Author: Badalian Vardan

LI KEQIANG MEETS WITH PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN OF ARMENIA

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

March 26 2015

2015/03/26

In the afternoon of March 26, 2015, Premier Li Keqiang met at the
Great Hall of the People with President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia,
who came to China to pay a state visit and attend the Boao Forum for
Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2015.

Li Keqiang said that President Xi Jinping and Your Excellency
President together signed the Joint Statement on Further Developing
and Deepening Friendly Cooperative Relations yesterday, which injected
new impetus into the development of the bilateral relations. China
is willing to work with Armenia to deepen friendly cooperation and
promote common development through mutual respect, equal treatment,
and mutual support.

Li Keqiang pointed that China boasts advanced and surplus capacity in
various fields, and has accumulated rich experience in infrastructure
construction, with equipment being highly cost-effective. China is
willing to conform to the new development plan of your country and
carry out cooperation in such fields as railways, highways, nuclear
power and electric power. In the meanwhile, China is willing to help
Armenia to build production lines of steel and iron, cement, plate
glass and others, and carry out infrastructure construction with
local materials to promote the industrialization process of Armenia,
so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. The Economic and
Trade Cooperation Committee between two countries should play a bigger
role in promoting bilateral economic and trade, people-to-people and
cultural, as well as local exchanges and cooperation.

Serzh Sargsyan said that the two peoples of Armenia and China
have enjoyed long-lasting friendship for generations. Since the
establishment of the diplomatic relationship, the two countries have
witnessed increasingly deepened political mutual trust and constantly
promoted friendly cooperative relations, and have become important
political, economic and trade partners of each other. Armenia is
willing to work with China to deeply explore the potentials for
bilateral economic and trade cooperation, enhance cooperation in
tourism and aviation industry, and expand people-to-people and
cultural exchanges so as to promote common development. Armenia
welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in Armenia and participate in
construction of infrastructure including highways, nuclear power and
electric power as well as cooperation in mining industry, and looks
forward to conducting capacity cooperation with China, promoting
Armenia’s economic and social development.

VETERAN ARMENIAN-TURKISH EDITOR DIES AT 80

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
March 30 2015

ISTANBUL

Sarkis Seropyan, the veteran editor of Istanbul-based weekly Agos’
Armenian language pages, has passed away at the age of 80.

Seropyan died on March 28 after succumbing to pancreatic cancer,
news portal T24 reported.

The journalist, who was among the people to establish Agos, will be
laid to rest on March 31 in Istanbul’s Ã…~^iÃ…~_li Armenian Cemetery
following a ceremony at the Surp Vartanants Church in Ã…~^iÃ…~_li’s
Feriköy neighborhood.

Agos announced Seropyan’s death via its website, stressing that he
was the “newspaper’s history, the chief pillar, and our everything.”

Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek sent weekly Agos’ editor-in-chief
Yetvart Danzikyan a message of condolence, expressing his grief over
the loss.

“I am deeply grieved by the death of Serkis Seropyan, one of the
veteran founders and the Armenian language pages editor of the Agos
newspaper, which is the unique sound of diversity in Turkey,” read
Cicek’s statement.

Seropyan, who was born in 1935, started working after graduating from
middle school, during which he wrote articles to various journals
and newspapers in the Armenian language. He was among the group of
people who founded the Agos newspaper in 1996 following a call by
the late Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Since the paper’s
establishment, Seropyan had been the Armenian language pages editor.

Dink was murdered on Jan. 19, 2007, in broad daylight on a busy street
outside of Agos’ office in Ã…~^iÃ…~_li.

Ogun Samast, Dink’s killer, who was 17 years old when he committed
the crime, is serving a sentence of 22 years and 10 months in a
high-security prison for the shooting.

March/30/2015

EEU NOT YET READY FOR SINGLE CURRENCY, TATIANA VALOVAYA SAYS

YEREVAN, March 30. / ARKA /. Introduction of a single currency for
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) must be preceded by creation of a
single internal market, a viable economic union and increased trade
and investments, Tatiana Valovaya, a member of board (minister) of
the Eurasian Economic Commission for key integration directions and
macroeconomics told Armenian reporters today in Yerevan.

