Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIE-NATURE
Après les loups, les ours attaquent les troupeaux en Arménie

Après les loups, c’est au tour des ours d’attaquer les troupeaux
d’ovins en Arménie. Le 20 juin au village de Yelpin dans la région de
Vayots Tsor (sud de l’Arménie) des ours auraient dévorés 4 moutons
appartenant à Khatchik Alaverdian. Le lendemain 21 juin, les ours
tentèrent d’attaquer la bergerie de Hmayag Haroutiounian et Karsevan
Alaverdian. Ils démolirent les clôtures et occasionnèrent quelques
dégts matériels, mais repartirent sans toutefois s’emparer des
moutons.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 23 juin 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

FRANCE
Les têtes de Turc de Hollande

Après cinq années de relations exécrables entre Paris et Ankara,
comment le nouveau Président va-t-il traiter l’épineux et impopulaire
dossier Turquie ? Mais surtout, avec qui ?

On se méfie, en Turquie, d’un François Hollande qui serait « sous
influence arménienne ». Ne s’est-il pas engagé, candidat, à «
reprendre » le dossier de la pénalisation de la négation du génocide
arménien ? N’a-t-il pas déclaré que la reconnaissance de ce génocide
par l’Etat turc devait constituer un « critère » supplémentaire de
l’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union européenne ?

Certains Turcs informés pointent du doigt le rôle joué auprès de lui
par Mourad Papazian, son conseiller sur la question arménienne depuis
une quinzaine d’années, et « communicant » de 2009 à 2011. On pouvait
d’ailleurs voir les deux hommes côte à côte, le 24 avril dernier lors
de la commémoration du génocide de 1915, à Paris.

Mourad Papazian est co-président de la Fédération révolutionnaire
arménienne (FRA ou Dachnak) pour l’Europe, qui représente environ la
moitié de la communauté organisée en France. Or pour les Turcs, qui
dit FRA dit Armée révolutionnaire arménienne, sa branche armée,
laquelle a assassiné de nombreux diplomates turcs dans les années 1970
et 1980. Autrement dit, pas de pire ennemi aux yeux de l’Etat turc,
mis à part le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK, séparatiste),
avec lequel il accuse d’ailleurs l’armée révolutionnaire arménienne de
s’être alliée.

Lire la suite, voir lien plus bas

samedi 23 juin 2012,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

D´autres informations disponibles : sur Slate.fr

From: A. Papazian

MARSEILLE-EREVAN
Le maire d’Erévan reçu par la Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie
franco-arménienne

En visite de trois jours à Marseille à l’occasion du 20ème
anniversaire de la coopération entre Marseille et Erévan, le maire de
la capitale arménienne Taron Margaryan était jeudi 21 juin l’invité de
la Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Franco-Arménienne (CCIFA) lors
d’un dîner aux Arcenaulx à quelques pas du Vieux Port. Applaudi dès
son arrivée par le public, Taron Margaryan salua chaque invité.
Bernard Holassian le président de la CCIFA a présenté l’ensemble de
son bureau. Didier Parakian, vice-président et Adjoint au Maire,
président-délégué de Marseille-Arménie a de son côté salué la présence
de Taron Margaryan, le Maire d’Erévan, et la délégation arménienne.
Parmi les invités, Hratch Aslanyan, le responsable Europe du Ministère
de la Diaspora ainsi qu’Arden, le représentant du Consul Général
d’Arménie à Marseille. Didier Parakian a noté l’engagement de la
communauté arménienne de Marseille ainsi que de la Chambre de Commerce
et d’Industrie Franco-Arménienne pour le développement de la
coopération avec Erévan. Le maire d’Erévan fut ensuite invité à
répondre aux très nombreuses questions. Parmi les intervenants notons
Richard Findykian, Simon Azilazian, Bernard Hatémian, Eric Narsisyan
(vice-présidents de la CCIFA), Jacques Avdoyan (secrétaire général) et
Roland Vartanian (trésorier). D’autres questions émanèrent également
du public. Taron Margaryan répondit à chacune des questions avec une
grande minutie. Lors de cette rencontre conviviale, fut signé
officiellement entre la CCIFA et Arsen Lokyan, le recteur de
l’Académie des écoles d’Arménie, une convention portant sur l’arrivée
des stagiaires d’Arménie dans la région marseillaise.

