du tourisme et des voyages en Arménie. Invités
d’ honneur : Artur Nalbandian, Gouverneur de la Région de Lori et
Guaguik Sahakian, Maire de Spitak. Découverte de la République de
l’Artsakh. Invité d’ honneur : Hovannès Kevorkian , Représentant de la
République de l’Artsakh en France

11 h 00 Cérémonie du souvenir devant la Croix de Pierre du Parc
Borély sous l’égide de l’Institut Sayabalian d’études arméniennes et
de l’Ordre de Saint Lazare en présence de Vartan Sirmakès, Consul
Général de la République d’Arménie à Marseille, Garo Hovsepian,
Conseiller régional PACA , Didier Parakian, Adjoint au Maire de
Marseille et Ohan Hékimian, Président de l’Institut Sayabalian
d’études arméniennes
14 h Présentation des brochures de voyages et des programmes des
circuits culturels en Arménie avec SABERATOURS – salle Mistral
Présentation de l’agence réceptive YAN VOYAGES ( Erevan ) et des
circuits découverte de la République de l’Artsakh – salle Mistral
Présentation du projet hydroélectrique ARTSAKH HEK avec Raffi Balozyan
– salle Mistral
17h00 – Présentation sur écran de la République de l’Artsakh
18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la Salle Mistral animée
par Richard Findykian

Mercredi 19 Juin : Journée de la Jeunesse. Invités d’honneur : Varujan
Vosganian ( Ministre de l’économie de Roumanie ) écrivain et conteur ,
Levon Aronian, champion olympique d’Echecs, Patrick Donabédian,
Historien d’art, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian et Lydie Belmonte,
écrivains

14 h 30 Dédicaces au Pavillon M : Le Livre des chuchotements de
Varujan Vosganian, le Livre d’Or de l’Architecture arménienne de
Patrick Donabédian, la saga Tara Duncan de Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian
et Promenades littéraires en Provence de Lydie Belmonte Jeux-concours
des éditeurs et des collections Jeunesse
15 h Finale du Grand tournoi MARSEILLE ECHECS au Pavillon M avec la
participation de champions internationaux
18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la Salle Mistral animée
par Richard Findykian

Jeudi 20 Juin : Journée de l’Entreprise, de l’Artisanat et de la Mode.
Invités d’ honneur : Vahram Pirjanian, Président de ARMENIAN TRADE
NETWORK, Guaguik Sahakian, Président de la Chambre des Métiers d’
Arménie, Bernard Hatemian, Président de la CCIFA, Patrice Cauvet,
Directeur régional du CIC-Lyonnaise de Banque et Daniel Boccardi,
Président de Créa-sol ( Microcrédit en Arménie)

9 h Ouverture du 3ème Congrès Mondial ARMENIAN TRADE NETWORK par
Vahram Pirjanian, Président de ARMENIAN TRADE NETWORK à la CCIMP,
Jacques Avdoyan, Vice-Président de ARMENIAN TRADE NETWORK pour
l’Europe et Olivier Van de Winkel, Président de l’UCCAB Présentation
sur écran du « défilé virtuel FUEGO WOMAN » au Pavillon M Présentation
sur écran du « défilé virtuel NAIRA SARGSYAN » au Pavillon M
18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la Salle Mistral animée
par Richard Findykian

Vendredi 21 Juin – Fête de la Musique :
Grande Journée Charles Aznavour fait « Citoyen d’honneur de la ville
de Marseille, Capitale Européenne de la Culture 2013 ». Invités d’
honneur : Charles Aznavour et Lévon Sayan

Aujourd’hui 22 Mai 2013, Charles Aznavour fête ses 89 printemps

10h Conférence de Presse au Pavillon M – Salle Mistral
11h30 Cérémonie de Remise de décorations dans le Salon d’honneur de
la Mairie de Marseille suivie d’un cocktail en présence de : Hranush
Agopian, Ministre de la Diaspora de la République d’Arménie, SE Viguen
Tchitetchian, Ambassadeur de la République d’Arménie, Vartan Sirmakès,
Consul Général de la République d’Arménie à Marseille Jean-Claude
Gaudin, Sénateur-Maire de Marseille , Michel Vauzelle, Président de la
Région Provence- Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, Garo Hovsepian, Conseiller
régional PACA, Didier Parakian, Adjoint au Maire de Marseille Daniel
Hermann, Adjoint au Maire de Marseille, délégué à la Culture et des
présidents des associations franco-arméniennes partenaires
15 h 30 Présentation des ouvrages et des albums CD de Charles
Aznavour au Pavillon M – 16 h Concours du meilleur d’j avec Frank
Ohanessian et Greg Essian
17 h « Jazz Quartet au Pavillon » avec le célèbre jazzman Levon
Malkhasyan du « MALKHASS JAZZ CLUB »
18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la Salle Mistral animée
par Richard Findykian 20h Soirée de Gala de la Maison Arménienne de la
Jeunesse et de Culture présidée par Garo Hovsepian, Maire des 13 & 14
ème arrdt de Marseille

Samedi 22 Juin : Journée Inauguration de la Place Henri Verneuil.
Invités d’honneur : Patrick Malakian, Sophie Malakian, Gayané
Malakian, Sevan Malakian et Lévon Sayan

11 h 30 Inauguration de la place Henri Verneuil et du Toros géant
(ancienne Place de la Méditeranée – Euroméditerranée) suivie d’un
cocktail en présence de : Hranush Agopian, Ministre de la Diaspora de
la République d’Arménie, SE Viguen Tchitetchian, Ambassadeur de la
République d’Arménie , Vartan Sirmakès, Consul Général de la
République d’Arménie à Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin, Sénateur-Maire de
Marseille, Michel Vauzelle, Président de la Région Provence-
Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, Guy Teissier, Président d’Euroméditerranée ,
Valérie Boyer, Vice-présidente du Groupe d’amitié parlementaire
France-Arménie, Didier Parakian, Adjoint au Maire de Marseille, Garo
Hovsepian, Conseiller régional PACA, Marc Pietri, PDG de Constructa,
le sculpteur Toros et des présidents des associations
franco-arméniennes partenaires
12 h 00 Présentation d’Euroméditerranée et de la future skyline de
Marseille au showroom H99
12 h 30 Visite avec nos invités d’honneur de l’exposition Henri
Verneuil au Pavillon M 18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la
Salle Mistral animée par Richard Findykian

20 h La Grande Soirée de Gala de Clôture de la Semaine organisée par
la CCIFA et la cérémonie de remise des « Trophées de l’Economie
Franco-arménienne » avec la collaboration de ARMENIAN TRADE NETWORK à
l’hôtel Villa Massalia en présence de Hranush Agopian, Ministre de la
Diaspora de la République d’Arménie, Son Excellence Viguen
Tchitetchian, Ambassadeur de la République d’Arménie et Vartan
Sirmakès, Consul Général de la République d’Arménie à Marseille.
Invités d’honneur de la Soirée : Mr & Mme Armen Petrossian, Mathieu
Madénian , Franck Mourad Papazian et Ara Toranian, co-présidents du
CCAF – Présentation : Richard Findykian, Vice-Président de la Chambre
de Commerce & d’Industrie Franco-Arménienne – Mise en scène : Patrick
Malakian

Dimanche 23 Juin : Journée de la Gastronomie arménienne. Invité
d’honneur : Armen Pétrossian

16 h Présentation et dégustation des spécialités arméniennes au Pavillon M
17 h Concours du meilleur dolma et du meilleur beurek avec la
participation des traiteurs arméniens animé par Frank Ohanessian
18 h Emission le CLUB ARARAT TV en direct de la Salle Mistral animée
par Richard Findykian

mercredi 22 mai 2013,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

PRESS RELEASE
HAMAZKAYIN USA
Contact: Ara Nazarian
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Announcing the Winner of the Hamazkayin Eastern United States’ Minas and Kohar Tölölyan Prize in Contemporary Literature

Watertown, MA – The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of Eastern United States is pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural Minas and Kohar Tölölyan Prize in Contemporary Literature. Mr. Christopher Atamian was chosen as the winner for his translation of Nigoghos Sarafian’s The Bois de Vincennes.

Christopher Atamian is a translator, writer, and director. He produced the
OBIE Award-winning play Trouble in Paradise in 2006 and was included as an
invited artist to the 2009 Venice Biennale for his video Desire. His short
films and videos have screened throughout the world and he publishes regularly in such publications as The Huffington Post and The New York Times and
was for several years the dance critic for the now-defunct New York Press.
He has written one novel, Speaking French, and is at work on several commercial musicals and film scripts.

In his activities as a translator, Atamian has translated six books from French and Western Armenian into English, including Nigoghos Sarafian’s The Bois de Vincennes. Among the other books he has translated, three have been
in Armenian studies for the Middle Eastern Studies Department at Columbia University: Krikor Beledian’s Fifty Years of Armenian Literature in France,
and two books by Marc Nichanian: Literature and Catastrophe and The Armenian Language Throughout History. He also translated Philippe Delma’s The Rosy Future of War (The Free Press) and is currently at work on Denis Donikian’s Vidures/Offal, an award-winning novel published on Actes Sud.

Mr. Atamian has worked in senior positions for leading media companies including ABC, Ogilvy Interactive and JP Morgan’s marketing division. He received his BA from Harvard University, his MBA from Columbia Business School and is also an alumnus of USC Film School. He has been a Fulbright, Bronfman
and Gulbenkian Scholar. Atamian has been active in the Armenian community since he was a teenager and has served on the Board of the Columbia Center for Armenian Studies and as Executive Director of the Armenia Fund USA. He was the elected President two years running of AGLA NY and currently sits on this organization’s Board of Trustees.

Named after one of the major Armenian literary critics of the second half of the Twentieth century and his wife, a devoted teacher of that literature
for decades, the annually awarded prize recognizes the work produced by talented writers working in North America. The prize is intended to encourage
new work in all the major genres of literary production, as they are currently understood in North America, including poetry, drama, fiction, memoir,
travel writing and other forms of creative non-fiction, as well as translation. Works in Armenian, English, French and Spanish are considered, as long as the authors are of Armenian ancestry, and/or the work has an Armenian theme or revolves around an Armenian topic.

The primary purpose of the Prize is to encourage and offer recognition through the award and through the ensuing publicity those who wish to write about Armenian themes and topics. There is also a financial award of $2,500 associated with the prize, made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Vergine Misserlian of San Francisco, CA.

The jury judging all submissions consists of Dr. Sima Aprahamian (Montreal), Dr. Vartan Matiossian (New York/New Jersey), Mr. Gourgen Arzoumanian (California), Mr. Yervant Kotchounian (California) and Prof. Khachig Tölölyan (Connecticut).

The Prize was announced at Hamazkayin’s Annual Pan Gathering on May4, 2013
in Boston.

###

The Eastern USA region of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, a 501 c (3) not for profit organization, constitutes one of the branches of the worldwide Hamazkayin family, founded in 1928. The Eastern United
States region, headquartered in Massachusetts, consists of eight chapters in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Providence
and Washington, DC.

We aim to empower our chapters and membership to nurture and promote Armenian arts and culture. Given our millennia long history, we are cognizant of
the dynamic nature of the concept of identity. To that end, we strive to maintain our cultural identity and heritage and are committed to grow and further the contribution of the Armenian culture to the complex tapestry of world civilizations.

Ara Nazarian, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University

phone: 617.667.8512
fax: 617.667.7175
web:

La Tribune de Geneve, Suisse
18 mai 2013 samedi
Édition Tribune de Genève

«Des musulmans turcs s’affichent Arméniens»

par Andrés Allemand; Deharbe

Convertis pour échapper au génocide, ils revendiquent leurs racines.
Une enquête-choc de Laure Marchand et Guillaume Perrier
«Une nouvelle catégorie de population plutôt étonnante fait son
apparition en Turquie: les Arméniens musulmans. Des jeunes découvrent
que leurs grands-mères étaient chrétiennes et qu’elles avaient été
prises en charge, petites, par des couples turcs. Des familles
d’Arméniens convertis pour échapper augénocide de 1915 se mettent à
revendiquer leurs racines. C’était impensable il y a seulement dix
ans!»

Laure Marchand semble encore bouleversée par sa découverte.
Correspondante à Istanbul du quotidien français Le Figaro, elle
cosigne avec Guillaume Perrier, son confrère du Monde, une vaste
enquête publiée chez Actes Sud:La Turquie et le fantôme arménien. Ils
étaient hier de passage dans la Cité de Calvin pour une conférence à
l’invitation du Centre arménien de Genève.

«Il y a quatre ans, quand nous avons commencé à chercher ces familles
de convertis, c’était très difficile. Certaines sont tellement
assimilées qu’elles comptent en leur sein des imams carrément
prosélytes. D’autres vivaient dans la peur, perpétuant en cachette
leur culture arménienne, leur foi chrétienne ou simplement des
traditions comme les oeufs peints pour Pques», raconte Laure
Marchand. «Mais depuis 2008, on en voit qui commencent à s’afficher.
Certains reprennentleur nom d’origine ou même se reconvertissent au
christianisme. Mais d’autres, sans renoncer à l’islam, affichent leurs
racines», note Guillaume Perrier.

Le phénomène doit sans doutebeaucoup à l’ouvrage-choc de Fethiye
Çetin,Le livre de ma grand-mère. Publié en 2006, il raconte comment
son aïeule lui a récemment dévoilé qu’elle avait été arrachée à ses
parents arméniens par un officier turc. Elevée en bonne musulmane,
elle avait toujours tu son passé. Or, depuis la publication et la
réédition de ce document, l’auteur a reçu de nombreux messages de
Turcs disant avoir vécu lamême expérience. «Certains croientqu’il y
aurait ainsi en Turquieplus d’un million d’Arméniens cachés»,note une
Laure Marchand circonspecte.

