Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIAN VILLAGE OF DSEGH TO HOST INTERNATIONAL PUPPET FESTIVAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2011 – 15:14 AMT 10:14 GMT

At the April 21 sitting, the Armenian government confirmed the estimate
of non-budget expenditures amounting to USD14000, allocated by UNESCO
to Armenian Foreign Ministry.

As the Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan stated, the
funds will be provided to UNIMA-Armenia NGO for the organization of
international puppet festival in the village of Dsegh, Lori Province.

From: A. Papazian

SUNRISE OVER LAKE VAN TO BE SCREENED IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
21.04.2011 14:54

Full-length feature film by Artak Igityan “Sunrise over Lake Van”
will be screened in Yerevan’s Moscow cinema on April 23, 2011.

This is the first time, where the subject of Genocide is observed
from the view of its impact on several generations of emigrants, as
well as first time a Turkish actress is engaged in the Armenian film.

The events of the film are the results of distant 1915 and are taking
place in Garapet Pamboukchyan’s family.

This family presents the 4th generation of Armenian emigrants in the
US, who are endangered to assimilate with this enormous international
tank, called “America,” The film tells about Garapet’s son, from one
side, who revolts against father’s attempts to save the roots, and his
grandson from the other side, who has a love affair with Turkish girl.

Garapet, who is already eighty, and whose mother had survived by
a miracle during the genocide, tries to awake and strengthen the
connection between his lost motherland and his generation Americanized,
thus trying to save the family from estrangement and separation.

How is he going to control the situation and how to take his son
and grandson back to the roots? He relies only on the genetic memory
existing in every Armenian’s blood, which is impossible to erase or
slay, no matter where he or she lives. But is it going to work?

The film has been shot in the United States, France, Western Armenia.

It stars various nationality actors and actresses from abroad: Jean
Pierre Nshanyan (USA), Aren Vatyan (Russia), Arevik Martirosayn
(France), Gunish Zan (Turkey), Karen Jhangiryan.

The film is directed by Artak Igityan and Vahan Stepanyan. The
script writers are Armen Vatyan and Aren Vatyan, the operator is
Rouben Shahbazyan. Art director is Gagik Babayan. The music has been
composed by Hayko.

From: A. Papazian

RPA MEMBER: SHIFTING BLAME FOR MARCH 2008 EVENTS SOLELY ON AUTHORITIES IMMORAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2011 – 13:37 AMT 08:37 GMT

A member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) parliamentary
group believes it immoral to shift the blame for March 1-2, 2008
events solely on the Armenian authorities.

As Manvel Badeyan told a news conference in Yerevan, “clearly,
Serzh Sargyan, who wasn’t a president at the time cannot be held
responsible. It’s also obvious that the events couldn’t but involve
the second Armenian president; however, both sides, the authorities
and the opposition, as well as the increasingly intolerant society
have their own share of fault.”

As Badeyan remarked, to discover March 2008 events, both the
authorities and the opposition must show political will.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN MP ADVISES ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TO REMEMBER HIS COUNTRY’S HISTORY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2011 – 11:51 AMT 06:51 GMT

Armenian parliament member Gagik Melikyan labeled Romanian President’s
statement about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as the only way
to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as “unfit” for an EU country.

“Such statements go contrary to the policy of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Moreover, the Romanian President had better remember the history of his
country. Modern Romania was formed under hard historical and political
circumstances, when the people were under foreign yoke. So, Basescu
had to be more cautious when speaking about the South Caucasus and
recollect Romanian people’s struggle for independence,” Melikyan said.

“Irresponsible statements like that make him an unwelcome figure in
the EU,” the MP added.

From: A. Papazian

RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SERVES AS RESTRAINT JACKET FOR TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN
Lilit Muradyan

“Radiolur”
21.04.2011 14:24

“The more countries recognize the Armenian Genocide, the higher the
level of Armenia’s security, since it serves as a unique restraint
jacket for Turkey and Azerbaijan,” Director of the Noravank Foundation
Gagik Harutyunyan told a press conference today.

However, according to him, we should not be satisfied with this and
must be ready for further steps.

“Let’s imagine the United States and Turkey recognize the Armenian
Genocide, just like Serbia accepted it had carried out ethnic cleansing
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let’s assume Turkey acknowledges the fact
and apologizes for massacring 2 million Armenians. What should we
do next? This is the main issue. I think that our press, analytical
centers should be ready for such development of events.

