Author: nina hovnanian

MEDVEDEV: ROMNEY’S ANTI-RUSSIAN REMARK “SMELLS OF HOLLYWOOD”

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 27, 2012 – 19:35 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Mitt Romney
on Tuesday, March 27 to use his head and stop reverting to Hollywood
stereotypes after the U.S. presidential hopeful branded Moscow as
Washington’s top foe, AFP reported.

“I recommend that all U.S. presidential candidates, including the
candidate you mention (Romney), do at least two things,” Medvedev told
Russian reporters on the sidelines of a nuclear security conference
in Seoul.

“That they use their head and consult their reason when they formulate
their positions, and that they check the time – it is now 2012,
not the mid-1970s,” said the outgoing Russian president in comments
broadcast on state television.

Medvedev said Romney’s quip “smelled of Hollywood” because it typecast
Moscow as Washington’s main enemy from the Cold War era just like in
the popular spy movie thrillers of the time.

“As for ideological cliches, I always get nervous when one side or
the other starts using phrases such as ‘enemy number one’ and so on,”
Medvedev said.

Romney had roundly criticised Obama on Monday for getting caught
by an open mike making a controversial promise to Medvedev about
missile defence.

Obama appeared to suggest at the Seoul meeting that he was ready to
make a concession on the issue if he wins the November presidential
election.

Romney told CNN in a transcript released by the station that Obama
should understand that “Russia is not a friendly character on the world
stage” because it has old ties to the governments of Syria and Iran.

Russia “is without question our number one geopolitical foe,”
Romney said.

MEMBERS OF NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION UNION WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS AS CITIZENS
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
28.03.2012 14:06

The National Self-Determination Union decided not to run for Parliament
because of lack of public support it anticipated. They will participate
in the elections as citizens, leader of the Party Paruyr Hayrikyan
told reporters today.

The position of the National Self-Determination Union on the
forthcoming elections will be discussed during an extended meeting
of the board on Saturday. Paruyr Hayrikyan spoke about the possible
options today.

“We may decide not to participate and to call on everyone not to
participate unless the election bribes are excluded,” he said.

According to Hayrikyan, the Party may decide to support a force,
if they find its platform is close to their own.

He reminded that the National Self-Determination Union was the first
to cooperate with the European People’s Party. “Four Armenian parties
have applied for EPP membership, and the ideas of the given parties
can be dear to NSDU, of course, if they are really committed to EPP
principles,” Paruyr Hayrikyan said.

ZHOGHOVURD: ARMENIAN CHURCH IN GEORGIA GETS LEGAL STATUS

Tert.am
27.03.12

On March 12 the Georgian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC)
got registered at Georgia’s Ministry of Justice as a legal entity.

This had for a long time been “a sore point” in Armenian-Georgian
relations. After Georgia’s relevant laws were amended and Catholicos
of All Armenians Garegin II visited Georgia the problem was considered
settled. However, the newspapers’ reliable sources say, the Georgian
side tried to impede the process.

Last month, Georgia’s authorities declined the AAC diocese’s
application for registration. It was only due to additional
negotiations, with Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Hovhannes Manukyan’s
active role, that the AAC diocese eventually got the legal status.

REPLACING FRANCE’S MANDATE NOT REALISTIC – EXPERT

Tert.am
27.03.12

Replacing France with the European Union as a mediator in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement deal is not realistic, according
to Hakob Chakryan, a turkologist.

At a news conference on Tuesday, the expert said that the agreement
of Armenia, as well as Karabakh would be necessary for putting that
vision into practice. He noted that such replacement could cause
disproportion given that the EU is not a single state.

“I don’t consider it realistic. The EU has 27 member states, something
that could give rise to a disproportion among the three co-chairing
countries. Besides, those countries themselves would not allow
Turkey’s intervention,” he said, characterizing the plan as Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempt to resort to pressure.

