Author: Badalian Vardan

The New Argentine Ambassador to Armenia was Presented to the Community

Agencia Prensa Armenia

On Tuesday night the new Argentine Ambassador to Armenia, Dr. Gonzalo
Urriolabeitia, was presented to the representatives of the
institutions of the Armenian community in the country, along with the
Armenian Ambassador to Argentina Alexan Harutiunian and the Consul of
the Embassy of Armenia Ester Mkrtumyan.

“Being Ambassador to Armenia is something very special because I will
represent not only the Argentine people, but also the Armenians living
in Argentina, which are also Argentines,” said Urriolabeitia.

The lawyer Gonzalo Urriolabeitia had been appointed by Decree
307/2015, signed by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and
Foreign Minister Hector Timerman. Urriolabeitia was press officer at
the Embassy of Brazil between 2002 and 2008, and then worked in the
Argentina Foreign Ministry from 2010 in the Department of
Parliamentary Affairs. He studied at the Foreign Service Institute of
the Nation and became a lawyer at the Catholic University of La Plata.

Agencia de Noticias Prensa Armenia
Armenia 1366, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel. (5411) 4775-7595
[email protected]
twitter.com/PrensaArmenia

They walked for you and me: Armenian Genocide remembered at the Art
Space Gallery
Angela Tuttle, Reporter

March 19, 2015
The Rampage

April 24 is marked as Remembrance Day of the Armenian Genocide. 2015
particularly stands out because it’s been 100 years since the genocide.

The art space gallery at Fresno City College is one of the many venues
in Fresno that will have events to remember those lost to the genocide.

Artist Joyce Gostanian Kierejczyk hosted an Art Hop event on March 5.
Guests were greeted at the entrance with a mound of forget-me-nots.
Guests then could write the name of a loved one who died in the
Armenian genocide on a piece of paper, slip it on the flower and place
it in the exhibit itself.

The actual exhibit consisted of paper sculptures that represented those
lost in the Armenian Genocide as well as photography pieces of Armenia
by Peter Carapetian.

Under the hanging sculptures were piles of raisins made to look like
graves, where guests then placed their flowers.

The exhibit contained 937.5 pounds of raisins that was donated by the
Caruthers Raisin Packing Company and Dennis Housepan.

`This half ton of raisins signifies the 1.5 million people that died
during the Armenian Genocide,’ said by Joyce Gostanian Kierejczyk.

Everything in this exhibit is completely symbolic by nature, but the
artist goes the extra mile. During Art Hop, Joyce Gostanian was there
with her art, mingling with guests and telling her stories.

Not only is she undeniably talented, but she so flawlessly preserves
history so those of the present and future can remember what happened
to their ancestors.

Also posted on the wall were quotes by Joyce Gostanian.

`The stories that I heard many times were of the Armenian families
that were tortured and killed and sent off to march into the desert.
Although this story ther would repeat it throughout her life as the
story she heard as a child. The same story is repeated by many
generations of Armenians of the Armenian Genocide.’

These stories, although so shocking they may have sounded unreal, were
very real and stressed the importance of remembering the past and
those who were lost, no matter how dark and tragic.

This exhibit will be running until April 9 in Fresno City College’s Art
Space Gallery.

SOS RACISME : PROFANATION DU MEMORIAL DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN DE LYON

Publie le : 02-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
propose ce communique de presse publie sur le site du SOS Racisme
Rhône le 30 mars 2015.

SOS Racisme Rhône

Communique de presse

“La profanation d’un lieu de memoire est un acte raciste !”

Dans la nuit du 28 au 29 mars, le memorial lyonnais du genocide des
Armeniens et des victimes de tous les crimes contre l’humanite du
XXème siècle (situe place Antonin Poncet) a ete une nouvelle fois
vandalise. SOS Racisme Rhône – Agir pour l’egalite exprime sa vive
indignation face a cet acte qui vient s’ajouter a la longue serie de
degradations a l’encontre de ce memorial qui symbolise la solidarite
des peuples et la volonte de la Ville de Lyon d’oeuvrer pour la
prevention des genocides. L’association souhaite reaffirmer que

GERMAN BUNDESTAG HOLDS DISCUSSIONS ON USAGE OF “GENOCIDE” TERM

16:52, 2 April, 2015

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. The German Bundestag will hold a one-hour
discussion on the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day marked on April
24. As reports “Armenpress”, the Turkish service of Deutsche Welle
stated this noting that while the day of the anniversary approaches,
the discussions dedicated to the issue of usage of “genocide” term
have been activated in the parliament.

It is considered to introduce a resolution to voting at the course
of the April 24 session. An unofficial working group including the
representatives of the four parties participated in the completion
of the resolution.

RUSSIAN COMPANIES CAN ENTER EU MARKET FROM ARMENIA ON PRIVILEGED REGIME

11:29, 2 April, 2015

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. Russian “IT Summit 2015” has kicked
off in Armenia’s capital Yerevan. The representatives of about 100
prominent Russian companies take part in the event. The Vice Prime
Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Minister of International Economic
Integration and Reforms of the Republic of Armenia Vache Gabrielyan
made remarks at the opening of “IT Summit 2015”.

As reports “Armenpress”, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia Vache Gabrielyan assured that Armenia is extremely interested
in the Russian companies’ activities here, particularly representing
the IT sector.

Among other things, Vache Gabrielyan underscored: “I am hopeful that
Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union will become an
impetus for that. We have such cases, when the Russian capital flow
to Armenia is increased due to the country’s attractiveness. For
instance, we can mention particularly “Rusal Armenal” company, which
is a offshoot organization of “Rusal” company.”

“The aforesaid company operates in Armenia for a long time and
currently exports its products to Europe on a much better conditions,
than its Russian counterpart. As we have GPS+ privileged regime with
the EU, while Russia lacks it at the present moment,” Armenia’s Vice
Prime Minister concluded.

POPE FRANCIS WILL FORMALLY PROCLAIM ST. GREGORY OF NAREK ‘DOCTOR OF CHURCH’ ON APRIL 12

09:46, 02 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Pope Francis formally will proclaim a 10th-century Armenian monk as
a doctor of the church when he celebrates a liturgy April 12 with
leaders and faithful of the Armenian Catholic Church, Catholic News
Service reports.

The Vatican had announced in February the pope’s decision to confer
the title “doctor of the church” on St. Gregory of Narek. The title
indicates that the saint’s writings are considered to offer key
theological insights for the faith.

Earlier, the Vatican had announced that the pope would celebrate
a liturgy April 12 with members of the Armenian community, who are
preparing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide
April 24.

Pope Francis will concelebrate the liturgy with Armenian Catholic
Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, the Vatican said.

St. Gregory of Narek is considered one of the leading figures of
Armenian theology and thought, and many of his prayers are included
in the Armenian Divine Liturgy.

He was born in 950 in the Armenian town of Andzevatsik, located in
present-day Turkey. He entered a monastery at a young age and was
ordained a priest at 25. He lived at the monastery at Narek his whole
priestly life and taught at the monastic school.

His best-known writings include a commentary on the Song of Songs
and his “Book of Lamentations,” now commonly known as “Narek.”

“Narek” is considered his masterpiece. It includes 95 prayers and
has been translated into more than 30 languages.

St. Gregory died in Narek around 1005. His feast day in the Armenian
churches is Oct. 13; he is remembered in the Roman Catholic Church
Feb. 27.

Designating him a doctor of the church, Pope Francis will bring to
36 the number of saintly theologians to hold the title.

AZERBAIJAN TO EXPAND ITS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

April 2 2015

Politician Tigran Abrahamyan arrived at this conclusion after the
latest border incidents –

Border incidents are continued since August of last year and this
year more intensively. Do you also think that the only reason for it
is the centennial of the Genocide? Aren’t there any political
interests of great powers, which resulted in the creation of this
situation? Especially since the president of Azerbaijan calls the
international agreements a “scrap of paper”.

– I do not connect the border incidents with Genocide centennial.

Surely, in terms of combat duty, April is expected to be a difficult
month, truly, there are rapid activation risks by the opponent.

Azerbaijan’s military-political elite solves tactical problems
with the help of border incidents, which occur at different times
in different forms. And the statement by the President of Azerbaijan
regarding qualifying the international agreements as a “scrap
of paper”, the best demonstrates the attitude that Azerbaijan
displays towards the agreements reached during bipartite or
multipartite meetings.

– Looking back to the border incidents starting from the cease-fire
up to the recent days, Azerbaijan has passed from random actions to
subversive war. What does this suggest? Which will be the next step?

– Currently, Azerbaijan had adopted the line of
“sniper-subversive war”, aiming at possibly causing
great damage to the Armenian side, both material, human and
moral-psychological. As to the sequence of steps, the situation is as
follows: firstly, Azerbaijan was breaking the ceasefire with irregular
fires, later on, the snipers and subversive and intelligence forces
were actively engaged in the game, afterwards, after the changes
in tactics, the penetrations of subversive and intelligence forces
turned into diversion and special detachment actions implemented
in the direction of the Armenian combat positions. Simultaneously,
Azerbaijan employs weapons, which are long-ranged and quite big in
size. Today, mines and grenade launchers are “working”
in the front line, and, unfortunately, the official reports cover the
use of it more frequently. Next, Azerbaijan will expand the weapons
used against the Armenian positions and units, the foundations of
which are visible today.

– Should Armenia’s approach be only defensive? Recently, in one
of his speeches, the President clearly mentioned that the Armenian
side from now on would not only be protective but also offensive.

– The opponent’s actions compel us to be attacking. It is an
effective way to prevent provocations.

– How would interpret Serzh Sargsyan’s recently voiced concern
about arming Azerbaijan? Wasn’t it belated? And why there were
no responds from Russia? The next day after the statement, Azerbaijan
conducted subversive activities. Was it Russia’s response?

– I do not think that President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement is
directly associated with the followed by incident, because still a few
days prior to this incident, Azerbaijan was already active in different
directions of the front line, by creating risks for penetration of
subversive groups. And the President’s statement was not new,
moreover belated, as such kind of statements were voiced by the
President also during the CSTO meetings, to the point, at that time
Serzh Sargsyan did not only talk about the risks of supplying arms
to Azerbaijan, but also the need to agreed actions in international
organizations by the CSTO member states.

– For a long time, Azerbaijan is building new footholds on the
border. What are the Azerbaijanis preparing for? Why the Armenian
armed forces do not prevent those activities?

– The engineering works in the front line are ongoing processes that
are carried out on both sides. Azerbaijan suffers many casualties
in the result of punitive actions by Armenian troops, therefore it
is trying to strengthen the sections on the border line that are
considered to be weak. Establishment of engineering buildings is also
a way to achieve positional advantages. What comes to the response
activities by the Armenian armed forces under these situations, then
the military sector, especially in the case of unfinished war, do
not always enable receiving details about the carried out operations.

Interviewed by Nelly GRIGORYAN

Read more at:

NEW JERSEY SEN. BOB MENENDEZ INDICTED ON FEDERAL CORRUPTION CHARGES

09:22, 02 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Justice Department formally handed down an indictment for New
Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez on Wednesday, alleging that the Democrat used
his Senate office to promote the interests of friend and Democratic
donor Dr. Salomon Melgen, CBS News reports.

Menendez, 61, of Union City, New Jersey, and Melgen, 61, of West Palm
Beach, Florida, were indicted in the District of New Jersey for one
count of conspiracy, one count of violating the travel act, eight
counts of bribery and three counts of honest services fraud. Menendez
was also charged with one count of making false statements. The case
is being handled by the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.

“Between January 2006 and January 2013, Menendez accepted close to $1
million worth of lavish gifts and campaign contributions from Melgen
in exchange for using the power of his Senate office to influence the
outcome of ongoing contractual and Medicare billing disputes worth tens
of millions of dollars to Melgen and to support the visa applications
of several of Melgen’s girlfriends,” the Justice Department explained
in a statement.”

Those gifts included “flights on Melgen’s private jet, a first-class
commercial flight and a flight on a chartered jet; numerous vacations
at Melgen’s Caribbean villa in the Dominican Republic and at a hotel
room in Paris; and $40,000 in contributions to his legal defense
fund and over $750,000 in campaign contributions,” according to the
statement. “Menendez never disclosed any of the reportable gifts that
he received from Melgen on his financial disclosure forms.”

Investigators have been looking into the relationship between
the two men for several years, but the senator has maintained his
innocence throughout, previously deriding the investigation as a
politically-motivated “smear campaign.”

RICHARD YOUNGS: NEW WAY AHEAD OF ARMENIA AND EU WON’T BE SMOOTH

April 2, 2015 17:15

Richard Youngs

Photo: ytimg.com

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Senior associate at Carnegie Endowment Richard
Youngs believes that the democracy in Armenia is moving backward,
and the way ahead of Armenia and EU is unlikely to be smooth.

Youngs wrote about it in his article entitled “Armenia as a Showcase
for the New European Neighborhood Policy?”

According to the expert, the case of Armenia shows the EU’s willingness
to be flexible and adjust its standard neighborhood model.

But it also shows how this incipient adjustment does not in itself
solve the problem of how the EU can and should fashion a more effective
geostrategic identity in its East.

“The EU’s current Eastern crisis started in Armenia. After more than
three years of negotiations, on September 3, 2013, Armenia pulled
out of its just-concluded Association Agreement with the EU. Instead,
Yerevan joined the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The EU appears to have learned some important lessons from that jolt.

For some months after September 2013, the EU was understandably
frosty toward Armenia. More recently, however, the EU’s response has
been pragmatic. Most forms of cooperation have continued,” noted the
author of the article.

Recalling that the EU invited Armenia to identify those elements of
the Association Agreement in which it is still interested and that
are compatible with the country’s EEU commitment, Richard Youngs
believes that the way ahead is unlikely to be smooth.

“The EU might espouse demand-driven flexibility in its new approach
to the Eastern Partnership, but this does not prevent the union from
getting caught up in some very tense domestic politics in places
like Armenia.

The Armenian government seeks pragmatic areas of EU funding from
the new agreement and some areas of technical alignment. Government
officials in Yerevan are once again keener on some kind of economic
agreement with the EU, in part because Russia’s financial troubles
have had a serious impact on the Armenian economy,” noted the European
expert.

According to Youngs, civil society leaders argue that the replacement
agreement represents an opportunity for the EU to make democracy
support its niche priority in Armenia.

“The EU has been admirably inclusive in consulting with Armenian
civil society organizations over the new agreement. But with the union
having only just finished a preparatory scoping exercise to look at
what could feasibly be included in the agreement, many civil society
organizations criticize the EU for moving extremely slowly. The texts
of the original accord were, after all, finalized two years ago,
and it should be possible simply to take out the free trade elements
and move ahead with the new package. Civil society leaders in Yerevan
suspect that the Russia factor is once again holding several member
states (and, indeed, Armenia) back,” wrote the expert.

He believes democracy in Armenia is moving backward.

“The government effectively decimated one of the main political
parties, weakening a potential counterweight to executive power.

Constitutional reforms are stalled. Civic protests have grown in
strength over the last year. The government is planning a restrictive
new NGO law, and executive control over the media and judiciary has
tightened – all concerns noted in the EU’s latest progress report on
Armenia released on March 25,” reads the article.

According to Richard Youngs, so the strategic dilemma remains which
kind of more flexible and tailored agreement the EU will favor and
whether the union will indulge Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s
creeping soft authoritarianism?

“A new accord will be valuable but will not in itself significantly
reinforce the EU’s political influence. This will require member states
to invest more political weight through their diplomacy in Armenia, by
engaging directly on high-level security issues,” wrote Richard Youngs.

On the other hand, he thinks the replacement agreement is unlikely to
give the EU any role in Armenia’s security dynamics. And this matters,
because the security context looks increasingly precarious.

ARMENIAN FM ATTENDS THE SITTING OF CSTO FOREIGN MINISTERS’ COUNCIL

18:00, 02 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On April 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edward Nalbandian
participated in the session of Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Foreign Ministers’ Council.

Ministers exchanged thoughts on the issues impacting global and
regional security, current situation in Central Asia, South Caucasus,
as well as developments unfolding in the Middle East, reflected on
efforts towards establishment of stability in Afghanistan. Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian delivered a speech on those issues.

During the meeting, issues of coordination of CSTO member-states’
foreign policy were discussed, the development of military and
military-technical cooperation, fight against terrorism and illegal
drug trafficking were reflected on.

The Ministers touched upon the process of implementation of decisions
adopted at Collective Security Council session held in December 2014.

At the session, the Foreign Minister of Tajikistan Sirodjidin Aslov
presented the process of implementation of Tajikistan Chairmanship
priorities.

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
Nikolay Bordyuzha reported about the current activities of the
Organization, results reached in the framework of cooperation.

Chairperson-in Office of the OSCE, First Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica DaÄ~MiÄ~G
was invited to the CSTO Foreign Ministers’ Council.

During the session views were exchanged on cooperation between CSTO,
the UN, OSCE and other international and regional organizations.

The Ministers decided on the 10 subjects of statements to be made on
the behalf of CSTO in 2015, three of which on Armenia’s initiative.

The Ministers adopted joint statement on the 70th anniversary of the
Victory in the Great Patriotic War.