THE NEXT AZERBAIJANI SERVICEMAN DIES
11.01.13, 14:56
Another soldier of Azerbaijani Army dies.
According to Azerbaijani media car crash on Baku-Guma road caused
death of an Azerbaijani serviceman.
According to the information Shahin Poladov died immediately as a
result of the car and bus crash. There is no information about other
people who were in the car.
Poladov was a serviceman of Tagiyev military unit.
GONE WITH WIND OF MOUNTAINS
Haik Aramyan
Comments – Thursday, 10 January 2013, 15:04
What is the leader of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian doing? The
question seems irrelevant. Having gone through the Odyssey of receiving
nationality of Armenia, he can finally run in the presidential
election which he actually did. He has been nominated and has stated
that the election will be competitive, and it will be a race between
Armenias of Serzh and Raffi. For his part, the sociologist Aharon
Adibekyan states every day that Raffi will be the runner-up. Serzh’s
Armenia is known to everyone. What is Raffi’s Armenia? In his latest
press conference he did not explain but judging by his speeches it is
Armenia with proper law enforcement, Constitution, free elections. As
a mechanism for achieving it, Raffi Hovannisian says, “On February
18 an electoral revolution must take place in Armenia through which
the people of Armenia will crush the law enforcement, customs, tax
systems ruling Armenia for 20 years.”
Although the Odyssey of Raffi’s passport lasted long, he was in
Armenia all through that time, followed and participated in national
elections. And perhaps he has noticed that it is impossible to change
the state of things, change the government, crush the system through
elections because the electoral mechanism has been destroyed. Instead,
it is possible to achieve an election with less noise or no noise at
all, such as the latest parliamentary election. At that time the RPA
reported the result it needed, and generously granted others’ wishes.
The others entered the parliament and thus legitimated the “election
return”. No doubt the presidential election will be smoother. It
will be perfect. Hence, in order to create a new climate in Armenia
through elections it is necessary to establish constitutional order
and electoral mechanisms. Perhaps this is the meaning of activities of
any political force, the meaning of “electoral revolution”. However,
the Armenian political forces do everything that may come to one’s head
except for their main duties. In this setting there is what there is.
As Raffi says, he will congratulate the winner, and suggests that
Serzh Sargsyan read his letters more attentively. This is like a
commercial offer, especially amid the rumors that the government
intends to boost Raffi’s votes to push him up to the second place
in the election and thus make Serzh Sargsyan’s votes appear more
substantial. Raffi denies those rumors, and it is possible that those
are just rumors. But no doubt the press and the political forces
will continue to circulate them. One can state this considering the
thinking and value of the system in which the political parties and
the media understand their existence. In the past period Raffi was
mocked, and he gave reasons for that, failing to explain the meaning
of his steps and intentions. Perhaps, something similar will take
place this time as well. Such is the Armenian reality, and one must
keep outside the logic of this reality to be able to change it.
Otherwise there will be no difference between Armenias of Raffi
and Serzh.
MARTIN SCHULZ CONSIDERS EU TO BE AT THE HEART OF NKR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
18:58, 10 January, 2013
YEREVAN, JANUARY 10, ARMENPRESS: Development of trade ties is also the
best way for the settlement of the conflicts. As reports Armenpress,
this was declared by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz
during joint briefing with Armenian NA President Hovik Abrahamyan.
“As firm and secure is the environment people live in as more is the
possibility to reach peaceful settlement of the conflicts.
Consequently, being a part of EU and the region, development of
economy and NKR conflict are mutually connected,” Schulz said.
President of the European Parliament believes that EU should not
divide economic progress from regional development.
“Our role is to establish stability in the region through efficient
economic cooperation. Whether EU will be able to have a constructive
role in frames of OSCE Minsk Group or not, it’s not clear yet. The
conflict is extremely sensitive. Each step made receives political
and strategic response of involved sides and region,” Martin Schulz
stresses.
President of European Parliament expressed his complete gladness over
Armenian peaceful position over resolution of NKr conflict.
Peaceful position of European Parliament over NKR issue has been also
highlighted during the briefing.
