Author: nina hovnanian

COMMENT BY EDWARD NALBANDIAN, FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER OF ARMENIA, ON THE LOS CABOS STATEMENT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

19.06.2012

We highly appreciate the efforts of heads of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair states- the Presidents of Russia, the USA and France, aimed
at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

This statement adopted in Los Cabos by Presidents Vladimir Putin,
Barack Obama and Francois Hollande is the fourth one made by the
heads of the Co-Chair countries on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue which
may become an impetus for the process of negotiation.

Armenia is unanimous with the Co-Chair countries in its resolute
commitment to achieving a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

As Russia, the United States and France, we also regret that in
spite of the call in the joint statement of Deauville on May 26,
2011, progress was not achieved at the Kazan Summit on June 24,
because of the non-constructive, maximalist position of Azerbaijan.

Being committed to the achieved agreements, reflected in the Statement
of Sochi made by the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on
January 23of this year, Armenia will continue its efforts aimed at
the reaching agreement on the Basic Principles of the Settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict.

As the Co-Chair countries, we have many times urged to respect the
ceasefire agreement of May 1994 and abstain from hostile rhetoric
thatincreases tension.

Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has rejected and continues to reject
the Co-Chair countries’ proposals to consolidate the ceasefire; to
withdraw snipers from the line of contact, to create a mechanism on
investigating ceasefire violations and incidents. Last time it was done
a week ago during the visit of the OSCE Chairman in Office to Baku.

Azerbaijan is not only rejecting those proposals, but is also
flagrantly violating the ceasefire and continuously masterminding
provocations.

Armenia, unlike Azerbaijan, has on numerous occasions reiterated
that it is ready to continue the negotiations on the basis of the
statements of the heads of the Co-Chair states made in L’Aquila,
Muskoka, Deauville, and I could also add Los Cabos, to achieve
asettlement of the conflict.

HRAPARAK: GAGIK TSARUKYAN REFUSES TO PARTICIPATE IN PARLIAMENT SITTINGS UNTIL PM IS REPLACED

tert.am
21.06.12

The daily writes that leader of the Prosperous Armenia party’s faction
Gagik Tsarukyan did not attend the National Assembly sitting yesterday
as well. For already the second time the PAP faction is participating
in the sitting without its head.

According to “well aware” sources, Tsarukyan said as far as the
government’s head is Tigran Sargsyan, I will not attend the sittings.

The paper says it is interesting that he is not attending the sitting
but is having confidential meetings with the PM irrespective of the
topic of the meeting.

AZERBAIJANI MILITANT STANCE IS A REAL THREAT TO REGIONAL SECURITY: EDWARD NALBANDIAN

ARMENPRESS
21 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: United Nations conference on sustainable
development kicked off in Rio de Janeiro on June 20. Armenpress was
informed from Media, information and public relations department of
Armenian Foreign affairs ministry that high-ranked delegations from
192 countries take part in the conference as well as Secretary General
of UN Ban Ki-moon, heads of many international organizations. Foreign
affairs minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian had a speech at the
conference. At his speech he reverberated to the steps implemented
by Armenia in the spheres of sustainable development and nature
protection, factors which hinder the regional development, particularly
about the blockade which is implemented with violence of international
law. Minister Nalbandian mentioned that Armenia was included in
the conference in 1992 and during 20 years after it made efforts to
implement his responsibilities which come from the declaration of
the first conference. In 2002 Armenian Government founded National
Council of Sustainable Development and than Coordinating Council
of Sustainable Development Program. In 2011 National Coordinating
Committee was created to prepare the participation of Armenia in this
conference. Today Armenia takes part in 22 declarations and protocols
about nature protection and cooperates actively with corresponding
international organizations. In the framework of this conference
on June 15 in Rio de Janeiro Armenia with several international
organizations and leading universities organized discussions
dedicated to the methodology of counting the index of sustainable
development which had been rather productive. “An important part of
Millennium Declaration is dedicated to the mutual relationship of
security and stability. The Governments have committed to do their
best to save the nations from war. In this context the provoking
arms race is dangerous not only for peace and security but also for
sustainable development. Unfortunately our region is not fee from that
danger. Today we are the witnesses of the unprecedented increase of
military budget of neighbor Azerbaijan. The military stance of that
country is a real danger for the regional security, stability and
development” highlighted the Foreign affairs minister of Armenia.

