Author: Andres-Papazian

BAKO SAHAKYAN HOLDS CONSULTATION MEETING IN HADROUT

13:44 27/01/2014 ” SOCIETY

On Jan. 26, Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited the town
of Hadrout where he held a consultation meeting on the activities
carried out in the region in 2013 and programs to be implemented
in 2014.

Head of Hadrout regional administration Valery Gevorgyan and
responsible officials of corresponding departments delivered reports.

President Sahakyan stressed the importance of ensuring proportionate
progress of the region, noting the necessity of modernizing the already
operating production capacities in parallel with the development of new
ones, putting a special emphasis on the effective realization of the
existing potential, the press service of Artsakh President reported.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN ARMY IS GUARANTOR OF PEACE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS – MOD

January 27, 2014 | 14:14

YEREVAN. – In the twenty years since the signing of the ceasefire
agreement in the Karabakh War, the Armenian army has strengthened,
deserved the respect of the armies of other countries, and earned
the love and trust of the Armenian nation.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan stated the aforesaid at Monday’s
special MOD session devoted to the 22nd anniversary of the Armenian
Armed Forces.

“Glory and honor to all those who fell at the battlefield, to those
who fought to the end, who were killed, or went missing. We pass
their bright memory on to the future generations. We triumphed in
this way and, in parallel with the fight, we created an army,” the
minister stated.

Ohanyan stressed that the might of the Armenian army is a guarantee
for the maintenance of peace in the South Caucasus.

As per the minister, now, the Armenian military servicemen are
entrusted with conducting peacekeeping missions at other conflict
zones in the world.

“The world likewise trusts us. In the year past alone, we have taken
part in dozens of multinational military exercises, and held high the
honor of Armenia and the Armenian nation,” the defense minister noted.

Ohanyan added that the Armenian army has recorded a great success
also within international defense cooperation, and has consolidated
the Armenian party’s achievements in the legal domain.

“About thirty interstate, intergovernmental, and interdepartmental
agreements were signed within one year,” Seyran Ohanyan stressed.

Armenia will mark Army Day on Tuesday.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN ANNOUNCES ABOUT LOSSES ON FRONTLINE

Today – 16:20
27/1/14

Another Azerbaijani soldier dies.

According to the Azerbaijani sources, it happened on Akna (Aghdam)
front. The officer of the Azerbaijani Army, Lieutenant Sabuhi Rustam
Azizov “was shot by Armenians”. Defense Ministry did not comment on
the case.

It is known that Azizov was drafted from Shirvan town.

According to another report, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry has issued
a statement on another death in the Azerbaijani Army.

According to the source this serviceman died as a result of the
ceasefire regime violation.

Under the order of Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov,
Lieutenant Azizov Sabuhi Rustam was awarded with 3rd class Medal
“For Distinguished Military Service” for personal courage in the
battle-field.

Remind, that on January 19, in the night, Azerbaijani diversion groups
tried to enter to Armenian side of the frontline from two dierctions,
North-Eastern and South-Eastern. Press service of Artsakh Defense
Ministry informs about this.

Artsakh Defense Army units started an organized protection. The enemy
had human and material losses and the diversion groups withdrawed.

As Azerbaijani side had losses as a result of the own sabotage, it will
now try to present various explainantions for the victims and wounded
soldiers. Azerbaijani military authorities often act so, as they do not
want to be responsible for their own victims in front of the society.

From: A. Papazian

LEGAL ENTITY ISSUES OF MINORITIES IN TURKEY TO BE DISCUSSED IN ISTANBUL CONFERENCE

16:28 27.01.2014

The legal entities of minorities in Turkey will be discussed in
Istanbul on Jan. 30 at a conference hosted by the Istanbul Bilgi
University Faculty of Law, in partnership with the Community
Foundations Representative Office and with the assistance of the
Venice Commission, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The conference, titled “Legal Entities of Non-Muslims: “Problems and
Rights II,” will open with speeches by Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı,
the dean of the law faculty, and Laki Vingas, the Minority Community
Foundations representative.

On May 13, 2013, the problems of the minority communities in Turkey
were discussed at a conference held at the Ankara University and
Minority Community Foundations’ office in Ankara.

Many institutions belonging to religious or ethnic minorities such
as churches, cemeteries, and hospitals are deprived of legal entity
rights, including the Fener GreekPatriarchate, Turkey’s Armenian
Patriarchate, the Jewish Chief Rabbi’s Office, and various Catholic
institutions.

From: A. Papazian

NEW ARMENIAN-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN TBILISI

17:43 27.01.2014

Armenia, Georgia

Gita Elibekyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Tbilisi

The first issue of the Armenian-language newspaper “Ardzagank” has been
published in Tbilisi. The paper covers issues of Armenian-Georgian
relations, the important political and social processes taking place
in Georgia, the life of the Georgian-Armenian community.

“We aimed to create a reliable source of information for Georgian
Armenians,” editor of the newspaper Levon Isakhanyan told Public
Radio of Armenia.

“Ardzagank will be published in Georgian and Russian, as well. The
paper’s website () will be launched in the near future.

The “Vrastan” (Georgia) newspaper is another Armenian-language
periodical published in Tbilisi.

From: A. Papazian

MANOYAN: ASHOTIAN’S PROPOSAL TO RENAME ARMENIA INOPPORTUNE

Monday,
January
27

Armen Ashotian’s proposal to rename the Republic of Armenia is
inopportune, the head of ARFD Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs
Office Kiro Manoyan said at a meeting with reporters today.

According to Manoyan, instead of that, the party of which Ashotian
is a member – the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) should change
the policy it implements.

“They must renounce the Armenian-Turkish protocols. HHK , which has
constituted a majority in the Armenian parliament in the last two
years, should not have rejected the proposal to declare November 22 (
the day when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Arbitral Award )
Patriotism Day,” Manoyan stated.

We would remind you that Armenian Minister of Education and Science,
deputy chairman of the ruling HHK Armen Ashotian proposed to rename
the Republic of Armenia to ‘the Republic of Eastern Armenia’. “I
propose to discuss the issue of the state’s renaming from a viewpoint
of restoration of historical justice, patriotism, and lawful demands,”
Ashotian said.

Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

OUTSTANDING COMPOSER TIGRAN MANSURIAN CELEBRATES 75TH BIRTHDAY

January 27, 2014 – 16:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Outstanding Armenian composerTigran Mansurian
celebrates his 75th birthday on January 27.

Mansurian was born in Beirut; in 1947 Mansurian’s family moved to
Armenia, finally settling in the capital Yerevan in 1956. Mansurian
studied at the Yerevan Music Academy with Edvard Bagdasaryan and
completed his PhD with Lazar Saryan at the Yerevan State Musical
Conservatory where he later taught contemporary music analysis.

In a short time he became one of Armenia’s leading composers,
establishing strong creative relationships with international
performers and composers such as Valentin Silvestrov, Arvo Part, Alfred
Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Andre Volkonsky and Edison Denisov as
well as Kim Kashkashian, Jan Garbarek, and the Hilliard Ensemble.

Mansurian was the director of the Komitas Conservatory in the 1990s.

He has recently retired as an administrator and teacher, and
concentrates exclusively on composition. Mansurian’s musical style
is characterized mainly by the organic synthesis of ancient Armenian
musical traditions and contemporary European composition methods. His
oeuvre comprises orchestral works, seven concerti for strings and
orchestra, sonatas for cello and piano, three string quartets,
madrigals, chamber music and works for solo instruments.

Tigran Mansurian was nominated for a Grammy award in 2006. He was
the first Armenian composer to have ever been nominated for this award.

