Notre Dame de Paris to host liturgy for Armenian Genocide victims
April 20, 2013 – 13:38 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Notre Dame de Paris will host a liturgy Sunday,
April 21 to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Empire.
According to Nouvelles d’Armenie, Bishop Jerome Daniel Beau will
deliver a sermon at the event. The liturgy will be held by the Bishop
the Eparchy of Paris of the Armenian Catholics in France Holy Cross,
Hovhannes Teyrouzian.
U.S. Reduces Field To Maneuver For Armenia
U.S. Department of State released the annual report on human rights.
The section on Armenia runs about `flaws in the conduct of May 6
legislative elections included the misuse of government resources to
support the ruling party, credible allegations of vote buying,
deficiencies in the complaints and appeals process, and continued
shortcomings in the electoral code despite improvements.’
Actually, State Department point out the shortcomings, which were
later repeated in the presidential elections in 2013. The assessment
of the presidential elections will be given next year, but Barack
Obama was one of the first presidents to congratulate Serzh Sargsyan
for his victory. This was perceived by the authorities as a
card-blanche but apparently, the U.S. will periodically recall that in
case of lack of reforms, the card-blanche may be taken back.
The U.S. cuts aid to Armenia, stating at the same time about major
investment projects. Since Tigran Sargsyan’s visit to the United
States in December last year, none of the projects has been realized.
Perhaps, it was determined by the electoral period of Armenia, but,
apparently, the U.S. is dissatisfied and it decided to act on its own.
Several significant economic events happened which are somehow related
to the U.S. embassy in Armenia. First, it was stated that the French
Carrefour is coming to Armenia and the U.S. ambassador lobbied it. He
hardly meant to help the French company, but he aimed at breaking
Samvel Alexanyan’s vicious monopoly in the import of essential goods.
Besides, Armavia Air Company was announced bankrupt, which, according
to Heffern, was the reason of the high cost of tickets and
poor-quality service for tourism and the obstacle for exports in
Armenia.
The third step of the ambassador was the tough statement regarding
Vartan Oskanian’s case, who was almost arrested for money laundering.
The ambassador `advised’ the authorities of Armenia to `deal with the
case’. Once again, he didn’t do it to help Oskanian but not to fear
off Diaspora Armenians which the U.S. prepares to invest in Armenia.
It is noteworthy that the Armenian government does not accuse the U.S.
for interference in internal affairs of Armenia, though it is evident.
It is possible that the Armenian authorities don’t have enough
legitimacy and they benefit from this kind of interference: it helps
to fight the oligarchy and `put the blame on America’. Besides, if the
American officials weren’t right or pursued their personal goals, our
authorities would immediately demand to stop interfering.
The State Dept.’s tough report will be accepted by the Armenian
authorities in silence, as they did many times. But the activeness of
the ambassador and the stress of the report should recall to them that
the time to maneuver is over, it is time for concrete actions.
Naira Hayrumyan
14:32 20/04/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
Armenian Genocide’s acknowledgment has global importance – Ukrainian singer
April 20, 2013 | 11:49
Recognition of the fact of the Armenian Genocide has great importance
for the Armenian people and the entire world, so that such incidents
can be avoided all through history, stated Distinguished Singer of
Ukraine, public activist Irina Skazina.
`The 20th century’s first genocide, which resulted in the deaths of
nearly two million Armenians, was organized and carried out by the
Young Turk government,’ the singer told Analitika.at.ua, and added:
`The mass killings, beating, and rape of the Armenians in [the
Azerbaijani cities of] Sumgait and in Baku, which the chauvinist mobs
perpetrated under the connivance of the government and law enforcement
agencies of Azerbaijan, likewise are acts of genocide. The organizers
and perpetrators of these acts must be held to account as
international criminals.
`In both cases, the genocide of the Armenians was carried out in
response to the attempts by the self-determination-striving Armenians
to restore [their] rights in the God-granted territory and to reunite
[their] homeland.’
News from Armenia – NEWS.am
Protest action on 98th anniversary of Armenian Genocide to be held in Moscow
20:40, 19 April, 2013
YEREVAN, APRIL 19, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Youth Foundation of Moscow on
April 21 will hold a protest action on occasion of 98th anniversary of
Armenian Genocide, during which protestors will express their protest
against Turkey’s denial policy.
As reports Armenpress, protestors will present the map of Ottoman
Empire with red masks, reminding human face, drawn on it. Masks are
going to symbolize the innocent victims of the Genocide, while the map
will be completely flooded with them. Afterwards protestors are going
to raise posters and sing `Zartnir Lao’ song.
Protest is sanctioned by Moscow City Hall.
ARMENIE-MYSTERES
La police aurait arrêté le « monstre » qui terrorisait le village
arménien de Karpi
Il terrorisait depuis plusieurs semaines les villageois de Karpi dans
la région d’Arkadzodn en Arménie. Le « monstre de Karpi » comme l’ont
surnommé les médias arméniens fut sans doute arrêté. Garo
Baghdassarian le maire du village l’affirme. Il a confié aux
journalistes que « ce n’est pas un monstre » mais un homme qui souffre
néanmoins de quelques problèmes de comportement. La police arménienne
aurait arrêté ce « monstre », un habitant du village de Dzargalantch
du nom de Vartan Vartanian. Garo Baghdassarian a également affirmé que
la situation de calme était revenue à Karpi où les villageois
n’avaient désormais plus peur. Les villageois respirent. Fini les
histoires du « monstre » qui d’après les rumeurs, dès la nuit tombée
attaquait les villageois, tuait les chiens dans les rues.
L’amplification de cette rumeur obligeant les femmes et les jeunes
filles à ne plus sortir de chez elle dès la nuit tombée.
Krikor Amirzayan
samedi 20 avril 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com
ARMENIA FACES HIGH NATIONAL DEBT AND BANKING WOES
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
April 19 2013
20 April 2013, 00:17 (GMT+05:00)
By Sabina Idayatova
Armenia’s national debt amounted to $3.738 billion or about 38 percent
of the GDP in late 2012, acting Finance Minister Vache Gabrielyan said
at a government meeting on Thursday, local media reported.
Gabrielyan said the bulk of the debt consists of direct liabilities of
the government and some $594 million are the liabilities of the
Central Bank of Armenia (CBA).
A media report suggests that the Armenian banking system has faced a
crisis related to the credit system.
The main problem is the inability to repay loans borrowed earlier from
banks. The banks hope that the central bank will find major sources of
funds for investment in the financial system.
The banking problem is further exacerbated by the bankruptcy of the
Armenian airline Armavia. The company recently declared bankruptcy
after its debt to various banks reached $50 to $60 million.
The current deplorable economic situation facing the country is
forcing people to leave their homeland. Thus, the number of emigrants
from Armenia continues to exceed the number of immigrants.
165,275 people left Armenia in the first quarter of this year,
compared to 141,192 who arrived; thus, the negative balance is 24,083
people.
The desire to leave their home country was expressed by Armenian
respondents participating in a poll of international research center
Gallup World, which was conducted among citizens of 12 former Soviet
countries, Novosti-Armenia reported on April 4.
Thus, 40 percent of Armenian respondents said they wanted to leave the
country permanently.
The Armenian government, however, appears to lack an intention to
change the situation for the sake of its people by leaving the country
sidelined from regional projects because of the invasion policy
against Azerbaijan, occupying the country’s Nagorno-Karabakh and seven
other regions, and fueling tension with neighboring countries.
TURKISH SITES SHORTLISTED FOR EUROPA NOSTRA PROGRAM
Hurriyet, Turkey
April 20 2013
Mardin’s St George Armenian Church and the historic city of Hasankeyf
are two places from Turkey that have been shortlisted for Europa
Nostra’s ‘Seven Most Endangered’ program. The final list will be
announced in June, after which preliminary action plans will be
proposed
On April 18 the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the leading
European heritage organization Europa Nostra revealed 14 monuments
and sites in Europe shortlisted in its “Seven Most Endangered” program.
Two places from Turkey, the St. George Armenian Church in the
eastern province of Mardin and the historic city of Hasankeyf and
its surrounding area are included on the list.
An international Advisory Panel composed of eminent experts
selected these threatened landmarks, including historic city centers,
archaeological sites, religious buildings and military fortifications,
among 40 nominations submitted by civil society organizations and
public bodies from 21 countries.
“With this new advocacy program, Europa Nostra aims not only to
identify the most endangered monuments and sites in Europe but also
to launch a true call for action. By sending multidisciplinary teams
of experts to visit the selected sites, together with our partners,
we will seek to contribute to finding sustainable and viable solutions
for the future. In this way, we hope to inspire and encourage action
by various public and private organizations also in other places
in Europe and beyond,” said Denis de Kergorlay, Europa Nostra’s
Executive President.
Armenian Church and Hasankeyf
In a written statement, it is said that the nomination of St. George
Armenian Church in Mardin, which has foundations going back to the
5th century and which served a large Armenian population until the
beginning of the 20th century, reflects the commitment of the heritage
community in Turkey to preserve the tangible witnesses of the country’s
multi-cultural history.
“The heritage of the ancient town of Mardin reminds us that through
the centuries this city has been a melting pot of cultures and
religions. Today, this heritage has great potential for sustainable
tourism and economic development,” the statement said.
As for the historic city of Hasankeyf and its surroundings, the
statement warned about the construction of the Ilısu hydroelectric dam
nearby. “If the construction of the Ilısu hydroelectric dam continues
as foreseen, 80 percent of Hasankeyf’s historic monuments will be
flooded within the next decade. At present there is no internationally
recognized scheme for their conservation, preservation or relocation.
If it would be spared from inundation, Hasankeyf has the potential
to provide a sustainable anchor for local and regional economic
development, providing visitors and scholars with a contextualized
record of shared human history, spanning the continents of Europe
and Asia,” it said.
Among other sites on the shortlist include the Roman Amphitheatre
in Durres, Albania; the St. Paul and St. Peter Church, Armenia;
the buffer zone of the historic center of Nicosia in Cyprus;
Vauban’s Fortifications in Briancon, France; gaslight and gas lamps
in Berlin; the former royal estate of Tatoi, near Athens; the citadel
of Alessandria, Italy; the renaissance monastery of San Benedetto Po,
Italy; a Manueline style monastery and church, Portugal; the RoÅ~_ia
Montana mining landscape in Transylvania, Romania; the Beeolithic
archaeological site of Vinca-Belo Brdo, near Belgrade in Serbia;
and the neighborhood of El Cabanyal-Canyamelar in Valencia, Spain.
The final list will be announced at Europa Nostra’s 50th Anniversary
Congress in Athens on June 16. Rescue missions will be organized and
preliminary action plans proposed until December by a team of heritage
specialists together with technical and financial experts from the
European Investment Bank Group, a founding partner of the program.
‘Seven Most Endangered’ program
The Seven Most Endangered program was launched last January. Its aim
is to serve as a catalyst for action and to promote “the power of
example.” After the summer, teams composed of heritage experts from
Europa Nostra and its member organizations as well as of technical
and financial specialists from the European Investment Bank Group or
the Council of Europe Development Bank will visit the seven selected
monuments and sites.
In close consultation with local stakeholders, they will assess
existing problems and sketch viable and sustainable action plans
for each one. All rescue missions will report back before the end
of the year and the preliminary results are due to be presented at
the European Heritage Policy Conference organized by Europa Nostra
in Brussels on Dec. 5.
April/20/2013
RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: PEOPLE THEMSELVES WILL TAKE POWER
Saturday,
April 20
“I address all the candidates who were elected, but did not assume
office, and all the forces that consider themselves opposition:
despite the failures, don’t forget that it belonged to the people, it
is the people’s lost faith,” Heritage Party leader, former presidential
candidate Raffi Hovannisian said at today’s meeting at Ani Plaza Hotel.
In his words, the electoral process showed that citizens got rid of
their fear.
“The struggle today does not belong to Raffi, just like it did not
belong to Karen and to Levon,” Hovannisian said.
According to him, following the April 9 events, some probably think
they are stronger in terms of their ability to struggle against
the authorities. He wished then success. In Hovannisian’s words,
one thing is certain – the people themselves will take power.
He noted that the further struggle will be multi-sided and take place
in Syunik, Artsakh, and across Armenia.
“If we fail to unite, the same thing will happen as in 1915. I don’t
want to make a comparison, but the same outcome is likely if we do
not become masters of our homeland, our state,” Raffi Hovannisian said.
19.04.2013, 20:42
Aysor.am
REVOLUTION CANNOT BE CARRIED OUT WITH BLOODSHED – RAFFI HOVANNISIAN
April 19, 2013 | 19:04
YEREVAN.- In a small country like Armenia a revolution or a change
of power cannot be carried out through bloodshed, leader of Heritage
party Raffi Hovhannisian said.
Addressing his supporters during the citizens’ forum, Hovhannisian
noted that victory can be achieved only through consolidation.
“It is time for the political forces and civil society pull together
and show that they are next to the people,” he said.
It is necessary to create unions in all the cities and villages of
Armenia and in the Diaspora, to lead a joint struggle against the
ruling regime peacefully, he said.
Referring to the Armenian people, Hovhannisian assured that victory
is not far off.
“I do not want to wait five years to achieve victory, we must do this
earlier,” he concluded.
News from Armenia – NEWS.am
ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT RECEIVES HEAD OF ARF-D FACTION
18:12 ~U 19.04.13
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan continued today consultations
with parliamentary factions over the appointment of Armenia’s PM,
president’s press service reports.
Today he has received head of Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) Armen Rustamyan.
Before it, he has met with the heads of Republican, Prosperous Armenia
and Rule of Law factions.
Armenian News – Tert.am