Author: nina hovnanian

ALIYEV’S STATEMENTS PROVE THAT AZERBAIJANI HEREDITARY AUTHORITATIVE REGIME IS IN AGONY

16:40, 25 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Apparent territorial demands against
Armenia having at least 3000-year-old history, which are put forward
by a country that has first appeared in the map about one hundred
years ago, prove that Azerbaijani hereditary authoritative regime is
in agony.

As reports “Armenpress” in a conversation with Interfax news agency
the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Shavarsh Kocharyan announced this while commenting on the President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s statements saying that Azerbaijan will
stop at nothing “to get back its territories”.

Among other things the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan stated: “Introducing obvious lie
as reality endangers the security of the whole region and first of all
the fate of the Azerbaijani people. No lie can help the Azerbaijani
authorities to avoid responsibility for their aggression against the
self-determined Nagorno Karabakh Republic.”

POLITICAL THINKING IS NECESSARY REGARDING ARMENIAN QUESTION: SERZH SARGSYAN

12:55, 26 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The President of the Republic of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan hosted Vice Presidents of the Western Armenian
National Congress Norat Ter-Grigoryan and Karen Mikaelian.

The Press Service of the President of the Republic of Armenia informed
“Armenpress” that Norat Ter-Grigoryan and Karen Mikaelian laid a heavy
emphasis on the importance of the development of ties and cooperation
between Armenians from various parts of the world and the distribution
of activities and roles in the realization of national goals and
programs. Norat Ter-Grigoryan and Karen Mikaelian introduced the
programs of the organization regarding the procedure of protection of
interests and rights of the former Ottoman Empire Armenian citizens’
heirs to President Serzh Sargsyan.

Among other things Serzh Sargsyan noted that it’s of a certain
importance to learn from the past and have a realistic, responsible,
modern, state, and political thinking regarding the Armenian Question.

JIVAN GASPARYAN’S MUSIC TO SOUND IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIE

09:41, 26 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The current year was full of
achievements for renowned Armenian duduk-player Jivan Gasparyan. The
master of duduk has authored a soundtrack for Hollywood movie “End
of the World”. In a conversation with “Armenpress” Jivan Gasparyan
stated that it has already been three years since the making of the
movie launched and it will continue in 2013. The movie has a rather
big budget.

Jivan Gasparyan stated: “It has not been clarified yet when the making
of the movie will finish. I suppose this and other details regarding
the movie will be clarified next year.” Hollywood producers turn to
Jivan Gasparyan to take care about the music of their films rather
frequently. He has authored music for more than 40 foreign movies,
including “the Russia House”, “Eugene Onegin”, “Doctor Zhivago”,
“Gladiator” and many others.

The legendary musician used to say that the producers want him to
sound the music that he himself feels.

Advancing New Year and Merry Christmas Jivan Gasparyan wished the
Armenian people peace and success.

DRUG PRICES TO RISE

24.12.2012, 14:01

A growth has been recorded in Armenia’s pharmaceutical sector in the
past ten years.

Director of the Union of Armenia’s Drug Manufacturers and Importers
Samvel Zakarain summed up the year, saying that by estimate, an annual
growth of 13-14% was recorded. Exports grew by 9-10%.

Starting from January 1, the good manufacturing practice (GMP)
standard introduction process will begin in Armenia. In this case,
raw materials, equipment, even the color of the walls in a drug store
and the uniform of its staff shall be in line with European standards.

In recent months there were press reports that prices of 80% of drugs
grew by 30%. In this connection Zakarian said: “The drug market is
stable, prices have not risen. Prices of some drugs grew by 6-8%
due to some issues, such as transportation, and so on. Instead,
prices of many drugs have fallen”.

The GMP standard introduction process is expensive, due to which a
growth in prices in possible.

Zakarian promised that the price growth will be a slight one.

