Author: Andres-Papazian

AMD 839.7 BILLION INVESTED IN ARMENIA’S ECONOMY FROM ABROAD IN 2014

YEREVAN, March 31. /ARKA/. Aggregate inflow of foreign investments
into the real sector of Armenia’s economy received not through banks
and without government administration totaled AMD 839.7 billion in
2014, and net inflow amounted to AMD 167.4 billion, the National
Statistical Service of Armenia reports.

According to the statistical report, AMD 349.9 billion came to
Armenia’s economy in 2014 as direct foreign investments and AMD 117.2
billion as net direct foreign investments.

Russia was the largest investor to Armenia’s real sector in 2014.

It invested about AMD 306.8 billion here over that year. Of this
amount, AMD 257.3 billion came as direct investments.

Cyprus, with its AMD 152.7 billion invested in the real sector of
Armenia’s economy, was the second biggest investor in 2014 and Germany,
with about AMD 115.1 was the third biggest investor.

The National Statistical Service of Armenia says AMD 278.4 billion
or about 33% of the money invested from abroad was spent on electric
power, natural gas, steam and conditioned air supplies in 2014. ($1 –
AMD 471.21). –0—-

From: A. Papazian

MOLDAVIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN: ARMENIA WOULD LOSE NOT ONLY NAGORNY KARABAKH, BUT FOR KREMLIN’S SUPPORT

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, March 31, 17:23

In simple terms, the difference between the stands of Yerevan and
Chisinau on the Customs Union- Eurasian Economic Union is that Armenia
warred against Azerbaijan that enjoys Turkey’s support, Bogdan TSIRDYA,
Moldavian parliamentarian, political expert told ArmInfo in an online
interview.

“I think there is no need to speak about Armenia’s attitude towards
Turkey. Russia helped and keeps helping Armenians. Armenia will
lose Nagorny Karabakh and more without the Kremlin’s support,” the
parliamentarian said.

In Moldova the incumbent authorities consider Russia as an aggressor
that helped the Transnistria and, consequently, separatism. As Moldova
adopted laws on the state language, the Russian language lost its
status of the state language.

Tsirdya said the incumbent pro-European leadership of Moldova has
a negative attitude towards Russian peacekeepers and Russia. The
operative group of Russian troops and peacemakers impede Moldova’s
accession to NATO. The Moldavian right-wing politicians and their
foreign curators are outraged at that factor.

“Furthermore, if Transnistria enters the Moldavian legal field, the
pro-Russian parties will be winning and the country’s foreign policy
will change. Who needs it? Europe, U.S., the right-wing parties? Of
course, no. That is why, there is no progress in the settlement
process,” the parliamentarian said. The online interview was organized
for the Armenian media as part of the Region Research Center’s project
“Relevant Dialogues on New Integration Agenda of Armenia.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO CYPRUS

18:43, 31 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 31 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. On 1-4 April, the delegation led by
Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Galust
Sahakyan will be on an official visit to the Republic of Cyprus.

As the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia reports to “Armenpress”, the
delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly comprises
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov, as well
as Members of Parliament Vahram Baghdasaryan, Armen Mkhitaryan,
Mikayel Manukyan and Lyudmila Sargsyan.

From: A. Papazian

KINGPIN “YERRORDMASTSI LYOVIK’S” WOUNDED FRIEND IN A GRAVE CONDITION

Tuesday, March 31, 17:36

ArmInfo journalist was told at Erebuni medical center that Vardan
Karapetyan (deceased Levon Ghazaryan aka Yerrordmastsi Lyovik’s
wounded friend) is in a grave condition.

The police have previously reported that on March 31 at 02:45 local
time Shengavit Police Precinct received a call on Vardan Karapetyan
(born 1979) who was shot in the abdomen and that he was hospitalized.

The wounded was not able to give evidence. He was taken to hospital
from his apartment.

To remind, on March 4 a shoot-out took place next to Nubarashen
penitentiary institution. The shoot-out resulted in kingpin Levon
Ghazaryan aka Yerrordmastsi Lyovik’s death. According to the media,
three people from Republican Party member Mher Sedrakyan’s team have
been detained.

From: A. Papazian

SEEKING TO HIDE 3.8 BILLION AMD FROM STATE BUDGET AND PROBABLE…FOR SAKE OF VARDAN MAMIKONYAN AND GAREGIN NZHDEH

13:23 March 30, 2015

Samvel Aleksanyan, Syunyats Yerkir

On 12 March Rafik Mashadyan, Large Tax Payers Department Head of
Finance Ministry, presented the names of a number of companies and
organizations to journalists, who made gross violations, to be more
precise, were not in honest relations with the state budget of Armenia.

The name of “Dundee Precious Metals Kapan” CJSC was mentioned among
the list of bad tax payers: this company sought to hide 3.8 billion
AMD from the state budget.

The law enforcement and financial bodies of Armenia couldn’t answer a
simple but key question: how it happened and who is guilty that Kapan
combine tried to hide around 9 million USD from the state budget,
which is not little amount money for our country? Especially when the
outstanding 3.8 billion AMD have already been returned to the state
budget under the information we have.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN CHURCHES’ LEADERS TO BE ON HAND AT APRIL CHURCH MASS IN THE VATICAN

10:57, 31.03.2015

The spiritual leaders of the Armenian Christian churches will
participate in the April church liturgy to be offered in the St.

Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, reported La Stampa daily of Italy.

Accordingly, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, and Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX
Tarmouni of the Armenian Catholic Church, will attend this mass.

The climax of the Armenian Genocide centennial memorial church events
will be the genocide victims’ collective canonization ceremony, which
will take place on April 23 in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Representatives from 38 Christian churches and organizations have
already confirmed their attendance to this event.

And on the same day at 19:15 (7:15pm), which symbolizes the genocide in
1915, the bells will sound one hundred times in the Armenian Apostolic
Churches throughout the world.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

PENELOPE CURTIS LEAVES TATE BRITAIN AFTER PRESSURE FROM ART WORLD

Penelope Curtis has left Tate Britain to take up a new job in Portugal

Penelope Curtis, who is leaving Tate Britain

By Hannah Furness, Arts Correspondent

7:58PM BST 31 Mar 2015

The director of Tate Britain, Penelope Curtis, is to leave the country
to take up a new role at a Portuguese gallery, after facing heavy
criticism from the UK art world.

Curtis, who was appointed director in 2010 and oversaw a major
refurbishment of the gallery, has been appointed head of the Museu
Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon.

She will become the first foreign director of the small gallery, which
houses a 6,000-strong collection of works accumulated by Armenian
oil magnate Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian.

The move, now officially confirmed, will bring an end to Curtis’s
controversial time at Tate, in which she has been subject to what
the Art Newspaper described as criticism which “verged on a vendetta”.

Last year, some influential art critics called for her time at the
helm to be brought to a swift end, citing exhibitions they felt
unsuccessful and only appealing only to a minority.

Others, including the Telegraph’s Richard Dorment, put up a spirited
defence of Curtis, saying calls to sack her were “sheer madness”
and pointing out she “has already done more to change Tate Britain
for the better than any director since the great Sir Nicholas Serota”.

Henry Moore’s ‘Draped Seated Figure’ on show in Walk Through British
Art at the Tate Britain (Paul Grover)

During her time at the gallery, she has overseen a much-lauded £45m
redesign of the building and widely-praised rehang of the entire
permanent collection, as well as exhibitions of the works of JMW
Turner, Lowry and the Pre-Raphaelites.

She has also approved Art Under Attack, a show about iconoclasm awarded
one star by this newspaper, and Ruin Lust, which left the reviewer
“disappointed and frustrated”.

Calls for her dismissal began in earnest in April last year, when
figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions showed
visitor numbers fell by 10 per cent in 2013 to 1.38m.

Figures released earlier this month show a further fall to 1.36,
and 20th place in a table of UK attractions.

Art critic Waldemar Januszczak declared “Curtis has to go. She really
does,” while Brian Sewell lamented a “drop in intellectual standards”.

Earlier this month, following the launch of Sculpture Victorious,
the Spectator declared: “Curtis must certainly go now.”

Visitors to Art Under Attack at Tate Britain (Christopher Pledger)

Announcing her new job, Curtis said she admired the Lisbon gallery
“deeply” and would like “keep all that is good about the museum”
while “developing ways in which it can make more of its context
and position”.

She will remain at Tate Britain until July to work out her notice
period.

Responding to the news, Sir Nicholas Serota, director of Tate
galleries, said: “We shall miss Penelope but we are delighted that
a distinguished British scholar is the first international Director
to lead and develop this prestigious museum.”

He added: “Over the last five years Penelope Curtis has led Tate
Britain with a clarity of vision that has resulted in the successful
redevelopment of the gallery and a highly acclaimed rehang of the
collection.

“She established a new chronological presentation and introduced
free changing focus displays which have allowed the Gallery to
present specific artists, themes or new research relating to Tate’s
collection.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILLBOARDS IN MONTREAL METROS

March 31, 2015

Armenian Genocide Billboards were placed in Montreal metro stations
starting today, along with electronic screens in subway cars. Support
this initiative and similar projects, please donate by visiting

From: A. Papazian

THE TRUTH CANNOT BE ISOLATED

Monday, 30 March 2015 11:03

The press has already reported that on March 18-23, Yerevan hosted the
5th International Media Forum “At the Foot of Ararat”, in which over
200 journalists from 34 countries participated. About 30 participants
of the forum, representing 12 countries, expressed their wish to
arrive in Artsakh and to get acquainted with the current situation
in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Within three days of stay in Artsakh, they met with the President and
visited a number of objects, allowing them to have a certain idea
of the situation in the Republic and the current public-political
processes here.

As soon as the foreign journalists left the NKR, they found themselves
in the… infamous “black list” of Azerbaijan, which includes
persons, whose entry into the country is prohibited. According to the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, the visits of journalists
to Nagorno Karabakh without the consent of Azerbaijan amount to the
violation of the law on the state border of the country. Besides his
ridiculous accusation against the foreign mass media representatives,
he presented a set of equally absurd accusations against the NKR: “In
these territories, along with the martial law, human trafficking, arms
smuggling, drug production and trafficking, training of terrorists and
other illegal activities are implemented”. He presented hypocritically
this lie as concern about the security of the journalists.

We should note that creating its “black list” of persona non grata,
which includes foreign statesmen and politicians, political analysts
and experts-conflictologists, culture and mass media representatives,
who have visited Artsakh, Azerbaijan primarily pursued the main goal
– to prevent the visit to the NKR by the persons who can express an
objective opinion about Nagorno Karabakh. Or, this discriminatory
measure on restricting the freedom of movement of foreign citizens and
their acquisition of objective information about the real situation
in the NKR is based on Azerbaijan’s policy of isolation of Nagorno
Karabakh from the outer world. Frankly speaking, this Jesuit step had
not and could not have a proper effect. This is clearly evidenced by
the fact that the number of foreign nationals, declared “undesirable
persons” by official Baku, is increasingly growing – today, it is
approaching already to 400. As a rule, these actions of the Azerbaijani
authorities cause no other reaction by the people included in the
“black list” of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry than perplexity,
conviction and irony. Most of them admitted that they did not worry
what people thought about them in Azerbaijan. In other words, official
Baku, which is afraid of the truth about Artsakh, cannot block the
access to it with prohibitive measures.

As is known, in the recent years, the authoritarian leadership of
Azerbaijan has been sharply criticized by international structures for
the suppression of democratic rights in this country, in particular,
of the freedom of speech. However, the steps of the Baku regime to
infringine on the freedom of foreign journalists and to obstruct their
professional activities testify to the expansion of the geographical
boundaries of the Azerbaijani authoritarianism. We believe this
should be also adequately assessed by authoritative international
bodies as actions incompatible with the norms and principles of a
democratic society. By the way, the abovementioned rejects even the
very possibility to rank Azerbaijan to the states having the slightest
idea of democratic values.

Now as for the question who is really involved in international
drug trafficking and who really poses a threat of terrorism. Baku
has been long misinforming the international community with spreading
allegations on drug production and trafficking, terrorist training and
other nonsense. None of these and similar accusations has ever (!!!)
been confirmed by any fact, since they do not exist. Meanwhile,
ironically, the U.S. State Department has recently issued the
“Report on International Strategy for Drug Control – 2015”, which
states that Azerbaijan continues to be a transit country for illicit
drug trafficking from Afghanistan and Iran to Europe and Russia. In
addition, the headquarters on the fight against terror, which is a
division of the National Security Council of Israel, has recently
issued information, advising the Israelis to refrain from visiting
Azerbaijan, due to the constant threat of Islamic terror. By the way,
of the post-Soviet Republics only Azerbaijan is included in this
list, comprising over 40 states and regions. In short, apparent is
the inconsistency of the argument of Azerbaijan, which thus tries to
present Nagorno Karabakh as a sort of marginal formation.

The development of the NKR as a sovereign democratic state increases
the interest of the international community for the ongoing
public-political processes here, which encourages politicians and
political scientists, as well as representatives of the press and
public organizations to visit the Republic. Yet another evidence to
this will be the coming, May 3 parliamentary elections in the NKR,
which will be observed by dozens of foreign observers and mass
media representatives. This means that the number of visitors to
Artsakh will continue to grow, which in no way can be hampered by
the Azerbaijani authorities who, due to their obscurantism, are not
able to understand the legality of formation and development of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Similarly, they are not able to understand
that issuing a permit for the entry of foreigners to Nagorno Karabakh
is exclusively the prerogative of the NKR authorities.

Leonid MARTIROSSIAN Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper

From: A. Papazian

GALUST SAHAKYAN: RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA ARE FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY OF ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
March 30 2015

30 March 2015 – 12:20pm

A Russian parliamentary delegation headed by the Speaker of the State
Duma of the Russian Federation, Sergey Naryshkin, will discuss issues
of inter-parliamentary cooperation, the development of Eurasian
integration and preparationsome for the 70th anniversary of the
Victory in Yerevan.

During his visit, from March 30-31, Naryshkin will meet with Armenian
National Assembly Speaker Galust Sahakyan, President Serzh Sargsyan,
and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan. The State Duma delegation will
participate in a conference dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the
victory in the Great Patriotic War and a roundtable discussion as
part of the international forum Eurasian Economic Perspective.

Also, Naryshkin is expected to attend the opening of an exhibition
titled “The War and the Victory in the Works of Armenian and Russian
Painters” dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the victory in the
Great Patriotic War.

“Allied strategic relations with Russia are one of the most important
foreign policy priorities of Armenia,” TASS cited the chairman of
the Armenian parliament Galust Sahakyan. THe Republic, he said,
attaches the great importance to expanding cooperation with Russia
in all spheres, including the inter-parliamentary format.

From: A. Papazian