Author: nina hovnanian

KAREN BEKARYAN: “THE CONFLICT CANNOT BE SOLVED WITHOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF KARABAKH”

Noyan Tapan

28.06.2011

“Signing a document in Kazan would be a mere imitation of a
breakthrough, rather than an actual breakthrough,” head of the European
Integration NGO, analyst Karen Bekaryan said at the Yerevan-Moscow
space bridge dedicated to the results of the Kazan meeting.

“A breakthrough is impossible with Azeri leader making one statement
inside his country and a different one outside it. No breakthrough is
possible with the unnatural logic of the ongoing negotiation process,”
Bekaryan stated, adding that “all Azerbaijan can count for is direct
talks with Karabakh.” “Only then a breakthrough will be possible,”
the expert said.

According to Karen Bekaryan, Azerbaijan’s behavior in Kazan was
connected with the Turkish factor. “Turkey has its own interests
and it does not want the issue to be solved. The non-constructive
statement of the PACE President ahead of the meeting are a vivid
evidence of this,” the he said.

IN 2010 NET PROFIT OF ZANGEZUR COPPER MOLYBDENUM COMBINE GREW BY 3.7 TIMES

arminfo
June 27

In 2010 the net profit of Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine grew
by 3.7 times to 21.5bln AMD against 5.8bln AMD in 2009, says the
company’s financial report.

The gross income made up 42.5bln AMD against 21.8bln AMD a year
before, the expenditure – 63.4bln AMD against 53bln AMD in 2009,
the liabilities – 30.2bln AMD against 20.8bln AMD in 2009, wherein
loans – 8bln AMD against 13.2bln AMD in 2009. The total capital made
up 151.3bln AMD against 152bln AMD in 2009, the assets – 202.7bln
AMD against 210.4bln AMD in 2009.

The shareholders have decided to annually distribute 5% of the net
profit among employees as bonuses.

The current processing capacities of the factory are 14mln tons a
year. In Sept 2011 the company is planning to launch an ore crushing
complex. The shareholders are also planning to start a new stage of
modernization and enlargement and to raise the factory’s capacities
to 20mln tons a year.

ALI LARIJANI: KARBAKH CONFLICT MUST BE SETTLED IN REGIONAL FRAMEWORK

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Regional conflicts should be settled through talks
within the framework of the region, according to Iranian Parliament
Speaker Ali Larijani.

The experience shows that conflict resolution is always put off when
great countries get engaged in it, as they pursue their own goals
in it, said Larijani commenting on the process of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement.

The Speaker reminded that OSCE Minsk Group carries out negotiations
for many years. “Which are the results? What is their attitude
towards solution of this problem? From this point of view we have
all grounds to suppose that talks on similar conflicts settlement
may be more efficient if carried out inside the region, since the
countries of the region may better understand one another,” reports
Trend quoting Larijani.

The summit between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Kazan on June
24 completed without an agreement on basic principles of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement. “The countries’ leaders registered mutual
understanding on a range of problems, the resolution of which boosts
creation of conditions for approving main principles. The meeting
participants considered the course of works carried out with the aim
of coordination of the project with basic principles,” according to
the statement. The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed
gratitude to the Russian, French and U.S. leaders, the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairs, for ‘their constant attention to Nagorno-Karabakh
problem’ and highly praised personal efforts of the Russian President
in support of agreements.

Later on Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbanian noted that the
June 24 meeting was not a breakthrough, as Azerbaijan proved unready
to accept the final version of the basic principles suggested by the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs. Instead, the Azerbaijani leader attempted
to impose 10 new proposals, thus precluding the possibility of any
agreement on the issue,” he added.

NO DOCUMENT MAY GUARANTEE STABILITY OF ARMENIAN -TURKISH RELATIONS, EXPERT SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Even if an ideal agreement is signed between Armenia
and Turkey, it would not be able to guarantee stability of relations
between these two countries, according to Artak Shakaryan, PhD in
Ottoman studies.

“It is not because of the good will of Turkey not to attack Armenia
today but thanks to relatively stable domestic situation inside
Armenia and presence of Russian military base in the country,” the
Armenian expert told a press conference in Yerevan.