GEORGIAN COALITION CANCELS DEMAND FOR SAAKASHVILI’S RESIGNATION NEXT MONTH

24.12.12

Georgia’s new government will not insist on its demand for President
Mikheil Saakashvili’s resignation in January, according to the
Russian Vzglyad.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili was quoted as telling a news
conference that in case his Georgian Dream coalition takes up
impeaching the president, the world community will think of the
process as something strange.

“It is necessary to maintain the country’s reputation,” he said,
adding that the plan to hold new polls in October conflicts with
a constitutional provision to elect a president for five years
(Saakashvili was elected in January 2008).

Meantime, the Georgian premier did not rule out the possibility that
the constitutional requirement restricting the president’s authorities
may be enforced ahead of time (before the 2013 election).

Ivanishvili thinks MP Vakhtang Khmaladze to be the best candidate
of presidency.

LAVROV: TURKEY’S PATRIOT MISSILES TO COUNTER IRAN THREATS

24.12.12

The deployment of NATO’s advanced surface-to-air Patriot missiles is
intended to counter threats not only from Syria, but from Iran as well,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

Earlier this month NATO approved the deployment of Patriot air defense
systems in Turkey as a way to prevent potential Syrian cross-border
missile or mortar attacks. Six NATO-controlled Patriot batteries are
to be operational by the end of January 2013.

“As for the purpose of this deployment, yes, I read and hear that
some experts believe that if it is intended to prevent any Syrian
crossfire then it could be positioned a bit differently,” he said in
an interview with the RT television network.

“And as it is envisaged to be positioned, some people say it is quite
useful to protect the American radar which is part of the American
missile defense system they are building quoting, ‘the threat from
Iran’.”

The top Russian diplomat added that “If this is the case then it is
even more risky… because this multiple purpose deployment could
create additional temptations.”

NATO member Turkey formally requested Patriot missiles from the
military alliance after weeks of talks with NATO allies about how to
shore up security on its 900-kilometer (560 mile) border with Syria.

Turkey has opened fire with artillery several times in recent months
across its border with Syria in retaliation for shelling from Syria
that killed five Turkish civilians in October. It has also provided
shelter to refugees fleeing the violence in Syria, and has been one
of President Bashar al-Assad’s harshest critics during the almost
17-month revolt against his rule.

ARMENIAN JEWELERS HELP SYRIAN COMPATRIOTS TO SETTLE

news.am
December 25, 2012 | 00:45

YEREVAN. – The Syrian-Armenians need assistance in settling in Armenia,
head of the Yerevan Jewelry Factory and representative of the Armenian
Association of Jewelers and Diamond-Cutters Emil Grigoryan told
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Another problem is providing them with work. We check the work
productivity of those having arrived as a jeweler, and in majority
of cases I hire them with some salary, to help them to support their
families anyway,” Grigoryan said.

However, he considers another form of cooperation with the Syrian
compatriots due to which Syrian-Armenian expert jewelers may help to
establish new powerful capacities.

AZERI KILLER’S AXING PRACTICE CONTINUES TO GAIN FOLLOWERS IN AZERBAIJAN

December 24, 2012 | 23:04

AGDAM. – In Azerbaijan on December 23 a police officer axed another
officer. According Vesti.Az, the incident occurred in the village of
Baharly. Police Department sergeant of Terter district Imran Babirov
fought with Agdam police department officer Siyavush Hajiyev, who
was hospitalized with numerous wounds.

According to preliminary data, the cause of the bloody fight between
the police officers was a woman.

It is reported that one of the officers went to visit a woman who
appeared to be the wife of his colleague. Woman’s husband was on a
business trip, and as it is in a classic story, suddenly returned
home. Upon seeing at home the intruder, the law enforcement agent
became furious and took the axe.

Note, a notorious Azeri killer Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant in the
Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence – and with no expression of
either regret or remorse – for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004. Azeri killer was welcomed
as a hero in his homeland.

AUTHORITIES WILL BOOST OPPOSITIONS’ VOTES

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:02 25/12/2012

The president of the Association of Political Scientists Hmayak
Hovhannisyan says the sad picture on the eve of the presidential
election will make a comedy out of the election.

