Author: nina hovnanian

NUCLEAR FEAR TO LAST FOR ANOTHER DECADE

Hurriyet Daily News
Oct 31 2012

Armenia’s Mestamor nuclear power plant was closed in 1988 after a
devastating earthquake, but reopened in 1995. It will be active for
one more decade. Hurriyet photo Armenia will postpone the closure
of the Metsamor nuclear power plant, a controversial facility only
16 kilometers from the country’s border with Turkey, for 10 years to
2023, Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan has said.

“We have extended the operation duration of the current plant,
considering that a new nuclear plant to meet Armenia’s power demand
cannot be build in less than 10 years,” he said.

United States support Armenia knows that Western countries support the
closure of the Metsamor facility, the minister said, but the United
States already backs their decision and has promised security support
for the facility.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern confirmed the statements,
saying that the U.S wants the facility to be closed by 2016 at the
latest, but after Armenia’s extension decision they signed a memorandum
in a bid to at least increase security.

The nuclear plant was closed in 1988, during the Soviet era, after
a devastating earthquake killed around 25,000 people, and resumed
operations in 1995.

Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan would be the most affected by an accident
at Metsamor, said Eurasia Security and Strategic Research Center
(ASAM) President Hatem Cabbarlı.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said in October of last
year that he had ordered the country’s nuclear authority to measure
radioactivity in the east after the deadly earthquake in Van province
on Oct. 23, for fear of leaks from Metsamor.

October/31/2012

CHINESE ART EXHIBITION OPENS IN ARMENIAN GALLERY

NZ Week
Oct 30 2012
New Zealand

Souce:Xinhua Publish By Thomas Whittle

YEREVAN, Armenia, Oct. 30 – An art exhibition of Chinese modern
painters on the Silk Road opened here on Tuesday in the National
Gallery of Armenia.

The exhibition, organized by the ministries of culture of China and
Armenia, and the Shanxi provincial government in China, and titled
“The Silk Road under Colored Brushes, is part of the “Days of Chinese
Culture in Armenia”.

“Armenia played an important role in the Silk Road. Armenian people
made a major contribution to the development of the Silk Road. Today
we see the paintings of famous painters of China,” said Tian Changchun,
Chinese Ambassador to Armenia, at the opening ceremony.

“During the Days of Chinese Culture in Armenia, the Armenian society
was able to get to know the real treasures of the great culture. The
concerts in Yerevan and Gyumri and today’s exhibition are performing
an important mission,” said Hermine Naghdalyan, deputy speaker of
the Armenian Parliament.

Over 100 painters were represented in the exhibitions which had been
on show from China to Europe. The 30 pieces on display in Yerevan
were works by painters from the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts and the
Art Association of China.

“I got refreshing and good feelings from the exhibition. I would like
to see more such events to be organized,” said Rouzanna Petrosyan,
a visitor to the exhibition.

The art exhibition will last till November 7.

RUSSIAN REACTION TO US NAVY SECRETARY’S VISIT

168 Zham newspaper
Oct 30 2012
Armenia

[Translated from Armenian]

Commenting on US-Armenian partnership in military production, the
newspaper wrote in an editorial, “Armenia’s cooperation with the
Americans is probably the only real answer to the Russian claims, as
well as to the recent official and semi-official remarks from Russia
on [Russia’s role in ensuring] Armenia’s security and “preserving
Armenian identity”.

The newspaper said that the start of US-Armenian cooperation in
military production was announced after a meeting of the US Secretary
Mabus and Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan, who described
that sphere of cooperation as a “new direction”. The newspaper also
noted that “Mabus was on a visit to Armenia not in the framework of
a regional tour (as it is usually the case with the officials at such
a high level), so it was not a regular ceremonial visit”.

The newspaper also quoted Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan’s words
on “the high level of US-Armenian relations in the defence sphere”
and their “dynamic development” against the background of “souring
Armenian-Russian relations”.

RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN: ONE SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING UNTIL KARABAKH IS BACK AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE

16:36 29.10.2012

Richard Giragosian”The power of Armenian lobby in the US will become
more powerful by 2013, which makes Genocide efforts all the more
important,” Head of the Regional Studies Center Richard Giragosian
told a press conference today.

“The real test or challenge in 2015 for the 100th anniversary of the
Genocide will be seen in many capitals of the world,” he said, adding
that “it will be a direct challenge and confrontation with Turkey.”

Speaking about the US elections, Giragosian said neither of the
candidates has been responsive to the Armenian American community. He
added, however, that the effect is the opposite. “The failure of
the candidates to talks about the Genocide has actually served to
strengthen and mobilize the Armenians in America.”

“As candidates, both Romney and Obama have angered the Armenian
voters, which means that whoever is elected President, will face a
new challenge from the Armenians in America.”

The analyst said he believes Obama will win, and added “it’s better
for Armenia and for Armenians in America.”

As for the meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers in Paris, Richard Giragosian said “the most interesting
thing was that they met at all.” “This was the first meeting after the
reckless behavior by Azerbaijan over the Safarov case. The significance
of the meeting was not what Nalbandian or Mammadyarov said. This is
a test for the Minsk Group and the international community.”

Giragosian said Armenia was smart enough not to pull out of the peace
process. “Thus, Armenia said that the problem has always been only
Azerbaijan, not Armenia or Karabakh,” he said, adding, however,
that there is one party missing and we shouldn’t expect anything
until Karaabkh is back at the table.

ANALYST: THERE WILL BE NO BREAKTHROUGH IN THE KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS UNTIL NAGORNO KARABAKH IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS WITHIN THE OSCE MG

arminfo
Monday, October 29, 14:48

There will be no breakthrough in the Karabakh peace negotiations
until Nagorno Karabakh is directly involved in the process within
the OSCE Minsk Group, says Richard Giragosian, Head of the Center of
Regional Studies.

“No matter how many time the parties will meet over a cup of tea or
coffee, the given process will be formal unless Artsakh is involved
in the negotiations as a party to the conflict,” the analyst told
media, Monday.

He thinks that it is not so important what the Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers talked about during their latest meeting. It is
much more important that the meeting took place after Baku’s mean
step. Armenia acted wisely in the given case, Giragosian said.

He expressed regret that the OSCE MG took no relevant steps after
Baku pardoned and glorified Safarov, which has discredited the
negotiation process. The analyst thinks one should not expect much
from the negotiations within the OSCE MG.

ANALYST GIRAGOSIAN: AMAZED THAT FMS OF ARMENIA & AZERBAIJAN MET AT ALL
Sona Avagyan

hetq
15:31, October 29, 2012

According to political analyst Richard Giragosian, the reason that
the parliament of New South Wales passed a resolution recognizing
the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination is because
Artsakh’s diplomacy is getting stronger.

“The Australian decision or those by various states in the U.S. are
a by-product of Artsakh’s growing strength on the diplomatic level,”
Giragosian told reporters today in Yerevan,

Giragosian said that while he doesn’t want to celebrate just yet,
without real facts on the ground, the fact that he met with a member
of the Australian Parliament who is planning to visit Stepanakert is
quite encouraging.

The analyst said that the appointment of Karen Mirzoyan as Artsakh
Foreign Minister was a positive step.

“Karabakh, in terms of foreign affairs and diplomacy is getting
stronger. Here, the mistakes of Azerbaijan play a role,” Giragosian
said.

Regarding the meeting in Paris on October 27 between the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Giragosian noted that the
most interesting thing was that they met at all given the recent
diplomatic flap over the release of Ramil Safarov and his pardon by
President Aliyev.

Giragosian said he had no expectations from the meeting in terms of
progress on the Karabakh issue.

“The importance of the meeting isn’t what Nalbandian or Mammadyarov
said. Of greater significance was that the meeting was a test for
the Minsk Group an international public opinion at a time when
Azerbaijan must pay for its bellicose statements and unacceptable
behavior regarding the Safarov issue.”

As to what impact the November 6 U.S. presidential election might
have vis-a-vis Artsakh, Giragosian noted that both major candidates,
Obama and Romney, place great importance on Azerbaijan’s oil reserves.

He noted that the Republicans have a tendency to be more involved in
the energy business and thus have closer ties with the government in
Baku. As a consequence, Mitt Romney might be more vulnerable to the
allure of Azerbaijani oil.

“On the other hand, Romney has no foreign policy experience and
will not have a firm grasp of the Karabakh conflict. I’m not saying
that Obama has been such a great supporter of Karabakh but if he’s
re-elected it would be generally better. Romney would be more dangerous
this he doesn’t understand the Karabakh conflict and is indifferent
towards it,” Giragosian said.

As a U.S. citizen, Giragosian, a Democrat, said he’d be voting
for Obama.

In terms of U.S. – Armenia relations, the analyst said ties between
the two countries would remain close whoever is elected on November 6.

YEREVAN MAN COMMITS SUICIDE

news.am
October 29, 2012 | 13:50

YEREVAN. – A suicide occurred Sunday in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

A 28-year-old man, by the name of Gevorg, committed suicide by hanging
himself in the apartment of his brother.

Our sources have informed that the young man had left a suicide note,
in which he wrote that he is ending his life because of psychological
problems and that no one should be blamed for his death.

The Police confirmed the information on this suicide to Armenian
News-NEWS.am, but they did not provide further details.

1,044 CASES OF VIOLENCE REPORTED TO WOMEN’S NGO SINCE 2009

TERT.AM
29.10.12

The Women’s Rights Center, which implements programs for the prevention
of violence against women and children in Armenia, received 1,044
reports on domestic violence in the past three years.

Introducing the organization’s statistic at a Tuesday news conference,
a psychologist for the Center, Yeva Asribabayan, said 525 of the
women who contacted their hotline telephone service in the above
period were victims of physical violence, with 476 reporting cases
of psychological and only 10 – of sexual violence.

“We see the difference between psychological and physical violence is
not big. As to sexual violence, the number seems to be small, but this
is a closed topic and reported only when [victims] acquire a big trust
in the center and make sure everything is confidential,” she explained.

The reasons of violence vary, the specialist added.

“There is an opinion that only a certain type of women are subjected to
violence, but as a matter of fact, none of us is safeguarded against
it,” she said.

Explaining the sources of the problem, Asribabayan pointed out to
public pressure and social circumstances.

“Among the key functions of the Center is to enable a woman to realize
that she isn’t alone, and there are ways out,” she said.

The women victims of violence are offered to contact the Center
to obtain information on their rights and can benefit from a more
comprehensive counseling upon visiting the specialists, Asribabayan
said.

“We try to offer women all the possible solutions within the law. Upon
necessity, we send a written request to government bodies and private
organizations, prepare court appeals and represents women’s interests
in courts if necessary,” she explained.

The specialist noted that women in most cases are reluctant to lodge
court appeals against husbands who subjected them for violence.

RELATIVE CALM IN ALEPPO ARMENIAN DISTRICTS

TERT.AM
29.10.12

Relative calm has the other day been reported in central Aleppo despite
violations of ceasefire just hours after it was declared, Zhirair
Reisyan, Spokesman for the Beirut-based Armenian prelacy, told Tert.am.

Despite general calm, in some districts residents have been afraid
of sniping.

“Sniping still threatens Nor Gyugh, particularly the Armenian seminary
and Saint Gevorg church,” Reisyan said.

During, and after, the Bairam festival more intense clashes between
Kurds and opposition forces took place.

Tert.am sources in Aleppo reported that Kurdish flats have been hung in
the Kurdish districts, and the approaches are under Kurdish gunmen’s
control. Although the Kurds have done their utmost to remain neutral,
everything is being done to draw them into the conflict.

OPERA SINGER LISA BELL TO OPEN ARMENIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONCERT SEASON

Panorama.am
29/10/2012

The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra starts its 2012-2013 concert
season with Australian opera singer Lisa Bell’s solo concert, the
orchestra told Panorama.am.

The concert, conducted by Eduard Topchjan, will take place at Aram
Khachaturian Concert Hall on November 2. It will feature works by
Puccini, Caccini, Mozart, Dvorak, Delibes, Rossini, Porpora, Bellini,
Kanachian and Komitas.

Arax Mansurian, soprano (Australia), will be special guest at the
concert.

The concert is held under the high patronage of the First Lady of
Armenia Mrs Rita Sargsyan. All proceeds from the concert will go to
“Give Life” Charity Fund.