Author: Andres-Papazian

IWPR: Father and son Aliyevs are featured in any school textbook in Azerbaijan

19:54 13/04/2013 » SOCIETY

The personality cult around the ruling family of Azerbaijan has worked
its way into the books used by every schoolchild in the Republic, says
Shahla Sultanova in an article written in IWPR.

`Open any schoolbook in Azerbaijan and you will spot a picture of the
late president Heydar Aliyev, perhaps followed by a photo of his son
Ilham who succeeded him as head of state. The pictures of Heydar
Aliyev are captioned `Founder of Modern Azerbaijan’ or `Azerbaijan’s
Greatest Leader,’ Shahla Sultanova says.

According to the article, stories featuring the late Aliyev, and even
proverbs attributed to him, can be found in textbooks aimed at
different age-groups.

`In the first-year textbook for Azerbaijani language, pupils read an
exchange between a boy and his grandmother, in which she explains that
Heydar signifies strength, and was the name of a great leader who will
be remembered forever. In the third grade, he appears in a story
called `A Wise Leader’, in which a child refugee from the war in
Nagorny Karabakh assures the president that everyone has faith in him.
Pupils a year older get to read his sayings, such as, `To be a leader
and to educate, one needs the moral right,’ the author says.

Malahet Murshudlu, chair of the Free Teachers’ Union, disagreed, and
likened the constant flow of praise to the enforced adulation for
Lenin and Stalin in earlier times. `From an early age, children’s
minds are being shaped within this ideology,’ she said.
Rafiq Ismayilov, who has written many of the textbooks used to teach
Azerbaijani, acknowledged that quotes from Heydar Aliyev probably
improved one’s chances of getting a work approved.

`No one openly ordered or recommended that I include texts about him,
but it’s important to do so in order to get a textbook approved. I
sense that education ministry likes it and wants it, I believe my
books are really good for schools. Of course I want to get them
approved,’ he said.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 12, 2013 Friday 04:24 PM GMT+4

EEC memorandum with Armenia lays foundation for system dialogue-Khristenko

YEREVAN April 12

– The signed memorandum of cooperation of the Eurasian Economic
Commission (EEC) with the Armenian government “has laid the foundation
for the system-based and consistent dialogue between the bodies of
executive authority, Chairman of the EEC Board Viktor Khristenko said
on Friday after talks in Yerevan.

According to him, it includes “trade issues, issues of mutual trade
regulation, technical, sanitary and phytosanitary regulation.” “Having
held negotiations and signed the memorandum, we already understand
that on number of spheres, in particular on technical regulation, on
the sanitary and phytosanitary measures will have to conduct a rather
close and active professional export dialogue,” Khristenko believes.

“We are currently trying to reach an agreement on holding with the
participation of members of our Commission’s Board, Minister (for EEC
Technical Regulation) Valery Koreshkov and heads of relevant
departments high-level expert consultations with the colleagues in the
Armenian government (the country’s Ministry of Economy and specially
created Service for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures,” the EEC
Board chairman pointed out.

Khristenko hopes that “such a meeting of experts will take place in
the coming weeks and the dialogue on technical measures, technical
regulation measures and phytosanitary measures will be launched.” He
is convinced that “all these processes should be launched at a good
working, expert level.”

“Armenia is a strategic partner for each of the Customs Union (CU)
member state, and for the implementation and maintenance of the built
trade relations they have the bilateral intergovernmental
commissions,” he recalled. “Now, as it turns out, quite serious issues
have been left out of the field of the national activity, out of
control of these commissions.”

According to him, “This is all that is liked with the tariff and
non-tariff policy, protective measures.” “Most of the foreign trade
agenda – everything connected with the technical regulation, sanitary
measures, has also been transferred to the supranational level,”
Khristenko stated.

“To maintain these relations of Armenia with the countries of the
Customs Union, as a minimum, at the same level, and at best to develop
them further, it is necessary to ensure their conformity to the
changed circumstances of functioning of the CU countries,” the Board
head stressed.

