Author: nina hovnanian

Rumors of Kocharian’s return false, unless confirmed by fall – expert

May 26, 2012 – 16:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Rumors have recently circulated about the comeback
of the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, head of the
Institute of East European and CIS said.

As Alexander Tsinker told PanARMENIAN.Net the rumors are mainly
conditioned by Kocharian’s trips to Moscow and meetings with Russian
President Vladimir Putin. This serves basis for Armenian media to
center on Kocharian’s possible return, drawing an analogy with Putin.

`I see no similarity, because Putin never forsook politics, for four
years he occupied prime ministerial post and, in fact, ruled the
country. Kocharian will be forced to start from zero point if he
returns to politics. This will take time, as well as financial and
political support. I am sure Prosperous Armenia will be the party to
endorse him. If the rumors on his comeback are not confirmed by fall,
they will never be confirmed,’ Mr.Tsinker said.

“EAST OF BYZANTIUM” TO PRESENT ARMENIAN HISTORY TO THE WORLD

armradio.am
25.05.2012 12:30

Fugitive Studios Entertainment Armenia, in response to the recent
announcement by Armenian President Mr. Serzh Sargsyan about the
preliminary agreement with Mel Gibson regarding its East of Byzantium
project, confirms that Hollywood visual effects artist and filmmaker
Roger Kupelian has indeed met with both Mr. Gibson and Mr. Sargsyan’s
contacts in this regard.

These meetings commenced between Roger Kupelian and a well-known
film producer in Moscow, in May 2011, and continued into April
of this year. Without revealing confidential details, Fugitive
Studios Entertainment wishes to stress that Kupelian’s project,
East of Byzantium, starts with the saga of Armenia’s conversion to
Christianity in 301 AD, onto the Battle of Avarayr in 451 AD and the
victories beyond. The most recent meeting between Mr. Gibson and Mr.

Kupelian was promising yet preliminary. Negotiations with prospective
producers of the project are also being pursued, with the goal of
reaching a solid conclusion before the end of this year.

East of Byzantium took shape in New Zealand in 2002 and through
various initiatives continued making the rounds in Hollywood even
while unveiling its widely disseminated teaser footage. Recently,
the first Graphic Novel inspired by East of Byzantium, War Gods, was
successfully released and is currently being translated into Spanish.

The Facebook fan page has grown over 9000 fans, and is being discovered
by audiences worldwide.

Kupelian stated: “the Armenian culture needs to embrace warrior-code
biased identity over one that focuses on its victimization, and this
project that I have personally financed over the cost of ten years
has been shaped by that ideal.”

LES TROUPES ARMENIENNES PARTICIPENT AUX EXERCICES DE L’OTAN EN MACEDOINE
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 25 mai 2012

Trente neuf soldats armeniens sont partis en Macedoine pour participer
aux exercices menes par les militaires de l’OTAN qui simuleront
une operation de pacification multinationale menee par l’alliance
militaire occidentale.

Les exercices appeles Cooperative Longbow et Cooperative Lancer ont
lieu du 21 au 29 mai et impliquer environ 1000 soldats d’environ deux
douzaines de membre de l’OTAN et pays associes dont l’Azerbaïdjan et
la Georgie.

Le Ministère armenien de la Defense Nationale a declare que les
participants pratiqueront des activites de pacification communes comme
patrouiller dans les rues, escorter des convoies et realisation de
points de contrôle sur les routes. Dans une declaration, le ministère a
dit que cela ameliorera les competences professionnelles des soldats
armeniens participant aux operations militaires internationales
et renforcera ” le partenariat d’Erevan avec des organisations de
securite internationales “.

BAKOU ECARTEE DE L’ORGANISATION DES JEUX OLYMPIQUES DE 2020
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
vendredi 25 mai 2012

Le 23 mai, le Comite International Olympique (CIO) a declare ne retenir
que les candidatures d’Istanbul, Tokyo et Madrid pour l’organisation
des Jeux Olympiques d’ete en 2020. Exit Bakou et Doha.