During a meeting with presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan in late
March Russian president Vladimir Putin said that ‘time has come to
start thinking about forming a currency union,’ but gave no details of
the proposal suggesting it would be easier to meet economic challenges
by working closely together.

Earlier, on March 10, Putin ordered the Central Bank of Russia and
the Russian government to work in conjunction with the national banks
of the EEU member states to determine by September 1 “the further
directions of integration in the currency and financial spheres”. He
also said that “the feasibility of establishing a monetary union
within the framework of the EEU in the long term should be considered.”

The EEU was founded and launched by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
on January 1. Armenia joined the post-Soviet economic grouping on
January 2.

Speaking to Armenian reporters in Yerevan, Valovaya said experts of
the EEU are examining carefully the experience of the European Union
which first announced plans to introduce a single currency back in
1960s and did so only in 2002.

Valovaya said the experts are working now to eliminate the existing
economic barriers (for the introduction of single currency) and
adjusting the national legislations of member countries and the final
decision will be taken by the presidents of all member states of EEU.

She said Russia’s proposal to consider the possibility of introducing
a single currency for the trade union does not mean that “it will take
effect tomorrow.” It calls on all member states to step up mutual
cooperation in the macroeconomic, monetary and financial areas,
she added.

She admitted that a significant devaluation of the Russian currency
has hit exporters in Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but argued
that the Union’s advantage is that now Armenia can look for ways to
mitigate the effects of this influence together with its EEU partners,
including through monetary cooperation.-0-

ADRIANA KAREMBEU READS THE TESTIMONY OF SATENIK PARUNAKIAN

March 30, 2015 09:43
EXCLUSIVE

Adriana Karembeu

Photo: Mediamax

Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide
Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors
published by the National Archive of Armenia.

Adriana Sklenarikova-Karembeu is a fashion supermodel and actress.

For 100 seconds project Adriana Sklenarikova-Karembeu reads an extract
from Armenian Genocide survivor Satenik Parunakian’s testimony.

National Archives of Armenia Collection of Documents

Testimony of survivor Satenik Parunakian on the massacre at the
village of Kharakonis of Archak in Van district of Van Province

[1916] Baku

There were no men among us. There were examining us and if they found
a man they would take him away and kill him. They didn’t spare even
children; they would immediately kill any male child they found.

Our boys had forelocks so they were looking at their heads and if
someone had a forelock, they would immediately take them away from
us and kill them. So we started to tear off the children’s forelocks
with our teeth as we had no scissors.

They checked my children’s heads several times but fortunately didn’t
notice anything, so they were saved. We stayed at the priest’s house
for several days.

We had no bread, no other food. We were taking water from a well and
feeding children with it. Many children died there of hunger.

Producers: Ara Tadevosyan Filming: Lena Gevorgyan, Mariam Loretsyan
Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Satenik Parunakian’s testimony: National Archives of
Armenia, Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of
survivors, Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.

UN EX-SOLDAT RISQUE LA PARALYSIE A CAUSE DU MANQUE DE MOYEN DU GOUVERNEMENT

Defense

Un soldat armenien demobilise, qui a ete grièvement blesse il y a
trois ans, risque de rester paralyse pour le reste de sa vie après
que l’armee armenienne a refuse de financer la poursuite a l’etranger
de son traitement coûteux.

Gevorg Yeghiazarian a ete confine au lit depuis que la balle d’un
tireur d’elite azerbaïdjanais a atteint sa colonne vertebrale
en decembre 2011. Il a ete brièvement capable de s’asseoir et de
se deplacer dans un fauteuil roulant en 2012 après avoir subi un
traitement de cinq semaines en Israël, qui a coûte au ministère de
la Defense de l’Armenie 70 000 $.

Citant un manque de fonds, le ministère a par la suite refuse
d’allouer les 56 000 $ necessaires pour la deuxième phase de son
retablissement dans une clinique israelienne. L’Armenie ne possedant
pas les installations medicales sophistiquees necessaires pour un tel
traitement, l’etat de Yeghiazarian s’est deteriore depuis. L’ancien
conscrit est maintenant non seulement confine au lit, mais aussi a
peine capable de parler. Il ne peut respirer et manger que grâce a
des tubes speciaux.

