Author: Andres-Papazian

FOR SERZH SARGSYAN, THE BRIDGES WITH TURKEY ARE NOT BURNED

September 29 2014

Since, according to NKR former Foreign Minister Arman Melikyan, Serzh
Sargsyan sent the Armenian-Turkish protocols to hell not on his but on
behalf of many citizens of Armenia. – How will you estimate President
of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan’s speech in the UN? Is there a certain view
that Serzh Sargsyan’s words addressed to the outer world during his
tenure was quite tough, at the same time, balanced and with correct
accents? Do you agree? – A strange qualification: a word can be tough,
soft or balanced. It cannot be both tough and balanced. It’s another
question of to how justified this toughness is and adequate to the
current situation. In my opinion, it is equivalent as it certifies the
failure of sweeping efforts addressed at least to the improvement of
Armenian-Turkish relations. By and large, this was a confession of
short-sightedness of the process started in 2008 and notorious and
demagogic Armenian-Turkish protocols made from the UN podium. As
usual, Mr. Sargsyan, in the context of Azerbaijan and Karabakh
conflict, talked about everything except for the Azeri-Armenian
refugees problems, following the harmful tradition established by
his predecessors. Without raising this issue, talking about other key
elements of the conflict is useless and fruitless waste of time. In
the context of conflict settlement, this is the only issue, the
substantial and comprehensive discussion of which can eventually lead
to real solutions. – Why isn’t Serzh Sargsyan able or seeks to keep
the balance in the domestic political life, too? – This is a matter
of work style, which, perhaps, is also correlated with certain world
outlook peculiarities. I wish that he and all of his successors adopt
the conduct of talking to subordinates and ordinary citizens with
“You” as an important step to ensure the balance. Psychologically,
it is a problem when the person occupying a leading position, while
contacting with his subordinates or ordinary citizens, addresses them
with “you,” clearly realizing that they cannot address him with “you”.

He must realize that all sectors of the government system follow
the pattern used by him. I assure you that this, may be not seemed
significant at first glance, detail can form a totally new environment
– the government is obligated to stay on its proper height. –
Speaking from the UN podium about the Armenian-Turkish protocols,
Serzh Sargsyan directly sent them “to hell”, saying, “Those Protocols
have been shelved for years now awaiting ratification in the Turkish
Parliament. Ankara declares publicly that it will ratify those
Protocols only if Armenians cede Nagorno-Karabakh, the free Artsakh,
to Azerbaijan. In Armenia and Artsakh, ordinary people often just
retort to such preconditions: “To hell with your ratification.” This
vernacular phrase concentrates the age-old struggle of the entire
nation, and it unequivocally explains to those who attempt to
bargain the others’ homeland that the motherland is sacrosanct,
and they had better stay away from us with their bargain. It is in
these circumstances that currently the official Yerevan is seriously
considering the issue of recalling the Armenian-Turkish Protocols
from the parliament.” While once, he was the number one advocate of
protocols. Was the speech also a preparation ground for recalling the
protocols from the Parliament of Armenia? – He sent them to hell not on
his but on behalf of many citizens of Armenia, so, personally for him,
the bridges are not burned. The protocols, initially, were stillborn,
and the sides initialed them based on purely tactical reasons. The
Armenian-Turkish hostility is a convenient political tool in the hands
of strangers, in the context of providing geopolitical interests in
our region. If we also add that groupings that take immediate benefits
from propaganda of this hostility are formed in Turkish and Armenian
environments over the decades, it will become clear that the true
solution settlement of relationships, today, has a more effective
opponent than a supporter. – Ahead to the centennial of the Genocide,
on the background of the official invitation to the Turkish President
to visit Armenia, what role and significance will the recalling of
the protocols have, and what future developments will be? Will Turkey
go to more drastic actions against Armenia, especially that once,
Erdogan himself hinted on 70 thousand Armenians living and working
illegally in Turkey? – The Armenian-Turkish relations, in the near
future, will most likely gain special importance, especially in
the context of growing systemic crisis of Russia-West relations. It
is not excluded that Mr. Sargsyan’s such drastic behavior is also
due to this fact, obviously he has addressed his words to the newly
elected president of Turkey and the newly appointed prime minister
of Turkey, who apparently will govern their country in the next few
years. I think that it is possible to calculate whom it is necessary
to aggravate the Armenian-Turkish relations. – Can Serzh Sargsyan’s
arguments with regard to NKR issue in the UN Security Council and
failure to implement the Resolutions of the UN Security Council by
Azerbaijan receive a practical respond, or they were just necessary
documentations? – The four UN Resolutions were adopted in already begun
war conditions and predominantly refer to the matter of immediate
cease of military actions. The Republic of Armenia is not actually
introduced in them as a warring party. After father Aliyev’s becoming
the President of Azerbaijan, Armenia under Russia’s pressure had to
recognize itself as a party in conflict, and with this status, sign
the ceasefire agreement. If we want withdraw from this vicious circle,
then we need to come up with new arguments and substantiations. –
Yesterday, the draft document for Armenia’s accession to EaEU was
published. What risks does it contain, in your opinion? – We are
going to be integrated into a common economic space, against which
economic sanctions are already applied, which cannot but influence on
our economy. Whether we will benefits, or lose, time will tell. First,
the agreement should be signed, and then gradually the norms prescribed
by it will begin to apply. As far as I understand, certain temporary
benefits and advantages are defined for Armenia. But let’s not go
ahead to the events, as the geopolitical changes in the neighboring
regions are taking place so fast that in a few months we can appear
in an entirely new geopolitical situation. – Will the agreement for
Armenia’s accession to the EaEU be signed on October 10, as it is
planned, or there are still hopes that one of the parties will prevent
it? – This is a matter of political tactics. The important matter is
that the current authorities of Armenia have announced about their
strategic decision to affiliate to the Union, and as to which moment
this declaration will be endorsed by signing underneath the document,
I do not consider it so essential.