“OSCE has centralized its attention on NKR conflict, and the Minks
Group has aimed its efforts not to embrace any other issue in this
process. In such a difficult process EU leaves this important role
for OSCE,” concluded Schulz.
On January 8 the RA National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan
arrived in Brussels on an official two-day visit.
The Head of the RPA faction Galust Sahakyan, the Head of the ARF
faction Armen Rustamyan, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee
on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan, the Chairman of the NA Standing
Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs Koryun
Nahapetyan, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Artak Davtyan, the Chairman of the
NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Davit Harutyunyan,
the NA deputies Samvel Farmanyan, Vahe Enfiajyan, Khachik Harutyunyan,
the NA Chief of Staff Gurgen Dumanyan and the RA Deputy Foreign
Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan are in the delegation.
FULE: ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS WILL BENEFIT FROM ARMENIA-EU PARTNERSHIP
Thursday 10 January 2013 13:38
Photo:
Yerevan/Mediamax/. European Commissioner Stefan Fule stated that
Armenian-Russian relations will benefit from Armenia-EU partnership.
Stefan Fule’s press statement following his meeting with Speaker
of the Armenian parliament Hovik Abrahamyan in Brussels reads this,
Mediamax reports.
“Broader regional cooperation was also raised, with an emphasis on the
fact that good neighborly relations are of strategic importance for
Armenia, in particular as regards Russia. It is in the EU’s interest
to see good Armenian-Russian relations; they can in turn benefit also
from Armenia’s partnership with the EU”, Stefan Fule’s statement reads.
Mediamax notes that in fact, it was the first time that the EU senior
representative underlined Armenian-Russian relations in an official
document related to the bilateral meeting in Armenia-EU format.
ARMENIA’S GOVERNMENT TO ALLOCATE 37.1 BLN DRAMS IN FAMILY ALLOWANCES IN 2013
YEREVAN, January 10. /ARKA/. Armenia’s government decided on its
Thursday session to distribute 37.1 billion drams in allowances to
104,685 families from the budget funds.
“Moreover, 4.6 billion drams will be allocated to the lump-sum grants
when a child is born to 43, 071 people,” Labor and Social Affairs
Minister Artem Asatryan said today.
According to him, with the birth of the first and the second child
the parents of 36, 567 children will receive 50,000 drams each, and
with the birth of the third and more children 6,504 families will
receive 430,000 drams each.
Asatryan noted total of 2.4 billion drams is being distributed in baby
care allowances (11,200 children of up to 2 years old). The value of
each allowance stands at 18,000 drams.
Minister also said in 2013 the families of the killed national heroes
will get 250,000-dram allowances, 150,000 drams-awarded with the
Order of the Military Cross (level 1), 100,000 drams-awarded with
the Order of the Military Cross (level 2). ($1 – 406.01 drams). -0-
A CITIZEN ACCUSES MEDICAL CENTER OF REMOVING WIFE’S KIDNEY TO SELL IT, THE CENTER SAYS CLAIMS GROUNDLESS
15:50 ~U 10.01.13
Karapet Karapetyan, an engineer, claimed today at the meeting with
reporters that human organ selling mafia operates in Armenia and
accused Margaryan and Nairi medical centers’ doctors of stealing
human organs.
Recently We will not keep silence initiative released a video with
Karapetyan telling what happened.
Karapetyan said his wife was operated in Margaryan maternity hospital
claiming that as a result of a mistake the woman faced a number of
problems, which resulted in the necessity to remove the kidney.
“During five months she underwent seven surgeries of which three in
Nairi, one in Margaryan and another one in Armenia medical center. As
a result my wife’s kidney was removed,” he said, claiming that all
these operations were useless and were made to take the woman’s kidney.
Karapetyan said they have applied to the doctor of Margaryan hospital
Okoyev demanding to return them the kidney, but the latter refused to
do so saying they had sent it for expertise. “I have been convinced
that human organ selling mafia is operating in Armenia,” he said,
claiming that the kidney was sold in Nairi medical center.
