Month: September 2013

President’s Moscow tour good opportunity to mark new cooperation

11:30 – 15.09.13

Serzh Sargsyan’s scheduled trip to Russia is a good opportunity to
meet with the Armenians in the country, a political analyst has said,
as the president is expected to attend the opening of an Armenian
cathedral in capital Moscow.

`Russia is one of the countries with the richest Armenian community,
and the Armenian cathedral of a great significance for the local
Armenians. So I think it is a good opportunity to meet with our
compatriots residing in Russia. And it is a good opportunity,
considering the new realities in the cooperation, and the new
developments in terms of outlining new projects,’ he told Tert.am,
when asked about the possible impact of Armenia’s political U-turn
(the president’s statement on the Customs Union membership) on future
development and the European Union’s reaction to the move.

The expert noted that the coincidence of the landmark political moment
with the cultural event will be also useful in terms of reaching new
agreement or moving ahead with the previous ones with the Russian
side.

Asked whether the coincidence means that the president may make an
important political statement in the course of his visit, the expert
said it isn’t absolutely necessary. `I don’t think this coincidence
gives us enough grounds to have such expectations, but it is obvious
that a membership in the Customs Union will create new problems in
future in terms of the opening of our borders. I think those policies
will have their continuation. But I wouldn’t, of course, link the with
the upcoming visit,’ he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Turkey’s pressure on Alawites clear message to Bashar Assad

September 15, 2013 | 09:11

YEREVAN. – Amid tense relations with Syria, Turkey is trying to use
violence against the citizens of its country based on their religious
affiliation, turkologist Ruben Melkonyan said.

The rights of Alawites have been violated in Turkey for centuries.
They experienced pressure up to genocides and ethnic cleansings.

`The current policy of the Turkish authorities against Alawites has
two meanings. First of Alawites have recently been very active. They
often hold protest actions. On the other hand, it may also include an
external message,’ Melkonyan toldArmenian News-NEWS.am.

Turkey considers the Alawites as the agents of Assad and Syria, and it
is for this reason that they are being persecuted, he explained.

`Thus, Turkey is sending a message to Syrian President Assad,’ he concluded.

Clashes with police in Alawi-populated district of Ankara continue for
the sixth day. The reason of clashes is an intention to build a Sunni
mosque and an Alawi house (djemevi) at one site.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Moldova regrets Russia’s decision to suspend wine imports – Moldovan FM comments

September 15, 2013 | 01:07

YEREVAN. – We regret Russia’s decision to suspend imports of the
Moldavian wine, Foreign Minister of Moldova Natalia Gherman said.

`We are very sorry about it, because the relationship of trust and
mutual understanding established with Russia, allow address all the
problems, especially technical ones, in this way. Therefore, we are
ready to hold consultations at all levels concerning the complaints
about quality of our products,’ Gherman told Armenian News-NEWS.am
correspondent.

She noted that the same wine that has been banned by Russia are now
freely accepted by the EU.

Armenia is one of the few CIS states which has not experienced to full
extent the gravity of Russian `trade wars’. There is a partial ban on
fish import , as well as full ban on meat products is preserved. The
ban on meat products has been operating for ten years on the suspicion
of foot-and-mouth disease. And if the fish export promises significant
growth, the export of meat products for Armenia is extremely small.

However, fish in the total export of Armenia is not as important as
wine for Georgia, sweets and meat and dairy products for Ukraine (and
Belarus) and sprats for Latvia. All these products that have
dependence on the Russian market came under sanctions which often
coincided with the foreign policy interests. For example, one of the
previous embargo on Moldova was introduced in 2010 after Chisinau
declared June 28 the Day of Soviet occupation.

Asked whether the new ban was Moscow’s attempt to warn Chisinau
against signing the Association Agreement and DCFTA with EU, Gherman
stated that Moldovan society perceived the ban as a political
sanction.

