Author: Andres-Papazian

MP: SECURITY IS A PRIORITY ISSUE FOR ARMENIA

17:18 09/10/2013 ” POLITICS

Armenia must be ready for any kind of challenge and any drills
and exercises are important in this respect, especially when they
involve all state bodies, MP, member of Yerkrapah Volunteer Union
Karen Saribekyan told Panorama.am commenting on the strategic command
and staff exercise being held in Armenia.

‘Echo 2013’ strategic command and staff exercise with state and
military government bodies is being held in Armenia. The topic of the
exercise is ‘Work of Senior State Officials in Military and Political
Decision-Making.’

Saribekyan stressed that the Armenian President prioritizes security
of the country and it is not accidental that he constantly comes up
with initiatives aimed at raising the level of country’s security
and defense capabilities.

“First of all, we must rely on ourselves and be able to resist the
rival’s threats with our own forces if necessary,” he said.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL IT TAKE?

The UN FPA and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs have presented
a report on the decline of population of Armenia that makes one think.

The population of Armenia does not want to link their future to their
home country.

This plight is definitely caused by the government’s policy of
encouraging emigration, downgrading the economy and blowing the
financial and remittance balloon. Besides, the public wealth has been
grabbed by a small group of people.

Turning the country to a wasteland will be the chief accusation of
the current government of Armenia if an Armenian Nurnberg ever takes
place, and the government is held responsible. It is hard to predict
the punishment. The Armenian legislation does not include provisions
on political and national liability. However, after every act of
displacement the Armenians punish cruelly Talaat Pasha.

Almost all the political forces are concerned about the issue of
emigration and emptying of the country. The ARF has even worked out a
strategy of preventing emigration and called other political forces
to join. Obviously, however, the government perceives emigration as
a birthday gift.

How many people will it take before the government considers emigration
rate dangerous? One million? Half a million? Only jobs of waiters,
car washers and insurance agents are announced. The government needs
servants. Let others leave.

There will definitely be a Nurnberg. However, instead of Armenia it
may be held in the next colony the Armenian state is transforming to.

The Armenians apparently like the diaspora-style of living, and as
Kurginyan says, they don’t need a state. By the way, the abovementioned
report suggested developing a strategy of repatriation and absorption
of Diaspora Armenians. Apparently, the Armenians of those countries
are meant which are in a worse situation than Armenia.

And how can the Diaspora Armenians come to a country from where the
native population is running away? After all, the Armenian state is
not the home country of the Diaspora Armenians. Their home country is
West Armenia where Armenians have been denied access over the past
100 years. Over the past century, the Armenians have not got strong
enough to ensure their access to their historical country.

Naira Hayrumyan 17:08 09/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS CONTINUE PROTEST FOR COVERED MARKET

16:48 ~U 09.10.13

The Pre-parliament group organized on Wednesday a march to the
Yerevan Covered Market in a fresh wave of protests aimed to protect
the architectural monument’s design.

The activists headed to the site from the Mashtots Park, chanting
loud slogans.

As they reached there, they were met by a crowd of people supporting
the plan of turning the area into a supermarket.

Speaking to Tert.am, the Pre-parliament activist Tigran Khzmalyan
said they are going to organize a resistance movement to prevent any
shoppings from the market-turned-supermarket.

Samvel Alexanyan, the Republican MP who is the market’s owner, arrived
at the protest site later, but he refused to talk to journalist.

In a statement released earlier today, Preparliament said it is
starting daily protests for the Covered Market’s protection.

