Author: Andres-Papazian

AND THERE ARE NOT SO MANY BULLETS…
Anush Sedrakyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

18:06 05/02/2013

This electoral process obviously lacked emotional coloring, and
everyone noted this as a positive factor because there has never been
competitive emotion in Armenia since competition swiftly disappeared
from the electoral field of Armenia.

As a result of lack of competition in such a diverse electoral palette
a case as serious as an attempt on one’s life is interpreted either
as conspiracy or as part of campaign. These two adversary views share
one thing – the RA electoral field rules out any form of competitive
election, including the extreme one.

Hairikyan is highly symbolic because he is the person who provided a
competitive alternative opposing the program of independent idea to
the USSR program. This is the only articulate alternative put forth
in the political field of Armenia which has so far been completed
with only the impossibility of membership to the Customs Union or the
absurd of complementarism of the Eurasian Union and the European Union.

Nevertheless, both programs are incomplete. The collapse of the
USSR is protracted as long as the attempts or wishes to restore
it are alive. Independence is something vague for a country which
does not have its own economy and even security (evidence to this is
lustration). In other words, the choice remains valid. Hairikyan may
not be the strongest factor of that choice but he remains the symbol
of that choice – the sole choice of Armenia between independence
and subjection.

This election cannot be a demonstration election because it is
impossible to discuss differences between CSTO and NATO during
rallies. It is not the appropriate format. Anti-trust issues cannot
be resolved while cutting a lamb. Meanwhile, such a popular intrigue
policy becomes meaningless because people can be bought and sold
(unfortunately) while programs cannot.

One can participate or not participate in the election, like or
dislike a candidate. It is the right of every citizen of Armenia. We
have always been free to do what we want, shout loud what we want,
emigrate where we want. The only restriction is on understanding. It
is the only danger which they try to prevent because a person who
understands automatically becomes an independent citizen of independent
Armenia and there are not so many bullets…

From: A. Papazian

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN POINTS AT LACK OF EQUAL CONDITIONS FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

NEWS.AM
February 05, 2013 | 16:34

YEREVAN.- Armenia’s presidential candidate, leader of Heritage Party
Raffi Hovannisian started his campaign tour of Ararat Region from
visiting Ararat village on Tuesday.

He visited house museum of former Armenian PM Vazgen Sargsyan killed
during the 1999 terrorist attack in the Armenian parliament, Armenian
News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from Ararat.

Hovannisian expressed discontent seeing a poster of the incumbent
president, candidate Serzh Sargsyan in the village administration.

Hanging posters in public places is prohibited by Armenia’s law,
he recalled.

“It is an obvious breach of the law. This is the affair that the
Central Electoral Commission must deal with. Then, they must not say
equal opportunities are created for all candidates,” he said.

Raffi Hovannisian has already visited Ararat, Vedi, Artashat and
Masis towns of Ararat Region.

From: A. Papazian

STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF ARMENIA TO PERFORM IN GYUMRI

February 5, 2013 – 15:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The State Youth Orchestra of Armenia (artistic
director and conductor Sergey Smbatyan) is going to present a new
concert program in Gyumri on February 7 at Vardan Achemyan State
Drama Theater.

The Orchestra will perform classical compositions and soundtracks of
famous Hollywood movies.

The program also includes pieces by Alexander Arutiunian, Dmitri
Shostakovich, Edward Mirzoyan, Edvard Grieg, Monty Norman, John
Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota.

From: A. Papazian

WE NEED TO FIND MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS FOR ARMENIA’S COOPERATION WITH CUSTOMS UNION: PM SAYS

YEREVAN, February 4. / ARKA /. We need to find a formula and the most
effective tools for Armenia’s collaboration with the Customs Union of
Russia-Belarus _Kazakhstan, Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsyan
said in an interview with The Moscow News newspaper

He pointed to the fact that the structure of the Armenian economy
is very different from the economic structure of the Customs Union’s
member countries, which have considerable energy resources and which
protect their domestic producers by relatively high customs duties.

