Author: nina hovnanian

AZERBAIJANI DIVERSIONS TARGETED AT RUINING US SECRETARY OF STATE’S VISIT – EXPERT

news.am
June 08, 2012 | 15:51

YEREVAN. – Incidents and diversion operations in the line of the
contact between Karabakh-Azerbaijani Armed Forces are concerning but it
does not mean that there will be a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
head of the Regional Studies Center Director Richard Giragosian said
at a press conference on Friday.

He believes that Azerbaijani diversions were targeted at disclosing
weaknesses inside Armenia and ruining the U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton’s visit. Azerbaijan is not interested in prospects
of settling the conflict peacefully, hence, it initiates diversions
on the border with Armenia hoping it will instigate some actions,
Giragosian said.

“If a war resumes, Azerbaijan will be defeated, however, the country
gets prepared for it. Azerbaijan must be given a reverse attack,
while the world community must force it to pay off for its actions,”
the expert said.

Regarding Clinton’s statement that Armenian and Azerbaijan FMs will
be offered new approaches in Paris to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the expert said that Karabakh will fully become a side to
negotiations as a result.

However, one thing is obvious, Clinton could not have made a statement
on new approaches without having it previously agreed with Russia
and France.

ARMENIA’S PM DISCUSSES GOVERNMENT PROGRAM WITH OPPOSITION HERITAGE PARTY

news.am
June 08, 2012 | 14:35

YEREVAN. – Armenian Premier Tigran Sargsyan met with Ruben Hakobyan,
who heads the opposition Heritage Party’s National Assembly Faction,
the Government Press Service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

They discussed the provisions of the Government Program.

In his turn, Hakobyan introduced to the PM Heritage’s new Armenia
Program.

They reached an arrangement, according to which Heritage will express
its final position after fully examining the Government Program,
and as a result of parliamentary discussions.

Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned that Sargsyan will soon meet with
the other parliamentary factions, too.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Tigran Sargsyan already
met with Republican Party, Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) Party and
Prosperous Armenia Party representatives and discussed the provisions
of the Government Program.

BORDERS AND BUSINESS: UNION LOOKS AT CLOSED BORDER IMPACT ON TRADE
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow

08.06.12 | 14:57

While various diplomatic maneuvers are used to regulate
Armenian-Turkish relations politically, business relations between
the two countries have long been non-officially established and keep
developing with each year aimed at increasing commodity turnover and
contributing to the opening of the border.

Turkey imposed a ban on the import of Armenian goods in 1993. It also
closed the border with Armenia because of the Karabakh war.

Businessmen started importing and exporting goods through third
country, Georgia. According to the Union of Manufacturers and
Businessmen of Armenia, in 2011 the bilateral trade between Armenia
and Turkey totaled $240 million.

“Official Turkish sources report that there is zero commodity
circulation, meaning that nothing is exported from Turkey to Armenia,
and that it all goes to Georgia. Armenian sources say $240 million,
the main part of which is Turkish export to Armenia, and only one
million is Armenian export to Turkey. The reason for this low index
is partly the “Made in Armenia” label, which makes it impossible for
Turkey to import, because in fact there is high potential for Armenian
export to Turkey, too,” says president of the Union Arsen Ghazaryan.

The union is currently trying to eliminate the obstacles hindering
direct trade and to create conditions to have Made-in-Armenia goods
easily exported to Turkey.

Lack of diplomatic relations forces businessmen to seek other ways
for import and export of goods at the expense of economic losses. It
is particularly difficult for drivers of trucks with Armenian state
license plates. The Turkish law requires that drivers have work permit
visas (it goes for all countries, not only Armenia).

“Other countries don’t have a problem with that, as they have
embassies in Turkey. We have found an in-between solution, which is
that Armenian drivers can be issued Turkish visas at the embassy in
Georgia,” says Ghazaryan.

Armenia doesn’t demand the same thing from foreign-country cargo
truck drivers, and it’s flooded with Made-in-Turkey goods.

Businessmen stress that if the Armenian legislation regulating
this field gets more demanding it would first of all be damaging to
Armenian businessmen.

The union’s executive director Eduard Kirakosyan says light industry
in Armenia operates mainly with raw material imported from Turkey.

“If we restricted border passage, we’d greatly challenge light
industry. After all, before taking a step we have to consider all
possible consequences. Only when we have strong economy can we afford
dictating our rules to our neighbor country, like Israel does.

Meaning that it’s not about Turkey now, it’s about us,” says
Kirakosyan.

Research titled Eyes of Business Opinion Leaders, carried out within
the framework of Support to Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement project,
shows what the closed border means in the 21st century. The survey
presents the economic state of countries, the most promising fields
and formats of potential cooperation under closed borders.

Project coordinator Armen Melkonyan says the key question the research
raises is whether business relations can manage growing to an extent
when they can impact the political processes, rather than the other
way around.

During the research 265 successful business entities were surveyed –
165 in Armenia and 100 in Turkey. Focus group discussions were held
in Yerevan and Turkish cities – Kars, Malatya and Denizli.

The research target fields were agriculture, construction,
construction engineering, construction material manufacturing,
information technologies, tourism, textile industry and transport.

The survey has revealed that 40 percent of Armenian and Turkish
businessmen believe tourism is a possible field for cooperation,
31 percent pointed out textile industry. The Armenian side also
mentioned goldsmith and electric power production, the Turkish side
selected animal husbandry.

Nonetheless, many of the businessmen said that politics does have an
impact on business and that’s the way it should be, as national issues
must be a priority to a businessman. Some have their hopes for the
opening of the border, saying that a new field for cooperation would
open. An Armenia-based businessman (names aren’t identified) said that
business finds its way no matter what. A Turkey-based businessman said
that Armenians are good at business and that for 15 years he had been
cooperating with them without losing a penny (or a lira, as he said).

The survey was implemented by USAID financial support within the
framework of Eurasia Cooperation Foundation and Global Political
Trends Center’s Support to Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement project.

ARPI ROADSIDE MARKET FALLS ON HARD TIMES

hetq
14:10, June 8, 2012

The busy roadside market near the village of Arpi on the Yerevan-Syunik
stretch of highway has fallen victim to a recent change in the law
regarding the payment of permit fees.

Only a few vendors are left selling a limited variety of local produce.

The roadside market was a fairly bustling stop for tourists from Iran
and native Armenians travelling through Vayots Dzor to other locations.

Vendors say that they used to be regarded as individual proprietors
that paid 25-30,000 AMD in taxes during the middle of every month. As
of April 1, when the changes to the law went into effect, they must
now fork over 185,000 AMD at the start of each quarter.

As a result, many vendors have packed up and left. Some are now working
for the owner of the market, Arpi native Gagik Petrosyan. He works
as a bodyguard for former RA President Levon Ter-Petrosyan and used
to be the police chief for a number of local communities.

Vendors say that Petrosyan’s business isn’t doing so well and that
they don’t have all that much to sell.

A man who has been selling his wares at the market for the past 10
years frowned when we asked how the market was doing.

“We used to have a lot of people stopping off here. Today, only three
buses of Iranians and two cars have pulled in.”

ANOTHER AZERBAIJANI RAIDER HAS BECOME A SHAKHID AFTER TRIPPING A MINE

arminfo
Friday, June 8, 14:17

Another Azerbaijani raider, a 19 year old Saadetdin Muslim Mammadov,
has become a Shakhid after tripping a mine.

As APA reported, the incident was recorded in Tovuz frontline.Soldier
of the National Army, Saadetdin Muslim Mammadov, 19, died as a result
of mine explosion in the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian
troops. Spokesman for the Defense Ministry Teymur Abdullayev confirmed
the fact to APA. Mammadov was drafted from Goranboy Region Military
Commissariat.

Skirmishes happen at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and
at the line of contact between the armed forces of Karabakh and
Azerbaijan over the passed week. As a result, 25 Azerbaijani raiders
and 4 Armenian soldiers were killed and 8 wounded.

MUNICIPALITY “PRESENTS” CITIZENS WITH ANOTHER CAFE INSTEAD OF BEAUTIFIED AREA

arminfo
Friday, June 8, 14:18

The area on Abovyan Street wherefrom the notorious boutiques were
removed is again in the focus of attention of green activists.

Despite the Yerevan Municipality’s promises to beautify the area,
another summer cafe mushroomed up there. That fact has already aroused
discontent on Facebook. Users call senseless removal of boutiques if
the Municipality did not plan to beautify the area.

Earlier in mid-May activists of the Group “We are the Owners of
this City” disseminated an open letter saying that the given area
was prepared for a cafe despite the public demands to preserve green
areas. Arthur Gevorgyan, Head of the Yerevan Municipality Department
for Public Relations, responded to the statement of activists and
assured media that no construction of cafe was planned in the given
territory. Nevertheless, just 3 weeks after his statement, the cafe
occurred in the place of boutiques.

To recall, in January the Municipality removed the boutiques from
Abovyan Street with so much pomp in the pretence of beautifying
the street. Actually, for the city authorities beautification means
opening of another “facility.”

IVETA TONOYAN NAMED ACTING SPOKESPERSON FOR PAP LEADER GAGIK TSARUKYAN

Panorama.am
08/06/2012

Kentron TV journalist Iveta Tonoyan has been named acting spokesperson
for chairman of Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan, secretary
of PAP parliamentary faction Naira Zohrabyan told Panorama.am.

MP Tigran Urikhanyan has been appointed acting head of party’s public
relations department, Zohrabyan said.

PAP leader’s spokesperson Khachik Galstyan submitted resignation on
June 6.

Our correspondent tried to contact Galstyan, but he is not answering
his phone.

NATO HOPES TENSION IN ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER WILL NOT LEAD TO GREAT INSTABILITY

ARMENPRESS
8 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS: NATO expressed its concern about incidents
which took place in Armenian-Azerbaijani and all long Karabakh conflict
border. Armenpress reports that about this declared NATO coordinator
in Caucasus region William Law. “We hope that the present situation
will not lead to great instability” said NATO representative. In
his words North-Atlantic Alliance protects the efforts of OSCE Minsk
group in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Ceasefire violations in different parts of Armenian -Azerbaijani
border have been registered on June 7 night. Information and public
Relations Department of the Ministry of Defense informed Armenpress
Azerbaijani Armed Forces have repeatedly been shooting in Armenian
directions. There are no victims and wounded.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces intelligence diversion undertook infiltration
attempt to the combat positions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army on
June 6 night ; which resulted in the death of NKR Defense Army soldier.

A regular diversion by the Azerbaijani side in the direction
of the posts of Armed Forces of Armenia has been registered
near the settlement of Chambarak, northeastern sector of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact, June 6, 17:00.

In the southern part of Karabakh-Azerbaijani contact line (in direction
of Horadiz) on June 6 at 04:15 by the diversion group of the opponent
was taken another attempt to penetrate into one of Nagorno-Karabakh
defense army’s military positions.

Only during June 6 and June 7 thousands of shots were released by
Azerbaijani military forces from weapons of different calibers in
direction of Defense Army’s positions.

STREET MARKINGS CHANGING COLOR IN ARMENIA

News | 08.06.12 | 12:22

Street markings will change colors in Armenian cities and towns
following a relevant decision by the government.

Under a government decree effective since 2007 pedestrian crossings
in capital Yerevan and elsewhere were white, while bus stops were
painted in yellow and curbs were black or white.

Police said the color scheme was not distinct enough. Hence, pedestrian
crossings will be painted yellow, bus stops in red, and curbs in blue
or white.

Yellow pedestrian crossings are already in some streets of central
Yerevan.

CHINESE PROSECUTOR GENERAL TO ARRIVE ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
8 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS: By the invitation of the Armenian
Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan the delegation headed by Chinese
People’s Republic Prosecutor General Cao Jianming will arrive Armenia.

The two high ranking officials will sign a cooperation agreement,
will discuss the issues related to the priorities of the cooperation
development, Armenia’s Prosecutor General Press Service informed
Armenpress.