Interviewed by Nelly GRIGORYAN

Read more at:

From: A. Papazian

PISTE TURQUE DERRIERE LA DESTRUCTION DE L’EGLISE DES SAINTS MARTYRS PAR L’ETAT ISLAMIQUE ?

ARMENIE

La > de la plupart des quotidiens est consacree a la
destruction, le 21 septembre, par les terroristes de l’Etat islamique
de l’Eglise armenienne des Saints Martyrs dans la ville syrienne de
Deir ez-Zor . Alors que le chef de la diplomatie armenienne a qualifie
l’explosion de l’Eglise d’>. M. Sarkissian a rappele que Deir ez-Zor est un desert
syrien qui est devenu pour 1,5 millions d’Armeniens une >.

From: A. Papazian

Manifestation a Stepanakert : les residents de la capitale du Karabagh marchent contre l’elevation des tarifs des transports en commun

KARABAGH

Une marche de protestation contre la prochaine hausse des tarifs des
transports publics s’est tenue dans la capitale du Haut-Karabagh
Stepanakert. Beaucoup de residents estiment que la hausse de 70 a
100 drams par trajet prevu le 1er Octobre est sans fondement.

Les observateurs disent que la societe civile au Karabagh n’est pas
aussi active qu’en Armenie encore et qu’il y a quelques problèmes
que les gens du pays qui vivent dans un etat de facto de guerre ne
sont pas prets a se plaindre publiquement. Aujourd’hui, cependant,
le mecontentement du public semble etre particulièrement fort avec
la decision des autorites municipales. La marche de protestation a
commence en face de l’hôtel de ville de Stepanakert et a continue
dans les rues de la capitale.

Les citoyens se sont meme organises en un groupe de pression appele
>, dit
le rapport.

Il ajoute :

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN BEEKEEPERS SEEK STATE SUPPORT AS DRY CLIMATE AFFECTS YIELD

11:19 * 30.09.14

The dry climate of the past couple of years has seriously affected
beekeeping industries, essentially reducing the volumes of production.