“In general, the level of customs dues in the Customs Union is twice
higher than those used in Armenia. Armenia is one of the first CIS
countries, which joined the World Trade Organization, and it also
gives some specifics on our relations with the Customs Union. It is
therefore necessary to find a formula, and the best tools for our
interaction with the Customs Union ‘ Sargsyan said.

Speaking about the probability of Armenia’s accession to the Customs
Union, Armenian prime minister stressed that Armenia is interested
in the integration processes in the CIS and is ready to encourage them.

“On the one hand, Russia is our strategic partner, and on the
other-is a large and promising market, and we need to create favorable
conditions for doing business in this space,” he added. -0-

From: A. Papazian

Parliamentary Delegation of Bahrain Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

03.02.2013

On February 3 the members of the Bahrain-Armenia Friendship Group
Delegation of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Bahrain being in
Yerevan visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, laid a wreath at the
memorial perpetuating the memory of the 1915 Armenian Genocide
victims, paid tribute with silence to the memory of one and half
million innocent victims.

The delegation led by Hassan Eyad Bu Khamas had been at the Armenian
Genocide Museum-Institute, got familiarized with the documents
assuring the Armenian Genocide. The Head of the delegation left a note
in the Commemoration Book of the Museum-Institute.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IS THAT OF NATIONAL LIBERATION – ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

NEWS.AM
February 04, 2013 | 11:29

The struggle of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, or Artsakh, is a
national liberation struggle. Armenia’s President, and presidential
candidate, Serzh Sargsyan stated this in an interview with Russia’s
Ogoniok magazine.

“The Nagorno-Karabakh people, whom Stalin had ordered to become a
part of Azerbaijan, did not accept that order. The Karabakh people
themselves must determine the political status they should live with
in the future. There is no argument that will explain why that right
should be denied to Artsakh,” Sargsyan stressed.

The president recalled that the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR) was declared in keeping with all constitutional norms of
the then-collapsing USSR and of all international laws. Azerbaijan,
however, responded by violence, pogroms, and war to the Karabakh
people’s calls for peace.

“And, today, the leadership of Azerbaijan threatens us with war. They
set free the murderer that killed a person with an axe [that is,
Ramil Safarov-the Azerbaijani army officer who had killed with an
axe Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest back in 2004 and
who was released in Azerbaijan last year]. Enmity toward Armenia and
everything Armenia has become the propaganda motif of official Baku,”
Sargsyan noted.

Also, Serzh Sargsyan stressed that Azerbaijan, despite being a UN
Security Council non-permanent member, has started an arms race.

“We are continuing the talks with Azerbaijan, but it is unrealistic
to expect a breakthrough under such conditions. All those that deal
with this matter know very well who is at fault for not finding a
solution [to the Karabakh conflict]. They recall very well who failed
the talks in Key West [USA] and in Kazan [Russia]. And they know very
well that the essence of the matter is neither Nagorno-Karabakh nor
the [NKR] self-defense forces’ control of the adjacent territories;
consequently, the resolution does not depend on their return [to
Azerbaijan],” the president of Armenia stated in particular.

From: A. Papazian

AUTHORITIES BRING PRESSURE UPON HAYRIKYAN NOT TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS – PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

TERT.AM
11:50 ~U 05.02.13

Armenia’s presidential candidate Arman Melikyan does not care whether
the elections will be postponed or not but at least for him it will be
strange if Paruyr Hayrikyan decides not to apply to the Constitution
Court.

“He has received serious wounds and it will be natural if he uses the
two-week period for recovery. If it does not take place, it will mean
a pressure was exerted on him by intruders, protecting authorities’
interests,” Arman Melikyan told the reporters on Tuesday.

The presidential candidate said the representatives of the authorities
have originally brought pressure upon Hayrikyan, convincing him in
senselessness of postponing the elections.

“Let’s Hayrikyan decide it on his own, without any pressures,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

UN ANCIEN MEMBRE ATTAQUE LE BLOC DE LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN

Un ancien membre du Congrès national armenien (HAK) a attaque la
politique de la coalition de l’opposition disant que cela a aide le
president Serge Sarkissian a conjurer les menaces serieuses pendant
son mandat.

Davit Shahnazarian, qui a occupe des postes cles dans le gouvernement
armenien dans les annees 1990, a de nouveau critique la decision du
chef du HAK Levon Ter-Petrossian a cooperer l’an dernier avec le parti
Armenie Prospère (BHK), un ancien membre de la coalition au pouvoir.

Il a dit que la strategie a laisse le bloc de Ter-Petrosian les
mains vides.

“En substance, ni le HAK ni les allies du HAK prennent part a ces
elections parce que leur but etait de faire de ces elections une
lutte interne au sein du système oligarchique. Mais les factions
oligarchiques ont fait des accords les uns avec les autres ” a declare
Davit Shahnazarian au serice armenien de RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am). Il
a predit que le BHK reviendra dans le gouvernement après les elections.

Davit Shahnazarian est l’une des personnalites eminentes qui ont
mis fin a leur adhesion dans le bloc a la suite des elections
parlementaires de mai 2012. Ils sont fortement opposes a toute
forme de cooperation strategique avec le BHK, en disant qu’elle est
contrôlee par l’ancien President Robert Kotcharian et conserve des
liens avec l’administration Sarkissian. Levon Ter-Petrossian a rejete
ces allegations comme ” demagogiques “.

Davit Shahnazarian a accuse les dirigeants du HAK d’etre grandement
responsable du grave declin de l’influence sur les processus politiques
de l’opposition dans le pays.

“Aujourd’hui le système politique en Armenie ressemble a un desert,
et, en substance il n’y a pas de veritable oasis qui peut donner a la
societe un espoir serieux” a-t-il dit. “La societe est profondement
decu par l’ensemble du système politique.”

L’opposant a plaide pour la creation d’une nouvelle ” opposition
ideologique ” qui serait en mesure d’au “moins limiter” le pouvoir du
regime en place. Il a affirme que Serge Sarkissian n’a pas l’intention
de briser le ” système oligarchique ” du pays.

Davit Shahnazarian a egalement declare qu’il votera pour Hrant
Bagratian, un dissident du HAK candidat a la presidence de son propre
chef lors de l’election du 18 fevrier. Mais il a souligne qu’il ne
pretera pas de ” soutien politique ” a Hrant Bagratian ou un autre
candidat parce qu’il croit qu’aucun d’entre eux ne peut contrecarrer
la reelection de Serge Sarkissian.

mardi 5 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

LE PREMIER MINISTRE CITE UN AUTRE OBSTACLE A L’ENTREE DE L’ARMENIE DANS L’UNION EURASIENNE

Selon le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkisian l’absence de frontières
communes avec la Russie, la Bielorussie et le Kazakhstan n’est pas la
seule raison a la reticence de l’Armenie a rejoindre l’union douanière
eurasienne des trois anciennes republiques sovietiques promue par
la Russie.

Dans un entretien avec le journal russe “Moskovskie Novosti” publie
lundi, Sarkisian a soutenu que l’Armenie disposait d’un regime
commercial plus liberal et qu’elle souffrait par ailleurs d’un manque
enorme de ressources naturelles.

“Une autre specificite de l’Armenie est que la structure de son
economie diffère de celle des pays de l’Union douanière qui disposent
de ressources energetiques substantielles et poursuivent une politique
visant a soutenir leur production interne par de hauts droits de
douane,” a-t-il declare. “Dans l’ensemble, le niveau de tels droits
dans l’Union douanière est deux fois superieur a ceux pratiques
par l’Armenie.

“L’Armenie a ete l’un des premiers pays de la CEI a rejoindre
l’Organisation Mondiale du Commerce et cela donne aussi une certaine
specificite a nos relations avec l’Union douanière. Donc, nous devons
trouver une formule et les instruments les plus efficaces dans notre
interaction avec l’Union douanière,” a indique Sarkissian

Moscou a clairement invite Erevan a rejoindre le bloc commercial de
l’Union Eurasienne des anciennes republiques sovietiques. Poutine
et le President Serge Sarkisian ont aborde a plusieurs reprises la
question lors de pourparlers l’annee dernière. Ils ont consenti en
août a installer un groupe de travail russe-armenien qui explorera les
voies de la participation possible de l’Armenie dans l’Union douanière.

Dans leurs declarations publiques sur la possibilite d’une telle
entree, des leaders armeniens avaient jusqu’a present cite seulement le
manque de frontières communes. Le responsable russe de la Commission
Economique Eurasienne, l’organe directeur de l’Union douanière, a
mis en doute cet argument recemment. Viktor Khristenko a evoque le
cas de Kaliningrad, une enclave de la Russie enserre entre la Pologne
et la Lituanie. “L’Union douanière peut certainement avoir de telles
exceptions, ” a-t-il declare au quotidien Vedomosti” a la mi-decembre
en reference en Armenie.

Les autorites armeniennes se sont montrees plus enthousiastes dans
leur accord d’association avec l’Union europeenne, qui beneficie
de leur preference affichee. Un porte parole de Catherine Ashton,
responsable de l’Union europeenne, avait declare fin decembre qu’une
entree de l’Armenie dans l’Union Eurasienne ne serait pas compatible
avec l’accord d’association avec l’Europe.

mardi 5 fevrier 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

“RETROSPECTIVE”. SPECIAL “ARMENPRESS’ PROJECT ABOUT HISTORY OF NEWS AND HISTORICAL NEWS

20:38, 4 February, 2013

It is not just a saying, that everything new is well-forgotten old. It
has numerously been proved-every event is being repeated in certain
period of history, of course not without little changes.

In 2013 “Armenpress” is celebrating its 95th anniversary. It has been
more than 9,5 decades we are making news and shedding light on the
most important news of our country , referring to interesting people,
remarkable things and phenomena. Today we are launching our
“Retrospective” project which from now on will present those
historical facts and events which appeared in “Armenpress” horizon
years ago. They are going to be presented newly, combining history
with the nowadays reality.

Our premier review is about Yerevan History Museum, as there is
certainly much to remember. The only state news agency of Armenia
informs, on February 4 back in 1987 museum acquired its 70 000th
exhibit. “Armenpress” is reporting what has changed and what hasn’t
during 26 years of history of the museum.

>>From 70 000 to 94 000 and more in 26 year.

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: Yerevan History Museum founded in
1931 nowadays has more 94 000 exhibits and represent the local
material and spiritual culture from ancient times to the present day.

The collections of archaeology, ethnography, numismatics, fine arts,
written records, photography and others, kept in the storage of the
museum, tell a vivid story about the past and the present of the
capital city and its people. There are three scientific expositions of
the museum that have collected, studied and showed objects
highlighting the history of Yerevan. There is no concrete time for the
new exhibits; process is implemented thanks to collective work and
donations. For example latest donation was made by American Armenian
Rostom Voskanian who provided museum with 1500 items.

One of museum’s dreams is a flat with Yerevan color and its own yard.

At the beginning, the museum was located in two rooms, on the second
floor, of the Yerevan Fire Department building. In 1936, it was moved
to the Blue Mosque where had functioned for sixty years. From 1994 to
1997, the museum was located in the building of former Hripsime Female
Gymnasium. From 1997 to 2005, the museum functioned in one of the
adjacent buildings of the school N1 named after Shahoumian. In 2005,
the museum was established in a new building. It forms an
architectural complex together with Yerevan Municipality.

The museum is a leisure place for people of all ages, occupation and
preferences. Presently the public relations experience of the museum
has gained new application. The museum-school ties are being
strengthened acquiring new meaning and importance. The museum is in
continual contact with old citizens as well as citizens of young
generation. The mass media always highlights the everyday life of the
museum and the events dedicated to the city. Each year the
publications of the personnel increase in number. Visitors of the
museum are mainly students and pupils, who are having a special
program with game-excursions. Tourists from Russia, USA are also
visiting the museum.

In order to get acquainted with the original text and see the pictures
please click here

From: A. Papazian