Author: Andres-Papazian

ZHOGHOVURD: PROSPEROUS ARMENIA MAY NOT JOIN RULING COALITION, SOME MEMBERS MAY LEAVE PARTY

11:53 12.07.13

If the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) does not join the ruling
coalition, members of the PAP parliamentary group Melik Manukyan,
Harutyun Karagezyan and Aragats Akhoyan intend to leave the party.

According to the newspaper’s information, businessmen MPs said in
narrow circles that they are going to have “hard times” if the PAP
states its intention to join the opposition.

However, the PAP parliamentary group members refuted the reports.

“I clearly state I am a PAP member and I will remain a PAP member
as long as this party exists,” Melik Manukyan, a PAP member, told
the newspaper.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

LE PARTI REPUBLICAIN FACE A DES PROBLÈMES INTERNES ?

ARMENIE

L’ensemble de la presse rend compte de la session de l’organe
executif du parti Republicain presidee par le chef de l’Etat, au
cours de laquelle les membres du parti Republicain ont debattu du
mecontentement du President Sarkissian a l’egard de hauts responsables
du parti, qui n’auraient pas suffisamment defendu le Gouvernement
contre les accusations de corruption formulees par la Chambre de
contrôle. Le chef de l’Etat avait exprime son mecontentement quant
au comportement de quelques-uns des membres de son parti et demande
a ce que sa direction evoque cette polemique [ rappelons que lors
de la presentation du rapport annuel de la Chambre de contrôle a
l’AN evoquant des cas de corruption, plusieurs deputes du parti
Republicain, dont le President de l’AN, Hovik Abrahamian, avaient
critique le Gouvernement, majoritairement compose de Ministres du
parti Republicain, et appele le PM, a prendre de serieuses mesures
anti-corruption].

Eduard Sharmazanov, vice-president du Parlement et porte-parole
du parti Republicain, a reconnu que le chef de l’Etat n’etait pas
satisfait de l’echec de son groupe parlementaire a soutenir le
Gouvernement. ” Il est normal pour un chef de parti d’avoir des
attentes plus elevees a l’egard de son equipe “, a-t-il declare
a RFE/RL.

Par ailleurs, M. Charmazanov a indique que l’organe executif du parti
avait decide de proposer au Conseil des Ministres, la candidature du
depute Vahe Hakobian au poste de gouverneur du Siounik, vacant depuis
la demission de l’ancien gouverneur controverse Souren Khatchatrian, a
la suite d’un incident meurtrier devant son domicile. La candidature
de Vahe Hakobian, fils du directeur de l’une des plus grandes
entreprises d’Armenie, le Combinat de cuivre et de molybdène de
Zanguezour, devrait etre approuvee par le prochain Conseil des
Ministres. La presse d’opposition relève que M. Hakobian ayant ete
elu au scrutin majoritaire dans la circonscription 38 (region du
Siounik), de nouvelles elections devront etre organisees dans cette
circonscription en octobre. Quelques-uns des commentateurs n’excluent
pas que l’ex-gouverneur puisse se porter candidat et tenter de revenir
sur le devant de la scène, en se faisant elire a l’AN.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 5 juillet 2013

vendredi 12 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

L’INTERET DE L’AZERBAIDJAN DANS LA PRESSE TURQUE

TURQUIE

Selon le journal turc Hurriyet la compagnie petrolière d’Etat
d’Azerbaïdjan, SOCAR, est a la recherche d’un eventuel partenariat
avec Kanal 24 la chaîne de television et le journal Star, propriete
du groupe Star Media en Turquie.

Il est loin ce temps où Bakou cherchait a Ankara une aide financière.

Depuis que les petrodollars ont commence a circuler en ‘Azerbaïdjan,
Ankara a connu une augmentation constante des investissements de
l’Azerbaïdjan en Turquie. L’ambition de SOCAR est de devenir le premier
investisseur direct etranger en Turquie a travers deux projets phares :
L’expansion de l’industrie petrochimique via la societe Petkim et la
construction du gazoduc Trans-Anatolie (TANAP).

S’il est judicieux pour l’Azerbaïdjan de diversifier son economie,
qui repose en grande partie sur le secteur du gaz et du petrole le
secteur de la presse turque, cependant, n’est pas connu pour etre le
quartier des affaires le plus lucratif.

Selon Hurriyet l’interet de SOCAR dans la presse turque fait partie
de la campagne de Bakou d’influencer l’opinion publique turque. Les
efforts continus de l’Azerbaïdjan de faconner l’opinion publique en
Turquie ne sont pas passes inapercus dans les cercles officiels et
en fait ils sont surveilles avec une certaine inquietude. Le grand
rassemblement raciste anti-armenien qui a eu lieu l’an dernier a
Taksim pour commemorer les evenements de Khodjali a laisse des traces.