From: A. Papazian

PROPAGANDA IS NOTHING WITHOUT FACTS: ARMENIAN CARTOGRAPHER SHEDS LIGHT ON AZERI FALSIFICATIONS

16:27 09.10.2013

Alisa Gevorgyan
Public Radio of Armenia

Propaganda is the tool of diplomats, but propaganda is nothing
without facts. The works of cartographer Ruben Galichyan provide the
best ground for us in this propaganda war. Galichyan, who served as
Armenia’s Honorary Consul in London from 1992 to 2000 is an author of
a number of historical and geographical studies. His most recent work
is a collection of facts and images revealing the historical-cultural
falsifications of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is holding presidential elections today, which promise
no surprises. Ilham Aliyev, who inherited power from his father,
is likely to win a third term in office and keep the lead of the
country’s foreign and domestic policies. He’ll continue to accuse
Armenia of being an “occupant country” and present the historic
falsifications of the Azerbaijani scientific and political mind from
international podiums.

“Mr. Aliyev knows where, what and how to speak. This is diplomacy,
where we are somewhat limping,” Ruben Galichyan told reporters today.

According to him, today Armenia faces the task of presenting the
historic truth to the world and resisting Azerbaijan’s falsifications.

This is the purpose all of Galichyan’s works are called to serve.

Azerbaijan has been insisting for years that Armenians are incomers
to the region, the historical-cultural monuments on the territory
of Armenia are of Azerbaijani origin, etc. Galichyan’s latest work
provides a number of facts proving the opposite.

Azerbaijanis say all churches in Armenia – including those of
Gandzasar, Tatev and even Etchimadzin – are of Caucasian Albanian
origin. The history says Caucasian Albanians became Muslims in
7-8thcenturies. No Christian Albanians were left in the Caucasus by
the 9th century. The Armenian Christian monasteries and churches were
built mostly between the 6th and 18th centuries. One cannot but ask:
how could they have been built by Islamized Caucasian Albanians?

Here is another example of distortion of historic facts propagated by
Azerbaijan. They insist that there were no Armenians in the Caucasus
before 1820. Once again Galichyan refers to history. An ancient world
map dating back to the 6th century B.C is kept in the British Museum.

It is a small Babylonian clay bar, which depicts the center of the
world. There are three countries in the center – Babylon, Assyria and
the Ararat Country, which English scholars have translated as Armenia.

It’s worth mentioning a few historic facts about Azerbaijan – a
country, as they say, with a 3,000-year history, which has no own
alphabet. They had been using Persian letters by 1929, and stared
using the Latin alphabet afterwards. In ten years they shifted to
the Cyrillic script. After the collapse of the Soviet Union they once
again returned to Latin letters. This is a nation “with a history of
millennia,” the modern generation of which are unable to familiarize
themselves with their written sources in Persian.

From: A. Papazian

LE PARLEMENT EUROPEEN S’ELEVE CONTRE L’AVORTEMENT SELECTIF DES FOETUS FEMININS NOTAMMENT EN ARMENIE

UE-societe-enfants-famille

(AFP) – Le Parlement europeen s’est eleve mardi contre l’avortement
selectif des foetus feminins, un fleau qui sevit principalement
en Asie.

Un rapport, demandant notamment aux institutions europeennes d’exiger
l’eradication de cette pratique lors de negociations concernant l’aide
humanitaire avec des pays tiers, a ete approuve par 567 voix contre 37.

L’elimination des filles avant leur naissance est un phenomène toujours
present en Chine, en Inde et au Vietnam mais aussi en Albanie, en
Armenie, en Azerbaïdjan et en Georgie. En raison de ce “genericide”,
terme choisi par le Parlement pour designer le “massacre de masse
systematique, delibere et selectif” selon le sexe des personnes, la
Chine comptait 113 naissances masculines pour 100 filles en 2012, a
denonce la socialiste chypriote, Antigoni Papadopoulo, qui presentait
le rapport.

“Le genericide est un crime et une grave violation des droits de
l’homme”, a-t-elle estime. Elle a reclame “des moyens adequats” pour
“traiter et eradiquer toutes les causes fondamentales a l’origine de
la culture patriarcale”.

