Author: Andres-Papazian

NO VIOLATION OF THE CEASEFIRE REGIME REGISTERED DURING OSCE MONITORING

15:36 24.07.2013

On July 24, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the
authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission
conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed
forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the Martuni direction.

>From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was
conducted by Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Christo Christov (Bulgaria) and Jiri Aberle
(Czech Republic).

>From the opposite side, the monitoring was conducted by
Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Yevgeny Sharov (Ukraine) and William Prior
(Great Britain).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. No
violation of the cease-fire regime was registered.From the Karabakh
side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of
the NKR Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI AND FRENCH FMS DISCUSS NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN PARIS
by Tatevik Shahunyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, July 24, 12:53

Azerbaijani and French Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Laurent
Fabius met in Paris on July 23, APA reports quoting the press service
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France.

The ministers discussed the development of bilateral relations
between France and Azerbaijan, political and economic aspects of the
relationship, as well as the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU.

The FMs also discussed peaceful settlement of the Armenian- Azerbaijani
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

From: A. Papazian

MILITARY LEADERSHIP MEETS IN KARABAKH

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

Military leaders met in Stepanakert

STEPANAKERT-Armenia’s top army generals and other military officials
held an unprecedented meeting over the weekend in Nagorno-Karabakh,
which the Defense Ministry in Yerevan said focused on their ongoing
efforts to strengthen the Armenian military.

The meeting in Stepanakert, chaired by Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian,
brought together the heads of various Defense Ministry departments,
the leadership of the Armenian army’s General Staff and all major
detachments as well as the commanders of Karabakh’s Armenia-backed
armed forces.

A ministry statement quoted Ohanian as emphasizing the “exceptional”
venue of the meeting and stressing the need to increase the
effectiveness of ongoing “processes carried out in the defense
system.” He also called for “deepening cooperation and exchange of
experience between the armed forces of the two Armenian republics.”

According to the statement, Ohanian’s opening remarks were followed by
a discussion of the results of the Armenian military’s “2013 winter
training phase.” It said Armenian and Karabakh generals presented
“a state of combat readiness and discipline” in the army ranks.

Ohanian was reported to issue orders on addressing “shortcomings
registered during the semester” and improving efforts to boost
discipline and combat readiness. He also said military commanders
should do a better job of preventing “accidents,” an apparent reference
to non-combat deaths of soldiers. No further details were reported.

The Stepanakert meeting followed an annual gathering of Karabakh
Armenian officers, during which they discussed the situation along the
“line of contact” east and north of Karabakh.

The meeting came less than a month after Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev voiced fresh threats to win back the disputed territory and
other Armenian-controlled territories surrounding it at a military
parade in Baku. Aliyev claimed last week that offensive weapons
displayed by the Azerbaijani army scared many Armenians. Some of
those weapons were recently purchased by Azerbaijan from Russia in
a $1 billion deal that was disclosed by the Russian media last month.

The Armenian leadership has downplayed the Russian arms deliveries,
saying that they will not undermine the military balance in the
Karabakh conflict. Ohanian insisted earlier this month that a new
Armenian-Azerbaijan war is unlikely to break out soon.

From: A. Papazian

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE URGES AID TO SYRIA REFUGEES

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) with the ANCA team following the Senate
Foreign Operations Subcommittee consideration of the FY14 Foreign
Aid bill Tuesday

Draft Report Silent on Specific Aid Levels to Caucasus Countries

WASHINGTON-The U.S. House Subcommittee responsible for drafting the
Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) foreign aid bill has prioritized humanitarian
assistance for populations affected by the Syria conflict, but, for
the first time in over two decades, the draft report accompanying
the measure failed to cite specific dollar levels for aid to any
of the Caucasus countries, reported the Armenian National Committee
of America.

The ANCA reported earlier this week that the House Foreign Operations
Subcommittee has proposed sharp, overall reductions in foreign aid
spending for FY14, cutting nearly 20 percent from both last year’s
figures and the Obama Administration’s budget request. This year’s
proposed legislation was largely quiet on specific country allocations
across the globe. The Subcommittee’s version of this measure will be
considered by the full House Appropriation Committee on Wednesday,
July 24th, when individual Members will have an opportunity to seek
changes and clarifications regarding the bill’s assistance priorities
and levels. The date for full House consideration of the measure has
not yet been set.