As a result, his wife Nune Maghakyan lost her job, became second
class handicapped and now is getting the third class.
A criminal case has opened into the case in 2010 but till now no
solution was given to the issue, the patient’s husband says. “I demand
fair trial and financial compensation otherwise I am going to apply
to the European court,” Karapetyan said.
Director of Margaryan mother and child health preservation
center, professor G. Okoyev released an explanation relating to
Nune Maghakyan’s case. According to it, Maghakyan was to undergo a
surgery during which it became clear that she has other problem as well
needing surgery. The doctor decided to expand the scope of the surgery
during which a complication has aroused needing interference of other
specialist and the patient was transported to other medical center.
After few surgeries with the written request of the patient and a
written document Maghakyan’s kidney was removed.
The medical center reported that no mistake was made by doctor during
the surgery in Margaryan hospital which is proved by three expertise
conclusions.
“A German doctor that participated in the expertise made conclusion
that doctor Okoyev has not committed any mistake during the operation
and his decision to expand the scope of the surgery was aimed at the
improvement of patient’s health. Besides, the surgery was made with
the consent of Maghakyan’s consent,” the statement says. As demanded
by law the surgery was state-funded. It is not the choice of either
a doctor or medical center but is being done by the established rules.
“As to the kidney removal, it was done after six months in other
medical center with request of the patient who refused other two
ways of treatment to avoid kidney’s removal and submitted written
request of doing it. Referring to the demand of Karapetyan to return
the removed kidney, the medical center says according to hygienic
and anti-epidemic norms the human organs in Armenia are subjected
to special preservation and elimination through a special method and
the implementation of the such senseless request of the patient would
have been illegal,” the hospital’s statemen runs.
ARMENIAN POLICE: NEARLY 25,000 PEOPLE ADDED TO ELECTORAL REGISTERS IN ARMENIA OVER LAST EIGHT MONTHS
arminfo
Thursday, January 10, 13:21
In the period since May 5 2012 up to Jan 6 2013 the preliminary
electoral registers in Armenia were replenished with 25,053 citizens,
the press-service of the Armenian Police reports.
According to the source, during the parliamentary elections on May 5
2012 the number of voters totaled 2 485 844 people. A total of 60 645
citizens who receive passports, were demobilized, and achieved maturity
were included in the electoral registers (including 29,986 are at the
age of 18). At the same time, another 35 592 people were removed from
the registers after death or for other reasons (including 15 572 died).
The presidential election will be held on Feb 18. Fifteen people
submitted the necessary documents to the CEC for registration
as candidates for president. The deadline for registration is
Jan 14. The presidential campaign will start on January 21 and
continue till the midnight of Feb 18. The incumbent president Serzh
Sargsyan is the favorite candidate. The other candidates are the
former prime minister Hrant Bagratyan from the Liberty Party. All
the remaining are self-nominated candidates: Leader of the Union
for National Self-Determination Party Paruyr Hayrikyan, Leader of
Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian, Advisor for Political Issues of the
Refugees and the International Law Civil Society Network, ex-foreign
minister of NKR Arman Melikyan, Leader of the Progressive Socialist
Party Robert Aharonyan, Director of Hay Radio Andreas Ghukasyan,
unemployed ethnographer Vardan Sedrakyan, Head of Kashatagh NGO Robert
Simonyan,pensioner Pavlik Sargsyan, unemployed Mher Hayrapetyan,
and head of the NAtional Press Club Narine Lazarian. The elections
will be held on Feb 18 2013.
Another two candidate, a member of Prosperous Armenia Party Ruben
Ayvazyan and a non-party man Taron Abrahamyan have withdrawn their
candidatuyres.
CAUCASIAN MUSLIMS OFFICE INSISTING ON MEETING OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER
arminfo
Thursday, January 10, 13:22
The Caucasian Muslims Office (CMO) is insisting on a meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani religious leaders on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border and not on the line of contact of the NKR and Azerbaijani
Armed Forces, the Azerbaijani media report citing CMO.