“Another trend is the trade policy,” Khristenko continued. He is
convinced that “it is easier here to some extent because the CIS free
trade agreement, which determines, in essence, the free trade between
Armenia and the CU countries is the framework agreement.”

“However, the dialogue must be maintained also in order to prevent
theoretically possible measures or emerging situations from becoming
an obstacle, they must be discussed in advance, understood in advance
– how to respond to them, and just an organised venue is needed for
this,” Khristenko said.

“Therefore, this trade dialogue will also be organised with the
implementation of the signed memorandum,” he said.

“In the future, life will show what other spheres of competence within
the framework of the CU development, the Eurasian Economic Space will
affect the existing aspects of Armenia’s relations with the CU
countries,” Khristenko said. This is necessary “in order to timely
make this growing competence understandable, transparent, detailed for
our colleagues in Armenia and so that the deepening integration in the
troika (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) would not only make it
possible to avoid any problems in the relationship, but on the
contrary, provide possibilities for additional benefit from this.”

“We held meetings in the Economy Ministry, a meeting with the Prime
Minister of Armenia, a big conversation with the President of the
republic,” Khristenko said. “We feel the mutual interest and the
desire to actively continue this work, without making any long
delays.”

From: A. Papazian

Why was not Heritage invited to ANC congress?

April 13, 2013 | 21:43

YEREVAN.- Heritage party has not been invited to the founding
convention of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) party,
Heritage deputy chairman Armen Martirosyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Asked about the reasons, Martirosyan advised to clarify everything from ANC.

Earlier ANC faction head Levon Zurabyan said they had invited all
political forces and politicians who are ready to cooperate with ANC
party.

`When Heritage party was next to ANC, they were ready for cooperation,’ he said.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

Morningstar criticized Baku authorities over crackdown on free speech. BBC

16:34, 13 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS: USA Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard
Morningstar has criticized Azerbaijan for acting against a
Western-funded pro-democracy project called the Free Thought
University. As reports Armenpress, referring to BBC, prominent
authors, economists and political scientists regularly give lectures
in the university. `I think that in case of legal issues respectful
attitude towards peaceful rallies, independent and transparent courts
as well as relations of the government with its own citizens,
especially youth, are the best and the most efficient means in order
to establish stability in a democratic country,’ Morningstar said.

Azerbaijani authorities linked the project to a youth movement called
N!DA, seven of whose members have been arrested.

The chief prosecutor’s office denied that the university had been
closed, but said its officers had seized documents from the project.

From: A. Papazian

The number of specialists on forest is very few

04:55 PM | TODAY | SOCIAL

The volume of forest areas subjected to illegal deforestation is dozen
times more that it is mentioned in the reports of the official figures,
Doctor of Geographical Sciences Govik Sayadyan says. He thinks that this
fact is very painful since Armenia has a very particular forest system. “In
contrast to Sweden, where there are 5 tree species, in Armneia we have more
than 262 species of trees and plants, which is a huge wealth.”

Doctor of Geographical Sciences highlights Teghut forest, where nature has
been preserved in a “virgin” condition and there are some species of trees
registered in the Red Book and in such kind of areas v deforestation is a
violation of the law.

Hovik Sayadyan is also concerned with the number of professionals involved
in issues concerning Armenia’s forests:it is very few: there are just 5 of
them “Thus we do not have any appreciation of the economic study of the
forests either”, – he added desperately.

From: A. Papazian

Russia to Field MiG-31 Replacement by 2020 – Commander

MiG-31 interceptors

© RIA Novosti. Vitaly Ankov
16:27 11/04/2013

Multimedia

Russian MiG-31 Fighter Jet

MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Air Force is hoping to
receive a new long-range fighter-interceptor by 2020 and retire its
existing fleet of MiG-31 interceptors by 2028, Air Force Commander Lt.
Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Thursday.

`We have started development of a new aircraft of this type and I
think we can develop this plane before the state armament program ends
in 2020,’ Bondarev said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers.

`The new plane should replace the existing fleet by 2028,’ he said.

Bondarev spoke out against restarting production of the MiG-31, which
was stopped 20 years ago, saying the country needs a totally new
interceptor to meet modern requirements.

The Russian Air Force has 122 MiG-31 interceptors in service and more
aircraft in reserve, he said.

The MiG-31, the fastest fighter-interceptor in service anywhere in the
world, has recently been the subject of a comprehensive upgrade to
MiG-31BM standard.

The MiG-31BM has a range of 900 miles (1,450 km) on internal fuel,
which can be extended to 3,355 miles (5,400 km) with air-to-air
refueling.

© RIA Novosti.

Russian MiG-31 Fighter Jet

The modernized version boasts upgraded avionics and digital
data-links, a new multimode radar, color multifunction cockpit
displays, and a more powerful fire-control system. It can
simultaneously track up to 10 targets.

The two-seat MiG-31 can intercept targets up to 124 miles (200 km)
away thanks to its advanced radar and long-range missiles. The Air
Force said in 2012 it was testing a new long-range missile for the
MiG-31, which analysts who spoke to RIA Novosti said was likely to be
the K-37M, also known as RVV-BD (NATO AA-X-13 Arrow).

The Russian Air Force has previously said it intends to take delivery
of up to 60 MiG-31BMs by 2020, under a contract signed with United
Aircraft Corporation in 2011.

MiG-31 interceptors are an integral part of a comprehensive aerospace
defense network being created in Russia to thwart any potential
airborne threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

From: A. Papazian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 14 2013

Migration: A future challenge for the South Caucasus?

ZAUR SHIRIYEV

A recent study by research company Gallup on migration in the
post-Soviet space (not including the Baltic states), based on data
collected between 2010 and 2012, shows that Armenians are most likely
to want to move to another country (40 percent), and Uzbeks are the
least likely at just 5 percent, compared with an average of 15 percent
across the 12 former Soviet republics.

The main reasons given for a desire to emigrate are economic in
nature, with better living conditions cited as the priority for 52
percent of respondents. It is generally believed that migrants from
the post-Soviet region emigrate in order to provide a better future
for their children. However, in the country where this is cited most
often as the primary factor, Turkmenistan, just 6 percent of the
population identified themselves as potential migrants. A similar
trend can be seen in Armenia, where 40 percent want to move but only
13 percent state their children’s future as the main reason.

Looking specifically at the South Caucasus, as mentioned above,
Armenians have the greatest desire to emigrate, and 14 percent of
respondents in Azerbaijan and Georgia share this same wish. However,
the motivations across the three South Caucasian countries differ.

South Caucasus’ migration mosaic

In addition to the Gallup poll reviewed above, the Caucasus Research
Resource Centers’ (CRRC) Caucasus Barometer surveys are useful for
understanding the changing dynamics across different socio-economic
factors in addition to migration. According to the Caucasus Barometer
(2011), interest in temporary migration stands at 25 percent among
Armenians, 16 percent among Azerbaijanis and 11 percent among
Georgians.

The different historical, political and economic narratives of each
country cast a different light on their populations’ motivations for
staying or leaving. For example, in Armenia, since 2008, the trend of
temporary and permanent migration has increased mainly due to the
world economic crisis, which has weakened the country’s position
internationally. Data shows that migration spiked in 2008 compared to
previous years. However, according to the Armenian State Migration
Service, over 11 months of 2012, the difference between leavers and
returnees was about 72,000 people, from which it can be deduced that
approximately 70,000-80,000 people are leaving the country annually. A
more worrying trend is that unlike migration from Armenia in the past,
the current migrants are much younger and much more likely to leave
permanently than older migrants; this adds to the problem of the
country’s declining population. The problem seems somewhat
intractable; Armenia’s economic situation is the primary motivation
for migration, and currently the government does not have sufficient
funding to resolve the various socio-economic problems. Borrowing
money is tricky, given that massive borrowing from abroad has more
than doubled the country’s public debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP)
ratio, which now stands at around 40 percent and leaves very little
room for further borrowing. Meanwhile, according to the preliminary
2011 Caucasus Barometer, socio-economic problems are those
consistently prompting people to leave.

