22 YEARS The Noah’s Ark #26 (1066) 29 June 2015 Published Since 1993 Weekly Newspaper HIGHLIGHTS ÜáÛÛ³Ý î³å³Ý ß³μ³Ã³Ã»ñà (³Ý·É. / ýñ³Ýë.) Electric Yerevan: The sit-in on Baghramyan Avenue enters 7th day see page 3 In This Issue PACE adopts Res. on Azerbaijan, removes the word "occupation" with regard to NK p.2 Protesters against power tariff hike in Armenia have no claims to Russia - A. Iskandaryan p.5 Noyan Tapan Printing House Armenia ranked 66th in IBC 2015 p.7 is offering coloured and black and white offset and digital Gyumri Massacre Case 'Transferred printing of books, brochures, booklets, journals, etc with To Armenian Jurisdiction' p.10 high quality and low prices Tel: 060 27 64 62 European Court reiterates liberation of Lachin was vital: Armenian FM p.p.12-13 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 29 June #26 (1066) 2015 2 www.nt.am The Noyan Tapan Highlights POLITICS Armenian President meets Georgia's Minister of Justice President Serzh Sargsyan received on June 26 Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, and Giorgi Mghebrishvili, Minister of Corrections of Georgia. The president welcomed the guests and their participation in the first Armenian-Georgian Forum for Legal Cooperation held in Yerevan. Expressing his satisfaction with the fact that Armenia and Georgia continue to conduct high-level political dialogue and deepen multi-sectoral cooperation, Serzh Sargsyan stressed that it lays the groundwork to add new dimensions for partnership. In that context, the Armenian president attached importance to the relationship between the two countries' legal affairs ministries and expressed the hope that the forum for legal cooperation will con- tinue on a regular basis, thereby bringing its contribution to the further strengthening and development of friendly ties between Armenian and Georgia. Serzh Sargsyan underscored that the men- tioned ministries mainly deal with problems faced by both Armenian and Georgian citizens, and, hence, it is important to find During the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan also emphasized that our effective solutions to them through mutual discussions and country is keen on developing and deepening Armenian-Georgian exchange of experience so that citizens can feel the difference. interstate relations under new conditions created by Armenia's At the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan once again membership in the EAEU and the conclusion of the Georgia-EU expressed his sincere support for the friendly people of Georgia on Association Agreement. the occasion of the floods and natural calamity in Tbilisi and Ministers Thea Tsulukiani and Giorgi Mghebrishvili under- expressed the hope that Georgia's government and Tbilisi's local scored that they intend to follow the legal cooperation format authorities will try their best to quickly overcome the effects of the established during the Armenian justice minister's visit to Georgia calamity. The Armenian president reiterated Armenia's readiness and make it a tradition, as well as to conduct exchange of experi- to render necessary assistance to the friendly country of Georgia. ence and promote cooperation between the two friendly countries. Armenian DM attends PACE adopts Res. NATO meeting on on Azerbaijan, removes Afghanistan the word "occupation" On June 25 the delegation Minister Nalbandian reiter- with regard to NK headed by Armenian defense ated Armenia's commitment to Minister Seyran Ohanyan par- contribute a 131-member After a marathon of ticipated in the meeting of group until the end of the mis- amendment voting, PACE Defense Ministers of the coun- sion. Within the framework of approved its resolution on tries contributing to the the visit Minister Ohanyan par- democratic institutions in NATO-led Resolute Support ticipated in ministerial consul- Azerbaijan by 140 votes to 13. Mission in Afghanistan. tations organized by Germany, The Assembly voted 85 to The Defense Ministers of where the strategy of the mis- 78 to accept the amendment Azerbaijani foreign policy NATO partner countries dis- sion was discussed. tabled by the Armenian dele- agenda." cussed the progress of NATO The same day Seyran gation to exclude the The draft resolution read: mission in Afghanistan, the Ohanyan met with Georgia's term"occupation" with regard "The Assembly is fully aware political and security situation newly elected Defense to Nagorno Karabakh. of the occupation by Armenia in the country. The participants Minister Tinatin Khidasheli. The Parliamentary of Nagorno Karabakh and decided to start the second The parties discussed the per- Assembly says in the final text seven other provinces of stage of the mission on May 1, spectives of defense coopera- of the Resolution it "is fully Azerbaijan, which dominates 2016. The NATO presence will tion and exchanged views on aware of the Nagorno- to a large extent the be restricted to capital Kabul issues of international and Karabakh conflict which dom- Azerbaijani foreign policy and its neighborhood. regional security. inates to a large extent the agenda." 