Author: nina hovnanian

TURKEY’S WILL CONTINUE INTERFERING IN KARABAKH ISSUE, EXPERT SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 15, 2011 – 15:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – There are no premises for Turkey’s ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP) to change its policy towards Armenia,
according to director of the Oriental Studies Institute at Armenian
National Academy of Sciences.

As professor Ruben Safrastyan told a news conference in Yerevan,
Turkey won’t alter its position on rapprochement with Armenia, unless
any shifts to serve Turkey’s interests occur in Karabakh process.

“At the same time, Turkey will continue interfering in the Karabakh
conflict settlement, offering itself as a mediator,” the expert
observed.

SASUN MIKAELYAN: “THE RESOLUTION VERSION OF NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT NOT TO BE DISCUSSED IN KAZAN”

Noyan Tapan

15.06.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 15.06.2011) No resolution version of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement will be discussed during the meeting held in
Kazan. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will also take part
in the meeting. The commander of “Sasun” detachment Sasun Mikaelyan,
who was released due to the last Amnesty, declared about this at the
meeting with journalists held on June 15. He noted that the sides
may come to an agreement but no concrete document will be signed.

S. Mikaelyan, saying that he is against the compromise version of
the settlement, noted that he, like a freedom fighter, is partial
to the “no patch of land” slogan. He thinks that even if the
liberated territories are submit, NK will not be given the status
and Nagorno-Karabakh will be in the status like Nakhichevan. “For
this reason I am against the compromise version. Finally, 7000 boys
were killed. They spoke about Mush, Alashkert, and they wouldn’t be
partial to giving the lands”, declared S. Mikaelyan.

According to him, if Armenia wants to avoid war, then it should
solve its inner problems. However, if there is no other way to the
settlement of Nagorno-Kharabakh conflict, then the war is one of the
variants. Not taking Azerbaijan threats and militant declaration into
consideration seriously S. Mikaelyan thinks that it is not enough
to have large amount of arms and ammunition for winning at war. “At
Artsakh war Azerbaijan exceeded Armenia with arms and ammunition,
but they weren’t able to win,” said the former Freedom Fighter.

DES PROGRES ANNONCES DANS LA RESOLUTION DES CONFLITS ENTRE LES EGLISES GEORGIENNES ET ARMENIENNES

armenews.com
mercredi 15 juin 2011

L’Eglise Apostolique Armenienne a indique d’ici la fin de la semaine
le Catholicos Karekin II pourrait conclure un accord avec les chefs
politiques et spirituels de la Georgie qui aideront a resoudre ses
vieilles discussions avec l’Eglise Orthodoxe Georgienne.

Karekin II a rencontre le President Georgien Mikheil Saakashvili et
le Catholicos-patriarche Ilia II au debut d’une visite d’une semaine
en Georgie. Les deux leaders religieux ont tenu une discussion plus
detaillee en presence d’ecclesiastiques armeniens et georgiens de
haut rang.

Karekin II a exprime sa satisfaction a propos de ces reunions dans une
declaration rendue publique dans la residence officielle du patriarche
Georgien a Tbilisi.

Dans une declaration separee, le service de presse de Karekin II a
dit que les deux parties ont reconnu que les autorites georgiennes
doivent finalement accorder ” un statut legal ” au diocèse local de
l’Eglise armenienne. Comme les autres groupes religieux des minorites
en Georgie, le diocèse n’a aucun enregistrement officiel et n’est pas
donc considere par les autorites Georgiennes comme une personne morale.

La declaration dit que les parties ont aussi convenu du besoin
d’accorder un statut officiel a ” la communaute religieuse georgienne
en Armenie ” mais rien ne precise de qui il est question.

Ilia a cite Saakashvili affirmant que l’Eglise armenienne doit avoir
le meme statut en Georgie que l’Eglise Georgienne en Armenie. Le
patriarche a appuye cette position.

Selon le bureau de Karekin II, la partie Georgienne a aussi promis de
preserver plusieurs eglises medievales precedemment employees par la
communaute armenienne de Georgie ” jusqu’a leur retour au diocèse “. ”
La question du retour des eglises sera discutee lors de la prochaine
etape ” dit la declaration.

Karekin II a visite deux de ces eglises situes dans Tbilisi plus
tard dans la journee. L’une d’entre elle s’est en partie effondree
l’annee dernière, tandis que l’autre a ete sevèrement endommage par
un feu en 2001.

Karekin II n’a pas inspecte une autre eglise plus celèbre a Tbilisi
construite au 15ème siècle et connu comme Norashen. Cela a toujours
ete une grande source de tensions entre les deux eglises.

Ilia, en attendant, a appuye des revendications georgiennes sur
plusieurs eglises medievales surtout abandonnees dans la province du
Lori en Armenie.

” En parlant d’eglises, il ne faut pas oublier que les deux parties
ont des demandes ” a dit Ilia. ” A la fois les deux parties ont des
faits et des documents quant aux eglises armeniennes en Georgie et
des eglises georgiennes en Armenie “.

Ilia a propose que les deux parties fondent une commission commune
des specialistes qui examineraient la question et proposeraient des
solutions. Karekin II a dit que l’Eglise armenienne soutient l’idee
en principe.

Les deux catholicos ont souligne que ces discussions ne doivent pas
endommager les relations entre les deux etats voisins. ” Nos peuples
sont lies par de nombreuses liaisons spirituelles, culturelles et
historiques contrairement aux differences theologiques entre nos
Eglises qui sont apparu suite aux evenements historiques ” a dit
Karekin II.

AUTHORITIES AGAINST FARMERS
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:09:54 – 14/06/2011

A fund has been established under the Ministry of Agriculture with
the purpose to help farmers who bore losses due to natural hazards.

What assistance will the fund provide the farmers, whose holdings were
hit by hail, has not been determined, but it is unlikely the state
could cover the expense of the peasants. Most likely, some people
will be provided with seeds and seedlings, but they are unlikely to
save the people who rely on the benevolence of nature.

The experience of developed countries evidences that the practice
of helping farmers who suffer from natural hazards does not justify
itself. This requires long-term investments in two main directions.

Methods to fight natural hazards, in particular frostbite and hail,
are not few in the world. Many technologies, starting from anti-hail
systems and finishing with folding field covers, which you can pull
over the land in a few seconds, exist.

The second main direction is the agricultural insurance. Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, comparing the development of Armenia’s
economy with Georgia, said that they solved all the problems with
tax and customs administration, while we have developing banks and
insurance business. Just as banks in Armenia do not contribute to the
economy, so the insurance in Armenia is not directed to the benefit
of ordinary citizens, but the accumulation of funds.

First of all farmers, who depend on the weather more than anyone
else, need insurance. But the representatives of Russian RosGosStrakh
Insurance Company have already issued that it is not worth to dwell
on the agricultural insurance in Armenia for the next 10 years. It
is very expensive because the insurance companies will have to pay
compensations too often.

How are these problems solved in developed countries? There,
the country subsidizes a part of the insurance payments, so it is
interested in the fact that the peasants suffer as little as possible
from the natural hazards. Consequently, the state subsidizes new
technical means to protect farmers from natural hazards. In the end,
both the farmers, who are insured against the vagaries of nature,
and the state, which currently provides food security and low prices
for products, win.

But such a logical approach to the problem is possible only in case
the power is able to consider long-term plans instead of working
from election to election. If the authorities are interested that
the farmers make profit, while food prices decline, it must raise
funds for the insurance of the villages and the introduction of
new technologies. The rejection of these steps suggests that the
government is interested in the growth of imports of agricultural
products, because people engaged in the import are in the power.

Turkologist: Even though Erdogan has won the election he has lost it
to the Kurds

arminfo
Tuesday, June 14, 17:14

Even though the Justice and Development Party of Turkey has won the
parliamentary elections, for Prime Minister Recep Erdogan it was a
loss, Turkologist Artak Shakaryan said during a press-conference
today.

Erdogan’s party has won 326 parliamentary seats, which is not enough
for him to effect constitutional reforms and to transform Turkey from
parliamentary to presidential republic.

The new Turkish parliament will be better balanced with more votes to
be given to the opposition. The Kurds have won 35 seats and will be
able to push their problems there for the first time ever.

“The real victor in these elections were the Kurds and Erdogan will
try to come to terms with them. As regards Armenian-Turkish relations,
Turkey will try to improve them but will continue pushing Azerbaijan’s
interests. Everything will depend on Armenian-Azeri relations and,
particularly, on the presidential meeting in Kazan. For the time
being the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols is possible,”
Shakaryan said.