In this context, he pointed to the present Turkish-Syrian relations,
noting that their aggravation proves that in case of possibility to
enhance its borders nothing will stop Ankara, adding that Turkey and
Syria had always been known to have rather close relations within
many years,” he said.

The Armenian expert also stressed that Armenian-Turkish relations
are not presently a priority issue for Turkey. He thinks that if
international community does not press on Ankara in this issue, it
may treat it only in 2014, at the threshold of the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

LES RESULTATS DE L’EXISTENCE D’URANIUM EN ARMENIE PRETS POUR LA FIN 2011
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 29 juin 2011

Le ministre armenien de l’Energie et des Ressources naturelles Armen
Movsisyan a declare que diverses personnes ont fait des declarations
differentes sur l’existence de reserves d’uranium en Armenie mais
que rien n’est encore confirme.

Actuellement les travaux d’exploration sont effectues pour definir
s’il y a des reserves semblables dans la republique, ainsi que leur
quantite a dit Armen Movsisyan lors d’une conference de presse.

Le Ministre a ajoute qu’après les travaux d’exploration, il
sera necessaire de definir si cette exploitation des depôts sera
economiquement faisable.

En plus, selon Armen Movsisyan, il sera necessaire de definir la
technologie, qui permettra de reduire les impacts environnementaux
pour le developpement de depôts.

” S’il y a des technologies semblables pour cette sorte d’uranium,
naturellement, l’etat entreprendra le developpement de depôts.

Autrement, l’exploitation est exclue ” a dit Armen Movsisyan.

Il a annonce qu’actuellement tous les travaux visent a l’acquisition
de ces evaluations, dont les resultats seront disponibles vers la
fin de 2011.

FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL SAYS TURKS ‘ARE VERY CLOSE’ TO HIM

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – The youngest contender for the French presidency
in 2012 has said he is already well-acquainted with Turkey thanks to
family roots that go back to eastern Turkey.

Maxime Verner’s mother has Armenian roots in the eastern province of
Erzurum, while the 21-year-old candidate’s father is ethnic French.

“I know Turkey very well; I am interested [in Turkish] history also. I
feel [that the] Turks are very close to me. They are open-minded. I
want to build a bridge between Turkey and other countries. I would
like to tell them that the world of tomorrow is ours. We have
responsibilities to conquer and obtain solidarity,” Verner said in
an interview with Hurriyet Daily News.

“I am not expecting any support [from] the French-Armenian community; I
am French. But lots of Armenians and Turks do support me,” Verner said.

The presidential candidate also said he attended Istanbul’s Galatasaray
University as an exchange student recently.

Verner, whose father was a taxi driver, said his interest in politics
began while he was working in his father’s cab in the village where
he was born. “Today, I do not belong to any party; my family has
never belonged to any [parties either.] I became popular [through
the support of] the working class,” he said.

“I want to change the future, the young generations, the long-term
perspectives, the world. I want to help France open itself to the
world. I would like to free society where anything is possible for
anyone. I believe emotions can change the world,” he said and added
that he made extensive use of modern technology during election
campaigns.

Verner also said he was a member of the “Association des Jeunes de
France” (The Association for the French Youth) and said the youth
wanted to earn the trust of the French people.

“We want to elucidate [people on] how great the potential of young
people is and what we can do,” he said.

‘SO THAT CRITICAL MASS REMAINS HERE AND REVOLUTION HAPPENS?’ ARMENIA PM ON EMIGRATION

epress.am
06.28.2011

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan spoke on the likelihood of early
elections in response to the question “What’s the difference between
pre-term and regular elections?” by local daily 168 Zham (“168 Hours”).

To the journalist’s comment that the opposition’s demand is to
establish a lawful government through elections as soon as possible,
“which would solve the problems faced by the people and the country,”
the prime minister said, “I myself, being opposition, pushed through
this proposition in 1991. In the last 20 years, it has never lost its
relevance. Any opposition, naturally, tries to use this proposition,
but the problem is that in Armenia today, such a critical mass, which
demands early elections, objectively doesn’t exist. Particularly
since there isn’t that much time left till elections.”

On the matter of the increasing volume of emigrants from Armenia,
Tigran Sargsyan said: “What can we do, we should do everything so
these people won’t flee, so that critical mass remains here and a
revolution happens? What can we do for people to stay in Armenia? We
have to do it so that life in our country is better than [life]
abroad. But if you begin to improve life in Armenia, the critical
mass doesn’t reduce. The mass that supports the authorities increases.