Plight of Christians and Minorities in Middle East Spotlighted In
the draft report accompanying the Subcommittee’s version of the
foreign aid bill, made public earlier Tuesday, appropriators devoted
considerable attention to the humanitarian crisis in the Middle
East, stating that the “events in the Middle East, from the Arab
Spring and the conflict in Syria to the continuing transition in
Iraq, have intensified the challenges facing minority communities,
including Christian populations, within these areas of conflict,
instability, and transition. The Committee urges the Secretary of State
to continue humanitarian and resettlement assistance for members of
these vulnerable communities, both inside and outside their countries
of origin.”

The report specifically focuses on the Syrian crisis, noting that
“the Committee understands that a majority of Syrian refugees live
outside of formal camps, which adds considerably to the strain on
the resources of countries hosting them. The Committee recognizes the
urgent need to assist in the following ways: (1) help host countries
expand their national systems to accommodate refugee needs, such as
in the health and education sector, (2) ensure that host countries
can continue to deliver basic services to their own citizens, (3)
strengthen the capacity of local authorities to respond to the refugee
influx, and (4) maintain refugees’ freedom of movement, right to
settle in local communities, and access to economic opportunities. The
Committee encourages the Department of State and USAID to, where
appropriate, assist its partners and the affected host governments
in the humanitarian response to the growing number of Syrians who
have sought refuge in nearby countries and requested assistance.”

References to humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East are of
particular importance to the Armenian American community, which
is actively engaged with the Obama Administration and the Congress
regarding the plight of Armenians and other at-risk populations caught
in the cross-fire of the Syrian conflict. While the Armenian presence
in Syria has a very long history, the majority of Syrian Armenians
are descendants of those who found shelter, safety, and a new life in
Syria after the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. The Armenian community
numbered approximately 100,000 at the start of the present conflict.

Estimates today are that as many as half of the community has left
Syria, some permanently, others with the hope that they will be able
to return. More than 10,000 Syrian Armenians have already fled to
the Republic of Armenia, and another 10,000 or more have found refuge
in Lebanon.

Last week, the ANCA brought together Armenian American civic, church,
and charitable organization leaders from across the United States
to take part in a U.S. government briefing on Syria humanitarian
assistance efforts by the State Department and U.S. Agency for
International Development. Among the Armenian American community’s
publicly-stated humanitarian priorities, going into this meeting, were:

1. Ensuring the balanced and needs-based distribution of U.S.

humanitarian aid to all areas of Syria, including those like Aleppo
with large Armenian and other Christian populations;

2. Preventing humanitarian blockades of civilian populations, such
as those creating crises in Aleppo;

3. Providing additional assistance to the Armenian government and NGO’s
supporting and helping to settle Syrians who have fled to Armenia, and

4. Assisting the Armenian Church and charitable groups in Lebanon
as they support the very considerable humanitarian needs of refugees
from Syria.

Senate Appropriations Committee Begins its Consideration of Foreign
Aid Bill On the Senate side, the Appropriations Subcommittee on
State Foreign Operations presented and approved its version of
the FY2014 foreign aid bill, with specific country allocations to
be made available to the public over the next several days. Full
Appropriations Committee consideration of the Senate version of the
bill is set for Thursday, July 25. ANCA Leo Sarkisian Program interns
were joined by ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian
at the Subcommittee “markup” of the bill earlier today. ANCA offices,
chapters, and activists have been reaching out to constituents in key
Senate and House districts over the past several weeks, urging action
in support of Armenian American foreign aid priorities including:

At least $5 million in U.S. assistance to Nagorno Karabakh

At least $50 million in U.S. assistance to Armenia

At least 10% of U.S. assistance to Georgia to be earmarked for job
creation programs in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of that country.

Funds for humanitarian and resettlement assistance specifically
targeted to Armenian and other Christian populations as well as other
minority communities affected by the recent unrest in the Middle East.