`But at the government level, we are trying to understand the
technical side of the problem. We are trying to understand the
specific claims brought against us. We have not seen it in formal
written format yet. But we are willing to sit down at the negotiating
table, and we think that this resource is not yet exhausted. A
delegation headed by the Minister of Economy and Agriculture will
leave for Moscow next week,’ she said.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Did the authorities act right, or `failed’ the RA foreign policy?
(Video materials)

September 14 2013

`For me, entering into the Customs Union and signing the European
Association Agreement was not the so-called virtuous action by the
President. The RA President was negotiating with the European Union
for four years, and then makes a hasty decision and goes to Russia’, –
so responded the member of ANC Youth Organization Gurgen Asatryan, to
the question of Aravot.am as to whether the RA President Serzh
Sargsyan’s decision to join the Customs Union was right. He said that
we do not know what the Customs Union says to us. Then he continued,-
`The RA President was obligated to introduce the people what the
Customs Union is, but he did not do that.’ To our question whether the
authorities have a chance to correct the mistake, G. Asatryan
replied,- `No, because it is not a legitimate, it was not elected by
the people. The government in the head of Serzh Sargsyan has failed
the entire foreign policy.’ He pointed out that the representatives of
the authorities, in particular Shavarsh Kocharyan, Tigran Sargsyan,
say other thing, Serzh Sargsyan- another, he speaks about the poor
condition of the authorities. According to G. Asatryan, RA in the head
of Serzh Sargsyan has already lost its international reputation, and
the only way out is the change of the power. Member of Hayazn Union
Armen Lazarian also believes that the RA authorities should not have
to sign the Customs Union agreement. Then he continued,- `The RA
leadership did not have such authority to hand the RA sovereignty over
another supper state structure. Even if there was a talk of low-level
sovereignty, in this case, we would have also expressed our
dissatisfaction. But the Customs Union constitutes a threat, therefore
we are giving negative assessment. In this situation, the salvation is
in the formation of the RA central state, which did not happen in the
duration of these twenty years.’ Member of RPA Youth Organization
Taron Parsamyan considers the RA President’s decision justified. He,
in particular, said,- `With his final signature, the RA President
confirmed the the desire that we will enter into the Customs Union. In
other words, he has not signed the issue of joining the Customs Union.
Personally, I think the decision is justified because the economic and
other sectors are projected from the military spheres. Given that, it
is appropriate to recall that we were already a member of the CSTO,
which also operates under the immediate supervision of the RF. Those
people, parties who criticize the decision, I divide them into two
groups: people, who clearly realize that it was a normal process, but
based on their position they were expressing negatively, the other
group are those people who have just lack of information.’ To our
question whether the RA President had the right to declare this
decision so unexpectedly, Taron Parsamyan said,- `This is not
unexpected, such discussions were circulated in the media for more
than a year. The President has not signed the agreement finally, and
it is going to be discussed at the National Assembly in the nearest
future. It is meaningless to talk about the unexpectedness, because it
is clear for those who understand the political processes that the
main collaborative processes with our major military guarantor RF are
more realistic than those of the European family, and it is still a
question as to what consequences joining the Deep and Comprehensive
Trade Zone might bear. I think this adventurous. What is NATO that is
the main military instrument of the European family? Can it be a
guarantee for us, when Turkey is the second to have a large army by
size?’ Tatev HARUTYUNYAN Media can quote materials of Aravot.am
with hyperlink to the certain material quoted. The hyperlink should be
placed on the first passage of the text.

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© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

From: A. Papazian

The credit was spent ineffectively; we have deviated from the Bologna process

September 14 2013

This is the message of the report `Higher education today in Armenia’.
This report is ordered by the `Open Society Foundations – Armenia’
office, which represents the current state of education and the
Bologna process deviations. The Executive Director of `Open Society
Foundations – Armenia’ Larisa Minasyan, in the interview with `Aravot’
told that the people working on the report are wonderful professionals
in higher education and higher education reform and development
policy. As per Mrs. Minasyan’s formulation, although the Foundation
has a pretty good idea of what is the reality, but the report is not
merely the subjective opinion of the Foundation. It is a situational
analysis, and a new knowledge that will be useful for both the
university and the implementers of reforms. Larisa Minasyan, referring
to the data in the report, states that there is first of all a quality
issue in the education of Armenia, and the establishment of the
National Center for Quality Assurance is mistakenly identified with
the quality. Our interlocutor notes that such a center can not serve
the purpose, because of its Chairman of the Board, the Prime Minister,
who is the Chairman of the Board of another university. `It is absurd
when you declare something independent, but your country’s legislation
does not provide any form of it, on the contrary, it requires its
non-independence, obviously resetting the sense of the reform to
zero.’ As per Larisa Minasyan, we should not cast blame on the donor
for all of this, who has made sufficient funds, and which was founded
on the state declared strategy. To our observation that it has been
constantly trumpeted that Armenia has assumed the Secretariat of the
Bologna process in 2012-2015, and currently is a co-chairing country,
Ms. Minasyan noted, – `There are countries that have conceded this
honor to Armenia with respect to the expenses, and we accepted it. It
is good that we have such pretensions, but should be able to raise the
benchmark. While neither we, nor the authors of the report have seen
any visible event, increase of requirements in compliance with the
benchmark. Only for the fact that the Ministers of Education will be
assembled in Armenia, or there will be an event in 2015 and just one
conference, would not change a thing, nor standards, nor quality, nor
trust.’ According to Deputy Director for Programs of the `Open Society
Foundations – Armenia’ David Amiryan, the report shows the higher
education system conditioned with overall situation of Armenia and
politics. He believes and it was voiced during the discussions as well
that it need to be an adequate environment for the effective execution
of the Bologna process. `It is first the the general democratic
situation of the country, democratic reforms, elections, independence
of judicial system, freedom of speech and of the press, defense of the
right to express and other rights. In the presence of these
guarantees, we can speak of Bologna productive activity.’ He added
that their Foundation provided the technical part of the reform,
regulatory tools, but it turns out that the provision of formal,
documentary part of the paper is not still the reliable guarantee for
the implementation of the reform, when the course of our country is
changing, and everything that Bologna has stated, appears in the
question. The report alluded to the presence of leaders in the
university boards: politicians, members of the government; the RA
President is the Chairman of YSU Board, which is an absolute control
over the universities. Referring to the report, David Amiryan
expresses uncertainty regarding the 50% of state participation in the
management board of the universities,- `50% of the State’s
participation in the management boards of universities (25% of the
members of the management board is suggested by the offering, and 25%
– by the Ministry of Education), is directly a control over the
academic, creative liberties and the university in general, while the
universities, in fact, should have been a place for manifestation and
giving birth to all liberties. As for politicized educational
councils, they are also a way to suppress the students, dungeon, where
the future party and political figure is built. The studentship should
be the most rebellion and counterbalance of other structures and
operations.’ As per our interlocutor, similar situation becomes a
problem during the implementation of educational reform, while
entering any university, all regulations with respect to Bologna
process are available, everything is in its place by documents. `We
give the priority attention to quality, and the quality has not
changed. The idea of Bologna with its whole philosophy was taken and
directly adapted to our reality.’ As said by David Amiryan, today many
professors are remembering the former education system with nostalgia,
rather than implementing the reform. According to him, even if all the
developed guidelines are available, psychologically we must overcome
the internal conflict. David Amiryan referring to the report,
expressed the opinion that in this case not only timing but also
inefficient waste of resources took place, and the generation, some
twenty twenty-five years later, will repay the loan provided by the
World Bank, which in fact did not serve the purpose. What solutions
can be in the situation of the deadlock? As said by David Amiryan,
even though the image is gray, but there are options that can become
subject for discussion with a wide range of public participation. `It
is important that not only the professionals get involved or express
an opinion, but a more inclusive community is formed, because the
education relates to every member of our society, and the educational
system – with a few liberties of a man. It’s important to have options
that will be out of personal interests of some people, separately
taken. We need development ways and policies away from the politics,
which will have only one overriding interest, the development of the
Republic of Armenia and the society.’ In his opinion, all those ways,
by which any political party may have an impact of the education
sector, should be `closed’. David Amiryan believes that there should
be no official in the management boards of universities, and the
Ministry of Education and Science should not participate in the
approval of the university’s list of vocational subjects. To our
observation that there was an emphasis in the report that corruption
is perceived normally in our educational sector, the Program
Coordinator of `Higher Education and study abroad’ Anna Gevorgyan said
that pursuant to the data of the Transparency International, education
is one of the most corrupt sectors in Armenia. Anna Gevorgyan said
that there is an issue of mentality here that education is a priority
in the Armenian family, and the parents for the sake of their
children’s education are ready for everything. David Amiryan believes
that the situation will change if the society has a demanding approach
towards education. During our conversation, there was a referral to
the part of the report, where it is talked about non-disposition of
financial resources of the universities, independently. As said by
David Amiryan, Bologna offers a system where corruption, if not
completely disappeared, at least it will reach the minimum, but
because there is the issue of quality, which is connected to the
control, politicized situation, in this case, corruption becomes
something derivative from other phenomena. `For example, tuition fees
are raised, and I can not say anything negative against it, but I have
considerations with its form. As a result of price rise, the salary
for certain categories of university professors will rise, the others
will rise next year by 5-10 per cent. These salaries rises may not
have any effect on the quality, as long as there are no mechanisms to
regulate relations. We need to create a system that will be built on
the principle of the quality. While, for example, if Head of ANQA is
the Prime Minister, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Armenia
State Pedagogical University, and the head of the Executive
Management, this essentially changes the image. The report says that
the state has only 9-33% of participation in funding of the
university, and despite this, the universities are considered to be
public. So, he dictates an issue of academic liberation, plus the
party. And, in this case, do we want to implement reforms? Therefore,
we need to find the mechanisms, but as soon as the mechanism are
found, the quality will be provided, there will be finances and the
university will come out of control, which, in the present case, does
is not beneficial to anyone … Bologna assumes that we should go to the
European family with our university system, have equal status and
cooperation with foreign universities, while we have a very big
problem within our country, the universities of Armenia do not
cooperate with each other,’- notes the Deputy Director for Programs of
`Open Society Foundations – Armenia’. Gohar Hakobyan `Aravot’ Daily