Parmi les pistes a suivre, elle a cite le cas de la Coree du Sud,
qui est passee de 114 naissances de garcons pour 100 naissances de
filles en 1994 a 107 garcons pour 100 filles en 2010. “C’est un succès
remarquable”, a souligne Mme Papadopoulo.

“L’education des femmes, les poursuites pour discrimination et les
decisions en matière d’egalite des droits ont rendu la preference
pour les garcons desuète et superflue”.

mercredi 9 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

LE LA ALIEVA, LA FILLE DU PRESIDENT AZERI RECOMPENSEE PAR LA MEDAILLE OLGA 3 PAR LE PATRIARCHE DE RUSSIE, KIRILL

RUSSIE-AZERBAÏDJAN

Sur decision du patriarche Kirill de Russie, Leïla Alieva la fille du
president azeri Ilham Aliev et vice-presidente de la Fondation Heydar
Aliev, a recu a l’occasion de la fondation de la Russie, la medaille de
la princesse Olga 3. Leïla Alieva fut recompensee par cette distinction
pour le financement qu’elle avait apporte pour l’installation du
memorial dedie au prince Vladimir a Astrakhan. C’est egalement ”
au nom du renfoncement de l’amitie entre la Russie et l’Azerbaïdjan
et de la defense de nombreuses valeurs communes ” que le patriarche
Kiril de Russie a honore la fille d’Aliev par cette medaille. Une
medaille très prisee et offerte a ce jour a un très petit nombre
de personnalites. L’or azeri fait de l’argent…et l’argent fait
des medailles…

Krikor Amirzayan

mercredi 9 octobre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIE DESIRE POURSUIVRE SA COOPERATION AVEC L’UE

Europe

Edouard Nalbandian a affirme que l’Armenie souhaite poursuivre
la cooperation avec l’Union europeenne dans toutes les directions
possibles, en se basant sur les realisations mutuelles et les progrès
realises au cours des dernières annees. Le ministre des Affaires
etrangères a affirme cela lors de sa rencontre a Bruxelles avec le
Haut representant pour les affaires etrangères et la politique de
securite de l’UE, Catherine Ashton.

Un communique publie par le ministère des Affaires etrangères souligne
que dans la construction des relations avec l’UE, y compris dans
le cadre de l’initiative du Partenariat oriental, l’Armenie cherche
a avoir ” une cooperation etroite, profonde et prolongee qui saura
en meme temps prendre en compte la participation de l’Armenie dans
d’autres processus d’integration repondant a ses interets. ”

” L’Armenie, soutenue par l’Union europeenne, a adopte une importante
voie des reformes. Nous sommes determines a poursuivre ce processus
visant a promouvoir la democratie, les droits de l’homme, le
renforcement de l’Etat de droit, la bonne gouvernance, l’amelioration
du système judiciaire et la lutte contre la corruption. Nous nous
rejouissons du soutien de l’Union europeenne “, a declare Nalbandian.

Pour sa part, Catherine Ashton a declare que l’UE reste determinee
a approfondir les relations avec l’Armenie dans tous les domaines
compatibles avec l’adhesion de l’Armenie a l’Union douanière.

mercredi 9 octobre 2013, Claire ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

OVER CUSTOMS BARRIER. ARMENIA WILL UNOFFICIALLY TAKE NAGORNO-KARABAKH INTO CUSTOMS UNION

Gazeta.ru , Russia
Sept 26 2013

by Zhanna Ulyanova

Armenia’s joining the Customs Union with the participation of Russia,
Kazakhstan, and Belarus accords with the interests of Nagorno-Karabakh,
the authorities in the unrecognized republic say.

Stepanakert doubts, however, that the union’s present members will
permit Nagorno-Karabakh’s participation in the customs and economic
partnership. Analysts believe that the unrecognized republic will
enter the Customs Union zone along with Armenia by default.

