Author: Babajanian Karo

57% OF ARMENIAN RIVERS – VULNERABLE

13:38 March 24, 2015

EcoLur

In the frames of events dedicated to environmental safety “EcoLur”
Press Club hosted a press conference dedicated to water safety.

“Every second person lives in urban area in the planet. Each week 1
million people move to city. 93% of these processes occur in poor and
developing countries, while 30-70% of water losses take place in the
water systems of urban areas because of old communications,” “EcoLur”
Informational NGO President Inga Zarafyan said at the press conference.

She mentioned industry will face global demand in water: water
consumption by industry will increase by 400% from 2000 to 2050.

Industry will, on one hand, use huge amounts of water and, on the
other hand, we will get wide-scale industrial wastes, while their
cleaning is a huge issue both for developing and developed countries.

Though Armenia is considered to be a country ensured with water
resources, but its water resources are vulnerable in the viewpoint
of water safety. Inga Zarafyan outlined that according to the data
provided by “Environmental Impact Monitoring Center” of Nature
Protection Minister, 19% of the rivers in Armenia is in poor state,
7% – insufficient, only 1% in good state, and 42% simply in good state.

Under the speaker, this 42% is rather vulnerable, which means that
over half of the rivers in Armenia, 57%, are vulnerable.

River pollution is carried out mainly in two directions – household
wastewaters and industrial wastes.

Water pollution with industrial wastes is clearly obvious with the
appearance on such hazardous chemical elements as chromium, zinc,
cadmium, copper and molybdenum. Karchevan River has fifth category
because of Agarak copper and molybdenum combine wastewater, Akhtala
River – because of Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine wastewater, Voghji
River – Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum Combine and Kapan Ore Dressing
Combine wastewaters, Shnigh River – because of Teghout copper and
molybdenum production.

The material is prepared by ‘EcoLur’ Informational NGO under UNDP
Climate Change Program, within the framework of ARM-002/2015 Contract.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including
UNDP, or the UN Member States.

RUSSIA INTERESTED IN LATIN AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS’ INTEGRATION INTO EEU: LAVROV

14:37, 25 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Russia is interested in Latin American associations’ integration into
the Eurasian Economic Union (EU), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov said on Wednesday, TASS reports.

“We welcome Columbia’s active role in promoting integration processes
in the region, including in the framework of CELAC [Community
of Latin American and Caribbean States], UNASUR [Union of South
American Nations], Pacific Alliance [Latin American trade bloc],
Mercosur [sub-regional bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay,
Uruguay and Venezuela]. Russia is interested in deepening its ties
with these structures both on bilateral basis and in the framework
of EEU,” Lavrov told journalists after a meeting with his Colombian
counterpart Maria Angela Hualgin.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an economic and political bloc bringing
together Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, with Kyrgyzstan to
join in May 2015.

The treaty to form EEU went into full effect on January 1, 2015. The
population of the union is about 171 million people and its gross
domestic product is expected to reach $3 trillion next year.

BAKU TRYING TO USE ARMENIAN CAPTIVES FOR ITS PROPAGANDA – EXPERT

YEREVAN, March 25. /ARKA/. Baku is trying to profit from discussions
on Armenian citizens found in the territory of Azerbaijan, and is
interested in replication of its propaganda in Armenian mass media,
political analyst Mikael Yalanuzyan said in commenting the recent
incident with the Karabakh serviceman.

A contract serviceman of Karabakh army of defense, 24-year old Andranik
Grigoryan left his weapon, deserted and crossed into Azerbaijan at
about 13:50 on Sunday March 22, the press office of Nagorno-Karabakh
ministry of defense reported. Azerbaijani mass media disseminated a
video of Grigoryan on Monday.

During the last years, whenever an Armenian soldier or civilian
was found in the territory of Azerbaijan, irrespective of the
circumstances, Baku’s aim was to manipulate and use it for propaganda
purposes, Yalanuzyan said, as cited by Novosti-Armenia.

The analyst said Baku is also interested in having its propaganda
replicated by Armenian mass media as much as possible because it
targets the Armenian audience.

Hence, the expert said, the mass media should behave in a more reserved
way and be guided only by facts.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the
collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly
Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from
Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by succeeding
referendum. A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no
permanent peace agreement has been signed.

Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been
under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh
is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued
to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with
snipers causing tens of deaths a year. -0–

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION NOT READY TO EMBRACE ARMENIA INTO ITS SINGLE CURRENCY UNION- EXPERT SAYS

23.03.2015 18:18

YEREVAN, March 23. / ARKA /. A Russian economist Alexander Knobel told
a video news conference today that Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus,
the three members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) are not ready
yet to embrace Armenia, the fourth member, in a single currency union
they plan to create.

Last Friday Putin said during a meeting with presidents of Belarus
and Kazakhstan that time has come to start thinking about forming a
currency union, but gave no details of the proposal suggesting it would
be easier to meet economic challenges by working closely together.

Earlier, on March 10, Putin ordered the Central Bank of Russia and
the Russian government to work in conjunction with the national banks
of the EEU member states to determine by September 1 “the further
directions of integration in the currency and financial spheres”. He
also said that “the feasibility of establishing a monetary union
within the framework of the EEU in the long term should be considered.”

The EEU was founded and launched by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
on January 1. Armenia joined the post-Soviet economic grouping on
January 2. Kyrgyzstan is expected to join the bloc later this year

“Armenia is a new member of the EEU. This is why Russia is discussing
the issue only with Belarus and Kazakhstan, which have already
established some cooperation with it,” said Knobel.

According to Knobel, differences between EEU member states are still
significant. This is why before moving ahead EEU should have a clear
idea of the level of monetization of its member economies, otherwise
problems may arise, which larger countries will have to resolve by
using their resources.

“Some processes within the EEU declaratively are ahead of its essence;
the stronger political processes within it become, the more resources
one of its members, presumably Russia, will have to spend,’ said
Knobel.

He said the integration within EEU is being hindered today only by
the political will of the bloc’s leaders, which is a problem that
must be solved by directing cooperation towards a more practical and
economic mainstream. -0-

168 HOURS: NAIRIT TO PUT UP EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

11:50 24/03/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

Nairit plant plans to put up for sale not only equipment for production
of acetic acid, but also equipment for production of rubber, 168
Hours reports.

In the future, when the plant will be relaunched, it need this
equipment, but now, the newspaper’s sources say, the equipment will
be put up for sale on the pretext of paying the wage arrears.

“Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan gave
assurances that only the equipment unfit for use in the main production
process will be sold. Now, if the equipment for rubber production is
also sold, it will mean that the promises to reoperate Nairit will
not come true,” the newspaper notes.

Source: Panorama.am

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES HAVE 19 APPLICATIONS AGAINST AZERBAIJAN PENDING WITH EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

15:05 24/03/2015 >> SOCIETY

Religious intolerance is escalating in Azerbaijan as law-enforcement
authorities impose heavy fines on Jehovah’s Witnesses and imprison
them. Authorities are criminally prosecuting the Witnesses for meeting
together for worship and for talking to others about their beliefs,
the site Jehovah’s Witnesses reports.

According to the article, police investigator criminally charged two
of Jehovah’s Witnesses — Irina Zakharchenko, a partially disabled
55-year-old widow, and 38-year-old Valida Jabrayilova, who is the
primary caregiver for her mother — with distributing Bible literature
without “appropriate permission.” ôhe charge brought against the
women was for a crime committed as an organized group, which carries
a stiff fine, ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 manats (USD 6,675 to 8,583)
or two to five years’ imprisonment. ïn February 17, 2015 the Sabail
District Court in Baku placed the women in pretrial detention out of
the concern that the women were likely to commit the act again and to
“escape and hide from investigation.”

As the article has it, the attorney for the women appealed the
decision. In the hearing in Baku Appeal Court neither the prosecutor
nor the MNS (Ministry of National Security) investigator presented
any evidence supporting the need for pretrial detention. Nonetheless,
the court denied the appeals, and Ms. Zakharchenko and Ms. Jabrayilova
were returned to the jail.

On March 6, 2015, two groups from the MNS obtained court orders
and searched the homes of Ms. Zakharchenko and Ms. Jabrayilova,
confiscating their religious literature, personal notebooks,
a computer, and a mobile phone. On March 10, 2015, the MNS,
the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations, and the
police presented court orders to search Jehovah’s Witnesses’ house of
worship. Also, the MNS has summoned a number of Witnesses in Baku for
interrogation in this case. Ms. Zakharchenko and Ms. Jabrayilova have
prepared a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur and Arbitrary Detention
Group requesting intervention. A local lawyer is preparing a motion
in trial court to substitute pretrial detention with house arrest.

It is also reported in the article that in Ganja, authorities
have imposed fines of 1500-2000 manats (USD 1430-1910) on those
attending religious meetings of the Witnesses and have detained some
in jail. In October 2014, courts in Ganja jailed three Witnesses and
a man attending their religious services for nonpayment of fines
imposed upon them for meeting for worship. Though they had made
partial payments, authorities jailed them from 3 to 20 days.

“To me, 1,500 manats (USD 1,430) is a lot of money. . . . My initial
reaction was not to pay the fine because I consider myself innocent,”
the man worshipping with the Witnesses said. Two Witness men also felt
that their punishment was unjust and reported that the authorities
treated them like criminals. The third Witness who was jailed, a woman,
added that no one took into consideration that her family had a very
hard financial situation, that she provided care for her disabled
mother, and that she voluntarily began paying the fine. The four
have completed their jail sentences, but the court still demands full
payment of the fines, otherwise it may again order their detention.

It is highlighted in the article that officials in Azerbaijan have been
using various methods to obstruct the religious activity of Jehovah’s
Witnesses. Currently, Jehovah’s Witnesses have 19 applications against
Azerbaijan pending with the European Court of Human Rights.

Related:

In Azerbaijan, Jehovah’s Witnesses can face up to five years in prison
for distributing religious literature

While “Jehovah’s Witnesses” were meeting Azerbaijani officials,
their supporters were arrested

EurasiaNet: Jehovah’s Witnesses just like Islamist radicals are
persecuted in Azerbaijan

THRILLER ‘1915’ TO HIT THEATERS & VOD THIS APRIL

Broadway World
March 23 2015

March 23

The thriller “1915” which will be hitting theaters April 17th and VOD
April 22nd. Timed to the 100th anniversary of the event that ravaged
the Armenian population, “1915” is set against the forgotten genocide
of 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey 100 years ago.

“1915” centers on a mysterious theater director (Simon Abkarian)
who stages a play at the Los Angeles Theatre to honor the victims of
that tragedy – a horrifying crime forgotten and denied for an entire
century. But as protesters surround his theatre, and a series of
strange accidents spread panic among his producer (Jim Piddock) and
actors (Angela Sarafyan, Sam Page, Nikolai Kinski), the director’s
mission is more controversial than original realized and the ghosts
of THE PAST are everywhere.

“1915” is directed by Armenians Garin Hovannisian (author of Family
of Shadows) and Alec Mouhibian, and features a who’s who of Armenian
cast and crew, including executive producer Raffi K. Hovannisian
(Armenia’s first foreign minister), Grammy Award winning composer
Serj Tankian (from System of a Down, currently on a tour dedicated to
the Genocide), and actors Simon Abkarian (Casino Royale) and Angela
Sarafyan (Twilight). The filmmakers will also join tens of thousands
of Armenians to participate in a march for justice on April 24th
in Los Angeles to bring attention to the first genocide of modern
history – which has been denied by the government of Turkey for an
entire century.

Official Website: Facebook:
Twitter:

Synopsis:

Exactly 100 years after the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey,
a mysterious director (Simon Abkarian) is staging a play at the Los
Angeles Theatre to honor the victims of that tragedy – a horrifying
crime forgotten and denied for an entire century. But as protesters
surround his theatre, and a series of strange accidents spread panic
among his producer (Jim Piddock) and actors (Angela Sarafyan, Sam Page,
Nikolai Kinski), it appears that the director’s mission is profoundly
dangerous, and the ghosts of THE PAST are everywhere.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

On April 24, 1915, in Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of
the Ottoman Turkish Empire, hundreds of Armenian community leaders,
clergymen, and intellectuals were rounded up and slaughtered in the
night. During the summer of 1915, under cover of world war, Turkish
soldiers escorted millions of unarmed civilian Armenians out of
the towns and villages in which they had been living for thousands
of years. The systematic deportation and slaughter of the Armenian
people was accomplished. The word “genocide” did not yet exist.

International news accounts, photographs, and official government
archives undeniably confirmed what then US Ambassador to Turkey, Henry
Morgenthau, witnessed and called a “campaign of race extermination.”

Legal scholar Raphael Lemkin coined the word “genocide” and himself
applied it to the Armenian case. The government of Turkey began
its century-long denial of the Armenian Genocide, but the survivors
and their descendants across the world countered with a quest for
recognition, restitution, and justice.

In September 1992, Armenia’s foreign minister Raffi K. Hovannisian
(also the Executive Producer of “1915” and father of the film’s
director Garin Hovannisian), defied the Genocide taboo and called the
“Armenian Genocide” by name at a Council of Europe summit in Istanbul.

In June 2005, the Turkish government enacted Article 301, which made
it a crime to “insult Turkishness,” which included discussing the
Armenian Genocide. Turkey’s own Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk, Armenian
intellectual-journalist Hrant Dink, and others were prosecuted for
this crime. In 2007, Dink was murdered in broad daylight in front of
his newspaper offices in Istanbul.

The Armenian Genocide remains one of the most important unresolved
global socio-political issues in world history and it will become
even more important in the months surrounding its 100th anniversary
on April 24, 2015. “1915” is about the danger of denial, not just
of historical events, but also of the uncomfortable truths hidden in
our own private pasts.

KARABAKH WAR VETERAN: CONFLICT SETTLEMENT REACHES IMPASSE

KARABAKH | 23.03.15 | 16:08

Alina Nikoghosyan
ArmeniaNow intern

Border tensions persist because the Karabakhi conflict settlement
has reached an impasse, with the Armenians not going to cede lands to
Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan not going to give up its claims, Crusaders
squad founding member Shahe Atchemyan, 52, said on Monday, adding
that in this case “a war is inevitable”.

A new upsurge of violence in the Karabakh conflict zone occurred last
week after the latest raid by Azerbaijani commandos against Armenian
positions that left three Armenian soldiers killed and four wounded.

The Azerbaijani side suffered losses as well.

“The Karabakh conflict settlement has come to a dead-end – negotiations
are unnecessary. Neither Azerbaijan agrees to a compromise, nor
Armenians, when nobody compromises Azerbaijan tries to apply any sort
of action to make trouble,” Atchemyan told reporters Monday.

According to the veteran, the assumptions that the Armenian side is
weak because they have regular victims are not right, because if it
were weak it would have 33 victims, instead of 3.

“If only the veterans could and the youngsters knew. However
inexperienced they are, there are experienced officers standing by
them, the officers run ahead right next to ordinary soldiers. We,
the veterans, are ready to die in a large-scale war, just to save
those young,” he said, addressing concerns that untrained youths are
taken to protect the borders.

The health condition of one of the four injured soldiers, meanwhile,
remains critical, the health of the other three is said to be stable.

Besides, on Sunday the Karabakh Defense Army said that on March 22
Andranik Grigoryan, a serviceman from an unidentified military base,
for yet unclear reasons left his arms and ammunition at the military
post and crossed the front line, appearing on the opponent’s side. A
criminal case was filed, and in another military base serviceman,
sergeant Hayk Margaryan died suddenly. A forensic examination has
been appointed.

MARCO MUELLER READS THE TESTIMONY OF GOHAR SARIAN

March 24, 2015 10:58
EXCLUSIVE

Marco Mueller

Photo: REUTERS

Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide
Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors
published by the National Archive of Armenia.

Marco Mueller is a film producer. He was Artistic Director of the
Rotterdam International Film Festival, Locarno International Film
Festival, Venice International Film Festival (Mostra Internazionale
d’Arte Cinematografica). Marco Mueller has been awarded a number
of prizes for his contribution to the film industry. In February
2015 Marco Mueller has been appointed chief adviser to the Beijing
Film Festival.

For 100 seconds project Marco Mueller reads an extract from Armenian
Genocide survivor Gohar Sarian’s testimony.

National Archives of Armenia Collection of Documents

Testimony of Survivor Gohar Sarian on the Massacres of Trabzon
(extract)

[1916] Tiflis

Many women and girls took poison when the policeman came to their
houses to deport them.

Khachik Aslanian threw himself out of the window and died. Karapet
Mnatsakanian killed himself with a knife. The wife of an Armenian man,
a Bulgarian by origin, cut her neck with a razor. The father of Gurgen
Sargisian set his house alight and burned it, but died under the heels
of the policemen. Gurgen himself was hiding in our house and after 15
days came out in woman’s dress but fell into the hands of the police.

Sedrak from Sheyran hid in the ceiling of the house for a month but
was then revealed and surrounded by the policemen. He fought for an
hour but was killed wounding a policeman.

Producer: Ara Tadevosyan Filming: Lena Gevorgyan, Mariam Loretsyan
Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Gohar Sarian’s testimony: National Archives of Armenia,
Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of survivors,
Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.

39 IT TEAMS PARTICIPATE IN DEAL GENERATION MATCHING GRANTS COMPETITION

13:49 * 23.03.15

Thirty-nine IT teams and companies from Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor
will present their business ideas and innovative solutions to win a
Deal Generation Matching Grants Competition.

The event has been organized by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation
(EIF) in the framework of E-Society and Innovation for Competitiveness
(EIC) Project and with the sponsorship of Armenia’s Ministry of
Economy and the World Bank.

EIF Director Bagrat Yeghiazaryan made an opening speech, calling for
participation in the competition. He thanked the teams presenting
their projects.

Competition is intended to provide series of grants to support new
product, service or process adaptation, improvement and/or development,
which would stimulate the rate of technology absorption, technology
transfer, innovation and commercialization in the private sector.

Minimum amount of grant per initiative is 10.000 USD, maximum amount –
50.000 USD.

Innovation Matching Grants

This grant provides funding for maximum 50% of expenditures estimated
by the applicant for development and sales of new product/service
meeting the objectives of the project. Maximum duration of presented
project is 1 year.

Gyumri and Vanadzor Matching Grants

This grant provides funding for maximum 85% of expenditures estimated
by the applicant for development and sales of new product/service
meeting the objectives of the project. Maximum duration of presented
project is 1 year.

Yerevan teams have presented their projects today, and participants
from Gyumri and Vanadzor will do it on Tuesday.