Pour Hurriyet les efforts de la Turquie de se reconcilier avec Erevan
et d’alleger ainsi la pression de la diaspora armenienne pour la
reconnaissance du genocide restent une source d’extreme inquietude
pour l’Azerbaïdjan. Ils ont un souvenir amer de l’initiative en
2009, lorsque la Turquie et l’Armenie ont signe des protocoles pour
normaliser leurs relations, qui n’ont finalement pas ete transmis au
Parlement par le gouvernement turc, principalement en raison de la
reaction de Bakou.

” Alors que plus d’investissements azerbaïdjanais sont les bienvenues
en Turquie, je ne pense pas que les efforts de Bakou visant a detourner
la politique vis-a-vis de l’Armenie de la Turquie par l’acquisition
de certaines chaînes afin d’influencer l’opinion publique passent
inapercus. Compte tenu du fait que le Groupe Star Media est detenue
par un homme d’affaires connu pour etre proche du Premier ministre,
je serais surpris si l’achat a effectivement lieu a la fin de la
journee ” a declare la journaliste d’Hurriyet.

vendredi 12 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

” PIUNIG ” EREVAN QUALIFIE POUR LE 2E TOUR PRELIMINAIRE DE L’EUROPA LEAGUE

FOOTBALL-EUROPE

Le club armenien ” Piunig ” Erevan s’est qualifie pour le 2ème tour
preliminaire de l’Europa League. Hier soir au stade Republicain a
Erevan, les Armeniens de ” Piunig ” Erevan se sont imposes 1-0 face au
tenant de la Coupe de Macedoine, Tetex. Au match-aller, ” Piunig ”
Erevan avait realise un match nul (1-1) en Macedoine. C’est Vioulen
Aïvazian qui libera ” Piunig ” Erevan en marquant le seul but du match
dans les arrets de jeu (93e).

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 12 juillet 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

LE PREMIER MINISTRE ARMENIEN ” EN GUERRE ” CONTRE LA FRA

ARMENIE

La Federation Revolutionnaire Armenienne (FRA) a accuse le Premier
ministre Tigran Sarkissian de declencher une campagne de denigrement
contre le parti d’opposition en reponse a sa critique sevère de la
politique economique du gouvernement.

Hrant Markarian, le chef du Bureau mondial de la FRA, a declare que
Tigran Sarkissian etait derrière de recents articles des medias au
sujet de profondes discordes au sein du parti.

Selon ces articles de nombreux membres de la FRA en Armenie sont
mecontents de la direction de Markarian et veulent le renverser.

Hrant Markarian a fermement dementi une telle fronde, tout en admettant
que les militants du parti ont ete decus par piètre performance de la
FRA lors des recentes elections. Mais il a affirme que la direction du
parti pan-armenien a su surmonter ce mecontentement. Il a declare que
Tigran Sarkissian repand de “sales commèrages” pour riposter contre
les attaques de la FRA sur son bilan economique.

” Nous n’avons ni amour ni haine pour le Premier ministre”, a dit
Hrant Markarian au service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am). “Mais
c’est un premier ministre qui a echoue et c’est pourquoi il utilise
ces methodes pour resoudre ses problèmes.”

“Le Premier ministre a ouvertement dit a plusieurs reprises avoir
declare la guerre a la FRA,” a-t-il dit.

Tigran Sarkissian a fait ces declarations a des membres de son
entourage, a-t-il ajoute.

Un porte-parole de Tigran Sarkissian, Harutyun Berberian, a rejete
les allegations de Hrant Markarian, en affirmant que le premier
ministre ne s’et jamais immisce dans les affaires interieures de la
FRA. “Le Premier ministre a toujours montre beaucoup de respect pour
les partis traditionnels, les considerant comme un atout national”
a dit Berberian au service armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

La FRA a ete representee dans le cabinet de Sarkissian par
trois ministres de 2008 a 2009. Le parti a quitte la coalition
gouvernementale en signe de protestation contre la politique du
president Serge Sarkissian de rapprochement avec la Turquie. Elle
detient actuellement cinq sièges au parlement sur les 131 existants.

vendredi 12 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

BAYRAKDARIAN SHIMMERS IN SUBLIME SHOW

Ottawa Citizen, Canada
July 10 2013

By Richard Todd, OTTAWA CITIZEN July 10, 2013

Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano Manitoba Chamber Orchestras; Anne Manson,
conductor Music and Beyond Dominion-Chalmers Church, Wednesday at
8 p.m.

OTTAWA – Isabel Bayrakdarian is one of Canada’s most esteemed sopranos,
and the esteem doesn’t stop at our borders. She has performed far
and wide and was even featured in the sound track to The Lord of
the Rings. More recently she sang the starring role of Blanche in
the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des
Carmelites. In fact, she has sung in almost every important musical
centre in the world.

Her appearance Wednseday evening was one of the highlights of Music
and Beyond’s Festival 2013. The audience wan’t too impressive, though.

Dominion-Chalmers was scarcely half full. One reason for that may
have been that the repertoire was fairly esoteric, a bonus for those
who were there, but a disincentive to those who might have preferred
the Encounter with Nature concert offered at the Canadian Museum of
Nature at the same time. And then this was the second performance of
the program that these same musicians gave Tuesday afternoon at St.

Andrew’s.

The program opened with Phillip Glass’s Symphony No. 3, a reasonably
engaging work that reflects some evolution from the simplistic formulae
that characterized his music in the early days.

But the evening really belonged to Bayrakdarian, the satin beauty,
whose voice carried all before it. No, that doesn’t say it all:
Her voice is one of the most engaging and congenial in the world today.

Her first offering, Ravel’s Kaddisch, demonstrated, to this listener at
least, that no matter how happy a memory you may cherish of a singer
of Bayrakdarian’s quality, memory can’t compare to the experience of
hearing her live.

Next she offered two gorgeous songs by the 18th-century Armenian
minstrel Sayat Nova, but the real highlight of the evening was a
set of songs by Serouj Kradjian to texts by the 13th-century female
troubadour, Ysabelle. They are in Arabic, Hebrew, Occitan and English.

Although the music has a certain eastern Mediterranean flavour, it
is also vigorously contemporary. Barakdaryan, conductor Anne Manson
and the orchestra delivered a passionate and irresistible account of
the score.

From: A. Papazian

COMMISSIONER SEES STRONG CASE FOR ARMENIA’S ACTIVE ROLE IN EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

ENPI Info Centre
July 11 2013

11-07-2013

The EU and Armenia are at a significant moment in their relations,
developing a partnership which is both wider and deeper than it has
been up to now, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood
Policy Å tefan Fule has told an audience of students, civil society,
media and think tanks in Yerevan.

He said the two sides were very close to finalising the Association
Agreement, which would bring “concrete benefits and new opportunities
to all citizens,” stressing that “human rights, democracy and
fundamental freedoms will be so-called ‘essential elements’ of our
new Agreement, in other words the absolute core that both sides must
respect and promote.”

The Commissioner said the agreement should “open a new chapter not
only in European Union-Armenia relations but also in Armenia’s own
development,” with the EU standing ready not only to provide financial
support of its own, but to encourage other international donors to
support reform projects.

In the broader contexts, Fule said, EU-Armenia relations are developed
through the Eastern Partnership, in which the political aspects of the
dialogue are complemented with practical sectoral cooperation. The
Commissioner cited in particular an informal dialogue of Eastern
Partnership ministers of education due to be held in Armenia in
September, which he was planning to attend alongside the EU’s Education
Commissioner Androula Vassiliou.

The EU and its partners will be in a better position to face the
challenges and opportunities if they join forces within the Eastern
Partnership, Fule emphasized, adding that he saw “a strong case for
participation in a multilateral format of this sort for a country
with no access to sea, whose borders with two of its neighbours are
currently closed.”

The Commissioner used the opportunity to dispel the “myth that
the Eastern Partnership is based on a one-size-fits-all-approach
leading to uniform relationships in which the individuality of each
of the partners gets lost.” Exactly the opposite is true, he insisted:
“While we do use a common tool box, including mobility, approximation
to European Union standards and values, we work with partners to
find tailor-made solutions. Differentiation is a key concept in the
Eastern Partnership, and Armenia is no exception.”

In Yerevan, the Commissioner discussed with government,
parliamentarians and civil society ways of addressing some of the
main priorities in EU-Armenia relations, including:

· democracy;

· human rights;

· fundamental freedoms;

· equality;

· intensifying the fight against corruption;

· reforming governance and strengthening institutions.

Turning to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Fule urged Armenia to step up
efforts with Azerbaijan to reach an agreement on the Madrid Principles,
pledging the EU’s assistance.

The EU “has a clear goal of forging deeper relations with all
Armenians, across the political spectrum, from business, from civil
society and among the population. In other words: an inclusive
partnership,” the Commisisoner concluded. (EU Neighbourhood Info)

From: A. Papazian

VIRGINIA & SPANISH PEANUT CO. OF PROVIDENCE IS STILL CRACKIN’ AFTER 100 YEARS

The Providence Journal, RI
July 11 2013

By Thomas J. Morgan
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE – A Providence company just turned 100, and that ain’t
peanuts.

No, wait – it is peanuts.

It’s the centenary of the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co., founded in
1913 by Armenian immigrant Peter S. Kaloostian and operated these
days by his great-granddaughters.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts hosted a recognition ceremony at the State
House Wednesday afternoon and presented certificates of recognition
and accomplishment to the Kaloostian family.

