Author: Tashjian Arbi

RA PROSECUTOR GENERAL COMPLAINS ABOUT PUBLIC

news.am
Feb 24 2010
Armenia

The Armenian law-enforcement agencies did their best to find out
all the facts of the post-election processes in 2008, RA Prosecutor
General Aghvan Hovsepyan told reporters on February 24.

Tremendous work was done. The RA Prosecutor’s Office turned to experts
and foreign agencies for help, but they mostly declined the requests.

He complained about the lack of public support in the investigation
process. "Complaints are mostly of political, than legal, nature,"
Hovsepyan said.

GALUST SAHAKYAN IS READY TO EXCHANGE HIS HOUSE

/galust-sahakyan
07:39 pm | February 22, 2010

Politics

The Armenian National Assembly today adopted the government’s tax
package which suggests introducing new taxes in the country.

"The new taxes will not cover the vulnerable stratum of society,"
Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Galust Sahakyan
told A1+.

During the previous four-day NA sitting he blamed his colleagues
for unawareness.

"As unawareness hovers throughout the parliament we did not neglect
Heritage or ARF-Dashnaktsutyun and removed six taxes leaving only two.

But the taxes are obligatory otherwise we shall lose the institute
of self-government bodies," said Mr. Sahakyan.

"It is upon the community administration to decide whether to levy
the tax or not. The taxes will be levied as soon as a law is passed
on them.

The new taxes will mainly cover farmers having more than five hectare
lands. There are people who have a land of hundred hectares but they
do not cultivate it as they have some other business. Only 35-40
percent of the country’s land is cultivated today. As soon as the
new taxes are introduced they will have to pay for the extra soil
or sell it. In this way we shall boost the business of real estate
market. The hotel tax will not cover vulnerable people either as no
peasant, worker or teacher has a hotel in Armenia."

A1+ wondered if the new taxes cover great businesses why the
Republican, Prosperous Armenia and Orinats Yerkir parties, the
so-called Armenian business elite, voted for the law while the
opposition which is thought to support the interests of ordinary
people voted against the package.

"I advise you visiting the homes of opposition MPs," said Galust
Sahaknyan and added: "I am ready to exchange my house with that of
any oppositionist."

RA NATIONAL LIBRARY TO HOST STEPAN SRAPIAN’S BOOK PRESENTATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2010 13:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Library will host
a presentation of Stepan Srapian’s "My dear Armenian" book, a
collection of letters and articles by the Italian philanthropist of
Armenian origin.

The book narrating relations between Armenia and Diaspora and life
of Stepan Srapian (1906-1972), the head of the Italian branch of
the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), will be presented by
literary critic Arthur Andranikyan on February 24.

WILL EDWARD NALBANDIAN CELEBRATE HIS TWO-YEAR TERM AS FOREIGN MINISTER?
H. Hamidov

Today
62371.html
Feb 23 2010
Azerbaijan

Fifty-three-year-old Nalbandian, who will celebrate his next birthday
July 16, seems to be tired.

He is tired mentally. Perhaps he is also tired physically. He needs an
early holiday outside Armenia. If he does not take drastic measures
in the near future, the tensions he is experiencing will seriously
and permanently strike at his already tottering health.

We all know what riders did to their horses in the 19th century during
long travels. But Nalbandian has been overworked. Indeed, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan has no mercy for the health of his minister,
and he may soon travel without him.

No one will envy Nalbandian. In addition to the direct execution of
the foreign minister’s functions, he serves as a spokesperson and
a herald for Sargsyan – more or less as a whipping boy. A boy to be
beaten by strangers.

Nalbandian is always at the forefront and always repulses the strikes
of opponents on the domestic and foreign arena. He is tasked with
protecting the morale of his boss and condemning anyone who dares
to offend Sargsyan. He represents the president’s interests in
parliament, taking more than one verbal slap, among other things,
for the president. We see the same picture on numerous cases including
in the relations with Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia and the West.

In addition, Nalbandian does not have good aids capable of improving
the plight of their boss. An example is Shavarsh Kocharian, a
biologist by education, whose every other statement soon becomes talk
of the town.

Stress, fatigue and regular stress seriously made themselves felt
when Nalbandian suddenly said that Azerbaijan has occupied its own
territory!

It remains unknown what happened to Nalbandian before he made this
statement. It is possible that he indulged his favorite Armenian
cognac or at least favorite French wine moments before. Perhaps, the
minister’s nervous breakdown caused this statement. This statement
shows that Nalbandian should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Otherwise, Armenian media will continue to savor the statements of
the minister and the ministry’s Spokesperson Tigran Balyan and go on
explaining what Nalbandian actually wanted to say, making the final
statement of the minister even more confusing and stupid.

