Author: Babajanian Karo

JAVAKHK: A TEST FOR GEORGIAN DEMOCRACY

Monday, June 24th, 2013

The old Armenian University in Akhalkalak

BY VARANT MEGUERDITCHIAN

The victory of opposition Georgian Dream Party leader Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili at the October 2012 Georgian Parliamentary
elections demonstrated the public’s overwhelming rejection of the
decade-long domination of Georgian politics by President Mikeil
Saakashvili and his United National Movement Party.

In the preceding two years constitutional amendments were enacted that
would gradually shift Georgian political power from the President
to the Prime Minister. This ensured that the period of transition
in which Georgia finds itself today is marked by a power struggle
between the Presidency of Saakashvili and the Prime Ministership of
Ivanishvili. Georgia’s numerous native ethnic minorities have been
impacted by this power struggle and the Armenians of Javakhk are
no different.

With him, Ivanishvili brought hope for reform and was warmly welcomed
by the Armenians of Javakhk. Just months later that hope turned to
promise, when in January 2013, during a visit to Armenia Ivanishvili
declared that the “ball is now in my court” to fulfil the election
promises and address the requests of the Javakhk Armenians which were
largely ignored during the dominance of the Saakashvili leadership.

Now, nine months on from his election victory what have these hopes
and promises meant, on the ground, for the Armenians of Javakhk?

Varant Meguerditchian

The release of activists Vahan Chakhalyan and Artur Poghosyan
demonstrated both Ivanishvili’s power to make decisions and his intent
to bring about change. Both activists had been vocal but peaceful
advocates of the rights of Javakhk Armenians and had been arrested on
dubious charges. Ivanishvili also removed a number of Saakashvili’s
personnel from key Javakhk regional government positions replacing
them with his own.

Beyond these actions, Ivanishvili has also made a series of promises to
be implemented in the future. These have included the promise to fund a
historical commission to determine the origins of churches in Javakhk
and, more broadly, in Georgia, the ownership of which is disputed by
the Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Church authorities. There
are promises also for improvements in the sphere of education for
the Armenians of Javakhk. Additional hours for teaching the Armenian
language, the addition of Armenian history into the school curriculum
and granting approval for the opening of a new Armenian University
campus in Georgia are just some of the initiatives around which there
is now serious speculation and hope. A review is underway to address
the unfair dismissal of Armenian teachers from schools in the Javakhk
region for their perceived inability or unwillingness to accept the
changes to Armenian schooling implemented by Saakashvili. There is
even talk of compensation for those affected.

The mood that has been created by the leadership of Ivanishvili
has given the Javakhk Armenians some necessary reprieve. Today,
the Armenians of Javakhk are unafraid of ‘offending’ the Georgian
government, and they more liberally exercise the freedoms of assembly
and expression. So much so that based on the various European
minority rights charters – including the Framework Convention for
the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for
Regional or Minority Languages – the Akhalkalak Regional Council (ARC)
resolved to apply to the Georgian government for the Armenian language
to be granted the status of an official regional language in Javakhk.

But the Armenians of Javakhk remain cautious. The power struggle
between Saakashvili and Ivanishvili has thus far made the ARC reluctant
to formally apply for Armenian language rights.

Saakashvili’s refusal to acknowledge the needs of ethnic minorities
still has some influence over political decision-making in Georgia –
even if only to prevent further Armenian requests being fulfilled by
Ivanishvili. Aside from the promises for improvement to education
and religious rights, the situation largely remains the same. For
example, Armenians who voice the concerns of the Javakhk population
are still briefly interviewed at the Georgia-Armenia border upon
entry to Georgia.

There is some hope that at the upcoming Georgian Presidential elections
in October Giorgi Margvelashvili of Ivanishvili’s Georgia Dream
coalition will defeat Saakashvili’s United National Movement. If so,
Ivanishvili will be well-placed to implement some of these pledges for
reform. Margvelashvili is the current Georgian Education Minister in
Ivanishvili’s cabinet under whom many of the promises for improving
the educational rights of Javakhk Armenians have been made.

According to the Global Democracy Ranking Index Georgia is ranked as
the 58th most democratic nation in the world. While Georgia’s democracy
ranking is well above that of its Caucasus neighbours Armenia (89th)
and Azerbaijan (unranked) due to its efforts to reduce corruption,
Georgia has yet to prove its genuine democratic credentials. Given
the ethno-linguistic make-up of the Georgian state, with its Svan,
Mskhetian, Mingrelian, Laz, Ossetian, Adjarian, Abkhaz, Armenian and
other minority populations, one of the greatest measures of Georgian
democracy will be its treatment of ethnic minorities.

Time will tell whether there will be genuine reform or whether the
Armenians of Javakhk are just a pawn in the power struggle between
Saakashvili and Ivanishvili. The outcome of the Georgian Presidential
elections in October 2013, and the ensuing policies of whichever
political force assumes power thereafter, will be a major determining
factor of the immediate fate of the Armenians of Javakhk.

Varant Meguerditchian is the former Executive Director and President of
the Armenian National Committee of Australia. He currently works as a
government relations professional in Sydney. He holds undergraduate
and graduate degrees in politics and business administration and
is currently completing his second Master’s degree in International
Relations.

18 THEATRES TO TAKE PART IN “DUET” THEATRICAL FESTIVAL IN GYUMRI

20:57, 24 June, 2013

GYUMRI, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS: In support of Ministry of Culture of
Armenia Gyumri Dramatic theatre after Vardan Achemyan will hold “Duet”
international theatrical festival. The president of the festival is
professor Nikolay Tsaturyan.About the festival spoke several theatrical
figures during the press conference on June 24.

“As the festival is held in framework of program “Gyumri cultural
capital of CIS 2013” the major part of the financing will be provided
by the CIS inter-state humanitarian cooperation foundation and the
other part from Armenian Government.

“The entry to the festival will be with invitations and tickets will
be sold which will cost symbolic 1000 – 1500 AMD,” informed producer
of the theatre Tigran Virabyan.

Among the events there is also performance in a format French or 16+.

This festival is different from the others. For foreign guests will
be organized visits to the sights,” informed Virabyan.

In the festival are included only those theatre and theatrical groups
which present a play of two acting people. 18 theatres will take
part in the festival. 12 of them are from Armenia, the others are
from Russia, France, Ukraine and Georgia. The number of theatres
which wished to take part in the festival was greater but taking
into consideration the format and abilities of the festival only 18
of them were selected.

There are days when 4 plays are planned to be performed. The plays
will be performed in Dramatic theatre of Gyumri and academy of art.

Among the participants are Moscow dramatic theatre headed by Armen
Dzhigarkhanyan, Armenian state dramtic theatre after Petros Adamyan
in Tbilisi and several theatres from Armenia.

The opening ceremony of “Duet” international theatrical festival will
take place on July 1 with performance “Life in pink light” of Moscow
dramatic theatre headed by Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. The closing ceremony
will take place on July 8.

ROBERT HOVHANNISYAN WON THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT AFTER KAREN ASRYAN

19:09, 24 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS: Grandmaster Robert Hovhannisyan became
the winner of the tournament after Karen Asryan.

“Armenpress” was informed from Armenian chess federation that Robert
Hovhannisyan gaining 7.5 points from 9 possible became the winner
of the tournament. 2-3 positions shared with each other Samvel
Ter-Sahakyan and Hovhannes Gabuzyan.

In the tournament after Karen Asryan took part 55 grandmasters from
Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Georgia, Israel, Brazil and other
countries. This tournament is held since 2008 in memory of one of
the best Armenian chess palyers Karen Asryan who died at the age of 28.

He won the Armenian Chess Championship in 1999, 2007, and 2008, and
the Dubai 2001 and Tigran Petrosian Memorial (2004) tournaments. In
2006, Asrian won the Chess Olympiad in Turin, playing third board on
the Armenian team. Asrian had a solid playing style, refusing to take
much risk, and this combined with good endgame technique has made him
an excellent team player. On 9 June 2008 the Armenian Chess Federation
said Asrian had died of a suspected heart attack while driving.

Robert Hovhannisyan won the 71st Armenian Chess Championship in 2011
and was a member of the gold-medal winning Armenian team at the World
Team Chess Championship in Ningbo2011. In August 2011 he came second
in the World Junior Chess Championship in Chennai. In January 2012
he took second place in the 72nd Armenian Chess Championship.

PUBLIC ORGANIZATION: UNEXPOSED CASE OF MILITARY DOCTOR VAHE AVETYAN’S DEATH – DEATH OF EVERY ARMENIAN

Monday, June 24, 15:51

Unexposed case of military doctor Vahe Avetyan’s death – death of every
Armenian, says the Armenian Revival Organization’s German branch in
a statement disseminated, Monday.

