Author: Babajanian Karo

Armenia activates meat and sausage production

14:48, 7 December, 2013

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: The volumes of the production of meat
in the Republic of Armenia during the months of
January-October have increased by 5,1% in comparison with the same
period of the previous year and made 41 thousand 907,5
tons. According to the data provided by the National Statistical
Service of Armenia, during the first ten months of 2013 3 thousand
688,3 tons of meat products (including sausages) were produced in our
country, which exceeded by 2,3% the indicator of the same
period of the last year.

Armenpress reports that only in October 2013 11 thousand 200,8 tons of
meat and 435,3 tons of meat products were produced in the
Republic of Armenia.

ARMENIE
Le niveau d’auto-suffisance alimentaire de l’Arménie est d’environ 60%
cette année

Le niveau d’auto-suffisance alimentaire de l’Arménie est d’environ 60%
cette année, selon Hrachya Tspnetsyan, chef d’un département au
ministère de l’agriculture, qui a déclaré lors d’une conférence de
presse que la sécurité alimentaire est un élément essentiel de la
sécurité nationale.

Il a dit que des problèmes demeurent dans la production de céréales,
l’élevage de volailles et de porcs.

Il a dit que l’autosuffisance dans la production de blé est seulement
de 35 à 36%, celui dans l’élevage de volaille est de 12 à 20%, tandis
que celle de la production de porc est de 41%. Selon lui, le niveau
d’autosuffisance pour la viande, le boeuf et la production d’oeufs, de
pommes de terre, de melons, de fruits, de raisin, de moutons et de
chèvres est assez élevé. La même chose est vraie en ce qui concerne la
production de lait et de produits laitiers.

Hrachya Tspnetsyan a dit que la stratégie du ministère de
l’agriculture, appelant à environ 60 différentes mesures, est
d’améliorer ces indicateurs en augmentant la production.

samedi 7 décembre 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

BOOK REVIEW: ‘THE GENDARME’ BY MARK T. MUSTIAN

Seattle Post Intelligencer
Dec 5 2013

By ManOfLaBook.com, BLOGCRITICS.ORG
Published 10:00 pm, Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustian is a novel about the Armenian
genocide. The events take place during World War I, when the Turks
deported Armenians into Syria – an explosion which is seen everywhere
but Turkey as an act of genocide.

Ahmet Kahn, is 92 and suffers from a brain tumor and the ailments
of old age. In his dreams, Emmett is hunted by a girl he saved while
participating in what was to become the genocide.

Emmett tries to find out what happened to the girl who was one of 65
survivors he was in charge of marching out of Turkey – 65 out of 2,000.

As a Turkish soldier, during a battle he was mistaken for an English
trooper, sent to the hospital and married an American nurse. He also
lost his memory.

As the 92-year-old starts remembering some of the horrors he inflicted
on others, he must find what happened to the girl he loved, and still
loves, so he can give rest to his conscience and his dreams. The
author takes a good look at a tortured soul, a man who did things he
knew were wrong and is now trying to make amends, trying to figure
out if the life he saved made a difference.

It is refreshing to read a story from the aggressor’s point of view;
usually we look through a victim’s eyes. This aggressor, however, is
justifying his acts, horrendous acts. In war and under pressure, as
well as immersed in a mob mentality, regular people commit atrocities
that weeks or even days before were unthinkable to them.

While it’s not the author’s main point, he does insert many shades
of grey into his story. We get to know a man who we would otherwise
consider a war criminal. We follow his trials, tribulations, his
relationship with his daughters, his troubled grandson, his dead wife
and his long lost love which he gave up a lot for but still doesn’t
exactly know why? Maybe to save a shade of humanity which is lost
during such times.

This book works on many levels, historical and emotional. It analyzes
regret, forgiveness and how our perception changes with the environment
and over time. It’s a well-written novel about an overlooked genocide
and the human experience.

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES NOT NOW PLANNING TO HIKE PRICE OF GAS

Interfax, Russia
Dec 3 2013

YEREVAN. Dec 3

The price of natural gas in Armenia will not be going down, the head
of the country’s presidential administration Vigen Sarkisian said.

“The price of natural gas for the end-consumer will not go down,
but, clearly it won’t be rising. If there had not been yesterday’s
agreement, it is likely there could have arisen the necessity of
revising prices, which we have avoided for the last five years,”
Sarkisian told the local media on Tuesday.

During Monday talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Armenian President Serzh Sargsian, Putin said that the cost of
delivering Russian gas to Armenia would be $189 per thousand cubic
meters instead of the previous price of $270.

The new price is due to Russia cancelling its 30% export duty, as
a result of which the cost of gas will be determined in accordance
with a pricing formula pegged to Russian gas prices.

Sarkisian said that changes in favor of the consumer could come where
the price of imported oil products is concerned.

“At the present time we import a small amount of oil products from
Russia, using other markets. Now, when Russia is cancelling the 35
percent duty on oil products for Armenia, a change in the geography of
markets is possible, which could influence prices in Armenia,” he said.

The final pricing is associated with the routes by which oil prices
arrive in the country, he said, “in connection with which there are
serious problems.”

Sarkisian also said that that Armenia had paid off preterm an
anti-crisis stabilization credit of $500 million this year – a credit
provided by Russia in 2009. The credit made it possible to resolve
many social and economic issues, and was used it a goal-oriented way,
he said.

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN INTER-REGIONAL EXHIBITION OPENS IN YEREVAN

ITAR-TASS, Russia
December 3, 2013 Tuesday 07:41 PM GMT+4

YEREVAN December 3

– A Russian-Armenian inter-regional exhibition opened in the
Armenian capital Yerevan on Tuesday. The exposition featuring the
achievements of 19 Russian regions has become part of a programme
of the Russian-Armenian inter-regional forum, which the Russian and
Armenian presidents opened a day earlier, on December 2.

“It has already become a tradition to hold inter-regional forums,
exhibitions and presentations,” Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisyan said at the exhibition’s opening ceremony.

“They form a vital part in a system of inter-state relations. They
supplement the activities of an inter-governmental commission for
economic cooperation and contribute to implementation of previous
high-level agreements reached by the leaders of the two countries,”
Sarkisyan went on to say.

Armenia has concluded about 70 agreements with 20 Russian regions.

Some of them have been signed with the Armenian government, Sarkisyan
who chairs the Armenian side of the inter-governmental commission,
said. He believed that the two countries had considerable potential
to improve those ties.

“At this stage, we should focus on expanding the geography of
cooperation and improving its legal foundation, on the one hand, and
raising the efficiency of inter-regional ties and efforts exerted to
achieve that on the other hand,” Sarkisyan went on to say.

Forums, exhibitions and presentations should contribute to establishing
business contacts which should be crowned with concrete agreements and
joint projects. The Armenian prime minister assumes that small-sized
and medium-sized businesses should take advantage of the new projects
and agreements.

“The Customs Union membership as well as our economic ties with the
European Union and the Middle East states can give an additional
boost to business activities and investments in the Armenianeconomy,”
Sarkisyan said.

The Armenian prime minister hoped that the exhibition would contribute
to the solution of many tasks and further rapprochement and integration
of the two countries’ economies.

Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, the head of the Russian
side of the Inter-Governmental Commission, said the governors of eight
Russian regions were attending the regional exhibition in Yerevan. In
his view, that proved the efficiency of Russian-Armenian regional
cooperation and the two countries’ attention to inter-regional ties.

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
Date: December 2, 2013

Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Email: [email protected]
Web:

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA TO DISPLAY ARMENIAN ORPHAN SISTER RUG IN BOSTON

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) will
display the `Armenian Orphan Sister Rug’ at the Assembly’s annual holiday
reception and briefing in Boston, Massachusetts later this week. Dr. H.
Martin Deranian, author of `President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian
Orphan Rug’ will be the special guest, where he will talk about the Ghazir
rug, also known as the Armenian Orphan Rug, the Sister Rug and the unique
history surrounding their fate. In addition, the Assembly is delighted to
feature remarks by Shant Mardirossian, Chairman of the Board of Directors
of the Near East Foundation.

The Armenian Assembly’s Annual Boston Holiday Reception & Briefing will be
held at the Armenian Cultural Foundation, 441 Mystic Street, Arlington, MA,
on Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 PM.

A part of Dr. Martin Deranian’s private collection, the Armenian Orphan
Sister Rug was woven by the same orphans at the Ghazir orphanage. According
to Dr. Deranian, the carpet dates from the 1920’s and is 3′ 5′ x 5′ 8′. At
one end, the carpet is woven with beautiful lettering that reads `To Mrs.
D.W. Williams, an expression of appreciation Near East Orphanage Ghazir,
Syria.’

`The Ghazir Rug was presented to President Coolidge and to the American
people as an expression of love and goodwill for America’s compassionate
and selfless role in preserving the lives of tens of thousands or orphans
of the Armenian Genocide through the support of Near East Relief,’ Dr.
Deranian told the Assembly. `The rug is also a memorial to the
orphan-weavers who wove into its warp and weft a permanent remembrance of
Armenia’s darkest years, 1915-1923. It is my hope that the rug will be
placed on public view,’ stated Deranian.

As the Assembly previously reported, the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, D.C. was planning a December exhibition of this historic
treasure symbolizing the proud chapter in America’s history. The White
House issued a statement saying that, “The Ghazir rug is a reminder of the
close relationship between the peoples of Armenia and the United States. We
regret that it is not possible to loan it out at this time.”

In 1925, Dr. John H. Finley, editor-in-chief of the New York Times and
vice-chairman of the congressionally chartered Near East Relief
organization (today called the Near East Foundation) presented a rug made
by orphans of the Armenian Genocide to then President Calvin Coolidge. The
rug was made in appreciation of America’s generosity in aiding the
survivors of the first genocide of the 20th Century.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR# 2013-025

Photo Caption: Dr. H. Martin Deranian holding the Armenian Orphan Sister
Rug, Worcester Evening Gazette, April 24, 1985

Available online at:

A LIBRARY OF RUSSIAN BOOKS AND AN ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP PARLIAMENTARY CLUB IS OPENED IN THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

03.12.2013

On December 3 the solemn opening of the library of the Russian books
and the Armenian-Russian Parliamentary Club took place in the National
Assembly. Armenian and Russian parliamentarians, high ranking guests
from the RF, representatives of the NA staff and journalists attended
the event.

The Chief of NA Staff Gurgen Dumanyan introduced the welcoming
speech of the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, where the NA President
highlights the opening of the library of Russian books and the
Armenian-Russian Parliamentary Club, and the fact that it takes
place within the framework of the state visit of the RF President
Vladimir Putin to Armenia. Hovik Abrahamyan evaluates the strategic
partnership based on the historical and cultural relations of the two
states. In his welcoming speech the NA Speaker expresses conviction
that the Armenian-Russian Parliamentary Club will become a venue of
new meetings and discussions not only for the parliamentarians, but
also for the representatives of the community of the two countries,
which, undoubtedly, will have its contribution to the deepening of
the cultural and humanitarian ties and will permanently be enriched
with the modern works, as well as the works of the Russian classical
writers.

In the event the Head of the Presidential Department of the
Inter-Territorial and Cultural Ties with Foreign Countries of the RF
President’s Staff Vladimir Chernov, the deputy of the RF State Duma,
Three-Time Olympic Champion Irina Rodnina, the member of the Committee
on Security and Combating Corruption of the RF State Duma, the Deputy
Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between
the RA National Assembly and the RF Federal Assembly Boris Reznik,
the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education,
Culture, Youth and Sport Artak Davtyan, the former Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the RA
Vyacheslav Kovalenko delivered welcoming speeches.

NEW NAVIGATION MAP OF ARMENIA RELEASED

By MassisPost
Updated: December 4, 2013

NAVITEL announced the release of the navigation map of Armenia, which
includes 985 cities, towns and settlements and shows contours and
locations of buildings. For Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, the map
ensures full coverage of road network and contains a complete database
of 25,200 addresses available for address search, ciol.com reports.

The map represents 22,878 km of road graph, and a wide variety of 4,266
POIs will be at hand for search of objects, which might be necessary
while moving along the route. The data is represented in Armenian,
English and Russian.

The map additionally includes a 3D-model of the National Gallery of
Armenia, which is the central Museum of Fine Arts of the country and
one of the largest museums within the Commonwealth of Independent
States.

The map of Armenia includes residential and industrial objects and
sites of cities, towns and settlements, highly detailed road network,
including streets and roads and taking into account traffic directions,
interchanges and other important information.

IRAN’S STATEMENT ON GAS SUPPLY UNREALISTIC – EXPERT

18:43 ~U 04.12.13

Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Raiesi told a press conference
on Tuesday that Iran welcomes Armenian-Russian energy projects.

Iran could supply gas to Armenia at a lower price if Armenia wished,
he added.

“I do not think that the statement reflects a real state of affairs.

Russia’s proposal is more realistic,” Garnik Asatrian, Chair of
the Department of Iranian Studies, Yerevan State University (YSU),
told Tert.am.

As to whether the Armenian-Russian deals can affect Armenian-Iranian
relations, Asatrian said that “none of the agreements with Russia
can affect Armenian-Russian relations.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: USING THEATRE TO CONFRONT STEREOTYPICAL PERCEPTIONS OF HISTORY – OPED

Eurasia Review
Dec 4 2013

By TransConflict

December 4, 2013

Using the theatre and theatrical techniques as a mean for creating
a safe space for young participants from societies involved in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict helped breakdown existing stereotypical
perceptions of history.

By Peace Dialogue

Collective memory gives people a sense of belonging. History helps to
explain the world. A shared view of history can motivate people to
take action that changes the future. These were the main massages
that the organizers intended to pass to the participants of the
History-Theatre workshop, held in Tbilisi from 17-24 of November, 2013.

The workshop was the last joint activity in the framework of Peace
Dialogue’s three-year project, Let’s See… Let’s Choose… Let’s
Change.

This year the project’s activities were mainly focused at developing
a critical historical consciousness and understanding among the youth
involved in the project that people themselves are actors in history
and play the most active role in constructing collective historical
memories.

The History-Theatre methodology that was used during the workshop was
developed by the implementing team, based upon Augusto Boal’s Theatre
of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire’s pedagogical concepts and the team’s
experience working with the historical insights of representatives
of conflict-affected societies.

Using the theatre and theatrical techniques as a mean for creating
a safe space for young participants from societies involved in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the trainer, Harald Hahn, and the project’s
German coordinator, Marina Grasse, tried to help the participants to
see and recognize their own role in the history creation processes.

Indeed addition, the organizers intended to break the existing
stereotypical perceptions of history consisting solely of narratives
of heroism and stories of a nations’ victimhood.

“History is subjective. It’s open to different interpretations. Each
country and every generation has to deal with their own past, but this
should not be done by promoting myths or by using politically motivated
interpretations of history to attack opponents,” stated Marina Grasse
during one of the discussions held in framework of the workshop.

“I never thought about the power of the history”, says one of the
participants, Kara. “I realized now that having a concrete aim or
a political agenda, through the compilation and presenting the same
facts in specific order, one can make societies greatest friends or
the worst enemies ever.”

Peace Dialogue are a member of the Global Coalition for
Conflict Transformation from Armenia. Further information
about this project is available by clicking here: