Author: Babajanian Karo

OVERTURE OR SCHEME?: WEST AND RUSSIA USE LENDING AS MEANS TO WIELD INFLUENCE OVER ARMENIA
By Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
11.07.12 | 12:21

Photo: Via Facebook

Unofficial negotiations have started with the government of Russia
regarding the allocation to Armenia of a large loan in the near future,
writes the Haykakan Zhamanak daily.

According to the opposition newspaper, the matter is most likely
to concern a sum of $800 million to $1 billion. The paper says the
Armenian authorities began negotiations with the Russian side soon
after they got a refusal from the European Union regarding the
allocation of $1.5 billion to Armenia.

The Armenian government has not yet commented on this information,
but the ex-foreign minister of Armenia, member of the Prosperous
Armenia Party Vartan Oskanian has already voiced his concern over
the possible development in remarks on his Facebook page.

Oskanian believes that the government assurances that Armenia’s foreign
debt is manageable and new loans won’t be a burden is unrealistic:
“Today, Armenia’s national debt makes 43 percent of the Gross Domestic
Product. For Armenia, it is a huge figure and a serious problem for
its economy.”

The former minister reminded that Armenia’s foreign debt amounts to
$4 billion in absolute terms. “If we add to it $1 billion from Russia,
the national debt will exceed 55 percent of GDP,” said Oskanian.

“Every day, the Armenian national currency is losing value while the
external debt is serviced in foreign currency.” Oskanian thinks that
the parliament should raise this issue at its session in September.

The issue of Armenia’s external debt is not only a domestic issue, but
also is becoming a geopolitical factor. The struggle between the West
and Russia for influence in Armenia is becoming increasingly apparent,
just as the fact that the one who lends Armenia more will get more
“chances” of influencing Armenia. From this point of view it is not
excluded that Russia itself has offered to make a loan to Armenia.

Moreover, Moscow is conducting an offensive on other fronts as well.

In particular, Moscow intends to raise the price of natural gas
supplied to Armenia.

Some media reported that beginning on October 1, Russia’s state-owned
natural gas monopoly Gazprom plans to increase the gas price for
Armenia from the current $180 to $280 per 1,000 cubic meters, and from
January 2013 – to up to $320. Besides, it is noted that this year
Russia has already increased the gas price for Armenia, but ahead
of the presidential election due in February 2013 the government
of Armenia prefers to keep it confidential and not raise the retail
prices for consumers.

If the information of media that the price of Russian natural
gas supplied to Armenia has already been increased by $60 and
the government holds back the existing tariffs on the domestic
market before next year’s presidential election at the expense of
transferring 10 percent of its shares in [Armenian-Russian joint
venture] ArmRosgazprom, then big problems are looming, writes Oskanian.

“Armenia has a 20-percent stake in ArmRosGazprom. Thus, the government
distorts the pricing mechanism in the domestic market. That is,
because of this secrecy the price of natural gas is subsidized
in equal measure to both the poor and better-off sections of the
population. The government must immediately announce this transaction
and subsidize natural gas only for the socially vulnerable segments
of the population,” said Oskanian.

There are also other areas in which Russia apparently has decided to
exert pressure on Armenia. One of them is air transport. There are
speculations about a probable sale of Armenia’s national air carrier,
Armavia, to businessman and former member of the Armenian Parliament
Harutyun Pambukyan, who is currently doing business in Russia.

According to media reports, he intends to buy Armavia for its
subsequent sale to Russian businessmen.

Meanwhile, during the recent air show in Farnborough Armavia decided
to buy one Airbus and one Boeing aircraft. Earlier it became known
that the Armenian airline had refused to purchase Russian-made Sukhoi
Superjet 100 aircraft.

ARMENIAN MINISTERS PARTICIPATED IN EPP SUMMIT IN BATUMI

On July 10 Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandyan and
Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan participated
in the European People’s Party (EPP) Eurasian Partnership Summit
in Batumi. Leader of the EPP Wilfried Martens, President of Georgia
Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian deputy Prime Minister and the Minister
of the Euro-integration Grigol Baramidze, Prime Minister of Moldova
Vlad Phillat and Minister of the Foreign Affairs and Euro-integration
of Moldova Yuri Lianke participated in the summit as well. Press
and information department of Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
informs about this.

