Month: September 2013

THEY’D BETTER SAY WHO WILL BE KILLED WITH THOSE WEAPONS

Igor Muradyan
Comments – Thursday, 26 September 2013, 11:30

When one gets in touch with Russian politicians, researchers and
journalists, one is surprised at their confidence that Russia has
contributed to and has even had a crucial role to the historical
success of Armenians in protecting Karabakh. Armenian authors and
all kinds of personalities have put this confidence in them who have
done a career and earned their and their children’s living through
servility and favors to the Russians. Their names and activities are
well known. They will stay in the Armenian history as a reflection
of special mentality which is so widely spread in the Armenian
environment. They refer to themselves as writers, journalists,
professors, in brief the intelligentsia. They never miss a single
chance to make money on national disasters. The government, rich
Armenians based in Russia connived at them and backed them up. They
certainly played their foul role in influencing the NKR government
and Stepanakert people who seems to have forgotten about the crimes
that Russia committed against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and
thereby betrayed the memory of thousands of their close and unfamiliar
compatriots killed or displaced from their homes. As if there were
not for the cruel and cynical punitive campaigns in 1991 and 1992,
destruction of dozens of villages in Shahumyan, Kanlar, Hadrut and
Shushi, houses, historical monuments and memorials to the victims of
World War II, Safonov and Polyanichko. Karabakh has not recovered
from these crimes yet and will never get back the population and
life it used to have. Forgetting about such crimes does not pass just
like that because such activities of Armenian “patriots” enable the
continuation of Russia’s crimes against the Armenian people. Faced
with regular supply of Russian arms to Azerbaijan, the NKR government
did not dare express its attitude in a silenced or private mode.

Perhaps it is worthwhile to announce who would be killed with those
weapons, how many men, women and kids could be killed. One can
understand Yerevan’s position, and one does not need to be surprised
at anything, everything is clear and has been disclosed down to
the limit. Meanwhile, they will use these guns to kill the people of
Karabakh. Someone paid attention that it is already written in history
textbooks or memoirs of different scum of Karabakh. One well-known
newspaper remembered about these events and afterwards got Russia’s
assistance. Here is the “Armenian morality”. Now too many writers or
speakers have earned their living on money from Russia. They continue
to instill in the young generation that Karabakh survived and exists
thanks to Russia, begging with an outstretched hand. Armenia has an
old tradition of patriotism on the church porch, people just live
their life and are convinced that politics is just living their lives.

On the eve of 24 April 1915 hundreds of thousands of Armenians in
Turkish Armenia also just lived a life and eventually ended up in
the ravines of the Armenian highlands.

From: Baghdasarian

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS DISCUSS INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN ARMENIA

By MassisPost
Updated: September 25, 2013

YEREVAN – On September 25, the USAID-funded Enterprise Development and
Market Competitiveness (EDMC) Project and Small Enterprise Assistance
Funds (SEAF) Armenia launched a conference entitled “Easing Access to
Affordable Capital for Competitive Private Businesses.” The conference
focused on private equity finance and investment opportunities
in Armenia, bringing together representatives of international
investment institutions and the Armenian business community to discuss
opportunities and obstacles of investing into the Armenian economy.

Board Member of the Central Bank of Armenia Armenak Darbinyan, USAID
Armenia Economic Growth Office Director Naren Chanmugam, and SEAF
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Hubertus van der Vaart delivered
remarks, encouraging businesses to take advantage of the conference to
learn more about equity finance and application procedures. Conference
participants included representatives of major financial institutions
in Armenia, consulting companies, and small and medium enterprises.

At the conference senior representatives of EBRD Armenia, IFC Armenia,
and Ameriabank Investment Banking talked about existing investments
and financing in Armenia, as well as discussed new investment
opportunities in the area. Participants heard from SEAF Caucasus
Growth Fund, which has invested in SMEs in Armenia, Georgia, and
Azerbaijan since 2012, and from Grant Thornton, which has conducted
the “Establishing a Private Equity Fund in Armenia” feasibility study,
through EDMC support. Private companies and investors also presented
real-life examples and success stories during the event.