Trust me, no government has such a wish, for it to work so that its
reputation will be lower than the opposition’s.”

” EXPO CENSUREE ! PATRIMOINE BAFOUE ! ” : MANIFESTATION AU SEIN DE L’UNESCO

Publie le : 28-06-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire le communique de presse de la FRA Nor Seround – Nouvelle
Generation Armenienne publie le 23 juin 2011.

Communique de presse

Le Nor Seround sème le trouble dans l’enceinte de l’UNESCO et denonce
les censures contre le patrimoine armenien

A l’occasion de l’exposition “L’Art des Khatchkars – Croix de Pierre
Armeniennes”, organisee du 15 au 24 juin 2011, par la Delegation
permanente de l’Armenie, au sein de l’Organisation des Nations Unies
pour l’education, la science et la culture (UNESCO), de nombreuses
associations se sont emues des censures qui ont pese sur cet evènement
dedie au patrimoine culturel des Armeniens. A la suite des pressions
exercees par les delegations turque et azerbaidjanaise auprès de
l’UNESCO, cette organisation internationale, dont la mission consiste
notamment a defendre le Patrimoine Culturel de l’humanite, a fait
retirer de l’exposition, les legendes identifiant les photos ainsi
que la carte geographique precisant les emplacements des Khatchkars,
rendant l’evènement muet sur l’origine et le sort reserve a ces
monuments.

Cette censure, qui se fait la complice de la politique de la Turquie
et de l’Azerbaïdjan dans leur volonte d’effacer, sur leur territoire,
toute trace des monuments construits par les Armeniens, a scandalise
la FRA Nor Seround qui a decide de porter la contestation au sein
meme de l’UNESCO.

Jeudi 23 juin, des militants du Nor Seround sont entres dans l’enceinte
de l’organisation internationale, afin de protester contre les
agissements qui ont ampute, les monuments de l’exposition, de leur
nature et de leur histoire. Les jeunes protestataires, bâillonnes
par des bandes adhesives noires, ont brandi des pancartes denoncant
ces censures ainsi que la destruction de ces monuments par les Etats
turc et azerbaidjanais. Durant près d’une demi-heure, devant le regard
meduse des organisateurs de l’exposition et des agents de securite, les
militants ont affiche des slogans tels que ” Silence l’UNESCO censure
“, ” ces Khatchkars n’existent plus a cause du genocide culturel ”
ou encore ” danger, patrimoine en voie de disparition”.

C’est une jeunesse indignee, filmee par un reporter de l’agence de
presse Reuters et accompagnee par les journalistes presents sur place,
qui a ete escortee vers la sortie sous bonne garde, traversant le
bâtiment en scandant des slogans jusqu’au portail exterieur ” Expo
censuree ! Patrimoine bafoue ! “.

La FRA Nor Seround, par cette operation de protestation, manifeste
sa consternation au regard de la passivite de l’UNESCO face aux
pressions exercees par la Turquie et l’Azerbaïdjan afin de denaturer
le patrimoine culturel de cette exposition. Cette immixtion dans
un evènement culturel organise au sein de l’agence de l’ONU qui
a notamment pour vocation de proteger le patrimoine en danger,
est d’autant plus inadmissible qu’elle est le fait d’Etats
qui detruisent le patrimoine culturel des Armeniens depuis des
annees. Cette destruction des preuves de la presence ancestrale
des Armeniens sur ces territoires n’est que la continuation de
l’entreprise genocidaire de 1915 qui a conduit a l’extermination
de plus des trois-quarts de la population armenienne de l’Empire
ottoman. L’UNESCO qui n’avait pas reagi en 2005, a la destruction,
par l’armee azerbaidjanaise, du site archeologique armenien de Djougha
(datant du Vème siècle), abrite aujourd’hui une exposition censurant
l’origine des Khatchkars. En abritant en son sein, une exposition
depouillee de son sens historique du fait de pressions etatiques,
l’UNESCO a failli a son rôle de defenseur du patrimoine.

Retour a la rubrique

GEORGIA’S OPPOSITION, GOVERNMENT AGREE ON ELECTORAL AMENDMENTS

18:30, 27 June, 2011

Negotiations on the improvement of electoral environment and electoral
legislation between the government and the opposition parties of
Georgia are over. The sides agreed on almost all issues that refer
to the process of election and prepared a special document, which
will be signed later today.

‘We have finished negotiations on the improvement of electoral
environment and legislation. During this process, we discussed
al significant issues that are decisive in the process of vote
and prepared a final document. The process of negotiations will be
over at 6 pm today, when the document will be signed by the parties
participating in the discussions,’ the MP from the ruling party,
Pavle Kublashvili told journalists today.

Meanwhile, the New Rights opposition party announced that the so-called
opposition eight had used all its resource of negotiations saying they
would no longer take part in the discussions in this format. The New
Rights Party has also published a special document summarizing the
process of negotiations as the first case, when the government broke
the ice and agreed to make changes to the electoral legislation in
agreement with the opponents.

‘We can say that after the long-lasting efforts, for the first time
we have achieved not the best but a very solid result, which can make
the electoral environment obviously better. Of course, the result was
reached by various preconditions or coincidences: the correct tactics
selected by the opposition, support of international organizations,
approach of Georgian society to this process. Today the stereotype of
‘political deadlock in negotiations’ has been broken down.

We, the New Rights, announce publicly that we accept the proposals by
the government and we’ll do our best to make the proposed amendments
be reflected in the new electoral legislations.

This is the first, but very serious step for the complex changes
to the electoral code and to regain the trust of the society to the
process of elections and to create adequate conditions for free and
fair elections,’ Mamuka Katsitadze of the party announced at the
briefing today.

ALIYEV VOWS DIPLOMATIC, MILITARY EFFORTS TO GAIN TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

AzTV Baku
June 26 2011
Azerbaijan

[translated from Azeri]

The president of Azerbaijan has vowed to continue diplomatic and
military efforts for the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity two days after the failed Kazan meeting with Armenia with
Russian mediation to resolve the long-drawn-out Karabakh conflict.

Addressing a military parade in central Baku on 26 June, President
Ilham Aliyev said that the military parade was devoted to the 20th
anniversary of independence of the country, state television AzTV
carried live the president’s speech and the military parade on Baku’s
central Freedom Square.

Speaking on the Karabakh problem, the president said: “We are in a
state of war. The war has not finished. The first phase of the war
is over and the country in the state of war should first of all pay
attention to the army building. And as of now, the military-related
spending tops Azerbaijan’s state budget. This will be the case until
our lands are liberated from the occupation. If a peace accord is
signed and the occupation is over, of course, there may be no need
there for such spending. However, at the same time, in any condition,
our army must demonstrate high combat readiness and we’ll use all the
opportunities to strengthen and upgrade the logistics of our army,”
the president said.

President Aliyev reiterated that the “occupation” of the lands cannot
go forever and it must be restored: “Our deeds are fair. We have not
occupied lands of other countries, we have no eye on other country’s
territories although the current Armenia has been established on
historical Azerbaijani lands. Nagornyy Karabakh is an eternal
Azerbaijani land; it has always been so and is so today; it is
simply and temporarily is under occupation now. And this occupation
cannot last long. I am fully confident that Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity will be restored by any means. To achieve this, we have to
be stronger…” President Aliyev added.

The president praised the army building process in the country and said
that the army possessed all the opportunities to carry out its duties.

“A lot of work has been carried out to strengthen the logistics of
the army. Today’s military parade will demonstrate a little part of
our military potential. We purchase up-to-date weapons, ammunition,
military hardware and this process will be continued. Over the recent
years, our military potential has considerably gone up. We procure
modern combat warplanes, combat and military transport helicopters,
artillery equipment, armoured hardware, communications devices,
unmanned aircraft systems and the military potential of our army is
growing. At the same time, the manufacturing of military products
continue successfully through the Defence Industry Ministry that was
set up years ago, and we have also gained great achievements in this
sphere. As of now, the provision of the Azerbaijani army is also
maintained at the expense of domestically made military products.

Wide-ranging weapons, ammunition, military hardware are manufactured
in Azerbaijan and these achievements will be demonstrated at today’s
parade…” the president told the parade.

The president’s address to the military parade lasted 23 minutes.