Author: nina hovnanian

FORMER ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CRITICIZES CURRENT GOVERNMENT

The Messenger
April 3 2012
Georgia

The first President of an independent Armenia, and current leader
of the National Congress, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, noted that Armenia’s
economic power is weakening. He cited the drop in GDP in recent years,
as well as the increasing number of foreign loans being taken by the
government. The local currency has depreciated, inflation is rising,
and poverty is increasing, among other problems, and Ter-Petrosyan
blames the current leadership.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: CONDONING IMPUNITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 3, 2012 – 21:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – As it might be expected, Turkey’s EU Affairs
Minister Egemen Bagis goes unpunished for his Armenian Genocide denial
policy. He got away with the statement he issued during an economic
forum in Switzerland, despite the fact he breached the Swiss law that
banned denial of any genocide, including the Armenian one.

It would be naïve to think that Bagis plucked up the courage to state
“there was no genocide”, unaware of the fact that his diplomatic
immunity would protect him from Swiss Penal Code.

Statement by the Turkish Minister became sort of a “gauntlet” addressed
to European legislation, and mockery of the Swiss moral principles.

Switzerland resolved to take up the gauntlet. Not without reason
the Prosecutor of the Canton of Zurich pledged to conduct the probe
against Bagis up to the end, whilst highlighting the need to consider
the Turkish Minister’s diplomatic immunity.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor’s office resolved that it can’t instigate
a criminal case against the minister of another country, as it was
back in 2007, when three Turks were sentenced in Switzerland to 150
days of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 Swiss francs for Armenian
Genocide denial.

This time, Switzerland will be forced to swallow mockery of its own
legislation. Meanwhile, the Turkish authorities should think over the
conduct of their ministers, as Europe has numerous other methods to
affect the country which strives for accession to the EU, ignoring
its laws at the same time.

ARMENIA, GRENADA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

armradio.am
03.04.2012 11:08

The Permanent Representatives of Armenia and Grenada at the UN,
Karen Nazaryan and Desima Williams, signed a joint communique on the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.

During a meeting at the Permanent Representation of the Republic
of Armenia in New York the Ambassadors attached importance to the
promotion of bilateral cooperation and agreed to intensify the contacts
within the framework of the UN and other international organizations.

Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth realm consisting of the
island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the
Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea.

Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of
Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Its size
is 344 square kilometres (133 sq mi), with an estimated population
of 110,000.

CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT KAZAKHSTAN, ARMENIA, UZBEKISTAN

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 2 2012
Russia

Foreign Minister of Cyprus Erato Kazakou Marcoullis will visit
Kazakhstan, Armenia and Uzbekistan, CA-NEWS reports today.

He will first arrive in Kazakhstan and meet Foreign Minister Yerzhan
Kazykhanov. The Foreign Ministers of the two states signed a protocol
on cooperation earlier. This time a memorandum on cooperation between
the Ministries of Education and Culture will be signed for science
and technical cooperation.

The ministers will exchange views on development of bilateral
relations.

Then Marcoullis will visit Armenia and then Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan,
Armenia and Uzbekistan are essential trade partners of Cyprus. They
help connect Eurasia and the EU.

BOOK DEDICATED TO MONUMENTS OF ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE INCLUDED IN UNESCO’S WORLD HERITAGE LIST PUBLISHED IN YEREVAN

arminfo
Monday, April 2, 19:11

The presentation of a book dedicated to the monuments of Armenian
architecture included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List took place in
Yerevan on April 2. The author of the book is Doctor of Historical
Sciences Armen Hakhnazaryan, who lived in Maku (Northern Iran) in
1969-1970 and spent much time on the book. However, the book was
published after his death.

Chairman of the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO Samvel Karapetyan
said that the book tells about three Armenian churches in the territory
of Iran , which are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List

He said that the monasteries are in Artaz, an Armenian historical
region. Karapetyan said that over 6 months the author was working in
one of these churches (St.Tadevos Church), the territory of which has
recently been declared a cultural historical value in Iran. Another
church (Tsortsor) was restored in the 1980s with the sponsorship of
Iranian Government. A dam was to be built in the place of the church,
however, the Government of Iran stopped the construction for 3 months
to move the church to a safer place. During the relocation, the remains
of the former church were found and set in their due places, he said.

Karapetyan thinks that all this once again demonstrates how carefully
the authorities of Iran treat the Armenian monuments unlike the
authorities of Georgia. The expert said that the book is like
an encyclopedia, as it contains not only historical data, but also
ancient inscriptions and their translations, which prove the huge
historical value of these churches.

YEREVAN MAYOR RECEIVES MEMBERS OF TOKYO STRING QUARTET

news.am
April 02, 2012 | 17:52

YEREVAN. -Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan received the members of
Tokyo string quartet and the founder and president of the ‘Yerevan
Perspectives’ music festival Stepan Rostomyan.

The quartet arrived in Armenia to participate in the 13th ‘Yerevan
Perspectives’ music festival.

The Mayor welcomed the guests and congratulated them on the opening
of the 2012 season. He also stressed the importance of the quartet’s
participation in Yerevan’s cultural life.

“Armenia’s capital has rich cultural history and it is a great to
receive you as guests. I am sure that Yerevan citizens will have a
great performance night,” he said stressing that Yerevan will always
be happy to receive the quartet.

The quartet members thanked for the reception and mentioned they are
happy to be in Yerevan for the second time after 7 years’ break.

CANCER CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 2, 2012 – 16:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A modern cancer center will be founded in Yerevan
in the framework of cooperation between the Armenian National
Competitiveness Foundation and Belgian Global Medical Solution company.