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian soldier killed in Nagorno-Karabakh

14:59 – 15.09.13

An Armenian conscript has been shot to death in a south-eastern
military unit of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic.

According to a press release by the NKR Defense army, the soldier,
Khachatur K. Khachatryan (19), received the deadly gun wound at 3:10
am local time.

A probe has been launched into further circumstances.

In a statement, the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army has extends its
condiclence to the famly and fellow servicemen of the deceased.

Armenian News – Tert.am

President Sargsyan awards Medal of Honor to Diaspora-Armenian
historian and benefactor (PHOTOS)

September 14, 2013 | 14:15

YEREVAN. – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday hosted
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, and French-Armenian national
and public figure, publicist, historian and benefactor Hovhannes
Tchilinguirian.

To note, owing to Tchilinguirian’s great devotion, the museum of
famous Armenian intellectual, Armenian Genocide martyr Rupen Sevag was
opened recently at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Sargsyan thanked Tchilinguirian for implementing such important
initiative in the Homeland, and awarded him with the Medal of Honor,
informs the Press Office of the President.

Karekin II informed that the collection, which the Diaspora-Armenian
benefactor has donated to the museum, will be useful and interesting
for the visitors of the museum.

Hovhannes Tchilinguirian expressed his gratitude to President Serzh
Sargsyan for presenting him such high award, and thanked the
Catholicos for assisting in making his 50-year-long dream come true in
Armenia.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

We need to get rid of literary waste, says Armenian writer

17:33 – 15.09.13

Ahead of new elections to the Writers’ Union of Armenia, Tert.am has
interviewed writer, translator and publicist Samvel Lazarian who
shared his concerns over the existing stagnation in the literary
circles and his expectation of the new president.

Mr Lazarian, the date of the Writers’ Union special congress – which
is to elect a president – is not known yet, but there is already the
traditional atmosphere observed from election to election, with names
being mentioned and passions running high (in contrast to the
post-election years, when the Writers’ Union is silent). What features
would you like the new president to have?

