Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIA HAS 2ND HIGHEST GROWTH IN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT AMONG CIS COUNTRIES

Tert.am
03.08.10

Armenia has had the second highest growth in industrial output among
CIS countries during the first half of 2010, a survey by Russian
newspaper ??? daily has revealed. Kyrgyzstan is the first in the list
with 41.8 per cent growth.

Industrial output in Armenia has been 12.3 per cent.

Other CIS countries in the list are Ukraine (12%) Tajikistan (12%),
Kazakhstan (11%), Russia (10.2%), Belarus (8.8%), Moldova (6.6%).

The lowest indicator has been registered in Azerbaijan – 3.5%.

In picture with inflation rate for the first half f 2010 in the
CIS countries is as follows: Ukraine (9.8%), Kyrgyzstan (2.9%),
Kazakhstan (7.1%), Moldova (6.9%), Belarus (6.6%), Tajikistan (5.3%)
and Azerbaijan (4.9%).

Inflation in Armenia during the period under discussion has been 7.3
per cent.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AWARDED ISO MAIN PRIZE

ARKA
August 3, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 3, /ARKA/. Armenia’s National Institute of Standards
was awarded the main prize of the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) for high quality of ISO-9001 standards, its
director Yenok Azarian told a news conference today.

He said the awarding ceremony was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 27,
attended by representatives of 35 countries. He said there was little
hope that the Armenian Institute of Standards would be awarded the
main prize, contested by large banks, but its recent membership in
ISO Council has raised the country’s image. He said the next awarding
ceremony will be held in Armenia.

The International Organization for Standardization, a non-government
organization, was established in 1946. It has 162 member countries
with the headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

From: A. Papazian

DESCENDANTS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TURKEY MAY RECEIVE COMPENSATION UP TO $ 100 BILLION – EXPERT

ARKA
August 3, 2010
YEREVAN

Descendants of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire in total
may be eligible for compensation up to $ 100 billion, the Armenian
turkologist Artak Shakaryan said.

“The Armenians are not the first time to impose a demand for
compensation for lost property to Turkey. In 1919, at the Paris Peace
Conference Armenians were talking about lost property of 19 billion
francs. After the recalculation in 1925 the amount of compensation
turned into 14.5 billion francs, which by today’s standards is up to $
100 billion,” said Shakaryan at a press conference on Tuesday.

Two Californian Armenians – Carbis Davoyan and Hrayr Turabyan, recently
filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court of Los Angeles against the
Turkish government and the two major Turkish banks – Central Bank and
the Bank Ziraat Bankasi, in force since 1860, demanding compensation
for damage suffered during the Armenian Genocide.

Davoyan and Turabyan put forward a claim to compensate for real estate
and property of their ancestors, including the priceless relics that
are now in museums in Turkey.

As reported by Shakaryan, although currently the Californian plaintiffs
have not decided on the exact size of the required compensation,
but the claim itself is an important event, given that they filed
not against non-private, but state banks and state as a whole.

The turkologist recalled that earlier the U.S. Supreme Court ordered
the French insurer AXA and the American New York Life Insurance
to pay compensation to the descendants of victims of genocide and
acknowledged the Armenian Genocide.

At the same time, the expert pointed out the danger of the process
initiated by the Armenians of California, recalling that last year the
Ninth U.S. Federal Court of Appeal quashed the lower court decision
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, explaining it so that the matter
is the responsibility of the president and the U.S. administration.

“Thus, the claim of the Armenians of California is sent not as much for
the compensation, but the abolition of the Federal Court. In addition,
we must not forget that we are approaching the 100th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide … Some experts believe that the trial will
last about three to four years and may be completed on the anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide,” said Shakaryan.

As reported by the turkologist, currently some anti-Turkish sentiment
has been formed in the United States because of the good relations
with Turkey, Iran and the complicated Turkish-Israeli contacts.

Shakaryan also noted that the U.S. administration is trying to win the
votes of the Armenian electorate, which may also positively influence
the process.

Armenian genocide (1915-1923) was the first genocide committed in
XX century.

Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one
and a half million Armenians during World War I.

As a result of massacres and deportations about 1.5 million people
were killed, 350 thousands of Armenians fled to the Caucasus and Europe
and 150 thousand of the 2 million Armenians were left in Turkey living
there at the beginning of XX century.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, 42 of the 50 U.S.
states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina,
Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of
Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament.

From: A. Papazian

AMAA AWARDS $120,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO 56 U.S. STUDENTS

Tuesday August 03, 2010

AMAA interns in front of the organization’s Yerevan office.

Paramus, N.J. – According to Mr. Robert Hekemian, Jr., Chairman of
the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) Scholarship
Committee, 63 students applied for assistance this year. The Committee
met for three days and carefully reviewed each applicant’s file.

“It was hard to reject even the very few who did not qualify, based
on financial and academic guidelines” said Mr. Hekemian. “We awarded
scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to 56 students for a total
of $120,000.”

In addition, $15,000 will be awarded to qualified university students
in Armenia. These scholarships range from $200 to $600 as the cost
of higher education in Armenia is significantly less.

“Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for the kind and generous
support of the AMAA Scholarship Committee,” wrote Alene upon hearing
that the AMAA had granted her a scholarship to help her continue
her studies. “I will take great pride in the future to become a part
of this wonderful organization and a part of its goal in providing
assistance to students striving to fulfill their educational dreams.”

Alene, a student attending UCLA, is one of the 56 college students
in the United States who received scholarship assistance from the
AMAA for the academic year 2010-11.

For the last 90 years, the AMAA has helped thousands of students from
kindergarten to high school with tuition aid and hundreds of college
students with scholarships.

Aid has also been directly given to schools and institutions of
higher education, including Haigazian University and the Near East
School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut and the Theological Academy in
Yerevan, Armenia.

The scholarships granted this year were provided from several AMAA
scholarship funds established over the years to help students in need.

Qualified students can request applications in writing from AMAA
headquarters in Paramus, NJ starting in January of each year. The
deadline to submit applications for 2011-2012 academic year is May
1, 2011.

The AMAA was founded in Worcester, MA in 1918 and incorporated in
New York in 1920 with the purpose of strengthening and supporting
the Armenian people in their Christian faith and to encourage
religious education as well as literary and philanthropic work. Since
its founding, the AMAA has expanded its programs of educational,
evangelistic, relief, social services, church and child care ministries
to 24 countries around the world.

Indeed, we are grateful to God for giving us the opportunity to
provide financial assistance to our future generation.

From: A. Papazian

RA GOVERNMENT HOSTS SITTING OF GOVERNING COUNCIL OF INVESTMENT PROGRAM ON NORTH-SOUTH ROAD CORRIDOR

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 3, 2010 – 16:02 AMT 11:02 GMT

The RA government hosted a sitting of the Governing Council of
investment program on North-South road corridor. The sitting was
chaired by Armenian Prime Minister, Chairman of the Board Tigran
Sargsyan, the RA government’s press service reported.

During the sitting, CEO of the Organization on Implementation of
Investment Program on North-South Road Corridor Felix Pirumyan briefed
the Board members on the document on Assessment of Environmental
Impact of Ashtarak-Gyumri road section. The document will be placed on
website of the Asian Development Bank and RA Ministry of Transport and
Communication. After inclusion of submitted comments and suggestions,
it will be offered for a public discussion.

Besides, the cost estimate of the Organization on Implementation of
Investment Program on North-South Road Corridor was approved for 2010.

From: A. Papazian

CSTO MEMBER STATES INTEND TO COORDINATE THEIR ACTIVITY IN UN

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 3, 2010 – 15:52 AMT 10:52 GMT

On August 2, the member states of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) held consultations under chairmanship of CSTO
Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha to reconcile their stances on
the agenda of the upcoming 65th session of the UN General Assembly.

The consultations brought together authorized representatives of
the CSTO member states, heads of relevant departments of foreign
ministries, representatives of the CSTO member states’ embassies and
employees of the CSTO Secretariat.

Participants of the consultations discussed common priorities during
the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly, based on recent
decisions of the SCTO and UN documents. Besides, reforms in the UN,
including Security Council, aspects of cooperation between the CSTO
and UN, situation in Afghanistan, human rights and possibilities
of mutual support of the CSTO member states during the elections to
working bodies of the UN were in the focus of the meeting.

The parties attached importance to steps taken for boosting cooperation
between the CSTO Secretariat and UN.

Besides, they emphasized the importance of continuous coordination of
actions of the CSTO member states within the UN and OSCE. The parties
agreed to continue holding similar events, the press service of CSTO
office in Yerevan reported.

From: A. Papazian

FOLK DANCE AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: ARMENIAN ETHNOGRAPHERS HOPE TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO TRADITIONAL CULTURAL ARTS
By Karine Ionesyan

ArmeniaNow
28.07.10 | 16:20

Arts and Culture

Ginosyan(right) and Davtyan are eager to revive Armenian traditional
dances

The Armenian Ministry of Education and Science together with a
few Armenian ethnographers plan to initiate a new national program
from September in secondary schools, teaching courses in Armenian
traditional dances.

“It was planned to have dance courses even a year ago, but a flu was
spread at schools, and there were some other obstacles, too,” says
Gagik Ginosyan, specialist in traditional dances, art director of
‘Karin’ traditional song-dance troupe.

Ginosyan says it is important to include ethnic dances in school
curricula because even some heads of dance troupes do not know how
to dance those dances properly or are not aware of their significance.

For example, they do not know that there are special mourning dances
and joy dances, dances symbolizing unity, war, lifestyle.

Ginosyan’s colleague Norayr Davtyan, Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of the State Orchestra of Armenian Folk Instruments
of Armenia, notices serious shortcomings in the sphere of folk
instruments, too. He is seriously worried that there are no
applications, for example, for taking courses in the traditional
string instrument, the oud at the Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory
this year. Only one student has applied to learn the tar and one for
the kanon.

“People mainly apply to enter the department of duduk – 15 applicants
per year, because they know that they can earn money playing this
instrument both at happy and sad occasions. And they do not want to
play oud because it provides only 35,000 drams ($94) salary (as a
teacher),” Davtyan says.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian-Americans Sue Turkish Government, Banks For Century-Old Mass
Killings, Seized Assets

The Huffington Post
LINDA DEUTSCH | 07/29/10 09:20 PM |

LOS ANGELES – Armenian-American lawyers filed a federal lawsuit
Thursday against the Turkish government and two banks seeking
compensation for the heirs of Armenians whose property was allegedly
seized nearly a century ago as they were driven from the Turkish
Ottoman Empire.

Lawyers were seeking class-action status for the suit, a process that
attorney Brian Kabateck said could take as long as three years.

“We are rolling up our sleeves and are going forward,” he said.

The suit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Garbis Davouyan of Los
Angeles and Hrayr Turabian of Queens, N.Y. It alleges breach of
statutory trust, unjust enrichment, human rights violations and
violations of international law.

It seeks compensation for land, buildings and businesses allegedly
seized from Armenians along with bank deposits and property, including
priceless religious and other artifacts, some of which are now housed
in museums in the Republic of Turkey.

Attorney Mark Geragos said it was the first such lawsuit directly
naming the government of the Republic of Turkey as a defendant.

“All of the lawyers involved have relatives who perished or fled the
Armenian genocide, which gives it a special poignancy for us,” he
said.

The lawsuit claims more than a million Armenians were killed in forced
marches, concentration camps and massacres “perpetrated, assisted and
condoned” by Turkish officials and armed forces.

The U.S. government does not recognize the mass killings of Armenians
during World War I as genocide.

Story continues below

Also named in the lawsuit were the Central Bank of Turkey and T.C.,
Ziraat Bankasi, the largest and oldest Turkish bank with origins
dating back to the 1860s.

The lawsuit claims the government of Turkey agreed to administer the
property, collect rents and sale proceeds from the seized assets and
deposit the receipts in trust accounts until the property could be
restored to owners.

Instead, the government has “withheld the property and any income
derived from such property,” the lawsuit said.

A message left with the Turkish Consul General’s office in Los Angeles
was not immediately returned. After-hours e-mails seeking comment from
both banks were not immediately returned.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs believe records of the properties and
profits still exist, and they are seeking an accounting that could
reach billions of dollars.

Geragos said the biggest issue in Armenian communities is seeking
recognition for the ethnic bloodshed that allegedly claimed the lives
of as many as 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919.

In 2000, the California Legislature recognized the deaths as genocide
when it allowed heirs to seek payment on life insurance policies of
dead relatives.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later invalidated the
law. Geragos has appealed that ruling.

Still, the heirs were paid nearly $40 million by New York Life
Insurance Co. and French insurer AXA.

From: A. Papazian

SOCCER: ARMENIA ANNOUNCES IRAN FRIENDLY

28.07.10 | 16:42

Soccer

Armenian soccer’s governing body has announced a friendly game between
the national teams of Armenia and Iran that is due to be held in
Yerevan next month.

The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) said on Wednesday the
game will take place at Hrazdan Stadium in the capital on August 11
(kickoff at 9:00pm local time).

Earlier, media reports discussed the possibility of holding a friendly
game with Israel in Yerevan at around the same time. Such reports
have not been confirmed by the FFA, however.

The August 11 match will prove the last test for Armenia ahead of
Euro-2012 qualification commencing in autumn.

So far this year Armenia led by new coach Vardan Minasyan has played
two friendly matches – losing to Belarus 1-3 and beating Uzbekistan
3-1.

Armenia, featured in qualifying Group B along with Russia, Slovakia,
the Republic of Ireland, Macedonia and Andorra, is scheduled to start
the tournament with a home game against the Irish team on September 3.

From: A. Papazian

BAD BREAD WEATHER: DECREASE IN RUSSIA RAIN MEANS INCREASE IN PRICES IN ARMENIA
By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
28.07.10 | 16:31

Social

Bread and flour prices rise in Armenia

A drought in Russia has led to a 20-25 percent hike in bread prices in
Armenia. Economists predict even steeper increases in all wheat-based
products, as Russian farmers – who produce nearly 80 percent of
Armenia’s wheat supply – suffer their worst drought in 120 years.

Consumer rights activists, however, say that the current increase is
unfounded, charging that the stocks of current flour are sufficient
to supply demand and that prices should not be affected yet. In fact,
prices have not yet been affected in Russia, though officials expect
up to a 30 percent increase after the autumn harvest.

Bread prices at some stores in Yerevan and provinces of Armenia rose
by 10-20 drams (about 3-6 cents), and the cost of a 50-kilogram sack
rose by more than $5.

Marat Sedrakyan, who has his own bakery, says that he and other bakers
must raise prices because wholesale prices have risen.

“A day ago, I bought one sack of flour at 10,200 drams ($27), whereas,
a week ago, it was only 8,000 ($21) for the same 50kg-sack,” Sedrakyan
told ArmeniaNow.

Economist Bagrat Asatryan, former Chairman of Central Bank of Armenia,
blames Armenia’s monopolistic economy, rather than Russia’s weather.

“There is only one logic here: if prices rise in the international
market, they rise in Armenia, too, if the international prices fall,
they, nevertheless, rise in Armenia again,” Asatryan told ArmeniaNow.

According to Asatryan, in 2008-2009, wheat prices fell by about 50
percent in the international market, however no such a price decline
was registered in Armenia.

“…because import and the whole economy are monopolized, and
centralized in the hands of a few people,” the economist explains.

Almost 60 percent of Armenia’s domestic wheat demand is imported by
just two companies – ‘Manana Gray’ and ‘Alex-Grig’ (belonging to NA
deputy Samvel Alexanyan); and economists allege that Alex-Group which
has seized the bread market is simply getting super profits.

This year, because of unfavorable weather conditions in Armenia,
vegetable and fruit prices rose, too, by 17-21 percent.

From: A. Papazian