Month: February 2015

LAWSUIT AGAINST TURKEY CONCERNING THE RETURN OF SIS CATHOLICASATE TO BE FILED WITHIN TWO WEEKS

18:28, 10 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Under the leadership of His Holiness Aram I, after three days of
meetings, the Central Committee representing the dioceses of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, its Executive Committee, the Council of
Religion and the plenary of the Prelates adopted the document whereby:

They welcome the activities planned by the Catholicosate of Cilicia on
national and international levels for the commemoration of the 100th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, as well as those activities
planned by the dioceses. They strongly support the proposal to pursue
the political and legal aspects of recognition and restitution related
to the Genocide and commend the Pan-Armenian Declaration recently
adopted in Erevan.

They are aware of the profound meaning of the decision of the two
Catholicoi to make the martyrs of the 1915 Genocide into saints on
23 April 2015, during a special ceremony in Holy Etchmiadzin.

They are grateful for His Holiness Aram I’s ecumenical commitment
despite the dwindling interest of many churches in ecumenism. They also
support Catholicos Aram I’s commitment to Christian-Muslim dialogue to
help Christians and Muslims live together and condemn fundamentalism.

They will organize a pilgrimage from their respective dioceses to
Lebanon for the blessing of the Holy Muron at the St. Mary’s Monastery
in Bikfaya in July and the commemorative activities at the Bird’s
Nest and Antelias.

They share His Holiness Aram I’s vision of the Seminary as an important
pillar of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in preparing the clergy and
sustaining the spiritual and moral values of the church.

They promise to support the seminary financially and morally.

They acknowledge the role of the Christian Education Department in
enabling the women and the youth to learn the basic teachings of the
church and her diakonia. They also urge the department to use modern
educational approaches and technology to improve its teaching methods.

They concur with His Holiness to include youth in the structures of
the diocesan committees and other organizations of the community.

They express their gratitude to the constructions and renovations
committee for preparing the locations for the commemorative events.

They thank the Board of the Khatcher Kaloustian Foundation for its
effort in promoting the Western Armenian language and introducing
new pedagogical approaches.

They recognize the financial dependency of the Catholicosate on the
dioceses and benefactors and appreciate deeply His Holiness Aram I’s
achievements despite the limited funds.

They share the pain of the Armenian community in Syria, and promise
to accompany them during these difficult times and help them later
to rebuild their lives. They consider the presence of Armenians in
the Middle East extremely important for the whole nation and call
upon all Armenian organizations to demonstrate their solidarity with
Armenians in Syria.

They are indebted to His Holiness Aram I for his initiative in
preparing a litigation against the Turkish authorities demanding
the return of the historical centre of the Catholicosate of Cilicia
in Sis, in cooperation with international human rights lawyers. The
lawsuit will be filed within two weeks.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT YOU ARE MISTAKEN. TSARUKYAN IS GOING AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES.”

February 10 2015

Levon Zurabyan assures the critics of Gagik Tsarukyan that the change
of power is very likely with him “I do not whether you have noticed or
not, but the country has seen a broader consolidation than until now.

Not only the ANC operates, like it was operating for all 7 years
and fighting alone against the current authorities, now, there is a
broader consolidation”, so responded ANC faction leader Levon Zurabyan,
in the conversation with “Aravot”, in response to our question of
why they have taken the way for the change of power, which they had
tried several times and had failed. In particular, the matter is
about the actions pointed out by PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan at the
conference of non-government forces, according to which they give
a chance for the government to review its policy, if not, they will
force holding extraordinary elections through rallies. Levon Zurabyan
said, “There is a power in the nationwide movement, about which you
and the rest were saying with a great criticism that he will never
join the opposition and Gagik Tsarukyan will never go against the
authorities. But, it turns out that you are mistaken. He now is going
against the authorities. He now even intimidates for raising the issue
of extraordinary presidential elections. A thing that many analysts
were also saying that it is never possible for Gagik Tsarukyan to say
such a thing. But it was said. And instead of seeing it, you say that
there is nothing new. Why isn’t there anything new? The fact that
however a consolidation of forces is taking place for the change of
power is the very news. And if God grants for the consolidation of
these forces reach an appropriate level, then I consider the change
of power more likely.” To our observation that there was a time when
the date and time for the change of power was clearly mentioned,
but nothing has happened, and if Gagik Tsarukyan had mentioned about
the extraordinary presidential elections, so whether having so much
high hopes is justified, Levon Zurabyan replied, “I am sorry, but if
the date and time for the regime change is mentioned, just consider
it already a guarantee that no change of power will take place. This
question does not refer to us as we’ve never done anything like this.”

HRIPSIME JEBEJYAN

Read more at:

THE TERM “EASTERN ANATOLIA” DOESN’T EXIST: TURKOLOGIST

17:38, 10 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 10 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Associate professor of the Faculty
of Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University, Turkologist Lusine
Sahakyan says Armenians should be very active on the Internet and
be able to give adequate responses to the false propaganda spread by
circles of Turkologists. According to her, Turkish bloggers are working
very actively on distorting Armenian toponyms and presenting Armenian
words as words of Turkish origin on the Internet. In an interview with
“Armenpress”, Lusine Sahakyan mentioned that there are especially
several blogs and websites that the Turks have created ahead of the
100thanniversary of the Armenian Genocide and where they engage in
heated debates over Armenian words and falsify Armenian history.

In addition, Sahakyan emphasized that Armenia needs to address
Western countries and the media to stop using the term “Eastern
Anatolia”. “Eastern Anatolia doesn’t exist. It’s an artificial word.

It’s absurd. Translated, it means “east of the east”. Armenia has a
lot of work to do in this regard so that not only the real history
is presented, but also the real toponyms are not distorted,” Lusine
Sahakyan said.

Gulen supports the Armenians-Davutoglu’s sick imagination

17:44, 10 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 10 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet
Davutoðlu has made another provocative, anti-Armenian statement.

As “Armenpress” reports, citing Turkey’s TRT Haber website, Davutoðlu
has declared that the Armenian lobby is using Fethullah Gulen’s
movement to pressure Turkey. According to Davutoðlu, the leader of
the movement and its supporters are campaigning against the Turks in
the United States of America.

“Recently Gulen declared that the rights of non-Muslims, including
Armenians are being violated in Turkey, and that is in the interests
of the Armenian lobby,” Davutoglu said, mentioning that such a
statement is not by chance, if the fact that April 24th marks the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is taken into consideration.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN GRANTS MEDAL TO DIRECTOR OF YEREVAN’S STANISLAVSKY THEATER

15:44, 10 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 10 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. On February 4, President of the
Russian Federation Vladimir Putin granted the A. S. Pushkin Medal to
Director of the K. Stanislavsky Russian Dramatic Theater of Yerevan
Frederik Davtyan.

As the Department of Public Relations of the K. S. Stanislavsky Russian
Dramatic Theater reports to “Armenpress”, the medal was granted to
Davtyan for friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation,
as well as for his significant contributions to the strengthening
and deepening of cultural relations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TAX FIGHT: BUSINESS OWNERS VOW TO CONTINUE RESISTANCE AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSED LAW

Economy | 10.02.15 | 14:52

By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Small and medium business owners say they will continue fighting
against the enforcement of a controversial sales tax law and will
demand that together with the government solutions be found for the
law that has twice been postponed already.

Small and medium business owners will defend their rights within
the “Confederation of entrepreneurs”, representatives of which told
reporters on Tuesday that they turned to the government with four
suggestions.

“Firstly, the section regarding gold must be separated and discussed
separately. And then, annual sales threshold of the organization
must be raised from 58 billion AMD and be more than 100 billion
AMD. Working with new principles must be a voluntary practice for
business owners,” Norik Sahakyan, the head of Armenian Producers’
Development Center NGO said.

“And lastly, in the adopted version of the law there is a point
that inspectors can at any point realize inspections, this must be
extracted, as it increases corruption risk,” he added.

Sahakyan said that they urged the government to pay visits at
department stores and shops instead of office discussions.

“You must listen to the people, rather than conduct office
discussions. Those who make laws in offices cannot imagine what it
feels like working at a store, on a cold ground floor.”

As a result of pressure the enforcement of sales tax law has twice
been postponed. The second time the government mediated the National
Assembly in the end of this January, after mass protests.

“We tell the PM that we expect help from you, so that we search and
find solutions from the current situation,” Sahakyan said, adding
that more than 700 stores have closed as a result of the tax change.

Tigran Hovhannisyan, head of the Car Importers’ Union was present
at the meeting and said that they are unified and they will win,
“because no matter how much misunderstanding there has been, they
continued the fight for six months and achieved success.”

From: A. Papazian

SPOTLIGHT ON REALITY: DOWN SYNDROME CASE REVEALS ARMENIA’S FAILURE TO INTEGRATE THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

Society | 10.02.15 | 14:59

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The story of the Armenian infant born with Down syndrome whose father
(a New Zealander) is taking the boy out of the country, has caused a
wave of social media chatter. The child’s father says Armenia is not
a fit place for raising a special needs child – a claim that has once
again raised questions about attitudes in Armenia towards people who
are physically and mentally challenged.

The boy, named Leo, was born January 21 to Samuel Forrest and
RuzanBadalyan. His story became international news last week when
foreign media reported that Forrest was “forced to choose” between his
wife and his child, because Badalyan had disowned the baby.Badalyan
filed for divorce a week after Leo was born and Forrest started a
fund-raising campaign to collect money to sustain the child’s welfare
back in New Zealand.

Meanwhile in Armenia, the much-publicized story has aimed a spotlight
at attitudes and perceptions toward those with disabilities.

Prkutyun NGO, center for disabled children aged 16-35 and youth,
established in 1999 exists to help families find solutionsto social,
educational and health care problems, as well as their complete
integration in the society by means of mediation and humanitarian aid.

ArpineAbrahamyan, head of the center said she does nothave any official
statistics of how many children are born with Down syndrome in Armenia,
however she said that it occurs in about one in 800 births.

“During recent years they check during pregnancy and in case of
confirmation of the syndrome, they turn to abortion. Because of this
there will be fewer children born like that, but I know that annually
5-6 children are sent to Gyumri orphanage,” Abrahamyan said adding
that six children with that syndrome study at their center.

The mother of one of their students, whose 22-year-old son has attended
the center for seven years, said that in Armenia,Prkutyun center is
the only salvation for her son. The mother (who did not want her name
publicized) said that a few days after the child was born they found
out that the boy has Down syndrome, and they had never heard about
it before.

“After three daughters I finally gave birth to a son, and with this
disease, everyone around said to give him away, but both my husband,
and my children and I were critically against that idea. Giving him
away was excluded. Certainly, it is very difficult to bring them
up, and the more they grow up the harder it gets, and I can never
judge parents of such children who give them away, but I think that
living in a family is the best,” the woman said adding that her son
is registered at Avan psychiatric hospital. The family is provided
with free medication and receives about $45 a month pension for people
with disabilities.

But the woman, a widow, cannot leave her son alone and go to work,
and with the little pension money it is simply impossible to sustain
themselves. Her only hope is help from relatives.

Nevertheless, more than physical difficulties, the mother says,
the hardest thing issociety’s attitude toward her son.

“Our society has not grown enough yet to accept such children. When
I take public transportation people look at me strangely. Imagine
a parent going out with a son, and everyone around staring; it is
very difficult for a parent,” the mother said, adding that the only
environment where her son can feel as a complete human is Prkutyun
center.

Center headAbrahamyan said that when a child is born with disabilities,
parents have to go through several stages, which they do not always
overcome with success.

“First of all, the family is shocked, they do not understand why.

Next, they have to get used to the idea, that there is such problem
in their family. Thirdly, they have to comply with the environment
as well. The fourth is the fight for the child, so that it enters
the world completely, enters the educational system,” Abrahamyan said.

According to Abrahamyan, in developed countries people with Down
syndrome have wide opportunities; they receive education, get jobs,
and are fully involved in social life. But she says with regret that
Armenian society is not yet ready to accept such children, and the
state hardly takes any measures to help.

“The children can perfectly behave themselves, we go to the movies,
to the theatre, to cafeterias with them. If there is no desire to
work with them, then it is pointless to expect good results. But even
with children with the harshest problems in case of good work there
are positive outcomes,” Abrahamyan said.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH ISSUE: ARMENIAN FM BLASTS AZERBAIJAN’S “MAXIMALIST” POLICY

KARABAKH | 10.02.15 | 10:53

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian again accused Azerbaijan
of undermining progress in the Karabakh peace talks as he received
Herbert Salber, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus
and the crisis in Georgia, in Yerevan on February 9.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s official website, Minister
Nalbandian drew the attention of the EU Special Representative to
the drastic increase in subversive acts of the Azerbaijani forces
along Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the Line of Contact with
Nagorno-Karabakh.

“At the end of last week, at the Munich Security Conference,
Azerbaijan’s President’s refusal to accept the well-known three
principles of the international law as a basis for the conflict
resolution, the approaches that he expressed are a proof to the
contempt towards the appeals of the international community and
continuation of its maximalist line,” Minister Nalbandian underlined.

The foreign minister of Armenia mentioned that Azerbaijan continuously
rejects the OSCE Minsk Groups’ proposals on confidence-building
measures, i.e. the measures on consolidation of cease-fire regime,
withdrawal of snipers, creation of investigation mechanism for
incidents, and by its destructive stance undermines progress in
negotiation process.

The EU special representative reaffirmed his support to the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ efforts towards peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

AS-SALAAM-ALEIKUM: GREETING IN AZERI ON ARMENIA-BOUND PLANE CAUSES PANIC AMONG PASSENGERS

NEWS | 10.02.15 | 14:15

If you are an Armenian passenger on board a plane outbound from Moscow
– hopefully to Yerevan – the last thing you want to hear is a greeting
in Azeri.

But this is exactly what Armenians on Aeroflot’s SU Flight 1866
yesterday heard from their captain as the aircraft was getting ready
for a takeoff.

The Zhoghovurd newspaper, citing its sources, says the greeting in
Azeri caused a real panic among ethnic Armenian passengers of the
Russian airline’s flight some of whom thought it was a deliberate plot
and that the plane would take them to the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.

Luckily for them, the whole incident proved to be a case of
misunderstanding, for which, however, as the Yerevan-based paper
claims, no one has offered apologies to the Armenian passengers.

This is not the first case when Armenians flying on board the Russian
airline hear the crew address them in Azeri. A similar incident
happened on December 8, 2013, but at that time it was during the
landing in Moscow.

More serious incidents involving complex relations between Armenians
and Azerbaijanis, two South Caucasus neighbors who fought a bloody
war in the early 1990s and remain divided over Nagorno-Karabakh today,
also happened in the past.

As recently as December two flight from Kyiv to Tbilisi operated
by Ukrainian airlines were diverted to Yerevan because of bad
weather conditions, bringing a total of about four dozen citizens of
Azerbaijan to the Armenian capital. All of them were treated well and
were provided with all services at Zvartnots Airport and, according
to the Armenian side, left Yerevan “satisfied”.

In 2002, a Moscow-Yerevan flight with many Armenians on board had to
land in Baku because of inauspicious weather conditions in Armenia.

The Azeri side then provided tight security for the plane that left
the Azerbaijani capital two hours later.

CONSUMER PRICES IN NKR GROW BY 1.7% FROM 2014 DECEMBER

YEREVAN, February 10. / ARKA /. Consumer prices grew by 1.7 percent
in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) in January 2015 when compared to
December 2014, according to NKR National Statistical Service.

Food prices are said to have risen by 2.7%, non-food products by 1.2%,
and services by 0.4%.

The consumer price index in January 2015 was 4% when compared to the
same period in 2014. Food products (including alcoholic beverages and
tobacco) grew by 4.9%, non-food products by 4.1 % and services by 2.2%.

The consumer prices in Karabakh in January 2015 were 32.4% higher
from 2010. – 0-