During the summit the participants spoke about the cooperation
processes in frame of the Eastern Partnership. Three main themes
were on agenda: Eastern Partnership from Warsaw Summit on 2011 till
Vilnius Summit on 2013, the development of the cooperation between
the EPP and Eastern Partnership countries and the development of the
sector cooperation between the Eastern Partnership countries.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs presented the Armenian points
of view on the noted issues.

The summit accepted a statement where the aims of the EPP member
parties were concluded.

The statement also confirmed that the next summit by the same format
will take place in Yerevan on the end of the year.

On the same day Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandyan
had a meeting with the Chairman of the EPP Wilfried Martens. The
sides spoke about the cooperation between Armenia and EU.

BUENOS AIRES HOSTED OPEN-AIR CONCERT FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
11 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: Open-air concert festival entitled ”
Buenos-Aires celebrates Armenia” on July 7, by the support of Ministry
of Diaspora and Armenian Embassy to Argentina kicked off on July 7.

It was organized and launched by AGBU Buenos Aires branch. As
information and public relations department of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs briefed Armenpress, “Shushi” dance group specially arrived
from New York came forth in the arena located in one of the central
streets of the city.

American musicians and singers as well as “Gayane”, “Masis” and
“Nairi” ensembles, well known in Argentinean Armenian community came
up at the course of the concert.

Armenian culture, history, cuisine and a number of other pavilions
were opened in the frame of the events.

The concert was attended by Vahagn Melikyan, Ambassador of Armenia to
Argentina, Argentinean Armenian community leaders, local authorities
and media representatives.

The event was widely covered by local media.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: GAGIK TSARUKYAN DRIVING HIS GODCHILD INTO BANKRUPTCY

Panorama.am
11/07/2012

Drivers of buses operated by King Deluxe company owned by PAP leader
Gagik Tsarukyan’s godchild Arthur Harutyunyan dubbed Palach start a
termless strike today, Haykakan Zhamanak reports. The paper reminds
that the strike will take place in Abovyan and Charentsavan towns. The
strike is a protest against Gagik Tsarukyan’s illegal operation of
“charity buses” in the same route (289 and 275).

“PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan consistently tries to drive his godchild
Arthur Harutyunyan into bankruptcy. Harutyunyan had joined RPA to save
his business. However, Palach’s friends claim that RPA let him down.

They also say that unless the problem is solved Harutyunyan will quit
RPA and may even leave the country,” the paper writes.

AZERBAIJAIN STAGES ‘MAJOR DRILLS’ NEAR DISPUTED REGION
Ilya Pitalev

RIA Novosti
11/07/2012
BAKU

Azerbaijan’s armed forces have been staging major military exercises
near the Armenian-backed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijan
military said.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev is overlooking the drills,
which involve troops as well as “the use of modern machinery and
weapons,” a ministry spokesman told RIA Novosti.

The exercises will end on Friday.

Last month, three Armenian and five Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in
shoot-outs across the border, prompting U.S. State Secretary Hillary
Clinton to call for restraint.

The two former Soviet republics fought a bloody war over the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s which left some 30,000 people dead.

Last month, the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, Lamberto Zannier, said there was “increasing
concern” about a lack of progress in international efforts to resolve
the conflict.

THE VOLUMES OF EXPORTING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES HAVE INCREASED IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
11 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: The volumes of production, stocktaking
and exporting of fruits and vegetables have increased in Armenia.

Armenpress reports that about this mentioned in the information
presented by the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia.

It is mentioned that the process of signing contracts between village
farms and processing companies in order to buy the harvest of grape
and other fruits. So far have been signed 4346 contracts 3362 of
which of buying grape and 984 of other fruits and vegetables. In the
framework of the contracts the village farms have been given 122.8
million AMD deposit and other support. The process of signing treaties
is continues.

So far 10879.8 tones of fruit and vegetables have been exported
from the country; 8429.05 tones of which was apricot, 579.29 tones
of cherry, 847.9 tones of grape and etc. The volumes of export are
higher comparing with the ones of last year.

ETUDIANTE LYONNAISE EMPRISONNEE EN TURQUIE : LA FAMILLE DENONCE L’INJUSTICE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 11 juillet 2012

Près de Lyon, parents et amis de Sevil Sevimli, etudiante franco-turque
emprisonnee depuis mai en Turquie pour des liens supposes avec une
organisation clandestine d’extreme gauche, se mobilisent pour denoncer
“une injustice” et obtenir sa liberation.

“Il n’y a rien contre elle, ma fille est victime d’une injustice
et on veut qu’elle sorte rapidement”, declare son père, Erdogan
Sevimli, les yeux rougis, recevant l’AFP au domicile familial de
Belleville-sur-Saône.

Depuis le 10 mai, jour où sa fille de 20 ans a ete incarceree a
Eskisehir, dans le nord-est du pays, ce Kurde originaire de l’est
de la Turquie est hante par l’absence d'”explication plausible a
son incarceration”.

“Mon epouse est sur place et ne rentrera pas sans sa fille. Elle
peut la voir au parloir tous les mercredis et m’a rapporte que ses
conditions d’incarceration se sont ameliorees et qu’elle a le moral”,
confie-t-il.

Nee en France, Sevil a la double nationalite, mais est consideree
par Ankara comme Turque et encourt 12 ans de prison. Etudiante en
licence information-communication a l’universite Lyon-2, Sevil Sevimli
participait a un echange europeen Erasmus.

Lettre publique du president de son universite francais

“C’est sous couvert de cette procedure parfaitement legale qu’elle
est entree en Turquie avec un passeport francais et un visa, meme
si elle est Franco-turque. Qui aurait pu penser qu’une telle chose
arriverait aux portes de l’Europe ?”, s’indigne Jean-Luc Mayaud, le
president de Lyon-2, qui a appele dans une lettre publique mi-juin a la
“liberation immediate” de Sevil Sevimli.

Dans le salon familial, parents et amis, vetus de T-shirts a l’effigie
de la jeune fille, se regroupent pour etudier l’avancement du dossier.

“Les choses commencent a bouger en France et sur place. Et la
mediatisation aide a faire prendre conscience de son cas”, veut
croire Sinem Elmas, figure du comite de soutien et amie d’enfance
de Sevil Sevimli, marquee par un editorial du journal Le Monde du 29
juin interpellant le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan sous
le titre “Quel crime a commis Sevil Sevimli, M. Erdogan ?”.

“Mercredi, elle a pu sortir, encadree par la police, pour passer un
examen a la faculte et, en fin de semaine dernière, une personne
du consulat francais a pu lui rendre visite, au bout de deux mois
d’incarceration”, detaille-t-elle.

Concert, manifestation et collage d’affiche

Le 9 mai, les parents avaient ete prevenus par la police turque de
l’arrestation. “Selon ma fille, des arrestations massives ont ete
menees dans tout le pays sur la base de soupcons de liens avec le
DHKP-C, un parti clandestin d’extreme gauche”, rapporte son père,
artisan arrive en France en 1988.

Selon son avocat turc, Me Kahraman, il lui est reproche d’avoir
participe au defile du 1er Mai, pourtant legal, a Istanbul, d’avoir
assiste, parmi 350.000 autres spectateurs, a un concert du groupe
Yorum, engage a gauche, et d’avoir colle une affiche en faveur de la
gratuite de l’enseignement.

“C’est quelqu’un qui a des idees de gauche mais ce n’est pas
une militante. Elle veut etre journaliste et s’interesse a tout”,
poursuit son amie Sinem, organisatrice d’une manifestation de soutien
qui avait rassemble plus de 350 personnes a Lyon le 17 juin.

“Nous demandons sa liberation immediate. Les charges, par rapport au
droit francais, nous paraissent particulièrement faibles. Je ne vois
pas du tout en quoi elle pourrait etre assimilee a une quelconque
action terroriste. Je suis pret a aller temoigner a Ankara s’il y a
un procès”, conclut le president de l’universite.

YOUNG BAY AREA CHESS CHAMP HOPES TO BECOME GRANDMASTER
By Molly Vorwerck

San Jose Mercury News
July 9, 2012 Monday
California

In many ways, Sam is a typical 11-year-old boy from Santa Clara.

He plans to start sixth grade in the fall at Don Callejon School,
where his favorite subject is math; he loves to read, particularly
fantasy books; and, though he plays soccer and basketball, he’s an
avid San Jose Sharks fan.

But this soft-spoken, at times serious preteen is far from your
average middle-schooler.

Sam Sevian is the youngest national master of chess in U.S. history,
a title he received in 2010 at the age of 9 years, 11 months and 23
days. Like his idol, Bobby Fischer, Sam ranks as one of the nation’s
most accomplished chess prodigies of all time, with an impressive
rating of 2281 in the World Chess Federation (FIDE). In comparison,
it takes a score of more than 2500 to be considered a grandmaster.

Recently, Sam, along with six other young American chess players,
was chosen to participate in an elite five-year grant program founded
through a partnership between the Kasparov Chess Foundation, one of
the leading chess organizations in the country, and the Chess Club
and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, a chess education facility.

The program, Young Stars — Team USA, hopes to train these
up-and-coming chess standouts for future U.S. Olympiad teams. In
this program, former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov and other
chess legends will provide one-on-one instruction for Sam and the
other players. During the kick-off session, Sam was tutored by former
Soviet Champion Alexander Chernin.

Sam’s foray into the world of pawns and checkmates began early. He
first showed interest in chess at age 5, when his father, Armen Sevian,
got him hooked on the cerebral game. Sam participated in his first
tournament at age 6.

“Well, you know, I myself back in Armenia was playing, and kind of
love the game, and taught Sam and he picked it up,” Sevian said. “He
had this ability to see pretty far ahead without moving the pieces,
and that’s a good indication that he can continue.”

Sam practices chess three to five hours per day, either with his
father, top-rated players on the Internet or his Los Angeles-based
coach, international master Andranik Matikozian, over Skype.

Matikozian has been training Sam for four years. He says Sam is well
on his way to broader horizons.

“He definitely will become a grandmaster,” Matikozian said. “But I
think more than a grandmaster, he wants to become a world champion.”

In order to improve Sam’s ranking, Sevian enrolls his son in
tournaments across the world. Sam most recently competed in the 19th
annual Metropolitan Chess World FIDE Invitational in Los Angeles where
he received his first norm, chess jargon for a mark awarded for good
performance. Three are necessary to become an international master. In
April, Sam plans to attend the World Amateur Championships in Iasi,
Romania, in hopes of increasing his ranking.

Sevian admits that these excursions can be pricey at upward of $1,500
per tournament, including entrance fee, travel costs and hotel rates.

The expenses add up, and the Sevians are looking for fundraising and
sponsorship opportunities.

Despite his frequent traveling and rigorous practice schedule, Sam
insists he is able to balance chess with his everyday obligations.

“I do my homework quickly,” he said.

However, his father said Sam’s chess training likely has prevented
him from fully embracing his youth.

“I think he does miss out on a lot of his childhood,” Sevian said. “I
think it’s actually because he loves chess. You take him out to
places and he still thinks about the games. In a way, you know,
it’s kind of like he lives and breathes chess.”

Sam’s drive to succeed outweighs any desire he might have to lead
a normal childhood. Like a seasoned professional, he downplays his
current title of national master as just a stepping stone toward the
greater goal: grandmaster.

“I felt good about,” he said about his achievement. “But I wanted to
get better than that.”

IRAN INTERIOR MINISTER MEETS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA
July 10 2012
Iran

Yerevan, 10 July: Visiting IRI [Islamic Republic of Iran] interior
minister said here Monday [9 July] in a meeting with Armenian
Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan parliamentary relations are very
good support for bilateral ties and Iranian and Armenian parliaments
play important roles in expansion of Tehran-Yerevan relations.

According to IRNA, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar who is in Yerevan for
a two-day official visit in his Monday evening meeting with the
Armenian Parliament Speaker pointed out that the parliaments are the
manifestation of the nations’ will and our two nations have throughout
history enjoyed good relations full of mutual understanding, and
their representatives’ relations, too, would hopefully be in line
with safeguarding mutual interests.

The Iranian interior minister emphasized one of the prerequisites
for any country’s development and advancement is having effective
and advanced laws, arguing, “Progress through abiding by the laws
would be both faster and easier and the two countries’ parliaments
can pave the path for cooperation of the two countries.”

Pointing out that the old relations between Iran and Armenia is a
precious capital that can serve as a model both for the two countries
and for the region, he reiterated, “The documents and reached
agreements between our two countries show that there are still lots
of unused potentials for further expansion of cooperation.”

Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, too, said in the meeting
that old and intimate relations with the Iranian government and nation
has been a factor at the service of expansion and deepening business
and trade ties, adding, “We are fully ready for further expansion of
comprehensive cooperation with Iran.”

He said that the Iranian interior minister’s visit to Yerevan was
a factor at the service of strengthening friendship and relations,
adding, “The Armenian Parliament would take every necessary step for
deepening the two countries relations and there is no obstacle in
the way of doing so.”

The IRI interior minister earlier in Monday morning had a meeting
with the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in which the two sides
spoke about Iran and Armenia bilateral cooperation and sought ways
for expansion of ties.

The Armenian president in the meeting termed Tehran-Yerevan relations
as “good and still improving” adding, “Armenia Republic tries its
best to fully implement the entire reached agreements with the Islamic
Republic of Iran.”

Referring to the 20th anniversary of the two countries’ relations,
President Sargsyan said, “Our relations are beyond that date and
quite historic, and serve as a very good foundation for comprehensive
expansion and deepening of bilateral cooperation and ties.”

The Armenian leader said that Armenia is also fully ready for
expansion of provincial and border relations with Iran, adding, “The
two countries’ ties are friendly and based on good neighbourly basis,
and we are glad to see that our bilateral ties are still expanding.”

Iran’s Interior Minister Mohammad Mostafa Najjar arrived in Yerevan on
Monday for a formal visit to Armenia. The Iranian minster was welcomed
by Armenia’s Emergency Situation Minister Armen Yeritsyan. Najjar
told reporters that the visit aims to help broaden mutual economic,
social and political relations between the two countries. The
Armenian minister, for his part, described Tehran-Yerevan relations
very important and called for enhanced economic cooperation. Najjar
is leading a delegation comprised of senior officials from east and
west Azarbayjan provinces.

ARMENIA OFFERS HELP IN RESCUE OPERATION AFTER FLOODS IN RUSSIA’S KRASNODAR TERRITORY

ITAR-TASS
July 8, 2012 Sunday 09:30 PM GMT+4
Russia

Armenia is ready to help Russia in a rescue operation after the
devastating flood in the southern Krasnodar Territory, Armenian
Emergencies Minister Armen Yeritsyan told his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Puchkov in a telephone conversation on Sunday.

The telephone call was made at the instruction of Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan who instructed the country’s interior minister to offer
Armenia’s assistance, a ministry spokesman said. Apart from that,
the Armenian president instructed to provide assistance to Armenia’s
citizens and compatriots affected by the natural calamity.

On Saturday the Armenian president sent a telegram of condolences
to his Russian counterpart Vladimir. “In this difficult moment we
are staying together with the Russian people and are ready to offer
any kind of assistance to overcome the tragedy’s aftermaths,” the
Armenian leader said. “Let me present my profound condolences and
words of support to the families of the dead.”