Hmayak Hovhannisyan told Lragir.am that the second large parliamentary
group Prosperous Armenia, and Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the runner up
in the last presidential election, do not run for president, so the
political life becomes boring.

The real reason for Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s refusal to run for president,
according to Hmayak Hovhannisyan, is not his age.

Hovhannisyan says it is surprising that a person like him speaks about
age trying to arouse a pity. He could have boycotted the elections,
bringing all the necessary reasons for that, says Hmayak Hovhannisyan.

According to him, Ter-Petrosyan chose the disgraceful option of
withdrawing from the presidential race.

He noted that Ter-Petrosyan did not utter a word about his special
responsibility to reveal the organizers of March 1 crimes because
the victims followed him. According to Hovhannisyan, Ter-Petrosyan
is personally responsible for this issue and he should have raised
this issue.

In this situation, Hmayak Hovhannisyan thinks the second main candidate
for president is the Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisian.

After the elections, Hovannisian will be the second political figure
in Armenia, and Gagik Tsarukyan will cede this post to him. “Now the
authorities need to think not about re-election but about counting
additional percentage to the opposition candidate who will be Raffi
Hovannisian,” he said.

The political scientist predicts that the authorities will help Raffi
Hovannisian receive more votes in the parliamentary elections than
Levon Ter-Petrosyan received in 2008.

COMFORT FOR KICKBACKS
Naira Hayrumyan

15:17 25/12/2012
Story from Lragir.am News:

Yesterday Serzh Sargsyan met with Armenian businessmen and told
them about Armenia’s successes in the economic sphere. He said that
despite the predictions of skeptics, Armenia managed to ensure a 7%
economic growth and budget income. That is it will be possible to
collect the famous 101 billion.

“Our goal is to make sure Armenia becomes a secure and stable place
for local and foreign businessmen where law supremacy will be ensured”,
said Serzh Sargsyan.

At the same time, he didn’t bring any statistic data about the growth
of investments or opening of new enterprises and jobs. Instead,
minister of finances Vache Gabrielyan noted that the decline of
investments this year is determined by the fact that 1-2 investors
left the Armenian market. Though, it is possible that many businessmen
preferred transferring their business to Georgia.

The economic policy is Serzh Sargsyan’s weakest point. If we can
point out some achievements in the foreign policy and public sphere,
in economy, the government just managed to keep the society far
from the social rebellion. The government didn’t spare efforts and
promises to attract loans, to pay salaries and pensions in time for
people not to rebel.

The economic policy of the government may become the topic which
may betray Serzh Sargsyan during the election campaign. It is not
the foreign policy but it is the sphere the growth and decline of
which everyone feels. Hardly anyone felt the positive changes of the
economic policy. So, all the talks about this seem pharisaism and
will play against Serzh Sargsyan.

Serzh Sargsyan, unfortunately, has no grounds to say that he business
atmosphere bettered in Armenia, that investors felt positive changes.

Armenia’s economy does not pursue the goal of developing the business,
since investments are necessary for it. And if loans are directed to
the development, nothing will remain for the satisfaction of social
needs. For this, let the Armenian businessmen work in other places,
and the government will attract loans.

Actually, all the businessmen, Armenians and foreigners, think the
obstacle to the business development in Armenia is the court and
the customs. Unless fundamental changes are carried out in these
two spheres, the midsize and small business can’t develop. Only them
major business is comfortable in Armenia.

The list of 1000 major taxpayers of the country is headed by
ArmRosGazProm, the second is the Zangezur copper-molybdenum combine,
and the third is Alex Grig owned by MP Samvel Alexanyan (13.5
billion AMD).

The specific gravity of the first 100 taxpayers is almost 47% of the
total taxes and the specific gravity of the first ten major taxpayers
if the 20%. How can we talk about the development of business? Only
kickbacks feel comfortable under such conditions.