In the case of Azerbaijan, according to the 2011 Caucasus Barometer’s
data, 21 percent of respondents are interested in permanent
emigration, and 52 percent have an interest in moving away on a
temporary basis. According to official data, Azerbaijan now has a
positive net migration rate thanks to its stabilized economy. From
2008-2010, 4,700 people left the country and 8,100 people arrived for
permanent residence. The country’s strong energy sector means that the
government is better positioned to balance or stop permanent migration
abroad than its counterparts in Armenia and Georgia. Looking at the
different reasons given by potential migrants, based on the
preliminary data from the 2011 Caucasus Barometer, of the 21 percent
of respondents who want to emigrate permanently, 29 percent are job
seekers, 34 percent do not trust the educational system, 30 percent do
not trust the healthcare system and 28 percent are in the younger age
bracket (18-35). The Azerbaijanis who want to emigrate permanently are
not, in general, the country’s top educational achievers, and in this
sense brain drain is not the primary concern. On the other hand, there
are cases of citizens going abroad for higher education and seeking
asylum and/or citizenship once there.

In Georgia, the 2011 Caucasus Barometer data shows that just 6 percent
of respondents are interested in permanent migration, but the
percentage interested in temporary migration jumps up to 47 percent.
To understand this dynamic, it is important to take into account the
significant achievements of the Georgian government over the last
seven to nine years, namely the liberalization of movement to EU
countries and the support for circular migration. A crucial factor is
the establishment of a legal regime that supports the employment of
Georgian citizens abroad. On the other hand, the 2008 August War with
Russia negatively affected the status of Georgians living and working
in Russia. The conflict also significantly damaged bilateral trade,
badly affecting the domestic socio-economic situation. However, the
government has sought to mitigate this effect by making Georgia more
attractive to foreign direct investment (FDI). Indeed, migration
issues are far from a top priority for a country when it faces a wide
range of territorial, political and economic problems, despite the
fact that the EU is putting pressure on Georgia to implement a
migration policy based on the EU model. Given Tbilisi’s EU-integration
aims, the government is mindful of pressure from the EU on this issue.

Finally, what is clear is that migration poses an increasing challenge
for the South Caucasus region. Taking into account the various factors
at play — aging populations, lower birth rates, illegal immigration
and other country-specific issues — there is a risk that in the mid
to long term, migration could become an important regional security
challenge.

From: A. Papazian

Front Page Magazine
April 13 2013

Genocidal Muslim Country Warns of Genocide if Europe Doesn’t Accept Muslims

April 13, 2013 By Daniel Greenfield

Turkey not only committed genocide against Christians, but it still
lies about it and locks up its citizens who even mention the genocide.
It’s also violently anti-semitic underits current Islamist government.

So that means the time is right for its government to hypocritically
warn Europe that the failure to accept Muslim immigrants could lead to
another Holocaust.

European countries will face new humanitarian tragedies leading to
mass killings of people if they continue in their failure to embrace
tolerance toward different cultures and religions, President Abdullah
Gül has warned.

`Islam and migrants have been a reality in Europe for centuries. As
long as the continent of Europe doesn’t approach segments which are
different from the majority with tolerance, particularly in regards to
religion, an occurrence of new inquisitions and Holocausts, as well as
incidents evoking Srebrenica, are probable,’ Gül said yesterday.

No doubt Turkey could be a model of tolerance for Europe.

Turkey has huge numbers of Kurdish political prisoners, some locked up
for merely speaking their language or singing nationalistic songs.

Turkey not only refuses to acknowledge its Armenian genocide, but
Erdogan, its thuggish Islamist leader, threatened Armenians with
ethnic cleansing if they keep complaining about it.

And oh yes¦ Turkey has been carrying out surveillance of its Jewish community.

Racism and a lack of tolerance of different cultures and lifestyles
are some of the chronic diseases in Western societies, Gül said,
drawing attention to the increase in support for political parties
which portray migrants as the main reason for societal problems in
European countries such as safety, unemployment, crime and poverty.

Speaking of racism, the Afro-Turks, the descendants of African slaves
from the Ottoman Empire, are routinely discriminated against and
referred to as Arabs. (That tells you something about the affection
that Turks have for Arabs and their notion of whiteness.)

`Ninety percent of the Afro-Turks are poor, with little education.
Most of the men have no job, and of course nor do the women.’

And when it comes to its treatment of African migrants, Turkey isn’t
doing so well either.

The scholar also said North Africans and Sub-Saharan Africans were
subjected to differing degrees of discrimination in Turkey.

`There are substantial differences among the two groups: North
Africans are Arab in culture and mostly Muslim, whereas Sub-Saharans
are not Arab in culture and are mostly Christian,’ he said, adding
that the first group was subject to less discrimination from Turkish
society.

Islam is an important `bridge’ Africans use to penetrate Turkish
society, although it does not completely negate the race factor, Å?aul
said. `Black skin marks people out, and it socially affects their
lives very negatively.’

Many, however, remember the death of Nigerian migrant Festus Okey, who
was shot and killed at BeyoÄ?lu police station on Aug. 20, 2007. There
is much controversy over the circumstances of Okey’s death, although
authorities have established that the bullet that killed the man came
from a police gun.

But let’s hear more from President Gul about racism being a European disease.

`When politics begins `otherizing’ a segment, then we see the
alienation of migrants and minorities from the country in which they
live and from the society in which they live as an inevitable
consequence.’

Gul blathers about Otherizing, but it’s Erdogan who urged Turks in
Germany not to assimilate and to remain Turks. You can’t colonize
another country with settlers and then complain that you’re being
otherizing when you’re otherizing yourself as part of a nationalistic
and theocratic program of conquest.

From: A. Papazian

Charles Aznavour irritated over Hollande policy line

April 14, 2013 – 18:06 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – World-famed chansonnier Charles Aznavor urged French
President Francois Hollande for fast alteration of his policy line.

Aznavor expressed his exasperation over the political course of the
Socialist party that always vote against pro-Armenian laws.

As Aznavour reminded, it was the Socialist party that initiated the
failed bill on criminalization of the Armenian Genocide in France,
Nouvelles d`Arménie said.

From: A. Papazian

FRANCE
Rénovation du Collège Arménien Samuel Moorat de Sèvres.
Les réunions de l’UMAF

Vendredi 19 avril à 20 heures 30

Rénovation du Collège Arménien Samuel Moorat de Sèvres.

Le père Bezdikian, responsable du Collège Arménien de Sèvres, nous
parlera du grand projet actuellement en gestation :

Un mémorial du génocide des arméniens est en projet dans le collège.
Ce projet mené par l’association Sèvres 2015, sera décomposé en trois
parties : un musée, un centre de recherches et un centre de
conférences.

L’inauguration est prévue en 2015, à la date anniversaire des cent ans
du génocide. Il se présente comme une suite logique de devoir de
mémoire où, depuis le 3 mars dernier 2001, un khatchkar en tuf
ocre-rouge, a été inauguré sur un socle devant le massif Musée
National de Céramique de Sèvres. Sur ce dernier, on peut se
recueillir, en arménien ou en français, à la « Mémoire des 1 500 000
Arméniens victimes du génocide perpétré par le gouvernement Jeune-turc
en 1915 ». Ainsi qu’à celle des « Arméniens morts pour la France ».

Le centre arménien de Sèvres comprendra un mémorial et un musée
d’histoire associé, un centre de ressources et un centre de
conférences. Il accueillera le grand public mais devrait également
s’ouvrir aux chercheurs et au monde éducatif.

Ce projet a le soutien de plusieurs personnalités, dont MM. André
Santini, Patrick Devedjian, ancien élève du Collège, Hervé Marseille,
Maire de Meudon, et François Kosiusko-Morizet, Maire de Sèvres.

« Vendredi 17 mai 2013 à 20 heures 30

Yan’s Club 5 avenue Reille, 75014 Paris

Réservations auprès de Gérard 01 45 89 20 48

dimanche 14 avril 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian