Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIA DOES NOT WANT AZERBAIJAN TO HANDLE ITS FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Vestnik Kavkaza
June 22 2012
Russia

The delegation of Azerbaijan took part in the third session of the
group to monitor the implementation of the Conference of the member
countries of the UN Convention against Corruption, held from June
18-22 in Vienna.

According to random alloting, Azerbaijan was to assess the situation
with corruption in Armenia.

The Azerbaijani delegation expressed its willingness to assess the
corruption level of Armenia, while the latter required a re-allotment
and as a result was assigned to Lithuania. Azerbaijan in the end was
assigned to assess Mexico, Trend reports.

GOUKASIAN FOUND GUILTY OF IDENTITY THEFT
By Frank Heinz

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

June 22 2012

Man found guilty of skimming tens of thousands of credit cards

After deliberating for three hours, a jury has found Aleksandr
Goukasian guilty on all charges.

Goukasian, a 52-year-old native of Armenia, was accused of skimming
tens of thousands of credit cards at North Texas gas stations and
then using that data to clone credit cards before using them at
ATM machines.

In closing arguments Friday, his defense attorney Abe Factor said
Goukasian was a “mule” who did what others told him to do. Factor
said the only thing Goukasian was guilty of was using other people’s
credit cards without permission. Factor had also said Goukasian wasn’t
working with other people.

Assistant District Attorney Lori Burks jumped on that in her closing
argument saying, “If the defendant is a mule, who is he a mule for?”

She also said of Goukasian, “If you have nothing to do with skimmers
and gas pumps, why do you have pictures of gas pumps on your camera?”

After the guilty verdict NBC 5’s Mark Schnyder asked Burks if Goukasian
was smarter than his defense attorney made him out to be. Burks said,
“Yes he was. He was absolutely involved in every aspect of this
case. He is very deceptive. He is one of those folks that is able to
make you think he’s your friend but at the same time is devious.”

Goukasian and his attorney did not stick around after the verdict to
speak to the media.

Goukasian was charged with one count of unlawful use of electronic
communications; four counts of unlawful possession of an electronic
intercept device; one count of engaging in organized criminal activity;
and one count of fraudulently possessing or using identifying
information.

Goukasian had a universal key that allowed him to open a common type
of gas pump and install the devices when stores were closed or clerks
weren’t watching, police said. The gadgets, encased in Tupperware
and including a wireless transmitter, recorded card numbers and even
personal identification numbers. Devices attributed to Goukasian were
found in Mojave, Calif., Las Vegas, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.

His trial was delayed this week after Goukasian took too many sleeping
pills and required hospitalization. The trial was to resume Monday
morning, but Thursday night it was decided that the trial would
continue Friday morning instead.

During Friday’s hearing, the defense rested less than a half hour
after the trial continued when Goukasian chose not to testify.

In a deal last year with federal prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to
a charge of using an unauthorized access device.

Sentencing will begin at a later date. Goukasian faces up to 99 years
in prison.

Two others, Arkadi Minassian and Arin Mehrabian are awaiting trail in
Houston in connection with the skimmers. Two other men remain at large.

NBC 5’s Mark Schnyder, Scott Gordon, Lindsay Wilcox, Ben Russell and
Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

KH. HARUTYUNYAN WAS FIRED FOR POOR PERFORMANCE

04:35 pm | Today | Politics

It was [Armenia’s first Present] Levon Ter-Petrosyan who dismissed
Khosrov Harutyunyan for his poor work, Armenia’s ex-prime minister
Hrant Bagratyan told reporters in Yerevan in reply to Harutyunyan’s
recent statement that in 1993 he resigned as the prime minister
following his disagreement with the country’s leadership.

“In 1993, Harutyunyan presented in parliament a draft budget project
which turned out to be unproductive and inefficient. The authorities
were displeased with Harutyunyan and sacked him,” said Hrant Bagratyan.

EX-PREMIER: DEFAULT IS EXPECTED IN ARMENIA IN 2013

arminfo
Friday, June 22, 20:21

If the Republican Party of Armenia goes on ruling the country, default
will be expected in Armenia in 2013, a member of the parliament from
the opposition Armenian National Congress, ex-premier of Armenia,
Hrant Bagratyan, said at today’s press-conference.

He said that the present premier Tigran Sargsyan and his ministers
cannot draw out such laws and such a programme which would lead the
country on the way of development. He thinks that the government’s
programme for the next 5 years is windbaggery with a help of which the
RPA will go on destructing the country. He said that general goals
and wishes have been presented in the programme, but the point is
that the ways and resources for their reaching have not been presented.

“The present government does not understand the necessary priorities,
and if the government would have enough courage to study the reasons of
failure of the last years, quite another priorities would be chosen –
emigration, external debt and poverty. But they have chosen another
way and go on pulling Armenia to the bottom”, – ex-premier said and
added that default expects Armenia in 2013, and in case of the growth
rates fixed in the government’s programme, Armenia will reach average
world indicator of economic growth in 57 years.

“The government of Armenia lent salaries and pensions, for which
future generation will pay. The external debt is more than $6,5 bln,
$4,5 bln dollars of which is the state debt. The debt of the private
sector is more dangerous – $2 bln including the banking system, but
prime minister continues dreaming and bluffing his way by means of
demagogy”, he said. He also added that 5-7% economy growth is another
bluff of President Serzh Sargsyan and the government. He think that
the government will not manage to reach such growth of GDP.

WILL REPUBLICAN MAKE YENISEI FLOW THROUGH ARMENIA?

05:22 pm | Today | Politics

The Armenian National Assembly passed on June 22 the draft law on
making amendments and addenda to the Law on Lake Sevan with a vote
93 to 12.

The executive body had earlier asked the National Assembly to enact
measures allowing the release of 150 mln cubic meters of water from
the lake for the purpose of irrigation. Today, the lake releases 170
mln cubic meters of water.

After the adoption of the bill, ARF-Dashnaktsutyun MP Vahan
Hovhannisyan turned to his Republican colleague Vardan Ayvazyan saying,
“I am glad that you like our factions but can you make the Yenisei
River flow through Armenia?”

This made Ayvazyan angry who immediately hurried to answer Hovhannisyan
but NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan was quick enough to calm down the
passions.

REC CAUCASUS ARMENIA HOSTS ROUNDTABLE ON AGRO-BIODIVERSITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 22, 2012 – 13:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – REC Caucasus Armenia hosted the round table
discussion within the framework of the regional project “Identification
and implementation of adaptation response to Climate Change impact
for Conservation and Sustainable use of agro-biodiversity in arid
and semi-arid ecosystems of South Caucasus”, which was attended by
Nune Harutyunyan and Sophiko Akhobadze (RECC Directors), Marion Hohn
(RECC Senior Advisor), Dshkhuhi Sahakyan (Agrobiodiversity project
Team leader), Georgi Arzumanyan (UNDP Armenia) and the project national
team of experts.

According to a press release, an overall mission of the meeting
was to meet with Agro-biodiversity project national team of expert
and review progress towards implementation of Agro-biodiversity and
Climate change regional project in vulnerable pilot communities of
Vayots Dzor and Ararat regions.

Round table discussion covered wide range of issues raised by
experts, such as selection criteria of species in compliance with
particular site in each region in line with UNCBD, the process of
elaboration and development of vulnerability profile by Darko Znaor
(Agro-biodiversity project international expert). Various figures,
data and information provided during the project implementation have
also been represented and clarified. The meeting enabled environment
for an interactive discussion among attendees and created open dialogue
for discussion of project further tendency and steps, especially an
emphasis was put on the final document of the project to be prepared
in national languages as well to be presented to local municipalities
for approval and confirmation. It was mutually agreed that countries
will take on activities matching project requirements on behalf of
the local communities’ interests and benefits.