From: A. Papazian

PARLIAMENTARY FACTIONS’ STATEMENT ON ACCUMULATIVE PENSION SCHEME

Monday,
January
27

Four factions of the Armenian parliament – ARFD, Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK), Armenian National Congress (HAK) and Heritage factions
have issued a joint statement concerning the law on introduction of
the compulsory accumulative pension system. The statement says:

“On January 24, 2014 Armenia’s Constitutional Court took a decision
to suspend Article 76 and Article 86 part 3 of the Law on Accumulative
Pensions pending the court decision.

It means that citizens born in and after 1974 did not break the law’s
requirement by not having chosen a pension fund and a pension fund
manager by January 1, 2014.

Besides, at least until March 28, 2014, employers will not bear
responsibility for not calculating and transferring accumulative
payments for such employees. Due to the essence of the abovementioned
decision and the importance of a coordinated struggle against the
introduction of the compulsory component of the accumulative pension
system, we urge:

1. employers: not to calculate and transfer payments from salaries
of employees, otherwise their salaries will decline, while employees
will have to make a choice between pension funds and managers under
conditions of uncertainty. If the Constitutional Court recognizes the
disputable provisions of the law as anti-constitutional on March 28,
2014, then you and your employees will suffer irrecoverable financial
losses.

2. all Armenian employees born in and after 1974 not to make a choice
between accumulative funds and fund managers and prevent employers
from transferring pension contributions from their salaries,

3. the unions of employers and the trade unions together with united
society to defend their rights and not allow any body to commit
illegal actions against members of their organization,

4. Armenian officials, the government, and the Central Bank of Armenia
to stop spreading misinformation about the law under discussion – we
consider such an action as open pressure on the Constitutional Court,

5. all Armenian citizens, organizations and struggling youth to unite
further and continue actions aimed at recognizing the compulsory
accumulative pension component as anti-constitutional.

6. We hope that the Constitutional Court will recognize the compulsory
component as anti-constitutional and propose such an option of the
problem’s constitutional solution that will take into account all the
challenges facing the pension system. We are determined to pursue our
struggle against the introduction of the compulsory component of the
accumulative pension system”.

Aysor.am

From: A. Papazian

MOSCOW ARMENIANS BRIEFED ON PRE-PARLIAMENT’S PLANS

12:44 ~U 27.01.14

The Diaspora grassroots movement Armenian Renaissance organized on
Sunday a meeting in Moscow to introduce the local Armenians to the
Pre-parliament group’s activities and plans.

Speaking at the meeting, Pre-parliament activists Alec Yenigmoshyan
and Varuzhan Avetisyan briefed the Moscow-Armenians on the
situation in Armenia (which they described as critical in the
light of the population’s continuing migration, the tension on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border increasing the likelihood of war etc)
and proposed their steps towards reaching a solution and promoting
progress in the country.

The participants expressed concerns over the alarming situation,
in the meantime proposing their assistance and support to Armenia.

At the end of the meeting, practical agreements were reached over
formats and mechanisms of cooperation.

From: A. Papazian

RASSEMBLEMENT DEVANT LA PREFECTURE CONTRE CETTE TURQUIE EN EUROPE

MONTPELLIER

70 personnes, selon les manifestants et la police, se sont rassemblees
a l’appel du CCAF le 26 janvier devant la prefecture de Montpelier,
contre l’entree de cette Turquie dans l’Europe. Toutes proportions
gardees, il s’agit donc d’une forte mobilisation pour cette toute
petite communaute armenienne qui ne compte qu’une centaine de membres.

Se sont joints au rassemblement une delegation de la Ligue des droits
de l’Homme ainsi que des Kurdes de France. M. Lievain, president de
l’amicale des Armeniens de Montpelier, qui a organise le rassemblement,
a pris la parole tandis qu’une lettre de l’association adressee
a Francois Hollande (voir document ci-dessous) a ete remise a la
prefecture de police.

Lettre remise a la prefecture de Montpelier

A Montpellier le 26 Janvier 2014

Monsieur le President,

Nous sommes reunis ici, a la veille de votre voyage en Turquie pour
dire un non franc et determine a l’entree de cette Turquie dans l’Union
europeenne. Il s’agit de la première visite d’etat d’un President
francais en Turquie depuis 20 ans et les negociations d’adhesion
ont repris sous votre presidence. Nous souhaitons rappeler que les
violations des Droits de l’Homme en Turquie sont courantes et que sa
politique nationaliste s’exporte jusqu’en Europe.

Ainsi, la Turquie ne reconnaît toujours pas le genocide des Armeniens
et des Assyriens et emprisonne ses propres citoyens quand ils osent
elever la voix a ce sujet. Pire, elle depense des millions pour
diffuser une propagande haineuse et negationniste jusqu’en France.

Ainsi, les sites internet et les actes negationnistes fleurissent
sans que l’on puisse rien faire pour les contrer. Aucune loi ne
sanctionne en effet la negation du genocide armenien en France. Nous
vous rappelons vos engagements pour qu’une loi constitutionnelle soit
enfin adoptee, afin que les descendants de victimes, spolies et exiles,
ne soient pas poursuivis par la haine des bourreaux jusque dans le pays
où ils se sont refugies. Il y a peu, en plein Paris, trois militantes
Kurdes etaient froidement assassinees et l’enquete mène tout droit
aux services secrets turcs. Peut-on laisser entrer dans l’Europe un
pays qui fait lâchement abattre trois femmes au c~ur de la capitale
du pays des Droits de l’Homme ? Esperons que vous saurez montrer le
courage necessaire pour que toute la lumière soit faite sur cette
sombre affaire. Nous voulons la verite, pleine, entière et sans fard !

Rappelons egalement que la Turquie occupe encore aujourd’hui
illegalement le territoire de Chypre, un membre de l’Union Europeenne
! Peut-on serieusement ouvrir des chapitres d’adhesion dans ces
conditions ?

Le genocide armenien n’ayant visiblement pas suffi, la Turquie impose
aujourd’hui un blocus a l’Armenie. Rappelons-nous qu’il s’agit d’un
acte de guerre et que la raison d’etre de l’Europe est le desir
de paix.

Le problème kurde n’est pas regle, la Turquie montrant peu de bonne
volonte concernant l’acquisition de droits culturels pour cette
minorite qui represente tout de meme 20 millions de personnes.

L’autoritarisme d’Erdogan est chaque jour rapporte par la presse.

Ainsi, la Turquie est selon RSF la première prison au monde pour les
journalistes. Doit-on accepter dans l’UE un pays qui ne respecte pas
le principe democratique fondamental qu’est la liberte de la presse ?

Doit-on encore compter le nombre de syndicalistes emprisonnes sous
des pretextes fallacieux ?

Nous sommes dans la rue et nous, citoyens francais, sommes en colère.

Nous exigeons que notre President fasse un geste fort pour soutenir
la democratie lors de son voyage en Turquie. Nous n’oublions pas que
la France est le pays des Droits de l’Homme et c’est cette France,
forte et determinee, que nous aimons.

Nous rendons enfin hommage a Hrant Dink, journaliste turc d’origine
armenienne, pacifiste devant l’eternel, froidement abattu par un jeune
nationaliste dans les rues d’Istanbul. L’enquete traîne en longueur
et toutes les responsabilites tardent a etre etablies. Voila sept
ans maintenant que tous les defenseurs des droits de l’homme, tous
les humanistes attendent la verite, et la justice.

Nous le repetons donc et le repeterons toujours : nous refusons
et refuserons l’entree de la Turquie dans l’Union Europeenne tant
qu’elle pietinera les principes democratiques. Nous esperons, M. le
President, que vous porterez haut les couleurs de la democratie et
direz non a l’unisson.

lundi 27 janvier 2014, Ara ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian