Author: Babajanian Karo

TendersInfo
May 21, 2013 Tuesday

Armenia : NEW model of DEPOSITORY OPERATIONS in ARMENIA

The Central Depository of Armenia (CDA), which is part of NASDAQ OMX
Group, has launched a new business model of depository operations in
Armenia. It will align with the best international standards by
assuring higher level of safety and efficiency of operations. This
reform was launched at a special ceremony. It is first of all aimed to
perk up services offers for companies and shareholders and by rising
efficiency of execution and protection of their rights.

Within the new model, CDA can assure centralized registry keeping,
securities custody and by clearing and settlement of stock exchange
transactions through introduction of focused software solution and
better hardware and security facilities. Registry keeping and
securities custody services will be given to customers through account
operators – investment companies and banks signed the relevant
agreement with the CDA. Such mediation of services will contribute to
better access of issuers and investors to the depository services in
all the regions of Armenia, more efficient risk management and
supervision, higher customer service and improved competition among
account operators to provide complete packages of corporate and
investment banking services to their customers.

Mr. Vahan Stepanyan, CEO, CDA, said, Modernization of Armenian
depository system required joint effort of our staff, our colleagues
from NASDAQ OMX, support of Central Banks of Armenia and now we are
proud to announce that we managed to bring it in compliance with best
international standards, increasing safety and efficiency of
operations and accessibility of depository services in regions of
Armenia.
Ltd.

2013 Magaravank pilgrimage videos

Iranian analyst: Azerbaijan does everything possible to reduce
Nakhichevan’s dependence on Iran

15:34 22/05/2013 » ANALYSIS

During the years of the Karabakh war, Nakhichevan was on the brink of
a humanitarian catastrophe, says an article published on IRAS news
website.

Iranian analyst Farzad Ramazani Bunash reminds that on February 9,
1924, Nakhichevan was declared an Autonomous Republic within
Azerbaijan, which communicated with Nakhichevan through the territory
of Iran.

`During the years of the Karabakh war, Nakhichevan was on the brink of
a humanitarian catastrophe. Iran, which has about 143-km-long border
with Nakhichevan, had an important strategic role in Nakhichevan’s
political and economic life, ensuring the transportation of fuel, food
and other necessary goods to that region,’ the analyst says.

`However, despite that, in recent years, Azerbaijan’s policy has been
aimed at reducing Nakhichevan’s dependence on Iran. This is why
Azerbaijan implements large-scale energy and economic projects with
Turkey and the Azerbaijani Majlis has recently passed a decision to
revoke the law that eased travel restrictions for Iranians,’ the
Iranian analyst concludes.

How Minister “sneaks» Minister’s money

2013-05-21 23:33:26

Finance Minister David Sargsyan’s office becomes more than promising.
Of course, the details are often considered as of secondary
importance, unimportant things, but often it is more than clear that
these details give information about any person or phenomenon.

During break of discussion of Government’s program Ministers were
speaking in the corridor, when I approached from afar and noticed how
Justice Minister Hirair Tovmasian took out money from his pocket and
then threw it on the floor. Approaching the Minister, I warned that
the money had fallen. Tovmasian barely managed to crouch and
understand my point, when younger Minister of Finance David Sargsyan,
without losing time, crouched, sneaked the money from Tovmasyan’s
hands and added: “It was yours, now it is not yours.”

If Finance Minister’s office continues in this way, it is hard to
imagine what other things we will still be witnesses of. But the most
important thing, of course, is that from whom Finance Minister will
“sneak” money. If the process of “sneak” will apply only to Ministers
and oligarchs, of course, it can only be welcomed, but if the money,
according to good tradition, are to be “sneaked” from people…

By the way, the money was the very symbolic of present reality- 5,000 drams…

Samvel Alexanyan Ran Away

Member of Parliament Samvel Alexanyan jokes to reporters, `I am not
talking to you, you don’t ask me questions.’

Samvel Alexanyan says he was offended that on Monday, the first day of
the parliamentary week, the reporters focused on the leader of the PAP
parliamentary group Gagik Tsarukyan and ignored him.

Samvel Alexanyan repeated it today but when the reporters tried to
interview him, he ran away. As he was asked the first question on the
covered market, he said, `OK, I’m going.’

15:12 22/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Armenian opposition rep calls for admitting mistakes

tert.am
22:05 – 22.05.13

Asked about a response Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science,
Vice-Chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Armen
Ashotyan may give to criticism against the opposition at the Wednesday
discussions of the Armenian government’s program in Parliament, Nikol
Pashinyan, an MP from the Armenian National Congress (ANC), said to
Tert.am:

`The country’s authorities and opposition – the entire political
system – must analyze the way they have passed and admit their
mistakes.’

`I am sorry about the fact that we have disappointed Armenia’s people
in the recent five years. But this is not the end, and much depends on
our conclusions,’ Pashinyan said.

He tried to set forth his conclusions in his articles and speeches, as
well as in his draft Civil Agreement. Pashinyan needs to analyze the
conclusions with his supporters.

In response to a remark that it is time for real actions, he said:
`The Civil Agreement is a draft. It has not been officially published.
No public discussions have been held in recent months, but we have had
working meetings and we are working up the agreement now. After the
agreement has been published, the ones supporting the ideas
incorporated in it will decide on their further actions and on the
legal form of the agreement.’

Asked about his opinion of the Preparliament rallies and steps to
`liberate the country,’ Pashinyan noted he is keeping track of any
actions aimed to give the power back to Armenia’s people.

`I can say the same about the Preparliament. I welcome their
activities and I think public activities are one of the main
instruments to resolve the crisis,’ he said.

Pashinyan is ready to do his upmost provided the Preparliament thinks
of its concrete actions to build up free and happy Armenia.

“They Would Beat You Away, You Would Have to Emigrate, Guys”

`We saw such circus tricks on these two days that I’m shocked,’ said
Member of Parliament Vahan Hovhannisyan, ARF, during the discussion of
the program of government.

`When years ago they proposed a similar program, they said: guys, we
are good. Then there was some progress, and they said: guys we are
good, you are bad. Now you say: guys, we are good, you are bad but
let’s cooperate. OK, let’s go for it,’ Vahan Hovhannisyan said.

He noted that we are in a very difficult situation, our state and
society are on the verge of existence. If you want to cooperate, we
must be honest. But you are not honest, you say people gave a
political evaluation who voted for us. If they voted for you, you are
the best, so why do you want to cooperate with us, he said, addressing
the head of the Republican parliamentary group Galust Sahakyan.

The speeches of the opposition are angry, critical but they do not
gloat over the government. `Whereas you gloat over the low vote for
the opposition, the fall of the first republic, the split of the
opposition,’ he said.

Vahan Hovhannisyan addressed the minister of education and the
minister of justice Armen Ashotyan and Hrair Tovmasyan, as well as the
other ministers attending the meeting of parliament: `Would you win if
you ran in a constituency without the support of the president, Hovik
Argamich, the prosecutor general and chief of police? They would beat
you away, you would have to emigrate, guys, you wouldn’t get a vote.’

Vahan Hovhannisyan said the authorities have set up a system which
helps them reproduce but they say people elected them.

Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan interrupted Vahan Hovannisyan: `Have you
finished?’ `No, why should I finish? Are you worried?’ Vahan
Hovhannisyan said.

The member of parliament said they have been unable to understand
during the discussion the approach of the government to the welfare of
the society. `We haven’t understood the incentive of today’s executive
to change the country,’ Vahan Hovhannisyan said.

17:37 22/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Efficient and viewless
2013-05-22 16:38:18

ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party National Assembly Faction member Aghvan
Vardanyan’s speech at NA session of May 22, 2013, during the
discussion of the Government’s program.

“Respectable Parliament, respectable Government,

“The political majority in Armenia thinks it earned the unconditional
trust of the people in the past elections, but we are confident that
the authorities broke the electoral system, and nothing in the country
is decided by elections.

Yes, the government has not changed, the program has not changed much,
but life has changed, most complex problems, which we, our state and
society face, have grown and exacerbated.

Unfortunately, but it is very likely that this program of this
Government will also fail.

There were two typical incidents for me in the last elections. They
show a footage when a “neighborhood guy” had made uproar in the
polling station, the four persons in Police uniform did not dare to
restrain that “neighborhood guy”.

The second footage: The journalists ask the Prime Minister that there
are reports that election bribes are distributed. The Prime Minister
says it is a lie.

Tens of thousands of Yerevan residents received that election bribe,
thousands distributed, that many people know what is going on. This
contradiction between words and reality is the accurate description of
our life.”

Respectable Parliament, respectable Government,

I do not intend and I do not have any desire to teach or to give a
lesson. There are other values, too, besides power and personal
well-being.

Independent state, independent person, and the duty of each of us to
leave the country, where all of us and our children, who represent
opposition and government, will have an opportunity to live proudly.

Unfortunately, this project of this Government does not bring us
closer to that goal.”

Turkish court hands down prison sentence to Armenian journalist over blasphemy

16:03 22.05.2013

An Istanbul court has sentenced Turkish-Armenian writer Sevan NiÅ?anyan
to 58 weeks in prison for an alleged insult to the Prophet Muhammad in
a blog post, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

The prosecutor had been seeking one and a half years of jail time for
NiÅ?anyan on charges of `insulting the religious beliefs held by a
section of the society.’

The sentence cannot be converted to a financial penalty, but NiÅ?anyan
has the right to appeal.
He was charged with blasphemy after writing a blog post titled, `[We]
need to fight hate speech.’
`Making fun of an Arab leader who claimed he contacted Allah hundreds
of years ago and received political, financial and sexual benefits is
not hate speech,’ NiÅ?anyan said in his post last year. `It is an
almost kindergarten-level test of what is called freedom of
expression.’

On May 22, the day of the sentencing, NiÅ?anyan retweeted his blog
post, writing, `Let’s share the article that was sentenced to
13-and-a-half months at the Istanbul 10th Criminal Court for insulting
religious bla-bla.’

Last month, renowned Turkish pianist Fazıl Say was also handed a
suspended 10-month prison sentence for blasphemy, after a case that
drew national and international reaction.

Say had been the focus of a legal battle after he retweeted several
lines, attributed to poet Omar Khayyam in April 2012, saying, `You say
its rivers will flow in.

Who are actually Alevis?

2013-05-22 13:20:39

On the occasion of the translation of the Book of Erwan Kerivel in
Armenian, Tchobanian Institute organized a trip to Armenia to present
“The Truth is in man” in French and Armenian version.

A delegation led by Varoujan Sirapian, president of the Institute
Tchobanian, composed of the author and some Alevis in Turkey today
installed in Europe, discover Armenia from 13 to 21 May, Two
conferences are held at the Yerevan State University and the UFAR.

The first meeting was held May 14 at the Faculty of Oriental Studies
of Yerevan State University. One hundred students and teachers
attended the presentation. After words of welcome by Prof.. Garnik
Asatryan, Director, Department of Iranian Studies, Varoujan Sirapian
described the work of the Institute and Tchobanian magazine “Europe &
East.” Mr. Sirapian stressed the importance of the book Erwan Kerivel
that in an easily accessible language exposes the sociology and
philosophy of Alevis in Turkey.

Then Mr. Kerivel presented his book with remarkable translation of
Lusine Palian, and answered many of the relevant part of students and
teachers questions.

In an interview with Lurer.com the author of the book Erwan Kerivel
said that he was in Armenia for the first time, and that the
presentation of the book and his interest in Armenia and the Armenian
nation brought him in Armenia.

He highlighted the fact that the book’s translator and publisher
Armenians. By the way, the book was published in Paris “Sizhest”
publishing house, the director of which is our compatriot Varoujan
Sirapian, who lives in Paris.

Referring to the Patriarch of Constantinople Ateshyan’s statement that
80-90% of Alevis are Armenians, Erwan Kerivel considered it
unfounded. “While studying Alevis, I saw that there were some people,
whose mothers were Armenians, and there are also people among my
friends, who say that their grandmothers were Armenians. However, if
the Alevis, who have bilateral Armenian origin, will be sked whether
they considere themselves Armenians or Zaza-Alavis, of course, as a
nationality, they will celebrate Zaza-Alevis. It’s a simple truth.”

Erwan Kerivel also noted that he returns with many fine impressions.
“In a few days, where we go, we were very well received.

I’m sure that I will visit Armenia again”, Kerivel said.

Azatuhi Araskhanyan