Author: nina hovnanian

HOW AND WHY LEVON ZURABYAN BECOMES OPPOSITION ANC GROUP HEAD?

news.am
June 02, 2012 | 05:32

YEREVAN. – Opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) did not discuss
the issue of its coordinator, Armenian National Movement Party leader,
secretary of ANC parliamentary group Aram Manukyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am commenting on the question whether ANC coordinator
Levon Zurabyan, who is also the ANC parliamentary faction head, is to
combine both jobs or will another one be selected as ANC coordinator?

Aram Manukyan informed that the ANC MPs have decided to select Levon
Zurabyan as head of the group.

“We have used our right and the group has chosen Levon Zurabyan,”
he said.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, opposition Armenian National
Congress (ANC) parliamentary group will be headed by ANC coordinator
Levon Zurabyan.

Parliamentary elections were held in Armenia on May 6, 2012. Five
parties and one political bloc are represented in the 131-seat National
Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia: Republican Party of Armenia – 44.05%
(663,066 votes), Prosperous Armenia Party – 30.20% (454,684 votes),
Armenian National Congress – 7.10% (106,910 votes), Heritage Party –
5.79% (87,095 votes), ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party – 5.73% (86, 296 votes),
Orinats Yerkir Party – 5.49% (82,690 votes).

The ANC parliamentary group includes following MPs: Hrant Bagratyan
(Liberty Party), Stepan Demirchyan (PPA), Levon Zurabyan (no party)
Aram Manukyan (ANM) Gagik Jhangiryan (no party) Lyudmila Sargsyan
(SDHP) Nikol Pashinyan (no party)

CLINTON IN THE CAUCASUS: ANCA OFFERS TEN-POINT CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESSFUL VISIT

Asbarez
Friday, June 1st, 2012

WASHINGTON-The Armenian National Committee of America has suggested
the following ten steps that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
should undertake during her upcoming visit to the Caucasus region
to advance U.S. interests, promote American values, and strengthen
the Obama Administration’s diplomatic standing in a pivotal region
of strategic importance.

Secretary Clinton is set to travel to the Caucasus from June 4 to 7 to
discuss issues of regional security, democracy, economic development
and counter-terrorism. She will visit Armenia on June 4, Georgia on
June 5, and Azerbaijan on June 6, prior to traveling to Turkey for
meetings on June 7. Read details about Secretary Clinton’s travel
schedule in the Caucasus, visit.

10 Steps Toward a Successful Visit by Secretary Clinton to the
Caucasus:

1. A public announcement by Secretary Clinton that President Obama,
after more than three years in office, will finally honor his
promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to support the proper
recognition of this crime by the U.S. Congress.

2. An official visit to the Armenian Genocide memorial, during
which she honors her own pledges to recognize the Armenian Genocide,
renounces her assertion that the Armenian Genocide is a matter for
“historical debate,” and asserts that the Administration will no longer
use the failed Turkey-Armenia Protocols as an excuse for complicity
in Ankara’s genocide denial.

3. A clear statement distancing the U.S. from a recent NATO
declaration prioritizing the principle of territorial integrity over
self-determination in settling the status of Nagorno Karabakh, and
a commitment to strike, from a recently released State Department
report, the false assertion that Nagorno Karabakh is a part of
Azerbaijan, a Baku-backed claim that is directly at odds with
President Obama’s pledge to work towards a durable settlement “based
upon America’s founding commitment to the principles of democracy
and self determination.”

4. A public retreat from the Administration’s proposed 19% cut in
economic and democracy-building aid to Armenia, and a pledge to
both work with Congressional appropriators to honor the President’s
promise to “maintain” aid levels to Armenia, and also to allocate
all unexpended aid that Congress has intended for Nagorno Karabakh.

5. A joint declaration with the Armenian government, in the spirit
of President Obama’s promise to foster stronger U.S.-Armenia economic
relations, announcing talks to implement bilateral trade and investment
initiatives, including a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement,
a Double Tax Treaty, and a Free Trade Agreement.

6. A strong stand, during her visit to Azerbaijan, against the Aliyev
regime’s escalating pattern of threats and renewed aggression against
Nagorno Karabakh, and a public announcement that the White House
will not waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act as long as
Baku fails to commit to a peaceful resolution of its conflict with
Nagorno Karabakh.