Language strengthening Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to
Azerbaijan.

Removal of barriers to contact and communication with representatives
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Language calling for the participation of Nagorno Karabakh leaders
in the OSCE Minsk Group negotiations

Read the ANCA Congressional testimony offered in support of Armenian
American foreign aid priorities here.

From: A. Papazian

PRESSE ARMENIENNE : REVUE DU 22 JUILLET 2013

Publie le : 24-07-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente cette Revue de Presse parue sur le site de l’Ambassade de
France en Armenie le 23 juillet 2013.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

I. Relations exterieures

1. Le President de la BERD en Armenie/Les quotidiens rendent compte
de la visite du president de la BERD, Suma Chakrabarti, qui s’est
entretenu avec les autorites armeniennes, notamment avec le President
et le PM, des futurs projets de cooperation. Selon Azg, au cours de
vingt ans de cooperation avec l’Armenie, la BERD a investi dans ce pays
1 milliards de dollar via 120 programmes principalement destines aux
PME. Il est prevu que d’ici la fin de l’annee, la banque investisse
encore 120 M USD. A l’occasion de la visite du President de la BERD en
Armenie, la banque et la societe “Yerevan-Djour” (Veolia) ont signe
un accord d’octroi d’un pret de 7 M USD pour l’amelioration de la
distribution et de la qualite de l’eau.

D’après les previsions de la BERD, le taux de croissance economique
de l’Armenie s’elèvera a 5% en 2013 (le Gouvernement prevoit une
croissance de 7%).

2. Le Ministre des AE a Bruxelles ce jour /M. Nalbandian prend part
a la reunion des Ministres des AE de l’UE et des pays du Partenariat
oriental. /Arminfo

II. Politique interieure

1. Raffi Hovhannissian appelle tous les partis politiques armeniens a
une table ronde/Très soucieux de l’avenir du pays, notamment sur le
plan economique, le leader du parti Heritage, Raffi Hovhannissian,
a appele toutes les formations politiques armeniennes a se reunir,
le 22 septembre, afin de trouver des solutions a l’impasse où se
trouverait le pays. M. Hovhannissian a en outre appele au retrait de
l’Armenie de l’OTSC. Il a etaye ses propos par la vente d’armements
russes a l’Azerbaïdjan : “Si notre allie strategique fournit des
milliards de dollars d’armements a un Etat qui veut aneantir l’Armenie
et le Karabagh, on ne peut pas parler de partenariat strategique
et l’Armenie devrait reconsiderer son adhesion a l’Organisation du
Traite de securite collective et traiter avec celle-ci de la meme
facon qu’avec l’OTAN”. M. Hovhannissian a meme qualifie de boiteux
les liens politiques, militaires et economiques de l’Armenie avec
la Russie. Il a estime qu’Erevan est devenu trop docile dans ses
relations avec Moscou. /Rapporte par l’ensemble de la presse

2. Statistiques macroeconomiques du premier semestre/Selon le Service
national des Statistiques, au cours des mois janvier-juin le taux de la
croissance economique s’est eleve a 4,4% par rapport a la meme periode
de l’annee precedente. Au cours de cette meme periode par rapport
a la meme periode de l’annee dernière, l’industrie a progresse de
8,3%, l’agriculture de 2,1%. En revanche, la construction continue a
enregistrer un recul : – 8,8%. Au cours du premier semestre de cette
annee, les exportations ont cru de 9,9% (699 M USD), tandis que les
importations ont diminue de 2,1% (1, 9 MD). /Azg

3. Manifestations suite a l’augmentation de 50% du prix des transports
en commun/L’augmentation du prix des transports en commun, a partir
du 20 juillet, a suscite une protestation sociale qui s’est traduite
par une manifestation devant la mairie d’Erevan, les participants
appelant a refuser d’acquitter le nouveau prix ou a boycotter les
transports en commun. /Hayots Achkhar

4. Le President Sarkissian et le President de l’AN en conge/Le chef
de l’Etat passera ses vacances a l’etranger(sans precision). /Arminfo