29 June #26 (1066) 2015 POLITICS The Noyan Tapan Highlights www.nt.am 3 Electric Yerevan: The sit-in on Baghramyan Avenue enters 7th day Thousands of people continued to hold a nonstop demonstration in Yerevan on Sunday night, rejecting its organizers' calls to unblock a key street in the city center voiced after concessions made to the pro- testers by President Serzh Sargsyan. The No To Plunder youth movement leading the campaign against a controver- sial rise in electricity prices decided to move its weeklong street protests back to Liberty Square and thus reopen Marshal Bagramyan Avenue to traffic. One of its leaders, Vaghinak Shushanyan, announced the decision on Sunday evening in a speech delivered from a barricade erected at the blocked street section. He cited the risk of renewed vio- No To Plunder leaders in marching to near- ing "the rules of cohabitation" with resi- lent clashes with riot police deployed near- by Liberty Square. dents of nearby apartment buildings. by as well as President Serzh Sargsyan's "I am begging you to get out of "We are calling on the police to under- announcement on Friday that the Bagramian," Shushanyan wrote on stand and protect us," Tigran Khachumian, Armenian government will at least tem- Facebook later in the evening. one of the activists remaining on Marshal porarily subsidize the energy tariffs. The warning came amid fresh police Bagramian Avenue told RFE/RL's "By staying here longer we won't be threats to break up the "illegal" demonstra- Armenian service . physically prepared to endure more police tion. In a statement, the Armenian police Khachumian also said that the new beatings and jets of water," Shushanyan said they are allowed to use force under an protest leaders are not seeking regime told the crowd. Armenian law on public gatherings. change and only want the Armenian "I stand for continuing the struggle At one point, phalanxes of police clad authorities to officially reverse a more than with different methods," he said. "We in full riot gear and backed up by a water 17 percent rise in electricity fees that was could again shut down Bagramyan Avenue cannon began moving towards the protest- approved by state regulators on June 17. at any moment." ers. However, they moved back shortly "The people are simply demanding what The 24-year-old activist argued that after several dozen Armenian opposition they demanded yesterday and the day while No To Plunder has still not received politicians and prominent public figures before," he said. a "clear answer" from the Armenian lined up in front of the barricade in hopes President Serzh Sargsyan defended the authorities to its demands for a scrapping of preventing violence. price hike on Friday, saying that it is need- of the energy price hike it has succeeded in Valeri Osipyan, a deputy chief of the ed for saving the Armenian energy sector ensuring that Armenians will not pay more Yerevan police, skirted reporters' questions from collapse. Still, he said that the for electricity for the time being. about crowd dispersal when he again Armenian government will subsidize the "With their unity the people have approached the barricades at around 11:00 electricity tariffs to make sure that forced the authorities to step back," he said. pm local time. Osipyan said only that he Armenian households are unaffected, at "From now on, citizens will continue to wants to warn the protesters to stop breach- least for now, by the price hike. pay the old price." The speech angered many in the crowd. They responded by jeering Shushanyan CONDOLENCES and chanting "Bagramyan!" and "Shame!" Some of them also bitterly argued with TO MR ARSEN GHAZARYAN other young protesters who backed the decision announced by Shushanyan. With deep sorry we've been informed on the recent timeless passing away Immediately after Shushanyan finished of Mrs AMALYA YESAYAN, mother of a prominent intellectual, benefac- his speech, several hitherto unknown tor and businessman, President of the Union of Businessmen (Employers) activists jumped onto the makeshift podi- and Manufacturers of Armenia (UMBA), Co-Founder of the "Apaven" Co. um to make angry statements accusing No Mr ARSEN V. GHAZARYAN. To Plunder of betrayal and urging the pro- The entire Noyan Tapan Media Holding staff expresses its deepest condo- testers to remain camped out on the street lences to Mr Ghazaryan, all the family members, relatives and friends of leading to the presidential palace. Mrs Yesayan of the blessed memory. Only several hundred people joined the 29 June #26 (1066) 2015 4 www.nt.am POLITICS Armenian President Offers Plan On Energy Price Hike Bowing to pressure from thousands of hike approved by state regulators last week "It is inadmissible to go over the top; protesters blocking a central Yerevan was economically justified or resulted the police are capable of accomplishing avenue for the sixth consecutive day, from alleged corruption and mismanage- any task," Serzh Sargsyan warned in a thin- President Serzh Sargsyan announced on ment in the ENA.