UN REPRESENTANT TURC RENCONTRE L’ARCHEVEQUE KARAKIN BEKJIAN EN ALLEMAGNE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 21 juin 2012

Un leader religieux vivant en Allemagne, l’Archeveque Karekin Bekjian,
dit qu’il a recu la visite de l’ambassadeur de la Turquie en Allemagne
a propos de sa candidature pour devenir le prochain patriarche des
Armeniens de Turquie.

L’archeveque Karakin Bekjian a dit qu’il avait parle a l’Ambassadeur
Huseyin Avni Karslioglu quant a sa candidature. ” Il a pose des
questions sur ma candidature patriarcale. Ces derniers mois, le
Ministre turc des Affaires Etrangères Ahmet Davutoglu qui etait aussi
en visite en Allemagne, a voulu venir me voir, mais nous n’avons
pû organiser la rencontre a cause d’autres activites deja prevues ”
a dit l’archeveque Karakin Bekjian cite par le journal Hurriyet.

L’archeveque Karakin Bekjian a annonce que 40000 armeniens ont migre
en Allemagne en provenance de la Turquie.

L’archeveque Karakin Bekjian a dit que l’ambassadeur lui avait dit
que l’etat Turc etait responsable de tous ses citoyens, independamment
de leur appartenance ethnique.

VISITE DE L’AMBASSADEUR D’ARMENIE A LYON
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
jeudi 21 juin 2012

A l’occasion du 500e anniversaire de l’Imprimerie armenienne

Presentation de ” Artsakh, Jardin des Arts et des Traditions armeniens
” dans les salons de l’Hôtel de Ville de Lyon ”

Dans le cadre du 500ème anniversaire de l’Imprimerie armenienne,
et d’Erevan Capitale du Livre, la Ville de Lyon a accueilli dans ses
salons, samedi 16 juin dernier, une matinee consacree au Livre, a la
Culture et aux Arts armeniens d’Artsakh, province d’Armenie medievale,
appele communement Karabagh. Près de 200 personnes ont repondu presents
a l’invitation de la Ville, qui avait a cette occasion comme partenaire
la Fondation Bullukian de Lyon.

C’est Georges Kepenekian, adjoint a la Culture, au Patrimoine et des
Droits de citoyens de la ville de Lyon qui a inaugure la ceremonie
d’ouverture de cette belle initiative. Representant le Senateur-Maire
Gerard Collomb, qui avait dû s’absenter pour une raison d’urgence,
Georges Kepenekian a souligne l’importance du livre et de la Culture
comme un vecteur puissant de la defense des causes justes et des
droits de l’Homme.

La presence de son excellence Viguen Tchitetchian, ambassadeur
d’Armenie, de Hovhannes Guevorkian, representant de la Republique du
Haut Karabagh en France, de Hilda Tchoboian, conseillère regionale
Rhône-Alpes, a l’origine de cette initiative, des pères Antranig
Atamian, pretre de l’Eglise catholique armenienne de Lyon et de
St Chamond, et du père Gharibian, pretre de l’Eglise apostolique
armenienne de St Etienne.

L’Abassadeur d’Armenie a clôture la partie officielle de cette
ceremonie, en saluant les elus et responsables associatifs presents,
adressant son message de sympathie et d’amitie au public present et
aux habitants de Lyon. Viguen Tchitetchian a notamment fait etat de
la situation aux frontières de l’Armenie victime des agressions de
l’Azerbaïdjan qui viole quotidiennement le cessez le feu, causant
un grand nombre de morts y compris de civils, et qui cultive la
haine et le racisme anti-armenien notamment auprès de ses nouvelles
generations. Il a preconise d’opposer la culture et le livre armenien
a cette culture de la haine.

Hilda Tchoboian, conseillère regionale Rhône-Alpes, a invite les
auteurs du livre a s’adresser au public present et a dirige le debat.

A l’aide de diapositives, Patrick Donabedian, historien de l’Art
de l’Universite d’Aix en Provence, et Claude Mutafian, historien,
Universite de Paris I, ont presente l’ouvrage collectif ” Artsakh,
Jardin des Arts et des Traditions armeniens ” (Editions Somogy),
egalement fruit de la collaboration d’eminents historiens, archeologue
et specialistes de l’Art medieval armenien, tels l’archeologue
Francois DJindjian, le Professeur emerite de l’Universite d’Etat
de Californie- Fresno, Dickran Kouymdjian, et Georges Bournoutian
professeur d’Histoire a l’Iona College de New York.

Claude Mutafian, a retrace l’histoire de l’Imprimerie armenienne a
partir de 1486 a Mayence, tout en precisant que l’impression veritable
de livres armeniens a commence 28 ans plus tard, en 1512 a Venise
avec le fameux livre ” Ourpatakirk ” (le livre de vendredi) de Hagop
Meghabard. Ce sont les Armeniens qui ont introduit l’imprimerie dans
la capitale de l’Empire ottoman dont ils etaient les sujets en 1567,
plusieurs siècles avant qu’un livre en turc paraisse dans cette
meme capitale.

C’est la presence de l’Imprimerie armenienne a Chouchi au Karabagh qui
avait contribue a faire de cette ville armenienne la deuxième ville
culturelle du Caucase après Tiflis. Claude Mutafian a expose des images
de revues et de journaux armeniens paraissant a Chouchi dès le debut
du XIXe siècle temoignant de la richesse de la vie intellectuelle
et publique de cette ville armenienne, capitale du Karabagh, qui
fut neanmoins entièrement detruite, lors de l’extermination de sa
population armenienne entière en 1920, par le gouverneur turc – azeri
designe par l’Angleterre qui avait obtenu le mandat sur la region a
l’issue de la 1re guerre mondiale.

Patrick Donabedian a montre avec des images la magnificence de
l’architecture armenienne de l’Artsakh- Karabagh qui, tout en
s’inscrivant dans le courant de la tradition armenienne de chaque
epoque, a conserve souvent des exemplaires uniques et rares de
style et de modes exceptionnels de construction de l’architecture
armenienne. Avec la miniature et les tapis armeniens du Karabagh,
c’est un voyage a travers les âges et les arts que Patrick Donabedian
a trace l’evolution de la culture dans la partie la plus orientale du
plateau armenien, l’antique province armenienne Artsakh- Khatchène,
qui a pris le nom de ” Karabagh ” lors de l’invasion turco-mongole
au XIIIème siècle.

Le dernier intervenant, le juriste Gerard Guerguerian, auteur du livre
” Le differend armeno-turc ” et co-auteur de ” L’Artsakh au service
de la paix et de la securite regionale ” a expose le resultat de
plusieurs annees de travail sur la place dans le droit international
des principes d’integrite territoriale et de droit des peuples a
disposer d’eux-memes. Après la definition de la notion de ” peuple ”
au regard du droit international, l’historique de l’application des
deux principes a des cas precis dans le monde, Gerard Guerguerian a
fait un expose clair des aspects juridiques du differend qui oppose le
peuple du Haut-Karabagh a l’Azerbaïdjan. Se referant sur la decision
de la Cour internationale de Justice relative a la proclamation de
l’independance du Kossovo, l’expert a demontre la similitude de la
situation du Haut-Karabagh avec celle du Kossovo du point de vue du
droit international.

Le debat avec le public a ete suivi de la seance de dedicace par
les auteurs.

SNAIL PACE KARABAKH ESCALATION BRINGS DRAMATIC RISKS FOR REGION AND EUROPE

ABHaber

June 20 2012
Turkey

On 18 June 2012, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs met together with
the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris. European
Friends of Armenia shares the disappointment and recommendations issued
yesterday by the three Co-Chairing Presidents at the G20 summit in
Los Cabos (Mexico). In particular we regret that Azerbaijan continues
blocking the key confidence building measures, i.e. the establishment
of an investigation mechanism for incidents on the line of contact,
the removal of snipers and promotion of people to people contacts. The
on-going snail pace escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict brings
dramatic risks for the entire South-Caucasus region, as well as for the
Middle East and Europe. The following facts summarise the situation:

-Tensions have more and more moved away from smaller sniper incidents
to artillery shelling and incursions on the other side

-Azerbaijan has made a number of attacks on mainland Armenia with
military and civilian casualties (targets included an ambulance and a
kindergarten). Azeri media justified this with “preventing provocations
on the Armenian side”

-There is no perspective for confidence building, amid last week’s and
yesterday’s refusal by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Mammadyarov to
implement OSCE calls for the removal of snipers and an investigation
mechanism for incidents on the line of contact. (see details below)

-War threats from Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev and his administration
are continuing

-On 25-27 June, Armenia will simulate a general mobilisation for the
defence case of a full-scale war

“Ignoring the Presidents’ agreement of Sochi, Azerbaijan now conditions
every progress on the removal of troops. For good reasons, the Madrid
Principles proposed by the Minsk-Group foresee a troop removal in
the very specific context of the other parts of the package, ensuring
that there would be no vacuum of power and security, but an interim
status guarded by international troops and guarantees.

To pre-condition all confidence building measures to a unilateral
removal of troops is more than cynical and effectively means that Baku
simply refuses all the diplomatic steps proposed by the OSCE. This
maximalist approach means further escalation.” concludes Dr Michael
Kambeck, EuFoA Secretary General. “A new war would come at insane
costs to all sides, and would certainly destroy the Azerbaijani
petro-industry, the source of Azerbaijan’s wealth and defence budget.

This may seem irrational but it is consistent, also with the highly
aggressive speeches of President Aliyev addressing international
audiences.”

EuFoA repeats its call upon the EU and other international actors
to stop “calls upon both sides” and instead to specify more clearly
which actions are expected from each side, as otherwise the respective
sources of the problems are encouraged to continue their dangerous
behaviour. The sides should also be commended individually for
positive steps and initiatives. This will assist a more result
oriented negotiation under the OSCE Minsk Group mediation. It is a
perverted interpretation of impartiality to call upon both sides,
when some problems clearly originate from this or the other side.

Details about confidence building measures:

The OSCE, the Minsk-Group Co-Chairs and the EU have repeatedly urged
the two sides to remove their snipers from the line of contact and
implement the “Sochi agreement” for an investigation mechanism for
each of the shooting incidents. During his visit to Yerevan and Baku
last week, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ireland’s Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, repeated this call.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Mammadyarov agreed “in principle” but
conditioned any such confidence building measure with the removal of
Armenian and Karabakhi troops. “If we start applying that mechanism
now, that will only mean reinforcing the status quo, which is
unacceptable.” Cynically, he went on to explain “However, after the
troops are withdrawn, this mechanism will not be required.” The same
counts for the question of removing snipers, for which he declared
“After the troops are withdrawn, snipers on the border will not be
required.” Note that the two steps are meant to reduce the number
of casualties and create a climate in which the sides can agree
and implement the Madrid Principles, which include (L’Aquila – 10
July 2009):

-return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani
control

-an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for
security and self-governance

-a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh

-future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh
through a legally binding expression of will

-the right of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return
to their former places of residence

-international security guarantees that would include a peacekeeping
operation

EuFoA also awaited a clearer public communication from Armenia,
which Foreign Minister Nalbandyan gave last week during the meeting
with Eamon Gilmore “I would like to add, that Armenia has been and
is for the creation of the mechanisms of investigation and, unlike
Azerbaijan, when we agree on something, we do not backtrack on the
following day. I should recall that corresponding elements of the
establishment of mechanisms are included in the relevant statements
made by the Presidents of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan in March
2011 and January 2012 in Sochi. We respect those agreements and we
are for the creation of this mechanism.”

Daha fazla bilgi için:

Joint Statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict by Barack Obama,
President of the United States of America, Vladimir Putin, President
of the Russian Federation, and François Hollande, President of the
French Republic at the Los Cabos Summit of the Twenty (19 June 2012):

Press release by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the
Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan (18 June 2012):

Collection of war threat statements by President Ilham Aliyev
and other Azerbaijani officials (updated 18 April 2012):

Azerbaijani FM: Incident investigation mechanism in
current situation to strengthen status quo (14 June 2012):

Foreign Minister Nalbandyan’s address and answers to questions during
the press conference with Eamon Gilmore, OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (12 June 2012):

YASAL UYARI KAYNAK GÖSTERÝLMEDEN YAYIMLANAMAZ VE ALINTI YAPILAMAZ

ABHaber, 20-06-2012 06.00 (TSÝ)

DECEASED ARMENIAN SERVICEMAN WAS MARRIED AND HAD 3-YEAR-OLD SON

news.am
June 21, 2012 | 00:41

Contract serviceman Edgar Hovhannisyan, 34, who died in a car
accident on the Yerevan-Meghri road on Wednesday, was married and had
a 3-year-old son, his uncle’s family member living in Getap village
told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Edgar was from Yeghegnadzor.

The driver, Valerik Hovhannisyan, is from Getap village, village head
Gagik Aloyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. During the accident a car
appeared in front of them and Valerik tried to bypass it but crashed
into a hillside embankment.

The health condition of the other injured is steady and their lives
are not threatened.

Earlier Armenian News-NEWS.am had reported that a VAZ 2108, in
which there were Armenian military servicemen, went off road at the
Yerevan-Meghri Highway on Wednesday morning, and crashed into the
hillside embankment and rolled over. The driver and the passengers –
Yeghegnadzor city residents Tigran Mkhitaryan, 24, and Vahe Danielyan,
24 – were transferred to hospitals, but their lives are not at risk.

And the driver, Valerik Hovhannisyan, 24, is in good condition, too.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY APPROVE NEW FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO COMBAT RECESSION

CRIENGLISH.com
june 21 2012
China

The National Assembly of Armenia on Thursday passed a new five-year
plan aimed at pulling the Caucasian state out of a two-year recession

According to the 2012-2017 plan first introduced Monday by Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the government will seek to reduce the
poverty rate by 8 to 10 percent and create more than 100,000 new jobs.

The new plan was passed by a vote of 75 to 47 with one abstention.

However, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the Armenian National Congress,
the Heritage Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) Party voted against the plan.

The Armenian government resigned on May 31 after parliamentary
elections on May 6 and a new government was formed June 16 by the
decree of President Serzh Sargsyan.

SEVAN NEEDS TO BE RESCUED BY THE PEOPLE

17:20 . 21/06

Again black clouds amass around the only source of freshwater in
our country-Lake Sevan. According to the government’s project it
is planned to emit 320mln cubic meters water from the lake. It is
explained by drought but the National Association of Consumers and a
number of NGOs are against the project. They unanimously state such
a decision is simply a mockery, there is no precedent for drought,
the calculations of the HydroÐ~et Service also prove it.

The representative of an Environmental Public Alliance Knarik
Hovhannisyan stresses years ago the whole people lived with the supply
of Lake Sevan, now it’s time for the people to save Lake Sevan.

“Now again the critical moment has come to emit water. The HydroÐ~et
Service and all the studies show there was no drought last time. The
problem is one- there is a plan to raise the water level by up to
5-6m and there is a reality, some profitable entities will appear
under water,” the chairman of the Association of Consumers of Armenia
Armen Poghosyan said.

“In case of emiting more than 170mln cubic meters the plan to raise
the water level is put to danger, but we have calculated 20cm level
rise,” the deputy chairman of the Commission on Lake Sevan Problems
under the president Levon Javadyan said.

IN JAN-MAY 2012 YEREVAN-TBILISI-YEREVAN TRAIN CARRIED 7,900 PASSENGERS

arminfo
Thursday, June 21, 17:29

In Jan-May 2012 the Yerevan-Tbilisi-Yerevan train carried 7,900
passengers – 1.3% more than in Jan-May 2011. In May 2012 the train
carried 7.1% more than in May 2011.

The press service of South Caucasus Railway reports that a total
of 189,000 passengers were carried by the company in Jan-May 2012
(44,500 in May alone).

South Caucasus Railway is gradually improving the quality of its
trains and enlarging the range of its services.

South Caucasus Railway is 100% subsidiary of Russian Railways. On
Feb 13 2008 it was given 30-year concession to Armenian Railway.