Wide scale of activities conducted in vulnerable pilot communities of
Vayots Dzor and Ararat regions were represented and reviewed by expert
team, progress towards achievement of the project specific objectives
were analyzed and positive impact of the project was recognized. The
next steps of the project cycle, measureable results were also
reviewed, which covers development of modules and trainings program
and conduction of capacity building trainings in pilot communities.

DEVELOPMENT OF TALKS ON ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS EU’S PRIORITY – STEFAN FULE

news.am
June 22, 2012 | 12:42

Enlargement and European Neighborhood Commissioner Stefan Fule said
one of the priorities for development of Eastern Partnership is
quick development of talks on Association Agreements with Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.

“Our main tools in the implementation of the EaP agenda are Association
Agreements which include also the aim of establishing deep and
comprehensive free trade areas, where appropriate.

With Ukraine we have finalized negotiations on the Association
Agreement and now Ukraine’s performance, in particular in relation to
respect for democratic values and the rule of law, will be crucial
to the speed of its political association and economic integration
with the EU.

With the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the
negotiations of the Association Agreements are under way and our
priority is to advance them as quickly as possible so that until the
time of the next EaP Summit in autumn 2013 we would be close to their
finalization or even able to initial them,” Fule said in an interview
with ENPI information center.

RELICS OF ARMENIAN, ASSYRIAN MONUMENTS FOUND IN TURKEY

tert.am
22.06.12

Researchers from Turkey’s Batman University have uncovered relics of
350 churches, monasteries, castles, springs and other constructions.

According to Sondakika.com, the majority of the monuments belonged
to the Armenians. The residents of villages have reportedly used the
historical stones for building their houses and cattle sheds.

The studies were conducted by a group of five scholars, headed by
Mehmed Emin Shei, a doctor at the University.

The group was stunned to see an Armenian cross stone from the Taspinar
Castle used in one of the villages of Sasun region.

An Armenian inscription on the stones of a stable is also said to
have attracted the researchers’ attention.

“The study is being conducted for the first time, and it throws light
upon the hidden history in Batman,” Shei was quoted as saying.

DELEGATION OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT TO TAKE PART IN PACE SITTING

ARMENPRESS
22 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS: Delegation of National Assembly
of Armenia will take part in the third part of the sitting of
Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) which will be held
in Strasbourg on June 25-29. Armenpress was informed from information
and public relations department of National Assembly that the head of
Armenian parliamentary delegation is David Harutyunyan. The delegation
includes Hermine Naghdalyan, Naira Zohrabyan, Armen Rustamyan and
Zaruhi Postanjyan.

The Permanent representation of Armenia operates in Strasbourg. The
Armenian Delegation to the PACE is composed of four representatives
and four substitutes. Armenia has also representatives in different
specialized bodies of the organization. The Special Representative
of the Secretary General and the information office of the Council
of Europe operate in Armenia.

Armenia’s accession process to the Council of Europe started in 1995.

The National Assembly of Armenia was granted special guest status on
26 January 1996. On 9 November 2000, according to the Committee of
Ministers Resolution 2000/13, Armenia was invited to join the Council
of Europe. Armenia became a full member on 25 January 2001.

SITUATION IS BETTER IN BLACK SEA COUNTRIES THAN IN EUROZONE – BLACK SEA BANK PRESIDENT

news.am
June 22, 2012 | 14:08

YEREVAN. – There is a six-percent economic growth in the Black Sea
countries and this is lot higher than in the eurozone, Black Sea Trade
and Development Bank (BSTDB) President Andrey Kondakov said Friday,
during the BSTDB-organized business forum held in Armenia’s capital,
Yerevan.

In his words, there is an extremely variable and an uncertain
environment in the world at present.

As per Kondakov, Armenia is a very good example of stability because
it has a real and steady GDP growth, a stable national currency,
single-digit inflation, and a low state debt.