As it was reported earlier, at the request of Catholicos of All
Amenians Karekin II, Head of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan on behalf of Karekin
II suggested Allahshukur Pashazadeh, who was on a visit to Georgia,
to meet in Artsakh with participation of the two parties intellectuals.
PUTIN PLANS ON HOLD?: MAGNITSKY BILL FALLOUT SAID TO INTERFERE WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S ARMENIA VISIT PLANS
ANALYSIS | 11.01.13 | 14:35
Photo:
By GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who first was expected to pay a
visit to Armenia last September, was again said to contemplate his
trip to the allied South Caucasus countries in mid-January. But
judging by the panic that has started in the Russian elite because of
the frozen accounts at Swiss banks, his visit is likely to be
postponed again.
Unofficial sources had said Putin could visit Armenia on January
13-14, but so far no official confirmation of those plans has been
made either in Moscow or in Yerevan. According to several news
agencies in Russia, the main concern of Putin during these days is the
huge sums of money frozen on Swiss bank accounts in the aftermath of
the Magnitsky Bill in the United States and the ban on adoption in
Russia for U.S. citizens introduced by Moscow in retaliation to this
new American legislation.
On January 9, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office “froze” bank
accounts of Russian citizens included in the so-called Magnitsky list.
The matter concerns millions of U.S. dollars.
In 2009, lawyer and auditor Sergei Magnitsky died in a Moscow prison
after exposing massive fraud involving Russian tax officials. In 2012,
the United States adopted the Magnitsky Bill with the main intention
to punish Russian officials who were thought to be responsible for the
lawyer’s death by prohibiting their entrance to the United States and
use of their banking system. The signing of the law by President
Barrack Obama in December drew an angry reaction in Russia that
initiated its own legislation – a so-called Dima Yakovlev Act to ban
adoption of Russian children by American citizens.
Putin’s visit is put on hold, but efforts on integration as part of
the nascent Eurasian Union and the Customs Union seem to be continuing
among ruling political forces of several former Soviet states,
including Armenia.
A protocol regarding such cooperation was signed in St. Petersburg,
Russia, on December 3 during an international forum called “Eurasian
Integration in the 21st Century” also attended by representatives of
the ruling parties of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
After the signing of this protocol reports spread in Armenia that “the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) is leading the country to the
Eurasian Union.” But the Republicans denied that, saying that it is
“not a serious document”, at the same time confirming, however, that
they were ready to sign a memorandum on Eurasian integration at the
beginning of 2013.
RPA lawmaker, chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Foreign
Relations Committee Artak Zakaryan explains that this memorandum
simply confirms that “the parties are willing to continue to work
around issues of Eurasian integration.”
“These are inter-party consultations regarding general Eurasian
integration in different areas, and not on the Eurasian Union, and we
can never be against general integration as it would only be useful
for our country both economically and politically. Besides, these are
only meetings at an inter-party level,” Zakaryan told ArmeniaNow.
While the RPA presents these inter-party meetings as “mere
consultations”, Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Sergei Zheleznyak,
in an interview with the website of Russia’s ruling Yedinaya Rossiya
party stressed that “the ruling parties bear responsibility for the
integration processes leading to the establishment of the Eurasian
Union.”
Despite the tense situation in Russia in view of its relations with
the United States, the Damoclean sword in the form of the European
Union still appears to be very much hanging over Armenia, which also
imperils the country’s further integration with the European Union.
Armenia is a facing a major watershed – Europe or Russia. Ahead of
next month’s presidential election Armenia’s incumbent President Serzh
Sargsyan has to leave both sides satisfied to count on another
five-year term as head of state. While the European direction opens
the prospect of economic prosperity, in case of correct use of
European funds, then there are only few economic expectations from the
Russian direction that basically come down to the price of natural
gas.
Last autumn was marked by the abundance of all sorts of statements
deemed as humiliating for Armenia made at different levels in Russia.
In October, pro-Kremlin pundit Mikhail Leontyev suggested in an
article that Armenia is what it is today only due to Russia. He
directly cast doubts over Armenia’s sovereignty, saying that “if it
were not for Russia, Armenia would probably not exist on the map
today. Armenia continues to exist only due to Russia,” stressed
Leontyev, who is widely known for his program on a leading Russian TV
channel in which he comments on different political events and world
affairs.
