Author: Andres-Papazian

Armenia needs constitutional reforms, Heritage says

May 6, 2011 – 14:33 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Members of opposition Heritage parliamentary group Stepan Safaryan and
Zaruhi Postanjyan believe that Armenia needs constitutional reforms.

`The reforms are needed to separate the three branches of power and
create counterbalances for the executive power, specifically, to
ensure an independent judicial system and wider powers of the
legislative power,’ Postanjyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

Safaryan noted for his part that the amendments to the Armenian
Constitution have not secured wider powers for the parliament, though
they were introduced to this end.

`Unfortunately, it is not the National Assembly, which decides on the
government’s composition, while the government decides how the
parliament should behave and who will join it,’ he said.

Heritage representatives think that the reforms can be implemented
through a constitutional referendum.

From: A. Papazian

THE DIASPORA AS `PROVINCE’ OF ARMENIA

NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:59:13 – 06/05/2011

In late may a forum will be held in Yerevan to discuss cooperation
between Armenia and the Diaspora.

Judging by some recent statements of the Armenian authorities, the
Diaspora is already perceived as the last political and economic
refuge. As soon as it became known that the international
organizations and the West no longer support Serzh Sargsyan as they
did before, and Russia already communicates with Armenia at the level
of police officers, in Armenia they realized that only the Diaspora
can help.

The UN Resident Coordinator to Armenia Dafina Gercheva hinted at this
too, stating that the Armenian economy can be reconstructed with the
help of Armenians living abroad. According to Diaspora data, the
circulation of the Armenian money in the world is 10 billion dollars
which exceeds the Armenian budget three times. And Serzh Sargsyan
announced recently that the Diaspora need not believe it is impossible
to earn money in Armenia. He asked them to come and get convinced.

Apparently, however, the government relies not only on big investments
but also consulting. The minister of the Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan
stated recently it is time to create a forum where proposals on
institutional development of Armenia will be presented. It is possible
that the Diaspora is needed to fight the oligarchs in Armenia, since
Armenia alone cannot overcome this problem and carry out economic
reforms. However, as of now, only the Armenian Trade Network has been
created, and it is not clear what it is going to do.

Will the Diaspora believe in Serzh Sargsyan’s honesty and wish to
liberalize the economy to enable the Diaspora to run businesses in
Armenia? It will be difficult to persuade the Diaspora with mere
statements, these statements must be translated into action, first of
all anti-monopoly action.

There are no institutional relations between Armenia and the Armenian
Diaspora, therefore their relations lie on an emotional and subjective
basis. Armenia treats the Diaspora as its province, delegating the
right to make pan-Armenian decisions to Yerevan. For its part, the
Diaspora considers Armenia a province due to its economic and social
development, explaining their reluctance to participate in the life of
Armenia by its wretchedness. Yerevan feels obliged to thank the
Diaspora for charity, and the Diaspora is already tired of assisting
and it needs new relations, integration. Obviously, however, Armenia
lacks a conceptual perception of cooperation with the Diaspora.

On May 5 the project entitled `Globalization: Prospects of Development
of the Diaspora’ was presented during the meeting of the government of
Armenia. The president of the National Academy of Science Radik
Martirosyan asked: `What does `development of the Diaspora’ mean?’
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan interrupted and changed the wording.

From: A. Papazian

The competition of photos dedicated to Child protection international day

06.05.2011 | 11:53 | | Noyan Tapan | Press release

(Noyan Tapan – 06.05.2011) `Baze’ club of Armenian Youth Foundation
announces the competition of photos with the title `Let’s protect
children not one day in a year’ dedicated to Child protection
international day. The photos for the competition should be about main
problems of children.

Both professional and non-professional photographers can participate
in the competition. Every participant can present till 3 photos. The
photos should be JPEG, JPG, A 4 form and of a high value.

The work should be sent to [email protected] web page, noting the
title of a photo, the author’s name, surname, age and phone number.
Photos can be also printed. The address is Teryan 74, Armenian Youth
Foundation.(from Monday to Tuesday, 11:00-16:00.

The best 3 photos that will be chosen by professional jury will get prizes.

According to the press of `Baze’ club of Armenian Youth Foundation,
the aim of `Let’s protect children not one day in a year’ is to pay
attention on children and to propaganda different layers of society to
follow the rights of children.

From: A. Papazian

MPP Addresses Armenian Genocide In Ontario Legislature

06.05.2011 | 00:42 | | Noyan Tapan | Press release

(Noyan Tapan – 06.05.2011) On Tuesday, May 3rd 2011, Dr. Helena
Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham, made a statement in the Ontario
Legislative Assembly recognizing the 96th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide and commending the work of the Canadian Armenian community.
Dr. Jaczek took the opportunity to note her attendance at the Armenian
Genocide Joint Commemoration event held at the Armenian Youth Centre
on April 23rd, and reminded Ontarians why it is important to remember
the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Mark Atikian, member of the Armenian National Committee of Toronto
said “Dr. Jaczek is a long-time friend of the Armenian community. We
deeply appreciate her strong stance on the issues we care about most,
like the Armenian Genocide.”