Chakryan added that the EU has a high opinion of the OSCE Minsk Group,
especially of its recent two years’ activities. According to him,
Turkey will attempt to attract Iran to the process, but the Minsk
Group would be against such efforts.

Addressing the possible developments in the Armenia-Turkey dialogue,
the expert said a progress is not likely given the current tense
situation in the region. He said further that in case of planning
any step, Turkey would have to wait for US President Barack Obama’s
April 24 address.

AGBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE ET ARMENTEL LANCENT UN PROJET COMMUN DE CARTE POUR LES ETUDIANTS
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 27 mars 2012

AGBA-Credit Agricole et la societe ” ArmenTel ” ont lance un projet
commun de carte pour les etudiants a declare le directeur general
executif de AGBA-Credit Agricole Stepan Gishyan.

“La carte etudiante permettra d’obtenir de nouvelles propositions de
services bancaires et de telecommunications. C’est un bon exemple
de cooperation destines a la satisfaction des besoins des clients
potentiels, y compris des jeunes dont les besoins sont notre priorite
” a declare M.Gishyan.

Le proprietaire pourra obtenir des prets dont le taux est de 22%.

“Il est prevu qu’emettre annuellement 3000 cartes ce qui permettra
de fournir des cartes a tous les elèves dans quelques annees” a
declare M.Gishyan.

PATRICK FIORI CHANTE EN ARMENIE
Ara

armenews.com
mardi 27 mars 2012

Suite a l’article paru le 14/03/2012 sur votre site, annoncant un
concert de Patrick Fiori a Erevan le 31 mars prochain, nous souhaitons
apporter quelques precisions.

La presence de l’artiste est bien confirmee pour cette soiree organisee
par la societe Mood Events, non pas dans le cadre d’un concert,
mais d’un show case d’une heure en formation legère.

Aucune billetterie n’est mise en place pour cette soiree, seul le
club Mezzo, où la soiree se deroule, se reserve le droit de faire
payer la reservation des tables aux prix habituellement pratiques.

ANKARA IGNORE LE RAPPORT AMERICAIN SUR LES VIOLATIONS DES LIBERTES RELIGIEUSES EN TURQUIE
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 27 mars 2012

Le ministère turc des affaires etrangères a rejete le 23 mars comme
” nul et non avenu ” le rapport que venait de publier la Commission
des Etats Unis sur les libertes religieuses dans le monde, et
qui denoncait notamment les violations persistantes des droits des
minorites chretiennes en Turquie. “Ce rapport, qui a ete realise par
des personnalites politiques representant certains groupes d’interets,
contredit les conclusions du Departement d’Etat americain telles
qu’elles ont ete presentees dans son rapport annuel”, indique le
ministère turc dans une reponse ecrite citee par le journal Hurriyet.

Cette commission “feint d’ignorer” les measures prises recemment par la
Turquie en matière de libertes religieuses et de protection des droits
des minorites non musulmanes, poursuit le texte de la declaration
ministerielle turque. Le ministère turc des affaires etrangères accuse
aussi le rapport de faire l’impasse sur les recentes manifestations
d’islamophobie en Europe, et sur les agressions visant les mosquees
et des chefs religieux musulmans. Autant de raisons qui montreraient
que le rapport serait inspire par des ” motivations politiques ”
selon le ministère turc.

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTRY: ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, WHO IS MANIPULATING WITH THE HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT OF OSCE MINSK GROUP, CONTINUES MAKING PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS AIMING TO UNDERMINE PEACE TALKS AND PROTRACT THE SETTLEMENT

APA
March 26 2012
Azerbaijan

“The Armenian minister must be reminded that the status-quo is –
occupation, bloody ethnic cleansing and displacement of the local
Azerbaijanis from their historical places”

Baku. Viktoria Dementyeva – APA. “Armenian Foreign Minister, who is
manipulating with the history of establishment of OSCE Minsk Group,
continues making provocative statements aiming to undermine peace
talks and protract the settlement,” spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry Elman Abdullayev told APA while commenting on the statement
issued by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian regarding the
20th anniversary of the establishment of OSCE Minsk Group.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian issued a statement on
March 24 regarding the 20th anniversary of the establishment of OSCE
Minsk Group: “If a breakthrough has not been achieved in the conflict
settlement until today, it is not because of the lack of efforts by
the Co-Chairs, but due to the non-constructive approach by one of
the sides, which is consecutively rejecting the proposals made by
the Co-Chairs, which is not refraining from the illusion of solving
the issue through use of force, which is not willing to negotiate
directly with Nagorno-Karabakh, a core party to the conflict.”

Elman Abdullayev said OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries are the
permanent members of the UN Security Council, which in 1993 passed
four resolutions demanding unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian
armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

“Similar resolutions demanding withdrawal of Armenian army from the
occupied Azerbaijani territories were also adopted by the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation and the European Parliament. All countries
of the world, international organizations recognize Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity,” Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s official said.

Elman Abdullayev said the statements issued by the presidents of
Minsk Group Co-Chair countries in L’Aquila, Muskoka and Deauville
underline inadmissibility of the status-quo.

“The Armenian minister must be reminded that the status-quo is –
occupation, bloody ethnic cleansing and displacement of the local
Azerbaijanis from their historical places,” he said.

“Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, whose aggression is
confirmed by the whole world, demonstrates cunning, speaking about
the Minsk Group he wants to blame someone, this is a barefaced lie,”
said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s official and noted that Azerbaijan
supports peaceful solution to the conflict, diplomatic opportunities
have not exhausted yet.

“Armenia demonstrates non-constructive position, disrespects the
principles of the international law and continues occupation,” he said.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE TO OBAMA, MEDVEDEV AND SARKOZY

news.am
March 26, 2012 | 17:20

YEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a message to
the leaders of co-chairing states of the OSCE Minsk Group on 20th
anniversary of the formal request to convene a conference on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

President Sargsyan expressed gratitude for consistent efforts of
the co-chairing states and their leaders into settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Stressing that the main goal of the Minsk Group – resolution of the
Karabakh conflict – has not been achieved yet, he added that work of
the co-chairs could hardly be overestimated. Sargsyan pointed out
their efforts into converging positions of the sides, elaborating
fundamental principles, easing tension and preserving peace.

Armenia is interested in resolution of the conflict and will continue
to adhere to positive and constructive involvement in the peace
process within the framework of the Minsk Group to the benefit for
regional stability and security.

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992. Negotiations over
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are being conducted
under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia,
U.S. and France.

ARTSAKH ATTRACTS TOURISTS FROM U.S. CHINA, KENYA, INDONESIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 26, 2012 – 17:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The number of foreign citizens visiting the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic in 2011 amounted to 11,362 showing an increase of
more than 3000 tourists as compared with the previous year, according
to the data of the NKR MFA Consular Service.

The geography of the tourists is quite broad and it continues expanding
every year. In 2011, citizens of the Russian Federation, the USA,
France, Iran, Canada, Germany, the Ukraine, Malaysia, Bangladesh,
Cambodia, Gabon, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, SAR Cuba, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Indonesia and other countries visited the NKR.

The fact that the country is more often included in the ratings of
the most attractive tourist countries of the world testifies to the
increasing interest to Nagorno Karabakh.

Arriving in Artsakh, the guests mostly visit the monastery complexes of
Gandzasar (XIII century), Amaras (IV century), Dadivank (IV century),
the excavations’ zone of the ancient town of Tigranakert (I century
BC), the ancient Azokh cave and a great number of antique Armenian
fortresses etc.

Tourists visiting Artsakh are motivated not only by the historical
monuments, virgin nature, and sound ecology but also by friendliness,
good will and hospitality of the Artsakh people and original Karabakhi
kitchen, NKR MFA Press Service reported.