Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIAN PREMIER DISCUSSES PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION WITH BILLIONAIRE EURNEKIAN

YEREVAN, September 10. /ARKA/. Armenia’s premier Hovik Abrahamyan
discussed cooperation-related issues with Armenian Argentinean
businessman Eduardo Eurnekian on Tuesday, the government press office
reported.

The premier praised Eurnekian’s activities in Armenia and said
the government will support implementation of his projects in his
historic homeland.

The Argentinean businessman, in his turn, expressed confidence the
successful cooperation with the government will continue.

The parties talked about implementation of a number of current projects
implemented by Eurnekian in Armenia and future plans.

Eurnekian is the owner of Corporacion America and holds the concession
for Zvartnots airport in Yerevan. Eurnekian is implementing other
major projects in Armenia, in agriculture in particular, and is the
owner of Conversebank. -0–

From: A. Papazian

DRAFT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS ATTRACT DIVERGING COMMENTS IN ARMENIA

11:25 * 10.09.14

The proposed constitutional amendments, debated actively over the
recent period, receive various evaluations and comments by right-
and left-wing politicians in Armenia.

Tevan Poghosyan, a lawmaker of the opposition Heritage party, says
he doesn’t see any trust in the electoral mechanisms to attract the
opponents of the reforms to present their arguments.

“It’s a more important argument than anything else,” he told Tert.am.

The opposition MP said he doesn’t understand in what way the existing
mechanisms can enable the authorities to ensure the implementation
of even the best proposal.”We are not sure the electoral mechanisms
can help resolve any problem today,” Poghosyan said, adding that the
proposals in question are practically possible to implement without
constitutional amendments.

“All we need is to make changes in the law,” he said, promising that
the party will elaborate on its position at the upcoming debates.

Speaking to Tert.am, Tigran Urikhanyan of the opposition-leaning
Prosperous Armenian party declined to comment on President Serzh
Sargsyan’s earlier statement that the opponents of the reforms fail
to present any argument.

“With the poverty rate amounting to 40%, the economic paces seeing
a dramatic decline and the social conditions being unspeakably
problematic, it isn’t appropriate to waste huge financial, political
and human resources for conducting a referendum. The priorities the
Armenian citizen sets today have to do with the existing problems
in the country,” he said, adding that it is the individual citizen’s
right to voice preferences and call for political reforms.

Commenting on the issue, Hovhannes Sahakyan of the ruling Republican
parliamentary faction said he doesn’t see any counter-argument apart
from political accentuations (which he considered untimely).

He also addressed the widely argued lack of confidence in electoral
commissions. “The representatives of those political forces, who
speak about confidence, do not even have a member to represent in
the commission. So they are naturally supposed to speak about the
commission’s untrustworthiness. I would first of all call on those
people to expand their political team a little bit to fill the seats
in the commission as prescribed by the law,” he noted.

Sahakyan said he thinks that the Electoral Code has improved
considerably after the latest amendments to ensure the conduct of
free, fair and transparent elections. “The Electoral Code is a tool
that helps every citizen to exercise his or her right to a free and
fair election. As for the other mechanisms, that’s a problem for the
political forces in terms of demonstrating a will,” he added.

Commenting on the remark that a waste of resources is unjustified
today, the Republican MP said he doesn’t find such arguments
realistic. “We are already stepping into the field of improbabilities.

There are, of course, social difficulties, but if that is the case,
then no government institution should function , as financial
resources are allocated from the budget. I think that’s the most
vulnerable argument, so we will present our counter-remarks once it
is officially made public,” he added.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Sept 7 2014

CHURCH FIGURES UNITE FOR HISTORIC TURKISH SERVICE

AA

VAN, Turkey — Preparations are continuing for a special religious
service to be held in eastern Turkey on Sunday which will see senior
figures from Greek, Armenian and Syrian Orthodox churches attend
together for the first time.

The 10th-century Akdamar Church in Van province will see Vicar of the
Armenian Orthodox Church Aram Atesyan, Ecumenical Patriarch of
Constantinople Bartholomew I, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox
Church Yusuf Cetin and Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian attend the historic service.

The Mass is performed once a year.

“Tomorrow will be a historic day. This is the first time that the
Greek Patriarchate, the Armenian Patriarchate, the Syrian Patriarchal
Vicar and other religious leaders will attend the ceremony at the same
time,” Aram Atesyan told the Turkish news agency AA in Van.

“We will pray for peace and unity in Turkey and the world during the
Mass,” he added.

Akdamar is an ancient Armenian church located on Akdamar Island in Lake Van.

The church held its first Mass for 95 years in 2010 after it was
restored by the Turkish government.

From: A. Papazian

Sportinglife.com
Sept 8 2014

Denmark 2 – 1 Armenia

Denmark were spared another home embarrassment at the hands of Armenia
as goals from Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Thomas Kahlenberg secured the
Scandinavians a come-from-behind 2-1 victory in their Euro 2016
qualifying campaign opener on Sunday.

Playing a nation who had pulled off a famous 4-0 victory over them at
Parken during World Cup qualifying in 2013, the Danes looked set to be
humbled by the Armenians in Copenhagen once again when Borussia
Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s strike put the away side 1-0
up in the 50th minute.

However, Hojbjerg levelled 15 minutes later with a long-range effort,
and with 10 minutes of the contest to go substitute Kahlenberg headed
home the winner.

In a relatively quiet first half lacking in genuine chances, Denmark
looked the better side at first.

But Armenia grew into the game as time went on and they snatched the
lead five minutes after the interval when Mkhitaryan drove a powerful
effort from distance which flew past Kasper Schmeichel in the home
goal.

Fearing a repeat of last year’s nightmare, the hosts went in search of
an equaliser and it came in fairly spectacular circumstances, Bayern
Munich teenager Hojbjerg reacting when the Armenian defence only
half-cleared a long throw to crack a first-time effort into the corner
of the net from around 25 yards out.

And Denmark’s salvage job subsequently saw them claim all three points
after Kahlenberg exchanged passes with Nicklas Bendtner before
converting his cross.

From: A. Papazian

My Next Fone
Sept 8 2014

UC helps construct resources, revenue at private Armenian university

Incoming undergraduate students at the American University of Armenia,
which is receiving guidance from University of California staff and
administrators, gather for a group photo last month in Yerevan,
Armenia. Photo: Eric Grigorian, Special To The Chronicle

Wedged such as a peach pit surrounded by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Iran sits a nation half the size of Lake Michigan with great
weather, ancient history, and a dazzling private university run
largely by – that’s right – the University of California.

Its students have the freedom to choose their possess classes. They
can spar with faculty. And, most unusually for Armenia, they don’t
need to bribe a professor for a better grade.

Aimée Dorr, UC’s provost, is a trustee of the American University of
Armenia, which opened to undergraduates for the primary time last
year.

Eight other UC professors, deans, finance executives and retired
leaders and academics also sit on its 22-member Board of Trustees.
Karl Pister, former chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, is one of them. Larry
Pitts, ex-UC provost, is chairman of the board – a role retiring UC
provosts agree to take on.

The new president of the Armenian university is a professor on leave
from UC Berkeley. Now he gazes out at Mount Ararat from campus instead
of Mount Tamalpais.

“Armenia is a very old country – almost such as an open-air museum
with churches and monasteries going back to the fourth century. But
there’s no gate and no ticket to buy,” stated Armen Der Kiureghian,
66, a civil engineering professor from Cal who initiated the job on
July 1. “We’re hoping that some American students will be interested
in studying at an American university abroad. We’d be a natural.”

Academic quality is high, he stated . “The diploma is accredited by
the same organization that accredits Berkeley and Stanford.”

Rigorous evaluations

Like those stellar establishments, the American University of Armenia
undergoes a rigorous review of standards every seven years from the
Western Association of Schools and Colleges in Alameda. The evaluators
are volunteers from UC campuses, California State University and two
private American colleges. They travel at the academic institution ‘s
cost .

No UC money flows to the Armenian university, UC officials state .
What flows eastward is “just know-how,” Der Kiureghian stated . “No
financial contributions.”

The know-how does include legal and investment assistance . The
trustees – officially the American University of Armenia Corp. – rent
an office from UC in Oakland’s Kaiser Center and invest their funds in
UC’s general endowment pool. UC’s controller, Peggy Arrivas, chairs
their finance committee.

“We are there as rooters, supporters and revenue generators for the
university,” stated Pitts, the former UC provost who not only chairs
the Armenian University’s Board of Trustees, but its Board of
Directors, which raises funds for wages , taxes and health care.

Yet others state UC offers the Armenian university – and its students
– something deeper.

“It’s changing the moral fiber of the country,” stated Judson King,
director of Cal’s Center for Studies in Higher Education, referring to
the rare possibilities the academic institution provides for Armenian
students to have academic freedom in a region where universities
typically exert more control than in the West.

Until last year, the university offered only graduate-level programs.
Now its primary undergraduates – almost 300 18-year-olds – have
completed their primary year at a academic institution unlike any
other in Armenia and are starting their second alongside a new crew of
freshmen. One obvious difference is that everything is in English.

“I love this university,” stated Shahane Arushanyan, a computer
science major who learned English at Ayb High School in Yerevan. “I
even go there during the holidays, because it is such as a home for
me.”

Students such as the freedom to choose their possess major – not
always possible in Armenian universities – and the capability to take
classes alongside students studying other fields. They appreciate
browsing library shelves on their possess , rather than having to ask
for every book that interests them. And they such as being able to
disagree with their professors – without having it affect their grade.

No more bribes

The only way to get a better grade at the UC- linked to academic
institution is to work for it, students stated . Unlike faculty at
some Armenian schools, professors take no payment in exchange for
favors.

“The most famous type of corruption is bribing for admissions exams
and graduation exams,” stated Maria Sargsyan, who is also studying
computer science and entering her second year. “I remember when I was
forced to give teachers money for buying presents for the headmaster
of my high academic institution . I also remember when some of my
classmates bribed for not going to academic institution and having
good grades with zero absences.”

The unknown Western approach caused “educational shock” for Edita
Sahakyan last year.

“The differences between AUA undergraduate program and that of other
Armenian universities are really significant,” stated the math and
programming major, marveling at the “library with wide opportunities,”
the fact that professors hold office hours to answer questions, and
the chance for students to hold jobs on campus.

The university offers just three undergraduate degrees as yet:
business, computer science, and “English and communications.” Annual
tuition for business costs the most, at 1.5 million drams, or $3,663.
The others are $2,637 each. As with UC, eligible students who can’t
afford it pay no tuition.

International students pay regarding twice the in-country rate, so Bay
Area students eyeing the Armenian university as a way to get a
top-shelf education on the cheap would pay just regarding half of UC’s
$12,192 tuition for California residents.

The campus also offers eight masters programs and a handful part-time
and non-degree-granting courses.

The university’s story starts with the enormous 6.8-magnitude
earthquake that hit northern Armenia on Dec. 7, 1988, and killed at
least 25,000 individuals , wounded more than 30,000, and flattened
villages. Among the Americans who went there to assistance was Der
Kiureghian, then a young Cal professor.

Stunned by the extent of the damage and the substandard construction
that caused hospitals to collapse and kill scores of medics , Der
Kiureghian returned a year later.

“I realized not much had been done in terms of studying the reasons
for the damage and the loss,” he stated . “It was very disappointing.”

What was needed, he thought, was an remaining research university of
the kind that in the United States would have been all over an
earthquake region puzzling out causes and seeking solutions.

Der Kiureghian wrote a proposal and contacted colleagues.

On Sept. 21, 1991, the day the Soviet Republic of Armenia became an
independent nation, the American University of Armenia opened with 101
graduate students.

It would take another 22 years for the teenagers to arrive.

Able to stay in Armenia

Now the university “provides them with the opportunity to receive an
American-accredited higher education without leaving their country,”
stated Bruce Boghosian, a math professor from Tufts who was president
of the Armenian university from 2010 until July.

“Many, many parents have said to me that they had been planning to
deliver their college-age pupil abroad for their undergraduate
education,” he stated . “They were very relieved to know that they
could stay in Armenia, keep the family together, and their child would
receive a globe -class education.”

Of course, if Armenian students want a UC-style education, they may
need to practice certain activities common on UC campuses besides
studying.

“Last summer, when the fee to the public transport was raised, they
protested and finally achieved their purpose of decreasing it again,”
Sahakyan stated .

For now, she stated , no one is protesting tuition at the American
University of Armenia.

“The tuition fee in Armenia is quite little.”

From: A. Papazian

Austria’s government to grant EURO 600,000 to Syrian Armenians: Kurz

16:59, 8 September, 2014

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: The Minister for Europe, Integration
and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria Sebastian Kurz,
accompanied by his delegation, visited the Armenian Red Cross Society.
The Austrian diplomat got acquainted with the results of the program
“Support to Syrian Armenians” implemented with the financial
assistance of the Austria’s government. Armenpress reports that
Sebastian Kurz expressed his gratitude to the Armenian Red Cross
Society for the reception and stated that it is a great opportunity to
get acquainted with the process of the program implementation.

“We are aware that especially the refugees are in a very vulnerable
situation and the program is quite useful to improve their life
quality.

I am happy to inform you that we will continue assisting the program
and will grant another EURO 600,000 to contribute in the program”, – said
the Austria’s FM.

The Foreign Minister of Austria Sebastian Kurz is in Armenia on an
official visit at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Armenia
Edward Nalbandian. Today, the Austrian FM visited Tsitsernakaberd and
paid tribute to the memory of the genocide victims. In the framework
of the visit the FM will also attend the opening ceremony of the
Austrian Development Agency in Armenia. The Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Austria met today and discussed the agenda of the
bilateral relations, expressed views on regional and international
issues.

From: A. Papazian

Reform Controversy: Sargsyan defends plans for constitutional changes

Politics | 08.09.14 | 10:24
Photo:

President Serzh Sargsyan sees no serious arguments against making
changes in the current Constitution despite criticism from most
opposition and non-governing forces, including his two predecessors.

Speaking at the meeting of the board of the ruling Republic Party of
Armenia (RPA) on Saturday, Sargsyan said that a drastic reform of the
political system of the country will underlie the concept of
constitutional changes that a special commission of experts is due to
submit by October 15.

The head of state stressed that such a reform is a vital necessity for
the development of Armenia as a law-abiding and democratic state. At
the same time, he called for active political work with parliamentary
and non-parliamentary forces for the promotion and coordination of the
constitutional reform.

“We clearly understand that a maximally broad coordination of the
constitutional reform is necessary as the Constitution can be
effective only if there is public consent. We are ready to openly
discuss any initiative that will be aimed at strengthening the rule of
law and democracy, at the protection of human rights, the achievement
of a more effective system of governance, an independent and impartial
judiciary,” he said.

“All the counterarguments that the critics of the reform cite – even
though I don’t see such counterarguments – are unclear to me… They say
only one thing: now it is not the right time for that. And why is it
not the right time? Can such a thing be an argument in a serious
discussion at all? I would like to hear arguments, because arguments
like “now it is not the right time, now everything is different, it
was different in the past” are ways and excuses to avoid discussions,”
Sargsyan concluded.

At least three of the four major opposition and non-governing
parliamentary parties have opposed the reforms first announced about a
year ago. The Armenian National Congress, the Prosperous Armenia Party
and Heritage argue that Armenia has lots of much more pressing
concerns, such as economic, social and demographic problems, than a
constitutional reform and that the government should focus on solving
these issues in the first place. Another implicit concern of the
opposition forces is that by reforming the Constitution and
effectively turning Armenia into a parliamentary republic the current
ruling elites seek to reassure their continued grip on power after the
next general elections in 2017-18.

Still in April when several blueprints for the reform were first
unveiled President Sargsyan pledged not to seek a high government post
after the end of his second and last term in office in 2018. He
implied that his two predecessors, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Robert
Kocharyan, should follow suit. One of the changes planned in the
Constitution supposedly may bar heads of state from holding the post
for more than two times in a lifetime.

But both Ter-Petrosyan and Kocharyan pronounced against the need for
constitutional reforms in Armenia at present. Kocharyan, who marked
his 60th birthday on August 31, had also said that even if restriction
for holding presidential office for more than two terms in a lifetime
were included in the Constitution, it could not be applied
retrospectively. And 69-year-old Ter-Petrosyan, who had cited his age
as the main reason for not running for president again in 2013, even
said in one of his recent interviews that “the issue of the
constitutional reform is a sort of watershed between the dictatorial
regime and healthy forces of the society, a problem on whose solution
the future of Armenia and Karabakh depends.”

From: A. Papazian

Yerevan finds Wales declaration formulations “generalized and selective”

Monday 8 September 2014 13:43
Photo: Photolure

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Official Yerevan finds formulations in the
declaration of Wales NATO Summit regarding the peace process of
conflicts in the South Caucasus “generalized and selective”.

“As you know, NATO is not involved in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peace
process and supports the approaches of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
which are in conformity with Armenia’s position. The formulations
adopted in the declaration of NATO Summit over the past years as well
as of Wales NATO Summit 2014 and referring to the peace process of
conflicts in Moldova and the South Caucasus express generalized and
selective approaches. It does not comply with the approaches put
forward by OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, neither with the statements and
decisions passed within OSCE over the past years”, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian stated at the joint press-conference with
Austrian FM Sebastian Kurz in Yerevan today.

The Armenian FM noted that such formulations harm the negotiation
process as well as the region’s stability and security.

“It also contributes to the fact that Azerbaijan is driving away from
the reality more and so by employing its bellicose policy it acts
against the approaches of the international community”, Edward
Nalbandian stated.

According to the FM, the selective approach to the international law
contradicts to both the UN Charter and Helsinki Final Act.

Mediamax recalls that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan took part in
Wales NATO Summit and urged NATO member states not to encourage future
provocations of Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian

Caucasian Red Deer Spotted in Tusheti After Decades

On August 27, 2014 · By: CNF Staff
(c) Agency of Protected Areas, Georgia

The Caucasian red deer has been spotted in Tusheti Protected Areas
after decades of absence.

The Caucasian red deer or Cervus elaphus maral is listed as critically
endangered in both the Georgian and Armenian Red Book. It was thought
that Georgia had only two very small and isolated populations in
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park and Lagodekhi Strict Nature Reserve.
But recent camera trap footage confirms the deer is making a return to
the high mountains of Tusheti Protected Areas.

CNF is supporting Tusheti with a three-year operational grant of
EURO 284,400; part of the funds are used to purchase essential equipment,
such as camera traps, fuel and patrol vehicles. The video footage was
made possible by camera traps installed in different areas of the park
to help monitor the park’s biodiversity.

Historically, the mountains of Tusheti had a rich deer population, but
due to years of hunting and encroachment deer numbers have dwindled
across the region and the animal was thought to be extinct in Tusheti.
Without proper monitoring tools it was impossible to determine whether
of not the deer was in the area. Sightings by local shepherds during
the summer months gave park administrators hope that the red deer was
returning, but it was the camera traps that provided the real proof.

The first images were captured about two years ago and showed a single
deer on a hillside, more recent video has shown a group of deer and a
mother and baby walking down to a little spring. Experts first thought
that the deer had migrated from Lagodekhi, the neighboring protected
area, but now there is enough footage from different areas to confirm
that the deer is in fact inhabiting the high mountains. Furthermore,
the images of the mother and baby confirm that the population is
growing!

CNF is working with park administrators to ensure proper measures are
in place to reduce poaching and monitor the species so the red deer
can once again thrive in Georgia. Visit Tusheti Protected Areas. You
may be one of the first visitors to meet the Caucasian deer in person!

From: A. Papazian

Head of Armenian SMEJA to participate in Russian conference

YEREVAN, September 8. / ARKA /. An Armenian delegation, led by Mihran
Poghosian, the head of the Service for the Mandatory Execution of
Judicial Acts (SMEJA), has left on Monday for the Russian Republic of
North Ossetia-Alania to participate in the V International conference
titled “Search of debtors and their assets: national regulation and
international cooperation. ”

The Armenian delegation is participating in the conference at the
invitation of the Director of the Russian Federal Service of Court
Bailiffs Arthur Parfyonchikov.

The event will be held in Vladikavkaz on September 9-11. Similar
conferences were held in Russian St. Petersburg, Kazan, Voronezh and
Yekaterinburg.

The conference is an annual event conducted by the Federal Service of
Court Bailiffs in conjunction with leading universities of Russia and
the administration of Russian regional governments. -0-

From: A. Papazian