Krikor Amirzayan texte et reportage-photo à Marseille

samedi 23 juin 2012,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

San Leandro Has Bragging Rights To Pixar’s ‘Brave’

Katherine Sarafian, who was raised here and attended public school,
produced the new animated film based on the feisty female protagonist,
Merida.

By Tom Abate
5:45 am

Today movie theaters coast to coast will be showing “Brave”, the new
animated film based on the spunky Scottish princess named Merida.

San Leandro residents have a special connection to this cinematic event.

“Brave” was produced by Katherine Sarafian, who attended local public
schools which, as she told Patch, helped lay the foundation for her career
with Pixar Animation Studios, which partnered with Disney to make and
distribute the film

Sarafian started at Roosevelt Elementary School and advanced to
Bancroft Middle School before graduating San Leandro High’s Class of
1987. She wenton to attend UCLA and its noted Film School, which led
to a job as assistant to the production manager of “Toy Story.”

Over the years she rose through Pixar’s ranks. “Brave” is her top
professional accomplishment to date. She steered it through literally
years of production, during which time she gave birth to two sons,
ages three and three months old.

Sarafian, 43, lives in nearby Oakland with husband Meher Gourjian, a
visual effects specialist whose production credits include work in
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” (Link to recent photo of the
couple
.)
,

*In her own words*

In between a promotional tour in Europe and a quick jaunt to Asia,
Katherine Sarafian carved out some time for an e-mail interview about
how her San Leandro upbringing helped lay the groundwork for her
current success.

*”It’s been interesting connecting the dots of my life, leading up to this
career,” Sarafian wrote. “I was definitely inspired by some San Leandro
teachers, particularly Dale Chilcoat (art) and Roy Glover (music/choral)
and EVERY English teacher I’ve ever had.*

*”Producing a feature film requires one to use one’s writing skills, as
well as music, art, math, science, interpersonal abilities, design skills,
counseling/listening and everything I learned from team sports (collaborati
on, trust, discipline, teamwork).”*

Sarafian, who was active in several student groups, added that those
extracurriculars were also helpful:

*”I was Key Club president at San Leandro High, and also on the student
council, so I learned a lot about running meetings. And now, of course, I
run a LOT of meetings!”*

But one set of experiences rose above the rest.

*”My fondest memories of high school and middle school, and even elementary
school at Roosevelt, are all music-oriented. Choir concerts, gigs with the
Pirates of Pizzazz or the Notables; the musicals we put on at Roosevelt and
Bancroft. I learned so much about show business, which is my true love,
during these years. I have happy memories of the Notables tours and all of
my years singing with those groups. To this day, I am a choir geek. I am an
18-year member of the Pixar Singers, Pixar’s own a cappella group!”*

*Family background*

*Katherine Sarafian is the middle of three children raised by Alice and
Richard Sarafian, who moved to San Leandro’s Bayovista neighborhood
whenKatherine was
three.*

*Eldest child Karen is a teacher in Elk Grove. The youngest, Stephen, is a
doctor with Kaiser-Permanente in Oakland.*

*Sarafian’s Armenian heritage and religious upbringing have been a
central influence. Her father was pastor of the Saint Vartan Armenian
Church of Oakland until his sudden death due to a heart attack in
2009. *

*Her mother, Alice Sarafian, remains active in San Leandro civic affairs in
addition to providing some grannycare for her daughter, son-in-law and
grandchildren. *

*”Katherine enjoyed being in the limelight,” Alice Sarafian told Patch. “No
matter what she put her mind to she succeeded at.”*

*(Editor’s note: This is truly a small-world story. Chad Pennebaker of
Kiwanis first alerted me to Katherine’s role in Brave. Jack Papazian
of San Leandro Leadership helped me reach Alice Sarafian to fill in
the details ofKatherine’s youth. I ran out of time to contact some of
Katherine’s former high school friends, such as John Pennebaker and
Melissa Deadrich. I hope they and others will leave comments and help
tell the story. But what really blew me away was my conversation with
Alice Sarafian. We met at Zocalo Coffeehouse. She said that if I had
been going there for any length of time I had probably met her
husband, who used to go there to prepare his sermons. No so oner had
she spoken than I remembered seeing a white-haired man bent over a
stack of books marked with dozens of Post-it notes. He was such a
fixture at the shop that owner Tim Holmes came to the funeral
services, Alice Sarafian said, adding, “That was nice, a gesture of
respect.”)*

From: A. Papazian

COMMUNIQUE DU CDCA A L’OCCASION DU RENOUVELLEMENT DE L’ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE.
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 21 juin 2012

Le Comite de Defense de la Cause Armenienne felicite les 577 deputes
elus a l’Assemblee Nationale et souhaite engager avec eux une reflexion
pour prendre reellement en compte les problematiques de negationnisme
et de respect de la dignite de la personne humaine dans le cadre de
cette nouvelle legislature. En effet, après l’engagement fort pris par
le President de la Republique Francois Hollande relatif a l’adoption
d’une loi penalisant la negation de tous les genocides reconnus par
la France, nous comptons maintenant sur l’ensemble des deputes pour
qu’ils s’engagent a le concretiser dans un esprit non partisan et
dans une forme qui ne puisse pas etre contestable ni contestee par
le Conseil Constitutionnel.

A cet egard, nous constatons avec une très grande satisfaction que
lors du renouvellement des deputes, sur les 77 deputes sortants ayant
saisis le Conseil Constitutionnel afin de censurer la loi penalisant
la negation de tous les genocides, seuls 41 ont ete reelus. Nous
constatons egalement avec satisfaction que des personnalites de
premier plan qui s’etaient fortement opposees a cette proposition
de loi comme par exemple Jack Lang (PS), Herve de Charrette (UMP)
ou Francois Bayrou (Modem), ont egalement ete battus.

Il s’agit la d’une avancee majeure pour la Cause Armenienne et
au-dela pour tous ceux qui ne confondent pas liberte d’expression et
negationnisme d’un genocide, qui est un crime contre l’humanite et
dont la negation doit etre condamnee sans ambiguite. On ne peut pas
mettre sur le meme plan, la condamnation de la negation d’un crime de
genocide, crime imprescriptible qui concerne par definition l’humanite
toute entière et des contrats commerciaux ou la cooperation militaire
entre deux etats.

C’est pourquoi dès l’ouverture de la nouvelle mandature, le CDCA
engagera un travail de contact et de pedagogie vers l’ensemble des
deputes pour les convaincre que la penalisation de la negation des
genocides repond a un acte de justice envers les victimes et leurs
descendants pour les proteger de tous ceux qui bafouent les valeurs
de la Republique en insultant, en niant ou en portant atteinte a la
memoire des victimes de tous les genocides.

From: A. Papazian

SOUTH TYROL MODEL SHOULD BE USED IN KARABAKH

Vestnik Kavkaza
June 20 2012
Russia

The Karabakh conflict can be resolved only in the framework
of Azerbaijan’s national integrity, the head of the Azerbaijani
Presidential Centre for Strategic Research, Farkhad Mamedov, said,
1news.az reports.

The remarks came at a conference devoted to possible adopting South
Tyrol’s practice of conflict resolution in the Caucasus.

South Tyrol is a cultural autonomy within the territorial integrity of
the country. This status preserves its subordination to the state in
the social, political and economic fields. There are also principles
of independence.

Some believe the principles of the entity should be established
in Karabakh.

From: A. Papazian

SOCIALISTS SWEEP FRENCH PARLIAMENT

Hurriyet
June 19 2012
Turkey

France’s Socialists won control of Parliament on June 17, handing
President Francois Hollande the clear majority he needs to push
through his tax-and-spend agenda to battle the eurozone debt crisis.

After Hollande’s victory in the presidential election last month,
the Socialists – who already dominated the Senate – took control of
the National Assembly by winning 314 out of the house’s 577 seats.

Symbolic victory for Le Pen Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s
Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and its allies won 229 seats, the
Socialist-allied Greens 17 seats and the Left Front 10. The far-right
National Front was set to return to Parliament for the first time
since 1998 after winning two seats in the south of the country,
although party leader Marine Le Pen lost her own bid for a seat.

Royal beaten Her 22-year-old niece, Marion Marechal Le Pen,
granddaughter of the anti-immigrant party’s founder, Jean-Marie Le
Pen, was elected in the Vaucluse region. Valerie Boyer, who played
a leading role in bringing a draft law about the Armenian genocide
allegations before the Parliament, was also elected while Hollande’s
ex-partner, the former Socialist presidential contender Segolene Royal,
was beaten by a dissident Socialist candidate.

Compiled from AFP and Reuters stories by the Daily News staff.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA KEY FOR KARABAKH: BAKU

Hurriyet
June 19 2012
Turkey

The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers were set to hold a
meeting in Paris late yesterday to discuss the latest developments
in the Nagorno-Karbakh conflict.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov left for Paris yesterday
to meet his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian, their discussion
is expected to address the Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement process.

The meeting is also expected to be attended by the co-chairs of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk
Group, which was set up after the 1994 Karabakh ceasefire to help
bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Voicing new elements

The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for adherence to the
three basic principles of conflict settlement: territorial integrity,
people’s right to self-determination and the non-use of force, during
her visit to the South Caucasus earlier this month.

Meanwhile, new offers will be presented on the Karabakh peace process
during the meeting, Armenian News.am website cited experts as saying.

The website said that Clinton offered both Azerbaijan and Armenia
the opportunity to voice new elements on the Karabakh peace process
during her recent visit to the two neighboring countries.

During the meeting in Paris, new offers will be presented on the
Karabakh peace process, as was previously outlined, expert Alexander
Markarov told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Elman Abdullayev confirmed to the Anatolia news agency
that the two foreign ministers would discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue during the meeting.

From: A. Papazian

COMMENTARY: A WITCH-HUNT OR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN? OPINION
By Edmond Y. Azadian

June 20, 2012 3:53 pm

Last May, a global sex scandal broke out when the head of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dominique Straus-Kahn was arrested on
charges of raping a hotel maid in New York. The charges were dropped
later but Straus-Kahn, who had been considered the front-runner in
the French presidential election, saw his career collapse. It is hard
to prove collusion by his opponent, former French President Nicolas
Sarkozy, but he was definitely the beneficiary of the scandal for a
while when Straus-Kahn’s reputation was damaged.

That was until another – the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande –
caught up with Sarkozy and won the race.

A similar political scandal is brewing in Armenia, however, not within
a sexual context, but rather regarding financial accountability. It
has all the hallmarks of political motivation. Some even call it a
witch-hunt, given the timing and the process the government has chosen.

The target once again is a prominent statesman, namely the former
Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, who has been accused of
money laundering. After 10 years of service, when Oskanian retired from
the position of the foreign minister, he continued to remain visible
through his non-governmental organization, Civilitas Foundation. But
last May’s parliamentary election propelled him into the limelight
when Oskanian emerged as a leading figure when the Prosperous Armenia
Party parted from the ruling coalition.

Finally, the other shoe was dropped and the party decided to continue
its independent course. Of course, the political pundits see the shrewd
political tactician, former President Robert Kocharian, behind all
these maneuverings to set the stage for his comeback or to promote
a surrogate.

As long as the party was symbolized by the opulent lifestyle of its
founder Gagik Zaroukian it was not considered a serious political
asset, but Oskanian’s emergence as the second man in command changed
the political complexion of the party. Therefore, it became apparent
that if not Kocharian then Oskanian would be facing Serge Sargisian as
a contender during next year’s presidential election. That perception
was enough to mark him as a target in the presidential race. Hence,
the accusation of money laundering to tarnish his reputation by the
election time. Some people believe the inspiration for the accusation
comes from the Ukraine, where one-time presidential contender and
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (nee Grigyan) was convicted to a
seven-year prison term for abusing her office in brokering a gas deal
with Russia in 2009.