On September 24 2001 Poghos Poghosyan was killed at the Cafe Poplavok
in Yerevan after being severely beaten up by then president Robert
Kocharyan’s bodyguards. Witnesses say Poghosyan was beaten up for
‘improperly’ greeting the president. Although Poghosyan was severely
beaten up by several men, only one of them, Aghamal Haroutiunyan,
received conditional sentence – 1.5 year in prison for ‘reckless
homicide’.

On June 29 2012 Vahe Avetyan (Armenian military doctor, Major of the
Armenian Armed Forces Medical Service) died at hospital while in come.

He sank into a coma after a quarrel at Harsnakar Restaurant, which
belonged to then MP Ruben Hayrapetyan. The trial is continued.

On April 2 2013, Hrach Muradyan, head of Proshyan villag,e Kotayk
region, Armenia, was killed in front of the Village Administration.

Preliminary investigation is still underway.

On June 1 2013 Avetik Budaghyan, former candidate for Goris Mayor,
brother of Colonel Artak Budaghyan, was killed by the son of Suren
Khachatryan (then governor of Syunik region, nickname Litska). The
trial is continued. All those deaths are deaths of everyone, the
Organization says.

The authors of the statement say that the persons behind those
incidents are not among the accused ones. The Organization calls
for stopping the outrage and impunity in the country in order those
people realize that they will not avoid the people’s law, justice,
and punishment. “They will know that the entire nation throughout
the world and in Germany supports those people ,” the statement reads.

TURKISH DEMONSTRATORS IN GERMANY DEMAND WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PART FROM GERMAN TEXT-BOOKS

17:44 ~U 24.06.13

Turks have gathered in German Dusseldorf demanding withdrawal of
‘In 1915 Turks committed genocide against Armenians’ formulation from
history text-books.

According to Time Turk about 8 thousand signatures have been gathered
in favor of it.

They have organized a rally in Dusseldorf trying to draw the attention
on the gathered signatures.

One of the participants of the rally Ali Soilenmezoglu stated they
demand the both parties to study the topic and give their response,
otherwise they will continue the rallies.

Armenian News – Tert.am

SEVEN DEADLY SINS FOR CRIMINAL OLIGARCHY

Ruben Vardanyan, a Russia-based Armenian businessman, has set
up a charitable foundation in Armenia and declared the seven
principles underlying charity: a long-term vision and plan spanning
several decades; scale and symbolic importance; collegiality and
internationality; multiplier effect (infrastructure, social, cultural);
local community involvement; gradual operational self-sufficiency;
meeting high international standards and creating a new benchmark
locally.

These principles have the adverse reflection in the activities of
the Armenia-based capital. The criminal and oligarchic system will
perceive the principles declared by Ruben Vardanyan as sins.

These principles are not only alien but also dangerous for the
Armenian criminal and oligarchic capital. These principles can change
the culture of charity and have a multiplier effect of changing public
consciousness, mentality and self-esteem. The seven principles declared
by Vardanyan will retrieve the society from the status of a beggar,
the psychology of a beggar will be replaced by participation and a
sense of ownership.

This effect will take years but we must start with something to
produce this effect.

In a recent interview with the Dozhd TV channel Ruben Vardanyan
described governance of Armenia as one based on clans.

Investments and charity strike the clans and governance of clans
because such governance is possible when there is legitimacy. The
consciousness and mentality of the majority legitimized the clan-based
governance.

The clans have divided among themselves not only economic quotas but
also charity. Each of them has their beneficiaries. The beneficiaries
hardly ever mix or they mix in an environment of squabbles among clans.

Clan-based governance determines the nature of charity. It does not
plan for long terms, does not go for competition, international scope.

Charity is spontaneous actions without systemic and institutional
prospects.

The seven principles declared by Ruben Vardanyan will be deadly
sins to the criminal and oligarchic clans though it should not be
ruled out that one of them will perceive the seven principles as an
opportunity to repent before the society, invest their capital in
public development and thereby seek for protection and development of
their capital. So far the criminal oligarchy has enjoyed its success
without the population. In addition, it built its success on public
mischief.

Meanwhile, the society is changing not only in the world but all over
the world, putting forth new claims to elites. Changes in the world
are inevitable and unstoppable. The problem is speed. Unfortunately
for the criminal and oligarchic groups Armenia has a little more
importance on the world map than the oligarchy thinks.

Hakob Badalyan 17:32 24/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

AMERICAN ARMENIAN SAMUEL SEVIAN BECAME SECOND PRIZE HOLDER OF SAINT LOUIS TOURNAMENT

15:33, 25 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS: The 12-year-old Armenian chess player
FIDE Master Samuel Sevian became the second prize holder of the
U20 championship. As Armenpress was reported by the Armenian Chess
Federation, at the tournament that was held in Saint Louis he scored
6 points out of 9 and was only half a point behind the champion –
International Master Daniel Naroditsky, who got 6,5 points.

Samuel Sevian is one of the most promising chess play ers of the
United States of America. He has become the winner and prizeholder
of different international tournaments.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN MILITARY AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION ENTERS NEW LEVEL, PATRUSHEV SAYS

YEREVAN, June 25./ARKA/. Military and technical cooperation between
Russia and Armenia steps up to a new level, Russia’s Security Council
Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Tuesday.

“Russia and Armenia have strategic relations, and this is the highest
level of partnership,” Patrushev said as he signed a number of
bilateral documents.

“We have a task to ensure an active and efficient cooperation of those
divisions which are set to maintain security. For this, we need an
appropriate normative and legal base. And we are actually busy with
that. I think all these measures just confirm our willingness to make
our cooperation more efficient,” Novosti-Armenia quoted him as saying.

Patrushev has also noted the Armenian and Russian security divisions
have a planned agenda which ends in 2013.

“We have already instructed the responsible units to outline the
next planned agenda for 2014-2015 and include there all mutually
interesting issues,” he said.

On his side, Artur Baghdasaryan, Armenian National Security Council
Secretary, thanked his Russian counterpart for the support and
understanding.

“We have developed a very interesting course for cooperation and
actually showed some definite results. We have signed five different
agreements today, and I think it gives us stronger legal base for
further cooperation,” he said.

During his visit to Armenia, Patrushev signed a number of bilateral
documents. Particularly, Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan
and Director of Military and Technical Cooperation Federal Service
Aleksandr Fomin signed Agreement on military and technical cooperation.

Rosgranitsa (the Federal Agency for the Development of the State Border
Facilities of the Russian Federation) and Armenian National Security
Council have reached Agreement on collaboration and information
exchange related to improving infrastructure of the state borders
and check points.

The secretaries of security councils of the both countries
signed a protocol. The agreements related to space and
seismology have been also reached. -0- – See more at:

ROBERT KOCHARYAN’S SPOKESPERSON REFUTES REPORTS ON COOPERATION WITH ARISTOTLE

ARMINFO
Tuesday, June 25, 12:46

Robert Kocharyan’s spokesperson Victor Soghomonyan has refuted the
reports about cooperation of the second president’s office and
Aristotle lobbying group, USA.

“It does not correspond to reality,” Soghomonyan told ArmInfo.

Earlier today, a Yerevan-based Zhamanak Daily reported that second
president Robert Kocharyan’s office decided to establish cooperation
with Aristotle. The paper writes that the organization is mainly
engaged in grassroots consulting in the US state and political circles
in favor of a foreign political figure. John Evans, former ambassador
of USA to Armenia, will be coordinating the work with the
organization. The source reports that the former U.S. diplomat hopes
for cooperation with the U.S. Office of the Hay Dat Bureau and the
Armenian Assembly of America.

DOMESTIC PROBLEMS OF ALEPPO ARMENIANS RECENTLY AGGRAVATED

12:21, 25 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS: Different domestic problems of the
Aleppo Armenians have become more aggravated because of the collisions
taking place near the Armenian districts during the latest period. This
was stated by the Editor of the Azad-Hye Middle East Armenian Portal
Hrach Kalsahakian during the talk with Armenpress. He added as well
that the hot days in Aleppo might make the life of the people living
there more unbearable.

Hrach Kalsahakian noted that the war situation in Syria will be
continued, as the sides are not ready to hold negotiations. It is
worth mentioning that the sides do not consider each other to be
full-pledged members for the negotiations.

Concerning the problems of the Syrian Armenians, the Editor of the
Azad-Hye Middle East Armenian Portal stated that the number of the
local Armenians has decreased from 40,000 to 25,000, who try to
organize their self-defense by themselves.

The Armenian side officially preserves the neutral position in the
Syrian events.

By the UN data, during the two-year bloodshed in Syria by 2013 about
100 thousands of people have fallen victims. Currently 4,5 million
people live in Syria and 1,5 million – in the neighboring countries.

Several tens of Armenians have been killed in the result of the
collisions.

Notwithstanding that difficult situation, many Syrian Armenians
continue leaving in Syria.