Month: September 2013

SYRIE/ETATS-UNIS : UN FAUX AIR DE DEJA-VU PAR LAURENT LEYLEKIAN

REVUE DE PRESSE

Dans son allocution, le President des Etats-Unis adjure le Congrès
avec insistance : “Je sais a partir de preuves irrefutables venant
de representants responsables de nombreux peuples luttant pour le
retablissement de l’independance et de la paix que le gouvernement des
Etats-Unis est attendu avec une confiance extraordinaire et je crois
qu’il ne ferait rien de moins que porter un coup d’arret aux processus
remplis d’espoir de la civilisation si nous refusions la demande nous
enjoignant a nous faire les amis utiles et les conseillers de ce peuple
qu’on nous a formellement et dûment demande de guider et d’assister”.

Mais nous ne sommes pas en 2013 et ce n’est pas de la Syrie dont il
est question. Nous sommes le 24 mai 1920 et le president americain
sollicite alors son Congrès pour un mandat sur l’Armenie. Ce president
n’est pas le 44ème du nom, Barack Obama, mais Woodrow Wilson, le 28ème,
qui, comme l’actuel locataire de la Maison Blanche, etait un Democrate
et en etait alors a son second mandat.

POUR LIRE LA SUITE CLIQUER SUR LE LIEN

samedi 7 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

LA VENTE DU COCA-COLA ET DU CHEWING-GUM INTERDIT DANS LES ECOLES D’EREVAN

ARMENIE-CONSOMMATION

La vente de sodas continuera cette saison scolaire a etre interdite
dans les ecoles d’Erevan. Arman Edoyan l’adjoint de la Mairie d’Erevan,
charge du commerce et des services a informe la presse que la vente de
ces boissons ne sera pas autorisee dans les etablissements scolaires
de la capitale. ” Nous avons interdit la vente du coca-cola, du
chewing-gum et des graines de tournesol dans nos ecoles. Il n’y a
pas de place pour ces produits dans les ecoles et je pense que les
parents des elèves sont d’accord avec moi ” dit Arman Edoyan lors
d’une conference de presse. Et d’ajouter ” il est etonnant que lors
des cours, nous exigions aux elèves de ne pas mâcher leur ching gums
et dans le meme temps dans ces ecoles on vendait du chewing-gum “.

Desormais, une liste de produits de consommation autorisees a vendre
dans les ecoles est dressee a l’interieur de chaque etablissement
scolaire. Des sandwichs presentes dans des emballages adequats ainsi
que de l’eau et des jus de fruits seront ainsi autorisees a la vente
dans les ecoles.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 7 septembre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ARMENIA ANNOUNCED AN INCREASE IN ITS ARMS ACQUISITIONS

Armenia announced a dramatic increase in arms acquisitions in recent
years, saying they intended to offset the continued massive military
buildup of Azerbaijan.

“Over the past three years, we have acquired as many weapons as we
did in the previous 20 years,” said Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
during a visit to a military unit in Nagorno Karabakh.

“In this sense, rest assured that we will never allow the military
balance is disturbed. We will maintain this balance, “he said to the
soldiers in the Armenian government website.

Tigran Sargsyan gave few details of these acquisitions. He said, in
an apparent reference to Russia, “strategic partners” help Armenia
to remain in the arms race with Azerbaijan’s oil-rich part of the
Organization of the Collective Security Treaty.

There were other indications of deliveries of Russian weapons to
Armenia, mostly made free, which would be intensified lately. Armenian
parliamentary pro-government claimed in May that no less than 120
Russian planes carrying weapons to Armenia during the last year alone.

The commander of the Karabakh Armenian army, General Movses Hakobyan,
has even talked about large-scale acquisitions of weapons at the
end of July. Movses Hakobyan said that arms shipments were so large
that the Karabakh army is struggling to save the new weapons and the
construction of a new deposit for this purpose.

In particular, the Karabakh Armenians are known to have created a new
tank brigade last year. Some defense analysts in Yerevan believe it
is armed with about 100 tanks.

Azerbaijan had begun to receive in June a similar number of tanks and
many other offensive weapons made in Russia with an estimated value of
$ 1 billion. President Ilham Aliyev said last month that “the volume
of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan is
estimated at $ 4 billion and it tends to increase.” According to the
Moscow newspaper “Vedomosti”, the figure cited by Aliyev is “the sum
of all contracts and partly executed since 2010.”

Saturday, September 7, 2013, Stephane © armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

WASHINGTON ENCOURAGE L’ARMENIE A MAINTENIR SON INTEGRATION EUROPEENNE

DIPLOMATIE

Un officiel du departement d’etat americain a affirme que les
Etats-Unis espèrent que l’Armenie va poursuivre son processus
d’integration europeenne, malgre l’annonce faite par Serge Sarkissian
de rejoindre l’union douanière dirigee par la Russie.

” L’Armenie est un pays souverain, elle doit tracer son propre chemin
” a declare le fonctionnaire qui souhaite rester anonyme. ” Ces
decisions sont vitales pour l’Armenie et les Armeniens, qui doivent
decider par eux-memes. ” ” Nous encourageons l’Armenie a ne se fermer
a aucune possibilite politique, economique et securitaire, et surtout a
maintenir son engagement en faveur de la democratisation, de la reforme
politique et economique, ainsi que son integration europeenne “.

L’UE ayant declare a plusieurs reprises que l’appartenance a l’union
douanière n’est pas compatible avec l’accord d’association europeen,
le president Sarkissian a saborde l’accord par cette annonce surprise
suite a ses entretiens avec Vladimir Poutine. Pour beaucoup, une
forte pression russe est a l’origine de ce retournement.

” Les moyens de pression deployes par la Russie et la rapidite de
changement de cap de la part de l’Armenie ont effraye les autorites
europeennes ” a rapporte le Wall Street Journal de Bruxelles. Le
quotidien a cite un diplomate occidental anonyme affirmant que
l’Armenie a negocie en toute bonne foi, mais qu’ ” ils ne s’attendaient
pas eux-memes a ce genre de pression de la part de la Russie “.

Un autre officiel a egalement pointe du doigt la Russie : ” tous les
pays ont le droit de choisir leur propre voie dans leur integration
economique et leur developpement, conformement a l’interet national.

Aucun pays n’a le droit de decider de l’orientation politique et
economique d’un autre pays, ni de decider de leurs alliances et de
leurs accords commerciaux a leur place “.

samedi 7 septembre 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

L’ARMENIE VA ACQUERIR UNE EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONALE DU TRAITEMENT DES TROUBLES MENTAUX

ARMENIE

La societe Sanofi a annonce un partenariat avec le ministère de
la Sante de la Republique d’Armenie et World Association of Social
Psychiatry afin de developper l’accès aux soins pour les personnes
souffrant de troubles mentaux en Armenie, et donc d’aider a reduire
la morbidite et la mortalite prematuree liee a ces conditions.

Le partenariat public-privee de deux ans a ete annonce par le ministre
de la Sante de la Republique d’Armenie Derenik Dumanyan, le professeur
Driss Moussaoui du World Association of Social Psychiatry et le
docteur Robert Seddag, vice-president de Sanofi.

Par la formation de professionnels de la sante, l’education des
patients et de leurs familles et la sensibilisation sur les troubles
mentaux dans les communautes, ce partenariat vise a ameliorer la
gestion des personnes atteintes de ces maladies.

samedi 7 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

YEREVAN ACCUSED EU OF TRADING KARABAKH

On September 12 the EU Commissioner Fule will visit Yerevan. During
his previous visit he advised the Armenian government to publish the
text of the Association Agreement.

The text was not published but yesterday the Armenian government
indirectly accused the EU of an anti-Armenian approach to Karabakh. In
an effort to justify the unexpected wish of Armenia to join the Customs
Union, the deputy minister of foreign affairs Shavarsh Kocharyan said
this union does not suppose a border between Armenia and Karabakh.

In fact, Kocharyan says the text of the Association Agreement
stipulates a border. Is it true? Stefan Fule may clarify on this
during his visit to Yerevan. Or the text may be pushed by the time
of his visit.

What does a border between Armenia and Karabakh imply? Did the EU
offer association of Armenia without Karabakh? Did the EU propose
opening regional communications and, in return for that, as Ahmed
Davutoglu said, “return at least one territory to Azerbaijan”? Or
did the EU propose freezing the Karabakh issue?

The European officials confess that the EU dealt little with the
Karabakh issue and therefore Armenia preferred the Customs Union. The
EU officials promise to enhance their participation in the Karabakh
talks. In fact, soon these talks may not be needed at all.

Yesterday the executive board of the Republican Party voted
unanimously for joining the Customs Union. The ARF announced that if
this membership is determined by the security of Armenia and NKR,
it is justified. For the time being, the EU has not explained its
approach to Karabakh but the decision will be justified.

However, the Armenian authorities should also give clear explanations
on what membership to the Customs Union will bring to the security
of Armenia and Karabakh. Does this mean that Russia and other members
of the CU will recognize Karabakh as part of Armenia? Does this mean
that Kazakhstan will trade with Karabakh as part of Armenia? Does
this mean that Russia will deploy its troops in Karabakh along its
current border?

Throughout history Armenians perceived Russia as a safeguard against
Turks. However, after every act of “salvation” the Russians fed
Armenians to Azerbaijanis and Turks. Evidence to this is West Armenia,
Nakhidjevan, Karabakh. This time Russia is again perceived as the
only salvation.

What will the destiny of Karabakh be which the Russians have once
“saved” and presented successfully to Azerbaijan and which Armenia
has been able to return without the Russians?

Or will the Russians pursue their imperial ambitions and the Treaty
of Gulistan and annex Karabakh altogether?

Naira Hayrumyan 12:13 07/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

WILL U.S. AMBASSADOR BE RECALLED?

After his affirmation as ambassador John Heffern announced that his
goal is to achieve diversification. A country cannot have one partners,
Heffern said in an interview with Lragir.am.

Armenia has recently refused diversification, transferring its powers
with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

In this regard, Heffern stated that “Armenia places itself in a
position to succeed when it maintains a range of options in the
political, economic and security spheres.”

Now no options are left. Should we expect John Heffern’s recall who
has actually failed his task of diversification at the moment?

The option of Armenia’s joining to the Customs Union was hardly ruled
out by the United States and the EU. Otherwise, Armenia would enjoy
American investments, and the EU would have held the donor conference,
raising 1.5 billion dollars for Armenia. However, everyone was waiting
till the end of November to see whether Serzh Sargsyan would hold on
or would let them down.

Tigran Sargsyan will have somehow to handle the loss of some European
programs supporting reforms which actually helped maintain some
government agencies, as well as American investments in IT. In fact,
Tigran Sargsyan should also be “recalled”.

Only one thing can keep John Heffern in his current position – the
unserious attitude of the United States to the Customs Union and
its future. Many believe that the Customs Union and especially the
Eurasian Union will soon be called a bluff. Time will show whether it
is true or not but obviously the awaiting policy of the United States
and Europe was not effective. “The investment expansion” would incur
big risks but its lack was another premise for “Armenia’s choice”.

It is true that Armenia’s diversification took place at the
psychological level and it will be reflected in the government policy.

Naira Hayrumyan 11:28 07/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: Baghdasarian

CUSTOMS UNION DEAL NO USE UNLESS WE COMBAT OLIGARCHY – OPINION

12:03 07.09.13

The deputy leader of the opposition Heritage party finds that Armenia’s
decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union is unlikely to offer
any advantages to the country without effective policies aimed to
eradicate the oligarchic regime.

Speaking to Tert.am, Armen Martirosyan said that Armenia’s membership
in the Russian-led Union will be of almost no use, with the market
remaining centralized in the hands of a monopoly interested in keeping
the prices high regardless of the price policies in Russia and the
interest rates charged for imports.

“And the state government system is not expected to change; it will
be the same oligarchic regime which, together with the monopolies,
will not in any case contribute to our economy’s development,” he said.

Earlier, the advocates of the Customs Union and Eurasian Union
claimed that integration into the Russian-led organizations would
offer Armenia’s population an opportunity to receive salaries and
pensions in accordance with the indexes functioning Russia. Asked
whether that option will work in Armenia, Martirosyan ruled out such
a possibility, noting that the rumors were spread in an attempt to
influence the society, especially those parts of it which still felt
nostalgia for the Soviet times.

The politician said that the cooperation with the Customs Union aims
to boost the turnover of products on the market, without promising
any impact on salaries and pensions.

Asked about possible Russian subsidies of the natural gas tariffs,
Martirosyan said, “If I am not mistaken, they offer only 30 percent
subsidies of the gas tariff. So, it isn’t any loss for Russia, given
that it is the owner and the supplier of gas,” he said, noting that
the remaining 70% which the Armenian consumers will be required to
pay is quite a high price for the country’s population.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARGENTINE-ARMENIANS TO GIVE PROTEST WELCOME TO TURKISH PM

12:37 07.09.13

Ahead of the Turkish prime minister’s visit to Argentine, the Armenians
in the country are arranging a rally as a sign of protest against
his denial policies in relation to the Armenian Genocide.

The Buenos Aires-based Armenian Youth Union has issued a statement,
calling upon the community to take to the street for the protest.

“[Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, who pursues denial policies is coming to
Argentine to [negotiate plans for] Olympic games. We are inviting all
the Armenians from Turkey to the rally to demand justice,” they say.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ZHAMANAK: ‘GANG CASE’ CONVICT ARMAN DALLAKYAN DIES IN PRISON

11:05 07/09/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

According to Zhamanak daily, ‘gang case’ convict Arman Dallakyan,
41, died at Hospital of Convicts at 20:40 yesterday.

Spokesman for the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Department, Gor
Ghlechyan, confirmed the news to the paper, saying that the cause of
the death was still unclear and a medical expertise was appointed.

“He had several diseases and was being treated for them. His health
condition deteriorated sharply and they called ambulance, but he died
10 minutes later,” the spokesman said.

Source: Panorama.am