It’s something I do not see today,” Gagik Harutyunyan said.

From: A. Papazian

WHY IS BRITISH MEDIA INTERESTED IN KARABAKH – ANALYST

Tert.am
21.04.11

The British media’s recent interest in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
might be explained by the need to propose new plans and mechanisms,
an Armenian expert has said.

“The stalemate over Karabakh requires new solutions and approaches.

Serious media outlets address such problems upon facing the need to
propose a mechanism or a political plan,” political analyst Hrant
Melik Shahnazaryan told Tert.am.

He further noted the foreign media might also pursue financial
interests in their propaganda.

“But that’s more characteristic to the Russian media, rather than BBC.

Although it’s quite possible that Britain, as well as Western Europe
might have received instructions from Azerbaijan,” he said.

This comes after the Russian Service of BBC News conducted an
interview with Armenia’s first president and the leader of the
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrosyan who
spoke mainly about the Karabakh issue. The Financial Times later
addressed the problem in an article. Yesterday, BBC News Russian
released a video material devoted to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH: ICG EXPERT WARNS OF POSSIBLE NEW WAR TRIGGERED BY INCIDENT
Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
21.04.11

The Istanbul-based Director of the Europe Program of the International
Crisis Group (ICG) Sabine Freizer warns that the Karabakh peace
process is endangered and “it is possible a war will break out and
this war will be difficult to stop.”

“We are more than ever concerned over this. We, the international
community, speak about it from time to time. The Russia-Georgia war
took many by surprise, but we had repeatedly warned that such a threat
was possible, the same is in the case with Karabakh, the danger is
increasing day by day,” Freizer said in an interview with ArmeniaNow
and four other Armenian media whose reporters are in Turkey these days.

Freizer, who has been dealing with South Caucasus matters since 2004,
thinks that “the threat of war is clearly growing”.

“This is because there is no progress in negotiations and every day in
Azerbaijan they start thinking more and more that if it is impossible
to resolve the issue peacefully, then it can be solved militarily,”
says the expert, adding that Azerbaijan’s growing military budget is
already a serious threat to regional peace.

“We think that it is quite possible that the Azerbaijani government
will end up in a war by accident…they will kind of push Armenians
into making small incidents, but it will create a strong reaction by
the Armenians,” she says.

According to Freizer, to prevent such a possible clash, the
international community needs to react more quickly and sternly to
ceasefire violations in the conflict zone.

“Moreover, I believe that the monitoring should be carried out not once
a month or at a longer interval, but every day, every day there must
be a representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe,” she says, adding that otherwise it will be impossible to
stop hostilities there within a short period of time in the event of
a possible incident-triggered war.

Despite the war warnings, Freizer thinks that “it will be extremely
difficult for Azerbaijan to get back Nagorno-Karabakh and the occupied
territories.”

“It will be very difficult because of the land and also because Azeris
have bought a lot of weapons, while they don’t know how to use them,
they are not really prepared to use a lot of recourses they have,”
Freizer explained to ArmeniaNow.

The expert who has worked in Turkey for already five years is
convinced that Turkey’s involvement in the process of negotiations
over Karabakh will not be dangerous for Armenia, but, on the contrary,
“may actually be useful.”

“The likelihood of renewed hostilities in Karabakh is a real
concern for Turkey and Turkey is able to persuade Azerbaijan to be
ready for compromises in order to get a negotiated solution. Turkey
understands well that if a war breaks out, it will find itself in a
rather difficult situation, as on the one hand there will be pressure
from Azerbaijan to help, but on the other hand it understands that by
that step it will worsen its relations with Russia. Besides, Turkey
is a NATO member and will not start any military operations without
permission,” says Freizer.

According to the ICG expert, Turkey “extremely” values relations with
Russia, even more than its relations with the United States. “And
considering this fact, Turkey will never go against Russia in the
Karabakh settlement process,” adds Freizer.

Freizer also addressed the process of resettlement in territories
outside Karabakh proper now controlled by the Karabakh military,
calling it “very dangerous”.

“Settling people in occupied territories, whose status is not clear,
just means that they are putting them in a very dangerous and unsure
situation, so I think that it is very bad and there is no reason, as
in principles Armenia says that they will return occupied territories,
so this means that these people will have to be displaced again,”
says Freizer.

From: A. Papazian

ACCIDENT SIMILAR TO FUKUSIMA-1 IMPOSSIBLE AT ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

arminfo
Wednesday, April 20, 16:28

Armenian specialists launched a thorough analysis of the Armenian
NPP’s safety in line with the recommendation of the world community
after the accident of Fukusima-1 NPP in Japan, Ashot Martirosyan,
Head of the Governmental State Committee for Nuclear Security, said
in a press conference in Yerevan on Wednesday.

He said the results of the analysis will be summed up in September
2011. IAEA experts are involved in the analysis and others from the
USA may join them later, Martirosyan said. The profound analysis
includes in it the study of the effects of external factors – natural
calamities. Martirosyan said that in the period from May 15 up to
June 1 a planned monitoring by the IAEA exert group is expected.

Martirosyan said that an accident like the one on Fukusima-1 is
impossible on the Armenian NPP because the technical safety of the
Armenian plant is different. Unlike Fukusima-1, the Armenian NPP is
a two- circuit power plant. As soon as the pressure and temperature
rose on Fukusima-1, the safety services had to let the radioactive gas
out. At the Armenian NPP gas release is possible from steam generators
with water and not from the reactor. In fact, no meltdown is possible,
Martirosyan said. There are 6 steam generators at the Armenian NPP
with a huge volume of cooling water and the plant can operate without
external and internal power supply within 6 hours and without cooling
water, he said.

He said that $120 million have been invested in safety upgrading of
the Armenian NPP since 1993. Another $20 million will be invested for
these purposes till 2016. The funds invested were mostly assistance
from the USA, EU and IAEA. The expected $20 million are donor funds
and insignificant allocations by the Armenian Government. Safety
upgrade measures are taken at the plant every year on donor funds.

It should be noted in September 2003 the Armenian NPP was transferred
under financial management of the Inter RJSC UES of Russia for 5 years
and in Sept 2008 the term was extended for another 5 years. Two power
units of Russian model pressurized water reactor-440, with capacity
of 815 megawatt in total have been installed at the Armenian NPP. The
first unit was put into exploitation in 1976, the second in 1980. At
the beginning of 1989, the plant was closed down for political ideas,
and then the second unit was reactivated because of acute energy
crisis at the beginning of 1995. The share of NPP is 40% of total
energy generation in the country.

From: A. Papazian

GENOCIDE TOPIC SHOULD LEAVE THE BORDERS OF “TSITTSERRNAKABERD” MORE OFTEN
by David Stepanyan

ArmInfo
Thursday, April 21, 13:58

Interview of Director of Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk
Demoyan with ArmInfo news agency

What events id your Museum-Institute preparing for 24 April?

In April 2011 before the Armenian Genocide Day in Ottoman Empire
the International Conference “Armenian Genocide and Reaction of
Scandinavia” will be held in Yerevan. Besides the conference, the
temporary exposition will be held in our museum in Yerevan on 23
April. We expect guests from Denmark,Sweden and Norway, among which
will be experts, tourists and representatives of authorities of
these countries. One of the conceptual approaches of the museum is
to present the topic of the Genocide in the context of the history
and memory of the specific nation and state. In this case, we have
covered specific geographical region, that is to say, we watch the
linking lines of the Armenian genocide with history and memory of
Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Does the law on recognition of the Armenian genocide adopted by the
Swedish parliament recently play any part in it?

It plays absolutely no part. Our museum is a humanitarian object. We
have no political goals. We have chosen Scandinavia, as this year
the known humanist Fridtjof Nansen will become 150 year old. Just
thanks to Nansen many Armenian refugees, victims of the Genocide,
returned to Armenia having got an opportunity of free movement with
a help of the Nansen passports. Our museum is going to issue the
limited number of the Nansen medals.

Will you please present the details?

Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute has started issuing of medals
“100 issues” dedicated to the people that showed humanitarian aid to
Armenian people. Our museum is going to issue Nansen medal…Political
leaders, missionaries, intellectuals, there are many of them, but we
have decided to use the forthcoming 100 mourning anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide and issue 100 names of medal each with 100 copies.

The medal will be dedicated not only to specific people but also to
specific organizations. The museum will open temporary expositions
in Buenos-Aires, Los-Angeles, Oslo, Stockholm, Paris and Geneva. It
is very much important for us if the topic of the genocide goes out
of the borders of Tsitsernakaberd. For this reason, we shall open
our expositions in as many countries as possible. Every year we
open 2-3 extremely interesting and new expositions, new photos and
visualization ways using new technical options. Naturally, we have
difficulties including the financial ones, but we are trying not to
connect our work with these difficulties.

What about your plans for 2012?

In 2012 the museum is going to double the volume of the temporary
expositions in abroad. Their geography will be also extended, thanks
to Russia. The Russians have to understand the role of the Armenian
genocide in the all-Russian memory and history

What about the programmes for 2015, the 100 anniversary of the
Armenian genocide?

The exposition of the museum will be extended and the number of the
rooms for the digitalized materials increased…All our exponents
will be digitalized and placed in Internet for free access. There are
certain difficulties in the process but we hope to overcome them. It is
very much important for us not to centralize the Genocide topic only
in Tsitsernakaberd. Actually, we are the only museum of the Armenian
genocide which has been investigated the issue on the scientific level,
but unfortunately, we have a great potential in this direction which
is not used. The time has come for Armenia and Diaspora to create
the joint working group in which the state will also take part. But
unfortunately, only the museum is interested in the joint cooperation
with Diaspora.

The domestic political forces of Armenia seem to come to consensus in
the matter of the Armenian-Turkish relations. What do you think of it?

Stemming from the fact that the “Road map” was suddenly adopted in
April 2008 and the protocols were also suddenly signed, I don’t
rule out sharp movements for reanimation of the Armenian-Turkish
process. I don’t rule out the fact of pressure upon Turkey in that
case. At present, talking to Armenia from the position of force
Turkey has fully disowned itself not only in the Armenian-Turkish
but also the Karabakh process. We were expecting quite different
thing but Ankara failed the exam. There are people in Armenia which
think he is a traitor, as he accepted the Turkish idea on creation
of the sub-commission on the Genocide issue, but I am just the man
to protect the topic of the Genocide. Actually, neutralizing of
information threats of Turkey was the most important in his position.

At present I have fulfilled my task. I am sure that stemming from
the position of Turkey, which used pressing towards Armenia, the
Zurich Protocols do not give an opportunity for them to lay on the
basis of establishment of normal relations between our countries. For
this reason, Armenia should unilaterally leave the process referring
to destructiveness of Turkey. Nobody will blame us for something,
since Ankara itself has devaluate the process and the Protocols.

Over the last two years on the threshold of 24 April all Armenians
are waiting what Obama will say. This year everything is silent…

It has already become a rule, but an exclusion that US presidents,
including Barack Obama, promise to pronounce the word Genocide but
do not do that. For this reason, it is time to stop self-deceit. But
I would like to watch this issue in the context of the other failed
initiatives, for instance, discussion of the resolution of the Genocide
in US Congress, which traditionally does not take place at the last
moment. This is a very dangerous tendency, when people, which make
political decisions, where and how to direct the protest or lobbying,
do not account their real resources, and finally lose. This contains
many risks, as this very much important issue for Armenians is reduced
to the level of the street protest action. For this reason, people
involved in this issue should finally understand that the strictly
expressed strategy, which takes into account specific realities,
resources and results, is the most important in this matter. If we
don’t have all this, such failures will be permanent.

From: A. Papazian

ANTI-MONOPOLY COMMISSION OF ARMENIA TO PUNISH BIG AND SMALL EGG PRODUCERS

arminfo
Thursday, April 21, 14:29

The State Commission on Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC)
promises to punish severely big and small egg producers, Chairman of
SCPEC, Artak Shaboyan, said at today’s round table held in Yerevan
and dedicated to the competition problems.

The Commission has been holding daily monitoring of the production
volumes, sale and egg prices. Shaboyan said that the purpose of the
monitoring is to prevent possible speculation actions by the egg
producers as the demand for eggs is growing.

He also added that not only producers but also the retail trade
companies – supermarkets and shops will be also punished for possible
violations at the market. He assured that at present “everything is
normal” at the egg market.

To recall, sharp and baseless growth of the egg prices was fixed during
the New Year holidays, when an egg cost 100 drams instead of the
former 60 drams. As a result of the audit held by the Anti-Monopoly
Commission, the Lusakert poultry farm was fined at 100 mln drams
(about $274 thsd). The Commission assessed the actions of the farm
like taking advantage for the dominating position at the market.

According to the data of the statistics, about 719 mln eggs were
produced in 2010, which was by 14% more than in 2009.

From: A. Papazian