You can read the full text of Dr. Jaczek’s statement below

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Ms. Helena Jaczek: It was a great privilege for me to attend and speak
at an event on April 23, 2011, to commemorate the anniversary of the
Armenian genocide. Members of all levels of government from all three
political parties were present at the Armenian Youth Center in North
York.

The genocide is known to have started on April 24, 1915, the day that
some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were arrested in
Constantinople. From then on, Armenians were uprooted from their homes
and forced to march for hundreds of miles, while being deprived of
food and water, to the desert in what is now Syria.

The year 2011 marks 96 years since the terrible atrocities that
occurred between 1915 and 1923, when more than 1.5 million Armenian
men, women and children were massacred. The Armenian genocide set the
stage for other genocides and human tragedies. Although many countries
around the world refuse to acknowledge the horrific events that took
place, we here in Ontario choose to recognize this tragedy and take
the time to mourn the lives that were lost.

The Armenian community has made many significant and enriching
contributions in Canada and in my riding of Oak Ridges-Markham. I
offer my sincerest condolences to the families of all those lost. By
honouring these victims, we also remember to cherish our freedom and
the sanctity of human life.

Armenian National Committee of Toronto

About ANCT

The Armenian National Committee of Toronto is a chapter of the
Armenian National Committee of Canada, a grassroots organization that
was founded in 1965 to address the concerns of the Canadian Armenian
community on a broad range of issues.

From: A. Papazian

Armenia’s Universities Paid 741 Million in Taxes

hetq
14:23, May 6, 2011

The RA State Revenue Committee has just come out with its list of top
`tax payers’ for the 2011 fiscal year. Fourteen institutions of higher
learning in Armenia have been included in the list.

Yerevan State University, with 155 million AMD in paid taxes, came in
at 106th place, followed by the Mkhitar Heratsi Medical University at
116th place with 146 million in paid taxes.

In total, all higher education institutions paid 741 million AMD in
taxes to the state.

From: A. Papazian

Gazprom signs deal to increase natural gas prices for Armenia

15:31 – 06.05.11

Gazprom company has signed an agreement establishing new prices for
natural gas supplies to Armenia.

Sources have told Tert.am that the Russian company has sent the
agreement to Hayrusgazard.

A Gazprom representative said the company has not signed the document.

“We don’t know why our Armenian partner has not signed the agreement
yet,” the source said.

Hayrusgazard told Tert.am they haven’t received the agreement from the
Russian side.

Gazprom press service said details about the new prices will be made
public after the agreement is signed by both parties.

The company had earlier said that the agreement has been finalized and
will be signed in the near future.

Under a July 2, 2008 agreement between Gzapromexport and Hayrusgazard,
the natural gas prices for a given year are set after each party
prepares and approves annexes to the agreement.

Armenia currently purchases the Russian natural gas for $180/1,000
cubic meters. A Tert.am source close to Gazprom said the new agreement
envisages a higher price – $200/1,000 cubic meter.

Since January 2011, Gazprom has increased its annual average natural
gas prices for Belarus and Ukraine to $230 (25%) and $280-$290 (10%),
respectively.

Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Al-Qaeda representatives joined Azerbaijan in Karabakh war

May 6, 2011 – 13:42 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan said that
being involved in the international struggle against terrorism,
Armenia shares the feelings of Americans and all terrorism opponents
on the news about destruction of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Armenia is well aware of what Al-Qaeda is, since its representatives
joined Azerbaijan during its aggression against Nagorno Karabakh,
Balayan said.

From: A. Papazian

Artsakh war veteran: dialogue with authorities deprives ANC of votes

May 6, 2011 – 13:52 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Member of Sardarapat movement Zhirayr Sefilyan said that Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan was rejecting a dialogue with the opposition
for three years, as he thought that the opposition will fail to
maintain its electorate for the upcoming elections.

`The authorities decided to launch a dialogue with the opposition, so
that 2013 presidential election proceeds without any fuss,’ Sefilyan
told a press conference in Yerevan. `Any contacts with the authorities
cause damage to the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), which
loses its supporters from day to day with similar actions.’

He added that the ANC will gain seats in the Armenian parliament
because of the dialogue with the authorities, but the Republican Party
of Armenia will keep its majority.

`Serzh Sargsyan will not cede the majority of seats in the parliament
to anyone,’ Sefilyan said, urging the other opposition parties not to
follow the ANC’s example.

From: A. Papazian

The President of Lithuania visited the Cafesjian Center for the Arts

armradio.am
06.05.2011 10:49

On May 5 the Cafesjian Center for the Arts was visited by the
President of Lithuania, Dalia GrybauskaitÄ – .

The President of Lithuania was given a tour of the CCA Galleries,
observed the panorama of Yerevan and Mount Ararat from the outdoor
Three Divers’ Terrace on the Cascade and signed the Center’s
guestbook.

`This is a wonderful monument for culture, for the Armenian people and
for the future’, says President GrybauskaitÄ – ‘s entry in the guestbook.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian MFA comments on Bin Laden extermination

armradio.am
06.05.2011 14:19

`Being involved in the struggle of the international community against
terrorism, we share the feelings of Americans and all other, who fight
terrorism, regarding the extermination of Bin Laden,’ Spokesman for
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran Balayan said.

`We share those feelings, since people connected with terrorism were
once involved in the aggression against Nagorno Karabakh,’ Balayan
stated.

From: A. Papazian