The conference enabled key players in the field of equity finance to
coordinate efforts and facilitated a dialogue between companies and
financial institutions to help raise awareness about equity finance
and spur future investments.

FUNDS RAISED IN LOS ANGELES TO BE USED FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF KINDERGARTEN IN DALAR VILLAGE

By MassisPost
Updated: September 24, 2013

LOS ANGELES – On the initiative of Los Angeles-based “the
Armenian-American Orphans and Disabled Children Christmas Fund”
charity organization the 14th annual telethon fundraiser will launch
on September 29. The total funds raised will be directed at the
reconstruction of the kindergarten in Dalar village of the Ararat
province. In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Director of the
“Armenian Philharmonic Centre”, coordinator of the Armenian-American
charity foundation Laert Movsisyan stated that due to the efforts of
the foundation the construction works launched in the kindergarten
of the Dalar village in the Ararat province.

Previously, on the initiative of “the Armenian-American Orphans
and Disabled Children Christmas Fund” charity organization a row of
Christmas celebrations was held in Aram Khachaturyan Concert Hall on
January 3, 2013. About ten thousand children from a number of Armenian
orphanages and other institutions took part the upcoming event

From: Baghdasarian

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN’S WORKING VISIT TO SYUNIK MARZ

18:33 26.09.2013

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in Syunik on a working visit, in the
framework of his visit familiarized with works of small and medium
enterprises which are carrying out their development programs side by
side with Syunik’s major mining and energy companies, looked into the
investment projects, and prospects of development. In particular,
the President visited Aval Trade knitting enterprise in Sisian,
which was established in December 2012 and since April 2013 has been
manufacturing knitting production. The President was informed that
in four months of this year, the company has made an investment of
30.0 million AMD, including the import of modern machinery.

The enterprise employs 90 people with the average monthly salary
of 70-80 thousand drams. As of April-August 2013, according to the
management the company manufactured nearly 70.7 million dram worth
production which was sold in the Russian Federation. The company
is planning to expand its export market by increasing production
capacities which will allow to employ 120 people.

In Goris, the President visited Goris Gamma enterprise which together
with Zangezur copper and molybdenum factory currently is executing a
new program of manufacturing new machinery in full compliance with
international standards. Representatives of the company noted that
they have concluded negotiations with the German supplier and now
are negotiating with potential customers to specify the demand and
assortment volumes. It was noted that if the program is successful,
Armenia will be manufacturing digital, high accuracy turning and
milling machines which comply with the European standards. At the
initial stage of the program, investments reached one million US
dollars; if there is proper demand, along with the increase of the
production capacities, the number of jobs will reach 130.

Goris Gamma enterprise was founded back in 1979 and was specializing in
the production of special machinery for the military industrial complex
of the Ministry of Defense of former USSR. In 1996, the enterprise
was restructured becoming a closed venture; 20 percent of its state
shares were given without indemnity to the employees and 80 percent
were privatized in 2001. Currently the enterprise has mechanical,
special machinery assembling, electromotor assembling, and optical
production units as well as an experimental laboratory. The production
of the company is being sold primarily in the Russian Federation and,
according to the management there are also sales orders from Canada. In
January-August, 2013 the company manufactured 238.0 million dram worth
production which is a 23% increase compared to the same period last
year. It was noted that along with the batch production, the Company
also receives sales orders from the Zangezur copper and molybdenum
factory such as manufacturing of tools and machinery.

In the framework of his visit, President Serzh Sargsyan visited also
Qajaran town. First, he visited the monument dedicated to the fallen
heroes, laid flowers and paid tribute to the memory of the sons of
the Armenian nation who died for our Motherland.

Later, at the central square of Qajaran, the President participated
in the events dedicated to the 55th anniversary of the town and in
the framework of the event handed awards and letters of commendation
to a group of individuals who were distinguished for their patriotic
work in different areas: Hrachia Tadevossian, Head of Division in the
Qajaran Medical Center, Ltd. outpatient clinic by the Presidential
decree was awarded the Mkhitar Heratsi Medal; Mikhail Aroustamian,
Executive Director of the Rivs scientific and production enterprise
(RF) was awarded the Anania Shirakatsi medal. Saro Hayrapetian, Chief
Architect of the Qajaran community communal services Ltd. and Zakhar
Mirzoyan, electric welder of the Ore Reduction and Transportation unit
of the Qajaran copper and molybdenum factory for their years-long
and diligent work received Presidential letters of commendation. In
Qajaran, by the decision of the Council of Elders, the President was
handed the first Battle of Artsakh commemorative medal.

President Sargsyan congratulated all those persent on the occasion of
the town’s holiday and on receiving awards, thanked the inhabitants
of Qajaran for their daily efforts aimed at the development of their
town and their dedication, wished all the best and assured that
Qajaran and other settlements in our country every year will become
more comfortable and developed. The President of Armenia urged the
participants of the festivities to look at the future of their town
and our country with optimism and faith.

At the conclusion of the festivities, Serzh Sargsyan attended the
opening ceremony of the monument dedicated to the former director of
many years of the Qajaran copper and molybdenum factory, a skillful
organizer of the mining production Frunze Petrossian.

The President continues his visit to Syunik marz. Today, he will also
participate at the opening of Qajaran’s medical center. In Kapan, Serzh
Sargsyan will visit the Garegin Nzhdeh Square and will familiarize
with the program of its modernization; in Kapan’s high-school n. 2 he
will observe construction works conducted here. In Syunik community
of the marz, the President of Armenia will visit the small cattle
slaughter house and new processing unit.

LANDMINE FREE ARTSAKH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, OCTOBER 13 AT WESTERN DIOCESE HIGHLIGHTED BY MARK GERAGOS AND GOR MKHITARIAN

By MassisPost
Updated: September 25, 2013

BURBANK – Over 20 years after they were first planted in Artsakh,
landmines still remain and continue to maim, mutilate and kill the
people of the land. In an effort to bring awareness to the problem
and solicit help to clear the landmines, the Western Diocese is
hosting a special “Landmine Free Artsakh” evening on October 13,
at the Zorayan Museum Hall, 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504.

This evening is organized under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian, Primate, and will feature attorney Mark Geragos
and musical entertainer Gor Mkhitarian who bring their talents to
benefit the cause.

The featured speaker is Galina Danilova from the HALO Trust,
the world’s oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearance
organization. Danilova heads the HALO Finance in Artsakh and for
the past 11 years has been working in landmine clearing. “Every year
Armenians get hurt,” says Danilova, “some with significant injuries.

Although war ended 19 years ago, the land still carries the seeds
of war. Farmers cannot grow crops to feed their families. Prairie
fertile land is surrounded with Danger Signs.”

During the evening, Danilova will show pictures and explain exactly how
people can put an end to the mayhem by participating in the landmine
clean-up efforts.

“Our mission is to generate awareness about landmine problems in
Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and to help fundraise to completely de-mine
all villages! These villages are in the Latchin, Hadrut and Martuni
regions where no international grants and funds can be secured.

Without private funding these minefields will never be cleared”.

The public is cordially invited to attend this free-informational
event, October 13, at 5:00PM. Refreshments and wine will be provided.

For more information visit LandmineFreeArtsakh.com or call
818-523-2878.

ARMENIA RETURNS WITH MEDALS AND OFFERS OF COOPERATION FROM FRANCOPHONIE GAMES

15:47, 26 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia returned with medals and
new proposals of cooperation from the Francophonie Games.

As reports “Armenpress” the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia Yuri Vardanyan stated this at the course of
the press conference held on September 26. Among other things the
Minister emphasized: “These games are of a certain importance for
me, as this is the first time we participate in the games as a full
member of the International Organization of the Francophonie. I had a
meeting with the Minister of Sport of France and we reached agreement
regarding the future cooperation.”

The Francophone Games are a combination of artistic and sporting events
for the Francophonie, mostly French speaking nations, held every four
years since 1989, partly as a counterweight to the Commonwealth Games.

There were four sports at the inaugural event in 1989: athletics,
basketball, association football and judo. Handisport, handball, table
tennis and wrestling were added to the competition programme in 1994.

None of these four sports featured at the 1997 Jeux de la Francophonie,
and boxing and tennis were introduced to the programme instead. Eight
sports featured in 2001: the four inaugural sports, boxing and table
tennis were included. Furthermore, handisport and beach volleyball
competitions were held as demonstration events.

Neither of these demonstration sports were included in 2005, with
traditional style wrestling being demonstrated in addition to the
six more established sports. The 2009 programme re-introduced beach
volleyball.

Participation has so far varied between 1,700 and 3,000 athletes
and artists.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: A. Papazian

SEPT 26 MARKS 144TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF KOMITAS (VIDEO)

September 26, 2013 – 11:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – September 26 marks the 144th birth anniversary of
Armenian priest, composer, choir leader, singer, music ethnologist
and teacher Komitas Vardapet (by Western Armenian transliteration
also Gomidas Vartabed).

Komitas was born in 1869, in Kutahya, Ottoman Empire, into a family
whose members were deeply involved in music and were monolingual
in Turkish. His mother died when he was one, and his father died
ten years later. His grandmother looked after him until 1881, when
a prelate of the local Armenian diocese went to Etchmiadzin to be
consecrated a bishop. Catholicos Gevork IV ordered him to bring one
orphaned child to be educated at the Etchmiadzin Seminary. Soghomon
was chosen among 20 candidates and admitted into the seminary (where
he impressed the Catholicos with his singing talent) and graduated
in 1893, after which he became a monk. According to church tradition,
newly ordained priests are given new names, and Soghomon was renamed
Komitas (named after the seventh-century Armenian Catholicos who
was also a hymn writer). Two years later, he became a priest and
obtained the title Vardapet (or Vartabed), meaning a “priest” or a
“church scholar.”

He established and conducted the monastery choir until 1896, when he
went to Berlin, enrolled in the Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm University
and studied music at the private conservatory of Prof. Richard
Schmidt. In 1899, he acquired the title Doctor of Musicology and
returned to Etchmiadzin, where he took over conducting a polyphonic
male choir. He traveled extensively around the country, listening to
and recording details about Armenian folk songs and dances performed
in various villages. This way, he collected and published some 3000
songs, many of them adapted to choir singing.

Komitas was the first non-European to be admitted into the
International Music Society, of which he was a co-founder. He gave
many lectures and performances throughout Europe, Turkey and Egypt,
thus presenting till then very little known Armenian music.

>From 1910, he lived and worked in Istanbul. There, he established
a 300-member choir, Gusan. On April 24, 1915, the official date when
the Armenian Genocide began, he was arrested and put on a train the
next day together with 180 other Armenian notables and sent to the
city of Cankırı in northern Central Anatolia, at a distance of some
300 miles.

In the autumn of 1916, he was taken to a hospital in Constantinople,
Hôpital de la paix, and then moved to Paris in 1919, where he died
in a psychiatric clinic in Villejuif in 1935. Next year, his ashes
were transferred to Yerevan and buried in the Pantheon that was named
after him.

CHESS: TOP ARMENIAN GM INVITED TO GRAND SLAM FINAL

Chess | 26.09.13 | 12:42

Photolure

Top Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian will take part in the 6th Grand
Slam Final, which is to be held in Bilbao, Spain, on October 7-13.

Aronian’s rivals will be France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Azerbaijan’s
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Britain’s Michael Adams.

The organizers have invited Aronian taking into account his excellent
performance this year at Alekhine Memorial (Paris-Saint Petersburg),
reports Armchess.am.

From: A. Papazian

CANADIAN MP SAYS BAKU’S “BLACK LIST” ILLOGICAL

21:25 26.09.2013

Armine Gevorgyan
Public Radio of Armenia

Member of the Canadian Parliament Stephane Dion has arrived in Armenia
for a working visit at the initiative of the Armenian National
Committee of Canada, the Armenian Embassy in Canada and the NKR
Permanent Representation in the US.

The Canadian MP visited Artsakh, where he had meetings with President
Bako Sahakyan and Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulyan. Also, he visited
Lachin to familiarize himself with the living conditions of Syrian
Armenians, who have settled there.

Stephane Dion’s visit to Artsakh has angered the Azerbaijani Embassy in
Canada. The MP says, however, Azerbaijan’s policy of “blacklisting”
foreign citizens visiting Artsakh is absurd. “Before arriving in
Armenia, I knew about the Armenian-Azerbaijani issue, but I was
not aware of Azerbaijan’s “black list,” which I think is something
illogical. I have explained to everyone that my objective was to meet
Syrian Armenian refugees. When I say the “black list” is illogical,
I mean that it’s illogical to separate the population of a certain
area from the rest of mankind,” he said.

Speaking about the Karabakh issue, the Canadian MP said it should be
solved within the framework of the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs. “During my meetings with the people and authorities of
Artsakh I understood that they are strong people and are proponents
of peace,” he added.

Having met with Syrian Armenians, Stephane Dion says their living
conditions are not that good. “I’m not authorized to assess the
policy of the Armenian Government, but one thing is clear – Syrian
Armenians face great difficulties, they are short of money and have
no proper housing. Many of them are not going to return, aware that
the situation in their country will not be solved soon.”

The MP said the Canadian Armenian community is one of the most
organized and successful ones. “Armenians are rather successful. They
speak Armenian, English, French and are integrated into the life of
the country. At the same time, they maintain their cultural roots. To
some extent Canada is obliged to help Armenia,” Mr. Dion said, adding
that the opening of the Canadian Embassy in Armenia will promote the
further deepening of Armenian-Canadian relations.

RUSSIA SEEKS TO PERPETUATE KARABAKH CONFLICT, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT SAYS

September 26, 2013 – 15:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili slammed Russia
in his UN General Assembly speech, suggesting Moscow’s pressure on
the Eastern Partnership states.

He specifically mentioned Armenia which was “put in a corner and
forced to join the Russia-led Customs Union in spite of its national
interests;” Moldavia, “blocked by Russia,” as well as Ukraine,
Azerbaijan and Georgia.

During his speech, Saakashvili went on to rail against Russian national
interests, casting the Kremlin as an empire that does not want peace
between its neighbors, RT said.

“Let’s be honest here. Do you really believe Putin wants Armenia to
gain the upper hand over Azerbaijan in Karabakh conflict? Not quite
so. That would make Armenia too independent. Neither does he want
Baku to win, for fear of increased Azeri presence. Russian leadership
wouldn’t want any side to prevail, a conflict being their goal in
blocking the nations’ integration into the European Union,” he said.

“The Russian Federation has no interest in having stable states around
it. Neighboring countries in constant turmoil is what the Kremlin
is seeking,” he said, adding “an old Empire is trying to reclaim
its bygone borders. And ‘borders’ is actually not the right word,
since this Empire – be it the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, the
Russian Federation, or the Eurasian Union – never had borders. It
only had margins.”

The Georgian President’s speech at the UN General Assembly forced the
Russian delegation leave the room, Russia’s Permanent Mission to the
United Nations said in a statement.

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, in
turn, said Saakashvili should undergo a professional mental health
assessment, RFE/RE reported.

Churkin denounced the speech as a “train of crackpot thoughts that were
not simply of an anti-Russian, but of a Russophobe, and anti-Orthodox,
nature.”