A Memorandum of Understanding on implementation and management of
a regional oncology center was signed by Foundation chairman Arman
Khachaturyan and CEO of Belgian company Haig Bagerdjian.

“Today is an important day for us, marking the start of hope to bring
modern technologies to Armenia,” Bagerdjian said.

“I believe the foundation will be laid in July, and the center will
be ready by end of this year,” Khachaturyan added.

“This will be a regional center with standards meeting those of
similar international centers,” he emphasized saying the first stage
of construction is estimated Euro 30 mln.

The new center will comprise three departments, a laboratory, a
diagnostic center equipped with positron emission tomography (PET)
scanner for early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and a clinic
where patients will undergo treatment with radioactive isotopes.

Global Medical Solution will undertake management of the center. The
Belgian company has extensive experience in this sphere, running
similar centers in Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand,
Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

The program is implemented through cooperation between the public and
private sectors and aims to promote development of nuclear medicine
in Armenia, as well as enable the patients undergo treatment on the
spot instead of going abroad.

ARMENIAN FM: BAKU HAS NO RIGHT TO REFER TO UN RESOLUTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 2, 2012 – 17:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Ceasefire was the basic requirement for all UN
Security Council resolutions addressed to ‘local Armenian forces’,
RA Foreign Minister said.

“In response to those resolutions, Azerbaijan not only violated the
ceasefire, but also intensified hostilities, despite all attempts by
Nagorno Karabakh aimed at concluding a truce,” Edward Nalbandian said.

According to him, after a consecutive defeat, Azerbaijan was forced
to request Karabakh to conclude a ceasefire agreement.

“Afterwards, the parties started the conflict resolution process. Now
it is inappropriate to recall those resolutions focusing on signing a
ceasefire agreement, when OSCE Minsk Group makes no such references,”
Minister Nalbandian said.

FRANCOPHONIE PROMOTES COOPERATION BETWEEN PEOPLES LIVING ON DIFFERENT CONTINENTS, ARMENIAN FM SAYS
Artak Barseghyan

“Radiolur”
02.04.2012 16:29

A two-day scientific conference on “Intercultural communication through
teaching of foreign languages” was held at the Pedagogical University
after Khachatur Abovyan within the framework of the Francophonie Days
in Armenia.

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian offered opening remarks. He
preferred to speak French. “The conduct of most different Francophonie
events, including scientific conferences in Armenia, has become a
tradition. Francophonie contributes to the rapprochement and closer
cultural cooperation between peoples living on different continents,
but cherishing the same values,” Minister Nalbandian stated.

According to him, Armenia attaches great importance to Francophonie,
as an important forum for intercultural dialogue, as it provides
greater opportunities for cooperation.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Armenia
Henry Renaud welcomed the attention Armenia pays to Francophonie.

THE SOCIETY IS SHOWING ITS FORCE
Siranuysh Papyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:00:12 – 02/04/2012

Interview with Edgar Vardanyan, Center for National and International
Studies expert

You have recently passed your whole time in the Mashtots Park where
the Initiative Group for the dismantlement of the boutiques is trying
to demolish them. What else is happening in the park?

First of all, the society is showing its force which is based on rights
hence it puts in a very uncomfortable situation the authorities,
particularly the police. This is somewhat unexpected for them,
because it is different when you gather somewhere and voice claims
and when you do a direct action to restore your rights. We have seen
our action was largely responded among the society and covered by the
mass media means becoming an important event in the social-political
life of the country.

It is all about four kiosks that could be removed after so much
public concern. Do you think the non removal is determined by the
fact that the brother of the owner of the boutiques is the tenth on
the Republican Party list, or this is a matter of principle?

They don’t try to preserve the boutiques, here the regime is
trying to defend the basis that feeds it, while the basis is the
criminal-oligarchic agreements on the clear division of spheres
and riches. It is a matter of principle for the oligarchs, wealth
accumulated through illegitimate and illegal ways, defense of their
positions. They have agreed on the defense ways and if there can be
only one case to question the agreement and the invulnerability of
the oligarchs’ wealth, it will cause a deep suspect of the oligarchs
that the system is not defending them. This is the issue since such
a suspicion may bring about the collapse of the whole system.

While, in case a classic authoritarian system was in Armenia,
the authorities would have solved this issue quite easily. They
could just pressure the people and close the issue, or play the
role of the kind king and say that they are dismantling the kiosks
since the society wants it. We have a different situation, we have a
criminal-oligarchic system which supposes for a group of people, who
have enormous economic and political resources and will never allow
concessions on their account. But now, the self-determined citizen has
come who is a new subject and does not know the “criminal-oligarchic”
rules and challenges its keepers.

Is the self-determined society formed in the Mashtots Park?

Yes, it is. Sure, we can’t say what part of the society is
self-determined, maybe it’s quite a small part, but I can see progress
trends. You know, the selfless but public steps of the members of the
Group for the Dismantlement of boutiques have stimulated the society
and their behavior is contagious and exciting. People now understand
that this is not just a game and it is a matter of dignity. These
people said that in case they broke the law with their actions,
the police could arrest them. This is very important and can be a
good precedent for the society and a very dangerous one for the
oligarchy since if these events deal with only a few boutiques
today, tomorrow the same may happen with an institution and may
then cover all the illegal ones. The society with its legal steps
may force the regime and its illegal place police troops around all
its illegitimate objects. This will bring about a crisis and in the
result of literate actions by the society, the crisis may be resolved
in favor of the people.