Author: nina hovnanian

ANAHIT BAKHSHYAN CONCERNED WITH INCONSISTENCIES IN VOTER LISTS
Alisa Gevorgyan

“Radiolur”
13.04.2012 16:01

Representative of the Heritage Party Anahit Bakhshyan assesses the
general pre-election atmosphere as quiet and satisfactory. She notes
progress especially in the work of TV companies. Bakhshyan stands as
a candidate at electoral constituency #12.

However, Anahit Baghsyan has certain concerns connected with voter
lists. According to her, these include the names of those, who have
left Armenia and are citizens of other countries.

Another issue Bakhshyan emphasizes the necessity to make it clear to
every voter that he is free in his choice and no one can control him
through a camera installed at the edge of the pen or other technical
means.

YEREVAN TO BECOME VENUE FOR LA FRANCOPHONIE CONCERT

news.am
April 12, 2012 | 12:56

YEREVAN. – Along the lines of the one-month celebration of La
Francophonie in Armenia, and on the initiative of the French Bazar
organization, a contemporary music concert will be held Friday in the
capital Yerevan, during which two French women’s groups will perform,
the French Embassy informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The French Bazar organization aims to contribute to and
develop cultural contacts among Armenia, France, and other La
Francophonie-member countries through organizing live concerts by
Armenian and French-speaking artists.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES RULES FOR TECHNICAL OPERATION OF IRAN-ARMENIA OIL PRODUCT PIPELINE

news.am
April 12, 2012 | 11:42

YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia took another step toward the
construction of the Iran-Armenia oil product pipeline.

During the Government’s session on Thursday the “Technical Procedures
of the Rules for Technical Operation of the Main Oil Product Pipeline”
was approved.

According to PM Tigran Sargsyan, prior to constructing the pipeline
the Government is obligated to approve its technical rules.

The initial agreement on constructing an oil product pipeline between
Armenia and Iran was reached in 2009. And in line with some estimation,
close to US$ 100 million need to be invested for this project.

TURKEY’S CHRISTIAN CLERICS ANGERED AT GROWING THREATS

Tert.am
12.04.12

Christian clerics in Turkey have expressed their anxiety regarding
the growing threats they face in wake of an attack against Pastor
Semih Serkek of the Protestant “Lutuf” (“Grace”) Church in Istanbul’s
Bahcelievler district on April 7, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

“Attacks against Christian clerics drop off for a while, then they
begin to re-energize. [Such attacks] have begun to accelerate again
in recent days. We hesitate when opening our doors and welcoming the
faithful inside,” Pastor Krikor Agabaloglu of the GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian
Protestant Church in Istanbul told the Hurriyet Daily News.

Three unidentified individuals attacked and beat Serkek on the night
of April 7, immediately after an Easter service. “They were three
people around the age of 18. They wore [prayer caps] on their heads.

They forced the door open and said they were going to kill me unless
I recited the ‘Kelime-i Å~^ahadet’ [Islamic confession of faith]. I
received a severe blow to my chest,” Serkek told the Daily News. The
attacks were not coincidental, according to Serkek, who had also
served as a mentor to the three victims slain in the Malatya Zirve
Publishing House incident in eastern Turkey.

Pastor Orhan Picaklar of the Agape Protestant Church in the Black Sea
province of Samsun also said he has been living with a personal escort
24 hours a day for the past four years, since a plot to assassinate him
first came to light. “Police [officers] keep watch at the door during
mass; the believers are afraid to enter the church due to the threat
to their lives,” he said. The make-shift church, located inside an
apartment building, also came under attack about a month ago, Picaklar
said, adding that the congregation was chagrined at being stuck in an
apartment. “[The authorities] gave the green light to the construction
of a new church in 2004, within the framework of theEuropean Union
harmonization laws, although with the pre-condition that it must be
no smaller than 2,500 square meters. We have no budget. We appealed
to establish a church building 1,000 square meters in size, but did
not receive approval for it.”

Agabaloglu said that in the case of his church, the state intentionally
refused to grant permission for the construction of a church
building. “They are trying to stymie the spread of Christianity in
this way.”

L’ENTRETIEN ACCORDE PAR PM TIGRAN SARGSSIAN AU QUOTIDIEN ECONOMIQUE RUSSE KOMMERSANT
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 12 avril 2012

L’entretien accorde par PM Tigran Sargssian au quotidien economique
russe Kommersant est largement commente par la presse. Le PM a admis
la possibilite de la mise a disposition de la Russie d’un terrain
pour la mise en place d’une station radar si l’Azerbaïdjan refuse de
prolonger le contrat de Gabala (station de radiolocalisation russe en
territoire azerbaïdjanais). Cette declaration ayant ete faite après
la visite du Ministre russe des AE (2 et 3 avril), 168 Jam estime
qu’elle vise a soutenir la partie russe dans sa negociation avec la
partie azerbaïdjanaise, qui voudrait obtenir 300 millions de dollars
au lieu des 7 millions actuellement deboursee par les Russes pour la
location de Gabala.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

LA NATALITE EN ARTSAKH
Jean Eckian

armenews.com

jeudi 12 avril 2012

La natalite en Artsakh est un thème majeur visant a assurer une
population stable dans une region fortement affectee par la guerre
declenchee par l’Azerbaïdjan.

Artak Petrossian et son epouse Armine Baghdasaryan assis a la table
principale lors de la reception de mariage dans le hall du village
de Khtsaberd. Le jeune couple recevra une prime de mariage d’environ
575 ~@ dans le cadre du Programme d’encouragement a la naissance.

Pour encourager les couples a donner naissance a plusieurs enfants par
famille, un programme d’Etat a ete mis en place offrant aux couples
maries des allocations pour chaque nouveau-ne.

Dans le cadre d’un concours international de photographie, initie
par le Centre de photographie de Santa-Fe (Nouveau Mexique), la
photojournaliste britannique Anastasia Taylor-Lind * s’est vu remettre
le premier prix pour son reportage “Ventre national” du baby-boom au
Haut Karabagh.

Elle a notamment travaille sur le vecu de femmes militaires en Russie
et Crimee et sur la vie de femmes qui vivent dans d’autres communautes
isolees (les Asgarda dans les montagnes des Carpathes ou les femmes
afghanes en prison).

Dans une declaration les organisateurs de la competition ont note qu’
“en depit de l’endroit où ces photos ont ete prises, et qui ont apporte
la victoire a l’auteur, ce travail touche dans une certaine mesure
des thèmes universels, et met en evidence a l’echelle internationale
des questions qui nous touchent tous.”

Le prix attribue est une bourse d’une valeur de 10 000 $.

Le jury etait compose de representants du Danemark, le Mexique,
Pays-Bas, Espagne, Suède, Royaume-Uni et des Etats-Unis.

Voir les travaux d’Anastasia au Kurdistan ICI

* Formee a l’Universite de Wales Newport et au London College
of Communication, Anastasia Taylor-Lind est une photojournaliste
britannique representee par l’Agence Photo VII. Actuellement basee au
Moyen-Orient (Beyrouth), elle compte parmi ses clients GEO Allemagne,
The Telegraph, Marie Claire et le magazine Sunday Times. Sa famille
anglo-suedoise vivait dans une roulotte tiree par des chevaux sur les
petites routes du Devon, en Angleterre. Elle a eu son cheval a 4 ans.

En se lancant dans la photo, Anastasia Taylor-Lind a renonce a avoir
son propre cheval.

Son travail a ete expose dans le monde entier, dans des lieux
prestigieux comme la Saatchi Gallery et la National portrait Gallery a
Londres, Oude kerk a Amsterdam et Fovea exhibitions a New York. Elle a
egalement remporte de nombreux prix : Canon Italie, Royal Photographic
Society, The Guardian, Channel4 et Deutsche Bank.

GAGIK TASKURIAN SOUHAITE FORMER UNE NOUVELLE COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE
Laetitia

armenews.com
jeudi 12 avril 2012

Le chef du parti Armenie prospère (BHK)Gagik Tsarukian a exprime
mercredi 11 avril 2012 sa volonte de rejoindre une nouvelle coalition
gouvernementale qui pourrait etre formee le mois prochain après les
elections legislatives.

Tsarukian n’a pas exclu la possibilite de partager le pouvoir avec
les autres forces politiques, y compris vraisemblablement avec le
president Serge Sarkissian (HHK), qui poursuit sa campagne electorale
dans le centre de la province de Kotayk.

” Rien n’est exclu “, a-t-il declare a RFE / RL après une manifestation
organisee dans la ville industrielle de Tcharentsavan. ” Nous devons
etre solidaires. Tout le monde doit penser a la puissance du pays,
au developpement economique et au bien-etre du peuple. Nous devons
nous unir. ”

Les relations entre le BHK et le HHK semble s’etre deteriorees ces
derniers mois en raison de la reticence apparente de Tsarukian
a s’engager a soutenir la candidature de Serge Sarkissian a
l’election presidentielle l’an prochain. Le BHK, qui est represente
au gouvernement par quatre ministres, ne fait pas mystère de son
desir d’augmenter sa representation a l’Assemblee nationale.

Tsarukian, qui est l’un des plus riches hommes d’affaires de l’Armenie,
a refuse de faire des commentaires sur les chances electorales de son
parti.” Je ne sais pas si nous gagnerons les elections, vous devriez
demander au peuple. ”

Le magnat a de nouveau critique la politique economique du
gouvernement, affirmant qu’il n’a pas ete favorable pour le
developpement des petites et moyennes entreprises. ” A l’heure de
la crise financière et economique, nous ne devons pas augmenter les
impôts, mais les baisser, a-t-il dit. Ils ont non seulement augmente
les impôts, mais ont egalement exige que les [proprietaires de petites
entreprises] paient trois mois [d’operations a l’avance.] Comment
une personne ordinaire qui ouvre un cafe, un salon de coiffure ou un
kiosque peut-il payer des charges avec trois mois d’avance ? ”

” Partout dans le monde des entreprises, les petites et moyennes
entreprises creent environ 70 a 80% des budgets de l’Etat, a affirme
le chef de file du BHK. Nous avons besoin de creer des conditions
favorables pour leur bon fonctionnement. ”

ARMENIA TO IMPORT IRANIAN OIL PRODUCTS

Fars News Agency
April 11 2012
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Armenia has shown an interest towards importing oil
products from Iran, said the Managing Director of the National Iranian
Oil Products Distribution Company Jalil Salari.

He noted that importing oil products from Georgia is not economically
viable for Armenia, and therefore the latter has commenced importing
such products from Iran.

Salari also informed that in the first phase Iran’s private sector
will export oil products to Armenia via motorways, and, subsequently,
this will continue via pipelines.

The Iranian and Armenian energy ministries signed a respective
agreement in February. And in line with this accord, Iran will export
to Armenia gasoline, and diesel and aviation fuel.

HIGHER FILM DIRECTION COURSES TO BE ORGANIZED AT YEREVAN STATE INSTITUTE OF THEATRE AND CINEMATOGRAPHY

18:15 . 11/04

Higher film direction courses will be held at Yerevan State Institute
of Theatre and Cinematography starting from the new academic year. The
institute’s rector Armen Mazmanyan says young specialists don’t ensure
the quality which is presently needed.

For this reason this project was initiated which is called to fill
that gap. Local specialists and specialists invited from Georgia will
conduct the courses. Master classes will also be organized with the
participation of world renowned film directors.

Film director Roman Balayan has arrived in Yerevan especially for
this project.

“I don’t think a 17 years old young boy, who has decided to become a
film director by chance, constantly watching TV series, will succeed
in it, even if he studies in one of Sorbonne universities. Of course,
there are youth, who even come from the engineering institute and say
they have understood they must become a film director. It happens,
too, there are always exceptions. In Russia many directors have had
a success in this way,” Armen Mazmanyan said.

KEY TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS IS IN STEPANAKERT – RUSSIAN EXPERT

news.am
April 11, 2012 | 18:49

MOSCOW. – Nagorno-Karabakh peace process is one of the difficult and
exploding conflicts in the post-Soviet Union space, Russian expert
Stanislaw Ivanov said in a special interview to Iran News.

He stated that tension on the line of the contact is maintained and
the initiator of diversifications is the Azerbaijani side. The tension
between Azerbaijani-Armenian sides is maintained also based on the
militant statements by Baku. Another external factor that hampers
the stabilization of the conflict is the growing threat of possible
military operations of the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Any military
attack or even escalation of domestic political situation in Iran may
‘freeze’ the Karabakh peace process.

Except the mediating states on the Karabakh issue, including the U.S.,
Russia and France, other major states in the region as Turkey and Iran
want to actively be engaged in the peace process. In case of Turkey,
its role is illogical as it openly supports one of the conflicting
sides [Azerbaijan], while Iran tries to maintain the status quo in
Karabakh and the balance of forces in the region, without allowing the
‘internationalization’ of the conflict based on the intervention of
the forces from outside. Russia, like Iran is for the conflicting
sides to find the solution through compromises. As for the regular
triplet meetings among Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents,
the expert believes that Nagorno-Karabakh President should also join
those meetings.

“More and more experts accept that the key of the peace process is
in Stepanakert,” he said adding aspiration of the people to realize
their right of establishing own state through a referendum and other
democratic mechanisms is increasing.