Author: Babajanian Karo

Belorusskiy Partizan, Belarus
June 21 2013

Belarus denies president’s unflattering statement on Azeri rebel region

Lukashenka in the middle of a scandal again: the Foreign Ministry has to lie

In an interview to the [Russian-language website] “Izvestiya v
Ukraine” [Belarusian President Alyaksandr] Lukashenka has said many
interesting things, including his opinion about the situation in
Nagornyy Karabakh [Azerbaijan’s breakaway region that went under
Armenian control in the war in 1990s], when he said that there was no
normal life there, which the Armenian authorities did not like at all.

The situation looked awkward as the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, while
giving excuses for Lukashenka, stated that Lukashenka did not give any
interview to Isvestiya v Ukraine. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister
Shavarsh Kocharyan told the Novosti-Armenia [news] agency about it.

The talk is about Lukashenka’s words about the situation in Nagornyy
Karabakh: “What is Nagornyy Karabakh, how do people live there and
where do they work? There is no normal life there,” Lukashenka said,
when answering a journalist’s question about how Belarus would assist
in resolving conflicts in former hot spots during its CIS presidency.

Armenia, where Lukashenka has just been on an official visit ahead of
his Ukrainian trip, reacted quickly. The Armenian Foreign Ministry
sent the Belarusian Foreign Ministry a note where it said that
Lukashenka’s statement about Nagornyy Karabakh as an “unacceptable
wording”.

The reply of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry satisfied Yerevan, but
other issues were raised in connection to this reply.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said that
“according to the information received from the Belarusian Foreign
Ministry, Lukashenka did not make any statements with such wording.
Moreover, during the official visit to Ukraine, Lukashenka did not
give any interview to the Isvestiya v Ukraine publication”.

Judging by this, it looks like a serious Ukrainian publication
published an interview that actually had not taken place.

Interestingly, it was in that interview that Lukashenka spoke about
his elder son’s presidential ambitions.

[Translated from Russian]

Pipoyan: Unfounded increase in prices occurs in Armenia

Following the gas price hike, the prices of other goods have begun to
go up, regardless of whether their production is related to gas or
not, Chairman of Well-Informed and Protected Consumer NGO Babken
Pipoyan said at a meeting with reporters today.

In his words, the increase in prices is unfounded. `If a
manufacturer’s expenses grow by 1%, then the price of the product
increases by 5-10% in the market, `he noted.

B. Pipoyan blamed the recent increase in prices of dairy products on
manufacturers and the competent state bodies that don’t keep the
situation under control.

20.06.2013, 15:32

National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev to visit Armenia

16:58, 22 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS: By the invitation of the Secretary of
the National Security Council of the Republic of
Armenia Arthur Baghdasaryan, on June 23-25 the delegation headed by
the National Security Council Secretary of the Russian
Federation Nikolai Patrushev will visit Armenia.

As reported by Armenpress, the meetings of the National Security
Council Secretary of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev with
the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the
Secretary of the National Security Council of the Republic of
Armenia Arthur Baghdasaryan are intended. In the framework of the
visit different documents will be signed.

Arthur Baghdasaryan and Nikolai Patrushev will visit the 102nd Russian
military base in Gyumri, the Byurakan Observatory and the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.

On the results of the visit a protocol will be signed.

Police find two grenades at downtown Yerevan underpass

June 22, 2013 | 13:25

YEREVAN. – An anonymous person called Armenia’s Police, on Friday at
5:30pm, and informed that he left weapons and ammunition at a capital
city Yerevan underpass.

The operative team that was dispatched to the scene found two hand
grenades with a fuse, a rifle case, three bullet chains, and 153
different-caliber bullets, the Police press service informs.

The discovered weapons and ammunition are sent for examination.

An investigation is launched.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

The Diagnosis of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations in One Interview

10:28 22/06/2013 » COMMENTS

By Armen Minasyan

Lately with the support of research centre Region an on-line interview
with Azerbaijani political scientist Arastun Orujlu has been
conducted. Given the limited nature of communications, such interviews
allow us to learn the standpoint of the opposite side on certain
issues. Also, in some cases through this dialogue it becomes possible
to get an idea about the positions of the conflicting parties while
regarding the speaker, who reflects certain attitudes, as a relevant
indicator. Arastun Orujlu’s case is one of such cases. Moreover, in
his case only one question is enough for making conclusions.