Peter Kaloostian spoke six languages and worked as an interpreter
for the U.S. government. Her great-grandfather had a bit of the
wanderlust about him, said Candace Kaloostian, who owns the business
with sisters Shelley Kaloostian-Conti and Ellen Ferrara. He first
moved to Chicago, then to Lynn, Mass., and finally to Providence,
where he owned a market on Dean Street.

“Someone approached him and said he should go into an ‘up and coming
business’ – either cars or peanuts,” Candace Kaloostian said. “It
was kind of an odd choice, and for reasons we will never know he
chose peanuts.”

The business opened its doors first in Olneyville, then, a couple of
years later, moved to Dexter and Cromwell streets, where it thrives
today.

The business was passed on to Leon Kaloostian, grandfather to the three
sisters, and to his brother, Anthony. It then was taken over by Peter
Kaloostian, Candace’s father, and his brother Robert, both of whom
retired recently, and who were present at the State House ceremony.

“Now finally we’ve got some girls in,” said Candace Kaloostian.

The Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. (the two names refer to varieties
of peanuts) predominantly does business with New England companies,
but individual customers are welcomed.

“We carry all varieties of peanuts, and over the years expanded into
dried trail mix,” Candace Kaloostian said. “We make our own all-natural
peanut butter, and concession supplies such as popcorn, cotton candy,
candy apples and snow cones.” She admitted that she hasn’t had a
snow cone “since I can’t remember – I think my father introduced that
back in the ’50s. We have all kinds of seeds, snack items, corn nuts,
and chocolate products like chocolate-covered peanuts.”

There is more to the simple peanut than one would think. For one thing,
it isn’t a nut at all. It’s a legume, more closely related to beans.

Traces of peanuts dating to more than 7,500 years ago have been found
by archaeologists in Peru.

Former President Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer.

During World War II Gen. Joseph W. “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell called the
Nationalist Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek “the peanut.”

It was not an affectionate moniker; Stillwell’s own sobriquet referred
to his personality.

At 100, the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. is – good grief! – older
than Charlie Brown.

Calendar enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that National Peanut Day
comes on Sept. 13, according to the National Peanut Board. That’s not
to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, celebrated on Jan. 24.

The board also reports that two-thirds of snack nuts consumed in the
U.S. are peanuts.

Candace Kaloostian said some of her company’s original equipment
“believe or not, is still used – the peanut roasters go way back.”

The company employs nine workers, several of them family members.

Peter Kaloostian, Candace’s nephew, recently started working there,
representing the fifth generation.

Anchor Brand and Brown Bear are the company’s two product lines.

Despite their name, Spanish peanuts are grown domestically, as are the
walnuts, almonds and pecans the company processes. Cashews are imported
from various countries. Pistachios are both domestic and imported –
grown in California and Turkey. They used to come from Iran, but 34
years ago there was a big dustup, and the U.S. and Iran aren’t on
speaking terms any more. “The Iranians [pistachios] are the best,”
Candace sighed.

She said business has improved lately. “There has been so much in
the press about the health benefits of nuts, and people are trying to
buy local things,” she said. Nowadays the Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co.

distributes its products at the growing number of farmers markets.

“It’s mostly our peanut butter,” she said. “It’s really picking up.”

From: A. Papazian

SEYRAN OHANYAN RECEIVED THE PARENTS OF RECENTLY DIED SOLDIER

Thu, 07/11/2013 – 17:25

Yesterday, the Minister of Defense received the parents of the soldier
Gabriel Abrik Lalazaryan, who on 05.07.2013 was found hanging from the
telephone antenna tower in the area of N unit, Abrik Misak Lalazaryan
and Anahit Bagrat Hayrapetyan.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Defense A. Nazaryan,
chief of the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Defense A.

Harutyunyan and the Army Chief of Staff G. Hayrapetyan. Defense
Minister expressed his condolences to the parents of the soldier and
assured that the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Defense and
Military Police are undertaking all lawful steps to reveal the details
of the case and to implement thorough and complete investigation of
the objective reality.

According to the Information and Public Relations Department of
the Ministry of Defense, A. Lalazaryan and A. Hayrapetyan said that
they trust the defense minister, as well as law enforcement agencies
of the Ministry of Defense and that they as well will support the
investigation.

Author: Factinfo – See more at:

From: A. Papazian

ZHAMANAK: SPITAK MAYOR SUED FOR BEATING A MAN

10:48 11/07/2013 ” SOCIETY

Spitak Mayor is sued for beating Spitak resident Levik Maryan,
Zhamanak reports.

Levik Maryan, 71, told the police that he was beaten by Gagik Sahakyan
on July 9 following a quarrel. According to the paper, Spitak Mayor
is a relation to Secretary of RPA parliamentary faction Hovhannes
Sahakyan.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian