Author: Andres-Papazian

TURKISH AND ARMENIAN MUSICIANS TO GIVE JOINT CONCERTS IN ISTANBUL AND BERLIN

Vestnik Kavkaza
Aug 1 2012
Russia

A Turkish-Armenian symphony orchestra involving young Armenian and
Turkish musicians will perform again: this evening in Istanbul and
on August 3 in Berlin, Tert.am cites Turkish media.

The orchestra includes 56 young musicians from Armenia and Turkey. The
conductor is Jem Mansur, the leading musician is pianist Ashot
Khachatryan.

Since July 23 the musicians have been carrying out joint rehearsals.

The Foreign Ministries of Germany and Turkey are supporting the
performances in Istanbul and Berlin.

From: A. Papazian

ARMAVIA TO MAKE FIVE ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS FROM ALEPPO

Vestnik Kavkaza
Aug 1 2012
Russia

Armavia, the national air company of Armenia, will start five
additional Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flights today, News Armenia reports.

They will be organized on August 8, 15, 22 and 29.

The crisis in Syria has caused a flow of Armenians back to their
homeland. Armavia renewed flights to Syria this summer, making one
flight a week, despite high demand for tickets. There are about 60,000
Armenians living in Syria.

From: A. Papazian

L.A. WILL OFFER ELECTION INFO, BUT NOT BALLOTS IN ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN AND FARSI

Contra Costa Times

Aug 1 2012
CA

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday agreed to develop a phased-in
approach to include Armenian, Russian and Farsi as official languages
for city elections.

While it will not include ballots printed in those languages because of
the cost, the city will reach out to the different communities, seek
poll workers who speak the languages and offer election information
in those languages.

City Clerk June Lagmay said the March 2013 election is too close to
put the new language options into effect, but the city would have
such a program in place by 2015.

Councilman Paul Krekorian said Armenian is the most widely used
language in the city after English, Spanish and Korean.

“Some of the greatest debates this nation has had has involved
expansion of voting rights,” Krekorian said. “Whether it was the right
for women to vote or the Civil Rights Act, it has done more to make
government accessible.”

Councilman Eric Garcetti said the city can increase voter turnout by
providing election information and assistance in more languages.

“We found in recent elections that we were able to increase turnout
by 2,000 just by having people speak Armenian,” Garcetti said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA FACES FISH EXPORT PROBLEMS, SAYS MANUFACTURER

tert.am
31.07.12

Armenia faces serious problems with fish exports, which bring
the prices of the product significantly down, a chief of a fish
manufacturers’ NGO has said.

Artur Atoyan, the executive director of the Armenian Fish
Manufacturers’ Union, told reporters on Tuesday that those engaged
in the business do not often manage to cover their costs.

“A fish manufacturer in such cases is unable to cover the expenses.

The price for fish food on the European market has surged by 40%. A
20kg-25kg. sack sold for ~@35-~@40 about three months ago,” he said,
adding that current trend testifies to an increased cost price.

Atoyan noted that Armenia’s biggest market, Russia, is offered fish
products below cost from countries like Turkey and Norway.

“That creates serious obstacles for us in terms of exporting fish to
the Russian market,” he said.

As for joining the European market, Atoyan considered it a little
untimely, noting that lots of problems need to solved before achieving
that.

He confirmed further that Armenian fish manufacturers do not use
hormonal food.

“Our union represents 130 fish manufacturing companies which, I
can say for sure, never use hormonal food. As for the other 30 fish
manufacturers, I don’t believe anything of the kind is possible,”
he added.

From: A. Papazian

ANCA-ER 6TH ANNUAL BANQUET TO BE HELD IN NJ

Armenian Weekly
July 31, 2012

WATERTOWN, Mass.-On Sat., Dec. 1, the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) Eastern Region Endowment Fund will host the 6thAnnual
ANCA-ER Banquet at the Sheraton Crossroads in Mahwah, N.J. The banquet
will begin with an elegant cocktail reception and silent auction at
6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and an awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

ANCA ER Freedom Award Honoree Baroness Caroline Cox The ANCA-ER
will honor Baroness Caroline Cox with the ANCA Freedom Award,
given for outstanding contributions toward the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide and for pursuing other issues of importance to the
Armenian-American community.

Since 2007, the ANCA Freedom Award has been presented to former U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr.
Samantha Power, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the late U.S.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), former U. S. Senator Robert Dole
(R-Kan.), and former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.).

The Vahan Cardashian Award will be presented to Prof. Richard
Hovannisian. It is given to an Armenian American activist who has
exemplified the ideals and dedication of the founder of the Hai
Tahd movement.

Recipients of the ANCA Vahan Cardashian Award have been Vahe Amirian
of New Jersey, Martha Aramian of Rhode Island, Bedros Bandazian of
Virginia, Melanie Kerneklian of Virginia, Tatul Sonentz-Papazian of
Massachusetts, Ruth Thomasian of Massachusetts, and Stephen Dulgarian
of Massachusetts.

The Banquet Committee will prepare for a weekend of honoring the past
and looking to the future for the ANCA Eastern Region. A Friday evening
social activity, along with events on Sunday, will add to the allure
of the largest annual fundraising event for the ANCA Eastern Region.

Banquet chair Karine Shnorhokian and co-chair Nicole Alashaian, both
active members of the New Jersey Armenian-American community and
members of the ANC of New Jersey, are working diligently to ensure
the success of this annual fundraising event. “This is a fantastic
event that truly showcases the activities and support throughout the
Eastern Region. We are looking forward to a spectacular turnout on
Dec. 1,” said Shnorhokian.

In the coming weeks, additional information will be posted at
For more information, call Karine Shnorhokian at
(201) 788-5425. Hotel accommodations are available by calling (201)
529-1660; be sure to mention the ANCA for a rate of $109.

The ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable and
educational organization that supports the Armenian National Committee
of America Eastern Region in outreach to Armenian American communities.

From: A. Papazian

WHEN WAS GOVERNMENT MONOLITHIC?
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:36:07 – 31/07/2012

The split of the monolith ruling Armenia is often the issue of social
and political discussions. Some political forces even try to ascribe
this split to themselves, stating that it is the result of their
political scenario and wise patience.

It is certainly impossible to cover the topic of the monolith of the
government fully or even half of it in one article. The ruling system
is multi-layered and large.

However, in a general description of the monolith one should note
that the split of the monolith is not someone’s “laurel”, it is a
credit of time and the changes it brings. More exactly, time and the
changes it brings make the split of this monolith better visible.

The point is that there was no ruling monolith in Armenia. When was
the pyramid monolithic in Armenia? Had there been a monolith, in
1995 the Armenian National Movement would hardly choose the option of
reproduction by means of a non-ideological Republic bloc. Meanwhile,
this bloc of ideological colors was formed in order to balance the
existing disagreement inside the pyramid.

The election of 1996 was held with a split monolith and only the
post-election developments and the danger of losing power made the
government forget about disagreement and come together to neutralize
the danger of Vazgen Manukyan’s electorate.

1998 displayed in a brighter light how “firm” the government was. 29
October 1999 showed that no monolithic government was established
even after the change of government in 1998 and after formation of
the Unity bloc in 1999.

Was it established after 2000 when Robert Kocharyan crushed the
ambitions of Vazgen Manukyan and his team and split the Republican
Party by appointing Andranik Margaryan as prime minister? Hardly
so because otherwise Robert Kocharyan would not form a three-party
coalition government and balance the RPA with the ARF and the Rule
of Law Party. Although, this three-party coalition expressed more
diverse interests than mere balance.

The beginning of the modern stage of split of the monolith was 2007
when Robert Kocharyan nurtured Prosperous Armenia to run in the race
with the RPA for parliamentary majority.

In 2008 Levon Ter-Petrosyan helped the government to unite. His return
made the government retreat from the situation established in 2007
and fight Ter-Petrosyan together but, nevertheless, Robert Kocharyan
and Serzh Sargsyan each pursued their own interests.

After the mitigation of the first surge of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s threat
the pyramid returned to its previous position and the split continued.

Armenia has never been ruled by a monolithic government. This monolith
first split when Armenia declared independence. In 1991 Vazgen Manukyan
split from the Armenian National Movement, and the crack is still
running down the stone.

However, the political opposition has never been able to use the
opportunity and play on the controversies and clash of interests
of the wings of government. It was always engaged in the game and
gradually went on to serve as a platform where the wings of power
settled their issues from time to time.

The present situation does not differ much from the situation of the
previous years.

The situation outside the government is different both in Armenia
and in the world. This situation requires an open game, cover-up is
complicated because information technologies develop like a streak
of lightning. At the same time, the rules of the international game
are changing, new rules are sought for, the requirements from ruling
elites are changing, responsibility grows.

Formerly the government tried its hardest to hide the slightest sign
of the split, fearing that it would be perceived as its weakness and
facilitate the collapse of the system. Now the government understands
that the monolith cannot be hidden anymore and tries to use it to its
benefit presenting it as an expression of competition and democracy.

It is also obvious that the government uses the split more effectively
than the political opposition. Perhaps this is the reason why the
split is a means for the government, while for the opposition it is
an aim that justifies the means.

From: A. Papazian

US Congressman Calls For Reunion Of North And South Azerbaijan
Dana Rohrabacher

News.Az
Mon 30 July 2012 09:58 GMT | 10:58 Local Time

‘People of Azerbaijan are geographically divided into two parts, and
many are calling for a reunion after nearly two centuries of foreign
domination.’ US Congressman Dane Rohrabacher sent a letter to US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging to support the struggle
for the independence of the Azerbaijanis of Iran.

The statement is posted on the official website of the Congressman.

The letter was prompted by a recent report on the military cooperation
between Azerbaijan and Israel.

“For the US it would be appropriate to support this cooperation
(Israel and Azerbaijan), because the dictatorial regime of Tehran is
the enemy of both countries,” the letter reads.

The letter stated that today the people of Azerbaijan are
geographically divided into two parts, and many are calling for a
reunion after nearly two centuries of foreign domination.

The number of Azerbaijanis in Iran is twice as high as in Azerbaijan.

Their homeland was divided between Russia and Persia in 1828, without
their consent, the congressman said.

“The Republic of Azerbaijan gained independence in 1991, when the
Soviet Union collapsed. Now it is the time for the Azerbaijanis of
Iran also to gain freedom”, the letter says.

In his letter, the congressman also points out that assistance to
the legitimate aspirations of the Azerbaijani people’s struggle for
independence is a noble cause.

“This is more dangerous for the Iranian tyrants than the threat of
bombing its underground nuclear bunkers”, the letter says.

From: A. Papazian

ADVISER OF SYRIAN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA UNTIMELY FINISHED HIS MISSION

ARMENPRESS
31 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS: Adviser of Syrian ambassador in the
Republic of Armenia, responsible employee for cultural and consular
issues Mohammad Husam Hafes untimely finished his diplomatic mission
in Armenia. Armenpress was informed about this from Press Secretary
of Armenian Foreign affairs ministry Tigran Balayan. The consulate
informed that Mohammad Hafes in the morning of July 30 did not come
to work but the reasons of it were not known.

There was spread information in Media that adviser of Syrian
ambassador in the Republic of Armenia, responsible employee for
cultural and consular issues Mohammad Hafes has retired declaring that
he leaves the Government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and joins the
opposition. In fact, today that information is definitely confirmed.

Earlier ambassadors of Syria in Cyprus, Iraq and United Arab Emirates
had retired and joined the opposition.

From: A. Papazian

ACTIVIST: FINANCIAL PROBLEMS PREVENT SYRIAN ARMENIANS FROM RETURNING HOMELAND

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 31, 2012 – 16:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Lack of financial means prevents most of Syrian
Armenians from returning to homeland, “Outreach to Syrian Armenians”
Facebook group activist said.

“Two Armenian families seek to come to Armenia. However, they
are unable to take a final decision due to financial problems,”
Michael Babayan told a PanARMENIAN. Net reporter, stressing
accommodation-related problems as priority concerns for the community.

“Families hope to be provided with free accommodation for the initial
period until they get settled,” the activist said.

From: A. Papazian

COMMITTEE ON LAKE SEVAN ISSUES MAY REVISE ITS POSITION ON AMULSAR

arminfo
Tuesday, July 31, 14:11

The Committee on Lake Sevan Issues may revise its position on Amulsar,
Alexey Tarverdyan, a member of the Committee, said at today’s public
hearings on the Amulsar gold mine. To recall, earlier the Committee
gave a negative conclusion on the given project.

“We are very much concerned over this statement. The Law “On Sevan”
says that the Kechut and Spandaryan tailing dumps located near Amulsar,
as well as the basin of the rivers Vorotan and Arpa are included in
the catch basin of Lake Sevan. The law bans ore mining activities in
the Sevan basin”, Inga Zarafyan, Head of EcoLur NGO, said to ArmInfo’s
correspondent. She expressed hope that the process of the Amulsar
environmental risk assessment will be maximally released from the
pressure of investors and political forces, as it touches on issues
of preservation of Lake Sevan and development of the resort zone
of Jermuk.

To note, in February 2012 Armenian Economy Minister Tigran Davtyan
said that the Amulsar project was being implemented by a well-known
company, which committed itself to observe all the environmental
standards. The minister assured that the mine was rather a long way
from the town of Jermuk, therefore, any speculations on the project
were absolutely groundless. In addition, the technologies to be used
in the course of the Amulsar development meet all the international
standards and the toughest environmental requirements.

To recall, in 2012 Geoteam CJSC is going to invest $52 mln in the
eologic exploration and preparation for development of the Amulsar gold
mine at the south of Armenia. 95% of Geoteam’s shares belong to Lydian
International Ltd. According to the preliminary data of the company, it
is planned to extract over 40 tons of gold from the Amulsar mine. Such
authoritative institutional investors as the International Finance
Corporation (16.5%) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (7.5%) are among the shareholders of Lydian International.

From: A. Papazian