As a reporter from Panorama I had asked Mr. Orujlu the following
question: `Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov, who had murdered an
Armenian lieutenant with an axe, after being extradited to Azerbaijan
in 2012 not only was exempt from serving the rest of his sentence but
also was pardoned and rewarded by the President, was promoted to a
higher military rank, etc. How do you assess the fact of murdering an
unarmed person in peacetime and respectively the response of the
Azerbaijani authorities to this?’ I have posed this question from time
to time to different Azerbaijani specialists, experts and politicians
in order to reveal by this their worldview as well as their sincerity
and common sense.

And here is Arastun Orujlu’s answer: `I have already expressed my
attitude concerning this fact and it has been negative. Unfortunately
the heroification of any crime is now a commodity which has buyers in
both societies. It is of course lamentable that Aliyev did that;
however in this regard what the Armenian President told American
expert Thomas de Waal about his participation in the killings of
Khojaly is not particularly encouraging either.’

It might seem at first glance that the Azerbaijani expert has given a
sensible response, however two things can be deduced from this answer
– first, that he is using the manipulation techniques typical of the
Azerbaijani propaganda and second, that he proves, perhaps
unwillingly, that he acts not as an independent thinker but as a
servant of that same propaganda.

First, I must say that I have searched on the internet for Mr.
Orujlu’s comments on this question but haven’t found anything. The
only interview that he had given on this issue was the teleconference
bridge by Radio Liberty where the Azerbaijani expert indeed talked
about this; however he presented not his attitude but rather his
analysis of the situation portraying Aliyev’s actions as those
pursuing political and PR agenda.

As for Orujlu’s comment on that the heroification of crimes currently
has a high demand, with this we could not agree. However, in this case
the question is who produces this `commodity’. It is one thing if this
is done by separate marginal groups and it is quite another thing if
the state as a whole, headed by the President, is engaged in this. For
instance, all the countries in the world today have the problem of
drug production, drug trafficking and sales. However, the problem in
Mexico for example (where each year hundreds of police officers die
fighting against drug cartels) is different from that in Taliban-led
Afghanistan, where it was all `regulated’ directly by the political
authorities of that country. That is, the act of the President who
heroifies and honors the criminal sentenced to life imprisonment in a
European country, cannot be compared for instance with the actions of
a man swearing in the street.

Orujlu himself understands this perfectly well, but most probably
having a special order had to somehow save the situation; that’s why
he referred to Thomas de Waal, herewith resorting to a number of
manipulations at once.

Let us begin with the formulation `…What the Armenian President told
American expert Thomas de Waal about his participation in the killings
of Khojaly is not particularly encouraging either.’ This statement is
a plain lie, for the sole reason that Serzh Sargsyan didn’t say such a
thing in his interview (Chapter 11) given to Thomas de Waal. The quote
>From the speech of the President presented in the interview does not
contain a single sentence in the first person. Why Mr. Orujlu is
changing the wording just like that is known only to those who ordered
this to him.

Let us now turn to the notorious interview. In 2011 I had a chance to
interview Thomas de Waal personally concerning the quotes in his book.
At that time the American expert announced that for confirming the
validity of the quotes he must listen to the original tapes he had
with him (which he hasn’t done), however he confirmed that he was the
author and in many cases he presented his impressions in the book.
Concerning the actual events in Khojaly he likewise mentioned at that
time, that according to him it wasn’t at all a deliberately planned
action. A part from this interview has been uploaded on the internet
for three years by now and Mr. Orujlu could have been familiar with
it. But his approach speaks about the fact that his goal is not to
know the facts, but rather, by misrepresenting the facts, to spread
the judgments he was ordered to spread.

P.S. FYI the interviews with Thomas de Waal and with many others have
been used in the documentary Between hunger and fire: Power at the
expense of lives. It would be useful for the Azerbaijani political
scientists to be familiar also with the facts presented in this film.

Source: Panorama.am

Serzh Sargsyan’s Weddings

Another `elite’ wedding is coming up to which Serzh Sargsyan is also
invited. By the way, Robert Kocharyan and Hovik Abrahamyan will not
participate although their in-laws are getting married.

The press reported that Robert Kocharyan went to Karabakh and met with
the `Karabakh clan’ and negotiated his appointment as prime minister
because Serzh Sargsyan does not keep the situation under control.
Meanwhile, Hovik Abrahamyan has most probably decided to leave Armenia
after the scandalous report of the Control Chamber and his critical
speeches.

Has Serzh Sargsyan really lost control over the situation? From the
point of view of the oligarchic system of Armenia, it is true. The
system was shattered during his office. However, it would be ruined
without him because internal and external circumstances occurred which
made former arrangements obsolete.

For his part, Serzh Sargsyan did not succeed or was reluctant to shape
a new system and set new rules for all the spheres of life in Armenia.

As a result, the old system is not effective and is not able to
transform, and there is no new system, therefore all the spheres of
life are affected by degradation. A technology of `controllable chaos’
is applied, which is obviously out of control of the government and
the political class.

Apparently, the process will continue because the government and the
political class do not appear to have mechanisms and intellectual
resource to work out a solution.

There is both internal and external pressure. Russia and Turkey block
all the efforts for foreign political and economic diversification,
development of economy and technology. Their ally, whether
intentionally or not, is the Armenian oligarchy. It also acts towards
the same goal because otherwise it will lose its current influence.
The so-called Armenian political class also acts towards the same
goal. It is a group of servicemen and political screen for the
oligarchy.

However, all can be overcome through introduction of effective
mechanisms of organization of domestic life, modernization of
governance and parallel economy. In addition, the partners of Armenia
abroad have expressed their opinion openly, expressing their readiness
to help. However, the current government, political and business class
with their qualities, inclinations and mercantile goals make any such
process impossible, and the only technology is controllable chaos
which will lead to nobody knows where.

So, only weddings and parties are left at which the Armenian `elite’
is the best. When they fail to build a state, all that is left to do
is to party.

Haik Aramyan
12:37 22/06/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

DSEGH MAYOR VERBALLY SPARS WITH CULTURE MINISTER OVER “LEANING” TOWER

Larisa Paremuzyan

10:09, June 19, 2013

A verbal sparring session took place yesterday in the Lori village of
Dsegh, birthplace of famed Armenian poet Hovhannes Toumanyan, when a
visiting Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan traded barbs with Mayor
Norik Kocharyan.

It seems that Minister Poghosyan was not only unaware of the existence
of a number of cultural monuments in the Dsegh area, but also had no
recollection of statements she had made to the press about the
operation of the ministry.

For instance, Mayor Kocharyan told the minister about the local tower
in the medieval cemetery that is now leaning at a 18 degree angle and
that he had written to her on several occasions and that her deputy
Arevik Samuelyan had answered that he come to Yerevan to look for a
professional organization to repair the tower.

The minister retorted that her deputy would never write such a thing,
to which the mayor shot back, “I can show you a copy of his letter.”

In fact, Minister Poghosyan wasn’t even aware that the tower was under
the jurisdiction of her ministry.

When she asked the mayor to forward copies of her deputy’s letters to
Yerevan, Kocharyan put his foot down saying, “There’s no time for more
correspondence. Do you want to wait till the tower falls down?”

He then rushed off and returned with the letters, to which an embossed
minister responded, “Fine, it seems that we have to come up with a
plan to reinforce the tower.”

ARMENIAN GERIATRIC HOUSE NEEDS ASSISTANCE

13:05 ~U 21.06.13

The Abovyan-based old-age pensioners’ house Narek, which presently
offers shelter to around 36 elderly people, is now in need of a
serious assistance.

The president and director of the institution held Friday a news
conference to raise awareness of their problems and say they now need
sponsors to keep offering care to the beneficiaries.

Shoghik Mikaelyan, the house’s director, said that their beneficiaries’
pension is now the only financial resources that they now have. “In
2003, we moved the elderly to the Abovyan hospital’s old building which
underwent repairs with [Prosperous Armenia] leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s
assistance. Today, though, we have certain complaints; the pensions
are not enough and the food is expensive; we have a leaking roof and
a sewage problem.

“The elderly now live free of care, with the rest hours being full. We
take them everywhere: to concerts, opera, theatre. Most are refugees.

We are now searching sponsors to only improve the conditions and expand
[our premises],” she said.

Mikaelyan added that they now have sick people needing a permanent
attention. “I have seven lying patients, all being under my care;
one has been keeping to bed for 14 years already,” she said.

Speaking further, the president, Fridrikh Mikaelyan explained the
reasons of founding the institutions. “When we opened the institution
in 1999, we came to realize that we cannot possibly be indifferent to
the difficulties in the country, so we decided to ensure tolerable
conditions for the elderly. I have applied to several international
organizations, including UMCOR, whose help was the greatest. They have
given us land lots, bees and cheese; we have absolutely no problem with
milk products. We often feel shy to turn to anyone for help as they
tell us ‘don’t do if you cannot’. But every person has his talents,
so we think our talents is to offer help,” he said.

Both spouses agreed that a charity organization offering them monthly
300,000-400,000 Drams (approx. $720-$1000) would be fully enough to
meet the existing needs.

“We solve problems mainly from pensions and financial debits. Anyone
coming here pays 50,000 Drams (approx. $120); that’s goes to the
utilities. But it is more difficult in winter. The elderly stay there
with us, saying the government has a decision not to pay benefits to
those living in care houses,” he added.

NOSTRADAMUS PROPHESIED THAT TURKS WILL LEAVE CONQUERED TERRITORIES

11:50, 21 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENRPESS. A video clip spread in internet, which
states that Nostradamus, a French apothecary and seer, had predictions
about the future of Turkeyas well. As reports “Armenpress”, Nostradamus
prophesied that the Turks will abandon the conquered territories.

Among other things the renowned seer noted: “Istanbul and Rhodes are
conquered. They will leave, just as they have come.”

In addition the video clip states that Nostradamus had made the
following inscription about Turkey: “The storm is shaking the
foundations of the revolution.

Their faces are covered and their heads are kerchiefed. The end of
the republic has already come.

The whites come out against the dark-haired.”

Michel de Nostredame (14 or 21 December 1503 – 2 July 1566), usually
Latinized as Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer
who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous
worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first
edition of which appeared in 1555. Since the publication of this book,
which has rarely been out of print since his death, Nostradamus has
attracted a following that, along with much of the popular press,
credits him with predicting many major world events

ARS AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO DESERVING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Thursday, June 20th, 2013

The ARS scholarship recipients

GLENDALE-Every June, a new crop of public high school graduates,
their family members and counselors, join the Armenian Relief
Society of Western USA (ARS) family for an awards night in their
honor. The ARS Regional Executive awards certificates and the ARS
chapter executives award the monetary rewards for their continued
education. This year the get together to acquaint the young graduates
with their community organization took place on June 3, 2013, at the
ARS Regional Headquarters.

Following the ARS anthem, ARS Regional Executive Board Chairperson
Lena Bozoyan welcomed everyone, thanking the parents for their efforts,
and encouraging the graduates to work hard to reach their goals and not
succumb to any difficulties that they encounter. She said that the ARS
expects them as educated youth to become the guardian angels of the
ARS and the Armenian culture. Bozoyan hoped that once they complete
their education, the ARS will accept their membership with open arms.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Tamar Kataroyan, an Assistant Principal
at the Glendale High School had just received her PhD from the USC
School of Education. Raised in Fresno in a Homenetmen and ARS family,
as Kataroyan had moved to the Los Angeles basin, she became an athlete
and a trainer for the Homenetmen, participating in women’s basketball
team games around the globe.

Dr. Kataroyan praised the ARS mission and vision, and was quick to
point out to the graduates that they should not fear change and their
Armenian identity. She even suggested to spell their names, so others
get them right. Dr. Kataroyan’s approach was to tell a story on each of
the different points that she made as prerogatives to succeed in life:

Find a passion; Find balance in life; Always remember who you are
where you came from; Be kind, respectful and honest; and Love life.

The speaker reminded the students the Homenetmen motto, “Elevate
yourself and others with you” (“Partsratsir Partsratsoor”), which has
guided her steps, and the will of the Armenian people to persevere in
the words of the famous Fresno writer, William Saroyan. Her delightful
and insightful comments were very well received by the audience.

The following graduates were the awardees:

Nora Melkonyan, Burbank High School Diana Muradyan, Burbank High
School Rita Semerjian, John Burroughs High School Arda Bedoyan, Granada
Hills High School Lori Mandjikian, Crescenta Valley High School Anahit
Kashishian, Anderson Clark Magnet High School Teren Yedikian, Palos
Verdes Peninsula High School Anny Aslanian, Montebello High School
Christine Kupelian, Schurr High School Mihran Hovhannesyan, Hoover
High School Andrew Samuel Alwin, Hoover High School Rita Hasserjian,
Glendale High School Natalin Daldalian, Glendale High School Mane
Avagyan, Glendale High School Krikor Atamian, Reseda High School
Regina Agopian, Taft High School Mariam Zadikyan, Van Nuys High
School Kathryn Dermenjyan, Van Nuys High School Jivan Hovsepyan,
Marshall Fundamental Secondary School Christian Vasken Bedoyan,
Pasadena High School Lusine Maslakyan, Apex Academy Rose Rumyan,
John Marshall High School David Khudaverdyan, Hollywood High School

Following the award ceremony, ARS regional and chapter executives,
had a chance to meet with the awardees during the reception. In
addition to the 23 graduates who received awards at this ceremony,
some chapters provided the awards during the school award ceremonies.

Our collective hope is a bright future for all the graduates during
this season of endings and beginnings.