7. A withdrawal of the Administration’s support, in light of Baku’s
ongoing threats and acts of aggression, for the sale or transfer
of any and all arms or dual-use items to Azerbaijan, including the
controversial pending sale of advanced helicopter-based sensing
equipment.

8. A visit to investigate the medieval Armenian cemetery in Djulfa,
Nakhichevan, the site of thousands of intricate Armenian stone crosses
(khatchkars) systematically destroyed by the Azerbaijani military in
December of 2005, as documented on video-tape.

9. A public expression of U.S. support, during her trip to Georgia,
for targeted U.S. economic, development, and infrastructure assistance
programs and public-private partnerships for the Armenian-populated
Javakhk region of Georgia.

10. A trip to Stepanakert to demonstrate support for the OSCE Minsk
Group peace process, to press for the reinstatement of the Republic
of Nagorno Karabakh as a full participant in all negotiations, and to
underscore America’s longstanding and proud tradition of supporting
the right of all peoples to democratic self-determination.

UN SOLDAT ARMENIEN TUE AU HAUT KARABAGH HIER MATIN
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 2 juin 2012

Hier matin vers 8h20 sur la ligne frontalière au nord-est de la
Republique du Haut Karabagh fut mortellement blesse un soldat Armenien
de 19 ans Saro Samvelian. L’Armee de la Republique du Haut Karabagh
effectue une enquete pour determiner les conditions de cette mort.

Saro Samvelian fut-il victime d’une balle ennemie tiree des positions
azeries ? L’enquete le dira.

FORECASTS ON PRESIDENTIAL RACE IN ARMENIA

news.am
June 01, 2012 | 14:12

YEREVAN. – The key intrigue for upcoming months is going to be
whether Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) will offer own candidate for
the presidential elections or will support the incumbent President
and head of ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Serzh Sargsyan,
political scientist Hmayak Hovhannisyan told the journalists on Friday.

He offers three options. First, PAP will support Sargsyan: this
is possible only in a case if the President includes the party’s
anti-crisis program into his own, PAP forms the government based on
national agreement and appoints a ‘powerful figure’ as PM. Second
option: PAP offers Vartan Oskanian’s candidacy. And the third and
tough option is offering Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan’s
candidacy.

As for the other powers, Heritage will offer the party head Raffi
Hovannisian’s candidacy, while the issue of the opposition Armenian
National Congress (ANC) on offering the bloc head Levon Ter-Petrosyan
is still to be decided.

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN TURKISH PIANIST IS CHARGED WITH INSULTING ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS VALUES

Washington Post

June 1 2012

ANKARA, Turkey – A Turkish court on Friday formally charged an
internationally known pianist and composer with insulting Islamic
religious values in comments he made on Twitter.

The court in Istanbul voted to approve an indictment against Fazil Say,
who has played piano with the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony
Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, National Orchestra of France and
Tokyo Symphony.

The 42-year-old Turk faces charges of inciting hatred and public
enmity, and insulting “religious values.” Say, who has served as a
culture ambassador for the European Union, allegedly mocked Islamic
beliefs about paradise in April.

Meltem Akyol, a lawyer for Say, said the pianist has denied the
charges. The trial will be held on Oct. 18, she said.

“We certainly do not accept the charges,” Akyol said by telephone
on Friday. “He has stated in his initial testimony during the probe
that he had no intention to humiliate any religion. He was basically
criticizing those who are exploiting religion for profit.”

Akyol said Say’s tweets and retweets on social media cannot be
considered as public remarks because only people who follow him can
see them. In one tweet cited in the indictment, Say said: “What if
there is raki (traditional anisette drink) in paradise but not in hell,
while there is Chivas Regal (scotch) in hell and not in paradise? What
will happen then? This is the most important question!!”

Islam forbids alcohol and many Islamists might consider such remarks
unacceptable. In one of the pianist’s retweets, one excerpt questioned
whether paradise was a “brothel?” according to the indictment.

Akyol claimed that line belonged to the wine-loving 11th century
Persian poet Omar Khayyam, most known for his work the “Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam.” But Murat Bardakci, a historian, wrote in HaberTurk
newspaper in April that the alleged line did not belong to Khayyam.

“He was merely expressing his ideas within free speech,” said Akyol,
adding that the renowned artist was not seeking any privileges or
immunity from prosecution.

Akyol, meanwhile, confirmed that Say closed his Twitter account before
the court decision Friday, because he was annoyed with messages.

“He has lately incurred the wrath of some people,” Akyol said. “He
has even been receiving death threats.”

Say had floated the idea of leaving Turkey and moving to Japan
earlier this year, his lawyer said. The pianist was abroad and not
available for comment. He was expected to return to Istanbul this
weekend following a concert in Slovenia on Friday.

Say was the latest prominent Turk to run into trouble in the country
for expressing his views. He could face a maximum 1 1/2 years in
prison if he is convicted.

The European Union has long encouraged Turkey to improve freedom of
speech if it wants to become a member one day.

Turkey’s Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk has been prosecuted for his
comments about the mass killings of Armenians under a law that made
it a crime to insult the Turkish identity before the government eased
that law in an amendment in 2008.

In 2007, ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who received death
threats because of his comments about the killings of Armenians by
Turks in 1915, was shot dead outside his office in Istanbul.

MAN JAILED FOR LIFE FOR KILLING RUSSIAN SOLDIERS

New York Daily News

June 1 2012

Moscow, June 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A court in Armenian capital Yerevan
has sentenced an Armenian citizen to life in prison for killing two
Russian soldiers in 2010.

On Oct 23, 2010, two bodies with numerous knife stabs were discovered
on the territory of a Russian military unit. They were later identified
as soldiers Armen Zakharyan and Artur Yenokyan.

The suspect, Mikhail Bashchkov from Yerevan, was found guilty and
sentenced to life in prison, the prosecutor general’s office said.

In 2010, Bashchkov borrowed $600 from Zakharyan, who was friends with
him. Bashchkov later returned part of the sum, but still owed $370.

They both had a quarrel over the money.

Bashchkov figured out when Zakharyan will be on duty at the military
unit next time and decided to kill him. On Oct 23, he sneaked into
the unit and stabbed Zakharyan, and also another soldier, Yenokyan,
who came to help Zakharyan.

ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN DISCUSSES WITH PHILLIP LEFORT ISSUES ON NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

ARMENPRESS
1 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS: Secretary for National Security Council
Arthur Baghdasaryan received Friday a delegation headed by Phillip
Lefort, EU special representative to the South Caucasus and Georgian
Crisis.

An official from National Security Council told Armenpress that Traian
Hristea, Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, was present at the meeting.

The parties discussed issues concerning the process of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement. They attached importance to peaceful settlement
of the conflict. Armenian-Turkish relations were also discussed.

Arthur Baghdasaryan noted that in the context of these relations
Armenia will continue to show constructive position. The parties
attached importance to contacts and dialogue between the countries
of the region at different levels.

The interlocutors also referred to other regional issues and the
international situation.

AZERBAIJAN IS NOT READY FOR A WAR, AS IT IS NOT SURE IT WILL WIN

15:41 . 01/06

Oil likes peace, while in the case of a war the oil blessing will
become a curse,” Director of ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political
Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan expressed such a position speaking about
Azerbaijan.

On the other side, Azerbaijan is not ready for a war, as it is not
sure it will win. But the frantic arming and the statements we hear
from the Azerbaijani leadership, as well as the ceasefire violation
cases, may become a reason for resuming the war even irrespective of
the will of that country.

The speaker said resumption of military actions in Karabakh is not
profitable to any of the mediators.

“Today all understand that Azerbaijan’s posture is the only obstacle
in resolving the Karabakh issue. The mediator countries either don’t
have the ability of the will to exert pressures on Azerbaijan to
abandon that posture. But the mediating parties wish to bring the
possibility of a war to the minimum,” Kiro Manoyan said.

Russia affirmed after the Georgian-Russian war that South Caucasus is
an important region for it. And starting from 2008, there is no issue
of competition of influence between Russia and the West in this region,
Kiro Manoyan said during a news conference today.

According to him, naturally, the West also has its interests and this
doesn’t mean that the West will not attempt to be established in this
territory, but there is no such a competition as it was before the
war. In the issue of Georgia’s membership to NATO, Georgia is a more
interested party than NATO. Therefore, Russia’s role and position in
the processes in our region is important.

ARMENIAN EMBASSY IN RUSSIA FOLLOWS DEVELOPMENTS IN SOCHI

news.am
June 01, 2012 | 01:03

MOSCOW. – The Armenian Embassy in Russia follows the developments
in Sochi and with the help of the local Armenian community does
everything so that the situation will not get worse, the spokesperson
of the Armenian Embassy in Russia Eduard Jambazyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am adding that not only Armenians but also Dagestanis were
arrested thus denying the information released by the media that only
Armenians were arrested.

“The situation is calming down,” he said.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, a major fight had broken
out in Sochi on May 1 in which around 100 people were involved. As
a result, one of those participants, Sochi’s well-known athlete,
master of Taekwondo, Yury Garanyan, 24, died of a stab wound.

On the night of May 26-27 the police arrested around 250 people who
wanted to start a fight with the construction workers of the Olympic
village in Sochi. It started when the girls from Chereshnya village,
Adler, Russia, went out for a walk in the evening and were offended by
the construction workers from Dagestan, who were very “sticky.” The
girls complained to their brothers and boyfriends. As a result,
the Armenian youth formed a group to protect the honor of their
girlfriends and decided to give the construction workers a lesson.

They headed toward the Olympic village, but the construction workers
immediately called the police, who arrested 250 people.

ODD MAN OUT: WILL ARMENIA BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE INTO EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ZONE BYPASSING RUSSIA?
By Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
01.06.12 | 13:14

Armenia is intensifying its economic ties with Europe and intends
to hold the first round of negotiations with the European Union on a
free trade agreement on June 19-20 in Brussels, said Armenia’s Deputy
Economy Minister Garegin Melkonyan this week.

The Armenian government official noted that earlier a meeting of
the subcommittee on Armenia-EU trade cooperation was held. After the
signing of the agreement Armenia expects its foreign trade to grow
substantially and also looks to increase its production capacities.

According to Melkonyan, the European Union today is a major trading
partner for Armenia, considering that 47 percent of Armenia’s exports
go to EU-member states.

EU delegation head Luc Devigne praised Armenia’s steps towards reform.

“We are talking about the abolition of technical barriers to trade,
improving the competitive field and the sphere of intellectual
property. At the same time, much remains to be done. We hope that
the government will continue the reforms,” he said.

Armenia’s rapid European integration with the EU is seen by many
analysts as part of an attempt by the EU to quickly gain a foothold in
the South Caucasus to oust Russia from some of its current zones of
influence. Russia’s newly elected President Vladimir Putin is known
to be actively promoting the idea of establishing a Eurasian Union,
a new economic reintegration project in the post-Soviet space. At
the level of its prime minister Armenia said it thought it would
be more expedient for itself to have just cooperation rather than
seek integration in that direction. The official, at the same time,
said Armenia was looking to Europe for integration.

“The prime minister of Armenia, if I understand correctly, has once
again stressed that on the one hand they are interested in intensifying
relations with the CIS, referring to the free trade agreements with
CIS-member countries, on the other hand, that they are interested in
boosting trade and economic and political relations with the EU. It
would be contradictory and impossible, for example, to accede to the
Deep and Comprehensive free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement with the EU
and at the same time become part of the Eurasian and Customs Unions,”
commented German Ambassador to Armenia Hans-Jochen Schmidt recently.

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan himself thinks that integration
with Europe is important in terms of standardization of economic
conditions and gateways to the world market. “In the next two or
three years we expect hard meticulous work on the implementation of
European standards. It is no secret that Europeans set high standards
for production, storage, transportation and sale of goods. Profound
changes in technical processes, internal control systems are required
to comply with these standards. The economy must go through serious
qualitative changes. As a result, the free trade agreement with the
EU will provide substantial progress in Armenia, will significantly
increase its exports and imports, will significantly reduce the
trade deficit. For us this is important because Armenia has a great
potential for positioning in the global market as a country that
produces environmentally friendly products,” said Sargsyan in an
article published recently in the Russian Vedomosti newspaper.

Interestingly, the announcement that Russian President Putin will pay a
visit to Armenia in early September was followed shortly by another one
of an impending visit by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.