III. Questions regionales

1. L’Armenie suit de près l’affaire de son ressortissant accuse en
Russie d’accident de la route ayant coûte la vie a 18 personnes/La
presse armenienne continue a suivre l’affaire du citoyen armenien,
Hratchia Haroutuiounian, qui avait fait l’objet d’un traitement
“humiliant” par les organes judiciaires russes. L’Ombudsman Karen
Andreassion s’est rendu a Moscou pour rencontrer les avocats de
l’accuse, ainsi que suivre cette affaire de près. L’Ambassadeur
d’Armenie en Russie, Oleg Yessayan, a, a son tour, rencontre le
vice-Ministre des AE, Grigori Karassine, qui l’a assure qu’une enquete
approfondie et objective serait menee, respectant pleinement les droits
de l’accuse. Selon Armenpress, des representants de differents medias
armeniens ont adresse une lettre ouverte a l’Union des Journalistes de
Russie, regrettant que des journalistes russes aient viole l’ethique
journalistique, mettant l’accent sur l’appartenance ethnique de
l’accuse, attisant ainsi des sentiments nationalistes.

IV. France-Armenie

1. L’Ambassadeur de France a rencontre la Ministre de la
Diaspora/Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun fait etat a la ” une ” de la
rencontre de la Ministre de la Diaspora, Hranouche Hakobian, avec
l’Ambassadeur de France. La Ministre a presente les programmes mis
en place par les autorites armeniennes pour l’accueil des Syriens
d’origine armenienne refugies en Armenie. La Ministre a sollicite
l’aide de l’UE et du Gouvernement francais en soutien a cet effort.

Redaction : Meri Hakobian

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Ambassade de France en Armenie

From: A. Papazian

VAGUE D’INDIGNATION DANS LA SOCIETE ARMENIENNE CONTRE LE TRAITEMENT ” INDIGNE ” D’UN RESSORTISSANT ARMENIEN EN RUSSIE

ARMENIE

L’ensemble de la presse fait etat d’une levee de boucliers dans
la societe armenienne comme sur les reseaux sociaux après qu’un
ressortissant armenien, Hratchia Haroutiounian, a ete amene dans un
tribunal russe, tire d’un hôpital dans un etat semi-conscient, en
tenue de femme. Celui-ci est a l’origine d’un tragique accident de
la route dans la ville de Podolsk, le 13 juillet, ayant cause 18 morts.

Bien qu’il soit a l’origine de cette tragedie, ses compatriotes
armeniens n’ont pas moins considere comme ” indigne ” le traitement
qu’il a subi devant le tribunal russe. Le MAE armenien a fait savoir
que l’Ambassade d’Armenie en Russie suivait cette affaire et etait en
contact permanent avec les autorites judiciaires russes. Deux avocats
experimentes et un interprète ont ete mis a sa disposition. Alors
que le President Sarkissian a envoye un message de condoleances
au President Poutine, l’Ombudsman Karen Andreassian a adresse une
lettre a son homologue demandant que soient respectes la dignite et
les droits du ressortissant armenien. De meme, le vice-President de
l’AN, Edouard Charmazanov, a estime que nul n’a le droit de traiter
un citoyen armenien de manière ” indigne “.

La photo du chauffeur armenien en tenue de femme enferme dans une
cellule du tribunal russe figure a la ” une ” de la presse du 17.07.

Les quotidiens armeniens s’indignent des reportages a tonalite ”
nationaliste ” diffuses sur des chaînes russes où l’appartenance
ethnique de l’accuse a ete specialement soulignee. Deux manifestations,
dont une organisee par l’Union de la jeunesse ” Nikol Aghbalian ”
affiliee au parti Dachnak ont eu lieu devant l’Ambassade de Russie a
Erevan. Les manifestants ont accroche une tenue de femme aux grilles de
l’Ambassade en signe de protestation contre le traitement ” humiliant
” envers le ressortissant armenien.

Selon le quotidien d’opposition Joghovourd, ce traitement a traduit
le caractère ” inhumain ” du système judiciaire russe, ainsi que
l’etat ” pitoyable ” des relations armeno-russes. Toutefois, ce
quotidien souligne qu’il ne faut pas confondre le peuple russe avec
les organes judiciaires russes. Plusieurs commentateurs estiment par
ailleurs que ce traitement etait dirige contre le peuple armenien et
que les TV russes avaient sûrement le feu vert des autorites pour
retransmettre des reportages a caractère ” nationaliste “. Jamanak
souligne que les manifestations devant l’Ambassade de Russie ne
signifient point qu’il existe en Armenie des sentiments anti-russes,
mais que cette indignation etait une reaction adequate aux ” sentiments
anti-armeniens ” que l’on observerait en Russie. Cela dit, tous les
quotidiens presentent leurs condoleances aux parents des 18 victimes
et estiment que la responsabilite du ressortissant armenien doit
encore etre etablie par le tribunal.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 17 juillet 2013

mercredi 24 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

LES COMBATS ENTRE ISLAMISTES ET KURDES S’ETENDENT AUX TERRITOIRES SYRIENS CONTROLES PAR LES REBELLES
Par Erika Solomon

SYRIE

Beyrouth (Reuters) – Des accrochages entre forces rebelles islamistes
et milices kurdes se sont etendus samedi a une deuxième province
syrienne, selon certaines sources activistes, des tensions entre
factions etant apparues dans le nord du pays.

Ce combat est une preuve de plus demontrant que le mouvement de 2011
contre le regime du president Bashar al-Assad s’est transforme en
une guerre intestine qui n’a plus rien a voir avec son eviction et
aggrave les risques de conflits regionaux qui pourraient avoir un
impact sur les pays avoisinants

Ce tour nouveau pris par le conflit a debute a Tel Abyad, une ville
frontière proche de Turquie de la province de Raqqa. contrôlee par
les rebelles. Selon l’Observatoire Syrien des Droits de l’Homme, les
accrochages se sont produits lorsque les milices kurdes de cette zone
ont decouvert des combattants issus d’un groupe rebelle apparente a
d’al Qaeda qui tentait de miner l’une de leurs bases.

Les Kurdes ont replique en faisant plusieurs prisonniers parmi les
combattants, parmi lesquels se trouvaient un chef de l’Etat Islamique
d’Iraq et Sham, l’une des forces les plus puissantes apparentees a
al Qaïda engagees en Syrie.

Le soulèvement du pays, de mouvement de manifestation pacifique est
devenu une guerre civile qui a tue plus de 100 000 personnes de plus
en plus sectaire.

La majorite sunnite de Syrie marginalisee a largement soutenu la
rebellion tout au long des quatre decennies du règne de la famille al
Assad. Les minorites telles que la secte alaouite d’Assad, une branche
dissidente de l’Islam shiite, ont largement soutenu le president.

Entre temps, la minorite ethnique kurde a alternativement combattu aux
côtes des forces d’Assad et de ceux des rebelles. Les Kurdes suggèrent
qu’ils soutiennent la revolte mais les rebelles les accusent de faire
des compromis avec le gouvernement pour garantir leur securite et
leur autonomie pendant le conflit.

Reparti en Iran, Turquie, Iraq et Syrie, le peuple kurde est souvent
decrit comme le plus important groupe ethnique prive d’un etat propre.

Les activistes ont egalement rendu compte d’une exceptionnelle
eruption d’accrochages entre les forces d’Assad et les rebelles dans
la province côtière de Tartous, une enclave alaouite et place forte
d’Assad où se trouvaient seulement quelques poches de revolte.

Le combat a eclate près de la ville sunnite de Banias, où eurent lieu
les massacres de douzaines de personnes, quelques mois seulement
avant que les milices loyales a Assad l’aient prise d’assaut après
une attaque rebelle contre leurs combattants.

CONTRE-ATTAQUES

Un activiste du lieu a dit que les forces d’Assad ont lance un nouvel
assaut après avoir decouvert que d’autres rebelles y operaient.

L’Observatoire a fait etat d’un regroupement massif de forces de
securite et de miliciens loyalistes a la fois près de Banias et près
du village de Bayda, qui a egalement ete le cadre de massacres par
douzaines quelques jours seulement avant les tueries de Banias.

Les forces d’Assad ont ete a l’offensive pendant les deux mois qui
viennent de s’ecouler, remportant une serie de victoires. Elles
s’efforcent de renforcer leur contrôle d’une bande de territoire
entre Damas, la capitale, et le camp retranche alaouite sur la côte
mediterraneenne.

Selon des sources du service de securite, le prochain objectif
d’Assad sera une offensive contre les territoires tenus par les
rebelles près des zones frontières de la Syrie au nord et au sud,
en prevision de laquelle ils essaient peu a peu de concentrer des
troupes dans la region.

L’offensive d’Assad a ete enrayee par des contre-attaques dans le
nord, meme si une serie de victoires gouvernementales ailleurs en
Syrie a fait basculer en sa faveur l’elan sur le champ de bataille,
après plus de deux ans de bain de sang.

Selon les activistes, les forces d’opposition ont avance samedi
sur Khan al-Assal, la ville du nord, et semblaient sur le point de
prendre le contrôle des dernières communes de l’est de la province
d’Alep encore tenues par les forces d’Assad.

Ailleurs en Syrie du nord, les forces d’Assad ont lance un troisième
jour de frappes aeriennes lourdes sur la ville de Sarageb dans la
province d’Idib.

Certains parmi les activistes suggèrent que l’armee pourrait essayer
de pilonner la zone clef de l’accès a Alep pour detourner l’appui
des rebelles et pouvoir ainsi reapprovisionner ses forces.

Les rebelles ont installe un blocus des quartiers detenus par le
gouvernement a Alep, le plus grand centre urbain de Syrie. Alep s’est
averee etre une impasse sanglante depuis l’offensive rebelle lancee
dans la province l’an passe.

Les rebelles islamistes fondamentalistes semblent egalement etre aux
avants postes de l’offensive pour s’emparer de Khan al-Assal. Les
puissances occidentales telles les Etats-Unis sont inquiètes de la
montee des pouvoirs des groupes islamistes radicaux, en particulier
depuis que Washington a promis d’offrir un soutien militaire aux
opposants a Assad.

Aucune aide militaire n’a ete encore donnee du fait du veto politique
du Congrès des USA sur la question islamiste.

” Les Islamistes s’efforcent peut-etre de rester en retrait. Ils
se sont regroupes et se designent entre eux par des nombres, comme
par exemple ” la 9ème Division “, mais ce sont les memes Islamistes
radicaux d’Etat Islamique d’Iraq et Sham ou du Front Islamique pour
Liberer la Syrie ” nous a dit un activiste d’opposition qui a refuse
de donner son nom.

Edition par Alison Williams

Traduction Gilbert Beguian

mercredi 24 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

L’ARMENIE VA ACCUEILLIR UN SOMMET DU PARTENARIAT AVEC L’UE

EUROPE

L’Armenie accueillera en septembre une reunion des ministres des
Affaires etrangères des anciennes republiques sovietiques participant
au programme du Partenariat oriental avec l’Union europeenne.

Edouard Nalbandian, ministère des Affaires etrangères armenien a
fait cette annonce mardi dans un communique sur la participation de
ministre des Affaires etrangères lors d’une reunion similaire qui
s’est tenue a Bruxelles lundi soir.

La reunion a rassemble les ministres de l’Armenie, l’Azerbaïdjan,
la Georgie, la Moldavie et l’Ukraine ainsi que la responsable de la
politique etrangère de l’UE, Catherine Ashton, et le commissaire
a l’elargissement, Stefan Fule. Elle a porte sur les preparatifs
en cours pour un sommet de l’UE sur le partenariat oriental qui se
tiendra a Vilnius, dans la capitale en Lituanie a la fin novembre.

L’UE devrait finaliser les accords d’association avec l’Armenie,
la Georgie et la Moldavie pendant le sommet.

Lors d’une visite a Erevan plus tôt ce mois-ci, Fule a confirme
que l’accord Armenie-UE, qui implique une composante cruciale de
libre-echange, est en voie d’etre paraphe a Vilnius. Les dirigeants
armeniens ont donne des assurances sur leurs determinations a ameliorer
de manière significative les relations de leur pays avec l’Union des
28 pays.

L’annonce de cette prochaine reunion ministerielle sur le Partenariat
oriental a Erevan, 12-13 septembre est un signe supplementaire que
le gouvernement armenien poursuit son projet d’integration europeenne
plutôt que celui de l’Union douanière des ex-republiques sovietiques
dirigee par la Russie. Plusieurs experts russes proches du Kremlin
ont critique Erevan au motif de cette politique au cours des dernières
semaines. Les dirigeants armeniens insistent, cependant, sur le fait
qu’ils n’auraient subi aucune pression du gouvernement russe sur
la question.

mercredi 24 juillet 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

PALLIATIVE CARE FALLS SHORT IN ARMENIA

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #695
July 23 2013

Current levels of provision fail to relieve suffering of thousands of patients.

By Lilit Arakelyan – Caucasus

Doctors in Armenia are calling for radical changes to palliative
care practices so as to give patients in chronic pain easier access
to prescription opiates.

At present, morphine is only prescribed to cancer patients in liquid
form used for injection, in a process tightly controlled by the
police. Other painkillers, such as methadone pills, are not available
at all.

Hrant Karapetyan, head of the Armenian Pain Control and Palliative
Care Association, says that only one or two ampoules of morphine can
be dispensed at one time, providing a maximum of eight hours of pain
relief a day, and requiring regular return visits to the dispensary.

“Every year, there are 80,000 to 100,000 people in need of palliative
care,” he said. “In Armenia, however, there is no programme that
would allow us to help 80,000-100,000 patients at the one time.”

Palliative care is designed to improve the quality of life of patients
who are terminally ill or suffering as a result of medical treatment,
and pain relief is an integral part of it.

Eight months ago, Onik Andreasyan, a 53-year-old from the village of
Avshar in the Ararat region, was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The
pain became unbearable, and his wife Marine found it impossible to
help him.

“My husband suffered terrible pain,” she said. “When his head started
hurting, he said he felt so bad it was like someone was scratching
out his eyes. The pain was uncontrollable. In the first three months,
I gave him various painkillers, but nothing helped.”

Onik reached a stage where he was barely able to walk, and his whole
left side was severely impaired.

A few months ago, she heard of a pilot project organised by the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, together with
the Open Society Institute and the Armenian health ministry, under
which patients receive free methadone pills.

The medication brought her husband’s pain under control, and
significantly improved his quality of life.

“We want him not to feel pain. When he was suffering, it was bad for
me as well. We know his condition is untreatable, but at least he
shouldn’t have to feel the pain,” Marine said.

Karapetyan said it was not just cancer patients who required treatment
to help them with pain.

“These medicines are available only to those suffering from cancer,
and that isn’t right,” he said. “Patients have a right to a life
without pain. If they are in pain, then they must receive painkillers.”

The pilot project was established two years ago to bring palliative
care to three Armenian towns. Two schemes are running in Yerevan,
and two more in Ararat and Vanadzor.

A few dozen patients are receiving treatment under the project,
but experts say more than 3,000 people need daily treatment, so
that Armenia would need 90 schemes of this kind rather than four,
as well as new legislation allowing doctors to prescribe a greater
range of medication.

“We need standards and a law protecting the rights of patients, as
well as of doctors and nurses,” said Anahit Papikyan, coordinator of
the public health programme at the Open Society Foundation – Armenia.

“There isn’t a single document regulating what dose [of methadone]
a doctor can give out.”

Stephen Connor, senior executive of the Worldwide Palliative Care
Alliance and an advisor to the Open Society Foundation, has studied
the situation in Armenia for three years.

“First, a policy of introducing palliative care to the healthcare
sector is needed. Second, there is a lack of the principal medicines,
specifically of morphine tablets. Third, specialists need to be
trained,” he said.

A bill drafted drawn up jointly by the Open Society Foundation and the
health ministry will be presented to the government this month and,
if approved, will go before parliament in September.

Suren Krmoyan, a senior official at the health ministry, said part
of the plan entailed supplying painkillers at lower prices.

“At the moment, these drugs are mainly injected, but we want to
introduce them in tablet form,” he said. “When we bring in this
programme – which has already been introduced in many countries in
the world – the first thing we must do is train the oncologists. We
expect this training to include social and psychological elements,
and we’re trialling it in our four pilot projects.”

According to Violeta Zopunyan, a lawyer who is helping draft the
legislation, the most intractable difficulty is designing simplified
mechanisms for prescribing opiates, with less supervision by the
police.

“At the moment, there seems to be a belief that doctors or patients
might sell these narcotics on the black market,” she said. “Another
major problem is that only oncologists can prescribe these drugs.

However, other doctors also need to have these powers, including
those working in mobile palliative care groups and family doctors.”

From: A. Papazian

CAUCASIAN LEOPARD CAUGHT ON CAMERA – JUST

Wildlife Extra
July 23 2013

A tantalising glimpse of a Caucasian Leopard

July 2013. Leopards are elusive animals at the best of times but in
the vicinity of the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge (CWR) it has been eight
years since one had been seen. If it hadn’t been for traces of hair and
a scat found in the CWR and proven to belong to a Caucasian Leopard,
we might still be wondering if they really did exist.

As of last week, the World Land Trust came another step nearer to
seeing a leopard up close. But the leopards are determined to live up
to their elusive reputation and so far have toyed with the watchers
by only showing a tail!

Caucasus Wildlife Refuge The landmark recording was made in July in
the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge, which is supported by World Land Trust
(WLT) and IUCN-Netherlands. The Caucasus Wildlife Refuge is managed
by WLT’s conservation partner in Armenia, the Foundation for the
Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC).

Manuk Manukyan, FPWC’s Coordinator of Conservation Projects, is one
of the few people to have seen a Caucasian Leopard in the wild, being
lucky enough to catch sight of one nearly a decade ago. He told WLT:
“The leopard is no longer a ghost! We know he (or she) is there and
that the habitat is suitable. It is very quiet and there is plenty
of prey. We will adjust the cameras and sooner or later we will get
pictures of the entire animal.”

Signs of leopard Since the reserve was created in 2010, FPWC staff
– some of them funded by WLT’s Keepers of the Wild programme – have
diligently recorded leopard tracks and signs and used this information
to locate camera-traps provided by WLT near to where the leopards are
thought to roam. At the same time, FPWC staff have made every effort
to protect the Caucasian Leopard’s habitat and prey, in particular
Bezoar Goats, wild boars and Armenian mouflon.

Mary McEvoy, WLT’s Conservation Programmes Manager (Asia and Africa
Regions) said: “At last, the efforts of FPWC staff have paid off. The
whole WLT office was very excited to see the footage so I can only
imagine how elated all at FPWC must be feeling. This is a great moment
for wildlife conservation in Armenia.”

Probably no more than 5 animals According to World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) Armenia, there are just 3 – 5 individuals recorded in Armenia
(some of them are migratory).

Each leopard needs habitat of some 44,500 – 60,000 acres (18,000 –
25,000 hectares), and their populations have been decimated by hunting
and poaching, and degradation of habitat caused by livestock grazing,
plant gathering and deforestation.

The Caucasian Leopard has only been photographed in the wild in Armenia
on two occasions, in 2005 and 2007. Those leopards had entered Armenia
from Iran in territory much further south of the CWR.

The leopard’s stronghold within Armenia is the rugged and cliffy
landscape of Khosrov State Reserve and surrounds. The Caucasus
Wildlife Refuge is located on land adjoining the Khosrov State Reserve,
south-east of the capital Yerevan on the south-western slopes of the
Geghama mountains.

Donate to Save the Caucasian Leopard WLT is currently raising funds
to lease land to extend the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge (CWR) and to
improve monitoring and protection measures within CWR. With this
protection in place we feel sure that in the future there will be
more camera-trip images of leopards (hopefully with cubs!)

View video at

From: A. Papazian