Speaking to Tert.am, owners of several beekeeping businesses shared
their concerns over the poor honey yield.

“There was no honey the year before last; we had some last year but
didn’t export even a single kilogram of it to Europe, as our product
falls short of meeting European standards,” said Telman Nazaryan,
the president of the Beekeepers’ Association of Armenia.

The total honey yield, according to him, is not expected to be more
than 100 tons (in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh together).

Nazaryan attributed the poor quantity to the unfavorable climate
conditions. “This year we saw hails when we didn’t expect even rain,
and whenever we expected rain, we saw the sun shining etc. This year
was turned out unlucky, and not favorable for honey,” he noted.

Nazaryan further cited a UN survey which revealed a 60% decrease in the
number of bees in Europe and a further 70% decrease in Germany alone.

“The number of bees drops annually by 20%-40% despite the states’
best efforts to boost the sector. And because the things here are in a
state of neglect, the number will increase instead of decreasing. The
state policies in this direction are limited only to words, but that’s
absolutely no use,” he added.

As a possible solution, the association’s president stressed the need
of state investments. “We cannot do anything without money. We have
territories which are very good for beekeeping, and we can produce
eco-honey. All we need is a state support,” he added.

Nazaryan remembered that Armenian beekeepers had been earlier honored
with medals in a conference in Kazakhstan. “Their state collaborates
with the association of beekeepers. That’s something very important,”
he added.

Asked why the honey quality falls below the export standards,
Nazaryan said he thinks that it’s because of beekeepers’ failure
or unwillingness to follow specified rules. “Europe requests a big
quantity of honey. But it isn’t possible to treat a bee with chemical
substances and at the same time avoid an impact on the honey quality.

It isn’t as though we can cheat Europe. A beekeeper should not use
a chemical substance to treat a bee,” he said.

Armen Nazaryan, a leading specialist of the association, agreed that
beekeepers often fail to respect the established rules, choosing
instead medications as a cheaper method of treating bees.

As for the realization of honey, he said the inability to sell the
product at once appears really problematic for beekeepers. “Their
money doesn’t come at once as they sell the honey in small quantities,”
he noted.

Asked whether the honey yield is enough at least to meet the domestic
market demand, Nazaryan replied, “One person is theoretically supposed
to consume 80-100 grams of honey per day; that makes up 36 kilograms
in annual terms. So the question is, who produces so much honey for
one person in Armenia?”

The specialist proposed considering the medical advantages of
beekeeping. “The question can be put on rails, as we do seriously
have that potential in Armenia,” he added.

Ruslan Poghosyan, a beekeeper from Armenia’s Syunik region, said that
the summer drought period negatively affected bees’ productivity. “I
personally had 50 % less honey this year. And I hear the yield is
even less in other places,” he told our correspondent.

He cited the problem of preventive drugs as a major concern in the
sector. “We try to import drugs from abroad, as the drugs here are
not effective at all,” he noted.

Another key problem in the area has to do with procurement, the
specialist added. “There’s nowhere one can go to hand over the
product. And wherever they receive it, the money paid appears too
little to cover the cost of our work,” Poghosyan said.

From: A. Papazian

168 HOURS: SAMVEL ALEXANYAN TO STRENGTHEN MONOPOLY

10:57 30/09/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

As the Union of Informed Citizens said recently, Armenia’s membership
to the Eurasian Economic Union will not harm the business of Samvel
Alexanyan as from 2015 to 2025, the imported raw sugar for processing
will be exempt from customs duties. Alexanyan’s Lusastgh Sugar
company imports sugar which undergoes re-procession before entering
the domestic market, 168 Hours writes.

The newspaper notes that currently Armenia pays 10 percent customs duty
for importing ready-made sugar (USD 60-65 per ton), while according
to the Customs Union Customs Code, in average, the country will have
to pay USD 250 for one ton.

It will cost higher to import ready-made sugar, and this will
strengthen Samvel Alexanyan’s monopoly, the newspaper adds.

From: A. Papazian

Slipped Disc
Sept 27 2014

100 concerts to commemorate centenary of Turkish massacre

September 25, 2014
by norman lebrecht

An orchestra of Armenian musicians has planned a calendar of 100
events to mark the genocide of their people by the Turkish state in
1915, an event that remains officially unacknowledged by most of the
world. Click here for schedule. They have also recorded a CD. Let us
never forget.

From: A. Papazian

France senator wants international community to recognize Karabakh

15:43, 25.09.2014

French Senator Jean Bizet, who is also chairman of the European
Affairs Committee, wants the international community to recognize the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), or Artsakh.

The senator stated the above-said following his talks, in the NKR
capital city of Stepanakert, with President and the FM of the country.

“Jean Bizet,

“- expresses his disagreement with Azerbaijan’s incessant threats and
imposed blockade against this independent state;

“- wants the international community to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh, to
ensure stability in the South Caucasus;

“- welcomes the [OSCE] Minsk Group activities, which are aimed at
putting an end to the volatile situation in this fragile region;

“- expresses satisfaction that the French President has invited the
Minsk Group to meet in Paris on October 27, to touch upon this topic
again; [and]

“- wants that, during this meeting on October 27, measures are
approved towards strengthening mutual trust between the parties [to
the Karabakh conflict],” specifically reads the statement which Jean
Bizet has issued.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

ArmTech Congress 2014: Serzh Sargsyan presents Armenia’s achievements
in IT sector

13:28 27/09/2014 >> ECONOMY

As part of his working visit to the United States, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan attended the ArmTech Congress 2014, where he delivered
a welcome speech.

Speech by President Serzh Sargsyan at ArmTech Congress 2014: Armenia’s
global high-tech industry platform

Dear representatives of the technological community,
Dear guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to open Armenia’s 7th global high-tech industry forum
ArmTech 2014 and to present you, the professional society, our
achievements and challenges in this sphere. I attach great value to
holding this forum periodically which provides ample opportunities to
discuss, plan and carry out a policy aimed at preserving Armenia’s
current economic and technological achievements. It allows discovering
new business and investment opportunities, establishing new ties and a
broad professional network, strengthening the existing business ties
between Armenian and world’s IT and high-tech organizations. All this
certainly raises Armenia’s rating as one of the most rapidly growing
countries in this sphere.

In recent years Armenia has made substantial progress in the sphere of
high technologies and has sustained an average 22-25 percent annual
growth. Over the last years the volume of exports and investments has
increased leading to geographical expansion and 60 percent export
growth. There are more than 380 actively-operating organizations as a
result of which working force grows 10 percent annually. Today that
sphere embraces around 11000 specialists which is not a small number
for Armenia. There is also considerable progress in influx of
transitional organizations to Armenia which is testified by the
presence of our international partners at ArmTech Congress.

Armenia is committed to continuously supporting sustainable
development in the sphere of information technology and
knowledge-based economy in general. With that end in view, we have
established a RA Presidential Award for Outstanding Contribution to
Humanity through IT in 2009. The award is annual and is conferred to
people who have made an exceptional contribution to the sphere. For
example, last year the award was conferred to President of Techno
Vision and Chairman of Semiconductor Industry Association, former
Hitachi CEO Tsugio Makimoto. This year the award was handed to Cisco
Systems Chief Development Officer Mario Mazzola.

In the last 5 years the sphere of information technology has recorded
a qualitative growth: Armenian companies have shifted their
outsourcing orientation growing into organizations carrying out
researches and development activities and offering complex engineering
solutions. Armenian IT products, including those of startup companies
are acquired by foreign organizations which stimulates Armenia’s
attractiveness.

I am proud to state that today solutions developed by Armenian
specialists are widely used by numerous organizations in different
countries of the world. For example, various micro schemes are made in
Armenia, countless leading banks have employed systems developed in
Armenia, our specialists’ most complex and comprehensive engineering
solutions are installed in management systems of oil-wells, gas mains,
underground and overground transport in a number of countries, and
this list is not complete.

For this reason a series of transnational organizations have
established their research and innovation centers in Armenia. I would
like to highlight particularly Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia,
the regional offices of National Instruments, IBM, Oracle and D-Link
which pay close attention to training of qualified IT specialties in
Armenia, establishment of startup organizations and application of
technologies in different economic spheres thereby raising the
economic competitiveness of our country. It is gratifying that the
mentioned centers are the biggest, but not the only, regional centers
which gives Armenia ample opportunities to hold a leading position on
the global technological map.

Of course, the cooperation with the Diaspora and the use of its
potential in building Armenia’s technological future are one of the
vital stimuli to develop the sphere of information technology in our
country. I am sure that owing to our public policy in this sphere and
the active support of our compatriots we will manage to ensure
technological immigration to Armenia. Concluding my speech, I wish the
forum meaningful and fruitful work and I am confident that, as always,
it will mark establishment of new business ties and outline of new
projects.

From: A. Papazian

Stone Age Weapons-Making Technology Discovered in Armenia

Friday, September 26th, 2014

A stone weapon made with the levallois technique

NOR GEGHI, Armenia (OTC Capital)–Thousands of tools from the
Paleolithic era have been discovered from a site in Armenia.

The latest discovery gives scientists a better insight into how
technological developments evolved and spread in the world. The
research teams which included scientists from across the world and a
team from Royal Holloway, University of London believe that they have
unearthed evidence that the ancient technique of Levallois which is
used for making hunting weapons was actually invented in Africa and
later spread across the world. Details of the study were published in
the journal Science.

The Paleolithic era is a period of human history which is
characterized by the development of primitive stone tools which was
developed for hunting. The period covers a major portion of human pre
historic technology.

The levallois technique is type of stone knapping which was developed
by the ancestors of modern humans for making hunting tools. It is a
more sophisticated method for making hunting tools. Levallois
technique has been named after the discovery of flint tools in the
French province of Levallois-Perret

The evidence of the theory that these tools originated in Africa and
spread to other parts is available at a site in Armenia. The
archaeologist believes that the technology was a part of these
Armenian communities which thrived 325,000 to 335,000 years ago.

“The discovery of thousands of stone artefacts preserved at this
unique site provides a major new insight into how Stone Age tools
developed during a period of profound human behavioural and biological
change,” researcher Simon Blockley, from the Royal Holloway geography
department of the University of London, said.

Together with fellow researcher Alison MacLeod and an international
team from across the United States and Europe, Blockley analysed
volcanic material from the site around Nor Geghi, in the Kotayk
province of Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA-GEORGIA
Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II Church “Georgia and Armenia are Christian
oasis in the Muslim world”

Catholicos-Patriarch Elijah II (Ilia II) Georgian Orthodox
Church-which come down of a Georgian family who have family ties with
the royal family Bagratides- during a meeting with members of the
Armenian community of Georgia on September 26 said that Georgia and
Armenia are Christian oasis in a Muslim world.

“These are difficult times (…) Armenia and Georgia are Christians
living in a Muslim oasis world. I remember my meeting with the Pope at
the Vatican. He took an atlas and observed the geographical position
of Armenia and Georgia.Then he said that Armenia and Georgia have
relatively complicated geographical locations and they are Christians
oasis. Therefore, we must be especially vigilant mutually ” said the
Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Elijah II.

He also reminded that during his meeting with the Catholicos of the
Armenian Church Karekin II, he warned Armenia that had a hostile
attitude to Georgia to face the UN and other international
organizations. “I told him that we should not have such an attitude,
we must speak with respect. I hope that you understand the risks of
our descents. If it’s good for Georgia, it’s good for Armenia. And
vice versa. We must defend our relations, ” said the Patriarch of the
Georgian Church. This procedure follows much opposition among members
of the Georgian and Armenian Church.

Krikor Amirzayan

Saturday, September 27, 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan © armenews.com

From: A. Papazian