Month: February 2012

YEREVAN TO HOST EURONEST 1ST SESSION FAR FROM EU TERRITORIES

Panorama
03/02/2012

Yerevan will host Euronest Parliamentary Assembly session for Social,
cultural and education commissions in three weeks, Vahan Hovhannisyan,
head of Armenian delegation to the Assembly said in a news conference.

“The event is going to be a very serious one, it is the Assembly’s
first foreign session, as the formers sessions were held in the
territory of European Union, particularly in Brussels or Strasbourg.

So the first session abroad will be held in Yerevan,” said V.
Hovhannisyan.

Earlier, on January 23-31 Euronest sessions for commissions of economic
integration, energy security and political affairs took place.

According to Vahan Hovhannisyan pro-Armenian remarks were also
delivered in Euronest, particularly when it was defined to include
Karabakh conflict in the commission’s final remarks Azerbaijan’s
suggestions were not backed and were rejected.

GAGIK MAKARYAN: AZERBAIJAN’S ECONOMY IS BASED ON ONE COMPONENT
Nvard Davtyan

“Radiolur”
03.02.2012 18:04

“War will destroy Azerbaijani economy, as it is based on one component
– oil industry,” Gagik Makaryan, President of the Republican Union
of Employers of Armenia said, presenting the report on the analysis
of the economies of the three South Caucasian countries – Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The Union has used the data of the statistical services of the three
countries, the World Bank, thee International Monetary Fund and has
combined them with independent analyses.

Azerbaijan’s economy is based on one component – oil industry.

According to the report, the volume of oil production in Azerbaijan
decreased with 11.6% in 2011, the downfall tends to continue this
year. Based on the results of the study, Gagik Makaryan concludes
that if no new mines are exploited, the volume of oil production
will decrease thrice by 2024. This will cause a serious damage to the
economy, Azerbaijan will make less bellicose statements, as a result,
Gagik Makaryan said.

According to the report, Armenia’s foreign debt is greater than that
of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Armenia falls behind as regards the level
of tax collection. Therefore, Armenia still has to implement a number
of reforms, he added.

According to Makaryan, it’s necessary to improve the business
atmosphere and pay attention to the labor market. Competitive labor
force can solve hard problems and boost production, and this is an
important condition for attracting investments. This is the effective
route of development of economy, President of the Republican Union
of Employers of Armenia said.

From: Baghdasarian

NELLY DURYAN: NUMBER OF JUVENILE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS BY JUVENILES HAS GROWN
Lusine Vasilyan

“Radiolur”
03.02.2012 17:43

The number of crimes committed by juveniles in 2011 increased as
compared to 2010. While 509 juvenile crimes were registered in 2010,
the number increased with 18 in 2011.

However, no heavy crimes committed by juveniles were registered in
2011, while there were 3 murder cases in 2010, Deputy Head of the
3rd Department of Criminal Investigation of RA Police, Colonel Nelly
Duryan told reporters today.

The number of suicide attempts also tends to grow. Forty-five juveniles
made suicide attempts in 2011, nine of which with a fatal outcome,
she said.

THE FEAST OF ST. SARKIS TO BE CELEBRATED ON JANUARY 4

armradio.am
03.02.2012 17:11

The Commemoration Day of St. Sargis has been declared the Day of
Blessing the Young. Tnis year it will be celebrated on February 4.

The feast day honoring St. Sarkis is movable. It occurs between
January 11th and February 15th. Each year it follows the five-day
Fast of Catechumens.

Captain St. Sarkis is one of the most beloved saints among the Armenian
nation. Together with his 14 soldiers-companions he was martyred for
the sake of Christian faith.

During the period of reign of the king Kostandianos the Great (285-337)
St. Sarkis, being very courageous, was appointed the prince and
General in chief of the region of Cappadocia bordering Armenia.

When during the period of reign of the king Julianos the Betrayer
(360-363) the persecutions against Christians started by God~Rs will
St. Sarkis and his only son ~V Martyros, came to live in Armenia,
and the Armenian king Tiran, grandson of Tiridates, received them
very well.

>>From Armenia St. Sarkis and his son went to Persia, and started
serving in the army of the Persian king Shapouh as the captain of
regiments. Become aware of the fact that Sarkis was Christian the king
Shapouh ordered him to worship the fire and offer sacrifice to the
heathen gods. But the captain immediately refused to obey the order
saying, ~SWe should worship one God – the Holy Trinity, which has
created the earth and the heaven. Whereas fire or idols are not gods
and the human being may destroy them.~T After these words the saint
destroyed the temple. The annoyed crowd fell on the saint and his son.

First the son of the saint was martyred. The saint was put into prison
and remaining unshaken in his faith was beheaded. After the martyrdom
of the saint light appeared over his body. 14 soldiers-companions of
the saint also were martyred for the sake of Christian faith.

Later St. Mesrop Mashtots brought the relics of the saint to the
village Karbi and the Church of St. Sarkis was built over his relics.

According to one of the folk stories upon return of their victorious
battle Captain St. Sarkis and his 39 soldiers-companions celebrated
their victory in the royal palace, When all of them were drunk and
went to sleep, the king ordered 40 young women to kill the brave
soldiers. 39 of the women obeyed the order and killed the soldiers,
whereas one of them seeing the handsome and peaceful face of sleeping
Sarkis fell in love with him and instead of killing kissed him.

Getting up and seeing what had happened St. Sarkis straddled his
white horse and taking the young woman with him smashed the gates
of the city, brought up violent snow-storm and left the city. It is
because of this folk story that people in love started to consider
St. Sarkis their intercessor and protector. St. Sarkis always helps
and supports all young people asking his help and support.

According to the studies of Academician Karapet Melik-Ohanjanyan, St.
Sarkis was the patron of David of Sassoon and all heroes of Sassoon
not only in the field of battle, but also in love.

The feast of St. Sarkis the Captain and his soldiers-companions is
celebrated not only by means of church rites and prayer, but also
folk traditions.

Wonders are worked by the mediation of St. Sarkis. On the day of the
feast young people pray asking the saint to make their prayers audible
to God. The day before the feast young people eat salty cookies and
relate the appearance of their future bride or bridegroom in their
dream to eating of the salty cookie. After eating the salty cookie
they eat nothing else and pray waiting for the dream. Seeing future
bride or bridegroom in the dream is the result of the wonder worked
thanks to sincere faith.

There are many miracles and folk traditions related to the saint. On
the night preceding the feast of St. Sarkis the faithful people place
a tray full of gruel before the door believing that while passing
near their door at dawn St. Sarkis will leave his footprint on the
gruel symbolizing the fulfillment of their dreams.

People in love present each other cards, flowers or sweets on the
occasion of the feast.

APPEL URGENT DU CCAF
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
vendredi 3 fevrier 2012

LOI BOYER

Conseil de Coordination des Organisations Armeniennes de France -CCAF – FRANCE

APPEL A TOUTES LES ORGANISATIONS ARMENIENNES DE FRANCE APPEL A TOUS
NOS CONCITOYENS EPRIS DE JUSTICE ET D’HUMANISME

Le Conseil de Coordination des organisations Armeniennes de
France (CCAF) appelle solennellement l’ensemble des organisations
armeniennes de France, membres ou pas des CCAF de Paris Île-de-France,
Rhône-Alpes ou Marseille- Provence, actives ou souhaitant l’etre,
a se mobiliser dans un elan sans precedent jusqu’a la decision du
Conseil Constitutionnel, qui aura a arreter son avis sur la loi votee
le 23 janvier.

Cette adoption est en soi une victoire politique d’un retentissement
mondial sur un Etat turc negationniste et arrogant, qui a jete toutes
ses forces et ses ressources dans cette bataille.

Leur charge contre le president de la Republique francaise et les
institutions de notre pays, la France, continuent.

L’executif et le Parlement turcs font maintenant pression de manière
affichee sur les juges francais membres du Conseil Constitutionnel.

Cette loi est-elle inconstitutionnelle ? Notre reponse est assurement
NON et cela sera prouve par la voix du droit, etouffee jusqu’ici
par des discours politiciens hors sujet, qui privilegient plus
leurs interets economiques ou les interets personnels. Les senateurs
francais qui ont soumis un recours d’invalidation devant le Conseil
Constitutionnel ont affirme avec force dans leur texte le caractère
etabli, indeniable du genocide armenien et denonce le negationnisme
odieux qui persiste a son encontre.

Les deputes francais qui ont depose leur propre recours adoptent
pour leur part une posture de rejet de toutes les lois memorielles
et vont meme jusqu’a remettre en cause la loi de 2001 reconnaissant
le genocide armenien.

Ce faisant, ils mettent aussi en danger la loi Gayssot qui reprime
la negation des crimes nazis tels que juges a Nuremberg.

La bataille qui va se jouer maintenant est d’ordre juridique,
politique et humaniste. C’est pourquoi le CCAF appelle l’ensemble de
ses concitoyens epris de justice, epousant les valeurs universelles de
defense des droits de l’homme et de l’humanite, et tous les amis de la
question armenienne a s’exprimer partout et en toute circonstance sur :

2.

L’injustice qui se produit, suite a l’ingerence inacceptable d’un
Etat etranger dans les affaires interieures de la France, La blessure
profonde que cela inflige aux Francais descendants des rescapes des
genocides et des deportations, L’ingerence inacceptable de l’Etat turc
et ses pressions et menaces sur notre Executif, nos parlementaires
et nos juges, Le caractère inacceptable de remise en cause des
protections de la memoire des genocides reconnus par la France,
evenements tragiques qui concernent l’humanite toute entière, qu’on
se doit de proteger pour prevenir d’autres crimes de cette nature.

Ne vous trompez pas de discours : Nous ne cherchons pas la compassion,
Nous voulons la Justice !

Ne vous trompez pas de cible : Ce ne sont pas les citoyens d’origine
turque que nous visons, Nous combattons le negationnisme officiel
de l’Etat turc, qui vient nous harceler et nous persecuter dans le
pays d’accueil de nos grands parents ! Le CCAF a pleinement confiance
dans la volonte du President de la Republique d’aller jusqu’au bout
de son engagement.

S’il ne le respectait pas, nous en tirerions toutes les consequences
avant l’echeance presidentielle.

Le CCAF a pleinement confiance dans les institutions de la Republique,
et notamment dans les juges du Conseil Constitutionnel. Si les thèses
de constitutionnalite qui leur seront opposees etaient rejetees sans
motivation serieuse, nous remettrions en cause leur objectivite et
leur impartialite et en dans tous les cas, nous porterions l’affaire
devant la Cour Europeenne des Droits de l’Homme.

C’est pourquoi, le CCAF denonce les campagnes de certains dans la
communaute armenienne visant a attaquer personnellement l’objectivite
de membres du Conseil Constitutionnel.

Toute initiative intempestive est inacceptable et irresponsable.

Nous demandons solennellement de mettre un terme definitif a ces
agissements inconsideres.

Cela n’aboutira pas et ne pourra produire que des effets inverses.

Le president de la Republique est le gardien des institutions et ne
peut intervenir sur la base de presomptions.

Quelles que soient les sensibilites personnelles, opinions politiques
ou postures philosophiques des uns ou des autres de ces juges, c’est
a l’aune du Droit et de la decision qu’ils rendront que nous pourrons
juger de leur objectivite.

Notre mobilisation est totale. Elle va se concretiser par des actions
qui vous seront communiquees dans les jours qui viennent.

Le Conseil National du CCAF

BUSINESS SUPPORT CENTER PRESENTS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BOOST ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

/ARKA/
FEBRUARY 3, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, February 3. /ARKA/. Samvel Gevorkian, the chairman of the
Business Support Center (BSC), presented a program today designed
to boost entrepreneurship in rural communities. According to him,
boosting entrepreneurship in communities outside Yerevan is not very
difficult and does not require large financial investments.

“The basic idea is to encourage entrepreneurship in the regions through
identifying their top priorities. All you need to have is the desire
of the people and support of community heads,” he said.

According to Gevorkian, Armenia should adopt the Japanese method of
development – “one village – one production.”

“For example, one community has very attractive historical monuments,
the other community is known for preparing a national dish,” he said.

Gevorkian cited the example of the town of Berd in the Tavush region
where women produce teddy bears. This business has appeared very
profitable as a teddy bear is sold at 15,000 drams.

The Business Support Center was founded in 1994 as Armenian Foundation
for Small and Medium Enterprises, acting within the framework of EU
TACIS program.

In 1998 it became a private and self-financing company, and was
renamed the Business Support Center to provides consulting and training
services.

OPPOSITION PAPER INSISTS CASE AGAINST JOURNALIST IS FABRICATED

epress.am
02.03.2012

Journalist Hayk Gevorgyan, responsible for publishing local opposition
daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”), was arrested at around 11
am on Feb. 3 and moved to Nubarashen penitentiary after noon. During
this process, he was not allowed to make a phone call, nor did the
authorities inform his family of his whereabouts, reads a statement
issued by the paper, which was presented to the press by Haykakan
Jamanak chief editor Nikol Pashinyan earlier this evening.

The statement mentions that the official reason for Gevorgyan’s arrest
is his involvement in a car accident and that he has been wanted by
police since Jan. 23. However, Gevorgyan “as before Jan. 23 so too
after continued his journalism activities on a daily basis, drove
the same car, went to work every day with that car, returned home,
participated in government meetings, covered high-ranking officials’
– including ministers’ – press conferences.”

During this time, the journalist’s colleagues say, Gevorgyan spoke
with traffic police by phone and said he is ready to cooperate in
an investigation if he is sent a proper summons corresponding to
Armenia’s legislation. Furthermore, he has informed the investigator
who launched the case where his car is located and suggested it be
taken in for inspection; however, these suggestions were not heeded.

The opposition paper thereby concludes that the police are persecuting
the journalist for his professional activities.

Haykakan Jamanak representatives point to an incident on Jan. 13
following a Q&A between RA Police Chief Vladimir (Vova) Gasparyan
(pictured) and the press in which Gevorgyan asked a few poignant
questions and subsequently published a piece that was very critical
of the police chief.

On the evening of the day the article was published, “there was an
attempt to provoke an incident involving Hayk Gevorgyan’s car running
someone over,” according to the statement, which Nikol Pashinyan
elaborated at the press conference this evening.

Pashinyan said that Gevorgyan tried to call police to find out the
identity of the man who allegedly was run over by him on that day. He
was informed that the man is in serious condition and is lying at St.

Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center. Visiting the hospital, Haykakan
Jamanak representatives discovered that the man had no connection
with the incident involving Gevorgyan and a man by that name was,
in fact, in Martuni. The man was later found.

During the incident on Jan. 13 outside the Ministry of Economy, as
relayed by Pashinyan, Hayk Gevorgyan tried to back out of his parking
spot when the man in question tried to throw himself under the car.

Gevorgyan asked him to step aside and not obstruct his passage.

Pashinyan assured the press that Gevorgyan assured him that his car
did not come in contact with that man.

Pashinyan then said that the supposed victim said the car touched
his foot on which he has a tendon that “if touched even by a finger,
he gets ill.” According to this man’s testimony, as a result of the
car touching his foot, he sat on the curb, leaned back and hit his
head on the wall along the curb.

The Haykakan Jamanak statement notes that such developments leave no
doubt that “Hayk Gevorgyan’s arrest and fabricated criminal persecution
were ordered personally by RA Police Chief Vova Gasparyan.”

ZIONIST PLANS TO BUILD A SHOPPING CENTRE ON ARMENIAN CHURCH LAND

Quds Media

Feb 3 2012

Jerusalem Center for Media – Sources – Asmaa Thaher

The Jerusalem occupation municipality announced a plan to build a new
shopping centre with a car park on a piece of land that is owned by
the Armenian Church in the old city.

The municipality further banned residents of the Armenian quarter in
the old city from parking their cars on the land which is owned by
the church.

Residents of the Armenian quarters demonstrated on Thursday to
protest the steps taken by the municipality, but the demonstration
was dispersed by the Israeli occupation police.

The land which is about 4000 square meters and which is owned by the
Armenian Church was used by local residents as a free car park, but
the locals were surprised when the so called Jewish quarters committee
started collecting parking fees, and now barred them altogether from
parking their cars there.

From: A. Papazian

FRENCH CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL TO EXAMINE GENOCIDE BILL BEFORE MARCH 1

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 3, 2012 – 19:37 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Constitutional Council of France will examine
the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial before March 1,
with votes of seven council members required for passing a decision.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the
Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. Expected
to be signed into law by President within 14 days, the bill will
impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France
who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Two separate groups of French politicians who oppose the legislation
– from both the Senate and the lower house – said they had formally
requested the constitutional council examine the law. The groups said
they each had gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required
to ask the council to test the law’s constitutionality. The council
is obliged to deliver its judgment within a month, but this can be
reduced to eight days if the government deems the matter urgent.

From: A. Papazian

FILM DIRECTOR SHARES SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF BEIRUT’S ‘LITTLE ARMENIA’

CNN

Feb 3 2012

>From Schams Elwazer, CNN

Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon (CNN) — Film director Nigol Bezjian was
born in Syria, raised in Lebanon and studied in the United States,
but nowhere does he feel more at home than in Little Armenia.

Little Armenia is the vibrant Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut.

Bourj Hammoud was developed mainly in the 1930s by Armenian refugees
who arrived in Beirut after massacres of Armenians in 1915 and the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Armenians and many historians refer
to the massacres as genocide, but Turkey has always denied there was
a genocide of the Armenian population.

Bezjian, 77, director of the 1992 film “Chickpeas,” took CNN on a tour
of his favorite parts of Bourj Hammoud, taking in a family restaurant,
bookshop, church and art gallery, where he catches up with colleagues.

He said: “If you ask me what I am, I would tell you I’m Armenian.

“Bourj Hammoud has played a significant role especially after 1950s —
this is where the Armenian patriotism was born … Armenian literature
took root again.

“Armenian culture was reborn here in a way.”

As he walked down the bustling streets, Bezjian shook hands with
people he knew. “This is the thing I like, you run into people and
friends without planning,” he said.

In an Armenian bookstore, he said: “When I come here, I see lots of
acquaintances and friends from all different walks of life, I directly
connect to my people and I get lots of inspiration from them.”

In 2003, Bezjian made a documentary called “Muron,” named after
the consecrated mixture of oil, flowers, and scents used in various
rituals in the Armenian Church.

Visiting a church Bourj Hammoud, he said: “Muron is basically used
to consecrate icons and also for baptizing, and I wanted to see how
this was made.

“When they do a new one what remains from the oil is mixed in the new
one so in a way the Muron that is made today is directly connected to
what was made in year 301. This sense of continuity is very important.”

Bezjian said he is not religious, but loves the church for the silence
it provides from the noise of the streets outside.

“Church has always played a central role in preserving the Armenian
identity and culture,” he added.

Bezjian takes CNN to an Armenian radio station where the news is read
in Armenian and where he is a regular guest.

Ending his tour in a restaurant called Baroud run by a father and son,
Bezjian ponders the question of identity.

“In this part of the world people don’t talk about identity so much,
it’s a given. Identity is North American invention … who am I? You
are who you are.”