La ville de Rome etait egalement candidate pas en raison de la
situation financière de l’Italie, Rome avait retire sa candidature
pour ces J.O. de 2020. Le 7 septembre a Buenos Aires (Argentine)
sera communique le nom de la ville gagnante pour l’organisation des
Jeux Olympiques de 2020.

PAS DE NOUVELLE COALITION EN VUE EN ARMENIE
Gari

armenews.com
vendredi 25 mai 2012,

Contre toute attente, le Parti Armenie Prospère (BHK) de l’homme
d’affaires Gaguik Tsaroukian, a annonce jeudi 24 mai qu’il ne
renouvelerait pas l’experience de la cohabitation avec le Parti
Republicain (HHK) du president Serge Sarkissian, dont il etait
le partenaire dans le gouvernement de coalition sortant jusqu’aux
elections legislatives du 6 mai. Le BHK a fait durer le suspens,
laissant meme croire, au fil de longures tractations avec le HHK,
grand vainqueur du scrutin, qu’il pourrait s’engager dans une nouvelle
coalition, annoncee pour presque certaine deux jours avant. Il a
donc cree la surprise en Armenie, alimentant les speculations sur
l’attitude de ce parti, venu en 2e position aux legislatives et 2e
force du Parlement armenien, lors du scrutin presidentiel de fevrier
2013. En refusant de s’associer avec le HHK dans un gouvernement de
coalition, le BHK ne se sent plus tenu de soutenir la candidature
de S. Sarkissian a sa reelection, et inflige meme un camouflet a son
parti, qui pouvait très bien se passer d’une nouvelle coalition, etant
assure d’une confortable majorite de deputes a l’Assemblee nationale.

Pour justifier sa decision, G. Tsarukian a indique que son parti ne
disposerait pas d’assez de pouvoir dans le prochain gouvernement
domine par le HHK pour mener les “reformes de fond” promises en
Armenie. “L’issue de ces elections ne donne pas au BHK les moyens
constitutionnels de former un government et de mettre en ~uvre ses
programnes”, a-t-il indique dans une declaration ecrite. “De ce fait,
je declare officiellement que le Parti Armenie Prospere ne juge pas
utile de participer a la formation d’un gouvernement de coalition”,
poursuit le texte. M. Tsarukian a rappele les assurances qu’il avait
prodiguees durant sa campagne electorale selon lesquelles il “recherche
avant tout la confiance du peuple” meme si cela doit personnellement
lui coûter en termes politiques. “Le BHK continuera a jouer un rôle
de premier plan dans la vie politique de notre pays”, a-t-il ajoute
dans son message, assurant que son parti ” jouera un rôle hautement
constructif,equilibre et actif dans la vie politique et publique
du pays”.

Cette annonce intervient après plus de deux semaines de consultations
en coulisses entre les dirigeants du BHK et du HHK. Au debut de
la semaine, selon certaines rumeurs glanees dans l’entourage des
protagonistes de ces negociations, une nouvelle coalition etait
presentee comme quasi certaine. M. Tsarukian a prefere ne pas
s’attarder sur la teneur de ces tractations et n’a pas precise
si les desaccords portaient sur la repatition des portefeuilles
ministeriels entre les deux partis. Le BHK, qui etait represente
par quatre ministres dans le gouvernement sortant, aurait convoite
le poste de premier ministre. Par ailleurs, le BHK aurait exige du
HHK, comme condition de sa participation a un futur gouvernement,
qu’il accepte de faire une declaration selon laquelle le resultat
des dernières elections legislatives ne refletait pas la realite des
choix populaires. Le BHK s’etait d’ailleurs associe a deux partis
d’opposition pour denouncer les fraudes et irregularites du scrutin.

Galust Sahakian, un haut responsable du HHK, a reserve pour un peu plus
tard dans la journee du 24 mai la reaction de son parti a l’annonce
de M. Tsaroukian, qui doit etre etudiee par les instances dirigeantes
du parti au pouvoir. Mais il a estime que la voie de la cooperation
entre les deux partis restait ouverte. M. Sahakian a aussi dementi
les informations selon lesquelles le parti de M. Tsarukian aurait
demande le poste de premier ministre mors des discussions avec le
Parti Republicain. Quant au message de M.Tsarukian, il ne precise pas
quel candidat aura le soutien de son parti lors des presidentielles de
fevrier 2013. Le leader du BHK s’est abstenu de reiterer publiquement
son soutien a M. Sarkissian au cours des derniers mois, alimentant
ainsi les speculations sur une possible alliance avec l’ancien
president Robert Kocharian qui serait tente par un nouveau mandat.

EL CONGRESO RECHAZA RECONOCER EL GENOCIDIO ARMENIO A PETICION DE AMAIUR

Diario Vasco

Jueves, 24 mayo 2012

[Congress refuses to recognize the Armenian genocide as requested by Amaiur]

Noticias EFE

Madrid, 23 may (EFE).- La Comision de Asuntos Exteriores del Congreso
ha rechazado hoy una proposicion no de ley de Amaiur favorable a
que España reconozca públicamente el genocidio armenio atribuido a
Turquía entre 1915 y 1923.

PP, PSOE y CiU han votado en contra, al igual que UPyD, que ha
censurado a Amaiur por defender que se reconozca el genocidio armenio
cuando sigue dando amparo a ETA y no ha condenado sus atentados
terroristas.

“Venir aquí a derramar lagrimas de cocodrilo respecto a los armenios y
hablar de la valentía y el deber de reconocer aquellas víctimas cuando
ustedes todavía no han llorado por su vecinos del País Vasco y no han
condenado esos atentados me parece un acto de hipocresía mayúscula”,
ha reprochado la diputada de UPyD Irene Lozano.

Lozano ha añadido: “Lo peor que le podría pasar a los armenios es
que lo defendieran ustedes”.

El diputado de Amaiur Jon Iñarritu ha tildado de “injuria y calumnia”
que UPyD vincule a su grupo con ETA.

Iñarritu, que procede de Aralar, ha asegurado que la coalicion que
representa a la izquierda abertzale “esta radicalmente en contra de
cualquier tipo de violencia”.

A instancias del presidente de la comision, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida
(CiU), el diputado vasco ha retirado finalmente su acusacion de que
UPyD empleaba la injuria y la calumnia para referirse a Amaiur.

Iñarritu se ha defendido personalmente afirmando que siempre ha
militado en organizaciones pacifistas que rechazan cualquier tipo de
violencia, ya sea de los GAL, de ETA o de las torturas policiales.

El rifirrafe ha eclipsado el debate de la iniciativa, en la que se
pedía al Congreso reconocer públicamente el genocidio armenio, y al
Gobierno, solicitar a Turquía que admitiese la comision de este crimen.

Iñarritu ha lamentado que la Camara baja “no tenga la valentía” de
reconocer el exterminio cometido por el Imperio Otomano en la epoca de
la I Guerra Mundial, en la que murieron un millon y medio de armenios.

“Hoy se da un tortazo al pueblo armenio”, ha afirmado el diputado
vasco, quien ha mostrado su solidaridad con las víctimas y
descendientes de aquel episodio historico.

El Congreso ya rechazo en marzo del pasado año una mocion similar
de ERC, en la que fue la primera ocasion en la que se discutio este
asunto en sede parlamentaria.

PP y PSOE han repetido los argumentos expuestos en aquel debate.

El portavoz del grupo popular, Jose María Beneyto, se ha mostrado en
contra de llevar a cabo una revision de la Historia y ha abogado por
promover el acercamiento entre Turquía y Armenia como mejor manera
de restañar las heridas que dejo el conflicto.

El PSOE tambien se ha inclinado por esta vía como formula “mas útil”
para promover la reconciliacion. “Solo así habra una resolucion del
conflicto de verdad”, ha opinado la diputada Meritxell Batet.

IU y PNV han sido los únicos que ha respaldado la propuesta de Amaiur.

Una veintena de países ha reconocido el genocidio armenio, entre
ellos Francia.

La Asamblea francesa aprobo ademas el pasado mes de enero castigar
penalmente a quienes negasen el genocidio armenio, lo que llevo a
Turquía a dar por rotas las relaciones diplomaticas con París.

El pasado mes de febrero, el Consejo Constitucional frances censuro la
ley aprobada por la Asamblea por considerar que limitaba la libertad
de expresion.

Turquía admite que hubo matanzas, pero las sitúan en el contexto
de la I Guerra Mundial, reduce el número de víctimas a medio millon
entre los dos bandos y no lo considera genocidio porque no hubo un
exterminio planificado desde el Estado. EFE

SPANISH PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE SO-CALLED “ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”

APA
May 24 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Spanish parliament has rejected a draft proposing to
recognize the so-called “Armenian genocide”, APA reports quoting the
Turkish news agency Anadolu.

The proposal was submitted by the Republican Left of Catalonia party
(ERC), with only the Basque Nationalistic Movement voting for the
draft. Other parties at the Spanish parliament, including the ruling
Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and opposition Peoples’ Party,
voted against the proposal.

Peoples’ Party representative Jose Maria Beneyto and socialist
Meritxell Batet said that such step would have negative impact on
Turkey-Armenia relations. Representative of Union Progreso y Democracia
Irene Lozano strongly opposed those who submitted the draft. “You have
to bewail the death of terror victims in Basque province and condemn
this terror instead of shedding crocodile tears over Armenians”.

HALLUCINATION FAILS THE MATRIMONIAL TEST
MANDY SAYER

The Australian

May 24 2012

“IF you give me five minutes,” he said the other night, “I’d like to
share with you one of my most secret pleasures.”

As some of you may or may not know, my husband and I don’t live
together but about 100m apart, in separate apartments. Our 10-year
wedding anniversary is coming up and, as he so truthfully explained,
he wanted to share with me what he watches when he’s around at his
place on his own.

I looked at him quizzically, wondering what I was in for. We were about
to watch Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, but he had another DVD
in his hand, with a red and black cover.

I already knew he had an extensive library of erotica and pornography,
with a particular concentration on 1980s porn star Christy Canyon,
who could discuss existential theory while also making a man happy.

“Only the first five minutes,” he said. “I promise.”

Curious to know what privately fascinated him, I nodded and said OK.

At first, all I saw was a grey background with foreign language
titles – all exquisite curves, arcs and dots, not quite Arabic,
not quite Russian.

“Armenian,” explained Louis, staring at the screen. I nodded again,
remembering that Christy was Armenian-Italian. Maybe this was a home
movie, an amateur garage video from before she went to Hollywood.

Three-and-a-half minutes into the DVD, titles were still appearing. I
felt a little sorry for Louis. With only 90 seconds left of the
promised five-minute limit, I hadn’t seen one frame of the story.

As it turned out, there wasn’t any story, or anything even resembling
a theme. And no, the lack of narrative had nothing to do with the
pornographic penchant for sublimating plot in favour of scoring the
money shot.

Much to my surprise, the movie turned out to be not so much film as
hallucination, starting with an image of pomegranate juice staining
a white tablecloth, followed by three sardines dying on a chopping
board, then walls of wet books falling to the floor, and a Byzantine
woman wielding a puppet. “It’s by the great Russian film director,
Paradjanov,” Louis said. “An interpretation of the life of the
18th-century Armenian national poet, Sayat Nova.”

After 20 minutes of beached fish, dancing dolls and no plot, I asked
him to stop.

Sometimes, in a marriage, it’s better to retain a little mystery.

IT’S THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST, NOT THE EUROPEAN SONG CONTEST
By Caroline Westbrook

Metro

May 24 2012
UK

Metro.co.uk freelance contributor

It’s the age-old question that Terry Wogan used to ask every single
year during his Eurovision Song Contest commentary – what were Israel
doing taking part, exactly, when they’re not actually in Europe?

Sir Terry may long since have departed the Eurovision arena, but even
now, with the Song Contest just days away, people continue to ask –
how indeed can Israel take part, not to mention the likes of Georgia,
Armenia, and even our host nation Azerbaijan? Should they not be part
of some Asiavision spectacle instead?

Actually this is not strictly true – for they are as eligible to take
part as everybody else in spite of their geographical status. And
given that however many times a fan of the contest is asked this
question, somehow the answer never seems to sink in and is met with
a blank stare and a cry of ‘But they’re not in Europe….!’ perhaps
the time has come to explain this once and for all.

It’s membership of [the European Broadcasting Union] which allows you
to take part in Eurovision, rather than where your borders happen to be

The fact is, Israel, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia (when they take
part, for they are notable by their absence this year) are not in
Europe. They are, however, all members of an organisation called the
European Broadcasting Union, which has members all across the continent
as well as in several North African and Middle Eastern states. And
it’s membership of this which allows you to take part in Eurovision,
rather than where your borders happen to be.

And they’re not the only ones who belong to the EBU outside of Europe
and could therefore shimmy a sequin or two on the Eurovision stage.

Algeria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco and Egypt are all EBU
members and hence, eligible, along with Vatican City, who remain one
of the sole EBU members actually in Europe never to have taken part
(and who wouldn’t want to see some papal chanting in Eurovision?).

However the other nations have by and large all stayed steadfastly away
from Eurovision – mainly because of the presence of Israel, the nation
who started all this ‘are they in Europe?’ debate in the first place.

Of those mentioned, Lebanon did dabble in Eurovision waters in 2005
and had even selected a song for that year’s contest in Kiev – only
to pull out at the last minute when it became apparent that, under
contest rules, they would have to broadcast the Israeli entry. Jordan,
who have never taken part, famously pulled transmission of the contest
in 1978 when it became apparent that Israel’s winning ‘classic’
A Ba Ni Bi was going to win (reports that they cut to a static shot
of daffodils instead remain unfounded).

Morocco, meanwhile, did actually take part in the contest in 1980
when Israel pulled out, although their entry – Bitaqat Hob by Samira
Bensaid – scored just seven points, making them potentially the least
successful country in Eurovision history.

One notable exception to this rule however is Qatar, who have applied
for EBU membership and indicated that if they were to join they would
be keen to hear the merry cry of ‘douze points’ – and would have no
qualms about broadcasting the Israeli entry. All of which could create
even further scratching of heads for those still convinced that it
is in fact the European Song Contest, not the Eurovision Song Contest.

So here ends your Eurovision geography lesson. And you thought it
was just the voting that could be deemed political…

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA TAKES WHOLE RESPONSIBILITY BUT OPEN FOR COOPERATION

news.am
May 24, 2012 | 21:25

YEREVAN. – Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) executive body released
a statement claiming the party is for public solidarity and multisided
cooperation.

By receiving the overwhelming majority of votes as a result of
the May 6 parliamentary elections, the RPA enlarged its role in
the public-political arena. It gives the party the opportunity to
secure stable and continuous development of Armenia, becoming the
key guarantee for changes expected by the society.

The RPA is grateful to everybody: the people and the political powers
for having managed to hold better elections in the state.

RPA ends the range of political consultations to secure cooperative
environment leading to development and reinforcing positive attitude
in state after the parliamentary elections.

Ahead to the first session of the Fifth Convocation of the National
Assembly scheduled for May 31, the RPA declares:

1. Assuming the whole responsibility of political majority in the
Parliament in accord with the Constitution, the party, as before,
is for public solidarity and multisided cooperation.

2. In this regard, the party is ready to discuss any reasonable
proposal by all the political powers at the Parliament, to support
development of Armenia and to build a better state for everybody.

3. As a responsible political power, the RPA has been served for the
establishment and strengthening of the state for over 20 years. It
took every possible step to settle problems, which Armenia and its
people face. The party will go on taking the key responsibility and
is consistent in realizing its projects.