In December, the Eurasian Economic Commission Board Chairman Victor
Khristenko compared Armenia to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad,
arguing that having no border with Russia or other members of the
Customs Union (now also including Belarus and Kazakhstan) would not be
a problem for integration. It brought to mind the infamous comment
made several years ago by the then speaker of the Russian State Duma,
Boris Gryzlov, who called Armenia “Russia’s outpost”, drawing strong
reaction from mainly opposition circles of Armenia then.
While Armenia’s officials repeatedly state that Eurasian integration
does not hinder European integration, late last year several EU
officials voiced concerns in this regard.
In particular, EU Ambassador Traian Hristea stated last year Armenia
must make a choice between the EU and EurAsEC, as it can run counter
to the policy of rapprochement with the European Union.
EU Advisory Group (EUAG) to the Republic of Armenia Team Leader Willem
van der Geest expressed the same opinion.
More clear explanations in this regard were finally made by spokesman
for the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy Maja Kocijancic. In an interview with RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service the spokesperson, representing the official views of
the European Union, said that Armenia’s conclusion of free trade
agreements with third countries did not contradict the negotiations
around the creation of a deep and comprehensive free trade area
(DCFTA) with the EU. However, according to her, the issue here
concerns mainly customs unions: “If Armenia decides to join any
customs union, it would become incompatible with the bilateral
agreement concluded between the EU and Armenia on the establishment of
a deep and comprehensive free trade area. The thing is that a customs
union has a common trade policy, and individual countries belonging to
the union are no longer sovereign in their foreign trade policy.”
These messages took a more serious tone when U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton made a related statement in early December.
Clinton made the statement about this attempt to “re-sovietize” the
former USSR space at a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in
Dublin, Ireland.
“It’s not going to be called that [USSR]. It’s going to be called
customs union, it will be called Eurasian Union and all of that,” she
said, referring to Russian-led efforts for greater regional
integration. “But let’s make no mistake about it. We know what the
goal is and we are trying to figure out effective ways to slow down or
prevent it.”
This, however, had little effect on the Armenian leadership. Shortly
after that statement President Serzh Sargsyan attended the
presentation of a book authored by staunchly pro-Russian politician
Artashes Geghamyan entitled “The Eurasian Union is a Future Path for
Independent Armenia.” (Geghamyan is a member of the RPA faction in
parliament).
These latest developments calling for clear decisions have led some
political observers in Armenia to believe that the so-called
“complementary” foreign policy conducted since the mid-1990s policy
has exhausted itself and now it is time to get the clear orientation.
Meanwhile, for a small country like Armenia, which has lots of
problems and authorities whose legitimacy is in question this appears
an almost unsolvable problem.
LES CIBLES DES NATIONALISTES TURCS NE SONT PAS EN SECURITE EN FRANCE
Stephane
armenews.com
vendredi 11 janvier 2013
Le Conseil de Coordination des Organisations Armeniennes de France
(CCAF) condamne, avec la plus vive fermete, l’assassinat de trois
militantes de la cause kurde a Paris et presente ses condoleances a la
communaute kurde de France. Nous avons la conviction que cet attentat
porte la marque des nationalistes turcs qui ont des reseaux très bien
structures en France et en Europe. L’organisation paramilitaire,
hors de la legalite, de ces mouvements turcs, devraient inciter le
gouvernement francais a prendre toutes les dispositions qui s’imposent,
y compris les plus radicales. Les liens des nationalistes turcs
avec certains services de l’Etat turc sont de notoriete publique. Le
CCAF, qui estime que les cibles des nationalistes turcs ne sont pas
en securite en France aujourd’hui, lance un appel au gouvernement
francais pour que des mesures exceptionnelles de protections soient
prises pour garantir la securite des personnalites, des militants et
institutions kurdes et armeniennes.
Conseil de Coordination des Organisations Armeniennes de France – CCAF
Paris, le 10 janvier 2013
vendredi 11 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com