Armenia’s joining the Customs Union, whose members are
Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, accords with the interests of
Nagorno-Karabakh, David Babayan, press secretary to the president of
the unrecognized republic, told Gazeta.ru. But Stepanakert does not
believe that Yerevan’s trade and economic integration into the Eurasian
Economic Community will promote Nagorno-Karabakh’s recognition as a
subject of international law.

“We believe that Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union accords
with the interests of Nagorno-Karabakh. But talk to the effect
that after joining the Customs Union opportunities will emerge for
Nagorno-Karabakh to be recognized by the union’s member countries or
by the union itself as an international intergovernmental organization
is an expression of the wishes of certain politicians rather than a
real prospect,” Babayan said.

However, the Nagorno-Karabakh Government is certain that Armenia’s
membership of the Customs Union guarantees stability and the peaceful
resolution of the conflict around the self-proclaimed state.

Yerevan, on the contrary, links the decision that Armenian President
Serzha Sargsyan adopted in his 3 September Moscow meeting with Vladimir
Putin not only with a desire to secure Moscow’s support but also with
an attempt to ensure international recognition for Nagorno-Karabakh. On
3 September Sargsyan put an end to two years of maneuvering between
the Customs Union and the EU. He announced Armenia’s wish to begin the
process of integration into the Eurasian area, thereby renouncing the
initialing of the EU association agreement that was to have taken place
in November this year at the “Eastern Partnership” summit in Vilnius.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia [RPA] stated the need to link
Nagorno-Karabakh’s recognition with joining the Customs Union. The
mechanism for this kind of recognition can be implemented through
the drawing up of customs documentation, Gagik Minasyan, deputy for
the RPA faction and head of the Permanent Parliamentary Commission
on Financial, Credit, and Budget Issues, pointed out earlier.

Karen Ogandzhanyan, a Karabakh human rights campaigner, does not
believe in Sargsyan’s intention to return Nagorno-Karabakh to the
legal international field by way of joining the Customs Union. “Those
who make such claims are misleading the Armenian people and trying
to level in the eyes of the public the Armenian president’s one-man
decision to join the Customs Union – a decision that will undoubtedly
have negative consequences,” Ogandzhanyan believes.

The Armenian Government has already approved a program of measures for
the republic to join the Customs Union. The joining procedure will be
long and complex, Vladimir Lepekhin, director of the Eurasian Economic
Community Institute, pointed out. “For this it is necessary to adopt
several dozen interstate agreements. For a year now Kyrgyzstan has been
tackling the technological part of integration into the Customs Union,
and to all intents and purposes the agreements will begin functioning
only from January 2015,” the expert said.

Taking into account the absence of common borders with the Customs
Union countries, Armenia will obtain a special status of membership
of the trade and economic area.

Lepekhin believes that the decision on where the borders of the Customs
Union will lie – taking or not taking Nagorno-Karabakh into account –
will be made by Yerevan, without pressure from Moscow.

“Armenia understands the importance of Customs Union expansion to
Russia. For now Yerevan has only expressed readiness to join and will
now start shaping its terms, which might go beyond the economy and
concern recognition of Karabakh,” the political analyst said. But even
if such a position is delineated, it will be discussed at presidential
level and not in public.

Analysts believe that the Customs Union countries are not interested
in recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh, but the unrecognized state may find
itself unofficially in the zone of trade and economic partnership.

“Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh constitute a single economic area:
The Armenian currency and banking system operate in Stepanakert,
and the legislative systems are extremely close. Mindful of these
special features, Armenia will conduct the negotiating process over
the form of joining the Customs Union,” Armenian political analyst
Aleksandr Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasian Media Institute,
said. He regards the likelihood of Nagorno-Karabakh being recognized
by the Customs Union countries as an “exotic scenario.”

The territory of Nagorno-Karabakh will most likely enjoy
the preferences of the trade and economic agreement by default,
Iskandaryan believes.

Karen Ogandzhanyan sees no possibility of the self-proclaimed republic
participating in the Customs Union. “Karabakh cannot, a priori,
be included in the Customs Union without its independence being
recognized by the union’s member countries. What is more, neither
Russia, nor Belarus, nor, still more so, Kazakhstan will ever permit
even the tenuous participation of Nagorno-Karabakh in such a union. It
should not be forgotten that Belarus once saved Azerbaijan’s credit,
and Russia recently secured very promising prospects to exploit and
transport hydrocarbons from fields being worked by Azerbaijan.

Kazakhstan is the only country to have come out loudly in the past
against Armenia joining the Customs Union along with Karabakh,”
Ogandzhanyan recalled.

“Armenia’s integration into the Customs Union will most likely
provide Nagorno-Karabakh with additional opportunities to export
output to the Russian market,” Babayan said. “Nagorno-Karabakh is
able to concentrate on ecologically clean output, alcoholic products,
and the development of tourism.”

Azerbaijan has perceived Armenia’s intention to integrate into the
Customs Union with concern and regards this as confirming Yerevan’s
dependence on Moscow, Hikmat Hacizada, Azerbaijan’s ex-ambassador
to Russia and president of the FAR Center for Economic and Political
Research, said.

“Once again we have seen for ourselves that Armenia is not free in
its political choice, since earlier it was intending to sign the
agreement on associate membership of the EU but unexpectedly altered
its decision. This is all very sad for Azerbaijan. Russia does not
need any particular reasons to recognize Karabakh, but so far it has
not done this,” Hacizada pointed out.

[Translated from Russian]

From: A. Papazian

UNESCO WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SPREAD OF SAYAT-NOVA’S WORKS AMONG INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

20:56, 8 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Sayat-Nova’s 300th anniversary which
has been included in 2012-2013 calendar of the prominent people and
famous events of UNESCO with the support of the national commission
dealing with the affairs of UNESCO in Armenia, is celebrated by various
ceremonies not only in Armenia, but also in different neighboring
countries. As reports Armenpress, citing the official website of
the Government of the Republic of Armenia, for the aim of organizing
executive ceremonies some changes will be realized in the budgetary
account of the Republic of Armenia.

“The implementation of the project with the help of UNESCO, will
promote wider recognition of Sayat-Nova’s works in Armenia as well
as in the international community, which can become the basis for
the translations and the intercultural dialogue of Armenian prominent
troubadour’s heritage. The collection of Sayat-Nova’s songs will also
be published,” the project mentions.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: A. Papazian

A JEWEL REBORN IN GYUMRI: GRAND OPENING OF THE OCTET MUSIC SCHOOL

By MassisPost
Updated: October 7, 2013

By Florence Avakian

The opening of any event is a cause for festivity, but when It involves
a benefit to children, it becomes a special celebration. On Friday,
September 20, in Armenia’s second largest city, Gyumri, the opening
of the Octet Music School in Gyumri took place to great fanfare.

Attending this auspicious event were the President of Armenia
Serge Sarkisian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese (eastern)
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, and noted philanthropists Edward and
Janet Mardigian and son Grant who with the Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR) were the major contributors to this project. Also present were
members of the Board of Directors of the Fund for Armenian Relief,
(FAR), and renowned musician Ian Gillan.

But it was the group of students and teachers of this sparkling
new school built with Armenia’s famed tuff stone, who visibly were
the most ecstatic. Smiling broadly, with eyes glistening, 35 of the
120 students showed their extraordinary talents for which they are
well-known, by playing several beloved Armenian compositions to the
delight of the large throng. Young student Dadiana Mikaelian, glowing
with happiness commented, “Before we were very cold with the wind
constantly blowing. Now, we will be comfortable and able to advance
in our work which we love.”

Archbishop Barsamian, President of the FAR Board, in his inspiring
address at the opening, recalled the critical time in Gyumri which
suffered greatly as a result of the 1988 tragic earthquake. The Octet
Music School in Gyumri “was always a training ground for children
of extraordinary musical talent where children had to take classes
in tin and wooden broken-down shelters left over from the temporary
emergency housing of the disaster zone. Now after 20 years, these
gifted children have an institution worthy of their aspirations.”

Left to right – FAR Board chairman Randy Sapah-Gulian, Grant and
Janet Mardigian, and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian

Angels of Mercy The Primate paid tribute to the “angels of mercy”,
Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, Geoff Downes, John Dee, the All-Armenia Fund,
the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), and most of all to Edward and
Janet Mardigian who “took the bulk of the rebuilding project onto
their strong shoulders. They opened their generous hearts to provide
this city, and its young artists with an institution worthy of their
aspirations.”

Expressing his “deepest gratitude and admiration” to the Mardigian
family, he declared that the “dreams of this school, and especially
the children of Gyumri have become a beautiful reality.”

The Mardigian Foundation, led by Edward and Janet Mardigian and
their sons, Matthew and Grant, is also a major benefactor of the
FAR Children’s Center in Yerevan, and in 2012 made an unprecedented
commitment to funding FAR’s “Breaking the Life Cycle of Poverty”
program in Armenia’s poverty-stricken Tavoush region. Their involvement
in Armenia was the inspiration of Janet Mardigian who visited Armenia
several years ago as a Diocesan Council member. “We have to do
something over there. There is so much need,” she said at the time.

Going together to see the original appalling condition of the Octet
Music School four years ago, and seeing that some children walked more
than two miles to reach the cold, dark, dingy and unstable structure,
Edward and Janet Mardigian immediately took on the project. “There was
a great need to renovate the school. It was in horrific condition. And
for many of the students there was only one instrument.” He called the
Fund for Armenian Relief, and said, “I’ll do it. My shovel is ready.”

All the drawings were secured, and ground was broken in one month. “I
love to do charity work with children, and music has been part of
Armenian life throughout the centuries.”

It was in September of 2012 that the Mardigians with their two sons,
Matthew and Grant, visited the school where renovations were already
underway. In a symbolic ceremony, Matthew and Grant put a time capsule
into the foundation. “Watching my two boys, signified for me that the
tradition of my family and my parents was working and being carried
on,” relates Mr. Mardigian.

Little Shining Stars “The school is beautiful. It was so heartwarming
to see the great difference in a year’s time. I was very touched,”
said Mr. Mardigian upon his return from Armenia in September. “Helping
even one child can make such a difference. They are little shining
stars.” But Mr.

Mardigian who hates to be in the limelight, likes to do things
anonymously, and stay in the background, was surprised after the
dedication “when all the cameras crowded into my face.”

Seeing the new school and the beaming students a year later, Grant,
a free-lancer in the engineering and production areas of music,
and who spoke at the opening, called it “pretty cool”. Matthew and
Grant are part of the family’s Mardigian Foundation started by their
grandparents Edward and Helen Mardigian.

At the close of the ceremony, President Sarkisian, Grant Mardigian,
Jon Dee, the youth of the community, and other special guests planted
trees in the schoolyard donated by the Armenia Tree Project to green
the site of the re-born music school.

Edward Mardigian, the son of legendary leader in business and
philanthropy Edward Mardigian, Sr., is continuing his father’s
leadership in both the Armenian and American communities. The Mardigian
Foundation has been a major contributor to the Diocesan Mardigian
Institute for Christian Education, the Ararat Center, the Youth and
Education Department, the Sunday School Program, and St.

John’s Armenian Church of Greater Detroit.

Octet Music School children performing

In the American community, the Mardigian Foundation has with great
generosity donated to hospitals, libraries, and zoos in the Michigan
area, as well as to the University of Michigan, the Mayo Clinic,
the Animal Rescue League and the Humane Society.

“My parents taught us to want to give back,” he says with his long-time
dedication and humility. “They communicated that this country had been
good to them, and so they wanted to give back mainly to the Armenian
community, but also to everyone.”

From: A. Papazian