Author: Babajanian Karo

Independent Catholic News
July 31 2014

Syria: Three killed as missile hits Armenian Catholic Church

Posted: Thursday, July 31, 2014 1:46 pm

Yesterday afternoon a missile launched from areas of Aleppo controlled
by the rebels, fell into the grounds of the Armenian Catholic parish
of the Holy Trinity, in the district of al-Meydan, causing the death
of three Armenian adults, two sisters and a man.

The missile damaged a wall, a terrace of the rectory and broke the
windows of the church also causing damage to an altar where there is a
statue of the Virgin Mary from Marash, symbol city of the Armenian
Genocide.

“It was around 6.15pm and in that moment” said parish priest Fr
Joseph Bezouzou. “We were in church to celebrate daily Mass. If the
missile had fallen at the exit of the Mass, it would have been a
massacre. We thank the Lord”.

The parish had organized a gathering of young people next weekend, to
give the young people a break from the terrible tension they are
living under, but Fr Joseph said: “We have decided to postpone
everything because after what happened you cannot expose young people
to new risks.

“On Sunday, after Mass, we will plant an olive tree in the place where
the missile fell. This is our only response to the bombs and violence
that for years have tried to devastate our lives”.

Source: Fides

Armenian government tightens law on advertising

YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Cabinet ministers approved
Thursday amendments to the law on advertising.

David Harutyunyan, head of the government’s staff, said the law limits
duration of commercials to 14 minutes per one hour.

“Before that, the media outlets reduced advertisement time in
“halcyon” time and made up leeway in prime time, while now they will
be not able to do this – they will have only 14 minutes every hour for
broadcasting commercials,” he said. –0—-

– See more at:

U.S. Threatens Armenia With Direct Sanctions

Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 31 July 2014, 17:57

The U.S. embassy has warned Armenia about threats of cooperation with
Russian companies which have undergone U.S. sanctions. The list of
sanctions includes at least several banks, as well as Rosneft with
which Armenia is cooperating closely. What threats are meant? It has
been a few years the United States keeps Iran under sanctions but
Armenia cooperates with this country without being overridden by
American sanctions. It is true that there were problems with the
Iranian Mellat Bank in Armenia through which, according to the
Americans, suspicious transactions were made. Later, however, the
problems were resolved.

In fact, the United States warns that direct sanctions may be imposed
on Armenia. Yesterday, apparently with this purpose, Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamyan was visited by the U.S. Ambassador Heffern and USAID
Country Director Hilliard. They may have warned the Armenian prime
minister to refrain from new deals with Rosneft.

Direct sanctions by the United States may produce tangible
consequences for Armenia unlike sanctions imposed on Russia which may
not affect Armenia. Too close relations with Russia are already
indirectly experienced by Armenia. For example, the U.S. Congress has
passed the Russian Aggression Prevention Act which envisages a status
of a U.S. partner for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as
military assistance to a number of countries, including Azerbaijan.
Armenia is not found on this list.

It is not difficult to guess what this means. Armenia now has to work
hard to avoid U.S. sanctions and not to be identified with Russia.
Hardly anyone in Armenia likes the fact that Russia is the target of
the world but Armenia has no reason to sacrifice itself out of
faithfulness to Russia.

Direct U.S. sanctions against Armenia may eventually kill the Armenian
economy and social structure. The Armenian authorities are facing a
difficult choice but this situation gradually stops being a choice so
only one way is left not to die.

– See more at:

Ghazaryan: US sanctions should not worry Armenian businessmen

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The U.S. sanctions against Russia should not worry Armenian
businessmen, Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of
Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan told reporters after the government session
today.

In his words, both VTB Bank Armenia and Areximbank Gazprombank Group
are under the jurisdiction of Armenia, although their head offices are
located in Russia. “They operate under Armenian law, receive profits
and pay taxes here,” Ghazaryan said.

When asked how the West’s sanctions will affect Russia, the union
chairman replied that even recognized international experts cannot
answer this question today. According to him, it is important for the
U.S. and Europe to coordinate their actions in this matter.

The U.S. has expanded its list of its sanctions over Ukraine by
including four more Russian entities in that list, namely the United
Shipbuilding Corporation, the Bank of Moscow, VTB Bank OAO and the
Russian Agricultural Bank.

TODAY, 16:18
Aysor.am

Paruyr Hayrikyan: Armenia cannot continue its “both – and – “policy

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Armenia cannot continue the policy of “both- and – ” in conditions
where these two parts are mutually exclusive, the leader of Union for
Self-Determination (AIM) Paruyr Hayrikyan said at a press conference
today.

In his words, Armenian President should become conscious of his
failure, resign and cede power to pro-European forces. The AIM leader
added that the only such force is the party led by him.

“The Ukrainian political figure failed to implement his programs and
had to resign. Serzh Sargsyan experienced a double fiasco,” Hayrikyan
noted. According to him, Serzh Sargsyan should follow suit of the
Ukrainian leader and step down.

When discussing the Ukrainian events, the AIM leader said Armenia
should draw a lesson from them. “In particular, it is an important
lesson to realize that Armenia and Ukraine have one common enemy.
Today Russia is using its arms against Ukraine, while tomorrow when
Armenia resolutely states about its sovereignty, it will do the same
with us by using Azerbaijan,” Paruyr Hayrikyan declared.

TODAY, 17:10
Aysor.am

Conflit du Haut-Karabagh
Erevan réaffirme son soutien au plan de paix au Haut-Karabagh

Serge Sarkissian a souligné hier ses différences apparentes avec les
dirigeants politiques du Haut-Karabagh, quand il a réaffirmé que le
plan des médiateurs internationaux existants pour mettre fin au
conflit avec l’Azerbaïdjan est largement acceptable pour l’Arménie.

Sarkissian a été cité par son service de presse comme ayant dit que le
règlement du conflit proposé par les Etats-Unis, la Russie et la
France “peut devenir la clé de voûte de la résolution du conflit.”

“Le président a noté que, malheureusement, l’Azerbaïdjan n’accepte pas
ces principes, même si il prétend le contraire”, a déclaré le bureau
dans un communiqué après la réunion de Sarkissian avec Herbert Salber,
nouveau représentant spécial de l’UE pour le Caucase du Sud.

Salber a visité Bakou et a discuté du conflit du Karabagh avec le
président azerbaïdjanais Ilham Aliev au début de sa tournée régionale
la semaine dernière. Aliev aurait accusé la partie arménienne
d’adopter une “position non constructive” dans les négociations de
paix et “elle ignorerait” les déclarations faites par les États-Unis,
de Russie et les coprésidents français du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE.

jeudi 31 juillet 2014,
Claire (c)armenews.com

Armenians killed in Aleppo missile blast

09:17 * 31.07.14

An increasing number of victims were reported in fresh missile attacks
against Syria’s Armenian-populated city of Aleppo on Tuesday.

According to the Aleppo information center, the blasts left two
Armenian sisters, Azniv Arushyan and Araxi Khachatruryan-Arushyan,
dead. Two other victims have been identified as Sona Balykyan and
Gevorg Galemkeryan.

Three more Armenians – Juliet Khachatryan, Gevorg Tashchyan and Hakob
Hakobyan – were hospitalized in the wake of an explosion in the
vicinities of the Armenian Holy Trinity (Zvartnots) church. Their
condition is reported to be stable.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Kyrgyzstan hosts CSTO joint military exercise

July 28, 2014 – 14:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Troops from five member-states of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have arrived in Kyrgyzstan to take
part in joint military exercise.

Units from the CSTO’s six member-states — Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan — will take part in
the “Enduring Brotherhood – 2014” maneuvers that are scheduled to
start on July 29 in Ala-Too mountains, near Bishkek, reported the
RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service.

The drills will kick off 11 days after the CSTO’s Collective Rapid
Deployment Force, including Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, and Tajik troops,
conducted a four-day drill in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region.

Lilit Galstyan. “We are executing a homeland-recognizing program.”

July 28 2014

The twentieth Student Forum of All-Armenian Educational and Cultural
Union launched since July 19, which has brought Armenian university
students from 9 countries to Armenia. They will stay in Armenia for 17
days. As said by the Chair of All-National Armenian Educational and
Cultural Union, Lilit Galstyan, in the conversation with Aravot.am,
“In these 17 days, the young people will have the opportunity to get
in touch with their fatherland. We give them the opportunity to listen
to a series of lectures on nationwide topics that refer to our
cultural heritage, identity, problems that regardless of geography are
common for any Armenian youth. These young people, as established
citizens of any country, tomorrow, will take on commitment to the
organization of the Armenian communities, and will assume leadership
role, an editor, teacher, school principal, and head of a department…
In other words, we are educating a generation with national commitment
and, why not, thinking that many of these young after receiving a good
university education will one day return to Armenia and will bring
their participation in the formation of our homeland.” As said by Ms.
Galstyan, the matter that they are marking the twentieth anniversary
of their program this year proves that they have reached the goal, and
the program is looked for and awaited. All-National Union has
conducted analysis, according to which, many who have come to Armenian
within the framework of the Forum, then return again, settle in
Armenia and make a family. As said by Lilit Galstyan, they are
executing a fatherland-recognizing program, which is aimed at the
youth to be filled with the word of the root and educated with
national commitments. Among their many meetings, some have become
traditional. One of them is visiting the Yerevan State University and
meeting with YSU Rector Aram Simonyan. “It is very important and there
is sentimentalism in him, because the source of the Yerevan State
University and the All-National is Nicole Aghbalyan. In 1919,
Aghbalyan, as a minister, founded the University, in 1928, he founded
the All-National,” mentioned our interlocutor. He added that visits
were planned to one of Artsakh Defense Army Detachments, Artsakh
Parliament; attend the lecture on “The Armenian alphabet and invention
of letters as an important support for our identity” held in Oshakan,
a meeting at Tsakhkadzor “Tiramayr of Armenia” camp in Tsakhkadzor and
so on. Tovmas Poghosyan will deliver a lecture at the Folk School on
Armenian folk music theme. The young people have already managed to
listen to French-Armenian Armenologist, Claude (Armen) Mutafian’s
lecture entitled Kingdom of Cilicia, and took part in his and Hrant
Margaryan’s discussion entitled “Who is Armenian? Identity.” …The
program is on.

Gohar HAKOBYAN
Read more at:

Georgian Energy Minister thanks Armenia for assistance

13:40, 28.07.2014

Georgian Energy Minister thanked Armenia for electricity imports
during the major power blackout throughout the country.

Kakha Kaladze, thanked “our friendly country, Armenia” and his
Armenian counterpart “for providing a huge assistance” to Georgia,
Civil.ge reported.

Senior executive of Georgian state-owned energy company said the
electricity supply was restored as a result of emergency electricity
imports from Armenia and Turkey.

Most of Georgia was left without electricity for several hours on
Sunday evening. The widespread power outage was due to a
malfunctioning electricity grid, reported the Ministry of Energy and
Natural Resources of Georgia.

Armenia News – NEWS.am