Author: Andres-Papazian

MOSCOU
Victor Kadanyan, un homme d’affaire arméno-russe assassiné à Moscou

La nuit du 29 mai au centre de Moscou, l’homme d’affaire arméno-russe
Victor Kadanyan a été assassiné. Le tueur était sur une moto. Muni
d’un silencieux, il fit feu sur la Mercedes de Victor Kadanyan. Selon
le journal > Victor Kadanyan et son épouse Paulina
Yarmoleskaya furent victimes de l’agression d’un inconnu armé. Blessé
mortellement à la tête et au thorax, Victor Kadanyan devait décéder.
Son épouse est indemne. L’assassin serait un ancien militaire. Il fut
arrêté aussitôt par un policier. Cet assassinat aurait sans doute
-selon les enquêteurs- un lien avec l’activité de Victor Kadanyan
spécialisée dans le business de l’immobilier. Mais ce serait davantage
son épouse Paulina Yarmoleskaya qui aurait été dans la cible du tueur
car elle est à la tête de la > et la société >.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 31 mai 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ALEVI ISSUE CANNOT BE RESOLVED UNLESS SUNNIS ARE ON BOARD

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 29 2014

ORHAN MÄ°ROÄ~^LU
May 29, 2014, Thursday

Even though it has many problems, the ongoing settlement process on
the Kurdish issue obviously points to an irreversible path.

There is now a solid base for nonviolent resolution. At this stage,
a number of Alevi youths have died in street protests, including
the Gezi incidents; this attracted everyone’s attention to the Alevi
issue. It is a common mistake: We talk about a Kurdish issue, but it
is actually a Turkish issue; the cost of this amnesia is huge. Now, we
also forget that the Alevi issue is actually a Sunni problem. Turkey
is now facing a serious problem, whose solution is easier than the
settlement of the Kurdish issue; however, unless it is resolved,
this problem may lead to graver repercussions. Regardless of why,
some Alevis died in the recent street protests. If good answers to the
question of why only Alevis die in street protests are not forthcoming
and this issue continues to be viewed as a manipulative provocation
by marginal groups acting alone, nobody will be able to prevent the
emergence of a new violent conflict in Turkey.

The Kurdish issue was actually a Turkish issue, because the Turkish
identity as the preferred identity of citizenship was constructed upon
the denial of Kurdish identity. The government and the prime minister
defer to the Religious Affairs Directorate (DÄ°B) in the case of the
status of the cemevis, Alevis places of worship; this deference is
important, as it confirms that the Alevi issue is actually a Sunni
problem.

Obviously, the Alevi issue will not be resolved as long as the DÄ°B
and the vast majority of Sunnis, including government officials,
believe that Alevism is not a separate religion, that cemevis cannot be
recognized as official places of worship and that such a recognition
would divide Muslims; the problem will remain complicated, especially
if the Alevis insist on the fulfilment of their demands regarding
the status of the cemevis.

The Kurds were told that they were Turks; thousands of them died;
they took this risk to prove that Kurds are not Turks.

Now the Alevis are told that they are not Alevis; the state still
relies on the attitude it adopted vis-a-vis Kurdish identity in the
case of the recognition of Alevi identity. With this attitude, the
state objects to Alevis self-identifying as such.

The problem is that the thinking of the state overlaps with the Sunni
mindset once again. In our political tradition, signals of change
start in institutions that try to use the state as a shield against the
people and then the political establishment allows the change to take
place. However, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a political
leader who has dramatically transformed this political tradition on
a number of issues. Erdogan has given the signal of change over the
last decade on many issues, including the Kurdish problem, with the
state institutions and the people have supporting this process of
change. The successes of the AK Party, including in discussions on the
Sept. 12 referendum, military guardianship, the Kurdish issue, Dersim
and the Armenian question could be attributed to the prime minister. He
offered an official apology to the victims of the Dersim massacre; he
offered condolences to the descendants of the victims of the Armenian
tragedy; he said the Kurdish problem is his own problem. So the whole
process makes advances with these statements and remarks.

Prime Minister Erdogan is the only political leader who could win
the Sunni people over regarding the Alevi issue. It was argued that
the Kurdish issue would have been resolved if Erdogan had wanted
to resolve it; the same now applies to the Alevi issue as well. If
Erdogan wants to, he can resolve the Alevi issue. As far as I can see,
there is no reason for him not to take action to address this issue.

The only thing that needs to be done is to offer some solutions
so that the Sunnis are reassured about their worries regarding the
partitioning and division of the country.

Turkey cannot tolerate a new violent conflict over the definition of
Alevi identity like the one that emerged from the Kurdish issue.

From: A. Papazian

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY PREVIEW: ALGERIA V ARMENIA

SoccerWay
May 29 2014

29 May 2014

Algeria’s solid defensive record will likely be tested in their second
FIFA World Cup preparation friendly against Armenia on Saturday.

In the build-up to their Group H opener against Belgium on June 17,
Vahid Halilhodzic has seen his side secure a 2-0 friendly win over
Slovenia, having qualified for the World Cup on away goals against
Burkina Faso.

Algeria suffered a rare defensive off-day in Ouagadougou but made it
through after their 1-0 second-leg win.

Halilhodzic’s defence has been breached in just one of their last four
outings – something that will offer confidence to Algeria as they seek
to improve on a disappointing showing in South Africa four years ago.

They picked up just one point in 2010 while failing to score and face
a tricky task in Brazil against experienced sides such as Belgium,
South Korea and Russia.

Another clean sheet against Armenia, as well as some offensive joy,
could both happen against Armenia – who showed their defensive
weaknesses and their attacking threat against the UAE in midweek.

Bernard Challandes’ men won through in a seven-goal thriller – but
goals from Ali Khaled Al Amri, Mohamed Abdulrahman and Salem Saleh
in Carouge will fill Algeria’s forwards with hope.

Skipper Madjid Bougherra and his fellow defenders will also be able
to test themselves out against some offensive quality at the Stade de
Tourbillon in Sion – such as Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan
and striker Yura Movsisyan – prolific in the Russian Premier League
for Spartak Moscow.

Challandes will take charge of his third friendly at the helm of the
Armenian national side with the UAE defeat showing the first signs
of positivity after an initial defeat to Russia.

His decision to broaden the scope of which players to call up appears
to be paying dividends and victory over Algeria in the nations’
first meeting would certainly give Armenia a boost ahead of their
Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, which gets under way in September.

For Algeria, their Armenian test will be the second of three friendlies
against European opposition ahead of their clash with Belgium and
players will be well aware that Halilhodzic has yet to trim his squad
down to 23.

Yacine Brahimi is one Algeria player refusing to take his place for
granted, telling FIFA.com: “I’m not there yet but it’s very satisfying
to be one of the players under consideration.

“And no matter who goes in the end, the team will be giving its all.

The Algerian people are proud but demanding too. The team has
responsibilities and it will have to shoulder them.

“It’s a very tough group, with an excellent Belgium team, not to
mention Russia and Korea Republic, who are both regular finalists.”

From: A. Papazian

UAE’S 20-MATCH UNBEATEN RUN ENDED BY HENRIKH MKHITARYAN’S ARMENIA

The National, UAE
May 28 2014

UAE coach Mahdi Ali and his men went on a run of 20 games without
a defeat that stretched back to September 11, 2012, but Armenia
ended that streak last night in a friendly international in Geneva,
Switzerland.

Amith Passela

May 28, 2014 Updated: May 28, 2014 09:40:00

Ahmed 40′, Abdulrahman 52′, Salem 85′

Armenia Armenia Hambardzumyan 37′, Mkhitaryan 42′, 63′, Hovsepyan 71′

Man of the match Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenia)

UAE coach Mahdi Ali and his men went on a run of 20 games without
a defeat that stretched back to September 11, 2012, but Armenia
ended that streak last night in a friendly international in Geneva,
Switzerland.

The UAE can still take a lot of positives as they rallied twice to
level the score before going down 4-3 against a team listed 34 places
above them in the Fifa world rankings.

Mahdi Ali’s men regrouped for their first game in nearly three months
and it showed as they looked a shade slower than Armenia, yet they
kept the game alive for the full 90 minutes.

Armenia came closest to opening the scoring when Gevorg Ghazaryan’s
shot hit the bottom of the post in the 17th minute.

In pictures: UAE train in Switzerland for Armenia friendly

Hovhannes Hambardzumyan then put Armenia ahead and Henrikh Mkhitaryan
regained the lead after Ismail Ahmed had equalised off an Omar
Abdulrahman corner as three goals were scored in a five-minute span
early in the second half.

Abdulrahman cancelled Armenia’s lead seven minutes after the break
when he sent a short cross from Ali Mabkhout to the bottom corner of
the net.

Armenia regained the lead from Mkhitaryan’s second goal and they
extended the lead to two when Rumyan Hovsepyan headed in a corner.

Muhanad Salem pulled one back five minutes from time but that was as
close as the UAE would get.

Armenia seized the opportunity to go ahead when Hamdan Al Kamali was
receiving treatment off the pitch to score from an excellent move.

Hambardzumyan exchanged passes with Yura Movsisyan to score from
inside the penalty area but the lead was short lived as Ahmed rose
above the Armenia defence to head in the equaliser.

Movsisyan then worked down the right flank to set up Mkhitaryan inside
the box to get back their one-goal cushion lead with a first time shot.

Al Kamali looked to have injured a knee as he made a sliding
clearance. He was later replaced by Salem, the Al Ain centre-back.

The UAE went on the offensive and created a few chances. Mabkhout
had an excellent chance to put the UAE ahead after just over a minute
of play.

Ahmed Khalil set up the Al Jazira forward in front of the goal but
his effort was smothered by Gevorg Kasparov, the Armenia goalkeeper.

Mabkhout was also wide with a second effort.

The UAE play Georgia in their next friendly on the final day of their
camp in Switzerland on June 3.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA SEEKS TO JOIN EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION BY JUNE 15

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 29 2014

May 29, 13:08 UTC+4 ASTANA A draft document has been prepared,
President Serzh Sargsyan said

ASTANA, May 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan has
called for signing a treaty on the country’s joining the Eurasian
Economic Union till June 15, 2014.

A draft document has been prepared, Sargsyan said at a session of
the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on Thursday.

“I ask you to set a deadline for signing a treaty on Armenia’s joining
the Eurasian Economic Union,” he said.

“It will take two or three days to find mutually advantageous decisions
on the remaining issues,” Sargsyan said.

“I confirm that the country is ready to take necessary measures in
order to submit the treaty to the parliament shortly and approve it,”
he said.

Commenting on Armenia’s intention to sign the Eurasian Economic
Union treaty, Sargsyan said Armenia had worked out the roadmap for
its joining the union.

“The term has been set by businessmen and the public, who seek to
receive answers to the existing questions,” he said.

Head of the Eurasian Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko said June
is a real deadline to prepare and submit the document for signing.

From: A. Papazian

KUWAIT PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CONGRATULATES HIS ARMENIAN COUNTERPART

Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait
May 29 2014

29/05/2014 | 03:08 PM | Kuwait News

KUWAIT, May 29 (KUNA) — Kuwait’s ambassador to Armenia Bassam
Al-Gabandi delivered a message on Thursday from the Kuwaiti Parliament
Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim to the Speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly Galust Sahakyan, congratulating him on his new post at the
Assembly, a statement by the embassy of Kuwait in Armenia said.

The message, a copy of which was received by KUNA, dealt with
augmenting bilateral relations through visits to each other’s country
by their parliament friendship committees. (end) mgh.ajs

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA WILL JOIN EURASIAN UNION SOON – PUTIN

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 29 2014

29 May 2014 – 1:11pm

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the end of the session of the
Supreme Eurasian Economic Council that Armenia will join the Eurasian
Economic Union in the near future. The Union itself will be formed by
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on January 1, 2015, RIA Novosti reports.

According to Putin, Armenia wants to join the organization in June. He
reminded that Kyrgyzstan had chances to join it too. Putin added that
there were negotiations to form a free trade zone with Vietnam, to
intensify cooperation with China, form expert groups on development
of preferential trade regimes with Israel and India.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at the session today that
Armenia wanted to join the structure before June 15.

From: A. Papazian

HOLY LAND’S CHRISTIANS FORM A ‘MOSAIC’ OF COMMUNITIES; CELEBRATE A MASS IN MANGER SQUARE NEXT TO THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY IN BETHLEHEM

CrossMap
May 29 2014

By Pat McCarthy and Dan Wooding/ Assist News On May 29, 2014

A snapshot of the Christian population of the Holy Land was recently
published in the lead-up to the May 24-26, 2014, visit by Pope Francis
to Jordan, the West Bank, where he prayed and touched the wall that
divides Israel from the West Bank, on his way to celebrate a mass
in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem,
and then onto Israel, his final stop.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the pope that barriers were
erected to protect civilians, and at the Israeli leader’s request,
Francis made an unscheduled stop at a memorial for terror victims
during an already packed itinerary.

“We don’t teach our children to plant bombs,” Netanyahu said, standing
alongside the pope at the memorial. “We teach them peace. But we have
to build a wall against those who teach the other side.”

For his part, Francis offered symbolic gestures to both sides of the
Palestinian/Israel divide. The pope entered the West Bank directly from
Jordan rather than stopping first in Israel as previous popes had done,
and he referred to the “state of Palestine” in a speech in Bethlehem.

So, in view of his high profile visit, it is fascinating to
note that Christians in the Holy land constitute a mosaic of
communities, according the official website for the papal visit
(popefrancisholyland2014.lpj.org).

It says the local, rooted Christians of the Holy Land are for the
most part Arabic-speaking and live integrated within Palestinian and
Jordanian Arab society.

However, an increasing number of Christians of diverse origins also
live within Jewish Israeli, Hebrew-speaking society.

An important group of Christians are long-term resident expatriates,
many of whom serve in Church structures, religious orders, and
institutions.

Then there is a large number of Christians who have come to the
Holy Land as migrants – those seeking work, predominantly from Asia,
and asylum seekers, predominantly from Africa. And there is a large
number of Christians among the Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

There are 13 official Churches in the Holy Land that meet together
regularly in order to coordinate their efforts in favor of the
Christians of the Holy Land.

A Greek Orthodox procession in Jerusalem Messianic leader,

These are the Greek, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian and Syrian Orthodox;
the Latin (Roman), Greek, Maronite, Syrian and Armenian Catholics,
including the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land; and the Lutherans
and Anglicans.

In addition to these, there is also a variety of Evangelical groups.

The website says Christians number between 2 and 3 per cent of the
total population of the Holy Land today – a major decrease in their
proportion of the population since 1948, when they made up more than
10 per cent.

In the state of Israel, it says, there are:

* About 120,000 to 130,000 Christian citizens who are Palestinian
Arabs.

* About 30,000 to 40,000 Christian citizens who are integrated into
the Jewish Israel Hebrew-speaking population (most of them Russian
speakers).

* About 150,000 Christian migrants (105,000 migrant workers, mostly
from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Ghana, Latin America
and Eastern Europe, and about 45,000 African asylum seekers (mostly
from Eritrea).

In the Palestinian Autonomy (and East Jerusalem) there are: * About
50,000 Christians, almost all of them Palestinian Arabs (about 38,000
in the West Bank, about 10,000 in Jerusalem and about 2000 in the
Gaza Strip).

In the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan there are: * About 250,000 Christian
citizens who are Jordanian and Palestinian Arabs.

* Tens of thousands of Christian migrant workers from Asia and Africa.

* Thousands of Christians among the refugees from Syria and Iraq.

The website says political and economic conditions have led to
large-scale emigration of Christians from the Holy Land, so that only
about 20 per cent of Christian Palestinians remain in their historic
homeland today.

It says: “Emigration continues as Christians see that the peace process
is blocked, the Israeli occupation continues, radical Islamic movements
prosper and the economic and social situation continues to worsen.”

So there you have it – the Holy Land’s Christians form a wonderful
“mosaic” of communities, and they all follow Jesus Christ, who walked
this earth in the areas where many of them are from today.

From: A. Papazian

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UN PEACEKEEPERS MARKED IN ARMENIA

Friday,
May
30

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is marked
in Armenia today, on May 29. A festive event took place in the
peacekeeping brigade of Armenian Armed Forces today, Defense Ministry
said.

The participants included First Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia
David Tonoyan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed
Forces Lieutenant General Levon Mnatsakanyan, the peacekeeping brigade
commander Major General Arthur Simonyan, the head of the Kanayan
Institute for National Strategic Studies Major General Hayk Kotanjyan,
and military attaches of diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia.

During the event, servicemen of the peacekeeping corps conducted
demonstration exercises. Then a number of officers and contractual
servicemen were awarded medals and diplomas.

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, May 29, is a day
to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue
to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high
level of professionalism, dedication, and courage and to honor the
memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

It was so designated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution
57/129, on December 11, 2002, after an official request of the
Ukrainian Peacekeepers Association and the Government of Ukraine to
the UN General Assembly and first celebrated in 2003. The date, May
29, marks the anniversary of the creation of the United Nations Truce
Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in 1948 to monitor the ceasefire after
the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which was the first ever UN peacekeeping
mission.

29.05.2014, 20:10

Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

POLITICIAN: AGREEMENT ON ARMENIA’S JOINING THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION WILL NOT BE SIGNED IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Thursday, May 29, 18:14

Despite the rush of the Armenian authorities, the agreement on
Armenia’s joining the Eurasian Economic Union will not be signed in
the near future, claims Stepan Safaryan, Heritage Party Secretary
General, told ArmInfo.

According to him, in their deadly haste to favor Russia, the Armenian
leadership again forgot about the problems on the way to the Eurasian
Union. “The authorities avoid speaking of the existing problems,
but Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are well aware of the situation
and try to protract the process by all means possible,” Safaryan said.

He outlined the three major problems on the way to the EAU: export
of the products made in Artsakh, no common borders, and inconformity
of customs taxes. He said Artsakh’s EAU membership and export of
its products to the EAU countries need comprehensive discussions,
as Kazakhstan has repeatedly come out for opening of customs point
on the border of Armenia and Artsakh. “However, our authorities try
to close eyes on that and to join the EAU, the benefits of the which
are quite disputable,” Safaryan said. Safaryan said that Georgia that
could become a transit country with Armenia’s joining the EAU, is no
longer able to do it, as that country will shortly sign an Association
Agreement with the EU and will hardly provide a corridor for transit of
goods. “We must not forget about the customs taxes either. In Armenia
they are close to European taxes. However, if Armenia joins the EAU,
these taxes will be increased 2-3fold and the price hike of some 900
goods will become inevitable. Most of these products are essential
for the population,” Safaryan said.

To recall, Armenia is ready to signed the Treaty on Eurasian Economic
Union before June 15, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on
the heels of a Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Astana,
Kazakhstan, Thursday. President of Russia Vladimir Putin said that
the document can be signed no sooner than on 1 July, as Armenia is
yet to fulfill some commitments. Presidnet of Kazakhstan Nursultan
Nazarbayev, in turn, said Azerbaijan claims that Armenia can join
the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) within the same borders it joined
the World Trade Organization (WTO). We have received the Azerbaijani
president’s letter saying that Armenia joined WTO with a reservation
that the provisions must apply to the territory of Armenia within
its international borders recognized by the UN. It is an issue for
discussion,” the Kazakh president said.

From: A. Papazian