I would like the Writers’ Union president to try to change something.
To change what we see today, and not only today. The Writers’ Union –
at least for myself – is a kind of unnecessary institution, not a
union which has to serve writers and especially literature, and assist
first of all in the publishing of books. To have such a union, the
president has to make fundamental changes. But to be frank, I have no
idea how the questions accumulated over the course of years are going
to find a solution.

For many years, people who haven’t written a single story have joined
the Writers’ Union. I know a person, for instance, who is
half-literate. Imagine a member of the Composers’ Union not having a
good ear for music or not knowing the notes well.

The president has to clear the Writers’ Union, which has turned into
something like an Augean stable today. Only the talented, those who
serve the literature, have to stay.

I think the president has to be an orderly normal person to make the
Writers’ Union serve literature as an independent instutitution,
instead of expressing the opinion of the authorities and [President]
Serzh Sargsyan.

What does the Writers’ Union president have to do to clean the Augean
stables? Does he or she have to sack [those members]? You know better
than anyone that many of our writers today think of themselves as …

Yes, I know. All consider themselves a genius. To be frank, I don’t
know of such a special method, but call it a special commission or an
auditing, there has to be something like that to clean the system. The
Writers’ Union today has a group [of people] who produce literary
waste, as well as people whose literature falls short of many literary
criteria in half of the cases. Today, anyone can write a book and
later search and find a couple of writers for a recommendation to
become a Writers’ Union member.

I don’t mind if everybody’s literary heritage, including mine, is
revised. But it is necessary to get rid of this literary waste.

You spoke about the publication of books. Do you know how much and
what quality of literature the Writers’ Union publishes annually?

In the recent years, the Writers’ Union acquired a print house thanks
to the efforts of [late President] Levon Ananyan. But the books
published are very poor, in my opinion. What I have seen is very poor
in terms of the printing quality, not to speak of the literary
criteria.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

Armenian Chamber of Advocates elects new president

15:31 – 15.09.13

Armenia’s Chamber of Advocates elected a new president in a secret
ballot on Saturday.

Ara Zohrabyan won the election with an absolute majority of votes.

According to Panorama.am, 713 members of the Chamber balloted in his
favor. The other candidates, Tigran Atanesyan and Kromvel Grigoryan,
recieved 94 and 87 votes, respectively.

Nineteen ballots were declared invalid.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Fait-religieux.com, France
11 sept 2013

Turquie : les chrétiens reviennent à l’église d’Akdamar

La rédaction | le 11.09.2013 à 09:55

Six personnes, dont un bébé ont été baptisées dimanche 8 septembre à
l’église arménienne Sainte-Croix, en Turquie, sur l’île d’Akdamar, à
l’est du pays. Cela faisait plus d’un siècle que ce type de cérémonie
ne s’était pas déroulé sur l’île.

Autrefois, l’île d’Akdamar comptait une importante population
arménienne, tout comme la région est du pays de manière générale.
Cependant, la communauté arménienne de la Turquie arménienne a été
victime de massacres et de déportations entre 1915 et 1917. L’Arménie
considère qu’il s’agit d’une génocide, terme récusé par le
gouvernement turc. Aujourd’hui, environ 70.000 arméniens vivent encore
en Turquie, principalement à Istanbul. Depuis 2009, les deux pays ont
signé des accords visant à rétablir des relations diplomatiques et
rouvrir leur frontière – fermée depuis 10 ans -, mais le processus
s’enlise dans des accusations mutuelles.

L’église Sainte-Croix est l’un des rares édifices témoignant de la
présence des chrétiens arméniens dans la région. Il s’agit d’un
édifice du Xe siècle, restauré entre 2005 et 2007 par les autorités
turques. L’église a été un temps un musée, avant que la première messe
y soit célébrée en 2010, après 95 ans sans offices.

L’AFP rapporte que certains baptisés du dimanche 8 septembre étaient
issus de familles islamisées qui souhaitaient renouer avec la religion
de leurs ancêtres.

From: A. Papazian