Officiellement, il n’y a que 60 000 Arméniens déclarés, vivant
principalement à Istanbul et Izmir. «Il y en a certainement beaucoup
plus, mais la plupart se taisent par peur. L’Etat nie toujours le
génocide. Et même s’il n’est plus tabou d’en parler en Turquie,
l’hostilité et l’impunité sont encore bien réelles, cent ans après. En
2007, l’intellectuel arménien Hrant Dink a été assassiné. Et en 2011,
un jeune soldat a été tué par un camarade. La justice a conclu à une
négligence coupable. »

Innovative New Armenian Program at Chamlian

The Armenian Alphabet

GLENDALE – Chamlian Armenian School realizes that for many parents,
helping their child(ren) with Armenian homework when necessary can be
quite a challenge, especially if they have not attended an Armenian
school. With this in mind, the school has started a free after-school
tutoring program in Armenian (Eastern and Western), during which
students are able to receive extra support with their Armenian
Language homework.

Furthermore, to continue the support at home, the administration will
soon be providing students with a new and innovative online tutoring
program. The program will provide students with free Armenian language
tutoring and homework support through a series of online videos
prepared by Chamlian’s experienced Armenian Language teachers.

Chamlian Armenian School truly appreciates the sacrifices parents make
in sending their child(ren) to a private Armenian school, and firmly
believes that these programs will go a long way towards helping them
succeed.

Did European audience’s votes for Dorians disappear?

ARMINFO
Tuesday, May 21, 20:02

While Azerbaijan is trying to find out how its votes in favor of Dina
Garipova, the Russian participant in Eurovision 2013, disappeared,
Europe has started speaking of the problems it came across when voting
for Armenia.

This year Armenia has been represented at Eurovision by the rock band
“Dorians”, which has gained the 18th place. Following the finals the
rock performers started receiving messages from their fans living in
Europe. In particular, the fans from the Netherlands and Belgium said
that their calls and sms-messages in Armenia’s favor failed either to
be accepted or to be counted. To recall, earlier 15min.lt (Lithuania)
disclosed the scandalous case of the voting mechanism. According to
the journalistic investigation of 15min.lt, in Lithuania the votes in
Azeri participant Farid Mamedov’s favor were purchased for 20 EUR.

To note, the winner of Eurovision 2013 was Emmelie de Forest
(Denmark). A total of 26 countries took part in the contest in 2013.

Gas price for population of Armenia may rise by some 20%, by preliminary data

ARMINFO
Tuesday, May 21, 18:41

Gas price for the population of Armenia may rise by some 20% and for
commercial consumers by 15%. These are preliminary data, said Robert
Nazaryan, Head of the Public Services Regulatory Committee of Armenia,
in an interview with Haylur program on the Armenian Public Television.

He said that the Committee has not adopted a final decision yet, as it
is holding discussions and consultations. Gas price components are
currently being studied, particularly, ArmRusgasprom Company’s
expenses, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, inflation rate for
materials and equipment necessary for the gas network, Nazaryan said.

Following the rise of the Russian gas tariff for Armenia from the
current $180 per 1,000 cu m to $270, ArmRusgasprom applied to the
Public Services Regulatory Commission for increasing the gas tariff
for the population by 67.4% – from the current 132,000 drams to
221,000 drams per 1000 cu m, and for the large consumers by 61.3% –
from $243 per 1000 cu m to $392. The Government of Armenia has
submitted a written application to the Committee for subsidizing 30%
of the Russian gas price for Armenia. The last time gas tariff rose in
April 2010. Armenia imports also Iranian gas in exchange for electric
power – 3,000kWh per 1 cu m.

Political expert: Reports that the Azeri Parliament might adopt a law
“On Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” were just an attempt to see
the reaction of the Azeri society, Armenia and the world community

ARMINFO
Tuesday, May 21, 18:22

The reports that the Azeri Parliament might adopt a law “On the
Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” were just an attempt to see the
reaction of the Azeri society, Armenia and the world community, Deputy
Director of the Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan told journalists on
Tuesday. He believes that such a law would be a gift for Armenia. “It
would strengthen our positions in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process
as it would confirm our arguments that unilateral concessions here are
impossible,” Minasyan said.

The need for such a law was mentioned by Azeri MP Gudrat Gasanguliyev.
He said that all non-citizens wishing to enter “the occupied
territories” should get a visa or permit from the Azeri authorities.

Later the press service of the Azeri Parliament refuted that information.