Nalbandian will celebrate second anniversary of his post as foreign
minister April 14. He should better see doctor in-country or travel
abroad as soon as possible (the squalid medical facilities in Armenia
certainly will not help), at least to Sochi or Essentuki to rest
his nerves.

He should not delay his trip, otherwise it will be just as in the
joke below:

– Doctor, today I feel much better. Be kind, stop my treatment and
tell me how much I need to pay.

– What are you saying? You are not healthy enough for such shock…

NEW ANTI-ARMENIAN HYSTERIA IN AZERBAIJAN – THIS TIME OVER PARTICIPATION OF NKR IN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXCHANGE IN MILAN

Noyan Tapan
Feb 23, 2010

MILAN, FEBRUARY 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The participation
of Artsakh in the International Tourism Exchange held in Milan
continues to be in the center of the Azerbaijani mass media’s
attention. Particularly there were reports quoting the official
representative of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry Elhan Polukhov as
saying: "Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will instruct its
embassy in Italy to check the accuracy of the information about this
fair and, based on the results, the Azerbaijani side will take steps".

"Although the event is over, if Karabakh has participated in it, then
the fair organizers will be informed about the Azerbaijani side’s
position on that," Polukhov added.

To recap, on February 18-20 the NKR’s delegation headed by Sergey
Shahverdian, the head of the Tourism Department at the government
of the NKR, took part in the International Tourism Exchange held
in Milan. The Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Milan
Pietro Kuciukian accompanied the delegation. In order to ensure
its proper participation in the event, the NKR’s delegation had
applied in advance to the RA Ministry of Diaspora – in anticipation
of the ministry’s intervention for receiving support of the Armenian
community of Italy. The high-level participation, which was also due
to the intervention of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, produced a usual
anti-Armenian hysteria of the Azerbaijani mass media.

ISSUES RELATING TO BORDER SECURITY WERE DISCUSSED

ahos16914.html
17:07:31 – 22/02/2010

The secretary of the National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan met
on February 22 with the deputy of the U.S. Deputy State Secretary
Anne Ganzer. Issues relating to the modernization of the Armenian
infrastructures and border security were discussed.

Artur Baghdasaryan on February 22 met also with the Russian ambassador
to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko. Issues relating to the Armenian and
Russian cooperation in the sphere of security were discussed. The
press service of the National Security Council reports.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY HAVE NOT DECREASED, SAY NGOS

Hurriyet Daily News
Feb 21 2010
Turkey

According to individuals and organizations focusing on human rights
and marginalized groups in Turkey, official pressure against them
continues despite the Ergenekon case. While some claim the case
has reduced the number of threats they receive, others disagree,
saying the number of threats they receive remains constant While
some civil society actors and intellectuals focusing on human rights
and marginalized groups say "systematic threats" against them have
decreased with the ongoing Ergenekon case, others report the level of
harassment is unchanged. Alarmingly many agree that "official pressure"
on human rights organizations is even getting worse.

Etyen Mahcupyan, editor in chief of the weekly Turkish- and
Armenian-language Agos, as well as a columnist for the daily Taraf,
said the Ergenekon investigation has decreased the systematic threats
made against Agos.

Regarding the recent hacking of Agos’ Web site, Mahcupyan told the
Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review it is not possible to determine
whether an individual committed the attack or an organization until
whoever is responsible is apprehended.

Mahcupyan defines a systematic and coordinated threat as one sent to
more than one institution.

"We have the usual number [of threats against Agos] via e-mail, so they
do not count," he said, adding that whenever the Armenian issue tops
the agenda, such as before April 24 when Armenians commemorate what
many claim to be the Armenian genocide, threats toward the newspaper
rise. At the same time, however, the newspaper becomes temporarily
"forgotten" whenever the Kurdish problem begins taking the country’s
attention.

Baskın Oran, a political scientist, said the Ergenekon investigation
has recently stopped the threats he had been receiving since 2004,
yet official pressure continues. "When the mechanism called the ‘deep
state’ provokes people, individual reactions and insults increase
incredibly," he told the Daily News. "When the deep state is tame,
they decrease. This is a clear trend. Of course, we cannot say whether
these are organized or not. I am just telling you what I sense and
I believe to be true."

Oran said insulting his personality has recently become "officially
legal" following a Supreme Court of Appeals decision that effectively
declared him responsible for the harassment he receives due to his
writings about the Armenian issue in Agos. In its decision, the
court also quashed a lower court ruling that had ordered journalist
Mustafa Balbay, who is now under arrest as an Ergenekon suspect,
to pay compensation to Oran after the former accused the academic of
being "bought by foreign powers" during a 2006 television program.

The Ergenekon investigation began in 2007 into a suspected gang
known as Ergenekon that was allegedly plotting to overthrow the
ruling government.

Sami Tan, president of the Istanbul Kurdish Institute, also said
threats toward his institution have decreased, but added that the
present situation has become so terrible with the recent arrests of
pro-Kurdish politicians that he even "yearns for the days of the 1980
military coup."

Akın Birdal, a deputy from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party,
or BDP, said the threats may have decreased but human rights violations
have not. "The guarantee for human rights and liberties is the law
itself, and you see the state of the law," he said, pointing to the
recent government-judiciary tension.

"Everybody is trying to have their own judiciary in the name of
the law. Under such circumstances, one cannot say human rights and
liberties are guaranteed," he said.

Ozturk Turkdogan, president of the Human Rights Association, or Ä°HD,
said the organization "always receives threatening messages," and he
had observed no difference between 2007 and today.

Turkdogan said many of their members were arrested in 2009 for no
crime other than expressing their opinions. "When I look at the actual
results, there is no change in terms of threats, but there is an
increase in the number of arrested people. This show the violations
of freedom of speech are increasing and that the efforts of human
rights defenders are not being tolerated."

GAS SINCERITY

hos16912.html
16:29:18 – 22/02/2010

Though Public Services Regulatory Commission will discuss the
application presented by the ArmRusGasArd Company to increase the gas
price on February 26, the member of the commission Samvel Arabajyan
said on February 22 about his intention to vote for the increase. But,
as the commission was expected it is not going to increase the price
as much as the company requested but only by 40 dram- from 96 to 136
per one cubic-meter.

Hardly Samvel Arabajyan will be in the minority in the committee by
voting for the price enhancement. Otherwise he would not have dared to
publicly declare its position before the session of the commission. In
any case, it is clear that the committee will follow the beaten path:
the application will not be refused but the requested price will be
slightly reduced.

This mode of work is not ruled out to be agreed between the members
of the commission and the company from the point that the company
sets a number which is a little exaggerated and can be reduced with
the help of which the Public Services Regulatory Commission gets the
possibility of an image corresponding to its name.

WILL JERMUK BECOME A REGIONAL TOURISM CENTER?
Hasmik Dilanyan

"Radiolur"
22.02.2010 15:46

February 8-11 the Armenian delegation headed by Economy Minister
Nerses Yeritsyan visited Switzerland to study the Swiss experience of
development of skiing and resort centers and discuss the possibility
of its application in the Armenian city of Jermuk.

Situated thousand of kilometers away from Armenia, the Swiss city
of Verbier resembles the Armenian resort city of Jermuk, Minister of
Economy Nerses Yeritsyan told a press conference today.

According to Minister Yeritsyan, it’s first of all necessary to work
out a strategy of development of Jermuk. 200 thousand Euros will later
be spent to make up an estimate of the project. Will Jermuk become
a regional tourism center? This will become clear in a few years.

Second Annual PFA Forum on Armenia-Diaspora Relations

0/second-annual-pfa-forum-on-armenia-diaspora-rela tions/
By Weekly Staff – on February 20, 2010

Raffi Hovannisian to Deliver the Keynote Luncheon Address

Policy Forum Armenia (PFA) will hold its Second Annual Forum in
Washington, DC from Feb. 28 to March 2 to provide an opportunity for
policy practitioners, academics, and the public to discuss
Armenia-Diaspora relations, especially perspectives on and approaches
to the present-day challenges facing the Armenian nation.

During the First PFA Forum on the global economic crisis, held in
Yerevan on May 25, 2009, PFA brought together an unprecedented line-up
of academics and policymakers from Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine,
and the UAE to discuss the implications of the crisis for Armenia and
to help devise policy prescriptions to mitigate them.

The Second PFA Forum will also gather a large number of
intellectuals – academic and public policy practitioners – to discuss
challenges and help devise new modes of engagement between Armenia and
its diaspora. Day 1 of the forum – Feb. 28 – will be held at the Cosmos
Club, Washington’s premier venue for social and policy events, and
will feature the presentation of PFA’s report on `Armenia-Diaspora
Relations: 20 Years Since Independence.’

On March 1, or Day 2, the forum will be held at Georgetown University.
This part of the forum is open to the public and includes a full day
of deliberations on Armenia-Diaspora relations. Former Armenian
Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian will deliver the keynote luncheon
address.

The program for Day 3, or March 2, is limited to only young
professionals and will include thematic meetings with various
international agencies and public and private organizations in order
to continue the discussion on Armenia-Diaspora relations and offer
young professionals opportunities to network in Washington.

For more information on the Second Annual Forum or to register, email
[email protected]. To register media presence, email
[email protected].