Oskanian seems to be in the same kind of hot water and the state
security office has been interrogating him and his assistant Salpi
Ghazarian has also been invited for questioning. At issue are grants
provided to Civilitas by some foreign governments and wealthy donors.

Civilitas Foundation has issued a press release revealing the sources
of its funding. Thus $1.5 million was received from the Norwegian
government and $150,000 from Eduardo Eurnekian.

The press release is concluded with the following paragraph: “Civilitas
expresses thanks to all current donors as well as those

with whom we have partnered in the past. They are the government
of Germany, the government of Norway, the government of Poland,
the government of Switzerland, the government of the Netherlands,
the government of the UK (DFID), government of the US (USAID),
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Eurasia
Partnership Foundation and the German Marshall Fund of the US/Black
Sea Trust. Special thanks go to Mr. Jon Huntsman.”

One may question why would so many governments and other agencies
provide these funds, certainly not for charity but to buy influence,
but not the type of influence that brought the Revolution of Roses in
Georgia or the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, through a global policy
of containing Russia. Those would require a more massive infusion of
funds, and Armenia is not yet ripe for that kind of upheaval.

There are a few factors that lead political analysts to believe
that the investigation is politically motivated. First there was
no investigation whatsoever before Oskanian was elected to the
parliament. The timing of the investigation could not be coincidental.

In the Armenian parliamentary elections, sometimes the prominent
leaders heading the list drop their mandate to let the second person
in line to serve in the parliament.

There were some speculations that Oskanian would do the same, but on
May 25 it became apparent that he would stay and he meant business;
that triggered the investigation.

Also, tax evasion cases are not uncommon. Many oligarchs are caught in
those cases and after a slap on the wrist they pay a fine on a portion
of back taxes and they are relieved (especially when they are on the
right side of the political spectrum). And such mat- ters are handled
normally by tax authorities. But in this case, the prosecutor’s office
and state security agency are involved to crim- inalize the case.

Oskanian himself has made a strong statement about the case: “In order
to launder the money that money has to be dirty to begin with. In this
case, the sources of money are known and the recipient is known, too.

The contributions to me and to Civilitas have been transferred in a
transparent manner, through the bank and through the wishes of the
donors. The lawyers have not identified any violations of tax laws in
these transactions. According to the contracts the funds transferred to
the recipient are considered donations, and the recipient is entitled
to use them to achieve the purposes conscribed in the by-laws of
the organization. Only people with political motivation can reduce
these donations, made by good people for good causes, to political
money change.”

The opening salvo against Oskanian came from a hired gun in California
in a caustic article, which was distributed online. This investigation
seems to be a follow up process. Observers have been wondering where
can this campaign lead. If Oskanian’s political profile is enhanced
in Armenia, the campaign may intensify, otherwise it may fizzle
out. Thus far, this investigation has boosted his popularity. Unless
more incriminating facts emerge, the campaign can only improve
Oskanian’s popularity.

The present administration has an effective political machine to
mow any opposition. Ter-Petrosian’s powerful opposition and popular
movement eventually was pulverized and reduced to a meager and tame
opposition group in the parliament.

By all counts, the presidential campaign is in full gear and the
political witch-hunt with it.

From: A. Papazian

ONE MAN DIED DUE TO BLAST NEAR RAILWAY IN ARMENIA’S YEGHVARD

news.am
June 21, 2012 | 21:03

YEGHVARD. – One man died of the blast near the Nairi railway in
Armenia’s Yeghvard city on Thursday.

The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations received the alarm at
8.06 p.m. and casualties were reported, Ministry informed Armenian
News-NEWS.am. Yeghvard resident Nerses Ghazaryan, 55, died due to
empty container blast in the territory of an inactive oil refinery.

From: A. Papazian