Selon la mère de Gevorg, Naira Galstian, le jeune homme de 23
ans n’a qu’un reve aujourd’hui : se remettre sur pieds. “Qu’ils
l’envoient dans un autre pays”, dit-elle, se referant aux responsables
gouvernementaux et militaires. “Ils veulent que leurs enfants soient
en bonne sante. Moi aussi. Après tout, j’ai envoye un garcon en bonne
sante a l’armee.”

“Ma douleur est si profonde que je ne sais pas si quelqu’un peut me
comprendre”, a declare Galstian.

“Actuellement, le ministère de la Defense ne peut pas se permettre
d’allouer a nouveau une telle somme”, a insiste le porte-parole du
ministère, Artsrun Hovannisian. “Ils ont fait appel a nous et nous
les avons aides autant que nous pouvions. Malheureusement, il n’y a
rien que nous puissions faire de plus aujourd’hui “.

lundi 30 mars 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

LE PRESIDENT DE LA CHAMBRE DES REPRESENTANTS OPPOSE A LA RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE

Etats Unis 1915-2015

Alors que 39 membres du Congrès americain proposent au vote une
resolution reconnaissant le genocide des Armeniens (RH 154), le
Republicain John Boeher, successeur de Nancy Pelosi (democrate),
president de la Chambre des representants se dit oppose a une telle
reconnaissance.

Il faut dire que le Representant du 8ème district de l’Ohio depuis
1991, sollicite par le President du Parlement turc Cemil Cicek et
ses collaborateurs, vendredi dernier, a pu assurer ce dernier de son
entière collaboration pour faire obstacle a la dite resolution.

Le 24 Avril 2007, le gouverneur de l’Etat de l’Ohio, Ted Strickland,
a reconnu officiellement le genocide des Armeniens, qualifie egalement
de Crime contre l’humanite.

Les militants de l’ANCA (CDCA francais) manifestent devant le Capitol

lundi 30 mars 2015, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

SLUTSKIY – “WE WILL CALL ON THE ENTIRE CLEARHEADED WORLD TO RECOGNIZE AND CONDEMN THE GENOCIDE”

YEREVAN, March 30. /ARKA/.The Russian delegation will call on the
entire clear-headed global community to recognize and condemn the
genocide of Armenian during the genocide centennial commemoration
events, the head of the Russian State Duma commission for CIS affairs
and Eurasian integration Leonid Slutskiy said in Giumry on Sunday,
Novosti-Armenia reported.

A truly representative Russian delegation will arrive in Armenia
headed by president Vladimir Putin to participate in the genocide
commemoration events, Slutskiy said.

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.

According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million
Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by
the government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades.

The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first
was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France,
Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina,
42 U.S. states. It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European
Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international
organizations. -0–

ARMENIAN-CHINESE RELATIONS ROSE TO A NEW LEVEL AFTER ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S VISIT – EXPERT

18:58 30/03/2015 >> POLITICS

Armenian-Chinese relations rose to a new level after Armenian
President’s recent state visit to China, Oriental Studies expert
Naira Lazarian told reporters on Monday.

In her words, the visit can be called one of the most serious
achievements of Armenian foreign policy over the past years.

The expert recalled that more than a dozen documents aimed at
development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation in several
areas were signed during the visit.

She stressed that taking into consideration the content of the
documents signed during the visit, it can be said that Serzh Sargsyan’s
visit can be crucial not only for Armenia, but also for the region.

Naira Lazarian highlighted the joint declaration on further
development and deepening of relations of friendly cooperation
between Armenia and China which was signed by the Armenian and Chinese
Presidents as a result of their meeting.

She underscored the clause of the declaration which says that “the
parties attach great importance to the international efforts to
prevent crimes against humanity and stand for the unacceptability of
their denial, as well as for their condemnation, and preservation of
historical truth.”

Related: Armenia, China hold high-level talks

Journal of Turkish Weekly
March 28 2015

Turkish PM’s advisor denies corruption claims

AA
28 March 2015

Turkish PM’s chief advisor Etyen Mahcupyan tells MPs at House of
Commons meeting that the AK Party’s ‘good actions are more than its
mistakes.’

Allegations of corruption and interference into the judiciary against
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party are not true, the
Turkish prime minister’s chief advisor has told British members of
parliament in the U.K.

Etyen Mahcupyan told a roundtable meeting at the UK’s House of Commons
on Friday that it would not have been possible for the AK Party to
have repeatedly won elections in the country if allegations against it
were true.

At the meeting entitled; “Understanding Change: The AK Party Period in
Turkey,” he said: “We live in a very unstable region, but the AK Party
has managed to keep Turkey in a stable position. Despite all the
accusations the government has been very successful.

“If such allegations were true, we would see the results — however,
the government has repeatedly won elections.”

– ‘Beneficial practices’

Mahcupyan said only the AK Party had transformed Turkey.

He said: “I am not saying that AK Party has not been making any
mistakes; in fact, they have made mistakes, but they still get votes
from citizens.

“The result shows that something is very solid, politically.”

“The AK Party does good things and bad things but, when we count AK
Party actions, its beneficial practices are more than its bad
actions.”

– Armenian allegations

Referring to the 1915 Armenian incidents in the Ottoman Empire, he
said: “I feel myself Ottoman rather than Armenian. I’m not a
nationalist.”

During the First World War, the Ottoman Empire approved a deportation
law for Armenians amid their uprising, with the help of the invading
Russian army.

As a result, an unknown number of people died in civil strife.

Turkey’s official position against allegations of “genocide” is that
it acknowledges past experiences were a great tragedy and that both
parties suffered heavy casualties, including hundreds of Muslim Turks.

Turkey agrees that there were Armenian casualties during World War I,
but that it is impossible to define these incidents as “genocide.”

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
March 27 2015

Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh not for Armenians, says MP

27 March 2015, 12:51 (GMT+04:00)
By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Armenians should either cross the border to Azerbaijan or leave the
Nagorno-Karabakh region, member of Azerbaijani parliament said.

Parliamentarian, Elman Mammadov believes that Armenians should defect
from Armenia and immediately withdraw from Azerbaijan’s occupied
lands, assuming they know right from wrong, especially in the light of
Armenia’s aggravated economic difficulties.

Mammadov claimed that Armenia’s economy is completely collapsing
because of the officials’ failure to address the spread of poverty and
depreciating quality of life.

“The same situation is observed also with the separatist regime in the
Nagorno Karabakh controlled by Yerevan,” he said, adding that even
Armenia’s own statistics expose the diminishing population there,
which now stands below 1,5 million people.

Mammadov believes that those who could’ve left Armenia, already seized
the opportunity to abandon the country.

Referring to the Armenian soldier, who surrendered to the Azerbaijani
troops, Mammadov said the conscript had made a sensible choice to save
his life, since the Armenian servicemen on the frontlines are
starving, and are serving alongside criminal commanders.

The serious enmity between the people in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia
also aggravates the situation in the Armenian army, the MP said.

“The capitulated Armenian soldier revealed the existing criminal
atmosphere in the army. This once again testifies to the fact that the
Azerbaijani army will soon liberate the occupied lands. The time has
come to do that,” he added.

Andranik Grigoryan, who raised a white flag to surrender to the
Azerbaijani army on March 22, said in an interrogation that the chaos
and intolerable conditions prevailing in the occupied Azerbaijani
lands, namely the absence of military discipline, shortages of
weapons, ammunition, food and medicines had ultimately led to his
defection.

He added that the conflicts between the local Karabakh population and
Armenians from Armenia, as well as the mutual hatred between officers
and soldiers exacerbated the situation deeply.

Even civilians are coercively entrenched as sentries because of the
lack of soldiers, Grigoryan confessed.

Mammadov believes that Armenia has now only two options: either build
relations with Azerbaijan to save its statehood or stand ready to be
destroyed.

In the other words, amid the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan, the
occupant Armenia will make or break its future depending on its
relations with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory was
turned into a battlefield and zone of aggravated tensions after
Armenia sent its troops to occupy Azerbaijan’s lands. As a result, 20
percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory stands
under military occupation. For the past two decades, and despite calls
from the international community, Armenia has refused to withdraw its
troops and retreat within its national borders.