PHILIPPE LEFORT: FRENCH-ARMENIAN POLITICAL DIALOGUE ENTERS NEW PHASE

ARMENPRESS
June 14, 2011
YEREVAN

The French-Armenian political dialogue is entering new phase reflecting
the relations between the two countries, Head of the Continental
Europe Department of the French Ministry of Foreign and European
Affairs Philippe Lefort said speaking to Armenpress.

“My visit to Yerevan will be followed by the visit of Cooperation
Affairs Minister of France. On the second half of the year the visit
of the President of France is expected”, Lefort said.

In his opinion, it will be a good occasion to discuss important
international political topics and reproach ties uniting France
and Armenia.

PHILIPPE LEFORT: IT IS NECESSARY TO ASSIST THE ACTIVITY OF THE MINSK GROUP

ARMENPRESS
June 14, 2011
YEREVAN

The Deauville statement of the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group
countries warns to restrain from the usage of force and urges the
parties to sign an agreement over Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
principles, the Head of the Continental Europe Department of the
French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Philippe Lefort told
Armenpress, in response to the question about possible impact of the
Deauville statement on the settlement of the conflict. “We really
want this call to be heard and parties to start main negotiations
over the NK conflict settlement. The coming summit in Kazan provides
such opportunity. We hope that it [opportunity] will not be lost”,
the French top official pointed out.

In response to the question about the talks on replacing France in
the Minsk Group with the EU, Philippe Lefort said the Minsk Group
co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France is actively working
toward finding solution to the conflict.

He said the Minsk Group managed to win the trust of the parties and
does not spare an effort for finding solution. “We must give credit
to their mission and continue it, like the EU does, and assist its
activity”, the diplomat said.

MEMORANDUM OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING ON ROAD TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA SIGNED

ARMENPRESS
June 14, 2011
YEREVAN

The RA Transport and Communication Ministry and the International Road
Transport Union (IRU) signed today a memorandum of mutual understanding
on “Development of Road Transport in the RA Territory among Asian,
European and Main International Markets”.

Manuk Vardanyan, RA minister of transport and communication, and
Martin Marmin, IRU secretary general, signed the memorandum. The
minister said he is sure the memorandum will be a next momentum for
the road transport development.

Martin Marmin reminded about the Silk Road, which existed 700 years
ago and then was replaced with the developing sea roads. “But if we
manage to support the road transport development, any country will
become open for trade,” he said.

AVERAGE MONTHLY HOTEL OCCUPANCY IN ARMENIA IS 50-70%

/ARKA/
June 14, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 14. / ARKA /. The average monthly hotel occupancy in
Armenia in April-November is 50-70%, which is a good indicator by
international standards, Hakob Hakobian, head of the Association of
Armenian Hotels, said today.

He said the occupancy rate in downtown Yerevan hotels is about 80%,
but the situation is very different in the regions.

He said also Armenia’s hotel capacity is enough for today’s demand,
adding that prices are also available , if compared also with other
regional countries.

Robert Minasian, the chairman of the Union of Tour Operators and
rector of the Russian branch of the International Academy of Tourism ,
singled out inadequate level of services despite the development of
hotel complexes.

“About 90% of hotel employees do not have required training being
seasonal workers which affects the quality of services,” Minasian said.

According to statistical data, Armenia hotels have about 10,000
beds.

ARARAT ZURABYAN QUITS ARMENIAN PAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT

Tert.am
14.06.11

Ararat Zurabyan of the Armenian Pan-National Movement (APNM) has
withheld his membership to the party.

Speaking to Tert.am, the APNM deputy board chair of, Vahagn Hayotsyan,
said he didn’t know the exact date Zurabyan had submitted his
resignation.

“Perhaps it was late in the evening; anyway I have not yet seen his
notice,” he said.

Hayotsyan said he was unaware of the reasons Zurabyan decided to quit
the party.

Tert.am’s attempts to contact the activist himself were unsuccessful.

He is reportedly planning to join a newly established political party
called Free Democrats (whose leader is a former board chair of the
Armenian Pan-National Movement, Khachatur Kokobelyan).

Zurabyan, who was formerly the APNM deputy board chair, resigned
from his post last year. Since July 10, 2010, he had been an ordinary
member of the party.